Mizoram sports minister meets Union Sports secretary
AIZAWL, May 6: Mizoram Sports minister Lalnghinglova Hmar met Union Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao in New Delhi and discussed the development of sports in the state, an official statement said on Wednesday.The discussion also centred on reviving Mizoram’s legacy in hockey and expanding the footprint of training facilities across the state, it said.During the meeting on Tuesday, Hmar expressed Mizoram’s keen interest in establishing a men’s hockey academy to nurture the talents of Mizo youths, the statement said.He said that while Mizos are naturally talented in hockey, the game has seen a decline in recent years.“While Mizos are naturally talented in hockey, the game has seen a decline in recent years. Hockey is one of the most viable routes to securing international medals for India,” Hmar was quoted as saying in the statement.While highlighting the success of the women’s hockey academy in Thenzawl in Serchhip district, the minister expressed the state’s keen interest in establishing a similar model for men.He also proposed setting up additional SAI training centres in Mizoram under the “Empowering Mizoram Sports” programme, covering four disciplines- hockey, badminton, archery, and wrestling.Rao, who also serves as Director General of SAI, assured Hmar that all possible efforts would be made to promote hockey in Mizoram and optimise existing facilities to enhance training standards.He reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to promoting hockey as a priority sport discipline.Praising Mizoram’s clear vision for sports development, Rao said the state has the potential to emerge as a key contributor to India’s sporting success if it maintains its current trajectory.The Union Sports Secretary commended Mizoram’s clear vision for sports development and said that the state could occupy an important position in India’s sporting progress if the vision is pursued consistently.He further expressed appreciation for Mizoram’s recent progress in badminton and noted that the success achieved by Mizo athletes in football could be replicated in other sports as well.Roa added that various sports training initiatives in Mizoram are well-aligned to become Khelo India-accredited training centres. (PTI)
Marta withdraws from Italian Open with physical issues
ROME, May 6: Fresh off the biggest title of her career, Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine withdrew from the Italian Open due to hip and ankle issues.Kostyuk won the Madrid Open on Saturday and is up to a career-best No. 15 in the rankings this week. Having also won another clay-court title in Rouen, France, the week before Madrid, Kostyuk is on an 11-match winning streak.“After the best stretch of my career, I was looking forward to Rome. But sometimes your body has other plans, and over the past few days I’ve been dealing with a hip issue. With my ankle still not fully at 100%, it’s just not smart to keep pushing right now, so I won’t be competing there this year,” Kostyuk posted on Instagram on Tuesday as the tournament in Rome began.“Now it’s time to recover and get ready for Paris,” Kostyuk said, referring to the French Open, which starts May 24. (AP)
