Top 10 in India – Karnataka First

NATIONAL: SPORTS-SWIMING: S Sharanya Wins 04 gold medals at National Aquatic Championship 2024, Bhubaneswar-Odisha

S. Sharanya, a native of Uginahalli in K.R. Nagar taluk of Mandya district, has secured gold medals in four categories of the 40th Sub-Junior and 50th Junior National Aquatic Championship-2024 (Swimming) held at Bhubaneswar in Odisha recently.

He won the first place in 1,500 mts Freestyle (16.45.40 minutes), 800 mts Freestyle (8.53.89 minutes), 400 mts Freestyle (4.14.63 minutes) and 4×100 mts Freestyle (3.45.86 minutes).

A 9th standard student of Jain Heritage School at Kampapura in Bengaluru, Sharanya had previously won gold medals in Khelo India Swimming Championship and Swimming Contest held at Rajkot in Gujarat.

Sharanya is the son of Sridhar, a Computer Engineer and Dr. H.K. Lakshmi, a Gynaecologist at Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS-ATHLETE: A silver lining. Para-athlete Nishad Kumar clinches ‘Silver in Men’s High Jump T47 , Paris Paralympics 2024

Para-athlete Nishad Kumar, who lost his right hand in an accident at a very young age, talks about clinching the silver medal in the men’s high jump T47 event at the Paris Paralympics 2024.

Reflecting on his silver medal in the men’s high jump T47 at the Paris Paralympics, Nishad Kumar recalls focusing on staying calm and composed just before the competition.

Although aware of the expectations, he tried to ‘shut all the noise in his head to focus on himself.’ “I was not trying to overthink and was keeping myself calm. I was going through all that we had planned and where to take the jump. I had prepped well; at that point, I was just focusing on implementing all that I had learned from training,” says Kumar, speaking to us from Paris.

The 24-year-old, who trains in Bengaluru, achieved a season-best jump of 2.04 metres, finishing behind the USA’s Roderick Townsend. “I was never intimidated by anyone. I knew where I stood and was hoping for a silver. Anything more than that would have been a pleasant surprise, but I am quite happy,” says Kumar, who trained in the USA under coach Jeremy Fischer, coach of Olympic medallist Will Claye, before the Paris Paralympics.

Among the long list of congratulatory messages that followed his podium finish was one from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took to X to hail Kumar’s achievement, calling it a ‘remarkable’ at the ongoing Paralympics.

Kumar, originally from Badaun village near Amb in Himachal Pradesh, called his mother after clinching the medal. “They were happy and quite proud. My mother promised to make kheer when I returned home; that’s my favourite dessert. Now I am looking forward to reaching home,” says Kumar.

The 6-foot-4-inch para-athlete credits his success not only to his coaches but also to his mother, who never gave up on him after he lost his right hand to a freak accident in 2007 involving a fodder-cutting machine. As a young child, Kumar had always wanted to serve his country and aspired to join the Indian Army.

Although that dream was cut short by the accident, it did not stop him from achieving his goal of representing the country. “It is always an honour to represent India. You become the face of the nation at that point, and that is not something small. I cherish it,” says Kumar, who also won silver at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago.

Kumar plans to stay in Paris until September 9 before returning to India for a grand welcome. “I am planning to first go to my village to meet my mother. But before that, I am looking forward to climbing the Eiffel Tower,” says Kumar.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: SPORTS / CRICKET: Bengaluru teen 19-yr-old Prakhar Chaturvedi smashes Record with 404* in Cooch Behar Trophy final

Having recently come to the fore, Prakhar Chaturvedi, the 19-yr-old B’luru cricketer who broke Yuvraj Singh’s 25-year-old record for the highest individual score in a Cooch Behar Final, on the historic knock, and his next course of action.

Earlier last month, the finale of the Cooch Behar Trophy saw Karnataka lift a historic maiden title after defeating Mumbai with a mammoth first-innings lead. And equally historic was the unbeaten innings by a teenager from Bengaluru – 404 runs off 638 balls – which not only helped Karnataka sail through to the title but also broke Yuvraj Singh’s 25-year-old record for the highest individual score in a Cooch Behar Final.

“Honestly, it’s still sinking in! Throughout the innings, I was just trying to stay focused on each ball, build partnerships, and contribute to the team’s victory. During lunchtime when I was playing at 299, my friends told me that the old record was 358. So it was in the back of my mind after I crossed 300, but my main goal was to play my best and help us win,” says Prakhar Chaturvedi, who, a few years earlier, was not picked for the Karnataka U19 zonal tournament.

“I was determined to play for Karnataka, so the only way was to score as many runs as possible in the U19 league and zonal.

So, I worked hard for the next eight to nine months, and last year, I was the highest run scorer in the U19 league. When I got the opportunity to play zonal, I was the second highest run scorer of the tournament and it helped me in state selection,” adds the 19-year-old who is currently pursuing a degree in BA economics online, studying when his schedule permits.

Having started his cricketing journey at the age of 11, Chaturvedi grew up watching some of the biggest players of this generation, yet considers Sir Vivian Richards, the legendary West Indies cricketer, his role model. “I have been growing up watching Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni. Though I have only watched them play on TV, I have picked up some of the tricks of the modern game from them.

However, I consider Sir Viv Richards to be my role model. I have learnt from him the pure joy of playing the game, the freedom to swing hard and trust your skills, and the feeling of owning the field like it is your backyard. Cricket, especially long innings, demands mental strength,” he adds.

Meanwhile, despite his historic knock, Chaturvedi remains grounded about his prospects. “I know this is the beginning and there is a long way to go. I have a lot to learn and improve, but it motivates me to work even harder and achieve even greater things in the future. The next five years are very crucial. I would say that the next two-three years are very crucial for my preparation.

I am yet to get exposed to the highest level of competitive cricket. So, my focus is to learn and adapt as quickly as possible and perform wherever I get the opportunity. I am currently representing Karnataka U23 at the CK Nayudu Trophy and I want to perform well in this tournament. I am a firm believer in process and taking one step at a time,” he says.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

WORLD RECORD: NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: World No.1 Ranking will Inspire ‘Gen-Next’ of Indian Tennis, says Rohan Bopanna after Achieving the Feat

Bopanna is set to become the oldest tennis player to achieve the world No. 1 ranking in men’s doubles after reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open along with his partner Matthew Ebden of Australia.

Rohan Bopanna feels that his ascent to world No. 1 in doubles rankings at the twilight of his career is perfect boost that Indian tennis needed just when it was falling off the radar.

The 43-year-old, who had entered the tournament with a career-high ranking of world No. 3, and Ebden recorded a comfortable 6-4 7-6(5) win over sixth seeded Argentinian duo of Máximo González and Andrés Molteni in the quarterfinals that lasted an hour and 46 minutes here.

Bopanna will be crowned the new numero uno spot on Monday after the end of the tournament.

“It (the feat) means a lot not to just me but for Indian tennis also. You need something to inspire the next generation. Sumit (Nagal) also had a great Australian Open. He won a round,” Bopanna told PTI in an exclusive interview from Melbourne.

And the star player said the feat came with a lot of sacrifices.

“Extremely proud of this (world no.1 ranking in men’s doubles). It’s a special moment. Lot of sacrifices have gone into this. My coaches, family everyone. My family is travelling with me, so different feeling,” he said.

In fact, he is more happy that for the past week, Indian tennis has been in the news.

“Nothing at all was happening in Indian tennis. You (journalists) also did not have much to write about, so this has happened at the right time.” Earlier, Rajeev Ram of the USA was the oldest player to be ranked world no. 1 when he had achieve the top ranking in October 2022 at the age of 38 for the first time in his career.

Ebden, on the other hand, is set to reach the world no 2 spot.

Bopanna twice reached the US Open final but never won a men’s doubles major.

He, however, has a mixed doubles trophy at the French Open when he and his partner Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada won the crown at the 2017 French Open, defeating Anna-Lena Grönefeld and Robert Farah in the final 2–6 6–2 12–10.

But Bopanna’s desire to win a men’s doubles title at the Slam still remains unfulfilled, something which we wants to achieve before hanging up his racquet.

“That’s a personal goal (winning men’s doubles title at a Grand Slam). It’s no one else’s goal,” he said.

For the veteran, it is always one step at a time.

“When you reach second round, next you want is third round then fourth, quarters, semi-final. So, yes I have been in two Slam final and now want to win but it’s a natural. You always try to go one better,” Bopanna said about his future goal.

Bopanna, who had achieved the highest of world No. 3 for the first time in 2013, is the fourth Indian after Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza to take the world number one rank in doubles.

He also didn’t forget to acknowledge the contribution of his long-time coach Scott David of the USA in his breathtaking journey in the game.

“I am probably fifty world number one of coach Scott David. It’s a proud moment for him also. I switched to doubles in 2010 and since then I have been with him only,” Bopanna said.

Bopanna and Ebden have been one of the most consistent pairs on the tour over the last 12 months. The duo reached the final of US Open 2023, their best result so far in Grand Slams.

En route the semifinals here, the second seeded Bopanna and Ebden, had to over come two close contests in the first and third rounds to book their place in the semifinals.

Their first hurdle came in the opening round against wildcards James Duckworth and Marc Polmans of Australia, whom Bopanna and Ebden defeated 6-7(5) 6-4 6-7(2).

Their next steep challenge came in the third round where they overcame 14th seeds Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands and Croatian Nikola Mektić 7-6(8) 7-6(4).

And Bopanna attributed the ability to finish close matches to his experience on the circuit.

“Experience is a great factor in getting those wins. Ever since, I started focussing only on doubles in 2010, it has taken me 13-14 years to reach this. I have been a journeyman,” said Bopanna, who will take over the top position from USA’s Austin Krajicek, who and his Croatian partner Ivan Dodig lost in the second round.

The Indo-Australian pair will play unseeded Tomas Machac of Czech Republic and Chinese Zhizhen Zhang in the semi-finals.

His former Davis Cup teammates Mahesh Bhupathi and Somdev Devvarman termed it as one of the greatest stories in Indian sport.

“Rohan Bopanna getting to World Number 1 today after 20 years on tour in my opinion is one of the greatest stories in Indian Sport!!!,” Bhupathi wrote on ‘X’.

“Bops first told me he was contemplating retirement 5 years ago, then 4 years ago, then 3 years ago…Moral of the story is…. Who cares… He’s number 1! Couldn’t be happier for the Bopanna family! rohanbopanna is the best story in indian sport,” Devvarman wrote.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

WORLD / NATIONAL/ KARNATAKA: WORLD RECORD SPORTS : Sibling Sisters, 10-year old Ovee Malve and Ruchi Malve from Bengaluru become World’s Youngest Certified Scuba Diver Sisters

Their interest in scuba diving stemmed from those videos and they started swimming and later training for scuba diving.

A day after turning 10, Bengaluru-based Ovee Malve set a world record of becoming the youngest certified scuba diver.

With this, both Ovee and her sister Ruchi, daughters of Bangalore Mountaineering Club founder Neeraj Malve, have become the youngest certified scuba diver siblings in the world. Neeraj himself has been a scuba diver for 16 years now. Ovee achieved the feat in Puducherry at 7.18 am on October 11, becoming the youngest Professional Association of Diving Instructors-certified open water diver.

Elated and proud, Neeraj said he understands that adventure sports are not easy, especially at a young age. He never pressured his children and ensured that they underwent proper training. The daughters were water babies since they were little and were fascinated with his scuba diving videos.

Their interest in scuba diving stemmed from those videos and they started swimming and later training for scuba diving, he said. Ovee enrolled for a junior open water diver course at Temple Adventures, Puducherry and trained under coach Shreya Mehta.

Her sister Ruchi (14) trained under Shaurya Tarni of Dive Goa in Goa. Ruchi enrolled for the Junior Open Water Diver certification course on October 27, 2022 and received the Scuba Schools International certificate on October 30, 2022. At the age of 10 and 13, both Malve sisters have become the world’s youngest scuba diver sisters.

Previously, a Mumbai-based boy, Dwit Nandu, at age 10 set the world record around 8 am on August 25, 2023.

Both the sisters underwent two-day rigorous training which included a 200-metre nonstop swimming and floating for 10 minutes without any support.

They studied five chapters of theory about performing underwater skills in confined waters, passed a written exam and successfully performed four dives in open water up to 18-metre depth to earn their open water diver certification.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: ENGINEERING: Mangaluru’s Rajendra Kalbavi Elected Secretary General of Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India)

Consulting civil engineer from Mangaluru and executive director of Dakshina Kannada Nirmiti Kendra was elected the secretary general of the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India) for two years.

Association president Vijay Kishan Sanap installed Mr. Kalbavi as the secretary general during the annual general body meeting on July 17 at Hyderabad, said a release.

Chief Returning Officer M.U. Ashwath had announced the results of the annual central committee elections held on April 26 at Nagpur and issued the certificate of election to Mr. Kalbavi for 2023-25.

Over 700 members attended the AGM at Hyderabad.

Mr. Kalbavi was conferred with the “Eminent Engineer Award” by the association in recognition of his achievement in the field of civil engineering during the Association’s Foundation Day at Nagpur recently.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / ATHLETICS: Kodagu Athlete Theetharamada Sinchal Kaveramma Breaks National Record at 62nd Inter-State Athletics Championships, Odisha; Qualifies For Asiad

Theetharamada Sinchal Kaveramma shattered the national record in the 400-metre hurdle and met the qualifying mark for the Asiad (Asian Games), during the 62nd Inter-State Athletics Championships in Odisha.

Notably, she broke the national record, crossing the finish line in a thrilling photo-finish with a time of 56.76 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 57.02 seconds. This remarkable achievement also stands as Sinchal’s personal best time. She clinched the silver medal in the 400-metre hurdles event and a bronze medal in mixed relay.

The recently concluded National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, held at the Kalinga Stadium at Bhubaneswar, Odisha, served as a selection trial for both the delayed Asian Games in Hangzhou, scheduled for September, and the upcoming World Championships in Hungary.

Numerous top-tier athletes travelled to Bhubaneswar with the aim of securing their spots in the Asian Games later this year. Sinchal is among the 65 athletes representing 27 disciplines who persevered through scorching heatwaves to meet the Asiad qualification standard.

Sinchal receives training from Bollanda Vikram Aiyappa and Pramila Aiyappa in Bengaluru. Speaking to Star of Mysore, she attributed her record-breaking performance to her coaches and family, expressing her full dedication to them. Sinchal has already commenced her preparations for the main Asian Games, scheduled to take place from Sept. 15 in Bangkok.

Sinchal is the daughter of Theetharamada M. Ravi and Rashmi (Kuppanda), residents of Nalloor village near Ponnampet. Her grandparents are Theetharamada Mudappa and Chondamma of Nalloor, as well as Kuppanda C. Thimmaiah and Muthakki of Nalvathoklu.

Sinchal completed her primary education at Lions Primary School in Gonikoppa and attended high school at Alvas English Medium High School in Moodbidri. She pursued her pre-university course at Alvas PU College and is currently in her final year of B.Com studies at Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College in Bengaluru.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: RECORD – SPORTS / CRICKET: KL Rahul Completes 7000 T20 Runs, Breaks Virat Kohli’s Long-Standing Record To Achieve Massive Feat

KL Rahul is the third-fastest overall, in terms of innings taken, to reach the 7000-run landmark in T20 cricket.

K L Rahul became the 41st male cricketer to have scored 7000 runs in T20 cricket during match number 31 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Saturday.

KL Rahul became the fastest Indian to reach the landmark, beating Virat Kohli.

INNINGS TAKEN TO REACH 7000 T20 RUNS

KL RAHUL	197
Virat Kohli	212
Shikhar Dhawan	246
Suresh Raina	251
Rohit Sharma	258

Overall, KL Rahul is the third-fastest in terms of innings taken to reach the 7000-run landmark in T20s.

source/content: news18.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 / 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)