Category Archives: Sports

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / SKEET : Harmehar Singh Lally & Sanjana Sood Win Silver in Skeet Mixed Team event at ‘ISSF Junior Worlds Championships’ Changwon,Korea

Harmehar and Sanjana had to endure a gruelling 52-shot shoot-off, which they won 26-24 eventually, enroute to the final, where they lost 38-43 to Italian duo of Andrea Galardini and Sara Bongini.

Indian pair of Harmehar Singh Lally and Sanjana Sood on Wednesday bagged a silver medal in the skeet mixed team event in the International Shooting Sport Federation Junior World Championships in Changwon, Korea.

Harmehar and Sanjana had to endure a gruelling 52-shot shoot-off, which they won 26-24 eventually, enroute to the final, where they lost 38-43 to Italian duo of Andrea Galardini and Sara Bongini.

Harmehar and Sanjana shot a combined 140 out of 150 in qualification, but found themselves tied for second place with American pair of Benjamin Keller and Jessi Griffin. The Italians had topped the 16-team field with a score of 141.

A shoot-off between the Indian and the American pair decided the other finalists to take on Italy.

In the shoot-off, the Indian and the American pairs did not miss a single target for the first 48-shots.

As the Indians nailed their 25th and 26th double, the Americans finally missed to settle for a bronze medal.

In the final, Harmehar and Sanjana faced hiccups from the start, missing five of their first 16 targets against the Italian’s two.

Overall, both Harmehar and Sanjana missed five of their 24 targets each in the final, whereas the Italians missed five overall to coast to victory.

In the men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) event, Sartaj Singh Tiwana grabbed the final eighth qualifying spot with a tally of 584, but finished fourth eventually to miss out on a medal.

Sartaj was 0.5 ahead of his Chinese opponent Ye Yishun before the 43rd of the 45-shot final, but an 8.9 to Ye’s 10.2, meant that he fell short by 0.8. Romain Aufrere of France won gold, his second of the championship.

Among other Indians in men’s 3P, Shivam Dabas shot 580 for a 15th place finish, Parikshit Singh Brar fired 579 for the 20th spot, Ramanya Tomer 576 for 27th, Harsh Singla 571 for 41st and Vedant Waghmare shot 571 to finish in 45th overall.

In the women’s 25m pistol as well, Payal Khatri was the only Indian to make it to the final with a score of 578. She too finished fourth with 22-hits as China’s Zuo Qingyi won the gold medal with 34-hits to her name.

Hosts Korea and USA were second and third respectively. Among other Indians Simranpreet Kaur Brar (574) was 15th, Naamya Kapoor (571) 20th, Divyanshi (571) 21st and Meghna Sadula (570) finished 22nd. Tejaswini shot 563 to finish 29th.

China extended the gap with India at the top of the medal standings by picking up two more gold medals on day four of the event.

India have so far won four gold, four silver and three bronze medals in the championship.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ASIA REGION: Indian Boys’ Teams finish with Bronze Medal in TT at the 27th Asian Youth 2023

The two teams failed to cross the semifinal hurdles and ended up with the bronze medals from the outing, a qualification event for the World Youth Championships in Slovenia in December.

India’s U-15 and U-19 boys’ squads defeated Singapore and Hong Kong in the quarterfinals before settling for bronze medals at the 27th Asian Youth 2023 here.

The two teams failed to cross the semifinal hurdles and ended up with the bronze medals from the outing, a qualification event for the World Youth Championships in Slovenia in December.

The U-15 girls lost in the quarterfinals 0-3 to Japan, but the U-19 girls managed to take a game off Japan before bowing out 1-3.

In the Under-15 category, PB Abhinand beat Le Ellsworth of Singapore 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 to set the ball in motion.

Priyanuj Bhattacharyya dropped a game against Xing Yao before overpowering to win 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10, and the two Indians struggled against the pair of Irle Eles and Zhou Jinghe but won 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 6-11, 11-7. In the semi-final on Wednesday, they went down 0-3 to China.

As for the U-19 boys, the Indians had a tough time against Hong Kong, with their quarterfinal going down to the last rubber in which Jash Modi turned the tables against Yiu Kwan to win 6-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-8, 11-2.

Modi, who lost his opening tie to Chan Baldwin Ho Wah 8-11, 5-11, 5-11, lost the first two games to Yiu before pulling up his socks to outwit him and put India in the semi-final.

Earlier, Ankur Bhattacharjee beat Yiu 11-8, 11-8. 11-7 before Divyansh Srivastava defeated Li Hon Man 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 12-10 to seal the fate of Hong Kong players.

Like their juniors, the U-16 boys met championship favourites China in the semi-final and lost 0-3.

In position matches, the Under-19 girls finished seventh after beating Iran 3-0.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / WRESTLING: Sangeeta Phogat Wins Bronze Medal At Hungary Ranking Series Wrestling Tournament

Sangeeta Phogat lost her semifinal but won the bronze play-off 6-2 against young Hungarian Viktoria Borsos, the U-20 World Championship silver medallist.

Sangeeta Phogat, one of the six wrestlers who protested against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at Jantar Mantar, on Saturday won a bronze medal in the non-Olympic 59kg category that featured six grapplers at the Hungary Ranking Series tournament. Sangeeta began with a crushing defeat by fall but bounced back with a win in her second bout. She lost her semifinal but won the bronze play-off 6-2 against young Hungarian Viktoria Borsos, the U-20 World Championship silver medallist. Sangeeta, who won the National Championship in the 62kg last year, began with a defeat by fall against American Jennifer Page Rogers.

The contest lasted just 80 seconds with the American pulling away with a right leg attack that led to a take-down and multiple rolls. Eventually, the American got herself in a position to pin Sangeeta.

In her next bout against America’s Brenda Olivia Reyna, the Indian managed to shake off rust and was quick with her movement. She went into the break with a 4-2 lead and kept consolidating to finally win the bout by technical superiority.

One win and one defeat in six-wrestler draw put her in the semifinal against Poland’s Magdalena Urszula Glodek.

Sangeeta initiated double-leg attacks but lacked power to convert those moves into points. Still she led twice, first 2-0 and then 4-2m but Glodek’s counter-attacking moves were good enough to race to a close 6-4 win.

In the bronze play-off against local favourite Borsos, Sangeeta took the lead with a take-down move. The Hungarian fought back to make it 2-2 but Sangeeta soon launched a fast and furious attack.

Borsos put up a good defence but Sangeeta breached it for a 4-2 lead.

In the second period, Sangeeta did not lose a single point and added two to her kitty to take the bronze medal.

source/content: sports.ndtv.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / IRONMAN: Sadanand Amarapur from Hubballi wins Ironman title in Khazakstan

Cycling and running that began as a hobby for this government officer have now taken him to international success.

Cycling and running that began as a hobby for this young government officer have now taken him to international success with a title win at the International Ironman event in Khazakstan recently.

Meet Sadanand Amarapur who is serving as Assistant Director of the Hubballi Taluk Panchayat; he has successfully completed the triathlon, which demands physical and mental endurance, at Astana in Khazakstan.

In the event organised on July 2, Sadanand Amarapur swam 3.9 km, cycled 180 km and ran 42 km completing the triathlon in 13 hours and 27 minutes bagging the International Ironman title.

Sadanand Amarapur was among the 1,200 athletes from 62 nations who took part in the international event. By successfully completing the physically and mentally demanding event, Sadanand Amarapur has become the first government officer from Karnataka to achieve the feat.

Son of a former police officer Hanumanthappa Amarapur, Sadanand Amarapur initially took to wrestling like his father and participated in national-level wrestling competitions. A native of Ichchangi in Haveri district, Sadanand Amarapur joined government service as Panchayat Development Officer in 2010 and got promoted as Assistant Director (Rural Employment) in 2018.

Sadanand Amarapur, who has received various service awards for his work, took to cycling and running as a hobby and later, they became his passion.

His association with Hubballi-Dharwad cyclists took him to various events and he completed the Tough Man event held in Goa in 2017. By successfully completing a series of Brevets of 200 km, 300 km, 400 km and 600 km in a year, he won the title Super Randonnuer in 2019. And, he completed the Tigerman Duathlon at Nagpur in 2020 and the Herculean Triathlon in Odisha in 2021.

As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, he covered 3,800 km from Kashmir to Kanyakumari on a bicycle carrying the message of Addiction Free India and disseminating information on programmes of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj.

Felicitation

On Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde felicitated and congratulated Sadanand Amarapur for his achievement.

Responding to the felicitation, Sadanand Amarapur attributed his success to the support and cooperation extended by his family, friends and the encouragement he received from senior government officials of the State government.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: REGION – ASIA: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Adjudged as Asia’s Best Member Athletics Federation by the Asian Athletics Association (AAA)

The Athletics Federation of India has been adjudged as the best member federation in Asia by the Asian Athletics Association.

Olympian Adille Sumariwalla, the AFI president, received the award at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Asian Athletics Association in Bangkok on Monday.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / ATHLETICS / DISCUS: Silver for Seema Punia in 33rd Qosanov Memorial Athletics, Kazakhstan, Achieves AFI’s Asiad qualification mark

Discus thrower Seema Punia opened her international season with a season-best 57.35m for a silver medal at the 33rd Qosanov memorial athletics meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Saturday.

That saw the 2014 Asian Games gold medallist, who will be 40 later this month, achieve the Athletics Federation of India’s qualification mark (57m) for this September’s Asian Games in China.

Thailand’s Subenrat Insaeng, a bronze medallist at the 2019 Asian Championship in Doha, took the gold with 59.57m.

Iran’s Farzaneh Fasihi surprised Kazakhstan’s Asian champion Olga Safronova and emerged the meet’s fastest woman, winning the 100m in a personal best 11.41s.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS/ ATHLETICS / JAVELIN: Neeraj Chopra Wins for 02nd Consecutive Time the ‘Diamond League’ Title in Lausanne, Switzerland 

Chopra who started with a foul, had to wait till his fifth throw to lead the field with a distance of 87.66m.

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra clinched the prestigious Diamond League title for the second consecutive time by throwing his spear to 87.66m on Friday.

But the coveted 90m mark eluded the star Indian javelin thrower yet again.

Coming back from a one-month injury lay-off, Chopra’s title-winning performance at the Lausanne leg in challenging conditions was below his own top-10 efforts but he still stamped his authority in the prestigious One-day meet.

The 25-year-old Chopra, who had skipped three top events due to a muscle strain he sustained last month, had won the season-opening Diamond League in Doha on May 5 with his fourth career-best throw of 88.67m.

“I was feeling a bit nervous coming back from an injury. It was a bit cold here tonight. I am still far from my best, but I feel it is getting better,” Chopra said after his win.

It was a cloudy day with the temperature during the men’s javelin throw event recording 17 degree Celsius and humidity at 78 per cent.

“I am relieved it is coming together well for me. A win is a win and I will take that happily.”

Chopra began with a foul and then had 83.52m and 85.04m throws.

He had another foul in the fourth round before coming up with his title-winning throw of 87.66m next.

His sixth and last throw was 84.15m.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to congratulate the champion athlete on his latest achievement.

“Congratulations to @Neeraj_chopra1 for shining at the Lausanne Diamond League. Thanks to his extraordinary performances, he has finished at the top of the table. His talent, dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence is commendable,” PM Modi tweeted.

Germany’s Julian Weber was second with a best throw of 87.03m, while Tokyo Olympics silver medallist and season-leader Jakub Vadlejch (SB: 89.51m) of the Czech Republic was third with an 86.13m effort.

Reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, who has been struggling for form, was fifth with a best throw of 82.23m.

Chopra had won the Lausanne leg in August last year also for his maiden Diamond League title.

A month later, he became the first Indian Diamond League champion after winning the 2022 grand finale in Zurich.

The Indian superstar, who has a personal best of 89.94m, cemented his top spot in the Diamond League standings with 16 points, followed by Vadlejch (13 points) and Weber (12 points).

Following the Lausanne event, men’s javelin throw will also be a part of the roster in the Monaco and Zurich legs on July 21 and August 31 respectively before the Diamond League grand finale in Eugene, USA, on September 16-17.

On May 29, Chopra issued a statement, informing about his injury.

He pulled out of the FBK Games on June 4 at Hengelo (the Netherlands), Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on June 13 and Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic on June 27.

All three meets were World Athletics Continental Tour gold events.

But he did not miss any Diamond League competition as the subsequent legs in Rabat, Rome, Paris and Oslo did not have men’s javelin events on the roster.

In the men’s long jump, India’s Murali Sreeshankar finished fifth with a below-par jump of 7.

88m which he achieved in the third round.

The 24-year-old Sreeshankar, who had clinched the third spot in the Paris leg on June 9 for his maiden Diamond League podium finish, had produced a career-best 8.

41m during the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar earlier this month.

LaQuan Nairn of Bahamas, who beat Sreeshankar for the gold in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, took the top spot with a third-round jump of 8.11m.

Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece was second with an 8.07m effort while Yuki Hashioka of Japan was third with a jump of 7.98m.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS /CRICKET: INDIAN ORIGIN: From Marketing to being Holland’s Matchwinner, Andhra-born Anil Teja Nidamanuru hopes to play World Cup in India

The right-hand batter from Vijayawada hopes his team qualifies for the World Cup so that he can play in India with his family members watching him from the stands.

Chasing a mammoth target of 375 against West Indies in their ICC World Cup Qualifier match in Harare on Monday, the Netherlands were 170/4 after 29.1 overs when skipper Scott Edwards joined Anil Teja Nidamanuru in the middle.

Born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, Anil then stitched together a 143-run partnership with his captain for the fourth wicket. The 28-year-old Anil might have lost his wicket before the Netherlands shocked the two-time world champions in a Super Over thriller but it was his quickfire hundred (111 off 76 balls, 11×4, 3×6), which is also the fastest ODI century by a Dutch player, that kept his team in the match.

Having played 16 ODIs for the Dutch side so far, Anil must have enjoyed the latest innings the most. The win could act as a catalyst for the team as the Netherlands now have a realistic chance of making it to the World Cup scheduled in India in October-November this year. And Anil would definitely want that to happen as he wants to exhibit his skills in a country where it all started more than two decades ago.

“It will be a dream come true to come to India and play. India loves cricketers, it’s a part of their culture. It would mean everything to me, especially with my family in attendance. Having them at the ground would be nicer,” the right-hand batter told this daily from Harare after his team’s memorable victory.

With his mother Padmavathi Pallekona studying and working in Singapore, Anil grew up at his grandparents’ home in Vijayawada.

“My grandfather Pitchia Shastri bought me the first cricket bat there (Vijayawada) and encouraged me to play. When I was six, my mother got a job in Auckland and we both moved to New Zealand. Say it a coincidence, my mother’s hospital where she got the job was next to Cornwall Cricket Club, the venue where Kiwi greats like Martin Crowe and Mark Greatbatch honed their talent. I also started training there once we settled in Auckland.”

Anil played age-group cricket in the city before making his List A debut for Auckland Aces at the age of 23 in 2018. He also went on to play T20 and one-dayers for the team but given the tough competition, he could never become the permanent fixture of the team.

“I worked very hard to get into that team but never managed to cement my place. The best way to continue playing cricket was to go abroad so I started playing as an overseas professional for clubs in England. The weather permitted me to do so as when it was winter in New Zealand, it was summer in England. So in that way, I could play cricket throughout the year.”

‘Played cricket after working 40 hours a week’

However, by then Anil, who also bowls right-arm off-break, has started looking for a full-time contract. He had two options back then — either move to Ireland or Netherlands.

“In 2019, I decided to go to the Netherlands for six months. But the stint which was supposed to be of six months extended as I got a job in the marketing department of a technology company. My initial aim was to live and work hard but somewhere back in my mind there was always that dream of playing cricket. Work was the driving force but cricket was my passion. So despite working 40 hours a week, I started doing fitness training in the morning and cricket training in the evening after work.”

The hard work paid off as he made his international debut against West Indies in an ODI on May 31 last year. His team might have lost the match but Anil scored an unbeaten 58 to impress all and sundry.

“The team management is very understanding. They are very supportive as they let me work as well as play. I know hard work is the only option so I make maximum use of time I have after work. But it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Netherlands coaches, support staff and everyone associated with the game in the country. The coaches especially head coach Ryan Cook take time out for me so that I can do one-on-one quality training. The trainers, the support staff they all are very supportive.”

Speaking on the game plan while chasing the improbable total against the mighty West Indies, Anil said, “Chasing 375, there is only one way to play. The openers gave us a good platform. Given the momentum we had, we just have to be positive. As far as I was concerned, my strategy was to be positive for the first 2-3 balls of every over. The icing on the cake is the Super Over win. It really means a lot as a century wouldn’t have made me happy had we lost the game. Credit goes to the boys, the coaching and support staff.”

‘Kohli, a role model on and off the field’

Like many players across the globe, Anil is a big fan of India’s star batter, Virat Kohli.

“Of course, it has to be Kohli for a number of reasons. I have scored only two international centuries so far but here is he who has scored more than 70 hundreds. I really loved the way he goes about his game. We played against him in the T20 World Cup in Australia. I was amazed at how he constructed his innings. Besides, the way he carries himself off the field. He is fully professional and a fitness freak. Basically a role model both on and off the field.”

Anil tries to visit India at least once a year but his work and cricket commitments mean he is forced to miss the trip quite often. The last time he visited the country was in March 2021.

“My grandfather passed away five years ago but my grandmother still lives there. I really hope we make it to the World Cup so that I come to India and play with my grandmother and family members watching me from the stands,” signed off Anil.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

ASIA: SPORT / HOCKEY: Junior Men’s Asia Cup Hockey | India Emerge Champions for the 04th time, beats Pakistan 2-1 in final

This was India’s fourth title, having earlier won the tournament in 2004, 2008 and 2015. Pakistan have won the tournament in 1987, 1992 and 1996.

India’s junior men’s hockey team maintained its continental supremacy as it beat arch-rivals Pakistan 2-1 to emerge Asia Cup champions for the fourth time here on Thursday.

Angad Bir Singh (13th minute) and Araijeet Singh Hundal (20th) scored for India while Pakistan managed to pull one back through Abdul Basharat (37th).

This was India’s fourth title, having earlier won the tournament in 2004, 2008 and 2015. Pakistan have won the tournament in 1987, 1992 and 1996.

Recognising the team’s effort and the unbeaten record in the prestigious tournament which saw the country qualify for the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup in Malaysia, the Hockey India Executive Board announced a cash award of ₹2 lakh each for the players and ₹1 lakh each for support staff.

India went on the offensive from the first minute as they quickly earned a penalty corner through their first move. It was Sudeep Chirmako, who entered from the left wing and found the feet of a Pakistani defender but the subsequent chance went abegging.

India’s failure to convert penalty corner again came to light in the sixth minute when Sunit Lakra’s drag-flick was saved by the Pakistani goalkeeper.

However in the 12th minute of the opening quarter, India drew first blood when Angad Bir Singh tapped one home from close range after Araijeet Singh Hundal’s shot was deflected off the goalmouth melee.

Hundal, one of the brightest talents among Indian hockey’s Gen-Next, increased the lead to 2-0 as he received a delivery at the centre of the striking circle. He controlled and took a turn and smashed the ball home.

India made repeated raids into the Pakistan defensive third but the finish was lacking on most occasions even as they took a healthy 2-0 lead at half-time.

However, Pakistan pressed hard after the breather and it was Abdul Basharat, who pulled one back in the 37th minute when Abdul Shahid set the former up with a perfect assist.

The final quarter saw Pakistan make a flurry of attacks with as they got at least three penalty corners in quick succession.

In the 50th minute, Indian custodian Mohith Shashikumar made a diving save when Arbaz Ayaz tried to deflect a penalty corner from the left side of the Indian goal.

They got another penalty corner but Nadeem Khan’s attempt was off-target. The Indians managed to stave off the waves of attack and then did well enough in the final moments to keep their slender one-goal lead intact.

Congratulating the team, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey said, “The team has shown great promise over the past few months, particularly after their historic win at the Sultan of Johor Cup they have become a dominant force and I believe this big win will hold them in good stead for the Junior World Cup later this year.

“Hockey India has decided to honour the players for this feat with a befitting cash award. I congratulate the team and the support staff for their efforts.”

Speaking about the tense final, India team captain Uttam Singh, who was adjudged the Player of the Match, said, “After the 1-1 draw in the round robin stage, we were very aware of the areas we had to do well in order to beat Pakistan. It was quite a nervous Final. The team had never played in front of such a big crowd but I think created early goals helped us stay in control of the game.” India coach C.R. Kumar said the win was a good team effort.

“It came down to executing our opportunities. Though I feel we could have scored a few more goals, when you are playing a big opponent like Pakistan there is a lot of pressure. But I am very happy with the way the players controlled their emotions and played to their potential.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

ASIA: SPORTS / VOLLEYBALL: India Clinches Gold in Central Asian Volleyball Associations (CAVA) Volleyball Challenge Cup for Women

India defeated Kazakhstan 25-15, 25-22, 25-18 in the final to clinch gold in the Central Asian Volleyball Associations (CAVA) Volleyball Challenge Cup for Women in Kathmandu on Sunday.

Professor Dr. Achyuta Samanta, MP and president, Volleyball Federation of India (VFI), S. Vasudevan, chairman, VFI, and other office-bearers congratulated the players and the coaching staff.

The team was led by Nirmal Tanwar. Pritam Singh Chauhan was the head coach and Vaishali Phadtare the assistant coach.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)