Mirabai won’t be fully fit for Asian Games: Coach

NEWDELHI:World champion Mirabai Chanu’s participation at the Asian Games appears doubtful with India chief coach Vijay Sharma recommending that she must pull out of Jakarta event to be fit for the Olympic qualifiers, later this year. The reigning CWG champion is struggling with an unidentified lower-back problem since May and is yet to begin full-fledged weight training. “I have submitted a report to the federation. Now they have to take a decision. I am of the opinion that in such less time it’s not good to take heavy load. The Olympic qualifiers event is approaching and that is more important than the Asian Games,” Sharma said.

When pain subsided last week, Mirabai travelled to Mumbai to resume training and start mobility exercises. Vijay said the pain returned on Sunday and he doesn’t want to risk aggravating the injury.

LAKSHYA OUT

HO CHI MINH CITY: Asian junior champion Lakshya Sen on Monday pulled out of the Vietnam Open badminton after failing to recover from shin splint injuries. “Lakshya has pulled out as he still has pain from the shin splint injuries. He is getting it in both legs so after coming back from Asian Junior, he was feeling pain during the practice,” Lakshya’s mentor Vimal Kumar said. In Lakshya’s absence, Ajay Jayaram will carry India’s hopes.

GHOSH’S COMEBACK

NEWDELHI:His life thrown haywire by a rape allegation, leading Indian table tennis player Soumyajit Ghosh has married his accuser four months after his career nose-dived owing to the crisis. Four months on, he has not even felt the racket in his hand, is heavier by more than 10 kgs.