Talented Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi lined herself up for her first singles title in more than a year with yet another upset win but top seed Senthil Kumar's impressive run at the ITF J300 event ended with a semifinal defeat on Friday. Maaya has been in red-hot form which she utilised to knock out second seed Eleejah Inisan of France in a fiercely-fought girls' singles semifinal at the DLTA Complex. Passing the test of nerves with flying colours, the 15-year-old Maaya eked out a 6-4 6-7(4) 6-2 win to set up the title clash with Ekaterina Tupitsyna, who too had to fight hard against Polina Berezina. Tupitsyna emerged a 6-3 4-6 6-1 winner in the tight semifinal. Maaya had won a singles title back in December 2023 when she triumphed in Pune in a J100 event. Senhtil has been in a superb touch but his run was finally halted by Korean fourth seed Donghyun Hwang, who came out 6-4 6-1 winner. Once Senthil lost the opening set, the Korean raced away to the finish line with a double break. Hwang will clash with unseeded American of Indian origin Roshan Santhosh, who prevented an all-Korean boys' singles final with his 6-4 6-0 win over Hyeon Seok Seo in the other semifinal. The boys' doubles title was grabbed by the fourth-seeded pair of Artem Bogomlov and Roman Kharlamov, who bounced back in the final against equally formidable combination of Alan Aiukhanov and Alexey Shibaev, winning 5-7 7-6(6) 10-1. The girls' doubles trophy went to the top seeds Konstantinova Yoana and Rada Zolotareva, who emerged winner against the Korean-Taipei team of Yesung Lin Choo and Yu-Chen with a 6-3 6-2 scoreline. 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
10 January,2025 08:10 PM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesSenthil Kumar and Maaya Rajeshwaran kept India in title hunt at the ITF J300 event by progressing to the semifinals of the boys and girls singles respectively but Arnav Paparkar bowed out of the tournament on Thursday. Top seed Senthil, ranked as high as 36 in the world, was up against compatriot Samarth Sahita, who belied his 280th rank with a stunning fight. Senthil had to dig deep into his resources to beat Samarth 6-3 3-6 6-4 in the gruelling quarterfinal at court number 3 at the DLTA Complex. It could have been an all-Indian semifinal too but Arnav Paparkar fell to fourth seed Korean Donghyun Hwang 6-4 4-6 5-7 in another high-quality quarterfinal in the boys event. Now Senhtil and Hwang will clash for a place in the summit final. The other semifinal will be between Korea's Hyon Seok Seo and America's Rosha Santhosh. Seo fought past Latvia's Arturs Zagras 7-5 6-4 while Santhosh also had to work hard to earn a 6-1 2-6 7-6(4) win over Kazakhstan's Damir Zhalgasbay. In the girls singles, Maaya continued her giant-killing run as she knocked out seventh seed Rada Zolotareva, who pulled out of the quarterfinal contest when the Indian was leading 6-3 1-0. Maaya, though, has a tough task at hand now as she will up against second seed Eleejah Inisan, who ended the run of Serbian fifth seed Petra Koljikusic 7-5 6-0. The other semifinal will be between Polina Berezina and Ekaterina Tupitsyna, who sent packing eighth seed Briton Allegra Korpanec Davies 7-6(9) 7-5. The boys doubles final will be between fourth seeds Artem Bogomolov/Roman Kharlamov and Alan Aiukhanov/Alexey Shibaev after they won their respective semifinals. 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
10 January,2025 07:58 PM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesFollowing its tremendous success in UAE, the World Padel League (WPL) is all set to make its mark in India with a thrilling showcase of the sport, featuring 32 of the world's top padel players, across four teams. Scheduled to take place at the Nesco Center, Mumbai from February 5-8, WPL will exhibit the exciting, high-action format that has made padel one of the fastest-growing sports globally. Spectators are in for a treat with unmissable courtside action over 4 days and 7 matches. Elite international padel players such as Claudia Fernandez Sanchez (Women's World No. 3), Marta Ortega Gallego (Women's World No. 7), Sofia Araujo (Women's World No. 8), Alejandra Salazar Bengoechea (Women's World No. 15), Federico Chingotto (Men's World No. 4), Jon Sanz (Men's World No. 9), Carlos Daniel Gutierrez (Men's World No. 19), and many other stars will compete for the first time on Indian soil. With increasing participation and growing infrastructure across major cities, padel has been growing rapidly in India. The partnership between WPL and IPF is set to further accelerate the sport's development, inspiring a wide range of sports enthusiasts. With little less than a month to go for the World Padel League (WPL), Sneha Abraham Sehgal, President of the Indian Padel Federation (IPF) expressed, "The preparations for the World Padel League are in full swing, and we're looking forward to witnessing its highly anticipated debut in India. With some of the biggest names in padel set to showcase their skills, this event promises to elevate the sport's profile in India. It surely marks a new chapter for padel, inspiring more Indian fans across age groups to engage with this exciting sport." Navdeep Arneja, COO of the World Padel League added, "We are proud to bring the World Padel League to India, where the sport is growing rapidly. In the last 2 years, padel has seen a remarkable uptake in the Indian market and it is a great time to help kickstart a notable padel revolution in India. We are looking forward to delivering a spectacular experience and hope it inspires a lasting legacy for the sport in India," as per a release from the World Padel League. With top athletes, coaches and facilities under one roof, the league aims to uplift the sport in the country over the next few years. (With agency inputs)
10 January,2025 06:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe much-awaited Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025, a prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Race, is set to take place on January 19, marking its milestone 20th edition. Renowned for attracting elite athletes from around the globe, this year's event promises fierce competition and the exciting prospect of new records. Defending men's champion, Ethiopian Hayle Lemi Berhanu, is aiming for a third consecutive victory after triumphs in 2023 and 2024. Should he succeed, Berhanu would become the first athlete in the marathon's two-decade history to claim a hat-trick of wins. On the women's side, Ethiopia's Aberash Minsewo, the 2024 champion, returns to defend her title. Minsewo, who claimed victory on her marathon debut last year, faces a strong field of competitors eager to challenge her. The 2025 edition will also feature a top-tier roster of pacers who will guide the runners through the grueling 42.195 km course. Among the men’s pacers are Belgium’s Thomas de Bock (2:10:17), Netherlands’ Luck Maas (2:11:47), and Kenya's debutant Peter Kwalia Kipsirat. For the women, pacers like Tigist Memuye Gebeyahu (2:24:23) and Veronica Njeri Maina (2:24:46) will provide crucial support in maintaining a competitive race pace. The marathon offers an impressive prize pool of USD 390,238, with substantial rewards for the top finishers. The winners in both the men's and women's categories will receive USD 50,000, along with additional bonuses for setting new course records. The current event records are held by Hayle Lemi Berhanu (2:07:32) and Anchialem Haymanot (2:24:15), both set in 2023. Notably, 11 male and six female athletes competing in this year's race have personal bests faster than the existing course records. Vivek Singh, Joint Managing Director of Procam International, expressed his excitement about the upcoming race, stating, "The return of champions like Berhanu and Minsewo highlights the growing global appeal of the Tata Mumbai Marathon. This year’s edition promises to be one of the most competitive yet." Men's list and schedule Lemi Berhanu Hayle ETH/1994 02:04:33 GOLD ER HOLDER TMM Asrar Hiyrden Abderehman ETH/1999 02:04:43 ELITE Bazezew Asmare Belay ETH/1996 02:04:57 GOLD Philemon Rono Cherop KEN/1991 02:05:00 GOLD Kelkile Gezahegn Woldaregay ETH/1996 02:05:56 ELITE Abdi Fufa Nigassa ETH/1995 02:05:57 ELITE Merhawi Kesete WeldemaryamERI/1986 02:06:36 ELITE Kemal Husen Gebi ETH/2003 02:06:52 GOLD Birhan Nebebew Tesfaye ETH/1994 02:06:52 ELITE Berhane Tesfay Berhe ERI/1987 02:07:07 ELITE Abdi Ali Gelelchu Gelchu ETH/1997 02:07:15 ELITE Melese Kifle Dendir ETH/2000 02:11:07 ELITE Demeke Tesfaye Ademe ETH/2001 02:11:48 ELITE Silas Kiprotich Kirui KEN/1992 02:12:23 ELITE Bitew Ademe Endalew ETH/2000 02:18:41 Weyifen Dejene Mulisa ETH/2004 DEBUT Haimanot Mossie Delele ETH/2003 DEBUT Pacers Thomas de Bock BEL/1991 02:10:17 ELITE Luck Maas NED/1999 02:11:47 ELITE Bjorn Koreman NED/1991 02:10:32 Alex Kipkorir Kibarus KEN/1993 02:15:14 Cheruiyot Koech KEN/1994 DEBUT Abede Adissu Zewude ETH/2000 DEBUT Peter Kwalia Kipsirat KEN/1998 DEBUT Timothy Kibet Misoi KEN/1997 DEBUT Women's list and schedule 101 Aberash Minsewo Belay ETH/2001 02:26:06 ELITE 102 Joyce Chepkemoi Tele KEN/1995 02:20:17 GOLD 103 Shitaye Eshete Habte ETH/1990 02:21:33 ELITE 104 Shuko Genemo Wote ETH/1995 02:21:35 GOLD 105 Tigist Getnet Belew ETH/2003 02:23:17 ELITE 106 Adanech Anbesa Feyisa ETH/1998 02:24:07 ELITE 107 Asimarech Naga Mengsitu ETH/2004 02:24:13 ELITE 108 Tigist Memuye Gebeyahu ETH/1994 02:24:23 ELITE 109 Ayantu Kumela Tadesse ETH/1996 02:24:29 ELITE 110 Veronica Njeri Maina KEN/1989 02:24:46 GOLD 111 Zinash Mekonnen Lema ETH/1996 02:24:55 ELITE 112 Emebet Niguse Mamo ETH/1999 02:25:25 ELITE 113 Nigsti Haftu Tesfay ETH/1999 02:25:37 ELITE 114 Aberash Demisse Korse ETH/1997 02:25:42 ELITE 115 Medina Deme Armino ETH/1997 02:26:01 ELITE 116 Aamelmal Birara Tagel ETH/2000 02:26:31 ELITE 117 Shewarge Alene Amare ETH/1994 02:27:26 ELITE 118 Birtukan Birhanu Abera ETH/1994 02:32:40 ELITE 119 Enyish Mengie Birkie ETH/2005 DEBUT
10 January,2025 04:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndia's Paris Olympics silver medallist Neeraj Chopra has been named the best male javelin thrower in the world in 2024 by the globally-renowned American magazine 'Track and Field News'. The 27-year-old Chopra, who was beaten by Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem for the Olympic gold medal in August last year, pipped two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada for the top spot in the 2024 rankings published by the California-based magazine. Nadeem was ranked fifth as he competed in only one event in 2024 besides the Olympic Games where he came up with a monster throw of 92.97m as against 89.45m of Chopra. He finished fourth in the Paris Diamond League. Founded in 1948, the magazine, which claims itself to be 'The Bible Of The Sport', publishes world and American rankings every year. The magazine is considered an authority in global track and field circles. Chopra was also the top-ranker in the men's javelin throw rankings of 2023. He did not win any Diamond League event in 2024, finishing second in Doha, Lausanne and Brussels. His only major win last year was at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland. "Reigning leader Neeraj Chopra vs. 2022's winner Anderson Peters for the top spot was likewise not clear-cut. Chopra didn't score any DL wins, but was at 3¿2 narrowly ahead of Peters," the magazine wrote. "Peters, for his part, picked up a trio of DL wins. Razor-thin edge to the Indian for his better Paris placing," it added. Peters, also 27, had finished third behind Nadeem and Chopra in Paris Olympics. He had won three DL events in 2024 -- in Lausanne, Zurich and Brussels. Regarding Nadeem, the magazine wrote: "What do you do with an Olympic gold medallist who had only one other meet, and finished 4th in that one? "Thus it was decided that Arshad Nadeem could be no higher than No. 5 even though he climbed to No 6 on the all-time list." (With agency inputs)
10 January,2025 04:33 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentNovak Djokovic did not want to rehash 'or even discuss at all, really' what he said Friday was a months-old interview with GQ magazine in which he recalled having high levels of metal in his blood from food he was served while detained before being deported from Australia in 2022. "I would appreciate not talking more in detail about that, as I would like to focus on the tennis and why I'm here," Djokovic said ahead of the Australian Open, which starts Sunday (Saturday EST). "If you want to see what I've said and get more info on that, you can always revert to the article," Djokovic said about the piece posted online this week. Djokovic is working with Andy Murray as his coach in Australia in a bid to become the first player in tennis history with 25 Grand Slam singles titles. In a lengthy GQ story that covered several topics, Djokovic spoke about what happened three years ago, when he was not vaccinated against COVID-19 and was kicked out of Australia. "I had some health issues. And I realized that in that hotel in Melbourne, I was fed with some food that poisoned me," he said. "I had some discoveries when I came back to Serbia. I never told this to anybody publicly, but ... I had a really high level of heavy metal. Heavy metal. I had ... very high level of lead and mercury." The 37-year-old Serbian did not directly answer at the end of Friday's news conference when asked whether he had any evidence linking the blood levels he described to GQ to the food he ate in detention. Djokovic will be participating in the Australian Open Grand Slam event, where he will be trying to tick three boxes, secure a record-extending 11th Australian Open title, unlock his record-breaking 25th grand slam title, the most by any player across men's and women's categories and finally, hit a century of ATP Tour level titles. His first-round opponent will be USA's Nishesh Basavareddy on Sunday. Speaking to GQ Magazine as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald, Djokovic said, "My dad is trying to retire me for a while now ... He is like, 'What else do you want to do?' He understands the amount and the intensity of the pressure and tension that is out there, and the stress that has an effect on my health, my body, and then, consequently, on everyone else who is around me, including him. So that is why he was like, 'My son, start to think about how you want to end this'." "I do think about more how than when. When I am not thinking about it as of yet so intensely. How, how I would like to end it? I feel if I start to lose more and feel like there is a bigger gap, that I start to have more challenges in overcoming those big obstacles in big slams, then I will probably call it a day. But right now I am still OK, keep continuing," he added. Djokovic is one of the most decorated names in tennis history. He has the most grand slams by a men's player, the joint-highest number of grand slams won by any player, and a career golden slam to his name after he secured the Olympic gold medal in Paris following a win over Carlos Alcaraz. He has been a 10-time Australian Open champion, three-time French Open champion, a seven-time Wimbledon champion and a four-time US Open champion. He has also won seven ATP Finals titles and two Olympic medals, including a singles bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His last ATP tour-level title win came in the ATP Paris Masters event in November 2023 while his last Grand Slam win was the US Open title against Daniil Medvedev in September that year. Djokovic recently took part in the Brisbane International, losing to Reilly Opelka in the quarterfinals. He will be teaming up with tennis icon and former rival Andy Murray as a coach-player duo for this tournament. (With agency inputs)
10 January,2025 04:13 PM IST | Melbourne | mid-day online correspondentLakshya Chahar continued the Services Sports Control Board’s (SSCB) stellar performance at the 8th Elite Men’s National Boxing Championship, with a dominant display on Day 3, reinforcing his unit’s bid to retain their title in the prestigious tournament. Chahar, a seasoned boxer who has represented India at the Asian Games, World Championship, and twice at the Asian Championship, beat Railways’ Sahil with a unanimous vote in the Light Heavyweight (75-80kg) category, advancing to the next round. Organised by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) in association with the Uttar Pradesh Boxing Association, the championship is being held at Invertis University in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, from January 7-13, 2025. With around 300 boxers competing across weight categories, the week-long tournament features bouts conducted under the World Boxing Technical & Competition Rules, including three three-minute rounds and one-minute rest intervals. Also Read: "People have opinion but I'm comfortable in my own skin": Steve Smith Govind Sahani, who began his campaign with a commanding victory over Mohammad Aarif of Jammu & Kashmir on Day 1, continued his impressive run in the championship. The silver medallist from the 2023 Strandja Memorial International Boxing Tournament secured his second consecutive win with a dominant 5-0 verdict against Gourav Mazumder of Assam in the Lightweight category, striking another positive for the Railways’ unit. Day 3 of the championship proved to be highly successful for the Punjab state unit, delivering a series of strong performances across two sessions. Gopi secured a well-earned victory in the Flyweight category, while Jayshandeep Singh showcased his skill to triumph in the Bantamweight division. Adding to the team's success, Nikhil claimed a decisive win in the Lightweight category, and Kanwarpreet Singh capped off the day with an impressive performance in the Super Heavyweight division. The 10-points-must scoring system remains in effect throughout the event, with each state unit fielding up to ten boxers. Team SSCB, the two-time defending champions, have entered the competition as favourites, continuing to dominate across categories as they aim for their third consecutive title. 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.
10 January,2025 02:55 PM IST | Bareilly | mid-day online correspondentBaby Bazooka, the seven-year-old mare trained by Altamash, bagged the Madras Race Club Trophy, the feature event of Thursday's six-race card slated at the Mahalaxmi racetrack. Recently in the habit of jumping slowly from the starting gates, Baby Bazooka showed some improvement when she lost only a fraction of a second at jump, before Sandesh brushed her up to stalk the leader, Son Of A Gun (M Alam up), with Irish Gold (S Saqlain up) and Dexa (P Trevor up) following them. When the race came to a boil midway in the straight, all three--Baby Bazooka, Irish Gold and Dexa--got aligned for a neck-and-neck battle, Irish Gold overpowered Baby Bazooka. But Sandesh managed to cajole Baby Bazooka for a re-run and she responded magnificently to wrest back the initiative. Sandesh also steered Timeless Vision to a last-stride victory in the RR Byramji Salver, beating favourite Jade (C Umesh up) who shaped like a winner after sweeping past the front runners in the final lap of the six-furlong trip. Timeless Vision was saddled by Adhirajsingh. Also Read: Dr Antonio D’Silva stun St Stanislaus in semis English jockey David Allan who has arrived in India for the 2024-25 racing season got off to a flying start when he powered trainer Karthik's 8-to-1 shot Caliph to a fluent victory in the Vallabhdas H Adwalia Trophy, a mile affair for Class IV horses. The Greater Mumbai Police Trophy was claimed by Midnight Express (NS Parmar up) who justified her favourite status by easily outpacing her nine rivals over the five-furlong sprint for Class IV runners. The six-race card began with Dr AH Sayed Plate for Class V runners (5y & older) over six furlongs in which jockey KG Likhit Appu, who was fishing for his first success at Mahalaxmi after shifting base from Bangalore this season, gave a well-judged ride to the Imtiaz Sait-trained Milli who spared three parts of a length to She's A Teaser (Bhavani Singh up) at the wire. A massive coup was confidently pulled off by trainer Hormuz Antia in the last race of the day, the Raza Ali Plate for Class V runners, when truckloads of money landed onto his ward Hagibis, whose last victory was at the identical class level (Class V, 5y&o, race#56 run on January 4 last year), and who, since then, had used the nine intervening runs in Class IV to drop from the rating of 33 to 20 at which he ran on Thursday.
10 January,2025 10:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Prakash GosaviRiding high on goalkeeper Omkar Bhube heroics under the bar, Dr Antonio D’Silva High School, (Dadar) edged out St Stanislaus High School (Bandra) 4-2 in a thrilling tie-breaker and secured a spot in the final of the MSSA boys’ U-16 Junior Aga Khan inter-school hockey tournament at the Don Bosco High School (Matunga) on Thursday. St Stanislaus took an early lead with Ethan D’Souza scoring in the 14th minute, closing the first half 1-0 in their favour. After the break, Dr Antonio D’Silva’s relentless attacks bore fruit when they were awarded a penalty corner in the 27th minute. Skipper Neel Bhalekar converted the opportunity to level the match 1-1 at the end of regulation time. Also Read: Prannoy ousted in 2nd round In the penalty shootout, Omkar stood tall for Dr Antonio D’Silva. While Priyanshu Vichare, Aamod Ghadge, and Salman Khan successfully converted their penalties, Omkar’s brilliance denied St Stanislaus’ Skye D’Costa, Zidane Fernandes, and Rudra Sarmalkar. In the other semi-final, Don Bosco High School, (Matunga) cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Children’s Academy, Malad. Skipper Arnav Khot shone with a stellar hat trick, steering his team into the final. Pranit Naik coach of Dr Antonio D’Silva said, “I realised that my strikers couldn’t finish well, so I moved a couple of my defenders to play forward. I’m glad it paid off.” Later in the day, in the MSSA girls U-16 K G Kalantri semi-finals, St Teresa Convent High School (Santacruz) defeated Gokuldham High School (Goregaon) 4-0, while Duruelo Convent High School (Bandra) beat Don Bosco High School (Borivli) 2-0.
10 January,2025 08:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamIndian shuttler HS Prannoy’s valiant fight ended in a narrow loss to China’s Li Shi Feng in the men’s singles second round at the Malaysia Super 1000 tournament here on Thursday. Also Read: Two much dope talk! Prannoy recovered from an opening-game reversal to stay in contention but fell short, losing 8-21, 21-15, 21-23 to seventh seed Li. Earlier, the women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand suffered a 21-15, 19-21, 19-21 defeat to China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in their round of 16 match. 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
10 January,2025 08:11 AM IST | Kuala Lumpur | PTIIt’s a topic that shadowed tennis in 2024 and is still a talking point as the 2025 Grand Slam season opens at the Australian Open on Sunday — the doping cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. Both spent much of last year at No. 1, and Sinner still will hold that spot at this Australian Open, one of two major trophies he won over the past 12 months. Negative comments Swiatek, a five-time Slam champ and the woman leading the WTA rankings most of the past three seasons, is currently No. 2 behind Aryna Sabalenka. “Obviously, there will be some negative comments You’re not going to avoid that,” Swiatek said. Most current players prefer to remain silent when asked about the cases, but there are those who have spoken, including 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic, raising questions about whether Sinner and Swiatek were treated the same as other players facing similar circumstances and why their situations were kept under wraps for months. Also Read: Djoko handed tough draw, Nagal faces Czech Machac “I sit and wonder, Why such a big difference in treatment and judgment. I can’t find, and I don’t think there can be, a logical answer,” was two-time major champion Simona Halep’s reaction to Swiatek’s punishment. Halep initially was banned for four years after testing positive for the banned drug Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open. She had that penalty reduced to nine months on appeal, although she already had been off the tour longer than that. No one has been louder about the subject lately than Nick Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, who missed nearly all of the past two seasons due to injuries. “It’s been handled horrifically in our sport. Two World No. 1s, both getting done for doping, is disgusting for our sport. It’s a horrible look,” Kyrgios said at the Brisbane International. Sinner in top form Sinner dominated last year, and there’s little reason to think that won’t continue. In 2024, he went 73-6 with eight titles, including at US Open, and led Italy to the Davis Cup. He heads into the Australian Open on a 14-match winning streak. Hanging over it all is this: Two positive tests for a trace of an anabolic steroid in March were made public in August; the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) felt he shouldn’t be suspended because the exposure to Clostebol was considered accidental — the result of a massage from a trainer who used the substance after cutting his own finger. The World Anti-Doping Agency was not convinced about the exoneration and thinks a ban of one to two years would be appropriate. Its appeal, lodged in September, is still pending, and a final determination is expected after the Australian Open ends. Meanwhile, Swiatek accepted a one-month suspension in November after testing positive for banned heart medication TMZ. She failed an out-of-competition test in August, and the ITIA accepted her explanation that it was caused by the contamination of a nonprescription medication, melatonin, she was taking for jet lag and sleeping issues. Swiatek missed three tournaments, although the real reason wasn’t revealed at the time — and finished serving her punishment after the season was done. 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
10 January,2025 08:08 AM IST | Melbourne | AP | PTIADVERTISEMENT
