Saturday, October 8, 2022

arsenal: How Arsenal found its voice

आर्सेनल के सीज़न के अब तक के सबसे बड़े खेल से एक रात पहले, प्रशंसक यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए एमिरेट्स स्टेडियम के अंदर फिसल गए कि सब कुछ ठीक है। उनके नेता और कुछ मुट्ठी भर दोस्तों ने अपनी योजनाओं को तैयार करने में सप्ताह बिताए थे: धन जुटाना, आपूर्तिकर्ताओं से संपर्क करना, विषयों पर विचार-मंथन करना, छवियों को डिजाइन करना, स्टैंसिल काटना, स्प्रे-पेंटिंग पत्र।

अब शुक्रवार की देर रात एक ही काम बचा था। उन्हें यह जांचना था कि स्टेडियम के क्लॉक एंड के ब्लॉक 25 की प्रत्येक सीट पर प्रदर्शन की परिणति के लिए लाल या सफेद झंडा है।

अगले दिन, उन्होंने देखा कि उनकी दृष्टि साकार हो गई है। जैसे ही आर्सेनल और टोटेनहम के खिलाड़ियों ने अमीरात में मैदान संभाला, ब्लॉक 25 बदल गया। “हम आए, हमने देखा, हमने जीत हासिल की,” एक बैनर पढ़ा। “उत्तरी लंदन 1913 से लाल है,” एक और दौड़ा, एक सदी पहले शहर के इस हिस्से में आर्सेनल के विवादास्पद स्थानांतरण का एक संदर्भ – और टोटेनहम क्षेत्र। साफ नीले आसमान के नीचे सैकड़ों झंडे फहराए गए।

प्रदर्शन बमुश्किल एक पल से अधिक समय तक चला, उन सभी घंटों के प्रयास में एक एकल, क्षणभंगुर क्षण के लिए खर्च किया गया, एक श्रद्धा जो सीटी बजते ही टूट गई। हालांकि इसका असर काफी लंबे समय तक रहा।

खेल के बाद, आर्सेनल के प्रबंधक, मिकेल अर्टेटा ने उस दोपहर अमीरात के अंदर के माहौल का वर्णन “शायद इस स्टेडियम में सबसे अच्छा देखा है जब से मैं क्लब से जुड़ा हुआ हूं,” एक ऐसा रिश्ता जो एक दशक से अधिक समय तक चलता है। उनके कप्तान मार्टिन ओडेगार्ड ने भी प्रशंसकों को धन्यवाद दिया। उन्होंने कहा, “वहां खेलना अद्भुत था।

कुछ हद तक, निश्चित रूप से, परिणाम के लिए जिम्मेदार ठहराया जा सकता है: आर्सेनल ने टोटेनहम को हराया था, और उत्तरी लंदन डर्बी में जीत हमेशा जश्न मनाने के लिए कुछ है। संदर्भ ने भी मदद की: जीत ने सुनिश्चित किया कि आर्सेनल एक और सप्ताह के लिए प्रीमियर लीग के शिखर पर बना रहे, इस सप्ताह के अंत में मैनचेस्टर सिटी से एक बिंदु आगे, जब लिवरपूल अमीरात का दौरा करता है।

लेकिन यह अकेला मामला नहीं था। पिछले एक-एक साल में, आर्टेटा और उसके खिलाड़ियों के लिए यह असामान्य नहीं रहा है कि अमीरात कितना शोरगुल, कितना भावुक, कितना उत्साही हो गया है। क्लब के अंदर, एक ईमानदार विश्वास है कि कर्कश माहौल टीम के रूप में उछाल के परिणाम के बजाय एक कारण है।

लंबे समय से अंग्रेजी फ़ुटबॉल में सबसे शांत स्टेडियमों में से एक स्टेडियम में, एक भीड़ जिसे खेल के जेंट्रीफिकेशन के खतरों के लिए एक विज्ञापन के रूप में देखा गया था – अपनी टीम को धक्का देने के लिए बहुत ही पॉश, प्रभावी रूप से – अचानक अपनी आवाज मिल गई है।

उस परिवर्तन का पता न केवल उस समूह द्वारा प्रदान की गई ऊर्जा और प्रोत्साहन से लगाया जा सकता है, जो मुट्ठी भर संस्थापकों के आसपास जमा हुआ है – एशबर्टन आर्मी, जो यूरोपीय और दक्षिण अमेरिकी फ़ुटबॉल में आम तौर पर अल्ट्रा-गुट गुटों से प्रेरित है, लेकिन इंग्लैंड में अभी भी अपेक्षाकृत दुर्लभ है – लेकिन यह भी क्लब के दृढ़ संकल्प के लिए कि उन्हें कम से कम एक पीढ़ी की समस्या को हल करने की अनुमति दी जाए।

आखिरकार, सीज़न के सबसे बड़े खेल से एक रात पहले, जब उन्होंने अपने काम को अंतिम रूप देने की कोशिश की, तो किसी को उन्हें अंदर जाने देना पड़ा।

एक शांत, दबे हुए स्थान के रूप में आर्सेनल की प्रतिष्ठा का दोष अक्सर 2006 में अमीरात के भव्य, व्यापक कटोरे के लिए हाईबरी में अपने लंबे समय के घर से प्रस्थान पर रखा जाता है। स्थानांतरण की देखरेख करने वाले प्रबंधक आर्सेन वेंगर ने हमेशा महसूस किया कि आर्सेनल ने “अपनी आत्मा को हाईबरी में छोड़ दिया था।”

यह इतिहास की एक काव्यात्मक, बेहूदा रोमांटिक कहानी है, लेकिन यह सटीक नहीं भी हो सकती है। रेडएक्शन के संस्थापक रे हेर्लिही ने कहा, “प्रतिष्ठा हाईबरी में शुरू हुई, एक समूह जो दो दशकों से आर्सेनल में माहौल को बेहतर बनाने के लिए काम कर रहा है। “यह हाईबरी में था कि मैं शामिल हुआ। यहीं से हाईबरी लाइब्रेरी उपनाम शुरू हुआ।” चाल में जो कुछ खो गया था, वह पता चला, वह तुकबंदी थी।

निस्संदेह, नए स्टेडियम ने मुद्दों पर जोर दिया। हाईबरी में एक साथ बैठे प्रशंसकों के समूह ने अचानक खुद को अलग पाया। अमीरात के डिजाइन का मतलब था कि कोई स्पष्ट केंद्र बिंदु नहीं था जहां सबसे शोरगुल, सबसे उत्साही प्रशंसक इकट्ठा हो सकते थे। हाईबरी ने क्लॉक एंड और नॉर्थ बैंक के जुड़वां ध्रुवों का दावा किया था; अमीरात का कोई प्राकृतिक समकक्ष नहीं था।

सबसे ज्यादा नुकसान टिकट की कीमत और टीम की सफलता के बीच का अंतर था। अमीरात, प्रसिद्ध रूप से, अंग्रेजी फ़ुटबॉल में सबसे महंगे सीज़न टिकट का घर था। युवा प्रशंसकों की कीमत कम होने के साथ, भीड़ ने पुराने को तिरछा करना शुरू कर दिया। “थोड़ी देर के लिए, मुझे लगता है कि हमारे पास सीजन-टिकट धारक की उच्चतम औसत आयु थी,” हेर्लिही ने कहा। “और आप 65 पर उतने एनिमेटेड नहीं हैं जितने कि आप 25 पर हो सकते हैं।”

उसी समय, आर्सेनल की किस्मत कम हो रही थी। वेंगर के बाद के वर्षों को शीर्षक चुनौतियों से नहीं बल्कि चैंपियंस लीग के लिए अर्हता प्राप्त करने के लिए एक वार्षिक संघर्ष द्वारा चिह्नित किया गया था, एक गिरावट जिसने इस बात पर एक कड़वी, आंतरिक बहस को जन्म दिया कि क्या फ्रांसीसी ने अपने स्वागत से बाहर कर दिया था।

एशबर्टन आर्मी के संस्थापक रेमी मार्श ने कहा, “वेंगर आउट अभियान के कई साल हो गए थे (हालांकि उन्होंने कहा, बाद में समूह से “दूर हो गए”।) “एक निर्विवाद विषाक्तता थी।” इसका अधिकांश भाग हर हफ्ते आर्सेनल फैन टीवी के कैमरों द्वारा कैद किया गया था, जो उग्र शेख़ी और गुटबाजी से भरा था। “इसने एक पूरी पीढ़ी को बर्बाद कर दिया,” मार्श ने कहा।

पिछले दशक के अंत तक, लगभग सभी इस बात से सहमत थे कि अमीरात के वातावरण को मरम्मत की सख्त जरूरत थी। एक ने इसे “फ्लैट” के रूप में वर्णित किया। हर्लिही ने स्वीकार किया कि क्लब के खेल बहुत शोर उत्पन्न करने के लिए “संघर्ष” करते हैं। मार्श ने इसे “कमजोर” कहा।

“मंत्रों की कमी थी,” मार्श ने कहा। “वहाँ बहुत भिन्नता नहीं थी। यह क्लब के लिए एक कलंक बन गया था।”

आर्सेनल, यह निकला, एक ही विचार को आश्रय दे रहा था।

इसके प्रभाव कई और विविध रहे हैं। क्लब ने, खिलाड़ियों के कहने पर, एक स्थानीय गीतकार लुई डनफोर्ड के काम को अपनाया; उनका एक गीत, जिसे “नॉर्थ लंदन फॉरएवर” के नाम से जाना जाता है, एक प्रकार का अनौपचारिक शस्त्रागार गान बन गया है, जिसे अमीरात में हर खेल की शुरुआत से पहले बजाया जाता है। “यह व्यवस्थित रूप से हुआ,” वेंकटेशम ने कहा। “इसमें से किसी को भी मजबूर नहीं किया जा सकता है।”

अन्य परिवर्तन छोटे, बमुश्किल बोधगम्य हैं – क्लब ने प्रशंसकों के लिए उन खेलों के टिकट बेचना आसान बना दिया है जो वे शामिल नहीं हो सकते हैं और चेतावनी दी है कि सीजन-टिकट धारक जो नियमित रूप से अपनी सीटें खाली छोड़ते हैं, उनसे उनके अधिकार छीन लिए जाएंगे – लेकिन है योगदान दिया, Herlihy ने कहा, इस अर्थ में कि प्रशंसकों को सुना जा रहा है।

एशबर्टन आर्मी से ज्यादा कोई नहीं। जब प्रशंसकों ने स्टेडियम में वापसी की, तो क्लब ने अपने बढ़ते रैंकों को स्थानांतरित करने में मदद की – अब इसमें कुछ सौ सदस्य शामिल हैं – सामूहिक रूप से। “जब हमने शुरुआत की, हम एक ब्लॉक के पीछे बैठे थे,” समूह के नेताओं में से एक ने कहा। “इससे शोर के लिए यात्रा करना मुश्किल हो गया।” उनका नया स्लॉट, जिसे 2010 से स्टेडियम के क्लॉक एंड के रूप में जाना जाता है, सबसे आगे है। वे कहते हैं कि वहां की ध्वनिकी बहुत बेहतर है।

वेंकटेशम ने कहा, “हम कोशिश करते हैं और प्रशंसक समूहों का समर्थन करते हैं, हालांकि हम कर सकते हैं।” उदाहरण के लिए, स्टेडियम की चौड़ाई में फैले उत्तरी लंदन डर्बी में बैनर रेडएक्शन फहराया गया था, जिसे क्लब द्वारा वित्तपोषित किया गया था। शस्त्रागार का एशबर्टन सेना के साथ समान संबंध नहीं है, लेकिन उन्होंने कहा, “उन्हें स्टेडियम तक पहुंच प्रदान करें ताकि वे खेलों से पहले स्थापित हो सकें।”

दो दशकों की कोशिश के बाद, ऐसा लगता है कि यह तरीका काम कर गया है। कोई भी भ्रम में नहीं है: यह निश्चित रूप से मदद करता है, कि आर्टेटा ने न केवल एक उज्ज्वल, युवा टीम को एक साथ रखा है, जो घरेलू खिलाड़ियों के साथ है, बल्कि एक विजेता भी है। लेकिन जैसे उन्होंने अमीरात में माहौल को संचालित किया है, वैसे ही माहौल ने उन्हें प्रेरित किया है।

“एशबर्टन सेना ने बाकी स्टेडियम को दिखाया है कि यह कैसे किया जाना चाहिए,” हेर्लिही ने कहा। स्टेडियम के विपरीत छोर पर उनकी सीट, उन्हें कार्रवाई में समूह का एक आदर्श दृश्य प्रदान करती है: 90 मिनट का “शोर और आंदोलन”, उनमें से हर एक ने क्लब के रंगों में नहीं, बल्कि किसी भी स्वयं की काली वर्दी में कपड़े पहने थे। – अल्ट्रा का सम्मान करना।

“वे वही कर रहे हैं जो हम सभी ने सालों पहले किया था और जो हमने सोचा था कि आप अब और नहीं कर सकते,” उन्होंने कहा। “वे अपने साथियों के साथ फ़ुटबॉल जा रहे हैं, और वे मज़े कर रहे हैं। और फ़ुटबॉल में मज़े करना ज़्यादा मज़ेदार है।”

Originally published at Pen 18

Nothing more satisfying than inspiring people: Eliud Kipchoge

Olympic marathon champion in 2016 and 2020, Eliud Kipchoge is arguably the greatest marathoner in history. He recently broke the world record in Berlin, improving by an incredible 30 seconds to own four of the five fastest marathon times in history. Started in 2003 and still going strong, Kipchoge is a global superstar who has probably broken the laws of science so many times that they are now a law unto themselves. And still he is not satisfied. He is already planning for 2023 to further improve and add a legend of his own. He is not the best speaker and needs some push to speak frankly. He spoke to Boria Majumdar about his achievements, what the future holds for him and more. Part:


What we saw in Berlin was spectacular. How do you feel about that?


I am glad that I was able to break the world record and improve it in a matter of seconds. It really made me happy and I am glad to be able to do so.

Breaking a world record and doing something supernatural cannot be summed up in one sentence! Tell us more about it.

I’m glad the sport is being talked about, that there’s global attention, that people are recognizing what it takes to win a marathon. More importantly, the sport of distance running has completely changed over the years. We see so many races, so many competitions and so many runners in every part of the world. That’s what you want to see and if we do well it will gain momentum. That’s why I said that I am happy with the world record because it is being talked about not only in Europe but in other parts of the world and in turn will encourage more and more people to run and compete.

Interesting you say that because it will encourage others to take up the game, what is it that gets you moving? You have been competing at the highest level for 20 years. You have won every event that has to be won. You have broken every record that has to be broken and yet you keep going. What is your inspiration?

When I see people talk about the sport and say they want to take up the sport after watching me run, that’s my motivation. Nothing can be more satisfying than when you can inspire people. Even if it is one person, I am happy and content. There is nothing better than changing life. You will have a better and healthier world if more and more people start playing this game. And if I am the catalyst who has been instrumental in bringing about that change, there can never be a greater inspiration than this. Take the Berlin Marathon for example. Once I was able to break the record, it made global news. Everyone who runs a marathon will take inspiration from it. People think they can do the same. You see the youth want to take up this sport. That’s the inspiration. This is my legacy. That I have been able to inspire many people to run and make a difference in doing so.


You have come to India as the brand ambassador of Delhi Half Marathon. What was your experience like?


I really enjoyed my time in Delhi. The people were friendly and warm. They knew and respected my achievements. He was keen to take up the sport and run. I could see that there was tremendous interest in the people. That’s what you want to see. You want to see your game spread among the masses. You want them to adopt race, it has a positive effect on society. I could see it in Delhi. There was awareness. People were curious. He wanted to get better and that made me very happy.


So, if you get an opportunity to visit India again in the near future, will you take that opportunity?


Absolutely I will. If I can come and make a difference in the game in India, I will definitely come. If more and more people start running after seeing me, then there is no better feeling than this, so I will definitely come when I get a chance.


What next for The Iliad Kipchoge? People really aren’t on top of their game until you have them. We have seen Roger Federer and Serena Williams retire after two decades at the helm. what do you say?


I need to sit down with my team and make my plan for the next year. Set my goals and targets and prepare for them. That’s what I’m going to do over the next few weeks and then set out to do my best to achieve them. I’ve always gone about things this way. Discussed with my team what we needed to do and then went about trying our best to meet our goals.

Originally published at Pen 18

India bounces back with big victory over Bangladesh

Shafali Verma once again showed her match-winning ability with a stunning 44-ball 55 as India beat Bangladesh by 59 runs to win their fourth match and make it to the semi-finals of the Women’s Asia Cup T20 in Sylhet, Bangladesh . Saturday.

After a disinterested batting performance in the loss against Pakistan, the ‘Women in Blue’ put on a much better performance at 159 for 5, largely due to a 96-run opening stand between Shafali and stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana (47 runs). There was a partnership. 38 balls).

Credit should also go to Jemima Rodrigues, whose unbeaten 35 off 24 balls helped the Indian team score nearly 160 runs. Bangladesh scored 100 for 7 at the end of 20 overs and never looked to win. India are at the top of the seven-team table with eight points from five matches and one match left in the round robin stage.

Having never chased down a target total of more than 142 in their entire T20I history, Bangladesh tried their best but could never compel the pace against a solid Indian bowling attack that kept things tight. After a poor fielding effort against Pakistan, it improved a few notches later in the day as there were no easy runs in store.

The hosts could not even score 50 runs in the first 10 overs and it was almost impossible for them to score more than 110 runs in the back-10. With Sneh Rana (1/17 in 3 overs) and Deepti Sharma (2/13 in 4 overs) being as transparent as ever, none of the Indian bowlers stayed away from the target.

Even Shafali’s loop legbreak (2/10 in 4 overs) didn’t look playable. The sluggishness of the track also meant that the spinners could vary the pace and most of the balls were not coming to the bat. The two openers Fargana Hoki and Murshida Khatun could only manage 45 runs in the first nine overs and Bangladesh were virtually out of the competition at that point.

Originally published at Pen 18

suzuka: With Suzuka pole, Max Verstappen moves to the verge of second successive title

Max Verstappen prepared for a second consecutive Formula One title at the Japanese Grand Prix by defeating Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc in pole position in qualifying at the Suzuka Circuit on Saturday.

The 25-year-old swung his Honda-powered Red Bull around the popular figure-of-eight layout in one minute, 29.304 seconds, beating Leclerc by just 0.010 seconds. Carlos Sainz was 0.057 seconds off the pace in third place in the second Ferrari.

Verstappen came under scrutiny for dangerous driving after McLaren got in the way of Lando Norris, but was let off with a reprimand. Norris was forced to drive off the track and onto the grass to avoid contact and said he expected Verstappen to be punished.

But replays showed Red Bull’s tail sticking out, with the stewards noting that Verstappen had temporarily lost control of his car on cold tyres.

“It was incredible to drive here again, definitely very happy to be on pole, but very happy to be back here,” Verstappen said after taking 18th pole of his career and fifth of this season. Sunday, he said, “will be interesting with the weather, I’m sure we have a good car.” Verstappen leads Leclerc by 104 points in the overall standings and needs to score eight more than Monegasque to finish proceedings on Sunday.

This means that if he wins by the fastest lap ahead of Leclerc, he will be the champion. But Friday’s practice session was affected by rain and Sunday was in danger of being hit again, so the race could be far from straight. Leclerc or Sainz could give Ferrari their first Suzuka victory since Michael Schumacher’s 2004 victory.

Verstappen was the favorite for pole in the session after setting the fastest time in Saturday’s final practice. But Leclerc was on the verge of last-gasp on his final flying lap, even as Verstappen on the provisional pole, not improving on his earlier benchmark.

In the end it wasn’t enough, Verstappen’s first flight was good enough for pole. “Let’s wait and see the conditions, should be a fun race,” he said. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez was fourth behind Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.

Mercedes has enjoyed an unbeaten run at Suzuka until 2014, but the streak looks set to end with the team’s highest-ranked Lewis Hamilton in sixth place. Fernando Alonso was seventh behind Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate George Russell.

Sebastian Vettel, driving around Suzuka for the last time as he prepares to retire at the end of the year, was a spirited ninth for Aston Martin. Norris made it to the top ten. Home Hope Yuki Tsunoda, racing a Formula One car in front of his fans at Suzuka for the first time, was 13th. Sunday’s race at Suzuka will be the first since 2019 in which the Japanese Grand Prix has been absent from the calendar for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally published at Pen 18

Missing T20 World Cup berth is huge setback but lot of cricket still left in me: Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur has suffered a ‘big blow’ for not featuring in the T20 World Cup but the Mumbai medium-pace bowling all-rounder is focused on doing well in the upcoming games as he still has “a lot of cricket” left.

Thakur played the T20 format for India at a time when Hardik Pandya was doing his long and intensive rehabilitation program but his poor economy rate of 9.15 basically took him off the national team’s radar.

“Of course, it’s a big setback. Every player dreams of playing in the World Cup, not only to play but also to win,” Thakur said on the eve of the second ODI against South Africa.

“It’s okay that I haven’t been picked this time. But there’s still a lot of cricket left and there’s also the ODI World Cup next year. My focus will be to do well in whatever match I play and contribute to the win,” TH Mumbai K Man, who is just two short of completing 100 international wickets across all formats, said.

India have suffered another major setback to their T20 World Cup campaign when the injured Deepak Chahar, who was in reserve, was ruled out of the ongoing series with the possibility of going to Australia.

“Injuries are part of the game, someone is going to get injured at some point or the other. We shouldn’t take it honestly. There’s more cricket yet to come,” he said.

Asked if he likes his chances, the 30-year-old said: “If there is an injury then anyone can come. As of now, it is your responsibility to play whenever and wherever you are asked to play.” “Be prepared. I’ll be mentally prepared if I’m given a call-up. It’s all in my hands.”

Want to make a difference with the bottom bat

,

Thakur further said that he is honing his batting skills to make a difference in the lower order, something which was displayed in the first ODI in a 93-run stand with Sanju Samson in 66 balls.

Chasing a tight target of 250 in 40 overs, India were 51/4 but Sanju Samson (86 not out) and Thakur (33) revived their hopes and missed out on just nine runs.

“If you look at the teams that have performed very well at the international level, they have a very deep batting line-up. Like Australia for example, they have Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc at 8 or 9. Even That too for England.

“I have been focusing on my batting for a long time now. Obviously batting at No.7 or batting at No.9, if they can contribute it’s always good. That gives you relief. meets.”

“We can also deepen our batting lineup and make a difference – a difference of 15-20 runs which can be crucial in winning matches, especially in white-ball cricket,” he added.


Inappropriate to criticize only Indian bowlers

,

Team India’s bowling may have faced criticism of late but Thakur said it was unfair as rival bowlers are also loosing runs.

“It’s not fair to just criticize Indians, even their bowlers are taken to the clean. We won the T20I series, but they were also slammed.

“I think before questioning the consistency we should see how the wicket was, the conditions. Sometimes more than 350 runs are scored in an ODI then in that situation every bowler gets hit.” There have not been any one-sided matches, batting or bowling friendly pitches, mostly competitive. We have won most of the matches and have shown consistency.”

Originally published at Pen 18

revenant: Puma signs kit partnership deal with Revenant Esports

Indian esports organization Revenant Esports has signed global sports brand Puma as its official kit partner for the upcoming season.

As part of the deal, Revenant Esports’ creator and esports roaster will donate special kits manufactured by Puma. Both the brands will leverage this collaboration to make their presence felt among the esports community in India.

Rohit Jagasia, Founder and CEO, Revenant Esports said, “PUMA is one of the most successful sports brands in the world and we are extremely proud to be associated with it as the first esports team in India. “This partnership is a step in the right direction for Revenant Esports and a testament to our aim to enrich the esports community and the experience for our fans.”

He added that over the years esports has become an integral part of the merchandise industry and it is a privilege to have athletes, creators, fans wear apparel made by one of the best in the world. “Together we look forward to achieving immense success in the coming years and capitalizing on the growing export culture in the country,” Jagasia said.

Puma, the leading sports brand in India, has partnered with several international esports organizations, but this is the first such deal in the Indian export market.

Vishal Gupta, Executive Director (Retail), Puma India said, “We are extremely excited to have Revenant Esports as their official kit partner and become the first leading sportswear brand in the country to enter the deeply enticing space of esports. are.” “India is one of the biggest markets for the video gaming community and competitive esports is affecting our youth at all levels. The inclusion of esports as a medal sport at the Asian Games next year is a testament to its enormous popularity and potential today. As a brand, Puma strongly supports influences on youth culture such as sports, fitness, art, cinema, music and now new age sports.

With this association, Puma and Revenant will leverage each other’s audience base and wider reach to connect with esports athletes in the country and penetrate deeper into the market, he added.

According to a recent report by FICCI-EY, around 100 brands have invested in Indian exports this year, as compared to 72 in 2021. loyalty among his passionate set of fans.

Originally published at Pen 18

India beat Bangladesh by 59 runs in Women’s Asia Cup

India beat Bangladesh by 59 runs in a Women’s Asia Cup match here on Saturday. Opting to bat, Shafali Verma smashed a quickfire 55 off just 44 balls while in-form Jemima Rodrigues used her long to good effect with an unbeaten 35 as India were tied for 159 or 5. .

Shafali and stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana (47 off 38 balls) put on 96 runs for the opening stand while Jemima and Deepti Sharma (10) added 29 runs in just 2.3 overs.

The Indian bowlers then easily defended the target, restricting the hosts to 100 for 7.

Captain Nigar Sultana top-scored with 36 while Fargana Haque scored 30.

Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma took two wickets each for India.

Brief scores: India 159 for 5 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 55, Jemima Rodrigues 35 not out; Rumana Ahmed 3/27) vs Bangladesh 100 for 7 in 20 overs (Nigar Sultana 36; Shafali Verma 2/10, Deepti Sharma 2 / 13).

Originally published at Pen 18

new zealand: Rain interrupts play in second ODI against New Zealand with India on 22-0 after 4.5 overs

India were 22 for no loss in 4.5 overs against New Zealand when rain stopped play in the second one-day international at Seddon Park here on...