Daily Archives: October 23, 2017

Denmark Open: Kidambi Srikanth wins third Super Series title

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Srikanth beat a man 12 years his senior | Photo Credit: Reuters

Beats Korean veteran Lee Hyun II 21-10 21-5 in a match that lasted just 25 minutes

Kidambi Srikanth clinched his third Super Series Premier title with a dominating straight-game victory over Korean veteran Lee Hyun II in a lopsided final of the USD 750,000 Denmark Open here on Sunday.

Playing an opponent 12 years his senior, Srikanth asserted his dominance with a 21-10 21-5 win over 37-year-old Lee in a match that lasted just 25 minutes here.

World No. 8 Srikanth didn’t give any chances to the more experienced Lee, who looked a pale shadow of the man, who had beaten World No. 2 Son Wan Ho in the semi-finals yesterday.

The duo were tied 4-4, before Srikanth changed gears and used his deception and powerful smashes to lead 9-5.

A return going to the net gave a point to Lee but Srikanth produced a brilliant cross court net dribble to bamboozle his opponent and moved into the break with a healthy 11-6 lead when the Korean went wide.

Lee had no answers to Srikanth’s razor-sharp smashes and cross court returns as the Indian led 14-8. Lee also made judgement errors at the baseline and also miscued his strokes as Srikanth extended his advantage to 17-8 with another smash.

The Korean hit two long shots and then sent one at the net to hand over a 20-8 lead to Srikanth.

The Indian made two unforced errors to allow Lee get into doubles figures. But Lee again erred with the length of his return as Srikanth pocketed the first game.

In the second game, Srikanth stepped on the gas and zoomed to a 11-1 lead even as Lee struggled with his strokes, hitting wide and long and often finding the net.

Post mid-game break, Lee produced a steep cross court return, much to the cheer of the sizable crowd who had turned out to watch the finals. The Korean lacked anticipation as Srikanth smashed his way to the title.

Ratchanok Inthanon takes title

Earlier, 2013 World Champion Ratchanok Inthanon produced another gritty display to stave off the challenge from World No. 5 and defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 14-21 21-15 21-19 to win her first title of the season.

“I didn’t think about winning or losing. I just wanted to give my best for our beloved King, who passed away last year. It has been difficult for us and I am happy I could find the mental strength and power to win today,” a teary-eyed Inthanon said.

Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest- reigning monarch, had passed away last year after 70 years as head of state.

Among other matches, Hong Kong’s eighth seeded mixed doubles pair of Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet, who had clinched the 2012 Japan Open Super Series, notched up their maiden major title.

They defeated top-seeded Chinese combo of Zheng Siwei and Chen Qingchen 24-22 19-21 23-21 in a thrilling contest that lasted a little less than an hour.

Korea’s women’s doubles pair of Lee So Hee and Shin Seung Chan, who had won the 2014 World championship bronze medal at Denmark, dished out another sensational performance to outwit Japanese sixth seeds Shiho Tanaka and Koharu Yonemoto 21-13 21-16 to clinch the title.

Chinese pair of Liu Cheng and Zhang Nan, seeded fifth, defeated second seeded Indonesian combo of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 21-16 22-24 21-19 in the men’s doubles final clash.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sport / by PTI / Odense – October 22nd, 2017

Secunderabad Railway Station is India’s first Green Railway Station

Business & Economy, Records, All

The six modules involved in the evaluation of the Secunderabad station were sustainable station facility; health; hygiene and sanitation; energy efficiency; water efficiency; smart and green initiatives and innovation and development.

Hyderabad:

The Secunderabad Railway Station has earned the distinction of being the first railway station in the country to be certified as a ‘Green Railway Station’ by the Indian Green Building Council – Confederation of Industry (IGBC-CII), in association with Indian Railways.

The Station has bagged the coveted Silver Rating in the category, according to an SCR release. The IGBC-CII, with the support of Environment Directorate of the Indian Railways had developed the Green Railway Stations Rating system to facilitate adoption of Green Concepts to reduce adverse environmental impacts due to station operation and maintenance and enhance overall commuter experience.

The six modules involved in the evaluation of the Secunderabad station were sustainable station facility; health; hygiene and sanitation; energy efficiency; water efficiency; smart and green initiatives and innovation and development.

Tai Lee Siang, chairman, and Terri Wills, chief executive officer, World Green Building Council presented a shield, plaque and certification to SCR officials during the Green Building Congress-2017 at Jaipur last week. The certification is valid for three years.

Vinod Kumar Yadav, General Manager, SCR who was instrumental in drawing up the plan to meet norms for the Green Railway Station Certification, congratulated officials involved in the exercise.

Secunderabad Railway Station holds a total area of 13.34 acres and has 408 different species of trees available in the station area. Organic fertilizers and pesticides are being used while solar photo voltaic installations cover 41.2% of the exposed station roof area.

A 500 Kwp solar plant was installed in 2016, generating 2,500 units of power per day, accounting for 37% of energy requirements of the station, and leading to savings of Rs.72.92 lakh annually.

With 4,864 fixtures, Secunderabad station is 100% LED lit as well. Other green initiatives here include a 5lakh-litre Sewerage Treatment Plant, central waste collection, bottle crushing machine, CO2 sensors at AC waiting halls and rainwater harvesting pits.

source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Hyderabad / By Telangana Today / October 11th, 2017

Lo and behold the magnificient murrahs of Telangana

Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion

Eemaata, eemaata, yuvarajula sye aata… (What a delight it is, this dance of the princes…) Thus goes the popular song that best encapsulates the essence of Sadar festival aka Telangana’s very own ‘Dunnapothula Panduga’. Its English translation, ‘Buffalo Carnival of Telangana’ doesn’t quite have the same ring somehow. That’s besides the point though. For this festival is a celebration of the buffaloes — the ‘dancing princes’ that the aforementioned lines of the Sadar song extol. And the star attraction of this year’s festivities were the magnificent Murrah quartet — Raja, Dara, Maharaja and Shahenshah — each weighing well over 1,200 kilos!

As their proud handlers rave about the USP of these hulking bulls, your jaw drops in amazement. “The 4-year-old Raja weighs close to 1300 kg and is a 12-time National Livestock Champion. Maharaja, 6, from Chevella is a 6ft 2 inch-tall 1400-kg alpha male who makes for a breathtaking sight. Then there is Dara, son of the 24-time National Livestock Champion, Yuvraj, who’s fathered over 2,00,000 calves. Like his massive father, Dara tips the scales over 1,300 kgs. And the most expensive of them all is four-and-a-half year old Shahenshah who towers at a staggering 7 ft and weighs a whopping 1500 kilos,” say brothers Mahesh Yadav and Madhukar Yadav, organisers of the Sadar festivities which were held in Srinagar Colony on Friday night.

Bred and raised in Hyderabad, Shahenshah is hailed as the pride of Telangana by E Haribabu Yadav, state general secretary, All India Yadav Mahasabha. “Recently a buyer offered `25 crore to buy Shahenshah but his owner Ahmed Alam Khan refused to sell,” says Haribabu, adding, “Shahenshah was bred and groomed with the intention of beating the celebrated super bull Yuvraj of Hissar (Haryana),” says Haribabu who organised the Sadar festivities in Musheerabad on Saturday night.

And it seems like he’s already living up to expectations. Shahenshah recently entered the record books as the ‘World’s Most Expensive Bull’. “Shahenshah is one of the finest specimens of the murrah breed of buffalos that is ethnic to India. Standing 7 ft tall and 15 ft long, this bull is the pride of India,” says Suman Palle, CEO, High Range Book of World Records.

“The price of a bull is determined by the value of it’s semen which is much in demand. Each ejaculation fetches anywhere between `1,00,000 to `1,50,000. Hundreds of doses are prepared from the semen discharged during every ejaculation which is frozen in liquid nitrogen and sold to dairy farmers,” explains Ahmed Aalam Khah.

These bulls lead a charmed life indeed. “We spend about `4,000- `5,000 every day. They are given oil baths three times a day and it has a couple of attendants looking after it all day. Shahenshah drinks 30-40 litres of milk mixed with raw eggs every day. It’s diet consists of 100-150 apples, laddus made of kaju, pista, badam and dates, concentrates, green grass and hay.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Hyderabad News / by Karthik Pasupalate / TNN / October 23rd, 2017