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2021-09-25 16:45

Ben Johnson’s short lived stardom at the 1988 Seoul Olympics

(Sports news) The 100m final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics is known as one of the most scandalous races of all time, only one athlete out of the top five has not had drug charges on him. On September 24 1988, there was Ben Johnson who had the world record of 9.83 secs and was looking to beat Carl Lewis who was the defending Olympic champion. Lewis was already an established athlete as he had won four Golds in the previous Olympics at Los Angeles and had been a star in the field of athletics.

Ben had the world record, Lewis was the defending champion, Linford Christie was the European champion and Calvin Smith a former world record holder. The 100m final was one of the most anticipated ones as each athlete had equal chances of winning the gold medal, as soon as the shots were fired Ben with his muscled figure ran the race of his life as he lifted his hand signalling victory at the finish line. The timing was 9.79 secs and it was the first time any athlete had run a sub 9.80 secs, Carl Lewis came second with a time of 9.92 secs and Linford Christie came third with a time of 9.97. Four athletes had run under 10 seconds as Calvin Smith ran a 9.99 secs for a fourth place finish.

It was the fastest 100m men’s final and Ben dethroned Lewis for the title but three days later there was even more shocking news as Ben failed the drug test which again put him in the headlines but this time not for a good deed. Carl Lewis claimed his second consecutive title, Christie moved into the second spot and Calvin Smith won the bronze medal. Ben Johnson's world record of 9.83 secs was also now not legal and Carl Lewis had the world record.

Calvin Smith as of now is the only one out of the top five in the 1988 race who has remained clean in his career. Linford Christie was failed a drug test in 1999, Lewis had charges against him for failing the drug test at the US Olympic trials and Dennis MiItchell who had finished fourth was banned for two years in 1998 for excessive levels of the male sex hormone testosterone. There have been questions about drug testing in the field of sports and how athletes can escape the syringes as with the rise of technology there have been various ways to go under the radar.

Surprise and compulsory testing is one of the ways to determine the athletes who have taken substances in the past. The drug tainted athletes effectively are banned from the sport or banned for some period of time depending upon the severity of the case. Although athletes mostly take it for medicinal purposes, the case of Russia and certain cases in the US prove that there can be the support from the state or the athletes use it deliberately. The sport needs to remain clean at all costs and athletes who have been doing it naturally will always be there to support the cause.

Also read: Ferdinand Omanyala Omurwa posts the 8th fastest time in the 100m at World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Series

2021-09-25 16:20

Extreme E releases their calendar for 2022 season

(Motorsports news) The electric off road racing series is at the midpoint as it celebrates its first season as Extreme E has its eye on the future as it unveils the provisional Season 2’s calendar in 2022.

The electric racing series takes place in off-road locations as part of its mission to drive awareness of climate change issues, such as global warming, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, wildfires and extreme weather and desertification, whilst promoting sustainability and the adoption of electric vehicles to help protect the planet.

Alejandro Agag, CEO and Founder of Extreme E, explained: “We’ve had a hugely positive response to Extreme E throughout this opening Season, from governments to NGOs, who see great potential, not only for utilising our purpose driven sports platform to educate on climate issues, but also to showcase the solutions that they and the wider global community can all be part of.

“As we approach the tail end of our first Season, we wanted to be transparent about how our second season is shaping up in order to help enable our teams, drivers and partners to prepare. We’ve had lots of interest, both in retaining events in locations we’ve visited in Season 1, and from new locations and we are currently at a stage where we have multiple options for some of our races. As an engaged championship which aims to put fans at the heart of decision making, we are also keen to hear input and opinions on where we should go in future Seasons too.”

Provisional Extreme E Season 2 calendar (2022):
February 19-20: Saudi Arabia
May 7-8: Senegal / Egypt / Tanzania
July 9-10: Greenland / Iceland
September 10-11: Brazil / Argentina / Uruguay / Italy / Costa Rica
November 26-27: Chile

St. Helena, the former Royal Mail Ship will provide the championship’s floating centrepiece as they will carry the series’ vehicles, logistics equipment and paddock infrastructure as well as playing host to scientific research with its on board laboratory. This is done in a bid to lower the impact of the travel logistics compared to air travel.

Head-to-head races, known as an X Prix, will take place over two days as the area is no larger than 10 km2, with each team fielding a male and a female driver to compete in the race, including a Driver Switch incorporated midway. Course designers have carefully selected course options, which provide the most challenging, exciting action, using obstacles and features with elevation changes and jumps, to entertain the audience and also raise environmental awareness

Race organisers undergo thorough environmental, social and economic assessments of each location with a local third party, as they oversee the environmental protection, social inclusivity and fair practices. Extreme E in a systematic manner as they operate from water consumption, waste management, lighting on-site through to land management and ensuring the series races without a trace after the X Prix has finished.

Additionally, in each location, Extreme E works alongside governments and NGOs to implement positive legacy initiatives dependent on regional needs. Examples of Legacy Programmes in Season 1 have included; the funding of a turtle conservation project along the Red Sea coastline; the planting of one million mangroves with NGO TO.org and Oceanium in Senegal; cocoa agroforestry and Amazon conservation with The Nature Conservancy in Para state, Brazil; and the creation of a climate education syllabus for over 3,500 school children across Greenland with UNICEF.

Professor Carlos Duarte, Extreme E’s Climate Change Scientist said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of Extreme E this year and very much look forward to continuing our good work into Season 2.
“The legacy and scientific aspects are a true cornerstone to the series and already this year I’ve been able to conduct research in Saudi Arabia and collect ice samples from the Russell Glacier with Extreme E. This championship gives me and my peers the opportunity to reach people outside of our usual networks, it gives us a voice to reach the masses and educate on climate issues and the solutions we can all be a part of.”

As well as providing a platform for climate and environmental awareness, Extreme E provides strong economic impact to the host countries. YouGov Sport, calculated the series’ inaugural event in Saudi Arabia contributed more than €47 million local value. These figures include employment of local personnel, logistics, transportation, local food ,beverage, provisions and hotel stays.
The media exposure of the Desert X Prix majorly factors in the overall economic impact. Extreme E’s broadcast in 190 broadcasting markets as they cater to 18.7million audiences which has resulted in an unprecedented media value of almost €32 million for the championship.

Extreme E has already surpassed its end of Season 1 targets on social media hitting 100 million video views, a 400 per cent increase in engagement plus more than one billion impressions across all digital platforms.

Also read: ABT CUPRA XE announces new design in IAA Mobility Show at Munich

2021-09-24 19:01

We created a brotherhood: Leander Paes on his successful partnership with Mahesh Bhupathi

Mumbai, Sep 24 (Sports News) Many years ago, Leander Paes acted on a whim when he asked Mahesh Bhupathi, "Would you like to win Wimbledon?" and the tennis star says what followed was a partnership that brought many trophies for India.

This "brotherhood" between the two Indian tennis icons, who were the first doubles team from the country to win at Wimbledon in 1999, is what the two tennis legends have revisited through ZEE5's non-fiction series "Break Point".

Paes said the audience will get to see a faithful representation of their journey through the series, directed by filmmaker couple Nitesh Tiwari and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari.

"We created a brotherhood. And through ‘Break Point’, you get to see the journey of two young Indian boys and how we conquered the world of tennis, won Wimbledon and became number one in the world," Paes told PTI in an interview.

Once the poster boys for the sport in the country, nicknamed the "Indian Express", Paes and Bhupathi played together from 1994 to 2006 and reunited for their second stint from 2008 to 2011.

Besides the Wimbledon championship that they won in 1999, Paes and Bhupathi also won two French Open titles in 1999 and 2001.

Through "Break Point", Paes said he re-lived all the games that he and Bhupathi played together including the several Grand Slams and the Olympics, while also taking note of the ups and downs of their relationship, among other things.

"One of my favourite memories is when I was 16-year-old playing in Sri Lanka, and Mahesh was 15, playing at the same Asian championships. So when I saw him, I had an intuition that we could win Wimbledon together and we could be number one in the world.

"So I watched him play for about 15 minutes and when he came off the court he had a big smile on his face and I shook his hand. I said, 'I am Leander.' and he said, 'I know and I have been following you'. And then I said, 'Thank you, but would you like to win Wimbledon?'" Paes said.

He recalled that Bhupathi was taken aback by what he said and started laughing.

"He said, 'You're crazy.' I said, 'I am crazy. Would you like to win Wimbledon?' And the rest is history," added Paes, who as a singles player had famously won the bronze medal in tennis at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

What Paes respects a lot about Bhupathi is that he believed in his dreams and worked hard for them.

"I think that what we've achieved together has created some world records as we are unbeaten in the Davis Cup in 24 matches, we played so many Olympics together.

"We've been number one in the world together. So I really respect the hard work that you put into believing in that dream." Their partnership, however, was marred by a public fallout in 2012 ahead of the London Olympics but Paes said they have put that past behind them and moved on in their lives.

He described the show as quite "real" and "raw".

"We are very true to telling the story of how we were pioneers at the time because there was no manual to teach us how to be the best in the world.

"And it also shows our mistakes, the downfalls that we had, the things that possibly we did wrong that we could have done better." Personally, for him, his win at Atlanta Olympics is a moment closer to his heart as it seemed like emulating his Olympian father Vece Paes.

The tennis star felt that one of the key reasons why they chose to narrate their own story through "Break Point" is that they wanted to share a true story.

"One of the reasons we didn't choose actors and told it directly from our own mouths and our own stories…and also we got our parents, siblings, friends and opponents that we played against, like the Bryan twins, the Woodies, Martina Hingis, Radek Stepanek, Mark Knowles.

"I'm really appreciative of all of them coming and taking part in ‘Break Point’," he said.

Praising Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari, Paes said the directors have gone beyond the game and tapped into the human aspect.

"Through all the episodes, they take you through a journey of human emotions. They show you how champions are built, how Champions also make mistakes and that they are human also.

"They show you how winning Wimbledon on one day might make you the king of the world but the next day you are vulnerable too,” he added.

Paes is grateful to the director duo, writer Piyush Gupta and the streaming platform ZEE5 for giving them the platform to narrate their story in multiple languages.

"It's been one phenomenal journey. We proved that if you work hard and if you believe in yourself, have the courage to believe in your dreams, you can be world champions, for sure.

"With this show, we can actually reach the masses to inspire them that if these two can win Wimbledon then you can also be a champion of the world in anything you want to." "Break Point" will stream on ZEE5 on October 1.

Also Read : Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra meets Abhinav Bindra

News Source : PTI

2021-09-24 17:50

Former Real Madrid Coach Ángel Garcia Becomes SC East Bengal assistant coach

Kolkata, Sep 24 (Football News) Former Real Madrid coach Angel Puebla Garcia has been appointed as the deputy to SC East Bengal head coach Manuel 'Manolo' Diaz, the club announced on Friday.

He will also be fulfilling the responsibilities of a strength and fitness coach.

With close to two decades of coaching experience, Garcia has worked with the likes of Vicente del Bosque at Real Madrid between 1993-94 and Rafa Benitez in Real Madrid and Real Valladolid between 1994-1996 as both football conditioning and assistant coach.

A UEFA Pro License holder who has also cut his teeth in sports science, fitness and conditioning with multiple degrees to show for, Garcia has worked closely with players of the ilk of David Villa and David Silva also working with the Georgia national team in 2008.

"I am happy to be part of such a big club like SC East Bengal. I have worked in some of the finest football clubs and with some of the best coaches. I know what it takes to bring the winning mentality and that is what we will try to do here," Garcia said.

"I am looking forward for the challenge ahead and I can't wait to get started," he added.

Garcia was the chief executive of Real Valladolid's academy and Kimberley College Football Academy in Brisbane (Australia). Having worked in four continents, Garcia was last attached to Newell's Old Boys in Argentina, where he was the assistant coach to Germán Burgos.

Garcia has worked with players like Raúl, Fernando Morientes, Emilio Butragueño, Rafael Martín Vázquez, Iván Zamorano and Maxi Rodríguez besides also training Spanish world champions Villa, Silva, Álvaro Arbeloa, Carlos Marchena and Raúl Albiol.

He has worked with Al Wasl in Dubai, also plying his trade with Evergrande Football School in China. Garcia was assistant coach to Héctor Cúper in Turkey as well for FC Orduspor. He worked with Cúper at Racing de Santander before that also being part of his team at Greek club Aris FC.

Meanwhile, former Indian football star Renedy Singh will continue to remain assistant coach of SC East Bengal and will be part of Diaz's backroom staff.

Former India captain Renedy was part of Robbie Fowler's coaching team as well in SC East Bengal debut season in the Indian Super League.

Also Read : Mumbai City secure loan move for Brazilian striker Catatau

News Source : PTI

2021-09-24 13:30

The influence of a winter 2022 World Cup in Qatar on the domestic club calendar

(Football news) The World Cup 2022 hosted in Qatar will be a unique one, especially considering that while the tournament is traditionally held during the summer break once the season ends, this particular World Cup will be held in the middle of the domestic season. The question on everybody’s mind is how will the football world incorporate the biggest football tournament in the world right in the middle of the domestic league campaigns? How will it affect the fitness and fatigue of the players and how viable of an option is it to begin with?

The Premier League is expected to break next season after the weekend of November 12th before resuming fixtures on Boxing Day. This means that players will just have one week to prepare in their national team camps before participating in the World Cup and only eight days to recover if they reach the finals on December 18th. Keeping this in mind, the Premier League has decided to start a week earlier than usual, which means next season will begin on Saturday, August 6th and finish later than usual, with the league campaign concluding in late May while the FA Cup has been shifted to June.

In a scheduled meeting by executives of all 20 Premier League clubs, a number of issues were discussed including the programme for the 2022/2023 season and the COVID-19 protocols including the need for Covid passports. Christian Purslow, Aston Villa’s Chief Executive described the prospect of a winter World Cup as “crazy”. In an interview, Purslow said "Next season when we play in an equally crazy idea, which is a winter World Cup, we won't see any Premier League football at the peak of our season between November and December, which is something that people are going to have to get used to.

"These are decisions that were taken a long time ago. They bite, quite soon. Next season, we'll all see that. I always have concerns about player welfare but I have more concerns for our fans missing Premier League football in the winter for five weeks, which is our great national tradition and our great national heritage."

In addition, the 2021/2022 EFL season is also expected to begin earlier than usual and will begin in July to accommodate the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The matches will now begin on the weekend of 30th and 31st July and will pause after the weekend of November 12th and 13th. However, the EFL will resume soon after the group stage ends but no date has been finalized yet. As per the current plan, no extension would be required for the EFL to conclude their campaign with the finals expected to be played on the bank holiday weekend at the end of May. League One and League Two are expected to continue their seasons as usual.

Also read: North London derby and Chelsea vs Manchester City headline massive gameweek 6

2021-09-24 11:45

Who says esports is for the young? Meet Matagi Snipers, a pro esports team in Japan made entirely of senior citizens

(Esports news) They say age is just a number and you’re never too old to pursue your dreams, which is exactly what the eight person team of Matagi Snipers believe in, being Japan’s first esports professional team consisting entirely of elderly citizens. For a profession largely associated with younger participants and audiences, the Matagi Snipers have players ranging from the age of 66 to 73 and their presence in the industry is doing wonders to make the sport more inclusive to all.

Based in Akita Prefecture, the Matagi Snipers consist of eight players plus two additional spots for ‘juniors’ aged 65 or younger. Named after the local “matagi” hunting group, the team focuses primarily on shooting games and sets their sights high to make a mark in the esports industry. In a press conference, 72 year old Mr. Kita of Matagi Snipers said “I'm doing my best and having fun every day. I'll try hard to become the very best as a professional player.” The team has also kept gender balance in mind and currently have three female players in their team who will participate in events and tournaments representing the Matagi Snipers from April next year.

The establishment of the team was to highlight the benefits of esports in senior citizens with a secondary aim for them to impress their grandkids. The selection process was surprisingly challenging as aspiring team members were tested for their gaming aptitude and only eight made the cut out of the twenty one people who applied. The concept of elderly people playing esports might be the first of its kind in Japan but back in 2017, a Counter-Strike team known as Silver Snipers which was sponsored by Lenovo consisted of players over the age of 60.

Japan has taken steps to make the esports industry more inclusive to all and launched an esports facility last year for senior citizens called ISR Esports in Kobe. The aim of this facility has been to introduce esports to complete beginners and one such individual, an 88 year old who has been visiting the facility since last year admitted that they have played a big part in him enjoying games that he previously did not. In an interview with Japan’s ABC TV, he said “That’s because there are lots of different types.”

The concept of senior citizens being involved in esports is breathing new life in the second chapter of many of their lives. Gaming has been a preventative measure against cognitive impairment, hand and eye coordination combined with discussing strategy with teammates is helping many elderly individuals keep their mind sharp and active, which is not only beneficial in the esports domain but also daily life. The Matagi Snipers practice three times a week, which by professional esports standards is admittedly not a lot but there are also limitations that come with age. They plan to start streaming content on Youtube and Twitch from October and their popularity might make esports for the elderly a mainstream prospect. For many young esports players, the possibility of having no retirement age for their careers might be a relief and they should actively promote the idea of more esports teams and leagues for the elderly.

Also read: World Esports League 2021 to start India Qualifiers from September 29th

2021-09-23 16:47

HC asks Centre to conduct inquiry into allegations against TT body by Manika Batra

New Delhi, Sep 23 (Table Tennis News) The Delhi High Court Thursday stayed the Table Tennis Federation of India's mandate on compulsory attendance at the National Coaching Camp in order to be selected for any upcoming international event and asked the Centre to conduct an inquiry into Manika Batra's complaint against the sports body.

Justice Rekha Palli further said that if warranted, the Union Sports Ministry may look into the affairs of the TTFI as well.

Justice Palli was hearing a plea by Batra who was left out of the Indian contingent for the upcoming Asian Table Tennis Championships and has alleged that the national coach Soumyadeep Roy “pressurized” her to “throw away” an Olympic qualifier match in favour of one of his personal trainees.

The judge said the rule mandating compulsory attendance at the national camp has been enforced “at a point when there was a complaint pending against the national coach” and the same “does not inspire confidence”.

The court also expressed “anguish” at the manner in which a committee, constituted by the federation to look into the allegations, was reconstituted after it sought centre's stand on the issue.

“They are overreaching the court. I will issue a notice of contempt. I pass an order and you appoint a new person. This is shocking... I am expressing my anguish,” the judge stated.

“I am of the view that the operation of the rule is required to the stayed till the next date of hearing. Respondent no. 2 (Sports Ministry)...is itself inclined to hold an inquiry into the serious allegations by the petitioner. There is no reason why respondent no 1 (federation) should continue with its rule,” she ordered.

“Respondent no 2 will proceed to hold an inquiry at the earliest...furnish a copy of the report to the court,” it was added.

The court clarified that at this stage, it was not appointing any committee to look into the issues and directed that the Centre's inquiry report be placed before it in four weeks.

It added that the centre may seek the stand of the national coach and also issued notice on the petition, which was listed for further hearing on October 28.

Senior counsel Sachin Dutta, appearing for Batra, said his client was not desirous of participating in the upcoming Asian Table Tennis Championships.

“Some (tournaments) are starting from October 24 and world championship is in November. The event (Asian Table Tennis Championship) is next week and training happens in Pune,” he said.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the Centre, stated that the federation's rule on compulsorily attending the national camp was in the teeth of the sports code and defeated merit.

He informed that the centre would initiate an inquiry into the athlete's allegation.

Advocate Hrishikesh Baruah, representing TTFI, defended the rule and stated that such a mandate was present on other sports as well including weight lifting and judo.

The lawyer clarified that his client had no say on grant of access to a venue to Batra's personal coach and physiotherapist at any sporting event.

He argued that the federation has no problem with holding a fair inquiry into Batra's allegations and that claimed that the national coach was not even present at the national camp which she refused to attend.

Maybe I will agree with you (at a later stage). Today, holistically, I am not with you,” the court stated.

In the petition, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Khel Ratna awardee has alleged that the federation was carrying out its selection processes in a non-transparent manner, targeting certain individuals such as herself.

She has asserted that the national coach, in a clear conflict of interest, was running a private table tennis academy simultaneously and on one occasion, “pressurized the petitioner to throw away a match only with a view to help one of his trainees at his private academy to qualify for the Olympics, 2020”.

“This incident happened on 17.03.2021 in respect of the match to be held on 18.03.2021 at the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament, 2021 organized by ATTU. Not only did the Petitioner refused to comply with such an unethical, illegal and immoral request, but she also immediately communicated this to the Adviser, TTFI, on 18.03.2021,” the plea reads.

"After conclusion of Olympics, the Respondent No.1 (federation) issued Rules and Regulations dated 04.08.2021 (received by the Petitioner on 27.08.2021) informing her that attending of National Coaching Camp is compulsory, failing which she would not be selected for any upcoming international event," it further reads.

The plea states that Table Tennis is an individual sport, which requires specialised training with support staff and thus the rule against personal coaching is arbitrary, irrational, absurd and have no nexus with achieving excellence in an individualised sport.

Also Read : HC seeks Centre's stand on plea by Manika Batra against TT Federation of India

News Source : PTI

2021-09-23 13:00

Cristiano Ronaldo reclaims top spot of the world’s highest paid footballer, overtakes Lionel Messi according to Forbes

(Football news) The words Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are firmly associated with decades of dominance in world football, a bucket load of goals and many Ballon d’Or awards. With the number of records each of these footballers have broken, their achievements both individually and collectively with the team, it’s no wonder that both of them have also been the highest paid athletes in their respective sports for a very long time.

With both these iconic legends moving away from their clubs this summer, as Cristiano Ronaldo rejoined Manchester United and Lionel Messi shocked the sporting world by moving to Paris Saint-Germain from his boyhood club Barcelona, their new deals have also changed the dynamics of who is paid more. According to a report by Forbes, Ronaldo is now the highest paid footballer in the world, earning $125 million before taxes in the 2021/2022 season. Ofcourse, being the world’s most popular athlete with a combined number of followers amounting to nearly half a billion across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter helps, with commercial deals with Nike, Herbalife, Clear and the CR7 brand amounting to nearly $50 million of his revenue.

Only three other active athletes, namely Roger Federer ($90 million), LeBron James ($65 million) and Tiger Woods ($60 million) earn more than the Portuguese superstar commercially. However, Cristiano’s longtime rival Lionel Messi earns about $110 million, nearly $15 million less than the current Manchester United player. This is because Messi’s endorsements with Adidas, Pepsi, watchmaker Jacobs & Co. and Budweiser earn him $35 million, significantly lower than Ronaldo. Paris Saint-Germain currently employs three of the top five earners in world football with Neymar in the third position with an estimated value of $95 million and Kylian Mbappe in the fourth position with $43 million.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the top 10 highest paid footballers will earn an estimated $585 million before tax, about $15 million more than last year with salaries and bonuses amounting to nearly $415 million of the total. These figures are despite the report by Europe’s governing body UEFA, which claimed top flight clubs endured an $8.5 million pandemic related revenue loss.

Also read: Manchester United crash out of the Carabao Cup while Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham progress to Round 4

2021-09-22 11:20

Shiva, Sanjeet, Deepak, Rohit win gold in Men's Boxing Nationals; book spots for Worlds

Bellary, Sep 21 (Boxing News) Rohit Mor stunned defending champion Mohammad Hussamuddin but the accomplished duo of Shiva Thapa and Sanjeet lived up to expectations by clinching gold medals in their respective weight categories at the Men's National Boxing Championships here on Tuesday.

Deepak Kumar (51kg), Akash (54kg), Akash (67), Sumit (75kg), Sachin Kumar (80kg), Lakshya (86kg) and Narender (+92kg) also secured gold medals by winning their respective final bouts at the Inspire Institute of Sports. All of them are from Services team.

All the gold medal winners of the National Championships will represent India at the World Championships scheduled in Belgrade, Serbia from October 24 to November 6.

All of them, except Shiva, will be competing in their maiden world championships.

Delhi boxer Mor dished out a dominating 5-0 win over Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Hussamuddin, one of the strong contenders for the title in the 57kg.

Reigning Asian champion Sanjeet, also representing Services, outclassed Haryana’s Naveen Kumar by unanimous decision.

Seasoned boxer Shiva Thapa of Assam, a bronze medallist at the 2015 world championships and also a five-time Asian medallist, successfully defended his title as he recorded an easy 5-0 win over Dalveer Singh Tomar of Services in the 63.5kg final.

Karnataka’s Nishant Dev also continued his brilliant run at the championships. He blanked Amit Kumar of Daman, Diu & Nagar Haveli to win the 71kg title.

Deepak, an Asian championships silver medallist, was adjudged best boxer of the championships for his impressive performance.

Services defended their team championship title as they won 12 medals -- 8 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze.

Railway (2 gold, 2 bronze and 3 silver) and Delhi (1 gold, 4 bronze) claimed the second and third position respectively.

For Railways, Varinder Singh (60kg) and Govind Sahani (48kg) claimed gold medals with identical unanimous victories. While the 2021 Asian Championships bronze medallist Varinder defeated Services' Etash Khan Muhammed, Govind got the better of Chandigarh’s Kuldeep Kumar.

The Championships, which returned after a gap of one year due to COVID-19 pandemic, saw participation of 35 States/UT units and Boards and close to 400 boxers.

While the gold and silver medallists from each category of the Championships will also get direct entry into the national coaching camp, the two bronze medallists will take part in the selection trials where they will compete alongside the boxers representing the second team of top-3 teams of the last National Championships -- Services, Railways and Haryana.

The announcement of the remaining two names for the national camp will be made on September 24 on the basis of results of the selection trials.

Also Read : Shiva, Sanjeet, Hussamuddin one win away from world championship selection

News Source : PTI

2021-09-21 16:01

After winning 200m gold in only his 2nd senior level race, Amlan Borgohain wants to just run fast

New Delhi, Sep 21 (Sports News) He has won a gold with the fifth fastest time ever by an Indian in only his second 200m competition at senior level but Assam youngster, Amlan Borgohain, wants to take one step at a time and refuses to harbour lofty ambitions.

The 23-year-old Borgohain, hailing from Meleng village in Assam's Jorhat district, claimed the men's 200m gold on Sunday with a time of 20.75 seconds during the National Open Championships in Warangal, Telengana.

His time was the second fastest on the country's soil and fifth fastest ever by an Indian after national record holder Muhammed Anas Yahia (20.63), Dharambir Singh (20.66), Arokia Rajiv (20.66) and Anil Kumar (20.73).

"It was my first senior level 200m final race since I started taking part at senior level in 2019 and I don't have any international experience," Borgohain told PTI in an interview from Bhubaneswar, where he is training at the Reliance Foundation Odisha Athletics High Performance Centre (HPC) since April last year.

His first senior level 200m race was during the 2019 National Open Championships in Ranchi, where he had clocked 21.99 seconds. He had also won a silver in the 100m dash with a creditable time of 10.34 seconds in Warangal.

Asked what are his targets, he said, "I have just started my career and I want to just run fast.

"Olympics is any athlete's ultimate dream but, at the moment, I am not looking very far. I want to take one step at a time. My coach is there to help me and chalk out my future course of action." Borgohain is under the tutelage of Welshman James Hillier, the head coach at the Reliance Foundation HPC, who has mentored the likes of Rio Olympics 4x400m relay bronze medallist Emily Diamond in the past.

"Of course, there is Asian Games and Commonwealth Games next year but I am not going to put pressure on him by telling him about medals. There is a lot of room for improvement and we are focussing on that.

"He is certainly the best 200m runner in the country at the moment. I am planning to take him to Europe next year to compete on the European circuit and get some more experience competing against quality foreign athletes.

"He has the right attributes to become a top-class athlete. He is always eager to learn, wants to work hard and also very actively participates in anything, not the kind of shy or reticent athlete, he is the leader of any pack." Borgohain also took part in the Federation Cup in March in Patiala where he ran 10.44 seconds in 100m but did not run in 200m due to a hamstring injury. A bout of COVID-19 infection -- he tested positive on his 23rd birthday -- forced him to miss the National Inter-State Championships in June.

A fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sunil Chhetri, football was Borgohain's first love but took up athletics once his armyman father was posted in Hyderabad, where they shifted from Assam. His father BC Borgohain retired as Subedar Major in 2009.

"Just like most of northeasterners, my first love was football and I played the game in my childhood and school days. But once our family shifted to Hyderabad, there was little scope for football. So, I shifted to athletics. That was in 2015," he said.

Asked if he had faced financial issues during his formative years in the sport, Borgohain said, "We are not well off but the situation was not that bad. It is not that I will not get things like running shoes with spikes, but it takes some time for my father to gather money to buy the stuff." His first athletics medal came at the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) Nationals in Lucknow in 2015 and podium finishes in the Under-18 and Under-20 categories at state level followed.

Borgohain, whose family has now returned to their native village in Assam, then took part in the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS) nation-wide athletics competition in 2017.

He clocked 10.84 seconds in 100m and 22.06 seconds in 200m in the 2018 RFYS national finals.

Hillier spotted him at the Khelo India Games in Guwahati in January last year and invited the youngster to appear for an evaluation at the HPC in February. After four weeks of intensive training and assessment, Borgohain was confirmed a spot at the Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre in April last year.

Also Read : Amlan Borgogain, Praveen Chithravel share limelight with Manju Bala Singh

News Source : PTI

2021-09-21 11:45

I hope we can reach more people with the power and spirit of rugby - Paul Walsh MBE, Founder and Managing Trustee at Jungle Crows

Rugby in India is a sport that is steadily developing and Indian athletes are constantly making a name for themselves in the sport, both domestically and around the world. While rugby might still have some way to go to be considered a ‘mainstream’ sport in the country, those working behind the scenes are dedicated to raise the standard of rugby, right from the grassroots and are building a solid foundation for a sustainable rugby ecosystem for years to come.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Mr. Paul Walsh MBE, Founder and Managing Trustee at Jungle Crows Foundation speaks about the recent partnership between Bristol Bears and Kolkata Jungle Crows, the role of British actor Stewart Wright, grassroot development, the impact of the partnership and long term benefits.

Q 1) What will the partnership between Bristol Bears and Kolkata Jungle Crows bring to the rugby ecosystem in India?

I am thinking about this in two ways - the first is perhaps obviously, the benefits the partnership will bring to the Jungle Crows and the second is how we can work for this to support rugby in India more generally. We have to get down to some detailed discussions but one area of the partnership that is particularly exciting is how we can tap into the very excellent Bristol Bears Academy. The Jungle Crows coaching at grass roots is what we all enjoy so much, so improving and developing our skills and systems will be a top priority for us. Of course this will all be online for some time yet, but let's see where it leads.

Q 2) What role did Bears’ season ticket holder and Bristol actor Stewart Wright have in making this partnership a reality?

Stewart basically made the partnership happen. When he completed the film "Jungle Cry" this became a mission for him. It is difficult to get the attention from a team as busy and focused on performance as the Bears. Through various connections and reminders, Stewart was eventually able to discuss the partnership with the right person, have it agreed by the Bears board and from then it all moved very quickly.

Q 3) What does a partnership of this nature do for the grassroot development of rugby in India?

Well we hope it continues to improve and grow grassroots rugby and give other clubs something to aim for themselves. Just having media attention is so helpful in its own right, it gives young players a big boost. We want the partnership to develop so it isn't just about the Jungle Crows but supports rugby communities across the country. That's the challenge.

Also read: Rugby has completely changed my life, it’s a misconception that rugby is a very difficult contact sport - Sandhya Rai, Rugby player

Q 4) How much of a boost will this partnership have on the national men’s and women’s rugby team in India?

I think the ecosystem of any sport requires inputs at all sorts of levels. The India under 18 women have just won the silver medal in Asian 7s in Tashkent. These are our top young athletes, trained in excellent facilities provided by KIIT University in Bhubaneswar, coached by Ludwiche, an excellent South African Coach, but to make this happen needs a foundation and a pipeline of talent coming through. If the partnership can play a part in developing this talent then we can have a positive impact on how the national team performs.

Q 5) Sport has the power to uplift entire communities, do you think this partnership can have a transformational impact on the lives of others?

For me the community connection with the Bristol Bears is a fundamental part of the partnership. As their mission the Bears have "To inspire our community through rugby success." The Jungle Crows have always been like a family, with all the ups and downs that it involves. I've been fortunate to see some of the transformations rugby has had on young people, all over the world. I am hoping we can do more and reach more people with the power and spirit of rugby.

Q 6) What are some of the long term benefits that you can see as a result of this partnership?

For me I'd hope that the Bears can become a sort of mentor to the Jungle Crows. Whether in business, life or in sports, having a mentor brings real benefits. It will give us confidence, help us to figure out strategies, and of course mean we play better rugby. It is worth saying here though, that this isn't a one way street and it is important we also bring some benefits to the Bristol Bears. We have some ideas around this that need to be developed and we've plans to be worked out, but this is a great start!

2021-09-20 17:15

Ferdinand Omanyala Omurwa posts the 8th fastest time in the 100m at World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Series

(Sports news) Ferdinand Omanyala Omurwa of Kenya ran a 9.77 secs as he finished ahead of Justin Gatlin who came third with a timing of 10.02 secs and Trayvon Bromell running a season leading 9.76 secs to capture the Continental Tour Gold Series at the Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi. This was the final race of the year as it was also the fastest one this year, the last time two sprinters finished under 9.80s was in 2012 London Olympics and it was the fastest 100m race ever.

Trayvon Bromell has now run the fastest time this year in 100 metres and the 6th fastest in history with his performance in Kenya. Omanyala has run the eight fastest of all time and he became the first Kenyan to run in the semifinals of the men's 100m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Omanyala became the first Kenyan to break the sub 10 barrier when he ran a 9.96 secs at the International Josko Lauf Meeting in Austria a month back and lowered it to 9.86 secs in the final. He broke Akani Simbine’s record of 9.84 secs which he had run in July and will look to go under 9.70s and become the fourth man to do it after Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Tyson Gay.

Usain Bolt has both the World records in 100m and 200m, he had run a 9.58 secs in the 100m and a 19.19 secs in 2009 at Berlin. In the current runners only Gatlin, Bromell and Christian Coleman have come closest to breaking it. Although the record seems to be safe, now there might be a minor one in a million chance that there will be a new record or a run under 9.75 secs next year. Bolt is the only athlete to ever run a 100 metre under 9.60 secs also under 9.65 secs and also holds the Olympics records in 100m and 200m.

Omanyala has defied the tradition of Kenyan runners as they are mostly known for their endurance, they have been dominating the middle and long distance running for the past few decades. Omanyala has been sprinting towards records for the country as he has improved his timings considerably this year, this year’s leading time of 9.76 is the joint fastest in the last five years as in 2019 Coleman ran the same timing. Gatlin ran a 9.74 secs in 2015 which has not been surpassed ever since and is currently 39 years old and still giving tough competition to rivales who are over 15 years younger to him. He is one of the seniors in athletics and can break Kim Collins' record of 9.93 secs which is the fastest by a 40 year old.

Fredrick Lee Kerley shift from 400m has paid off well as he ran a personal best of 19.76 secs to win in Nairobi, he had become the first athlete to win the 100m, 200m and 400m in Diamond League and is the third athlete after Wayde van Niekerk and Michael Norman to run a sub 10 in the 100m, sub 20 in 200m and sub 44 secs in 400m. Kerley is a well built athlete and a tall one like Bolt as he is 6ft 3 inch and had won the silver in the 100m behind Lamont Marcell Jacobs at the 2020Tokyo Olympics. One individual beating both the 100m and 200m world record is near to impossible task but the current set of sprinters are finding their pace in each event and can target a single event for now.

Also read: Mike Powell’s world record in Long Jump still on top after three decades as Beamon’s Olympic record untouched after half a century

2021-09-20 15:30

HC seeks Centre's stand on plea by Manika Batra against TT Federation of India

New Delhi, Sep 20 (Table Tennis news) The Delhi High Court Monday sought the Centre's stand on a petition by Manika Batra, who was left out of the Indian contingent for the upcoming Asian Table Tennis Championships, assailing Table Tennis Federation of India's (TTFI) mandate of compulsory attendance at the National Coaching Camp in order to be selected.

Justice Rekha Palli granted two days to the central government counsel to take instructions on the petition which alleges that on one occasion, the national coach Soumyadeep Roy “pressurized” Batra to “throw away a match” to enable one of his personal trainees to qualify for the Olympics 2020 and seeks that the Sports Ministry “enquire into the management” of the federation.

The judge said the allegations against the coach were serious and the Centre should be a little proactive.

“There is something to be said. We have a high ranking player. We have to balance... If there are such senior allegations against the coach, Union of India has to be a little bit proactive on this,” said the judge.

“Let them (Centre) come back with instructions. Ultimately she is the highest-ranking player in the country today,” the judge added.

Senior counsel Sachin Dutta, appearing for Batra, said that by virtue of a rule on mandatorily attending the national camp, his client's chance for the 25th ITTF Asian Table Tennis Championships, 2021, which is to be held in Doha from September-October, has been scuttled in spite of her fulfilling all merit-based criteria.

He urged the court to stay the rule to enable her to participate in another international event scheduled for November.

“There is an event in November. This regulation be stayed immediately. It will kill my career,” Dutta said as he highlighted that personal coaching is encouraged in several other sports.

The counsel for the federation denied all allegations and said that the national coach was not even present at the national camp.

In the petition, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Khel Ratna awardee has alleged that the federation was carrying out its selection processes in a non-transparent manner, targeting certain individuals such as herself and acting completely contrary to the interest of sports and sportspersons.

She has asserted that the national coach, in a clear conflict of interest, was running a private table tennis academy simultaneously and on one occasion, “pressurized the Petitioner to throw away a match only with a view to help one of his trainees at his private academy to qualify for the Olympics, 2020”.

“This incident happened on 17.03.2021 in respect of the match to be held on 18.03.2021 at the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament, 2021 organized by ATTU. Not only did the Petitioner refuse to comply with such an unethical, illegal and immoral request, but she also immediately communicated this to the Adviser, TTFI, on 18.03.2021,” the plea alleges.

"After conclusion of Olympics, the Respondent No.1 (federation) issued Rules and Regulations dated 04.08.2021 (received by the Petitioner on 27.08.2021) informing her that attending of National Coaching Camp is compulsory, failing which she would not be selected for any upcoming international event," it says.

The plea states that Table Tennis is an individual sport, which requires specialised training with support staff and thus the rule against personal coaching is arbitrary, irrational, absurd and have no nexus with achieving excellence in an individualised sport.

“Only the personal coach would know the strengths, weakness, skills and areas which a player should focus and strengthen. However, these Rules do not permit any personal coach/support staff,” the plea adds.

The matter would be heard next on September 23.

Also read: Manika Batra left out of India squad for Asian TT Championships

News source: PTI

2021-09-20 15:15

Galle will win LPL this season, feels team owner Nadeem Omar

Colombo (Cricket News) : Galle Gladiators fell short by a whisker to win the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League going down to eventual winner Jaffna Stallions in a closely fought final. But, owner of Galle Gladiators Mr. Nadeem Omar feels this will be the year of the Gladiators as they prepare to bounce back even stronger in the second edition of the premier T20 League in the island nation.

In the first season, the team was led by Pakistani star all- rounder Shahid Afridi in the early phase of the tournament and was later taken over by Sri Lanka’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa after Afridi had to leave the tournament midway due to some personal reasons. Former legendary pacer Wasim Akram was the team mentor.

Mr Omar also owns the Quetta Gladiators franchise in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He is a Pakistani business executive and former scrabble player who is known nationally and internationally for his contributions to sports. He has been the president of the Pakistan Scrabble Association since October 2020 and the president of the Karachi City Cricket Association since May 2018. He is also the president of the Pakistan Cricket Club. The core motivation of the Galle franchise is to develop the game in the southern province of Sri Lanka.

“The upcoming season of LPL is very crucial for us especially after the way we fought back last season. We saw some remarkable performances from young players like Azam Khan, Dhananjaya Lakshan and Sahan Arachchige. They have set a benchmark of excellence for the younger talents who will come into the team. Coming into the next edition, we want to put up a better fight and clinch the trophy. We had great support from the fans around Galle, though they weren’t allowed into the stadiums but we saw their support online through various platforms. We urge them to extend their support in similar fashion and help us grow,” said Mr. Omar while highlighting the focus for the upcoming edition of the premier T20 League in the Island Nation.

Mr Anil Mohan, who is the Founder and CEO of Dubai-based production giant The IPG Group, the official promoter of LPL, added, “Gladiators set LPL on fire with their remarkable comeback in the

first edition. But we are all set to witness a new chapter in its cricketing history with LPL becoming bigger and better. I am confident that the Galle team's performance will help the League grow in stature.”

Mr. Jawad Ghulam Rasool, COO & CCMO of The IPG Group added: “Last season of LPL saw Mr. Nadeem Omar’s team, the Galle Gladiators give us some nail-biting performances. Mr. Nadeem Omar will always hold a special relationship with us as the first franchise to be announced that kick started the league. I look forward to some thrilling moments in this year’s LPL which will no doubt be welcomed by sports enthusiasts not just in Pakistan but the world over. We wish Mr. Nadeem ‘Mr. Cricket of Pakistan’ and the Gladiators good luck for the second season of the Lanka Premier League”

The inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) which was played in a bio-secure bubble at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota from November 26 till December 16, 2020, reached a cumulative audience of 557 million people through TV, digital-social space, and traditional media outlets. Sponsors enjoyed a media evaluation (visibility) of $54.5m and title sponsor MY11CIRCLE enjoyed a ROI of 9.85x. Winner of the first edition of LPL Jaffna Stallions tops the valuation chart with $3.98m followed by Galle Gladiators ($3.82m), Dambulla Kings ($3.54m) Colombo Kings ($3.44m) and Kandy Tuskers ($3.19m).

The LPL matches which were telecast live by Sky Sports, Sony Sports Network, Geo, PTV, and Willow TV in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UK, US, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand saw 155 million people tuning in to catch live action. On social media, it achieved a reach of 218 million and LPL found 133478 mentions as the league came alive with each and every match with some scintillating performances on the ground.

2021-09-20 12:10

Amlan Borgogain, Praveen Chithravel share limelight with Manju Bala Singh

Warangal, Sep 19 (Sports News) Assam sprinter Amlan Borgohain, Tamil Nadu triple-jumper Praveen Chithravel and experienced Rajasthan hammer thrower Manju Bala Singh produced career-best efforts to emerge champions on the final day of the 60th National Open Athletics Championships, here on Sunday.

Borgohain clocked a sensational time of 20.75 seconds to win the men’s 200m final. Only Muhammed Anas Yahia (20.63), Dharambir Singh (20.66), Arokia Rajiv (20.66) and Anil Kumar (20.73) have run a faster time over the distance in the history of Indian athletics.

The 23-year-old, who has lived in Hyderabad since 2014, was running his first 200m competition at the National level in 20 months. Borgohain burst out of the blocks and sped ahead of the pack to break the beam in 20.75 seconds.

It was not only the first time that Borgohain stopped the clock inside 21 seconds but also a new meet record.

The 20-year-old Chithravel, whose previous best of 16.51m that came in March 2019, nailed the triple jump gold medal with his opening try of 16.88m.

He is now third on India’s top list in hop, step and jump behind Renjit Maheswary (17.30m) and Arpinder Singh (17.17m).

He had two other good efforts over 16.74m and 16.79m while Services Abdulla Aboobacker also produced his personal best of 16.84m to take silver in a competition that saw his teammate Karthik Unnikrishnan equal his career best of 16.80.

Asian Games champion Arpinder was sixth with a best effort of 15.91m.

Manju Bala Singh, a 2014 Asian Games medallist, had five throws over the 60m mark with a career best of 64.42m on her third attempt to claim the women’s hammer throw meet record from Hardeep Kaur who set it at 61.67m in 2002.

The 32-year-old produced the second best throw by an Indian woman behind Sarita Romit Singh’s national record of 65.25m.

Sarita Romit Singh came up with a 59.58m effort on her last try to edge Railways’ teammate Jyoti Jakhar Rana to third place.

The 31-year old Sarita had accounted for the five best throws until this competition where Manju improved on her previous best of 62.74m she achieved in Lucknow in June 2014.

Kartik Kumar (Services) and Sanjivani Baburao Jadhav (Maharashtra) overcame opening day disappointments to claim gold in the 10,000m events on the final day.

Kartik, who finished outside the medal bracket in the 5000m, showed his lasting power to beat Services team-mate and 5000m silver medalist Dharmender.

Sanjivani Jadhav, who was second in the 5000m, emerged on top with a comfortable win in the 25-lapper.

Archana Suseendran (Tamil Nadu) was another who did not let an earlier result worry her and claimed the women’s 200m sprint, stopping Taranjeet Kaur (Delhi) from racing away with the sprint double.

The Delhi teenager fought hard to bridge the gap and ended up with a maiden sub-24-second effort, finishing just six-hundredths of a second behind Archana Suseendran.

Also read : Long distance runner and world record holder Sufiya Khan announces her next ultra marathon aiming to cover 480 KM

News Source : PTI

2021-09-18 16:15

Long distance runner and world record holder Sufiya Khan announces her next ultra marathon aiming to cover 480 KM

New Delhi, Sept. 17, 2021 (Sports news) Under Armour athlete Sufiya Khan, who holds a world record for long distance running, is once again ready to push her limits with her upcoming Ultra marathon ‘Himalayan Ultra Run Expedition’. Aiming to cover a distance of 480 km in less than 130 hours, amidst the difficulties of ruthless terrains and conditions, Sufiya will be the first female marathon runner in the world to attempt the run from Manali to Leh. The Himalayan Ultra Run Expedition is scheduled from 25th Sep to 30th Sep 2021 and will begin at an altitude of 2000m, reaching up to 5400m altitude and total 9000 m elevation gain throughout the expedition with temperature dipping between minus 5 to minus 10 degrees and oxygen levels getting less than 50 percent on mountain passes. Themed ‘Push Your Limits’, with this run both, Sufiya and Under Armour aim to encourage athletes to expand their limits, move out of their comfort zone and take up challenging tasks in their fitness journey.

From everyday athletes to the world’s best, Under Armour has been committed to equipping focused performers to strive for success. After supporting Sufiya to power through her record breaking Kashmir to Kanyakumari run and Indian Golden Quadrilateral Run Under Armour continues to contribute to Sufiya’s constant pursuit to move beyond the ordinary and push her limits with her upcoming Manali to Leh run.

Also read: Opportunities aplenty for aspiring female cricketers post evolution of the game - India A all rounder Tejal Hasabnis

Gearing for her next big feat, Sufiya Khan said, “I see every challenge as an opportunity for me to prepare myself for the next one. This run is one of the most challenging ones that I will attempt in my life and I am both excited and nervous about it. I am honoured to be supported by a brand like Under Armour and draw a great deal of inspiration from their philosophies. The brand’s core values resonate with my own and pushes me to give in my very best. I believe together we can push the limits of human potential and further encourage and motivate every budding athlete to push their boundaries and step out of their comfort zones.”

In 2020 Sufiya Khan hit the road for her most ambitious run. She aimed to run along with the Golden Quadrilateral highway network across India: a total length of about 6,002 km. After facing some disappointment in her first attempt due to the Covid pandemic, Sufiya completed the marathon in 110 days, 23 hours and 24 minutes, in her second attempt. Sufiya credits a big part of her success to wearing the correct gear provided by Under Armour. She believes it has not only enhanced her performance but also safeguarded her from injuries along the way.

2021-09-18 12:30

Top five most watched sporting events in the world

(Sports News) The power of sports is universal, it spans across cultures, languages, countries and continents. It’s one of the most lucrative spots for advertisers, with the price of a 30 second commercial at the Super Bowl costing $5,500,000 simply because of the sheer number of eyeballs at the event. While some sports are bigger in certain areas than others, the influence of these events is simply getting bigger by each passing year.

Here are the top five most watched sporting events in the world

5) Winter Olympics

There are many sports that are not given the limelight they deserve such as figure skating, alpine skiing, ice hockey, and snowboarding, until they are featured at the Winter Olympics. Although it’s the less popular cousin of the Summer Olympics, it still reaches a broad audience because it hosts a number of countries. This 17 day event got 2.1 billion in TV viewership in 2006 and will be held in Beijing, China from February 4 - 20, 2022.

4) Cricket World Cup

For many parts of the world, especially the Indian subcontinent, the cricket mania is off the charts. The Cricket World Cup is a championship featuring many countries from across the world competing in a One Day International Format. The tournament lasts just over six weeks and takes place every four years. The 2019 Cricket World Cup hosting in England and Wales set a new viewership record with 2.6 billion people tuning in to become the most watched cricketing event in history. The next Cricket World Cup will be hosted by India from February 9th to March 26th, 2023.

3) Tour de France

The Tour de France is undoubtedly the most prestigious event in the world of cycling and arguably one of the biggest sporting events in the world, dating back all the way to 1903. The race is held across 2,200 miles at France’s scenic mountain roads across 23 days. With 21 stages in the race, competitors race as an 8 person team to get the fastest time. Approximately 190 countries tune in to watch the Tour de France with an estimated viewership of 3.5 billion people according to race organizers and 12 million roadside spectators.

2) FIFA World Cup

It’s only fitting that the FIFA World Cup to be one of the most watched sporting events, considering that football is the most popular sport in the world. In fact, the FIFA World Cup should be THE biggest sporting event in the world if we refer to single sport events, but for the sake of technicality, it remains in second place. This 32 team event, which will be expanded to 48 countries in 2026 is only getting bigger, thereby getting more viewers. To put it in perspective just how big this event is, the 1950 World Cup Final had a record attendance of 199,854 spectators in an enclosed stadium. Nearly half of the human population (estimated to be 3.57 billion) tuned in to watch the FIFA World Cup in Russia, 2018 and the sport is expected to grow even more by the time it’s hosted in Qatar in 2023.

1) Summer Olympics

The most watched and biggest sporting event on the planet, the Summer Olympics is the pinnacle of every athlete's career. Not only does it feature a wide variety of sports, it has all the action, drama and surprises that make us all love sports. From shock underdog victories to new records being broken and personal dreams being fulfilled, the Olympics is a stage unlike any other. Held every four years, the Summer Olympics is viewed across the globe with the 2012 London Games and Rio Olympics being viewed by an estimated 3.6 billion people. The next edition will be held in Paris, France in 2024 from July 26 – August 11.

Also read: Japan will not host the FIFA Club World Cup 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

2021-09-17 18:36

Fed up with injuries, Swapna mulling retirement

Kolkata, Sep 17 (Sports news) Battling depression due to a nagging back injury, Asian Games gold medal winning athlete Swapna Barman has decided to call it quits, a formal announcement of which will be made in a few days.

The decision comes less than 24 hours after Swapna, a North East Frontier Railway athlete, won a gold medal in high jump at the 60th National Open Athletics Championships in Warangal.

"My body is not taking the toll anymore. Mentally, I'm very depressed and it's not easy," Swapna told PTI from Warangal.

"I’m a bit confused, but I’ve mentally prepared 80-90 per cent to call it quits. I will make the ‘big’ announcement after reaching Kolkata.

"I never wanted to participate, but because of Railway commitments I had to participate here," Swapna, who skipped her pet heptathlon event in Warangal, said.

After becoming the first Indian heptathlete to win an Asian Games gold in Jakarta 2018, Swapna, who has six toes on each foot, struggled with injuries and won a silver at the Asian Championships in Doha a year later — her last International competition.

The lockdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic meant that Swapna could not take part in any competition in 2020 and while in 2021 she aimed for the Tokyo Games qualifying mark but again injuries and a second wave of the pandemic derailed all her plans.

This year, she took part only in the Federation Cup and at the ongoing Open Nationals.

"It seems I was not destined for it. I tried hard but could not make it and struggled a lot with injuries," she said.

Swapna had delayed the surgery on doctors' advice and relied on rehab but she said she had enough of it.

"Ultimately I have to go for the surgery, even during this meet I was troubled by the back pain. It does not feel well anymore," an emotional Swapna said with a choked voice.

The Jalpaiguri athlete was also mired in controversy last year after her house was raided by forest department officials for alleged illegal possession of timber as there were wide protests in the area. "People are jealous of my achievements and my mother is subjected to a lot of harassment. I can’t take it anymore. I’ve to be with my family and deal with it,” she concluded."

Also read: Ministry directs NRAI to initiate fresh election process

News source: PTI

2021-09-17 13:49

Virat Kohli joins Hyperice as athlete-investor, global brand ambassador

New Delhi, Sep 16 (Sports news) Hyperice on Thursday said Indian cricketer Virat Kohli has partnered with the global wellness brand as an 'athlete-investor' and brand ambassador.

Through the partnership, Kohli will work collaboratively with Hyperice to further accelerate the wellness category as it begins its expansion into India and continues its growth throughout the globe, a statement said.

However, financial details of the partnership were not disclosed.

"Virat Kohli joins an unmatched list of elite global athlete-investors, including global football superstar Erling Haaland, 4-time tennis Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, NBA Star Ja Morant and PGA Tour champion Rickie Fowler," it added.

A Hyperice spokesperson said India is one of the company's top three expansion markets.

"India is one of our top three expansion markets, so we are putting significant resources toward growing the category in India. Hyperice is approaching a billion dollar valuation, and we believe Virat's involvement in our global expansion will play a significant role in helping increase our valuation," the spokesperson told PTI.

Hyperice is a high-performance wellness brand that aims to serve a broad audience of athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and anyone looking to combat the impact that sport and daily life have on their minds and bodies.

"Consumers across the country will have access to our wellness technology products through Croma and on the Hyperice India website. Hyperice is rapidly expanding in countries throughout the globe and views India as a priority market for further expansion," the spokesperson said.

Hyperice is strategically building its business locally and views the relationship with Virat Kohli as a massive growth accelerator, the spokesperson added.

"Virat is one of the most prolific cricketers around the world and we are honored to have him join Team Hyperice.

"We are on a mission to help everyone move and live better, and Virat is key to helping us elevate the importance of both mental and physical wellness for all people - both on and off the field," Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice, said in the statement.

Founded in 2010 by Anthony Katz, Hyperice has numerous product lines and categories including Hypervolt (percussion line), Normatec (dynamic air compression), Vyper and Hypersphere (vibration), Venom (thermal technology), Core by Hyperice (mind technology) and Hyperice X (contrast therapy).

"Hyperice has provided me with a suite of innovative products that have continuously helped me optimise my performance and recovery, so it was a no-brainer for me to join the team as both an investor and ambassador.

"Hyperice is on a mission to help people move better around the world, and I look forward to helping tell their story in my home country of India and beyond," Kohli said.

Also read: BCCI announce Virat Kohli to step down as captain of India's T20I side after the ICC Men's T20 World Cup

News source: PTI

2021-09-17 13:06

Ministry directs NRAI to initiate fresh election process

New Delhi, Sep 17 (Sports news) Just a day before the National Rifle Association of India's (NRAI) elections in Mohali, the Sports Ministry has directed the shooting body to initiate the process afresh after presidential candidate Shyam Singh Yadav cited "perceptible conflict of interest" in the appointment of the Returning Officer for the polls.

The NRAI will, however, go ahead with the elections on Saturday as the matter is pending before the Delhi High Court with the next date of hearing in December. Incumbent president Raninder Singh is seeking re-election and is being challenged by Yadav.

In view of the ministry order, the elections are set to be declared null and void.

Acting on a petition filed by Uttar Pradesh State Rifle Association president Yadav, the ministry ordered that the returning officer should be changed to ensure that the national sports code, 2011, is not violated.

Yadav is a BSP Lok Sabha MP from UP's Jaunpur constituency while Singh, serving his third term in the top job, is the son of Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

The returning officer for the polls is Justice (retd) Mehtab Singh Gill, whose appointment, the petitioner alleged, was not done in a fair manner.

"… It has also been contended by the petitioner that the returning officer was appointed as the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVC) of the state of Punjab under Punjab state Vigilance Commission act; "....and that name for the said post has been recommended by a three-member committee headed by a close relative of the current president of NRAI," the ministry said in the letter which is in possession of PTI.

"A perceptible conflict of interest arising out of imputed personal and professional relations among the RO and the concerned stakeholders has been drawn by the petitioner...

"Therefore, NRAI is directed to appoint a new Returning Officer and initiate fresh election process for conducting elections to its Governing Body in a fair, objective and transparent manner by adhering to the provisions of National Sports Development Code of India, 2011," the letter added.

The ministry also looked into the objections raised by Yadav regarding Singh's tenure but found the incumbent to have a legitimate claim at re-election.

As per the sports code, "the president of any recognised NSF, including the IOA, can hold the office for a maximum period of 12 years, with or without break.” Going by the technicalities, Singh remains a valid candidate as he will complete 12 years in the post at the end of 2022.

Also read: Tokyo Debacle: NRAI executives to be assessed, three-part review underway

"The petitioner has raised the issue of the current president of NRAI seeking his re-election as president for the fourth term and whereas this ministry letter No. 52-66/2009 SP-I (Vol.II) dated 30.10.2017 provides that he is serving his third term as President of NRAI for 2017-2021," the ministry noted.

Singh had previously defeated Yadav for the president's post in the NRAI's 2010 and 2017 elections.

News source: PTI

2021-09-17 11:23

Harmilan breaks 19-year-old record to win 1500m title

Warangal, Sep 16 (Sports news) Punjab's Harmilan Kaur Bains shattered a 19-year-old record to win the 1500m title while Delhi teenager Taranjeet Kaur triumphed against all odds to emerge the fastest in the 100m dash of the 60th National Open Athletics Championships here on Thursday Twenty-year-old Harmilan cruised home in 4:05.39 seconds to erase the mark set by Sunita Rani at 4:06.03 at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan and she also broke OP Jaisha’s meet record of 4:11.83 (Delhi 2006).

Delhi’s KM Chanda (4:18.24) shadowed Harmilan Bains until the Punjab runner sped away at the bell to win by a sizable margin.

Undefeated in eight national-level races since January 2020, Harmilan has shown rapid progress, improving from 4:14.68 in the Khelo India University Games in Bhubaneshwar last year to 4:08.70 and 4:08.27 in the Federation Cup (March 16) and Indian Grand Prix 4 (June 21) respectively in Patiala.

On Thursday, she capped it off with a National mark.

Taranjeet also hogged the limelight winning the 100m with a personal best time of 11.50, two years after she was knocked down by a car and broke a collar bone.

Taranjeet knocked two-tenths of a second from her previous best of 11.70 clocked in winning the Federation Cup Junior (U20) title in Bhopal on January 25 this year.

Naresh Kumar won the men's sprint in 10.30 seconds, the second fastest time by an Indian in 100m this year behind Gurindervir Singh’s 10.27 seconds in Patiala on June 26.

It also gave the 23-year-old from Guntur a place among the five fastest sprinters in Indian history, handing him the Meet Record, bettering Anil Kumar’s 10.37 seconds set in 2001.

The race produced personal bests for Assam’s Amlan Borgohain and Harjit Singh (Services) with times of 10.34 seconds for both, a photo finish separating them by six-thousandths of a second to secure the silver medal for the former.

To their credit, the trio was able to script great runs despite a couple of false starts by Services’ KS Pranav and Satnam Singh.

The men’s 1500m race saw an upset of sorts as little-known Parvej Khan (Haryana) handed two-time Asian Athletics Championships medallist Ajay Kumar Saroj (Railways) his first defeat at the National level since August 20, 2019.

Yaman Deep Sharma (Rajasthan) emerged the best all-rounder with a 55-point victory over Usaid Khan (Services), riding on his 182-point lead earned on the first day on Wednesday through long jump, high jump and 400m.

Asian Games gold medal winning heptathlete Swapna Barman (Railways) won the women’s high jump, while Sahil Silwal (Haryana) showed that he could be the javelin thrower to watch in the future as he won the men’s event with a final throw of 77.79m that saw him catapult from the fourth spot to the top of the podium.

Also read: Abhishek wins maiden 5000m race, Parul also shines bright for Railways

News source: PTI

2021-09-16 12:40

Michael Schumacher’s documentary is a nostalgic journey featuring the German’s Formula 1 dominance

(Motorsport news) Passion. Desire. Winner. Perfectionist. Relentless. Daring. These are just a few words that describe Michael Schumacher, the seven time Formula 1 World Champion and one of the greatest drivers to have ever lived. For motorsport enthusiasts in the 90’s and 2000’s, Michael Schumacher was the ultimate driver. A perfect combination of talent and the desire to exploit that potential to every last drop to get the desired result. A private and happy go lucky individual in his personal life, Michael Schumacher was a fierce competitor on the race track that earned him many fans and enemies over the years.

Schumacher’s documentary released on Netflix on 15th September 2021 and gave us a sneak peek into his journey, career, accomplishments, family life and the various obstacles the German has overcome to become the legendary racing driver we all know today. In an era of Formula 1 where drivers are assured a position on the grid by how rich their fathers are and which teams they own, Schumacher’s journey to the highest level of motorsport racing is very relatable to the average joe.

The path towards a professional racing drivers career is notoriously expensive and the documentary perfectly sums up his early years of struggle, where his family could not afford to get him new sets of tyres for his battered old go-kart for races. Schumacher made his way through sheer desire and talent, often rummaging through used tyres and go-kart equipment that were discarded and winning races with them. The German grew accustomed to this handicap, navigated through it with skill and precision and steadily climbed the ladder to his dream.

Along with talent and hard work, every career needs a bit of luck and if there is any driver that deserved such a break, it was Michael Schumacher. The German got a lucky break with the Jordan-Ford team in 1991 as a replacement for the imprisoned Bertrand Gachot. The German was an instant success, finishing seventh in qualifying, the team’s season-best grid position and was described as “the best talent since Stefan Bellof” by the German media.

As Schumacher’s reputation on the grid grew, his rivals began to take notice of the newcomer on the block. As time went on, Michael Schumacher had his first nemesis who was none other than Ayrton Senna. The two were more similar than they would’ve liked to admit, both were extremely focused and ruthless, with a win at all costs mentality. It was a rivalry that can be described as the older king of the jungle against a younger lion, eager to take away his throne. Unfortunately, the rivalry is often viewed with sadness rather than a positive conclusion, as Senna tragically lost his life at the age of 34, succumbing to fatal injuries sustained due to a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.

Also read: Daniel Ricciardo wins Italian GP as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton crash again

The documentary captures Michael Schumacher’s emotions in the aftermath of Senna’s crash brilliantly, his grief, paranoia about racing and the mixed emotions of winning his first World Championship by default. As Formula 1’s best racing driver, Schumacher soon became the hottest property, with established teams like McLaren and Ferrari interested in his signature. In 1996, Schumacher signed for the oldest and most successful team in Formula 1 history, Ferrari. The documentary does a brilliant job in showing his struggles in the initial years, his hands-on involvement in salvaging a virtually unfixable car with fundamental flaws and how the German, along with Brawn, Byrne, and Jean Todt transformed a sleeping giant into the most successful team in Formula 1 history.

The documentary also shows Schumacher’s complicated relationship with his new nemesis Mika Häkkinen, one full of mutual respect and admiration mixed with tense moments of rivalry, controversy and heated discussions on the track. It wonderfully portrays a never seen before side of Michael Schumacher, the private family man who enjoyed skiing and skydiving. The documentary wraps up with Corinna Schumacher in tears, as she speaks about Michael’s horrific skiing accident. For a racing driver that always had his guardian angels on his side, one can only hope that Schumacher makes a full recovery and lives a long and happy life.

Verdict

Must watch. Especially if you’re a motorsports fan. If you’re not, you should watch it anyway.

2021-09-16 11:26

Abhishek wins maiden 5000m race, Parul also shines bright for Railways

Warangal, Sep 15 (Sports News) Railways' runners Abhishek Pal and Parul Chaudhary won the men and women's 5000m titles respectively on the opening day of the 60th National Open Athletics Championships at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday.

With the Federation Cup 5000m winner Amit Jangir not starting on Wednesday, the race was always going to be a contest between Railways' 24-year-old Abhishek and Services' runners.

But Abhishek used smart tactic to win his maiden 5000m title in a national competition with aa timing of 14:16.35 seconds.Abhishek was content to run most of the race in third place, shifting gears with 300 metres to finish line. His powerful strides brooked no response from the erstwhile leader Dharmender, who finished second clocking 14:17.20s.

Kartik Kumar, who won the 5000m in the Inter-State Championships in June, tried to use the Railways runner's pace but realised that Ajay Kumar had enough energy left to claim the bronze medal with a timing of 14:20.98s.

In the women's 5000m race, Parul (15:59.69s) played the waiting game, settling behind leader Komal Chandrakant Jagdale for a large part of the race, striding ahead with just over 250m left in the 12-and-a-half-lap event.

The 22-year-old Maharashtra runner, who did not find the speed to keep Parul at bay or to challenge her on the home stretch, took silver with a personal best time of 16:01.43s.

Another Maharashtra runner, Sanjivani Babar Jadhav (16:19.18s), making only her third start in a national-level long distance race, was in the mix till the halfway stage but found it tough to keep pace with the two leaders and claimed the bronze medal well ahead of Chinta Yadav, the second Railways runner.

In the women's pole vault, Tamil Nadu's Pavithra Venkatesh won the gold, clearing the bar at 3.90m while Railways' Mariya Jaison (3.80m) and Krishna Rachan (3.60m) took silver and bronze respectively.

Results: (finals): Men: 5000m: Abhishek Pal (Railways) 14:16.35s, Dharmender (Services) 14:17.20s, Ajay Kumar (Services) 14:20.98s Women: 5000m: Parul Chaudhary (Railways) 15:59.69s, Komal Chandrakant Jagdale (Maharashtra) 16:01.43s, Sanjivani Babar Jadhav (Maharashtra) 16:19.18s.

Pole Vault: Pavithra Venkatesh (Tamil Nadu) 3.90m, Mariya Jaison (Railways) 3.80m, Krishna Rachan (Railways) 3.60m.

Also Read : Athletics Nationals an opportunity for youngsters to make a mark

News Source : PTI

2021-09-16 11:20

Akram, Laxman, Klusener join world's first crypto cricket platform

New Delhi, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Cricket Foundation, the the Singapore headquartered blockchain based platform has roped in around 120 partners from the cricketing eco-system that includes former greats like Wasim Akram, VVS Laxman and Lance Klusener as they launched first NFT of its kind named "CricketCrazy.io".

The crypto-currency, which is fast gaining popularity in western market is now set to enter the cricketing space with 'Cricket Foundation' which claims to have 50,000 users even before launch, and is complemented with over 60,000 followers on social media.

The Cricket Token (CRIC), successfully listed on Indian and international crypto exchanges in the last week, with a market cap of over USD 200 million.

CRIC Token is the medium of transactions for all applications built on the platform and is core to maintaining the security and integrity of the 'Cricket Blockchain' platform, apart from being used for the platform's governance.

The platform has about 50+ unique moments from cricket history on the first day worth over USD200,000. The platform will add about 5 Non-Fungible Token (Non Fungible Token) of iconic moments daily, with over 20,000+ of cricket media assets in the library to choose from, contributed by its various partners.

NFT is a unique digital asset designed to represent ownership of a virtual item.

Former India Test cricketer and Co-Founder of Cricket Foundation, Parthiv Patel, ssaid: "It is a novel way for us to engage with our fans, CricketCrazy presents a unique digital offering to cricketers and franchises to enhance their reach as well as the relationship with fans by giving them a sense of belonging, involving them in community decisions, and keeping them engaged with the game. For the fans, NFTs are the only way to provably own digital sports assets and collectibles." Parthiv feels that cricketers post retirement need to take care of their finances.

"You talk about say 35-36 (years of age), not many players actually go on to play till 40. So, you have to manage your finances as well.

"Once you are retired, it is very difficult to get going with that same flow, so platforms like this (Cricket Foundation), if you can explore it, then you can sustain it throughout the life. So finance thing is very very big part of any cricketers’ life now,” added the south-paw. The former Gujarat skipper was speaking at the virtual launch of 'CricketCrazy.io', the world’s first NFT (non-fungible token) marketplace exclusive for cricket.

Also Read : Limited spectators to be allowed at IPL matches

News Source : PTI

2021-09-15 16:30

Bluesport Entertainment Pvt Ltd invests 240 crores in Handball and looks to strengthen the sport at grassroot level

New Delhi, September 15, 2021 (Sports news): Bluesport Entertainment Pvt Ltd, the official license holders of the Premier Handball League (PHL) under the aegis of the Handball Federation of India (HFI), has announced an investment of INR 240 crore. It is a huge step which can help enhance the sport. The company has also disinvested shares and onboarded entrepreneurs Vivek Lodha and Abhinav Banthia as their strategic investors. The company will be able to use this funding to accelerate the growth of both men’s and women’s handball in India in the next five years, as it needs a push not just at elite level but also at the grassroot.

“Investment as well as having the right people as partners is key to developing any sport. Apart from creating a professional handball league and its marketing, we are also looking at a holistic approach to develop the sport at the grass root level through various strategic collaborations and customised programs especially curated to train the players, coaches as well as upgrading the handball infrastructure in India. The business acumen of Mr Vivek Lodha and Mr Abhinav Banthia and our vision to revolutionise this fastest Olympics sport in India under the guidance of the HFI are some of the reasons that ensured the board to go ahead with this investment,” said Manu Agrawal, CEO and Co-Founder, Bluesport Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

The company has bought the rights for both men’s and women’s leagues PHL, in India for the next 10 years. With an investment of INR 120 crore each for the men’s and women’s games, they will look to spend 35 cr for the grassroot development, nurturing and training junior and sub-junior talents in the country as well as enforcing a well structured program to help local coaches acquire international standards. It will also provide the much needed international exposure and foreign training opportunities to the Indian players through the league.

“Handball is already a popular and much followed sport globally and with a massive youth population in India, there has been a steady rise in the appetite for new age sports. We will be using 25% of the funding in promoting handball across the country, tapping the interest while 15% of it will go into developing the infrastructure which, I feel, will be the key factor in the growth of the sport in India. In the next five years we not only want to change the way handball is being played or perceived in the country but also to make the PHL a commercially viable product. We expect 33% growth in terms of compound annual growth rate and believe both the men’s and women’s leagues are capable of recovering the investment and turning profitable by the end of their respective third seasons,” Agrawal further added.

The sport is played by over 190 countries across the world, handball has immense popularity in India at the grassroot level and has more than 85000 registered players currently. It is one of the few sports where female players match the competitiveness of their male counterparts and it also demands extreme physical strength.

The inaugural edition of the PHL is scheduled to take place next year as the franchise based league will explore a new subject and exciting chapter in the history of Indian handball.

Also read: Has India transitioned into a results oriented sporting industry and was Uwe Hohn’s sacking justified?

2021-09-15 12:38

Has India transitioned into a results oriented sporting industry and was Uwe Hohn’s sacking justified?

(Athletics news) Ever since Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won an Olympic gold in Tokyo, his life completely changed. Chopra has become an overnight star and has garnered more than a million followers on Instagram, increasing his social media valuation to Rs. 438 crore. If that wasn’t enough, according to a research conducted by YouGov SPORT, Neeraj Chopra also became the most mentioned athlete globally on the social media platform, recording over 2.9 million mentions from over 1.4 million authors.

None of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for his tremendous achievement at the Tokyo Olympics. The credit also goes to his coach, Uwe Hohn who guided Neeraj Chopra to a historic Olympic gold. As the popular saying by Cathy Engelbert goes, “Behind every great athlete is a masterful coach that inspires the athlete to evolve into the strongest performer they can become.” It’s fair to say that it was a shock when the Athletics Federation of India ended their association with national chief javelin coach Uwe Hohn, citing it is “not happy” with his performance, despite helping Neeraj Chopra win a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics just a few months earlier.

In a press conference, AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said “We are bringing two more coaches and we are changing Uwe Hohn as we are not happy with his performance. We are looking for a foreign coach for (Tajinderpal Singh) Toor.” The press conference was attended by AFI planning committee chairman Lalit K Bhanot and vice-president Anju Bobby George as well and Sumariwalla went on to elaborate that the below par performances of Shivpal Singh and Annu Rani at the Tokyo Olympics was due to Uwe Hohn poor guidance as the chief coach.

The claims by AFI seem to be cryptic and hard to believe. Hired in 2017, the German is the only man to have thrown a javelin over 100 meters in 1984, a feat that remains one of the most extraordinary accomplishments in sports. Ever since he managed Neeraj Chopra in 2018, the Indian athlete has grabbed the top spot at the Commonwealth and Asian Games. However, Hohn’s relationship with the Athletics Federation of India has been rocky from the start. In an interview with the Indian Express, the German said “When I came here, I thought I could change something but it’s probably too difficult with these people at SAI or AFI. I don’t know if it’s a lack of knowledge or ignorance. Besides camps or competitions, even when we ask via our nutritionist for supplements for our athletes, we don’t get the right stuff. Not even for TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) athletes – medal contenders handpicked by the Sports Ministry. If we get something, we are very happy.”

Neeraj Chopra said, “The time I spent with coach Hohn, I believe, was good and I respect him. In that year (2018), I won gold at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. I thought that his (Hohn’s) training style and technique were a bit different. Later, when I trained with Klaus, I felt his training plan suited me.” The Athletics Federation of India has come under fire in recent months after AFI president Adille Sumariwalla posted detailed information about the cost borne by the Federation for Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic journey. It’s clear that the AFI needs to handle situations better, including Uwe Hohn’s departure, especially after everything he has helped Neeraj Chopra accomplish in his career.

Also read: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and other Tokyo Games participants felicitated by JSW Sports

2021-09-14 21:31

Athletics Nationals an opportunity for youngsters to make a mark

Warangal (Telangana), Sep 14 (Sports news) The season-ending National Open Athletics Championships, beginning here on Wednesday, will be an opportunity for youngsters to create a mark after the country's big guns opted out of the event.

This is the 11th national-level track and field competition this year.

Race walker Bhawna Jat and quarter-miler V Revathi are the only two athletes from Tokyo Olympics contingent participating in the event.

Railways have entered the largest contingent of 87 athletes, including 43 women, while Services' 57-member all-male squad is the second largest ahead of All India Police which will field 50 athletes, including 24 women in the five-day competition to be staged at the swanky new Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Hanamkonda here.

It is the second national competition in Warangal in two years. The city had hosted the national cross-country championships in January 2020.

The Telangana Athletics Association and the district administration of Warangal have left no stone unturned to ensure that the competition is held according to the Athletics Federation of India's SOP for COVID-19.

A number of athletes will be looking to make a mark as most of those who competed in the Olympic Games have chosen to rest and recover.

The 2018 Asian Games triple jump gold medallist Arpinder Singh could be the biggest draw in the men's events. But the battle between VK Elakkiadasan and Shanmuga Srinivas Nalubothu, India's fastest 200m sprinter this year, in the half-lapper can be very interesting.

Muhammed Anees Yahiya and Yugant Shekhar Singh's rivalry at the long jump pit will be worth tracking.

In the absence of teen sensation World U20 silver medallist Shaili Singh, the likes of Priyanka Kerketta, Sherin Abdul Gafoor and Nandini Agasara can make the women's long jump competition very intense.

Similarly, in the women's hammer throw, long-standing rivals Manju Bala and Sarita R Singh can also produce a keen contest.

Summy Kaliravan, part of the mixed relay squad that won a 4x400m medal in the World U20 Championships, may be up against Olympian V Revathi.

Bhawna Jat, discus thrower Navjeet Kaur Dhillon and sprinters Archana Suseendran, Himashree Roy and C Kanimozhi are some familiar names.

There will be considerable attention on 15-year-old high jumper Pavana Nagaraj, who has a personal best of 1.73m, but it will be Tripura sprinter Priyanka Bhowmick who will claim the credit of being the youngest athlete in the competition at just 14 years of age.

Also read: AFI sacks long jumper M Sreeshankar's coach after Tokyo debacle

News source: PTI

2021-09-14 19:03

Indian boxing's coaching staff could be overhauled after world championships as Tokyo Olympics review continues

New Delhi, Sep 14 (Boxing News) Indian boxing's coaching staff could be "completely overhauled" in the next three months depending on how the world championships pan out, a national federation source has told PTI, revealing that there is "dissatisfaction" with the Tokyo Olympics performance.

It is reliably learnt that the two High Performance Directors Santiago Nieva (for men) and Raffaele Bergamasco (for women) along with the national head coaches C A Kuttappa (men) and Mohammed Ali Qamar (women) are under intense scrutiny at this point.

India had its biggest ever boxing team -- five men and four women -- competing at the Games in July-August, of whom only Lovlina Borgohain could finish on the podium with a bronze medal.

It was the country's first boxing medal at the Games in nine years, but more was expected given the top form the pugilists had shown leading up to the showpiece.

"Nobody (in the federation) is happy with the Olympic performance. So, as was promised, a review is on and it will be a long drawn process, which will take a couple of months. Nothing is changing till the two world championships are done with," a top source told PTI.

"Who knows, there could be complete overhaul after that but we will have to wait and watch for two-three months," he said when asked whether the coaching staff is set for a revamp.

The men's world championship will be held in Serbia from October 26, while the women's competition is scheduled for December.

The Boxing Federation of India has granted three months' extension to Nieva and Bergamasco to ensure continuity for the two big events, where the national champions will represent the country. Their contracts were originally meant to end after the Tokyo Games.

The men's Nationals start on Wednesday in Bellary, Karnataka while the women's event is set for mid-October.

The developments are in line with BFI President Ajay Singh's assertions during the Games when he had ruled out any knee-jerk reaction but promised a review nonetheless.

None of the male boxers could make the medal rounds with Satish Kumar (+91kg) being the only one to enter the quarterfinals in Tokyo, earning plaudits for fighting his last-eight bout with 13 stitches on his face.

"A lot will depend on the world championships, let's see how they go," the source said.

However, the BFI has started meeting some prospective candidates and one standout name to have got an audience with Singh is Cuba's B I Fernandez, who coached the men's team for over a decade and became the first foreign recipient of the Dronacharya award in 2012.

Fernandez, along with the now-retired Gurbaax Singh Sandhu, were at the helm of men's boxing when India won its maiden Olympic medal in the sport in 2008.

"I have had discussions with the BFI for the women's team role and they have asked me to submit my action plan. I will do that in the next couple of weeks," the 66-year-old, who coaches at Mohali's Punjab Sports University, told PTI.

The BFI source confirmed the development.

"He was brought here by a couple of our boxers and he has been asked to present his vision but this is all a part of the review that is going on. It will take a while for anything to materialise," he said.

Both Nieva, hailing from Sweden, and Bergamasco, who is an Italian, have expressed their desire to continue in the past but also acknowledged the pressure they are under.

The 47-year-old Nieva is a member of the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) coaches committee and vice president of the Asian Boxing Confederation's (ASBC) coaches committee.

Kuttappa, who has been a part of the national camp for long, took over as men's head coach in 2018, while Ali Qamar came on board a year later.

The BFI president had backed the boxers as well as the coaching staff in Tokyo, saying that he would not overlook the unparalleled results of the past four years which included two medals for the first time at the men's World Championships and never-seen-before hauls in the Asian and Commonwealth Games.

Also Read : Tokyo Olympians set to skip National Boxing Championships

News Source : PTI

2021-09-14 15:54

Castore becomes the Official Kit Supplier to the England Cricket team

(Cricket news) The ECB and Castore have today announced a new long-term partnership that will see them become the Official Kit Supplier to England Cricket.

All of England’s national team athletes, women, disability, pathway and men’s teams – will wear high-performance training kits and jerseys supplied by Castore from April 2022.

England athletes will help to design the jersey by creating a uniquely England Cricket style, with recycled material to be used in the manufacture of the matchday playing kits.

Castore will also heavily invest in the ECB’s e-commerce infrastructure, so that they can innovate a digital-first approach with the ECB’s commercial ambitions.

England fans will benefit from the best-in-class website, tailored specifically for fans to easily select from the range of Castore’s men’s and women’s England Cricket jerseys and training kits.

The partnership is the first time Manchester-based Castore is sponsoring something for the home nation, a major milestone as the brand continues its rapid growth trajectory and ambitions to challenge the established global brands and in the future dominate the sportswear market.

The partnership follows multiple recent high-profile agreements that Castore have secured across sports including Premier League clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United, while from next year they will also be in a partnership with Formula One team McLaren.

As of now the England teams will continue to wear kit provided by New Balance throughout the upcoming cricket season.

Also read: Had to give up one, so chose World Cup and Ashes over IPL, says Woakes

Tony Singh, ECB Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Castore is a fine example of British ambition driving success and we look forward to working closely with their team over the long term.

“I am excited by the digital-first expertise that Castore will provide to a truly innovative partnership that puts our athletes and fans at the heart of our planning.

“The financial and intellectual investment in our e-commerce will give fans faster and easier access to a high-performance range of women’s and men’s teamwear that I am sure our athletes, and our fans, will wear with pride.

I would also like to place on record our thanks and gratitude to New Balance for all of their efforts ahead of their partnership with England Cricket.”

Tom Beahon, founder of Castore, said “Today truly is a special day for everybody at Castore. When my brother and I founded this business in 2016 it was our ambition to one day have world-class athletes wearing our products and to achieve this ambition with our home nation for the first time is a monumental occasion for us.

"We can't wait to get started and create market leading products for the team's and contribute to the next generation of success for cricket for the men’s and women’s teams in this country.”

2021-09-13 20:43

Online Chess Olympiad: India edges out Ukraine in tie-break to reach semi-final

Chennai, Sep 13 (Sports news) India held off a fighting Ukraine via the tie-breaker to enter the semi-finals of the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad on Monday with B Adhiban, D Harika and Nihal Sarin playing key roles.

The blitz tie-break saw India outclass its opponent 5-1 thanks to wins for Adhiban, Harika, Sarin and R Vaishali storm into the last four.

India's top woman player Koneru Humpy drew her game against Iulija Osmak while Vidit Gujrathi, playing on top board instead of the rested former world champion Viswanathan Anand, shared honours with veteran Vasyl Ivanchuk.

In the blitz tie-break, Adhiban broke the resistance of Kirill Shevchenko in 36 moves in a Larsen Indian variation game. The Ukraine player had in the two regular games held his own, drawing against P Harikrishna and beating Vidit Gujrathi.

Ukraine bounced back after losing the first round 2-4 by trumping India 3.5-2.5 in the second to force the blitz tie-breaks.

In the second round, R Praggnanandhaa, playing in place of Nihal Sarin, posted the first win for India, beating Platon Galperin with white pieces. The young GM underlined his superiority, securing victory in just 20 moves in a Sicilian variation game.

Harika extended India's lead by getting the better of Natalia Zhukova in 32 moves with white pieces. She had in the first game of the quarterfinal beaten her opponent.

Also read: Online chess Olympiad: India placed in Pool B of Top Division

While Anand drew a second straight game against long-time rival Ivanchuk, Vidit Gujrathi who came in for P Harikrishna lost to Kirill Shevchenko.

However, the defeat of Humpy at the hands of IM Iulija Osmak in a marathon 114-move game secured a win for Ukraine.

In the first set of matches, Anand and Ivanchuck played out a draw while Harikrishna, Humpy and Vaishali also shared honours with their respective opponents. Harika and Sarin scored important wins over Natalia Buksa and Platon Galperin.

India awaits the winner of the USA-Kazakhstan quarterfinal to be played later tonight in Tuesday's semifinals.

Results: Quarterfinals: Round 1: India beat Ukraine 4-2 (Anand drew with Ivanchuk, Harikrishna drew with Shevchenko, Humpy drew Osmak, Harika beat Buksa, Sarin beat Galperin, Vaishali beat Mariia Berdnyk).

Round 2: India lost to Ukraine 2.5-3.5 (Anand drew Ivanchuk, Vidit Gujrathi lost to Shevchenko, Humpy lost to Osmak, Harika beat Natalia Zhukova, Pragganandhaa beat Galperin, Vaishali lost to Berdnyk).

Tie-break: India beat Ukraine 5-1 (Vidit Gujrathi drew Ivanchuk, B Adhiban beat Shevchenko, Humpy drew Osmak, Harika beat Buksa, Sarin beat Galperin, Vaishali beat Berdnyk).

News source: PTI

2021-09-13 20:29

Javelin throw coach Uwe Hohn out, AFI says it is hiring two new coaches

Jaipur, Sep 13 (Sports news) The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Monday announced the end of its association with national chief javelin coach Uwe Hohn, saying it is "not happy" with his performance and will hire two new foreign coaches soon.

The contract of the 59-year-old German, a former world record holder, was valid until the end of the Tokyo Olympics.

"We are bringing two more coaches and we are changing Uwe Hohn as we are not happy with his performance. We are looking for a foreign coach for Toor (shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor)," said AFI president Adille Sumariwalla.

Sumariwalla was speaking during a press conference at the end of a two-day executive council meeting of the federation that was also attended by AFI planning committee chairman Lalit K Bhanot and vice-president Anju Bobby George.

Hohn was appointed as chief coach in November 2017 for one year to train the likes of Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and two other Tokyo Olympians in Shivpal Singh and Annu Rani.

Chopra was under his tutelage during the Commonwealth and Asian Games in 2018 before another German Klaus Bartonietz took up that role.

Hohn had kicked up quite a storm before the Olympics by claiming that he had been blackmailed into accepting his contract by the Sports Authority of India and AFI. Both the bodies had rejected the charge.

Also read: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and other Tokyo Games participants felicitated by JSW Sports

A host of issues were discussed in detail during the meeting here, including redesigning the AFI's junior (grassroot development) programme, introduction of build-up tournaments for top international events such as the world championships and the Olympics and radically refurbishing its coaching programme, especially for the juniors.

"To reach the next level, we have to redesign the junior programme, how to do talent identification better to improve it further, we held discussions with athletes and coaches, both former and present athletes from all states," Sumariwalla said.

One of the conclusions of the meeting was that the athletes need more tournaments in the run-up to marquee global events.

"Athletes need more competitions, this is mainly for seniors to prepare for larger competitions. Next year we have a tight calendar -- with the World Championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

"Athletes need competition in preparatory period so that their bodies remain in good nick. So the plan is to introduce build-up competitions at the zonal level so that athletes don't have to travel far." Going by what the AFI said, the coach education programme is also set to see a complete overhaul in the coming times, with the introduction of a certification course involving the sport's global governing body, World Athletics.

"We have decided to bring in foreign caches in junior too to strengthen their foundation and basics.

"Apart from inter-district, we have to identify pockets in every states, how to bring them, what should be the parameters...Also, there will be an open national event for the next five years in Jamshedpur." "We need experienced coaches who have produced world champions and Olympic champions, with all the latest knowledge. Our coaches will also work alongside the foreign coaches.

"In last one year we have already developed 650 coaches and 1500 in pre level across various levels.

On the upgradation of the coaching programme, he added, "We will start with grassroot as once foundation is strong, elite will automatically get stronger.

"This is a World Athletics course and they will award the certificates. Those coaches are for our identified events -- 400m, walk, javelin, long jump and triple jump.

"There will be a different set of coaches for junior and senior athletes. We have recently identified Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana." During the meeting, the AFI brass analysed the areas where it did well and also tried to identify the ons where it didn't and the reasons for it.

"A coaching education programme has started, we need at least 5000 level one coaches if we wish to cover 500 district.

News source: PTI

2021-09-13 16:21

There will be more technological influence on decision making in future: Kumble

Mumbai, Sep 13 (Cricket news): Former India captain Anil Kumble believes that technology will have more and more influence on decision making as no player would be able to disregard the presence of "data intelligence" going into the future.

The Punjab Kings head coach was speaking at a webinar titled 'Building Competitive Advantage through Sports Analytics and Data Intelligence', organised by Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai with Deakin University South Asia.

Kumble gave the example of how DRS has been a game-changer in decision making process.

"There is the influence of DRS (Decision Review System) already in cricket and I am sure there will be more technological influence on decision making as we go along," Kumble said.

"Also the fact about players' acceptance of being a part of this innovation, otherwise you will be left behind," added the stalwart who has a staggering 619 Test wickets from 132 matches.

Kumble said that debate is welcome but his personal feeling is that embracing technology is for greater good.

"I know this, we are still sort of having that debate over, is this too much technology in sport or should I just go back to my own belief that "ok I just watch the ball, hit the ball, that's the simple way.

"Yes, that's the simple way, but then I think, if you don't sort of adapt to technology that's coming in and used the technology for the good of the game, I think people will be left behind," elaborated the leg-spinner, who has 1,136 first-class wickets.

The 50-year-old Kumble, who also served as the head coach of the Indian team, also feels that as we move onto the OTT (over the top) platforms, more technology will come into the sport.

"I don't see just the broadcasters influencing technology in the sport but even the federations will start looking at innovative ways of bringing in technology into sport," he said.

"Because all these years, it is been TV and broadcasters, who pushed these innovations, which is great for the game and as we move into other OTT platforms, there will be more technology coming into sport and that to me will be the biggest change that I see going forward," added Kumble. Kuble feels that shorter the game like T20 or The Hundred, greater will be the influence of data intelligence.

"The dependence on data will be a lot more, because in a short game, as the format sort of gets shorter, from Test cricket, we have come to ODI cricket, then it is T20 now, then there is (The) Hundred, "So as the game gets shorter, the dependence on data is far far more in putting together a squad, strategies, match-ups, we keep talking about match-ups and that’s how you sort of build a strategy around teams, so that will only be the driving factor," Kumble said.

Also read: Iyer's return will strengthen team, need to start on a high note: Dhawan

News source: PTI

2021-09-13 15:37

We haven't seen the best of KL Rahul yet: Gambhir

New Delhi, Sep 13 (Cricket news): Former India opener Gautam Gambhir expects K L Rahul to have a stupendous IPL campaign when the league resumes later this week as he believes that the big-hitter's best has not yet been seen despite an average of over 50 in the last three seasons.

Punjab Kings captain Rahul is averaging 66 after seven matches this year with a strike rate of 136. The IPL was suspended in May due to COVID-19 cases in its bubble and will resume on Sunday in the UAE.

"We haven't seen the best of KL Rahul. Yes, he has got runs, but we still haven't seen, what he can achieve in his batting," Gambhir told Star Sports show Game Plan.

"You could have a season like Virat Kohli had once. He's that kind of a player in white-ball cricket, where he can get 2-3 hundreds in a season and at a very good strike rate as well," he said.

The 29-year-old Rahul has already amassed 331 runs from seven games this year, including four half centuries. He is second on the list of 2021 IPL's top-scorers.

Speaking of other teams, Gambhir said the conditions in the UAE will favour defending champions Mumbai Indians.

Mumbai and Chennai Super Kings will clash in the first match of the resumed season on Sunday. "When you see the conditions in Chepauk or Delhi, they are completely different from what you get at Wankhede. And, as I mentioned, they are going into conditions that are suited to their fast bowling - people like Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult," Gambhir said.

"There will be swing upfront, so they will be very dangerous. Plus, Mumbai wants balls to swing and you've got quality fast bowlers and it's going to be an advantage for them.

"Plus their batters, want the balls to come on to the bat as well, people like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, all those guys struggled at Chepauk, because it was gripping and turning." Gambhir also felt that Mumbai Indians can't afford a slow start since they might need to win five of their remaining seven matches to qualify for the Play-offs.

Talking about India skipper Virat Kohli and his Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate AB de Villiers, Gambhir said they will come into the tournament with different challenges.

"There's going to be a challenge for Virat and there's going to be a huge challenge for AB de Villiers as well because he will be coming into the tournament without playing any cricket at all.

"Virat Kohli will have to adjust really quickly because there'll be hardly any time for him to get used to it.

"From the five-Test-match series to the T20 format, and AB as well, because these guys need to get runs if they have to have a chance to first qualify for the playoffs and then probably go on to win the title."

Also read: Bangladesh win T20I series against New Zealand amidst World Cup preparations

News source: PTI

2021-09-13 13:01

Refrain from delivering aggressive statements: Asghar Afghan to Paine

Kabul, Sep 12 (Cricket news) Former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan has slammed Australia Test skipper Tim Paine for his comments that the war-torn country looks impossible to play in the upcoming T20 World Cup, asking him not to "deliver aggressive statements without knowing the circumstances".

Backing Cricket Australia's decision to scrap the Test against Afghanistan to be played on November 27 in Hobart after the Taliban banned women from playing cricket, Paine had said it's hard to see a team like that being allowed to play in an ICC-sanctioned event.

In an open letter to Paine, Afghan said that his country's team has the right to play not only in the upcoming T20 World Cup but in all ICC organized tournaments/events in accordance with the rules and regulations of ICC.

"...it requires too much of hard work and dedication to reach this level of cricket. For a less privileged cricketing nation as Afghanistan with zero infrastructure and support reaching where we are right now and playing shoulder to shoulder with top 10 countries require sheer determination, passion, and talent.

"Therefore, you should refrain from delivering aggressive statements which would result in isolating the Afghan Cricket," he wrote.

The 34-year-old former captain said cricket is now the No. 1 sport in Afghanistan and is being followed by nearly 30 million Afghans.

"This shows, either you are unaware of the circumstances or talking out of contradiction; in any case, you are mistreating Afghan Cricket and all the gains we have obtained with hardship in the past decade." Soon after forming the interim government, the Taliban banned women from playing cricket or any others sports, casting doubts over Afghanistan men's team Test status.

As per ICC rules, all Test playing nations must have a women's team as well.

Also read: Looks impossible for Afghanistan to play in T20 World Cup: Tim Paine

Afghanistan named its T20 World Cup squad on Thursday with Rashid Khan as the skipper, but the star spinner immediately resigned from captaincy, stating he was not consulted before picking the 15-member side.

All-rounder Mohammad Nabi, who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, was then named captain of the team.

The T20 World Cup will be held in the UAE and Oman from October 17 to November 14.

News source: PTI

2021-09-13 10:56

I learnt to stay calm under pressure from Tendulkar: Pramod Bhagat

New Delhi, Sep 12 (Sports news): Paralympics gold medallist Pramod Bhagat has attributed his calm on-court demeanour under pressure to the inspiration he took from the sportsmanship and graceful behaviour exhibited by the iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in his career.

Bhagat, the reigning world champion, clinched India's first Paralympics gold with a straight-game win over Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in the SL3 class finals in Tokyo last week.

The 33-year-old Indian, who had contracted polio when he was 4 years old, showed great mental fortitude as he recovered from an eight-point deficit in the second game to come up trumps against his opponent.

"I used to play cricket during childhood. During that time we used to watch cricket on Doordarsan and I was always fascinated by Sachin Tendulkar's calm demeanour, the way he conducted himself and it had a big influence on me," Bhagat told PTI in an interview.

"I started following him. His sportsmanship influenced me a lot. So when I started playing, I followed the same thought process and it helped me to make some memorable comeback in many matches, including World Championships.

"When I was 4-12 down in second game of the final, I was confident that I can recover and so I could held my nerves, stay calm and comeback and win." Bhagat had met Tendulkar after returning to the country from Tokyo. He gifted his racquet, which he used in the final to Tendulkar, who gave him an autographed tee-shirt and his autobiography book.

"I have always been inspired by Sachin, right from childhood, so it was a big moment for me when I met him. He told me about the balance of life and sports. It was a dream come true moment." Bhagat, who hails from Attabira in Odisha's Bargarh district, said he didn't see any future in the sport when he started but now he feels overwhelmed with the response that his gold medal has generated.

"When I started badminton in 2005, I used to feel there is no future but I won in 2009 world championship title and once BWF recognised para-badminton, things changed slowly," he said.

"But there was not much recognition for para badminton and somehow I knew that a gold at Paralympics may get me recognition and I should say I am overwhelmed with all the attention." Indian para shuttlers claimed as many as four medals, including two gold, a silver and a bronze, from the Tokyo Paralympics where badminton made its debut this year.

Bhagat, who has over 45 international medals under his belt, including four world championship gold medals and a gold and a bronze in 2018 Asian Para Games, said time has come for para shuttlers to dominate the world.

"It is just a start for us. The struggle time is over now and it's time to step up and achieve more," he said.

"In Tokyo, we have proved that we are the best and in years to come, you can expect much higher level performances and I feel in next year's Asian games and 2024 Olympics, we will do better." Bhagat was supposed to play next month's World Championships in Tokyo but it has been postponed due to COVID-19 and he said his next aim remains to win a medal at the tournament which might happen in December or March.

Bhagat also acknowledged the contribution of childhood coach Shiba Prasad Das.

"He actually found me, trained me and made me what I am. He is my first guru (coach). I used to play outdoors, he introduced me to indoor badminton and it was under his guidance that I won the 2009 world championship title.

"He helped me financially, mentally and physically supported me. I used to train under him before big events. So I have lot of gratitude for him."

Also read: Sports Minister felicitates triumphant Paralympians, hopes for better show in 2024

News source: PTI

2021-09-11 13:50

Randhir Singh appointed OCA's acting president after Al-Sabah steps aside on forgery charges

New Delhi, Sep 11 (Olympic news) Veteran India sports administrator Randhir Singh has been appointed as acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia after incumbent Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah had to step aside after being found guilty of forgery by a Geneva Court.

Randhir had served as Secretary General of the OCA for 24 years from 1991 to 2015.

The 72-year-old Randhir, a five-time Olympian shooter, is currently an Honorary Life Vice-President of the OCA.

He also served as the Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) from 1987 to 2012 and was a full member of the International Olympic Committee from 2001 to 2014 before becoming its honorary member.

Randhir's appointment was confirmed by Al-Sabah himself in a letter to the OCA Executive Board and all its member National Olympic Committees.

"...I have decided to temporarily step aside as President of the OCA with immediate effect until I have successfully appealed today's verdict," Al-Sabah said in the letter issued on Friday.

"...in accordance with the OCA Constitution Article 20.3, Raja Randhir Singh will become Acting President of the OCA as the longest serving member of the OCA Executive Board from Honorary Life Vice Presidents and the elected Senior Vice Presidents." "During the interim period, Raja Randhir Singh will carry out the duties and responsibilities of the OCA President, starting with the OCA Executive Board Meeting scheduled to be held on 13th September 2021," the letter further added.

In March this year, Randhir was appointed as the chairman of the Coordination Committee of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games by the OCA General Assembly.

Also read: Atlético Madrid travel to Espanyol while Real Madrid return to the Bernabeu after 18 months in matchweek 4

Olympic power broker Al-Sabah has been found guilty of forgery linked to implicating his political rivals in Kuwait in a coup plot -- a verdict that puts his long career in global sports politics at risk.

Al-Sabah, his English former lawyer, a Kuwaiti aide and two more lawyers based in Geneva in 2014 were convicted on forgery charges linked to orchestrating a sham arbitration case in the upscale Swiss city.

The Sheikh was sentenced to almost 14 months jail time with a further 15 months suspended in a case that has put much of his Olympic work on hold for almost three years.

Al-Sabah has immediately appealed against Friday's vedict and vowed to come out clean from the charges.

"...I will be immediately appealing the decision to the Court of Appeal in Geneva.

"I have always maintained to you and the wider Olympic Movement about my innocence of the charges and I am determined to clear my name and I am totally confident of success," he said.

News source: PTI

2021-09-11 10:57

Gavaskar welcomes BCCI's offer, says India shouldn't forget England's gesture after 26/11 attacks

Manchester, Sep 11 (Cricket news) The legendary Sunil Gavaskar has lauded the BCCI's offer of rescheduling the cancelled Old Trafford Test, saying India should never forget England's gesture of returning back to complete a tour, which was halted midway due to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.

The fifth Test between India and England here was called-off hours before its start on Friday after a COVID-19 outbreak in the visiting team's camp which made the Indian players reluctant to play fearing a positive result might lead to 10-day isolation and scheduling nightmare of Indian Premier League.

Both the BCCI and England Cricket Board (ECB) officials later announced that the match will be rescheduled at a later date as a one-off game, but the decision is yet to be made official.

"Yes, I think that (rescheduling the cancelled Test) would be the correct thing to do. Look, we, in India, should never forget what the England team did in 2008 after the horrific attack, the 26/11. They came back," Gavaskar told official broadcaster of the series Sony Sports.

"They would have been perfectly entitled to say 'we don't feel safe. We are not coming back'." The visiting England team was playing an ODI against India in Cuttack on November 26 when terrorists attacked Mumbai, leading to the cancellation of the last two ODIs of the seven-match series.

England headed home immediately, but later returned for the two Test series which India won 1-0.

Also read: CSK trying to get their five players in Manchester to Dubai via commercial flight

Gavaskar said that the then skipper Kevin Pietersen was instrumental in England's decision to return back for the Test matches.

"Never forget that Kevin Pietersen led the team, and he was the main man. If KP had said, no I don't want to go, that would have been the end of the matter.

"It was because KP was willing to go and he convinced the others, the team came and we had that fantastic Test match in Chennai where India chased 380 to win on the last day," the batting great said.

Gavaskar termed BCCI's rescheduling offer as a "fantastic news" and said the cancelled Test can be held next year after the Indian Premier League.

"Don't forget, the gesture of the ECB has to be remembered," he said.

"It's absolutely apt that the BCCI now says, right next year, we are still coming to England. I think there will be a little lean period. I think the IPL will finish in early June. So there is enough time for them to go a few days early, depending on whether we still have Covid and all the restrictions and maybe play a Test match before or after," Gavaskar said.

"This is fantastic news coming that the BCCi will make up for it. This is exactly what the relations between boards should be."

News source: PTI

2021-09-10 19:55

Wasn't outbreak of COVID, it was perception of what might happen that caused cancellation: ECB CEO

Manchester, Sep 10 (Cricket news) A "gutted" England Cricket Board (ECB) CEO Tom Harrison on Friday said it was the Indian players' anxiety over "what might happen" and not the COVID-19 outbreak itself that caused the cancellation of the fifth and final Test here even though all efforts were made to comfort the visitors.

Harrison said the developments of the past couple of days have been devastating and everything necessary was done to convince the Indian players, who were spooked by assistant physio Yogesh Parmar's positive COVID-19 test on Thursday and refused to take the field.

"It's a really sad day, my heart goes out to fans. We are absolutely gutted. Internationally this game gets astronomical audience. It became clear yesterday around lunch time that there was a problem in terms of the anxiety level in the Indian team.

"It wasn't an outbreak of COVID, it was a perception of what might happen post the physio testing positive. Over the course of the day, we tried to give as many different assurances that we could to give comfort to the players," he revealed.

After the match was cancelled due to the Indian players' reluctance to take the field following COVID-19 cases in the contingent, the BCCI issued a statement to say that both the boards will work towards finding space to reschedule the game at some other time.

Harrison said the proposed rescheduling would be a one-off game instead of being a decider for the series that India currently leads 2-1.

"No, I think it's a stand-alone situation. We have been offered a few other options, probably need to take a look (at those)," Harrison told 'Sky Sports' when asked whether it would be a stand-alone game or the series-decider.

"The glass half full version of it is that the prospects of playing a one off Test match against India as a focal point on this ground, let's try to deliver on that. It can be the only good news that comes out of a day like today," he added.

If the rescheduled match is a one-ff engagement than India would be deemed winners of the series as it stands right now, something that has not been officially confirmed yet.

The most likely window for the rescheduled game is July next year when India would be here for a limited-overs assignment.

Also read: India forfeit fifth Test against England as players decline to take field post COVID scare

Harrison said "medical people who understand this virus" were brought in to talk to the players on Thursday but they were clear about not playing the match.Their concern was positive tests during the match, which would have led to longer quarantine in England and possible loss of game time at the IPL starting September 19.

India's head coach Ravi Shastri and three other support staff members were the first to test positive and are isolating in London.

"Once you have got that sense of anxiety in the dressing room, it would be very difficult to reverse that. Physical and mental health of players is important," he said.

"People understand that when you have pulled a hamstring you cannot play but when you have a mental health issue akin to a hamstring pull, that's less well understood," he explained.

"We are in a situation now that we are not in bio-bubble but in managed living standards, which is better for players. It is not a COVID-free environment but COVID-managed environment." Harrison said the ECB, however, would be able to handle the financial hit caused by the cancellation thanks to insurance cover.

"Our insurance covers cancellation for COVID. Fans will get their money back. Our finance department will handle that," he said.

News source: PTI

2021-09-10 19:26

Do not penalise us for our cultural and religious environment: ACB CEO to Cricket Australia

Kabul, Sep 10 (Cricket news) Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Hamid Shinwari on Friday asked Cricket Australia (CA) to reconsider its decision not to host its men's team for a Test in November after the Taliban banned women from playing sport, saying such a move will only isolate the strife-torn country.

Soon after forming an interim government, the Taliban banned women from playing cricket or any others sports, casting doubts over Afghanistan men's team Test status.

As per ICC rules, all Test playing nations must have a women's team as well.

Cricket Australia (CA) on Thursday said that its men's team's season-opening Test against Afghanistan, slated to start on November 27 in Hobart, will be scrapped due if Taliban doesn't allow women in sports.

In a statement, ACB CEO Hamid Shinwari expressed "shock and immense disappointment" at the potential cancellation of the Australia-Afghanistan Test, which it described as "sudden and unexpected".

The ACB CEO said there is an alternative to cancelling this "significant, history making Test match". But, instead of offering any such alternative, the ACB said it is "powerless to change the culture and religious environment of Afghanistan".

"We ask Cricket Australia and the whole cricketing world to keep the door open for us, walk with us, do not isolate us and avoid penalising us for our cultural and religious environment," Shinwari said.

"We accept that CA sees cricket as ‘a sport for all and we support the game unequivocally for women at every level’.

"We understand, too, why ‘if recent media reports that women’s cricket will not be supported in Afghanistan are substantiated’, CA might believe they have ‘no alternative’ but to refuse to host the scheduled test match," he said.

Also read: It's shame and anticlimax to wonderful series: former players on cancellation of Manchester Test

Shinwari said it fears that if other countries follow CA, then Afghanistan will be alienated from the cricket world and the game may cease to exist in the country.

"If the CA decides to cancel the test match and isolate the Afghan men’s national team, it will have no impact upon those cultural and religious values as they stand. The spokesman for the government has unequivocally stated this," he said.

It said the Taliban's diktat regarding women’s participation in cricket was not substantially different to the ACB’s cultural and religious environment during the earlier governments.

Hel also brought the the International Cricket Council into the picture.

"ICC has been aware of our cultural and religious environment and it has taken a balanced, diplomatic, sensitive and considerate approach as we have worked to develop every aspect of the game of cricket in our country despite the situations we have faced.

"We believe that the ICC has had the forethought to recognise and accept that we have been doing all we can to grow cricket in the traditional cultural, religious and changing political environments of our country "The alternative to cancellation of the test match would be for CA to take the same approach as the ICC. A considered, balanced, ‘cricket diplomacy’ would be far more productive for Afghanistan and for cricket than a sudden ‘knee jerk’ reaction," he added.

News source: PTI

2021-09-10 18:57

Indian players got the jitters after assistant physio tested positive claims Dinesh Karthik

Manchester, Sep 10 (Cricket news) Dinesh Karthik has revealed that the Indian players got the jitters after assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19, making them uncomfortable to play the fifth and final Test against England, which was called off hours before its start on Friday.

The game, scheduled to be hosted by the Old Trafford, is now expected to be played at a later date.

Karthik, who is now part of the IPL bubble, had commentated for the first three Tests before he left to join the KKR squad in the UAE.

Senior physio Nitin Patel had tested positive during the fourth Test in London alongside head coach Ravi Shastri and two other support staff members.

"I spoke to a few of the guys (Indian players). More often than not, a lot of the players after the fourth Test. This is tiring. Almost all games have gone down the wire, they are tired and they have only one physio right now.

"They had two, but before this one went down along with the chief coach, another couple of the coaches, so they had one physio, so they've done a lot of work with that man. And now he tests positive. Now, that is the problem," Karthik told Sky Sports.

"If it was somebody else, somebody was helping you know in terms of logistics and all that they wouldn't be this afraid but when this person got it, the physio, I think that's when they got the jitters a little bit," he added.

Also read: India forfeit fifth Test against England as players decline to take field post COVID scare

The series wasn't taking place in a strict bubble but the players were told to stay indoors for the duration of the fifth Test before taking a flight to the UAE and get into another bubble.

"You also have to understand, as soon as this finishes, they have the IPL soon after that the World Cup, and soon after that the New Zealand series and we are talking about literally one week turnarounds," Karthik said.

"How many bubbles can they do? When they left, when they rather assembled in India they assembled on May 16 it's four months almost four months. That's a lot of time already." The wicketkeeper batsman said the players understandably had a tough time mentally once the junior physio tested positive and there was no way day one of the series decider would have happened as per schedule. "Let's take an example for today, most of the guys today haven't even slept till 2.30-3 in the morning because they don't know if they have to be ready for the match, they don't know because you know it's it's very late in India, so they don't know if they're going to be able to speak to ECB those kinds of discussions were gone.

"So most of them haven't even slept till 3 O'clock so the Test match happening today was out of question almost. It's whether they can delay it further, but you have to imagine you have to remember this that there is a good chance that in the RTPCR test three days later, someone could test positive and if he's in the playing 11, then what happens to that person," he said.

"Is he going to spread it around? Is he this super spreader for that point of time, that puts every other player in jeopardy, and then they have to stay 10 days in England then what happens to the IPL, which is supposed to start four days after they land in Dubai...

"...So it has so many other questions, it's not necessary that they've tested negative today means that two days later they will test negative again. Even if it is one person who does test positive, then that puts the whole thing into another different dimension," said Karthik.

He informed that the players have been told to remain in their rooms.

"Yes, they are all in the rooms. They have not moved out since the time they heard about the physio. They've all been told to stay in the rooms and not move out. And that's exactly what they're doing." Asked if the players were fearful about taking the virus to the IPL bubble," he said: "Absolutely. That is one thing you got to understand, for so long a lot of IPL teams have already come and started quarantined and all of that, the Indian team have not had a major bubble so to say, up until this Test, where they have been told to try not to go out of your rooms even during the game.

"... but now you know, with a positive result for a certain person, it's completely different but they've been informed that you know we are, we are moving from a bubble to a bubble so we have to kind of make bubble in England when we are here.

"So for this last test everybody has been told to stay in the rooms don't move or try and order room service. Play the Test match and get on with it and let's get to IPL after that so that's kind of been the mood so to speak (before the match was called off)," added Karthik.

News source: PTI

2021-09-10 15:51

It's shame and anticlimax to wonderful series: former players on cancellation of Manchester Test

New Delhi, Sep 10 (Cricket news) The cancellation of the fifth and final Test between India and England in Manchester due to fears of more COVID-19 cases in the visitors' camp was on Friday described as "absolute shame" and anticlimax to a "wonderful series".

Many of them, however, refused to point fingers on India, who were leading the series 2-1, reminding that England had done the same in South Africa.

The Test was cancelled just a couple of hours before the toss after India were left on tenterhooks following physio Yogesh Parmar's positive COVID-19 test that led to concerns that the infection could spread during the match.

"This is such a shame - as it’s been a wonderful series!," Australian spin legend Shane Warne wrote on his Twitter handle on the cancellation of the Old Trafford Test.

England batting great Kevin Pietersen said there should not be fingers pointed on the Indians for deciding not to play the Test.

"England left the tour of SA for Covid scares & cost CSA plenty, so don’t go pointing fingers!," he tweeted.

"Just remember what I said about where Test Cricket will be at in 2026…" Former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted: "India have let English Cricket down!!! But England did let South African Cricket down!!!" Another former England captain Nasser Hussain said after both sides and the game of cricket went through this summer, it would have been nice to finish the series off.

"The bubble time they have done and everything that has been done to get this series on, it's a real shame that it has to end on such a low note," he said on Sky Sports.

Also read: India forfeit fifth Test against England as players decline to take field post COVID scare

Former England batsman Mark Butcher said the restart of Indian Premier League in the UAE on September 19 could be one of the reasons for the cancellation of the Test.

"The IPL restarts in the UAE on September 19 and any further postponement of the Test pushed the Indian players beyond the start of the competition (IPL)," he said on Sky Sports.

"Also, should any of the Indian players test positive in the meantime, they would haver to further quarantine another 10 days in the UK before they are able to leave," he added.

"There could be multiple reasons but it is absolute shame that the series has not been played out the way it was meant to." He said it has been a tremendous series and India had been a fantastic team, giving England the real run for their money in home conditions.

"We had an inkling last night that there could be an issue, there was talk of postponement of the Test match which of course would have caused as many problems as it can solve." Royal Challengers Bangalore, which is captained by India skipper Virat Kohli, said the right decision has been taken.

"Health and safety of everyone involved is paramount and the right call has been made. We hope and pray that everybody is safe," the RCB tweeted.

Another IPL side Punjab Kings described the development as "sad news".

Former England woman player Isa Guha tweeted: "Mad times ... Some questions - what happens to the points/how does the series end? If not forfeited? Will there be a chance to complete it another time?"

News source: PTI

2021-09-10 13:01

Mohammad Nabi named captain of Afghan team for T20 WC after Rashid steps down

Kabul, Sep 10 (Cricket news): Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi has been named Afghanistan skipper for the upcoming T20 World Cup after star spinner Rashid Khan stepped down from captaincy protesting the selection of the national squad without his inputs.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is yet to officially announce Nabi's appointment as captain but the 36-year-old all-rounder tweeted that he has been chosen to lead the team.

"At this critical stage, I admire the decision of ACB for the announcement of leading the National Cricket Team in T20 Format," the 36-year-old Nabi tweeted.

"... we will present a great picture of the Nation in the upcoming T20 World Cup," said the spin-bowling all-rounder who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.

In a shocking decision, Rashid on Thursday stepped down as the captain of the team, saying that his opinion was not sought before finalising the national squad for the T20 World Cup.

Rashid's stepping down came immediately after the ACB named him as the captain of the 15-member squad for the showpiece event.

"As the captain and responsible person for the nation I reserve the right to be part of the selection of the team," the 22-year-old spinner said in a post shared on his twitter handle.

"The selection committee and ACB has not obtained my consent for the team which has been announced by ACB media," said Rashid.

"I am taking the decision of stepping down from the role as the captain of Afghanistan T20 side effective immediately. It's always my proud playing for Afghanistan." The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in the UAE and Oman from October 17 to November 14.

Afghanistan has been in turmoil following the takeover of the country by Taliban.

Soon after forming the interim government, the Taliban banned women from playing cricket or any others sports, casting doubts over Afghanistan men's team Test status.

As per ICC rules, all Test playing nations must have a women's team as well.

Cricket Australia (CA) all but confirmed on Thursday that its men's team's season-opening Test against Afghanistan, slated to start on November 27, will be scrapped due to the Taliban's order.

Also read: England vice-captain Jos Butler expects the final Test to go ahead

News source: PTI

2021-09-09 15:45

Double India's medal tally in Paris Olympics, create support system for athletes: VP

Chennai, Sep 9 (Sports news): Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday called upon the nation to fix a target to double the medal tally in the 2024 Paris Olympics and also for building "all-encompassing support system" for the young and aspiring athletes.

India's stellar performance at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 had filled the hearts of the countrymen with pride and even more gratifying were the achievements of Paralympians who through their single-minded focus, grit and resilience brought home a record number of 19 medals propelling India into the top 25 at the para games, the Vice President said.

"This is a historic moment in India’s sporting journey and their exemplary performance has not only changed people's perception towards disability but has also kindled hopes of India emerging as a major sporting power," he said while virtually inaugurating the Tiruchirappalli Campus of SRM Institute of Science and Technology from the Raj Bhavan here.

"Let us set a target for ourselves to double the medal count in Paris Olympics in 2024 and lose no time in trying to achieve it," he said and urged all stakeholders, including the private sector, to come together to build an all-encompassing support system for the country's young and aspiring athletes.

"If an enabling ecosystem is created, I am sure, there are many more Avani Lekharas (who won a gold medal in rifle shooting in Tokyo 2020 Paralympics) and Neeraj Chopras (Javelin thrower who won gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics) waiting in the wings, whose talent can be nurtured successfully," he said. Educational institutions like SRM Institute whose student Nethra Kumanan, the first Indian sailor to qualify for the Olympics, should take a lead in this direction, the Vice President said.

On the challenge of employability, Venkaiah Naidu stressed the need to increase employability by focusing on the skills required for the Industry. "Every year, the country produces around 1.5 million engineers, but a survey suggests that only seven per cent of them are suitable for core engineering jobs," he pointed out. Hence, the emphasis must be on building a stronger academia-industry connection and ensuring that creative research results in the application of ground-breaking solutions.

The students on their part should equip themselves with emotional and social skills that will enable them to adapt to a rapidly changing world. "Develop a positive outlook towards life and seek to contribute to the larger cause of nation-building. Strive constantly to use your education for the good of others, society and the nation at large," he advised.

The services of the SRM group in collaborating with the Government on clinical trials with respect to COVID-19, and also in providing affordable and necessary healthcare facilities to those affected by the pandemic were commendable, he said. The Vice President appreciated the vision and leadership of the founder of the group, Dr T. R. Paarivendhar, and said the SRM group's focus on quality education is in tune with the Government's vision in laying the foundation for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, founder Chancellor of SRM IST and Member of Parliament T R Paarivendhar, president, SRM IST, Niranjan, and chairman, SRM Groups, Ramapuram and Trichy Campuses Dr R Shivakumar were among those who attended the virtual event.

Also read: Sports Minister felicitates triumphant Paralympians, hopes for better show in 2024

News source: PTI

2021-09-09 10:38

Sports Minister felicitates triumphant Paralympians, hopes for better show in 2024

New Delhi, Sep 8 (Paralympics news): Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday felicitated the 17 medal-winners from the Tokyo Paralympics, saying he expects them to shatter more records in the 2024 Paris Games after raising the bar with a stupendous performance this time.

The Indian para-athletes registered their best-ever performance in the Tokyo Games by winning an unprecedented 19 medals, including five gold, eight silver and six bronze.

Shooters Avani Lekhara (gold and bronze) and Singhraj Adana (silver and bronze) were the ones to finish on the podium twice.

"It was my dream to win a medal for my country and I had trained hard for it. Has it sunk in? not yet. I am so happy and grateful," said the 19-year-old Lekhara, who became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold.

Thakur lauded her and all others who finished on the podium, presenting them with mementos to honour their feats.

"I recall in the 2016 Paralympics, the size of the Indian contingent was 19, while this year the country has won as many as 19 medals. You have shown us that the human spirit is the most powerful of all," Thakur said at the function where the medal-winners were given a standing ovation.

"Our medal tally has increased by about five times. For the first time we have won medals in table tennis and archery, competed for the first time in canoeing and powerlifting. We equalled two world records and we broke even more. India's para athletes delivered a perfect podium finish," he added.

He offered government's full support to the athletes.

"The government's approach in extending support to athletes for international competitions has undergone a transformational change. The government will continue to support India's paralympians with facilities and funding so that they may continue to excel internationally.

"We'd like to encourage more regional and national tournaments for our paralympians so they can regularly compete and hone their skills," said Thakur.

The function was also attended by Thakur's predecessor and current Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju and Minister of State for Sports Nisith Pramanik among others.

Also present on the occasion were Sports Secretary Ravi Mittal, Sports Authority of India Director General Sandip Pradhan, Paralympic Committee of India President Deepa Malik.

Malik thanked the government for constant support. India had sent a 54-strong contingent to the Games, the country's biggest ever.

Also read: India's history-making Paralympians return to rousing reception

News source: PTI

2021-09-08 19:56

India's Jeev Milkha Singh becomes first golfer in world to be granted 10-year Dubai Golden Visa

Dubai, Sep 8 (Golf news) Star Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh has become the first professional golfer in the world to receive the prestigious 10-year Dubai Golden Visa in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the sport.

The 49-year-old Jeev has had a long association with Dubai, having featured in several tournaments and making many friends in the city.

"I am really honoured and humbled that the Dubai government has considered me for the Golden Visa and I am looking forward to making many more special memories here," Jeev said in a release.

During the 2001 Dubai Desert Classic, Jeev had established a world record at that time when he completed the four rounds with just 94 putts while finishing tied sixth.

Jeev, winner of four titles on the European Tour, four on Japan Golf Tour and six on the Asian Tour, has received the 10-year 'Gold card' for being an elite professional athlete.

Also read: Jahanvi aims to continue good form at the 8th leg on the Hero WPGT

"This is a huge honour. I think I came to Dubai for the first time in 1993, and I have loved every moment of my stay here and greatly admired the energy of this fascinating city," he said.

"My family has enjoyed the many offerings of Dubai, like the variety of restaurants and shopping, but being a professional golfer, the biggest attraction for me is the quality of golf courses and the practice facilities that you get here, which really are second to none.

"I have also got a lot of support from Dubai. I was one of the first ambassadors for Jumeirah Golf Estates, and also of 'Golf in Dubai' for many years." The Golden Visa was instituted by the UAE government in 2019 as a new system which allowed investors (minimum of AED 10 million) and entrepreneurs, as well as professionals and specialised talents like in the field of science, knowledge and sports, to apply for it.

Other sportspersons who have been granted the Golden Visa by Dubai include footballers Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo and Romel Lukaku, tennis superstar Novak Djokovic, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and her husband and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.

Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt have also received their visas.

Son of the legendary Indian athlete, the late 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh, Jeev won two of the biggest tournaments on the European Tour -- the 2006 Volvo Masters at Valderrama and the 2012 Scottish Open.

He also won the 2008 Singapore Open and rose to No. 28 in the Official World Golf Ranking, a high that few Asian golfers have managed to surpass.

News source: PTI

2021-09-08 19:36

Multi-tasker Noida DM Suhas Yathiraj says his Paralympic silver shows sports and academics can co-exist

New Delhi, Sep 8 (Sports news) It's a misconception that sports and academics cannot be pursued simultaneously, says Noida District Magistrate and Paralympic silver medal-winning shuttler Suhas Yathiraj, basking in the glory of his unparalleled achievements which he credited to the inspiring role played by his late father.

The 38-year-old Suhas, who has an ankle deformity since birth, claimed the silver at the recent Tokyo Games, his maiden Paralympics since taking up the sport in 2016.

Speaking to PTI in an interview, the bureaucrat, who gave up a corporate job after clearing UPSC, said he is accustomed to striking a perfect balance between his job and his passion.

"Since my childhood days, I used to play sports for two hours, sports is part of my life along with studies. There is a misconception in the society that sports and studies can't go along together," he said.

"I would like to tell the parents and the society that forget that logic, your child can excel in both," Suhas, who was born in Karnataka's Hassan, added.

"In 2016 I played my first professional tournament, the Asian Championship in Beijing, where I got the gold medal and I think that was more or less the turning point in terms of professional badminton." Suhas, who has been DM of Azamgarh, Prayagraj and Hathras in his various stints, credited his late father Yathiraj L K for the success he has achieved and said it is after watching him play that he was inspired into the shuttle sport. Yathraj Senior was also a government officer.

"My deformity is congenital. I have had operations when I was a child to fix try and fix it. The challenge was always there in the childhood because we were not mature enough to understand good or bad etc.

"So you are very sensitive to what people speak, you are not even confident as to what you can achieve in life. But that is where my father's role comes into play, he gave me immense confidence in what I could do. So since childhood, I have been competing with able-bodied athletes," he said.

Suhas said he has always liked badminton and wanted to play the sport as a child.

"There is no specific inspiration behind getting into badminton, it was a sport that I always loved since childhood. But in south India, there is a concept of ball badminton, my father used to play ball badminton and I used to be fascinated with that.

"That is where I got fascinated with racquet sports," said the soft-spoken multi-tasker.

Suhas, an engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Suratkal, scripted history by becoming the first IAS officer to win a a Paralympic medal.

Since his appointment as the DM of Gautam Buddh Nagar on March 30, 2020, he was also been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic management.

"...After 12th, I was fortunate to get into both MBBS and engineering, I got into the best engineering college of Karnataka that is NIT Suratkal. After that I got jobs in three MNCs but I felt that there is something lacking in my life.

"I always wanted to be a civil servant and after the tragic death of my father in 2005, I decided that I would pursue it. In 2006 I wrote the exams and at that time I was also working in a private MNC," he said.

Wasn't it a huge task to chase those IAS ambitions with an active job? "If you see in life, all things which are worthy of achieving or have some intrinsic value, they are all difficult. It's all about time management and those who have excelled at multitasking have one thing in common, they love love the task they they select." Talking about his training along side bureaucratic responsibilities, Suhas said: "During the peak of COVID I didn't train because there was absolutely no time. But the peak was for a certain period and my training was generally post 10pm at night.

"One needs to train for two hours generally and one hour in the morning for physical fitness. So that's more than sufficient. I was not in the national camp. I trained along with an Indonesian coach.

"He trained me specifically here in Greater Noida. He is my personal coach. He is based in India but a former Indonesian badminton player. His name is Gighi Duthree Belatame." He also praised the government's Target Olympic Podium Scheme, which according to him, played a big role in the best-ever medals tally of 19 in the Paralympics.

"One of the best schemes of the government is TOPS and I am also a part of it. I think TOPS scehme is one of the reasons for the increased medals tally in the country," he said.

Also read: Dope violators eligible for national sports honours if ban period served: Sports Ministry

Talking about life after finding fame, Suhas said he would rather enjoy the moment than plan ahead.

"I want to live in the present moment. I don't want to think about anything else. I sometimes feel that if God has given me the gold, there wouldn't have been much left to achieve. So, I feel everything happens for a reason.

"I just want to cherish this moment and after sometime, give thought to anything else," Suhas added.

News source: PTI

2021-09-08 18:05

Los Angeles Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets: The battle between two superteams

(Basketball news) As the new NBA season draws closer and the majority of the free agents found respective homes, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets emerged as the strongest teams without a shadow of a doubt. Even though last year's NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks and finalist Phoenix Suns remain relatively unchanged from last season, both teams don’t possess the historical talent that the Lakers and Nets have.

The Lakers last season got eliminated in the 1st round of the playoff series by the Phoenix Suns but this season Rob Pelinka (General Manager) made sure that the same thing isn't repeated. At the end of last season, Lakers managed to pull off a blockbuster trade where they managed to get 9 times NBA all star and 2016-17 MVP Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards. With Lebron James and Anthony Davis already in the team, adding Westbrook makes them the team to beat in the Western Conference. With the Lakers adding former NBA all stars Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo in free agency their roster looks more dangerous than before.

The Brooklyn Nets last season pulled off the trade of the decade by getting James Harden from Houston Rockets, adding to a roster which already contained Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Last season, according to all experts, the Nets should have the NBA Championship but were beaten by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference final, although injuries hampered the squad which eventually led to their downfall last season. This season Steve Nash (Coach of Nets) will be hoping that his stars remain fit as they have already added former all stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul Milsap to an already staked roster.

With both teams' ambition of winning a NBA championship last year not being fulfilled, the teams will be even more hungry to reach the NBA final this season. The Los Angeles Lakers have got back the championship core which won the NBA 2 years ago but the key advantage that the Lakers have over the Nets is the championship experience they have in their roster. On the other hand, the Nets have arguably the best trio in American sports history as on any given day James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Iriving can beat any team just based on their talent. As the fans eagerly wait for the start of the new season the NBA finals looks destined to be between these two teams unless and until injuries hamper them both. This is a site that not only the basketball fans want to watch but the sports fans in general will also tune in.

Also read: Virtual development program launched by NBA Academy for top female prospects from outside the US

The Los Angeles Roster:

Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Marc Gasol, Trevor Ariza, Rajon Rondo,Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, DeAndre Jordan, Russell Westbrook, Kent Bazemore, Anthony Davis, Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk, Talen Horton-Tucker.

The Brooklyn Nets Roster:

Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, Patty Mills, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, Nic Claxton , Bruce Brown, Cam Thomas, James Johnson, DeAndre Bembry, Jevon Carter, Day’Ron Sharpe.

2021-09-08 16:00

ABT CUPRA XE announces new design in IAA Mobility Show at Munich

(Motorsports news): CUPRA, the Spanish automotive brand, today unveiled its Tavascan Extreme E Concept, set to be released into its ABT CUPRA team racing vehicle in the all-electric off-road racing series.

The concept launch was premiered at the 2021 IAA Mobility show in Munich and was presented together with ABT Managing Partner Hans-Jürgen Abt, ABT Sport Marketing boss Harry Unflath, along with Jutta Kleinschmidt, race driver for the ABT CUPRA Extreme E team.

The all-electric off-road racing car is the next project in the brand’s Extreme E adventure, which also hints at the design language to be used in the upcoming series production CUPRA Tavascan, the brand’s second 100 per cent electric model, and first electric SUV, which will be designed and developed in Barcelona and will enter Europe and overseas markets in 2024.

“We strongly believe in the Extreme E project as a whole,” said Antonino Labate, Director of Strategy, Business Development and Operations at CUPRA. “Electrification, sustainability, gender-balance and diversity are common values between CUPRA and Extreme E. The CUPRA Tavascan Extreme E Concept is clear proof of the hard work that we’re doing at CUPRA in order to be able to compete next season.”

“Almost exactly a year ago, we announced our partnership with CUPRA and unveiled the design of our e-CUPRA ABT XE1. Since then, we have generated a lot of attention together, both on and off the track,” says Thomas Biermaier, CEO of ABT Sportsline. “The development of our own bodywork by the designers and engineers at CUPRA is the next step in our close and successful collaboration. The Tavascan Extreme E Concept simply looks mega, right down to the smallest detail. Now it’s our job to score the first trophies with it soon.”

The design of the front and rear is considerably different from the vehicle competing in the current Extreme E season. LED technology ensures greater freedom to produce a vehicle with CUPRA DNA; the headlights in three triangle groups on either side provide a more imposing look.

And the lighting is set into a 3D printed frame, a technology chosen to give the CUPRA Tavascan Extreme E Concept an edge over the others. The 3D printed parts save time as they can be manufactured in just six hours. That means the team can adapt to changes very quickly; whether it’s because of an incident or changes to the light position, the components can be modified quickly without the need for cumbersome and expensive tooling.

However, the Extreme E racing series is about increasing environmental awareness and the CUPRA Tavascan Extreme E Concept is pushing the limits here, too, making the vehicle even more sustainable.

Constructing as much of the body structure as possible from flax fibres extracted from the flax plant means that the carbon fibre components can be replaced, reducing the vehicle’s influence on the environment. And there’s no problem in terms of performance; the material can be worked in the same way, achieving the same shapes and radii required by engineers. It is already a technology that could easily be adapted to production vehicles.

“The car is the next evolution with even more CUPRA DNA and a design that hints at the future direction of the brand,” says Xavi Serra, Head of Technical Development at CUPRA Racing. “The CUPRA Tavascan Extreme E Concept uses flax fibres throughout the body for even more sustainability and 3D printed elements that can be recreated quickly.”

The CUPRA Tavascan Extreme E Concept’s revitalised body is finished with a livery that will help it stand out whether it’s racing in the arctic, desert, glacier or ocean locations.

The all-electric off-road racecar is finished with copper accents, a time honoured CUPRA mark parametric texturing and dynamised lines to help the exterior glow and move as the vehicle shifts through the landscape and an overlapping CUPRA logo to bring out a powerful 3D effect.

“The CUPRA Tavascan Extreme E Concept is looking incredible and in addition to being fully electric, it is now even more sustainable, using recyclable and organic materials such as flax fibres,” said Jutta Kleinschmidt, CUPRA driver. “I cannot wait to compete with this newly designed version!”

The CUPRA Tavascan Extreme E Concept comes in with a 54-kWh battery, placed behind the cockpit to produce a real rear weight distribution and can go from 0-100 km/h in about four seconds complying with the race series’ regulations.

CUPRA has been part of Extreme E from the outset. It was the first automotive brand to announce its participation, joining forces with ABT Sportsline as the team’s main partner. The Extreme E series is increasing CUPRA’s electrification research while promoting electrification, sustainability, and gender equality.

The precise date for when the new generation car is to be deployed into Extreme E is yet to be confirmed, but the suspense is already building. “The CUPRA Tavascan XE is a truly stunning design. I can’t wait to see it make its racing debut,” says Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of the series. “This move also supports our goal of establishing Extreme E as a global marketing showcase for partners. Congratulations to this future-thinking and visionary team.”

After its appearance in Greenland at the end of August, Extreme E will host its next race which is the Island X Prix in Sardinia on 23/24 October.

Also read: Top five performers of the Formula 1 2021 season so far

2021-09-08 13:57

Ladakh FA launches logo, receives support from AIFF

Ladakh, Sep 8 (Football news) The Ladakh Football Association, with 35 clubs under its aegis, is aiming for affiliation from the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which has promised full support to the body in its endeavour to promote the sport here.

The Ladakh Football Association launched its logo on September 6 and present on occasion were dignitaries from the AIFF, including its senior Vice President Subrata Dutta, treasurer ZA Thakur and Assistant General Secretary (Administration) Lt. Col BMR Mehta.

Other dignitaries to attend included Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Mohd. Ali Chandan (President Kargil District Association), and Tashi Gyalson (Chairman, Ladakh Football Association) among others.

The logo ceremony was followed by a small documentary exploring the developments and work done by LFA in Ladakh.

Namgyal said: "Ever since Ladakh has been declared as a Union Territory under the leadership of the Government of India, it has opened doors of endless possibilities of growth "...we now have no lack of facilities here whether it is in terms of administration or funding. With new opportunities and potential, Ladakh can now go a long way in terms of its growth at so many levels, and sports is no exception." Namgyal said that talented athletes from the region are doing well at the national level which was a rarity earlier.

Also read: Chennaiyin FC sign rising star Ninthoi Meetei on a three year deal

On the possibility of Ladakh FA's affiliation, AIFF VP Dutta said: "Ladakh FA can totally get the recognition of AIFF if they properly follow the process of AIFF constitution. The AIFF shall support LFA at all levels after the affiliation. Be it technical support or administrative." "The footballers of Ladakh, be it kids or seniors will go through a talent scouting process and their game would be monitored. If they are good, they will be given a chance at the national Level.

"They would get an opportunity to play and show their talent and make Ladakh proud. AIFF is here to show them the right direction and give them all support," added Dutta.

Ladakh FA, in partnership with Minerva Punjab Academy, also organised trials for the selection of club members of the age group 6 to 10 years.

Selected children were awarded 10-year-contracts with 100 per cent scholarship for training along with free education and accommodation.

News source: PTI

2021-09-08 09:23

Practice of tie shots, breathing exercises gave dividends: Paralympic medallist archer Harvinder

New Delhi, (Archery news): India's first Paralympic medal winner archer Harvinder Singh, who had turned his farm at a Punjab village into a practice ground during the lockdown, on Tuesday attributed his success to long hours of training, including "practice of tie shots and breathing exercises".

The 31-year-old Singh, whose legs stopped functioning properly due to adverse effect from an injection during his childhood, won a historic archery bronze in the men's individual recurve event in the just-concluded Tokyo Paralympics.

"I have put in a lot of hard work in these last few years that included training for seven-eight hours every day, including doing practice of tie shots, breathing exercises and mental conditioning," Singh said in a release issued by Paralympic Committee of India.

"I have also done practice to control my emotions and stay calm in pressure situations, which has come handy in Tokyo," he said.

Hailing from a middle-class farming family, Singh had dengue when he was just one-and-half years old and a local doctor administered him an injection that had an adverse effect and his legs stopped working properly.

In the bronze medal playoff, Singh was leading before Kim Min Su of Korea clinched the fifth set, shooting a perfect 10 to force a shoot-off where the Indian responded in style with a perfect 10 against the Korean's 8 for a 6-5 (26-24, 27-29, 28-25, 25-25, 26-27) (10-8) win.

If a match is tied after five sets, one arrow shoot-off decides the winner.

Singh said he still couldn't believe that he is now a Paralympic medallist and the feeling is slowly sinking in.

"The dream that I had for such a long time has finally come true. The feeling of winning a medal at the Paralympics is slowly sinking in. I am very, very happy," said the archer from Ajitnagar in Punjab.

He is hoping that his achievement will inspire the next generation of para archers to win international medals for the country.

"I believe that this medal is a big milestone for para archery in India. I remember my Asian Para Games gold medal in 2018 saw a big upsurge in archers' participation at the National Championships.

"I hope this Paralympic medal will give hope and motivation to the differently abled players to play the sport," said Singh, who also acknowledged the support of his coaches, including Gaurav Sharma, PCI, Sports Authority of India and Archery Association of India.

Singh, who is hoping his Paralympic medal will fetch him a reputed job, has his eyes on next year's World Para Archery Championships in Dubai (February 18 to 27) and Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.

"The aim would be to continue the momentum and form. I will also be training to shoot under pressure as the focus now would be on doing well in the World Championships and Asian Para Games next year.

"Hard work, hard work and hard work! Keep working hard, continuing the process and keep believing yourself and the results will follow," he said when asked what advice he would give to youngsters.

Pursuing a Ph.D in economics at Punjabi University in Patiala, Singh is a also a painter and aspires to crack the UPSC examination some day, according to his coach Gaurav Sharma.

Also read: India's history-making Paralympians return to rousing reception

News source: PTI

2021-09-07 15:18

Boxing Federation seeks three-month extension for foreign coaches; review after that

New Delhi, Sep 7 (Boxing news) The Boxing Federation of India has sought a three-month extension for its foreign coaches, whose contracts were expiring this month, saying a review will be done after the World Championships for men and women later this year.

Indian boxing has two foreign recruits in men's High Performance Director Santiago Nieva of Sweden and his women's team counterpart Rafaelle Bergamasco from Italy. Both of them came on board in 2017 and their contracts were to end after the Tokyo Olympics.

"We have sought a three-month extension (from the Sports Authority of India) for both of them. The men's World Championship is due next month and the women's one is scheduled some time in December, we want continuity," Boxing Federation of India Secretary General Hemanta Kalita told PTI.

The decision was taken at the BFI's Executive Committee meeting recently.

"Our review of the Olympic performance is still an ongoing process and we would take a decision on any further extension after the two World Championships," Kalita explained.

"This is going to take some time. An extension will ensure that our preparations are not disrupted. There is very little time in hand," he said.

An unprecedented nine Indian boxers, five men and four women, qualified for the Tokyo Games of which only Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) could finish on the podium with a bronze medal.

Among the men, only Satish Kumar (+91kg) could reach the quarterfinals, while four others, including world number one Amit Panghal (52kg), lost in their opening round bouts.

BFI President had backed both the boxers as well as the coaching staff, saying that he he cannot overlook the unparalleled results of the past four years which included two medals for the first time at the men's World Championships and never-before-seen hauls in the Asian and Commonwealth Games.

Both Nieva and Bergamasco have expressed the desire to continue.

The 47-year-old Nieva is a member of the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) coaches committee and Vice President of the Asian Boxing Confederation's (ASBC) coaches committee.

Kalita also informed that after men's National Championship from September 15, the BFI will conduct the women's national event in the second week of October.

Also read: National Boxing gold-winners to make team for World Championships; Head Guards brought back

"The dates will be finalised in some days but the window would second week of October. We plan hold the tournament in Hisar in Haryana. The World Championships are due in December so that window is perfect to have the Nationals," he said.

Both the men's and women's National Championships could not be held last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The gold medal winners of the men's Nationals will qualify for the World Championships.

News source: PTI

2021-09-07 14:00

Manchester United close to appointing Richard Arnold as the new Chief Executive

(Football news) After the optimism of signing Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United hierarchy are going to announce Richard Arnold as Ed Woodward’s replacement. United had announced that Woodward would step down at the end of the year after the European Super league (ESL) debacle. Woodward was appointed as the clubs Vice Chief Executive after taking over the post from David Gill in 2012 post Sir Alex Freguson’s retirement.

Richard Arnold currently holds the post of Group Managing Director at the club and will be promoted to one of the most powerful positions in British sports. The Glazers are under a lot of scrutiny when Ed Woodward announced that he would step down after the massive protest held by United supporters in the wake of the European Super League where the fans raided the Old Trafford pitch, forcing them to postpone the match against Liverpool in early may.

The Glazer family, since purchasing the club in 2005 have taken more than 500 million in dividends as the club debt stands at 450 million as of now. The United owners Joel Glazer and Avram Glazers take 8 million from the annual shareholder payout which constitutes to 10 million per year. Manchester United being the biggest club in the world get a lot of sponsorship deals which in turn makes a lot of money but instead of investing it in the clubs infrastructure, development and recruitment of players the owners are just keeping the money in their pockets.

Also read: Back where it belongs: Cristiano Ronaldo reunited with the iconic number 7 Manchester United jersey

Ed Woodward, an investment banker who worked at JP Morgan and had no previous experience in football was handed the most important position in the club as he had to look after the recruitment and development of the club. He not only failed miserably but quickly became a scapegoat for the incompetence of the owners. In his 10 year tenure, Woodward spent around a billion on transfers but the quality of players that he bought were all inept and not suiting the team ethos. The reason he was holding the post for so many years is because Woodward brought in tremendous numbers of sponsors which kept the shareholders and owners pockets happy.

Now that the club have appointed John Murtogh and Darren Fletcher as director of football and technical director respectively, the pressure on Richard Arnold might be less but the very fact that he has been in the club since 2005 when the Glazers bought the club gives an indication that not much will change in terms of the post. The club is heading into a new direction especially when you see the clubs recruitment this season as the fans will be hoping that Arnold doesn't repeat the same mistakes as Ed Woodward.

2021-09-07 12:03

National Boxing gold-winners to make team for World Championships; Head Guards brought back

New Delhi, Sep 7 (Boxing news) Boxers will compete in head guards during the men's National Championship scheduled to start on September 15 and the gold-medallists from the event will qualify for the World Championships to be held next month in Belgrade, Serbia.

The Nationals, which could not be held last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be staged at the Inspire Institute of Sports in Bellary, Karnataka and the top two in each category will make automatic cut for the national camp.

"The gold-medallists will qualify for the World Championships. The Nationals will be followed by an Open Championship and the top two from there will also be added to the camp," Boxing Federation of India Secretary General Hemanta Kalita told PTI after an executive committee meeting of the BFI.

"Head guards will be back as was proposed because we don't want to risk major cuts given the very little time in hand for the world championships," he added.

The world event will be held from October 26 and it would be the first major international competitive outing for the boxers after the Tokyo Olympics.

Men's amateur boxing did away with head guards in 2013 when the AIBA medical commission, after a research study, concluded that removing the gear "may reduce the already small risk of acute brain injury in amateur boxing." The country's Olympic-returned boxers will also have to compete and claim gold at the Nationals to be eligible for the global showpiece.

Amit Panghal (52kg), Manish kaushik (63kg), Vikas Krishan (69kg), Ashish Chaudhary (75kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) had competed at the Tokyo Games.

Of these, Vikas is currently out of action, nursing a shoulder injury that needed to be operated on.

"The Olympians have to compete and win gold at Nationals to be eligible for the world championship. There is no exemption. The dates and venue for the Open championship will be announced later," he added.

"Immediately after the Nationals, we will have trial bouts on September 22 and 23 between this year's bronze winners and last edition's top three to decide additional boxers for the national camp," Kalita said.

The National Championship will be competed in the new weight categories introduced by the International Boxing Association in July.

The revised weight divisions for men, after being increased from 10 to 13, are 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 86kg, 92kg, and +92kg.

The AIBA events and Olympic competitions do not feature head guards but national associations are free to conduct their tournaments with or without the protective gear.

The AIBA research had concluded that head guards can increase the risk of blows to the head because the padding around the eyes limits the boxer's vision. On the flip-side, the absence of head guards has contributed to an increased rate of cuts.

Also read: Indian contingent brings home 39 medals from the 2021 ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships

To this, the AIBA study had stated that "as boxers become more experienced and acclimated" to boxing without head guards and coaches change their style in view of the new rule, the rate of cuts will be reduced to previous historic levels.

The head guards were made mandatory in 1984 by AIBA before being dumped in 2013.

The tournament in Bellary will require boxers, participating officials and support staff to present a negative RT-PCR test report obtained 72 hours before landing at the competition. The boxers' temperatures will also be checked on arrival.

News source: PTI

2021-09-07 09:55

I had suicidal thoughts but coach pulled me out: Sundar Singh Gurjar

New Delhi, (Sports news): He battled not just loss of limb but also suicidal thoughts not too long ago and as javelin thrower Sundar Singh Gurjar celebrated his maiden Paralympic bronze, he couldn't help but be thankful to the people who drew him out of the abyss, especially his coach Mahavir Saini.

Till 2015, Sundar competed in able-bodied competitions and was even a part of the junior national camp featuring Tokyo Olympics gold-medallist Neeraj Chopra among others.

But the 25-year-old's life changed drastically when a tin shed fell on him at his friend's house leading to the amputation of his left hand.

Sundar didn't lose hope though and with the unflinching support of his coach, he returned to the turf in the para athlete category. In a year's time, he qualified for the 2016 Rio Paralympics before fate once again played a cruel role and he was left shattered.

"...I fought back and qualified for 2016 Paralympics only to be disqualified. That time I started thinking everything is finished, there is nothing left for me," Sundar said in an interview.

"I thought of committing suicide but that time my coach (Mahavir Saini) realised something wrong is going on in my mind. For a month he kept me along with him 24x7, didn't leave me alone.

"As time passed, my thoughts started to change. I started thinking I will start playing again and answer back to the world." It was a delay of 52 seconds in reaching the call room that led to his disqualification from Rio Games.

"I was leading at the top in my event during 2016 Paralympics but I was just 52 seconds late in reaching the call room and I was disqualified. I was really heartbroken after that, said the F46 javelin throw bronze-medallist from Tokyo.

Sundar credits his coach Mahavir for single-handedly transforming his life and career.

"I used to play sports since 2009. Initially I used to do shot put and I had a medal in shot put in nationals. I did shot put for one-and-half years and after that my coach Mahavir Saini told me if you have to shine in your career you have to leave shot put and start javelin," he said.

"He might have seen some talent in me and he started training me. From there till now, coach saab has supported me a lot." Sundar also recalled his time training with Neeraj at the camp.

"He was two years junior to me. I used to play Under-20 and he used to be in Under-18. We played a few competitions together at the youth level. In junior India camp me and Neeraj were together in SAI Sonepat camp in 2013-14. Then I suffered an accident in 2015 and came under para," he said.

"But our success will definitely inspire the younger generation in taking up the sport." Sundar is now determined to better the the colour of his medal. "I feel I still have some drawbacks. I won a medal in Paralympics but I am not satisfied because my target was to win the gold and I hope to do that in 2024 Paris Paralympics.

"My first focus would be on Para Asian Games and the World Championships next year but the final target is Paris," he said.

Sundar has been working as an officer in Rajasthan government's forest department along side compatriots Avani Lekhara and Devendra Jhajharia since November last year but he got his first salary just after winning the Paralympic medal.

"I have been working in forest department in Rajasthan since 5th November 2020. But the day I won the Paralympics medal, within two hours I got my first salary of 10 months," he rued.

Also read: TT robot facilitated by SAI helped me create history at Paralympics, says Bhavina

News Source: PTI

2021-09-06 18:57

TT robot facilitated by SAI helped me create history at Paralympics, says Bhavina

New Delhi, Sep 6 (Paralympics news) When the COVID-19 pandemic derailed her preparations for the Paralympics, Table Tennis player Bhavinaben Patel found a perfect practice partner in a robot provided by the Sports Authority of India, an assistance which she feels, made all the difference in her historic silver-winning show in Tokyo.

Patel became the first Indian table tennis player to win a Paralympic medal by clinching the silver, going down to Zhang Miao of China in the summit clash.

And she credited her success to the TT Robot (Butterfly - Amicus Prime), which cost Rs 2,73,500, and an Ottobock Wheelchair, costing Rs 2,84,707, for her success.

"I got a robot through SAI TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) which is an advanced robot. It has many advanced features like you can get strokes from different angles.

"So, I got good variations from it in my game. It improved my game a lot. Besides the TOPS gave us other equipment like racquets," Patel, who was afflicted with polio as a toddler, told PTI in an interview after returning from Tokyo.

Made in Hungary, Amicus Prime claims to be the best ping pong robot available with 21 pre-saved drills and ball frequency of up to 120 per minute.

"During the pandemic time (lockdown), my husband arranged a table for me at home only. That time my coach got me a second hand robot with which I used to practice but after that I got the SAI robot in February-March 2020," she said.

She also spoke in detail about the huge difference the robot made in enhancing her game.

"My strokes got stronger after playing with the robot. I used to play 5000 balls in a day with the robot. The ball control and placements increased a lot, spin control, cut control also enhanced. All these differences came because of that robot," she elaborated.

Patel also credited her family, especially her husband Nikunj Patel, a former junior level cricketer for Gujarat with whom she had a love marriage in 2017.

"...he backed me to the tilt, pushed me saying 'you can do this and you have to do his because after seeing you many athletes will come forward, you have to become their inspiration'.

"Even now he tells me that you have long way to go. Nikunj has always supported me. Once I had thoughts after marriage that I can't continue the game but he stood behind me like a rock." The couple married after falling in love following a chance encounter through common friends.

"It was a love marriage, We met through common friends and then we started talking over phone. After that we told our families and just took the plunge," added Patel.

She said it was a visit to the Blind People Association in Ahmedabad that changed her perception towards life and brought her into sports.

"I was born on 6th November 1986 and after one year I was struck by polio. But I was considered the luckiest person in my home because many household problems were solved after my birth.

Also read: India's para-athletes soar high in best ever Paralympics performance

"I have a big brother and an younger sister. In 2004-05 I started to visit the Blind People Association in Ahmedabad and there I saw many of my friends playing table tennis. After watching them I thought I should start the sport as a hobby," Patel said.

"I thought this is something where I can move forward. I used to feel happy when I played table tennis. From there on table tennis became my life." Patel now wants to better her Paralympic performance in the upcoming world events.

"I want to give my 100 per cent in the next Commonwealth Games, Para Asian Games and Para World Championships and win gold. Going forward, I want to convert my silver into gold in Paris," she signed off.

News source: PTI

2021-09-06 17:10

Sumit Antil aims to become the 2nd Paralympian to participate at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024

(Paralympics news) After breaking the world record 3 times in the Men's Javelin F64 final, Sumit Antil wants to break all sports barriers and prove to the world that no disability can stop him from achieving his goal of qualifying for the Paris Olympics in 2024. The 23 year old from Haryana who lost his left foot in a motorbike accident in 2015 did not stop him from making sure that the Indian National Anthem was heard for the second time in the Tokyo Olympic Stadium.

Sumit started the final of the men's javelin F64 by breaking the world record in his first attempt where he managed to throw 66.95m and bettered it with a throw of 68.08m, he then stored his best in his penultimate attempt where he threw 68.55m. Sumit is hungry for more as he claims that he has already reached the 70m mark but he believes he can get close to the 80m mark and even try going as high as 85m. In fact Sumit has always been competing in abled body events as this year he participated in the Indian Grand Prix where he competed with the Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra.

Sumit after winning the gold medal said that "Don’t be surprised to see me at Paris 2024 taking part in both Olympics and Paralympics. That’s my dream". Sumit also went on to point out that he is confident of bridging the gap between Neeraj's Olympic gold medal winning throw of 87.58m and his paralympic throw. Sumit who initially started out to be a wrestler but after his accident in 2015 he took up Para - Javelin, stressed that there is a lot more he can learn and improve his technique to achieve his dream of throwing 80m.

Sumit also said that “If we talk about the able-bodied athletes, their Gold was won at 87m and ours is 68m and there's a difference of 18-19m in our records,"

"My main goal is to bring down this gap as much as I can. In the upcoming years, I will try my best to get closer to the 85m mark. I will try my level best to achieve that and reduce the gap, in order to set a benchmark in Paralympics and change people's perception of Paralympics.

"I firmly believe I can get closer to the 80m-mark. I am able to throw 70m. My coach keeps telling me that the peak for a javelin thrower is around 28 years of age. I am just 23 and I have 5 more years. I started javelin only 3 - 4 years ago. There is a lot of technical stuff that I can learn.

"I want to go back and start from the basics. I want to get over the small, small mistakes. Right now, I am relying on power to throw. To get to the 80m-mark, there are a few small things that I need to work on. I want to work on basics and technique."

Also read: It was not my best, says Sumit Antil after winning Paralympic gold with world record throw

If Sumit in the next 3 years improves and actually achieves his dream, then he’ll become only the second Paralympian after Oscar Pistorius to participate in the Olympics. The new wave or fever of Javelin throw in India is led by these individuals as we are slowly but steadily becoming a powerhouse in Javelin throw and soon will be compared to the likes of Germany and Czech Republic who have been producing the best Javelin throwers over the past 30 years.

Inputs from PTI

2021-09-06 11:35

Plan is to identify important junior International paralympic events to unearth talent: Deepa Malik

Tokyo, Sep 5 (Paralympics news): An ecstatic Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president Deepa Malik said that the unprecedented 19 medals at the just concluded Tokyo Games will put more accent on youth programme for para-athletes to unearth quality talent in coming years.

"We are going to short-list important qualifying international events and the Youth Asian Para Games are coming in Bahrain, we also have to start working with the U-20, younger brigade," Malik said at the virtual press conference, facilitated by PCI and 'Eurosport'.

"The Gen-Next is ready and roaring and we need to give them a platform to get classified and go out and participate, get international exposure, get more and more opportunities to get them medically classified, otherwise the new talent gets wasted," she said.

She believes that all stakeholders would come together after Tokyo success.

"We are hoping that more stakeholders will come forward and hold our hand. We as a federation are responsible to create new talent, identify and work with new talent, so that is the aim right now," she said, adding that the 'train the trainer' program is a must and she would speak about it with the Sports Minister.

Asked what was the key reason for success, Malik spoke about athlete-centric programmes.

"I think all factors combined. Because unless you have the awareness, where will the new talent come in. 2016 probably, with the help of, media and the support of government and policies helped us create an atmosphere which was accepting of para-sports.' "And people looked up to para-sports as the prestigious platform to come and empower themselves and create their abilities beyond disabilities," she said.

Malik believes that policies have become more inclusive.

"When people recognized that this is a platform, they definitely started giving more focus, policies have become more inclusive, we have had direct support from the Prime Minister, Sports Ministry, SAI we ourselves have also regrouped ourselves," added Malik, who herself won a shot-put silver, in the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

According to Malik, her appointment as the PCI president, speaks highly of the athletic-centric approach taken by the body.

"When we created the latest federation group, the governing board members, we wanted to make it an athlete-centric approach, and me being put as President speaks highly of that approach," she quipped.

Malik emphasized that there has been a difference on how the coaches think.

"This time the coaches have understood that they need to take a very scientific approach. There is focus on sports science.

"Till 2014-15, I have experienced that the coaches were very possessive about their athletes. Whether it was physiotherapist/ nutritionist, they claimed to know everything but now the coaches approach has also changed, they are asking for physiotherapist, injury management, performance test." Now they have started accepting opinion from other domain.

"They want to take the opinion of a fitness and conditioning coach. When their athlete is not feeling good, they want a mental trainer, so this whole acceptance of para-sports as mainstream sports where the athlete has been put at par with any other athlete without any disability, that is also made a huge difference," she said.

"Everything has fallen in place with these medals and our experiment has worked," she quipped.

Also read: Paralympics bronze medallist archer Harvinder wants to crack UPSC Exam: coach

News source: PTI

2021-09-06 10:39

India's para-athletes soar high in best ever Paralympics performance

Tokyo, Sep 5 (Paralympic news): Inspirational, incredible and indomitable.

India's paralympians managed to be all these and much more in an epoch-making campaign at the Tokyo Games where an unparalleled 19 medals, including five gold, helped them sign off 24th in the overall tally -- the highest ever.

The tally also included eight silver and six bronze medals but most importantly, it was a performance during which history was scripted almost everyday with the contingent living up to the 'Spirit in Motion' motto of the Games.

Even on the last day of competitions, the medal rush did not stop and Krishna Nagar won a gold after Noida's District Magistrate Suhas Yathiraj signed off his brilliant run with a silver to complete a remarkable badminton show.

The duo's performance was like icing on the cake for the contingent which found new heroes, celebrated some established ones and brought para-sports firmly into spotlight in India.

In all, 54 came to Tokyo and 17 of them left with medals around their necks.

It was an improved performance no doubt but calling it just improvement would be an understatement given that India's overall Games haul was a mere 12 before this edition.

To put things in perspective, at the 2016 Rio Games, India had 19 athletes across five disciplines with four returning with medals in the end.

"Phenomenal Rise of Indian Paralympians! A New Era has Begun," said sports minister Anurag Thakur.

There were several firsts to celebrate and the euphoria lasted the entire duration of the Games.

Two athletes, shooters Avani Lekhara and Singhraj Adana, finished on podium twice, creating their own legacies in their debut Paralympics.

The 19-year-old Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win a Games gold (10m air rifle) and later added a bronze in 50m rifle 3 positions to ensure that her name would now be part of every India-centric Paralympic quiz.

It was an inspiring show by the teenage who was paralysed waist down after being injured in a car accident in 2012.

And to think of it, all her father had hoped to achieve by taking her to shooting range was for Lekhara to get over the anger she had internalised after the accident which left her wheelchair-bound.

The 39-year-old Adana, on the other hand, was a late bloomer after taking a liking to the pistol while dropping his nephew to the range.

His right hand impaired, Adana knocked off a 10m air pistol bronze and 50m pistol silver to ensure that India had more than one double-medallist in the same Games for the first time ever.

There was the first medal in archery through Harvinder Singh (bronze), impaired after wrong medication for dengue, the first medal in table tennis by waist-down paralysed Bhavinben Patel (silver) and also a remarkable two gold medals in badminton through short of stature Nagar and a polio-stricken Pramod Bhagat. Another shooting star rose on horizon with Manish Narwal, all of 19, already a world champion and now a Paralympic champion as well.

Narwal's right hand is impaired and he originally wanted to be a footballer but fate had other plans for the Lionel Messi fan.

Not to mention the legends -- Devendra Jhajharia (javelin throw) and Mariyappan Thangavelu (high jump).

The two long-time flag-bearers of Indian para-sports, who won gold medals in 2016 Rio, and finished on podium again, this time with silver medals, cementing their place among all-time greats of Indian sports.

Bigger than their medals were the circumstances they beat like every athlete that they competed against.

So if Lekhara found her strength with a rifle in her hand after a car accident, Jhajharia, at 40 and with an arm lost to electrocution as a child, showed what longevity truly means in sport.

Nearly half (8) of India's haul this time came from the track-and-field arena with javelin thrower Sumit Antil shining the brightest with a gold en route which he shattered his own world record five times over.

Antil was pursuing a career in wrestling, as his family wanted, before a bike accident led to the amputation of his left leg, changing the course of his life forever.

At 18, Praveen Kumar became India's youngest medallist with a silver in high jump which came with an Asian record for the debutant, whose left leg is impaired.

Another shinning star was Sundar Singh Gurjar, who finished behind Jhajharia in javelin throw.

Gurjar lost his left hand in an accident and in his maiden Paralympics in Rio, he was disqualified after failing to register in time for his event.

He slipped into depression after the heartbreak and had thought of never touching the javelin again but was convinced into giving it another shot by his coaches.

This time, Gurjar was on the clock and also on the podium.

In fact, all of them, even the ones who didn't win a medal, are a personification of fortitude, having braved and beaten circumstances that were difficult at best and improbable at worst.

The performance was a perfect end to India's Tokyo sojourn after able-bodied athletes snared an unprecedented seven Olympic medals last month, including the first individual gold in 13 years. But the paralympians bested their tally by quite a distance.

In the process, they also handed out life lessons on what it means to fight the odds.

If a world scarred by COVID-19 needed inspiration to fight on, it was there in abundance in Tokyo.

The Games truly lived up to an old marketing slogan coined to promote the event -- "the Olympics is where heroes are made. The Paralympics is where heroes come."

Also read: Manoj Sarkar clinches bronze in the badminton men's singles SL3 at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics

News source: PTI

2021-09-04 16:45

Would the Afghanistan women’s cricket team survive under the Taliban’s rule?

(Cricket news) Cricket in Afghanistan has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity in the last two decades. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had granted an affiliate membership to Afghanistan in 2001, just one year after the Taliban had lifted the ban on sports and the sport has flourished since then. For a country marred by war, terrorism and foreign interference, sport has been an escape for most Afghans and cricket has quickly grown into one of the nation’s favourite pass-time.

The Afghanistan men’s team has gone from strength to strength and qualified for the 2015 World Cup in Australia. They were also granted Test status in 2017 and cricketers such as Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi are internationally renowned for their skills. However, the road has not been as straightforward for the women’s team, even without the interference of the Taliban.

Afghanistan’s national women’s cricket team was formed in 2010, but faced stiff resistance right from the very beginning. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) would prevent the women’s team from participating in international tournaments and would not arrange domestic matches unless they ‘begged’ to play. For the millions of dollars the board has invested in cricket facilities and stadiums, none of them are meant for the women’s team. To add to their troubles, persistent Taliban threats made the ACB even more hesitant to ‘allow’ their women’s cricket team to participate in tournaments. The talent was there for all to see, as the Afghanistan women’s cricket team won a six team tournament in Tajikistan in 2012 but the team was disbanded soon after.

However, as the sport grew in popularity and the men’s team began to get recognized internationally, the Afghanistan Cricket Board was forced to take the women’s game more seriously. In 2017, Afghanistan became a full member of the ICC (one of the 12) which required them to have a women’s cricket team. This meant that in November 2020, twenty five female cricketers were awarded new contracts, securing their long term future, at least on paper.

That was less than 10 months ago.

Since then, the Taliban have taken over Afghanistan at a blitzkrieg pace and in the blink of an eye, the country that took decades of foreign intervention reverted back to a rule that existed from 1996 to 2001. The question remains, what does this mean for the women’s cricket team? While the 2021 version of Taliban have indicated they are a more ‘moderate’ version of their predecessors, it’s extremely unlikely that a women’s team will continue to function. The men’s team has already been given approval to play against Australia in November, but it seems that neither the Taliban or the Afghanistan Cricket Board are too concerned about the outcome of the women’s team.

This would mean a violation of Afghanistan’s ICC membership, a fact that will not give the Taliban sleepless nights. For many girls in the country, seeing female cricketers in action represented hope for a brighter future and served as a platform to change preconceived notions about women in the country. Disbanding the women’s cricket team will not only be a loss from a sporting perspective in Afghanistan but also on a humanitarian level. Hopes of many aspiring cricketers would undoubtedly be dashed and it remains to be seen if foreign interference will enable evacuations of the current generation of Afghanistan’s athletes.

Also read: Rishabh Pant set to remain Delhi Capitals captain for last part of IPL

2021-09-03 19:59

Rishabh Pant set to remain Delhi Capitals captain for last part of IPL

New Delhi, Sep 3 (Cricket news): The Delhi Capitals management has more or less decided to persist with star wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant as the captain of the franchise for the remainder of the Indian Premier League starting on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates.

Pant was appointed captain of the Capitals at the start of the season after regular skipper Shreyas Iyer, under whom the team reached finals for the first time in the last edition, was out due to a horrific shoulder dislocation that required a surgery.

A senior BCCI source, who is privy to developments in the IPL franchises, informed PTI that an announcement is a mere formality as the dashing keeper-batsman is the first choice for the franchise.

"Last week, the host broadcasters (Star Sports), with the help of IPL management, shot a few promos for the season. It was shot in the gap between the third and fourth Test (against England) with IPL captains currently present in England. Virat Kohli (RCB), Rohit Sharma (MI), KL Rahul (Punjab Kings) were there and so was Rishabh Pant (DC)," the source informed.

"Unless the BCCI-IPL management is aware of any other name of captain for DC franchise, the promos wouldn't have been shot. Therefore whether DC announces it now or after a few days, Pant is likely to lead the DC for the remaining matches in the season." It couldn't be independently ascertained whether England white ball captain Eoin Morgan was also present for the shoot as he is the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders.

It will be interesting to see what kind of equation Pant and Iyer will have as captain ad senior player in this Delhi set-up.

For Pant, this IPL will also be a vehicle to return back to form after what has been a nightmare of an English summer with the willow. A good IPL is just the kind of boost that Pant will need going into the T20 World Cup to be held in the same country.

For Iyer, the processes that he set in place as captain and became a recipe for DC's amazing turnaround will motivate to produce a stellar show.

The Capitals are currently leading the table with 12 points from eight games, followed by CSK in second place with 10 points and RCB in third due to inferior net run-rate.

Mumbai Indians are currently at fourth with eight points.Also read: Resumption of IPL in UAE will stand Rajasthan Royals in good stead: Rawat

News Source: PTI

2021-09-03 19:00

Hope javelin becomes as popular as cricket bat, says Sports Minister Anurag Thakur

New Delhi, Sep 3 (Paralympics news) Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday felicitated the just-returned Paralympic medallists of the country, including javelin throwers Sumit Antil and Devendra Jhajariya, hoping the sport will become popular like cricket in years to come.

Close on the heels of Neeraj Kumar's historic javelin gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, Antil, Jhajharia and Sunder Singh Gurjar brought more laurels to the country with their medals in javelin at the ongoing Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Debutant Antil smashed his own world record multiple times for the F64 class gold, while veteran Jhajharia and Gurjar won silver and bronze medals respectively in the F46 category on last Monday. "I hope javelin in India will now become as famous as a cricket bat," Thakur, a former BCCI president, said during felicitation.

Other para athletes present on the occasion were Yogesh Kathuniya (Discus Throw F56 silver medal) and Sharad Kumar (High Jump T63 bronze medal).

Thakur promised all possible support to the country's athletes from the Narendra Modi-led central government.

"On National Sports Day, India clinched four medals and there can't be a better tribute than this to Major Dhyan Chand ji. There is a lot of hard work by the athletes combined with the support given by government to the National Sports Federations and athletes. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji's encouragement has been a driving force," the minister said.

"Government will improve the sports ecosystem in the country and through schemes like TOPS, it will keep supporting the athletes (both core and development) in an unprecedented way," Thakur said.

Also read: Not satisfied, could've done better: Lekhara after becoming 1st Indian woman with 2 Paralympic medals

Jhajharia and Kumar thanked the government for the support they received in their Paralympic Games campaign.

"In the last four years, the government has supported us in a great way. PM Modi ji's interaction with us also boosted our morale and we felt motivated this time," Jhajharia said.

Kumar added: "This was a very difficult Paralympics because we did not know whether Games will happen or not. We are very happy that the government adopted us and offered us great support through Target Olympic Podium Scheme.

"The government is working tirelessly to support us and all our sports-centric and reasonable requests are being approved quickly,."

News source: PTI

2021-09-03 17:44

A google search that started journey of Paralympic silver medallist Praveen Kumar

Tokyo, Sep 3 (Paralympics news) A congenital impairment notwithstanding, 18-year-old Paralympics silver medallist Praveen Kumar was such a sports freak in his school days that he googled on internet to find out how to take up para athletics and take part in the showpiece.

Praveen, a son of a poor farmer at a village near Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district, clinched silver medal in the men's high jump T64/T44 event of the Paralympics by setting a new Asian record of 2.07m.

"My school life was mostly about sports. But at that time I did not know I will reach at this level one day. I was playing volleyball initially in school, but then slowly came to know of para athletics and took up high jump," Praveen said after his event.

"I came to know about Paralympics and how to take part in it after searching on google," the high jumper, whose congenital impairment affects the bones that connect his hip to his left leg, said during a virtual press conference organised by Eurosport and Paralympic Committee of India.

Explaining how he came to rise to this level, Praveen said, "I took part in a district level competition where I met Ashok Saini sir who gave me phone number of Satyapal sir (his current coach).

"I contacted (Satyapal) sir and then he found out in which classification I will compete. He identified me and said he will take me. This was 2018," said Praveen who is a B.A. second year student in Motilal Nehru College in Delhi.

Praveen, who is just in his second year in the international circuit, said initially even the fellow students and teachers of his school wondered how he will do well in his sport but they later began supporting him.

"I won a silver in junior para athletics world championships in 2019 and won gold in the para athletics Grand Prix earlier this year (in Dubai), so people started supporting me." He finished fourth in the Para Athletics (senior) World Championships in 2019.

Talking about Friday's competition, he said, "I was a bit low in confidence when I cleared 1.97m in my second attempt but I regained confidence after jumping 2.01m. I told myself I will give my best whatever it takes, whether rain or not.

"There was pressure while trying to jump 2.10m. In the final attempt, I just thought of doing my best and it was a very good attempt but there was some problems in my landing and so I could not clear it," said Praveen, who was congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on phone.

His coach Satyapal said he initially had some reservation about his short stature but found that Praveen has very strong muscles on his right leg.

"His left leg is the impaired one but his right leg has very strong muscles. So, despite his short stature I took him under me. Height (of athlete) is very important in high jump," Satyapal told PTI about his ward who is around 5ft 5 inches tall.

"He came to me with his father in 2018 and I found out his talent. He is from a very poor family but he is very sincere and dedicated." Praveen was also COVID-19 positive in April and he could not train properly this year.

"Due to lock down, he could not train properly. High jumpers need mattress to train but he could do that as the stadiums were closed. Moreover, he contracted COVID-19 this year," Satyapal, who trains Praveen at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, said. Satyapal said Praveen is a sure shot gold medal candidate at the Asian Para Games next year in Hangzhou in China.

Also read: Praveen Kumar wins silver at Men’s High Jump T64 at the Tokyo Paralympics

"He started competing in international events only two years back and now he has won a silver in Paralympics. He is just 18 and he will be the country's top Paralympian in future.

"Our target will be to win the Asian Para Games next year and gold in 2014 Paris Paralympics with world record." The world record in T44 high jump is 2.19m.

T44 classification is for athletes with a leg deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement in the legs.

News source: PTI

2021-09-03 17:37

There is a lot of potential to be unlocked and displayed: Reid

New Delhi, Sep 3 (Hockey news) Chief coach Graham Reid feels the Indian men's hockey team should not get complacent after the Olympic bronze medal, adding that the next six months will be spent analyzing and understanding the way in which the side can elevate its performance to the next level.

The Indian team won a bronze at the Tokyo Games last month, ending a 41-year wait for a medal in the sport.

"Third is where we are at the moment, Australia and Belgium have been consistently playing at the higher level. We need to be able to get to that level. That's the simple goal I have for this team," Reid was quoted as saying in a Hockey India release. "We will be analysing all the games, not just ours but all games of different teams over the next six months. We will draw up a plan of what is required to get to that next level.

"This is a smart group, and we will work out on the things we need to do. We will need to keep improvising and keep getting better. Deep down, the team understands, bronze medal at the Olympics after 41 years is great, but there is a lot of potential we need to unlock and display," added Reid.

Reflecting on the team's performance, Reid said, "This group is very focused and mentally very tough. They have imbibed a team-first mentality and have great bonding among them.

"At an event like the Olympics, there are so many distractions, and it is such a huge place that often when you hit the ground at the Olympic village and everyone spread out like ants, but we were able to keep the group together and that was very positive." The Australian has been nominated for the FIH Men's Coach of The Year award alongside compatriot Colin Batch and Belgium's Shane Mcleod.

Also read: Indian hockey teams unlikely to compete in Birmingham CWG, says IOA chief Batra

"Individual awards in team sports are usually reflective of the quality of the team and it's support staff," Reid said.

With the team on a well-deserved break at the moment, Reid highlighted that once the group returns to national coaching camp in Bengaluru, they will hit the ground running.

"We have some quality tournaments coming up, and there will be a lot of good competition and we will be playing the FIH Hockey Pro League. "There will be enough time for us to prepare, we will get back to the swing of things after their well-deserved break," Reid concluded.

News source: PTI

2021-09-03 13:46

Indian hockey teams unlikely to compete in Birmingham CWG, says IOA chief Batra

New Delhi, Sep 3 (Hockey news) The Indian hockey teams are unlikely to participate in next year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham to ensure that they hit peak form during the Asian Games, which is a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra said on Friday.

Batra said he has conveyed this to Sports Authority of India (SAI) Director General Sandip Pradhan during a formal meeting here on Friday.

Batra, who is the chief of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and was a former Hockey India president, said the Indian hockey teams' priority is to achieve their peak at the Asian Games, which starts just 35 days after the CWG.

The Birmingham CWG is scheduled to be held from July 28 to August 8, while the Asian Games will be hosted by Hangzhou, China from September 10 to 15.

"Based on my preliminary discussions with Hockey India, it seems doubtful as of now whether Indian men and women hockey team's will participate in Commonwealth Games 2022," Batra, who still holds considerable influence in Hockey India, said in a statement.

"Hockey India will not like its hockey athletes to peak 35 days before the Asian Games 2022 and would like the athletes to peak at the right time i.e. during the Asian Games 2022.

"The Commonwealth Games in 2022 are just 35 days before the Asian Games in China and in hockey the winners of Asian Games directly qualify for 2024 Paris Olympics. Hence, winning gold medal in the Asian Games is a must for both men & women's hockey teams," he added.

India were represented by a strong 216 member contingent in the 2018 Gold Coast CWG, where the country finished third in the standings with 66 medals, including 26 gold, 20 silver and as many bronze medals.

Also read: Australian delegation visits Kalinga stadium

But with shooting and archery dropped from the Birmingham Games and now hockey teams likely to opt out, the Indian contingent will be far smaller.

"The size of Indian contingent to Commonwealth Games 2022 will be much less than which went in 2018 as of now 36 hockey athletes, plus sports not included in 2022, i.e. approximately 18 shooting athletes and approximately 8 athletes from archery i.e. a total of 62 athletes may be less from 2018 Contingent," Batra said.

"And the medals tally will also be proportionately less for India in 2022 Commonwealth Games."

News source: PTI

2021-09-02 17:46

Having personal coach at events not about ego, it's basic requirement of individual sport: Manika

New Delhi, Sep 2 (Table tennis news) Star table tennis player Manika Batra believes having a personal coach is a basic requirement for an athlete playing individual sport and if she had court-side access to hers in Tokyo Olympics, she would have done better.

Speaking to PTI, Manika said the authorities, including the Table Tennis Federation of India, should not mind personal coaches travelling with the players even in multi-sport events like the Olympics.

"Chief coach is fine for team events but we also have singles event where certainly one needs his/her coach as that person knows more about the training and game of his player," said the world number 56.

She said the India chief coach can focus on the team competitions, while personal coaches steer individual campaigns.

Her comments come after she was show-caused by TTFI for refusing national coach Somyadeep Roy's help during her singles matches in Tokyo after her personal coach Sanmay Paranjape was denied field of play access due to a limit on accredited personnel by the Games organisers.

She also cited the example of individual sports like badminton and tennis where it is common practice for players to take their personal coaches in all tournaments.

In her response to the show cause notice, Manika has raised questions on Roy who has not been called for the ongoing national camp as a result. The 26-year-old said she expects fair justice.

Manika and G Sathiyan recently won the mixed doubles title at the WTT Contender in Hungary. Her coach did not travel there.

"Only for the team event part of a tournament, we can of course have a chief coach, but this is not hockey or football. We can give our best if we get to work hard and give our best in training with our training teams as it's an individual sport not a team sport.

"This is not about ego, it is all about the requirements of a player. Even my seniors went to Sweden and Germany and still go abroad to their individual clubs and train in their hometowns in India, which is how it should be.

"Even in Hungary, coaches of Sreeja Akula and Sathiyan were there and it's a basic requirement like training. In the team event, it's okay to have the chief coach but singles surely, we need our coaches and it has always been at no cost to TTFI," said the Commonwealth Game gold medallist.

Manika admitted that controversy over her coach being denied field of play access impacted her performance in Tokyo. She nonetheless became the first female player from India to reach the round of 32.

"If the atmosphere and support would have been better, I'm sure I would have played my third round better. I gave my best.

Also read: Manika and Sathiyan make winning return in Table tennis, win mixed doubles title in Budapest

"On the issue (not taking national coach's help) I have written to the TTFI after its notice and raised issues which are important and I also wish some fair justice," said the Khel Ratna awardee, India's highest sporting honour.

On her overall Tokyo campaign, she said: "I would have definitely liked to cross the third round too and in the first two matches, I really played well.

"The mixed doubles draw (with Sharath Kamal) was tough but it will motivate me to push further." Manika has done a lot for raising the profile of table tennis.

Asked what more needs to be done, she added: "...right now I am playing my best and doing my job as an athlete for the years to come, that is my aim and duty."

News source: PTI

2021-09-02 15:41

Yuvin Esports announce Tata Motors as title sponsors for Yuvin Valorant Invitational tournament

(Esports news) Tata Motors have been announced as title sponsors for the Yuvin Valonrant Invitational tournament, scheduled to be held from September 2 - 5, 2021. This move marks the entry of the biggest automobile manufacturer Tata Motors into the Esports domain.

While welcoming Tata Motors to the Esports family, Sharang Naicker, CEO & Founder of Yuvin Esports Pvt. Ltd., said, “One of the most premier and established automobile companies, Tata Motors is entering into Esports. The brand name and presence like Tata Motors always incites an environment of awe and veneration for all the communities out there irrespective of the medium they are currently in. Tata Group has been supportive of multiple sports for centuries and now everything is becoming ‘e’ it is perfect time for the grand entry into ‘e’sports.”

Yuvin Esports Pvt. Ltd was founded by an ex-pro gamer Naicker in 2018. The company’s aim is to build and groom talent from India, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The Yuvin Valorant Invitational tournament will feature the top eight Valorant teams from India battle it out in a single elimination format for the prize money of INR 1 lakh. The contest will be in a best of three format while the grand finale will feature a best of five format.

Yuvin Esports’ this invitational Valorant Tournament is an engagement with Tata Motors that will coincide with the recently launched all-new Tata Tiago NRG. “Tata Tiago NRG is a perfect car to own for our young, dynamic, tech-savvy Esports enthusiasts. We are extremely proud and excited that Tata Motors have partnered with us to promote Tiago NRG through a modern medium of Esports. This is the first of many events we have planned for the massive Esports enthusiasts’ community. With your love and support, we are sure to build an immensely respected brand,” Sharang Naicker further added.

“Tata Motors has time and again come forward to show its support to all kinds of sports and with this association, we commence our maiden journey into the Esports arena. The Indian Esports industry is growing at a very fast pace and is becoming a preferred choice of entertainment of young millennials and Gen Zs. At Tata Motors, we cater to the young and aspirational needs of our customers and electronically played sports are one such promising channel. We look forward to a fruitful association with the Yuvin Valorant Invitational and hope to encourage the growth of budding talent in this new age field.” Nikhil Kurian, Head – Digital Marketing, Tata Motors, PVBU commented.

Also read: We will support E-sports initiatives: Sisodia

2021-09-01 19:33

Pro Kabaddi League season 8: Over 190 players sold for Rs 48.22 crore

Mumbai, Sep 1 (Sports news) Over 190 players were sold to 12 franchise teams with as many as 10 Final Bid Match (FBM) cards being used in the auction for the eighth season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), slated to take place in December, the organizers said on Wednesday.

Raider Pardeep Narwal emerged as the highest paid kabaddi player in the PKL's history as the three-day auction witnessed teams spend Rs 48.22 crore in total across various categories.

Narwal smashed a record after he was bought by UP Yoddha for Rs 1.65 crore, while Siddharth Desai was retained by the Telugu Titans through FBM card for Rs 1.30 crore.

Rahul Chaudhari will now play for the Puneri Paltan. Tamil Thalaivas successfully bid for raider Manjeet, who joined them from Puneri Paltan for Rs 92 lakh.

Rohit Gulia, an all-rounder from Category A, was sold to Haryana Steelers for Rs 83 lakh, a significant jump from his Rs 25 lakh price tag with Gujarat Giants in season 7.

Some other big buys included Sachin (Patna Pirates) for Rs 84 lakh and Chandran Ranjit (Bengaluru Bulls) for Rs 80 lakh.

A stand-out from Category B was the purchase of raider Arjun Deshwal who was snapped up by Jaipur Pink Panthers for Rs 96 lakh.

Puneri Paltan successfully retained raider Nitin Tomar by using FBM card for Rs 61 lakh while all-rounder Sandeep Narwal was snapped up by Dabang Delhi KC for Rs 60 lakh.

The Delhi franchise also bought defender Jeeva Kumar for Rs 44 lakh.

Veteran raider Ajay Thakur also found himself a new home with Dabang Delhi KC who bought the former India captain for Rs 46 lakh.

Over 22 overseas players were sold on the second day. Iranian all-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh was the most expensive foreign signing as three-time champions Patna Pirates bought him for Rs 31 lakh.

Patna Pirates also used one of their two FBM cards to retain Republic of Korea's raider Jang Kun Lee for Rs 20.5 lakh.

Iranians were in high demand as defending champions Bengal Warriors bought defender Abozar Mohajermighani for Rs 30.5 lakh.

Also read: Raider Pradeep Narwal smashes all-time Pro Kabaddi League record, sold to 'UP Yoddha' for Rs 1.65 cr

Telugu Titans acquired the services of Japanese defender Tetsuro Abe for Rs 10 lakh.

Among Category C players, Sandeep Kandola emerged as the highest bid. He was bought for Rs 59.5 lakh by the Telugu Titans.

Puneri Paltan bought Sombir for Rs 34.5 lakh while U Mumba and Jaipur Pink Panthers spent Rs 32 lakh and Rs 20 lakh on Rinku Narwal and Amit.

A total of 10 New Young Players (NYP) were picked up at the auction.

Narwal said he never expected to be the highest paid player. “It has been memorable five seasons with Patna Pirates, and now I am looking forward to representing UP Yoddha,” he said.

News source: PTI

2021-09-01 13:00

Recap of all the transfers that happened on deadline day in the Premier League

With the transfer window shut and the likes of Ronaldo, Messi, Varane ,Lukaku etc have all made unexpected moves, a lot of helter skelter was seen on the last day of the transfer window. Let us take a look at the moves that took place in the Premier league:

1. Emerson Royal (Tottenham Hotspurs)

Tottenham Hotspur have signed 22 year old full back on permanent deal for 30 million pounds on a five year contract in a move that sees his former club Real Betis receive 20% of the fee. Barcelona exercised their buy back option at the beginning of the transfer window but due to the cash crunch, Barcelona had to sell off their new right back.

2. Saul Niguez (Chelsea FC)

Saul moved from Atletico Madrid on loan to Chelsea for an initial loan fee of 5 million pounds with an option to buy him permanently next season. Saul was desperate to move away from Madrid as they had already signed Rodrigo De Paul which meant that his playing time would be less. Chelsea have got a bargain deal as this only makes their midfield better and also enhances their chances to win the Premier League.

3. Alex Kral (West Ham)

West Ham bought the young 23 year old from Spartak Moscow for a season long loan with a view to make the move permanent next season for 13 million pounds. He joins a plethora of Czech Republic players in the squad as he can join his international compatriot Tomas Soucek in the midfield.

4. Nikola Vlasic (West Ham)

West Ham were the heavy spenders on the deadline as they bought the Croatian winger Nikola Vlasic for 26 million pounds from CSKA Moscow. Buying Vlasic helps give West Ham the much needed squad depth they need as they will also be competing in the Europa League also.

5. Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal FC)

Arsenal bought Japan international Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna for 18 million pounds on the final day of the window. The 22 year old is a versatile player who can play right back and centre back for his team. The signing of him took Arsenal’s spending to 150 million pounds which is most in the Premier League. Arteta would be hoping some of these young defensive signings do justice to their price tag.

Also read: Leeds United sign Daniel James from Manchester United

6. Ademola Lookman (Leicester City)

Young English winger joined Leicester City from RB Leipzig on loan with an option to make the move permanent next season. This brought an end to Brendan Rodgers summer long search for a wide attacker. The move for Lookman also saw Dennis Praet leave for Torino.

7. Marc Cucurella (Brighton)

Brighton have signed Marc Cucurella from Getafe after they triggered their release clause of 18million pound. A product of Espanyol youth system the 23 year old can play left back as well as a wing back bringing the much needed left side cover for Graham Potter's side.

8. Salomon Rondon (Everton FC)

He comes back to the Premier League after spending two years away playing in China for Dalian Professional FC. Rondon joins on free transfer for 2 years with an option of extending for one more year. Rafa Benitez reunites with his former striker as they needed some cover for Dominic Calvert Lewin.

9. Santiago Munoz (Newcastle United)

The Magpies have announced the arrival of Santiago Munoz from Santos Laguna in a peculiar case of peculiar sports fiction that bears a striking similarity to the film ‘Goal’. He signs on a 18 month loan deal with a view to make it permanent when his loan deal finishes, he also adds much needed cover in the forward line for Newcastle.

10. Odsonne Edouard (Crystal Palace)

Crystal Palace signed Edouard from Celtic for around 14 million pounds which could rise upto 18,5million pounds with add ons. The 23 year old brings the much needed goal scoring help that Patrick Vieira’s side was lacking, he comes with a very decent pedigree of goals in the Scottish Premiership.

11. Ozan Kabak (Norwich City)

Norwich City signed Ozan Kabak from Schalke on an initial loan with a view to make it permanent for 11.5 million pounds next season. The former Liverpool man comes into the Norwich defence to stop them from leaking goals and help them stay up in the Premier league this season.

2021-09-01 11:58

Won't be able to field first XI in all games against Indian women: Australia coach Mott

Brisbane, Sep 1 (Cricket news) Seven international games, including a Test match in a space of 20 days, won't allow Australia to field their best first XI in all games against India in the upcoming series, Southern Stars' head coach Matthew Mott has hinted.

With Sydney and Melbourne being COVID-19 hot-spots, the Indian team and 12 out of the 18 Australian players are currently in a two-week hard quarantine and according to a 'cricket.com.au' report, they will allowed out a week before the first WODI at Mackay on September 21.

The Indian team won't have any access to training facilities during the two-week hard (room) quarantine.

"Our sports science people are quite rightly nervous," Mott told 91.3 SportFM referring to seam bowlers Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Maitlan Brown and Stella Campbell, who are currently in room quarantine for a fortnight.

"Here, they won't bowl for 14 days and will go straight into a very congested schedule, so our management of the players has to be right on point,' Mott said.

He made it clear that all first team players won't get to play every game keeping workload management in mind.

"Not everyone is going to play every game, we've got 18 in our squad, and we've got some young players. The older more resilient players will find a way though because they've banked up that experience and their bodies are a bit stronger.

"But for the younger bowlers – Darcie Brown, Tayla Vlaeminck, Maitlan Brown – we've got to be very smart around how we integrate them into it." Among the Aussie pacers, Sutherland is returning from a stress fracture to her upper leg, Brown has recovered from severe hamstring injury while Vlaeminck has had a series of major foot, knee and shoulder injuries.

"In an ideal world, we'd have played the Test last to build up those loads gradually, but it's in the middle," Mott continued.

"So there are different bowlers we'll have to use in different formats and the consequence is we won't be able to play our best team every game – that would be crazy from a player fatigue and management point of view.

Also read: Trinbago Knight Riders looking for a record fifth title, Guyana Amazon Warriors start with a historic victory

"We'll try and make it work but it's going to be a really interesting series to see how we navigate around the complexities that will be thrown at us." Moot termed the schedule as a very "busy one" considering the team hasn't played a lot of cricket since April due to various state borders employing their own health safety protocol.

"It's going to be tough, it's going to be exciting but it's going to hit us hard. We've gone from not a lot of cricket to a very busy schedule overnight," Mott added.

Full Schedule Sep 21: First ODI, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay Sep 24: Second ODI, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay (D/N) Sep 26: Third ODI, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay Sep 30 – Oct 3: Test match, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast (D/N) Oct 7: First T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast Oct 9: Second T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast Oct 10: Third T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast.

News source: PTI

2021-09-01 10:55

Paralympic gold medallist javelin thrower Sumit Antil now eyes 2024 Paris Olympics

Tokyo, Aug 31 (Paralympics news) Buoyed by a record-breaking debut gold at the Paralympics, Indian javelin thrower Sumit Antil now wants to compete against the able-bodied athletes at the Paris Olympics in three years' time.

The 23-year-old from Sonepat on Monday produced an awe-inspiring performance when he smashed his own world record not once but five times to clinch the gold in the men's javelin F64 with a throw of 68.55m.

Antil, who has participated in able bodied events including the Indian Grand Prix event, said his goal is to qualify for both Paralympics and the Olympics in 2024 and he will begin his training once he returns to the country.

"I wish to take part in both the Olympics and Paralympics. That's my dream," Antil, who lost his left leg below the knee after he was involved in a motorbike accident in 2015, said in a release issued by Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).

"During my training, I have been touching the 70m-mark. And I dream of throwing between 75 to 80m and that should be enough to compete amongst the able-bodied athletes.

"Once I return from Tokyo, I will be training for that for sure," he added.

Son of a JWO officer in the Indian Army, Antil had competed against Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra in the able-bodied Indian Grand Prix series 3 on March 5 in Patiala where he finished seventh with a best throw of 66.43m.

On Tuesday, Antil bettered the previous world record of 62.88m, also set by him, five times on the day. His last throw was a foul. His series read 66.95, 68.08, 65.27, 66.71, 68.55 and foul.

"At the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, I settled for the silver. So, I always wanted to win the gold medal," said Antil, who was inspired by Chopra's gold medal show.

Also read: Sumit Antil breaks World Record thrice to win Gold in Javelin Throw F64 at the Tokyo Paralympics

"My coaches told me to show aggression in the Paralympics. I am happy I could finally come out with a good performance and inspire the upcoming generation." The conditions were extremely hot and humid on the day in Tokyo but Antil never looked bothered.

"During the pandemic, I took special permission from the Sports Authority of India to train at home. And I was prepared for all conditions – hot and wet conditions. I used to train late at night and this paid off well," said Antil, who hails from Sonepat.

The Haryana athlete is now hoping that the Paralympic gold will land him a job once he is back in India.

"Currently, I'm unemployed and doing training full time but I hope I will get a job after this. Let's see what happens when I return to India," he signed off.

News source: PTI

2021-08-31 19:50

WFI takes undertaking from wrestlers on contract with private sponsors before trials

New Delhi, Aug 31 (Wrestling news) The trials for the World Championship opened with confusion, anguish and hesitancy when WFI President Brijbhushan Sharan Singh announced that only those wrestlers will be allowed to compete who will submit a hard copy of their contracts with private sponsors.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has claimed that sports NGOs like OGQ and JSW are spoiling their athletes and will not allow them to interfere in the affairs of elite wrestlers.

Singh has said if the NGOs want to support the game and the athletes, they are welcome, but "secret contracts" will not be allowed.

WFI says they have enough funds from main sponsors, Tata Motors, to offer better contracts to deserving wrestlers.

"No one will be allowed to compete if they will not submit the details of their contracts with private sponsors," Singh announced to the gathering at the KD Jadhav wrestling stadium at the IG Stadium where trials were held.

It created a bit of chaos as the wresters stopped their warm-up and started discussing what they need to do now.

Not all wrestlers who had assembled had sponsorships but it did spark anguish among those who have financial backing but did not want to reveal the details. None of them was carrying a hard copy of their contracts.

There were discussion in hushed tones and hesitancy.

Soon, it was announced that wrestlers who do not have hard copy of their contracts, can give an undertaking that they will submit it later.

It was mentioned in the undertaking that WFI can take disciplinary action against them if they furnish incorrect details in the declaration or undertaking. "This is dictatorial attitude. It's not done. Is it a crime to get support?," said a wrestler, who obviously did not wish to be named.

Also read: Vinesh out, Sangeeta in; juniors day out at the senior World Championship trials

However, the wrestlers had no option but to give undertaking.

WFI boss, though, said they do not want to create fear among wrestlers or harm their interest.

"We had informed everyone, when trial date was announced that everyone has to provide their private sponsorship details with us, it is not that we asked them this morning," said Singh.

"We just want to see how can we offer them better contracts, so just need to know what they are getting presently."

News source: PTI

2021-08-31 10:23

Raider Pradeep Narwal smashes all-time Pro Kabaddi League record, sold to 'UP Yoddha' for Rs 1.65 cr

Mumbai, Aug 31 (Sports news) Talismanic raider Pardeep Narwal smashed an all-time record by becoming the highest-ever bought kabaddi player in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), after being bought by the 'UP Yoddha' for Rs 1.65 crore.

The 'UP Yoddha' bought Narwal on Monday, the second day of the PKL auction for the upcoming season 8, which will take place in December.

“Pardeep continues to re-write history books, with his price tag now quashing that of another star raider Monu Goyat, who was bought by the 'Haryana Steelers' for Rs 1.51 crore in Season 6,” stated a media release issued by the PKL late Monday night.

Narwal now finds himself a new home after spending five seasons with the 'Patna Pirates'.

Meanwhile, Siddharth Desai was retained by the 'Telugu Titans' via the Final Bid Match (FBM) card for Rs 1.30 crore from his base price of Rs 30 lakh.

More than 22 overseas players were sold on the second day.

All-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh (base price Rs 10 lakh), was sold to the 'Patna Pirates' for Rs 31 lakh, while the 'Bengal Warriors' bought defender Abozar Mohajermighani, bidding for him at Rs 30.5 lakh from the base price of Rs 20 lakh.

The 'Patna Pirates' used their FBM card to retain South Korean raider Jang Kun Lee at Rs 20.5 lakh, the release said.

After spending six seasons with the 'Telugu Titans' and one season with 'Tamil Thalaivas', Rahul Chaudhari will now play for the 'Puneri Paltans'.

Also read: Yogesh Kathuniya wins silver at the men’s discus throw at the Tokyo Paralympics

The 'Jaipur Pink Panthers' used both the FBM cards to retain captain Deepak Niwas Hooda and Sandeep Kumar Dhull.

The 'Tamil Thalaivas' bid for raider Manjeet from his base price of Rs 30 lakh and bought him in for Rs 92 lakh.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Rohit Gulia grabbed eyeballs after he was sold to the 'Haryana Steelers' for Rs 83 lakh, a significant jump from his Rs 25-lakh price tag with the 'Gujarat Giants' in Season 7.

“Kabaddi is such an elementary game in terms of infrastructure required, that I have no doubt that once we get our act together, the explosion of kabaddi internationally is just waiting to happen,” Charu Sharma, co-founder of Mashal Sports, was quoted as saying in the release.

Top 5 Indian players: Pardeep Narwal – Rs 1.65 crore -- UP Yoddha Siddharth Desai – Rs 1.30 crore -- Telugu Titans Manjeet – Rs 92 lakh -- Tamil Thalaivas Sachin – Rs 84 lakh -- Patna Pirates Rohit Gulia –Rs 83 lakh -- Haryana Steelers.

News source: PTI

2021-08-30 19:27

He made me: Jhajharia dedicates Paralympics silver medal to late father

New Delhi, Aug 30 (Paralympics news) Not being there with his cancer-stricken father during his dying moments last year still rankles Devendra Jhajharia, who on Monday dedicated his third Paralympic medal to the man without whose encouragement, he wouldn't have competed at the ongoing Games.

The 40-year-old javelin thrower, already India's greatest Paralympian after winning gold medals in the 2004 and 2016 Games, pulled off a new personal best throw of 64.35m for the silver in F46 classification.

"Of course, this medal belongs to the people of the country but I also want to dedicate this to my late father (Ram Singh Jhajharia) who had wanted me to win another medal in the Paralympics," Jhajharia told PTI from Tokyo on Monday.

F46 classification is for athletes with arm deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement in arms. Jhajharia makes this cut owing to the left hand he lost after being electrocuted as an eight-year-old.

Jhajharia came to know about his father's illness while he was training at Sports Authority of India Centre in Gandhinagar last year.

He rushed home but his father sent him back to continue training as he wanted his son to win another medal at the Paralympics. The inspiration of Jhajharia's life died in October last year.

"I would not be here if it was not for my father's efforts. It was he who pushed me to train hard and win another medal. I am happy that today I have fulfilled his dream." His father's death, at the time of which he was training, left him shattered and he was seen crying after winning a national level event.

Also read: Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh Gurjar put up a show in Men’s Javelin Throw, 7 medals so far for India

On Monday, although he bettered his own earlier world record (63.97m) but gold winner Sri Lankan Dinesh Priyan Herath Mudiyanselage (67.79m) was too good for the entire field.

He said he gave his best but admitted that it was the Sri Lankan's day.

"In sport and competition, it happens. There is always up and down. I did my best and better my personal best. But it so happened that it was his (Sri Lankan's) day." Jhajharia has often talked about possibly retiring from the sport after the ongoing Games but on the day, he wanted to simply savour the triumph.

Asked what the future holds and whether he will be in the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou in China, he said, "My competition in the Paralympics is just over and I can't think of other things now." "I will decide after returning home. I will talk to my family and my coach and make a plan." Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked to him on phone after his silver-winning feat.

Asked about that conversation, Jhajharia said, "He congratulated me for bringing laurels to do country. There is nothing happier than the PM of your country encouraging you to excel.

"He interacted with all of us before departing for Paralympics and now also he keeps on motivating us. This is good for the country's sports."

News source: PTI

2021-08-30 18:02

President, PM lead nation in congratulating Indian Paralympic stars for their stellar show in Tokyo

New Delhi, Aug 30 (Paralympics news) President of India Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the political brass of the country in congratulating the Indian Paralympic athletes, who made the nation proud with their rich haul of medals at the Tokyo Games on Monday.

Two-time gold-winning javelin throw veteran Devendra Jhajharia clinched a stupendous third Paralympic medal, a silver this time, while discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya also finished second as India surpassed its best ever medal tally at the Games on Monday.

Sundar Singh Gurjar also chipped in with a bronze, finishing behind Jhajharia in the men's javelin throw F46 final. India's medal count has now risen to seven, including one gold (shooting), three more than the four secured in the 2016 Rio Games.

Besides, shooter Avani Lekhara scripted history as she became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, firing her way to the top of the podium in the R-2 women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event in Tokyo.

The 19-year-old from Jaipur, who sustained spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012, finished with a world record equalling total of 249.6, which is also a new Paralympic record.

"Delighted to see our Paralympians bring more glory to the nation! Yogesh Kathuniya wins silver in discus throw, Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh Gurjar bags silver and bronze respectively in javelin throw. Congratulations! Every Indian is celebrating your success," President Kovind tweeted.

"Another daughter of India makes us proud! Congratulations to Avani Lekhara for creating history and becoming the first Indian woman to win a Gold at #Paralympics. India is elated by your stellar performance! Our tricolour flies high at the podium due to your phenomenal feat," Kovind wrote in another tweet.

PM Modi also took to the social networking site to pass across his wishes to the proud para athletes.

"Superb performance by @DevJhajharia! One of our most experienced athletes wins a Silver medal. Devendra has been making India continuously proud. Congratulations to him. Best of luck for his future endeavours. #Paralympics "India is overjoyed by the Bronze medal won by @SundarSGurjar. He has shown remarkable courage and dedication. Congratulations to him. Wishing him the very best. #Paralympics," he wrote.

"Outstanding performance by Yogesh Kathuniya. Delighted that he brings home the Silver medal. His exemplary success will motivate budding athletes. Congrats to him. Wishing him the very best for his future endeavours. #Paralympics "Phenomenal performance @AvaniLekhara! Congratulations on winning a hard-earned and well-deserved Gold, made possible due to your industrious nature and passion towards shooting. This is truly a special moment for Indian sports. Best wishes for your future endeavours," Modi added.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu also congratulated the para athletes for bringing glory to the country.

"Indian players have performed exceptionally well in the men's javelin throw event (F46) at the Tokyo Paralympics. Devendra Jhajharia won silver medal and Sundar Singh Gurjar won bronze medal. The nation is proud of your successes. Best wishes for future successes.

"Congratulations to Yogesh Katunia, who won a gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, and a silver medal in the men's discus throw. The country is proud of their achievements. I wish their future a bright future.#Paralympics," he tweeted.

Also read: Sumit Antil breaks World Record thrice to win Gold in Javelin Throw F64 at the Tokyo Paralympics

"The entire nation is proud of your accomplishments. My best wishes for your bright future ahead," Naidu added.

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur also wished para shooter Lekhara on her tremendous feat.

"Amazing Avani winsFirst place medal. A historic achievement as she becomes the only woman in Olympics & Paralympics to win a gold ! "Shooting in 10m AR Standing SH1 Final. Score of 249.6 creating a Paralympic Record. Equalling the World Record," Thakur wrote his twitter handle.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was not to be left behind as he also wished the para athletes on their stupendous show in Tokyo so far.

"Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh Gurjar have won #Silver and #Bronze respectively in Men’s Javelin Throw F46 event. Big congratulations! This has been a good morning for sports in India," he wrote.

"Congratulations for the #Silver to Yogesh Kathuniya! The nation stands proud of your inspirational achievements.

"Morning starts with the great news of Avni Lakhera winning #Gold .

Big Congratulations! Another daughter makes India proud. #TokyoParalympics," Gandhi added.

News source: PTI

2021-08-30 16:31

Raj govt announces cash rewards for Paralympic medal winners; shooter Avani Lekhara to get Rs 3 cr

Jaipur, Aug 30 (Paralympics news) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday congratulated three Paralympic medal winners from the state, announcing cash rewards of up to Rs 3 crore for each of them.

Shooter Avani Lekhara, who has won a gold medal at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, will be given a cash reward of Rs 3 crore, while javelin throwers Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh Gurjar will get Rs 2 crore and Rs 1 crore respectively for winning silver and bronze medals.

All the three players from Rajasthan have already been appointed to the post of assistant conservator of forest in the state forest department.

"The players of the state have brought laurels to the country and the state by winning medals, we are very proud of them," Gehlot tweeted.

Lekhara scripted history on Monday as she became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, firing her way to the top of the podium in the R-2 women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event.

The 19-year-old from Jaipur, who sustained spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012, finished with a world record equalling total of 249.6, which is also a new Paralympic record.

Also read: On top of the world, it's indescribable: Avani Lekhara

"Heartiest Congratulations to Jaipur's Avani Lekhara for winning first ever Gold for India in ShootingParaSport! What a superb performance by her in Women's 10m AR Standing SH1 Final as she created history! Entire nation is very proud of her. It's a great day for Indian sports!" Gehlot tweeted earlier in the day.

Two-time gold-winning javelin throw veteran Jhajharia clinched a stupendous third Paralympic medal, a silver this time, while Gurjar won a bronze in the men's javelin throw F46 final.

The chief minister congratulated the two, calling it a "marvellous moment".

"We are so proud of Rajasthan's Paralympic javelin throwers Devendra Jhajharia, who grabbed Silver & Sundar Singh Gurjar for claiming Bronze at Men's Javelin Throw event, TokyoParalympics. It's a marvelous moment. Heartiest Congratulations to Dev Jhajharia & Sundar S Gurjar!" he said in another tweet.

Gehlot also hailed Yogesh Kathuniya for winning a silver medal in Men's Discus Throw F56.

"It's great news for all of us. The nation is so proud!" he tweeted.

Kathuniya, a B.Com graduate from New Delhi's Kirorimal College, sent the disc to a best distance of 44.38m in his sixth and last attempt to clinch the silver.

News source: PTI

2021-08-28 14:03

Rajnath felicitates `Defence Forces Olympians', renames ASI stadium after Neeraj

Pune, Aug 27 (Sports news) Felicitating gold medal-winning javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and other Olympians serving with the defence forces at the Army Sports Institute (ASI) here, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday urged them to make India a "sports power".

Speaking at a ceremony where the institute's stadium was named for Chopra, Singh also said he was awaiting the day when India would host the Olympic Games.

“You are not just players but leaders of the Indian youth. It is the responsibility of leaders to give the right direction to the followers," he said.

"Make a resolve, today we all have to make a resolve to make India sports power in the days to come,” he said after felicitating the 'Defence Forces' Olympians' who took part in the Tokyo Games.

“After looking at all these players, I am assured that this resolve will be fulfilled. Our prime minister has shown immense interest in sports, which is unprecedented. I have been in politics for a long time, but the interest shown by the current prime minister in sports is beyond imagination. He boosted the morale of players by interacting and eating with them,” Singh added. “I am waiting for that moment when India will get the opportunity to host the Olympics,” the Union minister said.

Also read: Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra meets Haryana CM

The performance in Tokyo was the country’s best performance at the Olympics, Singh noted.

“Those Olympians who missed the medal by a whisker, they are no less than winners. They represented India in the Olympics which in itself is a matter of pride. This is our best performance in the Olympics so far, but we don’t have to be satisfied here. We will have to strive hard to achieve further,” he added.

Singh also lauded the ASI's efforts to help athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdown.

“Despite COVID, we had a spectacular performance in the Olympics, which is not a small thing. There were constraints on training, proper training was not happening. However, despite all these odds, the players gave a spectacular performance and ASI played a key role.

“I would like to express my gratitude and respect towards this institute, this is a world renowned sports institute of the Army and I was told that 34 Olympians, 22 Commonwealth Games medal winners and 21 Asian Games medal winners were produced by the ASI,” he said.

During lockdown, when it was difficult for players to get training, the ASI took equipment to their doorstop, the minister noted.

Singh renamed the ASI Stadium after Neeraj Chopra on this occasion. The 23-year-old who bagged the country’s first gold in athletics at the Tokyo Olympics was present during the ceremony.

A shawl signed by the Olympians from the forces was also presented to the Defence Minister.

Besides Chopra, Tarundeep Rai (archery), Pravin Jadhav (archery), Amit (boxing), Manish Kaushik (boxing), Satish Kumar (boxing), CA Kuttappa (boxing coach), Chotelal Yadav (Mary Kom’s coach), Deepak Punia (wrestling), Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh (rowing), Vishnu Saravanan (sailing) were among those who were felicitated.

Deepak Kumar (shooting), Avinash Sable (athletics), Amrish Kumar (athletics coach), Irfan KT (athletics), Rahul (athletics), Sandeep Kumar (athletics), Gurpreet Singh (athletics), Tajinder Pal Singh Toor (athletics), MP Jabir (athletics), Shivpal Singh (athletics), Alex Antony (athletics), Abhishek Pandey (physiotherapist with athletics team) and members of the 4x400 relay team who are employed with the Forces were also feted on the occasion.

Army chief General MM Naravane was also present.

Singh also had special words of praise for Neeraj.

“Neeraj Chopra has written his name in gold letters and joined the glorious tradition of Major Dhyan Chand, Captain Milkha Singh, Col Rajyavardhan Rathore and Captain Vijay Kumar,” he said.

The defence minister also appreciated the efforts of pugilist Satish Kumar, who despite having 13 stitches gave a spectacular performance in the quarter-final

News source: PTI

2021-08-27 17:45

Electric off-road racing series Extreme E reveals Arctic X Prix course

(Motorsport news) With the Arctic X Prix just one day away, the series has revealed another exciting course with nine teams and 18 world class drivers facing new challenges across different terrain.

The course has been designed at the edge of Russell Glacier, just outside the town of Kangerlussuaq. The terrain is a combination of different sizes of rocks, glacial sediment and sand dunes. The start of the course is 123 meters above sea level, with a mixture of compact sediment and small rocks. A wide-open section where drivers will have a myriad of different routes to take through the sandy mogul field brings them out at the bottom of the first climb up the sand dunes. The course briefly heads back downhill on to the plain for a short section, before turning back up into the dunes to the farthest northerly part of the course.

At this point, the course disappears to the far side of the dunes and around a small glacial water lake before winding its way up to the highest point on the dunes measuring 180 metres, before dropping out of the sandier section and reconnecting with the open plain, which will likely bring higher speeds. While it appears flat from a distance, the wind and water flows have shaped the floor, so expect the all-electric ODYSSEY 21s to dance across this area – it is certainly not flat out.

Winding its way to the farthest westerly point, the course drops twice into the huge riverbed with steep drops down and then jumps back up onto the plain. This is also home to the Super Sector - a section of the course where the fastest driver over the weekend will earn five points for their team.

Following the back straight, the course turns back towards the Switch and Finish areas. The slowest and perhaps most technical part of the course ventures across a small ‘rock garden’, littered with medium to large rocks. The drivers will have to be patient as they slowly pick their way through this unique and very technical part of the course.

The route back towards the Start and Switch zones now begins across the bumpy plain, finishing off the spectacular 6.68 kilometre course of the Arctic X Prix.

Also read: Fernando Alonso extends contract with Formula 1 team Alpine for 2022 season

Alejandro Agag, Extreme E Founder and CEO said: “The Arctic X Prix course offers a true spectacle and a brand-new challenge for teams and drivers. To be racing on an area which was once a glacier up until its suffering at the hands of the climate crisis is very special and I’m sure through the racing and our broadcast product, we will heighten fans’ awareness of what is happening to the planet.

“This course is like nothing the motorsport world has ever seen as we are the first series to ever go racing in this location, which means teams will have to get to grips with the setting pretty quickly. I can’t wait to see what prevails this weekend, and who will take the top step on the podium.”

The Arctic X Prix takes place this weekend (28-29 August) and can be watched via a host of global broadcasters available to view here. In the UK, the series airs on ITV, Sky Sports, BT Sport and BBC digital channels, plus FOX Sports in the USA, Eurosport across Europe and KNR in Greenland.

2021-08-27 12:41

Tata Steel PGTI to resume season from September 2, a new event announced in J&K

New Delhi, Aug 26 (Sports news) The Tata Steel PGTI will resume its season on September 2 after a COVID-19 enforced break with men's professional golf set to return to the Kashmir Valley after a seven year-hiatus, the organisers announced on Thursday.

The combined 2020-2021 season has so far witnessed 10 tournaments, seven of which were staged between November last year to March 2021, after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ten events are scheduled to be played between September to December with the season resuming with the Golconda Masters Telangana Open, which will be played at the Hyderabad Golf Club from September 2-5. The prize purse for the tenth edition of the event is Rs. 40 lakh.

It will be followed by the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship, that has a prize purse of Rs. 50 lakh, to be played at the Panchkula Golf Club from September 8-11.

The inaugural J&K Open will be staged at the Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar from September 15-18. The event marks the return of men's professional golf to the Kashmir Valley after seven years.

The PGTI staged its last two events in the region in Pahalgam and Srinagar in July 2014. The tournament will offer a prize purse of Rs. 40 lakh.

October will see the launch of yet another new event with the inaugural TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship presented by Delhi Golf Club slated to be held from October 5-8.

Also read: Anirban Lahiri finishes T-56th at Northern Trust, bows out of Play-offs

The prize purse for the event is Rs. 50 lakh. The PGTI will be staging a full-field event (not co-sanctioned by Asian Tour) at the Delhi Golf Club after seven years.

The Jaipur Open will also be held in October from 12 to 15 at the Rambagh Golf Club in Jaipur and the Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational scheduled at the Chandigarh Golf Club from November 11-14. The event boasts a prize purse of Rs. 1.5 crore.

The ICC-RCGC Open Golf Championship returns for its second edition at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in Kolkata from November 25-28 while the Pune Open Golf Championship will be staged at the Poona Club Golf Course from December 1-4.

The season ending Tata Steel Tour Championship will carry an impressive prize purse of Rs 1.5 crore. It will be played at the Golmuri and Beldih Golf Courses in Jamshedpur from December 16-19.

In a major boost ahead of the resumption of the season, the Tour has signed two new partners -- American Express and and Amrutanjan Health Care Limited.

Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, "Our country has seen the most unprecedented and difficult times over the last few months. Fortunately, with the Covid situation having improved and life slowly coming back to normal, we at PGTI plan to restart the tour in September 2021." "The PGTI will continue to follow strict regulations in order to take all precautions against Covid-19 and ensure the smooth functioning of tournaments." World Cup-winning cricket captain and Board Member, PGTI, Kapil Dev said, "We at the PGTI are delighted to announce a healthy schedule with a number of tournaments lined up between September to December.

"We thank all our partners, tournament sponsors and host clubs for supporting our efforts despite the challenges posed by the pandemic and the tough circumstances that we find ourselves.

News source: PTI

2021-08-27 12:01

Wait Until Dark: Visually-impaired para-sprinter Kashafali's epic journey towards sunshine

Tokyo, Aug 26 (Paralympics News) As a kid Salum Ageze Kashafali would wake up at the wee hours to the sound of bombs with debris scattered around in a ball of smoke.

The little Congolese would often think if the long night of darkness would ever end, if he could ever go to a school like other children, if he could get a meal without begging in a queue.

And then luck smiled on Kashafali and his family as they took refuge in Norway -- the land of midnight sun -- where he realised his dream of becoming a top-notch sprinter.

As Kashafali gears up to justify his top billing in the men's T12 (for visually impaired) 100m race at the Tokyo Paralympics, the current world champion recalls growing up amid a civil war in a backward African nation.

"There were times when we were just struggling to stay alive," Kashafali told the Olympic Information Service (OIS).

"There was one night when my family were sleeping. Suddenly we woke up and there were fires all over the place after some bombs had gone off. The first thing we saw after we got out of the door was people lying down on the ground. You are just waiting to die," the ace para athlete said, recalling the horror days.

His family eventually escaped the unrest and spent months in refugee camps before settling down thousands of miles away in Bergen, Norway.

Once his family settled there, his life changed completely.

"Moving to Norway was like winning the lottery," he said.

"It was a one in a million chance, to go from begging for food to getting a roof over you. That's bigger than anything you can ever imagine." But then, as he was entering teens, everything seemed dark again as Kashafali was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, which causes a loss of central vision.

"I didn't go to school until I was something like 13 years old. I couldn't read, I couldn't even write my name. It wasn't easy, but you have to do it. Slowly and surely you pick things up," the sportsman in him expressed his feelings.

Also read: Afghanistan's Tokyo Games Paralympians safely evacuated, says IPC

For someone who first learnt alphabets and numbers in his teens, Kashafali now teaches mathematics in a junior school when he is not scorching the tracks.

"I always told my father and my mother that if I ever got the opportunity to go to school then I want to be a teacher. I love teaching," he said.

At Tokyo, the 100 metres sprint between the starting block and the finishing line will be a celebration of hope for all those African kids whose lives have been ravaged by war and poverty.

"To be here now in Tokyo and to be in a position to hopefully win a medal, that is every athlete's dream," Kashafali said as he sets sights on breaking his own record on Friday.

"I've heard the track is very fast and there were a lot of world and Olympic records broken during the Olympics, so hopefully some of us can challenge some good records in the next few days." His gradual loss of vision led to his participation in the Paralympics but even with his limited sight, he had competed against able-bodied athletics and won gold medals in the 100m at the 2019 national championships and in 60m at the 2015 national indoor championships in Norway.

He used to play football but switched to athletics after his vision continued to deteriorate.

"It got to the point that I couldn't see anything. So, I tried track and I won my first race." Football's loss proved to be athletics' gain.

If he stands on the podium on Friday, he can quote the great American author and disability rights activist, Hellen Keller, who said, "Once I knew only darkness and stillness...my life was without past or future...but a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart leaped to the rapture of living."

News source: PTI

2021-08-26 15:31

Rani Rampal & Co's Olympic show inspiring Indian football team ahead of AFC Women's Asian Cup

New Delhi, Aug 26 (Football news) Preparing for the AFC Asian Cup, two of India's top women's team footballers are taking inspiration from their counterparts in hockey, who claimed a historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics.

The performances of the Indian athletes in Tokyo have been inspiring for the entire country and national team footballers Aditi Chauhan and Dalima Chhibber feel the same as preparations intensify for the upcoming tournament in 2022.

"We recently saw the women's hockey team make history at the Tokyo Olympics. That honestly inspired me a lot," Aditi said when asked about the opportunity to represent the nation in the AFC Women's Asian Cup, which India is hosting.

"As a player I could feel that energy, I could feel those emotions and it was just amazing. I am just waiting now for our time to come." Dalima, member of the Indian national team, also referred to the achievements of India's female athletes at the Olympics as a source of motivation.

"I am looking forward to it as an opportunity. In the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, we saw so many female athletes step up on the global stage," Dalima said.

Also read: Mohammedan SC face Indian Air Force in Durand Cup opener

India won an unprecedented seven medals in Tokyo, including a historic gold in the men's javelin throw event.

While the women's hockey team narrowly missed out on a podium spot in the bronze medal match, they won unanimous plaudits with a best-ever semi-final finish.

"Every time I get to be on the pitch and sing the national anthem, it is such an honour. It is a feeling that cannot be described in words," Aditi added when asked about the feeling of being able to sing the national anthem in such a prestigious competition.

In a candid conversation which featured the two national team players, Aditi spoke about leveraging the stage provided by the Asian Cup to set an example for the girls who will participate in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India next year.

"I think if I were in the U-17 team, I would be looking at the senior team (for inspiration). I know there are a lot of young girls that are looking up to the senior team. There are a few girls who have been promoted and called up for the senior team," Aditi said before adding, "all of them have a lot of expectations and see us as examples." Dalima echoed similar sentiments as she believes the continental competition will serve as a motivation to work harder and a platform to set a precedent.

"I know that in our national team, every player has been working really hard. So, I see it (the AFC Women's Asian Cup) as a step forward and as a motivation to be able to do better and put in a lot more effort. We know that there are a lot of eyes on us and a lot of young players coming up who are looking at us," Dalima said.

The tournament will be held between January 20 and February 6 across three venues -- Mumbai Football Arena, D.Y. Patil Stadium and Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex.

News source: PTI

2021-08-26 15:00

A new chapter is beginning to unfold with the next generation of tennis stars hungrier than ever

(Tennis news): In every sport there are moments where a new generation of players take over, the baton is exchanged as the young ones carry legacy forward. In tennis since the late 90s, the William sisters started dominating the Women’s tour, Roger Federer came into the frame in 2003, Rafael Nadal came in 2005 and Novak Djkovic in 2008 and since then these players have taken the sport to new heights. The matches have been nothing short of epic, the courts have seen rallies that brought the spectators to their feet and for over two decades, these athletes have shown extraordinary skills that have kept them on the top of the game for so long.

Only few sports have seen athletes dominating for so long in the international era, Sachin Tendulkar, Carl Lewis, Peter Gade, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo to name a few. It takes years of dedication and hardwork to excel in the field for such a long time, it is even tougher to deal with it when they start ageing. It's only a matter of years when we see some legends of the game retire and watch others script history.

Last year’s US Open saw history in the making as Dominic Thiem became the first male player born in the 90’s to win a Grand Slam title, he finally broke the jinx as it was time for the young stars to shine and take the spotlight. This year, Novak Djokovic has won all the Grand Slams but has faced tough competitions from the younger players. He was outmatched by Alexander Zverev in the Tokyo Olympics Semifinals and will now have to wait three more years for the prestigious Gold. He left Tokyo without a medal after losing in the Bronze medal playoff Djokovic lost to Pablo Carreño Busta.

The 2021 season has seen 6 Masters 1000 tournaments take place, Rafael Nadal was the oldest winner aged 35 as the second oldest is Daniil Medvedev aged 25. Five of the tournaments were won by players born in the 90’s and one was won by Nadal. All the finalists were also born in the 90’s except in Rome where Djokovic lost to Nadal. Times like these are inevitable and happen in every field, although it had not happened in tennis for a very long time.

Also read: Ashleigh Barty back in the US Open, aiming to win her 2nd Major this year

The new generation players have come out in top form in recent times, with Thiem leading with a Grand Slam title, Daniil Medvedev is a two time finalist, Alexander Zverev is a Olympic champion, Stefanos Tsitsipas is also Grand Slam finalist. They have led the younger players and have played some great matches against their idols which brings in the question of who’s next. Who will set the benchmark now, who will lead the force and what new records will be made. Reily Opelka has served his way into the top 25 Singles ranking with a semifinal finish in Rome and a runner up in Toronto Open. Pete Sampras set the bars high when he finished with 14 slams but now records are tumbling in every slam. Serve and volley are not used as much anymore as trickshots and power are winning matches now.

Alexander Zverev has a great return percentage with a steady backhand and he is also very athletic when it comes to drop shops and volleys. Daniil Medvedev is 6 feet 6 inches but his movements on court don't reflect his height as he is very swift and has an unorthodox style in his forehand and backhand, he can cause real damage as he is also mentally tough. Medvedev was booed multiple times last year in the US Open but faced it like a true champion and even said that it's because of the crowd’s behaviour he won certain matches. Tsitsipas reached the finals of the French Open and is expected to strike when he enters the court next week. Andrey Rublev is also a major contender who can use his extremely powerful groundstrokes to finish off points especially in the hardcourt, Nick Kyrgios has had a poor show in recent events but can produce magic when in form.

In the Women’s competition, Naomi Osaka has won four Grand Slams and will turn 24 in two months. She is the defending champion and won her first major title here, Ashleigh Barty also looks to continue her great season forward as she looks to win her second major and 6th title this year. Barbora Krejčíková is having one of the best seasons in Singles ever, she started this year with a ranking of 65 and now is ranked 9th. Barbora won her first Singles Grand Slam by capturing the French Open along with the Doubles title and also won the mixed doubles title in the Australian Open.

The US Open starts from August 30th and many top players have pulled out as injuries have made them rest for now. As older players also take more time to recover, their future endeavours look doubtful. The younger ones look fitter than ever and ready to write a new chapter in the game.

Interesting fact: This is the first time in 24 years that neither Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Venus Williams are not featuring in a Grand Slam draw.

2021-08-26 14:34

Men's national boxing from Sep 15; allowing head guards under consideration

New Delhi, Aug 26 (Boxing news) The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is planning to conduct the men's national championships from September 15 to 22 at the Inspire Institute of Sports in Karnataka's Bellary and is considering the possibility of allowing pugilists to compete with head guards at the event.

The national championships could not be held last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The upcoming event will also be competed in the new weight categories introduced by the International Boxing Association last month. The revised weight divisions for men, after being increased from 10 to 13, are 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 86kg, 92kg, and +92kg.

Men's amateur boxing did away with head guards in 2013 after the AIBA medical commission, after a research study, concluded that removing the gear "may reduce the already small risk of acute brain injury in amateur boxing." The AIBA events and Olympic competitions do not feature head guards but national associations are free to conduct their tournaments with or without the protective gear.

"There is an executive committee meeting on September 3 where this will be discussed and if there is consensus, we will allow boxers to wear head guards during the championships," BFI Secretary General Hemanta Kalita told PTI.

"The AIBA gives national federations the choice to conduct their domestic events with or without head guards," he added.

The AIBA research had concluded that head guards can increase the risk of blows to the head because the padding around the eyes limits the boxer's vision. On the flip-side, the absence of head guards has contributed to an increased rate of cuts.

To this, the AIBA study had stated that "as boxers become more experienced and acclimated" to boxing without head guards and coaches change their style in view of the new rule, the rate of cuts will be reduced to previous historic levels.

Also read: Six Indians reach the finals of Asian Youth boxing in Dubai

The head guards were made mandatory in 1984 by AIBA before being dumped in 2013.

The tournament in Bellary will require boxers, participating officials and support staff to present a negative RT-PCR test report obtained 72 hours before landing at the competition. The boxers' temperatures will also be checked on arrival.

Head guards, if allowed, will be provided by the organisers.

"It is mandatory for everyone to use mask appropriately at all places, except in boxing ring," read the competition brochure.

The 2019 men's national championship was held in Himachal Pradesh with Services Sports Control Board claiming the overall honours with six gold, two silver and one bronze medal.

Another traditional powerhouse Railways had finished second with one gold, four silver and two bronze medals.

The Indian men's boxing team endured an underwhelming Olympic campaign with only one of the five qualified boxers managing to go past the first round.

The next big assignment lined up for them is the world championship in Belgrade, Serbia come November.

News source: PTI

2021-08-26 12:30

India aims to become the Fantasy Sports Hub of the world with Telangana implementing model regulations

(Fantasy Sports News) The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) concluded its fourth edition of GamePlan yesterday where we witnessed the launch of ‘Online Fantasy Sports: Creating a Virtuous Cycle of Sports Development’ an industry report by Deloitte and FIFS. One of the most notable keynotes was by Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT), Government of Telangana, who spoke about the present scenario around fantasy sports being “a bit muddled and complicated.” He spoke about the state government bringing new norms to make it a role model for other states.

Speaking about the future of OFS, Mr. Jayesh Ranjan said “We are aware of the regulatory issues which are there in the world of fantasy sports. I know that there are court judgments, there are different orders, and the scenario is a bit muddied and complicated at this point in time. I admit that there has been a push back in Telangana in the past about some forms of games, particularly games of skill, fantasy sports, etc. that have to be encouraged. I have taken the responsibility to introduce a very simple and industry-friendly piece of regulation in place of what already exists. I have consulted everyone who is involved in this domain, including representatives from the FIFS.” He also added, “I can assure you that we will see a piece of regulation where not only self-regulation, but development will be encouraged. We need to remain patient with what comes up from Telangana. I am very confident that this will be some kind of a role model for all other states also.”

Mr. Amrit Mathur, FIFS Spokesperson (Member of Fantasy Sports Regulatory Authority), said, “Fantasy sports have emerged strongly in the last few years, so much so that it has contributed to the growth of the overall sports ecosystem of our nation. OFS engages fans with real-life sports such as cricket, volleyball, football, basketball, kabaddi, etc. by providing a platform to create their own virtual teams containing counterparts of real-life players from both the teams participating in an upcoming officially sanctioned match. This is the key distinguisher for Fantasy Sports from online gaming.” He further added, “We want to build a system of continuous and constructive engagement with all the state governments, which is an ongoing dynamic exercise. We’ve been receiving tremendous support from them to be able to execute this.”

The evolving legal landscape of Online Fantasy Sports saw a focused discussion at the last session of the event revolving around the Supreme Court’s judgement, reaffirming the legality of the fantasy sports format as offered by Dream11 basis the FIFS Charter, and upheld the judgement passed by Hon’ble Rajasthan High Court. This judgement has played an instrumental role in legitimizing the industry and reducing ambiguity. When the Public Gambling Act of 1867 was adopted by most states, it was an era of virtually no technology and Mr. Gopal Jain, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India has asked the Central government to work with the State governments to allow the industry to grow and reduce ambiguity.

Also read: Fourth edition of GamePlan announced by FIFS - India’s only Annual Fantasy Sports Conference

2021-08-25 18:30

My mother sent me to Bengaluru alone when people advised against it: Shaili

New Delhi, Aug 25 (Athletics news) Shaili Singh's progress as an athlete has a lot to do with her coach Robert Bobby George but it was her "strong and determined" mother, who helped her daughter take first big leap when she sent her to Bengaluru for training, much against the 'advise' of well-wishers. The 17-year-old Shaili was raised by her mother with great difficulty at a village near Parichha Thermal Power Station in Jhansi district in Uttar Pradesh.

Her mother Vinitha works as a tailor to feed her three children and pays around Rs 3000 per month as rent for the two-room accommodation.

"I faced a lot of problem when I started (athletics), regarding diet and many other things," Shaili said at a felicitation function for the Indian athletes who won medals at the World U-20 Championships in Nairobi "When Anju madam called me to train to Bengaluru, many people in our place told my mother why are you sending your daughter alone to a city. But she told them 'she is my daughter, I know her and I am sending her'.

"My mother is very strong and determined. As I grow up under her care, I got a lot of confidence and things become easier for me," said Shaili .

Shaili, who jumped 6.59m to win silver, was spotted by legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George, India's only medallist in World Championships, at the age of 13.

On the advice her husband Robert, Anju personally went to see Shaili during the National Inter-State District Junior Athletics Meet (NIDJAM) at Visakhapatnam in November 2017 and took the youngster under her wings in April 2018.

Shaili, who used to run barefoot and had blisters on her feet as her mother could not afford shoes for her, has been coached by Robert since then at the Sports Authority of India Center in Bengaluru.

Asked what did he feel when Anju called her to train in Bengaluru, Shali said, "I was very excited, and how can I say no to Madam. It was something which I knew is for my good and I have been waiting for that, I got ready and my mother was very happy." "I was struggling (to continue the sport) but things completely changed after coming to Bangalore. It became a new life for Shaili." A class X student student at St Patrick's School in Bengaluru, Shaili said she missed her examination while taking part in competitions.

Also read: U-20 World Athletics C'ships: Sports Minister interacts with athletes and medallists

"I was to appear for class X examination but I missed it as I had to go for competition," she said.

Shaili's elder sister is pursuing B.Com third year and her younger brother studies in class 6.

Asked what was her feeling during the victory ceremony in Nairobi she said, "Her (gold medal winner's) flag was going up but I was looking at only our national flag and it was going up. Even if it was second position, for me it is first position." Her coach Robert said he told Shaili before the World U-20 Championships that if she wins a gold, her mother will get a new home.

"She is from a very humble family. They have a two-room accommodation and pays something like Rs 3000 (per month) as rent. I don't know details and I have never been there. May be I need to go down to her place some day.

"But she is a fast learner, very dedicated with a steely resolve. She will rule national circuit for many years and will be a top long jumper at world stage for at least three Olympics," said Robert who coached wife Anju to 2003 World Championships bronze medal.

Asked what difference he found in Shaili as compared to Anju, Robert said, "Anju began (her career) late and there are many things like tissue memory which you can't change. In that Shaili is in an advantageous position as she started at 13." Anju, on her part, said Shaili will be in contention for a medal in next year's Asian Games.

"She is there, her 6.59m is already in that range. But anything can happen in a competition, that is the beauty of sports. But definitely, she will be medal contender." The gold winner at the 2018 Asian Games had jumped 6.55m and the bronze medallist managed an effort of 6.50m.

Silver winner in men's 10,000m race walk, Amit Khatri, the bronze winning mixed 4x400m team of Priya Mohan, Bharath Sridhar, Summy, Abdul Razak and Kapil were also felicitated by the Athletics Federation of India.

News source: PTI

2021-08-25 16:00

We want to create a digital ecosystem for fans that revolves around the sports club’s app - Aishik Lala, Founder & CMO at FlashPlays Live

Sports is more than just what happens on the pitch. It’s more than athletes, the result or the finances involved. It’s a community built by fans and encompasses all the facets that makes it such a passion driven industry. The role of fans has never been more important or valued than it is today, especially considering the financial implications that sporting organizations have had to face amidst the COVID-19 pandemic with games being played in empty stadiums.

The connection between sports teams and fans is a special one. Bringing the fans closer to their beloved teams in a fun and engaging way is more important than ever before. To know more about this, Mr Aishik Lala, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at FlashPlays Live speaks about his vision and objective, strengthening the Miami Dolphins community, enhancing gameday offering, overcoming challenges, the Indian sports market and future goals and ambitions.

Q 1) What inspired you to come up with FlashPlays Live and what is your vision and objective?

The FlashPlays product is predicated on the fact that existing apps of professional sports teams have limited utility. By driving digital engagement to a team’s platform through real-time predictive gaming, FlashPlays allows teams to monetize this digital traffic via sponsorship activations and data collection. The ultimate objective is to make the usage of team apps commonplace for sports fans all over the world, creating endless revenue opportunities. The FlashPlays team consists of young sports enthusiasts who are passionate about an overlying problem and want to ultimately change the way sports fans interact with their favorite teams for the better.

Q 2) How has FlashPlays strengthened the Miami Dolphins community with its stand alone app?

When FlashPlays launched the Dolphins GameTime app, the initial goal was to engage the Dolphins community during live games, along with giving fans rewards for engaging with the app. The results exceeded our expectations significantly - we saw 45% of downloads come through user referrals, 55% 90-day retention, 13-minutes of screen time per game, and entered users answered 88% of questions. Not only did we see users engage with the platform, but we saw Dolphins fans warmly meet each other in the chat, converse about their predictions, and most importantly, discuss the live game.

Q 3) How is FlashPlays building the digital relationship between sports teams and fans and enhancing gameday offering?

While watching live sporting events, fans will often hop from one app to another (Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat) and consume different pieces of content that pertain to the game they are watching. This can create a distracting and segmented experience for the fan. What FlashPlays aims to do is consolidate this. We want to bring all the ways that fans engage with live sports onto one app - the team’s app. Additionally, there are very few predictive games that have seen the same success as ours. Proper gamification during live sporting events is what we provide with our simple 8 question system which has proven to be engaging to fans without being distracting.

Also read: AI will enable players to get quality training, reduce injury risk and help reach their true potential - Arminder Thind, Founder of StanceBeam

Q 4) What are some of the challenges that you face in making your vision a reality? How do you plan to overcome those challenges?

Being the young team we are, we often struggle to put our product in front of the right people at professional teams. Building credibility by showcasing successful partnerships, constructing a group of advisors who can cast a wide net, and constantly utilizing our growing network are ways that will set us up for success.

Q 5) How big of a market do you see in India, especially considering that there is a growing sports market?

Our team sees a lot of untapped potential in the Indian sports market as new teams, leagues, and sports are constantly forming in the country. Although IPL presents the largest opportunity by far, we do believe that FlashPlays can help generate a more engaged, and loyal fanbase to some of the emerging sports such as volleyball and hockey.

Q 6) What are your goals and ambitions for FlashPlays in the future? How do you plan to accomplish them?

The ultimate goal for FlashPlays is to create a digital ecosystem for fans that revolves around the sports club’s app. Not only will fans be able to foster a digital relationship with their favorite team and fellow supporters, but they will also be provided with easier access to buy tickets, merchandise, and fan experiences via a digital token on the app. The primary strategy for FlashPlays is to start out with smaller clubs who have more of an immediate need of a digital presence, and prove out success to present to larger clubs around the world.

2021-08-25 14:30

US Open to include mental health support for players

(Tennis news): US Open has become the first Grand Slam to focus on mental health services for the players on a major scale with specialised teams. USTA (United States Tennis Association) mental health initiative will include mental health providers and quiet rooms. It is headed by the Mount Sinai Health System who will have expert medical officers, sports psychiatrists and former player Mardy Fish on their team. Their team will also have Stacey Allaste who is the Chief Executive of USTA and the US Open Tournament Director and other tournament officials. The pandemic has affected the sport as well as the players, especially the mental health issues and the latest initiative will try to tackle them.

Mental health has been widely discussed on the tour since Naomi Osaka left the French Open after victory in the 1st round, she took part in the on court interview but skipped the post match news conference. It resulted in the tournament organisers giving her a warning that she could be expelled and was fined $15,000 by Roland Garros. She withdrew from the tournament before her 2nd round match and stated that she had to protect her mental wellbeing. The tournament invited a lot of criticism from players and the fans but the organisers cited article III H of the Code of Conduct. Failure to follow certain protocols or duties result in affecting the tournament as it also involves other players being treated equally. When one individual is exempted from certain duties it calls for unfair treatment on other players.

It is routine that every player should attend the post match session after a match is over, there have been many instances where players have had arguments in the past with the reporters as sometimes sensitive questions pop up and land in a controversy. It does bring news as the players discuss their plans or what difficulties they face and is a player’s duty to address them. It also brings in a lot of attraction for the tournament and revenue as it is an important aspect of the sport. A lot of sports have post match conferences including Cricket, Basketball and also Football.

Also read: Mental health taking a toll on athletes as Osaka leaves press conference in tears in Cincinnati

Mental health in the sporting field has been a recent topic as only physical injuries were the concerns earlier. It is important that both the aspects should be taken care of so that the performance and their career won't be affected. It is not the first time that an athlete has openly talked about mental health, Michael Phelps opened up about being depressed after every Olympics and how it affected him and even made him think suicide. Former England Batsmen Jonathan Trott had anxiety battles during the 2013-14 Ashes series which caused him to retire from the game. The most recent being American Gymnast Simone Biles in the Tokyo Olympics, she withdrew from several team events due to her mental health.

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat recently talked about how Indians praise overseas athletes talking about mental health but fail to acknowledge it when it happens in the country. Former Indian footballer Gouramangi Singh also talked about how mental health is currently being openly talked about and the changes taking place over the years.

While it is important to protect one’s well being, it can be done without affecting the other individual or group. The pressure on being top of their game can affect the mental health of the players, it is important that players actively seek medical attention when in need. They also face pressure in their personal life as there have been many instances where their behaviour outside the field has affected their image or the sport they play. They can produce superhuman qualities in the ground but outside they face the same battles every being comes across.

This year, there have been a lot of advancements in the field of mental health. With the US Open starting this initiative, it can bring a lot of change and will help the athletes stay healthy on tour. The challenges will be present at first but will set an example for other events and sports as it is a major event in Tennis. It attracts millions of people around the globe and can be a doorway for other Grand Slams to follow through. It is a great change to the sport and will be exciting to see the players going through with it. The final Grand Slam starts in five days with the qualifiers going on now.

2021-08-24 16:20

Opportunities aplenty for aspiring female cricketers post evolution of the game - India A all rounder Tejal Hasabnis

In a cricket crazy country like India, it was only a matter of time before the Indian women’s team began to get the recognition they deserve for their accomplishments. Cricketers such as Shafali Raj, Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma to name a few have elevated the sport to new heights and have inspired the next generation of girls to take up the bat or ball and make their dreams come true.

One such cricketer is 24 year old Tejal Hasabnis who is a talented all rounder representing the India A team. In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, she speaks about her journey so far and what motivated her to pursue cricket professionally, overcoming hardships and challenges, the most memorable moments from her career so far, spreading awareness about COVID-19 and her future goals and aspirations.

Q 1) How did you start your journey in playing cricket and what motivated you to take this sport professionally?

I have always been into sports since school and I remember playing different sports during summer vacation. All the boys in my society used to play cricket during the summer and I used to watch them from my balcony. One day I went down and asked them if I could play. They agreed and were very supportive. At that time, I did not know how to hold a bat etc. I was connecting the ball well, so after the game got over they taught me how to hold the bat and the basics. From then onwards I used to play with them during every holiday and would eagerly wait for Sundays to get the opportunity to play.

What I do remember about gully cricket is that my school exams would usually start on Monday’s which meant the Sunday before the exams was annoying because my mom wanted me to study but I wanted to play. We made a deal where I would play cricket from 10:30 am to 1 pm and after lunch, I would study without taking a nap. Back then, I didn’t know about professional cricket.

The Pune District Association organized an inter-school women’s tennis ball tournament and it was easy for me to score big runs because I was used to playing with the boys. I was selected for the district team because of that performance and attended the state camp in the same year. As I enjoyed playing cricket, I was enrolled into coaching with a proper leather ball and that’s how my journey as a professional began. Cricket has not just made me a better player but it has also made me stronger and wiser and my drive has kept me motivated.

Q 2) You can shine with a ball as well as a bat. How do you balance between both since there are very few all-rounders in the game?

Being an all-rounder is challenging as it takes a toll both physically and mentally. Maintaining a good diet and managing our skills is very important to balance both and it’s immensely satisfying to contribute more to your team and makes all the hard work worth it.

Q 3) What are some hardships/challenges you have faced in your career, how did you overcome them?

One of the most challenging things for me was to accept and adapt to the changes and uncertainties of sports such as being injured, not getting selected, having a bad patch etc. These are realities that hit you hard but it’s important to know how to pick yourself up and keep going with the same focus and a positive attitude. My close friends and family have played a very crucial role in giving me a healthy environment where I can be myself and give my best everyday. When I look back, I’m grateful for my journey and all those moments that helped me grow.

Also read: Where I am today is because of people around me: India’s 20 year old cricket star Jemimah Rodrigues

Q 4) What are some of your most memorable moments in cricket?

There are a few memories that are very close to my heart, winning the Emerging Asia Cup is one of them. I will always cherish wearing the blue Indian jersey and contributing to the team's success

Q 5) What changes do you want to see in women's cricket in India as well as in the world?

Over the years, women’s cricket has adapted and changed and it will continue to do so. It’s very different from when I started and some of the changes have been very positive and motivating. I would love to see women’s cricket getting more recognition as it will help aspiring cricketers to pursue the sport professionally.

Q 6) You have also worked with an NGO to spread awareness during COVID-19, what inspired you to do that?

When I was in school, I read a quote “I always wonder why somebody doesn’t do something about that, then I realized I was somebody.” It really hit me hard, as a society we want things to change for the better but very few of us are willing to change our habits and work for it. It motivated me and I’ve been associated with various social workers groups since a young age. Whenever I’m in Pune, I join them and participate in various activities. My parents have inspired me to do this as I’ve always seen them work hard selflessly.

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

My ultimate goal is to help the Indian women’s cricket team lift the World Cup and I have short term plans to make it a reality. I’m working on my skills, fitness, the mental and tactical aspects of my game to improve myself. I want to enjoy this process and let the outcome take care of itself.

2021-08-24 10:00

Ligament tear rules Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia out of World Championship, brings early end to his 2021 season

New Delhi, Aug 23 (Wrestling news) Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia will not compete in the upcoming wrestling World Championships after being advised a six-week rehabilitation to treat the ligament tear he suffered in his right knee in run up to the Tokyo Games.

The World Championships will be held in Oslo, Norway from October 2-10 and Bajrang will not be able to begin his mat training until the rehabilitation programme is compete.

Bajrang recently underwent an MRI scan to know the extent of the injury he suffered in Russia in June before the Olympics and consulted Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, who heads the Centre for Sports Medicine at Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.

"It's a ligament tear and I have been asked to follow a rehabilitation programme for six weeks by Dr Dinshaw. I won't be able to compete at the World Championship," Bajrang told PTI.

There is no ranking series event lined up in the remainder of the year and Bajrang said his season is over. "The Worlds was the only major championship in the calender for this year. I don't see myself competing in any other tournament this season," he added.

Bajrang had suffered the injury in the run up to the Tokyo Games when he competed at a Russian tournament -- Ali Aliyev in June.

Bajrang had forfeited his semi-finals against Abulmazhid Kudiev, who got hold of the Indian's right leg and pulled him abruptly in the first period of the bout.

The impact had an effect on Bajrang's right knee and the limping grappler immediately quit the mat but competed at the Olympics and won a bronze in 65kg category.

"Since it was my first Olympics and I had a dream to win an Olympic medal, I competed through pain in Tokyo. I had to do it." Bajrang said he was not consulting any specific physiotherapist for his rehabilitation.

"I am doing it myself in Sonepat. Dr. Dinshaw has advised a few exercises, that I am doing everyday now in gym. The mat-training time will also go into the rehab," he said.

Also read: Wrestler Ravi Malik loses bronze play-off in just 42 seconds

The 27-year-old said he wants to continue with his Georgian coach Shako Bentinidis, who has now left for his country since the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is yet to offer him a fresh contract.

The WFI will have a meeting with the wrestlers to gather feedback regarding all the foreign coaches involved with the Indian wrestlers before deciding on their fresh contracts.

While Bajrang trained with Bentinidis, Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya had a personal coach in Russia's Kamal Malikov.

Deepak Punia also had a Russian coach in Murad Gaidarov, who was expelled from Tokyo for assaulting the referee, who had officiated the bronze medal play-off that the Indian had lost to San Marino's Myles Nazim Amine.

The WFI had then terminated the services of Gaidarov.

Sources in the WFI said Ravi's coach Malikov will certainly get a fresh contract and even as the federation is still not completely satisfied with the performance of Bentinidis, it will still consider Bajrang's request if he wants to continue with him.

News source: PTI

2021-08-23 17:12

Indian para athletes primed for unprecedented medal haul in Tokyo Paralympics

Tokyo, Aug 23 (Paralympics news): The best ever Olympics just went by for India and the country looks good for its best ever Paralympics with an unprecedented 54 inspirational athletes eyeing a medal haul that might just surpass the double digit figure for the first time at the showpiece, starting here on Tuesday.

The likes of star javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia and high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu -- both 2016 Rio Paralympics gold winners -- will lead the biggest ever contingent with India expecting at least 15 medals, including five gold.

India is competing in nine sports in the Paralympics, which is being held under strict safety and health protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has led to few countries pulling out.

The expectation of unprecedented success would not be wide off the mark as at least four Indians are ranked top of the world while six are at number two and around 10 are at number three in global standings.

India has won 12 medals in total in Paralympics since it first took part in 1972 and if the projected success materialises, the country could be among the top 25 in the medal tally this time, as against 43rd in 2016 with 2 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze.

With the government loosening its purse strings for para-athletes and many of them preparing well at various Sports Authority of India facilities across the country, the Paralympians look set to add to the euphoria of sporting success following the best ever medal haul in the Olympics which ended on August 8.

India secured seven medals, including one gold and two silver medals, during the Olympics.

Jhajharia, who lost his left hand due to electrocution as a child, is going strong even at 40 and is aiming for a hat-trick of gold medals in the F-46 category after finishing on top of podium in 2004 and 2016. He is current world record holder in the event.

F-46 classification is meant for athletes who have upper limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement.

Mariyappan, who was permanent disabled at the age of five when a bus crushed his right leg below the knee, is another para athlete seeking to defend the gold he had won in 2016 in T63 high jump, though he is currently ranked world number 2.

He will also hold the country's flag during the opening ceremony on Tuesday.

World champion Sandeep Choudhary (F-64 javelin throw) is the third gold medal contender from the 24-strong para athletics team. He is world number one and world record holder also.

Other medal prospects from para-athletics are reigning world champion Sundar Singh Gurjar and Ajeet Singh (also in F-46) and Navdeep Singh (F41) -- all para-javelin throwers.

The Paralympic Committee of India is hoping to win 10 medals from para athletics.

Para-athletes are given a classification depending on the type and extent of their disability. The classification system allows athletes to compete against others with a similar level of ability.

Also read: Tokyo Games is going to be our best outing at Paralympics, say PCI chief Deepa Malik

Badminton will make its debut at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo and India have some of the brightest medal prospects.

World No. 1 and multiple-time world champion Pramod Bhagat is a top gold medal contender in men's SL3 event.

World No. 2 shuttler Krishna Nagar (SH6) and Tarun Dhillon (SL4) are other para shuttlers who are expected to do well.

The experienced Parul Parmar, a two-time former world championship gold medallist, and young Palak Kohli (SL3-SU5), whose one hand did not develop properly at birth, will carry high hopes of returning with a medal in the women's category.

India is also banking on its shooters and archers to rise to the occasion in Tokyo.

In archery, India will have Rakesh Kumar and Shyam Sundar (compound), Vivek Chikara and Harvinder Singh (recurve) and woman archer Jyoti Baliyan (compound individual /mixed event).

The other sports Indians are participating in are Para Canoeing, Para Swimming, Para Powerlifting, Para Table Tennis and Para Taekwondo.

India's campaign begins from August 25 with para table tennis players Bhavina Patel and Sonal Patel in action.

As both are not strong contenders for a podium finish, India's first medal is expected to come on Friday when para archery events begin. Once para athletics events begin on Saturday, a medal rush is expected to start.

With the Paralympics -- set to be declared open by emperor Naruhito -- being held in the backdrop of surging COVID-19 cases in Tokyo and other parts of Japan, the health and safety protocols have been strict.

Just like in the Olympics, only six officials are allowed to take part in the opening ceremony on Tuesday and five athletes, including flag bearer Mariyappan, will form the 11 member Indian group.

The other athletes are discus thrower Vinod Kumar, javelin thrower Tek Chand and powerlifters Jaideep and Sakina Khatun.

The Indian contingent will be the 17th to enter the Olympic Stadium after Iran.

In view of the surging COVID-19 cases, fans have been banned from the Paralympics, just like the preceding Olympic Games, though the organisers are still trying to allow children in some venues.

The Olympics had seen more than 11000 athletes from 205 countries (plus Olympic Refugee Team) competing in 339 events in 33 sports.

The Paralympics will feature around 4500 athletes from 163 countries but competing in 540 events in 22 sports.

The number of events are more in Paralympics as there are different classifications depending on the level of disability.

News source: PTI

2021-08-23 16:10

India’s young stars set the stage alight at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships

(Athletics news) With the World Junior Championships having concluded yesterday, India’s sporting future has never looked brighter. Having finished the Tokyo Olympics with their best ever medal haul, it looks like India’s young stars will only make it better at Paris 2024 and beyond with their impressive performances in Nairobi. Previously, the likes of Neeraj Chopra (2016) and Hima Das (2018) have used this platform to kick start their career and there is no reason why the upcoming generation cannot do the same.

Will we see more gold medals at the upcoming Olympic Games? What has changed at the grassroots for the influx of talent at India’s Under 20 level? Let’s explore the 5 athletes that we must keep an eye on based on their performances at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships.

Amit Khatri (Race Walk)

Amit Khatri won India’s 2nd medal at the World Junior Championships. He clocked a time of 42:17.94 seconds to finish behind Kenya’s Heristone Wanyoni, despite leading the race until the final two laps. The 17 year old is already a national record holder and World U20 season leader who experienced breathing difficulties due to high altitude (Nairobi is 1800 m above sea level) which affected Khatri’s performance. The youngster featured in his first international competition and should be pleased with a silver medal, despite being unable to acclimatize to the high altitude. The future is bright for Amit Khatri and he is definitely one to watch out for!

Shaili Singh (Long Jump)

Sports is an industry of fine margins and 17 year old Shaili Singh from Jhansi learned it the hard way at the World Junior Championships. She missed out on the gold medal by one centimetre but still won the silver medal in an extremely impressive display. Her journey so far has been far from easy, raised by a single parent, her mother Vinita took care of three children single handedly. Shaili Singh trains at the Anju Bobby George Foundation and her performance at the World Junior Championship has exceeded expectations despite narrowly missing out on gold to Sweden's Maja Askag who touched down at 6.60m. However, all indications point towards the emergence of India’s new young star and we cannot wait to see what she accomplishes next.

Donald Makimairaj (Triple Jump)

Triple jumper Donald Makimairaj put on an impressive show at the World Junior Championships in Nairobi. He may have missed out on a bronze medal by 0.3 centimeters, but Makimairaj finished with his personal best of 15.82 meters. The 19 year old from Tamil Nadu finished behind Sweden’s Gabriel Wallmark who won gold, Jaydon Hibbert from Jamaica and Simon Gore from France in tough, windy conditions. Donald Makimairaj definitely has the mental strength and temperament to accomplish big things at the highest level and we will follow his career with great interest.

Priya Mohan (400m dash)

A common feature amongst India’s young stars at the World Youth Championships is that they have managed to accomplish their personal best records in Nairobi. Despite Priya Mohan finishing fourth in the World Junior Championships, she accomplished her personal best with a timing of 57.22 seconds but finished behind Nigeria’s Imaobong Uko (51.55s), Poland's Kornelia Lesiewicz (51.97s), and Kenya's Sylvia Chelangat (52.23s). Earlier in the tournament, Priya Mohan won the bronze medal in the 4 x 400 meters mixed relay event and the experience she has gained at such a young age will surely do wonders in more international tournaments to come.

Nandini Agasara (100m hurdles)

The beauty about sports is that it’s a merit based industry. You’re only as good as the work you put in, irrespective of any other circumstances. Nandini Agasara, a tea seller’s daughter made her international debut at the World Junior Athletics Championship after finishing the 100 meter hurdle in 13.96 seconds, with the qualification being 14.15. It’s her sheer hard work, talent and determination that saw her progress all the way to the semifinals after clocking 14.18 seconds. The Telangana girl has everything it takes to make a name for herself in sporting history and as long as she continues working hard, there is no reason for her to not fulfill the immense potential she possesses.

Also read: Long jumper Shaili Singh misses gold by 1cm, wins silver at the U20 World Athletics Championships

2021-08-23 15:12

Tokyo Games is going to be our best outing at Paralympics, say PCI chief Deepa Malik

New Delhi, Aug 23 (Paralympic news) Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) chief Deepa Malik is expecting the country's para-athletes to create history by recording its best-ever performance at the Tokyo Games beginning Tuesday.

India will field its biggest contingent with 54 athletes set to compete in nine sports -- archery, athletics, badminton, canoeing, shooting, swimming, powerlifting, table tennis and taekwondo.

"Absolutely, my expectations have already gone beyond what I was expecting. This year, India is sending the largest-ever contingent. I am very hopeful that we are going to create history," Malik said when asked if she is expecting the best-ever display.

"It's a contingent which is three times bigger in number, we have added four more sports in the past 4-5 years of gap between 2016-21.

"Almost two years have gone in the pandemic but despite that it's a huge leap in the number of athletes qualifying," Malik said during a virtual press conference to launch a joint campaign with Coca Cola-owned homegrown beverage brand Thumbs Up.

The first woman from India to win a Paralympic medal, Malik said the statistics are looking bright for the Indian contingent.

"It is not just qualification it is also acquiring the quota on the basis of world ranking. The statistics are looking very bright, athletes have done pretty well in the selection trials and the kind of current world rankings they are holding look very promising.

"Because the number of participation and the number of sports has increased, we have top ranking athletes, that gives us a very good indication that it's going to be great Paralympics for Indian history." At the Rio Games in 2016, the Indian contingent returned with a haul of four medals, including two gold, a silver and a bronze.

Also read: Tendulkar seeks support for Paralympic Games, calls para athletes 'real life heroes'

Malik, the Rio Games silver medallist in shot put, said the athletes have adapted well to the conditions in the Games Village.

Talking about the COVID restrictions, she said "We have to submit our samples every morning for COVID testing. Before entering any place you have to give your temperature and maintain a distance. In the village there are designated lanes." Thumbs Up, which has partnered with the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, will also be unveiling a campaign that includes a series of videos and other related visuals for digital and social media to keep the audiences connected with the event and the Indian athletes participating in it.

"My journey of ability beyond disability has been that of breaking stereotypes and myths around disability. The partnership with Thumbs Up is a step forward in that direction," Malik said.

The campaign will feature six athletes including Mariyappan Thangavelu (High jump), Sakina Khatun (Powerlifting), Suyash Yadav (Swimming), Navdeep (Javelin throw), Sumit Antil (Javelin throw), and Avani Lekhara (Shooting).

Battling odds on almost daily basis, the protagonists are seen wearing the "taunts" they are subjected to on their T-shirts against the backdrop of the tagline 'TaanePalatDe'.

Arnab Roy, vice-president and head - marketing, Coca Cola India and south west Asia said, "This strategic partnership is our way of standing in solidarity and saluting the sheer grit and determination of these athletes who have come from different walks of life but showcase the same heroism against all odds and challenges."

News source: PTI

2021-08-23 14:20

Tendulkar seeks support for Paralympic Games, calls para athletes 'real life heroes'

Mumbai, Aug 23 (Paralympics): Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar has called on the country to wholeheartedly support the Indian athletes taking part in the Tokyo Paralympics and termed them "real life heroes".

The Games are starting from Tuesday.

"It is time for the Paralympics and I would like to appeal to all Indians to get behind our contingent of 54 athletes in Tokyo," Tendulkar said in a statement on Monday.

According to Tendulkar, the journey of para athletes is an "eye-opener" to common people that what one can do with passion and determination.

"I have always believed that these women and men are not athletes with special abilities. Rather, they are women and men of extraordinary ability who are all real life heroes for each one of us.

"Their journeys are an eye-opener to what women and men can do with passion, commitment and determination and serve as inspiration for every one of us," added the legendary batsman, who has numerous records to his name.

He said it was important to celebrate every athlete, who would compete at the Paralympics, irrespective of the results.

"I have always believed that if we can celebrate our Paralympic athletes in the very same manner that we celebrate our Olympic heroes and our cricketers, we can become a better society.

Also read:Medal winning performances by Indians at the Paralympic Games

"And it is not simply about the medal winners. Not every athlete among the 54 participating in the Paralympics will win a medal.

"However, it is important we celebrate them all. We need to celebrate the process and not simply the outcome. That's when real change will happen in our sport," he added.

Tendulkar also hoped that the country wins more medals this time around.

"I have been reading we might win more than 10 medals this time round. I hope we win more. In Rio, we had won four medals. If that goes up to 10 it is a significant upswing that all of us should celebrate.

"Having said that I will watch each athlete with the same interest whether they make it to the podium or not. Each of them are great role models and to see them perform for India and do it all for the tricolour is in itself a great sense of satisfaction for the country." He was also delighted to see the support the government and corporate houses have extended to para athletes.

"I have been delighted to see India embrace the Paralympics this year, the very welcome initiatives of the government and corporates working in partnership and on their own in different aspects of extending support to our sports persons are all steps in the right direction," he signed off.

News Source: PTI

2021-08-23 14:16

Shaili is more or less like me, will be happy to see her break my record: Anju Bobby George

New Delhi, Aug 23 (Athletics news): Small, frail and not even in top three -- that was Shaili Singh when Anju Bobby George first saw her but the iconic Indian long jumper still decided to mentor her as she found the youngster to be "more or less like" her with a never say die attitude.

Shaili was 13 at that time and had finished fifth in a national meet.

Now 17, she announced her arrival on the big stage by winning a silver in the under-20 world championships, missing out on a historic gold by a mere 1 cm with a 6.59m effort, though wind assisted, in the long jump final in Nairobi on Sunday.

The Jhansi-born athlete, raised by a single mother who worked as a tailor to support her, missed a chance to join the likes of Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and star quartermiler Hima Das who won gold medals in 2016 and 2018 respectively. She is nonetheless being touted as the next being thing in Indian athletics.

"When I saw her steely resolve and of course her body structure and muscle suited for long jump, I knew she would go a long way," Anju told in an interview.

"Later, I found out that she is a fast learner, always tries to improve, has a never-say-die attitude. In short, she is more or less like me," added the 44-year-old Anju, who won a bronze in the 2003 senior World Championships in Paris.

The event Anju referred to was the National Junior Championships in Vijaywada in November 2017. Shaili had taken part in the girls (age group 12-14) long jump event and finished fifth with a 4.64m effort.

But her steely demeanour and lean frame attracted the attention of Sports Authority of India (SAI) High Performance coach Robert Bobby George, Anju's husband.

Anju, the only Indian to win a World Athletics Championships medal, came down to Visakhapatnam a few days later during the National Inter-State District Junior Athletics Meet (NIDJAM) and saw Shaili's potential.

Shaili, who used to run barefoot and had blisters on her feet as her mother could not afford shoes for her, finished fifth but Anju was impressed with the girl and decided to mentor her.

"Robert told me about her (Shaili) though she finished at a lower rank (in Vijaywada). Then I myself went (to Visakhapatnam) and noticed that she would go a long way," Anju said.

Also read: Long jumper Shaili Singh misses gold by 1cm, wins silver at the U20 World Athletics Championships

She decided to bring Shaili under Robert at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru and later the youngster was included in the developmental group of Target Olympic Podium Scheme which took care of her training and other financial needs.

Sports NGO Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) also supports Shaili.
"I saw her in November 2017 and decided to bring her under me and Robert and in April 2018, she joined SAI Center in Bengaluru. It is more due to Robert's coaching ability that has turned Shaili into a future star," Anju said about her husband who had also coached her when she won the World Championships medal.

"When we brought her to Bengaluru, she was a frail and small girl. She was jumping around 4.50m that time. Now she has grown up and added more than 2m in three years." Ironically, Anju had jumped 6.59m while winning the bronze in Paris when she was 27.

Shaili won the silver in Nairobi on Sunday with the same distance of 6.59m though it will not enter record books as the wind speed of +2.2m/s was above the legal tailwind speed of 2m/s.

Shaili's legal personal best will be the 6.48m which she had jumped while winning the gold during the National (Senior) Inter-State Championships in June.

"That shows her potential. Robert set a target of 6.60m for her in the U-20 World Championships and she is just 1cm short. That too in her first international competition." Robert on Sunday said that Anju's national record of 6.83m set during the 2004 Athens Olympics will be bettered by Shaili within three years.

"She has tremendous potential and I am sure she will break it by then (in three years). I will be very happy if she breaks my record," Anju said.

"She is still learning and her techniques are yet to be perfect and that is natural for a 17-year-old. She will make improvements in her technique," added the legend, referring to Robert's comments on Sunday that slight technical issue while "landing" could have cost Shaili the gold.

Asked about Shaili's immediate future, Anju said, "She will go for gold in the next U20 World Championships and she is a medal contender in the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games next year." The gold winner at the 2018 Asian Games had jumped 6.55m and the bronze medallist managed an effort of 6.50m.

News source: PTI

2021-08-23 14:08

Sydney 2000 silver-medallist in swimming eyes triathlon glory in Tokyo Paralympics

Tokyo, Aug 23 (Paralympics news): The last time the visually impaired Jessica Tuomela took part in the Paralympics in 2008, she did so as one of Canada's top swimmers. Thirteen years later, she returns to the showpiece with a couple of degrees and ready to compete in another sport.

Blinded by retinoblastoma (a cancer of the eye) when she was only three years old, three-time Paralympian Toumela's success in the sporting arena defines courage and determination.

In the Tokyo games starting Tuesday, she will look to add to her rich legacy, this time in triathlon.

"I finished a couple of degrees, finished my masters in social work and ran a massage therapy clinic during my eight-year break.

"But I just couldn't put out the fire to train and compete," she told the Olympic Information Service ahead of the Tokyo Paralympics, starting from Tuesday.

Also read: Hoping to build on unprecedented gains made by javelin throw: Jhajharia

Tuomela, who represented Canada in swimming between 2000 and 2008, won silver in 50m in the women's freestyle at the Sydney 2000 Games, but decided to hang up her swimsuit in 2008.

Eight years later, she returned to elite sport and took up triathlon.

"The fact that these will be my fourth Games still blows my mind. You never know if you get to go (to the Paralympics) or are able to go again," Tuomela said.

"When I retired from swimming in 2008, I wasn't really satisfied with my season and results at the Paralympics. I walked away with a bad taste in my mouth and knew that wasn't the way to leave the sport." She learned to swim by the time she 12 years old. At 17, Tuomela won a silver medal at the 2000 paralympics in Sydney.

After participating in two more Paralympics, Tuomela took a long break.

"Instead of training for one sport, I thought: 'why not training for three?'. That's how I got into triathlon.

"It's been a very steep learning curve. One of the biggest challenges was learning how to balance training, eating and napping for three sports." The 38-year-old said qualifying for her fourth Paralympic Games has "been incredibly rewarding".

"When I got into triathlon, the Paralympics were never not an option," she said. "But I didn't realise how much work I had to do (to get there).

"I am glad I didn't know that, because I might have second guessed myself.

"At some point, I even asked national team coach Carolyn Murray whether the sport was something I should try to pursue competitively or recreationally. She encouraged me to keep going, so I did." Since competing in her first race in March 2017, Tuomela has won the 2018 World Para-Triathlon Series in Edmonton (Canada) and grabbed a bronze medal at the 2019 world championships, as well as topping the podium at the 2019 Paralympic test event in Tokyo.

Before winning medals, Tuomela said she had some important things to learn after switching from swimming to triathlon.

"I went from a sport where I won medals for myself, or where I lost medals for myself," she said.

"Now I entered a sport where I am tied to another human being (a guide) the entire race.

"That totally changes the dynamic of the race. It's about teamwork now.

"Competing with a guide has been one of the biggest challenges, yet one of the most amazing parts of competing in triathlon as a visually impaired athlete." In Tokyo, Tuomela is hoping to enjoy the ride, rather than thinking about winning medals.

"In swimming, I got to the point where I didn't enjoy what I was doing any more and that was a big detriment. Now, I really try to just have fun and hopefully, success follows."

News source: PTI

2021-08-23 12:10

Fourth edition of GamePlan announced by FIFS - India’s only Annual Fantasy Sports Conference

(Sports news) India’s first and only Fantasy Sports regulatory body, The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) is back with GamePlan 2021 - the fourth edition of its annual conference. The event is set to be held on August 25th, 2021 and will launch an industry report on online fantasy sports (OFS) ), ‘Online Fantasy Sports: Creating a Virtuous Cycle of Sports Development’ and will feature discussions revolving around the potential, growth and impact of the industry.

The event GamePlan 2021 will feature keynotes from Justice A N Mittal, Chairman, UP Law Commission; Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT), Government of Telangana; Deepak Bagla, MD and CEO of Invest India; and Justice (Retd.) Arjan Sikri. . The conference will host a ‘CEO Roundtable on leadership Lessons from Founders’ with Harsh Jain, Co-Founder & CEO, Dream11 & Dream Sports; Sai Srinivas, Co-Founder & CEO, MPL; Bhavin Pandya, Co-Founder & CEO, Games 24x7 and Vinit Godara, Co-Founder & CEO, MyTeam11. Besides the report launch and keynotes, there will also be 3 highly engaging panel discussions on ‘The Economic Impact of OFS in India’, ‘Fantasy Sports: Fuelling Sports Consumption and Fan Engagement’ and ‘The Evolving Legal Landscape of Fantasy Sports in India’.

Eminent dignitaries speaking at discussions include Bhavit Sheth, COO & Co-Founder, Dream11 & Dream Sports; Joy Bhattacharjya, Indian Quizzer, Orator, Writer, Sports Producer & Vice President at Baseline Ventures India Pvt. Ltd.; Nikhil Vyas, Managing Partner & CEO, ITW Mediaworx; Siddharth Chury, AVP- Global Partnerships, NBA India; Jeet Banerjee, MD, Gameplan Sports; Kishore Taid, Co-Founder & CEO, enJogo; Gopal Jain, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India and Vaibhav Kakkar, Partner, Saraf & Partners. The panel discussions will be moderated by Santosh Mathew, Founding Partner, Ninan & Mathew; Prashant Rao, Partner, TMT Consulting, Deloitte; Girish Menon, Partner, Deal Advisory and Head, Media and Entertainment, KPMG India; Rameesh Kailasam, President & CEO, IndiaTech.org and Nandan Kamath, Principal Lawyer, LawNK.

Commenting on the conference, Mr. Bimal Julka, Chairman, FIFS and FSRA, and Former CIC, Govt. of India said, “We are delighted to be back with the fourth edition of GamePlan where, together, we will deliberate on the impact and potential of the Online Fantasy Sports industry. With the right guidance and regulations, the Indian OFS industry will certainly have a far more positive impact on the Indian economy and sports ecosystem.”

Over 1500 delegates attended the 2020 edition of GamePlan, witnessing industry-related report launches and engaging panel discussions. The event included leaders from organizations such as technology platforms, financial institutions, game developers, sports, leagues, media agencies, consulting firms and legal advisory firms.

Also read: Indian medal contenders at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020

2021-08-23 10:10

Indian medal contenders at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020

(Paralympic news): India has participated in every Paralympic games since 1984, athletics has proven to be a strong field for the country with 10 medals in total. Javelin Throw has been the most successful sport with 4 medals, swimming and powerlifting have a medal each. Rio de Janeiro was the country’s most successful games with four medals which included 2 Golds, one Bronze and one Silver.

There are many medal contenders this time including previous medalists who will be looking for successive victories. India will be sending 54 athletes who will be competing in 9 sports, in the previous games the country had sent 19 athletes so there is a huge improvement this time. The prediction is we might come back with a record tally and hopefully the predictions come true.

Devendra Jhajharia (Javelin F-46)

Devendra Jhajharia will again aim for a record breaking throw as he will look to enter the record books. He is the first and only Indian para athlete to win two gold medals at the Paralympics. His first gold came in men’s Javelin Throw in 2004 Athens and the second gold was in 2016 Rio. In both the Golds he broke the world records even though there was a timespan of 12 years. His event was not included in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Paralympics but now he could become the first ever Indian athlete to win three gold medals at the Paralympics.

Mariyappan Thangavelu (High jump T-42)

Thangavelu surprised many by winning a Gold in the Rio Olympics in Men’s High Jump. He will be looking for a podium finish for the second time. He was the flag bearer in the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta. He also won the bronze medal in the 2019 World Para Athletics Championship.

Also read: Hoping to build on unprecedented gains made by javelin throw: Jhajharia

Sharad Kumar (High jump T-42)

A former world number 1, he won the Gold medal in the 2014 Para Asian Games by breaking a 12 year Asian record. He won Silver in the 2017 World Para Athletics Championship and finished 6th in the Rio Olympics. He will be looking to finish on top this time in Tokyo.

Pramod Bhagat (Badminton)

This is the first time badminton is being played at the Paralympics and Pramod Bhagat will be looking to conquer Tokyo. He has already won 4 Singles medals at the BWF Para Badminton World Championships including two Gold, one Silver and one Bronze. He is one of the top players in the world and is expected to bring home a Gold for India.

Sundar Singh Gurjar (Javelin F-46)

Sundar won the gold at the IPC World Championships in London in 2017. He also won the Gold in Javelin at the the 8th FAZAA IPC Athletics Grand Prix, he also won three Gold medals in the 9th FAZAA IPC Athletics Grand Prix but shocked everyone by finishing on top in Javelin, Shot Put and Discus Throw. He will be looking to continue his form in Javelin Throw.

Parul Parmar (Badminton)

She has won Gold in the 2015 Singles and mixed doubles and 2017 Singles and Doubles BWF Para Badminton World Championships. She will be looking to become just the second Indian woman to win a medal in the Paralympics. She will be playing in the Doubles competition

Palak Kohli (Badminton)

She won the Gold in doubles and Silver in singles at the BWF Para Badminton International 2019 held in Uganda. She also has won the Bronze in BWF Para Badminton International 2019 held in Japan. She will look to bring home a medal along with Parul Parmar.

2021-08-23 10:01

The Hundred is going to get bigger and better, feel Shane Warne and Kevin Pietersen

London, Aug 23 (Cricket news) The Hundred is going to "get bigger and better" in the coming years, feel spin legend Shane Warne and former England star Kevin Pietersen after the 100-ball-a-side competition enjoyed a successful inaugural edition.

The first edition of the innovative event concluded in front of a full house at Lord's on Saturday, leaving the cricket fraternity excited.

"I think it has gone beyond expectations," said London Spirit head coach Warne told Sky Sports.

"The cricket that has been on display, the skill on display from all the different teams at various times, has been outstanding." Oval Invincibles took the women's crown while Southern Brave triumphed in the men's competition.

"To see full houses everywhere you go, on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday night in Birmingham, Manchester, London - it has been packed and the crowds have really got into it and I think it's been fantastic! It's only going to get bigger and better with every year.

"I think it is sensational to see how it really has captured the imagination," Warne added.

The tournament was held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed back the start by a year.

The competing teams play a single innings made up of 100 balls each with a game lasting about two and a half hours. It has been conceptualised to draw a younger audience for cricket.

Pietersen, a former England skipper, is not surprised by the response the tournament received in its very first edition.

"It's so cool to see franchise cricket in the UK," he said.

"The one thing we know is that British public supports sport so well.

Also read: Sri Lankan leg-spin sensation Wanindu Hasaranga joins RCB, Katich steps down as head coach

"No matter what it is, where it is; the Tour de France started in this country a few years ago and there were packed streets watching them.

"So you knew that the big sports, a summer sport like cricket was going to be supported," Pietersen said.

The star England batsman of his time, who has also played a bit of franchise cricket, added, "To see these scenes, to see franchise cricket here and to see it so well celebrated and supported -- love it.

"My little lad, that's the audience that you want, you want the kids coming in, and he's absolutely buzzing! He's got his Southern Brave jumper on and is running around here.

"The audience is in, the guys (players) have been brilliant, giving up their time."

News source: PTI

2021-08-21 18:01

Amit Khatri's coach wants his ward to be included in TOPS, sets sights on 2024 Olympics

New Delhi, Aug 21 (Athletics news): Eyes firmly set on 2024 Olympics, race walker Amit Khatri's coach Chandan Singh has requested the government to include his ward in the Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS) after the youngster won a silver medal in the World U-20 Athletics Championships in Nairobi on Saturday. Khatri, who clocked 42 minutes 17.94 seconds, was leading till the final two laps of men's 10000m race walk in Nairobi but the host country's Heristone Wanyoni pulled ahead of the 17-year-old Indian to win the gold with a personal best time of 42:10.84s.

Chandan said Khatri, from Rohtak district in Haryana, has the potential to become a top-class race walker in the next few years and the aim is to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Also read: India's Amit Khatri wins silver in 10km race walk at World U-20 Athletics Meet

"His walking technique is very good and he is a fast learner. He can become a top race walker in the country in the next few years but he will need funds going ahead. So, I request SAI to include him in the TOPS Scheme," Chandan told PTI from Army Sports Institute in Pune where is he is working.

"The aim is to prepare him for the 2024 Olympics. But he has no sponsor, nobody to back him financially. His father works in the BSF (non officer rank) and his mother is a housewife. So, it is difficult for Amit financially." The Sports Authority of India (SAI) TOPS initiative began in 2014, where the government funds top athletes (core group) for their training and competitions. It was expanded last year to include junior athletes (developmental group) who will get Rs 25,000 out of pocket allowance per month.

"Amit's family is doing whatever they can but I know it is difficult for them. Whenever he trains in Uttarakhand, I take care of his accommodation and food," said Chandan, who belongs to Uttarakhand.

"But sometimes we have to go to Ooty (for high altitude training) and then sometimes at SAI Bengaluru, so he needs financial support. His diet is also important," said Chandan, himself a former race walker who represented the country in 2013 and 2015 world championships.

"When I first met him at NIS Patiala, he was very lean and thin but I found out that he can be groomed to become a top walker. Now he is in a better shape physically and fitness-wise." He said Khatri would be put through light training for 20km race walk in the coming months and prepare him for next year's Senior National Race Race Walk Championships which is normally held in February.

"I have to prepare him for 20km slowly and gradually. 10km event is not there in the Olympics. We will start 20km training in the next couple of months. I have to do it slowly.

"He can take part in the National Senior Race Walk event next year so that he can qualify for the 2024 Olympics."

News source: PTI

2021-08-20 17:00

How baseball cards shaped America’s sporting culture

(Sports news) Earlier this year, a 1914 Babe Ruth minor league card, the first to feature the legendary Major League Baseball star as a player, was sold for $6 million, a record breaking price for a sports collectible. The card showed a 19 year old Ruth as a minor league pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, and it’s estimated that only 10 copies of the card exist anywhere in the world.

Baseball cards have a history that dates back to over a century and started off as a marketing gimmick for tobacco companies. In the 1880’s, they would print 2.75 inch images of war heroes, athletes, actors and actresses on a cardboard print. Children would keep these cards once they were discarded by parents and start their own collections. It was not until almost fifty years later that Goudey Gum Company included baseball cards in a pack of gum to appeal to the younger generation and boy did it become a craze like no other!

In just a few decades, baseball cards were such an integral part of American sporting culture that the tables were turned and sweets were included in a pack of cards. Topps became an industry leader as cards became vibrant, with player bios and players were signed with exclusive contracts with the company. Kids who grew up in the 1950’s had plenty of spending power once they became adults in the 70’s and that’s when the baseball card prices began to boom. Soon enough, baseball card collection became less of a hobby for children and an “investment” by adults as some cards were valued at thousands of dollars.

The association between Major League Baseball (MLB) and Topps has existed since 1952 and that partnership is soon coming to an end. Fanatics, a company that makes sports apparel, is expected to get the trading card deal in 2026, leaving Topps with licensing deals with Major League Soccer, Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League and National Hockey League. Fanatics’ deal with the MBA and MLPBA is more than 10 times larger than any the union has ever agreed to and is expected to generate $2 billion by 2045.

For many fans who have collected baseball cards over the years, it’s the end of an era. Topps has played an integral role in countless childhoods and those involved with baseball card collection will hope that Fanatics will do them justice. Time will tell if this is the beginning of how baseball card collection ends for good or whether Fanatics will encourage the newer generation of sports enthusiasts in this timeless hobby.

Also read: Five cricketing rumours every 90s kid believed to be true

2021-08-20 13:31

Hoping to build on unprecedented gains made by javelin throw: Jhajharia

New Delhi, Aug 20 (Sports news): Two-time gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia is aiming to build on the unprecedented gains made by javelin throw at the upcoming Paralympic Games, following Neeraj Chopra's landmark gold at the preceding Olympics.

His gold medal with a world record in the 2004 Athens Paralympics had almost gone unnoticed but Jhajharia is happy with the hype before the Tokyo Games.

Jhajharia, first Indian Paralympian to win two gold medals at the Paralympics ( Athens 2004 and Rio 2016 ), said that Neeraj has brought much awaited respect and recognition to the game.

"When I won the gold with a world record in 2004, it almost went unnoticed as people did not know about javelin throw at that time. It was slightly better post Rio games and I got Khel Ratna and fame for the second gold.

"Now with Neeraj's historic gold , everyone is talking about javelin throw suddenly," Jhajharia, who competes in F46 events, told PTI Bhasha in an interview from Gandhinagar SAI centre.

"Now the time has come when the game has got recognition . I know that after Olympic gold , everyone would be looking at me to win third paralympic gold. There is a lot of hype and expectations this time," said the 40-year-old.

Also read: India will win at least 15 medals including 5 golds at Tokyo Paralympics: Chef-de-Mission

Jhajaria said he has passed the stage where he feels the pressure of expectations.

"I don't take pressure of expectations as I have 19 years of experience now. But I won't take the competition lightly as the Paralympics is the biggest stage and world's best para athletes would be there.

"I will try my level best to win gold with a world record," he said when asked about the expectations.

Jhajharia feels that Neeraj's gold is even more special as veterans like Johannes Vetter failed when it mattered the most.

"The Olympics are altogether a different ball game. Johannes Vetter was throwing 90m continuously before the Olympic cut but could not perform in Tokyo. On the other hand Neeraj is just 23 and see his confidence level," he said.

"Neeraj's gold medal can be a turning point for the game in India. India's first Olympic medal in track and field and that too a gold.

"He almost managed to do his best despite so much pressure of expectations. Hats off to him," he said.

Jhajharia has said kids will be inspired to take up javelin throw if Indian athletes manage to emulate Neeraj's performance in Paralympics which will take place from August 24 to September 5 .

India will be sending its largest contingent ever with 54 para athletes to compete in nine sporting disciplines.

India's previous largest-ever contingent for the Paralympics was at Rio 2016 - where 19 athletes represented the country in five sports. It ended up being India's best-ever performance at a Summer Paralympics with a total of four medals - two gold, a silver and bronze.

"I can only say that we will win more than expected medals. I think we can win around 15 to 17 medals this time. If I talk about myself, preparations have been good.

"I have lost 7 kgs and am feeling fitter. I am waiting for 30th August now to throw for gold," he added.

News source: PTI

2021-08-20 11:33

India will win at least 15 medals including 5 golds at Tokyo Paralympics: Chef-de-Mission

New Delhi, Aug 20 (Sports news): India's Chef de Mission for the Tokyo Paralympics, Gursharan Singh believes the country will produce its best ever performance this year, returning with at least 15 medals including five golds.

India will field its largest ever contingent with 54 athletes set to compete in nine sports including – Para Archery, Para Athletics, Para Badminton, Para Canoeing, Shooting Para sport, Para Swimming, Para Powerlifting, Para Table Tennis and Para Taekwondo.

"I am confident that these would be our best ever Paralympic Games. Our Para-athletes have worked very hard in the past years and shown great results in international competitions. They are raring to go for the Games," Singh, secretary general of the Paralympic Committee of India, said in a release.

"We are expecting around 15 medals including 5 golds at these Games. We have high medal hopes in Para Athletics, Para Badminton, Para Shooting and Para Archery." India has a total of 12 medals including four gold in 11 Paralympic appearances.

The first batch of the Indian team, led by PCI President Deepa Malik, have arrived in Tokyo.

Also read: Star para-javelin thrower Jhajharia says he was on verge of quitting in 2013

T Mariyappan, who is India's flag bearer at the Games, has also arrived in Tokyo and there will be a lot of expectations from the para high jumper to clinch his second Paralympic gold in Tokyo.

Mariyappan made a brilliant leap of 1.86 metres at the recent National selection trials.

"It was one of my best performances (at selection trials) since Rio 2016," said Mariyappan, who had suffered a permanent disability to his right leg in a road accident.

"I had an ankle injury in 2017 and it took some time to heal. It's been a while since I had been looking to get my old rhythm back. And I believe I have got it back now. I feel I am ready for the Games. I will aim for the gold." Apart from Mariyappan, India will have medal hopes from their Para Javelin throwers led by two-time Paralympic champion Devendra Jhajharia (F46).

Reigning world champion Sundar Singh Gurjar and Ajeet Singh (also in F46), world champion and world record holder in F64 Sandeep Chaudhary and Navdeep Singh (F41) are others who would be ones to watch out for in Para Javelin.

India is also banking on its shooters and badminton players to rise to the occasion in Tokyo.

World no. 1 and multiple-time world champion Pramod Bhagat will lead India's Para Badminton contingent with the gold medal hopes resting on him in the men's SL3 event.

Among others, World no. 2 shuttler Krishna Nagar (SH6) and Tarun Dhillon (SL4) are other para shuttlers who are expected to do well.

In archery, India will have Rakesh Kumar and Shyam Sundar (compound), Vivek Chikara and Harvinder Singh (recurve) and woman archer Jyoti Baliyan (compound individual /mixed event).

News source: PTI

2021-08-20 11:20

Small draws at Asian youth and junior boxing championship guarantees big medal haul for India

New Delhi, Aug 20 (Sports news): India were assured of a whopping 21 medals in the Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championships for men and women in Dubai after the unveiling of draws as COVID-19 related travel restrictions hampered participation in the continental showpiece.

India would be represented by a contingent of 73 -- two squads for men (junior and youth) and two squads for women (junior and youth) -- in the tournament featuring over 250 boxers.

Among the 21 in the medals rounds, nine have made the final directly.

The Indians have left in batches after technical issues with their COVID-19 test reports disrupted the original travel plans.

One batch of 23 left last night, another 25 boarded the flight to Dubai this morning, while 25 more will leave this evening.

"The 25 who are left are mainly members of the support staff and a couple of boxers who are to compete later, all the junior boxers who are scheduled to compete tonight have reached Dubai," as said by a contingent source.

Rohit Chamoli (48kg), Mohammed Usman (50kg), Nikhil (54kg) Anshul (57kg), Preet Malik (63kg), Ankush (66kg), Gaurav Saini (70kg), Naksh Beniwal (75kg), and Rishab Singh (81kg) are scheduled to compete in their opening bouts in the evening.

Also read: In the ring you face your opponent just like facing problems in life - Indian boxer Akashdeep Singh

Wins would assure them of medals in the tournament.

Women boxers were the biggest beneficiaries of the small draws and in the youth competition, five have made the finals directly to be guaranteed at least a silver, while four are in the last four-stage assuring them of a bronze.

Deepika (81kg), Khishi (75kg), Neha (54kg), Tamanna (50kg) and Nivedita Karki (48kg) are the direct finalists.

Lashu Yadav (70kg), Sneha Kumari (66kg), Preeti Dahiya (60kg), and Simran Verma (52kg) have found a place in the semifinals.

Among the youth men, Amin Singh (+92kg) and Vishal (80kg) are assured of a bronze after having made the semifinals already.

In the junior competition, Kirti (+81kg), Pranjal Yadav (75kg), Mahi Raghav (63kg) and Aanchal Saini (57kg) are the finals courtesy the small size of their draws.

The direct semifinalists are Sanjana (81kg), Rudrika (70kg), Supriya Rawat (66kg), Nikita Chand (60kg), Aarsoo (54kg), Tanu (52kg), Devika Satyajit (50kg), Vishu Rathee (48kg) and Muskan (46kg).

The event was to feature boxers from 18 countries but that number went down considerably as teams pulled out or sent smaller squads due to the travel restrictions in place owing to the pandemic.

The women's participation seemed to be the worst hit because of the late pullouts.

News source: PTI

2021-08-20 11:00

Developing a conditioning program for peak athletic performance (Part 2)

To enhance the sports performance, strength & conditioning is often included in sports and training. Sports conditioning has multiple fitness components like power, strength, speed, balance, agility, coordination, and endurance.

Developing a Conditioning Program –

1. Requirement of the sports & goal - The first step to improving fitness or sports performance through physical conditioning is to design a program with the goals and requirement of the specific sport. It is not right that every sport requires the same fitness components conditioning. The requirements of a boxer are totally different from the requirements of a swimmer.

2. Developing a conditioning Program –

a. Involving specialists to design the program – it is always beneficial that we use specialists to design the program which will help in enhancing the performance and reducing the risk of injuries. Specialists analyze/evaluate the players’ fitness level, the performance and design the training program on the basis of players requirement.

b. Cross Training Methods – In conditioning training programs, cross training methods are used. Using cross training methods will help the player/athlete to improve the overall performance. Cross training actually improve the other body parts than the regular or usual routine training which also helping in reducing the risk of overuse

3. Risk of conditioning Program

a. Acute Injuries – There are chances that athletes might get the acute or overuse injury with wrongly implemented conditioning programs. There will be muscle strains, dislocations and fractures involved in traumatic events. Treatment depends on the severity of injury. Rest, compression and applying ice are the first aid treatments.

b. Overuse injuries – If the athlete/player wants to increase the performance in a short time he/she increases the frequency, intensity or load of training rapidly, putting too much load on the particular muscle or body part will lead to an injury. Overuse injuries are like fractures, shin splints and ligaments.

4. Prevention of conditioning injuries –

a. Plan keeping end goal in mind - Coaches need to design their training programs with an end goal in mind. For instance, handball players planning to participate in friendly or invitation matches should allow enough time to properly accelerate the training to have the body ready for the main competition date. There are too much of risk to increase training intensity too rapidly to achieve the goal will increase the risk of injury

b. Adding Exercises or resistance programs for maintenance – our body also works like an engine which needs rest and maintenance. In terms of adding different exercises or resistance training programs than the routine ones. It will not only help to improve other fitness components but also reduces the repetitive pressure on the muscle or the body parts.

c. Diet, Sleep & Rest – Players must consume enough calories to meet their training requirements. They must consult with a nutritionist. Following YouTube and internet blogs will be dangerous as every person has a different requirement. Sleep and rest is required to recover from the training and increase performance the next day.

d. Consult with coach or physician – If the player is recovering from an injury, they must consult with coach, physio or doctor before getting into the training. Neglecting the injury or keeping it untreated can increase the severity of the injury.

Principles of Sports Conditioning

Sports and conditioning helps the individual to improve their movement quality and through that the performance. It is very important that we must understand the general sports training principles: overload, reversibility, progression, individualization, and specificity.

1. Individuality

As we all know that every individual have a different identity and differentiate and due to this they have unique responses to the training and these differences are as follows

Biological (Genetic)

Training age

Gender

Body size and shape

Past injuries etc.

Thus, training should be adjusted to the individuals’ differences and needs.

2. Specificity

Coaches must understand the specific requirement of sports activity as well as the individual and accordingly he can design the training program to train the specific muscle groups, the intensity of the exercise.

We need to train specifically to develop the right muscles- if our sports require a lot of endurance and explosive movements then we have to work on the lower body with strength & endurance training.

3. Overload

Some of the factors require high intensity training to develop which the body is accustomed to. This can be done by increasing the intensity, duration, or frequency of training.

Gradually increase the overload to enhance fitness without the risk of injury.

4. Progression

Overloading must be done at optimal level and within a time frame to maximise the performance. Increasing the overload too rapidly and quickly may lead to poor technique and injury. Also, very slow overloading may result in low or no improvement.

5. Rest & Recovery

Rest: the time allotted to recovery.

Recovery: The time required to recover or repair the cells of the muscles or exertion which is caused by training or competition.

6. Reversibility –

The effect of training will be lost if you stop the training for an extended period of time.

It is natural that if you don’t use it you will lose it.

Training effects are reversible.

Strength and speed are gradually lost with muscles losing their tone and size, commonly known as: Muscular Atrophy

For coaches to achieve the results in these areas, they have to incorporate rigorous training through sports conditioning.

Also read: The importance of strength and conditioning in sports for optimal performance (Part 1)

There are mental and physical benefits of a sports conditioning Program which are as follows.

Better performance

Increased self-confidence.

Increased strength and resilience

Increased technique and power

Improved mental strength

Prevent from injuries, Reduced risk of injuries and also reduced severity

Quicker and fuller recovery

Delayed fatigue

Better Strength; More Power; Faster Speeds

Written by Dr. Vaibhav Balasaheb Wagh, Ph.D in Physical Education and Former International India Handball Player.

2021-08-20 10:00

We want to help bring the next big revolution towards gaming and Esports - Dhiman Kashyap, Co-Founder & CEO, Resilience Esports

It’s no hidden secret that the Esports industry has experienced unprecedented growth, especially in the last few years. In India, the roadmap to become a professional Content Creator is unclear and it’s not yet considered a viable career option for all simply because there exists a vacuum between the creators and brands. Monetizing and finding brand partnerships is a common challenge amongst Content Creators and one of the biggest hurdles that stands in the way of a passion and a hobby transforming into a full time profession.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Mr Dhiman Kashyap, Co-Founder & CEO, Resilience Esports speaks about his vision and mission, pairing the right influencers with brands, providing programmatic campaign ideas to both brands and creators, developing a content creation structure with top international brands, current developments and long term goals.

Q 1) As Co-Founder and CEO of Resilience Esports, what is your vision and mission as both a talent management firm and a professional video games organization?

The vision of Resilience Esports as both a talent management firm and a professional video games organisation is to provide a better monetising platform for creators, allowing better visibility and accessibility for both Indian and international companies and brands, to make it a collective initiative to connect and create a better working scenario for the creators and brands and helping the next big revolution towards gaming and Esports, through marketing and advertising.

Q 2) How is Resilience Esports helping brands get engagement rates of content creators to pair the right influencers with brands?

Since most Content Creators have proper viewing audience and impressions but lack the monetary benefit and brand partnership, and Brands have the capital to invest and opportunity for partnership but need an audience, Resilience Esports acts as a connection between them, bringing them together by bridging this gap. This allows a long term potential relation between the brands and the creators provided the analysis we have and IP’s we create makes it easier for both parties to complement each other’s deliverables and work in tandem.

Q 3) How important is it to provide programmatic campaigns ideas to brands which mutually benefits both the brand and creator?

Resilience Esports provides the amenities for multi-platform streaming, advertising, brand partnerships and much more. Content Creators start streaming within the program that provides impressions and views. Brands, sponsors, advertisers can benefit from the audience views and interaction and can provide monetary/ non-monetary returns. The content creator, as well as the brands, benefit from this interaction. This ensures that centralisation of one platform allows both parties to have the feasibility to work under each other in a singular place making a lot of unnecessary evaluation easier through us.

Q 4) How has Resilience Esports partnered with top international partners to develop the content creation structure?

We are tied up with 20 International brands who are trying to establish their markets in India, or run campaigns in CPV, CPM, CTR models across different platforms for their products. We are currently partnered/working/have previously worked with brands like Razer, MSI, Lenovo, EKSA, Bluehost, Codashop, Powder, BOLT Global, Govee, Garena, etc. We are also partnered with a multi-million-dollar company SSP partner who has directly collaborated with Google Ads, App Nexus, Verizon, etc. currently providing programmatic campaigns to some biggest publishers in the world which is bringing a whole new inventory for Ad campaigns in India. As of now, we are the first organisation in India to work on a proper ad network mode that enables the advertisement as a part of the content and hereafter making the ratios higher in all platforms.

Q 5) What are some of the developments that Resilience Esports has in store for the coming months?

In the coming months, Resilience Esports is aiming for 5 Billion impressions per month from the Content Creator program and to expand the market to the Middle East, UK and US by increasing the numbers of already recruited Streamers and Content Creators from these places and on October we will be completing 6 months of the CC program. Then we will have New Campaigns for all brands with the target to achieve a minimum of 50 brand campaigns with more than 500 in-house content creators. Our Year-end goal is 10 Billion impressions with more than 1500 plus content creators on board.

Q 6) What are your long term goals and ambitions for Resilience Esports? What do you envision to be the future of esports in India?

In the near future, we are planning to bring people to India and represent this project on a global platform, thus removing the barriers of borders in Esports. Also, we are on the way to get more creators, brands, companies and enthusiastic people on board which will take the program to new heights. Thus making a lot of new IP’s and investing in projects which might change the future of Esports in India and globally.

Also read: ESPL, India’s first ever franchise based Esports league brings Infinix Mobile on board as title sponsor

2021-08-19 19:30

Went all out in Rome qualifier, was hard to re-peak in the Olympics soon after it, say Indian swimmers

New Delhi, Aug 19 (Sports news): Top Indian swimmers Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj may have had an underwhelming Tokyo Olympics but the duo feels that experience gained would help them in future events as they train their sights on a podium finish at next year's Commonwealth and Asian Games.

Prakash wrote a new chapter in the history of Indian swimming by becoming the first swimmer from the country to qualify for the Olympics by breaching the 'A' standard time at a qualifying meet in Rome on June 26. A day later, Nataraj replicated the feat to seal his berth for the Tokyo Games.

Both swimmers consistently shaved off times to achieve the elusive A mark in their respective events.

However, they couldn't repeat their performance in Tokyo, failing to qualify for the semifinals. Nataraj clocked 54.31s to finish 27th overall in 100m backstroke, while Prakash managed 1:57.22 in the 200m butterfly event to be ranked 24th among 38 swimmers.

The two weren't even able to match their personal bests, which they had clocked a few weeks earlier.

"I didn't have enough time to compete in the Olympics after Italy. We only had three weeks to start again. If I had three months it would have been better performance," said Prakash.

"I already tapered to the maximum for the qualification meet, went all out and then I had to come back again and start with the aerobic work, build it up and then reduce till the competition day. It needs at least six weeks time," Prakash added.

Tapering refers to the practice of reducing training volume while increasing rest in order to prepare one's body to achieve the best times at important meets.

"I tapered for a good two-two-and-a-half-weeks for Rome. After that I had to re-train to get my base back and that causes fatigue. I require a lot of tapering, we had only three after Rome. I didn't have time to train and re-taper," said Nataraj.

"I prepared my best, tried to return into training and re-peak within 3 weeks after Rome but it seemed quite hard,” he added.

Also read: Indian Swimmer Sajan Prakash to undergo two-week treatment for long-standing neck issue

But that's not to say that the two were satisfied with their performance, especially Nataraj. Had the Bengaluru swimmer replicated his personal best, he would have made it to the semifinals.

"It was disappointing but I remember I was so exhausted after the race that I couldn't even stand. I struggled to walk. It was just pain," Nataraj said.

It has been a tough one year for the both the swimmers, while Prakash struggled with a slipped disc, Nataraj, who trains in Bengaluru, grappled with inconsistent training periods as swimming pools were shut in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To add to the 20-year-old’s woes he also suffered an injury when he resumed training.

"Absolutely (disappointed), I was expecting to go faster but I just didn't happen. With the injury and coming back from it to qualify in such less time, it was a mess," said Prakash, who will now undergo a two-week Ayurvedic treatment for his neck issue.

Nataraj was also not happy with his training module going into the mega event.

"I wasn't coming off the best training cycle, my fitness was low. The load wasn’t as well distributed. I had to work on my capacity, base, threshold, opening and closing speed, technique, everything had to be done in a short span and also not overload because I was coming off an injury," Nataraj explained.

The Olympics taught both swimmers valuable lessons and the duo plans to use the experience at future events.

"Standing there on the block made me realise a lot of things. Getting close to the world standard with the A time and this experience will be very helpful for me in the future, moving towards the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the Worlds and maybe the next Olympics," Prakash said.

"I knew what went wrong. But more than the swim, I've learnt how to prepare myself before, after the swim, during the meet. How to work on my fitness, recovery, what I eat," Nataraj said.

"My main target now are the Commonwealth and Asian Games. Hope to get 2-3 medals at these two events," he added.

News source: PTI

2021-08-19 16:40

Extreme E in search of new superstars with the announcement of Rookie Invitational test

London (Motorsports news): Extreme E, the electric motorsport series designed to raise climate change awareness, has today announced the Rookie Invitational test as it seeks to welcome the next generation of off road racers.

The Rookie Invitational will start on Monday 25 October 2021 after the fourth round of the inaugural Extreme E season in Sardinia, Italy. Each of the nine Extreme E teams, will be allowed to test two drivers at the Rookie Invitational, one male and one female, in a bid to give more drivers the opportunity to advance in the world of professional motorsport and also join the electric racing revolution.

Each team will have the choice of the drivers it brings and those selected will join up with their respective teams for the duration of the Island X Prix in Sardinia to take part in the event. They will get to grips with the unique nature of the series and immerse themselves amongst the Extreme E paddock.

Also read: Five car final confirmed by Extreme E for Arctic X Prix

Drivers taking part in the Rookie Invitational will be given practice time in the car ahead of completing timed course laps. In between time out on the course, Extreme E will conduct a number of workshops focussed on careers in professional motorsport from drivers in the series, including 2001 Dakar Rally winner and ABT CUPRA XE driver Jutta Kleinschmidt.

Alejandro Agag, CEO and Founder of Extreme E, said: “I’m delighted to announce the Rookie Invitational at the penultimate X Prix of Season 1. It aims to offer drivers interested in competing in Extreme E the opportunity to not only get behind the wheel but immerse themselves in our unique series.

“The idea came about from various conversations with our teams that identified a gap in talent - particularly female drivers - so we wanted to organise this testing day to give more racers the opportunity to throw their hat into the ring and get behind the wheel of our all electric ODYSSEY 21. I’m looking forward to seeing which drivers the teams select, and the wealth of driving talent out there that just need that chance to show off their skills.”

Jutta Kleinschmidt, ABT CUPRA XE driver and President of the FIA Women in Motorsport Cross Country Rally Commission said: “I’m super happy that so many female drivers have the chance to race in Extreme E. The series is the only motorsport event where men and women are mixed 50/50.

“Through the series, and now the Rookie Invitational, we have the chance to discover even more female talents. It is a huge chance for all drivers dreaming of competing in Extreme E that want to prove their skills and talent. I'm very excited and looking forward to seeing a lot of applications. It is an honour to be part of the test programme and have the chance to share my knowledge from my years of experience.”

2021-08-19 16:15

India far more superior to Pakistan, Afghanistan can create upsets in T20 World Cup: Gambhir

New Delhi, Aug 19 (Cricket news) Former India opener Gautam Gambhir reckons that India will go into the T20 World Cup as a "far superior" outfit than arch-rivals Pakistan while Afghanistan led by Rashid Khan will be the team to watch out for.

India and Pakistan open their group league campaign on October 24 at the Dubai stadium.

Gambhir, who scored a memorable 75 against Pakistan in the 2007 World T20 final, said that there will be lot of pressure on India's neighbours.

"Expectations are going to be really high from Pakistan as well, and at the moment, if you see, India is far more superior to Pakistan," Gambhir told Star Sports.

Also read: ODI series against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka is on: PCB

"In a T20 format, anyone can beat anyone because it is a very individual kind of format, and we should not take any team for granted." "For example, you should not take Afghanistan for granted. People like Rashid Khan can create upsets. It's the same with Pakistan. But, yes, there will be pressure on Pakistan." He said Afghanistan's IPL players make them a competitive outfit which can certainly cause a few upsets. "I have always been a believer that if you want to talk about one team that is going to be a real underdog in this tournament, that must be Afghanistan. Additionally, they have got people like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb, and Mohd Nabi, you can't take them players lightly." The group 1 which comprises Australia, West Indies, England and South Africa is the 'Group of Death' according to Gambhir.

"That's actually the real group. You have got four teams locked in and playing what, on day one of the T20 World Cup, that's going to be a very exciting Saturday." Defending champions West Indies have always been a solid team in shortest format.

"West Indies have always been very unpredictable with the kind of firepower they've got, they can go on to win the third time as well.

"England has also got the firepower. They have probably got the most consistent white-ball team over the last couple of years – after winning the 50-over World Cup.

"Australia has literally gone off the radar, probably because a lot of main players are missing, but then again, they can be very dangerous on that particular day."

News source: PTI

2021-08-18 17:45

Mental health taking a toll on athletes as Osaka leaves press conference in tears in Cincinnati

Cincinnati (Tennis news): International athletes are known to have a hectic and tight schedule. Their fitness and diet regimes are almost impossible to follow as their standards are too high to reach. Their superhuman abilities in the end pay a price now or then in their careers. Since the French Open, Naomi Osaka has been in the news on the issue of mental health in athletes. During the French Open after a first round victory, she chose to skip the press conference. This invited criticism from the organisers as she failed to fulfill her media duties. Osaka was given a warning that she would not be allowed to compete and was fined $15,000 by Roland Garros. She withdrew from the tournament citing mental health as a reason and wanted to protect her wellbeing. In the recent Cincinnati Masters 1000, Osaka had defended her actions during the French Open and was in tears as she answered the questions, the conference had to be halted for a while and later continued as she composed herself.

Also read: Dimtrov and Berrettini notch up victories as Giorgi gets knocked out in Cincinnati

She had stated she has anxiety and faces problems during public speaking. It has brought up several debates saying that the press conferences are mandatory to all athletes and one shouldn't be treated differently. The top players are expected to handle pressure and the media questions. Mental health is important to each individual but when it interferes with the routine of the tournaments then it affects the sport. The press conferences are important as it handles important coverage of the athlete as well as covers the tournament. Physical injuries are usually handled as the player pulls out of the tournament, the same question arises in the mental health. If a person is not mentally fit that can also mean withdrawal as it would be beneficial for the organisers and the journalists as they can do their jobs smoothly.

Fame does bring a lot of emotional baggage but as their rankings and performances improve it attracts a lot of money and attraction for all the tournaments. Actions like these can affect the reputation and can bring down the money that can be earned as controversies slow down the earning of the tournament, which in turn affect many other individuals who are directly and indirectly working for the sport. At present, a world class athlete has to be careful of his/her actions as it impacts every aspect of his/her life more than their sports career. Many athletes had an unexpected halt in their careers because of their actions outside the sporting arena like it affects the sponsorship image and damages the sport’s reputation. They need to well prepared mentally to handle all this during their career as the responsibilities have increased over the years, media attention is always onto them and streamed by billions of hardcore fans over the world. Finally it is upto the athletes how to handles one's own fears and handle the consequences themselves.

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