Hockey India inducts Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd in its fold

New Delhi, December 27, 2012: Hockey India is pleased to announce Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd as its new Associate Member. With the inclusion of Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd, Hockey India now has six Associate Members, with 30 Affiliated Members and two other Members through state Olympic Associations.

Hockey India Secretary General Dr. Narinder Batra welcomed Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd in the fold and said: “Mumbai was always an important centre from hockey prospective and has produced so many players at national and international levels, now they are included as our Associate Member so we will work together for the development of the game at all levels” 

“I am hopeful that MHA Ltd will put in its best efforts to promote the game at grass-root level by organizing more and more tournaments in the city,” he said.

Being an Associate Member of Hockey India, MHA Ltd will be eligible to take part in all the National Championships to be conducted by Hockey India from now onwards.

“We would like to thank Hockey India for admitting MHA Ltd in its fold and we are ready to work with Hockey India for the development of game in our city and country at large ," said Mangha Singh Bakshi, President of Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd.

Press release

PGTI season tees-off on January 31 with Gujarat Kensville Open in Ahmedabad

New Delhi, December 24, 2012: The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has announced its calendar for the January to May period of the 2013 season. The first five months of 2013 will witness thirteen events.

The season will tee-off with the Euro 200,000 Gujarat Kensville Open in Ahmedabad on January 31, which will be followed by six back to back events being played till March 17, 2013.

The schedule for the second half of 2013 season will be released in April of 2013.

The first five months of 2013 will see a strong line up of international events, and the second edition of the Rs 1.24 crore prize-money LP Cup. PGTI will travel to Sri Lanka for the first edition of a new USD 70,000 event, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Open, and to Nepal for the Surya Nepal Masters with an enhanced prize purse of Rs 30 lakhs.

The fourth edition of the flagship Avantha Masters, with a prize purse of Euro 1.8 million will move to the Jaypee Greens for the first time. The event co-sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour and PGTI, will be played from March 14-17, 2013.

The SAIL Open and Panasonic Open are the other two international events scheduled for the first quarter. Both these events are co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGTI and offer a prize purse of US$ 300,000 each.

Commenting on the 2013 schedule, Mr. Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI, said, “Indian professionals have had a strong year in their international appearances, and at home on the PGTI. Talented youngsters continue to impress and gain in confidence as they prepare to move on to the higher tours. We thank the outgoing Board of the PGTI for their tremendous contributions to the sport over the foundation laying years, and welcome the new Board for the next three years.”

“We are focussed, and in line with our short-term and long-term strategies and goals, and would like to thank all our partners and sponsors and are confident of continued support for the growth of the sport,”he said.

Press release

Assam Rifles win All India Police Football Championship title

Assam Rifles beat Punjab Police by a solitary second half goal in the final of the 61st BN Mullik Memorial All India Football Championships at the Moinul Haq Stadium in Patna on December 21, 2012. Devendra Kumar Singh headed home the match winner in the 55th minute.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Mizoram Police too good for Kerala Police

Mizoram Police (red) beat Kerala Police 3-0 to bag the third place in the 61st BN Mullik Memorial All India  Police Football Championships in Patna on December 20, 2012.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

India crush Oman 11-0 in 2nd Asian Champions Trophy

New Delhi, December 23, 2012: India registered their third consecutive win in the 2nd Asian Champions Trophy being played at Doha, Qatar. India defeated Oman 11-0 in their third match of the tournament on Sunday.

India scored through SV Sunil (3rd and 44th minute), Dharamvir Singh (8th minute and 56th minute), VR Raghunath (30th and 38th minute Penalty Corner), Rupinder Pal Singh (33rd and 43rd minute Penalty Corner), Akashdeep Singh (53rd minute Penalty Corner), Harbir Singh (65th minute Penalty Corner) and Danish Mujtaba (67th minute).

India took an early lead in the 3rd minute with the field goal scored by SV Sunil through a direct pass from Rupinder Pal Singh. Dharamvir Singh scored another goal in the 8th minute. In the 30th minute VR Raghunath scored via penalty corner and before the half time Rupinder Pal Singh scored another goal for India making it 4-0 on board.

India continued their attacking game in the second half scoring seven goals through SV Sunil, Dharamvir Singh, Raghunath, Rupinder Pal Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Harbir Singh and Danish Mujtaba.

India will now face Pakistan in their next game to be played on Monday.

Press release

  

Shiva Keshavan wins gold at at the Luge Asian Championship

Nagano, Japan, December 23, 2012: In an amazing improved version of last year's Asia Cup performance, Shiva Keshavan reclaimed the gold medal for the second time in 2 consecutive years by setting a new Asian record of 49.590 seconds.

The race was no walkover as Keshavan was tailing in second place during the first run, 0.129 seconds behind Japan’s Hidenari Kanayama. Last year’s runner up Oguchi Takahisa was not far behind in third place only 0.058 seconds after Shiva. Each of the top three had broken the previous track record of 50.072 set in 2004.

However, last year’s champion, India’s Shiva Keshavan toppled the scores in the second heat, absolutely smashing the Asian track record by 0.482 seconds. Despite the disadvantage from the first run, Shiva won with a considerable margin.

The cumulative results were:

Shiva Keshavan (IND) 1:39.831 (+0.000); Hidenari Kanayama (JPN) 1:40.085 (+0.455); Oguchi Takahisa (JPN) 1:40.150 (+0.519)

Yamaura Yohan of Japan finished fourth and Kim Dong Hyeon of Korea bagged the fifth place.

“I lost control of the sled for a moment in the first run at curve 8 but I managed to avoid a crash. The track conditions were very different from what we experienced this week but we were prepared for any eventuality. I knew the moment I finished the second run that it would be extremely difficult for the others to catch up with me. I’m glad all the preparation of the team paid off at the right moment, and that the Cup is coming back to India”, said an elated Shiva after the second run.

Shiva now holds two of the three Asian records, with only the start record of 3.190 seconds set in 1999 still remaining to be vanquished.

The International Luge Federation vice president for Asia, Korea’s Jae-Ho Chung gave out the trophy and Medals. “We can see that the level of Asian athletes has risen tremendously in recent years. With the 2018 Winter Olympic Games to be held in Korea, we can expect athletes from Asia to dominate this fie|d”, said Chung.

The Asian record set by Shia Keshavan is only 0.017 seconds after the Olympic record set in Nagano. Definitely with the right conditions for training, and the right facilities, the future could seem promising. Shiva is supported by MTS, Coca-Cola (India) and Olympic Gold Ouest.

Press release

Punjab Police edge past Kerala Police to enter final

Punjab Police (red) beat Kerala Police 3-0 via penalty shootouts to enter the final of the 31st BN Mullik Memorial All India Police Football Championship at the Moinul Haq Stadium in Patna on December 19, 2012. Punjab Police will face Assam Rifles in the final.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Assam Rifles beat Mizoram Police to enter final

Assam Rifles (in blue) beat Mizoram Police 3-0 to enter the final of the 31st BN Mullik Memorial All India Football Championships at the Moinul Haq Stadium in Patna on December 19, 2012. Assam Rifles will take on Punjab Police in final.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Shiva Keshavan records best times in three runs

Nagano, Japan, December 22, 2012: The official training and qualifiers for the Luge Asian Championship concluded today at Nagano, Japan.

The current reigning champion, India's Shiva Keshavan seemed uncatchable as he bled the track recording the best times in each of the three runs and a top sped of 128.1 kmph.

"I was testing my race setup today. I think the weather and ice conditions really suited me. However, what is important is what will happen in tomorrow's race." 

Luge is a high precision sport. It is not just the pilot's ability to steer the sled with millimetric accuracy during the run, but technological factors such as aerodynamics, coefficient of friction and ice conditions need to be considered while preparing for the descent.

Only those who came within the top 7% of race timing, which includes Asia's top 7 pilots in the Men's Singles category, have qualified for the finals to be held tomorrow.

Shiva Keshavan and coach Yann Fricheteau will have to prepare the right material and sled set-up for tomorrows conditions. Even though Shiva has managed to clock top timing in today's heats, the race remains a close contest with every athlete fighting for each thousandth of a second.

Press release

India beat Japan 3-1 to register second win

New Delhi, December 21, 2012: VR Raghunath’s brace helped India beat Japan 3-1 and won their second match of the 2nd Asian Champions Trophy in Doha on Friday.

India earned their first penalty corner in 22nd minute with the help of Birendra Lakra and Gurvinder Singh Chandi, which was successfully converted into goal by Vice-Captain VR Raghunath and took the lead in the first half of the match.

Japan earned two consecutive penalty corners in the first half but Indian defenders ruined both of their opportunities.

In the second half, Japanese equalized the score in 50th minute through a penalty corner. However, their celebration could not go beyond a minute as Gurvinder Singh Chandi scored the second goal in 51st minute and India took lead again.

India continued their domination and attacked the opponent through-out the second half. Full-back VR Raghunath scored again via penalty corner and sealed the victory for India.

India will now face Oman on Sunday, 23 December 2012.

Photo caption: Indian hockey team poses for a group photograph after they beat Japan in the Asian Champions Trophy in Doha on December 21, 2012.
Photo: Hockey India

Press release

Luge Asian Championship begins on Nagano

Nagano, Japan, December 21, 2012: The 15th edition of the Luge Asian Championship kicked off today in Nagano, Japan. The first three of the total 6 qualifying heats saw 21 athletes participate, with the ‘A’ seeded athletes from Japan, Korea, India and Taipei. Athletes who finish within 7% of the best time will be eligible to compete in the Asian Championship finals on the 23rd of December 2012.

Japan’s Hidenari Kanayama set the benchmark time in the first heat, with lightning speed time, taking 50.213 seconds to cover the 1300 meter long track.

The second heat saw India’s Shiva Keshavan come excruciatingly close to the Asian record start time with 3.192 seconds, just two thousandths of a second off the continental record. The final time for the second run was tied between Shiva and Hidenari both clocking exactly 50.492 seconds.

Last year’s champion Shiva Keshavan then took the lead in the third run with a time of 50.661 seconds with a top speed of 127.7 kmph.

The competition is all set for a nail-biting photo finish with the top three Luge athletes coming within 15 hundredths of a second of each other.

Shiva has been training so far with his Coach and former French Olympian Yann Fricheteau. Despite suffering two partial ligament tears in his shoulder this July, Shiva seems to be reaching his form in the right moment. Shiva has been in training all year to defend his title at this year’s Asian Championship.

The other competition categories include the Women's Singles, Junior’s and Luge men's doubles. The Asian Championship is being held under the International Luge Federation - Federation Internationale de Luge de Course (FIL), the Japanese Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton Federation (JBLF) and the Nagano Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton Federation (NBLSF). 

Earlier this season, Shiva had been training to participate in the World Cup circuit, as part of his mandatory Olympic Qualifiers for the Sochi Olympic Games in Russia in 2014. Shiva has already not been able to participate in 3 World Cups during this Season’s circuit since the Government has not supported him so far during the pre-Olympic year.

“It has been a tough year as I have been waiting for more than 6 months for government funding to come through. I am glad to be representing India here at the Asian Championship and will concentrate on doing my best. There has been a lot of support from so many people in India, so I hope to show my gratitude through my performance here. A special thanks to my sponsors MTS, Coca Cola India and Olympic Gold Quest.”

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is currently reviewing Shiva’s case for Government funding which will be instrumental in Shiva’s participation in the winter Olympic Games in 2014.

Press release

India blank China 4-0 in Asian Champions Trophy hockey

New Delhi, 20 December 2012: India started their campaign on a winning note in the 2nd Asian Champions Trophy being played at Doha, Qatar. India defeated China 4-0 in their opening match of the tournament on Thursday.

India scored through SV Sunil (13th minute), VR Raghunath (17thminute Penalty Corner & 52nd minute Penalty corner) and Birendra Lakra (53rd minute).

A fine field goal by SV Sunil in the 13th minute and a penalty corner conversion by vice-captain VR Raghunath in the 17^th minute gave India 2-0 lead at the halftime.

India put the game out of China’s reach when they scored two goals within a minute of each other. VR Raghunath scored via penalty corner in the 52nd minute and Birendra Lakra found the nets on a deflection from Rupinderpal Singh in the next minute.

India will now face Japan in their next game to be played on Friday.

Press release

Hockey India mourns Leslie Claudius death

NEW DELHI, 20 December 2012 : Hockey India condoled the death of the legendary Leslie Walter Claudius who passed away after a prolonged illness in Kolkata on Thursday.

The 85-year-old was among the country’s best known hockey players, having won three Olympic Gold medals in 1948 (London), 1952 (Helsinki) and 1956 (Melbourne). He added silver in 1960 at Tokyo Olympics when he captained the Indian team. The right-half was also the first player ever to earn 100 caps for India.

He is in the Guinness book of World Records along with Udham Singh for having won the most Olympic medals in hockey.  Claudius was among the legendary trio of Indian Hockey along with Major Dhyan Chand and Roop Singh.

Hockey India president Mariamma Koshy paid glowing tributes to Leslie Claudius. “We had the good fortune of being able to honour Leslie Claudius along with the other Golden Greats before the Olympic Games earlier this year. His death leaves a void that will be hard to fill,” she said.

Press release

Delhi Waveriders face Jaypee Punjab Warriors in Hockey India League opener

NEW DELHI, 20 December 2012: The Hockey India League (HIL) announced their inaugural season 2013 match schedule, which will start from January 14 and finish on February 10.

The world’s prominent hockey league will feature 34 matches in 28 days and will be played in five franchisee cities – Delhi, Jalandhar, Lucknow, Mumbai and Ranchi.

The opening ceremony will be held on January 14 at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi just before the first match of the League, where Delhi Waveriders will face Jaypee Punjab Warriors, featuring Australian hockey star Jamie Dwyer, at 20:00 hrs.

Jalandhar will host the second match at Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium where the home team Jaypee Punjab Warriors will face Ranchi Rhinos at 18:00 hrs on January 16. Mumbai Magicians will play their first match in New Delhi against Delhi Waveriders at 20:00 hrs the same day.

Uttar Pradesh Wizards will commence their contest against Jaypee Punjab Warriors in Jalandhar at 20:00 hrs on January 17.

Ranchi Rhinos’ Bisra Munda Hockey Stadium will host the first match on January 18 against Mumbai Magicians at 20:00 hrs.  The first home match of Uttar Pradesh Wizards will be played on January 19 against Delhi Waveriders at Guru Gobind Singh Sports College in Lucknow at 11:30 hrs.

Mumbaikars will watch their first home match at Mumbai Hockey Association Stadium on 20 January against Jaypee Punjab Warriors at 20:00 hrs.

The Republic Day will bring more joy to all fans as they will see the clash of titans on 26 January when Delhi Waveriders will lock their horns with Mumbai Magicians at 18:00 in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Wizards will try to tame Ranchi Rhinos at 15:00 in Lucknow.

Matches at Delhi, Jalandhar, Mumbai and Ranchi will be played under floodlights while matches in Lucknow will be played during daytime. Play-off semi-final matches will be played on  February 9 with the HIL Final being played at 20:00 hrs on 10 February. The venue for the Semi-finals and Final is yet to be decided. All the matches will be live on Star Sports.

Dr. Narinder Batra, Sectary-General of Hockey India and Chairman-Hockey India League stated: “We are very pleased to announce the confirmed match schedule for the first ever Hockey India League, which will feature many of the big hockey stars from around the world. It will be a real treat to hockey fans as they will see the toughest battles among the five teams. We are pretty sure that the HIL will become an unforgettable moment for all players, sponsors and spectators.”

HIL Press release

KOOH Sports launches SpeedStar

Mumbai, December 19, 2012: KOOH Sports is a company promoted by a group of successful entrepreneurs and corporate professionals with TCS and HDFC as its shareholders. The company is engaged in the business of sports promotion and education in India.

KOOH Sports today launched a first of its kind initiative called "SpeedStar", a talent hunt, to identify the fastest 100-metre running under-12, under-14 and under-16 year boys and girls in the country. PT Usha, an Olympian icon who has inspired an entire generation of Indian athletes, will be instrumental in driving and promoting this initiative across India along with KOOH Sports.

KOOH 'SpeedStar' will be rolled out in 11 locations- Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Sonepat - spreading its reach to identify the fastest kids in the country. The initiative is expected to touch 600 schools and over 20,000 children.

The final winners from each city will strike it out for the finale to be held on February 10, 2013 in New Delhi.

Talking on the initiative, Susir Kumar, Founder and Chairman, KOOH Sports said,"At KOOH Sports, we are committed to raise the stature of sports in the country and adopt initiatives at a grass root level to promote it. The launch of SpeedStar is aligned to raise the bar of sports education in India, and we are confident that our attempt to help kids adopt athletics early on, within the realm of sports education in the country, will be successful."

PT Usha, the brand ambassador for SpeedStar said, "I am very happy to be associated with KOOH Sports - a credible organization dedicated to promote sports in the country. The broad-based adoption of athletics - the foundation for all sports - is an imperative to churn out meaningful sportspersons for the country at a young and appropriate age. It is an honour to be associated with SpeedStar and I am confident that this initiative will help produce the fastest and youngest Indian athletes."

Press release from BWI

Bihar Police lose in pre-quarterfinal

Shashastra Seema Bal (SSB) edged out Bihar Police 3-1 in a pre-quarterfinal match of the 61st BN Mullik Memorial All India Police Football Championship in Patna on December 16, 2012. In another match, Kerala Police tamed Odisha 2-1 to book their berths in the quarterfinals.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

China complete clean sweep of titles

Hyderabad, December 16, 2012: China yet again completed a sweep of all titles on offer here at the Volkswagen 2012 World Junior Table Tennis Championships here on Sunday. Earlier in the week they had won both the boys’ and girls’ team titles.

The confirmation of a clean sweep came about when the only non-Chinese, Petrissa Solja, lost her semifinal match to Chinese top seed Zhu Yuling in the morning. And by the evening, Zhu rolled over Gu Yuting 4-0 for the girls crown.  

The speed with which she disposed of her opponent tells only half of the story. The other half is all about superior technique, appetite to add another feather to her crown and prove her top billing right. With equal felicity, she won several winners both off her back and forehands and was never in any sort of trouble after going 2-0 up. That summed up her resoluteness this evening.

Soon after Fan Zhendong overcame a two-game deficit to beat Lin Gaoyuan 4-2 (10-12, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 11-4) to claim the boys singles title. Fan took his time to size up his left-handed opponent and it cost him the first two games. Once Fan had things in his grip, it became easy as he went on to take the next four without much ado. Lin made a few service errors along the way and in the ultimate analysis proved dear.

Second-seeded pair of Fan Zhendong and Liu Gaoyang made a surprising recovery to beat the top-seeded compatriots Lin Gaoyuan and Gu Ruochen 4-3 (11-6, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8) to take gold in the boys doubles. Gu Yuting and Zhu Yuling downed Gu Ruochen and Liu Gaoyang 4-3 for girls double gold and the mixed doubles gold went to Fan Zhendong and Liu Gaoyang who beat the Lin Gaoyuan and Gu Ruochen combine 4-3.

Earlier, things became crystal clear which side of the balance is becoming heavier. No doubt, Germany’s Petrissa Solja, who excelled throughout, could not match the Chinese top seed Zhu Yuling as the latter won in straight sets. In the other semifinals, Gu Yuting defeated Gu Ruochen in the all-Chinese semifinal 4-1. In a way, the semifinals ended along expected line with the top two seeds entering the final.

A pre-determined Petrissa was straightaway into attack and went 6-3 up with her top spin play off back and forehands doing the tricks.  However, Zhu getting into her grove to level 6-6 but at 10-8 Petrissa held the advantage but her opponent saved two game points. At 11-10 Zhu took lead for the first time and a fortunate edge saw her taking the first game.

The German tried all the tricks in her bag but with her nerves settled, the Chinese had the measure of her rival. Petrissa’s receiving was poor in the second yet she ran the Chinese close. She was, however, unable to worker her angles as well and Zhu’s consistency saw her through. Though the pattern continued in the two games, the Chinese always had the upper hand to finish off the job.

Second-seeded Gu Yuting had a nervous start but overcame the early hiccups to go 1-0 up against Ruochen. Lacking in experience somewhat, Ruochen was struggling against Yuting’s controlled aggression. Yet Ruochen’s consistency level was good and that is what won her the third game. But that’s all she could do as Yuting’s percentage speed game kept improving and it had no answer from Ruochen.

The Results:

Junior Boys: Final: Fan Zhendong (Chn) bt Lin Gaoyuan (Chn) 10-12, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 11-4;Semifinals: Fan Zhendong (Chn) bt Fan Shengpeng (Chn) 11-5, 11-6, 11-6, 4-11, 11-4,  Lin Gaoyuan (Chn) bt Xu Chenhao (Chn) 11-4, 14-12, 7-11, 11-7, 7-11, 5-11, 11-6.

Doubles: Final: Lin Gaoyuan/Xu Chenhao (Chn) bt Fan Shengpeng/Fan Zhendong (Chn) 11-8, 11-9, 11-5, 11-6; Semifinals: Fan Shengpeng/Fan Zhendong (Chn) bt Hung Tzu-Hsiang/Lee Chia-Sheng (Tpe) 11-7, 13-11, 13-11, 11-8, Lin Gaoyuan/Xu Chenhao bt Yuto Muramatsu/Asuka Sakai (Jpn) 11-7, 15-13, 11-13, 11-2, 9-11, 11-5.

Junior Girls: Final: Zhu Yuling (Chn) bt Gu Yuting (Chn) 11-6, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8;Semifinals: Zhu Yuling (Chn) bt Petrissa Solja (Ger) 12-10, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7, Gu Yuting (Chn) bt Gu Ruochen 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5.

Doubles: Final: Gu Yuting/Zhu Yuling (Chn) bt Gu Ruochen/Liu Gaoyang (Chn) 8-11, 11-5, 5-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-4; Semifinals: Gu Yuting/Zhu Yuling (Chn) bt Miyu Maeda/Ayuka Tanioka (Jpn) 11-7, 12-10, 11-4, 11-3, Gu Ruochen/Liu Gaoyang bt Irina Ciobanu/Bernadett (Rou) 11-7, 2-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-2.

Mixed Doubles: Final: : Fan Zhendong/Liu Gaoyang (Chn) bt Lin Gaoyuan/Gu Ruochen (Chn) 4-11, 4-11, 12-10, 4-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-9; Semifinals: Lin Gaoyuan/Gu Ruochen (Chn) bt Xu Chenhao/Zhu Yuling (Chn) 11-8, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8, Fan Zhendong/Li Gaoyang (Chn) bt Frederick Jost/Petrissa Solja (Ger) 6-11, 13-10, 5-111, 11-1, 8-11, 11-3, 12-6.

TTFI Press release

German girl breaches China wall

Hyderabad, December 15, 2012: The Berlin Wall may have come down way back in 1989, but it took quite some time for Solja Petrissa, a German, to make a dent into the China wall here at the ongoing Volkswagen 2012 World Junior Table Tennis Championships here on Saturday.

Fifth-seeded Petrissa, who had beaten No. 1 seed Zhu Yuling in the team championships the other day, punctured the pride of China yet again, toppling fourth seed Liu Gayong 4-2 (6-11, 7-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8) to earn her entry into the semifinals where she will taken on Zhu Yuling tomorrow. ThusPetrissa has stopped a clean sweep of medals by China.

In girls’ other quarterfinals, Zhu Yuling had her anxious moments before overcoming her Romanian opponent Bernadette Szocs 4-0 while No. 2 seed Gu Yuting accounted for No. 7 Ayuka Tanioka of Japan 4-0 and fourth seeded Gu Ruochen defeated Lily Zhang, No. 10 seed, by the same margin of 4-0. The other semifinal pits Gu Yuting against Gu Ruochen.

What made Petrissa’s day here was the superb technique she adopted to counter her Chinese rival. The German was put up a great show of good service and equally good receive.

The 18-year-old Germany later admitted: “I watched her videos before the match and initially tried to play to her forehand but then I found she was good at it. So I changed strategy midway and played to her backhand. Initially I had problems with my serve too but as I began to play better, the serve too got better. I tried to focus on ball to ball and not push at the ball. Difficult to say if this is my best win as I cherish the title victory at the U-21 German open,” said the fifth seed.

As for the other Chinese who made the semifinal grade, their matches turned out to be one-sided affairs, including the one against Japanese Ayuka Tanioka whose rhythm was upset by Gu Yuting right from the word go.  

However, in the junior boys section, it will be all Chinese semifinals. Sixth seed Fan Shengpeng packed off No. 4 Simon Gauzy of France 4-3 in a thrilling quarterfinal match. The other quarterfinals did not generate the same kind of fervour with Fan Zhendong beating Yuto Muramatsu of Japan 4-1, Xu Chenhao demolishing Benedikt  of Germany 4-0 and Lin Gaoyuan completing the against Japanese Yoshida Masaki with a 4-1 verdict.

Indian challenge ends

Earlier in the day, the Indian challenge came to an end when Ayhika Mukerjee and Suthirtha Mukherjee exited in the pre-quarterfinals with their heads held high. Ayhika, proved to the best among the Indian lot, as she managed to take a game off her US opponent Zhang Lily, going down 11-9, 7-11, 6-11, 4-11, 7-11 while poor Suthirtha succumbed to the Chinese second seed Gu Yuting in straight sets.

Ayhika later admitted that her opponent was more experienced but she could have extended to one or two games more. “After winning the first game, I should have attacked more but Lily was too good with her backhand scorchers. She blocked well and her returns were too good,” said the 15-year-old Kolkatan.

But Suthirtha found herself pitted against a red hot Gu Yuting who is expected to reach the final here.  Expectedly, Gu sent down a barrage of forehands and backhands straightaway unsettling the Indian. The pattern continued throughout the 25-minute match that the No. 2 seed won 11-2, 11-6, 11-3, 11-3.  

Nevertheless, Suthirtha was happy about her performance here. “I got the right exposure here and I am happy about it. Playing against Gu was intriguing and it showed when I stood against an opponent of her caliber,” confessed Suthirtha.

In the boys section, two other seeds fell by the way in the morning when fifth and sixth seeded Asuka Sakai from Japan in the top half and Tristan Flore from France, respectively, bowed out in the round of 16. Sakai lost to unseeded Fan Shengpeng 1-4 while another unseeded Chinese Zu Chenhao blanked out Flore 4-0.

Results: Quarterfinals:

Junior Boys: Fan Zhendong (Chn) bt Yuto Muramatsu (Jpn) 11-7, 11-9, 13-11, 9-11, 12-10, Fan Shengpeng (Chn) bt Simon Gauzy (Fra) 8-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, Xu Chenhao (Chn) bt Benedikt (Ger) 11-9, 11-4, 11-7, 12-10, Lin Gaoyuan (Chn) bt Yoshida Masaki (Jpn) 13-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5.

Junior Girls: Solja Petrissa (Ger) bt Liu Gaoyang 6-11, 7-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8, Zhu Yuling (Chn) bt Bernadette Szocs (Rou) 11-8, 12-10, 11-6, 15-13, Gu Yuting (Chn) bt Ayuka Tanioka (Jap) 11-7, 12-10, 13-11, 11-3, Gu Ruochen (Chn) bt Lily Zhang (USA) 11-6, 11-2, 11-5, 11-9. 

A TTFI Press release

Teun de Nooijer is third Brand Ambassador of Hockey India League

FIH World Player of the Year: Teun de Nooijer 

New Delhi, December 15, 2012: Hockey India League is pleased to announce three times FIH World Player of the Year Teun de Nooijer as its third Brand Ambassador for the Hockey India League due to start in January 2013.

Hockey India Secretary General and Hockey India League Chairman Dr Narinder Batra said,”It is an immense honour for having Teun de Nooijer as our Brand Ambassador who has contributed more than 18 years to international hockey”.

“We already have two World Class players Jamie Dwyer and Sardar Singh on  board as our Brand Ambassadors, so its good to have world most highest capped player as our third Brand Ambassador”. 

Teun de Nooijer, 36 is the highest capped player in the world who represented The Netherlands in 453 international matches. Dutch midfielder, who made his debut in 1994 against New Zealand, has always been a key member of the Dutch team that participated in 4 Olympic Games including Atlanta 1996 (Gold), Sydney 2000 (Gold), Athens 2004 (Silver) and London 2012 (Silver) with three World Cups including Utrecht 1998 (Gold), Kuala Lumpur 2006 (Bronze) and New Delhi (Bronze). Having earned FIH World Player of the year award in 2003, 2005 and 2006 Teun de Nooijer participated in as many as nine Champions Trophy tournaments since 2000.

“It is an overwhelming privilege to join Jamie and Sardar as Brand Ambassadors for the Hockey India League. With such great players and some of the biggest Indian corporates involved, I have no doubt in my mind that Hockey India League will be a roaring success,” de Nooijer said.

The Bandits beat The Avengers in Touché Golf League 2012 Grand Finale

Bangkok, December 15, 2012:  Hyderabadi Bandits fought hard  to clinch the title of Touché Golf League 2012 at the Lotus Valley Golf Resort in Bangkok. Bandits won five out of eight matches from Kolkata’s The Avengers gang in match play format in the gladiator round of TGL.

Shashidhar Reddy and Ashwani Kumar Reddy were the top line golfers of the winning gang who won all four matches against their opponents Sunny C. Uthup and Siddharth Rai of The Avengers. Sridhar Reddy of The Bandits was 3 up against Aditya Khaitan of The Avengers while former India cricketer Venkatpathy Raju from Hyderabad also added 3 points to the total tally after winning against Sanjeev Sood.

After a hard battle between Bandit’s Rajeev Pandey and  Avengers' Pratul S. Rawat, Pandey closed the round by staying 2 up.

Former Asian Games gold medalist Lakshman Singh of Avengers was the only one who lived upto his gang’s expectations by winning all four matches from Bandits B. Chandrashekar.

There were other two who tried their level best for The Avengers - Deven Shah was 3 up against Mohan Tayal while Jayantha Gohain went 1 up from Manohar Reddy.

In Handicap category 0 to 9 – Mohit Verma was the winner with 39 points while Aditya Khaitan was the runner up. In Handicap category 10 to 17 – Davinder Shah was the winner with 41 points and runner up was Sanjiv Gupta with 39 points.

In 18+ Handicap category- Charandeep Singh Bal won with 45 points and Rajeev Srivastava became the runner up with 39 points.

Closest to pin - Sridhar Reddy – 3.6 feet

Longest Drive – Sameer – 259 Yards

Straightest Drive – Ravi Kumar Raju – Touching Line

Press release

Aussie Barry Dancer named head coach of Jaypee Punjab Warriors

 Barry Dancer

 Jagbir Singh

 Mohammad Riaz

Zafar Iqbal 

New Delhi, December 15, 2012: Jaypee Punjab Warriors, the forthcoming Hockey India League's Punjab Franchise, have appointed former Australian coach Barry Dancer as head coach of their team. Former Indian hockey team captain and coach, Zafar Iqbal will join the team as advisor.

This was decided in a meeting of the leadership team of Jaypee Punjab Warriors here on Saturday.

Former Indian hockey star, Jagbir Singh will be the coach and manager of the team while Mohammad Riaz, former Indian captain has also been roped in as coach. Zafar, Jagbir and Riaz are all Arjun awardees.

The Rs 20,000 Crore Jaypee Group, which has held two highly successful F1 races at their Buddh International Circuit, has taken Punjab franchise to promote hockey in India, and provide a platform to young Indian players to train to excel at international level.

All these coaches have had an illustrious career in hockey and the franchise promoters are excited about their participation from their side. 

“We have put together a highly competent coaching team, and are confident that we will be able to raise a highly competitive team of young and experienced players. We have taken the first step to promote hockey in India by participating in the league, and will continue to provide best training and coaching facilities to young Indian players so that they can play at international level and bring India back at top of the world hockey again,” said Manoj Gaur, Chairman of Jaypee Group.

Brief Profile

Barry Dancer – Head Coach, Jaypee Punjab Warriors

 Barry Dancer was Head Coach of Australian and Great Britain’s men hockey team for close to a decade and is currently working as the High Performance Director at Queensland Academy of Sport in Australia. Under his guidance, the Australian men’s hockey team won the 2008 & 2005 Champions trophy and Gold medal in 2006 & 2002 Commonwealth Games. He will now be the Head Coach of the Jaypee Punjab Warriors team in the Hockey India League.

Zafar Iqbal –  Advisor, Jaypee Punjab Warriors

Former India hockey star and Arjuna Awardee Zafar Iqbal was a member of the 1980 Summer Olympics field hockey team that won the last Olympic Gold Medal for India. He has captained Indian squad in various international events, among them being Asian Games, in 1982, 1983 Champions Trophy, and the 1984 Summer Olympics. He has also served as Chief National Coach and national selector for the Indian men’s hockey team.

Jagbir Singh – Coach  & Manager, Jaypee Punjab Warriors

Former India Captain and Arjuna Awardee Jagbir Singh was a member of the Indian men’s hockey team from 1985-95 and represented the country in all the major competitions like Olympic Games, World Cup, Asian Games, Asia Cup, Champions trophy etc. He also has the honor of being selected from India to represent the all star Asia XI, World XI and is one of the very few Indian players ever invited to play for the premier Club HTC Stuttgart Kickers in the German Hockey League from 1992-97. In 2004, Mr. Singh was appointed the coach of the national men’s hockey team that participated in 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Champions Trophy, India-Pak Test Series, India-France Test Series and India-Spain Series etc.

Mohammad Riaz – Coach, Jaypee Punjab Warriors

Former Indian hockey team captain, Mohd Riaz has been Indian national hockey team’s coach for the past several years, including working as Asst coach during the 2012 London Olympic games and 2012 Champions Trophy. Riaz is recipient of several sports awards, including 1998 Arjuna Award. 

Press release

Ranchi Rhinos name coaches and support staff for Hockey India League

NEW   DELHI, December 15, 2012: Gregg Clark, who is currently the head coach of South Africa men team, has been appointed as head coach of Ranchi Rhinos, one of the franchisees of Hockey India League starting from January 16 next.

Clark has been coaching the national side from the past 7 years. During this period his team has participated in Olympic Games 2008 and 2012, World Cup 2010 and  Commonwealth Games 2010. As a player, Gregg Clark has played more than 250 internationals for South Africa.

“I am looking forward in working with Ranchi Rhinos as a coach and I am hungry to win this inaugural tournament. India has best hockey talent available in the world which we will utilize to build a strong team in the inaugural season of HIL” said Clark.

Baljit Singh Saini (two times Olympian & Arjun award winner), who is also the head coach of Indian junior men hockey team has been appointed as a coach of the team.

Under Saini’s guidance Indian junior team has recently won silver medal at the Sultan of Johar Cup in Malaysia.

David Ian John, a vastly experienced     exercise physiologist from Australia, who worked with Indian national men’s hockey team for almost 18 months, will be the exercise physiologist of the team. During his tenure our Indian team has won medals in tournaments like Asian Champions Trophy, Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and many others.

David has landed in the city this morning from Australia for participation in the Players’ Auction to be held on December 16.

David Staniforth, who is currently the goalkeeping coach of South African national side, has also joined our team as a goalkeeping coach and video analyst.

Suresh Chauhan, co-owners of Ranchi franchisee and the leader of  the Ranchi team said     that the Ranchi Rhinos is born tough to win. “Ranchi is rich in hockey talent and this is the reason behind our decision to buy Ranchi team. We will look forward to promote hockey at grass root level not only in Ranchi but also in entire Jharkhand”, he said.

“We would like to thank FIH and Hockey India for taking the initiative of starting Hockey India League and giving us an opportunity to serve and save our national game-hockey, that has been neglected so far” he said.

Vikram Jain co-owners of Ranchi Rhinos based at Bangalore said that the people of Jharkhand were very happy that we had taken this effort to make hockey popular in State and they were excited about the HIL “Our aim and object is to nurture more and to produce more players of International standard with scientific training coaches available”, he said.

CEO-cum Team Manager of Ranchi Rhinos, Banti Singh, who hails from Kolkata and an ex-national hockey player said, “Appointment of the coaches and trainers is an important step towards ensuring that a balanced and best young team is selected. We are looking to draw from rich experience of technical support of our Indian coach and overseas experts as well to build a strong, aggressive and hungry team to win the tournament”.

Press release

Ayhika, Suthirtha enter pre-quarterfinals

Hyderabad, December 14, 2012: Using a rare combination of rubbers is like a double-edged sword. It cuts both ways. But for Ayhika Mukherjee, ranked 64 here, it yielded desired results as the 15–year-old first upset No. 6 seed Doo Hoi Kem from Hong Kong 4-3 and then accounted for No. 24 ranked South Korean Lee Dasom 3-1 to move into the pre-quarterfinals of the main draw at the ongoing Volkswagen 2012 World Junior Table Tennis Championships here on Friday.

Another hosts’ paddler, Suthirtha Mukherjee, who won 4-3 (11-2, 11-5, 11-8, 5-11, 7-11, 13-15, 11-8)against Caroline Kumahara, joined Ayhika in the round of 32 to keep the tricolor afloat on a day Manika Batra, India’s highest-ranked at No. 29, faltered to deceive and went down to eighth seeded Romanian Bernadette Szocs 4-2.

However, all the three boys—Sudhanshu Grover, Rohit Rajasekhar and Arjun Ghosh—failed after entering the main draw and surrendered meekly.

The entire burden of carrying India into the next round rested on Manika but she was outclassedBernadette Szocs 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 5-11, 11-3. Manika had earlier beaten Germany’s Anja Schuh 11-9, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7.

With the focus shifting to the two Mukherjee girls and with Ayhika in the best form of her life, it was left to the duo. Ayhika just rolled over the Korean without much trouble, but Suthirtha, after leading 3-0, wilted under constant pressure coming from her Brazilian opponent.

The fifth game between Suthirtha and Caroline turned out be the decisive in letting the latter grow in confidence. At 4-0 the Indian was broken by the Brazilian who took the next seven points on the trot to take the game. In the next, the Brazilian ran her opponent neck and neck before restoring parity. At 3-3, it was anybody’s match, but the Indian prevailed over Caroline to the delight of the crowd. In the first round Suthirtha accounted for Sandrfa Wabik of Poland 4-11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8

In fact, the girls were a notch better with five out of six making the grade, including local girl Karnam Spoorthy who was the lucky-loser entrant. The other girl, T. Reeth Rishya, who qualified from her group yesterday failed to use the opportunity.

Ayhika’s example should be an eye-opener for other juniors. The girls from Kotkata did the impossible, particularly after being down 1-3. No doubt, she took the first game rather easily but losing the next three not only drained her out emotionally but morally too. A pep talk with coach Kamalesh Mehta at the end of the fourth game did wonders for her.

From then on the teenager was a transformed person. The anti-rubber and forehand which provided a variety play to Ayhika put her on an advantageous position as her opponent was struggling to gauge the spin and speed. Ayhika’s went full blast and kept her chances alive after taking the fifth game. In the sixth, she kept her cool and won with a forehand winner. Then in the decider, the Indian was in complete command and slowed down cleverly to outwit the Hong Kong girl 11-8, 11-13, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8.

As was to expect in a world meet like this, the Chinese and the Japanese dominated the proceedings

.

Results: (Only Indians):

Junior Boys: Lee Chia Cheng (Tpe) bt Sudhanshu Grover 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-6, Antoine Hachard (Fra) bt Rohit Rajasekhar 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9, Lin Gaoyuan (Chn) bt Arjun Ghosh 11-3, 11-6, 11-1, 11-4.

Junior Girls: (Round 1): Manika Batra bt Anja Schuh 11-9, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7, Britt Eerland (Ned) bt T. Reeth Rishya 12-10, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8, Gu Rouchaen (Chn) bt Karnam Spoorthy 11-3, 11-5, 12-10, 11-1, Ayhika Mukherjee bt Doo Hoi Kem 11-8, 11-13, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8, Suthirtha Mukherjee bt Sandra Wabik (Pol) 4-11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8;(Round 2): Bernadette Szocs (Rom) bt Manika Batra 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 5-11, 11-3, Ayhika Mukherjee bt  Dasom Lee (Kor) 6-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10, Sutirtha Mukherjee bt Caroline Kumahara 11-2, 11-5, 11-8, 5-11, 7-11, 13-15, 11-8.

A TTFI Press release

Ayhika stuns sixth seed Doo Hoi Kem

Hyderabad, December 14, 2012: Using a rare combination of rubbers is like a double-edged sword. It cuts both ways. But for Ayhika Mukherjee, ranked 64 here, it yielded desired results. The 15–year-old played her heart out to upset No. 6 seed Doo Hoi Kem from Hong Kong 11-8, 11-13, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8 to move into the second round of the main draw at the ongoing Volkswagen 2012 World Junior Table Tennis Championships here on Friday.

On a day that saw the domination by Chinese, Japanese and Korean paddlers with just one upset, two other Indian girls joined Ayhika in the second round, providing a silver lining which the three boys—Sudhanshu Grover, Rohit Rajasekhar and Arjun Ghosh—failed after entering the main draw. They all, including Grover, surrendered meekly.

In fact, the girls were a notch better with five out of six making the grade, including local girl Karnam Spoorthy who was the lucky-loser entrant. The other girl, T. Reeth Rishya, who qualified from her group yesterday failed to use the opportunity.

Ayhika’s example should be an eye-opener for other juniors. The girls from Kotkata did the impossible, particularly after being down 1-3. No doubt, she took the first game rather easily but losing the next three not only drained her out emotionally but morally too. A pep talk with coach Kamalesh Mehta at the end of the fourth game did wonders for her.

From then on the teenager was a transformed person. The anti-rubber and forehand which provided a variety play to Ayhika put her on an advantageous position as her opponent was struggling to gauge the spin and speed. Ayhika’s went full blast and kept her chances alive after taking the fifth game. In the sixth, she kept her cool and won with a forehand winner. Then in the decider, the Indian was in complete command and slowed down cleverly to outwit the Hong Kong girl.

Ayhika next takes on Korean Lee Dasom who is ranked 24. But if only the Kolkatan can repeat what she did in the morning, Dasom can have some real problems.

As for Manika, highest ranked Indian at 29, Anja Schuh was no match as the former won 11-9, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 to quickly dispose of her German opponent. The Indian will next play Romanian Bernadette Szocs, who is seeded 8 here and someone who has proved her mettle in the team game. But it is not beyond Manika, who has had a very satisfying outing so far.

Suthirtha Mukherjee accounted for Sandrfa Wabik of Poland 4-11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8 in the first round and will take on Brazilian Caroline Kumahara, who is seeded No. 14 here.  Earlier, Caroline had beaten higher ranked South Korean Lee Zion. In other words, the Indian will be wary of his Brazilian opponent in the second round.

Results: (Only Indians):

Junior Boys: Lee Chia Cheng (Tpe) bt Sudhanshu Grover 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-6, Antoine Hachard (Fra) bt Rohit Rajasekhar 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9, Lin Gaoyuan (Chn) bt Arjun Ghosh 11-3, 11-6, 11-1, 11-4.

Junior Girls: Manika Batra bt Anja Schuh 11-9, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7, Britt Eerland (Ned) bt T. Reeth Rishya 12-10, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8, Gu Rouchaen (Chn) bt Karnam Spoorthy 11-3, 11-5, 12-10, 11-1, Ayhika Mukherjee bt Doo Hoi Kem 11-8, 11-13, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8, Suthirtha Mukherjee bt Sandra Wabik (Pol) 4-11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8. 

A TTFI Press release

Khalin Joshi wins the Final Qualifying Stage of the 2013 Qualifying School

Kolkata, December 14, 2012: Bangalore’s Khalin Joshi emerged winner by six strokes at the PGTI’s Final Qualifying Stage for the 2013 season which was played at the RCGC, Kolkata. Joshi totaled eight-under-280 for the tournament after he fired a four-under-68 in the final round on Friday. K Prabagaran of Sri Lanka and Matloob Ahmed Rana of
Pakistan were the joint runners-up with matching totals of two-under-286.

The top 39 players (+ ties) from the Final Qualifying Stage earned full cards for the 2013 PGTI season.

Khalin Joshi’s (68-71-73-68) fourth and final round of four-under-68 included five birdies and one bogey. Khalin found the green in two shots on the par-5 fourth hole to set up his first birdie of the day. He then chipped-in from the edge for another birdie on the fifth.Joshi’s lone bogey of the day came on the seventh and was followed by birdies on the ninth, 10th and 16th.

The 20-year-old Joshi, India’s no. 1 amateur in 2012, said, “This win gives me a lot of confidence ahead of my maiden professional season. My short-game was pretty sharp this week and I also putted well. I kept the ball in play which in turn helped me post some good scores.”

Joint runner-up K Prabagaran’s (75-74-70-67) final round of 67 was the best score of the day.

Matloob Ahmed Rana (70-72-72-72) was the joint runner-up along with Prabagaran.

Kolkata’s Rahil Gangjee claimed fourth position with an overall score of even-par-288.

Photo caption: Khalin Joshi receives the winner's trophy for the 2013 PGTI Q School from Arjun Atwal in Kolkata on December 14, 2012

Double delight for Thade

Chandrakiran L. Thade, International table tennis umpire

Hyderabad, December 13, 2012: It was a double whammy for Chandrakiran L. Thade, International Umpire, officiating at the World Junior Table Tennis Championships here at Hyderabad. The first good news was regarding his fourth meet and waiting for the interview to complete the process of the Blue Batch status, a certification which is a must for eligible to be officiating in Olympic Games. Even as he was celebrating his success, the news about his clearing the International Referee certification, too, came.

Thade, who is an Assistant Secretary at the central office of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) in Mumbai, joins the select band of double certification in table tennis, a rarity.

Thade said he owed his success to several people in the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), particularly its secretary-general Dhanraj Choudhary and N. Ganeshan, the only competition manager for International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) in India.  He considers them both as their mentors. He considers Ganeshan as his guru who helped him grow at every stage.

Thade now feels that he would like to help people from his fraternity. “This is the least I can give back to the sport and my fellow referees and umpires. I got something from my peers and would like to pass on the tricks of trade,” feels Thade.

With his motivation level touching a new high, Thade’s endeavour would be to represent the country in international championships and make the country proud.

A TTFI Press release

Manika, Rohit enter main draw; Arjun in hunt

Hyderabad, December 13, 2012: At least one Indian boy and one girl have made it to the main draw of the singles events at the ongoing Volkswagen 2012 World Junior Table Tennis Championships here on Thursday, lifting the drooping shoulders in the Indian camp.

With two paddlers from each group qualifying for the main draw, a couple of more Indians making the grade are very much in the realm of possibility. However, a clear picture about that likelihood will be known only after the last set of matches to be played later this evening.

Nevertheless, two boys—Arjun Ghosh and Rohit Rajasekhar—brought broad smiles and a lot of cheers on an otherwise a lengthy and dreary day at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium with their courageous performances. Taking advantage of their fifth and six entries as hosts, they made most of the opportunity that was provided to them.

Making their maiden appearances on the international scene, Arjun Ghosh and Rohit Rajasekhar delighted the home supporters, surprising their experienced opponents. What was striking about them was the way the duo displayed their skillful feat, toppling the more experienced Czechs.

In fact, Czech paddlers may not have anticipated something of this sort. Ghosh downed Michal Benes 15-13, 11-6, 11-8, 4-11, 16-14 to keep the Indian interest alive but what brought down the roof was Rohit’s class act. The match against Jakub Seibert not only kept the spectators glued to their seats, but even forced some of them lose a lot of nails as Rohit won by the thinnest of margins. Down 1-3, Rohit staged an excellent recovery to stun his opponent with a seven-game win 4-11, 11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 11-9, 14-12, 11-9.

At the end of a one and a half hours duel, the 14-year-old Ghosh paid tributes to his coach. “My coach told me to take advantage of Banes’ weak backhand and keep keeping the ball in play before going for the kill,” he said. Coach Bhawani Mukherjee said he told Ghosh to serve in the middle of the table and use short spin services.

The 16-year-old Rohit, unlike Ghosh, took his time to get used to the pace of his opponent. However hard he tried to slow down the game, the Indian was caught unawares at times. But some advice from the coach to keep his rival engaged saved the day for him. Rohit later admitted his folly of not able to adjust to the backhand drives of Seibert. “I realized his backhand was too strong for me so I had to play more to the centre and to the forehand.”

Manika Batra had an easy meat in Yousra Helmy of Egypt, winning her match 14-12, 11-5, 12-10, 11-4 and the Indian got a walkover from Lucia Truksova of Slovakia to move into the main draw.

The other qualifiers among boys are Chiu Chung Hei (Hkg), Choi Deo Khwa (Kor), Jang Woo Jin (Kor), Xu Chenhao (Chn), Jakub Dyjas (Pol), Leonardu Mutti (Ita), Frederik Jost (Ger), Konrad Kulpa (Pol), David Reitspies (Cze), Clerence Chew Zhe Yu (Sin), Tamas Lakatos (Hun), Kim Min Hyeok (Kor), Marc Rode (Ger), Hung Ka Tak (Hkg), Lim Jong Hoon (Kor), Liao Cheng-Ting (Tpe), Ondrej Bajger (Cze), Luka Fucec (Cro), Omar Bedair (Egy) and Adam Szudi (Hun).

As for the girls, Britt Eeerland (Ned),  Lee Ching Wan (Hkg), Miyu Kato (Jpn), Nina Mittelham (Ger), Yumi Jung (Kor), Bernadett Balint (Rou), Lea Rakovac (Cro), Lee Dasom (Kor), Theresa Kraft (Ger), Marina Berho (Fra), Alina Arlouskaya (Blr), Sandra Wabik (Pol), Minnie Soo Wai Yam (Hkg), Katsiary Baravok (Blr), Laura Pfefer (Fra), Lam Yee Lok (Hkg), Chiu Ssu-Hua (Tpe), Yousra Helmy (Egy) and Carelyn Cordero (Pur).

Results: (Only Indians):

Group 2: Li Ching Wan (Hkg) bt Ayhika Mukerjee 12-10, 12-10, 11-4, 11-6; Group 3: Miyu Kato (jpn) bt T. Reeth Rishya 11-6, 1-13, 11-6, 11-7; Group 5: Yumi Jung (Kor) bt Suthirtha Mukherjee 11-8, 11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 12-10; Group 6: Bernadett Balint (Rou) bt Mallika Bhandarkar 4-11, 10-12, 11-3, 12-10, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8; Group 8: Dasom Lee (Kor) bt Karnam Spoorthy 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7; Group 13: Manika Batra bt Yousra Helmy (Egy) 14-12, 11-5, 12-10, 11-4, Manika Batra got a walkover from Lucia Truksova of Slovakia.

Group2: Choi Deo Khwa (Kor) bt Utkarsh Gupta 11-6, 11-2, 11-8, 11-9; Group 4: Xu Chenhao (Chn) bt Abhishek Yadav 11-2, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6; Group 7: Frederic Jost (Ger) bt Sudhanshu Grover 11-1, 11-5, 10-12, 13-11, 10-12, 14-12 11-3; Group 16: Lim Jong Hoon (Kor) bt Sabhay Virmani 11-4, 11-7, 11-6, 11-4; Group 22: Arjun Ghosh bt Michal Benes (Cze) 15-13, 15-6, 15-8, 4-11, 16-14; Group 23: Rohit Rajasekhar bt Jakub Seibert (Cze) 4-11, 11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 11-9, 14-12, 11-9.

A TTFI Press release

Khalin Joshi stays ahead in round three of the Final Qualifying Stage

Kolkata, December 13, 2012: Khalin Joshi (68-71-73) of Bangalore maintained his lead in round three of the PGTI’s Final Qualifying Stage for the 2013 season being held at the RCGC, Kolkata. Joshi fired a one-over-73 in round three to take his total score to four-under-212. Khalin, who now enjoys a two-stroke lead, made three birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey in the third round on Thursday.

Pakistan’s Matloob Ahmed Rana (70-72-72) was placed second at two-under-214 while Kolkata’s M Nazir Ali (71-73-72) was in third place with a total score of even-par-216.

Kolkata’s Rahil Gangjee (74-69-75) occupies joint fifth position with an overall score of two-over-218.

The second round was completed earlier in the day with Khalin Joshi emerging as the leader. The cut was declared at 12-over-156 at the end of round two. Eighty players made the cut.

At the end of round four on Friday, the top 39 players will earn full cards for the 2013 PGTI season.

Press release

Chinese paddlers sweep team championships titles

Hyderabad, December 12, 2012: The China wall was too strong and too long to penetrate. As expected  the Chinese paddlers swept clean the team championships titles, for anything less could have prompted shake-ups in the government bureaucracy that oversees the sport back home.

After all, table tennis is a source of national pride in China with some even jokingly calling it ‘China ball.’ Hence, it was no surprising that their boys and girls teams giving a thrashing to Japan at the ongoing Volkswagen 2012 World Junior Table Tennis Championships here on Wednesday. The verdicts: boys won 3-1 and the girls 3-0.

When Zhendong Fan began in a whirlwind fashion against Masaki Yoshida to win 11-9, 11-5, 11-7, it looked as if the Chinese were going through the motions. The impression got strengthened further when Gaoyuan Lin accounted for Yuto Muramatsu in straight games of 11-3, 11-9, 11-4. But the Chinese perhaps didn't reckon that Asuka Sakai could match their wits against Chenhao Xu 6-11, 13-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9 to delay the inevitable. Then Zhendong Fan took charge and countered the defensive Muramatsu well. Despite taking a game off his Chinese rival, Muramatsu couldn't do much against a clever Fan, who slowed down his game to give the Japanese a measure of his own medicine.

Gu Yuting and Zhu Yuling had been there and seen it before. After all, they were part of the squad that lost to Japan in 2010 championships. That loss at Bratislava—the only time they lost—must have been still rankling in their minds when they took on the Japanese in the final here.

There was a pattern to the Chinese win here. Yuling Zhu gave a perfect start winning 3-0 against Mima Ito 3-0 before Yuting Gu, though a little patchy, running over Ayuka Tanioka for a similar score line. Incidentally, Tanoika too was part of the winning squad at Bratislava in the final two years ago. But the spark was missing from the Japanese. Without prolonging their agony, Ruochen Gu put the issue beyond Miyu Maeda to win 3-1. 

It must be said to the credit of Ito, all of just 12, taking on the experienced Zhu, particularly in the second game. The Japanese had chances coming her way, but the 17-year-old Chinese was a hard nut to crack. Her attacking strokes, both off back and forehands, were too scorching for Ito.

In comparison, Taioka was too defensive and it had paid dividends in her earlier matches. But the clever Yuting was up to the task and simply rolled over her opponent without giving any hint of being troubled despite having been stretched by the Japanese teenager. In the third game, Yuting marched ahead at 8-2 and accomplished the job very efficiently.

Unlike her teammates, Ruochen Gu is a first-timer at the worlds and she had a match in Miyu Maeda it was her first Volkswagen World Junior Championships final. No doubt, the southpaw from Japan took the first game, attacking her way to penetrate into the loose defence of Gu. But the Chinese was too quick to get into her rhythm to level and employing her topspin to great effect decimated Maeda in the next three games for the set and the championship title.

Earlier, Romanian boys outwitted South Korea 3-2 and USA downed Croatia 3-1 to end their campaign here at fifth and sixth positions, respectively. Among the girls, it was Chinese Taipei who finished fifth, beating Poland 3-1 and Germany defeated Hong Kong 3-2 to end behind them. 

The Results:

Junior Boys (Final): China bt Japan 3-1 (Zhendong Fan bt Masaki Yoshida 11-9, 11-5, 11-7, Gaoyuan Lin bt Yuto Muramatsu 11-3, 11-9, 11-4, Chenhao Xu lost to Asuka Sakai 11-6, 11-13, 6-11, 11-7, 9-11, Zhendong Fan bt YutoMuramatsu 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6).

Positions 5-8: Romania bt South Korea 3-2, USA bt Croatia 3-1.

Junior Girls (Final): China bt Japan 3-0 (Yuling Zhu bt Mima Ito 11-6, 13-11, 11-3, Yuting Gu bt Ayuka 11-9, 11-8, 11-2, Ruochen Gu bt Miyu Maeda 9-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-4).

Positions 5-8: Chinese Taipei bt Poland 3-1, Germany bt Hong Kong 3-2. 

A TTFI Press release

Khalin Joshi is the clubhouse leader on day two of the Final Qualifying Stage

Kolkata, December 12, 2012: Khalin Joshi (68-71) of Bangalore emerged as the clubhouse leader on day two of the PGTI’s Final Qualifying Stage for the 2013 season being held at the RCGC, Kolkata. Joshi, who shot a 71 in round two, now has a total score of five-under-139.

Anil Mane (72-69) of Mumbai is placed second with a total score of three-under-141 while Pakistan’s Matloob Ahmed Rana (70-72) is in third place at two-under-142.

Kolkata’s Rahil Gangjee (74-69) occupies fourth position with an overall score of one-under-143.

The second round could not be completed on Wednesday due to rain. Fifteen golfers out of a total of 128 were yet to finish round two when play was suspended due to fading light. The second round will be completed on Thursday morning before the cut with the top 80 players (+ ties) is declared. The third round will commence thereafter on Thursday.

At the end of round four on Friday, the top 39 players will earn full cards for the 2013 PGTI season.

Press release