Denmark to host equestrian WC
Copenhagen: Denmark will host the equestrian World Cup 2022, the International Riding Association (FEI) said. The World Cup will feature dressage, parade riding, equestrian jumping and equestrian vaulting. Herning, a small Danish city, some 300 kms northwest of Copenhagen, will be the venue for “the largest international equestrian championship ever held on Danish soil” and is “expected to attract 200,000 visitors,” said the Danish Ride Association on its website on Saturday. Herning beat 10 international cities to host the World Cup 2022, which will also serve as qualifiers for the dressage and jumping events at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. (PTI)
India eves punch five gold
Ulaanbaatar: It rained gold for India at the Asian Youth Boxing Championship as all five of the country’s women finalists emerged victorious while two men signed off with silver medals here on Sunday. Naorem Chanu (51kg), Vinka (64kg) Sanamacha Chanu (75kg), Poonam (54kg) and Sushma (81kg) fetched the yellow metal for the country in a phenomenal sweep. Among the men, Selay Soy (49kg) and Ankit Narwal (60kg) settled for the second place after going down in their respective summit clashes. India signed off with 12 medals in the event with bronze coming from Arundhati Choudhury (69kg), Komalpreet Kaur (+81kg), Jaismine (57kg), Satender Singh (91kg) and Aman (+91kg). Soy began the proceedings for India, going down to Kazakhstan’s Bazarbay Ullu Mukhamedsayfi. Narwal was then defeated by Japan’s Reito Tsutsume. But Poonam defeated China’s Weiqi Cai to open India’s gold account, to which Sushma added one by going past Kazakhstan’s Bakytzhankyzy. Naorem Chanu got the better of another Kazakh Anel Barkyah. Vinka outpunched China’s Haini Nulataiali, while Sanamachu Chanu, a product of the legendary M C Mary Kom’s academy in Manipur, edged past Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova. (PTI)
Thiem dethrones Zverev
London: Dominic Thiem beat defending champion Alexander Zverev to join Roger Federer’s conqueror Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the ATP Finals in London. The Austrian fifth seed saw off the big-serving German 7-5 6-3 on Saturday after Greece’s Tsitsipas, making his debut at the tournament, had earlier beaten Federer 6-3 6-4. Thiem is playing in his fourth ATP Finals but during his first three trips to the season finale, he won only three matches and never advanced out of the group stage at the O2 Arena. Zverev landed 75 percent of his first serves but Thiem was tougher in the big moments, breaking in the 12th game of the opening set and in the sixth game of the second set. The Austrian also saved all four break points. Germany’s Zverev, who beat Novak Djokovic in last year’s final, went toe to toe with Thiem in a relatively uneventful first set but served a double fault to lose the opener 7-5. The seventh seed, 22, regrouped and settled back into his serving rhythm at the beginning of the second set but was broken again to trail 4-2. Thiem, looking unflustered, fended off a couple of break points in the following game and served out to take the match, winning with a forehand down the line. (AFP)