Rathika Seelan advances in North Coast Open squash
New Delhi, Oct 31: India’s Rathika Suthanthira Seelan advanced to the women’s quarterfinals at the North Coast Open squash, a $6000 PSA Challenger event in Coffs Harbour, Australia. The seventh seed from Tamil Nadu beat Kiwi Maiden-Lee Coe 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-2 in the round of 16 on Thursday after receiving a first-round bye. She will next face third seed Bobo Lam of Hong Kong. Meanwhile, at the PSA Challenger 12 Pierre & Vacance tournament in Andorra, Tanvi Khanna lost to third seed Nour Khafagy in the quarterfinals. The Egyptian won the contest 11-5, 13-11, 9-11, 11-2. (PTI)
‘Sport has transformed into natl movement under PM’s leadership’
Panaji, Oct 31: Sport in India has transformed into a national movement under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Friday. “The Union government’s initiatives like Khelo India talks of a deep collaboration with the sports federations and it has ensured talent from the smallest village to the largest metro is finding place on the global stage. Under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi, sport in India has transformed into a national movement,” Mandaviya said. This is the new India that wins in the field and also excels in the battlefield of the mind, he said. “For us, sport is not merely competition, it is culture and character,” he added. (PTI)
Sports court upholds sprinter’s 4-year doping ban
Lausanne (Switzerland), Oct 31: The sprinter who claimed his positive test for a performance-enhancer came from eating contaminated “recovery gummies” has lost an appeal against his four-year ban. Issam Asinga, who set the Under-20 world record at 100 metres in 2023, lost his appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which announced its ruling Thursday. The 20-year-old Asinga, who represents Suriname, tested positive in July 2023 for a banned substance called GW1516, which was developed to build endurance and burn fat but failed medical trials when it was found to cause cancer during tests on rodents. Asinga argued that the presence of metabolites was from his ingestion of contaminated Gatorade gummies. He said the gummies were part of a gift bag he received when he travelled to Los Angeles in recognition of being named the Gatorade Athlete of the Year for track and field. In May 2024, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced the four-year ban and stripped Asinga of his record of 9.89 seconds in the 100 at the South American championships in 2023. (AP)
WADA to investigate leak about Chinese swimmers’ doping tests
London, Oct 31: The World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed on Thursday it is looking into a leak about an investigation that resulted in the agency clearing 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned heart medication before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The agency has defended its decision to clear the swimmers of doping. It said it had agreed with Chinese anti-doping authorities who found the swimmers’ samples were contaminated. The existence of the investigation by China and WADA had been kept under wraps before the New York Times and German broadcaster ARD reported on it last year. ARD reported Wednesday that the agency was looking for the person who tipped off the news media about the investigation. The move is unusual because WADA encourages and relies on whistleblowers to root out doping. Günter Younger, director of Intelligence and Investigations at WADA, confirmed it had launched Operation Puncture to learn about the leak, but denied it was looking for the person who blew the whistle. (AP)
Olympics bronze medal-winning hockey goalkeeper Frederick dies
New Delhi, Oct 31: Former Indian men’s hockey team goalkeeper and member of the 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medal-winning side Manuel Frederick died in Bengaluru on Friday. Frederick was 78 and is survived by two daughters. He had been suffering from prostate cancer for a the last 10 months. He had received the Major Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games in 2019. He made his India debut in 1971 and served the team for seven years. Known affectionately as ‘Tiger’ for his fearless and instinctive goalkeeping, he earned a formidable reputation for his mastery in defending penalty strokes. (PTI)
