SPOTLIGHT

Kyra Shroff was named as a reserve in the team led by Sania Mirza to play in the Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Group 2 in Shenzhen, China from January 30-February 4, 2012, the All India Tennis Association announced on December 26, 2011.

With Shroff aiming to break into the top 300 in the world in both singles and doubles, intensive preparations are underway in Mysore under her coach Srinath.

Appointed by the ICC (International Cricket Council), Shahvir Tarapore made his debut as a Test umpire on October 26, 2011 in the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test match at Dubai. This makes 54-year-old Tarapore the fifth Parsi to officiate in Test matches, after Noshirwan Nagarwala, J. R. Patel, Dara Dotiwalla and Pilloo Reporter.

[After officiating at six ODIs (One-Day International), Bomi Jamula gave up umpiring to take up the task of coaching umpires, especially at the higher level.] Tarapore is the only Parsi Test umpire who has played in first class matches as well, sports journalist and BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) umpire Keki Doodhwala of Surat informed Parsiana. The umpire has thus officiated in all three formats of the game — Test, ODI and T-20.

At the 3rd World Deaf Badminton Championship 2011 at Bucheon in Korea from October 28 to Novem- ber 5, 14-year-old Jehan Daboo was felicitated and awar­­ded a silver medal as the youngest player of the tournament.

Selected by the All India Sports Council of the Deaf (the national apex body for deaf sports) to be a part of the Indian team, Daboo played in the open category and was the only one to receive a medal for India.