Daily Archives: July 2, 2014

Guarding the posts, fearlessly

Sports

NatarajanKERALA02jul2014

Kochi :

For the footballing fraternity of Poojappura, P Natarajan is popularly known as MRC Natarajan. But the fanfare and recognition for having been the one who guarded the goal for the illustrious MRC Wellington football team stops there for this veteran.

Natarajan spent 15 years with Madras Regimental Centre at a time when they were a name to be reckoned with in Indian football and won many honours, including the Seth Nagji Trophy, Chakolas Trophy and Kollam Municipal Gold Cup in Kerala.

The former goalkeeper is described to have been ‘fearless’ on the pitch.

“Sometimes you were the last line of defence and everything was at stake and you had to go all out to deny the goal,” says Natarajan who has a bruised lip and a missing incisor to show for it. He began his career with Sporting Union, Poojappura as a schoolboy and joined MRC at Ooty in 1968. Returning from MRC after a highly successful stint, which included a Santosh Trophy appearance with the Services, he played football with KSRTC for six years before retiring in 1989.

But that was not to keep him away from the game. Ever since, Natarajan has been a regular presence at Mandapam Ground in Poojappura, training the youngsters of Sporting Union on most of the evenings.

“We have to fend off competition from cricketers to get some space to play. So, most of the time, we end up playing under the streetlights after sunset,” he says, adding that they are hopeful of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation sanctioning the club’s proposal to start a coaching centre for kids.

Natarajan also conducts two-month long coaching camps for children aged below nine years during the summer holidays. “I teach them very simple things like kicking, close control and passing. And more importantly, I share all the experience from my 21-year long career,” he says.

“Natarajan was a top performer for MRC and Services. He has also been serving as a referee for the Kerala Football Association for the past three decades,” says S Geevarghese, secretary of the Thiruvananthapuram District Football Association. Natarajan makes a living by working as a dispatch clerk at the KSFE here. But for this former goalkeeper, it is football that makes his life.

He is someone who believes in the value of experience than coaching certificates. Though he has been engaged in the game as a player, coach and referee for so long, he has never attended a coaching certificate course. “Some things you can only gain by experience and football is like that,” Natarajan says

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Adwaidh Rajan / July 02nd, 2014

Mohammed Hanish appointed Nodal Officer for 2017 FIFA

Leaders, Sports

Kerala  Government has appointed senior IAS officer A P M Mohammed Hanish as Nodal Officer for the matches likely to beld in Kochi during the 2017 FIFA under-17 world cup football.

The appointment is as per FIFA’s direction, a Kerala Football Association press release said.

The official has also been entrusted with overseeing the infrastructure and development of soccer in the run up to hosting the event.

Hanish is the Kerala Roads and Bridges Managing Director.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / Press Trust of India / Kochi – July 01st, 2014

Newly-wed Indian woman wins prime property in Dubai radio show

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion

 SruthymolKERALA02jul2014

Dubai :

A newly-wed Indian woman, who was visiting her husband in Dubai, has won a prime property in her home state in a competition run by a radio station, according to a media report.

Sruthymol V, 24, won the property three months after her marriage, when she flew into Dubai on a visit visa.

Sruthymol, who has graduated in computer science and engineering, was selected as the winner of 2,500 sqft of prime property in her home state Kerala in a competition run by Malayalam radio station Hit 96.7 FM, the Khaleej Times said.

She ‘hit the jackpot’ when her winning message was picked by the station’s randomiser from among a whopping 4.4 million messages the channel received for the contest held to mark its 10th anniversary in June.

“He (her husband Maneesh) had promised to get me a mobile phone when I go back to India if I don’t get a job. But he decided to buy the phone soon because of these contests run by Hit 96.7 FM,” the newspaper quoted her as saying.

To participate in the competition, listeners had to send free messages through the channel’s mobile app.

Sruthymol sent 1,922 messages in total, which is low compared to some senders who texted more than 20,000 messages.

No radio contests have given away such generous prizes to its listeners in the UAE.

“This is a record number of listener interaction under our group ARN’s radio network. We are checking if it is a record at the national or international level,” said Maya Kartha, deputy content director at Hit 96.7 FM.

Located close to the Kochi Smart City project, a joint venture of the Dubai and Kerala governments, the plot won by Sruthymol is valued at about Rs 4 million.

The couple wishes to build a home on the plot which is in the frontage area of a gated community being developed. PTI

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> NRI’s corner / Wednesday – July 02nd, 2014