Sports

New Delhi, May 20 Jamshedpur and Ranchi will host the fourth and fifth legs of the Indian Grand Prix athletics meet on June 7 and 10 respectively.
Athletics Federation of India had earlier thought of changing the schedule as Jharkhand were to host the National Games from June 1 to 14.

With the National Games postponed till November, the AFI has decided to hold the last two legs of the Grand Prix series in the two cities of Jharkhand which will also host the Games.

When Chandigarh's Mohammad Sajid boards a flight to Iran from Kolkata on May 16, not only he would be visiting a foreign land for the first time but it would also be his maiden experience of playing against international teams which are participating in the AFC Under-13 Football Festival to be held in Tehran (Iran) from May 17 to 23. "I consider myself lucky to get this chance. It would be my first hand experience with international teams as I have been told that many international teams will participate in the event.

The National Games has been postponed from its earlier scheduled date of June 1-14 and it will now be held from November 21 to December 5 in Jharkhand, Jharkhand Olympic Association president RK Anand said on Thursday.

"These are the final dates, and under no circumstances the new schedule will be changed," Anand told a news conference here.

After the National Games was allotted to the state in 2002, the organisers had announced four dates -- November 15, 2007, December 1, 2008, February 14, 2009 and June 1, 2009 --but each time it was postponed citing incomplete infrastructure.

Kolkata (IANS): Sub-junior national runner-up Arjun Rao of Jharkhand was the surprise qualifier in the men’s compound bow division to make it to the Indian team for the second and third World Cup meets.

The 16-year-old earned his maiden senior international assignment with the Indian team at the expense of M. Chinglensana Luwang by finishing fourth overall in the two-day selection trials that ended at the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Eastern Centre, here Saturday.

News from Jharkhand on the progress of the proposed National Games infrastructure continues to cause anxiety. As per reports the state is not yet ready for the Games. In fact the Games have already been postponed thrice because of lack of infrastructure. But the President of the Indian Olympic Association, Suresh Kalmadi, has stuck his neck out and said that the Games would be held between June 1 and 14 this year.

- Tata Steel and AIFF to host weeklong workshop from March 22

Jamshedpur, March 18: Football coaches from across the state can look forward to honing their skills at a weeklong clinic for trainers to be held at the JRD Tata Sports Complex from March 22 to 28.

The clinic is being organised by Tata Steel in association with the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

Jamshedpur, March 13: After showing their prowess in the domestic circuit, state women weightlifters are set to conquer foreign shores.

Sandhya Rani, Inao Devi, H.P. Chanu and A. Bijaya Devi have done well in the preliminary selection trial of probables held at Patiala on March 7 and 8. The lifters, who are employed with the CRPF in New Delhi, will now proceed to Budapest in Hungary later this month to try their luck in the final selection trials for the Senior Asian Weightlifting Championship.

NEYVELI: Jharkhand scripted a 3-1 win over Delhi in a league match of the 17th senior National women’s football championship, organised by the Cuddalore District Football Association along with its women’s wing, at Bharathi Stadium here on Sunday.

Punit Guriya put Jharkhand ahead early in the first half and Premlatha increased the lead midway through the second session. Delhi pulled one back through Vinita Baloni. But Maltikumari’s goal for Jharkhand in the dying minutes of the match settled the issue beyond doubt.

NEYVELI: Jharkhand scripted a 3-1 win over Delhi in a league match of the 17th senior National women’s football championship, organised by the Cuddalore District Football Association along with its women’s wing, at Bharathi Stadium here on Sunday.

Punit Guriya put Jharkhand ahead early in the first half and Premlatha increased the lead midway through the second session. Delhi pulled one back through Vinita Baloni. But Maltikumari’s goal for Jharkhand in the dying minutes of the match settled the issue beyond doubt.

Jamshedpur: The 34th National Games will be held in Jharkhand as scheduled from June 1 to 14, Organising Committee (NGOC) general secretary S M Hashmi said.

Hashmi told reporters that the met department has forecast that this year's monsoon will begin from August, about 45 days behind schedule, and this would ensure a hassle-free Games.

Even if the monsoon comes on time, NGOC was well prepared to host the annual sporting event properly, said Hashmi, who was here to oversee the preparation works.