Stealth guided missile destroyer Mormugao commissioned into Indian Navy
Mumbai (PTI): Stealth guided missile destroyer Mormugao, the second of the four 'Visakhapatnam' class destroyers, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Sunday.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said INS Mormugao is evidence of India's excellence in warship design and development.
The aim is to make India the indigenous ship building hub, the minister said.
Singh described INS Mormugao as one of the most powerful indigenously-built warships which will significantly enhance the country's maritime capabilities and secure national interests.
"INS Mormugao is one of the world's most technologically-advanced missile carriers. With over 75 per cent indigenous content, it is a testimony to India's excellence in design and development of warships and a shining example of our growing indigenous defence production capabilities.
"The warship will meet the present and future needs of our country as well as of our friendly countries across the globe," he said.
Singh commended the Navy and MDL for the commissioning of INS Mormugao, describing it as the result of the hard work, dedication and aspirations of the engineers, technicians, designers and scientists. It is a matter of great pride for India, he added.
Safeguarding India's interests in the Indian Ocean Region is the Navy's prime responsibility, Singh said.
"Our growing economy is directly connected to the increasing trade, most of which is through sea routes. Our interest is directly linked to the Indian Ocean. Being an important country in this region, the role of Indian Navy becomes more important in its security. It is heartening to see that they are discharging their duties successfully," he said.
Singh lauded the armed forces for protecting the borders and coasts with unmatched courage and dedication, terming them as the backbone of India's unprecedented growth.
"India is touching newer heights of success every day. We are now among the top five economies of the world. According to a report by investment firm Morgan Stanley, we will be among the top three economies in the next five years.
He reiterated the government's resolve to prepare the nation to deal with any situation arising due to the rapidly changing global scenario, adding it is the government's top priority to continue strengthening the security infrastructure by providing the military state-of-the-art indigenous weapons and equipment.
"In this era of globalisation, almost all nations are dependent on each other in the field of trade. Hence, rule-based freedom of navigation, security of sea lanes etc. have become more important than ever for stability and economic progress of the world," he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar said the commissioning of INS Mormugao is indicative of the large strides India has taken in warship design and building capability over the last decade.
He said the warship is a true illustration of Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and Make in India' initiative and reinforces the Navy's commitment to supporting India's transformation into a global ship-building hub.
The warship, with her multi-dimensional combat capability, will form part of the Western Fleet, the sword arm of the Indian Navy, he said.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Goa governor P S Sreedharan Pillai were present at the ceremony.
INS Mormugao is the second of the four 'Visakhapatnam' class destroyers of 'Project 15B', indigenously designed by the Indian Navy's in-house organisation, Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
Named after the historic port city of Goa, Mormugao coincidentally undertook first sea trial on December 19, 2021, when Goa celebrated 60 years of liberation from the Portuguese rule.
INS Mormugao is 163 metres long and 17 metres wide. It has a displacement of 7,400 tonnes and a maximum speed of 30 knots (55 kmph).
The warship is packed with sophisticated state of the art weapons and sensors such as surface to surface missile and surface to air missiles. It is fitted with a modern surveillance radar which provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems on board.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
