Rio 2016: Sania Mirza denies additional pressure at Olympic tennis events

August 12, 2016

Rio de Janeiro, Aug 12: Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza feels that there is "enough pressure" on them as elite athletes to even think of aspects like why India is yet to win an Olympic medal till the sixth day of the competition.

sania"I don't feel any extra pressure. I just feel as responsible every time I step on the court, whether at the Olympics or Grand Slam. It's very tough. If you have to win the tournament you have to win everybody. You have to hope for the best," Sania said after she and Rohan Bopanna won their pre quarter-final match against Australians Sam Stosur and John Peers.

Queried whether the pressure of winning a medal with Indian contingent's dismal show till now will have an effect, the multiple Grand Slam champion replied:"People follow (Olympics) it every single day and morning. As athletes, we have dealt enough pressure, point after point. We can't think about other aspects what happened outside. Hopefully it's going to happen and we are going to win the medal or somebody else," the world No 1 in WTA doubles ranking said.

It's her third Olympics and a medal which has eluded her in the two earlier editions means a world to her.

"Personally for me, it would be amazing to win a medal at the Olympics which I don't have. It would mean the world to us. We would do whatever we can and put our best forward," Sania said.

The Indians are set to meet British pair of Andy Murray and Heather Watson.

About the tough draw ahead, Sania said: "It was a tough match. I've been saying this for one year, every match will be tough in the mixed. Playing Grand Slam champions in every round. It's great to get that win in straight sets. Anything is possible in a super tie-break.

"There's always room for improvement no matter how good you play. I'm really hard on myself. I want to make every return, every serve and every point count. That's the way it is."

In their win in 73 minutes, they had a bit of struggle in the first set when Bopanna could not hold his serve after in between two breaks.

"I obviously feel we both can play better. Rohan played really well today but we both have to play better to win the next match," she said.

Sania said it's a big relief to get past the first round as things should fall in place now.

"First round is always tricky because you play against someone who probably don't play regularly together. You don't know what to expect."

Asked whether there's a lot of pressure on them as India are yet to open their account in medals tally she said:

"We as tennis players, people have been unfair to us saying we play individual sports. I feel we play for our country no matter where we play. We always feel like we play for India," she concluded.

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News Network
January 8,2020

Indore, Jan 8: Skipper Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 30 as India beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the second Twenty20 international in Indore on Tuesday.

The hosts rode a 71-run opening stand between KL Rahul, who hit 45, and Shikhar Dhawan, who made 32, to chase down their target of 143 in 17.3 overs and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after the first match was rained off.

Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga took the wickets of the Indian openers but Shreyas Iyer, who scored 34 before falling to paceman Lahiru Kumara, and Kohli, who hit the winning six, got the team home.

The third match is on Friday in Pune.

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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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News Network
June 13,2020

Islamabad, Jun 13: Pakistan cricket team’s former captain Shahid Afridi, who has tested positive for coronavirus,  appears to have contracted the virus during his recent visit to Muzaffarabad city of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) where Pakistan has been sending its corona positive patients.

The former Pakistan cricketer was seen attending gatherings in Muzaffarabad last month without wearing a mask and not maintaining social distancing. He spewed venom against India during his rallies. 

Afridi visited PoK to also express his solidarity with the people there who have been left to fend for themselves in combating COVID-19 as Pakistan has refused to provide any COVID fighting equipment like PPE kits and ventilators to the area’s handful of hospitals. 

In fact, Pakistan has been using the PoK as a “dumping ground” for COVID-19 affected persons from all across the country as authorities want to keep Punjab province free of corona positive persons. 

The locals held massive protests against Pakistan for setting up quarantine centres and shifting patients from parts of Pakistan to PoK. 

People are immensely suffering in Pakistan occupied Kashmir due to spread of coronavirus as the region lacks proper medical facilities and has a handful of COVID-19 testing labs. There is also lack of expert medical staff to conduct COVID-19 tests. 

A large number of people here are presumed asymptomatic and they are fast spreading the virus because of lack of medical care. 

Pakistan has reported over 1,25,000 coronavirus cases and 2,463 casualties. In Pakistan occupied Kashmir, the COVID-19 cases have increased to 534, whereas in Gilgit-Baltistan 1,030 have been  reported. 

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