Category Archives: Sports

WORLD RECORD: SPORTS / CRICKET: IND vs PAK, Asia Cup: Virat Kohli Blazes past Sachin Tendulkar’s World Record enroute to 13000 ODI runs, 47th century

Virat Kohli became the fastest Indian to 13000 ODI runs and lit up the occasions with a 47th century in one-dayers during the India vs Pakistan Asia cup match.

Virat Kohli on Monday added another feather in his cap as he stormed past Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 13000 ODI runs and became the fastest to the landmark during the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four match between India and Pakistan . The former India captain, resuming his innings from overnight on the reserve day, first brought up a half-century of 55 balls and then took just 29 more to notch up 47th ODI century. In the process, Kohli breezed past the legendary Tendulkar to the accomplishment in his 267th innings. This makes him the fastest batter to 8000, 9000, 10000, 11000, 120000 and now 13000 ODI runs.

That Kohli scaled Mount 13K in 54 fewer innings that Tendulkar (321 innings), adds weightage to the Virat vs Sachin debate. Kohli’s 47th century means that he is now just two short of trying his idol for the most ODI centuries and three before he eclipsed the great man to reach 50 one-day tons, which is a magnanimous feat in itself. Kohli’s love affair with Pakistan allowed India to score a mammoth 356/2, with KL Rahul striking a century himself, the 6th of his ODI career. Kohli and Rahul added an unbeaten 233 runs for the third wicket, the highest ever in Asia Cup history for any wicket. This is also Kohli’s fourth consecutive hundred at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium.

Before the match, Kohli, with 12902 runs, needed 98 runs, eight of which he knocked off on Sunday when rain ensure no play was possible after 24.1 overs in which India had put up 147/2. And on Monday, on a belter of a batting surface, he cashed in. Kohli began cautiously, as did his partner KL Rahul but deep down, both were aware that technically Pakistan are a bowler short with Haris Rauf suggested to not bowl any further in a game. So when Iftikhar Ahmed came to bowl his juicy off-breaks filling in for Rauf, the shackles were broken with Rahul kickstarting the onslaught bringing up a fabulous century partnership.

With Rahul galloping along nicely, Kohli got his eye in, and found his timing against Shaheen Afridi’s pace. Despite finding his timing, Kohli couldn’t piece the gaps, and the frustration was evident on his face everytime he connected the ball but couldn’t eke out a run. But the moment Rahul slowed down a little around the 40-over mark, it was Kohli’s turn to explode. Off Iftikhar’s last over, Kohli cracked him for a six and a four to enter the 70s. It was his seventh boundary-hitting stroke.

Throughout his innings, Kohli kept looking towards the skies, keeping one eye on the clouds. He was aware that if there is rain on horizon, which there is, India needed to get as many as possible so that if it comes down to DLS, Pakistan are set a mammoth target. He and Rahul did exactly that as India continued to score in surplus of six runs an over. His first four wasn’t convincing as he edged Naseem Shah for boundary behind the wicketkeeper. Pakistan burned their second review against Kohli and it was almost as if he knew he had to punish them.

Initially Kohli struggled a little against Faheem Ashraf, but three boundaries later, everything was right. As Rahul played a few dot balls on 98, Kohli raced from 86 to 97. A couple took him to 99 and a single the next ball brought back a vintage Kohli celebration. Kohli wrapped up the Indian innings with back-to-back boundaries and a six off the final three deliveries, capping off a wonderful batting performance by India, one that saw them register a join-highest ODI total against Pakistan.

source: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD WINNER: How Paris-based, Kolkata’s Neha Ganeriwal Captured ‘Fedal’ & Won in the Independent Photograper Category at the Prestigious ‘2023 World Sports Photography Awards’

Neha recalls the Rafa-Roger day that changed her life, how the same ‘boys’ gave her the best photo of her career, and more.

When Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal held hands at the end of the last competitive match of the former’s career at the 2022 Laver Cup, tears flowed. First, from the eyes of the two tennis GOATs at London’s O2 arena. And then, from millions of their admirers around the world. However, were it not for one Neha Ganeriwal, many would never have witnessed that iconic moment. It was Neha, originally from Kolkata’s Hindustan Park but currently based in Paris, who snapped ‘Fedal’ at their most human, providing one of the most enduring sports images of 2022.

Almost a year later, that image has been adjudged as the winner (out of more than 800 submissions) in the Independent Photographer category of the 2023 World Sports Photography Awards, sponsored by IMAGO, which is the largest and most prestigious competition of its kind. Additionally, two other photos taken by Neha (as well as the ‘Fedal’ one) at the aforementioned Laver Cup finished as finalists in the tennis category of the awards.

Days after her victory, Neha, 42, spoke to My Kolkata, via a video call connecting a wet Kolkata and an equally drenched Paris, reflecting on the ‘Fedal’ image, her journey, her most memorable clicks and more. Edited excerpts from the conversation follow.

My Kolkata: Congratulations on your win! Has the achievement sunk in yet?

Neha Ganeriwal: It’s been overwhelming! I was on vacation when I got the news. It was my first time applying to any award, so I couldn’t have been happier. It’s been a barrage of congratulatory messages since I found out on email (from the sponsors and organisers) that I had won, sometime in the middle of August. What makes me even more delighted is that these are the only dedicated sports photography awards in the world.

‘I had blurry vision because of my tears and was quite worried about the photo’

The image that won you the prize is one of the most moving and shared sports photos of the past year. Talk us through how you captured it.

Before I’m a photographer, I’m a tennis fan. And I was bawling at the time, it was so emotional! I had blurry vision because of my tears and was quite worried about the photo. I was certain that the camera had shaken. The lighting wasn’t great, either, and we were all just clicking away… Federer had just given a speech and he came to sit down. Then a singer took centrestage. A lot of people went towards her, but, for some reason, I kept tracking Federer. He sat down, and just for a split second, he happened to reach for Nadal, for comfort, first touching Nadal’s thigh and then his hand. That’s when I clicked. I had no idea how the results were until I downloaded my work on my laptop. And then, of course, the image went viral. There were two or three photographers who got a similar shot, but depending on which part of the world you were in, you got to see my image.

Why did you choose to submit the photo in black and white?

The actual image has a lot of blue. The background is sort of purple-ish and there’s a bit of white, too. There’s a lot of colour and that distracts from the emotion of the moment. I usually prefer black and white photography, as that helps to train the eye and take it to whatever you want by cutting out all the distractions. That’s why I went for monochrome and I think that’s also why it won.

You named the photo as “Boys don’t cry”. It seems ironic at two levels. First, because the subjects in the photo are actually crying. Second, because there is a suggestion that boys become men when they are comfortable displaying their emotions openly. Would that be a reasonable reading of your caption?

Exactly, that’s right. There’s also a third point to it. There’s this whole myth that men can’t be “weak” or show emotions. Nobody would use the adjective “weak” for Nadal, though. There’s probably no fiercer athlete than him on the tennis court. But there he was, in tears, underlining how even the greatest are also human beings with emotions, perhaps even more so than the rest of us. And there’s nothing weak about that.

‘I know that both Federer and Nadal have seen the photo’

Do you know if Federer and/or Nadal saw your photo? Did any of them reach out or speak to you about it?

I know that both Federer and Nadal have seen the photo. I haven’t met Federer since, but I hope to hear from him in person soon, possibly at some event later this year. I’m actually working on a photo book, combining other unreleased photos, which I’d like to present to Federer. As for Nadal, I met him in November and got him to sign a copy of the photo. We had a little chat about it and he was a bit embarrassed about it all!

‘That one day in Madrid had changed my life… I knew nothing about photography but jumped right into the deep end’

Going back in time, how did your journey as a sports photographer begin? And what did meeting Federer and Nadal (those boys, again!) a decade ago have to do with it?

The photo was a full circle moment for me. I was born and brought up in Hindustan Park in Kolkata. I went to La Martiniere for my schooling and then studied at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), before completing my master’s in fashion designing in Milan. A personal tragedy made me settle in Europe about 15 years ago. But I wasn’t working in sports at all. I was a professional fashion designer living the corporate life. Everything was good, but I felt that something was missing. I was climbing the ladder that we’re told to climb, but I never felt that it was mine to climb. I had always been a sports fan. Growing up, I used to go to Ordnance Club (in Kolkata) to play tennis with my father, was in my school swimming team and used to love watching Michael Schumacher in his Ferrari.

Exactly a decade ago, the Rafa Nadal Foundation was having an event in Madrid and I somehow managed to get a pass for that. I almost didn’t go because my resources were limited. But I finally took the plunge, not knowing what to expect. When Federer and Nadal entered the room, they shook hands with absolutely everyone. It was a stark contrast to the glamour industry I was used to, where everyone was inaccessible and god-like. We spent the entire day with the two of them. There was a press conference, a session with kids, a match and a gala. Just seeing the energy and just how the two of them were, I went back to being a sports lover, in between the emotional trauma that was going on for me personally.

I came back thinking that I have to find a way to be a part of that sporting world. So, I got an extra job to pay for a camera, acquired skills and read like a mad woman! I knew nothing about photography but jumped right into the deep end. That one day in Madrid had changed my life. I had found what my soul really wanted, to be around brilliant but normal, wonderful human beings.

What have been some of your other most memorable photos till date?

Capturing Federer winning his 10th Swiss Indoors Basel title (in October 2019) was special. He had started out over there as a ballboy and that was the last time he was going to be playing there. That was really emotional, Federer was crying again. Nadal winning his 10th Roland Garros (in 2017) would be up there, too. Nobody expected him to win that one, but he did. I got a special photo between him and Toni [Nadal] back then.

n football, there was the Euro 2016 final, when Portugal beat France, and Ronaldo was lapping it all up. He was injured and substituted, and there were some really great shots of him stepping up as an additional manager. And, of course, Messi was here [in Paris] for the last two years, which produced some nice shots of him along with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. Just the sheer starpower in the same frame was special.

Of all the great athletes you have been around and photographed, who has surprised you the most?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was really interesting! He has this aura of arrogance, but that’s a persona for the camera. He’s the nicest guy you can meet. Of course, he can get annoyed if you poke him or rub him the wrong way, but he’s generally super nice.

‘I can tell which side Mbappe is going to run after he scores a goal or when Djokovic is going to smash his racket’

Given you predominantly cover tennis and football across Europe, what are the different challenges concerned with each sport? Both institutionally and technically.

In terms of institutional challenges, breaking in wasn’t easy. I had to create my own path. When I started, the internet wasn’t the way it is now. Getting in touch with press managers and press officers and getting accredited to FIFA or UEFA was complicated. I had to learn multiple languages, including Italian and French. All of that took time.

The technical aspect took a lot of education and learning, most of which happened on the pitch or the court. Which place to be in, where the players’ teams are and all that. After some experience, you know exactly what the athletes are going to do. For instance, I can tell which side Mbappe is going to run after he scores a goal or when [Novak] Djokovic is going to smash his racket in frustration and yell at his team. There are also the technical fundamentals, such as shutter speed, but that’s about skill acquisition. About putting your ego aside and learning. At the same time, hard as the challenges have been, my colleagues have been amazing and have always answered my questions.

On the ground during match days, tennis gives you more space to move around. I go for close-ups when in doubt. The top positions are always free in tennis. In football, movement is more limited. I can’t always choose my position. Mentally, I make a list of the players I need to photograph. Then, I choose my end and usually go for the one where the home fans are sitting, as it makes for a better background. Then there are the lenses, which also affect the images. Generally, I have less options for lenses when I’m travelling farther.

‘Learning from Nadal, at no point did I give up’

Sports photography still remains a male domain for the most part. How much of your experience so far has been shaped by your gender?

Whenever I walk into those photographers’ rooms, more for football than tennis, I’m usually the only person of colour, often the only woman, too. European football is completely male-dominated. It wasn’t easy when I started, but I’ve become accustomed to it now. Initially, I didn’t want to come across as brash. At the same time, I wanted to be taken seriously. To have people treat me with respect and not dismiss me was challenging. However, at no point was I completely disillusioned. Learning from Nadal, at no point did I give up.

‘I’d love to be a part of some professional event in Kolkata’

Coming to your Kolkata connection, how often do you come back? What are your favourite things to do in the city?

I spent the first 25 years of my life in Kolkata. My parents are still there, so I try to come back every six months. It’s just about downtime for me. I love the street food, like the phuchka and the papdi chaat near Lake Kalibari. Strangely, I haven’t shot anything in Kolkata yet. I’d love to be a part of some professional event in the city, particularly given how big football is back home.

‘My dream is to photograph an Indian winning an Olympic medal, ideally gold!’

What are you most looking forward to in terms of upcoming events? Is there a dream shot that you are still chasing?

I’m really looking forward to next year’s Olympic Games (in Paris). My dream is to photograph an Indian winning an Olympic medal, ideally gold! Then, I’ll probably have to choose between the Euros (in Germany) and the Copa America (in the US). I do want to click Messi with a trophy, since I couldn’t do the World Cup (in Qatar) last year.

‘Do what you do for the right reasons, for your reasons’

Lastly, what would your advice be to budding photographers, especially those wanting to document sports?

No matter what you do, it’s going to be hard, so it’s much better to figure out what it is that you’re willing to suffer for. Do what you do for the right reasons, for your reasons.

Moreover, sports mirror life. There’s no instant gratification, no substitute for consistency. It’s the small successes that lead to the big triumphs. Today, I’m talking about my award, but nobody apart from me has seen those days when all I wanted to do was stay in bed. But I pushed myself, went out in the rain and stood there for four hours. I did it because I love it. As Nadal has taught the world, show up everyday and do the basics. Think of the number of matches he has won simply because he refused to go away. If you do that, things eventually fall into place.

source/content: telegraphindia.com / my-kolkata (headline edited)

WORLD RECORD: SPORTS / JAVELIN: Neeraj Chopra Scripts History yet Again, becomes First Indian to Win Gold in World Athletics Championships

The 25-year-old dominated the competition and achieved his best throw of the day in his second attempt.

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra on Sunday scripted history yet again as he became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships with a throw of 88.17m in the men’s javelin final here.

In another first, three Indians finished in the top eight with Kishore Jena (84.77m) and DP Manu (84.14m) taking the fifth and sixth spots, respectively. Never before did three Indians finish in top eight of an event at the World Championships.

The 25-year-old Chopra achieved his best throw of the day in his second attempt. He had a foul to start with, but then got 88.17m, 86.32m, 84.64m, 87.73m and 83.98m.

Pakistan’s reigning Commonwealth Games champion Arshad Nadeem took the silver with his season’s best throw of 87.82m, while Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic got the bronze.

Chopra has now become only the second Indian — after shooter Abhinav Bindra — to simultaneously hold the Olympics and World Championships titles.

Chopra, who had become the first Indian Olympic track and field gold medallist at the Tokyo Games in 2021, had won a silver in the 2022 edition of the World Championships.

Before him, legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George had won a bronze in the 2003 World Championships.

The Indian superstar also became only the third javelin thrower in history to simultaneously hold the Olympics and World Championships titles after the iconic Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic and Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway.

The Indian men’s 4x400m relay team, however, failed to replicate their show from the heats to finish fifth in the final.

Another title

In men’s pole vault, Sweden’s world record holder Armand Duplantis claimed his second consecutive world title on Saturday, but did not have a seventh world record in him.

The Olympic champion cleared 6.10 metres for gold and then — in what turned into the “Mono show” — missed at three attempts to clear 6.23, which would have been world record number seven for the remarkable 23-year-old.

Uganda’s Victor Kiplangat, the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, won the men’s marathon on Sunday with a time of two hours 8 minutes 53 seconds.

PTI, Reuters

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: INDIAs GUINNESS WORLD RECORD: ‘Iron man in Reality’: Indian Vispy Kharadi Bends Iron Rods with Head and Creates a new Guinness World Record, on the set of Lo Show Dei Record, Milan,Italy

Vispy Kharadi created the record involving iron rods on the set of of Lo Show Dei Record in Italy’s Milan.

An Indian man’s incredible world record has left people stunned. A video shared by Guinness World Records (GWR) shows how he created the record by bending multiple iron rods with his head.

“New record:

Most iron bars bent in one minute with the head – 24 by Vispy Kharadi (India),” reads the caption posted along with the video. The clip opens to show the man with his head wrapped in a bandana. He then goes on to bend the rods one by one. Towards the end of the video, he also receives the official GWR certificate from the adjudicator evaluating the event. He also says “Thank you” to the audience after creating this record. He completed this impressive feat on February 7, 2023 on the set of Lo Show Dei Record in Italy’s Milan.

Take a look at this video that shows the man creating a record:

The video was shared on August 17. Since being posted, it has accumulated close to 39,000 views and counting. Additionally, the share has received nearly 400 likes. People posted varied comments while reacting to the video.

What did Twitter users say about this incredible record?

“My brain is hurting on his behalf,” joked a Twitter user. “Iron Man in reality. Well done,” praised another. “It’s dangerous, but a great achievement,” added a third. “This is crazy,” joined a fourth. “Wow. That’s amazing,” wrote a fifth. What are your thoughts on this record by the Indian man? Did this video make your jaw drop?

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIOAL – ASIA: SPORTS / FIELD HOCKEY: India Secures 4-3 Victory over Malaysia to Clinch Asian Champions Trophy for the 4th time.

Jugraj Singh (9th minute), skipper Harmanpreet Singh (45th), Gurjant Singh (45th) and Akashdeep Singh (56th) were the goal scores for India.

  India fought back from two goals down to eke out a 4-3 win over a spirited Malaysia in a thrilling final to claim their fourth Asian Champions Trophy title at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here on Saturday.

Jugraj Singh (9th minute), skipper Harmanpreet Singh (45th), Gurjant Singh (45th) and Akashdeep Singh (56th) were the goal scores for India.

For Malaysia, Abu Kamal Azrai (14th), Razie Rahim (18th) and Muhamad Aminudin (28th) found the back of the net.

It is India’s record fourth title, making it the most successful team in the event.

India had earlier thrashed Malaysia 5-0 in the round-robin league stage.

Malaysia were aggressive in the first half as the Indians found it difficult to restrict their opponents.

India converted their first penalty in the ninth minute with Jugraj scoring with a fierce flick to the right of the Malaysian goalie. The Indians got into their groove as the match progressed and played full-press hockey after a sluggish start. But Malaysia didn’t sit back and continued to test the Indian defence.

Their efforts bore fruit in the 14th minute when Azari found the back of the net after being fed by Azuan Hasan from the right flank. Seconds from the first quarter, India secured back-to-back penalty corners but wasted both the chances.

Malaysia kept up the tempo in the second quarter and earned consecutive penalty corners in the 18th minute, the second of which was converted by Rahim as the ball went in after getting a deflection from rusher Amit Rohidas’ stick.

Malaysia secured a penalty corner for an unnecessary stick check by Jugraj in the 23rd minute but the effort went wide.

Malaysia got another penalty corner in the 28th minute and this time Aminudin made no mistake to hand his side a 3-1 lead at half-time.

A couple of minutes after the the change of ends, India earned a penalty corner but failed to utilise the opportunity. The home team asked for a referral for another set piece, which was turned down by the TV referee. India worked well to win another penalty corner in the 36th, but Jugraj shot wide.

Sensing urgency, India switched to possession-based play. But the Malaysian defenders did well to intercept at the right time and keep the Indian attackers at bay.

Malaysia earned another penalty corner in the 43rd minute but India defended stoutly.

The Indians turned the match on its head in a span of a minute, pumping in two goals to level the scores 3-3.

While India skipper Harmanpreet scored from a penalty stroke in the 45th minute, seconds later Gurjant found the back of the net from field play to make the scoreline 3-3.

India secured a penalty corner six minutes from the final hooter, but Harmanpreet’s flick was saved by the opposition goalkeeper.

India kept up the pressure and earned another penalty corner soon, but Harmanpreet’s effort went wide.

Akashdeep scored the winner for India with a slap stick from top of the ‘D’ after receiving a pass from Mandeep Singh.

The Indians pressed hard in the final few minutes of the match, drawing two fine saves from the Malaysian goalkeeper.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL : EUROPE: Punjab Police Officer Gurjat Singh Maler Hosts Tricolour on Mount Elbrus – the Roof of Europe, to Commemorate 76 years of India’s Independence

Commemorating 76 years of Independence, Gurjot Singh Kaler, a senior police officer in Punjab, scaled and unfurled the tricolour on the top of Mount Elbrus — the highest and most prominent peak in Russia and Europe.

Kaler, a professionally-trained mountaineer, was adjudged the best mountaineer during his Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) at Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.

His recent feat is noteworthy considering that the Caucasus’ tallest mountain, Mount Elbrus, is 5,642 metres (18,510 feet) above sea level.

There were four others in Kaler’s team, which reached the top of Mount Elbrus on August 11 at 7 a.m. after battling heavy snowstorms, thunderstorms and atmospheric lightning.

Mount Elbrus is covered in snow through out around and is home to 22 glaciers that feed three rivers — Baksan, Malka and Kuban. Elbrus is part of the Caucasus mountain range, near the Georgian border in the south of Russia.

The Caucasus technically sits in Asia and Europe, although most geographers place it in Europe. It’s a mountain range that spans two continents.

Committed to the spirit of combating climate change and global warming, the mission of Mount Elbrus was dedicated by Kaler to exhort the world community to preserve the environment and create awareness about depleting forest reserves across the planet and melting of glaciers.

“It took five days to successfully do the summit after acclimatisation hikes to Mount Cheget and Pastukhov Rocks. The weather was very turbulent on the day of the summit and there was a lot of lightning and thunderstorms which made the climb very difficult,” Kaler told IANS over phone.

At one point, it looked impossible but the sheer willpower, perseverance and determination served him in good stead throughout the adventurous expedition.

“It is only in tough circumstances that we can test the real toughness of mind,” he said.

Kaler has become the first Punjab Police officer to scale Mount Elbrus. Earlier, he had successfully climbed the summit of the highest mountain in the African Continent — Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

The daredevil officer had also performed a skydive from 15,000 feet during the Covid pandemic to serve as a heartfelt tribute of bravery and courage to the corona warriors who had sacrificed their lives during the pandemic.

He’s currently handling the charge of AIG (Excise and Taxation) and was awarded with the Chief Minister’s Medal for outstanding devotion to duty in January 2023. He was also conferred with the Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Raj Yuva Puraskar by the government of Punjab in March 2023 for his fight against drug abuse in Punjab and for promoting the culture of sports.

Kaler feels that his efforts in terms of climbing Mount Ebrus will go a long way in awakening the world community to join hands for combating climate change.

He admits that global warming and climate change is a grim reality of “our times and every region on earth is impacted by our actions”.

“Even the recent ghastly floods in Punjab and Himachal can be attributed to lack of ecological balance and disregard to the Mother Earth. Therefore, it’s very important to understand the precarious situation through which the entire humanity is passing through right now and take concerted actions before its too late.

“Rather, the truth is that we are already quite late in combating global climate change and if we continue to ignore the warnings of Mother Nature, a day will come when everything will be simply lost forever,” Kaler added.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / ARCHERY: Aditi Swami becomes Youngest ever Senior World Champion at 17, India Record best ever Haul of 03 Gold, 01 Bronze

In the individual final, Aditi was up against the Mexican giant-killer, the 16th seed who had knocked out reigning champion Sara Lopez in the pre-quarterfinals.

Aditi Swami on Saturday became the youngest-ever senior world champion at 17 years when she secured India’s first-ever individual title at the World Archery Championships with compound women’s gold here.

Later in the day, Ojas Deotale also became the world champion when he bagged the compound men’s title with a sheer perfect score of 150 as India recorded their best ever finish in the showpiece with four medals — three gold and one bronze.

A calm and composed Deotale, who hails from Nagpur in Maharashtra, defeated Lukasz Przybylski of Poland by one point in a thrilling finish en route to the men’s title. The Olympic discipline recurve archers on the other hand came a cropper, returning empty-handed. Incidentally, both Aditi and Deotale train at the same under academy in Satara under coach Pravin Sawant.

Hailing from Maharashtra’s drought-prone Satara, the teenager shot a near perfect score of 149 out of a possible 150 points to prevail over Andrea Becerra of Mexico by two points.

The class 12 student also became a double world champion in less than two months, having won the Under-18 title in Youth Championships in Limerick, Ireland on July 8.

She is now the first individual world champion in archery from India, across any discipline and gender.

Aditi along with Parneet Kaur and Jyothi Surekha Vennam had secured India’s first ever World Archery Championships gold by winning the compound women’s team final on Friday.

In the individual final, Aditi was up against the Mexican giant-killer, the 16th seed who had knocked out reigning champion Sara Lopez in the pre-quarterfinals.

But Andrea faced a tougher challenge against the Indian sixth seed who started off with a bang, drilling in all her first three arrows closer to the centre (X) to take a 30-29 first round lead.

Aditi was on target in all of her 12 arrows in the first four rounds to extend her lead by three points.

It was only in the final end, she shot one 9 out of the three arrows, but by then she had already sealed India’s second World Championship gold ever.

Aditi earlier defeated the Netherlands’ Sanne De Laat in a tense quarterfinal shoot-off and came up against her idol and senior teammate Jyothi Surekha Vennam in the semifinals, who was hoping upgrade to gold, having won bronze in 2019 and silver in 2021.

But she ousted her ‘idol’ and the most successful Indian compound archer Jyothi 149-145 in an all-Indian semifinal.

Aditi was simply unbeatable on a day where she dropped just four points, including scores of 149 in both her semifinal and final contests, shooting four consecutive ends of 30 in the final.

“Bas India ke pehla liye gold jitna tha, aur kuchh soch dimag mein nahin aaya (I was just focused on winning the first gold for the country),” Aditi told PTI.

“I knew she was very experienced and someone whom I grew up watching and idolising but I just kept my focus on my shooting, rest just fell in place.” “I am very proud, I wanted to hear the 52 seconds of the national anthem to be played at the World Championships.” “This is just the start. We have the Asian Games coming up, I want to win gold for the country and continue to win team gold for the country.” “It is really great that at 17 I could become the world champion. I want to thank all my supporters and everyone in India who helped me become the world champion.” Jyothi however went on to win a bronze medal when she shot a perfect 150 to defeat Ipek Tomruk of Turkey by four points in the third-place playoff.

“It’s not much of disappointment, though. Afterall, I could win a gold — in team event — this time,” Jythi, who now has one gold, four silver and three bronze medals from three editions of the World Archery Championships, said.

Later in the afternoon session, Deotale gave the icing on the cake by becoming the men’s compound world champion.

In an end-to-end shooting, both Deotale and his Polish rival were locked 90-all after three ends (nine arrows).

Deotale continued his perfect 10-hitting spree and made it 150 out of 150 as Przybylski crumbled under pressure and dropped a point to settle for the silver.

“It’s no fluke and a result of strong team work, focus on sports science and 100 per cent faith on our technical team,” Archery Association of India secretary general Pramod Chandurkar told PTI.

With Asian Games in two months’ time, this would give the sport a huge boost, he said.

“We are expecting at least four medals from the Asian Games. It’s a big moment for Indian archery.”

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com / PTI (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORT / SKATING / RECORDS: 18-year-Female Teen Super Skater, holder of several Guinness World Records Shrishti Dharmendra Sharma shatters ‘Limbo Speed Skating Record’

This isn’t the first time that Shrishti has broken a record. She has been doing so since 2015 when she was just 11 years old.

Shrishti Dharmendra Sharma, an 18-year-old super skater from India, has broken her own record for the ‘fastest time to limbo skate over 50 metres’. Shattering her previous record of 7.38 seconds in 2021, she has now achieved this feat in just 6.94 seconds.

Notably, in the sport, a person drives on roller skates underneath an obstacle like a horizontal pole without any form of touch.

According to Guinness World Records’ official website, Shrishti limbo skated under 51 horizontal bars which were placed just 30 cm or 12 inches above the ground – without touching or dislodging any of them.

Additionally, neither her hands nor arms were permitted to touch the floor at any point during the attempt, so she held her legs for the entire duration whilst maintaining the splits position,” it mentioned.

This isn’t the first time that Shrishti has broken a record. She has been doing so since 2015 when she was just 11 years old, noted the website.

As an avid campaigner for the ‘Save a Girl Child’ humanitarian project, she uses her record attempts to promote the organisation. “Every citizen of civilised society should be made aware of the fact that a girl child is as important as a boy child,” she said.

Notably, the first Guinness World Records title Shrishti achieved as an 11-year-old was the ‘lowest limbo skating over 25 metres’. She managed to successfully skate underneath 25 bars placed at a height of 17 cm. To date, no one has been able to break this record, Guinness World Records shared.

Later in 2017, Shrishti elevated the difficulty level and took her talents to an ice rink, achieving the record for the ‘lowest limbo ice skating over 10 metres’ at a height of 17.78 cm. This record, too, hasn’t been toppled to date.

“As Shrishti grew older in age, her body naturally grew bigger in size, meaning it became harder for her to set new records for low limbo skating. However, she didn’t let this stop her from breaking records, and in 2020, she turned her attention to limbo speed skating ,” the website mentioned.

The teen decided to attempt to break the record for the ‘fastest time to limbo skate under 10 bars’. “In 2020, Shrishti successfully broke the record, becoming the first person to break the 2-second barrier, with a time of 1.72 seconds. Amazingly, in 2021, she again broke her record with a time of 1.69 seconds,” it added.

With her latest record, Shrishti has cemented herself as the “queen of limbo skating”.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORT / CRICKET: India beats West Indies by 200 runs in 3rd ODI to Win series 2-1

In response to India’s massive total of 351, West Indies collapsed to 50 for six before being all out for 151 in 35.3 overs.

A clinical India outclassed West Indies by a whopping 200 runs in the third ODI to win the series 2-1 but the lingering questions on the team combination ahead of the World Cup remained in the horizon despite four half-centuries and a top notch bowling effort here on Tuesday, August 1, 2023.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and senior pro Virat Kohli once again opted out to give World Cup hopefuls a fair go but the dominant result isn’t a good enough indication that all boxes have been ticked as the team looks far from settled.

Shubman Gill, who has had a quiet Caribbean sojourn so far, finally found some rhythm with 85 off 92 balls and his opening stand of 143 with an in-form Ishan Kishan (77 off 64 balls) set the platform for a commanding score of 351 for 5 after being put into bat.

Sanju Samson (51 off 41 balls) made a compelling case to be picked as a reserve middle-order batter while skipper Hardik Pandya’s (52-ball-70 not out) five sixes and four boundaries added the finishing flourish on a good batting strip.

The chase was always out of question and Mukesh Kumar’s (3/30 in 7 overs) three-wicket burst with some quality seam bowling in the first Powerplay dashed West Indies’ hopes as they were shot out for 151 in only 35.3 overs.

Gudakesh Motie (39 not out) and Alzarri Joseph (26) delayed the inevitable with a 55-run stand for the ninth wicket.

Shardul Thakur (4/37 in 6.3 overs), Jaydev Unadkat (1/16 in 5 overs) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/25 in 8 overs) were also among the wickets as the series decider turned out to be a lopsided contest.

But there would be questions that will beg answers ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup and subsequent World Cup at home.

For Kishan, the performance in this series will keep him in good stead ahead of Asia Cup but the bigger question remains about his batting position in case KL Rahul isn’t fit for the tourney.

The chances of Rohit Sharma sacrificing his place at the top of the order to accommodate Kishan are slim.

And then if Kishan is asked to bat in the middle-order — No 4 or 5, would it be fair to ask him to perform at that slot straightaway? Samson, one of the contenders for the No. 4 slot in case Shreyas Iyer doesn’t get fit in time for the World Cup, gave a good glimpse of his talent and enthralled his millions of followers on social media.

His innings had four lusty sixes — three off leg-spinner Yannic Cariah, where he got his front-foot out of the way to hit some glorious inside-out shots.

But just as it has been Samson’s bane, he failed to convert his fourth half-century into a big one despite a whole lot of time at his disposal.

Suryakumar Yadav (35) did hit his customary pick-up shot — a six behind square with little width to manoeuvre and also a slashed six off Jayden Seals but once again wasted a golden opportunity to make a mark.

Hardik announced his arrival with a picturesque off-drive and a straight six off Cariah was equally eye-pleasing. Hardik and Suryakumar added 65 runs in 8.1 overs for the fifth wicket but the latter will only have himself to blame or not making most of the opportunities.

Not scoring a fifty against this West Indies attack can surely come back to haunt him in case both Rahul and Shreyas Iyer get fit.

Similarly in bowling department, not picking Yuzvendra Chahal for a single game was slightly baffling as now only nine matches (if they play Asia Cup final) are left before World Cup starts.

With Ravindra Jadeja picking himself as the first spinner, there is no way that Axar Patel can make it to the playing XI.

Similarly, Mukesh Kumar despite his performances at best could be in list of five stand-bys if Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur are picked in the squad of 15.

The fifth seamer has to be a left-armer with variation and Jaydev Unadkat, despite his serious limitations, is likely to be persisted with till the end of World Cup.

Brief scores:

India 351/5 in 50 overs (Ishan Kishan 77, Shubman Gill 85, Sanju Samson 51; Romario Shepherd 2/73).

West Indies 151 all out in 35.3 overs (Alick Athanaze 32; Mukesh Kumar 3/30, Shardul Thakur 4/37).

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / ARCHERY: Sangampreet Singh Bisla, Avneet Kaur clinch individual Gold Medals in Archery, World University Games, Chengdu, China

Bisla got the defeated South African Christian de Klerk 149-147; Avneet prevailed over U.S.A.’s Alyssa Sturgill 144-144 in shoot-off.

Sangampreet Singh Bisla and Avneet Kaur clinched the compound men and women individual gold medals to help India ensure an impressive haul of three gold, one silver and three bronze medals in archery competitions of the World University Games in Chengdu on Monday (July 31).

Bisla got the better of compatriot Aman Saini 147-147 (29-30, 30-30, 30-29, 29-29, 29-29, shoot-off 10*-10, shot closer to the centre) in a tense semifinal contest and raised the bar to defeat South African Christian de Klerk 149-147 (30-30, 29-30, 30-30, 30-28, 30-29) in the final to emerge as the champion.

Saini, who had earlier won a mixed team gold with Pragati and a men’s team bronze with Bisla and Rishabh Yadav, beat Frenchman Victor Bouleau 148-146 (30-29, 29-30, 29-29, 30-30, 30-28) to secure the bronze.

In the women’s competition, Avneet, who had a team silver with Pragati and Purvasha Shende, toppled top-seeded Korean Sua Cho 146-143 (29-27, 27-28, 30-30, 30-29, 30-29) in the last-four and prevailed over U.S.A.’s Alyssa Sturgill 144-144 (28-30, 29-28, 29-29, 29-28, 29-29, shoot-off 10-8) in the title clash.

India had also bagged a bronze medal in recurve women’s team event.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)