Screenshot from a video sent to The Peninsula by one of the students
Doha :
Around 23 Doha-based Indian medical students in Ukraine’s Kharkiv university have been staying in bunkers for the last four nights as fierce fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian forces has prevented them from fleeing the war-torn country.
The panic-stricken parents of these stranded students shared their anxiety with The Peninsula yesterday while requesting Indian authorities to quickly make arrangements for bringing back their children safely.
“It’s scary. We’re worried about the plight of our children after receiving disturbing text messages from them.
Even in this difficult situation, they’re consoling us saying Allah will show a way to overcome, says Doha resident Aysha Saibool, mother of Dua Khadeeja, a first-year medical student at the V N Karazin Kharkiv National University in Kharkiv.
She said that her daughter has informed that it will take at least seven hours from Kharkiv to reach the nearest border and since no security is guaranteed it is unsafe to travel.
The plight of the stranded students in the war zone was raised by her with the Minister of State of India’s External Affairs, V Muraleedharan.
The Minister said that travelling from Kharkiv, which lies in the eastern part of Ukraine, to the south – west borders of Romania, Hungary or Poland is not safe. He advised the students to stay where they are, until they receive further instructions from the Indian Embassy in Ukraine.
Dua Khadeeja
The Peninsula contacted Dua Khadeeja over telephone in Kharkiv and she said that she and 131 other students were stranded in the Mir hotel bunker in dire condition. They were told not to move out because of security reasons.
“We are sitting inside the bunker with the hope that we will be evacuated soon. Everyone is terrified. Some experience nose bleeding due to allergies and severe cold,” said Dua.
“There’s hardly any space to stand. We cannot even go to toilet. This morning we were allowed to go to hostel for a few minutes to freshen up. That was a little bit of comfort from this harrowing experience. Dua said that food is provided at the bunker.
The parents of Doha-based students have been sharing the latest developments through their whatsapp group.
Nusrath Shamseer, whose daughter Fathima Sharbeen is also stranded in the hostel bunker in Kharkiv University, said they are worried about the situation. Fathima’s classmates Hiba and Riya are also staying in the hostel bunker since Thursday.
Fathima Sharbeen
“The easiest way for the students from Kharkiv to be evacuated is via Russia. But it is dangerous to cross the border without adequate security escorts from both Ukraine and Russia,” one parent said quoting his son’s message.
“The alternative routes are Romanian border in the south-west and Poland, Hungary and Slovakia in the west. These are too far from Karkhiv,” he added.
India has so far evacuated 709 students from Ukraine with the third flight carrying 240 students arriving in Delhi from the Hungarian capital Budapest last morning. The flight landed a few hours after Air India’s second evacuation flight from the Romanian capital Bucharest carrying 250 Indian nationals landed at Delhi Airport.
India’s evacuation operation of its stranded citizens, codenamed as ‘Ganga’, began on Saturday with the first flight bringing back 219 people from Bucharest to Mumbai.
Disturbing accounts by Indian students stranded in Ukraine are also circulating in social media with some complaining that they were beaten up by Ukrainian forces and were being kept from leaving the country.
According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science, there are over 18,000 students from India study in the country. Most of the students are from the southern Indian state of Kerala.
source: http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com / The Peninsula / Home> Qatar> General / March 01st, 2022
Amidst the blitzkrieg from the Russian military, three students from Kodagu managed to leave the conflict zones in Ukraine and safely returned to India much to the relief of their family members who were pleading for their safe evacuation ever since Russian forces invaded Ukraine.
Alisha Sayyad Ali, Siniya V.J. and M.P. Nirmala, who managed to reach the borders in available modes of transport from their respective cities, returned on Wednesday in the evacuation flights operated by the Indian government.
The girls’ return was confirmed to The Hindu by the Kodagu district administration, whose officials were in touch with the stranded students since the war broke out. A few of the students from Kodagu and Mysuru are said to have reached Poland and are waiting for their evacuation. All of them are safe.
Siniya, who landed in Bengaluru airport on Wednesday evening, was welcomed by her family members.
Jose, her uncle, said Siniya had to walk about 20 km from her shelter in Kyiv along with other students to the railway station to reach Livv. She was evacuated from Budapest in Hungary to New Delhi.
“Minutes before Siniya was supposed to board a flight to Dubai on February 24 from Kyiv to join her sister for a vacation, Russian forces attacked Ukraine and the flights got cancelled. She had to rush back to her accommodation in available means of transport for her safety. Her 40-kg baggage was stuck in Kyiv airport and she flew to India with only a few pairs of clothes as all her belongings are at the airport,” Mr. Jose said.
Alisha, a student of Ivan Francisco Medical University, has also returned.
M.P. Nirmala, a student of Bogomoleth National Medical University in Kyiv, was stranded at a school after the invasion. Her mother Rajani was praying for her early return, pleading with the authorities for her evacuation. Ms Rajani said, “My daughter landed in Delhi this morning and is on her way to Bengaluru.”
Karthik, brother of Likith, who was stranded in Kharkiv with eight others, said his brother and some of his friends have reached Poland. “It was tough for them to reach the borders but they managed and are now away from the conflict zone Kharkiv which is under siege. They are waiting for their turn to board the next evacuation flights,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – March 02nd, 2022
Senior Indian journalist P A Mubarak, 66, passed away on Friday night in hospital. He was undergoing treatment post Covid-19 complications for last two months.
He was the former Qatar correspondent for Chandrika daily in India. He worked with the Ministry of Commerce and was running his own business own company after leaving the ministry.
He was an active presence in Indian community activities over the years and has been general secretary of Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC) and Pravasi, Indian expat organisations in Qatar.
He wife Najiya succumbed to Covid-19 in Qatar on April 30.
He is survived by two daughters Nadia Shameen and Fatima Mubarak and sons-in-law Muhammad Shameen (Etisalat, Dubai) and Parvez Vallikkad (Doha, Qatar Foundation).
The burial will be held this evening at Abu Hamour cemtary.
source: http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com / The Peninsula / Home> Doha Today> Community / October 27th, 2021
Salman, along with countless others have been left to navigate to borders 800 kms away as the Indian government has absolved themselves of any responsibility.
Salman (Left) and his friend Samiuddin. (Screengrab: Twitter)
Hyderabad:
At 8:30 pm, IST, Salman Mohiuddin, one of the countless Indian students stuck in Ukraine, over a WhatsApp call narrated the horrors he had witnessed over the last few days. His voice was meek, with hints of helplessness. He rushed through his statements and made it a point to mention that there was hope if the government chose to help them.
He used the collective word ‘them’ instead of the singular ‘me‘, as in times of war, nobody speaks in the singular.
Salman, along with countless others, has been stranded in the war-torn country since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military offensive against Ukraine, leaving expatriates stranded miles away from their homeland.
As a large number of students from the Dnipropetrovsk Medical Institute of Traditional and Alternative Medicine hurried to the airports in an attempt to fly to safety before the dreaded war began, their hopes were crushed as they were prevented from flying minutes before they boarded their flights.
“We were asked to leave the airport by officials and seek shelter elsewhere. A few minutes later, we heard a bomb detonate. We were a mere 1.6 kilometers from the bomb,” said a passive Salman over the call with Siasat.com.
Salman’s testimony made one thing clear.
The war had begun.
Students up until then were in a close-knit group. When the bomb made its presence known, they panicked and ran in different directions. Salman along with five of his friends ran towards and found shelter in the Kyiv Medical University’s hostel alongside 150 other resident students. Others ran towards the embassy in search of refuge.
When asked about bare necessities, Salman said that for the moment things were fine.
“We are a group of over 150 Indian students who are currently stuck in Kyiv. We have sufficient food to eat as we found shelter in the university’s hostel,” added Salman.
Salman’s account of Ukraine as mentioned before extends beyond his own self. While he hasn’t witnessed bodily offenses, he discusses how he has heard violence. The auditory account of violence is conveyed in his meek and yet somehow, detached tone.
“My friends who ran towards the Indian Embassy had been given shelter in a school nearby. However, the students have been struggling with little food, and are forced to bear the chilly weather, without mattresses or proper arrangements for a good night’s sleep,” he says.
Indian government and where they stand:
After three days of waiting around the students were able to contact the Indian Embassy in Ukraine.
“We were able to get in touch with the Embassy after a while. The Indian government claims to be rescuing students from Ukraine but we have been left to survive on our own,” said Salman. His up till then placid tone shifts to one of betrayal. “How can he do this to us?” he asks.
“We have been asked to stay where we are until the situation improves. The Embassy has left us to navigate the borders on our own, which are over 800 kilometers away,” said a now rootless Salman.
To make matters worse, the Indian embassy in Ukraine on Monday advised all Indian students stranded in Kyiv to reach the railway station in the Ukrainian capital for their onward journey to the western parts of the war-torn country.
The Indian government has so far rescued 907 stranded citizens from Ukraine following Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine.
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that approximately 13,000 Indians are stranded in Ukraine as of now, and the government is making efforts to bring them back as soon as possible.
Salman’s Hyderabad connection:
Salman’s family resides in Hyderabad’s Bahadurpura and like most families in Telangana has appealed to the state chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for help. Rao had earlier assured support for students from Telangana stranded in Ukraine.
Salman has earlier shared a video message, where he had shared glimpses of the heavily populated basement of the KMU as he pleaded with the Indian government for help.
Salman’s family resides in Hyderabad’s Bahadurpura and has appealed to the state chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for help, as he has promised to extend support in bringing back the students who are stranded in Ukraine, a copy of which has been accessed by Siasat.com.
“I spoke to my son a few hours ago. He told me that a few Ukrainian soldiers had tried to force their way into the hostel however were stopped and sent away by their hostel security guard. They are all stuck in the abasement of the hostel of KMU,” said Salman’s father Dr. Ghulam Mohiuddin.
They are stuck in Ukraine amidst a war. We are worried about them as bombs are dropping a few kilometers away from their location. We are appealing to the government for help,” said a helpless father.
Salman’s twin brother, Nomaan Hyder, who resides in Kazakistan, was the first to reach out to Siasat.com seeking help for his brother.
“He has been stuck in the basement alongside other students and we have been informed that they heard shots being fired at a distance when the Ukrainian soldiers arrived at the hostel. No one was hurt, however. Our family has been kept in the dark about a few terrifying incidents that have unfolded before my brother’s eyes in Ukraine,” said Nomaan.
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine War
The Russian army has launched coordinated missile attacks on several Ukrainian cities including the capital city Kyiv, on Thursday in Europe’s worst conflict in decades that was launched by Vladimir Putin on Thursday.
Negotiation talks are taking place in Belarus for Kyiv and Moscow however with little expectations.
Before the meeting, President Zelensky urged Russian forces to lay down their weapons and called for immediate EU membership.
On the fifth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, people in Kyiv are emerging from their homes after a weekend-long curfew.
As the Russian currency plunges, the interest rate is increased by 20 percent and experts warn of a possible run on banks.
UK’s defense secretary says that Russia could indiscriminately bomb cities as its frustration grows.
The northeastern city of Chernihiv was heavily bombed overnight however is still under Ukrainian control. However, reports of Belarus, a Russian ally, have decided to deploy its own soldiers to fight.
A number of World leaders have condemned the invasion and imposed sanctions against Russia, however, they have left little to no impact on the war-driven country. The US, EU, UK, and other allies have reportedly agreed to remove some Russian banks from the Swift payments system.
Germany also announced that it is sending anti-tank missiles and other weapons to Ukraine – marking a major change in policy.
A curfew had been put in place from Saturday to Monday morning after Russian missiles hit an oil depot in Vasylkiv, its mayor said, which has prompted fears of toxic fumes. Anyone who is seen on the street during the curfew will be treated as a Russian “saboteur”, said the capital’s mayor.
A large number of people have already fleed Ukraine, while some attempt to flee the war-struck country with a 27-hour-long queue of women and children, on the Moldovan border.
Heavy street fighting took place in Kyiv on Saturday as officials urged locals to take immediate shelter. Kyiv was struck by two missiles. As many as 198 Ukrainians, including three children, have been killed since the invasion began.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Syeda Faiza Kirmani / February 28th, 2022
I have been visiting Shah Jahan Mosque and the Brookwood cemetery in Woking for a few years now.
Woking, is a small town almost 30 miles from London. The town is famous for it’s first purpose build mosque in the UK .
During, the two great wars this mosque served a purpose of spiritual centre for Muslim soldiers in Britain.
A few miles from the mosque lies a burial ground which was a designated ground for Muslim soldiers of WWI. Later, it has been transformed into a memorial park.
Shahjahan Mosque, Woking
Brookwood Cemetery is situated almost five miles from the Shah Jahan Mosque. The Cemetery is one of the largest in Europe. There are a number of famous Victorian Muslims resting here. Today, Woking has large Muslim population, mostly from Pakistan and they are very active in the community and maintaining the mosque very well.
My, very first trip was unplanned and somewhat impulsive. Though it was incredibly enlightening as well as moving. In 2016 after Eid prayer, on a spur I decided to drive my family to Woking. At the time I had only two boys; My eldest was 3 and his brother a year old. I had no idea how to reach to the mosque and locate graves of the early ‘Victorian Muslims.’ However I was committed to do both on the same day. On my SatNav I entered the postcode of Shah Jahan Mosque.
After two hours of drive we reached the Shah Jehan Mosque. There, we saw young and old, boys and girls in Asian Eid costumes. Contrary to the typical British cloudy weather it was a sunny day. Green dome of the mosque and good size open space with another impressive brick building gave an impression as if we are in a small but an affluent village of India.
The festive mood and the perfect sunny day was inviting us to explore and finish the target. After spending an hour there, we decided to drive to Brookwood cemetery.
The most challenging part was to locate the old Muslim section of the cemetery, where I wanted to the visit graves of Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Marmaduke Pickthall and Lord Headley.
To solve the problem, after reaching the cemetery gate; my intuition suggested me to drive only on the road which took us to the right side of the cemetery. First right, second right and then the third right. After a very short drive it was evident that the direction of graves has started changing, Muslim names with some Islamic symbols – crescent and stars on grave stones reassured me that we have entered into the Muslim section of the cemetery. In the end I reached to the place I wished. It was not easy to recognise Mr. Pickthall’s grave, three rows further, very close to the road is buried my favourite Abdullah Yusuf Ali the well known translator of the Holy Qur’an in today’s contemporary world who passed away in 1953. I was in search of another unmarked grave of Mr. Abdullah Quilliam, when my wife called me to show something. She excitedly pointed to a marked grave of the first Prime Minister of Bihar.
Grave of Mohammed Yunus
My wife is born and brought up in the UK. However she is fluent in Urdu and has enormous interest in her Indian roots. She located the grave of the ‘First Prime Minister of Bihar’ – Haji Mohammad Yunus. It was a huge surprise for me.
Barrister Mohammed Yunus (Sitting)
I don’t have any direct relationship with Late Haji Mohammad Yunus Saheb. However one of his nephews was my grandfather’s junior in the court and was a very close friend of his. My paternal grandfather was a successful and famous criminal lawyer who practiced in a small town in Bihar. Both of them worked in the same Court. In the 1940s my grandfather’s friend (Haji Yunus’s nephew) was the only Muslim in the town who had a Radio.
Barrister Mohammed Yunus
In fact in our ancestral town it was his radio that broke the bad news of Mahatma Gandhi’s cold blooded murder. Broadcasts from his Radio clarified that the murderer of Gandhi was ‘not a Muslim but a right wing Hindu’ . Which was a momentous relief for the frightened local Muslim population during the violent and uncertain communal climate of the partition of India.
So, finding his grave reminded me of the old story of partition. When I was in school, our eldest uncle shared his experience as a child and narrated us with many stories of the partition; further, how they were taken to a safe place in Bengal for a short period of time by train.
Barrister Mohammed Yunus as Prime Minister of Bihar
Below are photographs of Haji Mohammad Yunus grave stone and other famous British Muslims residents of the Brookwood Cemetery. May they all rest in peace; may Almighty Allah accepts their deeds and grant them highest place in Paradise. Ameen.
source: http://www.heritagetimes.in / Heritage Times / Home> Bihar> Heritage / by M S Siddiqui / July 29th, 2020
Dr. Ausaf Sayeed expected to accept his new assignment in New Delhi next month.
Dr. Ausaf Sayeed
New Delhi:
India’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dr Ausaf Sayeed, has been appointed to a new position as secretary, overseas Indian affairs in the country’s Ministry of External Affairs.
He has been appointed as the Secretary, (consular, passport, visa and Overseas Indian affairs). He is expected to accept his new assignment in New Delhi next month. The name of his successor in Riyadh is yet to be announced, but as per reports, the selection process has begun.
In terms of the bureaucratic arrangement, the new post is a promotion because the post is several degrees higher than that of an ambassador. The appointment was approved by the Indian cabinet on Tuesday.
About Dr Ausaf Sayeed
Dr Ausaf Sayeed completed his three-year term in Saudi Arabia after being appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia in March 2019.
Dr Ausaf Sayeed’s tenure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia first as a Consul General and as Ambassador has been exemplary in strengthening Indo-Saudi bilateral relations.
He belongs to a well-known educated family of Hyderabad. His father, Awaz Sayeed, was a well-known modern Urdu essayist and short-story writer. He has performed diplomatic services in Egypt, Qatar, Denmark, Yemen, Chicago and Shashail.
Dr Ausaf Sayeed is known for his love for the Urdu language and its propagation. Wherever he was posted, he always convened Urdu Mushairas and brought Indian diaspora on a single platform.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> India / by News Desk / February 16th, 2022
Indian-born South African writer Shubnum Khan’s new book is about the hope and magic we can find in life if we are brave enough to push for it.
Apart from ideas of hope and courage, Shubnum Khan explores the theme of walking in her book. (iStockphoto)
What does it mean to be a young, Muslim, desi woman walking the streets of Shanghai alone, sometimes in a hijab? What’s it like going off on your own to the mountains to teach children in a remote village in Kashmir when you have never travelled alone? And most importantly, what happens when you decide to be brave and do those things and, in a sense, “step off the edge”?
“You think you are going to fall, but you actually fly,” says Shubnum Khan, the South African writer of How I Accidentally Became A Global Stock Photo, a collection of odd and funny stories of her travels around the world, and of learning to be soft and vulnerable, particularly to herself.
In this breezy, delightful read, Khan packs in descriptions of experiencing travel and living abroad with a good dose of earnest reflections that tap into being a Muslim woman in the modern world, with bearings rooted in faith and family. The stories are resonant not because they are common or relatable (they are, rather, strange and wonderful) but because she contextualises them by revealing something of her life and herself.
For instance, Khan takes us through her life as the fourth of four sisters in an Indian Muslim family in Durban, where, at a point in her life, she had started feeling trapped and frustrated. So when an opportunity to go to Kashmir in 2013, to teach village children, came along, she took it up. “I immediately saw that this was the first step towards doing something different with my life as compared to everyone telling me to get married and have children,” says the 36-year-old on Zoom.
That experience and move away from a sheltered life catalysed other events and happenings, travels and sometimes bizarre incidents. Her new book straddles genres in that it’s as much a memoir as it is a travelogue and, together, transcends both. While it started as a collection of her experiences during travels—from turning into a “bride” on a rooftop in Shanghai to being trapped in a house in Delhi during an earthquake—it grew into much more. “As I was writing the book, I realised I was also telling the story of my life,” she says.
Shubnum Khan.
Khan is vulnerable in her stories and, in contrast to trope-filled memoirs and travelogues that spotlight strength and bravery, owns up to her less-than-brave feelings. She describes being anxious and nervous throughout most of her trips. But vulnerability and sharing one’s life (whether in a book or on social media, where Khan first found an audience for her stories) can involve treading a fine line. How does she decide what to share and what to keep to herself?
“Distance and space give you a clearer idea of the bigger picture,” she says. “You are sharing so you don’t feel lonely but you are also sharing so that other people don’t feel lonely,” she says. “I really wanted to share who I am but I also wanted to protect who I am.” When Khan says “anything could happen” if you step off the edge, she’s also aware that this doesn’t only mean good things. Neither does she ignore the presence of threat or danger. Instead, she confronts it with humour.
Even as Khan grapples with ideas such as living and travelling as a Muslim woman, she tells her stories with charm and wit. “In the book, I talk about being interrogated about my secret marriage. At the time I was so scared, it was such a serious situation. Now when I look back at it, I find it ridiculous,” Khan says. She doesn’t think of herself as a funny person but does believe that you can only laugh at certain situations in life to get through them. “Once you start seeing how ridiculous those are, you can pull out the humour from them,” she adds.
Apart from ideas of hope and courage, the book explores the theme of walking. It seems to be Khan’s primary way of experiencing any place she is visiting, especially because South Africa itself doesn’t allow her that freedom. She writes about how, in her home country, she has to watch what she wears even when going out to jog, how she can’t even carry her phone with her, and how she has to be hyper-aware of her surroundings, no matter where she goes.
How I Accidentally Became A Global Stock Photo: By Shubnum Khan, Pan Macmillan India, 256 pages, ₹650.
Her travel stories detail experiences and encounters of walking and getting lost in the streets of Istanbul, Casablanca, Seoul and Shanghai. A chance meeting with a weeping woman. Going down out-of-sight alleys full of possibilities. Discovering a mosque. “There’s such beauty in being able to get lost, and I can’t do that in South Africa,” she rues.
It’s an arresting vision, to imagine a young Muslim woman walking in cities of the world alone, and Khan is aware of it. “We have so many books about men walking in cities, and books about white women walking,” she says. “We don’t have too much about the Muslim woman walking.” Given the many places she has visited, it’s not unfair to think about Khan’s privilege, which she acknowledges. Does it mean adventures are possible only if certain things are aligned? “You should keep pursuing what you need to do and try to make it happen in whatever way possible,” she says. She had to fight her father to be able to travel, for instance. Some of her trips had some expenses covered. “You have to dream big but you also have to follow them with practical steps,” she says.
It’s a curious book to have been written in 2020, when the pandemic was blazing and travel was far from our minds. And yet, it was also the perfect time for the book, which has been as much influenced by the pandemic as it is a product of it. Khan says that were it not for that strange, isolating, terrifying time, she might not have come to some of the conclusions and reflections she did in her book.
“It started making me think intensely about who I am and my role, the kind of experiences I have,” she says. “In my stories I am talking about travelling by myself, being by myself, being single, doing things alone. And then, when I was writing this book (during the pandemic), I was by myself, and I was missing everyone. I felt isolated. I think it helped tell a more intense story.”
That time in 2020 was also a period when, amid the despair and grief, we were all looking for hope. Because it wasn’t around her while she was writing, Khan says she tried to write that hope into her book. “Everything felt hopeless and writing the stories felt like I was trying to inject that magic back into life,” she says.
That is the book’s mainstay: the idea that there is hope and magic to be had from life, for anyone who wants it and is brave enough to push for it. Khan calls her book “part memoir, part travelogue, part love letter to anyone who has been afraid”. It’s essentially about choosing your own path in the face of conventionality but it is the heart and humour with which she tells her tales that make the smile already on your face linger a little longer.
I ask her what advice she would give to someone who carries the weight of dreams in her heart—and it’s usually a her—except that she’s afraid. Khan’s reply is tender and full of warmth. “It will be scary and hard but you should never stop dreaming. People will always be telling women how to be, how to act and what to do. But you have to follow what you want to do because you are living your life,” she says. “You are going to be on the journey with you. No one else will live your life.”
Tasneem Pocketwala writes on culture, identity, gender, cities and books. She is based in Mumbai.
source: http://www.lifestyle.livemint.com / Mint Lounge / Home> News> Big Story / by Tasneem Pocketwala / November 04th, 2021
Anjangadi (Thrissur District) KERALA / Abu Dhabi, UAE :
Leena Jelal
Abu Dhabi:
Leena Jelal, hailing from Anjangadi near Chavakkad in Thrissur district, bagged the Big Ticket lottery worth Rs.44.75 crore (2.2 crore Dirham). The ticket, which she purchased along with her nine colleagues, brought huge luck for her. Jelal has been working as an HR professional at Shoidar Project Electronics Mechanical LLC in Abu Dhabi for the last four years.
“Though my friends were jointly taking tickets for the last one year, this was the first time that the ticket was purchased in my name.
When I was told about it first, I couldn’t believe it. I thought somebody was playing a prank on me. I am not getting words now. I am indebted to God. I have not decided what to do with the money. Anyway, I will continue with my job. The rest of the things will be decided after consulting my family members.” she said.
All other winners Suraif Suru, (10 lakh dirham), Siljohn Yohanan (5 lakh dirham), Ansar Zacharia Mansil (2.5 lakh dirham) and Divya Abraham (1 lakh dirham) are Indians.
Twin brothers win lottery
The Malayali family of two twin brothers and two twin sisters in Kuwait got Rs.50.88 lakh (2.5 lakh Dirham) prize at the weekend Big Ticket draw. The ticket taken in the name of Savitha Nair, a Clinical Staff Nurse working under the Kuwait Health Ministry, fetched the prize.
Savitha’s husband Ramesh Nair, her sister Saritha Nair and Saritha’s husband Rathish Nair jointly purchased the ticket. Savitha and Saritha, hailing from Kuravilangad in Kottayam district, are twin sisters and Ramesh and Rathish, hailing from Nedumudi in Alappuzha district, are twin brothers.
The Malayali family of two twin brothers and two twin sisters
Savitha’s son is Abhinav R Nair (Learners on Academy, Kuwait). Saritha’s children are Niranjan R Nair (Kazhakootam Sainik School) and Nirajith R Nair (Learners on Academy, Kuwait).
source: http://www.onmanorama.com / OnManorama / Home> News>Kerala / by OnManorama Correspondent / February 04th, 2022
Captain has high expectations for his side before opener against Canada in St Kitts
UAE captain Alishan Sharafu in action against Pakistan during the Under 19 Asian Cup at the ICC Academy, Dubai, in December. Chris Whiteoak/ The National
The Covid-enforced dearth of international cricket in 2021 was keenly felt by all of UAE’s leading players, but none more so than CP Rizwan.
The Kerala-born batsman must have thought he had finally cracked international cricket when he scored an uplifting century in a one-day international against Ireland a year ago.
Alishan Sharafu says the UAEare capable of achieving “great things” at the U19 World Cup in the Caribbean.
The national team start their campaign on Saturday against Canada in St Kitts. They then face pool matches against England and holders Bangladesh next week.
The competition marks just the third time the UAE have appeared on the global scale at U19 level. They had free admission as hosts in 2014, before qualifying on the field to play in South Africa two years ago.
A return to the event was sealed in absentia this time. The qualifying process was derailed by Covid, and the UAE qualified on the basis of their record in recent years.
Sharafu, the side’s captain, is one of three players who also represented the country in South Africa in 2020.
The middle-order batsman is grateful to be returning for another crack at the event, and the chance to avenge the disappointment of last time.
The UAE missed out on the business phase of the competition back then after a storm ruined their shot at chasing a win against hosts South Africa.
“It really hurt when a chance of a lifetime of going through to a Super Eight of the U19 World Cup was taken away but fortunately we’ve been blessed with another opportunity and been given another shot at it,” Sharafu said.
“I feel we have a very, very talented group of boys and a more balanced with our bowling being our strength, especially our spin attack.
“A few of us were at the last World Cup and it’s great to pass on that experience to the newer boys and make them want to do well at this one because not many are blessed with this opportunity.”
Although the age-group players regularly train with their senior compatriots, Sharafu is the only player in the U19 squad to have sampled full international cricket so far.
The Kerala-born teen has played six T20 internationals and one one-day international for the national team to date. He is hoping to bring some of that experience to bear when the U19 event gets under way.
“Being around the men’s setup for a while just adds a confidence booster because the challenges here were already simulated or experienced there,” Sharafu said. “That obviously helps to figure and work out solutions to problems at the U19 level.
“What I want to pass on to my players is to just enjoy the opportunity and challenges, and be positive and believe that we together can achieve great things.”
UAE v Pakistan, U19 Asia Cup in December
video
As well as the benefit of experience of Sharafu, Kai Smith and Ali Naseer, each of whom played last time, the players will also be able to lean on the wisdom of Mudassar Nazar. The 65-year-old coach played nearly 200 times for Pakistan, including touring West Indies.
“Most of them are already relishing the chance to rub shoulders against the best in the world,” Mudassar said of his young charges. “So far the confidence is high. Having Alishan and Kai amongst us is a real bonus. Their experience is of immense value.”
The UAE’s two warm up matches on tour included a hefty win over Papua New Guinea , plus a narrow loss to England. Mudassar believes the UAE have a well-balanced side who are capable of improving on their pool-stage exit two years ago.
“I was not around then but I am fairly confident that this bunch of players will be very competitive,” Mudassar said. “I guess our top order batting is settled but we have plenty of allrounders, which provide us with depth.
“Spin bowling is a real asset with at least five who bowl spin. Pitches in West Indies are helpful to spinners. We should be able to defend any reasonable total.”
source: http://www.thenationalnews.com / The National / Home> Sport> Cricket / by Paul Radley / January 14th, 2022
Ali Shan Sharafu smashes first century in the format in the country.
Dubai
Ali Shan Sharafu has a penchant for records, it seems and he seems to be making it a habit.
The 17-year-old, one of the UAE’s rising stars, smashed a century to set a new record in T10 cricket in the UAE.
Sharafu, who has represented the UAE at the Under-19 level and also the senior National team, conjured a ruthless 146 from just 42 deliveries, during which he hit 14 sixes and 11 boundaries.
The knock came about in the Ajman T10 Talent Hunt League at the Eden Garden Ajman while representing Pacific Goltay against Spartan.
And Sharafu, who played in the Under-19 World Cup held in South Africa this year, became the first centurion in the format in the UAE. He eclipsed big-hitting Australian Chris Lynn’s mark of 91 from just 30 balls, scoring for the Maratha Arabians against Team Abu Dhabi in the Abu Dhabi T10 League last season.
Sharafu broke his own record in the Under-19 UAE Academy League last month. The Cricket School Of Excellence pupil had cracked 155 against Maxtalent Cricket Academy to put the 151 he had scored against Young Talents Cricket Academy in 2018, to shade.
“It feels really, really nice to have another record,” Sharafu told the Khaleej Times on Friday.
“I actually never imagined that someone could get to a 100 in T10 because the highest in the format was 91 by Chris Lynn. So, I thought that would be the maximum a batsman could get to,” he added.
Sharafu said that his approach to T10 was similar to other formats but added that the batsman had to be in attacking mode from the first ball.
“It was a challenge at the start. It is such a short format and you have to get going from ball one. I always try to be an aggressive batsman so there is nothing changing in the approach but it is just that you have less time to react in a T10 game than other formats,” felt Sharafu.
The Ajman T10 Talent Hunt League, held under the auspices of the Ajman Cricket Council, will see the top performers being referred to the Players Management Council of the Abu Dhabi T10 League. The League is scheduled to be held from January 28, 2021 to February 6.
And Sharafu is hoping for an opportunity to rub shoulders with international stars to aid his cricketing journey.
“It will be really exciting to get an opportunity and you will get to learn from them, just sharing a dressing room with such big names. This is the stepping stone and this is where I wanted to be at,” said Sharafu.
james@khaleejtimes.com
source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> Sports> Cricket / by James Jose / December 04th, 2020
