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China sweeps through the gold medals on the opening day of the Asian Games

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(Last Updated On: September 25, 2023)

China has dominated the Asian Games for the last 40 years, and the 2023 edition will be the same.

The host country won 20 gold medals — 30 overall — on Sunday, just hours after Saturday’s opening ceremony overseen by President Xi Jinping and watched by 80,000 at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium.

The first gold medal of the games went to the Chinese pair of Zhou Jiaqi and Qiu Xinping in women’s lightweight double sculls. The Chinese rolled from there and many are already looking ahead to next year’s Olympics in Paris, Associated Press reported.

“Stepping on to the podium today is a new starting point,” Qiu said. “To prepare for next year’s Paris Olympics with all our strength is equivalent to starting from scratch.”

Added teammate Zhou: “This can help us build self-confidence and help us prepare.”

Two other gold medals on the first day went to Hong Kong, in men’s pairs in rowing, and in men’s individual foil in fencing.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 and has come under increasingly tight control from Beijing following months of pro-democracy protests in 2019.

China won gold in modern pentathlon (2), artistic gymnastics (1), rowing (6), shooting (2), wushu (2) and swimming (7).

Zhang Yufei won the women’s 200 butterfly, the same event she won two months ago at the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

“I actually felt the pool was a little slow for me,” she said. “And I told my coach that I wasn’t feeling in good form or I could have gone faster.”

Wang Shun took the men’s 200 IM, and Li Bingjie won the women’s 1,500.

South Korea won five gold medals on the first day and 14 overall to trail China in second place. South Korea won two gold medals in modern pentathlon, two more in taekwondo, and one in fencing.

Japan had two gold and 14 overall, just behind South Korea.

The only other gold medals on the first day went to Taiwan and Uzbekistan.

China won almost 300 medals — 132 gold — five years ago in the Asian Games in Indonesia with Japan and South Korea the main challengers.

Host nations traditionally get a homefield “medal bump,” so China’s dominance this time could be more overwhelming than usual.

The Asian Games feature 12,500 participants from 45 nations and territories. Next year’s Olympics will involve about 10,500 from about 200 delegations.

Cricket is prominent in the Asian Games, and India and Sri Lanka will face off on Monday for the gold in the women’s game. The earlier bronze medal game matches Bangladesh against Pakistan.

The men’s final is Oct. 7, and many expect a final between old rivals Pakistan and India.

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Pandya’s Mumbai Indians first to exit IPL play-off race

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(Last Updated On: May 9, 2024)

IPL heavyweights Mumbai Indians became the first team to be knocked out of the play-off race after Sunrisers Hyderabad hammered Lucknow Super Giants by 10 wickets.

Five-time winners Mumbai are ninth in the 10-team table on eight points after only four wins in 12 matches, AFP reported.

Hyderabad, led by Pat Cummins, moved third on 14 points after they chased down 166 in 9.4 overs on Wednesday night, courtesy Travis Head’s 89 and 75 by Abhishek Sharma.

Lucknow and Delhi Capitals are both on 12 points and face each other on 14 May meaning Mumbai cannot qualify for the top four to contest the playoffs, even if Hardik Pandya’s side win their two remaining matches.

Mumbai lost their first three games with Pandya booed after he replaced the popular Rohit Sharma as skipper this season.

Table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals both have 16 points each.

The final will be on 26 May in Chennai.

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Abu Muslim and Adalat Farah draw 0-0 while Maiwand beat Jawanan Wahedi 2-0 in ACL

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(Last Updated On: May 9, 2024)

The 37th match of Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) between Abu Muslim Farah and Adalat Farah FC on Wednesday ended in a draw.

Much to their disappointment, neither team scored a goal.

In the second match of the day, the 38th game, Maiwand FC defeated Jawanan Wahedi FC 2-0.

Thursday’s ACL matches will see Mawj Sahil take on Khadim at 1 PM and Attack Energy face Istiqlal Kabul at 3:30 PM.

The matches are being broadcast live on Ariana Television.

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Delhi down Rajasthan to stay in IPL play-off race

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(Last Updated On: May 8, 2024)

Skipper Sanju Samson’s 86 went in vain as Delhi Capitals beat Rajasthan Royals by 20 runs on Tuesday to stay in the hunt for an IPL play-off berth.

Delhi posted 221-8 courtesy of Jake Fraser-McGurk’s 20-ball 50 and an attacking 65 by Abishek Porel at their home Feroz Shah Kotla ground, AFP reported.

Rajasthan looked good in their chase after Samson’s fifth half-century of this season but his dismissal, a catch in the deep which was ruled clean by the third umpire, turned the match in Delhi’s favor.

Rajasthan, who are yet to confirm their play-off spot, lost three more wickets in the next two overs and Delhi restricted the opposition to 201-8 for their sixth win in 12 matches.

“We had it in our hands, it was 10-11 runs per over which was achievable but these things happen in the IPL,” Samson said after the loss.

Inaugural champions Rajasthan, placed second behind toppers Kolkata Knight Riders, have eight wins in 11 matches and are still favorites to make the top two in the play-offs, reported AFP.

Top four teams will make the play-offs but number one and two will have the advantage of getting an extra match to enter the final on May 26 in Chennai.

Spinner Kuldeep Yadav returned impressive figures of 2-25. Fast bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar also took two wickets.

But the batters set up victory after Fraser-McGurk, who raised his 50 in 19 balls, and Porel attacked in an opening stand of 60.

Rajasthan lost wickets after the openers departed but Tristan Stubbs hammered 41 off 20 balls in a late charge to take the total to 221-8.

Stubbs was helped by Gulbadin Naib, who hit 19, and Rasikh Salam, who hit two sixes in his nine runs, as Delhi got 53 runs from the last three overs.

The in-form Samson, a wicketkeeper-batsman who has amassed 459 runs, attempted to set up the chase only to depart in the 16th over when Shai Hope caught the batsman off Kumar.

Hope’s foot was parallel to the boundary rope but the third umpire ruled it out and a disappointed Samson walked back after a chat with the on-field officials.

Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin led the Rajasthan bowling with figures of 3-24.

Yuzvendra Chahal took his 350th T20 wicket — first Indian to achieve the feat — when he got skipper Rishabh Pant, a left-hand batsman, caught out at fine leg for 15.

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