Category Archives: Sports

Ryhana Bee in top form, wins girls race to mount title challenge; Chiranth, Sarthak notch wins

Sports, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , ,

Chennai, TAMIL NADU :

Hard-fought wins for Tasmai Cariappa, Pradeep

Mysuru’s Tasmai Cariappa, winner of the Novice (Stock 165cc) race on 7Sept 2024. Photo by Anand Philar

Chennai :

Chennai’s Ryhana Bee, seeking to regain the National title in the Girls category (Stock 165cc) after three years, scored a lights-to-flag win after topping the practice and qualifying sessions with her new team, Rockers Racing.

Meanwhile, teenagers and TVS Racing team-mates Sarthak Chavan (Pune) and Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) split the day’s honours with a victory apiece in the two premier Pro-Stock categories on a day of stirring action in the fourth and penultimate round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2024 – Powered by STORM at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.

Sarthak overcame a poor start to post his sixth win in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category ahead of Chiranth and veteran Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate). 

National Championship Girls (Stock 165cc) race winner Ryhana Bee (centre) flanked by second-placed Jagathee Kumaresan (left) and third-placed Rakshitha Dave at the Madras International Circuit on 7 Sept 2024 / Photos by Anand Philar

The result in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open class race was the reverse with the Chiranth coming through an up-and-down six laps, the last of which saw him and Sarthak coming together, but staying in the saddle to complete the race with KY Ahamed, recovering from a viral fever, made it a 1-2-3 for TVS Racing.

Mysuru’s 22-year-old Tasmai Cariappa (Motul Sparks Racing) kept his nerves in a tense finish to score his maiden win the Novice (Stock 165cc) race while Pradeep C, a private entrant from Bengaluru, wrote his own script in winning the Stock 301-400cc (Novice) race after starting from P4.

TVS India One-Make Championship

Sarthak Chavan celebrating his win in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open race (Sept 07)

Coimbatore’s Raj Kumar C upstaged favourites to record his first win of the season in the Open (Apache RR 310) category as he finished well ahead of Manoj Yesuadian (Chennai) and championship leader Senthilkumar C (Coimbatore).

CS Kedarnath from Tirupati held off Bengaluru’s Harshith Bogar and Akarsh Jangam (Hyderabad) in a tight finish as the trio finished the Rookie (Apache RTR 200) race in close formation that also included Tejash BA (Tumakuru) in P4. Less than a second separated the quartet. It was Kedarnath’s second win of the season.

Later, SP Shuria from Trichy won a battle royal against Pune’s Saimah Ajaz Baig with a last lap overtaking to win the Girls (Apache RTR 200) race that was briefly interrupted by a red flag stoppage due to an on-track incident. Finishing third was Aisvariya of Coimbatore, ahead of Bengaluru’s Poojita Anil Kumar.

Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup

Mohsin Paramban from Malappuram extended his hold on the NSF 250R class with fourth win of the season that took him further away from the pack in the championship standings.

Completing the podium were Kolhapur’s Siddesh Sawant and Prakash Kamat (Bengaluru). The outcome of the six-lap race was in suspense until the top three crossed the finish line within a second of each other.

The results (Provisional, all 6 laps unless mentioned):

National Championship:

Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-1): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, TVS Racing) (11mins, 06.531secs); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, TVS Racing) (11:07.005); 3. Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (11:07.445).

Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-1): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (11:36.813); 2. Sarthak Chavan (11:37.144); 3. KY Ahamed (Chennai) (11:39.098) (All from TVS Racing).

Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-1): 1. Tasmai Cariappa (Mysuru, Motul Sparks Racing) (12:54.080); 2. Abdul Basim RS (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (12:54.197); 3. Kamal Niwas (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (13:10.998).

Girls (Stock 165cc, Race-1, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (10:58.147); 2. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai, One Racing) (11:05.691); 3. Rakshita Dave (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (11:05.793).

Chennai’s Ryhana Bee who won the Girls (Stock 165cc) race by a big margin (Sept 07)

Stock 301-400cc (Novice, Race-1): 1. Pradeep C (Bengaluru, Pvt) (12:18.943); 2. Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (12:20.582); 3. Aldrin Babu (Chalakudy, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (12:22.718).

Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (NSF 250R, Race-1): 1. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (11:22.639); 2. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (11:23.163); 3. Prakash Kamat (Bengaluru) (11:23.280).

TVS India One-Make Championship:

Open (Apache RR 310, Race-1): 1. Raj Kumar C (Coimbatore) (11:48.043); 2. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (11:48.455); 3. Senthilkumar C (Coimbatore) (11:48.567).

Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-1): 1. CS Kedarnath (Tirupati) (13:29.012); 2. Harshith Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:29.760); 3. Akarsh Jangam (Hyderabad) (13:29.811).

Girls (Apache RTR 200, Race-1, 4 laps): 1. SP Shuria (Trichy) (09:04.823); 2. Saimah Ajaz Baig (Pune) (09:04.888); 3. Aisvariya V (Coimbatore) (09:16.913).

source: http://www.indiainf1.com / INDIA in F1 / Home> Non-F1> Domestic> National Championship Info / by INDIA in F1 Desk / September 07th, 2024

Who is Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi? Member of India’s men 4x400m relay team

Amazing Feats, Sports, World Opinion, , , ,

Palakkad, KERALA :

Following a remarkable performance of 2 minutes and 59.05 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday night,…

Following a remarkable performance of 2 minutes and 59.05 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday night, the Indian 4×400 meter relay team consisting of Muhammed Anas, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, and Rajesh Ramesh gained widespread recognition.

This lesser-known relay group not only shattered the Asian record but also accomplished a historic feat by becoming the first Indian team to qualify for a World Championship final.

Muhammed Ajmal, a 24-year-old Indian track and field athlete, specializes in 400m sprints. His motto is straightforward: “Hear the bang and just run.” Gradually making his mark in the national scene, he aspires to progress further and achieve significant success in the international arena.

More about Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi:

Born on June 1, 1998, in Palakkad, Kerala, Muhammed Ajmal initially embarked on his sports journey as a soccer player while growing up in Palakkad. He participated at the U-19 state level in football until his coach, Nandakumar sir, recommended that he shift his focus to running. This marked the beginning of Ajmal’s transition from a 100m sprinter to his current role as a 400m sprinter.

Indian athlete Muhammed Ajmal originally started as a 100m sprinter but eventually transitioned to the 400m category under the guidance of his coaches. In his very first 400m race, he achieved an impressive time of 46.91 seconds, securing the gold medal at the National Services Championships held in Bhubaneswar.

Muhammed Ajmal discussed his transition in an interview, saying, “In India, there’s a higher chance of competing in international events in the 400m. Otherwise, you need to be exceptional as a sprinter to make it in the 100m.”

His goal is to surpass the national record set by another athlete from Kerala, Mohammed Anas, who achieved a time of 45.21 seconds.

At the 7th International Sprint & Relay Cup held at Atatürk University Stadium in Turkey, Ajmal secured the third position with a timing of 46.04 seconds. In 2021, he clinched the gold medal at the Inter-Services Championship with a time of 46.91 seconds. He had a strong start in 2022 by winning gold at the Indian Grand Prix, finishing in 46.78 seconds.

He followed up his success by earning a silver medal at the National Inter State Senior Athletics Championship. There he improved his timing to 46.48 seconds. Ajmal is now dedicated to performing well at the upcoming Commonwealth and Asian Games later this year.

Muhammed Ajmal’s Athletic Accomplishments:

Muhammed Ajmal has emerged victorious at the National Athletics Championship on two occasions.

He secured a gold medal at the Indian Grand Prix in the year 2022.

In 2021, he earned a gold medal at the National Federation Cup.

Interesting Tidbits about Muhammed Ajmal:

His initial aspiration was to become a soccer player.

He shares a strong friendship with the national record holder, Mohammad Anas Yahiya.

Major Achievements:

1x In the Top 8 at World Championships

1x Asian Championships Silver medallist

Alongside, 1x In Top 8 at Commonwealth Games

1x In the Top 8 at Asian Championships

2 x National Champion

1 x Current Asian Record holder – 4x400m

source: http://www.thestatesman.com / The Statesman / Home> Who Is / by Statesman Web / August 28th, 2023

WORLD RECORD- SHOOTING: ’02nd World Deaf Shooting Championship 2024′ : Dhanush Srikanth breaks 02 world records, Shourya Saini claims Silver and Mohammed Murtaza Vania claims Silver as India sweeps men’s air rifle event in Hanover, Germany

Amazing Feats, Sports, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

INDIA :

World Deaf Shooting Championship: Dhanush breaks world records as India sweeps men’s air rifle event (Photo: X) / (L to R) Shourya Saini, Dhanush Srikanth (Centre) and Mohammed Murtaza Vania

New Delhi :

India dominated the men’s 10m air rifle event on day two of the second World Deaf Shooting Championship in Hanover, Germany, with Dhanush Srikanth, Shourya Saini, and Mohammed Murtaza Vania making a clean sweep of the medals.

Dhanush set two world records in a single day, first by scoring 632.7 in the qualification round, followed by a stunning 251.7 in the final.

His performance left Shourya, who secured the silver with a score of 249.9, trailing by a significant margin.

Mohammed Murtaza Vania claimed the bronze with a score of 226.2.

In addition to their success in the men’s event, India also shone bright in the women’s category with Mahit Sandhu and Natasha Joshi winning silver and bronze respectively, adding to the country’s medals tally.

The Indian contingent had already secured four medals on the first day of the competition, including one gold, two silver and a bronze.

( Source : PTI )

source http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Sports / by PTI (headline edited) /September 02nd, 2024

Winners of Celebration Mysore Marathon

Karnataka (under research project), Sports, Uncategorized

Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

pic

Mysuru:

More than 800 sports enthusiasts took part in the 14th edition of Celebration Mysore Marathon, organised by Life is Calling in city this morning.

The marathon was flagged-off by Mountaineer Dr. Usha Hegde  in front of Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple near the Balarama Gate of Mysore Palace at 6 am.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Usha Hegde said that taking part in sports event is important for people to stay fit and healthy. “Events like marathon should be organised more frequently to enhance the health conditions of those taking part,” she added.

The event comprised 30K Run, 21K Half Marathon, 10K Run and 5K Fun Run/ Walk. Organisers had made all necessary arrangements for the runners including drinking water at various points, medical team and ambulance on stand-by, and direction boards for the benefit of the participants.

Results

Open Male 10K Run

1. S.Y. Prajwal (36:35.7), 2. A. Abishek (36:35.9), 3. K. Kiran (37:00.00).

Senior Male 10K Run

1. Chandrasekaran Subramanian (45:14), 2. K.R. Ramakrishna (48:18), 3. N.T. Ranjit (48:37).

Veteran Male 10K Run

1. Ravindra Gundurao (54:18), 2. Hosur Udaykumar Shetty (56:26), 3. L. Ananth (59:42).

Open Female 10K Run

1. Deepika Prakash (46:45), 2. Seema Dasila (50:51), 3. Sandhya Satyan (51:53).

Senior Female 10K Run

1. Mamta Bharaktiya (01:04.44), 2. Shobha (01:07.12), 3. Dr. B.H. Vatsala (01:11.23).

Veteran Female 10K

1. Shamala Padmanabhan (01:33.38), 2. Geetha Vijaya (01:53.23).

Open Male Half Marathon (21K Run)

1. Madhusudhan (01:20.26), 2. Syed Atif Umar (01:29.51), 3. Dhanasekar Rajendran (01:31.36).

Senior Male Half Marathon

1. B.K. Madhukar (01:34.49), 2. Bhagya Mohan Konwar (01:45.02), 3. R. Sujanya (01:45.09).

Veteran Male Half Marathon

1. Girish Gubbi Dasappa (02:23.52), 2. Sanjeeva Balkur (02:25.20), 3. Kurupath Sureshkumar (02:35.20) .

Open Female Half Marathon

1. Meera (02:05.34), 2. Bharathi Chandrashekar (02:16.44), 3. K. Madhavi (02:16.45).

Senior Female Half Marathon

1. Divya Madaiah (02:22.04), 2. Sarvanidhi Thakur (02:24.24), 3. Rashmi Urs (02:44.03).

Veteran Female Half Marathon

1. S.G. Vijaya  (02:18.58).

Open Male 30K Run


1. Mohmmad Sahil Annigeri (01:54.12), 2. Sreejin Thankamani (02:13.08), 3. Chan Pasha (02:19.22).

Senior Male 30K Run

1. Reji Kumar Aravindakshan (02:25.58), 2. Ravikumar Yalagach (02:26.00), 3. Siddhartha Menon (02:27.04).

Veteran Male 30K Run

1. G. Mohan Rao (04:14.20), 2. Ramakrishna (04:44.54).

Open Female 30K Run

1. Pragati Gupta (02:36.17), 2. Mamta Yadav (02:53.19), 3. Bindu J. Prakash (03:25.23).

Senior Female 30K Run

1. Suman Srinivasa (02:56.02), 2. Rajalakshmy Mani (03:37.26), 3. Chintana M. Patkar (03:56.56).

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / September 01st, 2024

City kickboxers excel in State Championship

Karnataka (under research project), Sports, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

Kickboxers of Elite Academy won 7 gold medals in State-level Kickboxing Championship-2024 held at Yuvaraja’s College in city recently.

The medal winners — (from left) Mohammed Junaid (Gold medal in Junior category), Riya-ul-arab (Gold medal in Tatami Mat Kick Light event), Abu Shama (Gold medal in Children’s category), Simra Khan (Gold medals in Kick Light and Light Contact events), Abdul Muheebudin (Gold medal in Tatami Mat Kick Light event) & Mohammed Adnaan (Gold medal in Junior category) — are seen with Elite Academy Director Sameena Tabbasum and Academy Founder & Head Coach Mohammed Farjath Iyaz.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Gallery> PhotoNews / August 21st, 2024

Three siblings studying in Mangaluru win big at State-Level Karate Championship

Karnataka (under research project), Sports, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bhatkal / Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

Moodbidri: 

Three siblings from Bhatkal, who study in Mangaluru, achieved remarkable success at the state-level Karate Championship organized by the Shorin-Ryu Karate Association in collaboration with Swami’s Strength Training and MK Ananthraj College of Physical Education, held in Moodbidri on August 17, 2024.

Ismail Nameer, a 14-year-old student of Huda Islamia School, Mangaluru, secured first place in the Kumite category and also earned a place in Kata. His outstanding performance led to him being crowned the Grand Champion in the under-17 category.

Hamdan, Nameer’s younger brother and a student at Presidency School, Mangaluru, followed in his brother’s footsteps by winning first place in Kumite and securing a place in Kata.

Their sister, Umme Kulsum, also a student at Presidency School, claimed first place in the Fighting category, adding to the family’s impressive list of achievements.

Nameer, Hamdan, and Umme Kulsum are children of Nisar Ahmed Ruknuddin and Nada who reside in Mangaluru.

source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / by Vartha Bharati / August 20th, 2024

‘Bharat Ke Anmol Ratan’ awardee bodybuilder Mohtesham Ali felicitated

Amazing Feats, Sports, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Khan is a professional bodybuilder from Hyderabad and has earned many national and international titles including a silver medal in Mr World Body Building Championship, in the heavyweight category.

 Internationally acclaimed Bodybuilder Mir Mohtesham

Hyderabad:

A celebration was held in Hyderabad’s Media Plus Auditorium to celebrate Mohtesham Ali Khan, who received the prestigious national award ‘Bharat Ke Anmol’ for his journey of determination, perseverance, and excellence in the realm of bodybuilding and fitness.

Khan is a professional bodybuilder from Hyderabad and has earned many national and international titles including a silver medal in Mr World Body Building Championship, in the heavyweight category.

The event which was held on Sunday, August 14, witnessed the presence of dignitaries and supporters who gathered to honour Khan’s accomplishments.

The chief guest Abdul Khayyum Khan, minority affairs advisor for the government lauded Khan’s unwavering commitment to his craft.

Other prominent figures including AIMIM leader Ather Farooqui, BRS leader Khaleequr Rahman, Pathergatti Corporator, Syed Sohail Quadri and chairman of Vandhe Bharat, Ramesh Eppalapalli were also present at the event.

The felicitation ceremony was organised by the founder and CEO of Ethos Imagination, Varaprasad who emphasised that the evening was not merely a tribute to Mir Mohtesham Ali Khan’s individual accomplishments but also a testament to the power of dedication and hard work.

At the event, Khan expressed his heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to his journey and stood by him both during challenges and triumphs.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Sayma Ahmed / August 13th, 2023

Hardik Singh, Salima Tete conferred with Hockey India Player of the Year awards

Amazing Feats, Events, Exhibitions, Conferences (wef. Nov 18th, 2021), Leaders, Sports, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JHARKHAND :

Hockey legend Ashok Kumar was accorded the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the sport.

Delhi:

Hardik Singh and Salima Tete were named men’s and women’s players of the year at the 6th Hockey India Annual Awards in New Delhi on Sunday.

This year, the total award prize pool was INR 7.56 crores.

Surprisingly, the 2016 Junior World Cup gold medal-winning Indian men’s team was felicitated, with each player earning a cash prize of INR 5 Lakh along with a trophy.

The 2023 Junior Asia Cup gold medal-winning Indian men’s and women’s teams were also honoured, with each player earning a cash prize of INR 2 Lakh and all the members of the support staff earning a cash prize of INR 1 Lakh each.

Other gold medal-winning teams of men’s Hockey 5s Asia Cup, women’s Hockey 5s Asia Cup, men’s Asian Champions Trophy, and women’s Asian Champions Trophy were also felicitated along with the men’s team that won gold at the Asian Games and women’s team that won bronze.

Meanwhile, Hockey Haryana won the Best Member Unit of the Year Award 2023, earning a prize of INR 2.5 Lakh.

The award ceremony saw PR Sreejesh winning the prestigious Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year, earning a cash prize of INR 5 Lakh along with a trophy.

For his consistent performances throughout the year, Harmanpreet Singh won the Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year, earning himself a cash prize of INR 5 Lakh along with a trophy.

Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year was won by Hardik Singh, while Abhishek won the prestigious Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year, both earning themselves INR 5 Lakh and a trophy each.

The next generation was also honoured with youngster Deepika Soreng winning the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21) earning a cash prize of INR 10 Lakh and a trophy.

Araijeet Singh Hundal was named the Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men – Under 21), winning a cash prize of INR 10 Lakh and a trophy.

Hardik Singh, and Salima Tete, won the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year Awards for men and women respectively, each earning a cash prize of INR 25 Lakh along with a trophy.

“It is a matter of great pride for me to win the prestigious award. This is truly reflective of the hard work and the commitment that our team displayed over the past year. I am thankful to everyone for their support and I will continue to work even harder in the coming year to justify the honour,” said Hardik Singh after winning the award.

Meanwhile, Salima Tete, on her win, said, “I wish to thank my teammates, coaches, and the support staff for showcasing their faith in me. It is a matter of great pride for me every time I get to wear the Indian jersey and step out on the field to represent the nation. This award will further motivate me to continue to do even better each day so I can continue to make the country proud.”

The ceremony closed with Hockey India celebrating the achievements of Ashok Kumar, honouring the Indian legend with the prestigious Hockey India Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award with a cash prize of INR 30 Lakh and a trophy.

Award winners at 6th Hockey India Annual Awards

Rs 5 Lakh each: PR Sreejesh (Goalkeeper of the Year), Harmanpreet Singh (Defender of the Year), Hardik Singh (Midfielder of the Year), Abhishek (Forward of the Year)

Rs 10 lakh each: Deepika Soreng (Women Under-21 Player of the Year), Araijeet Singh Hundal (Men Under-21 Player of the Year) Rs. 25 lakh each:

Salima Tete (Player of The Year Women), Hardik Singh ( Player of The Year Men) Rs 30 lakh: Ashok Kumar (Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award).

source: http://www.thebridge.in / The Bridge / Home> Hockey / by The Bridge Bureau / April 02nd, 2024

Salima Tete: From winning chickens and goats to becoming AHF Athletes Ambassador

Amazing Feats, Events, Exhibitions, Conferences (wef. Nov 18th, 2021), Leaders, Sports, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion, ,

JHARKHAND :

The girl who started playing hockey with bamboo sticks in the village grounds, travelled over 20-kilometres on her bicycle for matches, and won goats and chickens in village tournaments, has come a long way. Today, Salima Tete is an international hockey player, who was recently appointed by the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) as its Athletes Ambassador from India. 

 The player has begun her two-year term along with three other players from Asia. 

“I am honoured to be selected as one of the AHF ambassadors. As athletes from Asia, we face a lot of challenges in our careers. This position will allow me to bring our voices to the front,” Salima said during the AGM of AHF in Korea. “I hope to make a positive impact on the lives of athletes from the Asia region with this position,” she added. 

Salima Tete

Over the last several years, Salima has been an integral part of the Indian hockey team. She was named the ‘Rising Player of the Tournament’ at the Women’s Asia Cup tournament held in Muscat last year.

From rural Jharkhand to international hockey turfs 

The journey of the twenty-one-year-old hockey player from a nondescript village of Simdega district in Jharkhand is nothing short of an inspiration.  

Born to Sulakshan and Subani Tete, Salima and her five siblings grew up in extreme poverty amidst abundant love. It wasn’t just her family – the village was poverty-ridden, not a single home could afford a television set.  

Her farmer father ferried the aspirant hockey player for matches as far as 20 kilometres from their village on his bicycle. The awards at these local tournaments were chicken and goats – the only items that the local organisers could arrange to give away as prizes. It was on occasions like these that the Tete family would devour a non-vegetarian meal. On other days the meals were as simple as could be. 

Since there was no television or internet in their village, no one in the locality could watch Salima play her first major match. It was much later that her family started watching her play at national and international stadiums. By then, the midfielder was scaling her own mountains, and had made India proud on several occasions.  

Salima Tete with PM Modi

In 2020, when Salima got the opportunity to play at the Tokyo Olympics, her village came into spotlight and better training facilities got introduced for the youth there. Her younger sister, Mahima, who had also been exposed to the sport thanks to her sister, began playing it too. Like Salima, Mahima is a national hockey player as well.  

“Before the Tokyo Olympics, no one knew about our village and after I came back, the focus on our native place increased a lot. We have people visiting us from different places. People recognising the village I come from is really heart-warming,” Salima said in an interview. “Even my family feel very good when people come to visit. The whole atmosphere has changed and it makes me very happy,” she added. 

The following year, in 2021 when Salima led the Indian women’s junior hockey team to a fourth-place finish at the Women’s Junior World Cup in Potchefstroom, South Africa she climbed the popularity charts further. 

Surging ahead as an ambassador 

After her appointment as AHF Athletes Ambassador, Salima remarked, “I sincerely thank the Asian Hockey Federation for showcasing their faith in me and also express my gratitude to Hockey India for their constant support in all my endeavours.” 

Salima Tete during the AHF AGM

In her two-year term (2023-25), Salima will be in a leadership role, facilitating the growth and international representation of athletes from Asia. She will also be working to promote awareness about athletes’ welfare and rights. 

 “Playing for India has really changed my life a lot, it has given me everything I could have asked for. I just want to keep performing for the country and winning more matches,” Salima had said in an interview. India is all praise for athletes like her for bringing laurels to the country. 

source: http://www.globalindian.com / Global Indian / Home> Story> Global Indian Exclusive / Compiled by Amrita Priya / March 31st, 2023

Zabir Ansari wins gold in Karate world championship

Amazing Feats, Sports, World Opinion

BIHAR :

Mohammad Zabir Ansari at the victory podium (X)

Karate player Zabir Ansari has won a gold medal in the tenth international championship named Mayor Cup 2024 organized at Kakarvitta Meshinagar Jhapa, Nepal. The two-day championship held on May 31 had India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Nepal as participating countries.

Zabir Ansari’s victory is being celebrated at Patna University, where he is enrolled for a post-graduate degree in the Urdu department. 

Earlier, Zabir had won medals in international Karate events in Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Turkey, and Egypt.

Zabir won the gold medal by defeating Nepal and Bhutan in the 75 kg category.

pix: x.com

Interestingly, Zabir was short of money for participating in this international meet when a Pasmanda leader Dr Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie ran a social media campaign asking Indians to help this promising Karate player. He posted this on social media after Zabir’s vioctory on X: 

Giving the credit for his success to his coach Rahul Kumar, Jabir told Awaz-the Voice on the phone from Nepal that ‘Rahul Sir’ made him practice hard for 6 to 8 hours every day.

Rahul said that he was hopeful that just like Zabir’s gold medal in the All India University competition where 188 universities were participating he would win the gold this time.

Zabir played his first match in 2015 where he won a silver medal. 

Zabir Ansari’s achievement is all the more impressive given his background. He hails from a remote and naxal-affected area of Bihar.

His father Imtiaz Ansari is a teacher in a school in his native Tumbapahar village of Jhajha block of Jamui district.

Zabir is the eldest of four siblings. Mother Fahima Khatoon has received the Rashtra Veermata Jijabai Samman-2018.

Zabir has represented the country five times. In 2017, he won a silver medal for the country in the South Asian Karate Competition held in Sri Lanka. He represented India in China, Thailand in 2018, and Turkey in 2019. He was included among the potential Karate players of India in the Asian Games held in Indonesia in 2018 and participated in the training camp.

Zabir has won the gold medal six times in a row in the state-level Karate Championship, while he won the silver and bronze medals in 2017 and 2019. Last year, Jabir Ansari won the bronze medal by securing third place in the All India Inter-University Karate Championship. Jabir Ansari also secured fourth place in the Khelo India University Game 2022.

Zabir has received the State government’s Sports Award in 2018, 2021 and 2022. 

Zabir said that as a child he always dreamed of doing action. Also, he would sneak out and watch action movies of actors like Akshay Kumar. After watching a film, he always felt a strong urge to learn action. However, only after came to Patna for admission in the 12th class did he join a Karate class. In 2015, he played a match at the national level for the first time. 

Initially, his family wanted him to focus on studies. However, sensing his inclination for Karate, his parents gave him a go-ahead.

Shahab Zafar Azmi, Chairman of the Urdu Department of Patna University, says that Zabir Ansari’s success is the success of the Urdu Department and Patna University. “I congratulate our promising student, may he get more success.”

Zabir also says that the college gave him confidence as a sportsperson.

“I will always be grateful for the honour of being a student of Patna University and above all for the guidance and support I received.”

Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has honoured Jabir for encouraging him.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Seraj Anwar, Patna / June 03rd, 2024