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The Hindu
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
‘Modern sports infrastructure projects boost real estate growth in T.N.'
With land prices increasing in neighbourhoods where sports infrastructure projects are taken up by the State government, the real estate sector is looking at lasting and sustainable sports infrastructure as a catalyst to growth, said J. Meghanatha Reddy, Member Secretary and CEO, Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority. During a fireside chat with K.C. Vijaya Kumar, Sports Editor of The Hindu, on 'Building Champions, Building Cities: The Role of Sports Infrastructure in Tamil Nadu's Growth', Mr. Meghanatha Reddy, said: 'A silent sports revolution is happening in the State. A budget of ₹1945 crore has been allocated for sports in the last five years, cumulatively. In the first year, the budget was ₹166 crore.' 'I was in Tenkasi a few days ago. A new sports complex has been announced for the district. The value of land in the area shot up ten times thanks to a stadium that has come up in Tenkasi,' he said. He added that the global sports city proposed to be developed in Semmenchery by the Tamil Nadu government had drawn a lot of attention. 'We are about to start the work in two or three months,' he said. Pointing to the synergy between real estate and sports, he said a total of 100 mini-stadiums would be created in the State by the end of the year, and that the development of sports infrastructure was demand-driven. 'The sports infrastructure facilities are identities of a particular place. In Nagercoil, we have created a centre for martial arts. In a survey of constituencies, one of the major demands was a stadium,' he said. Pointing to the development of the first Olympic Water Sports Academy in Ramanathapuram, Mr. Meghanatha Reddy said the hospitality industry was equally growing in the area. 'Sports infrastructure is changing the landscape,' he said. Mini-stadium A total of 200 civil infrastructure projects are being undertaken in Tamil Nadu for the development of sports infrastructure, including high performance centres. The Kolathur mini-stadium, developed on a dump yard, will be inaugurated next week, he said. Urging sportspersons to apply online for financial support from the Tamil Nadu Champions' Foundation, Mr. Meghanatha Reddy said: 'In the last two-and-a-half years, 4000 sportspersons have been supported. We gave everything they asked for. Talent is found everywhere. We have to tap local talent for global sports events,' he said.
Fox News
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
'It's A Real Brotherhood': At Pass Rush Retreat, Top D-Linemen Put Egos Aside
Tempe, Ariz. – My walk from my rideshare service through the parking lot and to the side entrance of the Verde Dickey dome at Arizona State is miserable. It's 115 degrees. I finally push through the pressurized revolving doors to enter an inflatable indoor practice facility, the length of a football field, with bright green turf and stark white lines for the yard markers inside. A gold pitchfork is emblazoned on the field, denoting this is Sun Devil country. But the players littering the field in front of me aren't college kids. I scan from left to right, noticing trainers from the Sports Academy clad in black workout clothes, manual therapists with their tables set up in a row, players wearing all sorts of team-issued gear and B.T. Jordan, milling around and greeting those in attendance like the old friends they are. Jordan's sixth annual Pass Rush Retreat, held at ASU's campus, has become a go-to event for many of the league's top defensive linemen, so much so that they're willing to make the trip to the Valley of the Sun and deal with its sweltering summer heat in order to attend. It has grown since its first year in 2019. Back then, it was just a bunch of nose tackles, the guys in the middle of the defensive line, getting together to go over the nuances of the position no one else understood. "But then Rashan Gary and a couple other defensive ends showed up, anyway," Jordan laughed. Jordan has been a pass rush consultant employed by multiple NFL teams at this stage of his career, including the Seattle Seahawks and, this past season, the Denver Broncos. The Broncos, who had the highest sack rate in the NFL in 2024 and a league-best -105.2 passing EPA. The same team that had the best quarterback pressure rate with a four-man rush last season. Yeah, those Denver Broncos. Jordan has a track record that keeps players like Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark of the Green Bay Packers, Jonathan Greenard of the Minnesota Vikings and L.J. Collier of the Arizona Cardinals coming to the annual Pass Rush Retreat, which also welcomed first-round rookies Mason Graham of the Cleveland Browns and Walter Nolen of the Cardinals this year. It's why the event has grown from 15 nose tackles to over 60 defensive linemen. It's why so many are giving up their precious vacation time to get better and invest in themselves. These events aren't unique to defensive linemen. O-Line Masterminds, hosted by Duke Manyweather in Dallas, is in its eighth year (Our own Ben Arthur was on the scene there). Tight End University, hosted by Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Greg Olsen, just put on its fifth annual event. But there's less fanfare here at the Pass Rush Retreat. It's all about the work. Jordan and I are huddled over in the corner on various pads used in drills. The first part of the day, in which Jordan and his team of trainers led players in individual pass rush drills, is over. There were scattered groups working simultaneously - some tethered to their workout partners with workout band, while others perfecting individual pass rush moves with standup drill dummies, expertly weaving in and out on each repetition. It's easy to look around at the various team logos and get caught up in the fact that on the field, these guys are opponents. They're in a room full of their competition. In a position like defensive end or outside linebacker, those responsible most often for getting to the quarterback, the limelight shines a bit brighter. Individual success means you contributed to your team in the most direct way possible. It's something each of these players' egos crave, even when they say they don't have one. But on a deeper level, lining up on the line of scrimmage as a defender is a shared experience. It's a fraternity. It's something each of these men, who play the position at the highest level, uniquely understands better than anyone else in the world. It's their job to be their best selves, and it's also their responsibility to make each other better and leave the game better than they found it. "It's a real brotherhood," Jordan said. "They want to see each other grow and see each other get paid, see each other dominate. And that's what it's all about. It's just keep pushing each other, giving each other knowledge, and just making it better; helping the position grow." It wasn't just on-field drills that players were signing up for, either. There was a conditioning element, where players worked out together in Arizona State's football weight room. Snacks littered a back counter, looking more reminiscent of a youth summer camp than something for professional athletes. But if you've ever been around an NFL facility, you'd know that none of these guys are far from an Uncrustable or squeezable applesauce. A couple of floors up from the weight room in ASU Football's facility was the team meeting room, which is where players filed in now. It's about 2 p.m. They've been going since about 9 a.m. But they spread out methodically, almost on autopilot from their countless meetings during the season, and settle in to watch film. And there I was, back row, dead center, a literal fly on the wall, surrounded by the NFL's elite speaking a language I was conversational in, at best, but that they all spoke. Jonathan Greenard was first up. A game against the San Francisco 49ers popped up on the giant screen at the front of the room. Before Jordan himself can say anything, Greenard chimes in, narrating his thought process, play in and play out. They weren't all highlight-worthy, either. There were self-critiques coming from Greenard, almost more than any sort of rationalization or even bravado. Players around the room called out from time to time, asking questions, making comments and offering advice. This continued for the Broncos' Jonathan Franklin-Myers and the Browns' Maliek Collins. They oscillated between sage advice and sheepish explanations of mistakes. Any time there was a particularly good play, though, the entire room erupted in hoots and hollers. "Ok, JG!" "God damn!" "I see you, 'Liek!" It was like all that ego I saw on the field just fell out of the room. "Having an event like this where you have other Pro Bowlers, you have other guys with the experience we got in the league, we have a lot of young guys, first-round picks, a lot of good potential," Rashan Gary told me. "You get to learn and pick everybody's brain, but the main part is really coming together, camaraderie. [Some of us] see each other this year on the field. So, yeah, you pop in a little 'ish' here, and then you see them perform on the field. It's like, man, it pays off." The art of the pass rush is a holistic thing. It isn't just about mechanics, or talent, or intelligence or physics, for that matter. It's all of those things together, executed to perfection, with fractions of seconds to read and react. "Pass rushing is really an art," Jordan said. "That's what I kind of figured out. It's a true art, and breaking it down, and taking the guys' weaknesses and trying to make them strengths, taking a strength and making it more of a strength. That's basically all it is. Most coaches, they don't have time to focus on one detail with one player. They have to work on the scheme and everything like that. So me, being a consultant, I'm able to focus on specific details of pass rushing and if you can rush the passer, you get paid in the NFL." You didn't think it was completely altruistic, did you? Events like the Pass Rush Retreat are win-win situations for players looking to get better, and get paid. So while we think of them as competitors, and while they act like it even on a practice field in the middle of the summer by chirping back and forth, at the end of the day, they're more than that. They're brothers. "I love the camaraderie with it," said Gary, one of the biggest talkers on the field of the event. "At the end of the day, it gets us all better. Because if I'm talking at a high level, that means everything I do have to be at a high level. And if not, then the microscope is on me, which I want it to be, because, like I told them, I'm not gonna tell you to do nothing that I won't do myself. And that's what I tell my teammates. So I try to lead by example." Consider the rest of the league, and especially the league's offensive linemen, on notice. Carmen Vitali is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
'Why PM Modi was not there in our era', Olympic medalist Malleswari shares what changed after 2014
New Delhi: India's first female Olympic medalist, Karnam Malleswari, was left ecstatic and overjoyed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to her sports academy in Haryana's Yamunanagar, and conveyed his best wishes and support in the grooming of aspiring sportspersons at her training institute. Malleswari, the country's weightlifting icon, on Tuesday shared an instance of the changing dynamics and support apparatus for various sports after 2014, when Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, and also went to rue as to why the sportsmen of her era didn't have the support of a warm and affable leader like him. In a video shared by Modi Story, a popular social media handle on X, Karnam Malleswari recounts how her request to PM Modi was immediately acknowledged and responded to. She also explains how PM Modi's encouraging words pump up the sportsmen and also how his comforting words mean a lot to them in troubled times. "Before 2014, athletes chased their dreams in silence - training hard, winning medals, yet receiving little support. Today, PM Modi not only sees their struggles - he stands by them, supports them, and celebrates their spirit," the Modi Story wrote on X. Sharing her story, Malleswari said, "I wrote a letter to PM Modi, seeking his visit to my Sports Academy in Yamunangar. But I was doubtful about it, given his busy schedule. One Sunday, I received a call from the Prime Minister's Office and was told that my letter had been acknowledged and that he would be meeting me very soon." "The day I met PM Modi was very special. He not only reassured us of all support but also made us feel comfortable. He touched my forehead and gave us all his blessings," she said, recounting the last month's event. She further said that before 2014, the sporting fraternity had to struggle a lot, but now the focus on games and sports has seen a 360-degree change. "PM Modi himself takes the lead, meets sportspersons and pats their back and even consoles them in difficult times. This makes me feel as to -- why there was no leader like PM Modi during our era," she said in the video. Karnam, a two-time world champion and a two-time Asian Games silver medal winner, holds the distinguished honour of being the first woman from India to win a medal at the Olympics. She bagged the bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. She has been conferred with numerous prestigious awards by the Indian government, including the Arjuna Award (1994), Khel Ratna (1999) and the Padma Shri (1999).
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Umred's Harshal, training in Pune, lifts 800m Khelo India gold
Nagpur: Umred's Harshal Joge led Maharashtra's impressive medal haul with a gold in the 800 metres race in the athletics competition of the 7th Khelo India Youth Games , which concluded at the Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna, Bihar, on the first time in Khelo India's history, Maharashtra made a historic achievement by winning a total of 15 medals—10 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze. In the boys' 800m race , Harshal secured Maharashtra's maiden gold medal when he clocked 1 minute 53.99 seconds to register a triumph.A member of Om Sai Sporting Club, Harshal is a native of Umred and represents Nagpur district in state-level competitions. Harshal, who trains at Pune's Sports Academy achieved this golden success under the guidance of Arvind Chavan. In the final race, Harshal prevailed over Uttar Pradesh's Gyan Singh Yadav with a comfortable margin of 90 seconds. Yadav won the silver medal with a timing of 1:54.90 seconds, while Uttarakhand's Suraj Singh claimed the bronze with 1:56.70 Harshal brought home a yellow metal, it was a marginal miss for Nagpur's prodigious middle-distance runner Kashish Bhagat. In the girls' 4x400 metres relay race, Kashish and her teammates Shreshta Shetty, Bhoomika Nehase, and Mansi Deherekar missed the gold medal by just one second. In a photo finish, the Maharashtra quartet had to be content with the silver medal with a timing of 3 minutes 49.44 seconds. Haryana's team claimed the gold when they clocked 3:48.44 seconds, while Tamil Nadu secured the bronze medal with a timing of 3:51.55 seconds.
Muscat Daily
11-05-2025
- Business
- Muscat Daily
Indian Schools Oman announce bold education overhaul
AI, Financial Literacy and Sports Academy part of visionary new agenda Muscat – In a major announcement on May 10, 2025, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Indian Schools Oman, Syed Ahmad Salman, unveiled sweeping reforms aimed at future-proofing the Indian education system in the Sultanate. Key highlights include the immediate rollout of a Financial Literacy programme from Class 5 across all schools, and the introduction of an Artificial Intelligence curriculum post-summer break. The AI initiative will equip students with early exposure to machine learning, ethical tech use and digital fluency. 'Incorporating AI marks a milestone in preparing our students for the world ahead,' said Salman, adding that the curriculum would nurture innovation and critical thinking. Infrastructure upgrades are also underway in Muscat, Darsait, Seeb, Sur and Salalah, with new schools being considered for Barka and Sinaw to meet rising demand. A professional development plan for teachers is in progress, following a Training Needs Assessment survey across the network. In a first, the Board has approved the creation of a dedicated Sports Academy to guide talented students towards professional careers in sport. 'Our vision is holistic,' Salman emphasised. 'We aim to raise global citizens—curious, capable, and confident.' He urged parents and stakeholders to support the transformation journey.
