City’s Himanshi in Junior India probables list

By Paritosh Pramanik

HER dream is coming true! City’s outstanding hockey player Himanshi Sharad Gawande is just one step away from donning India colours.

The talented forward has been named as one of the 41 probables for the junior women’s national coaching camp that begins on Monday at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre, Bengaluru.

Hockey India (HI) announced the 41-core probables based on their performances in the domestic championships held in 2023.

The players will report to coach Tushar Khandker for a month-long camp that will conclude on February 6. 

Himanshi, a former student of Ira International School and who has played for Vidarbha as well as Hockey Maharashtra in various junior nationals, has been consistently performing well since several years. She had made it a habit of winning best player of the tournament on many occasions. At present she was playing for SAI Mumbai and has been ‘upgraded’ to SAI Bengaluru where she will try to impress the Junior India selectors.

“Sir, I am not stopping here. I want to play for India. I have a few more years in the junior section and I want to play Junior India,” Himanshi had told this scribe a few months back after winning the national title.

Himanshi made a switch from Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA) to Hockey Maharashtra for better prospects. Also, with infighting in VHA, the game of hockey was deteriorating in Nagpur.

Her decision to play for Hockey Maharashtra bore fruits as she became a regular member of the State team. She was then picked by SAI Mumbai.

“I am happy with my selection in core probables. I will continue to work hard as things will only get tougher from here on. I want to take Nagpur’s and Maharashtra’s name at India level,” Himanshi told ‘The Hitavada on Sunday from Bengaluru.’

Himanshi will be the second player from Nagpur to be included in Hockey India’s core probables list. 

A few years back, Indian Railways’ midfielder and Nagpur’s Niyaz Rahim was part of the Senior men’s probables.

Junior women’s coach and former India player Tushar Khandker said India has a dearth of talent and these probables will be monitored closely.

“This core group has been picked based on the players’ performances for their respective state teams in Hockey India Junior Women’s National Championship, Zonal Championships as well as Junior Women Academy National Championships and Zonal Championships,” Khandker said.

“I have always believed that there is no dearth of talent in India. I look forward to working with this new group as these players will be closely watched and developed with focus on the next FIH Junior World Cup,” he said. 

List of players in the 41-member core probable group:

Goalkeepers: Vidyashree V, Aditi Maheshwari, Nidhi, Engil Harsharani Minz.

Defenders: Lalthantluangi, Niru Kullu, Mamita Oram, Thounjaojam Nirupama Devi, Jyoti Singh, Anjali Barwa, Pawanpreet Kaur, Puja Sahoo.

Midfielders: Priyanka Dogra, Rajni Karketta, F Lalbi Aksiami, Manisha, Nirali Kujur, Hina Bano, Ksetrimayum Sonia Devi, Anisha Sahoo, Priyanka Yadav, Khaidem Shileima, Supriya Kujur, Jaisikdeep Kaur, Binima Dhan, Huda Khan, Sakshi Rana.

Forwards: Sonam, Sanjana Horo, Dechamma PG, Ishika, Himanshi Sharad Gawande, Kanika Siwach, Nisha Minj, Yamunna, Geeta Yadav, Gurmail Kaur, Lalrinpuii, Munmuni Das, Ashwini Punjab Kolekar, Sunelita Toppo.

Shubham Dubey: A story from Rags to Riches

By Paritosh Pramanik

THE IPL auction often rewards the uncapped Indian cricketers with life changing contracts and it was no different for Vidarbha’s Shubham Dubey, on Tuesday.

The hard hitting batter was fetched for Rs 5.80 crore by Rajasthan Royals after an intense long and exhilarating bidding battle against Delhi Capitals. In the end it was Rajasthan Royals who had the last laugh taking away the Nagpur cricketer under their wings.

Dubey’s is a Rags to Riches story. The hard-hitting batter from Vidarbha, grew up in a poor family in Vaishali Nagar, north Nagpur and barely managed to purchase a cricket kit.

Those were the days when Shubham used to play with borrowed kits. Dubey then came to know about late Advocate Sudeep Jaiswal, who used to run Advocate XI Cricket Club. The benevolent Adv Jaiswal took care of Shubham — from his cricketing gears to -- at times-- caring about his diet.

And Shubham did not forget to thank his first mentor and father-figure Adv Jaiswal.

“Whatever I am today, it is because of Adv Sudeep Jaiswal. He was a God-sent angel. From purchasing kits, costly bats to taking care of my diet. Jaiswal sir did not let me go empty handed,” Dubey who plays for Eleven Star Cricket Club in Vidarbha Cricket Association’s leagues, told ‘The Hitavada’.

“My family’s financial condition was very weak when I started playing cricket and Sudeep sir helped me a lot. Had it not been for Sudeep sir, I wouldn’t have reached this far,” admitted Dubey. “Sudeep sir gave me the opportunity to play for his team and also asked me to lead the side in local competitions. That gave me a lot of confidence,” added Dubey, whose mother Jayshree is a housewife and father Badriprasad does petty work.

Dubey also recalled days when he used to play tennis ball cricket to earn money so that he could help his family.

“Once Aniruddha Chore (former Vidarbha stumper) introduced me to the Times Shield (in Mumbai) tournament where I used to earn Rs 10,000 per month. That helped me earn a livelihood. I played in Mumbai for six months and then came back and played tennis ball cricket in and around Vidarbha. That helped me win man of the match awards in cash. In a way that was my earning,” narrated Dubey.

“Rohit bhai (Rohit Kaisalwar) helped me a lot. He motivated me a lot and used to inform me about tennis ball tournaments in Vidarbha and central India. Even at the Royal Cricket Association Club, I got a free hand while training in nets. I also thank Irfan sir (Irfan Rajjak) for his timely help,” the left-handed batter said.

Dubey’s life changed when he got selected to play for Vidarbha teams. “Financial stability has come since I started playing for Vidarbha. The match fee and other financial assistance from Vidarbha helped me a lot. This IPL opportunity is because of VCA officials. I will not let anybody down and will give my best and will perform to the best of my abilities,” concluded Dubey.

--------------------

Thanks to Gujarat Titans for showing trust in me: Umesh

n By Paritosh Pramanik

INDIAN pacer Umesh Yadav was satisfied with Gujarat Titans for picking him for a huge amount during the IPL mini auction in Dubai on Tuesday. Yadav, whose base price was Rs 2 crore was sold to Gujarat Titans for Rs 5.80 crore, surprising the pacer.

“IPL auctions are unpredictable. To be very frank I was not expecting that I would fetch this much money. I was confident of being picked by one of the 10 franchises but never thought of getting over Rs 5 crore. I was thinking around the Rs 4 crore bracket. I like to thank Gujarat Titans for showing trust in me,” Yadav told ‘The Hitavada’ immediately after his auction took place.

On a day when Australians Mitchell Starc and World Cup winning captain Pat Cummins broke the Rs 20 crore sealing, Umesh emerged as one of the experienced bowlers to earn big.

Starc went to Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 24.75 cr while Cummins was bought by  Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 20.50 crore.

Yadav said with experience under his belt he will look forward to playing with GT bowlers and would love to transfer his knowledge being a senior pro. “I would love to share my knowledge with the young Gujarat Titans pacers. I would be more like a mentor to them because I have a lot of experience of playing in IPL,” said the 36 year-old Vidarbha pacer who has played 141 IPL matches for DD, RCB and KKR till now.

“I will give my best to help GT win matches and also the title once again,” said the India speedster.

Yadav, who has played for three franchises, said that he would pass whatever knowledge he gained from those teams earlier. “Yes, definitely, I have played with three franchisees earlier and I would pass all what I know about those teams and their strategies to GT team management,” Yadav signed off.

Rs 5.80 crore each: Vidarbha’s Yadav, Dubey strike it rich

By Paritosh Pramanik

INDIA international pacer Umesh Yadav and hard-hitting Vidarbha batter Shubham Dubey both fetched a whopping Rs 5.80 crore each during the IPL mini auction which took place at Dubai on Tuesday.

First to earn big was veteran Vidarbha and India pacer Yadav who went to Gujarat Titans for Rs 5.80 crore.

Yadav was released by Kolkata Knight Riders and went through the auction for a base price of Rs two crore.

Later in the day, it was 

time for Dubey to hog the 

limelight and make this auction count after last year’s disappointment.

The lanky left-handed batter, who had a base price of Rs two lakh, was picked up by Rajasthan Royals, who fought hard with Delhi Capitals to get him for Rs 5.80 crore.

Both Vidarbha players —Yadav and Dubey — termed their price tag as 

“unbelievable”.

While Yadav is an IPL veteran with over 140 matches under his belt, Dubey will be making his maiden entry into the cash-rich T20 league.

“I was expecting to get picked by one of the franchises but was not thinking of this big amount,” Yadav told ‘The Hitavada’ immediately after he was bought by Gujarat Titans.

For Dubey, it will change his life forever.

“Last year, I could not attend the auction as I was injured but this time, I gave trials to almost all teams. I was sure of getting picked but never thought that I would fetch this big an amount. It’s huge,” Dubey said.

Dubey was in fine form this season in the domestic tournaments and had plenty of runs under his belt in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy to show.

In the 20 T20 matches for Vidarbha till date, Dubey has scored 485 runs at the strike rate of 145.20.

Dubey had given trials of almost all the franchises and was given a task to score ‘x’ number of runs in ‘x’ number of balls. The left-handed batter cleared the ‘exam’ with flying colours making a strong case.

Yadav is an experienced India campaigner and has played IPL for KKR, DC, RCB in previous editions.

With age catching up (he is 36), Yadav will be one of the senior pros in Gujarat Titans set-up and will share the ball with Mohd Shami, Mohit Sharma and city-mate Darshan Nalkande along with others.

Sewai-Kheer, Halwa Poori, Kadhi await Asian Games triple gold winner Ojas Deotale

By Paritosh Pramanik

ARCHER Ojas Pravin Archana Deotale’s favourite dishes Sewai-Kheer, Halwa Poori and Kadhi’ will be awaiting the Asian Games triple gold medal winner, when he returns to Nagpur in a few days.

“He loves Sewai-Kheer, Halwa Poori and Kadhi like anything. He has asked me to prepare his favourite dishes when he returns home. I will be preparing his favourite dishes with added flavour of ‘extra-love’ to it,” Archana Deotale, the proud mother of India’s pride Ojas, told ‘The Hitavada’.

On Saturday morning, Ojas won the gold medal, his third of the Games, defeating compatriot Abhishek Verma in the men’s compound individual event.

In a battle between the master and apprentice, it was the 21-year-old reigning world champion Ojas, who emerged winner.

Ojas, who became the first Indian male World Champion at Berlin in August early this year, overwhelmed the 34-year-old 149-147.

“Abhishek Sir was under pressure, while Ojas looked calm in the final,” said his father Pravin.

Ojas’ mother Archana said her son was at a loss of words when we called him.

“He did not speak a word. He was just smiling and crying. Those were tears of joy. I think it is yet to sink in for Ojas,” Archana narrated about her first video interaction with Ojas over phone on Saturday morning.

Their ancestral home in Ganesh Nagar wore a festive look. There was a huge celebration. All the family members and neighbours gathered at their home and witnessed Ojas rewrite history on Saturday morning. They applauded after each arrow that pierced the butt (the target board) giving him 10 points.

Family and friends danced to drumbeats to celebrate the gold medal in Ganesh Nagar. Sweets were distributed as Deotales soaked in the pre-diwali celebration.

Just like every night during the Games, the Deotales had a conference call with Ojas on the eve of the final (Friday). They talked about the last gold medal at stake.

The talk then diverted towards elder brother Jatin’s birthday (October 8).

The elder brother asked Ojas to give him the third gold medal as a birthday gift. Ojas, assured that it will be ‘delivered’. ‘Bhaiyya, gold medal gift me pakka dunga (Brother, I will definitely give you the third gold medal as gift, promise.’ 

Nagpur's only Asian Games gold medal winning archer kept his promise and ‘delivered’ the gift from China.

“He was talking so confidently early in the night. He sounded calm and was tension free. His reply to his brother about gifting gold medal came even before Jatin could complete his sentence.

Her son has made the country proud and Archana feels that it's now time for the government to take care of the gold medal winner.

“I think the Maharashtra Government should ensure medal winners from our State get decent government jobs. Look at Punjab, Haryana and a few other States. The medal winners are getting direct government jobs and a good post. That helps a sportsperson in concentrating only on his performance and don’t have to think too much about their future. If the future is secured, the sportspersons will deliver handsomely. Our city has two big leaders in Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. They can do it. 

“Yesterday DCM Fadnavis called us and congratulated us for Ojas’ medal winning feat. He assured to help the sportspersons. I hope something positive will come out after Ojas’ triple medal effort.

The Deotales feel that Nagpurians would come out in large numbers to celebrate Ojas’ homecoming.

“Last time when he became World Champion, there was hardly anybody to welcome and celebrate at the airport. Ojas will be landing in Delhi the day after tomorrow and then will have a reception with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In all probability, he will return to Nagpur on October 11. Hope Nagpurians give him a grand welcome,” Archana signed off.

How a 15-min pep-talk with mother fetched gold for Ojas

By Paritosh Pramanik

THEY spent a sleepless night before their son, Nagpur’s very own Ojas Pravin Deotale, clinched India’s maiden gold medal in the compound mixed team event at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Wednesday morning. The 21-year-old reigning world champion Ojas, partnering with Jyothi Surekha Vennam downed second-seeded Korean pair of So Chaewon and Joo Jaehoon 159-158 to clinch the gold medal for India.

Ojas’ parents — father Pravin and mother Archana — could not sleep the whole night as they were anxious for their son’s final event. They were sure of their son giving his best for the country but were still apprehensive.

“We could not sleep the whole night. I was looking at the clock every minute...waiting for the alarm to ring,” said Pravin while talking with ‘The Hitavada’ after Ojas’ gold winning feat.

“We still got up as early as 5 am and were in front of the TV,” he added.

There were tears of joy in the Deotale couple’s eyes as the national anthem was played at the archery range in Hangzhou. With the gold medal dangling around a smiling Ojas’ neck, his father Pravin felt over the moon.

“That moment brought out all of Ojas’ childhood memories. They way he shifted from skating to archery, his daily tantrums where he used to break brooms to make bow and arrow, to going for coaching under Zeeshan sir at Bada Tajbagh...all those memories filled my heart,” said Pravin, a civil contractor.

“I was overwhelmed when the national anthem was played. What a proud moment it was. For once, we felt that we should have been there (at Hangzhou) to celebrate the moment,” said Pravin, who never stopped his son from taking his decision in life.

On Tuesday night, Ojas had called his mother Archana and talked for about 15 minutes. “He was a little nervous. It was a big final and he was feeling pressure. He said to me ‘What will happen tomorrow. I am feeling nervous. I want to win gold for my country.’

“I calmed him down and said that you have done all the right things till now and have worked hard to reach where you are. You have to go and do what you are doing regularly. Give your best and you will achieve success,” Archana narrated her talk with Ojas.

“I told him not to think about the result and enjoy the moment. Whatever be the outcome you will remain the champion for us. Those words calmed Ojas a bit. He said ‘Aai you are not like other parents who put pressure on their wards to win gold. You always tell me to enjoy the moment and celebrate the outcome’. This, I think, helped him settle a bit,” stated Archana.

That 15-minute pep-talk gave a world of confidence to Ojas helping him claim the gold medal.

Ojas, who became India’s first male archer to be crowned world champion this August, has another chance to claim a gold medal in the individual event on Saturday.

“We are sure that he will make India proud again. He is a hard worker and dedicates himself fully to the task,” said Pravin.

Ojas was into skating when he was a kid but his interest grew in archery while in school.

“He told me that he wanted to play archery. Earlier, it was leisure but gradually he started gaining interest in the bow arrow sport. He started going for coaching at Trimurti Nagar NIT ground and then shifted to Bada Tajbagh under Zeeshan,” Pravin shared Ojas’ journey.

“Even though archery was not that popular, I never stopped him from playing it. I only wanted him to play at least one sport,” said Pravin, who himself attended NCC shooting camp in New Delhi.

“Ojas has inherited ‘aim’ sport from his forefathers. My grandfather and father were fond of rifle shooting. I still love rifle shooting. I was a 7.62 rifle snap shooter and won a silver medal at the RD parade. I did not get proper coaching hence could not pursue my dream. Ojas got proper coaching and guidance at the right time which helped him achieve the glory,” Pravin concluded.

Sunday Sojourn: Vijay Munishwar

 

From making path on slushy field to world archery champion

 

By Paritosh Pramanik

FROM the waterlogged slushy field where he had to make his own path with boulders and bricks to reach the Target Buttress in Bada Tajbagh practice area, to climbing the victory podium as world best archer at World Archery Championship in Berlin, Germany, Nagpur’s Ojas Pravin Deotale has scaled ‘Everest’ in a very short time.

All because of his dedication, determination and strong willpower to excel in the bow and arrow sport, which he took only to enjoy in leisure time.

Earlier this month, Deotale created history by becoming the first Indian man to win a gold medal in the compound event at Worlds. He also helped the Indian Compound team to grab the yellow metal making it a double delight for him as well as the nation.

Back in Nagpur after achieving the summit, Deotale is a busy man at his Hingna T-point residence. Requests for interviews and congratulatory messages from well-wishers have been pouring in since the last couple of days.

But the 21-year-old archer has no qualms. He is well aware of the attention that comes with stardom. “Initially it felt nice but now I am a bit bored and tired with this much attention,” Deotale candidly said while talking to ‘The Hitavada’.

From a 15-year-old newcomer to the bow and arrow sport to world champion at the age of 21, Deotale has achieved too much in too little time. “It’s been only six years since I started playing archery. It was just for leisure. But my love for this sport grew and I started dreaming of representing India one day,” recalled Deotale who trains at Satara under Pramod Sawant.

“When I got the India call, I just wanted to perform well. But gradually the hunger for achieving success grew and I started dreaming of winning medals for the country. That desire and willpower helped me reach where I am today,” said the Indian archer.

But the journey to the top was not a cakewalk. There were hurdles all over. Deotale had to travel from his Hingna T-Point home to Bada Tajbagh for practice.

“It was a makeshift archery arena, an open field. During the rainy season, the entire field used to turn into a big pond. The patch on which we used to practice was not reachable with puddles all over. I used to put boulders and bricks to reach the Target Buttress, after releasing the arrow from target area. During summer days it was more difficult. The scorching Nagpur heat would drain us. There was no shade and we had to train under the burning Sun. I was determined and my childhood coach Mohd Zeeshan sir guided me,” said Deotale.

After winning the historic gold with 150/150 score Deotale was over the moon. He could not believe he had done the unthinkable. “My legs were trembling. I was totally lost. And then the national anthem was played in Germany. There were goosebumps, tears of joy rolled down my cheeks. I had fulfilled one of my dreams, my country’s dream,” Deotale proudly said.

The golden boy of India said archery is not at all an easy sport as it looks from the stands. “It is a very difficult sport. You have to train really hard to hit that arrow on target repeatedly. It needs a lot of concentration and meditation. During competitions, there is noise of the clicking of cameras continuously which distracts you, then there are spectators and officials, all at one place and you have to concentrate on that single dot from 50 metres away. Meditation helps in concentration. I meditate while I go to bed at night. I put my earpods on and listen to soft music, preferably the tunes related to nature...the soft tune. I close my eyes and visualise my target then, how I am holding the bow, how I will release the arrow, how I will fight with the weather condition,” Deotale explained.

Deotale faced rough weather during the world finals. “It was windy during the finals. It was also raining and the sun was also out making it very difficult to shoot on target. Once, I even hit the side target board due to strong wind. But as I said, I concentrated and succeeded in hitting the bull’s eye,” narrated Deotale.

This is just the beginning and Deotale has set his target.

“Gold at Hangzhou Asian Games is the immediate target and an Olympic medal in 2028 (Compound event is not included in the Paris 2024 Olympics) is my ultimate dream,” Deotale signed off.

‘Ashwamedh’ dates clash with Assembly session

With MLA Hostel ‘out of reach’ due to Assembly Winter Session in December, RTMNU is searching other venues for lodging and boarding for women athletes

By Paritosh Pramanik

RASHTRASANT Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University will be hosting Ashwamedh 2023 in December (3-7) which will clash with the Winter Session of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Dec 7). 

It will be a huge logistic problem for RTMNU as over 2500 women athletes and officials will be arriving in the city for the State Inter-University Krida Mahotsav, formerly known as Ashwamedh.

RTMNU, which is celebrating its centenary year, will host nine women’s event including athletics, basketball, kho-kho, kabaddi, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, football and chess. 

The biggest difficulty for RTMNU will be of providing accommodation to the players and officials. With the non-availability of MLA Hostel which will be occupied by the MLAs and other leaders of the State, RTMNU has started its search for other venues.

According to Dr Sharad Suryawanshi, Director, Department of Sports and Physical Education, they are trying every options available. “We are exploring every possible options. There are many hostels of school and colleges. We have our own (RTMNUs) hostel. We can also accommodate athletes at Koradi’s Bhakt Nivas. I am confident that there won’t be any problem in providing lodging and boarding facilities to the athletes,” Dr Syuryawanshi confidently said.

“We will be doing a recce in a few days and visit Koradi Bhakt Nivas and IDCPE apart from other venues. I am sure we will manage to provide the best facilities to the athletes,” added Dr Suryawanshi.

The University will also be renovating Subhedar Hall which will host the badminton event. “The venue will be refurbished for badminton event. We will be using RTMNU’s Dikshant Subhagruh for chess events while the PGTD Hall will be used for table tennis events. We will also be adding a few more tables for the event,” revealed Dr Suryawanshi.

“We are also plannnig a Games torch relay which will begin a week before the games and will cross through districts of which colleges are affiliated with RTMNU,” Dr Surywasnshi stated.

NDFA bans NAFC; promotes Qidwai to Elite Div

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR District Football Association (NDFA) has banned Nagpur Academy Football Club (NAFC) from playing its JSW Elite Division League tournament.

According to a report, NAFC had ‘forged’ a signature when it applied for an age group I-League team from Nagpur.

Taking cognisance of such a serious ‘crime’, NDFA, in its recently held meeting, decided to suspend one of the top teams of Elite Division.

According to NDFA, NAFC had sought permission from AIFF and WIFA for formation of an I-League team. They had even spent a good amount of money in getting grounds and other facilities in Nagpur. They then sought written permission from NDFA. According to an NAFC official, NDFA delayed in providing written assurance. As the last date of registration was nearing, NAFC ‘forged’ the signature of secretary Iqbal Kashmiri.

When contacted, NDFA confirmed the development and said that NAFC has been suspended from participating in any of the authorised tournaments in and around the 

district.

“It is a serious crime. Such indiscipline will not be tolerated. I got a call from WIFA and AIFF regarding NDFA giving permission to NAFC. They also sent me the letter they received with our secretary’s sign and NDFA stamp. We were shocked to see the duplicate signature of Secretary Kashmiri. We summoned NAFC officials and sought an explanation for such a crime. They accepted their mistake but we had to take stern action and we decided to ban the club,” NDFA President Haresh Vora to ‘The Hitavada’.

Last season, NAFC had finished at the seventh spot after completion of the league round in the 10-team competition.

Looking at players’ futures, NDFA has allowed them to join any other club.

“We have banned only the club and not the players. It is not the fault of players. They are allowed to sign any club this season,” stated Vora.

With NAFC suspended, Qidwai Club has been promoted to Elite Division.

“There was no relegation in Elite Division last season and Qidwai Club, being Super Division champions, has been promoted,” informed Stanley Gregory, General Secretary, NDFA.

The 2023-24 season is likely to begin in the last week of September or October. Ten teams, Young Muslim Football Club, Ansar Club, Indian Friends Football Club, Nagpur Blues, Rahul Sankrutyayan, Rabbani Club, Kamptee, South East Central Railways, Manganese Ore India Limited and Big Ben Football Club, will fight for the top prize.

Meanwhile, the transfer procedure for Elite Division has been started. Players, clubs will have to complete their transfer formalities online.

The NDFA has permitted each club to register three players from other districts of Maharashtra and two from other States. 

“Clubs will have to pay Rs 3000 per player if they register from other districts. For State transfer, they will have to shell out Rs 15,000 for each player,” said Stanley.

NDFA body elected unopposed

 

Stanley Gregory appointed as Secretary General to President and Mohd Mubin as his deputy

ONCE again the entire executive committee of Nagpur District Football Association (NDFA) was elected unopposed. Haresh Vora was once again elected as president while Iqbal Kashmiri will continue as the secretary. The entire executive committee was already elected unopposed after the last date of withdrawal (August 3), but the final and official result was declared after the Annual General Meeting of the association that was held at its office in Suyog Nagar on Sunday.

“Total 25 forms were sold while only 18 forms were received against the 18 posts and thus the entire executive committee of Nagpur District Football Association has been declared elected unopposed,” Election Officer Stanley Gregory informed scribes after the AGM.

“The newly-elected body nominated Stanley Gregory as General Secretary, Mohammad Mubin as Deputy Secretary General, Barnard Desouza as Joint Secretary and Hemant Shahani as Assistant Secretary to conduct all events of NDFA. Adv Virat Mishra has been nominated as Vice-President for a four-year term while Adv Sachin Agrawal will be on the Judicial Committee of the League Committee as a chairperson,” Gregory added.

When asked about plans for the future, Vora said, “The new body will meet soon and chalk out detailed plan that will be made public. We will also talk to our main sponsors, JSW. We have been pursuing the case of having a gallery at the ground and will meet NIT officials for the same. We have some plans for providing assistance to players in case of serious injuries.”

On conducting big soccer tournaments in the city, Kashmiri said, “Our (NDFA) league is our priority. With all our leagues combined, we have over 350 matches and it takes such a long time that we find it hard to have a window for any other tournament. Moreover, the clubs also have some or the other assignment and it is very difficult to host another tournament.” 

During the AGM, an Advisory Committee was also formed. Veteran Salim Baig has been named as Chairman while Dr Upendra Verma will be the Convenor. AB Khan, Ashok Yadav and Ramlal Gaur will be the three members.

NDFA New Body:

President: Haresh Vora. Vice-Presidents: Atmaram Pande, Kamil Ansari, Eugene Norbert and Abid Khan. Secretary: Iqbal Kashmiri. Treasurer: Mohd Khalid Ansari. Members: Mahefooz Akhtar, Biswajit Dey, Navneet Singh Tuli, Sanjay Kathale, Dr Kamal Ahmed Ansari, Papan Pramanik, Ankush Bhadange, Karamchand Chourasia, Dayanand Singh, Mohd Shahid and Shantanu Motghare.

71-yr-old Vora re-elected NDFA prez

I wanted Attu Pande to be new president, claims Vora

By Paritosh Pramanik

Claiming that the age barrier put up in the National Sports Code by Sports Ministry is only for national sports federations, incumbent President of Nagpur District Football Association (NDFA) Haresh Vora was once again elected as chief of the district football governing body.

The entire executive committee was elected unopposed after the last date of withdrawal (August 3). 

When asked about the ruling put up by Sports Ministry regarding the age barrier of 70 years for office bearers of any sports association, President Vora, who is 71 years old claimed, “Sports Ministry’s circular is only for national federations and does not apply to State or District body.” 

However, Vora claimed that he was willing to step down and wanted new face to take charge. “I wanted Attu Pande (Big Ben Football Club) to be elected as the new President but several members requested me to continue for another term and I had no other option,” Vora told ‘The Hitavada’ on Friday.

When contacted Pande said, “a few months back Vora and I had talk regarding the president’s post but not in the recent past. He did ask me to take the charge of NDFA but at that time it was too early to decide. During the election process (last week) no body asked or requested me to take the president’s post. I am happy that Vora is continuing as the President for another term. He is the best person for the job.”  Pande will continue to be one of the vice-presidents of the association.

Vora is holding the top post since 2015 after former Mayor late Atal Bahadur Singh stepped down. He is also Vice-President of Western India Football Association (WIFA), the soccer governing body of Maharashtra.

The other Vice-President to continue from previous body is Kamil Ansari while Eugene Norbert and Abid Khan, who were executive members, have been elevated. 

MLA Sameer Meghe, who was one of the vice-presidents in last committee, decided not to contest this time. 

Veteran Iqbal Kashmiri will continue as the Honorary Secretary of the association while Stanley Gregory, who was the executive committee member in last body is likely to be appointed as the Secretary to the President.

Mohd Khalid Ansari will continue to be the treasurer of the association for another term.

There are several new faces in the executive committee with Navneet Singh Tuli, Dayanand Singh, Mohd Shahid and Shantanu Motghare being elected for the first time.

Mehfooz Akhtar, Biswajeet Dey, Sanjay Kathale, Dr Kamal Ahmed Ansari, Papan Pramanik, Ankush Bhadange and Karamchand Chourasia are the other executive committee members.

The officer bearers have been elected for a term of four years while the executive committee members (total 11) are elected for a two-year term.

The annual general meeting of the association will be held on Sunday at NDFA Office, situated at Dr Ambedkar Football Stadium, Suyog Nagar, and the new committee will be announced by Gregory who is the election officer.

VHA+NDUHA+VWHA=SHAME

By Paritosh Pramanik

HOCKEY Associations—District or State — are formed for the development and promotion of the game of hockey. It is due to these associations, players get a chance to show their skills and move up the ladder. But in Nagpur, three associations Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA), Vidarbha Women’s Hockey Association (VWHA) and Nagpur District Unified Hockey Association (NDUHA), are organisations who have earned “Shame” due to their inability to promote the game for several years.

VHA and VWHA have two beautiful hockey grounds in the heart of the city, one off Amravati Road and the other at Sadar, behind Tirpude College. But both the grounds are in a neglected state where hockey is hardly played. A visit to both grounds shocked this scribe. The grass is of knee height and the field can be used to graze cattle. Agreed that during the rainy season hockey is not played but it is the duty of these organisations to maintain their grounds.

Until 2020, VHA used to be an affiliated unit of Hockey India (HI) and had powers to conduct the game in the region. But after HI’s one-state-one-unit diktat, VHA lost its affiliation and since then the association has been fighting a legal battle against HI through a High Court appointed Administrator. This forced the association to stop hockey activities in the city.

The Administrator was appointed after a split in the executive committee of VHA.

VWHA, on the other hand, is a defunct body without any affiliation and after the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation merged with Hockey India, it has no say. Still, they have the hold of the ground at Sadar. But sadly it is very poorly maintained.

As for NDUHA, it got affiliation from Hockey Maharashtra immediately after their ‘formation’ sometime last July.

The ‘newly-elected’ body announced to hold several tournaments for the calendar year and even went on to say that they are finding it difficult to get dates for tournaments. They ‘hired’ VWHA ground and did start a tournament. Alas! They failed to complete it. Till date NDUHA has not completed a single tournament, reasons better known to them.

In between, another association cropped up in the name of Vidarbha Hockey Players Association (VHPA) and started functioning from VHA ground. It conducted tournaments and even distributed attractive prizes to attract players and clubs. But once NDUHA came into existence and warned hockey players and clubs against participating in ‘unsanctioned’ tournaments of VHPA, the tournaments dried up.

NDUHA asked VHPA to get affiliation to hold tournaments. But VHPA refused to do so, stating that VHA is still the governing hockey body of the region and it did not recognise NDUHA.

In all bickering and ego clashes of the hockey officials, only the players suffered. All those associated with the aforesaid associations hardly made any effort to wipe out their differences and come on a common platform for the development of the game.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that a government department in Nagpur is recruiting five hockey players through sports quota. The bigger question is when there are no hockey tournaments conducted in Nagpur, why select hockey players? Instead, other sports like football, cricket, to name a few, should get the players who can show their talent and above all get a chance to play throughout the year.

It is high time government took cognisance of this serious matter and warned all the warring factions or took control of both these grounds. Then only hockey can see the light of the day in Nagpur.

Leggie Ankita is VCA’s 1st BCCI panel women umpire

By Paritosh Pramanik

Indian women have breached into almost every profession that was once dominated by men. From holding top ranks in armed forces to leading major corporate houses, producing exemplary performances on the field and making their mark with aplomb off it. Women have made a giant leap in male dominated professions including sports.

Running shoulder to shoulder with men, Vidarbha women cricketers are proving their worth on the field, and now they have started carving a niche for themselves off it. Ankita Guha, a former leg-spinner of Vidarbha, has become first women umpire from VCA after she cleared the BCCI umpires examination with flying colours. The examination was held at Ahmedabad.

Speaking with ‘The Hitavada’, Ankita, who has played a decent number Women’s List A matches for Vidarbha said that an injury in 2017-18 season forced her to think about her future.

“When in 2018 I got injured, I was forced to quit playing but decided to stay connected with the game. I wanted to become a match referee. Farookh Dastur sir (VCA CEO)asked me to appear for the umpires examination. I cleared the VCA State panel examination last year and applied for the BCCI examination. I cleared the four-stage examination in the first attempt itself,” Ankita, who works with the Indian Air Force at Vayusena Nagar, said.

A leg-spinner, Ankita has played seven two-day matches, apart from 25 One-Day and 15 T20s for Vidarbha.

“Being a player I got the opportunity to directly appear for the Level-2 examination of the BCCI and I am happy that I cleared it,” Ankita, daughter of late father Shyamal and mother Dolly, proudly said.

Ankita, who is working as a Joint Controller of Defence Accounts, thanked the entire VCA committee, her mentors umpires Abhijit Deshmukh, Nitin Pandit, Vinit Kulkarni, Vinayak Kulkarni for their constant support. 

“I want to officiate in ODIs and Women Premier League. But I want to take one step at a time,” 37-year-old Ankita concluded.

Pramanik elected SJFI Vice-President 2023

 

 By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, July 5, 2023
FRESH with her medal winning performances in the recently concluded tournaments at Peru and Brazil, Nagpur’s international paddler Jennifer Varghese would be looking to continue her excellent show in the 27th Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships, which will be held in Doha from July 17 to 22.
Table Tennis Federation of India announced a 14-member squad for the continental championship which includes seven boys and as many girls.
Jennifer was selected in the Indian team in May itself when she won all the gold medals on offer in the South Asian Youth Table Tennis Championship held in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.
Jennifer started the season with a bang with a gold medal at Under-17 nationals in Hyderabad. On her way to title the ever-improving 15-year-old Jennifer had stunned second seed and seasoned Sutirtha Mukherjee.
Jennifer had to settle for silver medals at the World Table Tennis Star Youth Contender at Lima Peru in June.
But taking that disappointment in stride, Jennifer upped her game by a few notches and claimed twin golds in the next meet held in Brazil.
She won the U-15 singles and mixed doubles gold medal to bounce back on golden track.
“The twin gold medal wins at Brazil has given me a lot of confidence and I will use all my experience at Doha,” Jennifer told ‘The Hitavada’.
“The competition will be totally of a different level at the Asian meet but I will try to give my best and win medals for the country,” Jennifer, who trains under R Rajesh at ITTC Centre in Chennai, confidently said.
Jennifer will be looking to earn some valuable points and get selected for the ITTF World Youth Championships which will be held at Nova Garcia, Slovenia in from November.
Though the winners of the continental event in U-19 and U-15 boys and girls directly make the grade for the Slovenia Championships, the Indian boys and girls can hope to grab one of the six spots each in the two sections, in singles out of the 20 spots and doubles on combined world ranking points. Jennifer, who is in city for a break, will leave for Chennai on July 8.
The team will leave for Qatar on the intervening night of July 15-16.
THE TEAMS
Girls: Jennifer Varghese, Yashaswini Ghorpade, Suhana Saini, Taneesha Kotecha, Avisha Karmakar, Sayanika Maji and Sayali Wani. Coaches: Anindita Chakraborty, Jay Modak and R Rajesh.
Boys: Ankur Bhattacharjee, Divyan Srivastava, Jash Modi, PB Abhinand, Sarth Mishra, Punit Biswas and Priyanuj Bhattacharyya.