New Delhi, July 23 (IANS) Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) president Rakesh Tiwari has termed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement, in the Union Budget, for developing sports infrastructure in Bihar, as a historic moment for the entire sporting community of Bihar. BCA president Tiwari expressed heartfelt gratitude towards the Finance Minister and said it is a crucial step towards nurturing the immense sporting talent in Bihar.

New Delhi, July 23 (IANS) Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) president Rakesh Tiwari has termed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement, in the Union Budget, for developing sports infrastructure in Bihar, as a historic moment for the entire sporting community of Bihar.

BCA president Tiwari expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the Finance Minister’s announcement and said it is a crucial step towards nurturing the immense sporting talent in Bihar.

“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Honorable Finance Minister for the significant investment announced in the sports infrastructure in the Budget 2024. This is a historic moment for the entire sports community of our state,” said Rakesh Tiwari.

“The development of new sports facilities is not only a matter of pride but also a crucial step towards nurturing the immense talent in Bihar. The advanced infrastructure will provide our athletes with the necessary resources for training, competition, and excelling at national and international levels. This initiative will undoubtedly foster a vibrant sports culture in our state,” he added.

The Budget 2024 unveiled several significant initiatives for Bihar, aimed at transforming the state into a key driver of ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India). The finance minister announced plans to establish new airports, and medical colleges, and develop sports infrastructure within the state. The BCA president emphasized the importance of these developments for cricket players in Bihar, noting that the new facilities will offer better training grounds, modern amenities, and high-quality infrastructure.

“Specifically for cricket, these improvements are extremely vital. Our players will now have access to better training grounds, modern amenities, and high-quality facilities, essential for their growth and progress. This announcement aligns perfectly with our vision to elevate Bihar cricket to new heights and to prepare world-class cricketers,” said Tiwari.

“On behalf of the Bihar Cricket Association, I reiterate our commitment to supporting this initiative and working with the government to realize these plans,” he added.

–IANS

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Colombo, July 23 (IANS) Following a successful season in the recent Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024, the Strikers family is expected to return in another exciting show at the Max 60 Caribbean League. The Strikers family is determined to provide unrivalled cricket excitement and promises to deliver another thrilling display of cricketing prowess in the international cricket season.

Muhammad Waseem’s incredible batting prowess for the Colombo Strikers and Isuru Udana’s dynamic all-around ability for the New York Strikers are expected to make it memorable in their match against the Caribbean Giants. Udana and Waseem were also the two unmatched talents that made the Strikers’ moments unforgettable on the field.

Talking about their participation in the upcoming Max 60 Caribbean League, Waseem said, “The team is hoping for a successful opening game against the Caribbean squad. The fact that we are flexible is to our advantage. Preserving our edge and strengthening it is our objective.”

Former Sri Lanka cricketer said, “I am confident that our team is well-prepared to compete for top honours in the upcoming Max 60 Caribbean League.”

Udana also discussed his team’s intention to work harder this season by sharing, “We want to win right away so were excited for our first game. I promise to make a major contribution both on and off the field. I am truly honoured to have been chosen for the New York Strikers roster.”

A long-lasting legacy in the cricket world has been established by the Strikers’ team due to their dominance in major competitions like the Abu Dhabi T10 the Legends Cricket Trophy and the Lanka Premier League.

Being the owner of a successful international franchise, Sagar Khanna shares, “The Strikers mission always has been to participate in more competitive international formats. Participation at the upcoming Max 60 Carribean League adds great anticipation even for fans who have been constantly supporting our game.”

The Strikers Squad owner Sagar Khanna elaborates on the winning roster by saying, “As always our priority is to support our squad members for peak performance. Our team this season is full of veterans ready to add some excitement and thrills to our campaign on the Caribbean stage.”

–IANS

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Kollam (Kerala), July 23 (IANS) Hockey Karnataka, Hockey Andhra Pradesh and Kerala Hockey won in the women’s category while Le Puducherry, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu and Kerala ended up winning in the men’s category in the fourth day of the 2nd Hockey India Sub Junior Women South Zone Championship 2024 here on Tuesday.

In the first match of the day, Hockey Karnataka defeated Le Puducherry 6-0. Pearlin Ponnamma A.G. (13’, 41’, 46’, 57’) stood out to be the top goal-scorer as he scored four goals at regular intervals throughout the game. Jeevitha H.N. (18’) and Poorvi Poovamma K.A. (60’) also scored one goal each.

In the other match in the Women’s category, Hockey Andhra Pradesh defeated Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 2-1 in a closely contested game. Captain Pujari Madhurima Bai (27’, 42’) took charge and scored two goals in each quarter to take the game away from the opponents. On the other hand, Kanimozhi B (40’) scored the lone goal for her side.

In the last match of the women’s category on Tuesday, Kerala Hockey defeated Telangana Hockey 7-0. For Kerala Hockey, Abhay Jyothi A S (5’, 55’) and Parameswari Pinapothula (8’, 34’) scored two goals each whereas Sriya Rasheen K T (2’), Karthika K S (17’) and Alfeeya (45’) scored one goal each to take the game away from Telangana Hockey.

In the first match in the men’s category, Le Puducherry Hockey won against Telangana Hockey 4-1. N Nithishwaran (30’, 42’, 48’) scored a hattrick and cemented the position of Le Puducherry Hockey in the game. Praveen (35’) also scored one goal for his side. On the other side, Akhil Gogula (38’) scored the consolation goal for Telangana Hockey.

In the other match of the same category, the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu defeated Hockey Karnataka 5-1. Renjith (39’, 47’, 57’) affirm the victory against the opponent after scoring a hattrick in the second half. Lennan Madappa C.P. (3’) and Durgesh S.K. (54’) also scored one goal each to further take the game away from Hockey Karnataka. Yashwanth K.R. (1’) scored the consolation goal for his side.

In the final match of the day in the men’s category, Kerala Hockey defeated Hockey Andhra Pradesh 8-0. Larka Aditya (13’, 22’) and Bahala Suraj (49’, 55’) scored a couple of goals each whereas Minz Dinesh (27’), Ekka Jawan (38’), Bobby Alex (44’) and Abhinav S (60’) also scored one goal each to take their team on the winning side.

–IANS

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Neuburg, July 23 (IANS) Audi have announced former Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto as the new boss of their Formula 1 project on Tuesday. Earlier this year German car maker Audi took full ownership of the Sauber team, which will be run under the Audi banner from 2026, with an all-new power unit currently being developed in-house in Germany.

Binotto, 54, will take charge of the operation on August 1 as Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer, based at the Sauber factory in Hinwil, Switzerland. He will report directly to the board of directors.

In the restructuring, former McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl, who joined Sauber in January 2023 as CEO of the Audi team, is departing, along with Audi executive Oliver Hoffmann, who was overseeing the project. Binotto served as Chief Technical Officer at Ferrari before being promoted to Team Principal in 2019. He left the role in 2022 after three years and had been with the Scuderia since the mid-1990s.

“I am delighted that we have been able to recruit Mattia Binotto for our ambitious Formula 1 project,“ said Audi CEO Gernot Dollner. “With his extensive experience of more than 25 years in Formula 1, he will undoubtedly be able to make a decisive contribution to Audi.“

Explaining the restructure, Dollner added: “Our aim is to bring the entire Formula 1 project up to F1 speed by means of clear management structures, defined responsibilities, reduced interfaces, and efficient decision-making processes. For this purpose, the team must be able to act independently and quickly.

“I would like to thank Oliver and Andreas for their important work in establishing our entry into Formula 1 and their commitment to preparing it,“ he said.

Nico Hulkenberg, who will leave Haas at the conclusion of the season to join Kick Sauber, is the first driver confirmed to be a part of Audi’s team. The German driver called the move “interesting” and “very exciting”.

Since 2022, Chinese racer Zhou Guanyu and Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas have represented the Hinwil team; however, when the current campaign concludes, it is unclear what lies ahead for either driver.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 23 (IANS) Hockey India on Tuesday named the core probable group for the senior men’s national coaching camp in SAI, Bengaluru for the forthcoming Asian Champions Trophy to be held in Hulunbuir City, China in September. The core group includes players who didn’t make the final cut for Paris 2024. It also includes players from the development group and the junior men’s hockey team. Players from the Olympic squad will join the ongoing national camp on August 24 after a brief break. The camp will end on September 4.

Players called up for the national camp include goalkeepers Suraj Karkera and Mohit HS, defenders Varun Kumar, Amir Ali, Amandeep Lakra, Rohit, Sukhvinder and Yogember Rawat. Midfielders called up include Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, Mohd Raheel Mouseen, Vishnukant Singh, Rajinder Singh, Ankit Pal, Poovanna C.B and Rosan Kujur.

Among the forwards called up are Maninder Singh, Karthi S, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Boby Singh Dhami, Uttam Singh and Gurjot Singh.

“While the Senior Squad prepares to begin our campaign in Paris 2024, we already have a strong set of players in the fringes waiting to get an opportunity to play for India again. With the Asian Champions Trophy scheduled only weeks after the completion of the Olympic Games, the preparations for this continental championship have already begun with the national coaching camp called up in SAI, Bengaluru.

“These players will continue to train together for the Asian Champions Trophy where India will go in as defending Champions. The Olympic Squad will join them on 24 August,” chief coach Craig Fulton was quoted as saying in a release by Hockey India on Tuesday.

Core Probables Group:

Goalkeepers: Suraj Karkera, Mohit HS,

Defenders: Varun Kumar, Amir Ali, Amandeep Lakra, Rohit, Sukhvinder, Yogember Rawat

Midfielders: Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, Mohd Raheel Mouseen, Vishnukant Singh, Rajinder Singh, Ankit Pal, Poovanna CB, Rosan Kujur

Forwards: Maninder Singh, Karthi S, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Boby Singh Dhami, Uttam Singh, Gurjot Singh.

–IANS

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