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Kumble’s
tips help Merwe Performance
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Vijender bats for Indian coaches As
the search for a Cuban coach for Indian boxers continues, country’s only Olympic medal winner in the sport Vijender Singh said a foreigner is not needed as home-grown coaches can do the job well enough. Ever since Cuban B.I Fernandes’ contract expired, the Indian Boxing Federation has been hunting for a foreign coach, preferably another Cuban, to fill the void. But Vijender, who returns to the ring in a European Grand Prix event going on curently in Czech Republic, says the Indians are doing a good job. “I don’t think we need a foreign coach. Our coaches are good enough. In my opinion, money should be spent on our coaches. If needed, send them abroad to learn the new techniques as they are the ones grooming us,” the 23-year-old said in Delhi earlier this week. Vijender also felt the boxers should be sent on training trips to Europe or the US instead of Asian countries like Kazakhstan. “Training in Asia is of no use. We should be going to US or Europe because that is where the conditions are different from India. We will learn to acclimatise to adverse conditions. It is very important,” Vijender said. “Take for instance, the tournament in Czech Republic where I am going now. It’s going to be biting cold there but here it is hot and humid,” he explained. Having trained hard in Patiala to get back in shape after being out of action for more than eight months, Vijender quipped that a proof of his devotion to the sport, questioned after a few modelling assignments, is that he missed the all-important voting for Lok Sabha elections to attend the camp. “I didn’t vote because of the Patiala camp. I was very serious about my training. Otherwise, things would have been said about me again,” he said. The 23-year-old bronze medallist from Beijing Olympics is up against top boxers from Europe and Cuba in the European Grand Prix event in Usti Na Labe (Czech Republic). “I have trained for one-and-half months and I am not carrying any injuries and feeling fresh. The nagging pain in my back has also subsided and I am confident of doing well,” said Vijender before leaving for the Czech Republic. “And yes, I am aware that I will be watched,” he added. Vijender said he is well aware of the expectations from him post-Olympics. “There is pressure to perform after winning the medal in Beijing but then, I generally do well when put under pressure.It brings out the best in me and hopefully, I will be able to prove this with my performance in this Grand Prix event,” he said. Vijender assured staying out of the ring for eight months would not make him rusty when he gets back to action. “I will try my best but luck is also something. Let’s see what happens but I think I have trained hard enough to be ready for the challenge,” he said. Vijender said the tournament would help him assess his fitness as he gears up for tougher challenges like next month’s Asian Championship in China and the much-anticipated World Championship scheduled for August-September in Milan, Italy. “It is like a preparatory tournament, that is why I am not putting myself under too much pressure. But obviously, if I don’t do well, questions will be asked, which I don’t want,” he said.
— PTI
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Limba’s formula pays dividends India
performed overwhelmingly in the World Cup Stage 1 and Stage 2 held recently as the team played like a unit, Indian archery coach Limba Ram said. In the recently concluded World Cup Stage 2 at Porec in Croatia, Jayanta Talukdar was revelation in India as he went on to clinch a double, in men’s recurve individual and team events. The men’s trio of Talukdar, Rahul Banerjee and Mangal Singh Champia had also claimed the gold in Stage 1 in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) as India had also bagged three bronze medals. Former Olympian Limba Ram, who was roped in by the Archery Association of India (AAI) as the head coach ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, said the team has been successful as they have able to play as a unit. “The team is like a family. I have tried to bring the boys together and know each other well so that in the crunch situation they compliment each other. We are playing like a unit, without any pressure.... and the results are there for all to see,” Limba Ram said on his return from Croatia with the team. “We have beaten the invincible Italians, the tough contenders from US and Russian Federation who have so far challenged Korea... That shows our progress.”
— PTI
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Kumble’s tips help Merwe The 24-year-old van der Merwe is a newcomer in South Africa’s one-day and Twenty20 side and is playing under former Indian skipper Kumble in Bangalore Royal Challengers in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). “To have someone like Anil in the net practices giving you advice is unbelievable,” Botha told the Afrikaans weekly Rapport here. Van der Merwe, a left-arm spinner, said Kumble had advised him on his accuracy: “It’s particularly with my variety and flight to use to outwit the batsmen that (Kumble) has given me a lot of advice. “The one thing about my bowling that has improved the most recently is my accuracy. The ball now leaves my hand very nicely and I feel very good about my bowling.” Van der Merwe said the Twenty20 World Cup in England would be a new challenge in different circumstances and he was looking forward to it after the getting advice from Kumble.
— IANS
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Champ Wei hangs boots Triple
Olympic gold medallist Yang Wei, who led China’s men to the team title at last year’s Beijing Games, has announced his retirement from gymnastics. The 29-year-old, who also won seven world titles and two Olympic silvers in an international career spanning 13 years, said injury had ended his hopes of taking part in China’s 11th National Games in October. “It would have been more reasonable to retire at the peak of my career after the Olympics, but I decided to battle on for my home province Hubei at this year’s National Games and started training at the beginning of the year,” he told Sina.com. “But I found could not do as much as I would like to. Firstly because of injuries and secondly because of my age.” The muscle-bound Yang’s strength in all six gymnastics events made him an integral part of the China team and a contender for all-around gold at three Olympics. In Sydney in 2000 he finished up with silver and arrived in Athens four years later as one of the gold medal favourites but couldn’t win. But last August, however, Yang took all-around gold, led his team to the team title and snared a silver in the rings.
— Reuters
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Giving
emotional support personally or professionally could help sportsmen edge past competition. A study by the University of Exeter (U-E) shows how a sympathetic ear or encouraging words can improve performance. Previous studies by U-E have linked ‘social support’ to performance in golf and other sports. Now researchers have tested its importance by providing tailor made support to individual sportsmen and then measuring its impact on performance. The study focused on three male golfers, who all competed at regional, national and international levels. For half of the study, the golfers were each given regular one-on-one support by Paul Freeman of the University of Exeter (U-E), who led the study. Freeman offered a range of support including listening to the golfers as they talked through their problems, offering encouragement and reassurance before competitions, and helping them with practical issues.. To provide comparative data, the researchers recorded the performance of the three golfers prior to receiving the support from Freeman. All three golfers performed better when they were receiving support from Freeman. The players improved by an average of 1.78 shots per round, which could be significant at high-level golf tournaments, said an U-E release.
— IANS |
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“He helps me a lot and he tells you things that you have never thought of. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from such an experienced spinner and that too one of the biggest (cricketers) of all time.”