Govt approves appointment of 320 asst coaches across 25 disciplines
New Delhi, Nov 10: As part of its “medal strategy” for the Olympic and Asian Games, the Sports Ministry has given approval for the recruitment of 320 assistant coaches covering 25 disciplines across Sports Authority of India (SAI) centres. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said the focus will be on disciplines like aquatics, cycling and tennis, in which Indian athletes haven’t particularly done well but have “immense medal potential.” “It will cover the major disciplines at SAI centres. The selection process will be merit-based and transparent and will only include those who are certified or license holders in their respective disciplines,” Mandaviya said in an interaction here. “We are trying to give weightage to sports that will improve the overall sporting culture in the country. Sports like tennis, kayaking and canoeing are sometimes not able to attract as much attention but they have huge potential,” he added. Mandaviya said 50 per cent of the recruits would be women for the creation of a “safe sports environment” and promote “gender quality” as promised by the National Sports Governance Act. (PTI)
Athlete requires to comply once notified for dope test: AIU
New Delhi, Nov 10: Track and field’s anti-doping watchdog Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Monday revisited the three-year doping ban case of Indian long distance runner Varsha Tekam to drive home the point that once an athlete is notified to take a doping test, he or she is required to comply. On June 5, Varsha, who had finished third in the Pune Half Marathon last year, was handed a three-year suspension for evading a dope test by the AIU. She was provisionally suspended on May 26. Varsha was approached for in-competition testing after finishing third in the half marathon held on December 15 last year. She was selected for testing, notified by a Doping Control Officer (DCO) and kept under observation. While waiting for the victory ceremony, she said she was going to get water but she disappeared into the crowd and never returned, the AIU posted on ‘X’. Despite repeated announcements and calls, she could not be located. No sample was ever collected. The Technical Delegate also contacted the hotel where the athlete had stayed the previous evening, but the hotel confirmed that she had already checked out of her room earlier that day. The AIU said evading a test was a serious violation and Varsha was found to have violated Rule 2.3 relating to “evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection by an athlete”. The offence normally carries a punishment of four-year ban, but since she admitted the violation early, the sanction was reduced to three years. (PTI)
Arshi becomes India’s first female national karting champion
New Delhi, Nov 10: Nine-year-old Arshi Gupta of Delhi Public School, Faridabad created history by becoming the first-ever female racer to win a National Karting Championship title. Competing in the Micro Max class in a mixed grid of boys and girls, Arshi clinched the 2025 FMSCI Indian Rotax Max National Karting Championship at the Meco Kartopia circuit in Bengaluru. Born on October 18, 2016, in Faridabad, Arshi races under Leapfrog Racing and has achieved this extraordinary feat in just her second year of competitive racing. Earlier in the season, she stunned the motorsport fraternity by winning Round 3 at the Madras International Karting Arena (MIKA), the FIA-homologated track at Irungattukottai, on August 31. She later won a double at Coimbatore too. Displaying remarkable poise and precision in the final round, Arshi won both the Pre-Final and the Final in Micro Max class (8 to 12 years category) and won the National crown. This triumph makes Arshi the first girl to win a National Karting championship in the 21-year history of the Indian Rotax series. She also has a record in her name in India Book of Records as the youngest female to receive the National Karting License. (PTI)
Bengaluru to host Indian Pickleball Nationals from November 13
Bengaluru, Nov 10: The maiden Indian Pickleball Nationals will be held in Bengaluru from November 13-16 at The Sports School, the organisers announced on Monday. The Karnataka Pickleball Association (KPA) will host the event, which has drawn over 1,200 entries from more than 20 states, featuring age and skill categories from Under-12 to 70+ across men’s, women’s, and mixed formats. “Pickleball has grown tremendously across the globe, and the government of India’s recognition of its scale and popularity has given it a new identity and direction,” Shree Harsha, President, Karnataka Pickleball Association, said. “At KPA, we are working to build this momentum further through initiatives such as coaching clinics, business meets, and our ‘Mission One Million’ programme, which aims to take pickleball to government and aided schools across Karnataka.” (PTI)
Pakistan hockey head coach refuses to travel to Dhaka for series
Karachi, Nov 10: Pakistan men’s hockey head coach Tahir Zaman has refused to travel to Dhaka for a three-match series claiming interference by the PHF in selection matters. The squad left on Sunday without the celebrated former Olympian, who did not approve of the last-minute selection of a player in the squad. Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Rana Mujahid confirmed the development, saying the matter will be resolved as Tahir and the national federation had the best interest of the country’s hockey. “Tahir had taken the stand that latecomers to the training camp in Islamabad should not be included in the national squad,” he said. “Tahir objected to the inclusion of Rana Wahid and Hammad Anjum both of whom joined the camp late due to their contract with foreign leagues,” Mujahid said. Rana said Tahir decided at the last moment not to accompany the side to Dhaka, where the international hockey federation (FIH) has scheduled a three-match series to allow Pakistan to have a shot at the World Cup qualifiers. A source close to Tahir said that the Olympian was clear that unless players are aware that the head coach has the final say, there is no way the team can show improvement. Rana, however, claimed that because of prior commitments, at least 10 players joined the camp late and the PHF had agreed to impose cash penalties on them. The PHF secretary added that team manager Mohammad Usman will also handle the responsibilities of head coach in Bangladesh. Rana added that if the matter with Tahir doesn’t get resolved, the federation will try to hire foreign coaches. (PTI)
