Soha bags fourth title of the season at AITA women’s tennis event
Bengaluru:
Soha Sadiq came back from a set down to beat Akanksha Nitture of Maharashtra in the final as she bagged her third singles crown of the season at the AITA women’s tennis tournament played under the aegis of KSLTA here on Saturday.
The top seed from Karnataka beat Akanksha 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to end the tournament with a fine double. Overall, this was Soha’s fourth title of the season as she and Akanksha had won the doubles crown on Friday.
After heavy rains had delayed the start of the final by more than two hours, the 23-year-old Soha dominated the proceedings from the start and was soon 4-1 up. However, she lost the momentum which was quickly grabbed by her opponent as third seed Akanksha went on to win five games on the trot to take the first set, according to information reaching here.
The second set saw both the rivals fight hard for each point until the sixth game with the scores being level. It was then that Soha stepped up on the gas and closed out the set at 6-3.
Soha, after a 2-1 lead, broke Akanksha’s serve in the fourth game of the decider which saw both of them reach deuce five times before the latter succumbed. There was no stopping Soha from that point as she just marched away with the set and the match.
“I am happy to win my third singles title of the season. I didn’t expect it to be a three-setter but luckily I found my rhythm when I needed it most,” Soha, who has just graduated in Commerce from Mount Carmel’s College, was quoted as saying by the KSLTA in a release.
Results (Seedings in pre-fix, States in brackets) Women’s Singles (Final): 1-Soha Sadiq (KAR) bt 3-Akanksha Nitture (MAH) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
(IANS)
source: http://www.ommcomnews.com / Ommcom News / Home> Sports / by Ommcom News / October 09th, 2021
Malik, who bowled the fastest ball yet of IPL 2021, started with tennis-ball cricket
SRH’s Umran Malik celebrates his first IPL wicket in the match against RCB | IPL Twitter
It is no easy task to trouble Glenn Maxwell when he gets into the mood to hit bowlers around the park. The big Aussie was getting warmed up for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but fast bowler Umran Malik was proving to be a thorn in his side.
With Maxwell and Devdutt Padikkal steadily building a partnership, Malik threw a spanner into RCB’s run-chase with three excellent overs, making the target of 142 seem like a long way off.
In the ninth over, the speedster bowled three consecutive balls that crossed the 150kmph mark. The third of those was clocked at 153kmph, making it the fastest delivery of this year’s tournament.
He conceded just five runs off that over, returning in the 11th to part with a measly four runs.
In the first over of that spell—the seventh over of the RCB innings—Malik took the wicket of Srikar Bharat and gave away just one run.
Malik had successfully taken the sting out of the RCB onslaught in the crucial middle overs, despite other bowlers like Siddharth Kaul, Rashid Khan and Jason Holder getting hit for boundaries.
Sunrisers won the game by four runs, and both captains would heap praises on the 21-year-old bowler from Jammu and Kashmir.
RH skipper Kane Williamson counted him as one of the positives of a largely disappointing season for his team.
“Umran certainly is special,” said Williamson. “We’ve seen him in the nets for a couple of seasons. [It is a] special opportunity for him and it’s not surprising to see him come and do well. [He has] been a really valuable addition to the side.”
RCB captain Virat Kohli noted that it was important to track Malik’s progress from here.
“This tournament throws up talent every year. Good to see a guy bowling at 150 clicks. It is important to understand the progress of individuals from here on,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation.
“The pool of fast bowlers being strong is always a good sign for Indian cricket and whenever you see talent like this, you are going to have your eyes on them and make sure you maximise their potential.”
After the game, Malik would request Kohli to autograph his jersey, the Indian captain gladly obliging.
Humble beginnings
Malik made his IPL debut against Kolkata Knight Riders on October 3, in which he bowled a 151kmph delivery, which was the fastest by an Indian in the tournament this year. He would only better that, twice, in the ninth over against RCB.
Malik is the son of a vegetable vendor in Jammu. His father told a news channel after his IPL debut that it was no ordinary achievement for their family, because of their financial status.
He was a net bowler for the Sunrisers for two years until getting his big break this week, owing to the absence of T. Natarajan who is down with Covid-19.
Malik would bowl nervously to the likes of David Warner and Kane Williamson in the SRH nets, he told the IPL’s official website.
“I prayed to god that let me bowl well to them. I thought if I have to beat them I have to hit the right length. I kept beating them and I learned from that, I kept bowling on that same length. That made a big difference,” said Malik.
Like Natarajan, Malik entered the sport as a tennis-ball cricketer. He credits this experience for his yorkers and raw pace.
In 2018, when he attended a trial for J&K U-19 players, he saw shoes with spikes for the first time. He had arrived for the trials in jogging shoes and would borrow the spikes from a friend.
The selectors took note of his abilities and he would make it to the U-19 one-day team. He would then participate in the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali tournaments before being roped in by SRH as a net bowler.
There are comparisons being drawn of Malik’s action with that of legendary Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis.
Former Indian skipper Kris Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel that his “rhythmic” run-up reminded him of Younis.
“His run-up, his action everything resembles a bit of Waqar Younis’s style. He has a very good rhythmic run-up and he is able to bowl at a good pace,” said Srikkanth.
Indian coaches and strength and conditioning trainers will be keeping an eye out for the young speedster to prolong his career and keep him from injuries that commonly plague bowlers with such pace.
The hype around such fast bowlers often leads to unreal expectations and eventually disappointment if they fall by the wayside. But should Malik maintain consistency, he would prove useful for the Indian team with his raw pace and excellent line and length.
(With inputs from PTI)
source: http://www.theweek.in / The Week / Home / by the Web Desk / October 07th, 2021
Soundari Sindy (left), winner in Girls category and Mohd Rafiq who achieved a double
Chennai:
Bengaluru’s Mohd Rafiq dominated the opening day’s proceedings in the second round of MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2021 at the MMRT, here on Saturday, with a grand double while local challenger, Soundari Sindy topped the Girls category.
Rafiq was in imperious form as he won in both 2-Stroke 165cc and 130cc categories quite comfortably. After a disappointing practice run, he clocked 12.761 seconds in the Final Run of the 165cc class ahead of Chennai’s Prashanth (12.817) and Aiyaz Rem (12.969) for the 400-metre dash.
Earlier, Rafiq took the honours in the 130cc category with 12.962 seconds, followed by two others from Bengaluru, Touheed (13.438) and Abdul G (13.513).
Sindy emerged triumphant in a three-way battle in the Girls category (4-Stroke 165cc) as she overcame fellow-Chennai competitors Lani Zena Fernandez and Nivetha Jessica.
The two-day event concludes on Sunday when four-stroke bikes, including the superbikes, will be seen in action.
The results:
Girls (4-stroke, up to 165cc): 1. Soundari Sindy (Chennai) (16.462secs); 2. Lani Zena Fernandez (Chennai) (16.522); 3. Nivetha Jessica (Chennai) (17.291).
2-Stroke (up to 165cc):1. Mohd Rafiq (Bengaluru) (12.761); 2. Prashanth (Chennai) (12.817); 3. Aiyaz Rem (12.969).
Up to 130cc: 1. Mohd Rafiq (12.962); 2. Touheed (Bengaluru) (13.438); 3. Abdul G (Bengaluru) (13.513).
source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by Telangana Today / October 02nd, 2021
Mysuru-boy Mustafa M. Raja, who won the Provincial Championships in British Columbia last month and was selected for the Nationals to be held in Montreal, Quebec, did well and emerged National Doubles Champion. Mustafa also came third in Singles.
The 14-year-old played consistent tennis all week at the 14-and-under Nationals held at the Carrefour Tennis Centre from Sept. 20 to 26. Tournament was held outdoors on clay courts.
In the Doubles finals, Mustafa and his partner Eric defeated Owen and Scotty. Mustafa and Eric came back from one set down and held their nerves to win the Nationals with the score of 2,6 6,4 and 10-7.
In the Singles, Mustafa lost to Adam in the semi-finals but won the match for the third spot against Andy Kepche with the score of 6,1 and 6,1 to get the third spot.
Mustafa, representing British Columbia, also won silver in the team standings of the provinces.
Mustafa was awarded a trophy for the National Doubles Champion, trophy for the third place in Singles and a silver medal for the provincial standings. With this performance, Mustafa will break into top 5 Singles rankings in Canada. Mustafa trains at the Tennis Centre in Vancouver and goes to Sullivan Heights Secondary School.
Mustafa, son of Murtuza Raja and Farida Raja, earlier train at the Nagaraj Tennis Centre in Mysuru for seven years and attended Excel Public School in Mysuru.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sport / October 01st, 2021
Sania Mirza won her first title of the season as she and her Chinese partner Shuai Zhang (Source: Sania Mirza / Twitter)
Sania Mirza won her first title of the season as she and her Chinese partner Shuai Zhang beat the pair of Kaitlyn Christian and Erin Routliffe in the women’s doubles final of the Ostrava Open on Sunday.
The second seeded Indo-Chinese duo defeated the third seeded pair of American Christian and New Zealander Routliffe 6-3 6-2 in the summit clash in one hour and four minutes.
The 34-year-old Sania and Zhang had defeated the Japanese pair 6-2 7-5 in the semifinals of the WTA 500 event.
It was Sania’s second final of the season, following a runner-up finish at the WTA 250 Cleveland event in the USA last month with Chirstina Mchale.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Sports> Tennis / by PTI / September 27th, 2021
How fast can you punch? Well, Rafhan Ummer can punch faster!
Rafhan Ummer
Kochi:
Rafhan Ummer from Kozhikode recently entered the Guinness World Records for throwing the most full extension strikes on a punching pad. The 24-year-old from Kozhikode swung his fist an amazing 426 times in just 60 seconds, breaking the previous record set by the kickboxer and martial artist Pavel Trusov from Slovakia. His official count was 334.With over eight years of experience in Kung Fu and four in boxing, landing punches is already Rafhan’s cup of tea.
“My friends noticed how fast I can punch. When I strike, I barely observe my speed, so they took a video and showed me. I heard about full extension punching from them,” says Rafhan. Before applying for the record, Rafhan recorded a 15-second video where he threw over 100 punches in a single go. “That is when we realised that I could break the world record,” he adds.
A professional fitness coach, Rafhan also bagged the India Book of Records five months ago for punching 414 times. A full-extension punch is when you extend your fist and retract it back fully. Keeping the pace and the power of punches intact for a whole minute, right from the beginning till the end was vital for claiming the record, says Rafhan. “There is no specific training for full extension punching.
Along with my daily workout sessions, I used to spare some time to practice it, especially to keep the pace and the power steady. My KungFu master Hamsakoya guided me,” he says. He practised for a month for the record. “Every time I throw a full extension punch, I make sure to not stop until the timer hits one minute,” says Rafhan.
Breath control is yet another important factor to consider while doing full extension punching exercises. “I have been practising breathing exercises, and meditation too. It wasn’t hard for me to achieve ample breath control as I have been exercising since school days,” says Rafhan.
On September 11, at Kozhikode Indoor Stadium, Rafhan set the world record in the presence of Ahmed Devarkovil, Minister of Ports; O Rajagopal, president of District Sports Council; Dr Beena Philip, Kozhikode Mayor; Thottathil Raveendran MLA, and boxing coaches Ramesh Kumar and Rajesh T.
For Rafhan, setting a new world record isn’t the ultimate goal. He aims to throw the most number of punches in a second next and thereby break his idol Bruce Lee’s previous record — nine punches in a second.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Mahima Anna Jacob, Express News Service / September 21st, 2021
The Red Bull Neymar Jr’s Five is counted among the largest amateur football tournaments in the world.
Also a fan of Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr is a huge inspiration to Shahzad. (Image Credits: Instagram/iamshahzad10)
A teenager from Kerala qualified in an online talent hunt that got hundreds of entries from all over the world.
The boy was handpicked as one of the seven freestyle footballers in the show dubbed as 2021 Red Bull Neymar Jr’s Five. Shahzad Mohammed Rafi, a boy from Pazhayangadi, Kannur, made his state proud by achieving the feat. The 17-year-old will play alongside Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr in a global five-a-side event to be held in Qatar.
The PSG footballer was a part of the committee comprising the seven panelists that examined 60-second videos of footballing talent shared by interested contestants on Instagram. They were supposed to upload a clip showcasing their skills with the hashtag: #OutPlayThemAll. Shahzad is one of the two qualified from India in the upcoming championship. The Red Bull Neymar Jr’s Five is counted among the largest amateur football tournaments in the world.
The candidates had to be evaluated under multiple level screenings based on their performance. Shahzad participated in the last year’s edition but did not qualify at the national level. A class 12 student of Wadihuda Higher Secondary School, he is born to Muhammad Rafi and Sherifa Rafi. Shahzad showed interest in football since he was in class 6. As his family is settled in Kuwait, he is listed as an entry from there.
Abhinash Shanmugamfrom Bengaluru also secured a place in the final. Jaimy Schallenbergh (Belgium), Simon Gustavo (Brazil), Leon Gillies Mannes (Norway), Giorgio Montalti (Italy), and Stanley Godian (Nigeria) are the other freestylers selected by Neymar Jr.
Shahzad told Onmanorama that he is eager to meet and play alongside Neymar Jr. Also a fan of Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr is a huge inspiration to Shahzad. A few years ago, a chance meeting with French freestyler Sean Garnier became the turning point for the boy. The event with Neymar Jr is likely to be held in December or early next year.
India’s only woman powerlifter at Tokyo Paralympics, Sakina Khatun finishes in fifth position in the final of the women’s 50kg powerlifting.
Para Powerlifter Sakina Khatun / thebridge.in
Indian para powerlifter Sakina Katun finishes fifth in the women’s 50kg powerlifting event on Friday at the Tokyo Paralympics. Participating in her maiden Paralympic Games, Sakina lifted 90kg in her first attempt, followed by an unsuccessful lift of 93kg in second. In her third attempt, Sakina successfully lifted 93 kg to finish 5th. Egyptian Reha Ahmed a best of 120kg to win the gold medal, followed by China’s Hu Dandan, who lifted 112kg to win the silver medal and Great Britain’s Olivia Broome lifted 107kg to win the bronze medal.
Sakina made the country proud by winning a silver in the Para Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai in the up to 45kg category with a lift of 80kg. Sakina Khatun is the only female para-athlete in Indian history to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games. Hailing from Bengaluru, Sakina’s father worked as a marginal farmer and her family faced many financial problems. Despite all of this, Sakina survived Polio as a child and she had to undergo four surgeries to survive the deadly disease.
source: http://www.thebridge.in / The Bridge / Home> Tokyo 2020 Paralympics / by The Bridge Desk / August 27th, 2021
Nisha Warsi, the only Muslim player in the Indian national hockey team that reached the semi-inals in Tokyo and lost a well-fought game against the English team, will get an award of Rs 50 lakh from the State government of Haryana as the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced the policy of rewards for Olympians.
He said the State will give Rs 50 lakh to each player of the Indian women’s hockey team from the state and the same amount to those who ranked fourth in the Olympics events from the state.
It’s not clear if Nisha is entitled to double award of being the Olympian and winning the fourth place in international Hockey at Tokyo. In that happens she is entitled to Rs one crore.
Khattar tweeted, “We give Rs 6 crore to Gold medal winners, Rs 4 crore to Silver medal winners, and Rs 2.5 crore to Bronze medal winners. For the first time, we have decided to give Rs 50 lakh each to the players who finished fourth.”
Apart from this, he further announced to give Rs 10 lakh each to all the players who participated in Olympics from Haryana.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz / Home> Women / August 07th, 2021
The undeniable girl power of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in sports came to the fore in Hockey as a team of AMU ABK High School-Girls clinched a decisive win in the final of the National Hockey Tournament in Goa to bag the Gold Medal.
Team members Aliya Rashid, Simran Shakeel, Rabia Khatoon, Shafiya Shakeel, Amreen Malik, Zenab Mohsin, Saniya, Shaby and others were felicitated in a special function at the school on their return.
Congratulating the team members, Dr Samina (Principal) said that the School hockey team has not only capped an excellent performance in the tournament, but also inspired other girls to take up sport and bring laurels.
Wishing the team more success in the future, Dr Saba Hasan (Vice Principal) said that the team’s performance shows that dreams can come true as long as you work hard.
School teachers, Mr Nadeem Ahmad, Mrs Shaheen Khan, Mr Mahtab Ahmed, Mr Najmur Rahman Faridi, Mr Shamshad Nisar (Sports teacher) and Md Imran Khan (Coach) delivered motivating speeches to encourage the hockey team for more success.
source: http://www.amu.ac.in / Aligarh Muslim University / AMU Public Relations Office / August 24th, 2021
