Six city shuttlers enter second round of state c'ship
Ayan Khan, Hannan Ali, Atharva Yadav, Rishit Sahney, Prakhar Maurya and Aman Yadav won their first round matches easily, while around half a dozen other local players lost their matches and were ousted from the race. As many as 275 badminton players from all over the state are participating in the championship, which has a prize money of Rs one lakh.
Chief guest Rajneesh Kumar (GM State Bank of India), Arun Pathak (MLC), Bhanu Prasad (RSO, Green park) and Sanjeev Pathak, president UPTTA, inaugurated the four-day event. The chief guest planted saplings. All present there took oath to protect the saplings. tnn
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Khalid Jamil, India's new coach
Khalid Jamil PANAJI: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has cleared the path for Khalid Jamil to take over as coach of the national football team. Should Jamil — currently coaching Jamshedpur FC — agree to the terms offered by the AIFF in the next 24 to 48 hours, he will become the first Indian as full-time coach since Sukhvinder Singh in 2005. Two other Indians, Armando Colaco and Savio Medeira, held interim charges, following the sacking of Bob Houghton in 2011. 'It was felt the federation must give an opportunity to an Indian coach,' the AIFF said after its executive committee meeting on Friday. 'The members felt that since India are set to participate in the CAFA Nations Cup this month, followed by back-toback AFC Asian Cup final round qualifiers (against Singapore in October), Jamil would be a better option, since he has been working with Indian players on a regular basis. ' AIFF technical director Syed Sabir Pasha and national teams director Subrata Paul presented a SWOT analysis of all the three shortlisted coaches – Jamil, Stephen Constantine, and Stefan Tarkovic. While the mood was in favour of an Indian coach, a 'strong recommendation' from technical committee chairperson and former India captain IM Vijayan helped members decide. In its presentation, AIFF said Jamil's playing style is easy for the players to adapt, and that he is 'known to create teams that are hard to score against.' An AFC pro coaching license holder since 2015, the 48-yearold has managed over 200 games in the I-League with stints at clubs like Mumbai FC, Aizawl FC – with whom he scripted a fairytale I-League triumph – East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. In the Indian Super League (ISL), now the top-tier league, he has guided NorthEast United FC and Jamshedpur to the semifinals, despite being teams with much lower budgets. Jamil's teams are known to be disciplined and well drilled. It's no secret either that he likes to work with a core group of players who he has trusted through his career, none of them big names or superstars. 'At Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, two of the biggest clubs Khalid has managed, he was never really successful,' said Pradhyum Reddy, Dempo's technical director who has formerly coached in both I-League and ISL. 'The question is whether he can manage the egos (in the national team dressing room) or get rid of the egos.' Others feel Jamil's lack of experience with international football can prove to be challenging. 'Khalid was the best option among the three coaches who were shortlisted. But purely from a technical point of view, it's not the best appointment,' said Reddy. Many feel the AIFF were left with no choice than make a domestic coach appointment due to the precarious state of its finances. The budgets, according to sources, have been approved only till December, when the 15-year agreement with its marketing partners comes to an end. 'Without an assured annual payment of Rs 50 crore (from the marketing partners), AIFF will be left with nothing. At times like these, hiring an experienced Indian coach makes perfect sense,' said one member. AIFF sources said the plan is to offer Jamil a two-year contract with a one-year extension clause. Neither party is in favour of a dual club-andcountry role. THE RESUME ● Youngest Indian coach to win the I-League. ● Most number of matches in I-League by any coach. ● First full-time Indian coach in ISL, with NorthEast United and now Jamshedpur. ● Guided Aizawl FC to a historic I-League title in 2017, finishing a point ahead of Mohun Bagan. ● Reached ISL semifinals with NorthEast and Jamshedpur. Super Cup finalist with East Bengal (2018) and Jamshedpur (2025). ● Made his national team debut in 1997 in a SAFF Cup match against Bangladesh in Kathmandu. ● Played 15 matches for India till his retirement in 2006 due to injuries. ASSIGNMENTS IN 2025 CAFA Nations Cup Aug 29: Tajikistan vs India Sept 1: India vs Iran Sept 4: Afghanistan vs India AFC Asian Cup qualifiers Oct 9: Singapore vs India Oct 14: India vs Singapore Nov 18: Bangladesh vs India Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
‘Maybe we can get a bigger stage next time': Magnus Carlsen wins 1st ever chess title at Esports World Cup
Magnus Carlsen won the chess event at the Esports World Cup at Riyadh after defeating Alireza Firouzja in the final. Thanks to Carlsen's victory, his outfit at the Esports World Cup, Team Liquid, took the lead in the overall championship standings. And right after creating history, Carlsen with a grin told the Esports World Cup organisers that maybe next time the chess event could be held on an 'even bigger stage'. 'I'm very, very, very happy. A little bit relieved as well, like there was a point in the second set where I just felt like I let him (Alireza) back in the match for for no reason. But overall, I'm happy with the way that I played and especially the way that I pressured him on the clock,' Carlsen said after winning the title. 'Not only playing, but also watching the others. It's been an amazing show. Um like unlike anything that I've seen so far. It's just been a joy and I really hope that this is a big part of the future for for chess.' Carlsen added: 'One more thing, maybe we can get on an even bigger stage next time cause it seems like there was enough enough people who wanted to get in. But it's been awesome. I'm really thankful to the EWC for believing in chess, for Team Liquid for believing in me as well.' After the win, Carlsen was whisked away by the organisers in a golf buggy to another venue where he was handed a triangular key to insert in a totem to cement his name as a Esports World Cup champion. Asked at the press conference if he will be back next year, Carlsen said with a smile: 'As long as I know how the pieces move, I will try (to play) and do my very best in the in the EWC for years to come.' — Team Liquid (@TeamLiquid) August 1, 2025 Carlsen was also offered the chance to pick triangular keys of any three players from the 16-player chess tournament to add to his trophy. He said he would pick the two Falcon players he defeated in the semis and final — Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza — but was open to suggestions about the third one. 'New ground conquered, it's been an absolute thrill and joy from start to finish,' Carlsen posted on his X account after taking the title and an eyewatering prize money cheque of $250,000 (approximately Rs 2.1 crore). The final match of chess' debut at the Esports World Cup was held as a best of three sets event: three four-game sets. The third set was never needed as Carlsen defeated Firouzja 2-0 with identical 3-1 victories in the first two sets. This year, Carlsen has already won the Norway Chess tournament in the classical format and the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz tournament in Zagreb besides winning one leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour earlier this year.
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First Post
4 hours ago
- First Post
Khalid Jamil's appointment by AIFF reeks of helplessness, but history-making coach has proven to be anomaly
Khalid Jamil's appointment as head coach of the Indian football team by the AIFF reeks of desperation from a cash-strapped organisation that has previously failed with similar experiments. But Jamil's extraordinary capabilities could yet prove the AIFF right. read more Khalid Jamil becomes the first Indian head coach of the men's football team since 2012. Image: ISL The All India Football Federation (AIFF) news story announcing the return of an Indian as the runs six paragraphs, including the names of the president, vice-president, Executive Committee (EC) and Technical Committee (TC) members, but there's no information of the contract tenure offered to Khalid Jamil. Possibly, the terms are yet to be agreed upon. However, the AIFF clearly mentions that Jamil has been appointed by the TC, not just picked, which suggests that a basic agreement is already in place, and the Jamshedpur FC coach has given the green light to take up the challenging job. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So, either the contract length has not been decided, or AIFF is probably looking to play a short-term game before offering a new deal to Jamil next year. How can we say that? More from Football The budget for the 2025-26 season was passed by the AIFF Executive Committee only until December 2025 on 2 July. There are limitations, and a long-term contract most likely cannot be offered right now. It makes sense now, right? Why was Khalid picked over Constantine? But what about his appointment in the first place? How did the 48-year-old AFC Pro Licensee beat former India coach , the Anglo-Cypriot, who took India to the 2019 Asian Cup and helped them beat Thailand in a group stage match – the Blue Tigers' first win at the continental tournament since 1964. Or, what about Stefan Tarkovic, the former Slovakian and Kyrgyzstan coach? Khalid, in comparison, is a pale shadow of the competitors he had. But here's where the story gets more interesting. The AIFF is not only struggling with the budget for the ongoing season but also has no agreement in place for Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) to run the Indian Super League (ISL); its annual revenue is on a rapid decline. It generated Rs 137 crore in income in 2022-23, followed by just Rs 110 crore in 2023-24, and was also required to pay approximately Rs 3.36 crore (around $400,000) to former India head coach Igor Stimac after terminating his contract two years before its scheduled end date. The AIFF Executive Committee, in the presence of the Technical Committee, has approved the appointment of Khalid Jamil as the new head coach of the Senior India Men's National Team.#IndianFootball ⚽️ — Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) August 1, 2025 The financial crisis forced AIFF to make a compromise with Manolo as he came on a deal where he continued his job at FC Goa in ISL. And we know how his tenure ended. . Manolo, the manager who was said to know everything about Indian football, a fan favourite, arguably popular among players, and a tactician believed to have the ability to get the best out of Indian players, won just one friendly out of eight games in charge of the Indian football team. His only win came against a semi-professional-looking Maldivian side. Also Read | The football India played under him was abysmal – the players looked shaky, the squad selection was questionable, the team environment was unruly, and the atmosphere during India's matches was unprofessional. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Yet, the AIFF has once again opted for a manager who has no international experience, but one who comes with a lot of guts and gumption. Khalid, as a coach, has always been a fighter, punching above his weight . But didn't India need a proven face when they were on the brink of elimination from the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers? Wasn't Constantine, who already had two terms with India, a better option? Congratulations #KhalidJamil As expected Khalid Jamil is the new Head Coach Indian National Men's Team #BlueTigers A bold decision by AIFF and Khalid himself to join hands at a time when the challenge is of highest level. Khalid becomes the first Indian coach after Savio… — Shaji Prabhakaran (@Shaji4Football) August 1, 2025 After all, Jamil has zero international experience. But that's not the case with Constantine. And then there was Tarkovic, who also had extensive international experience. Don't forget, managing the dressing room is probably the biggest challenge in the Indian team. Players come into the Indian locker room with their bags full of financial security – there's no greed for money. The only thing you need to kindle in them is the passion to play for the blue jersey, but coaches have often found that tough. Stimac was undone by the same issue at the end of his tenure. Marquez never got hold of anything before he desperately sought a way out. Jamil is an anomaly and maybe that worked for him It's important to point out that the language used by the AIFF announcing Jamil's appointment tells a story in itself. 'Mr. Colaco and Mr. Ali expressed their views that the AIFF should prioritise selecting an Indian coach for the senior men's national team,' the AIFF said. 'The AIFF Vice President Shri Haris, along with members such…opined that for the betterment of Indian football, the federation must give an opportunity to an Indian coach.' So, Jamil wasn't picked just because he was the most capable, but also because he is an Indian coach. Interesting! STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Just for your information, India's last three Asian Cup qualifications, dating to 2011, have come under foreign coaches. No Indian has coached India since 2012. Only four Indians have coached the Blue Tigers since the turn of the 21st century, and none of them have lasted for more than a year. So, why this lust for an Indian coach? Possibly because we are tired of all that has happened. Even though Marquez proved beyond doubt that just some good knowledge of the ISL or Indian players is not enough to match the standards of international football, the AIFF has once again taken a punt with a similar coach. 1 - Khalid Jamil is the only Indian manager to have managed 50+ games in the #ISL (72); he is also the only Indian manager to have registered multiple playoff wins in the competition (2). Choice. 📸: @IndSuperLeague#IndianFootball — OptaJeev (@OptaJeev) August 1, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The only difference is that Jamil is not Marquez. He is no washed-up Spaniard coach; Jamil is a trailblazer in his own right. The messiah of Mumbai FC, the history-maker at Aizawl FC, and the trend-setter in the ISL with NorthEast United FC and Jamshedpur. From being the first Indian coach to take an ISL side to the playoffs to being the first home manager to acquire a full-time job in the top division, Jamil has always been an anomaly. Disciplined team, non-nonsense defending, and well-drilled tactics have been Jamil's strengths across all teams, allowing him to extract the best from limited resources everywhere he has been. Possibly, that's why AIFF picked him, but that is not clear from their news story, nor has that ever been enough to coach India. But as I said, Jamil is an anomaly. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
