Category Archives: Sports

Luring adventurers with water scooters

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Sports
Water_scooterCF27mar2013
Picture for representation only
Chennai:
This summer you can literally cool off by surfing on the placid estuary on the ECR riding on the water scooters. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) hopes to lure the adventurers youth to its two boathouses near here by additionally deploying the water scooters.
Though the TTDC could not induct these Yamaha make ‘wave runners’ as scheduled, it hopes to add four more to its fleet of water scooters by this month end.
“Steps have been initiated to procure the water scooters for the Muttukadu and Mudal­iyarkuppam boathouses, as an added attraction,” a senior Tamil Nadu Tourism Dev­elopment Corpora­tion official said.
Located about 36 km from here, the Muttukkadu boathouse, offers rowing and speedboat riding. It presently has 15 row boats, 27 speedboats and 9 pedal boats besides two high-speed aqua scooters. Mudaliarkuppam boat house, which is another water sport facility on the East Coast Road, has water scooting and kayaking facilities, in addition.
Meanwhile, the e-initiatives of the TTDC, which is operating a chain of 55 hotels with a fleet of 23 coaches, has yielded “satisfactory” results.
It is the first state-run corporation to have launched on-line booking for tours and hotels and has notched up  Rs 2.80 crore through on-line bookings during 2011-12 fiscal as against Rs 2.15 crore  during the previous year. Its turnover was Rs 101.60 crores in 2011-12 – 10 per cent increase
over the previous year.
source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> News> Current Affairs /DC / by J.V. Siva Prasanna Kumar / March 25th, 2013

City to get its first cycling velodrome soon

Records, All, Sports

CyclingCF06mar2013

SDAT has proposed the development of the velodrome near Thiru.Vi.Ka. park (in pic) in Shenoy Nagar. Around six acres is required for the project which would facilitate performance cycling, cycling competitions and practice sessions — /  Photo: K. Pichumani / The Hindu .

The city may have been robbed of a chance to host the 20th Asian Athletics Championship but residents have something new to look forward to.

Chennai will soon have additional sporting facilities including a world-class cycling velodrome and football turfs. A team of officials from the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and the Chennai Corporation has inspected plots and playgrounds of the civic body for development of the modern facilities. A decision is likely soon.

SDAT has proposed the development of a cycling velodrome near Thiru.Vi.Ka. park in Shenoy Nagar. Around six acres is required for the project which would facilitate performance cycling, cycling competitions and practice sessions.

The Chennai Corporation is mulling handing over the land to SDAT for the cycling velodrome. However, SDAT officials have also inspected a plot in the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University in Vandalur.

The decision to set up the facility either in Vandalur or Shenoy Nagar will be taken shortly. However, experts fear a number of students from city schools may lose out on the opportunity to train in a world-class facility if SDAT opts for Vandalur.

The sports authority has requested the Chennai Corporation to permit them to develop and maintain football playgrounds in areas such as Vyasarpadi, Tondiarpet and Mogappair. The development of football turfs to international standards is likely to facilitate better training for students in the city.

The Chennai Corporation, a few years ago, initiated the process of improving 10 playgrounds chosen from each of the old Corporation zones into star-rated playgrounds. The facility in Gopalapuram was equipped with facilities for various sports, including volleyball. There are around 250 playgrounds maintained by the civic body in the city.

But, players who make use of the playgrounds have pointed to the fact that many of them have faulty designs and are poorly planned. These have led to inundation during rains. Many such football playgrounds were inundated in north Chennai last monsoon.

The new Chennai Corporation council, too, is yet to make any efforts towards putting in place a sound procedure to create and maintain good playgrounds. The SDAT’s proposal to develop world-class football turfs on Corporation land may be good news for football players in the city.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Aloysius Xavier Lopez / Chennai, March 06th, 2013

Coimbatore gets its first ATV track

Sports

Built on a 5.5 acre land, the facility is open for all age groups

The motor sport capital of the country, as the city is oft referred to, got its first All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) track here on Friday.

Built on a 5.5 acre land, the ‘Off Road Adventure’ track is nicely placed on the Sulur Pirivu Road, near Neelambur.

The idea, the organisers say, is to kick up the dust and provide wholesome entertainment for motor sport lovers from this part of the region.

“We are at the right place because Coimbatore has a rich racing culture. So, it will be easy for them to understand the adventure that this sport has to offer, said Pankaj Dubey, Managing Director and Country Head of Polaris India Pvt. Ltd., who did the formal inauguration on Friday.

Polaris, which builds the most rugged and versatile vehicles for both work and play, was pleased as punch to be in the city. “The children are going to love it, and so are the adults,” added Mr. Dubey.

“It is nothing but pure entertainment. So, it’s definitely going to attract a lot of kids” pointed R. Mohan, the man behind the Coimbatore facility.

The Coimbatore track is the second such facility available in Tamil Nadu. Chennai earned the distinction of setting up the first ATV track on the ECR Road in 2010.

“The track is placed beautifully between the woods and the beach. It’s a different atmosphere altogether in Chennai but the Coimbatore track also looks beautiful,” said Sundar Ganesh of Off Road Sports, Chennai.

“We do a lot of adventurous trips and events once in three months. We have a lot of people enjoying this facility of ours. It is not race but pure adventure,” he added.

Mr. Mohan pointed out that the facility is open for all age groups. “We have got an exclusive 250m track for children below the under-14 age group and an adventure track for the experts.”

“We are going to the schools to create awareness. They can learn riding and driving and at the same time enjoy the atmosphere,” he added.

“It can be a good learning experience for them before they go on road. Children who are below the under-18 age group cannot afford to learn on road. This facility can help them understand how the machine behaves and to master it,” said Mr. Dubey.

How about safety? “They are very safe vehicles and easy to handle. People who have not driven a motorcycle or a car can learn in quick time. You do not require a driving licence either,” he added.

Safety

He said safety accessories for even the toughest condition are made available. “We believe in safety. It is very important at Polaris.” After the formal inauguration, two of India’s young riders Karoon Murthy and Ashwin along with a host of others displayed their driving skills on the dusty terrain.

“It will take another fortnight before the track takes its full shape. It will have the ATV ranges from 50cc (kids version) to 500cc (professional adult version),” said Mr. Mohan.

Amusement

The off-road entertainment zone will have the state-of-the-art hospitality facilities and other amusement areas to help your family spend a perfect weekend.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Cities> Coimbatore / by Rayan Rozario / Coimbatore, February 16th, 2013

PSG College of Technology is champion

Education, Sports

PSG College of Technology got the better of host Kalaivani College of Technology 4-3, via tie-breaker, to emerge the champion in the second Kalaivani Trophy inter-engineering football tournament here on Wednesday.

Park College of Engineering and Technology blanked Kalaivani College of Technology ‘B’ 2-0 for the third place.

The results:

Final: PSG Tech bt Kalaivani CT 4-3 (via tie-breaker).

Third place: Park CET bt Kalaivani CT ‘B’ 2-0.

Semifinals: PSG Tech bt Kalaivani CT ‘B’ 3-0; Kalaivani CT ‘A’ bt Park College CET 5-4 (via tie-breaker).

Sathyamurthy sizzles

M. Sathyamurthy scored an unbeaten 106 as Tigers ‘B’ coasted to a convincing seven-wicket win over Rock Cricket Club in the TNCA-SDCA first division league at the Government Engineering College ‘A’ grounds recently.

The scores:

First div.: Salem Kings CC 193 in 40 overs (V. Prakash 44, Gururagavendar 31, P. Ravichandran four for 20) bt Writer Ramasamy Memorial CC 145 in 40 overs (K. Ashraf Khan 42, T. Natraj four for 19, S.D. Karthikeyan three for 32).

Rock CC 203 for eight in 35 overs (J. Manikandan 78, Suresh 58, Satish Kumar three for 30) lost to Tigers ‘B’ 205 for three in 31.3 overs (M. Sathyamurthy 106 not out, Sathish Kumar 55).

Second div.: Muthusamy Memorial CC 166 in 45 overs (Narayanamoorthy 30, T. Sakthivel four for 29, K. Anandh three for 16) bt Salvo CC 135 in 45 overs (Govindaraj 32, Boopathi three for 17).

Third div.: S.K. Murugan CC 252 in 45 overs (Kondiswaran 113, Arivazhagan 43, Kathiravan three for 35) bt Lucky Star CC 146 in 45 overs (J. Kathiravan 36, Dinesh Kumar 41, Prasahthu four for 10, Moulidharan three for 20); Parks XI w/o Montfort School.

Handball tournament

The seventh State-level inter-engineering handball tournament for the PSG Tech Trophy, organised by the PSG College of Technology, will be played at its courts from February 15 to 17.

Twenty two teams have confirmed participation.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Sport / Coimbatore, February 15th, 2013

Mechanic in Coimbatore owns rare collection of vintage vehicle

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

A motor vehicle enthusiast Edwin Peter in Coimbatore has claimed that he owns the largest collection of vintage motorcycles and cars in India.

Nurturing a lifetime passion for vintage cars and bikes, Peter, a middle-aged man and mechanic now owns a wide variety of vintage cars and bikes dating from 1920-1960.

Being a mechanic, collecting these vehicles is not the most lucrative option for him, as all such vintage cars and bikes are in great demand all around the country, but Peter has no intention of selling his collection.

Restoration and maintenance of the vintage vehicles makes a hole in Peter’s pocket as he spends Rs. 40, 000. However this does not dampen his spirit and he continues to pursue his passion for vintage vehicles.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express /  Home> India / Thursday, February 13th, 2013

Samantha turns into a sportsperson!

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

Actress Samantha, who is basking in the success of her movie ‘Neethane En Ponvasantham’ directed by Gautham Menon is busy shooting in Pollachi for her upcoming flick. The pretty actress seems to be taking time off after the shooting and trying her hand at a game of badminton.

Samantha tweeted “After pack up time… Who said pollachi is boring…Thank god for my staff.. I can go to hell and back with them.”

Samantha will soon start working on Suriya’s upcoming film to be helmed by Lingusamy. Buzz is that the film will be a full-fledged action entertainer. Currently, she is busy with the filming for her Telugu flick Jabardasth with Siddharth. She has several new projects lined up to shoot with Naga Chaitanya, Pawan Kalyan and Junior NTR.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Regional / by Shiva Prasad, TNN / February 12th, 2013

Narain Karthikeyan Looking Set To Move IndyCar

Sports

The Indian F1 driver is in talks with a number of teams to land a position in the American single-seater racing.

The only Indian F1 driver Narian Karthikeyan is understood to have set his sights on IndyCar for the 2013 season, following the demise of the HRT racing team.

The Spanish-based HRT announced last month that the team was up for sale and was looking for a new buyer.

However, the racing team could not find any takers and eventually failed to cough up the entry fees for the 2013 season by the said deadline.

Veteran racer Pedro de la Rosa and Indian Narain Karthikeyan  were HRT’s drivers last season, but both finished in the bottom two of the drivers’ standings.

So, now with F1 plans on hold, the 36-year old Narian Karthikeyan is having preliminary talks with a  number of teams, including Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Autosport to land a position in the American single-seater racing for the 2013 season.

“Up until now, the focus has been on F1, but now is the time to look seriously at alternatives. I want to continue to race single-seaters and, outside of F1, IndyCar is the best option,” Karthikeyan said.

The racing driver has a partial budget to bring from longtime sponsor Tata Motors and said he could strike a deal with an IndyCar team if there’s an opportunity that would provide sufficient preparation.

“Getting a test would be a good first step and a chance to adapt to the car and see where we are. I know there aren’t dozens of paid IndyCar drives, but it’s a big series and it’s growing, so there’s the chance to race professionally after the first year. We’re still just talking for now,” Karthikeyan further added.

Outside of F1, Karthikeyan has previously raced in NASCAR Trucks in 2012, where he made a total of nine appearance and a 11th position at the Texas Texa Motor Speedway went down as his best result.

Though there is big difference in NASCAR and IndyCar, the fastest Indian drives hopes the oval racing experience he has under his belt will do him good.

source: http://www.leadindianews.com  / Home / Monday, January 28th, 2013

Nilgiris tour to take off today

Sports

Wise Wheels

It’s that time of the year when cycling enthusiasts eagerly look forward to sweat it out and pedal their way to conquer exciting destinations.
The fifth edition of Montra Tour of Nilgiris’ (TFN), the country’s longest cycling event, will be flagged off on Sunday from the Sullivan Police Hockey Grounds here.

Eighty-five cyclists, including eight women riders, will pedal to Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu and back over a period of eight days. They will tour Mysore, Madikeri, Sultanbathery in Kerala, Ooty and Mettupalayam in Tamil Nadu, and Chamarajanagar. Their itinerary includes three wildlife sanctuaries – Bandipur in Karnataka, Wayanad in Kerala and Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu.

Sridhar Pabbisetty, co-founder, TFN, said, “Today, we have people not just from around the country, but also from the world over taking part in the tour to test their endurance over these eight days under various conditions and take back a lot of fond memories. Through TFN, we hope to promote eco-tourism, an environmentally friendly way of travelling and a fun way to keep fit.”

This year, too, there will be a competitive section on certain climbs and flat courses. The cyclists will ride a distance of not more than 25-40 km on any day. The rest of the day’s ride will be non-competitive and can be ridden at one’s own pace, or with others, while indulging in the beauty of the landscape.

There are attractive gift hampers – sunglasses, roller bags, backpacks, bikes among others – lined up for the winners of the competitive lap.

Tour of Nilgiris tests not only the cycling skills of the riders, but also their physical and mental endurance to a great extent. “This time, we received over 400 applications, out of which only 85 were selected after a series of fitness screening procedures and tests. The event is one of the fun ways of promoting fitness, tourism and creating awareness on reducing carbon footprint,” said an official of TFN.

“I have been cycling for many years and hence decided to take part in TFN, which is a perfect platform for upcoming cyclists. I am looking forward to taking part in the event as I will get to check my capabilities while riding uphill and downhill,” said Anuja Jain, one of the participants.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> District / Bangalore, DHNS / December 15th, 2012

Kabaddi: Chennai and Dindigul triumph

Sports

Chennai and Dindigul emerged as the men’s and women’s champions in the Chief Minister’s Trophy kabaddi tournament in Chennai.

The results: Semifinals league: Men: Thanjavur bt Madurai 21-16; Chennai bt Theni 18-14; Chennai bt Thanjavur 21-15; Madurai bt Theni 23-12; Theni bt Thanjavur 20-12; Chennai bt Madurai 7-5.

Women: Dindigul bt Erode 28-20; Madurai bt Chennai 35-20; Madurai bt Erode 33-13; Dindigul bt Chennai 32-15; Erode bt Chennai 22-19; Dindigul bt Madurai 21-20.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Sports> Other Sports / Chennai, December 16th, 2012

Running for a reason

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

There’s no better feeling in the world for a runner than to cross the finishing line. But there is more to it, say veteran marathon runners. It is also a great platform to work for a cause. The adrenaline rush one gets by covering kilometers is even higher when one is passionately pursuing a cause that means impact.

The Wipro Chennai Mara-thon 2012 is being organized on December 2 to set many a heart racing. Senthil Kumar, Race Director, says, “Mara-thons help raise funds for a variety of causes. With the help of registration fees and sponsorships, runners are able to contribute to these causes. There are many causes marathons work for, but providing education for underprivileged kids and supporting children with special needs top that list.”

The marathon has partnered with United Way of Chennai, an NGO that works to encourage giving. Four NGOs have registered and Shyamala who works with United Way believes that the spirit of giving needs to be enhanced, which is what makes a marathon really successful. “We have 500 people running for Isha Vidhya. 50 people have signed up to raise ` 1 lakh. The power of running is quite great. “The people at Isha Vidhya, an initiative of the Isha Foun­dation, couldn’t agree more. The foundation is partnering with the Chennai Mar­athon for the first time and is hoping to achieve a lot through this endeavor. Isha Vidhya aims to raise the level of education in rural areas in Tamil Nadu and with the help of the marathon; they hope to raise money for scholarships, Additional classrooms and appointing more teachers in schools where there aren’t enough. “We were associated with the Mumbai marathon for the last few years and were able to gather `2 crore through participant registrations and sponsorships,” says Prabhu Loganathan, Fun­draising Coordinator for Isha Vidhya. “The support we get from marathons is really great and we hope to create awareness about social causes and charities with the help of such marathons.”

A marathon without a cause is as ineffective as one without its passionate runners. Marathon enthusiast J. Balasubramanian or ‘Bala’, a chartered accountant, believes that one needs to put in a lot of effort to support such causes. Bala says that he will be organizing and participating in 12 marathons with a varying group of runners every day from December 1 to 12 — with proceeds from each marathon being donated to a different NGO. He says. “To mark the special date 12-12-12, I am running to raise money for lesser-known charities. For instance, there is a home in Muthukadu called Paradise Home that supports 65 children who require special attention.

Corporates tend to make businesses out of big marathons and runners pay double the amount to register. I believe in running a measurable distance and paying only once I complete the distance I intended to cover,” he asserts.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Tabloid> Chennai / by Shruthi Menon, DC, Chennai / November 21st, 2012