Golf is played and patronised in Mysuru at Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Course (JWGC). With its development programmes, JWGC has produced talented golfers from time to time. One such product out of its junior programme is Pranavi S. Urs, who has been performing consistently in the National junior circuit. Pranavi, representing Karnataka in the IGU Eastern India Ladies & Junior Girls Golf Championships at Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Kolkata, from Nov. 23 to 25, won the Category ‘B’ Junior Girls title with a three-day aggregate score of 233 (77+79+77). She has been performing consistently in the National junior circuit in the junior level. She is our ‘Star This Week.’

Pranavi won the Category ‘B’ junior girls title. She also finished runner-up in the Category A & B combined section. Diksha Dagar of Delhi with a three-day aggregate score of 225 (70+80+75) won the title in the Combined A & B section.

Pranavi, taking part in the 8th Albatross International Golf Championships-2016 from Nov. 8 to 11, at Classic Golf & County Club, New Delhi, finished runner-up in the Category ‘B’ girls section with a three-day aggregate score of 232 (79+78+75) after a play-off for the title with the ultimate winner Nicha Kanpai.

Pranavi won the Category ‘B’ title in the Bombay Presidency Golf Club’s All India Ladies & Junior Girls FALDO Series Golf Tournament from Oct. 19-21 and won the title in the category ‘B’ section.

She also took part in the Maharaja’s Cup Open Golf Tournament held recently in Mysuru and performed well. Pranavi had finished runner-up in the team event representing Indian team in the True Visions International Junior Golf Championship at Siam Country Club, Pattaya, from Apr. 5-7 and also finished fourth in the Individual Category ‘C’ section.

Pranavi taking part in the Ladies Amateur Golf Championship at Karnataka Golf Association (KGA), Bengaluru, on Feb. 9 and 10, won the ladies title with a two-day aggregate score of 150 (6 over).

This 12-year-old golfer is the daughter of Sharath Chandra Raj Urs and Kaivalya Urs, residents at Lakshmipuram in Mysuru and is a seventh standard student of National Public School, Mysuru.

Pranavi started playing golf at the age of 8 and after her success in the South Zone Sub-Junior Golf Tournament the next year, she took up to the game seriously and has made steady progress since then. Pranavi presently trains under Vijay Divecha at the Eagleton Golf Course, Bidadi.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / November 27th, 2016

Mysuru :

Shihan S. Naveen, President of Fit India Karate Research Academy, Karate and Taekwondo trainer, has been selected for the ‘Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Award’.

The Award will be given during the IKU Asian Karate Championship -2016 to be held at Talkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi, from Nov. 28 to 30.

United World Karate Federation Chairman Imtiaz Abdulla, Dr. Daniele Lazzarini, Secretary General, International Karate Union and grandson of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Prakash Yaswant Ambedkar, will present the award to Shihan S. Naveen for his excellence in work, outstanding performance and remarkable role in the field of Sports.

He is a recipient of the Ekalavya award and is also a gold medallist in the World Cup Karate Championship.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / November 27th, 2016

From the albums

Karnataka has the rare privilege of playing the first Ranji Trophy match in India in November 1934. That match also turned out to be a good one, with 30 wickets falling in one day and Mysore losing the match to Madras in a single day.

Karnataka has come a long way in Indian cricket and is now acknowledged as one of the most powerful cricket teams, one feared by all opponents. Many have contributed to this transformation — players, administrators, the cricket-loving public and employees of the cricket association.

It has been a long and difficult journey that I am happy to have been a part of, first as a player and then as an administrator.

It started in 1959, when I was chosen to play for a junior match between Mysore and Madras and a brilliant century in that match made it easy for me to get into the Ranji Trophy side and stay there for 10 long years before retiring. After a few years’ break, I entered Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) as an administrator and worked to the best of my ability in various capacities. I retired a few years ago as the vice-president of KSCA.

Today, it is a well-run organisation, with set rules, a beautiful stadium, fabulous clubhouse and more than 3,000 members enjoying the facilities and the game of cricket frequently.

But it was a difficult journey then, with no ground that the association could call its own. The Central College grounds were used as the headquarters and games were also played at various other college and school grounds.

With no money to run cricket matches and expecting everyone to do a good job, the president and the secretary had a hard time running KSCA. S A Srinivasan, M Chinnaswamy, Captain Thimmappiah and C Nagaraj were the stalwarts who built the infrastructure for the present-day KSCA.

The presidents and secretaries sacrificed their personal lives and professions to spend time on the cricket grounds. Even in such difficult situations, KSCA magnanimously contributed to the various causes of the state. This rare photograph was taken on one such occasion for the Chief Minister’s Flood Relief Fund that was organised at the Central College grounds.

The then Ranji Trophy players played in several places like Tumkur, Shimoga and Kolar and raised funds for the cause. Many stalwarts seen in this photograph have left for their heavenly abode while many others have been forgotten. But a few are still active and working for the cause of cricket.

While I was playing for the Ranji Trophy, I was also picked to represent the Mysore University cricket team. Only two universities existed then — Mysore and Karnataka, headquartered in the Hubballi/Dharwad region. Mysore University consisted of all colleges in the old Mysore area.
I was a student of Bangalore Medical College and represented the university for four consecutive years. During the last two, I was the captain. We always had an excellent team and in 1962, we won the All-India Championship for Rohinton Baria Trophy, playing in the biting cold of Kanpur (two degree centigrade).

Almost everyone on those teams went on to play for the Ranji Trophy. I was also fortunate to be selected for the All-India University team against the visiting Australian cricket team, led by late Richi Benaud.
Two of my teammates P R Ashok Anand (present president of KSCA) and Deepak Das Gupta also played in that match.

Deepak Das Gupta was a fine off-spinner and has now settled down in Kolkata. Nearly all the players went on to become highly-qualified professionals in India and abroad and have done well in their respective spheres.

I was also fairly successful in the Ranji Trophy matches, becoming the captain of the Karnataka cricket team and scoring over 1,000 runs which was an achievement in those days.
As the players were not paid in those days, a majority retired early to pursue their chosen professions. I also retired early to take up my medical practice.

Today, university cricket has lost its stature with too many universities and with cricket becoming professionalised. I feel fortunate to have been among the few who savoured the true spirit of the game, surrounded by so many wonderful players.

(The author can be contacted on 9845127495)

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Metrolife / by Dr.S. Krishnamurthy / November 21st, 2016

India’s doubles star Rohan Bopanna exuded hope that India would one day have players competing in wheelchair tennis at Grand Slams.

Speaking on Tuesday at the launch of the Indian Wheelchair Tennis Tour’s (IWTT) Tabebuia Open, a national-level wheelchair tournament to be held at the KSLTA courts from December 2 to 4, Bopanna said that the differently-abled athletes were inferior to none.

“Wheel-chair tennis isn’t any different. For example, at premier tournaments we all share the same locker room. We are all equal,” Bopanna said.

The event will also mark the first time a wheel-chair event is being recognised by the AITA. Players will now be registered with the AITA and eligible for a ranking.

‘Hopefully, more to come’

“This is the first step towards developing a circuit,” said Sunil Jain, founder trustee of ASTHA, an NGO working for the uplift of the differently-abled, of which IWTT is a division.

“These athletes need a platform to build professionalism. It’s also about changing people’s perceptions through excellence. I hope this is the beginning of things to come.”

K. Gopinath, an international-level player, said that this would provide a better stage for the athletes to showcase their skills.

“We have been competing for quite a while,” he said. “But we do need some transformation. We don’t need sympathy. We just need opportunities. So we are all happy with this.”

The event will disburse in total Rs. 2.5 lakh as prize money.

In all, it will see close to 40 players competing in both singles and doubles.

Also on the occasion, KSLTA’s joint-secretary P.R. Ramaswamy, announced a National-level wheelchair tennis tournament in the near future.

It would be sponsored by a prominent India player, he said, but refused to divulge further details.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Tennis / by Principal Correspondent / Bengaluru – November 29th, 2016