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I am at peace with my decision to retire, says Abhinav Bindra

August 9, 2016

Rio de Janeiro, Aug 9: Abhinav Bindra's body language belied any emotions whatsoever on what was the final day of an illustrious career as he made it clear that he was done with aiming bull's eye and ready to move to the next phase of his life although he does not know what it is.

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A near second Olympic medal was missed by a whisker and even if he felt gutted, Bindra was not ready to show it in front of his country's media.

"It is my job to be composed. I do not want to break down in front of you. I knew this was coming and I am at peace with it. I did my best but ended up fourth. No medal but very close. Had a good day, but it didn't pay off," Bindra told reporters after the end of the event.

Soon to be 34, Bindra maintained that there's no chance of entering the shooting range again.

"I am done, I have announced my retirement, so there is no reconsideration. I am not going to shoot again. This is it. I support youngsters already. I support 30 young shooters through my foundation. I will try and do the best I can," the ace marksman added.

The fourth place finish will not be able to give a clear picture of what kind of effort has gone into the preparation and the 2008 Olympic champion said that there was no dearth of effort this time also.

"I really tried to put my best foot forward all these years. I am really happy with the way it is."

While he is ready to move on to the next phase of his life, the immediate query did not amuse him.

Fittingly a curt reply came: "That is an unfair question to ask. I just completed my event and you want me to give the story of my life's future, I've no idea."

Bindra also dismissed ideas of giving pep talk to other Indian athletes at the Games.

"Not at this juncture. It's not my job to become their coaches. They have their support staff," said Bindra.

Having started his Olympic journey in Sydney back in 2000, Bindra qualified in three Olympic finals including his golden journey of Beijing in 2008 (Athens being the other one) in his pet 10m air rifle, while he missed out in Sydney and London.

Bindra is India's most decorated shooter but nevertheless a product despite the system rather than being of the system.

His father Dr AS Bindra in an interview had said about the fully airconditioned shooting range in their 13-acre sprawling farmhouse.

This time to get himself ready for Rio 2016 Bindra replicated the range to be like that of Olympic Shooting Range in Deodoro.

So what happens to the shooting range now that he will not step in there. He maintained a straight face but the sense of humour was in place.

"I am converting that into a vegetable garden. Don't you think I'm a serious person. Maybe the next time (Tokyo 2020), I will come as a journalist if anybody gives me a job," Bindra said.

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News Network
June 13,2020

Mumbai, Jun 13: Vasant Raiji, who was India's oldest first-class cricketer at 100, died in Mumbai in the wee hours of Saturday.

Raiji was 100 years old and is survived by his wife and two daughters.

"He (Raiji) passed away at 2.20 am in his sleep at his residence in Walkeshwar in South Mumbai due to old-age," his son-in-law Sudarshan Nanavati told PTI.

Raiji, a right-handed batsman, played nine first-class matches in the 1940s, scoring 277 runs with 68 being his highest score.

He made his debut for a Cricket Club of India team that played Central Provinces and Berar in Nagpur in 1939.

His Mumbai debut happened in 1941 when the team played Western India under the leadership of Vijay Merchant.

Raiji, also a cricket historian and chartered accountant, was 13 when India played its first Test match at the Bombay Gymkhana in South Mumbai.

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and former Australian skipper Steve Waugh had paid a courtesy visit to Raiji at his residence in January when he had turned 100.

It has been learnt that the cremation will take place at the Chandanwadi crematorium in South Mumbai on Saturday afternoon.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

New Delhi Jul 30: After Pakistan cricketer Umar Akmal's ban was reduced to 18 months, Danish Kaneria criticised Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) policies and said that the 'zero tolerance policy' applies only to him.

"Zero Tolerance policy only apply on Danish Kaneria not on others, can anybody answer the reason why I get life ban not others, Are policy applies only on cast, colour, and powerful background. I am Hindu and proud of it that's my background and my dharma," Kaneria tweeted.

Earlier on Wednesday, Akmal's three-year suspension was reduced to 18 months by an independent adjudicator, former Pakistan Supreme Court judge, Faqir Mohammad Khokhar.

On April 27, the Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel, Justice (retd) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, had banned the wicketkeeper-batsman for three years after finding him guilty of breaching the PCB's Anti-Corruption Code in two separate incidents.

Akmal, on May 19, filed an appeal against the three-year ban imposed on him, seeking a reduction in the duration of the sanction. He will remain suspended effectively from February 2020 till August 2021.

The batsman said he might appeal again to get the ban "reduced further".

"I am thankful to the judge for listening to my lawyers properly. I will decide about the remaining sentence and try to get it reduced further. For now I am not satisfied and will consult my lawyers and family how to take this ahead," ESPNcricinfo had quoted Akmal as saying.

"There are many players before me who made mistakes and just look at what they got and what I got. So all I say right now is thank you very much," he had added.

On the other hand, Kaneria was found guilty of spot-fixing while playing for English club Essex and was banned from the sport.

Earlier this month, Pakistan's cricket governing body 'advised' Kaneria to approach England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) if he wants to play domestic cricket after the cricketer had appealed to the PCB, seeking permission to play domestic cricket. 

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News Network
June 10,2020

Jun 10: "It is never too late to fight for the right cause," said opening batsman Chris Gayle as he came out in support of former T20 World Cup-winning skipper Darren Sammy. The debate around racism in sport has kickstarted once again after former Windies T20 World Cup-winning skipper Darren Sammy alleged racism during his stint with SunRisers Hyderabad in the 2014 Indian Premier League. Taking note of Sammy's revelation, Gayle tweeted: "It's never too late to fight for the right cause or what you've experienced over the years! So much more to your story, @darensammy88. Like I said, it's in the game".

Earlier, Gayle had also revealed that he too has been a victim of racism, and added that racism is something that has been bothering cricket as well.

On Tuesday, Sammy had released a video specifying that the racial slurs against him were used within the SunRisers camp.

"I have played all over the world and I have been loved by many people, I have embraced all dressing rooms where I have played, so I was listening to Hasan Minhaj as to how some of the people in his culture describe black people," Sammy said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

"This does not apply to all people, so after I found out a meaning of a certain word, I had said I was angry on finding out the meaning and it was degrading, instantly I remembered when I played for SunRisers Hyderabad, I was being called exactly the same word which is degrading to us black people," he added.

Sammy said that at the time when he was being called with the word, he didn't know the meaning, and his team-mates used to laugh every time after calling him by that name.

"I will be messaging those people, you guys know who you are, I must admit at that time when I was being called as that word I thought the word meant strong stallion or whatever it is, I did not know what it meant, every time I was called with that word, there was laughter at that moment, I thought teammates are laughing so it must be something funny," Sammy said.

The former Windies skipper has been a vocal supporter of the protests that are currently going on in the United States over the death of an African-American man named George Floyd.

Sammy had also made an appeal to the ICC and other cricket boards to support the fight against social injustice and racism.

Ever since the demise of Floyd, protests erupted from the demonstrations in cities from San Francisco to Boston.

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