Sania and Mattek-Sands crash out of Viking International Eastbourne
Eastbourne (UK), June 24: Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and her doubles partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands lost their first round match in straight sets at the Viking International Eastbourne here. The unseeded Indo-American pair lost 3-6 4-6 to the Christina Mchale and Sabrina Santamaria of USA in a match that lasted one hour 18 minutes late on Wednesday night. The 34-year-old winner of six Grand Slams in doubles will pair up with Mattek-Sands in the women’s doubles event of Wimbledon, starting on June 28. (PTI)
Iran’s Daei pays tribute to Ronaldo for equalling 109-goal world record
kuala lumpur, June 24: Asian football legend Ali Daei of Iran on Thursday congratulated Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portugal star scored his 109th goal in Wednesday’s Euro 2020 game against France to equal his all-time international record. 36-year-old Ronaldo, the leading scorer in European Championship history, converted his second penalty of the game in Budapest to match the record in his 178th international appearance. “Congratulations to @cristiano who is now one goal away from breaking the men’s international goal scoring record,” Daei, a prolific striker, posted on Instagram. “I am honoured that this remarkable achievement will belong to Ronaldo – great champion of football and caring humanist who inspires and impacts lives throughout the world.” (IANS)
Finnish midfielder Kauko signs for ATKMB after elimination
Kolkata, June 24: Indian Super League side ATK Mohun Bagan on Thursday announced the signing of Finland midfielder Joni Kauko, days after his national team was eliminated from the ongoing European Championships. The addition will give the ISL side a big boost ahead of their AFC Cup group D campaign, starting in August. “Kauko will be seen playing in a green-and-maroon jersey in the next season. ATK MB made an agreement with him on Thursday,” the club said in a statement. The 30-year-old midfielder, who came in as a substitute in all Finland games with a total match time of 57 minutes, will replace Spaniard Javi Hernandez in the Antonio Lopez Habas-coaches side. (PTI)
ISSF World Cup: Chaudhary gets bronze at 10m air pistol
Osijek (Croatia), June 24: India’s Saurabh Chaudhary won bronze medal in the men’s 10 meters air pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup here on Thursday. In the eight-shooter final, Chaudhary had a good start but two bad shots of 8.7 points spoiled his chances. He shot 220 points for bronze. Iran’s Javad Foroughi won the gold medal with a total 243.0 points. In the women’s 10m air pistol event, both Yashaswini Singh Deshwal and Manu Bhaker entered the final but finished eighth and seventh respectively. In the men’s 10m air rifle, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar made the cut for the eight-shooter final with a score of 628 points but in the final he finished seventh. (IANS)
Ramkumar fails to enter Grand Slam main draw
london, June 24: India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan saved four match points in a marathon five-setter against Marc Polmans but a Grand Slam main draw eluded him yet again as he lost the final qualifying round at the Wimbledon championships, here on Thursday. Showing nerves of steel, Ramkumar saved one match point after another but eventually lost 3-6 6-3 6-7(2) 6-3 9-11 to his Australian rival after battling his heart out in a three hour and 30-minute contest. In the current generation of Indian men’s player, Ramkumar is the only one who has not yet competed in a tennis major. Even Sumit Nagal, who started his career way after Ramkumar, now remains in contention to compete at Grand Slam events. (PTI)
Spain to allow fans back into stadiums next season
MADRID, June 24: Spain will be closer to normal when it comes to allowing fans into stadiums next season, the government said Thursday. The announcement of the end of attendance restrictions was made by Health Minister Carolina Darias after a Cabinet meeting that approved new rules that include allowing people to stop wearing masks outdoors. Some limits on the number of fans are still likely by the time the season starts, though, depending on the coronavirus situation in each region. The Spanish league expects to begin its season with about 70% of capacity at stadiums. The announcement comes just as some clubs begin promoting their renewal campaigns for season ticket holders. The loss of ticket revenue has created a huge financial hurdle for many clubs. (AP)