MICA College, Mysuru, had organised a State- level Inter-Collegiate Hockey, Cricket, Basketball and Football tournaments in their campus from June 16 to 27.
Sporting teams from Kodagu, Mandya, Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Mysuru fought for the coveted MI trophies and cash prizes.
In the Hockey MI3s tournament, 29 teams participated and Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa (FMKMC) College, Madikeri, defeated St. Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bengaluru to win the trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 15,000. Runners-up were awarded a trophy and cash prize of Rs. 7,000.
In MI Crick, 32 teams participated. In the finals, SBRR Mahajana PG Centre defeated MIT Tandavapura and won a cash prize of Rs. 10,000 with a trophy. Runners-up were awarded cash prize of Rs. 5,000 and a trophy.
A total of 14 teams participated in the MI3s Basketball tournament. In Boys category SJCE, Mysuru defeated MICA Mysuru and won Rs. 10,000 cash prize and a trophy. Runners-up were awarded cash prize of Rs. 5000 and a trophy. In Girls category, NIE Mysuru defeated Sapient College, Mysuru in the finals.
In the flood light MI7s Football tournament, 32 teams participated. Sacred Heart Mangalore defeated FMKMC College, Madikeri to clinch the trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 20,000. Runners-up were awarded cash prize of Rs. 10,000 and a trophy, according to a press release from MICA Principal.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / July 10th, 2023
Vidwath Kaverappa entered the Karnataka pace bowling landscape in a rather tough period after the departure of stalwarts such as R Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and S Arvind.
It might have been tough for a 24-year-old to learn the tricks of the trade almost on his own.
But now, Vidwath has established himself as his the state team’s spearhead and a potential candidate to fill an India spot. In the previous Ranji Trophy season (2022-23) Vidwath bagged 30 wickets, and he has already picked up 14 wickets from three innings in the on-going Duleep Trophy.
The numbers give the picture of a young man who is a quick learner and a keen observer. Vidwath emphasised those aspects as his strong points.
The Karnataka right-arm pacer said he has been absorbing lessons from watching the footage of South African legend Dale Steyn and veteran India bowler Mohammed Shami.
“Since I don’t have the express pace, like Prasidh (Krishna) or Vysakh (Vijayakumar), I need to seek other ways to get purchase from the wicket. So, that’s something I’ve watched great bowlers like Dale Steyn or Mohammed Shami do,” he said.
Vidwath said he has been trying to copy the seam position of those two fine bowlers.
“I have seen a lot of moments of their bowling. So, I can see how good the seam presentation is and what the ball does, even in white ball. So, why not do it in the red ball with a prominent seam, and I know I’ll get a lot more help with it,” he said.
Vidwath has shown that trait all along, even from his junior days for Lions Institutions in Gonikoppal, Coorg, and Presidency College in Bengaluru.
Samuel Jayaraj, a KSCA coach who imparted him the first lessons, remembered watching him in Coorg eight years ago during a talent hunt drive by the state association.
Back then he was pleasantly surprised to see the spirited reaction from youngsters to the camp as Coorg is the stronghold of hockey.
“Vidwath had come as an attentive kid. He never gets tired of bowling at nets and wanted to learn as much as he could. He is a natural bowler and athlete.
“Coming from Coorg, he had that natural aptitude for sports. We just have to give him direction once I saw him during that trial. We were convinced that Vidwath would be an asset to the Karnataka team, and if everything goes well, then even at a higher level,” said Jayaraj.
It was not an empty praise as evidenced by future turn of events. In 2022, Vidwath finished as the second highest wicket-taker in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taking 18 wickets from 8 matches at an impressive economy of 6.36.
The recognition of that effort came when Punjab Kings picked him up for the IPL 2023 from the mini-auction for his base price of Rs 20 lakh.
Though he did not play a game in this edition, Kings bowling coach Charl Langeveldt is convinced of his ward’s potential
“The team combination is such that it is tough for every player to get a chance to be in the 11. In a tournament like IPL, matches come very fast and you really don’t have time to tinker with 11.
“But this kid is talented and bowls at nets with a wonderful seam (position). He, I am sure, will feature in Punjab’s scheme prominently very soon,” Langeveldt told PTI.
Vidwath knew the importance of waiting for his turn patiently after taking those bold initial steps.
“I feel like I’m learning from every game and that is important at this age for me. I knew even if I didn’t get a chance into the big team this transitional period, my time will come.”
“I’ve watched football a lot, so I know how in a great team new players come when old players leave, you need to be patient with them. So, I had to take my time and perform to the best of my abilities,” said Vidwath.
Vidwath indeed did that. He wrecked a power-packed West Zone batting unit with a seven-wicket haul. His victim list included players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw.
However, Vidwath, typical of him, did not try to wrap the performance in a magic cloak.
“I’ve always been the kind of guy who likes responsibilities, who likes to take up the heavy load and make the big moments for the team,” he said.
Perhaps, he knows bigger moments are on his way.
source: http://www.rediff.com / rediff.com / Home> Cricket / by PTI / July 14th, 2023
Indian Badminton Doubles Players, Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto have achieved their career-best rankings in BWF Rankings. In the recent update by the BWF, the duo successfully climbed up one place to reach 60th rank. This is the highest they have achieved in their entire career.
The pair recently won the Nantes International Challenge title by defeating the prolific duo of Hung En-Tzu and Lin Yu-Pei of Chinese Taipei. The event took place at the Salle Metropolitana de la Trocardaiare, Paris. Ashwini is a Commonwealth gold medallist and a world-class player with many titles under her belt.
Meanwhile, Tanisha has astoundingly proven herself. She paved her way through the domestic circuit and has shown his talent alongside experienced players. Both of them have performed exceptionally well in the recent past and are willing to stick with the winning ways.
Ashwini attained the highest-ever ranking of 10 in women’s double alongside Jwala Gutta in 2015. While Tanisha had the highest rank of 115 with Shruti Mishra. This duo has come a long way to achieve this feat in the BWF Rankings update. They display the depth in the Indian Badminton pool and the nurturing of this depth.
Other Indian Players to Gain in Recent BWF Rankings
Apart from these two, Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker moved up to 64th rank. Swetaparna Panda and Rutaparna Panda advanced to 66, while the Palak-Unnati pair moved to the 90th position. All of these Ranks were achieved in the Women’s Doubles category.
In the Men’s Single category, Kiran George moved up three places to achieve the 53rd position. While in the Men’s Doubles category, P.S.Ravikrishna and S.Sankar climbed up four places to grab the 70th ranking. The pair of Achutaditya-Venkata Harsha also made meager progress by moving to 80th place in the rankings.
These are some major updates from the BWF Rankings update in July 2023 and the players would be motivated to further progress in the same manner.
source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / SportsKeeda / Home> Badminton / by SportzConnect / edited by Yash Singh / July 05th, 2023
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Tuesday unveiled a 12-member squad for the continental quadrennial games. Doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna will once again represent India in the tennis competition at the Asian Games. On September 23, the Asian Games will get underway in Hangzhou.
The potential singles players for the team are Sasikumar Mukund and Sumit Nagal, who both competed in doubles at the 2018 Asian Games alongside Ramkumar Ramanathan. Bopanna, 43, and Ramkumar are most likely to team up. The other two members of the group, Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni , are already paired on the ATP Tour.
Ankita Raina, who won bronze in singles at the 2018 Asian Games, will serve as the team’s captain. Karman Kaur Thandi, Rututaj Bhosle, Sahaja Yamlapalli, Vaidehi Chaudhari, and Prarthane Thombare are the other active members.
The nucleus of the Indian delegation in both the men’s and women’s divisions is essentially unchanged, with Ramanathan, Nagal, and Bopanna also being part of the Jakarta Games team. Ankita, Karman, Ruturaj, and Prarthana are among the four female players that participated in the Jakarta tournament five years ago. Sahaja and Vaidehi are the two new players.
source: http://www.sportscafe.in / Sports Cafe / Home> Tennis> National> News / by Sports Cafe Desk / June 21st, 2023
After beating Asia No. 1 Satomi Watanabe in the recent World Cup in Chennai, India’s top squash player is feeling like herself again.
Competing in the relaunched Squash World Cup amid thousands of onlookers at the Express Avenue mall in her home city of Chennai, Joshna Chinappa was reminded of “what we train and live for”. In beating world No. 18 Satomi Watanabe of Japan, 12 years younger and 54 spots higher than Chinappa, after a year wrecked by health issues, the 36-year-old was also reminded of the level she was still capable of summoning.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Sports> Others / by Ruthik Mehta, Mumbai / June 23rd, 2023
Theetharamada Sinchal Kaveramma shattered the national record in the 400-metre hurdle and met the qualifying mark for the Asiad (Asian Games), during the 62nd Inter-State Athletics Championships in Odisha.
Notably, she broke the national record, crossing the finish line in a thrilling photo-finish with a time of 56.76 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 57.02 seconds. This remarkable achievement also stands as Sinchal’s personal best time. She clinched the silver medal in the 400-metre hurdles event and a bronze medal in mixed relay.
The recently concluded National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, held at the Kalinga Stadium at Bhubaneswar, Odisha, served as a selection trial for both the delayed Asian Games in Hangzhou, scheduled for September, and the upcoming World Championships in Hungary.
Numerous top-tier athletes travelled to Bhubaneswar with the aim of securing their spots in the Asian Games later this year. Sinchal is among the 65 athletes representing 27 disciplines who persevered through scorching heatwaves to meet the Asiad qualification standard.
Sinchal receives training from Bollanda Vikram Aiyappa and Pramila Aiyappa in Bengaluru. Speaking to Star of Mysore, she attributed her record-breaking performance to her coaches and family, expressing her full dedication to them.
Sinchal has already commenced her preparations for the main Asian Games, scheduled to take place from Sept. 15 in Bangkok.
Sinchal is the daughter of Theetharamada M. Ravi and Rashmi (Kuppanda), residents of Nalloor village near Ponnampet. Her grandparents are Theetharamada Mudappa and Chondamma of Nalloor, as well as Kuppanda C. Thimmaiah and Muthakki of Nalvathoklu.
Sinchal completed her primary education at Lions Primary School in Gonikoppa and attended high school at Alvas English Medium High School in Moodbidri. She pursued her pre-university course at Alvas PU College and is currently in her final year of B.Com studies at Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College in Bengaluru.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports /June 21st, 202
Indian squash players performed creditably in international, and home events.
There can be little doubt that in the last quarter of a century Indian sport has made a mark on the international stage. In various disciplines Indian sportsmen and women have won medals at World and Olympic meets and particularly in disciplines like weightlifting, boxing, wrestling, shooting, athletics and badminton Indians have earned a lot of respect worldwide.
But if there is one sport in which Indians have been making a comparatively quiet buzz it is squash. Not only have they performed creditably in international events but the country has also staged several international meets.
The most recent one was the just concluded Squash World Cup in Chennai, where eight countries participated. It was for the second time the city was hosting the event, the previous one being in 2011. Favourites Egypt won the event defeating Malaysia in the final. India made it to the semifinals before going down to Malaysia.
Zena Wooldridge, the president of the World Squash Federation (WSF) spoke highly of both the excellent infrastructure in the country and the potential of Indian squash to rise even higher. “India is such a massive attraction to any country and as such the Indian market is something that is irresistible in more ways than one’’ said Wooldridge who was in Chennai for the mega event.
Squash has come close to being an Olympic sport more than once before narrowly missing out to other disciplines but Wooldridge has not lost hope. She is confident of it being included in the 2028 Olympics, “Squash has not done anything wrong to not get the go ahead. I think we had some of the best bids and presentations.’’
In fact in keeping with the times the sport has made an important change in the points system and this was seen for the first time during the Chennai event. It featured a novel seven point best of five games format instead of the traditional eleven points posing a unique challenge for the players. In other words this abbreviated version was termed as the sport’s T-20 format but the players had no problem in adapting to it.
Think of Indian squash and the names that spring to mind immediately are Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal. The two young women along with the leading men’s player Saurav Goshal have done the most to put Indian squash on the international map. All of them have been ranked at various times in the top ten in the WSF rankings on the way, notching up victories over the leading players in the game.
All three, as well as several upcoming players, readily acknowledge that their game improved by leaps and bounds because of the Indian Squash Academy (ISA) a world class facility in Chennai that is the brainchild of N. Ramachandran former president of the Indian Olympic Association and former president of the WSF. There was a time when Mumbai was the hub of Indian squash but things changed when the ISA was set up at the turn of the new millennium.
The Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) secretary-general Cyrus Poncha is firmly of the view that Chennai is now the place for squash players, “It goes without saying that Chennai is the squash hub in India and the reason for that is the presence of the ISA in the city. The training and the tournaments we conduct and the coaches we have at the ISA ensures high standard performances by our players.’’
Ghoshal for one has trained both in England and India. “When I am in India it is in Chennai that I undergo training. The facilities at the ISA are on par with any other academy abroad,’’ he says.
A factor in the growing popularity of squash according to Poncha is that it is an indoor and all weather sport. “We have been seeing a steady growth in the number of players taking to the sport. We have a programme wherein we go to schools and bring interested students to the squash academy. We take in kids as young as ten years and train them,’’ he says.
A far-sighted approach in making the sport popular has also helped. Initially matches in the Asian and World championships were held at the ISA. But the authorities realised that for squash to become popular it had to be taken to the masses.
In keeping with this for the last few years national and international events have been held at the Express Avenue Mall in the heart of the city. The huge crowd present during the recent Squash World Cup was testimony to the sport’s growing popularity.
Even those who had come in for shopping or window-shopping had a glance at what was going on at the court in the main foyer. But there were hundreds who had come specifically to watch the proceedings. From the various floors the spectators enjoyed the fare even as they clapped and cheered for the Indian players while holding aloft the national flag.
There is little doubt that Joshna and Dipika by their exploits on the squash court have inspired a younger generation to take to the sport. Joshna was part of the Indian team that took part in the world meet while Dipika who is married to Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has twins to care off and plays the game only sporadically. Incidentally Goshal is Dipika’s brother-in-law having married her sister.
Considering squash’s status at one stage, it has been a great journey for both Joshna, now 36 and Dipika, five years younger. The ISA took stock of their talent and moulded them. They were school children when squash crept into their activity zone.
The visionary zeal of N. Ramachandran, an industrialist and an ardent squash lover ensured the establishment of the ISA that virtually shaped the careers of several young talents. It was during his tenure as the Secretary General of the SRFI that the ISA became a reality. Today it is an institution that has helped script several wonderful moments for Indian squash.
source: http://www.thecitizen.in / The Citizen / Home> Sport / by Partab Ramchand / June 21st, 2023
The Kodagu district police have begun providing rock climbing training to police personnel to conduct rescue operations more effectively during natural calamities, officials said.
Police personnel are being trained in a 120ft deep quarry.
Mysuru
The Kodagu district police have begun providing rock climbing training to police personnel to conduct rescue operations more effectively during natural calamities, officials aware of the matter said.
Thousands of people incurred loss of properties and cattle when the district witnessed landslides, incessant rainfall, in 2018 ,2019 and 2020 during the rainy season particularly in August.
During every rainy season the people living in low-lying areas live under fear. Hundreds of villagers are shifting to relatives’ houses to escape from possible calamity, officials said.
This year the Kodagu police department provided training to more than 100 police personnel to work effectively during natural calamities in rainy season. ‘’Along with police personnel we are also using civilians to assist police forces during natural calamities in rainy season,’’ Kodagu SP K Ramarajan told HT.
Now, training is being provided at stone quarry areas with depth of more than 120 feet to team of 20 civil police and 20 reserve police personnel. “During calamities the police forces can’t reach remote areas due to road blockages and heavy rains. During such situations we could use the service of local people as they know the local areas well and play vital role in rescuing people and cattle,” he said.
He said along with rock climbing the training is provided to climb up trees to police personnel. In case of floods and landslides, they have practiced how to reach the dangerous places and save the people. They have also practiced walking on wires. He assured the people that they are ready to protect them through this and would face any kind of situation. SP Ramarajan himself climbed the stone quarry to instill courage to the staff.
He said tough training is not provided to civilians but they use their services.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> India News / by Coovercolly Indresh / June 19th, 2023
The turf that was laid in 2021 remains unused and in a shambles.
The hockey turf sanctioned by Hockey India way back in 2013 which was completed in 2021 has a deserted look without a single match being played so far. Credit: DH Photo A sprinkler to water the pitch that was wrongly placed behind one of the two goal posts at the hockey arena in Somvarpet. Credit: DH Photo
Synonymous with the region’s love for hockey, the little-known Somvarpet – which translates to Somavara (in Kannada): Monday and pete meaning market – in Kodagu district has produced several Indian players over the years.
While BP Govinda (member of the bronze medal-winning Indian team at the 1972 Munich Olympics) and SV Sunil (two-time Olympian and Arjuna awardee) are the stalwarts, other Indian internationals such as Arjun Halappa, Vikram Kanth, Hariprasad, Abharan Sudev, Roy KP, BM Geeta along with many in the national camps and India A teams have helped put Somvarpet on the sports’ global stage.
Recognising its contribution to Indian hockey and the immense talent pool, it was only apt when Hockey India chose this small town in the western ghats to lay a long-pending demand for synthetic turf – much to the excitement of hockey lovers here.
Though the ‘bhoomi puje’ was done way back on March 14, 2013, work began only in 2018 while the laying of the turf was completed in 2021 at Somvarpet’s Government PU College premises. More than two years later, however, the field remains closed and unused without a single match being played so far.
Surprisingly, around two years ago, HI issued an FIH (International Hockey Federation) certification and declared the turf fit as per international standards even though half the work – undertaken by a Hyderabad-based sports infrastructure company – had remained incomplete. This came as a rude shock to many and their concerns falling on deaf ears.
While defective drainage system and unscientifically built retention walls lead to flooding during monsoon, sprinklers have been placed behind goalposts. Besides, there are no water and electricity connections which have left the turf dry in summers.
“There is weed growing around the mat and in the stands. The newly-built arena has an abandoned look,” rued Ashok HN, director of Dolphin’s Hockey Academy in Somvarpet.
“It has been 10 years and we don’t know how many more years do we have to wait to witness some hockey action here,” he added.
A total of Rs 2 crore was allocated by the DYES initially but the expenditure of the project shot up to nearly Rs 5 crore in the course of time. With the money spent going waste, the stadium with a scenic backdrop fails to paint a pretty picture.
“It is really tragic because Somvarpet is one of the main hockey beds of the State and so much money has been spent,” said AB Subbaiah, secretary of Hockey Karnataka and member of the selection committee of HI.
“The mandate is for the agency to give a minimum guarantee of seven years after the completion of work. The DYES has to hold the contractor accountable.”
When DH contacted Vismayi VT, the assistant director at DYES of Kodagu district, she assured that the turf would be functional soon.
The newly-elected MLA of Madikeri, Mantar Gowda, inspected the facility on Monday and promised to fast track the process of getting the stadium ready and operational. “Around 90% of the work is completed. The interlocking of the surface around the the turf and clearing the weed are the only tasks pending. And about the wrong placement of the sprinkler, we have requested the contractor to shift it. As soon as all this is ready, we will co-ordinate with MLA sir and our head office in Bengaluru to fix an inauguration date at the earliest,” said Vismayi.
If making the turf in Somvarpet – fourth in the district after Madikeri, Kudige and Ponnampet – functional is the immediate priority, maintaining it will be a challenge in the years to come.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Sports> Other Sports / by Hita Prakash, DHNS, Bengaluru / June 14th, 2023
The decision to cancel the exclusive selection process for Kodagu athletes for state-level teams has irked sports persons in the Kodagu district. As many as 18 students, including three girls, selected at the district-level selection process have been removed.
Kodagu district has players at the state and national level and they have also participated in the Olympics events. An exclusive selection of Kodagu students has been going on for the past 23 years in Ponnampet.
Arun Machaiah, a former MLC, accused senior officials behind the decision to cancel the selection.
A state-level sports school is being run at Kudige and the athletes to play at the state level are selected from there.
While the national-level sports persons are selected from Sai Sports Residential School, Madikeri.
Machaiah said when the selection processes for national and state-level events come together the opportunities for the athletes of Kodagu are likely to decrease.
Zilla panchayat had taken resolution for an exclusive selection of Kodagu students for state teams in Ponnampet School. It was approved by the Karnataka government in 2001.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Mysuru News / by G Rajendra / May 28th, 2023
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