India’s women’s doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand easily overcame the challenge from Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai, beating the Thai pair in straight games in the opening round of the Malaysia Super 1000 tournament here on Tuesday. Also Read: Osaka splits from rapper Cordae The Indian pair, seeded sixth here, won 21-10, 21-10 in just 30 minutes to secure a place in the round of 16. On a high following their success in the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament in Lucknow, Treesa and Gayatri faced little challenge from the unseeded Thai pair taking a 17-8 lead in no time. The second game saw the Thai pair go neck-and-neck till 8-all before Treesa and Gayatri ran away with the game and the match. Meanwhile, HS Prannoy experienced a frustrating start to the tournament as his match against Canada’s Brian Yang was suspended midway due to a leaking roof.Yang was leading 11-9 in the second game when officials decided to suspend the match, which will now resume on Wednesday with the score at 21-12, 9-11. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 January,2025 07:44 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSJapanese tennis star Naomi Osaka says she and her American rapper boyfriend Cordae have split up just days ahead of the Australian Open. Also Read: ‘Sabalenka is a complete player’ The couple have been together since 2019 and share a young daughter, Shai. “Hi everyone, just wanted to say that Cordae and I are no longer in a relationship,” Osaka wrote on Instagram Monday. “No bad blood at all, he’s a great person and an awesome dad. “Really glad our paths crossed because my daughter is my biggest blessing,” the tennis star added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 January,2025 07:43 AM IST | Melbourne | AFPIndia tennis legend Sania Mirza is all praise for women’s World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka ahead of the Australian Open that begins on Sunday, January 12. Belarusian Sabalenka, 26, recently clinched the Brisbane International title, beating Russian qualifier Polina Kudermetova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the summit clash, and her red-hot form is what puts her in a strong position to clinch what will be a hat-trick of Australian Open titles. “I believe Sabalenka is the favourite because this is the Australian Open and the court and the hot conditions suit her perfectly. But I feel you cannot take [World No. 3] Cocoa [Gauff] out of the equation especially given the way she has been playing over the last few months and even with the United States [she beat World No. 2 Iga Swiatek to help USA win the United Cup],” Mirza, 38, said during an online media interaction ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam that will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network. Also Read: Pak fined and docked five points for slow over-rate Interestingly, Sabalenka recently revealed that she had contemplated quitting the game two years ago when she was double-faulting too often. Mirza appreciated the hard work put in by the Belarusian to get to the No. 1 ranking from that dejected situation not too long ago. “Sabalenka has come together really well. There was a phase when she was making so many double faults and people were saying that she doesn’t have it in her to win Grand Slams. Yet, today she is No. 1. “She has really worked on herself, both mentally and physically. She also has a great team around her and all this has helped her become a complete player. She has proven to everybody that her serve now is one of the strongest on the tour She’s playing the best tennis of her life,” added Mirza, who won the Australian Open mixed doubles title alongside compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi in 2009 and then emerged champion in the women’s doubles in 2016 with Swiss legend Martina Hingis.
08 January,2025 07:40 AM IST | Mumbai | Ashwin FerroStar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will not train with his coach Jan Zelezny throughout the year and seek his guidance only when required, outgoing Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla said on Tuesday. Chopra roped in three-time Olympic champion and world record holder Zelezny (98.48m) as his coach in November 2024, setting the ball rolling for the upcoming season, where he will defend his world title. Zelezny, 58, is widely considered the greatest javelin thrower of the modern era. The Czech won three Olympic gold medals (1992, 1996, 2000)and as many world titles (1993, 1995, 2001) in his illustrious career. Chopra till recently worked with German biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz, who also doubled up as his coach. Bartonietz was more or less with Chopra throughout the year. "There are different parts to coaching -- strength conditioning, technique, biomechanics etc. Normally one coach does not look after all of these and help is taken from others. These days, there is no coach in world which is attached to one athlete for 365 days," Sumariwalla said on the opening day of the AFI AGM. "Zelezny will come when he needs to come even if he is not 365 days with Neeraj and that is the way the world is. Neeraj has now reached that stage in his life where he needs to take assistance from different segments -- strength training, conditioning, biomechanics, running and throwing. That is the way in future for all the events." Chopra, who won a historic gold in the Tokyo Olympics and a silver in Paris Games under Bartonietz, is currently training in South Africa without Zelezny. "There were a lot of consultations. A lot of coaches were talked to. Neeraj himself talked to a lot of coaches and we finally decided on Jan Zelezny," said the 67-year-old Sumariwalla said about the roping in of the Czech legend. Sumariwalla, who is a member of the powerful executive board of the World Athletics, ended his 12-year tenure as AFI chief. Asian Games gold-winning former shot putter Bahadur Singh Sagoo replaced him in the key post. Asked about the aspects of the sport the AFI would have done better during his tenure, he said, "I would have liked more improvement in doping, over-age issue and overtraining and early specialisation of young athletes. I hope the new team will give enough attention on these issues. "We have laid the foundations and the eco system. I am sure the new team will take to much higher level. We are in the right path and we have to tweak the strategy from time to time depending on the internal and external environment. The direction of the AFI is right." India is one of the top offenders in the world when it comes to doping and, Sumariwalla said, "The AFI is doing whatever it can do within its legal parameters. We can do two things -- education and policing. This has to be done at the state and district level where the problem is. "We have been educating the athletes at every national events. I myself have conducted sessions on doping. "Regarding policing, we give intelligence to NADA, WADA and AIU. We have been requesting NADA from time to time to add more and more name to the Registered Testing Pool and do more out of competition testing." He said a detailed analysis was done by the AFI after the below-par show at the Paris Olympics where most athletes, except for Neeraj Chopra, under-performed. "We have started taking action on that. We have rejigged the (men's) 4x400m relay team as well as the coaches. We have brought is a Jamaican coach, we have not renewed the women's coach." He did not commit anything when asked how many track and field athletes will compete in the upcoming National Games in Uttarakhand. "I am not sure how many will take part. It's a very crucial year, we have World Indoors, World Relays, Asian and World Championships. The calendar has been created for the athletes to peak during the World Championships. We will do whatever is necessary to ensure this. "I can't say what will happen. We will do whatever is the best interest of the country as well as the athletes." Asked what role he will play in the AFI in future, now that he is no longer its office-bearer, Sumariwalla said, "As far as my role is concerned, I am not going anywhere, I am here to assist Bahadur (president), certain roles like dealing with World Athletics, IOA, IOC and Ministry. "I will continue to assist in these areas under Bahadur, including being the AFI spokesperson." (With agency inputs)
07 January,2025 09:34 PM IST | Chandigarh | mid-day online correspondentThe 2025 Malaysia Open clash between ace India shuttler HS Prannoy and Canada's Brian Yang witnessed an unprecedented delay as the Round of 32 Men’s Singles match was halted for over two hours due to water leaking from the roof at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur. On the opening day of this year’s first major badminton event, the sporting community was left stunned as water began to fall from the roof. Prannoy and Yang were playing on Court 3 when water splashes made the playing area hazardous, preventing play from continuing. Both players were visibly frustrated by the situation and voiced their displeasure to the match referee, who ultimately decided to suspend the match. Played for 25 min , took a break for 165 min because of Rain ☔️ and then again played for 5 more minutes 😏Shall continue playing the same match tomorrow Wowwwwwww 😏#malaysiaopen2025 pic.twitter.com/H3EM72ZwIz — PRANNOY HS (@PRANNOYHSPRI) January 7, 2025 Water seems to be leaking from the roof at Prannoys CourtMatch disrupted pic.twitter.com/HMYuNgME84 — Just Badminton (@BadmintonJust) January 7, 2025 Prannoy, in particular, was seen gesturing animatedly to the official, highlighting that the court had become unsafe. At the time of the suspension, Prannoy was leading the match, having won the first set 21-12 and holding a 6-3 lead in the second. The match was paused for more than two hours before the players returned to resume play. However, only five minutes of action were possible before the roof began leaking again. The match was then postponed and will now be completed on Wednesday (January 8), with Prannoy currently leading the second set 11-9. The stoppage due to rain in an indoor sport like badminton is an unprecedented occurrence. This situation has raised significant questions regarding the organisers' management, as one of the year's most prominent events was interrupted due to infrastructure issues at the venue. Organisers later resorted to using towels and mops to dry the court, which had suffered considerable damage from the water leakage. For context, the Malaysia Open is a Super 1000 event, the highest level in the race to qualify for the World Tour Finals.
07 January,2025 08:58 PM IST | Kuala Lumpur | mid-day online correspondentStar shuttlers Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu will headline host India's largest-ever contingent at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open Super 750 badminton tournament, starting from January 14. With top stars like Olympic champions Viktor Axelsen, An Se Young, and world No. 1 Shi Yuqi leading the field, top-tier action is expected at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall, Indira Gandhi Stadium. A total of 21 Indian players, including three men's singles, four women's singles, two men's doubles, eight women's doubles, and four mixed doubles pairs, will compete in the USD 950,000 BWF World Tour event, which offers 11,000 ranking points for the champions. "With so many Indian players competing in a Super 750 event, it's a remarkable sign of the growth and rise of Indian badminton on the world stage," Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary, the Badminton Association of India, said in a release. "This is just the beginning: 2025 promises to be a year where more names will feature alongside the established names, while fresh faces will emerge and shine bringing glory and pride to India. The competition at the IG Stadium will be a testament to the rising caliber of Indian talents," he added. The tournament, which was elevated to the Super 750 category in 2023, saw India field 14 entries in the past two editions. India's highlights were Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy reaching the men's doubles final and HS Prannoy making the men's singles semifinals in 2024. Chirag and Satwik, semifinalists at the 2024 China Masters, will lead India's men's doubles charge. Satwik, returning from injury, will look to regain his form after limited play since the Paris Olympics. Apart from Satwik-Chirag, India's hopes will also rest on former champion Lakshya Sen and two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu. The competition will feature 18 of the world's top 20 men's singles players and 14 of the top 20 women's singles shuttlers. The men's doubles line-up is being led by China's Paris Olympics silver medal-winning combination of Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang along with Paris bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia, Danish pair of Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen and Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto. List of India players Men's Singles: Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Priyanshu Rajawat Women's Singles: PV Sindhu, Malvika Bansod, Anupama Upadhyaya, Aakarshi Kashyap Men's Doubles: Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, K Sai Pratheek/Pruthvi K Roy Women's Doubles : Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Ponnappa/Tanisha Crasto, Rutuparna Panda/Swetaparna Panda, Mansa Rawat/Gayatri Rawat, Ashwini Bhat/Shikha Gautam, Sakshi Gahlawat/Apoorva Gahlawat, Sania Sikkandar/Rashmi Ganesh, Mrunmayee Deshpande/Prerana Alvekar Mixed Doubles: Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto, K Sathish Kumar/Aadya Variyath, Rohan Kapoor/G Ruthvika Shivani, Ashith Surya/Amrutha Pramuthesh. (With agency inputs)
07 January,2025 03:45 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentIndia's star and Olympic gold and silver medallist Neeraj Chopra will headline a star-studded global javelin event. The mega event will be hosted by India itself, most likely in September, according to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). This event is an addition to the various number of competitions India has shown interest to host. Outgoing AFI president Adille Sumariwalla confirmed that India has expressed interest in hosting the 2029 World Championships, as well as the 2027 World Relays. The AFI has already submitted its expression of interest to host the 2028 World Junior Championships when the international body chief Sebastian Coe visited the country in November last. "There will be a top javelin competition in India in which the top-10 javelin throwers in the world will compete. This will be an invitation tournament to be held later this year," Sumariwalla, whose 12-year tenure as AFI chief ended on Tuesday, said on the first day of the AFI Annual General Meeting (AGM). Also Read: "Whitewash at home bigger failure than BGT loss": Yuvraj Singh "Neeraj Chopra will be there. He is part of the team that is organising the event, along with JSW, a foreign firm and the AFI are together creating this competition. This is being done as there is so much interest in javelin with August 7 -- when Chopra won the Tokyo Olympics gold -- being observed as National Javelin Day."Sumariwalla later told PTI that the event is most likely to be held in September. 2002 Asian Games shot put gold medallist Bahadur Singh Sagoo has been elected as the new AFI chief. Talking about the big global events India is hoping to host in the next four years, Sumariwalla said, "Bids are open at the moment for (2028) World Junior Championships, 2029 World Championships, World Relays (2027) and India is going to bid for all of them. We have put in our expression of interest and so the process has started." "We might also do a World Half Marathon," he said. India will also host the World Athletics Continental Tour bronze-level competition in August. This will be the best global athletics event hosted by India after the country last hosted a global event in the late 1980s and 1990s. Earlier, India was also been a host of the World Half Marathon Championships in 2004. The Continental Tour is an annual series of track-and-field competitions held under the aegis of World Athletics and it forms the second tier of international one-day meetings after the prestigious Diamond League. With the bid to host the 2026 Olympics, there are several other athletics events in line that India is either hosting or bidding. The bronze-level Tour meet is below the gold and silver levels. (With PTI Inputs)
07 January,2025 01:12 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTennis great Novak Djokovic said that he still feels a bit of trauma when he travels to Australia, as he was deported in 2022 because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. "The last couple of times that I landed in Australia, to go through passport control and immigration, I had a bit of trauma from three years ago," Novak Djokovic said in an interview with Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper published Monday, ahead of the Australian Open. "And some traces still stay there when I'm passing passport control, just checking out if someone from immigration zone is approaching." Novak Djokovic, who has won 10 out of his 24 Grand Slam championships at Melbourne Park further said, "The person checking my passport, are they going to take me, detain me again or let me go? I must admit I have that feeling." Also Read: Shukla criticizes CA for snubbing Sunil Gavaskar at BGT presentation ceremony Back in 2022, Novak Djokovic sought, and initially obtained, an exemption that would allow him into the Australian Open and the country, even though there were strict rules requiring shots to protect against the coronavirus. But after his flight landed, he was detained at the airport, his visa was cancelled and he was sent to an immigration hotel. Novak Djokovic was later handed over his visa back, saying that he was not given enough time to speak to his lawyers. Australia's immigration minister then took away the visa again, based on public interest. Novak Djokovic's appeal was then denied by the three-judge panel and got deported. A ban of three years was imposed on him as someone whose visa was officially cancelled, but Australia had a change of government, its pandemic border rules changed and a new immigration minister granted Djokovic a visa in 2023 when he went on to claim the trophy. "I don't hold any resentment, to be honest", Djokovic told the Herald Sun about the saga. "I don't hold a grudge." The Australian Open begins Sunday (Saturday EST), and Novak Djokovic will be pursuing his 11th trophy in Melbourne to add to his men's record and an unprecedented 25th major singles title overall. A year ago, Djokovic lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. "I just hope to, before I retire, get at least one more title there," said the 37-year-old Djokovic, whose only triumph at a tournament in 2024 was his singles gold medal for Serbia at the Paris Olympics in August.Djokovic opened 2025 at the Brisbane International last week, losing in the quarterfinals to Reilly Opelka. At the Australian Open, Djokovic will be playing in his first event alongside new coach Andy Murray, his former on-court rival and a three-time major champion who retired as a player after the Summer Games. Murray and Djokovic have said they will partner up through the year's initial Grand Slam tournament. (With AP Inputs)
07 January,2025 09:30 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndia’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will aim for a strong result, Lakshya Sen will look to build on his recent form and HS Prannoy will hope to shake off rust after a lengthy break at the season-opening Malaysia Super 1000 tournament starting here on Tuesday. Also Read: Nagal bows out in Auckland; Sriram-Miguel win in Adelaide For Satwik and Chirag, seeded seventh, this USD 1.45 million event marks the start of a new season like it did in 2024. Last year, although they narrowly missed out on the title, the pairing went on to reach three more finals, winning two of them. The Asian Games gold medallists were in exceptional form and will be hoping to replicate that success this year. Having reunited with Malaysian coach Kim Tan Her, the former world number ones are determined to go the distance, but they face a tough challenge ahead. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 January,2025 07:57 AM IST | Kuala Lumpur | PTIN Sriram Balaji and Miguel Reyes-Varela advanced to the Adelaide International pre-quarterfinals while Sumit Nagal fought hard before making an early exit at the Auckland ASB Classic on Monday. The Indo-Mexican pair of Balaji and Reyes-Varela staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Rohan Bopanna and his new Colombian partner Nicolas Barrientos 4-6, 6-2, 10-7. Also Read: Indian Super League: Mumbai City beat East Bengal 3-2 Bopanna, who ended his two-year partnership with Australia’s Matthew Ebden and paired up with Barrientos ahead of the Australian Open, had a stellar first-serve percentage. India’s top singles player Nagal put up a spirited fight before falling to his USA rival Alex Michelsen 7-6 (8), 4-6, 2-6 in a gruelling two-hour, 40-minute battle. Nagal edged the first set in a tense tie-break but Michelsen’s improved consistency and stronger service game in the subsequent sets proved too much for Nagal. Nagal fought valiantly, saving 70 per cent of break points and taking the first set with a gritty tie-break win. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 January,2025 07:55 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIReyansh Khamkar, a six-year-old from Thane, has etched his name in the record books by becoming the youngest swimmer to complete a challenging 15-kilometer stretch in the sea. He swam from Malpe Jetty to Waghotan Jetty in Vijaydurg in an impressive three hours, the achievement earning him recognition from the India Book of Records. Reyansh, who is trained by coach Kailash Akhade at Starfish Sports Foundation, completed the feat in his first-ever sea swimming competition, attracting attention for his remarkable stamina and skill at such a young age. His success has been widely celebrated, with accolades pouring in from various public figures and institutions. Minister for Cultural Affairs and Information Technology, A. Ashish Shelar, President of Thane District Amateur Swimming Association, Adv. Niranjan Davkhare, and Vice President of the Maharashtra State Amateur Swimming Association, Rajesh More, all congratulated the young swimmer and wished him success for his future endeavours. Reyansh's school, Saraswati English Medium School in Naupada, Thane, also lauded his achievement, recognising his talent and dedication. His parents, Sanika and Deepak Khamkar, felt immense pride in their son's accomplishments. Last year, Reyansh clinched gold, silver, and bronze medals in various competitions, including the prestigious state-level swimming event held in Thane, where he won the top prize in the 25-metre butterfly with fins and a bronze in the 50-metre freestyle with fins. Reyansh also excelled in the tri-state swimming competition of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa, held in Kolhapur in July 2024, where he won a gold medal in the 50-metre backstroke. Reyansh's talent was recognised internationally when he participated in the Asian Open Schools Swimming Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, last August. Representing India as one of 15 swimmers selected by the Maharashtra Aquatic Association, Reyansh won a silver medal in the 25m freestyle kickboard (under 6 age group) and bronze medals in the 25m freestyle and 50m breaststroke. He also contributed to a silver medal win in the 200m freestyle relay. Continuing his winning streak, Reyansh secured multiple medals at the 4th Maharashtra State Fin Swimming Championship last September. He won gold in the 50m monofin surface swimming, gold in the 100m bifin mixed relay, and silver in the 50m bifin swimming. Notably, he competed in the senior age group (9 years and above) due to his stellar international performance. With numerous medals and accolades under his belt at such a young age, Reyansh's future in swimming looks exceedingly bright.
06 January,2025 07:28 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
