Latest news with #AdrianaDiaz
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
Ultimate Table Tennis Season 6: Debutants Kolkata ThunderBlades open against Stanley's Chennai Lions
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 1 (ANI): Debutants Kolkata ThunderBlades will kick off their IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 campaign against Season 3 champions Stanley's Chennai Lions on Monday in the day's first tie, scheduled for 5 PM. Following that, U Mumba TT will clash with Western rivals Ahmedabad SG Pipers in a highly-anticipated derby at 7:30 PM, as per a UTT press release. Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, IndianOil UTT continues to grow as a premier professional league. All 23 ties, over 16 action-packed days, will take place at Ahmedabad's EKA Arena. Led by an all-star foreguard of Olympians Aruna Quadri and Adriana Diaz, as well as India's 18-year-old sensation Ankur Bhattacharjee, Kolkata ThunderBlades are well-positioned to make an impact in their debut season. Aruna (World Ranking 27), returning for his fifth season with UTT, is the highest-ranked men's player this season, while Diaz (WR17), back for her second assignment after 2018, is the second-highest-ranked women's player. All eyes, however, will be on Ankur, who was the undisputed find of the previous season. Storming into the arena with unbridled intensity, Ankur won four of his five matches and 10 of the 15 games he contested-at a win rate of 66.67, the second-highest in Season 5-and stacked high across the board in terms of numbers in a breakout campaign. On the opposite end will be the former Youth World No. 1 Payas Jain, flanked by seasoned international stars Fan Siqi and Kirill Gerassimenko. Fan, the highest-valued player at this season's auction, is only the third player from China to partake in the league, while Kazakhstan's Gerassimenko is back for his third taste of UTT, after previously appearing in seasons three and four. In the day's second tie, U Mumba TT will aim to settle scores from last season's 9-6 defeat against Western rivals Ahmedabad SG Pipers in what promises to be a closely fought clash. While both sides would have completed their opening fixtures by then, this matchup carries an extra edge, with both teams fielding revamped and balanced line-ups for Season 6. Leading the charge for U Mumba is World No. 12 Bernadette Szocs, the highest-ranked player in the league. She'll be supported by returning Frenchman Lilian Bardet and rising Indian star Yashaswini Ghorpade. For the hosts, Ricardo Walther--fresh off a strong debut despite a 10-5 loss to Dempo Goa Challengers--will be key. His growing chemistry with Ayhika Mukherjee in the mixed doubles category adds intrigue to an already high-stakes contest. Squads Match 1 Stanley's Chennai Lions: Fan Siqi (China), Kirill Gerassimenko (Kazakhstan), Payas Jain, Sudhanshu Grover, Poymantee Baisya, Nikhat Banu Kolkata ThunderBlades: Adriana Diaz (Puerto Rico), Aruna Quadri (Nigeria), Ankur Bhattacharjee, Selena Selvakumar, Ananya Chande, Deepit Patil Match 2U Mumba TT: Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Lilian Bardet (France), Yashaswini Ghorpade, Swastika Ghosh, Akash Pal, Abhinandh PB Ahmedabad SG Pipers: Ayhika Mukhejree, Ricardo Walther (Germany), Snehit Suravajjula, Giorgia Piccolin (Italy), Divyansh Srivastava, Yashini Sivashankar. (ANI)
CBS News
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Adriana Diaz laces up to take on childhood dream of figure skating with Elladj Baldé
"Never Too Late:" Adriana Diaz hits the ice for her childhood dream Adriana Diaz traded her reporter's notebook for figure skates in the latest installment of "CBS Mornings" "Never Too Late" series. Diaz, who celebrated her 10th birthday with an ice skating party, enlisted professional skater Elladj Baldé as her coach. The Canadian figure skater has gained widespread recognition for breaking traditional boundaries in the sport by incorporating hip-hop, funk and creative expression into his routines. Baldé, whose unique style went viral during the pandemic, reassured Diaz when she questioned her adult-learning capabilities. "It's never, never too late," Baldé said. "I've met people that started skating in their 30s, 40s, even in their 50s." The two-day training session included learning fundamental techniques like crossovers, with Baldé providing constant encouragement. When Diaz did eventually take her first tumble, Baldé congratulated her: "You've officially become a real figure skater." Baldé opened up about his past struggles as a person of color in figure skating. "I would change the way that I skate. I would change what kind of music I listen to. I would try to adapt to that box," he reflected. "I neglected everything that was Black about me and I embraced the White side of me, and that division created a very painful experience." Baldé now helps others embrace their authentic selves through his Skate Global Foundation and training camp. Our "CBS Mornings" series Never Too Late highlights stories of people conquering new challenges or embracing a second chapter at any age in life. Watch the 6-week run, showcasing "CBS Mornings" anchors and correspondents achieving their dreams — both big and small. Share your own Never Too Late story here for a chance to get featured on the show.
