Category Archives: Sports

Vishwanath seeks to ‘live cricket’ again

Sports
To hell and back: Sadanand Vishwanath had to deal with personal tragedy and an early end to his international career before finding his feet again.
To hell and back: Sadanand Vishwanath had to deal with personal tragedy and an early end to his international career before finding his feet again.

Former ’keeper requests umpiring stint extension

He developed “friendship” with “solitude” and in the process was lost to the world of cricket.

As he explored means to sustain himself, living a hand-to-mouth existence at one point, Sadanand Vishwanath discovered a new vocation and some new friends.

From the heady days of being hounded by fans, the pin-up boy of Indian cricket, described by Sunil Gavaskar as the key man behind India’s success at the 1985 World Championship of Cricket, Vishwanath faced the harsh realities of life as he played his last match in 1988.

After toying with the idea of employment overseas, struggling to float on his own, he reconciled to a career again on the cricket field. He donned the umpire’s role and served in that capacity from 1995.

On Tuesday he retired as an umpire at 55 after the Chhattisgarh-Odisha match in the Cooch-Behar (under-19) Trophy at Bhilai.

Was he a case of talent gone astray in the world of fame and glamour? Losing his parents, he insists, in quick succession (1984 and 1985), left him disconsolate.

“It was a difficult period. My cricket was not progressing and personally I was alone. The grief of losing my parents pulled me back,” said Vishwanath.

His brilliance as a wicketkeeper has been documented with some unbelievable stuff in 1985 when India won the WCC at Melbourne and the Rothmans Cup when India tamed Pakistan in both the finals.

His international career, however, ended at 26, the age when some begin their cricket journey.

No one to blame

Vishwanath, who played three Tests, 22 ODIs and 74 First Class matches, deserved more. “I shall blame no one,” he says.

In a festival match, he was hit on the back of the head by Imran Khan. “I was never the same batsman again. I was never the same backfoot player again. Sachin (Tendulkar) and Mohinder (Amarnath) were hit too. But they hit back. I couldn’t.”

He was among the 10 candidates invited by the Board in 1995 to become umpires.

“I saw it was a nice way to get back on the field. Cricket was a passion and umpiring became an obsession. It took me to remote corners of the country and gave me an opportunity to meet so many people. I saw some young players from close. They went on to become impact players later (Virat Kohli, M.S. Dhoni, R. Ashwin, Ishant Sharma).

“I have seen them all grow and I love the joy of it all. The joy helped me overcome the pain, anxiety, hardships of being a professional player.”

Former India captain Anil Kumble had offered him a coaching job in Karnataka. “But I preferred umpiring.”

Vishwanath has requested the Board to give him an extension. “I can live cricket that way,” he concludes.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Cricket / by Vijay Lokapally / Kanpur – November 21st, 2017

Grounded huduga from Gulbarga

Records, All, Sports

22-year-old Anand Doddamani small town boy, who has taken the KPL world by storm.

Belagavi Panthers
Belagavi Panthers

A humble, yet determined bloke from Shahabad, Gulbarga, this small town lad made news when he took a remarkable hattrick in recent the KPL semi-final. A chat with 22-year- old Anand Doddamani will certainly leave you smiling as his simplicity and passion to make it big is evident during the conversation. The cricketer, who played for the Belagavi Panthers, which went on to win the KPL trophy, spoke to us about his journey from the gullies to the city, his admiration for Manish Pandey and more…“My KPL experience was really nice – I got to play all the matches and we bowled well in the semis. I don’t think anybody expected the hattrick, especially in a big game. It was great to see two hattricks in the same innings,” beams the bowler, who created a record with co-hattrick taker D Avinash and went on to win the ‘Man of the Match’ award.The youngster is glad to have mingled with seniors in the squad and shares,

“Aravind (Sreenath) was a great captain and the other players like Stuart Binny and Manish Pandey guided us well. That gave me more confidence.”

Anand Doddamani
Anand Doddamani

As he reminisces his early days, Anand reveals that he took to the game when in sixth grade. He started by playing gully cricket and in school tournaments and soon, his coach Mr. Arshad Hussain called him home and trained him in his camp.

The move to the big capital seemed surreal for this bowler. “I didn’t understand anything as I had not travelled anywhere before. I was always at home! I was thrilled to move to a city like Bengaluru and that’s when I decided that I have to play well and stay here in the future as well,” says the driven cricketer, who stays at the Just Cricket Academy in Yelahanka. Ask him about his inspirations in the sport and he instantly says, “Daniel Vettori is my absolute favourite – I’m also a left-arm spinner just like him. I like Yuvraj Singh too his hard work is commendable. I’ve learnt a lot from them.”

When it comes to the current Indian team, he can’t help but praise Bengaluru boy Manish Pandey. “I’ve played with him for three years. I played my first KPL, thanks to him. In the Karnataka first division league, I took 50 wickets, he noticed that and recommended me for the Mysuru team. Thanks to him, I played the KPL for three years. He’s supported me a lot and even now, he calls me and asks if I need anything and helps me,” smiles Anand, who wants to perform better and play the Ranji Trophy and of course, for India.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Sports> Cricket / by Ikyatha Yerasala, Deccan Chronicle / October 01st, 2017

Bengaluru schoolboy to make World Rotax Max debut

Education, Sports, World Opinion

Bengaluru schoolboy Ruhaan Alva, supported by Italian manufacturer Birel Art, will be making his debut in the World Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals which starts here on Monday.

The event will see 360 competitors representing 60 countries vie for titles in various age-group categories.

Ruhaan, who finished third overall in the recently-concluded Easykart series in Italy, has entered in the 125 Micro Max category which has a grid of 36 drivers who have qualified from their respective National Rotax Max championships or international Rotax Max series.

After completing formalities over the weekend, the competitors will have two days of practice sessions on November 6 and 7.

The qualifying sessions will commence on November 8, leading up to the three rounds of heats (November 9) and pre-finals (November 10) before the finals on November 11.

Looking ahead to his maiden participation in the Grand Finals, Ruhaan, who is also supported by Play Factory and Sona Miller, said he would put to good use his experience in the recent Eastkart championship in Italy and hoped to deliver a strong result.

“I had a good season in Italy though it was very tough because I switched to a higher and more competitive Easykart 60 category after the first round in the Mini class which I won,” the 11-year-old from Bengaluru said.

–IANS

ajb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS> Sports / IANS – Portimao(Portugal) / November 05th, 2017

Cricket legends regale audience

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports
When stars meet: Veteran cricketers B.S. Chandrasekhar, Syed Kirmani, E.A.S. Prasanna, and Rahul Dravid releasing senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai’s book Democracy IX at the Bangalore Literature Festival on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain
When stars meet: Veteran cricketers B.S. Chandrasekhar, Syed Kirmani, E.A.S. Prasanna, and Rahul Dravid releasing senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai’s book Democracy IX at the Bangalore Literature Festival on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain

Four Karnataka cricket legends shared the stage at the Bangalore Literature Festival on Sunday, leaving the audience spellbound.

B.S. Chandrasekhar, E.A.S. Prasanna, Syed Kirmani, and Rahul Dravid regaled the audience in the company of senior journalist, Rajdeep Sardesai. The former India internationals were present to support Sardesai’s new cricket book Democracy’s XI.

Dravid, the star attraction, stated that he was fortunate to start his career in a State that has produced several world-class cricketers. “The great thing about the cricket culture in the city is that you get to interact with international cricketers when you are young. I remember, when I was 18 or 19, we took a 48-hour train journey to Calcutta to play a Ranji Trophy match. I had G.R. Viswanath (then Karnataka chairman of selectors and team manager) and Kirmani sitting in my compartment. They were happy to share their inputs with me, and I was constantly picking their brain. As an 18-year-old, what more can you ask for,” Dravid said.

He alluded to the fact that his seniors were not averse to knocking back a few cold beverages. “Forty-eight hours is a long time, you have to find ways to pass time. There were some card sessions, and I won’t say what else happened. All I can say is that the weather was warm, and that in those days, there were no fitness tests and diet rules,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Ashwin Achal / Bengaluru – October 29th, 2017

Mangaluru set to host Lagori Championship for Adults

Records, All, Sports
Lagori is no longer just a child’s play
Lagori is no longer just a child’s play

20 teams to participate in the tourney slated for first week of January

Along with surfing, Mangaluru is likely to become the go-to destination of the state for lagori too. As the First Lagori Tulunadu Cup 2017 organised by Pathway Mangaluru in June this year with the participation of nearly 20 teams of 12 players each from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasargod was a huge success, the Amateur Lagori Association of India has asked the Pathway to organise the Senior National Lagori tournament for men and women in the first week of January in Mangaluru.

Deepak Ganguli from Pathway told BM, “The association was impressed by the manner in which the district-level tourney was conducted and hence asked us to hold the seventh national level tourney under the Amateur Federation of India. The event will be held in the Karavali Utsav grounds. The sixth edition was held in Rajasthan.”

He said they were expecting at least 15-20 states to participate and were hopeful that at least three players from Mangaluru will be representing the Karnataka men’s team. Before the national tourney, a selection camp will be held in Mangaluru, which will see the participation of at least 200 players (men) from across the state. In an attempt to popularise the game, plans are to hold premier league matches on beachside. “The top 15 players will represent Karnataka in the national match and our aim is to have at least one player from Mangaluru for the World Cup to be held in May next year at Mumbai,” said Ganguli.

Pathway has received queries from women players wanting to participate. “As the Association has informed that the state team (women’s) has already been finalised, we are likely to hold district level matches for women next year,” he said.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Others / by Bangalore Mirror Bureau / October 25th, 2017

New coach duo have task cut out

Sports

Head coach P V Shashikanth and his assistant G K Anil Kumar look to revive Karnataka’s glory days

MEN IN CHARGE: Karnataka team's head coach PV Shashikanth (right) and assistant coach G K Anil Kumar, who have replaced J Arun Kumar and Mansoor Ali Khan respectively, will have big shoes to fill. DH PHOTO/ Srikanta Sharma R
MEN IN CHARGE: Karnataka team’s head coach PV Shashikanth (right) and assistant coach G K Anil Kumar, who have replaced J Arun Kumar and Mansoor Ali Khan respectively, will have big shoes to fill. DH PHOTO/ Srikanta Sharma R

When Karnataka begin their campaign in this edition of the Ranji Trophy against Assam in Mysuru on Saturday, P V Shashikanth and G K Anil Kumar will have massive shoes to fill.

After they failed to win a single title for two straight seasons, Karnataka saw a change in the coaching set-up. The popular coach duo of JAK and MAK — J Arun Kumar (head coach) and Mansoor Àli Khan (his assistant) — were removed from their respective posts. The combination, which guided Karnataka to six titles between 2013-15, made way for Shashikanth and Anil.

For a team brimming with equal amount of talent and experience, the eight-time champions have flattered to deceive in the last two editions and the newly-appointed coaches will have their tasks cut out. There exists an air of curiosity as to how the pair will go about its business. Shashikanth says he is aware of the expectations.

“There is no doubt that JAK and MAK did a fantastic job. We have worked hard ever since we joined the team. I see our role as facilitators. I think we need to create a good atmosphere around the team to gain the desired results. There were certain things which were going awry and we believe we have set it right,” the former Karnataka batsman offered.

The fact that the duo holds good amount of coaching experience augurs well for them. Shashikanth and Anil have in the past helmed various age-group sides of Karnataka and together they were instrumental in putting the Karnataka U-23 team into the Elite group from Plate Division last year. Anil is confident of carrying forward the good work to the senior side.

“Shashikanth sir has been the State captain and has led legendary cricketers. He has the experience of handling teams. I have worked with the India U-19 team and we both have coached the Karnataka ‘A’ teams. We believe in working with a disciplined and meticulous approach,” explains Anil.

The duo perhaps also has an added advantage of nurturing the current set of senior players right through their junior days. “We have been working with these guys for a long time now. Almost 80 percent of the players were 13-14 years old when we started our coaching stint. They have been nurtured well and we have a good connect with them. We know them inside out, how they react to situations and how they are useful in different situations in a game. So it is like a journey of ten years. This will be really important for us to bind the team this year and it is a big plus point,” says Anil.

JAK and MAK did wonders for the Karnataka side with their enviable chemistry. The team achieved unprecedented success and players like K L Rahul, Manish Pandey and Karun Nair realised their goal of playing for the country.

Echoing Anil’s thoughts, Shashikanth says he shares a great rapport with his colleague. “We start with an advantage. We have an edge because we have worked with the players during their under-23 and under-19 times. Of course there are differences. Now they are no longer boys. They are men. It’s about man managing them. That’s where our role lies. As far our chemistry is concerned, we know each other from a long time. It’s like running between the wickets. I need not ask him anything. I just have to look at him and he is ready to respond. We have been working hard to serve Karnataka cricket.”

While there were standout individual performances, it was evident that Karnataka failed to click as a unit in the last couple of seasons. Their inability to fire as a group saw them fall short in crunch games.

Shashikanth asserts that regrouping the side was their main challenge. “We are trying to regroup the team and keep them motivated. Karnataka has got a rich history in cricket. Whenever players get selected for the State side, they dream of playing for the country. We need to get everyone together for a common goal and that’s the only way we can win the Ranji Trophy. When we won the title in 1995, around eight of them went on to play for the country. Similarly, following the stellar show between 2013 and 2015, many players got breaks. Thus the players must now once again perform well and try to win matches for Karnataka.”

Regaining the past glory will not be easy for Karnataka. There is no denying that they start one of the favourites and but R Vinay Kumar’s men will certainly be tested in their quest to win their ninth title. Both the coaches see this as an exciting challenge. “For a team that has won six titles in two years, for the kind of experience it brings in, the kind of depth we have, the season is certainly interesting and exciting. But we are looking at one match at a time. If we realise our potential and do the basics day in and day out then we can do wonders,” expresses Anil.

Shashinakth believes senior members of the team will have a crucial role to play.

“We have enough firepower and the senior members in the side will be of great help. They will make our job easier. Take Vinay for example. He has been around for ten years now. Our pacers share close to 800 first-class wickets between them. The senior campaigners will look to keep the team together and make them be on the same page,” concludes Shashikanth.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Sportscene / by Vivek MV / DH News Service, Bengaluru / October 08th, 2017

Karnataka govt to reward Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Veda Krishnamurthy

Sports

Udupi :

Karnataka too has opened up its purse strings to women cricketers from the state in the Mithali Raj led World Cup squad that finished runners up to hosts England in the just concluded Women’s World Cup cricket tournament. Felicitating the squad for falling historic 9-runs short of an epic win at the Lords, minister for sports and youth empowerment Pramod Madhwaraj said the performance of the squad has done the state in general and nation in particular rather proud.

The minister also announced a cash award of Rs 25 lakh each to two women cricketers who were part of the squad – Rajeshwari Shivanand Gayakwad, left arm orthodox spinner and right handed batswoman from Vijayapura and leg break bowler cum batswoman K Veda Krishnamurthy  from Chikkamagaluru. The amount will be given to these players at a felicitation function that will be arranged shortly, he said, adding their example should inspire more women to take up this game.

Incidentally, the BCCI has already announced Rs 50 lakh each to every member of the squad and reward to the support staff as well while Indian Railways Rs 1.3 crore (or Rs 13 lakh each) to 10 members of the squad who are employed with the Railways and out of turn promotions to them as well. Respective state governments too have announced job offers to players from their state with Punjab government offering DSPs post to power hitter Harmanpreet Kaur .

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Mangalore News / by Jaideep Shenoy / TNN / July 29th, 2017

karnataka round-up

Records, All, Sports

Rakshit, Kushi emerge champions

Rakshit Barigidad and V. Kushi emerged the men’s and women’s champions respectively as the Malleswaram Association State-ranking table tennis tournament concluded here on Sunday. Rakshit defeated Shreyas Kulkarni 14-12, 9-11, 11-1, 14-12, 11-7, while Kushi, who had won the junior title a couple of days ago, held off Koumudi Patankar 11-13, 11-6, 11-4, 8-11, 11-2, 5-11, 11-5.

The results (all finals): Men: Rakshit Barigidad bt Shreyas Kulkarni 14-12, 9-11, 11-1, 14-12, 11-7; Boys: Sub-junior: K.J. Aakash bt Neil Gollarkeri 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10; Cadet: Rohit Shankar bt Hrishikesh Shettlur 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 8-11, 11-4.

Women: V. Kushi bt Koumudi Patankar 11-13, 11-6, 11-4, 8-11, 11-2, 5-11, 11-5; Girls: Sub-junior: M. Anargya bt G. Yashaswini 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7; Cadet: M. Deshna bt Sahana Murthy 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 .

Solomon scores winner

A strike from Solomon helped Navrathna FC snatch a 1-0 win over Bangalore Youngsters in the BDFA ‘C’ division football league here on Sunday.

The results: Vel Socials 0 drew with Bentex FC 0; Navrathna FC 1 (Solomon 49) bt Bangalore Youngsters 0 .

Rail Wheel Factory posts win

Rail Wheel Factory rallied from a goal down to defeat Customs and Central Excise 3-1 in the Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa Memorial hockey tournament here on Sunday.

The results: SAI ‘A’ 3 (Stalin 19, Raheel 23, Veeranna 57) bt ASC 1 (Anand Nag 48); RWF 3 (M.G. Poonacha 21, Umesh 60, Deepak 64) bt Customs and Central Excise 1 (Nilesh 17) .

Dinesh wins title

IM Dinesh Sharma of Uttar Pradesh won his final round against K. Senthil Maran (TN) in the top board and clinched the title with eight points from nine rounds in the Open category, on the concluding day of the Late Prof. S.K. Ananda Thirtha Memorial all India FIDE-rating rapid chess tournament.

Final Placings: Open Section: 1. IM Dinesh Sharma (UP, 8 points), 2. FM Karthik Venkataraman (AP, 7.5 & 55 tie-break score), 3. Ram S. Krishnan (TN, 7.5 & 54.5), 4. FM Joydeep Dutta (WB, 7.5 & 54), 5. P. Saravana Krishnan (TN, 7.5 & 53.5).

Rating below 1800: 1. AIM Trisha Kanyamarala (TS, 7), 2. Yashas Kara Jois (Kar, 6.5), 3. V.P.S. Darshan (6.5).

Rating below 1600: 1. S K. Kanishk (TN, 6.5), 2. L. Seshadri (Kar, 6), 3. R. Thirumurugan (TN, 6).

Rating below 1400: 1. Vijay Ravi (Kar, 6.5), 2. Vishnu Sundar (Kar, 6), 3. S. Selva Kumar (TN, 6).

Rating below 1250: 1. Abhay B. Bhandarkar (Kar, 6), 2. M.N. Eshanvi (Kar, 6), 3. H.N. Preetham (Kar, 5.5).

Best female (above 30 years): Prasanna Swamy (Ker, 6).

Best veteran (above 55 years): K. Upendra .

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport /  Bengaluru – July 03rd, 2017

Poised for a breakthrough

Records, All, Sports

Having taken a big step towards Formula One, Arjun Maini is working hard to realise his big dream.

confident: Arjun Maini says he is eager to learn as much as he can from the F1 paddock. DH PHOTO/ BH SHIVAKUMAR
confident: Arjun Maini says he is eager to learn as much as he can from the F1 paddock. DH PHOTO/ BH SHIVAKUMAR

History has been beckoning this youngster right from his formative days but still, nothing can be as sweet as hitting the right path to realising a childhood ambition.

The teenager in question is Arjun Maini, a 19-year-old who has really caught the attention of the motorsport world with his performances on the GP3 circuit. So much so that he has been roped in as a development driver for the Haas Formula One team, alongside American Santino Ferrucci.

From the go-karting tracks of Bengaluru to the historic tracks in Europe, the boy who fuelled his adrenaline rush at the tender age of five could well go on to secure a position in an F1 cockpit.

Unusually grounded for a teenager his age, Arjun says that not much will change and that he will leave nothing to chance and continue to strive towards racing at the top level. He, however, does explain the experience of witnessing an F1 paddock was the stuff of dreams.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s hard to explain. When you walk from the GP3 paddock to the F1 paddock the difference in everything, the size, the glamour, it’s absolutely unbelievable. I’m not going to lie, it does feel a bit overwhelming initially, but when you get over it, the racing is still the same.

“You still go out there to win. Haas wants me to be completely focused on what I’m doing now and that’s the GP3 series and that’s what I’m going to do,” he adds.

Interactions with the technical staff in the pit garage will only enhance his skill and knowledge of the motorsport, something that is the key for longevity in the sport. And Arjun is making use of every opportunity he receives.

“I got signed just before my first weekend of the year. I was able to be in the garage during the session. Basically understand how the drivers work with the engineers and how the teams operate at the peak hours of motorsport. That’s what’s important about this role. That’s what I want to take with me, all the experience I can to prepare me for what could be in the future.”

Two days after he was signed by Haas, Arjun reached another milestone, becoming the first Indian ever to win a race on the GP3 circuit, no mean feat considering he had Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok as predecessors.

A visibly emotional and teary-eyed Arjun had stood atop the podium as the Indian National anthem wafted across the Circuit de Barcelona in Catalunya. But the Bengaluru lad admits the predominant emotion he felt at the time was relief.

“I started from second and took the lead a little into the race. And then I had to battle with (Dorian) Boccolacci for two laps… I think the best laps of my career so far. The battle was so intense. I know it was very important for me to win but I did cherish that battle even though that could cause me to lose the lead.

“After that when I pulled away and crossed the flag the first feeling was relief. I was really relieved I had done that because that was very important for me. And then there were so many emotions that took over that it’s hard to explain the feeling, when you’re in the lap coming back to the pit,” he quipped.

While Karthikeyan and Chandok did not have the luxury of a step-by-step progression in the sport, it has been a lot more organised and has panned out better for Arjun, who believes that it gives him an edge.

“I am extremely lucky to be in the position that I am in right now and really grateful for everything. I’ve had fabulous support from JK Tyre during my younger days and with Haas now. Family support has been absolutely incredible from the beginning and support from Karun as well. Everything is pointing in the right direction and I’m much more prepared than Karun and Narain were and hope I can cash in on it.”

Arjun’s foray into motorsport was an obvious one with his father Gautam Maini, a former National racer, providing the necessary encouragement for both his sons. His younger son Kush races in Formula 4.

“The main thing is the support from the family. My father, mother and brother are completely supportive of what I do. My brother being a driver, we push each other when we are training or when we spend time in the simulator. I think that way I’m in a very very privileged position and I’m really grateful for that,” he said adding that another guiding force has been Chandok, who is his mentor-cum-manger.

“He started guiding me pretty much from when I got into cars. He’s guided me all throughout. It’s very important that someone like Karun is guiding me, he’s been there and he’s made it. He knows what I need to do and what not to do. And that’s what’s great. It’s made it easier for me.”

India has a real dearth of good tracks in the country — barring a few in Coimbatore, Sriperumbudur, Bengaluru and Hyderabad — so a success story like Arjun’s may not be a constant occurrance. Apart from the tracks, Arjun believes that there is also a need for further exposure if India have to announce themselves on the big stage.

“There are definitely not enough tracks. When I was young we had the Speedzone track in Bangalore and I used to go there every Sunday to drive and that’s how to start. That’s how you fall in love with the sport. Not having enough racing space is a problem but it’s coming up.

“There is also the issue of lack of exposure. There are a lot more championships and there are a lot more karters that are there in the junior karting championships. A lot more people watch motorsports there. When I got into it I started off by watching Formula One. That’s what got me into my first go-kart. But the opportunity lower down is a lot less,” added Arjun, who is an ardent Sebastian Vettel admirer.

Having taken the first step towards what could be a fulfilling career, Arjun is keen to stay grounded and take one day at a time rather than set himself any long-term goals.

“I think I am just taking it as it comes, day by day. I’ve just started doing really well. We’re third in the championship in GP3 and that’s how we want to continue, be in the top three-four in the GP3 championship. That’s what I’m looking forward to this year,” he signed off.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Sportscene / by Arjun Ganesh / June 17th, 2017

Brilliant Srihari, Prasidha better national marks

Records, All, Sports, Uncategorized

Ridhima Kumar obliterates 18-year-old 100 freestyle record en route to gold.

big splash Srihari Natraj of GSC en route to the 100M backstroke gold at BAC in Bengaluru on Tuesday. DH photo
big splash Srihari Natraj of GSC en route to the 100M backstroke gold at BAC in Bengaluru on Tuesday. DH photo

On a day when the evening session was delayed due to persistent rain, it rained records at the State Junior and Sub-junior Aq­uatic Championships at the Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre (BAC) here on Tuesday.

Srihari Natraj, Prasidha Krishna and Ridhima Kumar were the pick of the lot on the opening day of the four-day meet as they set new State records while bettering existing national marks.

In Group I, Srihari was the fastest in the 100M backstroke, touching the pad in 57.85 seconds. He obliterated the previous State best of 1:01.46 set by Aravind Mani of BAC in 2013 in the heats. His time was also faster than the national mark of 59.87 seconds held by Vedant Seth of Delhi.

In Group II, Prasidha Krishna stole the limelight with his fine swim in the 200M butterfly final. The Global Swim Centre’s trainee won the gold in 2:11.32, a new meet record. He bettered the previous best of 2:16.02 by BAC’s Aaron D’ Souza in 2006. His timing was also better than the national best of 2:12.09, another mark set by Aaron in 2006.

Later in Group IV, Ridhima set the pool ablaze with a record gold in the 100M freestyle. The BAC swimmer won the top prize in 1:09.20, obliterating an 18-year-old the record of Shivaranjini, set at 1:14.46 in 1999.

Later, BAC’s Khushi Dinesh created a new meet record en route to her gold in Group II, 800M freestyle. Khushi touched the pad in 9:48.95, six seconds faster than the previous best of 9:55.51, set by Sreelakshmi G in 2008.

DH News Service
Results: Boys: Group I: 1500M freestyle: Saif Chandan KS (BAC) 17:08.40, 1; Yatish S Gowda (BAC) 17:09.70, 2; Om Kumar TK (BAC) 17:34.23, 3.
100M backstroke: Srihari Nataraj (Global) 57.85 (NMR; Old: Aravind Mani, BAC, 1:01.46, 2013), 1; Nishant Kumar (Global) 1:02.37, 2; Siva S (BAC) 1:02.86, 3.

100M breaststroke: Pruthvik DS (BAC) 1:08.40, 1; Manav Dileep (Global) 1:09.09, 2; Pranav G Mitra (BAC) 1:16.80, 3.

200M butterfly: Rahul M (BAC) 2:09.85, 1; Saif Chandan K S (BAC) 2:14.09, 2; Om Kumar T K (BAC) 2:18.36, 3.

Group II: 800M freestyle: Raj Vinayak Relekar (Dolphin) 9:28.98, 1; Dhyan Balakrishna (BAC) 9:29.56, 2; Litheesh G Gowda (BAC) 9:29.61, 3.

100M backstroke: Shivansh Singh (BAC) 1:04.40 (NMR; Old: Srihari Natraj, Global, 1:04.96, 2017) 1; R Vaibhav Shet (Global) 1:06.61. 2; Jatin B (Global) 1:08.17, 3.

100M breaststroke: Litheesh G Gowda (BAC) 1:13.07, 1; Hiten Mittal (BAC) 1:14.09, 2; Pragun Dev (Dolphin) 1:14.67, 3.

200M butterfly: Prasidha Krishna P A (Global) 2:11.32 (NMR; Old: Aaron D’ Souza, BAC, 2:16.02, 2006) 1; Tanish George Mathew (Dolphin) 2:12.07, 2; Shivansh Singh (BAC) 2:22.93, 3.

Group III: 200M freestyle: R Akshaya Shet (Global) 2:21.33, 1; Dhyaan M (Dolphin) 2:21.97, 2; Adith Smaran Olety (BAC) 2:23.00, 3. 100M butterfly: Utkarsh S Patil (BAC) 1:07.29, 1; Shreyas V (BAC) 1:08.00, 2; Nayan Vignesh P (BAC) 1:08.03, 3.

Group IV: 100M freestyle: Krish Sukumar (Dolphin) 1:12.49, 1; R Navaneet Gowda (Dolphin) 1:12.49, 2; Renukacharya C Hodmani (Dolphin) 1:12.75, 3. 50M backstroke: Rithish Vikram D (Global) 37.30, 1; Krish Sukumar (Dolphin) 37.67, 2; Renukacharya C Hodmani (Dolphin) 38.94, 3.

Girls: Group I: 1500M freestyle: Dhruti Muralidhar (BAC) 18:59.86, 1; Nikitha SV (BAC) 19:35.34, 2; Nandini SS (BAC) 19:35.79, 3. 100M backstroke: Jhanati Rajesh (BAC) 1:11.56, 1; Spoorthi M J (PAC) 1:13.66, 2; Shriya R Bhat (BAC) 1:13.91, 3; 100M breaststroke: Riddhi S Bohra (Pooja) 1:16.80 (NMR; Old: 1:18.60, Saloni Dalal, BAC, 2017) 1; Saloni Dalal (BAC) 1:16.83, 2; Harshitha Jayaram (Global) 1:17.06, 3.

200M butterfly: Mayuri Lingaraj (BAC) 2:36.24, 1; Hita Nayak (BAC) 2:39.41, 2; Nikitha S V (BAC) 2:39.67, 3.

Group II: 800M freestyle: Khushi Dinesh (BAC) 9:48.95, 1 (NMR; Old: 9:55.51, Sreelakshmi G, KCR, 2008) 1; Poojitha G Murthy (BAC) 9:51.99, 2; Divya Ghosh (Global) 10:18.10, 3. 100M backstroke: Suvana C Baskar (Dolphin) 1:10.56 (NMR; Old: Suvana C Baskar 1:10.96, DA, 2017) 1; Bhoomika R Kesarkar (Dolphin) 1:13.68, 2; Krizana Irani (Belagavi) 1:14.30, 3. 100M breaststroke: Rachana SR Rao (Mangala) 1:19.73, 1; Shania G Siromani (Dolphin) 1:21.68, 2; Madhura BG (BAC) 1:21.76, 3.
200M butterfly: Saachi G (BAC) 2:34.36, 1; Smruthi Mahalingam (BAC) 2:39.31, 2; Adya Nayak (BAC) 2:41.87, 3.

Group III: 200M freestlye: Jedidah A (Dolphin) 2:26.31, 1; Samanvitha R (Aqua Swim) 2:28.33, 2; Medha Venkatesh (BAC) 2:29.98, 3. 100M butterfly: Jedidah A (Dolphin) 1:12.82, 1; Medha Venkatesh (BAC) 1:15.17, 2; Anveesha Girish (VAC) 1:15.40, 3.

Group IV: 100M freestyle: Ridhima Veerendra Kumar (BAC) 1:09.20 (NMR, Old: 1:14.46, Shivaranjini, BAC, 1999) 1; Aashna Ashwin Mattur (BAC) 1:10.84, 2; Ambar J Singh (Dolphin) 1:12.97, 3. 50M backstroke: Ridhima Veerendra Kumar (BAC) 36.31, 1; Aashna Ashwin Mattur (BAC) 38.22, 2; Ambar J Singh (Dolphin) 39.42, 3.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Sports / DH News Service / Bengaluru – May 31st, 2017