Rohan Bopanna in action. (Express Phtoto)
The phoneline goes blank for a few prolonged seconds. Having thought the answer through, Rohan Bopanna responds with a hushed ‘yes’. Have you finally stepped out of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi’s shadow, he was asked. “But more than that,” Bopanna is quick to add, “I feel I have matured as a player, which has helped.”
For close to a decade, Indian tennis fans have often wondered if there was a successor to Paes and Bhupathi on the doubles court. Monday’s ATP rankings and this year’s Wimbledon proves that Bopanna, now ranked fifth — higher than the veteran Indians — could just be that man.
“It seems so,” says Enrico Piperno, the former Davis Cup coach for India. “At 33, he is still young on the doubles circuit and has still many years ahead of him. He has been injury-free for most part of his career. Also, Rohan has worked hard to reach this level. Really hard.”
The Karnataka man has made some notable changes to his game to reach this level. By quickening his service action, Bopanna has ensured that the opponent gets less time to react. And earned his nickname — Bofors. With a relatively low toss of the ball followed by a smooth, quick connect, he also generates more pace and accuracy. Consequently, he has been able to hold his service games with ease.
No longer one trick
Apart from just his booming serves, Bopanna has also, over time, become more agile on the court. This, then, allows him to hunt down balls and return them with sharp angles, traits found in the best doubles specialists. To achieve this, he says, Bopanna was forced to cut down on bread and sweets, while also working over time with both Yash Pandey and Scott Davidoff, his physical trainer and coach respectively. Pandey was instrumental in chiselling his physique, Davidoff turned his net play around.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home / by Mihir Vasavda / Mumbai – Tuesday, July 09th, 2013
IRRESISTIBLE It is not every day that a player like Jwala comes and asks you to partner her, says Ashwini Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P. Badminton ace Ashwini Ponappa tells Kalyan Ashok enjoying yourself on court is important for winning
There is no full stop on court for Ashwini Ponnappa. The 23-year-old who nowadays lives out of a suitcase, jetting across the world for tournaments and returning for national camps at Hyderabad and practice sessions at home in Bangalore. It is the kind of schedule that might drain out any young player, but Ashwini seems to enjoy every bit of it.. After a long stint on court at the Nest Sports Club, under the watchful eye of her coach, Tom John, Ashwini steps out to say: “Hi, sorry to keep you waiting can you give me a few more minutes? I will play one more game and get back.”
Ashwini is to Bangalore, what Saina Nehwal is to Hyderabad. If Saina is the undisputed queen of Indian badminton in singles, Ashwini is the rising star of the doubles. With her partner, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini brought India glory in the 2010 Commonwealth Games with a gold and a year later, won a bronze in the World championship and a string of title triumphs in the South Asian Games besides junior and senior National championships. IRRESISTIBLE It is not every day that a player like Jwala comes and asks you to partner her, says Ashwini Photos: Sampath Kumar G.P.
Success rests lightly on her slender shoulders, and there is no air of being a star. “Me a star! I have lot to achieve and I don’t think I have reached a stage where I can call myself a star!” says Ashwini modestly.
With Jwala no longer by her side on court, Ashwini has found a new team mate, Pradnya Gadre to play on the international circuit. Currently Ashwini and Pradnya duo are ranked 28th in the world.
“The season has been good so far with Pradnya. We have been playing together since September last year. I have also started playing mixed doubles with Tarun Kona and we are getting better with every tournament. Yes, it is quite a change. Jwala was far more experienced than me and Pradnya. I have been playing at the world level for past three years and Pradnya has been there for the past two years. We are focusing and gelling very well.”
When Ashwini took up playing doubles, after a stint as a singles players at the State and National level as a junior, her partner was another Bangalore girl, Nitya Sosale. “I was playing with Nitya and we had won lot of tournaments at state, national junior and senior levels. We had a good time, we were friends, and hung out together off court as well. But playing with Jwala was different. When she approached me to partner her, I was reluctant, because I had been partnering Nitya for so long. It is not every day, that a player like Jwala comes and asks you to partner her, so I said yes. It was an offer I could not refuse as she is the best doubles player in the country. When I teamed with her, her positive approach rubbed off on me. She was very encouraging. She was very good at the net and all I had to do play well at the back court. I would smash and she would finish it off — virtually no shuttle could get past her. I had a wonderful time, I learnt a lot and she was good fun, an extrovert and very outspoken. With Pradnya, it is different, both of us are a little introverted, but we are getting along well, we are enjoying ourselves on court and that is important for winning.”
The Coorgi girl thanks her coaches for where she is today. I had wonderful coaches to guide me. First it was Umpathy, at the State Youth Centre. When I moved to Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, it was a big leap forward. Prakash Sir, Vimal Sir and Vinod all have been a great help. At the national camps in Hyderabad, Gopi Chand and Indonesian coaches trained me further. Before the last Olympics, I also had the opportunity to train under S. M. Arif, a great coach. Now I am with Tom John, who is working really hard on my game. Coaches like Arif and Tom, never give up on players; they make sure each one reaches his/her potential.”
Ashwini’s big success came at New Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010, when she and Jwala bagged the doubles gold. “It was our first big win together, in front of a great crowd, they cheered our every point and there was a huge buzz whenever we played. It was a heady stuff. The World Championship bronze also ranks high on my best moments. What made them more special was the fact that we enjoyed ourselves on and off the court. After the matches, we used to interact with members of the other teams and have fun. We’d get back to the court later for the matches and focus on the game. The performances at both the events, gave me a lot of confidence.”
On areas which she would like to improve, Ashwini says: “I would like to improve my defence. Offence is good and playing with Tarun in mixed doubles, has improved my net game and it has also helped me in women’s doubles.”
“Ashwini has loads of confidence after the Commonwealth Games and World championship show and she has the ability to make her new partnership with Pradnya work,” says coach Tom John. “They are already stretching top pairs and it should be matter of time, before they get into top ten. Earlier she was playing with Jwala who took care of the front court while she took care of the back court. With Pradyna, it has to be all court game.”
Ashwini believes she can learn from every player. “I don’t have an idol as such, I love watching others and learn from them. In doubles, I love to watch Jawala Gutta and V.Diju when they played the mixed doubles. They were a great pair and reached the highest level in the game.”
She has been playing since she was eight and badminton has been an integral part of life. On whether she missed anything due to her passion for the game, Ashwini says: “I don’t think I am missing anything because of badminton. I have gained from badminton thanks to wonderful support of my parents, my coaches, school (St. Francis Xavier) and college (Mount Carmel).”
Looking back at her initiation into the game, Ashwini says, “I was a hyperactive kid and my parents put me into YMCA camp so that I could burn up my energy. The coaches there thought I had a promise and put me in that direction.”
An eye for fashion
Besides badminton, Ashwini loves tennis. “I like following the game. It is nice to watch what the women players are wearing and follow their fashion statements!”
On what players should wear on court, Ashwini says: “One should not enforce a dress code. Players should wear what they are comfortable in.”
On hobbies, the feisty shuttler says: “I love listening to music of mixed genre. Earlier I was reading romantic novels and now it is non-fiction, right now I am reading a biography of Muhammad Ali.” An animal lover, Ashwini says: “We had a dog at home, now we have lots of pigeons!”
Her favourite city in the world is London. “I like London, it is so nice, there is a buzz, lot of places to go and see. In terms of badminton, I love playing in Indonesia. There’s always a huge and knowledgeable crowd at the stadium. They make so much of din, but playing in such an atmosphere gets you high.”
When she is home, Ashwini loves to chill at home visiting friends and relatives. “All these, after my practice, of course.”
Looking ahead, Ashwini sets her sights on winning a gold in the Olympics at Rio, winning at the Commonwealth Games and the World Championship. It’s a long and tough road ahead, but Ashwini has what it takes and key to achieving those goals, is to relax and enjoy herself on the court. “I think that’s an important element, whenever I feel tense or nervous on court, I tell myself, Ashwini let go, have fun, and it works.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Kalyan Ashok / Bangalore – July 04th, 2013
India’s Rohan Bopanna and Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin, the 14th-seeds, delivered another knockout out blow to the Wimbledon men’s doubles draw, when they bundled out sixth-seeds Daniel Nestor of Canada and Robert Lindstedt of Sweden in a long-drawn, rain-interrupted clash.
Bopanna and Vasselin were leading the fifth set 5-2 with Vasselin to serve for the match when the Swede objected to the dank, dismal conditions. As the skies opened up, the players left the court.
After 90-minutes, when they returned, the Frenchman served out the match at 40-15, needing only a couple of minutes on the lawns. The 7-5, 7-6 (3-7), 6-7 (4-7), 6-7 (3-7), 6-2 result put the 33-year-old Bopanna in his first Wimbledon semifinal.
In the last four, Bopanna and Vasselin will play the winner of the other quarterfinal between top-seeded American twins Bob and Mike Bryan and India’s Mahesh Bhupathi and Julian Knowle of Austria.
Bopanna and Vasselin made a solid start, but were rocked back in the 11th game of the opening set when the Frenchman faced two breakpoints on his serve.
Aided by a mix of some strong serving as well as an error from Lindstedt, the Indian-French pair held. They then broke the Nestor serve in the 12th game when a Vasselin forehand whistled past the opposition, to wrest the early advantage.
The 14th-seeds then quickly wrapped up the second set tie-break. Nestor and Lindstedt won two tie-breaks to level scores and push the match into the decider.
This time the Indo-French duo broke as early as the third game and though Vasselin’s serve was tested in the fourth game, they held firm to break again in the fifth game.
In a late evening encounter on Monday, fourth seeds India’s Leander Paes and Czech Radek Stepanek put out the 15th seeded Pols Lukasz Kubot and Marcin Matkowski 6-2, 6-2, 6-4, to move into the quarterfinals.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Tennis / by Prajwal Hegde, TNN / July 03rd, 2013
Listen to Flash of Light, you will like it,” suggests Nikhil Chinappa. The sound is a modernised version of retro-disco, which in Electronic Dance Music (EDM) jargon would be called nu disco. A forlorn female voice utters ‘flash’ in a gasp and then sings You won’t be coming down. The song is such that one wouldn’t mind showering to it or just grooving to it on the dance floor.
Flash of Light is one of the 32 songs Chinappa has compiled under the album Defected in the House India 2013 for Defected Records, which was recently released by Sony Music. This is Chinappa’s first compilation and comes in two CDs. On being asked how he’d describe the sound, Chinappa says, “CD 1 could be bifurcated into deep house and nu disco. These songs are languid and soulful. CD 2 could be described as main room house and as the name suggests, sounds better on a larger sound system.”
But Chinappa does not believe in labelling music. To him there are only two genres “good music and rubbish”. Digressing from saying what the music is, he says what the music is not, and that is the foot-tapping kind. “These are songs which make me happy. The sound is groovy and sexy. It puts a smile on my face and I hope it does the same to the listener,” says Chinappa, who has been in the entertainment business for over 13 years, during which he has stepped into the shoes of an MTV India mascot, a VJ, an actor and has had a successful stint as a DJ. He is also the festival director of the Sunburn music festival, Asia’s biggest EDM festival. Yet, he feels that it is not too late to put together his own compilation. “People have now woken up to EDM, although it has been around in this country for over two decades, but only in underground scenes,” says Chinappa, who sees himself as a “dance music evangelist”. His evangelism comes with a vision, “I want people to discover new sounds, which are out there but were not taken to them. This music is not mainstream. I would want non-EDM listeners and also mainstream music listeners to pick up these sounds,” he adds.
Chinappa said that he has been curating this section of the Indian music scene and would want to do a documentary on EDM in India. “EDM is enjoying great popularity here but we must carve an identity for ourselves in dance music history,” he says. “This is my philosophical and soulful purpose,” adds Chinappa. With a compilation out in the market, Chinappa has no plans of coming up with an album containing original compositions in the near future because he believes, “Music should be made by musicians and not by people sitting on keyboards and machines.”
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home / by Rushil Dutta / Pune, Sunday – June 30th, 2013
What better way to introduce something new than with a fashion show! That’s exactly what Samsung did when it launched the new Galaxy Mega at Fun Cinemas, Cunnigham Road, Bangalore.
The event, which was attended by the company’s channel partners, retailers and select consumers, witnessed the launch at an exclusive show that was choreographed by Prasad Bidappa. (Uday Kiran, Vishal Kaul…)
Speaking on the occasion, Prasad said, “Samsung Galaxy Mega is the future of communication. Sleek, smart and sophisticated, this is the must-have mobile of the moment.”
This new addition to the Galaxy family balances optimal viewing experience on a large screen, but is ultra-thin and portable as one can carry it in the pocket or even hold it comfortably in one hand. It offers a mix of popular smartphone and tablet features, as it combines the portability and convenience of a smartphone with the power, multitasking capabilities and extensive viewing experience of a tablet. Two models of the Samsung Galaxy Mega, with 14.7 cms and 16 cms screen sizes, are now available at stores.
We spotted well-known models of the city walking the ramp at the show. The first sequence was a tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema and the second sequence saw the models sporting the red carpet look as they showed cased the new phones.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Life & Style> Parties / TNN / June 23rd, 2013
Nikhil Chinappa does not like resting on his laurels. An accomplished DJ, VJ and an ambassador for electronic beats, he will now release his first compilation — Defected in the House India 2013, which specialises in house music. Emilie Fouquet gets the details…
Tell us about ‘Defected in the House India 2013’.
It is a two-disc compilation. One disc, ‘Deep Mix’, is more suitable to relax and make you smile. While the other, ‘Main Room’, is far more energetic and ‘dance’able. I intend to share house music in all its forms with as many people as possible. Music moves me emotionally, triggers happy memories and makes me want to dance, smile and believe. I hope it will do the same for the audience.
Did you like the experience of doing a compilation?
Absolutely! With this compilation, I have tried to make a musical journey, and I hope people will like it. Of course, I would love to do many more compilations, but with other people. Submerge Music (his company) will bring a musical experience with techno, electro, drum and bass.
Are you going to perform in other countries too?
I would love to, but my heart is in India.
Your main sources of inspiration?
Making a compilation is a difficult process. I mainly rely on my ears and my heart.
Which song brings forth your best memories?
That’s Rise of Angel by Luciano. This song is very long — 16 minutes — and is so beautiful, it reminds me of a friend.
Which songs are you listening to currently?
You won’t believe me but I have no music on my earphones. There is so much music that comes on, that it is difficult to hang on to one with all this pressure.
Any other projects for the moment?
You know, I wear different hats. I’m the founder of Submerge and for the moment it is working on some alliances. I am also a member of the Association of Electronic Music. They believe India is a key market so they asked me to represent the country. It is aimed at promoting dance music globally, with a strong emphasis on education, and doing events in a responsible manner and so.
source: http://www.sakaaltimes.com / Sakal Times / Home> Youngistan> Detail News / Monday – June 24th, 2013
From being an underdog to Indian team vice-captain, Raghunath has come a long way. Getty Images
Most sportspersons would tell you that any sport – even if it is one of the most physical – eventually has a lot to do with the mind. India’s dragflick specialist, VR Raghunath, is no exception.
Despite being part of the illustrious list of hockey players from Coorg in Karnataka, Raghunath has had his fair share of struggles early on in his career, failing to find a regular place in the senior national team. That was until Michael Nobbs took him under his wings. Raghunath then became part of the 2012 London Olympics, and is now the vice-captain of the team.
So how did it all change for 24-year-old? “I wasn’t mentally confident about myself before. Nobbs worked on my mental strength and brought my inner game out,” Raghunath told dna before the squad departed to The Netherlands for the FIH Men’s World League Round 3 (semifinals) starting on June 13.
“Thus, I’ve also been given a leadership role to support Sardar (Singh). I’m enjoying the responsibility and hope to motivate the juniors that come in.”
Talking of juniors, India fielded a young side for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup earlier this year, and the team going for the World League also has a lot of young faces like Mandeep Singh and Manpreet Singh. Raghunath believes that the current crop of youngsters is the best India ever had.
“It’s a transformation period after the 2012 London Olympics. And because of the Hockey India League, we’re getting a lot of good talent. I think our present junior team is one of the best we’ve had over the past few years,” he said.
Raghunath is equally elated with the comeback of ace dragflicker Sandeep Singh. “Sandeep is one of the most experienced players and he knows how to play in high-intensity games. So it’s great that we can rotate our three dragflickers and have at least two penalty corner specialists on the field at a time,” he added.
Raghunath hopes the team rises to the occasion during this key tournament, which is a qualification for the FIH Men’s World Cup in 2014.
“We had a good three-week camp in Bangalore, so our preparation has been great. I prefer to take it one match at a time, and going all out in that. We hope to start well and if we do, I’m sure we can end it well,” he said.
source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Sports> Report / by Rutvick Mehta / Place:Mumbai, Agency:DNA / Thursday – June 06th, 2013
A hundred years of cinema were celebrated with style, grace and elegance during a recent fashion show by Manish Malhotra, in association with Styletag.com. The show displayed the timelessness and unique style of Indian movies. Many members of the fashion industry were spotted having a good time at the event. Among them were Prasad Bidappa, Radha Thomas and Ramji Chandran.
From popular polka-dots to flowing chiffon saris, the collection had it all. Manish’s creations were not all that the evening included — there was a lot more in store. Great music and an art auction were also a part of the show. City-based band ‘One Nite Stand’ added a lot of glamour and energy to the evening. The band played an eclectic mix of old retro numbers as well as jazz and rock for the audience.
The fashion show was the highlight of the evening, with the models sashaying down the ramp in beautiful saris and glittering full-length anarkalis in beautiful pastel shades. The designs showcased in the men’s collection were classy and chic. Chequered black and white waistcoats as well as bright silk sherwanis, kurtas and bandhgalas with fancy dupattas were showcased.
The gorgeous sari collection stole the show. The designs were indigenous and the colours were contemporary. The pastel collection of saris was stylish and lit up the ramp as soon as the models entered wearing them. “I loved the lime-green sari trimmed with red lace. It was elegant and yet contemporary. Manish’s collection is brilliant. We can see hints of Bollywood in it and it has something for everyone. He is a style icon in the truest sense,” says Ayesha, who attended the .
Arjun Halappa | EPS/File
Arjun Halappa, who led India in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament in Malaysia in 2011, has made history of sorts by becoming the first sportsperson to be named as a national selector while still being a very active player.
Hockey India (HI) announced a panel to be headed by former star B P Govinda and which includes Arjun Halappa’s name. Arjun is still a very active player turning out for Air India in the ongoing HI nationals at Pune. Arjun made his debut for India in 2001 against Egypt in the Prime Minister’s Gold Cup. He represented the country in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. He was also in the 2010 Commonwealth Games team in New Delhi where India were the runners-up and also picked up the Asiad bronze the same year in Guangzhou, China.
“I’m not going to hang up my boots. I will continue to represent my employers Air India. Playing will help me keep up with the latest trends in the game,” Arjun said.
“This is a very big surprise and I’m very excited. I’ve been a player and captain and this is a new challenge for me. It’s just early days and I don’t want to comment much,” he added. “As a player I will be able to provide inputs to the coaching staff,” said Arjun.
So the scenario now is that a player-cum-selector will also work as an advisor to the coaches. This is the first time in the history of Indian sport that something like this has happened. Players becoming coaches once they give up playing is an accepted norm. Players taking to umpiring is also welcome. But an active player also functioning as a selector? The move has, indeed, raised eyebrows.
The closest a player has come to also being a part of the selection process is in Indian cricket. The captain is part of the selection committee’s deliberations and gives his inputs. But he is not actually on the selection committee as in the case of Arjun.
What happens if Arjun strikes great form and has to decide on his own inclusion? He has still not announced his international retirement. At 34, he may not be in contention for a place. But what if the others want him in the team? Even if he is there on sheer merit, aspersions will be cast. Should a selector select or even drop himself only because he is a selector?
“It is too early to induct someone like Arjun into the selection committee. Yes, he surely deserves to be a selector but this is not the right time for him to be on the panel as he is still a very active player,” said former India skipper, coach and selector M P Ganesh.
“I became a selector only after 26 years of playing hockey. In fact I had even given up coaching the Indian team and only then I was part of the selection process. Young people are needed but not so young and not for the job of selection,” Ganesh added.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> The Sunday Standard / by S S Shreekumar / ENS – Bangalore / June 02nd, 2013
Vikarmkant will lead the 19-member men’s Karnataka hockey squad for the third Senior National Championship to be held at Pune from May 28 to June 10.
S K Uthappa, adjudged the best player in 2011 Senior Nationals in Bhopal where Karnataka had finished runners-up, will be the vice-captain of the state side.
The team is being coached by 1994 World Cupper K K Poonacha.
source: http://www.ptinews.com / Press Trust of India / Home> Sports / by Staff Writer / May 30th, 2013
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