National Sports Bill and the National Anti-doping Amendment Bill passed; BCCI also comes under the Bill
On Monday, the Lok Sabha passed the National Sports Bill and the National Anti-Doping Amendment Bill, and the BCCI has also come under the purview of the former. The Bills were moved by the Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, which aim at making India a sporting giant in the future. One of the main purposes of the National Sports Bill is to regulate the functioning of all sports in the country. The Bill also has something called the National Sports Board, which will oversee the sports federations, including the BCCI. Now, the board will have to register as a National Sports Federation, since cricket has been added to the 2028 LA Olympics. One of the features of the Sports Bill would be that it will constitute the National Sports Tribunal as well, which will have the powers of the civil court, to resolve the selection and election matters, which include the athletes and the board. The appeal against the decision by the Tribunal can only be made in the Supreme Court. Apart from that, as for the BCCI, the bill also relaxes the age restriction for the administrators. Those between 70 and 75 can contest elections, if allowed by the international body. So, in all likelihood, the current head, Roger Binny, could continue, who turned 70 on July 19. In the initial version of the National Sports Bill, the BCCI would have come under the RTI as well. But then, since the board doesn’t really rely on the centre’s funding, that clause has been removed now. Apart from that, all the rules, as for the other sports bodies, would be applicable to the BCCI too.
Sreeshankar Murali takes fourth gold in a row
Malayali star Sreeshankar Murali continued his stellar return to competition with a fourth title in a row. The 26-year-old long jumper cleared an impressive 8.13m to take first place in India’s maiden World Athletics Bronze Level Continental Tour event at Bhubaneswar on Sunday. It ain’t over till it’s over. It is one of the oldest sporting cliches. At the very end of the Indian Open World Athletics Continental Tour event in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, Sreeshankar Murali brought that sentiment to life in men’s long jump, as he took a huge leap and landed with 8.13m from takeoff, recording his own season best and the top attempt by any Indian this year in the discipline. In his comeback season following a knee surgery, Sreeshankar, who jumped 8.05m in Pune last month and had camped here for about a week, excelled at his favourite venue. He leaped close to the 8m mark thrice before pushing himself to get his best of the season in his final attempt. The performance was short of the Tokyo World Championships direct qualification mark of 8.27 m. On an evening where Indian performances didn’t quite get the juices flowing, Sreeshankar provided a final flourish in style. “This is my lucky ground. I crossed my 8m mark here and then achieved my personal best of 8.41m at the same ground during the 2023 Federation Cup. I think this is Bhubaneswar magic, whenever I come here, I do well,” Sreeshankar said after his win. Until his last jump, it had looked like Sreeshankar would lose to teenager Shahnavaz Khan, who jumped a new personal best of 8.04m. But the experienced Indian brought all his might in the last jump. Sreeshankar was second in the event after four rounds with a 7.95, trailing National Games gold medallist Shahnavaz Khan (8.04m). However, Sreeshankar produced his best in his final attempt to maintain his perfect record since returning to action. Sreeshankar had missed more than a year due to a serious injury. He underwent surgery on his knee after April last year and missed the Paris Olympics. He returned to action in July by winning the Indian Open in Pune with 8.05m and took first place in Portugal at the Meeting Maia Cidade do Desporto, with a modest 7.75m. Earlier this month, Sreeshankar won gold in the Qosanov Memorial in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with a decent performance of 7.94m. He has a personal best of 8.41m, which was set at the same venue in June 2023. Sreeshankar tipped his hat to Shahnavaz for pushing him. “I’m very happy for Shahnavaz also, he did above 8 meters. He’s very young and he has a long way to go. We train together in Trivandrum, we push each other, fight with each other. And we have a very good rapport,” he said in praise of the youngster who was on the brink of pulling off a big upset. While the event crew had already started wrapping up the logistics, Sreeshankar’s competitors and the crowd stayed back for his last jump. “I knew he would do it. His mindset is different than others, and I was cheering for his last jump,” said Sunny Kumar, one of the participants watching on in the long jump. For a moment after the last jump, everyone thought that Sreeshankar might have achieved the World Championships qualification mark. He believed so as well, but it wasn’t to be. “I think in the last jump, I took off early. Like way before the foul board and that is why I gained elevation and lost out on distance,” he explained. “However, I am happy with the fact that I was consistent throughout the competition. I did three jumps above 7.90m and didn’t lose my rhythm.”
Devang Gandhi believes “Time Doesn’t wait for Anybody casting doubt on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s ODI futures
Former India batter and ex-selector Devang Gandhi believes it will be difficult for senior pros Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to keep youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan out of India’s ODI setup for long. Gandhi pointed out that they have already proven themselves in Test cricket and could excel in the 50-over format if given the opportunity. Gandhi told TOI “How will you make players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, among others, sit out when they have shown how well they can adapt? The bigger transition is from T20s to Tests. Once a player has done well in Test cricket and has the power game, ODIs should come easier to them. It is very important that the selectors and the team management sit together and take a call,”. Gandhi stressed that regular game-time is crucial and urged the selectors to honestly assess whether Virat and Rohit can remain at their peak over the next two years. “If, say, in a year’s time, we come to a situation where one of them is not firing and we need a replacement, the team management may not have enough time to prepare a player for the job. There’s absolutely no doubt about the contribution of Rohit and Virat. But time doesn’t wait for anybody.” The captaincy question is equally important, and the selectors must make a decision. Gill has already proven himself ready to lead in Tests and, given his current form, is arguably India’s best ODI batsman, averaging 59.04 with a strike rate of 99.56. with a strike rate of 99.56. With the rapid evolution of the game, the selectors face a crucial decision regarding the balance between experience and youth. Gandhi noted that if Kohli and Rohit struggle to perform, the team management may not have enough time to prepare a replacement. The captaincy issue also looms large, as Shubman Gill has shown he is capable of leading the team, further complicating the decision-making process. His performances have earned him the team’s respect, making the ODI captaincy a natural fit. “There’s absolutely no doubt about the contribution of Rohit and Virat. But time doesn’t wait for anybody,” Gandhi added. With Rohit and Virat — who retired from T20Is in 2024 and stepped away from Test cricket earlier this year — the speculation about their ODI future has been rife. For now, though, it appears they may give one final push to the format they dominated for over 15 years. If they wish to extend their ODI careers beyond October, both may need to feature in domestic one-day competitions like the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December, as well as the ‘A’ series against Australia and South Africa, in addition to international fixture. t this stage of their careers, however, there remains uncertainty over whether these legends would be willing to endure the grind of domestic one-day cricket in far-flung venues once again.
Rs 22 lakh incentive for the Under-20 Indian women
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced a reward of USD 25,000 (INR 22 lakh) for the U20 women’s team. It is worth mentioning that India last qualified for the tournament in 2006. For the first time in two decades, the India U-20 women’s team have managed to secure a qualification for the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup. The side achieved the feat after defeating hosts Myanmar 1-0 in their final Group D encounter at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon. With this result, the Young Tigresses finished at the top of their group with seven points. It was Pooja who registered the lone goal for India. In the Group D qualification campaign, India came up with some astonishing results, where they squared off against Indonesia (0-0) and Turkmenistan (7-0). It all came to a conclusion with the side defeating hosts Myanmar 1-0 in front of a capacity crowd at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar. In the entire campaign, India did not concede a single goal. “The results on the pitch, however, are a direct outcome of the hard yards put in behind the scenes with sustained planning and developmental efforts over the past few years. With no shortcuts taken, India’s qualification for the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup was a direct culmination of the long-term vision and structured preparation put in place at the grassroots level,” the AIFF said in an official release.
Roger Federer to return to Shanghai Masters; Will play with actors and martial art experts
Tennis legend Roger Federer has decided to make a comeback on the court with the 2025 Shanghai Masters. The 20-time Grand Slam winner has confirmed his participation at the Shanghai Masters on Sunday as he will play in the “Roger & Friends” celebrity doubles event on 10th October at Qizhong Stadium. The event promises a unique blend of tennis and entertainment, featuring notable personalities including actor Wu Lei, martial artist and actor Donnie Yen, and former world No. 3 doubles player Zheng Jie, a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion. Federer confirmed his partnership in a promotional video in which he stated, “Hello, this is Roger, and I am really happy to be returning to Qizhong Stadium in Shanghai for the Rolex Shanghai Masters.” “Shanghai has always been a special place for me, with great fans, unforgettable memories, and a real love for the game,” Federer added. He will be returning to the Shanghai Masters for the first time since 2017, when he emerged victorious and won his second singles title at the tournament. The “Roger & Friends” doubles match offers a rare chance to see Federer back on the court alongside notable celebrities and former tennis stars. The return of one of tennis’s greatest icons, even in an exhibition setting, is expected to generate excitement in Shanghai and celebrate his remarkable legacy on the sport’s biggest stages. Recently, Federer made his presence felt at Wimbledon, where he was present at the stands during his old rival Novak Djokovic’s fourth-round match. He was greeted by a loud round of applause as he entered the box together with his wife, Mirka.
