Category Archives: Sports

Second phase of Indian men’s hockey camp to start tomorrow

Sports


New Delhi :
The men core group of Indian hockey team arrived on Saturday from Bangalore for the second phase of the Olympic qualification preparatory camp which will get underway at the National Stadium from Sunday.
The probables were joined by chief coach Michael Nobbs and exercise physiologist David Ian John who arrived in the capital after a short break in Australia.

During the course of the camp, India will play a five-test match series against South Africa which will also serve as the selection trials for the Olympic Qualification Tournament to be held at the same venue from February 18-26.

The list of 45 core probable is as under:

Goalkeepers: Bharat Chetri, PR Shreejesh, Naveen Kumar, Nanak Singh.

Defenders – Rupinder Pal Singh, VR Raghunath, Amit Rohidas, Harbir Singh, Gurjinder Singh, Sandeep Singh.

Midfielders: Gurbaj Singh, Ignace Tirkey, Manpreet Singh, Manjeet Kullu, Vikas Sharma, Birendra Lakra, Vikram Pillay, Bharat, SK Uthappa, VS Vinaya, Vikas Pillay, Belsajar Horo, Sardar Singh, Kothajit Singh, Pardeep Mor.

Forwards: Rajpal Singh, Danish Mujtaba, Sarvanjit Singh, SV Sunil, Ravi Pal, Gurvinder Singh Chandi, Roshan Minz, Yuvraj Walmiki, Mandip Antil, Chinglesana Singh Kangujam, Shivendra Singh, Arjun Halappa, Tushar Khandker, Dharamvir Singh, MB Aiyappa, Shashi Topno, Ramandeep Singh, Pradhan Somanna, Nithin Thimmaiah, Akashdeep Singh.

source: http://www.ExpressIndia.com / Story / by Agencies / posted January 07th, 2012

Three kodavas KP Appanna rule Ranji team

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports

SHIMOGA:
They are not exactly the three musketeers and may not totally go by the ‘All for one, one for all’ motto, given that their being together is not always in their hands. But, like Arthos, Porthos and Aramis, their surnames too have similar twangs, in these cases ending with the letter ‘A’.

Meet Robin Uthappa, NC Aiyappa and KP Appanna, the Karnataka Ranji Trophy team’s Kodava representatives, who have in recent times taken the shade off, albeit only to an extent, from the ever popular Kodava sport, hockey.

Mobbed by fans in the ongoing match against Uttar Pradesh in Shimoga, Uthappa, the leader of the pack, was quite emotional when quizzed on this sudden Kodava influence in the game of cricket. “It is great to be in a team with three Kodavas, and going by the crowd here (in Shimoga), and their vocal support, I can only imagine what it would be like to play a match in Coorg,” Uthappa said.

This, however, is not the first such instance. In fact, as many as four Coorgs played in a one-day game for Karnataka, this same trio being joined by Shyam Ponnappa, who is now a junior selector. “Oh, that was fun too, and I remember being quite kicked about it,” said Uthappa.

The hard-hitting batsman,who was part of the Indian World T20 winning squad back in 2007, however, insisted that this was no indication that hockey is taking a backseat, a sentiment shared by Aiyappa. “I don’t thing that’s the case. Hockey is still in Kodava blood,” said Uthappa. “The thing is Kodavas pick up things fast, more so sport. In fact, I don’t know any Kodavawho hasn’t played a sport. Perhaps the difference now is that people see cricket offering a better career comparatively and so more kids are taking to it,” he added. “Hockey is still the national sport and a lot of people in Coorg still play it. But, yes, you can see a lot more kids play cricket there these days,” said pacer Aiyappa, who made a comeback this season.

And that’s not something that’s restricted to Coorg. The Punjab cricket team that was in Bangalore last week, featured as many as seven Singhs in the squad, leading a wag to remark that perhaps the hockey team had been sent by mistake. That doubt was soon cleared up when Punjab took the first innings honours over Karnataka in the drawn game.

Cricket is certainly the dominant sport now and the presence of Uthappa, Aiyappa and Appanna is telling proof. More power to the Kodavas.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Collections / by Satish Vishwanathan, TNN

Veerendra, Sabeena sparkle

Sports

Poovamma pockets best woman athlete award

Despite their efforts, Punjabi University pocketed the overall championship with eight gold, four silver, and two bronze medals.

Veerendra edged out Arumugam Manikanda of University of Madras by a razor thin margin of 0.02 seconds to claim the men’s 200 metres title. The Alva’s College athlete clocked 22.51 seconds while the silver-medallist Arumugam timed 22.53.

Another Alva’s College athlete Sabeena rewrote the meet record in the women’s half marathon. Sabeena completed the race in one hour 14 minutes and 30.39 seconds, erasing the previous mark of 1:15:08.60 set by Navjoban Kaur of Punjabi University.

Mangalore University had more to cheer as Poovamma MR was adjudged the best women athlete of the meet while Jagadeep Singh of GNDU, Amritsar, was named the best men athlete.

Two more meet records were broken on the final day with Harvendra Singh of VBSP University, Jaunpur, (66.59 metres) in the men’s hammer throw and Suresh Kumar of Panjabi University (1::03:58.26) in the men’s half marathon going under the existing meet marks.

Results: Men: 200M: Veerendra (Mangalore University) 22.51 seconds, 1; Arumugam Manikanda (University of Madras) 22.53, 2; Niteesh Antony (Kerala University) 22.90, 3.
110M hurdles: J Surendhar (University of Madras) 14.81 seconds, 1; K Premkumar (Anna University) 14.90, 2; Pinto Mathew (Kannur University) 14.90, 3.
Triple jump: Arpinder Singh (Punjabi University) 15.72 metres, 1; Rajasekar R (University of Madras) 15.52, 2; Salahuddin SN Mohan (Bharathiar University) 14.82, 3.
Hammer throw: Harvendra Singh (VBSP University, Jaunpur) 66.59 metres, 1. New Meet Record (Old: 64.10, Chandrodaya Narayan, Chatrapathi Shahuji); Neeraj Kumar (University of Rajasthan) 59.61, 2; Sachin Kumar (HNBG University, Srinagar) 57.49, 3.
4x400M relay: Kerala University (Varghese V, Nibin M Babu, Binu Baby, Vishnu V) 3:16.97, 1; MDU Rohtak (Pardeep, Mandeep, Amit, Sandeep) 3:17.73, 2; Mangalore University (Manohar C, Ganesh, Manju M, Veerendra) 3:2102, 3.
Half marathon: Suresh Kumar (Punjabi University, Patiala) 1::03:58.26, 1. NMR (Old: 1::06.59.50, Anil Panwar, Pune University); Rattan Lal Jat (Punjabi University) 1::04:25.09, 2; Nilesh Bodhe (RTM Nagpur University) 1::04:49.51, 3.
Women: 200M: Santhini V (University of Calicut) 25.40 seconds, 1; Ammu K (Kannur University) 25.95, 2; Chhavi Sharawat (CCS University, Meerat) 26.08, 3.
100M hurdles: Raji CT (Punjabi University) 14.98 seconds, 1; Purnima Hembram (Punjabi University) 15.11, 2; Darsana MS (University of Calicut) 15.15, 3.
High jump: Jinu Maria Manuel (MG University) 1.66 metres, 1; Steny Michael (Kannur University) 1.66, 2; Sindhu KD (University Of Calicut) 1.61, 3.
Hammer throw: Shinde Soniya (University Of Pune) 48.61 metres, 1; Anita (University of Rajasthan) 47.75, 2; Sonam (VBSP University, Jaunpur) 46.87, 3.
Pole vault: Anusha KP (University Of Calicut) 3.30 metres, 1; Anoosha KK (MG University, Kottayam) 3.30, 2; Dija KC (Mangalore University) 3.30, 3.
4X400M relay: Calicut University (Ashly Joseph, Darsana M S, Arya C, Anu R) 3:46.76, 1; MG University (Sinsha K, Salini Thomas, Jomy Jose, Soniya P) 3:48.08, 2; Kannur University (Alby Mol, Anu Mariam Jose, Anu Paul, Ammu K) 3:50:00, 3.
Half marathon: Sabeena (Mangalore University) 1::14:30.39, 1. NMR (Old: 1::15.08.60, Navjoban Kaur, Punjabi University); Remeswari MV (University of Calicut) 1::15:13.44, 2; Rooma Devi (Panjabi University) 1::15:30.71, 3.
Special awards:Overall championship: Punjabi University (8 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze) 1; MG University (4g, 4s, 3b).
Team championships: Men: Punjabi University (5g, 3s, 1b) 1; Kerala University (2g, 2s, 1b). Women: Calicut University (3g, 5s, 4b) 1; Mangalore University (3g, 5s, 1b).
Individual champions: Men: Jagadeep Singh (GMDU Amritsar). Women: Poovamma MR (Mangalore University).

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> Sports / Moobidre, Dec 21, DHNS / Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

Key thing is we’re willing to work together: Mahesh Bhupathi

Sports, , ,


Rohan Bopanna (left) and Mahesh Bhupathi at Bombay Gymkhana / DNA

Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna talk to Mihir Vasavda about their new partnership and Olympic dreams

Mahesh, at the start of 2011, did you think your reunion with Leander Paes will end so soon?
At that time, none of us thought that way. We were looking forward to getting positive results and hoping for the best. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. But I feel good at the position I am in right now. Rohan (Bopanna) has been doing very well for the last couple of years. He is on this really amazing upward curve in his career. Doubles is getting competitive and we rely heavily on power. And Rohan brings a lot of power in our team. So, I am happy that we got this opportunity and hopefully, we will make the most of it.

How do you look at this new partnership?
Rohan Bopanna: It’s always a big challenge to play with a new partner. But the experience that Mahesh brings with him will mean a lot. He has been around for more than a decade. So it’s going to help me a lot.

Mahesh Bhupathi: When you start something new, there are always going to be some nerves. Fortunately for me, I have always been able to make my partnerships work and I know Rohan for a long time. I know his strengths, weaknesses. We’ve been training hard for the last few weeks and hope to get things right when the new season starts.

What’s the key to make a new partnership work?
MB: The key thing is we are willing to work together. I think that’s the biggest strength. As doubles players, we have proved ourselves individually. As long as we can work together and believe in each other’s abilities, which we do, then it’s half the battle won.

Rohan, it’s a big step because you have had plenty of success with Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi.
RB: It was a tough choice for me to make but an extremely important one. The main reason behind my decision was Olympics. I couldn’t have played (in the Olympics) with Aisam. So I had to think of something new. That’s when Mahesh and I decided to pair up and see how things go.

Was there any particular point last season when you and Leander felt the time was up?
MB: Not really. I was informed Leander doesn’t want to play with me anymore. That’s when I called Rohan.

Was the fact that you and Leander haven’t managed an Olympic medal so far taken into consideration when you decided to split again?
MB: I would like to believe so. I and Leander have represented India in four Olympics and each time we have fallen short. Something wasn’t working out, though I don’t know what. So, logically, we decided to form a new team.

Rohan, there have been reports that you had an option to partner Leander. Was it comfortable for you to be in this position where you had to choose between Leander and Mahesh?
RB: I really wish it was the case. But it wasn’t like that. There are a lot of things involved. You have to take a look at rankings and other such things. I think I can learn a lot from Mahesh. Obviously, we have to work on the rankings aspect so that we can be eligible to qualify for the Olympics but there are still around six months in our hands to get it sorted and we are really looking forward for that.

Top seeds at the Aircell Chennai Open, Paes partnering Tipsarevic…How do you look at the whole thing?
MB: For us, it’s a new partnership, so seeding really doesn’t matter. We would really like to win four matches but we will take it one match at a time. It’s a preparation for us for the Australian Open where we would like to do well. It’s always special to play in Chennai.

RB: Lifting the trophy would be the ideal beginning for us. That would bring in a lot of confidence and satisfaction.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com/ Daily News & Analysis / Home> Sport> Report / by Mihir Vasavda / Place:Mumbai / Agency:DNA / Sunday, December 25th, 2011

Bengaluru gets a Taste of Adventure

Sports, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

After Delhi and Chandigarh, it was the turn of Bengaluru to get a taste of off-road adventure through the Great Ford Endeavour Drive.
On December 17, Ford India showcased the amazing off-roading capabilities of the Endeavour to a group of customers and mediapersons at a specially laid-out track in the Garden City. The safe, yet exciting track included inclines, alternate bumps, slush, 45-degree slopes and a drift/donut area.

Jagat Nanjappa, a veteran rallyist and off-roading expert, demonstrated the Endeavour’s capabilities and shared important tips on handling an SUV on rough terrains while driving the group over the track.

Ford India recently launched the new 4×4 Hurricane. The Hurricane Limited version builds on the Endeavour’s ruggedness, safety and reliability — attributes that have won it top honors in vehicle dependability in the SUV segment from JD Power Asia Pacific three times in a row.
“The Endeavour’s Hurricane edition combines tough exterior styling and commanding road presence with extra comfort and flexibility to give the Indian consumer a comfortable, safe, reliable and robust SUV,” said Ford India’s vice president of Marketing Anurag Mehrotra.
It’s easy to see why the Endeavour is one of India’s most preferred SUVs: it offers unmatched torque, performance and fuel efficiency coupled with great comfort and safety.

source: http://www.drivingford.in / Monday, December 19th, 2011

Running barefooted, tribal youth of Vanavasi Kalyan won Bangalore International Midnight Marathon

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Vanavasi Kalyan team at Bangalore International Marathon
Bangalore:

Running barefooted, an 8 membered team of tribal youth of Vanavasi Kalyan won Runner-Up award in reputed Bangalore International Midnight Marathon, recently held in the city.

In an event where nearly 8500 athletes participated, the Vanavasi Kalyan team stood against all odds and won this prestigious Marathon, running in barefoot, has got special congratulations by the public, organisers.

Midnight International Marathon is first of its kind in the world, was organised on December 10th by Rotary Bangalore’s I.T. Corridor unit, with a motto of ‘Run for a Child’, to create awareness about Child healthcare, nutrition and Child education.

With just a delay of 90 seconds, Vanavasi Kalyan team secured second place in the Men’s 35km section of Marathon relay. The first and third prizes were bagged by teams sponsored by reputed Software Companies TESCO and HP respectively.

Vanavasi Kalyan team receiving award runner up award in Bangalore International Midnight Marathon

Hailing from the dense forest area of Titimati of Virajpet Taluk in Kodagu district, Karnataka, these youth are participating in their maiden Marathon race. Of this 8 membered team, Maada, a student of class 12 is a known sprinter. Others, Vishwanath, Harish, Papu, Raju PN, Suresh, Timmayya, Venkatesh are coolie workers having a high athletic skills.

With a spirit to imbue the confidence of these tribal talents, well known Physician Dr Rekha S Neela and her husband, businessman Srinivas R Neela, sponsored the Vanavasi Kalyan team and introduced these Vanavasi talents to an International Platform. Venkatesh Nayak, Coordinator of Vanavasi Kalyan Ashrama-Karnataka guided the team throughout.

Though the Vanavasi youth were lacking many civic facilities, never underwent any coaching or special practice for Marathon, were looking confident during the event. Being barefooted they won this event, just keeping the experience of few previous domestic athletic events. “There are many skilled youth at Vanavasi areas, if a proper care is taken, coaching is provided, talents are nurtured, they are capable bringing glory to nation by winning medals at Olympics”, says Dr Rekha.

Mr Venkatesh Nayak said “Vanavasi Kalyan has given the nation the Olympian Limba Ram in archery and Kavitha Raut in 10 Km race.”

The prize distribution ceremony was held at the premises of Hotel Royal Orchid on Saturday, December 17th, in which the audience congratulated the team with a standing ovation.

Vanavasi Kalyan team at Bangalore International Marathon


ABOUT THE MARATHON:
In 2007, The Rotary Bangalore IT Corridor, organized the 1st Bangalore Midnight Marathon. The marathon was the first of its kind in the world, being the only marathon that was run in the middle of the night. The only other similar run in the world was in Norway. This event, though being a night event, was run in full brightness, given that Norway is the country of Midnight Sun.

The Bangalore Midnight Marathon has several advantages – traffic and pollution is less at midnight, the cool temperature of the night is also conducive for running. Over the years, the organizers have innovated the run, adding fun element to make it interesting for both professional & casual runners alike. Large Display Video screens along the track, decorative lighting, live performances by rock bands & plenty of food add to the fun element of the run. It gives this Marathon a festive feel and makes it it a great experience for the runners & their supporters.

source: http://www.samvada.org / December 18th, 2011

Helping Hands. Touch of joy to less privileged

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There is always a steady stream of visitors at the Spastics Society of Karnataka. On Friday, a privileged bunch dropped in, bringing joy to the special children at the Society.

Nine members of the Indian national hockey team, accompanied by coach Michael Nobbs, medical doctor Lt Col BK Nayak and selector AB Subbaiah, delighted the excited kids, who jumped up in happiness.

“It’s brilliant if you can put a smile on the faces of these kids,” said an emotion-choked Nobbs, who initiated the visit arranged by Hemophilia Federation (India) vice-president Vikash Goyal. “Every moment of their life is a such a huge struggle. Most of these kids haven’t done anything wrong in their life, yet they have to undergo such a painful ordeal. We just spent 10 minutes in every classroom, probably less than a minute with every kid, but their joy was incomparable.

“Some of them watch TV, and could thus identify a couple of the Indian players. The next time they see us play on TV, they will be saying ‘These people came and visited us.’ Most of us are so privileged and yet we keep complaining about the smallest of worries. The players too sometimes feel they haven’t got their due. This visit will make a world of difference to their thinking.”

The group spent two hours touring the facility, interacting with several kids. It was obvious that most of the players were deeply moved by the plight of these children for whom life has been a struggle since birth.

“I am just lost for words,” said a teary-eyed Indian captain Bharat Chetri. “You really feel for the kids and for their parents. Apart from the continuous pain of watching their kid suffer, their parents also have to work doubly hard to raise them. Hats off to them,” added Chetri, easily the most popular man with the kids alongside local player VR Raghunath.

Such visits are being planned by Nobbs on a regular basis. A few days before the Champions Challenge last month, the entire team had met patients at Pune’s Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre, which houses several war veterans.

“We will be doing this regularly,” observed a humbled Nobbs. “As humans, we need to give back to the society in whatever way possible. I heard about how Vikash Goyal lost his 12-year-old son a couple of years ago to haemophilia. It is really heart-breaking. We just did our bit in the smallest manner possible.”

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Home> Sports / DHNS / Bangalore, December 16th, 2011

Hyderabad International Fashion Week kicks off

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports, Uncategorized, , ,

The first day of the Hyderabad International Fashion Week kicked-off in grand style with designer Asmita Marwa showcasing her chic, earthy collection.

Fashionistas and socialites trooped in early and snagged the seats on the front rows and patiently waited even though the show started a tad bit late. Asmita’s friend actor Siddharth made his ramp debut as her showstopper. After pulling the the ramp act off with elan, he confessed to the audiences that he was nervous about tripping over! Guests hit the lounge and bonded with each other over drinks after Asmita’s show.

The second show – Sanjana Jon’s much anticipated one – began way behind schedule. Socialites like Kavitha Reddi, Preeti Rao, Nikitha Reddy, Santa Jon, Geetu Jethwani and others even left the venue, thanks to the long delay. But once the show began, all was forgotten.

Famed playback singer KJ Yesudas’s son Vijay Yesudas kick-started the show with a soulful Hinglish track. Models and actors showcased her trendy collection. There was no dearth of star power for Sanjana’s show as she had not one, but close to 15 showstoppers! Ace shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa, actors Subbaraju, Shawar Ali, Bindu Madhavi, Harshvardhan Rane, Asmita Sood, Sonia, Rahul Haridas, Sana Khan and other tinsel town stars walked the ramp and cheered on Sanjana, who was all smiles as Vijay Yesudas crooned “Why This Kolaveri Di” on the ramp along with the designer and the showstoppers.

Spotted: CM’s wife Radhika Reddy with her daughter Niharika, Mayor Karthika Banda Reddy and Chandra Reddy, Jwala Gutta, Vasuki, Deepti Reddy, Keerthi Narshimachar and Anu, Dalem Sehgal, Rummy, Beenu Singh, Kavitha Gulecha, Mala Pasha, designer Ishita Singh, Malini Alexander, Dr Kiran Krishnamurthy and many others.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Life & Style> Fashion> Shows / by Abhishek Raja / December 17th, 2011

RCGC Cup tees off today

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The RCGC Cup amateur golf championship, sixth leg of the Indian amateur tour calendar, will tee off here on Tuesday. The four-day championship will be played over par-72, Royal Calcutta Golf Club. The meet is being organised by the Indian Golf Union.

No. 1 in India, S. Chikkarangappa, will lead a strong field of about 90 golfers from all over the country. He will look to win back-to-back titles on the amateur circuit, while Chandigarh’s Abhijit Chadha is set to provide the challenge to the Bangalore-based golfer.

Others who are likely to be in contention for the top honours are Khalin Joshi, Udayan Mane, local lad Raja Sardar, experienced Gagan Verma from Delhi and Vikram Rana.

The first 26 amateur golfers of the country, as per the IGU’s merit list, qualify automatically for this tournament; around 60 players have made the grade through a qualifier held at the Beldih & Golmuri Golf Club, Jamshedpur, last week and four are nominees of the RCGC.

The cut, for the RCGC Cup, will be applied after the first two days of play (36 holes) and the first 45 players will compete for top honours by playing another 36 holes. The tournament will be played in stroke play format

http: www://www.thehindu.com / Sports> Other Sports / by Special Correspondent / Kolkata, December 13th, 2011

Tour of Nilgiris to get tougher this year

Sports

CHENNAI, DEC 12:

Keep pedalling: Cyclists of the Tour of Nilgiris 2008 navigate a bend in Ooty. The contesters will pass a coastal city before going uphill. (File photo)

F1 motor racing and cycling may be like chalk and cheese but come December 16, there will be something common between both. Karun Chandok, one of India’s promising drivers in the F1 circuit, will be riding along with 70 other cyclists in what could be termed as “mother of all cycling tours in the country.”

“Karun (Chandok) will be riding with the cyclists on the first day of the fourth Tour of Nilgiris that will be flagged off in Bangalore,” says Sridhar Pabisetty, one of the organisers of the tours under the auspices of RiceACycle Foundation.

The event that will end at Kodanad, 46 km from Ooty or Udhagamandalam in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district, on December 23, is being sponsored by BSA.

The 70 cyclists, who will take part in the tour that will go through Wayanad, Bandipore and Mudumalai forests, include six from the US and Italy and three women. They will cover a distance of 860 km in eight days. The longest stretch of 192 km in the tour will be between Hassan and Madikeri with the cyclists scaling a higher elevation. Other areas the tour will cover are Mysore, Kannur, Sultan Bathery and Udhagamandalam.

“This is the fourth year of our cycling tour that is planned around the Nilgiris. But each year there has been some variation. We keep on modifying the tour based on road conditions, while looking for other special conditions,” says Pabisetty.

This year, the organisers have decided to make the tour a bit tough. “The tour will go to Kannur, a coastal area, before the riders go uphill,” he said.

When the tour was first introduced, it attracted 56 cyclists. The next year saw 350 people evincing interest but only 100 being picked up eventually. “Last year again, we pruned the number of cyclists to 70 because in some places, we don’t get the required accommodation. This year, too, only 70 have been selected,” says Pabisetty.

The cyclists for the tour which goes through different terrains are picked based on their background in cycling. “We look at their endurance; we see if they have done any endurance rides,” says Pabisetty.

Among the 70 cyclists will be an IPS official from Karnataka, a lieutenant colonel from the Army Service Corps in Bangalore, a lawyer and even a neuro-surgeon. There will also be a corporate participant: Srinath Rajan from MyTVS.

One of the unique features of this year’s circuit is that the organisers have introduced a GPS-based message service that will help them reach any cyclists in case of emergency.

“It is basically a button which pressed will transmit an emergency signal to a Web site. A 30-member call centre will keep tab of the site to attend to any emergency,” said Pabisetty.

It is just not an event to promote the cycle culture but also create awareness about pollution, preserving environment, mental strength and teamwork. “We encourage the cyclists to ride in groups. They can form groups with persons they are comfortable with,” says Pabisetty.

The tour will not be short on competitiveness either. There will be competitive sections at certain stretches across different stages to test the cyclists craft and grit. The top two will get a scuba-diving holiday package in the Andamans and BSA’s Montra bicycle, which is a premium product made of carbon.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Features / by M.R. Subramani /