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Bikaner, Nov 26 (IANS) Representing Berhampur University, Rinki Nayak won a silver medal at the Khelo India University Games Rajasthan 2025.

The Khelo India University Games Rajasthan 2025 on Tuesday was more than a podium finish; it was the culmination of a four-year battle marked by loss, grief and unwavering resilience.

Representing Berhampur University in her maiden KIUG appearance, the 23-year-old lifted a total of 149kg (63kg Snatch; 86kg Clean & Jerk) to claim silver in the women’s 48kg category, finishing behind Shivaji University’s Kajol Magadev Sargar (158kg) and ahead of Chandigarh University’s Rani Nayak (148kg) held at the Indoor Hall of Maharaja Ganga Singh University here in Bikaner.

Rinki’s competitive journey has included a gold medal in the ASMITA league for women weightlifters. ASMITA (Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action) is part of Khelo India’s mission to elevate women’s sports in India.

The achievement weighed far more than her competition total. On July 24, 2020, returning home from training, Rinki’s life changed in an instant when she found that her father, Niladri Nayak, had taken his own life.

The weight of family pressures had become unbearable for him, and among those pressures was his unwavering support for Rinki’s dream to make a name in sports. Niladri had stood by her from the very beginning, cheering her on through school athletics and later when she transitioned into weightlifting.

The two years that followed were the hardest she had ever faced. Rinki slipped into depression, struggled to process her grief, and continued training despite her mother’s strong disapproval of her pursuing sport. Still, she held on to her father’s belief in her and to the small circle of friends, coaches and well-wishers who refused to let her give up.

For Rinki, the KIUG Rajasthan silver comes on the back of a gold in the ASMITA Weightlifting league, earlier this year. The 2020 tragedy almost derailed her career for a couple of years, but the motivation from friends and coaches helped her regain her focus on the sport.

Cut off from her family, with her mother even blocking her calls, Rinki, the eldest of four siblings, hasn’t returned home in the past two years and has instead shifted her focus entirely to the sport. She began with a few tournaments, but it took time to regain her focus. She now credits the Odisha government’s support for bringing her career back on track, as she doesn’t have to worry about her food, accommodation, training, or nutritional needs. Rinki trains at the Biju Patnaik Weightlifting Hall in Bhubaneswar.

“This was my first Khelo India University Games, and winning the silver medal was special here. The focus was obviously on the gold medal, but the silver medal means I will have to get back and work more on my shortcomings. It hasn’t been an easy journey for me, but I want to thank the government for the support over the years,” an emotional Rinki told SAI Media.

Elaborating on her journey, Rinki, who hails from Berhampur, said, “I started in athletics from school, before my teacher asked me to switch to weightlifting. My father supported me in sports but somewhere my mother was worried, and she never approved her daughter to be an athlete.”

“Gradually things started getting worse at home, and as my dad was working in a private company in Visakhapatnam, I never had direct family support. During lockdown, when he returned, things turned worse, and ultimately it was too much for him to sustain to the family pressure. I was training some 3km away from our place during that period, and on July 24, after returning from training, I found that he was no more,” said Rinki, with tears rolling down as she recalled the fateful event.

“For some time, I wasn’t able to gather myself, every time the scenes flashed before my eyes, I was troubled mentally, and ultimately was down with depression. It was difficult to return to normal, but my friends and coaches stood beside me throughout that phase,” she added.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS) Former India captain Anil Kumble believes India could have applied “a little more pressure” on the West Indies batters on a docile Arun Jaitley Stadium pitch, even as the hosts remain on the brink of sealing a 2-0 series win.

“What India could have done better was to put a little more pressure on the batters,” Kumble said after day four. “The pitch was really docile. But credit to the West Indian batters as well. I know we’re looking at it from an Indian bowling perspective, but I thought the West Indies batters really applied themselves.”

Kumble revealed that he had spoken with West Indies head coach Darren Sammy before the play and credited the visitors for answering their coach’s call for application.

“I had a brief chat with Darren Sammy yesterday morning, and the first thing he said was, ‘I wish our batters could apply themselves more’. They’ve now shown the coach that they can do it. We saw that yesterday and again today. Even the tail-enders applied themselves really well. I thought the No. 10 and No. 11 batted brilliantly to frustrate the Indian bowlers. Maybe, India could have applied a bit more pressure through field placements to force mistakes.”

Kumble’s remarks came at the end of a long, grinding day for India. What initially seemed like a stroll towards a 2-0 series win turned into a test of endurance, as the hosts fielded for 200 overs since the middle of day two before being asked to chase 121.

At stumps, India were 63/1, with B Sai Sudharsan (30*) and KL Rahul (25*) guiding the side to safety after the early loss of Yashasvi Jaiswal. The hosts now need just 58 more runs to complete victory, but the road to that modest target was anything but easy.

When West Indies resumed their second innings midway through day three, few would have expected them to drag the match into the final day. Reduced to 35/2 after quick strikes from Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar, the visitors found unlikely heroes in John Campbell and Shai Hope.

The pair stitched a defiant 177-run stand for the third wicket – a partnership that not only revived West Indies’ innings but also restored pride to their Test side. Campbell’s 115 was his maiden Test hundred in his 50th innings, while Hope ended an eight-year wait for a century with a composed 103.

“West Indies went past the follow-on mark and ensured that India had to bat again,” Kumble said, singling out Hope’s resilience.

“I thought Shai Hope was exceptional. We all know his potential. He’s done it consistently in white-ball cricket. He had a great start to his Test career as well. I remember when I was a coach and we toured the West Indies, he played a practice game before the series started, batted brilliantly, got a hundred, and looked the part. Since then, his performances dipped a bit, but to get his first fifty after 31 innings and now a hundred today, he really looked solid. I’m sure he’s now taken that No. 4 role very seriously, and that’s something the West Indies will want to build on moving forward.”

Hope’s partnership with Campbell set the tone for a day of stubborn resistance. From 293/4, West Indies slid to 311/9, before Justin Greaves (50*) and Jayden Seales (32) frustrated India further by batting out 25.2 overs for the final wicket – their 79-run stand becoming West Indies’ second-best of the year.

Despite three wickets each from Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, India’s bowlers were made to sweat under the Delhi sun. The decision to enforce the follow-on – after bowling West Indies out for 311 in 81.5 overs in the first innings – looked bold at the time but grew increasingly taxing as the fourth day wore on.

As the shadows lengthened, Rahul and Sudharsan calmly saw off the remaining overs, ensuring there were no late hiccups. The result may appear inevitable now, but the match has already reinforced the timeless truth of Test cricket – that it rewards patience, persistence, and the power to endure.

On Tuesday, India will return needing 58 more runs.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 19 (IANS) Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani has been unanimously appointed as the chairman of the Africa Cricket Association (ACA), after serving in the role in an interim capacity since November 2023.

His appointment was confirmed at the ACA’s annual general meeting in Singapore on Friday, where all 23 member associations backed his leadership.

Mukuhlani’s confirmation comes at a pivotal time for African cricket, which is undergoing structural reform. The ACA has recently adopted a new memorandum of incorporation aimed at improving governance and transparency across the continent.

“We stand today at the threshold of a new era for African cricket – an era defined by stronger governance, broader opportunity and renewed ambition,” Mukuhlani said in a statement issued by Zimbabwe Cricket. “Let us continue building on the progress we have made, united by a common purpose and driven by a shared love for the game.”

Among the key initiatives on the ACA’s agenda are the long-awaited launch of a continent-wide Africa T20 competition, the revival of the Afro-Asia Cup, and the integration of cricket into the 2027 Africa Games in Egypt. Cricket made its debut at the Africa Games in 2023 in Ghana, where Zimbabwe won both the men’s and women’s events. South Africa had sent experimental squads, while Zimbabwe fielded an emerging men’s team.

Mukuhlani sees participation in multi-sport events as a strategic step toward growing the game and attracting greater financial and institutional backing. “These engagements are crucial not only for visibility but also for opening new doors of investment, policy support and continental collaboration,” he said.

A seasoned administrator, Mukuhlani has led Zimbabwe Cricket since 2015, earning re-election three times. Under his leadership, ZC has managed to reduce its debt, recover from an ICC suspension over government interference, and secure a place for the women’s team in the ICC’s Future Tours Programme.

–IANS

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