Two Kasargod men among 24 Indians on board hijacked Turkish ship

July 17, 2013

Kasargod, Jul 17: The families of two Keralite sailors, who are among the 24-member Indian crew of the Turkish oil chemical tanker hijacked by pirates off the coast of West African nation Gabon, are praying for the safe return of their dear ones.

While Vasant Kumar from Melparambu had joined the shipping company V Ships in January this year, V K Babu from Palakunnu had joined in April. Both hail from the northern district of Kasaragod in Kerala.

MV Cotton, the Malta-flagged vessel, was taken over by suspected pirates 15 miles off the Gentil Port early on Monday, a statement from V Ships, the crew manager for the vessel owned by a Turkish company, said.

Vasant Kumar's father-in-law Shivaram said they were informed today by the company's office that Turkish ambassador had intervened to sort out the issue and Turkish Navy was also in the area.

His wife Priya was very upset hearing about the hijack and was refusing to have any food, he said.

The ship's office at Kochi had informed Priya yesterday about not being able to get in touch with the vessel. The worried family then immediately got in touch with its Mumbai office.

Vasant Kumar had set off for sailing two weeks ago from Mumbai and had called his family to inform that they were sailing for Africa and would get in touch with them after reaching their destination 12 days later, Shivaram said.

The couple have two children -- a daughter studying in the first standard and son in the LKG.

Shivaram said they had been told by the company that the area from where the ship had been hijacked was a problem free zone since the past five years.

Meanwhile, the relatives of Babu have not informed his 68-year-old mother about the hijack, his elder brother Murali said. Babu, who used to call daily, had last informed his brother on July 10 that he was in Nigeria. After that there were no calls, he said.

On July 13, the company officials called saying there was no communication links with the ship since the past three days.

Babu's wife Srividya has been informed. The couple have a four year daughter studying in LKG.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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