Madrid, July 6 (IANS) India’s two-time Olympian Vinesh Phogat has reached the final of the women’s 50kg category in the Grand Prix of Spain international continental wrestling championship here on Saturday.

Vinesh, who had reached Madrid after making a last-minute appeal to get her Spanish Visa which was delayed and got it only a few hours before her departure, easily won three bouts in the Women’s 50kg category to storm into the final.

She will meet Mariia Tiumerekova, a former Russian wrestler who is now representing the Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN).

Vinesh, who participated in the Tokyo Olympic Games in the women’s 53kg, started the day with a Round 1 win against Yusneylis Guzman, a Pan-American and Central American championships winner from Cuba. Vinesh got the better of the Cuban wrestler 12-4 on points.

In the quarterfinals, the 29-year-old from Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, pinned Madison Parks of Canada, a silver medallist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. In the semifinals, Vinesh defeated another Canadian Katie Dutchak 9-4 to seal a place in the final.

After the Grand Prix of Spain, Vinesh will attend a camp in Spain and reach France well before the Paris Olympic Games, which will start on July 26.

–IANS

bsk/

New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympic Games, woman boxer Lovlina Borgohain has expressed “confidence” in winning a gold medal in the upcoming Paris Olympics. Borgohain’s confidence is backed by a series of remarkable performances, including a gold medal at the 2023 World Boxing Championships and a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games.

In a conversation on JioCinema’s ‘The Dreamers,’ she expressed her aspirations to clinch gold at the upcoming edition of the Games. Borgohain’s transition from the Welterweight (69 kg) to the Middleweight (75 kg) category marked a turning point in her career.

“I used to consistently win bronze, but since switching to the 75 kg category, I’ve seen remarkable improvement. Despite initial skepticism about weight gain, it has proven beneficial. I’ve won four consecutive gold medals in the National Games, National Championships, World Championships, and Asian Championships. This success gives me the confidence to aim for Olympic gold,” she said.

Discussing her preparation for Paris 2024, Borgohain emphasised the importance of meticulous planning and dedication. “Every day and every session counts as we approach the Olympics. Setting a target and working diligently towards it motivates me. I structure my training to maximise productivity, ensuring each day brings me closer to my goal of winning gold.”

Reflecting on her journey, Borgohain shared a poignant childhood anecdote that ignited her passion for boxing.

“When I was young, I didn’t know much about boxing. My father, who worked in tea plantations, brought home sweets one Sunday wrapped in a newspaper with an article about Muhammad Ali. That moment sparked my interest in boxing. My journey began with martial arts, and then I moved directly to competing in national boxing, using my martial arts knowledge to guide me,” the pugilist said.

Offering advice to aspiring athletes, Borgohain highlighted the critical elements of success. “Discipline, focus, and sacrifice are essential. The journey is fraught with challenges, including injuries, but perseverance is key. Overcoming these obstacles is what makes a champion.”

Borgohain, an Arjuna Award winner and Khel Ratna awardee joins the ranks of Vijender Singh and Mary Kom as Indian boxers to win an Olympic medal. As she prepares to compete in the women’s 75kg event at Paris 2024, her recent victories at the 2023 World Boxing Championships and 2022 Asian Boxing Championships solidify her status as a top contender.

–IANS

ab/bsk/

Harare, July 6 (IANS) Abhishek Sharma, Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag have been handed India T20I debuts as captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to field first against Zimbabwe in the series opener at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

The series holds huge importance from an Indian perspective, as it kickstarts their road to building a team for the 2026 T20 World Cup to be hosted jointly by them and Sri Lanka. With the retirement of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja after the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph, there are spots up for grabs in the national set-up which the youthful Gill-led squad would be keen to stake a claim for.

“I think it looks like a good surface. It won’t change much later. It has been a long coming. We won an ICC event after 11 years. Very satisfied, hope for many more to come. Don’t feel pressure, you have expectations but from yourself, not from outside,” said Gill, in his first assignment as an India captain, after winning the toss.

Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024, Abhishek hit 42 sixes, the most by any batter in the competition, as he amassed 484 runs in 16 innings, including hitting three half-centuries. Hailing from Amritsar in Punjab, Abhishek is mentored by Yuvraj Singh and Brian Lara. He was also the Player of the Tournament in Punjab’s triumph in the 2023/24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, for amassing 485 runs in ten innings in the competition.

Parag, Abhishek’s team-mate in the 2018 U19 World Cup triumph, had his coming-of-the-age season in IPL 2024 for Rajasthan Royals, amassing 573 runs in 14 innings as a middle-order batter and striking 33 sixes while hitting four fifties. He was handed his T20I debut cap by his father Parag Das, a former first-class cricketer for Assam.

Wicketkeeper-batter Jurel, on the other hand, impressed in his debut Test series against England at home, picking up a Player of the Match award at Ranchi. In IPL 2024, Jurel amassed 195 runs in 11 innings while playing for Rajasthan Royals.

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said, “I don’t mind batting first. The wicket looks good. Zimbabwe Cricket has trusted me with this transition phase. I look for young boys to come out and fight. It is humbling to lead this bunch. Sean (Williams) has retired. It is a young side. (Craig) Ervine will have a role in the future.”

Playing XIs:

India: Shubman Gill (c), Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed

Zimbabwe: Tadiwanashe Marumani, Innocent Kaia, Brian Bennett, Sikandar Raza (c), Dion Myers, Johnathan Campbell, Clive Madande (wk), Wessly Madhevere, Luke Jongwe, Blessing Muzarabani and Tendai Chatara

–IANS

nr/bsk/

New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) The eighth meet of the 2024 Wanda Diamond League is set to take place on Sunday at the Charlety Stadium in Paris, France. The premier track-and-field meet will feature Paris 2024-qualified Kishore Jena and Avinash Sable. Kishore Jena will be competing in the men’s javelin throw against the likes of Anderson Peters (Grenada), Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch (Czech Republic), Julian Weber (Germany), and Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan).

Avinash Sable will eye a strong finish in the men’s 3000 metres steeplechase against a participating field of 17 runners, including the likes of Simon Kiprop Koech (Kenya), Abraham Kibiwot (Kenya), Ryuji Miura (Japan), and Daniel Arce (Spain).

The men’s pole vault event will feature Swedish pole vault sensation Armand Duplantis, who set a new world record (6.24m) at this season’s Xiamen event. Along with him, five Olympic champions, six world champions, and 12 reigning European champions are set to compete in Paris.

Earlier, reigning Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra had clarified that the Paris Diamond League was not part of his calendar and he is focused on getting ready for the Paris Olympics.

Diamond Disciplines at Paris 2024:

Men: Pole vault, javelin throw, 110 metres hurdles, 400 metres hurdles, 200 metres, 800 metres, 3000m steeplechase

Women: High jump, discus throw, long jump, 100 metres, 400 metres, 1500 metres, 3000 metres steeplechase

Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Diamond League 2024 – Paris live coverage and broadcast:

When: July 7, 2024

Where: Charlety Stadium, Paris, France

Time: 7:30 PM onwards

Live streaming in India: JioCinema

TV broadcast in India: Sports18 – 3

–IANS

ab/bsk/

Johor (Malaysia), July 6 (IANS) Top Indian star Abhay Singh will feature in two finals at the Asian Doubles Squash Championships in Johor, Malaysia, on Sunday. On Saturday, he and Velavan Senthilkumar, the top seeds, stormed into the Men’s Doubles title round with a commanding 11-9, 11-2 win over the Japanese pair of Tomotaka Endo and Naoki Hayashi in 23 minutes in the last-four stage.

Later, Asian Games medallist Abhay and the experienced Joshna Chinappa, the third seeds, defeated the Hong Kong pair of Cheng Nga Ching and Lai Cheuk Nam Matthew of Hong Kong 11-8, 11-10 in the Mixed Doubles semifinals.

“I’m very pleased to be in both finals, winning two gold medals was the goal before we came here so that’s what we are focused on tomorrow,” Abhay said.

“The men’s match was a comfortable 2-0 while the mixed match was a bit challenging, but still pleased to come through without dropping a game. Being in another final of an Asian Championship is an honour, looking forward to converting them both,” he added.

Abhay and Joshna will meet second seed Tong Tsz Wing and Tang Ming Hong of Hong Kong for the Mixed Doubles title and Abhay and Velavan will lock horns with second seed Ong Sai Hung and Syafiq Kamal of Malaysia in the men’s doubles final.

“Solid performances by both pairs to reach the finals. Once the Asian Championships were announced the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) along with our strategic partner HCL held the National Championships from where the pairs were selected,” SRFI secretary-general Cyrus Poncha said.

–IANS

hs/bsk/