Wimbledon: Rohan Bopanna crashes out, Yuki Bhambri, Rithvik Bollipalli advance
Bhambri and Galloway will next face the winner of the match between Robin Haase & Jean-Julien Rojer and Nuno Borges and Marcus Giron.Bhambri will also pair up with China's Xinyu Jiang as they face the American duo of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Christian Harrison in the first round of mixed doubles. Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli and Colombia's Nicolas Barrientos had to fight hard in their first round match. The Indo-Colombian duo saved four match points before beating France's Alexandre Muller and Belgium's David Goffin 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (11).In the second round, they will face the winner of the clash between Joe Salisbury & Neal Skupski and Charles Broom & Joshua Paris. India's N Sriram Balaji will be in action on Thursday, July 3, as he partners Mexico's Miguel Reyes-Varela in their Round 1 match against Aleksandar Kovacevic and Learner Tien. - Ends
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The Hindu
19 minutes ago
- The Hindu
'Can I throw that stick thing?': How Curtis Thompson found javelin by accident
In another life, Curtis Thompson would have been an American footballer. In an even more unlikely alternate world, where Thompson leaned further into his maternal heritage, he could have been a badminton player — a curious scenario, considering he is a six-foot-tall, 102-kilo American of Jamaican descent. But in this reality, Thompson thrives as a professional javelin thrower, ranked among the world's best. As we reach the midpoint of the year, he sits third in the global standings, behind Germany's Julian Weber and India's Neeraj Chopra. Only two Americans have ever thrown farther than Thompson — and many believe he could finally end the nation's 50-year wait for an Olympic javelin medal. Still, things could have gone very differently. Growing up in New Jersey, he explored a variety of sports with restless curiosity — including badminton thanks to a family connection. 'My mom's side is from Jamaica, and there were a few who played badminton, which is one of the sports we played at cookouts or get-togethers,' says Thompson over a video call from Alabama. 'Outside of playing football, I also tried basketball and baseball. I gave soccer a try when I was little, but didn't like it. And then when I got to high school, I played basketball, football and track. 'Over the years, I would drop one sport. I stopped basketball after my second year of high school. And then after my third year, I stopped playing football and just focused on javelin,' he says. He traces the transition to a serendipitous moment in high school, when he initially took up track to improve his football speed. One day, disillusioned by the repetition of sprint drills, he walked over to the javelin coach and asked, 'Can I throw that stick thing?' That throw sparked a chain reaction. He quickly surged through the ranks, establishing himself as the top javelin thrower in the country. 'By the end of my junior year, I had gone over 200 feet and became the number one US thrower at that time. That was the moment I realised I am good at it,' says Thompson. He was also nudged toward javelin by the toll football was taking on his body. 'Football is a very rough sport. It's a lot of contact. And once I started javelin and saw the path, I just stuck with it. I knew that was going to be what I would do in college and beyond. I realised javelin is kinder than football, health-wise,' he adds. Like many javelin throwers, YouTube was his first coach. 'To start, it was a lot of YouTube. After a year, I went to a javelin clinic and gained some technical ideas. First, it was just get out there and throw it. The clinic allowed me to learn. Slowly, I added small technical things over and over,' he says. After cutting his teeth on the national circuit and entering the global stage, Thompson's breakthrough came in 2023 when he won gold at the Pan American Games. In 2025, he raised his level with a personal best throw of 87.76m in Texas — the world-leading mark for nearly two months before Neeraj and Weber overtook it. Thompson credits that throw to finding his 'zone.' 'It was one of those days where everything kind of hit right. There was less thinking going into it; it was more of reacting.' One of the keys to his recent improvement has been switching from the American grip to the Finnish one — the preferred choice of many elite throwers globally. The Finnish grip, with an extended index finger, offers more control and power. READ | Neeraj Chopra Classic: Injured Anderson Peters pulls out, Cyprian Mrzyglod named as replacement 'I was curious about it and decided to go Finnish. It just worked for me right at the beginning of the season. So I kind of just stuck with it.' Early success: Anderson Peters, Curtis Thompson and Tyriq Horsford completed a podium sweep for Mississippi State at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Coach Curtis From an Indian lens, shaped by the underfunded nature of athletics, the USA might appear to offer abundant opportunity. But for a niche sport like javelin, the trickle-down effect hasn't fully taken hold. Even for someone as accomplished as Thompson, making ends meet is a challenge. 'You have to figure out how to pay bills, on top of funding your season. We do have athletes who get support from the government, which is great. But it's tough on the development side if you're not quite at that level. 'You have to work those jobs to make money so that you can attend meets. I'm hoping that before my career is done, it will come to a point where our top athletes can just train and compete.' Fortunately, his secondary vocation keeps him connected to his passion. As an athletics coach at Spain Park High School in Alabama, Thompson finds renewal in teaching the sport to others. 'Coaching kids reminds you of some of the basics that you tend to forget by the time you get to that top level. Also, there's a type of joy in coaching the youth and watching their passion grow for something that you've learned to grow, love and enjoy.' That joy comes at a cost. Coaching eats into his training, and he has to fine-tune his routine to stay aligned with his javelin goals. High on that list is the Los Angeles Games. The USA's last Olympic javelin medal came in 1972 — a bronze for Bill Schmidt. 'I am excited for 2028. That's going to be a big one. And to have the opportunity to win a medal in the US is something I'm looking forward to.' Also within reach is the 90m mark — a distance only one American, Breaux Greer (PB: 91.29m, Indianapolis, 2007), has ever surpassed. But beyond medals and milestone throws, Thompson's ultimate goal is bigger. 'One of the things that I want is to have the US pop up in conversation whenever anybody talks about javelin. I also hope that by the time I'm done, the US javelin standard rises. 'We need guys who are striving not just for the 80-metre mark, but go beyond that. So, if I can do that, then I'll be satisfied, even if I don't get a medal or anything. But of course, would love to win a few.' Next up is his first trip to India, for the Neeraj Chopra Classic in July — another country added to a globe-trotting career that still surprises him. 'Javelin has taken me to so many places that I never would have. I think if you pick up a sport and get to this level, it will help you see the world while doing your job. There have been plenty of places that I've gone to and realised, 'I probably never would have been here if I wasn't throwing a javelin,'' says Thompson.
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Business Standard
36 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Yuki Bhambri-Robert Galloway pair enters second of Wimbledon men's doubles
India's Yuki Bhambri and his American partner Robert Galloway progressed to the second round of men's doubles event at the Wimbledon with straight-sets win over Romain Arneodo of Monaco and Manuel Guinard of France here on Wednesday. The 16th-seeded Indo-American pair defeated Arneodo and Guinard 7-6(8) 6-4 in a first-round match that lasted one hour and 49 minutes. Yuki and Galloway will next take on the winner of the match between the Dutch combination of Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer and American Marcos Giron and Nuno Borges of Portugal in the next round. However, multiple Grand Slam champion Rohan Bopanna and his Belgian partner Sander Gill lost to German third seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 3-6, 4-6 in straight sets to bow out in the opening round. Till last reports came in, the third Indian in the fray Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli and his Colombian partner Nicols Barrientos are engaged in a third set tie-breaker against Alexandre Muller of France and Belgium's David Goffin. The scoreline reads 6-4, 4-6, 6-6. Another Indian N Sriram Balaji and his Mexican partner Miguel Reyes-Varela will also be in action in the men's doubles and will take on Aleksandar Kovacevic and Learner Tien in the opening round.
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Business Standard
36 minutes ago
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Premier League: Chelsea signs Brazil forward Joao Pedro from Brighton
Joao Pedro joined Chelsea from Brighton on Wednesday to continue the Premier League club's lavish spending under American owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. The Brazil forward cost a reported 60 million pounds ($82 million) and has signed a contract through to 2033. Everyone knows this is a big club with a great history, Joao Pedro said. They had brilliant players in the past and have brilliant players now. So I am excited to join and you know when you are a Chelsea player you must think one thing win. The Brazil international has joined up with Chelsea's squad at the Club World Cup in the United States and is eligible to play in Friday's quarterfinal against Palmeiras. Joao Pedro is Chelsea's fifth major signing this offseason after previous deals for Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Kendry Paez and Mamadou Sarr. Under Boehly and Clearlake, who bought Chelsea in 2022, the six-time English champion has spent well in excess of $1 billion on transfers, including British record fees for Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. The boy from Brazil. ???????? — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 2, 2025 The 23-year-old Joao Pedro hit 10 goals in 32 appearances for Brighton last season and scored 30 across two years with the club. He is the latest player to leave Brighton for Chelsea in a big-money move in recent years after deals for Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez and Caicedo. The move also represents a sizeable profit for Brighton after signing Joao Pedro from Watford for 30 million pounds ($41 million) in 2023. This is a good move for all parties. It's an excellent deal for the club, and a good return on a significant investment in an area of the pitch where we have a lot of competition and are already well served in terms of our attacking talent," said Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler. Joao Pedro's arrival comes as Chelsea prepares for a return to the Champions League after a two-year absence. Under coach Enzo Maresca, the London club finished fourth in the Premier League last season, its highest place since Boehly and Clearlake bought out former owner Roman Abramovich, and also won the UEFA Conference League. Chelsea can add to that at the Club World Cup, but the expectation next season will be to challenge for a first Premier League title under its American owners.
