New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) India put up a fighting display against badminton powerhouse Malaysia but were unfortunate to end on the wrong side of the 2-3 score line as their challenge in the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championships ended at the quarterfinal stage. The players will now participate in the individual championship beginning on Wednesday.

In the quarterfinals on Monday, India made yet another change to their mixed doubles pairing, combining Sanskar Saraswat with Shravani Walekar. The duo gave the team the lead with a 21-16, 13-21, 21-17 win over Kang Khai Xing and Noraqilha Maisarah. The Senior National Badminton Championship runners-up Tanvi Sharma then doubled India’s lead when she got the better of Siti Zulaikha 21-15, 15-21, 22-20 in the girls’ singles.

India looked on course for an upset win when Pranay Shettigar clinched the opening game against Muhammad Faiq. But he could not sustain the momentum and lost 15-21, 21-18, 21-19 in an hour and six minutes and Malaysia then grabbed the opportunity. Walekar and Navya Kanderi went down 16-21, 15-21 against Bui Ong Xin Yee and Carmen Ting and then the boys’ doubles combination of Bhargav Ram Arigela and Arsh Mohammad lost to Kang and Aaron Tai 18-21, 10-21.

Speaking about the team’s overall performance, Badminton Association of India (BAI) secretary Sanjay Mishra said, “I am extremely happy with the way the team fought and came within striking distance of a medal. Some of these youngsters were playing in such a competition for the first time but hardly showed any nerves. I am sure they will come up with a strong showing in the individual events starting two days later.”

The loss in the quarterfinals notwithstanding, the squad had a lot of positives to take from the competition as Tanvi Sharma remained unbeaten in all her matches and the changes in the mixed doubles combination worked well.

In fact, India did not lose any girls’ singles match as Navya Kanderi also punched above her weight to win the only rubber against Indonesia in the group stage.

–IANS

hs/bsk/

New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) Enduring temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius, India’s top 10m rifle shooter Sandeep Singh found his resolve in the icy desolation of Siachen, the world’s highest battlefield, and spent months living in a tent, cooking his own meals, and contemplating his future.

At 28, Sandeep has already faced and conquered immense challenges. Earlier this year, he secured a berth for the Paris Olympics in the 10m air rifle event by triumphing in the fiercely competitive Olympic Selection Trials at New Delhi, Bhopal topping ahead of former world champion Rudrankksh Patil, Tokyo Olympian Divyansh Singh Panwar and Olympic quota winner Arjun Babuta.

“The trials were very good from my point of view and finishing on top was a relief to my journey but I believe my best is yet to come. To claim the quota for the Paris Olympics was my only aim and now since I will be representing India, I will try my best to secure a gold medal for the country,” said Sandeep Singh on the back-off Paris Olympic kit launch and send-off ceremony held by IOA.

The struggle began in his early years in Faridkot district, where Sandeep grew up in a lower-middle-class family. His father worked as a daily wager, and his two brothers are bike mechanics. With no background in sports, Sandeep’s path to becoming an elite shooter was unconventional. He used to run cross-country twice a day, covering 7-8 kilometers, to prepare for an Army entrance exam. This rigorous routine eventually paid off, earning him a position as a Sepoy in the Indian Army.

It was during his training in the Army that Sandeep first encountered shooting. Handling an INSAS rifle, an assault rifle that doubles as a light machine gun, he demonstrated remarkable aptitude. His superiors noticed his talent and encouraged him to pursue competitive shooting. This led to his participation in competitions at the Army Marksmanship Unit in Mhow, where he won several medals.

His success at Mhow paved the way for national recognition. In 2018, Sandeep won a silver medal at the National Championships, a victory that secured his promotion to Havaldar and a place in the national shooting squad. Despite being a reserve shooter for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, a subsequent dip in form saw him return to his unit, eventually leading to his posting in Siachen for six months between 2021 and 2022.

“I was really disappointed with my performance after not making the cut for the Tokyo Olympics and for that mental preparation, I went to serve in the Army. The greatest honour for me is to represent my country at the highest level and serving in the Indian Army has taught me the importance of it,” he recalls.

In April-May of 2024, Sandeep faced the ultimate test at the Olympic Selection Trials. Competing against world champion shooter Rudrankksh Patil, Sandeep relied on his rigorous training and unyielding focus. He topped the trials with stunning scores in qualification — 634.4, 632.6, 631.6 and 628.3 (out of a possible 654), the latter the lowest after having all but qualified on his first three scores – which gave him an edge even without the bonus points.

However, Sandeep remains determined to perform better in Paris and believes that his best is yet to come. “I have been training hard and I have shot more than the points which I scored in the trials. I am training on my concentration and focus and will try to implement it in the Olympics.

–IANS

hs/

Chennai, July 1 (IANS) India women’s team defeated South Africa by 10 wickets in the one-off Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Monday. Chasing the target of 37 runs, Indian openers Shafali Verma (24 not out) and Shubha Satheesh (13 not out) took the hosts to a comfortable victory to continue their domination in the multi-format bilateral series.

South African batters demonstrated exceptional mental resilience, fighting back against a formidable Indian bowling attack to stay in the game as they finished the third day of a one-off women’s Test against India at 232 for 2 but only to get bowled out early in the fourth and final day on 373.

Chasing the target of 37 runs, India closed the game in half an hour as Shafali Verma (24) and Shubha Sateesh (17) took the hosts to a 10-wicket victory. For her 229 runs in the match–a maiden double century in the first inning helped Shafali to secure the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

Sneh Rana, who claimed eight wickets in the first inning went on to take two more to become only the second Indian bower after Jhulan Goswami to finish with 10 wickets in a women’s Test. Deepti Sharma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad picked up two wickets apiece.

Earlier, India declared their first inning at a mammoth 603/6, placing immense pressure on South Africa. After being put on the back foot, South Africa showcased their tenacity, thanks to Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp who helped Africa cut down the deficit and set up an intriguing final day.

On the second day, their partnership held firm, helping South Africa reach 236/4 at stumps. Yet, on Sunday morning, Sneh Rana’s sensational spin bowling turned the game on its head.

Rana, exploiting the turn and bounce from the pitch, decimated the South African lineup, adding five more wickets to her tally from the previous day. She finished with figures of 8-85, orchestrating a collapse that saw South Africa lose six wickets for just 30 runs to bowled out for 266.

India enforced the follow-on with a significant lead of 337 runs, putting South Africa under immense pressure. They faced an early setback when

Deepti Sharma trapped Anneke Bosch lbw in the first over. However, South Africa’s fighting spirit shone through as Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus stitched together a monumental partnership. The duo batted through 66 overs across the second and third sessions, building a 190-run stand—the highest partnership for any wicket in South

African women’s Test history. Wolvaardt scored 122 runs off 314 balls with 16 fours before Rajeshwari Gayakwad accounted for her wicket. Harmanpreet Kaur got the crucial wicket of Luus, who chipped in with a handy 109-run knock.

The pitch slowed down as the day wore on, and the South African pair grew more accustomed to the low bounce. Luus, after 234 minutes on the field, reached her maiden Test hundred, becoming only the second South African woman to score a century in India.

The struggle for South Africa also continued on the fourth day as they lost wickets early in the day. Nandine De Klerk’s late resilience of 61 helped the Proteas set India a target of 37 runs.

Brief scores:

India 603/6 decl in 115.1 overs & 37/0 in 9.2 overs (Shafali Verma 24 not, Shubha Satheesh 13 not out) beat South Africa 266 & 232/2 in 88 overs (Sune Luus 109 not out, Laura Wolvaardt 93; Harmanpreet Kaur 1-24, Deepti Sharma 1-56) by 10 wickets.

–IANS

hs/bsk/

Newcastle, July 1 (IANS) Newcastle United have announced the signing of young versatile full-back Lewis Hall on a long-term contract from West London club Chelsea. The Chelsea Academy graduate moved to the Toons on a loan move in the 2023/24 season following which Newcastle were obligated to sign him for a fee reported to be 28 million Euros.

“I am extremely proud to be able to build on last season and continue my journey at Newcastle United. The fans, the manager and his staff, my teammates, and everyone at the club have made me feel so welcome that I want to repay the faith they’ve shown in me.”

“When you pull on the black and white shirt, there is no feeling like it, and playing in front of the best supporters in the country is extra special for me being a Toon fan. I gained a lot of experience last season, and with the squad we have, we’ll be looking to push on even further this season. I can’t wait to get started,” said Lewis Hall

The 19-year-old full-back has signed a long-term contract at St. James’ Park after impressing in his 22 appearances for the Magpies during the 2023-24 campaign, scoring twice. A boyhood Magpies supporter, the England Under-21 international made his debut in Newcastle United’s 8-0 win at Sheffield United in September 2023

“Lewis was a very good addition to our squad last season and we have been delighted with his progress and his contribution to the team. I’m very pleased to continue working with him. As well as being a talented player, he has a great attitude towards the game and to his own development and I’m excited for this next part of his journey in a Newcastle United shirt,” added Head Coach Eddie Howe.

–IANS

aaa/bsk/

New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) June 29, 2024 will be forever remembered as the day India ended its 13-year drought of a World Cup win when the Rohit Sharma-led side beat South Africa by seven runs to lift the Men’s T20 World Cup at the Kensington Oval.

A young Rohit was a member of the 2007 T20 World Cup winning side in South Africa and Saturday’s triumph at Barbados saw him lift the trophy and sign off from the format as the leader of the pack.

Through its attacking batting template and bowlers clicking in unison coupled with sufficient depth, India now holds the distinction of being the first team to win the T20 World Cup without losing a single match through the competition.

Lalchand Rajput, the manager of the Indian team winning 2007 T20 World Cup, speaks exclusively to IANS on the 2024 triumphant campaign, the legacy which Rohit and Virat Kohli leave behind, as well as Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya playing major roles in the victorious run, and more.

Excerpts:

Q. What are your immediate thoughts around this T20 World Cup triumph & what does this mean for Indian cricket?

A. Everybody is very excited and we have got the cup again after a long time, so it’s very exciting. The first time we won in 2007, it meant a lot. The IPL started after that, and we can see that through the IPL, a lot of players are playing T20s. We are getting a very good bench strength. If you look at our team, we can have two or three teams together because the talent is so much. So, this World Cup win definitely inspires young players to take up this game more.

Q. Rohit Sharma was a member of the team which won the 2007 edition and now he’s the winning captain in 2024. How do you see this legacy of him ending the trophy drought for India and now calling it quits from the format?

A. It’s been a long journey for Rohit. To be very honest, he was talented and that’s why we picked him in 2007. He played a good inning in the final as well, where he got upto 30 and got to taste the win of a World Cup. So, this time, he wanted to win very badly as a captain and for which he got his reward. The brand of cricket he played, that was very important.

He made the team to believe in themselves, and to play in a template where they can express themselves. It was phenomenal to see that the hunger to win was there, not only in one or two guys, but it was present in the whole team. He has left a very big legacy in T20Is, and to be very honest, it will be defined by the brand of cricket he played.

Even in last year’s ODI World Cup, the way he used to give start to the team all the time and take on the best bowlers, that legacy of him will always be there. It will be difficult for someone to fill in the shoes of someone as huge as him in the near future. But definitely, over a period of time, there might be a new person to fill in for Rohit.

Q. Virat Kohli has also played his last T20I for India, which he ends as a player of the match in the final. A word on him and his impact in the shortest format for India.

A. He never had a good tournament, to be very honest, except the final. And people started talking about his strike rate, whether he should be there in the team and everything. But he’s one of the best players we ever had. He is a great cricketer, and if you look at the Indian team, the resurgence of it was done by him when he was the captain.

He always likes to win, and is a big occasion player. When there is a big platform, he performs. Rightly on the final day when India needed the most, after we lost two-three wickets, he stood like a solid rock, and made sure that the team reached a decent score. The par score was 160, but we had just 10-15 runs more than it and that made the difference of winning the championship.

Q. Jasprit Bumrah has had a dream time in this competition to be Player of the Tournament. How do you assess his wonderful campaign?

A. He is a world-class bowler and whenever Bumrah is in the team, the captain is relaxed because he can use him anytime – in the first power play, middle overs, and the death overs. When you need a wicket, the captain can call him and he obliges by taking the wicket. In the final, the equation read as 30 runs off 30 balls.

When he came back in the final, he got a wicket in his final over and that put the pressure on the other batters. He makes such a difference in the game, which is why he became the player of the tournament. Bumrah is a lethal weapon for any captain who gets a player like him in his team.

If he had played in the 2022 Adelaide semi-final, it would not have been the same story. We missed him very badly last time in the World Cup due to injury. But this time Bumrah made a huge difference. I know everybody has contributed to the team’s cause. But Bumrah is a special person in the team who delivers impactful performances on special occasions.

When you need a wicket very badly, he will come and give you that breakthrough. If there’s a partnership to break, call Bumrah and he will get it. If they need 10 runs, call Bumrah and he will give 6 runs. He can bowl good yorkers, short balls and mixes up his bowling to be a lethal wicket-taker.

You can also see that when Bumrah was playing alongside Arshdeep Singh, the youngster became a very changed bowler. So, he really motivates the other bowlers, as he and Arshdeep hunted in pairs as a bowling partnership.

When Bumrah bowls well, he makes sure that the other bowler also bowls well. He talks to them, gives them his ideas on what to bowl, what the batter is doing, and what you should bowl on this type of wicket, and he’s simply the icon of bowling.

Q. Another interesting narrative has been Hardik Pandya performing his all-rounder roles with aplomb after a lacklustre IPL. What does this tell about his mindset of coming good at a big event?

A. Pandya’s performance shows the character of him as a player because he was going through a lot of problems during the IPL and in his personal life as well. He never had a good tournament. But to step up in a World Cup, especially in the final, and to take that responsibility or onus to bowl the last over and make India win because it could have been anybody’s game, that speaks for itself.

See, nowadays, making 15-16 in the last over is not that difficult. But he bowled really well and that shows the character of that person. It also means that Hardik is a very, very strong-headed person.

Q. Axar Patel and Shivam Dube also played vital roles with the bat in the final. A word on their quick contributions in the title clash.

A. Axar was sent up to take on the left-arm spinners Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj. His 47 runs were very, very crucial because at that time, the spinners were bowling and then we had lost two wickets, but Virat was at the other end. He had to take that initiative and a match-up against a left-arm spinner made a big difference in the team’s total as well.

Shivam Dube has always been a very good striker of the ball, and we have seen him in the IPL, against spinners, he murders them with his big-hitting and then against fast bowlers, he takes them on. His quick-fire 27 was the difference in India getting 150-160 and making 177.

Q. How heartwarming was it to see Rahul Dravid sign off from his coaching stint on a high?

A. Every coach would like to go out on a high and we all know Rahul Dravid, how he’s very dedicated as a player and person. When he played, he was the wall of Indian cricket. Now as a coach, he has been around for so many years and narrowly missed the 50-over World Cup.

So, this triumph was a big thing that he achieved in his last game as a coach. I think God has been very, very kind to him that the players gave him a very good gift, and it could not be much better than winning the World Cup.

Q. When the equation came down to 30 runs off 30 balls to decide the winner, what was going through your mind?

A. With South Africa having that tag of chokers around, I felt if big wickets fall in the last five overs, it will be over for them, and that’s what happened. India had been in that place for a number of years, but for South Africa, it was the first time they were in the finals, and had that tag of faltering at a crucial time.

In cricket, getting 30 runs in 30 balls with five or six wickets in hand is easy. After Klaassen and Jansen wickets, it felt over for South Africa. After Bumrah took out Jansen in that excellent over, Arshdeep’s 19th over was really crucial and people forget about that. If he had given 15-20 runs, then the match would have gone.

Also, in the last over, David Miller was one who could get 20 runs in one over. But catches win you big games in the World Cup, and Suryakumar showed a very good presence of mind running in because he was getting his balance outside the boundary line. But he had the presence of mind to make sure that he threw the ball up, came back in and caught it, which further became the difference in winning and losing.

Q. Seeing the jubilant scenes in Barbados must have reminded you of similar scenes at Johannesburg in 2007. Can you talk about experiencing that winning feeling in 2007?

A. I think you cannot describe that feeling to be very honest, because when you think of it, you get goosebumps. It was a very special feeling. First time we were playing the T20s. No one had much experience of playing T20. Now, every team has been playing for the last 17 years – T20s and IPL.

So they all have got the experience, but at that time, getting into a tournament for the first time, never had any match before and just one game before that World Cup. To then be winning the tournament was a dream come true for all of us. Again, it was a close game, and here also, it was a close game because in T20s, either you win very convincingly or otherwise it will be a close game. So, it really tests your nerves as well.

That time you feel that we have conquered the world. There is no one there now and we are on top of the world. That feeling of winning the World Cup, cannot be described in any way and its’ something different. When you win that, you do something which you have not seen before as you are over the moon at that time.

Like after winning the World Cup, you would never have seen Rahul Dravid being so animated. That celebration in Mumbai is still very much etched in our memory. We never expected that Mumbai would be at a standstill. I hope they get the same ovation here now. I don’t know how they are going to do it, but that celebration was something special when we won for the first time. Now, this one is also very special.

–IANS

nr/bc