Former stumper chosen for life-time achievement honour
Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Syed Kirmani has become the fourth cricketer from Karnataka to receive BCCI’s prestigious Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Awards Committee, which met on Thursday at Cricket Centre in Mumbai, unanimously nominated Kirmani for the award for the year 2015. The committee consisted of BCCI President Shashank Manohar, Secretary Anurag Thakur and N Ram, former Editor-in-chief of The Hindu Group.
The award — instituted in the name of Col Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu, the country’s first Test captain — is given to individuals for their unparalleled contribution to Indian cricket, on and off the field.
The award carries a trophy, citation and cheque for Rs 25 lakh.
Kirmani, who made his Test debut in 1976 against New Zealand, kept wickets against India’s famous spin quartet and did the job remarkably well.
Having started his career as an understudy to Farokh Engineer, Kirmani took over the responsibility and added his charm to the role in a decade-long career.
Not only is he arguably India’s best wicketkeeper ever, he was a tenacious batsman that saw him score two Test centuries in the lower order.
Against England in 1981–82, he did not concede a single bye in three consecutive Tests.
A World Cup-winning player in 1983, Kirmani finished with 198 (160 catches and 38 stumpings) dismissals from 88 Tests. He was no mug with the bat either, finishing his career with 2759 runs, which included two hundreds and 12 half-centuries, at an average of just over 27.
Among his memorable innings, the right-hander shared an unbeaten 126 runs partnership with Kapil Dev against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup as the Indian captain went on to script one of the country’s greatest wins at Tunbridge Wells.
Kirmani also provided solid support to Sunil Gavaskar in the unbroken 143-run stand for the ninth wicket as Gavaskar made 236 not out, the then top score by an Indian against West Indies in the sixth Test in Chennai in 1983.
A recipient of Padma Shri award in 1982, Kirmani also served as the chairman of the senior national selection committee.
A new documentary follows the lives of young Muslim women who are training to be boxers and are taking a shot at a different life.
As the strains of the evening azaan dissolve into the air, Mirajuddin Ahmed, a squat man with keen eyes, takes centrestage at the boxing rink inside the Kidderpore School of Physical Culture in central-west Kolkata. It’s not much, just a raised platform lit by an overhead lamp. Ahmed’s students, a group of girls in their teens, wait patiently for his instructions. The evening walkers at the adjacent park peek curiously as the girls bow down to pray before training. The stares don’t seem to bother them. “We are used to it,” says Kashmira Khatoon, 16, who commutes two hours every day from her village, Ghutiari Sharif, in 24 Parganas, south, to attend practice.
Muslim girl boxers of Khidderpore fighting all odds to become professinal boxer. Express photo by Subham Dutta. 17.11.15
Soon, the gloves come on, the girls begin to bounce on their toes and jab their fists into the air. “It takes at least four hours of training, six days a week to be a professional boxer,” says Ahmed. He would know; better known as China da, Ahmed, 49, is a sort of legend in Kidderpore. He has turned out boxers of the calibre of 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Mohammad Ali Qamar. Since 1997, Ahmed has trained over 60 young Muslim women, some of who have found themselves at the centre of Burqa Boxers, a documentary film by Alka Raghuram that is apart of the work-in-progress lab organised by NFDC at the ongoing 46th International Film Festival of India in Goa.
“When I learned about women boxers from Kolkata in 2007, I was intrigued. I wanted to know what their story was. That’s how the film came about,” says Raghuram. The San Francisco-based filmmaker travelled to Kolkata soon after to meet the girls who “dare to dream and fight”. Burqa Boxers tells the story of Razia Shabnam, one of the first Muslim girls to start training as a boxer in the Khidderpore-Ekbalpore area, and how she trains other young women in her neighbourhood.
Muslim girl boxer Shaima Ajmeri (11) with her sister Shama Ajmeri (23) at their home at Ekbalpore in Khidderpore area. Express photo by Subham Dutta. 17.11.15
The Khidderpore docks are near the port. Slums huddle next to highrises and unemployment rate here is one of the highest in the city. For the rest of Kolkata, Khidderpore is not much above a Muslim ghetto. In a neighbourhood where women often do not feel at ease in the public eye, boxing means about more than landing the right uppercut. It is also about safety and retaining one’s dignity. “If the girls are able-bodied boxers, they are not teased. But if you happen to be a salwar-kameez clad girl, you are teased if walk alone after sundown,” says Shama Ajmeri, 23, a final year college student at a south Kolkata college, whose sister Shaima, 11, is training in Ahmed’s boxing club. “When I started making the film, I had some preconceived notions. I thought most Muslim families would be unsupportive of their daughters who were learning to box. But I was wrong. These girls most definitely received family support,” says Raghuram.
Mavish Halim, 11, is leading us through the serpentine Mission Dent road that leads to her home. She walks quickly, past the mosque with a mosaic dome, past the granite and chrome building of Ekbalpore nursing home, and the bottle cap factory, past the goat tied to a lamppost. A cavernous gate leads to a foyer; Halim’s family’s one-room apartment is on the fourth floor of a chawl, where she lives with her parents, sister and grandmother. “It’s a bit cramped, but we manage,” she says, shyly.
Dressed in a loose T-shirt and shorts, Halim looks different from her sister, Arshin, 21, who is wearing a pink salwar-suit with a dupatta draped over her head. For the past three years, Arshin has woken her sister at 6 in the morning, made her breakfast and sent her to Ahmed’s classes to train as a boxer. That is the dream of the Halim family — to see their younger daughter as a national-level boxer. “People ask us, why do you send your girl to a boxing class, since we are god-fearing Muslims. My response to them is that Islam doesn’t stop women from being self-reliant,” says Arshin.
Muslim girl boxer Zara Faiyaz (10) with her parents at their home at Ekbalpore in Khidderpore area. Express photo by Subham Dutta. 17.11.15
When Raghuram first met Shabnam, the protagonist of her film, the young boxer was training other girls of Khidderpore to box. Today, Shabnam, 34, is a mother of two and is employed as a trainer at a south Kolkata NGO that works with children from the red light areas. And though she has left the streets of Khidderpore behind, she says that she will never forget her roots. “This was around 1997-98. I was initiated into boxing by my brother, Tabrez, who was training under Mirajuddin Ahmed at the time. I was in college and I didn’t know of any women boxers in the country. I saw Laila Ali (Muhammad Ali’s daughter) on TV and was taken in by the glamour of it all,” says Shabnam. She approached Ahmed and asked to be trained. “Surprisingly, he was quite open to that,” she says. Since that day, there has been no looking back.
Training doesn’t come cheap. Though Ahmad charges only Rs 50 per month from his students, he says the actual cost to train amateur boxers comes to nearly Rs 10,000 a month, which includes a proper diet and training equipment. “We make do with the barest minimum and ask established boxers for hand-me-downs. We also get donations from different organisations,” he says. Most of his boxers can’t even afford gloves. “A basic glove costs Rs 1,500. That’s more than half the monthly income of the families of most of my students,” says Ahmed. One of his star students is Khatoon. “Her father is a vegetable vendor and can’t even afford the daily commuting fare,” says Ahmed.
In spite of all odds, Khatoon, who is representing Bengal at the National Boxing Championship in Guwahati next month, has big dreams. “If I get a railway job, I will be able to help my family,” she says. Khatoon’s brush with boxing began as soon as she hit her teens. “Boys in the locality where we stay would harrass my sister. I felt helpless and wanted to help her. I saw Mary Kom win matches on television and felt that I could do something about this,” says Khatoon. A cousin who lived in Kidderpore suggested Ahmed’s boxing club. But Khatoon had her reservations. “I was scared that it will be too much of a burden on my parents. A boxer’s diet is expensive. But slowly, I realised that they were actually dreaming on my behalf. My father would give me his share of eggs, my mother skips one meal a day so that I can eat properly,” she says.
Most girls in the area are married off early, sometimes in their teens, but the sport is slowly opening up new possibilities. Sufiya Noor, 12, a standard IV student at the Loyala High school has recently informed her parents that she won’t marry till she establishes herself as a boxer. “We will support her. We won’t force her to marry if she decides that she wants to excel in her chosen career path,” says her mother, Shabana Noor, 34.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Entertainment – Others> Eye 2015 / by Premkumar Biswas, Mumbai / November 25th, 2015
S.N. Mohammed Salahuddin (PSGCAS) and P. Madhupriya (Nirmala) hogged the limelight on the opening day of the 34th Bharathiar University inter-collegiate athletic meet at the Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday.
Salahuddin leapt to a new distance of 15.74m in men’s triple jump, while Madhupriya threw the spear to a new high of 41.35m in women’s javelin.
The results:
Men: 100m: 1. A. Kevin Rinalldo (Dr. GRD) 10.7s; 2. D. Karthik (Bharathiar); 3. G. Selladurai (Sri Vasavi); 800m: 1. M. Arun Prabhu (Sree Saraswathy Thygaraja) 1:58.1s; 2. P. Karthikeyan (Sri Krishna); 3. R. Sarath Kumar (PSGCAS); 5000m: 1. N. Senthil Kumar (Sri Krishna) 16:02.7s; 2. A. Mano (Sri Saraswathi Thygaraja); 3. D. Bhoobesh (Sri Krishna); Shot put: 1. S. Saravanan (Sree Saraswathy Thygaraja) 14.22m; 2. S. Mithravarun (PSGCAS); 3. A.S. Sujit (PSGCAS); High jump: 1. R. Gnanasowndaran (Sri Krishna) 1.92m; 2. A. Khassan Khan (Dr. NGP); 3. V. Vijay (Gobi ASC); Triple jump: 1. S.N. Mohammed Salahuddin (PSGCAS) 15.74 (NMR); 2. S. Raj Surya (PSGCAS); 3. P. Kishore).
Women: 100m: 1. C. Sharon Nanda (Dr. NGP) 12.6s; 2. E. Sirpa (Sri Krishna); 3. P.S. Vinodhini (Dr. NGP); 800m: 1. K. Anupriya (Dr. NGP) 2:29.4s; 2. E. Kowsalya (Kongu ASC); 3. K. Saranya (Nirmala);5000m: 1. E. Vasanthamani (Gobi ASC) 20:07.0s; 2. K. Divyalakshmi (PSGCAS); 3. A. Tamilarasi (PSGRK); Triple jump: 1. M.A. Sivanbarasi (PSGRK) 12.06s; 2. U. Sukithra (PSGRK); 3. D. Monisha (Nirmala); Shot put: 1. A. Anjalibai (PSGRK) 10.23m; 2. K. Subashini (Nirmala); 3. R. Indhu (Dr. NGP); Javelin: 1. P. Madhupriya (Nirmala) 41.35m (NMR); 2. M. Valarmathi (Kongu ASC); 3. S. Uma Mageshwari (BU Dept).
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sports / Coimbatore – December 10th, 2015
Four strikes including a hat-trick by centre-forward Sadat (12th, 17th, 20th & 48th) helped Mysore Muslims FC to register a 5-1 win over Challenge Union FC in the MDFA ‘B’ Division League’s Group ‘A’ match for the Govindaraju Memorial Trophy at the University Grounds yesterday.
The other goal for the winners was scored by Saudh in the 67th minute. The lone goal for the losing team was scored by Bhuvan in the 30th minute. Mysore Muslims have played two games and have won one and drawn one, while Challenge union FC have played two and have lost both their games. Mysore Muslims FC earned three points from this win.
In the match played on Thursday, Youngmen’s FC scored a 3-1 win over South Western Railway (N) FC in their Group ‘B’ tie. A brace by Aditya (60th & 69th) and a goal by Mohith (52nd) helped the winners cause. Mandanna scored the lone goal for the loser in the 5th minute.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / Saturday – December 12th, 2015
A well compiled innings of 174 n.o. (208b,20x4s, 4x6s) by middle order batsman Armaan K. Jaffer and his unfinished fourth wicket partnership of 189-runs with skipper S.Z. Mulani (84 n.o. 122b, 12x4s), enabled Mumbai to take control of the pro-ceedings against hosts Karnataka.
Mumbai at close of second day’s play had scored 429 for three in 109 overs, in their Elite Group ‘A’ Cooch Behar Trophy U-19 match played at the SDNR Wadiyar Platinum Jubilee University Grounds here yesterday.
Resuming at their overnight score of 58 for one in 19 overs, Mumbai were helped by a 64-run second wicket partnership between H.J. Tamore (86, 13x4s) and A.W. Usmani (42, 5x4s, 2x6s) and later by a 131-run third wicket partnership between Armaan Jaffer and Tamore helped Mumbai to take control over the proceedings.
Likith Bannur (one for 79), B.M. Shreyas (one for 79) and S.J. Nikin Jose (one for 30) were the wicket-takers for Karnataka.
The scores
Karnataka 180 in 68.3 overs Vs Mumbai 429 for threetani 84 n.o, A.W. Usmani 42).
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / Monday – November 07th, 2015
Coming into national reckoning just a week before a major international competition as a replacement for one of your best friends is never easy. But Mohd. Amir Khan knows an opportunity when he sees one.
At the ongoing Hockey World League Finals here, the youngster from Allahabad has grabbed it with both hands. Named as replacement for statemate and friend Lalit Upadhyay after the latter got injured, Amir has impressed everyone with his runs, dodges and feints to wrong-foot the opposition defenders. He may not have scored yet but the lanky forward knows there are more ways to contribute to a team’s performances.
On Friday, while several of the India players preferred to either sleep off the strain of the tournament so far or relax with the occasional cheat-eat and their favourite cups of coffee, Amir and Mujtaba were busy with their afternoon prayers. Walking in to find coach Roelant Oltmans waiting for lunch, he tried to explain his absence. “That’s absolutely fine, as long as you are in time for whatever is the team’s schedule,” the Dutchman waved him off.
Starting at the age of 10 at the Majidia Islamia College grounds in Allahabad, hockey has always been a way of life for Amir. “In my area, a lot of people pay hockey. In fact, the grounds have more kids with sticks than those with bats. A lot of my relatives also played, though not at big levels. My cousin Ayaz Ahmed used to play for Customs and it was normal for me to play the game,” he explains. A product of the Lucknow SAI hostel, two of his younger brothers are now following in his footsteps.
The frail-looking youngster is the latest in a long line of illustrious predecessors from Uttar Pradesh that began from Dhyan Chand and continued through Ashok Kumar, Mohd. Shahid and RP Singh, players who mixed attitude, skill and style to produce what was considered the traditional Indian hockey. His looks, though are deceptive.
Nimble on his feet and quick to stop and turn against defenders, Amir Khan’s dodges upfront have been impressive so far in the tournament. Regardless of the opposition, the youngster held on to his style of aggression. Most experts of the game consider him among the most talented strikers in the next generation.
“Style aur dash hona hi chahiye, dikhna bhi chahiye jab zarurat ho (style and dash must be there and must also be visible when the situation demands). Planning is important but so is individuality. Even the coach accepts that there are times when plans do not work, an individual has to use his mind and skill and decide on his own.
“Yes, there are times when it doesn’t work, like it happened a couple of times against Britain also, but that will get better with experience,” he says with conviction.
New stage, old mates
Even though this is his first major senior tournament, Amir isn’t exactly unfamiliar with his team mates. Having played with the likes of VR Raghunath, Danish Mujtaba, Talwinder Singh, Ramandeep Singh and Birendra Lakra for India at the junior level, the 21-year old – he will turn 22 later this month – is among known faces here. Mujtaba, in fact, belongs to the same area and the two grew up playing together from childhood even though the senior pro is five year older. Unsurprisingly, there is a higher comfort level.
For someone only starting out, Amir is grounded with a lot of quiet self-belief. “Pressure is always there but if you remember your good times and performances, it helps a lot. Pressure doesn’t mean you succumb to it – you have to face and beat it, you need to look inside you. Everyone knows what he is capable of, what he can do and what his talent is.
“Pressure is always there. Specially, when you haven’t played any big tournament and suddenly you are in such a big event but the good thing is I believe I haven’t let it overpower me. I think I have been able to handle it a little better and so maybe I am going in the right direction. Now I need to work on my consistency,” he says.
“Before a match, I only focus on the match and try to avoid the negativity. I pray a lot but if something does happen that affects me — which doesn’t happen too often, to be honest – I just speak to my parents and solve it with their advice. I do not like to talk much to everyone,” he adds.
Is he now targetting a Rio spot? “Preferences don’t matter, performances do. I am not thinking of it now, I am thinking of the next two games. Everything depends on my performance. I would love to be at Rio and have both Danish and Lalit with me but coaches only see what you do on field,”he signs off, heading for lunch.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Hockey / by Uthra Ganesan / Raipur – December 05th, 2015
Dr. P. Krishnaiah, In-charge, Director, Department of Physical Education, University of Mysore, seen kicking the ball to mark the inauguration of the MDFA ‘B’ Division football league 2015 for the ‘Govindaraju Memorial Trophy’ at the University Grounds here last evening
Mysuru :
Mysore Muslims FC and Lion FC were involved in a 1-1 drawn encounter in the MDFA ‘B’ Division Football league for the ‘Govindaraju Memorial Trophy’ played at the University Grounds here yesterday.
Left-in Sadat scored for Mysore Muslims in the 23rd minute while Younis scored the equaliser in the 50th minute of the game for Lion FC. Muddasir earned a yellow card for Mysore Muslims in the 8th minute for foul play, while Younis of Lion FC also was given a yellow card for foul play in the 69th minute of the game.
Both the teams secured a point each for the drawn encounter.
The tournament was inaugurated by Dr. P. Krishnaiah, In-charge, Director, Department of Physical Education, University of Mysore, by kicking the ball.
K.G. Subramanya Swamy, Chairman, Mysore District Football Association (MDFA), L. Manjunath, Hon. Secretary, MDFA, G.R. Sanjay, Hon. Treasurer, MDFA, Rasheed Ahmed, Governing Board Member, KSFA, T. Puttaraj, Ganesh Singh, P. Narasimhaiah and other office-bearers of MDFA were also present on the occasion.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / Monday – November 30th, 2015
Preserving his best for the decider, Sarfaraz Khan scored a quick fire, unbeaten 27-ball 59 to fetch the win in just 13.3 overs after the Indian bowlers had restricted the visitors to a modest 116 in 36.5 overs. Deciding to bat first, Bangladesh started faltering from the very start against a disciplined Indian bowling attack.
Sarfaraz Khan was awarded the man of the match for his quickfire fifty. – PTI
Continuing its unbeaten-run in the tournament, India downed Bangladesh by seven wickets in the final to win the Under-19 one-day cricket tri-series crown here at the Jadavpur university Salt Lake Campus ground on Sunday. Preserving his best for the decider, Sarfaraz Khan scored a quick fire, unbeaten 27-ball 59 to fetch the win in just 13.3 overs after the Indian bowlers had restricted the visitors to a modest 116 (in 36.5 overs).
Deciding to bat first, Bangladesh started faltering from the very start against a disciplined Indian bowling attack. The Indian left-arm spinners Mayank Dagar and Mahipal Lomror caused most of the damage, picking up three and two wickets respectively, finishing off the Bangladesh top and middle order.
Dagar and Loror restrict Bangladesh
Bangladesh was looking at a bigger total when Njmul Shanto (45) and Joyraj Imon (28) set up a 54-run partnership for the third wicket. Subham Mavi picked up Imon in the 19th over as the batsman went for an adventurous flick just to be caught at deep backward square leg by M. S. Washington Sundar. Dagar clean bowled Shanto in the next over to make it 68 for four. Dagar and Lomror ran through the rest of the Bangladesh batting, with Avesh Khan and Mavi picking one each towards the end, to see the visitor’s innings fold up at 116.
India started the chase well but lost its way a bit losing three wickets between the fifth and seventh overs. Rishabh Pant (26), who became the man-of-the-tournament for being the most prolific batsman with an aggregate of 282 runs, and Washington Sundar (12) paired in a 38-run stand for opening wicket. But the two departed in haste playing loose shots and were joined in the pavilion by Amandeep Khare (0) soon after.
Sarfaraz and Bhui put up a 75-run partnership
Sarfaraz joined captain Ricky Bhui in the fourth wicket to resurrect the Indian innings. Khan raced to 51 in 23 balls with a glut of boundaries (7 fours and 3 sixes) and made it the quickest half-century of the tournament. Sarfaraz was most severe against the Bangladesh left-arm spinner Shawon Gazi, who conceded 35 runs in two overs (ninth and 11th over of Bangladesh). Sarfaraz put up an unbeaten 75-run partnership with Bhui (20 n.o.) for the fourth wicket to seal the title for India. He was named the man-of-the-match for his effort.
source: http://www.sportstarlive.com / SportStar Live / Home> Cricket – India / by Amitabha Das Sharma, Kolkata / November 29th, 2015
Ten years ago, he slammed crucial half centuries that helped India win the cricket World Cup for the deaf and mute cricket. His allround performance promoted him to the captainship of Indian team three years ago.
Imran runs a road-side stall with his wife Roza.
But life has bowled a wrong one to 30-year-old Imran Sheikh, who is forced to sell ‘moong kachori’ at a roadside stall on the Old Padra Road. Imran started selling kachoris a week ago to make ends meet. “Cricket is my passion and I want to keep playing. But my financial condition is not good enough to support my family . Playing deaf and mute cricket matches doesn’t earn me much money. So I started a nutritious kachori stall with the help of my wife Roza for earning extra income. I also got a temporary job in Gujarat Refinery, thanks to my coach Nitendra Singh,” Imran told TOI in sign language.
Standing six-foot tall, Imran started playing cricket at the age of 15. “I used to watch matches on television and later began playing at Bhutadizampa ground. But my coach Nitendra Singh mentored me for higher level of cricket. I got into Gujarat team and then in Indian team,” Imran recalled. He scored 70 runs against Nepal, 60 against New Zealand and then scored a match-winning 62 against Pakistan in 2005 world cup semi-finals.
Imran scored a valuable 40-run knock and bagged three wickets in finals against England to help India win the World Cup. “He is a genuine talent and has worked hard to play cricket at the highest level.
He last captained Indian deaf and mute team in the Asia Cup T20 tournament in April this year. Sadly, he wasn’t picked up for U-19 tourney in BCA years ago as he is deaf and mute,” Nitendra alias Munna, who keeps helping Imran, said.
Nitendra is said that Imran wants to quit cricket for good. “It will be unfortunate if he does this,” he added.
“We recently moved out of our family house. Barodians have been very supportive and queuing up to eat at our stall.
We would be glad if the government helps us get a permanent place for our eatery,” said Imran’s wife.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Vadodara / by Tushar Tere, TNN / November 28th, 2015
Irfan Razack, Chairman & Managing Director, Prestige Estates Projects Ltd is presenting the winners’ trophy to Mysuru golfer Sonam Chugh who won the Champion of Champions’ Trophy in the Prestige Masters Series Golf Tournament held at Prestige Golfshire recently.
Bengaluru :
Mysuru girl Sonam Chugh of JWGC, registered a narrow win to clinch the final of the Champion of Champions’ trophy event of the Prestige Masters Series Golf Tournament held at the Prestige Golfshire recently.
Sonam took home the title with 28 points and also an expense paid holiday to Mauritius and Dubai. Angad Luthra finished a close second with 37 points and L. Darshan was third with 36 points. Theertha Prasad (closest to the Pin) and Shyam Powar (longest drive) were the other winners.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / November 20th, 2015
