Chateauroux (France), July 30 (IANS) On Tuesday, Manu Bhaker made history once again in less than 48 hours by becoming the first Indian athlete to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympic Games. After her dual podium finish, the sharpshooter is on cloud nine and said she is ‘proud to perform at the biggest stage’ for her country.

Manu made history on Sunday by becoming the first Indian female shooter to win an Olympic medal, bagging a bronze in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol Individual event.

She then added more lustre to her success by securing her second bronze in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team competition with Sarabjot Singh earlier on Tuesday, becoming the first Indian to win multiple medals in one edition of the Games.

The duo showcased resilience and composure, overcoming a slow start to open up a big lead before emerging 16-10 winner against South Korean pair, Lee Won Ho and Oh Ye Jin 16-10 in a thrilling match.

“Extremely humbled by the support and wishes that have been pouring in. This is something that I’ve always dreamt of. Proud to perform at the biggest stage for my country,” Manu wrote on X on Tuesday.

Manu became the second Indian woman to win two Olympic medals after shuttler PV Sandhu, who clinched consecutive medals in the 2016 (silver) and 2020 (bronze) Olympics.

Manu still has the 25m pistol event left to compete in, where she will compete alongside Esha Singh, giving her a chance to win a hat-trick of medals in Paris. With several records broken, this accomplishment represents a critical turning point in Indian sports history.

–IANS

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Dhaka, July 30 (IANS) The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has named former Test captains Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque for one of the four-day matches against Pakistan Shaheens in preparation for the two-match Test series against their senior men’s side.

Bangladesh and Pakistan Shaheens will square off in two four-day games and three one-day matches in Islamabad from August 10–27. The first Test between the two senior men’s teams begins in Rawalpindi on August 21, while the first four-day match is slated for August 10–13.

“Mushfiqur and Mominul requested us to include them in the first four-day game against Pakistan Shaheens. We feel the matches would be good preparation for some of the cricketers likely to represent us in the upcoming Test series against Pakistan,” Abdur Razzak, member of the national selection panel, told Cricbuzz on Tuesday.

Seven Test cricketers from the recent series against Sri Lanka have been selected for the upcoming four-day match, including Shahadat Hossain, Zakir Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan, Nayeem Hasan, and Hasan Mahmud.

Shahadat Hossain, a young middle-order batsman who featured in the last four Tests at home against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, is unlikely to be included in the Test squad. Consequently, he will remain with the Bangladesh A team for the second four-day game against Pakistan Shaheens.

The selection of Mossadek Hossain, who last played a Test in 2022 against Sri Lanka, has stirred considerable discussion.

“We have picked players like Mossadek as we have eight Test matches and we want to keep some experienced players ready so that in case we have any injury issues, they can come in as replacements,” said Razzak.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for us to test some of our players with the A team as those matches work to our advantage. We will also have New Zealand and South Africa and even West Indies… although the latter is yet to be confirmed. When these matches take place, we will understand more.

“International cricket goes on in its own flow so if we can arrange these matches in between, it will be easier for us to form teams. If we need a young player or someone who has played for the national team before or if those who are playing require practice in a competitive setup, the A team’s matches become important in that regards,” he added.

Bangladesh A squad for the 1st four-day match: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Mahidul Islam Ankhon, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Murad, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rahman Rejaur Raja, Ruyel Miah.

Bangladesh A squad for the 2nd four-day match: Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mohammad Naim, Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Zaker Ali Anik, Towhid Hridoy, Mahidul Islam Ankhon, Hasan Murad, Tanvir Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rahman Rejaur Raja, Ruyel Miah.

Bangladesh A squad for one-day series: Soumya Sarkar, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mohammad Naim, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahidul Islam Ankhon, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Zaker Ali Anik, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rahman Rejaur Raja, Ruyel Miah.

–IANS

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Paris, July 30 (IANS) The Indian men’s team continued its unbeaten run in Pool B with a 2-0 win over Ireland in their third game in the Olympic Games hockey competition at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium here on Tuesday.

Skipper Harmanpreet Singh scored both goals in the 11th and 19th minutes of the game respectively. India then survived some anxious moments and absorbed the pressure created by the Irish, thanks mainly to goalkeeper P.R Sreejesh, to claim three points.

With this victory, India have momentarily moved to the top of the Pool B table with seven points. Belgium and Australia will play later in the day.

–IANS

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Paris, July 30 (IANS) Bhajan Kaur dominated Poland’s Wioleta Myszor in straight sets in the Round of 16 Elimination Round to register a 6-0 victory over her opponent and reach the pre-quarterfinals. World Ranked 45, Bhajan Kaur scored 28, 29, 28 in the three sets to confirm her qualification to the next round. Myszor was not able to find her footing in the match as she struggled with scores of 23, 26, and 22 with only one shot in the inner-10 circle.

Bhajan Kaur earlier progressed to the Round of 16 in the women’s archery event after defeating Indonesia’s Syifa Nurafifah Kamal 7-3 in the Round of 32 Elimination Round.

The clash started on a feisty note as both archers finished with 27 points in the first set which saw one point being awarded to both competitors. The Indonesian pulled ahead winning the second set 29-27 and taking the 3-1 lead over Kaur. Following the second set, Kaur registered impressive scores of 29, 27 and 28 in the next three rounds to seal the victory.

Despite Kaur’s win, there were some signs of gloom in the Indian archery camp as fellow compatriot Ankita Bhakat was eliminated just moments before Kaur’s match.

Despite being just one set away from victory whilst possessing a 4-2 lead, Ankita lost the final two sets and missed out on qualifying for the next stage with a 4-6 loss against Poland’s Wioleta Myszor.

India’s third participant in the women’s Individual Round, Deepika Kumari will be in action against Poland’s Reena Parnat on Wednesday in the Round of 32 elimination round.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) The Global Chess League has announced the list of women superstars, who will be competing in the second season scheduled from October 3 to 12 at Friends House in London.

In the second season, the reigning FIDE World Champion, Ju Wenjun, will be making her debut. She will be joined by World No. 1, Hou Yifan, who is returning to the premier annual chess event, alongside Indian chess superstars Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli.

The line-up also includes some of the biggest names in women’s chess, such as Kateryna Lagno, Gunina Valentina, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Tan Zhongyi, and Nurgyul Salimova.

“I followed the first season of the Global Chess League and it was very exciting to watch the unique format. The tremendous response from fans and the chess fraternity made it even more special. I am eagerly looking forward to the second season in London, where I can once again immerse myself in this wonderful experience,” said World Chess Champion Ju Wenjun.

In addition, the upcoming season of the Global Chess League will feature Vaishali Rambabu, the latest Indian woman to achieve grandmaster rank, alongside her brother Praggnanandhaa. This makes them the first brother-sister duo to participate in the league. The roster of women superstars also includes Alina Kashlinskaya, the 2019 European Women’s Individual Chess Champion, and Bibisara Assaubayeva, former World Blitz Champion.

“The world of chess has long sought a worldwide sports event that places male and female players on the same pedestal. The Global Chess League is bridging this gap and truly bringing chess as a visual spectacle to television screens across the world. I am delighted to be a part of the league this year and am looking forward to competing in front of fans in London,” said Grandmaster Vaishali R.

–IANS

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