Archery Franchise League Launched; Deepika says People Will Know in a Modern Way
The Archery Premier League (APL) has joined the expanding list of first-time franchise-based leagues launched in India this year. Giving tribute to blend the global appeal of archery with the richness of Indian mythology, the league kicked off on the festival of Dussehra. However, heavy rains in the city on Thursday kept large sections of the crowd away from the Yamuna Sports Complex, affecting attendance at both the opening ceremony and the first three matches. The league saw six franchises and eight archers’ teams, each named after the historical dynasties of India – Prithviraj Yodhas (Delhi), Mighty Marathas (Maharashtra), Kakatiya Knights (Telangana), Rajputana Royals (Rajasthan), Chero Archers (Jharkhand) and Chola Chiefs (Tamil Nadu). The league format combines both compound and recurve archery, with four archers from each team competing against four from the opposing side. However, the day, supposed to be the spectacle of archery and divinity, turned into a rain-marred spectacle. When the seasoned archer, Deepika Kumari, spoke to the reporters, she stated, “In some ways it’s a good day and in some ways a bad way to start the league today. It’s good because people will get to know archery in a modern way. But it’s bad because not too many people were able to make it to the venue today.” Kumari, representing the Chola Chiefs, defeated Atanu Das’ Chero Archers 5-1. The opening ceremony, attended by Telugu film star Ram Charan, saw more police personnel than fans. When Charan attempted to meet the archers, his unruly fan circle broke past security and spilt into the group of players waiting to interact with him. One of the team coaches shouted at the crowd to clear space and eventually told the archers to move with their equipment. Fortunately, the smaller turnout at the Yamuna Sports Complex helped prevent a bigger incident. A team coach stated, “I have a 15-year-old archer who is crying, and I’m angry. They didn’t show any social sense. The people are simply not ready to listen.” While talking to the Indian Express, the director of APL, Anil Kamineni, stated, “The hindrance today was the rain. We had so many people coming, and then they said they wouldn’t be able to make it. But we said it’s our archery; it’s a sport, so it has to go on. So, there’s no question of cancelling. So, we went ahead.” A TV deal is still pending, but Kamineni confirmed that talks are on and an OTT platform is ready to step in immediately. Despite early challenges, the league’s format is engaging. With just 20 seconds for each shot, archers must fire quickly and clear space for their teammates, creating a sense of urgency. Featuring two recurve and two compound archers aiming at different targets, the format offers a unique twist that sets it apart from the Olympic style. “It’s easier for recurve to quickly set up and shoot an arrow, but it’s tough for the compound archers. Our goal is to reach the shooting line quickly and take a shot no matter what. Now we have to think about our shot, as well as the time on the clock,” said Deepika.
KL Rahul’s 8 Years Long Century Drought Ends With Tribute to Daughter
KL Rahul finally ended his 3,211-day-long century drought in a home test. He scored his 100 on the second day of the first test between India and the West Indies out of 190 deliveries. The first session on Friday saw a new celebratory action as the opener removed his helmet, lifted his bat toward the dressing room in acknowledgement of the applause, and then placed two fingers in his mouth — a gesture seemingly dedicated to his newborn daughter, Evaarah. Among the loud chants of “KL Rahul, KL Rahul” from the vacant stands, the head coach, Gautam Gambhir, seemed visibly pleased beside the support staff. Before Friday, Rahul’s last home century was against England in December 2016. That was the test in which Karun Nair scored his famous triple hundred. The opener has been in sensational form. He scored two hundreds in India’s 2-2 draw in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He finished the five-Test series with 532 runs. His average was over 50 runs per innings. The red-soil pitch in Ahmedabad is far from the easiest to bat on. While the West Indies scored 162 in their first innings, India has shown much resilience. Rahul secured 12 boundaries, clearing the century pathway, and stuck with his bat till 100 at lunch. India went into the interval at 218 for 3, holding a first-innings lead of 56 runs over the West Indies.
Semenya Ends Seven-Year Long Fight With A Victory Stance
Olympic champion Caster Semenya has decided to end her seven-year legal battle. She fought over track and field’s sex eligibility rules; her lawyers announced the decision on Thursday. The move comes despite her recent victory at the European Court of Human Rights in July, which had seemed to reopen one of the most debated issues in global sport. Patrick Bracher, Caster Semenya’s lawyer, wrote in an email to The Associated Press. He said they would not take her appeal to the Swiss Supreme Court. This step was open to them. However, many thought it would be her next move after the European Court of Human Rights ruling. But Semenya has chosen not to continue. “Caster’s legal challenge reached the highest possible court with a highly successful outcome and will not be taken further in the circumstances,” Bracher wrote. Semenya, the two-time Olympic gold medallist from South Africa, has been banned from the tracks since 2019 at the major international stages like the Olympics and World Championships. The step was taken due to a breach of the rules of World Athletics and taking medication to artificially reduce her hormone levels. Since 2018, Caster Semenya has fought against the rules set by World Athletics in three different courts—the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Swiss Federal Tribunal, and the European Court of Human Rights. She argued that these rules violated her basic rights. However, she lost her cases at both the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Federal Tribunal. Later, the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights ruled in July, suggesting a lack of consideration of some complex arguments and dismissal of a fair hearing at the Swiss Tribunal. Which, in turn, opened an avenue for the runner to further challenge. Semenya was once the world’s leading middle-distance runner, going unbeaten in more than 30 races before the ban. Now 34, she has turned to coaching, as the regulations effectively ended her competitive career. She has simultaneously become the central figure in the debate over sex eligibility in sports. Her story took track in 2009, when she won the world championships as a teenager and was asked to undergo sex verification tests. Semenya lives with a condition known as differences in sex development (DSD). People with DSD may have traits that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female. In her case, she has the XY chromosome pattern usually found in males, along with female physical traits and naturally high levels of testosterone. DSD conditions are sometimes described as intersex.
