India top medal tally at Seychelles Boxing Tournament
Mahe, June 23: Indian boxers signed off on a high, bagging a total of seven medals, including three gold, to finish atop the standings at the Seychelles National Day Boxing Tournament held here. In addition to the gold medals, India clinched three silver and one bronze, finishing one medal ahead of Mauritius in the overall tally at the Paradise Arena. Among the highlights, Himanshu Sharma (50kg) secured gold via walkover, while Ashish Mudshaniya (55kg) registered a commanding 4-1 split decision win in his final. In the 90+kg summit clash, Gaurav Chauhan held his nerve in a tense bout to eke out a narrow 3-2 victory and claim the third gold for the country. The silver medals came through hard-fought efforts from Anmol (60kg), Aditya Yadav (65kg), and Neeraj (75kg), all of whom lost their finals by identical 2-3 split decisions despite spirited performances. Adding to India’s tally was Kartik Dalal, who secured a bronze in the 70kg category. (PTI)
PM Modi endorses India to win 36 medals at 2036 Olympics: Meniwal
Karnal, June 23: On the occasion of International Olympic Day, a special event was organised in Karnal where Meenu Beniwal, President of the Haryana Olympic Association, was present. Speaking at the event, Beniwal expressed confidence that India would win their highest-ever medal tally at the 2036 Olympics. He added that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who confirmed India wants to host the 2036 edition of the Games, and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini have endorsed this vision. “We aim for 36 medals in the 2036 Olympics—and we will work hard to win even more than that,” Meniwal said. He further mentioned that a new Olympic association has been recently formed, and its early progress looks promising. (IANS)
Bangladesh recall Litton Das, Naim Sheikh for ODIs against Sri Lanka
Dhaka, June 23: Litton Das and left-handed opener Naim Sheikh have been recalled to Bangladesh’s ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) named a 16-member squad on Monday. The ODI series will take place from July 2 to 8, with the first two matches scheduled in Colombo and the final ODI set to be played in Pallekele. Naim returns to the one-day set-up after nearly two years, while Litton also makes a comeback alongside several other familiar faces. Along with Litton and Naim, Shamim Patwary, Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud also return to the side. From the squad that last featured in the Champions Trophy, veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah have since retired from ODIs, while Soumya Sarkar and Nasum Ahmed have been left out. Fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman have also rejoined the squad after recovering from injuries that ruled them out of the recent T20I series. (IANS)
Milan Rathnayake ruled out of second Test against Bangladesh
Colombo, June 23: Sri Lanka pacer Milan Rathnayake has been ruled out of the second Test against Bangladesh, to be played in Colombo from Wednesday. The pacer sustained a left-side strain in the opening Test of the two-Test series last week. He had briefly left the field on the second morning in Galle but returned to claim three wickets by the end of the first innings, finishing the Test with four in total. Milan was particularly economical, and his late burst on day two helped restrict Bangladesh’s first innings total to a manageable target for Sri Lanka. With the bat, he contributed a valuable 39 off 83 balls as part of a crucial 84-run seventh-wicket partnership with Kamindu Mendis. Left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando has been named as his replacement. Spin-bowling allrounder Dunith Wellalage has also been added to Sri Lanka’s squad, with the 22-year-old set to take the place of Angelo Mathews, who retired from Test cricket following the first match of the series. If Sri Lanka opt to replace Milan with another allrounder, they currently lack a seam-bowling allrounder in the squad. Wellalage and Sonal Dinusha, both left-arm spinners, could be considered, but with the SSC pitch typically offering less assistance to spinners than Galle – already unusually batter-friendly – Sri Lanka may prefer to include an extra fast bowler instead. If one of the spinners is selected, Tharindu Rathnayake may be the one to miss out. The pace attack includes Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, and uncapped Isitha Wijesundara. (IANS)
Shaw leaves Mumbai for cricketing ‘growth and development’
Mumbai, June 23: Embattled India batter Prithvi Shaw on Monday ended his ties with home team Mumbai after being granted a No Objection Certificate by the MCA to sign up with a new domestic side for his “growth and development as a cricketer”. Shaw has been out of reckoning from the red ball set-up for some time but has played white ball cricket. However, his off-field disciplinary issues have grabbed more air time than his on-field performances. The Mumbai Cricket Association confirmed receiving Shaw’s request and has given its approval to it. However, the identity of the team that he intends to join next is not yet known. (PTI)
F1 rookie Antonelli passes his final exams to graduate from high school
Bologna (Italy), June 23: Formula 1 rookie Kimi Antonelli passed his final exams to graduate from high school back home in Italy just like he’s been passing other cars on tracks around the world: without trouble. The 18-year-old Mercedes driver made the announcement in an Instagram story Monday, saying “promosso” – “passed” – with a photo of himself wearing a laurel wreath. After claiming his first podium result with a third-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix, Antonelli returned home to Casalecchio di Reno, near Bologna, to take his exams. “I was fairly stressed, because I didn’t have much time to study. But I did my best,” Antonelli told reporters after taking the first portion of exams last week.He said English is his favourite subject “because that’s the one that comes easiest for me.” Antonelli added that he wanted to complete the exams, which included both written and oral sections, before the upcoming Austrian GP “so I can focus full time on racing.” (PTI)