Category: Sports

The ICC has confirmed that the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup will be moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to political upheaval in Bangladesh, which had been scheduled to host the event. The event will now be held in Dubai and Sharjah from October 3 to 20, with no modifications to the match schedule.

ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice expressed sadness over the decision but stated that the safety of the participating teams was essential. He complimented the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for their attempts to preserve hosting rights but stated that travel advisories from other governments rendered it impossible to continue with Bangladesh as the host nation.

Despite the transfer, the BCB will continue to co-host with the Emirates Cricket Board. Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe both expressed interest in hosting the tournament but were not picked.

The UAE, which houses the ICC headquarters, has already hosted big cricket events, such as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. The Australian women’s cricket team enters the competition as three-time reigning champions, having won six of the previous seven editions. The only other teams to have won the title are England, which won the inaugural 2009 edition, and the West Indies, who won in 2016.

On Monday, Aryna Sabalenka won the Cincinnati Open after crushing American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-5. This result indicates Sabalenka’s form leading up to the US Open. The 26-year-old Belarusian served beautifully, dropping just nine points while serving ten aces en route to her sixth WTA 1000 crown. Even though Sabalenka was nervous towards the end of the second set, she kept her cool and defeated Pegula, who had trouble with her serve and committed five double faults.

After a forehand by Pegula into the net in the fourth game of the first set, Sabalenka broke Pegula’s service. The Belarusian proceeded to hold serve till love in the following game, before finally serving out the set. After breaking Pegula in the first game of the second set, Sabalenka maintained her aggressive approach throughout. Even though Pegula got back on track in the tenth game with to Sabalenka’s double fault and unforced errors, Sabalenka swiftly reclaimed control, broke back right away, and sealed the match with a forced error on match point.

The US Open starts next week, and Sabalenka will be one of the top contenders after this win, which moves her up to number two in the rankings. Her undefeated showing in Cincinnati further establishes her position as a favourite in New York.

Australia will host England in a celebratory match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 2027 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first Test match between the two countries in 1877. This stand-alone match will mark a century and a half of Test cricket, with Australia winning both the first 1877 match and the Centenary Test of 1977.

Cricket Australia (CA) has also secured the hosting rights for men’s international matches, such as Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, from 2024-25 to 2030-31. These initiatives are part of strategic collaborations with state governments aimed at expanding cricket’s reach across the country and increasing fan participation.

CA CEO Nick Hockley was enthusiastic about the 150th-anniversary event, describing it as a spectacular celebration of the apex format of the game at one of the world’s great sports arenas. He also confirmed the continuation of the traditional Boxing Day Test at the MCG and the New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The Adelaide Oval will host the ‘Christmas Test’ beginning in 2025/26, with a mix of Day-Night and Day Tests, while Perth will hold the first men’s Test of the summer until 2026-27.

Jannik Sinner, the world number one, defeated Frances Tiafoe 7-6(4), 6-2 to win the Cincinnati Open, showcasing his endurance despite recent health issues ahead of the US Open. Sinner, 23, became Cincinnati’s youngest champion since Andy Murray in 2008.

Sinner suffered a hip injury and missed the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis, but he regained his form in the final. After a close first set, he capitalised on Tiafoe’s errors in the tiebreak to win the opening. Sinner dominated the second set, breaking early and closing off the match with an unreturnable serve.

“It’s important to recover and be ready for New York,” Sinner said, referring to the forthcoming US Open. His victory in Cincinnati is his fifth of the year, demonstrating his ability to win even when not totally fit—an important characteristic as he prepares to face Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in New York.

Despite the loss, Tiafoe will go up to world number 20, bringing the momentum from his semifinal victory over Holger Rune into the US Open, where he was a 2022 semifinalist.

On August 18, Katarzyna Niewiadoma of Poland won her first Tour de France Femmes title by narrowly defeating defending champion Demi Vollering in a dramatic final stage at L’Alpe d’Huez. Despite Vollering’s stage victory, Niewiadoma’s fourth-place finish earned her the yellow jersey by just four seconds.

Niewiadoma, who had finished third in the previous two Tours, was overcome with emotion at the finish line, lifting her bike in celebration as Vollering lay exhausted on the ground in despair. Vollering, who began the day eighth overall and 1 minute 15 seconds behind Niewiadoma, was considered to pose the greatest threat on the 149.9-kilometer stage from Le Grand-Bornand to L’Alpe d’Huez.

Vollering’s attempt to retake the lead began near the summit of Col du Glandon, with more than 50 kilometres remaining. Niewiadoma, on the other hand, worked hard to keep the time lost to a minimum, finishing one minute and one second behind Vollering. Vollering’s stage victory earned her an extra 10 seconds, but it was insufficient to retake the overall crown.

Pauliena Rooijakkers of the Netherlands finished second on the stage, followed by Evita Muzic in third. Prime Minister Donald Tusk hailed Niewiadoma’s victory as one of Poland’s greatest sporting achievements.

South Africa bowled the West Indies out for 222 runs on the third day of the second test, securing a victory by 40 runs. An outstanding performance was delivered by Keshav Maharaj, who ended the West Indies’ chase with his fifth wicket of the match. Maharaj surpassed Hugh Tayfield, South Africa’s all-time leading test spinner, with 171 wickets with this. Impressively, he took 13 wickets in the series.

After returning to the field on 223-5, South Africa were bowled out for 246 in their second innings by Jayden Seales, who took six wickets. The result was a daunting 263-run target for the West Indies. At 104-6, the West Indies were already in a precarious position when they began to collapse. But the hosts had reason to be hopeful after Gudakesh Motie and Joshua Da Silva scored 77 runs together.

But Maharaj was too powerful, and he kicked out Motie and Da Silva altogether. The last wicket fell to David Bedingham at short leg, which set off celebrations in South Africa, as Seales was caught.

In the first innings of the match, South Africa scored 160 runs, while the West Indies scored 144 runs in response. Following the first test’s rain-shortened tie in Trinidad, the series will now wrap up with three Twenty20 matches.

On Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with and greeted Indian athletes and medallists from the Paris Olympics at his house, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.

Among those were Aman Sehrawat, India’s youngest Olympic medallist, and shooters Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh, and Swapnil Kusale. Members of the Indian men’s hockey team, including PR Sreejesh and captain Harmanpreet Singh, attended and presented PM Modi with jerseys and a hockey stick.

A total of 117 Indian athletes competed in 16 sports at the Paris Games, winning six medals: one silver and five bronze. India wanted to beat their previous best in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics but fell barely short. Notably, Manu Bhaker became the first Indian woman to win a shooting medal, as well as the first Indian in the post-Independence era to earn multiple medals in the same Games.

For the first time since 1972, India has finished on the Olympic podium in men’s hockey twice. Neeraj Chopra won silver in javelin, making him only the third Indian to win two Olympic medals, after Sushil Kumar and PV Sindhu.

Salva Marjan, a young woman from rural Kozhikode, Kerala, is all set to shatter barriers as the first female F1 racer from her state.

Salva, who was born on July 24, 1999, in Perambra, conquered financial obstacles and social criticism to follow her ambition of racing. She graduated from Business Management and began her professional motorsports career in 2018. With her family’s steadfast support, she overcame challenges to begin her career in Formula LGB racing, later competing in the F4 UAE and Indian championships, completing 119 of 150 laps.

With aspirations of creating history on a global scale, Salva, who will be 25 years old in January 2025, is ready to attend the F1 Academy. She is unfazed by the fact that women encounter distinct physical obstacles in the traditionally male-dominated sport. Despite setbacks, her enthusiasm for racing keeps her going.

As a current brand ambassador for Next Level Racing, Salva receives financial support for her training expenditures. She hopes to one day compete for India in Formula One and serve as an example to female athletes everywhere.

The Olympic flag arrived in Los Angeles on Monday, signalling the city’s preparations to host the 2028 Summer Olympics. The flag was delivered aboard a Delta Airlines jet painted with “LA28” and palm trees, as Tupac Shakur’s iconic song “California Love” played on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, dressed in a red Team USA tracksuit, joyfully raised the Olympic flag as she descended the plane’s stairs. California Governor Gavin Newsom welcomed her, while Olympic athletes including diver Delaney Schnell and skateboarder Tate Carew accompanied her.

Mayor Bass expressed great pride and responsibility after collecting the flag in Paris on Sunday. She emphasised that, while Los Angeles has been actively preparing, there is an increased need to speed up efforts to host excellent games.

Los Angeles, which was awarded the 2028 Games in 2017, will host the Olympics for the third time, after doing so in 1932 and 1984. Bass acknowledged Paris’ high standards, but emphasised LA’s distinct advantage—Hollywood—promising “magical opportunities.”

The flag was handed over during the closing ceremony in Paris, where actor Tom Cruise added Hollywood flair by rappelling from a stadium roof before skydiving near the Hollywood sign.

The United States finished the Paris Olympics with 126 medals, 40 of which were gold, tying China for the most gold. China won 91 medals in all, cementing its position as the United States’ major competitor in the Summer Games. In contrast, Russia, formerly a powerful powerhouse, sent only 15 athletes and received minimal recognition in the medal tally.

The United States won in swimming and track, with swimmers headed by Katie Ledecky and Torri Huske earning 28 medals, including eight golds. On the track, American athletes won 34 medals, including 14 gold. These two disciplines accounted for nearly half of the US medal collection.

China’s success came primarily from diving, shooting, table tennis, and weightlifting, showing the two countries’ distinct sporting capabilities.

France performed brilliantly, winning 64 medals, 16 of which were gold, with teenage swimmer Léon Marchand standing out with four golds and one bronze. Australia, with a population of just 26 million, was another standout, earning 53 medals, 18 of which were gold, giving it the per capita leader in medal triumphs.

India finished in the 71st spot with 6 medals, including five bronze and a silver