Seen in the picture are (from left) Tanveer Ahmed Syed, R. Rashi, G. Rajesh, Deputy Mayor M. Mahadevamma, former Mayor and Corporator Purushotham, Samarth Vikram, Indian Team Coach M.N. Vikram and Syed Touseef Ahmed.
Mysuru :
Four Muay Thai Kick Boxers from city will be representing the country at the Royal Muay Thai Kick-boxing World Championships, organised by the International Federation of Muay Thai Amateur (IFMA) to be held in Bangkok, Thailand between Aug. 13 and 23.
Vikram is selected as the coach of the Indian National Team for the second time.
The four fighters who have been selected in various categories include: Samarth Vikram, a sixth standard student of JSS Public School, will be fighting in 40-42 kg weight class in 12 to13 years category. R. Rashi, a student of St. Joseph’s College, Mysuru, will be fighting in Senior Female Pin weight category. Syed Touseef Ahmed, a student of SJCE will be fighting in Senior Male Welter Weight category and G. Rajesh, a student of Cauvery College, Mysuru, will be fighting in Senior Male Pin Weight category.
Syed Tanveer Ahmed is deputed for International Referee and Judge course by the National body.
The team along with the coach left for Bangkok today.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / Tuesday – August 11th, 2015
Sania Mirza’s name was today officially approved for the coveted Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, becoming only the second tennis player to be nominated for the highest sporting honour.
The government also named the winners of the 2015 Arjuna Awards. The list has 17 sports-persons including cricketer Rohit Sharma and shooter Jitu Rai. Gymnast Dipa Karmakar, hockey player P R Sreejesh, wrestling duo of Bajrang and Babita, athlete M R Poovamma, shuttler K Srikanth and boxer Mandeep Jangra are among those who won the Arjuna.
“It’s a tremendous honour for me to be conferred the Khel Ratna award and I feel humbled with the love and respect showered on me by my country,” Sania told PTIfrom Toronto.
“Representing my country in all corners of the world has been my great privilege for so many years and this recognition of my efforts by the government of India is certain to inspire me to earn more laurels for our country. I would like to wish all my fellow Indians a happy independence day,” she said.
Sania, currently ranked world number one in women’s doubles, scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win a women’s doubles Grand Slam title when she and Martina Hingis clinched the Wimbledon trophy earlier this year.
Sania is only the second tennis player after Leander Paes to be named for the top award. Paes had been bestowed the honour way back in 1996 after his bronze medal in the Atlanta Olympics.
The 28-year-old, who has won three mixed doubles Grand Slams in her career, beat competition from squash player Deepika Pallikal, discus thrower Vikas Gowda, track and field star Tintu Luka, rising shuttler P V Sindhu, and hockey captain Sardar Singh for the coveted honour.
The awards will be conferred by the President Pranab Mukherjee on August 29, the National Sports Day.
The Khel Ratna carries a prize money of Rs 7.5 lakh along with a citation, while the Arjuna awards come with a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a citation.
Besides doing well on the professional circuit, Sania had also won the gold medal and the bronze medal in the mixed and women’s doubles categories of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.
The Hyderabadi girl had won the Arjuna award in 2004 and was the favourite for the top award this year. In 2006, she was bestowed the Padma Shri — the country’s fourth highest civilian honour.
Sania’s mixed doubles trophies had come in the Australian Open (2009), French Open (2012) and US Open (2014).
Rohit has been India’s batting mainstay in the ODIs and became the highest individual scorer with a knock of 264 against Sri Lanka last year.
Jitu, on the other hand, has been in splendid form, winning seven international medals in the last one year besides an Olympic quota berth.
Sreejesh was recommended for his outstanding show as India’s goalkeeper. He was part of the team that won the Asian Games gold medal last year, which also fetched the side a direct qualification for next year’s Olympics.
Dipa has been rewarded for becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games, while boxer Mandeep has been recommended for his silver medals in the Asian Championships and the Commonwealth Games.
Srikanth has been one of India’s top performers on the badminton court, winning three titles this year.
The list of sportspersons recommended for Arjuna awards: P R Sreejesh (hockey), Dipa Karmakar (gymnastics), Jitu Rai (shooting), Sandeep Kumar (archery), Mandeep Jangra (boxing), Babita (wrestling), Bajrang (wrestling), Rohit Sharma (cricket), K Srikanth (badminton), Swarn Singh Virk (rowing), Satish Sivalingam (weightlifting), Yumnam Santhoi Devi (wushu), Sharath Gaekwad (para-sailing), M R Poovamma (athletics), Manjeet Chhillar (kabaddi), Abhilasha Mhatre (kabaddi), Anup Kumar Yama (rollerskating).
source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> News / New Delhi – August 14th, 2015
The Sports Ministry today confirmed that Wimbledon doubles champion Sania Mirza has been recommended for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna but made it clear that the final decision rests with only the Awards Committee.
Sania won her career’s first ever women’s doubles Grand Slam title with Swiss partner Martina Hingis in June. She also became world number one before winning the Grass Court major.
Sports Secretary Ajit Sharan said the Sports Minister Sarbanada Sonowal has indeed recommended to the tennis exponent for the highest honour given for achievement in sports.
“We had got a late recommendation from AITA but the Minister accepted that and recommended the same to the Awards Committee,” Sharan told PTI.
“But the final decision to give the honour rests with the Awards Committee,” he clarified.
Sania, who has won three mixed doubles Grand Slams in her career, is reportedly competing with Squash player Deepika Pallikal and discus thrower Vikas Gowda for the prestigious award.
Sania’s father and coach Imran Mirza said it was a great honour for her to be recommended for the Khel Ratna.
“It is a great honour to be nominated for the Khel Ratna award. This is surely going to inspire her to earn more laurels for the country,” Imran Mirza told.
source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> News / New Delhi – August 01st, 2015
City budding Tennis player Mustafa M. Raja won U-9 Tennis Tournament for Boys organised by Archana Tennis Academy, Sarjapur Road branch, Bengaluru, yesterday.
Mustafa registered wins in six rounds and emerged as the winner among 64 players. In the finals he defeated Jason.
He is a student of Excel Public School and trains at the Nagaraja Tennis academy at SJCE campus.
Mustafa Raja is son of Murtuza Raja and Farida Raja.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / Monday – July 20th, 2015
This is not the first appearance for Nihar Ameen and his swimmers at the Rashtrapati Bhawan for the Arjuna Award ceremony. But, this year is a bit more special for the 49-year-old coach who has been guiding Indian hopefuls for over a decade as two of his wards -Virdhawal Khande and Prasanta Karmakar – will be honoured on Monday at the Arjuna ceremony.
Ameen, who will be present for the felicitation, is delighted but says it’s a work in progress. “It’s an amazing feeling to be there and meet the President. Last time it was Abdul Kalam. The moment validates all the struggle and hard work we’ve done over the years,” Ameen told TOI on Sunday. “It especially means a lot as medals are won against all odds,” he added.
Khade ended a 24-year-old draught by winning a bronze at the Guangzhou Asian Games, while Karmakar created history with his bronze medals at 2010 Commonwealth Games and the Asiad in the disabled category.
Ameen, one of India’s best-known swimming guru, works like a one-man army. Besides being a coach, he also acts as manager and dietician to his pupils. He plans training sessions and arranges physiotherapy support for the swimmers. His passion for the job has seen him spend almost three decades as a coach.
Sandeep Sejwal and Khade, the first Indian swimmers to break into the top-100 of world rankings, have both had stints under him.However, Ameen’s foray into coaching was more due to a sudden family need than any planning. He had to turn coach when younger sister, Shanaz Shacoor, needed one after the 1982 Asian games. “I was just 20 and it was a panic situation for me. I was not sure if I could deliver,” he recalled. “Shanaz was the big talent in the family. I had to take over her coaching after the Asian Games. It was very difficult as I was not a trained coach,” he added.
But since then, there has been no looking back for the Ameen who has a Level 5 certification in coaching from the American Swim Coaches Association, a peak of sorts for swimming coaches. But Ameen recalled the struggle he had to wage in the early days. He was helped along by the workout diary maintained by Shanaz and some coaching tips from the German coach Bernd Johnke, who was assisting the Indian team ahead of the 1982 Asiad. “I used to observe Johnke and picked some tips from him that helped. And we started training at a public pool with no lanes,” he said.
Ameen runs his Dolphin Swim Team in a school at the outskirts of Bangalore. His wards won 46 medals at the recent junior Nationals in Bhopal , the latest affirmation of his worth.
India has never won a medal at the Olympics and there is no silver lining in the cloud either. However, Ameen wants to stay positive, saying Indian swimmers have the talent and can produce better results at the international level if the government provides adequate facilities. “Appropriate budget and proper support staff can take things to a different level,” he asserts.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> More Sports> Others / by Ritu Sejwal, TNN / August 29th, 2011
We interview S.N. Mohammed Salahuddin, a young Triple Jump athlete from Tamil Nadu. He is the son of Mr. K.S. Mohammed Nizamuddin (1991 Colombo South Asian Games Triple Jump Gold medalist), and recently represented India at the Gwangju World University Games:-
Triple jumper S.N. Mohammed Salahuddin with his father and coach K.S. Mohammed Nizamuddin
1. Congratulations for your performance at the Universiade (World University Games), held at Gwangju, South Korea. How special is your feeling? How was your experience there, during the games?
A: I feel very happy about getting the chance to participate in the World University Games, which is one of the most important world-level tournaments. I feel I’ve started touching my achievements list, by this. And I acquired very good experience there, as I watched how the champions get trained over for the events and I’ve got an idea about what I must have to go through, to do something big next time. 2. Why did you choose athletics as your aim in life?
Ans:- My first active participation in the sports was at my school Sports Day, and I bagged some prizes initially. Once during the 8th standard, I was chosen for a meet, but was removed from it on the final day and told that I should improve my performance.
My parents, who were present there to watch me run were disappointed, came up to me and asked what had taken place. My father reassured me and suggested that I should start specialized training from the next day. So that was my start as a determined athlete. 3. Your father, Mr. K.S. Mohammed Nizamuddin, won the gold medal at the 1991 Colombo SAF Games for the nation. Did you want to become an athlete yourself or were you inspired by him?
Ans:- It’s not really like that, it all started after that mentioned incident took place, I took athletics seriously and achieved more and more. It’s good to be an achiever, and I went to achieve a lot, and that’s what made me into the game. Athletics is a game which requires only my effort – it’s not a team game, like cricket or football. So, I like it to win with the help of my own effort. Apart from my dad, Jonathan David Edwards, the triple jump World record holder, from Great Britain, inspired me a lot. He is awesome!
4. How old were you when you first developed an interest in athletics? How has your journey been till now?
Ans:- I started developing an interest in this sport at the age of 14. The journey till now is going quite good, but it has been hard in parts. The life of an athlete is very hard. There are some injuries, pains and similar sort of things, but an achievement can fade these instantly as well. I hope it gets better by the Olympic Games. 5. How did you feel when you realised you had broken your father’s record of 14.89 m (which he set in 1987) at the Nehru Stadium, in 2011?
Ans:- Ah, it’s a good question (smiles). Actually, during 2010, I read about my father’s record in a book, and imagined I would break it. I was confident that I’d make it by next year. I kept telling my dad to watch for my name to replace his. After I broke the record in 2011, I was very excited and proud, because the record stood for 24 years – a long time. He was extremely proud to know it was I who had broken his record. I also wanted to make him happy, and I was successful in doing so.
Salahuddin doing the triple jump
6. In a country obsessed very much with cricket and football, how difficult it is to claim a name in athletics?
A:- In India, people give too much importance to cricket, and the authorities spend a lot of money on it, but they don’t do the same for the sake of athletics. Just twenty countries in the world take part in cricket, but more than 200 countries participate in athletics, so it’s one of toughest sports in the world. If people show some interest and provide encouragement in the field of athletics, India can bag many gold medals in the coming Olympics. 7. So how do you manage both academics and athletics together?
A:- Academics are not at all a problem for me. Both my school teachers and college teachers support me a lot, and I always manage to get more than 60% marks in the exams, so it’s not difficult for me to handle both at the same time. 8. How does your educational institutes help you building you as a sportsman?
Ans:- My educational institutes are easy with me, and they support me a lot. They provide me enough time to train hard for the sports, and so balancing between studies and games is not hard for me. 9. Are you preparing hard for the 2016 Olympic Games?
Ans:- I’m currently not aiming for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, but I’m training hard with the aim of representing India in the 2020 Olympics as well as in the 2024 Olympics from now on. 10. Apart from athletics, which other sports do you like to play and watch? Who is your favourite in that sport?
Ans:- I’m mad about football. Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard are my favourite footballers. 11. What is your message for the young athletes of India who are hesitating to pursue sport as a career?
A:- Believe in hard work. Hard work can gift you achievements a bit late, but it can take you to new heights. Always be disciplined. And those who hesitate, should have an intense interest in the sport. Guys who have no interest in a particular sport, yet they are playing it, will not achieve success in it. Love for the sport helps a sportsman achieve a lot.
We also had Mr. K.S. Mohammed Nizamuddin (1991 Colombo SAF Games Triple Jump Gold medalist), say a few words about his son, Salahuddin:-
“It’s great to see that Salahuddin was selected to represent India in the World University Games, where he’d definitely gain a great experience. This is the fourth international competition he participated in, till date. His performance was quite satisfying in it, but still he would have done better as per my coaching view. He will certainly become an outstanding Triple jumper in the international field in coming years.”
Thank you Mr. Salahuddin, for giving his precious time for the interview session. We hope he wins many medals for India in future and make our country proud. We would like to see more Salahuddins emerging and making our country proud in Athletics. All the best for his future.
source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / SportsKeeda.com / Home> SK Athletics> World University Games> Interview / by Resham Das / July 14th, 2015
Martina Hingis (R) and Sania Mirza celebrate winning the Wimbledon women’s doubles final, in London on Saturday.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated Sania Mirza for becoming the first Indian to win the Wimbledon women’s doubles title with her Swiss partner Martina Hingis.
“Well played Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza. You played wonderful tennis and registered a fantastic win at Wimbledon. We are proud and very happy,” Mr. Modi said in a statement.
“Hearty congratulations @MirzaSania @mhingis on winning women’s doubles in Wimbledon, @MirzaSania’s achievement will inspire youth of India,” Mr. Mukherjee tweeted.
“Many congratulations to @MirzaSania for winning the @Wimbledon doubles title. An incredibly well played match,” Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal tweeted.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National / by PTI / New Delhi – July 12th, 2015
Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza pose with their trophies after winning their Women’s Doubles Final match / Reuters
Sania had come close to winning a women’s doubles Major in 2011 when she reached the French Open final with Elena Vesnina but ended up runners-up.
India’s tennis queen Sania Mirza today created history by becoming the first female player from the country to win a women’s doubles Grand Slam trophy as she clinched the Wimbledon title with Swiss partner Martina Hingis.
More than a decade after turning Pro, 28-year-old Sania laid hands on her first women’s doubles Major title when she and Hingis battled past second seed Russian team of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 5-7 7-6(4) 7-5 in a thrilling final.
In an interesting coincidence it was at these very historic courts that Sania had won women’s doubles junior Wimbledon championship with Russian partner Alisa Kleybanova in 2003.
Sania had come close to winning a women’s doubles Major in 2011 when she reached the French Open final with Elena Vesnina but ended up runners-up.
Already having a long list of firsts, Sania had become India’s first woman player to win a Grand Slam when she won the Australian Open with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi in 2009.
She later added French Open (2012 with Bhupathi) and US Open (2014 with Bruno Soares) to her mixed doubles collection.
It was a remarkable turn around for the top seeds as they were trailing 2-5 in the deciding set but made a stunning comeback to reel off five straight games to clinch the issue.
Vesnina was all fired up and her smashing volleys at the net put Sania and Hingis in a lot of trouble. The Russian was left distraught as she played out of her skin.
It was third time in recent times that Sania and Hingis played the two Russians in finals — Indian Wells and Miami — and asserted their supremacy again.
Sania was broken in the very first game of the match when Vesnina hit a volley winner from the net but the top seeds immediately broke Vesnina to avoid falling behind. It was a remarkable lob from Hingis that gave them two break chances and they converted the second.
Sania and Hingis put tremendous pressure on the their rivals but the two Russians responded well and it was 5-5.
Hingis was broken in the 11th game at love after a terrific rally of powerful ground strokes from left-handed Makarova. Vesnina pounced on one return from the Swiss and hammered the volley winner close to the body of Sania.
Makarova served for the set and it was Vesnina’s smart play at the net that sealed them the opening set.
It was the first set that Sania and Hingis had dropped in this tournament.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport / by PTI / London – July 12th, 2015
Back home at Kondotty, Sulaikha M P could hardly contain her happiness as husband Anas Edathodika ended up on Delhi Dynamo’s roaster for `41 lakh at the 2015 Indian Super League (ISL) players auction in Mumbai on Friday. “I am really happy for my husband. It is truly a wonderful moment for the entire family. We have not celebrated the news, but there is immense joy and happiness in family. Anas’ parents are equally happy,” Sulaikha told Express.
Not a big fan of football, Sulaikha, who married the Dynamo’s midfielder four years ago, could not really comprehend the magnitude of his feat, but believes Anas has done something that makes the entire state proud.
“I don’t watch much of football. Neither do my parents. But we all are just happy for him. We know he loves football more than anything else. No one in the family has believed he would reach this far,” she says.
Meanwhile, his father Muhammed Kutty says his son loved football so much that he worked so hard to become a footballer. “His life was just dedicated to football. He is reaping the result of his efforts,” says his father.
“I haven’t seen him play much. But I never missed a chance when I get one. There were times I even cautioned him against playing for fear of getting injured. I have seen him injured many a time. That is the only time we have had anything against him playing,” says Muhammed. His mother Khadeeja does not know football, but is glad that something good has happened to her son. “This will give him a lot of money, a security in life. Any mother seeing her child growing in career will be happy. So am I,” says Khadeeja.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / July 11th, 2015
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza entered her maiden final at the prestigious Wimbledon with Swiss partner Martina Hingis by earning a straight sets victory in the women’s doubles semifinals at the All England Club here on Friday.
The top seeds needed only 56 minutes to overcome American fifth seeds Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears 6-1, 6-2 in their semifinal match on No.1 Court to enter the summit clash.
This is Sania’s first final here across all formats in seniors though she had won the girls’ doubles title here 12 years ago with Russian Alisa Kleybanova. Martina, on the other hand, has two doubles (1996, 1998) and one singles title (1997) to her credit that she won at the lone grass court Major.
Though the World No.1 Indian has three mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, she is yet to win the top prize in women’s doubles. The only time she reached a Major final in the category was at the 2011 French Open.
The top seeds totally dominated both the sets.
In the first one, they broke their opponents twice out of four opportunities which was more than enough to seal the set in their favour. Though they gave three breakpoint chances to Raquel and Abigail, they managed to save all three. Also, they dominated by taking 30 of the 46 points played in the set.
The fifth seeds were already rattled by now which led to double fault thrice at crucial moments in the second set. Sania and Martina got two chances to break Raquel and Abigail and utilised both perfectly to clinch the set and match. They were so clinical that they did not even give a breakpoint opportunity to their opponents.
The world’s two highest ranked players will next take on the winners of the match between Russian second seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina and Hungarian-French fourth seeds Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic.
Earlier in the day, another Indian Sumit Nagal, partnering Vietnam’s Nam Hoang Ly, earned a straight sets victory to enter the boys’s doubles semifinals.
The eighth seeds needed only 53 minutes to defeat Japanese combination of Yusuke Takahashi and Jumpei Yamasaki 6-2, 6-3 on Court 6. Nagal and Ly will next take on Serbian-Norwegian pair of Miomir Kecmanovic and Casper Ruud for a place in the final.
