Category Archives: Sports

Sania Mirza becomes first Indian to win Fed Cup Heart Award, donates prize money to Covid-19 fight

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Leaders, Sports, World Opinion, , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

The 33-year-old made a comeback to Fed Cup after four year and helped India qualify for the Play-offs for the first time in history.

File image of Sania Mirza (third from R) and Indian team at Fed Cup from earlier in 2020 | Via Indian Tennis Daily

Indian tennis star on Monday won the Fed Cup Heart Award from the Asia/Oceania zone for her performance on return from maternity break earlier this year.

The 33-year-old made a comeback to Fed Cup after four years and helped India qualify  for the Play-offs for the first time in history, with 18-month old son Izhaan present in the stands. Mirza helped India remain unbeaten in doubles with a decisive win over Indonesia that secured second place in the group.

She is also the first Indian to win the award.

“It’s an honour to win the Fed Cup Heart Award as the first Indian,” Mirza, who was also India’s first Heart Award nominee, was quoted as saying on Fed Cup’s official website.

“I dedicate this award to the entire country and to all my fans and thank everyone for voting for me. I hope to bring more laurels to the country in the future.”

Along with the award, she also received a cheque for $2,000 to be donated to a charity and she opted to help with relief during the coronavirus crisis.

“I want to donate the money that I get from this award to the Telangana Chief Minister’s Relief Fund as the world is going through very difficult times with the virus,” she added.

Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova won the Qualifiers award for her win against USA’s Serena Williams with Mexico’s Fernanda Contreras Gomez and Estonian Anett Kontaveit being the other zone winners.

@MirzaSania

I want to donate the funds that I get from this award to the Telangana CM relief Fund as the world is going through very difficult times with the virus .. thank you all

🙏🏽

View image on Twitter

Mirza won the award for Asia/Oceania zone after securing 10,000 plus votes out of the total 16,985 cast for this year’s three regional Group I nominees, reported PTI.

The Fed Cup Heart Award winners were determined via online voting by fans which went on for a week starting from May 1.

Mirza’s vote share of over 60 per cent of the total votes is a testimony to the global popularity of the Indian star at the Fed Cup competition. She made a comeback to Fed Cup earlier in 2020 after four years. After giving birth to her son in October 2018, Mirza returned to the court in January this year and instantly achieved success by clinching the women’s doubles title at Hobart International alongside Nadiia Kichenok.

Former world No 1 in doubles and six-time Grand Slam champion, Mirza beat Indonesia’s 16-year-old Priska Madelyn Nugroho for the award in Asia/Oceania regional category.

(With PTI inputs)

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> Indian Tennis / by Scroll Staff / May 11th, 2020

Kerala Blasters’ player Zakeer Mundampara lends house for COVID-19 care

Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, FREE : Food, Sports, , , , , , , ,

KERALA :

Kerala blasters E player Zakeer Mundampara is an inspiration for the people to be part of the initiatives to help the health workers and other people affected by Covid-19.

Zakeer Mundampara with his wife and daughter Mariyom. (File Photo)
Zakeer Mundampara with his wife and daughter Mariyom. (File Photo)

Malappuram :

Kerala Blasters E player Zakeer Mundampara is an inspiration for the people to be part of the initiatives to help the health workers and other people affected by COVID-19.

The young footballer has offered his two-storey residence at Areekode for COVID-19 care and leads an initiative to distribute food kits to the families affected by the infection.

“I’m going to stay with my seven-months pregnant wife at our house in Edavannappara. We will not be using the house at Areekode for at least next couple of months. So, my wife and I have decided to provide the vacant house for COVID-19 quarantine purposes or to accommodate the medical workers in the area. The house has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Anyone who wants to use these facilities can contact me,” the India Super League (ISL) player said.

Mundampara announced his willingness to lend the house for COVID-19 care for free through his Facebook page recently. The former Santosh Trophy player is also active in helping the people hit by the pandemic.

“Our club, Areekode Chakkamthodu FC, in association with Al Sabah FC Dubai and FC Trikkaripur, has so far distributed 133 food kits to the families affected by the pandemic in the area. We will continue with such efforts to help the people affected by COVID-19 till this crisis ends,” he adds.

Though he will be active with his volunteering activities, Mundampara has decided to spend more time at his house at Edavannappara with wife Fasila and five-year-old daughter Mariyom. “I’m going to spend most of this lockdown time with my family. I will also be finding some time for football practices and small exercises at home. Other than that, not thinking of any busy football practice schedule during this lockdown,” he says.

The 28-year-old had played for Chennaiyin FC and Mumbai City FC in the ISL before becoming a part of Kerala Blasters. Mundampara had also played for Chirag United Club Kerala, Churchill Brothers and Mohun Bagan.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Vishnu Prasad K P / Express News Service / April 08th, 2020

Before being angry at Tablighis, remember the coach who put India on global sporting scene

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Sports, World Opinion, , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA / NEW DELHI :

Mohammad Ilyas Babar was a staunch supporter of the Tablighi Jamaat. He also spotted, trained and took Padma Shri Olympian Sriram Singh to dizzying heights.

Ilyas Babar | Commons
Ilyas Babar | Commons

Citizens of India may be angry with the Tablighi Jamaat , but let’s not forget at least one member of the Jamaat had put India on the global sporting scene with distinction. 

India’s celebrated athletics coach late Mohammad Ilyas Babar was a staunch supporter of the Tablighi Jamaat. He also spotted, trained and took Padma Shri Olympian Sriram Singh to dizzying heights. Sriram won a gold medal in 800 metres in two successive Asian Games and finished a creditable seventh in the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976.

Not many would know that Babar was a commerce graduate and champion athlete of the Osmania University in Hyderabad. But after he passed out from the National Institute of Sports in Patiala with the first batch of NIS coaches in 1961, he made Delhi his base.

Rajputana Rifles in Delhi hired Babar as the athletics coach, where he spotted Sriram Singh in 1967. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Babar at the Markaz

Whenever Babar was not on the tracks with Sriram and other top Indian athletes, he would be at Delhi’s Nizamuddin. He would teach underprivileged children at the Markaz and spend hours at the teashop then run by a man called Sami.

As a young runner, I was also under Babar’s tutelage. But he never ever discussed his religious views with us. In fact, it was Sami who told us that Babar Sahib used to teach at the Markaz.

Babar was a fakir in the sense that he never sought wealth. On the contrary, he spent whatever he had on Sriram and other athletes, even at the cost of his own three children.

Going to the Olympics

During the Olympic games, we asked him to go to Montreal to be with Sriram for the greatest race of his life. But he made up his mind to go only after Sriram Singh ran a brilliant race in heats on 23 July 1976.

Through the good efforts of then foreign secretary Jagat Mehta, we got a passport for Babar in a few hours and he was on board a flight to Montreal on 24 July. He saw Sriram’s final race on 25 July and was back at Nizamuddin by the evening of 27 July. In Montreal too, he stayed two nights in a masjid.

Babar never missed a namaz. When Sriram was training on the lawns at Rajpath, Babar would spread his janamaz and offer prayers under a jamun tree.

In the current coronavirus context, it feels sad that everyone at Nizamuddin or anywhere else with similar religious leanings is being painted with a brush of hatred. But before we do that, let us think of Babar and thousands of others who served the community with distinction. 

The author is a sports columnist and senior freelance journalist. Views are personal.

source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> Opinion / by Norris Pritam / April 07th, 2020

Bhopal biker Asif Ali bags nationwide championship title

Sports, World Opinion, , , ,

Bhopal, MADHYA PRADESH :

(source: Times of India)

Bhopal :

Biker Asif Ali, who hails from state capital Bhopal, was lately awarded the nationwide championship title of 2019 at a perform organised in New Delhi. Asif gained 5 of the six titles organised in 2019 by the Federation of Motorsports Membership of India (FMCI). He was awarded title within the Group B scooters’ upto 210 cc class.

 
Union sports activities minister Kiren Rijiju awarded Asif the trophy at a perform organised lately. In 2019, the nationwide championships had been organised at six totally different locations. These had been Indore (first place), Pune (first runner-up), Nashik (first place), Coimbatore (first place), Mangalore (first place) and Bangalore (first place).

 
In October, Asif made the nation proud after securing second place within the worldwide class class of the Vespacrossitalia Race of the Nation championship organised in Italy. Individuals from Italy, France Spain, Austria, Germany and different nations took half within the occasion.

 
Winner of a number of nationwide titles, Asif is into racing for the previous 20 years. “I had began driving in 2000. After years of battle and a few championships, an organization signed me on as their skilled rider,” stated Asif.

Again when he began out, he stated there was restricted entry to information in regards to the sport. “Although we had trainers to assist us study, on the finish of the day, they too had been our competitors, so that they did not inform us every thing they knew. The one method we learnt was by observing our fellow riders and making use of the methods whereas driving on our personal,” he defined.

 
He stated the Web has contributed in a giant strategy to the recognition of racing. “Younger riders can study new abilities and worldwide methods simply from video browsing apps, and even corporations establish and sponsor new expertise by social media platforms,” Asif stated, including, “Having an organization again you is commonplace as of late.”

 
He added that his want is to share his experiences with others who want to be part of the journey sports activities. “I’ll carry on taking part in nationwide and worldwide occasions. Nevertheless, I’m all the time open to offer tricks to newcomers who want to be part of this sport. All they want is a ardour for this sport,” stated Asif.

source: http://www.stacknews.in / Stack News / Home> Auto / by Stack News Team / March 26th, 2020

Marredpally, nursery of baseball

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

Kazipet (Warangal), / Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

VS Jagannadham’s passion for baseball made him mentor many a player who went on to take part in national and international tournaments.

Coach L Rajendra giving tips to the young trainees at Marredpally playground. — Photo: N Jagannath Das
Coach L Rajendra giving tips to the young trainees at Marredpally playground. — Photo: N Jagannath Das

The legendary ML Jaisimha and Marredpally are synonymous with cricket. But, Marredpally has another unsung hero in VS Jagannadham, popularly known as ‘Jagan Sir’. The 89-year-old coach was instrumental in popularising many a sport, particularly hockey and baseball, at Marredpally playgrounds (MPG), opposite Shenoy Nursing Home, in Secunderabad.

MPG is still the nursery of baseball of the State. Today, this ground has produced 30 internationals, including seniors, juniors and sub-juniors. An early morning visit to this ground, one can see young baseball players practising with L Rajender.

But it was Jagannadham and Rajender who planted the roots of the game at this place. Rajender says it was Jagan’s drive that helped the game to grow in the State. “It all started when Secunderabad players felt ignored by Hyderabad while selecting the State team.

So, it was then decided to form a baseball team at Marredpally as Jagan sir was also passionate about this game. He encouraged the softball players to switch to baseball. We were lucky to have a sincere coach in Jagan,” says Rajender.

The State association was formed in 1985 in the undivided Andhra Pradesh. “We had our own initial problems. Luckily, the ground was available but, most importantly, late L Venkatram Reddy, then director of sports of GHMC, extended his support. He gave the required permissions and also donated the baseball equipment,” adds Rajender.

Rajender had to double up his duty as a coach and player. “Those days there were no coaches to train the baseball team in the State. So, having played softball at the senior level, I knew some of the rules of baseball though. It was slightly different. But we could quickly adapt to the new version,” shares Rajender.

Apart from Rajender, players like BY Phani Raj, V Aravind, Srikanth Goud, Srinivas Prasad, Dilip V Rao, Sanjay, D Dharmesh Yadav, Syed Farooq Kamal, C Sudhir Reddy and S Venkatesh who took active interest in the game. They went on to represent the State in the Nationals in the ’80s and the ’90s. In fact, Rajender led the Indian team in the Asian Baseball Championship in Japan that had Phani Raj and Aravind also.

Aravind points out that there was less patronage of the game in the State. “It was a struggle but we took it as a challenge and with the help of Jagan, the game caught the attention of young players,” he says.

Baseball, which is the top sport of the United States, is, in a way, a bit expensive sport. According to Venkatesh, most of the equipment was imported and it continues to be so. “A slugger (bat) starts from Rs 3,000, the gloves around Rs 1,500. We had to raise funds to purchase the equipment. The game is very exciting. It requires good power, endurance and speed,” adds Venkatesh.

In this game, the pitcher plays a vital role. Rajender says that the State was fortunate to have an ace pitcher in Phani Raj, Srikanth Goud and Preet Anand. “They were accurate and fast,” says Rajender. For Phani Raj, it was all about a good swing of the arm. “I somehow mastered the art of pitching the ball. The team depended a lot on my form,” says Phani.

The Indian training camps were held and foreign coaches like Sang Kyu Park (Korea) and Fuku shima (Japan) were invited by the Amateur Baseball Federation of India to conduct the camp here.

Later on, Srikanth Goud and Uday Goud played for the country with distinction. Under Srikanth’s captaincy, India won the first-ever bronze in Asia Baseball championship held at Philippines. AP won the first-ever national championship in 1994 but thereafter they could not repeat that performance. The game is now popular in northern States like Punjab, Delhi and Chandigarh.

R Harinarayana observes that many youngsters keenly watch the Major League Baseball (MLB) matches of the USA. “That we can see a few enthusiasts is because of the MLB. They throng to the grounds on week days,” says Harinarayana.

Young players like Noah and Nathan have played Little Leagues in Korea. A few women like BMR Vinila, Ramya Reddy played for India in World Cup 2004, Shaheen Begum in World Cup 2008, G Sai Architha Reddy in the World Cup in Korea, and Asia Cup in Hong Kong in 2018. Shaheen Begum is incidentally the first woman qualified umpire in international baseball tournaments from the State.

source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by N. Jagannath Das / March 22nd, 2020

INSPIRING MUSLIMS – Powerlifters Majiziya Bhanu, Aaniya Ahmed and Mohammed Azmat Win Gold at Powerlifting World Cup in Moscow

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

KERALA  / NEW DELHI / KARNATAKA  :

MajiziaBanuMPOs22mar2020

Indian powerlifters Majiziya Bhanu, Aaniya Ahmed and Mohammed Azmat have won gold medals at the recently held World Powerlifting Congress’s World Cup in Moscow, where they competed against 600 athletes from 20 countries. The tournament was held from 14-16 December 2018.

24-year-old Majiziya, who hails from Kerala, and has been sweeping headlines for being a hijab-clad powerlifter, won gold in the open category powerlifting, where she was adjudged the best lifter.

23-year-old Delhiite Aaniya Ahmed won gold in the junior category. And 42-year-old Bangalore-based Mohammed Azmat won the medal in 100-kilo weight class in the 40-to-45-year-old master’s division. Azmat hoisted 237.5 kgs in the squat competition, 155 kgs in the bench press and 200 kgs in the deadlift to win his weight class and age group.

The other Indian athletes, who won at the tournament are Daljit Singh, Varad Patil, Raghu Hondadakeri, Sandeep Kothari, and Bhavana Shah. India also won the best team award at the tournament.

The World Powerlifting Congress (WPC) consists of 46 countries worldwide that participate in an annual World Championships. The Indian affiliate for the WPC is the WPC India, which is headed by powerlifter Daljit Singh. Azmat, who has been representing India for the past 4 years at different championships, and who works full time as a program manager at global IT giant DXC Technology, is the chapter’s South India Head.

“WPC India has sent 20 athletes to different championships worldwide this year, including to the World Cup held in Moscow and to the one held in the USA in November. As a team, we are very proud of what we have achieved so far. Although on the stage, every athlete is an individual, however, this sport is all about team spirit. And we couldn’t have achieved all this without the support of my teammatesRaghu Hondadakeri, Daljit Singh, Varad Patil, Sandeep Kothari and others,” Azmat told The Cognate.

Azmat, who has also trained both Majiziya and Aaniya said that he is planning to launch a sports federation with like-minded individuals, where women from the Muslim community would be trained and encouraged to participate in powerlifting competitions while complying with the religious dress code. “There is a misconception in our community that women should not participate in sports, as that would violate their modesty. However, women like Majiziya are a living example that Muslim women can observe their religious practice, and at the same time compete in sports”.

source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate.com / Home> Inspiring Muslims / by Shaik Zakeer Hussain / December 22nd, 2018

Kashmiri girl wins gold in Wushu stars championship in Moscow

Sports, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Srinagar, JAMMU & KASHMIR :

MunazehMPOs29feb2020

Munazeh Gazi secured Gold medal in the Moscow Wushu stars Wushu championship at Moscow from 25th to 29th February 2020. She defeated Kazak player in the final in 60kg weight category. Earlier she defeated russian player in the semi finals.
The Indian Wushu team Secured 6 Gold, 6 Silver and 3 Bronze medals in the championship. The team was sent by the sports authority of at Cost to government.

Prior to participation, the Wushu Association of India organized 45 days Wushu coaching camp at Chandigarh.
Munazeh Gazi from Srinagar has secured number of medals at national level and last year she made the country and state proud by winning Silver medal in the 10th Asian wushu championship at Brunie.
Rajesh Choudhary of Jammu and Kashmir working in CRPF also secured Silver medal In the championship. He lost to Russia in the Semi finals. He is working with CRPF.
The office bearers of Wushu Association of JK congratulated both the medalists of the UT of JK.
Vijay Saraf, President congratulated both the players especially Munazah Gazi for securing Gold in the championship. He also congratulated indian team for the remarkable performance
The CEO of Wushu Association of J&K Kuldeep Handoo congratulates both the players and the indian team for bringing laurels for the country.

He congratulated District Srinagar wushu Association headed by Sh.Sadat Nasir Wani ,Maqsood Rather and also the coaches Rameez and Irfan for the OUTSTANDING performance

source: http://www.brighterkashmir.com / Brighter Kashmir / Home / by Brighter Kashmir Sports Desk, Srinagar / February 29th, 2020

Aurangabad therapist makes Ironman triathlon history

Amazing Feats, Sports, World Opinion,

Pune, MAHARASHTRA :

NikhilMPOs12feb2020

Niket Dalal is first wholly visually-challenged man to finish event.

Niket Dalal, a 38-year-old from Aurangabad, created history on February 7 by becoming the first completely visually-challenged athlete to finish an Ironman triathlon.

Associated with Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation (ABBF), Mr. Dalal completed the gruelling Ironman 70.3 — consisting of a 1.9 km swim, a 90 km bicycle ride and a 21.1 km run — with assistance from his sighted companion, Arham Shaikh.

Mr. Shaikh is the youngest Indian to finish the 5000 km coast-to-coast cross-country race in the U.S.

“The first Indian achieved an Ironman finish in 2005. Till 2020, we had no disabled athlete to have completed the race. I believe if we have to work towards complete inclusivity, this huge gap of 15 years needs to be bridged and this is one of the major reasons why I did this,” Mr. Dalal said.

Mr. Dalal and Mr. Shaikh completed the race in seven hours and 44 minutes, with 46 mins to spare. They stood second in their category of physically disabled athletes, and were the first Indian team to finish a Ironman 70.3 triathlon.

Mr. Dalal, a professional speech therapist, participated as part of a team from the Pune-based PowerPeaks Athlete Lab, which is founded by coach and pro-athlete Chaitanya Velhal. Mr. Velhal has been racing as well as training participants for triathlons, cycling races and marathons for the last five years.

Rigorous training

“It took a lot of detailed training, endurance and fitness assessments and diet planning to bring Niket up to the training required. The first leg of the race required Niket and Arham to complete the entire swim course while being tethered together. Swimming together for 1.9 km in the open sea with hundreds of other athletes, while trying to keep to the course was extremely challenging,” Mr. Velhal said.

“This was followed by a quick transition to the 90 km bike ride, where the riders faced heavy winds and dehydration but there were special aid stations set up. The most exhausting segment was the 21.1 km run. The temperatures were soaring and the landscape was difficult, but they conquered with strength and flair,” the coach said.

Mr. Shaikh added, “Both of us trained hard under Mr. Velhal for the last four months, continuously refining and improving upon our skill-set for the huge task facing us.”

Always having had a passion for sports, Mr. Dalal has been a State-level swimmer and has participated in and won many sea swimming competitions. He took up cycling as a sport last year and completed the grueling Manali to Khardungala cycling expedition in August 2019.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Athletics / by Jhelum Bhattacharya / Mumbai – February 09th, 2020

Sarfaraz Khan 2.0 – Interview

Sports, , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

SarfarazKhanMPOs09feb2020

Naushad Khan’s logic in telling Sarfaraz to move from Mumbai to Uttar Pradesh for the 2015-16 season is still unclear. Granted, the father has always had the best interest of his highly-talented son on his mind, but something didn’t add up. Sarfaraz  battled these same questions, and then some, before coming to terms with it, tears and all. He was ready to give up.

This was the same 12-year-old who had scored 439 runs in 431 balls in a Harris Shield game for Rizvi Springfield. The fledgeling who had featured in two Under-19 World Cups for India. The wonder kid who had been bought for Rs 1.75 crore by Royal Challengers Bangalore and was one of three retained in the side – besides Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers – in 2016.

Two months on, he has 745 runs in five games at an average of 186.25. En route, he also became sixth on the all-time list of most first-class runs scored before being dismissed – 605 runs including 301*, 226* and 78.

DH chatted up the 22-year-old on cricket, fitness, and the ever-looming shadow of his father.

Excerpts:

Did you think you would return to Mumbai, let alone score all these runs?

I have played two World Cups for India, I am the youngest player in the Indian Premier League, I did some great things in the Harris Shield and then I was a nobody. Almost every day since the time I was a child my name was in the papers. I was used to people telling me how I am the next big thing in Indian cricket. Overnight, literally, I was left out by RCB, I had moved to Uttar Pradesh, and I had an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) tear to recover from…. I was a has-been. I felt like this at 17. You think about it, how would you have reacted to all this pressure when you’re 17?

Tell us about your time in UP, and the impact the injury had on you.

My cricket was going nowhere in UP, and I had almost given up on it (cricket) because I felt like if I wasn’t playing for Mumbai there was no point. See, the decision to move to UP was my father’s. I didn’t understand why he would do that and I was angry with him for some time, but that’s how father and son relationships are sometimes. You get angry and forgive and move on. He is the greatest thing to have happened to me. Without him, I would be nowhere. So, then I told him that if I am being ignored and my career as a cricketer is over I might as well end it with Mumbai. It really was my final wish. Never did I think I would be here now. I am grateful for MCA (Mumbai Cricket Association) for giving me this chance.

How did you bide your time during the cooling-off period?

We have ‘nets’ at home. My father made it so I could train. I had spent too many days sleeping in tents at grounds. He also had Musheer to focus on now so it made sense. So, I spent every single day trialing at those nets. It was like therapy for me. I was so angry, sad and depressed that I had to rely on what brought me happiness. Sadly, even that didn’t work because it made me hungry for more but I didn’t know where to get more from. Thankfully, Mumbai accepted me back. I know I scored a triple hundred and a double hundred in back to back games, but that hunger didn’t die out. In fact, I didn’t even eat before those innings because I wanted to remain hungry.

How difficult was it to accept it when RCB let go of you? Were you that unfit?

It was a very sad day for me. I was a child. I mean, it was tough enough to be let go but you were also told you were unfit. You really think the world is out to get you at this point. All I was taught all my life was to play cricket. That means bat, bowl and field. My father was a cricket coach and he didn’t teach me fitness. Of course I was overweight but I was still able to do everything so I didn’t see what the issue was until RCB told me. By then people also agreed and they didn’t give me a chance to prove myself. In the sense, they tagged me as this fat boy and they kept calling me fat. It was very hard to deal with. The knee surgery was tough on me. I was unfit at the time. On such a big stage when this happens you feel like everyone is only looking at you and judging you. It’s very tough for a young boy to come to terms with all that.

How did you turn it around, fitness-wise?

Once you spend some time with international cricketers and watch their routines, you realise what you need to be at their level of fitness. My talent as a batsman was never in doubt, no one dared doubt that,but they only wanted me to be fitter. I didn’t hire anyone but just worked on the simple stuff. Instead of eating big portions, I ate smaller. Instead of just focusing on cricket, I dedicated time to cardio and lifting weights. It’s the things everyone learns with age. You must remember, I was a child then. I am mature now, in every regard.

Tell us about your relationship with your father.

I’ll be honest with you, it is very irritating sometimes because he’s always in coach-mode. We do not go a moment without talking about cricket. It’s a lot of information and sometimes you just want him to stop. I do not want to hear about all the things I didn’t do right. Sure, he says I did well when I do but the ‘you need to work on this’ or ‘you need to improve on that’ seems like I constantly have things to fix. I agree that am not  perfect and he’s looking to make me perfect. It’s good in the sense of motivation but it’s tiring if it is thrown at you all the time. But he is my father. I love him more than anything and, again, if not for him I would be a nobody.

Why do you think he decided to move you to UP?

I think sometimes it’s difficult for parents to accept it when their kids do better than them. You understand, na? I am not saying my father is a bad person. In fact, he is my god, but I think he moved me to UP because of all the attention I was getting. It was so difficult to move. I remember crying the whole time I was packing to move. I kept all the clothes with the Mumbai logo on it in a safe space. I didn’t want to let go of that. I didn’t believe I would wear it again, but I couldn’t let go of whatever memories of my first love. I can’t believe I get to wear the MCA logo again. It’s surreal.

Signed by Kings XI Punjab

You have no idea. I was just happy that they bought me in the auctions. Just when I thought everyone had forgotten me, they bid for me. It was also my best IPL (180 runs in eight innings) so I was happy. They have retained me for another season and I am in great form.

What are your expectations, not just in the IPL but in general?

When I was 17-18, I had a lot of expectations. I was young and I wanted the world, but as I grew up I understood that expectations are not a good thing. I had to lower them. Ambition is  very different from expectation. I am very ambitious and very hungry to go places, but I have learnt to focus on the process and not on what will come, or what I could maybe get if I put in the work. The trick is to just put in and work. No hopes, nothing.

Great to have two talented cricketer’s from the same household?

I genuinely think he is more talented than me. He is a brilliant left-arm spinner and he is a very, very good batsman. I cannot stress on how good he is. He picked up ten wickets in a match recently. He’s so much more talented than me. Again, this is my father’s doing. Without him, we would be nowhere.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Interview / by Roshan Thyagarajan / DHNS / February 08th, 2020

Ayesha Noor, the Karate champion from slums of Kolkata conferred with Tejaswini award

Sports, World Opinion, , , , , , ,

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

AyeshaNoorMPOs15feb2020

Ayesha Noor, four times gold winner, also known as ‘golden girl’ of Kolkata, has been conferred with ‘Tejaswini’ award at the ICCR, Kolkata organised by Songoti on 2nd February 2020.

Ayesha lost her father in 2010 and her mother Shakila Begum sews clothes at home. Ayesha’s coach MA Ali took her in his wing from the slums of Beniakupur, Kolkata and groomed her into a karate champion. Ayesha teaches nearly hundreds of girls from the slums self-defense for free because she has a mission of empowering girls. She wants to them fight against crimes against women especially rape.

Due to her constant efforts hundreds of girls from various slums of the city have learnt the technique of self defense. It is because of her efforts, many children from poor families have become self-reliant.

Jawhar Sircar, IAS (Retd.), Former CEO, Prasar Bharati handed over the award to her on the behalf of the organization.  He said, ‘There are several Tejaswini like Ayesha in every house of Bengal. Ayesha’s story will inspire them and help them to dream big.”

Earlier, The United States of America had honoured Ayesha Noor as “Hero of Gender Equality” at American Centre in New Delhi. A documentary about her journey from the slums in Kolkata to winning gold at the international level despite her health condition called, “ Girl connected” was made by the International Television series (ITVS) and screen globally. It was also telecast by Doordarshan (Delhi).

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim> Lead Story> TCN Positive> Women / by TCN News / February 05th, 2020