Latest news with #YouthOlympics
India Gazette
27-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Inaugural edition of Dream UTT Juniors to kick off in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], May 27 (ANI): The inaugural edition of the Dream Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Juniors tournament is scheduled to take place at EKA Arena, Ahmedabad, from May 29 to June 8 this year. Showcasing 16 of India's most talented U-15 table tennis players, this tournament marks a pioneering effort in grassroots sports development. The initiative is a result of the partnership between Dream Sports Foundation (DSF) and Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), with DSF as the official Youth Development Partner, as per a press release. Showcasing emerging talent, the tournament brings together the top eight boys and eight girls from the Dream Sports Championship Table Tennis 2025 that concluded in March, headlined by champions Sahil Rawat of Chandigarh and Mumbai's Divyanshi Bhowmick. These 16 athletes have been drafted across UTT's eight franchises:-Ahmedabad SG Pipers: Abheek Kashyap and Mouboni Chatterjee-Stanley's Chennai Lions: Siddhanth Dhariwal and Divyanshi Bhowmick-Dabang Delhi T.T.C.: Akash Rajavelu and Dhaani Jain-Dempo Goa Challengers: Sahil Rawat and Aarya Redkar-Jaipur Patriots: Trishal Surapureddy and Shreya Dhar-Kolkata ThunderBlades: Ritvik Gupta and Swara Karmarkar-PBG Pune Jaguars: Atharva Nawarange and Tushti Sood-U Mumba TT: Prateek Tulsani and Ananya Muralidhar This competition will give them unprecedented exposure to India's premier table tennis ecosystem. The 11-day tournament will follow a league format with 20 ties in the group stage. The semi-finals will be held on June 07, and the final on June 08. Each match day will feature multiple ties starting from 9:00 AM and will be streamed live on FanCode. The action begins on Thursday, May 29, with the first three matches scheduled as below: Stanley's Chennai Lions vs Kolkata ThunderBlades: 9:00 AMU Mumba TT vs Dabang Delhi T.T.C.: at 10:00 AMAhmedabad SG Pipers vs Dempo Goa Challengers: 11:00 AM The tournament aims to bridge the gap between grassroots and professional table tennis in India, providing these young champions with authentic league experience that will accelerate their development toward representing India at future international competitions. The collaboration between DSF and UTT will play a pivotal role in the comprehensive growth of Indian table tennis, establishing a clear pathway for athlete progression by nurturing the sport and providing a structured roadmap for player development. Dream Sports Foundation aims to empower the next generation of athletes to make India proud in the 2030 Youth Olympics and thereafter at the 2036 Olympics. (ANI)
United News of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- United News of India
DSF collaborates with UTT as Youth Development Partner to launch Dream UTT Juniors
Ahmedabad, May 9 (UNI) In a bid to foster sports development at the grassroots level, Dream Sports Foundation (DSF), the philanthropic arm of Dream Sports, on Monday announced an exclusive partnership with Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT). As the Youth Development partner, DSF will launch the inaugural Dream UTT Juniors, a U-15 Table Tennis tournament curated to provide professional league experience to emerging table tennis talent. The inaugural Dream UTT Juniors will be held alongside the sixth edition of the Ultimate Table Tennis league in Ahmedabad from May 29 to June 8 and will be streamed live on FanCode. Speaking on the partnership, Harsh Jain, CEO & Co-founder, Dream Sports said, "At Dream Sports, we are driven by our vision to 'Make Sports Better'. Thanks to Vita Dani and Niraj Bajaj, Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) has played a pivotal role in nurturing India's table tennis talent to compete & win at the global stage. But there remains a pressing need to support grassroots talent, and our partnership to create Dream UTT Juniors is a big step toward bridging this gap." "Through our Dream Sports Foundation, we aim to empower the next generation of athletes to make India proud in the 2030 Youth Olympics and thereafter at the 2036 Olympics,' Jain said. Vita Dani, Co-promoter, Ultimate Table Tennis further added, 'Dream UTT Juniors is a natural extension of our shared vision with Dream Sports Foundation — to strengthen the foundation of sport in India and empower young athletes. By giving budding table tennis talent early exposure to the world-class UTT ecosystem, we're not just launching a tournament — we're creating a pathway for the next generation of Indian stars to emerge.' As part of the Dream UTT Juniors, the top eight boys and eight girls from the recently concluded Dream Sports Championship Table Tennis 2025, a first-of-its-kind U-15 tournament organised by DSF in association with Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), have been drafted into the eight franchises of UTT. They will have the unique opportunity to experience the intensity and standards of India's premier table tennis league, thus accelerating their growth. The announcement follows the recent success of DSF's U-15 table tennis tournament, which was widely praised for its high level of competition and professionally managed setup—qualities rarely seen at the youth level in India. Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) has elevated the sport since its inception in 2017, featuring top international and domestic talent. The tournament has played a pivotal role in the steady growth of table tennis talent in India, by providing a platform for young players to compete and learn under a professional set-up. The collaboration between DSF and UTT will play a pivotal role in the comprehensive growth of Indian table tennis, establishing a clear pathway for athlete progression by nurturing the sport and providing a structured roadmap for player development. UNI BM
India Gazette
19-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
DSF collaborates with UTT as Youth Development Partner to launch 'Dream UTT Juniors'
New Delhi [India], May 19 (ANI): In a bid to foster sports development at the grassroots level, Dream Sports Foundation (DSF), announced an exclusive partnership with Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT). As the Youth Development partner, DSF will launch the inaugural Dream UTT Juniors, a U-15 Table Tennis tournament curated to provide professional league experience to emerging table tennis talent, according to a release from Dream Sports Foundation. The inaugural Dream UTT Juniors will be held alongside the sixth edition of the Ultimate Table Tennis league in Ahmedabad from May 29 to June 8. Speaking on the partnership, Harsh Jain, CEO & Co-founder, Dream Sports said, 'At Dream Sports, we are driven by our vision to 'Make Sports Better'. Thanks to Vita Dani and Niraj Bajaj, Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) has played a pivotal role in nurturing India's table tennis talent to compete & win at the global stage. But there remains a pressing need to support grassroots talent, and our partnership to create Dream UTT Juniors is a big step toward bridging this gap. Through our Dream Sports Foundation, we aim to empower the next generation of athletes to make India proud in the 2030 Youth Olympics and thereafter at the 2036 Olympics,' as quoted from a release by Dream Sports Foundation. Vita Dani, Co-promoter, Ultimate Table Tennis further added, 'Dream UTT Juniors is a natural extension of our shared vision with Dream Sports Foundation -- to strengthen the foundation of sport in India and empower young athletes. By giving budding table tennis talent early exposure to the world-class UTT ecosystem, we're not just launching a tournament -- we're creating a pathway for the next generation of Indian stars to emerge.' As part of the Dream UTT Juniors, the top eight boys and eight girls from the recently concluded Dream Sports Championship Table Tennis 2025, a first-of-its-kind U-15 tournament organised by DSF in association with Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), have been drafted into the eight franchises of UTT. They will have the unique opportunity to experience the intensity and standards of India's premier table tennis league, thus accelerating their growth. The announcement follows the recent success of DSF's U-15 table tennis tournament. (ANI)
Daily Record
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Scots police officer recounts tears over late Queen's coffin duties
Lee Cockburn, who also writes gritty crime novels, said she was moved to tears while on duty during the late monarch's memorial. A police officer who writes gritty crime thrillers has told how guarding Queen Elizabeth's coffin reduced her to tears. Lee Cockburn, also a Scotland international capped rugby player, was in charge for the monarch's lying in state in St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, in September 2022. Over four days, the acting inspector was charged with the safety of more than 33,000 people who queued for hours to file past the coffin as well as the Royal Family as they observed a private vigil. Mum-of-two Lee, 56, from Edinburgh, said: 'I received a call asking if I was available to cover inspector duties at St Giles for the full duration of the Queen's presence there. I was so honoured. 'I was a little nervous at being given such a responsibility but jumped at the opportunity to play my part in such an historic event, which also allowed me to show my own respect for her Majesty the Queen. 'On that first day, when I looked up the Royal Mile towards Edinburgh Castle as we awaited the funeral procession, the hairs on my neck stood on end as the sheer enormity of the occasion hit me. 'As the Queen's funeral cortege passed by St Giles, the crowd fell into complete silence, with my officers facing the oncoming cortege, all standing to attention, it was a spectacle to see and very emotional. 'I felt tears come to my eyes and struggled to remain composed. There was such sadness in the air.' Before joining the force more than two decades ago , Lee had played for the Scotland women's rugby team for 15 years, earning 77 caps for the Scottish ladies and British Lionesses. She swam competitively for 12 years, successfully representing Edinburgh at the age of 15 in the Youth Olympics in Denmark in 1984. Lee, who is still a serving police officer, then decided to give writing a go and her novel was published in November 2014. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The thriller writer was given special dispensation to write her first three crime novels – Devil's Demise, Porcelain Flesh of Innocents and Demon's Fire. The nation was stunned when the Queen died at the age of 96 after more than 70 years on thre throne. Her coffin was brought from Holyrood Palace to St Giles where thousands queued for an opportunity to pay their final respects. Lee said: 'I watched over them and made sure my team were ready for any eventuality and that everyone was respectful, calm and safe at all times. 'As I sat on the police bus that took us back to base after those four back-shifts, I reflected with pride and sadness of being a part of such a momentous chapter in Scottish history and felt so privileged to have been given the opportunity to do so.' 'Sylph or Satan' is the fourth instalment in Lee's Edinburgh-set crime thriller series where DS Taylor Nicks and DC Marcus Black are back, fighting crime on the streets of the Scottish capital.
Associated Press
31-01-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Paraguay President Peña takes 2030 Youth Olympics bid to IOC in push to host more sports
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Pushing Paraguay to be a major international sports stage in 2030, President Santiago Peña came to IOC headquarters on Thursday with his country's bid to be an Olympics host. Paraguay wants to host the 2030 Youth Olympics in Asunción in the same year it will stage one of the opening games of the men's soccer World Cup. 'The idea behind this is to make Paraguay the center for many of these major sporting events,' Peña told reporters after leading a delegation to meet International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach. The scale of the Youth Olympics — which had about 4,000 athletes in 32 sports when last held in 2018 in Buenos Aires — is similar to the Junior Pan-American Games that Paraguay will host in August. 'We have the organizational capacity,' said the Paraguayan president for the past 18 months, who acknowledged his country of about seven million people is too little known globally. 'I would say that half the population never heard about Paraguay,' he said, suggesting it was 'an exotic name' that perhaps intrigued people to discover more. Hosting international sports can be a faster path to international recognition, and Paraguay also is bidding for the 2031 Pan-Am Games. 'It's an opportunity to raise the level of knowledge about the country,' said Peña, an economist educated at Columbia University in New York. 'For many years the country has remained a little bit isolated. It was not an active participant in many of these sports events.' Men's soccer has been a standout, earning Paraguay its only Olympic medal — a silver at the 2004 Athens Games. The team is on pace to qualify for the men's 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Paraguay has got direct entry to the 2030 edition as one of the unprecedented six co-host nations across three continents for the centenary World Cup. Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay, the inaugural 1930 host, each get one game before the rest of the 104-game tournament moves to Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The deal struck at FIFA and announced in October 2023 opened the way for Saudi Arabia to be awarded the 2034 tournament without a rival bid. Peña has since met regularly, including last July at the Paris Olympics, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino who will chair the soccer body's next annual meeting in Asunción in May. 'I have to take a little bit of ownership on that,' Peña said. 'I met with President Infantino in December 2023 and I proposed that he host a FIFA event in Paraguay.' Infantino also is an IOC member who votes for the 2030 Youth Olympics candidate that is offered for approval. Interest also has been shown by Denmark, India and Thailand. The 2026 edition is in Dakar, Senegal. A decision on 2030 could come this year, though Bach formally leaves office in June. 'President Bach has been very generous with myself and with Paraguay,' Peña said. 'He is leaving behind a great legacy and hopefully in the coming months we can see a confirmation that Paraguay will be hosting the (Youth) Olympic Games.'
