Olympic-bound Indian athletes face COVID crisis
New Delhi, April 13: Five track-and-field athletes, including Tokyo Olympics-bound 20km race walker Priyanka Goswami, and a member of the support staff have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Sports Authority of India’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Asian Games 1500m gold-medallist Jinson Johnson, long distance runner Parul Chaudhary, steeplechaser Chinta Yadav and another race walker Eknath are among the five athletes who have been infected along with Russian race walk coach Alexander Artsybashev. Another Tokyo Games-bound race walker K T Irfan has returned negative after he was tested as a primary contact of Johnson. (PTI)
India lose 3rd hockey practice match to Argentina
Buenos aires, April 13: India suffered their first loss of their Argnetina tour as Olympic champions beat them 1-0 in the third hockey practice match here on Tuesday. Lucas Toscani scored the lone goal of the match in the 8th minute. India had beaten Argentina in the FIH Hockey Pro League double-header. The visitors had won the first match in penalty shoot-out after the two teams were tied 2-2 in the regulation time. India then won the second match 3-0. India made a positive start in the third practice match with good circle penetrations but the Argentine defence was strong enough to hold off an early setback. The second quarter witnessed some brave saves by young India custodian Krishan Pathak, who completed his 50 international caps in the second FIH Hockey Pro League tie against Argentina. India will next face Argentina in the fourth practice match on Wednesday. (PTI)
Olympic powerbroker forgery trial set for August
Geneva, April 13: The delayed trial of Olympic powerbroker Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, charged with forgery in an alleged Kuwaiti coup plot, is now set to open in August. The correctional court in Geneva has scheduled the trial for eight days starting on Aug. 30. Prosecutors allege Sheikh Ahmad, al-Haroun and three Geneva-based lawyers arranged a false arbitration case in the city in 2014 to help authenticate video recordings the sheikh had given to Kuwaiti authorities. They deny wrongdoing and face maximum jail sentences of five years. The video footage appeared to show a former prime minister of Kuwait and a former speaker of its parliament plotting to overthrow the then-Emir of the oil-rich kingdom. The former prime minister, Sheikh Nasser al-Sabah, and the family of Jassim al-Kharafi filed the criminal complaint in Geneva more than five years ago. (AP)
Hockey player Balbir Singh Junior passes away
Chandigarh, April 13: Balbir Singh Junior, who was a member of the silver medal- winning 1958 Asian Games Indian hockey team, died here at the age of 88, his daughter Mandeep Samra said on Tuesday. He is survived by his wife, daughter and son. “My father passed away in sleep on Sunday morning due to heart failure,” his daughter said. Balbir Singh Junior was born on May 2, 1932, at Sansarpur in Jalandhar, also known as the nursery of hockey players. He was first selected to play for the Indian hockey team in 1951. (PTI)