K Srinivas of Hyderabad, reigning national carrom champion and title winner of International Tourney of ‘Champion of Champions,’ on Tuesday lifted the men’s singles and men’s doubles titles at the 4th Carrom World Cup being held at Maldives. His win brought two gold medals to India.
Women singles title was lifted by former world cup winner and two times world champion Rashmi Kumari of India. She defeated Kavita Somanchi of India in straight sets. India has also won the women’s doubles Carrom World Cup 2014 title.
The Indian pair, P Jayashree and Rashmi, secured the champion title by winning both the sets in the final match played with yet another Indian pair, Kajol and Kavitha.
India has secured the top two titles of the women’s event.
In the championship, 17 countries including India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Qatar and Pakistan are participating.
Dr. Neeraj Sampathy, general secretary of Andhra Pradesh Carrom Association, is the coach of the Indian team.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / September 17th, 2014
Mohammed Ahmed with his coach Ismail Baig. Photo: V.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu
The 20-year-old Mohammad Ahmed has every reason to look back with a sense of pride after winning the bronze medal being part of the Indian coxed eights team in the Asian Games in his very first appearance.
“It was an unforgettable experience for me. To win a medal in my first Asiad is something which I never dreamt off. I am grateful to Ismail Sir (pointing to coach),” exclaims the young CPRF constable.
“We all enjoyed every moment of the race. It could have been great if only we had won a gold for which we were all confident,” says Ahmed, who incidentally picked his third medal at the Asian level.
‘My dream’
“My dream is to be part of the Indian rowing team for the 2016 Olympics. I am confident I will realise that goal too,” says the smiling young rower, who loves watching soccer and also plays gully cricket whenever he finds time.
The youngest of all the Indian rowers in the Incheon Asian Games is born in a family which survives on his father Mohammad Ismail’s meat shop in the by-lanes of Kavadiguda.
This enterprising young rower took to the sport during one of the routine trips with his father who supplies meat to the rowing contingent as part of their daily diet.
India’s chief national coach and Dronacharya Ismail Baig was quick to spot the spark in the young boy and coaxed him to rowing.
The rest is history. Ahmed won gold in the Kolkata Senior Nationals in the coxed four event, bronze in the Hyderabad Nationals in the coxed eight team and later a silver in the Asian championship later on in Korea.
Later on, he has been groomed as the ‘cox’ in the Indian eights team which also has the 2010 Asiad gold medallist Bajrang Lal Thakkar. Technically, he is supposed to give direction to the team to be straight and keep track of the wind conditions and guide the rowers accordingly.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V.V.Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – September 29th, 2014
Sania Mirza has lauded Indian tennis team’s performance at the 17th Asian Games, given that the country did not come with the best unit possible for the event. Photo: PTI/ File
Incheon:
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza feels the five medals that the team has managed to grab at the ongoing Asian Games is a pretty good performance given that the country did not come with the best unit possible for the event.
“It has been a pretty good week. We (she and Prarthana Thombare) got a medal (bronze) in women’s doubles which is huge because it’s something that we never did. I had to be the leader. It’s a young team we came here with, didn’t come with the best team possible, especially with the guys. Five medals (including today’s) is pretty good,” she said ahead of the mixed doubles semifinals with Saket Myneni at the Yeorumul Tennis Centre.
Hyderabad and Dubai-based Sania spoke to reporters as the matches for the day had been put off due to continuous rains at Incheon since Sunday night. The 27-year-old Indian tennis star, who was initially inclined towards skipping the Games to gain doubles points on the WTA tour before changing her mind, said the reason was to provide the country with its best shot at picking up more medals in these Games, her fourth on the trot.
“The minute I made the decision to come here, I knew it was the right decision. For me the most important thing was to give India the best chance of winning as many medals as possible. I did what I could and I got two in the two events I played (women’s doubles and mixed doubles where she and Myneni will fight for the gold). “I am happy that there was my contribution. Personally it’s my fourth Asian Games in a row and I have got medals in every single Asian Games I have been to. For me to get eight medals in the last four editions is pretty good,” she remarked.
Before the current Games she had won a gold (in mixed doubles in 2006 in Doha), three silver medals (women’s singles and team in 2006 and in mixed doubles in 2010 at Guangzhou) and two bronze medals (women’s singles and doubles in Guangzhou). Besides, she also won silver (singles) and bronze (doubles) in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Sania said she has played her part as a mentor to her women teammates here who are of the same age as her younger sister and is hoping they win medals on their own in the next Games which are scheduled at Jakarta in 2018.
“I have a good rapport with these girls and I am always there to help if they ask. They are all of my sister’s age, like babies for me. They are 7-8 years younger than me. I am sharing a room with one of them.”
“Most definitely these are the best youngsters we have had in a while. My doubles partner (Prarthana) has some potential and is still pretty young. We need to build on this. I hope this gives them a lot of confidence that they can achieve certain things,” Sania said.
“I have held this flag for a long time. It will be great to pass it on to someone else. Hopefully by the next Asian Games, they will be ready to win a medal by themselves,” she added.
Sania, who was the world no 23 at her peak in singles, pointed out quite a few factors like lack of guidance and proper coaching as reasons for the other Indian women being unable to break into even the top 200 In singles.
“There are a few reasons. I definitely think planning is one of them, lack of knowledge and lack of maybe even coaching abilities at certain levels. I think a lot of coaches in India haven’t seen what it takes to really make it because they have not produced anyone nor have they been at that level. “I am not saying you need to be a great tennis player to be a coach, but you need to have watched at the highest level to be a good coach. The best they might have watched is the WTA event a few years ago.”
She also said that most of the women players are content to play at the USD 25,000 level which was simply not enough to go places in the world. “Tennis is very competitive these days. Physically as well they struggle a bit, there are a bunch of reasons. I have been trying to help them with scheduling, trying to tell them which tournament to take part in.”
“First of all they need to come out of the USD 25000 tournaments try and believe they can do better at the bigger tournaments. That’s one of the main things. That’s where they have to perform,” Sania said.
“You are not going to play these for the rest of your life. If you do so you will remain in the 300 rankings for the rest of your career. That’s what they have been doing, go for the easier options. It’s not because they want to but because of lack of guidance at certain levels. About her own career and her immediate plans she said she was leaving Tuesday morning to play in the September 27-October 5 China Open with Cara Black, and would probably play Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s been rough last couple of weeks. Since the US open I have not had any time really. I came back after New York and had literally three days at home. I was not even over jetlag when I left for Tokyo and then came here. It’s a good problem to have, it has been busy. After that I go to Singapore (for the WTA season-ending finals),” she said.
Saina said her season so far, especially the second half, has been pretty good and she wanted to finish it on a high. “It’s been a great year and especially the second half of the season has been unbelievable. Hopefully we (she and Black) can finish on a high, can win here (with Thombare) and hopefully go to Singapore which has been the highlight of my career. I want to do well there,” she said.
Anup Kumar Yama of India who won two gold and three silver in the Asian roller-skating championship which concluded in China on Thursday. By Arrangement
Brushing aside the “huge disappointment” of roller-skating being excluded from the on-going Incheon Asian Games, Hyderabad’s Anup Kumar Yama has re-asserted his class in the Asian Championship in China on Thursday with two gold and three silver.
Anup won a gold each in figure skating, combines (figure and artistic), a silver each in inline free-style, artistic skating and pair dance (with Praneeta). He also won bronze medals in the men’s free-style and pair skating events in the 2010 Guangzhou Asiad.
The 28-year-old, a 2013 World Champion in the inline skating category, is widely perceived to be the face of Indian skating at the Asian and the World levels by the sheer weight of his performances – eight gold, five silver and nine bronze in the Asian level competitions besides a bronze in the 2012 World championship and the gold in the 2013 edition.
“Missing Incheon Asiad is a huge blow. So, the onus was on me to prove what I can achieve. Glad that I could prove it again,” says Anup. He has now set sight on the world championship in Spain where he will be defending his title.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – September 26th, 2014
Maintaining her rich vein of form in the current season, Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her partner Cara Black successfully defended their Tokyo Open title. Photo: AFP/ File
Tokyo:
Maintaining her rich vein of form in the current season, Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her Zimbabwean partner Cara Black today bagged the women’s doubles title at the WTA Toray Pacific Open with a 6-2 7-5 victory over Spain’s Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro.
With the win, Sania and Cara have successfully defended their Tokyo Open title, which is a USD 1 million event.
For Sania, it will be icing on the cake after her US Open mixed doubles triumph with Brazilian partner Bruno Soares. She would now spearhead the nation’s challenge at the Incheon Asian Games in what will be a depleted tennis contingent in the absence of Leander Paes, Rohan Bopanna and Somdev Devvarman.
Sania, will either pair with left-handed Divij Sharan or big-serving Saketh Myneni in the mixed doubles event, where India have a genuine chance of winning a medal.
In the final today, Sania-Cara pair took just an hour and 15 minutes to dispose off the Spanish challenge as their opponents were no match for them. The Indo-Zimbabwean pair had a greater percentage (73%) of points won on first serve while they broke their opponents seven times in the match.
Former National tennis champion Shaikh Jafreen (in the hearing impaired category) was in for a pleasant surprise at the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy in Hyderabad on Friday morning when the three-time Grand Slam winner Sania Mirza walked across to present a cheque of Rs. 5 lakhs to the former to help her prepare for the major events lined up over the next few months.
The 17-year-old Jafreen shifted her base to Hyderabad at the initiative of Sania Mirza and joined the SMTA last year. Ever since, she has been given free coaching and also being mentored personally by the star tennis player.
Only on Thursday, Telangana State Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao presented a cheque of Rs. 1 crore to Sania, who is brand ambassador of the State Government, as incentive for winning the US Open mixed doubles title.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Miscellaneous> Others / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – September 13th, 2014
Newly-elected Hyderabad Cricket Association joint-secretary R. Vijayanand (left), president Arshad Ayub (centre) and secretary K. John Manoj flash the victory sign after sweeping the elections at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal on Sunday
Hyderabad:
The Arshad Ayub-John Manoj panel swept the Hyderabad Cricket Association elections, winning all 10 office-bearers’ posts by handsome margins on Sunday. While each of the winners polled more than 100 votes, none from the ruling group could cross double digits. Counting of votes for the 12 Executive Committee member posts was still on at the time of this edition going to bed.
In a 208-ballot battle after nine votes were rendered invalid, Arshad defeated G. Vinod 133-75 for the presidential chair. John Manoj was elected secretary. He beat acting secretary S. Venkateshwaran 119-89.R. Devraj dislodged Naresh Sharma from the treasurer’s post with a 115-93 verdict while R. Vijayanand and sitting member Purushottam Agarwal were elected joint secretaries, having polled 144 and 135 votes respectively. The two were involved in a tie (106 votes each) which was broken by a draw of lots by outgoing president Arshad Ayub in the previous elections in 2012.
As many as eight sitting members lost their seats this time around. Among the prominent losers are president and former state minister G. Vinod, his brother and Member of Parliament G. Vivekanand and BCCI cricket operations manager and former secretary M. V. Sridhar. M. Narender Goud (148 votes), Surender Agarwal (142), Prakash Chand Jain (123), Syed Moizuddin (123) and P. Yadagiri (122) are the five vice presidents.
Selection panels to be revamped
Soaking in the heady win, Arshad reiterated his group’s pre-poll promise of cricket first. “Development of the game will be our main focus,” he said.Arshad also said the selection panels appointed by the previous committee much after their tenure in office was over, would be revamped. “We will change the committees and bring in fresh faces,” he said.
Asked about the unhealthy financial situation in the Association, Arshad said: “We will have to make do with it… will cut short on expenditure and try and invest more in infrastructure.”John Manoj vowed to do his best. “I will work to the best of my ability and will ensure all matters pertaining to cricket will be decided at EC meetings,” the newly-elected secretary said.
The office-bearers
President: Arshad Ayub Vice-presidents: M. Narender Goud, Surender K. Agarwal, Prakash Chand Jain,Syed Moizuddin, P. Yadagiri Secretary: K. John Manoj Joint secretaries: R. Vijayanand, Purushottam Agarwal Treasurer: R. Devraj
Kartekas from Hyderabad-based Okinawa Martial Arts Academy Sharath Verma, Tatikonda Kinshuk, M. Mohit and V. Saketh who won medals in the recent World karate championship in London are seen with their coaches and officials in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Photo: V.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu
They left the shores almost unnoticed and came back with a highly creditable three silver and a bronze. From the indoor hall of YMCA Okinawa Martial Arts Academy in Secunderabad to the London World Championship and back home with medals, it has been a memorable journey for karatekas – Sharath Verma (silver in 75 kg category), Tatikonda Kinshuk (silver in below 50 kg), M. Mohit (silver in the 25 kg for under-10 age group) and V. Saketh (bronze in the below 55 kg for under-16 years).
By virtue of being national champions in their respective categories, the karatekas found their way into the Indian team. In fact, four of the five-member squad hail from the city with the fifth being Aashmi Ashishe of Odisha (a silver medalist) and training here for the last few weeks under the tutelage of Grand Master S. Srinivasan and C.S. Shihan Sai Kumar.
Though there were very few to acknowledge their feat in the corridors of AP Olympic Bhavan in the city when they came a few days ago, it did not seem to matter to them. “This performance comes as a huge morale-booster for all those passionate about martial arts. We have a membership of over two lakh across India and about 100 in and around the city,” says Mr. Srinivasan.
Mr. Sai Kumar is grateful to Mahesh Kumar Goud, chief of the newly-formed Telangana Karate Federation, for getting financial help to Kinshuk.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – September 06th, 2014
Left teary-eyed after her Indianness was put into question just weeks back, tennis star Sania Mirza dedicated her US Open title to the country and the new state of Telangana, where her appointment as brand ambassador triggered a political furore.
Last night, the first-time combination of Sania and Brazil’s Bruno Soares clicked brilliantly as they secured a close win in the final to win the mixed doubles trophy.
“I am very happy, it’s great to win it with Bruno. For the first time we played together, it’s been great two weeks.
I dedicate this victory to everybody in India, my country, and to the state of Telangana and all people of Telangana,” Sania said from New York after winning the final.
“I am extremely ecstatic, it’s a dream come true, hopefully many more will come,” said the 27-year-old.
Sania’s third career Grand Slam came barely a month after she was branded ‘daughter-in-law’ of Pakistan by a BJP leader due to her marriage with cricketer Shoaib Malik. The comment was triggered by the Telangana government’s decision to appoint her brand ambassador of the newly-created state.
The Hyderabadi was forced to issue a statement to assert her roots and was seen breaking down on news channels while trying to do so.
Asked if the controversy played on her mind during the US Open campaign, Sania said she believes in moving forward and remains focussed on her game after stepping into the court.
“I don’t think we should focus on the negatives,” said Sania, who is first Indian female player and only the third from the country after Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes to have won Grand Slam titles.
Sania and Bruno were cruising in the Match Tie break and had five championship points after securing a comfortable 9-4 lead but a flurry of errors threatened to devastate their hopes.
Local hope Abigail Spears and Santiago Gonzalez made it 9-9 and looked like snatching it away from the Indo-Brazilian top seeds.
“We all had our hearts in our mouths at that point but we just tried to be positive and do whatever we could, help each other out and come out on top,” Sania said recalling the crunch moment.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport / by PTI / September 06th, 2014
Bruno Soares, left, and Sania Mirza pose for photos with the championship trophy after defeating Abigail Spears and Santiago Gonzalez in the mixed doubles final of the 2014 U.S. Open tennis tournament
New York:
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza clinched her third mixed doubles Grand Slam title as she and her partner Bruno Soares overcame a few anxiuous moments in the Match Tie break to win the US Open, here today. The top seeded Indo-Brazilian pair squandered five straight championship points before scoring a 6-1 2-6 11-9 win over Abigail Spears from the USA and Santiago Gonzalez from Mexico in exactly 60 minutes.
Spears sent a backhand volley long after making it 9-9from 4-9, as Sania and Soares heaved a sigh of relief. It was first time that Sania and Soares were playing together as a pair.
“Playing with him is a lot of fun. He did not play withme all these years not sure why?,” Sania gushed after the win and confirmed that the pairing will continue for the
Australian Open. Sania’s previous titles came with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi. They won Australian Open in 2009 and French Open in 2012.
The 27-year old had reached the Australian Open mixed doubles final this year also but ended runners-up with Romanian partner Horea Tecau. Sania played well in the women’s doubles also, making the semifinals with Zimbabwe’s Cara Black.
