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Sports News
Yangon February 3:
India's Gaganjeet Bhullar shot a four-under 68 that put him tied for 20th place after the first round in the Zaykabar Myanmar Open presented by Air Bagan here.
USA's Ben Fox shot eight-under 64 and his effort was matched by the Australian duo of Scott Hend and Wade Ormsby. Bhullar, who had three birdies in first five holes, had five in all and one bogey in his 68. But the next best Indian was Ajeetesh Sandhu and Feroze Ali at 71 each in tied 70th place. Sujjan Singh and Gaurav Ghei with 73 were 106th, Chiragh Kumar, Rahil Gangjee and Himmat Rai with 74 were tied 121st and Digvijay Singh (75) was 128th and Manav Jaini (76) was 135th.
Despite the shot by Indian, the scores at the Royal Mingalardon Golf and Country Club were rather low with Chinnarat Phadungsil of Thailand, a three-time Asian Tour winner, a further shot back on 65 with Asian Tour graduate Kim Gi-whan of Korea in the USD 300,000 event. The event is returning to the Asian Tour schedule after a one-year lapse. Fox, who is searching for his first Asian Tour victory, credited the hard work in the gym during the off-season for his fast start. He had eight birdies and no bogeys. Hend, who is among 15 Australians in the field this week, predicts a low scoring week as he aims to end a three-year title drought.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
February 3
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Patna February 3:
As many as 16 countries will take part in the Kabaddi World Cup to be held in Bihar from March 1-5, as part of the state's centenary celebrations, an official said.
All participating countries - Nepal, USA, Canada, Mexico, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Thailand and host India - have consented to their participation in the event, Principal Secretary (HRD) Anjani Kumar Singh said. Chief minister Nitish Kumar will inaugurate the premier kabaddi event at the Kankerbagh sports complex on March 1 next, he said. The preparations were underway to spruce up the stadium and surrounding area for the World Cup, Singh said.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
February 3
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New Delhi February 2:
The Sports Ministry has spent Rs 14.40 crore on providing training and foreign exposure to Indian shooters under ‘Operation Excellence for London Olympics 2012’ (OPEX 2012) scheme.
Out of this, a sum of Rs 2.90 crore was spent on National Coaching Camps organized for training of 91 shooters (59 men and 32 women) who are being guided by 19 coaches (including 3 foreign coaches) and 5 supporting personnel (including 1 foreign gunsmith), while the remaining amount of Rs 11.50 crore was utilized for foreign exposure of players. Till now eight coaching camps of a total duration of 124 days have been organised.
This was stated by Jagjit Singh, Secretary General, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) in review meeting of the preparation for Olympics, 2012, called by Sports Minister Ajay Maken. The Sports Minister also asked Singh to submit all the requests for gadgets and equipment as well as for foreign training of players, if any, within 2-3 days so that the Steering Committee clears all such proposals received from various Sports Federations in its meeting scheduled for February 6. In London Olympics highest number of shooters, that is, eleven, will be participating since the start of “Quota Place” system in 1988.
They are: Gagan Narang, Hari Om Singh, Sanjeev Rajput, Shri Ranjan Sodhi, Annuraj Singh, Rahi Sarnobat, Vijay Kumar, Abhinav Bindra, Shagun Chowdhary, Manavjit Singh Sandhu and Imran Hasan Khan. Under the “Double Starter” rule, Narang and Annuraj Singh will be participating in more than one event. In the run-up to the Olympics, Indian team participated in 13 International Competitions up until January, 2012.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
February 2
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Chennai February 2:
Hosts India defeated Germany 3-0 in the inaugural Chennai Open World Cup Under-21 Squash team championship in Chennai. Seedded fourth and led by top ranked Dipika Pallikal, India won all its three matches in straight games against the eighth seeded team in the best-of-five games in 98 minutes.
Ramit Tandon defeated German Rudi Rohrmuller 11-2 11-5 12-10 in 45 minutes, while Dipika took just 20 minutes to thrash Franziska Hennes 11-2 11-4 11-7. With India 2-0 up in the match, India's consultant coach and manager of the team, S Maniam decided to rest Ravi Dixit, who is ranked 193 in the world, and fielded Karan Malik in his place. But Karan too had no difficulty in disposing off Valentin Rapp 11-8 11-6 11-4.
After the encounter, Maniam said he never expected his team to win the tie so easily. "I never had any doubt about our win over Germany but I was surprised as it was easier than expected. "We are scheduled to play top seeds Egypt tomorrow and I am yet to decide on the second player to Ravi Dixit. It will be creditable if we win even one match against the Egyptians on Thursday," he said.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
February 2
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New Delhi January 31:
The sports ministry has sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 7.95 crore from National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) for imparting customised training to elite athletes, who are medal prospects in the London Olympics and other major international sports events.
The financial assistance that will also include air fare has been granted to 45 sportspersons and 12 coaches and support staffs under Operation London Excellence 2012. Out of this, a sum of Rs 4.21 crore has already been released to the sportspersons. The aid sanctioned is towards extensive training abroad, engagement of personal coaches both foreign and Indian, competitions exposures abroad, scientific back-up in terms of sports psychologists, physiotherapists, masseurs etc.
So far, 18 sportspersons have been given financial assistance from NSDF under OPEX 2012 that include four shooters, eight athletes and six tennis players for training abroad. In addition, two teams of four male and five female gymnasts were sponsored by NSDF for training while the participation of Indian boxing team in three competitions was also financed from NSDF. The NSDF assistance in all these cases has been processed after the approval of the Steering Committee for OPEX 2012.
Most of these sportspersons are undergoing training and money will be released in installments after getting statements of accounts, mostly on quarterly basis, and periodical performance report from the institutes/coaches.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
January 31
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New Delhi January 31:
Hockey India on Tuesday announced a 18-member women's squad for the London Olympic qualifiers, to be held at the Major Dhyan Chand National stadium from February 18.
Led by midfielder Asunta Lakra, the team features most of the players who played in the four-Test series against Azerbaijan early this month. Joydeep Kaur, who made a comeback in the 32-men probable after recovering from an injury sustained during the Australia tour in 2011, has been retained and will be joined by Jaspreet Kaur and Subhadra Pradhan in the defence line.
Lakra, her deputy Kirandeep Kaur, P Sushila Chanu, Deepika, Ritu Rani and Mukta Prava Barla will mend the midfield during the event which features Canada, Italy, Poland, South Africa and Ukraine, besides India. Poonam Rani and Anuradha Devi will lead the forward line, which also has Rosaline Dung Dung, Jasjeet Kaur Handa and Vandana Kataria, while Yogita Bali and Savita are the goalkeepers in the final 18.
The team was selected on the basis of performances of the core group probables during the Azerbaijan Series by HI selectors, Olympians Col. Balbir Singh, BP Govinda, Syed Ali and Rekha Bhide and government observers Harbinder Singh and Dilip Tirkey.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
January 31
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Chennai January 30:
MDMK leader Vaiko demanded on Monday that India boycott the London Olympics if the organisers did not cancel the sponsorship contract with Dow Chemicals, which has links to Union Carbide - the company responsible for the Bhopal gas disaster in 1984.
"To save the honour of the Indian democracy and to respect the sad sentiments of the affected people of Bhopal (gas tragedy), the government should send a strongly-worded message to the International Olympic Committee to cancel the sponsorship given to Dow Chemicals with an ultimatum that India would boycott London Olympics," he said.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Vaiko pointed that the quadrennial event had been boycotted before and cited the example of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, when Western nations stayed away from the mega sports event. "Environmentalists and human right activists all over the world are closely watching the attitude of the Indian government in this context... If the organisers of the London Olympics do not cancel the Dow Chemicals contract, India should boycott the London Olympics," he insisted.
Dow Chemicals, of which Union Carbide is a 100 per cent subsidiary, was wholly responsible for the 1984 Bhopal Gas leak tragedy, in which thousands lost their lives, Vaiko said.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
January 30
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New Delhi January 30:
Sania Mirza's semifinal finish in the women's doubles event at the recently-concluded Australian Open has catapulted her to a career-best ranking of seventh position in the latest WTA Team Rankings, issued on Monday.
Sania jumped from 11th spot to be inside the top-10 in doubles rankings and if she manages to stay in the top 10 till June 21, 2012, she will get a direct entry into the London Olympics. The Hyderabadi girl though, slipped in the singles rankings to be placed at 111th spot from 106th position. The top-64 players will get a direct entry into the singles draw of the Olympics and if Sania fails to get into that bracket, AITA will ask the organising committee for a wildcard entry.
Meanwhile Leander Paes, who won the Australian Open men's doubles with Radek Stepanek of Czech Republic and finished runners-up in mixed doubles event with Elena Vesnina, has retained his seventh spot in the ATP doubles rankings. Rohan Bopanna also managed to retain his 11th position in the doubles' list but his new doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi lost eight positions to slip to 16th.
Bhupathi and Bopanna lost in the third round of the first grand slam of the year. Somdev Devvarman, who pulled out of both Chennai Open and Australian Open beacuse of shoulder injury, lost four spots to be at 90th spot in the ATP singles' list.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
January 30
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New Delhi January 30:
With an aim to raise the profile of the sport in the country, the All Indian Football Federation will bid for the Under 17 World Cup in 2017, a top official said today.
In the AIFF Executive Committee meeting in September last year, its president Praful Patel had expressed the desire to bid for the under 17 World Cup in 2017. This was after FIFA director for Member Associations and Development Division, Thierry Regenass, mooted the idea for India to host the tournament in 2017 or 2019 to give a huge impetus to the development of infrastructure here.
AIFF vice-president A R Khaleel said that the national body is serious in its bid to host the Under 17 World Cup, which, if awarded by the FIFA Executive Committee, would be the biggest football event in the country. "India is going to bid for the Under 17 World Cup in 2017. But it will be a long process and the AIFF will have to take permission from the government. It will be a long process," Khaleel said.
Started in 1985, the U-17 World Cup is a 24-team and 52-match tournament held every two years. United Arab Emirates will host the 2013 edition while the 2015 event will be held in Chile. Khaleel said a maximum of five venues would be enough for hosting the tournament. "Four or five venues will be enough and it can be held across the country.
We have Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Delhi, Banglaore Football Association Stadium, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai and Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata where the matches can be held. So we have the infrastructure," he said. FIFA development office, Shaji Prabhakaran, said the event, if awarded to India, can bring a seachange to the sport in the country. Guetemala and Jamaica have also declared their willingness to host the event.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
January 30
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Melbourne January 29:
American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Romanian Horia Tecau won the mixed doubles title at the Australian Open on Sunday, beating Elena Vesnina and Leander Paes 6-3, 5-7, 10-3.
It was the first Grand Slam victory for the 26-year-old Mattek-Sands, who is known as much for her eccentric on-court attire as her tennis. For the final, she wore a lime, one-sleeve top, black skirt, black knee-high socks, purple streaks in her hair and her regular eye black on her cheeks.
Tecau also captured his first Grand Slam title. He has lost twice before in the men’s doubles final at Wimbledon. Paes was playing in his second championship match in as many days. He won the men’s doubles trophy with Radek Stepanek on Saturday night.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
January 29
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Melbourne January 29:
Veteran star Leander Paes created history by becoming the first Indian to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open men's doubles title with Radek Stepanek, taming the dangerous top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan in straight sets, in the city.
The unseeded Indo-Czech pair played tremendously to win 7-6(1) 6-2 in the summit clash, which lasted one hour and 24 minutes. Thrice Paes had reached the Australian open final but lost on all occasions, twice to Bryan brothers. This title has eluded Paes since the late 90s when he along with estranged partner Mahesh Bhupathi dominated the doubles tennis and reached the number one spot as a team in 1999.
In their quest to complete their slam tally, Paes and Bhupathi had joined hands in 2011 after a gap 11 years but the title slipped out of their hands as they lost to Bryan brothers. Paes and Bhupathi broke partnership again with the latter choosing Rohan Bopanna as partner on Tour for the 2012 season. Paes began the season by winning the Chennai Open with Serbian Janko Tipsarevic.
This is the 13th Grand Slam title for Paes with seven men's doubles trophies and six mixed doubles titles and is India's most successful doubles player in majors. Bhupathi has won 11 Grand Slam titles. Paes won French Open thrice (1999, 2001, 2009) and Wimbledon (1999) and US Open (2006) once each. Paes now has a chance to repeat the rare success of winning both men's doubles and mixed doubles titles in the same Grand Slam tournament as he is due to play the mixed doubles final tomorrow with Russian partner Elena Vesnina.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
January 29
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