Badminton

CSS- India Club UAE Open

K. Nanda Gopal gave his reputation as one of upcoming talents of Indian badminton a big boost with a double crown at the India Club UAE Open badminton tournament played at the India Club. He walked away with the men’s super league singles crown and then the doubles title, partnering B. Sumeeth Reddy.

Twenty-one-year-old Gopal is a product of the P. Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad and is ranked India’s No 5. He produced a sterling performance in the final to down K. Ajay Kumar 21-19, 21-7.

Kumar is also from the same academy and is ranked No.18 in India. Kurmar started strongly in the first set and raced and was leading by five points, when Gopal lifted his game and clinched the set. In the second set, Gopal was in full flow and wrapped up the set with little effort to prove that he is the worthy winner of the title.

Inspired by his singles’ title win, Gopal then joined Sumeeth Reddy to down Indonesia’s Didi Purwanto and Bahrain’s Jaffer E. Jaffer Ebrahim in the men’s doubles final. Gopal and Reddy won 21-16, 21-14. Incidentally, Ebrahim is one of the most outstanding talents in the Middle East. More than 500 players contested the tournament. Co-support Sponsor, CSS Group was represented by Susanth Shekar, HR Manager, CSS gave away the prizes to the winners of the tournament.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TOURNAMENT

• The tournament was inaugurated on Monday,14th May 2012.

• On an average 25 – 27 matches were played daily for 23 days.

• A record number of 135 matches were played on two weekends, Fridays, 18th& 25th May and 40 matches were played on a weekday, Sat., 26th May.

• Daily crowd: Approximately 300 including Club Members/Badminton Players/ Guests.

• In all the 14 categories, 481 entries were received.

• A total number of 485 matches were played throughout the tournament (so far highest ever on India Club records).

• All the matches were played under the new WBF 21 point-scoring format.

• Players from India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesian, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Germany, United Kingdom, Bahrain, China, Syria, Belgium & Denmark took part in the tournament besides the local Indian & Pakistani expats residing in the UAE.

• The Badminton Committee comprised of A. K.Prakashan, Kishore Setpal, Anil Mohan.

• A team of 25 Officials were also set up for the tournament.

• This tournament started in the early 1978.

• International & Olympic Umpire, Apinder Sabharwal umpired the super league matches.

• H. E. Sanjay Verma, Consul General of India, Dubai spoke on the occasion.

• Dr. Ram Buxani, Chairman, India Club also spoke on the occasion.

Golf

CSS would like to congratulate Ken Dinnadge, VP Business Development, recently representing CSS at a local golfing tournament organized by the UAE’s shipping fraternity.

His stellar play helped him to record one of the highest scores in tournament history and for getting only the 2nd ever Hole in One on the Par 3 course.

He did it using a 6 iron on the 167yard 7th hole, “It was an unbelievable shot that bounced on the top of the bunker in front of the green then rolled directly to the hole!!!” said Ken Dinnadge of his outstanding game. CSS congratulates all of the participants and organizers involved, well done!

Basketball

Senior Girls Basketball Team: CSS Group recently sponsored the girls Basketball team from ‘Our Own English High School’, Al Warqaa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

They ruled the basketball courts at the Mini Modern Basketball Tournament, held at the Dubai Modern High School back in May 2012.

‘Our Own English High School’ defeated Dubai Modern High in the finals by a score of 33-22.

Irene Jacob of Our Own English High School, Dubai was voted as MVP of the tournament.

CSS Group would like to congratulate the team on their outstanding performance!

Welcome Olympics 2012

London has hosted the Olympic Games on two past occasions, in 1908 and 1948, with a third scheduled for 2012. The planned 2012 Summer Olympics will make London the first city to have hosted the modern Games of three Olympiads. London is the only city in the United Kingdom to have ever hosted the Olympics; the United States is the only country to have hosted Summer Olympics on more occasions than the UK. There are some interesting facts from the history of Olympic Games, which you might not know.

• In 1908, the marathon standard had been set at exactly 26 miles. During Olympic marathon in London, it was decided that the royal family needed a better view of the finish line so organizers added an extra 385 yards to the race so the finish line would be in front of the royal box. From then on the distance of the Marathon remains to be “26 miles and 385 yards.

• Swimmer “Michael Phelps” of USA won 8 Gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It is the highest number of gold medals ever own by a single person in a single olympics game.

• “Abebe Bikila” of Ethopia won the marathon in 1960 Rome Olympics by registering a record time of 2hrs 15mins and 16.2 secs. He ran this marathon bare footed. He also become the first african to win an olympic gold medal.

• “Berlin Olympics” held in 1936 were the first Olympic games ever to be broadcast on television.

• Romanian “Nadia Comaneci” was the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 seven times in a row. She achieved this feat in the 1976 Montreal Games.

• “Hilda Lorna Johnstone” of Great Britain is the oldest women to have ever participated in Olympics till date. She was 70 years old when she participated in 1972 games. She was an Equestrian.

• There were “no women” participants in the Athens olympics which were held in 1896. First time the women were allowed to participate was in the year 1900 summer olympics held in Paris.

• “Charlotte Cooper” was the first women to win gold medal in the olympics. She won it in the sport of tennis, during the 2nd olympics held in Paris in the year 1900. It was the first olympics in which women participated.

• “Oscar Swahn” of Sweden is the oldest olympian to have participated in any of the olympic events so far. He was a shooter who participated at the 1920 Antwerp Games at the age of 72 years.

• “Dimitrios Loundras” was the youngest olympian ever to participate in modern olympics. He was a Greek gymnast, who competed in the 1896 Athens Olympics. He was 10 years and 218 days old. He remains to be the youngest medallist and competitor in any of the olympics till date.

• “James Connolly” of USA was the first person to win a medal in the first modern olympics held in athens 1896. The winners were given a silver medal and olive leaf.

Some Facts About The London Olympics 2012

• 26 Olympic sports will be played .

• 19 Paralympic sports will be played.

• The London economy is projected to grow by $80 billion by 2015.

• The Games are projected to generate 12,000 new jobs in the Olympic Park.

• 31 competition venues will be utilised.

• 20,000 press/media will be in attendance.

• 10km of new roads will be built.

• There will be 500,000 spectators per day.

• 9,000 new homes will be built.

• There will be 9.6million tickets for sale – 8million for the Olympics and 1.6million for the Paralympics.

• Organisers say 75 per cent of all tickets will cost less than £50 and offer free travel on London transport.

• A sell-out rate of 82 per cent for the Olympic Games and 63 per cent for the Paralympics is estimated.

• Tickets for the athletics will start at £15 and there will be 20,000 £10 tickets for the Olympic Park to watch.

• The village will be converted into 3,600 apartments, most of them will be affordable housing.

• After the Games four arenas would be ‘deconstructed’ and relocated to other parts of the UK along with the swimming pools that are used for water polo and the 50m training pools.

• Charities will be given the sports equipment used in the Games for free.

• 93 per cent of training venues are to be within 30 minutes of the athletes village.

• There are 9,000 planned park and ride spaces to be made available at Ebbsfleet where spectators can board a 10-minute javelin service to the Olympic Park.

• It is predicted that on event days 78 per cent of spectators are likely to travel from within London and 22 per cent from the rest of the UK and Europe.

Schenker Cricket Tournament

CSS Group has successfully secured another impressive tournament victory in the DB Schenker Inter Shipping Cricket tournament. CSS has been crowned the winners of this tournament for the second time, the first occurred in 2010 during the inaugural DB Schenker Cricket Tournament.

The final was played between CSS Group and Globlink Westar. CSS defeated RHS Logistics in the Semi Finals and X-PRESS FEEDER in the Quarterfinals. CSS won the toss and elected to bowl in the finals. The bowlers got wickets in regular intervals and were backed up with splendid fielding which restricted the mighty Globlink Westar to a total of 44 for the loss of 9 wickets in 8 overs. Chasing a modest total CSS Group emerged as the winner in the run chase with 3 overs to spare. CSS’ Rowmahs bagged the Man of the Match title hitting 4 sixes and 1 four in finals and Atiq won the Man of the Series title for excellent performance throughout the tournament!

Girls Basketball Team

Senior Girls Basketball Team: CSS Group recently sponsored the girls Basket Ball team from ‘Our Own English High School’, Al Warqa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

UAE Badminton Tournament

The press conference for the 35th edition of the India Club – Western Union Money Transfer Tournament took place on April 15th, 2012 at the India Club, Dubai, UAE. Amith Horra, Marketing Manager and Deepu S Dev, Marketing Coordinator represented CSS Group who is the associate sponsor for the badminton tournament.  The Tournament is scheduled to commence on Monday May 14th, 2012 at India Club, Dubai and the finals are scheduled for Friday, June 1, 2012.

To encourage the local talent, this year, the Tournament has been planned in two phases – The first phase is The UAE Open for players from UAE and GCC and the next phase is the Super League. As part of India Club’s drive towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as in the previous years, they are planning to conduct matches for the Special Needs Children / Individuals under a separate pool. The categories will be based on the number of entries received.  Invitations will be sent to various Special Needs Institutes in Dubai for participation in the same.

“It’s been three in years in a row that CSS Group has been associated with this prestigious tournament as one of the prime sponsors and we feel honored to be part of one of this significant sporting event in the UAE,” added Amith Horra, Marketing Manager, CSS.

CSS Alleppey Ripples

KPL Dubai (Kerala Premier League Dubai) was formed by Citifortune International Marketing, an event management company established in Dubai, in consideration of the passion for cricket in the region. The objective of KPL was to create an elite new sporting event to encourage cricket within the local population and promote cross-cultural integration.

This tournament, held under the auspices of the Dubai Cricket Council and staged at the International Cricket Council Global Cricket Academy Oval ground, had total prize money amounting to an astounding Dhs 60,000 — the highest prize to be offered to a domestic team.

Kerala’s Sports Minister K.B Ganesh Kumar inaugurated the event, in the presence of brand ambassadors India’s Test star Shantakumaran Sreesanth with film stars Suresh Gopi and Bhama on January 20. As Stephan Devassy, Brand Ambassador for Alleppey Ripples and world-renowned musician, enticed and encouraged the enthusiastic crowds with his riveting performance during the first day of matches.

C.T.K Nasir, one of the seven directors of the tournament, said: “I have played domestic cricket for the last 30 years here and wanted to create a tournament which will stand out and hence a group of like-minded people joined hands to create this concept. It is a tournament not only for the cricketers from Kerala state but for players from all over India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, UAE and every domestic player.”

“Kerala’s 14 districts and two zones (Malabar and Travancore) have been divided into different teams. Every team should have a minimum of three players from Kerala in the eleven and the remaining can be made up of local players and a maximum of two overseas players. One player should be under the age of 22 to encourage youngsters into the game,” he added.

Eight districts will only participate in the first edition. “Four out of the eight districts have already been purchased by owners for the next five years. The first edition will be contested by eight teams and we will expand it next year with more districts, without compromising on the standard of the teams,” he added.

Domestic teams

UAE’s top domestic teams have purchased some of the districts. TS Kaladharan, Chairman of Consolidated Shipping Services Group, which was one of UAE’s strongest domestic team, purchased Alleppey.

“This tournament has encouraged our team to stage a comeback to domestic cricket after five years. This will be great tournament and we haven’t flown in international players, we will compete with our top players,” he said.

“Alleppey Ripples with the power and pride of Devas Chundan for KPL”

In the presence of CSS, KPL, Dubai Cricket Council, and Media dignitaries CSS Alleppey Ripples and its coaching staff were officially launched and inaugurated at the Pathumuri (South Indian Garden Restaurant) at the Ramada Continental Hotel-Dubai. Speaking at the team launch, Chairman and Owner of Alleppey Ripples, T S Kaladharan announced, “CSS Group is pleased to announce its purchase of Team Alleppey Ripples for the next 5 seasons of the Kerala Premier League (KPL). The investment in the team shows the continuous support of CSS towards the sporting fraternity of the United Arab Emirates offering first class facilities for all sporting events.”

In the first match of the KPL Dubai cricket tournament, CSS Alleppey Ripples defeated Springs Cricket Academy Trivandrum Royals by an impressive 52 runs. In the second match, CSS Alleppey Ripples beat Wedlock Malapurram Knights by 27 Runs. After beginning the tournament undefeated, CSS Alleppey Ripples continued their impressive winning ways by posting a 55 runs victory over Yogi Group Trissur Dynamites?. In their fourth and fifth match, CSS Alleppey Ripples won by a narrow margin of runs, first by seven against Thumbay Kasargod Leopards and next by eight runs against Xpress Money Farooq CC. Calicut Zamorins. Both matches proved to be exhilarating whereby the batting and fielding of Alleppey Ripples showcased by the entire team were unstoppable.

In one of the most high-profile matches of the tournament, Alleppey defeated Kannur by three wickets in a nail biting match that had onlookers on the edge of their seats. With this win and 12 points, Alleppey Ripples had indeed secured their place in the semi-final berth in the Twenty20 tournament.

T. S. Kaladharan, Chairman of the Consolidated Shipping Services Group and owner of the Alleppey team, said, “We are perfectly happy with the way our team is performing. We don’t have a particular star, but a balanced side and all of them are chipping in with their contributions. The all-rounders in the team are making a difference and we are looking forward to the semi-final.”

Alleppey captain Harish M said, “We are clicking as a team because all players are contributing in equal measure. It once again shows that in the Twenty20 format, any thing is possible with a team performance and it is indeed a creditable victory as Kannur is virtually the UAE national team with almost all the top players in their squad.”

After being forced to abandon the match against Trotters Wayanad Highlanders due to bad weather conditions and therefore share the points, Alleppey Ripples were set to play in their first semi-final match.

Despite unpredictable weather conditions during the course of the game, the Alleppey Ripples team fought hard to maintain their position in the league, having yet been undefeated. However due to some extremely good fielding and batting from the Trotters Wayanad Highlanders, Alleppey Ripples succumbed to defeat, with eight balls to spare in the tight semifinals match.

With the tournament now drawing to a close we would like to congratulate the entire CSS Alleppey Ripples Team, Coaching Staff, CSS Senior Management, and all of the CSS Group staff and their families who came out to support the team during this tournament. Your support and positive attitudes is highly appreciated and we look forward to another season of CSS Alleppey Ripples-KPL cricket.

On behalf of the Chairman and Senior Management of CSS I would like to thank the Management team of KPL Dubai and the Dubai Cricket Council for a well organised tournament, which brings value added attention to the game of Cricket not only in the GCC, but worldwide. The dedication of your team and everyone involved is highly appreciated and valued.

Team CSS At Abu Dhabi Terminals Annual Golf day

CSS was recently invited to participate in Abu Dhabi Terminals very first annual golf day held at the Sadiyat Beach resort in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Some of the UAE’s prominent shipping personalities were invited to participate in this event which will no doubt become an annual together on the shipping and logistics fraternities calendar of events.

CSS VP Business Development, Ken Dinnadge and CSS VP Freight Forwarding Max Spina represented the CSS Group and we are pleased to announce that team CSS were the runners up.  The CSS team played really well and was just one point away from claiming the top honor.

CSS expresses its gratitude to senior management Abu Dhabi Terminals and extends their congratulations to a well organized and attended event.

23rd Dubai International Basketball Tournament

Hassan Haji , Public Relations Officer – Consolidated Shipping Services L.L.C. was selected by the UAE Basketball Federation to be one of the referees for the opening match and 5 other matches including the semifinals for the Dubai International Tournament which was held at the prestigious Al Ahli basketball court in Dubai, UAE from January 12th-21st, 2012.

KPL Twenty 20

TEAM ALLEPPEY RIPPLES BY CSS GROUP

CSS Group is pleased to announce its purchase of Team Alleppey Ripples for the next 5 seasons of the Kerala Premier League (KPL). The investment in the team shows the continuous support of CSS towards the sporting fraternity of the United Arab Emirates offering first class facilities for all sporting events.

Dubai will stage the richest domestic Twenty20 cricket tournament in UAE history in the name of the Kerala Premier League (KPL), which is set to begin from January 20th until February 24th, 2012 at the International Cricket Council Global Cricket Academy grounds.

The tournament is organised under the auspices of the Dubai Cricket Council (DCC) and the prize money for the winners of this tournament is Dh60,000 — the highest prize to be offered to a domestic team.
The tournament will be held along the lines of the Indian Premier League and has Indian pacer Shantakumaran Sreesanth as the brand ambassador.

South Indian film superstars Bharat Suresh Gopi, along with actress Bhamaa, are also brand ambassadors.

KPL Dubai is an event in consideration to bring in the regional fire of cricket with huge Asian population in the United Arab Emirates and the game is formed in such a manner that the presence of all cricket playing nationalities involved in the game. A total of 16 teams consisting of 14 districts of Kerala and 2 zonal teams namely Malabar and Travancore with each team consisting of a minimum of 3 players from Kerala in and remaining from the local talents, with one player under the age of 22 and a maximum of 2 international players with prior approval from the Dubai Cricket Council.

For further information, please visit:
www.kpldubai.com &
www.cssgroupsite.com

Ken Wins BTL Desert Challenge

CSS DUBAI  VP KEN DINNADGE WINS THE BTL  DESERT CHALLENGE, DUBAI CREEK GOLF AND YACHT CLUB  NOVEMBER 16, 2011

Deriving its name partly from the golfing expression ‘Tiger Line’ BTL now hosts 9 regional tournaments from Dubai to Korea with the main competition being the ‘BTL Masters’ held every September in Singapore, which is well supported by the global shipping industry.

Places at these events are much sought after and what better way to host clients than a round of golf where for 4-5 hours some sunshine, fresh air and conversations can be shared by all.

CSS’s own Ken Dinnadge upon his return to competitive golf tournaments won this Year’s Desert challenge in style after an 18-month absence from the Dubai shipping fraternity’s competitions.

Ken said, “I was thrilled to have been part of this tournament taking into account the international field of players which included some well known shipping CEOs and company owners. To take gold in this event was very special and is now part of history of BTLs event.

Sports @ CSS

Duke University, the most successful college basketball team of the past 25 years was in Dubai for friendly match with the UAE national team. The clash was at Al Wasl Stadium, on the way back from their respective tours of China and Taipei. They won every quarter of the match against the UAE taking it 15-13, 43-31, 67-48 before ending 86-66. Meanwhile Rashid Al Zaabi top-scored for the UAE with 14 in which was a gutsy display from the UAE team ahead of their international matches. Hassan Haji, Public Relations Office (PRO) CSS Dubai, was amongst the referees for the match moreover he was elected as basketball referee for the FIBA Asia Championship. CSS Group has been active in promoting sports and cultural activities amongst employees and Hassan’s delegation as referee was indeed a proud moment for CSS.

Indian Club – Western Union UAE Open Badminton Tournament 2011

The prestigious “India Club-Western Union UAE Open Badminton Tournament 2011” began on Tuesday, 24th May 2011 at India Club, Dubai with the finals scheduled for Friday, 17th June 2011.  Cash Prizes, Trophies, etc. amounting to over Dhs. 50,000/- will be the highlight of the tournament.

This year, the tournament is open to players from outside the UAE also, irrespective of their visa status.

All of the matches will be played in line with rules & regulations of the World Badminton Confederation.

As part of CSS Group’s and India Club’s drive towards Corporate Social Responsibility, matches have been scheduled under a separate pool for the Special Needs Children / Individuals. The categories will be based on the number of entries received.  Invitations have been sent to various Special Needs Institutes in Dubai and no entry fees will be charged.  All participants will be given a certificate of participation and a memento.

Besides the cash prizes and trophies, the winners of Men Singles, Ladies Singles, Boys Singles under 18 years and Girls Singles under 18 years will also take away Jet Airways return air tickets from Dubai to Jet Airways destinations within India.  The winners and runners up in all the categories will also receive gift hampers from Swiss Arabian Perfumes Trading and Carrera Sunglasses.

As co-sponsor, CSS Group and India Club would like to thank the Badminton Committee comprising of Prakashan A. K, Kishore Setpal, Anil Mohan and Sunita Maheshwari for all their support and efforts in conducting the tournament.

The matches will commence daily from 7.00 p.m. and on Fridays from 10.00 am onwards.   As many as 15 matches will be played on a daily basis and over 50 matches on Fridays.

This tournament started in the early 1980’s.  With every passing year, the tournament has been getting better & better.  Players from Qatar / Bahrain / India / Pakistan / Philippines / Oman / Thailand / China / Indonesia / Sri Lanka / Denmark & UK have taken part in the tournament.

Last year (2010), a record number of 501 entries were registered and a record number of 460 matches were played in various categories.

CSS Group is proud to be associated with the India Club Dubai and the UAE Open Badminton tournament and we wish all of the participants best of luck.

The Kalikkalam – CSS UAE Open Badminton Tournament

CSS has been proactive in promoting sports and cultural activities with the Keralite society in the UAE.  The 2nd edition of CSS Kalikkalam UAE Badminton Tournament was proudly sponsored by CSS as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility. The Kalikkalam family club was initiated by a group of Badminton enthusiasts with the objective of playing badminton and to identify and develop sports and cultural talents of its members and community. From its humble beginnings with 24 families the club today has got a membership of over 130 families. The club has got two indoor courts which can be converted as an auditorium to seat up to 1500 guests apart from the Conference hall, Gymnasium, Library, kids play area and meeting rooms. The Kalikkalam CSS UAE Open Badminton Tournament was held from 10th March, 2011 to 25th March, 2011. It witnessed all the top class badminton players from around the UAE and there were a total of 180 players from more than 10 countries- India, Pakistan, Srilanka, Philippines, China, Korea, Syria, Denmark, Nepal, France participating in various sections.

FOOTBALL Tournament

On March 11th, 2011 the Etisalat Academy hosted the Nellara 7’s Football tournament. The event showcased 36 teams from the UAE representing different colleges and clubs in India.  The team representing SD College, Alappuzha, Kerala was sponsored by CSS Abu Dhabi, and it was with much joy that we watched it defeat the strongest teams in the tournament. Unfortunately, the final match which had all in attendance on the edges of their seats, ended in a penalty shoot out with the sponsored team losing. Dressed in CSS colors they were a true representative of CSS, its core values and its employees through the hard work and camaraderie that they showcased throughout the duration of the match.

International Boat Show

The Dubai International Boat Show is the largest, most important and most established event of its kind in the region and one of the fastest growing leisure marine industry exhibitions in the world. The 19th edition of the event will be a classic showcase of yachts, supercars, equipment and supplies from both local and international builders together with the latest innovations in marine industry.

The Dubai International Boat Show is the undisputed leader, uniting high-end buyers and world-class suppliers from the most lucrative regions in the world. With a rich history and a proven track record spanning 19 years it is the most anticipated event in the yachting calendar. With Its ‘Established, Trusted, Chosen,’ brand recognition the event epitomizes the ultimate style in boating luxury whilst providing unparalleled access to the Middle East’s investors and marine enthusiasts. Attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year, the multi-award winning event is among the top five leading international boat shows in the world.

Dubai International Boat Show maintains its exclusive position providing a platform for the exhibitors to showcase their products, supplies and services to trade buyers as well as private high net worth consumers in the Middle East region.

CSS Group and Peters & May have taken this opportunity to showcase its worldwide strengths in Yacht & Marine Logistics whereby as an exhibitor the Dubai International Boat Show will serve as a platform for them to meet their customers as well as generate new business for local and international markets.

QUICK FACTS

Reasons to exhibit at the Dubai International Boat Show 2011

• Recognized as one of the TOP 5 International Boat Shows in the world

• Tap into the regions expanding leisure marine market with access to over 30,000 marine enthusiasts

• One of few International boat shows than can boast onsite orders and sales

• Be part of the largest and most influential leisure marine and lifestyle event in the Middle East and subcontinent

• Get direct access to the regions most lucrative VIP buyers and high net worth individuals

VENUE

Established in 1988, the Dubai International Marine Club is one of the most elegant yacht clubs in the region. Over the years it has become the driving force behind the growth of national and international watersport events in the Middle East. Ideally located on Dubai’s enchanting waterfront, next to the Le Meridien Mina Seyahi and The Palm Jumeirah, DIMC is the perfect venue for the Dubai International Boat Show.

TIMINGS

The Dubai International Boat Show
1 – 5 March 2011
4.00 pm – 9.30 pm Daily
Dubai International Marine Club – Mina Seyahi
Please visit CSS Group and Peters and May at Stand Number: LSS-D6-1 in the Luxury Tent area.
For more information about CSS Group please log on to: www.cssgroupsite.com
For more information about Peters and May please log on to: www.petersandmay.com

CSS Pool Tournament 2010

CSS proudly concluded its first ever Pool tournament recently held at Consolidated Shipping Services Logistics Centre – 1, Jebel Ali. As part of its team building initiatives, the tournament was conducted over 4 rounds with 21 participants from various divisions of CSS Group, of which only 3 were in the final round, T.S. Kaladharan, Chairman CSS Group, Suku Sudhakaran, Asst. General Manager, CSS Abu Dhabi and Kingsly Ravi, Asst. Operation Manager, CSS Logistics. The final round was between T.S. Kaladharan and Suku Sudhakaran with Suku emerging victorious after winning 5-4 of the 9 game match.

The Runner-up and Second Runner-up received Emirates Air Craft Models, while the winner, Suku Sudhakaran walked away with an Emirates ticket to any of its destinations. The event was organized and coordinated by CSS Marketing Department and they extended their gratitude to all the participants for the spirit and enthusiasm shown and special thanks to Sai Prakash Nair, Cargo Sales Manager Emirates Group for sponsoring this event.

The UAE Open Badminton Tournament

CSS is proud to be associated with ‘The UAE Open Badminton Tournament’ which was held at the India Club, Dubai from the 31st May until the 25th June, 2010. CSS has always been passionate when it comes to encouraging sports activities amongst its employees and sports enthusiasts. It has been actively involved in participating and sponsoring sporting events be it badminton, football, cricket or any other challenging game promoting social welfare. The UAE Open Badminton Tournament started in the early 1980’s and thereafter was held without any gap to uphold social interest amongst badminton lovers. In order to encourage UAE talents, this year, for the first time in the event’s 25 year history, the tournament was restricted to UAE resident players only. However, the event attracted top players of different nationalities within the emirates. A total of five hundred and one players were registered in the Men’s, Ladies, Boys and Girls, Veterans and Senior Veterans category as compared to a record number of 360 entries registered last year. All players vied for the Top Honors and AED 50,000 prize money in 24 categories at this annual event. Students of Special Needs Family (SNF) & Dubai Autism Centre also participated in the tournament. As a part of India Club’s and Consolidated Shipping Services drive towards Corporate Social Responsibility, separate matches were organized for children and adults with special needs.

As many as 15 – 20 matches were played on a daily basis from 10am to 9pm and each player was restricted to participate in three events. This gave an opportunity for more players to make it to the top rather than a select few taking the top positions. All matches were played in the 21 point format in line with rules and regulations of the World Badminton Confederation.

Badminton 21 Points

Before the 2006 Thomas / Uber Cup, the official scoring format was the 15 points format. The IBF (International Badminton Federation) then tested a new scoring format which is the 21 points rally format in the Thomas / Uber Cup. This 21 points rally format has since become the official one replacing the 15 points format.

The board rules for this format are as given below:

• To win a match, you have to win 2 out of 3 games

• To win a game, you have to score 21 points

• The side winning a rally shall add 1 point to its score

• If a score becomes 20-20, the side which scores 2 consecutive points shall win that game

• If the score becomes 29-29, the side that scores the 30th point shall win that game

• There are no “service over”, meaning you can score a point no matter who serves

• One service only for doubles

• Other rules shall remain the same