Making the two-lapped race his own, the Afsal way
Coach Ajith Markose suggests that Afsal's quality of being 'a hybrid runner' is what makes him distinct from the other Indian athletes in the event.
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The Hindu
44 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Sreeja finds a purple patch in Jaipur's pink
Almost a year ago, Sreeja Akula was flying high. While achieving a rare feat of an Indian paddler featuring in the singles round-of-16 at the Olympics (she and Manika Batra both made it to the women's singles pre-quarterfinals at Paris 2024), Sreeja was also on the brink of breaking into the top-20 world rankings. But soon after returning from Paris, Sreeja was diagnosed with a stress fracture that took longer than expected to heal. Since then, she hasn't been as dynamic on the world stage as she was in the 12 months leading to the Olympics. But the diminutive girl from Hyderabad has revelled in the pink jersey of Jaipur Patriots in the Ultimate Table Tennis. After missing the fifth season due to the stress fracture, Sreeja has remained unbeaten in season six – Zeng Jian of Goa Challengers is the only other unbeaten singles player this season – to spearhead Patriots' smooth ride into the semifinals. Sreeja Akula keeps her red-hot streak alive to cap off a MASSIVE night for the Jaipur Patriots 🔥♨️ 📺 Live on JioHotstar and the Star Sports network. 🎫 Tickets on — Ultimate Table Tennis (@UltTableTennis) June 11, 2025 'UTT has definitely helped because I have played different opponents and mixed doubles as well,' Sreeja told The Hindu. 'I have also been doing my fitness, continuing my routine every day. But I also wanted to play a number of matches, and this league is a very good stage where I can try different things and contribute to my team.' Sreeja in singles at UTT season six bt Maria Xiao (Dabang Delhi) 2-1; bt Poymantee Baisya (Chennai Lions) 3-0; bt Bernadette Szocs (U Mumba) 2-1; bt Ayhika Mukherjee (Jaipur Patriots) 2-1; bt Zion Lee (Pune Jaguars) 2-1. While Patriots – who had a forgettable UTT debut last season without Sreeja – started on a disastrous note, Sreeja was the only bright spot in their campaign-opener against Dabang Delhi TTC. Groomed in confidence with a close win against left-handed Maria Xiao, Sreeja went on to account for Bernadette Szocs, the World No. 12. Sreeja is confident that the three weeks at UTT will help her in her future endeavours, starting with the US Open next month and heading into three major Smash events on the world circuit. 'It took some time for me to recover, it's all about ups and downs, and I just have to accept it and take the learnings from those matches and move on. I have tried to figure out what went wrong, and I am getting back to my best. I am confident that I will be in the zone pretty soon'.
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
'My heart sunk...': Hardik Pandya, Neeraj Chopra, sports fraternity mourn Air India Ahmedabad plane crash
A tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has shocked the country. Sports stars like Hardik Pandya, Neeraj Chopra, Sourav Ganguly, and teams like India's hockey and football teams paid tribute to the victims. read more A big tragedy happened today when an Air India plane going from Ahmedabad to London crashed just minutes after takeoff. The flight had 242 people on board and crashed into a medical college hostel near the airport during lunchtime. It was heading to Gatwick Airport in England. The whole country is in shock, and people from all over, including some of the biggest names in Indian sports, have come forward to express their sadness and support. They have shared their thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sports stars react to plane crash incident Hardik Pandya, Neeraj Chopra, Gautam Gambhir, Sourav Ganguly, Suresh Raina, Sania Mirza, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Shubman Gill, and Mohammed Shami have all posted messages online. Even IPL teams like Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the Indian football team, have shown their support on social media. Heartbroken by the visuals coming in from Ahmedabad. My prayers and thoughts are with everyone involved. May God give strength to the families of the victims. Om Shanti. 🙏 — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) June 12, 2025 Heartbreaking to hear about the crash in Ahmedabad. Prayers and strength to the families of those affected 🙏🏻 — hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) June 12, 2025 Extremely saddened by the tragic crash in Ahmedabad. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this catastrophe. — Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) June 12, 2025 Shaken by the heartbreaking tragedy in Ahmedabad. In this hour of grief, sending prayers to all those affected, and strength to the brave souls helping on the ground. 🙏💔 — Shubman Gill (@ShubmanGill) June 12, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Deeply saddened by the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad today. My heartfelt prayers go out to the families and loved ones of those affected. May they find strength in this time of immense grief. — Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) June 12, 2025 Heartbreaking to hear about the crash in Ahmedabad. My thoughts are with the families of those affected 🙏🏻 — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) June 12, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pray for all the families💔 — 𝕸𝖔𝖍𝖆𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖉 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖒𝖎 (@MdShami11) June 12, 2025 Absolutely devastated by the news of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad. My heartfelt prayers for all the lives lost and strength to the families affected. In this tragic hour, we stand united in grief. 🕯️🙏 #AirIndia #Ahmedabad #Condolences — Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) June 12, 2025 I am utterly shocked and deeply anguished to learn about the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and their families who are enduring unimaginable pain and loss. In moments like these, words feel so inadequate, but I hope… — Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) June 12, 2025 Prayers for the families and people on the Air India flight 🤲🏽 my heart sunk hearing the news of the crash .. praying praying praying — Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) June 12, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The All India Football Federation is deeply saddened by the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad today. The thoughts and heartfelt prayers of the entire football fraternity are with everyone affected by this devastating incident. HELPLINE NUMBERS Ahmedabad Police… — Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 12, 2025 India & Argentina hockey teams show respect The India and Argentina hockey teams observed a minute's silence before their match in the FIH Pro League to pay tribute to the crash victims. The @TheHockeyIndia and @ArgFieldHockey teams observed a minute's silence for all the victims of today's tragic Air India plane crash, and their families, ahead of their FIH Hockey Pro League match. Our thoughts are with all the victims and their families. RIP. — International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) June 12, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
WTC Final: Pat Cummins claims fifer against South Africa, surpasses Indian great on elite list
NEW DELHI: Australia skipper delivered a breathtaking bowling performance at Lord's, grabbing 6 for 28 to rip through South Africa's batting order and tilt the World Test Championship final heavily in his side's favour. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Cummins's masterclass saw him register his 14th five-wicket haul in Tests and reach a major personal milestone, surpassing Indian great Bishan Singh Bedi and matching with nine five-fors as a Test captain, the second-most in history behind Imran Khan (12). Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. Most Test 5-fers as captain 12 - Imran Khan 9 - Richie Benaud 9 - Pat Cummins 8 - Bishan Singh Bedi 7 - Courtney Walsh 7 - Jason Holder The South African innings collapsed spectacularly on Day 2, skittled out for just 138 in reply to Australia's modest 212. Cummins, who had already taken two wickets in the morning session, returned after lunch to produce a blistering burst, four wickets for one run in just 17 balls, leaving South Africa reeling. Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham had briefly steadied the ship with a 64-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Bavuma, who started the day on 3 not out, showed some fight with a stylish six off Cummins and a lofted drive off Starc, but was dismissed soon after, caught at cover by a diving Marnus Labuschagne. Poll Should Pat Cummins be considered among the greatest Test captains of all time? Yes, absolutely! Not yet, needs more time No, there are better captains Cummins struck again quickly after lunch, removing Kyle Verreynne lbw and trapping Marco Jansen for a duck in the same over. He then ended Bedingham's 111-ball effort by inducing an edge to the keeper before the lower order completely disintegrated. 'Cricketers Aren't Cattle... ': Harish Thawani on the IPL and Business of Indian Cricket A farcical run-out of Keshav Maharaj only added to South Africa's woes, and Cummins fittingly wrapped up the innings with his 300th Test wicket, dismissing , caught at deep square leg by Beau Webster. With this performance, Cummins not only reaffirmed his status as one of the premier fast bowlers of his generation but also etched his name alongside the game's greats as a captain who leads by fiery example.
