Esha, Anish register second win in Olympic Selection Trials
New Delhi/Bhopal, May 12:Esha Singh and Anish Bhanwala registered their second Olympic Selection Trial wins in the women’s 25m pistol and men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol (RFP) respectively here on Sunday. While Anish had won the first trial in the same event in Delhi, Esha had claimed the second trial in the women’s 10m air pistol, also at the Karni Singh range in Delhi. At the M.P. State Shooting Academy (MPSSA) ranges, Esha notched her first win in women’s 25m pistol trial, shooting 43 in the finals. Her score was a point more than the world record set by Korean Kim Yeji at the Baku World Cup earlier this month. Manu Bhaker came second with 40 hits while Rhythm Sangwan picked up the final podium place, bowing out ahead of the 10th and final series with a score of 33. Simranpreet Kaur Brar and Abhidnya Patil were fourth and fifth respectively. In the men’s RFP final, Anish seemed to be in a league of his own, bossing the five-man finals field with three perfect series of five hits in the beginning. He missed just four to finish with 36 hits for the win. Vijayveer Sidhu did stutter in the beginning, but eventually, held his own to come in second with 31 hits. Ankur Goel was third with 19, while Adarsh Singh and Bhavesh Shekhawat came fourth and fifth respectively. All 10 shooters will come back on Monday for the fourth trial (T4) and final match in both the events at the Olympic Selection Trials. On average after the first three trials, Manu comfortably leads Esha Singh at the top in the women’s sport pistol while Anish is well ahead of second-placed Vijayveer in the men’s RFP. (PTI)
Deeksha sets new Indian record in athletics meet in LA
New Delhi, May 12: Indian track athlete K M Deeksha set a new national record in the women’s 1500m while Avinash Sable finished second in men’s 5000m event at the Sound Running Track Fest in Los Angeles. The 25-year-old Deeksha finished third in the final on Saturday after running the distance in 4:04.78, bettering the previous record of 4:05.39 set by Harmilan Bains in 2021 at the National Open Athletics Championships in Warangal. Deeksha’s previous personal best was a 4:06.07 set in the final of the National Inter-State Athletics Championships at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar in 2023, where she upstaged Bains to win gold. Deeksha who is from Amroha, UP has been part of the MP Athletics academy for the last five years training under coach S K Prasad. Parul Chaudhary ran 15:10.69s in the women’s 5000m to finish fifth. Parul narrowly missed out on improving her national record while compatriot Ankita ended 10th with a time of 15:28.88. Sable finished second in the men’s 5000m with a time of 13:20.37 and not his pet 3000m steeplechase event, and in the same event, Gulveer Singh ran a 13:31.95. Sable’s 5000m national record time is 13:19.30. Kartik Kumar ran the last lap in 62sec in the men’s 10000m but that could only fetch him a second-place finish. He clocked 28:07.66s. This is a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze level event. (PTI)
Brawl breaks out after New York City top Toronto 3-2 in MLS
TORONTO, May 12: Rookie Malachi Jones and Andrés Perea scored second-half goals and Matt Freese made nine saves as New York City FC held on for a 3-2 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday night with a brawl taking place after the final whistle. A melee ensued after the match involving players from both sides. Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson, a former New York player, was in the middle of it — seemingly trying to play peacekeeper. There was bad blood between the two teams dating back to New York’s 2-1 win on March 16 when there was an altercation in the tunnel at halftime at Yankee Stadium. New York’s first-year coach Nick Cushing played down that incident when asked about it prior to the rematch, “There was nothing in it. It was two teams that are fighting for three points.” (AP)