Snooker tourney
In the sixth Pradeep Sen Memorial All-Odisha Open Snooker Tournament that concluded at the Cuttack Club on Sunday, state senior champion Jeet Kishore Das emerged champion. Cuttack boy Jeet defeated Rakesh Roshan Pradhan from Bhubaneswar by 6-1 frames in the final. Jeet received a cash prize of Rs 15,000, while Rakesh was given Rs 10,000. Harish Puri, the director of Jhoom Sports Club and Resorts, the main sponsors of the tournament and Ruchika Mohanty, the managing director of the resort handed over the trophies at the closing ceremony. Over 50 cueists participated in the eight-day tournament, which offered total prize money of Rs 49,000.
Straight drive
The state cricket team selected by the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) has left for Bangalore for the K. Thimmappiah Memorial Tournament. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) is hosting the meet. The cricketers in the Odisha team that left for the series on Monday include Biplab Samantray, captain, and Govin Podder, vice-captain. Rajesh Dhuper and Ansuman Gope are the two wicket keepers in the 16-member squad that also includes all-rounders such as Seshadeep Patra and Paresh Patel apart from batsmen Abhilash Mallick and Anurag Sarangee. Top Odia bowler Basant Mohanty is also a part of the team. Manager Subhasis Bhuyan, coach and former international Debasis Mohanty, physio Subhakant Sahoo and trainer Manoj Biswal also accompanied them. Odisha is clubbed in zone A that also includes KSCA XI, Himachal Pradesh and Assam. Odisha will play its first match against Assam on Wednesday.
Fighters in action
The 30th State Taekwondo Championship 2015 and the 3rd State Poomsae Championship 2015 will be held from July 24 to 26 at the Saheed Nagar Indoor Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The championship is open to sub-junior boys and girls, junior boys and girls as well as senior men and women. The championship is significant since the state association will select the state team for the upcoming National Championship. Odisha Taekwondo Association and Bhubaneswar Taekwondo Association are making every possible effort to make the championship a success, said an official. The chosen players will represent Odisha in the sub-junior National Championship that will be held in Ranchi in August. Candidates will also be selected for the Junior National Championship in Guwahati and Senior National Championship that will be held in Goa.
Hockey haul
Odia girls Deep Grace Ekka, Namita Toppo, Rashmita Minz 9defenders), Anupa and Poonam Barla (forwards) and midfielder Lilima Minz are part of the Indian team, which is taking part in the Volvo International Under-21 Hockey Championship.
The event began on July 16 and will continue till July 26.
Top corner
The final of the Football Association of Odisha (FAO) Women’s League-2015 was played between East Coast Railway Sports Association and Sports Hostel. The Railway team beat Sports Hostel 1-0. At the 48th minute, Pratima Minz of East Coast Railway got her team the lead with a perfect header from a corner kick by Supriya Routray. The officials who conducted the match were Chitrambada Patra, Bishnupriya Das, Jyoti Ranjan Swain and Retali Baral. In the final match, Asirbad Behera, the secretary of Odisha Olympic Association and Odisha Cricket Association, was present as the chief guest. Apart from FAO senior members, former international women’s football team member and coach of the national football team Sradhanjali Samantary, and Cuttack sports officer Rashmi Ranjan Samantray were also present at the match.
