Safin Mustafa from Mangaluru made an entry into the Noble Book of World Records for floating on water for 2 hours 30 minutes and 13 seconds, on Saturday January 13.
The previous best was by Karanam Snehit Simha of Andhra Pradesh in 2023, who clocked 2 hours 21 minutes 53 seconds.
The record breaking event was held at the swimming pool of Prestige International School, Jeppinamogaru here in the wee hours of Saturday. The 14 year old Safin is class 8 student of Prestige International School, one of the reputed educational institutions in the city.
Displaying the clock to the reporters, Safin said that he was coached by Aromal A S. He also thanked the teachers and the management of Prestige International School for their support and guidance in making the achievement.
Speaking to media, coach Aromal said, “Unexpectedly, I discovered swimming talent in Safin. During the learning phase, he demonstrated remarkable proficiency, comfortably swimming for 15-30 minutes. Inspired, I extended his training hours, and today he has set a world record. I am thrilled by his performance and incredibly proud of him.”
Expressing his joy over Safin’s world record, Haider Ali, chairman, Prestige International School said, “The management, staff and students of our school are proud of Safin Mustafa. He is the icon for us all. Our institution always supports and encourages the students to exhibit and to be experts in their talents. Along with academics, the generation should enjoy their age and climb heights in their fields of interest.”
Safin’s parents Abdul Lathif and Safiya Banu, officials of Noble Book of World Records, witnessed the record breaking moment.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Top Stories / by DaijiWorld Media Network -Mangaluru (SB) / pix by Dayanand Kukkaje / January 13th, 2024
Lovely Professional University (LPU) takes immense pride as Nasreen Shaikh, a first-year MPEd student and the Captain of the Kho Kho Game at LPU and the nation, has been conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award by Hon’ble President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
This recognition by the Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs is a testament to Nasreen’s exemplary leadership, sportsmanship, discipline, and outstanding performance over the past four years.
The Arjuna Award is the second-highest athletic honour in India and is bestowed upon exceptional athletes who have consistently excelled in their respective sports. Among the recipients of the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2023, Nasreen stands out alongside other renowned athletes such as World Cup star cricketer Mohammed Shami.
Nasreen’s remarkable achievements in Kho Kho have earned her numerous national and international medals, highlighting her exceptional talent and dedication to the sport.
Her impeccable skills and unwavering determination have been evident in countless competitions she has participated in thus far. Nasreen is set to lead her team in the upcoming world games, showcasing her exceptional leadership abilities.
Nasreen’s journey to success has not been without challenges. Initially, she faced societal pressure and family objections, hindering her pursuit of her passion for Kho Kho.
However, she defied all odds and emerged as a source of immense pride for LPU and India by winning several top medals. Nasreen vividly recalls the overwhelming joy she experienced when she won her first gold medal for India, with the Indian national anthem resonating through the stadium.
Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal, Founder ChanUcellor of LPU and Rajya Sabha Member, commended Nasreen on her national honour and expressed his pride in being associated with esteemed sports personalities like her.
He conveyed his heartfelt congratulations and expressed his belief in Nasreen’s ability to continue bringing honour and glory to the nation through her future endeavours. Dr. Mittal also expressed his delight at the Ministry of Sports’ announcement of the MAKA Sports 1st Runner-Up Trophy in the name of LPU.
Nasreen’s accomplishments serve as a testament to the significance of providing support and infrastructure for aspiring athletes. LPU’s unwavering commitment to nurturing sports talents is evident through its world-class sports infrastructure and support systems, including scholarships with 100% fee waivers.
The university boasts a roster of illustrious sports personalities, including ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, accomplished wrestler Bajrang Punia, skilled boxer Jaismine, Indian Hockey Team Members, and many more.
By winning the prestigious Arjuna Award, the 25-year-old India women’s kho kho team captain has brought joy to her struggling father, who dedicated himself body and soul to fuel her passion.
Nasreen Shaikh, a 25-year-old from Shakurpur, will walk down the iconic Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 9, to collect the Arjuna Award in Kho Kho, a sport that is not considered mainstream since it isn’t part of Commonwealth, Asian or Olympic Games.
She will become only the second kho kho player to win the National Sports Award in the last 25 years – the other being Sarika Kale Sudhakar in 2020 – after the indigenous sport became irrelevant at the turn of the century and struggled for recognition with the Union sports ministry backing Olympic sports heavily to eye medals in the quadrennial international multi-sports events.
“Kho Kho has changed my life. I have been able to support my struggling father,” said Nasreen as she flipped through a file looking for documents for police verification required to be sent to authorities ahead of the Arjuna Awards ceremony.
Nasreen’s father, Mohammed Ghafoor, came to Delhi in 1980 from Araria in Bihar, polished utensils for a living, worked as thekedaar (contractor) before losses forced him to try his luck at weekly markets. The father of 11 doesn’t rest even a single day and sets up shop in morning and evening all seven days of the week. He sells his wares – mostly utensils — in patri bazaar (roadside weekly markets) in Inderlok, Inderpuri, Minto Road, Patel Nagar, Ranjit Nagar, Karampura, Nangloi, Tri Nagar, Kishan Ganj, Shastri Nagar among other places.
“Generally, people focus on one market a day but I have been taking my wares to two bazaars every day for the last many years since household expenses are huge. I had to bring up kids (seven daughters and four sons) and also fuel Nasreen’s passion,” says Ghafoor.
“I worked a lot for her. It was my responsibility to provide her with the diet. She requires [protein] powders, chana, peanuts, nuts and almonds. I’d go to Lahori Gate to fetch all this and it would cost 5,000-6,000 rupees every time,” explains Ghafoor.
Nasreen is extremely grateful to her father, who is chuffed to see her daughter win the Arjuna Award.
“He even stopped visiting his hometown as it would set him back by a good amount. He made many sacrifices.”
There was also some resistance to her taking up the sport, especially kho kho, but when Nasreen began earning accolades and people around her saw prospects, all of that subsided and she started getting acknowledged in the family and among relatives.
(R to L) Mohammed Gafoor, Nasreen Shaikh and her mother
Hard Worker :
Nasreen’s father Mohammed Ghafoor) sets up shop all seven days of the week in patri bazaars to help fund her daughter’s training. To Nasreen’s right is her mother
“She was committed right from the start and I thought she should be given a chance,”adds Ghafoor.
Nasreen started playing kho-kho when she was in third standard at the Government Senior Secondary School in Kohat Enclave. She was also a very good athlete, winning gold medals in 100m and 200m sprints at school level. By the sixth standard, she was participating in the school nationals as well as the nationals in kho kho.
“Since we were financially vulnerable, I couldn’t play any sport that involved equipment. So, I had to pick kho kho and athletics,” says Nasreen, who graduated from Delhi University’s Daulat Ram College with BA (Pass) degree and is now doing M.P.Ed. (Masters in Physical Education) from Lovely Professional University in Punjab. She also completed B.P.Ed. (Bachelors in Physical Education) from the same university before this.
The big moment for Nasreen came in 2019 when she became captain of the Indian kho kho team for the South Asian Games. India won gold under her captaincy. She has so far competed in 50 national events and six international events. Even though the sport isn’t popular, still it is played in 38 countries.
While KKFI has started Ultimate Kho Kho, a franchise-based tournament that provides a platform for youngsters to earn and play, it is restricted only to male players. There are talks of having a women’s league on similar lines too but getting sponsors remains a struggle.
A few months after the high of becoming the national captain, her family struggled through Covid as her father had to sit at home without work. Kho Kho Federation of India, the governing body of the sport, chipped in with Rs 1 lakh and DYWA, an organisation based out of Delhi-6 also gave her Rs 50,000, to help her wade through the difficult time.
She worked on a stipend with Airports Authority of India (AAI).
“The stipend helped my family. But it had to end last year since the support is for only junior players,” says Nasreen, who is currently looking for a job and is hopeful that the Arjuna Award will help her land one.
“The sport has grown. It used to be considered a gali-kucha game. Earlier, we used to put money from our pocket for even travelling but now we are getting something back. Mittal sir (Sudhanshu Mittal, the president of the federation), announces cash prizes after tournaments and that helps. Prime Minister Narendra Modi backed the sport too in one of his speeches and it has boosted our confidence, given us recognition,” she adds.
Nasreen’s success has already inspired her two younger sisters to take up the sport. The four older ones are married and settled as home-makers.
The 18-year-old sister is studying at LPU in Punjab while the youngest, who is 14 years old, is studying in a school in Delhi.
“They both want to play kho kho.”
Her younger brother even gave up studies to cut down on their household expenses and ensure that Nasreen is left with as much money as possible for her training.
When at home, Nasreen leaves her home in hijab every morning on a scooty that she purchased recently and goes to a park in a different neighbourhood to work on her fitness.
“It (Hijab) is a norm here in our locality. But I take it off at the park during workout,” she adds.
The morning session is dedicated to endurance and fitness. She works out between 5 am and 8 am in the park before returning home.
“You need athleticism, endurance, stamina, and flexibility in this game. Everything. That is also a reason why I got hooked to it. If we play this game and become good players, we can participate in other games too like I participated in athletics.”
She works on kho kho skills in the evening session from 4 pm to 8 pm.
The set-up at LPU, she says, has helped her in training immensely.
While the Arjuna Award will be a feather in her cap and give her recognition, there is every likelihood that she will be celebrated as a star athlete in years to come. For the KKFI is planning biopic on her on the lines of those made on MS Dhoni and MC Mary Kom.
Special Player :
Nasreen Shaikh is the second kho kho player to win Arjuna Award in the last 25 years
“We are making a biopic on her. The plan is still in a nascent stage and we are working out the details like who will write the script, and who will direct the film among other things. She could play the protagonist herself or we could hire another actor to play her,” said Mittal, the KKFI President to Patriot.
source: http://www.thepatriot.in / The Patriot / Home> Delhi NCR / by Khurram Habib / January 09th, 2024
Hussamuddin is a two-time bronze medal winner from Commonwealth Games from 2018 Gold Cost and 2022 Birmingham
Mohammad Hussamuddin
Hyderabad:
Telangana boxer from Nizamabad Mohammed Hussamuddin on Wednesday has been nominated for the Arjuna Award while shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty duo were selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
Hussamuddin is a two-time bronze medal winner from Commonwealth Games from 2018 Gold Cost and 2022 Birmingham. He also won bronze each at World Championships in 2023 and Asian Championships in 2022.
Other sportspersons to be nominated for the Arjuna Award include men’s hockey players Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Sushila Chanu, archers Ojas Pravin Deotale and Aditi Gopichand Swami, chess player R Vaishali, golfer Diksha Dagar, shooter Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, wrestler Antim Panghal, Asian Games silver medallist wushu player Naorem Roshibina Devi and paddler Ayhika Mukherjee among others.
Sahaspur Village , Amroha, UTTAR PRADESH / Kolkata, WEST BENGAL:
Mohammed Shami
New Delhi:
Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami was on Tuesday conferred with the Arjuna Award by President Droupadi Murmu in a regal ceremony. In the ceremony, other best-performing athletes were also conferred with the national sports awards by the President.
Mohammed Shami receiving Arjuna Award for his brilliance in Indian cricket.
Shuttlers Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy were presented the coveted Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award for a breakout 2023, during which they won their maiden Asian Games gold — a first for India in badminton –, while also clinching the Asian Championships title and the Indonesia Open Super 1000 title.
The awards ceremony, usually held on August 29 to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, was deferred because of the Hangzhou Asian Games from September 23 till October 8 last year.
An atmosphere of gaiety pervaded the Rashtrapati Bhawan as 26 athletes and para-athletes were conferred the Arjuna Awards.
Also receiving a huge round of applause was the newly-crowned chess Grandmaster R. Vaishali, the elder sister of precocious chess talent R. Praggnanandhaa.
Vaishali was honoured for becoming the third woman from the country after Koneru Humpy and Dronavalli Harika to turn GM.
Pistol shooting sensation, 19-year-old Esha Singh, was among the notable absentees as she is competing in the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Jakarta.
Apart from Mohammed Shami, other sporting bigwigs who were chosen for the Arjuna award this year were wrestler Antim Panghal, a former junior world champion and bronze-winner at the senior event last year, boxer Mohammad Hussamuddin (bronze-winner at last year’s world championship), and para archer Sheetal Devi.
Among the notable Dronacharya awardees this year is chess coach RB Ramesh, who has groomed Praggnanandhaa.
While the Khel Ratna comes with a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh, the Arjuna and Dronacharya awards include a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh.
Recipients of 2023 awards
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for 2023: Chirag Shetty and Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy (badminton).
Dronacharya Award (life-time category) for outstanding coaches: Jaskirat Singh Grewal (golf), Bhaskaran E (kabaddi), Jayanta Kumar Pushilal (table tennis).
Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement: Manjusha Kanwar (badminton), Vineet Kumar Sharma (hockey), Kavitha Selvaraj (kabaddi).
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2023: Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (overall winner university); Lovely Professional University, Punjab (1st runner -up), Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (2nd runner-up).
Mohammed Shami may miss two Tests against England: Reports
Meanwhile, Mohammad Shami is likely to miss the first two matches of the upcoming five-Test series against England, set to commence on January 25, as the pacer is yet to resume bowling following an ankle injury, say reports.
He has not started bowling, and he will need to go to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to demonstrate his fitness, according to Indian Express report.
Mohammed Shami was included in the Test squad against South Africa but his availability was subject to fitness. The BCCI later in a press release stated that Shami has not been cleared by the Medical Team and the fast bowler was ruled out of the two Tests.
With inputs from agencies
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Sports / by Sameer Khan / January 09th, 2023
Jamshedpur FC announce the appointment of Khalid Jamil as the Head Coach. The experienced and highly regarded AFC Pro Licensed Coach will embark on his journey with Jamshedpur FC, starting with the Kalinga Super Cup in January, followed by the remainder of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season.
Khalid Jamil is a distinguished figure in Indian football, both as a former player and a successful manager. He is notably the first Indian to be the permanent Head Coach of an Indian Super League (ISL) team and the only Indian coach to have guided a team to the ISL playoffs. Khalid’s illustrious career includes individual accolades of having won the I-League Best Coach Award for the 2016–17 season with Aizawl and the FPAI Indian Football awards: Coach of the Year (2020–21) with NorthEast United FC.
Jamshedpur FC CEO, Mukul Choudhari said, “I welcome Khalid Jamil, a coach with thorough experience in ISL and ILeague. We have everything to play for with the Kalinga Super Cup and half of the ISL remaining. Hence, we believe he has the understanding, experience and track record in Indian Football to build and take us forward, starting with the very next game.”
Khalid’s first engagement in the ISL was with NorthEast United where he signed as the Head of Academy in 2019-20. His breakthrough with the club came in 2020-21 when he was hired as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season and he led the Highlanders to the playoffs including a 10-game unbeaten streak. In lieu of his performances, Khalid was appointed as their head coach for the 2021-22 season, making him the first Indian permanent head coach of an ISL club. He also led Aizawl FC to the 2016–17 I-League title, making Aizawl the first club from Northeast region of India to win the national title. His heroics with Aizawl FC were noticed by the entire Indian football fraternity and his achievement took him to be the head coach at East Bengal and later Mohun Bagan.
Khalid expressed his delight on signing for Jamshedpur. He said, “I want to thank the club management to give me this opportunity and I feel very excited to join Jamshedpur FC. Our target is to bring Jamshedpur FC in a better position and for that we all must work hard to bring Jamshedpur on top.”
Khalid also had a message for the ever present and vociferous fans of Jamshedpur and Jharkhand and said, “Keep supporting Jamshedpur FC, we need your support in every match, more than ever.”
Khalid will be and taking charge of the squad immediately as the attention shifts to the Kalinga Super Cup where Jamshedpur’s first challenge is versus NorthEast United FC in Bhubaneswar on 10th January.
source: http://www.fcjamshedpur.com / FC Jamshedpur / Home> News / December 30th, 2023
The left-arm spinner, who was once dropped from the Bengal side, has used the WPL as a launchpad to make a national bow.
Saika Ishaque getting her India cap. (Photo | BCCI Women Twitter)
Chennai :
When Saika Ishaque received her India cap from captain Harmanpreet Kaur moments before the first T20I against England at Wankhede on Wednesday, the joy on her face was enough to express what it meant to her. Slightly behind her was Shreyanka Patil, the other debutant, who was cheering on with a beaming smile on her face. The two spinners who were the highlight of the inaugural Women’s Premier League were making their India debuts on the same day.
While Shreyanka’s coach Arjun Dev was watching from the stands, thousands of miles away in Kolkata, there were two people who were overjoyed by the success of Saika. Mithu Mukherjee and Shibsagar Singh. Former India cricketer Mithu had no words to express their emotions and Singh was overwhelmed by the shining moment of Saika. After all, the two of them had played a big role at a crucial point in Saika’s career when almost left the sport.
Having come up through age-group cricket at the domestic level, Saika was a household name in Bengal cricketing circles. However, a shoulder injury meant things went downhill fast and she was dropped from the state team.
That is when the left-arm spinner got in touch with Mithu who put her in contact with former India Under-19 and Bengal cricketer Singh. “It was a complete U-turn, there was a phase where nothing was going her way. She was dropped from the Bengal team and suddenly things changed. We worked on her action, wrist position a bit, but mostly it was about the lines she had to bowl for different batters and situations and not just keep bowling good length and go searching for wickets,” recalls Singh.
Saika with coach Shibsagar Singh. (Photo | Express)
Getting back on track, her confidence went up as the coach constantly made her practice against male cricketers who were playing at the state level. The instruction was to take her on, and despite being hit, Saika developed variations and adapted for different situations. While the results started to show in domestic cricket, the left-arm spinner was nowhere near the national radar. The two factors that became the turning points were the WPL and Jhulan Goswami.
Now, having seen her from the start, Goswami, who was with the Mumbai Indians, played a hand in Saika getting a chance in the inaugural season. “She came back and was playing well, but was not getting noticed. Many people know she is a good player domestically. At the same time, she needed someone to tell. Jhulan knew her talent from the start and how smart she was. That was a massive plus otherwise you don’t know whether she would have got picked or not,” says Singh.
Once she got the chance, Saika made the most of it, taking 15 wickets in ten games, helping Mumbai Indians win the title. Such was her performance that she was the only Indian spinner in the top ten wicket-takers. Immediately, the limelight was on her and everyone was tracking her bowling. She took the confidence into the domestic season and finished as the leading wicket-taker in the senior women’s T20 Trophy — 18 wickets in nine games. Another eight wickets in five Inter-Zonal games meant she had earned her India call-up.
“We don’t know if she would have moved up the ladder so fast if not for the WPL. It is such a platform like IPL, the entire country watches you and the platform is such that many players are from overseas and she dismissed most of them. What she achieved in that 20 days, after that her confidence has grown. That is why the tournament changed her life,” said the coach.
2023 has been a big year for Saika. For someone who once had to stop their studies because of financial constraints, it was Saika’s success in cricket that helped her family come up. Her late father introduced her to the sport, but since then she has been the breadwinner for the family, helping her mother and elder sister, for a long time now. Today, Saika is an Indian international cricketer. “It is a massive, massive thing for her family. Her father passed away, and she is the sole breadwinner, but she has always had the confidence that she will play (for India). The thing about her is she is not afraid. She never is,” says Singh who is working with Bengal U23 women’s team.
On her debut, Saika finished with 1/38 with England posting 197/6. In reply, India fell short by 38 runs. While the figures aren’t something that makes one sit up and notice, Singh feels this is just the beginning.
“This is just the first match, so nerves might have been there. Put her in any situation, she will say ‘no worries, I will take care’. To have that confidence is something. I feel she will play long for India. All she has to do is repeat what she has practiced all these years,” the coach signed off.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport> Cricket / by Gomesh S , Express News Service / December 07th, 2023
Adeeba Ali showing her gold and silver medals with her father
The 19-year-old Adeeba Ali of Nizamuddin Basti, New Delhi, has raised the bar for those seeking to rise in life notwithstanding physical limitations. The para-athlete recently ended up becoming an inspiration to thousands of people as she won gold and silver medals in the 26th National Shooting Championship competition organized by Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy, Bhopal.
Amina Majeed Siddiqui of Awaz spoke with her at her home. Excerpts from the conversation:
How did you think about going to the National Shooting Championship competition and how many days did you prepare for it?
I had always liked sports, but soon after the accident, I started finding what was best for me. After a lot of searching, I met my coaches Subhash Rana and Rohit Sir. They showed me the path to getting back into sports. They suggested I start with competing on the track and gradually aim for the zonal, and the nationals. So after gradual preparation, I qualified for the National championships. It has been 10 months since I started preparing.
How did this accident happen?
It was five years ago, I was looking out from the balcony of my house (Fourth floor). I foot slipped and I fell on the ground floor. I felt dizzy. At first, I thought I was falling backward but no, I was falling forward. Because of that my spine was fractured and due to that my legs do not work.
Have you participated in other competitions before this?
I have also participated in District Level, Zonal, para-zonal, North Zone, and Para National. This is my 5th match.
What inspired you to take up sports?
My inspiration is my father. He has always been promoting sports. He is very fond of cricket. So Papa knows the importance of playing sports. Just as education is important, sports are also important. Secondly, my ideal is Avni Lekhara (Olympian); she is the first woman who won gold medal in shooting and the Para Olympics, she is a big inspiration to me.
How did your journey in sports start, when did you think that you should go into this field?
I wanted to be associated with sports, so I started searching. Earlier I used to participate in basketball, football, and other sports. But after the accident, everything seemed to be over for some time. I searched for a new sport that I could play with my physical limitations. I wanted to leave the accident behind because whatever happened had happened. I had to see what I could do. I came to know about Para Games which people with disabilities can also play. This gave a new meaning to me. I came to know that despite being disabled one can still play. I came to know about shooting and that yes, I realized I am made for it, then I started playing. It was not so good in the beginning. Then with time, I got better. I gained a new identity and now shooting has become an important part of my life, if I don’t practice for a day, I feel something is missing in life.
What is your plan for the future?
I intend that I want to do better every day. I want to work very hard.
What message would you like to give to those who give up on small things?
Adeeba Ali with her mother Reshma Ali
I would like to say that you should have faith in yourself, because if you give up on yourself, how will others support you? If you have this feeling within you that no matter what happens to me, you can still do this work, then you can achieve anything. The most important thing is to have faith in yourself.
I also spoke with Adiba Ali’s mother Reshma Ali. She told me:
“Adiba used to lie on the bed after the accident and had lost courage. Then one day she thought about how she could move on in life and do better. Initially, she was bedridden for one and a half years. She slowly started reconciling to her condition and began painting. Despite being bedridden, she wrote examinations for 12th standard and did well. She is now pursuing a BA in English. After that she saw what else she could do, and then she watched Avni Lekhara’s videos and said that if she can do it, I can also do it.
“She had never held a pistol in her hand. Her coach Subhash Rana worked very hard on her. Adeeba practices for 8 hours. If one wants to achieve something in life one surely has to do a lot of hard work and Adeeba did the same. She has made all of us proud. I intend to organize motivational camps for people facing disabilities. I want to tell them my daughter’s story. I want to tell people that you can do a lot despite being disabled. We will guide people on how a new life starts from here.”
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Ameena Majid Siddiqui / December 25th, 2023
In a remarkable feat of equestrian prowess, a young talent from Mangaluru Armaan Mohammed Asif galloped his way to victory, clinching a bronze medal at the Junior National Equestrian Championship held in Bengaluru on December 22 and 23.
He rode his horse Tara from Covai stables and clocked timing of 47.12 seconds, enabling him to win the Bronze in children 1 category.
It was national championship where a total of about 800 plus entries from all over India had reached to participate.
The Junior National Equestrian Championship is India’s biggest national equestrian championship where the top riders of the country compete with their best horses to get the top positions.
Armaan is the first rider from Mangaluru who won the national equestrian championship whose name is now etched in the annals of equestrian history, displayed a perfect blend of skill, finesse, and a deep connection with his equine partner. The duo maneuverer through challenging courses with grace and precision, earning accolades from spectators and judges alike.
The bronze medal not only symbolizes the individual triumph of the Mangalorean rider but also reflects the growing prominence of equestrian sports in India. As the sport gains traction, such achievements contribute to the broader narrative of the nation’s prowess in diverse fields of competition.
The entire community in Mangaluru is celebrating this victory, proud of their local hero who has made a mark on the national equestrian stage. This accomplishment not only brings glory to the rider but also shines a spotlight on the rich potential that exists in smaller towns and cities across India, reinforcing the belief that talent knows no geographical boundaries.
Armaan is in his 7th grade and the son of Mohammed Asif and Sajida.
Armaan received his initial training at Mangaluru Horse Riding Academy by Avinand Anchanahalli. Since two years, he is been riding and getting trained for nationals in Bengaluru under guidance of Abdul Rahman Shariff and Rajan Diwakar.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld / Home> Karnataka / by Media Release / December 29th, 2023
Fiza Nazir, the emerging martial arts sensation hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, has etched her name in the annals of sports history by clinching the gold medal in the senior women’s -56.7 kg weight category at the Asian MMA Championship 2023 (IMMMAF) held in Bahrain.
With unwavering focus, dedication, and a relentless pursuit of her dreams, Fiza Nazir has consistently demonstrated her mettle on grand stages. Currently training at one of Asia’s premier MMA schools, Fiza’s triumph in Bahrain has propelled her to new heights in the world of martial arts.
The gold medal at the Asian MMA Championship marks a pivotal moment in Fiza’s career, and she is now setting her sights on representing India in the upcoming World Championship later this year. Her success is a testament to her resilience, skill, and commitment to excellence.
Expressing her gratitude, Fiza acknowledges the crucial support of her sponsors, TCI Cements, along with the unwavering backing from her family and coaches. Their encouragement and support played a vital role in her journey to becoming a trailblazer for Indian women in the field of mixed martial arts.
source: http://www.greaterkashmir.com / Greater Kashmir / Home> Latest News / by GK News Service / December 26th, 2023
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