Archive For The “Sports” Category
Shimla, Dec 25 : In a first, the Ice Hockey Association of India will hold a national tournament in the newly developed open-air rink amidst the stunning backdrop of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh's Spiti Valley, a cold desert, officials said on Friday.
"We are going to hold the under-20 ice hockey tournament in Himachal Pradesh for the first time.
It will start on January 27," Ice Hockey Association of India General Secretary Harjinder Singh told IANS over phone.
He was here to inaugurate a training camp on Thursday being organised by the state government in association with the ice hockey federation in Kaza town, some 350 km from here.
Authorities this week opened the ice rink of 31 metre by 61 metre size by giving a natural coating of thick layers of ice.
The rink lies at an altitude of 3,720 metres, the highest in the country as Kaza is located at an altitude higher than Leh, where temperatures plummet below minus 20 degrees Celsius in winter.
According to Singh, winter sports have immense potential in the Spiti Valley where snowfall cover remains at least for five months.
"In the coming years, the skiing will also be promoted here as locals have much talent and excitement.
Right now, the children in the age of eight to 20 are being given coaching in ice hockey. Some of them will be shortlisted for an advance coaching camp in Gulmarg," he added.
District Youth Services and Sports Officer Jiwan Negi told IANS that this was for the second time that the training camp was being organised in Kaza.
He said that last year, on an experimental basis, a tennis court was converted into an ice hockey rink.
"Seeing the response of the youngsters towards ice hockey, we have decided to set up a permanent rink this winter," he said.
Negi said 165 students have been undergoing basic training camp being organised by national coach Amit Berwal.
"Fifteen of them will be shortlisted for the advanced coaching in Gulmarg.
After that they will be selected for the national meet. The state will bear the entire expenditure of their coaching."
Olympian Skalzang Dorje, an instructor with the Youth Services and Sports Department, said the entire Spiti Valley "is a magnet for winter games".
"There is so much potential..each youngster at an early age picks up a ski board and hits the snow-covered slopes. Every house has a ski blade -- largely developed indigenously -- depending upon the financial status of the family.
This 'art' of making blades is being passed on from one generation to another," said archer Dorje, who competed in the men's individual and team events at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
--IANS
vg/pgh.
Source: IANS
"We are going to hold the under-20 ice hockey tournament in Himachal Pradesh for the first time.
It will start on January 27," Ice Hockey Association of India General Secretary Harjinder Singh told IANS over phone.
He was here to inaugurate a training camp on Thursday being organised by the state government in association with the ice hockey federation in Kaza town, some 350 km from here.
Authorities this week opened the ice rink of 31 metre by 61 metre size by giving a natural coating of thick layers of ice.
The rink lies at an altitude of 3,720 metres, the highest in the country as Kaza is located at an altitude higher than Leh, where temperatures plummet below minus 20 degrees Celsius in winter.
According to Singh, winter sports have immense potential in the Spiti Valley where snowfall cover remains at least for five months.
"In the coming years, the skiing will also be promoted here as locals have much talent and excitement.
Right now, the children in the age of eight to 20 are being given coaching in ice hockey. Some of them will be shortlisted for an advance coaching camp in Gulmarg," he added.
District Youth Services and Sports Officer Jiwan Negi told IANS that this was for the second time that the training camp was being organised in Kaza.
He said that last year, on an experimental basis, a tennis court was converted into an ice hockey rink.
"Seeing the response of the youngsters towards ice hockey, we have decided to set up a permanent rink this winter," he said.
Negi said 165 students have been undergoing basic training camp being organised by national coach Amit Berwal.
"Fifteen of them will be shortlisted for the advanced coaching in Gulmarg.
After that they will be selected for the national meet. The state will bear the entire expenditure of their coaching."
Olympian Skalzang Dorje, an instructor with the Youth Services and Sports Department, said the entire Spiti Valley "is a magnet for winter games".
"There is so much potential..each youngster at an early age picks up a ski board and hits the snow-covered slopes. Every house has a ski blade -- largely developed indigenously -- depending upon the financial status of the family.
This 'art' of making blades is being passed on from one generation to another," said archer Dorje, who competed in the men's individual and team events at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
--IANS
vg/pgh.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Dec 25 : People around the world would like to forget 2020 -- and probably erase it from their memories as well, if possible -- because of Covid-19 pandemic.
And most of the members of the Indian men and women cricket teams, too, would not look back at this year fondly for different reasons.
When one looks at 2020, which would go down in history as the 'Year of Covid-19', one finds that the performance of both men's and women's teams did not meet the expectations of millions of followers in cricket crazy India -- and perhaps, their own, too.
And the recent debacle of Virat Kohli's boys against the Aussies at the Adelaide Oval rubbed salt into the wounds of Indian cricket fans who have already been busy tackling the pandemic.
The men's team played a total of 23 international matches -- three Tests, 11 T20Is, nine ODIs, and 11 T20Is.
It lost all three Tests this year -- one Test is still to be played this year, against Australia, from December 26 in Melbourne -- though it registered wins in 10 T20s and three ODIs, all against Australia.
Losing just one of the 11 T20 matches is appreciable. Had the T20 World Cup taken place this October, as originally scheduled, this performance would have been considered as good preparation.
The World Cup has been postponed to the next year because of the pandemic.
However, it's the other two formats -- Tests and ODIs -- that Kohli talks about and pays more importance to, where the team's performance has been poor.
While India lost six of the nine ODIs they played, they failed to register a single win in Test matches and even lost the number one spots both on the ICC rankings and the ICC Test Championship.
On the other hand, the Test team did not perform well. Towards the end of the year, India began the defence of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on an abysmal note as they slumped to their lowest innings score in 88 years of Test cricket when they were dismissed for 36 runs in the second innings of the day-night first Test against Tim Paine's Australia.
The scores of the Indian players read: 4, 9, 2, 0, 4, 0, 8, 4, 0, 4, 1, which newspapers used as their headlines to describe what turned out to be the most dismal batting performance by an Indian Test team ever.
With a match left to be played, the Boxing Day Test, there's still plenty to ponder for the Indian team management.
In Kohli's absence, Ajinkya Rahane will have a herculean task of not only leading the team, but also lifting the morale of his teammates and making a comeback in the four-Test series.
On an individual note, Kohli, 32, the linchpin of Indian batting, finished the year without an international hundred -- a first since his debut in international cricket in 2011.
He played only nine ODI matches, three Tests and 10 T20s and his highest score was 89. But what will probably hurt Kohli the most is his last international outing this year.
Also, star players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and Jasprit Bumrah were not able to win matches for their team.
Kohli believes the harsh lessons learned in the first Test will forge a stronger team for the Boxing Day Test and subsequent matches in Sydney and Brisbane.
"I am very, very confident that we will definitely learn from this. I don't think we have ever had a worse batting performance, so we can only go upwards from here, and understand as a team we can do special things when we think of partnerships and batting together," he said.
"So, I am very, very confident that we will bounce back strongly in the next one, and I have no doubts you will see guys stepping up and really realising their true character."
And that's something which not only Team India but Indian cricket fans would also be hoping for as they look to end what has been a year to forget.
On the women front, the Indian team played 11 international matches -- all T20 internationals.
Out of these they registered wins in eight matches. Going by the numbers, the performance of the Indian team looks highly impressive.
However, the three losses include one which will sting them the most -- the final of the Women's T20 World Cup against Australia on March 8 --the International Women's Day -- at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
In a game that saw a record attendance of 86,174 spectators -- the biggest for a women's cricket match ever -- the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side was never in the hunt.
Young sensation Shafali Verma dropped a sitter of Alyssa Healy in the very first over of Australia's innings and the Indian eves could never recover from that.
The mighty Aussies posted 184/4 in their allotted 20 overs, in reply of which the Indian team could muster only 99 runs, before getting bowled in the final over of the match.
The post-match scenes at the ground showed some of the young Indian players in tears, as they failed to clinch what would have been India's maiden World Cup title for the Indian team.
That was the last international game the women's team played and are scheduled to tour Australia for a limited-overs series next year only.
--IANS
aak/qma.
Source: IANS
And most of the members of the Indian men and women cricket teams, too, would not look back at this year fondly for different reasons.
When one looks at 2020, which would go down in history as the 'Year of Covid-19', one finds that the performance of both men's and women's teams did not meet the expectations of millions of followers in cricket crazy India -- and perhaps, their own, too.
And the recent debacle of Virat Kohli's boys against the Aussies at the Adelaide Oval rubbed salt into the wounds of Indian cricket fans who have already been busy tackling the pandemic.
The men's team played a total of 23 international matches -- three Tests, 11 T20Is, nine ODIs, and 11 T20Is.
It lost all three Tests this year -- one Test is still to be played this year, against Australia, from December 26 in Melbourne -- though it registered wins in 10 T20s and three ODIs, all against Australia.
Losing just one of the 11 T20 matches is appreciable. Had the T20 World Cup taken place this October, as originally scheduled, this performance would have been considered as good preparation.
The World Cup has been postponed to the next year because of the pandemic.
However, it's the other two formats -- Tests and ODIs -- that Kohli talks about and pays more importance to, where the team's performance has been poor.
While India lost six of the nine ODIs they played, they failed to register a single win in Test matches and even lost the number one spots both on the ICC rankings and the ICC Test Championship.
On the other hand, the Test team did not perform well. Towards the end of the year, India began the defence of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on an abysmal note as they slumped to their lowest innings score in 88 years of Test cricket when they were dismissed for 36 runs in the second innings of the day-night first Test against Tim Paine's Australia.
The scores of the Indian players read: 4, 9, 2, 0, 4, 0, 8, 4, 0, 4, 1, which newspapers used as their headlines to describe what turned out to be the most dismal batting performance by an Indian Test team ever.
With a match left to be played, the Boxing Day Test, there's still plenty to ponder for the Indian team management.
In Kohli's absence, Ajinkya Rahane will have a herculean task of not only leading the team, but also lifting the morale of his teammates and making a comeback in the four-Test series.
On an individual note, Kohli, 32, the linchpin of Indian batting, finished the year without an international hundred -- a first since his debut in international cricket in 2011.
He played only nine ODI matches, three Tests and 10 T20s and his highest score was 89. But what will probably hurt Kohli the most is his last international outing this year.
Also, star players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and Jasprit Bumrah were not able to win matches for their team.
Kohli believes the harsh lessons learned in the first Test will forge a stronger team for the Boxing Day Test and subsequent matches in Sydney and Brisbane.
"I am very, very confident that we will definitely learn from this. I don't think we have ever had a worse batting performance, so we can only go upwards from here, and understand as a team we can do special things when we think of partnerships and batting together," he said.
"So, I am very, very confident that we will bounce back strongly in the next one, and I have no doubts you will see guys stepping up and really realising their true character."
And that's something which not only Team India but Indian cricket fans would also be hoping for as they look to end what has been a year to forget.
On the women front, the Indian team played 11 international matches -- all T20 internationals.
Out of these they registered wins in eight matches. Going by the numbers, the performance of the Indian team looks highly impressive.
However, the three losses include one which will sting them the most -- the final of the Women's T20 World Cup against Australia on March 8 --the International Women's Day -- at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
In a game that saw a record attendance of 86,174 spectators -- the biggest for a women's cricket match ever -- the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side was never in the hunt.
Young sensation Shafali Verma dropped a sitter of Alyssa Healy in the very first over of Australia's innings and the Indian eves could never recover from that.
The mighty Aussies posted 184/4 in their allotted 20 overs, in reply of which the Indian team could muster only 99 runs, before getting bowled in the final over of the match.
The post-match scenes at the ground showed some of the young Indian players in tears, as they failed to clinch what would have been India's maiden World Cup title for the Indian team.
That was the last international game the women's team played and are scheduled to tour Australia for a limited-overs series next year only.
--IANS
aak/qma.
Source: IANS
Mumbai, Dec 22 : The Mumbai Police cracked down on an early morning party at the Dragonfly Pub in JW Marriot and booked at least 34 persons, including some celebrities like former India cricketer Suresh Raina, for allegedly violating Covid-19 protocols, a top official said here on Tuesday.
Joint Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangre-Patil said that the raid was carried out at around 3 a.m.
jointly by Gamdevi and Sahar police stations after a large number of people were found partying without maintaining protocols like wearing masks and observing physical distancing.
He made it clear that it was not a 'drugs or a rave party bust', but concerned the violations of late-night restrictions and not adhering to Covid protocols.
Though Nangre-Patil declined to take any names of the persons arrested, official sources said among them were cricketer Suresh Raina, singer Guru Randhawa, Susanne Roshan Khan, while another prominent singer reportedly managed to escape through a backdoor.
Some other girls who attempted to flee the spot were stopped by the police team.
The police said that of the 34 persons who have been booked include 7 hotel staffers and 27 customers, including 19 outsiders from New Delhi and Punjab, and the rest from Mumbai, including several celebrities from the film and glamour world.
In a statement, Raina said that he was in Mumbai for a shoot which extended till late and he was invited by a friend for a quick dinner prior to his return flight to Delhi early on Tuesday.
He claimed that he was not aware of the local timings and protocols, but once it was pointed out, he immediately complied with the procedures.
Raina expressed regrets over "the unfortunate and unintentional incident" and assured that he always holds the highest regards for the laws of the land and will continue to do so.
"Offences registered under Indian Penal Code Sections 188, 269 and NDMA Section 51 against 34 persons after a raid carried out at 2.50 a.m.
at the Dragonfly Pub for keeping the establishment open beyond permissible time-limit, not following Covid-19 norms such as social distancing, and not wearing face masks," a Mumbai Police spokesperson said earlier.
Nangre-Patil said that all the accused were released after getting notices under CrPC Section 41(A)(1), while some ot the people from north India left for Delhi by a morning flight.
The Mumbai Police have intensified vigil after Monday night's decision of the state government to impose a 7-hour night curfew in the jurisdictions of 27 municipal corporations, including BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, starting from December 22.
--IANS
qn/arm.
Source: IANS
Joint Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangre-Patil said that the raid was carried out at around 3 a.m.
jointly by Gamdevi and Sahar police stations after a large number of people were found partying without maintaining protocols like wearing masks and observing physical distancing.
He made it clear that it was not a 'drugs or a rave party bust', but concerned the violations of late-night restrictions and not adhering to Covid protocols.
Though Nangre-Patil declined to take any names of the persons arrested, official sources said among them were cricketer Suresh Raina, singer Guru Randhawa, Susanne Roshan Khan, while another prominent singer reportedly managed to escape through a backdoor.
Some other girls who attempted to flee the spot were stopped by the police team.
The police said that of the 34 persons who have been booked include 7 hotel staffers and 27 customers, including 19 outsiders from New Delhi and Punjab, and the rest from Mumbai, including several celebrities from the film and glamour world.
In a statement, Raina said that he was in Mumbai for a shoot which extended till late and he was invited by a friend for a quick dinner prior to his return flight to Delhi early on Tuesday.
He claimed that he was not aware of the local timings and protocols, but once it was pointed out, he immediately complied with the procedures.
Raina expressed regrets over "the unfortunate and unintentional incident" and assured that he always holds the highest regards for the laws of the land and will continue to do so.
"Offences registered under Indian Penal Code Sections 188, 269 and NDMA Section 51 against 34 persons after a raid carried out at 2.50 a.m.
at the Dragonfly Pub for keeping the establishment open beyond permissible time-limit, not following Covid-19 norms such as social distancing, and not wearing face masks," a Mumbai Police spokesperson said earlier.
Nangre-Patil said that all the accused were released after getting notices under CrPC Section 41(A)(1), while some ot the people from north India left for Delhi by a morning flight.
The Mumbai Police have intensified vigil after Monday night's decision of the state government to impose a 7-hour night curfew in the jurisdictions of 27 municipal corporations, including BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, starting from December 22.
--IANS
qn/arm.
Source: IANS
Mumbai, Dec. Dec 22 : The Mumbai Police cracked down on an early morning party at the Dragonfly Pub in JW Marriot and booked at least 34 persons including some celebs like cricketer Suresh Raina, for allegedly violating Covid-19 protocols, an official said here on Tuesday.
The raid was carried out around 3 am jointly by Gamdevi and Sahar police stations after a large number of people were found partying without maintaining protocols like wearing masks and observing physical distancing.
Among the persons found on the premises in the raid include cricketer Suresh Raina, singer Guru Randhawa, Susanne Roshan Khan, while another prominent singer reportedly managed to escape from a backdoor, but some other girls who attempted to flee the spot were stopped by the police team.
The police said that among the 34 persons who have been booked include 19 outsiders from New Delhi and Punjab, and the rest are from Mumbai, including several celebrities from the film and glamour world.
"Offences registered under Indian Penal Code Sec.
188, 269 and NDMA Sec. 51 against (34) after raid carried out at 2.50 am at the Dragonfly Pub, for keeping the establishment beyond permissible time-limit, not following Covid-19 norms such as social distancing, not wearing face masks," said a Mumbai Police Spokesperson.
In another update, the police said that all the accused were released after getting notices under CrPC.
Sec. 41(A)(1), and the people from north India left for Delhi by a morning flight.
The Mumbai Police have intensified vigil after the Monday night decision of the state government to impose a 7-hour night curfew in the jurisdictions of 27 municipal corporations including BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, starting from Dec.
22.
--IANS
qn/ash.
Source: IANS
The raid was carried out around 3 am jointly by Gamdevi and Sahar police stations after a large number of people were found partying without maintaining protocols like wearing masks and observing physical distancing.
Among the persons found on the premises in the raid include cricketer Suresh Raina, singer Guru Randhawa, Susanne Roshan Khan, while another prominent singer reportedly managed to escape from a backdoor, but some other girls who attempted to flee the spot were stopped by the police team.
The police said that among the 34 persons who have been booked include 19 outsiders from New Delhi and Punjab, and the rest are from Mumbai, including several celebrities from the film and glamour world.
"Offences registered under Indian Penal Code Sec.
188, 269 and NDMA Sec. 51 against (34) after raid carried out at 2.50 am at the Dragonfly Pub, for keeping the establishment beyond permissible time-limit, not following Covid-19 norms such as social distancing, not wearing face masks," said a Mumbai Police Spokesperson.
In another update, the police said that all the accused were released after getting notices under CrPC.
Sec. 41(A)(1), and the people from north India left for Delhi by a morning flight.
The Mumbai Police have intensified vigil after the Monday night decision of the state government to impose a 7-hour night curfew in the jurisdictions of 27 municipal corporations including BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, starting from Dec.
22.
--IANS
qn/ash.
Source: IANS
Shimla, Dec 20 : Taking cue from the Asia's oldest British-era skating clay surface rink in this Himachal Pradesh hill town, authorities in state's remote Spiti Valley had a natural coating of full-sized thick ice for the first time in the newly developed open-air hockey rink with the stunning backdrop of the Himalayas, thanks to the freezing cold.
The locals, mostly youngsters, are eagerly awaiting not to miss an opportunity in getting their skates on the ice in the rink set up in Kaza town, some 350 km from here, that will be thrown open for the public by this week.
"In Spiti, every child dreams of playing ice hockey. To hone their inherent talent, we have decided to develop a rink of 60 metre by 30 metre size by giving a natural coating of thick layers of ice," District Youth Services and Sports Officer Jiwan Negi told IANS over phone.
The rink lies at an altitude of 3,720 metres with temperatures plummet below minus 20 degrees Celsius in winter.
Local authorities have engaged the Ice Hockey Association of India to promote the highest altitude game in the world.
Negi said last year on an experimental basis a tennis court was converted into an ice hockey rink.
"Seeing the response of the youngsters towards ice hockey, we have decided to set up a permanent rink this winter," he said.
"Last year the ice hockey session was organised till February 10. This time since the rink has been made professionally, we are hopeful the ice hockey season will last for roughly two-and-a-half months.
In this period, winter camps and tournaments will be held," he said.
With dreams of playing in the Winter Olympics, local lads are excited.
"Since childhood, we have been enjoying sledging on frozen lakes and streams, quite popular among local youngsters.
With the construction of this rink, we are really excited to learn ice hockey professionally with a brighter future," Class XII student Sujata Negi said.
Barring proper skates and head and protective body gears, she said two of her friends were among the first batch of nine students who were shortlisted last year by the state government for an advanced course of ice hockey in Leh.
Added another student Darpan Negi: "We have been regularly coming to the rink. Now we are really excited to see the appearance of a thick sheet of ice. We hope to see fun-filled hockey sessions this time to compete with Ladakh."
The sports officer said the players would be provided coaching from basic to intermediate and advanced level training.
"Initially, we will keep a small batch of 25 students each in the age of eight to 15 and under 20 keeping in mind health protocols to prevent the spread of coronavirus," he said.
He said the government is also trying to rope in the Women Ice Hockey Federation to spare two-three coaches for training this winter.
"The local students have been facing constraints such as lack of infrastructure and equipment, which is quite costly.
The department is initially providing the basic equipment to hone their skill with the ambition of some to do with the sport as a professional," he said.
Authorities sprinkle water on the clay ground of the open-air rink which freezes under natural conditions in the night.
If the sky is cloudy, the minimum temperature normally rises, resulting in thawing of ice.
The congenial average minimum temperature for ice formation ranges from minus 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.
Last year there were 106 participants in the age from eight to 15, all students, said organisers.
Olympian Skalzang Dorje, an instructor with the Youth Services and Sports Department, said the entire Spiti Valley "is a magnet for winter games".
"There is so much potential each youngster at an early age picks up a ski board and hits the snow-covered slopes.
Every house has a ski blade -- largely developed indigenously -- depending upon the financial status of the family.
This 'art' of making blades is being passed on from one generation to another," said archer Dorje, who competed in the men's individual and team events at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
The concept of the natural hockey rink evolves from the skating rink in Shimla that was developed by an Irish military official named Blessington who lived during the British Raj.
He had inadvertently kept a bucket of water outside his residence and in the morning found it frozen.
That gave him the idea of a skating rink and he created a small one of his own.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
--IANS
vg/dpb.
Source: IANS
The locals, mostly youngsters, are eagerly awaiting not to miss an opportunity in getting their skates on the ice in the rink set up in Kaza town, some 350 km from here, that will be thrown open for the public by this week.
"In Spiti, every child dreams of playing ice hockey. To hone their inherent talent, we have decided to develop a rink of 60 metre by 30 metre size by giving a natural coating of thick layers of ice," District Youth Services and Sports Officer Jiwan Negi told IANS over phone.
The rink lies at an altitude of 3,720 metres with temperatures plummet below minus 20 degrees Celsius in winter.
Local authorities have engaged the Ice Hockey Association of India to promote the highest altitude game in the world.
Negi said last year on an experimental basis a tennis court was converted into an ice hockey rink.
"Seeing the response of the youngsters towards ice hockey, we have decided to set up a permanent rink this winter," he said.
"Last year the ice hockey session was organised till February 10. This time since the rink has been made professionally, we are hopeful the ice hockey season will last for roughly two-and-a-half months.
In this period, winter camps and tournaments will be held," he said.
With dreams of playing in the Winter Olympics, local lads are excited.
"Since childhood, we have been enjoying sledging on frozen lakes and streams, quite popular among local youngsters.
With the construction of this rink, we are really excited to learn ice hockey professionally with a brighter future," Class XII student Sujata Negi said.
Barring proper skates and head and protective body gears, she said two of her friends were among the first batch of nine students who were shortlisted last year by the state government for an advanced course of ice hockey in Leh.
Added another student Darpan Negi: "We have been regularly coming to the rink. Now we are really excited to see the appearance of a thick sheet of ice. We hope to see fun-filled hockey sessions this time to compete with Ladakh."
The sports officer said the players would be provided coaching from basic to intermediate and advanced level training.
"Initially, we will keep a small batch of 25 students each in the age of eight to 15 and under 20 keeping in mind health protocols to prevent the spread of coronavirus," he said.
He said the government is also trying to rope in the Women Ice Hockey Federation to spare two-three coaches for training this winter.
"The local students have been facing constraints such as lack of infrastructure and equipment, which is quite costly.
The department is initially providing the basic equipment to hone their skill with the ambition of some to do with the sport as a professional," he said.
Authorities sprinkle water on the clay ground of the open-air rink which freezes under natural conditions in the night.
If the sky is cloudy, the minimum temperature normally rises, resulting in thawing of ice.
The congenial average minimum temperature for ice formation ranges from minus 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.
Last year there were 106 participants in the age from eight to 15, all students, said organisers.
Olympian Skalzang Dorje, an instructor with the Youth Services and Sports Department, said the entire Spiti Valley "is a magnet for winter games".
"There is so much potential each youngster at an early age picks up a ski board and hits the snow-covered slopes.
Every house has a ski blade -- largely developed indigenously -- depending upon the financial status of the family.
This 'art' of making blades is being passed on from one generation to another," said archer Dorje, who competed in the men's individual and team events at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
The concept of the natural hockey rink evolves from the skating rink in Shimla that was developed by an Irish military official named Blessington who lived during the British Raj.
He had inadvertently kept a bucket of water outside his residence and in the morning found it frozen.
That gave him the idea of a skating rink and he created a small one of his own.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
--IANS
vg/dpb.
Source: IANS
Jaipur, Dec 19 : Proving the adage 'age no bar,' Renu Singhi, a Jaipur-based sportswoman chose cycling as her career when she was 51 year old.
"Four years back, I decided to take up cycling after my responsibilities were over.
I always had a desire to do well in sports and hence I chose cycling," Renu told IANS.
Within a span of four years, she has completed long bicycle events with distances of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 600 km multiple times and won a number of prestigious awards.
She has pedalled more than 38,000 km in the past four years. Singhi, popularly known as 'Iron lady of Rajasthan,' is a great source of inspiration for people from every generation.
"I started with 10 kilometres and then completed an event of 1,200 km in one go.
I never felt there is any limit. My dream is to complete 2,000 km in one go. Commitment and hard work are the key to my success. No dream is too big to accomplish if you have the will," she further said.
Singhi, now 55, is a post-graduate in Geography and History.
She is a grandmother of two and is a professional cyclist who is next participating in G2G - a cycle ride from Gate to Gate, that starts from India Gate in New Delhi to Gateway of India in Mumbai.
This event started in the year 2016 and is scheduled every year since then on the third weekend of December.
It has grown bigger every year and enjoys a fan following all over the world.
Renu says she loves badminton, gymming and is a running aficionado as well.
She completed an internationally recognised Paris - Brest - Paris (PBP) event in 2019 where she finished this distance of 1219 km in 92 hours.
Since 21st July 2020, she has been running 15 kilometres every day followed by a cycle ride of 50+ kms to train for G2G.
She has proved that with a strong determination and commitment, one can touch the most stringent benchmarks.
Speaking on her future aspirations, Renu says, "I shall take up the London Edinburgh London event at the first opportunity."
--IANS
arc/ash.
Source: IANS
"Four years back, I decided to take up cycling after my responsibilities were over.
I always had a desire to do well in sports and hence I chose cycling," Renu told IANS.
Within a span of four years, she has completed long bicycle events with distances of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 600 km multiple times and won a number of prestigious awards.
She has pedalled more than 38,000 km in the past four years. Singhi, popularly known as 'Iron lady of Rajasthan,' is a great source of inspiration for people from every generation.
"I started with 10 kilometres and then completed an event of 1,200 km in one go.
I never felt there is any limit. My dream is to complete 2,000 km in one go. Commitment and hard work are the key to my success. No dream is too big to accomplish if you have the will," she further said.
Singhi, now 55, is a post-graduate in Geography and History.
She is a grandmother of two and is a professional cyclist who is next participating in G2G - a cycle ride from Gate to Gate, that starts from India Gate in New Delhi to Gateway of India in Mumbai.
This event started in the year 2016 and is scheduled every year since then on the third weekend of December.
It has grown bigger every year and enjoys a fan following all over the world.
Renu says she loves badminton, gymming and is a running aficionado as well.
She completed an internationally recognised Paris - Brest - Paris (PBP) event in 2019 where she finished this distance of 1219 km in 92 hours.
Since 21st July 2020, she has been running 15 kilometres every day followed by a cycle ride of 50+ kms to train for G2G.
She has proved that with a strong determination and commitment, one can touch the most stringent benchmarks.
Speaking on her future aspirations, Renu says, "I shall take up the London Edinburgh London event at the first opportunity."
--IANS
arc/ash.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Dec 17 : The Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda Yoga and Naturopathy Unani Sidda Homoeopathy) and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Thursday formally recognised yogasana as a competitive sport.
The announcement was made at a joint press conference held here by the Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.
While addressing, Naik traced the origins of yogasana competitions to the Indian Yoga tradition.
He said that they are still being conducted today at multiple levels, but a strong and sustainable structure to impart national visibility to the competitions is yet to emerge.
Naik further said that the government's decision to recognise yogasana as a competitive sport comes after 3-4 years of wide consultations with the stakeholders of the yoga sector.
The Minister also said that yogasana is an integral and important component of yoga, which is psycho-physical in nature and popular across the globe for its efficacy in fitness and general wellness.
"Yogasana becoming as a sport will also ensure new technologies and new strategies being inducted into the disciplines, to benefit our athletes and officials towards building fruitful and fulfilling careers in this field," Naik said.
On this occasion, Rijiju said that the competitions that will arise out of the recognition of yogasana as a sport will enhance interest in yoga among people around the globe.
He also said that both the ministries have been closely working together to establish yogasana as a competitive sport and that a plan is being made to include yogasana as a sport discipline in Khelo India and in the University Games.
"We will also pitch it at the National Games but the aim and objective of any sport is to be included in Olympics and this is a beginning of a long journey," Rijiju said, adding that yogasana is going to become a beautiful, attractive and popular sport.
The Secretary AYUSH also informed that various steps or activities will form part of the road map and the future development of yogasana Sport like a pilot yogasana competition named as "National Individual Yogasana Sports Championship" (Virtual Mode) to be held in early 2021.
Launching of an Annual Calendar of competitions, events and programmes of yogasana sport, development of Automated Scoring System for the yogasana championship.
Courses for coaches, referees, judges and directors of competitions, coaching camps for players.
Yogasana as a Sport discipline in National Games, Khelo India and international sports events will be introduced along with steps to create job opportunities for yogasana athletes.
--IANS
aka/sdr/.
Source: IANS
The announcement was made at a joint press conference held here by the Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.
While addressing, Naik traced the origins of yogasana competitions to the Indian Yoga tradition.
He said that they are still being conducted today at multiple levels, but a strong and sustainable structure to impart national visibility to the competitions is yet to emerge.
Naik further said that the government's decision to recognise yogasana as a competitive sport comes after 3-4 years of wide consultations with the stakeholders of the yoga sector.
The Minister also said that yogasana is an integral and important component of yoga, which is psycho-physical in nature and popular across the globe for its efficacy in fitness and general wellness.
"Yogasana becoming as a sport will also ensure new technologies and new strategies being inducted into the disciplines, to benefit our athletes and officials towards building fruitful and fulfilling careers in this field," Naik said.
On this occasion, Rijiju said that the competitions that will arise out of the recognition of yogasana as a sport will enhance interest in yoga among people around the globe.
He also said that both the ministries have been closely working together to establish yogasana as a competitive sport and that a plan is being made to include yogasana as a sport discipline in Khelo India and in the University Games.
"We will also pitch it at the National Games but the aim and objective of any sport is to be included in Olympics and this is a beginning of a long journey," Rijiju said, adding that yogasana is going to become a beautiful, attractive and popular sport.
The Secretary AYUSH also informed that various steps or activities will form part of the road map and the future development of yogasana Sport like a pilot yogasana competition named as "National Individual Yogasana Sports Championship" (Virtual Mode) to be held in early 2021.
Launching of an Annual Calendar of competitions, events and programmes of yogasana sport, development of Automated Scoring System for the yogasana championship.
Courses for coaches, referees, judges and directors of competitions, coaching camps for players.
Yogasana as a Sport discipline in National Games, Khelo India and international sports events will be introduced along with steps to create job opportunities for yogasana athletes.
--IANS
aka/sdr/.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Nov 2 : Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu on Monday gave a "mini heart attack" to sports fraternity with a social media post where she said: "I RETIRE".
In a lengthy post on her official Twitter handle, Sindhu said that the Denmark Open was the final straw and she has decided to bid adieu to the game.
"Denmark Open was the final straw.
I RETIRE," the Rio Olympics silver medallist said.
"I have been thinking about coming clean with my feelings for a while now. I admit I have been struggling to deal with it. It just feels so wrong, you know. That's why I'm writing today to tell you that I'm done. It's understandable if you're shocked or confused but by the time you finish reading this you would have learnt about my point of view, and hopefully, will support it too," she added.
However, what she was actually talking was about the negativity which has spread amid the Covid-19 pandemic which has claimed lakhs of lives across the world.
"This pandemic has been an eye-opener for me. I could train hard to fight the toughest of opponents, tooth and nail, right till the final shot of the game.
I have done it before, I can do it again. But how do I defeat this invisible virus that has the entire world in a fix? It has been months at home and we still question ourselves every time we step out.
Internalising all this and reading about so many heart-breaking stories online has got me to question a lot about myself and this world we live in.
Not being able to represent India in the Denmark Open was the last straw," she added.
"Today, I choose to retire from this current sense of unrest. I retire from this negativity, the constant fear, uncertainty. I choose to retire from a complete lack of control over the unknown. Most importantly, I choose to retire from substandard hygiene standards and our lackadaisical attitude towards the virus," she added.
The 25-year-old further called upon people not to digress and be prepared in order to defeat coronavirus.
"The choices we make today will define our future and the future of the next generation. We cannot afford to let them down."
Admitting that she might have given her fans a "mini-heart attack", Sindhu stated that she did so as to catch the attention of people in these unfrequented times.
However, she also made it clear that she will be participating in the upcoming Asia Open.
"I may have given you guys a mini-heart attack; the unfrequented times require unprecedented measures.
I guess, I need to get you guys to sit and take notice. That being said, we must be hopeful about the light shining at the end of the tunnel," the reigning world champion said.
"Yes, Denmark Open didn't happen but that won't stop me from training.
When life comes at you, one must come back twice as hard. So will I for the Asia Open. I refuse to give up without putting a solid fight. I refuse to give up without conquering this fear. And will carry on doing so till we have a safer world," she added.
--IANS
aak/in.
Source: IANS
In a lengthy post on her official Twitter handle, Sindhu said that the Denmark Open was the final straw and she has decided to bid adieu to the game.
"Denmark Open was the final straw.
I RETIRE," the Rio Olympics silver medallist said.
"I have been thinking about coming clean with my feelings for a while now. I admit I have been struggling to deal with it. It just feels so wrong, you know. That's why I'm writing today to tell you that I'm done. It's understandable if you're shocked or confused but by the time you finish reading this you would have learnt about my point of view, and hopefully, will support it too," she added.
However, what she was actually talking was about the negativity which has spread amid the Covid-19 pandemic which has claimed lakhs of lives across the world.
"This pandemic has been an eye-opener for me. I could train hard to fight the toughest of opponents, tooth and nail, right till the final shot of the game.
I have done it before, I can do it again. But how do I defeat this invisible virus that has the entire world in a fix? It has been months at home and we still question ourselves every time we step out.
Internalising all this and reading about so many heart-breaking stories online has got me to question a lot about myself and this world we live in.
Not being able to represent India in the Denmark Open was the last straw," she added.
"Today, I choose to retire from this current sense of unrest. I retire from this negativity, the constant fear, uncertainty. I choose to retire from a complete lack of control over the unknown. Most importantly, I choose to retire from substandard hygiene standards and our lackadaisical attitude towards the virus," she added.
The 25-year-old further called upon people not to digress and be prepared in order to defeat coronavirus.
"The choices we make today will define our future and the future of the next generation. We cannot afford to let them down."
Admitting that she might have given her fans a "mini-heart attack", Sindhu stated that she did so as to catch the attention of people in these unfrequented times.
However, she also made it clear that she will be participating in the upcoming Asia Open.
"I may have given you guys a mini-heart attack; the unfrequented times require unprecedented measures.
I guess, I need to get you guys to sit and take notice. That being said, we must be hopeful about the light shining at the end of the tunnel," the reigning world champion said.
"Yes, Denmark Open didn't happen but that won't stop me from training.
When life comes at you, one must come back twice as hard. So will I for the Asia Open. I refuse to give up without putting a solid fight. I refuse to give up without conquering this fear. And will carry on doing so till we have a safer world," she added.
--IANS
aak/in.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 29 : An Indian Premier League (IPL) gambling racket was busted and three persons were arrested by Delhi police in Kotla Mubarakpur area of south Delhi.
The police on Wednesday received a tip-off about an IPL betting racket operating at Saini Basti in Kotla Mubarakpur.
"At nearly 10.33 p.m.
a raid at a house in Saini Basti was conducted after complying with all the legal aspects," said Atul Thakur, DCP, south Delhi.
Three persons were apprehended on the spot while they were operating the gambling racket through their phones.
The apprehended persons were identified as Ashish Gupta, Yogesh and Himanshu Rawat.
"As many as five mobile phones, three registers with entries amounting to Rs 60,000 and Rs 26,000, previous entries worth more than Rs 3,50,000 and a pen were seized.
IPL teams for betting included Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore," the police official added.
The police has registered a case under the Delhi Public Gambling Act.
--IANS
zaz/khz/bg.
Source: IANS
The police on Wednesday received a tip-off about an IPL betting racket operating at Saini Basti in Kotla Mubarakpur.
"At nearly 10.33 p.m.
a raid at a house in Saini Basti was conducted after complying with all the legal aspects," said Atul Thakur, DCP, south Delhi.
Three persons were apprehended on the spot while they were operating the gambling racket through their phones.
The apprehended persons were identified as Ashish Gupta, Yogesh and Himanshu Rawat.
"As many as five mobile phones, three registers with entries amounting to Rs 60,000 and Rs 26,000, previous entries worth more than Rs 3,50,000 and a pen were seized.
IPL teams for betting included Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore," the police official added.
The police has registered a case under the Delhi Public Gambling Act.
--IANS
zaz/khz/bg.
Source: IANS
Mumbai, Oct 28 : Star Indian batsman Rohit Sharma has been appointed as the brand ambassador of healthcare brand Dr Trust.
"I love the innovative product line Dr Trust has to offer, from advance pulse oximeters, infrared thermometers, BP monitor to the nebulizers.
These are quite handy and essential gadgets to have, more so in today's daily life with an increased focus on health and wellness," said Sharma.
"I look forward to seeing many more innovations from Dr Trust as they continue their efforts to simplify our lives," he added.
The 32-year-old will feature in a new integrated campaign for Dr Trust which will run across TV, print and online channels as well as in-store.
"Rohit Sharma is a strong, celebrated man and an advocate for others - he is the perfect ambassador to talk about the importance of health and wellness and the importance self-monitoring healthcare products play in everyday life.
Dr Trust admires him for his principles, his talents and his ability to juggle a demanding cricket career while being a great family man too," said Aryan Goyal, CEO of Nureca Ltd which owns Dr Trust.
"We believe that in order for brands to generate success, they must create relationships with ambassadors who genuinely love the purpose, values, and products of a company," added Saurabh Goyal, Managing Director, Nureca.
Sharma is currently leading Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2020 being played in the UAE.
--IANS
aak/.
Source: IANS
"I love the innovative product line Dr Trust has to offer, from advance pulse oximeters, infrared thermometers, BP monitor to the nebulizers.
These are quite handy and essential gadgets to have, more so in today's daily life with an increased focus on health and wellness," said Sharma.
"I look forward to seeing many more innovations from Dr Trust as they continue their efforts to simplify our lives," he added.
The 32-year-old will feature in a new integrated campaign for Dr Trust which will run across TV, print and online channels as well as in-store.
"Rohit Sharma is a strong, celebrated man and an advocate for others - he is the perfect ambassador to talk about the importance of health and wellness and the importance self-monitoring healthcare products play in everyday life.
Dr Trust admires him for his principles, his talents and his ability to juggle a demanding cricket career while being a great family man too," said Aryan Goyal, CEO of Nureca Ltd which owns Dr Trust.
"We believe that in order for brands to generate success, they must create relationships with ambassadors who genuinely love the purpose, values, and products of a company," added Saurabh Goyal, Managing Director, Nureca.
Sharma is currently leading Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2020 being played in the UAE.
--IANS
aak/.
Source: IANS