Sharath Kamal advances to 3rd round in Olympics; faces Ma Long next
Tokyo: Veteran Indian table tennis player A Sharath Kamal overcame a sluggish start to beat Portugal's Tiago Polonia in the second round to set up a clash with defending champion Ma Long in the Olympics, here on Monday.
The 39-year-old Sharath struggled in the first game but pulled himself up just in time to win 2-11 11-8 11-5 9-11 11-6 11-9 in the 49-minute second-round contest.
The Indian paddler now has a tough match ahead as he takes on the legendary Long, who is also the reigning world champion.
Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Long has won every singles title in the sport.
Sharath's compatriot G Sathiyan had lost his men's singles second round from an advantageous position on Sunday to exit the competition.
In the women's draw, Manika Batra moved to the third round with an upset win over world number 32 Margaryta Pesotska of Ukraine on Sunday.
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West Asia conflict: Kerala postpones SSLC, Higher Secondary exams in Gulf region
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Monday announced the postponement of the SSLC and Higher Secondary examinations scheduled for this week in the Gulf region, in view of the escalating tensions in West Asia.
Addressing a press conference here, the minister said the security situation in the gulf, has made conducting the public exams impossible.
Against this backdrop, the government has decided to postpone the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination scheduled for March 5 in the Gulf region, he said.
The Higher Secondary examinations slated for March 5, 6 and 7 in the region have also been deferred, Sivankutty added.
"The revised dates for the postponed examinations will be announced later," the Minister said.
He noted that some students, both in the Gulf countries and in Kerala, are anxious that they may not be able to reach their examination centres and could miss their exams due to the prevailing situation.
The General Education Department stands with the students in this matter, Sivankutty said.
Students who are unable to appear for the examinations are advised to submit applications at the earliest to the Director of General Education through their respective headmasters or principals, he said.
The department will examine the merit of each application and take a favourable decision in the interest of the students, the Minister added.
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