Broke Indian Ice Hockey Team Turns To Twitter For Support

April 11, 2015

Gurgaon, Apr 11: While India's money-spinning cricket league lavishes million-dollar deals on players for just a few weeks of competition, the national ice hockey team has had to go begging on social media to fund their trip to Kuwait for an international tournament.

Indian Ice HockeyPlayers often have to buy their own equipment and look for their own sources to fund trips abroad, a situation which prompted the Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) to start a campaign on Twitter seeking donations.

"It is so tough to push sports like ice hockey when cricket takes up all sponsor budgets. We have a national team and are begging for money," read a Tweet from the association last month.

While the country's cricket board generates riches through lucrative television deals and sponsorship, other sports rely largely on government funds and rare corporate handouts for support.

Ice hockey does not get even that.

The team need about two million rupees ($32,170) to travel to Kuwait for the International Ice Hockey Federation Challenge Cup of Asia Division I from April 18-24.

The Twitter campaign with the hashtag 'SupportIceHockey' has seen more than half the amount raised in the last week.

Harjinder Singh, general secretary of IHAI, told Reuters that the decision to turn to social media for funding was a reflection on ice hockey lowly status in India.

"We wanted to create awareness about the sport and what we go through to participate in international championships," he said in an interview.

"People are not aware that India actually has an ice hockey team. Winter sports have not got much acceptance in India, be it with the government or the corporates."

While the international governing body of the sport provides India with coaches and bears their travel and other expenses, the players are left to fend for themselves.

IHAI officials used their personal credit cards to book tickets to Kuwait for the players.

The national team, who have nine players currently serving in the army, started participating in international tournaments from 2009. They are practising on an ice rink that is one-third the size of the international standard.

Though there are a number of outdoor rinks in Northern India, there is virtually no ice to skate on in the months of March and April.

The country does have an indoor rink that meets international standards but that has been closed since it hosted the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia in 2012.

"We hosted the Asian championship hoping that it would encourage the sport in the country," Singh said. "But since 2012 no tournament has happened there and it's lying shut since then.

"There is no one who can take it up as the cost of electric supply is huge."

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News Network
May 21,2020

Mumbai, May 21: Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has chosen legendary Sachin Tendulkar over current skipper Virat Kohli as a better batsman in the ODI format, considering the changed rules of the game and the Mumbaikar's longevity of career.

Tendulkar, who retired in 2013, played 463 ODIs and amassed 18, 426 runs with 49 hundreds at an average of 44.83.

Kohli, on the other hand, has played 248 ODIs and scored 11, 867 runs with 43 tons at an average of 59.33.

"Sachin Tendulkar, because probably with one white ball and four fielders inside the circle, not five fielders outside, it will be Sachin Tendulkar for me," Gambhir said on Star Sports show 'Cricket Connected'.

Nowadays, a one-day innings is played with two white balls and with three powerplays.

In the first power play (overs 1-10), two fielders are allowed beyond the 30-yard circle, while in the second powerplay (overs 10-40) four fielders are allowed. In the last powerplay (overs 40-50), five fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle.

Gambhir, who was the star performer in 2011 ODI World Cup final which India won, feels that the change in rules has helped batsmen.

"It's difficult because Virat Kohli has done phenomenally well but I think the rules have changed as well, which has helped a lot of new batters," elaborated Gambhir, who played 58 Tests and 147 ODIs.

"The new generation, with 2 new balls, no reverse swing, nothing for the finger spin, five fielders inside for the 50 overs, probably that makes batting much easier.

He said he would also go with Tendulkar, considering his longevity and flow of the ODI cricket format at that time.

"Probably I’ll go with Sachin Tendulkar if we see the longevity and flow of the one-day cricket format.

"Look at how Sachin Tendulkar has played, different rules, that time 230 to 240, was a winning total," Gambhir signed off. 

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News Network
April 12,2020

New Delhi, Apr 12: As devotees across the world celebrate Easter today, former Sri Lanka skipper and current Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) president Kumar Sangakkara on Sunday condoled the demise of people who lost their lives during last year's Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka and said someone must seek answers to the questions which still remain unresolved.

"A year on we all share the pain of the families grieving lives lost, we stand with you and for you. We remember. So many questions still unanswered, but answer them someone must," Sangakkara tweeted.

On April 21, 2019, multiple blasts ripped through Sri Lanka when the Christian community was celebrating Easter Sunday.
The explosions rattled churches and high-end hotels across the country, killing 258 people and injuring over 500.

A local terror group called National Thowheeth Jama'ath had claimed responsibility for the devastating attacks.

The island nation was put under a state of emergency for a period of four months from April to August.

The Sri Lankan police had then said that 293 suspects were arrested in connection with the Easter Sunday bombings in the island country in April.

This year, most of the devotees would be offering the prayers from their homes as mass gatherings have been suspended in most countries due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ following his crucifixion on Good Friday. It also marks the culmination of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and penance.

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Agencies
May 9,2020

Tokyo, May 9: As the world continues to grapple with coronavirus pandemic, the organisers of Tokyo Game Show have cancelled 2020 showpiece event.

TGS 2020 was slated to be played from September 24 to September 27 at the Makuhari Messe convention center. However, there now talks going on for holding an online event instead.

According to the Verge, this is the first time that TGS has ever been cancelled since it started in 1996.

TGS 2020 gained more attention because of its status as the last major trade show before the launch of the upcoming next-gen consoles, the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.

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