Sports
Paris Olympics: How an injury helped Jyothi Yarraji get stronger and confident for the Games
Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) There is success at the end of adversity for all those hard-working people who have a positive attitude. Indian hurdler Jyothi Yarraji found a silver lining in troubled times when she suffered an injury in May, just a couple of months before the Olympic Games in Paris.
Jyothi was left a bit scared when she suffered a hip flexor injury while competing in Finland in May but the 24-year-old National Record holder in women’s 100m hurdles, maintained a positive attitude and worked hard in the gym, working on her upper body, even though she could not walk and run.
As a result, says coach James Hillier, Jyothi is now stronger and better prepared for the Olympics than she was earlier, the injury actually coming out to be a blessing in disguise for the athlete supported by Reliance Foundation.
“Yeah, it’s an interesting situation because it was effectively five weeks from the injury to when she raced at the Inter-state (National Inter-State Athletics Championship in Panchkula, Haryana). And Jyothi did just one session before that, effectively one run over hurdles. So, after one practice session before the competition, she still ran 13.06 seconds, which is phenomenal. So, actually, she’s gained confidence after the injury. I believe she’s more confident now than had she not had the injury,” Hillier said during an interaction organised by Reliance Foundation.
Hillier discussed in detail the impact the injury break had on her preparations and how it steeled her resolve to continue working on her strength and become better.
“She never stopped training (despite the injury). So, the only day she didn’t train was the next day when she couldn’t physically walk. After that, she was in the gym. She was straight in the gym. She was doing upper body, she was doing everything that she could do. So, what we did is we just changed the focus of training. She was in the gym five hours a day doing strength training, postural training, coordination training, proprioception training, all this sort of stuff.
“Now, she’s come back from the injury, and she’s now fitter, faster, stronger than she would have been had she not got injured. I’m absolutely convinced of it. What she’s been doing in training here has been phenomenal.
“Her posture now, the position she’s hitting are so good because she’s had five weeks of strength training. So, okay, she wasn’t doing hurdle training at that time, but she didn’t need to do hurdle training. She’s already fit for that. So, the opportunity for us to change the focus of training has actually, I believe, delivered us a better athlete and a better, better-prepared athlete for the Olympic Games.
Hillier said Jyothi has learned a lot from that injury and how it has helped her use adversity to build for success.
“So, this injury has been part of her journey and has actually been a really, really positive thing, not a negative thing. So, yeah, and kudos to Jyothi, because her mindset during this has been so professional. She accepted the injury very, very quickly, and she went straight into focus, focusing on the training that we gave her. And she was extremely positive, extremely dedicated, and, you know, the things that she’s learned from this injury will make her a stronger person and a stronger athlete in this Olympic Games,” said Hillier on Wednesday.
Hillier said Jyothi has emerged better and stronger from the injury. He said this would help her perform better at the Olympics.
“I believe she’s a better and stronger person for this injury. Everybody that’s at the Olympics will have issues, right? Everybody’s going to be dealing with stuff. So this is part of an athlete’s life, you know, this is how it goes. But, yeah, I believe now she’s stronger than she’s ever been, in the mind, in the body, and the injury is part of the preparation, and it’s weirdly been a good thing. So, yeah, let’s see how it all goes,” said the coach about her ward with whom he has been working since 2018.
On her part, Jyothi said the injury was one of the numerous disappointments she has faced in the last few years. She said keeping a positive mindset helped her overcome that difficult period and emerge stronger.
“There are a lot of disappointing moments. There is one in every situation we face. Whenever I face some challenges, whenever I hit some hurdles or I break the record, still it’s not considered or I can’t do what I want in the race all the time. I used to just tell myself that ‘we are humans. It’s okay. Just keep focusing. Don’t lose yourself. And you have a bright future’. The things, everything, positivity, whatever I can tell to myself and I go forward and do the things just I said to myself.
“I really got a little scared because it’s really ahead of the Olympics, it’s not a good time to occur. The injuries, we can’t change. Nobody accepted it this time. Everyone else is training, but we won’t be able to do what we want to do. So, the time I just cry and we see that. So I don’t do that. I always go to the gym if I have pain in the flexor. I just worked on my upper body and I work on my calves and work for my harmonies, hamstrings, and I did meditation, breathing exercises, and worked on my concentration,” said Jyothi about how she worked her way through the injury setback,” she said.
Jyothi, the Asian Championship, Asian Games, and Summer University Games medallist, said she worked step by step in the gym, building on strength and making the most of the opportunity. Asked how she managed to keep a positive attitude during this testing period and the various others she faced over the years, Jyothi said her first reaction to problems and adversity is to cry herself out and get into repairing the problem and improving herself.
“If anything goes wrong, I will cry. Then I will remove my pain and start again. That’s it. But the thing is, this is my job, right? This is what I love to do. So I have to accept the minus points and try to go forward. I don’t have any options. I don’t have any second option. This is what it is, it is a do-or-die situation. If I’m not working on improving myself, then I won’t be able to do it in my whole future. I have to push now. If I’m not pushing now, I’m breaking my hopes and my career and my capabilities, unable to be what I want to be in the future,” said Jyothi, who is currently training in Poland. She will be participating in an event this weekend before reaching Paris on July 29.
–IANS
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Sports
Maharaja T20: Mysore Warriors' all-round performance seals 28-run win over Shivamogga Lions
Bengaluru, Aug 22 (IANS) Shivamogga Lions’ woes continued as they suffered a 28-run defeat to the Mysore Warriors in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
Mysore Warriors delivered a well-rounded performance, anchored by Karun Nair’s (45) swift knock, supported by a few other good contributions in the middle order, and highlighted by late-innings fireworks from J Suchith (22*) and Manoj Bhandage (23).
On the bowling front, Vidyadhar Patil (3/29) and Karthik CA (3/31) played crucial roles in restricting the Shivamogga Lions. Sharath HS’ (4/29) lethal spell with the ball and valiant efforts from Abhinav Manohar (46) and Nihal Ullal (46) with the bat couldn’t turn the tide in Shivamogga’s favour.
Chasing 180, Shivamogga Lions got off to a disastrous start, with Vidyadhar Patil’s lethal first over leading to the dismissals of Mohith Bangalore (2) and Dheeraj Mohan (0) in consecutive deliveries. Skipper Nihal Ullal (46) managed to crack a few early boundaries, but Hardik Raj (17) was also removed by Krishnappa Gowtham, leaving the Lions reeling at 41/3 by the end of the powerplay.
K Gowtham then engineered the run out of Rohan Naveen (11), further denting the chase. The in-form Abhinav Manohar (Impact Player) joined Ullal, and the duo breathed life into the innings, putting together a 70-run partnership in just 43 balls.
However, Ullal fell short of his first half-century of the season, leaving the Shivamogga Lions at 123/5 in 15.1 overs. Manohar also narrowly missed his milestone, holing out to K Gowtham off Karthik CA. Manohar’s 26-ball knock included four sixes and three fours, adding valuable runs to the total.
Karthik CA struck again two deliveries later, dismissing Shivraj S and leaving the Lions in deep trouble. With 47 runs needed from the final 18 balls, Ashok D tried to keep the chase alive by smashing a six and a four off Vidyadhar Patil, but perished in the same over, effectively ending Shivamogga’s prospects. Shivamogga Lions finished at 151/9 in 20 overs, enduring their sixth consecutive loss.
Batting first, Mysore Warriors faced an early challenge as Sharath HS unleashed a menacing spell. He struck in the powerplay, dismissing Karthik SU (8), and then returned in the seventh over to remove CA Karthik (30), who smashed three sixes in a 34-run stand with Karun Nair (45) and Harshil Dharmani (0).
Nair continued in fine touch and peppered the boundary with six fours and two sixes during his 23-ball stay before falling to Ashok D in the 11th over.
Kishan Bedare (17) steered the innings, forming a 28-run partnership with Nair and adding another 29 runs with Sumit Kumar (28) before being caught and bowled by Bharath Dhuri, leaving the Warriors at 116/5 in 16.1 overs. The depth of Mysore’s batting lineup came to the fore as Manoj Bhandage and J Suchith launched a late assault.
Vasuki Koushik, tasked with the 18th over, began with a six and a four from Sumit Kumar. Bhandage then took charge, hammering three consecutive sixes off Koushik in the same over before falling as Sharath’s fourth wicket in the 19th ending a blistering 23-run cameo off just seven balls. J Suchith, carried on the momentum, smashing two sixes and a four in an 8-ball flurry, pushing the Mysore Warriors to a competitive 179/7 in their 20 overs.
Brief scores: Mysore Warriors 179 for 7 in 20 overs (Karthik CA 30, Karun Nair 45, Sumit Kumar 28; Sharath HS 4-29) beat Shivamogga Lions 151/9 in 20 overs (Nihal Ullal 46, Abhinav Manohar 46 runs; Vidyadhar Patil 3-29, Karthik CA 3-31) by 28 runs.
–IANS
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Sports
Golf: Important week for Theegala, Bhatia and Rai at BMW champs
Castle Rock (Colorado), Aug 22 (IANS) Indian Americans Sahith Theegala and Akshay Bhatia who failed to make it to the Top-10 last week at the St Jude Championships, the first of the three Play-offs events, will be looking for a better showing as they move towards the finale at the Tour Championships after that.
Last week Hideki Matsuyama, after leading by five at one time, had to birdie the last two holes to win the St Jude Championships. He became the first Asian to win a Play-off event and it was his 10th PGA Tour win, the highest from the continent.
Last week Bhatia was T-12, Rai was T-16 and Theegala was way behind in T-46, but all three have entered the second of the three Play-offs events.
World No, 2 Xander Schauffele, a two-time Major winner in 2024, was tied second last week with Viktor Hovland, while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was fourth last week, though World No. 3 Rory McIlroy had a poor week in T-68 place.
Among Asians Korea’s Si Woo Kim has all to play for at the BMW Championship, the second of three FedExCup Playoffs events, in Colorado this week, with two big goals providing the drive for him to step up his game.
The four-time PGA TOUR winner tees up at Castle Pines Golf Club with the intention of breaking into the top-30 of the FedExCup points list and qualify for the Playoffs Finale, the TOUR Championship next week. Kim is presently ranked 44th after last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.
A strong week is also required for Kim to keep alive his hopes of earning a spot in the International Team to face the U.S. Team in the Presidents Cup in Royal Montreal next month. Currently 14th on the team roster, the top-6 after this week’s BMW Championship will secure automatic spots, with captain Mike Weir naming six more picks after the TOUR Championship.
Compatriots Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An, who are 10th and 15th respectively on the FedExCup rankings, are virtually assured of teeing up at the TOUR Championship, which will use a staggered-scoring format based on positions after this week.
Irrespective of how his week plays out, Kim is pleased to secure his top-50 status, which guarantees starts in all eight Signature tournaments next season.
–IANS
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Sports
No significant reduction in men’s county cricket schedule for 2025 despite player concerns
New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The packed schedule of men’s county cricket in 2025 will remain largely unchanged, despite concerns raised by the majority of players over the impact on their physical well-being.
According to a survey conducted by the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) earlier this season, more than 80 per cent of players expressed fears that the current schedule is too demanding and poses risks to their health.
However, despite these concerns, the 2025 schedule is set to continue as usual. Each county will still compete in a minimum of 14 County Championship matches, eight Metro Bank Cup fixtures, and 14 Vitality T20 Blast games. The changes for next season will be largely cosmetic, offering little relief for players concerned about the gruelling calendar.
The PCA has been advocating for adjustments that would spread out the T20 fixtures across the week, aiming to reduce tight turnarounds and introduce more consistent three-day breaks between Championship games.
“There’s definitely room for improvement in 2025 compared to 2024,” said Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’s interim chief executive, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo. “The schedule can definitely be managed better. Certainly, the Blast was very much looked at through a commercial lens, trying to squeeze as many games as possible into Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Utilizing the majority of the week is probably the way forward, trying to spread them out to give that time for recovery, travel, and preparation.”
The T20 Blast, in particular, has been the main point of debate when it comes to scheduling. The timing of the knockout stages has been a significant concern. In 2023, these stages were held immediately after the group matches in July, allowing counties to retain their overseas players. This year, however, the knockout stages will be pushed to September, giving clubs an extended six-week window to market and sell tickets for home quarter-finals.
While these adjustments offer slight improvements, the overall schedule remains packed, leaving many players apprehensive about how much more they can push themselves physically in the long term. Despite the calls for change, it appears that any significant reduction in the number of fixtures is unlikely in the future, with commercial considerations still driving much of the decision-making process around county cricket.
–IANS
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Sports
It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about results: Rohit Sharma
New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) After ending his T20I career with an elusive T20 World Cup title in Barbados, captain Rohit Sharma revealed that it was his dream to transform the team without thinking too much about the results.
Rohit-led Indian team ended the decade-long ICC title drought after beating South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 to lift their second title in the format. In 2023, the Men in Blue failed to win the World Test Championship and 2023 ODI World Cup under Rohit’s leadership after losing to Australia in the finals.
The swashbuckling opening batter also credited the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, former head coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar for their support in transforming the team and creating a fearless culture in the squad.
“It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about stats and results and also to make sure that we create an environment where people can go out and play freely, without thinking too much. I got a lot of help from my three pillars Jay Shah, Rahul Dravid and chairman of selector Ajit Agarkar. That was critical for me to do what I did. Obviously, not to forget players who came in at different points in time and helped the team to achieve what we have achieved today,” Rohit said in a video posted by BCCI on X.
On Wednesday, Rohit was awarded ‘Men’s International Cricketer of the Year’ while Dravid was accorded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at Ceat Cricket Rating Awards 2023-24 in Mumbai. India’s batting stalwart Virat Kohli was named the ‘Men’s ODI Batter of the Year’ while on the bowling front, Mohammed Shami was awarded the ‘ODI Bowler of the Year’.
The 37-year-old batter finished as the second-highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup with 257 runs including three half-centuries and at a strike rate of 156.70. He played a major role in providing solid starts for the team on the slow pitches of the USA and the West Indies.
After lifting the title, Rohit joined Kohli to announce his retirement from the T20I. With 4,231 runs, Rohit is the leading run-getter in the format behind his teammate Kohli (4188 runs). Both batters will continue to play the other formats of the game. The duo last featured for India in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
–IANS
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Sports
Kartik to lead Indian challenge at Asia Pacific Amateur golf
Gotemba (Japan), Aug 22 (IANS) A year after being the youngest ever to make the cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Kartik Singh, now 14 years of age, is the highest ranked among the four Indians set to take part in the 15th AAC to be held in Japan.
As of date Kartik is the highest ranked Indian at 199 while the other three players to have received the invitation for this prestigious event are Krishnav Nikhil Chopra and Vedant Sirohi, both past participants in the event and Rakshit Dahiya will be in the four-player team.
Kartik Singh has also been named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup team. A regular winner in junior and amateur events, Kartik will spearhead the Indian challenge.
Apart from India’s Kartik Singh, there are seven others named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup International Team. They are Joshua Bai, Warut Boonrod, Xihuan Chang, Rayhan Latief, Khanh Hung Le, Thangwin Lee, Anh Minh Ngyuyen,
As many as 113 players have been confirmed for the Championship, which will be held October 3-6, 2024, at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Gotemba, Japan. A full list of confirmed players can be found. The field will be 120 with a few more names to be added by the Organisers.
India’s best ever placing has been second place by Rayhan Thomas, who was runner-up in Sentosa, Singapore in 2018. The Dubai-based Indian Rayhan has since turned professional, and last week won his first pro title on India’s Professional Tour of India Tour.
Krishnav, who plays college golf in the US, is the son of former India cricketer turned commentator, Nikhil Chopraa, who often takes the role of a caddie for his son.
Created in 2009, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was established by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), The R&A and the Masters Tournament to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region.
The champion will receive an invitation to compete in the 2025 Masters Tournament and The 153rd Open, while the runner(s)-up will gain a place in Final Qualifying for The Open.
The confirmed list which has players from 38 APGC member organizations is highlighted by defending champion Jasper Stubbs of Australia and four players representing China inside the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking: Wenyi Ding (No. 4), Xihuan Chang (No. 36), Xiangyun Bai (No. 61) and Paul Chang (No. 97).
Ding finished runner-up to Stubbs in the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur while Xihuan Chang reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur in July.
Other top-100 participants include Vietnam’s Anh Minh Nguyen (No. 68) and Japan’s Rintaro Nakano (No. 78).
Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith. Over the Championship’s 14-year history, the Championship has served as a springboard to some of the world’s top players, including Matsuyama, Smith, Cameron Davis, Ryan Fox, Si Woo Kim, Satoshi Kodaira, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Min Woo Lee, Keita Nakajima and C.T. Pan. Collectively, alumni of the Asia-Pacific Amateur have gone on to win 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour to date and more than 130 across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
As the host nation, Japan will lead the list of up to 43 APGC member nations represented with 10 players in this year’s field. A player from Japan has won four of the 14 editions of the Championship (Matsuyama/2010, 2011; Takumi Kanaya/2018; Nakajima/2021).
–IANS
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