The external ear is a defining feature of the face and sometimes has variations. This study was designed to obtain information about the dimensions, morphological, and aesthetic differences of the pinna amongst Nigerians who are students of the University of Abuja. For the photographic aspect of the study, 99 volunteers met the inclusion criteria. Results showed the following: for the lateral view, the detached lobule was 5.9% greater in females than in males, while the attached lobule was larger in males compared to females by 5.9%. An everted helix was not found in the entire population. For the posterior view, the lateral displacement of the pinna was greater in males compared to females by 17.2%. No hairy pinna was observed in the entire population. For the morphometric aspect of the study, 185 volunteers met the inclusion criteria. The mean total ear height and mean lobular height across the cohort were 5.72cm and 1.58cm, respectively, while the average lobular width measured 2.05cm. The average height of the pinna was 4.14cm. The mean total ear height was higher in males compared to females, while the mean values for lobular height and width were both slightly higher in females compared to males. The study establishes normative data for incidence in structural positioning of the ear pinna between male and female sexes, while making clear that hairy pinna and congenital abnormality of the ear are not common occurrences among Nigerians.

Background: Stature estimation is a fundamental component of forensic identification and anthropological investigations. Although long-bone measurements provide the highest accuracy, they are not always available in cases involving fragmented or incomplete human remains. Anthropometric measurements of the hand and fingers offer practical alternatives because they are simple, inexpensive, and non-invasive. The little finger has been comparatively underexplored as a predictor of stature, particularly in South Indian populations. Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between little finger length and stature and to develop regression models for anthropometric estimation. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 105 healthy adults aged 18–40 years at Yenepoya Medical College. Standing height was measured using a stadiometer, while right and left little finger lengths were measured using a Vernier caliper following standard anthropometric techniques. Each measurement was recorded twice, and the average value was used for analysis. Pearson correlation and linear regression analyses were performed using Microsoft Excel. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results; Stature demonstrated a significant positive correlation with right little finger length (r = 0.484, p < 0.001) and left little finger length (r = 0.390, p < 0.001). Weight showed a significant correlation only with the right little finger (r = 0.328, p = 0.001), whereas BMI was not significantly associated with either measurement. Regression analysis identified height and gender as significant predictors of right little finger length (R² = 27.3%), while height alone significantly predicted left little finger length (R² = 15.2%). Discriminant analysis based on bilateral little finger lengths correctly classified 67.61% of participants according to sex. Conclusion: Little finger length demonstrates a statistically significant association with stature and may serve as a practical anthropometric parameter in forensic and anthropological applications. Population-specific regression models may improve the accuracy of stature estimation in situations where conventional skeletal measurements are unavailable.

Football is a physically demanding sport that requires well-developed physiological capacities, including cardiovascular endurance, pulmonary function, and efficient oxygen utilization. Modern training approaches such as plyometric training and functional training have gained considerable attention for their potential to improve athletic performance. While each training method offers unique physiological benefits, combining these approaches may produce greater adaptations than using either method independently. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine the effectiveness of varied training interventions on selected physiological variables among intercollegiate male football players. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of varied training interventions on selected physiological variables among intercollegiate male football players. Sixty male football players aged 18–25 years were randomly selected from various colleges in Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh, India. The participants were randomly assigned to four groups of fifteen players each. Group I underwent plyometric training, Group II participated in functional training, Group III received combined plyometric and functional training, and Group IV served as the control group. The experimental groups followed their respective training programmes for twelve weeks, with three training sessions per week, while the control group continued their regular routine without any specialized training intervention. The selected physiological variables vital capacity were measured before and after the intervention using standardized testing procedures. The collected data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), with the level of significance set at 0.05. The findings revealed statistically significant improvements in all selected physiological variables among the experimental groups compared with the control group. Furthermore, the combined plyometric and functional training group exhibited significantly greater improvements than the plyometric training and functional training groups individually, indicating the superior effectiveness of the combined training approach. The study concludes that varied training interventions, particularly the integration of plyometric and functional training, are highly effective in enhancing physiological capacities and overall athletic performance among intercollegiate male football players. Coaches and physical education professionals may incorporate combined training programmes into regular football conditioning to optimize players' physiological fitness and competitive performance.

The present study was designed to examine the effects of three differentiated handball training interventions on dribbling ability and skill performance among male collegiate handball players. Sixty male college handball players aged 18–24 years were assigned to four groups: Fitness Handball Training (FHT), Technical Handball Training (THT), Integral Handball Training (IHT) and Control Group (CG), with 15 participants in each group. The experimental programmes were structured to emphasize physical conditioning, technical execution or an integrated combination of physical and handball-specific skills. The intervention was planned for eight weeks, with three training sessions per week, each lasting 60 minutes. Dribbling ability was evaluated using a standardized handball dribbling obstacle-course test, in which lower completion time represented superior performance. Pre-test and post-test measurements were obtained before and after the intervention. The statistical plan consisted of descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and Scheffe’s post-hoc comparisons, with statistical significance established at the 0.05 level. The intervention framework was informed by evidence indicating that handball performance depends on repeated acceleration, sprinting, changes of direction, technical execution and rapid transitions between physical and skill demands [1–8]. Previous intervention research has also shown beneficial effects of small-sided games, high-intensity training, plyometric training, resistance training and integrated handball-specific conditioning on selected performance characteristics [9–18]. The proposed study therefore examines whether integrating physical and technical stimuli produces greater improvement in dribbling ability than isolated fitness- or technique-oriented training. The expected practical implication is that an appropriately structured integrated handball programme may provide a more ecologically valid stimulus for improving ball-control performance under movement constraints.

Kabaddi is a physically demanding team sport that requires a combination of speed, agility, muscular strength, explosive power, flexibility, and endurance for successful performance. The intermittent nature of the game involves repeated bouts of high-intensity activities such as sprinting, sudden changes of direction, tackling, raiding, jumping, and rapid recovery. Therefore, well-developed biomotor abilities are essential for kabaddi players to perform technical and tactical skills effectively throughout a match. In particular, speed and agility enable players to execute rapid movements and evasive actions, while muscular strength and explosive power contribute to effective tackling, blocking, jumping, and raiding. Flexibility supports efficient movement and may help players perform technical skills with greater range of motion, whereas endurance is necessary to sustain performance during prolonged competitive activity. The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of a varied structured training programme on selected biomotor variables among men kabaddi players of engineering colleges. Sixty male kabaddi players studying in engineering colleges, aged between 18 and 25 years, were selected as subjects for the study. The subjects were randomly assigned into two equal groups, namely the Experimental Group (n=30) and the Control Group (n=30). The Experimental Group underwent a varied structured training programme consisting of systematically planned exercises designed to develop essential biomotor abilities required for kabaddi, while the Control Group participated in their regular physical activities. The training programme was administered for a period of 12 weeks, with three training sessions per week. Selected biomotor variables such as explosive power were assessed before and after the training programme using standardized tests. The collected data were statistically analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to determine the significance of differences between the groups. The results were expected to demonstrate significant improvements in the selected biomotor variables among the Experimental Group compared with the Control Group. The findings suggest that a systematically designed varied structured training programme can be an effective method for enhancing the physical and biomotor fitness components essential for improved performance among engineering college men kabaddi players.