Sports
WPL 2024: Shreyanka is always in for a fight; that’s the spark you are looking for, says Rangarajan
New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) With Harmanpreet Kaur at the crease alongside Amelia Kerr, Mumbai Indians had all the right to feel they had a chance to chase down 136 and enter the final at the expense of Royal Challengers Bangalore in front of more than 27,000 fans in the Eliminator at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Luckily for MI, with 20 runs needed off 18 balls, Harmanpreet had a reprieve in the start of 18th over when Richa Ghosh missed a stumping off Shreyanka Patil, leaving the crowd silent. But to their delight, after not giving any room for a big shot, the nerveless Shreyanka had the last laugh as Harmanpreet holed out to long-on to close the over.
That over from Shreyanka in a wonderful spell of 2-18 in four overs turned the match literally in RCB’s favour as MI fell short by five runs to give Smriti Mandhana & Co a shot at lifting the trophy when they face Delhi Capitals in the title clash on Sunday.
Previously in the game, after Yastika Bhatia was dropped in the fourth over, Shreyanka fetched the opening breakthrough for RCB by getting the ball to turn in and forcing Hayley Matthews to slog-sweep straight to deep mid-wicket.
A day before the Eliminator, head coach Luke Williams had said that Shreyanka was itching to put up a big performance in the playoffs. Now, after taking RCB to the final along with Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka’s impactful spell with the ball will be etched in the memories for a long time.
“I would be blatantly lying, not at the last two overs. But maybe when Harmanpreet’s stumping went through and we missed that, there was something inside me saying that if she had got out, we’re in with a sniff. But we got another opportunity (in the same over), and even though it was a regulation catch – taken by Sophie Devine in that pressure and with her experience showed why you need experienced players in the team, apart from Shreyanka Patil being an absolute champion.”
“From there, you start sniffing and you almost believe that it can be done. Lots of things happen when chasing becomes difficult, which could have been in MI’s mind. By the fifth or sixth over, we knew that 150-160 could be a good score. Though there were too many dot balls, I couldn’t pinpoint when the belief came in. But as soon as Harman got out, maybe that’s when we thought there’s something,” said Malolan Rangarajan, RCB assistant coach, in the post-match press conference.
Shreyanka was one of the breakout stars from WPL 2023 and went on to have a CPL stint, followed by making her India debut in both white-ball formats in the series against England and Australia.
A lot was expected from her in the Bengaluru leg of WPL 2024, her home-town. But she had an underwhelming time, taking only two wickets in nine overs, while conceding 100 runs. Shreyanka, though, made a stellar return in the Delhi leg of the competition, taking seven wickets in nine overs, while conceding 45 runs.
While she was bowling away from the batter’s reach in Bengaluru, sticking to stump-to-stump line, and going a little away from the wider lines has brought her rich rewards in Delhi.
“Just the growth of Shreyanka in the last 12-16 months, when we identified and then brought her into the set-up. You could see that she was not behaving like someone of her age or her experience. She was like, slightly above that. She was always in for the fight. That’s the spark you’re looking for. Everyone has the skill but it’s a dog fight which happens inside (on the field) and you’re up for it: Shreyanka always had that in her.”
“Her growth over the last 12 months – playing for India, leading South Zone team in the Zonal One-Days – it has developed her better and helped her understand her own game better. She herself was the first to admit that she didn’t start the tournament as well she would have liked. But she was also the first one to come up and say, ‘I am not bowling well’.”
“She didn’t need me or anyone else like Luke (Williams, head coach) and Courtney (Winfield-Hill, assistant coach) to go to her with that. She came and asked, ‘I am not bowling as well as I can. What can I do?’ She came up with the solutions too. Yes, we chipped in here and there, but that’s her character. When you see people like that, you know that when there are crunch moments, these characters will stand up and deliver.”
“Shreyanka is a warrior, especially to play with the injury she’s playing. Nobody would think that she has an injury as she goes into bat and sweeps the first ball. So these are characters that we are very proud to have in RCB and we are even prouder to see what she does for both the franchise and the country,” elaborated Rangarajan, also RCB’s head of scouting.
He also recalled what made Shreyanka stand out from the rest of the domestic players they were keeping their eyes on. “When we saw her playing for Karnataka, she was a 19-year-old playing for the senior team, bowling the tough overs. It wasn’t like she was just participating, she was delivering the yorkers under pressure. Along with her coach Arjun (Dev), she does center-wicket practice and simulation, and there’s nothing left to chance. The way she was practicing was different from our peers, and was slightly ahead of them.”
While Shreyanka has been at her best and found her mojo with the ball, one needs to realise that the match-winning performances are coming despite her little finger heavily taped, an injury which kept her out of two consecutive matches.
“If given an option, Shreyanka would have liked to play both the games. Like I said, that’s the character she is. The work she’s put in between those games, even when she was injured, we had rented out a couple grounds, had centre wickets for her, where she was bowling, and working on her different releases.”
“Because there was a moment where she wanted to release the ball a particular way and it was going out a different way. So, a lot of volume practice went into it with myself, with Luke and Courtney, all of us chipping in. So it was all very conscious practice and we simulated a lot.”
“Even in the nets we were simulating, like ‘okay so tomorrow you’re going to bowl to X player, this is how the player likes to score, this is what the player looks like if she wants to play a single. so let’s try to attack this line, we need the ball to end up at this length’.”
“She was very good with that. Admittedly she may not have executed as well as she wanted but she kept going when she was injured. Finally it’s all about the feel and the rhythm and I think somewhere in that (practice sessions) she found the rhythm again,” explained Rangarajan.
Heading to the stadium, one could see RCB’s red taking over as the preferred jersey choice amongst fans. The RCB jersey-wearing fans stood in line for around two hours before the match began and cheered their hearts out, hoping their team would make it to Sunday’s final, and guess what? They did!
Even on the metro ride home after the game, you couldn’t miss the fans wearing RCB jerseys and loudly cheering for the team, while talking about all the twists & turns in the game. A large part of their happiness was made possible by Shreyanka’s stellar efforts with the ball, ensuring they turn up on Sunday with the same fervour seen on Friday.
–IANS
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Sports
Paris Olympics: 'This time carrying a little Olympian', Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez competes while 7 months pregnant
Paris, July 30 (IANS) Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez revealed that she competed at the Paris Olympics while seven months pregnant after she crashed out in the last 16 of the women’s sabre individual event.
The 26-year-old, who was competing in her third Olympics, won her first match against USA’s Elizabeth Tartakovsky but lost the second match 7-15 to Korean fencer Jeon Hayoung on Monday at the Grand Palais in the French capital.
“7 MONTHS PREGNANT OLYMPIAN !” Nada posted on Instagram few hours after her match. “What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor, & my yet-to-come to our world, little baby!” the post further read.
“My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional. The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life & sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it.
I’m writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16!
“I’m lucky to have shared the trust of my husband @ibrahimihab11 and that of my family to be able to come this far. This specific Olympics was different; Three times Olympian but this time carrying a little Olympian one!” it added.
–IANS
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Sports
Paris Olympics: 'Focusing to play every match with my best effort', says Manika after reaching pre-quarters
Paris, July 30 (IANS) Indian table tennis star Manika Batra expressed her joy after becoming the first Indian paddler to reach the round of 16 at the Olympics. Despite reaching a significant milestone, Batra emphasised her focus on playing each match with her best effort and enjoying the experience.
Manika, ranked 28th in the world, stunned local favourite world No. 18 Prithika Pavade 4-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7) in the South Paris Arena 4 in the French capital late on Monday night.
The Indian table tennis player will face either Hong Kong China’s Zhu Chengzhu or eighth-seeded Japanese player Miu Hirano next.
“I’m not focusing on that (reaching Roud of 16 for the first time). My focus is to play every match with my best effort and enjoy the Olympics and yes, I’m really happy that I reached round of 16 and blessed. So I just give my best for every round I play against whoever I play,” said Manika after her win.
India will also be part of the team competitions at Paris 2024, the first time India qualify for the Table Tennis team events at the Olympics. The men’s team, featuring Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar, face a daunting task against four-time champions the China in the first round.
The women’s team, comprising Manika, Sreeja Akula and Archana Kamath, meanwhile, has been drawn to play Romania in their first match.
Manika highlighted the historic achievement of both the Indian men’s and women’s teams qualifying for the Olympics. She expressed confidence in the team’s preparation and commitment to giving their best for the nation.
“Of course, this is the first time we qualified in teams women and men. So, it’s really a proud moment for India that table tennis is growing and I’m really happy with that. And yes, I think we are all very well prepared and we just give our best for our country and hundred percent for ourselves,” said the 27-year-old paddler.
Manika and Prithika were evenly matched at 8-8 in the first game, but Manika pulled ahead to take the lead. The Indian won the second game comfortably and raced to a 10-4 lead in the third. Despite Pavade saving five game points, Manika extended her lead to 3-0. Her lethal backhands helped her close out the match smoothly.
Manika will face either Hong Kong China’s Zhu Chengzhu or eighth-seeded Japanese player Miu Hirano next.
Reflecting on her preparation, Manika credited her rigorous practice and mental conditioning with her personal coach, Aman Balgu, as key factors in her readiness for the Olympics.
She noted the importance of staying focused in a high-pressure environment and appreciated the support from the crowd, even when playing against a local favorite.
“I think, I played my like normal game before coming here, I practiced really hard. We were in Saarbrucken (Germany) and before that I was with my personal coach Aman Balgu,” said Manika.
“So, I think I was well prepared for this Olympics mentally and physically. Mentally of course more because it’s a big event. You have to be focused for every point and I was playing against France and there were more crowd cheer for her not for me. So, I’m really happy that people were there to cheer for me. And yes mentally, I really worked before coming to Paris,” she concluded.
–IANS
Paris, July 30 (IANS) Ever since the Paris Olympics began, the organising committee has received severe criticism from foreign athletes and team members over the lack of basic facilities at the venues and Games Village.
One athlete on condition of anonymity alleged to IANS that there is “no food” available in Games Village when they return after participating in their events.
“And when we asked officials of the Organising Committee or volunteers, they had no answers. These basics need to be addressed by the OC (organising committee) urgently,” the athlete told IANS.
Another athlete said, “We are finding it difficult to explain our requirements. Even a star international tennis player — can’t name him — also didn’t get the food. Which was shocking for all of us.”
Earlier, the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics copped significant backlash for its depiction of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper” with “drag queens” making up for the participants. This has left many people fuming as they view it as disrespectful and hurting their religious beliefs.
The Catholic Church of France expressed its disapproval, starting on its account on X: “Unfortunately, this ceremony contained scenes that mocked Christianity, which we deeply regret.”
The organisers later apologised for this mishap.
The Indian Olympics Association (IOA) president PT Usha was not happy with the Opening Ceremony and said the event did not focus enough on the athletes.
“In the opening ceremony, the organisers should have focused more on athletes. This is an athlete’s event, they should give more importance to players as the attention was on them for only a few seconds, otherwise, everything was good,” PT Usha told IANS.
Even the IOC was not spared embarrassment as the Olympic flag was raised upside down when it was hoisted in front of all delegates at the end of the Parade of Nations route in front of the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony. It definitely was not funny for the IOC bigwigs.
As far as the lack of proper food is concerned, the head of the Great Britain delegation raised this issue ahead of the first day of competitions. Many GBR athletes had to spend the night without food, forcing the delegation chief to urgently summon a chef from home to take care of their culinary needs for the rest of the Games.
–IANS
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Paris, July 30 (IANS) Defending champion Tom Pidcock produced one of the great rides to snatch his second gold medal in the men’s mountain bike cross country at the Paris Olympics on Monday. The British rider overcame a front wheel puncture that saw him drop 36 seconds through the race to overtake France’s Victor Koretzky as they battled head-to-head in the final stretch of the race.
Pidcock finished the eight circuits of the 4.4-kilometre course in one hour, 26 minutes and 22 seconds, nine seconds ahead of Koretzky and with South Africa’s Alan Hatherly claiming the bronze medal two more seconds back.
Pidcock’s win means he successfully defends the gold he won in Tokyo and comes a day before his 25th birthday, reports Xinhua.
The 36 men, representing 27 nations, tackled eight laps of the man-made course that featured fast compacted gravel, a challenging drop-off, and tough rock garden features. For half the race, Koretzky had promised a French double, following Sunday’s victory for Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, but despite the deafening support, it was not to be. Pidcock recovered the time lost due to the puncture to take glory.
“This week, with the Olympics there are so many things to consider by the time you get to the start line. I knew that it would not be easy today,” said the new Olympic Champion, Tom Pidcock. “I knew after the puncture that I had almost five laps, and that’s 50 minutes, so I thought, anything’s possible.
“In the end, it was really fast with Victor, I just couldn’t get rid of him! I just had to go for a gap. The Olympics is no different. I’m sorry for him, the support for him was incredible,” he added.
–IANS
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Paris, July 30 (IANS) A superb victory in the men’s team competition in Artistic Gymnastics helped Japan surge to the top of the medals table midway through Monday’s schedule at the Olympic Games here. The gold in Gymnastics helped Japan move to six gold medals and 12 medals overall to take the top position.
Australia, who were in the lead at the end of competitions on Sunday, slipped to the fifth spot as China, South Korea and hosts France surged ahead in the standings.
India slipped to joint 25th position with one bronze medal, bagged by Manu Bhaker in the Women’s 10mm Air Pistol shooting on Sunday.
Here’s the medal tally at 00:30 IST:
MEDAL TALLY
Top 5 and India:
Nations G S B T
1) Japan 6 2 4 12
2) China 5 3 2 10
3) S. Korea 5 3 1 9
4) France 4 7 3 14
5) Australia 4 3 0 7
25) India 0 0 1 1
–IANS
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