Category Archives: World Opinion

Cut-Outs Of Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar Jr. Stand Tall In Kodagu Villages

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Excitement building among fans at Gaddehalla and Kadanga as FIFA Qatar World Cup begins today

Kushalnagar:

With the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup beginning today, the world is set again after a gap of four years to witness the biggest and the most celebrated football festival and the game fever has reached every nook and corner of the globe. The FIFA World Cup will kick off in Qatar tonight (9.30 pm) with 32 teams battling for the highest honour in the month-long international football.

While the football mania has taken the neighbouring Kerala by storm where the game is close to the hearts of the people with hundreds of clubs at small and remote villages, the hill station of Kodagu too is gaining attention with a group of football lovers from remote village of Gaddehalla erecting huge cut-outs of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr. in the village, attracting attention.

The cut-outs of seven-time Ballon d’Or winner (annual football award presented by French news magazine France Football since 1956) Messi from Argentina, Portuguese legend Ronaldo and Brazil star Neymar Jr. have been erected at Gandhi Circle at Gaddehalla. While Neymar’s cut-out is 15-ft, Ronaldo’s cut-out stands tall with 30-ft in height and Messi’s cut-out too stands tall with a height of 35 to 40 feet.

Cut-out at Kadanga too

Soon after youths of Gaddehalla near Suntikoppa erected the cut-outs of their idols, youths of Kadanga, another village in Kodagu erected a 30-ft cut-out of Ronaldo near the Kadanga Bus Stand Circle. Meanwhile, the Messi Fans Association in the village too are giving a final shape to the cut-out of Lionel Messi and it will be up when the World Cup begins. One more cut-out of Messi has been set up at Suntikoppa town.

Neymar Jr. will be playing in his third World Cup and Brazil is considered one of the favourites to win the tournament. This is his best chance to come out of the shadows of his two superstar peers — Messi and Ronaldo.

“We, the members of CR7 Fans, decided to erect the cut-outs of the three legends due to the attention they are receiving. Moreover, there has been so much talk about Messi and Ronaldo who are likely playing in the World Cup for the last time. Their memories will be cherished for a long time and it is our way of honouring them,” Zayid Abbas of Amity United Football Club and a die-hard fan of Ronaldo told Star of Mysore.

R-Day Tournament

Amity United Football Club was established seven years back and the club has 40 members between the age group of 15 to 35. “We are one among the 23 registered Football Clubs in Kodagu and apart from playing regularly in our own village and in the district against other clubs, we also travel to Kerala for tournaments,” he added.

Of the seven years, the club members just played tournaments for two years and in the last five years, they have been organising tournaments for Republic Day. “In 2023, we are organising a three-day tournament on Jan. 24, 25 and 26 and it will be floodlit football. We are aiming big and we are working out plans,” Zayid Abbas said.

Players of Amity United Football Club, Gaddehalla in Kodagu. The Club has 40 members.

60 trophies to their credit

Players from Amity United Football Club have won over 60 trophies in matches held at various places. “Unfortunately, we have received no encouragement either from the Government Sports Department, District Administration or the Sports Authority. We do not even have a proper ground to play. In fact, there is no football ground for that matter in Kodagu,” he regretted.

“Kodagu has over 23 registered Football Clubs and in each club, there will be a couple of good players and we can easily have more than 100 best players who can compete in State or National level Tournaments. The best among the best can represent India internationally. It is stifling and painful to see the neglect. The focus seems to be only on cricket while other sports are brushed aside,” he added.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News Top Stories / November 20th, 2022

True-blue Kodava : Saluting The Cariappas

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An invitation from Air Marshall K C Cariappa to join him and his wife Meena for dinner at his home was the highlight of my trip to Coorg.

There is something about the Air Force  men that arouse feelings of awe, and this strapping man was even more special. Not only because he was the son of Field Marshall K M Cariappa, but a hero who was once captured as a prisoner of war (Indo-Pak, Sept ’65) My colleagues and I left Mahindra Resort, where we were staying, in good time to be able to reach Roshanara, the ancestral home of the Cariappas in Madikeri. The appointed hour was “10 minutes past eight”.

Driving in the daytime in the Madekeri hills is tricky enough with endless stretches of narrow tree-lined roads, so you can imagine how it was at night. The dark seemed darker and we got quite lost on the hilly roads. Trying to find someone on the lonely path, to ask for directions, was a task in vain. , , , .

We were feeling pretty rotten because you just don’t keep people like the Cariappas waiting. Punctuality is the norm with them.

When we did reach our destination, gracious as he is, the Air Marshall was more concerned about our predicament rather than the fact that we messed up with his idea of  “an early dinner”. Brushing aside our apologies, he immediately put us at ease by introducing himself simply as Nanda and insisting we address him so. “Let´s get the drinks out of the way,” he said, “who is drinking, what?” he enquired, rubbing his hands.

The drinks order taken and quickly executed, he returned with a tray in hand and was leading us out the back door and into the back yard where chairs and tables were set, along with a two-seater metal swing under a fabric canopy, painted by his grandchildren.

“So! What brings you to Coorg, my Coorg?” he asked, eyes twinkling. I told him about the magazine and the popular UpperCrust Destination section that our readers look forward to, where we now planned to feature Coorg. But I didn’t tell him just then that I was hoping to include them too and that in my handbag I had a ´verrry´ serious camera.

Instead, I asked him when did he retire and how does it feel. “Oh, it’s been marvellous,” he said. “I retired on Jan 31, 1996 and drove down straight from Jodhpur, where I had given up charge. I reached Coorg on Feb 6 and have been here ever since. I hate leaving Coorg and do so only when I really have to. It’s strange, but just before you retire, you dread it, and now it’s been 15 years and I don’t know where they have gone!”

By and by as one conversation led to another, each of us felt more and more comfortable with the warmth that Meena and Nanda exuded. The night was chilly and we were sitting out in the open, under the stars which were shinning brilliantly in the clear skies. Pointing towards the sloping land and in the direction of the dark shadows, Nanda nonchalantly informed us that there could be wild animals right there. Brrr…

Roshanara is a house with character. Not a showcase kind of a house, but one which tells a tale. Where each artifact has a story to tell, a reason to be there.

I don’t normally ask for a tour of a house I am visiting, that too for the first time, but this one I was curious about.

“Chalo,” said Nanda Cariappa, when I asked if I could prowl around. And actually accompanied me. The anteroom was so rustic. Sports jackets and long coats, mufflers hanging on hooks, walking shoes and boots in another corner, hats, one with a feather stuck to it an a stand… not the kind of things we city people often see in homes. The large living room with a fire place “that works brilliantly and has never ever given us any problems” led to another sunken sitting room, painted a soft blue. The chandeliers, with delicate glass work were obviously antique, but then the house itself qualifies as heritage being 160-years old. “It’s been in our family since 1944. We have some nice drawings and water colours done by the different residents, it is a remarkable house. When Father bought it, it came with some 50-odd acres, but now after bequeathing some to my sister and other people, also the municipality, it´s down to 33, but it´s much more than enough,” said Nanda.

When I asked to be shown Field Marshall Cariappa’s favourite room I saw it was a modest room, opening to the garden and had many picture frames in it.

Again, each with a story. But one was extra special. An original black and white photograph of the Himalayan range with Mount Everest Massif with signatures of members of the first expedition, including those of Edward Hillary, Tenzing Norway and Capt John Hunt. It was then and with some trepidation that I checked if I could click some photographs. Nanda Cariappa looked at me, paused for just a moment and then said a quiet, ‘yes’ and I got to work as inconspicuously as possible. I respect people like Nanda who though fiercely private will not make a fuss about it. It was in that instant that I was reminded of another photo shoot, the very first cover story of this magazine, in 1999.

Co-incidentally it was  with Air Marshall Idris Latif and Begum Bilkis Latif in their house in Hyderabad. Publicity shy as they were too, they could not refuse a request from Behram and I. Latif´s only plea was could we eat without interruption the Hyderabadi food which his wife had lovingly cooked. And could I shoot pictures of them and their guests, after we had eaten lunch?

Keeping that memory in mind, I put my camera away after taking just two pictures at the dining table. Some things we have to save in the memory chip of our mind’s eye.

Dinner was typical Coorg fare. Meena is a good cook. Used to entertaining, she had set a good table and at such short notice. But she was apologetic. And invited us to come again when she would do better. Naw…

After dinner, with GJ (Gulab Jamun) nestling in the Air Marshall´s arms and Tojo at his feet, we again sat talking and discussing everything under the sun (moon, actually), like old friends. Life in Coorg, life after retirement, food, wine, music, travel, religions of the world.

Both Meena and Nanda love the quiet life in Coorg. They are happy to spend time by themselves and few close friends. Nanda enjoys his golf, and sometimes goes angling. He used to ride, but has now got himself a mountain bike, which he loves to ride. He likes wearing the traditional Coorg kupiya when he goes for weddings.

At home, at night they both love to listen to Indian Classical Music. Nanda writes a fair amount for journals on subjects like Wild Life, Environment and International Relations. He had in fact spent four months in the U.S. in 2001 writing a paper on ‘Confidence Building Measures’, between India and Pakistan, a collaborative exercise with a fellow Air Marshall from Pakistan. The paper, due to the many unfortunate events (read terror activities) that took place around and since that time, got shelved. A pity.

For the present, Nanda Cariappa finds solace in trekking. Which he says he discovered only after retiring. Every year he goes into the Himalayas for two weeks of intensive walking and climbing. The next one in August is already planned right down to the last detail.

Lastly, I learned that Nanda is pretty fascinated by two other religions, Islam and Sikhism. He reads the Quran in the ´Roman English´ version  and its translation in English, going to the local mosque for clarifications from the maulvi, if he does not understand something.

He even recommended a book he was currently reading; Foundation of Islam, The Making of a World Faith by Benjamin Walker. He is so influenced by Islam, his speech is peppered by Insha’allah and Masha’allah.

Come to think of it, when we were leaving, he had said, Khuda Hafiz.

Well, Khuda Hafiz dear Nanda, phir milenge, Insha’allah.

source: http://www.uppercrustindia.com / Upper Crust / Home> True Blood Kodava / July-Sept 2015

Bags Medical Design Excellence Award

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Madikeri:

Palandira Vichal Muthanna has won the Medical Design Excellence Award-2019 with her team. The team stood third in national-level competition “BMEidea-2019” where teams across the United States with new innovative medical technologies participated.

The award ceremony was held at Jacob K. Javits Convention Centre, New York, on June 11.  During her research at the University of Michigan, Vichal and her team developed a new device called ‘KalEYEdoscope’ to track the progression of a condition called ‘Age-related Macular Degeneration’

Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the world and currently there is no device in the market to help track its progression on a regular basis. The award was in recognition of their work in the development of this innovative, simple and novel medical device and in support to further develop the same.

Palandira Vichal is an M.Tech in Bio-Medical Signal Processing and Instrumentation from BMS Engineering College in Bengaluru. Earlier, she had invented a device to monitor the vitals of both mother and child during labour. The device invented by Vichal not only monitored the vital parameters of both mother and child, but also raised an alarm in case of any fluctuations so that the doctors and medical staff can rush to the patient’s rescue.

Vichal completed her early education in St. Joseph’s Girls High School, Madikeri and higher secondary education at Vidyaniketan PU College, Gonikoppal. She did her engineering from Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering in Mysuru and M. Tech from BMS College of Engineering in 2015.

Vichal is the daughter of Palandira Jaya Muthanna and Mithuna Dechamma (daughter of Mukkatira Doremani Ponnappa) of Murnad in Kodagu district and grand-daughter of Karnataka Rajyotsava Awardee late Palandira Devaiah.

In her academics, Vichal was the co-ordinator for the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) for 4 years from 2009-2013. She was the Branch Association (IMPULSE) Co-ordinator for two years in Vidyavardhaka from 2011-2013. She won the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award -2006 from Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) – Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI) for her project ‘Device for Intrapartum MaternoFetal Care.’

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / June 21st, 2019

Will never forget the reception in India after winning 1975 World Cup, says BP Govinda

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Will never forget the reception in India after winning 1975 World Cup, says BP Govinda - Hockey India

BP Govinda is very impressed by the Indian Men’s Hockey Team’s attacking unit. 

New Delhi :

With less than 100 days to go for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar-Rourkela 2023, the anticipation to witness the world’s best hockey players at one of the world’s most preferred hockey destinations – Odisha, is only increasing by each passing day. While the Indian team carries out their preparations to end the medal drought in the prestigious event, it’s time for the hockey fans to relive the memories from India’s historic World Cup campaigns through Hockey India’s Flashback Series – World Cup Special.  

Through these Series of articles leading up to the marquee event in Odisha, Hockey India will bring you thoughts, anecdotes and trivia from Indian Hockey Legends who ruled the world with their wizardry and panache.  

Winner of the Silver Medal in the 1973 World Cup held in Amsterdam in Netherlands, and the Gold Medal in the 1975 World Cup held at Kuala Lumpur, the legendary BP Govinda recalls his memories from the years gone by.  

One of the most crucial cogs in the system for the Indian Men’s Hockey Team in the 1973 and 1975 World Cups, it was BP Govinda who ensured a berth in the Final at Amsterdam with the winner against Pakistan in the Semi-Final. The former forward terms that semi-final as one the best games in what was a decorated career.  

“The Semi-Final against Pakistan is one of the best matches of my life. We won that game by one goal, and I scored the winner. I reverse flicked the ball and the keeper didn’t know where the ball was going and it went and hit the roof of the net. It was regarded widely as one of the best goals, by my teammates and the media,” he recalled.  

“People used to love watching India and Pakistan in hockey when we were playing, we had full stadiums.”   

Unmissable on the field of play due to his stylish long hair, Govinda said that the Indian Men’s Hockey Team believed that playing as a unit would always yield results. “Our team always had the thought process where we believed, no matter how strong the other team is, if we play as a team, we can achieve anything. Whether it was a practice match or tournament, I always played to win.”  

Speaking about his camaraderie with the Captain of the 1973 team, MP Ganesh, the former forward said, “As a Captain, he was very straightforward and he would ask the players to play according to the plan. He wouldn’t scold any one, but he would tell everyone to go all out for the win, all the games. He used to guide all the players.”  

Turning his attention to the glorious 1975 World Cup campaign in Kuala Lumpur, Govinda, who was considered to be among the fastest players at the time, recalled the love the team received from the fans.  

“We outclassed Pakistan in the Final and the stadium was full with plenty of fans. When we came back to India, people told us that commentators made them feel like they were in the stadium and not listening in another part of the world.”  

“I remember landing in New Delhi, and the fans were there with drums and they carried all of us. I don’t know where we finally went and landed, but it was definitely well outside the airport. It was a reception that I will never forget. I remember coming out of the aircraft and then the fans took over, we hadn’t got a chance to get our baggage either.”  

‘Indian Men’s Hockey Team Will Not be Easy to Beat’ 

A former national selector himself, Govinda is quite impressed with the Indian Men’s Hockey Team and noted that they would not make an easy opposition at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. India have been drawn in Group D along with Wales, Spain and England.  

“I think the current Indian Men’s Hockey Team is quite fit. And I think our forward line is playing well and I think the strikers have also improved a lot. It was nice to see the team scoring more field goals.”  

“In the upcoming FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, I think the Indian Men’s Hockey Team is not an easy one to beat. They will give a good fight to each and every top team who are taking part in the World Cup,” he signed off. 

Link to video of BP Govinda taking us down memory lane – 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkfUOq2gcup/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link 

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia/status/1588059595045380096?s=20&t=8tOG46MQ8X2zdVBp_y0N8w 

Facebook: https://fb.watch/gz7Sd3N-Zq/

source: http://www.hockeyindia.org / Hockey India / Home / November 03rd, 2022

Indian Naval Prowess On Display At ‘Sunny Side’

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  • Vice Admiral adds new Navy attractions to Gen. K.S. Thimayya Museum at Madikeri
  • Modules of INS Shivalik, Sindhughosh Class submarine and AK230 Navy gun mount

Madikeri:

The INS Shivalik (F47) ship module was declared open for public viewing at ‘Sunny Side,’ General Kodandera S. Thimayya’s house in Madikeri that has been converted into a Museum and a War Memorial.

The 24-feet model, along with a Russian-made AK230 Navy gun mount (anti-aircraft gun) and a module of Sindhughosh Class submarine had arrived at the museum two weeks ago and they were dedicated by Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command yesterday. He was accompanied by his wife Roopa Dasgupta.

The modules were brought to Madikeri from Visakhapatnam Naval Base. INS Shivalik is designed to escape detection by normal radars and surveillance equipment and is one of the formidable stealth frigates in naval prowess. Apart from India, only the US, Russia, UK, France, Sweden, Japan, Italy and China have the capability to build stealth warships of this size and class.

Impressed by the museum and also the culture of Armed Forces in Kodagu, Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta said that the district has emerged as an inspiration to thousands of youth to join the Defence Forces. He said that it was an honour for him to inaugurate critical exhibits at the museum.

On the INS Shivalik, he said that the frigate was built in India and is one among the many warships built by India. “Shivalik was built at Mazagaon Dock. India has four public sector Defence shipyards — Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (Mumbai), Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (Kolkata), Goa Shipyard Limited (Goa) and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (Visakhapatnam). The Cochin Shipyard is also capable of making warships and INS Virat was built there,” he said.

Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum Convener Major (Retd.) Biddanda Nanda Nanjappa (extreme left), Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command and his wife Roopa Dasgupta, Forum President retired Colonel Kandrathanda C. Subbaiah, Rear Admiral Iychettira B. Uthaiah and Madikeri Tahsildar Mahesh at the helipad in Madikeri when the guests arrived

‘Aatma Nirbhar’ Bharat

“The first indigenous warship was built by the Indian Navy in the 1960s where the concept of ‘Aatma Nirbhar’ Bharat was diligently followed. In the future, the Navy has plans to build  41 warships in the Indian Shipyards and 39 will be fully indigenous. Moreover these are the most advanced machines that have a formidable fire power that can shatter any other powerful ships of any country,” he said.

Giving a patient ear to the office-bearers of the Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum that played a pivotal role in converting the rickety house of the celebrated General that once housed the RTO office into a swanky museum, Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta said that the dedication of the Forum, the respect shown by the people of Kodagu to the Armed Forces and also the dedication towards preserving heritage were commendable and inspirational.

Picture shows the dignitaries inside the ‘Sunny Side’ Museum.

AK230 Navy gun mount

On the AK230 Navy gun mount, he said that it has been designed to engage air and surface targets, such as anti-ship missiles, aircraft, helicopters, other types of air strike weapons, as well as small-size surface ships. It can fire 2,000 bullets from its barrel in one minute. The Navy still uses such guns and also the advanced ones, he added.

He appreciated Rear Admiral Iychettira B. Uthaiah for his efforts in bringing in the Navy equipment to the museum. The module of the Sindhughosh Class submarine was unfurled by Rear Admiral Uthaiah who handed it over to Major General (Retd.) Kuppanda Nanjappa of the Forum.  

CDS late Gen. Bipin Rawat remembered

Forum President retired    Colonel Kandrathanda C. Subbaiah narrated the story of establishing the museum and recalled the contribution of late Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat, late Lieutenant General Biddanda C. Nanda and former Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag. A minute’s silence was observed in honour of Bipin Rawat, his wife and other officers and soldiers who were killed in the recent chopper crash at Coonoor.

Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Dr. B.C. Satish presented a ‘thook bolcha’ (traditional Kodava lamp) to Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta and his wife while Lieutenant General Pattacheruvanda Thimmaiah presented ‘Odikathi’ (traditional sword of Kodavas) to Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta and also to Rear Admiral Uthaiah.

Before dedicating the Navy war machine modules, the dignitaries paid respects to the Amar Jawan War Memorial. They later went around the museum and were impressed by the collection

Forum Convener Major (Retd.) Biddanda Nanda Nanjappa, officer from Visakhapatnam Naval Base Nishanth B. Badoria, Kannada and Culture Department Director Darshana, SP Kshama Mishra, Sainik School Principal Col. G. Kannan, Vice-Principal Lt. Col. Seemanth Tripati, Squadron Leader R.K. Dey, students of the school and a large number of uniformed retired soldiers were present on the occasion.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 14th, 2021

Arun Machaiah At Commonwealth Karate Championship

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Mysore/Mysuru: 

C.S. Arun Machaiah, former MLC, Hon. President of Mysore Karate Association, senior Vice-President of Karate India Organisation and President of Akhila Karnataka Sports Karate Association, is representing Team India at the 10th Commonwealth Karate Championship being held at Birmingham in London (UK) from today (Sept. 7).

The 70-member Indian Team of Karatekas, led by Arun Machaiah, left for London last Sunday. A total of 70 countries are expected to take part in the Championship.

Arun Machaiah has represented India in various International Karate Championships across the globe and has brought laurels to the country.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / September 07th, 2022

Tennis: Rohan Bopanna finishes runner-up in European Open men’s doubles

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The second-seeded men’s doubles pair of Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop finished as the runners-up at the European Open.

Rohan Bopanna(right) and Matwe Middelkoop / @Twitter

The second-seeded men’s doubles pair of Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop, on Sunday, finished as the runners-up at the ATP 250 European Open. The Indo-Dutch pair went down 6-3, 3-6, 5-10 to the all Dutch pair of Tallon Grieskspoor and Botic van de Zandschulp in the a hard-fought final.

Bopanna and Middelkoop started well as they broke right in the second game of the first set. The Indo-Dutch pair then cruised to win the first set 6-3, but Grieskspoor and Zandschulp were too hot to handle for the remainder of the contests.

During the duration of the match, Bopanna and Middelkoop hit nine aces and converted 3 out of their 4 break points. They had earlier reached the final with a hard fought 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 10-7 win over Sander Arends and David Pel in the semifinal.

Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop had combined to lift the men’s doubles title at Tel Aviv Open earlier this month.

source: http://www.thebridge.in / The Bridge / Home> Tennis / by The Bridge Desk / October 24th, 2022

Women’s badminton in India still has a long way to go: Ashwini Ponnappa

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The ace shuttler opens up on her career, India’s position in badminton and Red Bull Shuttle Up

Ashwini Ponnappa has regularly been one of India’s highest-ranked women’s doubles players over the last decade Red Bull Shuttle Up

For more than a decade, Ashwini Ponnappa has been the gold standard when it comes to women’s doubles in Indian badminton. Whether as one half of a record-breaking pair with Jwala Gutta or later on with N. Sikki Reddy, Ashwini has endured as a beacon of consistency in a format that often gets overshadowed by the superstar culture around singles players.

In the midst of the fourth edition of Red Bull Shuttle Up, India’s first-ever exclusive women’s doubles badminton competition, Ashwini, who is also the face of the tournament, spoke to My Kolkata about her career, the disparity between men’s and women’s badminton in India, how Red Bull’s initiative is making a difference in women’s doubles and more. Edited excerpts from the conversation follow.

My Kolkata: When did you realise that you wanted to take up badminton professionally and what made you opt for doubles?

Ashwini Ponnappa: I got into badminton because of my parents. I was too young to make a decision myself, so my parents were the ones who helped me get into the sport. Ever since I started playing badminton as a kid, I haven’t played any other sport seriously. Growing up, I had a coach who was very strict and firm about the basics of the game. When I won my first national title in the sub-junior girls’ doubles category, I realised that I really want to take up badminton professionally. Once again, my parents’ support was crucial in making that decision. As for why doubles over singles, I’ve always done better in doubles and won more titles there. So, it was quite a simple choice for me.

Doubles is much faster and requires more smashing and forearm strength as well as better reflexes

Ashwini initially trained as a singles player for several years before switching to doubles
Red Bull Shuttle Up

What are the most challenging aspects of playing doubles and how should one prepare separately for those challenges?

When I started playing doubles, most of us, especially the women, were singles players. We hardly had a specialised focus on doubles in India. Even when I trained at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, all the kids wanted to be singles players. Apart from Jwala (Gutta) and Shruti (Kurien), there were no other established female doubles players to look up to either. It was only in the junior category competitions that I was first part of doubles camps. Switching from singles training to doubles was quite difficult, as doubles is much faster and requires a lot more smashing and forearm strength as well as better reflexes. When you have two people on court on the same side, it’s not just about yourself. There’s a lot of coordination that goes into it, which is the most challenging aspect. You could be a great player by yourself, but if you can’t coordinate, you won’t succeed in doubles.

Jwala and I had a natural understanding of what the other person would do on court

Ashwini and Jwala Gutta are widely regarded as the best women’s doubles pair in Indian badminton history / BAI

What did you enjoy most about teaming up with Jwala Gutta for so many tournaments? What do you think set the two of you apart?

When I started playing with Jwala, I was a junior with little to no experience and she was already an established senior. She took a chance by deciding to play with me and I managed to rise to the occasion. Being able to match up to her standards was important and I’m glad I could do that. What made our partnership special and successful was the fact that our styles matched a lot, so we had a natural understanding of what the other person would do on court. We didn’t communicate a lot when we were playing, but managed to sync quite easily. At that point, we were also quite close off the court and she was extremely supportive, which made our team even more formidable.

Ashwini and Jwala with their gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
BAI

Was winning the gold medal at home in the 2010 Commonwealth Games (with Jwala) the proudest moment of your career or would you prefer your bronze medal at the BWF World Championships (also with Jwala) in 2011? Or something else altogether?

I’ll have to go with both, the Commonwealth medal as well as the World Championships one. Nobody had achieved either feat before. But more than anything else, what makes these two achievements among my favourites is that I had a great time while I played those tournaments. Often people go through a lot and sacrifice a lot to win, but don’t enjoy the process. I was lucky in that I had a blast while having my proudest moments on court.

The system at the 2012 Olympics was flawed

Do you have any regrets from your career so far, especially in relation to the Olympic Games?

The 2012 Olympics would definitely remain a regret. Given what happened (Japan had shockingly lost to Chinese Taipei in what was seen by many to be a deliberate defeat or an instance of “throwing a match” to secure an easier opponent in the next round, which, incidentally, also led to India’s elimination), it was disheartening, because we had played very well. Looking back, I think the system was flawed, they shouldn’t have let players know who was going to play whom in the next rounds. A month before the next Olympics in 2016, I had had a horrible bout of dengue. As a result, I wasn’t able to smash as hard and that had an impact on the result, which was also quite disappointing.

Red Bull Shuttle Up is trying to make badminton more inclusive

Ashwini has been pushing for greater focus on women’s doubles as the face of Red Bull Shuttle Up /Reb Bull Shuttle Up

Coming to Red Bull Shuttle Up, Simran Sanghi (a previous winner of the tournament) said that it’s “the perfect example of empowered brands empowering women… proving that women are the real matadors of society”. What do you make of Red Bull Shuttle Up and how it has been making a difference to women’s doubles?

The most important thing about Red Bull Shuttle Up is that it gives women’s doubles players an opportunity and a platform that belongs solely to them. This is really important because in India we have leagues that don’t even have the women’s doubles format, which seems unbelievable to me. That’s where Red Bull Shuttle Up is trying to make badminton more inclusive. The second aspect is about having fun. I’ve always believed that you play sport because you want to have fun and that’s something that Red Bull Shuttle Up manages to provide in ample doses.

We don’t see the sheer number of quality players in women’s badminton as we do in the men’s game

Ashwini believes that there is a big gap between Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu and the rest of the field in women’s badminton /BAI

Looking at the larger picture, where does India stand as a force in badminton today? Are we a global power or are we still in the process of getting there?

The fact that we won the Thomas Cup in May speaks volumes about the strength in depth when it comes to men’s badminton. Beating powerhouses in international badminton like we did in the Thomas Cup is no joke. In that sense, we’re definitely a global power among the men. On the other hand, the women’s game still has a long way to go. We don’t see the sheer number of quality players in women’s badminton as we do in the men’s game, especially when it comes to doubles. Even if you take singles, there’s quite a bit of a gap between P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal at the top and the rest of the field. There are a fair few young singles players who are doing well, but it’ll take them years to get to the levels of Sindhu or Saina. Coming back to the doubles, it’s the same problem I stated earlier. How can you expect doubles players to give you points in big tournaments when you don’t include women’s doubles as part of your domestic leagues? When it comes to women’s badminton, it’s not that we don’t have talent, but the talent that’s there isn’t being nurtured the right way.

Switching tracks, how do you relax and zone out? What are your hobbies and interests outside badminton?

Of late, I’ve enjoyed just chilling and watching dramas. I watch any and every kind, including Anime. I also watch a lot of YouTube content, especially motivational talks and conversations that pique my interest in general.

My most important goal is working on myself

Ashwini feels that she still has a lot of goals and dreams left to realise
Red Bull Shuttle Up

What are the dreams and goals you are still chasing as an athlete? 

I’ve still got a lot of dreams and goals, which is why I’m still playing! I feel like I’ve spoken a lot about them in the past and at the moment, I’d rather talk about my most important goal, which is working on myself. I’m trying to take a different approach with my holistic development on and off the court, and if that goes fine, the rest of the goals should fall into place.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / TelegraphIndia Online / Home> My Kolkata> People> Badminton / by Priyam Marik / October 17th, 2022

Indian fashion designer wants khadi and handlooms recognised globally

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion,

Singapore:

Indian designer Prasad Bidapa wants India’s hand-made khadi and handlooms recognised globally, saying that there are immense opportunities for foreign stylists to work with thousands of weavers across the country.


“We want to expose Indian textiles to the world and show every designer that they can come to India, work directly with the artisans and create something very original,” Bidapa told PTI after the show “Handlooms@75: Celebrating the Fabric of Freedom” here.


The designer urged truly conscious designers to work with Indian weavers at the grassroots level and help them create something new and fresh. “Something that the world has not seen before.”


“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a wonderful support. He wears so much khadi and handlooms that he has had the spotlight trained on the clothing,” said the designer after hosting the fashion show in Singapore on Saturday.


“We have thousands of artisans working on Khadi and handlooms skilled in block print, leheriya dyeing,” said Bidapa, adding that there were immense opportunities for foreign designers to work with thousands of weavers in India.


“We are trying to sensitise young people all over the world, trying to get them to understand the beauty of the handmade textile,” the designer stressed.


The designer also called on the Prime Minister’s Office to include skills of the hands, weaving, printing and dyeing in the national skilling programme.


Bidapa highlighted how Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake created the label “HAAT” — all of which uses Indian Khadi.


The Saturday exhibition was held at the invitation of the Indian High Commissioner in Singapore, P Kumaran, and sponsored by the Global Indian International School, as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from Karnataka among others.


The Bangalore-based Bidapa has hosted the exhibition in the Middle East and will be travelling with his fashion wears as well as 20 models to Japan and South Korea next. (PTI)

source: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com / DailyExcelsior.com / Home> International News / by PTI / October 18th, 2022

Tel Aviv Open: Rohan Bopanna wins men’s doubles title with Matwe Middelkoop, his third of season

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The 42-year-old Indian now breaks back into the top 20 rankings for the first time since August.

Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop with thier first title together | Jack Guez / AFP

Rohan Bopanna partnered Matwe Middelkoop to win his third tour title of the year, when the pair beat third seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-2, 6-4, in the ATP 250 Tel Aviv Open on Sunday.

With the doubles crown, the 42-year-old now breaks back into the top 20 rankings for the first time since August, currently placed 19. Earlier this year, he had partnered Ramkumar Ramanathan to win titles in Adelaide and Pune.

But this was the first title he won with his Dutch partner. The duo had reached the final at the Hamburg Open and semifinals at the French Open earlier this year. They also hold a 16-10 record this season.

The top seeds in Israel however, had to work their way back into each of the three matches they played before getting to the final.

They beat Hamad Medjedovic and Yshai Oliel 4-6, 7-6(4), 10-6 in the first round. In the quarterfinal they beat Denys Molchanov and Franko Skugor 4-6, 7-6(5), 10-5 before beating the all-French team of Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul 4-6, 7-6(3), 10-8.

In the final though, they played their best tennis.

“I think those close matches, pulling through those you’re obviously having more court time, you’re trying to come through and fight some close battles,” Bopanna said to the ATP website.

“We were a couple of points or one point away from losing those matches, so sometimes those weeks make a huge difference for your confidence.”

This was Bopanna’s first event since the US Open. He was scheduled to compete for India in the Davis Cup World Group 1 tie against Norway, but pulled out because of a knee injury.

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> The Field> Indian Tennis / by Scroll Staff / October 03rd, 2022