Bhubaneswar: In a bid to prepare for the karate event at the upcoming Asian Games, local girl Payal Baral is currently attending a training programme in Iran with 10 other Indian karatekas. The training is being conducted by the legendary Iranian coach Ahmad Safi.
Payal was selected for the second training stint on the basis of her good display in the first camp at Bhopal in April. Dilip Kumar Jena was also selected for the first camp, but missed it as he was suffering from a bad knee-injury.
“It’s a very good exposure for Payal. She is a talented karateka. Training under Safi will help for her. Safi is a world class coach and working with him Payal will definitely enhance her skills. She has every chance to be a part of the Asiad team,” Payal’s coach Hari Prasad Patnaik said, Wednesday.
Chess tourney
Cuttack District Chess Association (CDCA) will organise the State U-15 Chess Championships at the Shailabala Women’s College in Cuttack, June 4-6. Interested players should register their names with necessary documents by June 2.
“The tournament will be played in Open and Girls’ categories. The best 10 players from each category will be awarded prizes. Special prizes for each group will also be presented,” CDCA stated through a press release Wednesday.
13 selected
Odisha State Swimming Association (OSWA) selected Wednesday a 13-members state swimming squad for the upcoming National Swimming Championships at Pune, June 24-29. The swimmers were selected on the basis of their performances in the recently-concluded State Swimming Championships.
The squad: Bikash Haripal, Amiya Pradhan, Pratyasha Roy, Sonia Patel, Jadu Budek, Manoj Kumar Behera, Arpita Sahu, Dula Hansda, Vadra Sathpathy, Mannata Mishra, Mahika Mahakud, Sohana Barik and Anshika A Sahoo.
