Others

Aman Sehrawat has secured India's first quota for the 2024 Paris Olympics in men's freestyle wrestling, triumphing in the 57kg division at the World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul. The Asian Games medalist showcased his dominance throughout the tournament, comfortably winning all his bouts.In the crucial semi-final, Sehrawat faced Asian Games silver medalist Chongsong Han of North Korea. Despite a tight first period, Sehrawat's superior technique and relentless attacks proved too much for Han. He secured a 12-2 victory, sealing the Olympic quota for India.Sehrawat's success also provides a lifeline to Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Ravi Dahiya, who competes in the same weight class. The Olympic quota belongs to the country, and Sehrawat will likely have to win the selection trials at home to represent India in Paris.Sujeet Kalkal also impressed in the 65kg division, reaching the semi-finals before losing to experienced Mongolian wrestler Tomor-Ochiryn Tulga. However, the 22-year-old will have another chance to qualify for Paris in the repechage on Sunday.Sehrawat's journey to the Olympics has been marked by consistent progress. In 2022, he became the world U23 champion. Last year, he won bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games and gold at the Asian Championships in Astana. Despite missing out on qualification at the 2023 world championships and the Asian Qualifiers, Sehrawat remained determined and seized his opportunity in Istanbul.Sehrawat's victory is a testament to the depth of talent in Indian wrestling. With Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia also in contention, India has a strong chance of medaling in the 57kg and 65kg weight classes at the Paris Olympics.

Chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa has garnered praise from legendary grandmaster Gary Kasparov for his quick and efficient autograph-signing technique. In a video posted on Twitter, Kasparov remarked, "Smart lad; a fast and short signature means your hand doesn't get sore so quickly!"Praggnanandhaa's rise to stardom has been meteoric. In 2023, he became the youngest player to reach the World Cup final, following in the footsteps of Viswanathan Anand. His impressive victories over Magnus Carlsen in 2022 brought India's chess prowess into the spotlight.The Chennai-based prodigy began his chess journey at the tender age of 5. By 12, he had become India's youngest and the world's second-youngest Grandmaster. Praggnanandhaa's love for mathematics and his ability to unwind with Tamil music and television shows add to his multifaceted personality.In 2023, Praggnanandhaa secured a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. His achievements have cemented his status as one of the most promising young chess players in the world.Kasparov's praise for Praggnanandhaa's autograph-signing technique highlights the importance of efficiency and practicality in the world of chess. The ability to conserve energy and maintain focus during long tournaments can give players a competitive edge.Praggnanandhaa's success is a testament to his hard work, dedication, and natural talent. As he continues to climb the ranks of chess, he is sure to inspire future generations of players and bring further glory to India on the global stage.

Deepak Punia's Olympic qualification hopes suffered a major setback at the World Qualifiers in Sofia, Bulgaria, as he succumbed to a crushing first-round defeat. The 23-year-old, who narrowly missed a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games, was outmuscled by China's Zushen Lin in the 86kg category, losing 4-6.Punia's fate now rests on the Chinese wrestler reaching the final, which would open up the repechage route for the Indian. However, the odds are stacked against Punia, as Lin is a formidable opponent.Meanwhile, young Aman Sehrawat emerged as a beacon of hope for India, advancing to the 57kg semifinals with two dominant victories. The 20-year-old, who is the reigning U23 world champion and Asian Championship title winner, showcased his strength and technique in both his bouts.Sehrawat comfortably defeated Georgi Valentinov Vangelov of Bulgaria 10-4 before overpowering Ukraine's Andrii Yatsenko by technical superiority. Yatsenko proved to be a quick opponent, but Sehrawat's superior strength allowed him to control the match and secure a takedown victory without conceding a single point.In the 65kg category, Sujeet Kalkal also impressed, winning his first two bouts with a 3-2 victory over Uzbekistan's Umidjon Jalolov and a technical superiority victory against Korea's Junsik Yun. Kalkal faces a tougher test in the quarterfinals.Jaideep Ahlawat also advanced to the quarterfinals in the 74kg weight class, pulling off a stunning four-pointer double-leg attack to defeat Moldova's Vasile Diacon 5-3. He followed that up with a technical superiority victory against Austria's Simon Marchl.Despite these positive performances, the Indian contingent suffered setbacks in other weight classes. Deepak (97kg) and Sumit Malik (125kg) both lost their first-round bouts, leaving Punia as the only remaining hope for an Olympic berth.

Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has set his sights on victory in the next Diamond League meeting after finishing a close second in the Doha leg.Chopra's second-place finish in Doha was a mere two centimeters behind Jakub Vadlejch's winning throw of 88.38m. The 26-year-old Chopra trailed the veteran Czech throughout the competition, but his final effort of 88.36m fell just short of the top spot.Despite the narrow margin, Chopra remained upbeat and expressed his determination to improve in the next meeting. "The most important competition for me this year is the Paris Olympics, but Diamond League meetings are important too," Chopra said. "This was the opener for me this season, I finished second with a narrow two-centimeter margin, but next time I will try to draw far and try to win."The next Diamond League meeting featuring men's javelin will be held in Paris on July 7. Chopra also expressed his gratitude for the support he received from the Indian diaspora in Qatar. "The support I am getting from the Indian people here in Qatar is always amazing," he said. "There aren't words enough for me to thank them for their support."Chopra's performance in Doha was a promising start to his season, and he will be looking to build on it in the upcoming meetings. The top six javelin throwers will compete in the Diamond League Finals in Brussels on September 13-14, and Chopra will be aiming to lift the DL champion's trophy.

World-renowned archery coach Kim Hyung Tak believes that India has a strong chance of securing its first-ever Olympic medal in archery at the Paris 2024 Games. The Korean coach, who has over 40 years of experience, recently conducted a coaches' seminar at the Sports Authority of India's National Centre of Excellence in Sonepat, Haryana.Kim praised the Indian recurve team's technical training and communication between archers and coaches. He emphasized the importance of consistency in training and preparation, stating that it is crucial for achieving success at the Olympics."By keeping this consistency in training and preparation, I think it is very much possible to get a medal in Paris," Kim told SAI Media.India has already secured one Paris 2024 quota place in archery through Dhiraj Bommadevara. The Indian recurve archers are now aiming for a team quota in the final qualification tournament in Antalya, Turkey, from June 14 to 17.Kim believes that the Indian team has improved significantly, thanks to the talented archers and frequent coaching camps organized by the Sports Authority of India and Archery Association of India. He also highlighted the importance of collaboration between coaches and archers."The average level of the team has got a notch higher because of the talented men's and women's recurve team here. The frequent coaching camps by Sports Authority of India and Archery Association of India too are contributing to the cause and constant collaboration is only helping the team get that elusive medal at the Olympics," Kim said.Kim, who led the Korean women's recurve team to its first Olympic gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, also supervised a two-day national team preparation camp at Sonepat. He was impressed by the coaching program at SAI, Sonepat, which has produced consistent results in recent times."Since I've come here, I've seen more high level and detailed training provided to the archers. The training programs, which use a lot of technology, are also very well crafted. The coaches are continuously mentoring the archers on managing training schedules to training times. The psychology team is also working around the clock and good mentoring is being provided as a whole," Kim said.Kim's optimism for Indian archery is based on the presence of young archers and experienced veterans like Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai. He believes that the team's strong performances and the support of the coaching staff will help them achieve their goal of an Olympic medal in Paris.

In a thrilling encounter at Citi Field, the Atlanta Braves emerged victorious over the New York Mets 4-2, extending their winning streak to three games. Ronald Acuña Jr. ignited the Braves' offense with a towering 461-foot home run in the third inning, setting the tone for a dominant performance.Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson followed suit with back-to-back home runs, giving the Braves a commanding 4-0 lead. Charlie Morton, the Braves' veteran right-hander, delivered a stellar seven-inning outing, allowing only three hits and striking out seven batters.The Mets' offense struggled to keep pace, with Francisco Lindor's solo homer in the seventh inning being their only highlight. Jose Quintana, the Mets' starter, surrendered four runs in five innings, continuing his recent struggles.In the eighth inning, A.J. Minter struck out all three batters he faced, while Raisel Iglesias secured the save with a three-out performance in the ninth, earning his 200th career save.Despite a recent slump, Olson broke out of his drought with a two-run homer, his first since April 7. The Braves' victory was a testament to their resilience and the power of their offense, which has now hit back-to-back home runs twice this season.

The Philadelphia Phillies extended their winning streak to four games with an 8-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night at loanDepot Park. Ranger Suárez delivered a dominant performance on the mound, while Nick Castellanos and Johan Rojas provided the offensive spark with solo home runs.Suárez, who entered the game with a sparkling 1.72 ERA, lived up to his reputation by tossing seven scoreless innings. He allowed only three hits, struck out nine batters, and walked two. His outing was a masterclass in efficiency and control, as he consistently kept the Marlins' hitters off balance.The Phillies' offense wasted no time in providing Suárez with run support. Castellanos opened the scoring in the second inning with a towering 400-foot home run off Marlins starter Trevor Rogers. Rojas followed suit with an RBI single later in the inning, and then added a solo homer in the seventh to extend Philadelphia's lead to 7-0.The Phillies continued to pile on the runs in the fourth inning, scoring five times against Rogers. Pache doubled in Whit Merrifield, who reached on an error, and Schwarber drove in two with a grounder to right. Rogers was lifted after intentionally walking Harper, a move that drew a chorus of boos from the crowd.Rogers, who has struggled mightily this season, allowed nine hits, five runs (four earned), and walked two in his outing. His frustration was evident as he slammed his glove on the ground and threw his cap in the dugout after being removed from the game.The Marlins managed to break up the shutout in the eighth inning when Josh Bell doubled in two runs off Phillies reliever Gregory Soto. However, it was too little, too late, as the Phillies cruised to an 8-2 victory.The win improved the Phillies' record to 23-22, while the Marlins dropped to 19-26. The two teams will face off again on Saturday, with Taijuan Walker scheduled to start for Philadelphia and the Marlins yet to announce their starter.

Clarke Schmidt's stellar outing and Anthony Rizzo's timely hitting propelled the New York Yankees to a 2-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. Schmidt, making his eighth start of the season, continued his impressive run of limiting opponents to three or fewer runs, allowing just five hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two, extending his streak of quality starts to eight.Rizzo, the Yankees' first baseman, provided the offensive spark with an RBI single in the fourth inning and a solo home run off Shawn Armstrong in the ninth. His homer proved to be the game-winning hit, giving the Yankees their sixth win in seven games.Rays starter Taj Bradley, making his season debut after recovering from a pectoral strain, pitched six solid innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out seven. However, the Yankees' offense managed to scratch across a run in the fourth inning when Giancarlo Stanton singled and Rizzo drove him in.The Rays threatened in the ninth inning, loading the bases with two walks and a single. However, Yankees closer Clay Holmes struck out two batters and induced a groundout to secure his 12th save in 13 chances.The Yankees' victory was marred by injuries to ace Gerrit Cole and infielder DJ LeMahieu, who will remain at the team's Tampa complex for further evaluation. Meanwhile, the Rays are hopeful that closer Pete Fairbanks will return this weekend, while Ryan Pepiot is expected to attempt a mound session soon after being hit by a line drive last Sunday.

In a thrilling Friday night matchup at Comerica Park, the Houston Astros rallied from behind to defeat the Detroit Tigers 5-2, snapping a four-game losing streak.Framber Valdez was the catalyst for Houston's victory, pitching seven strong innings while allowing only two runs on six hits. The left-hander has now compiled a remarkable 2.49 ERA in eight career starts against the Tigers.The Astros' offense struggled early against Tigers starter Casey Mize, who allowed just one run on five hits through the first five innings. However, Houston's bats came alive in the eighth inning, sparked by a leadoff single from Jose Altuve. Kyle Tucker followed with a walk, and Yordan Alvarez tied the game with a single down the right-field line.Jason Foley replaced Andrew Chafin on the mound for Detroit, but Jeremy Peña greeted him with an RBI single on his first pitch. A force out by Jon Singleton put runners on the corners, and Alex Bregman's grounder to third went through Matt Vierling's legs for an error, allowing another run to score. Yanier Diaz capped off the rally with a sacrifice fly to give Houston a 5-2 lead.Bryan Abreu pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Astros, and Josh Hader earned his fifth save by closing out the ninth.The Tigers, who debuted their new blue City Connect jerseys, took an early 2-0 lead in the third inning on a double by Vierling. However, Tucker's solo homer in the sixth brought Houston within one run.Detroit's ace, Tarik Skubal, will take the mound on Saturday against Cristian Javier, who is expected to be activated from the injured list for the Astros.