Former athlete PV Kamaraj passes away at 68
Chennai, Aug 9: PV Kamaraj, part of the 4x400m Indian men’s relay team that won bronze at the 1979 Asian Championships in Tokyo, passed away following a massive heart attack in Chennai on Monday. He was 68. He is survived by his wife and two sons. Kamaraj retired as a Chief Reservation Officer with the Indian Railways and had contributed to athletics in his hometown Tiruchi and was active in the athletic tournaments of Tamil Nadu. As a Tamil Nadu athletic team member, he won several medals, including gold, silver and bronze in 400m hurdles in the national inter-state meets and Open nationals from 1977-80. He was a NIS-trained coach and had been the coach of the Tamil Nadu state team for several years. (IANS)
Slovakian tennis player Martin suspended after doping case
London, Aug 9: Tennis player Andrej Martin was suspended Tuesday for failing a doping test at a competition, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said. The 32-year-old Slovakian tested positive in June for SARM S-22, a synthetic substance that can copy the effects of testosterone, at a second-tier event in his home country. Martin, whose career ranking peaked at 93 in 2020, was No. 191 at the time of the positive test. He has a career record of 27-38 and lost in qualifying rounds at each Grand Slam singles tournament this year. The ITIA said he is suspended from playing or attending events while the case is prosecuted. (AP)
British track coach faces life ban after sexual misconduct
London, Aug 9: The coach who helped British track and field star Jessica Ennis-Hill to Olympic and world titles was effectively banned for life Tuesday for misconduct including ‘sexually physical behaviour’ with unidentified athletes over a 15-year period. Tony Minichiello was found guilty by a tribunal of four charges that amounted to ‘gross breaches of trust,’ the UK Athletics governing body said. Minichiello’s misconduct against athletes included unwanted touching, ‘inappropriate sexual references and gestures’ and ‘aggressive behaviour, bullying and emotional abuse.’ “They constitute gross breaches of trust by Mr. Minichiello which have had severe consequences for the mental health and mental well-being of the athletes under his charge,” UK Athletics said. It thanked and praised athletes who gave evidence against the British coach, without naming them. (AP)