Tennis – Bopanna talks about reuniting with Aisam-Ul-Huq Qureshi as well
Tennis – Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna got a close shave at the hands of Bollywood actress Chitrangada Singh. The event was part of the “Unshaven is Unbathed” movement launched by Gillette.
Meanwhile, speaking at the promo event, Bopanna talked about getting reunited with former partner and close friend Asiam-Ul-Huq Qureshi for the 2014 season on the ATP Tour.
“It is great for me to get reunited with Qureshi and I am really looking forward to continue (the partnership). It is (also) a very positive sign and we can do extremely well (in next season, beginning January).”
source: http://www.tennisworldusa.org / Tennis World / Home> Tennis Stories / by Prakash / December 18th, 2013
Ashwini Ponnappa
When it comes to doubles in Indian badminton, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa are expected to rule the roost. The pair reunited after the Indian Badminton League (IBL) and will grace the Cricket Club of India courts for the Tata Open India International Challenge on Thursday.
The only worry for Ponnappa is that they did not get enough tournaments together. “Though I am very excited to play with Jwala, we have not had enough matches to practice. We only played a couple of games (Bitburger Open, Germany),” she said. “Tata Open will provide us that opportunity. We will know where we stand and what needs to be worked on.”
The 24-year-old Ponnappa praised Gutta for the way she handled herself during the recent tough times. “Out of the two games we played after getting back, one was before what Jwala went through. But she’s a strong girl,” she said. One positive aspect was their co-ordination during the Bitburg Open. “We were actually surprised. Even without practice, we could judge our movements.We realised that the fire was still there. It felt good,” said Ponnappa.
Coach John doubts Gutta’s commitment
Coach Tom John believed that both Gutta and his ward Ponnappa need to realise that they have to get back to the top 15-20 in the world. He also questioned Gutta’s commitment. “Jwala’s commitment is an issue. She has many other talents she might want to pursue – music and films. She has to decide as you cannot do all other things and also play badminton. If Jwala is serious and gets professional training, nobody can stop her. You have to be fit and move around the court,” he said.
source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Sport> Report / by Wriddhaayan Bhattacharya / Place:Mumbai, Agency:DNA / Thursday – December 12th, 2013
India’s ace Tennis player Rohan Bopanna and wife Supriya Bopanna today celebrated their Platinum Day of Love and unveiled the season’s Platinum Love Bands – Endless Love range by C. Krishniah Chetty & Sons.
Rohan Bopanna said, “I think for me it was love at first sight, from the day we met every moment spent with Supriya, is for me, a moment I cherish.” Tennis player Rohan Bopanna and wife Supriya
Supriya Bopanna says, “Today, pledging our love on this platform takes me back to the day Rohan swept me off my feet and proposed to me. Exchanging these beautiful platinum emblems of eternal love, reinstates my faith that our relationship will grow from strength to strength and like these elegant and classic love bands will last forever.”
source: http://www.frontierindia.net/ Frontier India / Home> India> Entertainment> Fashion / by (FINN) Frontier India News Network / December 11th, 2013
Rookie Chikkarangappa S of Bangalore upstaged pre-tournament favourite Rashid Khan of Delhi in a playoff to bag his maiden professional title at the CG Open 2013 played at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club in Mumbai.
It turned out to be a day of twists and turns. Rashid Khan (64-64-66-70) maintained his overnight three-shot lead till the eighth hole as both he and Chikkarangappa (64-65-68-67) made two birdies and a bogey each on the first eight holes. The tide turned over the next five holes. Rashid dropped bogeys on the ninth, 10th and 13th as a result of a few missed putts and a poor tee shot while Chikka sank a 17-feet birdie putt on the 12th. Chikka thus went ahead by one shot on the 13th.
Chikka stayed ahead by one till the 17th after both he and Rashid made birdies on the 16th. Rashid however, came back in the contest with a birdie on the 18th thanks to a near-perfect third shot from the fairway that landed within a foot of the flag. Chikka on the other hand, missed an up and down for birdie from the bunker wall on the 18th. The two golfers, who have grown up playing against each other on the junior and amateur circuits, headed for a playoff after ending the regulation 72 holes with matching totals of 16-under-264.
The 20-year-old Chikka, who hails from the Eagleton Golf Resort near Bangalore, sealed the deal on the first playoff hole against 22-year-old Rashid, who lost a playoff at the CG Open for the second year in succession. Chikka found the rough and then the bunker during the playoff but recovered well with a 12-feet birdie putt conversion. Rashid on his part missed the birdie after a poor bunker shot.
Chikka’s winning cheque of Rs. 16,16,500 propelled him from fifth place to second position on the Rolex Rankings. Rashid Khan continues to lead the Rolex Rankings with an impressive margin of about Rs. 11 lakh.
Chikka said, “It feels great to win my first title in my first season as a professional. I’ve been in contention in at least six events this season but somehow could not deliver in the final stages. I drew a lot of experience from those tournaments and that helped me break the all-important victory barrier today.
“I performed really well with the 3-wood and the putter this week. I made a lot of fairways and dropped just five bogeys in the whole tournament. I stayed in touch with Rashid in the initial stages and capitalized with some long putts when he faltered midway through the round. The turning point was the crucial 13-feet downhill par putt that I converted on the 15th. That kept me ahead and gave me momentum. I was confident heading into the playoff despite missing an up and down from the bunker wall on the 18th.
“This win will give me a huge boost for the rest of the season. I dedicate my victory to the Late Mr. M Ashok Kumar, the former Chairman and Managing Director of Eagleton – The Golf Resort, who passed away earlier this year. He was like a father figure to me and encouraged and supported me for many years,” added Chikka.
Bangladeshi Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (67-68-66-69) secured third place at 10-under-270 after shooting a 69 in the final round.
Delhi’s Vinod Kumar was a further shot behind in fourth place while K Prabagaran of Sri Lanka claimed fifth place at seven-under-273.
They got married in 2012 and now Rohan Bopanna and Supriya are back on home ground on a break.
Away from his practice sessions in Hyderabad, Rohan is all set for his season ahead, where he is ready to team with partner Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi for the upcoming Australian Open. We caught up with the World No 3 doubles player and his pretty wife about tennis and things they like doing, when they were in the city to unveil the season’s Platinum Love bands.
PLAYING BALL
“Playing with different partners has taught us important lessons, especially as far as mutual understanding is concerned. This season, I have worked very hard on my speed on court and volley,” says Rohan. While Supriya quips in between that at times she feels he is married to his court partners, “He spends more time with them than with me,” she reveals. Rohan explains that reason his partnership with French player, Eduard Roger Vasselin at the Wimbledon didn’t do well was because they were not well-acquainted with each other. “Aisam and I have great understanding, which unfortunately, Roger and I did not have the chance to achieve,” he feels.
PLATINUM MOMENT OF LOVE
Despite being from the same community, both Rohan and Supriya faced quite a few hurdles before getting hitched. Rohan was so besotted that he even designed the engagement rock, sorry ring! “I designed it with the help of a friend in New York while I was playing the US Open. And asked her best friend who I had never met to give me her size,” he recalls.
For those who do not know, Rohan fell in love with his wife at a night club in the city and confesses that no one even had the faintest whiff of their relationship till they were married. Supriya recalls, “For me, it wasn’t love at first sight but something that grew over time.” Incidentally, everyone knew about Rohan’s intentions four months before the actual proposal. “I fell for his humility. He has never shooed away a fan,” states the loving wife, adding, “I remember once we had gone for a movie with friends and a fan asked for an autograph. As he was about to sign, I pushed the fan to ask for a picture too. Rohan went red and it was endearing to see him blush. I love putting him in the spot.”
Supriya has just finished specialising in adolescence, family and marriage psychology. She has also worked with autistic children for a year. Rohan who is eight years her senior, wanted her to finish her education before she starts touring with him. Now she will head to Australia. “He prefers NY more because of the food and the city life. He is a big foodie,” she adds. The couple’s idea of quality time and romance is not travelling to exotic locales, but instead sleeping on their own bed and eating home cooked food. “We love partying and dancing and host house parties because there is no restriction on the time, dancing and music,” expresses the psychologist.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Relationship / DC / by Zoya Philip / December 11th, 2013
Winners Team Coorg pose for group photo after winning the final against Beatrice Dubai. – Supplied photo Muscat:
Team Coorg lifted the Balan Master Memorial Trophy beating Beatrice Dubai 4-1 in the final. Organised by Beatrice Sports Club Muscat, the six-a-side hockey tournament was held at The Wave Stadium in the presence of former Indian hockey veteran S.A.S. Naqvi.
In an exciting final, Team Coorg showed their complete supremacy over Beatrice Dubai. Children’s football and family fun games were the sidelights of the final day.
Dr Mujeeb (Amana Polyclinic) delivered the keynote address. The tournament was organised in association with Team Coorg Muscat.
Former Oman national hockey coach K.K. Ponnacha and B. Kuttapa played an instrumental role in helping the Beatrice Sports Club Muscat to host the tournament with much fanfare.
During the concluding ceremony, the organisers of the tournament also honoured S.A.S. Naqvi, Mohammed Osama Rawat, K.K. Ponnacha and B. Kuttapa for their outstanding achievements in the field of sports.
Beatrice executive committee members Shahir, Dr Mujeeb, O.V. Feros, Feros. M, Said, Rasheed, Habib A.P.M and Zaheer thanked the audience for coming in large numbers to support the tournament.
Badr Shipping Company and Sixar Group were the sponsors.
source: http://www.timesofoman.com / Times of Oman / Home / by Times News Service / December 05th, 2013
A tournament at home brings with it a fair deal of expectations from the home team, and when it’s a sport that has been striving to revive its glorious past, the percentage of those expectations rises. The 10th FIH Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup has brought the same with it.
India will host the biggest global tournament in junior hockey from December 6 to 15 in New Delhi, and the hosts, led by Manpreet Singh, will at least like to repeat the podium finish junior India women achieved earlier this year by winning a bronze.
Talking to IBNLive.com Hockey India selector and former India captain Arjun Halappa concurred, saying that he sees India at least finishing on the podium, though lifting the World Cup will be a huge lift for the sport in India. File photo of Junior Indian men hockey team captain Manpreet Singh during a match against South Korea. (Hockey India)
Your expectations
We want to win the world Cup. There’s no second thought about that. But we have to take it match by match. We should not put unnecessary pressure on the boys. Of course, we all want to win and play to win, but it’s important to take one step at a time and not think too far ahead.
First match against Netherlands
It might [set the tempo]. First match is always important as it is difficult to lose and then come back in a short four-team pool. I think at least a draw is required against Netherlands. And then we should concentrate on finishing in the top two, which will get us through to the knockouts.
Manpreet as leader
He is leading well, being part of the [2012] Olympics and playing with the senior team for close to two years now. He has been with the junior team for the past 7-8 months and has led by example. But captaincy doesn’t matter much in hockey as, like other team games, the result depends on the whole unit. But yes, Manpreet has done very well.
Rising Stars
If you ask me, there are a lot of guys who have made a name for themselves. But for me, it’s always about 18 guys. A player may have a good day and a bad day, but it’s always about the team. We always talk about the goal-scorer but forget who created that goal. There are many players [in this squad] who can leave an impact. Manpreet played the [2012] Olympics and there are others like Mandeep [Singh] who have already played quite a few international games. So it’s a very good squad overall.
Home Support
It’s great to play such a big tournament on home soil. It brings a little bit of pressure; but in front of home fans, the guys will get motivated to go all the way.
Where do you realistically see India on December 15?
I see them on the podium, which is a minimum. Of course, we would love to win the World Cup, but a podium finish is a bare minimum. India have got a fair chance to get into the final playing at home. But I will come back to the earlier point I made. We should look at one game at a time and finish in the top two in our pool. That will get us to the quarter-finals, which should be the first objective.
source: http://www.ibnlive.in.com / IBN Live / Home> IBN Live> Sports> Hockey / by Jaspreet Sahni, IBN Live Sport / December 03rd, 2013
Rookie Chikkarangappa S of Bangalore upstaged pre-tournament favourite Rashid Khan of Delhi in a playoff to bag his maiden professional title at the CG Open 2013 played at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club in Mumbai.
It turned out to be a day of twists and turns. Rashid Khan (64-64-66-70) maintained his overnight three-shot lead till the eighth hole as both he and Chikkarangappa (64-65-68-67) made two birdies and a bogey each on the first eight holes. The tide turned over the next five holes. Rashid dropped bogeys on the ninth, 10th and 13th as a result of a few missed putts and a poor tee shot while Chikka sank a 17-feet birdie putt on the 12th. Chikka thus went ahead by one shot on the 13th.
Chikka stayed ahead by one till the 17th after both he and Rashid made birdies on the 16th. Rashid however, came back in the contest with a birdie on the 18th thanks to a near-perfect third shot from the fairway that landed within a foot of the flag. Chikka on the other hand, missed an up and down for birdie from the bunker wall on the 18th. The two golfers, who have grown up playing against each other on the junior and amateur circuits, headed for a playoff after ending the regulation 72 holes with matching totals of 16-under-264.
The 20-year-old Chikka, who hails from the Eagleton Golf Resort near Bangalore, sealed the deal on the first playoff hole against 22-year-old Rashid, who lost a playoff at the CG Open for the second year in succession. Chikka found the rough and then the bunker during the playoff but recovered well with a 12-feet birdie putt conversion. Rashid on his part missed the birdie after a poor bunker shot.
Chikka’s winning cheque of Rs. 16,16,500 propelled him from fifth place to second position on the Rolex Rankings. Rashid Khan continues to lead the Rolex Rankings with an impressive margin of about Rs. 11 lakh.
Chikka said, “It feels great to win my first title in my first season as a professional. I’ve been in contention in at least six events this season but somehow could not deliver in the final stages. I drew a lot of experience from those tournaments and that helped me break the all-important victory barrier today.
“I performed really well with the 3-wood and the putter this week. I made a lot of fairways and dropped just five bogeys in the whole tournament. I stayed in touch with Rashid in the initial stages and capitalized with some long putts when he faltered midway through the round. The turning point was the crucial 13-feet downhill par putt that I converted on the 15th. That kept me ahead and gave me momentum. I was confident heading into the playoff despite missing an up and down from the bunker wall on the 18th.
“This win will give me a huge boost for the rest of the season. I dedicate my victory to the Late Mr. M Ashok Kumar, the former Chairman and Managing Director of Eagleton – The Golf Resort, who passed away earlier this year. He was like a father figure to me and encouraged and supported me for many years,” added Chikka.
Bangladeshi Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (67-68-66-69) secured third place at 10-under-270 after shooting a 69 in the final round.
Delhi’s Vinod Kumar was a further shot behind in fourth place while K Prabagaran of Sri Lanka claimed fifth place at seven-under-273.
source: http://www.indiansportsnews.com / Indian Sports News / Home> Golf / Tuesday – December 03rd, 2013
Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa – two of India’s top squash players – said that the country needs to organise more tournaments, have more venues and improve the training facilities to produce fresh players.
“India needs more venues, better infrastructure and spectatorship. The international venues are fantastic. It gives you a feeling of being a rockstar as you are watched by so many people. The New York and Manchester courts pump up my adrenaline,” said Ghosal.
He felt the difference when he went to England to train with Malcolm Willstrop in 2005. “There are more players to train with in England. The support staff and physiotherapists are far advanced than in India,” he added.
Chinappa, India’s No. 2 woman player, seconded Ghosal and said that the need of the hour was a structured programme in India. “Having good courts won’t serve the purpose. India needs a system in place. Saurav, Dipika (Pallikal) and I did not have any system,” she said.
Chinappa asserted how she had to struggle to get sponsors. “Squash is an expensive sport and one cannot make money out of it unless he or she is in the top 10. There should be more tournaments and players from all categories should be supported,” she added.
The duo recently won the NSCI Squash Open in Mumbai and along with Pallikal will begin their campaign in the Hong Kong Open starting on December 3.
source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Sport> Report / by Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya / Place:Mumbai, Agency:DNA / Tuesday – December 04th, 2013
Rohan Bopanna (left) and Somdev Devvarman at the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy on Monday. / Photo: V. V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu
Rohan Bopanna and Somdev Devvarman trained at the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy (SMTA) on Monday with the objective of putting up a better showing in 2014.
“Yes, having entered a Grand Slam final once, I know what it takes to be there. So, it is a question of taking more steps to realise my dream of winning one,” said Bopanna before his long training session as part of the 10-day camp organised by the Indian Tennis Players Association, under the supervision of American coach Scott McCain.
“It is obvious that the sport is getting tougher every year and you have to raise the bar constantly to be in the elite group, and so we are here for off-season training. I have had eight different partners in the recent past, and the focus has been on constantly improving.”
“I have decided to re-combine with Pakistan’s Aisam Qureshi for next year. Having grown together on the circuit from the Challengers, ITFs and ATP events, we know each other’s game pretty well and hope to improve our record,” said Bopanna, who reached the US Open men’s doubles final with Qureshi in 2010.
“We also complement each other very well. We know our strengths and weaknesses and can sort out many issues quickly — on and off the court. It is not ideal to keep changing doubles partners if you want to stay at the top,” he pointed out.
“It is great to be here at this wonderful academy which has all the facilities. I love the quiet ambience here,” he said.
“Most tournaments are now held on synthetic surfaces, though I love to play on grass. But having decided to completely focus on doubles now, my aim is to work hard, believe in myself and keep improving,” Bopanna signed off.
Oozing confidence
Meanwhile, Devvarman — back after a break because of surgery — is also oozing confidence ahead of the Chennai Open this month.
“It was quite tough to overcome the break. Hopefully, 2014 will be much better for me if I do the right things at the right time.
It is great to be here with the other leading Indian men’s players,” he said.
“Right now, I am completely fit and eager to improve my ranking.
“The motivation is always there and my target right now is to keep working hard, beat the tough guys and come closer to my career-best ranking of World No. 62,” he concluded.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Tennis / by V.V. Suhrahmanyam / Hyderabad – December 03rd, 2013
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