Category Archives: Sports

Ropes ready for cattle, courtesy Andrews

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Sports

Trichy :

Sitting in a small room belonging to the  Tamil Nadu Veera Vilayattu Jallikattu Padukappu Nala Sangam at Milaguparai, S Andrews has been knitting colorful ropes day and night. They will be used around cattle during Maatu Pongal celebration as well as for jallikattu events commencing in a few days with Pongal.

Every cattle owner in the state decks up his animals with all the fancy items for the occasion. Andrews knows the demand for fancy ropes and is in the knitting business for a decade. The rope, which is an essential item, is tied in a peculiar fashion around the cattle is called the “manda kayir”. “Pidi Kayir” is necessary to control the bull.

With the jallikattu season on, Andrews has been constantly knitting the nylon ropes day and night. The orders come much ahead of the traditional festival season. His clients are from across the state and are mostly bull-owners letting their bulls in for jallikattu. “The rope will be passed through the nostrils of the animal and then taken around their forehead and neck. Bells and fancy fur balls are tied to the rope,” Andrews explained.

When a bull enters the jallikattu arena, the rope is cut near the nose. A special knife, which is attached to a stick, is used for cutting so that the bull is not hurt. The nylon ropes are sometimes brought by the clients or Andrews has to travel to Coimbatore or Madurai to purchase them. A rope costs Rs 6,000.

Andrews quit his job at the head post office to concentrate on rope-making. “I learnt the art from one R Subramananian, a resident of Pudukkottai. After his demise in 2000 I took over the work and found it interesting,” said Andrews knitting a head rope.

Demand for Andrews’ skill grew only when he was spotted by Ondiraju S, state secretary of the Tamil Nadu Veera Vilayattu Jallikattu Padukappu Nala Sangam. “Previously Andrews’ services were required only ahead of Pongal. However, in recent years he is constantly knitting for more than seven months in a year,” Ondiraju said.

For the current jallikattu season Andrews has so far knitted at least 25 sets.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Trichy> Cattle / by Harish Murali, TNN / January 13th, 2014

23 state records broken at athletic meet in Coimbatore

Records, All, Sports

Coimbatore :

It was a double bonus for parents of twin sisters, both of whom won gold medals, at the state level Republic Day Athletic Meet in the city on Saturday.

While Vidhya won a gold medal in the under 17 400m category, her twin sister R Nithya won the Gold in the 100m hurdles, achieving a record breaking 14.8 seconds. The girls, students of the government girls higher secondary school in Erode were selected by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu when they were in class 7.

“The two of them had an interest in sports from childhood. But it was only after they joined the sports hostel that they began to excel,” said their father Ramraj who is a driver with a private firm. The two sisters who were perhaps the only twins at the meet have won medals in some of the national events in previous years too. Ramraj and his wife Meena say that they encourage their children as much as they can. Their coach R Kanmanidevi says that the two are dedicated athletes on whom they have high hopes.

“We expect record breaking performances at the national level from them. They have been able to display consistent performance,” she said.

About 23 state records were broken at the three-day meet which concluded on Sunday. S Mithra Varun, a class 11 student at the city based Mani Higher Secondary School who won a gold medal at the discus throw, broke the record made in 1982. A computer applications student he wants to take up sports as a career. “My dream is to win a Gold Medal in the Olympics,” he says.

P Gowtham from Thirunelveli who broke an existing record in Pole Vault with 3.65 metres too wants to take up sports as a career. “Earlier, I used to participate in the High Jump event. I took up pole vault after my coach advised me so,” he said. The meet concluded on Sunday afternoon. Most of the winners will leave for the National Sports Meet to be held in Ranchi in the coming days.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimb atore> Gold Medal / TNN / January 06th, 2014

Biker Alisha to Replicate Her Real Avatar on Reel

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

 

In the film, Alisha is paired with Vietnamese actor Johnny Tri Nguyen, who had debuted with Tamil film "7am Arivu". (Publicity Material)
In the film, Alisha is paired with Vietnamese actor Johnny Tri Nguyen, who had debuted with Tamil film “7am Arivu”. (Publicity Material)

Alisha Abdullah is set to make her cinematic debut with upcoming Tamil thriller “Irumbu Kuthirai”, which will portray her in the role that’s true to her real life persona – a bike racer.

A Promotional Poster of the film, 'Irumbu Kuthirai'. (Publicity Material)
A Promotional Poster of the film, ‘Irumbu Kuthirai’. (Publicity Material)

“The film is about two biker groups with a passion for racing. We thought it would be ideal to have a real racer as part of the story. I was told Alisha had turned down several film offers in the past, but I still approached her and she happened to love her role, which is of a racer,” director Yuvaraj Bose told IANS.

“She instantly agreed to do the role. I think she will fit the bill because she just has to be herself in the film,” he added.

In the film, Alisha is paired with Vietnamese actor Johnny Tri Nguyen, who had debuted with Tamil film “7am Arivu”.

The film also features Atharva Murali, Priya Anand and Lakshmi Rai in important roles.

Alisha, who started driving at the age of 9, won her first championship title when she was 13 years old. She is also a popular Indian car racer and has participated in several national championships.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Tamil / by IANS – Chennai / December 31st, 2013

Chetpet lake will soon be a fishing, boating centre

About Chennai(Madras) / TamilNadu, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Sports

Chennai :

You could soon spend the day fishing at Chetput lake and relaxing on its banks. The fisheries department and the corporation are working on a plan to turn the lake in the heart of the city into a boating and fishing centre.

People can bring their own fishing poles or rent them and park themselves on the dock for a while. “They will have to release the fish they catch back into the lake after taking a photograph. Fishing is on a CPR basis — catch, picture and release. The whole sport and thrill should be about the catch,” said a fisheries department official. “We will provide bait like small fishes, worms and caterpillars,” said the official.

Nine months ago, the state government announced a 42-crore makeover for the lake. Though the water remains blackish after the clean-up, officials and consultants are happy with the work. “We have been asked to create an eco-friendly fishing spot-cum-sports park,” said a senior corporation official in charge of the project. “We plan to introduce boating for recreation on the eastern side of the park. Around 70% of the water will be dedicated to it,” he said.
Until now, people from the city interested in a boating trip had to drive all the way to Muttukadu on East Coast Road or to Pulicat.

The area surrounding the lake will have a food court with sea food, a children’s play area and park, a walking and jogging track and a multi-level parking lot for 60 cars and 100 two-wheelers.

The government plans an angler’s dock on the Spurtank Road side of the lake. The fisheries department will start farming two omnivorous species – karimeen (etro fish) and Pangasius – for angling. “We need fish species that are carnivorous or omnivorous, so that they get attracted to the bait,” said the official.

The lake now has three omnivorous species – tilapia, snakehead fish and catfish – of which only tilapia is easily seen. “Snakehead fish and catfish can be caught in summer when the lake’s depth reduces to seven feet,” said an employee of the department. “We need to increase their population through farming.”

The lake spread over 42,570 sqm is home to many herbivorous varieties of freshwater fish like carp like rohu, mrigal and anabus, ornamental fish like gourami, and small fish like gambusia.
Until now, the lake and its surrounding area, spread over 65,235 sqm hectares, were used as a dumpyard and a sewer. “After it was cleaned, we can see the greenery around the lake and the water clearly after two decades,” said Nikkita Talreja, 24, a wedding planner who lives in Chetpet. “Earlier, swarms of mosquitoes would descend on the area every evening because of the filthy lake.”

Though tenders for the project are to be floated within a fortnight, officials admit they have a challenge on their hands to improve the quality of water. “Before we start planting fish seeds, which are baby fish bought from the hatcheries, we should try oxygenating the water a little more,” said another fisheries department official. “We should make the soil and water a little more organic. We should also aerate the water through fountains to keep it circling and prevent stagnation,” she said.

The water in the lake stagnates and smells because it has no outlet. “The corporation has promised to construct stormwater drains leading in and out of the lake,” said the official. A compound wall is to be constructed where the lake borders Chetpet slum and Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital to prevent dumping of garbage and hospital waste. “They are the main culprits behind the pollution. An eco-friendly area can be achieved only if garbage dumping stops,” added the official.

source: http://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / ET Home> Environment> Flora & Fauna / by Pratiksha Ramkumar, TNN / December 19th, 2013

Time to talk about the art of Sujok

Nature, Sports

International Sujok Association (ISA) India, is going to conduct Sujok International Congress 2014 (SIC 2014) at Chennai Trade Centre, Nandambakkam on January 4 and 5, 2014.

Sujok is the Korean healing practice which does not have any side effects. It helps the human beings to gain healing power by activating the pressure points in the hands and feet.

Complete Sujok course, Smile Tai Chi, Six Ki Acupuncture, Tri Origin Acupuncture, Complete Correspondence System, Sujok Ki, Time Acupuncture and many more topics are planned for the event which will have a research paper presentation also.

For registration and further details, please call 9841175385, 9094018797 or log on to www.sujokinternationalcongress.com.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / December 12th, 2013

Cylce expedition

Sports

An 8-day tour of Nilgiris to pass through & end at Mysore

A group photo of the participants of the Tour of Nilgiris-2012 seen with their cycles.
A group photo of the participants of the Tour of Nilgiris-2012 seen with their cycles.

Hailed as the mother of all Cycling Tours in the country, Tour of Nilgiris (TFN), is an annual event with Montra TFN-2013 being the sixth edition and scheduled between Dec. 16 – 23.

The riders will get a chance to pedal across different terrains and an opportunity to ride through three wildlife sanctuaries and splendid mountains of Western Ghats.

Montra Tour of Nilgiris 2013 will witness 103 riders (including 15 overseas & 12 women riders) covering a distance of around 800 + kms across Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Starting from Bangalore, cyclists will pedal through Mysore, Ooty, Sultan Bathery, Madikeri and finish the tour by riding back to Mysore.

The tour of Nilgiris will begin in Bangalore on Dec. 16. Cyclists will arrive in Mysore on 16th evening and after a stay overnight, will pedal to Ooty the next morning (Dec. 17). The tour will return to conclude at Mysore on Dec. 23.

Speaking to ‘SOM,’ Sridhar Pabisetty, co-founder Ride A Cycle Foundation (RAC-F) said “Cycling is the need of the hour owing to the sheer versatility it offers – Extreme / endurance sport; sustainable transport; daily commuting; Cycle tourism/ eco-tourism / local tourism; technology; social awareness; technology window; health benefits, etc.”

He also said that RAC-F intends to promote cycling with the Tour of Nilgiris, an annual event and the riders will get a chance to pedal across the picturesque Western Ghats and the nature behind them.

Deepak Majipatil, Operation Head, “Montra Tour of Niligris” said that the highlight of the Montra Tour of Nilgiris is the “King of Mountains” climb to Kalhatty from Masinagudi to Ooty. The Kalhatty climb gains 1200mtrs of elevation in about 12kms giving an average elevation gain of around 10% with a few stretches going upto 15% or more of gradient.

The competitive distance will not be longer than 40kms on any day, with option to riders to ride individually or as a team.

TFN and Charity

The Tour of Nilgiris goes beyond cycling as a sport, with riders keen to make their pedals count by giving something back to the society. Tour of Nilgiris will witness charity riders riding to support the social initiatives of Aarohi and Vidyodaya society.

This year TFN as part of its initiative to encourage youth to embrace cycling as a sport has sponsored two young talented youths from Aarohi to participate in Montara Tour of Nilgiris 2013.

Advantages of Cycle Tour

TFN leverages innovative technology that has great potential to address connectivity, support and medical assistance in remote places. The tour is completely covered through GPS tracking of every rider and medical support through a medical team and ambulance assistance provides a blanket of security to the riders.

Also the Cycle tour is aimed to revive the cycle culture by popularising cycle as a mode of transport for the twin benefits it offers — easing traffic congestion and being environmental friendly. Through the event TFN is keen to communicate the twin challenges of global warming and pollution.

In short TFN is keen on promoting cycling culture and popularising cycling for the sheer versatility it offers.

The tireless efforts of Breakaway Sports Unlimited and RAC-F has propelled TFN as the preferred cycling tour of India and attracts riders from various backgrounds including corporate honchos, highly ranked officers from the Armed Forces and Civil Services, women, teenagers, kids and entrepreneurs. Log on to www.tourofnilgiris.com for more details.

Ride a Cycle Foundation

Ride a Cycle Foundation (RAC-F), a not for profit advocacy organisation, is pioneering an initiative to popularise cycling for commuting, leisure and as an agent of social change and usher in a bicycle freedom revolution in the country. Hope Mysoreans will come forward in large numbers and cheer the cyclists enroute to Ooty, Sultan Bathery and other places.-OSR

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / December 08th, 2013

Viswanathan Anand: 5 facts to know

Leaders, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

VishwanathanCF27nov2013

Viswanathan Anand an Indian chess Grandmaster and is the current World Chess Champion was born on December 11, 1969 in Mayiladuthurai, a town in Tamil Nadu.

Anand at the age of 37, he became the world number one for the first time.

Recently Viswanathan Anand drew the third game with Magnus Carlsen a 22 year old  Norwegian chess grandmaster.

Here are some 5 facts to know about him:

Viswanathan Anand has won the World Chess Championship five times (2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012), and has been the undisputed World Champion since 2007.

Viswanathan Anand rates the late American chess prodigy, grandmaster, and the eleventh World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer as the best of all time.

Anand was the FIDE World Rapid Chess Champion in 2003, and is widely considered the strongest rapid player of his generation.

Anand became India’s first grandmaster in 1988. He was also the first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 1991–92, India’s highest sporting honour.

In 2007, he was awarded India’s second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, and is the first sportsperson to receive the award in Indian history. Anand has won the Chess Oscar six times (1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008).

Image courtesy:Wikipedia

source:http://www.indiancolleges.com / IndianColleges.com / Home> Articles / by Editorial Team / November 13th, 2013

Chess ace Viswanathan Anand a ‘national treasure’ in cricket-mad India

Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Sports

Anand’s longevity and perseverance has often been compared with that of Sachin Tendulkar, the world’s batting record-holder who ends a brilliant 24-year career later this month.

vishwaanandCF24nov2013

Chennai : 

In a nation where cricket is a religion and retiring superstar Sachin Tendulkar its resident deity, reigning world chess champion Viswanathan Anand holds his own as one of India’s finest sportsmen.

Anand, 43, who opens the defence of his fifth world crown against Norwegian challenger Magnus Carlsen at home in Chennai on Saturday, has dominated the chess scene in India and abroad for almost two decades.

Anand’s longevity and perseverance has often been compared with that of Tendulkar, the world’s batting record-holder who ends a brilliant 24-year career later this month.

“There’s certainly a case to be made for Anand being the greatest sportsperson India has ever produced,” The Hindu newspaper said. “He is as much a national treasure as Tendulkar.”

Anand showed remarkable promise at an early age but, unlike many others who give up after their first major challenge, he persevered and won until there was no one else left to beat.

The soft-spoken family man, who lives in Spain with wife Aruna and three-year-old son Akhil, is far removed from his temperamental predecessors like Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky, Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov.

While Kasparov has become a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Anand is more at home musing about subjects such as his pride in India’s space programme and his love of Barcelona football club.

“There is no feeling better than representing your country,” he wrote on his Twitter account last week in the build-up to the match against Carlsen.

“If there is anyone close to perfection in chess, it is him,” said Indian grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly. “He is also one of the nicest human beings to know, a humble man despite his enormous achievements.”

Anand’s game is built on belligerent attack that catches opponents off-guard, but his unflustered approach ensures that he has the right defence in place when the going gets tough.

Born in a small town in the southern tip of India, Anand became an international master at 15, was crowned Indian champion at 16, won the world junior title at 17 and became the country’s first grandmaster at 18.

The Indian government, taking note of the young man’s rapid rise, conferred on him the country’s fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, a few months short of his 19th birthday.

It is significant that when India’s highest sporting honour — the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna — was introduced in 1992, Anand was its first recipient ahead of such cricket luminaries as Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev.

Anand was just 23 then and the honour came almost eight years before he won the first of his five world titles by beating Russian Alexei Shirov in Tehran in 2000.

However, more losses than wins in the past year have seen him slip to number eight, with Carlsen, 22, assuming the top ranking with 2,870 rating points, 95 more than Anand.

source: http://www.sports.ndtv.com / NDTV Sports / Home> Sports Home> Other Sports> Chess / by Agence France-Presse / Thursday – November 07th, 2013

Ashwin is No. 1 Test all-rounder

Records, All, Sports

New Delhi :

Ravichandran Ashwin’s second Test hundred in Kolkata helped him rise to the No. 1 position in the ICC rankings for Test all-rounders on Saturday.

(In the ICC rankings for Test…)
(In the ICC rankings for Test…)

Rankings: Batting / Bowling / All-rounder

Ashwin scored 124 and recorded match figures of 40-11-98-5 to help India register an emphatic innings and 51-run victory over West Indies.

The Kolkata show not only improved Ashwin’s batting and bowling rankings, but also helped him leapfrog Shakib Al Hasan and Jacques Kallis  into the top in the all-rounders’ list.

Ashwin now has 81 ratings points and leads second-placed Shakib from Bangladesh by 43 points.

In the ICC rankings for Test batsmen, Ashwin has moved up 18 places to the 45th position, while in the bowlers ranking, the 27-year-old off-spinner has gained two places and is now sitting in the sixth position.

Rohit Sharma and paceman Mohammed Shami, who made impressive debuts in the Kolkata Test, have also entered the ICC Player Rankings. The Mumbai batsman, who became the 14th Indian batsman to score a century on debut when he struck 177, lies in the 63rd spot while Shami’s figures of nine for 118, – the best by an Indian fast bowler on debut, helped him enter in the 53rd place in Test bowlers chart.

West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the other bowlers to improve their rankings. Shillingford’s figures of six for 167 has put him inside the top 20 in the 17th position for the first time in his career (up by four), while Kumar’s two wickets have helped him move into 87th place (up by 13).

The batting chart continues to be headed by AB de Villiers of South Africa while his teammate Dale Steyn is the number-one ranked bowler.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Cricket> Top Stories> West Indies / TNN / November 10th, 2013

Horlicks Wizkids: Two Coimbatore students elected to attend South-East Asia competition

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Coimbatore :

Two higher secondary students from the city have been selected to attend a South-East Asia competition to be held from this Monday in Bangalore. The duo was selected after several rounds and would be pitted against students from neighbouring countries.

Suchitrha Sudeshkumar, a class 11 student from Vidhya Niketan Matriculation Higher School, Vilankurichi and Aakash Dabral from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sowripalayam are among the ten students from India to take part in the competition held by Horlicks Wizkids in Bangalore. Out of the 10, 5 will be selected for an educational trip to Germany with a cash award of Rs 1 lakh each.

Suchitra, who writes poetry, had cleared the initial rounds and was asked to do some voluntary activity. She approached orphanages and managed to get sponsors to instal roofs for the orphanage. “I went to an orphanage at Thondamouthur. I came to know that they lacked roofs and mattresses. With the help of some firms, I managed to raise around Rs 45,000 for the purpose,” she said.

Aakash Dabral, a class 12th student said that he took soft skill sessions for students of government schools and other institutions. “I took sessions in 5 schools. Many of them lack English skills. I want to do more such training programmes,” he said.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore> Orphanage / TNN / November 10th, 2013