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Day: June 17, 2023

Sports

Inter-State Athletics: In gruelling heat, Tejaswin Shankar meets Asiad mark in decathlon

Moments after finishing the 1500m, the last event of the gruelling two-day decathlon, Tejaswin Shankar walked up to all his competitors, hugged each one and requested them to stay back in the stadium for a few minutes more.Tejaswin, who achieved the Asian Games qualifying standard set by the Athletics Federation of India, wanted a group picture with all the participants. “Bhayon kahin nahi jaana hai (Brothers, please don’t go away). We need to take a picture and that should get published in the papers,’” the Commonwealth Games high jump bronze medallist told them.And on his command, the athletes removed their vests. There they were, a dozen or so tired men with chiselled abs standing under bright Kalinga Stadium lights in a hot and humid Bhubaneswar. Not just post-event, Tejaswin led th...
Sports

The Ashes: Usman Khawaja leads Aussie response with classy hundred

A shriek of delight rippled through the ground, before the collective applause of the crowd drowned it. When the ground paused, took a deep breath and gathered back to their seats, Usman Khawaja was on the practice pitch beside the centre square, still roaring and celebrating his first hundred in England. The moment, as vital as it was for Australia on the day, blended seamlessly with the larger narrative of Khawaja’s redemption saga over the last two years. A bad player of spin in Asia; he would score two hundreds in Pakistan. An abysmal record in India; he would correct it with a 180 in Ahmedabad. Vulnerable in English condition, as his average of 19 in 12 innings before this game suggested; he stroked a hundred of liberation. This has been Khawaja’s mission since his Test comeback, t...
Sports

ENG vs AUS, 1st Ashes Test Day 2: Khawaja revives Australian fortunes on frustrating day for England | Cricket News – Times of India

Opener Usman Khawaja (126 not out) scored a stunning hundred to revive Australia’s Ashes fortune on Saturday, guiding the visitors to 311 for 5 at stumps on day two of the opening Test against England at Edgbaston. Khawaja's first century in England was the highlight of the second day's play in Birmingham as he stitched three substantial partnerships to leave Australia just 82 runs behind hosts England in the first innings. As it happened: 1st Ashes Test Day 2Australia were in a spot of bother at lunch break, but Khawaja kept one end intact for them and added 81 runs for the fourth wicket with Travis Head (50), followed by 72 runs with Cameron Green (38) and an unbeaten 91 with Alex Carey (52 not out). England were in a strong position after Ben Stokes took the key wicket of talisman St...
Sports

Tejaswin Shankar breaches Asiad qualifying mark, triple jumper Akhilesh breaks his shin bone – Times of India

BHUBANESWAR: Competing in only his third decathlon of career, Tejaswin Shankar of Delhi breached the Asian Games qualifying mark en route winning the gold to steal the limelight on the third day of the National Inter-State Athletics Championship here on Saturday.Swapna Barman of Madhya Pradesh won the gold in the women's heptathlon and also went past the Asian Games qualifying mark of 5654 aggregate points by gathering 5918 points in the combined seven events over the two days.Agasara Nandini of Telangana also breached the Asian Games qualifying mark by aggregating 5703 points.Gold winner in 100m, Jyothi Yarraji of Andhra Pradesh added 100m hurdles title to her kitty with a timing of 12.92 seconds as 12 athletes achieved the Asian Games qualifying mark.The Asian Games qualifying time fo...
Sports

Ashes: Bazball is also about Bazbaiting and playing cricket like kids at maidan

More than the batting, which is obvious to the eye, it’s in how they bowl and set the field that England’s Bazball truly shines. Always attack, even in defense, and never let the game drift seems to be the mantra – and they stick to it rather religiously.In many ways, their Bazball is almost straight out of gully / maidan cricket. Bazball, when you poke at it, is how kids would play cricket: a joyous abandon, easily bored, risk-taking urges, a seeming lack of patience and keenness to create something. It has innovation as a default – the quick declaration to make use of the few minutes as the sun was sinking. In many ways, skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum have a child’s view of how to play this game.At one point for Cameron Green, they had a short cover, short mid-off, shor...
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‘If we don’t qualify, we go a step lower’: West Indies’ Carl Hooper ahead of ODI World Cup qualifiers | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Assistant coach Carl Hooper on Saturday warned that the West Indies can sink 'even lower' than where they are currently if they fail to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.The former West Indies captain expressed disappointment at the current situation, and said that he never thought that the two-time champions would be playing qualification tournaments to reach the World Cup.The once mighty Caribbean side, who captured the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979, are having to negotiate qualifying for a second successive tournament and will be amongst the favourites to reach the global showpiece in India later this year."Can we go lower than this? Yes, we can go lower than this and if we don't qualify, we go a step lower," West Indies assistant coach Hooper told cricin...
Sports

Croatia’s experience might provide edge in final – Ivan Perisic

Croatia’s experience might prove key when they go up against a youthful Spain in Sunday’s Nations League final in the Netherlands, midfielder Ivan Perisic said on the eve of the game. Croatia, who finished second and third respectively at the last two World Cups, are looking for a first major title as they take on the Spanish in Rotterdam to decide the third edition of the Nations League. They overcame their Dutch hosts 4-2 after extra time in Wednesday’s semi-final at the Feyenoord Stadium. “We have been together for a long time and there is a core of the team that has developed a deep understanding after all these years. “The Spanish team has lots of new, young players but they do play for great clubs. Yes, we do have more experience than they do, having been runners-up at the 2018 Wo...
Sports

Romeo Beckham joins Brentford B on permanent deal

Brentford B have signed Romeo Beckham on a permanent transfer after the forward spent the second half of the 2022-23 season in England on loan, the Premier League club said on Saturday. Beckham, who began training with the team in October last year and joined it in January on a six-month loan from Inter Miami, signed a one-year contract with an extension option for an additional year. The 20-year-old was part of the squad that in May lifted the Premier League Cup, a competition run by the Premier League for under-21 sides. Beckham, son of former England captain and Inter Miami president and co-owner David Beckham, featured 15 times for Brentford B and scored one goal during his loan spell. “We added Romeo to our squad in January and he’s been fantastic for the group,” Brentford B coach ...
Sports

Centre shielding WFI president: Rakesh Tikait

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday accused the Centre of shielding Wrestling Federation of India president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment allegations. Country’s top wrestlers including Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, accused the WFI chief of sexual harassment and intimidation. Alleging that the wrestlers who have revolted against Singh are under government pressure, Tikait, an influential leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), accused the central government of trying to save the BJP MP. The Khap panchayats will support whatever decision is taken by the wrestlers and the committee which carried out the prolonged agitation, Tikait told reporters here on the sidelines of a three-day Kisan Mahakumbh. “The Centre is busy protecting Brij Bh...
Sports

Richard Rapport: ‘Helping a contender at World Chess Championship is like taking care of a child’

This year’s World Chess Championships was arguably one of the most pulsating battles in the history of the Championships. After a nerve-wracking, see-saw battle, where there was nothing to separate the duo over 14 classical games, Chinese Grandmaster Ding Liren beat Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi in the tie-breaker. World Championship contenders traditionally hire a team of Grandmasters — called seconds — to help them prepare for and during the tournament. Usually, the name of seconds is a closely-guarded secret. Ding though, chose not to go the traditional way. Hungarian-Romanian GM Richard Rapport was a very visible presence in the corner of Ding, who was defying tradition in other ways as well by becoming the first Chinese GM to play in the men’s World Championship encounter.Speaking ...
Sports

The Ashes 2023 | England on top as Broad, Stokes take key wickets on second day

England players celebrate a wicket on day 2 of the first Ashes Test against Australia, in Edgbaston on June 17, 2023. | Photo Credit: Rui Vieira England seamer Stuart Broad dismissed top-ranked test batter Marnus Labuschagne for a golden duck on June 17 after David Warner had self-destructed as England reduced Australia to 78-3 at lunch on the second day of the Ashes opener.The hosts took advantage of more bowler-friendly conditions to leave Australia still trailing by 315 runs.Three big wickets in the session put England on top 💪#Ashes | #WTC25 | 📝: https://t.co/ZNnKIn9jeqpic.twitter.com/bYdMqWsA6p— ICC (@ICC) June 17, 2023  England captain Ben Stokes claimed another key dismissal, trapping second-ranked Steve Smith leg before wicket just when Australia seemed to be recovering.Austral...
Sports

Our protest is not politically motivated: Sakshi and her husband Satyawart | More sports News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik and her husband, wrestler Satyawart Kadian, emphasised that their recent protest was not driven by political motives. They clarified that despite facing harassment in the past, they chose to remain silent because the wrestling community was not united at the time.In a video shared on Twitter, Kadian stated that there was a misrepresentation of their protest and they wished to clarify the situation.Prominent wrestlers in the country, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia, came forward with allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the outgoing chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Leaders from different political parties, incl...
Sports

Gritty India set to take on Lebanon in Intercontinental Cup final | Football News – Times of India

BHUBANESWAR: Fierce competitive spirit will override camaraderie between rival coaches when India take on Lebanon in the final of the Intercontinental Cup football tournament, here on Sunday.India chief coach Igor Stimac and his opposite number Aleksandar Ilic have been long-time friends ever since they were teammates at Spanish club Cádiz CF back in 1994 and there is plenty of mutual respect between the two.But Stimac's stance on the eve of the summit clash indicated not an inch would be given after two clear goal-scoring opportunities went begging for India in their previous outing against Lebanon on Thursday.Anirudh Thapa missed a sitter in the fourth minute and striker Sunil Chhetri, after receiving a perfect delivery from the central midfielder, failed to find the back of the net.G...
Sports

Indonesia Open: Satwik and Chirag overcome stiff challenge to enter men’s doubles final | Badminton News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Indian men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty managed to overcome a game deficit and secure a hard-fought victory against Min Hyuk Kang and Seung Jae Seo of Korea. This triumph propelled them into the final of the Indonesia Open World Tour Super 1000 event on Saturday.Despite being the seventh seeds, Rankireddy and Shetty had to battle for one hour and seven minutes to emerge victorious with a final score of 17-21, 21-19, 21-18 against the unseeded Korean pair.This victory not only secured their spot in the final but also further solidified their superior head-to-head record against Kang and Seo, which now stands at 3-2 in favor of the Indian duo.Satwik and Chirag, ranked sixth in the world, will face the winner of the other semifinal between Indo...
Sports

Ashes: How Stuart Broad removed Marnus Labuschagne first ball. Can Steve Smith find a way against Broad’s outswinger

In April, Stuart Broad had let out his little secret: how he was going to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in the Ashes. It took him one ball to knock down Labuschagne with that weapon: the outswinger. Couple of months ago, on the sidelines of a county game, Broad had explained his method. How he has tweaked his action, the load-up in particular, to get more “flow” and “outswing” and it’s specially “designed for Marnus (Labuschagne) and (Steve) Smith”. “I’ve been working on this load-up with Kevin Shine, our bowling coach, to create more flow in my bowling action, because sometimes my action can get a little bit jerky,” Broad had said. Broad has been developing his outswinger with Nottinghamshire bowling coach Kevin Shine in the County Championship. Back-to-back deliveries ...
Sports

Teams withdraw from Tour of Switzerland in wake of Maeder tragedy | More sports News – Times of India

Tudor Pro Cycling and Intermarche teams made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Tour of Switzerland on Saturday following the tragic death of Swiss cyclist Gino Maeder. Maeder, a member of Team Bahrain Victorious, suffered a fatal accident during the downhill finale of Thursday's fifth stage and passed away at the age of 26 on Friday.Team Bahrain Victorious had already withdrawn from the race on Friday, and Tudor and Intermarche joined them in solidarity prior to Saturday's seventh stage. Despite the organisers' decision to continue the race after consulting the teams and Maeder's family, Tudor and Intermarche felt it was necessary to withdraw.Tudor announced their decision on Twitter, stating, "After careful consideration and talking to both riders and staff, the team decided ...
Sports

Bangladesh recall Afif, Naim for Afghanistan ODIs – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Bangladesh has made changes to their 15-man squad for the upcoming three-match one-day international series against Afghanistan in Chittagong next month.Afif Hossain, a lower middle-order batsman, has been recalled to the squad after being dropped for the recent home and away series against Ireland. On the other hand, Naim Sheikh, who last played in an ODI against Sri Lanka in 2021, has also been included in the squad.The Bangladesh team is looking to strengthen their lineup with the inclusion of these players ahead of the series against Afghanistan.They forced their way back into the squad after doing well in the recent domestic 50-over competition, the Dhaka Premier League.Naim, 23, top scored in the tournament with 932 runs over 16 matches for an average of 71.69.Afif play...
Sports

Ishan Kishan heading to NCA for S&C work ahead of West Indies tour | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, along with several other contracted players, is scheduled to arrive at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru next week for a dedicated Strength & Conditioning (S&C) program.This program aims to prepare the players physically before the national team embarks on a comprehensive tour of the Caribbean islands to face the West Indies.The upcoming tour against the West Indies comprises two Test matches, three ODIs, and five one-day internationals, commencing on July 12. The team led by Rohit Sharma is expected to depart for the Caribbean on July 3.During the period between two international series, it is customary for centrally contracted players, who are not participating in any domestic tournaments, to be summoned to the ...
Sports

Neeraj Chopra to compete in Lausanne leg of Diamond League: Organisers | More sports News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Reigning Olympic champion and world no.1 javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who is recovering from a muscle strain, is likely to feature in the sixth stage of the Wanda Diamond League. The event is scheduled for June 30 in Lausanne. Althrough there has been no confirmation from the 25-year-old but the official website said the Indian will be participating in the month-end meet."In the javelin, the Indian Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will be challenged by the Czech Jakub Vadlejch and German Julian Weber," the website has stated.Chopra had announced on Twitter last month that he had sustained a muscle strain during his training and, as a precautionary measure, he had pulled out of the FBK Games in the Netherlands (June 4) and the Paavo Nurmi meet in Finland (June 13).The 25-year-...