My players are not intimidated by Italy: Bhupathi

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January 23, 2019

India may be much below Italy in rankings, but their non playing captain Mahesh Bhupathi on Wednesday said that his players will not be intimidated by their European opponents in the Davis Cup Qualifiers here next month. Keeping in mind Italians’ weakness on grass, India have opted for grass courts in South Club here for the February 1-2 fixtures which will be played in new format with the winners making a cut to the 18-nation finals in Madrid next year.

Nothing can be taken for granted. We are underdogs but my boys will not be intimidated. I feel we have a better chance,” Bupathi told reporters on the sidelines of the first practice session of the team at the Calcutta Gymkhana Club. He further added that, I think my boys are experienced enough that when Davis Cup comes into play ranking is not really a factor. They have all played at the highest level now, both Ramkumar (Ramantahan) and Prajnesh (Gunneswaran) have played Grand Slams and Tour events.Talking about his personal experience as a Davis Cup player, he said that when I was playing Davis Cup, if I played a top ranked player, it was different for me because I was always competing at the challenger level. But with these guys, I don’t think ranking plays a factor. I think they actually truly believe that they are capable of beating them (the opposition) if they play well.

Bhupathi spoke highly of India number one and world ranked 109 Prajnesh Gunneswaran who has improved 200 ranking places in two years, while he termed world number 131 Ramkumar Ramanathan as “super dangerous”. Prajnesh qualified for his first Grand Slam (Australian Open) so he’s on an all time high, confidence wise. He’s had an amazing breakthrough year last year. He’s a late bloomer because of injury but he’s definitely brimming with confidence.

The 23-year-old Ramkumar finished runner-up in his first final on the ATP World Tour in Newport, Rhode Island, in June last year. On these courts, Ram is going to be super dangerous. We all saw what he did in Newport last year, he made the final and he should have won the title. So we’re positive. It’s definitely an advantage to have a quality left-hander on your team. We’ve never had that ever as far as I can remember. Two years ago when we brought him in, there was a strategic reason for that. It wasn’t because at that time he was ranked 350, but we wanted a lefty and it worked for us. Bhupathi said having a quality left-hander in Prajnesh makes a big difference.

Italy will be without their top player Fabio Fognini but they still have two players in top 50 — Marco Cecchinato (18) and Andreas Seppi (35) along with Matteo Berrettini (54), Thomas Fabbiano (102), doubles world number 88 Simone Bolelli.

But Fognini’s absence will not make it any easier for India, Bhupathi said. They got two guys in the top 50, so I don’t think the equation changes for us. We don’t have one guy in the top 100.

Asked about the shortened format, Bhupathi said: Better or worse, I don’t know it’s better for India. When you’re trying to upset a team like Italy, obviously beating them in two sets versus three sets is easier asked for me, for my boys. In general sports around the world are trying to get shorter for TV. In the Australian Open, there’s a super tiebreaker in the men’s singles now, Wimbledon is changing. So yeah, I think everyone will learn to live with it. And it’s the way forward in sport.

India have beaten Italy only once in five Davis Cup ties, and that happened at the very same South Club courts in Kolkata back in 1985. Asked if India are the favourites to beat the Italians on grass, he said: “If it was that simple, then the Italians wouldn’t have shown up. They would have stayed back at home.”

Bhupathi is yet to see the South Club courts but coach Zeeshan Ali went there in the morning. He (Zeeshan) is really happy, he likes what he saw. It’s still a long way to go, we only get practice there Monday onwards. Personally I’m very excited. I made my debut in Calcutta. I played a lot of ties here. That time grass was the choice. Obviously there’s a lot of tradition of tennis here.

Mumbai’s heritage Flora Fountain to be unveiled tomorrow

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January 23, 2019

As the restoration of the iconic Flora Fountain in South Mumbai has been completed, the monument is set to be unveiled on Thursday, civic officials said.

However, the work of giving a facelift to the area around the heritage structure and landscaping will take another few months to complete, they said.

“The restoration of Flora Fountain, named after Flora, the mythological Roman goddess of flowers, has been completed and it would be formally thrown open for public viewing on Thursday,” a senior civic official said.

Noted architect Vikas Dilawari, who is overseeing the project on behalf of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said the restoration work was divided into two parts.

“The first part of the restoration work of the main monument is now complete. It will be opened for public viewing tomorrow. The second part of the restoration work involves upgradation of the surrounding and landscaping, which will take another few months,” he said.

The work to renovate the 153-year-old Gothic Revival architecture was given to the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) by the BMC in September 2016. However, the organisation had stopped the work towards the end of 2017 due to paucity of funds. The restoration work resumed in March 2018.

Flora Fountain is an ornamentally and exquisitely sculpted architectural heritage monument located in the Fort business district in the heart of the southern part of the city. Built in 1864, the decorated structure is a fusion of water, architecture and sculpture depicting the Roman goddess Flora.

India to remain fastest-growing economy in 2019, 2020: UN report

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January 23, 2019

According to the UN’s World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2019, India’s GDP growth is expected to accelerate to 7.6 per cent in 2019-20 from an estimated 7.4 per cent in the current fiscal ending March 2019. The growth rate may come down to 7.4 per cent a year later. India will continue to remain the world’s fastest-growing large economy in 2019 as well as in 2020, much ahead of China, a UN report said on Wednesday.

In the case of China, the growth is estimated to decelerate to 6.3 per cent in 2019 from 6.6 per cent in 2018. It may further go down to 6.2 per cent in 2020.

“Growth (in India) continues to be underpinned by robust private consumption, a more expansionary fiscal stance and benefits from previous reforms.

“Yet, a more robust and sustained recovery of private investment remains crucial to lift the medium-term growth,” WESP report said.

Referring to China, it said the growth is expected to moderate from 6.6 per cent in 2018 to 6.3 per cent in 2019, with policy support partly offsetting the negative impact of trade tensions.

The report further said the global economy would continue to grow at a steady pace of around 3 per cent in 2019 and 2020 amid signs that global growth has peaked.

However, a worrisome combination of development challenges could further undermine growth, it added.

The report also highlighted that global trade tensions pose a threat to the economic outlook.

Amid the rise in global trade tensions, world trade growth moderated over the course of 2018 to 3.8 per cent from growth of 5.3 per cent in 2017.

While tensions have materially impacted some specific sectors, stimulus measures and direct subsidies have so far offset much of the direct economic impacts on China and the US, it said.

“But a prolonged escalation of trade tensions could severely disrupt the global economy,” WESP report said.

Directly impacted sectors have already witnessed rising input prices and delayed investment decisions.

These impacts, it said, can be expected to spread through global value chains, particularly in East Asia. Slower growth in China and the United States could also reduce the demand for commodities, affecting commodity exporters from Africa and Latin America.

Never assaulted ex-wife Amber Heard: claims Johnny Depp

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January 23, 2019

Johnny Depp has filed new legal documents apparently supporting his claims that he never laid a hand on ex-wife Amber Heard. The 55-year-old actor is also suing The Sun for defamation after an article in the UK-based newspaper referred to him as “wife-beater”.

Through the lawsuit, Depp is also contesting Heard’s accusations that he threw a phone at her face before repeatedly hitting her in an alleged May 21, 2016 incident. In a statement to E! News, Depp’s attorney, Adam Waldman, said that today we filed a partial list of evidence that we will use to disprove the fraudulent underlying allegations against Mr Depp.

The evidence includes new witness statements that say numerous unnamed parties saw Heard in their apartment building on May 21 with no marks. The papers also include previous depositions from the responding officers, who said they did not see any injuries on Heard. However, Depp reportedly said of The Sun in the lawsuit that they must have made a positive decision to present a totally one-sided picture, leaving out my side of the story and pretending it either did not exist or was not worth considering.

A hearing for Depp’s lawsuit against The Sun is scheduled for February.

Gandhi family members being tested, rejected one by one: BJP leader

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January 23, 2019

The BJP in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday linked Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s fall in his party to the rise of Priyanka Gandhi, who has been put in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Congratulations to Priyanka Gandhi on her appointment and assignment. However, it is also an admission that in the Gandhi family, the dependence on Rahul is over. It is good that one by one Gandhi family members are being tested in Indian politics and are being rejected. Now is the turn of Priyanka Gandhi, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and UP minister Siddharth Nath Singh said.

He said that Rahul Gandhi’s fall is the rise of Priyanka Gandhi in the Congress. The minister also said that Priyanka Gandhi can be judged from her management so far of the Rae Bareli constituency, where he claimed no development has taken place. Singh, who is also the UP government spokesperson, was commenting on the appointment of Priyanka Gandhi as the Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh East.

Jyotiraditya Scindia was made the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary for UP West. Amethi and Rae Bareli, the two Gandhi family bastions, fall in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Welcoming his sister’s entry into active politics, Rahul Gandhi said that he is very happy that she will assist him in the Lok Sabha polls. He also called Jyotiraditya Scindia a dynamic youth leader.

None better than Harendra as India coach: Sandeep Singh

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January 23, 2019

Former captain Sandeep Singh on Wednesday slammed the frequent change of coaches in Indian hockey, asserting that there was none better for the job than the recently-removed Harendra Singh.

Harendra was sacked as India coach earlier this month following a disappointing 2018 and offered another stint with the junior squad. He became the sixth coach to be sacked in as many years.

“You can’t be changing coaches this frequently. The crucial Olympic qualifier (FIH Series Finals in June) is ahead of us and we should not be experimenting too much. I don’t think I have worked with a better coach than Harendra sir,” Sandeep said at the launch of Flickers Brothers hockey academy, his joint venture with brother Bikramjeet.

“There are a few coaches (in India) who can coach at the highest level and Harendra paaji is one of them. He should have been given more time.

“Any new coach takes about six months to adjust to the system and players also need time to understand his methods. The team doesn’t have that kind of time (ahead Olympic qualifiers),” he said.

India have had a variety of foreign coaches and Harendra helming the national team was a rarity in recent times. But he could not even last 12 months after taking charge, following the team’s medal-less showing at the Commonwealth Games in April.

Hockey India has invited fresh applications for the post and Sandeep, who was best known for his ferocious drag-flicks, feels an Indian coach will be most beneficial for the team.

“There is no language barrier and more importantly, you don’t hesitate while interacting with an Indian coach. Indian coaches are strict on the field but off the field they take very good care of you,” he explained.

The phenomenon of dropping players without giving them ample opportunities is another aspect that bogs down Indian coaches, said Sandeep.

The biggest worry for the national team, according to Sandeep, is lack of world-class goalkeepers.

“My biggest worry is when P R Sreejesh retires, who will be replace him? I don’t see anyone matching up to his standards. We have to prepare goalkeepers. Strikers and drag-flickers keep coming but not goalkeepers. I hope he plays for another five to seven years.”

He concluded by saying that the head coach should be involved in selection matters as is the case with top foreign teams like the Netherlands and Germany.

Saina wins; Praneeth, Subhankar lose in Indonesia Masters

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January 23, 2019

India’s Saina Nehwal struggled her way into the second round but compatriots B Sai Praneeth and Subhankar Dey failed to cross the opening hurdle at the USD 350,000 Indonesia Masters on Wednesday.

Eighth seeded Saina, who had reached the semifinals last week at the Malaysia Masters, recovered from a first-game loss to secure a 7-21 21-16 21-11 win over local hope Dinar Dyah Ayustine, ranked 50th. It was Saina’s third win over Ayustine.

The 28-year-old from Hyderabad will next face another Indonesian Fitriani Fitriani, against whom she has a 4-0 head-to-head record.

National champions Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy also dished out a fighting game to notch up a 14-21 21-19 21-15 win over Denmark’s Mads Pieler Kolding and Niclas Nohr in the men’s doubles.

In the men’s singles, 2017 Singapore Open champion Praneeth was sent packing 12-21 16-21 by Olympic champion Chen Long of China in 40 minutes, while Subhankar, who had won his maiden title at SaarLorLux Open in Germany last year, fought hard before going down 14-21 21-19 15-21 against former World champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy also bowed out of the competition, losing 14-21 14-21 to Thailand’s Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai in the women’s doubles opener.

India beat New Zealand by 8 wickets in first ODI

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January 23, 2019

India beat New Zealand by 8 wickets in the first One-Day International to take 1-0 lead in the five match series on Wednesday.

Electing to bat, New Zealand were bundled out for 157 at the McLean Park. In reply, India reached the revised target of 156 in 34.5 overs.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan top-scored for the visitors with a fine 75 off 103 balls.

Skipper Kane Williamson was the highest scorer for the hosts with his 64-run knock.

Ola, Uber fares: HC asks Maha govt to decide in 8 weeks

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January 23, 2019

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Maharashtra government to take a decision within eight weeks on a 2017 report submitted by a state-appointed committee to fix fares for app-based cab aggregators Ola and Uber.

In October 2016, the state government had constituted a four-member committee under the chairmanship of retired IAS officer B C Khatua to decide on the minimum and maximum fare structure for companies like Ola and Uber.

The committee had in September 2017 submitted an exhaustive report to the government. But, till date, the government has not taken a final decision on the committee’s report and recommendations.

A division bench of Justices B P Dharmadhikari and Revati Mohite Dere on Wednesday noted that the issue has been pending since then.

“We direct the state government to take a suitable decision on the report within a period of eight weeks,” the court ordered.

The bench was hearing petitions filed by Uber India Ltd, Ola Ltd and six drivers plying cabs with these two companies, challenging the Maharashtra City Taxi Rules implemented by the state government in 2017.

When the petition was heard in November 2017, the government had said it would go through the committee’s report and take a final decision soon. The government said until then it would not take any coercive steps against taxi drivers under the rules.

The petitioners, however, claimed that the rules were arbitrary and bad in law.

“According to the rules, app-based taxis will not be allowed to ply within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region on a national tourist permit. The drivers will have to obtain local permits and will not be allowed to ply on their national tourist permits,” the drivers had said in their petition.

“Obtaining local permits will cost private taxi drivers and owners 10 times more than what it costs the drivers of ‘black and yellow’ taxis,” it added.

The government in its affidavit filed then had said it was pertinent to regulate the operations of mobile application -based cab operators such as Ola and Uber in order to foil their “predatory, monopolistic, and exploitative” business tactics.

The government said the implementation of its new rules was crucial to bring about a level playing field for all cab operators in the city, and to ensure better services to commuters.

Final hearing on pleas against Maratha quota from Feb 6: HC

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January 23, 2019

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said that it would commence final hearing from February 6 into a bunch of petitions challenging the Maharashtra government’s decision of granting 16 per cent quota to Maratha community in state-run jobs and education.

The state government shall till then not make any appointment in any of its departments under the new legislation, the court said.

A division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre said it would decide on January 28 whether the petitioners should be given the entire copy of the report on Maratha quota submitted by the Backward Classes Commission or a truncated version.

Government counsel V A Thorat and state Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni had expressed apprehensions over giving the entire report to the petitioners.

“We are ready to submit the entire report, running into 4,000 pages to the court. However, there are some 20 pages in the report pertaining to Maratha community’s history which we do not wish to put in public domain. We fear it would create communal tension and law and order problem,” Kumbhakoni said.

The bench directed the state to submit the whole report to the court on Wednesday.

“We will peruse it and then decide on January 28 whether the petitioners should get the whole report or a truncated version,” Justice More said.

“We will start the final hearing into the petitions from February 6. The state government shall till that date continue its statement that no appointments would be made,” the court said.

On the last date of hearing on December 19, 2018, Thorat had made a statement on behalf of the government that no appointments shall be made till January 23.

Thorat on Wednesday told the court that the government was not willing to continue with this statement.

“There is a massive backlog of vacancies in government jobs which needs to be filled immediately. We will make appointments, but they shall be subject to final orders of this court,” he said.

The bench, however, rebuked Thorat and said if the government was not willing to continue its statement, the court would be compelled to pass orders.

Thorat then agreed to continue the statement till February 6.

The bench was hearing a bunch of petitions on the Maratha quota issue.

While few of the petitions challenged the government’s decision to provide 16 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to the Maratha community, several others were filed in support of it.

On November 30, 2018, the Maharashtra legislature had passed a Bill proposing 16 per cent reservation in education and government jobs for the Marathas, declared as socially and educationally backward class by the government.

The government had last week filed its affidavit in the petitions and justified its decision by saying that it was meant to alleviate the community from its social and economic backwardness.

Marathas, a politically-influential community constituting around 30 per cent of the state’s population, have been demanding reservation in jobs and education.