Following Afghanistan’s seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022, Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi said that his team is playing a good game of cricket. “Everyone knows that both Mujeeb and Rashid are world class bowlers. He again showed his talent and ability. We are planning to take early wickets to stay ahead in the game. Everyone knows we have power hitters on our team. We ended the game very well. Gurbaaz tried hard but could not hit him well. Shakib bowled brilliantly,” Nabi said in the post-match presentation.
Venus Williams’ reception and support at Arthur Ashe Stadium was not the same as it was for her sister Serena the night before. Neither did the result. Venus, who turns 42 in June, has not made any announcements about her future in tennis, unlike her younger brother, and while she has been successful and influential, a seven-time Grand Slam champion; A black woman in a predominantly white sport – fanfare and attention are not the same.
Playing in front of thousands of empty blue seats in an arena was initially quite quiet, although it later grew louder, with Venus losing 6–1, 7–6 for her second consecutive appearance in the first round of the US Open. ) to Alison van Uytwank on Tuesday.
“She means a lot to women’s tennis. Tennis, in general,” van Uytvanck said. “He’s a legend.”
It was Flushing Meadows’ 23rd visit to Venus, making the finals as a teenager in 1997 and then winning the trophy in 2000 and 2001, and her record 91st time in a major tournament.
Venus had never lost in the US Open opening round until 2020, then was absent last year.
When asked what motivates him these days, he replied: “Three letters: victory. That’s it. Very easy.”
On the night, Emma Raducanu became the third defending US Open champion to lose in the first round, going down 6-3, 6-3 to Alize Cornet.
Radukanu, who was 18 and ranked 150th when she won the title as a qualifier a year earlier, was plagued by hand blisters – she took a medical timeout for treatment after the first set – and Cornet, 32, stunned her. Overcame it From France who also upset No. 1 Inga Swietek at Wimbledon.
Radukanu said, “Obviously really disappointing. Really sad to leave here. It’s probably my favorite tournament. But at the same time, I mean, (I’m) happy, because it’s a clean Slate.”
“I’m going to drop down the rankings. (Will) be on my way back up.”
Also playing under the lights was 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal, who returned to the US Open for the first time since 2019 and defeated 21-year-old Rinki Hijikata 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 . , Nadal did not show any serious problems with the torn abdominal muscles, which forced him to pull out of Wimbledon in July.
Nadal’s victory was followed by a match between four-time Grand Slam title winner Naomi Osaka and 2022 Australian Open runner-up Daniel Collins in the Ashes.
Venus was completely off touring in singles less than a month before August 2021 and is now 0-4 since her return. His ranking – which was No. 1 20 years ago – is up 1,504th this week.
“It was definitely the longest time I’ve been away from tennis and I didn’t have a racquet in my hand. So it was a completely new experience for me, getting a racquet back in my hand and getting used to it as quickly as possible. Trying to be. For the US Open, that wasn’t easy,” she said.
“There’s a lot of great points playing out for sure, but in the end, it’s just rust. There’s nothing you can do about it other than, you know, not get wild at some point.”
It was Serena who announced to the world on 9 August that she was preparing to withdraw from her playing career, it is unclear when the end will come, although she hinted that it could come at the US Open.
So her first-round match fell into the category of a must-see on Monday, drawing a record crowd of over 29,000 to the tournament grounds, including more than 23,000 at Ash – and the atmosphere was tumultuous and electric from start to finish. . She registered a 6-3, 6-3 win over Danka Kovinic.
Serena, who has now won six of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles in New York, will face No. 2 seed Annette Kontaveit in a matchup at The Ashes on Wednesday night.
And then he and Venus will join forces in duets on Thursday, this week teaming up for the first time anywhere since 2018.
When a reporter asked if Venus had retirement on her mind, she replied: “Right now, I’m just focusing on doubles.”
So how did the pairing reunite who has earned 14 Grand Slam titles at that event?
Venus said, “It was Serena’s idea. She’s the boss, so I do what she tells me.” “We’ve had some great wins. It would be nice to add a few more.”
Van Uytwank now meets Clara Burrell, who defeated Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 6-4, 6-4.
In other action on a humid and windy Day 2 at the hard-court tournament, women’s winners included 2017 champion Sloane Stephens, No. 1 Inga Swietake, No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 8 Jessica Pegula, No. 9 Garbine Muguruza, No. 13 Belinda Bencic – whose rival Andrea Petkovic said she is retiring from pro tennis – and No. 22 Karolina Pliskova, 2016 runner-up in New York.
The men advancing were 2014 champion Marin Cilic, No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, No. 7 Cam Nori, No. 8 Hubert Herkaz, No. 9 Andrey Rublev, No. 11 Jannik Sinar, No. 15 Marin Cilic, No. 17 Grigor Dimitrov. and the number 28 Holger rune, which further meets John Isner.
Neither Williams appeared in the first-round singles match of the second; Venus said she saw Serena on TV, but was not there in person because of the early start the next day.
His mother Orsin and sister Isha were in the guest box every time. On Tuesday, he saw Venus struggling from the start, especially with his used service and groundstrokes that weren’t calibrated correctly. In so many traps. So long landing.
After a few of her 25 unforced errors, Venus springs up with a tug on the strings of her racket or the edge of her visor.
Ten of those mistakes came on backhands, far more than his two winners on that side.
There were half a dozen double faults, only three aces. He faced 12 break points and dropped four of his 10 service games.
In just 20 minutes, there was a 4-0 lead for van Uytvanck, 28, a Belgian who is ranked 43rd and came into the day with a 1-8 career point at the US Open.
Venus made a slight stand, to break the second set and hold for 2–0. But it would be the only break of the match for him and soon, van Uytwank was shooing away a volley winner to close the win.
The night before, Serena was honored during a post-match ceremony that included a video tribute to Oprah Winfrey and a lengthy on-court interview. After the match, Venus put her red tool bag over her left shoulder, took her racket in her right hand, and quickly headed to the locker room.
Disney Star has sub-licensed the linear television rights to the International Cricket Council (ICC) men’s events for the next cycle (ZEE) in a first of its kind partnership, which will share the media rights to rival broadcasters. match.
Last week, Disney Star retained the TV and digital broadcast rights for the next cycle of matches (2024-27) with an overall bid of around $3 billion, as against the benchmark price of $1.44 billion set by the ICC.
Under the arrangement with ZEE, Disney Star will stream matches in India only on its digital platform Disney+ Hotstar, the companies said in their joint statement on Tuesday.
Although the broadcasters did not disclose the financial details of the deal, ET has learned that ZEE will buy Disney Star 30-40% of the total rights value for the rights drawn over a four-year period – between $900 million and $1.2 billion. The middle will pay. , A person with knowledge of the matter said, “Right now the revenue from TV is much higher than that of digital, but the equations are changing rapidly, which is also reflected in the way these broadcasters are bidding for IPL rights. .’
ICC approval
“Also, India’s matches will have to be shared with Prasar Bharati under the mandatory sharing clause for sports of national importance, which would have prompted ZEE to bargain hard,” the person was quoted as saying earlier.
Both companies said that the ICC has approved the arrangement in principle. However, sources close to the ICC board told ET that the proposal is yet to be approved. “Disney Star had informed the ICC about the possibility of such an arrangement and it is provided for in the contract,” he added.
“This is a first of its kind partnership in the Indian media and entertainment landscape, and this association with Disney Star reflects our sharp, strategic vision for the sports business in India,” said Puneet Goenka, Managing Director, ZEE. Statement. “As a one-stop television destination for ICC men’s cricket events by 2027, ZEE will leverage the strength of its network to deliver a compelling experience for viewers and great return on investment for its advertisers.”
Goenka, who is also the Chief Executive, said, “Long-term profitability and value-creation remain our areas of focus in the business, and we will always evaluate all necessary steps that will enable us to make the game an attractive value proposition. . for the company.”
Disney Star Country Manager K Madhavan said, “By securing IPL television broadcast rights for 2023-27, and now opting to retain digital rights only for ICC tournaments for 2024-27, we have a balanced and strong cricket offering to our audiences across linear and digital.”
20-year-old Daria Snigur broke down in tears after beating Romania’s Simona Halep in three sets in the first round of the US Open on Monday.
Snigur, a Ukrainian ranked 124th, was making her debut in the main draw of the Grand Slam singles tournament; He had to win three matches to qualify. His win over Halep was the first win of his career at WTA Tour level.
“When I was at that time, I didn’t understand what happened,” Snigur told reporters after the match. “I think it was the best match of my career.”
After Snigur’s victory, his father, who was in the stands, placed his hands above his head as if in disbelief. “Even my father didn’t understand,” said Snigur.
7 seeded Halep is coached by former Serena Williams coach Patrick Mouratoglu. According to SportsBetting.ag, Halep was given an 8-1 odds of winning before the tournament began. “I had tickets to Warsaw yesterday,” Snigur said, referring to the capital of Poland.
After shaking hands with Halep and the chair umpire, Snigur stepped onto the court and greeted the crowd. He made a heart shape with his hands on a yellow and blue ribbon affixed to its top, a tribute to his country in the midst of war. “Ukraine is always in my heart,” Snigur said of the gesture. “This victory is for Ukraine.”
Although her father was able to travel with her for tournaments, Snigur said her mother was still in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. Ahead of the US Open, Snigur said she trained in the Latvian capital Riga because a tennis facility used by her in Ukraine was bombed by Russian forces. “Sometimes it’s impossible to play, but I try to do my best,” Snigur said. “I try to do the best I can for Ukraine. I try to support my country.”
In another symbol of support for the country, New York’s Ukrainian chorus Dumka, an amateur ensemble that specializes in music from Ukraine, performed a song at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night ahead of the match between Serena Williams and Danka Kovinic. .
Indian football legend Bhaichung Bhutia on Tuesday said if he wins the AIFF president’s election on September 2, his priority will be to financially improve the state associations to produce top players and coaches. Bhutia has a two-way fight with former goalkeeper Kalyan Choubey for the top post of All India Football Federation.
“Every state association, including Bengal, needs financial support to organize its league at different levels,” the 45-year-old former India captain said during a tour of East Bengal here.
Bhutia said that he already has his budget ready.
“At present, AIFF gets Rs 50 crore from FSDL. Rs 30-40 crore from the Centre. We have to give part of the budget to the state associations to do grassroots football tournaments and leagues,” he said.
“At present, half the state associations do not have their own league, forget about grassroots tournaments, so how will they produce players? If you do not produce quality players, you dream of playing in the World Cup. How will we see? The main priority is to help all the states financially.
“A lot of state associations are in trouble. You can’t just write orders, you need to help them too. Through this fund, it’s important that you coach.”
Revival of Kolkata’s Big Three
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Bhutia said he wants to bring in a “system” to revive the Big Three – Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting – who now rely heavily on investors to meet their professional requirements.
“Financially and technically also I would like to help Bengal. I want to bring back the glory days of Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting.
“There are ways to do it. Sponsors and corporate houses are needed. I want to bring a system through which they can stand on their feet and bring back their glory days.”
Bhutia further talked about taking coaching courses in regional languages.
“Now it’s mostly in English, but there are many coaches who can’t sit the theory exam because of the language. So you have to make it simple for them. If we prepare more coaches, more players will come.”
‘I would love to work with Kalyan in different roles’
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The ‘Sikkimes sniper’, who did not get support from his home state as his nomination was proposed and supported by Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, is up against BJP leader Choubey from West Bengal.
“Kalyan is a very nice person and played here in Kolkata. But I request everyone not to make this AIFF election a political affair, as many sports federations including AIFF have suffered due to political interference. Indian football has suffered a lot. The damage is done. In these 75 years.
“After the FIFA ban is lifted, this is a great opportunity to revive Indian football. It is unfortunate that it has been tagged politically. If it becomes a political matter then whoever comes to power, the state government If it becomes very difficult to work with the rival party, it hinders a lot.
The 45-year-old said, “This election should be for football and love for the game. Welcome Kalyan to football administration, if things go well, I would love to work with him.”
Talking about his past experience as a player and administrator, Bhutia said, “I have already worked with AIFF as the chairman of a technical committee, I also run my own club and even That in my playing career of 20 years, I have also played in Kolkata.
Bhutia concluded, “Experience-wise, credibility-wise, I think I will be able to play this role. Without experience, one or two states may mislead welfare, which is very dangerous.”
Legendary Bhaichung Bhutia is up against former goalkeeper Kalyan Choubey in the All India Football Federation (AIFF) elections to be held on September 2 as there will be a straight fight between two candidates for the top three posts. Choubey, a former Mohun Bagan and Bengal BJP leader from East Bengal goalkeeper, is considered to be at the forefront with the support of politically important state associations such as Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh.
After the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended at 1 pm on Tuesday, Returning Officer Umesh Sinha released the final list of candidates for each post for the elections.
The electoral college of 34 representatives of state unions has already been issued by the Returning Officer.
Elections were to be held for the posts of a president, a vice-president, a treasurer and 14 executive members. Six former players – four men and two women – would later be co-opted as members of the executive committee with voting rights.
Only 14 candidates are in the fray for the posts of members of the Executive Committee, all of them are sure to be declared elected.
They are GP Palguna, Avijit Paul, P Anilkumar, Valanka Natasha Alemao, Maloji Raje Chhatrapati, Menla Athenpa, Mohan Lal, Arif Ali, K Nibou Sekhoz, Lalnaghinglowa Hamar, Deepak Sharma, Vijay Bali and Syed Imtiaz Hussain.
Rajasthan Association President Manvendra Singh, a Congress leader, fielded against NA Haris for the post of Vice President alone. Haris is the President of Karnataka FA and sitting Congress MLA from the state.
Manvendra’s state association had supported Bhutia’s candidature.
Andhra Pradesh State Association president Gopalkrishna Kosaraju and Arunachal Pradesh’s Kipa Ajay are the two candidates for the treasurer’s post.
Kosaraju, who proposed Bhutia as the presidential candidate, had written a letter on August 26 to withdraw his candidature. But sources said that he had not filled any form to withdraw his nomination and hence his candidature remained.
The elections were to be held earlier under
Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) on August 28
But, in a judgment on August 22, the SC struck down the mandate of the CoA, did not allow 36 former players to join the Electoral College and postponed the elections by a week to save the Women’s U-17 World Cup. Karya, which was hosted by FIFA, is in trouble after the AIFF was suspended.
FIFA lifted the ban on 26 August, paving the way for India to host the Women’s Under-17 World Cup in October.
The upcoming U-17 Women’s World Cup in India will see the video assistant referee (VAR) technology make its debut in the age-group showpiece, world football governing body FIFA announced on Tuesday.
The prestigious tournament, which was given a go ahead by FIFA after lifting the 11-day long suspension on the All India Football Federation (AIFF), will be held in Bhubaneswar (Kalinga Stadium), Margao (JLN Stadium) and Navi Mumbai. DY Patil Stadium) from 11-30 October.
“The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will give us vital and vital information about the qualities of the match officials who have been appointed. We are very happy that VAR technology will be used for the first time in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup as well.”
“This event will be another great opportunity to showcase the skills of the appointed VARs and to continue the development of our women’s VARs as part of the Road to Australia/New Zealand 2023 project,” she said in a statement to FIFA.
VAR technology supports the referee’s decision-making process in four game-changing situations: goals and offenses that lead to a goal, penalty decisions and offenses that lead to penalties, straight red card incidents, and mistaken identity.
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During a match, the VAR team continually checks for obvious and obvious errors related to these four match-changing situations. The VAR team communicates with the referee only for obvious and obvious mistakes or serious missed incidents.
The U-17 Women’s World Cup in India will be the third FIFA women’s tournament to use VAR after the U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019.
This will be the second time that the VAR technology will be used in India, the first being from the quarter-final stage of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup which was hosted in January-February this year.
The FIFA Referees Committee also announced the match officials for the tournament which included 14 female referees, 28 female assistant referees, three support referees and 16 video match officials.
“We are delighted that the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup is returning after a hiatus of four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are really looking forward to this important event to be held in India in October,” said Pierluigi Colina, chairman of FIFA’s refereeing committee.
“For match officials, of course, this is another major stage in the preparation of potential candidates for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023.”
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will be represented by 14 referees, assistant referees and video match officials from seven member associations. There is no one from India.
Thailand’s Pansa Chasnit, Uzbekistan’s Edita Mirabidova and Korea’s Oh Hyeon Jeong have been selected as referees, marking their first appointment as chief referees to a FIFA tournament.
She will be joined by Thailand’s assistant referees Supwan Hinthong and Nuanid Donjiangrid, Australia’s Joanna Charkatis, Uzbekistan’s Christina Sereda and Chinese pair of Fang Yan and Xie Lijun.
In addition, five video match officials – Omar Mohamed Al Ali from the United Arab Emirates, Hannah Hattab from Syria, Sivakorn Pu-Udom from Thailand and Lara Lee and Casey Rebelt from Australia – will assist from the VAR room.
Serena Williams indicated she is not quite ready to retire to reach the second round of the US Open on Monday in a 6-3, 6-3 win over Danka Kovinic.
A win over 80th-ranked Kovinic, who is only her second this year, would be a confidence booster for Williams, but her record of equalizing her 24th Grand Slam has now become treacherous.
The Estonian is waiting for second seed Annette Kontaveit, who beat Jacqueline Christiansen 6-3, 6-0.
Williams indicated her intention to retire in a Vogue article in early August, saying she was “getting away from tennis” but never confirmed the US Open as her final event.
For tennis fans, though, the message was clear, the US Open would be where she would take her final bow.
Could there be a repeat?
The former world number one has also ruled out skipping next year’s Australia Open.
But in a strange post-match ceremony celebrating his career that had yet to come to an end, Williams gave a clear yet clear indication that the US Open would indeed be his last tournament and later expanded upon it in his press conference.
“It’s still extremely difficult because I love being out there,” Williams said. “The more tournaments I play, the more I feel like the more I can get out there.
“But it’s time for me, you know, to evolve to the next thing.”
Pressed whether the US Open was certainly her last event, Williams again retreated from the brink.
“I’ve been very vague about it, right,” Williams smiled. “I’m going to remain unclear because you never know.”
A montage of Williams’ career was played before the court appearance that opened the door for a return someday, “If you ever decide to return the Queen your throne will be waiting” the video concluded.
However, a defiant Williams made it clear that she is not giving up that throne just yet.
special energy
Opening night at Flushing Meadows is always ecstatic, but on Monday the stadium brimmed with a special energy when Williams appeared on court in a shimmering black robe and specially designed diamond-studded shoes.
The outfit may have given more shine to the 40-year-old American’s game, but it didn’t matter at the packed Arthur Ashe Stadium as Williams’ fighting edge was sharp, even if his serve and ground stroke were not.
“It’s so important to give your all,” Williams told the loving crowd. “I’ve been down and out in the public eye many times.
“I just want people to be inspired by my story.
“I’m from Compton, California … and I made it.”
There was certainly no more fitting place to wrap up one of tennis’s most extraordinary careers, which has been in its corner from the very beginning, leading up to six US Open crowns.
The moment’s horrors were not lost on the 23,000 fans, including former US President Bill Clinton, designer Vera Wang, director Spike Lee, and others, who expected not to see Arthur Ashe see greatness but to celebrate it.
After being number one in the world for 319 weeks, Williams reached a bottom 600 and unseeded New York.
Even Williams was far from her best as the odds were stacked against the 27-year-old from Montenegro.
Playing in her 21st US Open, Williams never lost in the first round and her win over Kovinick at Flushing Meadows was her 106th.
While Kovinic is enjoying the best Grand Slam season of her career, reaching the third round of both the Australian and French Open, she hasn’t won a match since Roland Garros.
As the game went on, Williams was showing signs of nerves, accumulating double faults as Kovinic went 3-2.
But Williams, as she has at times, lifted her game when needed, sweeping the next four games to snatch the first set.
Now in charge, Williams didn’t let it slip in the second set, going 3-2 up, and with match point and the crowd at their feet, she danced happily as Kovinic’s return hit the net.
Serena Williams delayed her departure from tennis on the opening night of the US Open on Monday, as the sports icon battled for victory in front of a star-studded crowd.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner – who hinted earlier this month that she plans to retire from tennis after the tournament – has put all of her experience on her way to defeat Montenegrin rival Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3. defeated.
A galaxy of celebrities ranging from Hollywood stars, fashion icons and former presidents could be Williams’ final appearance in a Grand Slam singles match at Flushing Meadows’ Arthur Ashe Stadium.
But the 40-year-old ensured that his fans would have at least one more chance to taste his talent as he won despite his flawed performance.
“I feel very comfortable on this court and here in front of everyone,” a
Williams said after his win.
“The crowd was crazy — they really helped pull me in. I was really pumped,” said Williams, who won her first Grand Slam title in 1999 in the same field as a 17-year-old prodigy.
Williams admitted that the decision to walk away from the sport after 27 years as a professional was “such a difficult decision.”
“I think when you’re passionate about something it’s always hard to walk away from it,” she said. “I’m trying to decide what to do. I love this sport.
“But I was like ‘Okay, I guess it’s time.’ I have a family, there are other chapters in life. I call it growth.”
Williams later declined to be certain about her retirement, though asked if the US Open would be her last tournament, teasing the possibility that she might still play.
“I’ve been very vague about it, haven’t I?” he said. “I’m going to remain unclear because you never know.”
A sellout crowd of 23,500 roared their praises for Williams as she walked into the arena wearing a dainty glitter bodice and six-layer black skirt – one for each US Open title she has won.
A-listers’ roll-call for the occasion included former US President Bill Clinton, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, tennis legends and Hollywood stars such as Hugh Jackman and Queen Latifah.
Williams acknowledged that leaving the spotlight – whenever it happens – would be a wrench.
“The more tournaments I play, the more I feel like I can be out there,” she said. “It’s a hard feeling, the more you do it, the more you can shine.”
Tsitsipas was stunned In the other women’s draw on Monday, former world number one Simona Halep, seeded seventh, had her biggest first-round crash, losing 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 to qualifier Daria Snigur of Ukraine.
But that wasn’t a problem for American teenager and 12th seed Coco Gauff, who defeated France’s Léolia Jeanjean 6-2, 6-3.
Meanwhile, the men’s draw began with an upset for fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, who was beaten 6-0, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 by Colombian qualifier Daniel Ilahi Galan.
Earlier, defending champion Daniil Medvedev of Russia defeated Stepan Koslov of the United States in the top half of the draw.
Russia comfortably beat world No. 111 Kozlov 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 in 2 hours and 1 minute.
Medvedev, trying to become the first man to defend the American crown since Roger Federer retained the title in 2008, will face France’s Arthur Rinderknecht in the second round.
Britain’s Andy Murray, another veteran at the end of his career, marked the 10th anniversary of his first Grand Slam win with a straight sets defeat to Argentina’s 24th seed Francisco Cerundolo.
The 35-year-old Scott showed no signs of cramp problems recently in a 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 win but later admitted: “It felt like five sets.”
It was Murray’s first straight set win at a Grand Slam event since 2017.
Elsewhere on Monday, Wu Yibing claimed a piece of history in the men’s draw, becoming the first man from China to win a Grand Slam singles match since 1959.
The qualifier defeated 31st seed Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 6-3, 6-4, 6-0.
But the men’s draw was in pain for other China player, Zhang Zhizhen, who lost seven match points in 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (11/9), 6-1, 6- . 4 defeats to Tim Van Rijthoven of Netherlands.
Spain’s Rafael Nadal will start his campaign against Australia’s Rinki Hijikata on Tuesday while chasing a fifth US Open title and 23rd Grand Slam title overall.
It was not long before that questions were being asked about Hardik Pandya’s place in the Indian team. Pandya was often injured and reduced him from an all-rounder to a specialist batsman. And, as a batsman, he struggled to counter the fast bowlers when they dug the ball short and hit his ribs. Pandya could neither go inside the line nor cut or cross the ball from the off-side and pull it through the square with any degree of continuity.
Then came the dreadful phase when he was thrown out of the field in 2018. With a back surgery in the offing, the question to be asked was whether he would ever be his old form again. The important thing is whether he will be able to come back and bowl with intensity and zip.
It was only in February this year that some light was shed on it. Pandya had the complete package in the Indian Premier League. He was the captain, floating batsman and originator of the ball for Gujarat Titans. At times it seemed that Pandya was bowling himself extra at the top of the innings to prove his fitness. But, it was not at the expense of the team. Match by match, his pace increased so much that he could push himself back to pick up the new ball. As a batsman, Pandya could open, he could be strong and when asked to do so, would go back to the old times and tonk the ball to finish the match.
This was the Pandya that India hoped to materialize, but had not actually seen with any great consistency in the past. It was Pandya who stepped in the middle against Pakistan.
Although he did not take the new ball, Pandya was bowled to the side in the power play overs. Pandya never looked like a part time bowler. This was a guy who could give you four overs a day. Bending his back to get extra carry on the Dubai surface, which provided a touch of variable bounce, Pandya had stopped Pakistan’s batsmen.
The special thing is that he was right in the game even though he was not bowling. Of course, Rohit Sharma was the captain, but it was often Pandya who was preparing the field and assisting the bowlers with tips on planning wickets.
When he came back to bowl the second spell, Pandya showed that fitness was not an issue even in the scorching heat of Dubai. With wickets in succession that put Pakistan behind, Pandya finished with figures of 4-0-25-3.
But he was not there. India’s familiar struggle with the top three continued as they chased down 148 and at 89/4 in 14.2 overs, it looked like Pakistan would take the win. But, Pandya was surprised, and India deepened the game, with Ravindra Jadeja providing scintillating batting cover.
So much so that people were on the edge of their seats when the last over started. With a scintillating performance from Jadeja and after his stumps were damaged, Dinesh Karthik came on and got a single. Then came the Pandya special. Mohammad Nawaz threw the javelin into a short, sharp dart but Pandya waited. Head still, base stable, feet planted, long levers come out and they launch the ball into the stands. That day, you couldn’t have asked for more from Pandya.
Mumbai: Hardik Pandya’s six in the final over of the Asia Cup on Sunday not only helped India secure a nail-biting victory against arch-rivals Pakistan, but also ignited their already growing popularity and brand value.
His on-field performances and successful captaincy of the Gujarat Lions team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) leading to his maiden podium finish has made Pandya a darling of brands.
Reliance Industries’ Rise Worldwide, which has been managing Pandya’s business interests for the past six years, has confirmed that its brand value has increased by 30-40% in the last six months alone. For Hardik, we have a portfolio of 11 brands, of which 8-9 have been long term partners. We have closed five new brands and will announce them in the next two months.” Bardia said Pandya will be advertising around 20 brands by the end of this year.
“He is the biggest and most inspiring comeback story both physically and emotionally. The biggest change you will see is in his personality. He has emerged as a leader with calmness, confidence and faith. Hum Sahi Katha We are looking at more long-term deals and unlock 360-degree value with brands through Face-time and digital engagement. To Hardik’s credit , he is focusing on his performance on the field and allowing us to do the off-the-field part.”
While he declined to give details on the advertisements, industry experts said that Pandya is now charging anything between ₹1.5-2 crore per day for at least two-day deals. All deals are multi-year.
Some of the existing brands include boAT, Monster Energy, Gulf Oil and Dream11. Aman Gupta, Co-Founder, BOAT, said, “Our partnership with Hardik has grown over the 5 years in which we have worked together and I expect this relationship to grow even stronger in the years to come. He is also responsible for Digital Strategic Promotions. Last year, Pandya was roped in for the recreated version of the title track ‘Bella Siao’ from Netflix India’s Money Heist Season 5 along with Bollywood actors Anil Kapoor, Vikrant Massey, Shruti Haasan and Radhika Apte for around ₹40 lakh. was seen in
The 28-year-old all-rounder has been a part of India’s international team since 2016 and is known for his flamboyant ability to hit the ball, fast-medium bowling and quick fielding. Pandya’s number of social media followers has also seen a huge jump in the last six months, after which he is the third most followed active Indian cricketer.
For 27 years in professional tennis, Serena Williams has faced generations of stars who jockeyed for position at the top of the sport.
The strength of her claim to be the greatest player of all time lies not only in her longevity – and 23 Grand Slam singles titles – but in her dominance over women of all ages in tennis. She regularly beat out the stars who ruled tennis before her, and she held herself up against recent incidents on the court. Between those generations, Williams overwhelmed the women she grew up with in the sport—and then outlived many of them by more than a decade.
Williams turned pro at the age of 14. Her first title at the top of the tour came in 1999 against Steffi Graf, who ended her career with 22 Grand Slam championships. Williams was 17 at the time and eventually surpassed Graf’s big win with her victory at the 2017 Australian Open.
As Williams settled into her prime, she regularly found enemies in a group of women who came through the ranks around the same time. She went toe-to-toe with Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Kim Clijsters, Justin Henin, and Venus Williams—all of whom reached No. 1 in the Serena Williams era, and all of whom she lost more times than she won. took. Serena Williams had an overall record of 63–38 against those teammates in WTA matches, the Fed Cup, and the Olympics.
With the exception of Venus Williams, who is still playing at age 42, those other former top-ranked women had largely retired from WTA singles competition at around age 30. But when Serena Williams scored 30, she came out stronger.
From 30 to 35, he won 89% of his matches to set a record of 288–34. She spent 186 consecutive weeks in this time frame – from February 2013 to September 2016 – and dominated other women in that era to reach the top echelons of tennis. Her career record was 19–5 against Victoria Azarenka, 10–3 against Simona Halep, 10–1 against Caroline Wozniacki and 20–3 against Maria Sharapova.
Williams became a mother just before she turned 36, and although she returned to court the following year, her time on tour since then has been limited by injury. As a result, the top contenders from this era have had more success against them than the previous ones. Naomi Osaka is up 3-1 and Bianca Andreescu 2-0 against Williams. Both of those young stars beat Williams in the US Open final – Osaka in 2018, Andreescu in 2019.
For the next batch of phenoms, he didn’t have as many chances to play Williams, due to his limited schedule and his less deep runs in the tournament over the past three years. Current No. 1, Inga Swietek never encountered him. Neither is second-placed Annette Kontaveit, although she will be Williams’ next opponent if both win their first round matches. Emma Radukanu, who won the US Open last year, played with Williams for the first and perhaps only time this month at the Western and Southern Open.
Radukanu, who won, said she appreciates playing a woman she idealized, even when in the twilight of Williams’ career: “I appreciate the experience of being able to play her and our careers.” So grateful for crossing over.”
This article is originally from . appeared in new York Times,
He is one of the best footballers India has ever produced. Having been associated with football in various capacities including owning a club, Bhaichung Bhutia has now thrown his hat on to become the President of the AIFF and has been pitted against fellow footballer Kalyan Choubey. Speaking to Boria Majumdar, Bhutia outlined his plans for the game if he scores the magic number in the elections to be held on September 2, 2022. Part:
It is indeed a welcome event to see two footballers fighting to become the AIFF President. What is your vision for the game, as it is going to be extremely challenging to get the game back on track in the near future? Yes, it will be challenging and hence it has to be done. As someone who is deeply invested in the game in various capacities, I know what has to be done. Football players come out of states and districts and if you look at the current situation in those places, it is not good. No facilities, no money, no infrastructure. If you don’t give basic facilities to the youth, how can you expect them to become good footballers? The first and foremost thing is to set up a structure. Provide financial assistance to states and districts to ensure that our young talent can play if they want to play. We have to organize tournaments at district and state level for both men and women. Unless you have a system, there will be no real development.
In such a situation, the Under-17 World Cup should help a lot. Absolutely. It will happen and hence it is a very important tournament for India. This will help us to focus on the grassroots level. We did the boys U-17 World Cup and no doubt it helped. The same will happen for girls. Having said that the aim is not to just host the World Cup and play as a host country. The goal should be to qualify and play. Earn our right to play world tournaments. This is where Indian football needs to reach; Only then are you competitive at the international level. Just hosting and playing one tournament will not help us improve in the long term.
As a footballer do you think you can do this job better? It certainly wouldn’t be bad! We have seen what non-footballers have done. things are not good. We must state things very clearly here and the reality is that the affairs of Indian football are in a bad shape. So, if for so long we’ve given non-football players the opportunity to run the show, it’s time to let the football players do the work and do what they can. I can assure you, as a football player we know what needs to be done and certainly you will not do worse than what you have seen. Really I want all the top football players of this country to come forward and serve the game in future. Someone like Sunil Chhetri or Gurpreet Sandhu. He has seen the world and played at the highest level and is India’s best player. It is very important that they come forward to serve the game in future.
Do you think good players are also good administrators? Isn’t this a very simple argument? Look, what I’m trying to say is to give us a chance. Footballers have not yet been given a chance to run Indian football. I have been associated with Sikkim Football Association for the last six years and I have seen the challenges for the first time. As you know, I had my own club. Now it is important to use these learnings and serve the game. And I can assure you that I will do nothing worse than what you have seen. So, give us a chance and then decide the good and the bad.
You are an Indian footballing icon. Your name was mentioned in the same bracket in the Supreme Court as Sachin Tendulkar. Do you see a possibility where you and Kalyan Choubey can work together? Kalyan is a nice guy but he has been away from football since last few years. He has been a full-time politician and I don’t think he can run it as president. The state union and the people of the district will mislead them as they do not know the ground reality. If I see that he has a vision for Indian football, I don’t mind working with him, but I don’t think he is ready yet. That’s why I say, he is a good person but he needs to work and know the ground reality first.
Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman walked away after bowling the ball to the wicketkeeper despite any serious appeal from the Indian team during a high-intensity Asia Cup 2022 clash here on Sunday, earning praise from fans on social media.
Rohit Sharma put Pakistan to bat first and Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave India an early breakthrough with the wicket of Babar Azam. Babar Azam-led Pakistan were struggling to come big in the first six overs when Avesh Khan came to bowl the last over of the powerplay.
Mohammad Rizwan, who was then on nine off 17 balls, hit the pacer for a six and a four in successive deliveries, but the pace changed again in the over when Zaman conceded a run to the wicketkeeper off the last ball.
While there was no appeal from the Indians, Zaman started walking, causing the umpire to point his fingers. He was dismissed for 10 runs in 6 balls.
Soon after the remarkable incident, many fans took to Twitter and appreciated Fakhar’s gesture.
A user wrote, “Fakhar Zaman’s class act. When Pakistanis know they are out don’t watch them walk and the umpire misses it. #INDvPAK,” wrote one user.
Another tweeted, “Many batsmen would have stood there and pretended they didn’t sideline it and hoped the opposition wouldn’t appeal – but it was great sportsmanship of Fakhar Zaman #INDvsPAK #AsiaCup2022.”
Another fan also reminded everyone that cricket is a gentleman’s game.
The user wrote, “Fakhar Zaman salutes you for walking before the umpire raises his finger. Cricket is after all #INDvsPAK.”
After Babar’s early dismissal, Fakhar could have been a potential threat to the Indian bowlers along with Mohammad Rizwan. The left-handed batsman played a crucial innings against India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, which Pakistan won by 180 runs.
Dubai: Hardik Pandya made a special all-rounder effort as India registered a thrilling five-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup opening match here on Sunday.
Hardik (3/25 in 4 overs) showed his high value under extreme pressure as his well directed short deliveries helped India bowl out Pakistan for 147. It should have been a straight forward chase, but India’s veteran top-three faltered, putting on extra pressure. middle order. Hardik (33 not out on 17) and Ravindra Jadeja (35 off 29) put on a 52-run partnership to take India to the pinnacle of a famous victory.
The star all-rounder’s three fours off Haris Rauf in the 19th over effectively sealed the game for India. With the team needing 6 runs in three balls, Hardik ended the game with a six off left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz. The focus was on India’s top three going into the tournament and all three – KL Rahul (0), Rohit Sharma (12 off 18) and Virat Kohli (35 off 34) didn’t have the best of times in the middle.
Rahul was dismissed on the first ball with a tentative off body stroke off Naseem Shah, which saw him play on his stumps. Virat, who hit some confident pull shots in his innings, was dismissed in the first over. He also played and missed a few times and got lucky when a wrong pull went all the way for six. With luck running out, it looked like Kohli would finally get a much-awaited big but he was caught at long off by Nawaz.
In his last over, Rohit was similarly dismissed as he attempted to clear the long off fielder. The Pakistani pacers, led by Naseem, troubled the Indian batsmen with extra pace and the spinners kept it tight, scoring 86 runs in the last 10 overs, a daunting task. When Shah returned to rattle Suryakumar Yadav’s stumps, India were reduced to 89 for four, riding on the visiting batsmen Hardik and Jadeja.
The equation was brought down to 32 off 18 balls, with Pakistan being forced to bring an extra fielder inside the circle due to an over-rate penalty. Pakistan’s fast bowlers, especially Shah, who were suffering from cramps, made the task of the Indians a little easier.
Earlier, Rohit Sharma decided to chase after winning the toss and the bowlers led by Hardik set up the game well for India. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4/26) was at his skilful best and his four wickets included the prized skull of Babar Azam (10). However, Hardik’s envious figures of 3 for 25 in four overs during the middle leg destroyed the Pakistani batting.
Young seamer Arshdeep Singh also returned good figures of 2 for 33 in his first appearance in the Indo-Pak match as all 10 wickets were snatched away by Speed Merchant, a first for India in the shortest edition. The first over of the game bowled by Bhuvneshwar was crucial as it involved two DRS calls in favor of Mohammad Rizwan (43 off 42) and a straight drive from Babar. There was not much movement for both Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep Singh as they managed to keep things tight in their opening spell of two overs.
Babar dismissed Arshdeep straight in the second over, who has been showing great performance in the last 12 months. However, Bhuvneshwar surprised the Pakistani captain with a bouncer in his second over and he went to short fine leg only to pull Arshdeep over the top edge. India went with Avesh Khan as the third pace substitute and he smashed a six and a boundary towards the midwicket region by Rizwan in his opening over.
His fifth ball of the over was faced by left-armer Fakhar Zaman, who decided to walk short and wide to wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who was picked ahead of Rishabh Pant for the big game. With much noise from the crowd, the Indians did not listen to the edge, but Zaman decided to walk, leaving Pakistan at 43 for two in six overs. After this, Rizwan gave some momentum to the innings by sharing a 45-run partnership with Iftikhar Ahmed (28 off 22) for the third wicket.
However, Hardik changed the course of the game with well-directed short deliveries removing Iftikhar and Rizwan—the former passed it to Karthik and the latter, not sure what he was doing, third man was given a regulation catch. , Soon after, Hardik removed Khushdil Shah with another short ball to bowl Pakistan out for 97 for five in the 15th over. Number 11 Shahnawaz Dahani hit two big sixes in the death overs to take Pakistan close to 150.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated the Indian cricket team for their victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup game, and said it displayed great skill and patience. In the match played in Dubai, India defeated Pakistan by five wickets.
Modi tweeted, “Team India did a great all-round performance in today’s Asia Cup 2022 match. Team displayed great skill and patience. Congratulations to them on the win.”
#TeamIndia put up a great all-round performance in today’s #AsiaCup2022 match. Great performance by the team… https://t.co/rhplZ8vcpP
Accepting change is never easy. India has tried to embrace change in two different ways. The first is to use the same personnel and change the approach, which has happened with batting. The top three of KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have repeatedly said that India now want to play a more independent and aggressive brand of Twenty20 cricket, even if it means losing out on consistency. However, there is not enough evidence that this line of thought has been implemented.
The second type of change is to give opportunities to different people in different roles to see who can deliver the best brand of cricket that the think tank wants. India managed to try it in bilateral series against England and West Indies. Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav opened the batting at different times, and Deepak Hooda was used as an independent batsman, hitting boundaries in a few overs.
But, when it came to the first major tournament, the Asia Cup, India went back to the old form.
“We have already got a lot of answers in the last eight to ten months and this experiment will continue,” Rohit said ahead of Pakistan’s match. “Look, we have decided that we will try things. Some things may work, and some things may not work, but there is no harm in trying. You will get the answer only if you try things.”
The top three problems came out clearly during the day. KL Rahul temporarily cuts outside strike against Naseem Shah.
Kohli seemed to be trying to play fearlessly, but he was more hands than feet, shining on his second ball, lucky enough to be dismissed at second slip. Kohli swung the ball the wrong way or inward more than once, and certainly looked weak. In the midst of all this, he played two dangerous shots. A forceful pull out from Shahnawaz Dahani brings back Kohli’s nostalgia and a whip over midwicket hits it over the fence at bullet speed.
But while the innings signaled a return to run-scoring methods for Kohli, it is too early to say that he has returned to form. As he has done in recent times, Kohli once again fell, not fully committed to a high shot from the left-arm spinner, and reached for the ball, slamming it straight to long off at 35. Kohli had tried to play the game changed, but it didn’t look like his heart was in him. Rohit, for his part, was deprived of strike early on and was unable to get the ball away when he came on strike.
Despite hitting a long six, Rohit had gone back to his old self, looking to settle down, playing a few balls before growing up. His 12 runs of 18 runs brought India back in the chase of 148 runs. What helped India that day was that the target was not big and their batting had enough depth. And it came on the basis of a strong bowling performance, Hardik Pandya performing like a proper bowler, not part-time taking 3 wickets for 25 runs. A rejuvenated Bhuvneshwar Kumar was also on top of his game, finishing with 4 for 26. But, while it was in vogue to talk about a new approach and change, it was clear that old problems remained and many questions still remained unanswered.
Liverpool clinched their first win of the season in spectacular fashion after equaling the record for the biggest Premier League win of all time, beating promoted Bournemouth 9-0 at Anfield on Saturday.
Two goals from Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott within the opening six minutes put the hosts in a commanding position from off.
Full-back strike from England
Alexander Arnold shot an arrow into the top corner to give Liverpool a three-goal lead in the 28th minute, before Roberto Firmino took action three minutes later in the fourth.
Not done there, Liverpool had fifth before the interval, Virgil van Dijk going home from a corner – the first time the Reds had scored five runs in the first half of a league game since 1958.
Chris Mayfum’s own goal had the visitors staring at the prospect of an embarrassing drubbing, such concerns heightened after a close-range finish from Firmino and converting a volley from Fabio Carvalho.
After Diaz finished ninth, Liverpool had five minutes to become the first team to score 10 goals in a Premier League match. But Bournemouth tried hard enough to avoid that humiliation, despite a brief scare.
This was the fourth time a team won a Premier League match 9–0, after Manchester United (twice) and Leicester City.
“We had to prove a point for ourselves,” said Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp, celebrating the biggest competitive win of his managerial career so far.
“We weren’t happy with the way we played so far this season, but we had good moments in those games.
“We just had to give a proper direction to the game and that’s why I loved the start today. Two amazing goals, everything about them.
“We kept scoring different goals, but with the same aim of keeping the pressure up. In the end it was a perfect football afternoon.”
The last time Liverpool had failed to win any of their opening four matches of the 2012–13 season, Mohamed Salah’s cross at the end of Diaz’s third-minute header found the net likely to be repeated once again. was not.
It was the first time in eight league games that Liverpool had scored first, and before long the hosts added a second at Merseyside Sunshine as young Elliott went home from the edge of the penalty area.
A third was quick to come, and an expected Anfield wait was worth it, with Alexander-Arnold striking an unstoppable strike into the net, while there was more than an element of luck about Liverpool’s fourth being eliminated by Firmino.
In finding the net, the Brazilian became the first Liverpool player to score four goals – three assists and one goal – in the Premier League.
Van Dijk’s header meant it was going to be a long second half for the visitors, with a sense of even greater dread after Mefham’s own goal, made it six after the break.
A poor parry from Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers was penalized by Firmino before Carvalho and Diaz’s supporters again called for a 10, with Bournemouth certainly looking nervous but it was not to be.
Bournemouth have now conceded more goals (16) in their first four matches of the Premier League season than any other side in the history of the competition.
“What happened today was a pleasant experience,” said Bournemouth coach Scott Parker.
“We need to make a decision (in the transfer market) and give these players a break. They are fighting for air.”
Hardik Pandya would have “admired” his chances even if India needed 15 runs instead of seven scored in the final over to win their Asia Cup opening match against Pakistan. Pandya had a dream game, taking 3 for 25 in the first 4 overs and then finishing the match with a six off Mohammad Nawaz, scoring 33 invaluable runs off 17 balls.
Pandya said after the match, “Having chases like this, you always plan over-by-overs. I always knew there is a young bowler (Naseem or Shahnawaz Dahani) and a left-arm spinner ( Nawaz) too.”
India’s number one player said, “We needed only 7 runs in the last over but even if we needed 15 runs, I would have guessed myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than me in the 20th over. I try to keep it simple.” 1 all-rounder.
As far as bowling is concerned, Hardik knew that he needed to mix short deliveries and motivate the batsmen to commit mistakes.
“In bowling, it’s important to assess the conditions and use my weapons. For me, bowling short and hard lengths has been my strength. It’s about using them well and asking the right questions to spot the batsmen making mistakes. is.” ,
He has been brilliant since his comeback: Rohit
India skipper Rohit Sharma always knew the match was under control and was all praise for Hardik.
“Halfway through, we still knew we could win regardless of the situation. We had faith and when you have that belief, these things can happen,” Rohit said.
For Rohit, Hardik is someone who now knows what to do in specific situations.
“Ever since he (Hardik) made a comeback, he has been fantastic. When he was not part of the team, he thought about what he needed to do for his body and his fitness regime, and now he can easily reach 140+ is clocking.
“The quality of his batting is known to all of us and since his return it has been fantastic. He is much calmer now and more confident about what he wants to do, be it with the bat or the ball.”
Hardik can bowl fast which was on display that day.
“He can bowl really quickly, we saw with those short deliveries today. It was always about understanding his game and he is doing well now. With 10 runs per over under high pressure, you panic. but he never showed any of these,”
There is a rare condition called sleep inversion that affects some individuals in which their waking patterns are reversed. They become temporarily nocturnal and fall asleep during the day. A similar pattern emerges when India plays cricket with Pakistan.
With no bilateral ties, the neighbors only face each other in multi-team events such as the World Cup, Champions Trophy and Asia Cup. For the rest of the year, when India is playing endlessly, there is no end to the discussion, debate and cricket analysis. Who should bat where, who should drop, what should be the bowling combination and everything in between.
When the time comes for India-Pakistan, real cricket lags behind in the lead-up to the matches.
In India, cricket and Bollywood are everyday metaphors for big things. While Bollywood tells fictional stories, the game is very real; Therefore, India-Pakistan cricket has long been portrayed as shooting except war.
While this makes for a narrative that fits, the reality on the ground can sometimes be very different. In the neutral zone of the United Arab Emirates, where the Asia Cup is being played, India and Pakistan are in the same group and will initially play each other once, and until Hong Kong upsets either of these cricket giants. , they will meet again in the second round. There is a strong possibility of both the teams facing each other again in the final of the tournament.
The ongoing joke is that the Asia Cup is actually a way for India and Pakistan to play a three-match series while other teams compete in the rest of the competition. It is humiliating for Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who are not only to make numbers but it is clear which incidents are all eyes.
On the eve of the match, captain Rohit Sharma tried to turn down the rhetorical dial. “You guys can do whatever you want,” he told the media. “Our job as players is to go out there and try to win the game. It’s the same for players on both teams.”
A day earlier, vice-captain KL Rahul took a slightly more realistic approach. “We cannot run away from the rivalry and emotion that comes with it as a player. As youth, we have always been waiting for such struggles. When you get an opportunity for an India-Pakistan clash, it becomes a game of bat and ball,” said the Indian vice-captain.
“You see the opposition as the opposition and try to do your best, focusing on yourself more than the opposition. You’re not supposed to worry about the outside talk, vibe, and emotions. Yes, you try 10% more, but we are still players, we all love this game, we all have same struggles. After or before the game, everything goes. Be normal people, learn from each other, share experiences. It’s always been friendly.”
The game is a big game, obviously, especially given Pakistan’s stinging defeat over India, when the team last met in the Twenty20 World Cup in October 2021, in Dubai. India had never lost to Pakistan in a World Cup before, and the damage was particularly hard for the fans. Shaheen Shah Afridi cut the batting heart off in the opening spell and India had no way of coming back in the match.
But, while the focus is on the first encounter against Pakistan, the entire tournament is crucial for India. India are improving their combination ahead of the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia. Rahul has recently returned from injury for two months.
Kohli continues his quest to find form and has tried different options at different places. How do India find a place for Rishabh Pant, the only left-handed batsman in the top six? How did India squeeze in Dinesh Karthik, who was brought back to international cricket as a successful T20 finisher? Can Deepak Hooda get a look at his recent strong batting performance, especially as he takes the spin bowling easy at the party?
The Indian cricket loving fraternity may be looking to take revenge on Pakistan after the previous defeat, but the focus of the team management is not just on this tournament but on the World Cup.
Rohit explained, “We have tried different things because when you do that you get answers to the questions in front of you.” While he will not say publicly whether these questions have already been answered, much will be known when the squad list for India’s first match is announced.
पिछले हफ्ते, एक स्वदेशी खेल, खो-खो को निजी, फ्रैंचाइज़ी-आधारित लीग की आधुनिक दुनिया का पहला स्वाद मिला, जब अल्टीमेट खो-खो का पहला संस्करण पुणे, महाराष्ट्र में शुरू हुआ। धूल भरे कोर्ट से, खेल हाई-टेक कैमरों के साथ मैट पर चला गया, जिसमें सभी हाई-स्पीड एक्शन शामिल थे और टीवी और स्ट्रीमिंग सेवाओं के माध्यम से लोगों के रहने वाले कमरे में वास्तविक समय में तस्वीरें भेज रहे थे।
चोटों वाले खिलाड़ियों की मदद करने के लिए फिजियो हैं, रिकवरी में मदद करने के लिए मालिश करने वाले और रणनीति बनाने के लिए कोच हैं। आने वाले वर्षों में, सुधार खेल के भाग्य को बदल सकता है और इसके साथ ही, उन खिलाड़ियों के लिए जो ज्यादातर कम साधन वाले परिवारों से आते हैं। यहां, ईटी स्पोर्ट आपके लिए चार ऐसे खिलाड़ियों की कहानियां लेकर आया है:
बिंदु को एक अनाथालय में पढ़ने के लिए भेजा गया था क्योंकि उसके परिवार के पास उसकी शिक्षा के लिए पर्याप्त धन नहीं था। अनाथालय में पढ़ते हुए, उन्होंने अन्य चीजों के साथ-साथ खो-खो भी सीखा। जब उसकी शादी हुई और उसके जुड़वां बेटे हुए, तो उसने अपने बच्चों को खेल का बुनियादी ज्ञान दिया। हालाँकि तब खो-खो एक आकर्षक करियर विकल्प नहीं था, फिर भी उसने उन्हें स्कूल में खेल को अपनाने के लिए प्रोत्साहित किया।
अब, उनके एक बेटे, निखिल बी, भारत की पहली फ्रैंचाइज़ी-आधारित खो-खो लीग में राजस्थान वारियर्स का हिस्सा हैं। “जब मेरी माँ हमें प्रवेश के लिए स्कूल ले गई, तो उसने बच्चों को खो-खो खेलते देखा। उसने मेरा वहां दाखिला करा दिया। इस तरह मैंने खो-खो खेलना शुरू किया, ”21 वर्षीय निखिल ने कहा। उन्होंने कहा, “अब मेरे माता-पिता मुझे टीवी पर खेलते देखने के लिए बहुत उत्साहित हैं।”
उनके पिता ने एक ट्रक ड्राइवर के रूप में कम वेतन के साथ दो बच्चों को पालने के लिए संघर्ष किया। “वह परिवार का एकमात्र कमाने वाला सदस्य था। वह लगभग 10,000-12,000 रुपये कमाते थे। यह बहुत मुश्किल था, ”उन्होंने कहा।
यह अभी भी मुश्किल है, हालांकि उनके जुड़वां भाई, निधिम ने कुछ पैसे में पिच करना शुरू कर दिया है, जो वह अजीब नौकरियों के माध्यम से कमाते हैं।
निखिल ने कहा, “मेरा भाई कुछ अजीब काम करता है और मेरे जूते, मेरी यात्रा आदि में मेरी मदद करता है। वह मेरे भविष्य के लिए, मेरी मदद करने के लिए पढ़ाई करते हुए काम कर रहा है,” निखिल ने कहा कि उसका भाई राज्य लोक सेवा आयोग की परीक्षा की तैयारी कर रहा है और अपनी किस्मत आजमा रहा है। सेना में नौकरी के लिए भी। निखिल खुद फिजिकल एजुकेशन करना चाहता है और वह पैसा अपनी पढ़ाई में लगाएगा। यह ज्यादा नहीं हो सकता है, लेकिन यह कुछ है।
विशाल
आयु: 22
गृहनगर: दिल्ली
पद: डिफेंडर
टीम: ओडिशा जगरनॉट्स
विशाल के परिवार ने उन पर कभी कोई पाबंदी नहीं लगाई। बदले में वे केवल यह उम्मीद करते थे कि उसने उसे दी गई स्वतंत्रता का दुरुपयोग नहीं किया। यह देखते हुए कि कैसे वह देश के सर्वश्रेष्ठ खो-खो खिलाड़ियों में से एक बन गया है, वह अपने परिवार की उम्मीदों पर खरा उतरा है।
दिल्ली के 22 वर्षीय व्यक्ति ने अपने जीवन में बहुत पहले ही जिम्मेदार होना सीख लिया था। वह सिर्फ 12 साल का था जब उसने 2012 में अपने पिता को तपेदिक के कारण खो दिया था।
सात सदस्यीय परिवार के इकलौते कमाने वाले हाथ की मौत ने उनके जीवन को खतरे में डाल दिया। अपनी मां के संकल्प और बड़ी बहन की मेहनत की बदौलत वे आगे बढ़ने में कामयाब रहे। ये दोनों छोटी-छोटी फैक्ट्रियों में टेबल पर खाना और सिर पर छत रखने का काम करते थे। विशाल, बमुश्किल अपनी किशोरावस्था में, ने भी अपनी जिम्मेदारियों को महसूस किया और हर तरह से योगदान देना शुरू कर दिया।
तमाम परेशानियों के बावजूद उन्होंने खो-खो को अपने जीवन से निकलने नहीं दिया। वह तब से खेल खेल रहा है जब उसकी उम्र मुश्किल से दहाई अंक तक पहुंच गई थी। खेल ने उन्हें एक सरकारी स्कूल से एक निजी स्कूल में स्थानांतरित करने में भी मदद की। “एक बार जब हमने एक इवेंट जीता, तो एक निजी स्कूल का कोच हमसे मिलने आया। उन्होंने मुझे एक निजी स्कूल (सरस्वती बाल मंदिर) में प्रवेश दिलाने में मदद की। छठी से बारहवीं तक, मैंने वहां मुफ्त में पढ़ाई की, ”विशाल ने कहा, यह एक बड़ी मदद थी, खासकर उनके पिता की मृत्यु के बाद। कठिन समय ने फिर से विशाल के परिवार को परेशान कर दिया जब उनकी माँ और बहन दोनों ने कोविड -19 महामारी के दौरान अपनी नौकरी खो दी। वह अभी भी अपने कॉलेज में था।
सौभाग्य से, उन्हें एक स्थानीय मदर डेयरी इकाई में नौकरी मिल गई, जहाँ वे सब्जियों को ट्रक में लादते थे। कुछ महीने बाद, एक परिचित के माध्यम से, वह एक स्थानीय अमेज़ॅन स्टोर में डिलीवरी बॉय के रूप में थोड़ी बेहतर वेतन वाली नौकरी में चले गए।
पिछले साल, वरिष्ठ नागरिकों के दौरान, विशाल को यूकेके के लिए खो-खो शिविर के लिए उनके चयन के बारे में सूचित किया गया था। बाद में उन्हें कैटेगरी ए में चुना गया, जिसके लिए उन्हें 5 लाख रुपये मिलेंगे। वह घर खरीदने के लिए अपने परिवार की बचत के साथ उस पैसे का उपयोग करने की योजना बना रहा है।
महाराष्ट्र के कोल्हापुर जिले का एक शहर इचलकरंजी अपनी कपड़ा निर्माण इकाइयों के लिए ‘महाराष्ट्र के मैनचेस्टर’ के रूप में जाना जाता है। जबकि मैनचेस्टर, आधुनिक समय में, महान फुटबॉल टीमों के लिए जाना जाता है, इचलकरंजी फुटबॉल के नक्शे पर कहीं भी नहीं है। शहर क्रिकेट और खो-खो जैसे खेलों में अधिक है। यह कोई आश्चर्य की बात नहीं है, कि प्रीतम चौगुले को खो-खो और क्रिकेट दोनों से प्यार है (उनके पसंदीदा क्रिकेटर भारत के पूर्व पुरुष क्रिकेट टीम के कप्तान एमएस धोनी हैं)।
जबकि क्रिकेट भारत का पसंदीदा खेल है और इसके सुपरस्टार लाखों में कमाते हैं, स्वदेशी खो-खो में केवल बड़ा निवेश दिखना शुरू हो गया है। “कभी नहीं सोचा था कि हमारे खो-खो में इतने अच्छे दिन आएंगे,” चेन्नई क्विकगन्स के डिफेंडर चौगुले ने यूकेके के बारे में कहा। “यह एक सपने की तरह है।”
कई अन्य लोगों की तरह, चौगुले ने स्कूल में दोस्तों के साथ खो-खो खेलना शुरू किया और यह धीरे-धीरे उनकी पसंद का करियर बन गया। उन्होंने सीनियर नेशनल में स्वर्ण सहित चार पदक जीते हैं, लेकिन कभी भी राष्ट्रीय टीम में जगह नहीं बना सके। (“यह मेरा आखिरी सपना है,” उन्होंने कहा।)
29 वर्षीय चौगुले एक स्थानीय कपड़ा कंपनी में प्रबंधक के रूप में काम करता है और प्रति माह लगभग 20,000 रुपये कमाता है। उन्हें यूकेके में खेलने के लिए छुट्टी दी जाती है, जिसके लिए उन्हें आंशिक या पूर्ण वेतन का नुकसान होगा। लेकिन वह शिकायत नहीं कर रहा है। “…मेरी कंपनी का मालिक अच्छा है। मुझे उनका काफी समर्थन मिला है। आपको निजी नौकरी में इतनी छुट्टियां नहीं मिलतीं, ”उन्होंने कहा।
चौगुले अपने जुनून और पारिवारिक जिम्मेदारियों के बीच बहुत व्यस्त जीवन जीते हैं। वह सुबह 5 बजे उठते हैं, ऑफिस जाने से पहले 6 से 7:30 बजे तक प्रैक्टिस करते हैं। वह फिर से रात 8 बजे से रात 10 बजे तक प्रशिक्षण के लिए जाता है। उन्हें सालों तक इतनी मेहनत करते देख कुछ लोगों ने उन्हें खेल छोड़ने की सलाह दी। “पिछले 3-4 वर्षों से, यूकेके होने की बात चल रही थी। तो उस उम्मीद ने मुझे आगे बढ़ाया। मैंने अपना प्रशिक्षण जारी रखा। अंत में, यह हुआ है, ”चौगुले ने कहा।
चौगुले, जो डी कैटेगरी में हैं, पिछले साल लिए गए होम लोन को चुकाने के लिए जो भी पैसा मिलेगा, उसका इस्तेमाल करना चाहते हैं।
रंजन शेट्टी
आयु: 32
पद: हमलावर
गृहनगर: नवी मुंबई, महाराष्ट्र
टीम: गुजरात जायंट्स
एक युवा के रूप में, रंजन शेट्टी एथलेटिक थे और कबड्डी और खो-खो सहित कई खेल खेले। जब वह लगभग 15 वर्ष का था, उसके एक मित्र, जिसके साथ वह खाली समय में खो-खो खेलता था, ने उसे अपने क्लब विहंग क्रीड़ा मंडल (वीकेएम) में शामिल होने का सुझाव दिया।
उसी शाम वे वीकेएम गए थे कि वहां क्या होता है। उन्हें तुरंत माहौल पसंद आया और अगले दिन क्लब में शामिल हो गए।
लेकिन खो-खो देश में कभी भी एक आकर्षक करियर नहीं रहा और उनका परिवार चाहता था कि वह अपनी पढ़ाई पर ध्यान दें ताकि उन्हें नौकरी मिल सके और कुछ वित्तीय बोझ साझा किया जा सके। वह ऐरोली में अपने पान की दुकान पर अपने पिता की मदद करता था, लेकिन यह लंबे समय तक चलने वाला विकल्प नहीं हो सकता था। खो-खो खिलाड़ी के रूप में उनका विकास वित्तीय लाभ में तब्दील नहीं हो रहा था। 2010 में चीजें बेहतर हुईं जब उन्हें वरिष्ठ नागरिकों के लिए महाराष्ट्र टीम में चुना गया। अगले साल उन्हें सरकारी नौकरी मिल गई। रंजन ने कहा, “मैं सिर्फ 20 साल का था जब मैं पश्चिम रेलवे में जूनियर क्लर्क के रूप में भर्ती हुआ था।”
पश्चिमी रेलवे में, शेट्टी का खो-खो करियर फला-फूला क्योंकि उन्होंने वरिष्ठ नागरिकों में रेलवे के लिए कई पदक (छह स्वर्ण और दो रजत) जीते और यहां तक कि 2016 के दक्षिण एशियाई खेलों में भारत का प्रतिनिधित्व किया, जहां भारत ने स्वर्ण पदक जीता।
कुछ साल पहले, हालांकि, वह इस खेल को जारी रखने के बारे में निश्चित नहीं थे। उन्होंने राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर सब कुछ हासिल कर लिया था और भारत के एक और कॉल-अप के बारे में सुनिश्चित नहीं थे। उन्होंने अपना ध्यान खो-खो से हटाकर अपनी नौकरी पर लगा दिया लेकिन महसूस किया कि वह स्नातक भी नहीं हैं। नौकरी मिलने के बाद उन्होंने अपनी बी.कॉम की डिग्री अधूरी छोड़ दी थी क्योंकि उनके पास नौकरी और खो-खो प्रशिक्षण के बीच शायद ही कोई समय था। शेट्टी ने कहा, “तीन साल पहले मैंने अपना स्नातक पूरा किया क्योंकि पदोन्नति के लिए इसकी आवश्यकता थी,” शेट्टी ने कहा, जो अब एक कार्यालय अधीक्षक हैं।
हालांकि, यूकेके के लॉन्च ने खो-खो के लिए उनके जुनून को फिर से जगा दिया। 32 साल की उम्र में शेट्टी लीग के सबसे पुराने और सबसे अनुभवी खिलाड़ियों में से एक हैं। वह यूकेके को “पूरी तरह से अलग अनुभव” पाते हैं।
“जब हम नेशनल में खेलते थे, तो दर्शक बहुत सीमित थे। अब, यह टूर्नामेंट दुनिया भर में लाइव है। इसलिए, यह बहुत अच्छा लगता है कि दुनिया हमें खेलते हुए देख रही है, ”शेट्टी ने कहा, जो श्रेणी ए में है और टूर्नामेंट से 5 लाख रुपये कमाएगा। “मेरे पास कोई बचत नहीं है। इसलिए मैं इस पैसे को बचा लूंगा, ”उन्होंने कहा।
Whoever wins on September 2, 2022, will finally have a footballer as the President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF). While both the candidates, Bhaichung Bhutia and Kalyan Choubey, have political affiliations, they are better known for playing the game at the international level rather than their politics. The new president must finish his job trying to set up the home of Indian football. However, the immediate task will be to remove the negativity around AIFF and take the Under-17 Women’s World Cup to perfection. Choubey, however, is at the forefront of garnering support from a host of state associations, which is evident from the presence of 27 state bodies at a meeting in Delhi on August 24 in support of his candidature. Choubey talks to Boria Majumdar about the AIFF suspension, the road ahead for Indian football, the Under-17 Women’s World Cup and more. Part:
You should be relieved by FIFA’s decision to lift AIFF’s suspension with immediate effect. Absolutely. It is a welcome relief for every Indian football fan. It is the collective efforts that have helped us come out of FIFA’s suspension. Now we can focus all of our energy on the positive things going forward.
There has been a lot of negative publicity for Indian football lately. If you become the AIFF President, what are your plans to get things back on track? I have been a footballer all my life. He has given me my identity. When I was 15 years old, I remember traveling to Dharamsala for a competition. We were 14 players and we all had to live in one room with just one toilet, which was always dirty. Within a week of that I had the privilege of traveling to Amsterdam with the best of facilities on a KLM flight as part of the Tata Football Academy team. Again, playing professional football, I’ve traveled in unreserved railway coaches next to toilets, and at the end of my career I’ve lived in five-star hotels. I am trying to tell you that I have seen both ends of the spectrum. I have seen good and evil. I have seen challenges to become a professional footballer. If you are a woman please add more layers to it. So, I know what’s involved and so I won’t need to google the formulas to cut up and play Indian football. I will apply my 25 years of learning and do what a footballer is expected to do for fellow footballers.
But you won’t have much time for the U-17 Women’s World Cup just a few weeks away. The condition of state unions is not good. Hardly any facilities. I agree with you For a professional body, we need professional facilities. If I win, my priority will be to ensure that every state has 10,000 square feet of office space for the AIFF – professionally run offices in all state associations manage my professionals. Only if you have the basics right can you control the game properly. And I will focus equally for men and women and ensure that every need is met at the state level itself. We have the capability, it is beyond doubt. The time has come to convert potential into results and for that you have to create infrastructure which is still lacking in our country.
The U-17 Women’s World Cup was one of the reasons why the country’s top court passed the order made by her. Your thoughts on that. This is a very important tournament and a stepping stone for many others. We will put all our energy in showing India to the world. The mindset has changed a lot over the years and the U-17 World Cup will take that mindset forward. But the World Cup is not an end in itself. This is a step on the way. We need all round development. We need states for development. We need basic facilities for men and women. Therefore, the focus cannot be only on organizing the World Cup. Work has to be done at every level and on every front.
Dubai: Afghanistan defeated five-time champions Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the opening match of the Asia Cup on Saturday.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 105 in the final over, then Rahmanullah Gurbaz (40) and Hazratullah Zazai (37 not out) scored 83 in the powerplay to help Afghanistan reach 106-2 in 10.1 overs of their 100th Twenty20.
After being sent to bat in the first over, Sri Lanka could not recover from the twin strikes of Fazlahaq Farooqui. The left-arm pacer dismissed Kusal Mendis and Charit Aslanka in successive deliveries to win 3-11.
Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi said, “The morale of the team is high.
Nabi successfully went for a televised referral against Mendis when on-field umpire Ahsan Raza ruled in favor of the batsman after he was hit on the pads. Aslanka made another vicious Farooqui delivery after the next delivery.
Sri Lanka’s dressing room was taken by surprise when pacer Naveen-ul-Haq, despite showing no lead in the replays, took a suspicious catch against Pathum Nishanka as Afghanistan reduced to 5-3 in the first two overs.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who top-scored with 38, added 44 runs with Danushka Gunathilaka (17) before Afghanistan struck through their spinners Nabi, 2-14, and Mujeeb ur Rahman, 2-24.
Gunathilaka did not take a dropped catch when the ball hit the hands of Karim Janat in the covers and the same fielder was dismissed in the deep in the eighth over.
Captain Dasun Shanaka dismissed Nabi on the first ball, while Rajapaksa and Mahesh Tekashana were run out in clumsy fashion, leaving Sri Lanka at 75-9 in the 15th over.
“Look, these things can happen in T20 cricket but we have to come out of this situation, win the next match and qualify for the next stage,” Shanaka said.
Karunaratne struck till the last five overs and Farooqui clean bowled Karunaratne for 31 runs. Only three Sri Lankans reached double digits.
Afghanistan’s Gurbaz and Zazai both batted aggressively against debutant pacers Dilshan Madushanka and Mathisha Pathirana, while Karunaratne was dismissed for 20 in his lone over.
Gurbaz was stumped by veteran spinner Wanindu Hasaranga soon after the batting powerplay, but not before the batsman hit four sixes and three fours in his strong knock of just 18 balls.
“We batted like this to ensure that we have a good net run rate,” Zazai said. “Gurbaaz and I had an understanding. When he was hitting it well, I was taking a back seat. We aim to go to the finals.”
Group B consists of Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh while Group A consists of Pakistan, India and Hong Kong. The top two teams in each group advance to the Super 4 stage.
New York: Serena and Venus Williams will return to court for the first time in four years after receiving wild cards in doubles at the US Open, organizers confirmed on Saturday.
Serena Williams, who is expected to retire after the US Open, has not partnered with older sister Venus in the doubles event, as the pair lost in the last 16 at the 2018 French Open.
He hasn’t played doubles at the US Open since 2014.
Playing together, the Williams sisters were a major force in Grand Slam doubles tennis, winning 14 titles as well as three Olympic gold medals.
Their last of 14 Grand Slam doubles victories was at Wimbledon in 2016, 17 years after their first title together at the 1999 French Open.
Serena Williams, who turns 41 next month, is expected to confirm her retirement from tennis after the US Open, signing off a career winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
Venus Williams, 42, has not yet announced any plans to retire.
FIFA on Friday lifted its suspension from the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which was imposed earlier this month due to undue influence of third parties.
FIFA said in a statement that the decision was taken after the international governing body received confirmation that the mandate of the Committee of Administrators established to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee had been terminated and the AIFF administration achieved a full refund. Had done Control over daily affairs of AIFF.
FIFA and AFC will continue to monitor the situation and support AIFF in conducting its elections on time, it added.
FIFA’s decision also means that India can now host the U-17 Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to take place from October 11-30.
World football’s governing body FIFA on Friday lifted the ban on the AIFF after the Supreme Court struck down the Committee of Administrators (CoA) order paving the way for India to host the Women’s U-17 World Cup in October. . FIFA on 15 August suspended the AIFF for “undue influence of third parties” and said that the Under-17 Women’s World Cup “cannot be held as planned in India at present”.
The unpredictability of the T20 format and the development of the game in the region could make the 2022 Asia Cup the closest match ever, starting tonight.
Barring the lone qualifier Hong Kong, five other teams, including record seven-time champions India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, could beat each other on their day.
The tournament, which is being staged in the T20 format after six years, had to be moved to the UAE after hosts Sri Lanka expressed their inability to hold it back home amid the economic crisis facing the island nation.
Although conditions in the UAE will be different from the World Cup in Australia in October-November, all competing sides will be looking to identify their final squad for the ICC event over the course of the next two weeks.
There is also a lot at stake for the participating teams. India will look to execute their aggressive stance with the bat in a high-pressure environment starting with the opener against Pakistan on Sunday.
All eyes will be on Kohli, who will be expected to come out of the long thin patch. The focus will be on the performance of the top three, including Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, while injured pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be sorely missed.
Pakistan will be aiming to win the tournament which it last won in 2012 when it was played in the ODI format. With star pacer Shaheen Afridi ruled out of the tournament, he has had to back down with some injury concerns.
With a relatively inexperienced middle order, there will be more reliance on the opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
India will begin their Asia Cup campaign on Sunday with a high-voltage encounter against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Just as skipper Rohit Sharma has defended all questions on Virat Kohli’s prolonged bad patch, his deputy KL Rahul has answered the clear blueprint saying it is all “noise outside”. The last time the two sides met in the T20 World Cup in October last year, Pakistan defeated India by 10 wickets.
Rohit Sharma will captain the Indian cricket team in this year’s Asia Cup. The game will be played in the United Arab Emirates from 27 August to 11 September. We take a look at the most successful teams in Asia Cup history.
Volkswagen’s premium brand Audi is entering Formula One for motor racing, the carmaker said on Friday.
Audi will compete in the Formula One World Championship from 2026 with a specially developed power unit, the carmaker said, adding that which team it will line up with in 2026 will be announced before the end of this year. .
A key part of Audi’s decision to join Formula One is the racing series’s goal to become carbon-neutral by 2030, the carmaker said, which includes new technical regulations focused on more electrification and sustainable fuels to come into effect from 2026.
Hotels and restaurants in Dubai and Sharjah have offered a lifeline to die-hard Indian and Pakistani cricket fans – who could not lay their hands on tickets to the blockbuster clash between the arch-rivals on August 28, leaving them ‘mouth-watering’. ‘ found. Makes a deal to liven up their evening.
Thousands of fans logged into their computers and mobile phones for hours to buy tickets online for the clash, but few were lucky enough to get seats. However, hotels and restaurants have come up with proposals to make the match equally enjoyable, offering delectable thali so that family and friends can come together for an evening of fun, food and music.
Adeeb Ahmed, owner of ‘King-House of Mughlai Food’ in Sharjah, says he has installed two big screens in his restaurant for Sunday’s big clash.
“We are constantly receiving inquiries and bookings from individuals and groups to watch the match at the restaurant. On match day, we want to see the love and brotherhood flowing between the supporters of both the countries. There is no better way to enjoy the evening Instead of watching matches with dishes from the subcontinent,” IANS quoted Ahmed as saying.
“Our thali will have a mix of Pakistani with Indian food like Pakistani Kheer with Lucknowi Kavaband and Malabar Parathas with Peshawari Chicken. Since both Indian and Pakistani fans are booking seats at our restaurant, we want them to enjoy good food. Enjoy the match together and an atmosphere of camaraderie. We have also arranged for popular music in both the countries.”
The ‘High Note Pool and Sky Lounge’ in Dubai has arranged to showcase the ‘greatest cricket rivalry’ on a giant screen. Evening drinks, good food and dancing are arranged in the lounge to go with the match.
Hari Camel, CEO of High Note, explains: “We have had to increase bookings due to the high numbers. Now, there are only a few seats left for fans.”
The Music Lounge has arranged Indian and Pakistani music during the match, where people can cheer on their respective teams with country music playing in the background.
Indian team supporter Faizan Khan told IANS that he would watch the match at a sports bar along with his office colleagues as it was impossible for all of them to book tickets online.
“Our office group would watch the match together. It was very difficult for all of them to get tickets online. We then decided to watch the match at a sports bar,” he said.
Indian-origin fan Om Sharma said that he tried hard to get tickets for the match, but “luck did not favor him”. “Now, I will go with my family to some restaurant where we can enjoy a match together.”
Pakistan suffered another injury after fast bowler Shaheen Afridi was ruled out of the Asia Cup, with pacer Mohammad Wasim ruled out of practice with back pain ahead of their opener against India. The 21-year-old was sent for an MRI scan to ascertain the severity of the injury after he complained of lower back pain during a net session at the ICC Academy here on Thursday.
According to a report in ‘ESPN Cricinfo’, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not want to “risk a possible long-term injury” and therefore sent the pacer for a precautionary scan.
The youngster has played eight ODIs and 11 T20 Internationals since making his international debut in July last year.
The team management is hopeful that the injury is not serious and Wasim can recover in time for the tournament as Pakistan are already without the services of their main bowler Shaheen due to a knee ligament injury in July.
The two-time champions face arch-rivals India in their opening match of the tournament on Sunday.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty created history by becoming the first Indian pair to win a medal in the men’s doubles event at the World Championships by defeating world number two Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi of Japan in the quarter-finals here on Friday.
The world No. 7 Indian pair, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games earlier this month, defeated local favorites and defending champions 24-22 15-21 21-14 in one hour and 15 minutes to clinch their maiden medal at the prestigious tournament. ,
This was India’s second World Championships medal in doubles event with Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa winning bronze in women’s doubles in 2011.
After ensuring at least a bronze medal, Satwik and Chirag will now face sixth-seeded Malaysian pair of Aaron Chia and Soh Wui Yik in the semi-finals.
Earlier, MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila’s good run came to an end when the Indian pair lost to three-time gold medalists Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan in another men’s doubles quarterfinal.
The unseeded Indian pair, who had some sensational victories this week, went down 8-21, 14-21 to third seeded Indonesian pair in less than 30 minutes.
The Indians had earlier defeated eighth seeds Kim Astrup and Anders Skarup Rasmussen of Denmark in the second round.
Satwik and Chirag dominated the opening round to set up a 12-5 lead in the first game, but the Japanese pair held on to a 16-14 advantage with seven consecutive points.
However, the Indian pair was up for the job as they struggled tooth and nail to ensure an advantage after the opening game.
Takuro and Yugo came back strongly in the second game after a hard-fought 9-9 split.
With the match hanging in the balance, the Indian pair once again tightened their grip and attacked at intervals to take an 11-5 lead.
Satwik and Chirag then extended the lead to 14-8 when the Indians were called for a mistake touching the net during the return. Both lost the point but were soon able to put it back, leading 16-9.
Yugo made some sensational shots, including a powerful smash and a cross court return, to keep the Japanese pair’s chances alive with three points.
Two shots wide from the Japanese pair took India a few points away from their 19-13 win.
The Indians then pulled off another spectacular comeback to score seven match points, which their opponents failed to negotiate.
A bit nervous, Satwik stumbles after his serve, but Yugo sends the shuttle over the net as Chirag stops crying in celebration.
That’s fitting, because the past two decades and then some tennis, in general, and the US Open, in particular, have been about Williams, who turns 41 next month. He has unmistakable skill with racket in hand and indomitable drive to be the best that has led to 23 major singles championships1 ranking and Olympic gold medal, and that outstanding, noticeable quality that made her a celebrity Like a superstar athlete.
“In my view, he revolutionized tennis,” said Chris Evert, who won 18 Majors in the 1970s and 1980s. “She revolutionized power in sports. And I feel like she’s really inspired women of color, because we’ve seen a lot more women of color playing sports. And I think she’s done women’s competition. It’s okay to be brutal and passionate and outspoken, to be passionate on the court, and still be a woman.”
The way Williams – and, of course, her older sister, 42-year-old Venus, owner of seven Slam singles titles and Serena’s partner to 14 major doubles trophies – has changed the game and many are, and expand. Along the way his fast serve and swiftly moving groundstrokes inspired, or even forced, other players to either try to match that style or figure out how to counter it. How to try
“They both had something in them,” said Rick Mackie, a tennis coach who worked with the Williams siblings in the early 1990s. “When we competed or did competitive practice, I saw something I’d never seen before. He tried so hard to get a ball, he almost fell. Now you can push harder; it doesn’t mean That you’re going to be the world champion. But it was just another level.”
Williams has said she doesn’t know how to define her legacy, but it is around, whether embodied by players who credit her with being an inspiration, such as French Open runner-up Coco Gough, or in the rules. Clearly the change is, or at least likely is, a product of episodes involving him.
An example: a line could be drawn from the US Tennis Association’s decision to allow in-match coaching for women and men in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the chaotic final of the 2018 US Open this year, in which Williams ended Naomi docked a game after receiving a warning from her then-coach Patrick Mouratoglu about receiving instructions while losing to Osaka.
Another example: the prevalence of electronic line-calling, to the point that there are no longer line judges in US Open matches, can be traced back to the quarterfinal match at Flushing Meadows in 2004 in which Williams lost several wrong decisions. Jennifer Capriati.
At the US Open alone, there were other run-ins with officials (who can forget a foot-fault broah in the 2009 semi-final against Kim Clijsters), great fashion choices (a catsuit in 2002; knee-high boots two years later). ) and lots of victories, dating back to 1999, when 17-year-old Williams defeated Martina Hingis for her opening Grand Slam trophy.
So Arthur Ashe Stadium would provide a fitting backdrop for the farewell, although Williams did not explicitly state that she would never compete again after the US Open, telling the world through an essay in Vogue that she Was ready to start “grow away from”. tennis” to have a second child and focus on pursuing her professional interests.
Every time she steps on the court in New York she will be treated as if it were her last. It will start with a first-round match against 27-year-old Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, who is ranked 80th and has never been past the third round in a major tournament.
It will be only the fifth singles match for Williams in the past 12 months, as the American was out of action at Wimbledon last year with a first-round injury until his first round loss this year. Since returning from that hiatus, Williams is 1-3, including straight sets defeats against Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic and 2021 US Open champion Emma Radukanu, her two most recent appearances.
There was a time – not long ago, in the scheme of things – that Williams was considered the favorite in every match and in every tournament, especially in the four events that matter most in the sport.
“I say: don’t underestimate him,” said ESPN analyst Evert. “But the problem is the area. The problem is that everyone is getting better too. … There are a lot of good players out there who, No. 1, aren’t afraid of him; and No. 2, know he’s at his best at the moment. No, and No. 3, wants to beat him.”
Two days before losing to Bencic in Toronto, and one day before revealing her thoughts about retirement (a word she said she disliked), Williams said in a news conference: “I’ve always wanted to do it. can’t for.”
It’s true, of course. However, no one expects that this will be the last time the world hears of him, even if there are actually no matches left to play.
“At the end of the day, his biggest stage was tennis,” said Williams coach Mackie years ago, “but I think his biggest work is yet to come.”
