Two-time Olympics medallist PV Sindhu survived a scare before prevailing over South Korea’s Sim Yu Jin but the highlight of the day was Ashmita Chaliha’s stunning win over third seed Beiwen Zhang of the USA in the second round of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 at Kuala Lumpur on May 23. World No. 15 Sindhu saw off Sim 21-13 12-21 21-14 in a 59-minute women’s singles second-round match to register her third win over the Korean world No. 34.
The 28-year-old hasn’t been able to hit top form ever since returning to action following a knee injury sustained in October last year. The 24-year-old Ashmita, ranked 53rd, sizzled on her way to a 21-19 16-21 21-12 win over world No. 10 Zhang to storm into the quarterfinals.
This is her second quarterfinals appearance in a Super 500 event, having reached the last-eight stage in the 2022 India Open. In other results, Kiran George went down fighting 13-21 18-21 against fifth seed Lee Zii Jia in a men’s singles clash.
Seventh-seeded Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also lost 18-21 22-20 14-21 to the Korean pair of Sung Shuo Yun and Yu Chien Hui. The mixed doubles pair of B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy went down 9-21 15-21 to the top-seeded Malaysian pair of Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, while Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker went down 17-21 11-21 to the second-seeded Malaysians Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.
Source: PTI
Tag: Sports news
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Malaysia Masters: Chaliha steals Sindhu’s thunder, ousts Zhang
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SRH qualify for playoffs after rain washes out match
Hyderabad (TIP)- Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 16 qualified for the IPL playoffs after rain washed out their match against Gujarat Titans without a ball being bowled. SRH thus became the third team to make the cut after Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. The Sunrisers will face Punjab Kings in their last league assignment on May 19. GT, last year’s runners-up and 2022 champions, were knocked out of the playoffs race after their previous match was also abandoned due to rain. The toss didn’t happen at the scheduled time of 7pm due to rain and wet outfield. The rain intensified before settling into a steady shower as the pitch and outfield stayed covered.
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Captain Leader Legend: Chhetri hangs up boots
Sunil Chhetri, India’s most decorated footballer, has announced his retirement from international football. Chhetri, 39, made the announcement through a video on social media platform X, mentioning that India’s upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifier game against Kuwait in Kolkata on June 6 will be his last.
“The recollection of the last 19 years is a combination of duty, pressure and immense joy. I never thought that these are the many games I would play for the country, good or bad but now I did but these last one and half two months I did. And this (the feeling) was very strange. I was probably going towards the decision that this game (against Kuwait) is going to be my last,” Chhetri said.
Sunil Chhetri, a name synonymous with Indian football, boasts a glittering career spanning over two decades. This gifted forward has not only dominated domestic leagues but also carved his name on the international stage. Call it coincidences or a twist of fate, Chhetri will play his final game in the city where he made his India debut 19 years ago. India’s game against Kuwait is a must-win to stay in contention for a World Cup Qualifiers Round 3 berth. Currently ranked second in Group A with four points from four games, India travel to face Qatar in their final group stage match. Only the top two teams progress.
“There is one day that I never forget and remember it quite often is the first time I played for my country man, it was unbelievable. But the day before, morning of the day, Sukhi sir, my first national team coach, in the morning he came to me and he’s like, you’re going to start? I can’t tell you how I was feeling man. I took my jersey, I sprayed some perfume on it, I have no idea why. So that day, everything that happened, once he told me, from breakfast to lunch and to the game and to my first goal in my debut, to conceding late 80th minute, that day is probably that I will never forget and is one of the best days of my national team journey,” Chhetri added.
“And the moment I told myself first, that yes, this is the game that is going to be my last, is when I started recollecting everything. It was so strange, I started thinking about this game, that game, this coach, that coach, that team, that member, that ground, that away match, this good game, that bad game, all my individual performances, everything came, all the flashes came. So I decided that this is it.”
Chhetri’s journey began in 2002 with Mohun Bagan. His talent soon propelled him abroad, with stints at the USA’s Kansas City Wizards (2010) and Portugal’s Sporting CP reserves (2012). Back in India, he donned the jerseys of prestigious clubs like East Bengal, Dempo, Mumbai City FC, and currently, Bengaluru FC. It’s with Bengaluru that Chhetri truly flourished, lifting trophies like the I-League (2014, 2016), ISL (2019), and Super Cup (2018). He even led them to the AFC Cup final in 2016.
While club success is impressive, Sunil Chhetri’s true magic lies in his international exploits. He has been instrumental in India’s victories in the Nehru Cup (2007, 2009, 2012) and the SAFF Championship (2011, 2015, 2021). Most significantly, his contribution to India’s 2008 AFC Challenge Cup win secured their first AFC Asian Cup appearance in 27 years.
But it’s his goalscoring prowess that sets Chhetri apart. Since his debut goal in 2002, he has amassed a staggering tally. With 94 goals in 150 international appearances, he sits comfortably as the third-highest active international goal-scorer, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Argentina’s Lionel Messi. This achievement places him fourth on the all-time list.
Chhetri’s international debut came in 2005, followed by his first goal against Pakistan. A defining moment arrived in the 2011 SAFF Championship, where he surpassed Indian legend I.M. Vijayan’s record of six goals in a single edition by scoring a phenomenal seven, propelling India to victory and becoming the national team’s highest scorer.
Across club and country, Chhetri’s goal tally stands at a remarkable 252 in 515 appearances, averaging almost a goal every two games. This consistency and talent haven’t gone unnoticed. In 2022, FIFA honoured him with a documentary titled “Captain Fantastic,” celebrating his journey and achievements. -
Kings stifle Royals to get 5-wicket win
Guwahati: Skipper Sam Curran played the lead act, taking two wickets and hitting a well-paced fifty, as Punjab Kings consigned Rajasthan Royals to a five-wicket defeat in their IPL match. The target was a mere 145, but Kings made heavy weather of it on a sluggish track but Curran (63 not out off 41 balls) had a calm head and the skills to lift them to their fifth win of the season. PBKS made 145/5 in 18.5 overs.
The Englishman received good support from Jitesh Sharma (22 off 20 balls) as the pair added 63 runs in a fluent fifth-wicket partnership.
For Royals, it was their fourth defeat on the trot but they remained second on the table with 16 points.
Earlier, despite a well-tuned 48 from local hero Riyan Parag, RR struggled against an array of accurate bowlers.
R Ashwin (28 off 19) and Parag (48 off 34) tried to accelerate during their 50-run stand for the fourth wicket but it could only bring in temporary momentum for RR.
“To be very honest, we have to sit back and accept that we are going through some failures,” RR captain Sanju Samson said. “You have to find out what’s not working well as a team.” Source: PTI -
Satwik-Chirag, Meiraba in last-8
Continuing their splendid run, young Indian shuttler Meiraba Luwang Maisnam and the star men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarterfinals of Thailand Open Super 500.
A day after his upset win over compatriot HS Prannoy, the 21-year-old Meiraba, who trains at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, eliminated Denmark’s Mads Christophersen 21-14 22-20 in a second round clash men’s singles clash that lasted 50 minutes. Meiraba, who had won the Iran Fajr International and India International in 2022, will face a litmus test when he takes on world champion and local hero Kunlavut Vitidsarn next.
World No. 3 Satwik and Chirag defeated Xie Sao Nan and Zeng Wei Han, ranked 69th, 21-16 21-11 in their second round match. The Asian Games gold medallists will next face Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap.
The Olympics-bound women’s pair of Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa beat Chinese Taipei’s Hung En-Tzu and Lin Yu-Pei 21-19 21-17 to also reach the quarterfinals. Ashmita Chaliha’s gruelling fight ended in a narrow loss as she went down 15-21 21-12 12-21 to top-seeded Chinese Han Yue in the women’s singles. -
Neeraj Chopra to power up for Paris, starting with Diamond League
Doha (TIP)- Olympics champion Neeraj Chopra’s Paris Games preparations will be put through a stern test when he begins his season in the first leg of the Diamond League against a star-studded but familiar field. The 26-year-old javelin superstar, who is also the reigning world and Asian Games champion, will be up against the likes of former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and Olympics and world medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic.
Asian Games silver medallist Kishore Jena will also be in the fray as he makes his Diamond League debut. Jena has a personal best of 87.54 metres while Chopra’s all-time best is 89.94m, which is also the national record.
“I think I am ready for tomorrow. I really like to be consistent, it is one of my greatest weapons. I will throw over 90m but consistency is more important,” Chopra said.
European champion Julian Weber of Germany, fourth in the Olympic Games and World Championships, will also compete in the 10-man field. The league will then move to Morocco on May 19.
Chopra is also the defending champion as he had set the tone for his title-laden 2023 season with a victory ahead of Vadlejch and Peters. Chopra has won three individual legs of Diamond League and lifted the champion’s trophy in 2022.
‘Too many functions at home’
After this event, Chopra will compete at home for the first time in three years at the National Federation Cup to be held in Bhubaneswar from May 12 to 15. Jena will also be taking part in the event.
Based abroad for training most of the time, Chopra has acknowledged that his stardom sometimes comes in the way of training and competing in India.
“For me more important is my sport. It’s good for my profile if I play in India but there are too many functions, marriage functions. I also want to join my family and friends but more than that, I want to train in an Olympics year,” said Chopra, who has spent the better part of the last few months training in South Africa, Turkey and Switzerland.
“Before Tokyo (Olympics), I always trained in India but right now I just want to focus on my game. I will train in India later,” added. Source: PTI -
Wrestling world governing body suspends Bajrang Punia
Wrestling’s world governing body UWW has suspended Bajrang Punia till the end of this year following NADA’s decision to hand him a provisional suspension for refusing to undergo a dope test. However, in a surprising decision, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) sanctioned close to Rs nine lakh for his training abroad despite being well aware of NADA’s order. Bajrang was suspended by NADA on April 23 after being served a whereabouts failure notice on April 18. In his defence, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist said he never refused to give his sample for testing but merely asked the Dope Control Officer to explain the presence of expired kits which were brought to take his sample.
Bajrang said he has not received any communication from the UWW about his suspension but the world body mentions that he stands suspended. “Suspended for the following reason until Dec 31, 2024,” reads the update on Bajrang’s profile. “Provisionally suspended by NADO IND for alleged ADRV (Anti-Doping Rule Violation),” was the reason mentioned.
Interestingly, the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), in its April 25 meeting, was informed that Bajrang has been sanctioned Rs 8,82,000 plus air fare (actual) for his proposal to train at Dagestan, Russia, from May 28.
Bajrang’s initial proposal was for a 35-day trip from April 24 but, as per the minutes of the MOC meeting, due to “conflicting travel dates due to his whereabouts failure, he chose to defer the travel plans from 24th April, 2024 to 28th May, 2024.”
“I am surprised that SAI cleared it. I have cancelled my plan, I am not going anywhere,” Bajrang said, adding that his lawyer has filed the reply to NADA.
Source: PTI -
Bowlers complement Kohli, Patidar as RCB crush PBKS
Dharamsala (TIP)- Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar conjured up superlative fifties before the bowlers joined the party as Royal Challengers Bengaluru kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a huge 60-run win over Punjab Kings in the IPL here on May 9.
Kohli’s 47-ball 92 was the cornerstone of RCB’s innings as he starred in two partnerships — 72 off 32 balls with Patidar (55 off 23 balls) and 92 off 46 balls with Cameron Green (46 off 27 balls) to propel RCB to 241/7.
In reply, Rilee Rossouw put up a show with a 27-ball 61-run knock but Karn Sharma’s twin strike triggered a collapse as PBKS were all out for 181 in 17 overs.
This was a fourth successive win for RCB and it took them to 10 points, while PBKS (8) were knocked out of the playoff race as they can reach a maximum of 12 points from the remaining two games.
Swapnil Singh (2/28), Karn (2/36) and Lockie Ferguson (2/29) took two each, while Mohammed Siraj (3/43) claimed three wickets for RCB.
Chasing a stiff target, PBKS lost Prabhsimr an Singh (6) early but Rossouw looked unstoppable as left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh was carted for two fours before Siraj was belted for three fours and a six.
Yash Dayal and Ferguson were then hit for 16 and 14 runs by Jonny Bairstow (27) and Rossouw as PBKS scored 75 runs in six overs.
Once Bairstow was removed by Ferguson, Rossouw turned his attention on Green, blasting two fours and a six on way to his fifty off 21 balls.
Jitesh Sharma was then cleaned up by Karn, while Swapnil got rid of Liam Livingstone (0) as Punjab slipped to 126 for 5 in 12th over.
They couldn’t recover from those blows and it was all over when Shashank Singh (37), Sam Curran (22) and Ashutosh Sharma (8) returned to the dugout.
Earlier, Kohli, who was dropped on 0 and 10, timed the ball nicely, used his feet and wrists to bring up his sixth IPL fifty this season. He reached his mark in 32 balls, before slamming another 40 in his next 15 balls. He cracked seven fours and six maximums.
Patidar, who was also given two lives, provided the early momentum as he slammed six maximums and three fours during his 23-ball 55.
After Patidar’s dismissal, Kohli and Green continued the onslaught to take RCB past the 200-mark. Green hit five fours and a six before being caught in the final ball as RCB scored 77 in last five overs. Source: PTI -
Bhuvi helps SRH end RR’s streak with one-run victory
Hyderabad (TIP)- Bhuvneshwar Kumar did the star turn with a sensational final over as Sunrisers Hyderabad stunned Rajasthan Royals by just one run in a last-ball thriller to keep their IPL playoff hopes alive here on May 2.
Needing two to win off the last delivery, Bhuvneshwar (3/41) trapped Rovman Powell (27) with a full toss to leave RR at 200/7 while chasing a target of 202.
Opting to bat, Nitish Reddy (76 not out) and Travis Head (58) produced explosive fifties, while Heinrich Klaasen made an unbeaten 19-ball 42 to power SRH to 201/3.
Things were looking up when Bhuvneshwar removed Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson for ducks in the opening over to leave RR at 1/2.
However, youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal (67) and Riyan Parag (77) came up with counterattacking fifties on way to a massive 134-run partnership to lay the foundation of the run chase.
But once the duo was back in the hut, Shimron Hetmyer (13) hit a four and a six as it seemed like a normal chase but T Natarajan got rid off Hetmyer, who perished at long-on and then skipper Pat Cummins removed Dhruv Jurel, who was caught at deep square leg in the 19th over.
The sudden loss of wickets gave SRH hope of a turnaround but Powell produced a six in the last ball of the 19th over to bring the equation down to 13 off six balls.
The West Indian was calm enough to bring it down to two off the last ball but Bhuvneshwar denied him the glory.
Brief scores
SRH: 201/3 in 20 overs (Reddy 76*, Head 58; Avesh 2/39) vs RR: 200/7 in 20 overs (Parag 77, Jaiswal 67; Bhuvneshwar 3/41, Cummins 2/34) Source: PTI -
Irreplaceable: India not losing sleep over Pandya’s form
Mumbai (TIP)- India are not losing sleep over all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s form or batting stalwart Virat Kohli’s strike-rate heading into the T20 World Cup in June, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said on May 2. Pandya, when fit and in form, is India’s preferred seam-bowling all-rounder and has also been retained as vice-captain of the Rohit Sharma-led squad for the T20 showpiece co-hosted by the United States and West Indies.
Returning from an ankle injury suffered during the ODI World Cup last year, the 30-year-old has struggled with bat and ball in the IPL.
Under his captaincy, five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have slipped to ninth place in the 10-team league and will need a miracle to make the playoffs.
“The good part is he’s got through all the games for MI and we’ve got another month and a little bit till we play our first game,” Agarkar told reporters here.
“As long as he stays fit, we know what he brings, how much balance he gives the team. I don’t think there’s a replacement for the things that he can do as a cricketer, especially with the ball. He really gives Rohit the option to play different combinations. So his fitness for us is critical and so far, fortunately, he’s gone okay in this IPL.”
Consistent Kohli
Unlike Pandya, Kohli has been consistent in the IPL with 500 runs so far this season and only Ruturaj Gaikwad (509) has scored more runs than the former India captain.
Many find Kohli’s strike-rate of 147.59 not impressive enough but Agarkar and Rohit laughed off that criticism. “He’s been in great form in the IPL, no concerns there at all,” Agarkar said stressing the need for experience in a World Cup campaign. “You’ve got to prepare knowing there’s a gap (between the IPL and a World Cup). That’s where experience does matter a lot.” “There’s no point overthinking it.”
While the IPL provides a glimpse into the form and fitness of the players, Agarkar said performance in the league alone did not influence team selection.
With the ball likely to turn in West Indies, India have picked two specialist spinners — Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal — along with spin-bowling all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
“I wanted four spinners, three (specialist) seamers and Hardik as the fourth one,” Rohit said. “Based on the combination of our opponents, there’s a good chance that Kuldeep and Chahal will play together…”
Inaugural champions India will begin their campaign against Ireland in New York on June 5 and also face arch-rivals Pakistan, the United States and Canada in Group A. Source: Reuters -
Defending champions India knocked out of Thomas Cup Finals after losing 1-3 to China in quarterfinals
Lakshya Sen was the lone bright spot as the Indian men’s team failed to defend its title after going down fighting 1-3 to China in the quarterfinals, while the women’s side suffered a 0-3 loss to Japan to also end their campaign in the Thomas and Uber Cup Final here on May 2.
Two years after India claimed their maiden title at the World Men’s Team Championships, the country’s shuttlers endured a tough day in office as world No. 9 HS Prannoy, world No. 3 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and Dhruv Kapila and Sai Pratheek K failed to go the distance in their respective matches.
It was a rematch of the 2023 Asian Games team final which India lost 2-3 to sign off with a maiden silver.
The Indian team had ended their group stage at the second spot after losing 1-4 to Indonesia late on Wednesday, while the Chinese had an off day and the hosts seemed to be in better shape as they ticked all the boxes to come up trumps once again at the big stage.
A roaring start ended with a dampener for Prannoy as his spirited fight concluded with a 21-15 11-21 14-21 loss against world No. 2 Shi Yu Qi in a 66-minute clash which gave China a 1-0 lead.
“I don’t know but surely I think China had one day off and they came in (the contest) much more fresher. It makes a big difference in the third game. Unfortunate to kind of play today,” said Prannoy after the loss. “I will say that we had a very long night and by the time we slept it was 1.32 (am) and to kind of get back to the energy levels I think is definitely less,” he added.
“Everybody was very disappointed last night (after the loss to Indonesia), but to come out and play such a big match against the home crowd in less than 13 to 14 hours is a big task mentally out there because you just lost out with a big opponent like Indonesia,” said Prannoy. -
Indian-origin Punjabi taxi driver’s son makes it to Australia T20I team
MELBOURNE (TIP): Teenaged leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha, son of an Indian-origin taxi driver in Australia, has been named in Australia’s T20 squad for the upcoming five-match series in New Zealand.
Sangha, who represented Australia at the under-19 World Cup just 12 months ago, is son of Sydney-based Joga, who had migrated from Rahimpur Kala Sanghian, a village near Jalandhar in Punjab, in 1997.
Sangha, 19, has been in great form in the Big Bash League 10 regular season.
Playing for Sydney Thunder, he scalped 21 wickets at an impressive average of 16.66.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting had also called for Sangha’s inclusion in the national side.
“He’s a young bloke who looks like he’s pretty confident and in control of what he’s doing, and he bowls proper good balls so he might be someone they’d look to get into the system,” Ponting told cricket.com.au
“It’s a hard one for young leg-spinners, because they come along quickly and everyone’s excited by how good they might be, quite often they’re introduced early and they can have a few setbacks after that. But they might have to think about that,” he said.
Sangha was Australia’s leading wicket taker in the under-19 World Cup last year. He scalped 15 wickets in the six matches in the tournament held in South Africa.
Before Tanveer, Gurinder Sandhu was the other Indian-origin player to have played for Australia national team.
The five-match series between Australia and New Zealand will start from February 22.
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Indian American Sonia Raman Hired by Memphis Grizzlies as Assistant Coach
NEW YORK (TIP): National Basketball Association (NBA) team Memphis Grizzlies has hired Indian American Sonia Raman as assistant coach following 12 seasons (2008-20) as the head women’s basketball coach at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Raman joins Vin Bhavnani (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Roy Rana (Sacramento Kings) as the only Indian American coaches in the NBA.
The Engineers enjoyed unprecedented success under Raman, winning the program’s first two New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) championships (2018, 2019) and reaching the championship game in 2020.
Raman’s tenure also produced two NCAA Tournament berths for the program, while the Engineers compiled a 91-45 record (.669) in her final five seasons, according to NBA.
Following her first season in 2008-09, MIT’s record improved in each of the next five seasons. Eighteen of Raman’s student-athletes earned NEWMAC All-Conference accolades, including four Rookie of the Year awards.
She also had four seniors selected to participate in the New England Women’s Basketball Association Senior Classic.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of the Memphis Grizzlies coaching staff. I can’t wait to get to Memphis and get started with Taylor, his staff and the team’s emerging young core,” Raman said.
“I must also give a truly special thank you to MIT and the women I’ve had the honor of coaching for the past 12 years. I wish the program continued success.”
In September 2017, Raman was selected to serve a two-year term on the Coaches Council for the Alliance of Women Coaches, dedicated to leading the field of women coaches, at all levels.
“We are beyond excited to welcome Sonia to the Memphis Grizzlies,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins.
“She has a high basketball IQ and a tremendous ability to teach the game, as well as a strong passion for the game. She is going to be a great addition to our current coaching staff.”
Prior to her arrival in Cambridge, Raman was the top assistant coach at Wellesley College. During her six-year tenure, she scouted opponents, assisted with practice and game planning, managed individual player skill and leadership development, and served as the Blue’s primary recruiter.
Raman began her intercollegiate coaching career with a two-year stint as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Tufts University.
A four-year player and a captain for the Jumbos, she graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations. Raman went on to receive a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School in 2001.
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US Open through Jay Mandal’s Lens
The US Open from Aug 21 to Sep 9, 2018 in New York has been an experience for millions of lovers of Tennis the world over. Those who found opportunity to be at the stadium and watched games, have unforgettable memories of the great sporting event. So it has been with Jay Mandal, the ace photographer who is passionate about capturing action, wherever it is. We bring to our readers some exclusive pictures from his camera lens of the exciting tournament.
Photo:-Jay Mandal/On Assignment Andy Murray
Carla Suarez
Dominic Thiem of Austria
Photo:-Jay Mandal/On AssignmentDominic
Khachanova
Millman
Novak Djokovic of Serbia, 2018 U.S. Open men’s singles champion.
September8, 2018
Photo:-Jay Mandal/On AssignmentNovak
Photo:-Jay Mandal/On Assignment Nadal
Roger Federer at US Open
Photo:- Jay Mandal/On AssignmentFederer
Serena Wuilliams
Photo:-Jay Mandal/On AssignmentSerena
Sharapova
Yuk
Sandeep Chakravorty & Taruna Chakravorty
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas at the US Open at Flushing Meadows.
September 4, 2018
Photo:-Jay Mandal/On AssignmentPriyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas
Photo:-Nisha Biswal Photos / Courtesy Jay Mandal-on assignment
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Guinness World Record: World’s Largest Tennis Ball Logo
Ashok Parulekar
NEW YORK(TIP): Ashrita Furman holder of the most Guinness Records at the same time (currently over 200) and a team of friends created the world’s largest tennis ball logo within 7 days. The ball composition shows the logo of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, the world’s longest and largest relay run for peace, and has a width of 10.08 metre and a height of 5.30 metre. The sixty-three-year-old health food store manager of New York set this Guinness World Record to honour the 87th birth anniversary of Sri Chinmoy an Indian spiritual master, founder of the Peace Run and an avid tennis player. The 53.42 square metre ball logo consists of 12,393 tennis balls in the colours white, blue, green, orange and red.
The content is a factually accurate rendering of what it depicts and has not been modified or augmented except for standard cropping and toning.
Distribution, printing, publishing and archiving of photos and text are free without any rights. Photos taken in New York City by Jowan Gauthier
The tennis balls were fixed on boards and the other day carried from a backyard down the hill to the birthday anniversary function, where over 900 guests from all over the world celebrated.
Ashrita Furman states: “This tennis ball logo expresses our sincere wish for world peace and is our modest offering of joy to the world. With thousands of tennis balls, we want to honour the memory of Sri Chinmoy, who was the founder of the Peace Run and an avid tennis player. After the record we will give the tennis balls to people in the neighbourhood.”
Ashrita Furman has been breaking Guinness World Records since 1979. His first entry in the Guinness Book he achieved by completing 27,000 jumping jacks. Since then he has broken more than 700 records on all seven continents, including building the world’s largest tennis racket, balancing a pool cue on finger for the longest continuous distance (7 miles 220 feet) in front of the pyramids in Egypt, racing against a Yak in Mongolia to set the one-mile sack-racing record and underwater Aqua Pogo for 3 hours 40 minutes in the Amazon River in Peru.
As a teenager Furman became inspired by Sri Chinmoy’s philosophy of self-transcendence. Indian born Sri Chinmoy also set many records, such as writing 1,301 poems in 24 hours and composing 22,000 songs during his lifetime. Furman attributes his success at breaking records to meditation, which he has practised daily for over 40 years. Meditation helps him to keep his childlike spirit and the mental and physical power which is needed to continuously set new world records. Ashrita Furman started setting Guinness World Records 39 years ago and hasn’t stopped yet. “Going beyond your everyday capacity is such a fulfilling feeling. The day I break a record I’m just happy the whole day,” he says. “I’m trying to show others that our human capacity is unlimited, if we can truly believe in ourselves.” After every record Furman wants to express his gratitude to his Guru Sri Chinmoy.For more information please go to www.ashrita.comand srichinmoy.org
Contact: Ashrita Furman (+1) 646-226 20 22
or Ashok Parulekar +1 – 917 815 2887
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TechnoQueens win the world championship
JERICHO, NY (TIP): TechnoQueens’ – a Jr. First Lego League team comprised of six young and bright girls from Elementary Schools in Jericho, NY – goes on to win the Top Award in FIRST World Championship held in Detroit, Michigan in the week of April 27th. TechnoQueens represented Long Island in this World Expo with 55+ teams from other participating countries and across the USA. This Rookie team won many hearts with their prominent presentation skills, impressing the judges with their sound research and engaged kids, families of other participating teams with their innovative model design. The team received the most coveted and voted upon ‘Team Choice’ Award, with each of the participating team casting their ballots on key aspects for their favorite team in the Expo. At the end of the first day of the Expo, Top 3 teams were chosen for the top spot and on another round of secret ballot votes – the winner was announced at the Awards Ceremony. Other 2 competing teams were from China and Taiwan. TechnoQueens exhibited all Core values of the program, creativity of their solution, outstanding Lego Model and ‘ShowMe’ team Poster.
TechnoQueens won the ‘Research & Discovery’ Award for their Learning journey around Project Solution ‘VillAquaTech’ – bringing clean water to ideal and remote Village communities in the world. As part of the People Pipeline Campaign with WaterAid, the girls raised around 3000$ and were able to bring Clean water and Toilets to kids in school in Nicaragua. Helping Community and making an impact to the world, even if it’s small, is a key proud part of TechnoQueens journey in this year’s Aqua Adventure program.
All this started in September 2017, when the girls started to come together through common friends and families from nearby schools in Jericho and decided to form their own team. Coach, Rohit Bhatia, father of one of the girls put the team together (Ria Bhatia, Amneet Kaur, Aarna Tyagi, Falak Doshi, Risha Bansal and Sahana Patel) and there’s never been looking back since. Girls named their team as they believe Queens rule the world and so do they in this Technological-driven modern world! The girls put their own team Slogan – ‘Teamwork is Dreamwork’ as they believe doing things together as a team is better than doing things by yourself. Girls designed their own logo and decided to use Pink as their team color – and are very excited to see their Coach wear it proudly.
The team met at least once a week throughout the year to brainstorm on their project ideas; discussed and voted on the solutions. Each girl would work hands-on learning to program their robot and do different missions and then share with rest of the team. To learn and explore the world of water as part of this year’s Aqua Adventure theme, the girls visited various Water authorities in Long Island to learn about water transportation and, filtration processes. Girls also met various water experts including Water Engineers, Hydrologists, CEO, R&D experts in the field of Water. They also enjoyed presenting their solutions to Schools, local University, Museums and Water Experts.
Over this journey since last year, TechnoQueens have become best friends, celebrate various festivals, events, Birthday parties together. They take pride in watching out for each other and demonstrate their Core values in their day to day lives.
It’s of paramount importance in this world to promote our young girls from diverse communities and encourage them to embrace STEM programs and get exposed to science and engineering in their early phases of life. TechnoQueens have embraced the opportunity offered to them and are now looking forward to taking the leap to next level of FIRST Lego League program aimed at kids 10-14 years old. They are eager to learn and are already exploring the world of Space as part of next year’s FLL ‘Into the Orbit’ theme. Let’s go TechnoQueens – Sky is the Limit!
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US Women’s Hockey Team Beats Canada 3-2 for Gold at PyeongChang Olympics
GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA (TIP): US Women’s Hockey team gave a shock to the fancied Canadians by winning the Gold in a thrilling penalty shootout 3 to 2.
Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, the sixth U.S. shooter in a shootout, skated slowly toward the net, faked a shot, shifted the puck left, then pulled it right before tucking the puck past the outstretched glove of diving Canada goalie Shannon Szabados.
“I knew she was going to pull something,” forward Kendall Coyne said. “She is phenomenal in shootouts. She always had something up her sleeve.”
Lamoureux-Davidson said the move is called “Oops, I did it again” and she has practiced it “thousands of times.”
“I butchered it a thousand times,” she said. “Just glad it worked this time.”
That was the game-winner in a 3-2 victory that ends Canada’s streak of four consecutive Olympic women’s hockey gold medals and perhaps changes the course of U.S. women’s hockey for years to come.
“This is greater than a trophy and a medal,” said U.S. center Gigi Marvin, a three-time Olympian who also scored in a shootout.
The fact that the Americans won the game in dramatic fashion merely adds to its historical significance. The game was played on Feb. 22, 38 years to the day after Herb Brooks’ team downed the Soviets on Mike Eruzione’s goal in the “Miracle on Ice.”