Sports

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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Mumbai, June 2 (IANS) The Ajinkya Rahane-led North Mumbai Panthers began their T20 Mumbai League 2026 campaign in style with an emphatic 21-run victory over Suryakumar Yadav’s Triumph Knights Mumbai North East at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Chasing a daunting 210, the Knights struggled to keep pace with the required rate despite a valiant effort from impact substitute Nutan Goel, who anchored the innings with a fighting 93 off 56 balls. The chase got off to a shaky start with both openers falling cheaply, bringing India T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav (19) to the crease amid loud cheers from the Wankhede crowd. Suryakumar responded with a typically positive approach, striking four boundaries as the Knights raced to 56/2 by the end of the Power-play.

However, left-arm spinner Rahul Sawant turned the game in the Panthers’ favour by dismissing Suryakumar and Sagar Mishra in quick succession. Harshal Jadhav and Nutan attempted a recovery with a 55-run fifth-wicket stand, while the 20-year-old Nutan capitalised on a reprieve on 24 to bring up a 32-ball fifty with back-to-back sixes. But with the required rate steadily climbing, the Knights found it difficult to keep up and eventually finished on 188/8.

Earlier, Hardik Tamore starred with the bat, scoring his maiden fifty of the tournament to help North Mumbai Panthers post the first 200-plus total of the season. Sent in to bat on a placid batting turf, the Panthers made a strong start through Rahane (24) and Tamore, who added 67 runs for the opening wicket inside the Powerplay.

While Rahane departed after a brisk start, Tamore carried on and struck a fluent 67 off 43 deliveries, laced with nine fours and two sixes. Aayush Zimare (23) and Ayush Vartak (39) kept the scoreboard moving in the middle overs before Tanush Kotian provided the late flourish with an unbeaten 30 off just 15 balls, powering the Panthers past the 200-run mark.

Later in the day, Shreyas Iyer-led SOBO Mumbai Falcons will take on ARCS Andheri, captained by India all-rounder Shivam Dube, at the same venue.

Brief scores:

North Mumbai Panthers 209/5 in 20 overs (Hardik Tamore 67, Ayush Vartak 39, Tanush Kotian 30 not out; Sylvester Dsouza 2/23) beat Triumph Knights Mumbai North East 188/8 in 20 overs (Nutan Goel 93, Suryakumar Yadav 19; Rahul Sawant 2/34, Harsh Tanna 2/44) by 21 runs.

--IANS

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Madrid, June 2 (IANS) Getafe announced on Tuesday that goalkeeper David Soria has signed a four-year contract to remain at the club until the end of June 2030. The deal keeps at the club the man who has defended its goal for the past eight seasons, since joining from Sevilla in 2018.

Soria, 33, has played 301 times for the club from the south of Madrid, including an uninterrupted run of 189 first-team appearances in La Liga. In the communique announcing his new contract, Getafe said Soria had "established himself as a fundamental player both on and off the pitch thanks to his performance, leadership, and commitment."

Last season, Getafe conceded just 38 goals, a tally bettered only by FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, as the team coached by Jose Bordalas produced an impressive second half of the season to finish seventh in La Liga and qualify for next season's Conference League, reports Xinhua.

"David Soria's renewal is excellent news for the present and future of our club, which will continue to have a top-level goalkeeper and an exemplary professional," the club statement concluded.

Bordalas has yet to renew his contract with Getafe, while key players Luis Milla and Mauro Arambarri look set to leave. Arambarri is likely to join River Plate, while Milla has been linked with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.

Born in Madrid, Soria finished his youth career with Real Madrid. After he was released by the Spanish giant, he moved to England and trialled at Leicester City, who let him go after an injury on his first day. He was then discarded by Birmingham City after six weeks because of their salary cap, and ended his trial at Stoke City due to feeling discouraged.

He returned to Spain, and after failing to get into Real Betis B and Sporting de Gijón and failing to make his debut at CD Canillas, Soria finally joined Sevilla FC in January 2013, and after making his debut with the C team in the Tercera División, slowly made it to the main squad in 2014-15. Manager Unai Emery gave him his debut on 2 December, a 3–0 away defeat of UD Logroñés in the last 32 of the Copa del Rey. He stayed there till 2017 before joining Getafe in July 2018, where he has continued till now.

--IANS

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Paris, June 2 (IANS) Marta Kostyuk made history in Ukrainian tennis on Tuesday by defeating her fellow countrywoman Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the first all-Ukrainian Grand Slam quarterfinal of the Open Era. This win secured her place in her first major semifinal at Roland Garros.

The 23-year-old, seeded 15th in Paris, triumphed over the seventh-seeded Svitolina in one hour and 49 minutes. She finished strong, winning 13 of the last 14 points to clinch her spot in the semifinals. With this victory, Kostyuk extended her impressive clay-court winning streak to 17 matches, having already won titles in Rouen and Madrid this season.

The event held meaning beyond tennis. It came less than 24 hours after a tragic Russian attack across Ukraine that reportedly killed at least 18 people. During an emotional on-court interview, Kostyuk dedicated her historic win to her country. "I want to start with this historic match that we played today with Elina," Kostyuk said. "We had a very difficult night again in Ukraine, especially in Kyiv. So many people are dead. I want to give this match to the Ukrainian people and to their resilience."

With this win, Kostyuk became the first Ukrainian woman in the Open Era to reach the Roland Garros semifinals and only the third Ukrainian player to advance to a Grand Slam semifinal, following Elina Svitolina and Dayana Yastremska.

For Svitolina, who is considered the most accomplished Ukrainian player in WTA history, the loss marked a disappointing sixth defeat in Paris quarterfinals, bringing her record to 0-6. Despite a strong 10-2 record against fellow Ukrainians on tour before this match, she could not stop Kostyuk's momentum.

The match was thrilling. Kostyuk took the first set 6-3, but Svitolina responded by winning the second set 6-2 to level the match. However, the younger player elevated her game in the final set, dominating the closing stages and securing a memorable victory.

This result also improved Kostyuk's head-to-head record against Svitolina to 2-1. Their rivalry began at the 2018 Australian Open, where a 15-year-old Kostyuk lost to Svitolina in her Grand Slam debut. Since then, Kostyuk has steadily closed the gap, with Tuesday's win mirroring her earlier 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 victory over Svitolina in Toronto in 2024.

Despite her significant achievement, Kostyuk was quick to recognise Svitolina's role in Ukrainian tennis. "And of course, I want to point out Elina and her incredible impact on Ukrainian tennis, on Ukrainians and on me," she said. "Everyone who's watching, she's an unbelievable fighter. I'm so happy to be in the semifinals, but I want to thank her again for this incredible match."

With this victory, Kostyuk ended Svitolina's 10-match winning streak on clay. She will now face eighth seed Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals, a rematch of this year's Madrid Open final. Both players are looking for their first Grand Slam final appearance. Kostyuk has won both their meetings this season, defeating Andreeva in Brisbane and Madrid.

--IANS

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Accra/Dakar, June 2 (IANS) Ghana and Senegal, two of the top countries from Africa, named their 26-man squads for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, confirming the presence of some of the Continent's big names in the mega event.

Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz on Tuesday announced a 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, picking a balanced group with experienced and young players.

The squad, which contains few surprises, features three goalkeepers, nine defenders, seven midfielders, and seven forwards, with most of the Black Stars' key players included alongside several young talents recently called up.

Mohammed Kudus and Alexander Djiku are the two notable absentees, with both missing out through injury.

Making its fifth World Cup appearance, Ghana has been drawn in Group L with Panama, England, and Croatia. The Black Stars will open their campaign against Panama on June 17 before facing England and Croatia.

Ghana reached the quarterfinals in 2010 but failed to advance beyond the group stage in their last two World Cup appearances, in Brazil and Qatar.

Sadio Mane in the Senegal squad

Former Liverpool and Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane will be the top attraction in Senegal's 26-member squad shortlisted for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026. The 34-year-old Mane plays as a left winger for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr.

The 26-man shortlist includes three goalkeepers, eight defenders, seven midfielders, and eight forwards. Senegal will compete in Group I alongside France, Norway, and Iraq.

The following 26 men will comprise the Senegal squad picked by head coach Pape Thiaw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy, Mory Diaw, Yehvann Diouf.

Defenders: Kalidou Koulibaly, Moussa Niakhate, Mamadou Sarr, Abdoulaye Seck, Krepin Diatta, Antoine Mendy, Ismail Jakobs, El Hadj Malick Diouf.

Midfielders: Idrissa Gana Gueye, Lamine Camara, Pape Gueye, Pape Matar Sarr, Habib Diarra, Bara Sapoko Ndiaye, Pathe Ciss.

Forwards: Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye, Nicolas Jackson, Cherif Ndiaye, Bamba Dieng, Ibrahima Mbaye, Assane Diao.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first edition to feature 48 teams, including a record 10 African representatives.

--IANS

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New Chandigarh, June 2 (IANS) The Indian team arrived in the city on Tuesday ahead of their one-off Test against Afghanistan to be played at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur locality of New Chandigarh from Saturday. With this match, the Shubman Gill-led side is set to return to red-ball cricket after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

The Indian squad reached the city and was seen arriving at the team hotel as preparations began for the Test scheduled at the PCA New Chandigarh Stadium from June 6.

Captain Shubman Gill led the contingent, while newly-appointed vice-captain KL Rahul, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy were among the players spotted with the squad.

The match will mark India’s first Test appearance since their 2-0 home series defeat to South Africa last year. Although the Afghanistan Test is not part of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, it serves as an important fixture for India as they gear up for upcoming overseas assignments in Sri Lanka and New Zealand later this year.

India will be hoping to use the match to regain momentum in the longest format, with a squad that blends experienced campaigners and promising young talent. The team is expected to begin training sessions in the coming days as it fine-tunes preparations for the encounter.

For Afghanistan, the match presents another valuable opportunity to test themselves against one of the world’s strongest Test sides. The visitors have steadily gained experience in the format and will look to put up a competitive performance against the hosts.

India and Afghanistan have met only once previously in Test cricket. Their maiden encounter came at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2018, when Afghanistan made their Test debut. India dominated the contest, securing victory by an innings and 262 runs inside two days.

The one-off fixture will also be the first red-ball meeting between the two sides since that historic clash eight years ago.

India Test squad: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel.

--IANS

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Mumbai, June 2 (IANS) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced the appointment of former India all-rounder Sairaj Bahutule as the spin bowling coach of the senior men's national team. He will guide India's next generation of spinners across formats.

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Sairaj Bahutule as the Spin Bowling Coach of the Indian Cricket Team (Senior Men)," BCCI said in a statement.

Bahutule, who played for India in two Tests and eight One-Day Internationals, steps into this role after gaining extensive coaching experience in domestic, pathway, and international cricket.

The former Mumbai player had a notable first-class career lasting nearly two decades, during which he scored 6,176 runs and took 630 wickets, earning a reputation as one of the best all-rounders in the domestic circuit.

Reacting to his appointment, Bahutule expressed pride in getting another chance to serve Indian cricket. "It is a tremendous honour to be appointed as the Spin Bowling Coach of the Indian Men's Cricket Team. Representing India as a player was a matter of immense pride, and the opportunity to contribute to Indian Cricket once again in a coaching capacity is deeply special. I look forward to working with the players and supporting the team's pursuit of excellence across formats," he said.

After retiring, Bahutule became one of Indian cricket's most respected coaches. He held head coaching positions with Vidarbha, Kerala, Gujarat, and Bengal. He also served as a spin-bowling coach for IPL teams like Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings.

His work in developing talent has been significant, including his role as bowling coach during India's successful ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup campaign in 2022 and as part of the coaching staff for the 2024 edition.

Bahutule also worked closely with India A and the senior men's team as a specialist bowling coach on several occasions. From 2021 to 2024, he was an essential part of the coaching staff at the BCCI's National Cricket Academy, now known as the Centre of Excellence, where he helped nurture emerging talent.

--IANS

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