India to compete in 16-team ITTF Mixed Team World Cup
Lausanne, Nov 1: India will compete in the second edition of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup for the Guoliang-Sörling Trophy along with 15 other teams. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) on Friday unveiled the elite 16-team line-up for the tournament scheduled to be held in Chengdu, China from December 1-8. The hosts China are the defending champions. The other 14 teams to compete are – Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Sweden and the USA. The tournament will have a three-stage format, with Stage 1 consisting of 16 teams divided into four groups of four. The highest-ranked sides have been placed in different groups, whereas the remaining teams have been drawn two at a time in seeding order after a snake system. Every group will be competing in a complete round-robin format. As for Stage 2, the top two sides from every Stage 1 group will advance and form a single eight-team group, competing in another round-robin format. In Stage 3, the top four teams after Stage 2’s standings will make it to the knockout phase featuring the semifinals along with the placement matches. (PTI)
PCB assures quick visa issuance to Indian fans if they travel for CT
Lahore, Nov 1: PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Federal Interior Minister, on Friday assured a brisk visa issuance policy for Indian fans wanting to visit Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy early next year. He made the assurances during a meeting with a group of Sikh pilgrims from the United State. Naqvi said the PCB was expecting a positive response from Indian fans to visit Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. “We will be keeping a special quota of tickets for Indian fans and we will try to make the visa issuance policy brisk,” Naqvi was quoted as saying by a newspaper. Naqvi said that the PCB would like to see Indian fans visit Pakistan and watch the Indian and Pakistan match in Lahore. Pakistan is scheduled to host the ICC mega event in February-March 2025 but until now the ICC has still not released the tournament schedule as they wait on confirmation if the Indian government would allow its team to travel to Pakistan for the event. The BCCI has made it clear it has to follow any policy decision of their government when it comes to visiting Pakistan. No Indian team has travelled to Pakistan since 2008 Mumbai terror attack. There has been no Test series between the two countries since 2007. (PTI)
Pak beat India in Hong Kong Sixes
Hong Kong, Nov 1: India lost by six wickets to arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening match of the Hong Kong Sixes 2024 at the Tin Kwong Road Cricket Ground here on Friday. India scored 119 for to in their allotted six overs riding on Bharat Chipli’s 53 off 16, who retired hurt. Captain Robin Uthappa also notched up 31 off eight deliveries. But it was a total dominance from the Pakistan batters as they chased down the target with one over to spare. Asif Ali played a key role as his brisk knock of 55 off 14 balls laid the foundation for a comprehensive win. Asif Ali retired after scoring a fifty and rest of the job was done by Muhammad Akhlaq (40 not out off 12) and Faheem Ashraf (22 not out off 5). (PTI)
Humbert upsets Alcaraz in Paris
Paris, Nov 1:Frenchman Ugo Humbert harnessed the energy of the home crowd and produced one of his best career performances in beating Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters. A flurry of forehand and backhand winners had Alcaraz 5-0 down in a first set so one-sided that Alcaraz – a four-time Grand Slam winner – ironically waved his racket and grinned to the crowd after holding in the sixth game. Alcaraz said Hubert deserved victory, but added that the unusually high speed of the court made it more difficult for him – especially with the low trajectory of Humbert’s shots. The 15th-seeded Humbert set up a last-eight contest with Australian Jordan Thompson. (AP)