Saina, icon indeed

August 21, 2013

SainaMumbai, Aug 21: After cheering for her Hyderabad Hotshots teammate Ajay Jayaram using hand-clappers till the second 90-second interval of the first game of the evening’s opening match, Saina Nehwal left her chair in the team’s dug-out to warm up for her match against Juliane Schenk.

At the end of her match, an hour-and-a-half later, hundreds of hands clapped for her as she gave Hyderabad Hotshots a 2-0 lead against Pune Pistons in the third leg of Indian Badminton League at NSCI here on Monday. Hyderabad’s men’s doubles pair of V Shem Goh and KW Lim ensured Pune could not come back with a 21-19 21-16 win over R Kumar and Sanave Thomas.

Saina, after losing the first game, regrouped in the next two to win the match 17-21 21-19 11-6 in 59 minutes. This came after Jayaram won his men’s singles match 21-19 21-8 against Tien Minh Nguyen to give Hyderabad the advantage.

Hyderabad’s fortunes depended heavily on Saina as they have a win and a loss from the previous two legs. On the other hand, Pune Pistons, with two wins, had to only carry on the momentum.

World No. 3 Schenk, one place above Saina in world rankings, gave Pune Pistons hope by winning the first game. Schenk had the upper-hand when it came to long rallies. Saina, anxious to finish off the rally, erred by finding the net.

However, Saina was on top in the second and third, smashing out of Schenk’s reach and also winning points at the net. It was the first time Saina was challenged in IBL.

“I love Schenk for the way she always gives me a good fight,” Saina said after the match. Saina has an 8-4 win-loss record over Schenk in international competitions. Both know each other’s game very well, their plusses and minuses.

While handing Schenk her first defeat of the IBL, Saina maintained her 100 per cent record in women’s singles, living up to her icon status. Except for a brief period on either side of the second break in the second game when she trailed Schenk, she was on top to maintain her lead. Saina was rarely tested in the decider, racing to 11-6 in just 13 minutes.

In the evening’s opening match, Chembur-bred Jayaram smashed his way to a 21-19 21-8 win in 40 minutes over higher-ranked Vietnamese Tien Minh Nguyen.

World No. 24 Jayaram was playing his second match of the IBL and thanked the crowd support for his first win in the league after having lost to K Srikanth of Awadhe Warriors and not featuring in the game against Krrish Delhi Smashers.

It was important for Hyderabad Hotshots to get off to a winning start and set the momentum for Saina to carry on in the second fixture. Jayaram, world No. 24, came from behind in the first set even as the 30-year-old Nguyen cashed in on the lapses on Jayaram’s part. However, in the second set, it was Jayaram all the way, giving enough reason for the home team to cheer about.

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News Network
March 27,2020

New Delhi, Mar 27: India skipper Virat Kohli on Friday made a heartfelt appeal to the citizens of the country, asking them to follow social distancing as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus pandemic.
He also went on to say that over the past few days, he has seen some people still taking to the streets, and added that if people still continue to venture out, then they are not being honest with the country.
Kohli released a small video clip on Twitter, making the public appeal and captioned the post as: "Please wake up to the reality and seriousness of the situation and take responsibility. The nation needs our support and honesty"
"Today, I am talking to you as a citizen of the country. Whatever I have seen over the past few days, I have seen people not following the lockdown, it has made me feel that some people are taking the battle against COVID-19 very lightly. I request you all to please follow social distancing, whatever the government is asking you to do, please follow it," Kohli said in the video released on Twitter.
"Think about what can happen to your family members because of your negligence. Our medical experts are fighting this battle day in and day out. If you are still going out to the streets, then I don't think you are being honest to your country," he added.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to impose a 21-day lockdown in the country as a precautionary measure against coronavirus.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases have risen to 724 in India (including 640 active cases, 66 cured or discharged people) and 17 deaths.
The World Health Organisation had termed the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic on March 11. 

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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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News Network
April 4,2020

New Delhi, April 4: India skipper Virat Kohli has said that the 2014 Test series against England was the lowest point of his career.

He made the revelation during a candid Instagram Live session with former England batsman Kevin Pietersen.

To date, the 2014 Test series in England remains one of the worst Test series for Kohli as he averaged just 13.40 from 10 ten innings with his highest score being 39.

"I felt like as a batsman, you know you are going to get out in the morning as soon as you wake up. That was the time I felt like that there is no chance I am getting runs. And still to get out of bed and just get dressed for the game and to go out there and go through that, knowing that you will fail, was something that ate me up," Kohli told Pietersen.

However, just four years later, Kohli made a triumphant return to England as he scored a century in the opening Test of the 2018 series and finished as the highest run-getter in the series.

Kohli told Pietersen that the performance in 2014 came because he was just thinking about his own batting.

"2014 series happened, for all the younger guys listening, because I was too focused on doing well from a personal point of view. I wanted to get runs. I could never think of what does the team want me to do in this situation," Kohli said.

"I just got too engulfed with England tour - if I perform here, Test cricket, in my mind I am going to feel established and all that crap on the outside, which is not important at all," he added.
During the chat, Kohli talked about his favourite format in cricket and he also revealed the main reason for turning into a vegan.

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