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Stiff formals, chicken tikkas at Ms Patil’s
AR Hemant, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, August 30, 2007
First Published: 00:42 IST(30/8/2007)
Last Updated: 00:52 IST(30/8/2007)
For most sportspersons present at the Ashok Hall on Thursday, this was their first climb up the Raisina Hill. The air was perfume laden. One felt accommodated and at ease, such are the massive halls of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the address of the Sports Day ceremony.
The guests were in by 3.30 pm. Cameramen and broadcast journalists grabbed their spots to the left, the award winners on the right. The centre-stage was reserved for President Pratibha Patil, vice-president Hamid Ansari and Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar.
At 4.30, the diminutive Patil arrived to a drum-roll and those present stood up to the National anthem.
The business end of the meeting was underway right after: Manavjit Singh Sandhu was declared the Khel Ratna. Then started the run-down of awards where the announcers, speaking in Hindi, had just one word for every single winner — utkrisht (excellent). Not very imaginative public speaking.
The loudest round of applause was reserved for Haryana’s Geetika Jakhar — she is the first woman to win an Arjuna for wrestling.
The run-down got repetitive. There was no word from the winners on their stories of blood, sweat and tears. Not even the President’s take on them. One found amusement by imagining this were the ESPY Awards and Jwala Gutta, dressed exquisitely in red, was here to be crowned the Most Glamorous Athlete.
Saurav Ghosal, India’s best bet in squash, looked pleased. “The President said I must keep up the good work,” he said.
Koneru Humpy’s father, Ashok, is one of the Dronacharya winners. Humpy had won an Arjuna in 2003. Ashok seemed a reluctant talker but said, “These awards will encourage us to work harder.”
Also seen in the crowd was Kapil Dev. With women’s cricket captain Anjum Chopra winning an Arjuna, one wonders if Kapil chatted her up on starting a women’s ICL. Now that would be a story. After a photo-op with the president, the winners and the spectators disappeared for snacks. Then malai chicken tikka disappeared in five minutes. Now only if eating were an Olympic sport.
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Written by G.Ganbayar
Thursday, August 30, 2007.
THE Junior World Wrestling Championship 2007 was held in Beijing from August 21-26. The Mongolian team comprised eight boys and eight girls and participated in each weight section.
There were teams from 21 nations but the medals tally was dominated by Russia and China. The former won 7 gold medals, 6 silver and 1 bronze. China came second with 3 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze medals.
The Mongolian team was placed 10th winning three medals in all. One gold was won by T.Davaakhuyag in the boys’ 50-kg section, and the two bronzes came to B.Khosbayar in the boys’ 60-kg section and O.Nasanburmaa in the girls’ 67-kg section.
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Wrestlers Medal at Junior World Championships
August 29, 2007
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MARQUETTE – Members of the United States Olympic Education Center’s women’s freestyle wrestling team competed last week (Aug. 22-24) at the Junior World Championships held in Beijing, China and brought home two medals.
Northern Michigan University freshman Whitney Conder (Payllup, Wash.) received gold at 51 kilograms. Conder began the tournament strong overtaking Osocka Dominika (Poland), 4-1, 6-1. She followed up with another win against Maryna Milevskaya (Belarus), finishing the match by pin at 1:58. Continuing the streak, Conder prevailed over Li Xiao (China), 1-0, 3-2.
In the championships match, Conder beat Kumari Babita (India), 2-1, 3-2.
“I just really kept moving because I had to win the match,” said Conder of the finals match. “That is all I wanted to do. It was hard to wrestle, but it was a lot of fun out there.”
Teammate Alyssa Lampe (Tomahawk, Wis.) earned bronze at 48 kg. The Northern Michigan University freshman came back to medal contention through wrestlebacks.
Lampe lost her first match against Fuyoka Mimura (Japan) by pin at 1:08.
“She [Mimura] came right out from the whistle,” said Lampe. “I didn’t even have a chance to wrestle. I knew I had to come back and win a medal. I wanted to get the chance to show people what I was made of.”
Lampe then won her next match against Lenka Matejova (Slovakia), by pin at 1:43. She then met Elza Tazetdinov (Russia) in the bronze medal championship match, and won 3-2, 5-5.
Erin Clodgo (Richmond, Vt.), a Marquette Senior High School senior, finished the tournament with a 1-1 record at 67kg, putting her in eighth place.
Cherae Pascua (Oahu, Hawaii), an NMU freshman, and Paige Rife (Fowlerville, Mich.), an MSHS senior, both began the tournament with losses at 55- and 72-kg, respectively, and did not place in the tournament.
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People: Citrus Heights teen competes in women's wrestling tournament
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, August 30, 2007
Story appeared in CITRUS HEIGHTS ORANGEVALE section, Page H5
Angela Vyborny of Citrus Heights goes one-on-one with Jerry Still, past president of the Citrus Heights Lions Club, which sponsors the wrestler. |
Angela "Angie" Vyborny, daughter of Renee and Chuck Vyborny of Citrus Heights, recently competed in the USA Women's National Wrestling Tournament held in July in Fargo, N.D.
Vyborny is a member of the California Women's National Team that competed in the tournament. A second-year competitor, Vyborny placed third in the Women's Junior National Duals competitions and also is a second-time All American. She qualified for the California Women's National Team last year at the Freestyle State competition held in San Jose, where she earned first place, according to her mother.
With help of Vyborny and other team members, the California Women's National Team won its second consecutive title at the Junior Dual Meet Championships and also took home the Acordia cup in the Junior Division.
Vyborny, 16, is an 11th-grader at Del Campo High School. She wrestles on the boys wrestling team, where she is coached by Kirk Bebout. She has been wrestling for four years now and is currently the only girl on the boys wrestling team. Her brother John also is a wrestler on Del Campo's team.
In addition to her academic studies and her sports achievements, she is involved in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Del Campo and also loves to read, according to a press release.
Vyborny thanked the Citrus Height Lions Club for their continued support for the past two years, making it possible for her to attend the Fargo competitions, the release said. In appreciation, she helps out at the club's annual carnival and health fair, the release said.
The Citrus Heights Lions have been serving their community since 1949. Club meetings are held on the first, second and third Wednesday of each month at the Lions Clubhouse on Community Drive. For more information on the Lions Club, go to www.chlions.com.
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U.S. World Team athletes prepare for Azerbaijan
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
08/30/2007
Throughout the summer, USA Wrestling national teams have been busy in training, preparing our nation’s top athletes for the ultimate test of the year, the 2007 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 17-23.
Athletes in all three styles competed in July at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and well as other competitions. The teams have participated in a number of training camps in Colorado Springs, Colo. and other locations. The coaches and athletes on the U.S. teams are in their final training cycles, prior to their departure to Azerbaijan.
This World Championships has special significance because it is the first qualifying event for nations to earn positions at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Three members of the U.S. team participated in a U.S. Olympic Committee media teleconference on Wednesday, discussing their preparation and expectations for the World Championships.
Freestyle wrestler Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC), who was fourth in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. in seeking his first World-level medal. He has been the No. 1 athlete in his weight division in the USA since 2003, but is not satisfied with his performance to date.
“I’ve have a couple of opportunities to get a medal, and I have fallen a little short,” said Cormier. “The training has been a little different this year. Coaches have taken over a little more. Before, they have been more lenient on us, letting us do our own thing. This year they have taken over. This year I have given it up, instilling all my trust in my coaches. All of them have done it before, they all have gotten World medals; they all have World titles. It is where I am trying to get. By turning it over to them, that is my best option. Obviously doing it my way has not worked. Turn it over to them, hopefully, it produces a medal, preferably a gold medal.
Cormier gives credit to his friend and fiercest rival at his weight class, No. 2 Mo Lawal of the Gator WC, for pushing him to be his best this year.
“Having Mo in my weight class is a blessing. Now you have a guy that is World class pushing you for that spot. Before, I had guys that were tough wrestlers, but in my mind, I knew, prepared or not prepared, I could get it done. Wrestling Mo, I knew I had to be on top of my game, or else, I would not be going to the World Championships. He is a hungry, hungry opponent. He wants to be a World champion and to do that, he has to make the team. I had to be more prepared and more ready for that tournament.”
Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) broke through in 2006 by winning a World bronze medal at 55 kg/121 lbs. in men’s Greco-Roman, part of his long journey to success within international wrestling. He knows how difficult it was to get his first World medal, and is ready for the challenge of seeking another.
“Obviously, being there a couple of times, I know what to expect from people and know what the field will be like. It helps having been there several times before,” said Durlacher. “At the same time, my weight class is deep. The No. 1 ranked kid in my weight class is from Azerbaijan. There will be a lot of hometown people rooting for the kid in my weight class to win. I know what to expect, what I am going up against. It is nice having been there and knowing what to expect. I am staying confident.”
Durlacher is doing a few more things this year, hoping to improve his performance.
“I have been doing a lot of extensive video training, just watching a lot of my opponents, making notes and writing things down, watching what some of my opponents are doing, just being a conscientious student. Last year I did it a little bit. This year I am trying to do it a little more. That is the best way I can improve on my performance, being more of a student, knowing what these guys are doing. I have been training very hard. I am confident in my training. So, I think the big difference will be my video,” he said.
Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) will be competing at her first World Championships in women’s freestyle at 55 kg/121 lbs., one of the talented young wrestlers making an impact on the international scene. Van Dusen is surrounded by experienced veterans on the U.S. team, but is looking to make a name for herself on the world scene in Azerbaijan.
“I am very excited to make my first World Team with the Olympics coming up next year,” said Van Dusen. “We have a lot of veterans on our team. It is good to have them around to guide me. It can be a little overwhelming when you have a lot of coaches all at once in your face. They have told me to take it step by step, focus, every day is a new day. It’s a new challenge. Attack every day, getting ready. They told me to take your training the way you have all year. It is a big tournament, you don’t want to get overwhelmed, so just stay focused, and take it one step at a time.
“I’ve had a few injuries in this last quad. I blew out my right knee two years ago and my left knee last year. It’s extremely frustrating going though an injury, when you know you are just working to get back to where you were before, instead of advancing from where you were already. It is a huge motivation factor in that every day is a mental challenge. Every day you have to motivate yourself get in that room. Then when you finally get into that wrestling room, it is so much easier. It is much easier than going through rehab was. You learn a lot about yourself. Every time I came back, I came back stronger.”