EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THE HINDU DELHI MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2020 SPORT 21 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Mohun Bagan in cruise control Kashmir grows on Robertson UTHRA GANESAN it has been increasing and It was tough to keep the Jumps to the top of the table; Real Kashmir fails to fire SRINAGAR now when I go back, I miss players motivated through For three years, David Ro­ Kashmir,” Robertson said in the five months of pre­sea­ bertson has been coming to an interaction here. son even as the state conti­ Srinagar as coach of Real From winning the Second nued to face struggles but Kashmir. It was like jumping Division I­League to finishing Robertson prefers to look at into something completely third in the top flight last sea­ the positives of the extended “raw and unique”, he says, son, RKFC has gone from be­ period of staying together on coming from the rarefied en­ ing underdog to contender the road. “We played a lot of virons of the English and in just three years. A lot of ISL teams — five of them — in Scottish Premier Leagues. credit for that, the players our pre­season and it was Since that first visit in Ja­ feel, goes to the coach who David Robertson. great preparation for the sea­ nuary 2017, when he almost brings a lot of positivity. * NISSAR AHMAD son. But we were just re­ quit and went back, the stays lieved to get the first game have only become longer to Handling turbulence get there. For the first time in out of the way! the extent of it becoming a That positivity, Robertson their lives they couldn’t con­ “The game against TRAU “second home” for the Scot­ admitted, was important tact their homes. They didn’t was, in a way, the first time sman. when it came to handling the know when they would go the players were under pres­ “Everything was strange players during their recent back and needed support. I sure. They are a promoted but the owners, Shamim and outings amidst the commu­ know the Indian culture is of side and we were expected Sandeep, convinced me to nication clampdown. coaches being tough on to win. We started well but come back and I am glad “We had just arrived in players but I had to be diffe­ they fought back in the se­ they did. From a few weeks Kolkata (for Durand Cup) rent and let them know the cond half for a draw. We to a couple of months to al­ and weren’t sure of how the coach had their back,” Ro­ thought we would lose, but most eight months this time, local players were going to bertson explained. the players rallied around.” No trouble: Mohun Bagan’s players, in white, made light of the conditions and Real Kashmir’s home advantage in a dominant display on Sunday. * PTI Ankita gears up for season in Australia I-LEAGUE against champion Chennai to push the ball forward but break the deadlock in the Hopes to play all Grand Slams and break into the top 100 City FC. On Sunday, the team could only find Mason Ro­ 71st minute. UTHRA GANESAN seemed to have left its plans bertson out of position. Three minutes later, sub­ Kamesh Srinivasan four Grand Slams and even­ title in the $25,000 event in NEW DELHI SRINAGAR back in the hotel. When he was in position, stitute P.M. Britto put tually break into the top 100 Solapur. The stands were full and noi­ Mason ended up heading through Nongdamba Nao­ Ankita Raina is off to Austra­ in WTA rankings,” she said. “Honestly, in the last cou­ sy, the queues outside the Busy and clueless wide. Danish Farooq was off­ rem for the team’s second lia, to compete in the ple of weeks, I am feeling TRC Turf Ground stretching Bagan began well, attacking target upfront and Subhash goal. RKFC kept trying to $25,000 ITF women’s tennis Support team that it is very close and eve­ far and everyone waiting for early on and creating quite a Singh had an off­day at the pull one back but there ap­ tournament in Bendigo, and To that end, Ankita has been rything just needs to come Real Kashmir FC to get going few chances but couldn’t back, Mehta outflanking him peared no sense of urgency prepare well for the Austra­ able to strengthen her team. together, to click in any of the on Sunday. find a break­through. Bet­ at will. and a complete absence of lian Open in Melbourne. Yes, she will have a team for big events. Now that I have It never did. Barring a few ween them, Joseba Beitia in The second half was far planning in its shooting. The country’s No. 1 wo­ the Australian Open. gained all the experience in isolated attempts at the goal the middle and Ashutosh more balanced. Coach David Robertson later admitted man singles player, the 26­ “I have a good support the pro circuit, I feel one just and some desperate shoot­ Mehta on the right, kept the Robertson clearly had made that Bagan managed to fend year­old Ankita, ranked 180 team this time at the Austra­ needs to stay positive regard­ ing and heading, the local fa­ RKFC defence busy and clue­ himself heard during the off the early attacks that in singles and 170 in doubles, lian Open. I am grateful that less of the results and keep vourite in its second home less. In fact, almost every at­ break. There were more co­ RKFC is known for. He added is keen to lift the profile of In­ after all these years of strug­ working,” she said. game appeared collectively tack that Bagan mounted ordinated attempts from that while his team did grow dian tennis. gle of travelling alone, I can Ankita is understandably off­colour against a better­ had the imprint of one of RKFC, more passes upfront in the game, Bagan always “I hope in future, we take finally travel with my team. elated about Sania Mirza re­ prepared Mohun Bagan. It them. and more breaking through controlled the proceedings. tennis to the next level the Coach Hemant sir and Ketan turning to the professional went down 2­0 for its first Despite physical superior­ the middle. The host next plays Pun­ way our badminton players sir, hitting partner, are tra­ circuit after the birth of her loss this year even as the vis­ ity, RKFC appeared lost for The game opened up and jab FC here in what is likely have done,” she said, when velling with me,” she said. son, and into the Indian Fed itor, after complaining about possession and space. An Bazie Armand had the best to be a grudge match after contacted. Ankita Raina. Hemant Bendrey has been Cup team. the conditions, the artificial on­field scuffle early on did chance for RKFC in the 50th the latter refused to travel It may take some doing * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT guiding Ankita for many “Our chances of qualifying turf and even the practice not help matters. Papa Baba­ minute but sent the ball sail­ last season. It would also be and a lot of time to match the years while Ketan Dhumal in the Fed Cup this time look time, completed a dominant car Diawara, Bagan’s new Se­ ing over. a chance for Robertson’s spread and progress of In­ own highlights. I think, play­ will ensure that she is well very high, considering the victory to top the I­League negalese signing playing his boys to put Sunday’s disap­ dian badminton, but Ankita ing all the four Grand Slams prepared for her matches. doubles will be stronger with table with 10 points from five first game, came close to Deadlock broken pointment behind. is focused on her job, to im­ and winning against Grand Even as she is thankful for Sania’s come back. She games. putting it ahead in the 17th Gnohere Krizo came off the The results: prove upon the last season. Slam champion and finalist, the support and guidance, comes with the aura. Eve­ RKFC so far had managed minute but, with only the bench and tried to leverage “I am very happy with Samantha Stosur and Sabine Ankita believes that she ryone is inspired by her. So, At Srinagar: Real Kashmir FC 0 to get off to good starts this RKFC goalkeeper to beat in his height but found a match lost to Mohun Bagan 2 (Joseba what I could do last season. I Lisicki is still fresh in my me­ needs to believe in herself her presence will give us an season, stumbling in the se­ front of an empty goal, hit in Bagan defender and com­ Beitia 71, Nongdamba Naorem think it has been one of the mory,” said Ankita. and her game to get to the added advantage. Last cou­ cond half but managing to wide. patriot Daniel Cyrus. It final­ 74). best years so far, even She has simple goals for next level. ple of times, it wasn’t easy get away with draws in its Kallum Higginbotham ly took a Mehta throw­in, At Vasco: Arrows 1 (Vikram Pra­ though winning the Asian the season. She had closed the season for us when we were not able first two games before win­ was the only RKFC player headed by Cyrus and vol­ tap 42) drew with Neroca FC 1 Games medal in 2018 was ve­ “The goal this year is to nicely in the professional cir­ to clinch the decider dou­ ning the previous outing who appeared to find a way leyed into the net by Beitia to (Meitei 24).