Junior National Taekwondo Championships

Assam shine in national taekwondo:

Guwahati, Sep 4: Assam won six medals, including three golds, in the 28th Junior National Taekwondo Championship held at Pondicherry recently.
Assam stood second in the championship which was held under the aegis of the Taekwondo Federation of India.
The medal winners are: Nilufa Begum, Sanju Boro, Ajoy Basfor (all gold), Nandan Brahma, Mukul Basumatary (both silver), Rekha Ranee Gogoi (bronze).

Manipur State League

Three teams share top spot:

Imphal, Sep 4: The competition in the 3rd Manipur State League is getting fiercer by the day. After 24 matches, three teams are now running neck and neck at the top spot, each determined to claim the league title. Tiddim Road Unique Gamy Players’ Union, North Imphal Sporting Association and Southern Sporting Union currently share the lead with 10 point each after the fourth round of the state league.
The Tiddim Road Unique Gamy men, however, are in a better position, as they have not conceded a single goal in the tournament so far. Moreover, they defeated defending champions Tiddim Road Athletic Union 4-0 on Wednesday evening at Bishnupur Mini Stadium.
Playing before a home crowd, Tiddim Road Unique Gamy Players’ Union had that added advantage which they utilised fully to defeat their rivals.
The first half remained goalless, but in the second half the tide turned in favour of the home team as they pounded the Athletic Union men to a pulp.
Tiddim Road Unique Gamy’s M. Sudhiranjan Singh drew first blood in the 53rd minute and only two minutes later, the Athletic men were given another setback when S. Surchand Singh netted the second goal for the Gamy men.
The Athletic men, still reeling from shock, were unable to bounce back and the feeble attempts they made were brutally squashed by their opponents.
However, the Gamy men were still baying for more blood and in the 73rd minute, M. Sudhiranjan Singh netted his second goal of the match. Ksh. Naoton Singh scored another goal two minutes later to shut out the defending champions from the match.
In another match, Manipur Police Sports Club defeated Youth Welfare Club 2-1. The match was played at Manipur Police Training School in Pangei.
Youth Welfare Club caught the Policemen napping when Th. Vandona netted the ball in the 46th minute to grab the lead.
The Policemen however, came back with a vengeance and in the 65th minute, Ksh. Kanta Singh, fetched the equaliser. They had the last laugh, as Md Ziaul Haque proved lucky in netting the winning goal in the 88th minute.
In the other matches played on Wednesday, Southern Sporting Union blanked Eastern Sporting Union 3-0 at Lilong Chajing in Imphal West. North Imphal Sporting Association won 3-1 against United Sporting Association at Sekmai Kangjeibung. North Eastern Re-Organisation and Cultural Association had a solitary goal victory over All Moirang Football Association in their match played at Luwangpokpa ground.
Phoudel Youth Club inflicted a 6-2 defeat on New Lamka Youth Club at the former’s home ground at Thoubal district.

Source: The Telegraph

29th Amba Medhi Football Tournament

Nagaland Police make it to semis:
Dalgaon, Sep 4: Nagaland Police stormed into the last-four stage of 29th Amba Medhi Football Tournament.
In a one-sided first quarter final played at the Mangaldoi Stadium, near here on Thursday, the Nagaland cops handed a 3-0 drubbing to 2nd Assam Special Reserve Force (ASRF), Diphu.
After a goal less first session Saku struck twice in the 56th and 82nd minutes respectively while Visakhali netted another goal in the 77th minute.
On Wednesday Assam Police Blues crushed Orang Club of Dimakuchi 4-1 in a pre-quarter final match of the meet.
In the second quarter final match tomorrow former champions Oil India Limited, Duliajan will take on Dynamo Club of Guwahati.

All-India Railway Basketball Championships

Western Railway victorious:

Guwahati, Sep 4: Defending champions Western Railway on Thursday crushed North Western Railway 90-58 in the men’s preliminary round match in the 51st Men’s All-India Railway Basketball Championship organised by Northeast Frontier Railway Sports Association at its Stadium.
The 51st Men’s and the 32nd Women’s all-India basketball championship began on Wednesday and will continue till Tuesday.
The Western Railway men thrashed North Eastern Railway 83-38 in an earlier match last evening.
In the other men’s matches played today, Eastern Railway overcame North Eastern Railway 69-45, Research Design & Standards Organisation defeated Railway Board 41-33, Metro Railway (Calcutta) went down to Northern Railway 29-67 and Central Railway trounced Chittaranjan Locomotive Works 71-22.
On Wednesday evening, the South East Central Railway men outplayed West Central Railway 62-42, South Central Railway outsmarted North Western Railway 60-36, Southern Railway beat Diesel Locomotive Works 77-61, Central Railway prevailed over Metro Railway (Calcutta) 48-25 and Integral Coach Factory defeated Chittaranjan Locomotive Works 38-16 in a low scoring match.
In the 32nd Women’s All-India Railway Basketball Championship, Central Railway on Thursday prevailed over South Central Railway 69-44.
On Wednesday evening, Western Railway posted a 41-23 win against West Central Railway while South East Central Railway registered a 68-35 victory over South Western Railway.

Justice for Monika

YAS office sealed, Biren soothes frayed tempers:

Imphal, Sep 3: Venting their ire against the alleged discriminatory attitude to weightlifter Laishram Monika Devi, women in hundreds today picketed at the office of State's Youth Affairs and Sports (YAS) Department and sealed the same office today by locking its main gate.
The impasse, however, ended without any major incident after Sports Minister N Biren rushed to the YAS office located in Khuman Lampak Sports Complex and sought three days' time to urge the Central Government authorities for an immediate stand and clarification on the sordid conduct of SAI and IOA officials and action ased on the enquiry report of former Chief Election Commissioner TS Krishnamurthy.
The Minister reportedly assured to take up the matter at the next meeting of the State Cabinet in addition to insisting that a joint meeting along with representatives of organisations concerned would be hosted after the arrival of L Monika. Following the Minister's intervention the agitators reopened the YAS gate.
Earlier, the protestors under the banner of the 'Coordinating Committee Against the Conspiracy to Exclude Monika from Beijing Olympics by the Governmet of India converged at the YAS office gate demanding that the Krishnamurthy probe findings be made public and the guilty ones punished accordingly.
As per account of a key member of the Committee namely AK Janaki the former CEC, entrusted to investigate into the L Monika Devi issue, had submitted his report to the Union Sports Minister MS Gill on September 1 and rather than initiate action the Minister has taken leave for 15 days thereby amounting to delaying tactics and denial of justice.
Expressing that with the Central Govt seemingly reluctant to initiate appropriate action against the guilty officials of Indian Olympic Association and Sports Authority.of India based on the Krishnamurthy report the YAS office had been picketed and locked, Janaki maintained.
Monika's elder sister L Mamta Devi, who was also among the agitators, said only after the erring IOA and SAI officials are punished there would be satisfaction as if Monika had competed in the Beijing Games.
Monika, herself is slated to arrive?at Imphal tomorrow from Guwahati, where the Nachou native had joined a protest march denouncing alleged politicising of sports administration and selection exercise in the country.

Source: The Sangai Express

Dimapur League

Dimapur, Sep 4: United Burma Camp beat Invaders by 2-0, Chumukedima XI thrashed Tenyimie 4-0, DYC defeated Spark FC by 5-0 and the match between Salu Riju and Dorians ended goalless in the DDFA Premier League 2008, played at the DDSC Stadium on Thursday.
Friday's matches: Vanguard vs Longshia; USC Nepaligaon vs Diphupar XI; Mascot vs Invaders; United Burma Camp vs DYC

Justice for Monika

Monika hopes for punishment to guilty:

Guwahati, Sep 3: Weightlifter Monika Devi on Wednesday said her soul would get peace if her compatriot Sailaja and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) top officials were punished by the inquiry committee.
Speaking here on the occasion of annual Abhiruchi Sports Day, Monika said, "I am innocent. I have been framed by the senior SAI bosses, who did not want me to go to Beijing Olympics. I have cleared, at least, 30 dope tests before. How come just hours before I was scheduled to leave for Beijing, news flashed on TV that I have tested positive?"
According to Monika, SAI Executive Director R K Naidu and Sailja ganged up to cook up the dope theory and successfully prevented her from taking flight to Beijing.
"They (SAI officials) are all thieves. Just because I got into the cleansing act and decided to do away with corrupt SAI coaches, they are now after me. SAI’s executive director (teams) RK Naidu and (SAI coach) Hansa Sharma are among others have all ganged up against me and implicated me," she added.
She rued that India missed a bronze, adding as the eventual bronze medalist of Beijing Olympic, lifted the same weight she used to lift generally.
"In the pre-Olympic trial, a fierce competition was organised by some army judges who have no knowledge of modern day women weightlifting and there Sailaja was made eventual winner. In fact, she had taken dope to enhance her performance. So far, she had failed five times in the WADA dope test and according to WADA rules, she should have been banned for life,'' she further informed.
Her home state Manipur was in turmoil over her denial and forced the Prime Minister to intervene. Currently, an inquiry was going on under the former Chief Election Commissioner Krishnamurthy.
The day is celebrated statewide at over 100 places 3 every year to celebrate the birthday of the first Asian Games gold medalist as well as the state’s first Arjuna award winner Bhogeswar Barua.

Source: United News of India

Subroto Cup

Nagaland beat Tripura 4-0:

Dimapur, Sep 3: State under 17 (juniors) started their campaign on high note with a victory over Tripura in the ongoing Subroto Cup played at Delhi on Wednesday.

Team manager, Nyuvitho Nyuthe DSO Kiphire said that the state team defeated Tripura 4-0 in their opening match. Hukavi scored two goals while Rokozhaz and Benri contributed one goal each for the team. Two goals were scored in the first half and while the other two were scored in the second half.

The state team representing Modern School New Market, Kohima is placed in pool-D along with Air Force team, Assam, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Sri Lanka. Altogether 32 teams including teams from aboard are taking part in the tournament which is organized by Air Force India and held every year in New Delhi.

It may be mentioned that the state under -17 team was the runners-up in 2004. Earlier, the state team was scheduled to play their opening match against Sri Lanka on September 2, but the match was postponed as the Lankan team could not reach the venue on the scheduled day. The match will be played on September 7. On September 4 (Thursday) state team will take on Uttarakhand.
A sixteen member state under 14 (sub juniors) led by team manager, Yanthan, DSO Wokha and team coach, Mughato will be leaving for Delhi on September 5 to take part in the Subroto Cup at Delhi. Last year runners-up, state under-14 team is representing Green Wood School, Dimapur.

Seeded directly in pre-quarter finals the state team will play their opening match against the winners of group B on September 10.

State u-14 squad: Vekuto, Pusu, Vishio, Akok, Imti Wapang, Taliakum, Tsiebu, Veluto, Lunminlan, Nyhunhelo, Tiatoshi, Lusinei, Moakumzuk, Tingnyek, Wasadplung and Akalu.

Source: Nagaland Post

Meanwhile, making an impressive start to the tournament, OM Roy Memorial Secondary School from Meghalaya won its first league match in Under-14 Subroto Mukherjee Cup by defeating host school from Delhi 2-0 on Wednesday. OM Roy opened the scoring in the 18th minute through a goal scored by Walamsuk Nongkhlaw, while Tyng-shain Umdor scored the second goal in the 46th minute to ensure OM Roy win the match by 2-0 goals. OM Roy will play its second match with a school from Chattisgarh on Thursday.

Source: Shillong Times

Buchi Babu Cricket

Rajasthan rout Assam:

Guwahati, Sep 3: Assam suffered a humiliating 235-run defeat at the hand of Rajasthan in their opening group league match of the Buchi Babu Naidu Cricket Tournament in Chennai on Wednesday.

In reply to Rajasthan’s massive 377 for six in the allotted 90 overs Assam were bundled out for a paltry total of 102.

Brief score: Rajasthan 377 for six in 90 overs (Subhanshu Vijay 86, Nihkil Doru 54, Y Venugopal Rao 69, Robin Bisht 101, Rohit Jalani not out 45, Amit Singha 2/63).
Assam 102 all out (Deepak Sharma not out 43, Pankaj Singh 2 for 25, Sumit Mathur 2 for 20, Shilendra Gehlot 2 for 13, Gajendra Singh 4 for 34.

Remembering Assam's First Arjuna Awardee

Monika flags off run:

Guwahati, Sep. 3: Manipur weightlifter L. Monika Devi on Wednesday urged people to be alert against any move to deprive players from the region of representing the nation at the international level.
Flagging off the annual Abhiruchi Sports Day mass jogging from Chandmari flyover here to Nehru Stadium, a tearful Monika said she fell “victim to some nasty politics.”
Monika Devi was deprived of a berth in the Indian contingent to the Beijing Olympics last month after allegedly testing positive in a dope test. Though she was subsequently cleared of the allegation, it was too late for her to join the contingent.
Later, an apparently disturbed Monika said she was still undecided about participating in any national meet in the near future.
Manipur’s sports organisations will be boycotting all national events till former Chief Election Commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthy, who is conducting a probe into the issue, submits the report to sports minister M.S. Gill and justice is meted out.
The weightlifter also took part in a felicitation ceremony where 56 heads of educational institutions were honoured for their contribution towards organising this particular sports day for the past 25 years.
The day marks the birthday of Arjuna awardee Bhogeswar Barua.
The mass jogging today was dampened by a morning drizzle, which reduced the turnout to a little over 3,000, including contingents from about 35 schools in the city.
Bhaskar Vidyapith emerged winners in the mass jogging and were trailed by teams from LOG English School and Disneyland High School.
Among the sports establishments, Manchuria Kung-fu Academy finished first, followed by Guwahati Kho-kho Coaching Centre, Lutuma, and Sarusajai Sports Coaching Centre.
Disneyland High School, represented by about 250 students, were awarded the O.P. Nayar Trophy for having the highest number of participants.
The jogging was followed by a dance competition among schoolchildren where St Stephen’s High School team emerged champions while Disneyland High School and Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Kalipur, finished as first and second runners-up respectively. In the aerobics competition, teams from Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Rajgarh, Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Sixth Mile, and T.C. Girls’ H.S. & M.P. School were declared the top three.
Although the day is marked by felicitation of noted sports personalities, this being the silver jubilee year, the main function will be held in December. The felicitation ceremony is likely to be attended by Australian cricketer Steve Waugh or Brett Lee, along with another Asian Olympian.

Source: The Telegraph