1. Vijender Confident of Blowing Away Kerry’s ‘Hope’
Undefeated in what has been a fast-rising professional career, Indian boxing star Vijender Singh will take on Welsh-born Australian Kerry Hope in his maiden title bout for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific super middleweight belt today.
The 30-year-old India, who has won all his six pro bouts after turning pro via knockouts, will be up against his most experienced and accomplished rival so far as Hope is a former WBCC European champion with 23-7 win-loss record.
I can’t wait for tomorrow. I am fighting in Delhi after six years, Commonwealth Games being the last time and I am very excited about it.Vijender Singh
None of Vijender’s opponents so far have quite matched up to him but Hope promises to be a tough customer.
“I have trained very hard and I can see that he hasn’t. So I am very confident,” Hope, who weighed 74.9kg, said.
2. Giggs beats Crespo’s Squad in Premier Futsal
Marquee player Ryan Giggs played a stellar role as Mumbai 5’s overpowered Chennai 5’s 4-2 in the first ever Premier Futsal game on Friday.
Giggs led by example as they put together a solid defense and gave Chennai a master-class on counter-attack. He took the charge against the ‘Pele of Futsal’, Falcao, and came out on top to claim the first game of the inaugural tournament.
Giggs had been with Manchester United for almost three decades playing football, but Friday was his debut on the futsal pitch. Mumbai 5’s strike force had the firepower of Giggs and Foglia who won the ‘Best Futsal Player’ award in 2003.
3. Saketh, Ramkumar Give India 2-0 Lead on Day 1 of Davis Cup
Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan endured challenging conditions to wear down their spirited rivals as India took a comfortable 2-0 lead on the opening day of the Asia|Oceania group I Davis Cup tie against South Korea.
The 21-year-old Ramkumar, ranked 217, put the hosts ahead in his Davis Cup debut when Seong Chan Hong conceded the first singles due to cramps in his right thigh as the Indian was serving for the match. After battling hard for two hours and 36 minutes, Ramkumar was leading 6-3 2-6 6-3 6-5 (15-15) when Hong suddenly clenched his right thigh and grimaced in pain, bringing about a sudden end to the match at the Chandigarh Club.
The onus to bring Korea back was on the most experienced player of the side, Yong-Kyu Lim, but Myneni dashed their hopes with a 6-1 3-6 6-4 3-6 5–2 win to set India up nicely.
4. Mixed Doubles is Where Our Hopes Truly Lie, Says Sania
Tennis ace Sania Mirza asserted that India’s best chance of winning a medal in the sport at the upcoming Rio Olympic Games lies in mixed doubles.
The 29-year-old Sania, who is ranked world number one in women’s doubles, will be partnering Rohan Bopanna in mixed doubles in the sporting extravaganza starting August 5. While she seemed optimistic about India’s chances in mixed doubles, Sania said it would be unfair to expect too much from her women’s double partner Prarthana Thombare.
Prarthana is a young girl. It is really unfair to just expect her to go there and compete against the best players in the world, I think that the experience for her would be great. I think we will try and get a medal if we can. Hopefully, in the next Olympics, she will get a medal for us.“I feel that mixed doubles is where our hopes truly lie in.Sania Mirza
5. Lahiri Hangs in Tough Conditions, Makes Cut at Open
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Indian golfing ace Anirban Lahiri made it to the weekend rounds of The Open after battling typical Scottish weather for a one-over-par 72 as he was tied 31st at the end of second round.
Lahiri, who carded two-under 69 on first day added one-over 72 to get to one-under for 36 holes. That will easily make the cut as conditions looked like worsening.
I am glad I am finished. The conditions are getting tougher. I got off to a poor start but recovered well to shoot one-under in last nine holes.Anirban Lahiri
Lahiri had two birdies against three bogeys at the Royal Troon, which was hit by rain, cold temperatures and winds in sharp contrast to the sunny Thursday.
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