Bihar men and women storm into semifinals of Senior National throwball championships

Patna, December 29, 2011: Bihar men and women moved into the semifinals of the 34th Senior National throwball championships winning their quarterfinal matches with great élan and comfort at the Patna Central School ground here on Thursday.

Bihar, Madhya Pradsh, Delhi and Goa booked their places in the men’s semifinals while in the women’s section Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh got the semifinal berths.

Bihar will face Chandigarh in the first semifinal while Delhi will take on Madhya Pradesh in the second semifinal of the women’s section on Friday.

In men’s section, Bihar will meet Madhya Pradesh while Delhi will lock their horns with Goa in the second semifinal.

Bihar women spearheaded by Vandana, Kamana, Shambhavi and Shubhra trounced Bengal 15-7, 15-10. For Bengal Sunanda Das, Shikha Duuta, Riya Das and Ruma Modak dished out noteworthy performances.

In the men’s section quarterfinal, Bihar proved too good for Bengal 15-7, 15-10.

Throwball Association of Bihar secretary Neeraj Kumar Pappu said final matches would be played on Friday evening. Bihar Art, Culture and Youth Affairs Minister Dr Sukhda Pandey would give away the prizes.

Results: League matches: Men: Chandigarh beat Haryana 15-9, 15-8, Haryana beat Uttar Pradesh 15-2, 15-4, Chandigarh beat Uttar Pradesh 14-16, 16-14, 15-12, Bihar beat Rajasthan 15-2, 15-3, Odisha beat Maharashtra 15-1, 15-11, Goa beat Jharkhand 15-11, 15-11, Pondicherry beat Kerala, 15-3, 15-5, Jharkhand beat Rajasthan 15-11, 15-9.

Women league: Odisha beat Maharashtra 15-4, 15-5, Pondicherry beat Jharkhand 15-7, 15-3, Maharashtra beat Kerala 15-3, 15-3.

Women Q-F: Madhya Pradesh beat Tamil Nadu 15-6, 3-15, 15-8, Bihar beat West Bengal 15-7, 15-10, Chandigarh beat Andhra Pradesh 15-7, 15-12, Delhi beat Haryana 15-3, 15-8.

Men Q-F: Bihar beat West Bengal 15-7, 15-10, Madhya Pradesh beat Odisha 15-8, 15-12, Goa beat Andhra Pradesh 15-11, 8-15, 15-10, Delhi beat Chhattisgarh 15-7, 13-15, 15-6.

Photo caption: The quarterfinal match between Madhya Pradesh (Blue) and Odisha (light green) is in progress at the Patna Central School ground in Patna on December 29, 2011.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui  

34th Senior National throwball championships trophies unveiled

Throwball Association of Bihar unveiled the 34th Senior National throwball championships trophies at the Patna Central School ground on December 28, 2011. Throwball Federation of India chairman Naresh Maan, Patna Central School vice-chairman YK Sudarshan, school vice-principal OP Singh and Throwball Association of Bihar secretary Neeraj Kumar Pappu jointly unveiled the trophies.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui 

Bihar men and women continue winning streak in National throwball

Patna, December 28, 2011: Bihar men and women teams continued their winning momentum in the pool matches of the 34th Senior National throwball championships at the Patna Central School ground here on Wednesday.

Bihar women beat Madhya Pradesh 15-9, 15-6 in their first match of the day while in the second match they thrashed Pondicherry 15-1, 15-1. Bihar men downed neighbour Jharkhand 15-1, 15-7.

With this wins Bihar men and women teams virtually qualified for the quarterfinals.

Results: 

Men (league stage): Chandigarh bt West Bengal 15-6, 15-1; Delhi be Jammu & Kashmir 15-3, 15-4; Bihar bt Punjab 15-12, 15-5; Andhra Pradesh bt Chandigarh 15-4, 15-5; Madhya Pradesh bt Chhattisgarh 15-7, 15-9; Delhi bt Odisha 15-11, 15-7; Punjab bt Rajasthan 15-2, 15-4; Andhra Pradesh bt Uttar Pradesh 15-3, 15-8; Delhi bt Maharashtra 15-4, 15-11; Chhattisgarh bt Pondicherry 15-3, 15-3; Punjab bt Jharkhand 15-5, 15-6; Andhra Pradesh bt Haryana 15-7, 15-11; Goa bt Punjab 15-2, 8-15, 15-6; Chhattisgarh bt Kerala 15-1, 15-1; Andhra Pradesh bt West Bengal 15-13, 15-8 and Delhi bt Tamil Nadu 15-12, 15-7.

Women: (league stage): Delhi bt Chandigarh 15-11, 15-4; Tamil Nadu bt UP 15-4, 15-1; Andhra Pradesh bt Odisha 15-1, 15-2; Delhi bt Chhattisgarh 15-5, 15-5; Tamil Nadu bt West Bengal 15-2, 15-5; Andhra Pradesh bt Kerala 15-2, 15-3; Haryana bt Andhra Pradesh 16-14, 16-14; Punjab bt Chhattisgarh 15-4, 15-2; West Bengal bt Jammu Kashmir 15-1, 15-8; Andhra Pradesh bt Maharashtra 15-3, 15-6; Bihar bt Pondicherry 15-1, 15-1; Delhi bt Punjab 15-1, 15-1; Tamil Nadu bt Jammu Kashmir 15-0, 15-0; chandigarh bt Punjab 15-1, 15-2 and Haryana bt Kerala 15-1, 15-4.

Photo caption: Bihar players in action during their match of the Senior National throwball championships in Patna on December 28, 2011.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Munger to host Bihar cross-country race on January 8

Patna, December 27, 2011: The 22nd Open Bihar cross-country race will be held in Munger on January 8, according to Liaquit Ali khan, secretary, Bihar Athletic Association.
The race will be held in eight age groups. Bihar teams for the 46th National cross-country championships to be held in Pune on January 22 will be selected on the basis of the above meet.

34th Senior National throwball begins in Patna

Patna, December 27, 2011: The 34th Senior National throwball championships got off to a colourful start at Patna Central School (PCS) ground here on Tuesday.

The inaugural ceremony had all the ingredients of a mega sporting affair. Participating teams entered the ground in Olympic style and students of PCS presented several colorful dance sequences on the theme of unity in diversity and on the songs composed by Acharya Sudarshanjee Maharaj.

Bihar Minority Welfare and Information Technology Minister Shahid Ali Khan inaugurated the championships.

Chief-patron of the organising committee Acharya Sudarshanji Maharaj, Throwball Federation of India chairman Naresh Maan, its treasure Sribala Vinayakam, assistant secretary Avinash Natbare, Bihar Players Association president Mirtunjay Tiwari were present in the opening function. Throwball Association of Bihar secretary Niraj Kumar Pappu welcomed the guests while PCS vice-chairman YK Sudarshan presided over the function.

In the on-field actions, Bihar women started their campaign with a fluent 15-2, 15-1 victory over Jharkhand.

In the men’s section, Delhi beat Tamil,Nadu 15-11, 12-15 and 15-7.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Kajal Kumari achieves a grand double in Kalibari invitation carrom

Patna, December 26, 2011: Kajal Kumari earned a grand double winning women’s singles and doubles titles of Kalibari invitation carom tournament at Gardanibagh Kalibari premises here on Monday.

In the women’s singles final, Kajal defeated Vibha Kumari 25-0, 25-15. Later, combining with Vibha, Kajal beat the pair of Sandhya Sinha and Kavita Rani 25-6, 25-20 to win doubles crown.

Manish Jaiswal claimed the men’s singles title beating Moinuddin 25-12, 25-17. Manish also got the men’s doubles title. Manish and Wasim beat Pankaj Kumar and RC Choubey 25-10, 25-5 in the men’s doubles final.

Debashish Sengupta, regional manager, National Insurance Corporation and senior lawyer of Patna High Court Shyama Prasad Mukherjee jointly distributed the prizes. 

Patna Central School all set to host Senior National throwball championships

Patna, December 26, 2011: Stage is set for the 34^th Senior National Throwball championships beginning at the Patna Central School ground here from December 27.

Throwball Association of Bihar (TAB) secretary Neeraj Kumar Pappu said 6o teams (30 men and as many women) would take part in the three-day premier tournament.

On the occasion of Bihar’s centenary year, Throwball Association of Bihar (TAB) and Acharya Sudarshan Sports and Cultural Foundation are jointly organising the four-day meet, he said.

Pappu said state teams from Delhi, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Goa, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Utrakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala had reached the venue.

Other state teams would be reaching here by Tuesday morning, he added. Teams would get their boarding and lodging facilities on the Patna Central School campus while officials would stay in different hotels of the State Capital.

Paapu said Bihar Information Technology and Minority Welfare Minister Shahid Ali Khan would inaugurate the championships at 2:00 pm on Tuesday. Acharya Sudarshanji Maharaj would be chief guest in the inaugural function. Throwball Federation of India chairman Naresh Maan would be the special guest, he added.

Senior Bihar throwball teams announced for National meet

Patna, December 25, 2011: Throwball Association of Bihar announced state teams for the 34^th Senior National Throwball Championships to be held at the Patna Central School ground here from December 27.

Announcing the teams Throwball Association of Bihar secretary Neeraj Kumar Pappu said Nitish Kumar would lead the men’s team while Vandana Kumari would head the women’s team.

Men: Nitish Kumar (captain), Rakesh Ranjan, Ranjan Kumar, Rohit Kumar, Navin Kumar, Vishal Singh, Ratnesh Singh, Avinash Kumar, Nehal Singh, Abhishek Bannerjee, Anmol Singh, Deepak Singh, John Aryan and Gutam Singh; Amersh Kumar (coach) and Dr Sudhir Kumar (manager).

Women: Vandana Kumari (captain), Shambhavi Kumari, Kamna Bharati, Shiva Kumari, Neha Singh, Minki Kumari, Rashmi Kumari, Shreya Kumari, Saba Riyaz, Sushmita Singh, Pragya Singh, Subhra Singh, Priyanka Raj, and Khushbu Kumari; Nitu Singh (coach) and Ajit Kumar Singh Chunnu (manager).

Photo caption: Senior Bihar throwball teams in Patna on December 25, 2011.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui 

Baisoya wins Goodricke East India Amateur Golf Championship title

Delhi’s Honey Baisoya holds aloft Goodricke East India Amateur Golf Championship Trophy in Kolkata on December 25, 2011.

Kolkata, December 25, 2011: Delhi’s Honey Baisoya showed his swing in Rory McLroy’s style as he became the youngest winner of the 22^nd edition of  Goodricke East India Amateur Golf Championship at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Kolkata. The 15-year-old Baisoya, sent the opponent, The No.1 Amateur, S. Chikkarangappa home, wrapping up the match on the 34^th green to win 3 and 2. Both of them had to play 2 rounds of 36 holes as it was the final day of the tournament.

Baisoya secured a winning start after making birdies on 1^st, 4^th, 5^th, 9^th, 12^th and 15^th in the first round of 18 holes where both Baisoya and Chikka halved 11 holes. Though, Chikka won 3 matches on 7^th, 11^th and 14th, Baisoya was 2-up after the first round.

In the beginning of second round, Baisoya again took the early lead after making a birdie on the 1^st to go 3-up where Chikka’s 2^nd shot went 10 yards off the green and he made a par. Chikka, who was suffering with the pain in his foot, hit his tee shot on the left green on 2^nd and made a safe par while Baisoya double putted  hole for a bogey to go one-down for 2-up. Both of them hit the center fairway on the 3^rd and then Chikka’s second shot reached the edge of the green for another safe par while Baisoya made a 1-footer bogey to remain 1-up. After halving 4^th, Chikka hit his tee shot next to the bunker on 5^th and Honey made the par to go 2-up after hitting few ups and downs. Both of them halved 6^th and then Baisoya won 7^th and 8^th after making both pars to go 4-up. An aggressive Chikka kept giving a tough competition after halving 9^th, 10^th 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 14^th and also by making a long awaited birdie on the 15^th  where Baisoya’s putt lipped out to go one-down again to maintain 3-up. By the time they reached 16^th, a tired Chikka hit the center fairway but his bad luck couldn’t get him a birdie while Baisoya got the advantage of a birdie on the 16^th to seal the victory.

A delighted Baisoya said, “I was very nervous throughout the round but now, I feel like I am on the cloud 9. I can’t show so much excitement as me and my dad wanted to be atleast 10-up in the first round but could only come up with 3 and 2. There is no doubt that I can’t express my feelings of winning my first amateur title from the no. 1 amateur of the country.”

A disappointed Chikka said, “I was struggling with my putting and the pain in my left foot but I played my fair game. Also, I am happy for the young Baisoya who showed me the real golf at this age which nobody else could show on the amateur circuit.”

Press Release

Chikkarangappa faces Baisoya in Goodricke East India final

S. Chikkarangappa 

Kolkata, December 24, 2011: Currently No. 1 on the Indian amateur circuit, S. Chikkarangappa gave a one on one answer of last week’s RCGC Cup deficit to Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema after beating him in the semi-finals match play of Goodricke East India Amateur Golf Championship at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club here. Chikka won the match for 3 and 1 and will now fight against the young Delhi boy Honey Baisoya, who also got into the finals defeating Bangalore’s Khalin Joshi for 2 and 1. 

The match was closer for Chikka than the score indicated. The two-time winner of All-India Amateur, Chikka and The winner of SAARC Championship, Cheema, both made pars on the first two holes while Chikka birdied the 3^rd to take the early lead. After halving 5^th for birdies and 6^th for par, Chikka got the upper hand on 6^th after making a birdie for going 2-up while Cheema was sitting for a par. Before Cheema could go for 8-footer Par putt, Chikka made another birdie on the 7^th to go 3-up.  After halving 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th, Chikka got disturbed with a patch on the green on 11^th and lost to remain 2-up where Cheema double putted to win his first match of the day. An aggressive Chikka then again went 3-up quickly after making a 3-feet birdie on the 12^th   and Cheema gave up for the Par. A Turning point came on the 16^th when Chikka hit his driver on the right side and for the sake of playing the smart shot, he went into the hazard to loose the hole but remained 2-up while Cheema made a birdie from 3-foot to won the hole. Chikkka then, responded with a bogey on the 17^th to seal the victory where Cheema’s ball lipped out for a double bogey.

On the other hand, Honey’s birdies on the first two holes put him up quickly but as Khalin birdied the 4^th from 100 yards after both of them halved the 3th and Honey remained 1-up. After halving 5^th, 6^th and 7^th, Joshi squared the match on the 8^th by making a 20-foot birdie. Once they halved the 9^th, Joshi answered again with back-to-back birdies on 10^th and 11^th to go 2-up. A birdie on 12^th   and 14^th  by Baisoya, the winner of Asia Pasific Championship in Thailand this year, evened the match for the second and final time.  When Joshi couldn’t get up and down from the green on 17^th, Baisoya made birdie to win the match.

After throwing the winning ball into the gallery, Baisoya said, “It’s my first time to make it to the finals of an amateur match play championship in India and I am very excited to play with the country’s No.1 player tomorrow. Though, I have experience of playing with the top Professionals on the international soil, it would be one of my dream victories if I clinch the East-India title.” 

Press Release

Hockey India demands Bharat Ratna for Dhyan Chand

New Delhi, December 21, 2011:  Hockey India requested the Union government to confer the Bharat Ratna award to Late Major Dhyan Chand for his unparalleled contribution to hockey.

In the letter addressed to Sports Minister Ajay Maken, Hockey India welcomed the modification of rules for paving the way for eligibility of sportspersons for Bharat Ratna, the highest Civilian Award of our country.

Dhyan Chand is acknowledged as the all time and the greatest player of the game of hockey all over the world. He has probably been the only Indian player for any sport that has generated the number of myths about his ability as a hockey player.

In view of his rarest of rare achievements, there is no deserving sporting icon other than Major Dhyan Chand to be considered for Bharat Ratna.

He won three successive gold medals at Olympic Games at Amsterdam in 1928, Los Angles in 1932 and Berlin in 1936 and was the first Indian Sportsman to be conferred with the Padma Bhushan Award in 1956.

His birthday, the 29th August is celebrated as the National Sports Day, where the President of India gives away the sports related Awards such as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Awards, Dronacharya Awards and Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Awards to eminent present and past sportspersons.

As a tribute to Dhyan Chand, the National Stadium was re-named after his name in 2002.

Even today, Dhyan Chand remains legendary in Indian and world hockey. He is credited with scoring over 1000 international goals.

His international playing career started in 1926 and he went on to play till 1948 at the age of 42 years.

In 1926, on his first International Tour, India played 21 matches in New Zealand scoring 192 goals, with Dhyan Chand alone accounting for over 100 goals.

Under Dhyan Chand’s captaincy at the Berlin Olympics in 1936, his magical stick-work drew the crowds from other venues to the hockey field. Posters sprung up all over the city saying “Visit the hockey stadium to watch the Indian magician Major Dhyan Chand in action”.

He was even offered the German citizenship and the rank of Colonel in the German Army, while in Berlin, but he declined. The Authorities also broke his stick to check if there was a magnet inside.

Hockey India is hopeful that Government will consider awarding the next Bharat Ratna to the hockey wizard Dhyan Chand.

Press release

Orissa win Hockey India Sub-Junior Boys National title

Patna, December 20, 2011: Orissa defeated Haryana 1-0 to lift the Hockey India Sub-Junior Boys National Championship title at Gurgaon, Haryana on Tuesday.

Just as the core line suggest the title clash was a very close affair. In the first half both the teams went all out to score but some fine defending meant that the first half remained goalless.

In the second half Orissa upped their attack and it paid the dividend when they earned a penalty corner in the 60th minute. Sumit Topo then promptly converted the penalty corner to give Orissa the lead.

The hosts tried their level best to equalize the score but Orissa hung on to their lead till the end.

Earlier, Punjab finished third beating Bihar 8-2 in a play off match.

Vikas Kumar (Haryana) was declared player of the tournament while award for best goalkeeper, half back, full back and forward went to Vikas Dahiya (Haryana), Kunjan Topno (Orissa), Anand Lakra (Orissa) and Lavpreet Singh (Punjab) respectively.

Press Release

MPHA crowned sub-junior girls' hockey champ

Patna, December 20, 2011: Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy (MPHA) defeated Haryana 2-1 to lift the Hockey India Sub-Junior Girls’ National Championship title at Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.

MPHA who led 2-0 at half time scored through Nusrat Khatun (6th min) and Karishma Yadav (21st minute penalty Corner) while Mamta reduced the margin for Haryana (65th min).

MPHA were dominant for most of the match and earned seven penalty corners as against three by their opponents.

MPHA goalkeeper Preeti Patel was declared player of the match as she warded off numerous attacks by the Haryana forwards to ensure victory for her team.

MPHA had also won the Junior Women National Championship crown at Sonepat earlier this month.

Earlier, Orissa finished third beating Karnataka 3-1.

Karnataka took the lead from a 30th minute penalty corner conversion by Sandhya HP but Orissa bounced back with goals from Birajini Ekka in the 33rd minute, Priyanka Ekka in the 52nd minute and Seema Lakra in the 59th minute.

Navneet Kaur (Haryana) was declared player of the tournament while awards for the best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forwards went to Sandhya KK (Karnataka), Jyoti Dahiya (Haryana), Shyama Tidgam (MPHA) and Birajini Ekka (Orissa) respectively.

The Fair Play Trophy was given to Tamil Nadu. 

A Hockey India Press Release

Ashbeer takes lead in Goodricke East India Amateur Golf Championship

Kolkata, December 20, 2011: Kapurthala’s Ashbeer Singh Saini took the lead after going into a play-off with overnight leader Honey Baisoya on day two of Goodricke East India Amateur Golf Championship at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club here. Saini and Baisoya both came back with the same score of two day’s total one-under 143 and one had to win the play-off for the conclusion of their final seeding before getting into tomorrow’s match play competition. After halving three holes, Saini made a par putt on fourth while Baisoya missed it, who then became second for the day.

Local boy S. K. Pappu carded a level par round for the total of one-over 145 in a tie along with Bangalore’s S. Chikkarangappa (71, 74) and finished third and fourth respectively. Another duo of Bangalore Trishul Chinappa 146 (74, 72) and Khalin Joshi 147 (76, 71) ended the round to take fifth and sixth place.

Since only 32 players had to qualify for the match play starting from tomorrow, there was another three way play-off between Delhi’s Siddharth Semwal, Kolkata boys Sural Ali and Tutul Ali to decide the 32^nd position when all of them returned with 16-over 160. Tutul Ali packed his golf bag on the first hole itself while Semwal won the second hole after making a par putt from Suraj Ali, who missed the par from 10-foot.

The 17-year-old Saini started the day pretty well as he shot a birdie on 2^nd, 4^th, 10^th and 16^th while bogeyed the 6^th and 13^th. Saini, who beat Pro Rashid Khan once in a match play at the same course said, “I have a fair idea of winning and loosing the match play at this course. As far as today’s round is concerned, I blocked two-three shots where I missed on right side of the fairway. I have no complains about my putting and I am looking to beat the tough player, Siddharth Semwal tomorrow in the match play.”

Delhi lad Baisoya fired two birdies on 14^th and 15^th while made bogeys on 3^rd, 9^th and 17^th. Baisoya wanted the play-off to go on at least for nine holes so that he can practice well for tomorrow but he missed a par putt on fourth and lost the hole from Saini. He said, “My putting let me down again today. I was two-over after front nine but somehow managed to hit two birdies in the back nine thanks to my swing.”

RCGC boy S. K. Pappu got a brilliant start as he hit a birdie on 1^st, an eagle on 4^th  , two back-to-back birdies on 14^th and 15^th. He made couple of mistakes for a bogey on 3^rd and 16^th when he hit the wrong tee shots which went into the water bodies both the times.

Photo caption: Kapurthala’s Ashbeer Singh Saini in action in Kolkata on December 20, 2011.

Press Release

Honey Baisoya takes day one honours at Goodricke East India

Honey Baisoya in action at Royal Calcutta Golf Club on December 19, 2011

Kolkata, December 19, 2011: The 15-year-old Delhi’s Honey Baisoya surprised everyone after firing a two-under 70 to take the opening round lead of the Goodricke East India Amateur Golf Championship at windswept Royal Calcutta Golf Club here. Bangalore’s S. Chikkarangappa carded one-under 71 to take the second position while Local boy Kader Ali, who plays the circuit with the support of his coach Indarjit Bhalotia all across India, returned with a level par round in a tie along with the winner of last week’s RCGC Cup, Angad Cheema for the third place.

The fairways and the greens looked in favour of the local boys through out the day as Rohan Shroff and S. K. Pappu played one-over 71 along with Delhi’s Vikram Rana and Kapurthala’s Ashbeer Singh Saini as

A shy Baisoya, whose father usually caddies for him, seemed more comfortable with every shot when a local caddie, Bolto carried his bag. Baisoya sank four birdies on 4^th, 9^th, 11^th, and 14th, made two bogeys on 5^th, 8^th and played 8 regulations for the day. A consistent player on the junior as well as on amateur circuit, Baisoya did three hours of practice in the last two days. “Today, I was hitting the second shots like I never did before on a course like this. Though, my putting was not that great last week during RCGC Cup, I and my father made some corrections to get the right posture and that’s what helped me in coming back with a low score round today, said Baisoya.”

Chikka, after getting better with the right yardages and the green speed than last week, shot a birdie on the opening hole, 4^th, 7^th, 14^th, 18^th and bogeyed the 5^th, 8^th, 9^th, 10^th. A delighted Chikka said, “Finally, I got a good start and pretty satisfied round. I made some silly mistakes on 8^th where I used the pitching wedge and hit the 7-iron which went five yards near to the green but a good putt lipped out because of my wrong judgment. I could come with a better score if there was a proper reading of the line by me.”

Coming from a golfing family, Kader Ali picked up the game from his elder brother Yusuf Ali who plays on the PGTI circuit. The 26-year-old, whose dream is to be on top among his friends in his city, had three birdies on 9^th, 15^th and 16^th. Though, he dropped couple of shots for a bogey on 11^th, 13^th and 14^th, he managed to make it to the top-three. Ali said, “I want to play at the Asian Tour level with my brother one day to make my club proud of both of us.” 

Press Release

Indian women claim bronze in four-nation hockey tournament

New Delhi, December 19, 2011: Indian women hockey team registered a facile 4-1 win against Ireland to clinch the Bronze medal in the Four Nation Tournament held at Parana, Argentina on Sunday night.

Both the teams were locked 1-1 at half time but India came back strongly in the second session to fire three goals.

The goal scorers for India were Jaspreet Kaur (penalty corner 7th min), Anuradha Thokchom (58th min), Vandana Katariya (68th min) and Ritu Rani (penalty corner 70th min), while Aine Connery (7th min) scored for Ireland.

Ireland took an early lead in the 7th minute with the lone goal scored by Aine Connery after Indian defensive lapse. India restored parity when Jaspreet Kaur found the target from a set piece penalty corner in the 26th minute after an Irish defender obstructed Vandana Katariya in the striking circle.

India dominated the proceedings in the second half and exhibited flair and fluency as they mounted attacks with regular monotony.

The Indian forwards Poonam Rani, Vandana Katariya, Rani and Anuradha Thokchom were well supported by midfielders Asunta Lakra, Kirandeep Kaur and Ritu Rani as they engineered forays in the rival half.

Goalkeeper Yogita Bali and deep defenders Pinky Thokchom, Jaspreet Kaur and Preety Sunila Kiro stood tall and thwarted all moves by Irish attackers.

Anuradha Thokchom put India ahead in the 58th minute when she beat Ireland custodian Emma Gray with a deflection from a right flank cross.

Vandana Katariya increase the lead to 3-1 in the 68th minute when she found the mark after a Ritu Rani- Asunta Lakra combined midfield maneuver.

India rounded off the tally at the stroke of full time with Preety Sunila Kiro  scoring from a penalty corner variation. India thus won both the bronze medals at four nation tournaments held at Buenos Aires and Parana on this tour.

In the final World Champion Argentina beat South Africa 2-0 to win the tournament.

Hockey India Press Release

St Karen's School win Patel athletics championship title

Patna, December 15, 2011: St Karen’s School won the overall championships title of the 10th Sardar Patel inter-school athletics fetching in 253 points on the third and final day of the meet at the Moinul Haq Stadium here on Thursday.

Kshiti Alok of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kankarbagh, claimed the senior girls’ individual championship title while Anjali Kumari of St Karen’s got the sub-junior girls’ individual championship title.

Leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Bihar Food and Consumer Protection Minister Shyam Rajak, former MLC Rakesh Ranjan and RJD leader Satish Paswan jointly gave away the prizes. Sardar Patel Sports and Cultural Foundation president Upendra Kumar Singh welcomed the guests while its secretary KC Mahajan proposed a vote of thanks.

Results: Senior girls team title: St Karen’s High School (Winners, 25), Nari Gunjan Danapur (Runners-up, 23).

Senior boys team title: St Karen’s High School (Winners, 44), St Karen’s Secondary School (Runners-up, 25).

Junior boys: Sainik School, Gopalganj (Winners, 25), St Karen’s High School (Runners-up, 24).

Junior girls: St. Karen’s High School (Winners, 28), Nari Gunjan and Central School, Sonepur (Runners-up 13).

Sub-junior boys: St Karen’s High School (Winners, 22), St Karen’s Secondary (Runners-up 13).

Sub-junior girls: St Karen’s High School (Winners, 35), Rajkiya Middle School, Dariapur (Winners-up, 10)

Mini boys: St Karen’s High School (Winners, 19), Gyan Niketan (Runners-up, 14).

Mini girls: Nari Gunjan, Danapur (Winners, 29), St. Karen’s High School (Runners-up, 19).

Cadet girls: St Karen’s High School (Winners, 22), Nari Gunjan, Danapur (Runners-up, 17).

Cadet boys: St Karen’s High School (Winners, 14), Radiant International (Runners-up, 12).

Boys and Girls individuals:

Boys group (senior): Abhisek Kumar, (Winner, 11). Junior: Ravi Shankar (Winner, 13). Sub-junior: Shivam Raj  (Winner, 11). Mini Boys: Manish Kumar (Winner, 13).

Cadet boys: Navneet Raj (Winner, 11).

Girls’ group: Cadet: Kumari Riya (Winner, 15), Mini; Kavita Kumar and Ridhima (Winner 10)

Sub-junior: Anjali Kumari (Winner, 13), Junior: Juhi Kumari (Winner, 13)

Senior Group: kshiti Alok (Winner, 15 Central School, Kankarbagh)

Junior boys group: Jevlin throw: Vishal Kumar, (I), Nirala Kumar (II), Razat Kumar (III).

Cadet girls, 300m: Nandani Kumari (I), Daulat Kumari (II), Muskan Kumari (III)

Sub-junior boys, 4 x 100m: St. Karen’s Secondary ((I) St. Karen’s High School (II), St Michael’s High School.

Photo caption: St Karen's School athletes pose for a group photograph in Patna on December 15, 2011.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Angad Cheema clinches RCGC Cup

 Angad Cheema holds RCGC Cup in Kolkata on December 16, 2011

Kolkata, December 16, 2011: A solid ball striking by Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema in the final round took him the title of RCGC Cup Amateur Golf Championship at The Royal Calcutta Golf Club here. The 21-year-old Cheema carded two-over for the total of one-over 289 for a victory by one stroke margin from Bangalore’s S. Chikkarangappa. Chikka shot one-over for the total of two-over 290 to finish as a runner-up while coming from behind, Chandigarh’s Abhijit Chadha ended the day with one-under which was also the best score of the day. Chadha’s four day total of 292 got him the third spot in a tie with Bangalore’s Khalin Joshi who finished fourth after shooting two-over for the day.

Ambala’s Manav Das maintained his fifth position after returning his score card of level par for the total of 296 while one shot behind was the local boy Viraj Madappa for the sixth place at 297.

Cheema, who won his first championship on the IGU’s amateur circuit this year, fired two consecutive birdies on 4th, 5th and a birdie on the 7th while bogeyed the 2nd, 6th, 9th, 10th and 18th after struggling with the tough pin positions. Knowing for his calm attitude off the course, he said, “I was pretty confident from the beginning and I just had a good feeling on the 7th when I hit my second shot to the flag from 190 yards and hit a birdie from 6 feet. My game turned around when I reached the 11th and made a solid par putt after hitting right, left and center which later became challenging. I am happy that I managed with a bogey on the finishing hole and took the title without going into a play-off.”

Currently No. 1 on the IGU’s order of Merit, Chikka finally got a good start as he hit regulations on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and birdied the 4th, 15th and 17th. Though, he made a double bogey on 7th and a bogey on the 8th and 11th, he kept the momentum up till the last hole. Chikka, who used his entire golf bag in the practice round of RCGC Cup after a gap of 15 days, said, “I am quite happy with the way I played in the back nine where I hit one-under. When I made a birdie on 15th, I felt that that there is still a chance of winning and I played every shot very consciously. By the time, I landed on the 18th green for the birdie putt, I started thinking strongly about reading the line and forgot about the speed and I just missed it. Its good that I got the second position which will make me think deeply about a victory in the next week’s tournament.”

Around 85 golfers who participated in the RCGC Cup, will vie for The GoodRicke East India Amateur Golf Championship title next week at The Royal Calcutta Golf Club.

Press Release

Indian women down Ireland in 4-Nation hockey

New Delhi, December 16, 2011: Indian women bounced back in the Four-Nation hcokey tournament, as they beat Ireland 2-1 in their second match played at Parana Rowing Club in Parana (Argentina).

India led 2-0 at half time with strikes by forward Anuradha Thokchom (6th min) and defender Jaspreet Kaur (33rd min). Ireland reduced the margin in the 44th minute through Cliodhna Sargent.

India displayed more cohesion and flair as their forwards Rani, Anuradha Thokchom, Lilima Minz, Vandana Katariya and Poonam Rani broke through the rival defence repeatedly.

India drew first blood in the sixth minute when midfielder Kirandeep Kaur cut passed two Irish defenders to setup Thokchom who made no mistake in beating goalkeeper Pamela Smith Wick.

Jaspreet Kaur scored the second goal for India two minutes before the breather. 

India seem to slacken a bit at the start of the second half which was encashed by Ireland as they scored in the 44th minute strike by Cliodhna Sargent. India mounted attacks and dictated the pace of the game thereafter but were unable to increase their victory margin, as attempts by Poonam Rani and Vandana Katariya were shot wide.

In another match hosts Argentina beat South Africa 2-1 to register their second successive victory of the tournament.

Hockey India Press Release 

Ravi, Kshiti win 100m sprint gold medals

Patna, December 14, 2011: Ravi Ranjan of St Karen’s High School and Kshiti Alok of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kankarbagh, won the senior boys’ and girls’ 100m sprint gold medals on the second day of the 10th Sardar Patel inter-school athletic championships at Moinul Haq Stadium, here on Wednesday.

Ravi Ranjan clocked 12:35 seconds and Kshiti Alok raced to the glory in 15:16 seconds.

Results: Senior boys-Discus throw: Tarun (1), Vipul Raj (2), Rohit Raj (3).

Senior girls 200m: Kshiti (1), Aditi (2), Shraya Suman (3).

Junior girls 200m: Juhi Kumari (1), Chetna Anandita (2), Ashmita Ravi (3).

Cadet girls 200m: Kumari Riya (1), Dhoulati Kumari (2), Muskan Kumari (3).

Senior boys’ shot put: Ranjan Kumar (1), Piyush Kumar (2), Tarun (3).

Senior girls100m: Kshiti Alok (1), Shreya Suman (2), Aditi (3).

Sub-junior boys 800m: Rudra Vijay (1), Abhishek Kumar (2), Vicky Kumar (3).

Junior boys 800m: Vivek Kumar (1), Azad Kumar Akela (2), Deepak Kumar (3).

Sub-junior girls’ shot put: Simran (1), Bagisha (2), Aprajita (3).

Junior boys’ shot put: Abhishek Ranjan (1), Shushant (2), Ankit (3).

Sub-junior boys’ shot put:  Rajmani Yadav (1), Abhishek Singh (2), Aditya Kumar Singh (3).

Senior boy 800m: Gourav Kumar (1), Amal Krishna (2), Vibhuti (3).

Junior girls shot put: Tanushri Verma (1), Amila Kumari (2), Garima Tripathi (3).

Mini boys long jump: Aniket Singh (1), Manish Kumar (2), Md. Shakib (3).

Sub-junior boys long jump: Ujjawal Srivastava (1), Shyam Kumar (2), Shivam Raj (3).

Senior girls shot put: Rinki Kumari (1), Puja Kumari (2), Smriti Kumari (3).

Senior girls long jump: Kshiti Alok (1), Neha Kumari (2), Dibya Singh (3).

Junior boys long jump: Ravi Shankar (1), Aditya Kumar (2), Amit Kumar Singh (3).

Junior girls long jump: Nimita Singh (1), Juhi Kumari (2), Chetna Anandita (3).

Senior boys long jump: Abhishek Kumar (1), Rajan Anand (2), Gourav Kumar Tiwari (3).

Boys group 100m: Ravi Ranjan (1), Suryamani Singh (2), Abhishek Kumar (3).

Junior boys 100m: Ravi Shankar (1), Jitendra Kumar (2), Yuthap Akash (3).

Sub-junior boys'100m: Shivam Raj (1), Shashikant (2), Dipu Kumar (3).

Mani boys' 100m: Motichand (1), Manish Kumar (2), Raju Kumar (3).

Cadet boys' 100m: Md Sabir Nasim (1), Kanhaiya (2), Rahul Kumar (3).

Junior girls 100m: Juhi Kumari (1), Sonal (2), Ashmita Raj (3).

Sub-junior girls 100m: Anjali (1), Akanchha (2), Tanya Raj (3).

Mini girls 100m: Ridhima (1), Lakshmi Kumari (2), Vijaya Singh (3).

Cadet girls 100m: Kumari Riya (1), Khushboo Kumari (2), Rekha Kumari (3).

4x100m rely-Mini girls: Nari Gunjan (1), St. Karen’s High School (2), St. Michael’s High School (3).

Photo caption: Left: Boys' 800m winner Rudra Vijay and athletes in action in sub-junior boys long jump event.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Stage set for East Zone rating chess tournament in Patna

Patna, December 14, 2011: Chess Association of Bihar will organize  East Zone Open rating chess tournament at the Indian Institute of Health Education and Research Centre Hall here from December 17 to December 21..

Anil Sulabh, organising president of the tournament, said the tourney would carry a prize money of Rs 2 lakh to be distributed among the top finishers.

He said current national champions Sudhir Kumar Sinha, Vipal Subhashi and other 150 players from East Zone states like West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Manipur, Jharkhand and Bihar would to take part in the five-day tournament.

Top rating 50 players will take part in the main group while other group matches will also be played in different age categories like veteran men and women group, under-19, under-16, under-14, under-12 and under-10.

Champion of the tournament would get a cash prize of Rs 25,000 while second position holder would get Rs 15,000 and the third spot holder Rs 10,000, Sulabh said.

Sardar Patel inter-school athletics begin

Patna, December 13, 2011: The 10th Sardar Patel inter-school athletic championships got off to colourful start at the Moinul Haq Stadium here on Tuesday. On the Day One Kavita Kumari of Nari Gunjan (Danapur) clinched the gold medal in mini girls’ 600m race.

Daulati Kumar of Nari Gunjan and Priyanka Kumari of St Karen’s School won the silver and bronze medals respectively.

Earlier, Bihar Art, Culture and Youth Affairs Minister Dr Sukhda Pandey inaugurated the three-day meet. Binod Kumar, assistant general manager, SBI-SPB branch, Dr SN Mishra, director, IGIC and Jyoti Parihar, director, Kilkari were present on occasion as special guests. Upendra Kumar Singh, president, Sardar Patel Sports and Cultural Foundation welcomed the guests while its secretary KC Mahajan proposed a vote of thanks.

Results: Cadet Boys Group: Long jump: Navnit Kumar (I), Zafar Alam (II), Md Shabir Nasim (III).

Mini Boys, 600m: Raj Ranjan (I), Avinash (II), Karan Raj (III).

Junior Girls 600m: Chetan Anandita (I), Jyoti Shekhar (II), Kanupriya (III)

Sub Junior Girls: Discus throw: Shambhvi Shree (I), Arsi Nawaz (II), Simaran (III).

Senior Girls, 800m: Jyoti Kumari (I), Payal Kumar (II), Urvsi (III)

Senior Girls, Discus throw: Priya Kumar (I), Rinki Kumari (II), Pooja Kumari (III)

Junior Girls Discus throw: Anisa Kumari (I), Garima Tripathi (II), Priti Ravi (III)

Senior Boys, 2000m: Akash Kumar (I), Anant Kumar (II), Oma Prakash (III)

Mini Girls, Long Jump: Lakshmi Kumari (I), Jyoti Kumari (II), Salvi Kumari (III)

Sub-junior Girls, 600m: Suman Kumari (I), Kasfi Jamal (II), Shreya Belal (III)

Senior Girls, High Jump: Sumedha Shree (I), Sushmita Varma (II), Swati Singh (III)

Cadet Girls, Long Jump: Kumari Priya (I), Rekha Kumari (II), Apurva Kumari (III)

Sub-junior Boys, Discus throw: Md Naushad (I), Sandeep (II), Rajmani Yadav (III)

Senior Boys, High Jump: Gaurav Kumar (I), Sonu Kumar (II), Ajit Kumar (III).

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Indian women lose to Argentina in four-nation hockey

New Delhi, December 15, 2011: Indian eves lost 1-3 to World No.2 Argentina in the inaugural match of the Four-Nation Hockey Tournament being played at Parana, Argentina.

According to information received here, India failed to score any goal in the first half, while host team scored twice. The goal scorers for Argentina were Josefina Sruoga (11th min), Delfina Merino (22nd min) and Rosario Luchetti (51st min), while Rani (39th min) was on target for India.

India had won the bronze medal in the earlier four-nation tournament which concluded at Buenos Aires, Argentina last Sunday. South Africa and Ireland are the other two teams in the tournament.

Argentina controlled the proceedings in the first half with good all round display and denied the Indian midfielders Kirandeep Kaur, Rittu Rani and skipper Asunta Lakra from maneuvering openings for forwards Vandana Katariya, Poonam Rani, TH Anuradha and Rani.

India however put up an improved display in the second half as strikers penetrated regularly into the Argentina danger area. But goalkeeper Laura Del Colle and defenders Florencia Habif, Silvina D’Elia and Captain Noel Barrionuevo stood tall.

Rani eventually broke through in the 39th minute from a move coordinated by Ritu Rani and Vandana Katariya to slot home India’s only goal.

In another match South Africa were held by Ireland to 2-2 draw.

A Hockey India Press Release

Cheema surges into lead at RCGC Cup on Day Three

Angad Cheema

Kolkata, December 15, 2011: Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema surged into the lead as he shot two-under for the total one-under 215 after the third day of RCGC Cup Amateur Golf Championship at The Royal Calcutta Golf Club here on Thursday. The duo of Bangalore S. Chikkarangappa and Khalin Joshi finished second and third respectively.

Chikka played a level-par round for the total of one-over 217 (72, 73, 72) while one shot behind was Joshi at 218 (69, 78, 71). Chandigarh’s Abhijit Chadha slipped to the fourth place after shooting two-over for the total of five-over 221 and Ambala’s Manav Das was fifth at 224.

Cheema, who was paired with Chikka and Chadha, hit birdies on 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th and 10th while bogeyed the 3rd, 8th and 18th. The 21-year-old Cheema said, “I struck the ball very well and played better than the last two days. Though, I was making couple of good chip putts from the edges of the green, I hit a bad shot on 18th and missed the putt from 3 feet. Thankfully, it happened on the last hole and I tried to control my anger with a mindset of getting the trophy with a cool mind tomorrow.”

Chikka didn’t make a very good start as he hit a triple bogey on the very first hole, birdied the second and double bogeyed the 3rd which made him loose the control on ball. He then tried avoiding the mistakes and made three birdies in a row on 7th, 8th and 9th. A bogey on 10th bothered him a bit but again he made a comeback to play regulations which gave him an eagle on the 15th. He said, “After four holes, I told myself that I need to bring my rhythm and timing back. Until yesterday, I have seen every corner of the club but today I have seen two hazards on the 1st and 3rd as well. By the time I reached 15th, I hit my first shot to the right, second to the green and after discussing with my caddy, I took a right decision for an eagle from a 15-footer. As I have done all the experiments in last three days, I wish I get a good start in the final day.”

Joshi, whose scorecard was blinking with all four’s in the front nine, shot two birdies on 4th and 11th and bogeyed the 2nd. Joshi said, “It’s unbelievable to see No. four in the front nine as it happened for the first time in my career. I played very decent golf today especially on 15th where I hit the driver down the center, used 9-iron from there and then holed the putt from 10 feet which bought me under-par for the day. I am just going to play average golf like today and hope to finish in top-three.”

Press Release

  

Bihar move into Junior National hockey quarterfinals

Patna, December 14, 2011: Bihar moved into the quarterfinals of the first Hockey India Junior Men's National Championship at Balewadi in Pune on Wednesday.

According to information received here, Bihar defeated Uttar Pradesh 2-0 scoring in the first and last minutes of the match.

Junas Herenj scored the first goal for Bihar in the first through a penalty corner while captain Hemrom Ansalam increased the margin in the second half, and this too through a penalty corner. Uttar Pradesh struggled to find openings through the Bihar defence.

Now, Bihar will play Punjab in the first quarterfinal.

Chikka and Cheema share the second day lead at RCGC Cup

Kolkata, December 14, 2011: Bangalore’s S. Chikkarangappa and Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema shared the lead of the second day of RCGC Cup Amateur Golf Championship at The Royal Calcutta Golf Club here on Wednesday. Another Chandigarh lad Abhijit Chadha jumped to the second position in a tie with Bangalore’s Khalin Joshi, the leader of day one. Chadha shot three-over for the total of 147 (72, 75) while Joshi returned with a disappointing six-over for the total of 147 (69, 78).

The leader board displayed many ties as Kapurthala’s Ashbeer Singh Saini and local boy Viraj Madappa shared the fifth place at 148. Delhi’s Gagan Verma who finished third yesterday, slipped to the 30th position after a bad round of 13-over.

The best score of the day of level par shot by Jamshedupur’s karan Taunk and Noida’s Jasjeet Singh who finished 9th and 15th respectively.  

It was a fine day for the No.1 Amateur of the country, Chikka, who hit three bogeys on the 6th, 9th and 17th while birdied the 7th and 12th. After submitting the scorecard, Chikka said, “Practicing wedges yesterday helped me a lot but at the same time I was quite shocked with my round today. When I hit 6 regulations in the front nine, I made one-over and when I hit four regulations in the back nine, I returned with level par. Not just this, the yardages seems to be short at this course but they are actually not. On any other golf course, I usually use 9-Iron to hit 150 yards and I was using 7 or 8 iron at this course for the same yardage. Above and all, I just need to learn from today’s round and go and play the best golf tomorrow.”

Cheema, who won the SAARC team Championship last month, made two birdies on 4th and 15th and four bogeys on 2nd, 6th, 8th and 16th.  Cheema said, “Two-over at this golf course is not a bad score but I won’t take it positively. The tough pin positions didn’t allow me to play at par today. Though my putting was good, I wasn’t hitting that great. I am just going to practice hard today to get the better scores in the next two days.”  

The winner of Maharashtra Open, Udayan Mane was troubled by fever since the practice round which could only allow him to shoot five-over for the total of 156. The 20-year-old Mane had to take a crocin after nine holes to finish his round. 43 out of 83 players have made the cut at 19-over.

Photo caption: Bangalore’s S. Chikkarangappa in action in Kolkata on December 14, 2011

Press Release

Boro, Suamana are Sub-Junior National TT champs

Kochi, December 13, 2011: Birdie Boro of the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB-A) emerged the champion in the sub-junior boys’ section beating Anirban Ghosh 4-3 (7-11, 7-11,11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10,11-5) while it was West Begal’s Sumana Saha outlasted her statemate and unseeded Moumita Das 4-1 (11-4, 13-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-4) to take the girls’ crown at the New Assurance 73 rd Cadet and Sub-Junior National Table Tennis Championships at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium here today.

The winners took a cheque of Rs 26,000 and Rs. 22,000, respectively, while the runners-up took home Rs 13,000 (Boys) and Rs 11,000 (girls) sections, respectively. But more than the money, the winners earned some vital points which should help them go up the ladder in future meets.

As was to be expected, the boys’ singles final had all the ingredients and befittingly the better player from PSPB-A won at the end of the day. But it must be said to the credit of Boro who, after being down 2-1 at one stage and again 3-2, showed grit to stage a remarkable comeback and win the last three games.

Employing great attacking shots and using both back and forehand smashes to greater effect, West Bengal’s Ghosh began in great style. With his No. 1 seed and taller PSPB-A opponent losing rhythm, Ghosh went about his way smashing everything that was within and without his reach to move ahead. In between, Boro managed to take game of Ghosh to stay afloat. But in the fourth game, it was Ghosh who after taking a sizeable lead shut Boro out with a forehand close-to-the-table smash to go 3-1 up.

It was at this juncture that Boro regrouped himself well and seeing his opponent tiring, thanks to hot and humid conditions inside the hall, went into cruise mode to take the next two games to level the score at 3-3. Once pushed to the brink, it was up to Boro to show his true attacking colours and he succeeded in spite of making a couple of unforced errors in the decider. Nevertheless, Ghosh too was unable to withstand the onslaught and wilted under pressure, often unable to put the ball beyond the net. That gave several crucial points to Boro who simply smashed his way to the title.

Boro, understandably, was relieved after winning against Ghosh. “I had at the back of my mind the loss we suffered in the team championships because of Anirban. I had to set the record straight and I am happy I did exactly that,” said Boro after winning the title.

As for the girls final, it was a foregone conclusion that the No. 7 seed Saha would win. But it was a question of whether or not Moumita will be able to take a game or two off her friend at home and a bitterest rival on court. Das did manage to take a game off her rival but before she could gain any ascendancy, Saha stuck to her task and took the crown.

The Results: Sub-junior Boys: Final:Birdie Boro (PSPB-A ) bt Anirban Ghosh (WB) 7-11, 7-11,11-6, 9-11, 11-5. 12-10,11-5; Semi-finals: Birdie Boro (PSPB-A) bt Arjun Ghosh (WB) 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 7011, 10-12, 11-8, 11-2; Anirban Gosh (WB) bt Ayush Tayal (Har) 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7; Quarterfinals: Anirban Ghosh (WB) bt Lalrin Puia (PSPB-A) 11-2, 11-8, 12-14, 11-6, 11-9; Arjun Ghosh (WB) bt Lalhun Lua (PSPB-A) 11-3, 11-8, 11-7, 11-5; Ayush Tayal (Har) bt Manav Thakkar (Guj) 11-7, 11-4, 7-11, 11-9, 11-1; Birdie Boro (PSPB-A) bt Ananth D (TN) 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7.

Sub-junior Girls: Final: Sumana Saha (WB) bt. Moumita Dutta (WB) 11-4, 13-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-4; Semi-finals: Moumita Das (WB) bt Priyadarshini Das (WB) 6-11, 6-11, 11-8, 12-10, 15-13, 11-5; Sumana Saha (WB) bt Harsha Vardhani (TN) 4-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8; Quarterfinals: Priyadarshini Das (WB) bt Varuni Jaiswal (AP) 10-12, 6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 17-15, 11-4. 11-7; Moumita Dutta (WB) bt Johita Banerjee (WB) 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 3-11, 11-9, 11-5; Harsha Vardhini (TN) bt Koushani Nath (WB) 9-11, 11-6, 12-10, 12-10, 12-10, 11-6; Sumana Saha (WB) bt Sagorika Mukherjee (WB) 11-8, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9.

A TTFI Press Release