Mohammed Shameer Katipalla has been appointed the president of Surathkal Block Congress minority wing.
He is the son of P Basheer Ahmed, a former corporator of 3rd ward, Katipalla.
He is the owner of Saheb Contractors and Builders as well.
Mohammed Shameer Katipalla is also the secretary of Mohammad Salih Juma Masjid, Baikampady, president of Guys X1 Youth Council, Katipalla, and vice president of Katipalla Sangha Samstegala Okkuta.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Karnataka / by Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK) – July 11th, 2021
(However) The strength these women brought to the cause has sadly never been recorded or acknowledged, Dr Syeda Hameed said.
Dr Zakir Hussain’s wife Shah Jahan Begum [Shah Jahan Begum, wife of Dr Zakir Hussain – former President of India and one of the founders of Jamia Millia Islamia in a file photo shared by Dr Syeda Hameed.]
Mumbai:
Highlighting their contribution in the movement the result of which we see today as “Jamia Millia Islamia”, Dr Syeda Hameed said women were a presence and a power in the Jamia from its very inception though it was never acknowledged.
“From its very inception in 1920, women were a presence and a power in Jamia Millia Islamia. But they never emerged as individuals, always overshadowed by men, who were undoubtedly committed, dedicated, and passionate, but so were the women”, Dr Hameed, scholar, author, writer and former member of the Planning Commission of India said while delivering 17th Dr Asghar Ali Engineer Memorial Lecture.
“(However) The strength these women brought to the cause has sadly never been recorded or acknowledged. It’s time to speak of these women, the architects of Jamia”, she said.
During her lecture, Dr Syeda Hameed especially praised and acknowledged the contributions of Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum – the Ruler of the Princely State of Bhopal, Shah Jahan Begum – wife of Dr Zakir Hussain , Asifa Mujeeb – wife of Mohammad Mujeeb, and Saliha Abid Hussain – wife of Syed Abid Hussain.
Calling them “The Khwateen-E-Awwal of Jamia” – the first women of Jamia, Dr. Syeda Hameed also detailed the last Begum’s contributions in the fields of education, sanitation, public health and her efforts in establishing Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), of which she was the founding Chancellor, and the first and only woman to have served in the position.
“(But) their roles have been diminished and their work remains unacknowledged in the mainstream”, she said in her key-note address titled “Contribution of Muslim Women to Educational Institutions: The Case of Khwateen-e-Awwal of Jamia Millia Islamia.”
Dr Hameed quoted from Saliha Abid Hussain’s speech on Jamia’s Foundation Day in the mid-eighties to prove her point.
“I want to speak of (the) women of Jamia who were like Mughal era Raj majdoors behind Emperor Shah Jahan and the Royal Architects who built the Taj Mahal and never, ever thought of etching their names anywhere on the marble”.
Dr. Hameed also detailed the accounts of Saliha Abid Hussain and Gerda Philipsborn – a German national who later became known as “German Appa-Jaan” of the Jamia.
Dr. Syeda Hameed talked of the jalsas they organised, and their journey from attending events behind the pardah to firmly holding their ground and being in “high demand” at traditionally-male dominated intellectual and literary gatherings and their outspokenness about the rights of women in Islam.
Dr. Hameed talked of the unfinished works of Saliha and the final resting place of Gerda and of Professor Sughra Mehdi, who wrote extensively on the two women and on Jamia, and on the need for their works to be made accessible to more people and in more languages.
Dr. Hameed also recalled Turkish Poet and Activist, Halide Edib Adivar’s series of lectures at Jamia Millia in 1935, and of the early days of the Jamia in Okhla, the basic environment, the lack of electricity, of running water, of roads, and of sidewalks.
“By the banks of river Jamuna, houses were built, modest houses. Very limited income, but plenty of enthusiasm and lots of spirit, and a desire to live together as a human family in which women were the binding force.”
[Begum Saliha Abid Hussain (R) and Asifa Mujeeb.]
While introducing, Begum Asifa, Dr Syeda Hameed detailed how despite coming from a well-to-do family, she chose to live within the means afforded by the newly moved Jamia.
Dr. Hameed’s also remembered the contributions of Begum Syeda Khursheed, who according to her, “was brought up by parents who literally birthed the Jamia” and Shafiqa Kidwai, wife of Shafiqur Rahman Kidwai, former Minister of Education Govt of India. Sahfiqa Kidwai established Balak Mathia Mahal in Delhi for education of girls, and was the member of various apex committees of the Jamia.
“The spirit of the Jamia comes from all these strong and resilient women who collectively built the Jamia and the Muslim women’s movement over decades”, she said.
“That it transcends the test of time and will continue to surface whenever there is a threat to the core values, imbibed in the idea of India, the idea of the university and the idea of Jamia Millia Islamia”, she said.
Professor Zoya Hasan, while throwing more light on the contribution of women in the founding movement of Jamia Millia Islamia talked about Turkish activist, Halide Edib Adivar, who came to Jamia to deliver a series of eight lectures titled ‘Inside India’.
Professor Zoya Hasan said in her lecture series Adivar admired the Jamia movement for its harmonizing intermingling of anti-imperialism and tradition.
“What she found very interesting and impressive was the combination of Indian nationhood with Islamic identity”, Professor Zoya said.
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> India / by ummid.com News Network / June 19th, 2021
The right blend of star and actor, he was part of the discovery of cinema in India as a means of mass communication seen today
When Marlon Brando was struggling to find a footing in Hollywood, a shy Pathan boy from Peshawar was practising method acting in what was then the Bombay film industry, helping it come out of the Parsi theatre’s influence. As Dilip Kumar transcends to a new stage , the pole star of the golden age of Hindi cinema would be remembered for setting a template of acting for generations to come.
A veritable cultural icon who inspired economist Meghnad Desai to draw parallels between his films and the newly independent India’s tryst with socialism and capitalism in his seminal work, Nehru’s Hero: Dilip Kumar in the Life of India, there is a bit of Dilip Kumar in everyone’s life.
Discovered and later rechristened by Devika Rani of the famed Bombay Talkies, Dilip Kumar, along with Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand, were part of the discovery of cinema in India as a means of mass communication as we see it today. They had had few examples to follow and perhaps it worked to their advantage as each one carved out his own niche.
Out of the three, Dilip Kumar’s naturalistic style never became stale or dated. The right blend of star and actor who could keep both the public and the purist engaged with his craft, he kept his performances subtle, understated but always believable.
Not just his younger contemporaries like Rajendra Kumar, Manoj Kumar and Dharmendra, generations of dependable actors, from Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan to Irrfan, built edifices of their performances on the foundation laid by Dilip Kumar. Mr. Bachchan, who played Dilip Kumar’s son in Shakti, once said there was such finality to Dilip sahib’s performances that once he enacted a scene, there was no alternative to it. Irrfan once told this journalist that he often wondered when trained actors like him found it difficult to deal with scars left by tragic roles, how Dilip Kumar, who learnt the craft on his own, came to terms with it. Well, he did approach doctors in London, who advised him to consider lighter roles.
Film historians often label the thespian as the tragedy king for his moving portrayal of a loner who loses everything in love in a series of films such as Jugnu, Deedar and Devdas, but the eight-time Filmfare Award winner was equally compelling as a winsome romantic in Shabnam, Azaad and Kohinoor. Not to forget his intense performances as a revolutionary in Shaheed and a trade union leader in Paigham.
Be it the lawyer who rapes a village girl in Mehboob Khan’s Amar, the journalist who becomes black-marketeer in Zia Sarhady’s Footpath, the atheist in love with a mendicant in Kidar Sharma’s Jogan or the wheel-chair bound Raja Sahib in Aadmi, a role earlier essayed by Sivaji Ganesan, the Padma Vibhushan constantly lunged for complex characters where he was expected to evoke multiple emotions in a single frame.
He experimented not just with characters but also directorial styles. Both Amar and Footpath deal with moral guilt but while Mehboob Khan visualised a mass entertainer, Zia’s treatment was neo-realist. With Tapan Sinha’s Sagina Mahto, he ventured into parallel cinema and earned praise from his contemporaries.
At the time of Mughal-e-Azam, he was the top draw, but the narrative demanded Kumar to play second fiddle to Prithviraj Kapoor, a senior and a friend of his father. He delivered a restrained performance, a subtle counterpoint to the bombastic Kapoor that is etched in the minds of cinegoers. The way he caresses the luminous face of Madhubala with a feather is perhaps the most elegant romantic sequence filmed without a dialogue.
The one that stands out and inspired many adaptations is the dacoit in Gunga Jumna, his ambitious home production where the sophisticated Kumar transformed into an Awadhi speaking rustic who’s forced to pick up the gun.
He played serious roles with such dignity that he didn’t need to be loud to make people laugh. He brought his craft to comic roles as well. In Ram Aur Shyam, the scene that still leaves everyone in splits is the one where Shyam starts playing a poor copy of Ram.
It is this constant urge for variety and chiselling of the craft that the megastar, despite the world at his feet, chose to do only around 60 films spanning over almost five decades. He refused Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa for he found the character similar to Devdas. He said no to David Lean for Lawrence of Arabia as he was not keen to commit the amount of time that the director was asking from him.
In a BBC interview, he once said that when the director came to him with a 30-year-old character, he tried to find and build the first 29 years of his life from the script so that, “I start identifying with the character. Often directors leave it to me to interpret the character.”
Known to help out his colleagues in finding a rhythm that suited the narrative, the actor is said to have ghost directed many films such as Gunga Jumna, Ram Aur Shyam and Aadmi.
He took the preparation for a character to a different level. For “Madhuban Mein Radhika Nache Re” from Kohinoor, where he played sitar on screen, he trained with sitarist Ustad Halim Jaffar Khan for six months.
It is said while filming for Dil Diya Dard Liya, he ran four rounds of the studio because in the next sequence he was supposed to snatch a rifle from Pran, playing the villain, in a state of breathlessness.
Even in his second innings, when his mannerisms became marked, he impressed with power-packed performances in Shakti, Mashaal and Karma.
Off-screen, as a philanthropist, he always maintained that “industrialisation has made us narrow-minded”. He would always say “being developed and being civilised are two different things”.
In the late 1960s, when an argument was made about films promoting alcoholism and that they could be used to promote population control, Dilip Kumar said he was for promoting good values through films but that didn’t mean films become “instructional” or a “vehicle for propaganda”.
A connoisseur of the finer things of life, he had an abiding love for poetry and literature. Often, when he had to sidestep a controversial topic, he would come up with an Urdu couplet that would capture his emotion on the subject. Once when he was asked about his relationship with Madhubala, Kumar invoked Sahir Ludhianvi: “Mohabbattark ki maine, garebaan see liya maine, zamane ab toh khush ho, zehar ye bhi pi liya maine” (Love I have renounced and sewn the collar [of the soul/ conscience] that was ripped; O world, now you be happy, for this poison as well I have sipped).
Deeply entrenched in Indian ethos, he never got over his childhood connection with his home town Peshawar where the young Yusuf Khan would be found dribbling a football or listening to stories at Qissa Khawani Bazaar. He remained a symbol of the undivided India as the Pakistan government bestowed upon him its highest civilian honour, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz. He wrote to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee that if he considered it prudent, he would surrender the award. However, many feel it made his wait for the coveted Bharat Ratna longer.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment / by Anuj Kumar / New Delhi – July 07th, 2021
A grand-daughter connects with her nonagenarian grandfather Mohammed Nizamuddin, a trend-setter of football in Mysore State
Indians have seen many names coming forth. It could be in the field of science, technology, freedom struggle, sports etc. — few known, few unknown and a few remained in oblivion.
One such sportsman was a young boy from Kolar, my grandfather Mohammed Nizamuddin, who was a terrific football player and was the trend-setter of football in Karnataka, then called the Mysore State. He played and won many matches. Now as a nonagenarian, he is leading a simple life as a retired Tahsildar, enjoying his success in life with utmost gratitude faraway from fandom.
Journey of football dream
It was a normal day. Out of boredom (lockdown effect) I just thought of talking to my grandfather about his football days. But looking at the sparkle in his eyes and hearing his excited voice, my time-pass conversation became one of the most enlightened high voltage story-telling session. He began with his life as a kid who played football as a mere game, but it was in his teens that football became his passion. He started playing for his University first and then for his State.
Mohammed Nizamuddin (standing second from left) and his team seen with the Secretary of All India Football Federation.
Born on June 20, 1929, his football career as such started with Mysore University, where he was the captain of his football team and he, along with his team, won many trophies. His University Professors and those who used to see his matches started encouraging him. He was also much appreciated among his team members and slowly his popularity began to grow.
Looking at his skills, a well-known team of Karnataka at that time “The Bangalore Blues” approached him and he became a part of that team. As the saying goes “It takes a right moment to strike”, that moment in my grandfather’s life came as an opportunity to play the Santosh Trophy for his State (then Mysore State).
Mohammedan Sporting Club members with the Austrian team at All India Football Federation in 1953. The encircled person is Mohammed Nizamuddin.
1952 – SANTOSH TROPHY
Santosh Trophy is a State-level Football Tournament where many States participate. My grandfather played for the Mysore State. Mysore State in 1956 had won this trophy after a wait of 6 long years. The State was playing well and had entered the semi-finals. It was an interesting nail-biting match. The match was against Orissa (now, Odisha) and Mysore State (now, Karnataka) won by two goals — both scored by my grandfather (Lo, a new star was born in Mohammed Nizamuddin).
Then came the finals. As usual there was a lot of expectancy from the star goal scorer. The match was against Bengal (a very strong team of that time). Mysore won by a goal (again a right goal at right time) and guess what? That one winning goal was scored by none other than Mohammed Nizamuddin.
After six years, Mysore had finally won the Santosh Trophy and so the celebration went on for days. He became a sensation among the youths, who copied his walking style and waited for hours just to shake their hands with him. Such was his euphoria. He also played for the Netaji Club in Mysore.
Later he was invited by Mohammedan Sporting Club (Kolkata) to play for their Club. For nearly 8 years he was with the Mohammedan Sporting Club playing several tournaments like Rover’s Cup, National Championships and scoring many winning goals.
Bangalore Blues team (Pic. courtesy: Times of India).
In 1956, Mohammedan Sporting Club made a major come back in the Rover’s Cup. They won the trophy after a gap of 12 years and Mohammed Nizamuddin was responsible for the major goals scored, which led to the lifting of the Rover’s Cup in 1956 and 1959 matches.
Throughout his career span of 15-20 years in the national football, he had come across many people from different backgrounds like general public, celebrities etc. and not to forget the numerous countries he has visited. All of these have had a great influence on him (he keeps telling me and my sister about the different places he visited, their culture etc.). For great achievements it requires great support too. One such strong pillar of support to my grandfather was his father Abdul Razaq. Along with his father, there were many people like his University College Principal, his Professors, his coaches etc., who encouraged and supported him to the fullest. They played a key role in his success too and he is forever grateful to them.
In the 1960s, he gracefully retired from his football career. A very simple man with simple but strong principles, he never took his celebrity status to his head. He did not crave for limelight instead he opted for a simple life as a Government servant (Tahsildar) and discharged his duties with utmost sincerity.
Even today, when he looks back at his life, he says with pride in his eyes that he was neither dependent nor a burden to anybody in the family and that God blessed him with the best.
Mohammed Nizamuddin with his family members on his birthday celebration this year.
A BA graduate from University of Mysore, Mohammed Nizamuddin served as Tahsildar in many places including Gundlupet, Yadgir, Sullia and Malavalli. After his retirement, he served as Estate Officer of WAKF Board in Srirangapatna.
His wife passed away 9 years ago. He has 4 children (1 son and 3 daughters). He stays in Bannimantap A Layout in Mysuru with his son, daughter-in-law and two grand-daughters.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by Areebah Tasdeeq / July 07th, 2021
Mr. Siraj Thakor, from Toronto, Canada, has undertaken the monumental task of creating an online database of all the Islamic Heritage Sites of India. He likes to preserve it digitally and make it available to all to cherish the Islamic past of this great country.
Mr. Siraj is looking for volunteers to assist him with the information on Islamic Heritage Sites in India. In response to his call, someone wrote to me with detailed information about a graceful mosque that lies in ruins in the Gaya district of Bihar.
This mosque popularly called ‘Lodi mosque’ was built around 1536 AD during the Lodhi rule in India. It is believed that Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, one of the rulers of the Lodhi dynasty had taken initiatives to get this mosque constructed.
This mosque is about 25 km from Gaya on Gaya-Patna road. It is exactly near Kundwa village at Khijrasarai block in Gaya district. It is situated on the banks of the river Falgu, a kilometer from village Kundwa. On the West of the river is Lodhipur village colloquially called Lodpur, while on the east is Kundwa village.
The mosque becomes functional only during ‘Eid’ and ‘Bakrid’ festival when some Muslims from Kundwa village come to offer prayers in this mosque.
For the rest of the years, this mosque remains a picture of neglect and want for maintenance. There is no Azaan called from this mosque as there is no one to take care of this house of worship. Some people have illegally occupied the land around this mosque but there is none to challenge such encroachments.
This historical mosque comes under the Archaeological Survey of India but neither ASI nor the Bihar government nor the Waqf Board, have any concern in protecting this Islamic heritage site.
It is in this context people like Mr. Siraj Thakor, who is Past President of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI), comes into the picture. He wrote to me:
“Dear Brother Syed Ali Mujtaba, ASAK, I am a Past President of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI), We have undertaken the monumental task of creating an online database of all the Islamic Heritage Sites of India to preserve it digitally and make it available to all. I would take this opportunity to request you to be part of our team to collect info on Islamic Heritage Sites in your area. Alternatively, can you put in touch with someone or the organization which would be interested in such a historical task and leaves a legacy for the Indian Muslim generation to come? Wassalaam- Siraj Thakor.”
Mr. Siraj has started an All India campaign to document such historical Islamic heritage sites in ruins. If you have any similar story of any such Islamic heritage site near you, please write to him directly with photographs; (thakorsiraj@hotmail.com. You can even contact him on ‘WhatsApp’ -+1 416-277-7082.
This is a huge initiative and the efforts of people like Mr. Siraj needs to be strengthened by giving him a helping hand. Anyone, anyone where in the country who feels concerned about vanishing Islamic Heritage Sites in India must come forward and join his team.
A book titled ‘The Identity Quotient: The Story of the Assamese Muslims’, authored by Zafri Mudasser Nofil, attempts to define the Assamese Muslims as distinct from the Muslims in other parts of India and different from the immigrant Muslims in Assam.
New Delhi-based author Zafri Mudasser Nofil, who hails from Dibrugarh, says the Assamese Muslims are different from the rest of the community in the country.
Over the years, they have assimilated to the greater Assamese society to such an extent that barring religion, there is not much to differentiate them.
But of late, this community has been suffering from the ignominy of being bracketed with illegal immigrants as ‘Miya’, Nofil, who himself is an Assamese Muslim, laments.
Muslims residing in the state for centuries consider themselves to be an integral part of Assamese society, he writes.
In the book, he cites an example of this aspect: The ancestors of the Daullahs, a respected Muslim family in Sivasagar town played the negera – a kind of drum – at the Dols in Sivasagar during the reign of the Ahom kings.
During those days, animals were sacrificed on Ashtami day of Durga Puja as offering to the goddess.
As a gesture of respect to people of other beliefs, the Sivasagar Dol Development committee offers a sacrificial goat to the Daullah family even now. (From an edited excerpt)
Another excerpt which reveals the assimilation reads: “Magh Bihu for Deshi Muslims is Pushna while Bohag Bihu is Beshoma. On Goru Bihu, the first day of the Bohag Bihu, people in the state give a traditional bath to their cows and bulls they rub a paste of pulses and turmeric and then birch them very gently with leaves of some shrubs… After the cattle are given a bath the Deshis eat Misheli, a preparation of fried rice, lentils, onions and chillies.”
Nofil says that the contribution of Assamese Muslims over the years had been multi-faceted, diverse and immense.
“Be it politics, civil services, literature, art, education, medical science, law, sports, music, films and entertainment, they have excelled in every field. Of the most valuable contributions to the cultural richness of Assam are the Zikir and Zari songs,” he elaborates.
“Litterateur Imran Shah says the contribution of Assamese Muslims to the greater Assamese society is unparalleled. But it’s a case of ‘little done and vast undone’ as far as documentation is concerned,” he further says.
As he was toying with the idea of this book, he remembered what Toni Morrison once said: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
Despite the vastness of the subject and the challenges it posed, the fact that there was very little published materials regarding the Assamese Muslims prompted Nofil to go ahead and write the book on this topic.
The book unravels the journey of this community and looks at how they have contributed significantly to the composite heritage of the state.
It profiles icons like Bagh Hazarika and Bahadur Gaon Burha to achievers like Imdad Ali, Yamin Hazarika, Adil Hussain and Begum Parveen Sultana, and also looks at some of the interesting customs of Deshis, Moriyas and Julhas.
“Assam is a land representing cohesive social and cultural tapestry and Muslims have a history of over seven-and-a-half centuries in the state.”
“The indigenous Assamese Muslims trace their lineage to the medieval period when Muslim rulers and generals invaded the region. They came to Assam in various phases.
“Ali Mech is believed to be the first person to convert into Islam sometime in the early 13th century and ever since, Muslims have merged into the sociocultural milieu of Assam,” Nofil says.
“I have attempted to write this book as narrative non-fiction though I have profusely quoted from historical texts that are relevant to the discussion,” he adds.
There are several nuggets highlighting age-old camaraderie and also chapters on Azan Pir and his Zikirs, cuisine, Muslim marriages, the NRC and the CAA.
(‘The Identity Quotient: The Story of the Assamese Muslims’ is available on Amazon and with Har-Anand Publications. The author can be reached at zafri.nofil@gmail.com and @zafrimn on Twitter)
source: http://www.nenow.in / North East Now / Home> Article / by Smita Bhattacharya / December 26th, 2020
Shaeema Zaman Ahmed, a youngster from Guwahati, brought laurels to Assam and India for her visionary work on quantum physics research, for which she was awarded the PhD from Aarhus University, in Denmark, on June 28.
After her earlier schooling at Maria’s Public School, Guwahati, and her Masters in Physics from Delhi University, Shaeema was at the forefront of science outreach and astronomy education with Zlife Education in New Delhi.
Thereafter, she was offered a Marie Sklodowska-Curie PhD fellowship at Aarhus University, Denmark, and was part of the Quantum-enhanced Sensing via Quantum Control (QusCo) EU programme.
Her work focussed on investigating the use and impact of quantum games and simulation tools in quantum physics education, science outreach, and quantum control research.
She was part of the design process in Quantum Moves 2 and Lab Manager and simulation tools like the Quantum Composer.
Her research studies on these tools explored how simulations can improve student learning of quantum mechanics.
Additionally, her work also addressed the potential of a citizen science game as a method to crowdsource solutions to solve quantum control problems, and the impact of the use of simulations in quantum physics outreach training.
The work was carried out under the supervision of Prof Jacob Friis Sherson, and the external examiners were Prof Sabrina Maniscalco from the University of Turku, Finland and Prof Stefan Heusler from the University of Münster, Germany.
Shaeema is the daughter of Guwahati-based paediatrician, Dr Shabina Ahmed and anesthesiologist, Dr Khafiluzzaman Ahmed.
The defence was viewed online, including her teachers at her alma mater, Maria’s Public School, Guwahati.
In a message to her alumnus, Nellie Ahmed Tanweer, Founder Director of the School, said “…the pride you bring to your school further inspires the next generation …
source: http://www.nenow.in / North East Now / Home> Northeast News> Assam / July 04th, 2021
Indian motorsports’ governing body FMSCI has nominated its own president Akbar Ebrahim for the Dronacharya Award besides sending Jehan Daruvala’s name to the government for Arjuna Award after inexplicably ignoring him last year.
Racer turned coach Ebrahim’s name was also recommended for Dronacharya last year but none of FMSCI’s nominations for the national sports awards was short-listed by the government appointed selection panel.
However, Ebrahim was not heading the FMSCI back then and some within the FMSCI feel his name should not have been included in the nominations this time as he is holding office.
“It is ironical isn’t it. Effectively the president only decides on the nominations and he has nominated himself . Two names were discussed initially but the Council decided to send only Ebrahim’s name.
“Last year was fine but his name shouldn’t have been gone this year as he is holding office. As far as Jehan’s nomination is concerned, I am glad it has happened this year as his named should have been there last year itself,” a FMSCI official told PTI.
Top rally driver Gaurav Gill is Indian motorsports’ first and only recipient of a national sports award, having got the Arjuna in 2019. His co-driver Musa Sherif has been nominated for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna but he is highly unlikely to be considered for the country’s highest sporting honour.
Jehan’s name on the other hand should have been sent last year. India’s biggest racing star at the moment, Jehan stands the best chance of getting the award.
“He is one deserving candidate and should be honoured by the government,” the FMSCI official added.
The 22-year-old is into his second year in Formula 2 and has multiple podium finishes to his name. He won the sprint race in Bahrain last year and has scored two podiums, a second and third place, this season.
He is also a Red Bull junior driver.
In 2019, Jehan finished third in the Formula 3 Championship, which is another support series to Formula 1.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> Sports News> Racing News / by PTI / June 29th, 2021
File photo of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna. | Photo Credit: PTI
It was the first time in open era that two Indian teams competed against each other at a Grand Slam tournament.
The experienced pair of Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza defeated the brand new combination of Ramkaumar Ramanathan and Ankita Raina 6-2 7-6 (5) in the historic all-Indian mixed doubles first round match at the Wimbledon here on Friday.
It was the first time in open era that two Indian teams competed against each other at a Grand Slam tournament.
The contest finally brought a Grand Slam debut for Ramkumar, who has made 21 attempts to qualify for the singles main draw of a tennis major.
While the first set ended quickly in favour of the veterans, Ramkumar and Raina presented a good fight in the second set, which even they led for a brief period with a break of serve.
Bopanna was clearly the best player on the court with his powerful serve and solid ground strokes from the baseline as well as the ability to execute a superior net game.
On expected lines, Ramkumar served big while Raina gave her all after growing in confidence.
Mirza’s serve is still not at its best and would improve as she plays more matches.
Mirza has moved has also moved to women’s doubles second round with Bethanie Mattek-Sands while Raina and her American partner Lauren Davis lost in straight sets to the US pair of Asia Muhammad and Jessica Pegula on Thursday night.
The 14th seeds disposed off the challenge from the Raina-Davis pair 6-3 6-2 in 70 minutes.
Bopanna and Divij Sharan are already out, having lost their men’s doubles opening round match.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Tennis / by PTI / London, July 02nd, 2021
Another proud moment for Kasaragod as Musa Sharif gets nominated for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, announced district collector D Sajith Babu on his Facebook page.
Musa Sharif (right and inset) with Karamjith Singh, Malaysia’s most-decorated rally driver, at the Rally of Perlis in 2018
Kasargod :
Another proud moment for Kasaragod, announced district collector D Sajith Babu on his Facebook page.
Congratulations to the pride of Kasaragod Musa Sharif, said Kasaragod MLA Nellikkunnu.
“Let’s hope the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna will reach Kasaragod through Musa Sharif,” he said.
For Kasaragod — a district with few sporting heroes — Asia’s ace navigator Musa Sharif, 49, is a legend. He is the most experienced and sought-after co-driver in India’s motorsports world.
Acknowledging his contributions to motorsports in India, the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) has nominated Sharif for the highest sporting honour of India.
“I am honoured by the nomination for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna. Normally, drivers get all the attention. But navigators enjoy the blind trust of the drivers and share the podium with them,” he said.
Since 2007, he has been the navigator of champion Gaurav Gill, who won the Arjuna Award in 2019, the year when the government recognised FMSCI as the national federation for motorsports. Musa has been a navigator for 29 years. “Coming January, it will be 30 years,” he says.
In these three decades, he has navigated for 49 drivers in 296 rallies, of which 67 were international rallies.
“I never had an off-year,” he chips in.
He has won 21 championships, including eight national championships — seven of them with Gill. Musa has travelled long rough terrains to be where he is today.
He was born to the late Zainuddin Perwad and Aysha in Mogral, a fishing village in Kasaragod. His father used to sell dry fish.
He got hooked to driving when he got admission for Bachelor of Business Management in Badriya College in Mangaluru, 40km from his home.
Thrice in a week, he used to take his TVS Shogun or Yamaha RX100 to the college. Rest of the days, he would take the bus.
When he came to know of racing events in the city, he thought of giving it a try.
The first race he took part in was the rally organised by Karavali Auto Sports Club in Mangaluru in 1993. Congress’s Mangaluru MLA U T Khader was one of his co-racers.
He won the first championship in his fourth rally. In two years, Team MRF signed him as a navigator and he shifted gear to four-wheel racing.
He started his career as a navigator with Satish Bhat. In 1997, he joined JK Tyre and then returned to Team MRF in 2001.
In 2013, he joined Mahindra Adventure. Since 2007, Musa Sharif and Gill are together, participating in 63 rallies, and winning in 36 rallies.
Together, they won the Rally of Coimbatore for Mahindra Adventure in January — to emerge national champions again.
His international wins came with Lohitt Urs (Asia Cross Country); Arjun Rao (Malaysian Rally Group N); Sanjay Takle (Malaysian Rally Championship) and Saneem Sani of Thrissur (UAE Rally Championship).
Every driver has a different call sign and navigators have to get adjusted to it. “Before the race, the driver and the navigator take the road twice, and prepare a ‘pace note’. It will be like a story of the road, the turns, and dips, the rise, the angle of the curves,” he said.
On the first trip, the driver gives the notes and the navigator takes them own.
On the second trip, the navigator will guide the driver based on the notes and will make corrections, if needed.
“On the race day, the driver would blindly trust the navigator and go by his command,” he said.
The navigator The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) nominated Musa Sharif from Mogral in Kasaragod for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
The stats 29 years | 49 drivers 296 rallies | 67 international rallies | 21 championships 8 National championships 7 with Gaurav Gill
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by George Poikayil / Express News Service / July 03rd, 2021
