Duleep Mendis wishes a rousing World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka

February 19, 2011

Mangalore, February 19: Former Sri Lankan captain Duleep Mendis said that he wishes to witness a rousing final match between India and Sri Lanka in 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup being hosted by three South Asian Test cricket playing countries.

He was speaking after inaugurating the indoor sports complex 'Yendurance Zone' at Yenepoya University premises in Deralakatte near here on Saturday morning.

Mr Mendis, who is also the CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket said the advantage continues to be with all sub-continent teams in this World Cup as they know the conditions like the back of their hands.

However, he said that one cannot predict who is going to win the World Cup because most of the teams have played here and have the idea of playing in these conditions. “The foreign teams also have become very comfortable playing here. Hence, all teams are equal and favourites to win the World Cup”, he added.

The former specialist batsman, who captained Sri Lanka to their first Test series victory in 1985, opined that Indians are playing very good cricket in the recent past. “The Indian team has a very good batting side with the mix of youth and experience. Their bowling attack, led by Zaheer Khan, has been good too. They, too, stand a chance and are one of the favourites,” he added.

Mangalore City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, National Badminton Champion Aravind Bhat, Yenepoya University Chancellor Y Abdullah Kunnhi, Chairman of Mohiuddin Educational Foundation B Ahmed Haji Mohiuddin and Chairman and Managing Director of Unity Health Complex Dr CP Habeeb Rahman were present among others.

Splendid Complex

The newly inaugurated indoor sports complex is 34,000 sq ft in area and has a seating capacity of 2,500. With TARAFLEX sports flooring (approved by the world Badminton and Basketball Federation) the convertible Auditorium is equipped with audio equipment and lighting for all arts and events.

The stadium has a basket ball court, table tennis, volley ball and squash courts apart from three badminton courts. There are also other recreational facilities, casual sports including chess, carom, foosball, darts etc.

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RuTAGe smart village centres in DK, Udupi to being technology closer to rural communities

News Network

January 20,2026

Mangaluru: In a major step towards strengthening rural innovation, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India is supporting the establishment of RuTAGe Smart Village Centres (RSVCs) across the country through collaborations with academic institutions, civil society organisations and philanthropic partners.

As part of this national initiative, Nitte (Deemed to be University) will set up the first RSVCs in the region at Nitte GP in Udupi district and at the Nitte Health Centre, Sevanjali Trust, Farangipete, in Dakshina Kannada district. The centres will be inaugurated on January 21. In South India, the programme is being implemented by the Section Infin-8 Foundation (SI-8).

Speaking to reporters on Monday, SI-8 founder-director Vishwas US said experts from Nitte University and SI-8 would work closely with farmers, students, youth and local entrepreneurs to adapt and deploy technologies tailored to local needs.

Project head Prof Iddya Karunasagar, representing Nitte DU, said the RSVCs at Nitte and Farangipete would serve as demonstration hubs for a wide range of agriculture, energy, skill-development and assistive technologies. These include solar dryers for fruits, vegetables and crops; soil-testing solutions; power weeders and women-friendly farm tools; wind-powered devices for rural artisans; grain storage systems; grass-cutting and tree-climbing equipment; and liquid fertiliser production using cowshed waste.

SI-8 CEO Aravind C Kumar said the centres would also provide access to digital and knowledge-based platforms such as ISRO applications, government scheme portals, market linkage tools and gamified learning resources, along with assistive technologies for persons with visual impairments.

Highlighting the broader impact of the initiative, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay Kumar Sood said it demonstrated how applied research could bridge the rural–urban divide and help create self-reliant, technology-enabled villages.

The initiative has been made possible through philanthropic support from Dr NC Murthy of ACM Business Solutions, LLC, USA. Dr Sapna Poti, Director (Strategic Alliances) at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, said the long-term objective is to build self-sufficient, technology-driven communities capable of generating sustainable livelihoods on their own.

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