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Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Back from doping ban, sprinter Dhanalakshmi finding her feet again
Dhanalakshmi Sekar CHENNAI: Dhanalakshmi Sekar, once a rising star in Indian athletics and part of the Tokyo Olympics squad, made an impressive comeback after serving a three-year doping ban by breaking her own state record in the 100m. She went on to set a new meet mark in the 200m at the recent 97th Tamil Nadu State Senior Athletics Championships in Salem too. However, her real test will begin when she lines up at Nationals next month. Once among the brightest prospects in the Indian sprinting scene, having outrun top athletes like Hima Das and Dutee Chand, Dhanalakshmi's rise came to an abrupt halt in 2022. The 27-year-old from Trichy tested positive for the anabolic steroid metandienone (a performance-enhancing drug) during an out-of-competition test in Turkey. She accepted the violation, which reduced her suspension from four years to three. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Talking to TOI, Manikanda Arumugam, her long-time coach, said: 'When it happened, she was in the national camp. She had no idea how it happened. She says she can't understand it, even now. That's all she told me. And even I didn't push her to talk about it much because she was struggling a lot. My focus was just to make sure she came back and restored her name.' When Manikanda, who runs the Rockfort Star Academy in Trichy, visited her after the ban was imposed, Dhanalakshmi was deeply disturbed and shaken. 'Dhana was completely broken when I saw her after the ban. She comes from a poor background (her mother was once a farmer), and I have supported her a lot over the years. Thankfully, she had secured a job, so financially she was stable during that time. I told her after two years, 'we'll come back'.' Last year, they resumed training and started from scratch. 'She was completely unfit when we restarted. She was physically broken, especially in terms of fitness, and emotionally as well. We worked on strength training, endurance, and followed strict dietary routines. Last December, we held a trial specifically for her to assess her performance. We usually train at the Poonamallee Railway ground. Once a week, we go to the Anna Stadium for track work. Tamil Nadu Athletics Association supported us when we told them Dhana will run this year,' said Manikanda. But just 10 days before the TN state meet, another setback threatened to derail everything they had worked for. Dhanalakshmi, who is sponsored by CVB Sports Academy, picked up a hamstring injury during training. 'She was so scared. This was her first competition in three years, and the injury shook her confidence. But she ended up exceeding her own expectations,' the coach said. Charting the way forward, Manikanda said: 'We are eyeing the national record now. Dhana's participation in the Indian Open, to be held in Punjab, is still uncertain and we'll know only by Wednesday. But she will compete in the Inter-State event to be held in Chennai in August.'
The Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Sze Fei-Izzuddin miss chance to make history, set to lose world No. 1 ranking
PETALING JAYA: It was a double blow for shuttlers Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani after the duo missed out on their second consecutive Japan Open title and are also set to lose their world No. 1 ranking. Yesterday (July 19), Sze Fei-Izzuddin went down 16-21, 17-21 to South Korean hotshots Seo Seung-jae-Kim Won-ho in the final at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Seung-jae-Won-ho, who are currently ranked No. 3 in the world, would also officially take over from Sze Fei-Izzuddin as the new world No. 1 pair when the rankings list updates tomorrow (July 21). The independent pair were hoping to become the first Malaysians in the men's doubles to win the title in Japan more than once, but found the Koreans too hot to handle and lost out in a fast-paced match lasting just 38 minutes. Sze Fei admitted that Seung-jae-Won-ho were the better pair on the day. "The Koreans are very fast. We tried to catch up with them, but they were just too good," said Sze Fei, in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF). "We had nothing to prove against them. We just wanted to play our best and enjoy the game." It was Sze Fei-Izzuddin's second defeat to Seung-jae-Won-ho in three meetings after also coming up second best to the latter in the All-England second round in March. The Malaysians' sole victory over the high-flying Koreans so far came in the Indian Open final in January. Seung-jae-Won-ho have established themselves as the pair to beat this year as they added the Japan Open crown to their titles in the All-England, Malaysian Open, German Open and Indonesian Open. The 27-year-old Seung-jae also gained sweet revenge over Sze Fei-Izzuddin after losing to the latter in the final in Japan last year with former partner Kang Min-hyuk. Sze Fei-Izzuddin, though, can take heart that this is their best showing this year since their triumph at the Indian Open. The pair had made it to their first final since the win in India after failing to reach the last four in all their other outings this year. Sze Fei-Izzuddin are now looking to bounce back quickly in the China Open, which starts tomorrow in Changzhou. The duo are hoping to defend their title in China and snatch back their No. 1 ranking from Seung-jae-Won-ho. "We will prepare ourselves better next time and just focus on ourselves," said Izzuddin.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Kiran takes the spotlight in an event missing most top stars
With most of the big names staying away due to foreign participation or injury, Kiran Pahal was the biggest draw at the Indian Open at Patna's Pataliputra Sports Complex on Saturday that otherwise saw few noteworthy performances. Haryana's Kiran, the fastest Indian quartermiler last season, finished on top in the 400m in 54.93s across the two races. While it was far from her personal best, Kiran, only the second Indian to go under 51 seconds, was participating in her first competition this season and her maiden outing since the Paris Olympics. Home favourite Shatakshi Rai, meanwhile, clocked 12.04 seconds in the 100m and win Race A, pipping veteran Srabani Nanda by 0.1 seconds to be the overall winner. Srabani clocked 12.05s in Race C. With several of the events featuring three or fewer participants, specially among the women, the competition level was ordinary. Among the men, none of the promised big names turned up in the javelin throw, including Kishore Kumar Jena, who was expected to return to competition after recovering from an ankle injury. Rising youngsters Dipanshu Sharma and Vikrant Malik too were missing, with Rajasthan's Vipul Yadav taking top spot with a 66.42m throw. Haryana's Raja Babu won the 200m in 21.24s among the 43 runners who turned up across six races. The results (winners only): Men: 100m: Yernena Balavardhan (Chg, 10.66s), 200m: Raja Babu (Har, 21.24s), 400m: Brajesh Singh (MP, 47.68s), 800m: Nilkantha Ray (Army, 1:51.88), 1500m: Rahul (Del, 3:48.42), 5000m: Mannu Kumar Singh (Mah, 14:49.95), 10,000m: Shivam (UP, 30:26.20), Long jump: Sarun Payasingh (Odi, 7.62m), Triple jump: Puneet Kumar (UP, 15.64m), Shot put: Akash Grehwal (AIPSCB, 18.05m), Discus throw: Rohit Kumar (Raj, 51.56m), Javelin throw: Vipul Yadav (Raj, 66.42m). Women: 100m: Shatakshi Rai (Bih, 12.04s), 200m: Shivkanya Mukati (MP, 24.30s), 400m: Kiran Pahal (54.93s), 800m: Nidhi Thakur (HP, 2:18.94), 1500m: Laxmipriya Kisan (Odi, 4:37.90), 5000m: Reeba Anna George (Ker, 17:48.97), 10,000m: Nandani Gupta (UP, 35:55.83), Long jump: Manisha Merel (Odi, 5.79m), Triple jump: Sonam (UP, 12.64m), Shot put: Vidhi (UP, 15.34m), Discus throw: Amera Shah (MP, 47.77m).
The Star
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Sze Fei-Izzuddin face stern final test against Korea's in-form duo
PETALING JAYA: Competing in Japan seems to bring out the best in men's doubles shuttlers Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani. The pair have struggled to maintain their form this year after a breakthrough 2024 but have shown glimpses of their brilliance by reaching their second consecutive Japan Open final. After capturing the title last year, Sze Fei-Izzuddin went on a superb run that eventually saw them become world No. 1 this year. Despite a dip in form following their Indian Open title win in January, they appear to have rediscovered their best form in the same tournament that first launched their rise. On Friday (July 18), the independent duo overcame Taiwan's world No. 24 Liu Kuang-heng and Yang Po-han 21-19, 21-11 in the semi-finals at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Although they faced difficulties, trailing 4-9 and 7-11 in the first game, the defending champions remained composed, using their experience to claw back and clinch the game. The narrow win bolstered their confidence, leading to a comfortable victory in the second game and setting up a title showdown against South Korea's world No. 3 pair, Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho. The Koreans ended hopes of an all-Malaysian final by defeating Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi 21-14, 21-15. The match between Sze Fei-Izzuddin and Seung-jae-Won-ho will be a rematch of the Indian Open final, where the Malaysians triumphed in three games. However, the Korean duo claimed victory over Sze Fei-Izzuddin in the All-England second round, going on to win the title in Birmingham. Seung-jae and Won-ho, the undisputed best men's doubles pair this year, have also secured the Malaysian Open, German Open, and Indonesian Open titles, finishing as runners-up in the Singapore Open. Sze Fei-Izzuddin will attempt to become the first Malaysians to claim the men's doubles title in the Japan Open more than once. Meanwhile, Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei's journey in the mixed doubles ended after a 12-21, 16-21 defeat to China's world No. 2 Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin. Tang Jie-Ee Wei were aiming for their first final this year but struggled against the Chinese pair, losing in just 38 minutes.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Murali Sreeshankar's comeback from horrendous ruptured knee tendon to a 8.05 metre leap of belief after 21 months
After 21 months on the sidelines post a left-knee surgery for a ruptured patellar tendon, Sreeshankar Murali returned at the Indian Open in Pune last week. A fifth-round jump of 8.05 metres made it a special comeback. He was mildly fretful but wasn't a bundle of nerves. 'Initially, I was a bit anxious about how it would go because I hadn't competed in a while. At the same time I was very calm and composed because I knew I had done it before,' Sreeshankar, a Commonwealth Games and Asian Games silver medallist, told The Indian Express. He entertained thoughts of a 8.20 metre jump. First jump, 7.84 metres, the second, 7.99 metres. 'I took the first jump far behind the board, so I was like ok 'probably I have an 8-metre plus jump today'. The second jump my toe just touched the board and I did 7.99. But dad (S Murali, his coach) said don't push too much. As long as we get the 8-metre figure we are more than happy. There was a headwind too.' Sreeshankar is used to overcoming adverse conditions. The 26-year-old casts his mind back to April last year when his Paris Olympics dream went up in smoke. The doctor's diagnosis put a question mark over his future as a long jumper. The patellar tendon connecting the kneecap to the top of the shin bone had ruptured and a part of the bone had chipped off. This was more severe than a 'jumpers' knee', which is characterised by inflammation of the patellar tendon. 'The tendon getting inflamed is very common with athletes but the tendon getting ruptured is rare. The doctors told me that this injury you get when you have a high-impact car crash or if you fall from the top of a building or someone forcefully beats your leg and pulls your legs apart. This type of injury can only be expected in near-death situations,' Sreeshankar said. His patellar tendon ruptured following a 'small jump' during practice at his earlier training base in Palghat, Kerala. The out-of-the-blue injury shocked Sreeshankar, though he experienced an inflammation of the tendon in 2023. Sreeshankar calls the knee and the tendon like the 'bread and butter' for a long jumper. He initially consulted a high-profile doctor in India but the 18-month timeline to start light jogging again and no guarantee of being fit for the 2026 Asian Games made Sreeshankar take a second opinion. 'I was devastated. Just two days back I was aiming for an Olympic medal and then you hear that your career is almost finished,' Sreeshankar recalled the emotions he went through. That's when Samuel A Pullinger, the head of performance science at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Bellary, advised him to look at experts in the middle east. The Aspetar Hospital in Doha, renowned for orthopedic expertise and sports medicine, where Brazilian football star Neymar underwent an ankle surgery was Sreeshankar's next stop. Dr Bruno Olory at Aspetar Hospital was confident of Sreeshankar being able to start training in six months. 'The way the surgeon in Doha explained the surgery procedure, I was convinced as compared to what I heard in India. A graft was taken from my hamstring to tighten the tendon. The rehab started immediately and I started walking on crutches. Dr Olory told me that he has seen such cases with football players and probably rugby players who have collision and rupture tendons. He told me recovery depends on how the body responds and how the rehab is done. To have a protocol on how to move forward with recovery and rehab after a patellar tendon rupture was difficult because there was hardly any literature available,' Sreeshankar said. Even before the surgery, the long jumper and Priyam Singh, a sports physio at IIS, charted a rehab roadmap for a year. 'First two or three months were about bending the knee, initially to 30 degrees, reducing the swelling, strengthening the other parts of the body like calf muscles. Without involving the knee, I was able to do other things. I had a knee brace that was locked and in that position I was doing core workout and upper body training. After six months, in October, I was back on the track, doing easy drills and light running. It was like learning ABC again, learning to be an athlete again,' Sreeshankar said. Post surgery, his left knee has become bigger and the position of the knee cap has changed. 'The doctor said there will be mechanical changes and you can't expect everything to be 100 percent like before.' The game-changer, according to Sreeshankar, was when he consulted Wayne Lombard, a well-known strength and conditioning coach, who has worked with stars like Neeraj Chopra, Vinesh Phogat and Tejaswin Shankar and India's women's hockey team. 'Wayne trained my knee like how it should be trained for a jumper, it was very sports specific. Tejaswin asked me to get in touch with him. Wayne revamped the strength and conditioning schedule along with Priyam. That changed the game. By the end of February, I took a three-step long jump. I used to do exercises like it was a medicine, like a diabetes patient takes insulin everyday. This is like a new baby knee and I have to take care of it very well.' There is an upside of Sreeshankar having time on hand during his rehabilitation. He's become a certified strength and conditioning coach. 'I wanted to get myself occupied with something productive to keep my mind from only thinking about my knee. I had done the course in the 2023 off season but was yet to finish the workbook as I didn't find time because I was preparing for the Olympics. During the rehab, I completed it and I have a coaching licence now.'
