India A Wins Final Contest and Lifts Duleep Trophy
Tanush Kotian (3/47) and Prasidh Krishna (3/50) shared six wickets and trumped Sai Sudharsan's valiant 111 as India A defeated India C by 132 runs and won the Duleep Trophy.
Having entered the final round with six points in two matches and three points behind India C, the 'A' team showed incredible resolve from the word go and dominated the final contest of the four-day competition.
The victory took India A to the top of the points table with a total of 12 points from three matches, crowing them as the eventual winners. Chasing 350 on the final day, India C were all out for 217 in 81.5 overs.
Arshdeep Singh saved his best for the last game and returned career-best figures of 6/40 as India D thrashed India B by 257 runs to end their campaign with a consolation victory.
The 14th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2024
The 14th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2024 concluded with an exhilarating finale at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar, Punjab. This prestigious event, organised by Hockey India, showcased the nation's top young talent in a fierce competition that spanned from September 9 to September 19, 2024.
The championship culminated in a nail-biting final match between Hockey Punjab and Uttar Pradesh Hockey. The intensity of the game was evident as both teams fought tooth and nail, resulting in a 3-3 tie at the end of regular time. The deadlock led to a dramatic penalty shootout to determine the champion.
In a display of skill and nerves of steel, Hockey Punjab emerged victorious in the penalty shootout with a score of 4-3. This narrow margin of victory underscored the competitive nature of the tournament and the high level of talent present in both teams. The tournament also featured a compelling match for the third position between the losing semi-finalists. Hockey Haryana faced off against Hockey Karnataka in this contest. Demonstrating their prowess, Hockey Haryana secured a decisive 5-0 victory, claiming the third spot on the podium. Karnataka, despite their strong performance throughout the tournament, had to settle for fourth place.
Sangram Singh Becomes 1st Indian Male Wrestler to Win MMA Fight
Indian wrestler Sangram Singh made his mark in the MMA world by winning his debut fight at the Gama International Fighting Championship.
Sangram, who is a Commonwealth Heavyweight wrestling champion, won in a mere minute and thirty seconds against Pakistani fighter Ali Raza Nasir, who is seventeen years younger than him, and became the first Indian male wrestler to win the mixed martial arts fight.
Among the eleven competing nations, Sangram's accomplishment represents the fastest win ever registered by an Indian fighter in the 93 kg division.
Chess Olympiad: Double Delight for India as It Clinches Gold Medals in Open and Women's Events
The Indian contingent brought home the laurels with their maiden Open event gold medal wins in men's and women's competitions at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Hungary, Budapest.
Sitting in a comfortable position following its impressive win over the USA, the Indian men's chess team had to avoid a defeat against Slovenia in the final round, but the trio of D. Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and R. Praggnanandhaa went a step ahead, winning their respective matches in the 11th and final round match. India pipped China to take home the glory.
Meanwhile, the Indian chess prodigy and World Championship contender D. Gukesh capped off a brilliant Olympiad with a win over Russian Vladimir Fedoseev to help India clinch a historic gold medal.
Besides the men's team, the Indian women's team completed a rare double gold for the country with a 3.5-0.5 win over Azerbaijan.
While D. Harika led the Indian women's chess team with a dominant performance on the top board, Divya Deshmukh continued her impressive run with an individual gold medal on the third board.
Following R. Vaishali's draw, Vantika Agrawal's outstanding performance Indian contingent scripted history in Budapest.
This achievement at this global event marks a colossal moment in India's chess history, reflecting their growing prowess on an international stage.
Jasprit Bumrah Joins Elite Club with 400 International Wickets
In a momentous achievement for Indian cricket, Jasprit Bumrah became the 10th Indian bowler to reach the illustrious milestone of 400 international wickets. This feat was accomplished during the first Test against Bangladesh at Chennai, further cementing Bumrah's status as one of India's premier fast bowlers.
Bumrah's achievement places him in the esteemed company of India's bowling greats.
Sep 21, 2024
Indian Chess Federation Left Red-faced as Chess Olympiad's Nona Gaprindashvili Cup Goes Missing
In what could become a major embarrassment for India, the 'Nona Gaprindashvili Cup', which is awarded to the best performing contingent at the Chess Olympiad, is learnt to have been misplaced by the All India Chess Federation (AICF).
Three AICF office-bearers confirmed this. The event is held once in two years, and the Indian team had won the trophy at the last Chess Olympiad in Chennai in 2022.
A few weeks back, the global governing body of chess, FIDE, sent an email to the AICF requesting that India return the trophy, so that it could be handed to the winners of the ongoing Chess Olympiad in Budapest, after the end of Round 11.
Sep 20, 2024
Sabita Toppo, D. M. Jayaram Star in Five Star Performance at SAAF Junior Athletics Championships
RF Athletics High Performance Centre's (HPC) athletes sparkled at the SAFF Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai by winning five medals at the competition. D. M. Jayaram starred by winning a brace of medals, a bronze in the men's 100 m event and a silver in the men's 4x100 m relay event, where he was joined by fellow Odisha-RF HPC athlete Mahendra Santa.
Sabita Toppo claimed silver in the women's 100 m hurdles event in an eye-catching display and Laxmipriya Kisan also won silver in the women's 800 m event.
Dunith Wellalage and Samarawickrama Named ICC Players of the Month for August 2024
In a remarkable achievement for Sri Lankan cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that Dunith Wellalage and Harshitha Samarawickrama were named the ICC Players of the Month for August 2024. This rare double victory marked a significant milestone for Sri Lanka in international cricket.
This is only the second instance in ICC history where players from the same country have won both the men's and women's awards in the same month. The previous occurrence was in June 2024, when India's Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana achieved this feat. Wellalage's victory in the men's category came against stiff competition. He edged out South African spinner Keshav Maharaj and West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales, who were also shortlisted for the award.
Samarawickrama's stellar performances on the tour of Ireland set her apart from other contenders. She narrowly beat out Irish players Orla Prendergast and Gaby Lewis for the award.
India's Valluri Babu Strikes Gold in Commonwealth Championships
Indian weightlifter Valluri Ajaya Babu produced a record-breaking performance and clinched the gold medal in the men's 81kg junior and senior categories at the Commonwealth Championships.
The 19-year-old heaved a total of 326kg (147kg + 179kg) to finish on top of the podium.
With his performance, Babu set a Commonwealth record in clean and jerk in the 81kg junior category.
He also smashed the junior national marks in snatch, clean and jerk and total weight sections.
Sep 19, 2024
Scotland to Host 2026 Commonwealth Games after Australia Backed Out
Scotland will host the Commonwealth Games in 2026 after Victoria, Australia, withdrew due to rising costs. Glasgow, which hosted the Games in 2014, will once again welcome athletes from around the world, but the event will be on a smaller scale this time. The Scottish government has committed to hosting the event without needing extra public money. Health Secretary Neil Gray confirmed that the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) would provide £20 million in funding. Of this, £5 million will go towards upgrading the facilities needed for the Games.
The event held every four years was established in 1930 as the British Empire Games and is open to 74 nations and territories. It has been staged in Australia, Canada, England, India, Jamaica, Malaysia, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Birmingham hosted the 2022 games.
Ricky Ponting Joins Punjab Kings as Head Coach
Ricky Ponting was appointed head coach of Punjab Kings, replacing compatriot Trevor Bayliss in the under-performing IPL franchise.
The former Australian captain made the switch to Punjab Kings from Delhi Capitals, a team he was part of for seven years.
In the 2024 Major League Cricket (MLC) season, the Washington Freedom appointed him as Head Coach and he guided the team to the title. Ponting is also the head of strategy for the Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL since 2021.
Sep 18, 2024
Women's T20 World Cup 2024: ICC Announces 134 per cent Increase in Prize Money for Winners
The International Cricket Council (ICC) will be paying $2.34 million to the winners of Women's T20 World Cup 2024 - an increment of 134 per cent from previous edition's $1 million prize money.
The overall prize money was also increased from last edition's $2.45 million to $7.95 million - an increase of 225%. The increment in prize money is part of the ICC's initiative of bringing women's cricket on par with men's cricket.
This is also the first time the prize money awarded to women cricketers will be equal to their men counterparts in the same event.
India Wins Asian Champions Trophy Hockey
India men's hockey team beat China 1-0 in the Asian Champions Trophy final and won the tournament. India, the 2024 Paris Olympic bronze medalist, remained unbeaten throughout the tournament.
It was a hard-fought win for India, who managed only a single goal in the 51st minute, thanks to a brilliant pass by skipper Harmanpreet off which Jugraj Singh scored the goal. This was the fifth Asian Champions Trophy title for India.
17-Year-Old Indian Shuttler Anmol Kharb Wins First Singles International Title in Belgium
India's 17-year-old Anmol Kharb clinched her first international title in women's singles as she beat Denmark's Amalie Schulz in a hard-fought final in the Belgian International badminton tournament.
Anmol Kharb became the women's singles national badminton champion at the age of 16 and a year later, proved to be the driving force behind the Indian women's team bagging a historic gold medal at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships in Malaysia.