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Commonwealth Games 2018: Manika Batra leads India to historic women table tennis gold

Commonwealth Games 2018: Manika Batra leads India to historic women table tennis gold

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Manika Batra inspired India to a historic gold medal with her stunning singles victories, fashioning an unthinkable 3-1 victory over four-time gold medallists Singapore in the final of the women’s team event at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. World No. 58 Batra first scored the biggest of her career by humbling world number four and multiple Olympic medallist Feng Tianwei 3-2 before brushing aside 100th-ranked Yihan Zhou 3-0 to engineer a sensational win over the mighty Singapore side. It was mother of all upsets as prior to this final, the Singapore women’s team had never lost in the Commonwealth Games since the sport was inducted in the program way back in 2002.

The victory tasted even sweeter as the women had returned empty handed from the Glasgow edition four years ago. It was only the second table tennis team gold for India at the Games with the men achieving the feat in the 2006 Melbourne edition.

Earlier in the day, India had blanked England 3-0 to reach the women’s team final for the second time. While Batra was the architect of India’s historic win, the experienced pairing of Madhurika Patkar and Mouma Das played the supporting role to perfection by winning the crucial doubles tie 3-1 (11-7 11-6 8-11 11-7) against Zhou and Mengyu Yu for a 2-1 lead in the final. After Batra shocked Feng 3-2 (11-8 8-11 7-11 11-9 11-7) in the opening singles, Mengyu had equalized for Singapore with a straight game win over Patkar. Batra then proved to be too good for Yihan, who failed to read her deceptive strokes. The Singaporean put a back hand long as the Indian completed a 3-0 (11-7 11-4 11-7), leading to wild celebrations.

Indian Girls Fire in the Bull’s eye, win gold and silver in 10m pistol category at CWG

Indian Girls Fire in the Bull’s eye, win gold and silver in 10m pistol category at CWG

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Kudos! A great feat indeed, India loves both the girls who brought pride and glory to the country in women’s 10 air pistol competition at Commonwealth Games!

India’s 16-year-old Manu Bhaker comfortably won the gold in women’s 10 air pistol while Heena Sidhu staged a remarkable recovery to secure silver at the 21st Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast on Sunday (April 08). Bhaker’s calm and composure belied her age as she shot 240.9 to break the Commonwealth Games record, finishing well ahead of her senior teammate Sidhu, who aggregated 234. The bronze medal went to Australia’s Elena Galiabovitch who ended with 214.9. Bhaker was the overwhelming favourite to win the event, having bagged gold medals at the 2018 ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico and the following Junior World Cup in Sydney. Sidhu too did well to win silver after she was on the verge of elimination at one stage. She had also won a silver at the Delhi Games in 2010.

21st   Commonwealth Games: The country rejoices weightlifting Gold rush for indicating a and healthier India 

21st   Commonwealth Games: The country rejoices weightlifting Gold rush for indicating a and healthier India 

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Poonam Yadav, the brave daughter of India, made a memorable Sunday of  April 08 for India by winning the fifth weightlifting gold for India with a top finish in the 69kg category of the 21st Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. A bronze-medallist from the 2014 Glasgow edition, Poonam lifted 222kg (110kg+122kg) to claim gold ahead of England’s Sarah Davies, who finshed with 217kg (95kg+122kg). Earlier Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Sanjita Chanu (53kg), Sathish Sivalingam (77kg) and Venkat Rahul Ragala (85kg) had claimed gold medals. Mirabai Chanu’s 84kg lift in snatch and 108kg in clean and jerk won India its second gold medal of the Games. It’s also the 24-year-old’s second consecutive gold at the Commonwealth Games. Four years ago in Glasgow, Chanu had dominated the 48kg category, emerging as a strong contender for the Rio Olympics. Sanjita Chanu won her second successive gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in the 2018 edition held in Gold Coast, Australia. She had shifted to a higher weight category of 53kg and secured the title with a total of 192kg. En-route to her gold medal, she bettered her performance from the previous edition and broke the Games record for the Snatch category with a lift of 84kg; she lifted a weight of 108kg in the Clean and jerk segment. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games Sathish Shivalingam he won gold medal in 77kg category. He lifted 144 kg in snatch games record and 173 kg in clean and jerk. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Sivalingam won the gold medal in the men’s 77 kg, with 149 kg snatch, and 179 kg clean and jerk lifts, totalling 328 kg. His lift of 149 kg in the snatch, set a new games record. Sathish born in Sathuvachari, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India to Sivalingam and Deivanai. His father Sivalingam an ex-serviceman who won gold medals at national level and now works as a security guard at VIT University, Vellore. won gold medal in the men’s 85 kg weight class at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. He lifted a total of 338 kg – 151 kg in snatch and 187 kg in clean and jerk. He won the 4th gold medal for India in the weightlifting category at the games.Manipur Government announced a reward of Rs.  lakh each to the girls from the state-   Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu had won a gold in women’s 48kg weightlifting at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

stephen-hawking

Stephen Hawking dies at 76

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Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist and author of bestselling books died on 14th March (2018) at his home in Cambridge. He was 76.

                     Stephen Hawking did research on general relativity and black holes. He wrote several popular science books including A Brief History of Time. In 1963, at the age of 22 Prof Hawking was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neuron disease, which left him in a wheelchair and largely unable to speak except through a voice synthesiser.

                Prof Hawking was the first to set out a theory of cosmology as a union of relativity and quantum mechanics. He also discovered that black holes leak energy and fade to nothing – a phenomenon that would later become known as Hawking radiation. In his work with mathematician Roger Penrose, he demonstrated that Einstein’s general theory of relativity implies space and time would have a beginning in the Big Bang and an end in black holes.

         Hawking recognised the great opportunities that arose from advances in artificial intelligence, but also warned about the dangers. He said that the primitive forms of artificial intelligence developed so far had already proved very useful; indeed, the tech he used to communicate incorporated a basic form of AI. But he feared the consequences of advanced forms of machine intelligence that could match or surpass humans.

 

         His book ‘A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes’ published in 1988 and sold more than ten million copies. His life story was the basis of an Academy Award winning 2014 film ‘The Theory of Everything’.

Pakistan’s iron lady Asma Jehangir passes away

Pakistan’s iron lady Asma Jehangir passes away

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She was special. She was an icon, an apostle of courage, honesty and justice. She was an inspiration. She has faded leaving her mark on the posterity to think beyond self and act on real ground to fight injustice.   Asma Jehangir passed away on February 11, 2017 at the age of 66 due to a cardiac arrest in Lahore Pakistan’s top lawyer who was more known as human rights activist. Asma was bold and courageous and she lived her life fighting against authoritarianism and abuse of law by the powerful. She was Pakistan’s symbol of resistance and a human rights activist who spoke against military dictators and abusers of law for the past five decades. She headed the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and remained the Supreme Court Bar Association chairperson. She was also appointed as UN Rapporteur in the region during the 1990s. She remained in jail during the dictatorial rule of General Zia-ul Haq in 1983 for raising her voice for the democrats.

Born and raised in Lahore, Jehangir studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary before receiving her B.A from Kinnaird and LLB from the Punjab University in 1978. In 1980, Jahangir was called to the Lahore High Court and to the Supreme Court in 1982. In the 1980s, Jahangir became an democracy activist and was imprisoned in 1983 for participating in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy against the military regime of Zia-ul-Haq. In 1986, she moved to Geneva, and became the vice-chair of the Defence for Children International and remained until 1988 when she moved back to Pakistan. In 1987 she co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and became its Secretary General until 1993 when she was elevated as commission’s chairperson. She was again put under house arrest in November 2007 after the imposition of emergency. After serving as one of the leaders of the Lawyers’ Movement, she became Pakistan’s first woman to serve as the President of Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.She has co-chaired South Asia Forum for Human Rights and was the vice president of International Federation for Human Rights.

Jehangir served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion from August 2004 to July 2010, including serving on the U.N. panel for inquiry into Sri Lankan human rights violations and on a fact-finding mission on Israeli settlements.She won numerous national and international awards for her struggle for the oppressed. The awrds she won include the 2014 Right Livelihood Award (along with Edward Snowden), 2010 Freedom Award, Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2010, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Ramon Magsaysay Award, 1995 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, and the UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights. She was awarded an Officier de la Légion d’honneur by France. Her prominent writings include The Hudood Ordinance: A Divine Sanction? and Children of a Lesser God.

Condolences poured in as soon as the news of her death came. Condolences poured in from within and outside the country. Leaders of all political parties paid rich tributes to her. Foreign Minister of Pakistan’sForeign Minister Khwaja M Asif said in his tweet, “ What a brave woman.Pakistan poorer without her. People like Asma are anchors of a society.The brave and dedicated daughter of a brave father.After 3 generations of camaraderie between our families,this is a deep personal loss. God bless her soul.” Nobel Prize winner brave girl from Pakistan, Malala, now pursuing her studies in Oxford tweeted, “Heartbroken that we lost Asma Jahangir – a saviour of democracy and human rights.” Former cricketer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan tweeted, “Asma Jehangir’s death is a loss of a strong voice for the marginalised and oppressed. Despite our differences I always respected her for her fight for human rights and for standing up for her convictions.”Indian actress Nandita Das expressed her condolence saying Deeply shocked & saddened to hear of #AsmaJahangir. She was a true defender of #HumanRights #Democracy & fought till her last breath against authoritarian power, orthodoxy & discriminatn. She was & will remain an inspiration. A huge loss!

The people in power were not very comfortable with Asma Jehangir’s activism. General Musharraf openly expressed his hate for Asma Jehangir for raising her voice against missing persons often picked up by the intelligence agencies and never produced before the courts. She took up cases of dozens of missing persons and fought in the courts for their recovery free of cost. She was a vocal advocate for peace between Pakistan and India. Asma was often criticised by right wingers for her stance towards freedom of speech and against the use of religion to curb progressive voices. Asma also criticised the judiciary for not giving justice to the oppressed and not taking notice of extra judicial killings and abductions.

Asma Jehangir, the Iron Lady of Pakistan has bid adieu. But her voice for freedom and justice would keep on reverberating in the ears of the posterity inspiring and motivating to continue the fight for a freer, just and better world. South Asia is proud of this daughter from Pakistan and she would always remain alive in the minds of people, especially when they need a reason to hope that howsoever difficult it is , the fight for justice and freedom is worth, no matter what it takes!

Ambedkar For Our Times

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The only leader from the pre-Independence era who continues to inspire millions, has become an icon of social revolt and is being discovered by more and more Indians across castes and religions is Babasaheb Ambedkar. As the country observed his 61st death anniversary on December 6, it is important to look at his core insights that were distilled in the Indian Constitution amidst the growing melee over mythology, legends, history and belief.

Many Indians believe in a single narrative fed to them by conservatives about India’s past and juxtapose it with the advent of foreign culture and hostile events. It was Ambedkar who wrote in Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Ancient India that long before the arrival of Islamic invaders and Christian explorers and missionaries, two parallel schools of thought existed in India.

The dominant one was the Vedic school, which believed in “divide and rule” by stratifying society into four tiers. The largest population was of the Shudras (modern day Other Backward Classes), divinely ordained to serve the upper three ranks. There were broken men living outside villages as “untouchables”, tribals living in hills and nomadic tribes. Half of the population — of females — was deprived of individual liberty.

The other school of thought that intermittently ran parallel to the Vedic tradition — like the Charvaka school and the worldview of the Buddha — was egalitarian. This ideology negated the Vedas and its structure. It peaked when emperor Ashoka implemented the Buddhist philosophy which emphasised not just on a welfare state for humans, but for animals and the ecology as well. This did not last long, as the Brahminical school, armed with powerful emotional instruments, managed to keep its flock together by promoting rituals, beliefs and ensuring the hegemony of Brahmins assisted by Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. According to Ambedkar, the worship of cow and vegetarianism stemmed out of a strategy to demonise Buddhists, who were ultimately branded “untouchables”. Ambedkar called Buddhism a revolution which turned the wheel of progress for all, not just the privileged minority of upper castes.

The arrival of foreigners and their missionaries radically changed the socio-economic, political and religious scenario. The impoverished and oppression-ridden Indian society was conducive to conversions. Besides, the political ambitions of warrior-kings made them seek the help of foreign invaders to settle scores with their domestic rivals. Meanwhile, the Brahmin orthodoxy continued to monopolise learning and controlling the minds of the masses. They interpreted hostilities in terms of the binaries of Hindu versus Muslim, Hindu versus Christian, etc, despite the fact that Hindu kings were assisted by Muslim warriors and advisers and vice versa.

After Independence, the nation builders, who were faced with the challenge of integrating not just hostile princely states, but binding people of different castes, religions and languages, turned to the Buddhist philosophy. The Constitution incorporated justice, liberty, equality and fraternity at its core. Its chief architect, Ambedkar, went a step further and converted to Buddhism in 1956. Among the constitutional values, fraternity is yet to manifest, as a majority of Indians fail to transcend narrow mental barriers, often becoming hostile in order to preserve privileges of caste, gender, religion, language etc. Most of them still equate Indian history only with the Vedic narrative.The universalisation of education and the quota for OBCs (subject to economic backwardness) is making more Indians discover Ambedkar and identify with the parallel narrative. The most glaring example of how the two ancient schools of thought function is the manner in which Mahatma Gandhi’s detractors dealt with him. When Gandhiji criticised some points in Annihilation of Caste, Ambedkar incorporated them in the next edition of his book with a point-wise rebuttal. When some Hindu fanatics had issues with Gandhiji, Nathuram Godse killed him.

The egalitarian narrative can save the country from the fanatics of different religions who make a hue and cry over “hurt sentiments” at the drop of a hat. The question is: How long are we going to stoop to the hyper-sensitivity of ill-informed people, misguided by the shroud political and religious interests?

The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai

Indian Lionesses won as many as five gold medals in the Women’s World Youth Boxing Championships 2017

Indian Lionesses won as many as five gold medals in the Women’s World Youth Boxing Championships 2017

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Women’s World Youth Boxing Championships 2017 took place in Guwahati ( November I9-26). The Four boxers from Haryana – Nitu in light flyweight (45-48 kg), Jyoti in flyweight (51 kg), Sakshi in bantamweight (54 kg) and Shashi Chopra in featherweight (57 kg) – won gold in the first four final bouts. Assam’s Ankushita Boro added the fifth in welterweight (64 kg) category.V Two other Indians – Anupama in light heavyweight (81 kg) and Neha Yadav in heavyweight (+81 kg) –won bronze. Of the 36 other nations that participated, Russia was the next best team with two gold medals —Anastasia Shamonova in middleweight (75 kg) and Kristina Tkacheva in heavyweight.

Ajay Singh, president of the Boxing Federation of India, later announced R2-lakh each for the gold medal winners.This is India’s best performance in the AIBA women’s youth event after 2011 when Sarjubala Devi of Manipur had won the lone gold medal.

Background

In India, the game of boxing does not command a significant fan following, which commentators often attribute to the lack of discernible international victories. However, despite its limited success at large global championships, it is a regular medal-holder at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Mohammad Ali Qamar became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, United Kingdom. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Vijender Singh won a bronze medal in the middleweight boxing category, while Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar qualified for the quarterfinals. Akhil Kumar, Jitender Kumar, A.L. Lakra, and Dinesh Kumar each won a bronze medal at the 2008 World Championship. Vijender Singh briefly reached World No.1 in the middle weight (75 kg) category class in 2009, when the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) list was updated after 2009 AIBA World Boxing Championships held in Milan, Where he won India’s first medal in an AIBA-WBC. On 29 June 2015, Vijender Singh bid adieu to his amateur career by turning professional as he signed a multi-year agreement with Queensberry Promotions through IOS Sports and Entertainment. This ruled him out of 2016 Olympics as he no longer remains eligible to represent India. India’s Mary Kom is a five-time World Amateur Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships. She also became the first Indian woman boxer to get a Gold Medal at the Asian Games during the 2014 Asian Games at Incheon, South Korea. Five Indian boxers, three female and two male, were among the world’s top three in AIBA latest world rankings (March 1, 2014) in their respective categories.

South Africa wins Miss Universe 2017

South Africa wins Miss Universe 2017

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Miss Universe 2017 was the 66th Miss Universe pageant, held on 26 November 2017. The event was held at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.  Nel-Peters, a 22-year-old Business management graduate from South Africa received her Miss Universe 2017 crown from Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere of France during finals night at the Planet Hollywood Casino Resort in Las Vegas Nevada, USA On November 16, 2017. The top three candidates — Miss South Africa 2017 Nel-Peters, Miss Colombia 2017 Laura Gonzalez and Miss Jamaica 2017 Davina Bennett — were given the same question which was read by pageant host, Steve Harvey. The final question was, “What quality in yourself are you most proud of and how will you apply that quality in your time as Miss Universe?” Nel-Peters slew the final question and answer portion who promoted the confidence and overcoming of fears especially for women. The answer of Nel-Peters impressed the judges of the event. It was “As Miss Universe, you have to be confident in who you are as an individual. A Miss Universe is a woman that has overcome many fears and by that she is able to help other women overcome their fears. She is a woman that nothing is ever too much is asked for and that’s exactly who I am.”  Nel-Peters is the second South African beauty queen to win the Miss Universe crown after Margaret Gardiner in 1978.

Winning first runner-up was Colombian actress Laura Gonzales Ospina. Her answer to the final question was: “I’m incredibly passionate in everything I do. With compassion, I have discipline. With compassion I put my whole self in every situation that I work at. I’ve done this as an actress. I’ve done this a Colombian and I do not doubt that I will do this as Miss Universe.”

Davina Bennet from Jamaica finished second runner-up. Her answer to the final question: “I’m most appreciative of is my drive, my determination. I am the owner of a foundation that spread awareness for the deaf community. And this platform is a great platform great to let persons know that these persons need opportunities and need equal opportunities as those in society. And so Miss Universe competition will be the platform for me to use this foundation to spread awareness for all the deaf and mute around. Thank you.”

A new format was followed in the selection of top 16 during the Miss Universe 2017 coronation night. The top 16 was composed of   four girls from the continents of America, four from Europe, and four from Asia, Africa, and Pacific, plus four “wild cards.”

Miss World 2017 crown to Haryana girl Manushi Chhillar 

Miss World 2017 crown to Haryana girl Manushi Chhillar 

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India’s Manushi Chhillar has won the Miss World 2017 contest. This is a big feat as India has bagged the coveted title of Miss World after a long gap of 17 years after Priyanka Chopra won the title in 2000.  Manushi Chillar competed against 108 contestants from various countries at a glittering event held at Sanya City Arena in China. Miss India World 2017 Manushi Chillar, a 21-year-old from Haryana, had made it to the top five at the Miss World 2017 pageant here. Earlier, Miss India Manushi Chillar, 21, was named one of the five winners of the Beauty with a Purpose award at Miss World 2017. India, England, France, Kenya and Mexico grabbed the top five spots at the pageant.

The other winners of the title are contestants from South Africa, Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines. The model from Haryana was inching closer to the Miss World crown as she has gone straight from top 40 to 15. Miss World 2016 winner Puerto Rico’s Stephanie Del Valle gave away the coveted crown to the winner. Miss Mexico Andrea Meza was announced the first runner up, while Miss England Stephanie Hill was declared the second runner up at an event held at Sanya City Area. In question and answer round post getting the top five spot, Manushi was asked: “Which profession deserves the highest salary and why?” She replied: “I think a mother is of the highest respect. I don’t think its just about cash but love and respect she gives to someone. She is the biggest inspiration in my life. Mother should get highest respect.” Manushi, born to doctor parents, studied in St. Thomas School in New Delhi and Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women in Sonepat. Chillar, who is from Haryana, had earlier this year won the Femina Miss India 2017.

Mary Kom Wins Gold, Becomes Asian Boxing Champion for Fifth Time

Mary Kom Wins Gold, Becomes Asian Boxing Champion for Fifth Time

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Ace India boxer Mary Kom once again showed why she is one of the best in the continent as the pugilist won the gold medal for the fifth time at the Asian Boxing Championships, on Wednesday (November 08, 2017).

Mary Kom thumped North Korea’s Hyang Mi Kim in the championship clash, to clinch her maiden gold in the 48 kg category of the tournament. The 35-year-old, who is also a former Olympic bronze-medallist, returned to her preferred weight category after five years of competing in 51 kg, which was made an Olympic category in 2012.

“I am really happy the way this Championship has panned out. I would like to dedicate this victory to all those who have supported me even though the world had written me off. I would like to thank my coaching staff who worked hard with me over the last few months,” Mary Kom said after her win.

“A special word for the professional setup that BFI has put in place, ensuring the best facilities was given during the month-long camp and all the exposure trips for the team. Also, I am thankful to BFI president Mr. Ajay Singh for showing faith in me,” she added.

“Mary Kom’s gold at the Asian Boxing Championship is a huge victory for India’s women power. At 34, this mother of 3 has shown that, with grit and determination, you can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Mary Kom is a huge inspiration for all Indians and we are proud of her victory today,” Ajay Singh, BFI President, said.

In Hyang Mi, the 35-year-old Mary Kom found her most aggressive opponent so far in the tournament but she was up for the task. Unlike her previous bouts, in which the opening three minutes were invariably spent measuring up the rival, both the boxers were lunging at each other within seconds of the bell going off.

Matched quite evenly in speed and precision, Mary Kom scored for her ringcraft, which included some fine footwork to outpace Hyang Mi at crucial junctures. There was hardly any power-hitting on display but the contest was made engaging by the boxers’ fast-paced exchange of punches.

The North Korean was relentless with her left hooks but the Manipuri did not allow herself to be rattled and scored on counter-attack with her combination blows.

List of medalists

Mary Kom(48 Kg) – Gold

Sonia Lather (57kg) – Silver

Shiksha (54kg) – Bronze

Priyanka Choudhary(60kg) –Bronze

Sarita Devi(64kg) – Bronze

Lovlina Borgohain(69kg) – Bronze

Seema Poonia(+81kg) – Bronze

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