Korea Open: Sindhu, Sai Praneeth, Saina crash out; Kashyap advances
Incheon: Parupalli Kashyap was the lone Indian to survive in the singles event after star shuttlers P V Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and B Sai Praneeth all made first round exits at the Korea Open badminton tournament here on Wednesday.
Kashyap registered a comfortable 21-16 21-16 over Lu Chia Hung of Chinese Taipei in a men's singles match match that lasted 42 minutes.
The first round casualties for Indian included World Champion Sindhu, who bowed out of the tournament after going down 7-21 24-22 15-21 at the hands of USA's Beiwen Zhang, Sai Praneeth and Saina -- both retired hurt in their respective first round matches.
World Championships bronze-medallist Sai Praneeth was trailing 9-21 7-11 when he conceded the match to fifth-seeded Anders Antonsen of Denmark due to an ankle injury.
London Olympic bronze medallist Saina was trailing 21-19, 18-21 and 1-8 against South Korea's Kim Ga Eun when she was forced to retire.
Saina had a 2-0 head-to-head record against Eun in their previous matches.
Saina has had a tough year owing to injuries. She won the Indonesia Open at the beginning of the season but has struggled since then. At the China Open Super 1000 event last week, she made a first-round exit.
Sindhu also seems to be facing a rough patch after the high of winning the World Championships. The Olympic silver-medallist was knocked out of the China Open by Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong in the second round last week.
Interestingly, the 26-year-old former winner here had defeated Zhang en route her World Championships gold at Basel. The Chinese-born American prevailed over the Indian twice last year at the India Open and Denmark Open.
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Need 27 months to fix pollution backlog of 27 years, where was your protest before: Delhi CM
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday criticised those who protested at India Gate over deteriorating air quality, questioning the absence of their demonstrations during previous administrations when air pollution was a persistent issue.
"I want to ask those protesting at India Gate: the problem of air pollution is not new and has been around for years. Where were your protests before? What did the previous government do? There is a backlog of 27 years. The government at least needs 27 months to work. After 27 months, you can ask me about the steps we have taken to address the air pollution issue," Gupta said at an event.
Highlighting her government's initiatives to combat air pollution, Gupta mentioned that electric heaters were distributed among night guards of various Residents' Welfare Associations (RWAs) to reduce smoke and pollution from open fires used during winter.
She pointed out that electric heaters are a safe, clean, and environmentally friendly alternative that can effectively contribute to the battle against pollution.
According to her, the government is working in "mission mode" to reduce pollution levels.
The distribution of electric heaters took place at Dilli Haat, Pitampura, funded by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions from the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC). Gupta expressed her gratitude to Environment and Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and DSIIDC for their support.
Gupta also mentioned that the Delhi government is taking aggressive action to combat pollution. The initiatives include expanding mechanical street sweeping and water-sprinkling systems on roads, installing mist-spray technology on electricity poles, and implementing a comprehensive dust-mitigation plan throughout the city.
Additionally, strict measures have been enforced to control emissions from industrial units. Gupta informed that wall-to-wall carpeting of approximately 1,400 kilometres of Delhi's roads is underway to minimise dust dispersion.
The open burning of waste or firewood is strictly prohibited, and gas connections are being provided to families in need to reduce reliance on firewood as fuel.
The chief minister said that due to these efforts, pollution levels have shown improvement, but sustained reduction is possible only with active public participation.
She urged RWAs, residents, and local communities to take immediate action if they observe wood, coal, or waste being burned anywhere.
She emphasised that every citizen plays a crucial role in this fight against pollution, as it is a shared responsibility between the government and society.
