Category Archives: Sports

Meet Bilal Ahmad Dar, The Big-dreaming Kashmiri Cycling Sensation

Sports, World Opinion, , ,

CHAK KAWOOSA (on Srinagar – Gulmarg Highway) JAMMU & KASHMIR / NEW DELHI  :

Four years back, his hunger strike had forced his mother to sell off a piece of land and some poplars to buy a very ‘costly’ cycle.

Four years back, his hunger strike had forced his mother to sell off a piece of land and some poplars to buy a very 'costly' cycle.
Four years back, his hunger strike had forced his mother to sell off a piece of land and some poplars to buy a very ‘costly’ cycle.

Four years back, his hunger strike had forced his mother to sell off a piece of land and some poplars to buy a very ‘costly’ cycle.

On February 12th 2019, as he turned 18, Bilal Ahmad Dar, India’s medal hope for 2022 Asian games, vowed to slog harder for the Olympics and Commonwealth events, the biggest sporting stages on the planet.
The Kashmiri cyclist has won 18 medals – three silver and one bronze in the Asian championship – and four consecutive golds in junior nationals.

“I am 18 today and will now be eligible to compete at a senior level. I am aiming not only to get a medal at the Asian games but in Olympics and Commonwealth too,” Dar, who trains in Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Stadium and is on a ten day vacation in Kashmir, told News 18.

“It was a fight which I had to win. It was a promotion from a 2500 rupee cycle to a one which cost one lakh plus,” he chuckles.

“One lakh rupees was a hell lot of money for us. Villagers and relatives wondered what I was upto,” said Dar, who lost his father to an accident eight years back.

The family lives hand to mouth by cultivating paddy, fruit and vegetables. Dar’s grandfather takes care of his two siblings and mother at their home in Chak Kawoosa, a roadside village on the scenic Srinagar-Gulmarg highway.

For the last three years, Dar has been training hard at the IG stadium where coaches have set him a punishing schedule. Here, Dar is exposed to world class coaching, hectic training and world class equipment.

The training has paid off but now he wants to take it to the next level. He has won medals at national and international level in both Pursuit and Velodrome events.

His performance won him accolades not from fellow cyclists but former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman and politician Omar Abdullah.

The journey from Kashmir to IG stadium

Dar was spotted by former Indian cyclist and Arjuna Award winner Amar Singh at a talent hunt drive in Srinagar.

“It was raining that day and 200 local athletes were told to compete in multi disciplines at Bakshi Stadium. I stood first,” recalls Dar.

In the next few days, Singh persuaded Dar to come to Delhi and train under him. He asked his mentor and guide Rifat Abdullah – a popular journalist and social activist – to convince his family of his potential in sport.

“The rest is known. I shifted to Delhi where I am training hard under the watchful eyes of best coaches,” he said.

The little success he has achieved as of today has not come through a shortcut.

“Every morning I cycle between 80 to 120 km for around 4 to 5 hours. Sometimes in stadium and some times I do road cycling,” he says.

“In the evening after school, I train for another three hours at the gym. This is a regimen I have been following since last three years,” he added.

Dar says now that he will get to complete at a senior level, he needs to double the effort.

“In the next six years, I will be competing with the best in the world and God willing play major championships,” he says.

“I have played Asian championship on four occasions. If picked for the team, I will play Asian games, Commonwealth and Olympics,” he said.

His schooling, lodging, board, food, travel and leisure has been taken care of by Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Cyclist Federation of India.

“I have no complaints. Today I use Calvero – world’s topmost cycle brand – for practice and the best facilities. The cycle costs 10 lakh rupees. I hope to repay the country by winning medals,” he stated.

While SAI and CFI have given him top class facilites, the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council have not spent a penny on him. Head coach Amar Singh had recently written to the Council to raise Rs 10 lakh for him, but one secretary level officer said he has no money even though huge grants have come to the state under different sports programmes.

“I had to raise ten thousands rupees for his tickets and travel when Singh sir told me to send him to Delhi,” rues Abdullah. “But tough times are over for him. I think it is payback time,” he said.

Amar Singh, Dar’s chief coach told News 18 from Canada that “he is a medal material for India”.

“We are training him and he has all the talent to go to next level. I wish state buys him the best equipment. So far they haven’t,” he said.

“We are sending him abroad for training and exposure. He is our best bet currently,” he added.

source: http://www.news18.com / News18 / Home> News18> Other Sports / by Mufti Islah , CNN-News18 / February 12th, 2019

Athiya Shetty and Sania Mirza come together for a special initiative for Save The Children

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Sports, , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Actress Athiya Shetty and Tennis star Sania Mirza are coming together for a special initiative. When two forces join hands, this initiative of Araaish X The Label Bazaar will be able to curate fashion for a greater purpose. Araaish has been the fundraising arm of Save The Children India and by collaborating with The Label Bazaar we will find solid support & reach out to a diverse audience, whereby creating a greater awareness for Save The Children India.

SaniaAthiyaMPOs11feb2019

Speaking about the cause and spreading awareness, Athiya Shetty says, “The proceeds are used to support the vocational training of adolescent girls and young women from the slum communities and education of special children coming from impoverished families have no access to education. We use the platform of Araaish X The Label Bazaar to speak about our cause through our creative’s, social media campaigns and also on-day show collaterals to let all our supporters know that they are the real change-makers.”

Athiya Shetty shot for a campaign with Sania Mirza. The actress revealed how forthcoming Sania was towards this cause. “Sania was extremely forthcoming. She’s not only a fantastic sportsperson but a fantastic human being as well! Not only was she was very excited to be a part of this initiative, but she was also hands-on while shooting with the special children of Save The Children India. Sania is very committed to the cause of education and through this collaboration, she will walk the talk to make this show a significant fund-raiser,” she adds.

Athiya Shetty further adds, “Save the Children India is very close to my heart and was founded by my Nani 30 years ago. This is my way of Contributing and keeping her passion alive through this Collaboration, we aim to be India’s Finest luxury lifestyle exhibition with nearly 11 years of experience, over 2,50,000 shoppers, associating with over 500 brands. This collaboration will cherry-pick designers from the fashion world. Given the fact that it will be attended by a larger audience, we will be able to make a difference for the beneficiaries of Save The Children India.”

On the work front, Athiya Shetty will be next seen in Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer Motichoor Chaknachoor.

source: http://www.bollywoodhungama.com / Bollywood Hungama / Home / by The Bollywood Hungama News Network / February 09th, 2019

Kerala Arabic Academy to publish football directory

Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Sports, , ,

Thiruvananthapuram , KERALA :

The academy is running various programmes for promotion of Urdu, Arabic, Konkani and Tamil languages.

Malappuram  :

Malappuram’s soccer craze is set to receive yet another recognition. Kerala Arabic Academy has stepped in with a plan to bring out a comprehensive football directory. The directory ‘Malappuram’s football grandeur’,  will have all details of academies, coaching centres and tournaments taking place across the district.

“The district is known for its love for the game and the directory is a befitting gift to people in Malappuram,” said Academy chairman Shanavas Abdul Gafoor. Based in Thiruvananthapuram, the academy is functioning for the promotion of languages and local culture. The academy is running various programmes for promotion of Urdu, Arabic, Konkani and Tamil languages.

Apart from details of clubs, organisations and tournaments, the directory will give space for football players, former players, events and families that contributed to the promotion of football in Malappuram. In addition to the photos and contacts of individuals, clubs and organisations, the directory will feature
their brief history.

The major attraction is the ‘sevens calendar’ that will help football enthusiasts to get information about major sevens tournaments and their time. Academy organisers have started efforts to collect details from clubs and football lovers. Publication work of the directory is expected to be started by March.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Shafeeq Alingul – Express News Service / February 04th, 2019

Mohammed Shami India’s standout performer in the last five months, says coach Ravi Shastri

Sports, World Opinion, , ,

Amroha, UTTAR PRADESH :

India beat New Zealand by 35 runs in the final match of the series in Wellington.

AFP
AFP

India coach Ravi Shastri heaped praise on pacer Mohammad Shami following his player-of-the-series display to lead the visitors’s to a 4-1 win over New Zealand in the five-match One-Day International series.

A year ago, Shami failed the yo-yo fitness test but bounced back in style with his bowling coming for high praise during India’s overseas tours since the start of 2018.

“If there is one man I have to single out over the last five months or so, it’s Mohammad Shami,” Shastri told broadcasters Star Sports after his side defeated the Kiwis by 35 runs in Wellington.

“He got a kick up the backside after failing the yo-yo test. He went back, did the hard yards, came back fit and has not broken down since. He has been outstanding, that too across all formats.

“In the morning, he was telling [bowling coach] Bharat Arun that Anderson’s seam position is like this….another bowler’s is like that. Arun told him ‘look at your seam presentation. People around the world are taking notice of you, and don’t try to imitate anyone’,” Shastri said.

Hardik Pandya, who made a successful return to the team following his brief suspension, was also lauded for his performance. The all-rounder smashed a quick-fire 45 before picking up a couple of wickets with the ball. The rescue act, though, was kick-started by Ambati Rayudu’s 90, rescuing his side from a precarious 18/4.

“Hardik is a natural talent and a match-winner,” Shastri said. “Those 20-30 runs with the bat made the difference.

“Rayudu played really well today. This was the toughest of all the five matches. From 18/4 to going on to win the game. He batted like a millionaire in the last game and he was told that. The way he came out to today was commendable.”

As for the road to the World Cup in June, the 56-year-old said that there are still places up for grabs. He, however, hinted at resting some of India’s senior players for the Australia ODI series at home.

“There would still be one or two places we would be looking at. In general, the team picks itself,” he said. “What you want is the team not losing form with five games to go for the World Cup. You, in fact, should grab every opportunity you get and make the most of it.

“Now, Shami would need a break – he has had a long season. Shikhar [Dhawan], Rohit [Sharma] could get a break as well.”

India’s first-choice top-three of Sharma, Dhawan, and Kohli have been imperious with the bat. The coach warned that the law of averages would catch up with his team at some point.

“You are bound to lose a couple of wickets,” Shastri said, when asked about India’s top-order collapse in the final ODI. “There could be days like the last two [matches], where you lose your top order early. Respect the conditions, see off the new ball; see off Trent Boult’s early spell. Look at Vijay Shankar…he came across as a guy with very good temperament.”

India now play New Zealand in a three-match Twenty20 series.

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> The Field> India in New Zealand 2019 / by Scroll Staff / February 03rd, 2019

Telangana sailors give their all

Sports, , , , , , , ,

TELANGANA :

Sailors who won big at Youth National Sailing Championship with coach Suheim Sehikh.
Sailors who won big at Youth National Sailing Championship with coach Suheim Sehikh.

Win two gold, two silver and six bronze in Youth National Sailing Championship

Telangana sailors put up an impressive show winning two gold, two silver and six bronze in the Youth National Sailing Championship, said coach Suheim Sehikh.

Jaikiran Bolli, a product of a social welfare school in Telangana, chose to defend his bronze rather than try for a gold that was within a striking distance on the final day of medal race, the coach said. And, Mahboobie of Marredpally Government School had a confirmed silver well before the final race, he added.

“Mahboobie could have bagged a gold, but she received a black flag that disqualified her in the penultimate race, dashing all hopes of a gold or a silver. She had to settle for a bronze in her last-ever appearance at a sub-junior regatta before moving on to the Olympic Class Laser this year,” the coach said.

“The stars of the junior fleet were Ravali Parandi and Vaishnavi Veeravamsham, both from Udbhav School, Rasoolpura here, who bagged two golds and two silvers respectively at the nationals and the international,” Mr. Suheim said. “Ravali was not even a favourite before the nationals and was seeded well below seventh in the Telangana fleet. With the two-meter swell and winds and current, we did not expect this diminutive 12-year-old of just 29 kg to strike gold,” the proud coach said.

“The best part is that five of our trainees are now ranked in the top 10 boys in the national fleet, thanks to the huge support of Yacht Club of Hyderabad,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – January 10th, 2019

Three Coimbatore kids ready to debut in Football league

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Coimbatore, TAMIL NADU :

He has played in more than 20 tournaments at district and state level, and bagged many medals and awards.

(From left) Toufiq, Manas and Arsath  U Rakesh Kumar
(From left) Toufiq, Manas and Arsath  U Rakesh Kumar

Chennai  :

Track Force Sports Club, a student-run football club in Coimbatore, is the talk of the town because of its three players — A Mohammed Arsath, S Toufiq Ahamed, Mohammed Manas. The club has more than 70 players who are trained over the weekends. One of them is 12-year-old Mohammed Manas, who was recently selected for All India U-13 Youth Indian League, scheduled to be held in February 2019.

“My brother and his friends play football during weekends. I used to accompany them. Watching them play, I also became passionate about the sport and started training at Track Force Sports Club (TFSC) in 2015. The club conducts classes on weekends and public holidays, free of cost. Other days, I go to a ground nearby his home located at Selvapuram, Coimbatore and practice regularly,” says Manas, a class seven student of SBOA Matriculation School, Coimbatore.

He has played in more than 20 tournaments at district and state level, and bagged many medals and awards. Recently, he won the Best Player Award in the Dream Lights League of Champions, 2018 held on December 30 at Coimbatore. “I practice for two hours a day to increase my speed and stamina. Hard work and rigorous practice at TFSC helped me get selected for First Kick School of Soccer, All India Academy for football, which will represent a team of 25 players in All India Youth League under 12 category. The dates of the league is not announced yet,” he says.

On the other hand, Arsath’s and Toufiq’s dream of getting selected in Chennaiyin FC, an Indian Super League football club came true. They are the only players from Coimbatore to get selected in Chennaiyin FC team. “I started playing football when I was nine years old. I am a goalkeeper and I train regularly at TFSC.

We had selection matches at 16 places across Tamil Nadu and 25 members got selected for the team. We are the only two from Coimbatore to have made this selection in under-14 category,” says 14-year-old Arsath, a class nine student of Sri Ramachandra Vidhyalaya School.  The boys will undergo training at football camps for five months.

When Toufiq started playing football in class seven, he didn’t make it to the school team. He began training at TFSC and after two years of practice, he got selected to play in the school team in 2018. “The selection for Chennaiyin FC began in February 2018 at SRM University, Chennai. We underwent another selection in March and got selected along with 25 others players for the team.

I play wing back in the game. In the camps, we were trained on ball control, shooting, ball sense, game sense, drill practice, speed and accuracy, defence, offence, ball tackling and more,” says Toufiq, a class 9 student of Carmel Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Coimbatore. The club sponsors the boys for camps and tournaments.  All the three players aim to play for the country and become a part of the Indian football team.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by SP Kirthana / Express News Service / January 08th, 2019

Khelo India Round-up: Gymnasts Mohammed Rafey, Prathista claim first gold

Sports, , ,

UTTAR PRADESH :

Odisha and Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday posted victories in their respective second Pool A matches of the Under-17 men’s hockey competition in the Khelo India Youth Games 2019 in Mumbai.

Mohammed Rafey became the first gold medal winner
Mohammed Rafey became the first gold medal winner

Uttar Pradesh’s Mohammed Rafey and West Bengal’s Prathista Samanta became the first gold medal winners of the Khelo India Youth Games 2019, emerging victorious in the men’s and women’s under-17 all-round artistic gymnastics events respectively here Tuesday.
Uttar Pradesh were dominant in the men’s category with gymnasts Rafey and Raj Yadav grabbing gold and silver with scores of 68.25 and 67.50 respectively.
Delhi’s Tushar Kalyan clinched the bronze medal with an all-round score of 66.90. Tushar had won the bronze medal at the Khelo India School Games last year.
Pratishta staved off a challenge from Maharashtra’s twin sisters Siddhi and Riddhi Hattekar to emerge on top in the women’s under-17 competition.
It was her vault that helped to keep her nose ahead of the Aurangabad twins. She scored 13.00 on the vault to compensate for the uneven bars score of 7.10.
The results:
Men’s under-17 all-around:

1. Mohammed Rafey (Uttar Pradesh) 68.25 (floor 11.90, pommel horse 9.75, roman rings 11.05, vault 12.40, parallel bars 11.30, horizontal bar 11.85); 2. Raj Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 67.50; 3. Tushar Kalyan (Delhi) 66.90.
Women’s under-17 all-around:

1. Pratishta Samanta (West Bengal) 42.05 (vault 13.00, uneven bars 7.10, beam 11.30, floor 10.65); 2. Siddhi Hatekar (Maharashtra) 40.85, 3. Riddhi Hattekar (Maharashtra) 40.45.

Odisha, Uttar Pradesh register wins in U-17 men’s hockey

Odisha and Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday posted victories in their respective second Pool A matches of the Under-17 men’s hockey competition in the Khelo India Youth Games 2019 in Mumbai.

Haryana, Odisha and Punjab also emerged triumphant in the Under-21 men’s category.

Men’s hockey matches of the Games began at the Mumbai Hockey Association Stadium here from Monday.

In the Under-17 men’s category, Odisha defeated hosts Maharashtra 7-0 and registered their second win in as many matches.

The match saw Odisha’s Sudeep Chirmako score four goals (5th, 38th, 50th and 53rd minute), while Sunil Jojo (14′), captain Sunit Lakra (19′) and Prasant Lakra (52′) also chipped in with a goal each, a media release from Hockey India stated.

Uttar Pradesh registered their first win of the competition as they defeated Delhi 6-0 to overcome the opening day 1-3 defeat to Odisha.

Goals for Uttar Pradesh were scored by Ajay Yadav (50′, 56′), Pankaj Yadav (9′), Suraj Singh (29′), skipper Saurabh Anand (36′) and Rajan Gupta (60′).

In the Under-21 men’s category, Haryana opened their campaign with an emphatic 10-0 victory over Jharkhand in a Pool B match.

Goals for Haryana were scored by skipper Mandeep Mor (3′, 13′, 40′), Abhishek (24′, 43′), Mohit (31′, 44′), Jasbir Antil (7′), Deepak (36′) and Pankaj (58′).

In the other Pool B match of the day, Odisha matched their Under-17 team’s feat as they also defeated hosts Maharashtra by a margin of 6-3.

Indian international Nilam Sanjeep Xess (18′, 29′, 49′) scored a hat-trick for Odisha as Amit Chirmako (12′), Krishna Tirkey (38′) and Ashis Topno (43′) also contributed with goals.

Goals for Maharashtra were scored by Rohan Patil (25′), Malhari Chavan (52′) and Harish Shindgi (57′), it said.

In Pool A, Punjab continued their good form as they won their second consecutive match by defeating Uttar Pradesh 1-0 in what turned out to be a hard-fought win.

The only goal of the game came in the 57th minute as Punjab’s Harmanjit Singh converted a penalty corner to give his team full three points, the release stated

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Sports / by PTI / January 08th, 2019

J&K Field Archery team shines at National C’ship

Sports, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

JAMMU & KASHMIR :

J&K Field Archery team players posing for group photograph.
J&K Field Archery team players posing for group photograph.

Jammu :

J&K Field Archery team shines at 8th National Championship which was organized by Field Archery Association of India at Chennai.
J&K team won overall 10 medals in both individuals and team events.
In girls’ category, Nifa Nusrat of RP School Anantnag won 3 gold medals and 1 silver, Sehrish Hassan of Kashmir Harvard won 1 silver and 1 bronze, Mehwish Sajjad of Kashmir Harvard School won 1 bronze medal and Quiab Sajjad of Green Valley Educational Institute won silver medal.
In boys’ category, Usmaan Hussain of GD Goenka School won silver medal in U-19 boys individual event, Suhaib Soleh Baba of Kashmir Harvard School and Harim Khaki of Green Valley Educational Institute won bronze medal in team event.
Patron of the Association Talat Parvez has congratulated the players and also thanked Director Tourism Kashmir for sponsoring the event.

source: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com / Daily Excelsior / Home> Sports News / by Daily Excelsior / December 31st, 2018

Malegaon’s Abdullah selected for National Basketball Team

Sports, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Malegaon, MAHARASHTRA :

One of the prominent cities in Maharshtra, Malegaon knwon for its textile industry, has regularly sent players to state and national level competitions

AbdullahMPOs18dec2018

Malegaon:

 Abdullah Khaleel Ahmed, a 12th standard student of Malegaon High School and Junior College, has been selected for the National Basketball Team Delhi.

According to a report published by UrduCity, a total of 05 students from each district of Maharashtra were selected for a trial game. Out of them 16 players, (12 + 04 reserved), were selected for the final game. 17-year-old Abdullah was the only player from the team of 16 selected for the National Basketball Team.

Abdullah is likely to play in an upcoming match in New Delhi.

Abdullah had in May 2018 played for Nashik district team representing Maharashtra at the YMCA National Invitational Basketball tournament held in Goa. He was accompanied by 03 other players – Ansari Urooj Ahmed, Ansari Fahad and Abdur Rahman, all from the textile city.

Earlier, Abdullah’s team had defeated Dhule district’s basketball team at district level tournament to qualify for the state level competition. At the state level tournament, Abdullah’s team could not win. But, because of his personal performance, Abdullah was able to get the selectors’ nod to play in the trial game held for selection to the National Basketball Team.

One of the prominent cities in Maharshtra, Malegaon knwon for its textile industry, has regularly sent players to state and national level competitions. In 2009, Zubair Ansari, Zahid Akhter and Ziya Nisar of the city had participated in the National Level Shooting Ball Championship. The three players were representing Maharashtra in the finals and won the under-19 National School Games Shooting Ball Championship against Karnataka.

Again in 2009, Azhar Ahmed, a young cricketer from Malegaon was selected for the State Ranji Test Cricket Team. before that Azhar Ahmed had represented the Maharashtra Cricket Association’s (MCA) under-19 cricket team visiting Sri Lanka in 2008 for the Challenger Trophy.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> India> Sports / by ummid.com Staff Reporter / November 27th, 2018

Mother of two works to change narrative with women’s fitness centre in Kashmir Valley

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Sports, , , , , ,

Srinagar, JAMMU & KASHMIR :

‘Fitness Solution’, located in the Khanyar area which is just a kilometre from the historic Jamia Masjid, an area rife with unrest, is the brainchild of Aaliya Farooq.

Aaliya Farooq (inset pic) said she picks up a lot of fitness tips on her visits to Delhi | ZAHOOR PUNJABI
Aaliya Farooq (inset pic) said she picks up a lot of fitness tips on her visits to Delhi | ZAHOOR PUNJABI

Srinagar :

In the volatile downtown Srinagar, frequently in the news for protests and incidents of stone-pelting, a mother of two is creating ripples with her gym-cum-fitness centre for women.

‘Fitness Solution’, located in the Khanyar area which is just a kilometre from the historic Jamia Masjid, an area rife with unrest, is the brainchild of Aaliya Farooq. Being a fitness expert herself, Aaliya felt the need for an exclusive health centre for women as they did not go to gyms run by men.

“I took over this gym-cum-health club in 2012 after undergoing physical fitness training in Delhi. It was earlier being run by a male trainer. But after I took over, I trained the women myself,” she says.

Aaliya, who is not just the owner but also trains those who come to the centre, says they find it more comfortable to work out and discuss things with a woman. “They never hesitate in discussing any issue, which they could not have discussed with a male trainer.”

When Aaliya decided to take over the gym and run it for women, she had her family’s wholehearted support. “It has been because of their help that I have been able to run the gym,” says Aaliya, whose husband is also a fitness trainer.

The centre caters to women of every age group. “Young women, including students, office goers, housewives as well as old women have enrolled in my gym,” she said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> The Sunday Standard / by Fayaz Wani / December 02nd, 2018