A small field of six three-year-olds will face the starter in the Gr 1, HPSL Indian 2000 Guineas, the feature event of Sunday's eight-race card at Mahalaxmi. African Gold, unbeaten in five starts, will be the most fancied despite the fact that statistical data is not exactly in favour of outstation horses encountering the Mahalaxmi racetrack for the first time. But the Multidimensional - Botswana three-year-old trained by Parvati Byramji, may prove a hard nut to crack over the mile trip. Santissimo is expected to put up a stiff fight in the hands of Irishman Oisin Murphy who, surprisingly, hasn't been given an acclimatizing ride before the big race. It will perhaps be an uphill task for Psychic Star who will attempt to win her straight third group race in less than a month. Shambala has taken a dramatic jump in fitness when winning his last race, and may put up a bold show though he will be venturing beyond six furlongs for the first time. Also Read: A fraction of his IQ! First race at 1 pm.Selections: Trouvaille Trophy (For 5y&o, Class V; 1400m)Northbound 1, Precioso 2, High Spirit 3. KM Munshi Trophy (Class II; 1200m)Fighton 1, Ataash 2. Ahead Of My Time Trophy (For 2y, Maidens; 1000m)Diligence 1, Marissa 2, Elusive Art 3. Maharashtra, Gujarat & Goa-Area Trophy (Class III; 2000m)Alexandros 1, Eaton Square 2, Booster Shot 3. Gulamhusein Essaji Trophy (Class IV; 1600m)Ataturk 1, Substantial 2, Scaramouche 3. Faiz Jasdanwalla Trophy (For 3y, Maidens, Class IV; 1400m)Red Mist 1, Star Impact 2, Chardikala 3. HPSL Indian 2000 Guineas - Gr 1 (For 3y; 1600m)African Gold 1, Santissimo 2, Psychic Star 3. Lagarde Trophy (For 4y&o, Class IV; 1200m)Axlrod 1, The General 2, Majestic Warrior 3. RecommendationsBest bet: Red Mist (6-2)Upsets: Milli (1-2) & Rush (8-7) Today's poolsSuper jackpot pool: 3,4,5,6,7,8Jackpot pool: 4,5,6,7,8Treble pools: I - 2,3,4; II - 5,6,7Tanala pool: All races.
22 December,2024 03:06 PM IST | Mumbai | Prakash GosaviThe picturesque Qutub Golf Course will play host to the inaugural Qutab Golf League (QGL) on January 4. While golf lovers in the Capital love the fact that the venue is one with a difference (one of the few courses open to public), the league also has a Mumbai connection. Mighty Pathans are owned by Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and Victorious Endeavours are owned by Rahul Mehta, whose sports development company is headquartered in Mumbai. Also Read: Mumbai fourth with win over Chennaiyin When asked what made him get involved in a Delhi-based league, Mehta said: “We are a company that is open to expanding our horizons. After an enriching experience of featuring in the Delhi Golf Club League in October, we are keen on carrying it further. Our interest in the QGL is also a step in trying to explore all options in developing the sport, where all stakeholders, including amateurs and professionals, benefit from it.” The other interest Mehta has in this Delhi-based league is golf tourism. “With golf leagues mushrooming in all big cities in the country, we are also looking at golf tourism. In short, we are here to stay on course for a long game.” Each team will comprise 16 players, 12 of whom will be picked by owners and the remaining four procured through an auction that took place on Wednesday. A total of 160 players will contest in the QGL. The QGL is brainchild of Game of Life Sports (GOLS) promoted by avid golf lovers Amit Kharbanda and Samant Sikka who have partnered with Digraj Golf Inc.
22 December,2024 08:06 AM IST | New Delhi | Neeru BhatiaIndia has been awarded the hosting rights for next year’s Junior World Cup involving competitions in rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) said on Saturday. Also Read: Man Utd ‘more in control’ under Amorim: Bournemouth boss Iraola This will be the country’s third top International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) event in recent times after the senior World Cup in Bhopal in 2023 and the season-ending World Cup Final earlier this year, reinforcing India’s stature as one of the sport’s top destinations in the world. The dates of the tournament though are yet to be finalised. 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 December,2024 08:01 AM IST | New Delhi | PTISunday's HPSL Indian 2000 Guineas (Gr 1) at the Mahalaxmi racetrack has only six runners in the fray. This is one of the smallest 2000 Guineas fields in several years--and there is a reason. African Gold, the Multidimensional - Botswana three-year-old trained by the Bangalore-based trainer Ms Parvati Byramji, has arrived at Mahalaxmi for the big race. Ms Ameeta Mehra, owner of the Usha stud, is keeping her fingers crossed for a back-to-back 2000 Guineas victory after Synthesis last year ended a 13-year drought in this race for her farm. "Hope Usha (stud) can do it again this year! I believe African Gold has a good chance to win," Ameeta Mehra told mid-day on Friday, "in fact, if African Gold were to win, it would make his sire (father) Multidimensional one of the rare few stallions to sire the winner of all the Indian Classics, including the Sprinters', Stayers', the Super Mile and the Invitation Cup!" African Gold has won all his five starts, including the Colts' Championship Stakes both at Bangalore and Hyderabad. The champion horse, however, will have to contend with the champion trainer--Pesi Shroff, who has pitched in three of the five horses taking him on. Among them is Santissimo (Gusto - Beldon Hill), who was involved in a photo finish with African Gold in their only encounter more than four months ago at Bangalore over the same trip (1600m). Shroff is clearly leaving nothing to chance, going by the fact that he has asked Irish jockey Oisin Murphy to specially fly in to ride Santissimo on Sunday. The champion western India trainer has also pitched in Psychic Star (Multitude - Psychic Light), incidentally, the only filly in the fray, who just last Sunday won the JSK1 Indian 1000 Guineas (Gr 1) in great style. Psychic Star's transformation of form has been incredible--she took four stars to win her first race, and then quickly won group 2 and group 1 races in a span of only three weeks. Psychic Star was also bred at the Usha stud. "Psychic Star is a game filly, and extremely talented," said Ameeta, "however, she is running within a week, and is facing specialist milers." Yes, that's true, but it is also true that the owners of Psychic Star (Ameeta is one on them) have paid a hefty late entry fee of Rs seven lakh to get her into the 2000 Guineas fray. So one thing is certain: despite the towering presence of African Gold--and the smallest field size in several years--the HPSL Indian 2000 Guineas (Gr 1) will have every horse and jockey going hell for leather for the winning honours.
21 December,2024 07:02 AM IST | Mumbai | Prakash GosaviIndia’s Jyoshna Sabar created a new youth Asian record for total lift on her way to winning the gold medal in the 40 kg weight category at Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships here on Friday. Jyoshna won the top prize in the 40kg youth girls category by heaving 135kg (60kg snatch + 75kg clean and jerk). Payal too claimed gold in the youth girls 45kg section with a total lift of 155kg (70 snatch + 85 clean and jerk). Another Indian athlete named Payal won bronze in the junior girls 45kg, managing a total of 155kg (70 snatch + 85 clean and jerk), while Babulal Hembrom ended third in the 49kg youth boys, lifting 197 (88 snatch + 109 clean and jerk). 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 December,2024 07:01 AM IST | Doha | PTIThe dynamic duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty left a lasting impression, but Lakshya Sen's meltdown in the Paris Olympics' bronze medal match was frustration at its peak in a bitter-sweet season for Indian badminton during which moments of brilliance were often overshadowed by heartbreaks. It was both the best and worst of times for Satwik and Chirag, who reached four finals and won two titles, raising hopes for a historic Olympic medal. However, their campaign ended in disappointment with a quarterfinal exit in Paris. The Asian Games champions solidified their status as one of the world's top pairs with titles at the French Open Super 750 and Thailand Super 500 and runners-up finishes at the Malaysia Super 1000 and India Super 750 but the Olympics remained an elusive dream for the second time in eight years. The heartbreaking loss saw their Danish coach Mathias Boe resign but the return of Malaysia's Tan Kim Her, who is credited with bringing Satwik and Chirag together, by the end of the year, provided a much-needed boost. For Sen, it was a case of so near and yet so far. He was the beacon of hope for India at Paris. His journey to the semifinals at the French Open and All England Champions early in the year revived his sagging form and reignited dreams of a maiden Olympic medal. However, the 23-year-old from Almora fell agonisingly short in the bronze medal match at the Olympics, a loss that will weigh heavily on him for a good amount of time. After a challenging return to the circuit, Sen's title win at the Syed Modi International offered optimism for the upcoming season. Disappointment was also in store for PV Sindhu, India's two-time Olympic medallist, who endured another challenging year in 2024. Chasing the holy grail of lost form, Sindhu made multiple changes to her coaching staff and moved base to Bengaluru at the end of last year to train under the legendary Prakash Padukone but early exits from tournaments continued, highlighting her struggles with form and fitness. Sindhu showed flashes of her brilliance, reaching the Malaysia Masters final but her dream of an Olympic treble was dashed following a pre-quarterfinal exit, marking her first medal-less campaign in eight years. The 29-year-old from Hyderabad, however, closed her season on a high by clinching the Syed Modi International title and is all set to tie the nuptial knot by the end of this month. For HS Prannoy, the season was one of perseverance and adversity. While his compatriots fell to superior opponents, Prannoy struggled with his health once again. Battling a relapse of a nagging gut-related issue and a bout of chikungunya just ahead of the Olympics, the determined shuttler managed to reach the knockout stages in Paris, albeit far from his best. Indian shuttlers' medal-less show at the Olympics prompted a disappointed Padukone, the 1980 former All England champion, to call for greater accountability from the players. Ashwini-Tanisha, Gayatri-Treesa show promise The two women's doubles pairs -- Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto, and Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly -- delivered promising performances that kept Indian badminton's momentum intact. Ashwini and Tanisha's qualification for the Paris Olympics was nothing short of miraculous, considering their modest ranking at the start of the year. While they exited early in Paris, their title win at the Guwahati Masters reinforced the belief in their partnership. Gayatri and Treesa, on the other hand, overcame the disappointment of missing Olympic qualification to claim their maiden Super 300 title at the Syed Modi International. Their qualification for the World Tour Finals capped a breakthrough year. Emerging talents hold promise for future While they may not yet be on the level of established stars like PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, several young shuttlers have shown promising performances, signalling a bright future for Indian badminton. Among the rising talents, Anmol Kharb and Tanvi Sharma stood out. National champion Anmol played a crucial role in India's historic gold medal win at the Asian Team Championships and reached the final of the Guwahati Masters, highlighting her growing potential. Tanvi, the national runner-up, also made her mark with a maiden final appearance at the Super 100 Odisha Masters, where Rithvik Sanjeevi Satish Kumar claimed his first BWF title. Other promising players such as Arundhati Reddy, Devika Sihag, Isharani Baruah, Ashmita Chaliha, Malvika Bansod, and Tanvi Patri also held out hope for the future. Malvika, in particular, impressed with fearless performances against higher-ranked opponents, finishing as the runner-up at the Hylo Open Super 300. Para shuttlers shine at Paris Kumar Nitish led India's para shuttlers to an outstanding performance at the Paris Paralympics, securing five medals, including a gold, two silvers, and two bronzes, marking the country's best-ever showing at the Games. Although five-time world champion and defending gold-medallist Pramod Bhagat's suspension by Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) due to a whereabouts clause failure was a setback, Nitish rose to the challenge, clinching gold in the SL3 category and retaining the title for India. Other medalists included Suhas Yathiraj (silver, SL4), Thulasimathi Murugesan (silver, SU5), Manisha Ramadass (silver, SU5), and Nithya Sre Sivan (bronze, SH6), who all contributed in keeping India's flag flying high in Paris. (With agency inputs)
20 December,2024 02:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has been told to secure government clearance before confirming participation in the FIH Junior World Cup scheduled in India at the end of next year. PHF Secretary-General Rana Mujahid said the team would require a No Objection Certificate from the federal government for the national squad to travel for the FIH event to be held in December of 2025. "Normally we have always been permitted by our government to play in major events in India in recent years despite the strained relations between the two countries. But now we have been informed to first get clearance before finalising the team and confirming participation," he told the media here. The Pakistan junior team was unable to take part in the junior World Cup held in Lucknow in December 2016 after the players were not issued visas because of late submission of applications. Also Read: India’s denial of NOC to travel to Pakistan costs hosting rights for major tournament: Report Pakistan qualified for the event after finishing runners-up in the Asia Cup held in Oman recently. The Green shirts lost the continental final to India 3-5. "The Junior World Cup is important for us as we intend to build a strong senior squad which can qualify for the next World Cup and Olympics, something we have not done for the last two editions of the summer games," Mujahid said. According to the PHF secretary, the national senior hockey championship would be held in Karachi from December 27 to January 8. He also spoke about the financial woes of the PHF but said the situation had improved and the federation had recently cleared outstanding daily allowances and other dues of senior and junior team players and officials. "The government is supporting us and we are hopeful the Sindh government will also release our annual grant soon." (With agency inputs)
20 December,2024 02:10 PM IST | Lahore | mid-day online correspondentValtteri Bottas will return to Mercedes as its reserve driver for next year, the Formula 1 team said Thursday. Bottas won 10 races over five seasons at Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton's teammate from 2017-21. He did not score a point this season with Sauber and the team replaced him and Zhou Guanyu with a new lineup of the experienced Nico Hulkenberg and Brazilian newcomer Gabriel Bortoleto, ahead of rebranding as the Audi works team in 2026. Also read: Abu Dhabi GP: Valtteri Bottas tops Practice Two from Lewis Hamilton at F1 finale Bottas' return to Mercedes was made possible after Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, moved on from his Mercedes reserve driver role after two years. "I'm happy to finally answer the question I've posed over the past month," the 35-year-old Finn said. "Returning home to the Mercedes family as third driver for 2025 is what's next and I couldn't be more pleased. Despite the challenges of the past few years, I know that I've still got so much more to contribute to F1." 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
20 December,2024 02:05 PM IST | London | AP | PTIIn a crucial Pro Kabaddi League Season 11 encounter, Patna Pirates secured their playoff berth with a 41-37 victory over Telugu Titans at the Balewadi Sports Complex on Tuesday. The win was marked by exceptional defensive performances from skipper Ankit Jaglan and Deepak, who both achieved High 5s, while raider Devank continued his impressive form with another Super 10. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Patna Pirates' coach Narender Redhu spoke on how the team's early-season struggles shaped their journey to the playoffs. “Throughout the league stage, we lost several matches by narrow margins – just one or two points – due to small mistakes,” Redhu reflected. “But making it to the playoffs is a moment of great joy for the entire team.” The Pirates' defensive unit has been a cornerstone of their success. Ankit Jaglan and Deepak have four High 5s each, while Shubham Shinde has three. This defensive stability, combined with strategic raiding, has been key to their playoff qualification. The coach highlighted this strategic approach against the Telugu Titans, particularly in containing their star raider Pawan. “Our primary focus was to stop Pawan early in the game. We knew if we could control him, the match would remain competitive,” Redhu explained. The strategy paid off as the Pirates' defence executed crucial Super Tackles at key moments. Also Read: PKL season 11’s young Marathi stars take centre-stage as league heads to Pune for final leg A standout moment in the match came through the combined efforts of Ankit and Deepak, whose Super Tackles proved to be the turning point. Redhu was particularly effusive in his praise for the defensive trio, stating he was “at a loss for words” to describe their performance in the crucial Super Tackle situations. Devank's performance drew special attention, as he shouldered the raiding responsibilities when the team's other raiders weren't at their best. His ability to handle pressure and secure points consistently throughout the match proved crucial in the Pirates' victory. As they look ahead to the playoffs, coach Redhu remained cautious about revealing their strategies but emphasized that the team would approach each match with fresh planning and execution. "Every match is different, and we'll continue to adapt our strategies accordingly," he concluded. Previews for the matches on December 20 Two-time PKL champions Jaipur Pink Panthers will look to continue their push for a playoff sport when they face the Bengal Warriorz. While the Pink Panthers have shown excellent form this season led by the raid machine Arjun Deshwal, the Warriorz have been inconsistent. A win will take the Jaipur Pink Panthers into a playoff spot but the Bengal Warriorz will hope to rain on their parade. In Match 2 on Friday, the Puneri Paltan will take on Telugu Titans in a very important battle for a top six spot. The Paltan have been inconsistent this season but all eyes will be on Akash Shinde and co, while the Titans are desperately seeking to turn their campaign around after a disappointing loss to the Patna Pirates in their last game. Matches on Friday Match 1 – Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Bengal Warriorz – 8 pm Match 2 – Puneri Paltan vs Telugu Titans – 9 pm 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
20 December,2024 01:32 PM IST | Pune | AgenciesThe Mumbai Schools Sports Association’s (MSSA) Annual Athletics Meet which concluded on Wednesday at the University Pavilion, Marine Lines, has brought to light infrastructure issues hurting the aspirations of young athletes. While there were many record breaking highlights of the three-day meet, the crack-ridden, uneven and worn out synthetic athletics track bang in the centre of the venue stuck out like a sore thumb. Runners concerned Fortunately, there were no serious injuries reported by the athletes, who did not hold back to express their disappointment. The fastest runner of the event, U-16 100m gold medallist Abhigyan Nikam of Vasant Vihar (Thane) said he feared injury and was advised not to go all out. “When we went to place our starting blocks for the 200m race, they were not steady because they could not grip the surface of the worn-out track. My coach told me not to go all out as any injury would hamper my SSC exams which are not too far away. I consider myself fortunate to have won the race,” Abhigyan told mid-day on Wednesday. Madhavi Yadav of Mary Immaculate (Borivli), who won bronze medals in the girls U-14 100m and 200m events couldn’t agree more. “Firstly, I had a bad start to my races because the uneven surface meant that my starting blocks were not appropriately fixed. Then, nearing the finish, in the last 50 metres, I struggled with my spikes across the uneven surface,” said Madhavi. The coaches were upset too. Ajit Kulkarni, who trains athletes at the Mumbai Suburban district level elaborated, “These kids are the future of our sport, but leave aside world-class infrastructure, it’s sad to see that they are not even provided basic sporting infrastructure in a mega city like Mumbai. Some of my athletes have participated at events in Pune and Odisha, and the infrastructure there was so good that it played on their minds long after the event got over, inspiring them to work harder for the next competition.” Esmero Figueiredo, Honorary Secretary of MSSA admitted the facility was poor, “We are glad that the University Pavilion officials gave us permission to host our athletics meet here. Unfortunately, we did not realise that the track would be so bad. Last year, we paid them R80,000 to paint the track for our four-day meet and the track was in much better condition,” said Figueiredo. Waiting for clearance Sports Director of the University Pavilion, Dr Manoj Reddy, told mid-day that the renovation of the venue will happen soon. “I have just taken charge in September. In July, a Police Recruitment drive for women was conducted here and that got stretched to August. This event may have been a reason the ground has not been maintained. I understand that MSSA is an important tournament for the children of Mumbai. I have received quotations for the refurbishment of the track and have forwarded the same to the higher authorities. We are awaiting the government’s approval to begin the work,” said Dr Reddy.
20 December,2024 08:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamAustralian tennis great Neale Fraser was honoured with a state funeral on Wednesday with Roger Federer among those paying tribute to him. Fraser, a former World No. 1 and winner of 19 Grand Slam titles during the amateur era, died aged 91 earlier this month. Australian former tennis players Lleyton Hewitt, Todd Woodbridge and John Fitzgerald were among the mourners at a service at Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral. Fitzgerald read out a letter from Swiss legend Federer to Fraser’s widow Thea. “Neale was a true legend. I always enjoyed his company when we met around the world,” wrote Federer. Fraser won three major singles titles and 16 Grand Slam doubles crowns. 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
19 December,2024 06:21 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
