Ne Sports Festival
Guwahati, Dec. 7: To test its organisational capabilities and preparedness for the 2005 National Games, Assam might bid to host the 19th edition of the Northeast Sports Festival here next year.
The state, which has organised the regional sports event on four previous occasions, will field a 163-member contingent in the 18th edition in Imphal, beginning December 16. The contingent, participating in all the nine disciplines, will leave for the festival on December 14.
Over 1,200 athletes from the northeastern states and Sikkim will gather in the Manipur capital for the four-day meet, ending December 19.
The hosts, who also happen to be the joint team championship holders, are fielding a 164-member squad in all the nine events — athletics, badminton, boxing, hockey, judo, table tennis, weightlifting, wrestling and taekwondo.
In the last edition of the festival in Aizawl, Manipur and hosts Mizoram shared the top position after bagging identical points. Assam came second, aided aptly by its women players.
The Assam Amateur Athletics Association has announced a 30-member team.
The team: Mongsafru M. Chaudhury, Priyam Saikia, Ranjan Sarma, Hemanta Kalita, Paragjyoti Baishya, Dulu Gogoi, Dipali Deori, Surjya Bhanu, Phultara Deori, Champa Gogoi, Dipsikha Talukdar, Bichitra Changmai, Binita Sonowal, Fatema Begum, Pramila Bharali, Pranjit Chaliha, Robin Baishya, Tapash Das, Mina Deka, Diganta Baruah, Nayanmoni Deorah, Jonali Devi, Prahlad Brahma, Jonaki Rava, Dipti Chutia, Mofida Hazarika, Junmoni Dutta, Kalyani Chetia, Rajeswar Das and Abdul Barek.
U-22 cricket team
The Assam Cricket Association (ACA) today axed skipper Saurav Bhagawati from the 14-member under-22 state team to take on Bengal in Mangaldoi from December 10 to 12.
Middle-order batsman Mukut Kalita will replace him as captain, while Rana Sharma and Bimal Goswami has been inducted in place of R.K. Yadav and Dhiraj Goswami, who have been alleviated to the Ranji Trophy squad.
ACA secretary Bikash Baruah said Bhagawati has been dropped from the team for his poor performance against Orissa and Bihar.
The team: Mansoor Ahmed, Pranjal Tamuly, Rana Sharma, Prantar Sarma, Tauhid Ali Talukdar, Mukut Kalita, Krishnendu Das, Kushaljit Das, Mriganka Sarma, Bimal Goswami, Gyan Prakash, Diganta Duwarah, Kumarjit Sengupta and Ripan Handique.