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Tokyo Olympics chief rules out another postponement despite concerns

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(Last Updated On: June 3, 2021)

The president of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics organising committee has ruled out a cancellation or further postponement of the Games as doubts swirled among city governments and medical professionals whether the event can be held safely amid the pandemic.

Public opinion polls in Japan have consistently shown that a majority want the Games cancelled or put off yet again after being delayed by one year because of the coronavirus crisis, Reuters reported.

“We cannot postpone again,” athlete-turned-politician and organising committee president Seiko Hashimoto said in an interview published on Thursday by the Nikkan Sports newspaper.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is likely to call a snap election after the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Asahi newspaper reported, showing his resolve to push ahead with the event.

Foreign spectators have already been barred from the Games, and officials are undecided if Japanese fans will be allowed into venues. Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura pointed out on Thursday that excited fans, shouting and hugging could pose a contagion risk.

Towns and cities set to host Olympic training or events have increasingly expressed misgivings, amid concern visitors will spread variant strains of the virus and drain medical resources, Reuters reported.

The government of Ota City has been inundated with complaints by residents over a decision to give preferential COVID-19 vaccinations to city and hotel staff tending to Australian athletes, media reported.

The city, about 80km northwest of Tokyo, is the site of a training camp for Australia’s softball squad, which this week became the first national team to arrive in Japan.

Kurume City in the southern prefecture of Fukuoka pulled out of hosting Kenya’s pre-Olympics training camp, the African nation’s Olympics committee said on Wednesday.

A player on Ghana’s Under-24 team tested positive for the coronavirus after arriving in Japan for a friendly match, the Japan Football Association (JFA) said on Thursday. And in Taiwan, the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association said it was pulling out of Olympic qualifier games in Mexico amid infection concerns, Reuters reported.

Japan is battling a fourth wave of COVID-19 eight weeks out from the scheduled start of the Games, but the country’s vaccine rollout has been slow and 10 regions including Tokyo are under a state of emergency until June 20.

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Attack Energy thrash Jawanan Wahedi 7-0; Aino Mina 3-1 Khadim

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(Last Updated On: May 7, 2024)

Attack Energy thrashed Jawanan Wahedi 7-0 in the 33rd match of Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) in Kabul on Monday.

In the 34th match on the same day, Aino Mina edged Khadim 3-1.

Attack’s goals against Jawanan were scored by Abdul Saboor Rahimi (2), Yar Mohammad Zakarkhel (2), Akpo Efenja Godwin (1) and Jawad Alokozay (1). Their first goal was in the form of a self-goal by Esmatullah Ghiasi of Jawanan Wahedi.

The next match of the day saw Ahmad Nabi Moaqdas (2) and Khalil Ahmad Badhusha (1) scoring for Aino Mina in their 3-1 victory against Khadim.

Khadim’s only goal was scored by Mojibullah Karimi.

In Tuesday’s matches, Khurasan Faryab lock horns with Istiqlal Kabul, while Sarsabz Yashlar face Sorkh Poshan Khafi.

The matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television.

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‘Splendid’ Narine powers clinical Kolkata to top of IPL

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(Last Updated On: May 6, 2024)

Red-hot Sunil Narine smashed 81 off 39 balls to help Kolkata Knight Riders thrash Lucknow Super Giants by 98 runs and take top spot in the IPL table on Sunday.

Narine’s blitz, laced with six fours and seven sixes, guided Kolkata to 235-6 after they were invited to bat first in Lucknow’s final home game.

Two-time champions Kolkata bowled out Lucknow for 137 in 16.1 overs for their eighth win in 11 matches and almost guaranteed a play-off berth. Second-placed Rajasthan Royals have played one match fewer, AFP reported.

In the first game of the day, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja starred with bat and ball to help holders Chennai Super Kings climb to third with a 28-run win over Punjab Kings.

The top four teams will make the play-offs with the final on May 26 in Chennai.

Narine, who has impressed after being promoted to open by Kolkata this season, led their batting charge in a 61-run first-wicket stand with Phil Salt.

“He was splendid,” Kolkata skipper Shreyas Iyer said of his team’s player of the match Narine, who has amassed 461 runs at a strike-rate of 183.66.

“The start from openers has been great. Pure bliss. We just want to keep continuing the momentum so that we get to the great total and be optimistic.”

Lucknow’s Naveen-ul-Haq took three wickets to hurt KKR but Iyer, who made 23, and Ramandeep Singh, who hit a six-ball 25 not out, helped the team finish on a high.

Ramandeep returned to make an impact in the field as he took a stunning catch to dismiss Arshin Kulkarni when he ran back 21 meters to dive and pouch the ball off the bowling of Mitchell Starc.

Marcus Stoinis hit 36 but the rest of the batting fell flat as spinner Varun Chakravarthy and fast bowler Harshit Rana took three wickets each.

Andre Russell took two wickets and Narine returned figures of 1-22.

Pathirana blow for Chennai
Lucknow are fifth on the table and stay in the hunt for a play-off spot.

“Once we go back to dressing room, we move on from this game and see where we went wrong,” said skipper KL Rahul. “Last home game, we are on the road for the next few games, we need to be little bit more fearless.”

In the earlier match, Jadeja top-scored with 43 off 26 balls to guide Chennai to 167-9 batting first in Punjab’s adopted home ground of Dharamsala.

Jadeja then returned figures of 3-20 from his four overs of left-arm spin to help restrict Punjab to 139-9 for Chennai’s sixth win in 11 matches.

The performance from the veteran Jadeja comes as a welcome sign for India ahead of the T20 World Cup in June in the West Indies and the United States.

Chennai suffered an early blow with Sri Lanka pace bowler Matheesha Pathirana set to return home due to a hamstring injury.

Pathirana was Chennai’s standout bowler and took 13 wickets in six matches.

But medium-pace bowler Tushar Deshpande took on the responsibility in the absence of Pathirana and injured Deepak Chahar as he struck twice in his first over and Punjab’s second in the chase.

Deshpande sent Jonny Bairstow, bowled for seven, and then Rilee Rossouw, bowled for a duck, trudging back to the pavilion in the space of four balls and the chase could never take off.

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Abu Muslim humiliate Maiwand with 9-1 win; Sohrab Afghan scores 5 goals

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(Last Updated On: May 6, 2024)

Abu Muslim hammered Maiwand 9-1 in the third season of Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) in Kabul on Sunday, with Mohammad Sohrab Afghan alone scoring five goals.

The other four goals for Abu Muslim were scored by Gul Moein Kamali, Obaidullah Omari, Rauf Azimi and Najibullah Hashimi.

It was the most goals scored by a team in a single match so far in the tournament.

Maiwand scored their only goal with a kick by Sayed Jawed Hasani shortly before the end of the match.

In the earlier match of the day, Adalat Farah defeated Mawj Sahil 3-0, with Abdul Ali Wahedi scoring two goals and Farhad Karimi scoring one.

Monday’s ACL matches will see Attack Energy take on Jawanan Wahedi at 1 PM and Aino Mina face Khadim at 3:30 PM.

The matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television.

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