Indian para-cyclists win one silver, two bronze at Asian Championships

Media Release
February 10, 2018

Naypyidaw (Myanmar), Feb 10: The India team underlined their supremacy in the Asian Para-Cycling Championships by posting three podium finishes, here at the Wunna Theikdi Sport Stadium here in Naypyidaw, Myanmar on Friday.

Last year silver medalist and Bangalore resident Divij Shah,led India’s charge in the para-cycling category winning yet another silver medal, while BSF soldier and resident of Punjab, Harinder Singh bagged the bronze. Harinder had won a bronze medal in last year’s edition as well.

New entrant Madhu Bagri, meanwhile won the bronze in the hand-cycling, a category where India made a maiden participation and Bagri become the first Para Cyclist to win an international  medal in Hand Cycling. She is a former national wheelchair nationa tennis champion and shifted her focus recently to para-cycling after coach Aditya Mehta encouraged her to switch sports and try hand in hand cycling in mid 2017.

“It is a matter of immense pride for me and the whole contingent to have once again made the country proud at the continental championship. The rich haul of medal here in Myanmar not only shows our zeal to become a power-house in the field of para-cycling but allows us to show our mettle to the world,” Divij Shah, who had started off as an armature cyclists to beat the Bangalore traffic said after the podium ceremony.

Aditya Mehta and the AMF Foundation has been the tirelessly working with these athletes and was delighted at their feat and felt that it will only make the athletes more focused and drive them to achieve greater heights.

“I would like to congratulate all the winners. Their achievement once again proves that India is fast becoming a force to reckon  in para-cycling. We believe that we are poised for much better things in the future,” Aditya Mehta said from Myanmar.

Aditya has been the guiding light for these athletes as  Aditya Mehta Foundation (AMF) had been working to train and support Para Sports in India with able support under the aegis of Cycling Federation of India (CFI) as they have been working to promote Para Cycling here in India.

About Aditya Mehta Foundation -

“Our vision is to make India a superpower in the world of Para Sports.”

Aditya Mehta Foundation (AMF) is a non-profit organisation which aids people with disabilities to pursue sports while providing self-sustenance. The Foundation was started in October 2013, and has grown by leaps and bounds in a short span. Based out of Hyderabad, the foundation’s area of operations spans every corner of the nation. AMP represents a cause that is unique in the country, and a large minority of people has much to benefit from the work that it does.

The foundation raises funds through their signature Fund Raising event, the Infinity Ride, scout out talent among the disabled population of India. They also provide counseling for such individuals and help them get better at their sport/ find a sport that is suitable for them along with provide the necessary equipment, training, funding for these athletes to help them grow in their sport and compete to win at the International level.

Along with civilian talent available, a major portion of the foundation efforts are directed at finding and nurturing talent available in the nations Central Armed Police Forces (BSF, CRPF and ITBP), where there are quite a few permanent injuries which arise while a soldier is on duty at India’s International borders and naxal prone areas. The Foundation currently is working on Mission 100, an initiative  to produce 100 Para Athletes before the 2020 Olympics.

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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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News Network
March 12,2020

Miami, Mar 12: The NBA has suspended its season "until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.

Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the test.

"The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight's schedule of games until further notice,'' the league said in a statement sent shortly after 9:30 p.m. EDT. "The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.''

The test result, the NBA said, was reported shortly before the scheduled tip-off time for the Utah at Oklahoma City game on Wednesday night was called off. Players were on the floor for warmups and tip-off was moments away when they were told to return to their locker rooms. About 30 minutes later, fans were told the game was postponed ``due to unforeseen circumstances."

Shutdown for two weeks?

Those circumstances were the league's worst-case scenario for now -- a player testing positive. A second person who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity said the league expects the shutdown to last a minimum of two weeks, but cautioned that time-frame is very fluid.

"It's a very serious time right now," Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "I think the league moved appropriately and prudently and we'll all just have to monitor the situation and see where it goes from here."

The Jazz released a statement saying a player -- they did not identify Gobert -- tested negative earlier Wednesday for flu, strep throat and an upper respiratory infection. That player's symptoms diminished as the day went along, but the decision was made to test for COVID-19 anyway. That test came back with a preliminary positive result.

"The individual is currently in the care of health officials in Oklahoma City," the Jazz said, adding that updates would come as appropriate.

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News Network
June 24,2020

New Delhi, Jun 24: Star Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan deeply regrets his "silly mistake" of not reporting a corrupt approach by an Indian bookie to the ICC, leading to his one year suspension from the game.

Shakib was banned for two years, one year of it suspended, for failing to report corrupt approaches during an IPL edition by an alleged Indian bookie named Deepak Aggarwal.

"I took the approaches too casually When I met the anti-corruption guy and told them and they knew everything. Gave them all the evidence and they knew everything that happened," Shakib told Harsha Bhogle on 'Cricbuzz in Conversation'.

"To be honest, that's the only reason I was banned for a year, otherwise I'd have been banned for five or 10 years," he added on the ICC's investigation.

The 33-year-old, who was in brilliant form before the ban, amassing 606 runs in the 2019 World Cup in the UK, said he regrets how he went about the situation.

"But I think that was a silly mistake I made. Because with my experience and the amount of international matches I've played and the amount of ICC's anti-corruption code of conduct classes I took, I shouldn't have made that decision, to be honest."

Lesson learnt, Shakib's advice to all young criceters is to never take any such message lightly.

"I regret that. No one should take such messages or calls (from bookies) lightly or leave it away. We must inform the ICC ACSU guy to be on the safe side and that's the lesson I learnt, and I think I learnt a big lesson," he added.

The all-rounder, whose ban ends on October 29, said he became a bit arrogant and never felt he was doing anything wrong by not reporting the bookie's approach immediately.

"Because you do most things right in your life, you tend to get arrogant with some decisions. You may not realise but you're doing wrong by the books. It never came to my mind that I am doing something wrong

"It was just a feeling of 'okay, what's going to happen, leave it' and I continued with my life. But that's the mistake I made. And that happens," Shakib said.

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