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Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui
Friday, September 26, 2014
Bihar Police move into Rameshwar Singh Memorial Football Tournament final
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Hockey India welcomes Hockey Village India on board as the new Academy Member
New Delhi, September 19, 2014: Adding yet another
branch to its expanding family, Hockey India today announced its new Academy
Member, Hockey Village India with an aim to reach out to those
underprivileged children who are keen to make a career in sports an provide
a platform to showcase their talent.
With the intention to combine sports and education,
Speaking on the newly inducted
Andrea Thumshirn is the Director and founder of the Hockey Village India.
Hockey India currently has 26 Permanent Members, 23 Associate Members, 1 Member through State Olympic Associations, 8 Academy Members and 1 Hoc-Key Member.
HI Press release
We will try and create maximum penalty corner opportunities: Gurwinder Singh Chandi
Incheon (South
Korea ), September 20, 2014: As the
Asian Games 2014 matches approach, both the Indian men and women teams have
acclimatised with the environment of Incheon through various fitness
sessions and drills. Both the teams are implementing their strategies on-field
to get used to the new turf and environment during these practice
sessions. Here, the experience of senior players of the teams come handy,
who help other players to adapt to the new environment as early as
possible.
Speaking on the preparations before their first match
against Sri Lanka ,
Indian men hockey team’s forward Gurwinder Singh Chandi said, “As this
will be my second big tournament after my comeback in the team for the XX
Commonwealth Games 2014, I am looking forward to giving my best and trying to
create as many penalty corner opportunities as I can. The forward line has
work hard in all the weak areas which our Coaches have highlighted while
watching the videos of our matches during the Commonwealth Games
2014. The team together is also working towards increasing the scoring capacity
and converting the openings into goals.”
He further added, “We are also trying out the rolling
substitutions and the advancements are looking positive so far. The team is
well in sync with the drills and ready to take on Sri Lanka .”
Forward player of the Indian women’s team, Poonam Rani after
a practice session, said, “We are fully prepared for the new format of the
game. The team has worked on its mistakes made during the XX Commonwealth
Games and are preparing really hard during the on-field and off-field strategic
sessions. In the forward line, we are three experienced players Poonam
Rani, Vanadana Katariya and myself having played more than 100 international
matches and therefore it becomes our responsibility to make the young
talents adapt to the international environment and the turfs as quickly as
possible. We will also try our best to boost the younger ones to perform
their best during the matches. Young forward player Navjot Kaur has also
been successful in impressing everyone with her performance in the XX
Commonwealth Games 2014 at Glasgow
HI Press release
Friday, September 19, 2014
Arshpreet Thind registers impressive five-shot win for maiden title
Arshpreet Thind and Gulfam, who started the day as joint
leaders, began with birdies on the first hole. There was a two-shot swing in
favour of Gulfam on the sixth as he birdied and Thind dropped a bogey. Gulfam’s
double-bogey on the ninth brought him back to level terms with Arshpreet,
however Gulfam picked up a stroke again on the 10th to go one ahead.
The 31-year-old Thind, who plays at the Classic Golf Resort
in Mewat, Haryana, landed it close for a tap-in birdie on the 11th to be
all square with Gulfam once again. The 48-year-old Gulfam then dropped bogeys
on the 12th and 16th and his second double-bogey of the day on the
15th to give Thind a comfortable four-stroke advantage. The brawny Thind,
who has one of the strongest handshakes on the tour, finally ensured victory
after driving the green on the par-4 17th to make birdie.
Thind said, “I was very consistent through the week having
dropped just two bogeys in three rounds. I capitalized well on the good start
on day one and kept the momentum going till the end. I made 16 greens in
regulation today and therefore gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities. I
drove the green on two par-4s today, the eighth and 17th. I also found two
par-5 greens in two shots. I was playing in the leader group for the first time
and I’m delighted that I played really well in such a pressure situation.
“This win would help me raise my game and improve my
performances on the main tour. I dedicate this victory to my late grandmother
who passed away a few weeks back,” added Thind.
Gulfam, the Feeder Tour Order of Merit champion, said, “It’s
been a very satisfying Feeder Tour season. I’ve done well in all aspects of the
game. I’m very pleased to achieve my goal of winning the Order of Merit and
earning exemption on the PGTI for 2015.”
Pranav Kaul of Gurgaon fired a 69 in the final round to end
up in third place at five-under-211.
Sheeraz Kalra of Lucknow
was the best-placed among the local professionals. He finished tied fourth at
four-under-212 along with Chandigarh ’s
Randhir Singh Ghotra.
Photo caption: Arshpreet Thind receives the winner's cheque from (L to R) Mr. Abhishek Sinha, AGM - Ansal Group, Mr. Sheeraz Kalra, GM - The
Palms Golf & Country Club and Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGT
Hockey India congratulates Sardar Singh for being named as Flag Bearer for the Indian Contingent at the 17th Asian Games 2014
New Delhi, September 18, 2014: Hockey India
congratulates Sardar Singh, Captain of Indian Men Hockey team, who will be the
flag bearer for the country during the opening ceremony of the 17th Asian
Games 2014 scheduled to take place in Incheon, South Korea on 19 September
2014.
The 28 year old midfielder was also a part of the torch
lighting ceremony for the 17th Asian Games which started its journey last
month from Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi , the venue for 1st Asian
Games. Sardar Singh will be representing the Indian Men’s Hockey team for the
second time at the Asian Games and it comes as a well deserved recognition for
him.
Speaking on the occasion, Hockey India ’s
Secretary General Dr. Narinder Batra said, “Sardar Singh being chosen as
the flag bearer for India
at the 17th Asian Games has brought much happiness to me and the Hockey
India family, making us proud of his achievements. Representing your nation on
such a huge international platform is a matter of great pride and I would like
to congratulate Sardar Singh on behalf of the entire Hockey India family for this.”
Sardar Singh, who made his international debut in 2006, has
represented the country in 191 international matches till date. He has
represented India at major events including FIH World Cup 2014 in The
Netherlands, FIH World League Round 4 in India, Men’s Asia Cup 2013 in
Malaysia, FIH World League Semi-final 2013 in The Netherlands, FIH World League
Round 2, 2013 in India, Olympic Games 2012 in London, FIH Men’s Champions
Trophy 2012 in Australia, Asian Champions Trophy 2012 in Qatar & 2011 in
China, Asian Games 2010 in China, Commonwealth Games 2010 in India and FIH
World Cup 2010 in India.
For his outstanding performance in 2010, Sardar Singh was
included in the FIH All Star Team. Sardar Singh was also honoured with the
Arjuna Award in 2012 for his achievements by the Government of India.
Under the leadership of Sardar Singh, Indian Men Hockey team
has won the Silver medal at the recently concluded XX Commonwealth Games 2014
at Glasgow , Scotland
HI Press release
Hockey India inducts Major Ports Sports Control Board as its new Associate Member
Since its inception in 1976, Major Ports Sports Control
Board has successfully participated in the zonal as well as national level
championships around the year and which has helped identify players at a
very young age. They even have to their credit of organising the ‘All India
Major Ports Hockey Championship’ from over 30 years.
Speaking on the new associate member, Hockey India Secretary General Dr.
Narinder Batra said, “On behalf of Hockey India , I whole-heartedly welcome
Major Ports Sports Control Board in the Hockey India family. Working
together with Major Ports Sports Control Board will provide further
opportunities in the area of sports and we look forward to working with
them".
Mr. Atulya Misra, I.A.S is the President and Mr. G
Harichandran is the General Secretary of the Major Ports Sports Control Board.
Hockey India currently has 26 Permanent Members, 23
Associate Members, 1 Member through State Olympic Associations, 7 Academy
Members and 1 Hoc-Key Member.
HI Press release
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Gulfam, Arshpreet in joint lead after round two
Gulfam (69-65), who was overnight tied fifth, came out
firing on all cylinders on Wednesday as he shot down birdies on the first,
fifth and seventh after landing it within a couple of feet of the flag on all
three occasions. The 48-year-old seasoned professional then sank his longest
putt of the day, a 20-footer, on the 11th to move to four-under for the
day. Gulfam’s excellent hitting set up a couple of more tap-in birdies for him
on the 12th and14th. The professional from the Delhi Golf Club, currently
placed second on the Feeder Tour Order of Merit, drove the par-4
17th green to pocket his last birdie of the day.
“I shot one of the best scores of my professional career
today. I kept landing it close to the pin and putted much better on the back
nine as compared to round one. The win at Forest Hill two weeks back has really
lifted my confidence. I’ll need to repeat this effort in the last round to give
myself a good chance. My goal is to finish on top of the Order of Merit in
order to earn the exemption on the PGTI next year,” said Gulfam, elder brother
of 2012 Rolex Rankings champion Shamim Khan.
Arshpreet Thind (66-68), the overnight joint leader,
followed up his brilliant opening round of 66 with a steady 68. The strapping
six-footer dropped a bogey on the second but rallied with birdies on the fifth,
sixth, seventh, 10th and 11ththanks to his good hitting form.
“I’ve been hitting it well this week. I had 17 greens
in regulation today and set up a lot of birdie opportunities by landing my
shots within six feet of the pin. I also found two of the par-5 greens in two
shots. I don’t want to think too far ahead and just want to continue playing
like I’ve done on the first two days in order to set myself up nicely for the
final day,” said Thind, looking for his maiden title.
Bhanu Pratap Singh (66-72), the overnight joint leader,
slipped to third place after an even-par-72 in round two. His total reads
six-under-138.
Feeder Tour Order of Merit leader Akshay Sharma of Chandigarh is placed tied
seventh at three-under-141.
The cut was declared at two-over-146. Thirty-six
professionals made the cut.
Press release
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Women hockey team is focusing on speed, coordination and passes: Navjot Kaur
Incheon (South Korea), September 17, 2014: Keeping in mind the magnitude of
the upcoming 17th Asian Games at Incheon, South Korea, which will secure
both Indian men’s and women’s hockey team a spot in the Rio Olympics 2016,
both the teams are giving the final touch-up to their preparations during their
training sessions here.
Speaking on Sreejesh’s comments on him being one of the key
players for Asian Games, SV Sunil said, “It is purely a team effort at
that moment and I will aim to create sufficient tension in the opposite
camp so as to sneak the ball in the goal. I will strive to create a strategic
game play to make the winning strike. Speedy passing and possession of the
ball within the forward line-up is going to help us create more opportunities
and currently our practice sessions are focusing on the same.”
S V Sunil further added, “Our Goalkeeper P R Sreejesh
is like the pillar of our fort. Sreejesh has always given me tips on how to go
through the opponents defence and which I have applied in my games. I have
always taken his guidance seriously and it has helped me better myself as a
player. ”
On the other hand the women camp is also gearing up for
their first clash against Thailand ,
Mid-fielder Navjot Kaur said “The team is high on morale and we
are confident to top our Pool in the group phase. Our training session
today was more on speed, coordination and passes. We are confident of starting
the tournament on a winning note. The weather is good and we have
acclimatized to the conditions here.”
She further added, “Playing with experienced players at
the midfield position including our Captain Ritu Rani, Vandana Katariya and
Sushila Chanu, I have gained a lot of experience which is helping me grow
as a player each day. With a synchronized combination of young and experienced
players, I am confident that the team will generate desirable results.”
HI Press release
Flawless rounds of 66 place Arshpreet Thind and Bhanu Pratap Singh on top
Arshpreet Thind
The burly Arshpreet Thind had a solid start to the final
event of the 2014 Feeder Tour season as he picked up two strokes on the first
three holes. The 31-year-old, currently ranked 36th on the Feeder Tour
Order of Merit, added another birdie on the seventh and came up with a hat-trick
of birdies on the 15th, 16thand 17th to end up with a bogey-free 66.
Thind said, “I hit it close all day and didn’t leave myself
anything longer than 10 feet on the greens. I capitalized well on the par-5s,
making birdies on three out of four par-5s. I’m quite happy with the effort as
I hadn’t played for about two months during the middle of the year due to
personal reasons. I was therefore a little rusty and short of practice. This
round has set me up well for the remaining two days.”
Bhanu Pratap Singh also posted a bogey-free 66. Some great
hitting saw him land birdies on the first, seventh and eighth. He drove the
green on the 11th and 17th, both par-4s, and reaped the reward with
birdies. The 23-year-old’s longest putt of the day was the birdie conversion
from 12 feet on the 12th.
“I was good off the tee today. I created quite a few eagle
opportunities, however had to be content with birdies on all those occasions.
My eagle putt lipped out on the 11th. I’ve played well in the last three Feeder
Tour events as my putting has improved with each passing event. It’s great to
start with such a low score. I’ll look to repeat this performance in the next
two rounds,” said Bhanu, currently placed 26th in the Feeder Tour.
Amarjeet Baisoya produced four birdies and shared third
place with Aditya Singh Chauhan who made five birdies and a bogey on day one.
Among the professionals from Lucknow , Sanjeev Kumar, Sheeraz Kalra and
Rishi, were the highest placed at tied 12th. The Lucknow trio returned scores of one-under-71
along with four other players.
Akshay Sharma of Chandigarh
Press release
China reign supreme in Asian Junior Table Tennis
Mumbai, September 16, 2014: The Chinese must have, at last,
felt at home. They not only captured four of the six titles on offer on the
concluding day, but also accomplished the feat at a home-like condition of a
filled-to-the-brim Sardar Patel Stadium at the 20th Asian Junior Table Tennis
Championships today.
All in all the Chinese domination was, more or less,
complete taking into account the total number of medals they won in singles and
doubles and in team events to six. They also won five silvers and four bronze
to stay atop the medals table.
Yu Ziyang proved to be a worthy winner of the Junior Boys
gold, beating teammate Liang Jingkun 4-1. It was a quick disposal and unlike
the Junior Girls final, did not bring the audience to the edge of the seat.
Though the southpaw, who uses powerful forehand for winners, lost the third
game he did not allow any liberty to Liang as he completed the task to take the
next two and the title.
Gritty Chen
Chen Xingtong saved two match points and when she got the
opportunity on match point, simply served and finished with a forehand winner
to beat compatriot and No. 6 seed Wang Manyu 4-3 to win the gold in the Junior
Girls singles. The gripping final saw the fourth seed in a bit of a tangle in
the sixth when she lost very badly to Wang to come too close for her comfort.
In fact, Wang was serving for the match at 10-9 but managed
to return the ball on the net. After the deuce, visibly nervous Wang got
another chance but frittered it away. All the while, Chen was keeping her cool
and with Wang serving she got the vital lead only to server it out soon after
for the title and deny her teammate a double here.
Packed house
The Chinese, known to be playing before a packed house, were
happy to be cheered by the schoolchildren from different parts of Mumbai
occupying the upper tiers. But, at the same time, the table tennis powerhouse
may be unhappy to have not taking the other two medals today and also the team
titles in Cadet Boys and Girls sections.
In the all-Japan Junior Boys doubles, Kazuhiro Yoshimura and
Yuma Tsuboi, after being extended, finally beat compatriots Asuka Sakai and
Yuto Kizukuri 3-2 to win the crown.
The match saw excellent rallies and fast paced action on the
table with the two pairs complimenting each well. Sakai and Kizukuri heaved a sigh of relief
when the former’s forehand winner helped them level the score after several
deuces. But Yoshimura and Tsuboi kept their cool and surged ahead in the
decider to win the game and the match.
Similarly, in all-China Junior Girls doubles, Wang Manyu and
Chen Ke put it across Liu Gaoyang and Chen Xingtong 3-2. Playing typically
aggressive game, the teams had their ups and downs with fortunes fluctuating
from one extreme to another. Without conceding any ground the two pairs kept
engaging themselves and when it reached the climax it was the Wang and Chen
pair won the extended decider and the title.
The Results:
Junior Boys Singles (Final): Yu Ziyang (CHN) bt Liang
Jingkun (CHN) 4-1 (11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7); Semifinal: Yu Ziyang
(CHN) bt Zhou Qihao (CHN) 4-2 (11-4, 12-14, 13-15, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8), Liang
Jingkun (CHN) bt Kim Minhyeok (KOR) 4-2 (9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5).
Doubles (Final): Kazuhiro Yoshimura/Yuma Tsuboi (JPN) bt
Asuka Sakai/Yuto Kizukuri (JPN) 3-2 (15-13, 11-9, 7-11, 12-14, 11-5); Semifinal:
Asuka Sakai/Yuto Kizukuri (JPN) bt Ho Kwan Kit/Hung Ka Tak (HKG) 3-0 (13-11,
11-5, 11-8), Kazuhiro Yoshimura/Yuma Tsuboi (JPN) bt Lim Jonghoon/Park Jeongwoo
(KOR) 3-1 (13-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-5).
Junior Girls Singles (Final): Chen Xingtong (CHN) bt Wang
Manyu 4-3 (12-10, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 4-11, 13-11); Semifinal: Wang
Manyu (CHN) bt Liu Gaoyang (CHN) 4-3 (11-7, 11-6, 5-11, 10-12, 2-11, 12-10,
14-12), Chen Xingtong (CHN) bt Doo Hoi Kem (HKG) 4-1 (7-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8,
11-8).
Doubles (Final): Wang Manuy/Chen Ke (CHN) bt Liu
Gaoyang/Chen Xingtong (CHN) 3-2 (11-5, 9-11, 11-8, 9-11,
12-10); Semifinal: Liu Gaoyang/Chen Xingtong (CHN) bt Kim Jin Hyang/Ko Un
Gum (PRK) 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-7), Wang Manyu/Chen Ke (CHN) bt Lee Zion/Lee Seul
(KOR) 3-0 (13-11, 11-4, 11-8).
Cadet Boys Singles (Final): An Jaeyhun (KOR) bt Hwang Minha
(KOR) 4-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-9, 11-6; Semifinal:Hwang Minha (KOR) bt Lin
Yun-Ju (TPE) 4-3 (11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-4), An Jaehyun (KOR)
bt Yuto Kizukuri (JPN) 4-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-8, 11-8).
Cadet Girls Singles (Final): Sun Yingsha (CHN) bt Mu Jingyu
(CHN) 4-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7); Semifinal: Mu Jingyu (CHN) bt Hirano
Miu (JPN) 4-0 (13-11, 11-7, 11-1, 11-7), Sun Yingsha (CHN) bt Qian Tianyi (CHN)
4-1 (11-3, 12-10, 8-11, 12-10, 11-5).
A TTFI Press release
Indian hockey team practice in Incheon picks up pace
Incheon (Korea ),
September 16 2014: Gaining momentum during the ongoing practice sessions
for the upcoming Asian Games 2014 at Incheon ,
South Korea
With the current developments, the goalkeeper and vice-captain
of the team, P R Sreejesh is excited to have defender V R Raghunath by his
side during the tournament to take his place at the time of need as the
back-up goalkeeper.
Preparing for the Asian Games, Sreejesh said, “The
practice sessions have picked up pace and the whole team is training
really hard to be ready to take on every challenge that is coming our way. The
new format of the game is actually going to act as an added advantage in
the field, as it will not only make the game much faster, but will also offer
time to the players to re-energies during every quarter to fight more
efficiently on the field.”
He further added, “Standing on the other side of the
field during the Commonwealth Games, I saw S V Sunil giving a tough time to the
opponents whenever he used to enter their D. It used to create a furore of
tension whenever Sunil was successful in penetrating through the opponents
defence. I look upto him to continue his Commonwealth Games form during
the Asian Games and help us keep the opponents on the toes.”
Recently adjudged as the ‘Junior Men Player of the Year’,
midfielder Manpreet Singh said, “The midfield position is a very important
place as we have to keep the speed intact and ensure that we support both
the defence as well as the forwards and personally if I am successful as a
midfielder, it is because of captain Sardar Singh. He plays a pivotal role
in the team as well as in the midfield position and he is the inspiration for
Danish, Dharamvir, Chinglensana and I.”
HI Press release
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Taipei pair wins title; Indian challenge ends
Mumbai, September 15, 2014: The Chinese Taipei pair of Sun
Chia-Hung and Chiu Ssu-Hua defeated Hong Kong ’s
Ho Kwan Kit and Doo Hoi Kem in the final of the Mixed Junior Doubles to win the
title at the 20th Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships at the Sardar Patel
Stadium here tonight.
The mixed doubles event had all the trappings of a final
with rival pairs putting up a great fight. In the end, it was the Taipei combine which took
the crown, thanks to the duo’s perseverance. No doubt both Ho and Doo were
giving enough headaches but both Sun and Chiu were up to the task and took the
first extended game at 16-14.
If one thought that was a good beginning, the duo lost the
second only to pull back in the third game of fluctuating fortunes. With 2-1
up, the pair upped the ante to put it across the Hong Kong
duo.
In Cadet Boys singles, top-seed Hwang Minha, No. 2 seed
Japanese Yuto Kizukuri, No. 3 An Jaehyun from Korea and fifth seed Lin Yun-Ju
entered the semifinals. Only Yuto was stretched a bit while the others moved up
the ladder without any concern.
Similarly, in Cadet Girls it was a cakewalk for both top-seed
Miu Hirano of Japan and China ’s Mu Jingyu, the No. 4 seed, against their
North Korean and Hong Kong rivals,
respectively. But the two Chinese Qian Tianyi and Sun Yingsha it was a tough
and go affair. Qian upset No. 2 seed Mima Ito of Japan
3-2 while the unseeded Sun defeated her unseeded opponent Ko Un Gum from North Korea .
Ayhika Mukherjee, the lone Indian to make it to
pre-quarterfinals the Junior Girls, lost to No. 6 seed Chinese Wang Manyu 3-1
(11-5, 11-13, 8-11, 5-11, 4-11). The Indian, who began on a bright note winning
the first game, failed against a sustained onslaught from the Chinese to lose
the encounter.
Earlier, Ayhika and Priyadarshini Das had reached the
quarterfinals of the Junior Girls doubles but the Indian pair lost to Chinese
duo of Wang Manyu and Chen Ke in straight games. With that, the Indian
challenge at the championships had ended.
The Results:
Mixed Junior Doubles (Final): Sun Chia-Hung/Chiu Ssu-Hua
(TPE) bt How Kwan Kit/Doo Hoi Kem (HKG) 3-1 (16-14, 5-11, 17-15, 11-8).
Cadet Boys (QF): Hwang Minha (KOR) bt Chen Chun-Hsiang (TPE)
3-0 (12-10, 11-7, 11-7), Lin Yun-Ju (TPE) bt Takuto Izumo (JPN) 3-0 (11-7,
11-7, 11-5), Yuto Kizukuri (JPN) bt Kim Daewoo (KOR) 3-1 (12-10, 11-8, 6-11,
11-7), An Jaeyhun (KOR) bt Tan Lucas (SIN) 3-0 (12-10, 11-7, 11-6).
Cadet Girls (QF): Mu Jingyu (CHN) bt Lee Ka Yee (HKG) 3-0
(11-4, 11-1, 11-3), Qian Tianyi (CHN) bt Mima Ito (JPN) 3-2 (11-5, 9-11, 11-8,
4-11, 11-3), Sun Yingsha (CHN) bt Hina Hayata (JPN) 3-2 (12-10, 11-5, 11-13,
5-11, 11-7), Miu Hirano (JPN) bt Ko Un Gum (PRK) 3-0 (11-4, 11-3, 11-5).
TTFI release
No Chinese in Cadet Boys’ main draw!
Mumbai, September 15, 2014: Top four seeds in both Cadet Boys and
Girls received first-round bye and will await their opponents in the
quarterfinals, to be played later tonight here, at the 20th Asian Junior Table
Tennis Championships at the Sardar Patel Stadium.
But the surprising aspect that no Chinese player—only two
were entered—qualified for the main draw, leaving the field open for Japan,
Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Hong Kong and the two Koreas to exploit. Peng
Feilong and Xu Yingbin, the two Chinese, bowed out in the group stages of the
match.
From among the 21 players, divided into 12 groups, only two
girls—Archana Kamath and Abhinaya Ramesh—qualified for the main draw, though
six were in the fray at group stages. But out of the six Indian Cadet Boys, no
one made the cut, despite the hosts were allowed the luxury of two extra
entries each in the two categories.
When the seeding list was out, the Japanese must have been
the happiest lot to see three of their players—Miu Hirano, Mima Ito and Hina
Hayata—taking the first three slots in Cadet Girls section. China ’s Mu Jingyu was seeded fourth while Hong Kong ’s Lee Ka Yee at fifth. Koreans Kim Youjin and
Kim Jiho were at sixth and eighth with Chinese Qian Tianyi sandwiched between
them at seventh.
As for the boys, Korean Hwang Minha was top-seeded while
Yuto Kizukuri was behind him at No. 2. The other Japanese seeded include Takuto
Izumo at No. 4 and Yukiya Uda at No. 8. Korean An Jaehyun was placed at No. 3
while Taipei
TTFI Press release
Monday, September 15, 2014
Hong Kong-Taipei pairs in mixed doubles final
Mumbai, September 14, 2014: The fighting qualities of Hong Kong ’s pair apart, percentage play also came to the
fore in the Junior Mixed Doubles event of the Reliance 20th Asian Junior Table
Tennis Championships at the Sardar Patel Stadium here today.
Understandably, Hong Kong ’s
Ho Kwan Kit and Doo Hoi Kem, who combined well with her partner, won their
semifinal encounter 3-0 against Chinese Taipei’s Liao Cheng-Tiang and
Huang Yu-Chiao without much ado. The duo will now take on in the final
another pair from Chinese Taipei’s Sun Chia-Hung and Chiu Ssu-Hua, which defeated
North Koreans Kim Ok Chan and Kim Jinju 3-1 in the other
semifinals. The final will be played tomorrow.
However, as compared to their quarterfinal outing against
the Korean pair of Kim Minhyeok and Lee Seul, the semifinal against Taipei failed to measure
up both in intensity as well as attraction. Maybe, after their hard-fought win
against the Koreans, the Hong Kong pair
was more ease with itself, combining so well to outthought and outwit
both Liao Cheng-Tiang andHuang Yu-Chiao.
But in the breathtaking quarterfinals earlier, Korea ’s Kim
Minhyeok and Lee Seul were leading comfortably with a 2-0 score. But Ho and Doo
re-wrote the script, taking the match down to the wire to 3-2. This mixed
doubles saw excellent fight, with none of the pairs conceding an inch. Matching
stroke for stroke, Kim and Lee pushed the Hong Kong duo
on the back foot and won by the minimal points. In the decider, too, they did
exceedingly well to keep things under control and the tie went into deuce
before Hong Kong ’s Ho and Doo wrapped it
up in style at 14-12.
In the other quarterfinals, the Chinese pair of
Zhou Qihao and Chen Ke failed to match and sustain the pace of Taipei ’s duo of Liao
Cheng-Ting and Huang Yu-Chiao and went down in straight gains of 11-8, 11-4,
11-9.
Ayhika shines
The first stage group matches in both the Junior Boys and
Junior Girls singles got underway with 16 and 14 groups, respectively. With one
player from each group advancing to the next stage, the main draw, things will
get tougher from tomorrow.
From the Indian point of view, Ayhika Mukherjee won both her
group matches against Sri Lankan Ruvini Kannangara 3-1 and North Korean Ri Yong
Hae 3-0. She, however, has to play South Korean Lee Seul tomorrow in
the third round to know her fate of making it to the main draw.
Sagarika Mukherjee and Riti Shankar have won a match each
but it will be tough for them to win their next matches against fancied
opponents from China and Japan .
Otherwise, it was curtains for Sreeja and Oishwarya Deb who lost their first
matches and face bigger tests in round 2.
Results:
Junior Mixed Doubles: Semifinals: Ho Kwan Kit/Doo Hoi
Kem (HKG) bt Liao Cheng-Tiang/Huang Yu-Chiao (TPE) 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 12-10) Sun
Chia-Hung/Chiu Ssu-Hua (TPE) bt Kim Ok Chan/Kim Jinju (PRK) 3-1 (11-5, 11-4,
9-11, 11-8); Quarterfinals: Kim Ok Chan/Kim Jinju (PRK) bt Supanut
W/Orawan Paranang (THA) 3-1 (5-11, 11-4, 12-10, 11-6), Sun
China-Hung/Chiu Ssu-Hua (TPE) bt Cho Seungmin/Lee Zion (KOR) 3-1 (11-5, 11-9,
4-11, 12-10), Liao-Cheng-Ting/Huang Yu-Chiao (TPE) bt Zhou Qihao/Chen Ke (CHN)
3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-9), Ho Kwan Kit/Doo Hoi Kem (HKG) bt Kim Minhyeok/Lee
Seul (KOR) 3-2 (11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 14-12).
A TTFI Press release
China retain junior titles; Cadet crowns go to Korea, Japan
Mumbai, September 13, 2014: Table Tennis powerhouse China ’s
hegemony came to be questioned when they lost two of the four titles at the
Reliance 20th Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships, played here at the
Sardar Patel Stadium today.
The gainers were, indeed, South
Korea and Japan
who took the Cadet Boys’ and Cadet Girls team trophies.
South Korea, who were on course to annex the Junior Boys
title, were 2-0 up but the Chinese fought their way back into the final winning
the next three rubbers, thanks to Zhou Qihao, Liang Jingkun and Yu Ziyan who
put up a brave front to thwart the rampaging South Koreans.
In the Junior Girls final, the Chinese began on a wrong
note, losing the first match but came back well to beat Japan 3-1. Though Liu Gaoyang lost
the opening rubber to Miyu Maeda 1-3, Chinese made amends by winning her
reverse singles while Chen Xingtong and Wang Manyu, though both were stretched
a bit, did not panic to give the Chinese 2-1 lead. Then Gaoyang beat Hitomi
Sato in straight games to retain the trophy.
In Cadet Boys, South Korea defeated Chinese Taipei
3-0 to win the title. An Jaehyun, Kim Daewoo continuing their good form put
their team 2-0 up even as Daewoo was taken to the full distance in the second
singles. Then he, along with Minha Hwang, felled the Taipei pair of Yun-Ju and Li Hsin-Yang in
straight games to wrap up the win. In Cadet girls, Japan defeated China 3-2 after some struggle.
Rare upset
Earlier, a rare and the only upset of the championships
happened when South Korea
sent China
packing in the Cadet Boys’ semifinals. The South Koreans beat the reigning
champions 3-1. Except for the doubles in which Xu Yingbin and Peng Feilong
combined well to beat the Korean pair of Kim Dawoo and Hwang Minha 3-2, the two
Chinese lost their singles despite taking An Jaehyun and Hwang Minha the full
distance.
Chinese Taipei’s Cadet Boys fought grimly in the other
semifinal to ward off a Japanese threat. But the No. 2 Taipei team won 3-2 with
the main difference being the gritty Chen Chun-Hsiang who won both his singles,
including the decider against Japanese top player Takuto Izumo 3-2. The
Japanese, after being down 0-2, levelled the score only to go down in the last
game, losing by the minimal point.
Results:
Junior Boys: Final: China bt South Korea 3-2 (Yu Ziyang
lost to Cho Seungmin 8-11, 10-12, 11-8, 5-11, Liang Jingkun lost to Kim
Minhyeok 7-11, 11-3, 6-11, 9-11, Zhou Qihao bt Lim Jonghoon 11-7, 11-9, 11-7,
Liang Jingkun bt Cho Seungmin 8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, Yu Ziyang bt Kim
Minhyeok 11-6, 11-3, 11-8); Semifinals: China bt Hong Kong 3-0 (Yu Ziyang
bt Ho Kwan Kit 11-7, 7-11, 13-11, 4-11, 11-5, Liang Jingkun bt Hung Ka Tak
11-6, 11-9, 11-8, Zhou Qihao bt Li Hon Ming 7-11 11-9, 11-8, 11-1), South Korea
bt Chinese Taipei 3-2 (Kim Minhyeok lost Wang Tai-Wei 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 6-11,
9-11, Cho Senugmin bt Liao Cheng-Ting 11-4, 12-14, 11-6, 5-11, 11-5, Lim
Jonghoon bt Sun China-Hung 12-10, 13-11, 11-6, Cho Senugmin lost to Wang
Tai-Wei 8-11, 4-11, 11-6, 5-11, Kim Minhyeok bt Liao Cheng-Ting 11-9, 13-11,
11-8).
Position: India
bt Bahrain
3-0 to finish 9th.
Junior Girls: Final: China bt Japan 3-1 (Liu Gaoyang
lost to Miyu Maeda 4-11, 7-11, 11-9, 8-11, Chen Xingtong bt Hitomi Sato 10-12,
11-9, 11-7, 11-6, Wang Manyu bt Sakura Mori 11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, Liu Gaoyang
bt Hitomi Sato 16-14, 11-7, 11-5); Semifinals: China bt South Korea 3-0
(Liu Gaoyang bt Lee Seul 12-10, 11-8, 11-8, Wang Manyu bt Lee Zion 11-7, 10-12,
8-11, 11-3, 11-6, Chen Xingtong bt Lee Yjin 11-3, 11-7, 11-8), Japan bt Hong
Kong 3-2 (Sakura Mori lost to Doo Hoi Kem 1-11, 10-12, 11-9, 5-11, Hitomi Sato
bt Soo Wai Yam 16-14, 11-3, 11-5, Miyu Maeda bt Lam yee Lok 11-6, 11-8, 11-6,
Hitomi Sato lost to Doo Hoi Kem 11-5, 4-11, 7-11, 7-11, Sakura Mori bt Soo Wai
Yam 11-9, 13-11, 11-8).
Position: India bt Chinese Taipei 3-1 to
finish 7th.
Cadet Boys: Final: South Korea bt Chinese Taipei 3-0
(An Jaehyun bt Lin Yun-Ju 11-6, 11-6, 11-9, Kim Daewoo bt Chen Chun-Hsiang
11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9); Semifinals: South Korea bt China 3-1
(Jaehuyn An bt Xu Yingbin 11-7, 6-11, 3-11, 11-9, 11-4, Minha Hwang bt Peng
Feilong 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, Daewoo Kim/Minha Hwang lost to Xu/Peng
11-4, 10-12, 11-4, 5-11, 9-11, Jaehyun An bt Peng Feilong 10-12, 11-5, 11-4,
11-9), Chinese Taipei bt Japan 3-2 (Lin Yun-Ju lost to Takuto Izumo 11-13,
7-11, 11-3, 11-8, 9-11, Chen Chun-Hsiang bt Yuto Kizukuri 6-11, 11-7, 11-9,
11-4, Lin Yun/Li Hsin-Yang bt Takuto/Yukiya Uda 7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 15-13, Lin
Yun-Ju lost to Yuto Kizukuri 12-10, 8-11, 8-11, 8-11, Chen Chun bt Takuto Izumo
11-9, 11-13, 14-12, 9-11, 11-9).
Position: India
bt Hong Kong 3-0 to finish 5th.
Cadet Girls: Final: Japan bt China 3-2 (Mima Ito bt Sun
Yingsha 10-12, 11-9, 2-11, 11-8, 11-9, Miu Hirano lost to Qian Tianyi 11-5,
3-11, 11-3, 7-11, 7-11, Hirano/Mima bt Qian/Mu Jingyu 11-7, 2-11, 11-2, 14-12,
Miu Hinrano lost to Sun Yingsha 9-11, 9-11, 7-11, Mima Ito bt Qian Tianyi
12-10, 3-11, 12-10, 11-6); Semifinals: China bt Hong Kong 3-0 (Qian Tianyi
bt Lee Ka yee 11-9, 11-1, 11-3, Sun Yingsha bt Ng Ka Man 11-2, 11-5, 11-5,
Qian/Mu Jingyu bt Lee Ka /Leung Ka Wan 14-16, 11-6, 11-7, 11-2), Japan bt South
Korea 3-0 (Mima Ito bt Kim Youjin 7-11, 11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5, Miu Hirano bt
Kim Jiho 11-9, 11-8, 11-8, Mima/Hina Hayata bt Youjin/Jiho 15-13, 11-7, 11-9).
Position: India lost to Chinese Taipei 0-3 and
finished 6th.
A TTFI Press release
Deccan Water Treatment Pvt. Ltd. takes Pune franchise of Hero Hockey India League
The Pune franchise has been bought by Mr Anibran Sarkar,
owner of the Deccan Water Treatment Pvt. Ltd. The company founded in 1998
subsequently entered in the field of waste water treatment and developed
packaged type sewage treatment plant working in India and overseas with the value
of the organization said to be nearly 2000 Cr.
Speaking on the announcement Hockey India
Secretary-General and Hero Hockey
India League Chairman Dr. Narinder
Batra said “We welcome Deccan Water Treatment and Mr. Sarkar as the
new franchise for next season’s Hockey India League. These are exciting times
for us as a new city
will be able to witness the International tournament and the amount of people
we will be reaching out too will also be more in number.”
Talking about the growth of the sport in the country he
said, “With a new franchise coming in and a company like Deccan Water Treatment
contributing to the sport, we are moving in the right direction.”
Speaking on owning the Pune franchise of Hero HIL, Mr Sarkar
said, “Having closely and sincerely following the developments of hockey in our
country under the leadership of Dr. Narinder Batra, I was very impressed and
felt a need to be a part and contribute to the sport”. Having a love and
passion for hockey since his school days in Pune, Mr Sarkar says that the city
has produced many hockey Stars for India .
“The cradle for hockey in India has seen stars like Baboo
Nimal, Joseph Philips, Dhanraj Pillay, Vikram Pillay and many international and
national players and I too grew up like many other Pune boys playing for my
school in inter-school and Zilla parishad matches with borrowed hockey sticks
from friends. Buying the Pune franchise is the just the beginning for a larger
and better future for the sport in the country.”
Deccan Water Treatment Pvt. Ltd. is the pioneer in the
manufacturing of RO systems for Drinking water specialized for desalination and
arsenic removal by reverse osmosis process. Backed by the most modern
technology they provide a solution to all water treatment problems under one
roof and also have diversified into Solar Energy in 2010. The company has not
restricted to a single sector or region as their aim is to reach the remotest
of villages for provision of Drinking water and efficient treatment of waste
water and its recycling.
HI Press release
Indian junior girls and cadet boys and girls make QF cuts
Mumbai, September 12, 2014: India’s junior girls and cadet boys
found a common whipping horse in Singapore to qualify for the second stage to
lift the morale of the hosts after the Junior Boys lost their group 2 matches
0-3 to both Japan and DPR Korea at the Reliance 20 th Asian Junior Table Tennis
Championships at the Sardar Patel Stadium here today.
Later in the evening, Cadet Girls too made it to the
knockout stage thrashing Jordan
3-0. But the Junior Boys, who have failed to make it to the quarterfinals, beat
Thailand
3-2 but would be playing in the 9-14 positional matches.
In fact, Thakkar should have won the match after leading 2-0
and in the decider 10-8. But a couple of net errors at the crucial match points
reversed the fortune in favour of the Taipei
boy. Undaunted, he combined well with Nath to win the doubles and his reverse
singles. This was probably the trigger for the team to do well against Singapore
where both Thakkar and Nath wore down their rivals to win 3-2 and go through.
As for the Junior Girls, Ayhika was the star winning both
her singles against Singapore ’s
Hui Li Tay (11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 11-8) and Herng Hwee Yee (8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5,
11-5). The Indian, down 0-2, struck form suddenly to surprise her rival in the
third game. From there, it was the Indian all the way as Yee lost the next two
games tamely.
With China
and South Korea in Junior
Boys section and China and Japan in Junior
Girls category sitting pretty with direct entry into the quarterfinals to be
played tomorrow, the onus was on group toppers to maintain their
pre-eminence and without a hiccup they took their appointed place after beating
their rivals.
Joining them in the quarterfinal race in the Junior Boys
category were DPR Korea, Kazakhstan
and Singapore , while in the
Junior Girls section, Chinese Taipei and Thailand
besides hosts India .
In the Cadet Boys’ section, group 4 saw some extraordinary
results with No. 4 team Bahrain
scoring over both Kazakhstan
and Sri Lanka .
In terms of reputation, Bahrain
was a relatively a weak team considering the potential of Kazakhstan . But
the former surprised both the Kazakhs as well as the Sri Lankans to take the
second place behind Japan .
Bahrain beat Kazakhstan and Sri
Lanka by a similar 3-0 margin while losing by the same
score to Japan .
Results:
Junior Boys: Group 1: Chinese Taipei bt Singapore 3-0,
Singapore bt Bahrain 3-0, Iran lost to Chinese Taipei 0-3, Bahrain lost to Iran
1-3, , Singapore bt Iran 3-1; Group 2: Japan bt Thailand 3-0, India
lost to Japan 0-3, Thailand lost to DPR Korea 0-3, DPR Korea bt India 3-1,
India bt Thailand 3-2 (Lalrin Puia lost to Supanut W 3-11, 9-11, 11-6,
9-11, Abhishek Yadav bt Komgrit Sangpao 12-10, 11-5, 11-9, Utkarsh Gupta bt
Nithipat Pimrat 11-6, 6-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-9, Abhishek Yadav lost to Supanut W.
5-11, 3-11, 11-7, 8-11, Lalrin Puia bt Komgrit Sangpao 11-9, 11-5,
11-8); Group 3: Hong Kong bt Kazakhstan 3-0, Hong Kong bt Qatar 3-0, Hong
Kong bt Pakistan 3-0, Kazakhstan bt Pakistan 3-0, Qatar bt Pakistan 3-1; Japan
bt DPR Korea 3-0; Chinese Taipei bt Bahrain 3-0; Kazakhstan bt Qatar 3-1.
Cadet Boys: Group 1: China bt Hong Kong 3-0; China bt
Iran 3-0; Group2: Chinese Taipei bt India 3-2 (Lin Yun-Ju bt Akaash Nath
11-3, 11-8,1-7; Chen Chun-Hsiang bt Manav Thakkar 7-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-5,
12-10; Lin Yun-Ju/Lin Hsin-Yang lost to Thakkar/Nath 7-11, 11-7, 7-11, 7-11;
Lin Yun-Ju lost to Manav Thakkar 11-7, 7-11, 7-11, 11-8, 5-11; Chen Chun-Hsiang
bt Akaash Nath 12-10, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7); Chinese Taipei bt Singapore
3-1, India bt Singapore 3-2 (Akaash Nath lost to Shao Feng Ethan Poh
3-11, 4-11, 11-9, 6-11, Manav Thakkar bt Lucas Tan 11-9, 11-6, 4-11, 11-8, Thakkar/Nath
bt Shao Feng/Lucas 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-9, Manav Thakkar lost to Shao Feng
Ethan 11-6, 8-11, 4-11, 9-11, Akaash Nath bt Lucas Tan 8-11, 5-11, 11-3, 12-10,
11-7). Group 3: Korean Rep. bt Thailand 3-0; Group 4: Japan bt Sri
Lanka 3-0; Japan bt Kazakhstan 3-0; Bahrain bt Sri Lanka 3-0; Bahrain bt
Kazakhstan 3-0, Japan bt Bahran 3-0, Sri Lanka bt Kazakhstan 3-1.
Junior Girls: Group 1: Hong Kong bt Chinese Taipei 3-0;
Hong Kong bt Sri Lanka 3-0,Chinese Taipei bt Sri Lanka 3-0; Group 2:
South Korea bt Singapore 3-0; South Korea bt India 3-0, India bt Singapore
3-1 (Sagarika Mukherjee lost to Herng Hwee Yee 11-9, 11-13, 3-11, 5-11,
Ayhika Mukherjee bt Hui Li Tay 11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, Priyadarshini Das bt En
Hui Tan 11-7, 11-7, 11-7, Ayhika Mukherjee bt Herng Hwee Yee 8-11, 11-8, 9-11,
11-5, 11-5); Group 3: DPR Korea bt Thailand 3-1; DPR Korea bt Iran 3-0;
Thailand bt Jordan 3-0; Iran bt Jordan 3-0, Thailand bt Iran 3-0, DPR Korea bt
Jordan 3-0.
Cadet Girls: Group 1: India bt Jordan 3-0 (Shruti
Amrute bt Tina Alkhoury 11-4, 11-5, 11-5, Naina bt Lima Khater 11-2, 11-5,
11-1, Naina/Archana Kamath bt Tina/Lima 11-7, 11-5, 11-1), China bt India 3-0,
China bt Jordan 3-0; Group 2: Japan bt Kazakhstan 3-0, Japan bt Chinese
Taipei 3-0; Group 3: Thailand lost to South Korea 1-3, Thailand bt Sri
Lanka 3-0; Group 4: Hong Kong bt Singapore 3-0, Hong Kong bt Iran 3-1;
Singapore bt Iran 3-1.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Preparatory camp of the junior men hockey core probables begins in Delhi
Speaking on the occasion Dr. Narinder Batra, Secretary General, Hockey
The camp will continue till October 9..
List of players is as under:
GOALKEEPERS
1. Vikas Dahiya
2. Subodh Tirkey
3. Abhinav Kumar Pandey
4. Jugraj Singh
DEFENDERS
5. Abhay Ekka
6. Jarmanpreet Singh
7. Harmanpreet Singh
8. Anand Lakra
9. Gurinder Singh
10. Abhishek Pratap Singh
11. Baljit Singh
12. Nilam Sanjeep Xess
13. Dipsan Tirkey
14. Varun Kumar
MIDFIELDERS
15. Sumit
16. Simranjeet Singh
17. Santa Singh
18. Prakash Barla
19. Harjeet Singh
20. S. H. Nilakanta Sharma
21. Imran Khan
22. Manpreet
23. Rajat Sharma
24. Ajay Yadav
FORWARDS
25. Parvinder Singh
26. Arman Qureshi
27. Ajit Kumar Pandey
28. Mohd. Nizamuddin
29. Pawan Kumar
30. Raushan Kumar
31. Janma Majhi
32. Sumit Toppo
33. Sumit Kumar
List of players is as under:
GOALKEEPERS
1. Vikas Dahiya
2. Subodh Tirkey
3. Abhinav Kumar Pandey
4. Jugraj Singh
DEFENDERS
5. Abhay Ekka
6. Jarmanpreet Singh
7. Harmanpreet Singh
8. Anand Lakra
9. Gurinder Singh
10. Abhishek Pratap Singh
11. Baljit Singh
12. Nilam Sanjeep Xess
13. Dipsan Tirkey
14. Varun Kumar
MIDFIELDERS
15. Sumit
16. Simranjeet Singh
17. Santa Singh
18. Prakash Barla
19. Harjeet Singh
20. S. H. Nilakanta Sharma
21. Imran Khan
22. Manpreet
23. Rajat Sharma
24. Ajay Yadav
FORWARDS
25. Parvinder Singh
26. Arman Qureshi
27. Ajit Kumar Pandey
28. Mohd. Nizamuddin
29. Pawan Kumar
30. Raushan Kumar
31. Janma Majhi
32. Sumit Toppo
33. Sumit Kumar
HI Press release
Shivendra Singh Sisodia wins maiden title after roller-coaster round
Shivendra Singh Sisodia (67-67-70), who enjoyed a three-shot
lead going into the final round, made a birdie on the third and a bogey on the
sixth before seizing the initiative with a fantastic hole-in-one on the eighth.
He followed that up with a birdie on the ninth to take control of the match.
Just when Shivendra seemed to be coasting to a comfortable victory, the
25-year-old had a disastrous 10th hole that changed the equations.
Sisodia first hit it out of bounds on the 10th then
found the trees and the bunker and finally hit it over the green to drop a
demoralizing quadruple bogey. It just got worse for him with another poor
bunker shot on the 12th that led to a bogey. After 14 holes Shivendra and Lucknow ’s Manoj Kumar
were on level terms. However, Shivendra displayed nerves of steel to land the
ball within five feet on the 15th and 16th to garner two crucial
birdies and regain the sole lead. The golfer from the Aravalli Golf Club, Faridabad , sealed the
title after Manoj hit it out of bounds on the 18th and fell out of the
race with a triple bogey.
Sisodia said, “I’m delighted with my strong comeback. I
almost squandered my opportunity after a disastrous start to the back-nine. I’m
quite pleased that I managed to pull it back with some brilliant wedge shots
despite being under tremendous pressure. The 15th and 16th holes were
the turning point of the day. The hole-in-one was a perfect half 3-wood shot
that bounced once and rolled in. I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw it go in
as I was doubtful about my club selection on that hole.
“This is only my second season as a professional and
therefore the win is a huge morale-booster. It has lifted me from 26th position
to fifth place in the Feeder Tour Order of Merit. I would like to thank Mr.
Yash Chaturvedi, a member of TERI Golf Club in Gurgaon, who has been a great
source of support.”
It turned out to be a good week for the Lucknow golfers as three of them Sanjeev
Kumar (four-under-206), Sanjay Kumar (three-under-207) and Manoj Kumar
(two-under-208), finished second, third and fourth respectively.
Runner-up Sanjeev Kumar, who shot scores of 69, 69 and 68,
climbed from eighth to third place on the Feeder Tour Order of Merit.
Akshay continues to lead the Order of Merit with earnings of
Rs. 2,15,280 with one event remaining in the season. Gulfam is placed second in
the merit list with earnings of Rs. 1,74,540.
Photo and release: PGTI
10-member Indian table tennis team for Incheon Games announced
Mumbai, September 12, 2014: A 10-member (5 men and 5 women) table
tennis team will be representing India at the Incheon Asian Games,
beginning September 19. The team was selected on the basis of the players’
national and international ranking, besides keeping in mind the current form of
the individual players after the Inter-Institutional championships held in New Delhi in the third
week of August.
The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) had sent the
names to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) which, in turn, had recommended
them to the Sports Ministry for clearance. Though there were speculations about
the teams’ clearance in the media, the TTFI was always sure of getting the
sports ministry nod.
The paddlers will leave for the South Korean city
on September 22 and the table tennis events at the Asian Games begin
from September 27.
TTFI secretary-general Dhanraj Choudhary said that he was
confident of getting the sports ministry’s clearance for his team. “We had projected
a clear picture about why our paddlers should compete at the Asiad. Our
paddlers had reached the semifinals at Guangzhou
and that was good enough reason for their representation. Both the SAI and
ministry officials were convinced,” said Choudhary, adding, he was thankful to
the ministry for the team’s clearance.
Men: A. Sharath Kamal, Soumyajit Ghosh, Harmeet Desai, Antony Amalraj and Sanil
Shetty.
Women: Ankita Das, Madhurika Patkar, Poulomi Ghatak, Manika
Batra and Neha Aggarwal.
Coaches: Peter Engel and Bhawani Mukherjee.
A TTFI Press release
Shivendra Singh Sisodia opens three-shot lead with second straight 67
Shivendra Singh Sisodia (67-67), the overnight
leader by one stroke, drained a seven-footer for his first birdie of the day on
the third. He missed the green on the eighth and as a result dropped a stroke
to go back to level-par for the day. The 25-year-old, who plays at the Aravalli
Golf Club in Faridabad, then sank three consecutive birdies on the 12th,
13th and 14th to consolidate his position on
top of the leaderboard. Sisodia’s longest putt of the day was the 15-feet
conversion on the 13th.
“I’m delighted to be three ahead at this point.
My hitting was accurate through the round. However, I continued to miss short
putts even today. The tied 11th finish at Forest Hill last week
has helped me grow in confidence. I’m looking forward to a solid finish here
that will help me climb up several places from my current Feeder Tour Order of
Merit ranking of 26,” said Shivendra, who is now staring at his maiden title.
Defending champion Sanjay Kumar of Lucknow and Feeder Tour Order of Merit leader Akshay
Sharma of Chandigarh were bunched together with
another Chandigarh golfer Ravi and Patna
The cut fell at 10-over-150. Thirty-nine
professionals made the cut.
Photo and release: PGTI
Shivendra Singh Sisodia fires three-under-67 for round one lead
Shivendra Singh Sisodia’s 67 featured six
birdies and three bogeys. The 25-year-old Shivendra had the ideal start to the
tournament as he chipped-in from the bunker for birdie on the first hole. He
then found the green on the par-5 third in two shots to add another birdie to
his card. The professional from the Aravalli Golf Club in Faridabad
Sisodia said, “My hitting and approach shots
were excellent in round one, however, my putting left a lot to be desired. I
missed some short putts. Nonetheless, it’s a brilliant start to the tournament.
I just want to keep driving well and continue to make good up and downs like I
did today.”
Manoj Kumar kept local hopes alive with his
round of 68 that included four birdies and two bogeys.
Defending champion Sanjay Kumar of Lucknow Lucknow
PGTI Press release
Manpreet Singh Adjudged ‘Junior Men Player of the Year’ by Asian Hockey Federation
The 22-year-old Indian midfielder has played 103
international matches and captained junior men’s team in the Hero FIH Hockey
Junior Men’s World Cup 2013, New Delhi , and the
3rd Sultan of Johor Cup in 2013 in Johor
Bahru , Malaysia
Manpreet’s best moment was to win the 3rd Sultan of Johor
Cup 2013 under his leadership. In this prestigious tournament, India ’s junior team displayed their high-level
hockey skills and defeated England ,
Argentina , Pakistan and South Korea . In the final match, India thrashed host Malaysia 3-0 and clinched the Gold
Medal.
Manpreet made his international debut in 2011 and since
then, he has been a regular member of the Indian team. The Jalandhar-lad was
also a part of the Silver medal winning Indian team at the XX Commonwealth
Games 2014 in Scotland and represented India at the FIH Men’s World Cup 2014
(Netherlands), Hero FIH Hockey World League Final 2014 (India), FIH Hockey
World League Semi-final 2013 (Netherlands), FIH Hockey World League Round 2,
2013 (India), Men’s Asia Cup 2013 (Malaysia), FIH Champions Trophy 2012
(Australia), Asian Champions Trophy 2012 (Qatar), Olympic Games 2014 (London)
and FIH Champions Challenge 2011 (South Africa).
At present, Manpreet is a part of senior men’s core probable
team for the 2014 Asian Games.
On his special achievement, Hockey India
HI Press release
Jaipur Pink Panthers win Pro Kabaddi League crown
Mumbai, August 31, 2014: 55 hard fought matches. 2,200
demanding minutes of game play. Hundreds and hundreds of touches and tackles,
dips and dives, whacks and whallops, all leading up to the last match of the
last day of the last venue of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi. Everything has been
counting down to this. The Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba, fixed against each
other by an uncanny twist of fate to end the league with the same match that
got it all started. Tonight, of course, would be a very different night from
that pioneering night on the 26th of July. The winner tonight, Jaipur Pink
Panthers, would be the first ever champion of India’s very own Pro Kabaddi
league, a title that would put the heroic team down in history as the original
legends of the sport. With a deafening crowd that filled the NSCI to its very
brim, kabaddi was having the night of its life.
The Mumbai crowd, it should be noted, suffered from a
foundational split. The Jaipur team, with its immense talent and Bollywood
support, found itself with the same amount of hometown boost as the opposing
Mumbai squad. An equal glow of orange and pink filled the stands, but this
equality would not manifest itself on the mat. Both teams played with an ardent
spirit, and the concept of ultimate victory added a previously unseen strength
and speed to their already tremendous skill. The final 5 minutes however,
placed the Jaipur Pink Panthers 11 points ahead and the ultimate winners of the
league.
The game had begun in exactly the opposite format that it
ended, cautious and slow, but the journey in between would give the match all
the drama Kabaddi fans had learned to expect. For the first 10 minutes,
throughout lightning raids and thunderous tackles that sent raiders flying out
of the lobby, neither teams would give up any ground. But the 11th minute
saw the scales fall in the Panther’s favour. 2 tactical mistakes from the
Mumbai team had left them with only Riskank Devadiga, who hopelessly outnumbered
could not outsmart the Jaipur defence. Thus, an all-out, put the Panthers 13 –
7 ahead. They would fight to maintain this lead with tooth and nail, and their
determination would be well rewarded. An impossible escape from Shabeer
Sharfudheen gave U Mumba 2 points, as the audiencewas treated to Shabeer
spinning himself out of a full-faced grab by 2 Panthers. Followed up by a
successful tackle, Mumbai was able to bring the scores to 16 – 12, closing in
on the Panther’s lead. But after Jaipur closed the first half by a single
handed, wrecking-ball tackle of Anup by Prashant Chavan, Jaipur was prepped to
dominate once again. Exhibiting the same defensive fortitude that had
humiliated Patna
in the semi-finals, Jaipur gave the Mumbai team nothing, while Maninder and
Jasvir took the players apart. Faced with an all-out in the 30th minute,
the last man crumbled under the Panther attack, and the lead grew to 27 – 15.
As the clock clicked on, Jaipur would not ease up at all.
As Jasvir walked the centre line in the final minute,
running out the final time, it was with the proud knowledge that his team would
go down forever as the first champions of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi. His victory
would be preserved in history alongside the final score, with the crushing
defeat of U Mumba and a score of 35 – 24.
Amongst the individual winners, Arjuna Awardee and the
vice-captain of the Indian National Kabaddi Team, Anup Kumar one of the
most experienced players in the league, was awarded the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi
Most Valuable Player Award. Averaging at 5 raids per game, his style has been
consistent throughout his career and was reflected in his captaincy of the
UMumba team.
Rahul Chaudhari of the Telugu Titans was awarded Best Raider
of the tournament, an award in recognition of scoring a record 23 raid
points in a single match against UMumba in Vizag, andbecoming the first
raider to cross the century benchmark. The 21-year-old, always a trump card for
the Telugu Titans, at 151 Raid Points was tonight Rs. 75,000 richer the top
raider of the first Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League.
The Top Defender of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League, was
chart topper and all-rounder Manjit Chillar has been one of Bengaluru
Bulls’ most effective weapons. Leading the Bulls’ charge, Manjit’s experience
provides him with that additional mojo that helps him to oust as many players
as possible. An ankle-hold specialist, Manjit Chillar’s grip on the Raider’s
mind is also what makes him formidable.
Patna Pirates get third place
In the first match of the night that decided the fate of the
team to be paced third, Patna Pirates bulldozed the Bengaluru Bulls, winning
the encounter 29-22. Starting the match on a high, Sandeep Narwal started the
proceedings, scoring a 2-point raid in the fifth second. After trading blows
for the early few minutes the Bulls’ Kuldeep Singh was ousted, leaving
Bengaluru a 3-man side in the beginning of the fifth minute. Riding high on a
strong start, Patna ’s
first road block, was in the eight minute as Ajay Thakur and Dharmaraj
Cheralathan, who was also the best defender of the day, picked up Sandeep and
put him out of the matc. At half-time scores were 9-15.
As the second half began, Ravi Dalal was dramatically picked
up and spun around by the Bulls to gain a crucial point. But the Pirates
refused to take the humiliation and paid back in the 23rdminute, grabbing
Ajay’s ankle, picking him up and throwing him right out. At the end of the
27thminute, Patna
was leading the match by 8 points and the lead continued to escalate as Ravi
Dalal ousted two Bengaluru Bulls with a spectacular dive. Denying the Bulls
every chance of a comeback, Patna
sealed the third place, overthrowing the Bulls 22-29
Photo and release: Organisers
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