Junior Digest

Dubai, Nov 20,2020: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed the ICC World Test Championship points system will be amended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the new system, Australia has leapfrogged India to claim the top position.

The Board approved a recommendation from the ICC Cricket Committee, headed by Anil Kumble, to change the competition terms for the event to determine how series affected by the global pandemic are accounted for on the points table.

“The unprecedented disruption caused by COVID-19 means, to date, just under half of the World Test Championship matches have been played, with that estimated to rise to more than 85 percent by the end of the competition window,” ICC said in a release.

“Current regulations dictate that matches not completed shall be treated as a draw with points split. The Cricket Committee considered maintaining that status quo or determining the final World Test Championship League standings from matches played.”

“Both the Cricket Committee and Chief Executives Committee supported the approach of ranking teams based on completed matches and points earned as this reflects their performance and doesn’t disadvantage teams that have been unable to compete all of their matches through no fault of their own,” ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said.

“We explored a whole range of options, but our Members felt strongly that we should proceed as planned with the first ever World Test Championship Final in June next year.”

The Board also confirmed that the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will move from its current slot at the end of 2022 to 9-26 February 2023.

DUBAI ,Nov 11,2020: Defending champions Mumbai Indians claimed their fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) title after romping to a five-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals in Tuesday’s final in Dubai.

Mumbai’s bowlers, led by Trent Boult (3-30), laid the foundation for their comprehensive victory by restricting Delhi to a below-par 156-7.

Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma smashed a breezy 68 and Ishan Kishan made 33 not out as they prevailed with eight balls to spare for their fourth win against Delhi this season.

Playing their maiden IPL final against the tournament’s most successful side, Delhi, coached by Australia great Ricky Ponting, needed a strong start but were reeling at 22-3 instead in the fourth over.

Boult dismissed the in-form Marcus Stoinis with the first delivery while Shikhar Dhawan, the other opener, lost his wicket to off-spinner Jayant Yadav attempting a slog-sweep.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer (65 not out) and Rishabh Pant (56) steadied the innings but Delhi did not get a late flourish and settled for a score which Mumbai chased down easily.

Quinton de Kock fell for 20 and Suryakumar Yadav (19) sacrificed his wicket after a mix-up with Rohit but Mumbai were hardly tested in their chase.

Rohit shrugged off the twin setbacks and smashed four sixes in his rollicking knock before holing out with victory in sight.

Lausanne [Switzerland], July 18,2020: The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee on Friday announced that all the venues intended for the Games in 2020 have been secured for next year, and confirmed the sports competition schedule.
This was emphasised by the Organising Committee’s president, Yoshiro Mori, and its CEO, Toshiro Muto, at a virtual IOC session.
In their report to the IOC Session, they confirmed that all 43 competition venues, the Olympic Village, the International Broadcast Centre and Main Press Centre would be used for the Olympic Games in 2021.
The Tokyo organisers announced that the competition schedule will remain the same, with some minor timing adjustments for operational reasons.
“The Olympic Village is the beating heart of the Olympic Games, while the venues are its soul. I am delighted that the village and the venues have been confirmed for next year. This means that the athletes will have this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Athletes from all around the world will live together under one roof in the Olympic Village, sharing meals together, celebrating together, discussing together and forming these unique Olympic communities,” said IOC president Thomas Bach in a statement.
“That Tokyo 2020 has been able to achieve this and confirm the competition schedule despite the extraordinary circumstances is testament to the work of the Joint Steering Committee led by John Coates and Yoshiro Mori,” he said.
Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori stated, “Following the decision to postpone the Games, Tokyo 2020 immediately formed the New Launch Task Force and began to organise systems ready to face this unprecedented challenge. Our staff have been working tirelessly around the clock on these preparations. It is my pleasure to announce today that we have successfully secured all venues and confirmed the competition schedule for next year’s Games.”
The Tokyo Olympic Games will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021, while the Paralympics will take place from August 24 to September 5, 2021.

Chennai, Jun 25 ,2020: Young Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali pulled off an upset win over former world champion Antaoneta Stefanova in first leg of FIDE chess.com Women Speed Chess Championships but the country’s top player Koneru Humpy bowed out in the opener.

The Chennai-based Vaishali will take on International Master Munkhzul Turmunkh of Mongolia in the quarterfinals.

Vaishali registered a 6-5 win over Bulgarian opponent late on Wednesday after having beaten strong players like Valentina Gunina and Alina Kashlinskaya in the qualifying stages.

Reigning world rapid champion Humpy meanwhile went down 4.5-5.5 to her Vietnamese rival in the first round.

The scores were level at 3.5 points after the first two segments but the Vietnam player won the first two games of the final phase to secure a spot in the last eight.

Chennai, May 30, Former world chess champion Viswanathan will be finally reaching India late on Saturday after being stuck in Germany for over three months due to the travel restrictions imposed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Yes.. Anand will be returning today,” the chess maestro’s wife Aruna told PTI on Saturday morning.

Anand, who boarded an Air India flight (AI-120) from Frankfurt on Friday night will reach Bengaluru via Delhi.

He is expected to reach Bengaluru at 1.15 pm.

The five-time world champion will undergo 14 days quarantine as per rules laid down by the Karnataka government.

“He will complete quarantine procedures and come to Chennai as per protocol,” Aruna Anand said.

The flights from Germany are only scheduled to land only in Delhi and Bengaluru.

The chess ace was in Germany to play in the Bundesliga chess league and was to return to India, but was forced to stay put after the COVID-19 outbreak disrupted sporting schedules across the globe, apart from restricting movement.

He was staying near Frankfurt and was doing online commentary for the Candidates tournament which was called off mid-way due to the pandemic and led the Indian team in the Online Nations Cup early this month.

Anand had been in touch with his family in Chennai on a regular basis via video calls and kept himself busy with chess related work.

August 16, 2020 : MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday, as he brought the curtain down on his over 15-year career as an India cricketer when he posted on Instagram, calling an end to his international playing career. MS Dhoni has been one of the best wicket-keepers to play international cricket and his record speaks for itself. The 39-year-old last played for India in the World Cup 2019 semi-final loss to New Zealand at Old Trafford in Manchester, played over two days on July 9 and 10.

“Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout.from 1929 hrs consider me as Retired,” MS Dhoni wrote along with an Instagram post of a montage capturing his career with the national team.
MS Dhoni, who had announced his retirement from Tests in 2014, has played 350 One-day Internationals (ODIs) and 98 T20 Internationals (T20Is).
In 350 ODIs, Dhoni had scored 10773 runs at an average of 50.57. He has 10 centuries and 73 fifties to his name.

Dhoni amassed 1617 runs in 98 T20Is at an average of 37.60, including two half-centuries.

In January 2019, Dhoni added another feather to his cap as he became fifth Indian and 12th overall in ODI history to score 10,000 runs. The former India skipper achieved the milestone during first ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 12.

Dhoni joined the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Kumar Sangakkara, Brian Lara and Sanath Jayasuriya on the elite list.
The 2011 World Cup winning captain is only the second wicketkeeper-batsman to touch the 10000-run mark. Sangakkara was the first designated wicketkeeper-batsman to achieve the landmark.

Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India lifted the 50-over World Cup in 2011 and the World Twenty20 in 2007. Dhoni also led India to the ICC Champions Trophy triumph in 2013 in England.

New Delhi , September 22,2020: As many as 20 new disciplines including baseball, body-building, rugby, motorsports have been introduced for Central Government jobs under the sports quota, said Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha today, Kiren Rijiju said that the government has introduced 20 new disciplines- Baseball, Body-Building, Cycling Polo, Deaf Sports, Fencing, Kudo, Mallakhamb, Motor Sports, Net Ball, Para Sports (for sports discipline included in para-Olympics and Para Asian Games), Pencak Silat, Shooting Ball, Roll Ball, Rugby, Sepak Takraw, Soft Tennis, Tenpin Bowling, Triathlon, Tug-of-war and Wushu.
“The recruitment of meritorious sportspersons under sports quota is done as per the guidelines issued by the Department of Personnel & Training from time to time and it is applicable to only Central Government Ministries/Departments. ‘Sports’ being State subject, these instructions are not binding for State Governments,” read the reply.
The minister said that the Department of Personnel & Training in consultation with the Department of Sports has included Mallakhamb, Tug of War and Roll Ball for the appointment of meritorious sportspersons under sports quota in newly introduced 20 sports disciplines.

Jan 27,2020: NBA legend Kobe Bryant died Sunday when a helicopter he was riding in crashed and burst into flames in thick fog, killing all nine people on board including his teenage daughter and plunging the sports world into mourning.

Bryant, 41, was travelling with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other passengers and crew when their Sikorsky S-76 helicopter slammed into a rugged hillside in Calabasas, west of Los Angeles. There were no survivors.
Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist, is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in history, an iconic figure who became one of the faces of his sport during a glittering two-decade career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dozens of firefighters and paramedics battled across steep terrain to reach the flaming wreckage at the crash site but found no survivors, officials said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said an 18-strong team of investigators would be sent to California to probe the causes of the crash.

Bryant’s death sent shockwaves throughout the world, with basketball stars stunned by the news.

Colombo, Nov 20,2020: Star players Chris Gayle and Lasith Malinga will miss the Lanka Premier League following injury and inadequate preparation time.

Gayle has told the Kandy Tuskers franchise that he will not be traveling to Sri Lanka on account of an injury. Lasith Malinga – Sri Lanka’s most recognisable T20 player – has also pulled out a week from the tournament’s start date, citing inadequate preparation time.

The arrival of Andre Russell this week, however, will ensure that the tournament will have at least one global star.

Gayle’s exit had been rumoured for several days, but Malinga’s withdrawal has come as more of a surprise, particularly as he was one of the Galle Gladiators’ marquee players, and was expected to lead that team.

Malinga had not played a competitive match since March, and said that the lack of cricket and training this year had prompted his decision to withdraw.

New York , June 25 ,2020: The United States Tennis Association on Wednesday announced that the 2020 US Open Wheelchair Tennis Competition will be held from September 10 -13 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing.
“The decision was made following multiple virtual meetings with a group of wheelchair athletes and the International Tennis Federation over the last week,” the organisers said in a statement.
The 2020 US Open Wheelchair Competition will feature men’s and women’s singles and doubles and quad singles and doubles, with draw sizes similar to past US Opens.
“Wheelchair athletes will follow the same health and safety procedures as all players participating in the US Open and will be able to access the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center beginning on September 7,” the statement further added.
The initial setup dropped wheelchair, junior and mixed doubles competitions altogether, along with singles qualifying, while the fields for women’s and men’s doubles were halved to 32 teams apiece.
The International Tennis Federation is carefully reviewing the impact of this evolving situation related to awarding wheelchair ranking points and we expect a decision to be announced in the coming days.

Feb 7,2020: In the Women’s T20 triangular cricket series, England registered comfortable victory by four wickets against India in the fourth match in Melbourne today. Chasing a moderate target of 124 runs, England scored 124 for the loss of six wickets with seven balls to spare.

For India, Rajeshwari Gaikwad scalped three wickets and Radha Yadav took one wicket.

Earlier, Opener Smriti Mandhana top-scored with a 40-ball 45 as India struggled to 123 for six. She smashed seven fours and one maximum blow for a six after opening the innings, while Jemimah Rodrigues with 23 and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur with 14 runs failed to capitalize on their starts.

Feb 7,2020:In Cricket, India will face New Zealand in the second ODI of the three-match series at Eden Park in Auckland tomorrow.

The match is scheduled to begin at 7.30 a.m. (IST). India lost the opening ODI despite posting 348-run target. The third and final ODI will be played at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui on the 11th of this month.

Cape Town [South Africa], November 16,2020: South Africa’s Sports Ministry has given a nod to Cricket South Africa (CSA) to go ahead with the upcoming white-ball series against England later this month.
As per a report in ESPNCricinfo, the series between England and South Africa will be played for the sake of the players and the cricket-loving public.
There has been turmoil in Cricket South Africa for a long time now over administrative issues and Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa is closer to intervening in the matters of the board.

There is a strong chance of Mthethwa using the National Sports and Recreation Act to step in at CSA (which could include withdrawing funding and stripping them of their status as a nationally representative body) if the members’ council does not recognise the interim board, ESPNCricinfo reported.
England are due to travel to South Africa later today and upon reaching South Africa, the side will begin a 10-day quarantine. All matches will be played in a bio-secure environment in the Western Cape, with fixtures at both Newlands and Boland Park.
The series is slated to start on November 27 and it will be the first series in South Africa since the country went into lockdown in March. This will also be the first series that the South African men’s team have had for more than seven months.
South Africa are also due to host Sri Lanka, Australia, and Pakistan in the 2020-21 season, and these fixtures may be under threat if the members’ council does not comply with the Sports Minister.
Earlier, South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) had asked for the CSA board and executive to step aside while SASCOC conducted an inquiry into CSA’s affairs.

Melbourne, Nov 18 ,2020: Pace bowler Andrew Tye on Wednesday replaced Kane Richardson in Australia’s ODI and T20I squad for the series against India, starting November 27.

Cricket Australia in a statement on Wednesday said that Richardson withdrew from the squad to be with his wife and their newborn son in Adelaide.

“It was a difficult decision for Kane to make but one which has the complete support of the selectors and the entire playing squad,” national selector Trevor Hohns said.

“Kane wanted to remain in Adelaide with Nyki and their newborn son. We will always support our players and their families; even more so given the challenging environment, we are in. We will miss what he brings to the team but completely understand and support his decision,’ he added.

Meanwhile, Adelaide’s COVID-19 outbreak also led to three extra players being added to the Australian training group in Sydney given the border restrictions imposed by various states.

In addition to Tye, Josh Philippe, who is quarantining after returning from the Indian Premier League, and D’Arcy Short will also train with the group in Sydney before joining their respective Big Bash League franchises.

The first ODI against India at the at the Sydney Cricket Ground on November 27.

Australia ODI & T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey , Pat Cummins (vc), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Sams, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Johannesburg [South Africa], July 10 ,2020: Extending solidarity to ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, Cricket South Africa (CSA) acting CEO Dr Jacques Faul said that the national sporting body would use its platform to educate and listen to others on all forms of discrimination.
“Black Lives Matter. It is as simple as that. As a national sporting body representing more than 56 million South Africans and with the privileged position of owning a platform as large as we do, it is of vital importance that we use our voice to educate and listen to others on topics involving all forms of discrimination,” Faul said in a statement.
CSA was founded on the principles of non-racialism and inclusion at unity. The vision of CSA, to become a truly national sport of winners supported by the majority, finds resonance in the ethos of “Black Lives Matter”, as per the statement.
During the Nelson Mandela International Day celebrations on July 18, CSA will further spread the message of anti-racism through the BLM campaign.
“We also speak out against all forms of violence and in particular, the scourge that is Gender-Based Violence and various other causes that are of importance to our society and the organization,” the acting CEO concluded.
On Wednesday, England and West Indies cricketers took a knee to show their solidarity against racism and support the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement before the start of the first Test of the three-match series at the Ageas Bowl.
Prior to the three-match Test series, both England and West Indies had already announced that they would be sporting a ‘Black Lives Matter’ logo on their jerseys to show support with the anti-racism movement.
The ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement gained momentum following the death of an African-American man named George Floyd, after a police officer, later identified as Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck as suggested by the viral videos.
Ever since Floyd’s demise, many sportspersons have come out to talk about their experience with racism.
Windies opening batsman Chris Gayle also said that he had faced racism, and added that it is a myth that the menace of racism exists just in football.
The Premier League resumed its suspended season in June and all teams have been sending out a strong message to show solidarity with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. All teams have been taking a knee to show their support, while jerseys of all teams have ‘Black Lives Matter’ imprinted on them.

Barcelona [Spain], October 21,2020: Lionel Messi achieved a new milestone as Barcelona defeated Ferencvaros in the Champions League here.
Barcelona registered an impressive 5-1 win over Ferencvaros. Messi scored one goal during the match and he became the first player in the Champions League to score in 16 consecutive seasons.

“Leo #Messi is the first player in @ChampionsLeague history to score in 16 consecutive seasons! #UCL,” Barcelona tweeted.
After the opening goal from Messi in the 27th minute, Ansu Fati netted a goal in the 42nd minute. Philippe Coutinho, Pedri, and Ousmane Dembele then scored one goal each in the second half to hand Barcelona a comfortable win.
Barcelona will now take on Juventus in the Champions League on October 29.

Feb 17,2020: Grand master Koneru Humpy has won the Cairns cup chess tournament. In the 9th and final round of the tournament at St. Louis, USA, she drew with fellow grand master Drona Valli Harika.

Humpy ended up with 6 points ahead of the reigning world champion Zu Wezun who finished with 5.5 points. Drona Valli Harika finished 5th with 4.5 points.

Feb 13,2020: Tokyo Olympic organisers stressed Thursday they are not considering scrapping the Games due to the coronavirus and blasted “irresponsible rumours” to the contrary.

With only 162 days to go until the opening ceremony, concerns have been raised about Japan’s hosting of the Games with the virus spreading throughout Asia.

But Tokyo 2020 CEO Yoshiro Mori slapped down such concerns at a meeting with top International Olympic Committee officials.

“With regards to the coronavirus… there are many irresponsible rumours but I would like to make it clear again that we are not considering postponing or cancelling the Games,” he said.

“We would like to coordinate with the national government and act in a calm manner,” he stressed.

The virus has already forced the rescheduling of a swathe of sporting events in Asia, including Olympic qualification competitions for boxing and basketball — both in China.

Formula One’s Shanghai Grand Prix has been postponed from mid-April, with the inaugural Vietnamese Grand Prix also under threat as well as the Hong Kong Sevens.

Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike has promised to implement “thorough measures” to protect people from the coronavirus in the run-up to the Olympics.

Japan has not seen any deaths from COVID-19 but has 28 cases on its soil, with four in serious condition in hospital.

Another 174 people, including a quarantine officer, have been infected on a cruise ship floating off the Japanese coast — the outbreak’s largest single cluster.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government has come under fire for its handling of the infection, especially quarantine measures seen as too lax in the early stages of the epidemic.

“These struggles in turn have sparked concerns about the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics, as Japan prepares for the arrival of millions of international visitors over the summer,” said Tobias Harris from Teneo Consultancy.

The mayor of the Olympic Village, Saburo Kawabuchi, told the meeting there was “still no clue as to when the virus will be resolved” and appeared to pin hopes on increased humidity to kill off the disease.

“We have the rainy season that could defeat the virus,” he said.

In China on Thursday, hard-hit Hubei province where the virus emerged announced 242 more deaths and nearly 15,000 extra patients as authorities changed their threshold for diagnosis.

At least 1,355 people have now died nationwide and nearly 60,000 have been infected after Hubei’s health commission reported the new numbers.

Southampton [UK], Aug 1,2020: The rain-affected second Test between England and Pakistan ended in a draw here on Monday.
With this, the hosts retain their 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series against Pakistan.
Resuming the day 5 from 7/1, England got off to a good start as both the on-field batters, Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley, struck regular boundaries and took the side over the 50-run mark.
Mohammad Abbas handed Pakistan with their first breakthrough of the day as he dismissed Crawley, who played a knock of 53 runs. In his next over, Abbas took the wicket of Sibley (32) as well.
Joe Root and Ollie Pope then took the field but failed to form a decent partnership as the latter was given LBW off Yasir Shah’s delivery. Jos Buttler then came out to bat and England were on 110/4 when the match came to an end.
Earlier on Sunday, the rain had washed out most of the action of the second Test between England and Pakistan.
The play had resumed on time on Day 4, but after one hour of action, rain intervened and there was no play possible after that.
The rain had washed out the entire play on day three of the Test as well. Pakistan had scored 236 runs in their first innings.
The third Test between both teams will commence on August 21.

Quito, Oct 14 ,2020: Michael Estrada scored a brace as Ecuador beat Uruguay 4-2 here on Tuesday to secure its first win in the South American 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Moises Caicedo gave the hosts an ideal start at Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadium when he connected with Angel Mena’s swinging cross with a flicked header that left goalkeeper Martin Campana with no chance.

Estrada then struck in first-half stoppage time by pouncing on a clumsy Diego Godin clearance to dispatch a low first-time shot past Campana.

The Toluca forward netted again with a long-range effort just after the restart, before Gonzalo Plata’s tame strike rolled in off Campana’s right glove.

Luis Suarez pulled back two late goals for Uruguay from the penalty spot: first after Diego Palacios brought down Jonathan Rodriguez and then following Christian Noboa’s poor challenge on Ronald Araujo.

Ecuador began its campaign last Thursday with a 1-0 defeat to Argentina in Buenos Aires while Uruguay started with a 2-1 home win over Chile on the same day.

Feb 22,2020: Prime Minister will declare open the first-ever Khelo India University Games in Odisha today through video conferencing. The multi-disciplinary sporting event will take off with a mega launch at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack.

The event will be attended by several dignitaries and sportspersons, including Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.

As many as 3,400 athletes from 159 universities across the country will vie for top honours in 17 disciplines, including rugby which is among the six-team events.

With 191 athletes, the Panjab University in Chandigarh and 183 athletes, the Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar will comprise some of the largest contingents. The sports disciplines will include archery, athletics, boxing, fencing, judo, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, basketball, football, hockey, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, rugby and kabaddi.

Athletes are looking at the Khelo India University Games with the aim to make a mark not only for their institutions and themselves but also to catch the eye of talent scouts. In the time to come, it would become an important rung in the ladder that the country’s student-athletes seek to climb. The attempt is to make the Khelo India University Games an aspirational competition for India’s youngsters with twin objectives of helping them find the balance between sport and education.