The Indian hockey team extended its dominance over the Asian Champions Trophy by winning it for a record fifth time, beating China in the final at Hulunbuir, China, on Tuesday. India began the tournament beating China 3-0 after which they routed Japan 5-1 and hammered Malaysia 8-1. They then beat South Korea 3-1 followed by a 2-1 win over Pakistan. In the semi-finals too, Harmanpreet Singh & Co were dominant and bagged a 3-1 victory over South Korea. However, the same can’t be said about the final. Also Read: Harmalkar wins MCA Apex Council seat India skipper Harmanpreet Singh with the Asian Champions Trophy and his Player of the Tournament award. Pic/Harmanpreet@Instagram In fact, World No. 5 India, the defending champions and reigning Olympic bronze medallists, were far from dominant against World No. 23 China in the summit clash. With the forwardline comprising Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Uttam Singh and Araijeet Singh Hundal found wanting, the Indian defence stepped in to do the goal-scoring job. And fortunately for the visitors, with just nine minutes left for the final whistle, Harmanpreet found his deep defence partner Jugraj Singh inside the Chinese danger area and the latter scored the tournament-winning goal. Harmanpreet, who was adjudged Player of the Tournament for his seven goals and astute leadership, admitted that the Chinese players made things tough in the final for his visiting side. “China surprised us in the final. They played extremely well. They defended very well too, and they were extremely quick in their counter-attacks as well. They also made it harder for our forwards to enter their striking circle, with three-four defenders marking each player closely. I must congratulate them,” Harmanpreet, who has been shortlisted for FIH’s Player-of-the-Year Award for scoring 10 goals at the Paris Olympics, told mid-day on Wednesday. The skipper mentioned two more factors that may have contributed to the Chinese team performing as well as they did. “The crowd support here would have definitely motivated them. It was a full house and the match was befitting of a final. It was really intense. The Chinese players were breathing down our necks throughout. Their coach Jin Jin Seung, who is from Korea, has done very well with this this team in a very short period of time,” added Harmanpreet.
19 September,2024 08:00 AM IST | China | Ashwin FerroIndian weightlifters have delivered an extraordinary performance at the 2024 Youth, Junior, and Senior (Men & Women) Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, securing an impressive tally of 11 gold and three silver medals to date. This remarkable achievement underscores the nation’s growing prowess in the sport and highlights the dedication and talent of its athletes. Among the standout performers, Babulal Hembrom has etched his name in history by establishing both a Commonwealth and national record in the 49kg Youth Men’s category. His exceptional lift of 114kg in the clean-and-jerk segment not only demonstrates his remarkable strength but also sets a new benchmark for future competitors. Mina Santa has also made waves in the championships, shattering the national record in the 55kg Youth Women’s category. Her outstanding performance includes an impressive 81kg lift in the snatch and a 99kg effort in the clean-and-jerk, culminating in a total aggregate of 180kg. This achievement not only showcases her individual talent but also reinforces the potential of Indian athletes on the international stage. Similarly, Bedabarat Bharali has distinguished himself by setting national records in both the snatch and clean-and-jerk within the 73kg Youth Men’s category. His combined efforts resulted in an aggregate lift of 200kg, further exemplifying the high standards that Indian weightlifters are reaching. Among the gold medalists, a host of talented athletes have emerged, including Jyoshna Sabar, Akanksha Vyavahare, Ashmita Dhone, Bhargavi B, A Maharajan, V Kishor, T Madhavan, and Bolo Yalam, to name a few. Each of these athletes has contributed to the country’s impressive medal tally, highlighting the depth of talent within the Indian weightlifting community. Also Read: No lift kara do for these girls As the championships continue, the excitement surrounding these young athletes is palpable. Their success not only brings pride to their families and coaches but also inspires the next generation of weightlifters in India. The dedication, perseverance, and hard work that these athletes have demonstrated serve as a testament to the rigorous training and support systems in place. The championship is set to conclude on September 21, and with the momentum that Indian weightlifters have gained, there is anticipation that more records may be broken and additional medals may be secured in the final days of competition. The determination of these athletes reflects a bright future for Indian weightlifting on both the Commonwealth and global stages. In summary, the 2024 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships have provided a platform for Indian athletes to shine. Their achievements, marked by record-breaking lifts and a significant medal haul, underscore the nation’s growing prominence in the sport. As we look forward to the conclusion of this event, there is no doubt that the remarkable performances witnessed thus far will inspire countless others to pursue excellence in weightlifting. (With agency inputs)
18 September,2024 07:20 PM IST | Suva (Fiji) | mid-day online correspondentThe All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Tuesday suggested that the country's top player Sumit Nagal perhaps deliberately missed the Davis Cup tie against Sweden last week, claiming that he was injured but is now set to play an ATP tournament in China. India were hammered 0-4 by Sweden and AITA secretary Anil Dhupar said absence of top players like Nagal and Yuki Bhambri in the squad hurt the national team's chances of doing well in the World Group I contest in Stockholm. Skipper Rohit Rajpal fielded doubles players N Sriram Balaji in the opening singles. Ramkumar Ramanathan was the only experienced player in the squad and two of the other three -- Aryan Shah and Siddharth Vishwakarma -- were debutants. Niki Pooancha, who is just one-tie old, also largely focusses on doubles. So effectively, India had just one singles player. Nagal had opted out of the tie saying that he had some back issue while Yuki did not specify why he chose not to play. Nagal has entered the ATP250 event in Hangzhou and is drawn to meet a Qualifier in his opening round. "Definitely if Sumit and Yuki had played, we would have had far better chances. They questioned the management of AITA, the captain and team. Sumit Nagal said he had some back problem, but (is) that problem okay (now)? He is playing a tournament in China, so somebody has to make people understand the right thing," Dhupar said. Asked Mukund Sasikumar was already suspended by the AITA, Dhupar said despite that, captain Rajpal made efforts to get him on the team. "The captain called 10 times and that he will request the executive committee to revoke the decision (suspension). It's time for you to play. If there is a decision against you, he will request the executive committee. But he refused." After India's crushing defeat, Nagal and former players Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja had questioned the way AITA functions. Nagal had also questioned why AITA officials were standing in the front row while the players were in the back row ahead of the tie against Sweden. Also Read: Davis Cup: Sumit Nagal sustains back injury, pulls out of tie vs Sweden AITA also released a statement on its twitter handle, saying that Davis Cup is more than just tennis. "Representing India in Davis Cup is more than just tennis -- it's about honour, national pride and inspiring the next generation of athletes. Players like Sumit Nagal, Yuki Bhambri and Mukund Sasikumar refused to play for country even though they were participating in other tournaments elsewhere. "AITA management, including the captain of the Davis Cup team, tried to convince each of them to play for country, but they simply refused," the tennis body said in its statement. PTI reached out to Nagal, Bhambri and Mukund but all three refused to comment. AITA also released a list of its work, saying it conducted as many as 829 tournaments for the benefit of the players in 2023 season. It also said that it conducted several courses to develop new coaches and that 130 new coaches had registered with the sports body in the 2024 season. Asked what point AITA was trying to make with this statement, Dhupar said, "I'm not trying to make any point. I'm trying that there are few things we have done. "There is one point that people should know. Number two, Davis Cup is definitely a very important. It's more than a tournament, every player who is an Indian should participate if selected. So why not? "He (Nagal) said that he had a back injury and now he has entered this Hangzhou Open. He has become alright. My good wishes to him. Let the country decide. Let the people of India decide," Dhupar said. "And it is not the first time that Mukund refused, three times before. Let the people decide, the players decide what can we do? We tried our best to bring these people on board. If they are not available, what to do?" Dhupar said that AITA was facing "unnecessary" criticism for the loss against Sweden. "The new committee is going to be coming in the first week of October. They will decide what is to be done." 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
18 September,2024 09:38 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIDefending champions India eked out a fighting 1-0 win over hosts China to claim their fifth Hero Asian Champions Trophy hockey title here on Tuesday. Also Read: "It's our duty to bring best out of him": Rohit Sharma backs KL Rahul It was not easy for the favourites and Paris Olympics bronze medallist as they failed to break the Chinese defence in the first three quarters. Eventually, defender Jugraj Singh broke the deadlock as he scored a rare field goal in the 51st minute to hand his team the title. Earlier in the day, Pakistan defeated Korea 5-2 to claim the third spot in the six-team 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.
17 September,2024 05:38 PM IST | Hulunbuir | PTIThe Scottish capital of Glasgow is set to be announced as the host city of a “scaled down” Commonwealth Games in 2026, a year after Australian state Victoria pulled out due to ballooning costs, according to reports. Also Read: Britain lose to Canada 1-2 The 2026 Commonwealth Games were to be held in multiple cities across Victoria but the Australian state made a shock announcement in July 2023 that it has pulled out of the multi-sport event citing a steep rise in expenditure. “Glasgow, which hosted the games in 2014, is now close to confirming a scaled down event featuring fewer sports,” the BBC reported. 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
17 September,2024 08:23 AM IST | London | PTIBritain failed to qualify for the last eight of the Davis Cup Finals after losing to Canada 1-2 in its last group-stage tie, while Novak Djokovic helped Serbia secure a place in next year’s qualifiers. Also Read: Skip’s act of will The British needed a 3-0 win against the Canadians in Manchester, but Dan Evans lost 0-6, 5-7 to Denis Shapovalov to end Britain’s hopes in the opening match in front of a crowd of 15,700 at the AO Arena, the biggest for a Davis Cup tie on British soil, according to organisers. Felix Auger-Aliassime then defeated Jack Draper 7-6 (8), 7-5 to seal Canada’s victory and first place in Group ‘D’. England won the final doubles match. 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
17 September,2024 08:21 AM IST | Manchester | AP | PTISkipper Harmanpreet Singh’s sublime form resulted in twin strikes as defending champions India entered the final of the Asian Champions Trophy with a clinical 4-1 win against South Korea in the semi-final here on Monday. India scored through Uttam Singh (13th minute), skipper Harmanpreet (19th, 45th) and Jarmanpreet Singh (32nd), while Korea’s lone goal came from through Yang Jihun (33rd)’s penalty corner conversion. India will take on hosts China in Tuesday’s final. In the previous league stage encounter between the two finalists, India prevailed 3-0. Meanwhile, in the fifth-sixth place classification match, Japan beat Malaysia 4-2 in shoot-out following a 4-4 stalemate in normal time. Also Read: Indian men crush Azerbaijan as women beat Kazakhstan Utter dominance In the second semi-final as expected, the Indians started on the offensive and tested the Korean defence with persistent attacks from the word go. The Koreans, on the other hand, were contend to sit back and defend and rely on sporadic counter attacks. Abhishek came tantalisingly close to handing India the lead in the fourth minute but his reverse hit was brilliantly saved by Korean goalkeeper Kim Jaehan. The Indian made promising build ups and penetrated the Korean circle on consistent basis in the first quarter. India’s attacking intent finally paid of in the 13th minute when Uttam positioned himself at the right place at the right time to tap in Araijeet Singh Hundal’s supply from the right. A minute from the first break, Korea secured back-to-back penalty corners but failed to utilise the chances. Captain’s sixth goal Four minutes into the second quarter, India secured their first penalty corner and Harmanpreet scored his sixth goal of the tournament to hand his side a 2-0 lead. At the stroke of half-time, custodian Suraj Karkera came out of his line to save an effort from the opposition player. Hosts China stun Pak to enter final In a mega upset, China stunned Pakistan 2-0 (1-1) in the shootout to enter the final of the Asian Champions Trophy here on Monday. Pakistan will play for the bronze medal against Korea. 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
17 September,2024 08:18 AM IST | China | IANSBacked by the two in-form stars in World Championship challenger D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi, the Indian men scored a 3-1 victory over Azerbaijan in the fifth round of the 45th Chess Olympiad here on Monday. It seems like Gukesh and Arjun can do nothing wrong in this Olympiad as they overpowered Aydin Sulemanli and Rauf Mamedov respectively with their white pieces in quick time. Praggnanandhaa played another draw on board two to only ensure an Indian victory while Vidit Gujrathi played out a draw with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in a marathon game to complete the triumph. After scoring the fifth victory on the trot, the Indian men maintained a clean slate on ten points and they were joined by Vietnam who continued with their impressive show and downed Poland 2.5-1.5. Also Read: Sakshi, Aman announce Wrestling Champions Super League The other two teams that joined the leaders’ pack were China and Hungary who scored identical 2.5-1.5 victories over Spain and Ukraine respectively. With six rounds still to come in the biggest chess event, Magnus Carlsen’s Norway and Iran are the only two teams sharing the fifth spot on 9 points apiece. Norway defeated a talented Turkey team by a 3-1 margin while Iran made most of the opportunities to down Canada 3.5-0.5. In the women’s section, Grandmaster D Harika suffered a shock defeat to give Kazakhstan an early lead. Better for most of the game, Harika misplayed after many pundits believed her position to be winning against Bibisara Assaubayeva. On the fourth board Vantika Agarwal yet again played the anchor and won a clean game with white pieces against Alua Nurman while Xeniya Balabayeva split the point with Divya Deshmukh. With the scores tied at 2-2 it was Vaishali’s turn to come up triumphs for the team and she outwitted Meruert Kamalidenova. 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
17 September,2024 08:15 AM IST | Budapest | PTIOlympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Aman Sehrawat, along with former world championship bronze-winner Geeta Phogat, on Monday announced that they would soon launch a Wrestling Champions Super League (WCSL) for the country’s budding grapplers but the national federation has refused to sanction the initiative. Sakshi, along with Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, had spearheaded the wrestlers’ protest against ousted Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexual harassment. She has, however, distanced herself from the latter two after they took the political plunge by joining Congress ahead of Haryana assembly elections. Also Read: Defending champion Liren admits dip, says Gukesh is favourite! Phogat hopeful of support Phogat said she is hopeful of support from the federation and the government. “Sakshi and I have been planning this League for long. Soon it will take a final shape. We have not yet spoken to the WFI but it would be great if WFI and government support us. It will be the first league that will be operated only by the players,” Phogat said. “We are doing it for the players, for their benefit. We won’t stop anyone from getting involved in it, if WFI or government comes on board, even better. We have not yet spoken to them.” WFI: We won’t approve WCSL The WFI said it would not give its sanction to the league. “We won’t approve it. We are reviving our pro wrestling league and hopefully we will have it soon. The wrestlers are free to do their own league, they can promote the game, but we won’t be linked with that,” WFI President Sanjay Singh 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
17 September,2024 08:11 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIDefending champion Ding Liren says his Indian challenger D Gukesh can be considered the favourite to win their eagerly-anticipated world chess title showdown in November, conceding that he has “dropped a lot” in the last one year. The two are currently competing in the 45th Chess Olympiad here and the Indian team has been on a roll with five consecutive victories. The quartet of Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi and Arjun Erigaisi currently occupy the top spot alongside Liren’s China and hosts Hungary. “I can see my opponent [Gukesh] playing extremely well in this tournament. Maybe he is a favourite in the World Championship Match. He also has a higher rating than me,” Liren said in an interaction with the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in the tournament’s mixed zone. Also Read: ‘We have to stay calm’ “I have dropped a lot since last year, but I will fight my best to try to overcome the rating difference,” he added in a rather candid admission. The 31-year-old is the highest rated chess player of all time and won the world crown in May last year after defeating Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi. He took a break from the game after that, owing to his battle with depression. Liren returned to action earlier this year at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, finishing ninth in the event. Gukesh won the Candidates tournament in April to become the youngest challenger to the world title at the age of 17. He turned 18 in May. The two will clash in Singapore from November 20 to December 15 for the coveted title and a prize fund of USD 2.50 million. Should the teenager prevail, it would make him the first Indian after the great Viswanathan Anand to claim the title. Anand won the crown five times in his illustrious career. 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
17 September,2024 08:07 AM IST | Budapest | PTIAfter a thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix, it seems like nearly half the field is capable of winning races in Formula 1. McLaren chief executive Zak Brown, whose driver Lando Norris is Max Verstappen’s closest title challenger, says he’s enjoying the best show he’s seen in his eight years in F1. There have been six different winners in the last eight races, representing four different teams. Verstappen, whose dominance in 2022 and 2023 broke records, still leads the standings but his last win was in June. “This is the best season I can think of ever in Formula 1 since I’ve been here,” Brown told The Associated Press from the IndyCar season finale at Nashville Superspeedway in Tennessee. Could it even be better than the 2021 fight between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, which was decided on the final lap of the year and helped fuel F1’s Netflix boom? Brown thinks it might be. “That was mega exciting, but it’s just two guys, two good guys. Now you’ve got four good teams in today’s race,” he said. Also Read: Pacers in focus as India, Bangladesh train hard Zak Brown “To have four teams that can win any weekend, and [Sergio] Perez was obviously back on form today, eight drivers going into Singapore and we’re going I don’t know which of these four teams might win. I don’t know which of these eight drivers might win,’ I can’t recall Formula 1 having that level of competitiveness.” There was non-stop action Sunday. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took the win in Baku, but only after a daring overtake on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Perez was in the mix for Red Bull until he and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. collided, handing third to Mercedes driver George Russell. Further back, Norris surged through the field from 15th on the grid to finish fourth ahead of Verstappen and take another bite out of the champion’s standings lead. Teams’ performances fluctuate week by week, depending on upgrades from the factories, track conditions and setup changes, like the one which Verstappen blamed for ruining his weekend in Azerbaijan. “Even a change of tyres can turn an also-ran into a contender,” Russell said on Sunday. (With agency inputs)
17 September,2024 07:50 AM IST | Lebanon | APADVERTISEMENT
