Category: Sports, National

NATIONAL: SPORTS / ACROBATICS: Mysuru Girls Bag National-Level Bronze In Acrobatics Gymnastics, Haryana

Mysuru girls bagged National-level Bronze Medal in Acrobatics Gymnastics (women’s trio) at the Senior and Junior Acrobatics Gymnastics National Championship 2022-23 held at Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Sonipat, Harayana, from Mar. 27 to 29. They are:

A.Y. Shivani, a 9th standard student of Pramati Hillview Academy and the daughter of Yogesh and Yashodha.

S. Srushti, a 8th standard student of Royal Concord International School and the daughter of Santosh and Pavithra.

P. Annapoorani, a 10th standard student of Baden Powell Public School and the daughter of Pandi and Shanthi.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: SPORT / MOUNTAINEERING: Naveen Mallesh sets a New Record Conquering Peaks

This mountaineer set a new record by scaling two among the highest peaks in Asia, in a span of just three days.

When Naveen Mallesh  (35) stood atop Mount Fansipan in Vietnam in February this year, he was thankful for an uneventful trek.

At that moment, the mountaineer didn’t imagine he would eventually set a record of becoming the fastest individual to scale two mountains in South-East Asia.

Having undergone a month-long recovery process following a near-death experience while attempting to scale Mount Manaslu in Nepal in September ’22, Mallesh returned to mountaineering, scaling two among the highest peaks in South East Asia and Indo-China, Mount Kinabalu (Malaysia: 4,095m) and Mount Fansipan (Vietnam: 3,147m), respectively, within a span of just 3 days 10 hours and 49 minutes. “When I was talking to local guides in Fansipan, some didn’t believe I had come there having trekked Kinabalu just days before. They thought I had set a new record. It’s then that I applied for the Indian Book of Records and the Asian Book of Records,” he says.  

Mallesh’s only desire was to get back to doing what he loves and that drove him to undertake the challenge. “I explored trekking routes in the South-East and flew to Singapore. I then completed the trek to Mount Kinabalu in a day and flew back to Singapore. I had an 18-hour layover, flew to Vietnam, and completed the trek to Mount Fansipan,” he says, adding his experience helped him tackle the varied topography of both peaks. 

Like most mountaineers, Mallesh has always wanted to climb the highest peaks in all of the seven continents. In 2019, he scaled the first of the seven – Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. But the pandemic disrupted plans. So when he climbed the second of the seven peaks – Mount Elbrus, Russia, he dedicated that to Covid warriors. His next target was Mount Aconcagua, Argentina.

Yet again, the third wave and the ensuing restrictions forced the Banashankari resident to look elsewhere. He decided to scale Mount Manaslu – the world’s eighth-highest peak at 8,163m. When he was within touching distance of the peak, an avalanche buried him under snow. “It’s known as the ‘dead zone’. I had blockages in my lungs and frostbites on my toes. Thankfully, I was rescued,” shares Mallesh, who is now eyeing Mount Everest.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS: Government Officer Giridhar Salian wins Silver in Javelin Throw at ‘World Masters Athletics Torun Indoor Championship 2023 ‘ Torun, Poland

Giridhar Salian, a government officer hailing from Kavoor Bolpugudde, has won a silver medal for India in the Javelin throw event (M60) at the World Masters Athletics Torun indoor championship 2023 in Torun, Poland.

The event will conclude on April 1st. Salian has served in various capacities as a government officer, including as deputy director and Grade-I principal at Government ITI Kadri Hills, Mangaluru, and as executive director at Karnataka Vocational Training and Skill Development Corporation (KVTSDC), Bengaluru.

He is also a nodal officer and deputy apprenticeship advisor for implementation of apprenticeship training in the district.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Salian is a sportsman and has achieved medals at the district, state, national, and international level athletic meets in the Javelin throw event. He has represented India twice at the Asian Masters Athletic Championship and once at the World Masters Athletic Championship. Salian’s recent win follows his silver medal in the Javelin throw event at the 21st Asian Masters Athletics Championship in Kuching, Malaysia, in 2019.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

WORLD RECORD : SPORTS / TENNIS: Rohan Bopanna becomes Oldest ATP Masters 1000 Champion after claiming Indian Wells Doubles Title at 43

Bopanna thus surpassed Daniel Nestor of Canada, who had claimed the 2015 Cincinnati Masters to become the oldest champion at the age of 42.

Indian Wells :

India’s Rohan Bopanna became the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion when he and his Australian partner Matt Ebden claimed the men’s doubles crown at the BNP Paribas Open here.

The 43-year-old Bopanna and Ebden, 35, defeated top-seeded Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands and Neil Skupski of Britain 6-3, 2-6, 10-8 in the final on Saturday.

“Truly special. It’s called Tennis Paradise for a reason,” said Bopanna, who was playing in his 10th ATP Masters 1000 final.

“I’ve been, over the years, coming here and seeing all these guys win for so many years. I’m really happy that Matt and I were able to do this and get this title here.

“It’s been some tough matches, close matches. Today we played against one of the best teams out there. Really happy that we got the trophy.”

Bopanna thus surpassed Daniel Nestor of Canada, who had claimed the 2015 Cincinnati Masters to become the oldest champion at the age of 42.

“I spoke to Danny Nestor and I told him sorry I’m going to beat his record,” he joked.

“Winning the title, that stays with me, so really happy with that. ” It was the 43-year-old’s fifth Masters 1000 doubles title and first since he won in Monte Carlo in 2017.

This was the third final of the year for the Indo-Australian duo.

He now holds 24 tour-level trophies in his cabinet.

The Indo-Australian pair stunned defending and two-time desert titlists John Isner and Jack Sock in the semi-finals, while getting the better off Canadian singles stars Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov in the quarters.

Bopanna and Ebden had defeated Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez in their opening match.

A former World No.3, Bopanna jumped four places to No.11 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Rankings.

source/content: newindianexpress.com / PTI (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / BOATING: ’11th National Dragon Boat Championship’ begins in Swarna River, Heroor,Udupi, February 23 to 26th

700 participants from 15 States are likely to participate in the races till February 26. The event will be held at Swarna river in Heroor.

The 11th national dragon boat championship will begin in Udupi for four days from Thursday, with about 700 participants from 15 States expected to participate.

Organised by the Udupi district administration, in association with the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association, the competitions will be held on the Swarna near Heroor in Udupi.

Those selected in this championship will be eligible to participate in Asian Games to be held in September/October, 2023.

Arrangements like two access roads, space for viewers have been organised in Heroor.

According to Udupi MLA K. Raghupathi Bhat, dragon boat race has evolved into a competitive global sport.

‘‘Udupi got an opportunity to host this championship. The prospects of Udupi in organising water sports championships can be explored further. The championship will have 200 metres, 500 metres, and 2 km race,” he told presspersons.

In each category, 25 participants will get selected to participate in the Asian Games, Mr. Bhat said, adding that the dragon boats have already arrived at the venue.

The boats have been designed to look like a dragon’s head, while the rear is carved to look like a tail.

In this event, 22 persons sit on the narrow boat, while the rest of the team works the oars and one person sitting in the front will beat a drum to egg them on and a coxswain steers the boat. There will be three more persons on reserve.

The 10th national dragon boat championship was held in Bhopal last year.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / MARTIAL ARTS: Mysuru City MMA Athletes Win Medals At India Open Championships

Nine MMA athletes, aged between 13 and 28 years of Academy of Martial Science (AMS), won 4 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals for the State at the MMA India Open Championships held in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, in December last.

The event was hosted by Sports Association of Mixed Martial Arts of MP and sanctioned by MMA INDIA. More than 250 participants from across India participated in the Championship. They are all trained at the AMS by Kru Vikram and coaches Kavya, Samarth and Kiran.

Results

1. H.R. Theeksha Bharuni – Gold medal, 51 kgs, Youth C Div.

2. J. Ashwin – Gold, 65 kgs, Youth C Div.

3. Praful Raghavendra – Gold, 85 kgs, Youth C Div.

4. N. Aryan Raj – Bronze, 57 kgs, Youth B Div.

5. Samarth Vikram – Bronze, Bantam weight, Juniors (18-21 yrs).

6. U.K. Skandan Bangar – Bronze, Feather weight, Juniors (18-21yrs).

7. Zaid Mohammed – Gold, Welter weight, Juniors (18-21yrs).

8. B. Akshatha Shanbhogue – Gold Medal, Atom weight, Seniors (21yrs and above).

9. G.R. Sridhar – Bronze, Bantam weight, Seniors (21yrs and above).

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / EQUESTRIAN: 17-yr old Shlok Jhunjhunwala Wins 3 Medals at the ‘Jr National Equestrian Championship (JNEC)’ 2023, Bhopal

This Class 11 equestrian from a city-based riding school recently won two individual gold medals in the National Equestrian Championship.

The recently-concluded Junior National Equestrian Championship (JNEC) in Bhopal, witnessed 17-year-old Shlok Jhunjhunwala from city-based Embassy International Riding School (EIRS) emerge as champion in the young rider category, raking up two individual gold medals and one silver medal. He was also named the ‘Best Rider of the Year’ for the second consecutive time.

Jhunjhunwala also topped the first-ever freestyle dressage held in India at the event. “Freestyle was something that none of us knew how to do, and we had little time to practice. I chose to do my routine with Bollywood music, because I wanted to stand out. My sister helped me pick the music and along with my trainer, we planned everything well and it was a great experience,” he shares.

A Mumbai-native, Jhunjhunwala has been riding since he was eight. Lacking the physical fitness to take up other competitive sports, he says riding helped give him a sense of accomplishment. “I used to go to a riding camp near Pune a few times a year. I knew basic horse riding before that and loved riding ponies when I was young, but it was mostly just for fun. At that time, I wasn’t physically fit for a lot of other sports, so riding gave me a sense of accomplishment,” he says, adding that he started to compete in events at a trainer’s suggestion. “I started enjoying that feeling you get when you’re up against others, and are doing well. Once you achieve something, it drives you to do more,” he says.

On his first attempt at the JNEC in 2019, Jhunjhunwala was placed fourth and managed to achieve a team silver medal. The next year, he got his first individual gold medal in show jumping, which prompted him to take the sport seriously. “My parents started to get invested, both financially and physically. I started training with EIRS, which helped up my game, both in terms of fitness and technique. I have faced different challenges since then as well. Being away from home in 2020 took a toll on me, while in 2022, I was placed in a higher category where I was faced with riders with more experience. I guess 2021 was easier than the rest,” he shares.

In 2020, Jhunjhunwala also got his own horse, a major step to which he attributes a lot of progress since then. “Artemis was my first horse. She’s retired now because of a medical issue. But she took me a long way.  I have two other horses right now, Hulchul and Ignatius. The former is really special to me, he’s come a long way from not being able to do any sort of dressage to being in the top 10. Ignatius has a massive heart. I’ve given him a few terrible experiences in the arena through my mistakes, but he has always been great,” he adds.  

Currently studying in Class 11, Jhunjhunwala hopes to pursue engineering in the future and continue riding professionally. “India has a long way to go before being on the same level as the west. The level of competition we have here is nowhere close to that over there,” he concludes.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL – SOUTH ZONE: SPORTS / AQUATICS: Rianna Dhrithi Fernandes, Class 8 Girl Student Sets a New Meet Record, Winning Gold in ’33rd South Zone Aquatic Championship 2022′ Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Class 8 student Rianna Dhrithi Fernandes set a new meet record at the championship in Thiruvanathapuram (Kerala).

Class 8 student Rianna Dhrithi Fernandes of Lady Hill Victoria Girls’ High School, Mangaluru, won the gold medal in the 200-metre breast stroke at the 33rd South Zone Aquatic Championship in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) on December 27. The championship began on December 27 and will end on December 29.

Ms. Fernandes clocked 2:49.53 to create a new meet record. She beat the record set by Rachana Rao, also from Mangaluru, in the same championship, in 2017.

Ms. Fernandes is being coached by Lokraj Vitla at We One Aqua Centre, St. Aloysius swimming pool, Mangaluru.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / RACING: Mysuru Bike Racer Varun Nanjundegowda Wins National Title ‘JK Tyre National Racing Championship RE GT Cup 2022’

Twenty-four-year-old bike racer Varun Nanjundegowda from Mysuru grabbed the National Championship title in Coimbatore by winning six out of eight races in JK Tyre National Racing Championship RE GT Cup recently.

Varun entered the world of motorsports two years ago. With consistent passion and the right training, Varun has till now secured seven podium finish to be a National Champion. Now, he is all set to participate with the seniors in Pro Category.

He is the son of J. Nanjunde Gowda (Assistant Executive Engineer at Cauvery Neeravari Nigam) and Jyothi Gowda (home-maker), residents of Gururaja Layout, Mysuru. A BBA graduate from Vidhyaashram First Grade College, Varun trains under Jagadeesh N. Gowda and Ajai Xavier at Bengaluru, Chennai and Coimbatore.

“My interest in biking came from my cousin brother Raghu.

But my parents never wanted me to develop love for racing. I had no idea of motorsports until I was in college where I began to read about races and watch moto GP on TV. My interest took shape when I was part of a Biking Club named ‘The Lycans’ where I met some amazing people who pushed me towards my goal,” says Varun expressing his gratitude to his parents, coaches, family and friends.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / ROLLER SKATING: Karnataka State Shines in the ’60th National Roller Skating Championships 2022′ Winning 11 Medals – 6 Gold, 2 Silver and 3 Bronze.

The 60th National Roller Skating Championships 2022-23 was held at Bengaluru from December 11 to 22.

10 skaters from Hi-Flyers Skating Club had qualified for the Nationals.

4 skaters won 6 Golds, 2 silvers and 3 bronze.

In Individual Events :

Arpita Nishanth Shet gets 1 Gold and 1 Silver in Rink 500+D and Road 1 lap.


Muhammad Shamil Arshad gets 1 Gold and 1 Silver in Rink 500+D and Road 1 lap.


Dashiel Amanda Concessao gets 2 Bronzes in Dual TT and 500+D.


Moksha A Suvarna gets a Bronze in Road 1 lap.

In Group Events :

Shamil and Arpita grab the Gold in junior Mixed Relay.

Arpita and Dashiel also grab the Gold in the junior Girls Relay

These skaters were trained by coaches Mohandas K, Jayaraj and Ramanand of Hi-Flyers Skating Club.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)