Indian cricket great Sachin Tendulkar has tested positive for the coronavirus and is quarantining at home. The 47-year-old Tendulkar, test cricket’s all time leading run-scorer, reported on Saturday that he tested positive ``following mild symptoms.’’ ``I’ve quarantined myself at home and am following all the necessary protocols as advised by my doctors,’’ he said on Twitter. Tendulkar, who scored 15,921 runs in test cricket, thanked ``all the healthcare professionals who are supporting me and many others across the country.’’ India has had more than 160,000 coronavirus-related deaths. Cases had been plummeting since September but began spiking last month. Health officials said that a new and potentially troublesome variant has been detected in India, as have variants first detected in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay finally begins
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch relay finally began last week after a year-long delay, signaling Japan’s determination to go ahead with the event despite strong opposition to the games amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Starting in the Fukushima prefecture, which was hit by a powerful earthquake in 2011 that triggered a tsunami and nuclear disaster, the torch relay will last four months and feature thousands of runners. The relay will conclude at the National Stadium in Tokyo during the official opening ceremony on July 23. Many in Japan are opposed to the games in light of the pandemic, with polls indicating a vast majority of people favour delaying or cancelling them altogether. Aside from the Covid-19 pandemic that pushed the sporting event back a year, the Tokyo 2020 games have been hit by a number of sexism controversies. In February, Seiko Hashimoto - a former Olympic medalist and Japanese cabinet minister in charge of the Olympics and gender equality - took over as the Olympic committee’s president after sexist remarks from her predecessor, Yoshiro Mori. He resigned amid a wave of criticism. The creative director of the games, Hiroshi Sasaki, resigned a month later after suggesting leading plus-size entertainer Naomi Watanabe dress up as a pig during the opening ceremony. Many fans will have to enjoy the 2020 games from afar as overseas spectators will be prohibited from attending. Officials hope the move will mitigate widespread concerns in Japan that the games could catalyze further Covid-19 outbreaks.
India lead with 27 medals at ISSF WC
India’s teenage pairing of Vijayveer Sidhu and Tejaswini won gold in the 25M Rapid Fire Pistol Mixed Team event on competition day nine of the ongoing International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol/ Shotgun at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting range in New Delhi on Saturday. They beat compatriots Gurpreet Singh and Abhidnya Ashok Patil 9-1, in a one-sided final.
This was India’s 13th gold medal of the tournament, and with eight silver and six bronze medals already in the kitty, the hosts’ tally with one more day to go stands at a whopping 27 medals. The hosts also lead the medal tally by quite a distance from the United States of America (USA) -- second on the list with three gold, three silver and one bronze medal. Italy is third with two gold and two bronze medals, while Denmark is fourth with two gold and one bronze to show for their efforts so far.
Football legend Balaram stable after brain surgery
Indian football legend Tulsidas Balaram has undergone a surgery to remove a clot in his brain. The former India international was admitted to a Kolkata hospital and had the surgery following investigations. He is stable now and has been shifted to the general ward. Balaram, 84, had an illustrious playing career in which he represented the country 30 times. He was an integral part of the Indian team that won the gold medal in the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta and also a member of the national side that finished fourth in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Balaram had formed the attacking trident with PK Banerjee and Chuni Goswami. Banerjee and Goswami passed away last year. He played for East Bengal from 1957 to 1962, during which he scored a total of 104 goals and won a host of trophies. He also captained the club in1961.
