10 paddlers for Asian meet at Busan

New Delhi, June 28, 2013: A 10-member team, spearheaded by Achanta Sharah Kamal in the men’s section and national champion K. Shamini in the women’s section, will be seen in action during the Asian Championships at Busan, between June 30 and July 7.

The other male paddlers of the team include Soumyajit Ghosh, Sanil Shetty, Harmeet Desai and Anthony Amalraj while women’s section will form veteran Mouma Das, Neha Aggarwal, Madhurika Patkar and Anikta Das, who is returning to the fold after recovering from injury.

Both Bhawani Mukherjee and Arup Basak will be the coaches while Arun Kumar Banerjee who, as manager of the contingent, will accompany the team at the eight-day championships in the Korean city. All the team members will be directly reaching Busan from Japan where they had gone to compete in the Japan World Tour. After that, they stayed on there to train for the Busan championships.

All the players will be participation both in team and individual events, according to Bhawani Mukherjee. “Though they had an up-and-down like performances at the World Tour event in Japan, their subsequent training in Japan has brought them into shape for the Asian meet,” he said from Tokyo.

During the championships, the Asian Table Tennis Union AGM and elections will be held. For the newly-elected president of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) P.C. Chatuvedi, it will be the first ATTU Congress that he will be attending along with ATTU treasurer and TTFI secretary-general Dhanraj Choudhary.

Chaturvedi will be representing the country at the Congress as a first delegate. Choudhary is likely to be retained as treasurer for the ATTU during the elections. Both have the voting rights.

Ganeshan Neelakanta Iyer will be the deputy referee for the championships while Amit Singh will participate as an umpire.

A TTFI Press release

Lahiri eclipses Shamim in playoff to win title

Anirban Lahiri (C) receives the winning cheque from Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI (L) and Mr. Campbell Elliot, GM, Oxford G & CC at Oxford Golf and Country Club in Pune on June 28, 2013

Pune, June 28, 2013: Anirban Lahiri of Bengaluru gave himself a great birthday present one day before his 26th birthday when he eclipsed Shamim Khan of Delhi in a playoff to win the PGTI Players Championship being played at the Oxford Golf & Country Club in Pune. The two players headed for a playoff after being tied at the top of the leaderboard with total scores of 10-under-278 at the end of the regulation 72 holes. Anirban finally won after making birdie on the playoff hole even as Shamim made par.

Anirban Lahiri (70-68-71-69), who was overnight fourth and three strokes off the lead, fired five birdies against two bogeys in his final round of 69. He began the day on a positive note by driving the green on the par-4 second hole and subsequently earning a birdie there. The three-time winner on the Asian Tour then found the green in two shots on the par-5 fourth hole to pick up another birdie. Lahiri went through a rough patch on the fifth and sixth where a couple of erratic approach shots by him resulted in bogeys.

Anirban got back into his groove with a birdie on the ninth. He had a poor tee shot on the 13th but recovered well with a great second shot and a 15-feet birdie putt to gain further momentum. Lahiri drew level with Shamim for the lead after he chipped it within a foot to set up a birdie on the 15th.

Lahiri finally prevailed on the first playoff hole (ninth hole) as Shamim struggled to recover after landing his tee shot in the rough. Anirban found the fairway with his tee shot and then landed his third shot within a foot of the pin to bag a birdie on the par-5 hole. The Bengaluru-based golfer thus lifted his 11th professional title which also happened to be his eighth on the PGTI.

“I’m delighted to win on the PGTI after a long gap of over two years. I enjoy playing at the Oxford Golf & Country Club as I have now won two titles here. The course layout suits my style of play. The birdie after getting out of trouble on the 13th gave me some momentum. My putting was very poor today and I missed a lot of birdie putts especially on the last three holes. I got a little lucky today as I would’ve needed at least two or three more birdies to win on any other day. I knew I was in with a terrific chance after Shamim found the rough with his tee shot during the playoff,” said Lahiri, who finished runner-up at an Asian Tour event last week.

Shamim Khan (71-67-68-72), the overnight leader, made four birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey in his final round of 72. Shamim’s second shot on the fifth found thick grass and led to a double-bogey. He was unlucky on the seventh where he drove it well but the ball got stuck in a stone resulting in a bogey. The bright spot in his round was a 25-feet birdie conversion on the 14th.

Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera and Rahil Gangjee of Kolkata shared third place with matching totals of eight-under-280.

Faridabad’s Abhinav Lohan and Himmat Singh Rai of the DLF Golf & Country Club were in tied fifth place at seven-under-281.

Moinuddin Malak with a total score of seven-over-295, was the highest-placed Pune golfer in tied 37th place.

Press release

Shamim Khan shines in round three to emerge leader

 Shamim Khan

Pune, June 27, 2013: Shamim Khan of Delhi carded a resolute four-under-68 to emerge leader in round three of the PGTI Players Championship being played at the Oxford Golf & Country Club in Pune. Shamim’s total moved to 10-under-206 after his superb third round effort. Rahil Gangjee of Kolkata returned the day’s best score of five-under-67 to be placed second. Gangjee is now breathing down Shamim’s neck with a nine-under-207 total.

Shamim Khan (71-67-68), who was overnight tied third and one stroke off the lead, earned successive birdies on the fifth and sixth holes to make a move up the leaderboard. The 35-year-old reigning Rolex Rankings champion sank a 40-feet birdie putt on the fifth. A poor chip resulted in a bogey for Shamim on the seventh but he picked up a birdie on the ninth to make the turn at two-under.

Shamim’s back-nine featured a chip-in for birdie on the 13th, two birdie conversions from a range of 12 to 15 feet on the 14th and 17th as well as a birdie on the closing 18th. The professional from the Delhi Golf Club also dropped bogeys on the 11th and 15th as a result of a couple of three-putts. He thus ended up with seven birdies and three bogeys.

“I had a steady first round but my game picked up from round two onwards. I’ve been putting much better and have also hit my irons closer over the last two days as compared to round one. I rate the sixth as a very tough hole since one can’t sight the fairway from the tee and the green is also very tight. I was therefore delighted to make a birdie on the sixth today. I’ve not been finishing my rounds well in the last few events. But I feel I’ve managed to improve that aspect of my game this week,” said Shamim, a winner of nine professional titles.

Rahil Gangjee (72-68-67), climbed from overnight tied eighth to second place after shooting the day’s best score of 67. Gangjee’s eventful round included seven birdies against two bogeys. Rahil, a former winner on the Asian Tour, rolled in birdie putts from 40 and 20 feet on the seventh and 17th respectively. The 34-year-old landed his approach shots within five feet to set up birdies on the first and 18th and also produced two excellent chip-putts for birdies on the fourth and 11th. His two bogeys on the sixth and eighth were a result of three-putts on both occasions.

Gangjee said, “I’ve gotten to know this course more with each passing round and have accordingly adjusted my game. I now have a better understanding of the green speed and the distance the ball carries in the air. This in turn has helped me play better. My putting stroke was also a lot smoother than the previous two rounds.”

Kolkata’s Shankar Das (67-70-71), the overnight joint leader, slipped to third place after returning a 71 on Thursday. His total stands at eight-under-208.

Anirban Lahiri (70-68-71) of Bengaluru is in fourth place at seven-under-209. Sri Lankan Mithun Perera (70-70-70) is a further stroke back in fifth position.

Delhi’s Rashid Khan, the overnight joint leader, slipped to tied sixth at five-under-211 after firing a 74 in round three. He shares sixth place along with fellow Delhi golfers Chiragh Kumar, Himmat Singh Rai and Vinod Kumar.

Moinuddin Malak (77-69-72), with a total score of two-over-218, is currently the highest-placed Pune golfer. He is placed tied 32nd.

Rashid, Shankar on top at halfway stage

 Rashid Khan

Shankar Das

Pune, June 26, 2013: Delhi’s Rashid Khan and Kolkata’s Shankar Das share the lead after round two of the PGTI Players Championship being played at the Oxford Golf and Country Club in Pune. Rashid shot a five-under-67, the day’s joint best score, to join Shankar Das at the top of the leaderboard at seven-under-137. Shankar fired a two-under-70 on Wednesday.

Bengaluru’s Anirban Lahiri is one stroke off the lead in tied third along with the Delhi duo of Shamim Khan and Vinod Kumar.

The cut was declared at three-over-147. Fifty professionals made the cut.

Shankar Das (67-70), the overnight leader, made a solid start in round two with seven straight pars. Das rolled in a 10-footer for his first birdie of the day on the eighth. A brilliant chip set up a birdie for Shankar on the ninth and took his score to two-under for the round. Two poor shots on the 13th led to a bogey for the soft-spoken golfer. Das closed the day on a high after securing a birdie on the 18th. He hit an astonishing approach shot from 115 yards out on the 18ththat hit the edge of the hole and lipped out.

Shankar said, “I was solid through the day. My focus was on shooting an under-par score in order to stay on track for the last two days. The sand-wedge approach shot on the 18th was my best shot of the tournament so far and helped lift my confidence a great deal. However, the chipping was disappointing in round two. I need to chip better in order to stay in contention.”   

Rashid Khan (70-67), who was overnight tied third, began the day with a bogey on the 10th but then rallied with four successive birdies from the 13th through the 16th. He knocked in a 10-feet putt on the 13th and followed that up with a 15-feet conversion on the 14th. Rashid, who finished second in the 2012 Rolex Rankings, kept up the good work with clinical chip-putts for birdies on the 15thand 16th. He picked up two more birdies on the fifth and ninth to end the day with a laudable 67.

Rashid said, “I hit 15 greens in regulation on both days but I grabbed more chances on the greens in the second round. The weather conditions were much better today as it just drizzled for a brief spell in the morning. I felt more comfortable on the course today and thus shot a lower number.”

Anirban Lahiri (70-68), Shamim Khan (71-67) and Vinod Kumar (70-68) are placed tied third at six-under-138. Lahiri’s bogey-free 68 featured a chip-in from 15 feet for birdie on the 14th. Shamim Khan’s 67 was the joint best score of the day along with Rashid Khan’s round.

Himmat Singh Rai of the DLF Golf & Country Club and Md Zamal Hossain Mollah of Bangladesh share sixth place at five-under-139.

Saurabh Bhaduri (71-72), with a total score of one-under-143, is currently the highest-placed Pune golfer in tied 24th.

Defending champion Om Prakash Chouhan (77-78) of Mhow missed the cut as he totaled 11-over-155 after the first two rounds.

Hockey India contributes Rs 10 lakh to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for Uttarakhand victims

New Delhi, June 25, 2013: Hockey India on Tuesday contributed Rs 10 lakh to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to help the flood victims of Uttarakhand.

“Hockey India conveys its deepest concerns for the affected people of the Uttarakhand tragedy and being a national sports body we feel our duty to contribute in the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. It’s a small gesture to help the state during this calamity” Dr Narinder Batra, secretary general, Hockey India said.

“Hockey India is committed to making any similar contribution in the future also, whenever it is needed for the cause of humanity” Dr Batra further added.

Press release

India not yet ready for regulating sports betting, says Delhi Police special commissioner SN Srivastava

New Delhi, June 25, 2013. The time is not ripe for legalizing betting in sports as it could not be established at this stage that such an action will bring down match fixing, said  S N Srivastava, Special Commissioner, Delhi Police, at FICCI’s interactive session on ‘Regulating Sports Betting: Way Forward to Counter Match Fixing’

In the light of incidents of match and spot fixing in the recently concluded IPL in India, many stakeholders are advocating creation of a new stricter legal framework and legalization of sports betting to keep a check on match and spot fixing.

The moderator of the session Sanjiv Paul, Chairman Sports Committee and MD, Tata Metaliks, voiced the misgivings in the minds of stakeholders on sports betting, its possible regulation and issues related to addictive tendencies of vulnerable classes. 

Srivastava who is heading the team investigating the IPL fixing case said while on the one hand, regulating sports betting can help in generating revenues in the form of taxes from betting operators and will play as a deterrent for the young who indulge in the act. On the other hand, he said, we must not forget that betting is not approved by our society and we also lack the requisite education and awareness in this regard.

He agreed that India is in need of stringent laws in sports but the country is not yet ready to accept regulation in betting. He suggested that legalizing of betting could be considered 10-15 years later.

Albert Climent, founder, Bluesea-Gaming.com and Adviser, Asian Gambling Brief, assured that India is ready for regulating sports betting and it will reduce match fixing because the authorities will work in tandem with betting operators and not against them. The betting operators will not encourage match fixing as they would want to earn profits and will be answerable to the authorities.

But here it must be kept in mind that only reliable operators are issued licenses and they comply with all the pre-requisites. He pointed out that it would be easier to track the flow of money and once India legalizes betting, it will automatically come under the ring fence which will allow Indians to bet with Indians only and help in keeping the Indian money spent on betting in the country itself.

While sharing his views on the subject, George Oborne, managing director, India Bet.com, said that he is in favour of legalizing sports betting in India and gave examples of regulated markets where match fixing reduced considerably after betting became legal. However, he emphasized that laws need to be rebuilt and rewritten from India’s viewpoint to make this framework effective. 

Vidushpat Singhania, senior associate, Lakshmikumaran and Sridharan Attorneys, stated that sports is marred by two evils – doping and match fixing and later is a bigger menace. FICCI report shows that betting market in India is around Rs. 300,000 crore, hence we first need to assess how accurate this number is, how big is the betting industry and what are the other intricacies that have to be taken care of before regulating betting in sports. Then, a social impact study will have to be undertaken and a committee will have to be set up where all the relevant stakeholders must be consulted on the issue. Betting needs to be regulated but there are many issues which have to be dealt with first.

Harsimran Kalra, public policy scholar, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, said that first it must be ascertained, who are the people who indulge in this activity and have sufficient data on it. Then we should look at the money transfers that take place and determine the source and amount. Another aspect which must be considered is the impact of regulating sports betting on society.

Abhijit Sarkar, co-chairman, Sports Committee and Head Corporate Communication, Sahara India Pariwar, said that at present ambience in sports arena in India is gloomy due to the spot fixing scandal in cricket. Fixing is not new in sports. Besides cricket fixing is rampant in football. However in most of the incidents, the accused is not punished because of lack of evidence and legal framework. Hence, we need to restore faith in sports by putting in place deterrents and harsher punishments.

Press release

Shankar Das posts a gallant 67 for the first round lead

 Clouds descend on the Sahyadri Hills surrounding the Oxford Golf  and Country Club near Pune on 

June 25, 2013

Shankar Das of Klokata

Pune, June 25, 2013: Shankar Das of Kolkata posted a gallant five-under-67 in difficult weather conditions to grab the first round lead at the PGTI Players Championship being played at the Oxford Golf & Country Club in Pune. Md Zamal Hossain Mollah of Bangladesh is two strokes off the lead in second place.

The scoring conditions were tough as the day witnessed light rain accompanied by a gentle breeze. As a result it turned out to be a high-scoring day.

Shankar Das produced six birdies against a lone bogey in his opening round of 67. The three-time winner on the PGTI started his tournament with a birdie on the 10th, his first hole of the day. He fired his approach shot from 145 yards within a foot of the hole on the 10th. The 30-year-old Shankar then sank a seven-footer for birdie on the 16th. His lone bogey came on the 17th where he three-putted.

Das knocked down four birdies on his second nine when the playing conditions were the toughest. He converted an eight feet putt for birdie on the third and followed that up with a brilliant chip from the edge to set up a birdie on the fourth. Shankar went on to pick up two more birdies on the fifth and ninth after landing his approach shots within six feet on both occasions.

“My iron-play was excellent today. I hit a splendid second shot with the nine-iron on the 10th and also produced an accurate five-iron shot on the fifth. The driving was good, particularly on the fourth which I consider one of the tougher holes on this course due to its layout. One has to find the centre of the fairway with the tee shot on the fourth in order to avoid the fairway bunker and the rough on the right. I managed to find the middle of the fairway by hitting the right line,” said Shankar, who had three birdies on the trot from the third through the fifth.

He added, “The chipping set up some opportunities for me which I converted by making the putts. I adapted well to the wet conditions by keeping my hands dry and hitting low shots. I know I can perform well this week as I have already posted two top-20s on the Asian Tour this year.”

Md Zamal Hossain Mollah’s round of 69 was characterized by some remarkable wedge shots. His first birdie of the day came on the second where he landed his lob wedge shot from 60 yards out to within 10 feet of the flag and subsequently holed the putt. The light-eyed Dhaka lad picked up his second birdie on the fourth hole as his chip stopped within three feet of the pin. The 28-year-old Zamal made the turn at three under after firing a birdie on the ninth thanks to a near-perfect chip from the edge that missed the hole by a couple of inches.

Mollah’s three-putt from six feet on the 13th led to his only bogey of the day. The double-winner on the PGTI bagged his last birdie of the round on the 15th after converting a 10-footer.

Zamal said, “I chipped really well today and followed that up with some consistent putting. I had 26 putts in all. I capitalized on the first two par-5 holes, the fourth and ninth, with some accurate hitting that helped me find the edge of the green in two shots on both occasions.

“I’m quite confident of performing well this week since I’ve had a good season so far with three top-10s. I’ve also shot some good scores at this venue in the past,” added Zamal, who currently lies 13th in the Rolex Rankings.

Bangalore’s Anirban Lahiri, one of the pre-tournament favourites, shot a two-under-70, to be tied third along with fellow Bangalore golfer Chikkarangappa S, Delhi golfers Rashid Khan, Vinod Kumar, Himmat Singh Rai, Honey Baisoya, Siddharth Semwal, as well as Sri Lankans Mithun Perera and N Thangaraja.

Saurabh Bhaduri is the highest-placed Pune golfer in tied 12th at one-under-71 along with five others including Shamim Khan and Digvijay Singh.

Defending champion Om Prakash Chouhan is placed tied 78th after a round of five-over-77.

Sujjan Singh of Chandigarh, who won the 2011 edition of the PGTI Players Championship at Oxford Golf & Country Club, withdrew due to a wrist injury.

Straight out of a picture book

The setting at the Oxford Golf and Country Club on Tuesday seemed to be straight out of a picture book as clouds descended upon the hills surrounding the course on three sides. The clouds were literally within touching distance of the course even as the drizzle, wind and low visibility during the second half of the round made life difficult for the professionals. The hills surrounding the course are a part of the Sahyadri Range also known as the Western Ghats.

Press release

Leading professionals for PGTI Oxford Golf and Country Club Championships

Pune, June 24, 2013: The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has announced the PGTI Players Championship which is scheduled to be held at the Oxford Golf and Country Club near Pune from June 25 to 28. The tournament carries a total prize purse of Rs 30 lakh.

The tournament will feature the likes of top Indian professionals such as Anirban Lahiri, Shamim Khan (Reigning Rolex Rankings champion), Himmat Singh Rai, Digvijay Singh, Chiragh Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, defending champion Om Prakash Chouhan, Sujjan Singh, Rahil Gangjee, Harendra Gupta, Shankar Das, Manav Jaini, Rashid Khan, Abhijit Singh Chadha, Ajeetesh Sandhu and Vinod Kumar, to name a few.

 The top foreigners in the field include Mithun Perera (Sri Lanka), Kunal Bhasin (Australia) and Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (Bangladesh). The leading golfers from Pune participating in the event include Rajiv Datar, Jaideep Patwardhan, Moniuddin Malak, Saurabh Bhaduri, Sameer Shaikh, Pravin Pathare and Aditya Bhandarkar.

Mr. Campbell Elliot, General Manager Oxford Golf & Country Club, said, “Oxford is proud to be associated with India’s golf professionals and it is with great delight that we welcome all participants back to the Oxford Golf and Country Club for the Players Championship.  We wish all competitors the best of luck and hope that everyone enjoys the course, hospitality and Pune’s wonderful weather.”

Mr. Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI, said, “We begin the second half of our 2013 season with a strong player field at the picturesque Oxford Golf  and Country Club. The city of Pune is fast emerging as a major golfing centre in India and this tournament gives local professionals an opportunity to take on the best in the country in favourable home conditions. We look forward to an exciting week of golf and thank the Oxford Golf and Country Club for their strong support to professional golf.”

The picturesque Oxford Golf Course, designed by Phil Ryan, is built on 136 acres of horse-shoe shaped land surrounded by the Sahyadri Hills on three sides. There is a height difference of 88 metres within the golf course. The large greens and sparkling white sand bunkers also give the course a distinct identity. The overall landscaping is designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding hills.

Press release

Hazaribagh win LIC East-Central Zone volleyball title

Patna, June 24, 2013: Hazaribagh beat Muzaffarpur 25-18, 25-7, 25-13 to clinch the LIC East-Central Zone Volleyball Tournament title at the Moinul Haq Stadium here on Sunday.

Cuttack defeated Bhubaneswar 25-23, 25-22 to get the third place.

D Some, LIC regional manager (marketing), gave away the prizes. 

Muzaffarpur, Hazaribagh in LIC volleyball semifinals

Patna DO-II and Cuttack players in action during their LIC East-Central Zone Volleyball Tournament match in Patna on June 22, 2013

Patna, June 22, 2013: Muzaffarpur, Hazaribagh, Cuttack and Bhuabaneswar reached the semifinals of the East-Central Zone LIC Volleyball Tournament finishing top in their respective pools at the Moinul Haq Stadium here on Saturday.
In the pool matches, Cuttack beat Patna DO-II 25-22, 25-14, Bhubaneswar beat Patna DO-I 25-13, 25-8 and Behrampur beat Sambalpur 25-16, 25-23.

Bihar rugby football team in pre-quarterfinals

Patna, June 22, 2013: Bihar rugby football team entered the pre-quarterfinals of Central Zone National Rugby football Tournament defeating Uttar Pradesh 12-5 in a pool match at Balasore (Odisha) on Saturday.

However, in the first match, Bihar lost to Chhattisgarh 7-12. In the second match, Yogendra (5), Sanjeev (5) and Akshay (2) excelled for Bihar.

Bihar team: Sanjeev Kumar Singh, Mukesh Kumar Singh (captain), Sudhir Kumar Singh, Chandan Kumar Mehta, Abhishek Ranjan, Akshay Kumar, Raghvendra Kumar Singh, Yogendra Kumar Singh, Paresh Kumar Gupta, Chandan Kumar, team manager-cum coach-Pankaj Kumar Jyoti. 

Indian paddlers crash out

New Delhi, June 22, 2013: The Indian paddlers crashed out of the ongoing Japan Open Super Series event at Yokohoma as both Achanta Sharath Kamal and Soumyajit Ghosh bowed out in the men's singles events.


Though Sharath Kamal managed to enter the pre-quarterfinals, beating Lee Chia Sheng of Taipei 4-2, he went down to world No. 9 and second-seeded Wang Liquin of China in straight games of 5-11, 7-11, 3-11, 2-11 in less than 20 minutes.


Earlier, Ghosh lost in the round of 32 to Taipei's Chen Chien-An 1-4. The Taipei paddler, ranked 28 in the world, beat the Indian 9-11, 11-3, 14-12, 11-4, 11-4.


The doubles pair of Soumyajit Ghosh and Harmeet Desai failed to progress beyond the quarterfinals stage as the duo lost to the Japanese pair of Jin Ueda and Maharu Yoshimura 6-11, 6-11, 9-11.

TTFI Press release

Indian TT pair enters Super Series quarterfinals

New Delhi, June 21, 2013:  Soumyajit Ghosh and Harmeet Desai became the first Indian pair to enter the men’s doubles quarterfinals of the Japan Open Super Series at Yokohama on Friday.

The Indian pair defeated Swedish duo of Kristain Karlsson and Mattias Karlsson 3-2 (11-8, 2-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-9) in an intense pre-quarterfinal battle that took about 30 minutes. The Indians will now run into the Japanese pair of Jin Ueda and Maharu Yoshimura in the semi-finals. 

If the Indian pair manages to enter the semi-finals, they will earn a minimum of $1000 in prize money.

Both Ghosh and Desai began with a good lead to take the first game but lost out as quickly in the second before going 2-1 up against the Swedish players. But the latter were up to the task and managed to level the score to take it to the decider.

In the decider, too, the Indians ran up a good lead, but their opponents matched the Indians stroke for stroke before Ghosh completing with a scorching winner.

Earlier, in the men’s singles both Ghosh and Achanta Sharath Kamal made it to the round of 32, after their main draw entry. Sharath Kamal accounted for Jin Ueda of Japan 4-2 (11-9, 3-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-8) while Ghosh upset Maharu Yoshimura, ranked 49th in the world, 4-3. The 189th ranked Ghosh played an aggressive game to outlast his Japanese rival 16-14, 11-7, 11-8, 12-13, 9-11 5-11, 12-10, the match consuming almost an hour.

Ghosh will have to wary of Yoshimura when he, along with Desai, takes on the Japanese and his parter in the doubles semi-final outing. 

Anthony Amalraj, however, lost his singles battle in the main draw to Singapore’s Li Hu in straight games.

Meanwhile, Ghosh surprisingly failed to qualify for the U-21 boys’ event as he went down to Hampus Soderlund of Sweden. The loss cost Ghosh his entry from Group 5 as only the top two players in the group qualifying for the main draw.

Though both Tonin Ryuzai (Japan) and Soderlun had managed as many points as Ghosh did –each one of them got five points—the draw was decdied on the ratio of games won and lost. Unfortunately, Ghosh finished behind the two players in the group.

Harmeet Desai also failed to make it to the main draw despite having played some good matches.

TTFI Press release

Big wins for Association of Indian Universities, Karnataka

New Delhi, June 3, 2013: Association of Indian Universities and Karnataka registered big wins in their league matches of the 3rd Hockey India Senior Men National Championships played at Major Dhyan Chand Polygrass Hockey Stadium, Pimpri in Pune on Monday.

Association of Indian Universities registered easy win over Gujarat 19-1 in their Pool A league match. The goal scorers for Association of Indian Universities were Razin Kandulana (4, 8, 17, 18, 23 min), Gurpreet Singh (5 min), Manjinder Singh (12, 55 min), Gurjant Singh (14, 42 min), Hardeep Singh (27, 68 min), Ravisher Singh (27 min), Satinder Dalal (33 min), Jaskaran Singh (50, 65 min), Jaswinder Singh (54 min) and Ramandeep Singh( 57, 64 min) while Ankit Thakur (46 min) scored the only goal for Gujarat. 

In Pool C, Karnataka hammered Goa 20-0. Karnataka scored through M G Poonacha (5, 53, 57 min), Bidappa B S (8, 63 min), Nikkin Thimmaiah (13, 20 min), Muddappa M K (14, 39, 61, 62 min0, Mohan Muthanna (26, 31 min), MB Aiyappa (43, 49 min), SK Uthappa (44, 67, 69 min), Somanna K M (66 min) and Rafeeq S M (70 min).

In Pool C, Services Sports Control Board thrashed Bihar 11-0. Services Sports Control Board scored through Sanwar Ali (4, 39, 59 min), S Arumugam (11, 23 min), S Raju (19, 25 min), Johnny Jasrotia (34, 62 min) and Ignace Tirkey (65, 69 min).

In Pool E, Odisha defeated Himachal Pradesh 7-1 while Jharkhand beat Comptroller & Auditor General 5-1 in the same pool.

In Pool G, Manipur routed Uttarakhand 10-0.

Results

Pool A-Association of Indian Universities 19 (Razin Kandulana 4, 8, 17, 18, 23, Gurpreet Singh 5, Manjinder Singh 12, 55, Gurjant Singh 14, 42, Hardeep Singh 27, 68, Ravisher Singh 27, Satinder Dalal 33, Jaskaran Singh 50, 65, Jaswinder Singh 54, Ramandeep Singh 57, 64) beat Gujarat 1 (Ankit Thakur 46)

Pool C- Karnataka 20 (M G Poonacha 5, 53, 57, Bidappa B S 8, 63, Nikkin Thimmaiah 13, 20, Muddappa M K 14, 39, 61, 62, Mohan Muthanna 26, 31, MB Aiyappa 43, 49, SK Uthappa 44, 67, 69, Somanna K M 66, Rafeeq S M 70) beat Goa 0

Services Sports Control Board 11 (Sanwar Ali 4, 39, 59, S Arumugam 11, 23, Sraju A P 19, 25, Johnny Jasrotia 34, 62, Ignace Tirkey 65, 69) beat Bihar 0

Pool E- Odisha 7 (Mathias Minz 7, 39, Dilip Toppo 26, Arbin Barla 31, Deepak Kullu 38, Deepak Kishor Ekka 54, Sanjit Kujur 57) beat Himachal Pradesh 1 (Gagandeep Singh 33)

Jharkhand 5 (Anil Xaxa 13, Shashi Topno 30, Roshan Minz 34, 49, 54) beat Comptroller & Auditor General 1 (Triveni Prasad 59)

Pool G- Manipur 10 (K Suresh 27, N Ganendrajit 37, 58, KSH Victo 40, 57, 63, 65, 70, M Amarjit 60, Own Goal 69) beat Uttarakhand 0

Hockey India Press release

Indians bag 4 gold, 2 silver medals in Slovak Junior Open Table Tennis

New Delhi, June 3, 2013: India annexed 4 gold and two silver medals in the Slovak Junior Open. This is a record performance of India in any international tournament abroad.

It was a proud moment for Indian athlete viz. Sutirtha Mukherjee standing on the top step of the medal podium listening the national anthem who was a surprised winner of girls singles title.

Sutirtha won 2 more gold earlier in the day. Partnering with Manika Batra she won the girls doubles and two days earlier she had secured gold in the girls’ team event along with Manika Batra and Reeth Tennison.

In the girls’ singles finals Manika Batra lost to Sutirtha Mukherjee winning the silver medal.

India’s Sudhanshu Grover and Abhishek Yadav won the junior boys doubles title beating Brazil’s pair.  

  

Results

Girls singles finals – Sutirtha Mukherjee (India) beat Manika Batra (India) 3-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9

Girls doubles finals – Sutirtha Mukherjee & Manika Batra (India) beat Pauline Chasselin and Audrey Zarif  (France) 7-11, 11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 11-8

Boys’ doubles finals – Sudhanshu Grover and Abhishek Yadav (India) beat Vitor Ishiy and Massao Kohatsu (Brazil) 11-9, 11-6, 11-13, 8-11, 11-7

A TTFI Press release

Rohir Rajasekhar shines in Slovak Junior Open

 New Delhi, June 1, 2013: India’s Rohir Rajasekhar, Serbia’s Marko Popovic, Italy’s Luca Marcato and the host nation’s Juraj Zatko were the players to shine as matters commenced in the first stage of the boys’ singles event at the Slovak Junior Open in Senec on the morning of Saturday, according to information received here.

Conversely, the player facing the greatest problems is Serbia’s Valentin Nad Nemedi.

The Serbian suffered a surprise opening match defeat; on the contrary Rohir Rajasekhar, Marko Popovic, Luca Marcato and Juraj Zatko caused upsets, in an event that witnesses 16 groups in the first stage of proceedings with the top eight seeds not being required to compete in the initial stage.

Top eight seeds
David Reitspies (Czech Republic), Vitor Ishiy (Brazil), Tomislav Pucar (Croatia), Filip Zeljko (Croatia). Alessandro Baciocchi (Italy), Jakub Seibert (Czech Republic), Qiu Lang (Germany) and Sudhanshu Grover (India) all receive direct entries to the second stage.

First and Second Qualify for Main Draw
Players finishing in first and second places in each group join the top eight seeds in the main draw.

Stole the Show
Undoubtedly Rohit Rajasekhar, a silver medallist one day earlier in the Boys’ Team event but currently with no World ranking, was the young man to steal the show.

The player to experience the most pain was Serbia’s Valentin Nad Nemedi.

Rohit Rajasekhar accounted for Denmark’s Patrick Stobberup, who stands at no.339 on the Under 18 Boys’ World Rankings (11-8, 11-8, 11-13, 11-8), before overcoming the Czech Republic’s Martin Koblizek (11-6, 11-8, 11-5).

A player in form
Furthermore, Martin Koblizek was a player in form.

Listed at no.357 on the junior global list, the 16 year old had beaten Serbia’s Valentin Nad Nemedi in his opening duel (10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 15-17, 11-7). Currently 18 year old Valentin Nad Nemedi is listed at no.137 on the Junior World Rankings.

However, after the initial defeat, the Serbian did redeem himself; he overcame Patrick Stobberup in five games (11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8).

Two matches remain in the group with the key contest undoubtedly being the duel between Valentin Nad Nemedi and Rohit Rajasekhar.

Also impressive
An outstanding display by Rohit Rajasekhar, Marco Popovic, Luca Marcato and Juraj Zatko were not far behind in the impressive stakes.

Marco Popovic overcame India’s Abhishek Yadav in his opening encounter (15-13, 5-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-7), before accounting for the host nation’s Matus Diko (11-9, 11-6, 11-6).

The win over the latter was as expected, Matus Diko stands at no.759 on the Under 18 Boys’ World Rankings; 16 year old Marco Popovic is at no.370.

Redemption
On the other hand, the success against Abhishek Yadav, also 16 years old, was not to be anticipated; he is listed at no.151 on the junior list.

Defeat for Abhishek Yadav in his opening encounter but on his second visit to the table he redeemed himself. He beat Italy’s Jordy Piccolin in three straight games (11-9, 11-6, 11-6); Jordy Piccolin is named at no.292 on the Under Boys’ World Rankings.

Similar Good Starts
A good start for Marco Popovic and it was the same for Luca Marcato and Juraj Zatko.

Luca Marcato beat the Slovak Republic’s Alexander Valuch (11-13, 9-11, 11-6, 15-13, 11-6), Juraj Zatko overcame Denmark’s Ruben Jensen (15-13, 11-7, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9).

Presently on the Under 18 Boys’ World Rankings, Luca Marcato is at no.388, Alexander Valuch at 162; both are 17 years old. Meanwhile, Juraj Zatko is at 423, Ruben Jensen, likewise 18 years old, is at no.157.

Seeds record opening match wins
Surprises as matters commenced in the Boys’ Singles event in Senec but no upsets as proceedings began in the counterpart Girls’ Singles competition, an event that sees all entrants in action in the group stage.

Fourth seed tested
The only player amongst the leading names to experience any difficulties in her opening contest was Poland’s Sandra Wabik, the no.4 seed and listed at no.51 on the Under 18 Girls’ World Rankings.

She needed the full five games to defeat the Czech Republic’s Veronika Kmetova (11-7, 11-7, 6-11, 4-11, 11-7). The 16 year old Czech Republic player stands at no.296 on the global junior rankings.

Otherwise, there were no heartaches for the leading names in the Girls’ Singles event on the penultimate morning of play.

Successful starts
Brazil’s Caroline Kumahara, India’s Manika Batra and Laura Pfeffer of France, the respective top three seeds progressed unhindered as did Serbia’s Aneta Maksuti, the no.5 seed and Poland’s Natalia Bajor, the no.6 seed.

Similarly for the next two in the pecking order there were no great travails; India’s Sutirha Mukherjee and Serbia’s Anna Fenyvesi made successful starts to their campaigns.

A TTFI Press release

B P Govinda to head Hockey India selection committee

New Delhi, May 31, 2013: Hockey India announced its new selection committee for the season 2013-14. The new selection committee was decided in the Hockey India executive Board meeting held in New Delhi on April 4, 2013.

Hockey India recently announced its high performance and development committee which is a step forward in bringing uniformity in the development of the sport across the country. The selection committee will work jointly with the High Performance and development committee to identify fresh talent in the country.

Olympian B P Govinda who represented the country twice in Olympics (1972 & 1976), two World Cups (1973 & 1975) and three Asian Games (1970, 1974 & 1978) will be the chairman of the selection committee. The other members in the committee are Olympian Syed Ali (1964 Olympics), former international player R P Singh (World Cup in 1986 & 1990), former captain Gagan Ajit Singh (Olympics in 2000 & 2004), former captain Arjun Halappa (Olympics in 2004 & Commonwealth Games in 2010), former captain Savitri Purty (Asian Games in 1986), former captain Mamta Kharab (Commonwealth Games in 2002 & 2006, Asia Cup in 2004), former captain Surinder Kaur (Asia Cup in 2004) and former captain Saba Anjum (Commonwealth Games 2002 & 2006, Asia Cup 2004 and Asian Games in 2002).

  

The newly appointed committee will come into effect from July 1, 2013. 

Hockey India Selection Committee:

1.     Mr. B P Govinda (Chairman)

2.     Mr. Syed Ali

3.     Dr. R P Singh

4.     Mr. Gagan Ajit Singh

5.     Mr. Arjun Halappa

6.     Ms. Savitri Purty

7.     Ms. Mamta Kharab

8.     Ms. Surinder Kaur

9.     Ms. Saba Anjum

Defending champions Punjab start campaign in style

Tamil Nadu (yellow and Orange) and Rajasthan (blue) players battle for the ball during their hockey match in Pune on May 31, 2013

New Delhi, 31 May 2013: Defending Champions Punjab start their campaign with a big win over Gujarat 30-0 in their opening league match of Pool A in the 3rd Hockey India Senior Men National Championship played at Shiv Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports Complex in Pune on Friday.

Experienced side Punjab started their game on attacking mode and successfully built pressure on their opponents. Forward Vikramjit Singh scored maximum seven goals for Punjab followed by Simranjit Singh (6), Inderjeet Singh (5), Sarvanjit Singh (4), Ravi Pal (3), Jarnail Singh (3), Vikas Sharma (1) and Sandeep Singh (1).

Air India overwhelmed Tripura 13-0 to maintain their unbeaten run in the Pool B. For Air India, Skipper Arjun Halappa and Swamy Vinaya scored three goals each followed by Vikram Pillay (2), Affan Yousuf (2), Pradhan Somanna (2) and Subbaiah Darshan (1).

In the other match of Pool B, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy defeated Puducherry 6-1. Vikas Chaudhary and Mohammad Nizamuddin scored twice each for Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy followed by a goal each from Rinku Yadav and Raju Singh.

Sashastra Seema Bal registered their first win out of the three matches played in Pool F, as they defeated Jammu & Kashmir 2-0. Vinay Bishwakarma and (O Gunamai Singh) scored a goal each for Sashastra Seema Bal.

In Pool D, Uttar Pradesh drew 2-2 with Andaman & Nicobar while Mumbai Hockey Association Limited routed hosts The Hockey Maharashtra 2-1.

In Pool H, Tamil Nadu easily defeated Rajasthan 20-0.

Results

Pool A- Punjab 30 (Vikas Sharma 3, Ravi Pal 6, 26, 70, Sandeep Singh 7, Inderjeet Singh 8, 29, 57, 62, 63, Vikramjit Singh 17, 23, 37, 38, 47, 65, 67, Sarvanjit Singh 24, 31, 35, 55, Simranjit Singh 19, 33, 48, 50, 60, 64, Jarnail Singh 53, 59, 69 )Gujarat 0

Pool B- Air India 13 (Vikram Pillay 1, 33, Swamy Vinaya 14, 19, 42, Affan Yousuf 29, 67, Arjun Halappa 43, 46, 66, Subbaiah Darshan 52, Pradhan Somanna 53, 56) beat Tripura 0

Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy 6 (Vikas Chaudhary 42, 51, Rinku Yadav 61, Mohammad Nizamuddin 62, 65, Raju Singh 63) beat Puducherry 1 (Tamilarasan 32)

Pool D- Uttar Pradesh 2 (Siddarth Shankar 21, 30) drewAndaman & Nicobar 2 (Robin HM 3, Chandan Aind 60)

Mumbai Hockey Association Limted 2 (Jayesh Jadhav 17, Own Goal 60) beat The Hockey Maharashtra 1 (Reuben Kedari 56)

Pool F- Sashastra Seema Bal 2 (Vinay Bishwakarma 60, O Gunamai Singh 68) beat Jammu & Kashmir 0

Pool H- Tamil Nadu 20 (V Shanmugam 2, 57, 70, Kannan 8, Ashok Kumar 9, 41, 62, Vinod Rayer 11, 22, 35, 39, 45, Kiran Raje 14, Suresh Kumar 24, 59, 65, Gnanavel 31, Gunasekaran 50, 58, 64) beat Rajasthan 0

Air India thrash Chhattisgarh 15-0

Namdhari XI (white) and Bhopal players in action during their match in Pune on May 30, 2013.

New Delhi, May 30, 2013: Pradhan Somanna, Affan Yousuf and Joga Singh scored three goals each as Air India raced to a 15-0 win against Chhattisgarh in their Pool B league match of the 3rd Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2013 at Major Dhyan Chand Polygrass Hockey Stadium, Pimpri in Pune on Thursday.

Air India notched their second win in the four team pool. Air India scored through Sameer Dad (2 min), Pradhan Somanna (5, 40, 66 min), Affan Yousuf (9, 31, 68 min), Joga Singh (18, 21, 25 min), Birendra Lakra (32, 63 min), Swami Vinaya (56 min), Cheeyanna Bopaiah (58 min) and Arjun Halappa (61 min) while their opponents Chhattisgarh fail to open their account.

In Pool H, Andaman & Nicobar edged past Haryana 4-2 to register their second consecutive win. Bijju Yirkal, Kusha, Chandan and Birsu scored a goal each for Andaman and Nicobar while Jitender Saroha scored two goals for Haryana.

In the match played at Shiv Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports Complex, Namdhari XI registered their second win, as they defeated Hockey Bhopal 4-3 in Pool F. Namdhari XI scored through Sher Singh (12 min), Harpreet Singh (50 min), Dilbag Singh (69 min) and Gurpreet Singh (70 min) while Hockey Bhopal scored through Mayank James (22, 40, 49 min).

Chandigarh registered easy 9-0 win over Assam in their Pool H league match with Gagandeep Singh scoring four goals for Chandigarh. Today’s lose is the second defeat for Assam.

Results

Pool B- Air India 15 (Sameer Dad 2, Pradhan Somanna 5, 40, 66, Affan Yousuf 9, 31, 68, Joga Singh 18, 21, 25, Birendra Lakra 32, 63, Swami Vinaya 56, Cheeyanna Bopaiah 58, Arjun Halappa 61 ) beat Chhattisgarh 0

Pool D- Andaman & Nicobar 4 (Bijju Yirkal 14, Kusha JP 17, Chandan 38, Birsu Bhengra 69) beat Haryana 2 (Jitender Saroha 36, 64)

Pool F- Namdhari XI 4 (Sher Singh 12, Harpreet Singh 50, Dilbag Singh 69, Gurpreet Singh 70) beat Hockey Bhopal 3(Mayank James 22, 40, 49)

Pool H- Chandigarh 9 (Harmanpreet Singh 8, Varinder Kumar 9, Gagandeep Singh 33, 39, 46, 64, Davinder Singh 51, Prabhakar 52, Shahnawaz Khan 68) beat Assam 0.