RAMKUMAR, ANKITA WIN IN AUSTRALIAN OPEN QUALIFIERS

MELBOURNE: Ramkumar Ramanathan and Ankita Raina recorded straight sets victories to make a promising start at the Australian Open qualifiers but Karman Kaur Thandi went down fighting in the first round here on Tuesday. Ramkumar knocked out Sergio Guiterrez-ferrol 6-3, 6-2 and Ankita beat Myrtille Georges 6-2, 6-2. Karman lost to Jennifer Brady 0-6, 5-7. PUNE: In the buildup to the Khelo India Youth Games, the official broadcaster’s campaign ‘5minuteaur’ blared regularly on TV and electronic mediums, calling youngsters to go the extra mile in sports. A day before the Games, the young guns had to bear with a similar kind of message, this time waiting for accommodation and registration. Long queue of young athletes could be seen at the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, with the venues getting their final touch ahead of the Under-17 and Under-21 Games that will run till January 20 here.

A total of 6,200 athletes from 29 states and seven Union Territories will be competing in 18 disciplines in one of the biggest youth Games in the country. However, not everybody had their focus on sport on the eve of the Khelo India Youth Games.

A Chef de Mission of a southern state, on conditions of anonymity, said: “There is zero coordination. We don’t know where to stay. There was no one at the railway station to pick us up. Now our main priority is to get hotels first. We are not the only state who have faced this problem.” this out.”“tenders of hotels were given to vendors and information is available on our Khelo India App as well. On a few occasions athletes had not informed about the timing of their arrival so miscommunication happened otherwise most of things are on track.”sopal has a bigger problem to handle: “We were asked to host the Games around two and half months back. We have tried our best to get things ready. But some of the high-end equipment to be used in competition are stuck in Mumbai with customs because of strike. If they would have arrived it would have been better.” The opening ceremony will have the presence of sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Interestingly, it will be held in the indoor badminton hall which has a capacity of close to 3,000, while the main stadium with a bigger capacity will not be hosting anything on opening day.

According to an official in the know, it was done to suit the broadcaster’s need.