World number one Aryna Sabalenka says she is “fresh and ready to go” in her bid for a third straight Australian Open title. The 26-year-old enjoyed a sensational 2024, winning four titles. Should she win in Australia again, she will become the first woman to claim three straight Melbourne Park titles since Martina Hingis in 1997-1999. “I feel fresh and ready to go. I love Australia and I always come here hungry and ready,” she said, according to the WTA website Thursday, ahead of the tournament that begins on January 12. 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
27 December,2024 06:16 AM IST | Brisbane | AFPBhavani Rajput stole the show to take UP Yoddhas into the semifinals of Pro Kabaddi League season 11 with a thumping 46-18 win over Jaipur Pink Panthers in Pune on Thursday. The eliminator 1 was a completely one-sided contest as Rajput (12 points) and Hitesh played starring roles with High-5. UP Yoddhas will now face the Haryana Steelers in the first semifinal on Friday. It was a cautious start to the playoff stages, with both Jaipur Pink Panthers and UP Yoddhas taking their time to get going. While all eyes were on Jaipur Pink Panthers' Arjun Deshwal in the early exchanges, the duo of Rajput and Bharat put UP Yoddhas in front. It took UP Yoddhas just seven minutes to land their first all out of the contest, which propelled them into a six-point lead. UP Yoddhas' superb start saw them pick up a nine-point lead within the first 10 minutes, which left Jaipur Pink Panthers on the backfoot. The dominance continued as the half wore on. Rajput was leading the way in attack while the defenders were giving him a solid platform. UP Yoddhas defence seemed impregnable with Hitesh, Sumit and Mahender Singh holding fort. With just over a minute to go in the first half, UP Yoddhas' defence landed a second all out. At the half-time break, UP Yoddhas led 23-8. UP Yoddhas held onto the momentum in the early phases of the second half as well, as they built on their lead, making it tougher for Jaipur Pink Panthers. Within the first few minutes, Rajput completed his super 10, while Hitesh, Sumit and Gagan Gowda too were raking in points. Jaipur Pink Panthers looked deflated, as their raiders weren't able to get going, and the defenders were under quite a bit of pressure. At the half hour mark, Jaipur Pink Panthers were 26 points behind. A third all out from UP Yoddhas piled on the misery on Jaipur Pink Panthers. The season 9 champions had a few good moments after that, but UP Yoddhas were too strong on the day of PKL season 11. (With PTI inputs)
26 December,2024 10:48 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndia's Lakshya Sen will look to end his season on a high when he competes in a star-studded field at the inaugural King Cup International Badminton Open, beginning in China from Friday. The 23-year-old from Almora, who ended a title-drought with his triumph at the Syed Modi Super 300 tournament in Lucknow earlier this month, will face some of the best men's singles players in the world during the three-day event. The 12th ranked Indian, who narrowly missed out on a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics after losing the playoff, will meet Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long, ranked 17th, in the first round of the competition, which will feature a total of 10 matches. Launched by two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China, the tournament will see eight men's singles players vying for top honours. Paris Olympics silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand and world number 2 Anders Antonsen of Denmark are the highest-ranked players in the competition, which will not offer any ranking points as it is not part of the BWF calendar. Other notable players include former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore and Frenchman Alex Lanier. China will be represented by two 18-year-olds, Hu Zhe An and Wang Zi Jun. Nitesh nominated for BWF’s Para Badminton Player of the Year award India’s Paralympic champion Kumar Nitesh has been nominated along with three others for the men’s Para Badminton Player of the Year, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said on Monday. Nitesh, who won his maiden gold medal in SL3 category at the Paris Paralympics, will be competing for the award with two-time Paralympic gold medallists Cheah Liek Hou (SU5) of Malaysia, Japan’s Daiki Kajiwara (WH2) and China’s Qu Zimo (WH1). The 29-year-old Indian is also a two-time silver and one-time bronze medallist at the World Championships. In women’s category, Li Feng Mei, Sarina Satomi, Liu Yu Tong and Leani Ratri Oktila have been nominated. (With PTI inputs)
26 December,2024 09:07 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndian lifter Martina Devi clinched a silver medal in the women’s junior +87kg category at the Asian Junior Weightlifting Championships here on Wednesday. The 18-year-old from Manipur lifted a total of 225kg (96kg+129kg) to finish second in the three-lifter field. She also won a silver medal for her clean and jerk effort and a bronze for her snatch. The performance was, however, far from Devi’s personal best. The teenager had lifted a national junior record-breaking 101kg in snatch and 136kg in clean and jerk at the junior world championships earlier this year. 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
26 December,2024 06:27 AM IST | Doha | PTIIt is time for Battle Royale, the biggest year-end sporting spectacle in India, the PKL Season 11’s Playoffs week is all set to commence from December 26 at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune. In the fray for the top prize are Haryana Steelers and UP Yoddhas, both of whom have never won the title, and along with them are three-time champions Patna Pirates, Season 8 winners Dabang Delhi K.C., Season 1 & 9 title holders Jaipur Pink Panthers, and Season 2 champions U Mumba, who sealed qualification for the playoffs with the last game of the league stage. The playoff race going to the last match of the league stage is a testament to how competitive this season has been, setting the stage for an exciting final week for season 11. Ahead of a week that is set to celebrate the sport of Kabaddi in more ways than one, the six coaches, Manpreet Singh (Haryana Steelers), Joginder Narwal (Dabang Delhi K.C.), Jasveer Singh (UP Yoddhas), Narender Redhu (Patna Pirates), Gholamreza Mazandarani (U Mumba) and Sanjeev Baliyan (Jaipur Pink Panthers) spoke at length at the Panga Roundtable, and touched upon various aspects of PKL Season 11. Staying true to the “Fan First” approach that has become synonymous with the PKL, also present at the engaging Panga Roundtable were the Super Fans, who made their presence felt too. Table toppers Haryana Steelers, who are through to the Semi-finals, are gunning for their first PKL title, and coach Manpreet Singh, who was full of praise for the Show-Stopper Mohammadreza Shadloui, said, “The Haryana Steelers team is like a family. The players are all like my younger brothers, and we will work together, and leave no stone unturned when we play our Semi-final. Having qualified for the Semi-final directly is a source of great motivation for the team before the final week, and for Haryana, a state which has won so many medals in other sports, it is the PKL title that remains elusive, and hopefully, we can win it.” The Dabang Delhi K.C. have been one of the best teams this season and have stitched together a 15-match unbeaten streak, which helped them secure the second position on the points table. Having qualified for the Semi-final already, coach Joginder Narwal, who has won the PKL title as a skipper in Season 8, spoke about the bond between his two co-captains – Ashu Malik and Naveen Kumar. He said, “I have played with both Ashu and Naveen in the previous years in the PKL itself, and they are like best friends. The two of them have a great chemistry and always stick together, and that bond is visible on the mat also. The team is like a complete family, and going into the playoffs, they are all fit and in-form.” The UP Yoddhas, who had to go back to the drawing board before the season began, has seen their young raiders and the defence step up in style. Coach Jasveer Singh said, “The team lost a couple of big players, but the core of the team remained together, and have worked hard as well.” When asked about how well his side has closed out a few tight contests, the coach explained, “Winning closely fought matches is not easy and it is more of a habit which one has to develop over time. We always train accordingly, so that on the matchday, the players know how to deal with the situation and the pressure.” Three-time champions Patna Pirates’ Narender Redhu heaped praise on the dynamic and dangerous duo of Devank and Ayan, who have taken to the big stage like fish does to water. “Before the start of PKL Season 11, in our camps, we could see that Devank and Ayan will form a formidable pair for us as raiders. We had also seen them playing in other tournaments, and we are lucky in a way that they are both in our squad, and we have given them the freedom to play, and they have grabbed their opportunity with both hands.” U Mumba stormed into the PKL Season 11 Playoffs with a superb win against the Bengal Warriorz in the final league stage game this season. Among the highlights for U Mumba this season has been that the young brigade have led from the front. Reflecting on the journey, U Mumba coach Gholamreza Mazandarani said, “We are very happy to have made it to the Playoffs. And the thing is the young players have done really well. They always want to do something different, like make a new record and have excellent energy as well. Players like Ajith Chauhan and Rohit Raghav are very skilful and the more they play at the highest level in PKL, they will continue to improve.” Having finished sixth on the points table, the Jaipur Pink Panthers are looking for their third title. And coach Sanjeev Baliyan believes that the mentality and preparations for the Playoffs Week has to be different. He said, “The Playoffs is a different kettle of fish and there are no second chances like during the league stage. And moreover, to win the PKL title again, the whole squad has to play well, and support Arjun Deshwal. So far, whenever the team has needed it, there has been someone who has stepped up, especially if Arjun hasn’t had a good day, and it is essential to keep that going.” Preview for Matches on December 26: Eliminator 1 will see the third placed UP Yoddhas take on the Jaipur Pink Panthers, who were sixth on the points table in the league stage. Both the sides have only one thing in mind, which is progressing to the Semi-final, and will go all out for the win. After that, in Eliminator 2, the most decorated team in the PKL, Patna Pirates, will play the U Mumba side, in what is a battle of the young raiders. Both sides have had a fantastic run of form during the league stage, and will be keen to make a splash in the final week of 2024 as well. Please find below the schedule for PKL Season 11 eliminators on Thursday, December 26: Eliminator 1 – UP Yoddhas vs Jaipur Pink Panthers – 8 pm Eliminator 2 – Patna Pirates vs U Mumba – 9 pm Semi-final 1 & 2 – December 27 Final – December 29 (With inputs from sources)
25 December,2024 05:13 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentPV Sindhu, India's Olympic icon with two medals to her name, married Venkata Datta Sai, an Executive Director at Posidex Technologies in Hyderabad, on December 22 in an intimate ceremony. Sindhu, the most accomplished Indian shuttler in history, clinched a silver medal at both the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Games. Two days after the wedding, she shared her first reaction on social media, posting a series of photos from the occasion along with a heart emoji. According to Vogue India, their love story began with a chance meeting on a flight in October 2022. "Everything changed when we reconnected on a flight," Sindhu recalled. "That journey brought us closer, and it felt like the stars aligned. It was almost like love at first sight, and from that moment on, everything just felt right." ❤️ pic.twitter.com/stErh8fcXv — Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) December 24, 2024 Sindhu also explained the significance of their engagement, describing it as an intimate occasion. "Our engagement was a deeply intimate affair, attended only by those closest to us,” she shared. "It wasn't about grandeur, but about celebrating this milestone with the people who truly matter. The moment was emotional, meaningful, and something we will cherish forever." Reflecting on the wedding preparations, the champion badminton player detailed how she and Sai worked together to bring their vision to life. "Planning our wedding was a beautiful yet challenging journey," Sindhu recalled. "Despite my demanding schedule as a professional athlete, I had a clear vision of what I wanted for our big day and planned every detail meticulously. Datta, on the other hand, made sure my dreams came to life by managing the execution seamlessly. Together, we ran a tight ship and ensured that every aspect of the wedding reflected our story and personalities."
25 December,2024 03:51 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentRiding high on goalkeeper Prachi Kadam’s heroics under the bar, St Teresa’s Convent High School (Santacruz) emerged victorious in the girls U-16 MSSA inter-school hockey tournament, defeating Don Bosco High School (Borivli) 3-0 in a tense tie-breaker. Both teams had their chances during regulation time but failed to convert, leading to a decisive penalty shootout. Prachi proved to be the star of the game, saving all three attempts by Don Bosco’s Nisha Shetty, Danica Colaco, and Viva Kumar. On the other hand, St Teresa’s Yukti Dabho, Nirja Redkar, and Arya Kamble successfully converted their strikes to secure the win. The Don Bosco boys with their trophy and medals at the Don Bosco School ground in Matunga Meanwhile in the boys U-16 final, Aaditya Rane of Don Bosco (Matunga) scored the all-important goal against Children Academy (Malad) to clinch the title. Aaditya struck for the Matunga outfit at the stroke of half-time after receiving a pass from Raj Shirke, placing it in the bottom left corner with ease. In the girls semi-final, Don Bosco (Borivli) beat Children Academy (Malad) with a comfortable 2-0 win. In the second semi-final, St Teresa’s beat Carmel of St Joseph (Malad) 3-2 in the tie-breaker. In the boys semi-finals, Don Bosco (Matunga) beat St Antonio D’Silva High School (Dadar) 4-3 via tie-breaker, while Children Academy (Malad) defeated Don Bosco (Borivli) 2-0. Prachi Kadam and Aaditya Rane Tony Pinto, coach of St Teresa and Don Bosco (Borivli), smiled and said: “I couldn’t be biased so I made the assistant coaches take charge of today’s game. Hence, I sat in the stands, happy with both my teams in the final and I am happy with the outcome.” Coach of Don Bosco Rizwan Khan said: “We were confident of winning today. This team have been playing together for the past four years. We created many chances, we could have scored more.”
25 December,2024 06:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamParis Olympics double bronze-medallist Manu Bhaker on Tuesday admitted that “there has been a lapse may be on my part” while filing nominations for this year’s National Sports Awards amid a raging controversy over her exclusion from the list of Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardees. “With regards to ongoing issue for my nomination for the most prestigious Khel Ratna award... I believe there has been a lapse, maybe on my part while filing for the nomination which is being corrected,” Bhaker wrote on X. 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
25 December,2024 06:17 AM IST | New Delhi | PTITalented lifter Parv Chaudhary secured two bronze medals in 96kg category to continue India’s domination at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships here on Tuesday. Chaudhary won the medals in clean and jerk and total sections. He had a total lift of 303 kg. India thus won a 12 medals in total, including three gold, four silver and five bronze. Besides, there were 8 medals in snatch and 10 medals in clean and jerk sections. Medals are awarded separately for snatch, clean and jerk, and total lift in continental, World Cups and World Championships. 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
25 December,2024 06:17 AM IST | Doha | PTIAmid reports that double Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker has been shockingly ignored for this year’s Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, a top sports ministry source has asserted that the names are yet to be finalised and she is likely to be there when the list is unveiled in a week’s time. Also Read: Tania rues lack of recognition from Delhi govt In August, Bhaker became independent India’s first athlete to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics with her bronze-winning show in the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events. “There is no final list of nominees at this point. Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya will decide on the recommendations in a day or two and her name, in all likelihood, will be there in the final list,” a ministry source said. 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.
24 December,2024 08:11 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIOlympiad gold-winning India chess player Tania Sachdev on Monday lamented the “lack of recognition” from the government of Delhi, prompting chief minister Atishi to reach out to her for “thoughts and suggestions” on the matter. Also Read: ‘There’s a reason Liverpool are top’ The 38-year-old Arjuna Awardee, who is based in the national capital, said the Delhi government is yet to acknowledge her achievements. “Having played for India since 2008, it’s disheartening to see a lack of recognition from the Delhi government for achievements in chess. States that support and celebrate their champions, directly inspire excellence and motivate talent. Sadly, Delhi has yet to take this step,” she posted on her X account. She tagged Atishi and her ruling Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, urging them to support the state’s chess players. Atishi responded to her post by inviting her for a conversation. “Hi Tania, we have always supported all our athletes, sportsmen and sportswomen, especially in our schools. Would love to meet you and understand what more can be done especially for chess players,” Atishi said. 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
24 December,2024 08:07 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
