Rajgir, May 14 (IANS) Haryana boys regained their position in field hockey at the Khelo India Youth Games by breaking the strong resistance posed by Uttar Pradesh to clinch gold in front of a vociferous crowd at the Rajgir Sports Complex here late on Tuesday. Haryana won 1-0, courtesy Nishant’s 51st minute field goal in the fourth quarter.Both Haryana and UP teams, comprised of more than 50% of Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) athletes, were locked in a stalemate till the end of the third quarter. A strong man-to-man marking from both sides ensured that most moves failed to cross the midfield. The game was quite thrilling than the scoreline suggests.Haryana captain Pankaj Sharma said that the team knew that they would return minimum with the silver, so it was better to put in extra effort to secure gold. In the Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai last year, Haryana had settled for bronze after losing to Madhya Pradesh.“We were trained to win. We already came with the thought that we weren’t just going to play, but we were going to win, and we’ve achieved our goal. We knew the competition would be neck-to-neck, but I’d like to thank our coach (Gurbaz Singh) who trained us so well, and our whole team played well.“We knew we’d already reached the finals and were already on track for the silver medal, so from that point, we had nothing to lose but gold to win. That’s exactly what we did, and we made Haryana and our coach proud. Compared to our forwards, our defence played better today,” Sharma told SAI Media.Haryana head coach Gurbaz Singh said that his team trained with full intensity during the camp organized by the state sports department in Sonepat in the build-up to the Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar.Giving credit to NCOE Sonepat for providing the best training facilities and sports science support to his wards, Gurbaz said: “When we arrived, we knew we were there to win gold. Hockey turf has reached every nook and corner of Haryana. Our players are ‘desi’ and know how to tackle every situation with might. Eight to 10 players from our team are from NCOE in Bhopal and SAI Sonepat centre. They’re being trained under the best Indian coaches, and the Government of India is supporting the players exceptionally well.”Talking about his assessment of the Haryana team post the victory and what future he foresees for his wards, the coach said: “After watching our team’s performance, I can definitely say that 5-6 athletes will go to the Junior Nationals and will play for India, which is scheduled in the next three months.“Our management came here to watch our boys’ performance so that we start shortlisting players for the junior nationals. Players who perform well there are most likely to get selected for the senior team. Who knows members of this team even get medals in the Olympics.”A total of 46 NCOE athletes played in the youth boys hockey competition of KIYG 2025 and High-Performance Director for hockey Piyush Kumar Dubey elaborated how the Khelo India Games are a good platform for scouting talent. Shortlisted athletes are recommended to NCOEs for further training, where they receive the best calorie-based diet, sports science support for injury management and even international exposure.“We have identified many players from the Khelo India Games. We selected players like Sharda Nand Tiwari, who is the captain of the junior Indian team. You will be astonished to know that there are 15 Khelo India Athletes (KIAs) playing here in the Youth Games and around 80 NCOE athletes – boys and girls – competing this year. In the last two years, our boys and girls’ teams have been to Europe for camps and a lot of these kids have been selected for the Junior India team as well,” Dubey told SAI Media.With a set pathway created by SAI, Haryana boys will target events like the Nehru Cup, Shastri Cup and MCC Gold Cup in Chennai in the build-up to the Junior Nationals.–IANShs/
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New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Human Rights groups, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and FairSquare, have warned FIFA and the Saudi Arabian authorities of ‘failing to adequately ensure basic safety protections and social security for migrant workers in the preparations of the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Saudi laws require employers with 50 or more workers to implement a health and safety policy, conduct training, assess workplace risks, and provide necessary protective gear and first aid.But the report by HRW found that workers across employment sectors and geographic regions in Saudi Arabia continue to face widespread labour abuses and occupational dangers at their work sites and claimed FIFA has awarded the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without proper human rights due diligence.”FIFA is knowingly risking yet another tournament that will unnecessarily come at a grave human cost,” Human Rights Watch said in the statement.Both groups have called on the Saudi Authorities to ensure basic safety protections for the country’s migrant workforce, given the harsh weather conditions in the country.According to a report from 2022 by British outlet The Guardian, more than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka died in Qatar since it won the right to host the 2022 World Cup.“The gruesome workplace accidents killing migrant workers in Saudi Arabia should be a huge red flag for businesses, football fans, and sports associations seeking to partner with FIFA on the 2034 Men’s World Cup and other Saudi ‘giga-projects’.“Given that Saudi authorities are failing to adequately ensure basic safety protections and social security for migrant workers, local and international companies face a larger responsibility to ensure that serious rights violations are not occurring throughout their business operations in Saudi Arabia,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.According to the report by HRW, scores of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia have died in gruesome yet avoidable workplace-related accidents, including falling from buildings, electrocution, and even decapitation.The independent investigation by Fairsquare highlighted a serious lack of effective Saudi government policies and processes to determine the cause of migrant worker deaths.–IANSaaa/bc
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce has been named as the winner of ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for April 2025 after standout all-round efforts led to her becoming the Player of the Tournament in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Pakistan.
Kathryn beat competition from West Indies captain Hayley Matthews and Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana to win the monthly honour. “It’s a real honour to win this award. Knowing that it’s being voted for by the global cricket community makes it that extra bit special; even just to be nominated alongside two players of the stature of Fatima Sana and Hayley Matthews, who both had fantastic tournaments themselves, was amazing,” said Kathryn in a statement by the ICC on Wednesday.Kathryn blasted 293 runs in her five games at an astonishing average of 73.25. Her notable knocks included 91 against hosts Pakistan, 60 against Thailand and a glittering 131 not out against Ireland, also the highest individual score of the tournament.Beyond her batting prowess, Kathryn also contributed with the ball, taking six wickets during the competition and was ultimately named the Player of the Series, though Scotland fell short of qualifying for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, slated to happen later this year in India.“The World Cup Qualifier was a fantastic competition for our Scotland team. The way that we played our cricket and developed and grew in a format that we’ve not played a huge amount of together was great to see, and it was terrific to have a lot of different players standing up and taking charge of the game at various moments.”“Across the board during the entire tournament in Pakistan, the standard of cricket was brilliant, and all the games were really close. It was a wonderful tournament to be a part of and hopefully, we’ll have more opportunities to build on the momentum we created there,” she added.–IANSnr/
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Former England captain Michael Vaughan highlighted the significant void left by Virat Kohli in Test cricket, describing him as the most pivotal figure in the format over the past three decades.
Kohli drew curtains to his stellar Test career on Monday via social media post and hung up his boots with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including hitting 30 hundreds and 31 fifties with a highest score of 254 not out.“More than 30 years, I don’t believe there is any individual who has done more for the Test format than Virat. Test cricket would have been a far blander place without him, and there is a chance it would have lost its appeal if he had not been as interested and invested in it,” Vaughan wrote.He drew a sharp contrast between Kohli’s tenure and that of his predecessor MS Dhoni, acknowledging Dhoni’s greatness in white-ball cricket but pointing out a lack of visible Test passion under his leadership. “When he (Kohli) took the captaincy just over a decade ago, I was worried India was losing interest in Test cricket. The game needs India to be madly in love with Test cricket, and that is what Virat fostered as captain,” he wrote.Over a 123-Test career, Kohli scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 28 matches against England in which he tallied 1,991 runs. His record in England, 1,096 runs from 17 Tests with two centuries and five fifties, often came under intense scrutiny during the 2014 and 2018 tours.Vaughan fondly remembered Kohli’s riveting contests with England pace legend James Anderson, especially their duel at Edgbaston in 2018. He added, “Jimmy often had the wood over Kohli and with him gone, I thought he’d come out and play with a real flamboyancy this summer. We haven’t seen much of that from him in England; it’s been more about his defensive strength, skill, touch, technique, and patience. In other parts of the world, he played with unbelievable aggression.”–IANShs/
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz has won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for April 2025 after putting in solid all-round performances in the home Test series against Zimbabwe. He beat Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani and New Zealand’s Ben Sears to clinch the monthly award.
Mehidy also becomes only the third player from Bangladesh to win the award and the first one to do it in over two years – Shakib Al Hasan was the last Bangladesh player to win the award in March 2023, while Mushfiqur Rahim is the other one to have been adjudged winner of the honour.”It’s an incredible honor to win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award. The ICC Awards are the ultimate recognition for any cricketer, and to receive this from a global vote means a lot to me.”“Moments like these remind me of my journey — being named Player of the Tournament in the 2016 ICC Under 19 World Cup was a massive encouragement early in my career, and this award feels just as special,” said Mehidy in a statement by the ICC on Wednesday.Mehidy enjoyed a prolific April 2025 with bat and ball, ending the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe as the Player of the Series. After picking ten wickets in the opening Test match defeat in Sylhet (5-52 and 5-50), Mehidy then hit 104 in the second game at Chattogram – his second Test century – before clinching another five wicket-haul to ensure the honours were shared. He also became the Player of the Match in Bangladesh winning the Chattogram Test.”I am truly delighted. This award will be a big source of inspiration for me to keep giving my best and contributing to Bangladesh’s success on the world stage. As cricketers, we dream of making an impact and bringing joy to our fans.”“Recognition like this from the ICC motivates me to keep pushing harder and performing consistently for my country. I want to thank my teammates, coaches, and the fans — this award belongs to all of them too,” concluded Mehidy.–IANSnr/
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) R Sridhar, the former India men’s team fielding coach, said he was left shell-shocked over…
Pune, May 14 (IANS) The Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL) Season 2 has recorded staggering 89 sign-ups, marking a sharp uptick from last year’s inaugural season, which saw 85 registrations over a span of three months.
The registrations include returning fan favourites and title contenders from Season 1, along with new international superstars joining the fray. Former champion Matt Moss (Australia) is back to defend his crown, while the likes of Jordi Tixier (France), Reid Taylor, Thanarat Penjan, Ben Hallgren, and Thomas Ramette reaffirm their commitment to the ISRL project.Season 2 also welcomes elite names like the reigning AMA SMX Next National Champion Alexander Fedortsov (USA), leading name in the FIM World Supercross circuit Adrien Escoffier (France) and Luke Clout (Australia), a 2024 P6 World Supercross rider.On the home front, India’s own rising stars Rugved Barguje, Ikshan Shanbhag, and Sarthak Chavan are set to return with renewed ambition. After an inspiring but injury-hit campaign in 2024, Rugved is eyeing a podium finish this time around.“The overwhelming response we’ve seen in just the first three weeks of Season 2 registrations highlights ISRL’s growing stature in the global motorsport arena,” said Eeshan Lokhande, co-founder of ISRL.“The swift return of all our top athletes from Season 1, along with a surge of new entries, is a powerful testament to the success and influence of our debut season. It validates our vision and energises us to scale Season 2 to even greater heights,” he said.Defending champion Matt Moss spoke highly of his experience, saying, “The first season was really good. Travelling over was definitely a cultural shock at first, but in the best way possible. The people were amazing, the hospitality was top-notch, and above all, the racing was excellent. I’m looking forward to Season 2 and seeing what new additions and changes it brings.”Jordi Tixier added, “Season 1 truly exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed the people, the track, and the incredible energy of the fans. What impressed me most was how invested the ISRL team was in improving race after race. They’re not just organizing events—they’re building something special.”Season 2, scheduled from October to December 2025, will feature multiple rounds across India. The competition will continue in three race formats: 450cc International, 250cc International, and 250cc India-Asia Mix—offering opportunities for both elite global professionals and emerging Indian riders to showcase their skills.Adding star power to the league’s profile, Salman Khan has joined ISRL as its official brand ambassador.–IANShs/
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif gave his take on the chances of Virat Kohli winning…
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) The fourth season of ILT20 in the UAE has moved to a December-January window, with an aim to finish the tournament before the Men’s T20 World Cup takes place in February-March 2026.
ILT20 season four will now take place from December 2, 2025 to January 4, 2026 and will be clashing with the initial phase of the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia. “Following extensive discussions with all our stakeholders, we believe the 2 December 2025 to 4 January 2026 tournament window is ideal for the DP World International League T20 Season 4.”“The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins in early February hence it was important for us to start and finish Season 4 well before the tournament as it will allow the players playing both the DP World ILT20 and the T20 World Cup to prepare for national duty.”“In addition, we feel that the December-January window will provide the teams’ the best opportunity to access a bigger pool of players,” said ILT20 chief executive David White in a statement on Wednesday.The six-team, 34-match ILT20 has seen Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals becoming the championship winners in its first three seasons. “We are delighted to confirm that the DP World International League T20 Season 4 will commence on the UAE National Day – Eid-Al-Etihad – which is one of the most important days on the UAE calendar.”“The UAE National Day is the day where we celebrate the United Arab Emirates which is home to people from around the world including millions of diehard cricket fans. It is a real honour for us to join the nation in the UAE National Day 2025 celebrations with the launch of the region’s biggest T20 league – the DP World ILT20 Season 4, on the same day,” said Khalid Al Zarooni, ILT20 chairman and Emirates Cricket Board vice-chairman.–IANSnr/
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes the side may find a batter who can replace the recently-retired Virat Kohli in the Test team, but replacing that passionate spirit showcased by the talismanic batter of playing the longer format will be hard to produce.
In an Instagram post on Monday, Kohli announced that he will be retiring from Tests with immediate effect, ending a 14-year career worth 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85. His decision arrived just five days after his veteran team-mate, India captain Rohit Sharma, retired from Test cricket.”Many people believe we will never be able to replace Virat Kohli but I don’t think so. I have seen Sunil Gavaskar then Sachin Tendulkar and then Virat Kohli. Given the mass of talent India has and has received through the Indian Premier League, a lot of players emerge every year.”We may be able to replace Virat Kohli – The batter, but we will never be able to replace Virat Kohli – The passionate player, the passion he showed on the ground, the energy after each ball, the sledging he produced, we may not be able to replace that player. We have got Shubman Gill, Reddy scored a century, KL Rahul’s comeback, Rishab Pant is fantastic in Tests and Yashasvi Jaiswal,” said Kaif in an exclusive conversation with IANS on Wednesday.The retirements of Rohit and Kohli, along with Ravichandran Ashwin quitting the format last year, means India are entering a new era in Tests when they face England in a five-match Test series, starting on June 20 at Headingley.Right-handed batter Shubman Gill has been widely seen as a front-runner to lead a new-look Indian Test team in England. Gill is also amongst the candidates to bat at number four in Kohli’s place, with Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, Karun Nair and Dhruv Jurel also in the mix.”You see Gill’s coolness and calmness in the IPL but Virat Kohli had a different aura, he used to carry the flag on his chest. We may not be able to find that passion again. He used to want to win at all costs, encouraging the players to be aggressive, and asked his time to rain hell on his opponents.”The sacrifices he made for the country, his fitness across the five days, we may not be able to ever replace that. The entire world has acknowledged him after his retirement, everyone is singing his praises. Whenever he came onto the field he did it to win, he never played for a draw whether as a player or as a captain which is a lesson for the youngsters,” concluded Kaif.–IANSnr/bc