Paris: The Indian contingent in the Parade of Nations in the Paris Olympics opening ceremony will have 78 athletes and officials from 12 disciplines, whose teams are in France. The opening ceremony will be held on Friday at 11 pm (IST). Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha and Chef-de-Mission Gagan Narang have given top priority to athletes in the composition of the contingent in the Parade of Nations. All athletes who made themselves available will be part of the parade. Many players will be in action in different competitions on Saturday and IOA has been respectful of their decision to prioritise preparation and not take part in the opening ceremony. Star shuttler PV Sindhu and seasoned table tennis star Sharath Kamal will be the flagbearers for India in the opening ceremony. Both stars will become the first athletes from their respective sports to be India's flag-bearers at such a big event. Before the opening day, India has already made its mark at the Paris Olympics. India's men's and women's archery teams directly qualified for the quarter-final in the respective events.
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India named 117 athletes in the contingent for the Paris Olympics. India will be getting their first shot at a medal during the mixed team air rifle medal matches scheduled for July 27 at the National Shooting Centre in Chateauroux. Two Indian teams, Sandeep Singh/Elavenil Valarivan and Arjun Babuta/Ramita Jindal, will be competing in this event. Manu Bhaker will compete in two individual pistol events and the 10 m air pistol mixed team competition as well. Prominent athletes from the 12 disciplines: Archery: Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai. Badminton: PV Sindhu Boxing: Lovlina Borgohain Equestrian: Anush Agarwalla Golf: Shubhankar Sharma Hockey: Krishan Pathak, Nilakanta Sharma and Jugraj Singh Judo: Tulika Mann Sailing: Vishnu Saravanan and Nethra Kumanan Shooting: Anjum Moudgil, Sift Kaur Samra, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Anish. Swimming: Srihari Nataraj and Dhinidhi Desinghu Table Tennis: Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra Tennis: Rohan Bopanna, Sumit Nagal and Sriram Balaji.
—ANI

India's 78-strong contingent in the Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony, led by flagbearers PV Sindhu and Sharath Kamal, aims for early success in archery and shooting.

Paris Olympics opening ceremony: India will have 78 athletes, officials from 12 disciplines in Parade of Nations

Dambulla [Sri Lanka]: Renuka Singh's pace and blazing knock from vice-captain Smriti Mandhana allowed India to punch their ticket for the final of the Women's Asia Cup 2024 following a resounding 10-wicket win over Bangladesh on Friday. India has entered the final for the ninth time in the tournament by outplaying Bangladesh in all facets of the game at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. The 2018 champions tottered to find any sort of momentum on their side, but all of their efforts eventually went in vain. While chasing a paltry target of 81, the Indian opening duo went all guns blazing right from the first over. Mandhana played it through the line to find the fence with ease and pick up India's first boundary on the fourth ball of the first over. Shafali joined the party and put her destructive stroke play on display by finding boundaries without breaking a sweat. In the fourth over, Mandhana smoked the ball into the stand over the deep backward square leg to prove her intentions of taking India home early. While Bangladesh suffered on the batting surface, Indian players thrived on the same pitch, making it feel like a different venue for batters. Mandhana continued to assert her dominance by dealing with boundaries. Shafali rotated the strike and allowed her partner to spread carnage in Dambulla. Fortune was on the side of both batters. Mandhana was caught at the backward point on 35, but Jahanara Alam overstepped the line in the 8th over. Shafali survived a scare in the next when she attempted to go for a slog sweep but saw her catch dropped by the fielder. Mandhana struck back-to-back fours off Nahida Akter and raised her bat for her 25th half-century in the T20I format. India capped off their impressive display by chasing the target with nine overs to spare. Mandhana and Shafali went unbeaten with scores of 55* and 26* respectively. Earlier in the innings, Bangladesh's decision to bat after winning the toss backfired completely, as its batters struggled to counter India's bowling display in the powerplay. Renuka Singh dismantled Bangladesh's opening order with her sheer pace. She bowled three overs in the powerplay and removed Bangladesh's top three batters, including Dilara Akter (6), Murshida Khatun (4) and Ishma Tanjim (8). Skipper Nigar Sultana tried to script an unprecedented comeback with her cautious approach against the high-flying Indian bowlers. However, wickets kept falling on the other end after the introduction of spin duo Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav. With her magical left-arm spin, Radha dismantled Bangladesh's middle order. Deepti, on the other hand, chipped in with a wicket and kept things tight in her four-over spell. Radha claimed three wickets to completely derail Bangladesh's innings. After she dismissed the Bangladesh captain, Nigar, on 32(51), Shorna Akter came in at the end and produced a couple of boundaries towards the end. Her unbeaten 19 propelled Bangladesh to a score of 80/8. Brief Score: Bangladesh 80/8 (Nigar Sulatana 32; Renuka Singh 3-10, Radha Yadav 3-14) vs India 80/0 (Smriti Mandhana 55*, Shafali Verma 26*).
—ANI

India reached the Women's Asia Cup 2024 final after defeating Bangladesh by 10 wickets, thanks to Renuka Singh's bowling and Smriti Mandhana's unbeaten 55*.

Women's Asia Cup: Renuka's pace, Mandhana's blitz seal India's place in final following 10-wicket win over Bangladesh

Paris: Romanian athlete Florentina Costina Iusco will not compete at the Paris Olympics after global sport's top court partially upheld a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appeal on Thursday following her positive test for a banned substance last year.
The 28-year-old, who competes in the long jump and triple jump, tested positive for furosemide, a diuretic on WADA's prohibited list, in an out-of-competition doping control in April 2023.  The analysis of both her A and B samples confirmed the result, resulting in an anti-doping rule violation.  Romania's National Anti-Doping Organisation sanctioned her only with a reprimand on Feb. 1 with no period of ineligibility on the basis that she was not at fault or was not negligent.
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However, after WADA appealed that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the arbitrator determined she had failed to exercise the standard of care required for a "no significant fault or negligence" finding.  CAS imposed a two-year ban on Iusco backdated to Feb. 1 and disqualified all of her results from April 23 last year.  WADA had originally sought a two-year ban from the day CAS rendered its decision.  The athletics events in Paris begin on August 1.
—Reuters

Romanian athlete Florentina Iusco banned for doping, will miss Paris Olympics. CAS upholds WADA appeal, imposes two-year ban for furosemide use.

Romania's Florentina banned for doping on eve of Paris Games

New Delhi: Current world number one and Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner announced his withdrawal from the Paris Olympics 2024 after being diagnosed with tonsillitis, announced the official website of ATP. As per ATP, Sinner took to X and expressed his disappointment at missing out on the Olympics, which was one of his main goals this season. "I am extremely sad and disappointed. Competing at the Olympic Games was one of my main goals for this season. I was really looking forward to being back at Roland Garros and playing for my country in this prestigious event. However, after seeing my doctors on Tuesday and waiting an extra day to give myself some more time to see if my condition would improve, things unfortunately got worse," said Sinner on X. Sinner had started facing some symptoms of the illness on Monday after a week of practice in Monaco following which he was strongly advised by his team of doctors to withdraw from the multi-sport extravaganza. The Italian expressed hope that he would play at the Olympics in the future and wished the whole Italian team luck in the competition. "As I said this is upsetting for me and I hope to be able to play the Olympics in the future. I was looking forward to competing with my teammates and the rest of the Italian team, but for now, that will have to wait," Sinner said. "As advised by my medical team, I will now take some time to rest and recover to full health. I'd like to wish the whole team Italia the best for this important event and hope to be back stronger in the future," added Sinner in his statement. This year, Sinner owns a strong win-loss record of 42 wins and four losses as per the ATP Win/Loss index. His record at the Grand Slam events is really strong this year, having won the Australian Open in January by beating Daniil Medvedev, reaching the semifinals of the French Open where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz and making it to the Wimbledon quarterfinals, where he lost to Medvedev. He also captured the Miami Open, Rotterdam Open and Halle Open championship titles as well, with the Miami Open being the ATP Masters 1000 title. The tennis events at the Olympics will be taking place from July 27 to August 4.
—ANI

Jannik Sinner withdraws from Paris Olympics 2024 due to tonsillitis, expressing disappointment. Hopes to compete in future. Best wishes to Team Italia.

World number one Jannik Sinner withdraws from Paris Olympics

Dallas [Texas]: Led by Calvin Savage's all-round performance, the Texas Super Kings handed the Seattle Orcas a comprehensive 37-run defeat in the final league match of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas, on Tuesday. Despite Quinton de Kock and Shehan Jayasuriya giving the Orcas a solid start in their run chase the Texas Super Kings' bowlers, led by Ottneil Bartmann (3/20), Noor Ahmad (2/19) and Calvin Savage (2/23), dismantled the Seattle batting lineup. With the conclusion of the match, Seattle Orcas finish their campaign with six losses and a sole victory, whereas the Texas Super Kings, who secured three wins and two losses (two no results) will play MI New York in the eliminator. Mirroring the first innings, the Seattle Orcas' run chase of 178 runs, lost Ryan Rickleton (0) off the first ball of the innings to Ottneil Bartman. Shehan Jayasuriya (24 in 27 balls, with three fours and a six) joined Quinton de Kock (26 in 19 balls, with two fours and a six), and the pair took control of the run chase. At the end of the powerplay, the Seattle Orcas were placed at 47/1. Shehan Jayasuriya eventually fell to Calvin Savage in the seventh over after a 27-ball stint at the crease. Not long after, the dangerous Quinton de Kock was also dismissed, leaving the Orcas at 59/3 in the ninth over.
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Faced with a steep equation, the onus was on Heinrich Klaasen (4) and Matthew Bracewell (4) to steer the innings. However, both batters were outfoxed by spinners and dismissed for single digits. Mitchell Santner saw the back of Klaasen, while Bracewell was trapped by Noor Ahmad. Coming together with the score at 67/5 in 10.4 overs, Shubham Ranjane (16) and Keemo Paul (25 in 17 balls, with three fours) labored to keep the Orcas in contention. However, Ranjane was run out and Keemo Paul was castled by Noor Ahmad before the 17th over, comprehensively extinguishing the run chase. Ali Sheikh chipped in with a consolatory knock, but the Orcas fell well short, finishing at 140/9.Otneill Bartman took two wickets in the tail to finish with figures of 3/20. Earlier in the day. The Texas Super Kings lost openers Devon Conway (0) and Joshua Tromp (6) early in the innings, however, Faf Du Plessis (39 in 17 balls) was in fine form, smashing six boundaries and a six before he was scalped by Keemo Paul. At the end of the power play the Texas Super Kings were placed at 56/3. Milind Kumar (29 in 28 balls, with two sixes) played a watchful knock, scoring nearly a run-a-ball before he became Keemo Paul's second wicket of the day. The experienced all-rounders, Marcus Stoinis (11) and Mitchell Santner (15) both got starts, but failed to convert them into bigger scores, falling to Aryan Desai and Matthew Bracewell, respectively. Calvin Savage (45* in 27 balls, with six fours and two sixes) orchestrated the biggest partnership of the innings, joined by Cameron Stevenson, the pair put on 43 runs in just 23 deliveries in the final phase of the innings. Stevenson (17) struck a four and six to support Savage's late innings fireworks, but was cleaned by Nandre Burger in the 18th overs. Savage hammered Bracewell for two consecutive maximums in the 16th over and went on to script a 17 run over of Nande Burger's 18th over to remain unbeaten and help the Texas Super Kings finish at 177/8. Brief Scores Texas Super Kings 177/8 (Faf Du Plessis 39 off 17, Colin Savage 45* off 27, Keemo Paul 2/18, Ayan Desai 2/30) beat Seattle Orcas 140/9 (Quinton de Kock 26 off 19, Keemo Paul 25 off 17, Ottneil Bartman 3/20, Noor Ahmad 2/19 ) by 37 runs.
—ANI

Calvin Savage's all-round brilliance led Texas Super Kings to a 37-run victory over Seattle Orcas in the MLC 2024 final league match at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas.

Major League Cricket: Texas Super Kings end league stage with 37-run win over Seattle Orcas

Washington: Renowned rapper Snoop Dogg has been announced as one of the final torchbearers of the Olympic flame in the last hours of its France-wide tour ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. His role comes as part of his involvement as a sportscaster for NBC's coverage, specifically on the 'Primetime in Paris' show alongside host Mike Tirico, confirmed Deadline. The rapper will take on the responsibility of carrying the Olympic flame during its penultimate leg in Saint-Denis, a suburb north of Paris renowned for housing part of the Olympic Village, the Stade de France, and the new Olympic Aquatics Centre. This symbolic event marks a pivotal moment as the flame proceeds towards its ultimate destination at the Olympic cauldron in the Tuileries Gardens, located in central Paris, where it will remain throughout the 2024 Olympics. According to Deadline, the participation of other notable French personalities in the torch relay, includes rapper MC Solaar, actress Laeticia Casta, filmmaker Alice Diop from Saint Omer, Paralympian Charles-Antoine Kouakou, and rugby player Abdelatif Benazzi. The identity of the final torchbearer, however, remains undisclosed as anticipation builds for the culminating event. The journey of the Olympic flame began with its arrival from Greece to France on May 8, commemorated with a spirited ceremony in Marseille. Since then, the flame has traversed various regions of France, embodying the Olympic spirit and igniting excitement among spectators and participants alike, according to Deadline. According to NBC's official statement, Snoop Dogg will not only fulfil his role as a torchbearer but will also engage in attending Olympic competitions, interacting with athletes and their families, and immersing himself in the vibrant cultural offerings of Paris, all of which will be documented as part of his comprehensive coverage of the games.
—ANI

Snoop Dogg announced as a final torchbearer for the Paris 2024 Olympics, joining NBC's 'Primetime in Paris' to cover the Games.

Snoop Dogg named one of the final torchbearers at Paris Olympics

Mumbai: As Gautam Gambhir takes charge of Team India as the head coach, he believes he has big shoes to fill as he steps into a role previously held by the likes of Rahul Dravid and Ravi Shastri. "The most important thing is that they will always have my back. Aim to make it a happy and secure dressing room. I am taking over a very successful team. Runner-ups in WTC and 50-overs WC. I have big shoes to fill and looking forward to it," Gambhir said in the press conference Gambhir will have the support of his KKR mate Abhishek Nayar who will take on the role of assistant coach of the team and Ryan Ten Doeschate who also joins the support staff. " I have worked closely with Abhishek and Ryan in the last two months at IPL with KKR. Both are absolute professionals and hopefully have a successful stint with the Indian team as coaches." Gambhir will have to work with a dressing room full of stars at least when the ODI's get underway with Team India skipper Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli joining the team. Gambhir says he has a good relationship with Virat Kohli. "I shared a great relationship with Virat Kohli, we exchange messages - he is World class, world-class batter, I have told you many times, that we both will work hard for team India &amp; make 140 crore people proud," he said. "Both Virat &amp; Rohit have lots of cricket left, they are World class, any team would have both of them - there is the Champions Trophy, Australia series, then if fitness goes well then the 2027 World Cup," he added. Gambhir was a left-handed opener for the India team and served as the Kolkata Knight Riders' team mentor in the Indian Premier League 2024. KKR lifted their third IPL trophy this season under Gambhir's guidance. Rahul Dravid's tenure as the head coach of Team India came to an end after the conclusion of the final of the T20 World Cup 2024, where India beat South Africa by seven runs to win the prestigious trophy after 17 years.
—ANI

Gautam Gambhir takes charge as Team India’s head coach, supported by Abhishek Nayar and Ryan Ten Doeschate, aiming to lead a successful team to new heights.

"Big shoes to fill": Gautam Gambhir after taking charge as India's head coach across formats

New Delhi: FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez has been appointed as the head coach of the Indian men's senior football team, announced the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Saturday. He replaces Igor Stimac, a former Croatian footballer, who was sacked as the India men's football team head coach earlier in June after the team's poor performance in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification campaign. Senior officials of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) held a virtual meeting and decided to terminate Stimac's services as the head coach. For the appointment of the head coach, AIFF's Executive Committee meeting, chaired by AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, was held at the Football House in New Delhi, on Saturday, as per an AIFF release. The meeting was attended by AIFF Vice President NA Haris, Treasurer Kipa Ajay, and members Thongam Tababi Devi, Valanka Natasha Alemao, Pinky Bompal Magar, Menla Ethenpa, Vijay Bali, Syed Husnain Ali Naqvi, Neibou Sekhose, Maloji Raje Chhatrapati, Mohan Lal, Syed Imtiaz Husain, Arif Ali, Bhaichung Bhutia, Shabbir Ali, Climax Lawrence, and Acting Secretary General M Satyanarayan. Executive Committee members, Lalnghinglova Hmar and IM Vijayan attended the meeting via video conferencing.
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Ajit Banerjee, President, Indian Football Association (West Bengal), Caitano Fernandes, President, Goa Football Association, Mulrajsinh Chudasama, Secretary, Gujarat State Football Association, Anuj Gupta, President, Football Delhi, and Rochak Langer, COO, FSDL, were present as special invitees. The Committee, in the first order of the day, deliberated on the appointment of the new head coach for the Senior Men's National Team, and selected Manolo Marquez for the job, effective immediately. During the 2024-25 season, Marquez will continue his role as the head coach of the first team at FC Goa, handling both responsibilities concurrently before assuming the national coaching role on a full-time basis. Commenting on the development, AIFF President Chaubey stated, "We are delighted to welcome Marquez to this important role and are also thankful to FC Goa for their generosity of releasing him for national duty. We look forward to working with Marquez in the years ahead. The AIFF, FC Goa, and Marquez will collaborate closely to ensure there is minimal impact between the two jobs and strive to achieve the best possible results for all involved." Responding to the appointment, Marquez said, "It is an honour for me to be the National Football Team coach of India, a country I consider my second home. India and its people are something I feel attached to and I feel a part of since I first came to this beautiful country. I want to do my best to bring success to the millions of fans we have. I am very grateful to FC Goa for allowing us the flexibility to help the national team during the coming season while I am still the club's head coach. I am grateful to the AIFF for this opportunity and we hope to do great things for football." Aged 55, Manolo Marquez has extensive knowledge and experience of Indian football and coaching national team players, especially youngsters. Many national team players in the last few years were called up from his Hyderabad FC team. Marquez has been coaching in India since 2020. He has coached two ISL clubs; his first stint was with Hyderabad FC (2020-23), before he switched over to FC Goa (2023-present). He is an ISL Cup winner with Hyderabad FC in 2021-22. Overall, Marquez had an extensive coaching career in Spain: Las Palmas (top division) and Las Palmas B, Espanyol B, Badalona, Prat, Europa (third division). On other developments, based on the recommendation of the AIFF President Chaubey, the Executive Committee of the AIFF has resolved today to appoint Anilkumar Prabhakaran as the Secretary General of the AIFF. The Executive Committee has also accepted the resignation of Anilkumar from the AIFF Executive Committee and all other sub-committees he was a part of. Anilkumar's appointment shall be subject to the internal protocols and induction procedures as required by the AIFF Constitution and he shall take charge upon the completion of the same.
—ANI

Manolo Marquez is appointed as the new head coach of India's men's football team, replacing Igor Stimac, announced AIFF after their Executive Committee meeting.

Manolo Marquez appointed as Indian men's football team head coach

Mumbai: Devisha Shetty, the wife of star India batter Suryakumar Yadav, congratulated her husband on his appointment as Men in Blue's T20I captain, saying that it is the beginning of batter's "own legacy" India have named Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of their men's T20I team for the tour of Sri Lanka with Shubman Gill as the vice-captain of the T20I and ODI sides. The white-ball tour to Sri Lanka will start from July 27 and will consist of three T20Is and ODIs. It will be India's first international assignment under new coach Gautam Gambhir, who was appointed as the head coach earlier in July. Taking to Instagram, Devisha wrote, "When you started playing for India, we never imagined this day would come! But god is great and everyone gets the reward of their hard work and diligence in due time. So proud of you and how far you have come but this is just the beginning of your own legacy. Long way to go." Ever since his international debut at the age of 30 as a late bloomer, Suryakumar has been one of India's biggest white-ball stars, shining primarily in T20Is with an unprecedented level of consistency combined with a fast run flow and unorthodox, 360-degree hits. In 68 matches, he has scored 2,340 runs at an average of 43.33 and a strike rate of 167.74, with four centuries and 19 fifties and a best score of 117.
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Besides T20Is, he has played a Test, scoring just eight runs and 37 ODIs, making 773 runs at an average of 25.76 with four half-centuries. Despite his lackluster ODI record, Suryakumar's white-ball prowess is in no doubt, as he has been a number one ranked T20I batter. He was also the part of India's 2024 ICC T20 World Cup winning team, scoring 199 runs in eight innings at an average of 28.42 and a strike rate of over 135, with two half-centuries. He played some fine knocks in crunch situations and matches. He also took a match-sealing catch of David Miller to help India to a thrilling seven-run win in the final at Barbados. Suryakumar has been consistent in T20 World Cups ever since his debut in 2021 edition, scoring 480 runs in 17 matches at an average of 40.00, with five half-centuries and a strike rate of above 158. Suryakumar has captained India in seven T20Is against Australia and South Africa, winning five and losing just two. T20I Squad for Sri Lanka series: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj. ODI Squad for Sri Lanka series: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
—ANI

Suryakumar Yadav named T20I captain for India’s tour of Sri Lanka. Wife Devisha celebrates his legacy. India's first tour under coach Gautam Gambhir.

"Just the beginning of your own legacy": Suryakumar's wife on batter's appointment as T20I captain

Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya and Bollywood actress Natasa Stankovic have announced their divorce due to unresolvable differences after several years of marriage. They are committed to co-parenting their son Agastya. Pandya requested privacy and mutual respect in their decision, while Stankovic has not publicly commented. The separation underscores the challenges celebrities face in managing personal lives under public scrutiny, highlighting the need for empathy during such times.

Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic announce divorce, committed to co-parenting their son. Pandya requests privacy. Highlights celebrity life challenges.

Indian Cricketer Hardik Pandya and Actress Natasa Stankovic Announce Divorce

New Delhi: Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has been given a six-month driving ban for speeding in his Rolls-Royce, according to Sky Sports. The 26-year-old England attacker was reportedly caught overspeeding. He was driving at 104 mph on the M60 in Manchester last year in December. According to Sky Sports, a court official confirmed that the ban was imposed on Rashford and that he had been fined £1,666, and ordered to pay £120 court costs and a £66 surcharge. Under the Single Justice Procedure, Rashford admitted the offence. Rashford was caught overspeeding less than three months after he crashed a different Rolls-Royce after leaving the Carrington training ground. An ambulance was not needed despite the involvement of another vehicle. Rashford recently missed out on a spot in England's Euro 2024 squad that went to the final. Rashford has been a key England player under former head coach Gareth Southgate. He was part of England's squad for the two previous World Cups in 2018 and 2022. He also featured England's last Euro squad in 2021, which saw them reach the final of the marquee event. However, Rashford's form has dwindled a lot in the recently concluded Premier League season. The 26-year-old forward netted just eight goals throughout the season across all competitions. His eight goals and five assists in 42 appearances summed up his barren season in front of the goal for Manchester United. His output in front of the goal dropped to the lowest since the 2016/17 campaign. He chased the shadows of his former self throughout the season. In 2023, Rashford struck 30 goals across all competitions and was named the club's Player of the Year as well. He took part in Manchester United's first pre-season game against Rosenborg. He played the first half alongside Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jonny Evans, Mason Mount, and captain Casemiro. Despite the presence of first-team players, United fell flat in terms of breaking the stalemate in the first half and ended up losing the game 1-0.
—ANI

Marcus Rashford receives a six-month driving ban and a £1,852 fine for speeding. The Manchester United star admitted the offence under the Single Justice Procedure.

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford receives six-month driving ban

Madrid: French football star Kylian Mbappe was unveiled as Real Madrid's newest signee in front of a packed Santigo Bernabeu on Tuesday. Earlier in June, after years of speculation, Mbappe joined the Spanish club as a free agent. The 25-year-old World Cup winner with France joins a Madrid team that is already loaded with talent and still celebrating its latest triumph in the La Liga competition. He is finally leaving the French football giants, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Mbappe will be wearing jersey number nine with the iconic club. Thousands of club supporters thronged to the stadium to witness the official unveiling of the new 'Galactico' Mbappe. Also present at the ceremony was the French and Real Madrid football icon Zinedine Zidane, who made a surprise appearance. Mbappe was welcomed to the stadium, dressed in iconic white colours of Real Madrid, to loud cheers from the crowd, who had awaited this sight for years. Delivering his speech, Mbappe said that he dreamt of playing for the club one day and his dream has finally come true. He also said that after accomplishing this one dream of his, he aims to live up to the rich history of the club, which he called the "best in the world". 
Watch: <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1813188944701407580" target="_self">https://twitter.com/i/status/1813188944701407580</a>&nbsp;
"Hello everyone. I will try to speak in Spanish. It is incredible to be here. I dreamt of playing for Real Madrid for years. This dream has come true today, I am a particularly happy young man. I would like to thank club president Florentino Perez, who welcomed me warmly from the first day. There have been many twists and turns but here I am. I would also like to thank all the people who worked to get me here. We succeeded: I am a Real Madrid player! I see my family happy, my mother crying," said Mbappe, as quoted by Goal.com. "It has been an incredible day for me. Since I was a child, I had only one dream, and that was to be here. It means a lot to me to be here. Thanks to the Real fans who have been showering me with love for years. I have another dream now, and that is to live up to the history of this club, the best in the world. I am going to give my all for this club. To all the children here, know that I was like you, I had a dream and I made it come true. With determination, you can achieve anything you want. This is so huge for me. I am proud to be here. I am not going to continue talking because otherwise I will shed tears. Uno, dos, tres: Hala Madrid!" he concluded.
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Mbappe joined PSG from AS Monaco in 2017, and since then, he played 290 matches for the Paris club and scored 243 goals. The French striker was 19 years old when he left his childhood club for PSG. In the recently concluded season of Ligue 1, the Frenchman appeared in 29 matches and got the back of the net 27 times. He also made 7 assists in the French League. However, Mbappe never hid from accepting that his dream was to play for 14-time UEFA Champions League (UCL) winner Real Madrid. For the last several years, the Los Blancos were trying to bring him to Madrid, but Mbappe was not keen on an exit before the expiration of his contract. In 2021, Real Madrid went all out to sign Mbappe, offering 220 million euros. However, PSG turned it down. In the recently concluded UEFA Euro competition, Mbappe led France to the semifinals of the competition, where they lost 1-2 to Spain. In the tournament, Mbappe scored a goal and delivered two assists.
—ANI

Kylian Mbappe joins Real Madrid as the latest Galactico, fulfilling his dream. Unveiled at Santiago Bernabeu with Zinedine Zidane present. #HalaMadrid

Mbappe unveiled as Real Madrid player in front of packed home crowd, calls signing "dream come true"

New Delhi: Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is all set to lead India in the three-match T20 International series against Sri Lanka starting July 27.
However, one of the heroes of India's T20 World Cup victory last month will take a break during the three-match ODI series, which is scheduled in August, due to "personal reasons".  "Hardik Pandya was India's T2O vice-captain under Rohit Sharma. He is completely fit and available for the three-match T20I series and will lead the side," a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.  Rohit retired from T20 Internationals at the end of the World Cup.
The T20Is against Sri Lanka will run from July 27 to 30 in Pallekele, followed by the ODIs from August 2 to 7 in Colombo. The squad for the series is expected to be announced in the next couple of days.  While there is still no clarity on who would be Pandya's deputy, the toss-up is between Shubman Gill, who recently captained India to a 4-1 series win over Zimbabwe, and Suryakumar Yadav, who led the side during the T20Is against South Africa last year.  About the ODIs, the official confirmed that Pandya has asked for leave and has already communicated this to regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who is also taking a break from this series.  "The break from ODIs is for very personal reasons. Hardik doesn't have any fitness issue as is being floated in the media," the official said.  For the ODIs, KL Rahul, who led in the last ODI series in South Africa, and Gill are in contention for the leadership role.  Thrust on domestic availability  BCCI secretary Jay Shah has made it clear that even star cricketers must make themselves available for domestic engagements when they are free from national duty. But exceptions will be made for the likes of Rohit, Virat Kohli and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.  The BCCI would, however, want all the other Test specialists to play at least one if not a couple of Duleep Trophy games in August as a precursor to the Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand.  "This time there is no zonal selection committee for Duleep Trophy. Only national selection committee will pick Duleep teams.  "All Test team contenders will be picked. For Rohit, Virat and Bumrah, it will be their choice if they want to play or not," the source added.
—PTI

Hardik Pandya leads India in T20s vs Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma retires from T20Is. Pandya skips ODIs for personal reasons. Squad announcement soon.

Hardik Pandya to lead India in T20Is against Sri Lanka

New Delhi: Argentina's maestro, Lionel Messi, thanked the fans for supporting them in their triumphant Copa America campaign and gave a fitness update on his injury as well. In the final against Colombia, Messi left the pitch in tears after Nico Gonzalez came in as a substitute for him in the 66th minute. In the first half, Messi sustained a heavy knock following a challenge from Arias. However, the Argentinian maestro got up without any assistance, but there was a slight limp as he resumed the game. His injury aggravated in the second half after he was brought down once again. This led to his substitution, and the emotions got the better of him as he sat on the bench crying. Lautaro Martinez's strike in extra time brought a smile to Messi's face yet again as he celebrated his second and Argentina's record 16th title. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner shared a post on Instagram to provide an injury update and thank the fans for their support. "Copa America is over, and firstly, I want to thank everyone for the messages and greetings. I'm doing well, thank God, and hopefully, soon I can be on the pitch again, enjoying what I love doing most. I'm happy, a lot, especially because we achieved the goal we had and Fide [Angel Di Maria] leaves us with another Copa. The biggest ones, like him, Ota or me, we live it with special excitement, with other team-mates who already have several tournaments and add their experience as well, and with a litter of young people who give their all in every ball. We are a team and also a family, a spectacular group. Thanks to everyone who was supporting us, this national team has a lot of present and a lot of future too. Let's go Argentina, he wrote in a post on Instagram. As of now, it is yet to be seen whether Messi will be available for Inter Miami's clash against Toronto on Thursday. He has already missed five games for the Major League Soccer side. Inter Miami will receive a further boost with veteran striker Luis Suarez returning to the camp after his stint with Uruguay concluded in the Copa America.
—ANI

Lionel Messi thanks fans for Copa America support, provides injury update, and celebrates Argentina's 16th title.

"Will be back on the pitch again" says Lionel Messi after suffering injury during Copa America final

Harare [Zimbabwe]: VVS Laxman, who served as India's head coach for the five-match series T20I against Zimbabwe, honoured star finisher Rinku Singh with the 'Fielder of the Series' award following their 4-1 triumph. India began the post-Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma T20I era by capping off the series with an imposing 42-run win in the fifth match on Sunday. Even without the presence of the stalwart duo, the tradition of handing the 'Fielder of the Series' continued in the new era. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) posted a video of the ceremony on X, with Subhadeep Ghosh announcing the winner of the medal. Before the ceremony, he showed a video message from former India fielding coach T Dilip, who emphasised the importance of fielding. "Boys, fielding has always been a paramount to us in Indian cricket, and it's an aspect of the game where we have set high standards over the years. We should aim to continue to strive for excellence in this area. As we all know, we follow a tradition, which is the fielding medal. The medal is given to a player that makes a significant impact in the game with their fielding," Dilip said. Ghosh, who served as India's fielding coach for the series, hailed each player for the contribution that they made during the series. While talking about the importance of catches, Ghosh announced Rinku as the winner of the 'Fielder of the Series' award. "Another good day in fielding. I think it was a terrific effort from each and every one. I think, in the last five months, we have been thrown into different scenarios and different challenges. As I always say, catching is very, very important. If you take the catches, you can control the game, and you can dominate the game, which we did today," Ghosh said. "Every time he steps on the ground, I think he always says, I stand up. I think he always steps on the ground, putting no tools from me. I think this is going to Rinku Singh," he concluded. Ghosh called Laxman to present the medal to Rinku for the efforts that he made throughout the series that saw him complete six catches. "I really enjoyed playing with everyone. It was my 4th or 5th series, so I really enjoyed it. To be honest, I like batting and fielding a lot. I enjoy it a lot. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun to run. So what else can I say, God's Plan," Rinku said. India's next tour will be against Sri Lanka, marking the first assignment of new head coach Gautam Gambhir. The tour will begin with a three-match T20I series on July 27 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The T20I series will be followed by a three-match ODI series, beginning on August 2 at R Premadasa Stadium.
—ANI

India's T20I series win against Zimbabwe, with Rinku Singh earning the 'Fielder of the Series' award, marks a new era.

VVS Laxman presents Rinku Singh with 'Fielder of the Series' award after India's 4-1 triumph over Zimbabwe

Harare [Zimbabwe]: A fine half-century opening partnership between Wessly Madhevere and Tadiwanashe Marumani and a crucial knock by skipper Sikandar Raza helped Zimbabwe put a modest 152/7 on the board in the fourth T20I of the five-match series against India at Harare on Saturday. India needs to score 153 runs to secure an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series. Put to the field first by India, Zimbabwe was off to a fine start as openers Wessly Madhevere and Tadiwanashe Marumani attacked Indian bowlers well in the powerplay. Debutant pacer Tushar Deshpande faced the worst of it as the duo hit him for some classy fours, including three by Madhevere himself. At the end of six overs of powerplay, Zimbabwe was 44/0, with Marumani (18*) and Madhevere (19*) unbeaten. In 7.1 overs, Zimbabwe crossed the 50-run mark without losing a wicket. Abhishek Sharma's part time spin struck for India as a fine catch by Rinku Singh near the boundary got India the wicket of Marumani for 32 in 31 balls, with three fours. Zimbabwe was 63/1 in 8.4 overs. Rinku plucked another fine catch as the second wicket went to Shivam Dube, as Madhevere was dismissed for 25 in 24 balls, with four boundaries. Zimbabwe was 67/2 in 10 overs. Brian Bennett was joined by skipper Sikandar Raza. The partnership between them was brief as Washington Sundar got Bennett caught for nine in 14 balls. Zimbabwe was 92/3 in 13.4 overs. In the very next over, Ravi Bishnoi ran out Jonathan Campbell for three runs in three balls. Zimbabwe was 96/4 in 14.4 overs. At the end of 15 overs, Zimbabwe was 98/4, with Raza (21*) and Dion Myers (1*) unbeaten. Zimbabwe reached the 100-run mark in 15.2 overs. The 17th over bowled by Khaleel Ahmed was a pressure reliever for Zimbabwe as thanks to two fours and a six by skipper Raza, Zimbabwe got 18 runs from it, taking the score to 129/4. Deshpande came for his third over in the 19th over and got the important scalp of Raza for 46 in 28 balls, with two fours and three sixes. Skipper Shubman Gill took a fine catch, bringing the score to 141/5 in 18.3 overs. In the final over, Khaleel got the scalp of Myers for 12 in 13 balls, via caught and bowl dismissal mode. Zimbabwe was 147/6 in 19.1 overs. Zimbabwe reached the 150-run mark in 19.4 overs. Zimbabwe ended their innings at 152/7 in their 20 overs, with Faraz Akram (4*) unbeaten. Khaleel (2/32) was the pick of the bowlers for India. Dube, Abhishek, Sundar, and Deshpande got a wicket each.
—ANI

Zimbabwe sets a target of 153 for India in the 4th T20I, with strong performances by Madhevere, Marumani, and Raza. India leads 2-1 in the series.

Zimbabwe post modest 152/7 against India in 4th T20I

London: England batter Joe Root levelled with former batter and compatriot Ian Bell for the second-highest number of fifty-plus scores at the iconic Lord's stadium in Test cricket. Root accomplished this movement up in charts during England's first Test against West Indies at Lord's. In the match, Root during the first innings, played a fine knock of 68 in 114 balls, with seven boundaries. His innings was ended by a fine delivery from Gudakesh Motie. This was Root's 12 fifty-plus score at Lord's, tying with Bell. The record for most fifty-plus scores at Lord's in Tests are by former England skipper Alastair Cook. Root has a fine record at the Lord's stadium, scoring 1,776 runs in 21 Tests and 38 innings at an average of 50.74, with five centuries and seven fifties. His best score is 200*. He is England's third-highest run-getter at the venue, behind Cook (1,937 runs in 26 Tests with four centuries and 12 fifties) and Graham Gooch (2,015 runs in 21 Tests, with six centuries and five fifties).
Also Read: <a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/india-unlikely-to-travel-to-pakistan-for-champions-trophy-will-ask-icc-to-hold-matches-in-dubai-sri-lanka" target="_self">https://www.thehawk.in/posts/india-unlikely-to-travel-to-pakistan-for-champions-trophy-will-ask-icc-to-hold-matches-in-dubai-sri-lanka</a>&nbsp;

Coming to the match, England won the toss and elected to field first. West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals and never really got a breather. Mikyle Louis (27 in 58 balls), Kavem Hodge (24 in 48 balls) and Alick Athanaze (23 in 56 balls) did the bulk of scoring as Windies was skittled out for 121 runs in 41.4 overs. Besides the seven-fer by Atkinson (7/45), James Anderson, skipper Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes also got a wicket each. In their first innings, England has crossed the 300-run mark and have a 200-plus run-lead in the game, with Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes at the crease. Teams: West Indies (Playing XI): Kraigg Brathwaite(c), Mikyle Louis, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Joshua Da Silva(w), Jason Holder, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson.
—ANI

Joe Root ties Ian Bell for second-most fifty-plus scores at Lord's in Tests, with an impressive 68 against West Indies. England leads with a strong performance.

Joe Root equals with Ian Bell for big Lord's stadium record during 1st Test against West Indies

The Russian Olympic Committee has paid compensation to 245 athletes who failed to meet the criteria allowing them to compete at the Paris Games this month, the RIA state news agency reported on Thursday.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus, Moscow's closest ally in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, are barred from the Games unless they compete as neutrals without flags, anthems and emblems.  Russian and Belarusian athletes have also had to undergo an additional vetting process to ensure they do not support Russia's war and have no connection to its military - which Moscow says amounts to a "conspiracy" to exclude its athletes.  "We have paid compensation to 245 athletes. These are those athletes who initially did not get the right to compete in international competitions and those who did not receive neutral status," RIA quoted Russian Olympic Committee general director Vladimir Sengleyev as saying.  Sengleyev said the last payments had been sent to athletes on June 23. RIA did not specify how much the sportspeople were compensated nor which ones received money.  The list of Russian athletes who will head to Paris has thinned to just over a dozen, as several sports federation heads have said their squads will not take part under what they see as humiliating restrictions.  Only 16 Russian athletes are scheduled to appear in the Games, which run from July 26 to August 11, compared to 335 athletes at the last Summer Games in Tokyo in 2021.
—Reuters

Russian Olympic Committee compensates 245 athletes barred from Paris Games due to neutrality criteria; only 16 Russian athletes to compete under strict conditions.

Olympics 2024 | Russia compensates athletes not invited to Paris Games

Uruguay players clashed with Colombia fans following their Copa America semi-final defeat on Wednesday before security personnel stepped in to restore order.
After Colombia sealed a 1-0 victory in Charlotte, North Carolina, videos on social media showed what appeared to be Uruguay players climbing into the stands and exchanging blows with opposition fans.  South American football's governing body CONMEBOL said it is investigating the incident.
Uruguay's Darwin Nunez and Ronald Araujo were among the players at the forefront of the melee. Captain Jose Maria Gimenez said the players were trying to defend their families.  "Let me say something before they cut you off because they won't let us speak into the microphone, they don't want me to say anything about what's going on but this is a disaster," Gimenez said on the official broadcast.  "Please be careful, our families are in the stands, there are little newborn babies. It was a disaster; there was no police and we had to defend our families.  "This is the fault of two or three people who had a few too many drinks and don't know how to drink."  Players and staff from both Colombia and Uruguay were also involved in a confrontation on the field after the final whistle.  "I thought that the incident ended with some argument on the midfield and when I saw that happening I went to the locker room," Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said in a press conference.  "I thought that they were thanking the fans for their support. But then I learned that there were some problems over there unfortunately."  Jefferson Lerma's first-half header gave Colombia a place in Sunday's final while Uruguay will play Canada in the third-place playoff.
—Reuters

Uruguay players clash with Colombia fans after Copa America semi-final defeat, prompting CONMEBOL investigation. Darwin Nunez and Ronald Araujo involved.

Uruguay players clash with Colombia fans after Copa America defeat

New Delhi: The Indian team will not travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and will ask the International Cricket Council to hold its matches in Sri Lanka or Dubai, a BCCI source told ANI. The ICC Champions Trophy will be held next year from February to March 2025 in Pakistan. Since 2008's Asia Cup, India has not played any cricket tournaments in Pakistan due to tense relationships between both nations. A bilateral series from December 2012 to January 2013 in India also marked the final bilateral series between the two nations. Since then, both nations have only clashed at ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup. Uncertainty has been looming over India's participation in the upcoming event due to the relationship between the two countries. The Pakistan Cricket Board had proposed to India to play all its matches in one city. ESPNcricinfo had reported that Lahore was chosen as the location where India would play all of their matches. However, the Indian board is not interested in the prospect of travelling to Pakistan. While addressing India's participation in the BCCI source, told ANI, "India will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. Will tell ICC to hold its matches in Dubai or Sri Lanka."
Also Read: <a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/dravid-happy-to-forgo-bonus-amount-after-t20-world-cup-triumph" target="_self">https://www.thehawk.in/posts/dravid-happy-to-forgo-bonus-amount-after-t20-world-cup-triumph</a>&nbsp;

BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla, in May, said that the Indian team would be sent to Pakistan for the tournament only if the central government permits it. Speaking to the ANI, Shukla said, "In the case of the Champion Trophy, we will do whatever the Government of India will tell us to do. We send our team only when the Government of India permits us. So we will go according to the decision of the Indian government." A similar situation unfolded during last year's Asia Cup, which was scheduled to be hosted in Pakistan. However, PCB was compelled to use a hybrid strategy when hosting the Asia Cup last year, with all of India's matches--including those against Pakistan--taking place in Sri Lanka. The tournament final, which India won, took place in Colombo. Although Pakistan had hinted at the possibility of using a hybrid approach to participate in the ODI World Cup in India the previous year, it was never given any thought. Pakistan are the defending champions of the Champions Trophy, last held in 2017.
—ANI

India will not travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, seeking matches in Sri Lanka or Dubai. BCCI cites government approval as crucial.

India unlikely to travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy, will ask ICC to hold matches in Dubai, Sri Lanka

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