St. Louis (USA), Aug 22: Indian grandmaster R Praggnanadhaa was held to an easy draw by Samuel Sevian of the United States while World Champion D Gukesh signed peace with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France in the fourth round of the Sinquefield Cup, here.
Fabiano Caruana of the United States scored his second victory in as many days, defeating Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in the lone decisive game of the day.
In the other games, Levon Aronian of the United States drew with Duda Jan-Krzysztof of Poland and French Alireza Firouzja split the point with Wesley So.
With five rounds still to come, Caruana shot into sole lead on three points from four games and is followed by Praggnanandhaa and Aronian on 2.5 each.
A pack of five players – Wesley, Firouzja, Vachier-Lagrave, Sevian and Gukesh share the fourth spot on two points apiece.
A half point behind is Duda while Abdusattorov is on the bottom of the tables on just a half point.
Praggnanandhaa faced the Queen’s gambit declined as white and could not pose any real problems in the way of Sevian. The middle game saw a lot of pieces change hands and it was a soon a drawn endgame on the board.
Gukesh also could not make much use of his white piece as Vachier-Lagrave put up stiff resistance in another Queen pawn game of the day.
The Queens got traded early in the game and though it was a bit complicated both players held on to their own. The resulting rook endgame offered little hopes with both players having a pawn each and the draw was a just result.
Nodirbek’s hunt for an elusive victory continued as Caruana gave a cold-water treatment to an unwarranted King side attack. Abdusattorov sacrificed a piece but did not get the desired compensation and threw in the towel in a mere 30 moves.
The event, to be played over nine rounds among 10 players has a total prize pool of USD 350000. (PTI)

Mackay (Australia), Aug 22: Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi grabbed five wickets to set up South Africa’s series-clinching 84-run win against Australia in the second one-day international on Friday.
Ngidi’s haul of 5-42 helped see Australia bowled out for 193 with more than 12 overs to spare as Mitchell Marsh’s team got dismissed for less than 200 runs for the fourth successive ODI at home.
Half centuries from Matthew Breetzke (88) and Tristan Stubbs (74) had earlier led South Africa to 277 all out after stand-in captain Aiden Markram won the toss and elected to bat.
Regular skipper Temba Bavuma was rested as part of his workload management and Cricket South Africa said he will be available to lead the side in the last game of the series on Sunday.
Bavuma sustained a hamstring injury during the World Test Championship final victory over Australia at Lord’s in June, but recovered in time to lead the side in the ODI series opener against Australia.
For the second successive time in the three-match series, Australia’s batters put up a below-par performance after losing the first game by 98 runs at Cairns.
In the absence of injured Kagiso Rabada, who was ruled out of the series with an injury, the South Africa pacers jolted Australia’s top order with Ngidi finding the outside edge of Marnus Labuschagne in his second over.
Nandre Burger also made an early impact when Travis Head (6) holed out at mid-on. The Australian batters continued to struggle against short deliveries when skipper Marsh also fell inside the batting powerplay and was caught at mid-on as the home team slumped to 38-3.
Josh Inglis (87) and Cameron Green (35) shared a 67-run stand and tried to put the chase on track, but not before Inglis got a lucky escape when Tony de Zorzi couldn’t hold on to a sharp catch at short covers.
Left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy broke the stand in the 23rd over when he held on to a smart low return catch to dismiss Green and Alex Carey was smartly caught by Dewald Brevis at point as Australia slipped to 133-5.
Ngidi then returned to tear through the lower order. He ended Inglis’ aggressive knock, which featured 10 fours and two sixes, when he had him caught behind and went on to claim three more wickets to seal the series for the Proteas.
Earlier, Rickelton and Stubbs shared an 89-run fourth-wicket stand after Xavier Bartlett removed Ryan Rickelton for eight while Markram chipped an easy catch to square mid-wicket and was out without scoring.
Breetzke scored his fourth successive half century while Stubbs breached the fifty-run mark for the first time in his 16 ODIs to rebuild South Africa shaky start.
Breetzke was denied his second ODI century when he was caught at deep mid-wicket off Nathan Ellis and Brevis also perished for just 1 while trying to pull Ellis in his next over.
Despite the fall of two quick wickets, South Africa looked set to cross the 300-run mark when it reached 233-5 at the end of 40th over.
However, it lost four wickets for 31 runs within six overs and slipped to 264-9 in the 46th over.
Wiaan Mulder made a quickfire 26 off 21 balls and Keshav Maharaj scored 22 not out before South Africa got bowled out with five balls to spare when No. 11 Ngidi was clean bowled by Josh Hazlewood. (AP)

Srinagar, Aug 22: At just 17 years of age, kayaker Dally Bishnoi has stopped keeping track of the number of medals she has won, such has been the teenager’s prolific run at the national level.
Dally, a product of Water Sports Academy of Excellence in Bhopal, won the women’s kayaking 500m (K1) gold as Madhya Pradesh made a clean sweep of all four gold medals at stake on day two of the Khelo India Water Sports Festival on Friday.
Dally won in a time of 2:11.093 seconds, pushing Uttarakhand’s Pukhrambam Roji Devi (2:14.068) and Kerala’s Nikita Sarkar (2:22.154) to second and third spots respectively.
Madhya Pradesh’s 14-year-old Niharika Singh and Chandrakala Kushwaha clinched the women’s kayaking 500m (K2) gold in 02:04.642 seconds, while the men’s canoeing (C2) team from the state, comprising Sudhir Kumar and Prince Goswami, won in 1:50.943 seconds.
Madhya Pradesh’s men’s kayaking (K2) team of Aditya Singh and Manjeet also brought more glory to the state by winning gold in 1:41.595 seconds.
Dally, who hails from Handia in Harda district of Madhya Pradesh, took up the sport after drawing inspiration from her former national-level canoeist brother.
She has won two silver medals at the National Games in Uttarakhand and has more than a dozen gold and a similar number of silver and bronze in the junior and senior category at the national championships.
The 12th standard arts student has now set her sights on qualifying for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan, but by her own admission she will have to work extremely hard to realise her dream.
She has also competed in the Junior Asian Championships twice and managed to reach the final on both occasions.
“I will attend next month’s Asian Games trials, which will probably be held in Bhopal or Uttarakhand. I have to improve my timings a lot. Let’s see how things go,” said the teenage kayaker, who competes in K1, K2 and K4 events.
Another teenager, Niharika Singh, partnering Chandrakala Kushwaha, won the women’s K2 event. It was the 14-year-old Niharika’s maiden senior medal and she looked elated with the success.
Hailing from Bhopal, Niharika, a swimmer-turned-kayaker, has won three national sub-junior gold and took up the sport after her swimming coach asked her to switch to water sports events. (PTI)

Srinagar, Aug 22: Rower Arjun Lal Jat sports a huge ‘Tokyo 2020’ tattoo on his right arm, and his dream is to compete at LA28 and get another indelible ink impression just below the one he proudly flaunts on his biceps.
But for that to happen, Jat will have to return to peak fitness after spending nearly two years recovering from a debilitating lower-back injury, which forced one of the most recognisable faces in the water sports circuit to miss the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifiers.
The injury has left a deep scar in Jat’s mind and the Hangzhou Asian Games silver medallist wants to regain competitive fitness. For that he has chosen the Khelo India Water Sports Festival (KIWSF) to test himself for the first time in two years.
“I suffered a back injury before the Paris Olympic qualifiers in South Korea, which put me off the radar for more than one and a half years.
“Gradually, I am returning to practice. I have come here (at the KIWSF) to compete in single sculls, which will give me the confidence to participate in the National Championships in December, where I will either compete in single or double sculls,” said the Rajasthan rower, who along with Arvind Singh finished 11th in men’s lightweight double sculls – the highest-ever position achieved by Indian rowers in the Olympics.
The 28-year-old has started training in the Yamuna river in Delhi and is hopeful of winning a medal in the national championships, which will help him regain his place in the national camp after two years. (PTI)

Samokov (Bulgaria), Aug 22: Three Indian Greco Roman wresters, including Anuj (67kg) and Naman (97kg), bowed out of the U-20 World Championships after losing their qualification rounds even as five of their compatriots will compete in medal rounds here.
Anuj lost his bout by technical superiority (0-9) to China’s Zhaoyan Liu while Naman was ousted by Croatia’s Andrej Rodin. Liu later lost his quarterfinal by fall to shut the repechage door on the Indian.
Naman lost his pre-quarterfinal 1-2 to Rodin to make an exit as the Croat failed to advance to the title clash.
Also making an exit from the competition was Vinit who lost by technical superiority to Egypt’s Mohamed Shabaam Ibrahim in the 72kg competition.
Anil Mor (55kg) fought a brilliant pre-quarterfinal bout against Azerbaijan’s Turan Dashdamirov but lost 9-9 on criteria. He had won 8-0 against Bulgaria’s Yordan Topalov. Mor’s fate is now in the hands of Dashdamirov. If the Azerbaijani wrestler qualifies for the final, the Indian will get a repechage bout to fight for bronze medal. (PTI)

NEW YORK, Aug 22: If there’s such a thing as momentum from tournament to tournament in tennis, the American men have some right now.
Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul certainly are getting within reach of ending the country’s unprecedented Grand Slam men’s title drought, so maybe they’re finally ready to win one of those trophies — if anyone other than Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz is ever going to again, that is — at the US Open, which gets going on Sunday.
“We have a really strong group. We’re closer; the closest we’ve been in a long time,” said Fritz, a 27-year-old from California who is seeded No. 4 in New York and was the the runner-up to Sinner there a year ago. “We have several players who are at the caliber it takes to win a Grand Slam title. We’re very close. But that last little bit is obviously the hardest part of it.”

22 years since a Grand Slam title

Fritz’s appearance in the 2024 U.S. Open final was the first time in 15 years that a man from the United States even earned the right to play for a major singles championship. Fritz, No. 6 Shelton, who is 22, and No. 17 Tiafoe, 27, each has participated in Slam semifinals twice; No. 14 Paul, 28, has been that far once.
“Taylor getting to the final of the US Open is going to fuel Tommy, Ben and Frances. … That’s always the way it’s been with this generation: They spark each other,” said US Davis Cup captain Bob Bryan, a 16-time Grand Slam doubles champion who is being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday. “They see themselves making the final of a Grand Slam now. It is not unattainable. It’s not impossible.”
All four have spent time in the top 10. Indeed, when Shelton cracked that milestone in June, he joined Fritz and Paul to give their nation three representatives in that elite group for the first time since 2006.
American women, meanwhile, occupy four of the top nine places in the WTA rankings and five of the top 11. They keep earning spots in title matches — at least one has participated in each of the past four Slam finals, winning two. (AP)

Arvind Iyer emerges winner in All India Chess Masters

Mumbai, Aug 22: Arvind Iyer has been crowned champion of the All India Chess Masters Mumbai FIDE Classical Tournament after finishing with seven points in eight rounds to edge out Darsh Shetty in a strong competition. In fact, both Iyer and Shetty finished with seven points each but the former won the championship on super Buchholz tie-breaks. Shetty finished as the runner-up position while the third position was claimed by International Master Vikramaditya Kulkarni, who accumulated 6.5 points. The winner received a cash prize of Rs 40,000. In women’s category, Woman Candidate Master Kriti Mayur Patel was adjudged as the Best Player, followed by Reya Banker and Pradeepa Jayapal who secured second and third place respectively. Vinod Chaturvedi finished first in the veteran’s category, followed by Guru Prasad Patil and Ashok Govindrao Patil at second and third. (PTI)

Programme flags more than 162,000 abusive online comments to players

London, Aug 22: The ATP Tour said its Safe Sport initiative has flagged more than 162,000 abusive social media comments directed at players in its first year. The tour on Thursday said more than 3.1 million comments were scanned, with the ones classified as most severe hidden from the 245 players who were targeted. Safe Sport uses real-time AI to detect and hide social media comments from players’ accounts. It launched in July 2024 and is available to the top 250 players in singles and the top 50 in doubles. Andrew Azzopardi, the ATP’s director of safeguarding, said the initiative has “fundamentally changed how we protect our athletes online.” “More than 1 in 10 comments on players’ posts were abusive – rising to 50% in extreme cases,” Azzopardi said in a statement. “While it won’t eliminate abuse overnight, it’s our first line of defence. Safeguarding player well being is a long-term commitment.” Safe Sport also supports players facing email threats, impersonation, deepfakes and scams. (PTI)

MoS sports Khadse oversees talent identification camp in Srinagar

Srinagar, Aug 22: Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse oversaw a Grassroots Talent Identification camp for athletics and volleyball at the University of Kashmir during her two-day visit to the city that is hosting the Khelo India Water Sports festival. On Thursday, Khadse had inaugurated the festival at the iconic Dal Lake. The event features competitions in rowing, canoeing, and kayaking. Khadse then oversaw a Grassroots Talent Identification camp at the University of Kashmir, Srinagar. This initiative focused on unearthing promising athletes in athletics and volleyball. Athletes shortlisted from this preliminary assessment will be inducted in Sports Authority of India’s initiatives such as the National Centre of Excellence and SAI Training Centres. (PTI)

DURAND CUP

Kolkata, Aug 22: A dominant NorthEast United FC are standing in the way as giant-killers Diamond Harbour FC look to script history by becoming the first debutant team to win the Durand Cup title here on Saturday.
This edition’s summit showdown is more than just a title decider, it carries the weight of history on both sides.
For NorthEast United, victory would not only bring them their second successive Durand Cup crown but also etch their name alongside giants of Indian football, as no team has managed to retain the title in the last 34 years.
The last to do so was East Bengal, who completed a hat-trick of wins in 1989, 1990 and 1991.
For Diamond Harbour, the stakes are equally high. Having already enjoyed a dream run by reaching the final in their very first appearance, the Kibu Vicuna-coached side now stands on the cusp of creating history.
Should they overcome the Highlanders, they would become the first debutant team in the modern era to lift Asia’s oldest football trophy.The clash at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan pits the reigning champions’ pedigree and consistency against the newcomers’ fearless run.NorthEast United head coach Juan Pedro Benali said, “Diamond Harbour have defeated East Bengal who were the favourites. I don’t think we are the favourites. It’s the final. In the final there are no good teams. There are no favourites in the final. This is a very psychological game. I think the team who is strong mentally will win the game.” Kibu Vicuna, coach of Diamond Harbour FC, added, “We are playing with the champions who have a very good team. We are prepared but starting with humility. Pressure is a privilege. We don’t have additional pressure.”

Clash of styles

The showdown promises a fascinating clash of styles. NorthEast United rely on structured build-up, midfield control through Andy Rodríguez and Chema Núñez, and the ruthless finishing of Ajaraie.
In contrast, Diamond Harbour thrive on unpredictability, blending Majcen’s hold-up play with Jobby’s direct runs and the midfield work rate of Samuel and Paul.
Defensively, the Highlanders look the more settled, having conceded just four goals en route to the final. But DHFC have shown a knack for timely interventions, with Mirshad between the posts and veterans like Melroy Assisi providing composure when it matters most.
The Highlanders return to the final for the second successive year, showcasing resilience, discipline, and flashes of brilliance throughout the campaign.
Highlanders’ captain Zabaco summed up the mood well.“We have to be very careful and at our best to win the finals. They have beaten many strong teams,” he said.
If NorthEast United’s journey has been about defending their crown, Diamond Harbour’s story has been nothing short of a fairy tale. Making their Durand Cup debut, Kibu Vicuna’s men have torn up the script at every stage and they would not want to stumble at the last hurdle.
As the sun sets on Saturday evening at the iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, the stage will be set for a final that embodies the very essence of the Durand Cup — tradition colliding with aspiration, pedigree meeting promise. For NorthEast United, it is a chance to carve a legacy, to prove that their rise is no flash in the pan but the hallmark of a team built on continuity and resilience.
For Diamond Harbour, it is about chasing the improbable dream, carrying the hopes of every underdog who dares to believe that history is not reserved for the established elite.
In a contest where form books and predictions are best set aside, the battle will come down to nerve, grit and seizing the fleeting moments that define champions. Whether it ends in the repeat glory of the Highlanders or the fairytale coronation of the debutants, Indian football is poised for a finale that promises to be remembered for years to come.
The Durand Cup final is thus more than just a clash between two teams — it is a spectacle of footballing philosophies, cultures and ambitions. On one hand, NorthEast United FC carry with them the pride of an entire region eager to see its footballing talent recognised on the national stage. On the other, Diamond Harbour FC, with their fearless brand of play and never-say-die attitude, represent the audacity of newcomers who refuse to be intimidated by history. (Agencies)

By Our Reporter

Shillong, Aug 22: Reigning champions Shillong Lajong ran away with a whopping 5-0 victory against Malki in the Shillong Premier League 2025 at the SSA Stadium at First Ground, Polo, here on Friday.
Lajong were utterly dominant and once they found the opening through Mebannangkiew Thabah (31’) further goals flowed via Emanbha Marbaniang (39’, 51’), Ribor L Lyngkhoi (47’) and Firstborn Khongsit (84’).
Malki had won their first match against Laitkor 1-0 while Lajong were held to a goalless draw by Rangdajied United.
Lajong were thus hungry to get their title defence going with a win under their belts and they were able to do so commandingly today, with the Reds ruling the pitch. Franklin Surong, who was the hero for Malki in goal against Laitkor, tried as best he could but Lajong were a different proposition. He did make three good saves early on in the game but had to answer to the opening goal.
Lajong’s strike came from a corner that went out to the edge of the box. Mebanaibok Kharbudnah fired it towards goal but it was heading wide and thus required Mebannangkiew to stretch out his boot to send the ball into the net. Less than 10 minutes later Mebannangkiew hit the upright with another attempt and the rebound fell for Emanbha to convert.
Malki had one fairly good opportunity in the first half, which was arguably their only one of the game.
Fashioning Syngkli got past the defenders on a run from the middle of the pitch but had SLFC goalkeeper Wanteilang Malngiang charge at him.
He then had to take the ball deep on the left and, with only a tight angle available to him, Fashioning attempted a shot but it landed on the roof of the net.
Changing ends, two goals were scored in the first six minutes of the second half, with Ribor whacking in a shot from a cross, while Emanbha headed in another cross, with both balls coming from the left side of the pitch.
Both sides switched out several players after this point. Lajong were in a more comfortable position and therefore could bench some of their key contributors.
The game relaxed a little but birth forth again when Firstborn headed in a corner in the last few minutes.
Victory takes Lajong to second in the standings with 4 points, behind Nangkiew Irat’s 6. Malki are one of three sides on 3 points each, the others being Sawmer and Mawlai.
On Saturday, giants Langsning and Rangdajied United will face off at 4:30pm.

New Delhi, Aug 22: In a significant last-minute change, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday announced that Mumbai will replace Bengaluru as one of the five host cities for next month’s Women’s ODI World Cup, citing “unforeseen circumstances”.
The decision comes after the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru failed to secure the required administrative and security clearances, rendering it ineligible to host matches in the tournament starting September 30.
The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai will now host up to five fixtures including the tournament opener, a semifinal and potentially the final on November 2.
“While unforeseen circumstances required us to adjust the schedule and replace a venue, we are pleased to now have a line-up of five world-class venues that will showcase the very best of the women’s game,” ICC Chairman Jay Shah said in a statement.
“The stage is set, and I am confident this tournament will capture imaginations and inspire a new generation of fans,” he added.The decision to drop Bengaluru comes in the wake of a tragic stampede on June 4, during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations outside the stadium, which claimed the lives of 11 fans.
Since the incident, no matches have been held at the stadium. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) eventually instructed the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to obtain the necessary security clearances for the World Cup.
However, the state unit was unable to do so in the prescribed time frame after an inquiry into the stampede declared that the design and structure of the venue was “unsuitable and unsafe for mass gathering”.
As per the ICC guidelines, the host association needs to hand over the venue to the global governing body 30 days prior to the tournament’s start, and no other matches should be held at the stadium in that period.
The Greenfield Stadium in Karyavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, was initially considered as a replacement venue before Navi Mumbai was finalised.
The ICC Women’s ODI World Cup is returning to India after a 12-year hiatus, marking a pivotal moment for the sport. Shah emphasised Navi Mumbai’s growing reputation as a hub for women’s cricket. (PTI)