Month: September 2023

The Indian women’s squash team faced off against a formidable opponent, Hong Kong in a bid for gold or silver at the 19th Asian Games. While they couldn’t clinch the top two spots, they secured the bronze medal by losing the semifinal tie against Hong Kong.
By winning the bronze medal, Joshna Chinnappa, 37, is still undecided on her retirement; she says she will take another six months to assess her fitness. In the tie, against a tougher opponent Tze Lok Ho, Joshna stayed up to the challenge and emerged as a beacon of resilience to help India draw level.
Reflecting on her performance, Joshna said, “Im just happy to have that fighting spirit on court. Thats who I am as a player. ”
The comeback
Tanvi Khanna opened the proceedings for India but faced a 3-0 defeat, losing all her first three games. Her defeat put immense pressure on Joshna, the experienced leader of the side. The odds seemed against her as she dropped the first game 11-7.
However, what followed was nothing short of an extraordinary story. Joshna fought back fiercely, winning the second game and extending the match to a fifth game. In a monumental upset, she defeated the world’s 24th-ranked player, Tze Lok Ho.
Joshna, however, says the comeback was not necessarily due to any particular strategies, “Sometimes its just about hanging in there and fighting through. There were moments when thats exactly what I did. ”
But her fighting win would go in vain as youngster Anahat Singh lost the third match of the tie 8-11, 7-11, 12-10.
The 0-3 defeat to Hong Kong means India has had to settle for the bronze medal. For Joshna, it was her fifth Asian Games medal. She won her first medal, a bronze in women’s singles in the 2018 Jakarta Games. Her other three medals – one bronze and two silver medals came in the team events.
India’s pride
When asked about her motivation to keep pushing herself on the court, Joshna explained, I am really happy I could play at a big stage for my country. Playing for India always brings out the best in me. Im just glad I could do it today. Her dedication to representing India on the global stage is evident in her commitment and performance.
The future
Regarding her future and the possibility of participating in the seventh Asian Games in 2026, Joshna remained focused on the present.
Im just trying to get through this week. Three years ahead is almost another lifetime. I never thought Id be here at 37 playing my sixth Asian Games, but its very exciting. I love being with the whole Indian contingent from all different sports. But I take it six months at a time based on how my fitness is.

NewsThere is no specific target for Head’s comeback, but he isn’t expected to be available until at least midway through the World Cup group stage

Mohammad Bobat will be leaving the ECB to join RCB on a full-time basis  •  Getty Images

Star cricketer Jonny Bairstow has shared a cheeky post at the exhausting 38-hour journey which the England cricket team endured en route to the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 in India. Bairstow’s candid remarks shed light on the challenges and strains that international teams sometimes face during extensive travels for major tournaments.
England, the defending champions and one of the frontrunners to win the 2023 ODI World Cup, embarked on their journey to India with high hopes and aspirations. However, their travel experience took an unexpected turn as they encountered a series of delays, layovers and logistical issues that prolonged their journey significantly.
In a post on social media, Bairstow shared his frustration, stating, “utter chaos”, “last leg incoming… been some trip,” followed by a laughing face emoji. He also added “38 hours and counting…”
Jonny Bairstow | Instagram story
Bairstow’s candid remarks garnered widespread attention and empathy from cricket fans and fellow players alike. Many commended his honesty and the team’s resilience in the face of adversity.
The challenging journey, with long hours of travel and disruptions, is undoubtedly a test of the England team’s mental and physical fortitude. Despite these setbacks, they remain determined to give their best performance at the World Cup.
The ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 is set to commence on October 5, and England, led by captain Jos Buttler, will be keen to put their travel woes behind them and focus on their preparations to defend the title.
On Saturday, England will face India in their first warm-up at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium. The Englishmen will then square off against Bangladesh at the same venue on October 2. However, they will start their title defense at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad against the previous World Cup runners-ups New Zealand, on October 5.

Rohit Sharma & Rahul Dravid
In the 2011 World Cup, Rohit Sharma was left out of the squad for the World Cup. Who would have thought that 12 years down the line, he would be leading the Indian team in the World Cup? He had an amazing time in England in the last ODI World Cup as he scored over 600 runs including five centuries. 
The Indian captain looked in touch as he had an amazing time at the Asia Cup and also scored 81 in the third ODI of the Australia series. The Hitman is a record-breaker and he has an amazing chance to break some records in this World Cup as well. 
Let’s look at the five records that Rohit Sharma can break during the World Cup 2023:
Record for most centuries in WC
Sachin Tendulkar
Currently, the record of scoring most centuries in the World Cups is jointly held by Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar. With a total of six centuries, Rohit Sharma stands parallel to the God of cricket. 
Rohit has played in two World Cups, one in 2015 and the other in 2019. He scored one century in 2015 and five in his purple patch at the 2019 World Cup. While Sachin has featured in six World Cup editions and scored six World Cup hundreds in his career. 
With just one more century in the 2023 World Cup, Rohit Sharma can have this record entirely to himself until David Warner scores more than three as he also has four World Cup hundreds to his name. 
Record for most runs in WC season
Rohit Sharma
When it comes to most runs, not just in the World Cup but across formats, Sachin Tendulkar has it all under his name. He has over 2200 World Cup runs and most numbers of sixes as well. In the 2003 World Cup, Sachin was in flawless touch as he went on to score 673 runs in just 11 innings including one century and six fifties. 
In the last World Cup, Rohit Sharma was the highest run-scorer of the tournament and went on to smash 648 runs including five centuries in just nine innings with a blistering average of 81. With nine league matches in this World Cup, he can surpass Sachin’s record of 673 runs in a tournament. 
Record for most sixes as a captain in World Cup season
Eoin Morgan
In the 2019 World Cup, Eoin Morgan, who was leading the England team smashed 17 sixes against Afghanistan. He went on to smash a total of 22 sixes in the tournament, which is the most by any captain a single season of the World Cup. 
The six-hitting ability of Rohit is unparalleled and now that he has become the captain of the Indian team, he would need just 4-5 good innings to break this one. He has the second-highest number of sixes and is right behind the Universe Boss, Chris Gayle. So if any captain can get past Eoin Morgan, it’s the Hitman-Rohit Sharma. 
Record of highest number of sixes in international cricket
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma recently completed 10,000 ODI runs, and one can’t even reckon the fact that most of it would have been through sixes. Not just the limited-overs, Rohit has been smashing sixes in red-ball cricket as well. 
Chris Gayle, who has hammered the maximum number of sixes so far is on the first spot of this record with 553 international sixes. However, the Indian captain is very close to surpassing him, as he has hammered 551 sixes and needs just three to register this record under his name. 
Record to become only 3rd Indian Captain to win WC
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli & MS Dhoni
This is the record that 1.4 billion Indian fans are dreaming of. It’s been 10 years since India have won an ICC trophy, they have been consistent but haven’t been able to win the trophy. With India being the host, Rohit and the company have a great chance to make this happen. 
Only Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni have won the ODI World Cup for India. If Rohit is able to win this one, then his name will be registered amongst the elite captains. The man who was left out of the squad of the 2011 World Cup, is leading the team now. He wants this more than anyone in the country and he will do anything possible to make this happen.

China and India’s simmering diplomatic tensions hit a snag during the ongoing Asian Games being held in Hangzhou. Beijing barred three wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh to travel for the ongoing Asian Games. On Friday, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu called the move by China “unnecessary”.  Referring to the recent denial of regular visa to three Wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh for the Asian Games, he said China “unnecessary” tries to bring a “political angle” whenever there is an issue related to the border state.
“…This is not a new thing for us. It is very unfortunate that they keep creating obstacles. They claim that Arunachal Pradesh is their part but in history, Arunachal has never been a part of China. Everyone knows this…”, CM Khandu told news agency ANI. 
“China has no claim over Arunachal Pradesh. Never in history Arunachal Pradesh has been part of China. It has always been integral part of India,” he said on the sidelines of the 36th senior national tug of war championship 2023 that is being held in Tawang.
Three Indian martial arts athletes from Arunachal Pradesh had been forced to pull out of the Asian Games in Hangzhou after not receiving clearance from the host country. 
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The three Wushu athletes were approved to take part by the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee, but were unable to download their accreditation cards — which act as visas to enter China.
The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh said the state government has given 20 lakh each as a policy to reward anyone from Arunachal Pradesh participating in international competitions.
“Since they were selected for the Asian Games and could not go for no fault of theirs, we have decided to give them the money,” he said.
CM Khandu said the state government will ensure best training for the three players for their preparation for the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Japan so that they can bring laurels.
Notably Arunachal Pradesh has become the latest flashpoint between India and China, already reeling from sour relations over the Galwan Valley skirmishes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Arunachal has been a point of conflict between India and China, which escalated after Beijing released their latest standard map including Arunachal Pradesh in the map of China, designating the area as ‘South Tibet”.
Earlier this year, China renamed 11 places in the disputed region. New Delhi consistently maintains that the state has always been, and will always be, an “integral and inalienable part of India”.
The Indian wushu team did not travel to the Chinese city of Chengdu for the World University Games in July after the same three athletes were issued stapled, rather than pasted, visas — an indication that Beijing does not recognise India’s territorial claim over Arunachal Pradesh.
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