‘World should follow Kolkata’ Kolkata: Impressed with privileged children in Kolkata schools who teach slum kids, Formula One racer lewis Hamilton on Monday said children in the rest of the world should also adopt this model.
“They take out time to teach poor kids. This is just remarkable. We don’t get to see this in Europe and the rest of the world. They should also do that,” Hamilton told reporters here. The international sportsman met children of St James School who teach underprivileged children from nearby slums. During his visit to the city, Hamilton also went to brick kilns in Barasat area on the outskirts of the city as the brand ambassador of the NGO. Not only did he play with the kids staying in the kiln, he also tried his hand in making a clay brick. “I love children. They are the future. So I am here to help them as millions and millions of children don’t get opportunities. Today I saw it first hand,” he told reporters. “They have so many dreams. Someone wants to be a doctor, policemen, etc. The world in which I live is so different from what I see here,” he said. Asked as to why he chose to visit the slums of Kolkata, he said the issue here is serious enough. “It was very educating for me. When you see things on TV, it’s different than getting a real feel of things,” he said.
Kramnik win was imp for Anand
New Delhi: He is known to be composure personified even under immense pressure and Viswanathan Anand, who is gearing up to defend his world title next month, gave ample proof of it in the 2008 edition against Vladimir Kramnik when he outwitted the celebrated Russian to clinch his third World Championship. Although he had won two world titles in knockout and tournament formats, Anand still had to win the world championship in a match. The opportunity came after he won the championship in a tournament format in 2007 at Mexico City, setting the stage for a much-awaited clash against Vladimir Kramnik of Russia at Bonn in 2008. The big match was designed to give Kramnik a second chance to win the World Championship he had unceremoniously lost in the preceding match tournament. As part of the contract signed to reunite the chess world, Kramnik was assured of this match against the winner of Mexico match-tournament convincingly won by Anand. More than the Mexico victory, that put Anand firmly on the top of chess world, some were already looking at the match in Bonn a year before it was to happen. As early as the final press conference at Mexico a question popped up at Anand, “Are you ready for your match with KramnikIJ” “I’ve just won the world title, can you give me five minutesIJ” replied Anand. Although a World champion in Knockout and Round-Robin format in 2000 and 2007 respectively, Anand had yet to win a World Championship in match format.
Jwala and co to start campaign
New Delhi: Celebrated women’s doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa and a few other Indians will start their campaign in the Bitburger Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament which starts with the qualifiers at Saarbrucken, Germany on Monday. The commonwealth Games gold medallist pair, who started playing together again after a gap of one year during the French Open, will take on German combo of Anika Dorr and Annika Horbach in the opening round of women’s doubles competition. In the French Open, Jwala and Ashwini had lost in three games against world number 16 Indonesian combo of Gebby Ristiyani Imawan and Tiara Rosalia Nuraidah in the first round.
Vani favourite for 13th leg
Greater Noida: Delhi golfer Vani Kapoor will look to continue with her stellar form when she tees off at the 13th leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour 2013 to be held at the Jaypee Greens Golf Course here from October 29 to 31. The INR 5,00,000 event will also mark the return of Hero MotoCorp Sponsored Bangalore golfer Sharmila Nicollet, who is the only Indian to have retained her lET card for two consecutive years. Vani’s win in the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour last week, helped her to move up the ranks to the second spot in the Hero Order of Merit 2013.
IOA upsets Sports Ministry again
New Delhi: Reacting to IOA’s reluctance to amend its constitution as per IOC’s directive to bar charge-framed persons from contesting election, the Sports Ministry today expressed concern over the ongoing impasse and reiterated that the deadlock must be resolved at the earliest. The IOA, in a special General Body Meeting yesterday, proposed to refer the cases of those persons against whom charges have been framed for offences that carry punishment of a jail term of more than two years to a nine-member Ethics Commission. It, however, said that there would be no bar to contest elections on persons against whom charges have been framed for offences, which carry a jail term of less than two years. “The Government of India has noted that a Special General Body Meeting of the Indian Olympic Association has not agreed to carry out some of the amendment to its constitution, as required by International Olympic Committee,” Sports Minister Jitendra Singh stated in a release. “The Government of India stands committed to zero tolerance on criminality in sports and adherence to ethics and good governance in sports in the country. The Government is concerned about the ongoing impasse between IOC and IOA and is watching the developments closely,” he added.
IOA should be expelled: Nachappa
Bangalore: Clean Sports India President Ashwini Nachappa on Monday said the IOC should expel the Indian Olympic Association for continuing to defy its guidelines on good governance and form an ad-hoc body to carry forward the Olympic movement in the country. “Clean Sports India will appeal to International Olympic Committee (IOC) to expel the Indian Olympic Association and constitute an ad-hoc committee to look after the interest of Indian sportspersons to compete under the Indian flag,” she said in a statement here. “CSI is extremely disappointed with the IOA which has brought shame on the entire sports community by not adhering to IOC’s final directive of amending their constitution as per its guidelines,” the former Indian athlete said.
Paes, Bopannna advance in Paris
Paris: leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna moved to the pre-quarterfinals of the ATP BNP Paribas Masters with their respective partners after a getting byes in their first rounds, here. Bopanna and his French partner Roger-Vasselin Edouard have been seeded fifth while Paes and his Canadian partner Daniel Nestor are seeded seventh. Bopanna and Roger-Vasseli await winner of the first round match between American pair of John Isner/Nicholas Monroe and Briton-Ditch combo of Jonathan Marray and Igor Sijsling. Paes and Nestor will taken on either Mexican Santiago Gonzalez and American Scott lipsky or Briton Jamie Murray and Australian John Peers. PNS/Agencies