Psychic Star, trained by Pesi Shroff and confidently ridden by Vivek G, posted an authoritative victory in the Group 1, Villoo C Poonawalla Indian Oaks at the Mahalaxmi racetrack on Saturday. The Multitude - Psychic Light filly thus completed a Classics double, having already won the 1000 Guineas last month on the same track. Psychic Light's Oaks victory further strengthened Pesi Shroff's image as the 'ladies' man' because he has now won this race (reserved only for the fillies) a record 13th time, also creating another unique record of winning the last five on the trot. Having also won the 2000 Guineas with Santissimo three weeks ago, Shroff has made a clean sweep of the Classics so far this season. This was also a record 19th Oaks success for the Usha stud where Psychic Star was bred. The Oaks winner is owned by Vijay Shirke's family along with Mrs Liane Luthria and breeder Ms Ameeta Mehra. For jockey Vivek, this was the second Indian Classic after the 1000 Guineas astride the same filly. After the race, Shroff singled out the young lad for special praise. "Vivek is maturing both as a rider and a thinker," Shroff said, "he has a bright future ahead." Win win Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, who has been sponsoring the Indian Oaks in the memory of his late wife Villoo for several years now, had a lucky day at the races as two horses racing in his own silks--Portofino Bay & Gordon--won their respective races. The Dallas Todywalla-trained Portofino Bay (N Bhosale up) mercilessly thrashed Cellini to win the PD Avasia Trophy by a widening seven lengths; and the Pesi Shroff-trained Gordon covered more than five lengths in the straight in the hands of jockey R Ajinkya to pounce on the runaway leader Floyd (TS Jodha up) to claim the Uttam Singh Trophy. Double delight Trainer Karthik also led in two winners on the card: Lord Vader & Golden Thunder. The former, with Bhavani Singh in saddle, stunned his younger rivals at 15-to-1 to bag the upper division of the Tricumdas Dwarkadas Trophy; and and Englishman David Allan worked hard on Golden Thunder to shake off rivals to win the Gr 3, RR Ruia Gold Cup. The other Gr 3 event, the Gool S Poonawalla Million saw the hot favourite Elusive Star, trained by Adhirajsingh and ridden by A Sandesh, just about managing to hold on from a fast-finishing Stormy Sea (NS Parmar up).
12 January,2025 03:20 PM IST | Mumbai | Prakash GosaviHyderabad Toofans scored a thrilling 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory over Soorma Hockey Club after the teams were locked in a 1-1 stalemate at the end of regulation time in a Hockey India League match here on Saturday. Nicolas Della Torre (8th) gave Soorma Hockey Club the lead in the first quarter before Amandeep Lakra (40th) brought the Hyderabad Toofans back with a drag flick.Zach Wallace scored for Hyderabad Toofans in sudden death and goalkeeper Dominic Dixson saved Nicolas Poncelet’s attempt to secure the bonus point for Hyderabad Toofans. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 08:29 AM IST | Rourkela | PTIIn what promises to be a landmark moment in Indian sport, two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra will be bringing a Continental Tour javelin-only competition to India. While the venue is yet to be finalised, the event is slated to take place in May this year. The event being held in association with JSW Sports, along with the support of World Athletics and the Athletics Federation of India, will see some of the best male and female javelin throwers from around the world – headlined by Chopra – compete on Indian soil for the first time. Speaking about the event, Chopra said, “It has been a longstanding dream of mine to organise and bring a world-class javelin competition to India. With the help of JSW Sports and the Athletics Federation of India, we are making this happen. I am sure that my fellow athletes and the fans in India will both create an experience that will be spoken about for a long time. I am excited to see how big we can make this.” Chopra and JSW Sports are keen to make the event an annual fixture in the world athletics calendar, with an eye on adding more track and field disciplines to the meeting. Parth Jindal, Founder, JSW Sports said, “I would like to thank the Athletics Federation of India and their leadership for giving us this fantastic opportunity of bringing a world-class event to India. The AFI has been doing some incredible work to raise the profile of track and field sports in the country, and how they have come forward to support this event is a testament to their endeavours.” The star-studded lined-up aside, the focus will be on delivering a competition that enhances viewer experience using technology – both, at the event and via broadcast. Speaking about the upcoming event, Lord Sebastian Coe, President, World Athletics, said, “World Athletics is delighted to support this new event that will allow fans in India to see their heroes on home soil and that will also showcase to the world India’s ability to stage gold standard events." The meet also aims to inspire the next generation of Indian athletes and to amplify the health and fitness initiatives undertaken by the Government of India. With the AFI giving track and field disciplines a concerted push, India has taken big strides of progress on the continental and global stage with records and numerous firsts for our athletes. Adille Sumariwalla, Chairman (N&IR) of the Athletics Federation of India, said, “We could not have a better role model than Neeraj Chopra to inspire the next generation of Indian athletes and we are pleased to partner with Neeraj and JSW Sports to present the best of our sport to the Indian public. 2025 will be an exciting year for Indian athletics with two Continental Tour meetings being held in our country." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 08:21 AM IST | Mumbai | IANSSatwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s impressive run at the Malaysia Super 1000 badminton tournament came to an end following a straight-game loss to Korea’s Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae in the semifinals, here on Saturday. Seeded seventh, Satwik and Chirag, who reached the finals last season, lost 10-21, 15-21 in a 40-minute semi-final clash. “They played really well, and we could have followed our game plan a bit better. Instead, we played some random strokes, but kudos to them for playing a solid game,” Satwik told reporters. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 08:17 AM IST | Kuala Lumpur | PTIJannik Sinner will try to put a doping scandal behind him when he kicks off his Australian Open defence against Nicolas Jarry, while Aryna Sabalenka’s bid for a hat-trick of titles starts on Sunday against Sloane Stephens. The first Grand Slam of the year gets under way at Melbourne Park as a 15-day event for the second year running, aimed at cutting down on late-night finishes. Italian World No. 1 Sinner is hot favourite after a breakthrough 2024 built on the back of his come-from-behind victory over Daniil Medvedev in last year’s final. He has played Chile’s Jarry twice, winning their last clash in Beijing in September. He begins his defence under a cloud after twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March. Medvedev — who has made three of the last four Australian Open finals — is a potential semi-final opponent with the Russian opening his account against Thai wildcard Kasidit Samrej. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev plays the men’s night match on Rod Laver Arena Sunday against France’s Lucas Pouille, with sixth seed Casper Ruud also in action. Zverev will be on court after Sabalenka, who kicks off her title defence against American former US Open winner Stephens. The Belarusian top seed is looking to become the first woman since Martina Hingis (1997-99) to win three consecutive titles. Should she do so, Sabalenka will join a select group that also includes Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. Carlos Alcaraz and 10-time champion Novak Djokovic are on the other side of the draw, with the heavyweight duo on a last-eight collision course. Spain’s Alcaraz begins against in-form Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko. Despite being 37 and coming off a mediocre season by his standards, few will be betting against Djokovic on the blue hardcourts where he has tasted his biggest successes. Gunning for an 11th title, he would surpass Margaret Court as the outright Slam leader on 25 should he win, with former rival Andy Murray now coaching him. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 08:15 AM IST | Melbourne | AFPElena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, said Saturday she disagrees with the WTA Tour’s decision to provisionally suspend her coach, Stefano Vukov, for a potential breach of the WTA code of conduct, and reiterated that she never made a complaint about him. “I always said that he never mistreated me,” Rybakina said at a news conference ahead of the Australian Open. Rybakina, who is seeded No. 6, characterised the whole thing as “definitely not the ideal situation” heading into the year’s first Grand Slam. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 08:15 AM IST | Melbourne | AP | PTICarlos Alcaraz said Saturday his burgeoning rivalry with Jannik Sinner brought out the best in him, with the Spanish star driven by winning more Grand Slam titles and toppling the Italian as World No. 1. The 21-year-old clinched both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon last year and is preparing to take Melbourne Park by storm and lift the Australian Open to complete a career Grand Slam of all four majors. “When I’m facing him, I just know that I have to play my best if I want to win. That’s it. Probably if I have a bad day against Jannik, it’s 99 percent that you’re going to lose,” said the Spaniard. “That’s what is in my mind every time that I’m going to play against him. “The good thing for me is when I’m seeing him winning titles, when I’m seeing him in the top of the ranking, it forces me to practise even harder every day,” he added. “That, I think, is great for me, having him, have such a great rivalry so far, just to give the best of me every day.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 08:14 AM IST | Melbourne | AFPStar Indian men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open with a gritty victory here on Friday. The seventh-seeded Indians battled for 49 minutes to secure a 26-24, 21-15 win over the Malaysian duo of Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo in the quarter-finals of the prestigious Super 1000 tournament. Satwik and Chirag, runners-up in the previous edition, will face South Korea’s Won Ho Kim and Seung Jae Seo in the semi-finals today. Also Read: F1: Aston Martin pick Cowell as boss The opening game was a nail-biter, with both pairs keeping the contest evenly poised. The Indians held a narrow 11-9 lead at the interval and extended it to 18-16, but the Malaysians rallied, earning three consecutive points to level at 19-19 and even snatched a 20-19 lead. Undeterred, Satwik and Chirag displayed remarkable composure, saving four consecutive game points before closing the first game 26-24. In the second game, the Malaysian pair started strong, but Satwik and Chirag staged an incredible comeback to seal the match. Reflecting on their performance, Chirag said, “Great start to the year, we couldn’t have started on a better note. We want to go as deep in the tournament as possible.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 January,2025 08:17 AM IST | Kuala Lumpur | PTIAston Martin Formula 1 has announced that Andy Cowell, the chief executive officer, will now also serve as the team principal of the British outfit. Cowell, renowned for his tenure as the head of Mercedes’ F1 engine division from 2008 to 2020, joined in October. Also Read: Bhambri-Olivetti bow out from Auckland Classic in semis The restructuring sees Mike Krack, the outgoing team principal, become the Chief Trackside Officer. The changes also introduced Enrico Cardile, formerly of Ferrari, as Chief Technical Officer, who is tasked with overseeing car design. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 January,2025 08:15 AM IST | London | IANSIndia’s Yuki Bhambri and his French partner Albano Olivetti frittered away a solid start to make a semi-final exit from the ASB Classic in Auckland on Friday. Also Read: Kyrgios eyes Grand Slam return after two-years gap The unseeded Indo-French combine had the momentum but the top seeded pair of Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus bounced back strongly to win 3-6, 6-1, 5-10 in the last-four pairs match of the ATP 250 event. Bhambri and Olivetti took 90 points each and spilt USD 10150 for their effort in the tournament. Before teaming up with Olivetti, India No. 2 Bhambri gained valuable experience on the Tour partnering with Venus, entering the Australian Open well-prepared. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 January,2025 08:13 AM IST | New Delhi | PTILove him or hate him, Nick Kyrgios is good for tennis and the sport will get a boost from his return to Grand Slam action at the Australian Open, or so he says. “We watch sport because we want personalities... It’s like drama, theatre. For me, being personally back, it adds a bit of question marks to, like, ‘What is going to happen today?’ I love that. Every time I step out on court, I don’t know if I’m going to be super controversial in a good or bad way,” 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Kyrgios said on Friday, when he indicated he thinks he’ll be able to compete despite a recent issue with an abdominal muscle. Also Read: ‘So many firsts last year’ “Throughout my career, it hasn’t always been good,” continued the 29-year-old Australian, wearing a green hat in support of his favorite NBA team, the reigning champions Boston Celtics, “but it’s added a lot of excitement to the game.” As play begins at Melbourne Park on Sunday (Saturday EST), Kyrgios is sure to be among the players garnering the most attention from spectators, media and other athletes, assuming, that is, he is fit enough. He played a total of one singles match across 2023 and 2024 combined while dealing with knee and wrist problems. He made it sound after a practice session Friday morning — and before a second one planned for the afternoon — as if he’ll be ready for his first major in more than two years. “It’s good to be back. I think it’s important,” Kyrgios said. “I think the sport was getting a bit mundane.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 January,2025 08:11 AM IST | Melbourne | AP | PTIADVERTISEMENT
![Jockey Vivek G, astride the Pesi Shroff-trained Psychic Star, waving at the crowds after winning the Villoo C Poonawalla Indian Oaks (Gr 1) at the Mahalaxmi racetrack on Saturday [Pic: RWITC]](https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/tpflesidf_d.jpg?tr=w-436,h-271 "Jockey Vivek G, astride the Pesi Shroff-trained Psychic Star, waving at the crowds after winning the Villoo C Poonawalla Indian Oaks (Gr 1) at the Mahalaxmi racetrack on Saturday [Pic: RWITC]")
