Category: Sports

Wimbledon’s total prize money will reach a record £50 million ($64 million), with singles champions earning £2.7 million ($3.45 million), All England Club officials announced Thursday. The sum is double what it was ten years ago, and it’s up 5.3% from the previous year, totalling £5.3 million ($6.8 million).

With a 14.9% increase from £55,000 ($70,000) in 2023 to £60,000 ($76,000) in 2024, the winners’ checks will be distributed to first-round singles losers. There will be a 14.9% increase to £4.8 million ($6 million) in qualifying event rewards as well.

Since Alexander Zverev was involved in a legal dispute at the French Open, other subjects covered included the possibility of a united strategy against domestic abuse among Grand Slam hosts. In addition, the club is planning a party to honour Andy Murray’s career if he announces his retirement following the current tournament. By winning Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, Murray ended a 77-year men’s singles title drought for the British men.

Even though Djokovic, who had advocated for earlier beginnings, is certain to miss the tournament this year owing to knee surgery, the schedule choice is still set following a thorough evaluation.

As the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2024 got underway in New York, the energy of Indian fans reached peak levels as their team soared to a 7-wicket victory over the United States. This major victory propels India into the Super 8 round, reviving their aspirations of finally winning an ICC trophy after a long trophy drought that began with their 2013 ICC Champions Trophy victory.

Many ardent fans worldwide came to exhibit their unwavering support for the Indian cricket team and their favourite players. Chants of “India, India” filled the air of the city. There were sporadic bursts of dancing during the celebration of India’s victory, which intensified the already electrifying atmosphere.

“I have come from Delhi to witness India win every match,” one devoted fan said, expressing his excitement. “As always, it was an excellent performance. We are going to win the Cup this time.” Another supporter praised, “Today Surya Kumar Yadav has shown his calibre,” highlighting the importance of individual efforts.

Despite a poor start, Surya Kumar Yadav ensured a great finish. Everyone in New York City is rooting for Team India to win the 2024 T20 World Cup, and their unwavering confidence in their talents is a reflection of that.

On Wednesday, Olympic gold medalist Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway won the 1,500 metres at the European Championships in Rome and set a new record. He became the most decorated male athlete in the event’s history with a record-setting finish time of 3 minutes, 31.95 seconds, at the age of 23. Pietro Arese of Italy secured third place at 3.33.34, whereas Jochem Vermeulen of Belgium finished in second place at 3.33.30.

At the 2018 Paris Olympics, Ingebrigtsen will square off against British contender Josh Kerr, who had previously denied him gold in Budapest. The match will be an intense battle. Ingebrigtsen won the subsequent Oslo Diamond League event after a dismal performance in the Prefontaine Classic, where he finished in second place.

German athlete Malaika Mihambo, who had previously won the Olympic gold medal with a world-leading 7.22 metres, won the women’s long jump competition.

Armand Duplantis of Sweden continued his remarkable pole vaulting success by winning a third European gold medal. He won with a vault of 5.97 metres and set a championship record of 6.10 metres. However, he was unable to reach 6.25 metres.

Italy won in the men’s 4x100m relay, with 100m winner Lamont Marcell Jacobs adding to his Olympic gold medal haul.

Adam Zampa, the best leg-spinner in Australia, has become even more famous at the current ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, proving once and for all why he is so highly regarded in white-ball formats.

With his fourth four-wicket haul in Twenty20 International cricket, the right-arm leg spinner helped Australia advance to the Super Eight stage of this esteemed competition against Namibia.

Dismantling Namibia’s batting lineup, Zampa’s four-over performance yielded a stunning 4/12. Bowled for 72 runs in just 17 overs, Namibia struggled against Zampa’s pinpoint accuracy. David Warner (20 runs off eight balls), Travis Head (34* off seventeen balls), and Mitchell Marsh (18* off nine balls) spearheaded Australia’s top-order, which effortlessly chased down the mark.

During this match-winning performance, Zampa became the first Australian player to claim 100 wickets in T20Is. At 32, he is already the greatest wicket-taker in the format, surpassing his compatriot Mitchell Starc by 24 wickets.

Zampa was happy to have helped the team win, but he stressed that their work was far from done. Although he felt his bowling performance was inconsistent, he still thought it was good overall. According to Zampa, there is still a long way to go before they can claim the trophy.

Spain’s Jordan Diaz achieved a stunning victory at the European Championships in Rome, leaping 18.18 meters in the triple jump. Not only did he win the gold medal, but his incredible leap also broke a championship record that had stood for 26 years, making it the third-best jump of all time.

Before Pedro Pichardo of Portugal jumped 18.04 metres, breaking Jonathan Edwards’ 1998 record of 17.99 metres. Diaz jumped a personal best of 17.96 metres on his fourth try, putting him in second place. Diaz’s outstanding performance ousted Pichardo, the current Olympic and European champion, whose most notable jump was 18.08 metres. Having no choice but to reply, Pichardo cleared 17.92 metres on his last try to win silver. Thomas Gogois of France was awarded bronze with a leap of 17.38 metres.

The 2015 Doha duel between Pichardo and Christian Taylor, in which both competitors cleared 18 metres, brought back fond memories of this event. However, Diaz stole the show in Rome this time, leaving Pichardo in the shadows.

Diaz moved up to third place all-time, surpassing American Will Claye. The 23-year-old, who was the European champion, will now compete in the Paris Olympics after missing the Tokyo Games due to his Cuban defect.

On Tuesday, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that India will be the host nation of the 2025 FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup. For the first time, the tournament will feature 24 teams in December 2025.

Since 2013, this is India’s fourth time hosting the tournament. The president of the FIH, Tayyab Ikram, stressed the importance of increasing the tournament’s reach.

He said, “One of the main goals of our empowerment and engagement approach is to increase the number of teams that participate. We witnessed firsthand at the FIH Hockey 5s World Cup in Oman the tremendous value that diversity brings to our events. I am excited to witness these 24 youth teams, who embody the sport’s promising future, compete next year.”

The President of Hockey India, Dr Dilip Tirkey, thanked the FIH for choosing India to host the tournament. He said, “We are committed to promoting the sport of hockey for decades to come, and this esteemed tournament is a reflection of India’s rising profile on a global scale. He expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to highlight India’s storied hockey heritage and give up-and-coming players a platform to show off their talents.

The Under-19 World Cup quarterfinal in 2010 was a heartbreaking experience for Saurabh Netravalkar. After fourteen years, he helped the United States defeat Pakistan in a T20 World Cup match by defending eighteen runs in a Super Over, setting them up for the Super Eights.

Netravalkar is now on leave from his day job, but if things go well in the USA, he might need to stay longer. With a master’s degree in computer engineering, he started his journey from India to the USA, but his love of cricket never wavered. Playing with such luminaries as Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina in India, he made an impression at both the Under-19 World Cup and local competitions.

Netravalkar experienced highs and lows in his cricket career, including playing in the Ranji Trophy. He moved to Cornell University in 2015 after deciding to pursue academics instead of a sporadic cricket career. In the USA, he played cricket for fun until 2018, when he joined the national squad. His Major League cricket efforts, which included a noteworthy 6 for 9 against the San Francisco Unicorns, solidified his dominance.

Netravalkar, who will face Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two of his former Indian teammates, is a vital player for the USA.

In a tense T20 Super Sunday Group ‘A’ match between India and Pakistan at the Nassau Country International Cricket Stadium in New York, India narrowly defeated Pakistan by six runs. Despite India’s batting struggles, Pakistan couldn’t chase down the target, ending at 113/7 against a strong Indian pace attack.

Pakistan won the toss and chose to field first, but rain repeatedly caused disruptions.

India’s batting stumbled when put into bat, resulting in an unanticipated collapse. However, India pulled off a thrilling comeback, despite having set a modest target of 120 runs when Pakistan’s score read 80-4 in the fifteenth over.

India’s bowlers bowled brilliantly to restrict Pakistan, even if they had trouble setting up a difficult target. After 14 overs, Jasprit Bumrah knocked Mohammad Rizwan, the top scorer for Pakistan, for 31 runs. With the final ball in an outstanding spell, he also knocked Iftikhar Ahmed. With a thrilling six-run triumph over their bitter rivals, India was led by the explosive play of Jasprit Bumrah.

Notably, India has defeated Pakistan in every T20 World Cup encounter except in 2021. Following back-to-back losses by the USA and India, Pakistan, the runners-up in the 2022 T20 World Cup, may have to leave the group stage.

On Sunday, Max Verstappen captured the Canadian Grand Prix for the third time in a row. It was his 60th Formula 1 triumph overall and his sixth in nine races this year. At Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Ile Notre-Dame, Verstappen dominated late on after starting second in the rain with pole-sitter George Russell. In the last 75 Formula One races, the 26-year-old Dutchman has won 50 races.

Verstappen won the 70-lap race on the 4.36-kilometer road course, 3.879 seconds ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren. Verstappen led every lap last year after starting in pole position. The course was damp when the race started, but within ten minutes, the sun came out, and during the afternoon, there were more showers of rain.

On Lap 26, Logan Sargeant brought out the safety car, giving Norris a 10-second lead.

Russell finished third and seven-time Montreal winner Lewis Hamilton finished fourth for Mercedes. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin came in front of Oscar Piastri, who was in fifth place for McLaren. 

Verstappen extended his lead over second-place Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc to 56 points for the season. Verstappen remarked, “Together, we made the right decisions today.”

After defeating Alexander Zverev in five sets on Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz created history by winning his maiden French Open championship. He became the youngest person to achieve Grand Slam triumphs on all three surfaces. Adding a third Grand Slam to his collection—which already includes the 2022 U.S. Open and 2023 Wimbledon titles—was the 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 victory.

Legends like Pete Sampras were unable to accomplish the feat of winning majors on hard, grass, and clay courts until Alcaraz, at the age of 21, joined an exclusive group of seven men. Comparing Alcaraz’s early success to that of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who became proficient with clay later in their careers, is noteworthy.

Alcaraz remarked, “I’ve been rushing home from school to turn on the TV to watch this tournament since I was a small child. Now I am lifting the trophy.” Zverev recognised him as a potential “Hall of Famer.”

Even though the team won, there were many inconsistent moments in the game, as neither player could sustain their momentum. Zverev, who is still searching for his first Grand Slam victory, was once again left disappointed despite his early-season surge.