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2022-07-01 08:34

Neeraj Chopra to spearhead 22-member Indian athletics team in World Championships

New Delhi, Jun 30 (Sports News) Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will headline a 22-member Indian athletics team at the World Championships to be held in Eugene, USA from July 15 to 24.

The selected team includes 17 men and five women athletes.

Race walker Bhawana Jat and veteran discuss thrower Seema Punia has withdrawn from the elite championships. Just like Bhawana, Seema gave the event a miss as she too wanted to focus on the Commonwealth Games, an event where she bagged medals in the last four editions.

"She wants to concentrate on the Commonwealth Games, where she won four medals. She feels she has better chance there and we also feel the same," Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adilee Sumariwala said while announcing the team.

Besides Chopra and Rohit Yadav is the other javelin thrower in the team.

3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, long jumpers Murali Sreeshankar and Muhammed Anees Yahiya, triple jump trio of Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveen Chithravel and Eldhose Paul, all of whom have qualified, Sandeep Kumar (20km Race Walking), MP Jabir (400m Hurdles), Noah Nirmal Tom, Muhammed Ajmal, Naganathan Pandi, Rajesh Ramesh and Muhammed Anas Yahiya (4x400m) have found a place in the team.

The squad also includes Amoj Jacob (4x400m) but his participation is subject to fitness. In case he is not fit, Arokia Rajiv will replace him in the relay squad.

Among women, S Dhanalakhsmi (200m), Aishwarya Kailash Mishra (400m), Parul Chaudhary (3000m Steeplechase), Annu Rani (Javelin Throw) and Priyanka Goswami (20km Walk) have made the cut.

The only surprises in the squad are the inclusion of Parul and Jabir.

Jeswin Aldrin, who had already qualified for the championships, however missed the cut.

Aishwarya Mishra, who evaded from dope testing agencies last month but was allowed by AFI to compete in National Inter-State Championships, has been selected with a rider.

"She will be subject to trails in 400m and if she qualifies she will go. She will undergo electronis timing as well NADA testing," Sumariwala said.

Asked if she was tested in the National Inter-State Championships, the AFI president said: "As far as I know she was tested." On what explanation Mishra gave after evading dope tests, Sumariwala said: "She went to visit her ailing grandmother and lost her phone. That was her explanation." Sumariwala said the team will head to Chula Vista, California for a short stint before heading to Eugene for the event.

"The team has been selected on the basis of world ranking and qualification standards laid down by the World Athletics," he said.

"The team will leave for Chula Vista soon where it will have a short stint before World Championships." The contingent will for the USA in three batches with the first group scheduled to leave on Saturday, followed by the next on Monday and the the third and final by July 5. The decision to send the team in batches was taken due to time taken for getting US visa.

Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair informed that 11 visas have already been granted and the next set of interviews are lined up for Friday.

Men: Avinash Sable (3000m Steeplechase), MP Jabir (400m Hurdles), M Sreeshankar and Muhammed Anees Yahiya (Long Jump), Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveen Chithravel and Eldhose Paul (Triple Jump), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot Put), Neeraj Chopra and Rohit Yadav (Javelin Throw), Sandeep Kumar (20km Race Walking), Amoj Jacob*, Noah Nirmal Tom, Muhammed Ajmal, Naganathan Pandi, Rajesh Ramesh and Muhammed Anas Yahiya (4x400m).

Women: S Dhanalakhsmi (200m), Aishwarya Kailash Mishra (400m), Parul Chaudhary (3000m Steeplechase), Annu Rani (Javelin Throw) and Priyanka Goswami (20km Walk).

Also Read : Formula E enters India: Hyderabad to host race on February 11

News Source : PTI

2022-06-30 12:33

Formula E enters India: Hyderabad to host race on February 11

New Delhi, Jun 30 (MotorSports News) Formula E will make its way to India for the first time ever with a race scheduled to be held in Hyderabad on February 11 next year, the organisers have confirmed.

The race in Hyderabad will be the first time a major international racing event is held in the country since the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix in October 2013 at the Buddh International Circuit, a development which was reported by PTI earlier this month.

Alongside India, Brazil will also welcome the E-Prix for the first time on March 25 as the Formula E and FIA released the provisional calendar for the upcoming ninth season (2022-23).

"Two major motorsport fanbases will welcome E-Prix for the first time. Round 4 of the championship will be held in Hyderabad, India, on 11 February, while fans in Brazil will see the Sao Paulo E-Prix on 25 March for Round 7," a media release stated.

Earlier this year, the Telangana government and Formula E officials had signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) in Hyderabad to host the race.

The Telangana government intends to make the state a hub for EV vehicles and the Formula E race will go a long way in helping it achieve that goal.

The race should also provide a big boost to Indian motorsports which has been in dire need of a high-profile event since Formula 1 was scrapped after three seasons.

Alberto Longo, Co-Founder and Chief Championship Officer, Formula E said: “The Season 9 calendar of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is our most expansive and dynamic racing schedule yet and I cannot wait to get started.

"We will continue to push the international boundaries of all-electric street racing with E-Prix in Hyderabad and Sao Paulo, while maintaining the hugely-popular races in Diriyah, Mexico City, Berlin, Monaco, Rome and London with Jakarta and Seoul now established on the calendar.

"We are also working hard to include Cape Town and a race in the USA when the provisional calendar is updated later this year." Berlin remains the only city to host an E-Prix in all nine seasons of the championship, while Seoul and Jakarta will see Formula E return following inaugural races this season.

Jakarta will host an expanded double-header of races next season.

Diriyah in Saudi Arabia will host the popular double-header of night races on January 27 and 28. While Monaco, Rome and London complete the schedule of named races.

The FIA sanctioned world championship has grown rapidly over the years and has presence of the world's leading auto makers including Mercedes, Porsche, Nissan and India’s Mahindra Racing, which has been part of the all electric series since its inception back in 2014.

Karun Chandhok is the only Indian driver to have raced in the competition.

The race calendar mainly consists of makeshift street circuits which are public roads on other days.

Also Read : Formula 1 to introduce synthetic and sustainable fuel by 2026

News Source : PTI

2022-06-29 18:15

Neeraj Chopra primed to win medal in Stockholm Diamond League

Stockholm, Jun 29 (Sports News) Buoyed by a strong start to the season, Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is primed to clinch his maiden Diamond League medal in his first appearance in four years in the prestigious one-day meet here on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Chopra was second in the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku with a big national record throw of 89.30m before winning his event at Kuortane Games with a creditable 86.60m effort under treacherous conditions.

Both the events in Finland had strong fields, though the Turku line-up had more stars than at Kuortane, where Chopra slipped after an awkward release of his spear in his third attempt under slippery conditions due to rains. Luckily, he was up on his feet immediately and won the event without any injury.

This will be Chopra's first competition in a Diamond League meet after his fourth-place finish in Zurich in August 2018 with an effort of 85.73m. He has taken part in seven Diamond League meets -- three in 2017 and four in 2018 -- but is yet to win a medal. He had two fourth-place finishes, the other one being in Doha in May 2018, where he had thrown 87.43m.

The prestigious one-day meet at the Swedish capital will be Chopra's biggest event ahead of the World Championships in Eugene, USA, next month. He will also be facing the toughest field of the season so far with all the three Tokyo Olympics medallists in fray.

Germany's Johannes Vetter, who has the maximum number of 90-plus throws among the active throwers, continues to be in the sidelines. He is not fully fit and also did not take part in the German nationals.

After winning gold at Kuortane where he was earlier based, Chopra has shifted to Uppsala, less than 100km from Stockholm, and will be not be taking part in any event after the Diamond League and before the July 15-24 World Championships. The Indian superstar has beaten reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada twice this month. Peters has seen a dip in form after winning the Doha Diamond League meet with a season-leading throw of 93.07m.

After that, he had thrown 86.60m at Paavo Nurmi Games for a third place and 84.75m in Kuortane Games for another third position.

Peters' fitness could also be a concern as he did not complete all his throws in an event at Orimattila in Finland last week, recording a best throw of 71.94m.

Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic and compatriot Tokyo Games bronze winner Vitezslav Vesely will also be in action. This will be the first time all the Tokyo Olympics medal winners will be in action together this season.

Vadlejch, who was sixth at Paavo Nurmi Games with a best throw of 83.91m, returns after skipping the Kuortane Games.

The same is the case for Germany's Julian Weber, who returns after finishing fifth at Paavo Nurmi Games with 84.02m.

Finland's Oliver Helander, who surprisingly won gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games with a big throw of 89.83m, will also be seen in action after skipping the Kuortane Games.

Another Indian, Murali Sreeshankar was to compete in the meet in long jump, an event which is not included in the Diamond League programme. It is listed as an additional event. But he will not be able to make it to the Swedish capital as his passport is held up at the US Embassy in New Delhi for visa processing for next month's World Championships.

He was to compete with Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Tentoglou Miltiadis of Greece and World Indoor Championships silver winner Thobias Montler.

Also Read : Businessman Punit Balan and rapper Badshah buy 6th Ultimate Kho Kho team

News Source : PTI

2022-06-29 14:26

PV Sindhu, Kashyap win; Saina loses in Malaysia Open

Kuala Lumpur, Jun 29 (Badminton News) Two stalwarts of Indian women's badminton, PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, suffered contrasting fates at the Malaysia Open Super 750 tournament with the former progressing to the second round and the latter bowing out after losing her opener here on Wednesday.

Sindhu, a former world champion, dished out a fine performance to outwit Thailand's world number 10 Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-13 21-17, but London Olympics bronze medallist Saina went down fighting against American Iris Wang, ranked 33rd in the world, 11-21 17-21 in 37 minutes.

Former Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap also made a positive return from injury as he prevailed 21-12 21-17 over Korea's Heo Kwang Hee to advance to the second round in men's singles.

Sindhu, seeded seventh, will next face Phittayaporn Chaiwan, a 21-year-old from Thailand who held the number one ranking in world junior ranking and also was part of the bronze medal-winning team at the Uber Cup in Bangkok.

Kashyap, ranked world number 39, will meet Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who had won the German Open Super 300 in March.

B Sumeeth Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa, who will be leading India's charge at the Commonwealth Games, couldn't get past world number 21 pairing of Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek of the Netherlands.

The Indian duo lost 15-21 21-19 17-21 after a 52-minute battle.

Sindhu enjoys a 5-3 head-to-head record against Chochuwong, having won the last time they met, at the 2021 World Championship, and the Indian looked in good touch against the Thai, who struggled with her lengths and finishing strokes.

The match started with the duo playing at a good pace but it was Sindhu who dictated terms with her better court coverage. Chochuwong matched Sindhu in the rallies but faltered in her finishing.

The result was Sindhu led throughout the first game after securing a 4-1 advantage early on. A tight net shot earned her a four-point cushion at the break. Sindhu's front court play was more polished than her rival and she used the smashes and attacking returns to good effect whenever there was an opportunity.

Sindhu extended her lead to 16-11 before producing an over-the-head return to grab seven game points and converted it with a smash.

After the change of sides, Chochuwong started with two net errors before pouncing on some weak returns from Sindhu to lead 4-2. The Thai player kept gathering points with Sindhu also committing errors at the net or going wide.

It was one such long return from Sindhu which handed Chochuwong a three-point advantage at the break.

Chochuwong quickly moved to 16-10 with the help of two precise returns on both sides and Sindhu also miscued her shots.

But the Indian then scripted a phenomenal recovery with a five-point burst with her rival falling into a heap of unforced errors.

With the Thai going long again, Sindhu levelled the score at 17-17 and then moved to the lead with yet another shot from Chochuwong getting buried at the nets.

With the shuttle sailing out twice again, Sindhu grabbed three match points and sealed it comfortably.

Also Read : HS Prannoy advances, Praneeth, Sameer Verma exit Malaysia Open

News Source : PTI

2022-06-28 16:36

Was extremely keen to go up against Tentoglou in Diamond League: M Sreeshankar

New Delhi, Jun 28 (Sports News) India's premier long jumper M Sreeshankar on Tuesday rued his withdrawal from the upcoming Diamond League owing to visa-related issues, saying he was "extremely keen" to go up against Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou in Stockholm.

Sreeshankar was forced to pull out of the prestigious tournament, starting June 30 in Sweden, as his passport was held up at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi for visa processing for next month's World Championship at Oregon.

The national record holder has said that while participation in the Diamond League would have allowed him to fine-tune his preparations for the World Championships, not being there wouldn't necessarily affect him, since the Worlds is his first priority.

"Unfortunately, the visa situation meant that I had to withdraw from the upcoming Diamond League in Stockholm. I was extremely keen on taking part in that event, especially against the current Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou," Sreeshankar said during a video interaction.

Interestingly, both Sreeshankar and Tentoglou achieved a jump of 8.36m this year.

"Participation in the Diamond League would have definitely placed me in a better position before the World Championships in July. That said, on the flip side, I am now going to get more time for preparing myself for the World Championships which has always been my first priority and also the Commonwealth Games," he added.

The 23-year-old Kerala athlete had won a gold medal earlier this month with a sensational jump of 7.95m at Venizeleia-Chania 2022 Athletics Meet in Greece. He said that the focus right now is to better his personal record and give his absolute best at the World Championship.

"Despite the fact that I had to withdraw from the Diamond League, I have been working hard and I am extremely confident of bettering my own personal record at the World Championship. The event will have several high-profile athletes but I am ready to give my best," Sreeshankar said.

The 18th edition of the World Championship is scheduled to be held from July 15-24.

Reflecting on his recent performances, Sreeshankar said that Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has taught him a great deal on how hard work shapes an athlete.

"I am quite sure that my recent performances will make me a better athlete in the future but it is Neeraj Chopra's relentless hard work that has taught me a great deal. He makes every event his own and never succumbs under pressure. His gold-winning feat has had a huge impact on Indian athletes, including me," Sreeshankar stated.

"After my performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games, my confidence level sunk to an all-time low. But it was Neeraj Chopra's historic feat that helped me realise that I can also my make country proud in a similar way," he said.

Also Read : All India Snooker: Rayaan, Sourav start campaign on winning note

News Source : PTI

2022-06-28 12:25

Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee inspired me to take up martial arts: Radha Bhati

At just 25 years of age, Radha Bhati has become an accomplished taekwondo athlete, winning laurels domestically and around the world. She is now setting her sights on the upcoming 2022 Asian Games and the World Championships in 2023 with the ultimate goal of not just representing India but winning medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In this exclusive interview, Radha Bhati speaks about her journey in the sport, representing India internationally, overcoming challenges, importance of mental health, special achievements, future goals and more!

Q 1) Tell us about your taekwondo journey, how were you introduced to the sport and what made you pursue it professionally?

My taekwondo journey started in 2011 when I went to the stadium just to have a look around. It was during my summer holidays so I wanted to join a sport. I saw martial arts classes at one corner and it grabbed my interest. I used to watch Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee movies, so I really loved to watch the fight. I then joined martial arts and started training which was a lot of fun, my interest started to increase with every day I trained.

Q 2) You represented India in the Under 46 kg category at the China Open where you won your first international medal. Tell us about your experience at that tournament and how did the success propel you to greater achievements?

That was actually my second medal but the first one on foreign soil. I was a little nervous but there was a lot of excitement as well because I was getting a chance to play outside India. The quarter final match was really interesting as it was decided by a golden point. The points were tied after three rounds and there were only 0.6 seconds left when I got the golden point. The feeling of winning an international medal outside India was amazing.

Q 3) What are some of the biggest challenges that you have faced in your career? How did you overcome them?

I think the biggest challenge was travelling because I used to travel from Faridabad to Chhatarpur. By metro it used to take around 3 hours one way and I would often reach home at 12 am which was pretty difficult. My parents would get worried because I’m a girl and they would often ask me to quit which was another challenge I had to deal with.

Also read: 'My ultimate goal is to win gold at the Paralympics'- Mohit Singh

Q 4) How important is mental health in becoming a successful taekwondo athlete and why?

To become a successful taekwondo athlete, mental health becomes an integral part. Even if you have the physical aspect of the game, an athlete needs to have the mental aspect as well. If you are mentally strong you tend to have the capability of achieving a lot of things in taekwondo.

Q 5) What would you say is your most special achievement in your career and why?

The most special achievement in my career was my first international medal at the India Open. This medal helped my confidence a lot and in turn helped in my performance as well.

Q 6) What are your future goals? How do you plan to achieve them?

If we talk about short term goals, then I want to prepare well for the upcoming international tournaments especially the Asian Games this year and the World Championship next year as I hope to win a medal there. The long term goal is to represent India at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

2022-06-27 16:40

Sindhu, Prannoy lead India's challenge at Malaysia Open Super 750

Kuala Lumpur, Jun 27 (Badminton News) P V Sindhu will look to quickly recover from her first-round exit at Indonesia, while HS Prannoy will eye another consistent show as the duo spearhead the Indian challenge at the Malaysia Open Super 750 tournament starting here on Tuesday.

Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, was shown the door in the opening round by China's He Bing Jiao at the Indonesia Open Super 1000 earlier this month and she will have to put behind that defeat when she begins her campaign against a formidable Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand.

While Sindhu enjoys a 5-3 head-to-head count against Chochuwong, the Indian has lost to the Thai world number 10 three times in their last five meetings, making their clash a mouth-watering prospect.

If she can cross the opening hurdle and hit a consistent run, Sindhu might come across Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei of China.

London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal also stars in the same half of the draw and will open against USA's Iris Wang. A win will put her face-to-face with Japanese sixth seed Nozomi Okuhara, a former world champion.

Saina had skipped the Indonesia leg to manage workload and will look to put up a good show against Wang, whom she had defeated in three games the only time they met last year at Orleans Masters.

In men's singles, Prannoy has been on a consistent run with a series of quarterfinals since the world championships last year. He played a pivotal role in India's epic Thomas Cup win and then dished out some superlative performances in Jakarta to reach the semifinals.

The 29-year-old was crestfallen after a series of unforced errors led to his ouster from Indonesia.

Prannoy, who is desperate to end his five year title drought, will be pitted against Malaysian veteran Daren Liew, who had defeated him at the Thailand Open in May this year.

Among others, Tokyo Olympian B Sai Praneeth will be up against sixth seeded Indonesian Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, while Sameer Verma takes on another Indonesian Jonata Christie, seeded seventh.

Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Parupalli Kashyap, also returning after recovering from an injury, will meet Korea's Heo Kwang Hee in the opening round.

World number 8 pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will also be back in action after skipping the last two events due to fitness issues. The duo will open Malaysia's Man Wei Chong and Kai Wun Tee.

In mixed doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and B Sumeeth Reddy, who are part of India's Commonwealth Games squad, will take on the Netherland's Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek.

Venkat Gaurav Prasad and Juhi Dewangan will square off against Korea's Kim Won Ho and Jeong Na Eun.

Also Read : India's HS Prannoy continued his impressive run as he sails into Indonesia semifinals

News Source : PTI

2022-06-27 11:06

Sekar Dhanalakshmi becomes 3rd fastest Indian woman in 200m

Almaty (Kazakhstan), Jun 26 (Sports News) Ace sprinter Sekar Dhanalakshmi ran her personal best time to win 200m gold at the Qosanov Memorial Athletics Meet while the likes of shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor and javelin thrower Rohit Yadav returned to India without competing in the event here on Sunday.

Dhanalakshmi ran a creditable sub-23 second, clocking 22.89s to better her earlier personal best of 23.14s she had come up last year. She had won a 200m gold in the national Inter-Sate Championships in Chennai earlier this month with a time of 23.27s.

She missed the automatic qualification mark of 22.80s for World Championships (July 15 to 24) in Oregon, USA, but will have to see if she can make it to the showpiece through world ranking quota. The World Championships qualification deadline ends on Sunday midnight.

Dhanalakshmi is only the third Indian woman to run sub-23s after national record holder Saraswati Saha (22.82s) and Hima Das (22.88s). Another Indian Dutee Chand was third with a time of 23.60s.

Toor and Rohit, however, did not take part in the meet and they are reaching India on Monday as they have to complete formalities for USA visa for the World Championships.

"Toor's interview for USA visa is on Monday and he will have to take a 9.30pm local time flight from Almaty. If he takes part in his competition, he will miss the flight. So, he skipped the event," a source said on conditions of anonymity.

However, Toor's selection in the Commonwealth team has been "subject to performance in Kazakhstan". The Asian record holder, just missed the CWG qualifying standard of 20.50m during his gold winning throw of 20.34m in the National Inter-State Championships in Chennai earlier this month.

He has already qualified for World Championship with his 21.10m throw in June last year. "Rohit's case is also the same as Toor and AFI is hoping that he will qualify for the World Championships through world ranking quota. So, he also has to do his US visa formalities," the source said.

The World Championships automatic qualification mark for men's javelin throw is 85m and Rohit had his personal best of 82.54m while winning silver at the National Inter-State Championships.

Rohit and DP Manu, who had won gold in National Inter-State Championships with a throw of 84.35m, have been named in the CWG team along with Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra. In other events, Sarita Singh, who was named in the 36-member Indian team for the upcoming Commonwealth Championships "subject to guidelines achieved in Kazakhstan" won the gold. But her best effort of 62.48m was below the CWG qualifying guidelines of 64m, set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

India swept the women's javelin throw medals with Annu Rani taking the gold with a performance of 62.29m. Annu, who had won gold in the National Inter-State Championships, with a throw of 60.97m, has been included in the CWG team.

Shipa Rani and Sanjana Choudhary took the silver and bronze with a disappointing 56.16m and 55.12m efforts respectively.

Shilpa, who was named in the CWG team "subject to accreditation is received", had won silver in the National Inter-State Championships with 59.01m.

Ancy Sojan won the women's long jump gold with a performance of 6.44m. Sojan, who is in the CWG team, had won silver in the National Inter-State Championships with 6.49m.

On Saturday night, Vithya Ramraj had become the fourth fastest Indian woman in 400m hurdles as she clocked 56.87s to win gold in the event.

Also Read : I will compete with myself at CWG and strive to better my world record: Mirabai Chanu

News Source : PTI

2022-06-25 14:58

Will compete in both Asian Games and World Championships if enough gap between two: Bajrang

New Delhi, Jun 25 (Wrestling News) Elite Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia on Saturday said he would compete in both, the postponed Asian Games and the World Championships next year, if there is a gap of at least one month between the two competitions.

The 2022 Asian Games were postponed due to rising COVID-19 cases in China and the organisers are yet to announce new dates for the prestigious Continental event.

The World Championship, set to be held in Russia in September 2023, will be an Olympic qualifying event.

"The 2023 is an important year. The focus is on qualifying for the Paris Games through the World Championships. We don't know as yet what is going to be the gap between Asian Games and the Worlds.

"But if we have one or one-and-a-half-month cushion between the two, I would compete in both," Bajrang said during a virtual interaction, facilitated by SAI.

The 28-year-old Bajrang, who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics Games, finds no merit in harping and fretting over past mistakes. Instead he would learn from them and move forward with better goals -- an Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Games.

"I was injured and was in rehab for about 8 months after Olympics. Olympics is the most important event for any athlete. That was a setback but still I won a bronze. 65 is toughest category in world.

"I have not changed a bit after winning an Olympic medal. The endeavour would be to do better in 2024. I have been training again. In the last four Olympics, India have got medals through wrestling. Bronze and silver are there but not gold. That's the target for Paris Games.

"We have to forget mistakes, learn from them and move forward. Victory and defeats are part of an athlete's life, we have to accept both," he said.

Bajrang is set to leave for USA on Sunday for a training-stint ahead of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

The multiple-time world medallist said he gets better sparring partner when he trains outside.

"I will be training at the Michigan University. Many top wrestlers train there. Like, I will be training with the world number one in 70kg (Ernazar Akmataliev, Kyrgyzstan). The 86kg Olympic medallist will also be there. That's why I prefer to train there." "Also, we are saved from usual distractions when we train in India. No one disturbs us abroad." He asserted that no wrestler, from any nation, tries to injure others deliberately during these training stints.

"We may be fierce competitors on the mat but off-mat we are all friends. There is no such fear in my mind that I will get injured, never thought like that. I have trained in Russia, Europe, USA and Asian nations but nothing like that has ever happened," he assured.

The Commonwealth Games, considering the low competition level, will be a test event for Bajrang, who though does not want to take things lightly.

"Remember I had finished second there in 2014," he said.

Also Read : Indian freestyle wrestlers claim Asian team title in U-17 category

News Source : PTI

2022-06-21 08:16

Archer Deepika Kumari set for India comeback at Paris

Paris, Jun 20 (Archery News) Sidelined after the Tokyo Olympics debacle, star Indian archer Deepika Kumari is all set to make a India comeback in the upcoming Stage 3 of the World Cup beginning here on Tuesday.

Exactly a year after she won an individual gold here in the same tournament last year, the 28-year-old world number three will look to redeem herself after failing to win a medal at the Tokyo Games.

That the Olympics is slated in two years at the same venue will be an added motivation for Deepika, who also has won a World Cup Final silver medal here in 2013.

Having returned empty-handed from her third Olympics campaign last year, Deepika saw a slump in form along with her husband and country's top male archer Atanu Das and failed to make the Indian team.

The duo also could not qualify for the team for the Asian Games which was later postponed as the Archery Association of India conducted a fresh trial of the top-eight archers for the Stage 3 of the World Cup.

Earlier the same squad was to compete in both the World Cup Stage 3 and the Asian Games but after the postponement Deepika and Pravin Jadhav, who were in the top-8 of the earlier conducted trial, got a fresh opportunity and made the cut.

Das, however, missed out having finished outside top-8 in the earlier conducted trial.

Deepika made the cut at the expense of Komalika Bari, while her Tokyo Olympic mixed team partner Jadhav ousted Sachin Gupta to complete the World Cup Stage 3 lineup.

Deepika was last seen in action for India in the Yankton World Cup Final in September 2021 where she finished fourth.

The compound section also saw the return of World Championships silver medalist Jyothi Surekha Vennam who too had failed to make the Asian Cup contingent earlier this year.

World number 3 Jyothi last competed at Dhaka Asian Championships in November last year where she won an individual gold. She returned in place of Raginee Makoo.

Sangampreet Bisla too made a comeback ousting veteran Rajat Chauhan in the compound section.

India Team: Recurve Men: Tarundeep Rai, Jayanta Talukdar, Pravin Jadhav and Neeraj Chauhan.

Recurve Women: Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, Ridhi Phor and Simranjeet Kaur.

Compound Men: Abhishek Verma, Aman Saini, Mohan Bhardwaj and Sangampreet Bisla.

Compound Women: Jyothi Surekha Venna, Priya Gurjar, Avneet Kaur and Muskan Kirar.

Also Read : KIYG: Haryana's Riddi, Maharashtra's Aditi Swami bag archery gold to keep title race evenly poised

News Source : PTI

2022-06-20 16:09

Fina bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s events

(Sports news) Swimming world governing body Fina has voted to stop transgender athletes who have undergone male puberty to compete in women’s elite races. They have also decided to introduce an ‘open’ category for swimmers whose gender identity is different from that with which they were born in. The new policy received 71% votes from 152 Fina members and was described as "only a first step towards full inclusion" for transgender athletes.

According to a 34 page policy document, it says that male-to-female transgender athletes could compete in the women's category - but only "provided they have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 [which marks the start of physical development], or before age 12, whichever is later". The decision was made in an extraordinary general congress at the ongoing World Championships in Budapest. This means that transgender athlete Lia Thomas will not be allowed to compete in the female category at the Paris Olympics.

In an interview, Brent Nowicki, the governing body's executive director said “Fina's approach in drafting this policy was comprehensive, science-based and inclusive, and, importantly, Fina's approach emphasised competitive fairness.” Fina president Husain Al-Musallam said the organisation was trying to "protect the rights of our athletes to compete" but also "protect competitive fairness".

He said: "Fina will always welcome every athlete. The creation of an open category will mean that everybody has the opportunity to compete at an elite level. This has not been done before, so Fina will need to lead the way. I want all athletes to feel included in being able to develop ideas during this process."

Speaking to BBC Sport, former Great Britain swimmer Sharron Davies said “Four years ago, along with 60 other Olympic medallists, I wrote to the IOC and said 'Please just do the science first' and no governing body has done the science until now. That is what Fina has done. They've done the science, they've got the right people on board, they've spoken to the athletes, and coaches. Swimming is a very inclusive sport, we love everyone to come and swim and be involved. But the cornerstone of sport is that it has to be fair and it has to be fair for both sexes.

“Sport by definition is exclusionary - we don't have 15-year-old boys racing in the under-12s, we don't have heavyweight boxers in with the bantamweights, the whole reason we have lots of different classes in the Paralympics is so that we can create fair opportunities for everybody," she said. “So that is the whole point of having classifications in sports and the only people who were going to be losing out were females - they were losing their right to fair sport."

In contrast, an LGBTQ advocacy group called 'Athlete Ally' called the policy “discriminatory, harmful, unscientific and not in line with the 2021 IOC principles". Anne Lieberman, the group's director of policy and programmes said “The eligibility criteria for the women's category as it is laid out in the policy polices the bodies of all women, and will not be enforceable without seriously violating the privacy and human rights of any athlete looking to compete in the women's category.”

Also read: Neeraj Chopra marks his return with a national record throw

2022-06-17 11:32

F1 changes regulations to combat porpoising, Mercedes welcome the move

(Motorsport) The FIA has announced that new measures will be introduced to combat ‘porpoising’, keeping in mind the drivers safety with the severe bouncing becoming an increasingly problematic issue in every race. Such is the extent of the problem that seven time World Champion Lewis Hamilton complained of severe pain during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and struggled to get out of his car due to the discomfort. The technical directive issued by the FIA comes before the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend but it remains to be seen if teams will now be able to change the setup of their cars with a limit on the level of "vertical oscillations" being introduced.

The FIA are yet to confirm if the new regulations will be implemented in Montreal with the announcement being made just 24 hours before the first Final Practice begins. A statement issued by the FIA said “Following the eighth round of this year's FIA Formula One World Championship, during which the phenomenon of aerodynamic oscillations ("porpoising") of the new generation of Formula 1 cars, and the effect of this during and after the race on the physical condition of the drivers was once again visible, the FIA, as the governing body of the sport, has decided that, in the interests of the safety, it is necessary to intervene to require that the teams make the necessary adjustments to reduce or to eliminate this phenomenon."

In addition, the FIA will also be investigating in consultation with the teams about how to reduce porpoising. Moreover, the change in regulations are a safety measure as porpoising could distract the drivers and lead to high speed collisions. The support for the change in regulations was unanimous on the paddock, especially after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with the likes of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Toto Wolff being particularly vocal about the issue. The porpoising complaints by the Silver Arrows has led to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner to doubt the authenticity of their claims, stating that Mercedes are demanding a change in regulations to get back into the title race after an extremely underwhelming season so far.

Mercedes driver George Russell welcomed the change in regulations by saying “I think this is something that everybody thinks Mercedes is sort of pushing for, but from a pure performance side of things... we don't really want change because if there's change, you never know if it's going in your favour or against you. I think it's something that we as drivers have spoken about globally, that we want change moving forward because what we went through last weekend just wasn't sustainable.

“It doesn't matter what boat you're in, you're either porpoising and you're hitting the ground, or you have no porpoising so you're running the car really close to the ground and you're bottoming, so either way you look at it, it's not great. I think it's promising to see that they've taken action on this straight away and it's not taken them weeks and months and political decisions to change something like this. When it comes to safety, things need to be resolved as soon as possible, so I'm not surprised to see it come in so quickly but I think it's good for everyone.”

Also read: Ferrari find temporary fix for hydraulics after reliability concerns

2022-06-15 11:07

Neeraj Chopra shatters own national record in first competition after Tokyo Olympics gold

New Delhi, Jun 14 (Sports News) India's superstar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra made a spectacular return to competition after his historic gold in the Tokyo Olympics, a stunning throw of 89.30m shattering his national record and placing him second in a star-studded field at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old Chopra's first competitive event after just over 10 months was nothing short of extraordinary as he nearly touched the coveted 90m mark, considered the gold standard in the world of javelin throw.

Chopra's earlier national record was 88.07m which he had set in Patiala in March last year. He had won the Tokyo Olympics gold with a throw of 87.58m on August 7, 2021.

He opened with an impressive 86.92m before sending the spear to 89.30m. His next three attempts were fouls while he came up with 85.85m in his sixth and final throw.

Finland's 25-year-old Oliver Helander, who has a personal best of 88.02m and season's best of 80.36m, was the surprise gold winner with a best throw of 89.83m which he produced in his second attempt.

Chopra's 89.30m effort will take him to fifth spot in the world season leaders' list.

Reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, the pre-event favourite with his world leading monster throw of 93.07m while winning gold in the Doha Diamond League last month, was third with a best effort of 86.60m. This was Peters' first defeat after seven wins on the trot this season.

2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago was fourth with a best throw of 84.02m, followed by Germany's Julian Weber (84.02m) and Czech Republic's Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch (83.91m), who had won silver in Doha with a throw of 90.88m.

Chopra's rival and friend Johannes Vetter of Germany, who has a maximum number of 90m-plus throws among the active javelin throwers, was set to take part in the Paavo Nurmi Games but had withdrawn.

Chopra had said in recent media interactions that he would not put himself under pressure with the thought of throwing beyond 90m and would look to build up gradually to peak during the July 15-24 World Championships in Eugene, USA.

The Paavo Nurmi Games are named after the legendary Finnish middle and long distance runner. It is a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series event, one of the most prestigious competitions outside the Diamond League Meetings.

The competition organisers have provided an extra incentive for the javelin throwers: anyone who throws beyond the Finnish record of 93.09m will win a Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV. Nobody won it on Tuesday though Peters said in a lighter vein on Monday that he would be going for it.

More than 10,000 people turned up to watch the events.

Chopra will next take part in the Kourtane Games in Finland on Saturday where he is currently based. He will feature in the Stockholm leg of the Diamond League on June 30. He had earlier trained in the USA and Turkey before shifting base to Finland last month.

Also Read : Since you are born, you will have to achieve something: Aishwarya Babu

News Source : PTI

2022-06-14 08:02

I'm not representing a community, but my country: Nikhat Zareen

New Delhi, Jun 13 (Boxing News) "As an athlete I'm here to represent India. For me, Hindu-Muslim doesn't matter. I'm not representing a community but my country," world champion boxer Nikhat Zareen said on Monday when asked about people talking more about her religious background than her achievements.

"I am happy to win a medal for my country," the 25-year-old pugilist from Telangana said during an interaction, where she also emphasised on the importance of support required for handling mental pressure at high-stakes sporting events.

Zareen had become only the fifth Indian woman to be crowned world champion last month when she beat Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas 5-0 in the flyweight division of the championship in Turkey.

A lot has been spoken about how Zareen, who comes from an orthodox society as she had to overcome societal prejudice to make a career in boxing.

As the discussion turned to her sport, she said handling "mental pressure" at the highest level is something Indian athletes lack and pushed for specialised training to overcome this hurdle at big-ticket events.

Indian athletes have a tendency to perform well at regular events but falter at the big stage like the Olympics or the World Championships.

"Our Indian boxers are very talented, we are not less than anyone. We have strength, speed and power.. everything," Zareen said when asked where the Indian boxers are lacking.

"It's just that once you reach that (world) level, boxers should be given training to handle the mental pressure.

"Once you reach the big platforms a lot of athletes become nervous, they aren't able to perform," added Zareen, who was talking at an interaction organised by the Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC).

Zareen, who was crowned the world champion in the flyweight event last month, has also sealed a berth for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, starting on July 28.

Zareen has had to wait long for a chance in the flyweight category which veteran Indian boxer MC Mary Kom has made her own but the Telengana boxer feels the wait increased her hunger to do well.

"Not only for me but other boxers in that category, they too wanted a chance. But you have to prove yourself and I have done that by becoming world champion.

"If I hadn't struggled and if Mary Kom wouldn't have been in my weight category I might not have worked so hard.

"And if I hadn't worked hard I wouldn't be a world champion today. So I will take it in a positive way. Maybe I had more hunger because I got a chance so late." She had demanded a "fair trial" for the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers, also against Mary Kom.

After the trial, which Mary Kom won 9-1, Zareen had attempted to hug the senior boxer but was snubbed by the Manipuri.

"I felt bad at that time because the person I consider my role model, my idol, behaved in such a way. But things happen in the heat of the moment because the bout is very intense.

"I have moved on from that, I met her after winning the world championship and everything is good."

Also Read : Need to train Indian athletes to handle mental pressure at big events: Nikhat Zareen

News Source : PTI

2022-06-13 16:07

Need to train Indian athletes to handle mental pressure at big events: Nikhat Zareen

New Delhi, Jun 13 (Boxing News) Handling "mental pressure" at the highest level is something Indian athletes lack, according to reigning world champion boxer Nikhat Zareen, who feels specialised training should be given to overcome this hurdle at big-ticket events.

Indian athletes have a tendency to perform well at regular events but falter at the big stage like the Olympics or the World Championships.

"Our Indian boxers are very talented, we are not less than anyone. We have strength, speed and power.. everything," Zareen said when asked where the Indian boxers are lacking.

"It's just that once you reach that (world) level, boxers should be given training to handle the mental pressure.

"Once you reach the big platforms a lot of athletes become nervous, they aren't able to perform," added Zareen, who was talking at an interaction organised by the Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC).

Zareen, who was crowned the world champion in the flyweight event last month, has also sealed a berth for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, starting on July 28.

A lot has been spoken how Zareen, who comes from an orthodox society, had to overcome societal prejudice to make a career in boxing. But the 25-year-old made it clear she's not fighting for a particular community, she fights and wins for India.

"As an athlete I'm here to represent India. For me, Hindu-Muslim doesn't matter. I’m not representing a community but my country. Happy to win a medal for my country." Zareen has had to wait long for a chance in the flyweight category which veteran Indian boxer MC Mary Kom has made her own but the Telengana boxer feels the wait increased her hunger to do well.

"Not only for me but other boxers in that category, they too wanted a chance. But you have to prove yourself and I have done that by becoming world champion.

"If I hadn't struggled and if Mary Kom wouldn't have been in my weight category I might not have worked so hard.

"And if I hadn't worked hard I wouldn't be a world champion today. So I will take it in a positive way. Maybe I had more hunger because I got a chance so late." She had infamously asked for a "fair trial" for the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers also against Mary Kom.

After the trial, which Mary Kom had won 9-1, Zareen had attempted to hug tthe senior boxer but the Manipuri did not respond.

"I felt bad at that time because the person I consider my role model, my idol, behaved in such a way. But things happen in the heat of the moment because the bout is very intense.

"I have moved on from that, I met her after winning the world championship and everything is good."

Also Read : Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain seal Commonwealth Games berths

News Source : PTi

2022-06-13 14:22

Sindhu, Sen eye consistency as focus shifts to Indonesia Open

Jakarta, Jun 13 (Badminton News) Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and rising star Lakshya Sen will seek consistency as they lead the Indian charge at the Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament beginning here on Tuesday.

Sindhu has managed to secure two Super 300 titles -- the Syed Modi International and the Swiss Open -- this year but she has looked vulnerable against top players, facing defeats at the hands of Thailand's Ratchanok Inthanon, China's Chen Yu Fei and Korea's An Se Young.

However, the former world champion is known to up her game in big events and she will look to gear up for next month's Commonwealth Games with another good show at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno when she opens against China's He Bing Jiao, whom she had beaten at Badminton Asia Championship.

If Sindhu, seeded seventh, can cross the opening two rounds, she is likely to face the third seeded An Se Young, who has an overwhelming 5-0 record against the Indian.

Only the top 32 in the world compete in the USD 1,200,000 BWF world tour event, which will also see the return of three-time former world champion and Rio Olympic gold medallist Carolina Marin after recovering from a knee injury.

Indian veteran Saina Nehwal, who is trying to make a comeback to her best after battling multiple fitness issues in the last few months, will skip this event as she plans to compete at the Malaysia Open next week.

In men's singles, eighth seed Sen and HS Prannoy -- the two architects of India's epic Thomas Cup win -- will cross sword in an all Indian contest.

Sen has been in good touch for the last few months. His World Championships bronze was followed by a maiden Super 500 title win at India Open and a final appearance at the All England Championship and German Open Super 300.

World Championship silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth, who was in sensational form at the Thomas Cup, will meet Chinese Taipei's Wang Tzu Wei in his opener.

Former Singapore Open champion B Sai Praneeth, who hasn't been in the best of form, is pitted against Denmark's Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus in his opening match.

Among others, Parupalli Kashyap will be missing in action as he eyes a comeback at the Malaysia Open after recovering from a hamstring and ankle injury.

Top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who had skipped the Indonesia Masters last week, will open their campaign against Korea's Choi Sol Gyu and Kim Won Ho.

Also in action will be Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy, MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila, and Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala.

In women's doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, and Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam, will also be in the fray.

Ashwini and Sumeeth will also pair up in the mixed event, while Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto will also look to go deep in the draw.

Also Read : Around 200 players to go under hammer at GPBL auctions

News Source : PTI

2022-06-13 13:07

Jehan Daruvala finishes 2nd and 4th at the Baku Grand Prix in F2

(Motorsports news) Jehan Daruvala continued his good form by taking another podium as he finished 2nd in the Sprint Race in Baku. Frederik Vesti took his first F2 victory at the Baku Grand Prix in the sprint race, as he snatched the lead from Jehan Daruvala after the second safety car restart. It marked the Mercedes junior's first win of the season, and this was subsequently the first victory since the F3 feature race in Austria last year. Daruvala finished a good second position and attained some good points in the F2 World Championship. In the end he held off a charging Liam Lawson, who took the final podium place for Carlin.

Frank Vesti briefly took the lead from polesitter Jake Hughes at the start, but a lack of drive out of Turn 1 allowed Daruvala to pass him into the lead, dropping him to third. Vesti made a good move past Van Amersfoort Racing’s Hughes for second on lap six. From there, Vesti played the waiting game as he was unable to make it past Daruvala on the first restart after a safety car was produced by Dennis Hauger when he took a trip into the wall. Almost immediately from there the Mercedes junior was able to take advantage of a lock-up from the Prema driver to move into first.

Racing resumed on lap 17, with Daruvala holding on to the lead for a while before the safety car was deployed again after Enzo Fittipaldi and Vips made contact at Turn 2. Once again, the pack was bunched up and then released on lap 19 but this time Daruvala locked up on the restart and allowed Vesti to go past him and take the lead up the inside of Turn 1. The action came down to a final lap shootout, as Vesti held a firm lead, with Daruvala struggling with his tyres, Lawson closed on him and was embroiled in a battle for second behind him, the Prema driver defended well and came second .

Dennis Hauger snatched the 2 feature race victory in Baku after a heartbreaking crash with just for Juri Vips.The Hitech driver was in a commanding lead from the start, starting on pole and he held onto the position despite three safety cars in the race but his race ended with just five minutes left on the clock, after he found the wall in the castle section and allowed Hauger into the lead. The race ended under the safety car with Prema and the Red Bull rookie claiming his first feature race win after taking his first sprint victory in Monaco last time out. The crash allowed Logan Sargeant into second, with championship leader Felipe Drugovich taking the final podium spot, despite starting from eighth. Daruvala took fourth place, marking another strong points haul for Prema. With this result Felipe Drugovich extends his lead to 132 points with Theo Pourchaire in second with 83 points but Daruvala closed up to second with 73 points

Jehan said, “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed but I’m still happy with the race I did. I had a great start, had everything under control and felt I deserved the win. It’s a shame to miss out by such a narrow margin but we’ll take the positives from this and now focus on Sunday’s feature race."

Also read: Max Verstappen wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix after Ferrari disaster

2022-06-12 15:56

Running individual 400m is not yet over for Hima, hints at doing that again in postponed Asian Games

Chennai, Jun 12 (Sports News) Star sprinter Hima Das is not ruling out a return to 400m, an event which shot her to fame in 2018, and is hoping to make a comeback to the quartermile in the now-postponed Asian Games, which is likely to be held next year.

The 22-year-old 'Dhing Express' last ran a major 400m race during the Asian Championships in Doha in April 2019. She pulled out of that race midway due to a lower back injury.

She later ran two 400m races in low-grade events in Czech Republic in 2019, but since then, has not featured in the one-lap race. She also missed the World Championships in the later part of 2019 due to the back injury.

Hima, who became the first Indian to win a global track event title by clinching gold in the World Junior Championships in 2018, first suffered the injury during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta where she won an individual 400m silver and gold medals in the 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relays.

After returning from the injury lay-off, Hima has been running 100m and 200m. She holds the national record of 50.79 seconds in 400m.

"I have not cut (off) running the 400m. It (recovery from injury) is a long process. During my injury time, I was not being able to run 400m because a lot of pressure developed on the right side of my back," Hima said after winning the 100m gold in the National Inter-Sate Championships here with her personal best time of 10.43s.

"My L4 and L5 (two lowest vertebrae in the lumbar spine) were broken and was in a different position. Whenever I run it affects me. Then I did my physiotherapy and ran 30m, 40m, 50m, 100m and then 200m gradually. Till 300m, I am fine. I ran 300m in Europe sometime earlier.

"You need to pick up speed in the last 100m (of 400m) and when I did that once I had to be taken to the hospital (during a training stint in Poland in 2019)," said the sprinter from Assam.

Asked when she can start running 400m, she said, "Not at this point in time, but will surely do it (in near future).

"It may happen at the end of this year, otherwise I may prepare 400m for the postponed Asian Games because I will get time to prepare (for Asian Games)." Hima had also suffered a hamstring injury during the National Inter-State Championships last year in Patiala. She was forced to pull out of the 100m and 4x100m relay finals due to the injury. She ran in the 200m final but finished fifth to miss out on the Tokyo Olympics.

The Asian Games, earlier scheduled to be held in September this year, have been postponed due to an upsurge in COVID-19 cases in host country China. The Games are likely to be held next year.

When asked if 400m coach Galina Bukharina will recommend her to run it, Hima said, "Galina madam and the federation will take the decision what is to be done for me. I will do whatever the AFI says.

"Galina madam is not only my coach but she is also like my mother. I even told my mother at home in Assam not to get tense thinking about me because I have a mother there (national camp) also." Hima was earlier training at the NIS Patiala before shifting base temporarily to Thiruvananthapuram. She was part of the Indian team that underwent a training-cum-competition tour in Turkey. The team returned home earlier this month.

Asked about the experience of running 100m in the last few years, Hima said, "When I started athletics, I was doing 100m and long jump. It was not going together, so I ran 100m and 200m.

"After I was called for national camp (in 2017 after winning 200m gold in National Open in Chennai), I was doing 200m and 400m. Now again, I am doing 100m and 200m. This is a process.

"You need to be strong to be a sprinter and I had coped with injury since 2018 (Asian Games). It was tough to get over my injury and come back to track. But I learnt a lot during this period. Now it is the best point in my life.

"Sachin (Tendular) sir said that a sportsperson and injury are like friends. How to face that (injury) and move ahead and give result is the challenge you have to overcome. His words inspire me." Hima suffered COVID-19 infection in October last year. Asked about it, she said, "I was about to do die (laughs). It was a severe and dangerous COVID infection."

Also Read : Anahat Singh seals berth for World Junior Squash C'ship after topping selection trials

News Source : PTI

2022-06-11 13:19

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner refutes Jos Verstappen criticism

(Motorsport) Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, has dismissed criticism from Jos Verstappen about the events of Monaco Grand Prix where the team were blamed for prioritising Sergio Perez instead of the current World Champion Max Verstappen. Speaking to Sky Sports between FP1 and FP2 ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Christian Horner stood by the team’s decisions which led to the Mexican driver winning the race and reiterated his belief that both the drivers are equally important for the team.

Christian Horner said “Dads and fathers are never totally objective. What wasn't apparent was all of the information that we have during a race. If Max had pitted, then he would have come out behind I think George at the time. Jos is his own person and personality. He's got opinions and that's absolutely fine, that's his opinion. The reality for us was obviously slightly different… it's no issue." Perez’s victory in Monaco meant that only 15 points separate the two drivers, which means that the Mexican can be considered as a genuine title contender for the team.

Horner insisted that if Perez manages to outqualify Verstappen at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he will get the first call on strategy during the race. He said “The No 1 driver is the driver that's ahead, it's as simple as that. That's why Checo got the call on the pit stop, Max wouldn't even have had track position for example on that lap. But, our fight isn't between the two drivers, we've got a very competitive Ferrari with two fast drivers in it. Collectively as a team, we've got to take the fight and take the challenge to Ferrari, who are looking very quick this year."

If that wasn’t all, Sergio Perez on Friday reiterated that his contract doesn’t specify that he is the ‘second driver’ for the Red Bull team. The Mexican said “We didn't discuss that. There's nothing in my contract that says that I need to finish second or something like that. It was not a topic at all. I feel like I've got a good opportunity (to win the World Championship). Obviously the season is still very young, so anything can happen from now on. I certainly feel like as a driver you want certainty and you want to get that stress out of the way. So the earlier the better. It takes so much energy and so much focus to be 100 percent weekend by weekend, so you don't need that thinking. So it was good that we agreed so early with the contract."

The contract extension to Sergio Perez has meant that AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, who previously raced for Red Bull in 2019 could decide to leave his parent team’s stable after his contract expires in 2023. Speaking about Gasly, Horner said “We're in the fortunate position through the ownership of Red Bull effectively having two Grand Prix teams, that we've been able to invest in young talent and bring it up.

“It was obviously a no-brainer for us, and totally deserving for Checo, to retain that seat. For Pierre, obviously he remains under contract to Red Bull and there's another year to run on that contract, but the timing wasn't right to bring him back into Red Bull Racing. For Yuki, it's still very early in his career so it was never even a discussion. If shows that we're not afraid to step out of the scheme, if a driver within the scheme we don't feel that there's one ready for Red Bull Racing. The pairing that we have, we're very happy with."

Also read: Pierre Gasly considers leaving Red Bull after Perez gets new contract

2022-06-11 10:14

Mary Kom ruled out of CWG after suffering knee injury in selection trials

New Delhi, Jun 10 (Boxing News) Veteran Indian boxer MC Mary Kom's bid to compete at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games ended in a heartbreak here on Friday as she was forced to withdraw midway from the selection trials due to a knee injury.

The six-time world champion twisted her left knee in the first few minutes in the opening round of the 48kg semifinals against Haryana's Nitu.

Mary Kom will thus miss the quadrennial event, where she had become the first Indian woman boxer to claim a gold medal in the last edition in 2018.

"I was training so hard for this. This is just bad luck, I have never had a knee injury before," a distraught Mary Kom said as she limped towards her car to head to the hospital.

Mary Kom fell on the canvas while trying to dodge a punch in the very first round of the bout. The 39-year-old tried to keep going after receiving medical assistance but after a couple of punches, she struggled to keep balance as she clutched her left knee and looked in a lot of pain.

"Six-time world champion Mary Kom has withdrawn from the ongoing Women's Boxing Trials for the 2022 Commonwealth Games due to an injury she suffered on Friday," the the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) said in a statement.

The Manipuri had to be carried out of the ring with Nitu being announced the winner via RSCI (Referee Stops Contest due to injury).

The London Olympics bronze medallist, whose left knee was heavily bandaged after the fall, was then taken to the hospital for scans.

The multiple-time Asian gold medallist had last competed in the Tokyo Olympics, where she had reached the pre-quarters before bowing out with a hard-fought loss.

"It is really unfortunate what happened. But one can never predict such things. Mary had been training hard for this," national coach Bhaskar Bhatt told PTI.

Mary Kom, the most decorated Indian boxer, had decided to give the World Championships, that concluded last month, and the now-postponed Asian Games a miss to concentrate on the CWG.

Nitu, the two-time former youth world champion, advanced to the final of the CWG trials in the minimum weight division at the Indira Gandhi International Stadium.

The Haryana boxer, who won the gold at the prestigious Stradja Memorial tournament earlier this year on debut, will now compete against Manju Rani for a CWG spot.

Nitu, who had represented India in 48kg in the world championships, is now primed to get a CWG spot in the category.

Nikhat, Lovlina on course for CWG berth ========================= World champion Nikhat Zareen and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain stayed on course for securing CWG spots by registering convincing win in their respective weight categories.

Nikhat (50kg) continued in her sublime form as she out-punched Anamika 7-0.

On the other hand, Lovlina (70kg), who is coming off an underwhelming world championship campaign, also notched a unanimous decision win over fellow Assamese boxer Ankushita Boro by an identical 7-0 margin.

The finals of the all four weight categories -- 48kg, 50kg, 60kg and 70kg -- will take place on Saturday.

The men's team for the quadrennial event has already been named.

Also Read : Mary Kom withdraws from CWG trials after sustaining leg injury

News Sourxe : PTI

2022-06-10 20:07

PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen bow out; Indian challenge ends

Jakarta, Jun 10 (Badminton News) Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and rising star Lakshya Sen made quarterfinal exits in their respective singles events, ending India's challenge in the Indonesia Open Super Series 500 tournament here on Friday.

Sen was first to be eliminated as the 20-year-old went down fighting and forced a decider against his higher-seeded Chinese Taipei rival Chou Tien Chen 21-16 12-21 21-14.

India's last hope then rested on Sindhu but the former world champion went down without a fight to her old foe Ratchanok Intanon 12-21, 10-21 in a match lasting a little over half an hour.

The 27-year-old was at her dominating best and looked at ease with both in attacks and defence and the Indian was never able to fightback and suffered her fifth straight loss against her Thai rival.

After pocketing the first game easily, Intanon looked even more furious in the second and raced to a 10-point lead before sealing the issue in 33 minutes to improve her head-to-head against Sindhu to 9-4.

Sindhu, who made a semifinal exit in the Thailand Open last month, had earned a hard-fought victory over Gregoria Mariska Tunjung to enter the quarterfinals.

Earlier, World Championships bronze medalist Sen bounced back from behind to level the second game but the third-seed from Chinese Taipei was superior in the decider with a 21-16 12-21 21-14 scoreline in his favour.

This was Sen's second straight defeat against Chou in less than a month. Sen lost to his Chinese Taipei rival 19-21 21-13 17-21 during the group stage of the Thomas Cup, before turning it around to script a historic triumph.

The 2018 Asian Games silver medallist, who had defeated the Indian in the group stage of the Thomas Cup in their only previous meeting, put up a power-packed show in the decider and mounted early pressure on the 20-year-old.

The world No. 4 from Chinese Taipei annexed three points in a row to build a six-point lead midway into the decider.

Sen was engaged in some superb rallies towards the end and even saved two match points but his valiant effort was not good enough as the experienced 32-year-old maintained his lead to make it a 2-0 in head-to-head against the Indian.

Also Read : Indonesia Masters: Sindhu, Sen enter quarterfinals; Reddy-Ponappa pair exits from mixed doubles

News Source : PTI

2022-06-10 08:52

Indonesia Masters: Sindhu, Sen enter quarterfinals; Reddy-Ponappa pair exits from mixed doubles

Jakarta, Jun 9 (Badminton News) Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and World Championship bronze winner Lakshya Sen progressed to the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Masters Super 500 badminton tournament with contrasting wins here on Thursday.

Sen, who was part of the Indian team that claimed a historic Thomas Cup title triumph in Bangkok, registered a 21-18 2-15 win over world number 13 Rasmus Gemke of Denmark in 54 minutes in the men's singles.

In the women's singles, Sindhu was made to toil hard for over an hour by Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia before winning 23-21 20-22 21-11 in the second round.

Sen, seeded seventh, will next be pitted against Chinese Taipei's third seed Chou Tien Chen, who had defeated the Indian in a three-game thriller during the Thomas Cup last month in their only meeting.

A tough quarterfinal awaits fourth seeded Sindhu as she will next take on Thailand's fifth seed Ratchanok Intanon, who defeated Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland 21-1719-2121-15 in another second round match.

However, it was curtains for mixed doubles pair of B Sumeeth Reddy and Ashwini Ponappa as they lost 18-21, 13-21 to second seeded Chinese pair of Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong in the second round.

Against the unseeded Tunjung, Sindhu started on a bright note and played aggressively to surge to a 10-5 lead. She used her experience and reach to engage her opponents in long rallies initially.

But the Indonesian, whom Sidhu had defeated six times earlier, made a remarkable fightback to claw her way back into the contest to level the scores at 15 apiece.

From there on, it was a neck-and-neck fight between the two players as they traded points till 21 before Sindhu raised her level to pocket the first game.

The second game was a complete contrast as it was Tunjung who started on an attacking note and raced to a 10-5 lead before Sindhu fought back to draw parity at 15-15.

Thereafter, the players continued their battle for points till 20 points before determined the Indonesian won the game to take the match into the decider.

The decider, however, was a one-sided affair as after a few initial exchanges, to be precise till seven points, Sindhu didn't allow her opponent an inch and used her big match experience to run away with the game and the match.

Earlier in the day playing Gemke for the first time in his international career, world number 9 Sen showed better nerves as he limited his errors and fought his way to a fine win.

Sen overturned a 0-3 deficit to a 9-6 advantage, only to allow Gemke to hold a slender 11-10 cushion at the break. However, the Indian came out all guns blazing and reeled off six straight points to move to 16-12 before sealing the opening game.

Sen and Gemke breathed down each other's neck for most part of the second game as lead exchanged hands frequently before the Indian once again stepped ahead from 13-12 to close out the issue with a four-point burst.

Also Read : No regrets if I don't win another individual title, I've Thomas Cup gold: Prannoy

News Source : PTI

2022-06-09 17:59

Top Indian athletes to jostle for CWG berths during Inter-State Athletics C'ships

Chennai, Jun 9 (Sports News) Some of them are already on a record-breaking spree but those who are struggling will strive to rediscover form and stake claim in Indian team for the Commonwealth Games as the National Inter-State Senior Championships are set to kick off, here Friday.

Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra will not be there and the 3000m steeplechase 'record man' Avinash Sable is also unlikely to compete though his name figures in the list of participants.

Sources close to Sable would skip the five-day event. The Maharashtra unit, his home state, was also unable to confirm whether he will fly down to India from his training base at Colorado Springs in USA or not.

Sable on Sunday had finished a creditable fifth with a time of 8:12.48, breaking his own national record for the eighth time during the Diamond League Meeting in Morocco.

The Sports Ministry had recently sanctioned the extension of his training stint there till July 24.

Besides being the last major event before the AFI picks the squad for the July 28 to August 8 CWG in Birmingham, athletes can also make a last-ditch effort to touch the qualifying standards for the July 15-24 World Championships in Eugene, USA.

More than 600 athletes from 23 states and Union Territories will vie for top honours. Sri Lanka has also sent an 11-member team.

Except for Chopra and possibly Sable and those recuperating from injuries, the cream of Indian athletics will be there.

The likes of seasoned campaigners Hima Das, Dutee Chand, Seema Punia, Annu Rani, Jyothi Yarraji among women and M Sreeshankar, Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Muhammed Anas Yahiya from among men are all taking part in the event.

Chopra, who had become the first Indian track and field athlete to win an Olympic gold, is currently training in Europe and has a big-ticket contest on June 14 in Finland where he will be up against some of the best in the world.

Jyothi Yarraji likely to aim for sub 13 sec in 100m hurdles =================================== Andhra athlete Jyothi broke the 100m hurdles national record three times last month during her training-cum-competition tour of Europe. She will be under spotlight as she pushes for a sub-13 sec time. Her latest national record stands at 13.04.

Her coach James Hillier has said that World Championships qualifying mark -- 12.80s -- would not be easy but would be under her radar.

Another ward of Hillier, Amlan Borgohain of Assam would also be looking to book his place in CWG team after creating a 200m national record (20.52s) at the Federation Cup in April. However, he was not at his best during the recent European stint.

Long jump pit to see battle among three members of 8m club ===================================== The long jump pit will be one of the centres of attraction with three members of the 8m club set to renew their rivalry.

National record holder Murali Sreeshankar (NR 8.36m) has left behind his Olympics debacle and would be the favourite after his European stint during which he managed 8.31m in Greece.

But, he will be fiercely challenged by Jeswin Aldrin (8.20m PB) and Mohammed Anees (8.15m PB).

Hima, Dutee, Dhanalakhsmi to fight it out in shorter sprints ==================================== Fresh from their nearly two-month long training-cum-competition stint in Turkey, the likes of Hima and S Dhanalakshmi would look to claim a slot in the CWG team as well as have a crack at the World Championships qualification. The duel between Hima and Dutee Chand in 100m will be one of the most anticipated showdowns in the championships while veteran Srabani Nanda is also in the mix.

Dhanalakshmi, who had beaten Hima in a race in Europe a few days back, has not entered her name in the 100m dash.

But Dhanalakshmi will again be up against Hima in the 200m while Dutee does not feature in that distance though she is an Asian Games silver medallist.

Aishwarya in list, Priya, Rupal to watch out for in 400m ================================== Up and coming Priya Mohan, Rupal Choudhary and Kiran Pahal will be challenging the established ones like MR Poovamma, Jisna Mathew, Vismaya VK.

Aishwarya Mishra, who surprised many by running 51.18s at the Federation Cup in April and dodged the dope testers, has also entered her name (according to AFI list) from Maharahstra in 200m and 400m.

Toor, Seema and other old warhorses look to prove a point ==================================== Asian record holder Tajinderpal Singh Toor would be among those who would be keen to hit the straps straightaway after an injury layoff.

The 38-year-old discus thrower Seema Punia, the most decorated Indian athletes in the CWG with four medals -- three silver and one bronze -- would aim to qualify for the Birmingham Games and finish on the podium for the fifth time.

Veteran Sudha Singh, 35, who was awarded the coveted Padma Shri last year, will also be in action in women's 3000m steeplechase.

Dope testers from NADA have arrived ======================= With the meet assuming significance in view of the upcoming World Championships and CWG, dope testers from the National Anti-Doping Agency have arrived in Chennai a day in advance, according to local organisers -- Tamil Nadu Athletics Association.

Also Read : Grapplers shine to hand Haryana Khelo India Youth Games overall title

News Source : PTI

2022-06-09 14:54

No regrets if I don't win another individual title, I've Thomas Cup gold: Prannoy

New Delhi, Jun 9 (Badminton News) Hoping to break his individual title drought that has stretched to five years, HS Prannoy says he will have no regrets even if it doesn't come his way since he has a Thomas Cup gold in his trophy cabinet now.

The giant-killer's tag has stayed for far too long for Prannoy, who scripted some of the most headline-grabbing victories over top stars such as Lee Chong Wei, Lin Dan, Chen Long and Viktor Axelsen.

However, he could not weave the big wins together in a week's time and even though he rose to a career-best ranking of world number 8 in 2018, the Indian's last individual title win came way back in 2017, at the US Open Grand Prix Gold.

"See there will be some extraordinary players, who go on to win continuously. But there are others who have the potential and have big wins against big players but never been able to win something really big. I come in that category," Prannoy told PTI during an interview.

"I know I haven't won something really big, may be something is on the cards, it will come when it has to but even if it doesn't, it's okay because you know you are putting in the effort. I think I have been blessed to be in that Thomas Cup squad." The Kerala shuttler had come close to winning a title after reaching the Swiss Open Super 300 final in March this year.

Though Prannoy, currently ranked 23, couldn't go the distance, his performance earned him a place in the Thomas Cup squad and he went on to play a pivotal role in India's epic triumph by winning the decisive third singles against Malaysia and Denmark in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively.

It was his win over Jun Hao Leung which helped India stun Malaysia, a five-time champions, and secure a first-ever medal in the Thomas Cup in 43 years.

"Being part of this squad, I could be part of that moment, could be part of that podium. I am lucky enough to get that feeling which no one else in the world can feel." While injuries are part of an athlete's life, the 29-year-old's progress in international badminton has also been affected by severe health issues.

When things were looking up on court in 2018, Prannoy was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease during the World Championships, which affected his training and performance.

Once he recovered from it, he tested positive for COVID-19 in November 2020, the after-affects of which forced him to seek alternative treatment.

"Last few years I have learnt that things will be tough for you as a sportsperson. At times, in these years, I was comparing myself to others but then I realised that we need to acknowledge the times when you have done something good," he said.

"I have been introspecting on all that and it really helped me to achieve that happiness. There are a lot of things which go behind the things we do. I have been able to do that process happily in the last 3-4 years." Prannoy was also part of the Indian team that claimed its maiden gold in mixed event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

"CWG was different because we knew it will start really from the semifinals. We knew there would be two big matches. Malaysia was looking strong, so we had to really focus on that match. So when we reached the semifinal we knew the world was watching," he said.

"In Thomas Cup, nobody really kept us on the sidelines that these guys could also go on to win. The entire badminton world would have thought that they can create a few upsets but can never win the gold.

"So this win is important for the ecosystem of the sport. It is for the next generation of players to believe that it is possible. We need such big wins in constant gaps." Prannoy is not part of the 10-member Commonwealth Games squad with Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth making the cut due to their higher world ranking.

Asked if the Thomas Cup win will rub on to the players as they gear up for the Birmingham event, he replied in the positive.

"Yeah, from now on people will feel that we have a chance. In CWG, we are the defending champions and this time all are saying we are the favourites. But unless we go on to win it we won't get the respect," he signed off.

Also Read : Sindhu, Sen enter second round of Indonesia Masters Super 500

News Source : PTI

2022-06-08 19:50

Sindhu, Sen enter second round of Indonesia Masters Super 500

Jakarta, Jun 8 (Badminton News) Top Indian shuttlers PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen recorded contrasting victories to make a positive start to their respective women's and men's singles campaign at the USD 360,000 Indonesia Masters Super 500 tournament here on Wednesday.

While world championship bronze medallist Sen, seeded seventh, outwitted Denmark's Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus 21-10 21-18, two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu had to toil hard to get the better off Line Christophersen of Denmark 18-21 21-15 21-11 in a 51-minute match.

Sen will face Denmark's Rasmus Gemke next, while Sindhu plays Indonesia's Gregoria Mariska Tunjung.

In other results, Aakarshi Kashyap went down 12-21 11-21 to USA's Beiwen Zhang in under 30 minutes to bow out of the competition.

On a comeback trail after recovering from an injury, Sameer Verma couldn't put his best foot forward, losing 17-21 15-21 to Indonesia's Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo.

The mixed pairing of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto produced a gallant fight before losing 14-21 21-16 12-21 to fourth seeds Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti of Indonesia in an opening round match.

Sindhu, a former world champion, came into the match with a 3-0 head-to-head record against Line but she blew a 11-9 advantage to lose the opening game, primarily due to her unforced errors.

In the second game too, Sindhu squandered a 3-0 lead but Line too couldn't grab the opportunity.

The Danish world number 22 played some superb cross-court smashes but errors put paid to her hopes. She missed the lines far too many times and also found the nets a lot to undo all her good work.

A wide shot from Sindhu helped Line to grab a slender 11-10 lead but she again went long as the Indian established a three-point cushion and extended it to 17-12 after an enthralling rally.

Sindhu kept things tight and eventually roared back into the contest after wasting three game points.

In the decider, Line was 4-1 up but it went up in smoke, partially due to her unforced errors. Sindhu too tightened the screws as she kept a grip on the rallies to move to 11-7 at the final break.

Sindhu kept pushing the shuttle at the baseline and didn't allow her rival to come near the net. Eventually the Indian moved to 11 match points with a precise return at the back and sealed it when Line went to net again.

Also Read : Saina Nehwal, Parupalli Kashyap pull out of Indonesia Open

News Source : PTI

2022-06-08 16:04

The story behind Ferrari's re emergence as Formula 1 title contenders

(Motorsport) The fact that Formula 1’s most successful team has not won a Drivers or Constructors Championship since over a decade has always been a head scratching statistic. Ferrari have had the drivers, resources and the fan following throughout the ‘lean’ years, yet the Italian team simply trailed behind both Mercedes and Red Bull throughout the hybrid era. Sure, there was the occasional podium finish and glimpses of their past glory, however, it's clear as day that the team were a shadow of their former selves and seemed to have no idea how to get out of the rut.

Fast forward to this season and it’s a completely different story. Ferrari have arguably been the fastest car on the grid, only to be let down by poor strategy, individual mistakes and bad luck. By all intents and purposes, it’s a genuine wonder why they aren't at the top of both the Drivers and Constructors Championships. Charles Leclerc has consistently outperformed world champion Max Verstappen in qualifying in most of the races so far, but circumstances have resulted in Red Bull having the last laugh in the race itself. One thing cannot be ignored is that Ferrari are now closer to being genuine title contenders than ever before (at least in the last decade) and there are plenty of underlying reasons for it.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Mattia Binotto, Principal of Scuderia Ferrari was asked for the reason behind Ferrari’s performance this season. The 52 year old said “It's an interesting question but also a difficult one. The right reasons do not come [down] to the technical aspect, that we changed the [engine] combustion, [and] we improved our aerodynamics. That's [only] the consequence. It is about building a team. The effort put in since 2017 has been step by step to build the right team. And with the right team, you can achieve the goals and targets. It's all about the team."

The situation Ferrari find themselves in is eerily similar to five years ago when the Italian manufacturer was considered title contenders as well. Just like this time, Formula 1 was entering into a new era of regulations and Ferrari’s technical team developed a car that could seriously rival Mercedes in the title race. Four time World Champion Sebastian Vettel dominated two thirds of the season, only to be outperformed by Lewis Hamilton in the final few races. The pattern continued the following year, resulting in the then team boss Maurizio Arrivabene being replaced by Mattia Binotto.

Reflecting on Ferrari’s past mistakes, Binotto said “As a team, we had already proved we had a good level of creativity and were capable of interpreting new rules and the car we made was a good one - the baseline, in terms of concept and idea. As a matter of fact, in the following years, the other teams copied our solutions. When I jumped into the role of team principal, I said it was a very young team. It was not that we were young in terms of age - I was 50 at the time.

“But we were young in our roles. We needed to build the experience. What we lacked in 2017, 2018 and 2019 [was that] we were not capable of developing the car. In 2017, we had reliability issues. We had our drivers crashing into each other, but we also had a team not strong enough in terms of culture and mentality. And on top of that, we didn't have the right tools simply because we brought in developments that were not working as expected. We were good in terms of potential but green in terms of experience and tools."

It was clear as day that the issue was not just with the drivers but also the facilities at Maranello. The end of the 2018 season saw Kimi Raikkonen depart after five underwhelming seasons and Ferrari gambled on young Charles Leclerc, who only had one season under his belt in Formula 1 after racing for Sauber. The faith in Leclerc was shown largely by Ferrari's former chairman and chief executive Sergio Marchionne who was unconvinced by Sebastian Vettel and wanted a driver who, while inexperienced, had the raw talent which could be harnessed to develop a future world champion.

The gamble paid off and Leclerc began outperforming Vettel, finishing on pole in Bahrain in only his second race for Ferrari but lost out on the race due to an engine problem in his car. Eventually, Ferrari and Leclerc proved to be a formidable partnership, with the pair taking seven pole positions and drawing the attention of their rivals. What followed was an enquiry by the FIA at Red Bull’s request about the fuel flow and the two parties reached a “private settlement” after which Ferrari’s performances dipped significantly. Speaking about the controversy, Binotto said “That's in the past; I prefer not to talk about it any more. However, what we were doing at the time was pushing the line of interpretations. As a matter of fact, it wasn't illegal, or we would have been disqualified."

What followed was Ferrari’s worst season in 40 years and with the COVID-19 pandemic, the opportunity to develop the car further was virtually impossible. Such was the disappointment at Ferrari that it led to a huge cultural change. Binotto said “At the time our CEO was Louis Camilleri and he had the vision to understand that what was most important was to give stability to the team. He understood that we had already started a process of building. We worked a lot on that (the culture . It is taking the error more as an opportunity to learn a lesson, rather than blaming and pointing fingers. It is all about being brave enough to hear, to listen and to do something which is really open-minded. It is about working as a team, a single individual understanding the common responsibility."

One of the biggest reasons for Ferrari’s success in the 2022 season has been the delay in the implementation of the new aerodynamic rules, which was originally supposed to be for the 2021 season. Binotto said that the delay “gave us more time to prepare ourselves, less distraction from the priority". One of their strongest features in the F1-75 has been the power unit and Binotto gave credit to the team for its development. Moreover, Leclerc has finally reached a stage of maturity where he can truly capitalise on the car’s power and take the fight to Red Bull this time around.

"We knew Charles had very high potential," Binotto says. "When we put him in our car in 2019, he proved in the first season to be very strong and talented. The way he was attacking, defending and driving proved what he could do. We knew he had to improve in terms of maturity, leadership and tyre management, and I think, as the seasons passed, it gave us the confidence he could do that and would become a fantastic driver. We had the confidence he could be a driver who can win world championships and become a very strong leader for the team."

The biggest challenge for Ferrari now would be maintaining their title charge. With the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the horizon, it’s imperative that Ferrari make up for the lost ground as Leclerc, who had a 46 point lead, is now 9 points behind Max Verstappen in the Drivers Standings. Speaking about the objectives of the 2022 season, Binotto said “We set our objectives to be back competitive in 2022. So our objective is to be competitive, not to win the championship, and it would be completely wrong to turn that into: 'Let's try to win the championship because we are so competitive.'

"Being competitive is one fact; becoming world champion is another level of task. [Saying] that is maybe to take off some pressure from the team, but also I think it would be wrong as management to change objectives from the ones we gave them. No doubt what we intend to do is to try to open a cycle - become world champion, and not only once; try to stay there. But I think it will take time. Our internal mindset is still that we need to improve as a team to be capable of winning a championship. It doesn't mean we will not do it.

“Maybe we will do it as soon as possible, but we are conscious of the fact that it is more than only being competitive. The ambition is there. Each single person working for Ferrari has the ambition. I don't think I need to remind them. More important is to let them focus on our process of continuous improvement, so each race is an opportunity for lesson-learned review and to build to do something better. And it is important to stay focused on each single race. We are not looking at the classifications."

Also read: Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari fear penalties after exceeding budget cap

2022-06-07 10:40

Saina Nehwal, Parupalli Kashyap pull out of Indonesia Open

Jakarta, Jun 6 (Badminton News) Star badminton couple Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap, along with India's recent Thomas Cup hero HS Prannoy, made late pullouts from the Indonesian Open Super Series 500 event beginning here on Tuesday.

India's first Olympic medal-winning shuttler Saina has decided to skip citing workload management, while Kashyap is yet to regain fitness after recovering from an hamstring injury.

"I had injured my hamstring just before the selection trials and that took seven weeks to heal, then I had an ankle issue," Kashyap told PTI.

"I am fine now. But I need to get my fitness back. Hope to play a few of the next four events.

"Saina withdrew because there are so many tournaments so she thought it is better if she plays next week and skips this one. She is fine," Kashyap added.

Prannoy, who played a key role in India's historic triumph in the Thomas Cup last month, also pulled out to focus on next four events on the Tour.

"I will skip this Indonesia event. I will play the next. I am in good shape. Looking forward to the next few weeks," Prannoy said.

The men's team touched a new high with its Thomas Cup exploits where India defeated 14-time champions Indonesia to win its first ever title.

But the Indian flavour will be missing in the men's section after the withdrawals of Srikkanth, Kashyap and Prannoy.

Srikkanth had earlier withdrawn and the top-ranked Indian shuttler and world championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen will carry India's hope in the men's singles.

The men's singles draw features a second Indian in Sameer Verma who faces a qualifier to open his campaign.

In their absence, Sen and PV Sindhu would be in focus as they look to hit top gear in the build-up to the Commonwealth Games, starting July 28.

World number nine Sen, seeded seventh, will take on Denmark's Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus in a tricky opening round clash.

The top-ranked Indian has a 0-2 head-to-head record against Kristian.

Sen last faced him in the Denmark Open in 2020 when he lost his pre-quarterfinal to the home favourite. The 20-year-old would be keen to better his record against Kristian.

In Saina's absence, Sindhu is the lone Indian in fray in the women's singles main draw.

After making a semifinal exit in the Thailand Open, double Olympic medallist Sindhu will look to go all the way. She will begin with a clash against Line Christophersen of Denmark.

In the men's doubles, Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy will take on local players Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan.

There are two Indian pairs in the women's doubles section.

Seeded 22nd, Ashwini Ponappa and N Sikki Reddy find themselves in the top-half and open their campaign against Jacqueline Lima and Samia Lima of Brazil.

The Indian duo faces a potential tough second round clash against top-seed Chinese duo of Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan.

Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker is the second Indian pair in the main draw, and will be up against second seed Lee So Hee and Shin Seung Chan of South Korea, in the tournament-opener.

Also Read : “Partnering with seasoned professionals was critical”- Dhruv Kapila

News Source : PTI

2022-06-06 17:52

Arjun Erigaisi upbeat about India's chances in chess Olympiad

Chennai, Jun 6 (Chess News) Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, who has seen his stock rise in the past few months, is upbeat about India's chances in the upcoming chess Olympiad.

The 18-year-old chess player from Telangana has won a handful of tournaments so far this year and has become the highest-rated Indian in the world blitz rankings at 13th.

The young GM, who aims to break the 2700 (Elo) barrier soon, believes the Indian teams are strong and could do well in the 44th Olympiad later this year. His current FIDE rating is 2681 in the Classical category and 2745 (in Blitz).

Having won the Challengers section in the prestigious Tata Steel chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee (the Netherlands) earlier this year and earning the opportunity to compete in the Masters section in 2023, he has been getting better over time.

Erigaisi, however, feels he has not done anything specific, saying "I don't think anything specific has changed in matches since 2021. I have been working the same way, and just that I am putting in more effort." "I think I have been playing a lot of tournaments and that is helping me improve my game also and the opening...earlier they used to be kind of a weakness but now that is an area where I do better," Erigaisi, who also won the Delhi Open and the national championship earlier this year, told PTI in an interaction.

He is expected to be one of the key members of the Indian team in the Olympiad, to be held at Mahabalipuram from July 28 to August 10.

"I think we have pretty strong teams - both 'A' and 'B.' At the moment USA is the favourite with a rating average of 2756. We certainly have good chances to beat them. We just have to perform well and how we play during the tournament matters the most," Erigaisi, who will be part of the India 'A' squad in the Open event, said.

The Indian teams had a preparatory camp recently in the lead-up to the Olympiad under the watchful eyes of the legendary Viswanathan Anand and former world championship finalist Boris Gelfand, which Erigaisi said was very good and helped in team bonding.

"Yes, the first camp was very intensive. We learnt a lot and we built a bond sitting there. It was good and we had a lot of fun. The second camp will be held separately for members of the 'A' and 'B' teams," he added.

"They (Anand and Gelfand) taught us how to conquer from better positions and offer more resistance and other stuff. And also not just the chess part but also they did mention a lot about psychology." Specifically, he said Gelfand had touched upon how to convert better positions and offer more resistance.

The Telangana player, whose immediate aim is to break the 2700 (Elo) barrier, said he wants to keep improving and "ultimately become the world champion." Indian players like R Praggnanandhaa, who has beaten world No.1 Magnus Carlsen twice this year, D Gukesh and himself have been doing well this year and Erigaisi said they need to keep improving constantly to challenge the best in the game.

"Since 2021, Gukesh and myself have improved a lot. So we need to continue the same so that we will be able to challenge the best," he added.

On the areas in which there was room for improvement for him, he said, "I think at the moment I am more of a complete player and I don't have any specific weakness. But I should get my game higher just as a player in general with all the aspects of the game."

Also Read : Maharashtra Open chess: Top-seed Amonatov jumps into lead

News Source : PTI

2022-06-06 11:37

Long jump sensation Jeswin Aldrin aims to become the best in the world

As with many inspiring stories, 20 year old Indian long jump athlete Jeswin Aldrin’s journey started from humble beginnings. Hailing from a village in the Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu, Jeswin’s sheer determination to make a mark in the world of athletics has seen him win the gold medal at the Federation Cup and securing a spot in the Indian team World Championships in Oregon. He’s setting his sights higher now to become one of the world’s best and bring medals for India.

In this exclusive interview, Jeswin Aldrin speaks about his journey so far, special achievements, earning a spot with the Indian team, training with Yoandri Betanzos, overcoming challenges, the role of Inspire Institute of Sport in his career and his future goals.

Q 1) From someone who comes from Mudalur, a quiet village in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, how and when were you introduced to long jump? What made you pursue the sport professionally?

It all started when my school PE teacher asked me to come and participate in long jump when I was in the 6th grade. However, we didn’t have a proper track or facilities in the school, despite that, I managed to win national level competitions and started my professional training in 2019 when I came to IIS.

Q 2) You recently won the gold medal at the Federation Cup. Is that the most special achievement of your career? Which are some of your other accomplishments that stand out?

Yes, winning the gold medal at the Federation Cup is a special achievement for me as well as breaking the national record at the U-20. Both of them stand out in my career so far.

Q 3) How special was it to earn a spot in the Indian team for the World Championships in Oregon?

I had never played for the Indian team before and when I got selected for the U-20 World Championship, my gratification was delayed as it was postponed due to COVID-19. It will be the first time I’ll be wearing an Indian kit in a competition which will be very special for me.

Also read: Boxing champ Parveen Hooda focused on the 2022 Commonwealth Games

Q 4) How was the experience of training with two-time World Championship medallist from Cuba, Yoandri Betanzos? What did you learn from him and how did it influence your results?

It was a great experience to train with Yoandri Betanzos. I learnt a lot from him, especially about how to develop the right mindset to give your 100% in a competition.

Q 5) What are some of the biggest challenges that you have faced in your journey as an athlete? How did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges that I faced was the lack of facilities in my village and school when I began my long jump journey but after I joined IIS, I could train like a professional which helped me achieve what I have today.

Q 6) What role does the Inspire Institute of Sport play in your training? How is your training experience under the IIS coaches?

I am really thankful to the Inspire Institute of Sport for providing world class facilities to me and exposure to participating in foreign tournaments. The coaching at IIS is also excellent and it has helped me tremendously in my achievements.

Q 7) What are your future goals and aspirations? How do you plan to achieve them?

My future goal is to become one of the best long jumpers in the world and win more medals for India. My plan to achieve my goals is through consistent training and hardwork and I really believe that I can achieve it all one day.

2022-06-04 15:11

Swapnil-Ashi win 50m rifle 3P mixed gold, India end Baku WC on 2nd spot

New Delhi, Jun 4 (Shooting News) Swapnil Kusale and Ashi Chouksey drew curtains on India's campaign at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Baku, Azerbaijan with a gold medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) mixed team competition, here on Saturday.

The pair of Swapnil and Ashi beat Ukranian's Serhiy Kulish and Daria Tykhova 16-12 in the gold medal match.

This was India's second gold in the tournament after the trio of Elavenil Valarivan, Shreya Agarwal and Ramita clinched a yellow metal in the 10m air rifle women's team event.

Besides, the Indian shooters had also bagged three silvers in the tournament and finished second on the medals tally behind Korea.

It was also Swapnil's first gold and third medal overall at the Baku World Cup. He had earlier won silvers in both the men's 3P individual and men's team competitions.

In the first qualification stage played earlier in the day, Swapnil and Ashi finished fourth with a combined score of 881 out of 900 to qualify for stage two among 31 teams. The Ukranian pair finished second to march into the top eight stage.

In stage two, the Indian pair finished second with an effort of 583 out of 600. It was the same score as the Ukranians but the Indians topped on countback.

In the final, Ukraine started stronger and opened up a 6-2 lead after the first four single-shot series.

But the Indian pair fought back admirably, winning six of the next eight series to go ahead 14-10.

Serhiy and Daria were not the ones to give up and narrowed the deficit down to 14-12 before Swapnil and Ashi claimed the well-deserved victory.

This was India's second ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup of the year.

The Indian shooters had topped the first World Cup stage in Cairo in the beginning of the year before both the rifle and pistol teams opted out of the Rio World Cup in April.

India was represented by a 12-member rifle squad in Baku. The shotgun team also participated in two World Cup stages, winning medals in each of them.

All three squads will be seen in action in the fourth and final Changwon World Cup stage next month, before the big-ticket event -- the World Championships later this year.

Also Read : Paralympic medallist Singharaj, 5 others denied visas; will miss Para Shooting WC in France

News Source : PTI

2022-06-01 17:05

ONE Esports named Media Partner for League of Legends Champions Korea

(Esports news) ONE Esports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship™ (ONE), has been named Official Media Partner for League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK). The League of Legends tournament is organised by League of Legends Champions Korea Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Riot Games Korea Limited.

The LCK Summer Split 2022 will take place from 15 June to August 2022 in South Korea. The tournament will see 10 of the best League of Legends teams from Korea compete for a US $370,000 prize pool.

The 10 teams will first compete in a best-of-3, double round robin format at the Group Stage, and the top six teams will qualify for the Playoffs. The Playoffs will be played in a best-of-5 single elimination format, and the top two teams will qualify for the Semi-Finals. Subsequently, the winning team of the LCK Summer Split 2022 will qualify for Worlds 2022, the annual professional League of Legends world championship tournament hosted by Riot Games. Worlds 2022 will run across the North American continent in Mexico, New York City, Toronto, and San Francisco, in the Fall later this year.

Through this appointment, ONE Esports will manage the production of localized content related to the LCK Summer Split 2022, including short-form videos and written coverage. All video content, including tournament highlights, player interviews, fan interactions, and more, will be distributed across ONE Esports’ digital channels. ONE Esports will also publish a series of articles covering the LCK in localized languages to be distributed exclusively on the ONE Esports website, oneesports.gg.

“It is motivating to work with the dedicated team at League of Legends Champions Korea Limited who are committed to delivering high quality events and telling remarkable stories. The popularity of League of Legends Champions Korea, coupled with ONE Esports’ passionate fanbase and extensive reach, will take the tournament’s phenomenal success to the global stage,” said Carlos Alimurung, CEO, ONE Esports.

“We are excited to welcome ONE Esports as our newest partner for League of Legends Champions Korea," said Aiden Lee, the Secretary-General, League of Legends Champions Korea Limited. “Storytelling is such an important aspect in esports because it allows our audience to engage with our brand and talents in deep and meaningful ways. We are thrilled that with ONE Esports’ expertise and presence in esports, we will be able to bring LCK closer to fans around the world.”

Also read: Chemin Esports finish third in 8BIT Thug Invitational Season 5

2022-06-01 09:49

Time to shift focus on CWG, gold is high on priority: Chirag

New Delhi, May 31 (Badminton News) The sweet taste of the Thomas Cup title win will linger but Chirag Shetty, one of the architects of that historic triumph, knows it's time to move on and focus on the next challenge at hand -- Commonwealth Games.

One half of India's best doubles pair, Chirag played a pivotal role both on and off the court to help India achieve an unprecedented win at the Thomas Cup tournament, considered to be the 'world cup' of shuttle sport.

"The feeling of that week still remains but it's time to get back to training and face the next challenges, starting with the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Asian Games," the 24-year-old from Mumbai told PTI.

"We have done well in Commonwealth Games last time and the Thomas cup win will act as a booster for us to retain the mixed team gold." India had won the mixed team gold at 2018 CWG for the first time and Chirag feels they can repeat the performance this year too.

"Competition is much tougher in Thomas Cup. So winning the trophy for me was simply the highlight of Indian badminton. CWG is a mixed team event, so naturally the dynamics will change.

"Malaysia has a strong team this time also. They might be seeded higher than us because of their women's doubles and mixed doubles players, but if we are able to have that fire once again and urge to win, we can retain the gold." Chirag and his men's doubles partner Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will also look to change the colour of their individual silver medal that they had secured at Gold Coast.

"Last time we were very new in the circuit. But now a lot of things have changed. We are now in the top 10, we have the experience of competing and winning against top players. So winning the gold will be high on our priority," he said.

The Commonwealth Games is scheduled to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8 this year.

But first up for the world number 8 Indian pair is the Indonesia Open Super 1000 and Malaysia Open 750 tournament in June.

"We have sent our entries for Indonesia Super 1000 but we are still not cent per cent sure if we will play that event as Satwik is recovering from a knee injury," said Chirag, who along with Satwik, had pulled out of Thailand Open due to the injury.

"It is nothing major but as a precaution we might skip the event as CWG is more important and we need to be in the best shape possible. We have been playing for a week and half during Thomas Cup and were exhausted also. We will play the Malaysia Open for sure." Chirag and Satwik dished out some superlative performance at Bangkok as they won all their matches, with the loss against Chinese Taipei's Lee yang and Wang Chi-Lin in the last league match being an exception.

"I was extremely upset after that match. I also spoke to my mental trainer. I made some silly mistakes and couldn't get a point for my team but (Kidambi) Srikanth told me just to forget about the match and focus on the quarterfinals.

"Thereafter when I went to the court, I just wanted to do everything possible to get that point, so that I have no regrets. We managed to silent Malaysia, who had a huge support." Talking about his role in the team, Chirag said: "I enjoyed my role as someone who was neither a newcomer nor a veteran. So I focussed on creating team bonding as much as possible whether it was via making Instagram reels or dancing after the matches. We even got Srikanth to dance."

Also Read : Manisha Ramadass win twin gold medals at Fazza Dubai Para Badminton

News Source : PTI

2022-05-29 16:12

Bhagat, Dhillon, Joshi enter finals of Fazza Dubai Para Badminton

Dubai, May 28 (Badminton News) Top Indian para shuttlers including Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat and reigning world champion Manasi Joshi battled past their opponents to enter the finals at the 4th Fazza Dubai Para Badminton International here on Saturday.

In total, nine Indian para shuttlers have made it to seven finals scheduled to be played on Sunday.

In men's singles SL3, Bhagat, who won two gold medals at the recent Bahrain 2022 International, had to come back from a game down each to defeat an untiring Daisuke Fujihara of Japan, who eventually faltered after 18-all in the third game.

Bhagat won 14-21, 21-14, 21-18 after fighting for 1 hour 16 minutes.

"I never thought the game would go too long. I was trying to take control of the game but he was just not giving up, even though he looked tired. But I feel he gave up after 18-all in the third game," said the 33-year-old who will play compatriot Nitesh Kumar in the final.

Kumar beat fellow Indian Manoj Sarkar, the Paralympic bronze medallist, in straight games 21-17, 21-16.

In the men's singles SL4, as expected Tarun Dhillon and Indonesian Fredy Setiwan are set to play the final.

"I am keenly looking forward to the game. In Tokyo, I lost the semi-final to him so it will be sort of a revenge match for me. He is my greatest opponent in Asia, so this will be a good exposure for the Asian Para Games," said Dhillon, who defeated Rickard Nilsson 21-15. 21-17.

Setiawan will in fact play in three finals, including the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 with Khalimatus Sadiyah and men’s doubles SL3-SL4 with Dwiyoko Dwiyoko.

Like India, Indonesia also made it to eight finals including an all-Indonesian game in men's doubles Sl3-SL4.

Manasi vs Mandeep in SL3 final =================== Among women, it will be an all-Indian tussle for the gold medal in the women's singles SL3.

Joshi overcame a second game scare to defeat Australia's Celine Aurelie Vinot 21-13, 22-24, 21-19 and book the final against Mandeep Kaur who defeated Parul Dalsukhbhai Parmar 21-15, 21-9.

"It was a good match. I always get nervous when I play with Parul didi. She is senior to me. I tried to make her move around the court," said the 26-year-old Kaur who aims to qualify for the World Championships.

Among others, promising Manisha Ramadass and Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan have advanced to the final as well.

Promising Ramadass, Nithya advance ====================== While Ramadass had to dip deep to beat Denmark’s Cathrine Rosengren 24-22, 22-20, Nithya defeated Thailand’s Chae Saeyang 21-18, 21-10. Ramadass meets Japan’s Akiko Sugino, whom she defeated in three games at the Brazil International.

Kaur and Ramadass are also through to the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 finals after getting a walkover from Parmar and Palak Kohli.

Meanwhile, Dhinagaran Pandurangan and Sivarajan Solaimalai will face top seeds from Hong Kong, Chu Man Kai and Wong Chun Yim in the men’s doubles SH6 final.

By definition, the SL3 category is for players with movement moderately affected one side of the body, both legs, or the absence of limbs.

SL4 is for players with movement affected at a low level on one side of the body, in both legs, or the minor absence of one limb.

SU5 is for players with movement affected at a low level in one arm, a high degree in the non-playing arm the absence of one limb, or the minor loss of one limb.

Also Read : Fazza Dubai Para badminton: Bhagat, 4 other Indians enter semifinals

News Source : PTI

2022-05-28 19:40

No taking pressure: Chopra wants to repeat Tokyo Olympics approach in World C'ships

New Delhi, May 28 (Sports News) A World Championships medal is definitely in his mind, but star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Saturday said he will go into the showpiece in July without taking too much pressure, which did the trick for him during the Tokyo Olympics.

The 24-year-old Chopra said thinking too much about a World Championships medal could be counterproductive though such a feat is within his reach if he gives his best on the day of competition.

"During Olympics last year, I did not take any pressure, was not thinking that I shall have to win a gold. With that, I did well and won gold. My approach has been to do my best on the day according to the situation. I am satisfied if I do my best and learn and improve for the future," Chopra told PTI in an interview from his training base in Finland.

"I will do the same during the World Championships and see whatever is the result, whether I win a medal. It's not like I won gold in Olympics last year, so I have to win a medal in World Championships this year. I will see what improvement I can make in future," said Chopra.

He recently launched a contest on YouTube Shorts to promote javelin throw among youngsters.

"A little bit of pressure is there, it is natural, but I always try to be relaxed, not to think about result too much, and stay as normal as possible while going into a big event." Age is on his side. Chopra, however, would look to make amends for his 2017 London World Championships disappointing show, where he failed to qualify for the final round. He did not take part in the 2019 World Championships in Doha as he was recuperating from an elbow surgery.

"I was not in the best of my fitness in London World Championships and I have played many competitions by then that season. I could not do well," said Chopra who created history by winning the javelin gold in Tokyo with a throw of 87.58m.

Chopra is currently training at Kuortane Olympic Training Centre in Finland, where he reached on Thursday after shifting base from Turkey. He will train at Kuortane till June 22 as part of preparations for the Worlds (July 14-25) in Eugene, USA, and Commonwealth Games (July 28 to August 8) in Birmingham.

His first competition will be at Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku in Finland on June 14. The likes of Johannes Vetter of Germany, who has thrown 90m-plus the most among active athletes, as well as reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, who has begun the season with a massive 93.07m effort at the Doha Diamond League on May 1, will feature in the event.

"My main targets this year are World Championships, CWG and Diamond League Finals and I will try to give my best. I will enter the season gradually and whatever result... hopefully I will do well as I am preparing well.

"Remaining things will depend on the conditions of the day and how my body will respond. I will not take any competition pressure." In Turkey, Chopra had not done much of throwing practice but was doing other things, like lifting of weight, running, strength building, etc. But now the focus will be more on throwing.

"There will be all other things also but there will be more focus on throw, on technical things and on distance-wise. I have to set my run-up, how many metres it will be and where to start and cross it and where to stop, etc.

"We have started on all these things. There is less than three weeks but all these things are going on well." Like many of the Indian athletes training abroad, Chopra also cooked food and washed his clothes. He said he enjoyed doing those things as he had learnt them in childhood.

"In many training centres, there are no washing machines, we have to wash our clothes. Many a times, we felt we should have Indian food cooked by ourselves. So we go to the supermarket and buy food stuffs, vegetables and others.

"So we have to do those things, the simple way of living. When I stared playing sport, for 4-5 years, I washed my own clothes and cooked my own food. These days also, if we get a chance or we are under compulsion or under pressure to do all these things, I do them with pleasure," the champion athlete said.

Chopra recently launched an exciting challenge exclusively on YouTube Shorts. Fans can join him by doing the #JavRun and replicating his distinctive run-up before he throws the javelin.

Modelled on Chopra's medal-winning throwing technique, fans can create a 15-second YouTube Short from the YouTube mobile app and add their own touch of creativity to the challenge.

"Most of the people use YouTube and I thought my training videos can be reached by them through YouTube. When I started the sport in my childhood, I also used to watch a lot of videos of top throwers available on YouTube on how to throw the javelin.

"If children watch my training videos and if they like the videos, they can learn javelin. I want to inspire the kids and youngsters.

"After the Olympics, a lot of children want to start javelin throw but they don't know how training is done. Now, on my YouTube channel, people will know how javelin training is done, what exercises are done, etc.

"Mostly, I will upload my training-related, sports-related videos as of now. Going ahead, I can upload other things, like if I go abroad for training in a new city, I can add the videos also. The response (from the public) has been good so far."

Also Read : Tamil Nadu, Karnataka dominate Day 2 of Indian Open Surfing

News Source : PTI

2022-05-27 11:45

Boxing champ Parveen Hooda focused on the 2022 Commonwealth Games

Hailing from Haryana, Parveen Hooda is an accomplished boxer who has won the gold medal at the 2020 Khelo India Youth Games, the gold medal at the 2019 Asian Games, a silver medal at the 2019 International President Cup, a silver medal at the 2019 Ahmet Comert Tournament and a gold medal at the 2017 Youth Championships. Competing in the 60 kg category, she is now setting her sights on the upcoming Commonwealth Games and the Paris Olympics.

In this exclusive interview, Parveen speaks about her boxing journey and the influence of her first coach Sudhir Hooda, overcoming pre-fight anxieties, memorable accomplishments, overcoming challenges, receiving support from the Haryana Boxing Federation and her future goals.

Q 1) How did your boxing journey begin? How much influence did your first coach Sudhir Hooda have on your career?

I started boxing at the age of 11. I was studious but would get into regular fights with boys in my school and lose as they overpowered me. I began to visit a stadium nearby to watch boxing training with the aim to learn the sport and beat the boys at their own game. Sudhir Hooda, my coach and the village sarpanch who started a boxing academy in the village, played a major role in influencing my family to allow me to take up boxing. I began my coaching under his guidance.

Q 2) Tell us about the pre-fight anxieties that you usually face? How do you deal with them?

I was sharp and smart as a kid. Even today, I maintain that sharpness because I follow a disciplined routine. I do meditation in the morning. It helps me remain focused in the boxing ring and overcome the mental pressure of big games and opponents. I analyse my opponent’s match to plan my game accordingly.

Q 3) You have won a number of accolades in your career, which one do you believe is the most special for you and why?

The IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship is the most special one because it was my debut on the world stage where I won Bronze for my country.

Also read: My dream is to represent India at the Olympics: Afreen Hyder

Q 4) What are some of the challenges that you have faced as a professional boxer? How did you overcome them?

The major challenge was my studies. I could not focus because of rigorous training. I used to fall asleep in class and get scolded by teachers. A major setback was weight management. In 2018, I missed out on the Youth World Championship and Asian Championship. However, with the support from Adani Sportsline under its GarvHai programme, I am able to manage my training schedule and fitness regime.

Q 5) Has the Haryana Boxing Federation been supportive in your journey so far? If yes, how?

The Haryana Boxing Federation is very supportive, and they properly guide me whenever required.

Q 6) What are your future goals and aspirations? How do you plan to achieve them?

My focus is now on the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2022 whose trials are scheduled in the coming month and the 2024 Paris Olympics. I plan to work on my strength, improve my skills and focus on weight management.

2022-05-25 16:23

BFI and SAI felicitate 12th World Championships medallists

(Boxing news) The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Tuesday felicitated all three medal winners of the 12th IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi. The event was attended by the Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, BFI President Ajay Singh and DG SAI Sandeep Pradhan among other officials.

With one gold and two bronze medals from the prestigious tournament, the Indian team secured the third position in the team rankings with 23 points after Turkey (48 points) and Ireland (23 points) who finished first and second respectively. While speaking at the felicitation ceremony, the Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur congratulated the medal winners and said that we must celebrate current achievements but always keep aiming for the next championship.

“Our betis (daughters) have made us proud. There was a time when Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi used to speak about Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and now it’s bearing fruit. Nikhat said she doesn't want to stop; she wants to win more medals. We need this passion and dedication from you all. We have to keep going forward. You are the inspiration for grassroots athletes. The TOPS scheme has ensured everyone gets the facilities. We must celebrate what we have achieved today but always aim for the next big Championships. Let's bring more medals for India in 2024,” the Minister said.

BFI President Ajay Singh, Secretary General Hemanta Kalita, Treasurer Digvijay Singh, Vice President Debojo Maharshi and Sandeep Pradhan, DG SAI were also present on the occasion as they interacted with the boxers and congratulated them on medal-winning feats.

“It’s really great that you’ve done so well at the World Championships but this is not where we have to stop. This entire exercise we have is about the Olympics which are just two years away. A huge vote of thanks to the Ministry of Sports and Sports Authority of India for all their support,” BFI President Ajay Singh said.

Clinching their maiden medals at the world’s biggest boxing tournament, Nikhat Zareen (52kg) became the country’s only fifth woman to win gold while Manisha (57kg) and Parveen (63kg) bagged bronze medals at the event, which concluded in Istanbul last week.

“I thank everyone for facilitating and encouraging us today. I promise, I will keep working hard and make my country proud in future also. Have become world champion now and with God's grace I hope I will stand in front of you as Olympic champion,” Nikhat said.

Only Mary Kom (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2018)—the six-time champion, Sarita Devi (2006), Jenny RL (2006) and Lekha KC (2006) had won World Championships titles for India before Nikhat. In what was celebrated as the 20th anniversary of the Women’s World Championships, the Indian team added three medals in Istanbul to take its overall tally to 39—the third-highest after Russia’s 60 and China’s 50 medals.

Also read: Learnt important lessons from World C'ship loss, says Olympic medallist Lovlin

2022-05-23 10:33

Going home after Olympic selection trial healed me, worked hard on my weaknesses after that: Nikhat

New Delhi, May 22 (Boxing News) Whatever happens, happens for a good reason.

Those were the words Nikhat Zareen kept telling herself after she lost the trials for the Tokyo Olympic Games qualifiers three years ago, following which she went home to "heal." Zareen had famously written to then Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju demanding a fair selection trial after the Boxing Federation of India decided to send the legendary MC Mary Kom directly for the Tokyo Olympic Games qualifiers in 2019.

"After the trial, I went home to relax my mind. Then (COVID-19) lockdown also happened, so I got to spend the whole of 2020 with my family," the newly-crowned world champion told PTI.

"I was able to heal myself during that lockdown and get out of that zone. I enjoyed spending time with my niece, eating food made by my mom. I kept believing whatever happens, happens for a good reason." The trial had turned into a messy affair with a furious Mary Kom asking “Who Nikhat Zareen?” Zareen eventually lost 1-9 to the veteran boxer during the trial, who refused to even shake hands with her young opponent.

“When things opened up, I went back to the camp, started training, beat the world champion which gave me confidence,” she added.

Turns out a little time away from the camp to be with her family was all Zareen needed to reignite her passion to win medals for the country.

Post the lockdown, Zareen has enjoyed a purple patch.

She defeated world champions Paltceva Ekaterina of Russia and Nazym Kyzaibay of Kazakhstan to bag a bronze at the Bosphorus boxing tournament in Istanbul last March, which was followed by gold medals at the Nationals, the prestigious Strandja Memorial and the World Championships, where she beat Thailand’s Jitpong Jutamas in the flyweight (52kg) summit clash on Thursday.

The 25-year-old is reaping the benefits of the hard work she has put in the past couple of years.

"New Nikhat has a lot of maturity and confidence and the hunger to win medals and fulfil her dream of winning medal at the Olympics.

“In the past couple of years, I have worked on my fitness. On my combination of punches. How to punch from a distance, attack, defend and re-attack.” And it was a mix of some beautiful combination of punches that helped her outclass Jutamas.

Zareen feels the injury she sustained early in her career taught her a lot and also changed her approach to boxing. “The injury played a major role in my career, I got to learn so many things. I became more alert and careful about being injury free. Since then I’ve avoided certain punches, so I don't get injured again," she said.

“After that I also worked on my strength. It was the first ever injury of my life and I had to undergo surgery. I was not ready for it. I wasn't prepared. I would worry and get tensed as to what will happen.” Taunted by naysayers at every stage of her life, Zareen says outside noise doesn't affect her.

Coming from a conservative locality of Nizamabad, a young Zareen was taunted by her community members for taking up boxing and wearing shorts and a vest.

A few years later, when she injured her shoulder she was told "tujhse nahi hoga, chod de, itne competition jeet liye sport quota mei job mil jaega (Leave it, you can'd do it. You have won enough competitions to get a job in sports quota)".

Zareen was also brutally trolled on social media for her fair trial appeal.

"It spurs me on (people criticising her). I take critique in a positive way and I always want to give everyone a proper answer that whatever they think can't always be right.

"My career, life depends on me, I decide what to do. The same people now call my parents and say they are proud of me, ask when I'm coming back we want to meet her and take a picture.

"I don't focus on the outside noise. What matters to me is my performance. It doesn't affect me I am only working to fulfil my goal.” Going ahead, Zareen will have to cut her weight down for the Commonwealth Games, where she plans to compete in 50kg, which is the same weight class in which she won her junior world championship.

"CWG only 50kg is there so no other options. So I will take part in that only and if my body is working well then I will continue. If not I'll try to shift to 54kg." The 2019 Asian Championship bronze medallist is confident that 50kg will suit her as she will have the height advantage.

“It should not be difficult for me in 50kg because my natural weight is 51kg, I would have to lose only 1-1.5kg to come down. For me, it will also be advantage because I'll have a good height and I'll get short boxers.” However, she has kept the 54kg, which is the next Olympic weight class, option open.

“In 54kg, I'll get tall boxers and I'll be at a disadvantage. So I prefer 50kg but let’s see,” she said.

Also Read : IBC mulls increased 'regional cooperation' for Pro Boxing

News Source : PTI

2022-05-21 19:20

Chopra says he is not losing sleep over his international rivals' 90m-plus throws

New Delhi, May 21 (Sports News) Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is not losing sleep over some of his top international rivals producing big early season performances but made it clear that he would want to join the 90m club this year.

Reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and Tokyo Olympics silver winner Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic had come up with 93.07m and 90.88m throws respectively in the Doha Diamond League on May 13.

But Chopra is not the one to take pressure, thinking about somebody's performance.

"I don't take pressure of distance. Peters and Valdech must be working hard and so doing well. It is also my dream to cross 90m and will try to do that this year in some competition," Chopra said at a virtual interaction from his training base in Turkey.

"I know competition is tough and growing. It also depends on the day's performance, weather and other conditions, how we manage them. I normally don't think about surpassing anybody's performance or record. I just go out to give my best." The 24-year-old Chopra is currently training at the Gloria Sports Arena in Antalya, Turkey along with his coach Klaus Bartonietz. He has a personal best of 88.07m and won gold in Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.58m.

His first competition of the season will be in Turku, Finland at the Paavo Nurmi Games where he will face Peters, another top thrower Johannes Vetter of Germany who has thrown over 90m several times.

"I don't have to hit 90m straightway, 86 or 87m at the start of season will be fine," said Chopra who will be taking the field for the first time after 10 months since winning gold in Tokyo on August 7 last year.

His next event will be on June 18 at Kuortane Games in Finland where he had finished third last year with Vetter taking the gold before the Tokyo Olympics.

Chopra is planning to feature in the top-flight Diamond League Meeting in Stockholm on June 30 before heading for the June 15-24 World Championships in Eugene, USA.

Vetter, however, flopped during the Olympics after he produced a series 90m-plus throws in the lead-up to the Games in Tokyo. He was eliminated after the first three throws in the final.

"My main target this year is to do well in World Championships. Then there is the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (July 28 to August 8) where I will defend my gold (won in 2018 CWG)." He had earlier said that winning a medal in the World Championships will be his main target this year. Chopra said he may or may not take part in the Monaco Diamond League (August 10) which happens just a couple of days after the CWG. He will also decide whether to take part in the Lausanne leg of the Diamond League on August 26.

"We will take a call after the CWG whether to take part in Monaco Diamond League or not, whether to go for (Diamond League) points or not.

"We had planned earlier considering the Asian Games. As the Asian Games are postponed we may rework our plans." Then, there is Diamond League Final in Zurich on September 7 and 8, if Chopra qualifies.

"My aim is also to end season injury free. I am starting 40-45 days before the World Championships so that I can peak there. I am going to have three events next month in the space of just over two weeks.

"Initially, I had planned to compete in Doha Diamond League (May 13) but dropped later. I could have started a bit early had we known that Asian Games would be postponed." Asked about his training and preparations for the season ahead, he said, "The off season was good. I have started throwing training, two throwing sessions in a week. I also do sprinting, lifting weight etc. I have started working on my technique, on my runway, picking up speed and blocking.

"I don't need to make major changes, mostly focussing on my technique, which angle I have to throw, on my blocking, from where I have to start my runway. I don't want to get injured while doing major changes." Chopra had the likes of Vetter and 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist Thomas Rohler for company at Antalya for a few days. Javelin world record holder Jan Zelezny of Czech Republic was also there for some time.

"I had interactions with them but not much. We generally talked about the state of javelin throw in the world and in India. Sometimes, we also speak about our technique.

"I don't feel like a star in front of Zelezny. They came for training and had left now. Not many people know us here." Two top Indian athletes failed dope tests recently and Chopra urged the youngsters to shun shortcut to success.

"My message is don't go for short cut to success. Work hard with patience. You will achieve your dream with time.

"I am not talking about any individual here but you can take care of things you can control like having good food, proper rest and sleep, hard work and belief in yourself."

Also Read : Praggnanandhaa claims another win over world champion Magnus Carlsen

News Source : PTI

2022-05-20 14:46

Hurdles I've faced in my career have made me mentally strong: Nikhat Zareen

New Delhi, May 20 (Boxing News) Hardened by the difficult circumstances in her career, newly-crowned World Champion boxer Nikhat Zareen said she has adopted a combative approach where "whatever happens I have to fight and give my best." Continuing her stellar run, Zareen out-punched Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas by unanimous 5-0 verdict to clinch the flyweight (52kg) gold in Istanbul on Thursday.

"These two years, I focused on my game only and whatever the weaknesses were there in my game, I tried to improve," Zareen told reporters after her bout.

"I worked on my strong points and on where I lacked in my game. I worked on the aspects where I needed to work and made myself strong.

"All those hurdles which I have faced in my career have made me strong. I have become mentally strong after all these and my thought process is that whatever happens, I have to fight and give my best," she added.

Zareen's golden feat comes two-years after she had written to then sports minister Kiren Rijiju asking for a "fair trial" for the Olympic Qualifiers.

Zareen was trolled on social media mercilessly for this while the legendary Mary Kom had caustically asked "Who Nikhat Zareen?" Zareen eventually lost the bout to Mary Kom in the trials, missing out on a chance to qualify for the Tokyo Games.

The 2011 junior world champion also had to overcome a career-threatening shoulder injury, which kept her out of the ring for a year and saw her miss all the big-ticket events like the Commonwealth Games, Asiad and World Championships in 2018.

"In 2017, I dislocated my shoulder, I had to go under surgery and then I didn't take part in any competition for a year. I came back in 2018 but I wasn't at my peak so I missed the big tournaments CWG, Asiad and World Championships.

"But I didn't give up and after the comeback in 2019 haven't looked back. I have taken all competitions as an opportunity and I believed in myself. Because of that here I'm today." Zareen will now prepare for the Commonwealth Games trial for which she will have to drop her weight and come down to 50kgs.

"In the CWG there's a 50kg division, I will prepare for that now." The 25-year-old Telangana pugilist has started her preparation for the Paris Olympics but is unsure which weight category she will compete in.

She'll either have to climb up to the 54kg or come down to 50kg.

Talking about the difficulties of changing a weight class, she said it would be easier to drop weight.

"It's difficult to change a weight category whether you drop down to a weight division or move up to a weight division.

"It’s more difficult when one moves from a lower weight to a higher weight as you are at a disadvantage with the other boxers being a bit heavy as they come in that weight by dropping their body weight. So one faces more strong boxers.

"I guess if I play in 50kg category, it will not make much of a difference. Normally my weight remains 51.51.5 kg so my body will work well in 50kg. So for some time, I will continue in the 50kg weight division." The 2019 Asian Championships bronze medallist has had a busy 2022 and her aim is to remain injury free.

"The challenge is to keep body at peak level, after Strandja I had to give the World Championship and Asian Games trials.

"It was not easy as there you were playing decorated, experienced boxers in tough bouts. But I kept my body calm and composed and I managed to win both the trials and the started the preparation for world championships.

"Now I will prepare for the CWG. Main focus will be to keep the body free from injuries."

Also Read : Nikhat Zareen becomes World Champion, only fifth Indian woman boxer to achieve feat

News Source : PTI

2022-05-20 10:32

Nikhat Zareen becomes World Champion, only fifth Indian woman boxer to achieve feat

New Delhi, May 19 (Boxing News) Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen lived up to the expectations as she clinched the coveted gold in flyweight (52kg) division with a facile 5-0 win over Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas in the final of the Women's World Championship in Istanbul on Thursday.

Capping off a stupendous campaign that saw her dominate all her rivals, the Telangana boxer out-punched her Thai opponent to win via unanimous verdict with judges scoring the bout 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 in her favour.

"I didn't expect to win (by such a big margin) in the final. I wanted to win unanimously," Zareen told reporters later.

"My aim was to play the first two round so that I win by unanimous decision and then relax in the third but I got a spilt decision score in the final so I had to go all out in the third round," she added.

With this win, Zareen, a 2019 Asian Championship bronze medallist, became only the fifth Indian boxer to be crowned world champion.

Six-time champion Mary Kom (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2018), Sarita Devi (2006), Jenny RL (2006) and Lekha KC (2006) are the other pugilists who have won the world title.

This is India's first gold medal in four years. Mary Kom (48kg) had won the last title in 2018.

Incidentally, it was the legendary Mary Kom who had participated in the flyweight category in the 2019 edition of the tournament.

Zareen had been refused a trial by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), which decided to go by Mary Kom's consistent performances while making the choice and the Manipuri claimed her eighth world medal, a bronze.

The 25-year-old Zareen produced some beautiful combination of punches to outclass Jutamas.

Jutamas had a better start of the two but Zareen soon made up and took the upper hand. The first round was fought on an even keel but Zareen's blows were more powerful and her punches were eye catching.

The Indian took the first round comfortably but Jutamas made a strong comeback in the second.

The Thai boxer took advantage of her longer reach as she countered Zareen's attacks from a distance, while landing punches herself.

There was very little separating the two boxers but strength proved to be a key factor as Zareen used her powerful right hand and came up with beautiful combinations in the final round to seal the deal.

As the winner was announced Zareen was overcome by emotion and she jumped with glee and couldn't hold back her tears.

"I was thinking about my parents. They were the only ones with me during my bad time. I'm happy to win a medal for them." Talking about her career-threatening injury Zareen said "In 2017, I dislocated my shoulder, I had to go under surgery and then I didn't take part in any competition for a year. I wasn't at my peak in 2018 so I missed the big tournaments.

"But I didn't give and after the comeback in 2019 haven't looked back. I have taken all competitions as an opportunity and I believed in myself." Zareen will now be preparing for the Commonwealth Games trial for which she will have to drop her weight and come down to 50kgs.

This is Zareen's second victory over Jutamas. She had got the better of the Thai boxer at the Thailand Open back in 2019 as well.

The Hyderabad pugilist has been in stellar form this year. She became the first Indian woman boxer to claim two gold medals at the prestigious Strandja Memorial in February.

Apart from Zareen's gold, Manisha Moun (57kg) and debutant Parveen Hooda (63kg) will return home with bronze medals.

"Winning a medal at the worlds is always a dream and Nikhat could achieve it so early is extremely commendable. We, at BFI, are proud that our boxers have not only made all of us proud but each of their boxing journeys is inspiring for the upcoming generations," Boxing Federation of India President Ajay Singh said.

A 12-member Indian contingent participated in the competition. While the medal haul has decreased by one, an Indian has been crowned world champion after four years.

India's best performance in the event remains the one in 2006 when the country snared eight medals, including four gold, one silver and three bronze.

India now have won 39 medals, including 10 golds, eight silver and 21 bronze in the Women's World Championships.

Also Read : Boxer Nikhat Zareen storms into World C'ship final

News Source : PTI

2022-05-18 17:18

Amid Thomas Cup triumph celebrations, Deaflympics shuttler Jerlin Anika quietly achieves rare feat

New Delhi, May 18 (Badminton News) While the country is rejoicing its badminton team's historic Thomas Cup triumph in Bangkok, J Jerlin Anika is another Indian shuttler who has been making waves with her unprecedented gold-medal winning feat in Deaflympics in Brazil.

The 18-year-old hearing-impaired shuttler from Madurai also achieved something unique -- three gold medals at the 24th Summer Deaflympics at Caxias do Sul in Brazil, just a few days before the Indian men's team dethroned Indonesia to become the Thomas Cup champions.

Anika secured a gold each in women's singles, mixed doubles and mixed team event.

Three gold medals is a huge achievement in any sport or tournament but not for Jerlin as she rued missing out of a fourth gold on offer.

"She is not happy as she missed out on the women's doubles gold. She hates losing and when we were leaving Brazil, she asked me why people are congratulating me, I could not return with all the four golds," J Jeya Ratchagen, Anika's father, told PTI during an interaction.

Anika beat Australia's K Neudolt for the singles gold medal, while in the mixed doubles event, she and Abhinav Sharma clinched the yellow metal by getting the better of Malaysia's Edmund Seng Keong Teo and Wei Ying Boon.

She also played a crucial role in India beating Japan 3-1 to win the mixed team gold medal.

The road to success wasn't an easy one for Anika and it was her dotting father who ensured that she has a normal childhood after he realised that she can't hear or speak.

Badminton opened up doors as she started showing interest in the sport after Jeya Ratchagen used to take her with him to a local club where he used to play along with his friends.

"She started training under coach P Saravanan at Bose academy in Madurai as an 8-year-old. He used to train with the normal kids but after seeing her, he started learning ways to communicate with her," Jeya Ratchagan, who is into small scale business, said.

Anika's mother is just a house wife.

While Olympics and Paralympics are quite popular, Jeya Ratchagen wasn't aware of Deaflympics and it was during a local tournament in 2017 that an official from Madurai district administration told him about it and that's how her journey towards glory started.

Soon, Anika, as a 13-year-old, secured fifth place as the youngest player in her maiden appearance at 2017 Deaflympics in Turkey and went on to win two silver and a bronze at Asia Pacific Badminton Championship in 2018 in Malaysia.

A year later, she returned with a gold, two silver and a bronze from the World Deaf Badminton Championship in China.

However, for Jeya Ratchagan, who comes from a humble background, it was a struggle to provide her with proper nutrition and sports accessories due to lack of fund. In 2019, Anika's prowess in badminton was recognised by HCL Foundation's 'Sports for Change' initiative and she was enrolled as a sports scholar under the Power of One (PO1) My Scholar Project.

She received a scholarship, which helped her to take care of her kits, nutritional and other logistic requirements.

"She received a scholarship of Rs 3.25 lakh and we also supported the travel of her coach and father to accompany her for the Deaflympics. We are just happy to play a small role in her success," said HCL Foundation Director Nidhi Pundhir.

The Foundation also stepped in when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020 to ensure that her training doesn't get affected.

Soon, virtual sessions were conducted, special permission for her on-court training was sought and all these helped her as she emerged as one of the decorated athletes at the Deaflympics last week.

Anika, who has no other interests apart from the racquet sport, has now set her eyes on the world championships in 2023 in Brazil.

However, her next big hurdle is the class 12 board examination.

"She hates studies but she will have to sit for her class 12 board exams in 15 days time, so she is bit nervous," Jeya Ratchagen signs off.

Also Read : Kidambi Srikanth enters second round of Thailand Open

News Source : PTI

2022-05-18 06:16

The dominant Bajrang will be back soon: Bajrang Punia

New Delhi, May 17 (Wrestling News) "You will soon see the Bajrang who ruled the mat in 2018," assured Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia after winning the 65kg trials for the Commonwealth Games while Ravi Dahiya and Deepak Punia also expectedly triumphed in their respective categories, here on Tuesday.

Bajrang, who is under the scanner for lack of attacking moves in his bouts since the Asian Championship, booked his berth in the national team with wins over Sujeet (4-0) and Vishal Kalliraman (2-1).

Like it happened in the Asian Championship in Mongolia, where he won a silver, Bajrang was largely engaged in standing wrestling against Sujeet, winning points on passivity of his rival.

In the final against Vishal, he attempted a few moves but was put on clock himself for lack of action and eventually prevailed.

"I have just started competing after a long gap, injury was also there, so certainly there is a bit of hesitancy in going for attacks," Bajrang said.

"But you will soon the Bajrang of 2018 (who dominated the mat across globe). It's just a matter of playing more matches. I have World Championship in mind, and will play Ranking Series events before that. I will get better with more competitive bouts." Talking about the final, the 28-year-old said,"Vishal is not a bad wrestler. Also, due to heavy sweating, the mat was getting slippery and that at times nullifies the difference (in quality) between two wrestlers." In the 57kg, the gulf between Tokyo Games silver medal winner Ravi Kumar Dahiya and others was apparent.

He won by fall against Vijay and eked out a win by technical superiority against Aman in the final.

To his credit, Vijay, who hails from Maharashtra, did not get intimidated by Ravi and showed stomach for bout.

There was intense competition in the 74kg where Naveen emerged champion with a TSU win over Gaurav Baliyan, who recently win a silver in Asian Championship in 79kg.

There were many quality yet ageing wrestlers in this category such as Amit Dhankar, Parveen Rana, national champion Pritam along with young guns like Yash Tunir.

In the 86kg, Deepak Punia easily sailed through, winning against Vickey (4-3) and Sanjeet.

In the 97kg, Satyawart Kadiyan and Mausam Khatri bit the dust as Deepak claimed his place in the Indian team with an authoritative win over talented Sahil Ahlawat.

Mohit won the controversy-marred 125kg final.

The Birmingham Games will begin on July 28.

Also Read : Wrestler Satender Malik assaults referee Jagbir Singh during CWG trials, gets life ban

News Source : PTI

2022-05-17 12:21

My goal is to be the first Taekwondo Olympian from India: Shivansh Tyagi

Having come from a farmer’s family, 22 year old Shivansh Tyagi has overcome a number of odds to make his mark on the sport of Taekwondo in India. He has won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Championships in Montreal and another bronze medal in Jordan. He also finished fifth at the world level in the Faujirat Open tournament in the UAE and has achieved the first ranking in India in the under 74 kgs category due to his impressive performances.

In this exclusive interview, Shivansh Tyagi speaks about his journey in the sport, expectations from the Asian Championships, overcoming challenges, memorable achievements in his career, difference in domestic and international events and his goals for the future.

Q 1) Having come from a farmer's family, how were you first introduced to Taekwondo and what motivated you to take it up professionally?

I started Taekwondo in school and being from a farmer's family, it was tough because the concept of Taekwondo is not familiar in India. It started as a hobby and after watching the 2012 Olympics it became my dream to take it up as a sport professionally. When I won a gold medal in the national games, it was a big motivation for me that there is a future for me in this sport.

Q 2) What are your expectations from the Asian Championships which will be held in June?

I would like to win a medal, for sure. It is an incredible opportunity for me and also for the country. I'm working very hard for it and I'm looking forward to winning the medal.

Q 3) What are some of the challenges that you have faced as a taekwondo athlete in India? How did you overcome them?

Challenges are a part of an athlete's life and without them, no athlete is made. It’s not about what Indian Taekwondo can give to an athlete, it's what an Indian athlete can give to Taekwondo in the country. That’s my perspective and that’s how I overcome the challenges.

Also read: I want to make India proud with my achievements: Varun Pradip Dave

Q 4) What are some of your biggest and most memorable achievements in your career?

The biggest achievement for me was bagging the bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games 2017. That was my first international tournament experience and I got a bronze medal. The Indian Open is very close to my heart because I won the gold medal in 2019.

Q 5) How different is the level of Taekwondo in domestic tournaments compared to international events?

When I go for international tournaments I have noticed that they are much more organised compared to India. The competition level is also much higher compared to domestically.

Q 6) What are your future goals and aspirations? How do you plan to achieve them?

My goal is to become the first Indian to participate in Taekwondo at the Olympics and put India’s name on the world map. I also want to inspire the new generation to take up Taekwondo as a sport in the future.

2022-05-17 10:55

Boxing World C'ships: Nikhat, Manisha, Parveen confirm medals, 5 others bow out

New Delhi, May 16 (Boxing News) Nikhat Zareen (52kg), Manisha (57kg) and Parveen (63kg) continued their stellar run at the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Istanbul on Monday by advancing to the semifinals but five other Indians bowed out after suffering quarterfinal losses.

Confirming their first World Championships medals with a place in the semifinals, Nikhat out-punched England’s Charley-Sian Davison 5-0 while young Parveen got the better off Shoira Zulkaynarova of Tajikistan with an identical margin.

Manisha, on the other hand, dispatched Mongolia's Namuun Monkhor in a hard-fought quarterfinal by a 4-1 split decision.

However, it was the end of the road for Nitu (48kg), seasoned campaigner Pooja Rani (81kg), Anamika (50kg), Jaismine (60kg) and Nandini (+81kg).

Continuing her stellar run from the prestigious Strandja Memorial tournament where she won the gold earlier this year, Nikhat handed India its first medal at this year's tournament with an impressive victory.

The 25-year-old Telangana boxer was all pumped up in her highly physical bout against Davison. Both boxers were attacking each other ferociously in the first round.

However, the second round was a one way street as Nikhat pounded her opponent with terrific body shots to tire her out while also landing clean and sharp punches.

With the two rounds in the bag, Nikhat then displayed her defensive skills as she no longer felt the need to be on the offensive in the final few minutes of her quarterfinal bout.

"My opponent was taller than me today, so my strategy was to block her right hand which is her strength. I am delighted to give India the first medal, hope I can win the gold," Nikhat said after the bout.

The former junior world champion will next square off against Caroline De Almeida of Brazil, who thrashed the 2018 Commonwealth Games silver winner Carly McNaul of Ireland by unanimous decision.

In another bout, the 24-year-old Manisha moved around the ring and used her long reach to great effect as she threw clean punches in the closely fought last eight contest. She will take on Italy's Irma Testa next.

In the fourth Indian bout of the day, Parveen initially seemed hesitant to attack and looked out of depth but as the seconds ticked away and coach Bhaskar Bhatt and the support staff encouraged her to go forward and attack from the sideline, the Haryana boxer gained confidence to notch up a memorable win.

She will be up against Ireland’s Amy Broadhurst in the semifinal.

Anamika and Jaismine fell short of securing medals on their debut appearance at the world event after enduring 0-5 and 1-4 losses respectively.

Anamika lost to Rio Olympic bronze medallist Colombia's Ingrit Valencia and Jaismine succumbed to Rashida Ellis of USA.

Nandini, who had received a first round bye, was handed a 0-5 loss by Morocco's Khadija Mardiin in her opening bout.

Nitu ended her campaign with a 2-3 split verdict quarterfinal loss to reigning Asian champion Alua Balkibekova of Kazakhstan, while two-time Asian champion Pooja went down 2-3 also via a split verdict to Australia's Jessica Bagley.

There was a bit of confusion with Pooja's result as the announcer mixed up the name of the two boxers.

Nitu, who is a two-time youth world champion, started the bout cautiously, enticing her opponent to come at her but struggled to land punches herself.

The Indian tried hard to break Balkibekova's defences as the Kazakh boxer moved around swiftly. Nitu managed to up the ante in the final round but it was too late as the judges ruled in her opponent's favour.

India won four medals, including a silver and three bronze, in the last edition of the tournament.

Also Read : Boxing World C'ships: Nikhat Zareen secures India's first medal in Istanbul

News Source : PTI

2022-05-16 10:25

I will rate this one of my biggest wins: Kidambi Srikanth

Bangkok, May 15 (Badminton News) One of the architects of Indian badminton team's historic Thomas Cup triumph, Kidambi Srikanth described it as one of the best achievements in his career.

An unheralded Indian men's team notched up a dominating 3-0 win over 14-time champions Indonesia to lift the Thomas Cup for the first time with Srikanth playing a crucial role as he stayed unbeaten in the tournament.

"Individual events are always different to team events and we hardly get to play team events and Thomas Cup finals are the biggest team events. So to win such a big event is a really big moment. It will actually take a while, before you know what has actually happened," Srikanth said during a virtual press conference.

"I will rate this one of my biggest wins and I am happy that everyone played extremely well. I dont think this is one individual's win, it is about all 10 players, Everyone stepped up when it mattered." Srikanth, who had claimed a silver medal at the World Championships in Spain last December, said he can't compare his wins but it was one of his biggest in his career.

"I did well at world championships in December as well, this is another event where I did well. I just can't compare any of my wins, I don't want to rank any of my wins, all of them are important.

"It is definitely one of the biggest wins, best in in terms of tournaments and one of my best performances." Srikanth said winning for the country was a big motivating factor for the team. "In any major event be it Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Thomas and Uber Cup, world championships, none of them have prize money. But when you win, in this tournament, this is for the country, After we won, people said India won Thomas Cup, it was not Srikanth or Prannoy, so it itself was a special feeling," he said.

"I don't think every one will have the privilege to experience it, it is us 10 players and coaching staff who have experienced it now and it will motivate others to do well. So the motivating factor was that we won this for the country." Coming into the match after two defeats against Jonatan Christie, Srikanth produced a superb show to notch up a 21-15 23-21 win over the Asian Games gold medallist.

Asked if he was under pressure in the final moments of the second game, Srikanth said: "There were nerves, also because of the fact that I was leading for most part of the second game. He also played very good, he has done extremely well, so can't really write off, that too in the final.

"I was just taking him on, trying to play consistently, but he played well after the 11 point break in the second game. I am just happy that I could play whatever I thought of playing, I could finish off the match and give that win to the country." HS Prannoy, 29, also produced some sensational performance, winning the deciding third singles to take India home in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

There were criticisms when he was exempted from the selection trials and directly included in the squad.

Asked if he had shut the critics with his performance, Prannoy said: "Defintely, I would say I did. I have always performed under pressure and to be part of this kind of team I am really proud of.

"I am really thankful to association for choosing me as third singles. I always wanted to be a part of Thomas Cup and I would have regretted if I was not chosen. I am extremely happy.

"Thanks to everyone for supporting me and I think I have done justice with my performance. Nothing has sunk in yet, it will take couple of days more, we have to celebrate it big time." Prannoy said they always had the self belief to go the distance and all they needed was the support of each other.

"I think the feeling was always there, before coming also, we had that belief this is the team which can contend for the title but the quarterfinal match was a crucial one because it was a big pressure because we knew we still didn't have the medal at hand.

"But all of us stepped up at right time, after that the belief started getting better and we were playing 25 per cent more than the previous matches."

Also Read : Hope this performance makes badminton as popular as cricket: Coach Vimal Kumar

News Source : PTI

2022-05-14 14:59

I was determined not to give up after ankle injury, says Prannoy after guiding India to Thomas Cup final

Bangkok, May 14 (Badminton News) He battled injury to register one of the most memorable wins of his career and star Indian shuttler HS Prannoy said the mentality of not giving up without a fight kept him motivated during the epic victory over Denmark in the Thomas Cup semifinals.

Prannoy produced a lion-hearted show in the decisive singles match as the Indian men's team wrote its name in the history books by reaching the title clash of the Thomas Cup Final for the first time ever with a 3-2 victory over Denmark here on Friday night.

Despite suffering the injury after slipping on the front court while going for a return, Prannoy continued after taking a medical timeout to upset world number 13 Rasmus Gemke 13-21 21-9 21-12 to secure India's historic win.

"Mentally, there were a lot of things going on in my head. After the slip, it was hurting more than usual and I was not able to lunge properly and I was thinking what to do," Prannoy said after the tie.

"In my mind, it was always coming that I should not give up, just try and see how it goes. Was praying that the pain doesn't get aggravated and it started to reduce towards the second game and by the third, I was feeling much better." The Indians had never gone past the Thomas Cup semifinals after 1979, but on Friday they showed tremendous fighting spirit to outwit the 2016 champions.

Prannoy said going into the court after the medical timeout, his plan was to keep up the pressure on his Danish opponent and it worked to his favour.

"The tactics which we used in the second and third game was very crucial. The strategy was to keep the pressure on and I knew if I come into the second half with a good lead, there is a big chance to get the game. And I just told myself to push these 11 points possible and the strategy worked," he said.

World championships silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth and world number 8 doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty had kept India afloat in the contest by registering wins as the tie was locked at 2-2 before it was left to Prannoy to achieve the humongous task.

Rankireddy and Shetty dished out a gritty performance to beat Kim Astrup and Mathias Christiansen 21-18 21-23 22-20 to bring India level at 1-1 after world championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen lost 13-21 13-21 to world no. 1 Viktor Axelsen in the opening singles.

"I thought we were finished when we were down in the third game. Luckily we found our rhythm. I was unsure what serve to do (on sixth match point). Finally I thought let's try the flick serve, let's see what they've got," Shetty said.

"It took courage to try the flick serve. In the second game from the same side two of our flick serves went out." India will play 14-time champions Indonesia in the title clash on Sunday.

Also Read : Prannoy wins decisive match against Denmark to steer India to historic Thomas Cup final

News Source : PTI

2022-05-14 10:27

Prannoy wins decisive match against Denmark to steer India to historic Thomas Cup final

Bangkok, May 13 (Badminton News) HS Prannoy produced a lion-hearted effort in the decisive fifth match as the Indian men's badminton team scripted history by reaching the title clash of the Thomas Cup Final for the first time ever with a 3-2 victory over Denmark in an edge-of-the-seat semifinal, here.

Indian team, which never went past the semifinals after 1979, showed tremendous fighting spirit as it came from a match down to outwit the 2016 champions.

While world championships silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth and world number 8 doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty kept India in the hunt, it was once again left to HS Prannoy to take the team home when the tie was locked 2-2. Up against world number 13 Rasmus Gemke, Prannoy suffered an ankle injury after slipping on the front court while going for a return but the Indian continued after taking a medical timeout.

He looked in pain and his on-court movement also looked restricted but despite all odds, he produced a sensational performance to come up trumps 13-21 21-9 21-12 to etch India's name in the history books.

India will now take on 14-time champions Indonesia, the most successful team in the history. Indonesia edged out Japan 3-2 in their semifinal.

It was a creditable performance from the Indian team, which on Thursday had snapped a 43-year long wait by reaching the semifinals with a 3-2 win over five-time champions Malaysia, a feat last achieved in 1979.

It was always going to be an uphill task for India to tame the formidable Denmark, which had become the first European country in history to secure the title in 2016.

A lot rode on world championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen, given his recent win over Viktor Axelsen at the German Open Super 300 but he couldn't replicate his performance as the world number one scripted a comfortable 13-21 13-21 win to hand Denmark a 1-0 lead.

Denmark decided to split their world number 9 pair of Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen into two halves with Astrup partnering Mathias Christiansen in the first doubles.

However, Rankireddy and Shetty dished out a gritty performance, holding their nerves in the final stages to beat Astrup and Christiansen 21-18 21-23 22-20 to bring India back in the contest.

The Indian pair faced five match points -- two in the second game and three in third game -- before converting one to bring joy back to the Indian camp.

With the tie locked 1-1, world number 11 Srikanth and world number 3 Anders Antonsen engaged in a battle of supremacy in the second singles with the former coming out on top with a gritty 21-18 12-21 21-15 result to give India a 2-1 lead.

India's second doubles combination of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala, however, was no match for Anders Skaarup Rasmussen and Frederik Sogaard, losing 14-21 13-21 as the tie was tentatively posed at 2-2 after the fourth match.

The experienced Prannoy then lost the opening game but, quite incredibly, led 11-1 in the second game, despite injury. He depended more on his attack to gather points even as Gemke failed to create pressure on the Indian.

Prannoy dominated the front court and soon roared back into contest with Gemke committing too many errors.

Prannoy, ranked 23rd, stamped his authority with his trademark smashes as Gemke's defence lay in tatters. The Indian was up 11-4 up at the interval and continued to dominate the proceedings.

With the Impact Arena reberberating with chants of "HSP", Prannoy grabbed nine match points with a straight down the line smash and sealed it on the second opportunity as his teammates huddled together in celebration.

Also Read : Srikanth & Co. assure India of at least bronze at Thomas Cup, women lose in Uber Cup quarters

News Source : PTI

2022-05-13 09:44

Srikanth & Co. assure India of at least bronze at Thomas Cup, women lose in Uber Cup quarters

Bangkok, May 12 (Badminton News) The Indian men's badminton team scripted a memorable 3-2 win over Malaysia to enter the semifinals of Thomas Cup for the first time in 43 years but the women's side bowed out after losing 0-3 to Thailand in the Uber Cup here on Thursday.

India is thus assured of at least a bronze at the Thomas Cup. The country has not won a medal at the event since 1979.

India had bagged three bronze in the past when they reached inter-zonal finals. However, it is the first time since the change in the qualifying format that the country won a medal at the prestigious tournament.

Up against a team that has won the title five times, the world number 8 pairing of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, world championships silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy rose to the occasion to see India home.

India will next take on either Korea or Denmark.

A lot of expectation rode on world championships bronze winner Lakshya Sen but he couldn't go the distance in the opening singles, losing 21-23 9-21 to reigning world champion Lee Zii Jia in 46 minutes.

With the Malaysian fans thronging the Impact Arena, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy took to the court and the duo dished out a superlative performance to outwit world number 13 Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin 21-19 21-15 to bring India back in the five-match tie.

It was an all-out attack in the final phase of the second game which saw the Indian pair set up five match points with Chirag converting with a smash, leaving the Indian camp all pumped up.

Srikanth rode on his superior and varied strokeplay to outclass world number 46 NG Tze Yong 21-11 21-17 and give India a 2-1 lead.

The world number 45 combination of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala were handed the task of taming Aaron Chia and Teo Ee Yi and the Indian pair produced a good effort before losing 19-21 17-21 as the match went into the decider.

World number 23 HS Prannoy was all fired up in the final contest as he handled the pressure to erase an 1-6 deficit early in the first game to eventually canter to a 21-13 21-8 win over 22-year-old Jun Hao Leong as India completed a fantastic come-from-behind victory.

The moment Prannoy unleashed a smash to seal the contest, his teammates entered the court and rejoiced.

Earlier, double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu fought hard before losing to Ratchanok Intanon as the Indian women's team crashed out of the Uber Cup Finals after being drubbed 0-3 by Thailand in the quarterfinals.

World No. 7 Sindhu was off colour for the second consecutive day as she squandered a one-game lead to go down 21-18 17-21 12-21 against Intanon, ranked eighth, in a 59-minute first women's singles match.

The defeat means Sindhu now trails Intanon 4-7 on head-to-head record.

India were down 0-2 when the women's doubles pair of Shruti Mishra and Simran Singhi lost 16-21 13-21 against the Thai pair of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai.

It was no better for Aakarshi Kashyap, who surrendered 16-21 11-21 to Pornpawee Chochuwong in the second singles match that lasted 42 minutes, as Thailand completed a 3-0 thrashing, making the remaining two matches of the tie redundant.

Also Read : Sindhu-led India crash out of Uber Cup, lose 0-3 to Thailand in quarters

News Source : PTI

2022-05-11 20:27

Indian shuttlers lose final group match in Thomas and Uber Cup Final

Bangkok, May 11 (Badminton News) India endured a tough day in office with both the men's and women's badminton teams suffering defeats in their final group match at the Thomas and Uber Cup Final here on Wednesday.

While the men's team put up a spirited fight before going down 1-4 to Chinese Taipei in group C, the women shuttlers couldn't take a single game off Korea, suffering a demoralising 0-5 defeat in group D.

However, the twin defeats will not matter much as both the teams have already sealed their respective quarterfinal berths after ensuring securing a top-two finish in the group following two victories.

In the quarterfinals, the Indian women will have to pull up their socks as they face Thailand.

For the Indian women, it was a reality check after two successive wins against Canada and USA as they looked awfully out of sorts against a much superior opponent in Korea.

Double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu had a disappointing outing as she succumbed to her straight fifth loss to world number four An Seyoung, losing 15-21 14-21 this time in a lopsided contest, as India conceded a 0-1 lead.

The combo of Shruti Mishra and Simran Singhi was no match for world number two pair of Lee Sohee and Shin Seungchan, going down 13-21 12-21 in 39 minutes.

Aakarshi Kashyap was sent packing 10-21 10-21 by world number 19 Kim Ga Eun as India surrendered the tie 0-3.

In the next two matches, Kim Hye Jeong and Kong Heeyong beat Tanisha Crasto and Treesa Jolly 21-14 21-11, while Ashmita Chaliha lost 18-21 17-21 to Sim Yujin as Korea completed a 5-0 drubbing of India.

Up against Chinese Taipei, the Indian men's team fought hard with HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen and the doubles pair of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila winning a game but only Kidambi Srikanth could claim a victory over his opponent.

World championships bronze medallist Sen produced a gallant fight before losing 19-21 21-13 17-21 to world number four Chou Tien Chen in an hour and 20 minute clash.

The world number 8 pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty couldn't get past Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin, ranked 3rd, losing 11-21 19-21 as India slipped to 0-2.

World championship silver medallist Srikanth outwitted the tricky Tzu Wei Wang 21-19 21-16 in 53 minutes to keep India afloat.

MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila showed a stomach to fight as they saved four match points, only to go down 17-21 21-19 19-21 against Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han in a tight second doubles match, as India conceded a decisive 1-3 lead to Korea.

In the final match, world number 23 HS Prannoy went down 18-21 21-17 18-21 to world number 119 Lu Chia Hung in a close affair.

Also Read : Reality check for Indian shuttlers in Uber Cup Final, team drubbed 0-5 by Korea

News Source : PTI

2022-05-11 09:23

World Boxing Championships: Nitu sparkles on debut, cruises to second round

New Delhi, May 10 (Boxing News) India's Nitu (48kg) put up a dominant display in her debut appearance at the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships as she outpunched Romanian veteran Steluta Duta to enter the round of 16 in Istanbul on Tuesday.

The two-time former youth world champion Nitu continued her sublime form from the Stradja Memorial tournament earlier this year, where she clinched the gold medal in her maiden appearance, as she dominated all three rounds to win her opening bout by unanimous decision.

Both the boxers were aggressive from the onset, landing punches on each other. But the young Indian proved too much for the 40-year-old Romanian.

The two continued to attack in the second round with Nitu using her height advantage as Duta, a three-time world championship silver medallist, struggled to keep her momentum going in the electrically charged round of 32 bout.

The 21-year-old from Haryana then landed a flurry of punches in the third round as the last three minutes were closely-fought between the two. But Nitu defended tightly and looked in control to emerge victorious.

Incidentally, all three of Duta's silver medals at the event came from losses against an Indian -- six-time world champion M C Mary Kom, who withdrew from the tournament.

Nitu will take on Spain's Marta Lopez Del Arbol in the round of 16 on Saturday.

On Wednesday, 2019 Asian Championships bronze medallist boxer Nikhat Zareen will fight against Mexico's Herrera Alvarez in the 52kg opening round match.

Manisha (57kg), Parveen (63kg) and Saweety (75kg) will also begin their challenge in the round of 32 on the third day of the prestigious event, which has been witnessing a record participation of 310 boxers from 73 countries across the world.

Manisha, who received a bye in the opening round, will square off against Nepal's Kala Thapa, while Parveen and Saweety will take on Ukraine's Mariia Bova and England's Kerry Davis respectively.

On the opening day of the competition, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain made a winning return to the international circuit after clinching a thrilling 3-2 victory against two-time world championships medallist Chen Nien-Chin of Chinese Taipei.

Also Read : Women’s World Boxing C'ships: Winning start for Lovlina, beats Chen by split decision

News Source : PTI

2022-05-09 11:22

Women’s World C'ships: India boxers handed mixed draw; Lovlina to begin campaign on opening day

New Delhi, May 8 (Cricket News) Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain will take on former champion Chen Nien-Chin in her opening bout as Indian pugilists were handed a mixed draw in the 12th edition of the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, starting in Istanbul on Monday.

Borgohain (70kg) will kickstart India’s campaign on Monday, as she will be up against the Chinese Taipei boxer, who won gold and bronze medals in 2018 and 2016 editions respectively.

However, Borgohain, who will be making her first competitive outing since her podium finish at the Tokyo Olympics, will head to the fixture with some confidence having defeated Chen in the Olympic quarterfinals last year.

Two-time Asian champion Pooja Rani (81kg), Nandini and Nikhat Zareen (52kg) have also been handed tough draws in their respective categories.

Pooja will start in the round of 16 against two-time World Championships bronze medallist Timea Nagy of Hungary, while Nandini (+81kg) has received bye in the opening round but will face last edition's bronze medallist Khadija El-Mardi of Morocco in the quarter-finals.

On the other hand, Nikhat will face Mexico's Herrera Alvarez in the opening round and if she wins, she is likely to meet 2021 Asian Championships bronze medallist Lutsaikhan Altantsetseg of Mongolia in the round of 16.

Jaismine (60kg) will lock horns with two-time youth Asian champion Porntip Buapa of Thailand in the opening round.

If the Indian gets past the first hurdle, she may clash against former World Championships bronze medallist Rashida Ellis of USA in the last eight stage.

Among other Indians, Ankushita (66kg) got a comparatively easier draw alongside Nitu (48kg), Anamika (50kg), Shiksha (54kg), Manisha (57kg), Parveen (63kg) and Saweety (75kg).

Ankushita will begin her challenge in the round of 16 after getting bye in the opening round.

The Indians have garnered 36 medals, including nine gold, eight silver and 19 bronze, so far in the 11 editions of the prestigious event.

India’s tally is the third highest after Russia (60) and China (50).

In the last edition held in Russia in 2019, the Indian boxers clinched one silver and three bronze medals.

More than 400 boxers from a record 93 countries are set to take part in this year’s event, which also marks the 20th anniversary of the prestigious event.

Indian squad: Nitu (48kg), Anamika (50kg), Nikhat Zareen (52kg), Shiksha (54kg), Manisha (57kg), Jaismine (60kg), Parveen (63kg), Ankushita (66kg), Lovlina Borgohain (70kg), Saweety (75kg), Pooja Rani (81kg), Nandini (+81kg).

Also Read : Head coach Brendon McCullum rues KKR's power play struggles

News Source : PTI

2022-05-07 17:00

Sindhu, Lakshya lead India's quest for medal at Thomas and Uber Cup Final

Bangkok, May 7 (Badminton News) Focus will be on double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and World Championships bronze winner Lakshya Sen as the Indian badminton contingent resumes its quest for a medal at the Thomas and Uber Cup Final beginning here on Sunday.

No Indian men's team has ever won a medal in the Thomas Cup, having failed to reach the semifinal even once.

But the women had two semifinal finishes in successive editions of the Uber Cup to clinch two bronze medals in 2014 and 2016.

Last year, both the men's and women's teams signed off their campaigns at the quarterfinal stage.

This time, India boasts of a strong men's team comprising world number 9 Sen, world number 11 Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy, ranked 23rd in the world, in singles.

The doubles will be led by world number 9 pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, while the combination of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila, and that of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala are also part of the team.

Given a robust team and a favourable draw, Indian men will look to make the golden opportunity count as they open campaign against Germany in group C which also comprises Chinese Taipei and Canada.

The women's team, however, was left depleted following the withdrawals of the experienced doubles pair of N Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa and fast-rising Gayatri Gopichand.

Both Sikki and Gayatri are nursing injuries and have been advised rest.

In their absence, the onus will be on the shoulders of upcoming doubles players such as Tanisha Crasto, Shruti Mishra, Simran Singhi, Ritika Thaker and Treesa Jolly. In the women's singles, world number 7 Sindhu will have to do the heavy lifting as the other two singles players Aakarshi Kashyap and young Unnati Hooda lack experience but will look to produce a good show. They had made it to the squad following a rigorous selection trial.

With some key players missing, it will be tough for the women's team to get past group D members South Korea, Canada and United States and win a medal.

According to the format, a total of 16 teams have been drawn into four groups of four with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage.

Of all the group C members, Indian men will face the toughest competition from Chinese Taipei, who boasts of world number 4 Chou Tien Chen, besides the world number 3 doubles pairing of Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin.

For women, Korea will be a tough competitor, boasting of world number 4 An Seyoung, world number 19 Kim Gaeun and world number 46 Sim Yujin, while Michelle Li is the top player for Canada, who might prove to be a tricky customer.

Defending champion Indonesia are the most successful team in the Thomas Cup with 14 men's titles, while China has 15 Uber Cup crowns in their kitty.

"We have the best chance to win Thomas Cup this time. We have three decent singles and one doubles pair at par with the best and we just have to make sure that they are all pumped up, all of them are capable of beating the best," former India coach Vimal Kumar told PTI.

"I can understand, it is difficult for the women's team but the men's team has a good chance."

Also Read : Gayatri Gopichand to miss Uber Cup due to hip strain

News Source : PTI

2022-05-05 18:06

Anand, Gelfand to work with Indian players ahead of Chess Olympiad

Chennai, May 5 (Chess News) Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand will work in tandem to guide the Indian chess players during the team's coaching camp, beginning May 7, for the 44th Chess Olympiad.

The All India Chess Federation (AICF) has brought the two legends together for the home team's first coaching camp ahead of the Chess Olympiad in July-August.

The six-time world championship candidate from Israel, Gelfand has been roped in as the coach by the AICF alongside mentor Anand. The members of the first teams in both open as well as women's section will take part in the camp, scheduled to take place at Hotel Leela in Chennai from May 7 to 17.

Apart from winning the World Cup in 2009, Gelfand has competed in 11 Chess Olympiads. He was ranked in the top-30 in FIDE rankings from 1990 to 2017 during his 27-year long astonishing career. The 52-year-old has also trained some of the top international players in the past, helping them succeed in big events.

The former world champion in rapid chess, Koneru Humpy believes the decision to appoint Gelfand, in addition to mentor Anand, will motivate the players ahead of the Olympiad, which will be conducted in India for the first time ever, beginning in Chennai on July 28.

"Well, I don't often participate in the coaching camps in general. This time having Gelfand and Anand as coach and mentor will definitely motivate the team and for sure there will be a lot to learn from their experience," she said.

The author of numerous popular books like 'Dynamic decision making in chess', 'Technical decision making in chess' and 'Positional decision making in chess', Gelfand will use his in-depth technical as well as strategic knowledge of the game while interacting and training the Indian players in the camp.

The members of first team in the open section -- Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna, Arjun Erigaisi, SL Narayanan and Krishnan Sasikiran -- and the players of first team in the women's section -- Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, R Vaishali, Tania Sachdev and Bhakti Kulkarni, will take part in the camp along with their respective coaches Srinath Narayanan and Abhijit Kunte.

Arjun and Sasikiran, who are currently playing tournaments in Europe, will join the camp a couple of days later. Sasikiran, a member of the Bronze winning team at Tromso in 2014 who had also won an individual silver medal at the same Olympiad, is excited to work with Gelfand.

The 11-day coaching camp will be intensive and gruelling with players involved in six to seven hours of rigorous training in a day. The players will also have a regular routine of yoga and meditation to enhance their mental will power along with physical strength training.

Also Read : I want to make India proud with my achievements: Varun Pradip Dave

News Source : PTI

2022-04-28 18:16

Sindhu, Satwik-Chirag enter BAC quarterfinals; Srikanth, Saina out

Manila (Philippines), Apr 28 (Badminton News) Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu notched up a straight game win over lowly-ranked Yue Yann Jaslyn Hooi of Singapore in women's singles competition to advance to the quarterfinals of Badminton Asia Championships here on Thursday.

The Indian men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also made it to the quarterfinals but it was curtains for London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal and world championships silver winner Kidambi Srikanth.

Sindhu, seeded fourth, who had claimed a bronze in the 2014 Gimcheon edition, defeated Jaslyn Hooi, ranked 100th, 21-16 21-16 in 42 minutes to set up a clash against third seed Chinese He Bing Jiao, whom she had beaten for a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.

World number 7 Sindhu, a double Olympic medallist, has a 7-9 head-to-head record against Bing Jiao, whom she has beaten twice in the last two meetings.

The third seeded mixed doubles duo of Satwik and Chirag too produced a fine performance to sail into the last-eight round with a 21-17 21-15 win over Japan's Akira Koga and Taichi Saito.

The world number 7 Indian pairing will next face either fifth seeded Malaysian combination of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik or Singaporean duo of Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Jun Liang Andy Kwek.

However, Saina's dream of claiming her fourth medal in the prestigious tournament ended after she ran out of steam to eventually lose 21-12 7-21 13-21 to 22-year-old Chinese Wang Zhi Yi, ranked 16th in the world.

Saina is on a comeback trail after recovering from some nagging injuries and had skipped the selection trials for the upcoming major events such as Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Uber Cup.

Srikanth, seeded seventh, too couldn't step up his game when it mattered, going down narrowly to China's Weng Hong Yang 16-21 21-17 17-21 in a men's singles second round match that lasted an hour and 17 minutes.

Earlier, despite the huge difference in their rankings, it was a tight battle for supremacy between Sindhu and Jaslyn Hooi.

At one stage, the Indian was two-point behind at 7-9 against her opponent, who managed to take a slender 11-10 lead at the interval but Sindhu stepped up and levelled 16-16 before pocketing the opening game.

The Indian managed to move to a 12-8 advantage in the second game after an initial fight following a change of sides.

The Singaporean erased the deficit, coming as close as 15-16, before Sindhu once again stepped on the gas to pocket the match.

Also Read : Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, Satwik-Chirag enter BAC quarterfinals

News Source : PTI

2022-04-28 04:59

Saina, Sindhu, Srikanth win opening matches, Sen makes first round exit

Manila (Philippines), Apr 27 (Badminton News) Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal fought off strong challenge from their opponents before winning their respective opening matches, but it was curtains for Lakshya Sen and B Sai Praneeth in Badminton Asia Championships here on Wednesday.

Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu was made to toil hard by Chinese Taipei's Pai Yu Po as the fourth seeded Indian came back from a game down to win 18-21 27-25 21-9 in a marathon women's singles opening round match, which lasted for one hour and 17 minutes.

London Olympics bronze medallist Saina, who has been on a comeback trail after recovering from some nagging injuries, also had to break her sweat to eke out a 21-15 17-21 21-13 win over Sim Yujin of South Korea.

While Sindhu will next play Singapore's Yue Yann Jaslyn Hooi, Saina will be up against China's Zhi Yi Wang.

The other remaining Indian in the women's singles, Malvika Bansod too squandered a game lead before going down 9-21 21-17 26-24 against Yeo Jia Min of Singapore in another hard-fought tie. It turned out to be a disappointing outing for world championships bronze medal winner Sen, who was stunned by the unseeded Li Shi Feng of China.

The fifth seeded Indian lost 21-12 10-21 19-21 in his opening round men's singles tie that lasted 56 minutes.

World No. 19 Sai Praneeth suffered a straight game 17-21 13-21 defeat against Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.

Seventh seeded Kidambi Srikanth, however, kept India's flag flying in the men's singles competition by progressing to the second round with a straight-game win over Tze Yong Ng of Malaysia. Srikanth defeated his rival 22-20 21-15 to set up a clash against Chinese qualifier Weng Hong Yang in the second round.

It was also the end of the road for Aakarshi Kashyap, who lost 15-21 9-21 to Japanese top seed Akane Yamaguchi in the women's singles.

Both the women's doubles pair of Ashwini Bhat K and Shikga Gautam, and Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker also made opening round exits after losing in straight games.

While Bhat and Gautam went down 19-21 12-21 to Anna Ching Yik Cheong and Teoh Mei Xing of Malaysia, Singhi and Thaker lost 15-21 11-21 to seventh seeded Malaysian pair of Pearly Tan and Muralitharan Thinaah.

Also Read : Badminton Asia Championships: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty pair sails to second round

News Source : PTI

2022-04-26 15:30

Jehan Daruvala comes 2nd in the sprint race to move 3rd in the F2 WC

(Motorsports news) Hitech’s Marcus Armstrong beat Prema's Jehan Daruvala to the F2 sprint race victory at Imola. Marcus started from second on the grid as he made a solid start and got ahead of Williams F1 junior Logan Sargeant, who started the on pole because of the reverse grid.The Hitech once he took the lead he then controlled the race from the front, resisting pressure from Daruvala, who was showing impressive race pace in the Prema. The Indian driver couldn't get close to make the most of the DRS, as Armstrong took the victory.

Reigning F3 champion Dennis Hauger came third and completed the podium behind Armstrong and Daruvala after gaining a position at the start of the race. Dirty air proved to be more prevalent as these F2 cars struggled to follow each other in the middle sector of the lap. Roy Nissany finished an impressive fourth after getting past Theo Pourchaire at the start, securing his best result of the year. F2 points leader Felipe Drugovich, Logan Sargeant, Theo Pourchaire and Liam Lawson rounded out the points at Imola in the sprint race. Ayumu Iwasa narrowly missed out the points in the end in P9 ahead of Frederik Vesti.

In the feature race, Daruvala finished ninth to take three points home as he also took the fastest lap point. Theo Pourchaire won the feature race and also took the Championship lead as he finished ahead of Enzo Fittipaldi and Ralph Boschung. For Daruvala, 2022 is going to be a make-or-break season for F2 aspirations, and so far, the Indian is having his best start to the season, delivering the results time and time again. He’s the only F2 driver this year to have finished on the podium in every round so far this season, and is also the leading Red Bull junior in the standings. He’s currently third overall with 39 points, just two points behind second-placed Liam Lawson and 16 points behind Felipe Drugovich. He needs to start converting these podiums into race victories if he wants to win this year's F2 World Championship

“After the fighting for the win yesterday, I was obviously hoping for more," Daruvala commented. "It’s a real shame the safety car came out when it did because we clearly had the pace to win.”

“The car felt great, I was able to get into a really good rhythm and I felt very comfortable in the lead. You can always dwell on the what-ifs, but my focus now is very much on carrying this momentum into the next round in Barcelona.”

Also read: Lewis Hamilton and Serena Williams join consortium to buy Chelsea FC

2022-04-25 18:07

Badminton Asia Championships: Sen, Sindhu eye medals; Prannoy pull out due to injury

Manila (Philippines), Apr 25 (Badminton News) Focus will be on two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and world championships bronze winner Lakshya Sen when they lead India's challenge at the Badminton Asia Championships, beginning here on Tuesday.

A lot of hope will ride on Sen and Sindhu as the duo has been in good form in the run-up to the continent championships, which is returning after a gap of two years due to COVID-19.

The prestigious event will, however, lose a bit of sheen with the withdrawal of an injured HS Prannoy, who had claimed a bronze at the 2018 Wuhan edition and is in good form.

While Prannoy will miss out due to a "small injury" sustained on way to his Swiss Open final finish, it will be a great opportunity for All England silver medallist Sen.

The 20-year-old from Almora has been on a stellar run with title wins at the India Open Super 500 and final appearance at the German Open and All England Championships.

Sen had also won a bronze at the 2020 Asia team Championships, besides bagging a gold and bronze at the 2018 and 2016 Asian Junior Championships.

The fifth seeded Indian will be eagar to win a medal from the senior tournament but it will be easier said than done as he faces 22-year-old China's Li Shi Feng, a two-time world junior championships gold medallist, in his opening round.

All eyes will also be on former world champion fourth seed Sindhu, who had scooped a bronze from the 2014 Gimcheon edition and is coming into the event after securing two Super 300 titles at Syed Modi International and Swiss Open.

The World No. 7 Indian will be eagar to pocket another medal when she begins her campaign against Chinese Taipei's Pai Yu Po.

Sindhu is likely to come across fifth seeded Chinese He Bing Jiao in the quarterfinals if she can cross the initial rounds.

World championships silver winner Kidambi Srikanth too has been in good touch though he has been guilty of not able to close out some tight matches.

The seventh seeded Indian, who won two bronze in 2016 and 2020 Asia Team Championships but failed to secure an individual medal, will aim to grab the opportunity this time when he opens against Malaysia's NG Tze Yong.

Tokyo Olympian B Sai Praneeth too will eye a good show when he opens against fourth seeded Jonatan Christie.

Focus will also be on London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal as she looks to claim her fourth medal at the Badminton Asia Championships.

Saina has been on a comeback trial after recovering from some nagging injuries and had skipped the selection trials for the upcoming major events such as Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Uber Cup.

The former world number one will look to silence her critics when she begins campaign against Korea's Sim Yujin.

Among others, Aakarshi Kashyap, who was picked for all the three major events after she emerged as winner in the trials, will face top seed Akane Yamaguchi, while Malvika Bansod, who missed out of a berth, will cross swords with Singapore's Yeo Jia Min.

World number 7 and third seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will open against Thailand pair of Apiluk Gaterahong and Natchanon Tulamok.

MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila, who recently made it to the Asian Games and Thomas Cup teams after finishing on top at the selection trials in New Delhi, will also be in action.

The unseeded Indian pair will be up against fourth seeded Indonesian combination of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in its opening round. Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala, who had reached the quarters at Odisha Open Super 100 and German Open Super 300 besides finishing runners-up at Syed Modi International Super 300, will look to give a good account of themselves.

In women's doubles, India will lack the punch following the withdrawls of N Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa, and Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.

While Sikki got injured during the recently-concluded selection trials in New Delhi, Treesa and Gayatri also pulled out at the last minute following an injury to the latter.

Ashwini Bhat K and Shikha Gautam, and young pairing of Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker will be in the fray in women's doubles for India.

In the mixed doubles, Venkat Gaurav Prasad and Juhi Dewangan, and Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto will look to go deep in the draw.

Also Read : Prannoy, Treesa-Gayatri pull out of Badminton Asia Championships

News Source : PTI

2022-04-22 21:11

Anshu Malik, Radhika clinch silver medals in Asian Championship, Manisha wins bronze

Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Apr 22 (Wrestling News) Anshu Malik finally lost in the title clash after winning three earlier bouts in a dominant fashion to clinch a silver in the 57kg category at the Asian Wrestling Championships here on Friday.

Radhika also won a silver in 65kg category while Manisha bagged a bronze in the 62kg division.

Anshu lost to Tsugumi Sakurai of Japan by fall in the gold medal bout.

The Indian was dominance personified as she won all her three earlier bouts by technical superiority before losing to Sakurai in the 57kg final.

The 20-year-old defending champion from Haryana's Nidani village dished out a strong performance and literally toyed with her opponents to assure herself a third Asian Championship medal.

She had won a bronze in the 2020 edition at home and won the 57kg title last year in Almaty.

Anshu, who became the first Indian woman wrester to reach the World Championship final last year, began with a win over Uzbekistan's Shokhida Akhmedova and followed that up with another dominating victory against Singapore's Danielle Sue Ching Lim, who appeared at sea against her superior Indian rival.

Anshu hardly gave her rivals time to think or strategise as she pulled off move after move with ease to bamboozle them.

She overpowered Mongolia's Bolortuya Khurelkhuu in the semifinals, beginning with a four-point throw that ensued from a double-leg attack.

Easy take-downs and push-out points meant that the last-four stage bout ended in just two minutes and 12 seconds.

Radhika emerged victorious against Dariga Aben of Kazakhstan in her Round 5 bout to clinch the silver.

Manisha, meanwhile, settled for a bronze after losing to Korea's Hanbit Lee. The Indian, who has been doing well in the 62kg category at domestic events for some time, lost her semifinal in just 40 seconds to Japan's Nonoka Ozaki to bow out of gold medal race.

Ozaki trapped her in leg-lace move early in the contest and finished the bout in a jiffy.

This was after Manisha was off to a flying start, winning 9-0 against Kazakhstan's Ayaulym Kassymova.

Meanwhile, Swati Shinde (53kg) lost both her bouts by technical superiority to go out of medal race.

Also Read : Anshu Malik to fight for Asian Championship gold, Manisha to wrestle for bronze

News Source : PTI

2022-04-22 10:58

Indian archers make quarterfinal exits in season-opening World Cup Stage 1

Antalya, Apr 21 (Archery News) The new-look Indian archery teams without some big names produced disappointing performances to get eliminated in the quarterfinals in the season-opening World Cup Stage 1 here on Thursday.

The men's recurve trio of Tarundeep Rai, Sachin Gupta and Jayanta Talukdar got the top billings in the qualifying but the team failed to live up to expectations, going down to their rivals from the war-ravaged Ukraine 1-5 (58-58, 53-56, 55-58) in a lop-sided contest.

The Indians started off with a solid shot of 58/60, but they slipped to 53/60 in the second set, hitting thrice in the red ring (8-8-8) to fall 1-3 behind.

Their 55/60 in the third set was not enough as the Ukrainian trio of Artem Ovchynnikov, Usach Mykhailo and Oleksii Hunbin sealed the issue with a 58/60.

There was worse in store from the fourth-seeded women's trio of Ridhi Phor, Ankita Bhakat and Simranjeet Kaur who capped poor scores of 52/60 twice to lose to lower-rung Italy 2-6 (52-57, 55-46, 52-53, 54-55) and get eliminated.

The only set the Indians won was when their Italian rivals shot a below-par 46.

It remains to be seen how the Indian recurve archers fare in the mixed pair and individual events that will get underway on Friday.

In the compound section, Priya Gurjar and Rajat Chauhan were the best finishers with quarterfinal exits.

Priya lost to Chen Yi-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei 136-143, while Chauhan was ousted by Jean Philippe Boulch of Luxembourg 146-149.

Former Asian Games gold medallist Abhishek Verma lost in the second round in a tight shoot-off finish (9-10) against Frenchman Quentin Baraer after being locked 146-all.

So far, India have assured one medal in the compound men's team event by advancing to the final where they will take on France on Saturday.

India had some big upsets in the selection trials last month as three of the four Tokyo Olympics-returned archers -- including the star couple of Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari -- failed to make the cut.

The only Tokyo Olympian to make the cut was veteran Army man Tarundeep Rai who was joined by another old warhorse in Jayanta Talukdar, who made an International comeback after six years.

The recurve women's team, on the other hand, are mostly youngsters.

The compound team is also without four-time World Championships silver medallist Jyothi Surekha Vennam.

Also Read : Indian compound archers in final of team event, assure of medal in World Cup Stage 1

News Source : PTI

2022-04-21 17:23

AHF extends support to PHL as Indian handball set to grow globally

(Sports news) In a huge boost for the Premier Handball League (PHL), the Asian Handball Federation (AHF) has promised to support the event by helping entry of top Asian players, officials and other experts. The PHL has been conceptualised with an aim to transform the game of handball in India and support of the Asian handball federation as well.

The Indian delegation was led by Mr. Anandeshwar Pandey, Executive Director of Handball Federation of India who was accompanied by Mr. Manu Agrawal, CEO- Bluesport Entertainment Private Limited and Mr. Aseem Merchant, Director- Bluesport Entertainment Private Limited. Bluesport Entertainment is the exclusive licensee of the league under the aegis of HFI.

“We are delighted to know the vision and commitment of PHL to popularise handball in India. India has great potential to be the next handball destination and we believe this league is a concrete step towards that direction,” said Mr. Bader Al-Theyab, IHF Vice President and Finance Director- AHF.

“We would be glad to facilitate the Asian countries to send players, referees as well as other expert and excellence exchanges to take part in the league. It will bolster the promotion of handball and also help raise the level of the competitions.” AHF Executive Director Ahmad Abu Al-Lail and Secretary General Muhammad Shafiq said in a joint statement after the meeting.

“We discussed several aspects related to the league and the ways it can benefit with the support of AHF. The support from Asian body will further strengthen our mission to revolutionise Indian handball and having the best of the talents and experiences in the league will help in showcasing world class handball to the Indian audience for the very first time. This will also be an opportunity for Indian players to take their game to the next level,” said Mr. Manu Agrawal, CEO, Bluesport Entertainment.

The recent success of the Indian junior girls’ handball team at the Asian Championships, where it won the Gold Medal, is a clear sign the sport is growing rapidly in the country.

HFI Executive Director Anandeshwar Pandey said, “Our girls are not only the reigning Asian Champions but also have qualified for the Junior World Championships for the first time. This is a huge milestone for Indian handball and on behalf of HFI, I thank AHF for their commitment to help Indian handball grow and develop.”

“There is immense talent in India and we are working on transforming and nurturing that talent into champions and PHL as well as AHF support is the right move for the game,” Mr. Anandeshwar Pandey added.

Also read: Maharashtra Ironmen becomes the fourth team to feature in PHL

2022-04-20 20:14

Harpreet, Sachin add two more bronze to tally, India's GR contingent ends with five medals

Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Apr 20 (Combat News) Sachin Sahrawat and Harpeet Singh grabbed bronze medals on Wednesday as India's Greco Roman contingent cherished its second best show at the Asian Championship with five medals.

Competing in the 67kg category, Sachin dominated the bronze play-off, winning by fall against Uzbekistan's Mahmud Bakhshilloev.

This was after he lost his quarterfinal in a similar manner to Meiirzhan Shermakhanbet from Kazakhstan.

Harpreet (82kg) did not have to move a sinew in his medal bout as his rival from Qatar, Jafar Khan M Khan, did not take the mat due to an injury.

The medal-winning show from Sachin and Harpreet meant that India ended up with five medals in Greco Roman event of the championship.

In the 2020 edition, India had won one gold (won by Sunil Kumar) and four bronze medals in Delhi.

On the opening day of the championships on Tuesday, Sunil Kumar (87kg), Arjun Halakurki (55kg) and Neeraj (63kg) had won bronze medals.

Encouraged by team's stupendous show, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said that it will ensure that country's Greco Roman wrestlers will have sparring partners from abroad at the national camp so that their performances keep getting better.

"To win these medals when you have a strong Japan, Iran and Kazakhastan in field is no mean achievement. The wrestlers have asked for better training partners from abroad and we will get them after this Championship," WFI Assiatant Secretary Vinod Tomar told PTI.

"We have told Indian coaches that they have to run training program at the camps. We are not hiring any foreign coach now. Regular practice at the camp has given us results this year," he added.

In 60kg, Gyanendra lost his bronze play-off by technical superiority to Japan's Ayata Suzuki.

In 72kg, Vikas could not go beyond the quarterfinals, where he lost by technical superiority to Uzbekistan's Mirzobek Rakhmatov. Ravi, who competed in the 97kg, also lost at the same stage. He lost his last-eight clash 1-3 to Kyrgyzstan's U. Dzhuzupbekov.

The women's wrestling will begin from Thursday. For India, World Championship bronze winner Sarita Mor, who will compete in 59kg, will be the best bet for a medal on Thursday while World silver winner Anshu Malik will take mat on Friday.

Also Read : India's Greco Roman wrestlers win 3 bronze on opening day of Asian Ch'ship

News Source : PTI

2022-04-11 14:44

Charles Leclerc wins Australian GP while Max Verstappen suffers DNF

(Motorsport) Championship leader Charles Leclerc put on an impressive display at Albert Park, leading the race from start to finish and winning the Australian Open for the first time in his career, a track that he has traditionally struggled on. Meanwhile, reigning champion Max Verstappen suffered another DNF (first one being in Bahrain) and was told to stop his Red Bull with 20 laps remaining when smoke began rising from his car. The points gap between the two drivers is now 34 and such was Ferrari’s dominance that any other result except for a Leclerc win would have been impossible and the F1-75 also managed to get the fastest lap of the race, helping the Monegasque driver amass 26 points.

Speaking after the race, Leclerc said “The car was incredible today. We are only at the third race so it is difficult to think about the championship. But we have a very strong car, a very reliable car too, and for now we have always been there. I hope it continues like this and if it does we will probably have chances for the championship, which makes me happy after the last two seasons, which have been difficult for the team.

“I have been in this situation in the junior categories but to be in it in F1 means a lot, especially after the last two years and especially with a team like Ferrari. It feels incredible. The mindset is a bit different compared to the last two years because now I know that underneath me I have a car that is capable of winning and I don't really have to overdo things to do something extremely special and spectacular to get one or two positions - because I know it is in the car and I just have to do the job."

One of the biggest challenges Ferrari will face now is to maintain their dominance in what is the longest Formula 1 season to date. Both Red Bull and Mercedes will be having upgrade packages implemented in their cars throughout the year and Ferrari will need to be up to the task if they want to win their first World Championship in over a decade. In the last three occasions when Ferrari has been a potential contender, they have failed to rise up to the challenge.

Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz had a disappointing weekend, finishing ninth in qualification and dropped positions early on with the hard tyre and braked too late in the final sector, resulting in his car running over the grass and into the gravel. Both Mercedes and McLaren capitalised on Sainz and Verstappen’s misfortune, with McLaren achieving their first double top 10 of the season as Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo finished fifth and sixth. Despite showing promising signs with the Alpine, Fernando Alonso failed to finish in the top 10 while Alex Albon secured his first points of the season.

Australian GP race result: Top 10

1) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
3) George Russell, Mercedes
4) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
5) Lando Norris, McLaren
6) Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren
7) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
8) Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo
9) Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
10) Alex Albon, Williams

Also read: Formula 1: What are the problems affecting Mercedes this season?

2022-04-09 10:21

Korea Open: Sindhu fails to decode An Seyoung, campaign ends at semifinals

Suncheon (South Korea), Apr 9 (Badminton News) India's P V Sindhu suffered her fourth successive defeat to the young An Seyoung to sign off her women's singles campaign at the semifinal stage of the Korea Open Super 500 badminton tournament here on Saturday.

The third seeded Indian tried everything at her disposal but couldn't find a way to get past the world number four Korean, going down 14-21 17-21 in 48 minutes.

The 20-year-old An Seyoung gave ample display of her athleticism with her diving returns to keep the rallies alive and didn't falter in her precision, leaving Sindhu to do the catch-up job from the start.

The second seeded Korean rode on her superb retrieving skills to gallop to a 6-1 lead early on.

Next she dived twice in quick succession on both flanks to blunt Sindhu's attack and sealed it with a delightful drop.

Two powerful returns took Sindhu to 4-7 but An Seyoung came up with two precise returns, a body blow and then produced another over-the-head return to gain a healthy 11-6 lead at the break.

Sindhu tried to step up the pace but An Seyoung displayed a wide array of shots to always stay a step ahead. The Indian got a few points with her smashes but she couldn't put pressure on the Korean.

An Seyoung disposed off two weak lifts from Sindhu and then grabbed eight game points, two of which were saved by the Indian before the Korean unleashed a lightening straight smash to seal it comfortably.

Sindhu was off to a good 3-0 start after the change of ends but An Seyoung soon surged ahead to 5-3.

The Indian grabbed two quick points before the match became a tight battle with Sindhu's precise forecourt return being matched by the booming smashes from the Korean.

A long shot was followed by a net winner from Sindhu to keep the scores tied at 9-9 but the Korean was relentless in her retrievals and soon moved to a two-point advantage when Sindhu shot one to the net.

Sindhu kept breathing down the neck of her opponent at 12-14, with the Korean going long and to the net.

A service error from An Seyoung kept it 14-16 before the Korean produced a cross court return and, with Sindhu also miscuing a couple of shots, it was 18-14 advantage for the local hope.

Sindhu reeled off three points on the trot to keep the match alive but An Seyoung sent one away from the backhand of the Indian, who went to net next to gift three match points to the Korean.

An Seyoung unleashed another smash to seal it and go down on her knees in joy.

Also Read : World Championships silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth enters semifinals of Korea Open

News Source : PTI

2022-04-08 10:52

My goal is to make India an international force in combat sports

A pioneer of Mixed Martial Arts in India, Siddharth Singh has been the face of the sport in the country in the last few years. He is the only Indian to have a competitive Brown Belt in Jiu Jitsu and is the Founder and CEO of Crosstrain Fight Club, with over 500 students and five academies in North India.

In this exclusive interview, Siddharth Singh speaks about his journey so far, winning the silver medal at the AJP Tour Dubai, memorable achievements, being founder of Crosstrain Fight Club, overcoming challenges, promoting combat sports amongst the youth and his future goals.

Q 1) How did your journey in combat sports begin? What motivated you to pursue it professionally?

I was introduced to combat sports when I went to Doon School (boarding school) at the age of 12, where boxing was a sport and whilst it's not a mandatory sport, my elder brother was an established boxer so in a way it was expected of me to start boxing. I was like any other child at that age, i was scared to get punched in the face and while I picked up decent technique over the 6 years I was at Doon, I lacked confidence which led me to lose my boxing bouts year after year. It wasn't until I was 18 and in my final year of school where I had enough of losing and I made it my mission to become the best boxer in school. I trained year long and won my weight class and was adjudged 'Best Boxer'.

While school ended, the mission to become the best never stopped. I went to the UK for further studies and was introduced to Muay Thai (Thai KickBoxing) and later Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. While I worked at one of the UK's largest fashion and lifestyle companies, during the day I was an executive and in the evenings I was a combat sports athlete. During this time I noticed that no one was teaching authentic MMA (Mixed martial arts) which was and still is the fastest growing sport in the world. I also noticed that there were no Indians competing Internationally in Jiu Jitsu so I decided to dedicate myself towards these two goals.

Q 2) You recently won the silver medal at the AJP Tour Dubai. How was the experience and what do you consider to be your most special achievement in your career and why?

This was my second Jiu Jitsu World Championship Silver Medal on the AJP circuit with the previous one being at the World Masters in 2020. It still feels like a dream come true as my team and I are fully based in India, I am mostly self taught in Jiu Jitsu as India does not have any competition Black Belts. I am a competition Brown Belt and I am the highest in India so I dont have much in the way of teachers that I can learn from. Considering these facts, I'm glad that I have been able to wave the Indian Flag all over the world at the biggest tournaments.

The experience at this year's Dubai Pro was a rough one, to be honest. I was cutting down my weight for the first time in several years to 69 kgs (previously I competed at 77kgs), and this took a massive toll on me both physically and mentally. I didn't eat any substantial food for 4 days leading up to the weigh in and even had to ration water intake with no water the last 24 hours. I missed the initial 'day before' weigh in and had to spend the night before the competition in the sauna room to make the 'same day' weigh in. At 10 am I weighed in at 68.9 kgs and had only 3 hours to refuel and recover before I had to start preparing to compete at 2 pm.

Thankfully I was able to perform up to my ability and was able to bring home the silver at the World Pro.

Other achievements that I’m proud of are the British Open in 2018 as a Purple Belt and ADCC Taiwan champion in 2018.

Q 3) You are also the Founder of Crosstrain Fight Club and ADCC India. Tell us more about them and how are they making an impact in the combat sports/fitness industry?

Crosstrain Fight Club was created to offer authentic MMA and combat sports training and we have been building national and International champions since 2013 in MMA, Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai. Most of the coaches are my students who have learnt and understood our training systems and are preparing future generations to represent India and make the country proud.

ADCC stands for Abu Dhabi Combat Club and is the world's largest submission grappling tournament. I am the head of ADCC in India. Again, the motivation was to bring an International level tournament to India so we Indians don't have to visit foreigh countries to compete against foreign fighters. At our 3 events of ADCC India, we have already had competitors from Singapore, UK, UAE, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan who have come down and competed against our Indian fighters.

The main goal of Crosstrain and ADCC is to improve the level of Indian combat sports athletes.

Q 4) What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your journey so far? How did you overcome them?

Such a difficult question to answer. What I would say is that being a sportsman in India is difficult by itself, now consider the added fact that in 2013 no one had heard of Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu or even MMA in India, the challenges were immense. I ran through my savings in a couple of years and honestly thought of giving up many many times. God has been kind and we have turned a corner and we have started to see that the sport is starting to grow and become more popular but no matter how bad things got financially, the training never stopped and even during Covid when gyms were shut, I spent hours planning and strategizing ways in which we could come out of Covid even better and stronger as a team.

Today our main centre is bigger and more profitable than we were even in our pre covid best months.

Also read: My goal is to win an International trophy - Karan "Excali" Mhaswadkar

Q 5) According to you, what needs to be done to promote combat sports in India, especially amongst the youth?

We in India see countless cases of rape and violece against women and increasingly - bullying of kids. I strongly believe that we need to introduce combat sports training in schools as this would empower women and educate kids on how to tackle bullies in school or outside. In the UAE, Jiu Jitsu is mandatory in all schools and I believe we as a country would greatly benefit from adding either Muay Thai or Jiu Jitsu in our schools. Many corporations like Google have already started Jiu Jitsu in their corporate offices.

Q 6) What are your future goals and ambitions? How do you plan to achieve them?

I have 3 goals as of now.

- Teach every woman and child in our country, who wants to learn real self defence, so they can honestly protect themselves.

- Make India an International force in combat sports/MMA/Jiu Jitsu/Muay Thai.

- I am a 2 time Silver medalist at the world championships, I want to get the Gold medal for India in Jiu Jitsu.

2022-04-07 16:57

Top pistol shooters Vijay Kumar, Jitu Rai back in national squad

New Delhi, Apr 7 (Shooting News) Olympic silver medallist Vijay Kumar and World Championship silver winner Jitu Rai on Thursday returned to the national squad after being away for a prolonged period.

Vijay, who claimed a historic silver in 25m rapid fire pistol event at the 2012 London Olympics, made a comeback to competitive shooting after five years when he participated in the national championships last November at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range here.

The 36-year-old shooter, who is now a deputy superintendent of police in his home state of Himachal Pradesh, had been dogged by a recurring shoulder injury since winning the Olympic medal.

Asian Games gold medallist Rai, 34, took part in the national shooting selection trials at the Madhya Pradesh Academy last month.

In the 50-metre free pistol, Rai, a multiple-time World Cup gold medallist, shot 562 to top the field. He was one point ahead of Saurabh Chaudhary.

Subedar Major Rai, who has been training at the Army Marksman Unit in Mhow, has placed the 2024 Olympics as one of his major goals.

During the 2016 Rio Games, Rai became the first Indian pistol shooter to clear the men’s 10m qualification at the Olympics, but could not live up to the huge expectations in the eight-man final.

In July 2018, Jitu was dropped from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme on grounds of lack of form.

The pistol squad for 2022, which was announced by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Thursday, also features the decorated Chaudhary, Anish, Gurpreet Singh, Harpreet Singh, Adarsh Singh and Vijayveer Sidhu among others.

The women's squad comprises Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, Naamya Kapoor, Rahi Sarnobat, Shri Nivetha P and Rhythm Sangwan, among others.

The federation also announced the rifle squad for the upcoming ISSF World Cup in Baku where the country's pistol shooters are not participating to focus on their training programme that has been designed in advance.

The rifle team for the Baku World Cup features the likes of Anjum Moudgil, Elavenil Valarivan, Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar, Chain Singh, Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, Deepak Kumar, Paarth Makhija, Sift Kaur Samra and Shreya Agarwal.

While she is not part of the team for the Baku world cup, Mehuli Ghosh, a silver medallist at the World Championships, Youth Olympics and Commonwealth Games, features in the rifle squad for the year.

The tournament in Baku will be held from May 27 to June 7.

Also Read : India open account at Shotgun World Cup with men's trap team bronze

News Source : PTI

2022-04-07 14:02

Sindhu, Srikanth storm into quarters; Sen, Bansod out of Korea Open

Suncheon, Apr 7 (Badminton News) Ace Indian shuttlers PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth progressed to the quarterfinals but Lakshya Sen was ousted after losing his second round match at the Korea Open Super 500 badminton tournament here on Thursday.

World number seven Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, got the better of world number 26 Japan's Aya Ohori 21-15 21-10 in a lop-sided contest to take her head-to-head count against the Japanese to an overwhelming 12-0.

The third seeded Indian will next face familiar foe in Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan, whom she had defeated in the final of the Swiss Open last month.

The former world champion, who has claimed two Super 300 titles this season at Syed Modi International and Swiss Open, enjoys a 16-1 lead in 17 meetings against the world number 11 Thai.

World championship silver medallist Srikanth saw off Israel's Misha Zilberman 21-18 21-6 to set up a clash with local hope and former world no 1 Son Wan ho.

Commonwealth Games silver medallists and world no seven pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Singapore's Hee Yong Kai Terry and Loh Kean Hean 21-15 21-19 in 36 minutes to also advance to the quarterfinals.

World championship bronze medallist Sen, ranked ninth in the world, went down 20-22 9-21 to world number 24 Shesar Hiren Rhustavito in 33 minutes.

The country's other fast-rising shuttler Malvika Bansod also failed to advance to the quarterfinals as she was brushed aside by Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong 8-21 14-21 in a second round women's singles clash that lasted 39 minutes.

It was curtains for the mixed doubles pair of Sumeeth Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa as well. The duo fought hard but eventually went down 20-22 21-18 14-21 to the fifth seed Chinese combine of Ou Xuan Yi and Huang Ya Qiong in a gruelling battle that lasted close to an hour.

Men's pairing of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila, however, retired while lagging 5-8 in the first game against second seeded Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan.

During the 37-minute second round match, Sindhu didn't look in too much trouble as she kept things under control to reign supreme.

The Indian made a good start and only once did Ohori take a slender one-point lead at 8-7 but it was erased in no time as she comfortably closed out the opening game.

The Japanese did try to make a comeback in the second with a 8-4 lead but it was dealt with authority with Sindhu grabbing 17 of the next 19 points to bang the door on her opponent.

Earlier, sixth seed Sen, who has been in sensational form in the last six months with back-to-back final finishes at German Open and All England Championships, was pipped by Rhustavito in the closely-fought first game.

The 20-year-old Indian then lost steam and struggled in the second to concede the tie meekly.

Also Read : World championship bronze medallist Lakshya, Malvika bow out of Korea Open

News Source : PTI

2022-04-05 12:23

Ferrari boss Binotto confident in team’s ability to compete for WC

(Motorsport) Mattia Binotto, Principal of the Scuderia Ferrari has reiterated his expectations from the team this season and has insisted that the legendary team are “much better prepared” to compete for the World Championship but remain wary of their rivals Red Bull and Mercedes. It was in 2008 that Ferrari last won the Constructors Championship and 2007 when they secured the Drivers’ Championship, which means that Formula 1’s most successful team in history are really optimistic about their chances this season if they can make such a bold claim after years of underachievement.

Ferrari have had a dream start in the 2022 Formula 1 season, securing 78 points from a possible 88 in the Bahrain and Saudi Grand Prix’s and are 40 points ahead of their nearest rivals. Both the Ferrari drivers have finished on the podium in the first two races and Charles Leclerc has been particularly exceptional for the Italian manufacturers, however, the concern remains if Scuderia Ferrari can maintain this momentum and develop the car further as the season progresses.

In an interview, Binotto said “For us to be there in the fight, that was our objective to start the season and we can be very pleased. Keeping up the level on a long season is a challenge, not just for us but all the teams. It's true that our competitors have very strong development. In 2017 and '18 we lost a bit of ground. But since then, in car design, we have improved our wind tunnel, technologies, processes and simulations and so today we are much better prepared than in the past to do a good job with development. We also have a budget cap which will affect the rate of development... we need to make sure we have the right policy on that, as it could be a game-changer in the fight for development.”

One of the biggest factors that have played in Ferrari’s favour are performance and reliability. Unlike their closest rivals Red Bull, both the Ferrari’s on the grid haven’t faced any reliability issues so far and have the pace to compete at the top of the grid. However, despite the optimistic signs from the season so far, Binotto insists that his team aren’t the favourites in the title race. He said “I believe Red Bull is the strongest and the favourite.”

Speaking about his competitors, Carlos Sainz said “If anything I'm impressed with the car that both Red Bull and Mercedes managed to put together, with less wind tunnel time than us, with the championship fight going on. It just shows they are two very strong teams performing at an incredible level, and at any point in the season, they can turn it up and put on a strong competition. We just need to keep our heads down and keep maximising our chances. But at the same time, I also trust the development capacity of our team. I think this year's car proves it. It's a car that is very well thought out, with some special concepts to it. So I really trust the people behind it and I'm sure we can develop."

Also read: Formula 1 to feature Las Vegas Grand Prix on the calendar from 2023

2022-04-04 18:08

Boxing: Monika stuns two-time World Championship medallist, 3 Indians enter semis

New Delhi, Apr 4 (Boxing News) Boxer Monika (48kg) upstaged two-time World Championship medallist Josie Gabuco of the Philippines to enter the semifinals along with two other Indians at the Thailand Open here on Monday.

Ashish Kumar (81kg) and Manisha (57kg) are the two other Indian pugilists who also made their way into the last four with contrasting wins against their respective Thai opponents.

The 26-year-old Monika, who hails from Rohtak, prevailed 4-1 over experienced campaigner Gubuco, who won gold and bronze medals at the World Championships in 2012 and 2008 respectively.

She will now face Vietnam's Trinh Thi Diem Kieu, who received bye in the last round.

Competing in his first international tournament since the Tokyo Olympics, last edition's gold medallist Ashish notched a 5-0 win against local boxer Aphisit Khankhokkhruea in the 81kg quarterfinals. The Indian will now clash win Indonesia's Maikhel Roberrd Muskita in the semifinals.

It was a good day in the ring for Manisha, who recently qualified for the upcoming World Championships as well as Asian Games, as she defeated two-time Youth Asian champion Thailand's Porntip Buapa 3-2 in the 57kg quarterfinals.

However, Renu (54kg) and Monika (63kg) lost their opening round clashes.

While Renu gave a tough fight to Italy's European U-22 champion Sirine Charaabi, it wasn't enough as the Indian lost 2-3 in the quarterfinal clash.

Monika, on the other hand, went down in the quarterfinals, losing to Youth Olympic champion local boxer Panpatchara Somnuek by RSC verdict (Refree Stops Contest) in the third round.

On the third day of the competition on Tuesday, Sumit and Gaurav Chauhan will play their quarter-finals against respective opponents from Kazakhstan. Sumit (75kg), who received bye in the last opening round, will take on Timur Nurseitov while Gaurav (91kg) will fight against 2018 Youth Olympics champion Aibek Oralbay.

The tournament features 130 boxers -- 74 male and 56 females.

Gold medal winners will earn USD 2000, while silver and bronze winners will pocket USD 1000 and USD 500 respectively.

The Indian contingent had won eight medals, including one gold, four silver and three bronze, in the last edition of the tournament, held in 2019.

Also Read : India's Minakshi bows out of Thailand Open after close defeat

News Source : PTI

2022-04-03 09:01

Kartik Kumar, Sanjivani Jadhav win gold in men's and women's 10000m gold in Fed Cup athletics

Kozhikode, Apr 2 (Sports News) Long distance runners Kartik Kumar and Sanjivani Jadhav as well as pole vaulter Rosy Meena Paul produced personal best efforts to claim gold medals on an action-packed opening day of the Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships here on Saturday.

In the other events of the day, Aishwarya Mishra ran an impressive race to clock a personal best time of 52.41 seconds en route to women's 400m final, while national record holder long jumper M Sreeshankar crossed 8m mark yet again.

Aishwarya of Maharashtra shaved 2.19 seconds off her previous best time of 54.60 to win her heat race and qualify as the top-ranked athlete for the final.

However, the much-anticipated 100m clash between Dutee Chand and Hima Das will not happen as the latter pulled out of the heat races over the distance to concentrate on World Championships qualification in 200m.

Hima had entered her name for the 100m as well as 200m races. But, Saturday's 100m start list did not have the Assamese runner's name in it.

National record holder Dutee qualified for 100m final, winning heat number one in a time of 11.51. She did not enter her name in 200m.

"There is no issue with Hima Das. She did not run in 100m heats today because she wanted to concentrate on World Championships qualification in 200m. She will run in 200m," Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair told PTI.

Hima has a personal best time of 22.88 seconds in 200m which she ran in 2021 while the qualification time for World Championships in Eugene, USA, is 22.80 seconds. She will have to break Saraswati Saha's 22.82 second national record if she has to qualify for the World Championships.

Nair also said that officials from the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) have arrived here from New Delhi to collect dope samples from the athletes. In the 10000m race final, Kumar, a bronze medallist at the Asian Junior Championships in 2018, established himself as one of India's brightest long distance runners with a maiden Federation Cup 10000m gold medal by clocking 29:20.21s.

The Services runner produced the fastest time by an Indian in AFI competitions since Murli Kumar Gavit's 28:38.34 in the 2019 Asian Championships in Doha.

The 22-year-old positioned himself in the lead bunch through the race, pulling away with four laps to go and building a sufficient lead to hold back a late sprint by Sawan Barwal (Himachal Pradesh).

In the women's 10000m, Sanjivani Jadhav pulled away from Seema (Himachal Pradesh) after 10 laps to get a personal best time of 33:13.07.

The 25-year-old finished 1 minute 3 seconds off the 32:10.18 set by the AFI as the Asian Games qualifying mark.

Rosy Meena of Tamil Nadu became only the fifth Indian woman pole vaulter to clear 4.00m to win gold from her team-mate Baranica Elangovan by 10cm. Haryana’s Pooja cleared 3.80m to take the bronze.

Aishwarya's 400m heat time on Saturday earned her place among the top 10 Indian women quartermilers in the past decade and is the second fastest this year behind the 52.37 that Priya Mohan clocked in the Indian Grand Prix 1 in Thiruvananthapuram last month.

The experienced MR Poovamma held her own as she won her heat race with a measure of comfort, clocking 53.83 seconds.

Amoj Jacob (Delhi), Muhammed Ajmal (Kerala) and two Tamil Nadu athletes Rajesh Ramesh and T Santhosh Kumar produced sub-47-second times, while Noah Nirmal Tom (Kerala) came home in 47.00 in the 400m semifinals to raise expectations of a keen contest for the men’s quarter-mile medals.

The seasoned Arokia Rajiv missed out on a place in the final.

Sreeshankar (Kerala) laid down the gauntlet in the men's long jump qualifying round with a leap of 8.09m. Jeswin Aldrin, jumping with a 2.4mps wind assisting him, hit sand at 7.94m to raise expectations of a thrilling final on Sunday afternoon.

The morning session was marked by Tamil Nadu's A Vignesh and G Kathiravan leaving the established sprinter Gurindervir Singh in third place in the 100m heats.

Gurindervir did not start the semifinals where another Tamil Nadu sprinter B Siva Kumar emerged the fastest of the qualifiers with a time of 10.47 seconds.

Stalin Joes (Tamil Nadu) rode on his sprinting skills to hold a slender four-point lead over Boota Singh (Haryana) at the end of five events in Decathlon.

With a 11.24 second 100m dash, a 6.95m long jump and a 51.96 second 400m run, he was able to paper over a 10.31m shot put effort that set him back considerably. He also had a 1.77m effort in high jump.

More than 500 athletes, including 158 women, are vying for top honours in the five-day event, the season's first major domestic championships with the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Asian Games lining up later in the season.

The AFI has laid down qualifying standards for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in Hangzhou.

The Results (finals): Men: 10000m: 1. Kartik Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) 29:20.21; 2. Sawan Barwal (Himachal Pradesh) 29:21.29; 3. Gulveer Singh (Uttar Pradesh) 29:22.44.

Women: 10000m: 1. Sanjivani Babur Jadhav (Maharashtra) 33:13.07; 2. Seema (Himachal Pradesh) 34:31.44; 3. Kavita Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 34:56.42.

Pole Vault: 1. Rosy Meena Paulraj (Tamil Nadu) 4.00m; 2. Baranica Elangovan (Tamil Nadu) 3.90; 3. Pooja (Haryana) 3.80.

Also Read : Federation Cup: Kamalpreet, Anas miss out as Hima, Dutee are star attractions

News Source : PTI

2022-04-02 23:26

BAI announces selection trials for CWG, Asian Games, Thomas & Uber Cup

New Delhi, Apr 2 (Badminton News) The Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Saturday decided to conduct selection trials at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here from April 15 to 20 to pick teams for the upcoming major events such as Thomas and Uber Cup, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

The national governing body will also be "finalising probables for the senior core group for the 2024 Olympic Games" during the trials.

While the players inside the top 15 in the BWF rankings will be picked directly, the rest of the members will be chosen from the trials which will see the participation of shuttlers ranked between 16 to 50 in the latest world rankings, released on March 29.

It meant double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu (World No. 7), world championships silver and bronze medallists Kidambi Srikanth (World No. 12) and Lakshya Sen (World No. 9) and men's pairing of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (World No. 7) are the only ones assured of a place in the teams for the big-ticket events.

Among others, London Games bronze medallist Saina Nehwal, currently ranked 23rd, and Tokyo Olympian B Sai Praneeth, who is ranked 19th, will have to go through the trials.

The Commonwealth Games squad will consist of 10 members with equal number of men and women, while the Asian Games and Thomas and Uber Cup teams will have 20 members each, including 10 men and 10 women.

Thomas Cup and Uber Cup are scheduled in Bangkok from May 8 to 15, while Commonwealth Games and Asian Games are slated in Birmingham and Hangzhou, China, from July 28 and September 10 respectively.

According to the BAI release, "Players, who are ranked in the Top-16 in singles and Top-8 in doubles in national rankings, based on the domestic performances in the senior ranking tournaments played in Chennai and Hyderabad, and the core group players selected by the BAI selection committee/SAI in 2019 will also be included for the selection trials." The national body, however, said that "players who have notable performances at the international circuit in the last three months will be selected directly alongside those ranked in the Top-15 in the world.

"...while the vacant spots will be filled based on performances of the selection trials as they will be eligible for BAI/SAI assistance for training and competition." Former World No. 10 player H S Prannoy has been impressive in the last few months as he reached the final at the 2022 Swiss Open Super 300 tournament, besides a series of quarterfinal finishes to reach the 23rd spot in the latest chart.

Women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also had reached the semifinals of the All England Championships last month, while Kiran George, Unnati Hooda had claimed the Odisha Open Super 100 titles in January.

BAI will also conduct trials for the junior players. The players for the selection trials will be chosen based on the performances of the upcoming U-19 ranking tournament to be held in Bangalore.

The dates of the selection trials will clash with the Korean Masters, scheduled from April 12-17.

However, BAI has said that it will "withdraw entries of its players from the Super 300 tournament and settle the withdrawal fine amount so that shuttlers can participate in the trials."

Also Read : Top seed Sai Praneeth knocked out, Mithun and Anupama in quarterfinals

News Source : PTI

2022-04-02 22:49

Thailand Open: Men and women boxers handed contrasting draws, Minakshi to begin Indian challenge

New Delhi, Apr 2 (Boxing News) Indian women boxers were handed relatively tough draws compared to their male counterparts at the Thailand Open International boxing tournament, beginning in Phuket on Sunday with Minakshi (51kg) kick-starting the country's challenge on the opening day.

While Minakshi will face Jutamas Jitpong of Thailand in her first bout, Monika (48kg) will face two-time world championships medallist Josie Gabuco of Philippines in the opening round.

2019 Asian Championships bronze medallist Manisha (57kg), who recently qualified for both the upcoming World Championships and Asian Games, will be up against two-time youth Asian champion Porntip Buapa of Thailand.

Renu (54kg), on the other hand, will take on U-22 European champion Italy's Sirine Charaabi.

The Boxing Federation of India has fielded a 15-member strong squad in the tournament, which will be played till April 10.

It will also be the first tournament for the 2019 World Championships silver medallist Amit Panghal (52kg) and Ashish Kumar (81kg), who won the gold medal in the last edition in the 75kg, since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Panghal and Ashish will open their campaigns against opponents from Thailand -- Thanakon Aonyaem and Aphisit Khankhokkhruea respectively -- in the quarterfinals of the men's competition.

The reigning national champions Rohit Mor (57kg) and Sumit (75kg) will also have easy starts to their challenge in the last-eight stage.

While the Indian contingent consists of eight men and seven women, Govind Sahani (48kg), Ananta Chopade (54kg), Varinder Singh (60kg) and Pooja (69kg) are the four pugilists who will begin their campaign in the semifinals.

With participation of 130 boxers, including 74 male and 56 females, the tournament will witness high-voltage competition in presence of top boxers from Asia, Europe, Oceania and Africa.

In the last edition of the Thailand Open, held in 2019, the Indian contingent signed off with eight medals -- one gold, four silver and three bronze.

Gold medal winners will earn USD 2000, while silver and bronze medallists will fetch USD 1000 and USD 500 respectively. The tournament will also see additional prize money for the best boxer of the tournament and the best team of the competition.

Indian Squad: Men: Govind Sahani (48kg), Amit Panghal (52kg), Ananta Chopade (54kg), Rohit Mor (57kg), Varinder Singh (60kg), Sumit (75kg), Ashish kumar (81kg) and Gaurav Chauhan (91kg) Women: Monika (48kg), Minakshi (51kg), Renu (54kg), Manisha (57kg), Monika (63kg), Pooja (69kg) and Bhagyabati kachari (75kg).

Also Read : Paris Olympics: Boxing events for male reduced, changes also in weightlifting and shooting

News Source : PTI

2022-04-02 09:45

Federation Cup: Kamalpreet, Anas miss out as Hima, Dutee are star attractions

Kozhikode, Apr 1 (Sports News) Ace long jumper M Sreeshankar, shot putter Tajinder Pal Singh Toor along with sprinters Hima Das and Dutee Chand will seek to grab the spotlight in the Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships which begins here on Saturday.

As expected, Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will not take part in the championships as he seeks to train abroad and prepare for top events like the Diamond League Meetings in search for a medal in the World Championships in Eugene, USA, in July.

More than 500 athletes, including 158 women, will vie for top honours in the five-day event, the season's first major domestic championships with the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Asian Games lining up later in the season.

Discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur, who finished sixth in the Tokyo Olympics last year, has also decided to skip the championships as the knee problem she had even during the Tokyo Olympics has "aggravated" while winning gold at the Indian Grand Prix II in Thiruvananthapuram on March 23.

"The knee injury which I had during the Tokyo Olympics has not healed completely. I think it aggravated when I took part and won gold in Indian GP II. So I am not taking part in the Federation Cup," Kaur told PTI from her training base at NIS Patiala.

"Let us see when I can return. I should be fine soon and I am sure I will take part in the National Inter-State Championships in June." Men's 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable, who recently broke his own national record, will not be taking part in his pet event, but will be running in the 5000m race. He has already qualified for the World Championships 3000m steeplechase.

National record holders Toor and Sreeshankar will be hoping to produce better performances than their efforts in the World Athletics Indoor Championships last month.

Sreeshankar had come up with a decent show, finishing seventh with 7.92m but Toor flopped as all his three attempts were fouls to record a 'No Mark' against himself.

National record holder in men's 400m, Muhammed Anas Yahiya is not taking part in the event as he is yet to fully recover from an injury he sustained last year.

In good news, national record holder and 2018 Asian Games 1500m gold medallist Jinson Johnson will return to action after a long injury and COVID-related lay-off.

The National Open Throws Meet in Patiala, the National Open Jumps meet as well as two Indian Grands Prix in Thiruvananthapuram have served as ideal beginning to the season but the Federation Cup will give the athletes and their coaches the opportunity to assess their form and work towards peaking in this year's three international meets, including the World Championships.

The AFI has laid down qualifying standards for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in Hangzhou. And some of those who have not already attained them will be straining their every sinew to achieve these standards. This will make the Federation Cup an interesting meet to track.

Rising sprinter Amlan Borgohain will seek to establish his credentials in the men's 200m while veteran Arpinder Singh has also entered in the fray in men's triple jump.

The women's 100m race will be one of the events to look out for with national record holder Dutee up aginst Hima Das.

But surprisingly, Tamil Nadu's S Dhanalakshmi, who has beaten Dutee in 100m and Hima in 200m recently, is missing. Dutee has also entered her name only in 100m dash while Hima will compete in both 100m and 200m.

Up and coming Priya Mohan has also decided to compete only in 200m and not in 400m in which she had won gold in both the Indian GP I and II last month.

Harmilans Bains, who set a national record in women's 1500m race during the National Open Championships last year, is also missing.

Rising long jumper Shaili Singh, who won a silver in the U-20 World Championships last year, is also skipping the event as she is yet to hit top form after COVID-19 infection in January.

There are three gold medals on offer on the opening day on Saturday. Besides the 10000m events for both men and women in the morning, the women’s pole vault will be contested in the afternoon.

The men's 25-lapper event could see an intense contest. Kartik Kumar, Abhishek Pal, Dharmender, Murli Kumar Gavit and Narendra Pratap Singh will look to top the 26-runner field.

Sanjivani Babur Jadhav, who posted a victory in the National Inter-State Championships in Warangal last year, will battle with Kavita Yadav for honours in the women's race.

The women’s pole vault competition promises a keen contest, despite the absence of V Pavithra, who earlier this year became only the fourth Indian woman to clear 4.00m when winning the Inter-University Championships in Bhubaneshwar.

Pooja, who fell short of that mark by 5cm, P Rosy Meena and Baranica Elangovan can draw attention to the Pole Vault pit.

There will be much interest in the men and women's 100m, 1500m heats as well as men's long jump qualifying round where Sreeshankhar and Muhammed Anees Yahiya can be expected to be joined by Jeswin Aldrin in leading the list of those making it to the final.

Also Read : SAI's Shilaroo centre to host long training camp for junior athletes

News Source : PTI

2022-03-29 09:02

Bajrang's leg defence is not weak, it's just his style of play: His coach Sujeet Maan

New Delhi, Mar 28 (Wrestling News) Contrary to the popular opinion that Bajrang Punia's leg defence is a major shortcoming in his game, Sujeet Maan, the new personal coach of the star grappler says the wrestler looks vulnerable only because of his attacking style and all he needs to do is to convert the moves into points.

Bajrang's leg defence has been a major talking point in the last three years, especially in run up to the Tokyo Games, where he won a bronze medal.

Bajrang's struggle against Japanese nemesis Takuto Otoguro only accentuated the issue.

His coach Shako Bentinidis also worked on the same but Bajrang, 28, never made the desired progress, something which irked the national federation and eventually the Georgian was removed from his support staff.

However, Maan, who started working with Bajrang from January this year, says Bajrang's leg defence is not as weak as it is thought of.

"A lot of people opine that his leg defence is weak but that's not the case. It's a style. In cricket, the aggressive batters go for their shots and in the process they run the risk of losing their wicket. In Bajrang's case when he plays attacking game, he appears vulnerable in his leg defence," Maan told PTI in an interview.

"It's not that we are not working on his leg defence. We are trying that even if the rivals get hold of his legs, he wriggles out of it with solid defence." One of the main reasons for his leg-defence struggle has been linked with his training and competition on the soil (dangal) in his formative years. The wrestlers usually adopt a high stance during 'dangals' but when it comes to competition on the mat, the strategy does not work.

Many traditional wrestling stars like Jassa Patti, one of the famous and most successful dangal wrestlers in the country could not succeed on mat, struggling to win bouts even in National championships. Maan agrees that the training and competition style in early years could be a reason for whatever issues he has in his leg defence.

"On the mat you need to compete more on low and middle stance while in the Dangal, the wrestler maintains high stance. Habits are difficult to change, especially when it becomes muscle memory." Maan said he has been a part of the national camp and has observed Bajrang's game whenever he was there. He and Bajrang, recently, watched the wrestler's bouts from the 2019 World Championship, 2018 Asian Games, the 2021 Asian Championship videos and he is sure that going forward, adding more aggression to his style should help him.

"He needs to be aggressive and attack more. Attack is the best defence. The change he needs to make is he should attack but must not end up losing points or fail to score despite taking the risk.

"If he is managing to grab legs of his opponent, he must convert that move into points, that's what we are working on," Maan who won four Asian Championship medals, including a silver in 2004, said.

Talk about the 2024 Paris Olympics and Maan quickly points that they "don't have much time on our hands to prepare." But why? "Asian Championships is approaching and then there is one Ranking Series event. In August we have CWG which will be followed by the Asian Games, so there is not much time that we have. We have short-term targets before the Paris Games.

"This year our main target is Asian Games and if we succeed it would mean that we are at peak." Has anything changed in Bajrang's training style since Bentinidis left? "I have devised a plan for him. When Bajrang is not competing, he is focussing on heavy training, including weights, long duration runs, power training and endurance training. When competition is near we are focussing on speed and bouts." The Asian Championship, starting April 19 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, will be Bajrang's first tournament after the Tokyo Games.

Also Read : Physios were arranged at national camp to help Bajrang: WFI

News Source : PTI

2022-03-28 18:54

No Deepika in Asian Games squad for first time since 2010

Sonipat, Mar 28 (Archery News) World number two Deepika Kumari has failed to make the Indian squad for the upcoming Asian Games, suffering one of the biggest setbacks in her illustrious career.

Deepika lost two of her three round robin matches in the final leg to miss the Asian Games berth at the SAI centre here on Sunday.

Deepika had finished a lowly fifth in the two-phase eliminations on Saturday to determine the top-eight, as she had to fight in the round robin matches.

The Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou from September 10-25.

This is for the first time since winning a gold medal at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010, Deepika will be out of a multi-discipline showpiece event.

The 27-year-old has represented India at the Asian Games in 2010, 2014 and 2018, winning a team bronze in Guangzhou 12 years ago.

In her senior career since 2009, Deepika's trophy cabinet is full of World medals, but an Olympic podium finish has eluded the most decorated Indian archer.

Deepika has won 11 gold medals, 12 silver and seven bronze at the World Cup.

She is also a record four-time 'World Cup Final' runner-up and a bronze medalist. Deepika has also won two silver medals at the World Championships.

Tokyo Olympics last year was her best chance yet, when she went with the world No 1 tag for the second time (since London 2012) after winning five World Cup medals in the build-up.

But Korean rivals became her nemesis once again, as she capped quarterfinal exits in both mixed and individual events.

In the round robin phase, Deepika finished with one point to fall behind, as Ankita Bhakat (3.25) and Simranjeet Kaur (2) joined Haryana teenagar and reigning national champion Ridhi Phor.

The 17-year-old had already confirmed her berth along with veteran Services archer Tarundeep Rai by topping their respective elimination rounds.

The same team will also represent India in the first three phases of the World Cup beginning with the Stage 1 in Antalya in mid-April.

Not the end of the road for first archery couple ============================ The first archery couple to represent in an Olympics in Tokyo last year, Deepika and Atanu Das can still fancy their chances to make a comeback, should the current squad underperforms in the three World Cup legs.

"We will monitor their performances in the World Cups and should an archer falls way behind (in qualification scores) then we will have a final trial in July for the ones who missed out," a top Indian archery official told PTI.

The pair was going through a rough patch since the Tokyo debacle and also missed the cut for last year's World Championships, the trial for which was conducted immediately after the Olympics.

At the recently-concluded senior Nationals, Das had to settle for a silver losing to Sachin Gupta, while Deepika finished with a bronze.

"It's not that they are faring poorly but the upcoming archers are doing better. They are facing some mental issues and I hope they will overcome it sooner than later keeping the Paris Olympics in mind next year," he added.

Talukdar makes Asian Games comeback after 12 years ================================= The men's lineup for the Hangzhou Asiad sprung some surprise as 36-year-old Jayanta Talukdar made a comeback to the Indian squad for the first time since 2019.

The 2006 World Cup champion, who made his Asian Games debut in the same year, grabbed his berth by qualifying alongside 22-year-old reigning national champion Sachin Gupta.

The men's recurve team will thus have two Asian Games warhorses in Rai and Talukdar, who both won a team bronze at the Guangzhou edition 12 years ago.

Rai, who was the first to qualify topping the elimination round, has also won a historic individual silver in Guangzhou 2010.

The compound lineup will be announced on Wednesday.

Preliminary India squad for three World Cups and Asiad ================================== Men's recurve: Tarundeep Rai, Jayanta Talukdar, Neerja Chauhan and Sachin Gupta.

Women's recurve: Ridhi Phor, Komalika Bari, Ankita Bhakat and Simranjeet Kaur.

Also Read : Asia Cup Archery: India bag two gold, six silver, finish 2nd behind Bangladesh

News Source : PTI

2022-03-28 11:49

Verstappen outfoxed Leclerc to clinch the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

(Motorsport) The 2022 Formula 1 season has certainly lived up to the hype as cars are more competitive than ever and Ferrari are finally in the mix for a World Championship after over a decade of disappointing results. Sergio Perez may have finished P1 in the qualifying but lost his lead due to an unfortunately timed safety car. However, Red Bull will be happy with their performance this weekend, especially after the disastrous result at the Bahrain Grand Prix last week and couldn’t have hoped for a better start as Perez maintained his pole position while Verstappen overtook Sainz in the first lap.

Meanwhile, seven time World Champion Lewis Hamilton started the race in 15th place after an extremely disappointing qualifying session. Mercedes’ woes continue in the season so far and will need to improve drastically if they hope to come anywhere near the top at the end of the season. In the race, Hamilton managed to do some damage control, progressing from 16th to sixth, but after three back-to-back retirements for Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas, the British racing driver attempted to pit under the Virtual Safety Car. However, he was unable to do so and was forced to pit later, resulting in Hamilton being relegated to 12th place before managing to finish 10th at the end.

With just four laps to go, Verstappen overtook Leclerc in Turn 1 and the reigning champion was elated with the result. Speaking after the race, the Dutch racing driver said “I'm really happy that we've finally kick-started the season." Meanwhile, Leclerc said “Well done to Max, that was nice. It's hard racing but fair. Every race should be like this." The Italian manufacturers may be disappointed not to finish first in Saudi, but both their cars were on the podium at the end of the match and the result will go a long way in the Constructors and Drivers Standings at the end of the season.

Lando Norris managed to score McLaren’s first points of the season while Kevin Magnussen also had an impressive performance and managed to score points for Haas yet again. The stewards investigated the final two laps after the race as many drivers had failed to sufficiently slow down under double-waved yellows after Albon’s crash but only a three place grid penalty was given to the Williams driver due to his collision with Lance Stroll.

Top 10 grid places at the Saudi Arabia GP

1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
3) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
4) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
5) George Russell, Mercedes
6) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
7) Lando Norris, McLaren
8) Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
9) Kevin Magnussen, Haas
10) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Also read: Lewis Hamilton aims to fight for diversity in Formula 1

2022-03-27 20:39

Swiss Open: Sindhu clinches women's singles title, Prannoy finishes runner-up in men's singles

Basel, Mar 27 (Badminton News) Ace Indian shuttler P V Sindhu clinched her second women's singles title of the season with a straight game win over Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan but HS Prannoy went down fighting in the men's singles final at the Swiss Open Super 300 badminton tournament here on Sunday.

Playing her second successive final in the tournament, Sindhu, a double Olympic medallist, took 49 minutes to get the better of the fourth seeded Busanan 21-16 21-8 at the St. Jakobshalle here.

However, Prannoy suffered a 12-21 18-21 defeat against Asian Games gold medallist and fourth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in a 48-minute summit clash to finish runner-up.

For Sindhu, it was a moment of glory as she finally lifted the trophy after losing to Rio Olympics gold medallist Carolina Marin of Spain in the final of last edition. The 26-year-old from Hyderabad has happy memories of this venue as she had also claimed the World Championships gold in 2019.

On Sunday, Sindhu registered her 16th win over Busanan in 17 meetings, having lost to the Thai only once -- at the 2019 Hong Kong Open, to claim the Super 300 crown, the second lowest tier of BWF Tour events.

Sindhu had won the Syed Modi International Super 300 in Lucknow in January this year.

Sindhu rode on her attack to open up a 3-0 lead but Busanan started to stay in the rallies and produced some good quality shots to make it 7-7.

Busanan tried to keep Sindhu away from the net initially, making her move across the court but the Thai was erratic in her finishing, allowing the Indian to go into the break with a narrow two-point lead.

Busanan used her deceptions and drop shots to dictate the rallies but Sindhu relied on her retrieval skills to stay ahead.

A precise return at the backline gave Sindhu four game points and she sealed the first game when Busanan went wide.

Busanan struggled with her length after the change of sides to concede a 0-5 lead early on in the second game. Sindhu looked more aggressive as she troubled the Thai with her acute angle shots to dictate terms.

In full flow, the Indian soon cruised to a decisive nine-point advantage at the interval. She kept a firm grip on the match to gallop to 18-4, riding on her alert front court play and precise returns.

Busanan continued to hit wide and long to eventually hand over 16 match points to the Indian, who pocketed the game and the match comfortably.

Prannoy, a former world number 8, finished a creditable second best after making his first final in the last five years.

The 29-year-old from Thiruvananthapuram has been grappling with multiple health issues after being diagnosed with a gastroesophageal reflux disease in 2018 and COVID-19 infection in 2019.

On Sunday, Prannoy couldn't match the accuracy and power of Jonatan, who looked in complete control of the final.

The Indian looked competitive in the early part of the opening game as he quickly erased the early 1-4 deficit and moved to 5-5 but Jonatan pulled away from 8-8 to take a three-point cushion at the breather.

Prannoy was erratic while Jonatan looked rock solid in his defence as the Indonesian created a huge gap with a seven-point burst to grab seven game points. The Indian saved two before conceding the opening game.

The second game was a close affair as the duo moved together till 7-7 before Jonatan again opened up a 11-7 lead at the interval.

Prannoy was not able to sustain the pressure in the rallies, while Jonatan was composed and was rewarded more often for his cross court smashes and fine front-court play.

The Indian did well to claw his way back to 13-13 but a reversal slice helped Jonatan break the run of points.

The momentum shifted again as Jonatan led 19-14 with Prannoy committing a slew of errors. Another winner gave the Indonesian five championship point. Prannoy saved three before hitting the net.

Also Read : P V Sindhu, HS Prannoy enter Swiss Open final; Srikanth loses

News Source : PTI

2022-03-27 10:57

P V Sindhu, HS Prannoy enter Swiss Open final; Srikanth loses

Basel, Mar 26 (Badminton News) Double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and HS Prannoy dished out scintillating performances to make their way to the women's and men's singles finals respectively at the Swiss Open Super 300 badminton tournament here on Saturday.

World No. 7 Sindhu prevailed 21-18 15-21 21-19 over Thailand's Supanida Katethong in a 79-minute women's singles semifinal to make her second successive final after Prannoy eked out a hard-fought 21-19 19-21 21-18 win over Indonesia's world number 5 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting for his first summit clash in five years.

Sindhu, seeded second, will face another Thai player and fourth seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the summit clash, while Prannoy, who had last won the US Open in 2017, will take on Indonesia's Jonatan Christie in the men's singles final, on Sunday.

Kidambi Srikanth, the World Championships silver medallist, squandered an opening game advantage to go down 21-18 7-21 13-21 to Asian Games champion Christie of Indonesia in the other semifinals.

In the final, Prannoy will fancy his chances as he has beaten Christie thrice while losing four times in the last seven meetings. On the other hand, Sindhu will start as favourite against Busanan, whom she has defeated an overwhelming 15 times in 16 meetings so far.

Sindhu and world number 29 Supanida had shared the spoils in the two meetings this year and the Indian showed great nerves against the fighting Thai to come out unscathed in the semifinals.

In the opening game, Sindhu, who had won the Syed Modi International in January, used the court well, producing her smashes and follow up shots to gather points. Supanida tried to stay in the rallies but she couldn't finish them.

At the first break, Sindhu had a three-point advantage and she swelled it to 15-7 with a run of four points. The left-handed Thai tried to attack and dominate the rallies to narrow the deficit to 13-18.

However, she was not consistent enough as Sindhu grabbed five game points when the Thai went long.

The Indian found the net next, while Supanida grabbed two more points before smashing one at the nets to allow the Indian take the opening game.

Supanida continued her momentum after the change of sides, running up a 16-7 lead with Sindhu struggling against the deceptions of the Thai player, who eventually roared back into the contest when Sindhu went to the nets.

The Hyderabadi shuttler came back strongly in the decider, gaining a 4-1 lead but Supanida once again clawed her way to draw parity at 7-7 with a smash.

Both the shuttlers tried to take control of the front court with Sindhu managing to take a one-point lead in the final interval.

Sindhu stepped up the pace in the rallies to move to 16-13 but Supanida reeled off five straight points to surpass the Indian. It was soon 18-18 with Supanida going wide.

A lucky net chord helped Sindhu move to 19-19 as she held the match point with a smash and she sealed it with another powerful smash.

Earlier, former world number 8 Prannoy, who has been battling health issues after being diagnosed with a gastroesophageal reflux disease in 2018 and COVID-19 in 2019, showed great resilience against Ginting.

Prannoy, currently ranked 26th, grabbed the initiative early and held a 6-3 lead which was quickly erased by Ginting to move to a 12-19 advantage at one stage.

A five-point burst gave Prannoy a slender two-point lead and he maintained it till 18-16 before a net error and a service fault helped his rival to level par.

Ginting, however, went to net twice himself to hand over Prannoy a game point and the Indian sealed it with a precise return on his rival's front court.

After a tight battle in the second game, it was Ginting who grabbed a three-point lead at the interval following a couple of errors from the Indian at the net and front court.

The Indian fought his way back to 18-19 but a judgement error at the backline gave one game point to Ginting, who squandered one with a net error before Prannoy smashed out to allow his rival to make a comeback.

In the decider, Prannoy took a 8-5 lead and increased it to 14-8 but he stumbled to a series of errors to allow Ginting make it 15-19. The Indian eventually unleashed a smash to grab four match points. He squandered two before entering the finals with another precise return. "Yessssss ! Finals of the Swiss Open ! Quite a tough one against Ginting tonight! Happy to get that win today. One more to go, Let's get it," Prannoy tweeted after the match.

Also Read : P V Sindhu, H S Prannoy enter Swiss Open semifinals

News Source : PTI

2022-03-26 15:10

With better infrastructure, India will win more Olympic medals in hockey: Kapil Dev

Mumbai, Mar 26 (Hockey News) The legendary Kapil Dev feels cricket reached "new heights" in India due to an upgrade in infrastructure and providing better facilities will help sports like hockey win more medals at the Olympics.

"We as a country need to give the infrastructure first. If we have it, the kids will be free to chose any sport they want," Kapil said.

"Cricket has reached new heights as a result of enhanced facilities. However, if we do the same thing in other sports, such as having 200 extra astro turfs, India will win more Olympic medals in hockey than any other country," he added.

The World Cup-winning captain was speaking at an ABP Network session titled, 'We Are The Champions: Patience, Perseverance, Practice', alongside former India long-jumper Anju Bobby George, ex hockey captain Zafar Iqbal and 18-time Grand Slam champion Leander Paes.

Speaking on the change in the mentality of promoting sports he said, "The most important thing I'll say is that what I have seen in the last 40 years is that today the parents bring their kids on the ground and say 'make them a player'." "In our time, no parents got time to bring their kids to the ground. Today, they come to us and ask whether they can play IPL or if they can play for India?" On the lack of scientific support for athletics, Anju said, "If the parent is not ready to send their kids how we can support them. So, it should come from the parents first, and then scientifically we have to look at that kid.

"First, there is a coach's eye, so we can see and we can tell if he is talented or not. Then we have to scientifically test them and then we need to identify in which event they are good enough." The 2003 world championship medallist is expecting more medals from female athletes in the upcoming Olympics.

"My academy, Anju Bobby Sports, is nurturing 16 kids, including Shaili Singh, who is currently ranked second in the world at the junior level.

"So, in 2024 or 2028, I'm expecting one of my students to have a podium finish. I'm still chasing my dream. Our female athletes, I feel, are excellent fighters, and we can expect more athletic medals from them." Olympic medallist Paes, said, "I think most people assume winning Olympic medals is about physical fitness. I think most people believe that winning world cups is about technique.

"The majority of people, I suppose, believe that winning World Cups is all about technique. But it's the difference between your two temples that determines whether you win or lose." "Champions have a natural ability to think on their feet. My win-loss record shows that I've lost 74.1 percent of the matches I've ever played." Iqbal, a member of the Olympic gold-winning Indian hockey team, said that after not performing well for thee-four decades the current side has marked the resurgence of India in the sport.

"I would say that we have done tremendously good in hockey particularly if you consider 75 at the beginning of 1948 London Olympics games.

"So, naturally, hockey was on the top in the world also. But as far as hockey is concerned there is no doubt about it that in the last thirty years we could not do much.

"But this team is the best team in the last 30-40 years and it has shown to the world that yes India is coming back in particular in hockey. There is a general increase in the participation in the sports by the people."

Also Read : India to host NZ, Spain in opening ties of FIH Hockey Pro League 2022-23

News Source : PTI

2022-03-25 09:57

Bajrang manages to prevail against fighting Rohit, secures 65kg spot in team for Asian Championship

New Delhi, Mar 24 (Wrestling News) Taking the mat for the first time since winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia was far from his dominant best as he just about managed to prevail 4-2 against a fighting Rohit to secure his place in the Indian team for the Asian Championships.

The national federation put Bajrang, Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya and Deepak Punia directly in the finals, a move which did not amuse other competing wrestlers and their coaches.

Eventually all three made the Indian team for the Championships, starting April 19 in Mongolia, with Ravi (57kg) getting a walkover from hard-working Aman, who like Ravi trains at Chhatrasal stadium.

Aman chose not to compete after developing stiff back following four tough bouts and Deepak (86kg) beat Vinod 6-0 in an ill-tempered final, which ended when the latter was given a third caution.

Bajrang, who had planned to compete in a couple of Ranking Series event to start his season but could not do so due to a left-knee issue, was not sharp and perhaps surprised by the aggression of his opponent.

Rohit effected take-down to go up 2-0 and also kept Bajrang static with his body lock. Just before the end of first period Bajrang found a way to fell his rival to log four points.

That two-point lead stayed with Bajrang though towards the end twice Rohit made superb leg attack moves but could not convert those into points. Bajrang used all his defensive skills to not lose any more point.

"This was my first bout after Olympics. It takes time to get that sharpness when you go to mat after so many months. After my injury I did my rehab on my own, I did not have a personal physio with me, otherwise I could have recovered early," Bajrang said.

"Overall I am happy with my performance considering that I competed after eight months. I felt good." The 28-year-old had injured his left knee during the National camp at Sonepat, late in January. He had trained in Iran before returning to country.

Meanwhile, intense competition was witnessed in 74kg category in which Yash Tushir emerged winner to be on the Indian team.

In a sea-saw battle, Yash, the junior world championship bronze medal winner, moved to 8-4 lead before pinning Pritam, the reigning national champion.

In all his bouts, Yash conceded early points but only to make strong comebacks.

His four-point throw against Sajan Jaglan was the move of the day.

Mangal (61kg), Naveen (70kg), Gourav Baliyan (79kg), Satywart Kadiyan (97kg) also booked their spots in the national free style team.

Also Read : Olympic silver medallist Dahiya, Punia and six other wrestlers to attend special camp in Bulgaria

News Source : PTI

2022-03-23 10:52

All England has given me self-belief to beat big players: Lakshya Sen

New Delhi, Mar 22 (Badminton News) Making the All England Championships final has given him the self-belief to beat top players but Indian shutter Lakshya Sen on Tuesday said he will need to maintain his fitness going into the upcoming big-ticket events.

The 20-year-old from Uttarakhand has been sensational en route to the men's singles final at Birmingham, and he attributed his transformation to the experience of playing in Indonesia and the World Championships last year.

He also said the hard work he put in to improve his fitness during the COVID-19 pandemic, helped.

"I had a lot of time in pandemic where I could improve my fitness to next level. As a junior player I would go on attack and play smashes all the time but, in big venues, you have to play a patient game and build on those winners and then go for attack," he said.

"I played a lot of tournaments after the pandemic, especially in Indonesia and World championships and it gave me the self-belief and realisation that I can't go for attack all the time and have to play a patient game and the transformation happened there.

"Those matches against Viktor (Axelsen), Kento Momota and Kenta Tsukamoto also gave me the confidence to play. A lot has changed since I played Viktor in 2020. There is a difference in my approach and now I have the self-belief to go out there and beat the big players." Sen achieved a career-best ranking of world number 9 and he said it will help him to qualify for big events and also get a good draw in world tour events.

"I have to keep the ranking in mind because it will help me to qualify for big events like the Olympics and I also have to keep myself fit going into big events.

"This world number 9 ranking will also help me with the draw and I will not have to play any top player till quarters, so I am focussed on winning tournaments." Sen said he is enjoying all the attention that he has been getting and remains confident that his strong team will be there to guide him as opponents will now scrutinise his game.

"Yes, definitely. Last six months when people are talking about me and at the same time when you are playing in the circuit, players look out for you and they will read my game and I think I am happy that all these things are happening.

"There has been a lot of changes, I have a strong team around me and lot of people I can talk to and people to guide me. I am always learning." Sen said at international level one "needs to have an overall game and depending on conditions have to adept".

"One has to have everything in your tool bag to use it when required. It depends on players and court conditions." Lakshya said the semifinal win over defending champion Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia at All England, where he attacked in the last few points, is the most memorable match of his career.

"The All England semifinal is the most memorable match that I pulled out with crowd supporting both of us and I would say in Indonesia, I played Momota and Viktor 2-2 time each, I was losing very closely and it was frustrating but it was big learning," he said.

"When you are few points behind, you need to try different thing at those moment. Against Lee Zii Jia, I changed my pace and played attacking. My strategy is to go on the offence for one or two points, not give that upper hand to opponents." Talking about the All England final, Sen said: "The atmosphere and everything made me nervous before the match and starting from the toss, where he chose the perfect end and could take control from the beginning that was an important.

"Toss made a big difference. I could have taken more control in the beginning but the lead was too much and so it was hard for me. I played well in second, I got rhythm and if I could have taken it then I could have had a chance." Asked if he could sleep after that loss, Sen said: "There are two different things. When you go on to court and give everything and you lose, you are not really sad about it, then you have to give credit to opponent and move on from those losses." His father and coach DK Sen, who was also present during the interaction, revealed that "Lakshya would cry if he is losing but he would keep playing".

"There would be tears in his eyes but it wouldn't have any effect in his strategy or game. People used to think we were putting pressure on him, so we would ask him why he cries and he said that he couldn't help it. So we realised it was his strength."

Also Read : Lakshya will be scrutinised now, need to work on his variations: Vimal

News Source : PTI

2022-03-22 12:40

MotoGP: Miguel Oliveira wins rain soaked Indonesian Grand Prix

(Motorsports news) MotoGP returned to Indonesia after 25 years and it certainly did not disappoint. KTM's Miguel Oliveira won a delayed and soaking wet 2022 Indonesian MotoGP at Mandalika, responding perfectly to a late charge by world champion Fabio Quartararo, who started on pole but really couldn’t take advantage in the tough conditions. In Moto 2 Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) became the first Thai rider to win a Grand Prix race. Chantra led from the first corner to the chequered flag and eventually beat World Championship leader Celestino Vietti by 3.2 secs and Aaron Conet. In Moto 3, Dennis Foggia put his Qatar disappointment behind and won the Indonesian Moto3 Grand Prix quite comfortably.

Starting seventh, Oliveira had a brilliant start and wasted no time in passing leaders Quartararo and Jack Miller before easing away in the distance. After struggling early on, pole starter Quartararo finally got the much needed grip in the treacherous conditions and went on the attack, climbing back up to second, even threatening to catch Oliveira. However, the Portuguese saw off the danger and kept his victory margin intact as Johann Zarco completed the podium. It was Oliveira's fourth MotoGP victory but his first podium since Assen 2021. There was plenty of drama in the run-up to the planned start as the rain delayed the start and the race distance being shortened from 27 to 20 laps due to problems with the wet track surface, then Marc Marquez was declared unfit due to a head concussion after his massive crash in the final practice before qualifying, subsequently he’s fine and fit to race in the next Grand Prix.

The riders had experienced damp track conditions on Friday practice and Saturday qualifying, but on Sunday the circuit was flooded. The race eventually started with plumes of spray as the 23 remaining riders charged for turn one, with world champion Quartararo taking an early advantage from Oliveira with Miller climbing to third after a brave start. Quartararo then touched the kerb in the final corner and was passed by both Oliveira and Miller at the start of lap 2, the Australian diving past Oliveira soon after to take the lead.

However, he couldn’t sustain the lead as the tide soon turned in favour of Oliveira. Miller eventually had to settle for fourth ahead of Suzuki riders Alex Rins and Joan Mir, with Franco Morbidelli in seventh. Oliveira's Red Bull KTM team-mate Brad Binder put a pass on younger brother Darryn and finished in eighth but his younger brother really excelled in the tough conditions, as he settled for tenth and best rookie in the race. Yamaha team-mate Andrea Dovizioso had to because of a technical problem. Miller's factory Ducati team-mate and Qatar Grand Prix winner Francesco Bagnaia saved himself from a massive crash but ran off track on his way to 15th place.

Oliveria said "Without this good start the race could have been a bit different for me. I really couldn’t see anything behind the riders. With all the spray and the rain on the visor, it was definitely hard to see the lines and be precise. Also to judge the grip level.

He added "I think by the end of the race I could understand more and how much I could push, but to ride 20 laps in a row in the rain or compared to a practice is quite different. You can explore a bit more the braking points in the practice, or going wide, or cool down the tyres. Fortunately, I made a good start and after that I was following Jack [Miller] a little bit and could understand a bit more. Than it was just about building up the gap and controlling the race. If the race had seven laps more I don’t know (if a win was possible) because Fabio [Quartararo] was coming pretty strong."

Also read: Moto GP 2022 season is set to begin at the Losail International track

2022-03-21 18:42

Lakshya will be scrutinised now, need to work on his variations: Vimal

New Delhi, Mar 21 (Badminton News) Lakshya Sen will be scrutinised and studied more after his sensational run at the All England Championship and the young shuttler would need variations in his game from the back of the court to stay ahead, reckons his mentor and former India coach Vimal Kumar.

A product of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) in Bengaluru, Sen has been in incredible form in the last six months.

He claimed a maiden bronze at the World Championships, secured the India Open title in January before finishing second best at both the German Open and All England Championships.

"I am happy with his tactical acumen, there is considerable improvement. He is calm and dealing with tough situations better. I also see a remarkable improvement in his defence, especially after how he has tackled the attack of Viktor (Axelsen) and Anders (Antonsen)," Vimal told PTI.

"He will now be scrutinised and studied and he will have to cope with all that. Overall, he is going in the right direction but he can attack more from back of court and bring in more variations." The 20-year-old from Almora had raised hopes of an Indian winning the All England Championship when he stormed into the finals but his dream run at Birmingham ended after he went down in straight games to world number one and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen on Sunday.

"He is disappointed but he has that spirit. He is very realistic and he knows why he lost. He knows what he needs to improve if he has to beat someone like Axelsen. He understands that he can't feel too bad or be disheartened," said Vimal, who is a head coach at the PPBA in Bengaluru.

Sen was going hammer and tongs in 2019, winning five titles but the COVID-19 pandemic threw spanner in his work. When he returned last year following the break due to second wave of the virus, he was desperate to prove his worth at the international stage.

The Thomas Cup snub where he failed to make it to the Indian team after losing just one match in the trials fuelled his ambition further.

Following the disappointment, he left for a two-week sparring stint with Olympic champion Axelsen.

"It did a world of good to his game. He picked up things from Axelsen and went on his own without a coach to the European circuit and it made him tougher as he managed things on his own," said the 59-year-old, a former two-time national champion.

"One thing about Lakshya is that he is very good in taking instructions and implementing them in the game. We generally give an overall idea but he picks up things and knows what needs to be done." Sen also had European training stint in October where he trained with the Danish national team, played for Danish club Aarhus and trained at the Peter Gade Academy.

Lakshya had also spent a lot of time picking the brains of Danish former world No. 1 Martin Frost in the last two years when he used to visit Bengaluru. All these time spent with the legends helped him to evolve his game.

A hectic season now awaits him with big-ticket events such as Commonwealth Games and Asian Games lined-up this year apart from the regular BWF World Tour events, including the World Championships and World Tour Finals.

"He shouldn't get obsessed about anything, just plan and play well and don't think much too ahead." Vimal believes the freedom to choose how, when and where one wants to train will be important for further growth of Sen.

"I don't believe in the thought that one shouldn't train with other top players as they will know your secrets, because there are no secrets," he said.

"And going forward, I would like him to have all the freedom to go and train wherever he wants, whether it is Indonesia, Thailand or Denmark, because that's what elite sports is all about," he signed off.

Also Read : Lakshya Sen's impressive run ends in agony at All England final

News Source : PTI

2022-03-21 16:05

Jehan Daruvala finished 2nd at F2's first sprint race of the season

(Motorsports news) Jehan Daruvala started strong with a 2nd place finish in the first sprint race of the season but couldn’t capitalise in the feature race where he finished a low 14th. He was a second behind the first race winner Richard Verschoor who led the race from start to finish as Daruvala held off Liam Lawson also to claim a valuable podium.

Starting in fourth position for the sprint race after he qualified in 7th for the feature race, Daruvala managed to move one place up to third position at the end of lap 1. For most of the 23-lap sprint race, it was more of a waiting game for the tyre temperature to kick in, and on lap 16 of 23, Daruala made his instinctive move on Ralph Boschung for second place. But immediately after the overtake, the virtual safety car came out, and when it ended, Boschung reclaimed his second place from Daruvala.

The Indian driver swapped places a lap later in what was an intense battle with the Campos racing man. Unfortunately, the race ended under the virtual safety car period and it cost Daruvala a potential shot at the win as the Indian driver was less than 2 seconds behind the race winner and was lapping much quicker than Richard Verschoor of Trident.

Jehan Daruvala, finished in 14th position in an incident-packed feature race at Bahrain as Theo Pourchaire won the race, followed by Liam Lawson who subsequently leads the World Championship after round one. The downward spiral for Daruvala began right from the word go, as he dropped from seventh all the way to 11th at the end of lap 1. It was down to the fact that the Indian driver was starting on a harder compound of tyres compared to those around him, and was playing the long strategy game which obviously backfired for him.

By the halfway, Daruvala made his mandatory pitstop for soft tyres and was set to use that pace advantage to make his way up the field. Unfortunately any chances of making up time on the soft compound tyres were eliminated before it even materialised when the Indian driver’s front wings was damaged in an intense battle with Roy Nissany. This forced him to pit for a new front wing, dropping him right at the tail end of the field and also ending any chances for a good points haul.

Overall, it was a mixed start to Jehan Daruvala’s 2022 F2 campaign but if the Indian driver needs to win the Championship then a level of consistency is required in his driving. It won’t be too long of a wait before racing action kicks off again at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the second round of the season scheduled to run from March 25-27.

Also read: Who is Kush Maini the new driving sensation in F3

2022-03-19 16:45

NESC2022 to determine Indian contingent for 2022 Asian Games

(Esports news) The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) will be conducting the National Esports Championships 2022 (NESC2022), under the "AESF Road to Asian Games" program, beginning from April 4 to select the Indian esports contingent for the upcoming Asian Games.

With esports included as the medal event for the first time ever at the 2022 Asian Games, to be held in Hangzhou, China from September 10-25, the registrations are now open for the NESC 2022. The last date for the registration will be April 1. Popular games DOTA 2, Hearthstone, FIFA22, Street Fighter V and League of Legends will be part of the national championships as professional esports athletes as well as enthusiasts from across the country can register themselves and it is open for all with no restriction on gender. The tournament will be conducted over a period of 15 to 20 days.

Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the national qualifiers will be held virtually with top athletes from across the country competing and showcasing their skills and strategies. For titles like AOV (Asian Games Version) and PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version), ESFI is waiting for clarity/permissions from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) as both titles are banned in India as well as in many other Asian countries.

Talking about the announcement, Mr Vinod Tiwari, President, Esports Federation of India & Director, Olympic Council of Asia – NOC & International Relations said “Finally the time has come for which the whole Indian esports ecosystem was waiting for. We are extremely thrilled and excited to announce NESC 2022 i.e. the national qualifiers to select the Indian esports contingent for the upcoming Asian Games 2022. It is a matter of pride for our esports athletes to not only showcase their talent and skills but also make the country proud by winning the laurels for the nation.”

“We urge all esports athletes to participate in large numbers and become a part of this historical event where esports is making its debut as a medal event in Asian Games. As esports is now included in Commonwealth Championships, IESF World Championships and expected to be included in Olympics in the near future, we are committed to develop, support and grow the esports ecosystem in India,” added Mr. Lokesh Suji, Director ESFI & VP-Asian Esports Federation.

The winners of NESC ’22 will participate in the AESF’s Road to Asian Games – Regional Qualifiers (June-July, 2022), which are being held for seeding at the main event in China. Irrespective of the outcome of the Regional Qualifiers, all players will compete at the Main event at Asian Games, China.

Mr. Sebastian Lau, Director General, Asian Esports Federation also extended his best wishes for the Indian esports talents: “I would like to share my sincere congratulations to ESFI team on the launch of their Registration Program for the AESF RDAG - National Team Selection Program the NESC 2022 today. This is an incredible beginning and milestone for India’s esports program and I look forward to seeing the best Indian esports talents in our RDAG Regionals and Final in Hangzhou this September. I wish the best of luck to all participants."
In the last Asian Games held in 2018 when Esports was included as a demonstration event, India’s Tirth Mehta clinched the bronze medal in Hearthstone.

The National Esports Championships will be streamed live from the quarterfinals on ESFI’s official YouTube & Twitch channel as well as on the Facebook page. Also, ESFI is in talks with other streaming partners which will be announced once it is finalized.

Link and other details for registration are available on ESFI Discord server: https://discord.gg/esfi

Also read: My goal is to be the best and dominate with my team: Enigma Saggy

2022-03-19 15:24

Ashes continues at International Cricket Inclusion Series

(Cricket news) Three of England’s disability teams will return to the international stage in June when they jointly tour Australia for the International Cricket Inclusion Series. England’s Deaf, Blind and Learning Disability teams will each play five IT20s and three ODI matches against Australia in Brisbane from 1-15 June.

The series marks a long-awaited resumption to international cricket for England’s national disability squads. The England Learning Disability team, which has lost just one match since 2009, last played in 2019 when they defeated Australia 8-0. England also held the Blind Ashes and won on their last trip to Australia in 2016.

It has been 11 years since the England Deaf team toured Australia, when they were winners of an IT20 tri-series against Australia and South Africa. Ian Martin, ECB Head of Disability Cricket, said: “After the hiatus caused by the global pandemic, we very much look forward to seeing international disability cricket back in our calendar. We thank Cricket Australia for organising this opportunity for three of our international squads to contest Ashes cricket in what will be a unique celebration of the inclusive nature of our sport.”

England Learning Disability Team captain, Chris Edwards, said: “As a squad we can’t wait to get back to playing international cricket again after what has been a tough two years for all of us due to the pandemic. We haven’t played since beating the Aussies 8-0 three years ago and the opportunity to go back to meet them again is really exciting.”

England Deaf Team captain, George Greenway, said: “It’s great to have international disability cricket back and this will provide an amazing opportunity to win back the Deaf Ashes. A tour of Australia is the pinnacle for any international cricketer. We haven’t toured Australia for over a decade but we will go there confident that we can play our very best cricket.”

England Blind Team captain, Ed Hossell, said: “We can't wait to be back playing international cricket and are excited for the opportunity to compete alongside our two other touring teams. It will be a great chance to showcase our skills and we're aiming to bring back the three trophies. We're focused on the task ahead, but it will also provide the perfect preparation for us ahead of the World Championship next year.”

Also read: India post 277-7 against Australia in ICC Women's World Cup match

2022-03-18 23:35

I always think whatever I've done and achieved so far is not 'the best': Neeraj

London, Mar 18 (Sports News) Olympic gold is the ultimate glory for an athlete but star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra says his best is yet to come as he strives to breach the 90m mark in the upcoming top events this year.

The 24-year-old Chopra won the men's javelin throw event in Tokyo Games last year with an effort of 87.58m to win India's first Olympic gold in athletics. He also became only the second Indian after shooter Abhinav Bindra to win an Olympic individual gold medal.

He said touching the 90m mark will be one of his targets this year with a medal in the upcoming World Championships and defending his titles in the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games being the other aims. "I always think whatever I've done and achieved so far is not 'the-best'. I think that I can really do better in future. It feels good that whole nation believes in me and have really high hopes for me," he told the Laureus World Sports website.

"We have been trying to reach the 90m mark for a very long time now. I think I can really do it sometime soon in near future. There's no pressure on me to get past 90m, but I will work on my technique along with my strength and speed and would like to achieve it this year," said Chopra, who has a personal best of 88.03m.

Chopra earned a nomination for the prestigious 2022 Laureus World Sports Awards in the World Breakthrough of the Year category.

"The gold medal (in Tokyo) has motivated me in life to do even better. Performing well and ending up on podium will be my target in the World Championship (in July)," he said.

"There are other big tournaments lined up this year such as Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Diamond League Final. All of these are really major tournaments. I have to win medals in all these major tournaments.

"I have won a gold medal in Commonwealth and Asian Games and I would like to repeat my performance there. I represented India in the World Championship held in London. I couldn't get into the finals there, but I'll try my best to finish the tournament on the podium this year." Iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, a Laureus Academy Member and winner of the Laureus Sporting Moment Award in 2020, congratulated Chopra for his nomination. “My heartiest congratulations to you for your continued success representing India on the world stage. A Laureus Nomination is another great achievement – with many more to come," he said.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, whose grandfather was an Indian, said he was in tears when he saw Chopra clinch the gold in Tokyo.

"I have done my level best to be entirely neutral when I'm watching competitions, but my impartiality in Tokyo was really tested to its limit because my grandfather was an Indian, my mother was born in Delhi and brought up in India.

"So, I have obviously very strong emotional ties to that country. Chopra's win that night had me, Adille (Sumariwalla), the president of India Track and Field, and one of my executive board colleagues from India, Sunil, all three of us standing there in tears at the win." Also nominated in the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year category with Chopra are tennis players Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu, FC Barcelona football star Pedri, Venezuelan triple jump world record holder Yulimar Rojas and Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus.

"If I win, I would like to place this Award on the top of my list since it's an international Award. It's very special and I also hope that in future a lot of Indians will be nominated and will win it for India, as legend Sachin has," Chopra said.

Asked about the best memory of the Tokyo Olympics, he said, "I won't be able to forget the moment when I was at the podium and my National Anthem was played. I got a flashback of how I started my journey, the challenges I faced, the hard work over the years."

Also Read : Mirabai Chanu to begin CWG and Asiad preparation in US this week

News Source : PTI

2022-03-18 09:25

Sen stuns world no 3 Antonsen to enter All England quarterfinals; Sindhu, Saina & Srikanth out

Birmingham, Mar 17 (Badminton News) World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen stunned world No. 3 Anders Antonsen of Denmark in straight games to progress to the men's singles quarterfinals but it was curtains for Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal at the All England Championships here on Thursday.

Sen, the 20-year-old from Almora, who had claimed his maiden Super 500 title at India Open in January and then reached the finals of German Open last week, notched up an upset 21-16 21-18 win over third seed Antonsen.

Antonsen is a two-time medallist at World Championships in 2019 Basel and 2021 Huelva respectively. It was their first meeting at the international stage.

Sen will face China's Lu Guang Zu in the quarter-final.

Fifth seeded Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also entered the last eight stage after making short work of Mark Lamfuss and Marvin Seidel of Germany 21-7 21-7.

World no 7 Sindhu, however, made an early exit after going down 19-21 21-16 17-21 to left-handed Takahashi, ranked 13th, in an hour and six minutes second round match.

Saina Nehwal also bowed out after her gallant fight ended with a loss to second seed Japanese Akane Yamaguchi in a thrilling three-game match in the second round.

Former world No. 1 Saina, the London Olympics bronze medallist, lost 14-21 21-17 17-21 world No. 2 Yamaguchi in a 50-minute women's singles clash.

It was a much improved performance from the Indian, who had lost in straight games to Thailand's Ratchanok Inthanon at German Open last week.

Later in the day, World Championships silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth also bowed out after losing 21-9 18-21 19-21 to Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka Ginting in a second round that last just over an hour.

In a significant result, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also entered the quarterfinal after their sixth seeded opponents Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu from Indonesia retired in the second game lagging 14-19 after winning the first game 21-18.

Sen's tactical nous ============ Sen gave ample display of his tactical acumen as he dished out a defensive game and kept Antonsen away from the net to lead 11-9 at the first break. He kept things under control after the interval to move to a 13-9 lead and maintained the lead to pocket the opening game.

Sen kept his clears close to the baseline and tried to use his smashes judiciously to jump to a 9-5 lead early on before grabbing a four-point advantage at the breather.

Antonsen fought his way back to 14-14, riding on six points on the trot. The duo moved 14-14 to 16-16 before Sen managed to eke out a two-point lead at 18-16.

He kept his nerves and unleased a cross court smash to grab three match points. Antonsen saved one after an exciting rally but the Indian shut the door next to make it to the last 8.

Coming into the match with an equal 4-4 head-to-head record, Sindhu was left to do the catch up job as Takahashi led the opening match for most part even though the Indian kept snapping at her heels and had levelled scores at 11-1 and 15-15 before moving to 19-20 at one stage.

Stung by the reversal, Sindhu came out all cylinders blazing, gallping to a huge 14-4 lead, a gap which the Japanese couldn't bridge as the Indian bounced back.

In the decider, Sindhu managed to open up a slender 8-6 lead but Takahashi soon turned the tables and then reeled off five straight points to jump to 15-10.

Sindhu tried to erase the deficit and made it 17-18 before the Japanese sealed the issued comfortably.

Sindhu had made a second round exit at German Open as welll.

Also Read : Saina Nehwal wins first round match in All England C'ships

News Source : PTI

2022-03-16 17:33

Moved out of Russia, Chess Olympiad to be held in Chennai now

Chennai, Mar 16 (Chess News) The 44th Chess Olympiad, which was moved out of Russia after it invaded Ukraine, will be organised in Chennai later this year, making it the second major global event of the sport to be held in India after the World Championship match in 2013.

The announcement was made by Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on his Twitter page on Tuesday night.

"Delighted that the Chess Capital of India is set to host the 44th Chess Olympiad! A proud moment for Tamil Nadu! Chennai warmly welcomes all the Kings and Queens from around the world! #ChessOlympiad2022," he said in the tweet.

"It's official now....India will host the 44th World Chess Olympiad 2022 at Chennai!" the All-India Chess Federation added on its Twitter handle.

The All-India Chess federation (AICF) had submitted a guarantee of USD10 million (approx Rs 70 crore) to FIDE to host the tournament. The Olympiad was moved out of Russia after it invaded neighbouring Ukraine on February 24.

The Chess Olympiad is a biennial team event in which teams from some 190 countries compete over a two-week period. It was supposed to take place in Moscow from July 26 to August 8.

The other events that have been moved away from Russia are the first Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities and the 93rd FIDE Congress.

The last chess event of such stature to come to India was the 2013 world championship clash between Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen, the current world No.1.

The invasion of Ukraine has led to a slew of sporting cancellations in Russia with the International Olympic Committee urging member countries to ensure that no events are hosted by the country.

"It’s a matter of great pride and responsibility that we are entrusted with and we are committed to make it a grand success. The entire Chess fraternity of the country is ready to come together for this," said Dr. Sanjay Kapoor, All India Chess Federation President.

The AICF Secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan added, "I cannot complain about anything in life now. All the countries of the world now have this great opportunity to come under one roof in the country where Chess was born. My thanks to Thiru M K Stalin the Hon'ble CM to make this dream come true." The event is held over 11 rounds in both open and women's category with likely participation of over 2000 players. This is a team event with five players and one trainer allowed per team in both the sections.

World Champion Magnus Carlsen has often turned out to play for Norway and almost every top player of the world is present in this event to represent their country.

India were the joint winners of the gold medal in the last Olympiad that was organised online.

This time the team will be led by Viswanathan Anand who will have the support of P Harikrishna and Vidit Gujarathi for sure.

The other two members are still unclear but young guns like Arjun Erigaise, Nihal Sarin and some truly special players like B Adhiban, Sasikiran and few others have a strong case.

The final decision for the team selection in open will be taken on May 1 as per AICF rules.

In the women's section, Koneru Humpy will spearhead the challenge with D Harika, and R Vaishali as nearly confirmed participants.

The other two places up for grabs have Tania Sachdev as a strong candidate while Bhakti Kulkarni and few others will try to be part of the team.

As host, India will be entitled to field an additional team and this could likely go to juniors or the 'B' team in both sections. The final decision will be taken by AICF on May 1.

Also Read : 77 Sports Infrastructure Projects in Himalayan Region worth Rs 506.13 crore sanctioned: Anurag Thakur

News Source : PTI

2022-03-15 12:45

'My love for the sport helped me push through the dark times' Arun Kumar Rayudu

At the age of just 22, Arun Kumar Rayudu has already achieved so much in the skating world. He is an Asian Silver Medalist, ranked Asian No.2 in the senior category and world No.5 in the under-19 category. He has been a national champion for the last 13 years. He has been playing for Team India since 2014.

In this exclusive interview, he talks about his early interest in the sport, dealing with injuries and asthma, his memorable achievements and future goals.

Q 1) How did your journey begin in figure skating and who inspired you to take up skating as a sport?

My relationship with skating started at a very young age when I was 3 years old. As a child speed thrilled me and while traveling in a car I would look at people moving forward at a pace faster than we can go while showing no sign of running. It intrigued me and I immediately asked my parents to get me whatever it is that’s making people move that way and that is when they enrolled me in a skating academy. At that age, there was no one in particular who inspired me to take up sport but later on, in my life I have taken inspiration from many people who have helped me grow and learn many good things in life.

Q2) What are some of the challenges you faced in your journey and ultimately how did you overcome them?

Injuries are very challenging and I have had three injuries. A right shoulder dislocation, A left shoulder dislocation and a ligament tear in the right leg. The major one out of the three was in 2018 when I dislocated my shoulder and I was out of training for about 6 months. That was a dark time for me because not being able to do what we love doing never gets easy. I had to abandon all kinds of physical activities to promote an early recovery and I couldn’t take part in competitions. I consulted many doctors and most of their suggestions implied I can never skate again the way I used to as it involves a lot of gymnastics and that would cause strain on the injured muscle. Emotionally I was in a vulnerable place and giving up would have been an easy thing to do but I did not. We all must fight for what we love, that is what proves the love. My love for the sport and my willingness to make my country proud helped me push through the dark times. Like the light at the end of a tunnel, a doctor I consulted in Hyderabad gave me hope that there’s a possibility for me to recover fully and be the roller-skater I used to be. I held the hope tight to my chest and worked hard to get better and in the form that I am today.

Another challenge was having Asthma since birth which has always been a big struggle. I couldn’t enjoy a cold drink or a single scoop of ice cream without feeling like I am running out of breath. Naturally, I’ve consulted many doctors and one of them suggested I take up a sport or any activity that involves physical strength as it aids in improving the lung capacity and taking up skating did help with keeping my asthma in control and staying physically fit. But me having asthma gave my competitors an edge over me because they could practice for longer durations than I could and most of the national championships were held in the months of December and January when the cold is at its peak in the north part of India and I am more prone to have asthma attacks in the cold. The other struggle was that I had to travel 30 kms through public transport for my training twice a day which would result in me traveling about 120 kms every day which took up a lot of my day leaving not much time for anything else. It was quite stressful but none of that stopped me from bending over backwards, to do all I can and give my very best that’s possible in making India proud.

Q3) What are the most memorable achievements in your life and why?

Almost all of my achievements are memorable and close to my heart because I have worked hard and tried to give out my best in all those competitions. But if I had to pick one, then it would be my first international medal in the year 2016 in China where I got a silver medal at the Asian championship. With my first international medal in my hand, watching our Indian flag rise up was very special. That moment gave me goosebumps and it is something I am gonna cherish for my whole life. I'm really proud of what I could achieve for my country and for myself.

Q4) You came 5th in the World Roller Games, what was the experience like and how proud were you of your achievement?

It was a great learning experience. The exposure we get at the world championship is on another level as we get to see and skate alongside world champions. I loved each and every moment of that championship and yes I am very proud of my achievement that I could place my country in the top 5.

Q5) Your Asia ranked no 2 and World number 5 in the under 19 category, so what are your future goals and ambition? And how do you plan to accomplish them?

My future goals right now are to participate in the Asian Games, World and Asian championships and try to give out my best in all those and make my country proud.

Q6) What do you think needs to be done to get more Indians to participate in skating?

So basically skating is a European sport and many people in India don’t know about it. So I feel there should be more promotion and general people in India should be made aware of our sport and how beautiful and nice it is to watch. The Government should support our sport and treat it like they treat other sports.

Also read: My aim is to take part in the World Championship: Rea Elizabeth Achaiah

2022-03-15 11:24

5 youth boxers clinch gold at Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships

New Delhi, Mar 14 (Boxing News) Previous edition's medal winners Tamanna (50kg) and Nivedita Karki (48kg) were among five Indian women boxers who grabbed gold medals in the youth competition of the Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan on Monday.

Shaheen (60kg), Ravina (63kg) and Muskan (75kg) were the other three boxers who also registered victories in the finals and bagged gold medals.

Nivedita provided India an ideal start for the day when she clinched a sensational 3-2 win over Uzbekistan's Saidakhon Rakhmonova.

Tamanna then handed the country a second gold with a win over another Uzbek boxer Robiyankhon Bakhtiyorova by a similar margin. Both Nivedita and Tamanna won silver medals in the last edition.

Shaheen and Ravina then added two more gold medals to the country’s tally with dominating triumphs by unanimous decisions against their respective Uzbek opponents.

While Shaheen (60kg) outperformed Mukhlisa Tokhirova, Ravina thrashed Uzbekistan's Sitora Bahodirova.

Muskan also produced an aggressive show against Kazakhstan's Aidasaribarov before referee stopped the contest in the first round and declared Muskan the winner.

However, Priyanka and Kirti suffered defeats in the final and concluded their campaigns with silver medals.

While Priyanka went down 1-4 against Kazakhstan's Bakytseidish in the 66kg category, Kirti (+81kg) endured a 0-5 loss against Sakhobat Khusanova of Uzbekistan.

Renu (52kg), Tanisha Lamba (54kg), Prachi (57kg), Pranjal Yadav (70kg) and Sneha (81kg) are the five boxers who secured bronze medals with semi-final finish earlier as Indian women's team signed off with medals in all 12 categories in the youth section. Later tonight, three Indians, Vishwanath Suresh (48kg), Vanshaj (63.5kg) and Aman Singh Bisht (+92kg) will fight for gold in the youth men's section.

On Sunday evening, Krrish Pal (46kg) and Yashwardhan Singh (60kg) registered impressive victories in the finals and added two more gold medals to India's tally in the junior section.

While Krrish defeated Tajikistan’s Anishervon Fazylov by a split 4-1 verdict, Yashwardhan outclassed Mirzakamron Yunusov of Uzbekistan by unanimous decision.

Among other junior boys, Ravi Saini (48kg) and Rishab Singh (60kg) suffered defeats in their respective finals and ended up with silver medals.

With Vini (50kg), Yakshika (52kg), Vidhi (57kg), Nikita Chand (60kg), Shrishti Sathe (63kg) and Rudrika (75kg) also emerging champions in the girls' section earlier, Indian junior team finished its campaign on second position with 21 medals -- eight gold, seven silver and six bronze.

Also Read : After world championships, Lovlina and Nikhat secure Asian Games selection

News Source : PTI

2022-03-14 16:53

My aim is to take part in the World Championship: Rea Elizabeth Achaiah

At the age of 20, Rea Elizabeth Achaiah recently won multiple medals at the 59th National Speed Roller Skating competition at Delhi, the Asian Championship as well as the Junior Olympics. If that’s not all, she is also the first Indian woman to win a Bronze medal at the Asian Championship in South Korea and is setting her sights on participating at the Asian Games Selection and Berlin Marathon next year.

In this exclusive interview, she speaks about her journey as a skater, winning the 59th National Speed Roller Skating competition, balancing studies and sports, setting new records, future expectations and goals for her career.

Q 1) When did you start skating and what motivated you to pursue it professionally?

I started skating when I was three years old. I was a timid and shy kid. My parents who were into sports themselves (father is a hockey player and mother is an athlete) wanted me to be in some sport. My mother made me join a skating rink that was next to my house. At the age of five, I won a gold medal in a competition which inspired me to pursue skating as a passion. I participated in my first national nationals at the age of eight in the year 2011 at Visakhapatnam. My parents, coach and sponsor are my inspiration for all that I have achieved

Q 2) You recently won the 59th National Speed Roller Skating competition. How was the experience and is it the biggest and most memorable achievement of your career?

The experience of participating in the 59th National Speed Roller Skating competition was exciting as I participated in all the short races this time. I am a long distance skater. For the first time I participated in all the short events with the seniors and finished with a decent position and even clocked a good timing as well. In the three short events and one long run that I played, I won gold in 500 meters Rink and Road One Lap and bronze medal in 200 meters run.

Q 3) How do you balance your studies and skating since you are currently pursuing engineering at Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering?

It all goes hand in hand. If there is a will there's a way. I have been managing the same way since my childhood. College too has supported me in every way. Our principal, Prof. Sadashivegowda is also into sports. He has supported me a lot whenever I have gone anywhere. He has expressed happiness whenever I have shown my medals and always tells upcoming students at Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering that they should consider me as a role model. In fact, the college has allowed me to take internal exams later whenever I am into skating and has given me support in academics, helping whenever I had troubles understanding anything in my syllabus.

Also read: My goal is to be the best and dominate with my team: Enigma Saggy

Q 4) You’re the first Indian woman to win a bronze medal at the Asian Championship in South Korea. Tell us about that achievement and how challenging it was for you.

My first Asian Championship was in 2016 in China. This was my first ever international competition. I stood fifth in that competition and realized that the podium wasn’t too far away. I went back and trained. In the year 2018, I participated again with an aim to stay with the bunch and stay in the top five.

With lack of support and encouragement for skaters in India, staying with the bunch itself is a big deal. The only aim Indians have is to finish at top ten in any international event. I too wanted to stay in the bunch, avoiding elimination each lap and be in the top five but I actually won third place and got a bronze medal for the same.

Q 5) What are your expectations from the Asian Games Selection and Berlin Marathon next year?

I usually don’t go to competitions with any expectations. My only aim is to get on to the podium soon. Indian skaters have not participated in the Berlin marathon till date. I will be the first participant to participate in this marathon. Since Asian Games and the Berlin Marathon are colliding, I am stuck planning my participation.

Q 6) What are your future goals and aspirations? How do you plan to accomplish them?

My goal in skating is to participate in the World Championship which will be held in Argentina apart from participating in Asian games. Also my career goal is to join defense and I am taking the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT).

2022-03-14 15:01

After world championships, Lovlina and Nikhat secure Asian Games selection

New Delhi, Mar 14 (Boxing News) Olympic bronze-medallist Lovlina Borgohain and former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen were on Monday selected in the Indian women's boxing team for this year's Asian Games in Hangzhou, China after emerging victorious in the trials held here.

While Zareen secured her place in the 51kg division, Borgohain clinched the 69kg spot after trials held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

Last week, both of them also made the world championships squad with Zareen qualifying in the 52kg category and Borgohain making the cut in 70kg.

In the Asian Games trial finals held this morning, Borgohain defeated Railways' boxer Pooja, and Zareen got the better of Manju Rani, a silver-medallist from the 2019 World Championships.

The Asian Games are due to be held from September 10 to 25.

In the world championship trials held last week, selections were also confirmed for the Asian Games in three overlapping divisions -- 57kg, 60kg and 75kg. The Asian Games feature five women categories.

In 57kg, Manisha won her trial bouts to make the cut for both the showpiece events, while the promising Jaismine (60kg) and the experienced Saweety Boora (75kg), who won a world silver medal in 2014, also ensured twin selections for themselves.

The world championships, to be held from May 6 in Istanbul, will be a comeback of sorts for Borgohain, who has not competed since her bronze-winning feat at the Tokyo Olympics.

The Assam boxer, who has been training at the national camp since last month, was kept busy by several felicitations immediately after her podium finish in the Japanese capital.

The 24-year-old became only the third Indian boxer ever to fetch an Olympic medal last year, joining an exclusive club which also includes Vijender Singh (2008, Beijing) and M C Mary Kom (2012, London).

The 25-year-old Zareen has had a great start to the year so far, winning a gold medal in the prestigious Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.

It was her second gold (after 2019) at the European season-opener, making her the first Indian to achieve this feat.

"I am exhausted because I haven't been able to get a break since Strandja. But I am so glad that the hard work is paying off. For now, just looking forward to a good meal after maintaining weight for so long," Zareen told PTI.

Mary Kom, a six-time world champion who is only targetting the Commonwealth Games this year, is the lone Indian woman boxer to have struck gold at the Asiad.

She won the yellow metal in the 2014 Incheon edition after a bronze in the 2010 Guangzhou Games.

In all, only four Indian women boxers have won medals at the Asiad since women's boxing made its debut in 2010.

L Sarita Devi (bronze, 2014), Kavita Goyat (bronze, 2010) and Pooja Rani (bronze, 2014) are the other three medal winners in the sport in the continental showpiece.

The trials for the Commonwealth Games are due to be held in June. The men's trials for both the Asiad and the CWG will be held in May.

Indian women's team for Asian Games: ========================= Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Manisha (57kg), Jaismine (60kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg), Saweety Boora (75kg).

Also Read : Six Indian boxers clinch gold at Asian Youth and Junior Boxing C'ships

News Source : PTI

2022-03-13 16:29

Lakshya Sen stuns Olympic champion Axelsen, enters German Open final

Muelheim An Der Ruhr (Germany), Mar 12 (Badminton News) World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen stunned Olympic gold winner Viktor Axelsen in a hard-fought match to enter the final of German Open Super 300 tournament here on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Sen, who had claimed his maiden Super 500 title at the India Open in January, continued his rich vein of form as he sent the world No. 1 and top-seed Axelsen packing with a 21-13 12-21 22-20 win in the semi-final that lasted one hour and 10 minutes.

It was a memorable performance from the world No. 12 Indian as he recorded his first win over his highly-fancied rival who has a 4-0 head-to-head record before Saturday's match.

In the final on Sunday, Sen will face Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn who beat Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia in the other semi-final.

Sen was ahead throughout the first game that lasted 21 minutes. He did not give the Dane any chance to get ahead of him. Axelsen found it difficult to match Sen's pace in the first game.

Sen opened up with a 4-1 lead and then extended it to 9-4. But Axelsen narrowed it down to 7-9 before Sen grabbed four consecutive points to make it 13-7. Sen's attacking game paid dividends as he took five consecutive points to lead 18-10 before clinching the first game with ease.

Axelsen made a comeback in the second game to make it one all and take the match to the decider. He was trailing 3-8 early on but used his height and reach to good effect to take five consecutive points and level the score at 8-8 before zooming ahead. From there on, Sen lost way and Axelsen pocketed the second game without any fuss.

The two players left their best for the last as they fought tooth and nail in the dramatic deciding game. It turned out to be a battle of nerves as rallies got longer with both fighting for each point. From 2-2, it was 4-4 and then 6-6 before Axelsen zoomed ahead 15-8.

But the young Indian fought his way back in a remarkable fashion to close the gap to 15-17 and then to 17-19. He levelled the score 19-19 and then 20-20 before sealing the match with two consecutive points.

In the quarterfinals, Sen had seen off fellow Indian and former top 10 player HS Prannoy 21-15 21-16.

Also Read : Lakshya Sen enters semifinals, Srikanth bows out of German Open

News Source : PTI

2022-03-12 10:53

Lakshya Sen enters semifinals, Srikanth bows out of German Open

Muelheim An Der Ruhr (Germany), Mar 11 (Badminton News) World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen progressed to the semifinals but fellow Indian Kidambi Srikanth suffered a straight-game loss to Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen to bow out of the German Open Super 300 tournament here on Friday.

The 20-year-old Sen, who had claimed his maiden Super 500 title at the India Open in January, continued his rich vein of form as he saw off former top 10 player HS Prannoy 21-15 21-16 in an all-Indian quarterfinals that lasted 39 minutes.

The world number 14 had defeated Prannoy, currently ranked 24th, at the quarterfinals of India Open as well.

Sen will now face top seed and former world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the semifinals on Saturday.

World number 1 Axelsen proved a tough customer for Srikanth as he went down 10-21 21-23 in 35 minutes.

It was the Indian's sixth defeat on the trot to Axelsen, whom he had beaten thrice in the past, including en route to his 2017 Denmark Open title in Odense.

Srikanth, who was playing his first event since recovering from COVID-19 that forced him out of the India Open, looked clueless against Axelsen in the initial moments of the match as the Dane galloped to a 17-4 lead.

Srikanth reeled off four points on the trot, before reaching double figures with two more points but it was not enough to stop a marauding Axelsen to pocket the opening game.

Srikanth produced a better display after the change of sides, opening up a 3-0 lead but in a jiffy it was 4-4.

The duo continued to fight it out, moving to 12-12. Srikanth then grabbed a three-point advantage only to squander it as Axelsen nosed ahead at the final moments.

India's hopes now rests on the young shoulders of Sen, who had stunned fourth seeded Indonesian Anthony Sinisuka Ginting 21-7 21-9 in a second-round match on Thursday and carried his momentum in the quarterfinals against Prannoy.

On a comeback trail, Prannoy made a positive start, opening up a 4-0 lead early on but Sen caught up with him at 10-10 and zoomed ahead after the interval to take a 1-0 lead in the tie.

The second game was a tight affair initially as the duo moved neck and neck with Sen managing a slender 11-10 lead at the break. But, just like in the first game, Sen produced a five-point burst to eventually seal the contest comfortably.

Also Read : Para shuttler Sukant Kadam leapfrogs to world no 2 spot in SL 4 category

News Source : PTI

2022-03-07 17:44

Sindhu, Srikanth & Lakshya lead India's campaign at German Open

Muelheim An Der Ruhr (Germany), Mar 7 (Badminton News) Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and world championship medal-winners Kidambi Srikanth and Lakshya Sen will be the top Indian contenders at the German Open Super 300 badminton tournament starting here on Tuesday.

While Sindhu eased to a title win at Syed Modi International and Lakshya grabbed his maiden Super 500 trophy at Indian Open in January, Srikanth saw the momentum of the World Championships fizzle out a bit after withdrew from the Delhi due to COVID-19 infection.

The Lucknow title was Sindhu's first since the World Championship gold in 2019 and it must have eased the pressure a bit but the Indian is well aware that she will have to hit top gear during the European leg in a hectic year which also has big-ticket events such as the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

Sindhu, seeded seventh, will open her campaign against Thailand's world no 11 Busanan Ongbamrungphan this week.

A win will bring her face-to-face with Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt and another possible victory can see her clash with top seed and Olympic silver-medallist Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei.

World silver-medallist Lakshya too has been in fine form, making good use of the opportunities that came his way as he first claimed the bronze at Huelva, Spain, and then lifted the India Open title in January. He was also the only bright spot during India's campaign at Asia Team Championships In Malaysia last month.

Lakshya will start his campaign against Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoen. If the 20-year-old from Almora puts it past the Thai, he is likely to meet fourth seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia.

Srikanth, on the other hand, endured a frustrating phase after being forced out of the events in India due to COVID-19. The 29-year-old, however, started training as soon as he recovered and is eager to find his rhythm.

"This is an important year and I just want to train well and play to the best of my ability," Srikanth said.

The eighth-seeded Indian will face France's Brice Leverdez in his campaign opener.

A win is likely to pit him against China's Lu Guang Zu in the second round and if Srikanth can cross the hurdle, he is expected to take on top seed and reigning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen.

It is an important year for HS Prannoy as well as he continues his comeback after recovering from lingering side-effects of COVID-19.

A former top 10 player, Prannoy reached three back-to-back quarterfinals -- the World Championship, India Open, and Syed Modi International -- and would look to carry the momentum when he faces seventh-seeded Ng Ka Long Angus in his opening round here.

London Olympics bronze-medallist Saina Nehwal, who has been troubled by injuries and illness, will also be in action after losing early at India Open and pulling out of the Lucknow event in January.

The two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist will open against Singapore's Yeo Jia Min.

Having regained fitness after laying low due to a calf injury, former commonwealth games champion Parupalli Kashyap too will be back in action, taking on Thailand's young sensation Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

Commonwealth Games silver-medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who notched up their maiden Super 500 title at India Open, will open against China's Liu Yu Chen and Ou Xuan Yi, while Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun will clash with sixth seeds Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi from Singapore.

In women's doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy will square off against fifth seeds Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida of Japan, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela will take on Netherlands' Debora Jille and Cheryl Seinen.

In mixed doubles, India will be represented by the pairings of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto, and Sai Pratheek K and N Sikki Reddy.

Also Read : Spanish Para badminton International: Bhagat wins 3 golds, Kadam claims gold and silver

News Source : PTI

2022-03-06 16:56

Mary Kom to skip World Championships and Asian Games to make way for youngsters

New Delhi, Mar 6 (Boxing News) Olympic bronze medallist boxer MC Mary Kom has decided to skip the World Championships and the Asian Games to be held later this year to give more exposure to youngsters.

The six-time world champion wants to focus on her preparations for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

The IBA Women's World Boxing Championships is scheduled to be held from May 6 to 21 in Istanbul, Turkey while the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2022 Asian Games will begin on July 28 and September 10 respectively.

In a communication to the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), Mary Kom said, "I would like to withdraw to give opportunity to the younger generation to make a name for themselves on the international stage and get exposure and experience of major tournaments. I would like to focus on the preparation for the Commonwealth Games only." The selection trials for all 12 categories of the world championships will start from Monday and will end on Wednesday. The trials will also include Asian Games weights divisions, which are the same as IBA.

However, for the remaining two Asian Games weight categories, 51kg and 69kg, trials will be conducted separately from March 11-14 thereby giving more time to boxers of closest weight categories to also take a shot at the trials for the Asian Games.

"Mary Kom has been the torchbearer for Indian boxing since the last two decades and has inspired countless boxers and sports persons across the world. We completely respect her decision and it is a testimony of her champion character to make way for the other boxers," BFI president Ajay Singh said in a statement.

"We are delighted that we have such a good bench strength and are looking forward to the younger generation to make the nation proud and I hope and wish Mary all the best with her preparations for the CWG," he added.

National campers, including the participants of the Tokyo Olympics, who didn't compete in the National Championships, will be eligible for the selection trials.

The selection committee, comprising the BFI president or his nominee alongside an expert panel of reputed veteran boxers, will ensure a smooth conduct of the trials as all the bouts will be video recorded.

The Asian Games selection trials for men will be held in May, while, for the Commonwealth Games, trials for both men and women will be conducted in June.

Weight categories: Women- 12 main weight categories IBA World Championship: 48 kg, 50 kg, 52 kg, 54 kg, 57 kg, 60 kg, 63 kg, 66 kg, 70 kg, 75 kg, 81 kg, +81kg Asian Games: 51 kg, 57 kg, 60 kg, 69 kg, 75 kg.

Men: Asian Games: 52 kg, 57 kg, 63 kg, 69 kg, 75 kg, 81 kg, 91 kg, +91 kg.

Also Read : Anand Yadav enters quarter-finals at Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships

News Source : PTI

2022-03-05 15:15

Moto GP 2022 season is set to begin at the Losail International track

(Motorsports news) MotoGP 2022 season is set to kick off on 6 March in the Losail International Circuit in Qatar and this season guarantees to be one of the most interesting and most open seasons ever. 2021 saw every manufacturer take home a podium and which meant that it was the closest top-15 finish of all time. More records were broken, new winners emerged, and a few pieces of history were created when France got its first premier class World Champion. We bid adieu to the greatest bike racer of all time in Valentino Rossi but that's already a chapter in the history books and now we're about to uncover the mysteries of 2022 and welcome the new gen in MotoGP.

Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo is set out to retain his World Championship after he became the first Frenchman to win the MotoGP title last season. If Quartararo can manage to defend his crown then he will become the second-youngest rider after Marc Marquez to win consecutive World Championships but heading into the new season, the 22-year-old has voiced his displeasure with the top speed of his Yamaha bike in pre-season testing, the defending world champion is adamant he will fight and give his best to compete against his main rivals.

His main threat will be Marc Marquez who after two injury-plagued years, will finally return to his full fitness as he bids to create history by joining the great Valentino Rossi on nine MotoGP titles. Marquez suffered a horrific fractured arm which he sustained in a 2020 Jerez crash and it had ruled him out of action for 12 months, before a training incident towards the end of 2021 saw him diagnosed with diplopia (severe double vision). After 265 days out of action due to the arm fracture, Marquez returned to race action in April 2021 and the Spaniard has since shown glimpses of his usual best, he didn’t really put serve pressure on his shoulder but still managed to win two races. An earlier indication is that he is back and back with vengeance to regain his World Championship crown.

Pecco Bagnaia ended the 2021 season with three consecutive victories and helped his team Ducati win the constructors championship also. He will hope that he can replicate his end season form this year and hope to become the first Italian after the great Valentino Rossi to become a Premier Class Winner in MotoGP. Last year, Bagnaia finished runner up in the riders Championship in 2021 with nine podiums and four wins to his name. The Italian will be looking to carry across his incredible form from the end of 2021 into 2022 for a title charge.

Quartararo: “Well it will make life more difficult but for the show and everyone it will be nice to not have that big difference. I remember maybe 10 years ago we had a few riders and then the rest, but now basically everything is so tight and the level of riders is really high. Now I think it’s the closest ever and it will be fun.”

Bagnaia: “It’s something good for the show, but I think years ago, the way of working was different. Now you have to do the time attack. I was feeling years ago, I was doing the time attack my first year in MotoGP and with the lap time I did in 2020 I was fifth, and this year like 17th; a big difference. I think it’s the way to work on the test.”

Marc Marquez: “Of course as you say in the test it was very close but it’s not the first year that in the test it was very close. Let’s see during the first four or five races we will understand who the top guys are. Anyway it will be interesting to have equal bikes, equal level between the riders and this makes everything more interesting.”

MotoGP 2022 rider and team full line-up:

Aprilia Racing

#12 Maverick Vinales
#41 Aleix Espargaro

Ducati Lenovo Team

#43 Jack Miller
#63 Francesco Bagnaia

Gresini Racing MotoGP Ducati

#23 Enea Bastianini
#49 Fabio Di Giannantonio

Mooney VR46 Racing Team Ducati

#10 Luca Marini
#72 Marco Bezzecchi

Pramac Racing Ducati

#5 Johann Zarco
#89 Jorge Martin

LCR Honda

#30 Takaaki Nakagami
#73 Alex Marquez

Repsol Honda Team

#44 Pol Espargaro
#93 Marc Marquez

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

#33 Brad Binder
#88 Miguel Oliveira

Tech3 KTM Factory Racing

#25 Raul Fernandez
#87 Remy Gardner

Team Suzuki Ecstar

#36 Joan Mir
#42 Alex Rins

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP

#20 Fabio Quartararo
#21 Franco Morbidelli

WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team

#04 Andrea Dovizioso
#40 Darryn Binder

Also read: Aston Martin on track to become title contenders by 2025: Mike Krack

Full 2022 MotoGP calendar:

6 March - Qatar, Losail
20 March – Indonesia, Mandalika
3 April – Argentina, Termas de Rio Hondo
10 April – USA, Circuit of the Americas
24 April – Portugal - Portimao
1 May – Spain, Jerez
15 May – France, Le Mans
29 May – Italy, Mugello
5 June – Catalunya, Barcelona
19 June – Germany, Sachsenring
26 June – Netherlands, Assen
10 July – Finland, KymiRing
7 August – Great Britain, Silverstone
21 August – Austria, Red Bull Ring
4 September – San Marino, Misano
18 September – Aragon
25 September – Japan, Motegi
2 October – Thailand, Buriram
16 October – Australia, Phillip Island
23 October – Malaysia, Sepang
6 November - Valencia, Ricardo Tormo

2022-03-04 12:43

Jehan Daruvala tops F2 pre season testing on day 1 in Sakhir

(Motorsports news) Jehan Daruvala made a blistering start in the F2 pre season test on day 1 in Sakhir as he topped overall timing charts. The Prema Racing driver, who joins the defending champions Prema from Carlin this season, set a time of 1m42.074s to go quickest, half a second quicker than second placed Calan Williams of Trident.

Daruvala is in the Red Bull junior program and had finished seventh in the 2021 drivers’ standings, with two wins and five podiums.His teammate The 2021 FIA Formula 3 champion Dennis Hauger, who moved up with Prema from 3 also showed good pace in practice, as he finished in third with a time of 1m42.602s, followed by Carlin’s Liam Lawson in fourth. His team-mate Logan Sargeant finished fifth. Marcus Armstrong finished seventh in the timing charts ahead of his third season in F2. Felipe Drugovich was the first driver to go below the 1m44s in the afternoon session, before setting the fastest time early on with a time of 1m43.831s, after that Lawson went fastest. But with only five minutes remaining, the timings went below 1m43s, with Daruvala, Williams and Hauger all setting very quick laps.

For the Indian this is a massive season as he has a genuine shot at the F2 World Championship which should only enhance his chance of getting a F1 seat next year. The early signs are that he’s all set to challenge for the title, having signed with Prema, Daruvala joins one of the most successful teams in F2 so he has no room for excuses. The Italian constructor has delivered three previous champions, including Charles Leclerc, Mick Schumacher and 2021 champion Oscar Piastri.

Daruvala on joining Prema said “We have a strong relationship. I was there in 2019, that year I challenged for the title in F3 and even though I wasn’t there for the last two or three years, I still felt at home as soon as I came back. The test was really positive, both short runs and long runs were quite good. But again, testing is testing, we’ll only know how it is when we start racing. But yeah, I still see a few familiar faces from my F3 days. So I know quite a few of them and I feel at home.”

With all the right ingredients seemingly in place, Daruvala doesn’t want to settle for anything less than the title. “I definitely believe that I am good enough to win the championship. Now it’s all about cutting out the mistakes that I have made,” he says.

Daruvala on his ultimate goal said, “Obviously, my only goal is Formula 1. But I’m not going to stop racing or quit racing if I don’t go to F1. So obviously there are other parts which I will look at.”

Also read: Jehan Daruvala joins Prema racing as he tops the pre testing in Abu Dhabi

The top ten from F2 Practice were:

1   Jehan Daruvala   Prema   1m42.074s
2   Calan Williams   Trident   1m42.590s
3   Dennis Hauger   Prema   1m42.602s
4   Liam Lawson   Carlin   1m43.478s
5   Logan Sargeant   Carlin   1m43.483s
6   Felipe Drugovich   MP Motorsport 1m43.590s
7   Marcus Armstrong   Hitech GP   1m43.877s
8   Enzo Fittipaldi   Charouz Racing System 1m43.946s
9   Juri Vips   Hitech GP   1m43.946s
10  Roy Nissany   DAMS   1m44.003s

2022-03-02 16:43

My sole aim is to win gold at Paris Paralympics, says para shuttler Palak Kohli

New Delhi, Mar 2 (Badminton News) Young Indian para shuttler Palak Kohli says the Tokyo Games disappointment has increased her hunger for success and her sole aim is to return with a gold from the Paris Paralympics in two years time.

The youngest para badminton player to qualify for the Paralympics at 18, Kohli is currently competing at the Spanish Para badminton International II in Vitoria.

She had qualified in all three formats -- singles, women's doubles (Parul Parmar) and mixed doubles (Pramod Bhagat) at the Tokyo Games but couldn't return with a medal.

"Playing in Tokyo was a wonderful experience. There is no age criteria in para badminton. So being the youngest to qualify for three events was a blessing as I got exposure to all three events," Kohli, whose left-arm is underdeveloped since birth, told PTI.

"There was lot of disappointment after losing the mixed bronze at Tokyo after coming so close but it has also made me lot hungrier and I am living for that one aim, one goal for Paris. I don't want to settle for anything lesser than gold." Kohli, who has been signed by Adidas for its "Impossible is Nothing" campaign, is currently focussing on the Spanish Open, where she is seeded second in women's singles SU 5 group B.

She along with Bhagat are topping the group C in mixed doubles SL3-SU 5 with two wins. She also forms the top seed pair with Parmar in women's doubles SL3-SU5 and has won her first group A match.

"This year I am looking to play in various events. Spanish Open is an important event where I want to do well," said Kohli, who used the post Olympics time to recover from a bone marrow edema in her left tibia, a nagging injury which was first diagnosed in 2019.

"But World championships and Asian Games are the main events which I am looking up to for this year. My long term goals remains 2024 Paris, 2028 and 2032 Olympics," she said.

Kohli has joined the elite club of other Adidas' strong women athletes, including Mirabai Chanu, Lovlina Borgohain, Hima Das, Nikhat Zareen and many others.

"I am happy to join Adidas. This brand has the ideology of 'impossible is nothing' and being the first para athlete from India to partner with Adidas is a feeling of happiness for me," Kohli said.

"The campaign relates so much with para athletes and my aim is to promote and take badminton to the next level. It will help me to raise my voice."

Also Read : Para shuttlers Bhagat, Kadam eager to start 2022 season with wins in Spain

News Source : PTI

2022-03-02 15:40

Four time Olympic medallist Valerie Adams announces retirement

(Sports news) Shot put legend Dame Valerie Adams has announced retirement from the sport after a glittering career that spanned for over 2 decades. Adams had won the gold at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics. She had also won the silver medal in Rio and a bronze at Tokyo in 2020. She is regarded as one of the most successful athletes in the event and is the first woman to win four medals at the Olympics in a field event.

“I have given my heart and soul to the sport. Loved and nurtured it from a young age, watched it grow as a girl to now as a woman fully grown. It is beautiful and exciting, at times hard and unforgiving, but always honest, ever enquiring. To all those who dare lift the shot, I'm looking at you, girl. Do so with my blessing as it has been given to me, I give also to you. Strength and courage. There is the dream, good and true. Take it. While today marks the end of my shot put career, athletics will always be a part of my life,” said Adams.

Hailing from New Zealand, she made her professional debut in 1999 at the age of 14 at the World U18 Championships in Bydgoszcz. Since then, Adams has won 4 consecutive World Championships starting from Osaka in 2007 till the 2013 Moscow Championships. The 6 feet 4 inch athlete has also won 4 indoor World Championship titles, she still holds the national record of 21.24m which was set 11 years ago at Daegu. In Indoors, the 37 year old has a personal best of 20.98m at Zurich in 2013.

Although the sporting arena would not be seeing Adams participating, she will continue coaching her sister Lisa Adams who is the reigning Paralympic shot put champion in the F37 event. One of her most dominant periods was from 2010-2014 where Adams had a 56-competition win streak and was the world athlete of the year in 2014. She had last crossed the 20m mark in 2016 and has been regularly throwing above 18m in the past three years. The veteran had thrown 19.75m in 2021 which was the joint 5th best of the season. This year the season’s best throw of 18.49m is by Maddison-Lee Wesche from New Zealand, the 22 year old was 6th at Tokyo and will need more power to break the existing national record of Adams.

Also read: India needs a long term athlete development model: Gayatri Raghavan

2022-02-23 08:51

India eyes elusive medal at World Archery Para Championships

Dubai, Feb 22 (Archery News) India's top para-archers, including Tokyo Paralympics bronze medallist Harvinder Singh, will return to action at the World Archery Para Championships that begins here on Wednesday.

The nine-member Indian team arrived here after a two-month training camp at the Sports Authority of India Centre in Sonipat and the archers are confident of a good show at the showpiece.

India has won medals in almost every single event since 2017, except in the World Championships. Harvinder won a gold in 2018 Asian Para Games and bronze in the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Harvinder, who turned his farm in Punjab's Ajitnagar into a target practice venue before winning a historic Paralympic bronze in Tokyo, is focused on getting his job done -- shooting a perfect score and returning home with the elusive medal.

"Like every other player here, I will be very happy to go back home with a medal. But right now, I am not thinking about this. The target is to shoot well this week. The result will follow," he said in a release.

"There's a lot of excitement within the team as this is the first event after Tokyo Paralympics. This Championship is very important in terms of knowing where we stand right now.

"As this is the start of the season, the event will also give a direction to our plans ahead," said Harvinder, who finished seventh and ninth in the last two Worlds.

Harvinder said he does not want to be under pressure by setting a target in the championships.

"Mentally I am confident. But I don't want to be overconfident or be under pressure by setting any target in the championships. I want to just focus on shooting a good score.

"That's what I did at the Paralympics and Asian Para Games also. I want to follow the same strategy -- stay calm, focused and shoot well," added the recurve men's open archer who will celebrate his 31st birthday in three days.

Compound open archers, including Paralympians Rakesh Kumar, Shyam Sundar Swami and Jyoti Baliyan, will open their campaign.

National coach Kuldeep Kumar said that the team is the country's best bet for a medal at major championship.

"We are eyeing the elusive World medal, the gold, this time. There's a lot of expectation from the archers, it's a very balanced team," Kumar said.

"We have Paralympic and Asian Para Games medallists, and World Ranking tournament medallists. The team has worked very hard for the last few months in all aspects of their game," said the coach.

As many as 223 archers from 40 countries are competing at the championships, where 16 world titles are up for grabs.

Also Read : Star archery couple Deepika, Atanu dropped from TOPS program

News Source : PTI

2022-02-19 12:55

Mercedes unveil W13 as the Silver Arrows plan to regain F1 supremacy

(Motorsport) Reigning world champions Mercedes have revealed their 2022 F1 car - the W13 which will be driven by Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in the upcoming season. The Silver Arrows have won the Constructors Championship for eight consecutive seasons but missed out on the Drivers Championship last year after a dramatic turn of events in the Abu Dhabi GP which resulted in Red Bull’s Max Verstappen winning the title for the first time in his career. George Russell has replaced Valtteri Bottas as Mercedes’ second driver and is being viewed as a long term option for the team as Lewis Hamilton is 37 years old.

After two years in black livery, Mercedes have returned to their roots with the W13 with silver and a dash of red for the 2022 car. Hamilton’s presence at the launch was his first media appearance since the infamous events that occurred at the Yas Marina Circuit on December 12th after which the seven time World Champion maintained silence and there were question marks about the future involvement of the racer in Formula 1. The unveiling of the W13 also comes a day after Michael Masi was replaced as race director by the FIA for the upcoming season.

Mercedes have officially become the eighth manufacturer to unveil their car for the upcoming season and Hamilton’s partnership with Russell will be the first all-British driver lineup in Formula 1 since Hamilton partnered with Jensen Button at McLaren 10 years ago. Last year was only the second time Hamilton didn’t win the Drivers Championship since 2014 but will undoubtedly come back to the sport hungrier than ever to become the first Formula 1 racer to win eight World Championships, surpassing Michael Schumacher’s record.

Speaking at the launch, Mercedes Team Principal and CEO Toto Wolff said “The hopes are we have a competitive car. It's not a given with the new regulations. We say we want to win another title, but we don't even know if we're going to be in the hunt for a new title. What I know with this team is that we've always been able, even when circumstances are difficult like the beginning of last season, to dig ourselves out of disadvantageous situations. I think that adversity has always made him (Hamilton) stronger, more resilient and determined. This is the attitude I feel in him right now and the mindset I see in the team.”

Wolff added: "The black livery was a clear intent and a clear demonstration of our mission to become a more diverse and inclusive team. It has become part of our DNA, but the silver colour of the Silver Arrows is as much our DNA, it's our history. As a team we have grown from the Silver Arrows to slowly becoming a more diverse and inclusive team and therefore our colours going forward will be silver and black."

Hamilton said “I never ever said I was going to stop. I love doing what I do and it is such a privilege working with this large group of people. There's no feeling quite like it. It was obviously a difficult time for me. It was when I needed to take a step back, focus on being present, so I had my family all around me and creating great moments. It eventually got to the point where I would be attacking again coming into another season.

“It is exciting seeing George coming in and seeing his energy. George has had an amazing career so far, in getting to Formula 1 and what he's done within Formula 1. It's going to be exciting to see him grow and work with him. I've had him sitting behind me before when we were working away, getting the set up on the race weekend and now I'll be working opposite from him, collaborating with him and hopefully steering the car in the same direction. I'm excited about that."

George Russell said “Lewis was a superhero to me. You see these incredible people and you don't think they're human. Now, growing up and having the opportunity to race alongside Lewis is a real privilege for me because I've got such a great opportunity to learn and see how the best do it.

Also read: Scuderia Ferrari reveal 2022 car F1-75 with fierce new design

2022-02-18 14:56

Badminton Asia Team C'ships: Indian men's and women's team fail to qualify for knock-outs

Shah Alam (Malaysia), Feb 18 (Badminton News) India's campaign at the Badminton Asia Team Championships came to end as the men's and women's teams failed to advance to the knockout round after going down to their respective opponents here on Friday.

While the men's team lost 2-3 to three-time defending champions Indonesia, the women's side were hammered 1-4 by Japan. The Indian men's team had earlier lost 0-5 to Korea and beaten Honk Kong 3-2. It needed an outright win against title holders Indonesia to advance to the knockout stage.

The Indians finished third in the group stage behind Indonesia and Korea. Hong Kong finished last.

The women's team also needed a win to qualify for the knockouts but found Japan to be a formidable opponent. The Indians had earlier lost to hosts Malaysia 2-3.

India Open winner Lakshya Sen and Mithun Manjunath gave a good account of themselves Sen, a world championship bronze medallist, eked out a hard-fought win over Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo 21-18 27-25 in 46 minutes to start the proceedings on a bright note for India.

However, the two inexperienced doubles pairs and singles player Kiran George couldn't rise to the occasion.

The pair of Manjit Singh Khwairakpam and Dingku Singh Konthoujam went down in straight games 16-21 10-21 to Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin in less than 30 minutes as Indonesia levelled the tie.

The defending champions then took a 2-1 lead as world number 75 Kiran, who had won his maiden Super 100 crown in Odisha, lost 13-21 21-17 10-21 to Ikhsan Leonardo Imanuel Rumbay.

With momentum on their side, the Indonesians then sealed the tie as the Indian duo of Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Rethinasabapathi Kumar lost to Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana 10-21 10-21.

Manjunath Mithun then toiled hard to notch a consolation win, beating Yonathan Ramlie 21-12 15-21 21-17 in one hour three minutes.

While the men's team went out fighting, Japan proved too much for the young women's side.

Japan took a 1-0 lead as India's Aakarshi Kashyap lost the first singles match to Natsuki Nidaira 13-21 21-18 15-21.

Assam's Ashmita Chaliha, the lone winner for India in the tie, then dished out a superb show to see off Riko Gunji 21-17 10-21 21-19 in 53 minutes to bring India back into the contest.

However, neither the two doubles pairs nor young Tara Shah could latch on to the momentum and lost their matches in straight games.

The Indian duo of Khushi Gupta and Simran Singhi went down 15-21 16-21 to Rui Hirokami and Yuna Kato while Tara succumbed to a 12-21 16-21 loss at the hands of Hina Akechi.

Arul Bala Radhakrishnan and Nila Valluvan also proved no match for the Japanese duo of Riko Gunji and Natsuki Nidaira, losing 10-21 15-21.

The women's team ends the group stage last, having lost to both Japan and Malaysia.

Also Read : I want to gain points to compete at the highest level - Meiraba Luwang

News Source : PTI

2022-02-17 16:16

Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn expects action packed 2022 season

(Motorsport) The upcoming 2022 Formula 1 season is arguably the most exciting one in years with revamped technical regulations, the biggest change in Formula 1 for 40 years. The regulations are aimed to promote wheel-to-wheel racing with bigger teams having fewer advantages throughout the grid. In an interview, Ross Brawn, Managing Director of Formula 1 said “It'll take a little while but I think we're going to be in a far better place going forward with the type of car that we have. Lots of optimism for the season and I think we'll see some interesting results."

With the number of changes for the upcoming season, Ross Brawn was joined by FIA chiefs Nikolas Tombazis and Jason Sommervile to explain everything that can be expected. "Every decision has been made to not dumb down the sport, but to make it more achievable for more of the teams and to get a closer competition going on, while still leaving meritocracies so the best teams still win," stated Brawn. "I think there will be a bit of disparity at the beginning, but we're not expecting a huge disparity. I'm confident that these rules will lead to much better racing, and we're not stopping here. As soon as the cars start to appear, we can analyse how they achieve their performance, we can evolve it, we can tune the regulations to keep it going in the right direction."

In the last few years, Formula 1 cars have lost around half of their downforce while following another car closely which made overtaking difficult but the 2022 cars are expected to circumnavigate the issue due to a carefully thought out design. "We're so massively ahead of where we were because the [previous] cars were dreadful," said Brawn. "So even if we're five per cent worse [than we hoped], we'll still be a long way ahead of what the old cars are. I don't think we ever made a performance prediction," he claimed. "We said let's target a couple of seconds less than where we are now because that's what the teams will make up when they get hold of them. But it was really as simple as that. Knowing the progress teams make, I'm not surprised by what's happened and personally I'm not concerned."

The 2022 cars will provide a fresh slate to every manufacturer, which means that it’s quite possible that more teams and drivers can fight for wins on race weekends. It’s evident that some manufacturers will get it right and others won’t, which means there could be some surprise podium finishes in the upcoming season. "We only really had two drivers in the world championship and two teams in the world championship," Brawn said. "It was a great season from the point of view of entertainment and battles, but we really would like to see more teams in that battle."

All said and done, it’s unlikely that things will change too dramatically in the overall pecking order and the top teams are still expected to dominate over the course of the season. Brawn said “I don't think the regulations will change the regular order of things dramatically. I don't think we're going to see Mick Schumacher dominate this year. I think we'll see some of the midfield teams challenging so I think we'll have a bigger group of competitive teams. Last year, we either expected a Mercedes or a Red Bull to win unless something different happened.

"We're blessed with a number of great drivers in Formula 1 today. Lando Norris, the Ferrari drivers [Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz], we've got George Russell in the Mercedes. I think there's any number of combinations of drivers that give us a fantastic season and if there's three or four of them mixing it up, that's even better. I'm optimistic about the coming season. I think the good teams will do a good job, they've got the equities and the experience."

Also read: Formula 1 team Williams Racing unveil 2022 car FW44

2022-02-15 15:24

Mirabai to compete in new weight category in 2022 Commonwealth Games

New Delhi, Feb 15 (Sports News) Olympic silver medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu will compete in a new weight class -- 55kg -- at the Commonwealth Games later this year to help maximise India’s chances of winning more gold medals in the multi-sport event in Birmingham.

Chanu has achieved a lot of success competing in the 49kg weight division, including winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year. She also holds the clean and jerk world record in this weight class.

Before that, she used to compete in the 48kg class, winning the world championship gold in 2017. She also won 48kg silver and gold in the 2014 and 2018 CWG respectively.

However, head coach Vijay Sharma and the Indian Weightlifting Federation feel the 27-year-old has a better chance of winning the gold medal in the 55kg category at the 2022 CWG than compatriot Sorokhaibam Bindyarani Devi, who won a silver at the Commonwealth Championships in December last.

“We (coach and federation) had a meeting and discussed that India should bring back medals on all the women’s weight categories in the 2022 Commonwealth Games,” Chanu told PTI.

“There is a chance of getting 4-5 gold medals and that’s why we decided that I’ll move up to 55kg. So, we can win one there,” Chanu, who is already a two-time CWG medallist, added.

India still have a gold medal contender in the 49kg in Jhilli Dalabehera who won a silver in the Commonwealth Championships.

Chanu should be a sure-shot gold medal winner in 49kg but now she will have to work hard to win a gold in 55kg.

“I'll have to work really hard, I’ll have to increase the weight (I lift) because it will be competitive (in 55kg). I won’t increase my weight, I’ll keep it as 50kg-51kg which is my natural weight," said Chanu, who has a personal best of 207kg (88kg+119kg).

With the Asian Games scheduled to begin just a month after the Birmingham CWG (July 28 to August 8), the diminutive Manipuri is not yet sure if she will switch back to the 49kg class or continue in 55kg in the continental event.

“I haven’t decided which weight category I’ll compete in the Asian Games. I will decide that after CWG. If all goes well I might continue in 55kg,” she added.

Chanu will be seen in action for the first time since her historic Tokyo performance at the Singapore Weightlifting International later this month, where she will look to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in her new category.

The lifter form Manipur is tweaking her snatch technique and she is hopeful that will also help her in sorting out her “unbalance issue” and stave off injuries.

“I am focussing on snatch a bit more because it is my weakness. Snatch is all about technique so I'm working on that, I’m trying to change it a little.

“This new technique will not be easy. But maybe by improving my technique a little, my unbalance issue may get sorted and it may also lower the risk of injury.” Chanu’s struggles in the snatch section due to an imbalance that affects her right shoulder and back is not new. She benefitted immensely by consulting Dr. Aaron Horschig, a former weightlifter-turned-physical therapist and strength and conditioning coach in the United States ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

Chanu is keen to visit Horschig again next month for rehabilitation and endurance training.

“We are in talks to go in March, which is our off season. I go there keeping in mind the rehab and technique. But it has not been confirmed yet.” As part of its famous “Impossible is Nothing” campaign, Adidas is showcasing and celebrating the stories of inspirational female sportspersons who have achieved extraordinary feats to encourage women in sports. The campaign is close to Chanu's heart.

“There has been a change in mindset, people encourage women to take up sports now and Adidas has supported this a lot. Earlier people didn’t get to know how much hard work has been put in by the players. This campaign shows that. It motivates women, which is a very big thing."

Also Read : Patna Pirates beat Telugu Titans to guarantee Top-2 league stages finish

News Source : PTI

2022-02-14 13:36

Young Indian shuttlers look for glory at Badminton Asia Team championships

Shah Alam (Malaysia), Feb 14 (Badminton News) India's young badminton brigade, led by world championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen and in-form Malvika Bansod, will aim to put up a good show in the Badminton Asia Team championships starting here on Tuesday.

The Indian men's and women's teams will be keen to make a winning start when they take on Korea and hosts Malaysia in group A and group Y respectively on the opening day of the continental championship.

With the seniors skipping the event, the onus will be on India Open winner Sen to lead the men's team. Kiran George and Mithun Manjunath are also likely to play pivotal roles in the tournament where the men's team has been clubbed with three-time defending champions Indonesia and Hong Kong, apart from Korea.

Kiran had won his maiden world tour crown when he claimed the Odisha Super 100 title, while Manjunath had reached semifinals of Syed Modi Super 300. Raghu Mariswamy is the fourth singles players.

In doubles, Ravikhrisna PS and Sankar Prasad Udayakumar, finalists at Odisha last month, and Manjit Singh Khwairakpam and Dingku Singh Konthoujam, who reached semifinal at Bahrain international challenge last year, will hope for a good outing.

Korea also doesn't boast of any big name and the team will be led by Jeon Hyeok Jin, who was part of the team that claimed the gold at the 2014 Asian Games and reached the quarterfinals at Thomas Cup last year.

In women's event, the Indian team, comprising Syed Modi International finalist Malvika, Aakarshi Kashyap and Ashmita Chaliha, will fancy its chances when it faces Malaysia and defending champion Japan in group B during the continental event.

For Malaysia, world number 64 Kisona Selvaduray is their top singles player, while world number 15 pair of Tan Pearly and Thinaah Muralitharan will carry the responsibility of getting the team wins in the doubles matches.

Teams finishing at the top two positions in each group of both the men's and women's events will make it to the last four and also qualify for the Thomas Cup finals in Bangkok on May 17-22.

The Indian men's team had won two bronze but the women's side had never returned with a medal from the tournament.

Lakshya was part of the team which had claimed a bronze in the 2020 edition after losing to Indonesia in the semifinals.

Dinesh Khanna remains the only Indian player to have won the gold medal at the Asian Badminton Championship in 1965.

In the individual event, India also won 11 bronze medals.

The championships lost some sheen with the withdrawal of Thailand, Chinese Taipei and China due to concerns over rising cases of COVID-19.

Also Read : Tasnim Mir wins Iran Fajr International Challenge.

News Source : PTI

2022-02-12 12:45

Formula 1: McLaren unveil 2022 car called MCL36

(Motorsport) Formula 1’s second most successful team McLaren have become the fourth team to launch their 2022 challenger, referred to as the MCL36 which will be driven by Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo in the upcoming season. Revealing a bold and updated livery, McLaren will hope to close the gap between themselves and rivals Ferrari as well as mount a challenge for teams like Red Bull and Mercedes. The car was unveiled at McLaren’s Technology Centre base and revealed that the MCL36 is ready for pre-season testing.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown said “We wanted something that was very vibrant. The livery changes we did last year - both in Monaco and in Abu Dhabi - we got a lot of great fan reaction and they like to see a lot of energy. I think it's got speed and elegance to it that we thought would go on top of the fast race car that hopefully we've designed this year." Alongside the MCL36, McLaren also revealed their IndyCar and Extreme E car which will be making its debut this year. "This is a first for us as a team, and in the wider world of motorsport," said Brown.

McLaren finished behind Ferrari in fourth place in the 2021 season and are expected to face a tough test from the Italian manufacturers this time around, especially considering that Scuderia Ferrari has spent considerable time and resources for the 2022 car (yet to be revealed). McLaren’s 2021 season featured their highest points total since 2012 and the team will look to build on that momentum and eventually compete for World Championships. Despite being ready for pre-season testing, MCL36 is still undergoing infrastructure upgrades with a new wind tunnel and simulator in the development.

McLaren’s technical director James Kay said “With a blank sheet of paper, the team here at McLaren have been working hard to establish a competitive platform for this and future seasons. However, we know we've only just begun to unlock performance from this regulation set, and that one of the key features of the 2022 season will be the intense development war as teams assess each other's designs and innovate new ways of generating downforce through ground-effect."

Lando Norris recently signed a long term contract with McLaren and his partnership with eight-time F1 race winner Daniel Ricciardo could be a winning combination for the 20 time World Champions. At the car launch, Norris said “Last year was my best in Formula 1 so far, and I'm really proud of what I achieved as a driver, and what we achieved as a team. But I know the best is yet to come, and my aim is to carry the positive momentum we built up over the last year and take that with me into this exciting new era of Formula 1.”

Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo said “There's always a nervous excitement around the start of the new season, but that's turned up to 11 when you enter a new era of regulations. Heading into my second year with McLaren feels great and I feel like we learned a lot as a team in 2021, which will help us as we take on this new challenge." McLaren will begin their pre-season testing in Barcelona on February 23-25 another three-day test in March followed by the Bahrain GP on March 20.

Also read: Formula 1: Aston Martin unveil 2022 car with updated livery

2022-02-10 14:31

Formula 1 driver Lando Norris signs new long-term deal with McLaren

(Motorsport) British racing driver Lando Norris has signed a new contract with Formula 1 team McLaren until 2025. The deal means Norris now has the longest contract on the F1 grid as McLaren will hope to not just overcome rivals Ferrari but also Mercedes and Red Bull in the coming years for the elusive World Championship trophy. The 22 year old signed a contract extension with the British racing team last year but his impressive 2021 season saw the driver claim his first pole position as well as four podium finishes.

Norris became the youngest ever British driver to join Formula 1 in 2019 and the 22 year old said “I have grown up in this team and I'm part of this journey we're all on. I want to continue to try to reach that dream of ours and try to win races, and of course to try and win championships. Big thanks to Andreas [Seidl], Zak [Brown] and all of McLaren for having this faith in me. Of course it also shows the faith I have in McLaren and what they will be able to achieve in the next few years. We know it's not going to be quick, we're learning and there's still things we need to improve on to have the ability to fight for wins and championships, but I know that's coming up."

"This is more for the solidarity of me and the team, the confidence in both for the long term," said the British driver. I see that as a benefit for myself, to have this longer contract and stay here for a while, and one for the team. I do see it as a performance benefit and motivation benefit for mechanics, engineers and everybody at MTC. If I want to find every bit of performance, that is included in something like this. It was another opportunity for me to confirm my commitment to the team, for them to confirm it with me, and give the whole team confidence that I'm here to stay and trying to achieve things with them."

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl said “He showed last year that in the right team and the right car, in just his third year in Formula 1, he can score pole positions and drive for race wins. "It was natural for us, we try to lock him in as long as possible here at McLaren for continuity and consistency.” Norris is considered one of the hottest properties in the Formula 1 grid and McLaren have pinned their hopes on the 22 year old to bring back the World Championship which was last won by Lewis Hamilton for the Formula 1 team in 2008.

Norris has admitted that he has had opportunities to join other teams. The British racing driver said “I'm sure I could have opportunities to go elsewhere in the future but for the next four years, and a big part of my life, I want to stay here and enjoy the time with McLaren and the people that brought me into this sport. This is a very strong message to put across to everyone the faith we have in each other, the confidence I have in McLaren can recover and get to the front in the next few years.

“There were little chats here and there but that's all. If something came up that's when I would go to Andreas and have a conversation. There were little things here and there with various other teams but nothing that went far at all. Which teams? That's something I can't say but you would probably be able to guess reasonably well!

“I have to weigh in all the factors and it's still my own career that I'm focusing on. I look at all the best options for me and what I can be most successful in, where I believe I can achieve the best but also what I believe is the best for me as a driver and as a person, and in the longer term. Of course there will be opportunities for sure now for other drivers to do things and maybe go to Red Bull or Mercedes.

"But the fact that I would have had those opportunities and still chose to stay at McLaren is I think the good thing about all this, I know those opportunities would arise in the next few years but the fact is I've still committed to McLaren. I think that's quite a strong message that this is where I want to be and where I want to achieve race wins, podiums and championships. Weighing all the factors for my own benefit and where I think I could have been in the next few years with drivers leaving so on, but in the end for me McLaren was still the best option."

McLaren will launch their 2022 Formula 1 car on Friday.

Also read: Formula 1 team Haas unveil 2022 challenger and new livery

2022-02-09 16:40

Dipika Pallikal, now a mother and interior designer, back on squash court after four years

New Delhi, Feb 9 (Sports News) One of India's finest squash players, Dipika Pallikal is back on the court after four years, a break she needed to start a family and to do "something different" in her life with her career graph "stagnating".

Blessed with twins last October, the 31-year-old has been training hard for the last couple of months with the focus on the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games later this year.

Pallikal, who established an interior designing business in her time away from the game, is aiming to create more history at the two multi-sporting events.

She is expected to take part in the doubles events in the Birmingham Games before gradually increasing her workload to also play singles in the Hangzhou Games.

Pallikal and India's highest ranked player Joshna Chinappa had won India's first ever gold in CWG history at the Glasgow edition back in 2014. Speaking to PTI on motherhood and comeback, Pallikal said she was fortunate to have had a support system which allowed her to take time off from the game back in 2018.

The former world number 10 was ranked in the top-20 when she took the break but she was not able to move up the ladder, making her decision easier.

Being mother of twin boys is "double the hard work" but Pallikal, married to cricketer Dinesh Karthik, is enjoying this special phase of her life.

"Yeah it is hard (being a mother and professional athlete) but I don't want to emphasise on it. Obviously, it's hard with the sleep cycle of the kids and it is double the work because of twins.

"My husband is also an athlete, and he's away training and playing. So a lot of responsibility lies on me but obviously I'm very lucky to have had to have a solid system, a family, that helps me with my scheduling that I still go for training in the morning and the evening.

"...it's all the same like before but have get up for a feed at 3am before training. But I knew well before that I wanted to come back and play. I had wanted to do this even before I had kids and I know it was going to be double the hard work that I had to do after I get kids.

"It's been exactly that, it's not been easy, but I'm enjoying the space of extra responsibilities of just going back home after training and being with the kids." A knee injury last year and the pandemic also delayed her return but Pallikal can't complain with COVID wreaking havoc in lives of millions around the world. With the kids by her side, she feels more grateful than ever.

"It's a very new way to look at life. How do I say it's a very new outlook to life. It has always been squash squash squash since I was 10, me wanting to be the best in the sport.

"But so many things happened in life in the last two years. I have learn to appreciate life and I appreciate the smaller things. So for me to just be back on court standing on both my feet and playing that is giving me happiness," said the Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee.

Pallikal could make her competitive return alongside Joshna in the Women's Doubles World Championships in Glasgow in April. The Chennai-based player plans to return to the PSA professional tour only after the Asian Games. She expects to back to her best after another month of training.

Her selection in the Indian team for the two big events is subject to her performances in the trials which will be held in due course, SRFI secretary general Cyrus Poncha has said. Pallikal was 27 when she stepped away from the game. Four years later, she remains young enough to compete at the highest level. Her longtime teammate Joshna, who is 35, has played her best squash in the last couple of years and only seems to be getting better with age. Talking about more the decision she took in 2018, Pallikal added: "I wanted to take time off for many reasons. I felt stagnated in results, I was at at a level where I wasn't very happy with.

"Another reason was wanting to start a family. And definitely trying to do something different. I had been playing squash since I was 10. I had not done anything other than squash.

"It might not have been the right time back then. It might have been the right time.

"It might have been the right age. It might not have been the age. But I felt that I was stagnated and I sat down and I truly felt I wasn't going to move up. So for me it was very important (to make that call)."

Also Read : Ashish shines as Haryana Steelers beat Tamil Thalaivas

News Source : PTI

2022-02-07 14:17

Days after losing father, Asian champ boxer Pooja Rani set for Strandja Memorial

New Delhi, Feb 7 (Boxing News) From the revelry of her brother's wedding to the utter despair of losing her father, life changed in a matter of five days for two-time Asian champion and Tokyo Olympian boxer Pooja Rani.

But the national champion is back in training here and is all set for her first competitive outing of the season as well, the prestigious Strandja Memorial Tournament which starts February 18 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

"I got back to the national camp just yesterday," the 81kg category boxer told PTI, her soft voice reflecting the pain and helplessness of being dealt another blow just when things were seemingly going well for her after ending a quarterfinalist in Tokyo Olympics.

She is quite used to life going awry at the most inopportune time.

A career-threatening shoulder injury some years back and burnt hands just before a major tournament bear testimony to Pooja's struggles.

But this hurts more than anything she has endured so far. The death of her father Rajbir Singh, a retired inspector in Haryana Police, is a crushing blow as he was her biggest motivator despite being opposed to her career as a boxer when she started.

"He was my biggest inspiration. I was very close to him. It happened five days after my brother's wedding last month, I had come back to the camp and suddenly around 3 in the morning (on February 1), I was told he died of a heart failure, I rushed home," she recalled before going quiet, unable to revisit the trauma beyond this.

"When I was coming back to the camp after my brother's wedding, he made a victory sign to see me off, I can't get that out of my mind. I keep thinking of about it. It's like I am stuck in that moment," she said.

But life goes on and the Bhiwani-boxer, who also has to her credit a bronze in the 2014 Asian Games, is hoping to make her father proud at the Strandja Memorial.

"Whether I won or lost, all he tried to do was to make me happy. He opposed my love for boxing when I started but once he got around, he was like a pillar, with me through every triumph and every disappointment. I hope I can make him proud.

"I have had very little time to train amid all that has happened but I am hopeful of doing well in Strandja," she said.

The tournament, which is the European season-opener, will feature both male and female boxers. The Indian women's team will be made entirely of the reigning national champions.

Male Tokyo Olympians to skip Strandja Memorial ============================== The men's team is also going to be primarily represented by national champions which means that the five, who competed in Tokyo Olympics, would be waiting for some more time before getting back in action.

Amit Panghal (51kg), Vikas Krishan (69kg), Manish Kaushik (63.5kg), Ashish Chaudhary (75kg), and Satish Kumar (+91kg) have been training at the national camp in Patiala for the past three weeks but are yet to be competition ready in terms of fitness.

"They will have to skip this one. The fitness levels are not yet what they should be given that they did not compete after Tokyo and resumed training less than a month back," a Boxing Federation of India source told PTI.

Among the national champions who would miss the event are Shiva Thapa (63.5kg), who twisted his ankle some weeks back, Sanjeet (91kg), nursing a shoulder injury, and world championship bronze-winner Akash (54kg).

The two teams are due to leave on February 17 after undergoing pre-departure COVID-19 tests.

The Squads: Men: Govind (48kg), Ankit (51kg), Rajpinder Singh (54kg), Rohit Mor (57kg), Varinder Singh (60kg), Dalvir Singh (63.5kg), Akash (67kg), Rohit Tokas (71kg), Sumit (75kg), Sachin Kumar (81kg), Lakshya Chahar (86kg), Gaurav Chauhan (91kg), Narender (+91kg) Women: Nitu (48kg), Anamika (50kg), Nikhat Zareen (52kg), Shiksha (54kg). Sonia Lather (57kg), Meena Rani (60kg), parveen (63kg), Anjali Tushir (66kg), Arundhati Chaudhary (71kg), Saweety (75kg), Pooja Rani (81kg), Nandini (+81kg).

Also Read : Candidates called by IBA for Board of Directors

News Source : PTI

2022-02-05 17:08

My main target is to play at the 2024 Paris Paralympics - Prem Kumar Ale, Para Badminton player

(Badminton news) Prem Kumar Ale has had a meteoric rise in the field of Para Badminton, the former soldier plays in the wheelchair singles, doubles and mixed doubles categories. A few years ago, Prem’s pull ups video became a huge hit as it gave motivation to all the netizens. He has been playing Para Badminton for over 9 years and currently trains in Lucknow.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Prem Kumar Ale speaks about how he started playing Badminton, coaching tactics during his famous win at Basel, overcoming challenges and preparing for an action packed year.

Q1) When was the first time you played Badminton and who inspired you to become a professional?

The first time I played Badminton was in 2014 and my senior NB Gurung guided and told me to take up the sport as he was a former Olympian athlete himself.

Q2) How did you adapt to the big competitions since you turned professional within a year of playing?

Mr Gurung's words inspired me to take up the sport, after that I practiced for only 2 months and got the chance to play in the nationals where my category was wheelchair badminton 1. I not only performed well but won a Bronze medal in the singles category and that boosted my self belief as I got the confidence to pursue it as a profession.

Q3) After winning over 8 International and 21 national medals, what are some of the biggest lessons you have learnt on court?

The sport has taught me a lot of lessons. We need to bring a positive approach at every point of learning as it can help an athlete move forward. One also has to have patience when you are working towards a goal, it takes a lot of time and effort to be an International player.

For people who are new to Para Sports, i would like to say that it is difficult in the start but you can always focus on building your strengths. My coaches have stressed on the importance of physical fitness which always helps an athlete and keeping the mind away from negativity.

Also read: My goal is to make Godlike Esports the best team in the country and represent India - Vivek Aabhas "ClutchGod" Horo

Q4) After coming from a game down, how did you defeat top seed Thomas Wandschneider in the world championships in Basel three years ago?

I had two things in mind coming into the court at the Basel World Championships. First one was to give my best and to make my coach proud. I knew that Thomas Wandschneider was a higher ranked and much stronger opponent; but my coach told me to keep rallying instead of trying to finish the points quickly and avoid unforced errors. I kept rallying and it finally wore him out at the end of the match.

Q5) What are some of the challenges that you have been facing and how do you overcome them?

Challenges will occur every now and then whether it's related to tournaments or disability. At times, I feel unlucky about my disability and start thinking about what would be if I was able. There are people who have overcome many more struggles than I have which gives me the faith to keep moving forward. I feel grateful about things which I have and try to be positive.

Q6) What are your future plans and how do you intend to achieve them?

We have the World Championship and Asian Games this year for which we are currently practicing at GKBA Academy under the guidance of Gaurav Khanna. My main target is to play in the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

2022-02-04 17:26

Candidates called by IBA for Board of Directors

(Boxing news) The International Boxing Association (IBA) invited candidates for election to positions on the IBA Board of Directors, even that of President. Before becoming candidates, they will have a process of eligibility checks that will also select the candidates that have the right skills to help lead IBA to a brighter future.

“Over the past year, IBA has undergone a very impressive transformation in our ability to serve boxers. We have made huge progress in governance reform, financial integrity and sporting integrity,” said IBA President Umar Kremlev. “The way these elections will take place reflects that transformation. The IBA election process has been developed to the highest standards, with the support of the best minds in governance, and we are grateful for that support.”

The present IBA Board of Directors features 28 members, the next Board will be reduced to 18: President – elected by the IBA Congress, Five Directors representing the Continental Confederations – elected by the Confederations, Ten independent Directors – elected by the IBA Congress, Two athletes – elected by their peers.

The upcoming elections will be for the President and ten independent directors. Of the ten independent Directors, at least five must be women and a minimum one from each continent. 2nd March will be the final deadline for nomination. The list of eligible candidates will be published by 22 April and the elections will be held by the Electoral Congress on 13-14 May, during the IBA Women’s World Championships in Istanbul.

All candidates have to provide insights of their eligibility according to a set of strict criteria, including term limits. All candidates will also be a part of background checks conducted by Genius Sports, an independent provider. An independent Interim Nomination Unit will then overlook the applications and will apply a skills analysis to those nominated for the position of independent Director. Skills needed are finance, marketing, medical and exceptional sporting ability. After the assessment, the independent Unit is expected to recommend a group of 20-30 candidates for election.

The independent Interim Nomination Unit’s five members are:

Prof. Piermarco Zen-Ruffinen, Professor Emeritus of the Law Faculty at the University of Neuchatel, Dr. Catherine Ordway, Sport Integrity Research Lead at the University of Canberra, Chair of the Badminton World Federation Vetting Panel, Louise Reilly, Barrister-at-Law, Chair of the Board of the Biathlon Integrity Unit, Jacques Blondin, Head of Regulatory Enforcement at FIFA, Roberto Cammarelle, AIBA World Champion and Olympic Champion.

The election process was brought by an independent Governance Reform Group led by Prof. Ulrich Haas. The Group’s report was approved unanimously by IBA members at an Extraordinary Congress held in December 2021.

The elections will also be conducted in accordance with a comprehensive set of regulations.

Also read: World Boxing Tour competition system to be trialled by IBA in 2022

2022-01-29 14:45

I want to win medals at the Paralympics, Asian Games and World Championships - Wheelchair Badminton player Ammu Mohan

The country’s top ranked wheelchair Badminton player Ammu Mohan has fought many battles on and off the court. She has endured all the challenges and is a staunch believer in hard work which always helps her to progress as a player.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Ammu Mohan gives an insight about her Para badminton career, staying away from family, managing work along with career and aiming for medals at Paralympics.

Q1) When did you start playing Para Badminton as a professional?

I started in the year 2017, I got internationally classified, before that I used to play domestic tournaments but professionally I would say 2017 I started with Para Badminton.

Q2) How challenging was the transition between Tennis to Badminton and what made you change your sport?

If you look at tennis, it is completely different from badminton in terms of shot making and rules. What made me change the sport is my disability as I felt badminton would suit my disability because I got internationally classified in wheelchair Badminton. I was not able to receive good training in tennis compared to badminton as I felt not very motivated playing tennis. I get a lot of support from not only my coaches but also my colleagues who have helped me through the initial stages in practice and also now in improving my game. I've been staying in Lucknow since last year. I also won the gold medal at the nationals, which shows how far my game has improved. My current coach is aware of the wheelchair accessibility and also playing with international caliber players has helped improve my game.

Q3) How was the experience of winning three medals at the Uganda Para Badminton International championship?

I wasn't expecting to win 3 medals and I am so glad to have won 2 golds and 1 silver at that tournament. My colleagues knew about my game and they motivated me. There was a lot of positivity from the coaches as well. My coach had given a justification to SAI beforehand that I will win in Uganda and get a medal. It was a very tough time for me. I was so happy to be getting recognition on social media as well. Olympian Pramod Kumar called me a rising star which was a big moment for me.

Winning a gold medal in International competition is very hard and in a wheelchair category is more difficult. The media also informed me that I was the first woman from the country to get a gold medal in the wheelchair category in Para Badminton. Wheelchair badminton is very fast paced and you have to be very quick. My family, friends and my colleagues at the London Stock Exchange were also very happy for me. It also motivated me to keep working harder and achieve more things.

Also read: I try to watch and learn from every player who does well - Malaysian cricketer Virandeep Singh

Q4) With Para Badminton making its debut at the Paralympics last year, do you think the sport has evolved in our country in the last decade?

It definitely has. There has been a lot of growth in Para Badminton. Previously there were very few players but after it was added in the Paralympics there are a lot of players who started taking up the sport. In Odisha more than 500 players had come whereas before there used to be around 100 in all categories. The game is growing with every minute. The states are also supporting the players and doing the best they can. In Para Badminton most of the ranked players are from India in multiple categories. Getting a medal in the wheelchair category used to be difficult and no one ever thought that it could be done but now everything has changed. Coaches help us by giving proper training and breaking barriers. In Lucknow, Gaurav Khanna's academy has wheelchair accessibility where we have all the facilities. We get recognition as well now whereas before it wasn't there.

Q5) What are some of the challenges you have faced in your career and how did you overcome them?

One of the main challenges during my initial days was to strengthen my physical and mental condition for training. During that time it was more like a social service as I did not have much hope in my performance. I started playing sports after my father passed away and when I started playing Tennis there were a lot of problems. I could not hit the ball well as I was very weak and my stamina was drained.

People used to make fun of me when they saw me playing and that negativity had an impact on me. I took it as a challenge whenever I was playing in the wheelchair and then worked on my physical fitness through personal coaching. I entered Athletics and in 2014 I started winning gold medals which came as a surprise to many people. That motivated me to stay in sports and was confused to choose between Tennis or Athletics.

In 2015 I played Para Badminton, instantly there was a connection and I wanted to play the game. I tried to contact many coaches and then contacted the governor in 2017 saying that I needed coaching which was not available in Bangalore. He informed me that I needed to get classified. I got classified when I played an event in Japan for the Wheelchair 2 category. From then the training started but still I was not satisfied and being in constant touch with my coaches brought me to Lucknow.

It is also difficult for me to balance office work and Para Badminton as I need the job for financial support. I specifically requested the company for 4-1 evening shift, it has been challenging as we fix the technical/ manual issues of the clients which needs 100 percent involvement. Even when I take leave ,I only take while tournaments are going on. Two sessions of training in the morning and then I come to the office for work which goes till 1. Every athlete needs sufficient rest after training sessions and am unable to attend 3 sessions in a day. My job supports me in open tournaments where I spend my own money, getting a sponsor is also very time consuming. If I have proper rest and am able to do three sessions then there will be a lot of positive changes in my game. I have overcome a lot of negative comments, tears to reach this level and my coaches always get me back with a positive mindset.

I try to be as independent as possible. I used to play with the Indian wheelchair which was 30,000 rupees and still used it at the International level. Then by God’s grace, there was a scheme in the Karnataka government which sanctioned 2 crores for equipment. I met an IAS officer who was into sports and told him about my wheelchair. After continuous follow up which lasted a year, I finally got the RGK wheelchair and at present am the only one from Karnataka in wheelchair category; I am also the country’s top ranked player in the wheelchair category.

Q6) What are your future goals and how would you want to achieve them?

I want to win medals at the Paralympics, Asian Games and World Championships. I also stay away from my family as they are in Bangalore and there are a lot more sacrifices to be made in the future. I am working hard for that and also need support from everyone to reach nearer to my goal.

2022-01-28 12:35

FIA planning new race management structure after Abu Dhabi GP controversy

(Motorsport) Formula 1’s governing body FIA is making plans for a new race management structure to avoid a repeat of the events that took place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. To refresh your memory of the events that took place at the Yas Marina Circuit, race director Michael Masi over-rode the rules regarding the operation of the safety car. The motivation behind this decision, as explained after the race ended, was to ensure that the final race of the 2021 season did not end under caution as it was previously agreed by the teams that in the event there is a late safety car, the preferred option would be to end the race in racing conditions.

However, the controversial moment was when Masi didn’t apply the rules correctly on two separate occasions, the first being the dealing with the lapped cars and the second was the timing of the restart. The result was that Lewis Hamilton lost out on the World Championship after Max Verstappen overtook the British racing driver in the last lap after having fresh, soft compound tyres. Since the event, the FIA have admitted that it has “tarnished the image” of Formula 1 and that the credibility of the sport has been questioned. Moreover, Lewis Hamilton is said to have lost trust in the FIA and will decide his future in the sport only after getting clarity of what the FIA intends to do to address his concerns over race management.

It’s expected that the FIA intends to introduce a series of safeguards to ensure that the race director is free to make decisions in a calmer environment as it’s widely accepted that during the events of the Abu Dhabi GP, Masi was left exposed, isolated and under tremendous pressure in the final few laps of the race. It’s also expected that teams will not be able to communicate with the race director going forward to avoid undue pressure and influence of decisions which was the case from both Red Bull and Mercedes during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Revisions to the operation of stewards, who are independent of the race director and decide penalties/ rule breaches, are also being considered.

With new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem at the helm, some teams have recommended the removal of Michael Masi as race director. The desire to see a new race director is not purely due to Masi’s decisions/errors in Abu Dhabi but because it was the biggest blunder amongst a series of errors that took place during the 2021 season. Both Red Bull and Ferrari have denied making a request for Masi’s removal while Williams has claimed it “does not believe it is for teams to decide FIA personnel". However, Mercedes, Alpine, Aston Martin, Haas and Alfa Romeo have not yet publicly chosen sides.

In a letter to FIA’s member clubs after his election, Mohammed Ben Sulayem said he "will take all the necessary decisions after examining the findings of the detailed analysis on this subject decided unanimously by the World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris last 15 December. I will do so in complete independence, refusing any pressure from any quarter, in the sole interest of our sport."

Also read: Formula 1 teams AlphaTauri and Alpine announce car launch dates

2022-01-25 13:15

Let your performance do the talking says Pankaj Advani - Indian billiards and snooker player

It would require an entire book to list the number of achievements Pankaj Advani has accomplished in billiards and snooker. The 36 year old is a 24 time World Champion, 15 times winner of the IBSF World Billiards Championship, three times winner of the IBSF World Snooker Championship and is the only cueist to have won the Asian and World Championships in all formats of billiards and snooker. He has also been bestowed the Arjuna Award in 2004, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2006, Padma Shri in 2009 and Padma Bhushan in 2018 by the Government of India.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, The Prince of India - Pankaj Advani reflects upon his formative years and his journey, the role of Arvind Savur in his development, his most memorable achievements, facing and overcoming challenges in his career, advice to aspiring players, future goals and more!

Q 1) Tell us about your formative years and your journey towards becoming the poster boy of Indian snooker.

As a youngster, I was exposed to sports like badminton, cricket, table tennis and basketball. Our family was based in Kuwait but because of the Gulf War, we shifted to India! My older brother Shree used to play snooker in a small club near our home in Bangalore. I was fascinated with the coloured balls, the technique and rules of the sport just by watching him and his friends play.

After 3 weeks of observing them, I finally tried my hand at it and in the first go, I pocketed the ball to my surprise and delight! I was very passionate right from the start. I attended summer coaching camps in the Karnataka State Billiards Association to hone my skills and compete with better players. I never knew how far I’d go but I knew I wanted to do something with the talent I had. My school, college and family supported me and that really helped in taking cue sports as a career. At age 18, I won my first World Title in China against a Pakistani player Md. Saleh in the final, a moment I’ll never forget. There was no looking back after that.

Q 2) How important of a role did former national Snooker champion Arvind Savur play in your early snooker development? What are some of the valuable lessons you learnt from him?

He refused me initially because I was too short. When we eventually started working together, my game and level improved rapidly. I started winning titles at an early age and I guess the reason for winning consistently is because of Mr Savur’s contribution to my career. He never ever charged me a single penny because he wanted to create a World Champion and realize his dream through me. He was a semifinalist himself years ago. He’s a father figure, philosopher and guide to me. One of the most generous kind hearted people I’ve ever known.

Q 3) You have a number of achievements in your illustrious career so far, which one do you consider the most special and why?

There are many highs, especially my World Championship Gold Medals. It is difficult to pick one out of them. I’ve always felt I wanted to do something different in cue sport. I managed to win both the Billiards and Snooker IBSF World Championships in Doha in 2017. 99.9 % of cueists specialize in either billiards or snooker. I believed I could do it in both and excel and win titles. The dual fear in 2017 was a record! One of my biggest achievements in my cue sports career.

Also read: My aim is to win gold for India at the 2022 Asian Games - Golfer Avani Prashanth

Q 4) You are also the first player to hold the world title and the continental title at the same time, how proud are you of that achievement?

The nature of snooker is unpredictable compared to billiards. To win both Asian and World Titles in Snooker and that too in the shortest format - 6 reds, is truly a special and wonderful feeling. Very difficult to repeat for me.

Q 5) Despite the immense success that you have accomplished, what are some of the challenges you have faced in your career and how did you overcome them?

As an athlete in India, you get support once you start performing and doing well. Initially I remember my mother had to break an FD to send me to the UK for my first ever international competition. My father passed away when I was 6 years old. Those were tough times. I was also not taken seriously because of my height when I began my journey in cue sport. I only believed in one thing - let your performance do the talking.

Q6) What would you want to say to young aspiring players, who look up to you and want to make it big on the world stage? Do you have any tips for them?

Be patient, nothing comes on a platter! Work towards your goals and be disciplined but always be open minded to learning something new everyday. I believe I still have so much to learn even after 20 years of competitive billiards and snooker!

Q 7) Having achieved nearly everything there is to accomplish, what are the next steps in your career?

I love playing. I love competing and I love representing my country at the international stage. Currently, I am preparing for the IBSF World Snooker Championships to be held in Doha in March. I would love to see our great sport on television and for fans to understand it and appreciate what we do on the table.

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