Pakistan's Sole Para-Athlete Haider Ali Leaves for Paris
Haider Ali, Pakistan's only para-athlete participating in the Paris Paralympics, departed for the French capital along with his coach Akbar Ali. The opening ceremony scheduled on August 28 will mark the official commencement of the Games after the successful conclusion of the Olympics earlier this month. Haider, a native of Gujranwala, will represent Pakistan in the F37 category of the discus throw event on September 6. This will be Haider's fifth appearance at the quadrennial event. He won a gold medal in the discus throw at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics with a throw of 55.26 meters.
India Shines at Asian Surfing Championships 2024
In a significant achievement for Indian surfing, the national team secured a silver medal at the prestigious Maruhaba Cup, a team event at the Asian Surfing Championships 2024. The competition, held in Thulusdhoo, Maldives, concluded marking a new chapter in India's surfing history.
The Indian team, comprising Kamali P, Ajeesh Ali, Srikanth D, and Sanjay Selvamani, demonstrated exceptional skill and teamwork throughout the event. Their journey to the podium was marked by consistent performances, showcasing the growing prowess of Indian surfers on the international stage.
The final results of the Maruhaba Cup were as follows:
Japan: Gold Medal (Score: 58.40)
India: Silver Medal (Score: 24.13)
Taipei: Bronze Medal (Score: 23.93)
China: Fourth Place (Score: 22.10)
Tanvi Patri Wins Asian U15 Title
Thirteen-year-old Tanvi Patri from Odisha cemented her status as one of India's most promising badminton prodigies by clinching the girls' singles title at the U-15 Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Junior Championships in Chengdu, China.
She defeated Vietnam's second seed Thi Thu Huyen Nguyen 22-20, 21-11 in a 34-minute final.
Waqar, Misbah, Saqlain among 5 Mentors Appointed for New Domestic Event
The Pakistan Cricket Board named stalwarts Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis as mentors of five teams taking part in the Champions Cup domestic tournament.
The big names in Pakistan cricket were appointed mentors on three-year contracts following a transparent and robust recruitment process, according a PCB statement.
The PCB said the first assignment of the mentors in the PCB Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 will be the Champions One-Day Cup, which will be held in Faisalabad from September 12-29.
Aug 26, 2024
Fatima Sana Named Pakistan Skipper for Women's T20 World Cup
The Pakistan Cricket Board named Fatima Sana as their captain, replacing Nida Dar for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup in UAE from October 3-20.
Bowling all-rounder Fatima, who has featured in 41 ODIs and 40 T20Is, has previously led Pakistan emerging and domestic sides. She also captained Pakistan to a famous ODI win against New Zealand in a Super Over in Christchurch, in December 2023. Pakistan has been clubbed with Australia, India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Group A.
Diamond League Athletics: Mondo Duplantis Breaks Pole World Record
Sweden's sensational pole vaulter, Mondo Duplantis, once again made headlines by shattering his own world record. At the Silesia Diamond League meeting in Poland, Duplantis soared to an astounding height of 6.26 metres on his second attempt, surpassing his previous record by one centimetre.
Earlier in Paris, Duplantis had soared to gold with a remarkable 6.00 metres, requiring merely four successful attempts. Yet, his night was far from over, as he went on to break his previous world record, clearing an astounding 6.25 metres.
Bangladesh Creates History in Rawalpindi, Record Maiden Test Win over Pakistan
Bangladesh scripted history as they recorded their maiden Test win over Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The win marked Bangladesh's first Test win over Pakistan in 14 attempts. They had previously lost 12 matches while securing a solitary draw since their first meeting in 2001. Bangladesh has now beaten nine of the 11-Test playing teams they met. They are yet to register a win over India and South Africa.
The win marked Bangladesh's 20th Test victory across 143 matches and seventh away from home. The Tigers have previously won in twice in the Caribbean and Zimbabwe besides solitary wins in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Aug 25, 2024
Chess Great Kramnik Takes Polygraph Test
Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik became the first player to undergo a polygraph test, a measure introduced by the World Chess Organisation to combat cheating by players in online matches as well as over the board tournaments.
The World Chess Organisation runs the chessarena.com for FIDE, the official chess body that organises tournaments across the world.
The World Chess introduced voluntary polygraph testing as a significant new tool in its anti-cheating arsenal. It said the chess world has been fraught with cheating allegations, including $100 million lawsuits, and one of the most vocal critics of cheating has been Vladimir Kramnik himself. Known for his advocacy for fair play, Kramnik had participated in and won the "Clash of Blames" against Jose Martinez Alcantara, a match that highlighted the importance of addressing cheating in both online and over-the-board chess.
Shikhar Dhawan Announces Retirement from International and Domestic Cricket
Opener Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from the international and domestic cricket.
Dhawan, who has played 34 Tests, 167 ODIs and 68 T20Is for India reflected on his career, which lasted 20 years, since making his first-class debut in 2004. Dhawan's best came in the 50-over format in which he amassed 6793 runs at an average of 44.11. He averaged 40.61 for his 2315 Test runs
Dhawan's stint in the IPL also helped him build a big fan following. He played for Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings.
Aug 24, 2024
Maharaja Trophy: 3 Super Overs for First Time in History as Hubli Tigers Defeat Bengaluru Blasters
The Maharaja Trophy match between Bengaluru Blasters and Hubli Tigers made its way into the record books when the game had to be concluded after 3 Super Overs, the first time something like this had occurred in cricket history.
The Hubli Tigers led by Manish Pandey finally won after the third Super Over against the Mayank Agarwal led Bengaluru Blasters after 2 Super Overs and the normal regulated overs were not enough to separate the two sides.
Diana Pundole: First Indian Woman Racer to Win National Championship
Diana Pundole, a teacher and mother from Pune, made history as the first Indian woman to win the national championship in the saloon category at the MRF Indian National Car Racing Championship 2024 held in Chennai. Her achievement is especially notable as it came in a sport traditionally dominated by men, highlighting her determination and skill despite numerous challenges.
Diana's journey into the world of racing began eight years ago with an unexpected phone call from Coimbatore, inviting her to participate in a car racing championship. At that time, she was among 200 women selected from all over India to undergo rigorous trials as part of a national talent hunt.
Aug 23, 2024
U17 World Wrestling Championship: India's Ronak Dahiya Clinches Bronze in 110kg
India's Ronak Dahiya bagged the bronze medal in the 110kg Greco-Roman category at the U17 World Wrestling Championship in Amman, Jordan.
In the bronze medal play-off, Ronak, currently ranked second in the world in his age-group weight category, comfortably disposed the challenge of Turkey's Emrullah Capkan 6-1 and claimed India's first medal from the championship.
Earlier, Ronak had lost to eventual silver medallist Zoltan Czako of Hungary in the semi-final. The gold in this category was won by Ukraine's Ivan Yankovskyi, who beat Czako 13-4 by virtue of technical superiority.
Neha Sangwan, India's Newly-crowned Under-17 World Champion
Neha Sangwan won the Under-17 World title in the 57 kg category with a 10-0 win over Japan's So Tsutsui in Amman, Jordan.
In 2016, Sangwan enrolled his daughter at the academy run by coach Mahavir Phogat in the adjoining village of Jhojhu Kalan. After winning junior national medals and becoming a Haryana state champion, Neha changed coaches. It was at the Krishan akhada under coach Sajan Singh Mandola that Neha continued to train with an eye on a big international medal.
Neeraj Chopra at Lausanne Diamond League Ends Second Behind Anderson Peters
Neeraj Chopra heaved the javelin to a season best distance of 89.49m with his final throw at the Lausanne Diamond League meet and ended second behind Grenada's Anderson Peters, who threw a distance of 90.61m with his final throw.
Germany's Julian Weber was third with a best throw of 87.08m.