Good start for Anand at Isle of Man meet
ISLE OF MAN: Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand and Indian Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika made positive starts to their campaign at the Isle of Man International Chess Tournament here.
Anand notched up an emphatic win over American Marc Esserman, while Harika beat Englishman Oyama Akito in the first round. Playing with white pieces, Anand showed much better precision than his opponent to eventually complete the proceedings in 46 moves.
Anand will next take on Germany’s Lampert Jonas in the second round.
GAURAV GILL WINS RD 3
JAIPUR: Two-time APRC cham- pion Gaurav Gill asserted his supremacy in the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2017, comfortably winning four out of the six special stages to claim Round 3 here on a blistering Sunday. Gill (co-driver Musa Sharif) began the march for Team Mahindra Adventure late on Saturday, conquering the championship’s first night stage with ease.
YOUNG SHUTTLER DIES
KOLKATA: An 18-year-old shuttler collapsed and died while practicing at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) complex here, officials said on Sunday. The body of Niharendu Mallick has been sent for autopsy, his coach MM Samantray said.while practicing with three others, Niharendu collapsed on Saturday and was rushed to a private hospital nearby. He was declared dead on arrival. The death was said to be due to cardiac arrest and brain hemorrhage. SAI has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
THALAIVAS WIN
Tamil Thalaivas beat Bengal Warriors 33-32 in their Pro Kabaddi match in New Delhi on Sunday. In the second match, Haryana Steelers beat Dabang Delhi 42-24. The U-17 World Cup is going to be a test on more than just one front. It’s no mean task to host an event of this magnitude, even if it is for a junior age group. It will be a test of India’s ability to organise a big ticket event and I believe we will do well. Everyone in the country needs to come together to make it a successful event. The world will be watching and we cannot afford to fall short on any front. The boys are at an age where this experience will be all that matters. It’s of no use to go into the tournament with any sort of pressure and we should not burden them with unfair expectations. The stage is big and the opponents are stronger but the key here is to make the most of every minute of the tournament. The boys need to go out there, put in to action all they have been training for and soak in all the lessons the Cup will teach them. The results will take care of themselves.