AMRAVATI: Pune clinched the general championship at the Maharashtra State Malkhamb competition that concluded on Tuesday, dethroning defending champions Mumbai Sub division and Mumbai City to second and third place.

National champion Rajesh Amrale of Mumbai Sub division and Arti Kolhapure of Satara emerged as the best players of the meet held at Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal here.

The 30 years old Saya, who is also is the captain of the Tanzanian team, has clocked 2:10:11 at Seoul in 2003 and also brought a time of 2:18:24 last year at Joon in August.

His team-mate Micheal Mislay Tluway who is 31 years old has the best time of 2:14:23 creted at Twin City in 2004.

The young team member of the Tanzanian contigent is Andrea Silvini Mathiya (24), best time 2:14:56 brought in Belgrade, will be another attraction of Pune edition this year.

The only lady of the team, Sara Boniface Kavina, has best time for the full marathon 2:46:28 clocked in Kalimanjaro event.

PUNE: More than 100 athletes from all over the world will vie for top honours in the 23rd Pune International Marathon to be held on December 7.

However, it is the rivalry between Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) and Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSCB) that will be the highlight of the Rs 25 lakh event.

The Pune edition of the marathon assumes importance as it has been billed as the national marathon by the Athletic Federation of India (AFI).

PUNE: The much-awaited Pune International Marathon will be flagged off here on December 7.

The Pune International Marathon will be conducted by the Pune International Marathon Trust (PIMT) under the aegis of the Athletic Federation of India (AFI).

Pune (PTI): Somdev Devvarman, country's newly-crowned number one singles player, will spearhead the Indian challenge at USD 1,00,000 Asia Cup -- a team event restricted only for Asian players -- to be held here from December 27.

The event will see participation from eight countries -- Japan, Korea, China, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and hosts India -- at the Shiv Chhatrapathi Sport Complex at Balewadi.

Pune, November 3 : The racquet-grip goes a softer shade of baby-pink occasionally these days when Saina Nehwal plays. But the hand that rocks the shuttle is only gaining in power, if not yet in legend. The sheer force with which the Haryanvi hits her strokes — especially the forehand crosscourt smashes — is now the cornerstone of Nehwal’s game.

The Commonwealth Youth Games 2008, recently held in Pune, India from October 12 to 18, ran on a next-generation data network infrastructure set up by Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT].

The always-on, highly available network supporting 1,000 users, ran multimedia applications including real-time schedule updating, statistical analysis, resource coordination and media coverage helping ensure the Commonwealth Youth Games 2008** (CYG 2008) ran smoothly.

Virdhawal Khade, who won three gold and two silver medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune recently, attributes his performance to hard work. By Kalyan Ashok.

Virdhawal Khade, the ‘Boy Wonder’ of Indian swimming, exceeded his own expectations at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune with a haul of three gold and two silver medals. The 17-year-old swimmer, a ward of noted coach Nihar Ameen of K. C. Reddy Swim Centre in Bangalore, attributed his remarkable performance to “hard work”.

Pune, october 23 : Banging on the doors of badminton’s world top-10 and playing her first world-level event in India, Saina Nehwal is expected to do what Paes-Bhupathi do for tennis in the Davis Cup — start a tie assuring a 1-0 lead — with which India can push oppositions into tight psychological corners.

Pune, October 18 Praise from all and sundry marks the grand closing ceremony of CYG

Stars vied with fireworks to add glitter to the closing of the Commonwealth Youth Games, making it a night to remember for Puneites. Breathtaking daredevilry by stunt bikers, electrifying helicopter rides and synchronised movements by hundreds of schoolchildren made the event a spectacular one.

The Bollywood stars were there to add to the glamour quotient. Shilpa Shetty sizzled, Reitesh Deshmukh rocked, Diya Mirza dazzled and Malaika Arora Khan wooed the audience.