Island grounds on Saturday night found a crowd of thousands gathered to run for a cause as part of the city’s very first dusk-to-dawn marathon.
The initiative, conceived to increase awareness about liver diseases, liver wellness and the need to donate organs, was flagged off at 10 p.m. by actor Suriya, who has pledged to donate his organs.
The event saw a massive turn-out, with as many as 6,000 individuals participating. While some ran a daunting 21 km, others did a course of 3 km. Transplant patients too took part in the event and were to cover a distance of 1.5 km.
Presented by Apollo Hospitals Chennai – Centre for Liver Disease and Transplantation, along with Love your Liver Foundation, and supported by Chennai Runners, Dream Runners, Cool Runners, Tamil Nadu Cycling Club and Neville Endeavours, the marathon was expected to extend to the early hours of Sunday.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – November 23rd, 2014
Harinderpal Singh Sandhu dethroned Saurav Ghosal while Joshna Chinappa pocketed her 13th title, beating Sachika Ingale to take the titles.
Harinderpal Singh Sandhu ushered in a change of guard, dethroning Saurav Ghosal in the final to clinch his first title at the senior National squash championships.
“If it had to be anybody to beat me, I am happy it is him,” remarked the latter after losing the men’s final in 74 minutes. Harinderpal won in five sets, 11-2, 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9.
Two sets up, Harinder found himself at the receiving end when Saurav got into the groove to wrest the third and fourth and take the title clash into the decider. “I committed a schoolboy error,” he said. “Saurav does not allow you to get back after such mistakes,” he said.
Winning the decider against the champion demanded mental preparation. “I was ready to grab the chance. It is about restricting my thinking to within four walls of the court and shutting out anything happening outside.”
Harinder led 9-0 in the first, 4-0 in the second, and did not allow the loss of next two sets to disrupt concentration in the decider.
The newly-crowned champion flew out on Saturday night for the Asian Beach Games at Phuket, along with Kush Kumar for company.
Joshna Chinappa pocketed her 13th title, blasting past Sachika Ingale 11-3, 11-3, 11-6 in just 22 minutes.
Commenting on the competitors, Chinappa said: “Playing the pro circuit is the only way forward for these young girls, instead of playing the junior circuit.”
Ashraya Mahesh (13), a student of Bala Vidya Mandir, Adyar, was among the three finalists chosen for the Young Achiever Award, which is presented to budding talent in various fields such as sports, arts, education, vocation and generic interest, by The Rotary Club of Madras East.
Ashraya represented her school in the CBSE South Zone clusters four times, and won several medals in high jump, long jump, and 200 and 800 metre relays. Ashraya found her passion in tennis and was winner at the CBSE Clusters South Zone and runner up at KTC Tamilnadu Tennis Ranking Tournament held in August this year.
She won the gold at ‘Violet Under 19’ tennis championship and was also a quarter-finalist at the CTC All India Tennis Association Ranking Championship series for both singles and doubles under 14. Vijay Sankar, deputy chairman, Sanmar Group, who was the chief guest, presented the award to Ashraya. Vijay, who is also the vice-president of Tamil Nadu Tennis Association, has been actively involved in Sanmar’s entry into overseas countries in the groups’ core areas of strength.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / November 17th, 2014
Pallanguzhi holes found by a research team at Pannamparai village in Thoothukudi district | express
Thoothukudi :
Pallanguzhi (a traditional mancala game) holes dating back to the Stone Age were found at Pannamparai village in the district, claimed Thavasimuthu, an archaeologist. The holes were discovered during a ground study by Thavasimuthu and his students.
Pallanguzhi is a traditional mancala game played in rural areas. It is normally played on boards and before boards emerged, people played the game by making holes in rocky areas. Thavasimuthu claimed that the holes represent a shorter version of Pallanguzhi, which is played even now.
He added that the holes represent several things, including the earliest human settlements, the impact that the game had on human lives and also the adjacent trade routes. He further said that the game was even used to settle disputes between kings and had avoided several wars as the winner of the game was considered the winner of the dispute.
After examining the holes, Thavasimuthu said, “The Pallanguzhi holes should be at least 10,000 years old.”
He added that the holes would normally be made with axes but in the case of holes found at Pannamparai village, the holes were made using stones.
He noted that by relating the age of the Pallanguzhi holes and the earliest possible human settlements, it could be discerned that men from Africa had first settled in the southern parts of Tamil Nadu.
He added that similar holes were earlier found in Pazhani hills and they date back 25,000 years.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service / November 16th, 2014
Get Manuel Aaron talking about chess and there’s no squaring him off.
Whether it is about his own life, his birth in Burma, and how he learned all about the game from his parents, or how the game was what kept families in Chennai sane during World War II when people were asked to stay indoors with the doors and windows shut, Aaron – India’s first International Master, the country’s first Arjuna awardee from the game, and nine-time national chess champion – has a life-time of stories to tell about chess.
The 78-year-old has finally managed to put all his thoughts and words together over six years to self-publish a 600-page tome, Indian Chess History (570 AD – 2010 AD). Co-authored by chess historian Vijay D Pandit, Aaron released it on Friday at a hotel in T Nagar.
Apart from providing a detailed history of the game, the book has records of all national champions in all categories, as well as 367 annotated games and 397 diagrams, which, according to Aaron, who is now one of the most popular teachers of the game in the city, will help any enthusiastic chess player.
“When I was the secretary of the Tamil Nadu Chess Association in 2004, I brought out a book on chess in the state. This one is kind of a sequel to that,” says Aaron.
So, what kind of nuggets does the book contain? How about this one for starters, says Aaron. In 1925, the Maharaja of Patiala Bhupinder Singh organized a chess tournament, to which he invited Serbian grandmaster Boris Kostic. “The day the tournament was to begin, the King’s 13th wife gave birth to his 32nd son. The entire kingdom celebrated for three weeks and tournament was postponed to the end of the celebrations,” says Aaron, and adds that Kostic had to wait out the entire period of celebration before he could play.
Poor Kostic ended up coming in second (first place went to NR Joshi of India) at the tournament, says Aaron, but was so embarrassed by his defeat that when he went back to Europe he told everyone that he had won. “He even brought out a book saying he had won, but my book says he did not,” says Aaron.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by Kamini Mathai, TNN / November 15th, 2014
The triumphant Erode handball team receiving the prize fromM. Ramasubramani, Inspector-General of Police, Central Zone, in Tiruchi on Sunday.
Erode clinched the title in the State sub-junior handball championship for girls, which concluded here on Sunday.
The two-day tournament, played for the M.A.M. Rolling Trophy, was jointly organised by Tamil Nadu Handball Association (TNHBA), Tiruchi District Handball Association (TDHBA), and M.A.M. Matriculation Higher Secondary School.
Teams from 24 districts took part in the tournament that was played on knockout basis.
Erode defeated Tiruvannamalai in the final. Thanjavur got the better of Coimbatore in the third place playoff. R. Vimala of Tiruchi and S. Amirtha Varshini of Erode were adjudged best player and best goalkeeper respectively.
M. Ramasubramani, Inspector-General of Police, Central Zone, and president, Handball Federation of India, gave away the prizes in the presence of A. Saravanan, general secretary, TNHBA; M.A. Mohamed Nizam, secretary, MAM Group of Institutions; M.A. Fathima Mansoor, correspondent of the school; S. Amala Ruban, principal; SP. Annamalai, president, TDHBA; and R. Karunakaran, secretary.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by Staff Reporter / Tiruchi – November 11th, 2014
Squash stars Dipika Pallikal (centre) and Joshna Chinappa (left) being felicitated by the federation in Chennai on Friday | P JAWAHAR
Chennai :
Injuries are not always career stalling, though it’s an aberration than rule. While many eventually concede to the overwhelming reality that their career would never be revived, some just pick themselves and return recalibrated.
There wouldn’t be a better example in Indian sport than Sachin Tendulkar, who in his career that spanned a remarkable quarter century defied intermittent spells of career-threatening injuries. Joshna Chinappa is no Tendulkar, whichever sporting yardstick you measure them with, but like the master she has turned a career-threatening injury into a springboard to rediscovering herself.
It was in mid 2012 that she sprained her ankle midway through a match. She was stretchered off, and the doctors confirmed her worst nightmare that she wouldn’t be able to play the game she had given her heart, body and soul. An anterior cruciate ligament seemed to have laid her path out of the game.
The World No 21 returned to India heartbroken. “A lot of doctors, even in the US, told me that I won’t be able to play squash again. I couldn’t even think of it. All my dreams, aspiration and hopes seemed over. I didn’t know quite what to do and I used to cry a lot every day. It was the toughest phase of my life,” she said.
But misery, sometimes, has the strange power to embolden you, and Joshna decided to fire-fight the cruel destiny. “I was 26 and I knew it was now or never. If I don’t recover now, I may never play squash again. I didn’t want to regret later in life. So I decided to give one last shot. The knee was operated and the rehabilitation began,” she recounted.
Suddenly, life, despite the screeching pain on her ankle, turned more pleasant. And a chance meeting with former national champion Ritwik Bhattacharya turned her life around. “I was doing my rehab in Mumbai when I bumped into Ritwik and his wife. I told them about my situation. They infused the belief that I could come back stronger. To convince me, they had to counsel, cajole and event taunt me.”
Gradually, life limped back to normalcy. “It took me almost 10 months to get back on to the court. But I didn’t hurry my return. It was like starting the career all over again and gradually my movements became more fluent. The confidence was back. But in the first six months, I kept losing. But I was just happy to be back on the court,” she reflected.
In hindsight, the injury proved career-defining. “Now I feel it’s the best thing to have happened to me. Maybe, it gave me a much-needed break. It made me value my life and career all the more,” she said.
Maybe, it’s this newfound positivity that has revitalised her game. Subsequently, she went on to script history with Dipika Pallikal in the Commonwealth Games, besides the team silver in Asian Games and achieving her career-high ranking of 19 in April.
Joshna’s story can motivate injury-plagued athletes, but it comes with a statutory warning: only for those strong in mind.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport / by Sandeep G. / November 01st, 2014
Horse riding energises Vaishali (left) and Pranaya. If they have to miss their practice for some reason, the sisters become restive. / The Hindu
They have returned with a bag full of medals from the recent FEI World Challenge Dressage event in Bangalore.
Two sisters from OMR have done themselves proud with their performance in the recent FEI World Challenge Dressage, organised in Bangalore.
The sisters Vaishali and Pranaya Vinayan Pillai, along with Isabelle Hasleder, their first coach, won two gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal at the event. The achievement is a vindication of their decision to take up horse riding five years ago. Even before getting onto a horse, they knew they would love the sport.
“While driving along Sholinganallur, we’d see the Chennai Equestrian Academy. One day, my sister and I decided to check it out. We were fascinated with the lush green campus and well-kept horses. We couldn’t wait to go on a horse ride,” says Vaishali, an automobile engineering student. Pranaya is in class IX. Vaishali says she has always turned her hand to things that most others are not even aware of. She has always wanted it that way. Dressage seemed to fit the bill for her.
“When I tell my friends that I specialise in Dressage, they don’t get it. I have to explain to them it is related to horse-riding,” says Pranaya. Dressage competitions consist of a series of individual tests with an increasing level of difficulty. The rider and the horse have to work as a team. It requires great concentration and stamina, explains Vaishali. And, of course, intense practice. Both girls are aware of this. “We are just learning and there is a long way to go. We ride for three days a week and as competitions near, we ride almost every day,” says Vaishali. Horse riding energises them. If they have to miss their practice for some reason, the sisters become restive. Pranaya once broke her arm following a bad fall and he this what she remembers about the period when she was hors de combat. “To watch my sister ride horses, while I was stuck at home was irritating,” says Pranaya. The sisters thank Kishore Futnani, the managing trustee of CEC and Brian Bullmore, the stable manager, who have constantly encouraged them to perform better.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Downtown / by Vipasha Sinha / Chennai – November 01st, 2014
Kush Kumar of Tamil Nadu graduated to the senior level with his ninth national title after he claimed the Under-19 boys trophy in the Junior Squash Nationals, which concluded in Chennai on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s Harshit Kaur Jwanda retained her Under-19 girls title.
Abhisheka Shannon, daughter of former International athlete Angela Lincy and Football coach Robin became the new champion in the girls Under-11 category. Shannon took time to settle down before setting aside the challenge of top seed Diksha Aurubindo of Tamil Nadu.
Kush had an easy outing against Vijay Kumar, who he beat 11-5 11-7 11-6 to clinch the title.
On the other hand, second seeded Jwanda was two games down against Lakshya Ragavendran, the top seed, in the final, but she held on to her nerves to register a come from behind victory, 9-11 10-12 11-8 11-4 11-7.
Yet another creditable effort came from Adya Advani, the second seed in the girls U-17 section, as she toppled the top seeded Akanksha Salunkhe of Goa in five games.
The boys’ title in the U-17 category was grabbed by Velavan Senthilkumar.
Fencer CA Bhavani Devi, who won the silver medal in the U-23 Asian Fencing Championships, was felicitated by the Tamil Nadu Fencing Association recently.
The Washermanpet resident wants to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics
C.A. Bhavani Devi, a resident of Washermanpet, has been winning medals at the International level quite consistently.
Recently, the 20-year-old won a silver medal in the sabre category of the Asian u-23 fencing championship in Philippines. Though blessed with a fantastic touch and control in a sport that is yet to get any recognition in India, Bhavani’s major problem has been sponsorship.
She has quite a few events—World Cup (USA), Asian Championship (China) and World Championship (Hungary) coming up and the Chennai girl is desperately scouting for funding.
Bhavani now trains in Kerala, but hopes that the Tamil Nadu Government will recognise her achievements and guide her in her dream of competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Bhavani was felicitated by W.I. Davaram, president, Tamil Nadu Olympic Assocation, recently.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Downtown / by Special Correspondent / October 25th, 2014
