Rohit Kumar is Bengaluru FC’s first season signing
Bengaluru, June 29: Indian Super League (ISL) side Bengaluru FC on Tuesday signed midfielder Rohit Kumar on a deal that will keep him with the club till the end of the 2022-23 season. The 24-year-old, who played 11 matches for Kerala Blasters FC during the 2020-21 season, has become the club’s first signing this summer, and will join the squad ahead of their AFC Cup playoff clash against Eagles FC of Maldives. Delhi-born Rohit joined DSK Shivajians academy in 2016, and earned promotion to the club’s first team in 2016 for the Durand Cup. Having made his I-League debut the same year, the midfielder moved to ISL side FC Pune City at the end of the season. A defensive midfielder, Rohit has represented the India U-19 in the 2015 SAFF U-19 Championship in Nepal. (IANS)
Defender Narayan Das joins Chennaiyin FC
Chennai, June 29: Two-time Indian Super League champions Chennaiyin FC on Tuesday announced the roping in of experienced defender Narayan Das on a two-year contract. The 27-year old left-sided defender joins CFC after a season-long stint with SC East Bengal and is currently the second highest capped player in the ISL with 107 appearances till date, a press release said here. “I am really happy to join a champion team like Chennaiyin FC. It is every player’s dream to help his team win, and I am no different,” Das said. (PTI)
Indian domestic badminton season to commence soon
New Delhi, June 29: The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has decided to commence the remainder of the 2021-22 domestic season at the earliest and has sounded out the state associations to get their players and officials vaccinated as soon as possible. Announcing fresh Covid-19 guidelines on Tuesday, BAI said that “players above the age of 18, coaches, technical officials, organising team, and staff will have to complete both doses of vaccines and will be required to carry a vaccination certificate with a valid barcode”. “However, for shuttlers below 18 years, it’s mandatory to carry a negative RT PCR report with barcode 96 hours prior to the departure station,” a BAI statement said. The season will commence with ‘senior-ranking tournaments’ followed by age-group events. (IANS)
Murray makes Wimbledon return with win against Basilashvili
London, June 29: Two-time former champion Andy Murray made a memorable return to singles action at Wimbledon, overcoming 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 to reach the second round here. Murray led 5-0 in the third set on Monday and was on the verge of closing out a straightforward victory. But after a stunning reversal that sent the match into a fourth set, the 34-year-old Murray battled to victory in three hours and 32 minutes. Murray will next face either German qualifier Oscar Otte or French qualifier Arthur Rinderknech. Earlier on Monday, Frances Tiafoe of the US shocked this year’s French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to enter the second round. (IANS)
Gymnast Pranati Nayak wins quota for Olympic Games
New Delhi, June 29: Pranati Nayak, the Asian Championships bronze-medallist in vault, earned a quota to compete at next month’s Tokyo Olympics, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) officially announced on Monday. Pranati got a quota place through reallocation since the Asian Championships, scheduled to be held in Tokyo in May, was cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic. “We have got official confirmation from the International governing body in gymnastics on Monday evening that Pranati has been reallocated continental quota place to compete at the Olympics,” Pranati’s coach Lakhan Sharma told IANS from Kolkata. (IANS)
Barty commits to Australia’s tennis team for Tokyo
Sydney, June 29: Top-ranked Ash Barty is set to lead Australia’s 11-member tennis team at the Tokyo Olympics. The Australian squad was announced Tuesday, hours before Barty’s scheduled first-round match at Wimbledon against Carla Suarez Navarro. Former U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur was selected to play singles and doubles in her fifth Olympics, while Nick Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur and John Millman were among the men selected for the Australian team. In Tokyo, she’s planning to play singles and partner Storm Sanders in the doubles competition. (AP)
Tour de France: Mark Cavendish wins first stage in five years
Fougeres (France), June 28: British cyclist Mark Cavendish won his first stage at Tour de France in five years when he clinched Stage Four on Tuesday. The 36-year-old, who clinched his 31st stage at the Tour, took 3 hours 20.17 mins to complete the 150.4 km stage from Redon to Fougeres and finished ahead of Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni and Belgian Jasper Philipsen. As many as 177 cyclists took part in the stage. Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands kept the yellow jersey which is given to the overall leader. “I do not know what to say, man. Just being here is special enough,” said Cavendish, who is three stage wins short of former Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34. (IANS)
Former India football captain Bhaskar Ganguly hospitalised
kolkata, June 29: Former India goalkeeper Bhaskar Ganguly, who also captained the country at the 1982 Asian Games, was hospitalised with high fever and low Oxygen saturation level. However his COVID-19 test report has turned negative and the 64-year-old is put under observation at a private hospital on EM Bypass, said his former teammate Mihir Basu. “He became seriously ill on Monday evening and the had more than 100 degree fever. His oxygen saturation level also dropped to 91. We rushed him to hospital and was put under observation in the ICU. His condition is now stable and if all goes well, he will be discharged within four-five days,” Basu, a former India striker said. The former East Bengal legend has also been suffering from Parkinson’s disease. (PTI)