Sindhu, Srikanth advance to second round of Indonesia Masters
Jakarta (PTI): Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and former world No.1 Kidambi Srikanth progressed to the second round of their respective events at the Indonesia Masters badminton tournament here on Wednesday.
While fifth seed Sindhu beat Manami Suizu of Japan 22-20 21-18 in a 53-minute women's singles match, Srikanth, currently ranked 33rd in the world, battled for one hour and 12 minutes to get the better of world No.22 Koki Watanabe 21-15 21-23 24-22.
Srikanth will next play fourth seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei, who defeated Nhat Nguyen of Ireland 21-14 21-15 in another first round match.
But Kiran George made a first round exit after losing 17-21 14-21 to Moh Zaki Ubaidillah of Indonesia.
In women's singles, Akarshi Kashyap too bowed out in the opening round, losing to Julie Dawall Jakobsen 21-8 20-22 17-21.
India's campaign ended in mixed doubles with the pairs of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde and Dhruv Kapila and Tanish Crasto exiting in the very first round.
While Kapoor and Gadde lost 9-21 20-22 to fourth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue of France, Kapila and Crasto were shown the door by another French pair of Julien Maio and Lea Palermo 23-21 20-22 6-21.
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Odisha Police take action against cattle smuggling; over 100 cases, 1,000 rescued
Balasore: Odisha Police have intensified action against illegal cattle transportation in the eastern region, registering more than 100 cases over the past four to five months and rescuing over 1,000 cattle, officials said.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Eastern Range, Pinak Mishra, speaking to the media in Balasore on Tuesday, said coordinated and sustained action was taken across all three districts under the Eastern Range to curb illegal cattle movement, Asianet News reported.
"All three districts of the Eastern Range have acted against illegal cattle transportation and cattle smuggling. Since our range borders the state, there are many porous areas where illegal cattle transportation and smuggling are a concern for us," Mishra said.
He added that clear and firm instructions were issued to all superintendents of police in the region to strengthen enforcement and monitoring, especially in vulnerable border pockets.
Meanwhile, the DIG said that they have taken strict action in the last four or five months and have registered more than 100 cases. They have rescued more than a thousand cattle, and further follow-up action is being taken.
Police officials said continuous monitoring is being maintained in Balasore and adjoining districts, especially in border areas, to prevent the recurrence of such illegal activities.
Odisha Fisheries and Livestock Minister Gokula Nanda Mallik said raids were conducted in five districts of the state after reports of an organised cattle smuggling network in the state, leading to several arrests and seizure of property and cash.
The minister further said, "Over Rs 50 crore worth of property and cash have also been seized."
"People associated with the cattle smuggling racket will not be spared. Strict action will be taken against them. I warn anyone involved to immediately put an end to this; otherwise, there will be severe repercussions," he said.
Reiterating the state government’s commitment to cattle protection, the minister reportedly said effective steps were being taken under the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Mallik said that around 80,000 farmers in the state have benefited from the Mukhyamantri Kamdhenu Yojana, under which nearly 12,000 to 15,000 high-yielding cows have been distributed, creating income and employment opportunities while ensuring cattle welfare.
