Indian lifters bag two bronze on day 1 of World Youth C’ships
New Delhi, March 26: Indian weightlifters Dhanush Loganathan and Jyoshna Sabar won bronze medals in their respective categories on the opening day of the IWF World Youth Championships in Durres, Albania. Competing in the women’s 40kg event, 14-year-old Jyoshna had a combined lift of 115kg (53kg in snatch and 62kg in clean & jerk) as she came in third on Saturday. Jyoshna won silver in the snatch section but was sixth in the clean and jerk category in the seven-lifter field. Dhanush, on the other hand, heaved a total weight of 200kg (88kg+112kg) to finish third behind Filipinos Prince K Delos Santos and Eron Borres in the men’s 49kg event. The 16-year-old won a silver medal in the snatch category. Lifters between the age of 13-17 are eligible for youth competitions. Medals are awarded separately for snatch, clean & jerk, and total lift in continental and World Championships, while just one medal for total lift is awarded in the Olympic Games. (PTI)
Senior Nationals Fencing C’ship: Bhavani bags individual sabre gold
Pune, March 26: Olympian Bhavani Devi bagged the gold medal in the women’s Individual Sabre category of the 33rd Senior National Fencing Championship at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex here on Sunday. It was a double delight for Bhavani Devi, as her team Tamil Nadu, also won the gold in the Women’s Sabre Team event, by outplaying Kerala 45-34 in the final. In the women’s sabre individual category, Bhavani Devi, the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics, clinched her 11th national title after she outplayed V Sunny Alka of Kerala 15-9 in a pulsating summit clash. In the Senior Women’s Foil category, Kerala’s Radhika Awati won the gold medal, beating state-mate VP Kanagalakshmi 15-8. In the women’s Sabre Team category, Tamil Nadu comprising Bhavani Devi, JS Jefarlin, M Tamil Selvi, M R Beni Quebha, won the gold medal after outclassing Kerala 45-34 in the final. The Kerala team comprised Christy Jose Jona, Reesha Puthussary, S Sowmiya, V Sunny Alka. Meanwhile, in the Men’s Foil Individual Category, Manipur’s Hemash Sanasam won the gold medal after he defeated Ismile Khan (SSCB) in the final 13-12, which went down the wire. Sanasam had marched into the final after overcoming the challenge of Bihar’s Akash Kumar (15-13), while Ismile Khan, who ended as runner-up, made it to the summit clash by defeating Haryana’s Dev 15-14 in another semi-final. (PTI)
England star Phil Foden misses game after appendix surgery
LONDON, March 26: England player Phil Foden has been ruled out of the European Championship qualifier against Ukraine on Sunday after having his appendix removed hours before kickoff. The Manchester City forward underwent surgery on Sunday morning, the Football Association said. No estimate has been given on how long Foden is expected to be out while he recovers, but he is likely to miss City’s Premier League game against Liverpool next Saturday and could be a doubt for his team’s Champions League quarterfinal first-leg match against Bayern Munich on April 11. England manager Gareth Southgate has not called up a replacement for Foden and is also without the suspended Luke Shaw and Reece James, who withdrew due to a hamstring injury. It leaves Southgate with 20 players to select from against Ukraine at Wembley. England made a winning start to its bid to reach Euro 2024 by beating champions Italy 2-1 on Thursday. (AP)