Paralympic Cyclist Shaik Arshad Aims for Gold in Paris

Paralympic Cyclist Shaik Arshad Aims for Gold in Paris

Shaik Arshad, a Paralympic cyclist, is on a mission to bring home a gold medal from the upcoming Paralympics in Paris. His journey to the top has been filled with challenges and triumphs, but his determination remains unwavering.

Arshad’s athletic career began with taekwondo, where he earned a green belt. However, his passion for sports extended beyond martial arts. He explored archery and wheelchair fencing, winning numerous medals at the state level. Despite his successes, he failed to make it to the national level, leaving him feeling disheartened.

Undeterred, Arshad attended a camp in Bengaluru, where he was selected for cycling training. This marked the beginning of his journey in para-cycling. With the support of his coach, who recognized his potential, Arshad dedicated himself to the sport.

In 2018, he received a silicone leg, which significantly improved his training. In 2019, he participated in a camp in Gujarat, where he scaled Mount Bhagirathi, demonstrating his endurance and commitment.

Arshad’s first international competition was in Tajikistan, where he narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth. However, he remained undeterred, with his coach’s guidance continually pushing him forward. His dedication led him to undertake a monumental feat, cycling from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, showcasing his endurance and commitment.

With the Paralympics approaching, Arshad’s focus is sharper than ever. “When I’m riding, my mind is completely on my training,” he says. “I almost left this career once, but my coach brought me back on track. Now, there’s nothing but the goal in my mind.”

Arshad’s journey is not just about winning medals, it’s about inspiring others and proving that with hard work and determination, anything is possible. As he sets his sights on Paris, he carries with him the hopes and dreams of a nation, and with every pedal stroke, he moves closer to turning those dreams into reality.

Sabalenka Eyes US Open Glory After Skipping Olympics

Sabalenka Eyes US Open Glory After Skipping Olympics

Aryna Sabalenka’s strategic decision to skip the Paris Olympics has paid dividends as she enters the US Open as a formidable contender. While her rivals, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, endured emotional setbacks and inconsistent results during and after the Games, Sabalenka has remained focused and regained her form.

Sabalenka’s consistent performance on the hard courts of New York, with a 16-3 record in the last three editions, gives her an edge over her competitors. She has reached the semi-finals at least and is eager to make a breakthrough at Flushing Meadows.

Gauff, the defending champion, has struggled since her US Open triumph last year. Despite a promising start to the season, she has failed to maintain momentum and has not won a title since. Her recent losses in Toronto and Cincinnati have raised concerns about her ability to defend her crown.

Swiatek, the world No. 1, has also faced challenges in adapting her game to hard courts. While she won the US Open in 2022, she has not been as dominant on this surface as she has been on clay. However, she remains a formidable opponent and will be determined to prove her versatility.

Sabalenka’s recent victory in Cincinnati, where she did not drop a set, has boosted her confidence. She believes that her tough losses in previous years have motivated her to improve and is eager to make a statement at the US Open.

The absence of a two-time women’s singles champion in the last decade at the US Open creates an unpredictable atmosphere. Sabalenka’s consistency, recent form, and strategic preparation give her a slight advantage over her rivals. However, Gauff and Swiatek remain dangerous opponents, and the tournament promises to be a thrilling battle between three of the world’s top players.

India A Stumble in Second Innings, Australia A Close to Victory

India A Stumble in Second Innings, Australia A Close to Victory

India A’s hopes of securing a victory in the unofficial one-off women’s Test against Australia A are dwindling after the visitors faced a batting collapse in their second innings. Resuming on 164 for 7, Australia A managed to post a respectable 260, thanks to an unbeaten 105 from Maddy Darke. However, India A’s chase of 289 has been severely hampered by the Australian spinners.

Chasing the target, India A openers Priya Punia and Shweta Sehrawat provided a solid start with a 37-run partnership. However, the introduction of spin proved to be India A’s undoing. Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, and Lilly Mills wreaked havoc, claiming six wickets between them. Punia (36) and Shubha Satheesh (45) were the only batters to offer some resistance, but their dismissals left India A reeling at 130 for 5.

The visitors’ hopes were further dented when Parsons dismissed Tejal Hasabnis and Tess Flintoff removed Satheesh. India A skipper Minnu Mani became the fifth wicket to fall, leaving the team in dire straits. Parsons then struck again, dismissing Sajeevan Sajana, as Australia A tightened their grip on the match.

At stumps, Raghvi Bist (16) and Uma Chetry (10) were at the crease, with India A still needing 140 runs to win with four wickets in hand. The hosts will be confident of completing a victory on the fourth day, while India A face an uphill task to salvage a draw.

Manchester United Crash to Last-Gasp Defeat, Haaland Hat-Trick Fires City to Victory

Manchester United Crash to Last-Gasp Defeat, Haaland Hat-Trick Fires City to Victory

Manchester United’s dismal start to the season continued as they suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium. Erik ten Hag’s side, who were looking to bounce back from their opening day loss to Brentford, were left shell-shocked by Joao Pedro’s last-gasp winner.

Brighton took the lead in the 32nd minute through Danny Welbeck, who tapped in Kaoru Mitoma’s cross. United equalized through Amad Diallo in the 60th minute, but their joy was short-lived as Joshua Zirkzee prevented Alejandro Garnacho from putting the visitors ahead in the closing stages.

With the game seemingly heading for a draw, Brighton struck a devastating blow in the 95th minute. Pedro, who had been left completely unmarked at the far post, headed home from Simon Adingra’s cross to secure all three points for the Seagulls.

The defeat leaves United with just one point from their opening two games, while Brighton have made a perfect start to the season under new manager Fabian Hurzeler.

Meanwhile, Manchester City continued their impressive start to the season with a 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town in the EFL Cup. Erling Haaland was the star of the show, scoring a hat-trick to take his tally to four goals in two games.

City took the lead in the 12th minute through a penalty from Haaland, after Leif Davis fouled Savinho. Ipswich equalized through Sammie Szmodics in the 7th minute, but City restored their lead through Kevin De Bruyne in the 14th minute.

Haaland made it 3-1 in the 58th minute with a deft flick past Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, and completed his hat-trick in the 88th minute with a typically predatory finish.

Tottenham Hotspur also enjoyed a comfortable victory, thrashing Everton 4-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Yves Bissouma opened the scoring in the 14th minute, before Son Heung-min doubled Tottenham’s lead in the 25th minute. Cristian Romero and Son added further goals in the second half to seal a convincing win for Antonio Conte’s side.

West Ham United earned their first win of the season under new manager Julen Lopetegui, with a 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace. Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen scored the goals for the Hammers, who had lost their opening two games.

Fulham secured a 2-1 win over Leicester City at Craven Cottage, with Alex Iwobi scoring the winning goal in the 70th minute. Nottingham Forest also picked up their first win of the season, with a 1-0 victory over Southampton thanks to Morgan Gibbs-White’s 70th-minute strike.

Shreyas Iyer's Heartwarming Gesture for Rohit Sharma at CEAT Cricket Rating Awards

Shreyas Iyer’s Heartwarming Gesture for Rohit Sharma at CEAT Cricket Rating Awards

The CEAT Cricket Rating Awards 2024 celebrated the exceptional achievements of Indian cricketers, both men and women. Amidst the accolades bestowed upon stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid, a heartwarming moment between two India stalwarts captured the hearts of fans.

During the event, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain and India’s ODI middle-order pillar Shreyas Iyer displayed a remarkable gesture of respect towards India’s Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma. As the venue filled with stars, Rohit Sharma found himself without a seat. Without hesitation, Shreyas Iyer rose from his seat and offered it to Rohit, who gratefully accepted.

The heartwarming moment was captured on camera and quickly went viral on social media, eliciting praise from fans and commentators alike. Whether Shreyas Iyer proactively offered the seat or Rohit Sharma requested it remains unclear, but the exchange of smiles between the two players spoke volumes about their mutual respect and camaraderie.

Rohit Sharma was honored with the prestigious ‘International Cricketer of the Year’ award at the ceremony. As CEAT’s brand ambassador, Rohit played a pivotal role in India’s historic triumph at the 2024 T20 World Cup, emerging as the nation’s leading run-scorer.

Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer, who led KKR to a dominant IPL 2024 title victory, received the ‘T20 Leadership’ award. His astute captaincy and exceptional batting performances throughout the tournament earned him widespread recognition.

The CEAT Cricket Rating Awards 2024 also recognized the outstanding contributions of other Indian cricketers. Yashasvi Jaiswal was named ‘Test Batter of the Year,’ while R Ashwin claimed the ‘Test Bowler of the Year’ award. Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami were honored as ‘ODI Batter of the Year’ and ‘ODI Bowler of the Year,’ respectively.

In the T20I category, Phil Salt and Tim Southee were recognized as ‘T20I Batter of the Year’ and ‘T20I Bowler of the Year,’ respectively. Rahul Dravid, the former India captain and current head coach, received the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award for his immense contributions to Indian cricket.

The awards ceremony also celebrated the achievements of women cricketers. Harmanpreet Kaur was recognized for her record-breaking feat as the player with the most matches as captain in women’s T20I history. Deepti Sharma was named ‘Women’s Indian Bowler of the Year,’ while Shafali Verma received the award for the ‘Fastest Double-Century in Women’s Test.’

Sathiyan's Comeback Falls Short as Delhi Dabang Loses to U Mumba in UTT

Sathiyan’s Comeback Falls Short as Delhi Dabang Loses to U Mumba in UTT

Indian paddler Sathiyan Gnanasekaran’s valiant comeback victory over world No. 20 Quadri Aruna proved futile as his Delhi Dabang team succumbed to a 6-9 defeat against U Mumba in the fifth season of Ultimate Table Tennis.

Despite Sathiyan’s historic triumph over Aruna, Delhi Dabang was unable to match the prowess of U Mumba, who relied on the stellar performances of Manav Thakkar and Sutirtha Mukherjee to secure victory at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium.

Sathiyan faced an uphill battle in his season opener, trailing 7-0 against Aruna, the tournament’s top-ranked male player. However, the Indian Olympian displayed resilience, employing a robust defense and powerful smashes to claim the next two games 11-9 each.

Sutirtha Mukherjee restored U Mumba’s advantage in the first women’s singles match, defeating Diya Chitale in straight games. Sathiyan and Orawan Paranag attempted to level the tie in mixed doubles, but they were outplayed by the formidable pairing of Manav Thakkar and Maria Xiao.

Thakkar continued his impressive form in the second men’s singles, swiftly establishing a 2-0 lead over debutant Andreas Levenko. This victory sealed U Mumba’s historic triumph over Dabang Delhi.

Paranag salvaged a point for Delhi Dabang in the second women’s singles, defeating Xiao. The team will now face hosts Chennai Lions, while U Mumba TT will take on Jaipur Patriots on Sunday.

Pakistan Test Captain Shan Masood's Dressing Room Outburst Goes Viral

Pakistan Test Captain Shan Masood’s Dressing Room Outburst Goes Viral

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood’s frustration boiled over in the dressing room during the third day of the first Rawalpindi Test against Bangladesh. A video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media, shows Masood engaged in an animated discussion with head coach Jason Gillespie, a legendary Australian pacer.

While the exact reason for Masood’s anger is unclear, fans have speculated that it may have been related to Babar Azam’s dropped catch on the fourth day of the match. However, the video of Masood’s outburst is from the third day, indicating that the two incidents are unrelated.

On the fourth day, Azam dropped an easy chance at leg slip off the bowling of Agha Salman, giving Mushfiqur Rahim a reprieve. Rahim went on to score a brilliant 191, giving Bangladesh an outside chance of a maiden victory over Pakistan.

The dropped catch has raised questions about Azam’s form and focus, as he has struggled with the bat in recent matches. Masood’s outburst, meanwhile, highlights the pressure and frustration that the Pakistan team is facing in this crucial Test match.

Pakistan, who have lost 12 of their 13 Tests against Bangladesh, are trailing by 94 runs after Bangladesh posted a first-innings total of 565. The home team will need to bat well in their second innings to avoid defeat and level the series.

IPL Captaincy Carousel: Suryakumar Yadav Linked to KKR Move

IPL Captaincy Carousel: Suryakumar Yadav Linked to KKR Move

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been rocked by a series of captaincy changes, with the latest rumors swirling around Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). After a disappointing season that saw MI finish at the bottom of the points table, the franchise replaced Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as captain. This move sparked speculation of a rift between Rohit and Hardik, which was reportedly resolved during the T20 World Cup.

However, the drama surrounding MI’s captaincy continues. Reports have emerged that Suryakumar Yadav, who was recently appointed captain of India’s T20I side, has been approached by KKR to become their skipper. According to journalist Rohit Juglan, KKR has made an unofficial offer to Suryakumar and is willing to trade Shreyas Iyer, last year’s title-winning captain, to MI in exchange.

This potential move could be facilitated by the mega auction scheduled for next year. However, KKR has not officially commented on the matter. Meanwhile, both Suryakumar and Iyer are currently playing for Mumbai in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament.

The Buchi Babu Tournament provides a platform for both players to showcase their skills ahead of the upcoming international season. The BCCI has encouraged India internationals to participate in domestic tournaments to maintain peak performance.

The captaincy changes and trade rumors surrounding MI and KKR have added an element of intrigue to the IPL. It remains to be seen how these developments will impact the teams’ fortunes in the upcoming season.

Ashutosh Sharma's Maiden Century: A Gift from Shikhar Dhawan

Ashutosh Sharma’s Maiden Century: A Gift from Shikhar Dhawan

Punjab Kings and Railways batter Ashutosh Sharma’s maiden First Class century on his Ranji Trophy debut was made possible by a bat gifted to him by Shikhar Dhawan, who had been impressed by his batting during the pre-season camp for the 2024 Indian Premier League in Mumbai.

Sharma, who smashed eight sixes and twelve fours in his 84-ball 123 against Gujarat in January, revealed that Dhawan’s gesture had a profound impact on his performance. “The best thing was when I met him for the first time for the (IPL 2024) pre-season camp. The first time he watched my batting, he gave me a bat. I made my maiden First Class hundred with that bat!” Sharma exclaimed.

Dhawan’s support extended beyond the gift of a bat. Before Sharma’s first IPL game against Gujarat Titans, Dhawan offered words of encouragement. “I know you will do it for the team. This cricket is the same as domestic cricket. Just calm your nerves,” Dhawan advised.

Sharma’s composure under pressure was evident in his 17-ball 31 (3×4, 1×6) in the final overs of that match, helping PBKS chase down 200 with three wickets and a ball to spare.

Sharma’s admiration for Dhawan extends beyond his batting prowess. “I’ve spoken a lot with Shikhar Paaji (at PBKS). He taught me about visualization and manifestation, to always think positively,” Sharma said. “I learnt how a legend like him and a foreign player like Sam Curran perform in tough situations. The main thing is that I learnt how to handle pressure.”

Sharma’s journey from a promising young cricketer to a First Class centurion is a testament to the power of mentorship and self-belief. The bat gifted by Dhawan served as a physical reminder of his potential, while Dhawan’s guidance provided the emotional support and technical insights that helped him unlock his talent.

Vinesh Phogat's Disqualification Raises Questions About UWW Rules and Indian Support

Vinesh Phogat’s Disqualification Raises Questions About UWW Rules and Indian Support

In the aftermath of Vinesh Phogat’s controversial disqualification from the Paris Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling has raised questions about the fairness and validity of the United World Wrestling (UWW) rules.

CAS arbitrator Annabelle Bennett acknowledged the “cryptic” nature of the second-day weigh-in list that disqualified Vinesh and criticized the “infelicitous” language of the UWW rules. She also deemed the consequences of the failed weigh-in as “draconian,” suggesting a more equitable solution could have been to eliminate Vinesh from the round she was ineligible for, rather than punishing her for rounds she had already competed in.

However, Bennett noted that the validity or reasoning behind the UWW’s rules was not challenged before CAS. This raises concerns about the lack of scrutiny given to the rules that ultimately led to Vinesh’s disqualification.

The UWW’s rules have been criticized for being loosely drafted and inconsistent. At the Paris Olympics, the team leader guide cited outdated rules, highlighting the need for clearer and more transparent regulations.

The article also questions the delayed legal response from Indian authorities to Vinesh’s disqualification. Despite the urgency of the situation, it took over eight hours for the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to file a legal protest. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of the support system for Indian athletes at major sporting events.

Furthermore, the official Paris 2024 website and UWW’s final results book offer conflicting information about Vinesh’s absence from the brackets ladder. This lack of clarity adds to the confusion surrounding her disqualification.

The CAS ruling and subsequent analysis have highlighted the need for a thorough review of the UWW’s rules and the support mechanisms for Indian athletes. It remains to be seen whether the IOA or the Ministry of Sports will pursue further legal recourse or take steps to address the concerns raised by Vinesh’s disqualification.

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