FOOTBALL
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) was on Tuesday conferred with the prestigious President’s Recognition Award for Grassroots Football (Silver) during the AFC Annual Awards in Seoul.
Since the preceding AFC Annual Awards in Doha last year, when it was handed the bronze award, the AIFF has been endorsed with a silver-level membership under the AFC Grassroots Charter.
The AIFF has been credited for its strong commitment towards grassroots development and establishing long-term sustainable programmes, facilitating regional involvement, and strong partnerships with various stakeholders across the country, the national federation said in a statement.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey accepted the award on behalf of the federation.
-PTI
HOCKEY
Nehru girls tournament: Mata Rukhmani School beats Krida Prabodhini
Parmeshwari Sodhi performed a hat-trick to guide Mata Rukhmani Government Senior Secondary School, Chhattisgarh, to a 3-0 victory over Krida Prabodhini, Pune, in a league match of the Charanjit Rai 30th Nehru girls hockey tournament at the Shivaji Stadium on Tuesday.
The results (league)
Iramdam Mahekoi School, Langmeidong, Manipur, 9 (Bidyaluxmi Devi 5, Jerina Thongtham 3, Ashakiran Devi) bt Khalsa Girls SSS, Amritsar, 1 (Laxmi).
One Thousand Hockey Legs 10 (Anjni 4, Vanshika Sharma 2, Prachi Pandey 2, Megha 2) bt Assam Schools Hockey 0.
GM Patel Kanya Vidyalaya, Jamnagar, Gujarat, 11 (Puri Ben Parmar 5, Archana Vala 4, Niyati Ben, Prita Ben Zampadiya) bt Raghunath Inter College, Meerut, 0.
Mata Rukhmani Government SSS, Chhattisgarh, 3 (Parmeshwari Sodhi 3) bt Krida Prabodhini, Pune, 0.
-Kamesh Srinivasan
TENNIS
ITS women’s tennis: Former national champion Vaidehi wins singles and doubles matches
Former national champion Vaidehi Chaudhari had a good time, winning her singles and doubles matches in the $60,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday.
Vaidehi beat qualifier Yukina Saigo of Japan 6-4, 6-2 in the first round.
In doubles, Vaidehi and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty knocked out the third seeds Yu-Yun Li and Nina Vargova, in straight sets.
In the $41,000 Challenger in Brazzaville, Congo, Karan Singh and Dev Javia won their singles first round matches.
The results
$133,250 Challenger, Seoul, Korea Singles (first round): Kaito Uesugi (Jpn) bt Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-4, 6-4.
$41,000 Challenger, Brazzaville, Congo Singles (first round): Karan Singh bt Petr Iamachkine (Per) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; Calvin Hemery (Fra) bt Yuvan Nandal 6-3, 6-1; Dev Javia bt Simone Agostini (Ita) 6-3, 6-4.
$267,082 WTA, Jiujiang, China Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Arianne Hartono (Ned) & Prarthana Thombare bt Angelica Moratelli (Ita) & Anna Siskovva (Cze) 7-5, 4-6, [10-3].
$15,000 ITF men, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Akram El Sallaly (Egy) & Nikita Ianin bt Aryan Lakshmanan & Michael Zhu (USA) 6-4, 6-2.
$60,000 ITF women, Sydney, Australia Singles (first round): Vaidehi Chaudhari bt Yukina Saigo (Jpn) 6-4, 6-2; Gabriella Da Silva Fick (Aus) bt Shrivalli Bhamidipaty 7-5, 6-3.
Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Shrivalli Bhamidipaty & Vaidehi Chaudhari bt Yu-Yun Li (Tpe) & Nina Vargova (Svk) 7-6(3), 6-4.
$25,000 ITF women, Istanbul, Turkey Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Arina Arifullina & Anastasiia Sergienk bt Ustiniya Lekkomtseva & Saumya Vig 6-2, 6-0.
-Kamesh Srinivasan
FOOTBALL
Super League Kerala: Late goal by Dorielton gives win to Forca Kochi FC
Dorielton Gomes scored a late match-winner as Forca Kochi FC defeated Thrissur Magic 1-0 in the Super League Kerala football at the Nehru Stadium here on Tuesday.
Kochi had qualified for the semifinal earlier, and the win helped the side finish the league phase with 16 points, the same as leader Calicut FC and second-placed Kannur Warriors, at the top of the top of the six-team table though Calicut has a superior goal difference.
Dorielton’s strike came in the 81st minute, and the Brazilian made the most of a defensive error from Thrissur for his goal. Asif Kottayil started the move, advancing smartly through the left and then sending a cross to K.P. Rahul.
Rahul attempted a one-two with Asif, but Thrissur defender Hendry Antony intercepted it but fumbled with his next move and pushed the ball to the front, virtually setting the stage for Dorielton. The Thrissur captain Maison Alves made a desperate attempt to stop Dorielton, but it was too late. The Brazilian had finished the job by then.
Dorielton is now on top of the goal-scorers’ chart with five goals.
After a dull first half, Mario Lemos’ boys came out fighting in the next session. The home boys combined well and created plenty of chances. And in the 50th minute, Dorielton had a lovely cross coming his way from Arjun Jayaraj from the right, but his header, from close, went wide.
And around the hour mark, Thrissur goalkeeper Pratheesh pulled off two fantastic saves, denying Dorielton both times.
And the other end, Kochi goalkeeper S. Hajmal pushed away a dangerous longranger from Thrissur in the 68th minute. The numbers on the Thrissur jerseys were not clear, and one was not sure who the player was behind that fiery shot.
Thrissur, which shocked league leader Calicut in its last game for its lone victory in the league, finished at the bottom of table with five points from 10 matches.
-Stan Rayan
