The national shooting federation, which is fighting a court battle to uphold its selection criteria in the ongoing trials for the Paris Olympics, seems to have bent the rules for one marksman recently, allowing him to participate despite lower-than-requisite scores. Trap marksman Karan missed the National Rifles Association of India's (NRAI) criteria for shotgun selection trials by two points but was allowed to compete, while several others, who shot identical scores during last year's National Championships, were not considered. A letter issued by NRAI in November announcing "Selection Trials as per Shotgun Selection Criteria 2024 & Olympic Selection Criteria 2024 for Shotgun event" states that shooters with a score of 110 in senior men's trap during the 66th National Championship (October-November, 2023) were eligible for the exercise held between December 2023 and March 2024. Karan, an Army marksman, shot 108 in the National Championships but his was the only recommendation accepted by the NRAI, while the same exception was not made for a dozen more shooters, who shot identical scores. Also Read: IPL 2024 | "You have to have a big heart": Sandeep on bowling death overs The shooter competed in a series of four selection trials and is currently ranked 15th, thus failing to make the national squad.NRAI secretary Rajiv Bhatia told PTI that since Karan is a "budding" shooter and his "recommendation had come from the Army", an exception was made for him. "We did give an exception as he is a budding, good shooter. There was a difference of just two points and he has been shooting good scores. That's why we introduced him in the trials for selecting the teams for World Cups, World Championships, everything (including Olympics)," said Bhatia. "We cannot simply go by the rule book (lakeer ke fakeer nahin ban sakte). There was a recommendation from the Army to allow him (for national trials) because he had shot very well at the National Games (in Goa). Karan, representing Services Sports Control Board, was the first to be eliminated in the trap finals at the National Games in Goa, finishing sixth. The NRAI, ironically, is locked in a legal battle with some Olympic aspirants in the Delhi High Court, where it is insisting that no more than top five shooters in rifle and pistol would be allowed in the ongoing trials. The process has come under criticism from no less than former national coach and legendary pistol shooter Jaspal Rana, who has said that the federation is not following international norms. Asked why the trials were not opened for marksmen who shot identical scores at the Nationals, Bhatia said, "I think we allowed him under a special criteria because of his previous scores." Bhatia added that giving an exception in trials didn't mean he was selected in the national squad for international competitions like the World Cups and World Championships. "So, was he selected for the World Cups? 'No', we just gave him an opportunity," he said. "Every state recommends shooters to be included (in trials), and we go by the merit. A marksman can shoot a bad score in a competition. One day you can shoot a bad score." Asked what NRAI would have done had he topped the trials, Bhatia said, "If somebody is performing, then why not (name him in the Olympic squad). How can we not consider him (for Olympics if he had performed)? Aim is to select the best athlete. "But he is not going for any competition. As on today, he is nowhere in the national ranking. I think his ranking is very low (after the trials). But if he had beaten the field, he would have been (in contention)." He added that an exception had also been made for the shooter to promote shotgun shooting as it is not as popular as pistol and rifle. "Shotgun, we have to promote as (the numbers are very less) compared to pistol rifle and other categories... it was a recommendation of the Army Marksmanship Unit, which is an affiliate unit of the NRAI. "It was only one case, we did not open it for everybody. Just one time exception." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
23 April,2024 04:48 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIFor most athletes victory is usually the biggest motivator but not for history-making teen Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh, who said he got the “energy” to become the youngest Candidates chess champion thanks to his seventh-round loss to Iran’s Firouzja Alireza. The 17-year-old from Chennai, whose father is an ENT surgeon and mother a microbiologist, drew his 14th and final round game against American Hikaru Nakamura to win the prestigious tournament and become the youngest challenger for the world championship title. Also Read: Swimming: China slams ‘fake’ dope result He will take on China’s Ding Liren in that match later this year. “I was feeling really good from the start but after my seventh round loss against Alireza, I was really upset. It was a painful loss. But the next day I had a rest day and was feeling my absolute best,” Gukesh told PTI videos in a zoom interview from Toronto.“The loss kind of provided me with the energy and motivation. After the loss I really felt that if I continue doing the right thing, and I am in the right mental state then I can really go for the wins,” he added. Gukesh became only the second Indian after five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand to win the Candidates. In the process, he bettered a 40-year-old record by the great Garry Kasparov, who became the youngest to challenge for the world title in 1984 at 22. Reflecting on how the tournament went for him, the world’s third youngest Grandmaster said, “The focus from the beginning of the tournament was to trust the process, to be in the right mindset and play the right chess. I think throughout the tournament, I managed to do that well and consider myself fortunate enough to have the results go my way.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 April,2024 07:52 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIBeijing on Monday called reports about 23 Chinese swimmers testing positive for a banned substance ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 “fake news”. Also Read: Disgrace La Liga has no goal-line tech: Xavi The sport was rocked at the weekend by revelations that the swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ)—a prescription heart drug that is banned in athletes because it can enhance performance—before the Games three years ago. “The relevant reports are fake news and not factual,” said China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Monday. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 April,2024 07:50 AM IST | Beijing | AFPMumbai Customs fittingly won the men’s title at the 43rd Willingdon Catholic Gymkhana (WCG) rink hockey tournament in Santacruz, beating Hockey Astrengung 4-1 in the final. Venkatesh Devkar and Iktidar Ishrat scored a brace each for Customs while Girish Pimpale pulled one back for Hockey Astrengung. Also Read: Sisters Saanvi, Anvi win medals galore Veterans champs Mumbai Raje In the veterans final, Mumbai Raje beat Mumbai Port Authority (MPA) 4-2. Dhanraj Pillay, Soloman Alexander, Davindar Kumar and Girish Pimpale netted a goal each for Mumbai Raje while Leonard Pereira and Kalr Gomes scored for MPA. Devkar of Mumbai Customs and Mumbai Raje goalkeeper Vijay Kannan were adjudged best players of the tournament in the men’s open and veterans categories respectively.
23 April,2024 07:40 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentThe Deshwal sisters—Saanvi and Anvi—put up a fine ahow at the 37th Otters Club’s Open Swim Gala recently. Also Read: MFA League: Khatib shines for Iron Born, India Navy beat Central Bank of India Sanvi clinched five gold medals and one silver and was the lone record-breaker in the girls U-13 50m breaststroke girls event, clocking 01:13.73 seconds, eclipsing the 2018 record of 01:13.75 secs set by Vedika Amin. Anvi, meanwhile, won one gold medal in 100m freestyle event, three silver medals and two bronze medals for a rich haul.
23 April,2024 07:38 AM IST | Mumbai | A Correspondent
Pluck, sizzling form and a cool conduct provided just the right mixture for 17-year-old D Gukesh to win the elite eight-player FIDE Candidates 2024 Chess tournament on debut in Canada on Sunday. The Indian scripted history as the youngest ever to win the event and earned the right to play reigning world champion Ding Liren of China for the world title later this year. Gukesh, apart from R Praggnanandhaa and R Vaishali have been mentored by five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand through the Westbridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA). In an exclusive chat with mid-day, Anand discusses the strengths and merits of Gukesh and how the Candidates panned out in a thrilling and suspenseful way in the last rounds. Edited excerpts from the interview with the chess great. On Gukesh winning the Candidates:I was just being reconciled to witness a tie-break seeing Fabiano Caruana on the winning side, but within seconds, the scenario changed and we could witness history being made. Gukesh has arrived, not just as a Candidate but in every sense of the word. He has stormed into the world’s elite [group] and his +4 score (5 wins, 1 loss) in a Candidates is highly impressive. This is a huge result for India and the youth. Also Read: Cheerleading is not everyone’s cup of tea India’s Grandmaster D Gukesh during his Round 14 match against Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura of USA in Toronto on Sunday. Pic/PTI; (right) Viswanathan Anand On what made Gukesh stand apart from others:I had predicted that in every tournament we have the possibility of rooting for one player or the other from WACA for the next 10 years, since this is an incredibly talented bunch. I honestly didn’t expect Gukesh to outperform at this incredible level so soon. The only correct guess I made was that I don’t expect him to win but I wouldn’t rule out the possibility either. Apart from his game, he coped admirably with all the tension, developments and circumstances during the event. In fact, the most seasoned and experienced campaigners cracked under pressure. This was one steady and consistent performance. Also Read: Yuzvendra Chahal becomes first bowler to take 200 IPL wickets On this edition of the Candidates:Obviously, this was the most close and exciting Candidates, more so in the last three rounds when five were in contention; then four in the final round. Victory chances for the top four bunched players were very realistic and incredibly, the top four were pitted against themselves in the last round. The Caruana versus Ian Nepomniachtchi encounter was a dramatic one, which neither will forget very soon. Honestly, Caruana has won much lesser advantageous positions effortlessly. This time, nerves were very difficult to handle for the players, spectators and followers, including me. The entire drama was draining and I just can’t imagine what it was like for the players. I am an exhausted spectator. On himself winning the Candidates twice:I won for the first time at Las Palmas [Canary Islands] in 1994-95 as a 25-year-old and remember being thrilled about it. I beat Gata Kamsky. We finished a couple of days early [Candidates was a different format then]. I enjoyed the free time, but was more excited at the thought of playing Garry Kasparov for the World title. I was in a different phase of my career while winning in Khanty Mansysk [Russia] in 2014 [had just lost his world title to Magnus Carlsen] and hence, that will always remain as one of the happiest memories of my life.
23 April,2024 07:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Manisha MohiteDon Bosco (Matunga) ‘B’ won the boys U-14 final of the 43rd Willingdon Catholic Gymkhana (WCG) rink hockey tournament in Santacruz on Sunday while Manipur won the girls U-16 title. The Bosco boys beat India Rush 4-0 with Rezin David netting a fine brace while Daksha Khochare and Royden Koli added one goal each. Also Read: Ajay Jaiswal smashes triple ton for Bhiwandi Taluka The girls U-16 champions Manipur In the exciting girls U-16 final, Manipur beat India Rush by a narrow 3-2 margin. Seram Henthoi scored twice for Manpur while Meikam Surviya added the third. For India Rush, Anvi Rawat and Pushpa Dang got a goal each. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 April,2024 08:25 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesOlympian Virdhawal Khade of Khar Gymkhana showed in ample measure that he is still a cut above the rest, clinching double gold medals at the 37th Otters Club Open Swim Gala on Sunday. Also Read: KKR one it and how Khade, a former national record holder in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle events, triumphed in the 50m freestyle (00:25.78 secs) as well as 50m breaststroke (00:34.03 secs) events. In the women’s section, Himanta Barbara of RFC won gold medals in the 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke events. In the boys U-11 section, Rivan Kolahi of MGMO won four gold while Heeva Patel of Bombay YMCA bagged three gold medals in the girls category. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 April,2024 08:10 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesIndia’s Greco Roman wrestlers cut a sorry figure at the Asian Olympic Qualifier here on Sunday as none of them could secure a berth for the Paris Games. Also Read: Akshdeep, Priyanka qualify for Paris Games Sunil, competing in 87kg category, was the only Indian who managed to win a bout, while others were eliminated after losing their first rounds. Sunil beat a tough Japanese rival Soh Sakabe 5-1. In his quarter-final against Uzbekistan’s Jalgasbay Berdimuratov, the Indian lost 2-4 to bow out of the race for qualification. Sumit (60kg), Vikas (77kg), Nitesh (97kg) and Naveen (130kg) fell in Rd 1. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 April,2024 08:00 AM IST | Kyrgyzstan | PTIIndia’s mixed relay team comprising Akshdeep Singh and Priyanka Goswami qualified for Paris Olympics by virtue of their 18th place finish at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships on Sunday. Also Read: We were amazing, quick: Red Bull’s Verstappen The Top 22 teams automatically qualify for the quadrennial extravaganza and the Indian duo clocked a personal best time of 3:05.03 across the 42.195 km distance that they covered. The event was won by the Italian team represented by Francesco Fortunato and Valentina Trapletti, who won the gold medal with a timing of 2:56:45. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 April,2024 07:55 AM IST | Antalya | PTIMax Verstappen rounded off a dominant weekend with victory in the first Chinese Grand Prix for five years on Sunday to extend his world championship lead, a day after romping to sprint victory. The three-time world champion was again in a league of his own as Formula One returned to the Shanghai International Circuit for the first time since 2019. Also Read: Panwar secures India’s first Paris Olympics quota in rowing He finished 13.7 seconds ahead of Lando Norris with Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez third, a further six seconds back. It looked odds-on that Red Bull would repeat their one-two in Japan a fortnight ago until two safety cars in quick succession mid-race. “It felt amazing. The whole weekend we were incredibly quick,” said Verstappen. “We survived the restarts well and the car was basically on rails and I could do whatever I wanted with it.” He increased his lead over Perez at the top of the world championship to 25 points, with Red Bull now 44 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors’ fight. “Those kind of weekends are amazing to feel and to achieve what we did this weekend is fantastic,” added Verstappen, who won for the first time in China. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 April,2024 07:50 AM IST | Shanghai | AFPADVERTISEMENT
