Sports

Beijing, June 2 (IANS) World No. 1 Wang Chuqin has been appointed captain of China's men's table tennis team, with Liang Jingkun named vice captain.

"We hope that Wang Chuqin can carry forward the responsibilities and mission of the team captain and take over the baton from former captain Ma Long," said Wang Hao, head coach of the Chinese men's team.

"This is not only an honour, but also a heavy responsibility and a true testament to commitment," he added.

The duo helped China win their 12th straight men's title at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London last month. Wang had a perfect record in all 10 of his matches at the tournament, while Liang pulled off consecutive comeback victories in the semifinals and the final, against Alexis Lebrun of France and Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto, respectively.

Wang leads the men's singles world rankings released on Monday, while Liang sits 26th.

The 26-year-old Wang Chuqin is the reigning Olympic gold medallist in mixed doubles with Sun Yingsha, and in the team event with Ma Long and Fan Zhendong. Wang won the men's singles title at the WTT Finals in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and at the 2025 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Doha, he was the gold medallist in men's singles and in mixed doubles with Sun Yingsha.

Wang had won four gold medals -- in the men's singles, team competition, doubles, and mixed doubles competition in the 2022 Asian Games at home in Hangzhou. He has won multiple medals in the Team, doubles, and mixed doubles competitions in the World Championships and World Cup, besides the WTT Grand Smash and Asian Championships.

This year, he won the WTT United States Smash Men's Singles title by defeating Tomokazu Harimoto 4-0 in the final and followed it up by winning the WTT Champions Macao the 3rd time in September and returned to become world no.1 in rankings.

--IANS

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Zurich, June 2 (IANS) Switzerland have been dealt a big blow ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after striker Breel Embolo was refused entry to the United States for the event being co-hosted by the USA along with Canada and Mexico. Switzerland will be playing their first two group games in the United States.

According to reports in the local media, the Swiss squad left for Los Angeles on Tuesday without Embolo, who was not allowed to board the flight as his ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation, the system that determines someone’s eligibility to enter the US) status was placed under review.

The decision to change his ESTA status was related to his 2023 conviction in a case about making multiple threats and was given a suspended fine following an altercation back in 2018, reports said. Embolo, who has scored 23 goals in 85 caps for Switzerland, ultimately appealed the conviction to no avail.

The Swiss Football Association explained the situation in a statement and said it was in touch with the US authorities concerned to get his status changed.

“Unfortunately, Breel Embolo is currently unable to travel to the United States with the ‌team," it read. “His ESTA authorisation had been approved until this morning. However, at 10:30 a.m., we were informed that his ESTA application had been placed under further review.”

Switzerland, though, are hopeful that Embolo will be able to link up with the rest of the squad for the World Cup.

They added: "We are currently in ​contact with the ​relevant authorities and ⁠expect that Breel will either join the team later today or travel tomorrow and join the squad ​then.”

Born in Cameroon but spending most of his childhood in Switzerland, Embolo has represented the country since the Under-16 level. The former Basel and Monaco man went to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, scoring twice at the latter – including the winning goal against Cameroon - making him only the second player in World Cup history to find the net against their country of birth.

Embolo has also appeared at Euro 2016, Euro 2020, and Euro 2024, having made his senior debut for Switzerland in 2015. The 29-year-old opened the scoring from the penalty spot in Switzerland’s latest friendly, a 4-1 victory over World Cup newcomers Jordan in St. Gallen on Sunday.

Switzerland will hope to have Embolo involved for their World Cup Group B opener against Qatar in San Francisco on June 13.

Murat Yakin’s side then face Bosnia and Herzegovina in LA before taking on co-hosts Canada in Vancouver. The Swiss have reached the first knockout round at each of the last three World Cups, but were thrashed 6-1 by Portugal in the last 16 four years ago.

They have reached the quarterfinals three times, although the most recent of those occasions came way back in 1954 when they hosted the tournament.

--IANS

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Johannesburg, June 2 (IANS) President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to rally behind the country's national team as it prepares for its first FIFA World Cup appearance since 2010, with an opening match against Mexico on June 11.

In his weekly newsletter published on Monday, Ramaphosa said Bafana Bafana, the nickname of the country's men's football team, carries the hopes and aspirations of more than 62 million South Africans as it heads to the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.

The team departed for Mexico on Monday after all players and staff, except one assistant coach, received their visas.

Ramaphosa described the squad as ambassadors of a diverse nation, saying its composition reflects South Africa's unity across many races, languages, and cultures. He added that the transformation of sport in the country embodies constitutional values, including respect, fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity, reports Xinhua.

Drawing on sport's role in uniting the country since the end of apartheid, Ramaphosa recalled the image of former President Nelson Mandela wearing a Springbok jersey at the 1995 Rugby World Cup final.

While expressing hope that Bafana Bafana could bring home the trophy, Ramaphosa said the team's participation itself held profound national significance. "Regardless of how Bafana Bafana fare in the tournament, their participation is as rich with meaning as the 1995 Rugby World Cup," he wrote.

The president linked the team's return to the World Cup with what he described as a broader national renewal, citing democratic progress, the strength of the Constitution, the launch of the National Dialogue process, and signs of economic recovery. He called on South Africans to celebrate both the team's achievement and the country's progress toward a united, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society.

"For 90 minutes, as they play for our country, we will not be divided by language, race, province, club or circumstance," Ramaphosa wrote. "One Team. One Nation. Behind Bafana. Behind South Africa. United by our Flag, inspired by our Team. 62 million cheering voices. One Dream."

--IANS

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Margao (Goa), June 2 (IANS) India will look to take another step towards reclaiming the SAFF Women's Football Championship crown when they face Bhutan in the second semifinal at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa, on Wednesday.

Five-time champions India enter the knockout clash in a confident mood after finishing top of Group B with maximum points. India began their campaign with an emphatic 11-0 victory over Maldives before convincingly blanking defending champions Bangladesh 3-0.

The hosts also receive a timely boost ahead of the semi-final with the arrival of forward Manisha Kalyan. The 24-year-old joined the squad on Tuesday afternoon after being released by her Peruvian club Alianza Lima for the June FIFA International Match Window that started on June 1.

Defender Shilky Devi Hemam welcomed the arrival of the experienced forward. "It will be really helpful for us. She is very experienced, and that will come to our aid for the rest of the matches. She also plays for a very good side, and that will also help," said Shilky.

India head into the contest as favourites. Ranked 69th in the FIFA rankings, they are nearly 100 places above Bhutan, which occupies the 164th position. History is also firmly on India's side. The two nations have met only twice before, with India winning both encounters by an aggregate score of 29-0.

But the most recent meeting came way back in the 2012 SAFF Women's Championship when India registered an 11-0 victory in Colombo. Two years earlier, the Blue Tigresses had recorded an astonishing 18-0 win over Bhutan in Cox's Bazar, which remains India's biggest victory in an official international.

However, Crispin Chettri's side is taking nothing for granted. Bhutan have shown significant progress in recent years and booked their place in the semi-finals after finishing second in Group A. After suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Nepal in their opening match, Bhutan bounced back impressively with a 4-0 win over Sri Lanka.

Much of that success was built around the form of forward Pema Tshering, who struck a hat-trick against Sri Lanka and will be the player India must keep under close watch.

India head coach Crispin Chettri has acknowledged Bhutan's growth and believes his side must remain fully focused. "We have to approach the match with a winning mentality and give our best. Bhutan have improved with every match. They play as a unit, they attack and defend as a team, so for us to do well, we need to have quick transitions," said Chettri.

The coach also feels his team is gradually developing stronger chemistry. "I think slowly we are playing as a team, as one unit, which was visible against Bangladesh, but only in patches. So we can improve more in that area. Our finishing has been good, and the number of chances we created speaks well about our attacking intensity."

Shilky echoed her coach's views on the team's progress. "We are playing as a unit and as a team. That's the reason behind our good performances. We have adjusted to the ground conditions and handled them well. Bhutan are a good side and improving year by year. They have been together for a while, and that's why they know each other and play as a unit."

Nepal and Bangladesh will meet in the other semifinal that will kick off earlier on the same day.

--IANS

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Paris, June 2 (IANS) Second seed Alexander Zverev kept his French Open aspirations alive with a dominant 7-6 (3) 6-1 6-3 victory over teen prodigy Rafael Jodar to reach the Roland Garros semifinals for the fifth time in six years.

A finalist here last year, Zverev was given a tough time by the Spanish 19-year-old in the opening set on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but the 29-year-old was unfazed as he rallied from 2-5 down to secure a victory which took two hours and 17 minutes.

"It was tough," he admitted after the match. "He was in rhythm, perfect rhythm, in the first set. And I wasn't. I was very short and very defensive. Conditions under the roof are very different. The string tension is different, and the ground is different.

"The ball wasn't jumping as high, and really heavy topspin wasn't good here, and I had to be a little bit flatter."

The German conceded that Jodar was all over him in the opening set of the clash. "He was playing great, and he was better at the beginning of the first set, but I was able to come back, and he played a bit nervously when he was serving for the set, and I took my chances then, and it was a good match from there."

Despite reaching the quarter-finals of this event, leading the way with 19 clay court wins this season, the 19-year-old looked set to snatch the opening set as he broke serve for a 5-2 lead, but Zverev's class told, with the German winning five of the next six games to force a tie break. Zverev then raced to 3-3 before rattling off four straight points to claim the set.

From there, Zverev dominated. Winning 71% of points behind his first serve and hitting a host of forehands, as he strung seven consecutive games together from 1-1 in the second set to establish a two-set and break advantage.

That dominance was underlined by his seven straight games between the second and third sets. He has now lost just one set in five here this year and, with Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic out of the draw, Zverev must consider himself the favourite for a first Grand Slam.

Jakub Mensik or Joao Fonseca await Zverev in either a clash of young guns or a duel of the old, but either way, despite reaching another Roland Garros semi-final, Zverev is not looking at what lies beyond for now.

"I want to continue," he said. "I want to be in the tournament, I want to win the matches that I haven't been (winning). My goal.

"I feel like today was a very tough test against a very good player, and I did manage, I did win it. Of course, I'm happy to be in the semi-finals, but only for now. That's it."

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar was impressed with the impact teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had on the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, saying the Rajasthan Royals opener affected the outcome of games in more ways than through the runs he scored.

The batting legend also added that whenever Sooryavanshi walked out to bat, Rajasthan Royals seemed to have a renewed sense of belief.

In his post looking back at the season, Tendulkar was particular about naming some of the standout performances and trends that caught his attention during the tournament. Amongst them was the phenomenal season of Sooryavanshi.

"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had an influence on games that went beyond the runs he scored. Oppositions were thinking about him, teams were planning for him, and fans were waiting for him long before he arrived at the crease," Tendulkar said in a post on Reddit.

The 15-year-old went on to be the top run-scorer in the tournament and one of the biggest success stories.

The former India skipper was more amazed by the young boy's temperament during the playoffs: "His ability to score quickly in the Eliminator and Qualifier proved his intent was always the same, even as the stakes were high. Even more importantly, his batting seemed to give Rajasthan Royals an added sense of belief every time he walked out to the middle."

Tendulkar also cited the dismissal of Jos Buttler by Josh Hazlewood in the 1st qualifier between RCB and RR, to highlight an instance of brilliant game awareness by a bowler:

"Josh Hazlewood's dismissal of Jos Buttler in the 5th over of the 1st Qualifier showed the value of deception. Buttler had hit deliveries for a 4, 6, and a 4, and once a batter settles into a rhythm like that, he often tends to commit early." He elaborated on this: "What made the wicket special was how he subtly slowed down the next delivery by 10 km/hr, and Buttler had already gone through his shot by the time the ball reached him," the batting maestro said.

Looking at the eventual champions, RCB, Tendulkar noted how their win was an all-round effort. "Every successful team develops an identity over the course of a campaign. RCB's identity seemed to be built around shared responsibility." He reserved high praise for captain Rajat Patidar.

"Rajat Patidar led from the front right through, but more importantly, he helped create an environment where others could do the same. The balance between leadership and contribution was an important part of them going all the way to yet another final," he

The legendary batsman, however, suggested a change to the rules, keeping in mind the course of most of the games in the season. "One trend that I observed through this season was how many games were decided between overs 7 and 15. Teams are now much better prepared for Power-plays and death overs than before." Tendulkar suggested the splitting of the powerplay:

"I feel the Power-play needs to be split into two parts. First 4 overs as the batting Power-play and two overs of bowling Power-play, which could be utilised at any point in the innings. If implemented, this could become the most strategic phase of T20 cricket," he said.

Tendulkar was also full of praise for Punjab Kings for their attitude, despite failing to win the trophy: "Punjab Kings brought wonderful energy to the tournament. Their cricket was positive, brave, and at times game-changing." According to him, the lesson learned from Punjab's season was to strike a balance between process and results: "Momentum plays a big part in lengthy tournaments, and eventually in such a quick tournament it comes down to process and not attaching yourself to the results. Punjab seemed to focus on the process in the first half, and on results in the second."

The former India skipper acknowledged the consistency of the Gujarat Titans. "What stood out about the Gujarat Titans is the ability to operate in a very limited performance band, across the length of an entire season." "In the inherently volatile nature of the IPL, they very rarely fall too far from their plan, even when the results are not in their favour. That means minimising both the extremes; ensuring they don't fly too close to the sun, and neither do they crash land when things go wrong. In a long tournament, such control often proves more valuable than single bursts of brilliance or match-winning efforts."

Reflecting on IPL 2026, Tendulkar emphasised the importance of adaptation. "When I reflect on IPL 2026, I was once again reminded that tournaments rarely follow a predictable course from the start. More than one instance this season, the table told a very different story at the mid-point compared to what we see at the end of the competition." He added. "The teams responded, adjusted, and new strategies were developed as the competition grew. The game is all about continuous development, and that's what makes watching it so compelling."

--IANS

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Beijing, June 2 (IANS) The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has stressed that "harmonisation is extremely important" for stakeholders to adopt the new World Anti-Doping Code. The new World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and International Standards (Standards) will come into force on January 1 next year.

WADA, together with co-host China Anti-Doping Agency, is holding the Asia and Oceania Intergovernmental Ministerial Meeting and Asia and Oceania Symposium from June 1 to 3 in the Chinese capital.

On the opening day of the Symposium on Tuesday, WADA president Witold Banka pledged the agency's support for stakeholders in the lead-up to the implementation of the Code, reports Xinhua.

"It is incumbent upon all of us to take the necessary steps to ensure that Code signatories are ready on 1 January 2027 when the updated rules come into force. WADA will support those signatories in a variety of ways in the months ahead, and it will be up to our partners in Asia and Oceania to take the lessons learned over the course of the Regional Symposium and apply them in their respective parts of the world," he said.

"The anti-doping community is strongest when we are united. That unity shone through last year at the World Conference in Busan, and it was on full display once again today. I look forward to seeing this momentum being carried forward tomorrow and throughout the next six months towards the implementation of the 2027 Code."

Banka said he was satisfied with the result of the Intergovernmental Ministerial Meeting on Monday, which drew more than 140 representatives from about 40 countries and regions in Asia and Oceania.

"They [stakeholders] have this year to adopt the new regulations, new standards, to be in line with the Code. During this meeting, we pushed the governments to take strong actions to accelerate the process to finalise it before the deadlines, to avoid any consequences, and to maintain the level playing field for the updates," Banka said after the sessions.

"And the harmonisation of the system is extremely important to adopt the Code in accordance with the rules," he added.

"We finalised the meeting with a resolution unanimously approved by all governments. And one of the strong points is the expression that ministers of sport are against the politicisation of anti-doping," he told reporters.

--IANS

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London, June 2 (IANS) England have named uncapped batter Emilio Gay and fast bowler Sonny Baker for their 12-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's. The opening Test of the English home summer, which commences on Thursday, marks the beginning of a crucial rebuilding phase following England’s dismal 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia.

England men have named a 12-player squad for the first Test against New Zealand, which begins on Thursday at Lord's.

"Durham top-order batter Emilio Gay and Hampshire pace bowler Sonny Baker, who are yet to be capped, are included. Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson returns to the England Test squad for the first time since February 2024," England Cricket Board said in a statement.

The debutants in the squad are Durham top-order batsman Gay and Hampshire pacer Baker, and Ollie Robinson of Sussex returns to the Test setup for the first time since February 2024.

Archer will not feature as he currently has a time out following six months on the road, is currently in Barbados, and will not be arriving in England until after the first Test match. He may be available for the second match of the series starting June 17.

England head coach Brendon McCullum insisted a cautious approach would be taken with the paceman. "Jofra, we need to assess," McCullum told BBC Sport. "He's having a little bit of a break at the moment. "We've seen in the past that we can leave Jof to his own devices, work on his game, and follow a plan that has been set. He turns up having followed that plan to a tee.

"When we see him, we'll work out where he sits and if he's available for the second Test. If not, we'll look at the third Test."

Archer spent six months at the Rajasthan Royals' IPL campaign, until they lost in the playoff stages. Archer is one of many to be impacted by the tournament in terms of his preparation for the Test summer.

Despite Archer's absence, Jacob Bethell was withdrawn from the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a finger complaint. Bethell withdrew early from the 2026 edition of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad due to his finger injury. He is in line to play at the Lord's.

In the squad announcement, it was noted that Brydon Carse suffered a fractured wrist during the IPL. He attended the Loughborough training camp with England and will not be appearing in the New Zealand series.

The squad has been shortened from 15 members to 12 for the opening match of the series against the Kiwis. England spinner Shoaib Bashir is back in the fold after missing out during the Ashes campaign, and Robinson provides extra experience in the pace attack alongside Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue.

England XII for the first Test against New Zealand:

Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, June 2 (IANS) Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters and Gulbarga Mystics will raise the curtain on the fifth edition of the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 on June 20, before Mysore Warriors take on debutants Shivamogga Yodhas in the second match of the opening-day double-header. The tournament will be held across three centres -- Mysuru, Hubballi, and Bengaluru -- culminating on July 12.

Coastal Kings Mangaluru, also a new franchise this season, will make their tournament debut against Hubli Tigers on June 21.

In line with the Karnataka State Cricket Association's vision of taking top-quality cricket to fans across the state, the tournament will be staged across three centres. The Mysuru-leg will be held from June 20 to 26, before the action shifts to Hubballi, from June 27 to July 3. The tournament will then move to Bengaluru from July 5 to 12.

Mysuru and Hubballi will host 12 matches each, while Bengaluru will stage 10 matches, including Qualifier 1, the Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the Final, as the six franchises battle for the coveted title.

The player auction for Season 5 will be held on June 5 in Bengaluru, with more than 150 players set to go under the hammer as franchises assemble their squads for the upcoming edition of the tournament. The auction will be streamed live between 9 am and 1 pm on Sony Ten 5 HD/SD.

Speaking on the schedule announcement, M.S. Keshava, Governing Council Chairman, Maharaja Trophy, said, "We are delighted to unveil the schedule for the fifth edition of the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20. One of our key objectives has been to take top-quality cricket to fans across Karnataka, and hosting matches in Mysuru, Hubballi, and Bengaluru allows us to do exactly that.

"We are particularly pleased to see the tournament return to multiple centres, while the addition of Coastal Kings Mangaluru and Shivamogga Yodhas marks an exciting new chapter for the competition. We look forward to another highly competitive season and a wonderful experience for players and fans alike," he added.

--IANS

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Jakarta, June 2 (IANS) Back in the top 10 of BWF world rankings, PV Sindhu kicked off her Indonesia Open 2026 with a 25-23, 21-16 win over Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan at the Istora Senayan stadium in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The former world champion had to push herself, finally winning with scores of 25-23 and 21-16 in 51 minutes. She won the closely contested first game with her aggressive playing style and carried that energy into the second game to secure a straight-sets victory.

Sindhu now faces a tough challenge in the second round, where she is likely to meet reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1 An Se-young. Sindhu trails 0-9 in their head-to-head record and lost to the Korean in the Singapore Open quarterfinals last week.

Also advancing to the next round was the men's doubles combination of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun, who registered a straight games victory over Malaysia's 2016 Olympic medallist Tan Wee Kiong and his current partner Nur Mohd Azriyn.

India's ace shuttler Sindhu, who entered the world top-10 for the first time since 2023, opened her campaign with an 11th successive win against the Thailand shuttler. Sindhu now leads the head-to-head record against Busanan 21-1. She will now face the winner of the match between top seed An Se Young of Korea and Neslihan Arin of Turkey.

Later, Hariharan and Arjun outplayed the experienced Malaysian duo 21-18, 21-10 in just 33 minutes.

Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen lost to home favourite Alwi Farhan 21-19, 21-16. Alwi had defeated World No 1 Shi Yu Qi at the Singapore Open last week.

On the other hand, it was a tough day for India's doubles teams. The women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, playing together for the first time in over two months, lost 14-21, 12-21 to the Indonesian team of Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari. In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto were beaten 11-21, 10-21 by the sixth-seeded Chinese pair of Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui.

--IANS

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