Category Archives: Sports

Gill-Sherif bag overall title

Records, All, Sports

Bengaluru:

Team Mahindra Adventure’s Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif, driving a Mahindra XUV 500, assured themselves of the 2014 Indian Rally Championship title garnering some valuable points after the first leg of the 40th K-1000 rally near Tumakuru on Saturday. This is their fourth national title.

Local star Arjun Rao Aroor-Satish Rajagopal, who were second in the overall standings, had a poor day and retired after barely starting the first stage. Their rally-specific Volkswagen Polo R2 suffered an engine failure.

Gill-Sherif have 145 points. Aroor-Rajagopal have 78 and Sunny Sidhu-PV Srinivasa Murthy 62 with one round remaining at Chikkamagaluru next month.

Gill and Sherif were assured of the crown although they trailed teammates Sidhu-Murthy by two seconds after Saturday’s first leg. Sidhu-Murthy’s total time after leg one was one hour, five minutes, 12.2 seconds while Gill-Sherif clocked 01:05:14.4. Their teammates Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik were third overall with a time of 01:06:42.0.

“It was not a great day,” said Gill. “We had a comfortable lead but there were electrical problems with the cooling fan and the car began to overheat. Due to this, we had to nurse the car but managed to stay in second place. Hopefully, we will be able to get the lead on Sunday.”

A disappointed Aroor said: “We were barely 300 metres into the first stage of the day when the engine packed up. It is going to be very difficult to get the car back in action tomorrow. We will have to try our best in the last round in Chikkamagaluru next month.”

In the IRC 2000 class, Karna Kadur-BS Sujith Kumar (Mitsubishi Cedia) led after leg one with a time of 01:07:26.4, while championship leaders Rahul Kanthraj-Vivek Bhatt were 01:08:19.0.

In all, 10 out of the 41 cars retired on Saturday.

In the Super Special Stage, held at the Bangalore International Exhibition grounds under floodlights on Friday, Abhilash PG-Sanjay Agarwal were the fastest (one minute, 33.2 seconds) in a Mitsubishi Evo XI. Gill-Sherif were second fastest with 01:34.5, while Sidhu-Murthy were third with a 01:35.9.

Results (leg one, provisional and unaudited): IRC: 1. Sunny Sidhu/PV Srinivasa Murthy (Team Mahindra Adventure, Mahindra XUV500, 01:05:12.2); 2. Gaurav Gill/Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure, Mahindra XUV500, 01:05:14.4); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh/Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure, Mahindra XUV500, 01:06:42.0).

IRC 2000: 1. Karna Kadur/BS Sujith Kumar (Mitsubishi Cedia, 01:07:26.4); 2. Rahul Kanthraj/Vivek Bhatt (Mitsubishi Cedia, 01:08:19.0); 3. Byram Godrej/Somayya AG (VW Polo, 01:09:06.8).

IRC 1600: 1. Phalguna Urs-Anoop Kumar (VW Polo, 01:06:50.5); 2. Hrishikesh Thackersey-Ninad Mirajgaonkar (VW Polo, 01:08:48.8); 3. Vikram Devadasen-Chandramouli (VW Polo, 01:10:13.7).

FMSCI 1600: 1. Adith KC-Harish KN (Honda City Vtec, 01:09:18.9); 2. Aniruddha Rangnekar-Nitin Jacob (Maruti Baleno, 01:15:15.20); 3. Parag C Dhiwar-Aditya R Dhiwar (Maruti Baleno, 01:15:35.0).

Caption: Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif in action in the Beta stage on the opening day of the K-1000 rally near Tumakuru on Saturday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports / by Sunil Subbaiah / November 22nd, 2014

Driven by Passion to Give Vintage Cars a Fresh Start

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

GaneshanKERALA19nov2014

Thiruvananthapuram :

A classic Morris Minor or a Standard Herald gliding past you in today’s traffic will revive memories of the past.  Recreating the old world charm, K Ganeshan Asari of  Poozhikunnu, near Pappanamcode, is busy reworking on vintage and classic cars.

The ‘makeover versions’ of the classic cars are remodelled at his small workshop situated by the Museum-Nanthancode road in the city.

‘’I repair the body of any car that is brought to me and reworking on a vintage car gives me extra pleasure as it is something that has to be done artistically. It was in 1982 that I reworked and made a new car for the first time – a red 1980s model Toyota for Dr K M K Nair and it was launched on the road by Sundaram Nadar, the then Transport Minister,’’ recalls Ganeshan Asari. That was quite a news and people even from other districts who were interested in vintage editions began to approach him.

During October last year, Ganeshan Asari worked on a metallic blue Morris Minor for Chittur JRTO Anoop Varkey and right now he is repairing a 1956 model Fiat (Fiat 600) for him.   ‘’I am extra careful when I work on an old model because most of the customers who approach me want cars which  they can use daily and not to be displayed as showpieces. I don’t use any machines and I primarily use my hands for the work,’’ says Ganeshan Asari.

According to him, it is the trust that the customers place on him that brings satisfaction to his work.

‘’I started doing the remodeling  work with motorcycles and later my interest turned to cars and it has continued till this day,’’ he says.  Motorcycle enthusiasts in the city and other districts who could not afford a new model used to bring pictures and ask him to remodel their old vehicle into what was in the picture. For two customers from Kollam, he remodelled a Jawa and a Royal Enfield according to their wishes.  Ganeshan Asari, a primary school dropout, learnt the basics of automobile repair from his elder brother Appukkuttan Asari. It is surprising to note that this ‘makeover artiste’ of vintage cars does not own a car himself and says that driving has never been a passion for him. He has four children and two of them are following his footsteps.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by  Thejaswini Nair / November 17th, 2014

On the wheels of the Vampire

Amazing Feats, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Sports

Jomy and Joffy Joseph with some of their restored vehicles / H. Vibhi / The Hindu
Jomy and Joffy Joseph with some of their restored vehicles / H. Vibhi / The Hindu

Brothers Jomy and Joffy Joseph restore old bikes and have a vintage collection

Looking at the shiny motorcycles parked in the yard of Jomy Joseph’s house in Kathrikkadavu, it’s hard to distinguish between the warring feelings of nostalgia and appreciation. A twin cylinder Jawa 350, 1986 and ’87 Rajdoot-Yamaha RD 350s and two Yezdi Roadkings, reminders of an age gone by, sit there proudly. But unlike the blackened, oil smeared, wheezing few still bravely plying our roads, these look even better than their original forms.

The twin cylinder Jawa 350 restored by the brothers / by Special Arrangement
The twin cylinder Jawa 350 restored by the brothers / by Special Arrangement

Jomy and his brother Joffy run an automobile electrical shop near North Railway station, as did their father and grandfather before them. But it is not just the shop the brothers inherited from their father, but also a passion for automobiles and an uncanny flair for restoring them.

“Our father loved vehicles and used to take us on rides when we were young,” recalls Jomy, as Joffy pulls up some old images on his phone of their father and younger versions of themselves posing with a number of yesteryear vehicles.

“He bought me an ’87 Roadking in 1996, which I eventually sold. But when Joffy and I got into restoring vehicles, we tracked down all the vehicles that left our family and bought them back, including the Roadking,” says Jomy with barely concealed pride.

Proud he has reason to be, because the very same motorcycle is among the ones sitting in the yard, modified with a glider sourced cylinder and expansion chamber, a custom exhaust fabricated by the duo, and the front disc assembly from a Yamaha FZ. Decked out in green paint, with fat tyres and a damper to control the vibration levels, the motorcycle is an imposing presence, classic, yet modern.

“We started restoring vehicles in earnest ten years ago, but we had the good sense to buy lots of motorcycles back in the 90s when they cost anywhere between Rs. 5,000 to 7,000, along with enough spares to last us some time. Then people thought we were mad, but now getting your hands on even one of these is hard,” Jomy says, referring to the many vehicles they have collected and stored away for future restoration. The brothers love collecting things, and conversation is peppered with little anecdotes. Joffy pulls up more pictures: their grandfather standing next to a ’47 Hudson Commodore 8 and the brothers in a Chevrolet Bel Air convertible which they drove down from Bengaluru. They even purchased the horn from a dredger that sunk off Mattancherry, just for the sake of it.

The twin cylinder Jawa 350 restored by the brothers / By Special Arrangement / The Hindu
The twin cylinder Jawa 350 restored by the brothers / By Special Arrangement / The Hindu

All their restored vehicles have ‘Vampire’ written on the bodywork in a simple stylised font. “Back in my father’s day, everyone would work on their vehicles and give them a name. There were others like ‘Venom’, for example. So we chose to continue the tradition. Once, when I went to Edappally church with a ’62 Volkswagen Beetle, the priest asked me what the word meant, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him,” laughs Jomy.

Despite having a sizable collection of vehicles to work on and restore to glory, the brothers have no intention of putting the motorcycles on permanent display or selling them. “This is our passion and we manage to find time for it despite our commitments at the shop. Our joy comes from rebuilding and maintaining them, and going for rides on them,” says Jomy, who started the first registered RD 350 club in Kochi.

What they do is not for everyone though. “Many people nowadays buy old vehicles for exorbitant prices and attempt to restore them, but don’t have the time or patience. It requires a lot of dedication, each vehicle takes us around three months to modify and we don’t take help from anyone else,” says Joffy.

The brothers are happy in their own world fuelled by the love for vehicles. A little restoration in the mornings and evenings, handling customers at their shop, and going on rides during their free time is all they want to do. “We occasionally help people procure vehicles but we don’t have time to work on other people’s vehicles. All we want is to continue as we do now. It’s a good thing our families are supportive,” says Jomy, indicating their daughters, who already seem poised to continue the family tradition, referring to the vehicles as mol and demanding rides from their indulging fathers.

A 1994 TVS Express Miniped restored by Jomy and Joffy / By Special Arrangement
A 1994 TVS Express Miniped restored by Jomy and Joffy / By Special Arrangement

With mopeds, scooters, motorcycles, and even the occasional car or two awaiting their turn under the skilful hands of the duo, the streets of the city may soon witness small slices of history again. Not blackened and oil smeared this time, but shiny and proud.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Features> MetroPlus / by Sooraj Rajmohan / Kochi – November 13th, 2014

This Kozhikode club dares to challenge the extremes

Sports

Kozhikode :

It is the sheer passion for adventure that drove a group of young men from city to form the Calicut Off-road Club six months ago. From a small group of fun drivers, the COC has now become a major contender in many of the off-road motor sport in South India.

“Initially, it was a get-together of a group of owners of four-wheel drive vehicles. But we found that many of the group were interested in going for extremes. So we finally decided to enter into competitive events,” said Renjith Andrews, one of the founders of the club.

The event organized by the DTPC at Karuvarakkundu in Malappuram was the first one contested by the COC. The club has thus far participated in seven events in the last six months.

“The event organized by Mahindra at Sakaleshpur in Karnataka last month proved to be a turning point for us. We bagged a total of five titles in the event,” Renjith said.

Linu K V and Sabin Raj won the first place in the petrol class, Sidharth and Vivek first place in the diesel class, Robish and Sandeep second price in diesel class, Linch and Vipin third place in diesel class and Sidharth won the overall championship.

Sidharth won the Ooty Great Escape event held on November 9. He along with Arun P P who won the Great Escape Vagamon earlier, has been selected for the finals to be held in Nasik.

“Preparation of vehicles for the tasks was a big challenge for us. We solved the problem by starting a workshop at Kottooli in the city,” Renjith said.

COC feels that the terrain the state is quite suitable for the adventure sports. The club is now recruiting new members and trains them for the future events. “Our dream is to organize an off-road event in Kozhikode itself,” he said.

Apart from participating in the events, the COC is also active in activities for the benefit of the public.

The club has organized a campaign for drug-free Kozhikode and has conducted road safety awareness programmes joining hands with the police and the motor vehicles department.

Anyone who has a four-wheeler can join the club. “They will be scrutinized by the COC committee and will have to strictly abide by the bylaw of the club,” Renjith said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN  / November 11th, 2014

Standing tall in the face of adversity

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

J. Shahjahan, captain of the Kerala University Blind Cricket team. / The Hindu
J. Shahjahan, captain of the Kerala University Blind Cricket team. / The Hindu

Visually challenged student bags Young Achiever Award.

As far as fielding positions in cricket are concerned, J. Shahjahan prefers standing at ‘short.’ “You know, where Gautam Gambhir normally stands,” he said, a comparison he often draws to help those not so well-versed with cricket parlance. This is a place uncomfortably close to the batsman, one that even the fittest of players would not be too thrilled to serve. But this 26-year-old captain of the Kerala University Blind Cricket team is.

Mr. Shahjahan, whose indomitable spirit for the game has also found him a place in the State-level team for the visually challenged, is one of the five recipients in the country of this year’s Young Achiever Award instituted by the Amway Opportunity Foundation. The award was introduced in 2013 by the Corporate Social Responsibility wing of Amway India with the objective of identifying and supporting efforts of youth who are differently abled and belong to financially underprivileged backgrounds. He will receive the award at a function to be held in Chandigarh on November 8.

The National Association for the Blind in Kerala nominated his name for the award.

Born partially sighted, his condition worsened with age. But it has not been a deterrent to Mr. Shahjahan’s efforts to succeed. It is not just the joy of playing that gets this ‘all-rounder’ out on the cricket pitch at the university hostel here, but the fact that it has proven really uplifting for everyone in his team, nearly all of whom have had to deal with condescending, discriminatory treatment all their lives.

Even if they get to seriously practice only once a month, it is something they excel in. “If we could, we would get out on to the pitch everyday but any tournament we participate in or any practice we arrange has to be carried out using our own money. We have never had sponsors to support us,” said Mr. Shahjahan.

“It is not our physical capabilities that have frustrated us, it is the system,” he said. Mr. Shahjahan’s two role-models in the game are barely recognisable names — A. Manish and M.T. Manoj, who excelled in the national team for the Blind Cricket World Cup held in Islamabad in 2006.

Mr. Shahjahan is currently pursuing MA Malayalam at University College here.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Kaavya Pradeep Kumar / Thursday – November 05th, 2014

India name women’s U-19 squad for AFC qualifiers

Sports

P.V. Priya. File photo
P.V. Priya. File photo

New Delhi:

Head coach P. V. Priya has named a 23-member India under-19 women’s national team squad for the AFC Championship qualifiers starting in Jordan on November 5.

Nikhila Thumbayil is the lone Kerala player in the squad.

The Indian contingent, which was camping in Ahmedabad for 45 days, will be travelling to Jordan via Bahrain from Mumbai on Sunday night.

India are in Group A along with Jordan, Uzbekistan, and Lebanon.

The girls will open their campaign on November 5 against Uzbekistan at the Petra Stadium in Amman. All matches will be played at the same venue.

The hosts will play India on November 7. Indian will meet Lebanon on November 9.

Indian squad: Goalkeepers: Tikina Samal (Odisha), Elangbam Panthoi Chanu (Manipur), Khiangte Lalhruaizeli (Mizoram).

Defenders: Rachita Malik (Odisha), Ngangbam Sweety Devi (Manipur), Karam Tony Devi (Manipur), Komal Kumari (Bihar), Lalduhawmi (Mizoram), Dalima Chhibber (Delhi)

Midfielders: Yumkhaibam Hemolata Devi (Manipur), Sinulata Sahoo (Odisha), Kshetrimayum Margaret Devi (Manipur), Subburaj Muthu Selvi (Tamil Nadu), Nikhila Thumbayil (Kerala), Tanvi Singh (Delhi), Menaka Malik (Odisha), Sorokhaibam Ranjana Chanu (Manipur), Sangita Basfore (West Bengal).

Forwards: Sanju (Haryana), Pyari Xaxa (Odisha), Nongmaithem Ratanbala Devi (Manipur), Dangmei Grace (Manipur), Velanie Fernandes (Goa).

source: http://www.english.manoramaonline.com / Online Manorama / Home> Sports> Football / by Agencies / Friday – October 31st, 2014

Auto driver eyes Guinness for pushups

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports

Kottayam :

An autorickshaw driver will try to create a Guinness record for the maximum number of pushups in an hour.

Johny P James from Villoonny will attempt to achieve the fete at the Mannanam K E College grounds on Sunday.

Sports minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan will inaugurate the event at 5pm.

K Suresh Kurup, MLA, will preside over the event. The proceedings will be recorded through two cameras on the either sides and will be submitted to the Guinness officials.

Arrangements have been made to display the time and the counting machine at the venue.

Johny said that he is able to complete 3,400 pushups an hour during practice sessions.

He also runs a gymnasium near Mannanam Junction.

According to Johny, he takes around 90 pushups a minute in the beginning and it comes down to 40 towards the end.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN / October 30th, 2014

India’s win due to team work: Sreejesh

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Goalkeeper P R Sreejesh,who played a stellar role in India’s victory at the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy,has attributed the success to team work.

The player,who was given a warm welcome as he arrived here last night from New Delhi,told reporters at the airport that team work helped India to win the crucial match against Pakistan.

Sreejesh’s two saves in the tie-breaker led to India’s 4-2 win over Pakistan in the championship in Ordos in China. He hoped that the victory would make hockey more popular in the cricket frenzy nation.

On the players turning down the Hockey India prize money offer,he said it was a collective decision and the issue had been sorted out. Sreejesh also expressed happiness at the Rs 1.5 lakh cash award announced by the Union Sports ministry for the team members.

Sreejesh would be given an official reception by Hockey Kerala at Thiruvananthapuram today.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> News> Print / by Agencies / Kochi – Sunday, October 05th, 2014

When a duo punched above their weight

Amazing Feats, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

The match between Sita Bai of Tanjore and Kamala Bai of Malabar saw enthusiastic crowds but also led to controversy. / The Hindu Archives
The match between Sita Bai of Tanjore and Kamala Bai of Malabar saw enthusiastic crowds but also led to controversy. / The Hindu Archives

The 1st all-woman boxing bout lasted only 3 rounds but ignited a fiery debate

Sunday was a fine day for Indian women’s boxing at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon. Olympic bronze-medallist M. C. Mary Kom, L. Sarita Devi and Pooja Rani entered the semi-finals, assuring medals for the nation. However, it was right here, in Madras city, that the first punches in women’s boxing in the country were thrown.

It was Saturday, the 15th of March, 1931, when two Indian women stepped into the ring for a bout of professional boxing at the famous White City Carnival held in the city. Looking fierce in knee-length shorts, sleeveless jerseys and gloved fists, the women appeared every bit combat-ready. Kamala Bai of Malabar and Sita Bai of Tanjore were trained boxers, touted to be in good form. Singapore’s English daily The Straits Times reported that this was arguably a first for India.

Visibly excited, The Hindu published an article five days prior to the event urging its readers to brace themselves to witness for the first time two ‘Indian ladies’ meeting in the boxing arena — until now the most exclusive preserve of men.

Large crowds, including a number of Europeans, assembled to watch history in the making. While the first two rounds saw the boxers on the defensive, the third round saw them packing a punch, exchanging double jabs, hard rights, hooks, and uppercuts. Disappointingly, by round three, the session drew to a close with referee V.E.J Brackstone of Messrs. Parry and Company declaring it a draw.

Despite their underwhelming performance, both Kamala Bai and Sita Bai stayed in the news — even making international headlines for days to come.

‘Shocked and pained’

The fact that two Hindu women dared to ‘invade’ the boxing ring also left many Indian men and women ‘shocked and pained’. Florida’s The Evening Independent published a report on March 16, 1931 titled ‘Women Boxers arouse India’. The story stated that ‘feminine India was up in arms’ with the female boxers facing ‘social ostracism and disgrace,’ having engaged in a boxing match in Madras.

For a country that had for centuries relegated their women to rigid domesticity, ‘ladies boxing’ became particularly hard to digest.

Mahatma Gandhi for instance found this to be especially problematic. He was quoted in Pennsylvania’sReading Eagle as saying women boxing was ‘degrading, disreputable and totally unbecoming of the finer instincts of Indian womanhood.’

Today, as the country celebrates the laurels of our women boxers, it seems only appropriate to pause and acknowledge the spirit of Kamala Bai and Sita Bai. For if not for them, we as a nation may have not dared to imagine the likes Mary Kom, L Sarita Devi and Pooja Rani fighting the good fight.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Nitya Menon / Chennai – September 30th, 2014

Former India volleyball captain K. Udayakumar passes away

Sports

Thiruvananthapuram :

Former India volleyball captain and Arjuna Award winner K. Udayakumar passed away Friday due to a cardiac arrest, according to family sources. He was 54.

Udayakumar was an ADC to the Kerala governor since 2006 and held the rank of superintendent of police with the Kerala Armed Police Battalion. He, as usual, came to the office Friday morning as usual, but started feeling uncomfortable. He was taken to the medical room at Raj Bhavan. He was later being moved to a private hospital but breathed his last before he could reach the hospital.

Tall and well built, Udayakumar was a member of the Indian team that won the bronze at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games. He also captained the national team which won silver at the 1989 SAF Games. An active sportsman even after retirement, Udayakumar was a key member of the organising committee of the upcoming 35th National Games to be held here next year. Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and several leading lights in the state capital paid their last respects to Udayakumar. The funeral will be held at Mararikulam in Alappuzha district, his hometown, Sunday.(IANS)

source: http://www.headlinesindia.mapsofindia.com / Headlines India / Home> Social Interest News> Death / Friday – September 19th, 2014