Category: Sports

** The forgotten Scots of the first Everest expedition of 1921 – one died, the other went mad

A century ago, in May 1921 the first expedition to reconnoitre and to possibly attempt to ascend Mount Everest left Darjeeling in India.

On it was George Mallory who died on the mountain in 1924 and whose name is forever associated with Chomolungma to give the mountain its correct name.

But also on the expedition were two Scotsmen, Alexander Kellas from Aberdeen and Harold Raeburn from Edinburgh – both of whose mountaineering achievements were arguably greater than those of Mallory. Today they have been largely forgotten.

** Using tyres, this Indian architect has built 250-plus playgrounds across the country

Pooja Rai’s NGO, Anthill Creations, builds sustainable playgrounds for kids

Two little boys were engrossed in a game of badminton: their slippers served as racquets. Nearby, two other kids played atop broken sewer pipes. This sight made Pooja Rai think: “Playgrounds should not be a luxury. It is something every child should have access to for free.”

And that is when the then 23-year-old student of architecture in IIT-Kharagpur made her first playground for children within her institution’s campus, using colourful tyres from cars and two wheelers re-purposed as play equipment.

** Indian origin twin brothers from Punjab face off at Wembley

With the twins Amar Singh Purewal and Arjun Singh Purewal representing two different clubs in the final–while Arjun is captaining Consett FC, Amar plays for Hebburn Town– it will be an emotional moment for the family.

On Monday, 31-year-old twins Amar Singh Purewal and Arjun Singh Purewal are all set to become the first British South Asian brothers to play against each other in a Wembley Cup final by Football Association (FA) of England.