Category: Uncategorized

by Abhishek Shukla

Kiren Rijiju launches AIFF Golden Baby Leagues Handbook 2019-20

NEW DELHI: Minister of State (Independent Charge) Youth Affairs & Sports, and Minister of State for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, along with Kushal Das, General Secretary, All India Football Federation launched the AIFF Golden Baby Leagues Handbook 2019-20 on the sidelines of the Intercontinental Cup in Ahmedabad.

AIFF Technical Director Isac Doru, and CEO, I-League Sunando Dhar were also present on the occasion. The launch also marked the renaming of the ‘AIFF Baby Leagues’ to ‘AIFF Golden Baby Leagues,’ with emphasis being laid for ages under 6 to under 12 as they form the golden age for learning — both for girls, and boys.

“Baby League sounds very cute to me. The actual scouting has to start from a very young age. I have been explained how it’s planned by the AIFF. I’m really interested to see the result of that. We’ll look to put more emphasis on the Golden Baby League tournament,” Rijiju assured.

The Handbook is a guide to help the stakeholder to organize the Golden Baby League. The Leagues aim is to provide access to football in localities irrespective of gender, religion, economic background, or ethnic origin. The League can be organized by anyone, as long as the Handbook guidelines are met.

The AIFF has invited all stakeholders including state associations, clubs, academies, schools, non-government organizations, parents, coaches, football fans to be a part of this grassroots player development initiative. The Handbook can be downloaded from the ‘Document Library’ of the AIFF website, under ‘About AIFF.’

AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das stated that the Golden Baby Leagues “will help more kids to fall in love with the sport.”

“The formative years of a child have always laid the bedrock for a successful footballing culture. The AIFF is now stressing to popularise the sport among the kids. We aim to have every kid playing football under 6 to under 12. The more they play, the more will Indian Football benefit,” Das said.

Isac felt the “completion system is part of the development” for a kid.

“The Golden Baby Leagues, with his new format, and developments is proposing a platform for the Golden Age period players to self-express themselves, and their individual development,” he explained.

“I want to take this opportunity to ask the parents, coaches, and the organizers of the League to understand that the main objectives of playing those games. We need to create a competitive environment in which the players are developing their creativity, self-expression, passion of the game and discovering the value of friendship throughout the team,” the Technical Director said.

“I would also like to encourage the parents or anyone to feel free to contact us for any case of age-fraud activities, and we will act strongly against the offenders.”

Mr. Dhar maintained that the Golden Baby Leagues will further aid the holistic development of Indian Football’s ecosystem.

“The transition of these kids under 6 to under 12 to the U-13 League will now be even smoother. The entire purpose is to present a seamless pathway to the kids and their parents who dream to make it big,” Dhar opined.

by Abhishek Shukla

NEW DELHI: Prior to the Blue Tigers’ departure for the 2019 King’s Cup, talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri had quipped: “Sahal (Abdul Samad) is an extremely gifted talent. He is someone who really excites me. I don’t know if people have watched a lot of Sahal, but if that guy is fit, he’s got proper talent.”

Since then, Sahal has gone on to make his International debut, and though Igor Stimac’s boys have lost three of the last four, the midfielder has been one of India’s standout performers in the middle of the park with his combination of skill, and work rate.

Sahal was also voted the AIFF Men’s Emerging Footballer of the Year 2018-19 by the coaches of the Hero I-League, and Hero ISL clubs. “It’s difficult to explain in words – the feeling,” the 22-year-old said. “I am trying my best. I have worn the National jersey but I know I have a lot to do. I have to keep working hard, and get selected for the next set of games.”

A natural ball-playing midfielder, Sahal’s dribbling and passing abilities catch the eye, as he provides his coaches a number of options, thanks to his versatility.

“Training with the team and learning from the new coach has been wonderful. We are looking to keep, and pass the ball while attacking. We aim to create multiple threats for our opponents,” the talented midfielder added.

Born in Al-Ain, UAE, he completed his schooling from Al Ain before coming to India for his college degree – a decision which was aided by elder brother Fazil. And that allowed him to pursue his footballing dream.

“I first played football for my school team in the 8th standard. Then I started playing 7s in Dubai, and joined an Academy as well. However, the turning point came when I shifted to India,” Sahal recalls.

A few months after starting his degree, his talent was spotted by coach Siddique of SN College in Kannur who convinced him to switch colleges. From there, Sahal never looked back. After excelling at University-level tournaments, he soon found a place in the district U-21 side, and then the Kerala team for the Santosh Trophy, while also playing a little in the local 7s scene.

For the 2017-18 season, he was signed by ISL side Kerala Blasters for their reserve team, and was promoted to the senior side in the same period as well.

“Playing through the college system was a great experience,” Sahal explains. “I never knew a player could come through the university-level ranks, and play for India so quickly. I owe a lot to my coach who believed in me, and gave me a chance. I had to re-do my first year of college again but in the end, it was certainly worth it,” he smiles.

Sahal is one of the youngest members in this fresh-looking Indian line-up, which also features a number of seasoned campaigners from whom Sahal has “learnt a lot.”

“There’s so much one can learn from the senior players! They have a wealth of experience, and teach us a lot on and off the pitch. Small tips such as taking care of our diet, dealing with pressure, playing our natural game, go a long way in helping newcomers like us,” he expressed.

by

Early advantage for Indian women as they land in Myanmar

NEW DELHI: Riding on the success of their fifth consecutive SAFF Championship triumph, the Indian Senior Women’s National Team landed in Maldalay, Myanmar today (March 26, 2019) for the forthcoming AFC Olympic Qualifiers Round 2 which kicks-off from April 3, 2019.

The Indian women have been clubbed with hosts Myanmar, Nepal and Indonesia in Group B.

“Arriving 8 days in advance for the Olympic Qualifiers will help us to acclimatize faster. It’s an early advantage which we need to cash upon, Head Coach Maymol Rocky stressed. “If you look at bigger tournaments, teams always arrive early.”

“It usually takes two to three days for a player to fully acclimatize to a new set-up. We are confident that we shall be cent percent ready for the first match, despite the hot, and humid weather,” Maymol maintained.

Maymol added: “The temperatures in Biratnagar during the SAFF Championship served as a warm-up in this regard as well. The girls responded well to the conditions, and I am sure they will adapt in Myanmar too.”

The Indian women are currently unbeaten in the last 23 matches at the SAFF Championship, and have headed to the AFC Qualifiers with an experience of 14 International matches since January 2019.

“In fact, International Football is not just about the weather,” Maymol stated. “Arriving early will help us to get a feel of the training pitches, and also the venues. Along with the physical part, it is important getready mentally. After all, switching to new surroundings can sometimes take time.”

India kick-off their campaign against Indonesia on April 3. The last time the two teams played in Jakarta in January, India had won both the matches.

by

“Important to do our home-work and produce a strong performance,” says Delhi Capitals’ skipper Shreyas Iyer

New Delhi, 25 March 2019: After starting their IPL 2019 season with an exhilarating victory against the Mumbai Indians, JSW and GMR co-owned franchise, Delhi Capitals will look to start their home leg of fixtures with an another win when they take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Tuesday, 26th March 2019.

Delhi Capitals’ middle-order batsman, Colin Ingram, who scored a blistering 47 off 32 balls against the Mumbai side, believes that the victory in their opening match will only further help in boosting the confidence levels of his team. He said, “It was a fantastic game for us. I feel we were up to the mark in all the three departments. There are obviously areas where we will need to work on and losing early wickets is definitely one of them. However, we did have good partnerships also and I am glad that the boys down the order could also join the party after Shikhar (Dhawan) and I set up the innings.”

Speaking about Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten innings of 78 off just 27 balls, Ingram said that it is great sign for the Delhi Capitals that the young Indian wicketkeeper-batsman is in good form. “It was a special knock by him against the Mumbai Indians. Last year I watched him from back home and he was in good form then as well. It’s a great sign for us that he is in good form, he is a match-winner on his day and it’s going to help in the coming matches,” said the South African.

Captain Shreyas Iyer could only manage 16 runs off 10 balls but looked in good nick during his short innings. However, the 24-year-old is pleased with the way his team performed and wants to repeat the performance on Tuesday against CSK. “I feel it was a great match against Mumbai but we are looking forward to Tuesday where we will have another chance to build some confidence as we play the defending champions. It will obviously be a competitive match, but we need to make sure that we rest well, and prepare in the best way possible. CSK has a lot of experienced players in their side, and we saw how they beat RCB in their first match, so we will be doing our home-work and looking to produce a great performance in front of our fans at the Kotla,” said Iyer.

Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings have previously faced each-other 18 times in the IPL and it is CSK who lead with 12 wins, while the Capitals have only won 6 matches. With CSK having won their opening match convincingly against RCB by 7 wickets, Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium is expected to host a fierce battle between the two teams on Tuesday.

by Abhishek Shukla

Spirited Indian Women’s Hockey Team beat 2018 Women’s World Cup Bronze Medalist Spain 5-2

Murcia (Spain), 29 January 2019: An improved attack and tactical defending saw the Indian Women’s Hockey Team convincingly beat World Cup Bronze Medalists Spain 5-2 in their third match of the tour here today. Young striker from Mizoram Lalremsiami (17′, 58′) starred in the match by scoring twice while Neha Goyal (21′), Navneet Kaur (32′), Rani (51′) ensure India remained in the lead after an initial setback in the first quarter.

It was Spain who scored the first goal in the seventh minute of the match through Berta Bonastre putting India on the back foot right at the start. But a determined India made a quick recovery with striker Lalremsiami’s fine goal in the 17th minute and then further improvised their attack to score in the 21st minute via Neha Goyal to take a strong 2-1 lead.

Navneet Kaur struck a splendid third goal for the team in the 32nd minute that took India’s lead to 3-1. Though Berta Bonastre scored her second goal of the match in the 35th minute that narrowed India’s lead to 3-2, India worked on a powerful finish in the fourth quarter with Skipper Rani scoring in the 51st minute followed by young striker Lalremsiami scoring again for India in the 58th minute which helped India seal the match 5-2.

Having lost the opening match 2-3 and drawn the second match 1-1, India showed a zealous performance with fewer unforced errors to dominate the match. “I am pleased with today’s performance. We are working to be more steady in our performance and we are improving match-by-match. This is a process and we need to keep repeating such performances to grow further. I am giving constant feedback on individual performance and behaviour and some are learn fast while some need a little bit more time. But overall, we are progressing well and beating World Cup Medal winners in their home ground is a big confidence boost for this young team,” expressed Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne.

On 31 January, India will play their fourth match against Spain at 17.30 hours IST.

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Women’s Hockey Team lose 2-3 to Spain

Murcia (Spain), 27 January 2019: Indian Women’s Hockey Team put up a spirited fightback yet lost to Spain 2-3 in their opening match against hosts Spain here on Saturday.

India used strong attacking strategy to begin the first quarter on a positive note. The team made the first breakthrough when they managed to earn a penalty corner in the 8th minute but could not convert the shot, however, in the following minutes the forwardline worked together to support experienced Vandana who created a splendid opportunity for compatriot Udita to score in the 12th minute. A reverse pass by Vandana was picked up well by Udita who made no mistake in sending it past the Spanish goalkeeper Maria Ruiz to take a 1-0 lead.

In the second quarter, hosts Spain stepped up their game after the initial setback to score an equaliser in the 23rd minute through Maria Tost. While the second half saw both teams defend well to contain eachother from taking a lead, the third quarter completely belonged to Spain as they struck two goals in the 39th and 40th minute through Lola Reira and Begona Garcia respectively.

The fourth quarter remained tense for India as they fought back to make amends to their defensive lapses in the previous quarter. A tactical approach to their attack saw them win a crucial PC which was brilliantly converted by dragflicker Gurjit Kaur in the 48th minute. The following minutes was evenly fought battle by both teams but Spain ensured they upped their defence to deny India an equaliser.

by Abhishek Shukla

I-League 2018/19: Big Game at the Tilak Maidan as Churchill Take on Neroca FC

New Delhi, January 18, 2019: By the time Churchill Brothers and Neroca FC take the field at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco Da Gama, Goa, on Saturday, January 19, 2019, both teams will know whether it is only Chennai ahead of them or even Real Kashmir.

Be that as it may, arguably the biggest game of the day, scheduled for a 7.30 PM IST start, promises to be one, not for the faint-hearted with two in-form attack-minded teams battling it out with realistic title aspirations foremost in their minds.

Churchill Brothers have been the more impressive of the two sides, however of their two losses so far, one was to their Saturday opponents in the first-leg fixture.

Neroca, in that game, rode on a Katsumi Yusa brace to stun the high-flying Goans in that instance. Churchill have regrouped since then and now lie second in the table with a five-point gap separating them from league leaders Chennai.

With the form that their striker Willis Deon Plaza has demonstrated so far, a joint highest scorer with Chennai’s Pedro Manzi with 11 goals each, the hosts will be backing themselves to take three points at home.

Churchill’s Romanian coach Petra Gigiu said in the pre-game presser, “It is a difficult game. Neroca is a strong stone and they have many good players. They play well and have an organised team. Defence and attack both are good. We will try our best and try and not make the mistakes we have made earlier. The three points are very important for us and we will be playing to win.”

Neroca go into Saturday’s game on the back of a narrow defeat, their third of the 12th Hero I-League season, in their previous game against Mohun Bagan and will be desperate to get back to winning backs to remain hot contenders for a shot at the title.

Their Spanish coach Manuel Fraile had this to say on match day eve, “We will be fighting for three points but the pressure is on Churchill. Rest we should give our best and win the game. It will be a difficult game tomorrow. We will try to be the Champions. We will stick to our game plan and my team is ready.”

The fluent style of both teams and the quality in attack with the likes of Singham Subash Singh, Felix Chidi for Neroca and Dawda Cessay, Anthony Wolfe for Churchill, the game promises to be a cracker under the lights in Goa.

by Abhishek Shukla

Star Sports launches India’s First Kannada Sports Channel

Mumbai, January 02, 2019: Star Sports – India’s leading sports broadcaster – has launched Star Sports 1 Kannada, the country’s first dedicated Kannada sports channel. Star Sports aims to provide quality viewing experience in local languages for its fans across India. Earlier this year, Star Sports introduced India’s first Telugu sports channel – Star Sports 1 Telugu – paving the way formoreregional sports channels after the successful launch ofStar Sports 1 Tamil in 2017.

Celebrating the spirit of the Kannadiga culture is at the heart of the launch of Star Sports 1 Kannada. Karnataka as a region, has shown very distinctive viewing habits and an affinity to differentiated language content. This has enabled Star Sports to create a unique, engaging and most importantly, viewer centric offering for the southern state.

Star Sports 1 Kannada, with its rich line-up of sports properties, will help bring Kannadiga sports fans closer to their favourite sports. Now on-air, the broadcast calendar includes live events such as Bengaluru Bulls’ panga in the VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 6 finals as they eye their first ever VIVO PKL trophy. The fans can also enjoy Karnataka’s domestic cricket matches, Hero Indian Super League, Premier Badminton League, upcoming AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, Khelo India Youth Games, VIVO IPL and a host of other sporting events being broadcast in Kannada throughout the year. Star Sports 1 Kannada aims to provide fans with region specific quality sports content allowing them to connect with their heroes.

A Star India spokesperson said, “Sports is more engaging, enjoyable and thrilling, when it is watched in a language one speaks. Our strong presence in Karnataka has helped us understand how Kannadiga sports fans like to consume sports content. Kannadigas possess an inherent sporting quality of resilience and an undying desire to always win. Star Sports 1 Kannada, with its extensive line-up of popular sports content, is a resolute step towards bringing these Kannadiga fans closer to their favourite games and heroes.”

A promo campaign was launched to support the launch of Star Sports 1 Kannada. Keeping true to essence of the Kannadiga culture, the promo focuses on watching our sport in our language, and the determination and never say die attitude of a kannadiga.

Star Sports 1 Kannada will be available on leading DTH/cable operators across Karnataka as well as rest of India soon.

Fans of Bengaluru Bulls can cheer for their favourite team in their favourite language as they raid for glory in the final panga of VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 6. The game will be live on Star Sports 1 Kannada on Saturday, January 05, 2019, 8 pm onwards.

Upcoming marquee LIVE sporting action

SportEventDates
KabaddiVIVO Pro Kabaddi – Playoffs and finalsJanuary 03 & 05, 2019
National sportsKhelo India Youth Games 2019January 2019
FootballAFC Asian Cup UAE 2019January – February 2019
BadmintonPremier Badminton LeagueJanuary 2019
CricketIndia’s Tour of New ZealandJanuary – February 2019
CricketAustralia’s Tour of IndiaFebruary – March 2019
CricketVIVO IPL 2019TBC
CricketICC Cricket World Cup 2019May – July 2019
FootballHero Indian Super LeagueFebruary 2019 onwards
KabaddiVIVO Pro Kabaddi 2019 (Season 7)July 2019


by Abhishek Shukla

Manika is the Breakthrough Star and Massimo the Star Coach!

New Delhi, December 12: It had turned out to be a breakthrough year for India’s most celebrated woman paddler, Manika Batra, as she bagged the 2018 Breakthrough Star award at a glittering function at Incheon tonight.

Thus, the Delhi girl became the only Indian athlete to be honoured at the ITTF Star Awards and also the first player from outside of Japan to be named the Breakthrough Star.

Manika, who enjoyed a sensational outing at the Commonwealth Games, earning India its first-ever gold medal in the women singles category and helping the squad win its first ever gold along with medals in women doubles and mixed doubles events, was bestowed with the honour for being the best paddler find of the year in the category.

Her glittering journey which began at Gold Coast continued in the Asian Games at Jakarta where the Delhi girl played her part to perfection in guiding India to its second table tennis bronze medal at the 2018 Games, partnering A. Sharath Kamal in the mixed doubles.

“I couldn’t have imagined at the beginning of the year. The way it has culminated has made me feel happy and more responsible. I have to thank many for such a wonderful opportunity,” said Manika, speaking from Incheon.

“I really want to thank the International Table Tennis Federation for acknowledging my efforts throughout the year.  For me personally, it has been one of the most eventful years of my sporting career so far and this is a just reward for my hard work and training. I would like to thank the Table Tennis Federation of India, Sports Authority of India and the Sports Ministry and, above all, my coach Sandeep Sir and my physio Subodh Sir without whom this wouldn’t have been possible. My thanks are due to my department Indian Oil Corporation Limited for their continuous support. 
I would like to thank my family who supported me and been there as my pillar of strength,” said Manika, recalling the efforts each one of them had put in to shape her career.

MASSIMO THE STAR COACH

In fact, it was double celebration for Indian table tennis as chief coach of the national team, Massimo Costantini, received the Star Coach award after leading the country to record-breaking performances at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2018 Asian Games.

India won an astounding eight medals at the CWG in Gold Coast including three gold medals. Besids, India also won their first Asian Games medals in the Men’s Team and mixed doubles at Jakarta.

The Italian, thus, became only the fourth coach to take home the Star Coach award. Earlier, Pedro Rufino, Liu Guoliang and Jörg Rosskopf were bestowed with the honour.

“I can’t thank enough ITTF for the award. But I wouldn’t have been here without the fantastic bunch of players in both sections which TTFI provided me. They were really wonderful and responded well. I must thank all those concerned in India, including SAI, for the wonderful opportunity to serve the cause of Indian table tennis,” said Massimo.

Dushyant Chautala, president of TTFI, in a congratulatory message to Manika Batra said, “she richly deserved the award,” adding, “Manika proved herself in both the Games that a star was born.”

Secretary General M.P. Singh, in his congratulatory message to both Manika and Massimo Costantini, said: “It was a wonderful year for Indian table tennis and Manika epitomized it with her performances. She was the star performer and deserves all the accolades. And Massimo was a worthy coach who made it all possible and I wish him all the success.”

The ITTF Star Awards is the official awards ceremony organised by the international body since 2013. It is the most prestigious award given to recognize, honour and celebrate the stars of table tennis, the athletes who have made table tennis their passion, career and life.

by Abhishek Shukla

Fan Village a big draw at the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018

Bhubaneswar, 29 November 2018: Hockey buffs attending the biggest sporting extravaganza in the country Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 are being treated to games and fun activities installed in the Fan Village spanning about 18,000 sq meters inside the iconic Kalinga Stadium.

 

The activities range from anti-gravity photo booth which lets people click gravity-defying photos in a hockey stadium ambiance while those who wish to take a 360 degree photo can do so at the 360 degree photo booth. The massive fan village spread across two grounds between Gate No.3 and Gate No.4 of the Kalinga Stadium opens at 1.00 PM on match days and features several eatery stalls including those of local specialties like the Odisha Millet Missions for those who prefer to eat healthy.

 

There is also live screening of the matches on a giant screen, accompanied by an Emcee who keeps the mood upbeat and also engages the fans in quizzes related to the sport at half-time. Trampoline for kids, cycles installed to create a video-game feel of a race are also some of the highlights. The organisers have also created a three-a-side hockey turf for those who feel inspired by their favourite stars playing the prestigious event and wish to emulate the action on a mini-turf. There is also a India Post stamp stall where you can buy the newly-launched stamp for the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 apart from old stamps for collection. You can also get a personalized postage stamp which can be used as a valid postage for domestic mail purpose. It can also be used as gift for loved ones.

 

Jugglers, Magicians among other artists are present to ensure there is a lot more to do other than watch top-level International matches. Shopaholics can also buy Odisha Handlooms and sports wear too.  “The Fan Village was curated keeping in mind all age-groups of hockey lovers coming to watch the matches. It is the first time something like this is happening in India and the response has been quite overwhelming,” stated Ms Elena Norman, CEO, Hockey India.

 

Mr Vishal Dev, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Sports & Youth Services Department, Odisha Government said, “We hope the Fan Village will give spectators a different experience of the tournament. The idea was to engage fans and not just have them come watch top-level international matches but we also wanted them to get a sports carnival feel.”

by Abhishek Shukla

India’s Abhay Singh, has reached the final of a PSA challenger event in England

Sutton Coldfield (England): India’s Abhay Singh stormed into the final of the Sutton Coldfield International 2018, a PSA challenger event after a spectacular win over the top seed Jan vd Hereweggen of Belgium in the semi-final late on Friday.

Always a fighter, the fourth seeded Indian, a trainee at the Chennai’s Indian Squash Academy, needed little over an hour to script his 10-12, 11-9, 11-6, 3-11, 11-6 win and make it his fourth PSA final in his career. What stood out in favour of Abhay was his court coverage and quality drop shots.Towards the end stages, the Indian also showed effectiveness in countering long rallies. Abhay now faces the second seed Victor Cruin of France in th title match.

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team beat New Zealand 7-1

Johor Bahru (Malaysia), 07 October 2018: The Indian Junior Men’s Hockeyteam continued to impress at the 8th Sultan of Johor Cup 2018 as they notched up their second successive win here on Sunday as they beat New Zealand 7-1.
On the opening day of the tournament, the India Colts had registered a hard fought 2-1 victory against hosts Malaysia. In their second match, it was Prabhjot Singh (6′), Shilanand Lakra (15′, 43′), Harmanjit Singh (21′), Mohd Faraz (23′), Abhishek (50′) and Skipper Mandeep Mor (60′) who scored in India’s scintillating win. For New Zealand, Sam Hiha (53′) scored the lone goal.
Last year’s Bronze Medallists’ India got off to an attacking start as Prabhjot’s fine goal in the 6th minute put New Zealand on the back foot. The Junior India side displayed disciplined hockey, played to structure and ensured swift accurate passes that helped them make potential forays into the striking circle.
Shilanand Lakra, who had made his Senior debut earlier this year at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, was in good nick as he capitalized on a good assist to put the ball past the New Zealand goalkeeper winning India a strong 2-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Though New Zealand tried to overcome the initial setback, India Colts’ defence held strong not allowing any easy circle entries. India goalkeeper Pankaj Rajak too was in good stead to avert New Zealand from converting by making good saves. Building on their attack from a fine start, the Indian forwards kept up the pressure as they scored back-to-back goals in the 21st and 23rd minute through Harmanjit’s field goal and Mohd Faraz’s fabulously struck PC.
While the third quarter saw both teams drop the pace a tad bit, with India managing a single goal in the 43rd minute through Lakra.
It was Abhishek’s 50th minute goal that put India ahead by 6-0, even as New Zealand’s Sam Hiha scored a goal three minute later, it was just a consolation as India Colts’ Skipper Mandeep Mor ensured his team wrapped up the three winning points as he converted a smart variation in PC to finish with a splendid 7-1 scoreline.
The Indian Junior Men’s Team will next take on Japan in their third match on 9 October 2018 at 15.35hrs IST.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Men’s Hockey Team ensure fireworks in Dhaka with 6-2 win over Malaysia

Dhaka (Bangladesh), 19 October 2017: It was a Diwali blockbuster in Dhaka as a resilient Indian men’s hockey team edged out Malaysia 6-2 in their Super 4s match to stay on course to make the Hero Asia Cup 2017 Final here at the Moulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium on Thursday. After suffering two back-to-back loses to Malaysia earlier this year, the Manpreet Singh-led Indian team ensured a well-structured game to demolish the Malaysian defence. It was goals by Akashdeep Singh (14’), Harmanpreet Singh (19’) and SK Uthappa (24’) that gave India a 3-0 head start followed by Gurjant Singh (33’), SV Sunil (40’) and Sardar Singh (60’) who ensured fireworks in favour of India.
Played in front of a vocal and partisan home crowd there was no doubt that this top of the table clash was going to be played with pace and skill and the teams didn’t disappoint. Having won all their matches thus far in the tournament, Malaysia raced out of the blocks at a frenetic pace, attacking India constantly. They made two strong circle entries at the start of the game but an alert Indian defence kept them out of scoring. India’s first break-through came in the 14th minute when Manpreet Singh assisted Akashdeep Singh inside the circle with a fiercely-struck long pass. The Indian forward was impeccable in his attempt to improvise the pass to beat the Malaysian goalkeeper Kumar Subramiam to take a 1-0 lead in the first quarter.
The second quarter saw Indian goalkeeper Suraj Karkera make brilliant saves that had the Dhaka audience in raptures. His first big save came only two minutes into the second quarter when Malaysia won a PC. Karkera was resolute to pad it away. Later in the 23rd minute, another PC was averted when Karkera saved a fiercely struck dragflick to keep Malaysia from converting. Earlier, Harmanpreet Singh was at his best when he found the centre of the goal to take India’s lead to 2-0 in the 19th minute. A good assist by SV Sunil saw SK Uthappa score India’s third goal in the 24th minute.
Post the 10-minute half-time break, India scored two more goals to stamp their supremacy over Malaysia. It was Gurjant Singh in the 33rd minute followed by a splendid goal by SV Sunil brilliantly-assisted by Gurjant Singh who worked in tandem to score India’s fifth goal. A trademark reverse hit by Gurjant from the left flank to Sunil who made a diving attempt to push the ball into the post ensured the local crowds were thoroughly entertained. This goal by SV Sunil was also adjudged as the goal of the match.
The final quarter saw India make a few defensive errors that saw them concede PCs. With 10 minutes to the final hooter, Malaysia’s Razie Rahim utilized the chance to put one past a diving Akash Chikte in the 50th minute. Malaysia won another PC in the 54th minute but Chikte was outstanding in his save. Almost immediately, Malaysia won another PC but an alert Chikte averted a goal again. Malaysia won two back-to-back PCs in the 58th minute but couldn’t make the chance count. Though their second goal came through in the 59th minute via Ramadan Rosli, India extended their lead in the 60th minute when stalwart Sardar Singh picked up a brilliant assist to get a reverse shot on goal. There were some tense moments towards the final minutes of the match but India held their sway to win.
On 21 October 2017, India will take on Pakistan at 17.00 hours IST in their last Super 4s encounter.
by Abhishek Shukla

44th Sub Junior National Championship – Rajasthan Boys and Tamil Nadu Girls crowned as the Champions

Bengaluru, 16th October 2017: Rajasthan Boys and Tamil Nadu Girls have been crowned champions of the 44th Sub Junior National Championship for boys and girls that just concluded in Bangour College Stadium, Didwana, Rajasthan.

The Championship was organized by the Rajasthan Basketball Association under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India.

FINAL STANDINGS

Rajasthan bt Madhya Pradesh 87-59

Rajasthan boys continued their undefeated run in the tournament even in the finals against the other undefeated team in the tournament and the defending champions, Madhya Pradesh. Rajasthan played like champions from the first game of the tournament defeating all their opponents with big margins. One of the key factors in Rajasthan’s victory was their defence which helped them gain a good lead in the finals as well. Forward Lokendra Singh dropped 21 points for Rajasthan providing the team a powerful start whereas guard Prashant Chauhan led all scorers with 28 points. Madhya Pradesh’s Bhagat Singh was leading their team to a comeback in the third quarter but got fouled out eventually in the beginning of the last quarter.

 

Tamil Nadu bt Chhattisgarh 88-81

Tamil Nadu girls defeated the defending champs Chhattisgarh in one of the most thrilling games of the championship. Chhattisgarh replied to every basket scored by TN  with a basket of their own, the lead kept on shifting from one team to the other until the games’ top scorer Sathya(43 points) took the game away from Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh girls went on to the second half of the game with an eight point lead but couldn’t capitalise on it. Kirti scored 24 points for Chhattisgarh who has been a consistent scorer for them throughout the tournament.

DAY 7, 14th October 2017 

Finals

Boys

1. Rajasthan(Prashant 28pts, Lokendra 21pts) bt Madhya Pradesh(Rishikesh 16pts, Bhagat 14pts) 87-59[28-17, 7-10, 31-18, 21-14]

Girls

1. Tamil Nadu(Sathya 43pts, Netika 11pts) bt Chhattisgarh(Kirti 24pts, Ruksar 18pts) 88-81[18-18, 11-19, 39-22, 20-22]

 

3rd and 4th Place Match

Boys

1. Chhattisgarh(Rishabh 27pts, Deepak 19pts) bt Uttar Pradesh(Kapil 20pts)57-51[15-13,10-15,12-8,14-21]

Girls

1. Maharashtra(Danica 13pts, Bhakti 11pts) bt Rajasthan(Jiya 14pts) 43-35[7-9,17-5,6-14,13-7]

5th and 6th Place Match

Boys

1. Punjab(Mandeep 29pts, Vikas 18pts) bt Andhra Pradesh(Saicharan 30pts)85-73[19-26, 26-9, 23-18, 17-20]

Girls

1. Karnataka(Sunishka 16pts, Vedaa 10pts) bt  Uttar Pradesh(Palak 12pts) 46-29[10-10, 5-4, 16-11, 15-4]

 

 

 DAY 6, 13th October 2017 

 

 

Semi Finals

Boys

1. Rajasthan(Lokendra 25pts, Ayush 19pts) bt  Chhattisgarh(Deepak 16pts, Rishabh 10pts) 81-42[21-10,9-9,23-14,28-9]

2. Madhya Pradesh(Vishwajeet 12pts, Sahil 11pts) bt Uttar Pradesh(Kapil 10pts, Shreyansh 10pts) 54-30[11-10,13-4,14-12,16-4]

Girls

1. Chhattisgarh(Kirti 22pts, Ruksar 18pts) bt Rajasthan(Jiya 18pts, Diksha 16pts) 71-61[13-14,20-12,13-19,24-16]

2. Tamil Nadu(Sathya 20pts, Netika 15pts) bt  Maharashtra(Danica 13pts, Bhakti 10pts) 74-43[22-6,16-11,19-12,17-14]

 

7th and 8th Place Matches

Boys

1. Haryana(Ronka 20pts, Vikas 19pts) bt Telangana(Sourav 18pts) 74-40[15-14,10-7,25-4,24-15]

Girls

1. Punjab(Vrinda 17pts, Kavya 12pts) bt Haryana(Ashu 10pts) 37-28[5-11,4-7,13-2,15-8]

 

9th and 10th Place Matches

Boys

1. Tamil Nadu(Shibi 18pts) bt Karnataka(Vedanth 9pts) 56-19[10-6,11-2,19-6,16-5]

Girls

1. Madhya Pradesh(Manvi 14pts, Divya 9pts) bt Gujarat(Naomi 10pts) 44-36[14-4,8-7,8-11,14-14]

by Abhishek Shukla

7 Bizarre Records in International Cricket

Here are seven bizarre world records in cricket

1 Diamond duck (not a run out) in ODIs

http://gty.im/481318302

There are multiple instance in ODI cricket when batsman out for duck without facing a delivery. Most probably it is run out on such occasions. But what if a diamond duck is not on a run out?  Sound strange. Yes there are two such instances when a batsman out for suck without facing a ball and that does not involve a run out. India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar became the latest entry in this list on Ajantha Medis’ wide ball and Kumar Sangakkara’s quick stumping in Asia Cup 2014 at Fatullah, Bangladesh. The other batsman who got out in similar fashion was Canada’s Henry Osinde against Ireland in 2009 in ICC World Cup Qualifier match.

2 An over consisting 17 balls

http://gty.im/51125558

In cricket an over consist six deliveries if it is not no-ball or wide-ball. That’s everyone knows. But have you imagine an over can be of 17-balls? Again a strange record in cricket history. In an encounter between Bangladesh and Pakistan, Mohammad Sami bowled an epic over in ODI history. His third over of Bangladesh’s innings took 17 balls to complete which included seven wides and four no-balls for 22 runs.

3 Test match result in less than six hours

aus-sa-test
© AFP

We have seen Test matches ending in less than three days. A recently played three match Test series between Sri Lanka and India lasted less than 11 days. There was one match which produced a result in less than six hours, which is equivalent to a single day of a Test match. Fifth and final match between Australia and South Africa lasted for just five hours and 53 minutes in which Australia won by an innings and 72 runs. South Africa bowled out for just 36 in first innings. In reply, Australia posted 153 runs in their first innings. South Africa’s second innings hardly managed 31.3 overs where team’s final score was 45 all out.

4 Maximum numbers of extras in a Test innings

http://gty.im/78072241

Pakistan team is bunch of bizarre records in cricket history. Whether it is an individual record or a team record. In a Test innings against India in December 2007, Pakistan gave away maximum numbers of extras runs; total 76 runs. It included 35 byes, 26 leg byes and 15 no-balls.

5 A costly duck in an innings

http://gty.im/650792400

A duck in cricket is well understood to everyone. A batsman who is out without scoring a run. There are different types of ducks; golden duck, diamond duck, pair. But what if batsman playing more than 75 balls and out for a duck? Isn’t it a costly duck? New Zealand’s Geoff Allott took 77 balls to go in to the pavilion without scoring a single run against South Africa in 1999.

6 Most ducks in international career

http://gty.im/50813818

Muttiah Muralitharan might be the highest wicket taken in both Tests and ODIs, but he holds another bizarre record of scoring most numbers of duck in his international career. In 495 matches he played, batting in 328 innings, he scored as many 59 ducks in his career. The next best of this list is West Indies’ Courtney Walsh who had 54 ducks in his international career.

7 Slowest fifty in Test cricket

http://gty.im/79650746

Defensive batting is one of giant skill in Test cricket, especially when a team wanted to save a match. But this defensive technique could be so annoying when a player taking 350 balls to complete his fifty. Yes, this has been happened in Test cricket. In a first Test match between Australia and England in 1958, England all-rounder, Trevor Bailey who was known for his defensive batting took 350 balls and 357-minutes to raise his bat. However, his innings was not enough to save match for his team.

by Abhishek Shukla

In anticipation of India’s first International 3×3 Pro Basketball League, Gurugram to host ‘3×3 Road to Mexico’ this September

New Delhi, 19th August 2017: In an exciting and path breaking development, the launch of an International 3×3 Pro Basketball League in India was announced at a press conference today at the Taj Mahal Hotel on Mansingh Road in New Delhi.

The dignitaries present at the press conference included Mr. Robert Reiblinger (FIBA 3×3 Development Manager), Mr. Yoshiya Katoh (YKBK Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. – Chairman), Mr. Rohit Bakshi (YKBK Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. – CEO), Ms. Neha Dhupia (Indian Film Actor & Host), Mr. Jyoti Jindal (Jindal PreFab – Managing Director), Mr. Jitender Yadav (Pragati Infra Solutions Pvt. Ltd. – CEO & Founding Director).

While the League is tentatively scheduled for next year, a special two-day 3×3 showcase event called the ‘3×3 Road to Mexico’ will be conducted on 16th & 17th September at the Ambience Mall, Gurugram.

Six international and six leading Indian club teams have been invited to participate. The international teams include Hamamatsu, Alborada, Yokohama (all three are city based teams from Japan), the Malaysian National Team, Sri Lanka President’s Team and a side from Maldives.

Indian teams invited to participate are the top club sides ONGC, IOB, Railways, Services, Ludhiana Basketball Academy and Vijaya Bank.

“3×3 is not only FIBA’s second official discipline and will be played in Tokyo 2020 at the Olympics, it moreover is the number 1 urban team sport in the world. Therefore, India with its plenty of metropolitan areas has a sheer unlimited pool of athletes and talent to offer. Indian teams have had their fair share of success already in 3×3 on continental national team level and Indian players raised some eyebrows on global level when they pushed their team last year to the finals of FIBA’s 3×3 World Tour Final. FIBA is very excited to now have with this event as a direct World Tour Qualifier that will take India to the World stage again,” said Mr Reiblinger.

“We are excited to bring FIBA 3×3 Basketball to the Indian subcontinent and are committed to keep pushing this fast paced urban sport into many cities in the region. “3×3 Road to Mexico” will be a new opportunity for players, spectators and fans alike to get their first taste of 3×3 Pro Basketball League action. 3BL will create grassroots 3×3 basketball and will be building 3×3 basketball courts across the Indian subcontinent,” said Mr Katoh.

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian paddlers wins Gold at Jordan Junior and Cadet Open

New Delhi, July 28: It was an Indian show at Amman as Snehit Suravajjula and Yashini Sivasankar beat their Indian opponents Jeet Chandra and Prapti Sen, respectively, in the Junior Boys and Girls finals to claimed gold medals in the 2017 Jordan Junior and Cadet Open.

The no.15 seed Snehit accounted for teammate Jeet Chandra, the no.3 seed, to win the title 12-10, 7-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6. The Hyderabad lad, who turned 16 a few weeks ago, earlier caused a major second round upset when he outsmarted No. 2 seed Youssef Abdel-Aziz from Egyp 13-15, 13-15, 11-9, 11-8, 11-4, 11-4.

Placed in the opposite half of the draw, Jeet accounted for Iran’s Hamid Shams 11-9, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 and Qatar’s Mohammed Abdulwahhab, the no.4 seed and winner in 2015 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8), prior to reserving his place in the final by beating the man in form.

He overcame colleague, Parth Virmani, the no.9 seed (9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-7); the player who earlier in the day in the second round had beaten Thailand’s Yanapong Panagitgun, the top seed (8-11, 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 14-12, 11-8).

Following  Snehit’s gold in the singles, in Junior Boys Doubles which was an all- India final,  he and Anukram Jain combined well to finish with the silver. The duo went down to Manush Shah and Parth Virmani by the very narrowest of five-game margins 11-7, 11-13, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9, who clinched the gold.

[media-credit id=1 align=”alignnone” width=”473″][/media-credit]

Earlier in the semi-final, both Indian pairs had ended the hopes of Chinese Taipei. Anukram and Snehit had beaten Hsu Po-Hsuan and Peng-Chih (3-11, 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-9) whil Manush Shah and Parth defeated Li Hsin-Yu and Wang Yi-Fan (6-11, 12-10, 11-2, 11-3).

Yashini shines

In Junior Girls, Yashini defeated Prapti 7-11,5-11,11-4,8-11,11-8,11-6,11-4 in an enthralling final to capture the title. The girl from Tamil Nadu, who won her first national ranking title last year, began the season at home well when she annexed the Central Zone title. Since then her graph has been showing an upward growth and she proved it once again at Amman on Thursday evening.

In fact, the domination of Indians in the Junior Girls’ singles was evident when four quarter-finalists—Yashini, Prapti, Kushi Vishwanath and Vanshika Bhargava—were from India. Even in team events the girls performance was praiseworthy, thanks to India A team members Priyanka Pareek and Yashini, who set the tone.

They accounted for the Jordanian duo of Lima Khater and Yara Aldmaisy 3-0before recording a similar victory against India B’s Manushee Patil and Prapti Sen. However, Yashini was tested by Manushee, being required to recover from a 0-2 deficit before emerging successful 4-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-6.

Defeat for India ‘B’ but when facing colleagues, Jiya Jain and Kushi Vishwanath on duty for India ‘C’ it was success. A 3-0 was the order of the day but there was a close call for Manushee who lost the first two games against Kushi before staging a recover to win 6-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7.

India C’s Jiya Jain and Kushi Vishwanath also tasted some success when they overcame the Thai-Jordan combination of Suthasini Sawettabut and Razan Alqrabawi 3-0.

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

Junior Boys ensure a bronze at Asian Table Tennis meet

New Delhi, June 30: The Junior Boys team, comprising Manav Thakkar, Jeet Chandra and Manush Shah, ensured at least a bronze medal for India in the 23rd Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships at Asan (South Korea) today.

The Indian boys defeated Iran 3-1 in the quarterfinals to enter the semifinals where they will clash with top-seeded China.

But the Junior Girls crashed out of the team championships losing to top-seed China in straight games. The team members were Moumita Datta, Archana Kamath and Selenadeepthi Selvakumar.

The stories in the Cadet Boys and Cadet Girls were no different as the China blanked out the Indian Cadets 3-0 in both the sections. However, it was creditable for all the Indian squads to have qualified for the main draw where they had to face the toughest opponents.

Manav Thakkar began well to beat Amirreza Abbasi 11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 11-7 to provide a nice cushion. But Jeet Chandra, after putting up a good fight lost the second rubber to Amin Ahmadian 11-5, 15-13, 6-11, 9-11, 10-12 which helped Iran level score.

However Manush Shah ensured 11-3, 11-9, 12-10 win against Iran’s third player Alin Rahnamayhaghighi for India’s upper hand. Manav, playing his reverse singles, downed Ahmadian 11-7, 11-3, 9-11. 11-9 to seal India’s semifinal place.

Earlier in Junior Girls, only Archana managed to take a game off her Chinese rival Tianyi Quian in the second rubber loss of 7-11, 11-9, 8-11, 8-11 while Yingsha Sun beat Moumita Datta 11-8, 11-8, 11-3 and Xunyao Shi beat Selena 11-4, 11-3, 11-5.

by

BRICS U-17 Football Cup came to an end with a spectacular closing ceremony

GOA: The inaugural BRICS U-17 Football Cup came to an end today amongst great fanfare. The final match day of the competition saw a keenly contested match between Russia and China with Russia prevailing by two goals to one to claim the third palce. The second match of the day, the finals of the tournament was contested between Brazil and South Africa. It was witnessed by a large crowd of spectators. Shri. Manohar Parrikar, the Union Defense Minister was the Chief Guest, Smt. Mridula Sinha, The Governor of Goa and Shri. Vijay Goel, the Union Sports Minister were the guests of honor. A large number of dignitaries from the Union Government and Government of Goa were in attendance.

Brazil, in a spectacular display of dexterity dominated the match from the very beginning, winning the coveted BRICS U-17 Football trophy by five goals to one.  Shri. Manohar Parrikar, the honorable Defense Minister presented the winning team with the Gold medals and the coveted BRICS U-17 Football Trophy to the Brazilian team. The Silver and the Bronze medals were presented to South Africa and Russia respectively, by Shri. Vijay Goel, the Union Sports Minister and Smt. Mridula Sinha, the Governor of Goa.

The finals culminated in a breathtaking display of dance and music in a colorful closing ceremony. The theme of the ceremony was based on Five elements- Five countries. The ceremony endeavored to portray the essence of the collective power of the Five elements( Fire, Water, Air, Aether& Space), symbolizing the collective strength of the Five BRICS nations.

by Abhishek Shukla

India Juniors go down to NSW Waratahs in Bronze medal play-off

Perth, Australia, 9 October 2016: India’s Junior Men’s team went down 1-5 to the NSW Waratahs in the Australian Hockey League Bronze medal match today.

The game started off at a fast pace, and India, playing a bit defensively were caught out early by NSW’s quick movement and sharp passing, going to a Lachlan Sharp goal in the 6th minute. As the game settled down, India were the ones who discovered their rhythm and started rotating the ball more fluidly within their ranks. Despite that, the Waratahs’ defence held strong to take them into the first break with the lead.

In a fast and exciting second quarter, the Waratahs hit India with goals in the 16th minute (Tom Craig) and then in the 23rd minute (Landon Morley). India also suffered with Varun Kumar getting a green card immediately after and conceding the numerical advantage. It wouldn’t matter though as Gurjant Singh pegged back NSW’s dominance with a PC conversion in the 25th minute to bring the deficit down to two as they went into halftime.

India had already scripted a miraculous turnaround yesterday in the semi final, and came out of halftime raring to go. Perhaps aware of this late surging ability, NSW played cautiously, defending deep and holding the ball for long periods when they did effect turnovers. India rushed hard and were constantly creating circle penetrations but were unable to find the final pass. Right at the end of the quarter NSW’s Landon Morley converted from a PC to take them into the final break leading 4-1.

India came out in the final quarter looking for the comeback but, NSW’s deep lying defensive structure denied them any width and opportunity to do so. The Waratahs capitalised on India’s attacking intent to add another goal to their tally with a counter attack in the final minute of the game via Tom Craig.

Speaking after the game Coach Harender Singh said, “We use the AHL as a preparatory tournament for the Junior World Cup later this year and its is quite heartening to see that the boys have held their own against the teams in the league. At crucial times we have made some small mistakes, but we’d rather make them now and learn and correct them, than in Lucknow in December.”

by Abhishek Shukla

Reliance Foundation Youth Sports Embarks Upon Creating Unified Sports Culture For India

Mumbai, August 27, 2016:

Mrs Nita Ambani, Member, International Olympic Committee and Chairperson Reliance Foundation today kicked off one of the most ambitious multi-discipline pan India school and college sports programmes under the banner of Reliance Foundation Youth Sports.

Joining Mrs. Nita Ambani on the occasion was Ranbir Kapoor, an avid sports follower, an owner of Mumbai City FC and member of the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports Advisory Board.

Reliance Foundation Youth Sports is poised to professionalise school and college sports competitions with a unified approach towards creating an eco-system to encourage, support and define a career path in sports for today’s youth.

Calling for a need of integrated sports support system in our education, Mrs Nita Ambani said, “Reliance Foundation Youth Sports was set up with the aim to propel India’s growth towards a multi- sports nation through robust school and college level initiatives.

“Reliance Foundation will also introduce the ‘Student Athlete’ program at early student life to scout, nurture, guide and create a viable career path for young sportspeople across the country in all discipline of sports.”

For first year, Reliance Foundation School Sports will witness a fierce football competition among 2000 schools and colleges institutes from eight cities fielding 2200 teams in four categories i.e. Junior Boys, Senior Boys, Senior Girls and College Boys. The competitions will have pre-qualifying rounds, followed by main draws respectively in Mumbai, Delhi, Guwahati, Kochi, Goa, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata. City winners in each category would qualify to play for the national honours.

As part of Mumbai leg of launch today, HR College played against Wilson College in the Senior Girls category. Over the next three months, Mumbai and its suburbs will see over 500 institutes fielding over 600 teams will play football at various grounds. Subsequently, the qualifying rounds of the rest of cities will also commence in the coming days.

Starting from next year, Reliance Foundation Youth Sports will double the participatory city numbers from 8 to 16, and progressively to 50 plus cities and far flung towns in India by the fifth year (2020). School and Colleges across country will have options to participate in multi-discipline sports such as Football, Basketball, Athletics, Badminton, Volleyball etc. at a National level through Reliance Foundation Youth Sports.

Reliance Foundation Youth Sports will produce video footage of the competitions, making the scouting process for raw talent a much easier task across the country. Furthermore the archive video footage would assist in technical analyses, identifying shortcomings and improvise action for young athletes. For first year of football competitions, the Youth Sports programme is expected to create 7000 hours of video content over the next four months of action, which will be available on

www.rfyouthsports.com

Reliance Foundation Youth Sports has set up an elite six member Advisory Board consisting of leading sports personalities and educationalists including Nita Ambani, Sachin Tendulkar, Leander Paes, Saina Nehwal, Prof. Dipak Jain and Ranbir Kapoor.