Category: Top 10 in India

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 / 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)

KARNATAKA: HISTORY /ARTS & CULTURE / LANDMARK: PM Modi Unveils 108-feet Bronze Statue of Bengaluru Founder ‘Nadaprabhu’ Kempegowda making it the Tallest Bronze Statue of a Founder of a City

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled the 108-feet tall statue of the city’s founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, which is the “first and the tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city”, as per the ‘World Book of Records’.

Called the “Statue of Prosperity”, it has been built to commemorate the contribution of Kempegowda towards the growth of Bengaluru.

The statue weighing 218 tonnes (98 tonnes of bronze and 120 tonnes of steel) has been installed at the Kempegowda International Airport here.

It has a sword weighing four tonnes.

The project, besides the statue, has a heritage theme park in an area covering 23 acres dedicated to the 16th century chieftain, together costing about Rs 84 crore to the government.

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and several of his cabinet colleagues, Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji of Adichunchanagiri Math, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, BJP Parliamentary Board member B S Yediyurappa, former Chief Minister S M Krishna, BJP legislators, officials, among others were present at the event.

Kempegowda, a feudatory ruler under the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire founded Bengaluru in 1537.

He is revered, especially by the Vokkaliga community that is dominant in Old Mysuru and other parts of southern Karnataka.

Renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar has designed the statue.

Sutar had built the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat and the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Bengaluru’s ‘Vidhana Soudha’.

As a precursor to the unveiling, ‘Mruthike’ (sacred mud) was collected from over 22,000 locations across the state, which was mixed symbolically with the mud beneath one of the four towers of the statue.

Twenty-one special vehicles collected the sacred mud in villages, towns and cities during the last two weeks.

With the installation of the statue ahead of the Assembly polls next year, a competition of sorts seems to have erupted between political parties to claim credit for the legacy of Kempegowda, aimed at garnering electoral support from the politically dominant Vokkaliga community.

Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah had earlier said the Congress government led by him was the one which had first planned to install the statue of Kempegowda at the airport.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: Bengaluru’s Female Racer Pragathi Gowda wins the Asia-Pacific final of FIA Rally Star Programme

The first round of the 2020 Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) held in Itanagar saw a young new talent blitzing her way through the competition to secure an overall top 10 finish on her debut. That day, motorsports veterans and enthusiasts felt that the newcomer was a future talent.

Within just two years, they were proved right when Bengaluru’s Pragathi Gowda won the Asia-Pacific final of the FIA Rally Star programme held at the Madras International Circuit early last week, beating 26 other drivers, from seven different national motorsport clubs across the continent.

Gowda says she developed her interest in motorsports driving in the city, along with some big encouragement coming from her father and brother. Having to travel often for races, Gowda explains that coming back home helps her re-energise. “Bengaluru is such a wonderful place to live; I adore it! When I’m away, I genuinely miss the city, and I cannot wait to return home,” she says, adding that her favourite way to unwind is with a cup of coffee.

Having started her motorsports career very recently in 2019, Gowda says that getting an opportunity to represent India in an international event has been a dream come true. “I made my country proud with that win, and I will always cherish that achievement,” she says. After a impressive debut in INRC in 2020, she has emerged as one of the most promising racers in the country. However, she says that her experience in INRC was of little to no use during the Rally Star final.

“It was a completely different challenge. The car was radically different compared to the ones I’m used to. It was tricky to drive, as I had no prior experience with a rear-wheel-driven car. Adjusting to the car was a difficult process and it took me a while to get the best times out of it,” shares Gowda, who is self-taught. Despite her struggles to adjust to the car, she says that her comfort with gravel stages gave her the upper hand. “I’m a gravel girl, I always loved driving on dirt.

And I’m hoping that it’ll give me an advantage during the finals next year,” she quips. Despite her achievements, Gowda says the environment in Bengaluru and the wider region are not very supportive of motorsports aspirants. Drawing on her own experiences, she felt that most people view motorsports as dangerous, despite the recent advances in driver safety. “The negative perception acts as a barrier to entry, especially to women,” she says.

“If we had more top-tier international sporting events such as Formula 1, and World Rally Championship happening in the country, it would probably help change people’s perception, while giving motorsports wider exposure.” One day, she hopes to land a seat in the FIA World Rally Championship. And as she prepares for the all-important Rally Star finals in Peru next year, Gowda says the process hasn’t been straightforward as she lacks access to a suitable practice car.

“All this while, it was just me alone trying to make the country proud. But now, I’ll need the country’s help to give me the best possible chance at the next stage. I definitely cannot do it alone,” concludes Gowda.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: BUSINESS & ECONOMY / ACQUISITION: William Penn, India’s leading Brand for Premium Writing Instruments Acquires ‘Sheaffer’, the 110-year-old Iconic American Manufacturing Company of Writing Instruments,

William Penn, India’s leading brand for premium writing instruments and lifestyle accessories recently acquired Sheaffer, the 110-year-old iconic American manufacturing company of writing instruments, mainly known for their luxury fountain pens.

In 1907, Walter A. Sheaffer invented an ink-loading system for fountain pens and W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company was incorporated in the US on May 16, 1913 and grew to spread its footprint in over 75 countries. With the Sheaffer ac quisition, William Penn has become a global brand.

Founder and Managing Director of William Penn Nikhil Ranjan, who is a Mysurean, always believed in the power of the written word. After getting a mechanical engineering degree in Mysuru, Nikhil thought out-of-the-box and founded William Penn in Bengaluru in 2002, to introduce the beauty of fine stationery. He launched a line of luxury stationery and soon, his business flourished. Today,  William Penn is also credited with bringingthe fountain pen and ink back from the brink and reclaiming its rightful place in fine writing. B.C. Thimmaiah of Star of Mysore spoke to him about the acquisition and what it means to William Penn. —Excerpts:

Star of Mysore (SOM): What do you have to say about this acquisition?

Nikhil Ranjan: Well, we have been in the business for the last 20 years and until now, we have been the retailer and distributor of global brands. This is an opportunity for us to own a global brand and that’s a big step for us. This allows us to design and market products across the world because Sheaffer is an iconic brand, it is a 110-year-old brand present in 75 countries. We will have a footprint in those countries and it is a huge leap.

We also believe that as a company which is home-grown, out of India and being a global brand, having the opportunity to design and market products to have an impact around the world is what excites us.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: COMMONWEALTH GAMES (CWG2022) : Bengaluru-based Ace Shuttler 21-year-old Lakshya Sen Creates History, Wears the Crown of Champion by Winning Gold in the Badminton Men’s Singles Category

From bronze to silver and now gold, 21-year-old ace shuttler Lakshya Sen has etched his name in history at the Commonwealth Games 2022 with the crown of champion in the Men’s single category.

A gold at the Commonwealth Games debut and beating a world champion with a stunning comeback after losing the first game narrowly, and the exhaustion vanished giving way to exhilaration for Lakshya Sen who has travelled from Birmingham to Hyderabad and finally, Bengaluru. The golden boy of the Men’s single badminton, Sen was given a rousing reception with a live band playing the dhol.

Before heading home, Sen went to the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, where he was coached by the champion Prakash Padukone, who was the first to win a gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, and forme r national champion Vimal Kumar. For a champion, the place where he hones his skills is always sacred, and Sen was extremely grateful to his coaches for his victory by pummelling Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong.

fter that, I will resume training for the world championship,” says the 21-year-old, who hates ice baths which help athletes recover. What does the champ do when he is not following a gruelling training regime or thrashing opponents? Like anyone his age, Sen hangs out with friends.

“Since I stay far away from the city, I have to plan out my day when I catch up with friends. I also love playing on my playstation and watching thrillers,” says Sen, who moved to Bengaluru from Uttarakhand, when he was about nine to fulfil his ‘lakshya’ of becoming a champion shuttler.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL RECORD BREAKER: SPORTS, AQUATICS: Dhinidhi Desinghu 12-year-Old Bengaluru’s Little Swimming Champ Breaks 13-year-old Swimming Record

Bengaluru’s Dhinidhi Desinghu has been making waves in the swimming circuit. The 12-year-old rose to prominence last year when she set national records in the 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley at the Junior and Sub-Junior National Aquatic Championship.

This year, she has kept up her gold-winning performances, bagging three gold medals in the Karnataka Mini Olympics in May and following it up with three more golds at the Karnataka Junior and Sub-Junior Aquatic Championship, including a recording-breaking effort in 100m freestyle (59.64 seconds) that rewrote a 13-year-old record.

The youngster has the tough task of balancing her academics and swimming commitments. “Since school timings have changed after the easing of the pandemic restrictions, it is a bit more stressful and my academic workload has increased since the previous year. But I am able to cope,” says Dhinidhi, a Grade 7 student at Kendriya Vidyalaya DRDO in CV Raman Nagar.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS: COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Weightlifter Gururaj Poojary Wins Bronze – India’s 2nd Medal at CWG 2022, Birmingham

Weightlifter Gururaj Poojary won the second medal for India at Commonwealth Games 2022 after he bagged a bronze medal in the men’s 61kg event, here on Saturday July 30. 

Poojary successfully pulled off a combined lift of 269kg, (118kg in snatch and 151kg in clean and jerk) to claim a podium finish at Birmingham 2022. This was also his second straight CWG medal after he won the men’s 56kg silver medal at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Gururaj Poojary hails from Jeddu in Chittur gram panchayat of Kundapur. Gururaj, son of Mahabala Poojary and Paddu Poojary couple living at Jeddu village.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: INNOVATION: Karnataka Tops NITI Aayog’s ‘India Innovation Index 2022’

Report suggests steps to secure a place in Global Innovation Index’s top 25 nations.

Karnataka has bagged the top rank in NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index, 2022, which determines innovation capacities and ecosystems at the sub-national level. The State has held this position, under the Major States category, in all three editions of the Index so far.

In the Index released on Thursday, Manipur secured the lead in the Northeast and Hill States category, while Chandigarh was the top performer in the Union Territories and City States category.

Karnataka was followed by Telangana, Haryana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar and Gujarat were at the bottom of the index.

Pointing out that India’s average innovation score is arguably insufficient, given the country’s ambitious targets to be named among the top 25 nations in the Global Innovation Index, the report by the government think tank has recommended measures, such as increasing Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D (GDERD), promoting private sector participation in R&D and closing the gap between industry demand and what the country produces through its education systems.

The report went on to state that countries that spend less on GDERD fail to retain their human capital in the long run and the ability to innovate is dependent on the quality of human capital; India’s GDERD as a percentage of GDP stood at about 0.7%.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)