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Time of India
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
TN archers aim big after first medals in KIYG
Smaran Sarvesh CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu recently clinched their first set of archery medals in seven editions of the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG). The mixed compound pair of R Midhun and M Madhuravarshini secured silver, while Smaran Sarvesh bagged the second spot in the boys individual recurve event held in Bihar. Midhun and Madhuravarshini lost the final by just one point (151-152) to Maharashtra. The TN pair was leading in the fourth set but could not hold their nerve, succumbing to pressure. Madhuravarshini, in particular, stood out as she consistently hit the bull's eye, but a few 9s from her in the final arrows did not prove enough. 'The last three arrows decided the fate of the match. It could have been due to time management or lack of coordination. Overall, I am very happy, as the sport is growing in Tamil Nadu. Two-three years ago, any team would have beaten us easily, but that is no longer the case,' Madhuravarshini, who had reached the quarterfinals in the Asia Cup Stage I earlier this year, told TOI. 'The state clinched several medals in age-group competitions in the past year and that is a good sign. Maharashtra conducts camp before every tournament they participate and that is why their players have strong coordination and understanding. If TN also start conducting camps regularly, we can get better.' With the compound event being added to the LA Olympics, Madhuravarshini has set her sights on the quadrennial extravaganza. In men's individual recurve, Smaran went 2-6 down to Ujwal Bharat of Maharashtra. The 16-year-old Smaran was inconsistent and managed to win only one set. 'This medal is very important to me, and this was my maiden appearance at the KIYG. I will train hard and aim for gold in the next edition,' Smaran said. S maran's mother, Lavanya, an IPS officer, initially wanted him to take up shooting. However, since the minimum required age was eight, he was enrolled in archery. Smaran gradually developed an interest in the sport and never looked back. He joined the National Centre of Excellence in Sonipat last year, and the training there has helped him improve. Smaran had represented India in the Asian Youth Championship last year and, like Madhuravarshini, was part of the national team in Asia Cup Stage I. The main goal for both the archers is to get selected for the World Youth Championships. The trials for the competition are scheduled to take place in Pune from May 22. Additionally, the archers also have a chance to book their spots in the Asia Cup Stage II.
Hans India
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
KIYG 2025: Daughter of an autorickshaw driver, Asmita Dhone eyes junior world weightlifting medal
Asmita Dattatray Dhone of Maharashtra broke two youth national weightlifting records on her way to clinching gold medal in the 49kg class in the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games here at the Rajgir Sports Complex. Dhone shattered her own youth national record in both clean and jerk and overall total set at the Commonwealth Championships in Doha, Qatar, five months back. She had won a silver medal at the 2022 Khelo India Youth Games in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Asmita first breached the 94kg mark with a 95kg lift in clean and jerk to create a youth national record and then added another two kilograms on the barbell to again breach the national record and take her overall total to 170kg, an improvement of 8 kilograms from her Commonwealth Championships performance. Uttar Pradesh's Mansi Chamunda (75+88) settled for silver with a youth national snatch record, improving upon the mark set by Panchami Sonowal of Assam in 2022. Hailing from a humble background, Asmita, who turned 18 this month, was born in Karad town of Satara district. Her father Dattatray Dhone drives an autorickshaw and mother Nirmala is a dairy farmer. Asmita began training under Samrat Pawar in her hometown, which she continues to do even today. 'I started lifting weights when I was in Class 7, roughly 14 years of age. My elder sister was also into weightlifting and so her coach Samrat sir told me to also start weightlifting along with her. I am very happy with my performance as I broke the national record,' Asmita told SAI Media. Asmita Dhone has numerous national and international medals under her belt and that helped her get inducted in both the Khelo India scheme and Sports Authority of India's Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports in Patiala since 2023. Asmita won gold at the World Youth Championship last year in Suva, Fiji, with an overall lift of 158kg (70+88kg). She had also won a gold at the Commonwealth Youth Championship in 2023 in Noida with a total lift of 136kg (60+76kg). She has a bronze each at last year's Asian Youth Championship and 2023 World Youth Championship. Asmita captured a hat-trick of gold medals in IWLF Youth Nationals from 2022 to 2024. 'I receive a scholarship from Khelo India and also train at NIS Patiala, which is a National Centre of Excellence (NCOE), since last two years. Khelo India is a big platform for all of us. It inspires me a lot. It gives me energy and confidence. The stipend of Rs 10,000 is a great help for someone like me as my father is an autorickshaw driver. We have a small field and two cows at home, which is taken care of by my mother, who is a housewife. I receive sports kits to travel and accommodation costs from SAI,' she added. Talking about her ward, coach Pawar said: 'First of all, I would like to tell you that she has inherited strong genes from her parents. To add to that, she is very disciplined. That is enough proof of her dedication. Weightlifting is a technical event. It requires both muscular strength and technique. She has a brilliant technique in clean and jerk. If she improves her snatch, Asmita will be unstoppable.' With a target of winning gold at next year's World Junior Weightlifting Championships in Ningbo, China, Asmita plans to face selection trials after the Commonwealth Youth and Junior Championships in Ahmedabad this August.
Sharjah 24
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Sharjah 24
UAE Cycling team camps in Spain in preparation for next stage
The cyclists are getting ready for major events, including the World Track Championships scheduled for next August and the Asian Youth Championship taking place in October in Bahrain. The training camp features some of the team's standout athletes, supervised by coach Bader Thani. Key team members include captain Ahmed Al Mansouri, along with Mohammed Al Alili, Mohammed Mehrab, Abdullah Al Hammadi, Hamad Al Muhairbi, Yousef Amiri, Rashid Suwaidan, and Abdulaziz Al Hajri. Mansoor Buosaiba, the Chairman of the UAE Cycling Federation, emphasized that this camp is designed to improve the athletes' skills and physical abilities as they prepare for their upcoming tournaments. He praised the training plan developed by the Federation and the coaching team, which aims to build a larger group of talented cyclists and enhance their overall performance, allowing more young athletes to represent the UAE in international competitions.
