Latest news with #PTIBhasha
NDTV
16-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Fauja Singh's Last Wish Was To Spend Rest Of His Life In Britain
New Delhi/Jalandhar: World's oldest marathon runner Fauja Singh wanted to spend the rest of his life in Britain. His last wish could not be fulfilled. Fauja Singh, who had come to Punjab in 2015 for a sports event, had spoken to PTI Bhasha in an exclusive conversation at his house in Beas. "Here (Punjab), there are bad elements everywhere. Police cannot do anything. No one knows when they will stab, rob and hit someone and run away. This is not the case in London. That is why I want to spend my last time there," Singh had then said. The 114-year-old was proven right when he went for a walk on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway in his village Monday afternoon and died in a horrific road accident. A decade ago, Fauja asserted his youthfulness. "I can never accept that I am old. I can walk faster and farther than you. As far as the last moments are concerned, the most suitable place is Britain." Fauja Singh expressed regret for never being able to win any medals for India. Dressed in his house wearing a Pathani kurta and pyjama, Fauja Singh had said during the interview, "I will always regret that whenever I ran, and whatever medals I won, not even one of them was for India. People kept calling me a British runner. I did not like this. But what can I do? I have become a British citizen." Showing his medals with a sigh, Fauja said, "I wish I could win a medal for my country. I have won all these, but it is of no use to me because not a single medal is for India." The passion for running flowed like blood in his veins. "Until I run, I don't feel healthy." In 2015, Fauja, who was 104 years old at the time, revealed the secret of his health. "I am healthy and completely fit, the main reason for this is - pinni and Dil-i Khushi (contentment). I am always happy and eat Punjabi 'pinni' every day." "After eating pinni, I drink a glass of lukewarm water. I drink a glass of milk before sleep at night, and I make sure to eat curd in every season. Wherever I live, here (India) or there (Britain), I eat these things and am always happy. This is the biggest secret of my health," he said. Fauja Singh, who took up running in his early eighties, said, "I cannot live even a day without Pinni. I need it every day. But now Punjab has joined the race of modernity, and pinni, for which it is most famous, is not available here." The veteran marathoner added, "A better pinni is found in England. It is a cold country. People of Punjab living there also like pinni. It is easily digested." He also gave fitness advice to the correspondent, saying, "Kaaka! If you also want to stay fit, then eat pinni every day." 'Pinni' is a very popular Punjabi sweet which is made from ghee, wheat flour, gum and dry fruits. Singh, who retired from running in 2012 after running a half marathon in Hong Kong, said, "After turning 100, they don't allow you to run the marathon. Many times, while running, there is a fear of falling." Explaining the reason behind being attracted to running in his eighties, Fauja Singh said, "About 22 years ago, my elder son died in a road accident. I was so sad, almost lifeless. Meanwhile, my daughter took me to London with her. One of my sons also lives there." Fauja Singh, who was going to turn 104 in April, said, "Amrik Singh Dhillon, a resident of Bathinda living in London, inspired me to run for charity for the first time. After this, I ran once, and never stopped." He added, "After my son's death, I went into depression. I used to sit in the park there. Around that time, I met Amrik, and he asked me to run."
Hans India
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Aslam Sher Khan unhappy as revival of Obaidullah Cup hits roadblock
New Delhi: Former hockey player Aslam Sher Khan is baffled why the Obaidullah Cup tournament is not been given the kind of treatment it deserves since it was a 'part of Bhopal's heritage.' Khan, hero of India's World Cup win in 1975, alleged that apathy of Madhya Pradesh government officials is affecting the revival of the tournament. He informed that a committee formed under his chairmanship of Aslam sent e-mails to the state sports director and Bhopal's commissioner but did not receive any response. 'This is not just a hockey tournament but a part of Bhopal's heritage. We formed the organising committee after taking permission from Hockey India to revive it this year and it was to be held in May but despite repeated contacts, there was no response from the state government,' Khan told PTI Bhasha. He said that the tournament was earlier scheduled to be held from April 14 but due to the repair of the Aishbagh stadium, it was decided to hold it on May 22. 'We had invited 12 teams who had confirmed their participation, including Army XI, Railway Sports Promotion Board, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Uttar Pradesh, Hockey Jharkhand.' The Obaidullah Cup, which shaped the careers of several international players like Ehsan Muhammad, Latifur Rehman, Akhtar Hussain, Inam-ur-Rehman, Syed Jalaluddin Rizvi and Sameer Dad, began in 1931 under the patronage of the Nawab of Bhopal State. Khan, a former Congress MP from Betul, said that this tournament has suffered due to the internal disputes between Madhya Pradesh Hockey and Bhopal Hockey Association. 'By implementing the Indian Olympic Association's one state, one unit formula, the recognition of Bhopal Hockey Association along with other organisations was revoked, although it was a founding member of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) since 1925. The headquarters of MP Hockey shifted to Jabalpur, which had no interest in the Obedulla Cup,' he alleged. Hockey India sources said that permission was indeed given to organise the tournament, but the responsibility of organizing it lies with the All India Obedulla Khan Cup Hockey Tournament Committee.
NDTV
03-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Pakistan Hockey Team Must Play In India And India Should Reciprocate: Ex-Captain Rehan Butt
Describing the sports ministry's decision, which has paved the way for the Pakistan hockey team's participation in two major multi-nation tournaments here, as a "positive step", former Pak captain Rehan Butt said the Indian team should also cross the border in future and play in his country. A source in the Indian sports ministry said on Thursday that Pakistani hockey teams will be allowed to compete in next month's Asia Cup and the subsequent Junior World Cup. While the Asia Cup is scheduled in Rajgir, Bihar from August 27 to September 7, the Junior World Cup will be organised in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. "I think it is a very positive step. I don't know what our government decides but my personal opinion is that sports should be kept away from politics and the Pakistan hockey team should definitely go and play in India," Butt, who has represented Pakistan in three Olympics and two World Cups, told PTI Bhasha from Pakistan. "Someone should have taken the first step and if the Pakistan team goes to India, then in future India should also cross the border to play here," added the ace forward, who was a member of 2010 Asian Games gold-winning Pakistan team. India and Pakistan have been avoiding bilateral sporting engagements after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks but even multi-lateral face-offs were in doubt after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were gunned down in April. In May, India retaliated with Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, leading to a tense military showdown. Rehan, known for his play-making and goal-scoring skills, also feels that the two countries playing against each other is very important for the popularity of Asian hockey. "Hockey lovers in the sub-continent love to watch aggressive and artistic hockey of these arch-rivals. The Indian hockey team has won consecutive Olympic bronze medals and has improved immensely in the last 8-10 years. Now, they are aiming to win an Olympic gold. Pakistan hockey is also trying to regain its old glory but for that it is necessary to play in the World Cup and the Olympics," he said. Rehan, who has played a lot of hockey in India, was the architect of Bangalore Lions' title win in the Premier Hockey League (PHL) in 2006. He also captained the Chandigarh team in the unsanctioned World Series Hockey in India. He came to India as part of the Pakistan coaching staff during the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai last year and the 2018 World Cup in Bhubaneswar. "India always felt like a second home to me because it was the same culture, the same language and everything was the same. When we played in Europe, we used to miss home but in India it felt like home. I have always received a lot of love in India and I've enjoyed playing in Punjab," said Rehan.
NDTV
03-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Waiting For Ministry Confirmation, But Good Decision To Give Pakistan The Nod: Dilip Tirkey
Former Indian hockey captain and Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey on Thursday welcomed the government's decision to allow the Pakistani team from playing in the upcoming multi-nation tournaments in India, though he said he was yet to get an official confirmation from the sports ministry. A ministry source said on Thursday that Pakistan's hockey teams will not be stopped from competing in next month's Asia Cup and the subsequent Junior World Cup in India as any move to block the arch-foes from multilateral competitions in the country would be a violation of the Olympic Charter. While the Asia Cup is scheduled in Rajgir, Bihar from August 27 to September 7, the Junior World Cup will be organised in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. "We have not received official information yet and I am also hearing this from the media. But if the government has given approval, then it is a very good decision for hockey," the three-time Olympian, who played 412 matches for the country, told PTI Bhasha. "India is going to host two important tournaments. The Asia Cup will be held in Rajgir and the Junior World Cup in Chennai and Madurai, and Pakistan is one of the participating countries," said the veteran full back, who was called "the wall of Indian Hockey" in his playing days. A former Rajya Sabha MP from the Biju Janata Dal, Tirkey also said that hockey matches between India and Pakistan are good for the promotion of the game because people love to watch the Asian giants play against each other. "This is good publicity for the game and it will also be good for the success of the tournament," he said. "We are making our preparations. After the recent tensions between the two countries, this will probably be the first visit of any team from Pakistan to India, so tight security measures will be put in place accordingly," he said. He added that there has been no talk with the Pakistan Hockey Federation at the moment with regard to the participation of their teams. "There is no recent communication but obviously they are a participant country and we will communicate once the picture is clear," he said. Recalling the India-Pakistan hockey matches during his playing days, Tirkey said that despite the on-field rivalry, there used to be camaraderie among the players. "When I started, our team had legends like Pargat Singh, Dhanraj Pillay and the Pakistani team had stars like Shahbaz Senior, Tahir Zaman, after which players like Sohail Abbas, Wasim Ahmed, Shakeel Abbasi came. There was great rivalry between the two teams on the field but there was friendship off the field," he said.
Hindustan Times
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Children need rich and deep literature, not childish: Hindi writer Sushil Shukla
New Delhi, Hindi writer Sushil Shukla on Wednesday expressed gratitude for being named the winner for Sahitya Akademi's Bal Sahitya Puraskar and said that today children need rich and deep literature, not childish. Shukla, along with 23 others, has been named the winner for the prestigious children's literature award. "We should try that children's literature, stories, poems should not remain only for children. Its subject should be such that people of every age can communicate with them," Shukla told PTI Bhasha over the phone from Bhopal. He added that the winning story collection "Ek Batey Barah" has been written in such a way that readers of every age feel connected to it and return with different meanings for themselves. Shukla, who has been associated with children's literature for the last 18 years, is the director of Ektara, Takshila's Children's Literature and Art Center, and is also the co-editor of two children's magazines - "Pluto" and "Cycle". Talking about the award, he appreciated that the academy has established an award "in a somewhat ignored area like children's literature". "This is an award for the thought that rich and deep literature is necessary for children and not childish literature," he added. The editor of "Chakmak", Shukla was awarded the "Harikrishna Devasare Bal Sahitya Award" for "Ek Batey Barah" in 2024. Hindi tribal poet Parvati Tirkey has been named the recipient for the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar. "Kaavya Karma is actually an attempt to communicate through poems and I am happy that this dialogue has been honoured," she said. Tirkey, who hails from the Kudukh tribal community of Jharkhand, will receive the award for her poetry collection "Phir Ugna". "Phir Ugna" is Tirkey's first poetry work, which was published by Radhakrishna Prakashan in the year 2023. The poems of this collection are "written in simple, truthful and sensitive language, which feels like a direct dialogue to the reader". In these poems, the earth, trees, birds, moon, stars and forests are not mere symbols - they are present within the poem as a living world. Tirkey makes the experiences of tribal life a part of her poems while underlining the ongoing tension between the pressure of modern civilisation and the will to live of the tribal culture. The awardees will receive a cash prize of ₹50,000 along with a copper-plaque at a special ceremony on a later date.
