St. Germains Academy siblings Yahya, Isa Khan secure Gold at CISCE Nationals in Boxing again
Bengaluru: In a stellar display of pugilistic prowess, Isa Khan (15) and Yahya Khan (13), students of St. Germains Academy, emerged triumphant yet again by securing gold at the 3rd CISCE Nationals Boxing Championship, held in Ranchi from November 1 to 5, 2023.
This victory follows their earlier success at the State championship and underscores their rising prominence in the boxing arena.
Isa, competing in the under-17 category, and Yahya, in the under-14 category, showcased a level of skill and tenacity that belies their age. Trained under the tutelage of Abhisheak Samson, a distinguished South Zone Boxing Champion and State Champion, the Khan brothers have etched their mark on the boxing landscape.
Their journey to victory has not been without its share of challenges. Battling injuries and setbacks over the past month, Isa and Yahya demonstrated perseverance and commitment to their craft. Coach Abhisheak Samson, hailing from Steve’s Boxing Club in Bengaluru, played a pivotal role in honing their skills and guiding them through the rigorous training regimen, their mother Huda told Vartha Bharati.
Isa Khan, a 10th-grade student at St. Germains Academy, exemplifies dedication by successfully balancing academic responsibilities with his intensive training schedule. His routine involves early morning tuitions, followed by a transition to school, and concludes with evening boxing practice.
St. Germains Academy has played a significant role in supporting the brothers' academic and athletics both. The school's Director, Dean, and Principal have extended their assistance beyond the classroom, ensuring that Isa and Yahya receive the necessary encouragement and backing to excel in their sporting endeavors.
Huda, the proud mother of Isa and Yahya, expressed her gratitude towards St. Germains Academy and its administration. "The Director, Dean, and the Principal of St.Germain Academy are very helpful in every aspect. They even care about Isa and Yahya's food and sleep," she remarked.
With black belts in Taekwondo adding to their sporting repertoire, the Khan brothers are not merely satisfied with local success. The family envisions Isa and Yahya as future stalwarts, fondly referring to them as the "Kings of Rings." This recent victory at the national level further fuels their aspirations.
Looking ahead, Isa and Yahya are pre-qualified for the School Games Federation of India Boxing Championship slated for December 2023 in Maharashtra.
Earlier last year, Isa Khan and Yahya Khan, representing the CISCE Karnataka Boxing Team had bagged a gold and a silver medal at the CISCE National Boxing Championship 2022. The competition was held at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur between September 1 and September 3, 2022.
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US SC rejects 26/11 attack accused Tahawwur Rana’s plea seeking stay on his extradition to India
New York, Apr 7 (PTI): The US Supreme Court has rejected 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana's appeal seeking a stay on his extradition to India, moving him closer to being handed over to Indian authorities to face justice.
Rana, 64, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles.
He is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks. Headley conducted a recce of Mumbai before the attacks by posing as an employee of Rana’s immigration consultancy.
Rana had submitted an ‘Emergency Application For Stay Pending Litigation of Petition For Writ of Habeas Corpus' on February 27, 2025, with Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and Circuit Justice for the Ninth Circuit Elena Kagan.
Kagan had denied the application earlier last month.
Rana had then renewed his ‘Emergency Application for Stay Pending Litigation of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus previously addressed to Justice Kagan’, and requested that the renewed application be directed to US Chief Justice John Roberts.
An order on the Supreme Court website noted that Rana's renewed application had been “distributed for Conference” on April 4 and the “application” has been “referred to the Court.”
A notice on the Supreme Court website Monday said that “Application denied by the Court.”
Rana was convicted in the US of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to the terrorist plot in Denmark and one count of providing material support to Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashker-e-Taiba which was responsible for the attacks in Mumbai.
New York-based Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra had told PTI that Rana had made his application to the Supreme Court to prevent extradition, which Justice Kagan denied on March 6. The application was then submitted before Roberts, “who has shared it with the Court to conference so as to harness the entire Court’s view.”
The Supreme Court justices are Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
In his emergency application, Rana had sought a stay of his extradition and surrender to India pending litigation (including exhaustion of all appeals) on the merits of his February 13.
In that petition, Rana argued that his extradition to India violates US law and the UN Convention Against Torture "because there are substantial grounds for believing that, if extradited to India, the petitioner will be in danger of being subjected to torture."
"The likelihood of torture in this case is even higher though as petitioner faces acute risk as a Muslim of Pakistani origin charged in the Mumbai attacks,” the application said.
The application also said that his “severe medical conditions” render extradition to Indian detention facilities a “de facto" death sentence in this case.
The US Supreme Court denied Rana's petition for a writ of certiorari relating to his original habeas petition on January 21. The application notes that on that same day, newly-confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio had met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington on February 12 to meet with Trump, Rana’s counsel received a letter from the Department of State, stating that “on February 11, 2025, the Secretary of State decided to authorise” Rana’s "surrender to India,” pursuant to the “Extradition Treaty between the United States and India”.
Rana’s Counsel requested from the State Department the complete administrative record on which Secretary Rubio based his decision to authorize Rana’s surrender to India.
The Counsel also requested immediate information of any commitment the United States has obtained from India with respect to Rana’s treatment. “The government declined to provide any information in response to these requests,” the application said.
It added that given Rana’s underlying health conditions and the State Department’s findings regarding the treatment of prisoners, it is very likely “Rana will not survive long enough to be tried in India".
During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi in the White House in February, President Donald Trump announced that his administration has approved the extradition of "very evil" Rana, wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, "to face justice in India”.
A total of 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing people at iconic and vital locations in Mumbai.
