Journalist Uday Banerjee received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 6th edition of the Journalism Awards on Sunday. Banerjee, who covered government and administration for four decades, is known for his honesty and is revered in the fraternity. Tripura governor Tathagata Roy presented him with the trophy and citation.
Consumer affairs minister Sadhan Pande presented the ‘Hall of Fame Award’ to sports journalist Debashish Dutta at the same ceremony.
Of the 18 other categories of awards, the Times of India group bagged five. Out of the total 10 journalists from TOI and 12 from Ei Samay shortlisted as finalists, three each from TOI and Ei Samay won the honours. Two TOI scribes shared the Best Journalist News (English) award while another won the Best Journalist Lifestyle & Cinema (English) award. Ei Samay picked up Best Journalist Lifestyle & Cinema (Bengali), Best Journalist Sports (Bengali) and Best Journalist Features (Bengali).
Judges included Abhijit Dasgupta, retired station director of Doordarshan and secretary of Kolkata Sukriti Foundation, Dilip Banerjee, former photo editor of Mail Today, Tapas Ganguly, former chief of bureau of The Week, Manik Banerjee, former chief of bureau of UNI, Pradipta Sankar Sen, vice-president of Calcutta Film Society and ex-resident editor of Hindustan Times, Shyam Afif Siddiqui, visiting faculty at Management Development Institute, Murshidabad.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kolkata / TNN / August 11th, 2015
Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University Prof. G.S.N. Raju inaugurates APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial Library at Andhra University in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. (Photo: DC)
Visakhapatnam:
Managing and making the best use of human resources is a challenging task in the society, said Prof. G.S.N. Raju, Andhra University Vice-Chancellor. He was the chief guest at the launch of the head of the department’s chamber and a new library named after former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who died recently, at AU Human Resources Management Department on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Raju hailed the efforts of Prof. K. John, head of the department of AUHRM, in establishing a useful library for the students in the name of multi-faceted Dr. Kalam. He asked all the students to improve the attitude of working hard to achieve higher goals. “Coordinating thoughts and talent is vital for success. Students should keep themselves abreast with the changing technology,” he said.
AU Registrar V. Umamaheswara Rao said that the AUHRM department has contributed to the society so much by providing valuable human resources to the society.
“Providing infrastructure facilities according to the needs of the students is appreciable and students should make the best use of it,” said Prof. M. Sundara Rao, principal, AU Arts College.
BOS chairman Subba Rayudu, new HOD Dr. Arun Kumar, Prof. Rajani, Prof K. John, students and others were present at the inaugural function.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / Deccan Chronicle / August 06th, 2015
Congratulating tennis stars Sania Mirza and Leander Paes, former India captain Rahul Dravid today said that both are “huge inspiration” for aspiring sportspersons in the country.
“Both Sania and Leander are huge inspiration for not only tennis aspirants, but also for sportspersons,” Dravid told reporters on the margins of announcement of second edition of Bengaluru Cup being organised by Hockey Karnataka here.
“I think it is phenomenal achievement by Sania and Leander to be able to win the U.S. mixed doubles and women’s doubles titles,” he added.
Sania and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis bagged the women’s doubles title after outplaying the fourth seed team of Casey Dellacqua and Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 6-3 in the final.
This was Sania’s second consecutive Grand Slam title of the season and fifth overall.
Veteran Paes scripted history by notching up the US Open mixed doubles title with Hingis to become the format’s most successful male player in the Open era.
The fourth-seeded Indo-Swiss pair edged past unseeded Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey 6-4 3-6 10-7 in a tricky final to win their third Major title together this season.
Dravid said it is incredible that at age of 42, Paes has been able to achieve the glorious feat three Majors in a calendar year.
“It is incredible what Leander has been able to achieve in this age. It is timeless – he keeps going on and on. It is terrific to watch him,” he said.
“Sania also have been good with her performances in the women’s category and by the time she hangs her boots she would have left a legacy behind for youngsters to follow,” Dravid said.
Dravid said it was lovely to watch Sania and Paes, playing the finals on television, as an Indian.
“I watched both the games. It was lovely to watch as an Indian,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sports> Tennis / by PTI / Bengaluru – September 14th, 2015
Excessive bravery, like genius, comes with a touch of madness
Brian Close who passed away on Sunday was, by common consent in England, the bravest man to have played cricket.
As a batsman, Close stepped out to the West Indies fast bowlers Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith, taking blows to the body. As a fielder at short leg he was renowned for getting hit. His bare upper body was the staple of photographs on sports pages — complete with deep impressions of the cricket ball. In colour pages, you could tell the black from the blue! A well-known comedian said it was always possible to know when the cricket season began in England: “by the sound of leather hitting Close.”
Every country has its tales of the bravest — or the most foolhardy. Players, who, with scant regard for personal safety simply got on with the game. Many have become legends for a single act of bravery — Rick McCosker batting with a bandaged jaw, Colin Cowdrey stepping out to bat with his arm in a sling, Hanif Mohammed making a triple century even as the skin under his eyes kept peeling off.
Iron man of Indian cricket
Indian cricket’s bravest have always been measured against their first Test captain, C.K. Nayudu. On his final tour of England, aged 41, he was struck on the under the heart by fast bowler Gubby Allen. It was just the incentive he needed to make his highest Test score, 81.
Hit on the mouth by Dattu Phadkar in a Ranji Trophy match, Nayudu waved away assistance, swept away his teeth from the pitch, and when served up a full toss next ball, berated the bowler for this. He was in his 50s then. Chandu Borde has written about how “even at the age of 58, Nayudu was the iron man of Indian cricket.”
Nayudu played his last first class match in 1963-64. By then, Tiger Pataudi was India captain. Tiger was, perhaps, the bravest man to play for India. The mere thought of taking the field with just one good eye against bowlers around the world is mind boggling. For some years between the reigns of Nayudu and Tiger, India had earned a reputation for being soft. There were even stories of players pulling out of difficult tours.
With the arrival — and success — of Tiger Pataudi, things began to change. Apart from injecting his players with self-respect, Tiger also toughened them. He hasn’t been given enough credit for this. After all, it would have been ridiculous to whine to a captain who had such a serious handicap.
Thus was born the next generation of Indian ‘braves’ — Abid Ali, Eknath Solkar, Mohinder Amarnath, Sunil Gavaskar. Abid and Solkar at short leg picked up catches off genuine sweeps by batsmen that they ought to have been ducking from.
Amarnath’s heroics against the fast bowlers in Pakistan and the West Indies make up one of the inspiring chapters of Indian batting. For a brief period he was the best in the world. For barely getting hit as an opener in a career spanning 125 Tests, Gavaskar was special. A combination of technique and heart made up his game.
During a tour, we once calculated the number of days in a year when big, strong men with a cricket ball in their hands were attempting to incapacitate him. Sometimes bravery is calculated by what you don’t do. Close ensured he got hit; Gavaskar ensured he didn’t. That was perhaps even more admirable.
Kumble’s valour
In recent years, thanks to better equipment, better protection and better pitches, batsmen and fielders have felt safer. The single bravest act on a cricket field by an Indian remains, however, Anil Kumble bowling with a broken jaw in the Antigua Test of 2002. Kumble, hit by Merv Dillon while batting, sent down 14 consecutive overs and became the first bowler to dismiss Brian Lara while bowling with his jaw strapped up. He was due to fly back to Bangalore the following day for surgery, and said, “At least I can now go home with the thought that I tried my best.”
“It was one of the bravest things I’ve seen on the field of play,” said Viv Richards later.
An Abid Ali refusing to flinch, even charging out to the fast bowlers. A Solkar keeping his eyes on the ball, placing the taking of a catch above self-preservation. A Nayudu acknowledging a fast bowler’s dental skill. All part of legend now.
Close was a brave player. He was also, as Vic Marks has pointed out in a tribute, “a wee bit mad.” Perhaps, like genius, excessive bravery comes with a touch of madness.
by Suresh Menon
Suresh Menon
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Cricket / by Suresh Menon / September 16th, 2015
