Scared bat-makers refuse to revive J&K unit
MEERUT: Citing security concerns, experts from UP’s Meerut have turned down “lucrative offers” to go to Kashmir and train locals to revive a cricket bat manufacturing unit in the volatile Anantnag region, officials said on Friday. As a result, the unit which was set up at a cost of nearly Rs 5 crore currently lies idle.
Over a month ago, members of the Sports Goods Export Promotion Council (SGEPC), a central government-backed organisation, and officials of Process-cum-Product Development Centre (PPDC) in Meerut, a unit of Union ministry of MSME, were contacted by senior authorities of skills development in Jammu and Kashmir. They requested SGEPC to establish a bat manufacturing training centre in the Valley and urged PPDC officials to send at least six trainers from UP.
A common facility centre at Sethar in Anantnag district was then set up at a cost of Rs 4.61 crore, including Rs 2.46 crore spent on plant and machinery installed by PPDC. SGEPC member Sumnesh Agarwal said, “Meerut is known for manufacturing world class cricket bats. Hence, J&K authorities are trying to rope in artisans and experts from here. But, none of them are willing to go to Kashmir due to safety issues.”
A PPDC official, requesting anonymity, said, “This is despite the fact that a trainer is promised Rs 20,000 per month apart from food, lodging and other amenities. Security concerns can’t be overlooked though. Anantnag has recently witnessed a series of targeted violence against outsiders.”
Incidentally, there are seven clusters in Anantnag district where a common facility centre was set up by MSME.
“Kashmir is known for its good quality willow, a wood considered to be most suitable for cricket bats, while Meerut, known for manufacturing world class cricket bats, is home to a large number of craftsmen. Also, movement of Kashmir willow to the outside world is banned in its raw wood form and can be transported only in the form of semi-finished products. So, the bat industry in Meerut largely depends on willow imported from England at a very high cost,” the official added.
HI Mess: FIH delegation in India, to hold meeting with CoA on Wednesday
NEW DELHI: A delegation from International Hockey Federation (FIH) is in the capital to discuss the way forward and avert a possible suspension of Hockey India, currently placed under a Committee of Administrators.
A two-member delegation, led by newly-appointed acting president Seif Ahmed, arrived here on Monday for an emergency meeting to assess progress made with regards to the adoption of a new Constitution at HI.
India is scheduled to host the 2023 Men's World Cup.
The FIH delegation is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Delhi High Court-appointed three-member CoA on Wednesday.
The delegation is also scheduled to meet senior sports ministry officials, besides top officials of the Odisha government, the hosts for next year's World Cup.
The FIH had last month sought a "detailed timeline" from the CoA on adoption of an amended Constitution and holding of fresh elections at HI.
If the HI fails to adopt a Sports Code-compliant Constitution at the earliest, the country runs the risk of losing the hosting rights of the World Cup, scheduled to be held from January 13 to 29.
According to a source, the required amendments in the HI Constitution has already been made and elections to the executive board of the sports body are expected to be held on October 1.
"The CoA members are scheduled to meet FIH delegation on Wednesday. The amendments to the HI Constitution, as per Delhi High Court orders, have already been done and it will be put before the FIH on Wednesday," the source told PTI.
"As per the Delhi High Court orders, some amendments, like removing illegal posts, were needed to be made in HI Constitution to bring it in line with the National Sports Code, which has been done. Now the FIH will have to ensure whether it is in line with their Constitution.
"The CoA is in no mood to hang in there, and plans to hold the elections of HI executive board by October 1," he added.
The world body delegation met with senior sports ministry officials on Tuesday and is set to visit next year's World Cup host cities -- Bhubaneswar and Rourkela -- on Thursday and Friday to oversee preparations.
It will also hold discussions with senior Odisha government officials, including Vineel Krishna, Secretary Sports and Youth Services and Special Secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Besides the FIH acting president, the world body delegation includes CEO Thierry Weil.
The FIH CEO had last month said they were hopeful of hosting the World Cup in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to return after two-year hiatus in November
NEW DELHI: The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, an annual invitational international men's hockey tournament, is set to make a comeback after a two-year break in November this year.
The prestigious tournament didn't take place in the last two years due to COVID-19. The last time it was held in 2019, South Korea had emerged champions by beating India in the summit clash.
"We are all set to host the Premier Azlan Shah Cup in November this year. We have invited six teams including India and Australia and we hope our invitation will be accepted," an Asian Hockey Federation official told PTI.
Men's world champion Tamirat Tola withdraws from London Marathon
LONDON: Ethiopia's men's world champion Tamirat Tola said on Friday he had pulled out of October's London Marathon due to muscle fatigue.
Tola won gold in Eugene, Oregon, last month in a championship record time of two hours, five minutes and 36 seconds.
"It is with great regret that I am unable to run this year’s TCS London Marathon," said the 31-year-old.
Neeraj Chopra figures in list of Diamond League Meeting competitors
NEW DELHI: Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who pulled out of the recent Commonwealth Games due to a minor injury, figured in the list of competitors for the Lausanne Diamond League Meeting on August 26.
But he is yet to take a call on his participation in the prestigious competition.
The 24-year-old had missed the Birmingham CWG due to a "minor" groin strain he suffered while winning a historic silver in the World Championships in Eugene, USA last month. He was advised one-month rest.
Honda Racing India rider Rajiv Sethu finishes fifth, scores 11 points
TOKYO: Rajiv Sethu of IDEMITSU Honda Racing India team finished fifth in the AP 250 event in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2022 at Sportsland Sugo circuit on Saturday.
It was the best ever finish by an Indian rider in AP250 class in the ARRC.
The race saw five riders crashing out in the first lap. Starting the wet 12-lap race 1 from 14th on the grid, Sethu quickly moved to sixth place after lap 1.
Unnati Hooda shines in national junior badminton selection trials
RAIPUR: Unnati Hooda, the youngest shuttler to win a BWF Super 100 event at Odisha Open this year, topped the National junior selection trials which concluded on Monday.
The Haryana-born shuttler defeated Rakshitha Sree and Anupama Upadhyaya in the play-offs to decide the top three positions.
Hooda, 14, registered a 10-21, 21-17, 21-14 win over Anupama and beat Sree 18-21, 21-18, 23-21 in another match.
New junior World No.1 Sankar wants to make it big at senior level
HYDERABAD: A week after Indian shuttlers dominated the Commonwealth Games, there is a new junior world No.1 from another part of India in Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian. The Chennai lad became the new World No.1 in the boys singles category according to the latest rankings released by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Tuesday.
Sankar is the first shuttler from Tamil Nadu to achieve this feat and fourth Indian boy after Aditya Joshi (Madhya Pradesh) in 2014, Siril Verma of Telangana in 2016 and Lakshya Sen from Uttarakhand in 2017. Among them only Lakshya Sen went on to make it big in the senior circuit..
Sankar benefited from BWF’s decision to defreeze the ranking points this August. Ranking points were frozen after the All England Championships in March 2020 due to the pandemic situation.
World No. 1 Pramod Bhagat and World No. 4 Sukant Kadam have reached the semifinals of the men's doubles SL 3 - SL 4 event and have also reached the quarterfinals in singles.
According to information received here, in singles, Pramod Bhagat secured his quarterfinals birth with an easy win over Ukraine's Oleksandr Chyrkov with a straight set win. He will be facing France's Mathieu Thomas in the quarter finals. The score line read 24-22 and 21-15 and the match lasted for 37 minutes.
In the men's doubles, Pramod and Sukant defeated Thailand's Mongkhon Bunsun and Siripong Teamarrom in straight sets with the score line of 21-17 and 22-20, the also defeated France's Faustine Noel and Lucas Mazur in straight sets to secure their semifinals spot.
The match ended in 24 minutes with the score line of 21-7 and 21 -15. Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramadass also won his mixed doubles match against Korea's Shin Kyung Hwan and Joo Dongjae in straight sets with the score line of 21-16 and 21- 19.
Sukant defeated his German counterpart Tim Haller in straight sets to fix his place in the quarterfinals. He won the game in straight sets with the score line of 21-13 and 21-12. Sukant will be facing France's Guillaume Gailly in the quarterfinals.
Anushka Sharma, Kareena Kapoor, Anupam Kher praise Mirabai Chanu for winning gold medal in CWG 2022
Anushka Sharma, Kareena Kapoor, Anupam Kher congratulated Mirabai Chanu for making the nation proud. Mirabi won the first gold medal for the country at the Commonwealth Games 2022.