NEWS » ation and inspiration with a touch of Yogi Berr

Sikki Reddy says that her new partnership with Ashwini Ponnappa was formed with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the ultimate goal and the Asian Games two years hence as the first step.Sikkis decision to team up with Ashwini came after the latter broke up with Jwala Gutta, three months after they competed at the 2016 Olympics. Jwala has called time on her womens doubles career and Sikki - currently ranked 111 in womens doubles and 23 in mixed doubles - hopes she will be able to take her place in the partnership with Ashwini.One month back, our Malaysian doubles coach Kim Tan Her, Gopi bhaiyya, Ashwini and I had a discussion and we decided to pair up. Of course, 2020 Tokyo was a reason but that is too far away, four long years, and we want to just focus on the smaller events now, Sikki told PTI.We are a scratch pairing so we have no ranking. We have to start with smaller events and make our way up. I hope we can gather some good ranking points and then target the Super Series and big events. 2018 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games will be the immediate targets for us.Sikki and Ashwini will be playing the Scottish Open (Nov 23-27), Welsh International (Nov 30-Dec 3) and Irish Open Dec 7-10) this year before combining again at the Malaysia Masters (Jan 17-22) and Syed Modi International (Jan 24-29) next year.Speaking about the partnership, Ashwini said: When I started with Jwala, I had zero exposure to international badminton but it is not the case with Sikki. She is experienced and has done well in mixed doubles. She has played super series events. So I think we will not take much time to gel well.The 23-year-old Sikki is left-handed like Jwala. Sikki said that being left-handed give her an additional advantage.Being a lefty is a big positive as I have got a lot of variations in my strokes. Of course, she has more experience in womens doubles and needs to guide me and believe in me, said Sikki, who had clinched the 2016 Brazil Grand Prix with Pranaav Jerry Chopra in mixed doubles.Asked how different is their combination from her pairing with Jwala, Ashwini said: There are few things which are quite different; Sikki and me can rotate more than before. If I move towards the net, she can cover the back of the court and vice versa.But we need to work on our strengths and weaknesses and it is going to be a great learning experience for the initial year for us, added Ashwini, who will also be pairing up with K Nanadagopal in mixed doubles in the upcoming three events.New England Patriots Store . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Patriots Jerseys China . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. https://www.patriotsjerseysale.com/ . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. Patriots Jerseys 2019 . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. New England Patriots Pro Shop . A forerunning sled crashed into the worker Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center. The unidentified worker broke both legs and was airlifted to a nearby hospital.The Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for next season in college basketball have been updated, and now that rosters are beginning to crystallize, its time to get familiar with each team. Weve already touched on everything from the top NBA prospect?on each roster to each teams defining song?and future coach. But the offseason begs an obvious question: If coaches werent coaching, which line of work would they choose??1. Duke Blue Devils: Mike Krzyzewski, Secretary of Defense Before he won five national titles at Duke and became a legend, Coach K played basketball for Bob Knight at West Point. Then, he served as an Army officer prior to the start of his coaching career. He has expressed his admiration and respect for the armed forces over the years. That connection, combined with his work ethic, might have led Krzyzewski to Washington, D.C., where hed enjoy this influential post. -- Myron Medcalf2. Villanova Wildcats: Jay Wright, club owner Ever seen Wright work a room? He has thrown an invite-only party at the Final Four for years. Part storyteller, part comedian, all charmer, Wright makes all his guests feel that they paid for bottle service in the VIP section. It would be a high-end club where not everyone could get in, but those who could would be welcomed. You would go to a Jay Wright-owned club. And youd come back again. -- C.L. Brown3. Kentucky Wildcats: John Calipari, CEO of a global marketing firm We could list the many reasons Calipari is a marketing genius, but (a) that would take too long, and (b) you know them all already. Instead, lets highlight a favorite example?from 2012: Weve got to get this picture out on Twitter, Calipari says [referring to a photo of himself and Charlie Sheen]. Itll generate some talk, dont you think? How many followers does Charlie Sheen have? [A staffer] informs Calipari that more than 8 million people track Sheen. ... The coach reclines in his black leather chair and grins. Tweet it, he says. -- Eamonn Brennan4. Kansas Jayhawks: Bill Self, bipartisan campaign manager It seems everyone likes Bill Self -- except for the entire state of Missouri, but thats another thing altogether. Hes the perpetually upbeat, charismatic salesman. On the other hand, according to the people who track this stuff, lots of people dont like Donald Trump, and lots of people dont like Hillary Clinton. Yet one of them will be the next president of the United States. Enter Self. -- Dana ONeil5. Virginia Cavaliers: Tony Bennett, cyber security expert So you need someone who is committed to equipping your corporate digital infrastructure with the most comprehensive protection available? How about a guy who has led Virginia to a top-10 finish in KenPom.coms adjusted defensive efficiency ratings in four of the last five years? Were not sure if Bennett knows much about computers and technology. But hell devote himself to defending your business, home, school or coffeehouse from outside threats. -- Medcalf6. North Carolina Tar Heels: Roy Williams, golf pro If theres any current coach who talks about golf more than Williams, hes probably already teaching the sport. Williams had knee replacement surgery in May, so he hasnt been on the course as much as hed like this summer. But its not a stretch to envision Williams as the golf pro at a local course. His expertise would come on greens that play as fast as his teams do. -- Brown7. Oregon Ducks: Dana Altman, regional manager of a midsize Midwestern bank From 1980 to 1982, at Western (Colorado) State, Dana Altman got his start in coaching, sure, but he also polished off his masters degree in business administration -- the same field of study in which hed earned associates (Southeast Junior College) and bachelors (Eastern New Mexico) degrees as an undergrad. If the whole being a really good basketball coach thing hadnt worked out, the mild-mannered Nebraskan would have had no problem working with Excel spreadsheets. -- Brennan8. Wisconsin Badgers: Greg Gard, tractor salesman Gard has worked for five employers separated by 85 miles, which in the Gard family makes him an adventurer. His father, Glen, spent 40 years at the same credit and loan company. His mother, Connie, worked at the same high school from the day after she received her own diploma until the day she retired. So if Gard had not answered an ad for a junior varsity basketball coach after his own athletic career ended prematurely (he was cut from his college baseball team) odds are Gard would be doing exactly what the family plan guided him toward -- working on the Gard hog farm and selling tractors. -- ONeil9. Xavier Musketeers: Chris Mack, stand-up comedian This is too easy. Were sure this is something Mack would do if he had to pick a gig outside basketball. He might be on tour right now for all we know. Hes serious on the sideline. Loves the game. But hes also a jokester. A guy who tweets the way he tweets is ready for a stint in Vegas, and he once crashed a fans wedding.?-- Medcalf10. Michigan State Spartans: Tom Izzo, barber Every barbershop has the veteran who has seen it all. The one guy, usually with the chair farthest from the door, whom patrons seek out for advice. He doesnt hold back when it comes time to say what needs to be said. Thats Izzo. Who knows if he can actually hook up a fade or is a master at moustache trimming. Sit down in Izzos chair and emerge looking and feeling better. -- Brown11. Indiana Hoosiers: Tom Crean, motivational speaker Say what you want about the off and on trend of paying someone to be your personal Yoda, but its a profession that exists and, hey, to each their own. If the stated goal is personal improvement, Creans record as a developer of college basketball talent -- to say nothing of his always-turned-up, Tony Robbins-ian energy -- would make a strong candidate for any such gig. -- Brennan12. Arizona Wildcats: Sean Miller, Harlem Globetrotter We need to pre-empt this with an apology since Miller is loath to discuss his childhood star turn on The Tonight Show. But if a kid can dribble like this, how could his other career not be with the Globetrotters? Presuming Miller still has a few skills stashed away, he could tour the country with the Globetrotters, choreographing his moves to their signature song. -- ONeil13. Louisville Cardinals: Rick Pitino, fashion consultant Need to upgrade your wardrobe? Looking foor a new suit? A pocket square woven with rare silk imported from a location known only to his assistant manager? Shoes that make other shoes jealous? Do you have $5,000? Well, come on down to Rick Pitinos Hoops Haberdashery.dddddddddddd Hell help you find everything you need. And then hell tell you how to wear it. But wait, he doesnt think youre wearing it the right way. Hes not pleased. Now youre running laps around a department store. All part of the experience. -- Medcalf14. Purdue Boilermakers: Matt Painter, house flipperPainter has been a wizard of seeing the value in off-the-radar recruits. He would do the same thing in real estate, finding houses that seem run down or those with designs that are now out-of-date only to build something out of nothing. Just as his teams at Purdue cant be defined by one particular style, Painters homes would come in a wide variety. -- Brown15. West Virginia Mountaineers: Bob Huggins, proprietor and beloved bartender at the best dive bar in America Gruff wisdom, tough love, fierce loyalty, an instinctual distaste for frills, plenty of war stories, a tendency to show up to work with a black eye or two, and a killer nickname: Huggy Bear. Best. Bartender. Ever. -- Brennan16. Gonzaga Bulldogs: Mark Few, host/participant on a fly-fishing show Two things make Few especially happy -- winning and fishing, and not necessarily in that order. The Gonzaga coach especially prefers fly-fishing. In fact, hed rather spin you a fish tale than break down the Zags offense. So this is the most natural choice for a non-hoops Few. Im especially partial to Season on the Fly, which kinda sounds like Season on the Brink, thereby combining angling and hoops in a seamless transition for Few. -- ONeil17. UCLA Bruins: Steve Alford, yoga instructor The UCLA gig comes with a variety of challenges, even for coaches who meet the mark. Thats not Alford right now. Powerful alumni wanted him out last season. He agreed to return his previous extension not long after someone flew a UCLA DESERVES BETTER! FIRE ALFORD! banner over campus. Thats a lot of pressure. Were not sure how Alford is dealing with this, but yoga instructor seems like the right alternative for a guy who dealt with an abundance of pressure last year and will deal with even more next season. How else would he stay calm right now? He needs some Zen. -- Medcalf18. Maryland Terrapins: Mark Turgeon, news anchor He stays even-keeled on the sideline, and hed be just as centered behind a news desk reading off a teleprompter. Turgeon would join the likes of Connie Chung and ESPNs own Scott Van Pelt on the list of nationally known anchors produced by Marylands school of journalism. Wouldnt you trust the news if it were read by this man? -- Brown19. Saint Marys Gaels: Randy Bennett, United States ambassador to Australia Saint Marys went 2-27 -- 2-27! -- the year before Bennett was hired, which is the same year Bennett began recruiting a young Australian prospect named Adam Capcorn. Since then, the Gaels Aussie pipeline has produced NBA guards Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova, among others. The surprisingly successful 2015-16 roster -- almost all of which returns in 2016-17 -- has six Australian natives. Watch your back, John Berry. -- Brennan20. Creighton Bluejays: Greg McDermott, fashion model At 6-foot-8, McDermott is hard to miss, an oak tree standing in the forest of Big East coaches. And lets face it, the man knows how hard it is to find a good suit for a frame so big. Hence McDermott, upon retirement, ought to consider a modeling career for the big and tall crowd. Better yet, he could bring his similarly sized son, Doug, into the business. They could be like the Olsen twins. Except, you know, bigger.?-- ONeil21. Rhode Island Rams: Dan Hurley, life coach for struggling basketball coaches Were not convinced Dan Hurley could leave the game. Hes the son of Bob Hurley, a legendary prep coach, and his brother Bobby Hurley is coaching at Arizona State. Dan couldnt handle family dinners if he left the game. He doesnt even have a personal tab on his Wikipedia page. So hed stay connected by helping other coaches navigate the coaching life. But were not sure that would go well, either. Yes, I know youre having trouble at home, Coach. But why did you run a 1-2-2 zone press last night?! Explain that! -- Medcalf22. Cincinnati Bearcats: Mick Cronin, tailor Cronin may not be the first coach who comes to mind for mens fashion, but hes got a strong suit game. None of this made-to-measure stuff for Cronin, hes far too detailed. Youve seen how his Cincinnati teams play defense; they dont cut corners. Thats why Cronin would be a bespoke tailor, who creates new patterns to custom-fit the nuances of each individual. -- Brown23. Florida State Seminoles: Leonard Hamilton, titular lead of the Broadway musical Hamilton Is this a convenient, superficial cop-out? Of course! Does that make it any less fun to imagine Leonard Hamilton, dressed in 16th-century garb, rapping about the first U.S. treasury secretarys federal debt proposal? No, it does not. And, hey, he does own a gospel music label. -- Brennan24.Connecticut Huskies: Kevin Ollie, bumper sticker idea man Be careful what youre feeding. Greatness begins when selfishness ends. Faith it til you make it. These are just a few Ollie-isms, catchy phrases that combine motivation and inspiration with a touch of Yogi Berra logic. The coach uses them more frequently than a teenager injects the word like into a sentence. Alas, no one outside the Huskies inner circle hears them regularly, but what if Ollie got into the bumper sticker sales business? Imagine the number of minivans that could be sporting, Take care of your 24.?-- ONeil25. Syracuse Orange: Jim Boeheim, rapper Yes, it sounds odd, but hip-hop is built on the idea that youre born to express yourself. You have freedom in rap. Freedom to say what you want. And since Boeheim doesnt care if you like him or not, he wont be afraid to drop rhymes that might rub some people the wrong way. He might have a mixtape in the works right now with songs that rip the NCAA, every ACC/Big East official in the history of the leagues, anyone who likes the NCAA, and Fab Melo. Hes ready to rap. -- Medcalf ' ' '