Category: Sports

Samokov (Bulgaria), Aug 18 (IANS) India’s Sumit Malik produced a dominant display in the 57kg weight category to book his place in the final of the U20 World Wrestling Championships on Monday. Malik overpowered Ion Bulgaru (MDA) 11-3 in the semifinal, showcasing relentless attacking intent and sharp defense to give himself a shot at the gold medal.

Malik struck first with a stepout on the activity clock, before adding another stepout and takedown to head into the break with a 4-0 lead. He kept the pressure on in the second period, extending the advantage with a takedown and stepout to make it 7-0.

Bulgaru briefly responded with a takedown on the edge, but Malik’s forward momentum proved unstoppable as he sealed the win with another stepout and takedown.

Both wrestlers were cautioned for open-hand contact, but the Indian held firm to close out an impressive 11-3 victory. Malik will now face Magomed Ozdamirov (UWW) in the gold medal bout after the Russian-trained wrestler edged Kazakhstan’s Nurdanat Aitanov 3-1 in the other semifinal.

Elsewhere, Kazakhstan’s Kamil Kurugliyev continued his resurgence by reaching the 92kg final. The former U17 world champion, who had previously finished fifth in 2023 and claimed bronze in 2024 at 97kg, dropped to 92kg this year and has already upgraded his medal.

In a tense semifinal, he overcame Azerbaijan’s returning bronze medalist Anar Jafarli 9-6, thanks largely to an early four-point throw. Kurugliyev will face Asian U20 champion Sherzod Poyonov (UZB), who advanced after pinning Gadzhimurad Gadzhibatyrov (UWW).

The United States also enjoyed a strong day, securing two finalists. At 65kg, Luke Stanich upset European U20 and U23 champion Amal Dzhandubaev (UWW) 3-1 with disciplined wrestling and a decisive second-period takedown.

He will meet Japan’s Reiji Uchida, who dismantled Viktor Borohan (UKR) 10-0 with stepouts and a lace attack. At 79kg, Pan-American U20 champion William Henckel battled past Asian U20 champion Amit (IND) 5-4, relying on an early takedown-and-gut sequence and holding on despite a late Indian fightback.

Henckel’s final opponent will be Iran’s Mahdi Yousefi, a returning bronze medalist and senior Asian champion, who overcame Said Saidulov (UWW) 15-7 in a high-scoring bout.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Minority Affairs, on Monday met upcoming woman bodybuilder Hillang Yajik from Arunachal Pradesh and gave her his blessings and best wishes for her future endeavours.

Rijiju, who is a Member of Parliament (MP) from Arunachal Pradesh and also a former Sports Minister of the country, praised Hillang Yajik, who has recently won a gold and a silver medal in the 15th Asian Bodybuilding Championship 2025.

“Met and congratulated Miss Hillang Yajik from Arunachal Pradesh, who recently made us proud by winning 1 Gold & 1 Silver Medal at the 15th South Asian Bodybuilding & Physique Sports Championships 2025 in Thimphu, Bhutan. My blessings to her & best wishes for all her future endeavours,” Rijiju wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

On the occasion, the Minister also issued a video message accompanying the post in which he also congratulated the Indian Bodybuilders Federation for doing a good job and promoting bodybuilding in the country.

“On my behalf, I would like to congratulate Hillang Yajik because she is a very talented girl from Arunachal Pradesh. For the first time in the world of bodybuilding, she has won an international title and got a special mention,” said Rijiju.

“I would like to congratulate and thank the Indian Bodybuilders Federation because they have done a very good job and have made bodybuilding popular in the whole country. And I would like to specially congratulate President Ramesh Kumar Swami Ji and General Secretary Chetan Pathariya Ji. You all keep doing good work. We will always support you,” he said.

He gave his special blessings to Hillang Yajik for making the country proud on the International stage.

My special blessings for Hillang Yajit, as she made India proud by winning the competition for the last time. He is now going to the Asian Championship. She has my best wishes to her for the upcoming competition,” said the Minister.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) New Delhi Tigers produced a scintillating all-round performance to register a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over North Delhi Strikers in their Delhi Premier League (DPL) clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Monday.

Batting first, the Strikers struggled right from the start as they lost wickets in quick succession, slipping to 54/6 inside 12 overs. But Vaibhav Kandpal and Arjun Rapria came to the rescue with a fighting 58-run partnership for the seventh wicket.

Rapria’s innings of 29 (24) kept the scoreboard ticking, while Kandpal played a spirited knock of 45 (32), but their efforts only managed to take the side to 124/9 in 20 overs.

For the Tigers, Yashjeet was the star of the show, delivering a dream spell of 4-15 in his four overs. He was ably supported by Pankaj Jaswal (2-28) and Pradyuman Sanan (2-22), who kept the pressure on from both ends.

Chasing 125, the Tigers had a shaky start as Shivam Gupta fell on the very first ball of the innings, dismissed by Harshit Rana.

However, the setback didn’t deter them as skipper Himmat Singh and Lakshay Thareja took charge with a fluent 78-run partnership for the second wicket. Himmat played a captain’s knock of 46 (25), laced with crisp strokes all around the park.

After his dismissal, Lakshay Thareja (42 not out off 31) ensured the chase remained on track, combining with Vaibhav Rawal (27 not out off 22) to take the Tigers home. The duo’s unbeaten 47-run stand sealed the deal and underlined the Tigers’ dominance on the night.

The Delhi Premier League (DPL) witnessed a dazzling display of fast bowling as Sumit Kumar Beniwal’s fiery five-wicket haul helped South Delhi Superstarz script a comprehensive 46-run victory over Purani Dilli 6 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.

–IANS

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Gwalior, Aug 18 (IANS) Rohtak Rowdies climbed the points table with a well-deserved 20-7 win over Mumbai Muscle, and Kiraak Hyderabad continued their dominance at the top with a 14-11 win over MP Hathodas on the 14th day of the Pro Panja League Season 2 at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Training Centre for Disability Sports.

The player of the day was awarded to Asian and World Champion Srinivas B.V. of Rohtak Rowdies, who dominated in the Specially-Abled category. Teammate Manoj Debnath silenced the massive crowd after defeating Gwalior’s Jogendar Yadav of Mumbai Muscle in fine fashion.

The Fixture 1 Undercard began with Rohtak Rowdies’ Billa Tajamul securing a commanding 2-0 win over Mumbai Muscle’s Ishan Kashyap in the 80kg category. Mumbai struck back through Gautam Kumar, who edged out a close 2-1 victory against Rahul Nayak in the 60kg bout. However, Rowdies closed out strongly as Kunal Verma overpowered Rohit Puri Goswami with a 2-0 win in the 90kg contest, giving the Rowdies a lead before the Main Card.

Kiraak Hyderabad dominated the Second Undercard fixture with a clean sweep against MP Hathodas. Stewe Thomas defeated MP Hathodas’ Muzahid Shaikh 2-0 in the 70kg category, while Madhura KN followed suit with another 2-0 victory over Shivani Yadav in the 65kg division. The momentum carried into the 55kg bout, where Rachna Jatav overpowered Airi Kmenlang Shabong 2-0, sealing a flawless undercard win for Kiraak Hyderabad.

The first Main Card saw Rohtak Rowdies continue their strong run. Srinivas B.V. gave them the perfect start with a convincing 10-0 win over Krishna Sharma in the Specially-Abled category. Krishan made a bold move of activating the challenger round in the first round itself and backed it on the table as well, pinning his opponent in just 0.64s. Paarth Sonni won back crucial points for Mumbai Muscle as he overpowered Attar Sing 5-0 in the 100+ kg battle. Attar was playing defensively using the King’s Move, but Paarth did well in his attacks and won the three-straight rounds.

In the third match-up, Manoj Debnath of Rohtak Rowdies defeated local favourite Jogendar Yadav in the 70kg match with a clean 5-0 sweep. Manoj Debnath displayed immense confidence with a flashpin in the first round, followed by two more comfortable victories as Jogendar couldn’t match his opponent’s powerful hooks.

The final set of battles for the evening once again went in Kiraak Hyderabad’s favour, who are currently on top of the standings. Amit Singh of Kiraak Hyderabad emerged victorious over Shaju AU of MP Hathodas in the 100kg clash with a scoreline of 3-1.

Amit won the first two rounds to gain a comfortable position in the fixture. Shaju won the third round to gain a point, but couldn’t complete his comeback as Amit secured the final round and a win to his name. MP Hathodas’ star player, Sachin Goyal, built on his form from Sunday with another dominant 10-0 win, this time against Dheeraj Singh of Kiraak Hyderabad in the 80kg category.

Sachin performed three consecutive flashpins, including one in just 0.20 seconds, during the challenger round to claim crucial points for his team. The closing match saw Naveen MV win with a clean sweep, beating Akash Handique 5-0, as the table leaders rounded off the day with a win. Kiraak Hyderabad defeated MP Hathodas 14-11.

–IANS

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New York, Aug 18, (IANS) The US Open 2025 is all set to kick off with a thrilling mixed doubles showcase featuring top-ranked tennis stars and wildcard pairings. Scheduled for August 19 and 20, just ahead of the main singles draws beginning on August 24, the event will serve as an action-packed curtain-raiser to one of tennis’s most prestigious tournaments.

The showcase will include 16 players: the top eight based on combined singles rankings and eight wildcard entries. The new scheduling format allows elite singles players to participate in this exhibition-style event, creating rare and exciting pairings for fans to enjoy.

Among the headline duos is Emma Raducanu, 2021 US Open champion, who will team up with 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz as a wildcard entry. Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam winner, partners with fellow Serbian Olga Danilovic, while Venus Williams, still competing at 45, will join forces with Reilly Opelka.

Additional standout pairings include British No. 1 Jack Draper with World No. 4 Jessica Pegula, and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner paired with 10-time Grand Slam doubles champion Katerina Siniakova. Defending mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori are also set to return as a wildcard pairing.

This two-day event promises high-stakes matches, rare team-ups, and a vibrant energy that sets the stage for the main tournament. With both established legends and emerging stars sharing the court, the US Open 2025 mixed doubles showcase is poised to captivate tennis fans across the globe.

The tournament will be streamed live on JioHotstar and broadcast on Star Sports Network, August 19–20.

–IANS

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Mysore, Aug 18 (IANS) The defending champions, Mysore Warriors, were back to winning ways with a 39-run victory over the Bengaluru Blasters in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 league in a rain-curtailed match here on Monday.

After Yashovardhan Parantap (39 off 21) made a vital contribution to bring the Mysore Warriors to 136/7 in 16 overs (match reduced to 16 overs an innings due to rain), the combination of youth and experience in Shikhar Shetty and K. Gowtham sliced through the Blasters’ batting unit to restrict them to 97/9.

The Blasters’ chase had a poor start with Chethan L.R. (0), Mayank Agarawal (1 off 3) and Bhuvan Raju (5 off 6) departing in quick succession. It was Shikhar Shetty, K. Gowtham, and Karthik C.A., who picked up a wicket each to leave the Blasters reeling at 8/3 in 2.4 overs.

The Blasters’ downfall continued as they lost three crucial wickets in the next five overs. Shikhar Shetty turned the screws with two more wickets, removing Naveen M.G. (9 off 7) and then striking again to send Suraj Ahuja (2 off 9) back to the pavilion. Opener Rohan Patil (10 off 12) struggled to get going until he was bowled by K. Gowtham, leaving the innings in disarray.

The Blasters needed 107 runs in the final eight overs with four wickets, and the equation proved too steep. Madhav Prakash Bajaj (34 off 20) fought back along with Shubhang Hegde (13 off 17) in a 37-run stand towards the end, but the Blasters wound up well short at 97/9 in 18 overs.

Put in to bat first, the Warriors made the most of the revised Power-play of 4.5 overs, collecting 57 runs for the loss of two wickets. Karthik S.U. (13 off 9) was trapped LBW by Vidyadhar Patil, while C.A. Karthik (20 off 8) launched two sixes and a four before he fell to Naveen MG.

Runs were hard to come by in the next phase of the innings as Harshil Dharmani (14 off 13) and Manish Pandey (12 off 13) were scalped by Shubhang Hegde and Mohsin Khan. At the halfway mark, the Warriors were 68/4.

Lankesh K.S. (15 off 18) was unable to replicate his form from last night and became Mohsin Khan’s second scalp of the innings as the spinner returned figures of 3/10 in his three overs. Yashovardan Parantap (39 off 21) provided a much-needed boost in the final few overs, thumping two fours and two sixes as he put on a 43-run partnership in 22 balls with Sumit (12* off 11). Parantap was looking dangerous but fell to Vidyadhar Patil when he holed out to Mohsin Khan in the penultimate over of the innings.

Prateek Jain took the onus of bowling the last over and only conceded six runs, including the run-out of K Gowtham (3 off 3) as the Warriors finished at 136/7 in the allotted 16 overs.

Brief scores :

Mysore Warriors 136/7 in 16 overs (Karthik CA 20, Yashovardhan Parantap 39; Vidhyadhar Patil 2-32, Mohsin Khan 2-10) beat Bengaluru Blasters 97/9 in 16 overs (Madhav Prakash Bajaj 34; K Gowtham 2/11, Shikhar Shetty 3/5) by 39 runs VJD Method.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Girish Gupta’s gold in the 10m air pistol men youth event, in which he led an Indian 1-2, ensured the country ended competition Day One of the 16th Asian Shooting Championship Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, on a profitable note.

The 17-year-old shot 241.3 in the final to finish ahead of compatriot Dev Pratap. The 14-year-old shot 238.6 for silver.

India thus earned two gold and three silver medals on Day One after Kapil Bainsla had won the junior men’s air pistol gold and both the senior and junior men’s teams had won silver medals each.

Day two on Tuesday has the women’s air pistol finals across categories, on schedule.

Earlier in the day, Kapil Bainsla from Palwal, Haryana, won India their first gold of the event, firing 243.0 in the 10m air pistol men junior final, leaving Uzbekistan’s Ilkhombek Obidjonov 0.6 behind in second. Kapil’s compatriot Jonathan Gavin Antony won bronze, shooting 220.7, bowing out after the 22nd shot of the 24-shot final.

Kapil had shot 579 to finish fourth in qualification and made the top eight alongside Jonathan, who was second with 582. Mukesh Nelavali was just two inner 10s less than Jonathan, to finish third and make it three Indians in the final. Korean Kim Dooyeon topped the board, also shooting 582, but with at least six shots in the inner 10-ring more than Jonathan.

It was Ilkhombek, who then was the fastest off the blocks in the final, with Kapil chasing him all through, before going past him after the 15th shot for the first time. The Uzbek regained the advantage after the 20th shot, and going into the final two, was a full point ahead of Kapil.

The young Indian then finished with a 10.8 and 10.6, while Ilkhombek, after shooting a 10.4 for his 23rd, buckled to finish with a 9.4, handing Kapil the title. Kapil and Jonathan also combined with Vijay Tomar to win the team silver in the event with a total of 1723. Korea won gold with 1734, and host Kazakhstan won bronze.

In the senior men’s final, Anmol Jain, the only Indian in the fray, finished sixth with 155.1. China’s Hu Kai won gold, while China also won the team gold in the event. Anmol, along with Aditya Malra and Saurabh Chaudhary, won the team silver with a combined effort of 1735.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The Neetu David-led selection committee is likely to announce the squad for the Women’s ODI World Cup and the preceding three-match home ODI series against Australia on Tuesday. Sources tracking the developments told IANS that the selection committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. There have also been indications that the World Cup squad may be finalised in the meeting, but could be announced at a later date.

“More details on the Women’s ODI World Cup squad announcement could come once there is official confirmation and relevant logistics around it are sorted. It is to be noted that there is a red alert in Mumbai for heavy rain,” the sources added.

There was initial speculation that both squads could be different, with an aim to keep certain players fresh for the World Cup. But now it has emerged that the same squad is likely to be announced, with scope for only minimal changes depending on what the five-member selection committee and team management decide.

IANS also understands that the selection committee is likely to pick an India A team for the World Cup warm-up game against South Africa, to be held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru.

The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA International Cricket Stadium at Mullanpur will host the first two women’s ODIs between India and Australia on September 14 and 17, before the final game of the series takes place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 20.

While Mullanpur will be hosting women’s international cricket for the first time, New Delhi will host a women’s ODI after November 1995. The Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, enters the final leg of its ODI World Cup preparation on the back of winning the ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka and both white-ball series in England.

The selection meeting is expected to discuss the availability of some players for both the ODIs against Australia and the World Cup. With Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Richa Ghosh certainties in the batting order, India may likely continue with Pratika Rawal, who has amassed 703 runs since her debut last year, and Harleen Deol, along with Yastika Bhatia as the second wicketkeeper-cum-reserve batter.

There will also be deliberations on explosive opener Shafali Verma, who has fallen behind in the ODI World Cup selection race after an inconsistent run. Though head coach Amol Muzumdar said Shafali was in the mix for World Cup selection at the end of the T20I series win in England. But her scores on the India A tour of Australia – 52, 4 and 36 in three one-dayers, and 41, 3 and 3 in the T20s – have not inspired much confidence.

Pooja Vastrakar’s absence due to a shoulder injury gave Amanjot Kaur the chance to step up admirably as a seam-bowling all-rounder. But a previous back injury flaring up during the ODI series in England means Amanjot will have to be managed with caution, even during the World Cup.

IANS understands that while Amanjot has been given the all clear to play and is not carrying a serious injury (apart from being expected to resume bowling from next week), her workload as an all-rounder requires careful management. One option could be to preserve her for matches against stronger teams in the World Cup and rest her for other games.

The agency also understands that pace spearhead Renuka Singh Thakur, who has been recovering from a back stress fracture sustained after WPL 2025, is likely to be fully fit and on track for selection. It remains to be seen if she will be picked only for the World Cup or for both squads, considering she needs to build up her bowling loads before the mega event.

From the bowling department, Sneh Rana, N. Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Deepti Sharma, and Radha Yadav are certainties. If both Amanjot and Renuka make the cut, seam-bowling all-rounder Arundhati Reddy could be among the standby players, alongside Titas Sadhu and possibly Tejal Hasabnis.

With India missing a leg-spinner in its line-up, young Prema Rawat may get the nod after a strong showing in the white-ball leg of the ongoing ‘A’ team tour of Australia. Overall, Tuesday promises to be a significant day of squad announcements for the women’s team as they gear up to host the ODI World Cup on home soil after 12 years and aim for a maiden championship triumph.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith insists the league has already carved out its place as the premier competition outside the IPL, despite rival tournaments like the BBL pushing for the same recognition.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo ahead of the close of player registrations for this year’s auction, Smith said: “In the southern hemisphere window we want to dominate and we want to be the biggest league outside the IPL. Three years in, we’ve set the standard. Every decision we make is around making sure that we uphold those standards.”

The SA20 enters its fourth season on Boxing Day with all six franchises owned by IPL stakeholders and boasting the second-highest salary cap in world cricket at R41 million (US$2.31m). That figure, Smith believes, underlines the league’s claim to be the “next-best” after the IPL. A marquee auction is scheduled for September 9 in Johannesburg, with player registration closing on August 18.

Smith’s remarks come less than two weeks after Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg told SEN Radio that the BBL would “unashamedly” pursue second place in the global pecking order by exploring privatisation.

“It’s going to be very hard to chase the IPL, given the scale of cricket in India,” Greenberg said, “but unashamedly, we want to run a league that comes second… and to do that you need money, you need investment.”

With the BBL running in the same January window, questions over player availability loom large. Yet Smith remains confident. While Australia’s Test stars are rarely free for the BBL, South Africa’s international and domestic players will prioritise the SA20 even at the expense of national duty — as seen last year when an understrength side toured New Zealand while the main squad remained home.

That move drew criticism at the time, but Smith said the World Test Championship victory proved formats can co-exist: “Everyone was worried that we were going to destroy Test cricket but we’ve seen our national team go on to win the World Test Championship final. We’ve all played our role in the ecosystem.”

The SA20 has also benefited from international star power, particularly England’s white-ball cricketers, though the upcoming Ashes may limit availability this season.

Jos Buttler has already been pre-signed by Durban’s Super Giants, but Smith expects a lively auction with only 13 of 36 available slots filled by South African players. “I expected a lot more top South African players to pre-sign and that didn’t happen,” he said. “From our perspective it’s set up a very exciting auction with a very big purse.”

Smith also revealed ongoing work with Cricket South Africa to improve stadium facilities and pitches ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup. “The pitches last year didn’t play as well as we would have liked… everything is a big work in progress behind the scenes,” he said.

The fourth season of the SA20 will run over the festive period, with no home Tests scheduled for South Africa this summer.

–IANS

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Nottingham, Aug 18 (IANS) Nottingham Forest have announced the signing of Arnaud Kalimuendo, who joins the Club on a five-year deal. The 23-year-old enjoyed a fine season in Ligue 1 in 2024/25, scoring 18 goals and registering four assists in 34 appearances for Stade Rennais.

The Frenchman started his career with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the age of ten, working his way through the Academy in the French capital. Aged just 16, the forward made his debut for the under-19 squad in the UEFA Youth League. He made his official first team debut in 2020, signing a contract extension with the 13-time French champions the same year.

“When I heard about the interest from Forest, I was honoured. This is a proud moment for me, joining a team that had a strong season last year and a Club with great history.

“I’m ready for the challenge, and I arrive here with good experience. I had a good season last year with goals and assists, but I want more and want to reach a new level here.

“I can’t wait to play in the Premier League, and to play at the City Ground. I watched games from last season, and it’s clear that the fans create a beautiful atmosphere. I’m excited to see them and impatient to get started,” said Kalimuendo.

After enjoying two successful loan spells at Lens, where he netted 21 times in 65 appearances, Kalimuendo ended his ten-year association with PSG, moving to Brittany to sign for Rennes in August 2022. Kalimuendo played in the Europa League in his first two seasons for the Ligue 1 side and has gone on to play over 100 times, scoring 40 goals.

Operating primarily as a centre-forward but with the ability to stretch defenders and play out wide, Kalimuendo is an agile forward who arrives on Trentside after his best goalscoring season.

Chief Football Officer, Ross Wilson said, “It’s been a busy few days for us — the culmination of a lot of hard work from our staff over a number of weeks.

“Arnaud is someone whose progress we’ve followed closely across PSG, Lens, and Rennes, and we’re delighted that the next step in his journey will be here in Nottingham.

“He’s arriving with real excitement and big energy, and we look forward to seeing that on the pitch.”

–IANS

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