Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea ended runners-up at the ATP Gerry Weber Open following a surprise straight set defeat at the hands of Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram, here today.
The second-seeded Indo-Romanian pair lost the summit clash 6-7(5) 2-6 against the unseeded American-South African team in one hour and 12 minutes.
Bopanna and Mergea had come into the event after wining the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, last week.
They had advantage, following an early break but lost the momentum as well as their grip over the contest as the match progressed. They could not force a Match tie-breaker as they were outplayed in the second set.
They won 300 ranking points each and shared 50,880 as prize money for their effort. (PTI)
ANTWERP (BELGIUM), June 21:
World and Olympic champions The Netherlands and world No 2 Australia posted contrasting victories in the women’s hockey World League Semifinals, here today.
World Cup holders The Netherlands were made to work hard for their 2-1 victory by the robust South Korean defence, while Australia thrashed Poland 9-0.
The Dutch women clinched their second successive win in Pool -A due to a defensive error by South Korean defender Oh Sun-soon in the last quarter.
Oh’s clearance was intercepted by Ginella Zerbo, who darted into the scoring zone and sent a fine ball for Maria Vershoor to score the match-winner in the 47th minute.
The Dutch had taken the initial lead in the fifth minute when Eva de Goede shot into a open goal to finish off a risk counter-attack.
The Dutch lead did not last long as Park Seun-ga converted a penalty corner for South Korea four minutes later. Four goals by Jodie Kenny spurred World Cup silver medallists Australia, while five other players made one entry each on the score-sheet.
Starting with Australia’s first goal in the ninth minute, Kenny converted three penalty corners and then duly slotted in a penalty stroke for her four-goal feat. (PTI)
Shiv Sena leaders and activists protesting against waving of ISIS and Pakistan flags in Kashmir.
JAMMU, June 21: The State unit of Shiv Sena today staged a massive protest against the State Government for its failure to curb the anti-national activities.
Dozens of Shiv Sainiks led by State president Dimpy Kohli, chairman Rakesh Gupta, general secretary GI Singh, and working president Vikrant Kapoor assembled outside Shiv Sena Bhawan, Indra Chowk and raised anti-Government slogans.
Shiv Sena activists criticized the State Government for its ‘failure’ to curb the growing trend of waving of ISIS and Pakistan flags in Kashmir. They alleged that, since last three months of PDP-BJP Govt, the anti-national incidents have been increased and protesters day in or out wave flags of ISIS or Pakistan.
The protesters alleged that the State Government’s soft policy towards anti-national elements was pampering these activities, which ultimately damage the image of India in world. Shiv Sena urged the Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed, who is also Home Minister of State and Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh, to deal such miscreants with iron hands so that nobody dares to do this mistake again.
They asked the Government to book all the anti-national elements and initiate legal process against them. On some separatist leaders’ praise for Pakistan, Shiv Sena said that Government of India and Jammu and Kashmir should deport all of them to their favorite nation and Shiv Sena is ready to bear their travel expenses to Pakistan.
The other participants present in the protest were Avinash Bhatia, Saneep Shanji, Ganesh Choudhary, Vikas Patel, Ajay Khajuria, Kuleep, Bindu Singh, Ashwani, Rinku, Rohit Shawaney, Ashok, Anoop Trikha, Arjun Sharma and Vikas Malhotra.
Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, June 21: A villager was electrocuted when a live high-tension wire got broken from the tower and fell down in the fields at village Chandak today.
Reports said that suddenly a live electricity wire from a high tower got broken and fell into the fields. Two villagers working in the fields got trapped. While one of them was killed on the spot the other was seriously injured. The deceased was identified as Mushtaq Ahmed from the same village. Seriously injured, Irshad Ahmed was shifted to Poonch hospital and later referred to GMC Hospital, Jammu.
Later, villagers of the area came out on the road and started protest demonstration against the PDD authorities. They demanded action against the field staff of the PDD. The police party led by SHO reached the spot and pacified the agitating people. The road was then cleared after some time.
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 21: After a token pen down strike on Friday, the evaluators of Secondary School examinations, associated with J&K Board of School Education, have announced to boycott the forthcoming examinations if their demands are not conceded.
The demands of Secondary School Evaluators Association (Jammu), include enhancement of evaluation remuneration rates to Rs 20 per answer copy, enhancement of DA per day and checking assistance, cooling/ heating system in evaluation centres, water facility on the table of the evaluators, immediate payment of remuneration after the declaration of results, etc.
The Association president Shanti Saroop Sharma alleged discrimination with the secondary school evaluators, whose remunerations were not being increased despite enhancement of the remunerations of class 12th evaluators. He also lamented that despite increasing fees without consulting the parents of students, the BOSE was not paying dues of the evaluators timely.
A cloud of uncertainty prevailed over India’s forthcoming tour of Zimbabwe next month with the country’s cricket Board saying that the series could be postponed to next year if the ongoing issues between the BCCI and broadcaster Ten Sports are not resolved on time.
Zimbabwe Cricket said in a press release that it was hopeful of going ahead with India’s tour of the country next month and it was in constant contact with both the BCCI and Ten Sports to resolve the issues before the series.
India are scheduled to play three ODIs and two T20 Internationals in Zimbabwe from July 10.
“There have been reports that an issue over Zimbabwe Cricket’s broadcasting partner is threatening the forthcoming India tour to Zimbabwe. The position is that ZC is in constant contact with both the BCCI and Ten Sports, over issues which should be resolved before the tour,” the ZC release said.
“If the matters take too long to resolve, ZC and the BCCI might mutually agree to push the tour to next year,” ZC chairman Wilson Manase said in the release.
ZC said Manase and CEO Wilfred Mukondiwa will discuss these issues with their BCCI counterparts on the sidelines of the ICC Annual Conference, which will be held in Bridgetown, Barbados, from June 22 to 26.
The release also said that ZC was yet to approach the local immigration authorities for the facilitation of visas because the memorandum of understanding of the tour was still being worked out between the two Boards.
“Cricket is a national sport and ZC enjoys a cordial relationship with all relevant government offices so the acquisition of visas is not an issue. The substantive issues are what we will discuss in Barbados,” Manase said. (PTI)
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 21: A delegation of Baba Amarnath and Budha Amarnath Yatri Nyas (BABAYN) led by its president, Surinder Mohan Aggarwal met Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (MoS) in PMO regarding the recent problems arisen due to the taxes being charged at Lakhanpur.
Dr Jitendra Singh immediately intervened in the matter and approached the concern department and the vehicles carrying the langer material were given green flag and assured that there will be no such problem in future.
The law and order problem during the yatra and sanitation issue was discussed at large. The issue of number of langers decreased by Shrine Board was also discussed.
The delegation comprised of Karan Singh Charak, general secretary, Sudarshan Khajuria, general secretary, Shakti Dutt Sharma, organizing secretary, Deepak Sharma, secretary and Mahant Rohit Shastri.
Candidates appearing in CET-2015 for SKUAST-Jammu on Sunday.
JAMMU, June 21: The Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-J) conducted Combined Entrance Test (CET) – 2015, here today.
Total 1670 candidates appeared in the entrance test for admission to 123 undergraduate seats in Agriculture Sciences, Veterinary Sciences and Biotechnology.
Compared to CET -2014, there was a rise of 6 percent students appearing in CET 2015. In all 1780 students had applied for these three undergraduate programmes and only 6 percent of the applicants did not turn up for the entrance.
For the last three years, SKUAST Jammu has been conducting its own CET for admission to the professional undergraduate courses offered by it. CET 2015 was conducted at the university campuses at R S Pura and Chatha , and at Saint Peter’s Higher Secondary School Rani Bagh. The entrance test passed off without any untoward incident. The result of CET -2015 is expected to be announced within a week, said a handout, issued by SKUAST-J.
NEW DELHI, June 20:
As seat-sharing talks among allies in the two rival camps in poll-bound Bihar take concrete shape, it is Lalu Prasad-led RJD which will take on BJP in saffron strongholds, while the latter’s allies are likely to be pitted against JD(U) in most seats.
Sources in JD(U)-RJD combine said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s outfit will contest those seats it had won last time when it fought in alliance with BJP. Though RJD is likely to contest about as many seats as JD(U), it will get seats where BJP had won.
JD(U) had clinched 112 seats in 2010 Assembly election, BJP 94 and RJD only 22. Lalu will thus have the difficult task on hand contesting seats it had lost last time, while JD(U) will battle to retain those already in its kitty.
NDA sources said BJP will field nominees in almost all seats it had won besides some more, leaving anywhere between 55 and 70 seats for its allies like Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP, Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP and its new partner and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Aawam Morcha.
Almost all the seats the saffron party will spare for its allies are those that had been won by JD(U) last time.
BJP sources said their development plank coupled with the argument that vote for Nitish-Lalu combine may see the return of ‘Jungle Raj’, a reference to alleged “misrule” of 15 years under the RJD boss and his wife Rabri Devi, will resonate more in seats where RJD candidates will be put up.
“Nitish Kumar is also talking about development and he has a certain record to back his claim… Lalu’s campaign will be mostly about his old secularism and social justice agenda which we have successfully countered earlier and can do again,” a BJP leader said.
The concern for BJP is, however, that Lalu’s core support base of Yadavs and Muslims is bigger and cohesive and has mostly stood by him even in the worst of times. Kumar’s base is relatively small but he believes his track record in governance will win him votes across communities. (PTI)
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, June 21: Commissioner Secretary Finance, Navin K Choudhary visited the Toll Plaza at Lakhanpur and reviewed the functioning of Excise and Commercial Taxes Department.
Accompanied by T Angchuk, Excise Commis-sioner, the Commissioner Secretary Finance issued directions to the functionaries at the Toll Plaza to put in their best efforts to achieve the fixed revenue targets. He instructed them to take requisite steps for ensuring smooth flow of vehicles carrying langar goods and yatries for Amarnathji Yatra.
He inspected the yatra facilitation counter set up by the Excise Department for speedy clearance of vehicle carrying langar goods. While inspecting different wings of the Toll Plaza, he directed the functionaries to submit the estimates of repair works so that renovation is taken up at an earliest. He exhorted for beautification of the Toll Plaza, which is the face of the State.
Rajesh Sharma, Deputy Excise Commissioner Toll Post Lakhanpur, while giving an overview of the functioning of the toll post, conveyed that there has been an increase of 12.93% ending May 2015, as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. Similarly an amount of Rs 3, 64000 has been recovered from tax evaders.
T K Bhat, Deputy Commissioner Check Post Lakhanpur gave an overview of the functioning of the Commercial Taxes Check Post.
