Sharath-Manika lose in mixed doubles TT semis, take bronze
Jakarta, Aug 29: The Indian mixed doubles table tennis pair of Achanta Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra bagged the first-ever bronze medal after going down in the semi-finals of the 18th Asian Games here on Wednesday.
Sharath-Manika were outplayed 4-1 (9-11, 5-11, 13-11, 4-11, 8-11) in 39 minutes by China's Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha in the last-four clash.
Sharath and Manika, who defeated the North Korean pair of An Ji Song and Cha Hyo Sim 3-2 (4-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8) in 38 minutes in the quarter-finals, got India's first doubles medal at the Asiad in the sport.
It was also India's second TT medal in Asiad history. The first medal came in this edition with the men's team winning a bronze medal.
Earlier in the day, Sharath-Manika hammered Malaysia's Javen Choong and Karen Dick 3-0 (11-2, 11-5, 11-8) in the Round-of-32 before going past the South Korean pair of Lee Sangsu and Jeon Jihee with a 3-2 (11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-4) victory in 38 minutes.
Another Indian pair, Anthony Amalraj and Madhurika Patkar, lost 1-3 (11-6, 7-11, 5-11, 4-11) to Hong Kong's Ho Kwan Kit and Lee Ho Ching in the pre-quarterfinals.
In the Round-of-32, Amalraj-Madhurika defeated Donny Aji and Lilis Indriani of Indonesia 3-1 (11-4, 11-13, 11-8, 11-9).
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
