Indian sports wrap, October 16: Vedanta Delhi Half marathon organisers skip protests hot-spots in revised route

The protestors have been demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyaneshwar Kumar’s resignation, citing alleged manipulation in electoral rolls. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

OTHER SPORTS

Vedanta Delhi Half marathon organisers skip protests hot-spots in revised route

The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon organisers on Friday announced that runners at this year’s edition will not pass through Rail Bhawan, Sansad Marg and Patel Chowk and unveiled a revised route amid ongoing protests against the Election Commission of India.

The protests have led to heavy police barricading around the three marks which were a part of the traditional route in previous editions. This year’s race is scheduled to be held on Sunday.

“The Half Marathon route will feature a minor revision this year between the 10 km and 13 km marks. From Kartavya Path, runners will turn left towards Seva Teerth Circle, followed by a left turn onto Maulana Azad Road.

“They will then make a U-turn and proceed around Seva Teerth Circle towards Rafi Marg, before turning right to rejoin Kartavya Path. This replaces the previous route, under which runners turned right from Kartavya Path towards Rail Bhawan, Sansad Marg and Patel Chowk,” read a statement from the organisers.

In addition, there will be no race start from Sansad Marg this year.

The half-marathon route

The Open 10k route

The route for the Great Delhi Run and the Corporate Run

The route for the Champions with Disability and Senior Citizens’ Run

The protestors have been demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyaneshwar Kumar’s resignation, alleging manipulation in electoral rolls.

The elite race, covering 21.09km, will start at 5.18am for men, while the women’s race will begin at 5.20am.

Two-time winner Birhanu Legese headlines men’s field, while 2022 winner Irene Chepet Cheptai is among the star attractions in the women’s race.

There will be 22 men and 20 women from India in the elite race.

The Open 10K race will be flagged off from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The Champions with Disability Run and the Senior Citizens’ Run have been rescheduled to flag off at 6:30am, instead of the earlier scheduled time of 7am.

The organisers said that participants have been told about the changes through “social media, WhatsApp and email, as well as through communication at the Expo.”

“There is no change in the Great Delhi Run route and race start timings,” it added.

-PTI

CRICKET

First ever mixed gender cricket tourney in Colombo next month

In a first for cricket, a mixed-gender cricket tournament built on the 80-over format will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) here from November 14 to 29.

Test Twenty will feature 160 young cricketers, aged 13 to 21, who will be drafted from around the world into four continental teams. The girls’ and boys’ squads will play for the same team, and their runs will combine into one result.

Each of the four continental teams will have a squad of 40 players, with 20 girls and 20 boys. Each match will be played in a single day, using both the red ball and the white ball.

Each team will bat twice. The first 40 overs will be played in whites, with the red ball, during daylight. The final 40 overs will be played in colour, with the white ball, under the SSC floodlights.

Scores will carry forward from the first half to the second.

“Under the Parity Rule, the girls’ scores will decide the boys’ wins under lights. What he scores under lights decides whether she wins. The next day, the toss may turn it around,” stated a press release for the event’s organisers.

Gaurav Bahirvani, founder of Test Twenty and author of Parity Rule, said that parity will extend beyond the rules of the game to the broadcast itself, giving both the girls and boys equal time.

The advisory board of the tournament comprises greats of the game such as AB de Villiers, Matthew Hayden, and Sir Clive Lloyd.

The Global Selection Committee will be chaired by renowned Delhi coach Rajkumar Sharma, and the tournament’s operations will be led by Mike Fordham. 

-PTI

Jemimah Rodrigues joins Switzerland Tourism as Friendship Ambassador

Star Indian women’s cricket team batter Jemimah Rodrigues has been named Friendship Ambassador by Switzerland Tourism to engage with the new generation of Indian travellers.

Rodrigues is currently recuperating from a high-grade right hamstring strain that forced her to skip the Asia Cup and the Asian Games.

“Representing India has always been something very special to me, and wherever I travel, I carry a little bit of home with me,” Rodrigues said during a function organised by Switzerland Tourism.

“I’m looking forward to meeting people, trying new things, exploring different places, and sharing those moments with everyone back home,” she added.

Martin Nydegger, CEO of Switzerland Tourism, said the association with a popular figure like Rodrigues will help his country connect with Indian travellers more effectively.

“Today’s Indian traveller is curious, confident and increasingly looking for experiences that feel personal and authentic. Jemimah brings that spirit naturally.

“Her energy, warmth and ability to connect with people make her a wonderful fit for this association, and we are delighted to welcome her as our Friendship Ambassador for India,” said Nydegger. 

-PTI

GOLF

Technical conclave on course maintenance and irrigation to be held at Noida Gold Course

The Golf Course Superintendents & Managers Association of India (GCS&MAI) will bring together leading turf, irrigation, agronomy and machinery experts from India, the UK, the USA and Japan at Noida Golf Course on October 24 for a technical programme on water-efficient irrigation, seasonal turf management and the mechanisation of course maintenance in Indian conditions.

The programme comes as turf management becomes a specialised, technology-led profession in India and one of the most promising growth markets for the global turf industry. When Ahmedabad was confirmed last November as host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, it marked another step towards the Olympics in 2036. Behind every stadium, academy and golf course on that journey is the natural grass the games are played on.

India’s climate is also turning the country into a proving ground for smarter turf care. Courses and grounds here have to stay at their best through summer heat that touched 47.2 degrees Celsius in Vidarbha this May, a cold northern winter and the transition weeks in between. The national water picture is improving: India’s overall stage of groundwater extraction has eased from 63.33 per cent in 2017 to 60.63 per cent, the government told Parliament in July. With 730 of 6,762 assessment units still classed as over-exploited, though, water efficiency remains a priority for every turf manager.

This is speeding up the shift to precision irrigation, soil-moisture monitoring, heat-tolerant grass varieties and multi-function machines that do more with smaller crews. These are the same technologies that are driving the sensor and turf protection markets worldwide.

E-SPORTS

India’s leading GTA V players set to compete in IGRI Season 2

Following the success of its inaugural season, Soulcity, Asia’s leading GTA V Roleplay server, has announced Season 2 of the Indian GTA V Rumble Invitational (IGRI). Scheduled from October 17 to November 4, the tournament will feature 48 teams competing for a prize pool of INR 4,00,000.

A first-of-its-kind, community-driven tournament by Soulcity, IGRI brings the battle royale format to GTA V, creating a competitive platform for creators, streamers and players from the game’s roleplay community.

The tournament will feature 32 registered teams and 16 invited teams competing across four stages: open qualifiers, group stages, semi-finals and finals. The open qualifiers will take place from October 17 to 19, with 32 registered teams divided into four groups of eight. Sixteen teams will advance to the group stage, scheduled from October 23 to 25, where they will join 16 invited teams to form a 32-team field. The semi-finals will run from October 28 to 30, with 24 teams competing across three groups of eight in 18 matches to determine the finalists.

The tournament will conclude with the finals from November 2 to 4, featuring 16 teams competing in a single lobby across 18 matches over three days. Points will accumulate throughout the final stage, with teams earning placement points for finishing in the top 10 of each match and one point for every elimination.

The invited teams will feature leading 8Bit Creatives talent and prominent names from India’s GTA V community, including Parv Singh (Regaltos), Mrinmoy Lakhar (Mercy), Mukul Anchal (Mafia) and Monika Jeph (Sherlock), among others.

Lokesh Jain, Co-founder of 8Bit Creatives, said, “The GTA V creator community in India has grown significantly, with the success of IGRI Season 1 demonstrating the appetite for a unique format that brings creators together. As streamers continue to build their audiences and establish their identities around the game, the second season presents an opportunity to bring more creators into the spotlight. Together with KICK, we aim to make IGRI Season 2 a landmark event and create more opportunities for creators to engage with audiences through community-driven formats.”

All matches will be streamed exclusively on KICK. Each player will stream their own gameplay live, allowing audiences to follow the action from individual player perspectives and watch their favourite creators compete.