Category Archives: Sports

Karnataka: Karavali Utsav off to a colourful start

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports

The three-day event will not only showcase the culture, music and local art of the coast, but will also go a long way in attracting tourists to Karwar and surrounding areas.

A paramotor in action on the inaugural day of Karavali Utsav | D hemanth
A paramotor in action on the inaugural day of Karavali Utsav | D hemanth

Karwar :

Karavali Utsav 2018, a three-day cultural extravaganza, was inaugurated in Karwar on Saturday. Karwar’s Rabindranath Tagore Beach came alive as hundreds of tourists and residents thronged the venue to get a glimpse of events and exhibition.

The three-day event will not only showcase the culture, music and local art of the coast, but will also go a long way in attracting tourists to Karwar and surrounding areas.

The day began with Rear Admiral K J Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding, Karnataka Naval Area, inaugurating a fruits and flower exhibition and fish festival near the Warship Museum. Deputy Commissioner S S Nakul accompanied him.

A rangoli competition was held at the DC’s office where more than 100 women participated. At Maladevi Grounds, Kabaddi was organised where 10 teams participated. The finals will be held on Sunday at the same venue. At Zilla Rangamandira, cultural programmes were inaugurated.Talks were also organised at Zilla Rangamandira.

Padma Shri awardee Girish Bharadwaj, who is also known as the “Bridge Man,” addressed hundreds of students from various colleges. He narrated how he faced difficulties during the start of the construction of the hanging bridge.

The festival was formally inaugurated on Saturday evening by Revenue Minister R V Deshpande at Mayuravarma Vedike on Rabindranath Tagore Beach. Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde and Karwar MLA Roopali Naik were also present.

“The state has been making all efforts to make Uttara Kannada district a tourist hub which will provide employment to locals and bring revenue to them,” Deshpande said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States>Karnataka / by Arunkumar Huralimuth / Express News Service / December 09th, 2018

Bengaluru Tech Summit: Pune man wins drone race

Records, All, Science & Technology, Sports, World Opinion

The second and third place went to Bengalureans

A first of its kind ‘Night Drone Racing’ contest was conducted at the Bengaluru Tech Summit on Friday night. Over 26 drone pilots aged from 12 to 28 years, from across the country, competed in the race.

Ritvik Suneel Nesargi from Pune emerged the winner in the racing competition and was awarded a cash prize of ₹1 lakh.

Aaradhya Kulshrestha and Pravesh T.M., both from Bengaluru, won second and third spots in the contest. Aaradhya was awarded a cash prize of ₹50,000 and Pravesh ₹25,000.

The contest took place in the specially-built arena at the Bengaluru Palace grounds. The event was organised by the State government in association with Indian Drone Racing League.

Each unmanned aerial vehicle weighed about 300 gram and required a special licence from the aviation regulator — Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) — to fly. Each drone had its own unique identification number.

Officials at the summit said that drone technology is getting popular among racing and tech enthusiasts, and it is finding many uses in the mainstream as well as for recording events or making movies.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / December 01st, 2018

Making of the real stars

Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports

Srikanth Bhat, an agriculturist-cum-hotelier in Kanchinabailu in Hirebettu village near Manipal, is an ardent lover of the festive sport.

Udupi :

The owners of Kambala buffalos are busy with last-minute preparations as they consider it a matter of prestige and pride. The buffaloes are the prized possession of the owners who raise them with care and indulgence.

Srikanth Bhat, an agriculturist-cum-hotelier in Kanchinabailu in Hirebettu village near Manipal, is an ardent lover of the festive sport. He rears seven Kambala buffalos at a spacious and well-ventilated shed in his 15-acre garden. The routine diet for them includes 5 kg baked horse gram, hay, half a kg jaggery, and 150 ml of sesame and coconut oil once a week.

The caretaker of Bhat’s buffaloes, Sachin S Kotian, told TNIE that the animals are like family members for Bhat. ‘‘The buffaloes stand whenever Bhat arrives in their shed and flap their ears. This is how they show their love for their owner,’’ he says. Another caretaker, Prasad Kumar, assists Sachin in ensuring that proper care is taken of the buffaloes.

The animals are given oil massage and left under the sun for about three hours every day, before they are taken for a swim and bath in a specially-designed pool. Bhat has two kambala jockeys, Nakre Jayakar Madivala and Nakre Manjunath Bhandari.

The recent incident of sudden death of Rocket Moda, Bhat’s 20-year-old buffalo, has upset the team. The Pairu breed buffalo of Kota origin had created a record in 2014 by completing the 144-metre distance in just 13.40 seconds, along with his partner Kutty. They have decided to venture into the race from November 24 after paying respect to the place where Moda was buried, Sachin adds.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prakash Samaja / Express News Service / November 24th, 2018

Benglauru boy makes mark in national racing circuit once again

Records, All, Sports

Adding that the competition was tight with eight participants fighting for the top spot, his biggest challenge was having to race against his coach and mentor.

Sohil (in blue) after the MRF National Racing Championship
Sohil (in blue) after the MRF National Racing Championship

Bengaluru :

After winning the MRF National Racing Championship, 17-year-old Sohil Shah has turned heads in the racing circuit once again by winning the 21st JK Tyre National Rookie competition in the LGB-F4 category. The four-round competition finale was held in New Delhi, with Sohil taking the seventh place in the championship.

“There were eight national champions racing with me. I was fighting with them for the top spots in all three races. In race one, I started in the sixth spot and finished the race in third place. In race two, I started in the sixth place and finished in seventh place, while in race three, I started seventh according to the finishing order of race two, and finished in seventh place. All the points that I earned allowed me to win the championship. There were a total of 26 participants in the national championship, and 15 of them were part of the rookie championship,” says Sohil, who attends Delhi Public School (East) here.

Adding that the competition was tight with eight participants fighting for the top spot, his biggest challenge was having to race against his coach and mentor. “It can mess with your head,” he says, while adding that his role model is his coach. Telling us his most memorable moment during the race, he says that winning round three and four with a bronze medal was something he will always cherish, as this is the first time a rookie has been able to stand on that podium.

The competition started in July and ended last Sunday. Sohil received a `1 lakh cash award for the rookie competition. He will be continuing practice sessions for next year until dates are finalised, he says. It has been only a year since Sohil first rode in a 2-stroke Rotax go-kart, which inspired him to start racing — something he wants to make a career out of.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Preeja Prasad / Express News Service / November 21st, 2018

Sanjana gets a big boost

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Sanjana Ramesh...set for bigger things.
Sanjana Ramesh…set for bigger things.

She was named the MVP of girls’ division at Basketball Without Borders Asia

Indian teenager Sanjana Ramesh has signed for the Northern Arizona University women’s team, becoming the second India-born female player to receive a North American Division I college basketball scholarship.

Sanjana, 17, will be an incoming freshmen for the 2019-20 season. The Bengaluru player captained the Indian team in the 2017 FIBA U-16 Asia Cup. Averaging 6.5 points and seven rebounds per game in the tournament, Sanjana helped India win Division ‘B’ and earn promotion to Division ‘A’.

Sanjana caught the eye of college recruiters when she was named the Most Valuable Player of the girls‘ division at Basketball Without Borders Asia. The three-day development camp had featured top male and female prospects from Asia.

“Everything is managed professionally in U.S. colleges. Every day there will be training with the Indian senior team. The competition is very tough, so this will help improve my game. The aim is to get a WNBA professional contract, and to also represent India at the highest level,” Sanjana said.

Improvement

A 12th standard student of Delhi Public School (South) here, Sanjana said her game has improved considerably in the last couple of years.

“The 2017 u-18 Nationals was the turning point for me. I played well for Karnataka, which gave me great confidence. Before that, I was not part of the starting five,” she said.

Northern Arizona University women’s basketball coach Loree Payne said: “Sanjana is an athlete who has international and national experience. We’re trying to get our foot in the door of the international recruiting scene. So for us, Sanjana is everything we’re looking for. Her potential is limitless.”

In 2017, Chhattisgarh hoopster Kavita Akula enrolled at Grand Canyon University, and became the first India-born female basketballer to receive a full scholarship from a Division 1 college.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by Ashwin Achal / Bengaluru – November 15th, 2018

Life is looking up for Mudhol hound breeders

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Venkappa Navalagi with his favourite Mudhol hound Raju in Lokapur village of Bagalkot district. Special Arrangement
Venkappa Navalagi with his favourite Mudhol hound Raju in Lokapur village of Bagalkot district. Special Arrangement

Most of them are Dalits, who now see a spike in the brand value of their dogs

The Indian Army’s growing interest in Mudhol hounds has pushed up their brand value among animal lovers, and in turn, helped the families of breeders escape the cycle of poverty.

The Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) of the Army in Meerut has been training Mudhol pups for battle duty and this has increased the demand for the hunting breed from Mudhol and nearby areas of Bagalkot district.

Most of the families of breeders are landless Dalits or tribal families and they have been breeding the hound for generations. The new found interest in the indigenous breed seems to be turning around their fortunes.

Venkappa Navalagi, for instance, has turned prosperous. He earns between ₹5 to ₹7 lakh a year and has built a house for his dogs. His two children are in good schools. “But it was not so always,” he recalls. His father used to hunt rabbits and foxes to feed his children. Neither Venkappa nor his three siblings went to school.

When we were children, I remember bartering a pup for a cup of jowar. After a few years, we sold a couple for ₹10. By the 1990s, we were selling them for ₹800 a pair. Now my pups fetch me ₹10,000 to ₹1 lakh, depending on the bloodline, he said.

The Navalgis have eight dogs and Venkappa’s wife Lakshmi Bai calls them her “children”. A month-old pup sells for ₹10,000 while the adult dog earns up to ₹5,000 for each breeding attempt. A few years ago, Venkappa met with an accident and needed ₹1.5 lakh for a surgery. “Two dogs had 16 pups and helped their father get treatment,’’ says Laksmi Bai.

However, there has been significant government effort behind the spike in prices of the breed. Bidar-based Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU) started the Canine Research and Information Centre (CRIC) dedicated to the Mudhol hound in Thimmapur village near Mudhol in 2009. survey indicated that there were over 600 families, 90% of them from SC/ST families, that were making a living out of Mudhol breeding in Bagalkot district.

The university used Rs 3 crore of state government funds to set up the centre under the Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub Plan scheme. Of that, Rs 1 crore was used for infrastructure and the rest was set aside as an endowment to pay the salaries of scientists and staff.

The centre trains farmers in intelligent breeding and to avoid crossing between blood relatives or with nondescript breeds. “This ensures that the litter is purebred and fetches the best prices,” says Mahesh Dodmani, director of the centre. The bloodline certificates issued by the centre have ensured good prices for the pups, he said.

The centre’s scientists take breeders to dog shows in many States and help them build a network with kennel clubs, dog enthusiasts, and pet keepers. The CRIC keeps a database of lineage of dogs. It issues purebred certificates to pups bred by farmers and fixes prices for the dogs that can be sold. CRIC’s website and social media handles create awareness about the hound and create a platform for buyers to meet breeders.

“Setting up of CRIC using SCP /TSP funds has been a fruitful exercise. I can confidently say that the centre’s activities have ensured the welfare of Dalit and tribal families and fulfilled the objective of the funds,” said Suresh Honnappagol, Commissioner, Ministry of Animal Husbandry. Dr. Honnappagol started pushing for recognition to the Mudhol hound when he was the KVAFSU Vice-Chancellor. He added that the signals from the Army were positive about possible induction of the Mudhols into the forces. A final decision is yet to be announced, he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Rishikesh Bahadur Desai / Mudhol – October 20th, 2018

Rolling the dice of history

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports
A still from a Kreeda ancient games workshop | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A still from a Kreeda ancient games workshop | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Experience a slice of smart heritage in this ancient games workshop by Kreeda, Nazariya and The Courtyard

The names Chowka Bara, Alaguli Mane, Kattayam Vilayattu, or Kalanay Balaney, may evoke a sense of nostalgia in some, and perhaps curiosity, in others who may not know what these words mean.

Nazariya, Kreeda and The Courtyard’s collaboration in this upcoming workshop will cater to both these segments, through their workshop on these ancient games. Titled ‘Let the sacred games begin’, the workshop is part of Nazariya’s Forgotten Cultures Workshop Series.

“One of the objectives of the workshop is, of course, to have fun and enjoy. The other objective is to introduce, or reintroduce traditional games to people,” says Vinita Sidhartha, founder, Kreeda Games. “There are people who have played them before, but have forgotten them; there are people who have seen them or have heard of them, and there people who haven’t heard about them. Through these games, one can build interactions between them, what is also important is that somewhere along the way, we are in danger of losing our games.”

That is why, she says, the purpose of the workshop is to show why these games are still relevant today.

“Though preserving these ancient games for nostalgia is by itself important, we also need to preserve them because in our daily lives, we can learn from them, imbibe lessons from them. That is the third reason why we do this.”

There is learning at various levels in every single game, for children, teenagers and adults, she adds. As more and more people are exposed to the games, she hopes there is movement to preserve them. “And I have seen this over the last 15 years that I have been working on them.”

The games are also known to offer insights into Indian history, mythology, traditions, architecture and antiquity. “Every game comes with its own learning, it starts from the kind of materials we use to play them; to the thought, psychology, and sociology behind the game; and the associated folk tales. Sometimes it is about the types of material, at other times, it is about where you find these games, the kind of monuments, temples, where these games are found, all these in some way contribute to a better understanding of our own psyche as Indians.”

Additionally, many of these stories come from oral traditions, since the rules were never written down. “When more and more play, they trasmit their knowledge. This is a fantastic way of bridging generational gaps, and building relationships.” The workshop will take place at The Courtyard, 105, KH Road, on October 13, from 11 am to 1 pm. For details, call 7338677996.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Harshini Vakkalanta / October 11th, 2018

‘Sensational’ Bengaluru teen sets karting race afire

Education, Sports, World Opinion

14-year-old Mihir S Avalakki, a Class IX student at National Public School, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru, driving for birelArt India, won the Round 2 of FMSCI Rotax Max National Karting Championship 2018 (Junior Category), at ChicaneCircuit, Hyderabad recently.

Being the fastest, he earned P1 position in the qualifying round. After finishing P2 in Heat 1 and P4 in Heat 2, he stared at P2 in the pre-finals and moved to P1 in the very first corner itself and held on to the same till the end of pre-finals.

The final was a closely fought battle where Mihir started at P1 and held on to the position, for a nail-biting finish.

Mihir started his professional racing a year ago where he finished the 2017 FMSCI Rotax Max Championship at a promising sixth place, being a rookie.

Mihir also got a great International exposure where he represented birelArt India at the EasyKart Championship in Europe.

He raced in six different International Racing Circuits in Italy and is currently placed at seventh in the championship among 32 total drivers. This international exposure has helped him raise his level of racing in India, which was evident in his win in the Round 2 of the Indian FMSCI Rotax Max Championship.

Earlier, Mihir was the National Champion at FMSCI National 4 Stroke Karting Championship 2017, which earned him a free ticket to the FMSCI Rotax Max Championship for 2017.

Marco Bartoli, Owner of birelArt India and Former Formula 3 Racer said, “He drove like an experienced driver and he handled the pressure really well. He is shown to have great mix of technical skills, speed, consistency and maturity which are very rare for a driver of his limited experience. He is definitely proving to be a bright star of the future”.

Preetham Muniyappa, co-owner of birelArt India and former Asia Karting Champion, said, “I have been monitoring him from the time he has been driving with our team and he has proved that he is a champion in the making, which was evident in the round 2 of the National Level Championship at Hyderabad. This is the beginning for his long career.”

He is the son of Sushmitha Narayana and Suman Avalakki . His father said: “Mihir is so dedicated, which gives my wife and I, the confidence that he is going to be a great Racer for India even in international circuits.”

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Others / by Bangalore Mirror Bureau / October 06th, 2018

Three-day 1,000-km car rally for amateurs flagged off in Bengaluru

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

The first stop of the rally was at Seebi in Sira taluk where the rallyists planted trees at the historic Seebi Narasimha Swamy Temple.

The heritage drive motor car rally being flagged off in Bengaluru on Friday
The heritage drive motor car rally being flagged off in Bengaluru on Friday

Chitradurga :

Aimed at popularising car rallies among amateurs while making them explore historic spots and beautiful temples, a 1,000-kilometre heritage drive took off in Bengaluru on Friday. The rally was flagged off by the present head of erstwhile Mysuru Wadiyar dynasty Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar at a private hotel in Bengaluru. The first stop of the rally was at Seebi in Sira taluk where the rallyists planted trees at the historic Seebi Narasimha Swamy Temple.

Motorsports enthusiast Sujith Kumar along with Vijayalakshmi of an organisation Heritage Parampara are organising the Time Speed and Distance (TSD) rally even for novice rallyists to promote the sense of culture and tourism in Karnataka.

After a brief stop at Seebi, the rally entered Challakere taluk and moved to Hampi of Ballari district where the first day concluded. On Saturday, the rally will move across Hampi and the participants visit historic structures like Virupaksha Temple, Lotus Mahal and Mahanavami Dibba.The rally will conclude at Bengaluru on Sunday where the winners will be awarded. The entire rally will be based on the rules and regulations fixed by the FMSCI, the official motor sports administrator in India.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by G. Subhash Chandra , Express News Service / September 22nd, 2018

Sagar basks in Wimbledon glory

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Sagar S. Kashyap with Wimbledon official Adrian Wilson. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Sagar S. Kashyap with Wimbledon official Adrian Wilson. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Is the first-ever Indian and Asian to officiate as chair umpire

Mysuru’s Sagar S. Kashyap, an AITA official, became the first-ever Indian and Asian to officiate as a chair umpire in Wimbledon — during the junior boys’ singles final between C. Tseng of Chinese Taipei and Great Britain’s J. Draper.

While checking his mails on Saturday, Sagar found a special one from the Chief of Umpires’ Office of Wimbledon. It said that he would be the chair umpire for the junior boys’ final on Sunday.

After dealing with the excitement, Sagar was lucky enough to get some sleep and then embark on probably the most important match of his career, yet. And this will remain in his memory forever.

Sagar, 31, did his Engineering from Vidya Vikas Engineering College, Mysuru, and played the game at the Mysore Tennis Club and Nagaraj’s Tennis Centre. He is a qualified ITF Badge referee and has officiated in all the Grand Slams.

In 2015, Abhishek Mukherjee and Sagar were the line umpires for the men’s final between Novak Djokovich and Roger Federer.

This was the first time that India had two officials during any final at the Wimbledon.

He is only the third and also the youngest Indian to be selected for a Wimbledon final.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Tennis / by C.K. Muralidharan / Mysuru – July 17th, 2018