Author: Abhishek Shukla

Owner of Sports India Live.
by Abhishek Shukla

AIFF Invites New Bids For Hero I-League 2017-18

NEW DELHI, July 21, 2017: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has noticed issue to invite bids for new clubs for the Hero I-League across leading dailies of the nation.

Bids are invited from prospective team owners in respect of cities – Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Ranchi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bhopal, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Malappuram and Trivandrum, among others.

Under this invitation to tender, the winning bidders will be granted the right to own and operate a new club which will compete in I-League in each year from 2017 onwards and will have the opportunity (if applicable and subject to qualification) to compete in the AFC (Asian Football Confederation’s) club competitions.

“We are looking forward to welcoming vibrant outfits in Hero I-League. The new entrants will surely bring newer challenges and fresh football dynamics which would provide more competitiveness and thrill to the league”, said Sunando Dhar, CEO, I-League.

by Abhishek Shukla

Led by Amritpal Singh’s back to back double doubles, Sydney Kings go 3-0 in China tournament

Bengaluru/China, 21st July 2017:  Amritpal Singh, the near 6’ 10’’ centre of the Indian national team, starred in the first two games for the Sydney Kings, at an invitational tournament in China, known as the Atlas Challenge 2017.

 

The centre racked up double doubles in the first two games of the tournament, helping his team to a perfect start.

 

In the first game against an American All-Star squad on 19th July, the Kings won 88-84 on the back of a strong performance from Amritpal Singh, who finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds. He continued to dominate in the second game against Lithuania on 20th July, racking up 13 points and 14 rebounds en route to a resounding 83-70 victory.

The Kings also won the third game 82-56 over Qatar earlier today, on the back of a 34-14 scoring run in the third quarter. The details of Amritpal Singh’s performance in this game are awaited.

 

These performances are crucial for Singh, as the Sydney Kings are approaching the tournament as an opportunity to evaluate prospective players who may make the Sydney Kings roster at a later stage.

Singh had been formally invited to join the Sydney Kings for the Atlas Challenge 2017, after he impressed a number of teams at the National Basketball League (NBL) Draft Combine in Melbourne, Australia earlier this year. He was part of a four member contingent that also included Amjyot Singh, Yadwinder Singh and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi. A report on the official NBL website reflects high praise for the Punjab centre, and played up his potential to become the first Indian-born player in the NBL. Among the stand out features of his play were his defensive presence around the rim, finishing the Combine tied as the leading shot blocker.

by Abhishek Shukla

Bengaluru FC retain Nishu, Zuala for ISL; Daniel for AFC Cup

Bengaluru: Continuing the rebuild of their squad for the upcoming season, Bengaluru FC have retained two of the most promising youngsters in Indian football in midfielder Malsawmzuala and defender Nishu Kumar, keeping them at the club till the end of the 2017-18 season. The duo make grade for the ‘under-21 uncapped players’ slot for the Indian Super League.

Meanwhile, Indian International striker Daniel Lalhlimpuia continues to remain part of the squad and will feature in the Blues’ AFC Cup campaign. While the Inter-Zonal semifinal against North Korean side 4.25 SC is up next in the 2017 AFC Cup for runners-up Bengaluru FC, they will also be playing in the 2018 edition of the competition having sealed qualification courtesy the Federation Cup triumph in May.

The trio who signed for Bengaluru FC from AIFF’s Elite Academy in November 2015 have gone on play crucial roles over the last two seasons as the Blues increased their focus on youth. They combined for a total of 30 appearances in the last edition of the I-League.

Muzzafarnagar-born Nishu Kumar had a breakthrough season with the highlight being a goal against Bangladeshi-side Abahani Dhaka in the AFC Cup. The youngster’s impressive performances also caught the eye of the Indian Coach Stephen Constantine who called him up to the national team as he was voted the Blues’ Most Improved Player of 2016-17 season.

“I’m very happy to continue with Bengaluru FC. It was an easy decision for me. The amount of trust the management and the coaching staff has shown in me means a lot. The last two years were fantastic as we achieved some incredible things and we would like to do something similar as we enter a new phase in our club’s history,” said a delighted Nishu after completing the formalities.

Joining him will be Mizo duo of Malsawmzuala, who was voted the Blues’ Most Improved Player of 2015-16 season, and Daniel Lalhlimpuia who has been capped at the senior level for India. The latter who has featured frequently in the starting line-up this season will play an important part in the club’s campaign in Asia.

“We are at a very crucial junction in the AFC Cup and I am looking forward to playing my part. I’ve spent two years here learning and the coach has shown faith in me and I’m looking to continue doing that,” said Daniel, who has been retained for the AFC Cup.

“These boys have been an important part of our team for the last two seasons and we’re delighted to have them with us as we head into a new chapter in our Club’s history. Considering the rules of the ISL, we could only retain Nishu and Malsawmzuala for the league, given that Daniel has become a full India International. But we don’t want to lose him out as he forms a vital part of our plans. His contribution will be immense in not just this year’s AFC Cup campaign, but the one in the following year as well,” said Albert Roca, Bengaluru FC Head Coach.

Daniel and Nishu are currently in Qatar after being named in India’s Under-23 team for the AFC Under-23 Championship Qualifiers.

by Abhishek Shukla

Abhay Singh marches into quarterfinals of World junior squash championship

Tauranga(New Zealand): India’s Abhay Singh continued to march ahead in the ongoing WSF-World junior squash championship being held here. The top junior, seeded 5/8 made it to the quarterfinal on Friday after a battling 3-1 win over Egyptian 9/16 seeded Mohamed Elshamy in the fourth round. Abhay won 10-12, 11-7, 13-11,11-8.

However the other surviving Indian, Adhiya Raghavan went down fighting to another Egyptian 5/8 seeded Aly Hussein in five games, 11-3, 8-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-3.

Abhay had an initial scare but regained touch before long. He had a tough time in the third game as the Egyptian fought point for point. Though the Indian reached the game-ball point first, Elshamy fought back to equalise at 10-10. It was close there but Abhay managed to wriggle out and the fourth game became lot easier to close out.

by Abhishek Shukla

FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017: Third phase of online ticket sales kick off

After an impressive response by fans following phases 1 and 2 of ticket sales for the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) is set to launch phase 3 on 21 July, which will last until 5 October on fifa.com/india2017/ticketing. During this phase, fans will have the opportunity to buy individual tickets to watch the stars of tomorrow with a 25 per cent discount.

 

In Kolkata, Kochi and Guwahati, all available tickets were sold in the first two phases.

 

Speaking about the launch, FIFA Deputy Secretary General Zvonimir Boban said: “The outcome of the first two sales phases confirmed the unique football passion of India’s fans. We are very confident that the upcoming sales phase will continue the trend as the sense of anticipation grows in every host city. This year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup will be an absolute milestone in the competition’s history.”

 

After the Official Draw determined the fate of all 24 participating countries, another host city – New Delhi, the venue for all of host country India’s matches – has attracted great interest from local fans, with ticket sales exceeding the 100,000 mark on 14 July.

Describing what is surely a revolutionary chapter in Indian Football, LOC Tournament Director Javier Ceppi commented: “The response that we have had in the first two phases has been fantastic and we expect it to continue like that. Football fans in the country have shown their interest in the tournament and we are very sure that Indian supporters will put a tremendous show for all the rest of the world to watch in October.”

A total of 52 matches will be played between 6 and 28 October. The Official Draw has thrown up some brilliant group-stage matches, with several blockbuster encounters on offer in all host cities. The 24 qualified teams will begin the tournament in six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group making it through to the knockout stage.

Visa, an official FIFA Partner, is the preferred payment method of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017.

 

by Abhishek Shukla

How many BCCIs you know?

Since the Champions Trophy, Indian coach appointment has been highlighted topic in cricketing World and the saga coming to its final stage rose questions over BCCIs accountability.

A year since Hon. Supreme Court of India appointed Lodha Committee redirects Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to REFORM its structure and produce transparency between its States Associations and central governing body. The ultimatum for this reform was six months from then. Some of the recommendations Lodha Committee as below in case you don’t remember.

  • Each state will have only one vote at BCCI elections
  • Ministers and civil servants cannot hold BCCI offices
  • BCCI and state office bearers must not be over 70 years old
  • No person can hold office at the BCCI and state association simultaneously
  • No person can hold more than three, three-year terms as a BCCI official, and no official can serve consecutive terms

After a year, Committee of Administrators (CoA) appoints former office bearers N Shrinivasan and Nirajan Das to take a look at progress or lack of the implementation made by the BCCI in the year. And here the questions every cricket fans are asking. How BCCI can allow such office bearers to take part in this matter? How can they qualify in their respective State association? Though Supreme Court has issued notice against these former BCCI office bearers, but question remains. Who is running BCCI?

In case you don’t know, there are several committees former by Hon. Supreme Court appointed Lodha Committee and BCCI itself. There is Committee of Administrators (CoA) comprised four members (now three) Vinod Rai, Ramchandra Guha (resigned), Vikaram Limaye and Diana Edulji appointed by Hon. Supreme Court. There is Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprised former Indian legends Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. There are office bearers comprised Vinod Rai (President), Rahul Johri (CEO), Rajeev Shukla (Vice President), Amithabh Chaudhary (Secretary) and others.

Out of control Kumble-Kohli rift

When Supreme Court ordered Anurag Thakur to resign from his position in January this year as BCCI chief, the shaky BCCI comes here. There was no one to stop him during his tenure, Delhi office, new Media Manager (Nishant Arora) and many more. The matter could have handled sweetly but there was lack coordination within BCCI. In between that Kumble appointed as India head coach over Ravi Shastri. He handled team India very well in his tenure and Kohli became full time captain.

Rahul Johri, CEO of BCCI who has major control on Indian team was aware of trouble between Captain Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble according to sources. Even there were reports states that Kohli had reported BCCI about his ‘uncountable’ with his coach. The CoA who chose to ignore the problems by arguing their job is to impose reforms. The CAC who appointed Kumble as coach didn’t even try to clear the matter as they were team mates at a time. And finally Kohli’s recommendations to appoint Ravi Shastri as a coach.

Whatever though, the BCCI clearly slipped back to having no accountability in its working and failed to handle the matter which goes even worse when Anil Kumble in his resignation mentioned his ‘untenable’ with Kohli. The CAC who endorsed Kumble after Champions Trophy an extension for him could not find time to talk to either parties, more importantly Kohli.

On July 10, CAC completed their interview process of all candidates including Ravi Shastri who applied for this role after Kumble’s resignation on Sachin’s request (assurance). After the interview process, Ganguly and his committee in a press-conference at around 6PM IST said that they required some time to talk to Virat Kohli who is on USA vacation and tell him how coach works.  There was no coordination between that committee. At 11 PM BCCI released a press release stating that Ravi Shastri appointed Head Coach, Zaheer Khan bowling consultant and Rahul Dravid overseas batting consultant.

One of the excerpts from that release says “As part of the process for selecting the Head Coach, the Cricket Advisory Committee comprising of Mr. Sachin Tendulkar, Mr. Sourav Ganguly and Mr. VVS Laxman conducted the interviews and recommended these appointments in the best interest of the Indian Cricket. The term of the appointments will be till the World Cup 2019.”

The role played by CoA in this coach appointment saga has been curious to say. Following July 10 conference, next morning different officials confirmed that they were asked by the CoA to announce the name of the new coach “as earliest”. Ravi Shastri appointed coach same day as late as 11PM.

Acting president Vinod Ray when asked said, “”We need not go into the details of any of those things. There was a process, that process was followed, and the announcement was made well in time.”

U-Turn on Dravid-Zaheer appointment

A week after announcing India’s coaching staff; Ravi Shastri met BCCI officials regarding his support staff and cleared the things in his style. BCCI named Bharat Arun as bowling coach in the press-conference on July 18. The Committee of Administrators (CoA) said that those were just recommendations to take action from CoA with new head coach Ravi Shastri.

For the appointment of Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid, new committee formed comprising acting BCCI president CK Khanna, Secretary Amitabh Choudhary and CoA member Diana Edulji to clear their exact roles for the team and decide whether they are needed at all.

Overall, there was no clarity at all in the entire saga of coach appointment. Neither CoA nor CAC coordinated each other. No BCCI office bearers took responsibility to stay clear in the scenario. This clearly indicates that there is no ACTIVE BCCI which has control over Indian cricket, the biggest and richest cricket board in the world. Hope this non-accountability will end soon and we’ll have transparent BCCI in action.

by Abhishek Shukla

William Jones Cup: Indian men fall short against Republic of China White

Bengaluru, 20th July 2017:  On day six of the William Jones Cup, the Indian men’s basketball team lost 87-117 against Republic of China White, which is the Chinese Taipei National Team B.

 

The opposition dominated the first quarter and opened up a huge lead of 15 points. In the second quarter, the Indian men rediscovered their shooting form of the last few games and scored 31 points, but were unable to stop the Chinese offensive juggernaut.

 

The Indian team had four players scoring in double figures, led by Amjyot Singh Gill with 22 points. Muin Bek Hafeez impressed again, finishing with 13 points and hitting 3 of 5 shots from beyond the arc. Jeevanantham Pandi (10 points) and Anil Kumar (12 points) provided the offensive spark off the bench. Collectively, the team shot an impressive 60% from two-point range.

 

Eventually, the Indian men were outdone by the offensive production of the Chinese team, who had six players finish the game scoring in double figures. The Chinese Taipei men also racked up 18 steals which allowed them some easy points.

 

While the Indian team remains winless, these matches are vital for the young side, as the players have gained valuable minutes and will be looking to maintain this offensive form when they compete in the FIBA Asia Cup in Lebanon next month.

 

But for now, they will be focused on strengthening their defense when they take on Canada (represented by 3D Global Sports) on 21st July at 1100 hrs CST (0830 IST).

 

Republic of China White (Kyle Baron 18 pts; Yi-Jin Su 16 pts; Ying-Chun Chen 15 pts) bt India (Amjyot Singh Gill 22 pts; Muin Bek Hafeez 13 pts; Anil Kumar Gowda 12 pts) 117-87 [30-15, 36-31, 24-21, 27-20]

by Abhishek Shukla

WE’LL TAKE IT FORWARD TO THE NEXT GAME: STEPHEN CONSTANTINE

DOHA, JULY 20, 2017: Despite going down by two second-half goals against Syria U23 team in the first match of the AFC U23 Championship Qualifiers, India’s U-23 boys, most of whom would be playing their fourth international match at this level tomorrow (July 21, 2017), draw inspiration from the praise bestowed on them by Syrian U23 coach Hussain Afash.

Syrian coach Hussain Afash lavished huge praise on the boys in Blue.

“In actual facts, Indians pressed us very hard in the first half and they were playing manoeuvring football. In the second half, they conceded two goals but I must say, they got under our skin and these boys are definitely going to have a great future ahead,” he had certified.

India have little time left to recover as they’re scheduled to clash their horns with hosts Qatar at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha in next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the hosts outplayed Turkmenistan to secure a 2-0 victory in their first match.

Head Coach Stephen Constantine applauded the Qatar U23 team saying they are ”very quick.”

“They look very quick at times. They have an utmost quality I must say. It’ll be a big challenge for us against them,” he stated.

Stephen also didn’t mince his words praising his boys for their display in the first match of the Qualifiers.

The British coach said:  “The boys played their heart out but eventually, the lack of experience cost us the match.”

Although some of his boys had a standout performance tonight, he emphasised on the ‘team game.’

“Some of the boys might have had a good game but I believe this is a team game where everyone needs to perform and they’ve had a great team effort tonight. We’ll take it forward to the next game,” he declared.

On being asked whether Qatar’s superlative performance in the AFC U23 Championship 2016 would impose a mental block to his boys, he pointed out that ‘it’s not the same team anymore.’

“A lot of players from that batch might have graduated to the senior team. Their main advantage is that they’re having the same coach throughout.”

“Playing a late evening match, that too at their home is really going to be advantageous for them”, he added.

Meanwhile, a decent number of supporters, clad in the Tricolour, were present in the stands to cheer for the youngsters.

“When you’re playing at this stage, you want the stadium to be full. It keeps the adrenaline flowing amongst the players. Personally, I hope a good number of Indians will turn out in our support tomorrow.”

The kick-off against Qatar is at 10:30 PM IST.

by Abhishek Shukla

Neeraj set for Herculis meet in Monaco

Monaco: Neeraj Chopra will hope to carry forward his form from recent performances at the Asian Athletics Championship in Odisha and a Diamond League debut in Paris as the 19-year-old prepares for the IAAF Herculis meet, to be held at the Stade Louis II in Fontvieille, Monaco on Friday night.

Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, Herculis is now part of the IAAF Diamond League and JSW Sports-supported Neeraj says he is looking forward to gaining more experience ahead of the World Championships to be held in London, in August.

“The days and weeks leading up to the World Championships are always crucial and I am happy to be taking part in the Herculis meet. While the aim is always to do my best, I will also look to learn and improve ahead of the World Championships in London, in August,” said Neeraj.

Khandra-born Neeraj threw 85.23 meters at the Asian Athletics Championships, setting a new meet record and claiming gold after a Diamond League debut in Paris had seen him finish a commendable fifth among ten throwers. Neeraj had earlier set the meet record at the Federation Cup Athletics tournament in Patiala with a throw of 85.63 meters, his best this season and since the Junior World Record set in Bydgoszcz last year.

“The Diamond League brings me close to the best in the sport and to be taking part in an event like this is sure to help me in my career. A good finish here would definitely go a long way in building my confidence and that’s what I’ll be aiming to do,” he added.

Neeraj will be up against German duo of Johannes Vetter and Thomas Rohler, Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago), Jakub Vadlejch (Czech Republic), Ahmed Bader Magour (Qatar) and Julius Yego (Kenya).

Herculis 2017 begins at 11 pm IST on Friday with the Men’s Javelin event scheduled to take place at 11:30 pm IST.

by Abhishek Shukla

Resilient Japan beat Indian Women’s Hockey Team 2-0

Johannesburg, 20 July 2017: Japan beat the Indian Women’s Hockey team 2-0 here at the Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final to secure a chance to qualify for next year’s Women’s World Cup.
India made a zestful start to their campaign against Japan with Monika getting an early shot on goal in the opening minute of the game. But Japan’s goalkeeper Megumi Kageyama made a good save to deny India an early lead. In the following minutes Japan ensured they gave little such opportunity with a tighter defence while their attackers broke the Indian defence to foray into the striking circle. The aggressive approach resulted in Japan winning their first PC of the match in the seventh minute which was successfully converted by Kana Nomura. Japan won two more penalty corners in the 8th and the 10th minutes but India’s Monika and Savita came up with good saves, respectively.
The second quarter saw Indian attackers try different channels to break the Japanese defence but in vain. Meanwhile, Akiko Kato of Japan showed excellent dribbling skills to carry the ball into the circle and take a shot on goal but Savita was exceptional in her effort to save. Another big shot on goal for Japan came when Yuri Nagai cut inside the circle beating defender Gurjit Kaur but Savita came up with yet another noteworthy save. Japan’s second goal however came through another PC in the 29th minute. It was Naho Ichitani who converted the shot after they came up with a brilliant variation to trick the Indian defenders.
Falling behind by two goals, India looked to make amends in the third quarter. Though Japan won another PC in the 31st minute, Namita Toppo did well as the first runner to block away the attempt. Soon after, Rani setup a counter attack to make a swift foray into the striking to take a go at the goal but she was slightly off target. In the 34th minute, Indian goalkeeper Savita continued to live up to the billing with yet another great save when Naho Ichitani took a shot on goal. Though another PC was awarded following a scramble for ball possession, India evaded the scare to go into the third hooter with 0-2 on the scoreboard.
The final 15 minutes saw India create some strong chances to score. One such opportunity came when Vandana assisted Rani who got a good deflection, though it was saved by goalkeeper, Renuka Yadav took the rebound to push it back into the post to score. Unfortunately for India though, a successful video referral by Japan for back stick disallowed India’s goal. India won their first PC in the 51st minute but Gurjit Kaur’s fiercely-struck flick was well saved by Japanese goalkeeper. Meanwhile Japan won their 10th penalty corner, but an alert Savita was up to the task to keep them from scoring. Though India played a much better third and fourth quarter, it wasn’t enough to stop Japan from walking away with the win.
by Abhishek Shukla

INDIA U-17 PLAYERS EXCITED FOR FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP 2017

NEW DELHI, July 20, 2017: A dream is like a raging fire inside of one, which drives one to achieve their goal through sheer hard work, persistence, and dedication but what if the dream ‘almost’ comes true before one turns 17?

The word ’dream’ for Shubham Sarangi and Rahul K.P is synonymous to “playing in the FIFA World Cup” and the duo will quip without a second’s delay. Both Sarangi and Rahul are part of the Indian U-17 World Cup Team which will play in the first ever FIFA World Cup hosted by India and India’s first ever participation in a FIFA World Cup, the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 India.

“I told a lot of lies to my parents to play Football and the FIFA U-17 World Cup for me is a dream come true and I am really excited and pumped up for the FIFA U-17 World Cup,” said striker Shubham Sarangi.

In tune, midfielder Rahul KP added, “I fought with my family to play Football and the love for Football for me will never go away. I can die for Football”

“Every Player has a history. All Indian Players are my inspiration but Sunil Chhetri has inspired me a lot,” Shubham stated. “When I was small he came to my school and inspired me a lot to take up Football”

“When we are together as a Team every moment is a special. When we play against other Teams I try to enjoy the game and give my best,” Rahul said.

“Every Coach has a different philosophy. We not only have a good Coach but a good human being with us,” Shubham informed. “He is teaching us Football and is our mentor in life.

“The Coach told me a lot about hard work and I believe in hard work a lot. If you work hard, anything is possible,” Rahul stated.

Shubham Sarangi was identified as potential for the Indian U-17 World Cup Squad through the AIFF scouting network developed by AIFF’s Director of Scouting Abhishek Yadav. Out of almost 5000 budding Footballers, Sarangi was one of the few who made it to the National Camp when the scouted talents were zeroed in.

While, Rahul K.P came through the ranks of the AIFF Academy setup to become a part of the Indian U-17 World Cup Squad.

For the duo, the game against Portuguese Club side Benfica S.L where the Indian Colts came back from two goals down to draw the match 2-2, has been the most memorable moment in India colors.

“The Benfica Players were surprised to watch us and after the match we were applauded by them,” Rahul told. “Coming back from two goals down in the last fifteen minutes and making it 2-2 was a wonderful moment. It felt like we could do anything,” Shubham said.

 

by Abhishek Shukla

Abhay and Adhitya remain in race in WSF-World junior squash championship

Tauranga (New Zealand): The top two junior boys, Abhay Singh and Adhitya Raghavan, both seeded 5/8 kept their seedings intact by progressing to the fourth round on Thursday in the individual compeititions phase of the WSF-World junior squash championship being held here.

Abhay was a picture of steadiness as he outclassed his US opponent Harrison Gill. The American did make a game bid in the later part of the contest, even extended the Indian in the third game but that seemed just an aberration. Similar was the effort of Adhitya who downed a Korean In Woo Lee in four games. However Yash Fadte’s enterprise ended at thehands of Egypt’s ¾ seed Manwan Tarek. In the the girls’ section all the three _ 13/16 seed Akanksha Salunkhe, Sunayna Kuruvilla and Aishwarya Bhattacharya _fell by the wayside. But Aishwarya received commendation for the fight she showed against the ¾ seeded Egyptian Nada Abbas. The Indian looked good to cause an upset as she clawed back from a game down to post a 2-1 lead and ready for more. But there the complexion changed dramatically in favour of Nada.

Boys: (third round): Abhay Singh (5/8) bt Harrison Gill (USA) 11-6, 11-3, 14-12; Manwan Tarek (¾) (Egy) bt Yash Fadte 11-5, 11-4, 11-6; Adhitya Raghavan (5/8) bt In Woo Lee (Kor) 11-5, 11-6, 4-11, 11-9

Girls: Nada Abbas( ¾ )(Egypt) bt Aishwarya Bhattacharya 11-4, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3; Jana Shiha (Egy) bt Akanksha Salunkhe (13/16) 11-6, 11-8, 11-4; Aifa Azman (13/16) (Mal) bt Sunyna Kuruvilla 11-4, 11-6, 11-6

by Abhishek Shukla

Haryana Warriors will look to secure place in Semi-Finals as Super Boxing League returns this weekend

New Delhi, July 20, 2017: Super Boxing League will return this weekend with three more fight nights at the Siri Fort Squash & Badminton Stadium here in New Delhi. It will be a penultimate week of boxing for the Group A teams, Haryana Warriors and UP Terminators, who face off on Sunday as they play their last league match. The first match of the weekend on Friday will see Group B leaders Maratha Yoddhas take on the Bahubali Boxers. Also playing on the weekend are the other two teams from Group B, Mumbai Assassins and North East Tigers.

It will be a crucial week of boxing for all the 8 teams in the Super Boxing League as each match will determine which four teams will qualify for the semi-finals. In the first match, Maratha Yoddhas will be high on confidence after their comeback victory over the Mumbai Assassins last weekend. However, the onus will be on the Bahubali Boxers to make a statement through a victory if they are to qualify for the semi-finals. The Group B match will see some exciting line-ups as Maratha Yoddhas’ skipper Deepak Tanwar will take on Bahubali Boxers’ Sandeep Dhull in the Middle Weight category while Maratha Yoddhas’ Sandeep Chhikara will look to Knock Out another captain of a Super Boxing League franchise as he takes on Bahubali Boxers’ captain Kuldeep Singh in the Heavy Weight category.

The weekend will also be graced by one of the bouts of the Super Boxing League when Mumbai Assassins’ Manjit Kolekar will take on North East Tigers’ Asha Roka in the Super Fly category in the two teams’ Group B match. Both the boxers have previously been a part of Bill Dosanjh’s brainchild, Super Fight League, but have never faced each other. However, this weekend will be the first time when the much-anticipated fight takes place.

Asha Roka spoke ahead of the fight with Manjit Kolekar, “I have always said that for any team, it is very important that a Knock Out happens. Therefore my main focus will be on getting the most points for my team as a Knock Out can change the complexion of the match.”

On the other hand, Manjit Kolekar’s father is said to be a huge admirer of Asha Roka but this will change on Saturdaywhen the two boxers collide. Manjit expressed her desire to fight Asha, “I have been hoping for this fight to take place since a very long time. It could not happen in the Super Fight League, but it’s very exciting for me that this fight will finally happen on Saturday.”

Sunday night will see the Haryana Warriors take on the struggling UP Terminators in their last Group A match. A win for the Warriors will put them in pole position to qualify for the semi-finals, but the Terminators will look to get a consolation win to finally open their points tally of SBL.

The fights in Super Boxing League will be held over theFriday, Saturday and Sunday and will be telecasted live on SONY ESPN and SONY ESPN HD at the prime time slot of7:00 – 9:30 PM. The fights will also be live streamed on SPN’s digital platform SONY LIV.

by Abhishek Shukla

INDIA U-23 GO DOWN TO SYRIA U-23 IN AFC QUALIFYING OPENER

DOHA: India U-23 went down fighting two-nil to Syria U-23 in their opening encounter of the AFC U23 Championship China 2018 Qualifiers opener at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Wednesday (July 19, 2017). Both Teams were locked goalless at the interval.

 

The U-23 boys next play hosts and group favourites Qatar U-23 in their next match on Friday (July 21).

 

India began on a cautious note and pressed hard in their effort to unsettle the physically superior Syrians. The first chance of the day fell to striker Daniel Lalhlimpuia but the ex-AIFF Academy cadet could not make the most of the opportunity.

 

Nikhil Poojary on the right flank kept the rival defence busy with his incisive crosses, as the Indian midfield preferred to rotate from one side to the other.

 

The high point for India came in the 37th minute when a string of passes found the tireless Germanpreet Singh in the clear but his prompt right-footer rebounded off the post for a corner.

 

The resultant corner, a long one from Anirudh Thapa was met by Nishu Kumar from the top of the box but it missed by a whisker as both teams headed to the interval locked goalless.

 

Changing over, striker Manvir Singh came close to scoring the opener but his header landed safely into the Syrian goalkeeper’s gloves.

 

As the game neared the hour-mark, Indians appeared to lose the plot a bit — skipper Lalruatthara and Nishu Kumar going into the referee’s book for challenges.

 

Syria went ahead in the 64th minute — striker Rabie Srour lobbing it over Goalkeeper Vishal Kaith who was caught out of position – central defender Salam Ranjan Singh’s valiant attempt to keep off the lob not being successful.

 

India’s first substitution came in the 72nd minute – Hitesh Sharma coming in for Daniel. Head Coach Stephen Constantine followed it up with a double substitution in the 81st minute – Sarthak Golui and Robinson Singh coming in for Lalruatthara and Anirudh Thapa respectively.

 

Three minutes later, Nikhil Poojary powered another cross from the right flank but it Hitesh mistimed his leap to find the elusive equaliser.

 

Syria sealed the fate of the match in the 88th minute — Fares Arnaout doubling the score for them.

 

INDIA: Vishal Kaith, Nishu Kumar, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Lalruatthara (C) (Sartha Golui 81′), Salam Ranjan Singh, Germanpreet Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Nandha Kumar, Anirudh Thapa (Robinson Singh 81′), Daniel Lalhlimpuia (Hitesh Sharma 72′), Manvir Singh.

by Abhishek Shukla

Australian College of Sport to hone budding Indian sporting talent; ties up with Pursuit

Bengaluru, 19th July 2017: Pursuit India is pleased to announce its tie-up with the Australian College of Sport (ACS) to act as the ambassador for ACS in India and the rest of the Indian subcontinent. Pursuit will represent ACS for the purpose of scouting and recruiting student athletes to be admitted to the ACS’s sports programmes across basketball, football, cricket, badminton, swimming and golf.

 

This tie-up is a direct result of the Australian Prime Minister, Malcom Turnbull’s visit to India in April 2017, when the Indian and Australian Governments signed several MoUs, including one on sports. This MoU endeavours to connect Australia’s global reputation for sports excellence and expertise with India’s ambition to improve its sports administration and infrastructure.

 

The Australian College of Sport was established in Adelaide, Australia in November 2006, and focuses on individualized athlete development combined with formal education to prepare athletes for a professional playing career. In 2011, ACS launched its golfing programme in Melbourne and in 2015, expanded its basketball programme and opened a second campus in Sydney.

 

From an Indian perspective, this tie-up is intended to address the lack of coaching and training facilities in the country, allowing India’s most talented athletes to train and study in Australia’s world class facilities. The focus is on finding players in the age group of 17 to 22, where player development is crucial. Besides honing of pro athletes, ACS also delivers vocational education through its degree pathways with top tier Australian Universities such as Deakin University, University of South Australia and Torrens University.

 

“This tie-up is significant as it provides another pathway to young Indian athletes to develop their craft in a world-class environment. What’s more, the classroom education that ACS offers on sports development and management creates an opportunity for the student-athlete to build a career in the global sports industry,” said Vishnu Ravi Shankar, Director of Pursuit.

 

“Through this tie-up, we aim to get exposed to the right pool of talent in India and provide the right platform to aspiring athletes in India that are willing to compete professionally and exploring the sporting industry. Our High Performance Training Curriculum enables the athlete to achieve superior results,” said Stuart Roberts, CEO of ACS.

 

Specifically in the basketball space, this tie-up comes quick on the heels of other major developments, as national basketball player Amritpal Singh is currently playing for Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) team Sydney Kings at the Atlas Challenge in China. If he is awarded a long term contract by the Kings, that could trigger a flurry of Indian kids going to Australia to train/play there. Just last week, another Indian national team player Vishesh Bhriguvanshi signed a training contract with NBL team Adelaide 36ers.

by Abhishek Shukla

William Jones Cup- Amjyot Singh shines against Lithuania

Bengaluru, 19th July 2017:  India’s William Jones campaign continued on Day 5 against the Lithuania Atletas club team.

 

The Indian men’s basketball team found its shooting touch early. They were quick out of the blocks, building up a 26-17 lead at the end of the first quarter. But the Lithuanians clawed their way back in the second quarter, taking a six point lead into halftime. Even though the Indians continued to shoot the ball well, the Lithuanians were better, eventually winning the game 102-79.

 

Despite the loss, there were positives all round for India. After a quiet couple of games, Amjyot Singh Gill was the star for India with 28 points. He was on fire from the field, hitting seven of ten shots from two-point range and shooting at 44% from beyond the arc. Young forward Muin Bek Hafeez had another strong outing, falling just short of a double-double with 8 points and 10 rebounds.

 

Significantly, India’s bench combined to score 30 points.

 

For Lithuania, five players finished with scores in double figures, led by Žygimantas Jocys (21 points) and Domantas Šeškus (20 points).

 

After today’s performance, the Indian men will be focused on notching up their first win of the tournament when they play Republic of China-White (Chinese Taipei National Team ‘B’) on 20th July at 1500 hrs CST (1230 IST).

 

Lithuania (Žygimantas Jocys 21 pts; Domantas Šeškus 20 pts; Vaidotas Volkus 14 pts) bt India (Amjyot Singh Gill 28 pts, 6 rebs; Rikin Pethani 9 pts; Muin Bek Hafeez 8 pts, 10 rebs) 102-79 [17-26, 32-17, 24-14, 29-22]

by Abhishek Shukla

NEUFC launches own Residential Youth Academy to tap talent in the eight states of the region

Superstar John Abraham’s popular football club, the NorthEast United FC (NEUFC), took its first major step towards nurturing footballing talent across the eight states of North-East India by launching its own Residential Youth Academy.

The Centre of Excellence (CoE), as it has been baptized, will operate out of Shillong and offer the handpicked kids the best in terms of training, education and competition throughout the year.

“This is a dream come true,” John Abraham said while making the announcement. “When I bid for the team three years ago my first goal was to start a residential academy for the talented kids out there. We will all do everything in our power to provide every talented child the opportunity to learn and eventually play for the NEUFC first team,” he added.

The ambitious plan fell into place after NEUFC joined hands with Shillong United FC, formerly known as Royal Wahingdoh FC, to develop the region into a footballing power centre.

“We are delighted to start this developmental project with NEUFC,” Dominic Tariang, owner of Shillong United and Partner-Youth Development, stated. 

“We have already charted a well-defined and competitive pathway for the fantastic talent pool of the North-East. We want to showcase all this on the biggest footballing stage in India,” John added.

Dominic Tariang thanked John Abraham and the NEUFC for being such strong believers in the football potential of the North-East. “Our partnership creates synergies that will benefit the footballing environment of not just Shillong but all other parts of the region,” he added.

“We have found a great partner in Dominic and Shillong United and we share our passion and love for football in the North-East,” John supplemented. 

The two clubs will diligently pick the best students for the CoE and not only provide them training and education but also competition throughout the year. Shillong United already has a solid base in the capital and will give the chosen ones opportunities to play and enhance their skills in the Shillong State League and other competitions.

The CoE will create teams in the Under-13, the Under-15 and Under-18 categories so that the NEUFC has an abundance of young talent to choose from in the near future.

by Abhishek Shukla

Mixed day for Indians at WSF World junior individual squash championship

Tauranga (New Zealand): Indians experienced mixed luck on the opening day of the WSF World junior individual squash championship which got underway here on Wednesday.

Of the 12 boys and girls who had entered the field, three boys and as many girls remained in the draw at the end of two rounds of competition.

All the boys and three girls had a bye in the first round. The three who played the first round were Chennai girls Ashita Bhengra and Samita Sivakumar and both cleared that with a touch of confidence.. However the third girl, Sanya Vats fell to a US opponent even if after a brief fight.

However in the second round there was a mixture of good and bad. Adhitya Raghavan and Abhay Singh, both seeded 5/8 came through with ease as also Yash Fadte who downed a Pakistani opponent in four games. But Aryaman Adik, Tushar Shahani and Veer Chotrani made quiet exits. In the girls section, Akanksha Salunkhe (seeded 13/16), Sunayna Kuruvilla and Aishwarya Bhattacharya breezed through into the third round where Ashita and Samita failed.

The results:

Boys:IInd round: Adhitya Raghavan (5/8) bt Mathew Lucente (NZ) 11-9, 11-8, 11-5; Aryaman Adik lost to Ronald Palomino (Col) 6-11, 7-11, 3-11; Yash Fadte bt Abdul Malik Imran (Pak) 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7; Hafiz Zhafri (Mal) bt Tushar Shahani 11-3, 11-9, 11-8; Abbas Zeb (Pak) bt Veer Chotrani 11-8, 11-7, 11-5; Abhay Singh (5/8) bt Gabe Yam (NZ) 11-6, 11-6, 11-9

Girls : IInd round: Aishwarya Bhattacharya bt Hyoju Seo (Kor) 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4; Akanksha Salunkhe (13/16) bt Lauriene Maingot (Fra); 11-5, 11-2, 13-11; Ashita Bhengra lost to Hania El Hammamy (Egy) 2-11. 1-11, 3-11; Sunayna Kuruvilla bt Chloe Mourier (Fra) 11-5, 11-2,15-13; Samita Sivakumar lost to Zoe Foo Yuk Han (Mal) (9/12) 15-13, 4-11, 6-11, 6-11; (Ist round): Ashita Bhengra bt Emma Lundy (Irl)11-4, 11-5, 11-7; Samita Sivakumar bt Eva Nistler (Ger) 11-3, 11-5, 12-10; Sanya Vats lost to Elisabeth Ross (USA) 10-12, 13-15, 5-11.

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Women’s Hockey team go down 1-4 to England

Johannesburg, 18 July 2017: The Indian Women’s Hockey team lost to England 1-4 in the Quarter-Final match here at the Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final on Tuesday. India will next play the fifth to eighth placing match on July 20.

England put India on the back foot in the first quarter when they won three back-to-back PCs which finally resulted in England being awarded a penalty stroke. It was unfortunate for India when England appealed through a video referral that an Indian defender had crossed the goal line before the injector made the pass. This resulted in India losing a defender in the goal line. Reduced to just three defenders and the goalkeeper. India did well to defend the PC but a foul was called when England attacker’s shot on goal was obstructed by Deep Grace Ekka. Giselle Ansley made no mistake in successfully taking the penalty stroke to fetch England an early 1-0 lead in the 6th minute. They extended the lead in the 13th minute when Alex Danson put the ball past Savita making this her third goal of the tournament.

India began well in the second quarter, winning a PC in the 16th minute when Lilima Minz on the counter attack found England defender’s foot in the circle. But the chance went begging with Anupa Barla missing a deflection off Rani’s flick by inches. India won another PC in the 28th minute and this time Anupa managed to get a deflection off Rani’s flick but unfortunately hit the cross bar. India went into the halftime with eight circle penetrations and three shots on goals while England made 11 circle penetrations with three shots on goal.

Though India had contained England from scoring in the second quarter, a defensive error lead to England converting a field goal in the 42nd minute through Susannah Townsend. This took England’s lead to 3-0. India later won two short corners with less than three minutes to go for the hooter but couldn’t make the opportunities count.

The final quarter saw India make some brave forays into the striking circle, desperate for a goal but nothing fruitful. Meanwhile, attempting to keep England from entering the circle, India gave away a PC in the 49th minute but they survived the scare with Savita and Monika coming up with a good save. A good referral on India’s part won them a PC in the 57th minute and India’s lone dragflicker Gurjit Kaur struck a brilliant goal beating England goalkeeper Maddie Hinch. England ended up scoring their fourth goal in the 60th minute through Hannah Martin to end the match 4-1.

by Abhishek Shukla

CONSTANTINE STRESSES ON BUILDING A ‘TEAM FOR THE FUTURE’

DOHA, 18 JULY 2017: Indian National Team Coach Stephen Constantine, presently in charge of the India U-23 Team prefers the ‘long-term goal’ rather churn out quick results from the forthcoming AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers which kicks-off in Doha on Wednesday (July 19, 2017) when India play Syria in their opener. The match between India and Syria kicks-off at July 19, 2017, 07:30 PM IST.

“I’ve been a person who have always preferred to build a ‘team for the future.’ I’m working with this bunch of guys so that a few may come up the ranks and land up with the senior National Team in the coming days,” Stephen stated in the pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

India U-23 headed into the Championship on the back of a two-week long Camp in New Delhi followed by two back-to-back International Friendlies against Singapore in Singapore.

A year back, Syria who had made it to the finals of the last edition of the AFC U-23 AFC Championship Qatar 2016. But while their campaign didn’t go turn out to be as planned, they look forward to bettering their record at the same venue.

“This tournament is of immense importance for us and I believe, as it is for every team here. We’ll give our best to qualify from this group,” Syrian coach Hussein Afash mentioned.

While Hussain Afash was asked whether the football acumen of Stephen Constantine who has been the vital cog behind India’s recent meteoric rise would be a concern for him, the Syrian coach expressed that ‘team for the future’ is the one to look out for.

“We’re all here for the same reason. We have to build the team for the future who’ll eventually feature in the senior team,” he opined.

Meanwhile, host Qatar start the campaign as the favourites. Head Coach Felix Sanchez sounded pretty confident and focused. 

 “The boys have performed well last edition but this is a new tournament and we’ve to start from the scratch. It’s time for us to execute our plans on the pitch,” Sanchez stated.

by Abhishek Shukla

FC Goa confirms the signing of Ferran Corominas

Panaji, 18th July 2017: FC Goa has confirmed the signing of Spanish forward, Ferran Corominas on a free transfer. Popularly called ‘Coro’, the 34-year-old has raked up over 250 appearances in La Liga and has a wealth of experience behind him having turned out for the likes of Elche, Osasuna, Mallorca and at Espanyol where he spent the best part of 10 years.

Coro started out at Espanyol in the B Team before being promoted to the first team in the summer of 2003. After saving the club from relegation with a last minute goal in the 05/06 season, Coro went on to win Copa Del Rey and was also instrumental in the club’s run to the UEFA Cup final in the 06/07 season where they finished runners up to Juande Ramos’ Sevilla.

Coro then moved to Elche via Girona where he once again was a vital cog in the team and donned the captain’s armband on various occasions where he helped the club maintain its status in La Liga over several seasons.

A diminutive forward, Coro largely operates as a second striker and is excellent at linking up play and occupying spaces between the opposition’s defence and midfield. Boasting a quick turn of pace, Coro is known to favour the odd spectacular goal or two.

After confirming the signing the club president, Akshay Tandon said: “We are pleased to have got Coro on board. Coro is exactly the sort of profile we have been after. We feel with his level of experience that he brings to table, he will be real asset to the team and a handful to the opposition.”

by Abhishek Shukla

Ultimate Table Tennis: Oilmax-Stag Yoddhas beat Shazé Challengers 15-12

Chennai, 17 July 2017: Oilmax Stag Yoddhas led Shazé Challengers 7-5 after four gripping matches in their ongoing tie in the CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) at a packed Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Monday.

Soumyajit Ghosh put Shazé Challengers ahead with a stunning 2-1 victory over Nigerian world No 29 Aruna Quadri of Oilmax Stag Yoddhas in the men’s singles (Indian v Foreign), the opening match of the day.

World No. 85 Ghosh cruised to a 11-2 win in the opening game before Quadri staged a strong comeback to win the second at 11-9. In the third, Soumyajit rallied brilliantly to turn the contest on its head to win the game at 11-8.

China-born German world No. 9 Han Ying extended Shazé Challengers’ lead to 4-2 with a 2-1 win over Manika Batra of Oilmax Stag Yoddhas in the women’s singles (Foreign v Indian).

Indian world No. 104 Manika pulled off a surprise win in the opening game 11-8, before experienced Ying regained control take the next at 11-5 and was pushed to the limit before holding on to win the third game on the golden point (11-10).

In a turn in fortune, Oilmax Stag Yoddhas’ mixed doubles (Indian/Foreign) pair of Abhishek Yadav / Doo Hoi Kem (HK) routed Shazé Challengers’ pair of Soumyajit / Petrissa Solja (Germany) 3-0 (11-10. 11-9, 11-6) to help their side edge ahead on points at 5-4.

Oilmax Stag Yoddhas’ Quadri rallied from a game down to win his second match of the day, the men’s singles (foreign player category), against Croatia’s Andrej Gacina 2-1 (10-11, 11-6, 11-3) to put Oilmax Stag Yoddhas ahead 7-5 after four matches.

Han Ying then won her second outing of the night beating Russian Polina Mikhailova (Oilmax Stag Yoddhas) 2-1 (11-8, 10-11, 11-8) in the women’s singles (Foreign player category) to help Shazé Challengers close in at 7-8 on points.

World No. 46 Gacina thumped Jubin Kumar of Oilmax Stag Yoddhas 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-2) in men’s singles (India v Foreign) to help Shazé Challengers regain the lead at 10-8.

However, Polina Mikhailova beat Mouma Das of Shazé Challengers 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-8) in the women’s singles (Foreign v Indian) to put Oilmax Stag Yoddhas ahead 11-10.

Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar made his debut in the men’s singles (Foreign category) against Li Ping of Shazé Challengers.

World No. 75 Pucar won the opening game 11-9 after world No. 42 Li Ping showed fair play on a crucial point but the Qatar international won the next two at 11-6 and 11-9 to get Shazé Challengers level on points with Oilmax Stag Yoddhas at 12 each, going into the last match of the tie.

Doo Hoi Kem won 11-9, 11-7, 11-9 to seal the tie in favour of Oilmax Stag Yoddhas.

On Tuesday, DHFL Maharashtra United will take on RP-SG Mavericks in what is the second outing for both.


Oilmax Stag Yoddhas 15-12 Shazé Challengers

MS – Aruna Quadri vs Soumyajit Ghosh 1-2 (2-11, 11-9. 8-11)
WS – Manika Batra vs Han Ying 1-2 (11-8, 5-11, 10-11)
MD – Abhishek Yadav/ Doo Hoi Kem vs Soumyajit Ghosh/ Petrissa Solja 3-0 (11-10, 11-9, 11-6
MS – Aruna Quadri vs Andrej Gacina 2-1 (10-11, 11-6, 11-3)
WS – Polina Mikhailova vs Mouma Han Ying 1-2 (8-11, 11-10, 8-11)
MS – Jubin Kumar vs Andrej Gacina 0-3 (5-11, 8-11, 2-11)
WS – Polina Mikhailova vs Mouma Das 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-7)
MS – Tomislav Pucar vs Li Ping 1-2 (11-9, 6-11, 9-11)
WS – Doo Hoi Kem vs Petrissa Solja 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-9)

 

Pic credit: STAR India Private Limited

by Abhishek Shukla

William Jones Cup: Anil Kumar stars for India against Republic of China ‘Blue’

Taipei/Bengaluru, 17th July 2017:  The Indian men’s basketball team continued to shoot the ball well against Republic of China ‘Blue’ (Chinese Taipei National Team A), but eventually lost 80-101 on the third day of the William Jones Cup.

 

In a see-saw game that saw both teams seize the initiative intermittently, the standout performance was Anil Kumar Gowda who dropped 27 points. The guard from Karnataka put on a shooting clinic, shooting 80% from two-point range and hitting five of seven from beyond the arc.

 

Young forward Muin Bek Hafeez (12 points) continued where he left off in the last game, shooting the ball well from the paint; while Amjyot Singh had a quiet game compared to his lofty standards, but still managed to notch up 13 points.

 

In the end, the Indian men were overcome by an all-round performance from the Chinese Taipei team, as they had five players scoring in double figures.

 

Despite the loss, the Indian team will take heart from the fact that they were competitive on the boards, and managed to keep the turnovers down to only fifteen.

 

The Indians will be hoping to keep improving when they come up against the mighty Iran on 18th July at 1500 hrs CST (1230 IST).

Republic of China Blue (Zheng-Ru Lu 17 pts, Huan-Ya Yu 13 pts, Po-Chen Chou 12 pts) bt India (Anil Kumar Gowda 27 pts, Amjyot Singh Gill 13 pts, Muin Bek Hafeez 12 pts) 101-80 [25-15, 14-19, 35-20, 27-26]

by Abhishek Shukla

“No stone is being left unturned to make the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup a grand success,” BFI President K Govindaraj

Bengaluru, 17th July 2017:  The preparations for the prestigious FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2017 are in full swing. At a press conference this afternoon at the Century Club, Bengaluru, BFI President K. Govindaraj and Secretary General Chander Mukhi Sharma scheduled an interaction with the media. They were joined by Mr Anupam Agrawal [IPS], Director, Youth Empowerment and Sports.

 

The Cup is all set to take place from July 23-29 at the Kanteraava Indoor Stadium and Koramangala stadium in Bengaluru. India first participated in this event in 1970, and has competed 17 times in total. The Indian women’s team best finish in this tournament came in the year 2013, when it finished 5th, including a historic Level 1 victory. Prior to that, India’s best finish had been 6th place at the 1992, 2009 and 2011 iterations.

 

India needs to top Division B to get elevated into Division A for the next edition.

 

Online ticketing is live

The city of Bengaluru last hosted a FIBA Championship back in 2004 (the U18 Championship for Men). The Championship is returning now at the senior level. Just like the Harlem Globetrotters’ visit to the Kanteerava stadium back in 2006, which drew huge crowds, it is expected that the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup too will be a big boost not just for the city but also the state of Karnataka and the country.

 

With the participation of Australia, the 2006 World champions, and Asian giants like holders Japan, China, South Korea and Chinese Taipei, this event is expected to provide immense inspiration to the young aspirants and the senior players as well.

 

Tickets are on sale in full swing online since 11th July (www.ticketgenie.in/fiba-tickets). Starting 22nd July, tickets will also be sold at the box office at the Kanteerava Stadium.

 

Full support provided to the Indian team

There are high hopes from the Indian team. India is ranked No 40 in the FIBA world rankings and is at No 5 in Asia. The BFI identified probables over two months ago and they have been in a coaching programme in Bengaluru itself so that they get acclimatized with the weather and playing conditions.

 

The team was given proper friendly games and also sent to Chinese Taipei for an exposure trip.

 

Serbia’s much-acclaimed coach Zoran Visic has taken charge of the team. BFI is providing all facilities to enable them to put their best foot forward. Diet, medical requirements, proper accommodation in a good hotel, transport and exposure trips, whatever is needed has been provided in order to ensure that the team regains its due place in Level 1 again.

 

Support from the Government

The Karnataka State Basketball Association has been in the forefront of organizing major national and international events. It is impossible to host such a major event without the support from the State government and other government departments. Sri Siddaramaiah, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, is a sports lover himself and has always provided all support, whether financial and other logistical, as well. For this event, the CM himself is the Chief Patron of the Organising Committee.

The Sports Minister, Sri Pramod Madhwaraj, the Minister for Bengaluru Development and Town Planning, Sri K J George and the Dept of Youth Empowerment & Sports have been working with BFI all along. The State government has given BFI all support and cooperation in every respect so that the event is successful and our foreign guests go back without any cause for complaints.

by Abhishek Shukla

Bengaluru FC add winger Antonio Dovale

Bengaluru: Bengaluru FC have added more Spanish flavour to the side, signing winger Antonio Rodriguez Dovale for the 2017-18 campaign. Twenty-seven-year-old ‘Toni’, as he is widely known, joins Bengaluru FC from Spanish Segunda Division side Rayo Vallecano with whom he spent the 2016-17 season. He also becomes the third Spanish player in the side alongside Juanan Gonzalez and Dimas Delgado.

 

Born in A Coruña in Northern Spain, Toni spent his formative years at Obradoiro and FC Barcelona before joining Celta de Vigo in 2005 as a youth player. Two years later he was promoted to the reserve side before making his first team debut in the Segunda Divsion in 2009.

 

A brief loan spell at fellow Segunda Division side SD Huesca in 2010-11 was followed by a return to Celta, where he made 30 appearances helping the side achieve promotion to the La Liga at the end of the 2011-12 season. Over the next two years, Toni played an important role for Celta in the top-flight with the highlight being an impressive 9th place finish in the 2013-14 season.

 

Toni crossed the Atlantic in the year 2014 as he signed for Sporting Kansas City in the Major League Soccer (USA) where he helped the team reach the post-season play-offs. But he returned back to Spain with CD Lugo in 2014-15 before once again achieving promotion to the La Liga in the following season while playing for CD Leganes.

 

Having penned a one-year deal, Toni was eager to begin his journey at Bengaluru FC as soon as possible. “I am very excited about this new challenge in my career. I know I am coming to a big club and just can’t wait to start training to achieve our objectives this season. I have a good experience as a professional player, and I think that this is a step forward in my career which will be very important,” he said.

 

Toni was also excited with the prospect of playing in front of the Blues’ faithful, which he regards as a vital part of the club. “The fans are very important for us and I know that they are always supporting the club. I want to assure them that I will do my best to help the club achieve our goals for the season. I am feeling the good vibes and hope that this season will be a successful one,” he added.

 

Albert Roca, Bengaluru FC Head Coach, welcomed Toni into the Blues’ fold. “Antonio is a good young player and a crafty winger. Having played at the highest level in Spain, he brings in vital experience which will help us in the season ahead. He still wants to continue improving and his desire to learn will help him settle in quickly,” said Roca.