The 30th edition of the junior nationals of the Athletic Federation of India (AFI), the biggest athletic event in the country, will be held for the third time at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium from November 25 to 30. More than 2,500 athletes will take part in the event. Earlier, the city hosted the event in 2004 and 2007.

For AP, the event will be challenging, as it is the first major sporting extravaganza in the State post-bifurcation. “We do not have any equipment and infrastructure, but we are confident of conducting the event successfully,” said AP Athletic Association secretary V. Raghavendra.

The athletic fraternity is looking forward to the event, as the future faces of Indian athletics will be identified in the meet. “Stars like Tinku Luka, Mrudhula and Sowjanya were spotted in the earlier junior nationals. It is a platform for youngsters to draw the attention of senior coaches and administrators,” said Sports Authority of India senior coach Vinayak Prasad.

He added that athletes for junior Asia, youth world and youth Commonwealth meets would be selected during the event. “As many as 108 events, both track and field segments, will be staged in four age groups – under-14, 16 ,18 and 20,” he said.

Mr. Raghavendra added that efforts were on to lay a synthetic track (400m) at the IGMC Stadium. He said bifurcation had hit athletics hard, as along with the Gachibowli stadium, even international standard equipment remained in Telangana. “We do not have even a hurdle,” Mr. Raghavendra added.

Mr. Vinayak Prasad, who has trained several national athletes, is happy with the performance of AP athletes in the recently-concluded South Zone edition in Hyderabad. “We won four gold, four silver and nine bronze even without proper facilities,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by J.R. Sridharan / Vijayawada – October 18th, 2014

Three girls — K. Hematrishathi, S. Pranavi and T. Gayatri — studying ninth standard in Sri Sai Krishna English Medium High School in Kadapa have been chosen to take part in the second phase of National Aerolympics 2014 being conducted by the Aeronautical Society of India at Bangalore from November 27 to 29.

Guided by J. Phaneendra, Director of Student Resources Department of the school, the enterprising girls cleared the first phase of the National Aerolympics 2014 by submitting a project report on “Eyes and Arms in the Sky: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” to the Aeronautical Society of India, Bangalore.

Sri Sai Krishna English Medium High School in Kadapa and Space Central School at Sriharikota in Nellore district were the only two schools from the State and among 24 schools across the nation chosen for participation in the second phase of the National Aerolympics.

Before Wright Brothers

Thalpade was the first to build and operate an unmanned aerial vehicle in 1895, eight years before Wright Brothers flew their aircraft, by adopting principles from Rig Veda, Bhashya Bhumika and Vaimanika Sastra, the students said in their project report. The famous Indian UAVs were Lakshya and Nishant, mainly used for military, policing and other specialised operations, they added.

Sage Bharadwaja in his book ‘Yantrasarwaswa’ made a mention of flying machines, techniques of offence and defence, diet and clothing of a pilot, metal and alloys, ‘rukma vimana’, its process of preparation, flying, classification of ‘vimanas’ and so on, they added recounting the history.

“Ironically Indians brushed aside the valuable information as myths, but foreigners adopted the data enshrined in the scriptures that portrayed the advanced technology used by our ancestors,” K. Hematrishathi, S. Pranavi and T. Gayatri said.

Taking advantage of the knowledge of ancient Indians on flying machines, the Mini Rukma Vimana Unmanned Air Vehicle (MRV UAV) designs were prepared. Lift fans configuration similar to ‘Rukma Vimana’, mentioned in ‘Vaimanika Sastra’, can be used to go through mountainous regions and fans are preferred other than wings for vertical take-off. Using the MRV UAV would make the missions much simpler and easier to carry out, the students concluded.

The students are engrossed in preparing a home report on “incredible habits” for submission in the three-day second phase of the National Aerolympics next month. The Kadapa students would participate in nine events including audio-visual quizzes on aviation, awareness of GK and current events and honours and awards, project and home reports and project presentation, collage making, cultural programme and surprise event in November.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Kadapa – October 12th, 2014