Wheelchair basketball players aim high

Amazing Feats, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Sports, World Opinion
Mind over matter Wheelchair basketball players at the ‘2017 Women’s Development’ camp in Thailand.
Mind over matter Wheelchair basketball players at the ‘2017 Women’s Development’ camp in Thailand.

They set sights on gold medals at international events

Binding to a wheelchair does not dampen their spirits to aim high. They feel even sky is not the limit for them. It is the inspiring tale of two women from Andhra Pradesh — 30-year-old B. Hima Kalyani and 29-year-old Pandranki Satyavathi — afflicted with polio at the age of five.

After attending the ‘2017 Women’s Development’ camp organised by the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) – Asia Oceania Zone in Thailand, they not only attained great skills in wheelchair basketball but also wanted to train women suffering from a similar impairment.

Their association with the basketball made them realise that the sport would help instil great self-confidence and zest for life in such women.

Presently employed with Thomson Reuters’, Bengaluru, as a content analyst in finance and risk wing, Nidadavolu-based Hima Kalyani says she was unaware of the game until she attended a wheelchair basketball camp in Hyderabad last June.

“When we came to know about the camp through Global-AID, an NGO working for development of persons with disabilities, we wanted to give it a shot. The camp introduced us to a new world, making us realise that life is more beautiful than what we assumed it to be,” narrates Ms. Satyavathi, who is working in the Global AID, Gajapathinagaram mandal, Vizianagaram district, as teacher and hostel warden.

Five months later, the duo participated in the third National Wheelchair Basketball Championship, Chennai.

“The maiden event, organised jointly by the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India (WBFI) and the International Committee of the Red Cross, made me win a bronze medal,” states Ms. Hima Kalyani.

‘Not an easy task’

Ms. Satyavathi was able to reach up to the semi-final round in the tournament and she along with Hima Kalyani and a few other players got selected for further intensive coaching organised by the IWBF in Thailand.

“We forgot our physical impediment for a while and competed with international players with ease.

“Playing basketball on wheels is not an easy task but the vigorous coaching exposed us to different techniques of the sport, manoeuvring special wheelchairs,” they say.

The players’ next target is to grab gold medals in international events.

“In addition to this, we also want to train wheelchair-bound women in the sport,” the players say.

According to founder-president of Global AID Sai Padma, the NGO plans to provide specialised coaching to the physically challenged persons in wheelchair basketball through the Andhra Pradesh Wheelchair Basketball Association.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Rani Devalla / Visakhapatnam – May 03rd, 2017

Banganapalle mango gets GI tag

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion
The Andhra Pradesh government is the registered proprietor of the GI tag for mangoes, often hailed as “the king of fruits.” Photo: | Photo Credit: C.V. Subrahmanyam.
The Andhra Pradesh government is the registered proprietor of the GI tag for mangoes, often hailed as “the king of fruits.” Photo: | Photo Credit: C.V. Subrahmanyam.

Banganapalle mangoes have been grown for over 100 years in Andhra Pradesh.

The succulent Banganapalle mango has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, making Andhra Pradesh the proprietor of the variety known for its sweetness.

The Registrar of Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai, O.P. Gupta has accorded the registration following an application from the Horticulture Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh.

The Andhra Pradesh government is the registered proprietor of the GI tag for mangoes, often hailed as “the king of fruits.”

A GI tag indicates that the product comes from a specific region.

Banganapalle mangoes have been grown for over 100 years in the State. It also known as Beneshan, Baneshan, Benishan, Chappatai and Safeda.

Besides, they are also called Banaganapalli, Banginapalli, Banaganapalle.

The fruits can retain their quality under cold storage even up to three months, Andhra Pradesh government said in documents seeking GI.

“The prominent characteristic of Banganapalle mangoes is that their skin has very light spots, stone is oblong in shape and has very thin seed with sparse and soft fibre all over,” it said.

The primary centre of origin of the fruit is Kurnool district comprising Banaganapalle, Paanyam and Nandyal mandals, according to the Andhra Pradesh government which mentioned Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra as secondary centres of origin.

The government has also listed Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, Medak and Adilabad districts in Telangana as secondary centres of origin.

Submitting documents for proof of origin, it also cited historical records like a “war fund seal (Banganapally-State Madras War Fund Seal).”

A logo too is in place — featuring a bright yellow fruit around which the tagline says “Banganappalle Mangoes of Andhra Pradesh,” with images of a man and a woman appearing to be farmers.

According to an affidavit furnished in 2011 by the then Andhra Pradesh Commissioner of Horticulture, I. Rani Kumudini, nearly 7.68 lakh families were involved in the production of Banaganapalle mangoes.

About 5,500 tonnes of Banganappalle mangoes were being exported annually to countries like the U.S. and U.K.

While the annual turnover of Banaganapalle mangoes was approximately ₹461 crore, exports were to the tune of ₹20.68 crore, she had said.

GI is covered under the Intellectual Property Rights and the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

A GI tag certifies the origin of a product or produce from a particular region as the quality or other features of the product is attributable only to the place of its origin.

The tag helps farmers or manufacturers, as the case may be, to get a better price in the market.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Agriculture / PTI / Chennai – May 04th, 2017