Connect with us

Sports

India win first Asian Games golds, North Koreans snub South on podium – ARN News Centre

Published

on

Spread the love

[ad_1]

ISHARA S. KODIKARA/ AFP

India won their first golds and North Koreans stirred up drama by snubbing their South Korean rivals on the podium on day two of the Hangzhou Asian Games on Monday.

Some 12,400 athletes from 45 nations are competing for 481 gold medals in 40 sports at the Games in the eastern Chinese city, which were delayed by a year due to COVID-19 measures.

India’s first gold came in the men’s 10 metre air rifle team before their women’s cricketers beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs to clinch a second gold, the country’s first in cricket since the sport joined the quadrennial Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010.

Earlier the Bangladesh women’s cricket team beat Pakistan in the bronze match to claim the country’s first Asian Games medal since 2014 at Incheon, South Korea.

Cricket, which has hopes of becoming an Olympic sport, returned to the Asian Games this year after being omitted from the last edition in Indonesia in 2018.

Esports, which is huge in China, is a medal event at the Asian Games for the first time and the participation of Lee Sang-hyeok – known by his gaming handle ‘Faker’ – has given the competition’s profile a big boost.

The South Korean did not disappoint his legions of fans on Monday, helping his team beat Kazakhstan 1-0 in one of the preliminary matches in the ‘League of Legends’ category.

Elsewhere on day two of competition, three North Korean marksmen refused to join their South Korean rivals in a group photo of medal winners after narrowly missing out on gold in a men’s team shooting competition.

China picked up golds in artistic gymnastics, swimming, skateboarding, taekwondo, mountain biking, fencing, wushu, shooting and rowing.

But Uzbekistan stole some of their thunder by pipping the hosts to gold in the men’s four and women’s single skulls.

The single skulls winner, Anna Prakaten, came into the event with some pedigree having won silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 while representing the Russian Olympic Committee.

Another who upset China’s party was Thailand’s Panipak Wongpattanakit who leapt for joy after beating local fighter Guo Qing 2-1 in a tight and dramatic contest in the women’s -49kg taekwondo final.

It was Thailand’s first gold of the Games and triggered a roar of delight from several Thai journalists watching in the Games’ media centre.

“My dad and my whole family are very happy,” said Olympic and former world champion Wongpattanakit following a fight that included a delay in the final round while officials debated a points decision and a late comeback to snatch the victory.

In the pool several Games records tumbled including the women’s 200m freestyle where Hong Kong’s Siobhan Bernadette Haughey won in one minute 54.12 smashing the previous mark by over two seconds but shy of her Asian record at the Tokyo Olympics.

“I guess I was hoping for a little faster time, but it’s not too far off my best time, so I’m still happy with it,” she said.

The youngsters stole the show at the skate park, including nine-year-old Mazel Paris Alegado from the Philippines, who is reported to be the youngest athlete at the Games.

“It was really fun,” she said after her seventh-placed finish in the women’s park, an event won by Japan’s Hinano Kusaki. “I’m really proud that I got here.”

China has pulled out all the stops to ensure a smooth event, its first major sporting competition since the country ended its “zero-COVID” policy in late 2022.

[ad_2]

Source link

Sports

Jannik Sinner triumphs over adversity to win first Wimbledon Title

Published

on

Spread the love

Jannik Sinner made history on Sunday by defeating Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to claim his first Wimbledon title, becoming Italy’s first-ever singles champion at the All England Club. The 23-year-old world No. 1 overcame months of personal and professional challenges to lift his fourth Grand Slam trophy and his first since returning from a doping-related ban.

Sinner’s victory marks a remarkable comeback after a turbulent start to the year. Though he won the Australian Open in January, his career was briefly clouded by controversy when he tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol. Tennis authorities later cleared Sinner of fault, stating the substance entered his system via a massage cream applied by a member of his support team. Despite the ruling, he served a voluntary three-month suspension imposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), returning to competition in May.

“Very emotional, even if I don’t cry,” Sinner told reporters after his win. “Only me and the people who are close to me know what we have been through on and off the court. It has been everything except easy.”

Sunday’s victory was especially sweet as it came just weeks after Sinner lost a heart-wrenching French Open final to Alcaraz, where he had three match points. The Wimbledon win also snapped a five-match losing streak against the Spaniard.

Sinner credited his team, including Australian coach Darren Cahill, for helping him regain focus and confidence.

“We’ve tried to push every practice session, even if I was struggling at times mentally,” he said. “I feel like when I play the match, I can switch off and just play. That helped me a lot.”

Cahill praised Sinner’s resilience, noting the Italian’s mental strength in overcoming the Roland Garros disappointment.

“You could see from his first match here that he wasn’t carrying any baggage from Paris. That’s not easy to do,” said Cahill. “For him to wipe that away and bring this mentality is 100% credit to him.”

Sinner himself reflected on the lessons learned in Paris, saying the loss made him more determined.

“I always tried to be honest with myself and to accept it,” he said. “If you lose a Grand Slam final that way, it’s much better than when someone just outplays you.”

With his Wimbledon win, Sinner cements his place among tennis’s elite, proving that mental fortitude can be just as crucial as physical talent in the journey to greatness.

Continue Reading

Sports

Italy poised for historic T20 World Cup debut after victory over Scotland

Published

on

Spread the love

For decades, the blue of Italy has been synonymous with soccer. But as the once-mighty Azzurri football team teeters on the brink of missing a third successive FIFA World Cup, it is another, far less storied national side that is offering the country a shot at global glory.

Italy’s cricketers are now within touching distance of a historic first appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, following a 12-run victory over Scotland on Wednesday in the European regional qualifiers.

The win, achieved in Voorburg, propels Italy to the summit of the standings with one crucial fixture remaining. Victory over the Netherlands on Friday would see them qualify automatically for the 2026 tournament. Even a narrow loss may suffice, should Jersey and Scotland fail to produce the kind of crushing wins required to overhaul Italy’s superior net run rate (1.722, compared to Jersey’s 0.430 and Scotland’s -0.150).

At the centre of this unlikely charge is Joe Burns, the former Australian Test opener who has found new purpose, and a new passport, in leading the Italian side. “It’s a very surreal feeling,” said Burns, whose 23 Tests for Australia included Ashes appearances. 

“To come and beat Scotland, who are an exceptional team, is a wonderful reward for the sacrifices made by our players, our staff and the federation.

“This is hopefully the beginning of something special for Italian cricket. The group is very emotional right now, we know what’s at stake.”

With their final fixture scheduled after Scotland and Jersey conclude their clash earlier on Friday, Italy will take the field knowing precisely what is required.

Scotland, long considered Europe’s most capable challengers outside England, were left to rue a stuttering display with both bat and ball. Captain Richie Berrington admitted his side had been outmanoeuvred. “We stayed in the fight but couldn’t quite execute at the end,” he said. 

“Full credit to Italy, they out-skilled us with the ball in those conditions.

All eyes will now turn to Voorburg, where Italy’s date with destiny awaits, and history is within their reach.

Continue Reading

Sports

UFC returns to Abu Dhabi with high-stakes middleweight showdown on July 26

Published

on

Spread the love

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), is set to make a thrilling return to the UAE capital on Saturday, July 26, with a blockbuster middleweight clash headlining the action at Etihad Arena.

Top-ranked contender and fan favourite Robert Whittaker, currently No.5 in the middleweight division, will square off against rising star Reinier de Ridder in what promises to be an electrifying battle.

In a poetic twist, Whittaker returns to Abu Dhabi exactly five years after his victory at the final Fight Island event on July 26, 2020. That win over Darren Till, played out in a silent, pandemic-era arena, became a defining chapter in Whittaker’s storied career. This time, the stage is set for redemption and roar, as he steps back into the Octagon in front of a packed house.

Will the former champion recreate history, or will de Ridder seize his moment on the big stage?

Also on the fight card is a high-intensity light heavyweight bout featuring Türkiye’s Ibo Aslan taking on the USA’s Billy Elekana, a showdown guaranteed to keep fans on the edge of their seats.

Abu Dhabi continues to strengthen its global reputation as a world-class destination for combat sports, and this event is shaping up to be another unmissable chapter in the UFC legacy.

Continue Reading

Popular

© Copyright 2025 HEADLINE. All rights reserved

https://headline.ae/