Latest
DU Beat – Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper
Tag

sports

Browsing
Spo(r)tlight

Formula One season kicks off with new rules and regulations!

By

Cars bolting faster than 150 kmph, screeching tyres, breathtaking turns and lightning quick pit stops- Formula One is back!

The high adrenaline sport kick started on 16th of March in Australia with Nico Rosberg of Mercedes taking the pole position. However, this season is not only about speed. With new F1 regulations in place, the high speeds have been tamed to make way for more skillful and tactical driving.

The most notable changes this season are the two extra races, and the inception of in-season testing. In 2014, F1 goes old-school as the turbo-charged engines return to the tracks for the first time since 1988 with 1.6 litre V6 engine replacing the 2.4 litre V8 engine. Also, the cars will now carry 100 kg of fuel at the start of the race rather than 150 kg like last year. Therefore, the engineers face the challenge increasing efficiency while maintaining the power output of the machine.

The Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) has been replaced by the improved Energy Recovery System(ERS). The KERS system makes use of electrical systems in the motor generator installed in the car’s transmission, converting mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa. The harnessed energy gets stored in the battery and is released when required by a push of the button. This produces a maximum of 80 hp boost over 6.6 s of a lap. The ERS system can store ten times more energy than the KERS system and harnesses energy from the electrical machine attached to the turbocharger and the heat converter. This system produces a boost of up to 161 hp for a massive 33 s per lap. This will contribute to a significant reduction in lap time.

This season will also see the penalty points system replace the Grid-Place penalty. If a driver collects 12 penalty points, he will be banned from the ongoing Grand Prix. The introduction of in-season testing might prove to be a boon for teams looking to improve their cars in between the season. F1 teams will remain at the race venue for a two-day test with one car after four European Grand Prix.

The 2014 F1 season shall be the longest ever with 21 races planned, putting the drivers and the entire teams to the ultimate test of stamina and persistence. With the new guidelines in place, this season is expected to be the perfect balance of adrenaline and speed, and a battle of wits.

Keep Reading
By
Spo(r)tlight

Champions League Quarter Final Draws

By

The announcement of the UEFA Champions League draws of the Quarter-finals, which took place on Friday, 21st March, has brought to light a whole lot of discussion among footballing circles throughout the world. Arguably, the strongest remaining 8 teams in quite a few years, this season seems to be all but over with the Champions League matches getting more and more compelling as the knockout stages progress forward. And with the clashes of the Quarter-final fixtures finally revealed, the stage for another historic final seems to be no longer a distant dream.

The first quarter final clash involves Barcelona against their La Liga compatriots, Athletico Madrid. While Athletico Madrid may not be the favourites for this clash, their fantastic run of form in their domestic as well as European matches demonstrate that they will definitely not go down without a fight. Moreover, the 2nd leg of the competition is also at Vicente Calderon, thereby pushing the luck a little bit in Athletico’s favour. However, in order to beat this vicious Barcelona side, Athletico Madrid will definitely need to muster all the luck and support they can gather.

Another interesting fixture is the tie between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea, which not only offers a clash between contrasting styles of play, but also pits PSG’s lethal strike partnership directly against Chelsea’s rock solid defence. The English side look to be the more likely winners of the battle, but with Zlatan Ibrahimovic on PSG’s side, one can never be too sure!

Then there is Manchester United, who would consider themselves rather unfortunate as to be pitted against the favourites of the tournament, Bayern Munich. The German giants, whose hot run of form does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon, look to be spearheading their way into another Champions League final for a fourth consecutive year. However, despite Man United’s poor domestic run, their performances in Europe have been inspiring to say the least. While a German victory seems to be the more probable score-line, a repetition of the 1999 Champions League final will continue to haunt the Germans in the back of their mind.

Last but not least, Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund also promises to be a thrilling re-run oflast year’s semi-final encounter between the two sides. Both sides will have a lot to prove as they go head to head again, which will definitely be a joy to watch from a neutral perspective. While Borussia did manage to beat Jose Mourinho’s Los Blancos last year, Real Madrid’s front line (Bale, Benzema and C. Ronaldo) have never quite looked as threatening as they have now become.

The matches for the 1st leg are scheduled for the 1st/2nd of April, while the 2nd leg fixtures will take place on 8th and 9th April respectively. The long wait for Champions League to narrow down to top teams has eventually started to bear fruit and the question on who will be crowned as the most dominant side in Europe is finally starting to unravel.

 

Image Courtesy – thesportsquotient.com

Keep Reading
By
Jesus and Mary College

Intra-College Sports Day held at Jesus and Mary College

By

Jesus and Mary College celebrated its Annual Intra College Sports Day on Friday, 7th March. The college is well known for its strong sports teams. The Guest of Honour for the day was Mr. Naresh Kumar Sharma. He is the first marksman to represent India in Paralympics in the field of shooting. Mr. Sharma has over 60 medals to his name, and is also a recipient of the Arjuna award.

Like every year, the major highlight was the march past. Each stream was represented by a squad of minimum 32 students, and every team had its own uniform. In all, 12 teams participated. The practice, which had begun a week in advance, proved fruitful for B.A. Programme, English Hons., and B. Com Programme, who won the first, second and third prize respectively.

A new event, the cheerleading competition was also introduced this year. Each department was invited to participate with 5-7 members for a 3-5 minute performance cheering for JMC. Unfortunately, only the Political Science department took part.

There was also a discus throw and shot put competition. Commerce students reigned supreme in almost all the races. The Commerce department also won the relay race, with Political Science and Sociology coming second and third. Other than these, fun events like the Caterpillar race and Train race were conducted. Races and events for teachers like the balloon bursting competition were also held. 100m, 200m, and 400m races were held along with a relay race.

The sports department, which wasn’t allowed to participate in any of the competitive events, contributed in terms of the entertainment factor by putting up an enjoyable Bhangra performance. The marching band from Army School upped the ante. The college’s yoga team also displayed their talents, along with Mudra, the western dance/ choreo society.

Image credits: Divya Baby

Keep Reading
By
Spo(r)tlight

Motilal Nehru (Evening) retains top spot in Inter-College Football

By

The Delhi University Inter College Football Tournament, hosted at the Delhi Police Polo Ground and SRCC Football field between 20th Feb – 5th March, culminated in fine fashion for Motilal Nehru College (MLNC) Evening as an impressive 2-1 victory over runners-up Zakir Hussain College (ZHC) saw the defending champs retain their top spot in Delhi University. The most anticipated football tournament amongst DU’s footballing circles, the prestigious event this year included a total of 44 teams from all around Delhi University.

The match between the two finalists, started on a bright note as both teams approached the game with an attacking mind-set. MLNC’s (E) offensive build-ups and high pressing game soon gave them a deserved lead early on in the 8th Minute by a Sumit Rawat strike. However, the boys from Zakir Hussain responded well as they were also constantly putting Motilal’s defence under considerable pressure. Much to ZHC‘s dismay though, an 18th Minute equaliser by Nitesh Sharma was cancelled out by another goal from MLNC’s side, this time coming from the feet of Abhay Rana. An enthusiastic start to the finals, by the half hour mark,the match seemed to be very much in the balance.

IMG-20140307-WA0013

By the beginning of the second half, the frantic burst of the game had seemed to consciously be slowed down, as both defences looked vulnerable to say the least. While possession seemed to be almost equal in both halves, MLNC in general seemed to be more controlled and organised in their play. A lot of this though, is credited to their manager, Mr. Sanjay Anand, whose constant shouting and yelling from the side-lines made sure players retained their positions and stuck to their formation. The energy again seemed to rise towards the last 10 minutes or so, as Zakir Hussain pressed harder for the ball and were involved in several gruesome challenges. A goal looked almost certain from ZHC after a 90th minute red card to MLNC player, Arvind, which reduced the defending champs to 10 men. Time, however, was not on Zakir Hussain College’s side as they lost the match 2-1.

This was also followed by another match. The two losing semi-finalists, Ram Lal Anand College and SRCC squared off in order to determine the third position. SRCC won the match by a comfortably cushioned victory.

Describing his feelings on successfully replicating their team success, Abhishek Rawat, Captain of Motilal Nehru College (E) said “I feel extremely overjoyed and proud at this point. We dedicate this win to all our supporters and the coach. Next year hopefully, we’ll make it three in a row.”

Keep Reading
By
Spo(r)tlight

SGTB Khalsa College wins the Inter-College Lawn Tennis Tournament

By

Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College hosted an Inter-College Lawn Tennis Tournament with the finals being played on the 4th of March. Hansraj College and the hosts fought it out for the ultimate prize. The match followed a Best- Of –Three format with two single’s matches and a double’s match. Each match was a three-set match.

In the first single’s match, Kunal Anand from Khalsa college beat Dhruv Goel from Hansraj two sets to nil with a score of 6-1 and 6-3. In the next single’s match, Saurabh Singh from Hansraj beat his opponent, Rohit Bisht in straight sets with a score of 6-1 and 6-3.

With the game tied at 1-1, it was all to play for in the final match, which was a double’s match. Kunal Anand and Deepak Vishwakarma from Khalsa College beat Dhruv Goel and Saurabh Singh from Hansraj in a thrilling match to take home the final prize.

Keep Reading
By
S.G.T.B Khalsa College

Swami Shraddhanand champions at Khalsa’s T20 Cricket Tournament

By

S.G.T.B Khalsa organized it’s annual cricket tournament- 2nd Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fatesingh T20 Cricket Tournament. The cricketing event commenced on February 10 and it’s finals were held on Wednesday, February 26, 2014. One of the biggest cricket tournaments of the University, it saw participation of 12 teams from across colleges. The event was declared open by Bishan Singh Bedi on February 10. Its finals, saw Swami Shraddhanand (SSN) College emerge as winners against M.K. Group. The former set a target of 182 which the latter lost by 18 runs.

The winning team got a total cash prize of Rs.1,00,000 and the runner’s up took home Rs. 50,000. The finals and the award ceremony was attended by Cricketers Ajay Jadeja and Ajit Jadeja and Mr. Jitendre Lal, member Gujrat Chamber of Commerce. International Cricket Umpire, K. Hariharan, was also present at the event.

Krishnaraj Lal, Vice President, Khalsa, had the following to say, “As a student of such a prestigious college, it’s an honor to be a part of the Union. Mr. Jadega’s father served as an MP from my city, Jamnagar for 5 terms. So having Mr. Ajay Jadeja here is an even greater privilege. We are glad to have pulled off this event. Between juggling Lashkara (Khalsa’s Cultural Fest) and creating a bigger and better tournament, it has been nothing less than a challenge”.

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

Virender Sehwag chief guest at Lady Irwin College's Annual Sports Day

By

Winners Tally

Events Position Name
50m race 1st Samiksha
2nd Rupika Choudhary
3rd Ansa Saju
100m race 1st Samiksha
2nd Ansa Saju
3rd Urvashi
200m race 1st Mitali Yadav
2nd Lovely Gupta
3rd Ringnamleu
Shotput 1st Ansa Saju
2nd Mitali Yadav
3rd Vibhuti
Discuss Throw 1st Mitali Yadav
2nd Rupika Choudhary
3rd Vibhuti
Table Tennis Winner Nisha Joon
Badminton Winner Bhamini Pande
Badminton (Teachers) Winner T.G. Rupa
]]>

Keep Reading
By
Campus Central

Virender Sehwag chief guest at Lady Irwin College’s Annual Sports Day

By

Lady Irwin College, celebrated its Annual Sports Day on 24th February, 2014. The chief guest for the event was cricketer Virender Sehwag.

In a series of Intra-college competitions, students demonstrated their abilities in different sports and fitness activities. The main events that took place ranged from a march past and 50 metre and 100 metre races for both the students and teachers. In addition to these, a three-legged race, yoga and relay events were also conducted.

The college director Dr. Anupa Sidhu in her eloquent self, shared some words of wisdom. She also said, “In this changing scenario the women have to pick-up the pace of equipping themselves to meet the demands of the present and future generation.”

The legend Virender Sehwag enlightened the students with his valuable words of inspiration. After completion of the athletic events, winners were honoured by the chief guest with medals, trophies and prize money.

Winners Tally

Events Position Name
50m race 1st Samiksha
2nd Rupika Choudhary
3rd Ansa Saju
100m race 1st Samiksha
2nd Ansa Saju
3rd Urvashi
200m race 1st Mitali Yadav
2nd Lovely Gupta
3rd Ringnamleu
Shotput 1st Ansa Saju
2nd Mitali Yadav
3rd Vibhuti
Discuss Throw 1st Mitali Yadav
2nd Rupika Choudhary
3rd Vibhuti
Table Tennis Winner Nisha Joon
Badminton Winner Bhamini Pande
Badminton (Teachers) Winner T.G. Rupa
Keep Reading
By
Kirorimal College

KMC hosts fourth edition of Joga Bonito

By

A 5-a-side open soccer tournament was recently organised by the Statistics department of Kirori Mal College (KMC), held between the 24th-25th of February at the college Football grounds. The event was sponsored by the Indian Football Foundation, a charity organisation founded and run by veteran footballer, Baichung Bhutia.

Having registered a total of 39 teams in it’s last edition, the event was only able to play host to 17 teams this year around. This particularly relates to the event’s inter-lapping with the Inter-College football tournament at SRCC, causing several teams to back out at the last minute. This temporary setback was not of much relevance though, as it gave many pass-out students a chance to participate in the event. Not only did these senior groups of students raise the bar for the tournament, but they also introduced a more mature and tactical approach to the game.

Quick, fast paced, and based on counter attacking football, the initial stages of the tournament witnessed a burst of goals from all of the teams managing to qualify. By the time of the semi-finals however, this initial thrust of goals had slowed down, as the two finalists, Bhushan FC and Ravens FC only managed a 1-0 and 2-1 win against their respective opponents. The finals of the tournament was also another low scoring affair, with both sides focusing more on not conceding goals. Despite a solid defensive display by Ravens FC, Bhushan FC managed to score twice as they went on to win the match by 2 goals to 1. They took home a cash prize of Rs 12000 along with a customized Barcelona Nike ball, while the runners up received a cash reward of Rs 5000.

While the fourth edition of the Joga Bonito may not have been able to replicate the magnitude and grandeur of the previous three tournaments, a case can certainly be made on the event managing to hold on to its very essence and spirit. Prabhat, one of the organisers of the event, calls the event a ‘goodwill building exercise’, as this experience of coordinating the event will only help them organise the future tournaments with much more understanding and confidence. Building on this, he believes this practical knowledge of hosting Joga Bonito will most certainly play a key role in next year’s tournament edition.

Keep Reading
By
Interviews

In conversation with Saniya Shaikh: Skeet Shooter from LSR

By

Saniya Shaikh is a 2nd year student studying in Lady Shri Ram College for Women. But she is no ordinary girl; she represents the Indian contingent in Skeet Shooting. DU Beat was able to catch an interview with this inspiring sports person.

At what age did you start shooting skeet and what got you into the sport?

I was 13 years old when I started shooting skeet. Being born in a family where my grandfather, dad and all my uncles are national level shooters, the sport runs in my blood. Growing up with guns and accompanying my dad to the shooting range in competitions was a part of my childhood. I got into this sport because of my dad. He always tells me, “I prayed to the Almighty Allah to bless me with a daughter as my first child and I wanted her to be a daughter.” So it was all because of my dad’s dream that I got into this beautiful sport because he saw this dream for me even before I was born and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for introducing me to this sport.

What all competitions have you participated in?

I have participated in more than 30 world cups, world championships, Asian shooting competitions, Commonwealth shooting and a few Grand Prix.

Tell us a little about your daily routine and training.

I get up at 4 in the morning and then train for 8-9 hours, which gets a little difficult since my training hours clash with my college timings. In the evening I hit the gym and exercise for 2 hours as I am a gym freak.

Given that it is an unconventional sport for Indian kids, did you face any problems on your way to becoming a professional player?

The best thing I love about Shooting is that it is an unconventional sport. It’s different and interesting. A girl like me would have never settled for something conventional (laughing) or less interesting than shooting. Also, there has always been a huge support from my family and that’s why I never felt any problem.

Who had the greatest impact on your shooting career?

My father! He is a real inspiration to me. I am pretty sure he would have gone through a tough time training a kid like me. So now, I am going to get him an Olympic Gold!

In your spare time, what else do you like to do?

I love listening to music. I am also learning to play a guitar at the moment. Moreover, I am a big fan of Usain Bolt and hence, I read about him a lot. I have got two pets and I like to pamper them. I also love horse-riding.

Did you receive any aid from DU to further promote you as a player?

All I can say is in India we give importance to a very few sports like cricket and tennis but sports like shooting do not get the same kind of recognition and support. However, thing are changing gradually and as a shooter, I will do whatever I can to make it a more appreciated and recognised sport in India.

What is the best advice that you can give to a young aspiring Shooter?

I would just like to say that every shot is the first shot. Shoot as if you are never going to shoot again. Do not think about the misses. We all miss, we are all humans. Show the world that you are the best!

Keep Reading
By