Top woman shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa and Grandmaster Tania Sachdev participated in the ‘Wings for Life’ World Marathon competition, that was flagged off from Sonepat, Haryana, on Sunday.
For both Ashwini and Tania, it was their first tryst with a marathon and both seemed excited to be a part of a very noble cause. The proceeds from the event will go to the ‘Wings for Life’ a foundation that carried out research to find a cure for spinal cord related injuries.
“It’s an amazing feeling to take part in the marathon. I don’t know how long I will be running but it will be a unique experience for me. I had been so busy with my playing schedule that I have never been able to find time to participate in any marathon events earlier. I hope it’s a memorable first for me,” said Ashwini, who recently claimed the women’s doubles bronze in the Asian Badminton Championship pairing up with Jwala Gutta.
On the achievement, Ashwini said, “It came at the right time for us. It will be a great confidence booster for me and Jwala ahead of the CWG.”
source: http://www.asianage.com / The Asian Age / Home> Sports> Other Sports / by Age Correspondent / May 05th, 2014
Export realisation remained as high as Rs 1,68,362 per tonne in April, 2014
India’s coffee exports rose by over 11% in value terms at Rs 535.83 crore in April this year on better realisation following firm global prices, according to the Coffee Board.
Coffee shipments from India — the world’s fifth biggest exporter — stood at Rs 480.77 crore in the corresponding period of last year.
However in volume terms, coffee shipments fell by over 4% at 31,836 tonnes in April this year from 33,211 tonnes of shipments in the year-ago period.
“The export realisation remained as high as Rs 1,68,362 per tonne in April, 2014, against Rs 1,44,762 per tonne in the year ago because of better global prices,” a senior Board official said.
But the volume of coffee exports from India remained lower last month as domestic traders held back stocks anticipating recovery in global prices, which have firmed since February on likely drop in production in the world’s largest coffee producer Brazil, the official added.
According to the Board, the global coffee prices have already risen by more than 80% this year owing to concerns over drought conditions in Brazil and an outbreak of coffee leaf rust plant disease in Central America.
During last week of April, arabica-quality coffee prices at New York had touched 219 US cents on April 24 — the highest since February 2012. Robusta futures price for July had risen to $2,156 a tonne from $2,086 a tonne.
The Board official said that harvesting of coffee in the country has got over now. Overall domestic production is expected to be in line with the Board’s estimate of 3,11,500 tonnes for 2013-14 crop year (October-September), down by 2.1% from 3,18,200 tonnes produced in 2012-13.
India exports coffee largely to Italy, Germany, Belgium, Jordan, Turkey and Russia, among others.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Markets> Commodities> Food & Edible Oils / Press Trust of India / New Delhi – May 05th, 2014
One week in the city she loves and Joshna Chinappa feels rejuvenated. Spending time in Chennai is always special for her. The IPL flavour has hit the country but not her. Joshna prefers to stay away from the idiot box and trains at a doubles camp in the city. One week is up, the bags are packed and she is off to England to get more training ahead of the British Open which starts on May 14.
In between all this hustle, she takes time out to share her experiences. Forty minutes, a gruelling match and a victory, that’s how long it took for Joshna to bag her ninth WSA tour title at the Country Club of Virginia. The World No 21, seeded second, upset former world champion and top seed Rachael Grinham to win the Richmond Open recently.
The win was all the more memorable as it was Joshna’s first win against the Australian in six meetings and came just a week after she lost to the same opponent in Texas. “I have moved past that win,” she says. “I have lost to Rachael many times before. It was good to finally beat her in a final.”
So what’s different this time around? “I was a lot more relaxed and did not take any pressure. I didn’t make specific changes. Just played the way I wanted to. Staying calm was the key. The plan was to keep the ball tight, for she is a very crafty player and has had a good season,” Joshna adds.
A household name of squash in India, it’s been a dream run for the Coorgi this year. She broke into the top-20, won two WSA titles and is looking to add many more to her kitty. “It has been one of my best seasons so far. I hope to move further up the rankings. It’s only May and there are seven more months to go. I hope to take this good form further.”
Considering that the Commonwealth and Asian Games are just around the corner, her form is encouraging. “A medal depends on how well you play on that day. But I feel I have a good chance of winning in the individual category and a much higher chance of bagging a medal in doubles at the Commonwealth Games.”
Three years ago, she injured her knee and had to take a break for almost 10 months. Her ranking dipped to 71. But Joshna isn’t one to give up and soon after, she was back doing what she loves the most.
“I definitely wanted to play again. Never thought of quitting but I also didn’t think I would make it to the top 20. In the beginning, it was tough as I could not even walk properly. So I moved to Mumbai to start afresh. Everything was new there. I worked with an Egyptian trainer and he is one of the reasons I play squash today,” she recalls.
It was worth all the pain as she made a phenomenal comeback which included winning more national championships, a much-awaited title in Chennai, WSA crowns and being honoured with the Arjuna Award. “Winning in Chennai was special because though I am a Coorgi, I am a squash player because of this city. That was a great way to make a comeback,” she says.
On promoting the sport, she said, “We need more tournaments in India so that top players come here. That’s how squash will grow in India. The sport is most focussed in Chennai, that’s why we have many players emerging from the city. It should be the same throughout the country,” she adds. For now, it’s over to England.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport / by Krithika Gopalkrishnan – Chennai / May 05th, 2014
Nagaraju’s dogged fight over a period of 18 years for his ancestral property began from scratch
Claiming to be a descendent of the erstwhile rulers of Kodagu, a flour mill owner from Mysore has now gained possession of the historic 17th century palace and fort which is predominantly in the heart of Madikeri town.
“My efforts of 18 years have ended with the President of India ordering that the palace belongs to me,” a beaming H C Nagaraju, the owner of the flour mill in Shivarampet, told Business Standard.
He has displayed a notice in his shop that says: “As per the order of His Excellency President of India, the Mercara Palace belongs to H C N Wadeyar.” It quotes the order No.F.No.1-204/2013-RTI (Hq) dated 26-9-2013, Government of India, Janpath, New Delhi.
This is the latest notice displayed in his shop to inform his customers of his successful fight, in addition to already putting up copies of other documents and photos of his forefathers belonging to the erstwhile Haleri dynasty of Kodagu.
Nagaraju’s dogged fight for his ancestral property began from scratch, from corresponding on the issue with a number of authorities like the Departments of Archaeology, and the state and Central governments and moving the courts. Before approaching the courts, he began to acquire documents from various sources, including the British Library in London to establish that he descended from the Haleri rulers.
“My father often told me that we belong to the Kodagu royal family and the Madikeri Palace belongs to us, based on what his father and grandfather had told him,” he said, narrating how he began to establish his right over the palace and the surrounding fort in Madikeri. “To establish what my forefathers were saying, we had swords, shields, palm leaf manuscripts in our house which my father gave away, finding them of no use,” he adds.
Calling himself H C N Wodeyar, he has displayed his claim he is the Maharaja of Coorg and owner of the Madikeri Palace. According to him, his lineage starts from Queen Devajammanni, wife of Lingaraja. The palace, which witnessed rebellious uprisings against the colonial rulers in 18th century, it presently houses the Kodagu’s Deputy Commissioner’s office within the fort.
“They have agreed to shift to a new place and hand over possession to me,” he said, adding he intends to convert his ancestral palace into a tourist attraction. Beside the palace stand two life-size statues of elephants that attract people who visit the monument.
Lingaraja succeeded the famed Dodda Veera Rendra Wodeyar (1780-1809), the hero from Kodagu history, as the Coorg Raja. His successor Viraraja was deposed in 1,834 following which the British annexed Kodagu and exiled the last of the rajas, bringing an end to the nearly two-century-long reign of the Haleri dynasty that came to power in the 17th century, in the district nestling amidst the lush Western Ghats, known for coffee and oranges, besides elephants.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Current Affairs> News> Et cetera / by Gouri Satya / Mysore – May 04th, 2014
Coffee futures jumped as much as 8.3 per cent, driving volatility to the highest since 2000
After surging 19 per cent the past four weeks, coffee extended its ascent.
Futures jumped to the highest in two years on Tuesday, after drought damage in Brazil prompted Volcafe to cut its outlook for the crop in the South American country, the world’s top grower and exporter.
The worst Brazilian drought in decades ravaged plants earlier this year, and production of arabica beans will be 18 per cent less than projected, Volcafe, a unit of commodity trader ED&F Man Holdings, said on Tuesday.
Coffee futures jumped as much as 8.3 per cent, driving volatility to the highest since 2000.
“People are realising every day that there’s damage, and that the losses will be hard to quantify,” Hernando de la Roche, a senior vice president at INTL FCStone in Miami, said in a telephone interview. “Traders are jittery because of the uncertainty about the Brazilian harvest and what it would mean to world supplies.”
The global harvest, which includes the robusta variety, will fall short of demand by 11 million bags, Winterthur, Switzerland-based Volcafe estimates. That would mean a world deficit about the size of production in Colombia, the second- largest supplier of the premium arabica beans, which are favoured by Starbucks Corp. A bag weighs 60 kg, or 132 pounds.
Arabica coffee for July delivery soared 7.1 per cent to settle at $2.134 a pound on Tuesday on ICE Futures US in New York.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Markets> Commodities> Food & Edible Oils / Bloomberg / New York – April 23rd, 2014
‘Team comprising police, reps from ULBs to keep tab on use of plastic’
Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Anurag Tiwari has issued an order banning the use of plastic bags and plastic cups with thickness of less than 40 microns that harm the environment.
He has instructed the police department and officials of urban local bodies to impose penalty to those who violate the rules by using the plastic bags of less than 40 microns in any part of the district.
In his order dated March 15, the Deputy Commissioner who is also the Chairman of the District Tourism Development Committee has said that the Kodagu district has sensitive environment and it is inevitable to ban the use of plastic bags to protect the environment.
Further, he has stated that the decision has been taken considering the Environment Protection Act 1986, Wildlife Protection Act 1972, the notification of the Environment and Forest Ministry of the Government of India dated February 4, 2011 and the notification of Karnataka Government dated October 20, 2010.
“A team of officials including those from police department and urban local bodies will be formed to keep a tab on the use of plastic usage. The team will pay surprise visits to shops and inspect them. Plastic bags if found will be seized and shop owners will be penalised,” Tourism Department Assistant Director Phanish has said.
He stressed that the first priority of the district administration is to control the sale of plastic bags.
The team will raid the shops based on suspicion and the team is expected to be formed after Lok Sabha elections.
As a large number of tourists visit Kodagu, instruction boards about the plastic ban will be placed in the entry points of the district. Tourist vehicles will be inspected and plastic bags if found, will be seized, he said.
It could be recalled that the use of plastic plates and cups was completely banned during the Akhila Bharatha 80th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held at Madikeri in January. The initiative had received overwhelming response from people.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / by Srikanth Kallammanavar / DHNS – Madikeri, March 27th, 2014
In an astonishing revelation, the City Municipal Council has claimed of lacking information about the number of roads and streets and the population in particular road or street in Madikeri city.
The reply of the public relation officer of the Madikeri CMC to a Right to Information query filed by an individual, which is available with Deccan Herald, shows that the CMC lacks information on the population in CMC limits.
T C Thimmaiah, a resident of Dechur had filed an application under RTI to the CMC on January 20, seeking information.
He had sought information as he had complained on the creation of wards in the recent poll for Madikeri CMC was not according to the specific guidelines.
The people residing in his ward were included in the voters list of another ward. He also alleged that the area and population was not considered while constituting the wards.
“For example, the population in Ward No 17 is 465, while the population in Ward No 1 is 1,916. The population is almost four times more in Ward No 1 compared to Ward No 17.
Therefore, I filed the RTI with the CMC to know on what basis they had divided the wards,” he told Deccan Herald.
The CMC has 25 blocks which has been divided into 23 wards. He had sought information about the roads, streets, number of houses and population in particular area.
CMC Assistant Executive Engineer who is also the Public Information Officer, K M Ravikumar sent a reply to the RTI query on February 26, along with information about 23 wards attached to it. The reply note said that “the revenue department office of the CMC does not have any information about the roads, streets, number of houses and population in the said blocks.”
Wonderstruck T C Thimmaiah has said that it is ridiculous that the authorities have no information about the population based on which the election is held.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / by Srikanth Kallammanavar / DHNS – Madikeri, March 28th, 2014
H C N Wadiyar, the Maharaja of Coorg, has strongly objected to opening of Balamandira inside the Mercara Palace without his permission.
In a letter to the Kodagu Deputy Commissioner, he claimed he is the owner of the palace as his ancestors did not transfer it to the then Government of Mysore or the Government of India.
He said Archaeological Survey of India officials had stated that the fort at Madikeri and two masonry elephants are being protected by the ASI, adding state government offices are still functioning in the palace.
He clarified the British government had not given any letter pertaining to the transfer of the palace to the government.
He said he wants to take over the palace soon.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service – Mysore / May 04th, 2014
When Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the local boy, wasn’t sure of what to expect from the surface ahead of Chennai Super King’s clash against Kolkata Knight Riders at the JSCA International Stadium on Friday night (May 2), it would be hard to think of many who got their prediction right.
In that sense, the toss was vital. But as the rain came down shortly after the spin of the coin, Kolkata may have thought it was, perhaps, a good toss to lose.
Chennai posted 148 courtesy Brendon McCullum’s 56 and a late blitz by Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja in their stipulated 17 overs, and Kolkata blazed away to 35 off the first four overs. But losing the wickets of Jacques Kallis, Manish Pandey and Shakib Al Hasan in the space of five deliveries to a succession of poor strokes meant even a spirited effort by Robin Uthappa and a late burst by Yusuf Pathan went in vain.
That meant Kolkata slumped to their fourth loss in six matches to slide further down in a crowded mid-table in the Pepsi IPL 2014 standings. The 34-run defeat also severely dented their net run-rate, taking it into the negatives.
“When you are chasing a score as big as that in 17 overs, you need to carry the momentum through. But losing wickets in bunches didn’t help our cause and took the game away from us,” said Uthappa soon after the match. “I thought we were left chasing far too many in the last four overs. With the ball, our best bowlers did well, but I thought we could have pulled it back a bit.”
Play began an hour and 40 minutes late. The steady pitter-patter of rain meant the outfield was slightly greasy despite the best efforts of the ground staff, which is why Gautam Gambhir’s decision to operate with his spinners for the first six overs came as a surprise. But Uthappa, who spent considerable time at the wicket in his sparkling 47, backed his captain’s call.
“The wicket was dry and was definitely turning. If you saw balls that were bowled slowly, there was a lot of grip and turn,” he reasoned. “Even later on, when there was dew, (Ravindra) Jadeja got the ball to spin sharply and took four wickets. It was definitely a spin-friendly wicket, but there was also lot of bounce, which made it good for batting. We just kept losing wickets.”
As the discussion drifted towards his own form, Uthappa was forthright in his preference to open the batting, and felt it added an extra dimension to his game.
Up until Friday, Uthappa looked off colour while batting lower down the order. It wasn’t as if he was in poor form, but the growing pressure to up the scoring rate and damage the limitation, at times, meant he had to take his chances, which didn’t come off.
“Opening is what I feel comfortable with… I know how to approach and read the game while batting at the top,” he opined. “Setting a foundation is like second nature to me. I’ve been in good form and when I’m opening, I feel I have complete control over my game. In that sense, middle order challenges you a lot more. But then I’m happy to do whatever the team wants from me, whether it’s batting at No. 6 or No. 7. It is important to be flexible in T20 cricket and I’ve grown to understand that.”
Despite the loss, Uthappa chose to look at the positives. Up until the game against Chennai, Yusuf tallied 14 runs in three innings. He was also left out of the side for one game, but upon being brought back, he finally struck form with a valiant 29-ball 41, which included four towering sixes. While it didn’t make a difference to the end result, Uthappa acknowledged Yusuf’s efforts and his importance to the remaining matches.
“I think in T20s, it is important to back your instincts. We need to give ourselves a chance and I thought that is where Yusuf did well for us today. He ate up a few balls at the start, but made up nicely in the end,” said Uthappa. “It’s good to see him get his form back. Tournament-wise, it is important to peak at the right time. We’ve seen positive signs of that happening.
“In a tournament like this, you have to always be ready to experience close games. In the six games, we have played a few close ones. Against RCB, we were in no position to win, but we stole the game. Then unfortunately we couldn’t pull it off against Rajasthan Royals in the Super Over. But then, you can’t be emotional about it. As a unit, there is a healthy vibe and I am sure we will bounce back.”
source: http://www.wisdenindia.com / Wisden India / Home> News Flash / by Wisden India Staff / Rachi – May 03rd, 2014
Joshna Chinappa ended a career-long losing run against Rachael Grinham, beating her 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 in the final to win the inaugural Richmond Open. She is not all happy though, as the fact that the sport isn’t growing in the country makes her sad.
Eyeing her first major title, Dipika Pallikal slipped in the final hurdle, losing 7-11, 11-5, 7-11 in the final against Nour El Sherbini in the Texas Open. In Egypt, Sourav Ghosal gave World No. 1 Gregory Gaultier a scare before eventually succumbing 11-9, 8-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-8 in an opening round contest in the Professional Squash Association World Series event.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sports / by A.S. Ganesh / May 02nd, 2014
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