Weekly Digest (July 27- August 2): From govt's nod to IPL to Arsenal's FA Cup triumph
From BCCI getting the go-ahead from the Indian government to stage IPL in UAE to Arsenal's 14th FA Cup title win, here are the top headlines from the week gone by.
Published : Aug 02, 2020 21:25 IST
From BCCI getting the go-ahead from the Indian government to stage IPL in UAE to Arsenal's 14th FA Cup title, here are the top headlines from the week gone by.
CRICKET
The BCCI has received the nod from the Indian government, with IPL 2020 set to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 19 till November 10. Each team can carry maximum 24 players.
England won the first cricket series in four months when it defeated the West Indies in the deciding third Test by 269 runs on the last day on Tuesday at Old Trafford. England snatched the bio-secure series 2-1 after losing the first Test by 113 runs in Southampton. (REPORT)
Jonny Bairstow's quick-fire 82 proved enough to help England beat Ireland by four wickets in the second of their One Day Internationals in Southampton. (REPORT)
England pacer Stuart Broad became only the seventh bowler in the history of the game to pick 500 wickets in Test match cricket. Broad achieved the feat on the final day of the third Test between England and West Indies. (REPORT)
Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal’s three-year ban for failing to report corrupt approaches was on Wednesday reduced to 18 months on “compassionate” grounds. (REPORT)
The Tamil Nadu Premier League was officially postponed by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association on Friday. Usually held in the months of August and September, the T20 league this year will not be held in that period due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has forced the restriction of several activities in the State of Tamil Nadu. The TNCA said it would try to host the tournament in November this year or March, 2021. (REPORT)
Seasoned all-rounder Rajat Bhatia announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Wednesday. (REPORT)
Left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir has joined the Pakistan squad after clearing two consecutive COVID-19 tests following his arrival in the United Kingdom. The Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday confirmed that Amir has integrated with the rest of the squad after serving his mandatory quarantine period, during which he tested negative twice. (REPORT)
FOOTBALL
Two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had turned around the final for Arsenal, sealing a 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Saturday in the first FA cup final to be staged without fans. (REPORT)
Didier Drogba drew a large crowd eager to watch him submit his candidacy before the deadline for next month's Ivory Coast Football Federation elections. (REPORT)
PSG celebrated its ninth French League Cup in front of 5,000 fans on Friday after beating Lyon 6-5 on penalties. (REPORT)
Bournemouth parted ways with head coach Eddie Howe following the club's relegation from the Premier League. (REPORT)
Fulham, which defeated Cardiff City 3-2 on aggregate, will face local rival Brentford in an all south-west London playoff final at Wembley on Tuesday. (REPORT)
A special prosecutor looking into dealings between Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber and FIFA President Gianni Infantino has launched criminal proceedings against the head of world football and sought approval to open proceedings against Lauber, the Swiss authorities said. (REPORT)
Left-back Jerry Lalrinzuala on Thursday extended his stay at the Chennaiyin FC by signing a new multi-year deal with the Indian Super League outfit. (REPORT)
If American women’s football players want a jury trial on their claim of discriminatory working conditions, they must wait until next year. (REPORT)
Kolkata giant East Bengal has announced former NorthEast United FC assistant Francisco Bruto Da Costa as its new head coach. (REPORT)
UEFA's claim that Manchester City “disguised equity funding” from their owners was “unsubstantiated” but the club showed “blatant disregard” to the Financial Fair Play investigation (FFP), the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). (REPORT)
Mumbai City FC, now backed by City Football Group, is also of the same opinion and have supported ATK Mohun Bagan’s proposal to remove salary caps on ISL teams. (REPORT)
Sporting venues in England are unlikely to get the green light to fill to capacity this year and the entire 2020-21 Premier League season could be played in front of reduced crowds, a senior British government advisor has said. (REPORT)
TENNIS
The U.S. Tennis Association announced that it “continues its plans” to hold the US Open as scheduled. (REPORT)
Nick Kyrgios has followed compatriot and women's world number one Ashleigh Barty in withdrawing from the 2020 US Open. (REPORT)
While Palermo Ladies Open marks the return of professional tennis tours, a player has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the tournament. (REPORT)
Madrid Open organisers have been advised by local health authorities not to stage the tournament next month. (REPORT)
The WTA premier event in Tokyo, which has been held every year since its 1984 start, has been cancelled due to COVID-19. (REPORT)
MOTORSPORT
Lewis Hamilton limped to a record seventh home British Grand Prix victory after his Mercedes suffered a dramatic last lap puncture on Sunday. (REPORT)
India’s Jehan Daruvala finished fourth in the sprint race during the sprint race for the Formula 2 Championship at Silverstone on Sunday. It is his best result so far in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. (REPORT)
MotoGP races in Argentina, Thailand and Malaysia this year have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic but one more race will be added to the calendar and will be held in Europe in November. (REPORT)
Germany's Nico Hulkenberg replaced Racing Point driver Sergio Perez at the British Formula One Grand Prix after the Mexican was ruled out by a positive COVID-19 test result. (REPORT)
BADMINTON
There is still no clarity if the Telangana state government will reopen the stadiums and academies for training once the current lockdown ends on July 31. (REPORT)
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to take a toll on international badminton with the game’s world governing body (BWF) on Wednesday cancelling four more tournaments, including the prestigious China Open and Japan Open, from its revamped 2020 calendar. (REPORT)
TABLE TENNIS
Harmeet Desai, the reigning Commonwealth table tennis champion and India’s third best player, is hoping against hope to fly out of the country in August to play in the French league, which begins in October. (REPORT)
The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) is contemplating deferring all National-ranking tournaments and focus only on three National championships separately for seniors, juniors and youth and sub-juniors and cadets for 2020-21 to ensure that the annual calendar doesn't go blank. (REPORT)
HOCKEY
The Olympics-bound Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams will return for their respective national camps on August 4 at SAI Centre in Bengaluru. (REPORT)
ATHLETICS
Gomathi Marimuthu, who was handed a four-year ban for doping by the Athletics Integrity Unit, has filed an appeal with Court of Arbitration for Sport. (REPORT)
The athletes who have left the SAI centres – in Patiala and Bengaluru – are likely to face stern action with the AFI making it clear they would not be included in the national camp. Moreover, their participation in the scheduled Indian Grand Prix on September 12 is also uncertain. (REPORT)
Olympic qualification for the marathon and road race walk events can restart from Sept. 1, three months earlier than previously announced, the sport's governing body World Athletics said. (REPORT)
BOXING
Vikas Krishan believes the conventional path is just not good enough for a podium finish at next year’s Tokyo Olympics, as the Indian boxer opts for professional career in the U.S. instead of raining at the national camp in Patiala. (REPORT)
As the national boxing camp resumed following the long coronavirus-induced break, 11 elite boxers – five men and six women – took part in the training sessions at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala. (REPORT)
SHOOTING
The National Rifle Association of India has postponed the compulsory training camp for its Olympic core group planned here from Saturday after taking into the account the COVID-19 pandemic. (REPORT)
A shooting coach at the Dr. Karni Singh Range has tested positive for COVID-19 but the development will not force a closure of the facility, where the Olympic core group will start training from August 1. (REPORT)