Archives December 2024

Double Olympic medallist badminton player PV Sindhu is set to marry Hyderabad-based Venkata Datta Sai, who is an executive director at Posidex Technologies, in Udaipur on December 22. The announcement came just days after Sindhu ended a long trophy drought by clinching the title at the Syed Modi International in Lucknow on Sunday. According to PTI, the wedding events will begin on December 20 and the two families will also be holding a reception in Hyderabad on December 24.  “The two families knew each other but it was only a month ago that everything was finalised. This was the only possible window as her schedule will be hectic from January,” Sindhu’s father, PV Ramana, told PTI.

“So that is the reason the two families decided to have the marriage ceremony on December 22. The reception will be held in Hyderabad on December 24. She will start her training soon after as the next season is going to be important,” he further added.

Who is Venkata Datta Sai?

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Venkata Datta Sai did his  Diploma in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies from Foundation of Liberal and Management Education. He completed his BBA Accounting and Finance from Flame University Bachelor of Business Administration in 2018 and then did his Master’s degree in Data Science and Machine Learning  from International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore.

Venkata Datta Sai worked with JSW both as a summer intern as well as an In-House Consultant. “My BBA in finance and economics pales in comparison to managing an IPL team, but I must admit I learned a lot from both of these experiences,” he posted on his LinkedIn profile.

From 2019, he has worked as Managing Director for Sour Apple Asset Management while also serving as the Executive Director in Posidex. “The loan that you get in 12 seconds or the credit card that you have thanks to the instant credit score matching? Just some of the most complex problems I solve using a proprietary entity resolution search engine. My solutions and products are deployed for critical operations at some of the biggest banks from HDFC to ICICI,” he wrote on his LinkedIn profile.

Tiger Woods is still hopeful of coming to India for a competitive event, something he has not been able to do for the last 10 years.

Golfer Tiger Woods is still hopeful of coming to India for a competitive event, something he has not been able to do for the 10 years he has been Hero’s Global Partner. Then, there is Pawan Munjal, a close friend of Woods, who is thrilled to have extended his partnership with the star-studded Hero World Challenge for another six years, till 2030, and with Woods to continue as their global partner till 2030. A third thing that brought a big smile to Munjal’s face was that he was able to bring to the Hero World Challenge field three players of Indian origin – Sahith Theegala, Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai.

The tournament, featuring 20 of the world’s top golfers, will commence on Thursday.

Munjal said, “If you remember, we had Anirban (Lahiri) at one time here, which was a great thing to happen. He was in the top-30 then. To have three boys of Indian origin in a field of the best and top-20 is a huge, huge thing for India.

“Me and many of you have been looking for an Indian star on the golfing map to really grow the game in India. I’m sure even if they’re not Indians but they are of Indian origin, I’m sure the whole nation is going to be very, very excited and very proud about this fact.” Indian-American Theegala is ranked 12th in the world, Indo-British Rai is 21st and Indian-American Bhatia is 31st as the entire field of 20 comprises players inside the top-40 in the world.

On the extension of their relationship with the tournament, Munjal said, “It was easy. We’ve had, as I said, 10 years of an incredible journey together which has benefited both of us, the foundation, Hero’s brand globally. There were no two thoughts about it.” Woods commented: “Well, this is exciting news for all of us at the foundation to be able to have Hero MotoCorp who have supported us here for the last 10 years and to have this relationship and our partnership continue until 2030 is truly amazing. We’re able to help and serve so many more youth because of it.

“All the players who’ve come down here over the years have supported this event, some of them have started their own foundations because of the impact that Pawan and I have had on this event and our various charities.

“We’ve had a great relationship and great partnership for the last 10 years, so I think it was a very natural thing for us to continue this relationship going forward through 2030 and hopefully we can make it better in the next five or so years, better than it was for the first 10 and then hopefully even bigger into the future.” Hero and Tiger Woods Foundation came together for the HWC in 2014 and will now be together till at least 2030, making it one of longest relationships on the PGA Tour.

Woods, who has often chosen HWC, which he hosts, as an event to test his fitness and preparation ahead of the following season, admitted, “Yeah, I am disappointed. I’m not physically ready yet to compete at this level. The times I have come back here, I was ready to start competing and playing again. Unfortunately, not this time. I still need to keep training to give myself the best chance going into next year and the events ahead.” On the issue of the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which funds the LIV series, Woods said, “I think all of us who have been a part of this process would have thought it would have happened quicker than this. Even if it did, we’re still at the regulations of the DOJ (Department of Justice) saying it’s giving us hominus dominus that it will go through.

“Even if we had gotten a deal done by now, it’s still in the DOJ’s hands, but we wish we would have had something more concrete and further along than we are right now. But things are very fluid, we’re still working through it, it’s happening daily. From a policy board standpoint or from an enterprise standpoint, things are moving and they’re constructive. But, yes, definitely moving.” On his return to competitive golf, Woods is still desirous and hopeful.

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“The fire still burns to compete. The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be. I still love doing it, I love competing, I love competing in anything whether we’re playing cards or we’re playing golf. No matter what it is, I love competing,” said Woods.

The field at the Hero World Challenge, scheduled from Dec 5 to 8, is led by world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, who is also the FedEX champion, two-time Masters champion (2022 and 2024) and also the defending champion here.

Team India suffered a 3-8 defeat against the United States in their opening match of the first stage of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024 table tennis tournament.

Team India suffered a 3-8 defeat against the United States in their opening match of the first stage of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024 table tennis tournament in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China, on Sunday. With seasoned players such as Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, Sharath Kamal, and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran opting out of the tournament, a young Indian table tennis team is representing the nation in Chengdu. In the mixed doubles opener, India’s Snehit Suravajjula and Poymantee Baisya lost 2-1 (12-10, 11-8, 4-11) to the USA’s Naresh Nandan and Ke Tiffany.

In the singles rubbers, Yashaswini Ghorpade and Jeet Chandra were defeated by identical 2-1 margins against Sally Moyland and Xiangjing Zhang, respectively.

World No. 88 Ghorpade was upset 11-9, 11-8, 7-11 by the 186th-ranked Moyland, while World No. 312 Chandra fell 11-9, 11-9, 7-11 to Zhang, ranked 465th in men’s singles.

The men’s doubles rubber saw Snehit Suravajjula and Jeet Chandra lose 2-0 (11-9, 11-9), capping off a disappointing day for India.

According to the tournament format, each rubber, whether singles or doubles, consists of three games. The first team to secure eight games wins the overall team match.

India’s table tennis team will next face hosts China in the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024 on Monday.

The ITTF Mixed Team World Cup is in its second edition, with the inaugural tournament also held in Chengdu last year. Hosts China claimed the championship in the first edition, while India failed to progress beyond the first stage.

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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ray secured six medals – four gold, one silver and a bronze – in the Khelo India University Games in Guwahati in February this year.

Pratyasa Ray, a rising star in swimming, was selected for the prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar for 2024, an official said. Ray secured six medals – four gold, one silver and a bronze – in the Khelo India University Games in Guwahati in February this year. The Ekalabya Puraskar committee comprising jury members drawn from various sectors were unanimous in selecting Ray for the prestigious award at a meeting in Bhubaneswar. Ray will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 7 lakh—an increase from the previous Rs 5 lakh, along with a citation at a ceremony to be held at a later date.

Sprinter Dondapati Mrutyam Jayaram and badminton player Tanvi Patri will also be felicitated for their remarkable performances in various international and national-level events in their respective fields.

Each of the citation winners will receive a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh, up from Rs 1 lakh, along with citations at the award ceremony.

Ekalabya Puraskar was instituted by charitable body IMPaCT in 1993 and managed by IMFA, the leading ferro alloys producer in the country. It is now considered the most prestigious sports award in Odisha.

The award is given every year to young sportspersons of Odisha in recognition of their outstanding performance in the preceding two years.

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Announcing the names of the award winners on Sunday, Baijayant Panda, chairperson of Ekalabya Puraskar Committee and Trustee of IMPaCT, said the award was instituted to encourage young sportspersons of the state to perform at the national and international arenas.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India’s Tennis sensation Sumit Nagal has been one of the stand-out players in the ongoing Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 6. Nagal has been playing for Gujarat Panthers in the Men’s Singles and Doubles categories. Gujarat Panthers have made it to the semi-final stage and Nagal is elated with the energy in his team’s camp. He added that it’s a lovely environment inside the team. “It’s a lovely environment. Everyone’s very nice and is always there for us. I have enjoyed playing for Gujarat Panthers in these two seasons,” Nagal was quoted in a release from TPL as saying.

Gujarat Panthers faced Rajasthan Rangers on matchday one of the league in which Nagal played Indian Tennis veteran Rohan Bopanna in the Men’s Doubles Category and lost the tie. Reflecting on the matchup, Nagal light-heartedly said, “He beat me badly on the first day.”

Nagal added that it’s not easy for him to play Bopanna, since the latter won a slam.

“It is not easy to play someone (Bopanna) who has won a slam. At the end of the day, it’s fun to be out here and play against such experienced players,” Nagal added.

The Tennis Premier League has been growing every season in terms of scale, competition and quality of the Tennis played. While sharing his experience playing the TPL, Nagal agreed and stated, “It’s been great. If you just look at the quality of players this year. You can already see there’s a big difference from before.”

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Lastly, while speaking on his future goals and his career ahead, Nagal stated, “My goal is to aim for top 50 ATP rankings next year and I will do my best to be there.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Australia middle-order batter Travis Head registered his eighth Test century during Day 2 of the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

The 30-year-old reached the milestone in 111 balls, laced with 11 fours and three sixes. It was the southpaw’s third hundred in a day-night Test. Marnus Labuschagne holds the record for most pink-ball hundreds with four.

Head also broke the record for the fastest hundred in day-night Tests, eclipsing his previous record of 112 balls against England in Hobart in 2022.

It’s a century to Travis Head at Adelaide Oval, and the sell out crowd erupts! pic.twitter.com/mURGaJvuFD— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 7, 2024

The South Australian has had great success against India outside the subcontinent, scoring 163 in the final of the World Test Championship final in 2023 to help his team seal a 209-run win.

Head also scored a hundred in the final of the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup where Australia beat India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to seal its sixth Cup triumph in the 50-over format.

West Ham United striker Michail Antonio, who was involved in a car crash, is in stable condition, the Premier League club confirmed on Saturday.

“Michail is in a stable condition following a road traffic accident this afternoon in the Essex area. Michail is conscious and communicating and is currently under close supervision at a central London hospital.

“At this difficult time, we kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of Michail and his family,” West Ham said in a statement.

The 34-year-old, who joined West Ham in 2015, has 83 goals for the Hammers in 322 appearances while winning the UEFA Conference League in 2023.

England-born Antonio never made a senior international appearance for the Three Lions before he made a switch to Jamaica.

West Ham hosts Wolves on Monday.

Sunil Chhetri justified his place in the Bengaluru FC starting lineup with a hattrick against Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 match at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here on Saturday.

The 40-year-old Chhetri, who came off the bench in the last few outings, displayed incredible skill, composure and boundless energy to power BFC to a 4-2 victory. The sight of Chhetri scurrying to cut short KBFC’s attacking moves deep into injury time was a testament to the stalwart’s insatiable desire to win.

BFC moved to the top of the points table (23 points), three ahead of nearest rival Mohun Bagan. KBFC, despite a lion-hearted showing, fell to a fourth loss in its last five outings.

The packed house was treated to a high-quality outing, with both teams unwilling to give an inch. The scoring began with a strong header from Chhetri, who rose above his marker Sandeep Singh to put BFC ahead.

AS IT HAPPENED | BENGALURU FC VS KERALA BLASTERS FC HIGHLIGHTS

BFC’s lead doubled in the 38th minute, when a clean left-footed strike from Australian Ryan Williams nestled into the top corner.

KBFC entered the second half with fire in the belly. Spanish forward Jesus Jimenez made inspired runs, giving hope to the massive contingent of away supporters at the venue. Jimenez finally broke through in the 56th minute, slotting it home from close range.

The home faithful was stunned into silence when Freddy Lallawmawma’s header brought KBFC level at 2-2.

BFC brought on Jorge Diaz, who had an immediate impact. Diaz cut through the defence and found an unmarked Chhetri. The veteran forward needed no second invitation to score, giving BFC the lead once again.

In injury time, Chhetri put the game to bed with a goal from close range to become the oldest player to score a hattrick in the history of the league. After this incredible showing, it will take a brave coach to relegate this evergreen star back to the bench.

Despite captain Rohit Sharma’s availability, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul opened the innings for India during its day-night practice match against Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra on Sunday.

Rohit came in to bat at No. 4 but could only score 3 runs off 11 balls before being dismissed.

Rohit, who usually opens the innings with Jaiswal, was unavailable due to personal reasons during India’s 295-run win over Australia last week in the first Test of the ongoing five-match series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

In his absence, Jaiswal and Rahul opened in Perth and put up a crucial 201-run stand in the second innings.

The decision to open with Jaiswal and Rahul against Prime Minister’s XI possibly indicates the team management’s strategy to accommodate both Rohit and Rahul in the line-up for the upcoming day-night Test in Adelaide, which begins on December 6.

IND vs AUS, 2nd Test: Where did Indian bowlers go wrong in Adelaide with the pink ballIND vs AUS, 2nd Test: The Australian bowlers kept the deliveries much fuller and targeted the fourth-stump channel more than the Indians to give their side the advantage in the first two days of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide.

December 07, 2024 16:58
IND 128/5 in 24 overs
Boland to Pant. Four!! Pant steps down the track and lofts the length ball over mid off for a boundary. Had enough on it despite the bottom hand coming off the bat. Pushes a short of length ball to the legside and picks up a single. Nitish moves across and defends a length ball to the legside for a couple. Keeper upto the stumps and he immediately appeals for a stumping. Back leg was grounded behind the crease. Four!! Rana has a slog on the last ball, takes the inside half of the bat and runs away to the fence. STUMPS on Day 2!

December 07, 2024 16:52
IND 117/5 in 23 overs
Cummins to Pant, short ball at the shoulder, pulled to deep square for a single. Nitish punches to cover and takes a quick single. Four!! Full outside off, Nitish leans onto the drive and pushes it through cover for four. 

December 07, 2024 16:47I
ND 110/5 in 22 overs
Starc to Pant, full outside off, driven to deep point for a single. Full and wide to Nitish, mistimes his punch to mid off. Four!! Nitish goes behind a full ball, edges one through the cordon, too quick for Smith to get his hands on it. 

December 07, 2024 16:40W
IND 105/5 in 21 overs
Cummins into the attack. Pant nudges the full one through wide mid on for a single. WICKET!! A beauty to get rid of the skipper. Length ball that moves outward a touch and takes the off pole. Rohit b Cummins 6(15)Nitish Reddy in at 7. Appeals for a strangle down leg, not given. Australia reviews but the replays clearly suggest the ball was nowhere close. 

December 07, 2024 16:36
IND 104/4 in 20 overs
Starc to Rohit, short of a length angling away, beats the outside edge. Full and wide, left alone by Rohit, trickles to the keeper. Back of a length on leg stump, gets hit on the thigh pad. Four!! Over pitched outside off, leans forward and punches through cover for a boundary. 

December 07, 2024 16:34
IND 100/4 in 19 overs
Boland to Pant, down legside, clips the pads and runs away fine for a couple. Four!! Pant moves across and lofts over cover for a boundary. Four!! Guides a short of length ball over fine leg for another four. 100 up for India!

December 07, 2024 16:23W
IND 90/4 in 18 overs
Starc to Gill, punches a full ball straight to cover. WICKET!! Unplayable ball. Swings into the right hander after pitching and cleans out the stumps. Shubman Gill b Mitchell Starc 28(30)Rohit Sharma in at 6. Gets hit on the helmet first ball. Looked to play a short arm jab-pull, edges it onto his own helmet. Full and swinging back in, pings Rohit in front and the umpire raises his finger. Front-foot no ball called! Full on leg stump, clipped to deep fine for a double. 

December 07, 2024 16:18
IND 86/3 in 17 overs
Boland to Pant, angled away and beats the defensive block. Four!! That is an undescribable shot. Short of a length outside off, he reverse pulls (yes, pulls!) it over the slip cordon for a boundary. 

December 07, 2024 16:13
IND 82/3 in 16 overs
Starc to Pant, full outside off, punched to cover for a single. Four!! Edged and flies past Smith’s grasp and through the cordon for a boundary. Gill punches to deep square tp collect a couple. A punch through cover and Gill completes another double. 

December 07, 2024 16:06W
IND 73/3 in 15 overs
Boland back. Kohli punches a full one straight down the ground but doesn’t have the legs to go to the boundary. Three runs. Gill punches one more to cover for a single. WICKET!! Full outside off, Kohli looks to lean forward and defend, ball catches the edge and Carey completes the catch. Kohli c Carey b Boland 11(21)Pant in at 5. Steps down the track and lofts a short of length ball over mid off for a boundary. Pant puts in a full length dive to make the crease after attempting a second run. Carey lets one slip through his grasp and Pant steals a bye. 

December 07, 2024 15:59
IND 62/2 in 14 overs
Starc into the attack, back of a length on off, punched to cover for a single. Length on the pads to Kohli, clipped fine for a couple. A single to round the over, a direct hit at the stumps but Gill is safely in. 

December 07, 2024 15:56
IND 58/2 in 13 overs
Boland to Gill, pushed to cover for a single. Kohli happy to let the balls outside off alone. Boland manages to find the inside edge, bounces off the leg and falls safely. 

December 07, 2024 15:50
IND 57/2 in 12 overs
Cummins to Gill, back of a length outside off, left alone. Gill punches a length ball to mid off and scampers across for a single. 

December 07, 2024 15:46
IND 56/2 in 11 overs
Boland to Gill, raps him on the pads. Appeals from all around but the umpire says no. Gill dabs the next one to point for a single. Boland draws Kohli onto the front foot and beats his forward defensive block. 

December 07, 2024 15:45
IND 55/2 in 10 overs
Cummins for his fifth over. Gill gets a single through mid on. A single for Kohli through backward point. FOUR! A glorious cover drive from Gill. He pulls the next through mid wicket for two runs. The over ends with a single to fine leg.

December 07, 2024 15:36W
IND 46/2 in 9 pvers
Scott Boland replaces Mitchell Starc. OUT! Jaiswal is caught behind. He is spot on in the fourth-stump line, Jaiswal cannot resist pushing at it and gets an edge.Yashasvi Jaiswal c Carey b Boland 24 (31)Virat Kohli in at No. 4. FOUR! Kohli gets off the mark with an edge through the slip cordon.

December 07, 2024 15:31
IND 42/1 in 8 overs
Gill against Cummins. A single through mid on on the third delivery. Jaiswal gets an overpitched delivery which he drives through covers, three runs.

December 07, 2024 15:23
IND 38/1 in 7 overs
Starc to Jaiswal. Starc straying down the leg looking to replicate that first innings dismissal. FOUR! Jaiswal slashes and gets a thick edge over the slips. Three runs through mid on.

December 07, 2024 15:214
IND 30/1 in 6 overs
A bit of a yes-no between Gill and Jaiswal as the former clips Cummins through square leg. They complete the single in the end. FOUR! Jaiswal tries to ramp it over slip, gets an under edge and bounces right in front of Steve Smith and second slip before running to the boundary. Another single for Jaiswal through the on side.

December 07, 2024 15:184
IND 24/1 in 5 overs
Jaiswal facing Starc. Four byes! This one just flies off from back-of-a-length and sails over the keeper’s head. FOUR! A gentle full-bladed poke through mid off from Jaiswal.

December 07, 2024 15:09
IND 16/1 in 4 overs
Cummins again. WICKET! Rahul is gone! Cummins angles into the body, Rahul tries to pull and gets glove on it. Not the start India would have wanted.KL Rahul c Carey b Cummins 7 (10)Shubman Gill gets going with a boundary. On his pads and he clips it away.

December 07, 2024 15:044
IND 12/0 in 3 overs
Starc to Rahul, FOUR! On the pads and Rahul clips it away between mid wicket and mid on. A single through square leg on the second delivery. Jaiswal drives to covers to add another run to his tally. A single for Rahul to mid off, Head makes a diving save to save atleast two runs there.

December 07, 2024 14:59
IND 5/0 in 2 overs
Pat Cummins to Rahul, a quick single to mid on to get off the mark. Five dots balls for Jaiswal.

December 07, 2024 14:564
IND 4/0 in 1 over
Starc to Jaiswal, the first delivery goes down leg as the bowler searches for another delivery that swing late from the leg stump line. FOUR! Overpitched and Jaiswal opens his bat face to parry this past gully.

December 07, 2024 14:55
India – 2nd innings
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul in to begin India’s attempt to wipe off the 157-run deficit.Mitchell Starc with the new ball.

December 07, 2024 14:44
AUS 337 all out, leads by 157 runs
Siraj castles Boland and that is the end of Australia’s innings. Scott Boland b Siraj 0 (9)

December 07, 2024 14:32
AUS 332/9 in 86 overs
WICKET! Siraj gets another one. Starc chips the first delivery after tea straight into the hands of mid off.Mitchell Starc c Harshit b Siraj 18 (15)Scott Boland is the last man in.

December 07, 2024 14:07
WAUS 332/8 in 85 overs
Bumrah to Starc, full on the pads, turned to midwicket for a single. Four!! Cummins comes down the track and inside edges one to the boundary. WICKET!! Full and straight, cleans Cummins up. Cummins b Bumrah 12(22)That will be Tea on Day 2 as well. 

December 07, 2024 14:01
AUS 327/7 in 84 overs
Four!! Starc goes after Siraj, the edge flies over the gully region for a boundary. Four!! Attempted yorker, Starc drives it on the full and past mid on for a boundary. Starc lofts a full ball over mid on, will get two more runs. 

December 07, 2024 13:54
IND 316/7 in 83 overs
Bumrah returns. Length ball on the stumps, defended to point. Starc scampers across for a single after blocking a straight ball onto the legside. Big appeals for lbw as Cummins is rapped on the pad. Not given onfield. India don’t take the review. Snicko suggests there is an inside edge. In the blockhole, beats Cummins’s edge. India take a review for lbw. Snicko confirms there is no bat and it is wickets missing in ball tracking. India burns another review. 

December 07, 2024 13:47
WAUS 315/7 in 82 overs
Siraj replaces Ashwin. Four!! Full on the pads, flicked through square leg for another boundary. Six!! Full on the stumps, picked up and lofted over the boundary at square leg. WICKET!! Pacy yorker on middle stump and cleans Head up! What an innings from the southpaw. His contribution of 140 runs has put Australia in control.Head b Siraj 140(141)Starc in at 9. Four!! Full outside off, Starc drives it through extra cover for a boundary first ball. Full on leg stump, turned to deep square for a single.