When he was seven years old, Abhimanyu Yalamanchili lost his left hand in an elevator accident. Now 19, he has been a regular in the Andhra Pradesh junior teams for several years.
Since he has represented his state at the under-15, 17 and 19 levels, the sight of the paceman with one empty sleeve doesn’t surprise those on the age-group circuit in the region. But to those who see him for the first time, it is a huge surprise when the ball is tossed in Abhimanyu’s direction.
“The general perception is that I’m just travelling with the team, not as a member of the XI. But everyone gets a shock when they see me bowling or batting,” says Yalamanchili who took four wickets for Andhra during the under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy this season.
When he first decided to play serious cricket in his home town Bangalore, Yalamanchili encountered a series of problems. “Whenever I tried to bowl fast, I used to lose my balance and fall down,” he recalls.
He was given no chance by most coaches in the region. But one of them, Amit Pathak was convinced that Yalamanchili was ready to do the hard mile, and took him under his wing. “He introduced me to a physio Badrinath who prepared some special exercises for me. He made me work on my body to get the right balance while bowling and bat ting,” he says.
Later, Pathak altered his bowling action by reducing his run-up and the two spent long hours together to get his balance right. The revised action was straighter, with a modified follow-through. Fielding was a big problem area as well. “I knew that if I had to play top-level junior cricket, I had to improve myself in every aspect. During the off-season, I underwent rigorous fielding sessions,” says Yalamanchili.
After the flaws were ironed out, V Chamundeswaranath, secretary of the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) happened to spot him, and he was called for junior trials. “Let me make it clear that sympathy wasn’t a factor when I picked him. The boy had courage, willingness to excel,” says Chamundeswaranath.
Last season, the ACA sent Yalamanchili to Brisbane where he hammered 44 runs off 26 balls — five fours and a six included — against a club side in a Twenty20 match. “He is a good swing bowler and a fine fielder. Seeing his effort on the field, we all get a boost,” says Andhra under-19 skipper Shiva Kumar. “I think he is blessed.”
Be first to comment this article | Add as favourites (40) | Quote this article on your site | Views: 113
In yet another tragic incident, Rajiv Reddy Malladi (28), a MS Computer graduate from the City died in a train accident in the United States yesterday, reports reaching here said.
Rajiv Reddy, who hailed from Hyderabad, completed his MS Computer Science and was residing in an apartment in New York.
“Rajiv Reddy died in a train accident on Monday at around 9.30 a.m at the 40th street, Sunnyside of New York.
He was a bright student and graduated with B Tech from Sreenidhi Engineering College, Hyderabad in 2003,” the TANA website said. Rajiv Reddy went to the US in 2006 on a F1 student visa and completed his MS computer science from NYIT in July 2008 and was in search of a job.
“Rajiv Reddy has no parents and his aged grandparents are shocked to hear the news. His funeral services were held at the Funeral Home, Long Island, New York,” the TANA statement said.
--Agencies--
Be first to comment this article | Add as favourites (29) | Quote this article on your site | Views: 107
NEW DELHI: Former cricketer Mohd Azharuddin is likely to be the Congress candidate from Moradabad in UP. The Hyderabadi, the party feels, will bolster its chances in minority-dominated pockets of Uttar Pradesh around the Lok Sabha seat. With Begum Noor Bano locked in a tough battle with cine star Jaya Prada of SP in neighbouring Rampur, Azharuddin could push the Congress campaign among minorities and young voters. He is likely to figure in the next list of party candidates for UP, likely to be declared soon.
Azharuddin was earlier expected to contest from the Hyderabad Parliamentary constituency as a candidate of the Congress.
Be first to comment this article | Add as favourites (24) | Quote this article on your site | Views: 82
HYDERABAD: A middle-aged woman in an autorickshaw stops Asaduddin Owaisi as he is on a vote seeking padayatra in the Habeebnagar area of Chandrayangutta. "Why haven't you been seen here for years?" she asks. Asad, trained to be a lawyer, is quick to reply: "But everything is working fine here, isn't it? Why do you need to see me when everything is ok?" "We take care of all problems. So MP saheb does not have to come here," Mohammed Khaja Moinuddin, area president of Majlis-Ittehadul-Muslimeen (MIM) tells this correspondent in an aside as Asad continues on his padayatra through an area where brightly painted houses with electricity meters and closed drains does not convey the impression of it being a lower middle class neighbourhood. "Much of this development is due to us. We made the state government part with funds," Asad claims as boys hired by the party beat drums to announce that the big man is around. Asad's assertions may be right or wrong but the 38-year-old MP contesting the first election post the demise of his father and founder of MIM is locked in a tough battle. Twenty kilometres away from where Asad is walking, another man is out on a padayatra too. He is Zahed Ali Khan, editor of Urdu daily Siasat who, fed up by the state of affairs, has decided to jump into the electoral fray challenging Owaisi from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat. Accompanied by CPM Rajya Sabha MP, P Madhu and his gang of red activists in the Hakimpet area of Tolichowki, Khan asserts powerfully from a hand mike: "Yahan koi mahfooz nahin, bache bhi nahin. Darusalam ki toli khud kha peekar so rahi hai, aur aap ke baare koi sochta nahin...Yeh goondagardi ka raaj hai." (Here nobody is safe. The MIM bosses are enjoying themselves not bothered about you. This is a regime of violence). In an aside Madhu tells TOI: "The evil empire of MIM has to be broken, the empire that is based on zabardasti, on land grabbing, violence and intimidating people. Their game is based on keeping the Muslims poor and dependent on them. And they use might as their right and ask for votes claiming that Islam khatre mein hai". Madhu has been working in the Old City area for two years and has had numerous clashes with MIM. Sixty-two-year-old Khan, scion of an aristocratic family whose daily Siasat along with its rival Munsif has had a long duel with the MIM is supported by the Grand Alliance, but a little bird tells us that the TDP cadres have not really been active in campaigning for him. Prajarajyam and the Majlis Bachao Tehreek is also supporting Khan even as the Congress (supporting the MIM) has put up a weak candidate. The BJP is, for the first time, is mulling about fielding a Muslim candidate from the Hyderabad seat that__ after delimitation__ has 13.31 lakh voters. Of this, 9 lakhs are Muslims and 4 lakhs are Hindus. There are seven assembly segments of which one -Bahadurpura has 92 per cent Muslim voters. The other assembly segments are Karwan, Ghoshamahal, Charminar, Yakutpura, Chandrayangutta and Malakpet. "In the past, there were not so many Muslim voters in this Lok Sabha constituency that has elected an MIM MP without break since 1984. But delimitation has made it in impregnable Muslim fortress, so much so that the BJP has to field a Muslim from here," says an analyst. "We are happy that an intense contest is being fought and this is so for the first time in many years. This is what democracy is all about," writer Ali Zaheer says. Other analysts point out that although MIM has cadres who have been working at the grassroots level, Siasat and Munsif with its writings have kept a check on them to ensure that things don't go awry. "In that sense Zahid Ali Khan's contesting is a logical progression of his work but whether he has the grassroots organisation is the issue," an old city resident says. Talking to TOI, Zahid Ali Khan himself says: "I want to restore the glory of Hyderabad, the days of composite culture, of celebrating festivals together. Also I am campaigning for development of the Old City in areas of education and business." Asaduddin Owaisi is more candid. "Muslims have very little representation in politics. This is the only Muslim seat in the state, only a real Muslim should be elected from here. We are asking for votes on this ground," he says. Clearly then it is a battle for the Muslim mind in the Lok Sabha constituency of Hyderabad.
Be first to comment this article | Add as favourites (37) | Quote this article on your site | Views: 151
The strangle hold of the MIM on the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat is a known fact and this time again their sitting MP Asaduddin Owaisi is contesting from this constituency. But the story would be a bit different now as a respected voice in Hyderabad the editor of the Siasat daily Zahid Ali Khan would be contesting again.
Zahid Ali khan was an MIM sympathizer till a few years ago, but now has broken away from it as he feels that the party has become too much personality-centric and has deviated from its prime objective of serving the people.
Mr Khan is very sure that he can give a tough fight as he has done some good social work in the area. He is also hopeful of getting Hindu votes to defeat the MIM. Many feel that Zahid Ali Khan would definitely a worthy competitor in the Hyderabad LS constituency and God willing he may also be a surprise winner.
Be first to comment this article | Add as favourites (31) | Quote this article on your site | Views: 145
