Ex-Olympic wrestler recovering after double lung transplant
MILWAUKEE, July 10: Former Olympic wrestler and MMA star Ben Askren, who has been hospitalized in Wisconsin after a severe case of pneumonia, said in a post on social media Wednesday that he had undergone a double lung transplant and is in recovery.Askren said during the Instagram video that he recalls very little of what happened over a monthlong stretch from late May through the first two days of July. His wife, Amy, had said in a series of social media posts that Askren was put on a ventilator in June and placed on the donor list for a lung transplant on June 24.“No recollection, zero idea, no idea what happened,” Askren said of most of the past six weeks. “I just read through my wife’s journal. It’s like a movie. It’s ridiculous. I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds.” Askren said he lost about 50 pounds during the 45-day stretch.“The thing that was most impeccable to me was all the love I felt,” Askren said. “It was almost like I got to have my own funeral.” The 40-year-old Askren was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but has lived primarily in Wisconsin, where he runs a youth wrestling academy. He won back-to-back NCAA titles at Missouri and competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics for the U.S. before moving into MMA, where he fought for Bellator and ONE Championship before moving into the UFC.Askren retired from MMA after a loss to Demian Maia in October 2019. He had a record of 19-2 with one no contest.Askren made a brief return to combat sports in April 2021, when he fought social media star Jake Paul in a boxing match. Paul won by technical knockout in the first round of a fight that sold about 500,000 on pay-per-view. (PTI)
India A hockey team beats Ireland 6-0 on European tour
EINDHOVEN, (Netherlands) July 10:The India A men’s hockey team continued its dominant run on the European tour, inflicting a crushing 6-0 defeat on Ireland at the Hockey Club Oranje-Rood here.This is the second successive win for India A against Ireland, who they beat 6-1 in the tour opener.Uttam Singh opened the scoring for India A, following which captain Sanjay made it 2-0.Midfielder Mohammed Raheel Mouseen then scored impressive back-to-back goals, followed by a goal each by Amandeep Lakra and Varun Kumar.They will next play France on Saturday.Coach Shivendra Singh said the team will look to build on the fine performances against Ireland when they take on France.“We’ve had two really good matches against Ireland, and I’m happy with how the players are shaping up. We’ll play the French team next and hopefully deliver an equally impressive performance,” he said.Besides Ireland and France, India will also play against England, Belgium and hosts The Netherlands. (PTI)
Indian Open Para Athletics C’ship in Bengaluru from today
BENGALURU, July 10: Two-time Paralympic gold-medallist javelin thrower Sumit Antil will headline the Indian Open Para Athletics Championships, the final qualifying event for the September’s World Para Athletics Championships, beginning at the iconic Kanteerava Stadium here on Friday.Over 262 Indian para athletes will vie for the top honours at the two-day championship which will serve as the final selection platform for the Indian contingent heading to the World Para Athletics Championships, set to be held in New Delhi.Apart from Antil, Praveen Kumar (High Jump, T44), two-time Paralympic silver medallist Yogesh Kathuniya (Discus Throw, F56) Dharambir Nain (Club Throw, F51), Rinku Hooda (Javelin Throw, F46), and Simran (100m & 200m, T12) will be in action. With representation across track and field disciplines, this championship promises elite performances and fierce competition. (PTI)
Shreyanka, Sadhu named in India A squad to tour Australia
NEW DELHI, July 10: Off-spinner Shreyanka Patil and pacer Titas Sadhu continued to chart their way back from injuries as they were included in the India A squad on Thursday to tour Australia for a multi-format away series next month.India will play three T20 Internationals, as many ODIs and a four-day match between August 7 and 24.Shreyanka has been absent from on-field action since last year’s Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE with an unspecified injury.However, Shreyanka has already been drafted into play in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) in September for defending champions Barbados Royals.Sadhu, on the other hand, missed the tri-series in Sri Lanka, also involving South Africa, in April and did not travel to England for the ongoing white-ball tour as well because of an injury.While Shreyanka’s participation in the series against the Aussies will be subject to her getting clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Sadhu has obtained the same.Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav will lead the sides for T20 Internationals, ODIs and the four-day contest.Opener Shafali Verma too has been named in all the squads.The hard-hitting opener is having a rather underwhelming tour of England, having made just 101 runs from four matches with a highest of 47.India T20I squad: Radha Yadav (c), Minnu Mani (vc), Shafali Verma, D. Vrinda, Sajana Sajeevan, Uma Chetry (wk), Raghvi Bist, Shreyanka Patil, Prema Rawat, Nandini Kashyap (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Joshita VJ, Shabnam Shakeel, Saima Thakor, Titas Sadhu.ODI and four-day squad: Radha Yadav (c), Minnu Mani (vc), Shafali Verma, Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Tanushree Sarkar, Uma Chetry (wk), Priya Mishra, Tanuja Kanwer, Nandini Kashyap (wk), Dhara Gujjar, Joshita VJ, Shabnam Shakeel, Saima Thakor, Titas Sadhu. (PTI)
Legends League Cricket returns with season 4
NEW DELHI, July 10: Legends League Cricket, a franchise-based T20 event featuring retired international stars, will return for its fourth season spread across seven Indian cities from November 19 to December 13.The organisers of the event are promising a “bolder, bigger, and brighter” version of the competition, which is set to feature more matches as well.“We are thrilled to announce Season 4 of Legends League Cricket. This year, we’re raising the bar – with more matches, expanded venues, and a larger pool of legendary players.“It’s going to be a festival of cricket, and we’re ready to light up India again,” said a press release here. The event’s past seasons have featured players like Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Aaron Finch, Martin Guptill, Gautam Gambhir, Chris Gayle, Hashim Amla among others. (PTI)