All-round Yadav shines

Pagariya Strikers beat India Warriors by three wickets

Special Correspondent

PACE bowler Lalit Yadav, after taking three first innings wickets, slammed three sixes off the last over bowled by Darshan Nalkande as Pagariya Strikers chased down the 214-run target put up by India Warriors with three wickets in hand and a ball to spare in the ongoing Vidarbha Premier League at VCA’s Jamtha International Stadium on Wednesday.

Needing 19 from the last over, Pagariya lost the wicket of Pushpak Gujar to the first ball. Yadav walked in calmly and picked a single and then Shivam Deshmukh (47*) gave strike back to Yadav who hit his first six towards deep point. Nalkande bowled the next delivery wide and then over-pitched the ball which Yadav sent it over mid-wicket ropes. Needing four from the last delivery, which turned out to be a no-ball, Yadav hammered it over the long-off fence to hand his side their second win in a row and go top of the table.

The chase was in total control of Pagariya Strikers with Ravikumar Samarth, who scored season’s first century, hitting a fine 59. Deshmukh played brilliantly and with Pushpak Gujar (37), they added 75 runs from 36 deliveries. In the end it was Yadav’s four-ball 19 which sealed the deal for Strikers.

Earlier, Satyam Bhoyar slammed his second half century of the tournament while Akshay Wadkar and Shubham Dubey chipped in with valuable runs as India Warriors posted another 200-plus runs.

Asked to bat first, Warriors scored 214-8 in 20 overs. Opening the batting Bhoyar slammed 58 runs from 21 balls after Vaibhav Lande failed with the bat. Bhoyar’s knock had four boundaries and five maximums.

Skipper Wadkar threw his bat hitting a couple of fours and as many sixes to score 21-ball 35. Dubey, who had scored 74 runs in their previous game against Nagpur Heroz, slammed 43 from 22 deliveries with three maximums and three boundaries.

Abhishek Agrawal, who scored 63 from 19 balls in their last game, continued his fine batting with another quickfire 21 from 15 deliveries while Darshan Nalkande hit 5-ball 14 as Warriors crossed 200-run mark.

Spinner Kaustubh Salve and Lalit Yadav took three wickets each for Pagariya Strikers while captain Kadam took two. 

INDIA WARRIORS INNINGS R B 4 6

V Lande c Chawate b Salve 5 5 1 0

S Bhoyar c Sanjay b Salve 58 21 4 5

S Sheikh c Samarth b Salve 12 9 2 0

A Wadkar c&b Kadam 35 21 2 2

K Nagar c Gujar b Kadam 19 20 2 0

S Dubey c Sanjay b Yadav 43 22 3 3

A Agrawal c Gujar b Yadav 21 15 1 1

D Nalkande c Gujar b Yadav 14 5 0 2

S Choudhary Not Out 2 2 0 0

Extras: (wd 5) 5

TOTAL: (8 wickets, 20 overs) 214

Fall of wickets: 6-1, 68-2, 83-3, 125-4, 134-5, 171-6, 205-7, 214-8.

Bowling: Salve 3-0-32-3, Yadav 4-0-52-3, Chawate 3-0-53-0, Rai 1-0-9-0, Kadam 4-0-23-2, Singh 1-0-10-0-1, Gujar 2-0-18-0, Sanjay 2-0-17-0.

PAGARIYA STRIKERS INNINGS R B 4 6

R Sanjay c Dubey b Hinge 19 8 0 3

F Sheikh c Dubey b Nalkande 0 4 0 0

R Samarth c&b Sodhi 59 31 9 2

Y Kadam c Agrawal b Choudhary 13 14 1 0

A Ahuja c Nalkande b Sheikh 7 9 1 0

S Deshmukh Not Out 47 21 1 5

S Rai c Wadkar b Sodhi 9 7 1 0

P Gujar c Agrawal b Nalkande 37 22 4 1

L Yadav Not Out 19 4 0 3

Extras: (lb 3, wd 4, nb 1) 8

TOTAL: (7 wickets, 19.5 overs) 218

Fall of wickets: 19-1, 25-2, 92-3, 100-4, 102-5, 121-6, 196-7.

Bowling: Nalkande 3.5-0-42-2, Hinge 4-0-56-1, Dongarwar 3-0-40-0, Nagar 1-0-12-0, Choudhary 3-0-26-1, Sodhi 4-0-29-2, Sheikh 1-0-10-1.

Nagpur Heroz beat Orange Tigers for first win

By Paritosh Pramanik

A BELOW-PAR performance from the batters saw Orange Tigers slump to their second successive defeat as they went down to Nagpur Heroz in the Vidarbha Premier League match at VCA’s Jamtha International Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Chasing the 217 runs target, Orange Tigers could manage 207-8 in 20 overs to stay at the bottom of the table with a 10-run loss. As for Nagpur Heroz, it was their first win after their six-wicket hiding to Bharat Rangers on Tuesday.

Orange Tigers’ batting never took off. They managed to score 61 for the loss of Dhruv Shorey in powerplay but in the next four overs they lost four wickets scoring only 21 runs to remain under the pump.

Instead of playing around the ground, Orange Tigers batters preferred going for aerial routes and ended up in giving easy catches near boundary ropes.

Nagpur Heroz’s Siddhant Muley bowled well for his three wickets. After sending back opener Mandar Mahale trapped in front, he bowled a slower one to get Kshitiz Dahiya the very next delivery. Tigers always played the chasing game. 

For a moment Padole (54) brought some life scoring 27 runs from Muley’s third over as they reached 125 from 13 overs. However, in the next over, Tejas Soni sent back an uncomfortable looking Orange Tigers captain Yash Rathod caught by Apoorv Wankhade for 14-ball 16. Padole, meanwhile, continued to entertain the sparse crowd hitting Umesh Yadav for two sixes and a four in the next over as he completed his half century in 15 deliveries. But his fine innings ended when he top-edged Yadav to give a simple catch to Muley. Vishesh Tiwari (17) and Akshay Karnewar (41*) delayed the inevitable but Nagpur Heroz made sure they returned home with two points.

Earlier, Nagpur Heroz’s captain Aman Mokhade bulldozed Orange Tigers bowlers with a flurry of sixes to hit a classy 85 from 27 balls as they scored 217-7 in 20 overs. Heroz slumped in the middle but Apoorv Wankhade (28) and Kartik Rathod (37) steadied the ship in the as they managed to reach a decent total on a flat track.

With eight boundaries and as many sixes, Mokhade tore Orange Tigers bowlers apart. He picked 26 from one Aditya Thakare over and then slammed Atharva Podutwar for 23 runs as Heroz raced to 89 from powerplay. They crossed the 100-run mark in the seventh over. But Orange Tigers bowlers kept their cool and waited for the batter to make a mistake. Captain Yash Rathod introduced spinner Padole and the bowler made an immediate impact getting the wicket of Mokhade caught at long-on boundary.

His fall pumped up Orange Tigers as they snared three more wickets to dominate the game for a while. From 106-1 in 7.1 overs, Nagpur Heroz tumbled to 124 for four after 10 overs.

Mandar Mahale mixed his deliveries taking the wickets of Parth Rekhade (28) and Akash Kombe (2) to ignite Nagpur Heroz’s fall. 

Padole then spun his web taking the wicket of Iknoor Singh Bhamra as they took the strategic break in total control.

For more than six overs, Nagpur Heroz failed to find a boundary as Tigers bowlers tightened their grip.

Orange Tigers had two ambidextrous bowlers in Akshay Karnewar and Padole who used both their arms to bowl. Padole registered an excellent figures of 4-0-29-2 while Karnewar went wicket-less for 32 from his two overs.

Nagpur Heroz’s hard-hitting batter and costliest buy of the season Wankhade steadied their innings and along with Rathod they added 42 runs for the sixth wicket before Thakare got the latter on 28 in the 18th over. But the total was enough for them to see the result fall in their favour.

SCOREBOARD

NAGPUR HEROZ INNINGS R B 4 6

P Rekhade c Dahiya b Mahale 28 21 4 1

A Mokhade c Shorey b Padole 85 27 8 8

S Wath c Dubey b Thakare 3 5 0 0

A Kombe c Dahiya b Mahale 2 5 0 0

K Rathod c Dullarwar b Podutwar 37 29 2 2

I Bhamra b Padole 7 9 0 0

A Wankhade c Binkar b Thakare 28 15 0 3

T Soni Not Out 12 6 0 1

R Gurbani Not Out 3 4 0 0

Extras: (wd 8, b 1, lb 2, nb 1) 12

TOTAL: (7 wickets, 20 overs) 217

Fall of wickets: 1-106, 2-121, 3-123, 4-124, 5-139, 6-181, 

7-207.

Bowling: Dubey 4-0-37-0, Thakare 4-0-45-2, Podutwar 

3-0-48-1, Karnewar 2-0-32-0, Dullarwar 1-0-16-0, Padole 

4-0-29-2, Mahale 2-0-7-2.

ORANGE TIGERS INNINGS R B 4 6

M Mahale lbw b Muley 31 22 5 0

D Shorey c Bhamra b Yadav 5 7 1 0

R Binkar c Bhamra b Rekhade 30 19 3 2

Y Rathod c Wankhade b Soni 16 14 1 0

K Dahiya c Mokhade b Muley 0 1 0 0

A Dullarwar c Soni b Muley 4 5 0 0

S Padole c Muley b Yadav 54 18 3 6

A Karnewar Not Out 41 19 1 5

V Tiwari lbw b Soni 17 11 2 1

A Podutwar Not Out 1 4 0 0

Extras: (lb 2, wd 5, b 1) 8

TOTAL: (8 wickets, 20 overs) 207

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-71, 3-73, 4-73, 5-83, 6-129, 7-149, 

8-188.

Bowling: Gurbani 4-0-48-0, Yadav 4-0-32-2, Soni 4-0-41-2, 

Jolly 2-0-24-0, Rekhade 3-0-23-1, Muley 3-0-36-3.

Dubey, Agrawal guide India Warriors to win

By Paritosh Pramanik

INDIA Warriors rode on their solid batting performance as they defeated Nagpur Heroz in what was the opening encounter for both the sides on second day of Vidarbha Premier League Season 2 at Jamtha International Stadium on Tuesday.

Half centuries from Satyam Bhoyar (56), Shubham Dubey (74*) and brutal hitting from Abhishek Agrawal (63 from 19 deliveries) saw India Warriors post 261-5 in 20 overs.

In return, Nagpur Heroz were restricted at 228-8 as they lost the match by 33 runs. Siddhesh Wath top scored for Heroz with a 33-ball 78 runs.

It was a late surge from India Warriors who scored 89 runs from the last five overs as they posted the highest total of the tournament.

Agrawal picked 24 runs from Rajneesh Gurbani’s last over as he hit four boundaries and a six in the last six balls.

Dubey used all his Rajasthan Royals experience hitting boundaries and sixes to keep the scoreboard ticking. His unbeaten knock from 33 balls had four boundaries and seven sixes.

At the top, Warriors’ Vaibhav Lande slammed India international Umesh Yadav a boundary and two huge sixes to start their proceedings. Bhoyar scored a 23-ball 56 collecting four boundaries and five sixes.

After losing Sahil Sheikh (14) and Ashit Singh (0), captain Akshay Wadkar scored 24-ball 29 before being caught by Tejas Soni off Rajveer Jolly.

Dubey and Agrawal then stitched an unbeaten 97 runs sixth wicket partnership which came from just 32 deliveries to help their side put up a huge total.

Nagpur Heroz got the start they wanted but their batters were unable to spend time in the middle. They scored 84 runs in the powerplay but lost three wickets which troubled them the most. By the end of 10th over they were 112-5.

Captain Aman Mokhade scored 14-ball 42. Apoorv Wankhade, the costliest player of the tournament, was surprisingly sent too low down the order. He could muster only 12 runs from 15 deliveries. Wath carried their hopes with eight fours and five sixes but his fall in the 14th over made it difficult for the Mokhade-led side.

For the winners, Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler Praful Hinge, Darshan Nalkande, Rahul Dongarwar and Gurdeepsingh Sodhi took two wickets each.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA WARRIORS INNINGS R B 4 6

V Lande c Wath b Yadav 16 5 1 2

S Bhoyar c Rekhade b Tammiwar 56 23 4 5

S Sheikh c Rathod b Gurbani 14 14 3 0

A Singh b Soni 0 3 0 0

A Wadkar c Soni b Jolly 29 24 2 1

S Dubey Not Out 74 33 4 7

A Agrawal Not Out 63 19 6 5

Extras: (w 7, lb 1, nb 1) 9

TOTAL: (5 wickets, 20 overs) 261

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-35, 3-43, 4-99, 5-164.

Bowling: Yadav 3-0-41-1, Gurbani 4-0-52-1, Soni 4-0-50-1, 

Rekhade 3-0-37-0, Jolly 3-0-37-1, Tammiwar 3-0-43-1.

NAGPUR HEROZ INNINGS R B 4 6

P Rekhade c Bhoyar b Hinge 19 9 1 2

A Mokhade b Nalkande 42 14 3 4

S Wath c Sheikh b Nalkande 78 33 8 5

K Rathod c Nagar b Dongarwar 3 4 0 0

R Jolly c Wadkar b Sodhi 4 10 1 0

A Kombe b Sodhi 8 6 0 1

A Wankhade c Choudhary b Dongarwar 12 15 0 0

T Soni c Agrawal b Hinge 22 15 0 2

R Gurbani Not Out 19 9 2 1

I Bhamra Not Out 8 5 1 0

Extras: (w 12, lb 1) 13

TOTAL: (8 wickets, 20 overs) 228

Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-81, 3-84, 4-90, 5-112, 6-165, 7-188, 

8-207.

Bowling: Hinge 4-0-47-2, Nalkande 4-0-70-2, Dongarwar 

4-0-36-2, Nagar 4-0-52-0, Sodhi 4-0-22-2.

Jajoo slams ton as Bharat Rangers record easy win

By Paritosh Pramanik

BHARAT Rangers made mockery of the humongous 236 runs target put up by Orange Tigers as they cantered home to a six-wicket win in their opening match of Vidarbha Premier League T20 Cricket Tournament at VCA’s Jamtha International Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The chase looked easy because of the thunderous batting from Vedant Jajoo (113; 46b, 11x4, 8x6) who lit up the Jamtha sky with flurry of sixes and fours as he slammed tournament’s second century after R Samarth’s heroics a day earlier.

Manan Agrawal too played brilliant all-rounder’s knock to see his side through.

Coming in at No 3 after both Bharat Rangers batters Atharva Taide (13) and Danish Malewar (22) returned to pavilion, Jajoo spared none as he clobbered Orange Tigers bowlers to all parts of the field. Pacers Saurabh Dubey (0-45) and Aditya Thakare (4-54) were treated with disdain.

Jajoo and Manan Agrawal (52) added a match-winning third wicket partnership of 143 runs in 62 deliveries to take the fizz out of the match.

Rangers crossed the 50-run mark in 3.3 overs and then raced to 92 for two in powerplay. In the next four overs the score reached 152 for two as the two batters continued their six-hitting spree.

Manan Agrawal’s innings needs special praise as he gave the right support to Jajoo which blew away Orange Tigers’ hopes.

Varun Bisht (12*) and Jagjot Sasan (13) completed the formalities with 17 deliveries to spare.

Earlier, Rohit Binkar and Akshay Agarwal slammed a half century each while Akshay Karnewar scored an excellent 42 to bail out Orange Tigers from a precarious position. From 11 for four in the third over, the duo played sensible knocks to help Tigers post a challenging total of 235-8.

Bharat Rangers bowled well in the first half restricting Orange Tigers at 79 for four in 10 overs. But Binkar and Agarwal unleashed fours and sixes as they turned the heat back on their opponents. By the end of 15th over, Tigers were 160-6.

Binkar took the mettle in his hands and scored 36-ball 53 (3x4, 4x6) which eased the pressure on Tigers. After his departure, Akshay Agarwal showed his batting prowess with 57 from 33 deliveries which contained five fours and four maximums. Both the batters fell to Manan Agrawal, who despite taking the wickets, leaked runs (2-56). Akshay Karnewar then played a cameo to score 42 from 19.

It was maniac three overs from Bharat Rangers’ Nachiket Bhute and Sanyog Bhagwat which buried Orange Tigers under a mountain of pressure.

Bhute generated enough pace and movement to stun Orange Tigers’ opener Mandar Mahale for a first ball duck. A delivery later, Dhruv Shorey slashed one towards third man and the ball landed in safe hands of Hrushikesh Pawar. Captain Yash Rathod gave a simple catch to Varun Bisht at covers off Bhagawat as Tigers’ top order crumbled. They got another blow in the wicket of Kshitiz Dahiya who was caught at slips to a debatable catch by Danish Malewar. It looked as if Malewar grassed the ball but the third umpire thought otherwise. The Tigers crawled to 30-4 in powerplay.

Rohit Binkar and Akshay Agarwal then steadied the rocking ship as they cautiously built the fifth wicket partnership of 78 runs which pulled them back into the game. Agarwal also had another fruitful partnership with Karnewar of 70 runs for the sixth wicket. Vishesh Tiwari (30*) and Shreyas Padole (24*) threw their bats to take their score past the 230-run mark.

But that was not enough as Jajoo-Agrawal stole the show in the end.

SCOREBOARD

ORANGE TIGERS INNINGS R B 4 6

M Mahale c Jajoo b Bhute 0 1 0 0

D Shorey c Pawar b Bhute 0 1 0 0

Y Rathod c Bisht b Bhagwat 6 5 1 0

R Binkar c Taide b Agrawal 53 36 3 4

K Dahiya c Malewar b Bhute 0 2 0 0

A Agarwal c&b Agrawal 57 36 5 4

A Karnewar c Jajoo b Bhagwat 42 19 4 3

A Dullarwar run out (Sasan-Jaoo) 0 2 0 0

V Tiwari Not Out 30 14 4 1

S Padole Not Out 24 8 0 3

Extras: (w 15, lb 4, nb 4) 23

TOTAL: (8 wickets, 20 overs) 235

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-2, 3-10, 4-11, 5-59-, 6-159, 7-160, 

8-181.

Bowling: Bhute 4-0-41-3, Bhagwat 4-0-48-2, Kapse 4-0-37-0, 

Sarwate 2-0-17-0, Pawar 2-0-32-0, Agrawal 4-0-56-2.

BHARAT RANGERS INNINGS R B 4 6

A Taide c Padole b Thakare 13 7 3 0

D Malewar c Rathod b Thakare 22 9 2 2

V Jajoo c Binkar b Thakare 113 46 11 8

M Agrawal c Mahale b Thakare 52 30 6 1

V Bisht Not Out 12 6 1 1

J Sasan Not Out 13 5 3 0

Extras: (w 12) 12

TOTAL: (4 wickets, 17.1 overs) 237

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-63, 3-206, 4-219.

Bowling: Dubey 4-0-45-0, Thakare 4-0-54-4, Padole 

3.1-0-48-0, Dullarwar 2-0-35-0, Karnewar 1-0-15-0,

Dahiya 2-0-29-0, Mahale 1-0-11-0.

Pagariya Strikers stun title holders Neco Master Blaster

By Paritosh Pramanik

RAVIKUMAR Samarth turned the tables as he anchored the
Pagariya Striker’s chase to perfection with a classic unbeaten century as they defeated defending champions Neco Master Blaster by five wickets to start their campaign on a positive note.

Chasing 220, Pagariya Strikers achieved the target with seven balls to spare.

If Neco Master Blaster rode on sixes, Pagariya Strikers built their innings mostly on boundaries with Samarth hitting 16 from a total of 27 in their innings.

Samarth, who also hit two sixes, played with full confidence finding gaps regularly. The Vidarbha pro picked three boundaries from one of Deepesh Parwani’s overs and also from seamer Ananmay Jayaswal over. He elegantly opened the face of his bat and scored boundaries between point and third-man region. His half century came from 23 balls and had seven boundaries and a couple of sixes. Pagariya Strikers did lose wickets but they still managed to score 76 runs in powerplay despite losing R Sanjay on first ball of their innings and then Mohd Faiz for 24.

Captain Yash Kadam was unlucky to get out after he played-on. Wicketkeeper-batter Shivam Deshmukh joined Samarth and the left-handed batter hit Parwani for a couple of sixes and a boundary. But the bowler had the last laugh as Deshmukh was caught at deep by Kadu for 39 runs.

Despite losing wickets from other end, Samarth kept the run rate in check with occasional boundaries and made sure they return home with two full points in their bag.

Earlier, Adhyayan Daga (78; 42b, 4x4, 7x6) justified his position as a stand-in skipper while Tushar Kadu (87; 26b, 5x4, 10x6) toyed with Pagariya Strikers bowlers as Neco Master Blaster batters rained sixes to post a huge 219-8 after being asked to bat first.

Pagariya Strikers bowlers did manage to contain Neco Master Blaster in the later part of the innings as they conceded only 19 runs in last three overs and took three wickets to keep the target achievable.

Daga, captaining the side in place of regular skipper Jitesh Sharma, who decided to take ‘rest’, started their innings with a flurry of boundaries and sixes. But it was Kadu who stole the limelight with his six-hitting spree. The right-handed batter was in a marauding mood and he spared none.

Neco Master Blaster raced to 89-1 in powerplay with Pagariya tasting only success when Lalit Yadav got the wicket of opener Vedant Dighade in the third over.

After powerplay, Kadu continued with his towering sixes and occasional boundaries as Daga played second fiddle. The captain, too, completed his half century off a six and the duo added 124 runs for the second wicket off 50 balls before Kadu was caught by Yadav off Kadam on his personal score of 87 in 11th over. Yadav and skipper Kadam emerged as best Pagariya Strikers bowlers with three wickets each.

SCOREBOARD

NECO MASTER BLASTER INNINGS R B 4 6

V Dighade c Deshmukh b Yadav 6 7 1 0

A Daga b Kadam 78 42 4 7

T Kadu c Yadav b Kadam 87 26 5 10

V Chandekar c Sheikh b Kadam 1 4 0 0

A Meshram b Chawate 12 18 0 0

S Rajput c Kadam b Sanjay 15 7 0 2

G Dhoble c Salve b Yadav 8 11 0 0

G Farde Not Out 1 1 0 0

S Deshmukh c Deshmukh b Yadav 7 4 0 1

Extras: (wd 3, lb 1) 4

TOTAL: (8 wickets, 20 overs) 219

Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-154, 3-165, 4-178, 5-195, 6-211, 

7-211, 8-219.

Bowling: Yadav 4-0-35-3, Kadam 4-0-31-3, Singh 2-0-49-0, 

Chawate 3-0-21-1, Gujar 4-0-40-0, Salve 1-0-24-0, 

Sanjay 2-0-18-1.

PAGARIYA STRIKERS INNINGS R B 4 6

R Sanjay c Gupta b Jayaswal 0 1 0 0

F Sheikh c Daga b Parwani 24 17 4 0

R Samarth Not Out 101 55 16 2

Y Kadam b Gupta 12 8 2 0

S Deshmukh c Kadu b Parwani 39 15 3 4

S Rai run out (Kadu) 4 4 0 0

A Ahuja Not Out 22 13 2 1

Extras: (w 18, lb 3) 21

TOTAL: (5 wickets, 18.5 overs) 223

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-62, 3-113, 4-164, 5-180.

Bowling: Jayaswal 3-0-35-1, Deshmukh 4-0-40-0, Parwani 

4-0-48-2, Farde 1-0-18-0, Dhoble 3-0-27-0, Gupta 3.5-0-52-1.

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Jitesh guides Neco Master Blaster players from sidelines

Special Correspondent

IN LESS than 24 hours after winning back to back IPL titles, Royal Challengers Bengaluru wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma joined his Vidarbha Premier League side Neco Master Blaster here in Nagpur for their opening game against Pagariya Strikers.

Jitesh, who is the captain of Neco Master Blaster but missed the opening game, was seen guiding his players from the sidelines. He was seen strolling with a team-mate near the boundary ropes and guided the players. 

At times he adjusted the field and during breaks he was seen in the huddle instructing players how to go forward during the match. 

Jitesh also waved to the spectators who were in the stands in quite good number. 

A complete team man who wants to win back to back VPL title, has already won two in two for RCB.

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Bharat Rangers take on Orange Tigers

By Paritosh Pramanik

INAUGURAL edition’s table toppers Bharat Rangers will take on Orange Tigers in their opening match of the Vidarbha Premier League Season 2 on Tuesday evening at VCA’s Jamtha International Stadium.

Bharat Rangers, led by Atharva Taide, are raring to go for the opening salvo and will be aiming to deliver a much better performance than last season where they lost to Neco Master Blaster to bow out of the tournament.

However, this year the team is fully geared up for seven matches they would be playing in the league phase. As per the format, all teams will play against the other team once and allotted two teams twice in the league round.

Bharat Rangers’ campaign begins against Orange Tigers, the team which made it to the play-offs last season.

Bharat Rangers have a strong batting line-up with opener-captain Taide and Danish Malewar opening the innings. Taide and Malewar both have played IPL and will use that experience in this tournament.

Malewar represented Mumbai Indians this season and though he could not make much of an impact, he cannot be overlooked. He will aim to give Bharat Rangers a solid start. The team also boasts of Varun Bisht, all-rounders Manan Agrawal, Nachiket Bhute, Aditya Sarvate to name a few.

Jagjot Sasan will be handy in the middle with his batting. He will also be an important cog in the bowling department with his gentle spin.

The bowling department will have to be on its toes when they deal with the Orange Tigers batting line-up which includes domestic red ball run machine Yash Rathod at the helm.

The hard-hitting batter will be eager to dominate the white ball cricket this season.

Bharat Rangers’ bowling will be spearheaded by Bhute, Shubham Kapse, Agrawal, Sarvate and Sasan.

As for Orange Tigers, they are well equipped with some quality cricketers. Vidarbha pro Dhruv Shorey, Akshay Karnewar, Rohit Binkar, Vishesh Ram Tiwari, who fetched a handsome amount in the auction and Mandar Mahale, who all have ability to clear the boundary with ease. 

Tigers got a boost with the inclusion of seamer Aditya Thakare in their side. They also have Shantanu Chikhale in the spin department.

In an afternoon game, India Warriors will meet Nagpur Heroz.

Special Correspondent

DEFENDING champions NECO Master Blasters will renew their rivalry when they take on last year’s finalist Pagariya Strikers in the opening match of the Vidarbha Premier League Season 2 at Vidarbha Cricket Association’s Jamtha International Stadium on Monday evening.

The tournament will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar.

The second season of VPL will be much more entertaining and fiercely contested with all the six franchises getting enough time to train and have best players in their squad.

In the inaugural year, VCA prepared teams and handed over to the franchises. But this year, auction were held where all the franchises get locked in bidding war and secured most of the players they wanted. Apoorv Wankhade emerged as the costliest player with Nagpur Heroz getting him for Rs 8.30 lakh.

Apart from Neco Master Blaster and Pagariya Strikers who will open the tournament, India Warriors, Nagpur Heroz, Bharat Rangers and Orange Tigers all would fight it out for the coveted title in this 14-day tournament.

Meanwhile, Neco Master Blaster will miss captain Jitesh Sharma who was playing IPL final for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Gujarat Titans. The team will be led by Adhyayan Daga in the opener.

Jitesh Sharma will take over from the second match. Similarly, Master Blaster will be missing Harsh Dubey who has been named in Indian team for Afghanistan series.

The team also has  Vedant Dighade, Ananmay Jayaswal, Sanmesh Deshmukh, Dipesh Parwani, Vaibhav Chandekar among others.

Pagariya Strikers will be captained by Yash Kadam. The team also has quality players in Mohd Faiz, fast bowler Lalit, Aditya Ahuja, R Sanjay, R Samarth, Shivam Deshmukh, Sooraj Rai.

It would exciting to see how the teams fare in the tournament proper. All the teams have played had ample of practice matches where they ironed out their flaws and now it is the time to deliver.Daily two matches will be played starting 2.30 pm.

The tournament will be played in IPL-like format. 

Six teams will play each other once and will play two teams twice.

Top four will make it to the play-offs. The Eliminator will be played between third and fourth placed teams while top two teams will play Qualifier 1. In Qualifier 2, the winner of Eliminator 1 will take on loser of Qualifier 1. The final will be played on June 14.

City's Harsh Dubey gets maiden India call-up for Afghanistan Test and ODIs

 ‘Feels like a dream, I am pinching myself’

By Paritosh Pramanik

HE ALWAYS dreamt of wearing India colours since his childhood. And when the day came, Harsh Dubey felt numb. Sitting on his seat in the flight which was taking his Sunrisers Hyderabad side back home for their last league match of the Indian Premier League, Dubey felt a certain hollowness. He could not react. ‘Thank you’... was his only reply to congratulatory messages from his team-mates and friends.

The Nagpur left-handed all-rounder Dubey has got a maiden call-up for the one-off Test and three-match ODI series against Afghanistan beginning June 6.

Dubey has been a regular in India ‘A’ side and has performed to the expectations of selectors in the opportunities he got.

He gained attention after setting a Ranji Trophy record with 69 wickets in a single season, surpassing the previous mark of 68.

In IPL, too, he was a regular in SRH playing XI. Picked as a replacement for R Smaran, Dubey immediately made an impact. In three games he played, the left-arm orthodox picked the prized scalps of Virat Kohli and Andre Russell last season.

But he never thought of getting selected in both, Test and ODI, squads.

“Unbelievable. Never thought of getting the maiden call-up. It still feels like a dream. Hope it is not. Hope this dream never ends,” Dubey replied to ‘The Hitavada’s call.

“We are about to fly. Will call you in the night and will have a long chat then, sir,” he humbly said, adding, there are several missed calls in my call log, will call you later.”

But when insisted for a couple of minutes, the 23-year-old obliged.

“This selection is because of the sacrifice made by my parents, father Surendra and mother Jyoti. Credit of this selection goes to them,” replied Dubey.

The left-handed bowler did not forget to thank the pains taken by his childhood coach Dilip Das.

“It is also because of my childhood coach Das sir, all members of Vidarbha Cricket Association for showing faith in me and giving me the opportunity to represent Vidarbha,” he added.

Dubey started his cricketing career with Ruby Club and was all praise for his former club.

“At Ruby Club I learnt the nuances of the game. The club gave me a strong foundation. I am thankful to each and member of the club.

“Also at Nagpur Cricket Academy (NCA), Madhav Bakre sir, who always supported me and allowed me to use the facilities. Without them I wouldn’t have achieved my dream,” Dubey told this scribe.

The selection news is yet to sink in and Dubey is yet to think about his preparation for the one-off Test starting in Mullanpur.

“It is yet to sink in. I am still dreaming, still numb. Let this sink in first and then only will I be able to think about the Test,” Dubey signed off as his Hyderabad-bound flight took off from Chennai.

Franchises to get Rs 42 lakh purse

 

AUCTION LIKELY IN FIRST WEEK OF MAY

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, Apr 19

THE blueprint is almost ready. Franchises are now getting an idea about retention of players and the amount they would have in hand after retaining players ahead of the first auction of Vidarbha Premier League Season 2 which begins in June first week.

The auction is likely to take place in the first week of May and franchises will get almost a month to prepare their squad for the biggest T20 league of the region. The retention deadline is April 20.

According to reports, VPL Governing Council has given a purse of Rs 42 lakh and a set of retention rules to the franchises. If reports are to be believed, VCA’s contribution will be of Rs 30 lakh while franchises will have to shell out Rs 12 lakh.

In the maiden VPL (then VPTL) last season, cricketers were selected by VCA and were handed over to the franchises. As per the ‘proposed’ retention rules, a franchise can retain maximum six players who were part of their squad in the inaugural season. 

The retention of six players are divided in three categories — A, B and C and two players are allowed to be retained from each category. The retention price for each player is Rs 4 lakh in Category A, Rs 3 lakh (each player) in Category B and Rs 1.5 lakh (each player) in Category C. 

This might vary as negotiation are still on between the franchises and VPL-VCA.

If same price is finalised and each franchise retains all six players (Rs 17 lakh) then they will be left with a purse of R 25 lakh before the auction.There is also a partial retention window where a franchise can reduce retention of number of players.

Price for retaining one player from Category A will be Rs 4 lakh, from Category B will be Rs 3 lakh. There is no change in Category C. In this scenario, a franchise will have a purse of Rs 32 lakh.

A franchise can also opt for releasing all the players and go to the auction table with a full purse of Rs 42 lakh. A squad must have minimum 15 and maximum 16 players.

The VPL Season 2 will probably begin from June 1, immediately after completion of Indian Premier League (IPL).

DIG DEEP Strike GOLD

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, Apr 8, 2026

TALENT is hidden in hinterlands and needs to be explored. Sports Authority of India (SAI) unearthed that talent, that too in abundance, during the just concluded 1st Khelo India Tribal Games held in Raipur.

The initiative of SAI will surely help Indian sports take a big leap. The first step in this direction was on display during the 10-day sporting events held at Raipur, Sarguja and Jagdalpur.

KITG dug deep into the tribal lands, invited athletes from forests and sportspersons crossed the finish lines with gold medal winning performances.

Over 3800 tribal athletes from 30 States of the country got first-hand experience when they took the field and showcased their talent, surprising many with shocking results.

There were a whopping 106 gold medals on offer across archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling while traditional sports like mallakhamb and kabaddi were the demonstration sports. Athletes from Jammu and Kashmir to far flung Lakshwadeep got an opportunity to dazzle on a national field. Swimmers made a splash in the pool, athletes set synthetic tracks on fire, wrestlers dominated the mats and archers shot the arrows with precision hitting bull’s eye.

All in all, the tribal athletes forced SAI selectors and talent hunters to turn their heads and acknowledge their performance.

Be it Karnataka swimmer Manikanta L, who bagged eight gold medals and a silver to help his side take top perch or the 15-year-old Anjali Munda from Odisha who dazzled with five yellow metals to outrace her much older opponents, the KITG gave wings to these athletes who were starved of good competition.

Abdul Fathah of Lakshadweep became the first long jumper from the Union Territory to clear a distance of 7m to win the gold medal.

The KITG provided sportspersons from tribal communities one major platform where they could excel. Best of the facilities to practice on and top-notch arenas to contest for medals were provided.

With India aiming to host the 2036 Olympics, KITG guided SAI to an altogether new avenue to pick sportspersons for the mega sporting extravaganza. 

These Games helped sportspersons coming from different tribal regions overcome pressure situations. It also taught them how to stay calm in crunch situations.

The Games brought forth the fighting spirit among tribals who did not give up till the final whistle. They showed what raw power they possess. 

Tribal athletes have brought laurels to India earlier too. Rajasthan archer Limba Ram, Jharkhand’s sensational Deepika Kumari, hockey Olympians, Dilip Tirkey, Salima Tete, football icon Sikkim’s Bhaichung Bhutia or ‘Magnificent Mary’ Kom from Manipur — these athletes were the flag bearers of Indian sports for years. They had worked tirelessly to reach the pinnacle of their career with limited facilities. But with KITG, tribal athletes got a platform at their doorsteps to excel.

Those selected will be getting the best of the facilities to train and will gain knowledge which they were shorn off.

This is just the beginning and in the coming years, KITG will become a factory of medal hunters. 

At Raipur, seven disciplines were held and in coming years more disciplines will be added which will help in producing medals winners in abundance.

A little bit of guidance and training would help these sportspersons become ‘gold-diggers’ on international platforms.

One-handed magician

 

Archer Shweta targets Paralympics

n By Paritosh Pramanik

RAIPUR, Apr 2

GADCHIROLI’S para archer Shweta Bhaskar Kove’s story isn’t just about finishing on podiums. It’s about breaking barriers, challenging limitations, and inspiring a generation of women to believe that nothing is impossible if there is a will to excel in life and sports.

Born with only one hand (right hand developed only till elbow), the 19-year-old Maharashtra archer has achieved what most of the able-bodied archers couldn’t dream off. She has clinched several medals — gold, silver, bronze — for her State and has represented the country in Asian Championship as well. And she yearns for more success at international level. Her ultimate dream is to represent India in Paralympics.

Participating with able-bodied archers here at the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) in Raipur, Shweta and her team missed the bronze medal in compound event but she is not disheartened. Instead, she has started training for her next trials for an international event which will be held in coming months.

Born in a farm labourers family, Shweta lost her father Bhaskar a few years ago. Her mother, Manjusha, works on a farm to make ends meet. Her younger brother, Snehal, who is also a State-level archer, took up the sport looking at the success of Shweta.

But archery was not the first love for Shweta. She took up gun shooting initially and even moved to the top four-bracket at national level. However, “partiality” forced her to replace bullets with arrows.

“I used to do gun shooting in Jaripatka, Nagpur. But due to partiality I had to look away from shooting. My coach Shashank sir asked me to take up archery and I went to Buldhana under the tutelage of coach Chandrakant Ilag. He invented the releaser for me with which I can release the arrow with the help of my neck,” a pint-sized Shweta told ‘The Hitavada’ beside the archery range at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium Complex, on Thursday.

Being a gun shooter, Shweta had lesser difficulty in lifting the bow. But the equipment is quite heavy and the 19-year-old had to develop strength in her bow lifting left hand. She used to lift dumbbell for hours to develop strength. “It’s painful but to achieve success, one has to bear pain,” Shweta stated.

With a lean body frame it is very difficult for the Gadchiroli girl to train for long hours. Her shoulder aches, back breaks, but her determination keeps her going.

“I train for 7 to 8 hours in two sessions daily. It is painful. The shoulder breaks and the back gives up. I could not stand and needed a massage to relieve back pain. But I am not complaining,” the 1st Year BA student of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule College and a silver medallist at Jaipur Nationals (2024-25), said.

Shweta, who represented India at the Asian Youth Para Championship in Dubai earlier this year, had to suffer another ordeal immediately after returning from the Gulf nation.

“Due to the Indigo fiasco earlier this year, my flights to Nagpur were cancelled. I was stranded in New Delhi and after a couple of days, I got a train ticket. But my reservation was from Bhopal and I had to travel standing. It was only after the TTE recognised me and gave me a seat,” narrated Shweta.

The ‘one-handed magician’ wants support from the Government as it is financially very taxing to continue performing with the meager funds.

“A top quality bow costs around Rs 10 lakh. I am practicing with equipment which costs Rs 4 lakh. Lloyds Metals financially assisted me and gave Rs 1 lakh at the hands of CM Devendra Fadnavis recently which I used to purchase this equipment. But I need funds to purchase good equipment. With good equipment my performance can improve manifold,” she said with confidence. “I wish to represent India at the Paralympics and I will train hard to achieve my ultimate dream,” she confidently declared.

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After powerlifting and arm-wrestling, Debi finds peace in wrestling

WINS SILVER MEDAL IN KITG

n Special Correspondent

RAIPUR, Apr 2

SHE started her sporting journey with powerlifting but then shifted to arm-wrestling. With strength in her arms and wrists, Khelo India Centre wrestling coach Anustup Narah asked her to take up wrestling. And as they say, the rest is history.

The story of Assam wrestler Debi Daimiri’s is of willpower, determination and search of 

satisfaction.

She found the satisfaction she needed in wrestling and is now collecting medals at various wrestling events.

The 28-year-old Debi clinched the silver medal in the women’s 62kg category at the Khelo India Tribal Games here, in Raipur on Thursday.

Though she could not grab the gold medal, Debi is satisfied with finishing on the podium.

“This medal is the result of my hard work and I will train harder to change the colour of my medal next season,” Debi said on Thursday.

Hailing from Dineshpur village in Sisupani, Golaghat district of Assam, Debi lost her parents when she was seven years old. Her uncle and aunt took care of her from that tender age and also supported her in fulfilling her sporting dreams.

Recalling her journey, Debi said, “I started wrestling in 2022 at Khelo India Centre in Bokakhat near Kaziranga. I had to rent a room nearby and for that I took up a part-time job.

To make ends meet and fund her training Debi had to do odd jobs.

“In the same year, I worked at a mall (Easy Bazaar store) in Bokakhat where I earned of Rs 2500 per month. I kept on changing jobs in search of better financial returns. In 2023, I got a swimming pool cleaning job at Bon Villa Resort in Kaziranga where I earned around Rs 7000 per month,” said the wrestler.

Before stepping on the wrestling mat, Debi was involved in powerlifting and arm-wrestling. In 2022, she met Assam team coach Narah, under whose guidance she learned the nuances of wrestling.

For better training, Narah adviced Debi to rent a room near the training centre. He also helped her get a job through the district wrestling association and arranged a bicycle for her.

In the same year, Debi qualified for the Senior State Wrestling Championships held in Visakhapatnam and two years later (2024), she went on to clinch her maiden yellow metal at State meet.

The 28-year-old wrestler got married in 2025 and the support of her husband and in-laws has only made her more determined to succeed at the national stage.

“I thank my in-laws for supporting me in my sporting career. My husband, who works in Bengaluru, constantly supports me by sending money so that I don’t face any difficulties.

“My next target is to win medals at the senior level and then compete internationally. For that I am tirelessly working to improve my style of play and also increase my strength,” she concluded.

You can’t produce medal winners by showing them ‘Saas Bahu’ serials at home: Bhutia

 

BHUTIA, MARY KOM FEEL KITG WILL TAKE INDIAN SPORT TO GREATER HEIGHTS

By Paritosh Pramanik

RAIPUR, Apr 3

LAUDING the initiative of Sports Authority of India (SAI) by starting Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG), sporting legends of country — boxer MC Mary Kom and footballer Bhaichung Bhutia assured that Indian sport will reach greater heights with tribal athletes shining at the international level in coming years.

Addressing a packed press conference on the last day of KITG in Raipur, both the sporting icons were of the view that there is great potential in Indian athletes which has to be channelled in a proper systematic way.

“KITG is a good initiative of the government. We never got such a platform in our days. There was no awareness in those days and we have to train on our own,” said six times amateur world boxing champion Mary Kom.

Adding to it, former India football captain Bhutia said, “Athletes should take advantage of the facilities central and state governments are providing. We never got such facilities but the present generation is lucky to get all they want. In football, we have much better infrastructure than what some of the South American countries have.”

Both the icons hoped that from next edition more discipline would be added. “We hope that from next year more events are added and the Games get much bigger,” they hoped.

With a message to never give up and keep fighting Mary Kom said that pressure to perform will always be there. “Starting from parents’ high expectations, pressure will be there at school and at international levels. Athletes will have to learn how to absorb pressure and perform in adverse situations,” she advised.

Bhutia and Mary Kom both felt it is the responsibility of parents to develop sports culture at home. Then only an international sportsperson can be produced.

“It is not the sole responsibility of SAI or the State government to produce athletes. The responsibility starts with parents at home. If you give a mobile in the hands of a growing child, how can one expect him to become a talented sportsperson,” asked Mary Kom.

“If you show kids ‘Saas Bahu’ serial daily at prime time, how can you expect your wards to excel in sports? It is the duty of parents and family members to develop a sporting environment in their home. Then only they can expect their kids to win medals,” stated Bhutia.

Bhutia was more realistic while speaking about the administrative structure in the country and the reason for declining football in the country. 

“I am a product of SAI and have grown in stature from the academy. But the administrative structure has to be changed. In our country top officials in sports administration refuse to vacate their positions and are occupying the chair for three-four decades. They feel it as their fiefdom and refuse to accept change. This hampers the growth of the sport,” he explained.

Refusing to draw parallel with cricket, Bhutia admitted that football is at its nadir in India but added that it is at Number 2 after cricket, viewership wise.

“I don’t want to draw a comparison between football and cricket. Ours is a cricket-loving nation. But at the same time football followers are also in large numbers. Viewership-wise we (football) still stands at second position in our country. The ISL is watched in large numbers,” Bhutia said.

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ODISHA’S GOLDEN DOUBLE

HI President Tirkey attributes hockey success to sporting culture in the State

Appreciates Govt’s initiative of organising KITG for tribal community

n By Paritosh Pramanik

RAIPUR, Apr 3

THE golden double by Odisha men and women hockey teams at the Khelo India Tribal Games in Raipur has once again stamped tribal region’s authority in the country.

In the men’s final, Odisha beat Jharkhand 4-1 while the women narrowly defeated Mizoram 1-0 here at Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium, the other day.

Odisha has been producing international hockey players on a regular basis, a reason why kids take up the sport from a tender age.

Players like multiple-time Olympian and current Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey, Michael Kindo, Amit Rohidas, Prabodh Tirkey, Birendra Lakra, women stalwarts Deep Grace Ekka, Namita Toppo are a few names from Odisha who have brought laurels to the country.

Former hockey Olympian Tirkey was elated with the twin gold medals at the first games held especially for the tribal community.

Speaking exclusively with ‘The Hitavada’ from Bhubaneshwar, Tirkey said the efforts put in by the Odisha Government and Sports Authority of India are the reason for success of the State teams.

High on the double golds, Tirkey wished the next Khelo India Tribal Games be held in Odisha.

“It’s a commendable performance from both men and women teams at Raipur. I am happy that Odisha is producing title winners,” former India captain Tirkey shared his views.

“We are working hard here in Odisha for the development of hockey. Our aim is to produce medal winning hockey players who can also represent the country. There is unflinching support to the players from the Odisha Government. We have developed a sporting culture in our State,” said the former India defender.

“Thanks to the Odisha Government which is supporting the game at the national level as well,” he added. The Odisha Government has extended its sponsorship to the Indian teams till 2036.

“It (KITG) was a very important tournament for us. Many top teams like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra participated. They all were strong teams and Odisha showed its power on the turf,” he added.

Tirkey was of the view that KITG was a great platform for tribals to show their talent.

“It was a huge platform for tribals to show what they possess. SAI selection committee was also present in Raipur, Jagdalpur and Sarguja for talent hunt. Those selected will get special training at different SAI centres,” Tirkey informed.

“Earlier, many tribal kids could not get selected for national games and other championships. KITG brought forth the talent of players from tribal communities. It has given them the platform to excel and get noticed. This will help India getting a pool of more talented players for future,” Tirkey, who led India at 2004 Athens Games, said.

Meanwhile, former Olympian Ajit Lakra, a member of 1992 Barcelona Olympics and now head coach at Bilaspur Centre of Excellence said, “The entire system, right from grassroots to junior and then senior levels, is gradually becoming stronger. Athletes from tribal regions, in particular, are benefiting greatly. Their natural talent is now being refined with proper guidance and training.”

Former Olympian Manohar Topno, who competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and has coached both Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh men’s teams, lauded the SAI’s efforts.

“I would like to thank SAI for organising this grassroots tournament. The boys and girls from our communities are rising and rebuilding. If we continue like this, one day these players will represent India,” Topno said to SAI media.

Hockey India member Asrita Lakra highlighted how these changes are inspiring athletes. “Hockey is deeply ingrained in the blood of kids in these tribal regions, so they are naturally drawn to the sport. Platforms like Khelo India Tribal Games have given them direction,” Lakra said.

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Karnataka are overall champs

Maharashtra finish fourth 

while hosts Chhattisgarh ninth 

n Special Correspondent

RAIPUR, Apr 3

KARNATAKA emerged as the overall champions with a total of 38 medals in their kitty as it was curtains on the first Khelo India Tribal Games here at Raipur on Friday. The southern State collected 23 gold, eight silver and seven bronze medals to stay at the top perch of the tally.

On last day of the Games, former world junior champion Komalika Bari of Jharkhand added the recurve women’s archery gold medal to her mixed triumph while Odisha’s Arjun Khara clinched the recurve men’s category gold but these efforts were not enough for the chasing pack to dislodge Karnataka from the top.

Thirty States and Union Territories participated in the inaugural edition that witnessed close to 3800 participants compete in nine sports disciplines. A whopping 106 gold medals were on offer across archery, athletics, football, hockey, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling.

Odisha finished second collecting 21 gold, 15 silver and 21 bronze medals. Odisha ended with a total of 57 medals in their bag thus becoming the only State to cross a half century of medals. Jharkhand ended third with 16 gold, eight silver and 11 bronze.

Maharashtra finished fourth with 6 gold, 10 silver and 4 bronze while Arunachal Pradesh completed the top five with 6 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals.

Hosts Chhattisgarh also gave a strong account of the sporting talent among the tribal community as they clinched three gold, 10 silver and 6 bronze medals to finish ninth. Chhattisgarh’s last medal was a silver in men’s football on Saturday when they went down 0-1 against West Bengal in the final.

After getting UT status, archery in Ladakh growing exponentially: Coach Khan

By Paritosh Pramanik

RAIPUR, Mar 31

LADAKH is admired for its beauty and snow-clad mountains. But for archery coach Feroz Ali Khan the ‘newly carved’ Union Territory of India will soon be known for its sportspersons and Olympian archers.

Khan, who himself is a national level archer, is in Raipur with a contingent of six archers participating in the first Khelo India Tribal Games. 

Taking his time out during the compound archery competition at Sardar Patel International Hockey Stadium Complex, Khan exuded confidence that the day is not far when archers from the hilly region of the country start producing internationally acclaimed archers and even Olympians.

“There is no dearth of sporting talent in Ladakh. The only thing is promotion of sport is a bit slow. But with the Narendra Modi Government carving out a Union Territory (in 2019), sports and archery in particular is getting due recognition. The day is not far when these milky mountains will shine with Olympian archers,” Khan confidently says while talking with ‘The Hitavada’ on Tuesday.

“Archery is a traditional sport in Ladakh. It is in our blood. The best part of Ladakh is that parents themselves take interest in their wards to take up sports. They bring their kids without fail to our academy for training, that too from far flung hilly areas,” mentions Khan, who is a member of Ladakh Archery Association.

“Our archers are performing well in age group events at NTPC nationals. They are finishing in the top six brackets on a regular basis. Earlier, the journey was long, from district to state and then nationals. Now, they (archers) get a chance to show their talent directly in national level meets. 

“Though the government is promoting the sport, I think we should get top quality equipment at national meets. Archery equipment is very costly. At present we have basic equipment,” Khan says, adding that “good coaches and infrastructure is need of the hour.”

With the snow covering the mountains for more than six months, it’s difficult to practice but still the Ladakhis make no excuses. “The archers train in minus temperatures. It is not easy to maintain focus and take aim at the target. You can understand how difficult it is to train in bone chilling weather. But tournaments (organised by clubs) take place in winter only and the participation is tremendous,” 43-year-old Khan proudly narrates.

Khan is a true sports promoter. He runs a club -- Downhill Kargil Club which gives training in archery, ice hockey, roller skating and cycling (MTB). “The club gives more preference to women. In the prestigious annual LG Cup our girls have been winning the championship for the last two years. So there is no gender bias,” Khan signs off.

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Suraj, shining amidst gloomy days

By Paritosh Pramanik

RAIPUR, Mar 31

TRIBAL athletes show a different kind of will to excel and fight till the end to emerge victorious. 

Like most of the ‘adivasis’, Maharashtra’s long distance runner Suraj Mashi too is a story of grit, determination, sorrow, combined with few successes.

Hailing from Mokhada Taluka in Palghar, Suraj brought a different kind of energy in a family of four sisters. But his formative years compelled him to share the burden of the family of five.

With no other option, Suraj, who bagged silver in 5000m in the ongoing Khelo India Tribal Games, has to support his family financially, even as he has to foot his training bills…all in meager prize money of Rs 3000-5000 and sometimes even less.

“I dream of representing the country one day. I shifted to Nashik to study and to pursue my dream of running for the nation. 

“But here the coaching fee is Rs 4000 per month. I can’t afford it. Plus I have to pay my room rent.

Hence I try to win as many races as I can in Maharashtra and Gujarat. 

“I can’t afford a personal coach but when I feel like seeking some advice I reach out to my seniors,” said Suraj, while talking to ‘The Hitavada’.

Suraj , who belongs to the Warli tribe, suffered a jolt at an early age when his mother got bed-ridden after slipping in their house and the responsibility of his sisters came on his shoulders.

“I try to participate in competitions to make a living. I run cross-country races, other competitions where I manage to earn around Rs 3000 to Rs 5000,every month.

“I send some amount to my father (a labourer) and also pay for my education, training,” said 18-year-old Suraj.

Suraj feels that the Khelo India Tribal Games is a good initiative from the government but adds that if financial aid is also given then it would be more beneficial.

“If the winners get some financial assistance it would do them a world of good,” he concluded.