Lausanne, Aug 23 (Hockey news): The Indian men's hockey team drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh and his female counterpart Gurjit Kaur were on Monday nominated for the FIH Player of the Year awards as the country made the short-list of all the categories on the back of its stupendous performance in the Tokyo Olympics.

Veteran India custodian P R Sreejesh was among three short-listed for Goalkeeper of the Year award for men while Savita Punia was among three short-listed in the women's category.

The Indian men's team head coach Graham Reid and women's team counterpart Sjoerd Marijne were among three nominees for FIH Coach of the Year award for men and women.

Harmanpreet had scored a whopping six goals from eight matches from his drag-flick to help the Indian men's team clinch a historic bronze, its first Olympic medal in 41 years.

Gurjit was also a pivotal member of the Indian women's team that reached the semifinals for the first time before losing to Great Britain in the bronze medal play-off.

The 25-year-old from Punjab had scored the decisive goal from the penalty corner in India's stunning 1-0 win over Australia in the quarterfinals.

Argentine players Agustina Albertarrio and Agustina Gorzelany and Dutchwomen Eva de Goede, Frederique Matla and Maria Verschoor were the others nominated for the FIH Player of the Year for women.

Besides Harmanpreet, Arthur van Doren and Alexander Hendrickx from gold winners Belgium and Jake Whetton, Aran Zalewski and Tim Brand of silver winners Australia were nominated for FIH Player of the Year for men.

Apart from Sreejesh, Vincent Vanasch of Belgium and Andrew Charter of Australia were nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year Award for Men.

Among women, Maddie Hinch of Great Britain and Belen Succi of Argentina were nominated for the Goalkeeper of the Year Award, along with Savita.

India's Sharmila Devi was nominated for FIH Rising Star of the Year Award for women along with Fiona Crackles (Great Britain) and Valentina Raposo (Argentina) while Vivek Prasad was named along with Mustaphaa Cassiem (South Africa) and Sean Findlay (New Zealand) among men.

Reid was nominated along with Shane McLeod (Belgium team) and Colin Batch (Australia) while Sjoerd Marijne was shotlisted along with Alyson Annan (Netherlands team) and Mark Hager (Great Britain team) for their roles in charge of their respective women's teams.

Players, coaches, media and fans can register their votes for the nominees in the respective women’s and men’s player, goalkeeper, rising star and coach of the year categories from Monday (August 23) to September 15, the FIH said in a release.

Also read: Mizoram Govt appoints Olympian Lalremsiami as hockey chief coach

Votes from National Associations count for 50 per cent of the overall result. Each NA will be granted two votes per gender, which will come from the national team captain and head coach.

Votes from the media counts for 25 per cent of the overall result, while votes from fans/players counts for 25 per cent of the overall result.

The winners will be announced either next month or early October.

With no Hockey Stars Awards in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 global health pandemic on the international calendar, this year's awards cover the period from January 2020 through to the conclusion of the Tokyo Olympics.

This means that the 2020-21 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League has been taken into consideration.

News source:PTI

Dubai, Aug 11 (Cricket news) Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and West Indies skipper Stafanie Taylor were on Wednesday named the ICC Player of the Month for July in men's and women's categories respectively.

Shakib's contributions in all three formats of the game helped Bangladesh win their series against Zimbabwe last month.

He had scored an unbeaten 96 in Bangladesh's three-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the second ODI at the Harare Sports Club.

In the T20Is, Hasan took three wickets at an economy rate of seven, leading his country to a series win against Zimbabwe. He is also the top all-rounder in the latest ICC men's T20 Rankings.

"It is very humbling to be voted ICC Men's Player of the Month for July 2021. There have been many outstanding performances during the month and that is why this is special for me," said Shakib, who edged out Australia's Mitchell Marsh and West Indies' Hayden Walsh Jr, in an ICC release.

Also read: ICC update Test Players rankings as Jasprit Bumrah returns to top 10 while Virat Kohli slips to 5th

"I find most pleasure and satisfaction when I contribute to wins and therefore, I am very happy to have helped in Bangladesh’s successes over the last few weeks." West Indies all-rounder Taylor, who led her team in the ODI and T20I series win against Pakistan in July, was nominated for the award alongside teammate Hayley Matthews and Pakistan's Fatima Sana but her all-round performance in the series helped her claim the most votes.

"This is a bit surprising to me, winning ICC Player of the Month award for July, but I'm happy. It shows that the hard work you put in, will pay off and it did, against Pakistan, to help us win that series. We played well in both formats," Taylor said.

"I'm over in England now playing in The Hundred, which is a different kind of competition, played at a faster pace, but I’m still working hard. We’re also looking forward to the series against South Africa at home, and we will be looking to win that as well. I want to thank the fans for all their support, as it is always appreciated." In the four ODIs against Pakistan, Taylor scored 175 runs with a strike rate of 79.18 and took three wickets with an economy rate of 3.72. She was also on top of the rankings for batters and all-rounders in the ICC Women's ODI Rankings earlier in July.

News source: PTI

(Cricket news) The newest competition in the cricketing world, The Hundred has been a platform to unearth new cricketing talent and give them a stage to show their ability to the world. Let’s have a look at how the numbers stack up of The Hundred so far.

103,650 - The number of people that have been in attendance at the stadiums in the last week.

13,537 - The attendance of a professional women’s domestic game between London Spirit vs Oval Invincibles at Lord’s that set a new record.

496,000 – The number of tickets sold and issued for The Hundred comprising 89,000 for kids and 109,000 for female buyers.

100,000 – Number of tickets sold in the first week of The Hundred out of which 21% has been for kids and 24% buyers were female.

The Hundred was also broadcasted on Sky Sports and the BBC in the last week for those who were not in attendance at the stadiums.

8,540,000 - The number of people who watched The Hundred on tv out of which 3.33m had not seen any other live ECB cricket on TV this year.

2,500,000 – The number of people who saw the opening match of the men’s competition between Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals. Sky’s first exclusive match between Birmingham Phoenix vs London Spirit had an audience of more than 1 million.

1,950,000 – The number of people who saw a women’s fixture across Sky and BBC in the opening game.

Also read: Sri Lanka beat depleted India by 4 wickets to keep series alive

The Hundred app is also a way for fans to engage with the competition, buy tickets, play fan games and more!

6,700,000 - The total number of video views online so far across The Hundred.

46,000 – The number of votes in the polls on The Hundred app. Fans can vote for their Match Hero, Fanfare Music and more.

3,700 – The number of fans who have voted for Northern Superchargers’ Jemimah Rodrigues as player of The Hundred so far.

The Hundred is also giving a platform for new talent to showcase their skills to the rest of the world.

16 – The age of Oval Invincibles’ Alice Capsey who hit a half-century and won Match Hero on her debut at Lord’s.

24 – The number of runs that rookie Chris Benjamin smashed from 15 balls, taking his Birmingham Phoenix side to victory against London Spirit, in only his fourth first class game.

152 – The number of runs that leading scorer Jemimah Rodrigues has smashed in the competition so far. She’s also the current leader of the favourite player vote in The Hundred app.

Sanjay Patel, Managing Director, The Hundred, said: “The opening week of The Hundred has seen world class cricket and millions of fans enjoying the action live at games, from home or online. To see over 8 million people tuning in and so many families and children going to games so far shows how the competition can support cricket in future.

“There’s still a long way to go if The Hundred is to truly achieve its aim of throwing open cricket’s doors. But this is a promising start, thanks to the amazing talents of the men and women we have the privilege of watching on the pitch, as well as those bringing the entertainment off it, and I hope fans continue to be wowed with the show we’re putting on for the rest of the competition.”

In Olympics news, members of the International Olympic Committee decided today to choose Brisbane as the host city for the XXXV Olympiad in 2032.

Under tight COVID-19 rules, the secret ballot was held at the 138th Session in Tokyo, two days before the Olympic Games' Opening Ceremony. Brisbane 2032 gave a presentation, which included a video link-up from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, as well as a final report from Kristin Kloster, Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad – the IOC body in charge of monitoring and analysing interest in hosting the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games.

From a total of 77 valid ballots, Brisbane received 72 yes votes and 5 no votes.

IOC Members had the opportunity to ask Mrs Kloster questions about the election process and Brisbane 2032 questions about their plan to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane and South-East Queensland prior to the voting.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “We encourage Olympic Games projects which are sustainable and economically responsible, which deliver the best possible Games experience for athletes and fans, and which leave solid legacies for local communities.

Also read: Fractured skull and broken bones later, teenage skateboarder Sky Brown ready to be Britain's youngest Summer Olympian

“The Brisbane 2032 vision and Games plan fit into long-term regional and national strategies for social and economic development in Queensland and Australia, and complement the goals for the Olympic Movement outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020 and 2020+5, while focusing on providing memorable sports experiences for athletes and fans.”

“Today’s vote is a vote of trust that Brisbane and Queensland will stage magnificent Olympic and Paralympic Games 2032. We have heard a lot of positive feedback from IOC Members and International Federations in the past few months.”

Brisbane 2032 is the first prospective host to be chosen under the new flexible system to elect Olympic hosts, and to have fully benefited from it. The revisions allow the IOC to collaborate with cities, regions, and countries to promote Olympic programmes that make extensive use of current and temporary venues, are in line with long-term development goals, and have a clear vision for sports and local communities.

President Bach said: “This new approach is lighter, more collaborative, more compact, and has a positive impact. Now we always have a significant pool of Interested Parties for 2036, and even for 2040, which is almost 20 years from now. I can’t remember that we have ever been in such a favourable position 20 years before an Olympic Games.

“We enter Tokyo 2020 with full confidence for the future of the Olympic Movement.”

Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Scott Morrison MP, said: “The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Queensland will forge an enduring legacy for our entire nation. They will support economic growth and investment, deliver lasting community benefits and inspire the next generation of Australian athletes.

“I am proud of Australia, proud of Queensland and proud of our team that secured this win for our country.

“The Commonwealth Government has supported Brisbane’s candidacy for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games right from the very start. We believe in this bid.

“We know it’s a huge opportunity for our nation, just like the Melbourne Games in 1956 and the Sydney Olympics in 2000.”

Following the election, the Premier of Queensland and Minister for Trade, Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Councillor Adrian Schrinner, the Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Brisbane, and Mr John Coates AC, President of the Australian Olympic Committee, signed the Host Contract 2032.

Ms Palaszczuk said: “Queensland’s fundamental approach is to align Games legacy with long-term plans.

“We will work with all three levels of government to embed Games legacy opportunities in existing programmes and will create a special Games Legacy Fund.

“This is to ensure the effective delivery of legacy over the next 10 years – and the 10 years after that.

“That means we develop not just a new generation of Olympic athletes, but we give our small businesses the opportunity to participate too, grow their business and export to the world.”

Councillor Schrinner added: “Local government leaders began this incredible journey, and now it is our job to ensure that Brisbane 2032 delivers a legacy to everyone who calls South-East Queensland home.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the fastest growing capital city in Australia, and a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games will help our region cater for the growth to come and guarantee Brisbane will get even better.”

IOC Members have been involved and consulted throughout the process since June 2019, when the new approach to electing was approved.

Mrs Kloster has previously presented three reports to the Session, the most recent of which was a thorough Future Host Commission report and Feasibility Assessment in March of this year. The Session supported the decision to have a Targeted Dialogue with Brisbane 2032 after receiving the report in March of this year.

In June, as part of the IOC's monthly discussions with Members, a second in-camera meeting with IOC Members took place. The Members' technical briefing was replaced by this meeting, which included a detailed presentation from the Brisbane 2032 team and the Australian Olympic Committee.

Mrs Kloster also informed members on the project's in-depth study conducted through Targeted Dialogue, following which Brisbane 2032 submitted a Final Submission in response to the IOC's Future Host Questionnaire, outlining its vision and technical ambitions for hosting the Games. This resulted in the Future Host Commission Report, which recommended that Brisbane 2032 be put forward for election, which was backed up by an IOC Executive Board decision.

According to early sources, Brisbane 2032 spent about 80% less than the average candidate city budgets for the Games in 2020, 2024, and 2028. Audited accounts, which are a requirement of the election process, will corroborate this in due time. The Olympic Games Organising Committee (OCOG) will be constituted in the coming months.

New Delhi, May 28 India's Nagraj Adiga has been elected as the Asia-Oceania representative at the 2021 International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) Congress.

The Congress was held virtually on May 22 and 23 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the Asia-Oceania representative, voting was held over a 24-hour period on where a total of 10 countries from Asia and Oceania region casted their votes online, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) said in a statement.

Adiga, who was nominated AFI, won by a margin of 7-3 against South Korea's Gilsoo Park.

Adiga works closely with AFI and with various government bodies to promote health, fitness, and encourage budding sportspersons.

"My sincere thanks to AFI for giving me this opportunity to represent India at the highest level in ultra running world. I will give my best to promote the sport of ultra running across Asia and Oceania region and help form new partnerships within Asia and Oceania regions," he said. New source PTI

London: Extreme E on Tuesday launched FanWorld – a virtual experience for fans at home to bring them closer to the Extreme E action. In this virtual zone, fans will be provided exclusive access to the Command Centre, driver’s on-board cameras along with a chance to bag a spot in a live Q&A with the championship’s  drivers.

Fans are encouraged to share their experience using the hashtag #XEFanWorld and the finest content will be hosted in the virtual world bringing fans from all over the world together to experience the Championship. In addition to this, there will also be an opportunity for them to access virtual autograph cards.

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer, said: “I think this new initiative is going to excite fans and give them new ways to engage with Extreme E.

“We saw a huge appetite for the series from the Desert X Prix and I hope this will continue to grow throughout Season 1. FanWorld brings all the action to the homes of people that enjoy our sport and brings them closer to the racing.”

The GridPlay vote opens on Wednesday 26 May at 0900 GMT and closes 30 minutes into Semi-Final 2 on 30 May, Sunday. This gives the fans an opportunity to choose their favourite side and influence the starting line-up for the Final. 

Teams that don’t progress into the final can gift votes to their preferred competitors. In Saudi Arabia, Andretti United were able to pick its starting position in the closing race, which indeed highlights the importance of every vote.

The Ocean X Prix will take place this weekend from 29-30 May in Lac Rose, Dakar, Senegal.
   

New Delhi, May 22 Incumbent Narinder Batra of India was on Saturday re-elected as the International Hockey Federation (FIH) President for a second term during the virtual 47th Congress of the sport's global governing body.

Batra, who is also the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, narrowly defeated his rival Marc Coudron, chief of Belgium Hockey Federation, by a margin of two votes.

Batra secured 63 votes as against his rival's 61 to emerge as the winner in the online voting process, in which 124 member associations participated.

Batra will held the office until 2024. News source: PTI 

The inaugural Extreme E race in the Saudi Arabian deserts of AlUla last month had Rosberg X Racing (RXR) clinch both the race title and the top spot in the overall standings, with 35 points. Although X44 crossed the finish at the final third, they are currently positioned at the second place in the overall table with 30 points after picking more points in qualifying than Andretti United, who eventually came second in the final and now sit on the third place with 28 points.

With just seven points separating the three teams, the table toppers in a conversation with Extreme E shared insights as to how they’re preparing for the upcoming Ocean X Prix at Lac Rose, Dakar, Senegal from 29-30 May.



Molly Taylor, from RXR says: “To take victory in the first-ever Extreme E event was an amazing achievement. Everyone in the team had worked so hard in the build-up to the event, so for me and Johan to repay them all with the victory felt so special. The beauty of Extreme E is the extra buzz you get from racing for purpose, too, and it’s an even better feeling when you win for purpose!”

After a great victory, the side has spent the last few weeks studying the data taken from the dunes in Saudi Arabia in order to prepare for Extreme E's second X Prix in Senegal, where RXR will attempt to clinch two wins on the trot.

Taylor’s RXR teammate, Johan Kristoffersson, says: “Senegal will be a brand-new challenge for everyone, but that’s one of the greatest things about Extreme E: every event is so unique! Despite the differences, we’ll do our best to improve on our performance in AlUla and aim to be competitive once again.”

When asked if RXR thinks it can keep its position at the top of the table, its Founder Nico Rosberg enthused: “The team did an incredible job in Saudi Arabia to get the win and we’re very proud to be the first X Prix winners in Extreme E history, but we know we need to stay focused if we are to remain at the front. The series is already so competitive, but this team loves a challenge, and we can’t wait to go racing again in Senegal.”

X44 driver pairing Cristina Gutiérrez and Sébastien Loeb had an impressive  weekend in Saudi Arabia as they topped the qualifying standings and headed straight through to the first Semi-Final, and by finishing in second place, advanced to the Final. But the side is hoping to win in Senegal.

Sébastien says: “I’m looking forward to racing again in Senegal with Cristina. In the last race obviously there were things that didn’t go our way, but we showed that we’re a very competitive team and that we’re able to get results under pressure.” He continues: “The Ocean X Prix will be a totally new terrain and we have an incredible group of people working with us, so I’m excited to go to Senegal and fight again for a win.”



They have been putting a lot of hard work behind the scenes, analysing the data from the last race to ensure its drivers are well prepared for  Lac Rose. The team has been focusing on the all-important start in particular, which proved crucial  for the final race position, although Senegal will throw a very different challenge of course.

Cristina added: “I’m really excited to get back in the car and race again in Senegal. Obviously the final race in Saudi didn’t go exactly as planned but we got a great result overall and it put us in a good position in the championship. We learned a lot from the last race and we’re going to take those learnings and make sure that we’re as competitive as possible.” When asked about the programmes off the track, she says: “I’m excited too to visit Extreme E’s legacy projects, and make a positive impact on the planet while we’re there.”

Andretti United is at the third position, who advanced to the Final after clinching the Crazy Race. Catie Munnings certainly proved herself to be a tough competitor after her amazing three-wheel drive after enduring a slow puncture in qualifying.

Catie says: “Saudi Arabia certainly wasn’t plain sailing for us, especially with the puncture but Timmy and I learned so much and to finish second in the Final after a tricky start to the event was just awesome. Now we go into Senegal third in the standings, which is a really strong position to be in. We definitely feel well prepared and ready to apply what we learned from Saudi at the Ocean X Prix – and hopefully score another podium!”

In the final, Andretti was able to choose its starting position as it managed to win the fan-led GridPlay vote after getting support not only from its fans, but also from teams that didn’t qualify for the final, as per the rules that state they can gift their votes.

Ahead of the Senegal event, Timmy Hansen has been busy with his fitness routine, through lots of running, even finishing the Wings for Life Run alongside 160,000 others, virtually to raise funds for spinal cord research. Hansen has also completed  some off-road training in the Polaris and supported Catie in her RallyX Nordic debut in Höljes. He also took some time off to celebrate his son Sam’s third birthday.

He says: “I’ve had a productive few weeks continuing with my training, fulfilling some sponsor obligations and also spending a bit of time with my family too. It feels good to strike the right balance. It’s been great having Catie over in Sweden again too - we’ve done a full debrief from Saudi and know the areas where we can improve. We’re both feeling confident going into Senegal with a refreshed state of mind.”

The Ocean X Prix commences on 29 May, and as the all-electric SUVs have been at sea travelling the world on Extreme E's floating centrepiece – the St. Helena; teams won’t be able to start preparing for the race with the cars themselves until they touch down in Senegal.

New Delhi, May 18 Replacing the current three-game format with a best of five scoring system will once again be put to vote by the Badminton World Federation (NEF) during its AGM on Saturday.

The game's governing body, under president Poul Erik Hoyer Larsen, had floated the idea in 2014 for the first time but it didn't receive the support.

The 11x5 system, which was criticised by players and coaches alike, couldn't gather enough votes in last year's AGM.

This time, a joint proposal to "amend the Laws of Badminton relating to the Scoring System" came from Badminton Indonesia and Badminton Maldives, and was seconded by Badminton Asia, and associations from Korea and Chinese Taipei.

"One of the key topics that will be voted on by the Membership is the proposal ... to amend the Laws of Badminton relating to the Scoring System," BWF said on Tuesday.

"BWF Council decided to express its support for this proposal as it aligns with the objectives of the BWF Strategic Plan 2020-2024...." According to the BWF strategic plan, it wants to "include new and innovative elements of the game to ensure this continues to evolve over time and excite, engage and enhance global fan base through inspirational performances at world-class events." During the meeting, "related changes regarding change of ends and continuous play" will also be motioned.

However, BWF made it clear that it "not to be introduced until after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games." India chief national coach Pullela Gopichand and former coach and current director at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) Vimal Kumar have been in favour of the current 21x3 system which requires a player to win a minimum of 42 points. The BWF council, however, had articulated the proposal for a new scoring system in March 2014 as "it was felt that matches were getting longer, while the shuttle was in play for much shorter periods than earlier." News Source : PTI

As per a press release by International Olympic Committee (IOC), The second IOC Coordination Commission held a virtual meeting with Milano Cortina 2026 on Monday, 19 April 2021.

In spite of the ongoing difficulties pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee could showcase the significant progress it made since the last Coordination Commission meeting in September 2020.

Speaking after the meeting, Commission Chair Sari Essayah said, “Since our last meeting in September 2020, the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee has made great progress despite the ongoing pandemic. The most visible highlight was the selection process for the new Milano Cortina 2026 emblem, which saw over 871,000 votes cast. Futura, the winning emblem, will become one of the most recognisable symbols in Italy over the next five years. I am confident that it will also be one of the most loved.”

She continued, “It is not just in the high-profile areas like the official emblem that Milano Cortina has progressed but also behind the scenes, with a lot of groundwork being laid in areas like engagement, marketing, operations and venue planning. This hard work has allowed the Milano Cortina organisers to set themselves up to deliver superb Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2026. I congratulate the whole Italian team for their efforts despite the challenging circumstances.”

Milano Cortina 2026 Presidente Giovanni Malagò commented, “I am very pleased with the positive view expressed by the IOC Coordination Commission about Milano Cortina 2026. I would like to thank Chair Sari Essayah and all the members of the Commission for their judgement. My appreciation also goes to the Milano Cortina 2026 team who, in these difficult months of the pandemic, carried on their work with great enthusiasm. Let’s continue on this path: many challenges await us, but I am sure that we will be ready for them with the professionalism that we are known for by everyone.”

The successful emblem selection procedure  featured over 871,000 votes cast from 169 countries around the globe. Around 75% of entries selected “Futura” as their favourite. This was a major engagement activity for Milano Cortina this year, as is just the start of its engagement plans for the nation and beyond.

Milano Cortina 2026 demonstrated to the Commission an exciting outline of its engagement strategy that will be followed in near future that will engage all generations with a view to promote the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 along with spreading the Olympic and Paralympic values. It will also be a crucial component when Milano Cortina’s commercial programme gets underway in the near future.

The observation programme held by the Milano Cortina team enabled the Italian organisers not only to visualise what the elite event would look like in 2026 but also to understand the abilities of the local organisers. 

Discussions regarding the Venues were also held during the meeting, and a consortium has been picked to craft the blueprint for the Milan Olympic Village.

Concerning Cortina d'Ampezzo sliding track and the endeavours of the Working Group formed by the IOC Executive Board to look after this subject, the Coordination Commission yet again pointed out its concerns regarding the legacy of the track. It was stated that the IOC had several  proposals for alternative tracks but none of them were accepted.

Besides, the Commission also noted that the final plans for the venue will not be an investment in a sliding track for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter events but form a part of a broader entertainment park project, that has no relation to the Games. 

It has been confirmed to the IOC and the Organising Committee that this will not be a part of the investment budget for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Milano Cortina 2026. The track will thus be only  used out to the Organising Committee during the course of the Games. 

Discussions on the Speed Skating Oval, which was also underlined by the IOC’s Evaluation Commission in its pre-election report, are continuing.
 

According to a press release by the International Olympic Committee, Olympic champion Thomas Bach has been re-elected for another four-year tenure as the President of the IOC.

The 67 year old German got 93 yes and 1 no vote out of 94 valid votes at the 137th IOC Session that took place virtually on Monday.

Thomas Bach, who clinched gold with the German foil fencing team at the Olympic Games held at Montreal in 1976, was elected as IOC President at the IOC Session that took place in Buenos Aires in 2013 for a first eight-year term. The tenure will end on the closing day of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 this year on 8 August and his second tenure will immediately commence thereafter and conclude in 2025.

“Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for this overwhelming vote of confidence and trust. For me, this is even more overwhelming considering the many reforms and the many difficult decisions we had to take, which affected all of us,” said President Bach after the election.

Bach, as an athlete, was a brilliant Olympic gold winning fencer. During his first term as the IOC President, he pioneered the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms for the future of the IOC and the Olympic Movement that were adopted in 2014. The Agenda significantly reformed the Olympic Games, the IOC and Olympic Movement.

Thomas Bach, during his premiership was honoured with the glorious Seoul Peace Prize in October 2020. He also received the Cem - Papandreou Peace Award in Athens, the acknowledgement given to individuals and groups who have made “an outstanding contribution to peace”.

Dubai, Mar 9 (PTI) India's premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was on Tuesday named the ICC men's Player of the Month (February) for his stellar show against England in a four-match Test series at home which his side won to qualify for the World Test Championship final. England's Tammy Beaumont was adjudged the women's Player of the Month. In the three Tests he played, Ashwin scored a 106 in the second innings of India's second Test victory over England at Chennai and took his 400th Test wicket in the third Test victory at Ahmedabad. Besides the century, Ashwin scalped a staggering 24 wickets against England in February to help India pocket the four-match Test series 3-1 and help his team secure its spot in the WTC final against New Zealand at the iconic Lord's in June. Scoring a total of 176 runs across these games and taking 24 wickets, Ashwin was the unanimous choice to win in the men's category for February and garnered the most votes in the fan vote, the ICC said in a statement. England Test captain Joe Root (333 runs and 6 wickets in 3 Tests against India), and West Indies Test debutant Kyle Mayers, who scored a match-winning 210 to help his team successfully chase 395 and win the first Test against Bangladesh, were nominated alongside Ashwin for the honour. Beaumont played three ODIs in February against New Zealand where she passed fifty in each of these, totalling 231 runs. Commenting on Ashwin's performance in February, Ian Bishop, representing the ICC Voting Academy said: "Ashwins consistent wicket taking, even in helpful conditions have helped to put his team ahead in a very important series. His century in the second Test was as critical as it came when England were trying to claw their way back into the match." On Beaumont, Bishop said, "Three half centuries of which two were in helping her team win the match was outstanding from Beaumont."

Melbourne, Feb 6 (PTI) Former captain Steve Smith claimed his third Allan Border Medal while Beth Mooney bagged her maiden Belinda Clarke Award, the top two honours of the Australian Cricket Awards. Smith was honoured for his performances in all three formats of the game, while Mooney bagged the recognition in the Australian women's game for the first time. The awards were decided by a voting process for the period 2020-21. Smith was surprised to receive the honour, insisting that he felt his poor outing in the Test series against India had ruined his chances of winning the award. "It's a great thrill, plenty of hard work has gone into it (but) I didn't expect it; I thought Marnus (Labuschagne) or Pat Cummins were the front runners because they both had exceptional years," he said. "I didn't feel I had the biggest Test summer, which normally holds the most votes. I think my one-day cricket was pretty good last summer. "I'm just really honoured to have won my third AB Medal and hopefully I can keep producing results for Australia," he added. It was double celebration for Smith as he also won the men's ODI Player of the Year with 28 votes ahead of Finch (23) and leg-spinner Adam Zampa (19). Smith amassed 568 runs at 63.11 with centuries in Bengaluru and twice at the SCG within three days, as well as a knock of 98 in Rajkot. Ashton Agar bagged the men's T20 Player of the Year, beating fellow leg-spinner Zampa and Finch. Flamboyant open David Warner won the Allan Border Medal last year, while all-rounder Ellyse Perry had claimed the Belinda Clark Award. Smith scored 1,098 runs at an average of 45.75 across all three formats during the period 2020-21, which was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Smith hit four fifties and four centuries, with a top score of 131 in an ODI against India. With 126 votes in his kitty, the right-hander He edged out Pat Cummins (117 votes) and limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch (97). Mooney, who polled 60 votes, edged out Meg Lanning (58) by just two votes to take the honour, with Georgia Wareham (50) finishing third. Due to logistical challenges posed by the pandemic, this year's awards were not presented at the usual gala event, but were announced on Friday during a televised show ahead of the KFC BBL10 Final. The duo received their medals at home -- Mooney on the Gold Coast and Smith in Sydney. Money is the ninth Australian woman cricketer to win the award since its introduction in 2002. The 27-year-old left-hander batswoman also won the women's T20 Player of the Year award. Cummins won the Test player of the year award with 16 votes ahead of Josh Hazlewood's and Marnus Labuschagne. List of 2021 Australian Cricket Awards: Belinda Clark Award: Beth Mooney. Votes: Beth Mooney 60, Meg Lanning 58, Georgia Wareham 50. Allan Border Medal: Steve Smith. Votes: Steve Smith 126, Pat Cummins 114, Aaron Finch 97. Men's Test Player of the Year: Pat Cummins. Votes: Pat Cummins 16, Josh Hazlewood 9, Marnus Labuschagne 8. Women's One Day International Player of the Year: Rachel Haynes. Votes: Rachel Haynes 11, Meg Lanning 10, Georgia Wareham 6. Male One Day International Player of the Year: Steve Smith. Votes: Steve Smith 28, Aaron Finch 23, Adam Zampa 19. Female International Twenty20 Player of the Year: Beth Mooney. Votes: Beth Mooney 30, Alyssa Healy 18, Ash Gardner, Megan Schutt and Georgia Wareham 16. Male International Twenty20 Player of the Year: Ashton Agar. Votes: Ashton Agar 19, Aaron Finch 14, David Warner 13. Female Domestic Player of the Year: Elyse Villani. Male Domestic Player of the Year: Shaun Marsh. Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year: Hannah Darlington. Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year: Will Sutherland. Community Impact Award: Joshua Lalor. Hall of Fame inductions: Johnny Mullagh, Merv Hughes, Lisa Sthalekar.

Dubai, Feb 2 (PTI) One of the architects of India's historic win in Australia, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was on Tuesday nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award along with England skipper Joe Root and Ireland's Paul Stirling. The International Cricket Council announced the nominees for the inaugural Player of the Month Awards which will "recognise and celebrate the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket throughout the year". The 23-year-old Pant played two Tests against Australia where he scored a 97 at Sydney to ensure a draw before an unbeaten 89 at Brisbane that led India to a historic series-clinching win. In January, Root played two Tests against Sri Lanka, where he scored a 228 and 186 and led his team to a 2-0 Test series victory. The third nominee in the category, Stirling played two ODIs against the UAE and three ODIs vs Afghanistan, where he scored three centuries. Among women cricketers, Pakistan Diana Baig and the South African duo of Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp were nominated for the onthly honours. Baig played three ODIs and two T20Is against South Africa, where she led the wicket-takers with nine wickets in the three-match ODI series against South Africa. Ismail also played three ODIs and two T20Is against Pakistan and took seven wickets in the victorious ODI series against Pakistan, before taking five wickets in the second T20I against the same opposition. Her compatriot all-rounder Marizanne played two ODIs and two T20Is against Pakistan where she made 115 runs at a strike rate of 110.57 and added three wickets in the ODI series against Pakistan. Explaining the voting process, ICC said its Voting Academy, comprising prominent members of the cricket family including senior journalists, former players, and broadcasters and some members of the ICC Hall of Fame, will primarily decide the winner. "The Voting Academy will submit their votes by email and will retain a 90% share of the vote. "Additionally, fans registered with the ICC will be able to vote via the ICC website once the shortlisted players are announced and will have a 10 per cent share of the vote. "Winners will be announced every second Monday of the month on the ICC's digital channels."

According to a press release by the NBA, the NBA All Star Voting 2021 presented by AT&T will commence from today, Jan 28th to Tuesday, Feb 16th. It will give the fans the chance to vote for the NBA All-Star starters. Discussions about a potential NBA All-Star game are ongoing. In the duration of the voting period, fans can submit one full ballot everyday using the NBA App and NBA.com as well as vote for 10 different players per day on Twitter. Every current NBA player is available for selection. NBA players and media will join the fans in selection of the NBA All - Star starters. Fans will have 50% of the vote whereas current players and a media panel will account for 25% each. After tallying all the votes, the players will be ranked in each conference by position (guard and front court) within each of the 3 voting groups - the fans, players and media votes. The NBA All Star starters will be announced from the two guards and three frontcourt players with the top score in each conference. Fan voting will serve as the tie breaker for a player in case of a position group with the same score. The fan voting updates will be shared on Thursday, 4th Feb and Thursday Feb 11. This season’s NBA All Star starters will be revealed on Thursday, Feb. 18th during the TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax.

Dubai, Jan 27 (PTI) India's senior off-spinner R Ashwin and swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant would be in contention for the newly-introduced player of the month awards announced by the International Cricket Council on Wednesday. Besides Ashwin and Pant, two other Indians -- Mohammed Siraj and T Natarajan -- are also in the fray. All of them played a stellar role in India's recent historic Test series win against Australia. The world body said the awards will recognise the best performances of both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket throughout the year. Other players named for the awards for January are England captain Joe Root, star Australia batsman Steve Smith, Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Afghanistan, Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk of South Africa and Nida Dar of Pakistan. Fans are invited to vote online every month to award their favourite male and female cricketers across all formats of international cricket played in that month, the ICC said in a release. An independent ICC Voting Academy comprising former players, broadcasters and journalists from around the world will team up with fans to vote for the winners. Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager – Cricket said: "The ICC Player of the Month is a great way to connect with fans of the sport and celebrate performances of their favourite players through the year. "It gives us all an opportunity to acknowledge world class performances on the field by male and female cricketers and they have been in abundance throughout January." The three nominees for each of the categories will be determined by the ICC Awards Nominations Committee based on on-field performances and overall achievements during the period of that month (the first to the last day of each calendar month.) The Voting Academy will submit its votes by email and will retain a 90 per cent share of the vote. Subsequently, on the first day of each month, fans registered with the ICC will be able to submit votes via the ICC website and will have a 10 per cent share of the vote. Winners will be announced every second Monday of the month on the ICC's digital channels.