Latest news with #OVL
Observer
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Al Salam, Seeb reach the 1st Division OVL final
SUHAR, APRIL 26 Al Salam and Seeb have qualified for the final match of the 2024/2025 First Division Oman Volleyball League (OVL), which will be held on Monday, May 5, at the Sohar Sports Complex. Al Salam secured their place in the final after defeating Majees by three sets to one in the match played at the Sohar Sports Complex. The match witnessed standout performances from Mohammed al Maamari, Khalid al Muqbali, Adam al Jaradi, Graciano and Majid al Shibli for Al Salam, while Majees' notable players included Pakistani player Imal, Hilal al Muqbali and Christian. Majees started strongly, relying on powerful serves and solid defensive organisation, which allowed them to take an early lead and maintain it, winning the first set 25-20 despite late attempts by Al Salam to close the gap. In the second set, Al Salam entered more focused and imposed their rhythm thanks to Graciano's attacking moves and Majid al Shibli's powerful serves. The set was closely contested until midway, after which Al Salam pulled ahead to win 25-22 by capitalising on critical points. During the third set, Al Salam continued to exploit Majees' disorganisation, asserting dominance through a solid block and quick counter-attacks, winning the set 25-21 despite Majees' efforts to recover. Al Salam maintained full control from the start of the fourth set, taking advantage of Majees' serving and receiving errors, to comfortably win the set 25-18 and the match by three sets to one. SEEB EDGE AL BASHAYER On the other side, Seeb booked their spot in the final after an exciting win over Al Bashayer by three sets to two, in a fiercely contested match held at the Nizwa Sports Complex. Key performers for Al Bashayer included the professional player Islam, along with Mazin al Hashmi and Haitham al Shaqsi, while Seeb's stars were the Russian professional Bogdan, along with Saud al Maamari and Artem. The first set saw a balanced start between the two sides with point exchanges, but Al Bashayer managed to edge ahead, relying on strong serves and concentrated attacks by Islam and Saman, to win 25-23 despite late resistance from Seeb. Seeb responded strongly in the second set, implementing a more vibrant playing style with diversified attacks and solid defensive coordination, dominating the set to win 25-19. Their momentum continued into the third set, with technical superiority evident as Bogdan and Artem excelled in powerful spikes and solid blocks, enabling Seeb to win the set comfortably 25-17. Al Bashayer showed great fighting spirit in the fourth set, capitalising on Seeb's service and reception errors and won 25-22 after a thrilling end to the set. The two teams exchanged leads up to the midpoint of the decisive fifth set, but Seeb's players, drawing on their experience in critical moments, clinched the win 15-13, thus advancing to the final.
Mint
22-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Recycling should lead India's quest for critical minerals like lithium
In response to US President Donald Trump's tariff war on China, Beijing recently restricted Chinese exports of rare earth minerals like yttrium, dysprosium and terbium, critical minerals used in a wide range of modern-day electronic equipment. This has led to new pressures on the White House, particularly from the US defence, automotive and energy industries, each of which are impacted severely. The escalation presents an opportunity for India to reassess its critical minerals strategy, which primarily relies on nudging the private sector to invest in unproven reserves and on strategic public sector acquisitions of mines elsewhere in the developing world. In February 2023, the Geological Survey of India estimated the presence of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium resources in Jammu. Last year, it confirmed high lithium concentrations in Chhattisgarh. But the initial hype faded quickly. Auctions for the Jammu reserves were unsuccessful because prospective bidders deemed extraction from clay deposits to be commercially unviable. The Chhattisgarh find fared better; India's first successful lithium and rare earth auction was won by a Kolkata-based mining company. However, experts note that extracting lithium from lepidolite-based reserves in Chhattisgarh will also be challenging compared to conventional brine deposits. Critical mineral auctions were also held the same year in Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand, which were cancelled for lack of bidder interest. Similarly, future attempts to secure critical mineral reserves via overseas public sector investments may hit hurdles if failed attempts in oil and gas are anything to go by. ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) invested around $2.3 billion in Sudan's oil sector, but operations came to a halt as the country spiralled towards its present failed-state status. In Venezuela, OVL, along with Indian Oil Corp and Oil India Ltd, partnered with Spain's Repsol YPF and Malaysia's Petronas to develop oil fields. The projects struggled under economic mismanagement, US sanctions and political turmoil, rendering them unviable. It's clear that India needs a strategic reorientation in its quest to secure critical mineral supplies for the long-term. The good news is that it is already half-way there with a growing policy focus on recycling e-waste to recover critical minerals that exist in our devices and batteries. The country generated 1.75 million tonnes of e-waste in 2023–24, a 73% increase in just five years. E-waste often contains discarded lithium-ion batteries, which hold lithium, cobalt and nickel, providing an alternative to mined sources. Unlike mining, which can take a decade-plus to operationalize, recycling facilities can be set up in under a year. However, scaling up is essential for recycled minerals to become a practical alternative to mining. Research suggests that India's existing lithium-ion battery recycling capacity is around 61,000 tonnes, equivalent to 15 gigawatt hours (GWh), as of 2024. This quantity of recycled battery material can yield over 3,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate—enough to power over 100,000 electric vehicles. With our domestic recycling capacity projected to reach 543,000 tonnes, or 136GWh, by 2030, it could support over 900,000 EVs. India has four useful policy frameworks to enable the extraction of critical minerals via recycling. These include 'extended producer responsibility' (EPR) rules for entities in the battery value chain, aimed at 90% recovery of EV battery materials by 2027, the National Critical Minerals Mission approved in early 2025, which earmarks ₹ 1,500 crore to support recycling initiatives. A policy framework proposal for extracting critical minerals from mining tailings and a proposal for a dedicated production-linked incentive scheme for critical-mineral recycling are also being considered. The country could go further and strengthen its EPR-based battery recycling system by introducing digital tracking to improve traceability and ease end-of-life collection. A tool called a 'Battery Passport,' developed by the Global Battery Alliance, maintains a digital record of a battery's life-cycle all the way from raw material extraction to recycling. The government could pilot this model in collaboration with battery makers, EV producers, recyclers and mining firms to enhance collection efficiency. India should also promote circular battery designs. Most EV batteries are designed with a focus on performance and time-to-market, often at the expense of recyclability. Government-backed quality assurance mechanisms or third-party certification for recycled battery-grade materials could help standardize supply chains. Recycling won't replace mining anytime soon, but it is vital to India's critical minerals strategy. While we may have been slow to join the mining race, the potential for competitive growth in the recycling sector is vast. Estimates suggest that China could meet up to 60% of its lithium needs through recycling by 2050. The US and EU will likely follow suit to counter Chinese dominance. Amid intensifying competition and associated geopolitical risks, India needs a well-balanced mix of scale and innovation to build a resilient circular supply chain for critical minerals. These are the authors' personal views. The authors are, respectively, public policy experts in Koan Advisory Group.
Observer
16-03-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Seeb and Majees shine in OVL qualifiers
MUSCAT: Seeb and Majees clubs secured important victories in the second stage of the final qualifiers for the Oman Volleyball League. At the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, Seeb dominated Masirah with a straight-set victory (3-0). The first set started with a balanced exchange between both teams, as Masirah attempted to keep up with Seeb's pace in the early points. However, Seeb soon imposed its dominance with powerful attacks and well-organised defence, securing the set 25-17. In the second set, Masirah raised its level of play and delivered a more competitive performance, benefiting from improved first-ball reception and a varied offensive strategy. Despite this, Seeb's experience proved decisive in the crucial moments, allowing them to turn the set in their favour with a 25-22 win. The third set saw Seeb take control from the start, capitalising on Masirah's defensive lapses. This gave them a clear advantage, leading to an easy 25-16 win and a straight-set victory. In a thrilling five-set encounter at Al Amal Club Hall in Bausher, Majees overcame Al Bashayer with a hard-fought 3-2 victory. The opening set was highly competitive, with both teams exchanging points until the final moments, where Majees narrowly secured a 27-25 win. However, Al Bashayer quickly responded in the second set, levelling the match with a 26-24 victory in a set that featured intense performances from both sides. Seeb and Majees shine in OVL qualifiers Majees regained control in the third set, capitalising on strong attacking plays and solid defensive positioning to claim the set 25-21. However, Al Bashayer bounced back strongly in the fourth set, taking advantage of defensive errors from Majees to win 25-20 and force a decisive fifth set. In the tiebreaker, Majees asserted its dominance from the outset, quickly pulling ahead and widening the gap as Al Bashayer's performance declined. This allowed Majees to seal the set 15-8, earning a crucial victory in their first match of the second stage of the final qualifiers. Majees is now preparing for a tough match against Seeb on Wednesday at Sohar Sports Complex, while Al Salam will face Masirah on Friday at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher as part of the second stage of the final qualifiers for the Volleyball League. At the end of the first stage's fourth round, Seeb topped the standings with 10 points, followed by Majees in second place with 8 points. Al Salam ranked third with 6 points, tied with Al Bashayer, while Masirah remained at the bottom with no points.
