Category: SPORTS

Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka are sitting out Wimbledon, leaving the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament without two of the sport’s biggest stars as it returns after being canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Nadal, a two-time champion at the All England Club, announced via a series of social media posts Thursday that he would also miss the Tokyo Olympics to rest and recover after listening to my body. The goal, the 35-year-old Spaniard said, is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy.…

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Virat Kohli carries the expectations of a billion while cricket romantics will pin their hopes on Kane Williamson when India and New Zealand engage in a battle to create a lasting legacy in pristine whites in the inaugural World Test Championship final starting here on Friday. For the connoisseurs of the glorious game, Test cricket is the ultimate format and despite its aura, the 144-year-old history needed a facelift along with a context which the World Test Championship provided despite various bottlenecks, including the COVID-19 pandemic. For Kohli, India’s most…

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An Olympic qualifying spot within her grasp, national record-holding sprinter Dutee Chand on Wednesday said her target in the upcoming Tokyo Games is to reach the 100m final with an improved timing. Dutee is yet to breach the qualification timing of 11.15 seconds but is expected to make it to the Tokyo Games on the basis of world rankings. Out of the 56 athletes to compete, 33 will be those who touch qualification timing and the remaining will be picked on the basis of rankings. The 25-year-old, who has a…

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Lionel Messi has won it all with Barcelona in a decorated career. Winning a title with Argentina remains one of his biggest ambitions. The 33-year-old Messi might have one of his final chances at the Copa America. Argentina’s campaign will begin on Monday against Chile at the Nilton Santos stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Copa America opened Sunday in emergency mode in Brazil, where the tournament was shifted after Colombia and Argentina were dropped as co-hosts. “I am always available to my national team. My biggest dream is to win…

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Sprinting, sliding and stretching, anticipating each other’s moves for four sets and more than four hours, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal produced a masterpiece in the French Open semifinals. Djokovic, as it happens, is one of only two men in tennis history who knows what it takes to beat Nadal at Roland Garros. And now Djokovic has done it twice this time ending Nadal’s bid for a 14th championship there and record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title overall by coming back to win their 58th career matchup 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4),…

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Widely credited for creating India’s talent pool at the under-19 and A level, former captain and NCA Director Rahul Dravid says during his stint as coach with these teams, he made sure that every cricketer who toured got a game unlike his playing days. Dravid will be head coach of a Shikhar Dhawan-led Indian team that will tour Sri Lanka for a white-ball series next month. He doesn’t travel with the A and U-19 squads any more but it was he who made sure all the squad members played on…

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 Indian football talisman Sunil Chhetri has surpassed Argentina’s global superstar Lionel Messi to become the second-highest active international goal-scorer with 74 strikes, adding another feather to his illustrious career. The 36-year-old Chhetri achieved the staggering feat with his brace against against Bangladesh in the joint preliminary qualifying round match for 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup here on Monday night. The seasoned striker, who helped India register their first win in six years in World Cup qualifiers, now stands only behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (103) in the…

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Daniil Medvedev had never been past the first round at the French Open before. And his surprise reward for reaching the fourth round now is that he’s carrying the hopes of the French crowd. Why? Because there are no French players left in the men’s or women’s draw, and Medvedev happens to have a very successful French coach. Gilles Cervara has helped the 25-year-old Russian win 10 titles on the ATP Tour and reach No. 2 in the rankings. After Medvedev’s 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win against American Reilly Opelka, he…

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Young Trinidad and Tobago pacer Jayden Seales has been named in the West Indies’ 17-member provisional squad for the two-match Test series against South Africa, starting here on Thursday. The squad is expected to be cut down to an official 13-member contingent on Monday. The Selection Panel also announced that pacer Chemar Holder was unavailable for selection due to injury. “Fast bowler Chemar Holder was unavailable due to injury while 19-year-old fast bowler Jayden Seales is a first-time inclusion in the West Indies provisional squad for a Test Series,” a…

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 India’s top badminton star P V Sindhu says she is working to acquire new skills and techniques to surprise her rivals, who are at the same level with distinct playing styles, at the Tokyo Olympics. The Rio Olympics silver medallist and world champion feels the coronavirus pandemic-induced break has given her the much-needed time to rectify mistakes in her game and add something new to her repertoire. Her nemesis and reigning champion, Carolina Marin, will not be there due to a knee injury, but Sindhu knows the field still remains…

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