Latest news with #JBN
Time of India
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Former hockey players lead sport's hopes at grassroots level
Former players are leading the charge of taking hockey to the grassroots level. (TOI) Bengaluru: Tanav Rajashekar's shot at the goal from the top of the arc was feeble. The ball barely traveled a couple of feet away from him. The seven-year-old gave a toothy grin and took another shot and then another, until he put it past the goalkeeper. The seven-year-old wasn't the only one trying hard to learn the nuances of hockey on a weekday morning. There were 50 others, each testing and learning skills. Watching them train, it is hard to believe that until 14 months ago, some of them didn't even know the sport existed. Now, their five-day training routine is filled with a sense of passion and purpose. This has been made possible by the Yes For Hockey forum, an initiative led by a group of former players from the state who are determined to take the game to the grassroots level. The core includes 1998 Asian Games gold medallist Sandeep Somesh and former players Gayathri Shetty, Pushpa Subbaiah, Sowmya Suvarna and Suhasini Prasad while 1980 Olympic gold medallist MM Somayya and retired bureaucrat N Sivasailum are mentors. The group started working with govt schoolchildren in April last year. Now, it has over 300 children from six Bangalore Public Schools (BPS) — in T Dasarahalli, Kodigehalli, Thanisandra, Hegganahalli, Jeevan Bhima Nagar (JBN) and DJ Halli. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Direct shopping From Adidas Franchise store Adidas Buy Now Undo An MoU between Yes For Hockey and the Department of School Education and Literacy was signed last year. The department foots the bill for kits and equipment, while the organisation takes care of the salary of 12 coaches and the players' post-training nutrition. CREATING OPPORTUNITIES Former players are leading the charge of taking hockey to the grassroots level. (TOI) Somesh told TOI that, based on his vast experience in various roles within the hockey system, his one big takeaway is that grassroots make or break the game. 'We often talk about dwindling interest in hockey and the lack of participation from schools, but where have we created opportunities for kids to play?' he said. 'As a team, we decided to take the sport to schools. We've started small, but the vision is long-term.' For the kids, it's a win-win and a huge opportunity. Some of them watched India's men's hockey team train in the run-up to last year's Paris Olympics, an event that left them starry-eyed with dreams the size of the several hockey fields stitched together. The bronze medallists have been an inspiration, with striker Mandeep Singh among the favourites. 'I've always wanted to play hockey because it is our national sport, but I did not have an opportunity,' said 16-year-old Raju V from the JBN centre, which won both the boys' and girls' titles at the inaugural intramural tournament between the six centres recently. 'When I got one, I didn't want to let go of it. One day, I want to play for India like Mandeep. His schoolmate Juee Bala has a similar aim. EARLY RISERS The players' interest in the sport is highlighted in their commitment to the morning training session, which gets underway at 7 am. Most of them are up at the crack of dawn. Since most parents work as unskilled daily laborers or housemaids, the older children help with the chores before walking to the ground, which is a few kilometers from their homes. Some, like 14-year-old Debolina Mandal, go the extra mile to ensure they strike a balance between studies and hockey. 'I wake up by 4 am and study for an hour before getting ready and walking to the ground, which is three kms from my house,' said the goalkeeper, whose parents work as housekeeping staff in a private hospital. Since the players come in early, Yes For Hockey ensures they don't go hungry to school. They are fed fruit and biscuits after training. Like the players, the coaches also have a backstory. A case in point is Govindraj S, one of the two coaches at the JBN centre. The youngster, who represented Karnataka and Goa at the national level, grew up at St Mary's Orphanage and is a product of the first batch of trainees from the Jude Felix Hockey Academy. 'Hockey changed my life, and I wanted to give back to the sport,' he said. 'I want these kids to experience how sport can redefine their lives, just as it did mine.' WAY FORWARD The smiling faces are reward enough, but Yes For Hockey strives behind the scenes to ensure it happens. 'Annually, we need about Rs 8-10 lakh to run a centre. Sponsorship isn't always easy to come by. People like Gayathri and Sowmya have dug deep into their pockets to keep it running,' said Somesh. But that hasn't stopped them from expanding. Phase 2 of the project begins in Sept with the addition of four new schools to the programme. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Axios
20-05-2025
- Health
- Axios
How a Mass. startup is using space to transform drug delivery
A Worcester-based biotech startup is testing the limits of its space-grown particles in hopes of delivering better, more consistent treatments for osteoarthritis, cancer and other conditions. Why it matters: The research conducted by Eascra in recent flights could help lay the groundwork for an advanced manufacturing industry in space, Mari Anne Snow, the company's cofounder and CEO, tells Axios. Catch up quick: Eascra has conducted experiments on five flights in space since 2023 to determine how developing Janus Base Nanoparticles (JBNs) — tiny particles that can deliver drugs to the human body — in microgravity changes their function. The space-grown JBNs were more uniform in shape and size than their Earth-made counterparts, making for more consistent drug delivery, Snow says. Eascra used the nanoparticles to apply drugs to a tumor and other medicines. Researchers found the particles could maintain mRNA at room temperature for extended periods of time. (It usually requires cold storage). The latest: Astronauts have spent the past five weeks on the International Space Station expanding Eascra's JBN production in space. When they return to Earth later this week, they will bring the space-grown samples and evaluate their quality, including in animal testing. "At that point, we'll have comparison data that will tell us specifically what is the verified improvement from Earth to space production," Snow says. Those experiments will likely be done by late summer, followed by a third-party evaluation of Eascra's findings. Zoom out: The goal is to start discussions with the Food and Drug Administration about seeking approval for space-made medicine, Snow says. Getting drugs and gene editing that rely on space-grown nanoparticles to market could take close to a decade, Snow predicts. Yes, but: The research has relied on both private space exploration and public grants, including several from the Department of Defense. In the meantime, Eascra is continuing as normal.
