Category: Sports

Manu Bhaker turned her disappointment at the Tokyo Olympics into victory at the Paris Olympics 2024, becoming India’s first medalist with a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event. Manu joyfully accepted the medal as she stepped on the platform on Sunday, marking a new chapter in her career.

Manu had exceptional skill throughout the competition, remaining in the top three from the first shot and ending with a score of 221.7. Korean shooters Kim Yeji (241.3) and Oh Ye Jin (243.2) won silver and gold, respectively. Manu’s feat is notable since she became the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal, breaking a drought in Indian shooting dating back to the 2012 London Games.

Manu reflected on her path and expressed gratitude for overcoming previous hurdles, especially those encountered following the Tokyo Games. A rejuvenated attitude highlighted her comeback to form, as she pursued pastimes such as violin lessons and rekindled her enthusiasm for shooting under the tutelage of instructor Jaspal Rana.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated her on her incredible feat, Manu stayed focused on her remaining events, hoping to add more medals to her Olympic resume.

Bobby Witt Jr. led the Kansas City Royals to a 10-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, recording three hits for the fourth straight game.

Witt started with a triple in the first inning, then a double in the third, and finished with a three-run homer in the fourth. A pitch hit him and flew out in his final plate appearance, missing Kansas City’s first cycle since George Brett in 1990. His four-game string with at least three hits equals Johnny Damon’s record from 2000 as the second-longest in Royals history. Witt also has the highest home-game hitting average (.411) in the majors.

Arizona’s Yilber Diaz (1-1) struggled, surrendering seven runs on nine hits and a walk in three-plus innings.

In other MLB action, Tarik Skubal led the Detroit Tigers to an 8-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians, despite allowing a career-high 10 hits. The New York Yankees hit five home runs to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-1, with Carlos Rodon striking out 10 over seven innings. The Pittsburgh Pirates edged out the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1, thanks to Nick Gonzales’ go-ahead single in the eighth inning.

Gautam Gambhir, India’s new head coach, has voiced optimism that experienced batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma can play until the 2027 World Cup, as long as they stay fit. However, he stated that the final choice is up to the players.

Kohli, 35, and Rohit, 37, withdrew from Twenty20 Internationals following India’s World Cup victory over South Africa in Bridgetown, but they plan to continue playing Test and 50-over cricket. During his first press conference after taking over as head coach of the national team from Rahul Dravid, Gambhir emphasised the duo’s crucial contributions.

Gambhir stated that both players had proved their abilities on major occasions, such as the T20 and 50-over World Cups, and that they still had plenty of cricket left in them. He also mentioned the impending Champions Trophy in 2025 and a huge tour of Australia beginning in November 2024 as events that may excite the team. Nonetheless, he admitted that this was a personal decision for the athletes.

Gambhir’s tenure will formally begin with India’s T20 and ODI series in Sri Lanka, which begin on Saturday in Pallekele. Suryakumar Yadav will captain the T20 side in place of Hardik Pandya, who has just been injured.

Australian driver Oscar Piastri won his maiden Formula One race in a dramatic Hungarian Grand Prix, completing a McLaren one-two with Lando Norris second and Lewis Hamilton third. Piastri’s win came after a tense exchange with his colleague, Norris, who briefly led due to a pit-stop strategy but eventually followed team orders to allow Piastri to recover the lead.

“This is the day I dreamed of as a kid, standing on the top step of the podium,” Piastri, who is 23, told reporters.

Hamilton took his 200th career podium, while points leader Max Verstappen finished fifth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Despite his recent problems, Verstappen still leads the standings by 265 points to Norris’ 189.

Radio drama highlighted McLaren’s victory as Norris initially refused to let Piastri pass. After much coaxing from the squad, Norris gave in with two laps to go.

Piastri’s victory is his first in 35 Formula One races, making him the fifth different winner this season. The Hungarian Grand Prix begins the second half of the season, with the Belgian Grand Prix following on July 28.

Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj were formally inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame as its 265th and 267th members, respectively. They were joined by Richard Evans, a veteran tennis journalist. Tennis legends Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andre Agassi, Stan Smith, and Rosie Casals all attended the event.

Martina Navratilova, who won two Majors alongside Paes, introduced him, praising his abilities and sportsmanship. She commented, “He has that off-speed serve, massive forehand, sliced backhand, and it lands just where you don’t want it to. When he comes to the net, he uses a huge forehand volley and has leopard-like reflexes. He chases down every ball and, if he can’t, dives for it. And if everything else fails, he smiles, making everyone’s heart melt.”

Paes, dressed in a cream sherwani, expressed thanks, stating, “It is an honour to be on this stage with these people who have inspired me every day of my life.”

Vijay Amritraj, introduced by his son Prakash, expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the accolade, saying, “This is not just an honour for me, my parents, my family, but for my fellow Indians, my country.” The festival, which included Indian traditional components and Bhangra routines, emphasised national pride.

India’s Kush Maini won his first Formula 2 Sprint Race at the Hungarian Grand Prix when Richard Verschoor was penalised for a technical violation. The 23-year-old Invicta racing driver added 10 points to his season total, moving into eighth place in the Formula 2 Drivers Standings with 66 points.

Starting tenth in round nine of the F2 Championship, Maini lost a position on the first lap but gradually narrowed the distance on his opponents, recovering second place by lap 17.

In the final 11 laps, Maini valiantly held his place while fighting Verschoor, demonstrating his ability on the Hungaroring circuit. The single Indian driver on the 2024 F2 grid is having a career-best season, with five podium finishes, including this race win.

“My teammates and I keep coming back and battling. Maini remarked, “I have a great team around me, and I am grateful to them for today.” His impressive performance follows an amazing experience at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where he drove the classic E20 Lotus in Alpine livery, which Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean previously drove.

Indian U15 wrestlers clinched 14 medals in the first two days of the Asian U15 Wrestling Championships in Sriracha, Thailand. The women’s team won ten medals, while the men’s Greco-Roman team secured four.

On the first day, Indian Greco-Roman wrestlers won three silver and one bronze medal. Anup Kumar (38 kg), Yash Kamanna (41 kg), and Dhanraj Jamnik (48 kg) bagged silvers, and Pranshit Ahlawat (85 kg) took bronze. Dhanraj narrowly lost the best final of the day against Iran’s Amir Hossein Kazemi (7-8). The Indian Greco-Roman team finished fourth in the team rankings with 137 points, behind Iran (170), Uzbekistan (169), and Kazakhstan (154).

Indian women wrestlers continued their dominance, winning all ten possible medals: four gold, five silver, and one bronze.

Ruveen (62 kg) and Garima (66 kg) won gold by defeating Japanese opponents, while Rohini Devba (33 kg) and Ayushka Gadekar (58 kg) also clinched gold. Vinakshi Fnu (36 kg), Kasturi Kadam (39 kg), Rutuja Gurav (46 kg), Kanishka Fnu (50 kg), and Moni (54 kg) secured silver medals. Megha (42 kg) won bronze.

The Indian women’s team topped the rankings with 215 points, surpassing Japan’s 210 points.

In a big milestone for Indian cricket, Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur have risen significantly in the ICC T20 rankings following their outstanding performances against South Africa. As of Tuesday, Verma, the aggressive Indian opener, has risen to 15th in the rankings. She presently shares the position with Amelia Kerr of New Zealand and Danni Wyatt of England.

Meanwhile, captain Harmanpreet Kaur has risen three spots to 12th place, gaining 613 rating points.

Despite these gains, Smriti Mandhana remains India’s top hitter, ranking fifth. Deepti Sharma remains the third-best bowler in the rankings. Pooja Vastrakar has jumped six places to 23rd, while Shreyanka Patil has risen nine spots to 60th. Radha Yadav has also made significant progress, moving up eight ranks to 15th.

On the international front, England’s Sarah Glenn has set a new career-high rating of 768 points, cementing her place as the world’s second-best T20I bowler. This rise comes after her remarkable performance in England’s ongoing domestic T20I series against New Zealand, where she has taken eight wickets in the first four games. Sophie Ecclestone is still ahead of Glenn, having taken eight wickets in the same series.

Spain’s teen sensation, Lamine Yamal, won the European Championship and was named the tournament’s best young player on his 17th birthday. He mainly garnered these accolades when he was sixteen years old, and he capped off his performance on Sunday by setting up Nico Williams for Spain’s first goal in their 2-1 final win over England.

Yamal said, “This is the best birthday gift I could have asked for. It’s a dream come true.” According to Yamal, it’s like a dream come true. Mikel Oyarzabal scored the game-winning goal for Spain in the 86th minute after Cole Palmer had levelled the score for England. By dribbling inside Luke Shaw and making a pinpoint pass, Yamal set up Williams to score. The English custodian, Jordan Pickford, had to make two stops due to save attempts by Yamal.

In the European Championship final, Yamal made history by appearing, scoring, and playing at the youngest age ever. He went through La Masia Academy and is now playing for Barcelona, just like his hero, Lionel Messi.

Yamal ended the competition with four assists and one goal, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the Spanish league.

Hsieh Su-Wei and Jan Zielinski closed the championships with a straight-sets victory over Santiago Gonzalez and Giuliana Olmos, winning the Wimbledon mixed doubles title 6-4, 6-2. In their inaugural competition as a squad, the seventh-seeded players only lost one set over five matches en route to the victory.

“Playing in a Wimbledon final in only my third attempt is an unbelievable feeling,” Zielinski exclaimed. Being on the court is an honour, and I’ve dreamt about this day for a long time.”

Hsieh and Zielinski won in 76 minutes without facing a break point and converted three out of fifteen attempts. Hsieh expressed gratitude to Jan for returning him to the magnificent court. “Having my sister, coach, friends, and family here at Wimbledon’s Centre Court is an incredible experience.”

Hsieh and Zielinski won the Australian Open title this year as a team. They made it back to the winner’s circle at Wimbledon after making it to the semi-finals at Roland Garros. Hsieh now has nine major titles, including seven women’s doubles and two mixed doubles with Zielinski. The Polish star Zielinski also celebrated his second major title in mixed doubles with Hsieh.