CRPF to appoint PV Sindhu as Commandant and brand ambassador

Country’s largest paramilitary force CRPF has decided to appoint Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu as it’s brand ambassador and bestow the honorary rank of Commandant on the ace badminton player.

Official sources said the force has moved a formal proposal in this regard to the Union Home Ministry and after getting required sanctions, Sindhu will be honoured and presented the rank badges and camouflage combat fatigues of the CRPF at a ceremonial event.

It is understood that Sindhu has been informed and her consent taken by the CRPF in this regard.

A Commandant rank in the CRPF is equivalent to the position of a Superintendent of Police (SP) and such an officer commands a battalion of about 1,000 personnel, when posted in field operations.

They said that about 3-lakh personnel strong force, mainstay for anti-Naxal operations and various internal security duty tasks in the country, chose Sindhu for the honour as her appointment will not only motivate the personnel to do better but will also send the message of women empowerment and that they are second to none.

Being the brand ambassador of the force, they said, Sindhu would be asked to hold motivational sessions with troops when she is not playing or practising and her messages would be sent to all the personnel deployed across the country.

The Central Reserve Police Force also has the credit of raising the first all-women battalion in a central paramilitary or a police force way back in 1987 and at present has four such contingents, with three in active duties.

Few years back, border guarding force BSF had appointed cricketer Virat Kohli as it’s brand ambassador.

Rio silver medallist P V Sindhu snubs minister's offer, says Gopichand is 'the best coach'

Ace Indian shuttler P V Sindhu, who captured the imagination of the entire nation by winning a silver medal at the Rio Olympics, has ignored Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali's offer for a 'better coach', saying that her current guru Pullela Gopichand is the 'best coach' for her.

"I feel Gopi sir is the best coach. I have been training under him since I was 10. I don't have to say anything about it (minister's comment)," Sindhu told ANI.

Her comments came after Ali triggered an outrage on social media with his statement that the 21-year-old lanky shuttler may be provided a 'better coach' so that so could fetch gold in the next Olympics at Tokyo.

Sindhu received a rousing welcome on her arrival in her home town and was felicitated by the Telangana government for her stellar performance at the Rio Games.

Considered as one of the country's finest shuttlers, Gopichand has produced an array of top-class shuttlers, including 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal and K Srikanth, a quarterfinalist in Rio de Janeiro.

Despite producing a spirited performance in the opening game, Sindhu lost the pulsating women's singles badminton final against Spain's Carolina Marin 21-19, 12-21, 15-21 to settle for the silver medal.

With the feat, Sindhu has also become the fifth Indian woman to clinch a medal in Olympics history after Karnam Malleswari, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and Sakshi Malik.

Indian women facing early menopause: Survey

Nearly 4 per cent of Indian women experience signs of menopause between 29 and 34 years of age, says a recent survey conducted by The Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC). The figure goes up to 8 per cent in the case of women between 35 and 39 years of age.

What is shocking is that women around the world normally reach menopause between 45 and 55 years of age, with a mean age of around 51 years.

According to the study, women often notice an irregular menstrual cycle that suddenly ceases. This is when most of them approach a gynaecologist and are confronted with premature menopause.

“One of the culprits could be Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) — a condition when the ovaries stop functioning normally before the age of 40. The cause of POF goes undetermined in majority of the cases, but changing food habits, work culture with increased stress are some of the reasons,” said Dr. Shobha Gupta, Medical Director and IVF specialist at Mother’s Lap IVF Centre.

Dr. Shobha said: “A woman’s body is going through so many changes today because of the atmosphere and lifestyle requirements, which is why we have been seeing cases of premature ovary failure in young adults. It is better to plan a family on time, and if you have any medical issues then you should consult your doctor soon.”

Its symptoms are the same as those of natural menopause — change in pattern of periods, hot flashes, mood swings, crying spells and sleeplessness. “If you experience these, you should consult any fertility centre and go for a blood test. If your FSH level (follicle stimulating hormone) is more than 25mIU/L then you may have POF” said Dr. Anubha Singh, infertility expert from Shantah IVF Centre.

“Lifestyle choices like smoking, drinking, thyroid or auto-immune diseases, exposure to radiation like chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and poor nutrition can also cause premature menopause. Along with this, genital tuberculosis can also lead ovaries to fail,” Dr. Singh added.

Multiple studies, meanwhile, have shown that the age of menopause can be inherited.

Also, a strong association has been observed between siblings, twins, mothers and daughters. Further, menopause seems accelerated in women whose mothers experienced early menopause or premature ovarian failure.

The study concluded that though heredity does play a role, the extent remains to be identified.

National news

Solo suspended from US women's national team after 'cowards' remark

U.S. women's goalkeeper Hope Solo was suspended Wednesday for six months by U.S. Soccer for disparaging comments about Sweden following the Americans' early departure from the Rio Olympics.

Solo called the Swedes "a bunch of cowards" for focusing on defense rather than attacking the three-time defending champion U.S. team. Sweden ousted the U.S. 4-3 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw in a quarterfinal match.

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said Solo's comments were "unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players."

"Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect," Gulati said. "We expect all of our representatives to honor those principles, with no exceptions."

The 35-year-old Solo, who was previously suspended for 30 days early in 2015 for her conduct, will not be eligible for selection to the national team until February.

Solo was a lightning rod during the Olympic tournament, irking fans in Brazil when she posted a photo of herself covered with mosquito netting and armed with insect repellant on social media. Fans booed her mercilessly and hollered "Zika!" each time she kicked downfield.

Then she caused a stir with her "cowards" comment.

Sweden's coach Pia Sundhage, who led the U.S. team to gold medals in Beijing and London, replied by stating: "It's OK to be a coward if you win."

Solo has been making headlines throughout her stellar career.

Last month, she became the first goalkeeper with 100 international shutouts when the United States defeated South Africa 1-0 at Soldier Field in Chicago. It was also her 150th career win.

Solo won her second straight Golden Glove Award for the best goalkeeper at the Women's World Cup a year ago. Over the course of the tournament in Canada, she had five clean sheets and allowed only three goals in seven games.

Solo was among the U.S. players who filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for wage discrimination, saying the men's national team players have been paid much more than many on the women's team, which for years has out-performed the U.S. men on the international stage.

More recently, she's called for better conditions for players in the National Women's Soccer League.

She has also been trying to avoid a trial on misdemeanor domestic violence charges after a 2014 incident at her sister's home, when the goalkeeper was accused of being intoxicated and assaulting her sister and 17-year-old nephew. Solo said she was a victim in the altercation. Earlier this year, an appeals court in Washington state rejected Solo's request to avoid trial.