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New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) Roland-Garros tournament director Amelie Mauresmo has defended the French Open’s decision to prioritise men’s matches in the prestigious night sessions on Court Philippe-Chatrier, following strong criticism from WTA stars like Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur.So far, all six night matches at the 2025 French Open have featured men’s singles fixtures. This continued pattern has triggered a backlash, with women’s tennis once again missing the prime-time spotlight under the lights in Paris. Only four women’s matches have been scheduled in the night session slot since the format was introduced in 2021.World No. 3 Ons Jabeur voiced her frustration earlier this week, saying, “I don’t think they have daughters,” in reference to the scheduling decisions. American star Coco Gauff also echoed similar sentiments about the lack of representation for women’s tennis in the evening showcase.But Mauresmo, a former world No. 1 herself, firmly defended the tournament’s stance. Speaking to the media, she said, “We have one single match per night session. It hasn’t changed. Accordingly, we won’t change everything again.”She explained that match duration plays a major role in scheduling, noting that the men’s best-of-five format ensures longer games and better value for fans who buy tickets specifically for the night slot. “The play time also is taken into consideration, potential play time, obviously because we can’t plan ahead, be it for women’s tennis or men’s tennis,” she said.“But we have to take it into consideration as to the 15,000 spectators coming in for the night session. Since men’s tennis is played at the best-of-five sets, three sets will be played at a minimum. It’s complicated for us to do otherwise.”On Thursday night, British No. 1 Jack Draper’s four-set win over Frenchman Gaël Monfils – lasting over three hours – marked another men’s fixture under the lights, further highlighting the gender imbalance in scheduling.When asked whether the repeated exclusion of women’s matches from the night session sends a message that women are “not worthy,” Mauresmo strongly denied such a notion.“That’s not what we’re saying. I have to stop you right there,” she responded firmly. “For me, the message is not changing, and it has never been that the girls are not worthy to play at night. It’s never been this. I will not accept that you carry this message. That’s really clear to me.”–IANShs/bsk/

New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) Former national team captain Aminul Islam has been elected President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), replacing Faruque Ahmed, who was ousted after a no-confidence motion and a series of controversies during his short tenure.According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the decision was made at a board meeting in Dhaka on Friday, barely 24 hours after Faruque lost his place as one of the sports ministry’s representatives on the BCB board. The move automatically disqualified him from holding the president’s post.Aminul Islam, who led Bangladesh in their 1999 World Cup debut and famously scored the country’s first Test century in 2000, steps into the role at a turbulent time for the board. He has taken leave from his position as ICC development manager in Melbourne to serve as BCB chief.Aminul will remain president until the next board elections, expected by October this year.Faruque’s removal was initiated after eight BCB directors submitted a no-confidence motion against him, which, combined with the findings of a fact-finding committee on alleged corruption in the BPL, prompted the sports ministry to act. One of the signatories was Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, who was also the other representative from the ministry on the board.The turmoil comes just nine months after Faruque was appointed BCB president on August 21, 2024, replacing Nazmul Hassan, who had resigned from the post and his role as the sports minister. Faruque’s time in office, however, was marred by controversies, especially surrounding his handling of head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe’s dismissal and the 2025 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).As per ESPNcricinfo, Faruque questioned Hathurusinghe’s role on his very first day in charge and then sacked him within two months — a move that allegedly violated the BCB constitution by not consulting board directors. His unilateral decisions created rifts within the board, particularly with Fahim.The final straw came during the BPL. Durbar Rajshahi, one of the franchises, failed to pay players on time and even left hotel bills unpaid in Chattogram and Dhaka. This triggered a player protest and forced government intervention.The controversy reportedly embarrassed the interim government and drew the attention of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the head of the interim government, who had taken an active interest in the BPL.In total, Faruque lasted nine months and eight days as president.–IANShs/bsk/

New Chandigarh, May 30 (IANS) Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to bat first against Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Friday.It was certainly a surprising decision to bat first, given that the Qualifier 1 between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday was a low-scoring game with plenty on offer for the bowlers. However, MI captain Hardik Pandya revealed that the pitch being used on Friday looks better to bat on.MI also came into the game having made three changes with Jonny Bairstow, Richard Gleeson, and Raj Angad Bawa coming into the mix in place of Ryan Rickelton, Corbin Bosch, and Will Jacks, who all returned home for national duty.“We’re going to bat. Looks like a different track than yesterday. A bit less grass. Big game, scoring runs and defending would be nice. We are all aware that for the last 9 games, we have been playing it like a knockout. Really need to turn up today and focus on the things which we can control. We’ve got three changes: Jonny comes back, Gleeson makes his debut, and Raj Angad Bawa plays,” said Pandya at the toss.Hometown hero Shubman Gill, who was appointed captain of GT after Pandya’s departure in 2023, is excited to play at his home ground and confirmed the two changes his side made. The biggest loss for his side will be the absence of Jos Buttler, who had to leave the IPL citing international duty.“We would’ve chased. If someone had said at the start of the season that we would’ve qualified, we would’ve taken it. The boys are very excited to be able to come back here in Chandigarh, it’s my home town. This game is no different for us, no pressure of the knockout game or anything. Two changes – (Kusal) Mendis comes in for(Jos) Buttler and Washington (Sundr) for Arshad (Khan),” said Gill.The winner of this clash will face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Playing XIs:Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Richard GleesonImpact substitutes: Krishnan Shrijith, Raghu Sharma, Robin Minz, Ashwani Kumar, Reece TopleGujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Kusal Mendis (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh KrishnaImpact substitutes: Sherfane Rutherford, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Jayant Yadav, Arshad Khan–IANSaaa/bsk/

Ahmedabad, May 30 (IANS) Ultimate Table Tennis Season 6 is set to serve off on May 31, featuring top Indian and international stars in action. The opening day will see Dabang Delhi TTC face Jaipur Patriots, followed by Dempo Goa Challengers taking on debutants Ahmedabad SG Pipers.
The league will feature 23 ties over 16 action-packed days, culminating in the Grand Finale on June 15. The season will be hosted at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad.One of the league’s most compelling stories is Diya Chitale, India’s top-ranked national female player, who returns this season as its highest-valued Indian athlete, just years after watching the action as a fan in the stands.“I was in the stands watching the action very keenly when the first season of UTT took place. Ever since the league started, I have been very excited about it, and always wanted to play in it. I got my chance in 2023, and it has been so exciting. Every year, I look forward to when it’s going to happen,” said Diya, who will again represent Dabang Delhi in the league.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. This season will feature 48 players from 14 countries, including 16 Olympians, highlighting the tournament’s strong international presence.This year’s opening serves up a special storyline for defending champion Harmeet Desai, who will represent the Dempo Goa Challengers in his home state of Gujarat for the first time in UTT history.“This is the first time we are playing in Gujarat, that too in Ahmedabad, and I am delighted by it. I am from Gujarat, I was born and brought up here, and so I hope to enjoy a lot of support. This will be a good opportunity for the youngsters, too, where they can interact and learn from international players,” Harmeet said.Making her league debut, Chinese paddler Fan Siqi is the highest-valued player this season, after securing a winning bid of 19.7 lakh tokens in the first-ever IndianOil UTT auction from Season 3 champions Stanley’s Chennai Lions.Speaking on the unique gender-inclusive nature of the league, one of the only such competitions in the world, Fan said: “I feel that both the men’s and women’s players play a very important role in the team events. I myself try to do the best I can and focus on every moment.”The league also puts the spotlight on youth, with 25 Indian players under the age of 25 featuring this season. Among them are promising names like Ankur Bhattacharjee, Payas Jain, Abhinandh PB, Taneesha Kotecha, Sayali Wani, and Yashaswini Ghorpade, all eager to leave their mark on the big stage.Reflecting on the league’s growing impact, Yashaswini said, “UTT has built a strong foundation for Indian table tennis. We are rapidly rising in the world rankings, and the rest of the nations have started seeing us as a contender. It’s a big achievement and a huge step forward for Indian TT.”The international presence in UTT this year sees paddlers from 14 nations outside India, including Germany, Italy, China, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Kazakhstan, Egypt, and more–a global mix that reinforces its status as a destination league for elite players.Adriana Diaz, a trailblazer for Latin American table tennis and the second top-ranked player in IndianOil UTT Season 6, now with debutants Kolkata ThunderBlades, returns to India with high expectations.“It’s going to be a lot of fun. There are new players, especially Fan Siqi and Dina Meshref, and many Indian players. It’s going to be tough, but every time in India is fun and I hope I can enjoy myself,” said the Puerto Rican star.Several high-profile international paddlers are making their UTT debuts this year, including Egypt’s Dina Meshref, Germany’s Ricardo Walther, and the USA’s Kanak Jha.Egyptian ace Meshref, who joins PBG Pune Jaguars, talked glowingly of the league, based on other players’ testimonials, “I’ve heard a lot about UTT from other players—and all of those good things! I heard it’s a one-of-a-kind experience. I am sure any new experience will benefit me, and I am excited about it.”Germany’s Ricardo Walther, representing Ahmedabad SG Pipers, said, “It’s a bit different, but I try to play my own game. I know it’s a bit shorter, I have only three games, so I need to be there from the beginning with full focus. All the sets are important, even the mixed doubles is important, we don’t play it so often in Germany, but we practice it a lot here.”All matches of the IndianOil UTT Season 6 will be televised on Star Sports Khel and Star Sports Tamil, and streamed online on JioHotstar. Viewers from outside India can tune into the action on UTT’s Facebook page. The league’s tickets are available online only on BookMyShow.UTT Season 6 Teams:Ahmedabad SG Pipers: Ayhika Mukhejree, Ricardo Walther (Germany), Snehit Suravajjula, Giorgia Piccolin (Italy), Divyansh Srivastava, Yashini SivashankarStanley’s Chennai Lions: Fan Siqi (China), Kirill Gerassimenko (Kazakhstan), Payas Jain, Sudhanshu Grover, Poymantee Baisya, Nikhat BanuDabang Delhi TTC: Diya Chitale, Maria Xiao (Spain), Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Quek Izaac (Singapore), Suhana Saini, Sourav SahaDempo Goa Challengers: Zeng Jian (Singapore), Harmeet Desai, Tiago Apolonia (Portugal), Ronit Bhanja, Krittwika Sinha Roy, Sayali WaniJaipur Patriots: Britt Eerland (Netherlands), Kanak Jha (USA), Sreeja Akula, Jeet Chandra, Pritha Vartikar, Yashansh MalikKolkata ThunderBlades: Adriana Diaz (Puerto Rico), Aruna Quadri (Nigeria), Ankur Bhattacharjee, Selena Selvakumar, Ananya Chande, Deepit PatilPBG Pune Jaguars: Alvaro Robles (Spain), Dina Meshref (Egypt), Taneesha Kotecha, Anirban Ghosh, Reeth Rishya, Mudit DaniU Mumba TT: Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Lilian Bardet (France), Yashaswini Ghorpade, Swastika Ghosh, Akash Pal, Abhinandh PB–IANSaaa/

Bangkok, May 30 (IANS) Indian boxers Kiran and Deepak advanced to the finals of the 4th Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament with convincing, unanimous victories in their respective semifinal bouts on Friday.In the women’s 80+kg category, Kiran delivered a composed and dominant performance to outclass Ukraine’s Polina Chernen with a 5:0 verdict.In the men’s 75kg division, Deepak continued his strong run by defeating Thailand’s Peerapat Yeasu, also by a 5:0 unanimous decision. Facing a home favourite, Deepak maintained tactical discipline and capitalised on scoring opportunities throughout the bout.India have fielded a 19-member strong contingent in the prestigious boxing tournament, held under the aegis of World Boxing-backed Asian Boxing, that has attracted talented boxers from powerhouses like China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, South Korea, and host Thailand.In the women’s semifinals, Priya (57kg) and Saneh (70kg) exited the competition after battling through competitive bouts, each settling for a well-earned bronze.Earlier on Thursday, Tamanna, Priya, and Deepak secured their berths in the semifinals, assuring themselves of at least bronze medals, in the event.In the women’s 51 kg category, Tamanna put in a composed performance to beat Liu Yu-Shan of Chinese Taipei by unanimous decision. Priya (57 kg) followed it up with a confident 5-0 win over South Korea’s Park Ah-hyun, controlling the bout from start to finish.In the men’s draw, Deepak (75 kg) showed technical clarity and ring discipline to defeat South Korea’s Kim Hyeon-tae, also by a unanimous verdict.–IANSbsk/ab

Mangaluru, May 30 (IANS) The opening day of the 6th Indian Open of Surfing, scheduled to take place at Tannirbhavi Eco Beach, was called off on Friday without any competition due to heavy rainfall and unsafe sea conditions resulting from the early onset of monsoon and the cyclonic activity in the Arabian Sea.
After early morning assessments revealed high swells and erratic wave patterns far exceeding safe competition levels, the organizers including the Surfing Federation of India, Mantra Surf Club, and Surfing Swami Foundation, made the precautionary decision to postpone the day’s events.The three-day premier surfing competition is a second stop of the National Surfing Championship Series 2025 and is being organised by the Surfing Swami Foundation and hosted by Mantra Surf Club under the aegis of Surfing Federation of India. Earlier this week, due to forecasted adverse weather conditions, the organising committee took the precautionary decision to shift the event venue from Sasihithlu Beach to Tannirbhavi Eco Beach. However, the weather remained unfavourable, with persistent heavy rainfall thwarting any competitive activity on day one, even at the revised location.Day two of the national championship will feature over 50 top surfers, such as Ramesh Budhial, Kishore Kumar, Ajeesh Ali, Harish Muthu, Kamali P, Shrishti Selvam, and Sinchana Gowda, battling it out in four categories: Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Groms (U-16) Boys, and Groms (U-16) Girls.“All participants assembled at the venue by 8 am this morning, marking the commencement of day one of the event. The weather unfolded as forecasted, with heavy rain but minimal wind. Despite the inclement weather, the day was efficiently utilized for the registration process and distribution of event kits, including t-shirts and access bands. A detailed surfers’ briefing was subsequently conducted, during which participants were familiarized with the venue and provided with an overview of the schedule and expectations for the upcoming days. While weather conditions limited activity today, we remain optimistic that tomorrow will bring improved conditions, allowing for the commencement of competitive sessions on the water,” said Rammohan Paranjape, vice president, Surfing Federation of India.–IANSab/

London, May 30 (IANS) West Ham United have confirmed that the Club has been sanctioned by The Football Association (FA), following the conduct of supporters at the Premier League away fixture against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on February 3, about homophobic chanting by a large group of supporters.An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed an action plan, a 120,000-pound fine, and a warning over future conduct, after the Club admitted the charge of misconduct, in relation to abusive, offensive, discriminatory, and homophobic chanting by supporters.“Homophobic chanting, which in this case amounted to the commission of a criminal offence, is not consistent with the values and beliefs of West Ham United and the vast majority of the Club’s supporters. The Club has a zero-tolerance policy towards discriminatory, abusive, and insulting behaviour, and those identified will, in addition to any criminal charges they face, be issued with Club bans.“West Ham United unequivocally condemns all forms of offensive and discriminatory conduct and remains committed to working with The FA and all relevant stakeholders to eradicate such behaviour to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all supporters,” read the statement by the club.The Club confirmed it has already set in motion tangible actions to review and strengthen existing initiatives to continue to be strategic and proactive in the prevention and detection of any potential discriminatory or inappropriate words or behaviour in the future, at both home and away fixtures.“It was alleged that the club failed to ensure its spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters) did not behave in an improper, offensive, abusive, indecent, or insulting way with either an express or implied reference to sexual orientation.“West Ham United FC subsequently admitted the charge. The Regulatory Commission imposed the club’s sanctions following a hearing, and its written reasons for them can be read below,” read the statement by the FA.–IANSaaa/bsk/

Paris, May 30 (IANS) World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka continued her excellent form at the 2025 French Open, moving into…

Dublin (USA), May 30 (IANS) Akshay Bhatia overcame a double bogey and two other bogeys on a demanding golf course with dense rough to shoot a creditable 2-under 70 in the first round of the Memorial Tournament.
The Indian-American golfer, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, was Tied-seventh and lying five shots behind the in-form Ben Griffin (65), who won last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge and continued that form here this week.Defending champion Scottie Scheffler was not at his best but still shot 70 at Muirfield Village.The other Indian-American in the field, Sahith Theegala, coming back from a neck strain, which forced him to miss an event, shot 2-over 74 and was Tied-31st, while Aaron Rai, the Indo-British star, was T-68 after a round of 79.Bhatia, who was T-3 at the Players, and then ninth and T-9 at Mexico and Genesis in successive starts, made a good start,Bhatia opened with a birdie but promptly gave that shot back on the next hole. A birdie on the fifth was followed by a double bogey and a birdie as he closed the front nine with an even-par 36. He began the back nine well with birdies on the 11th, 14th, and 15th but gave away a bogey on the 18th as he missed a 10-foot par putt.Theegala was one-under for the front nine with a 45-foot birdie putt on the sixth. On the back nine, he bogeyed the 10th and double-bogeyed the 11th after going into the water and then into the rough.He bogeyed the 13th, too, but picked a birdie on the 14th with a 25-foot birdie. On the Par-3 16th, he hit his tee shot to nine inches and holed for a birdie but again dropped a shot on the 18th for a 2-over.Rai had three birdies, two bogeys, and an incredible four double bogeys for 7-over 79.Griffin showed great form, shooting 65 despite hitting twice into the water. Griffin just kept making birdies, along with an eagle on the par- 5 seventh hole with a 3-wood into 12 feet. Griffin led by two shots over Collin Morikawa, with Max Homa another stroke behind.Only 13 players broke par in a gentle wind but the course, at Muirfield Village, had dense roughs like the US Open, which is scheduled next week at Oakmont. Shane Lowry played alongside Griffin and had a 69, one of only six players to break 70.–IANSbsk/

New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) After Royal Challengers Bengaluru stormed into the IPL 2025 final on the back of a clinical eight-wicket win over Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1, director of cricket Mo Bobat said the players are very focused and determined to complete the task of winning the title.With the dominating win in Qualifier 1, the Rajat Patidar-led RCB reached an IPL final for the first time in nine years. Interestingly, the IPL 2016 season was also the last time RCB finished in the top two during the league stage.”We’re proud of the way we’ve played throughout the season. The way the group has taken on challenges – with bravery, composure and aggressive intent, reflects the collective character we’ve built through the season. We’ve ticked off a few important milestones on the way here, but this is obviously the one that matters most.”We have many match winners and it’s been great to see everyone contributing. After a long and gruelling league phase, the playoffs are a time to really trust in and enjoy your cricket. The final will be a great occasion, especially for our fans, and the players are very focused and determined to finish the job,” said Bobat in a release by the franchise on Friday.RCB’s success in IPL 2025 has been shaped by every player stepping up to make the team win irrespective of how the situation was. Virat Kohli has scored more than 600 runs in a season – the fifth time it’s happened in the IPL. Kohli has struck eight half-centuries, which is the most by any batter this season.Apart from Kohli, nine other batters have registered half-centuries – Patidar, Phil Salt, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, and Romario Shepherd, as well as Devdutt Padikkal and Jacob Bethell, both of whom will not feature again this season citing injury and international duty respectively. With the ball, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has led the charge with 21 wickets, while Krunal Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have picked 15 wickets each, and leg-spinner Suyash Sharma has eight scalps.Nine different RCB players have won the Player of the Match awards in this season, where the side won all of its away games – a feat achieved by no other team in IPL’s history. RCB will now take the field in the title clash against the winner of Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on June 3.–IANSnr/