Category Archives: Sports

A Nawab, an Englishman and a maestro

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Sports, World Opinion, ,

Bhopal, MADHYA PRADESH :

The Nawab of Pataudi. It was one of India’s greatest triumphs…with a most remarkable man leading the way… (Published in The Sportstar on October 19, 1985) PHOTO: THE HINDU ARCHIVES  

Cricket and music? Yes, they are perfectly in tune with each other

It was January 1973. India was playing England in a Test series. Ajit Wadekar was leading India, while Tony Lewis was the English captain. The Nawab of Pataudi had been inducted into the team after a fine show in a tour match. The two teams had wound their way to Chennai (then Madras) for the third Test. The series was tied one-all. And the match at Chepauk was crucial.

But this story is not about cricket and the unflappable Pataudi’s exploits with the bat or of Wadekar’s marshalling of his troops on a turning Chepauk pitch. In those days, Test cricket was played over six days with a rest day after three days. I was a student of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. The institute had a music club (still does), and a violin concert by Lalgudi Jayaraman had been organised for Sunday evening.

The ace violinist had just begun his concert and essayed the varnam, when suddenly there was a minor commotion at the entrance. In walked Pataudi with Tony Lewis (Monday was a rest day). They proceeded to the front row, where two seats had been hastily vacated for them, and sat in rapt attention while Lalgudi, after a courteous bow to acknowledge their presence, proceeded with his concert. We later learned that Tony Lewis was a part-time musician and violinist, and Pataudi wanted to expose him to how India had adapted this instrument for its classical music.

Even in those pre-WhatsApp days, word of the great man’s presence in the Central Lecture Theatre spread like wildfire on the campus and the hall which had till then only a sprinkling of listeners, fast filled up and was soon overflowing. Concert over, Pataudi and Tony Lewis exchanged a few pleasantries with the maestro and left.

I dare say that Pataudi had unwittingly acted as a catalyst to convert quite a few of the Pop, Rock, Blues and Jazz aficionados among the young IITians to serious listeners of Indian classical music.

srinivasan.bhashyam@gmail.com

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Opinion> Open Page / by S. Bhashyam / May 09th, 2021

Mangaluru: Muhammed Shamil Arshad of The Yenepoya School bags national medal

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

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

Mangaluru : 

Muhammad Shamil Arshad of The Yenepoya School and Hi-Flyers Skating Club, here, secured a bronze medal in the recently held 58th National Roller Skating Championship held at Mohali from 31st March to 11th April 2021.

He represented the state of Karnataka and bagged the medal in the Road 1 Lap Event in Inline Boys 11-14 yrs age group.

He was trained by Mohandas K and Jayaraj.

The Yenepoya School congratulates Shamil and his coaches.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home>Campus Beat / by Media Release / April 20th, 2021

Kerala man builds miniature replica of Mahindra jeep for his kids

Amazing Feats, Sports, Transport, World Opinion,

Areekode (Malappuram District), KERALA :

Shakir, who is a resident of Areekode in Malappuram district, Kerala, built a miniature soft top Mahindra jeep for his children and the video of his creation is now making rounds on the internet.

While it’s common for parents to buy kids their favourite toys, a Kerala man went out of his way to build a miniature jeep for his children to play with.

Shakir, a resident of Areekode in Malappuram district, built a miniature soft top Mahindra jeep for his children and the video of his creation is now making rounds on the internet.

The jeep, which is a replica of a Mahindra Jeep, is powered by a 1000 watts motor and comes complete with a manual gearbox, power steering, detachable soft top and headlights. It took Shakir around a year to finish the project.

In the video, Shakir explained that though he completed the project over 5-6 years ago, it was only now that the miniature jeep went viral.

The jeep, which reportedly has a driving range of approximately 60-70 km, cost him around Rs 1.5 lakhs.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Trending> Trending in India / by Trends Desk, New Delhi / April 19th, 2021

Indian football: Former Olympian Ahmed Hussain passes away

Amazing Feats, Karnataka (under research project), Sports, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA / Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

The former India international defender passed away at the age 89 on Friday…

Former India international footballer Ahmed Hussain breathed his last at the age of 89 on April 16 in Bengaluru. The Olympian footballer had tested positive for COVID-19.

Born in 1932, Hussain started his career with Hyderabad City Police. While playing for the club he was selected in the Indian squad which took part in the 1951 Asian Games held in New Delhi and won the gold.

A defender, Hussain was also a part of the Indian Olympics football team that put on a fantastic show in Melbourne (1956) where they thrashed Australia 4-2 to eventually finish fourth in the tournament.

Hailing from Hyderabad, the footballer was incredibly talented and was an integral part of the Hyderabad side which won the Santosh Trophy in 1956 and 1957.

Other than Hyderabad City Police, the India international had also plied his trade with Kolkata football giants Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting Club. In his career, he had won three Durand Cups and six Rovers Cups.

After retiring from football, he took up coaching and joined the Sports Authority of India (SAI). He was posted in Bengaluru where he eventually settled down.

Speaking to Telangana about Hussein his former teammate and Olympian SS Hakim said .“Hussain was one of the giants of the Indian football team. He was one of the greatest stopper backs of the country. Despite his glorious achievements he never received any honours from the government. He truly deserved a Padma Sri.’’ 

Ahmed Hussain’s death is a great loss for the Indian football fraternity.

source: http://www.goal.com / Goal / Home> India / by goal.com / April 17th, 2021

Aqsa sets example for aspiring football players

Education, Sports, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Valpoi Village (Sattari Taluka), GOA :

Despite all odds, an 18 year old girl from Goa has set an example for many aspiring girls who want to be a sport person. The girl is Aqsa Altaf Sayed who has been selected in the women’s football team of Goa prestigious FC Goa (football club Goa). She hails from a remote village in Goa but her steely resolve brings out her talents to the fore.

If you have the courage and that spark to achieve your goals, you can get it in any way that is a message from the success of Aqsa.  She was born in Valpoi village of Sattari Taluka (North Goa). She will play in the Goa Football Association’s “Vedanta Women’s League” starting next month.

It is worth to mention here that after commencement of High Profile ISL (Indian Super League) the FC Goa club has earned many accolades and admirers in the global football buff fraternity.

Speaking with Muslim Mirror, Aqsa says that she loved to bounce around the ball since she was a kid but her journey began from 6th grade when she used to play for her school at taluka level while getting her routine practice from the GFDC (Goa football development council).

Aqsa dreams to be part of India’s national women’s football team and to represent India at international events. She also wants to continue being into the track of her passion by picking up to be a football coach in the future. She further wants to coach and motivate little girls to play football.

Her elder brother is an inspiring personality for her who is a good soccer player of soccer.  She used to watch him while he was playing football. “My motivation was my hard work, sacrifices and my prayers”.

“ Much credit also goes to my parents and my brother without whom I would have never made this journey successful. I feel blessed to get such supportive people in my life,” Aqsa adds.

Head Master of Unity High school, Valpoi Ashraf Ali Khan said he is proud of Aqsa who brought laurels to her alma mater

I am elated to know that our ex student Aqsa Sayed has been selected to play for FC goa. In fact, she had shown great interest in sports activities during her school days besides, doing her level best in her studies, Khan said.

“I am sure that she will be an asset to the team she will play for India in the near future, we wish her all the very best”.

source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim / by Sobiya Inamdar / March 15th, 2021

Rashid Ali Khan buys Gaya Gladiators Team in Bihar Cricket Legue

Business & Economy, Sports, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

Patna (Bihar) / Mumbai:

Mumbai based successful entrepreneur, sportsperson and the founder of Significant Sports Capt. Rashid Ali Khan has bought Gaya Gladiators, a team in the Bihar Cricket League (BCL) T20. The auction for the same was held in Patna today. 

Founded in 2011, Significant Sports holds a reputable position in the world of Sports Marketing & Celebrity Management. The company constantly aims at working towards being the frontrunner across various sports verticals and for being a one-stop destination for everything in and around sports.

Commenting on this development Capt. Rashid Ali Khan said, “We are delighted to be a part of this Bihar Cricket League T20, which will provide an opportunity to flourish and nourish hidden cricketing talent in Bihar. This initiative taken by BCL will bring a paradigm shift in the development of Bihar and will help the young cricketers grow exponentially.” 

“Being a sportsperson, I am always inclined towards promoting young talent and honing their skills in cricket. Gaya Gladiators will nurture the youngsters with potential and I am delighted to announce that legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan would be the mentor of Gaya Gladiators”, he added.

source: http://www.english.newstracklive.com / News Track / Home> Sports / March 10th, 2021

Rashida Simnani achieved laurels in wrestling without basic coaching

Sports, , , , , , ,

Drabgam Village (Pulwama District), JAMMU & KASHMIR :

IANS

Srinagar : 

The achievements of Syed Rashida Simnani in the field of wrestling without any basic coaching and infrastructure prove the maxim, where there is a will, there is a way.

Rashida belongs to Drabgam village in Rajpora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

She said she was interested in wrestling right from childhood and after winning a few competitions at the school level got enough encouragement to keep her passion alive.

Rashida Simnani’s career

She did an eight-week certificate course in health and fitness from the National Sports Authority of India (NSAI) Patiala.

She was appointed on a contractual basis as a fitness coach at Government women’s degree college in Srinagar where she pursued her graduation degree.

She became part of national team in 2017. She told reporters she has represented J&K at the national level in baseball and wrestling where she won a bronze medal in the wrestling competition.

After her training at Patiala, she was selected to represent India at international stage in Taekwondo where she won a silver medal.

Self-defence must: Rashida Simnani

Simnani is presently working with the J&K sports council. She told reporters that as crimes against women are increasing in the society there is an urgent need for the government to start self-defence and awareness courses for women.

“I strongly believe that girls should have a free choice to choose their vocation for which they have passion.

“Once you select a profession for which you have passion, you will naturally excel in that field”, Simnani said.

She also said that the Sports Authority of India and the local sports council must reach out, especially to rural areas to ensure that the budding talent of young boys and girls does not go waste because of lack of infrastructure and training.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Sports / by IANS / posted by Sameer / March 04th, 2021

Keralite ‘racquet doctor’ to attend to Federer, Serena

Business & Economy, NRI's / PIO's, Sports, World Opinion, , , , , , , , ,

Perumpilavu (Thrissur District), KERALA / Dubai, U.A.E. :

Jasif Mustafa

Dubai:

A Keralite racquet stringer’s dexterity and craftsmanship will be in high demand at the Dubai Open which will feature top tennis stars like Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

Jasif Mustafa, the lone Malayali in the team of official racquet stringers for the championship, which kickstarts on Sunday at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, is an expert racquet mechanic.

A native of Perumpilavu in Thrissur district, Jasif is the head of the racquet stringing section of Adler Sports, one of Dubai’s top sporting goods and equipment dealers.

Professional players would restring their racquets occasionally as the strings tend to lose their tension after several games. Jasif’s job is ensuring the precise degree of tension requested by each player.

The professional stringers of Adler Sports, headed by Jasif, got the offer to be a part of the Dubai Open after they did a commendable job at the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open which was held earlier this year. During the course of the 10-day event, they repaired as many as 513 racquets and their work was widely appreciated.

Jasif has vast experience under his belt as a string mechanic. He had worked at a racquet repair shop in his home town for six years before he landed in Dubai four years ago. After joining Adler Sports, he has repaired over 20,000 tennis and badminton racquets that include the ones used by ace Indian shuttlers like Kidambi Srikanth and P V Sindhu.

“Jasif has a knack of executing the right tweaks. He can assess the quality of the strings just by slapping it on his palm. It is something he has picked up over the course of time,” says Pramod, a native of Guruvayoor and a coordinator at Adler Sports. 

Stringing a racquet can take up to twenty minutes for a skilled stringer. Jasif’s strength lies in his speed and accuracy. Recently, he strung a racquet in 12.33 seconds and shared the video on social media which attracted great attention from people and the media particularly in the Gulf. 

The 28-year-old is a certified stringer of Yonex, a global leader in sports equipment manufacturing. He has had the opportunity to train under Yonex stringing team head Tim Willey and Europe Racket Stringers Association chief Mark Maslowski. Jasif is also grateful to Adler Sports owner Abdul Salam for all his support. 

Challenging job

Stringing racquets is a challenging job. A stringer has to ensure that racquets are strung at the right tension based on the style of each player. Racquet tension can vary from anywhere from 30-70 lbs. Professional players tend to opt for the upper limit of the racquet tension range which offers more control, while lower tensions provide more power. Tennis strings are usually made up of polyester, synthetic gut or a hybrid of the two and the price ranges between Rs 300 and Rs 8,000.

www.onmanorama.com / OnManorama / Home> Sport / by Raju Mathew / March 04th, 2021

Ahamed: scaling new heights

Sports, , , , ,

Chennai, TAMIL NADU:

Speed merchant: Ahamed has come a long way since his humble beginnings in 2012.

Jagan Kumar has played a big role in guiding the youngster

From dropping out of school after Class X to fighting amongst the best riders in the country, K.Y. Ahamed has come a long way since his humble beginnings in 2012.

The rider scaled a new high last weekend at the MMRT when he clinched his first title in the premier class (Pro-Stock 301-400cc) driving for TVS Racing.

Ahamed swapped his thrill for speed on the streets of Triplicane in the City to the safe confines of the race track after being spotted by another National champion Jagan Kumar.

Jagan won the Pro-Stock 165 cc title for the eighth time this year, incidentally beating Ahamed by just one point.

“When Jagan saw me racing on the streets, he warned me not to do so and took me to the race-track so that I could do it safely. Once I tried his bike, I decided I wanted to race professionally,” said Ahamed on Thursday.

“Initially my family was reluctant with my decision considering the risks involved, but Jagan convinced them explaining how safe the track is with safety measures and protective gears. Now, they are happy that my decision has paid off,” added the 23-year-old who has had to support his mother and sister since his late teens.

Inconsistent

Ahamed, who won the 125cc novice title in 2013, has been nipping on the heels of his mentor Jagan in terms of speed for the last few years after joining TVS Racing in 2014.

However, he has struggled to find consistency, involving himself in needless crashes. It is an aspect where Jagan has had a role to play in guiding the youngster.

“He has the speed but does not play the long game in terms of the championship. I have scolded him and, he used to get angry but this year he was able to finally understand that aspect of racing,” said Jagan, who reclaimed his 165cc title after his seven-year streak (2012-18) ended last year.

This year was supposed to be a big one for the duo as TVS Racing entered the AP 250 class in the Asian Road Racing Championship, a fully Indian entry.

International glory

However, the pandemic meant the season was cancelled after the first round. With the National titles sealed, the riders are focussed on a second attempt at international glory with the season set to start in June 2021.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Motorsport / by S.Dipak Ragav / Chennai – December 24th, 2020

Delhi boy Hamid Barkzi wins MTV Roadies Revolution

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports, Travel & Tourism, , , , ,

NEW DELHI :

Hamid Barkzi was part of Nikhil Chinapa’s team. (Photo: PR)

23-year-old Delhi boy Hamid Barkzi is the winner of adventure reality show MTV Roadies Revolution.

Hamid Barkzi was declared the winner of adventure reality show MTV Roadies Revolution on Saturday. Part of Nikhil Chinapa’s team, Barkzi beat Michael Ajay and Jayant Yadav to take home the winner’s title.

Having started his journey as an underdog, the 23-year-old Delhi boy, who was part of Nikhil’s Team ‘Loyalty’, impressed everyone with his performance in tasks and fair play throughout the season. He eventually emerged victorious in the finale task on Saturday.

On winning Roadies Revolution, Hamid Barkzi in a statement said, “This is one of the most special moments of my life. Roadies Revolution has been instrumental in changing my outlook towards some of the important things in life. I have had my own share of ups and downs, but that has only made me stronger to move up the ladder and emerge victorious. I can’t thank Nikhil Sir enough for this win. He has fought for his team, stood by each one of us at every step of the way. This journey wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Rannvijay Sir and other leaders, Neha Ma’am, Prince and Varun Sir, who have been wonderful mentors. This is just the beginning. Looking forward to many more challenges and victories.”

Gang leader Nikhil Chinapa also expressed his excitement. He said, “Reaching the finale for the first time amongst competitors like Prince, Neha and Varun, it’s an important win for me, Hamid and for Team ‘Loyalty’ that I’ve been so lucky to have. Roadies Revolution has been challenging but fulfilling, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have the squad by my side throughout this journey. The game was pretty intense, and everyone performed to the best of his or her ability. Hamid has been an exceptional player, emerging as one of the strongest contenders in the show.”

Launched last year in February, MTV Roadies Revolution was shot in Rishikesh, Rupnagar and Garli village before the coronavirus-induced lockdown in March. Once shoot resumed, the team shot the remaining episodes in the outskirts of Mumbai. This season, the celebrity leaders included Neha Dhupia, Nikhil Chinapa, Varun Sood and Prince Narula, while Rannvijay Singha was back as the host.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Television / by Sana Farzeen, Mumbai / January 17th, 2021