Sports
Yupun set to climb up Road to Olympic rankings
Yupun Abeykoon would be delighted to have placed fourth against a solid field that included American veteran Mike Rodgers and Ivorian Arthur Cissé.
by Reemus Fernando
Sri Lanka’s top ranked sprinter Yupun Abeykoon did well to finish fourth at the Rome Diamond League meeting on Thursday. Brushing shoulders against some of the world’s fastest sprinters, the national record holder clocked 10.16 seconds.
The fourth place finish will augur well for the sprinter as he aspires to earn a Tokyo Olympic berth. The 26-year-old is currently placed 65th in the Road to Olympics rankings and needs to secure a spot within the first 56 positions as only 56 athletes are selected for Tokyo Olympic 100 metres. To earn a direct qualification Abeykoon has to clock 10.05 seconds.
With Diamond League competitions guarantying more points, analysts believe that Abeykoon would secure a better position in the Road to Olympic rankings when the World Athletics update the rankings.
To secure the fourth place Abeykoon edged out some leading athletes who are placed higher in the Road to Olympic rankings.
He would be delighted to have placed fourth against a solid field that included American veteran Mike Rodgers and Ivorian Arthur Cissé.
US World Relay champion Michael Rodgers who is ranked 15th in the Road to Olympic rankings was placed fifth in a time of 10.25 seconds.
South African Akani Simbine clocked 10.08 seconds to win while Great Britain’s Chijindu Ujah finished second in a time of 10.10 seconds. Emmanuel Matadi was placed third in 10.16 seconds.
None of Sri Lanka’s male athletes have reached qualifying standards for the Tokyo Olympics so far while Nilani Ratnayake is the only Sri Lankan athlete who is within the required ranking positions to book a berth. The steeplechase athlete is currently ranked 37th in the Road to Olympics rankings.
Rio Olympic participant Sumeda Ranasinghe is also closer to an Olympic berth in the men’s category. The javelin thrower is currently ranked 43rd in the list. High jumper Ushan Thivanka who has produced a superb 2.30 metres is ranked 51st in the list.
At the Rome Diamond League on Thursday one of the highlights of the night was Dutch long-distance star Sifan Hassan’s performance in the women’s 1 500m. The 10,000 metres specialist showed her prowess in the 1,500 metres, beating Olympic 1 500m champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya in a new meeting record of 3:53.63. It was also a world lead. Kipyegon was placed second in a personal best of 3:53.91.
Gurnoor Brar did his burgeoning reputation a lot of good as he ran through Sri Lanka A to set up a simple 33-run chase for India A, who completed the formalities without fuss to win the two-match series of unofficial Test matches 1-0 in Galle. Brar picked up six wickets – to go with four in the first innings – as Sri Lanka A, starting their second innings on Sunday morning 177 in arrears, folded for 209. The 10 for 145 was by far Brar’s best in his short first-class career.
The day began with India A at 541 for 8 in their first innings after B Sai Sudarshan’s 168 and half-centuries from Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel and Saransh Jain, who was in the middle alongside Yash Thakur. The innings ended soon after when Thakur became left-arm spinner Keshara Nuwantha’s fifth victim – Ruturaj Gaikwad didn’t come back out to bat after retiring hurt on the third day.
Then the Brar show began, though there was help for him up top with Aaqib Nabi and Thakur picking up a wicket each to Brar’s two, as Sri Lanka A were 49 for 4 at the start of the 11th over, captain Sahan Arachchige, their century-maker from the first innings, among the wickets to fall.
The fightback for Sri Lanka A was a solo effort, courtesy Ashen Bandara, a white-ball international between 2021 and 2023, as he smashed the bowlers around for 87 in 86 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes. His partnership with the other Bandara, Anjala, was worth 70 runs, with Anjala contributing 17 of those.
The resistance ended when Brar returned to send back Anjala Bandara and followed it up with the wicket of Ashen Bandara to leave Sri Lanka A at 141 for 6, still well behind. Contributions from lower-order batters Nuwantha (26), Dilum Sudeera (21) and Asanka Manoj (12 not out) did help Sri Lanka A wipe out the deficit and get a lead, but only just. Brar completed his five-for when he sent back Sudeera, and then the six-for when he finished the innings with Dulaj Samuditha’s wicket. Jain, meanwhile, picked up two wickets.
Sai Sudharsan and Aman Mokhade knocked off the required runs in just 6.2 overs to complete the win, India A adding to their win in the 50-overs tri-series, with Afghanistan A the third team, earlier on the tour.
Scores:
India A 543 for 9 decl in 143.3 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 168, Devdutt Padikkal 94, Dhruv Jurel 53, Saransh Jain 70*; Keshara Nuwantha 5-159, Dilum Sudeera 3-102) and 36 for no loss in 6.2 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 25*, Aman Mokhade 11*) beat Sri Lanka A 366 in 110 overs (Sahan Arachchige 127; Gurnoor Brar 4-77, Saransh Jain 4-92) and 209 in 48.3 overs (Ashen Bandara 87; Gurnoor Brar 6-68, Saransh Jain 2-66) by ten wickets
[Cricinfo]
There are a lot of similarities between Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka.
Both have won four Grand Slam titles, been top of the world rankings and built their legacies on hard courts.
The big-hitting pair broke through on the WTA Tour around the same time, but their journeys have been very different.
While one peaked early, the other had a longer wait for success.
After they first met at the 2018 US Open – with Osaka going on to win her maiden major – they did not face each other again until 2026.
The pair have now faced each other three times in the space of three months – and today ( Sunday) they will go head-to-head again in a blockbuster fourth-round clash at Wimbledon.
(BBC)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to introduce a DRS certification system and explore the possibility of accrediting more vendors capable of supplying cost-effective Decision Review System (DRS) technology. The proposal is among the agenda items for the Annual Conference in Edinburgh, where the world governing body is also expected to grant Associate Membership to Mauritius. The Annual Conference is scheduled to be held from July 8 to 11.
“The ICC needs to ensure that DRS implementation undergoes a comprehensive assessment and testing process for both current DRS suppliers and potential suppliers. A DRS certification system will also be explored with a view to making cost-effective DRS options available that can serve the global game,” a source in the know explained.
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China and Russia to hold annual joint naval drills
A rivalry renewed – Sabalenka and Osaka meet again
Iran’s China envoy vows ‘special’ Hormuz treatment for ‘friendly’ countries
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