Category Archives: Sports

Mamatha Poojary

Records, All, Sports

The Indian kabaddi captain on winning the first Women’s World Cup Kabaddi Championship

10 QUESTIONS

You beat Iran 25-19 in the final. Was it as easy as it seemed?

Our team was the best in Patna (the final’s venue), but in the Asian Games, we beat Iran by just one point. So, we were under pressure.

But you played really well?

We were certain of winning the gold, and the team played well. I could have performed better. But I am happy I won my first big event after becoming captain.

International competition seems to be getting tougher?

Yes, other teams have never beaten us. They are determined to work hard and change that.

Your father is a farmer in a small Udupi village. How did you decide to get into sports?

Life is not easy in the village, and you get physically strong. I had been good at volleyball, javelin throw and short-put from my school days. I took up kabaddi in 2003 when I was 17.

And you got into the Indian team in three years?

Yes. That was the year I joined Railways, too.

How did that change your life?

That was my lucky year. I got a job, got into the Railways team, became secure and got good support and coaching. I then got into the Indian team.

You had to give up studies early?

I graduated with history, political science and economics, but couldn’t pursue education because I was so involved in sports.

In your village (Hermunde), how are you looked at now?

I get a little too much respect, because there was no one into sports from my village.

Are girls following in your footsteps?

Girls used to get into athletics, now they are also taking up kabaddi.

You’ve also participated in beach kabaddi.

Yes, and I was the captain! I also played in events in Colombo, Iran, Indonesia and China.

source: http://www.OutlookIndia.com / Sports> Interview> 10 Questions / Magazine / Interview by Rohit Mahajan / March 19th, 2012

 

‘I was fine with becoming blind, but not when asked to give up running’

Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, Uncategorized

Living out loud with Dr Rajat Chauhan, (37) Marathoner, sports medicine doctor

Dr. Rajat Chauhan (37), Matathoner, Sports Medicine Doctor

The world’s highest ultra marathon, La Ultra, is his brainchild. But there was a time when this sports medicine doctor was asked to forsake his dreams because he was losing his vision

 

I started running when I was nine. I was studying at Wynberg Allen School, Mussorie. All the boarders had to run every Sunday morning for four kms; it was quite a distance for a nine-year-old and that too in the mountains. The one who finished last would be caned. That’s how it all started. Back then it was more of something I was expected to do. Later, the school started giving mango juice to the first six boys at the finishing line. 

There was no way I was going to miss that! I was pretty useless at other sports, so I thought why not running. I was in 9th standard when I got into the cross country team and that is when I realised how much I was hooked to running. I ran my first half marathon (the Rath half marathon in Delhi) at 16 in 1 hour 29 minutes.

My parents didn’t object to my obsession with running, but when I told them that I wanted to be a runner, they flipped. They wanted me to be a doctor. In the first year of med school I suffered from retinal detachment in my right eye. The doctors forbade me to do physical activities. I was completely fine with the idea of becoming blind; it wasn’t an issue with me, but being told that I can’t run was a huge blow. I got operated in 1994 and after that my power jumped to -6.
For the next four years, I’d run for just 30 minutes once a week. And that’s when I decided to study sports medicine in the University of Nottingham in the UK. Peter Gregory, the chief medicine officer of the English cricket team, was my immediate supervisor. He had a huge impact on me. I went to South Africa in 2004 during the World Cup; it was my first on-field exposure. That’s where I realised that the guys behind the scenes really impact the activities on the field.
I also ran my first ultra marathon from Paris to London covering 200 miles. I worked in the UK as a sports medicine doctor before moving to Bangalore in mid 2006 when my wife was expecting our second son.
I conceived La Ultra, the world’s highest ultra marathon, by chance. In 2010, I asked a friend of mine whether he wanted to go to Manali to run in the Rohtang Pass. He agreed. We couldn’t run beyond 30kms in four hours. Luckily, for our egos, there was a landslide! In Manali, we saw an altitude map from Manali to Leh in an internet café. It reminded me of the Badwater ultra marathon in Death Valley, California. Manali to Leh is 500 odd kms. I thought we could run 222 kms because I wanted to do a run that was longer than Badwater (which covered 217 kms). This route is far more difficult than Badwater! On our way back to Delhi, my friend and I charted a plan for La Ultra on the back of a newspaper. But we were told that at high altitude runs, you need to rest at 13,000 feet. But I wanted to do an uninterrupted one.  So I thought, why not descend from a higher altitude to a low altitude so that the body gets acclimatised to that condition. People thought I’d lost it and said it’s not doable because of the lack of oxygen. But we did it! We started the run from Leh. ‘La’ stands for Tibetan mountain passes. The track required us to cross four mountain passes, including the world’s highest pass, Khardung La and that’s where we got the name from. So it’s the Ultra of passes.
There was five of us, two from the UK and two from the US who got to know of the run from Facebook. A lot of strangers from Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore volunteered to help, and not all of them had running backgrounds. But only one person, Mark Cockbain, finished the run. The biggest thing that this run, which has now become an annual event, taught me was discovering human nature. Out in the open, people become unpredictable.
Both my boys (one is six and the other 10) run. The older one started when he was three years old and the younger one did his first mile nonstop when he was 18 months old. I don’t push them; they love it as they find it pretty cool. But I have not been able to convert my wife into a runner, maybe I haven’t tried hard enough. She just goes to the gym. I have been running for the last 28 years and it’s a way of life. It means the life to me. When I don’t run, I am pretty miserable. In hindsight, I am grateful to the man with the stick for giving me a reason to run. It gave me so much more than just that mango drink. 

— As told to Piali Dasgupta

source: http://wwww.BangaloreMirror.com / Home> Sunday Read> Special > Story / by Piali Dasgupta / Sunday, March 04th, 2012

Bhupathi, Bopanna win first crown

Sports

<strong>Indian tandem dismisses Fyrstenberg-Matkowski with 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (5) upset victory</strong><em>

Mahesh Bhupathi (right) embraces Rohan Bopanna after beating Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski in the men’s doubles final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship.  Image Credit: Hadrian Hernandez/Gulf News

<strong>Dubai: </strong>The experience of Mahesh Bhupathi helped hand new teammate Rohan Bopanna a perfect birthday gift as the Indian duo powered their way to a 6-4, 3-6 1-0 (5) upset win over third seeds Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski in the Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open doubles final here yesterday.Bopanna, who celebrates his 32nd birthday today, was thrilled at making an entry into the big league with their first ATP World Tour title.”I have never won an ATP 500 doubles, so this is going to be a special one for me,” Bopanna said.The Indians started off well with a break on Fyrstenberg’s serve in the seventh game, which just enough to hand them the first set 6-4 in a little over half an hour.
“This is our first final together and definitely we were a little jittery out there,” Bhupathi admitted.”But I think we played the big points well and that made the difference,” the 37-year-old added.
In the second set, the Polish pair got stronger, especially Matkowski, with some great first serves to dominate the Indians, and a break on Bopanna’s serve in the second game handed them the set 6-3 and pushed the encounter into the deciding super match tie-break
The Indians were off to the best of starts in the tie-break as they raced into an early 5-1 lead, which they ultimately went on to win 10-5 and claim their first-ever doubles title after coming together only this season.Strong favouritesGoing in as strong favourites on the merit of being the third seeds, Frystenberg and Matkowski were playing in their 32nd ATP World Tour doubles final, while it was a maiden appearance for Bhupathi and Bopanna.Bhupathi is the only player from the two pairs who has won the doubles in Dubai, though with different partners — in 1998 with Leander Paes, in 2004 with Fabrice Santoro and in 2008 with Mark Knowles.
source: http://www.GulfNews.com / Sports,Tennis / by Alaric Gomes / Senior Reporter / March 04th, 2012

They’ve got the drive to win

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Sports

Practising daredevil wrestling moves on a trampoline, Arjun and Kush Maini know they can afford to cut loose for just a bit. After a hectic 2011 in which they competed in 20 gokarting events over 20 weekends, 14 outside India, the two Bangalorebased racers, 14 and 11, know that fun will take a backseat this year as they pursue a passion that has made them potential aces.

In their plush home on Rest House Road, dad Gautam Maini reflects on how his kids got drawn into racing. “I got Arjun his first electric cart when he was a year old, so he practically started walking and driving at the same time,” Gautam said. Arjun soon got his own electric all-terrain vehicle and when Kush was born, he too would sit behind him. “I was a racer back then and the kids would travel with me to Sriperumbudur and watch me in action. I started very late. The atmospherre created the base, although we didn’t know whether the talent was there,” said Gautam.

Gautam went on: “My first race was a Formula Maruti event in 1992 at Sriperumbudur, with another debutant in Narain Karthikeyan. I raced up to 2006 in the Formula Rolon. I gave up racing that year because I wanted to spend time with my kids. Arjun, who was eight, was about to start racing so the bigger focus for me was to play a part in training him. Karting is a different ball game but my racing background helped. We worked closely with Akbar Ebrahim in training sessions and relied on outside information to help the boys become more professional. We also worked with Red Rooster Racing and Leelakrishnan for two years to help develop Arjun’s skills,” he said.

“I remember my dad taught me a lot of basic things,” said Arjun. Kush was just following in his brother’s footsteps and went through the same routine. He said, “Watching my father and brother, I felt racing was fun and I wanted to do it. My first race was at seven and my father had to take special permission from the authorities for me to participate as I was too young.”

In 2008, the family had a big realization that they cannot progress by racing only in India. “I had taken Arjun to race in Malaysia and he won two races that year, the first by an Indian in the Micro Max category,” said Gautam. “That really got us excited because the competition in the Asian region is higher. The tracks are much more challenging and there is more variety. That exposure started working well for both Arjun and Kush. Their race craft and race skills had improved.”

Arjun’s most famous achievement came in October last year when he was chosen as the winner of the Sahara Force India One from a Billion Hunt, a regional search for the best karters that ended at Silverstone. “You should never think you are the best. If you do, then you can never make it,” said Arjun.

On the road for several weekends in a year is tough. “It’s hard because you miss school, have low attendance and the pressure to catch up. Apart from this, you have to go race, work out and get fit too,” said Gautam. “This is all part of becoming a Formula driver so I need to work hard and be dedicated,” he said. Kush added: “My teachers and friends are very supportive . Sometimes, when I return to school I have missed out on a lot of work so they teach me things again.”

He is the male-equivalent of a soccer mom, a motor sports-dad so to speak, and Gautam said he enjoys their every victory. “There’s never a dull moment. Going forward I may not be able to do this as things get more professional. It’s always worth it and it will be in future,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Bangalore / TNN / February 27th, 2012

New lights at KSHA

Sports
Bangalore, Jan 21, 2012/  DHNS:

The Karnataka State Hockey Association has upgraded the floodlights at its stadium here to FIH  standards, paving the way for the conduct of international matches at night

“The KSHA has spent one crore rupees to get this done,” said KSHA secretary K Krishnamurthy. “For a long time, the biggest setback for us was the lack of proper lights. If one wants to host international matches under lights, they must be at least 1200 lux.

“After a lot of discussions, we decided to go ahead with the plan. It did cost us a lot, but we should be in a position to host international matches. With the World Series Hockey coming up, the fans have a lot to look forward to.”

A total of 10 towers have been erected — five on each side with each boasting of ten 200KW bulbs, taking the total capacity to 1300 lux. Most of the work has been completed with just light fittings on one tower left. While the light bulbs are manufactured by GE, the installation work has been done by Saptharishi, Hyderabad.

“We switched on just half of the lights today on a trial basis. The entire work will be complete in a week’s time. A complete check will be done during the Kodava Samaj hockey tournament next month.”

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com/ Home> Sports / DHNS / January 21st, 2012

Joyous celebration of diversity in unity

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports, Uncategorized

When Gen Y from across India congregates at Mangala Stadium here for the 17th National Youth Festival which kicks off on Thursday, they will see why chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda reposed such faith in the Dakshina Kannada district administration to pull off such a mega event. For, no stone has been left unturned to make the five-day event a grand success.

While the city wears a festive look with lights and decorations, citizens are getting ready to savour the rich cultural diversity of Karnataka as well as the rest of the country during NYF 2012, which starts with a 4-km procession at 3pm. They’ll also get a taste of India during the ceremony.

NYF, which began in 1995 as a major activity under the National Integration Camp (NIC), propagates national integration, communal harmony, brotherhood, courage and adventure among the youth. NYF 2012 has a mix of competitive, non-competitive and performances and shows and events are aimed at fostering teamwork, leadership, etc. among participants.

K Jairaj, additional chief secretary, says the state will showcase the strength of Karavali as a centre for learning, youth and a place of unity in diversity. Asked ‘Why Mangalore?’, Jairaj quipped, “Why not Mangalore?” He added, “It’s the Gateway to Karnataka. The state capital has had enough and more exposure. The last edition of NYF was at Udaipur and the same logic is at work here.”

While Udaipur NYF’s mascot was Teengur, the tiger which represented enthusiasm and excitement of youth, this festival’s mascot Yakshi conveys unity, diversity, strength, love and social nature.

It’s a fun-loving elephant sporting Yakshagana headgear. While last year’s theme was Sabse Pehle Bharat striving to generate the right attitude among the youth, the theme this year is ‘Celebrating Diversity In Unity’.

Mohan Alva, procession and stage in-charge, said the inaugural procession will be a knock-out. “Whatever Mangaloreans have heard or seen on a small scale will be amplified here. Various cultural aspects of the state like Kombu, Chende, Dholu, Huli Vesha, Keelu Kudure, Karaga Nritya, Yakshagana, both Tenkathittu and Badagathittu varieties, Veerabhadra Kunita, Aati Kalenja, Kamsale, Kalladka dolls, Kerala Chende, Kangeelu Kunita, Suggi Kunitha, Goravara kunita, Veeragase, Patada kunita, Tashe, band sets from Chitradurga, Honnavara, Alike, Daff, Mara kaalu kunita, Dudi kunita, will be part of the procession,” he said.

The procession starts from AB Shetty Circle and after traversing through the thoroughfares via KS Rao Road and PVS, it’ll reach Mangala Stadium where delegates will join in.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / City> Mangalore/ Home> Collections>  Cultural Diversity / TNN / by Stanley Pinto & Jaideep Shenoy / January 12th, 2012

Dosa with Gold Leaf at Rs.1,011

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports

Bangalore: , Dec. 15

Raj Bhog, a restaurant opened in Malleswaram yesterday, is offering dosa with a gold leaf layer on it.

The restaurant located on Margosa Road, provides visitors with 101 different varieties of dosas along with other fast food and a sizzler cafe which will open within next fortnight.

The gold leaf, procured from Uttar Pradesh, comes in a pack of two and costs Rs. 590 per leaf.

One leaf is placed on the top of each dosa which is priced at Rs. 1,011. Proprietor Prabhushankar says that the gold leaf has several health benefits and that is the reason it has been used in Indian culture.

The restaurant is probably the first to in the State and country to bring a gold leaf covered dosa for customers, says Proprietor Chandan Lokes

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / General News / Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Deepika Padukone, the new face of Olympics

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Sports

Taking charge of her sporty lineage, actor Deepika Padukone will now be seen in a motivational campaign for London Olympics next year. The actor, who recently shot the campaign, says that it “aims to encourage our nation to support all the athletes” for the sporting extravaganza.

Confirming the news, Deepika says, “I finished shooting the promotional campaign for the Olympics. It’s meant to motivate all our athletes—not from  any particular sport.” The actor’s campaign has come through in collaboration with Sports Development Corporation.

Deepika, who is badminton legend Prakash Padukone’s daughter, has played the sport at state level. “I think the media will also help a lot in supporting and motivating Indian athletes. That’s what our sportsmen need right now,” she feels.

Ask the actor if she plans to attend the Olympic events next year, and she says: “I want to go for it. But I haven’t seen the event itinerary yet. So, I don’t know what’s happening when. But I would love to go and watch some of our athletes perform.”

Not many know that Deepika is also a board member of the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), an organisation that is dedicated to training Indian athletes for the prestigious competition next year. “A lot of our athletes are training at the moment for the Olympics. The build-up is very exciting as we are nearing the event,” she says.

Talking about sports and athletes, Deepika’s father has openly supported the contentious Sports Bill along with some other sportsmen. Ask the actor what she stands for and she’s quick to support what is best for the country and its sportsmen.

“I don’t know the details of the bill, but people who are a part of it, including my father, have achieved a lot for our country in their respective fields. They are all highly respectable sportsmen, who obviously want the best for Indian sports and our country. So, I would definitely support it,” says the Love Aaj Kal (2009) actor, who is also the face of the Force India F1 Team.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Tabloid / by Prashant Singh / Hindustan Times, Mumbai / December 20th, 2011

Silva Storai — only professional woman jockey in India

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Sports, World Opinion

It was some kind of a karmic connection that lured 17-year-old Italian Silva Storai to India in 1978. Kodaikanal became her new home and there she found love and married Eddie Joseph, an artist based in the hill station.

Soon the teenager got her own horses and her love for speed encouraged her to pursue her passion of horse racing. And from there it was no looking back for Silva who has acquired the stature of being India’s only professional woman jockey and the only woman jockey in the world to have won two derbys.

“I decided to pursue horse racing and shifted my base to Bangalore,” said Silva. “My partnership with Irfan Ghatala, who was my trainer, lasted for 16 years.”

It has not been an easy journey for Silva but she considers herself lucky. She agrees with the stereotypical notion that it is difficult for a woman to walk into a man-dominated field.

“It is very tough for a woman jockey. I think it is more so in India. But I can definitely say with experience that women can compete alongside men,” said a confident Silva.

She gave an example. “When you win a race, the credit goes to the horse and if you lose, you are a bad rider.” A lose-lose situation is what she calls it. But that didn’t hamper her spirit and she continued to trot on the other side to prove herself.

Silva is in the city for the Raymond National and Junior National Equestrian Championship, the first such show being held at the Mahalakshmi Race course for youngsters. The event comprises horse jumping, show jumping, tent pegging, cross country and six bar jumping among other interesting equestrian activities.

Children raging between 10 and 21 can participate.

A popular name in the Bangalore Turf club, Silva has participated in thousands of races. She won the 2003 Hyderabad Derby with Brown Sugar and the Mysore Derby 2004 with Full Speed.“It’s a brilliant feeling to win a derby,” said Silva.

Silva explained the difference between equestrian and other sports. “In other sports, an individual’s merit matters the most. But in horse racing, obviously, the animal is an integral part but the rider is also important. Without one, the other cannot perform.”

Silva established the Embassy International Riding School in 1996. The school is run by experienced instructors from UK, personally selected by Silva. But a change in the designation does not mean that she has hung her boots up. She still heads to race course early in the morning to ride for a good three hours.

“My day does not begin if I don’t ride in the morning.”

Silva has also noticed a change in the horse racing circuit.
“Till 2004, all those parents who used to enrol their kids in the school were foreigners — expats living in Bangalore. There were hardly any Indian kids. “Come 2005, and there has been an amazing transformation. Now, a lot of Indian parents are registering their children. They have become aware of the sport and are ready to go that extra mile for their child,” said a beaming Silva.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / Home>  Sport>  Report / Daily News & Analysis / by Namita Handa / Mumbai, Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

Tenpin bowling is right up her alley

Sports

 

If life is a bowling alley then Prathima Hegde and her husband Kannan R are pins you’ll struggle to knock down.

The couple, with endless energy and patience -one as a pro-bowler and the other as a sportsadministrator -have shown that passion for a sport, whose real potential few people are aware of, can lead to excellence that makes all the sacrifice and struggle worthwhile. “Tenpin bowling started off as a lark for us, like it does with many recreational bowlers,” said Prathima, who claimed her second national championship in Bangalore recently.

“Kannan’s French partner had come down to Bangalore in 2000-2001 and we went to G’s Lanes on Brigade Road to bowl,” added Prathima, who, like mosBANGALORE:t amateurs, began with the five-step process. “We then began frequenting Megabowl and slowly took up the sport seriously.” The seeds of an action plan for her career were sowed in 2001, when Kannan, a businessnman and the secretary general of Tenpin Bowling Federation of India, read about bowling being an Asian. Games sport with 12 gold medals on offer and took Prathima to Mumbai for the nationals to watch the action.

 

“Kannan contacted the World Tenpin Bowling Federartion president, who was a Malaysian of Indian origin, and invited him to India. The gentleman was happy to promote the sport in our country,” Prathima said. “In the 2003-2004 season I began bowling with the hook technique. Noted coach Holloway Cheah was there. After the first ball I bowled, he went up to Kannan, who also plays the sport, and said I had talent and I could be groomed,” Prathima said. “By then, I had almost given up competitive bowling. With top coaches telling me about her talent, I decided to step into the background and do what I do better,” said Kannan, who helped start theKarnataka State Tenpin Bowling Association in 2003.

Prathima, who finished ninth in the women’s masters event of the 5th Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship, admitted that initial overseas trips did make her question her ability. “In India, there are not many women with the right technique. However, after having played outside India for a few years, I have gained confidence. The fact that I have finished in the top 24 in two World Cups has helped me believe I am good enough.

Now, our technique is as good as any other player’s,” she said. That confidence impacted her domestic form too and she won her maiden national championship in 2009. Prathima said her mantra is to be on par with the men. “When I play, I try to play like a guy. I try to be more of a go-getter and that makes my average go up. The game’s all about hand-eye coordination and fitness. More importantly, bowling is a gender-free sport and in some countries the men’s and women’s nationals winners face off against each other.

We don’t have it in India,” she said. Prathima, who has won 14 gold medals in 20 events in the last four national team championships, said her husband played a huge role in pushing her to excel. “He was there with me at every point of my career and manage household chores in my absence,” Prathima said. A mother to 10-year-old budding tennis player Annika, Prathima said managing a family and a successful career in sport was not easy. “There were times when thoughts about quitting the sport became constant,” said Prathima, adding things got especially tough when she travelled.

“Now my daughter is used to it and takes pride in the fact that I’m doing well,” she said. “My parents are ever ready to help me pursue my dreams and take pleasure in the fact that their daughter is doing well.” An alumnus of Kendriya Vidyalaya and Government College, Chandigarh, Prathima said said parental pressure to take up academics and negative attitudes towards a career in sport should not deter girls. “I want more girls to take up the sport.” Prathima said that the achievements of other athletes inspired her.

“I sometimes question myself about being in the sport despite my age (she is 40). However, I always think back to the Asian Games in 2006 where I watched Geet Sethi represent India with so much passion and I quickly forget those thoughts. Sometimes age has been a factor, but lately it’s not. I train regularly and work hard on my fitness which keeps me going,” she said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Bangalore> Namma Metro / by ShriVathsa Sridhar / TNN / December 05th, 2011