England emerged victorious in the Under-21 European Championship final against Spain in Georgia, securing their first title since 1984. Curtis Jones' decisive goal propelled England to a 1-0 triumph, while James Trafford's heroic penalty save in the 99th minute preserved England's flawless defensive record throughout the tournament. This victory adds to England's recent successes at various youth levels, cementing their reputation as a powerhouse in developing young talent.
England's victory in the Under-21 European Championship final against Spain ended their 39-year wait for a third UEFA European Under-21 Championship title.
OCA Elects Sheikh Talal as the New President
Kuwait's Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah was elected as the new President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) following a vote overshadowed by allegations of corruption. Sheikh Talal replaced his older brother Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who led the OCA for 30 years until 2021 when he was forced to step down after being found guilty of forgery in a court in Geneva and sentenced to at least 13 months in prison.
Sheikh Talal beat Kuwaiti Husain Al-Musallam, the organisation's Director General and President of World Aquatics, at the OCA General Assembly in Bangkok by 24 votes to 20.
The OCA was founded in 1982 by his father Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who led it until 1990 when he was killed defending Dasman Palace on the first day of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees.
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) was established in New Delhi on November 16, 1982. The International Olympic Committee recognized the OCA within the same year.
AFI Awarded Best Member Federation by Asian Athletics Association
Athletics Federation of India (AFI) was conferred with the best member federation award by the Asian Athletics Association in Bangkok.
AFI president Adille Sumariwalla received the award during the function hosted by Asian Athletics Association.
Jul 11, 2023
Para-shooter Rudransh Creates World Record at World Cup
India para-shooters Rudransh Khandelwal and Nihal Singh won the gold and silver respectively in the P4 Mixed 50m pistol SH1 category at the World Shooting Para Sport (WSPS) World Cup.
Rudransh created a world record in the event, shooting a score of 231.1 in the final, while Nihal shot 222.2 to finish second. Rudransh broke the world record of Khel Ratna awardee Manish Narwal, who won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Nihal was the leader at the end of the qualification round with a score of 536, while Rudransh was fifth with 529.
Priyansh Wins Compound Men's under-21 Individual Title in the World Youth Archery Championships
Indian compound archer Priyansh bagged a gold medal at the World Archery Youth Championships in Limerick, Ireland. He decimated Slovenia's Aljaz Brenk with a score of 147-141 in the under-21 men's compound archery category.
The result bolstered India's medal tally, shooting it up to nine medals, comprising five gold medals.
Lakshya Sen Clinches Men's Singles Title of Canada Open Badminton
Lakshya Sen clinched the men's singles title at the 58th Canada Open 2023. Sen defeated Li Shi Feng, the reigning All England champion, in straight games.
The victory at the Canada Open 2023 marked Lakshya Sen's second BWF Super 500 title. His previous triumph came at the India Open in January 2022, further establishing his reputation as one of India's most promising badminton players. Ranked 19th in the world currently, Sen's consistent performance and determination have propelled him to achieve significant milestones in his career.
Jul 10, 2023
Canada Open: Lakshya Sen Beats Kenta Nishimoto of Japan Enters Final
Indian ace shuttler Lakshya Sen sealed a place in the final of the Canada Open, a BWF Super 500 event, after beating his Japanese rival Kenta Nishimoto in the semi-finals. In what was Sen's first appearance in a BWF World Tour Final in almost a year, he defeated Nishimoto in straight games in the semi-finals of the Canada Open held in Calgary.
Experienced campaigner P.V. Sindhu crashed out of the Canada Open in the women's singles semi-finals after losing to world numero uno Akane Yamaguchi with a score of 21-14, 21-15.
Justine Henin Receives the Philippe Chatrier Award
The International Tennis Federation awarded Justine Henin its highest honour, the Philippe Chatrier Award.
Henin won seven Grand Slam singles titles, an Olympic gold medal, and was part of Belgium's team that won the Fed Cup, now called the Billie Jean King Cup, in 2001.
The award, named after the former ITF president, was introduced in 1996 and recognizes people who have made significant contributions to the sport on and off the court.
The award was presented at the ITF World Champions Awards at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.
Jul 09, 2023
IPL Version of Impact Player Rule in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy; BCCI Approves Asian Games Participa...
The IPL version of the much-talked about Impact Player Rule will be used in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy (SMAT) beginning October 16, the BCCI Apex Council approved.
The Impact Player was introduced in SMAT last season but it had to be brought before the end of the 14th over and had to be named before the toss.
However, this will change from the next season. Like IPL, the teams will be allowed to name four substitutes besides the playing eleven before the toss. Out of the four substitutes, only one can be used as an Impact Player.
The Apex Council also approved the participation of the men's and women's teams for the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September-October.
A second-string Indian team will participate in the men's competition, beginning September 28 while a full-strength side will be picked for the women's event, beginning September 19.
Cricket has been played only thrice in the Asian Games' history and the last time it was held in Incheon in 2014 when India did not take part.
Zaka Ashraf Appointed as Chairman of PCB Management Committee
The Pakistan government appointed a new 10-member PCB Management Committee, headed by Zaka Ashraf, for a period of four months.
Ashraf was the favourite to become chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board last month but the PCB had to postpone that election after the formation of its board of governors, which elects the new chairman, was challenged in multiple courts around the country.
The government Removed PCB election commissioner Ahmed Shehzad Farooq Rana and appointed advocate of Supreme Court Mahmood Iqbal Khakwani in his place.
Jul 08, 2023
Priyansh-Avneet Pair Wins Junior Mixed Team Archery Gold at Worlds
Indian archers Priyansh and Avneet Kaur won gold in the junior mixed team compound event, defeating Israel in the final of the World Archery Youth Championships in Limerick, Ireland. It was a nail-biting contest wherein the Indian players beat Israel with a close score of 146-144.
India's Manav Jadhav and Aishwarya Sharma also won a bronze medal defeating Mexico in the cadet mixed compound event.
Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh's Highest ODI Run-scorer, Retires from International Cricket
Bangladesh ODI captain, Tamim Iqbal, announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an abrupt end to his illustrious 16-year career. The shocking announcement was made by Tamim himself during an emotional press conference held in Chattogram, just three months before the World Cup in India.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has not yet named a successor to the ODI captaincy, as Shakib Al Hasan currently leads the team in the T20I format and Litton Das holds the Test captaincy. Tamim had previously retired from T20Is last year and played his last Test match against Ireland in April.
He finishes his ODI career as Bangladesh's highest run-scorer with 8313 runs and 14 centuries, placing him third among current cricketers, behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.