World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said on Friday the new Ultimate Championship team event officially unveiled by the sport’s governing body would be a “game changer” for track and field. The inaugural event will be held in Budapest on September 11-13, 2026, and will be staged every two years to fulfil World Athletics’ ambition of having a global championship every year. The federation said the event would provide “a spectacular conclusion to the summer athletics season, in the years where there is no World Athletics Championships.” Also Read: Hamilton surprised by pace as Mercedes top both practice sessions The event boasts a “record-setting” prize pot of $10 million (9.6 million euros). World Athletics said it was “the largest ever offered in track and field” — with champions set to receive $150,000. Each session will last three hours and athletes will represent both themselves and their national teams, wearing national kit. Coe, who held a press conference in the Hungarian capital, said: “This new global event will be a game changer for our sport and for our athletes. We want to bring our fans athletics like they have never seen it before — with the best of the best athletes in our sport competing head-to-head in a passion-fuelled, high octane, festival of sport, with sound, light and innovation.” World Athletics said the event would be “an accelerator for innovation” in the sport. The announcement comes after four-time Olympic sprint champion Michael Johnson unveiled details of his four-meet Grand Slam Track series, which makes its debut next year with meetings in Kingston, Jamaica, Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Johnson’s series is widely seen as a challenge to the established Diamond League circuit of meets as the sport of athletics seeks to grab more limelight from other sports outside of the Olympics 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
23 November,2024 08:16 AM IST | Budapest | AFPLewis Hamilton, whose 11 year tenure with Mercedes comes to an end after three races in the 2024 season of Formula 1, was left pleasantly surprised with his car’s performance as the seven-time world champion finished both practice sessions at the top of the timesheet at the Las Vegas Street Circuit on Friday. Also Read: Satwik-Chirag enter semi-finals, Lakshya loses “Difficult to know exactly where we are or why we are where we are but really enjoying driving the track and I think we’ll see whether the car is the same tomorrow. But it was nice to get like consecutive sectors,” Hamilton was quoted by Formula1.com 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
23 November,2024 08:14 AM IST | Nevada | IANSIndian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty produced a solid show to outwit second seeds Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark to progress to the semi-finals of the China Masters Super 750 badminton tournament here on Friday. Also Read: Sinner shines as Italy beat Argentina; face Oz in semis Playing their first tournament since the Paris Olympics, Satwik and Chirag, who had reached the final in the last edition, registered a 21-16, 21-19 win over the World No 2 pair in 47 minutes. In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen suffered a 18-21, 15-21 loss in 53 minutes against third seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark in the quarter-finals to bow out of the competition. 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
23 November,2024 08:12 AM IST | Shenzhen | PTINo. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner won matches in singles and doubles to lead defending champion Italy to a 2-1 comeback victory over Argentina, earning a return trip to the Davis Cup semi-finals. “I’m here trying to do the best I can in the singles,” Sinner said on Thursday. “If they put me on the court in doubles, I’ll also try my best.” On Saturday, Italy will face Australia in a rematch of last year’s final, but this time it will only be for a chance to play for the championship. Australia eliminated USA 2-1 earlier on Thursday to reach the final four at the team competition for the third consecutive year. Also Read: Spain to take on Netherlands in Nations League quarters The other semi-final, to be contested on Friday, is the Netherlands against Germany. The Dutch got past Rafael Nadal and Spain in the quarter-finals earlier in the week Italy fell behind 1-0 in the quarter-finals when Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1 on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martina Carpena in southern Spain. But then in stepped Sinner, whose season already includes two Grand Slam trophies plus the title at the ATP Finals last weekend in Turin, Italy. First he overwhelmed Sebastian Baez 6-2, 6-1. Then Sinner teamed with 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini in the deciding doubles match to win 6-4, 7-5 against Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez. 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
23 November,2024 08:10 AM IST | Malaga (Spain) | AP | PTIRepresenting one’s country at the international level is an incredible achievement, and doing so despite a disability requires extraordinary grit and determination. Ekta Bhyan, a remarkable para-athlete, has brought immense pride to India with her achievements. She competes in three different para-sports: discus throw, club throw, and para-table tennis, showcasing her versatility and dedication. Speaking about her inspiration behind choosing para-discus throw, "It was in 2016 that I participated in my first nationals and the credit goes to my coach, Mr. Amit Saroha (Arjuna awardee). He mentored me and gave me coaching for the events (discus throw and club throw). It was a life-changing moment for me when I won my first gold at the national in 2016 at Panchkula", Ekta Bhyan told Mid-Day. She also opened up about the challenges para-athletes face in India. "There are many challenges that para-athletes face in our country, that are mainly because of infrastructure which is not disabled friendly. Also, the transportation is not wheelchair-friendly. So it is difficult for a disabled person to start his para-sports career." When asked if there are any different coaching methods followed to train a para-athlete, "There are not a huge number of coaches who can train para-athletes in our country. But with the passage of time, the picture is getting better", Ekta Bhyan told mid-day. "Many able-bodied coaches who are giving coaching to able-bodied athletes are also open to training para-athletes. Also, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and other states are recruiting para-athletes as coaches. So, this is something where awareness is playing a great role", added Bhyan. Multi-talented Ekta Bhyan will participate in the UTT Para Table Tennis National Ranking Championship which will kick start on November 26th at Abhay Prashal Sports Club in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Also Read: IND vs AUS 1st Test | "Australia Mata ki Jay", says an Australian fan after Sudhir hails India, WATCH Speaking about her preparations, "My preparations are going great for the UTT Para Table Tennis National Ranking event and I'm very excited because it is my second national ranking event and I'm looking forward to it to improve my rankings." Ekta Bhyan also opened up about the challenges of playing three different sports and labelled para-table tennis as her favourite among the three. "My main event is club throw because it is specially designed for persons having disabilities in all the forelimbs. As I have a quadriplegic disability, I chose club throw as my main event", said Bhyan. "There are challenges because it's been 10 years that I'm into para-athletics. Table Tennis is a completely different sport than that of discus throw or club throw, but with continuous practice and hard work, you understand the skills and techniques for the new game as well." "I find table tennis very interesting and I'm doing well at the international level. The only thing I find difficult is that the coaching for para-table tennis is not easily available in our country. In para-athletics, there are many coaches available, but you won't find a coach who can understand the problems of playing table tennis while being in a wheelchair", added Bhyan. The athlete also opened up on her diet and routine. "There is a very strict diet and routine that we have to follow, especially because of disability we are prone to weight gain. Being a wheelchair user, you can't train every muscle so we have to follow strict diet and workout plans." Being an athlete who competes in three different sports, Ekta spoke about her challenges. "The main challenge that I face for club and discus throw is that I have a quadriplegic disability. This is the category for athletes having poor forelimbs. In this severe impairment, I need the assistance of two people, on and off the field, even while travelling. It is financially demanding. I'm fortunate that I have enough sponsorship from the Welspun Super Sports Women Program to pursue my sports career." "I'm very thankful to the Welspun Super Sports Women Program for providing all the support. It is not only the financial help that Welspun is providing me, but they're also providing the right nutrition and accessibility for wheelchairs which is very expensive. I'm very thankful to Welspun Super Sports Women Program for supporting para-athletes because there are very few organizations supporting women with disabilities." Ekta Bhyan had clinched a gold medal for club throw in the 2018 Asian Para Games. In the 2023 edition held in China, the athlete managed to win a bronze medal in the same event. Apart from this, she claimed a bronze medal for club throw in the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris in 2023. Ekta Bhyan also has 10 gold and two bronze medals to her name for discus and club throw in the National Para Athletics Championships.
22 November,2024 12:48 PM IST | Mumbai | Sujay ShivalkarA new-look Indian women’s hockey team started its 2028 Los Angeles Olympics qualification journey with a scintillating, unbeaten performance during its title-defending Asian Champions Trophy campaign here. It marked a resurrection for the side that had been left deflated after failing to qualify for the Paris Olympics this year. It marks a fresh beginning for the team and coach Harendra Singh. Since taking over in April, Harendra’s vision has been crystal clear — to qualify for the 2028 Games. Also Read: Hamilton didn’t want to return after Brazil flop Chief coach Harendra Singh congratulates star striker Deepika. Pics/Hockey India Good start by new skipper He always believed and emphasised that a successful ACT campaign will be the right start for the team’s journey towards the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. And he couldn’t have asked for more from his wards. “I truly believe this victory will inspire more young girls to take up hockey and further elevate the sport in India. We are thrilled to be able to bring this win to our fans and our nation,” said new captain Salima Tete after the brilliant campaign. Harendra’s primary focus since taking charge has been to improve the team’s fitness, and fortitude and the Indian players performance at the ACT was a testament to the fact that they have worked tremendously on these core areas and lived upto their coach’s expectation. “While we celebrate this win, our focus remains on long-term goals. We are working hard every day, trusting the process, and staying dedicated to delivering our best in every tournament. Our ultimate aim is to bring more laurels to India and make the country proud,” added Tete. The Indians were impressive in most departments of the game and remained unbeaten in seven matches, including the semi-final and final. The resolute show by the defensive line was also one of the hallmarks of India’s performance as they conceded just two goals in seven games, while scoring as many as 29 themselves. Out of these 29 goals, 15 were field goals, 12 from penalty corners and two from strokes. Sensational Deepika The ACT produced many stars for India, the prominent among them was 20-year-old young striker Deepika, who was the tournament’s highest scorer with 11 goals to her name, including four from field play, six from penalty corners and one penalty stroke. In fact, five Indians were there among the top-10 scorers — Deepika, Sangita Kumari (4 goals), Preeti Dubey (3), Navneet Kaur (3) and Lalrmsiami (3). Harendra worked extensively on the fitness of the players and that was clearly visible in their fast-paced, one-touch hockey that trouble opponents, including reigning Olympic silver-medallists China whom they beat 1-0 in the final. Next up, the players will rub shoulders with the world’s best in the Hockey India League, starting in Ranchi 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
22 November,2024 07:43 AM IST | Rajgir (Bihar) | PTILewis Hamilton has admitted that he briefly considered walking away from Mercedes before the season’s conclusion after a poor Sao Paulo GP. The seven-time world champion, who will leave Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the season, spoke about his turbulent 2023-24 campaign and his readiness to close his 12-year chapter with Mercedes. After crossing the Sau Paulo finish, Hamilton made cryptic remarks over the radio, hinting at an emotional farewell to the team. He told Sky Sports that he “could happily go and take a holiday.” Also Read: Modern tennis is bland: Kyrgios Mercedes later downplayed his comments, but Hamilton revealed at a press conference in Las Vegas that his feelings at the time were genuine. “In the moment that’s how I felt, like I didn’t really want to come back after that weekend,” Hamilton said. “It’s frustrating when you have a season like this, which I’m pretty sure I won’t have again—or at least I’ll work towards not having again.” Hamilton’s emotional weekend was compounded by remarks from Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff in the recently published book, Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane. Wolff said he “liked” Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari as it prevented the difficult situation of parting ways with the 105-time race winner down the line. 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
22 November,2024 07:39 AM IST | Las Vegas | IANSAs Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios prepares to step back onto the court after a two-year injury hiatus, he has said that modern tennis is a bit “bland at the moment” as new crop of players are each other’s best mates. The seven-time ATP Tour titlist Kyrgios, who has not played a professional ATP match since June 2023, has been hampered by injuries. He will return at next month’s Brisbane International (December 29 to January 5, 2025). Also Read: Sat-Chi, Lakshya in quarters, Sindhu shocked “It’s a very interesting time in the tennis world. We see, Djokovic, he’s at the tail end of his career. He’s still a phenomenal player. But Nadal, literally, it’s officially his last ever time we’re going to see him on the court. Federer gone. There’s some amazing players still out there, but the game’s a bit bland,” Kyrgios told Nova 100’s Jase and Lauren radio show. “Everyone’s liking each other, and everyone’s best mates. I just hate that. You look at our sports; they’re rough as anything. AFL, NRL. That’s why we watch, we watch for entertainment, we watch for bad blood. I’m all for being friends off the court, but there’s too much respect at the moment in the tennis world,” he 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
22 November,2024 07:37 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSStar Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen progressed to the quarter-finals with a straight-game win, but two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu’s campaign ended in the second round of the China Masters Super 750 badminton tournament here on Thursday. Lakshya, who missed out on a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, looked at his lethal best while disposing off Rasmus Gemke of Denmark 21-6, 21-18 in a 46-minute men’s singles second round match. Lakshya will have his work cut out in the quarter-finals as he will be up against third seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark, who defeated Japan’s Takuma Obayashi 21-15 21-18 in his second round match. Also Read: Pujara backs KL Rahul to bat at No. 3 Lakshya Sen However, it turned out to be another disappointing outing for Sindhu as she lost to Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min in a hard-fought women’s singles contest. World No.19 Sindhu, who dispatched the higher-ranked Busanan Ongbamrungphan 21-17, 21-19 in the opening round, fought valiantly before going down 21-16, 17-21, 23-21 to Min in a match that lasted one hour and nine minutes. It was curtains for the other two surviving Indian women’s singles players as Anupama Upadhyaya and Malvika Bansod crashed out in the second round. While Anupama lost 7-21 14-21 to Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira, Malvika was thrashed 9-21 9-21 by eight-seeded Supanida Katethong of Thailand. The women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand was no match for second seeded Chinese pair of Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, 11-16, 11-21 in a second-round match, lasting just 43 minutes. Defending champs Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who returned to action after a break following the Paris Olympics, moved to the quarter-finals with a 21-19, 21-15 win over Denmark’s Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Soggard. They will meet second seeded Danes Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen next. 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
22 November,2024 07:35 AM IST | Shenzhen | PTIThe lush green Mahalaxmi racetrack is all set to play host to the thunder of hooves as the Mumbai racing season (2024-25) gets underway on Sunday (Nov 24). The action-packed season, with 26 race days spread over four-and-a-half months, will attract the best equine talent of the country, thanks to the highest stakes offered (approximately Rs 15 crore, including the value of trophies). The prospectus for the upcoming season published by the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) makes it clear there will be six "special" race days in aid of charity, and 20 "regular" race days featuring five Group 1 races, three Group 2 races and 8 Group 3 races. Racing under the lights, which has gained more and more popularity as "family outings" with every passing year, will be conducted on 11 days in the latter half of the season. Also Read: Skipper Rohit to join India squad in Perth on Sunday The race club has adopted an open door policy--welcoming trainers and horses from all over the country, making sure the race-lovers will witness the highest level of competition. The Classics (all Group 1) schedule will be as follows: JSK1 Indian 1000 Guineas (Sun, Dec 15), HPSL Indian 2000 Guineas (Sun, Dec 22), Villoo C Poonawalla Indian Oaks (Sat, Jan 11) & HPSL Indian Derby (Sun, Feb 2). The Group 1 Poonawalla Breeders' Multi-Million (PBMM), also known as "juvenile Derby", is slated for Sunday, Feb 23. Over 700 horses are expected to participate during the season under the care of over 40 trainers, and nearly 60 jockeys will be seen in action--43 of them local boys, including 8 apprentice riders; with 16 jockeys from other racing centers of the country likely to make frequent visits. The season will sign off in style, with fashion and food--and glamour and glitz--celebrating the final weekend (April 5 & 6) under the lights thanks to a generous contribution from Zavaray Poonawalla, former chairman of the club, and Derby sponsor HPSL. The DatesNovember 2024: Sun, 24th.December 2024: Sun, 1st; Sun, 8th; Sun, 15th; Sun, 22nd; Fri, 27th; Sun, 29th.January 2025: Sun, 5th; Thu, 9th; Sat, 11th; Thu, 16th; Thu, 23rd.February 2025: Sat, 1st; Sun, 2nd; Sun, 9th; Sun, 16th; Thu, 20th; Sun, 23rd; Wed, 26th.March 2025: Thu, 6th; Sun, 16th; Thu, 20th; Sun, 23rd; Sun, 30th.April 2025: Sat, 5th; Sun, 6th.(Total: 26 days)
22 November,2024 07:29 AM IST | Mumbai | Prakash GosaviJan-Lennard Struff and Daniel Altmaier won their respective matches as Germany defeated Canada 2-0 to storm into the semifinals for the Davis Cup finals here on Wednesday. Germany came through the quarterfinals for the first time since 2019 getting the better of Canada with ease. Altmaier overcame a nervous start to get past Gabriel Diallo 7-6(5) 6-4 in straight sets before Struff somehow found a way to close out a thrilling encounter against Denis Shapovalov 4-6 7-5 7-6(5). “Today I think both players deserved to win,” Struff said. “But I’m happy to get it over the line at the end. Denis was playing amazingly, coming out firing, he was serving so well the whole match. It was tough to return. Even in the tiebreak, he hit some winners. It was very close,” said Struff after the match. Also Read: Border-Gavaskar Trophy | "You might see Shami here as well": Jasprit Bumrah The victory set up a semifinal encounter between Germany and the Netherlands after the Dutch knocked out Spain and ended Rafael Nadal’s tennis career on Tuesday night. Struff was excited to be playing against old sporting foes. “It will be amazing,” he said. “It’s a big step for us to go from the quarters to the semis. We want to win and go to the finals now." "Netherlands played an amazing tie. We expect tough opposition. We know the Germans and the Dutch have a little rivalry and the Dutch guys have amazing fans so I’m looking forward to it,” added the German star. Shapovalov will rue missed opportunities against an opponent who also defeated him in a third-set tiebreak in this competition in 2022. The Canadian was unstoppable at times, hitting 27 aces and 24 winners. But he also gave up 13 free points with double faults, including a gift to hand the match to his opponent. Earlier, in the opening match, both players looked apprehensive during the first set. Altmaier let a 5-0 lead in the tiebreak slip before getting over the line 7-5. A better second set ensued and it was only when the German battled back from 15-40 down to break the Canadian in the tenth game that the match was won. Altmaier also revealed that the German team went to the stadium last night to experience Rafael Nadal’s last tennis match. “We watched the whole first set,” he said. “We all had tears when we saw the images. I have been watching him since we were very young boys, so it's just something super touching, super memorable.” 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
21 November,2024 02:28 PM IST | Malaga (Spain) | IANSADVERTISEMENT
