Mary Kom Wins 5th Consecutive World Title

MC Mary Kom boxes clever

Indian boxer MC Mary Kom wins her fifth consecutive world title at the Women's World Boxing Championships in Barbados

MC Mary Kom has won a fifth consecutive world title by out-punching Steluta Duta of Romania 16-6 in the final of the under 48kg category of the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Barbados.

The win also means that the mother of twins from Manipur, India has won a medal at all six of the World Championships.

In a high-scoring match, Steluta Duta started the brightest but MC Mary Kom came from behind to dominate the Romanian.

Stela Duta and Mary Kom were equally determined to establish the rhythm of the match in their favour leading to an energetic first round. The Romanian proved to be more effective though, returning to the corner 4-3 ahead.

At the start of the second round, Duta tried to keep up the pressure but Mary Kom landed a heavy hit that levelled the scores. Duta struggled through the rest of the round as Mary Kom, in contrast, finally hit her stride.

After adjusting to the initial onslaught, Mary Kom had found both her rhythm and her range so that by the end of the round Mary Kom was dominating the bout 9-5.

In the third, Duta was unable to match Mary Kom's intelligent counter-punching and powerful combinations. The Indian was accurate, balanced and equally effective with both hands, building up a 12-5 lead.

MC Mary Kom was ferocious in the final round and despite Steluta Duta's attempts at a final rally, the woman they call "Magnificent Mary" won her fifth consecutive world title 16-6.

Read full history - Mary Kom Wins 5th Consecutive World Title

Mary Kom Continues to Shine at World Championships

Bridgetown, Sep 16 : MC Mary Kom (48kg) remained firmly on course for a historic fifth successive gold by advancing to the semifinals along with Kavita (+81kg) to assure India of two medals in the sixth Women's World Championships.

Mary Kom beat Lynsey Holdaway from Wales 9-2 in the quarter-final to set up a clash with Alice Appari of the Philippines, whom she had beaten in their only face off six years ago.

The mother-of-two from Manipur took a narrow 2-1 lead in the opening round and built on it in the next two rounds to be 6-2 ahead by the third round. In the final round, Mary Kom launched an all-out attack to seal the issue in her favour.

"It was not all that tough for me. I had never faced her before but didn't have to slog too much. So far so good," the 27-year-old said after the bout.

"Despite the increased competition, I think I can still dominate my category. I am not bragging but it hasn't been very tough for me despite the fact that I have already played three rounds. My body is also feeling great," she said.

Talking about her next-round opponent, Mary Kom, who was conferred the Khel Ratna award last year, said, "I know this girl. I beat her in 2004 and hopefully even this time I would win. I will try my best. I have my fingers crossed for a fifth consecutive gold."

Dubbed 'Magnificent Mary' by the International Boxing Association, the Indian has the unique feat of having won a medal in each of the previous World Championships. She was silver-medallist in the inaugural edition and has not settled for anything less then a gold after that.
Among other Indians, Kavita too advanced to the semifinals by beating Adriana Hosu of Romania 9-6. She will face Kateryna Kuzhel of the Ukraine in the last-four stage on Friday.

But there was disappointment as well, with Laxmi Padiya (81kg) losing 4-18 to Kazakh Marina Volnova on Wednesday night.

The current edition of the World Championship features 72 countries. The increased competition has hit 2006 overall champions India rather hard with just two medals assured this time.

Read full history - Mary Kom Continues to Shine at World Championships

Mary Kom Continues to Shine at World Championships

Bridgetown, Sep 16 : MC Mary Kom (48kg) remained firmly on course for a historic fifth successive gold by advancing to the semifinals along with Kavita (+81kg) to assure India of two medals in the sixth Women's World Championships.

Mary Kom beat Lynsey Holdaway from Wales 9-2 in the quarter-final to set up a clash with Alice Appari of the Philippines, whom she had beaten in their only face off six years ago.

The mother-of-two from Manipur took a narrow 2-1 lead in the opening round and built on it in the next two rounds to be 6-2 ahead by the third round. In the final round, Mary Kom launched an all-out attack to seal the issue in her favour.

"It was not all that tough for me. I had never faced her before but didn't have to slog too much. So far so good," the 27-year-old said after the bout.

"Despite the increased competition, I think I can still dominate my category. I am not bragging but it hasn't been very tough for me despite the fact that I have already played three rounds. My body is also feeling great," she said.

Talking about her next-round opponent, Mary Kom, who was conferred the Khel Ratna award last year, said, "I know this girl. I beat her in 2004 and hopefully even this time I would win. I will try my best. I have my fingers crossed for a fifth consecutive gold."

Dubbed 'Magnificent Mary' by the International Boxing Association, the Indian has the unique feat of having won a medal in each of the previous World Championships. She was silver-medallist in the inaugural edition and has not settled for anything less then a gold after that.
Among other Indians, Kavita too advanced to the semifinals by beating Adriana Hosu of Romania 9-6. She will face Kateryna Kuzhel of the Ukraine in the last-four stage on Friday.

But there was disappointment as well, with Laxmi Padiya (81kg) losing 4-18 to Kazakh Marina Volnova on Wednesday night.

The current edition of the World Championship features 72 countries. The increased competition has hit 2006 overall champions India rather hard with just two medals assured this time.

Read full history - Mary Kom Continues to Shine at World Championships

Suranjoy Aims For CWG Gold And Much More

By Gaurav Kanthwal

Was it a mere coincidence that a rustic lad from Uchiwa, 27km off Imphal, grew up to choose boxing as his vocation?

And was it providence that has made this 24-year-old a sailor by profession?

For Mayengbam Suranjoy Singh, it has to be both: coincidence because in a state where a sizeable population of youngsters still go astray to illiteracy, unemployment or insurgency; and providence, because in a landlocked place like Manipur, very few get to see the crests and troughs of life he has seen in the last six years.

From the height of being a bronze medallist in the 2004 Junior World Championships to the obscurity of a failed athlete in hiding and then again to the acme of being AIBA's Best Boxer of the year 2009, the Navy man has seen it all.

"It was a watershed year in my career. Of the six times I took the ring in an international competition, four times I returned with gold and once a bronze. The most memorable, of course, was the gold in Asian Boxing Championships for India after a gap of 15 years," the 2009 national champion fondly recalled.

What Suranjoy can never ever forget are those excruciating four years (2004 to 2008) when he got stuck in doldrums. The albatross of stagnation hung around his neck and frustration kept hovering around his being. No matter how hard he would try, there seemed no way out.

Niggling injuries, being dropped and at times bad luck - his miseries seemed unending.

But, the gritty sailor kept on charting unknown waters because he knew boxing, as is sailing, is a lonely sport and you cannot afford to lose hope.

Hope came as AIBA changed the format to three rounds of three minutes each and this time Suranjoy found the wind behind his sails. "The change in format turned the tide for me. It suited my aggressive style. I worked on my stamina and strength and remained positive even if I was losing initially. Luckily, by the end of 2008, results started pouring in."

The inherent advantage of being a southpaw and amazing reflexes lend an edge to his attacking and counterattacking game. "Off late, he has worked hard to pack power in his punches and that has made him even better," said Services coach C Kuttapa.

"He is focused and has a good chance of pulling it off in the CWG, if he fights to his potential. He won a gold in Commonwealth Championships in March this year and the competition is going to be more or less the same in Delhi. Still, he has to be cautious against new boxers in the fray," chief national coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu said.

Delhi Games may just be a stop over before Suranjoy moves on to the next and bigger destination in China ( Asian Games). But, Suranjoy's big ambition is to make a mark at the London Olympics two years from now.

X-factor
Don't go by the rankings - Suranjoy has been riding the crest for the past one year and winning medals with consistency. He even got a standing ovation after the final in a competition in Cuba this year for his aggressive skills and was awarded the 'Best Fighter' award. The form he is in, a standout show in Delhi Games is on the cards although he will have to keep a watch on Welsh opponent Daniel Chapman whom he defeated in the Commonwealth Championships semifinals this year.

Trivia
Belonging to Uchiwa village of Imphal district in Manipur, the flyweight boxer is popularly known as 'Chota Tyson' among his mates, after the legendary heavyweight. He has got the same looks, aggro and attitude inside the ring. Sporting tattoos on both shoulders - boxing gloves on his left and a fire-spewing dragon on the right - he says, "Sometimes, I just can't resist going all out after an opponent."

He took up the sport emulating his elder brother M Suranjit Singh, also a former international boxer.

M Suranjoy Singh World rank 13 (in 51kg)

Record:
2010:
- Commonwealth Boxing Championships, New Delhi Gold
- Training-cum-competition in Cuba Silver and 'Best Fighter' award
2009:
- Chemistry Cup Halle/Saale, Germany Bronze
- European GP in Usti Nad Labem, Czech Republic Gold
- Asian Boxing Championships in Zhuhai, China Gold
- The President's Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan Gold
- National Championship Winner in flyweight category
2008:
- Chemistry Cup Bronze
- World Military Championship Silver
2004:
- Junior World Championships Bronze.

Read full history - Suranjoy Aims For CWG Gold And Much More

Suranjoy Aims For CWG Gold And Much More

By Gaurav Kanthwal

Was it a mere coincidence that a rustic lad from Uchiwa, 27km off Imphal, grew up to choose boxing as his vocation?

And was it providence that has made this 24-year-old a sailor by profession?

For Mayengbam Suranjoy Singh, it has to be both: coincidence because in a state where a sizeable population of youngsters still go astray to illiteracy, unemployment or insurgency; and providence, because in a landlocked place like Manipur, very few get to see the crests and troughs of life he has seen in the last six years.

From the height of being a bronze medallist in the 2004 Junior World Championships to the obscurity of a failed athlete in hiding and then again to the acme of being AIBA's Best Boxer of the year 2009, the Navy man has seen it all.

"It was a watershed year in my career. Of the six times I took the ring in an international competition, four times I returned with gold and once a bronze. The most memorable, of course, was the gold in Asian Boxing Championships for India after a gap of 15 years," the 2009 national champion fondly recalled.

What Suranjoy can never ever forget are those excruciating four years (2004 to 2008) when he got stuck in doldrums. The albatross of stagnation hung around his neck and frustration kept hovering around his being. No matter how hard he would try, there seemed no way out.

Niggling injuries, being dropped and at times bad luck - his miseries seemed unending.

But, the gritty sailor kept on charting unknown waters because he knew boxing, as is sailing, is a lonely sport and you cannot afford to lose hope.

Hope came as AIBA changed the format to three rounds of three minutes each and this time Suranjoy found the wind behind his sails. "The change in format turned the tide for me. It suited my aggressive style. I worked on my stamina and strength and remained positive even if I was losing initially. Luckily, by the end of 2008, results started pouring in."

The inherent advantage of being a southpaw and amazing reflexes lend an edge to his attacking and counterattacking game. "Off late, he has worked hard to pack power in his punches and that has made him even better," said Services coach C Kuttapa.

"He is focused and has a good chance of pulling it off in the CWG, if he fights to his potential. He won a gold in Commonwealth Championships in March this year and the competition is going to be more or less the same in Delhi. Still, he has to be cautious against new boxers in the fray," chief national coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu said.

Delhi Games may just be a stop over before Suranjoy moves on to the next and bigger destination in China ( Asian Games). But, Suranjoy's big ambition is to make a mark at the London Olympics two years from now.

X-factor
Don't go by the rankings - Suranjoy has been riding the crest for the past one year and winning medals with consistency. He even got a standing ovation after the final in a competition in Cuba this year for his aggressive skills and was awarded the 'Best Fighter' award. The form he is in, a standout show in Delhi Games is on the cards although he will have to keep a watch on Welsh opponent Daniel Chapman whom he defeated in the Commonwealth Championships semifinals this year.

Trivia
Belonging to Uchiwa village of Imphal district in Manipur, the flyweight boxer is popularly known as 'Chota Tyson' among his mates, after the legendary heavyweight. He has got the same looks, aggro and attitude inside the ring. Sporting tattoos on both shoulders - boxing gloves on his left and a fire-spewing dragon on the right - he says, "Sometimes, I just can't resist going all out after an opponent."

He took up the sport emulating his elder brother M Suranjit Singh, also a former international boxer.

M Suranjoy Singh World rank 13 (in 51kg)

Record:
2010:
- Commonwealth Boxing Championships, New Delhi Gold
- Training-cum-competition in Cuba Silver and 'Best Fighter' award
2009:
- Chemistry Cup Halle/Saale, Germany Bronze
- European GP in Usti Nad Labem, Czech Republic Gold
- Asian Boxing Championships in Zhuhai, China Gold
- The President's Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan Gold
- National Championship Winner in flyweight category
2008:
- Chemistry Cup Bronze
- World Military Championship Silver
2004:
- Junior World Championships Bronze.

Read full history - Suranjoy Aims For CWG Gold And Much More

Mary Kom Opens With Win in World Championship

Bridgetown (Barbados), Sep 11 : Four-time defending champion M C Mary Kom (48kg) began her campaign in style, out-punching Sweden's Lungo Vesenne Natalie 10-1 in the opening round of the sixth World Women's Boxing Championships here.

Dubbed 'Magnificent Mary' by the International Boxing Association (AIBA), Mary Kom was slightly cautious to start with before gaining in confidence to lead 2-0 after the opening round.
The mother-of-two from Manipur built on the lead making it 6-0 in the second round. Mar Kom added four more points to her kitty in the next two rounds to round off a dominating performance.

Her next opponent in the pre-quarterfinals tomorrow would be Jenny Smith of Australia.

However, there was disappointment for India in the 54kg category when Priyanka lost 6-10 to Asian Champion Zhang Qin of China.

At the end of the first round, Priyanka trailed 2-4 and never really recovered from the deficit to bow out of the tournament in the opening round itself.

Read full history - Mary Kom Opens With Win in World Championship

Mary Kom Opens With Win in World Championship

Bridgetown (Barbados), Sep 11 : Four-time defending champion M C Mary Kom (48kg) began her campaign in style, out-punching Sweden's Lungo Vesenne Natalie 10-1 in the opening round of the sixth World Women's Boxing Championships here.

Dubbed 'Magnificent Mary' by the International Boxing Association (AIBA), Mary Kom was slightly cautious to start with before gaining in confidence to lead 2-0 after the opening round.
The mother-of-two from Manipur built on the lead making it 6-0 in the second round. Mar Kom added four more points to her kitty in the next two rounds to round off a dominating performance.

Her next opponent in the pre-quarterfinals tomorrow would be Jenny Smith of Australia.

However, there was disappointment for India in the 54kg category when Priyanka lost 6-10 to Asian Champion Zhang Qin of China.

At the end of the first round, Priyanka trailed 2-4 and never really recovered from the deficit to bow out of the tournament in the opening round itself.

Read full history - Mary Kom Opens With Win in World Championship

Boxing Goes Hand in Glove With Mary Kom

MC Mary Kom, India's four-time women's world boxing champion, returns to her home town of Manipur.

By Sanjoy Majumder

New Delhi, Sep 9 : A diminutive woman, no more than five feet tall, feints and sways away from a punch.

Then, dancing around the boxing ring, her left hook slams into her much larger opponent, making her rival wince in pain.

A gong sounds, the referee strides forward and lifts her arm and the crowd explodes. This is the woman India calls "Magnificent Mary" - MC Mary Kom - mother of two young twins and four-time world boxing champion.

She's preparing for the women's world boxing championships in Barbados, where she is hoping to win a fifth title, but her long-term goal is the London Olympics in 2012.

"When I was small, I was very interested in fighting - karate, kung fu and boxing. I used to always watch action movies, all the Jackie Chan movies," she says breaking into peals of laughter.

Her halting English and infectious smile only adds to her charm and in a country where her sport is not that well-known, she's become quite a star.

But to get a true picture of her status, you need to travel all the way to India's north-east and her home state of Manipur, right beside the border with Burma.

She grew up in the countryside amidst lush green paddy fields with mountains swelling in the distance.

Her parents still work in the fields, as she once did.

The fields where Mary Kom once worked

It was a tough upbringing in a state hit by a violent insurgency. Even our presence brought soldiers out from the neighbouring army base.

Inside the family home, one she visits only occasionally, the neighbours have dropped in as well as Mary Kom boils water to make some tea.

"She never told us she'd taken up boxing," her father Tonpa tells me.

"We only found out when we read in the papers of her success in a local competition. In fact, I didn't really want to encourage her to become a sportsperson because I thought it would cost a lot of money, more than we could afford."

Crowd-puller

Mary's success has made quite a difference to her parents' economic circumstances. "She supports the family now," Tonpa says.

But it's not just her family that's proud of her.

During a visit to her primary school, the Loktak Christian Mission School, she's immediately mobbed by the students who crowd around her clamouring for her autograph.

The school's run by the local church and its modest grounds are where she first made her mark as an extraordinary athlete.

"She used to run up and down the dirt track outside the school because we didn't have a proper running track," says one of her teachers, Surchandra Singh.

"She used to be so fast, like the wind," he says grinning.

Autograph hunter at Loktak Christian Mission School

Now she's an inspiration not just in her village but the entire state.

At a crumbling indoor stadium in Imphal, the Manipuri capital, 60 boys and girls trade punches under the watchful eye of their coach, Ibomcha Singh, who looks like a cross between a Zen master and Mike Tyson.

This is also where Mary Kom first began boxing 10 years ago and under the same coach.

He laughs as he recalls how she came up to him one afternoon and asked to join his training sessions.

"I said 'no' - you are a girl and besides you are so small and thin. Then she started crying. After giving it some thought, I took her in."

Honour boards line the stadium walls and one name leaps out: MC Mary Kom, World Champion.

This modest training ground has now become India's boxing nursery and many hope to follow in her footsteps.

A ripple runs through the group as Mary Kom walks in clad in a t-shirt, sweat pants and trainers.

A warm-up session begins followed by an intense sparring session with the coach.

"Gold at London 2012, that's what I want," she says afterwards, breathing heavily as she wipes the sweat of her face.

"After that I can retire," she says, breaking once again into that infectious laugh.

Despite her good humour, the pressure on her is intense. After all she carries the hopes not just of her Manipuri community but a country of one billion people.

via BBC News

Read full history - Boxing Goes Hand in Glove With Mary Kom

Boxing Goes Hand in Glove With Mary Kom

MC Mary Kom, India's four-time women's world boxing champion, returns to her home town of Manipur.

By Sanjoy Majumder

New Delhi, Sep 9 : A diminutive woman, no more than five feet tall, feints and sways away from a punch.

Then, dancing around the boxing ring, her left hook slams into her much larger opponent, making her rival wince in pain.

A gong sounds, the referee strides forward and lifts her arm and the crowd explodes. This is the woman India calls "Magnificent Mary" - MC Mary Kom - mother of two young twins and four-time world boxing champion.

She's preparing for the women's world boxing championships in Barbados, where she is hoping to win a fifth title, but her long-term goal is the London Olympics in 2012.

"When I was small, I was very interested in fighting - karate, kung fu and boxing. I used to always watch action movies, all the Jackie Chan movies," she says breaking into peals of laughter.

Her halting English and infectious smile only adds to her charm and in a country where her sport is not that well-known, she's become quite a star.

But to get a true picture of her status, you need to travel all the way to India's north-east and her home state of Manipur, right beside the border with Burma.

She grew up in the countryside amidst lush green paddy fields with mountains swelling in the distance.

Her parents still work in the fields, as she once did.

The fields where Mary Kom once worked

It was a tough upbringing in a state hit by a violent insurgency. Even our presence brought soldiers out from the neighbouring army base.

Inside the family home, one she visits only occasionally, the neighbours have dropped in as well as Mary Kom boils water to make some tea.

"She never told us she'd taken up boxing," her father Tonpa tells me.

"We only found out when we read in the papers of her success in a local competition. In fact, I didn't really want to encourage her to become a sportsperson because I thought it would cost a lot of money, more than we could afford."

Crowd-puller

Mary's success has made quite a difference to her parents' economic circumstances. "She supports the family now," Tonpa says.

But it's not just her family that's proud of her.

During a visit to her primary school, the Loktak Christian Mission School, she's immediately mobbed by the students who crowd around her clamouring for her autograph.

The school's run by the local church and its modest grounds are where she first made her mark as an extraordinary athlete.

"She used to run up and down the dirt track outside the school because we didn't have a proper running track," says one of her teachers, Surchandra Singh.

"She used to be so fast, like the wind," he says grinning.

Autograph hunter at Loktak Christian Mission School

Now she's an inspiration not just in her village but the entire state.

At a crumbling indoor stadium in Imphal, the Manipuri capital, 60 boys and girls trade punches under the watchful eye of their coach, Ibomcha Singh, who looks like a cross between a Zen master and Mike Tyson.

This is also where Mary Kom first began boxing 10 years ago and under the same coach.

He laughs as he recalls how she came up to him one afternoon and asked to join his training sessions.

"I said 'no' - you are a girl and besides you are so small and thin. Then she started crying. After giving it some thought, I took her in."

Honour boards line the stadium walls and one name leaps out: MC Mary Kom, World Champion.

This modest training ground has now become India's boxing nursery and many hope to follow in her footsteps.

A ripple runs through the group as Mary Kom walks in clad in a t-shirt, sweat pants and trainers.

A warm-up session begins followed by an intense sparring session with the coach.

"Gold at London 2012, that's what I want," she says afterwards, breathing heavily as she wipes the sweat of her face.

"After that I can retire," she says, breaking once again into that infectious laugh.

Despite her good humour, the pressure on her is intense. After all she carries the hopes not just of her Manipuri community but a country of one billion people.

via BBC News

Read full history - Boxing Goes Hand in Glove With Mary Kom

Lifting The Weight of a Scandal

Monika Devi has shrugged off a two-year doping ban to emerge as India’s best lifter ahead of the Commonwealth Games

By Rudraneil Sengupta

Laishram Monika Devi, 28, smiles widely, waving at friends and colleagues passing by the quaint coffee shack opposite the women’s hostel at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports in Patiala. She asks for a strong coffee, ties her hair back with a rubber band, and is ready for the interview.

She looks content and happy, which is no mean feat for a woman who, just two years ago, could not stop crying. Her blossoming career as India’s best weightlifter had almost come to an abrupt and scandalous halt just as she was ready for the big stage.

Everything was going well for Monika Devi before the 2008 Beijing Olympics—she had finished 11th in the 2007 Weightlifting World Championship, ensuring her qualification for the Olympics, and in the 2008 Asian Championship she was the only medalist for India.

“I was the only athlete to qualify for weightlifting at the 2008 Olympics,” she says. “I was completely confident. A month before Beijing, I saw the international qualifying results on the Net, and I was up there with the best.”

Then a series of curious incidents followed. The evening before her flight to Beijing, the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) told her over the phone that her journey had been postponed, and they wanted her to come to the federation office in the morning for a felicitation. “I was puzzled by this sudden change in plans,” she says, “but I had no idea what was in store for me.”

She sensed something was wrong the moment she got to the federation office on the morning of 5 August 2008, because there was a large crowd of reporters outside the building.

“When they saw me, they began screaming—‘Tell us about the doping incident! What happened, Monika?’ I was in complete shock. I had no idea how to react,” she says.

What really happened was this—the Sports Authority of India (SAI) sent results of an out-of-competition test to the IWF, declaring that Monika Devi had tested positive for a banned substance. The IWF criticized the report, saying that it had no details about the sample tested or the banned substance that was found, but it had no option but to cancel her trip to Beijing. She broke down in front of TV cameras, protesting her innocence. Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh rushed to Delhi and asked the Prime Minister’s office to intervene. A few days later, on 9 August, the Indian Olympic Association cleared her name citing irregularities in the report, but conceded that it was too late to send her to the Olympics.

Harbhajan Singh, president of the IWF at the time, confirmed that the weightlifter had gone through 30 tests in 18 months before the Olympics, and that they were all clean.

“That’s what made this result really surprising,” says Singh, “Even though we have faced a lot of doping problems, we were really confident that Devi was clean.”

Monika Devi, meanwhile, quietly left for her home in the village of Nachou in Manipur.

“I slept for days. I was numb with depression,” she says. “My father let me be for a few days, but then started forcing me to get out in the morning and work out.”

For a whole year, she could not put her mind to training, and felt she had lost all focus.

“I’d train for a month, then leave it completely for another month, and reluctantly go back to it for another month,” she says. “It was a terrible time for me, because I thought that I’ll never get out of this rut.”

Her family kept pushing her to keep her in training, and to take her mind off the incident.

“People advised me to emigrate to Australia,” she says. “They said that the training facilities are better there, you’ll become a world beater.”

Monika Devi was almost ready to pack her bags.

But she finally managed to get back into a proper training rhythm in early 2009, and made a conscious decision to rid her mind of all thoughts and conversations of the scandal. “I just felt happy as my strength and focus started coming back to me,” she says.

This is not the end of the doping story though. A special anti-doping disciplinary panel set up to inquire into the doping charges against her got her B-sample results from a Tokyo laboratory in March 2009. It returned positive as well, showing traces of an anabolic steroid that boosts testosterone. Despite this setback, India’s national weightlifting coach Harnam Singh still thinks Monika Devi is innocent.

“Athletes need to use legal strength-building supplements to compete in the top flight,” he says, “but you need to have a really good doctor or nutritionist monitoring exactly what supplements an athlete is taking, but we didn’t have the best advisers then, and we still don’t have it. It’s very easy for an athlete to take a supplement laced with steroids and not know about it.”

The IWF banned her for the mandatory period of two years (given to first-time offenders), but was lenient in starting the ban period from June 2008, the date her positive sample was first tested. This meant that her ban ended in June, giving her a chance to get back into competition for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

This is something she does not want to talk about. It’s a closed chapter, she says. The Commonwealth Games, she hopes, will put an end to the whole doping saga. She can’t wait for them to begin, to step into the arena and compete again.

“I won silver in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne,” she says, “but this time I have the strength to go for gold. My form is peaking again now, and I’m happy with the amount of power I’m generating.”

Her results at the trials for the Commonwealth Games, held last month, back her statement—she came out far ahead of her rivals with a combined lift of 229kg (102kg in snatch, and 127kg in clean and jerk). She hopes she can do better at the Games, because it will be a gift for her father who, in 1996, took a 14-year-old Monika to the SAI training centre in Imphal, introducing her to what would become a lifelong passion.

rudraneil.s@livemint.com

Read full history - Lifting The Weight of a Scandal

Lifting The Weight of a Scandal

Monika Devi has shrugged off a two-year doping ban to emerge as India’s best lifter ahead of the Commonwealth Games

By Rudraneil Sengupta

Laishram Monika Devi, 28, smiles widely, waving at friends and colleagues passing by the quaint coffee shack opposite the women’s hostel at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports in Patiala. She asks for a strong coffee, ties her hair back with a rubber band, and is ready for the interview.

She looks content and happy, which is no mean feat for a woman who, just two years ago, could not stop crying. Her blossoming career as India’s best weightlifter had almost come to an abrupt and scandalous halt just as she was ready for the big stage.

Everything was going well for Monika Devi before the 2008 Beijing Olympics—she had finished 11th in the 2007 Weightlifting World Championship, ensuring her qualification for the Olympics, and in the 2008 Asian Championship she was the only medalist for India.

“I was the only athlete to qualify for weightlifting at the 2008 Olympics,” she says. “I was completely confident. A month before Beijing, I saw the international qualifying results on the Net, and I was up there with the best.”

Then a series of curious incidents followed. The evening before her flight to Beijing, the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) told her over the phone that her journey had been postponed, and they wanted her to come to the federation office in the morning for a felicitation. “I was puzzled by this sudden change in plans,” she says, “but I had no idea what was in store for me.”

She sensed something was wrong the moment she got to the federation office on the morning of 5 August 2008, because there was a large crowd of reporters outside the building.

“When they saw me, they began screaming—‘Tell us about the doping incident! What happened, Monika?’ I was in complete shock. I had no idea how to react,” she says.

What really happened was this—the Sports Authority of India (SAI) sent results of an out-of-competition test to the IWF, declaring that Monika Devi had tested positive for a banned substance. The IWF criticized the report, saying that it had no details about the sample tested or the banned substance that was found, but it had no option but to cancel her trip to Beijing. She broke down in front of TV cameras, protesting her innocence. Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh rushed to Delhi and asked the Prime Minister’s office to intervene. A few days later, on 9 August, the Indian Olympic Association cleared her name citing irregularities in the report, but conceded that it was too late to send her to the Olympics.

Harbhajan Singh, president of the IWF at the time, confirmed that the weightlifter had gone through 30 tests in 18 months before the Olympics, and that they were all clean.

“That’s what made this result really surprising,” says Singh, “Even though we have faced a lot of doping problems, we were really confident that Devi was clean.”

Monika Devi, meanwhile, quietly left for her home in the village of Nachou in Manipur.

“I slept for days. I was numb with depression,” she says. “My father let me be for a few days, but then started forcing me to get out in the morning and work out.”

For a whole year, she could not put her mind to training, and felt she had lost all focus.

“I’d train for a month, then leave it completely for another month, and reluctantly go back to it for another month,” she says. “It was a terrible time for me, because I thought that I’ll never get out of this rut.”

Her family kept pushing her to keep her in training, and to take her mind off the incident.

“People advised me to emigrate to Australia,” she says. “They said that the training facilities are better there, you’ll become a world beater.”

Monika Devi was almost ready to pack her bags.

But she finally managed to get back into a proper training rhythm in early 2009, and made a conscious decision to rid her mind of all thoughts and conversations of the scandal. “I just felt happy as my strength and focus started coming back to me,” she says.

This is not the end of the doping story though. A special anti-doping disciplinary panel set up to inquire into the doping charges against her got her B-sample results from a Tokyo laboratory in March 2009. It returned positive as well, showing traces of an anabolic steroid that boosts testosterone. Despite this setback, India’s national weightlifting coach Harnam Singh still thinks Monika Devi is innocent.

“Athletes need to use legal strength-building supplements to compete in the top flight,” he says, “but you need to have a really good doctor or nutritionist monitoring exactly what supplements an athlete is taking, but we didn’t have the best advisers then, and we still don’t have it. It’s very easy for an athlete to take a supplement laced with steroids and not know about it.”

The IWF banned her for the mandatory period of two years (given to first-time offenders), but was lenient in starting the ban period from June 2008, the date her positive sample was first tested. This meant that her ban ended in June, giving her a chance to get back into competition for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

This is something she does not want to talk about. It’s a closed chapter, she says. The Commonwealth Games, she hopes, will put an end to the whole doping saga. She can’t wait for them to begin, to step into the arena and compete again.

“I won silver in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne,” she says, “but this time I have the strength to go for gold. My form is peaking again now, and I’m happy with the amount of power I’m generating.”

Her results at the trials for the Commonwealth Games, held last month, back her statement—she came out far ahead of her rivals with a combined lift of 229kg (102kg in snatch, and 127kg in clean and jerk). She hopes she can do better at the Games, because it will be a gift for her father who, in 1996, took a 14-year-old Monika to the SAI training centre in Imphal, introducing her to what would become a lifelong passion.

rudraneil.s@livemint.com

Read full history - Lifting The Weight of a Scandal

Poised For a New Beginning

Women hockey players and new coaching staff try to bury the scandalous past, focus on upcoming challenges

By Rudraneil Sengupta

The brand new astroturf at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala gleams even under a dull lead-grey sky. The thwack of hockey sticks hitting the hard white ball rings through the air insistently. It’s a welcome sound for the Indian women’s hockey squad, a break from the equally insistent noise generated by scandals, controversies and organizational chaos that saw the players retreat into a media blank-out.

The first blow came on 19 July, when Th. Ranjitha Devi, a player from Manipur, accused Maharaj Kishan Kaushik, then chief coach of the women’s team, of sexual harassment. The allegations were made in a letter to Hockey India, the sport’s governing body at the time, and had the signatures of 31 players. A video showing the then team videographer M. Basavaraj with prostitutes during a foreign tour was leaked as well.

Sticking on: (clockwise from top) The Indian women’s hockey team is preparing for the World Cup and Commonwealth Games at a camp in Patiala; coach in charge Somesh; and captain Surinder Kaur. Photos: Pradeep Gaur/Mint

As the scandal exploded, the women’s team quietly left for Busan, South Korea, for the Asia Cup. Kaushik resigned. Despite the circumstances, the team won bronze at the Asia Cup, beating World No. 3 China, 10 places above the Indian team—and it’s this kind of professionalism that the team hopes will stay with them as they prepare for the biggest prize of all, the Hockey World Cup, which begins on 29 August.

“Look, our girls are smart enough to know that they need to forget these incidents,” says Mamata Kharab, the former captain who missed a place in the squad owing to a knee injury. “It’s been a difficult time for us, but the World Cup is ahead of us, so is the Commonwealth Games—we’ve got two new coaches and we’re doing our best to cooperate with each other.”

Add to the sex scandal a good dollop of political chaos: The Union sports ministry tried to dismantle Hockey India (HI), saying it’s a private body and thus can’t represent a national sport, while the International Hockey Federation maintains HI is the only body it recognizes. You have all the makings of a tragedy here.

These issues still weigh heavily as the women prepare for the World Cup in an 11-day, hastily arranged camp at NIS—the body language is weary, their conversations measured and evasive. But preparations are now going ahead full steam. The days in Patiala always start early—at 6 in the morning the women’s hockey team is already out, running around the sprawling, 268-acre campus. Coach in charge Sandeep Somesh, in his white India jersey and baseball cap, has a quick chat with the women before they begin their 2-hour session of skilled training and set pieces. There is usually another 3-hour session in the evening, where they play practice matches.

Somesh, a former men’s international player, was part of the coaching staff under Kaushik. Two former captains of the women’s team, Pritam Siwach and Sandeep Kaur, were called up at the last minute to join Somesh on the staff for the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.

“I got a call on Friday evening (6 August) asking me to join the team in Patiala on Monday,” says Siwach. “I was surprised, though somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I might be called up because they were looking for women on the staff after the scandal.”

Siwach adds their focus is mainly motivation, since the camp is too short to really make much of a difference in training and strategy.

“I had a few meetings with my team to try and put all the controversies behind us,” Somesh says. “I tried to hammer in the fact that we must be as professional as possible. Hopefully they have responded to these talks, but only the results can tell you that.”

Kaushik, who worked with the Indian women’s team for over 15 years, revolutionized it, taking the team from being no-hopers to international medallists. “He (Kaushik) led the way, there’s no doubt about that,” says Somesh. “We are fine-tuning systems put in place by him, he is the boss who put the women’s team where it is now.”

Under Kaushik, the team won gold at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games and 2004 Asia Cup, and silver at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, among others—an unprecedented run of success.

Kharab feels this momentum can be maintained. “He was a fantastic coach, and I’ve won many medals under him as captain,” she says, “but the work was put in by the girls, and the systems are in place—the set pieces, the game strategies—and I believe we can do well with that.”

The team’s captain, Surinder Kaur, believes that even for the World Cup, where the team is ranked 13, the preparations are on track. “Though the camp has been short, we’ve been preparing through the year,” she says. “We went to tour New Zealand, which is in our pool at the World Cup, and then we played Australia, which is also in our pool, at the four-nations tournament in Germany. So we are heading in the right direction.”

Kaur, though, feels that the real focus will be on the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. “We will be playing at home, in front of home crowds— any which way we are going for gold at the Commonwealth Games,” she says.

It’s a dream the rest of her battle-weary squad shares.

rudraneil.s@livemint.com

Read full history - Poised For a New Beginning

Poised For a New Beginning

Women hockey players and new coaching staff try to bury the scandalous past, focus on upcoming challenges

By Rudraneil Sengupta

The brand new astroturf at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala gleams even under a dull lead-grey sky. The thwack of hockey sticks hitting the hard white ball rings through the air insistently. It’s a welcome sound for the Indian women’s hockey squad, a break from the equally insistent noise generated by scandals, controversies and organizational chaos that saw the players retreat into a media blank-out.

The first blow came on 19 July, when Th. Ranjitha Devi, a player from Manipur, accused Maharaj Kishan Kaushik, then chief coach of the women’s team, of sexual harassment. The allegations were made in a letter to Hockey India, the sport’s governing body at the time, and had the signatures of 31 players. A video showing the then team videographer M. Basavaraj with prostitutes during a foreign tour was leaked as well.

Sticking on: (clockwise from top) The Indian women’s hockey team is preparing for the World Cup and Commonwealth Games at a camp in Patiala; coach in charge Somesh; and captain Surinder Kaur. Photos: Pradeep Gaur/Mint

As the scandal exploded, the women’s team quietly left for Busan, South Korea, for the Asia Cup. Kaushik resigned. Despite the circumstances, the team won bronze at the Asia Cup, beating World No. 3 China, 10 places above the Indian team—and it’s this kind of professionalism that the team hopes will stay with them as they prepare for the biggest prize of all, the Hockey World Cup, which begins on 29 August.

“Look, our girls are smart enough to know that they need to forget these incidents,” says Mamata Kharab, the former captain who missed a place in the squad owing to a knee injury. “It’s been a difficult time for us, but the World Cup is ahead of us, so is the Commonwealth Games—we’ve got two new coaches and we’re doing our best to cooperate with each other.”

Add to the sex scandal a good dollop of political chaos: The Union sports ministry tried to dismantle Hockey India (HI), saying it’s a private body and thus can’t represent a national sport, while the International Hockey Federation maintains HI is the only body it recognizes. You have all the makings of a tragedy here.

These issues still weigh heavily as the women prepare for the World Cup in an 11-day, hastily arranged camp at NIS—the body language is weary, their conversations measured and evasive. But preparations are now going ahead full steam. The days in Patiala always start early—at 6 in the morning the women’s hockey team is already out, running around the sprawling, 268-acre campus. Coach in charge Sandeep Somesh, in his white India jersey and baseball cap, has a quick chat with the women before they begin their 2-hour session of skilled training and set pieces. There is usually another 3-hour session in the evening, where they play practice matches.

Somesh, a former men’s international player, was part of the coaching staff under Kaushik. Two former captains of the women’s team, Pritam Siwach and Sandeep Kaur, were called up at the last minute to join Somesh on the staff for the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.

“I got a call on Friday evening (6 August) asking me to join the team in Patiala on Monday,” says Siwach. “I was surprised, though somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I might be called up because they were looking for women on the staff after the scandal.”

Siwach adds their focus is mainly motivation, since the camp is too short to really make much of a difference in training and strategy.

“I had a few meetings with my team to try and put all the controversies behind us,” Somesh says. “I tried to hammer in the fact that we must be as professional as possible. Hopefully they have responded to these talks, but only the results can tell you that.”

Kaushik, who worked with the Indian women’s team for over 15 years, revolutionized it, taking the team from being no-hopers to international medallists. “He (Kaushik) led the way, there’s no doubt about that,” says Somesh. “We are fine-tuning systems put in place by him, he is the boss who put the women’s team where it is now.”

Under Kaushik, the team won gold at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games and 2004 Asia Cup, and silver at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, among others—an unprecedented run of success.

Kharab feels this momentum can be maintained. “He was a fantastic coach, and I’ve won many medals under him as captain,” she says, “but the work was put in by the girls, and the systems are in place—the set pieces, the game strategies—and I believe we can do well with that.”

The team’s captain, Surinder Kaur, believes that even for the World Cup, where the team is ranked 13, the preparations are on track. “Though the camp has been short, we’ve been preparing through the year,” she says. “We went to tour New Zealand, which is in our pool at the World Cup, and then we played Australia, which is also in our pool, at the four-nations tournament in Germany. So we are heading in the right direction.”

Kaur, though, feels that the real focus will be on the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. “We will be playing at home, in front of home crowds— any which way we are going for gold at the Commonwealth Games,” she says.

It’s a dream the rest of her battle-weary squad shares.

rudraneil.s@livemint.com

Read full history - Poised For a New Beginning

Lalrindika Ralte Among Most Promising Youngsters in Indian sports

1. Avyay Gujral ( Football)

Avyay Gujral, this young lad has made all Indians proud, as he is one of those talented players who have been selected by Tata Tea Arsenal talent hunt, Coca Cola talent hunt and Belgian club Anderlecht to be a part of their football club. He has displayed his extraordinary feats, in Brazil as a part of the Coca Cola India U17 team. He even qualified for the Nike Talent Hunt, but as he is too young he could not earn a seat in the academy. Adding a feather to his cap he has also been a trainee at the Toronto FC. A student of Shri Ram School of New Delhi, he stands 6’2, depicting, an idol for younger generation and motivating them to get into the sport of football.

2. Budhia Singh ( Marathon Runner)

Born in 2002, Budhia is World’s youngest Marathon runner. Budhia has finished races, upto 60 kilometers in roughly 6 hours 30 minutes. His running ability has led him, celebrity status and has made him endorse a number of commercials. These commercials and Budhia’s fame have allegedly lead to significant financial gains. There have been a number of controversies regarding these gains and has led to accusations of exploitation against his coach due to which an official inquiry by Indian child welfare officials was launched on 4 January, 2006. The same year in May, Budhia completed 65 kilometers (40 miles) run from Chapandie temple to Bhubaneshwar in seven hours, two minutes. This feat was registered in Limca Book of Records.

3. Shiva Thapa (boxing)

The 18-year old pugilist from Assam and a great fan of Mike Tyson, Shiva’s ring performance clearly sets a picture which describes him more than his age. Shiva has won ten boxing gold and three bronze medals from 14 National and International tournaments in which he had participated. He made a memorable entry into the World Boxing scenario in 2008 at the HyderAliyeve Cup at Azarbaizan in Russia when he won the gold. He has recently won a silver medal at the World Youth Boxing championship.

4. Sai praneet (Badminton).

Praneeth himself is a quiet performer but when on court his racquet does say for him. This 17- year ace has a tally of medals to his kitty. He has won Doubles bronze medal at the Youth Commonwealth Games at Pune in 2008, Team bronze medal at the Junior World Championship. He even reached the Semi-finals of Junior Dutch Open. No doubt he has great achievements and is an extraordinary player in Indian sports.

5. PV Sindhu (Badminton).

PV Sindhu is just 15 but has already created ripples in badminton circles. Daughter of former International volleyball player and 1986 Asian Games bronze medalist PV Ramana, Sindhu won a bronze medal in the Junior Asian Championship held at Colombo. She followed it with a runner up finish at the Iran Fajr International Tournament where she defeated much higher ranked players. She also reached the quarterfinals of the Junior World Championship which was held in Malaysia. She is the youngest member of the squad to reach the quarterfinals of the Uber Cup in 2010.

6. Rakesh Manpat (Shooting)

Rakesh Manpat is a young Indian rifle shooter with plenty of potential. He came first in the 10m Air Rifle at the selection trials, Pune, May 2009. He came 2^nd at the 10m  Air Rifle (Junior) at the 52^nd National Shooting championship, Kerala 2009. He has been excelling in junior events and has been selected as a part of the core group of Indian shooters for the Commonwealth Games, 2010. Finished 5th in the 50th ISSF World Championships, Munich in 3 Position Junior Mens Event with 1160/1200 and established a New Jr.National Record on 5th August 2010. Qualified For Final round on 7th position With 592/600 points and in the Final round Finsihed 2nd(Silver Medal) with a Final round of all bully’s eye totaling 104.2 on 12th May 2010.

Manpat was attracted to the sport when he would watch his brother, also a professional shooter, practice in the Bangalore Shooting Range.

7. Lalrindika Ralte (Football)

Born on 7^th September, 1992, Ralte’s presence, in the AFC U-19 Championship, formerly known as AFC Youth Championship, which is an annual football competition organized by the sport’s Asian governing body, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) states that the team heads to progress as Ralte is one of the top Midfielders of the team. A player of Churchill Brothers Ralte’s goals have lead India, win several matches at Junior level.

8. Rishika Sunkara (Tennis)

Coached by Aditya Sachdeva, Rishika has been able to get her foundation strong due to her immense dedication towards the game. She entered the semifinals in the girls singles, of Asian Junior Tennis Championship after defeating the top seed Eri Hozumi of Japan. The 16-year old, drew everyone’s attention by reaching the quarterfinals of the $10,000 ITF women’s Tennis Tournament in Delhi, as a qualifier. The giant-killer, Rishika, moves smoothly on court and has the confidence to swing into her strokes gracefully. She is one of the few players, who is able to transfer her body weight, however light, into her smooth strokes.

9. Mohit Mayur Jayaprakash (Tennis)

Mohit Mayur Jayaprakash, is  an uncanny tennis ace of Indian sports. Mohit reached the finals of Junior Tennis Tournament in the doubles category pairing with Rishabdev Raman. He even reached the finals of the same event in singles category. He competed in Wimbledon Junior Qualifiers this year. He is one of the most promising Junior Tennis players for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

10.  Satnam Singh (Basketball)

Satnam Singh, is one of the eight sub Junior players who have been selected by the coaches from the IMG Basketball Academy to join the academy in Bradenton in Florida, USA as full time scholars. Among 50 most talented sub-junior players Satnam got selected due to his enormous talent the right attitude and his hunger to succeed. This seven foot giant from Punjab was amongst the three Indian youngsters who attended the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders, which was a programme to motivate young Asian players, held at Singapore.


via sportskeeda

Read full history - Lalrindika Ralte Among Most Promising Youngsters in Indian sports

Lalrindika Ralte Among Most Promising Youngsters in Indian sports

1. Avyay Gujral ( Football)

Avyay Gujral, this young lad has made all Indians proud, as he is one of those talented players who have been selected by Tata Tea Arsenal talent hunt, Coca Cola talent hunt and Belgian club Anderlecht to be a part of their football club. He has displayed his extraordinary feats, in Brazil as a part of the Coca Cola India U17 team. He even qualified for the Nike Talent Hunt, but as he is too young he could not earn a seat in the academy. Adding a feather to his cap he has also been a trainee at the Toronto FC. A student of Shri Ram School of New Delhi, he stands 6’2, depicting, an idol for younger generation and motivating them to get into the sport of football.

2. Budhia Singh ( Marathon Runner)

Born in 2002, Budhia is World’s youngest Marathon runner. Budhia has finished races, upto 60 kilometers in roughly 6 hours 30 minutes. His running ability has led him, celebrity status and has made him endorse a number of commercials. These commercials and Budhia’s fame have allegedly lead to significant financial gains. There have been a number of controversies regarding these gains and has led to accusations of exploitation against his coach due to which an official inquiry by Indian child welfare officials was launched on 4 January, 2006. The same year in May, Budhia completed 65 kilometers (40 miles) run from Chapandie temple to Bhubaneshwar in seven hours, two minutes. This feat was registered in Limca Book of Records.

3. Shiva Thapa (boxing)

The 18-year old pugilist from Assam and a great fan of Mike Tyson, Shiva’s ring performance clearly sets a picture which describes him more than his age. Shiva has won ten boxing gold and three bronze medals from 14 National and International tournaments in which he had participated. He made a memorable entry into the World Boxing scenario in 2008 at the HyderAliyeve Cup at Azarbaizan in Russia when he won the gold. He has recently won a silver medal at the World Youth Boxing championship.

4. Sai praneet (Badminton).

Praneeth himself is a quiet performer but when on court his racquet does say for him. This 17- year ace has a tally of medals to his kitty. He has won Doubles bronze medal at the Youth Commonwealth Games at Pune in 2008, Team bronze medal at the Junior World Championship. He even reached the Semi-finals of Junior Dutch Open. No doubt he has great achievements and is an extraordinary player in Indian sports.

5. PV Sindhu (Badminton).

PV Sindhu is just 15 but has already created ripples in badminton circles. Daughter of former International volleyball player and 1986 Asian Games bronze medalist PV Ramana, Sindhu won a bronze medal in the Junior Asian Championship held at Colombo. She followed it with a runner up finish at the Iran Fajr International Tournament where she defeated much higher ranked players. She also reached the quarterfinals of the Junior World Championship which was held in Malaysia. She is the youngest member of the squad to reach the quarterfinals of the Uber Cup in 2010.

6. Rakesh Manpat (Shooting)

Rakesh Manpat is a young Indian rifle shooter with plenty of potential. He came first in the 10m Air Rifle at the selection trials, Pune, May 2009. He came 2^nd at the 10m  Air Rifle (Junior) at the 52^nd National Shooting championship, Kerala 2009. He has been excelling in junior events and has been selected as a part of the core group of Indian shooters for the Commonwealth Games, 2010. Finished 5th in the 50th ISSF World Championships, Munich in 3 Position Junior Mens Event with 1160/1200 and established a New Jr.National Record on 5th August 2010. Qualified For Final round on 7th position With 592/600 points and in the Final round Finsihed 2nd(Silver Medal) with a Final round of all bully’s eye totaling 104.2 on 12th May 2010.

Manpat was attracted to the sport when he would watch his brother, also a professional shooter, practice in the Bangalore Shooting Range.

7. Lalrindika Ralte (Football)

Born on 7^th September, 1992, Ralte’s presence, in the AFC U-19 Championship, formerly known as AFC Youth Championship, which is an annual football competition organized by the sport’s Asian governing body, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) states that the team heads to progress as Ralte is one of the top Midfielders of the team. A player of Churchill Brothers Ralte’s goals have lead India, win several matches at Junior level.

8. Rishika Sunkara (Tennis)

Coached by Aditya Sachdeva, Rishika has been able to get her foundation strong due to her immense dedication towards the game. She entered the semifinals in the girls singles, of Asian Junior Tennis Championship after defeating the top seed Eri Hozumi of Japan. The 16-year old, drew everyone’s attention by reaching the quarterfinals of the $10,000 ITF women’s Tennis Tournament in Delhi, as a qualifier. The giant-killer, Rishika, moves smoothly on court and has the confidence to swing into her strokes gracefully. She is one of the few players, who is able to transfer her body weight, however light, into her smooth strokes.

9. Mohit Mayur Jayaprakash (Tennis)

Mohit Mayur Jayaprakash, is  an uncanny tennis ace of Indian sports. Mohit reached the finals of Junior Tennis Tournament in the doubles category pairing with Rishabdev Raman. He even reached the finals of the same event in singles category. He competed in Wimbledon Junior Qualifiers this year. He is one of the most promising Junior Tennis players for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

10.  Satnam Singh (Basketball)

Satnam Singh, is one of the eight sub Junior players who have been selected by the coaches from the IMG Basketball Academy to join the academy in Bradenton in Florida, USA as full time scholars. Among 50 most talented sub-junior players Satnam got selected due to his enormous talent the right attitude and his hunger to succeed. This seven foot giant from Punjab was amongst the three Indian youngsters who attended the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders, which was a programme to motivate young Asian players, held at Singapore.


via sportskeeda

Read full history - Lalrindika Ralte Among Most Promising Youngsters in Indian sports

Meet Blair O’ Neal: The Sexy Queen of Golf

Blair O’ Neal is one of the hottest Golfers of recent times. “A cute blonde with an extreme fine finger” : thats what explains her. She is also a model and rockstar, who comes from the land of Stars and Stripes.

That does’nt end here. She also rocks with club music and when it comes to Catwalk sporting, perhaps she’s the one taking away all the attention. In January 2004, Blair became the Captainof the Golf team and a graduate with a degree in communications.

In 2008, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED hailed Blair as “One of the Hottest 50 Athletes of All-Time”. Blair also made it to the final 4, when the voting for “World’s Hottest Athlete” was going on.

Read full history - Meet Blair O’ Neal: The Sexy Queen of Golf