Team Melli had lost to Belarus 28-29 in its first match but defeated Russia 29-26 in the second match.
The tournament brought host Russia, youth Russia, Belarus, and Iran together.
Iran participated in the event to prepare for the 2024 Asian Men’s Handball Championship.
The Asian championship will be held in Manama, Bahrain, from January 11 to 25.
Iran has been drawn in Group B along with South Korea, China, and New Zealand.
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With this win, Suhas took his medal tally to three, having clinched two silver earlier
Published Date – 11:32 PM, Sun – 7 January 24
Hyderabad: Telangana swimmer Mylari Suhas Preetham bagged a gold in the boys division of the 50m backstroke event in the ongoing 67th National School Games Swimming at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Pool Complex Talkatora, New Delhi on Sunday.
With this win, Suhas took his medal tally to three, having clinched two silver earlier. In the 50m backstroke event, he topped with a timing of 27.32s to finish ahead of Arjun Singh of Haryana and Aman Abhijit Sungar of Karnataka in second and third places respectively.
In the 200m medley event, another State swimmer Dhulipudi Varshith secured silver medal with a timing of 2:17.43s, finishing behind R Navaneeth of Gowda Kendriya Vidhyalaya Sangathan, who sealed gold with a timing of 2:17.33s. Results: Boys: 50m Backstroke 15-17 yrs: 1. Mylari Suhas Preetham (TS) (27.32s), 2. Arjun Singh (HAR) (28.49s), 3. Aman Abhijit Sungar (KAR) (28.55s); Boys: 200m Medley 15 – 17 yrs: 1. R Navaneeth (GKVS) (2:17.33s), 2. Dhulipudi Varshith (TS) (2:17.43s), 3. Prithviraj G Menon (ISCE) (2:17:75s); Boys: 100m Butterfly 11 – 14 yrs: 1. Laitonjam Lanchenba (MN) (59.40s), 2. Samarth Gowda (CBSE)(1:02.11s), 3. TS Tejas Kumar (ISCE) (1:02:76s).
Odisha Juggernauts consolidated that advantage with a brilliant attacking turn.
Published Date – 10:42 PM, Sun – 7 January 24
Hyderabad: Defending champions Odisha Juggernauts rose to the top of the table in front of a passionate home crowd, downing Telugu Yoddhas 35-27 in Ultimate Kho Kho Season 2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack on Sunday.
Dilip Khandavi, Omkar Sonawane and Avinash Desai all scored six attack points each as Odisha Juggernauts dominated throughout. Odisha Juggernauts got Turn 1 off to a great start with their first batch of Dilip Khandavi, Gowtham MK and Nikhil Sodaye lasting three minutes and 32 seconds on the pitch and getting a couple of three dream run points.
Then Rohan Singade frustrated the Telugu Yoddhas attackers, staying unconquered and earning a dream run point. The lead for Telugu Yoddhas, at the end of Turn 1, was just seven points. Odisha Juggernauts consolidated that advantage with a brilliant attacking turn. They sent back Telugu Yoddhas first batch in a minute and 37 seconds.
Their second batch only fared marginally better, staying on the mat for a minute and 48 seconds. Batch 3 did come within fifteen seconds of a dream run point but that did little to reverse the momentum. Odisha Juggernauts headed into the second innings with a strong 23-10 lead. Things did not get any better for Telugu Yoddhas in Turn 3.
Odisha Juggernauts’ first batch of Omkar Sonwane, Dipesh More and Nikhil B lasted three minutes and 57 seconds on the mat, earning two dream run points.
Their second batch did not last long but two members of their third batch remained unbeaten as Odisha Juggernauts took a 25-24 lead into the final turn. Their attackers had no problems closing the match off. Telugu Yoddhas will next face Gujarat Giants on Monday.
The Afghanistan series is India’s last bilateral T20I series before the T20 World Cup, which starts on June 1.
Updated On – 08:05 PM, Sun – 7 January 24
Mumbai: Star opener Rohit Sharma and batter Virat Kohli returned to India’s T20I squad against Afghanistan as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday revealed a 16-player roster for three-match T20I series, starting on January 11.
The senior duo made a comeback to India’s T20I setup for the first time since the end of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, in what is a major development for the side ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.
“The Men’s Selection Committee announced India’s squad for the upcoming IDFC First Bank T20I series against Afghanistan,” BCCI said in an official announcement.
Rohit will lead the Indian squad in T20Is against Afghanistan with Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson taking up the wicketkeeper duties.
There are several all-rounders on the team, including Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel. Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav will be the leg spinners, with Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, and Mukesh Kumar handling the pace.
The other batters on the team are Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Tilak Varma.
Suryakumar Yadav, who led India in the T20Is in South Africa last December, missed out on the squad as he injured his ankle while fielding in the third and final match in Johannesburg. He recently had ankle surgery and is scheduled to return to training in a few months.
The T20I series between India and Afghanistan will kick off on January 11 in Mohali; the second game will be played on January 14 in Indore; and the series will conclude on January 17 in Bengaluru.
The Afghanistan series is India’s last bilateral T20I series before the T20 World Cup, which starts on June 1.
India’s Squad for three T20Is against Afghanistan: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar.
Former Hyderabad-based Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu explains reason for leaving the party.
Published Date – 07:02 PM, Sun – 7 January 24
Hyderabad: Former Hyderabad-based Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu, who quit the YSRCP party nine days after joining, explained his reason for leaving the party on ‘X,’ formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday.
Rayudu said he’s playing in a cricket tournament called ILT20 in Dubai for Mumbai Indians, and needs to stay away from politics while playing cricket there.
Rayudu recently joined the YSRCP party in the presence of AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
I Ambati Rayudu will be representing the Mumbai Indians in the upcoming ILt20 from jan 20th in Dubai. Which requires me to be politically non affiliated whilst playing professional sport.
— ATR (@RayuduAmbati) January 7, 2024
Y Srinivas Rao will lead SBI Hyderabad Circle in All India Inter-Circle Kabaddi Tournament to be held at Mumbai starting January 10
Published Date – 06:15 PM, Sun – 7 January 24
Hyderabad: Y Srinivas Rao will lead SBI Hyderabad Circle in All India Inter-Circle Kabaddi Tournament to be held at Mumbai starting January 10.
A total 16 Circles teams from all over the country will participate in the tournament which will be played in league-cum-knockout format.
Squad: Y Srinivas Rao (C), M Narsing Rao, CK Sagar Yadav, C Vijay Kumar Yadav, M Sunil Kumar, B Tarun, M Mallikarjun Yadav, Ramesh Banoth, A Sailor, K Manohar Moses, B Ravi Kumar, K Arvind, BY Dhan Kishore (Manager).
India’s semifinal defeat to England in the T20I World Cup on November 10 was the duo’s last appearance in the shortest format.
Updated On – 06:01 PM, Sun – 7 January 24
Kolkata: Former captain Sourav Ganguly on Sunday backed stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to feature in India’s squad for the T20I World Cup in June.
The duo, who have not featured in any T20I for about 14 months, have made themselves available for the sport’s shortest format, and it remains to be seen if they are picked for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, beginning January 11 in Mohali.
“Of course Rohit should captain the team in the T20I World Cup. Virat Kohli also should be there. Virat Kohli is an outstanding player, nothing will happen (even if they are coming back to T20 fold after a long gap),” Ganguly added.
India’s semifinal defeat to England in the T20I World Cup on November 10 was the duo’s last appearance in the shortest format.
Ganguly is impressed with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s outing in the two-Test series in South Africa and said the young opener will get enough opportunities in future.
The 22-year-old left-handed batter managed only 50 runs in four innings on the challenging South African tracks of Centurion and Cape Town as the series ended in a 1-1 draw.
“He has played well in the second Test, it’s just the start of his career. He will get enough opportunities,” Ganguly said during a promotional event here.
After their innings and 32-run defeat at Centurion, India made a strong comeback to defeat South Africa by seven wickets at Cape Town in what was the shortest ever Test.
“People say a lot of things after losing one match, India are a strong side. But look at the way they have played. They won the ODI series, drew both the Test and T20I series.”
ICC regulations prevent cricketers from displaying messages of political, religious or racial causes during international matches
Updated On – 05:47 PM, Sun – 7 January 24
Melbourne: Australia opener Usman Khawaja suffered a setback after his appeal against the sanction imposed on him for wearing a black armband during the opening Test against Pakistan was rejected by the International Cricket Council, a report said on Sunday.
Last month, Khawaja was reprimanded by the ICC for wearing the black armband to mourn the children who have been the victim of the conflict between Israel and Palestine that has been going on since October last year.
The 37-year-old, who was born in Pakistan and is the first Muslim to play Test cricket for Australia, had challenged the reprimand saying that the armband was for a personal bereavement.
However, a report in Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday said that “Usman Khawaja’s reprimand for wearing a black armband onto the field during the first Test against Pakistan in Perth will stand after the International Cricket Council rejected his appeal against the sanction…” It was “according to a source close to the situation who wished to remain anonymous ahead of any public announcement being made”.
ICC regulations prevent cricketers from displaying messages of political, religious or racial causes during international matches.
However, players can wear black armbands to mark deaths of former players, family members or other significant individuals after taking prior permission from the governing body.
ICC had said that Khawaja did not take required permission from his Cricket Australia or the ICC.
“Usman displayed a personal message (armband) during the first test match against Pakistan without seeking the prior approval of Cricket Australia and the ICC to display it, as required in the regulations for personal messages,” ICC statement had said.
“This is a breach under the category of an other breach’ and the sanction for a first offense is a reprimand.”
Khawaja had also arrived for a training session on December 13 with “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” inscribed on his batting spikes and had reportedly planned to wear them during the inaugural Test.
“The ICC asked me day two (of the Perth Test) what (the black armband) was for, I told them it was for a personal bereavement. I never ever stated it was for anything else,” Khawaja had said.
“I respect the ICC and all the regulations they have, I will be asking them and contesting them … From my point of view, that consistency hasn’t been done yet. The shoes were for a different matter, I’m happy to say that, but the armband (reprimand) made no sense to me,” he added.
Khawaja also denied that he had “any hidden agendas” when he arrived for a training session with inscriptions on his batting spikes, apparently in reference to the war in Gaza.
Nadal said he had concerns over his surgically repaired hip after needing a medical timeout in the third set of his Brisbane International quarterfinal loss to Jordan Thompson
Updated On – 03:39 PM, Sun – 7 January 24
Melbourne: Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Australian Open with an injury after playing just a tournament in his comeback from 12 months on the sidelines.
Nadal said he had concerns over his surgically repaired hip after needing a medical timeout in the third set of his Brisbane International quarterfinal loss to Jordan Thompson on Friday.
The 22-time major winner initially said it seemed like more of a muscular problem than the tendon issue that caused him so much pain this time last year.
But, he posted on social media Sunday that scans after he arrived in Melbourne revealed a small tear in the muscle and he was flying back to Spain for treatment.
“Right now, I am not ready to compete at the maximum level (for) 5-sets matches,” he said.
The Australian Open is due to start on January 14 at Melbourne Park.
Kothagudem MLA K Sambasiva Rao and Bhadrachalam ITDA Project Officer Prateek Jain attended the closing ceremony and presented trophies to the winning teams
Published Date – 10:00 PM, Sat – 6 January 24
Kothagudem: The 4th Annual Telangana State Level Tribal Games and Sports Meet-2024 concluded on a grand note at Kinnerasani Ashram Sports School in the district on Saturday.
Kothagudem MLA K Sambasiva Rao and Bhadrachalam ITDA Project Officer Prateek Jain attended the closing ceremony and presented trophies to the winning teams. Jain started the under-17 volleyball final match and encouraged the students by playing with them.
The MLA said that rural tribal students were naturally strong physically. If they were encouraged in sports, they would be of great use to the country in the future. Students should be ahead in sports as well as studies to achieve great success in their lives.
Jain told the students to improve their sportsmanship. He asked some of the players to share their experiences and appreciated the manner in which they addressed the gathering. He advised the tribal schools principals to organise elocution competitions in schools.
He wished tribal students aspire to become IAS and IPS officers while stating that he would be very happy if any tribal student becomes IAS officer like him and sits in the chair of ITDA Project Officer.
APO (General) H David Raj appreciated the organisers for successfully conducting the sports meet. ITDA Bhadrachalam won the overall championship in these sports while ITDA Utnoor won the overall championship in athletics.
