Sameer was only 15. He would get lonely. Every two months he would want to run back home to Dhar in Madhya Pradesh to be with his parents.Hyderabad was not home. But it was where he had come to make something of his life as a badminton player. His brother Sourabh, older by a couple of years, was there, too. And the Verma boys knew that in Pullela Gopichand, they were under the tutelage of the best coach in the country.Sameer learnt to live with the loneliness because he figured badminton was his calling. Seven years since he first arrived at the Gopichand academy, trailing his elder brother, Sameer has made the biggest splash of his young career by becoming only the third Indian male player to reach the final of a Superseries tournament.?I have understood that if I want to accomplish something, I will have to forego a lot, Sameer tells ESPN over a crackling phone line from Hong Kong hours after going down in the final. If not, I will feel in the future that I didnt achieve what I could have. We live in a joint family and we go back home once or twice a year. It is tough for our parents but they are happy that we are performing well.The we rolls off Sameers tongue quite naturally. Sourabh and he have chosen the same professional path and at least for now, the younger sibling is making the greater impression. Earlier in the year, Sameer quelled his brother to win the national championships in Chandigarh and has now made a significant run at one of the sports elite tournaments before Sourabh. There is a matter-of-factness about their sibling rivalry, one that Sameer embraces without much fuss.I think our head-to-head is at 4-4, or maybe I am trailing 3-4, I am not sure, he chuckles. We keep talking to each other and sharing information. I am the more attacking and aggressive player while he relies more on rallying.This aggressive and attacking instinct Sameer refers to was visible throughout his 50-minute, three-game final against NG Ka Long Angus on Sunday. He overturned the loss of the first game with a spectacular torrent of shot-making in the second against the World No.14. Ahead of the final, Gopichand had described his playing style as unorthodox and pointed to his knack of smartly seeing angles on the court.Given to playing a high-risk, high-reward game, Sameer believes the experiences of the last week that included the biggest win of his career so far over World No.3 Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark in the semifinals, will be invaluable as he aspires to build on this success.I wasnt intimidated at the thought of playing the world number three, he says. I just thought he is a player like I am, I will give my best and may the best man win. Even when I was down 17-20 I didnt think much about the game situation.In the final I did try very hard today but my opponent was really retrieving well and he was the better player on the day. I must have made some mistakes but I havent really thought about it much yet. My confidence is definitely up from before, so lets see what happens from here on in.Ranked 43 in the world at the moment, Sameer has identified a spot among the top 10 and a strong showing at next years world championships as his short-term targets. With Gopichand in his corner and support from the GoSports Foundation that has been assisting him with aspects such as tournament and medical expenses, nutrition, and facilities such as cameras to record and analyse his match play, Sameer is confident that the run in Hong Kong wont be a flash in the pan.This tournament has helped my confidence and also given me some knowledge on how I can improve as a player at the highest level, he says. Patience and calmness are two important attributes I feel. I have to improve my smashes and attacking game. I dont want to think too much, just enjoy my game and play then I am not very far from that level.While he does not have too many role models or heroes in sport, Sameer says watching the recent film about MS Dhonis life was inspirational and left a strong impression on his mind as he could relate to many of the situations. For counsel, besides Gopichand and Sourabh, Sameer turns to Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, cajoling them for tips on how to handle the pressure of situations such as big finals.He knows this week has catapulted him from a virtual unknown to an athlete whose fortunes will be eagerly followed. But ever since he first picked up a badminton racquet at the age of six and went along with his dad to the local club, Sameer has understood the sport will determine his destiny. It has already been long journey but it has only just begun. Hydro Flask Online Sale . Belfort (24-10) needed just 77 seconds to down Henderson in the headlining bout of Saturdays "UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson" event at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. The fight served as a rematch of the pairs 2006 meeting, which Henderson won by decision. Cheap Hydro Flask Ombre . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. http://www.cheaphydroflask.net/ . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. Hydro Flask Cheap Ombre . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. Hydro Flask Ombre Sale . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. NEW YORK -- Steroids-tainted stars Manny Ramirez and Ivan Rodriguez are on baseballs Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, along with Vladimir Guerrero.Jeff Bagwell is the top holdover on the 2017 Baseball Writers Association of America 34-player ballot announced Monday. He fell 15 votes short of the required 75 percent in 2016.Ramirez was suspended for 50 games in 2009 while with the Los Angeles Dodgers for using a banned female fertility drug. He retired in 2011 instead of facing a 100-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. He applied for reinstatement that December, and his suspension for the second failed test was cut from 100 games to 50 because he sat out nearly all of the 2011 season.Ramirez did not play in the majors again, although he did appear at Triple-A from 2012-14.Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, also tainted by steroids allegations, are on the ballot for the fifth time. After a change on voting eligibility rules eliminated some retired writers, Clemens rose to 45.2 percent and Bonds to 44.3 percent in last years voting.Players remain on the ballot for up to 10 years, provided they receive at least 5 percent of the vote.Rodriguez was never disciplined for PEDs, but former Texas teammate Jose Canseco alleged in a 2005 book that he injected the catcher with steroids. Asked whether he was on the list of players who allegedly tested positive for steroids during baseballs 2003 survey, Rodriguez said in 2009: Only God knows.A 12-time All-Star, Ramirez helped the Boston Red Sox win World Series titles in 2004 and 07, the first for the franchise since 1918.dddddddddddd He hit .312 with 555 home runs and 1,831 RBIs in 19 big league seasons, and he was voted MVP of the 2007 Series.Rodriguez was a 14-time All-Star and 13-time Gold Glove catcher, and he was voted AL MVP in 1999 with Texas, his team for the first 12 of his 21 big league seasons. He batted .296 with 311 homers and 1,332 RBIs, winning a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 2003 after earning MVP of the NL Championship Series.Guerrero was a nine-time All-Star and the 2004 AL MVP with the Anaheim Angels. He hit .318 with 449 homers and 1,496 RBIs in 16 big league seasons.Also among 19 newcomers on the ballot are Casey Blake, Pat Burrell, Orlando Cabrera, Mike Cameron, J.D. Drew, Carlos Guillen, Derrek Lee, Melvin Mora, Magglio Ordonez, Jorge Posada, Arthur Rhodes, Freddy Sanchez, Matt Stairs, Jason Varitek, Billy Wagner and Tim Wakefield.Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were elected last year, when Bagwell appeared on 315 of 440 ballots (71.6 percent. Other holdovers include Tim Raines (69.8), Trevor Hoffman (67.3) and Curt Schilling (52.3) along with Edgar Martinez (43.4), Mike Mussina (43), Lee Smith (34.1), Fred McGriff (20.9), Jeff Kent (16.6), Larry Walker (15.5), Billy Wagner (10.5) and Sammy Sosa (7). ' ' '