‘From my first race win, to four world championships’: Verstappen bids outgoing Horner farewell

New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) Australia batting great Ricky Ponting believes young Sam Konstas has a long way to go if he is to cement his place as a Test opener, and added that playing two matches against India would have given him a lot of learnings. Konstas made 113 in his first two Tests against India, averaging 28.25 and enthralling everyone with a rollicking 60 off 65 balls on debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Konstas has also been included in Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka, starting later this month in Galle.

“I don’t think he can survive as a Test opening batsman playing like that all the time. So he will learn a lot from the first couple of games that he played as a batsman, but just as an international sportsman as well, I think he’ll learn a lot. It’s a big stage and he really enjoyed it at the MCG.”

“But I’ve seen this happen a lot with young players. They come in, they get overawed by everything a little bit, and it takes them a few games or a few series just to actually work out who they are and who they need to be successful international players,” said Ponting on the ICC Review show.

Former India player and head coach Ravi Shastri believes Konstas’ eagerness to announce himself with a bang in the Tests led to him being more than chatty on the field. “I think it was more the exuberance of youth. He was like a cat on a hot tin roof. He wanted to announce himself straight away. There was a lot of talk. He’s someone who’ll take the attack to the opposition.”

“He wanted to walk the talk, and he did that. He flustered India, there’s no doubt about that, in Melbourne. But my advice to him would be ‘You’ve got talent, the focus should be on scoring runs more than anything else’. You focus on your strengths. You play the way you want.”

Shastri also feels Konstas has to back his defensive game in his first overseas Test trip in Sri Lanka. “I think the tour of Sri Lanka in many ways will help. Getting out of Australia, playing overseas, and then getting to learn a lot of other things and maturing,” he said.

–IANS

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New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said the team’s triumph in last year’s home Women’s ODI World Cup has given them the belief to succeed in any showpiece event in the world, adding that preparations were in full swing for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, to be played from June 12 to July 5 in England.

Before taking part in the mega event, Harmanpreet will lead India in a five-match T20I series in South Africa from April 17-27, before squaring off against England in a three-game series. India have never won the Women’s T20 World Cup, but Harmanpreet & Co will be aiming to clinch the title after gaining confidence from winning the ODI World Cup at home.

“See, we always try to do our best in the ICC World Cups. We have definitely gained a lot of confidence after winning the last World Cup. Thing is, if you win a home World Cup, you can go and play and win a World Cup anywhere. There is a lot of pressure in the home World Cup, which we all felt when the tournament was happening from September-November last year.

“I think the upcoming World Cup is also something we all are really working hard for. We played in India last year and now we are going to South Africa before going for the World Cup in England. So I think this is the time where we are preparing more. We are really looking forward to the World Cup and hopefully we can play there very well,” Harmanpreet told reporters on the sidelines of a 1,500-plus seat section in the North Pavilion section of the Omaxe State Stadium in Dwarka, New Delhi, being named after her.

The stand named after Harmanpreet will host only female fans and their families and is part of a 30,000-seat facility at a Rs 2,500 crore, 50-acre integrated sports and lifestyle destination in Dwarka Sector 19B, developed in partnership with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). The honour also makes Harmanpreet the only women’s cricketer in India to have two stadium stands named after her.

“Making a stadium is one thing, but to dedicate a stand for only girls is something which really touched my heart. For a girl, playing cricket is a big dream, but for some girls who are not able to play and fulfill their dreams, but have a strong desire to watch games – giving them that security, freedom to go and enjoy their favourite sport, not only cricket, as we can watch football also – that is a very good thing and a very emotional moment for me because as a cricketer, I only had the dream of playing.

“I never thought that one day a stand will be named after my name. So this is a very emotional moment for me, but I really want to thank them for giving me this reward. I think such things are very rare in the life of a cricketer and I am going to remember this all my life. I will be playing cricket for a few more years, but these are the things which are going to stay with me forever,” said a deeply emotional Harmanpreet.

On the role of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in raising standards of women’s cricket in the country, Harmanpreet said, “Well, I think I have been asked this question many times before. You can take for example, IPL has played a very big role in improving and taking men’s cricket to another level. Due to that, we got back-to-back T20 World Cups there. So I think it has played a very important role in how you can improve your team at what stage.

“Similarly, WPL has played a very big role in improving women’s cricket. If you look at our team’s attitude, it has completely changed now. We have won the ICC title only after three editions of WPL. So I think WPL is going to play a very big role in the future. Hopefully, WPL will continue to support us like this and we will keep winning ICC titles.”

Asked about the reception and rise in recognition and visibility for herself and the team after India’s ODI World Cup win, Harmanpreet explained, “Look, I believe that in any field, you have to do something special. You have to win a title. Then only you will get the recognition.

“Otherwise, it feels like whatever hard work you have done, it all goes to waste. So I think in all these years, it is not that we have only worked hard this year. We have been working hard for so many years.

“Not only our team, but all the women’s cricketers who have come before us, they have been working even though they spend money from their own pocket. So I think winning a title was very important. After winning that, the response we are getting from Indian fans, media and everyone, I think it is a very big thing for us.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mohit Goel, MD Omaxe, said, “Harmanpreet’s journey is about discipline, resilience, and leadership. Naming a stand after her at The Omaxe State is our way of honouring that journey and acknowledging how far women’s sport has come in India.

“We onboarded her even before the World Cup win because we believed in what she stands for. At her suggestion, we are introducing the Pink Stand for women with a capacity of 1500+, to make stadiums more inclusive. We have also welcomed her inputs on facilities that are still hard to find in Indian stadiums, such as separate facilities for women athletes.

“To bring this vision to life, we have partnered with Bentel and other global consultants to ensure that the design, whether for the stadium or the hotel and commercial spaces, meets world-class standards. In fact, the stadium is designed keeping in mind India’s long-term ambition of hosting international sporting events such as the Olympics, FIFA tournaments, Paralympics and Commonwealth Games.

–IANS

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Bonn, Jan 20 (IANS) While New Delhi will host the 12th edition of the World Para Athletics Championships from September 26 to October 5 this year, the international body governing the sport has already launched attempts to seek hosts for the next edition of the event in 2027.

The World Para Athletics has launched the Expression of Interest process for the 2027 World Para Athletics Championships and the 2027 World Para Athletics U20 Championships.

All Expressions of Interest will be reviewed and a preferred host will be identified for each championship in the next couple of months.

Once identified as a preferred host, WPA will engage directly to further explore the feasibility of hosting the event. All organisations that submit an Expression of Interest application will be notified, the World Para Athletics informed in a release on Monday.

The World Para Athletics Championships is the world’s largest single Para sport event. Held biennially, it brings together over 1,000 elite athletes with physical, intellectual, and visual impairments from around the globe to compete in more than 160 track and field medal events.

Beyond the sporting legacy and economic value, the World Para Athletics Championships serves as a powerful platform to promote diversity and inclusion, challenging societal perceptions of persons with disabilities – who represent 15% of the global population.

The World Para Athletics U20 Championships is the junior counterpart to the World Para Athletics Championships. The event offers young athletes with disabilities a unique chance to represent their nations on the global stage.

For host cities, it provides an excellent opportunity to develop and strengthen hosting credentials for future international Para sports events while witnessing emerging stars who will be vying for medals at future Worlds and Paralympic Games. The U20 World Championships also serves as a powerful channel to promote sporting activities among young people with disabilities.

–IANS

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