All posts by mpositiveone@gmail.com

An ‘awesome’ winning bond

December 14, 2014Sportsmpositiveone@gmail.com

Lucknow:

Old wisdom suggests dogs are man’s best friend, but ask Lt Col Faiz Siddiqui (35), one of the youngest national-level polo players in the country and he will give you a different answer.

After spending more than eight years with his favorite 12-year-old half-bred bay colored horse ‘Awesome’, he believes horses are one of the most loyal, interactive and steadfast companions one can ever have.

An accomplished polo player, Lt Col Faiz Siddiqui is just back from England after playing a Polo tournament. He is in the city competing for the Awadh Polo Sunshine Cup at Surya Parisar ground. Representing Torpedos (the Army Service Corps team from Bangalore) Faiz has been one of the top scorers in all the league matches but for every achievement on the ground, the players gives credit to Awesome.

Despite knowing that Awesome, being an Army horse, can never be permanently owned by him, Faiz has developed a very special bond with him. He makes sure even after the training session he spends quality time with Awesome, understanding his needs, mood swings and treating him with his favourite food, jaggery.

Recalling his first encounter with Awesome, Faiz, said Awesome was one of the naughtiest polo ponies he had ever come across and to tame him was one of the most tedious tasks for him. But for Faiz, the initial one and a half years of the training period during which he got to know Awesome is one of the most cherished periods of his life.

“Awesome is equally dear to my family. He is especially attached to my six-year-old daughter who loves to ride on him. Each time Awesome makes her sit on him he takes immense care truly acting as a responsible elder brother,” he added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Uzma Talha, TNN / December 13th, 2014

Indian Soldiers of World War I Remembered

December 14, 2014Community Involvement / Social Issues, Travel & Tourism, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

Diplomats of France, Germany, Britain and Turkey along with Telangana representative BV Papa Rao (centre) paying homage to Indian soldiers of World War I memorial monument in Hyderabad on Friday | a suresh kumar

Hyderabad :

After 100 years of the first World War, Hyderabad hosted a rare moment where the diplomats from the belligerent countries of the historic war came together on a single platform to pay homage to the Indian soldiers who died fighting the war.

France and Britain together fought against Germany in World War-I. In fact they were rivals in the second World War as well.

The diplomats of the all three countries along with the Consul General of Turkey, shook hands with each other on the same stage and prayed for the world peace here on Friday.

This took place at the ‘World War-I monument’ at Chaderghat during the Commemoration Day of the Indian soldiers who died fighting the first World War. The historic monument which is located right next to the victory ground at Chaderghat was built in 1920 by the locals in the memory of Indian soldiers. Recalling the sacrifice of the soldiers, Andrew McAllister, the British deputy high commissioner in Hyderabad said, “We can’t forget the sacrifice they made in the war. This is a great opportunity for all of us to recall our past and build a bright future.” He also highlighted the role of Hyderabad in the World War. “Many soldiers from the Nizam’s Army fought in the war. In fact the Begumpet Airport played a key role as the air base for British empire during the war,” he added.

Achim Fabig, the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany described the meet as a symbol of peaceful world today. “Once our countries fought against each other, but now we all are here and we all want the world to be peaceful” he said. Talking about current diplomatic relations, he said, now all the countries are making efforts to build friendly relationships with each other and it is indeed a good sign.

This commemoration meet was organised by the INTACH, Hyderabad chapter in collaboration with the Alliance Francaise, Hyderabad. “This monument has a great history and it needs to be recognised. This the reason we organised the event,” said P Anuradha Reddy, convenor, ITACH Hyderabad. Eric Lavertu, Consul General of France and Merad Omerogul, Consul General of Turkey were also present at the event.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / December 13th, 2014

Stars bask in awards glory

December 14, 2014Sports, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

Bengaluru :

Governor Vajubhai Vala congratulated the top athletes and coaches of Karnataka including Asiad gold medalists Ashwini Akkunji (athletics) and Sushmitha Pawar (kabaddi) on Wednesday for winning the Karnataka Olympic Association (KOA) awards 2014 and said more laurels could be won through the combined efforts of state government and KOA.

Addressing the gathering in Raj Bhavan, Vala said the state can be proud of its achievements in sports. “I’m happy to note that there are seven players in the Indian hockey team from Karnataka. Likewise, there are many others from the state who have done well at the international level,” the governor said after giving away KOA’s special awards to hockey players SV Sunil, Nikkin Thimmaiah, VR Raghunath, discus thrower Vikas Gowda, badminton player Ashwini Ponnappa, pistol shooter PN Prakash and other medal winners at the Incheon Asian Games.

The governor also recalled the Gujarat model of sports development which is now rated highly. “There is competition at the village, district and zonal level before they reach the state level and winners at all these levels are rewarded,” said Vala, who also served as the finance minister of Gujarat.

He also exhorted all youngsters to take up sports. “Today we see the absence of good character in many youngsters and that’s why sport is important as it helps in character building,” he said.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah stayed clear of committing anything more on the sports cess, despite being prodded by KOA president Govindaraj, but reaffirmed the government’s commitment to support sportspersons. “I’ve never said no whenever the sportspersons have come to me for help. We are improving the infrastructure in all the districts and that will help athletes from rural areas,” he said.

Ace badminton doubles player Ashwini Ponnappa was happy to receive the award in what was a big year for her. “It was a satisfying year as we have improved a lot winning medals in ABC, Uber Cup and Commonwealth Games. It is going to be another busy season from January with the World Championship in August,” Ashwini said.

Middle distance runner Ashwini was all smiles after collecting two awards. The lanky athlete said the awards are a big motivation to improve further. “This was a big surprise I was never expecting it,” she said.

The KOA also honoured several coaches including N Lingappa (athletics), DY Biradar (athletics), Manoharan G (boxing), Aslam Khan (football), Jude Felix (hockey) and Vasant Madhav (tennis). TOI’s principal photographer Syed Asif also received the honour.

Earlier, Govindaraj said the government has cleared the proposal for the construction of the Olympic Bhawan at the Sree Kanteerava stadium. “Karnataka will only be the second state after Andhra Pradesh to have their Olympic Bhawan,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> More Sports / by Biju Babu Cyriac, TNN / November 28th, 2014

Counting sheep, literally

December 14, 2014Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Products, Leadersmpositiveone@gmail.com

A farmer tending to the ‘Nari-Suvarna’ breed of sheep at Veerapura in Tumakuru district of Karnataka.

Sheep farmers in Tumakuru have agri-scientists in Maharashtra to thank for a breed that has, quite literally, doubled their profits.

The new breed, developed by scientists at Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute, Phaltan, called ‘Nari-Suvarna’ has turned out to be a boon for farmers. While the local breed of sheep gives birth to one lamb at a time, the new breed gives birth to two or three.

Cost of the sheep

The State government is trying to promote the Nari-Suvarna breed. It plans to offer subsidy to purchase the sheep, which costs Rs. 8,000 each, in the future. The local breed in Tumakuru —both Hassan and Bellary breeds — cost Rs. 6,000 per sheep.

With the guidance of the Karnataka Sheep and Wool Development Corporation (KSWDC), a farmer in Sira taluk in Tumakuru district has bought 10 sheep and they have given birth to 23 lambs. Farmers at Sidlaghatta in Chickballapur district and Chitradurga district are now eager to follow suit.

The new breed, according to the Agriculture Department, is a combination of three Indian breeds – Deccani and Madgyal breeds of Karnataka and Garole of West Bengal.

Doddaraju of Veerapura in Sira taluk, who bought the 10 sheep, told The Hindu that people in his village were making advance payments for Nari-Suvarna sheep. He said the sheep had adjusted to the climate and environment of his village and could be reared along with the local breed.

Mirza Basheer, Assistant Director, KSWDC, Tumakuru, said the new breed would help meet the demand for meat and would be beneficial to farmers. Nagaraja G.M., Assistant Director, Special Livestock Breeding Programme, Tumakuru, said the government would identify farmers in Belagavi, Vijayapura and Kolar districts and would introduce them to the new breed.

Scientists have developed a new breed of sheep, Nari-Suvarna, that gives birth to two or three lambs at a time

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by S. Bhuvaneshwari / Tumakuru – December 14th, 2014

Bharathiar University Inter-Collegiate Athletic Meet – Dr. NGP CAS and Nirmala College emerge overall champions

December 14, 2014Sportsmpositiveone@gmail.com

CHAMPIONS: S.N. Mohammed Salahuddin and M.A. Sivanbarasi were declared the best athletes in the Bharathiar University inter-collegiate athletic meet in Coimbatore on Friday. Photo: M. Periasamy

Dr. NGP College of Arts and Science and Nirmala College, with 63 points apiece, emerged the overall champions in the men and women’s sections respectively in the Bharathiar University inter-collegiate athletic meet at the Nehru Stadium here on Friday.

Three records fell on the final day and all came in the men’s section. A. Deepan Chakravarthi of STC (Pollachi), who shattered the 400m mark on Thursday, doubled his effort winning the 200m gold with a record timing of 21.7s.

A. Dharun of Dr. NGP College followed it up with a new record time of 53.5s in the men’s 400m hurdles. Later in the day, the STC men ran a brilliant last two legs to set a new 4x400m record.

Triple jumpers S.N. Mohammed Salahuddin (PSGCAS) and M.A. Sivanbarasi (PSGR Krishnammal) were declared the best athletes.

The results: Men: 200m: 1. A. Deepan Chakravarthi (STC, Pollachi) 21.7s (NMR); 2. K. Kevin Rinalldo (Dr. GRD); 3. P. Arul Prakash (Dr. NGP). 400m hurdles: 1. A. Dharun (Dr. NGP) 53.5s (NMR); 2. M. Parthiban (STC); 3. J. Balaji (Sri Krishna). Long jump: 1. S.N. Mohammed Salahuddin (PSGCAS) 7.27m; 2. S.P. Laxman (Dr. NGP); 3. S. Bharathiraj (STC). 10,000m: 1. T.M. Shaheer Ali (Dr. NGP) 34:48.6s; 2. K. Thangavel Murugan (Dr. NGP); 3. G. Gopa Kumar (PSGCAS). Discus: 1. R. Ashwin (Sri Krishna) 38.04m; 2. S. Bharathi Raj (STC); 3. S. Durai Murugan (Dr. NGP). Pole vault: 1. G. Krishna Vishnu (PSGCAS) 3.60m; 2. A. Khassan Khan (Dr. NGP); 3. R. Saravana Kumar (STC).4x400m: 1. STC Pollachi 3:22.0s (NMR); 2. PSGCAS; 3. Sri Krishna. Best athlete: S.N. Mohammed Salahuddin (PSGCAS) 1003 pts. Overall champion: 1. Dr. NGP CAS 63 pts; 2. PSGCAS 55.

Women: 200m: 1. D. Anitha (Dr. NGP) 26.1s; 2. R. Mohana (Nirmala); 3. A. Manjusri (Nirmala).400m hurdles: 1. P. Iniya (PSGR Krishnammal) 1:07.3s; 2. G. Sathya (Nirmala); 3. P. Vinosha (Nirmala). Long jump: 1. M.A. Sivanbarasi (PSGR Krishnammal) 5.50m; 2. P. Monisha (Nirmala); 3. U. Sukithra (PSGR Krishnammal). 10,000m: 1. R. Poongodi (Gobi Arts) 37:34.8s; 2. E. Vasanthamani (Gobi Arts); 3. S. Vidya (Dr. NGP). Pole vault: 1. M. Deebika (Nirmala) 2.00m; 2. R. Geetha (Nirmala).Heptathlon: 1. P. Jayanthi (Dr. NGP) 3487pts; 2. G. Sathya (Nirmala); 3. M. Vetrivel Vigneshwari (Sri Krishna). Best athlete: M.A. Sivanbarasi (PSGR Krishnammal) 928 pts. Overall champion: 1. Nirmala 63 pts; 2. PSGR Krishnammal 56.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by Special Correspondent / Coimbatore – December 13th, 2014

Back in Action With a Vision and Mission

December 14, 2014Arts, Culture & Entertainmentmpositiveone@gmail.com

Ajmal Ameer is honest that way. He resists from painting a rosy picture as far as his acting career is concerned. Ajmal, whose performance in Mysskin’s Anjathey vaulted him to limelight, doesn’t have any qualms about accepting that his journey in filmdom hasn’t been hunky dory and that there have been a few disaster roles.

Ajmal is currently straddling three industries—Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam—with Ula (Tamil), Tanu Monne Vellipoyindi (Telugu) and Mazhaneerthullikal (Malayalam). While he is keen on widening his horizons in filmdom, his main focus is Tamil cinema. “I am now focusing on good commercial films in Tamil. I want to act in flicks that are entertaining, meaningful and consequentially, successful. Fortunately, the Tamil industry is in a state that has enough and more scope for such films. It looks like I am in the right place now,” he says.

Ula, a thriller penned by Rajan Madhav, has an ensemble cast; apart from Ajmal, it stars Ashok, Vidharth and Radhika Apte. With 70 per cent of the film completed, it is a much-awaited film for the actor, who has slowly but steadily begun establishing himself as a lead actor. Mazhaneerthulikal is a revenge-drama film directed by V K Prakash, starring Meera Jasmine and Narein, while Tanu Monne, his 25th film, is an important milestone for the actor. The film is being helmed by renowned filmmaker Vamsi Krishna.

As Kiruba in Anjathey, Ajmal garnered a lot of attention and awards. Following the success, he was swamped by several offers for similar roles. But the actor didn’t want to get pigeonholed. “Anjathey triggered a number of offers for rustic villager roles. I was looking for a project that helped me prove my versatility as an actor. That is when romcom Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru by JS Nandini happened,” he says.

With a string of releases like Taxi and Ko, a project that was later shelved and Karuppampatti that turned out to be a box office debacle, Ajmal’s film route has been a bitter-sweet symphony. And, he says he has learnt a lot from the failures in the course of finding his feet in the industry.

After carving out a niche in the industry with supporting roles in some prominent flicks, Ajmal is now determined to make a mark as the lead actor. “I am now only signing projects that cast me as the lead. But more importantly, it is the content of the film and my role that will determine the choice of project,” he adds.

Ajmal says he wants to be an actor with a vision—someone who does films which have a message for society. “Doing a flick like Vetriselvan was a big step in that direction. It was about how three underdogs can bring about a revolution. It is the genre of film that appeals to my sensibilities as an actor,” he says.

Admitting that the formula of Vetriselvan didn’t appeal to the audience, he says, he has realised that the commercial aspect of a film is equally important for a film to click. “By the end of the day, the product has to appeal to the masses, I have to be content with my role, and my producers have to get returns. This is going to be the mantra for my career for a while now,” he adds.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Tamil / by Janani Sampath / December 14th, 2014

Rasool dedicates victory to citizens of Kashmir

December 14, 2014Sportsmpositiveone@gmail.com

After defeating 40 time winners Mumbai at the Wankhede, allrounder feels that the great feat would do a world of good for the people of his state.

Allrounder Parveez Rasool is not likely to forget 10 December 2014 for the rest of his life. For that was the day when he led minnows Jammu and Kashmir to their greatest triumph over 40-time Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai at the Wandkhede Stadium. For Rasool, this victory went beyond a mere statistic — he said it was it was a tribute to the flood hit people of his state.

“I will thank God first that I can dedicate this win to all the flood stricken people of my state. For I believe that adversities bring out the best out in someone. And believe me, I will dedicate this fantastic win to all those people who suffered during the devastating floods during the month of September,” he said.

What makes Rasool and his team’s win even more significant is the fact that due to the floods the Jammu and Kashmir team had virtually no practice before their match against Mumbai. “The devastation caused by the floods was such that we did not get to practice at all. Not only that with so much devastation around, it was very difficult for us to focus on cricket. But we were determined to do something for thepeople of our ravaged state,” he said.

He said that the damage suffered by some of this teammates made them more determined than ever to defeat Mumbai. “Some of the members of our team have gone through quite bad times in terms of loss of property. This only added to their resolve to something special for their brethren in the state. For they felt that the people back home had suffered was a great deal more than a Ranji Trophy match,” said Rasool.

Coming back to the game against Mumbai, Rasool felt that the J&K team started believing themselves. “We knew beating Mumbai at the Wankhede was a really tall ask. But then a win for us was also possible. To achieve that we told ourselves that we had to play out of our skin. And mind you nothing less than that would help us to beat the 40-time champions in their backyard,” he said.

Rasool said that Sandeep Patil, chairman of the selection committee had congratulated him after his team’s win over Mumbai. “I thought that was a great gesture. He (Sandeep) has been a good player during his time. I thought his gesture was a great one. I was very thrilled after I got to talk to him following our win,” said Rasool.

Rasool was also quick to credit former coach and spin great Bishen Singh Bedi. Bedi who was the former coach of the Jammu and Kashmir team for a couple of years has been a great inspiration to the team. And Rasool was quick to point out that factor. “It was Bedi sir who told us that there is nothing called strong and weak on a cricket field. The upward graph of J&K cricket started with Bedi sir’s arrival. Our quarter-final appearance in the Ranji Trophy last season, is a testimony that this victory is not a one-off thing,” he said.

He also said Bedi had played a big role in evolving him as a better bowler. “Bedi sir was always supportive of whatever I did. He always wanted me to try new things. And that is where I feel I have really evolved as a better spinner. I can tell you that for the encouragement from Bedi sir I would not have been the player that I am today. I owe a great deal to him,” he added.

There were glad tidings for Rasool when he was shortlisted for the World Cup probables list last week, making him the first player from Jammu and Kashmir to be shortlisted for the World Cup. “I know it is the dream of every cricketer to play in the World Cup. It would be really great if I get to play for Team India Down Under,” he said. The pragmatic cricketer that Rasool is right now is real concern is to score as many runs and take as many wickets for Jammu and Kashmir. “I feel the top priority for me right now is now to perform my best for the Jammu and Kashmir team in the Ranji Trophy,” he said.

source: http://www.sunday-guardian.com / The Sunday Guardian / Home> Sports / by Saji Chacko / New Delhi – October 13th, 2014