India boxers continue good run
New Delhi: Bhagyabati Kachari (75kg) assured India of at least a bronze medal at the Thailand International Boxing Tournament by advancing to the semifinals in Bangkok on Tuesday.Bhagyabati, who won a gold at the India Open earlier this year, defeated Vietnam’s Nguyen Huong 5-0 to make the medal rounds. In the men’s draw Ashish Kumar (69kg) entered the quarterfinals after easing past Croat Petar Cetinic 5-0 in his pre-quarterfinal bout. In the last Indian bout of the day, Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist Mohammed Hussamuddin (56kg) also advanced to the quarterfinals after out-punching Botswana’s George Molwantwa 5-0. On Monday, Asian Championships silver-medallist Deepak Singh (49kg) and former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) were among seven Indian boxers to enter the quarterfinals of the event. Former India Open gold-medallist Manisha Moun (57kg), Asian Championships silver medallist Ashish Kumar (75kg), Strandja Cup silver-medallist Manju Rani (48kg) and India Open silver medallist Brijesh Yadav (81kg) were the other five quarterfinalists. (PTI)
Ledecky withdraws
Gwangju: Olympic champion Katie Ledecky has pulled out of Tuesday’s world 1,500 metres freestyle final and 200m heats on “medical grounds,” Team USA said.The 22-year-old, who has won 14 world titles, lost her 400m crown to Australian teenager Ariarne Titmus at the weekend in a stunning upset on day one of the pool competition in Gwangju. Ledecky opted not contest Tuesday morning’s 200m freestyle heats and after assessing her condition decided to skip the evening’s 1,500m final — an event she has dominated at the past three world championships. Team USA officials told AFP Ledecky had not withdrawn from the remainder of the championships — her 800m freestyle heat is scheduled for Friday. (AFP)
Iniesta becomes La Liga Icon
Tokyo: Andrés Iniesta has been named the latest ‘La Liga Icon, a La Liga initiative to continue growing worldwide driven by the popularity of players like the FC Barcelona legend.The 35-year-old currently playing his football in Japan becomes the newest star to be named a ‘La Liga Icon’ after his Spanish teammate Iker Casillas.”We are delighted to have Andrés Iniesta on board as a La Liga Icon” said La Liga President, Javier Tebas. “He is a player who inspires millions and is a fantastic representative for what La Liga stands for across the globe.”The La Liga Icons initiative aims to expand the La Liga brand through a strategy focused on digital dissemination, maximising La Liga content and taking advantage of synergies between social networks, allowing La Liga to connect with fans globally.Also in attendance at the presentation gala held in the Japanese capital Tokyo were Fernando Sanz, Director of Institutional Relations and La Liga Ambassadors programme and Samuel Eto’o, a former teammate of Iniesta at FC Barcelona and the current La Liga Ambassador. (IANS)
Mohun Bagan to kick-start CFL
Kolkata: Reigning champions Mohun Bagan will take on last season’s runners-up, Peerless SC, in the Calcutta Football League Premier Division’s first match on July 26, the Indian Football Association (IFA), the state’s parent body of football, announced here on Monday.East Bengal, who have won the local crown a record 38 times but finished third last season, will face George Telegraph SC in their season opener on July 31. The fixtures were announced for the first two rounds of the league for the big three clubs including Mohammedan Sporting who begin their season on July 29 against Aryans.Mohun Bagan play their second match against Customs on August 6 while Mohammedan Sporting and East Bengal take on Rainbow AC and BSS FC on August 8 and 9 respectively at their home grounds. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is a professional association football club based in West Bengal, India. The club was established on 15 August 1889 by Bhupendra Nath Bose and is the oldest existing association football club in India and one of the oldest clubs in Asia. (IANS)