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Be sportive to get rid of Pandemic blues

This is India’s most extreme Giant Swing. You are fitted with a seat and chest harness which is connected to the fixed wire ropes…reports Asian Lite News

Adventure sports have always been an escape from mundane life.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a worldwide lockdown as restrictions forced people to stay indoors. The global health crisis had a huge impact on the adventure sports market, as the aviation and hospitality sectors also bore the brunt. However, with the adventure sports activities gradually opening now, it is time to set yourself free!

India is home to some stunning destinations, which in the last few years have been developed to house some thrilling adventures. Niharika Nigam, Director, Business Development at Jumpin Heights shares adventure sports activities that will help you beat the pandemic blues and get your adrenaline pumping while exploring some gorgeous landscapes in the most novel ways possible!

Bungy jumping: Quite popular among adrenaline junkies, this extreme adventure sport will make you forget all your worries as you see the world ‘upside down’ (literally!).

Rishikesh in Uttarakhand touted as the adventure capital of India is home to India’s highest Bungy platform standing mighty tall at a height of 83 meters. After operating over 1 lakh jumps there – a global record for adventure tourism in India, they have recently opened their second location in Goa with a whole different vibe of bungy jumping over Mayem Lake in North Goa.

Run by ex-Army officers, and with jump masters trained extensively under experts from New Zealand, they follow Australia and NZ safety standards for Bungy operations. Besides, Rishikesh and Goa offer safe and professionally conducted bungy jumping amidst breathtaking views. So explore the valleys of Rishikesh or the azure lake of Goa while jumping into their infinity! Take that ‘leap of faith’ and earn some serious bragging rights!

Giant Swing: This is another extreme adventure, and it can be done solo as well as with two people in tandem. You can try this exhilarating activity with your friend, spouse, sibling, or family members and have once in a lifetime memory to be cherished for a long time! Jump is done from the same Bungy platform in Rishikesh. This is India’s most extreme Giant Swing. You are fitted with a seat and chest harness which is connected to the fixed wire ropes.

On jump, after an initial free fall, the ropes will smoothly swing you like a pendulum as you are left suspended in the mid-air. This adventure sport allows you to enjoy double the freefall of the Bungy, with considerably more speed, and almost as much fear.

Flying Fox: Imagine yourself taking in the bird’s eye view of the scenery around you, while being harnessed to the wire on a zip line. Asia’s longest flying fox is in Rishikesh where you can fly at 140kph. Accelerate up to speeds of 160 kmph and feel the air gushing past, while you are lowered down to just 7 meters above the river level.

River rafting: Summer is here, with scorching heat increasing day by day, and what would be better than river rafting in white waters at Rishikesh or Manali! The excitement and adrenaline rush you get while riding and tumbling down the white waters is simply unmatched! Since it is a team sport, it is great for mental health as well as overall well-being. And basically having a splendid day out in the river!

In addition to this, there is paragliding, skiing, and trekking – all available in the country – which can help rejuvenate your senses.

These adventure sports can be enthralling but physically demanding as well. It is advised you do not go for these activities under peer pressure or in questionable settings. Ensure your safety by researching the organisation handling these sports. Make sure they have solid rescue operations and safety procedures in place. Be certain of the expertise of their experts and know your own limits. It is also important to do your own research and see what criteria each of these sports demands.

The pandemic took a toll on overall physical and mental health as lockdown meant a sedentary and restricted life for most of us. Adventure sports can make you feel alive again and help you challenge yourself as these activities are a true test of mental strength. After all, “A life lived without adventure is a life wasted.”

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India News Sport Sports

Five out of five for India’s Women Pistol shooters

Pankaj and Sift were fourth in the first qualification round and then second in the second, to make it to the gold medal round in the 3P Mixed Team event…reports Asian Lite News

India’s women pistol shooters have made it five golds out of five, after the trio of Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh and Rhythm Sangwan trounced the hosts 16-2 in the 25m Pistol Team final at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany, on Tuesday.

India also picked up a silver medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) Mixed Team competition when Pankaj Mukheja and Sift Kaur Samra went down 12-16 to Poland’s Michal Chojnowski and Julia Piotrowska in the gold medal encounter.

India’s medal tally has now swollen to 11 gold, 13 silver and four bronze medals. With India set to emerge champions, Italy lying second with four golds and with Shotgun events still left on the roster, will look to close down the gap at the top.

The Indian women’s pistol team reached the gold medal round, finishing second to the German trio of Michaela Boesel, Vanessa Seeger and Mia Fuchs in the second qualification stage. The Indians shot 431 to the Germans 437 out of a maximum possible 450. In the final though, India did not give the hosts a whiff of a chance and finished the match quite clinically in the end.

Pankaj and Sift were fourth in the first qualification round and then second in the second, to make it to the gold medal round in the 3P Mixed Team event. They did put up a fight, but the Polish pair finished stronger to win the second gold for their country in the competition.

Parinaaz Dhariwal has also made it through to the semifinal stage of the Junior Women’s Skeet finishing fourth with a score of 109 in qualification. The medal matches are set for later on Tuesday.

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India News Kerala Sports

ISL 2021-22: Blasters into finals after 6 years

After the cooling break, Daniel Chima Chukwu thought he had pulled Jamshedpur back in the game but his stab from close was ruled offside, albeit belatedly after keeping his flag down initially…reports Asian Lite News

Kerala Blasters FC shared honours with Jamshedpur FC after playing out a 1-1 draw, but pip the League Shield winners 2-1 on aggregate and qualify for their first final since 2016 in the 2021-22 Hero Indian Super League at the Tilak Maidan Stadium here on Tuesday.

Adrian Luna (18th) opened the scoring for Kerala with a stunning goal before Pronay Halder (50th) pulled one back for the Red Miners who needed one more goal to take the game to extra time, but another solid performance by the Kerala backline ensured they held firm and confirm a place in the summit clash since their defeat to ATK FC six years back.

In the first leg, Sahal Abdul Samad scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for Kerala who made it to their third Hero ISL final. They were the finalists in the inaugural 2014 edition as well.

The yellow shirts started the second leg without the injured Sahal but showed no signs of slowing down, almost taking the lead inside the first two minutes had Alvaro Vazquez not tried to be cheeky when one on one with the keeper, dinking the ball over T.P. Rehenesh in Jamshedpur goal and wide of the far post.

Four minutes later, Vazquez got possession deep inside his own half to then set up Ayush Adhikari but Rehenesh was alert to the danger, coming out of his line in time. Kerala found a lot of joy as Jamshedpur full-backs pushed forward leaving a lot of spaces for their rivals to exploit.

Adhikari got another chance from a Jorge Diaz cross but Jamshedpur skipper Peter Hartley put his body on the line to snuff out the danger. Vazquez atoned for his miss earlier in the half soon after, flicking on a delightful pass from the left flank for Luna who darted in, dropped a shoulder and curled a side-footed effort past Rehenesh and into the right corner.

After the cooling break, Daniel Chima Chukwu thought he had pulled Jamshedpur back in the game but his stab from close was ruled offside, albeit belatedly after keeping his flag down initially.

Prabhsukhan Gill was then at fault in Kerala goal as he punched a Greg Stewart free-kick over his head with Jamshedpur players all surrounding him, but eventually, the referee blew the whistle for a foul, much to the keeper’s relief. AT the break, Kerala led 2-0 on aggregate. Five minutes into the restart, Halder nicked one in to get Jamshedpur back in the game, poking in a Stewart corner which was initially met by Chima whose header lacked power and fell to Halder who netted from two yards out.

One minute later, Vazquez could have all but sealed the tie for Kerala but Rehenesh was on hand to save from a chip after the Spaniard was one on one with him. The ball, though, kept rolling goalwards with Eli Sabia but the Brazilian did enough to clear it off the line.

Kerala kept pushing for more as Marko Leskovic, brilliant at the back again, dragged a header wide while Jorge Diaz had Rahul KP free in front of goal but instead lobbed the ball over the keeper trying to score himself. In between the two chances for Kerala, Jitendra Singh’s header was cleared timely off the goalline by Diaz after the ball was rolling goalwards despite Gill getting a hand to it.

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Sport

Jwala Gutta reveals she coped with ‘racist bullying’


Gutta further exhorted women to come out and voice the harassment they have faced, instead of keeping quiet…reports Asian Lite News

India’s ace badminton doubles player Jwala Gutta on Tuesday revealed she was bullied and faced a barrage of racial barbs about her looks but always held her own against bullies.

“I was criticised about how I am and how I look. When a woman is candid and articulates her opinions freely, it is never taken in a right way. I was called ‘Made in China’ and was asked to prove my nationality,” Gutta told News18, on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

“Earlier it used to be eve-teasing but now they (bullies) have a bigger platform. The power of anonymity has given them the confidence that they can harass or tease anyone without facing repercussions,” she stated.

The recipient of the Arjuna Award emphasised the need for stricter social media policing and counselling. “Social media policing must become stricter. Sometimes there are young kids using fake IDs to harass women on social media. More than punishment, they need counselling. Regular counselling is important. The kind of words these people have started using, I won’t be surprised if they become violent in real life as well, not just on social media,” she firmly asserted.

“The fear of getting caught is not there. Whenever I feel it’s critical or important, I report these things to the cyber-crime police. Trollers get worried but it still is not enough,” she added.

The conversation was part of Network18’s streamathon for its #ItsNotOk campaign where it partnered with Truecaller to raise awareness about why it’s important for women to ‘Call It Out’ on harassment issues.

Gutta further exhorted women to come out and voice the harassment they have faced, instead of keeping quiet.

“I think it’s very important for women to come out and speak about harassment they face. Keeping quiet or not doing anything about it is an encouragement to people who harass women online and offline. I would also like to tell women to stop doubting themselves. If you are the victim, you have nothing to fear. Come out and call out. Use the system to your advantage. The system is there to protect us. Don’t be scared. Believe that there will be a change in the future,” she said.

The celebrated sportsperson also gave a message for parents on how to bring up their children.

“This culture of victimising the victim or victim’s family has forced everybody to keep quiet about any kind of harassment. My dad always told me to stand up against eve-teasing. I always stood up for myself. There must be counselling sessions for children and parents in schools. Parents must talk to children about such issues and teach them to conduct themselves properly. The choice of words is very important,” she concluded.

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Lite Blogs Sports

How adventure sports give you inner strength

Breakthrough the boundaries that have held you back and allow yourself to discover what actually resides within you. To find out how far you can go, push the boundaries and live on the edge…reports Asian Lite News

Beyond basic tourism, nowadays people are vouching for a trend known as experiential tourism. Adventure sports force people out of their comfort zones, allowing them to discover their inner potential by confronting and overcoming their fears hence, bungy jumping, Giant Swing, Flying Fox, and water rafting, for example, continue to draw popularity in recent years.

In an interview, Niharika Nigam, Director-Business Development, Jumpin Heights, discusses adventure sports that can help you find your inner strength:

Stress reliever: Stress has become an inextricable component of modern life, particularly in light of the pandemic. Adventure sports have been shown to, ironically, be effective stress relievers by forcing a different kind of stress–an intense mental challenge that shuts all out, and offers the thrill of overcoming it. The adrenaline rush one gets from diving through the air with bungy jumping is phenomenally cathartic, freeing and glorious. It doesn’t allow for any space for troubles, large or small, and captures the jumper at the moment. Adventure sports are an invitation to feel afresh the experience of being alive. An individual is jolted from his brooding thoughts and pushed into the present. This can be both captivating as well as relaxing.

Let’s you push the boundaries: Here’s the thing: It’s a scary thing. To stand on edge before you jump, to brace yourself before you take off. The ones who do it, don’t do it despite fear, they do it for its very presence- and for the chance of rising above it. It is an exhilarating thing to do, to have looked fear in the eye and to do it anyway.

Participating in these mind-bending sports has been shown to promote confidence and improve self-esteem. It leaves an indelible mark and your identity and belief in yourself will progressively grow as your mental strength and ability to conquer your concerns are put to the test through these sports. You may be more inclined to better embrace every element of your life with the newfound vitality and enthusiasm that these adventure sports provide. One never knows their actual potential unless they have gone to the extreme, and adventure sports are all about that.

Break through the boundaries that have held you back and allow yourself to discover what actually resides within you. To find out how far you can go, push the boundaries and live on the edge.

Improves mental strength: So why do people do it? It’s such a crazy thing to do! It is the desire to live life to the fullest. Standing on the edge of a cliff from a formidable height, such as when bungee jumping, can be a mental battle. However, it’s you versus your fears, and you only have to choose, to be able to win.

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Qatar Sport Sports

Qatar is on a sports jamboree

As part of the ATP 250 tour, this annual men’s professional tennis tournament is played outside on hard courts. Famous victors have included Boris Becker, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic…reports N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

Ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Qatar welcomes a series of elite international sporting events. Continuing a tourism drive from an ATP tennis competition to European Tour golf and the MotoGP, the country has in store for adventure-hungry visitors looking for professional sporting activities.

Chief Operating Officer of Qatar Tourism, Berthold Trenkel, said: “Sport brings people together and hosting international sporting events allows us to be part of, and to facilitate, cross-cultural moments of human achievement and utility. The country’s ability to host these events demonstrates the trust in Qatar’s ability and health and safety measures to keep players safe when competing at world-class venues. We look forward to welcoming outstanding players, management teams, and of course all the fans to Qatar throughout the year.”

Sports & Adventure

Day 1

* Morning

* SUP tour of The Pearl-Qatar

* Afternoon

* Immersive horseback riding with the Al Shaqab Racing Academy

* Evening

* Sunset kayaking at the mangroves

Day 2

* Morning

* Round of golf/quad biking

* Afternoon

* Desert safari to Inland Sea

* Evening

* Overnight desert camping


Day 3

* Morning

* Scuba diving at GMC Reef

* Afternoon

* Sandboarding near Sealine camp

* Evening

* Relaxing spa experience

* FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 (November 21-December 18, 2022)

Fans can expect to see a FIFA World Cup like no other, with the incredible atmosphere of centrally located stadiums, beautiful hotels and authentic culture. All stadiums are located within a 55-kilometre (35 mile) radius of Doha, making it extremely accessible for supporters to travel from one match to the next.

Upcoming sporting events in Qatar

* Katara International Horse Festival (February 2-12, 2022)

Discover Qatar’s rich equestrian heritage and learn how the country is a pioneer in breeding purebred Arabians at this 10-day event in Katara Cultural Village. The festival offers various activities for guests to experience, including a horse exhibition and parade, light show, art and painting exhibits, as well as numerous food and beverage stalls.

* Qatar Masters (TBC 2022)

This European Tour golf tournament has been held in Doha since 1998 and rotates between Qatar’s two championship-level courses, Education City Golf Club and Doha Golf Club. Previously won by the likes of Ernie Els, Adam Scott, Paul Lawrie and Henrik Stenson.

* The Qatar Open (February 14-19, 2022)

As part of the ATP 250 tour, this annual men’s professional tennis tournament is played outside on hard courts. Famous victors have included Boris Becker, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

* Qatar Ladies Open (February 20-26, 2022)

This professional women’s tennis tournament is a WTA 500 event on the WTA Tour. Previously won by famous players such as Martina Hingis, Maria Sharapova and the defending champion Petra Kvitove.

* Al Adaid Desert Challenge (TBC 2022)

The Al Adaid Desert Challenge is an extreme sports race that features on the International Cycling Union calendar. The gruelling event involves 60 kilometres for cyclists and 28 kilometres for runners, starting from the Sealine area and stretching to one of Qatar’s most impressive natural wonders: the ‘Inland Sea’, or Khor Al Adaid.

* Grand Prix of Qatar (March 4-6, 2022)

One of the most exciting events on the MotoGP calendar, the motorcycle race will take place at the impressive Losail circuit, which recently hosted the 2021 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix. Having hosted the first-ever floodlit MotoGP back in 2008, this location never fails to impress. Notable winners have included Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi.

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India News Lite Blogs Sports

First Kashmiri to represent Nation in Beijing Olympics

He was introduced to skiing at the age of four by his father who had made a small ski slope just outside the shop…reports Farooq Ganderbali Srinagar

Kashmiri skier Arif Khan, who will create history on Sunday when he takes part in the men’s giant slalom event of the Beijing Winter Olympics, says he knew 10 years ago that he would one day represent the country in the global showpiece.

Hailing from a village in Kashmir’s Baramulla district, one of the most-frequented tourist spots of the valley, Khan will become the first Indian to compete in two events in a Winter Olympics — in men’s slalom and giant slalom. His slalom event will be held on February 16.

Taking to skiing seemed natural to Khan as his father Yasin owns a ski equipment shop at Gulmarg which is near his village. He was introduced to skiing at the age of four by his father who had made a small ski slope just outside the shop.

Khan began competitive skiing when he was 10 years old and at 12, he won a gold medal in the slalom at the national championship.

In 2011, Khan won two gold medals — in the slalom and giant slalom — at the South Asian Winter Games in Dehradun and Auli.

“So, I was the fastest skier in India by then. After the gold medals, I knew that I will one day represent the country in Winter Olympics, it was going to be only a matter of time,” Khan told media from the Games Village in Beijing.

“I should have qualified (for Winter Olympics) earlier but it did not happen due to certain reasons. So, it will be a dream come true moment (on Sunday). I am proud to represent 1.4 billion Indians and to put my region in Olympics map,” said the 31-year-old.

India had declared a diplomatic boycott of the Games after China fielded the regimental commander of the People’s Liberation Army, who was injured during the 2020 military face-off with Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, as a torchbearer for the event’s Torch Relay.

“It was the country’s decision and the call from the government and I have no issues with that. You cannot go against the decision of the government of your country. I was happy with whatever I was doing,” Khan said.

“I was feeling great for my people back home. A lot of people sent me messages for this great moment. I knew that entire India would see me holding the (national) flag during the opening ceremony (on February 4) and they must be proud of me.” Khan has taken part in four FIS World Ski Championships so far, starting from 2013. His best result has been 45th in the giant slalom at the 2021 edition in Italy.

Just before leaving for Beijing, Khan had said that he would be happy if he can make it to the top-30 in his events.

“It’s a difficult and complicated event, you never know what will happen on a day. You have to be conscious about your movement, balance of your body, of your skiis, the speed till the last gate.

“I am hoping for a good performance but under such conditions it is difficult to predict anything. I am trying to keep my balance on the ice. I need to carry with my balance till the last gate if I want to finish in top numbers. I am doing fine in that regard.

“I am not feeling any pressure. The conditions are superb here — food, training, accommodation etc. We are allowed to go only within the close loop, so there is no COVID fears also. We are being tested everyday and it’s not a hassle.” He said the skii course in Beijing — or for that matter in other top class events — is much different from the ones he had trained and so adjustment is not easy.

“The ice is different here, it is injected ice. These are used in this kind of top global events. These are costly to maintain and you don’t get it during training. I have done training for the past few days after arriving here and getting used to it. But you never know, you can’t predict how you will fare.” Before the Beijing Games, Khan had trained at Innsbruck in Austria.

Slalom and giant slalom are two of the five events in Alpine skiing. The athletes are required to ski down a vertical slope through ‘gates’, which consist of of two plastic poles.

A skier will run two races and the competitor with the lowest combined time across the two courses is deemed the winner.

Slalom is more difficult technically than giant slalom as the former has the shortest course and fastest turns with the least spacing between the ‘gates’…..

(Writer is Srinagar based Journalist)

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