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  • Eager to host 2036 Olympics…dream of 140 cr Indians: PM Modi

    Making a proper declaration of India’s curiosity in internet hosting the Olympics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned right here Saturday that the nation will “leave no stone unturned in our efforts” to host the Summer Games in 2036.

    Hosting the Olympics, Modi mentioned, is the “age-old dream and aspiration of 140 crore Indians.” He was addressing a gathering of greater than 100 of the who’s who of world sport – with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach seated on the dais – in Mumbai throughout the opening ceremony of the governing physique’s annual summit, referred to as the IOC Session.

    “India is eager to host the Olympics in the country. India will leave no stone unturned in the preparation for the successful organisation of the Olympics in 2036, this is the dream of 140 crore Indians. This dream has to be fulfilled with your cooperation and support,” the Prime Minister advised the IOC delegates. “I am very confident that India will get consistent support from the IOC.”

    He added that the nation is “eager” to host the Youth Olympic Games in 2029 as a precursor to the mega occasion. For the report, after Dakar, Senegal hosts the Youth Games in 2026, the following version can be held in 2030 as per IOC’s four-year programme.

    2036 is the earliest out there slot to host the Summer Olympic Games as the following version can be held in Paris in 2024 adopted by Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.

    In his speech, Modi didn’t reveal the title of the candidate metropolis however it’s believed that Ahmedabad is a front-runner. The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave – which additionally homes Modi’s eponymous stadium – is projected as one of many most important venue clusters.

    In December final yr, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a gathering with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to evaluate the state’s preparedness to host the Olympics. The state authorities has reportedly engaged an Australian consultancy agency to organize its bid.

    Earlier this week, Bach had mentioned the IOC “noted there’s a great interest and there are apparently serious considerations here within India” to bid for the Games.

    “We have to wait now how this will turn into a project and will be brought forward to us. Only then we can form an opinion,” he had mentioned.

    As per the choice coverage, the IOC first will get into an off-the-cuff dialogue with host nations. If the world physique is happy with the planning and functionality of the candidate, then it enters a “targeted dialogue” when the IOC’s Executive Board invitations the “preferred host” to refine and current their proposal.

    There isn’t any mounted timeframe for electing the hosts.

    Modi mentioned organising G-20 occasions in “more than 60 cities” was “evidence” of India’s organising capability.

    “Organising global events in the country gives us a chance to welcome countries. Due to our fast-growing economy and well-developed infrastructure, India is prepared to host mega global events,” Modi mentioned. “The world has witnessed this during our G-20 presidency. We have organised events in more than 60 cities. This is evidence of our logistics and our organising capacity at all levels.”

    Modi’s announcement comes days after India’s athletes returned from their best-ever haul on the Asian Games, with the contingent profitable greater than 100 medals for the primary time on the occasion.

    ExplainedWhat IOC appears to be like at

    The IOC appears to be like at a number of elements: candidate metropolis’s funding technique, the flexibility to ship the Games, transport infrastructure, lodging capability, alignment of venues with native growth plans, socio-economic and geo-political elements, and public help.

    The PM added that “performances indicate the transformation and speedy development in the sports landscape of India.”

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    “Sports is not the medium of winning medals but it is a medium to win people’s hearts. Sports belong to everyone, it is for everyone. Sports not only create champions, it also promotes peace, progress, and wellness. Therefore, sports is a very strong and empowered medium of connecting the world,” Modi mentioned.

    Earlier, Bach welcomed the PM talking in Hindi, “aapka bahut bahut swagat,” and underlined India’s “rise.”

    Calling India an “inspiring place,” he mentioned: “We are so pleased to be in India — a country that is on the rise in so many respects, including Olympic sports. India is a truly inspiring place to hold our IOC Session. A country which combines its splendid history and dynamic presence with a vigorous confidence in the future…India is an inspiring place. The entire Olympic community in India can be proud of the Asian Games performance.”

  • Rohit places to relaxation shadow of previous: ‘Yes, we have not won; it is fine… It happens’

    THE LAST time India received an ICC match was in 2013, when M S Dhoni lifted the Champions Trophy. A decade later, captain Rohit Sharma says he wouldn’t enable the decade-long futile Cup chase to drag down his workforce throughout the 50-over cricket carnival that begins on Thursday, when defending champions England tackle New Zealand in Ahmedabad.

    “Yes, we have not won; it’s fine! I’m not a person who overthinks and puts myself in a tough place where I’m not able to make a decision. England started winning now; in 2019 they won the World Cup after so many years. It happens. Australia is the only consistent team who have won. After 2007, they won the ODI World Cup in 2015. They won the T20 World Cup in Dubai,” Sharma advised The Indian Express.

    So who will win the Cup? “I don’t have an answer for it. How can I say that now? All I can hope is that the team is in a good space. Everybody is fit and fine. That’s all I can hope for. I cannot say beyond this. Space is such an important factor and it’s a very key thing now,” he mentioned.

    Sharma additionally burdened he could be glad if the expectations from the followers aren’t too excessive. “What people are expecting we can’t control. In India wherever we go, be it airports or hotels, they say, ‘World Cup jeetna hai sir’ (You have to win the World Cup). It happens everywhere. It will never stop,” he mentioned with a smile.

    India’s document within the ICC occasions has been some extent of rivalry. They have usually performed properly to achieve the enterprise finish of the tournaments however have been unable to win the knockout is ok… It occurs’ video games that matter.

    In 2015, India reached the semifinal solely to lose to Australia. Next time, in 2019, they misplaced within the semifinals once more – to New Zealand. In the 2 latest T20 World Cups, in UAE in 2021, and in Australia in 2022, the workforce didn’t make it to the ultimate.

    Last yr in Australia, Sharma had taken over the captaincy from Virat Kohli however the jinx had continued. Now he has an opportunity to depart a legacy, however he mentioned he doesn’t wish to suppose in these phrases.

    “Every year there is an ICC trophy now; if you don’t win it’s an unsuccessful year! People just forget what good work has happened in these 10 months. Rightly, as the Indian cricket team, we are expected to win major trophies. We are one of the top teams in the world. We have to be good at it. It has been disappointing for sure,” Sharma mentioned.

    At 36, this might be his final World Cup as a pacesetter and possibly as a participant. Does he really feel that the captaincy got here to him on the proper time or was it delayed? “Obviously, you want to be at your peak for this, say when you are 26-27. But you cannot always get what you want. You are talking about the Indian captaincy and there have been stalwarts in the Indian team. Many more players deserved to be the captain of the team. I had to wait for my turn and that’s absolutely fair enough. The guys before, Virat was before me, so was MS (Dhoni),” he mentioned.

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    “Just look at the names that are missed out: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag … these are all stalwarts of Indian cricket. Not to forget Yuvraj Singh. He never captained India. Yuvraj has been such a match winner for India, he should have been the captain at some stage but he didn’t get it. That’s life. I got it now and I am grateful for it. I would rather have it when I know how to captain a team, when I know what is required and all. Rather than when I don’t know the ABCD of captaincy. So in that respect, this is good.”

    Sharma additionally laid out the challenges forward of enjoying an almost two-month-long match that additionally was the rationale for a lot headache behind the workforce choice. “A team needs to play 11 games to reach the World Cup final. Last time we played this format was in 2019, but to play 11 ODIs in one-and-half months is not easy. It’s a long World Cup. We don’t want any of our pacers to break down. Hence we have selected more of them.”

    On the comparability with the Class of 2011, Sharma mentioned the Dhoni-led World Cup profitable workforce had extra skilled gamers. “In the 2011 team, everybody was a big name. Did any position change? No. You suddenly didn’t have to bring Harbhajan Singh at number 4-5 because all the guys are match winners in the positions that they play. Now we have a lot of newer faces. We had an injury problem, two players (Rahul and Shreyas) are making a comeback after two months. So, things looked different and selection calls had to be made.”

  • India win squash gold in thriller with Pak, stun China in desk tennis doubles

    “12-10 in the fifth, in the decider of the Asian Games gold medal match, India vs Pakistan, how do you write it!” gasped Abhay Singh. “How do you write it?”

    India’s man of the second, who almost stop the game two years in the past, captured the feelings finest.

    Where to even start to explain the relentless drama, the insufferable stress and the astonishing fightback that in the end led to a squash gold medal with a 11-7, September 11, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10 victory? With the bickering begin to what turned out to be one of many all-time basic India-Pakistan matches? Or the cold-blooded, completely skilled exhibition by veteran Sourav Ghosal, which introduced India again into the combo?

    Perhaps, it’s finest to begin on the finish of this titanic conflict that reworked from ugly to elegant to driving. With the hysterical scenes on the finish of an adrenaline-fuelled gold medal match. A rhapsodic Abhay flinging his racquet up to now into the packed stands that it landed within the row in entrance of the referee’s desk; his opponent, Pakistan’s Noor Zaman, burying his head in his palms and bolting out of the world, unable to fathom what had simply occurred; his teammate Harinder Pal Sandhu, unable to manage his feelings, climbing to the highest of the court docket.

    Seconds in the past, Abhay and Zaman had been locked contained in the cage like prizefighters because the capability crowd roared in delight and shock, taking turns to chant names of each the international locations. And the 25-year-old Indian, on whose shoulders rested the gold medal hopes, seemed useless and buried.

    Down two match factors within the deciding sport, Abhay’s shoulders dropped, the Indian bench went silent and the momentum was firmly with Pakistan. “In your head, you have lost,” Abhay mentioned.

    From that hopeless place, Abhay resurrected himself with brave stroke-play to win 4 consecutive factors, clinch the tie and lead India to an exciting 2-1 win over Pakistan, an erstwhile squash powerhouse, and declare the group gold medal.

    It was India’s second gold medal of the day, after Rohan Bopanna and Rutuja Bhosale received the tennis blended doubles title, and simply earlier than the historic triumph of the ladies’s doubles desk tennis group of Suthirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee gorgeous Chinese world champions and world quantity 2 pair Chen Meng and Yidi Wang to enter the semifinals and guarantee themselves a medal.

    But on a day when India’s athletes received large throughout sports activities — from tennis to desk tennis to trace and subject — the squash gold is not going to be forgotten any time quickly for its unrelenting drama and the sensational comeback.

    The victory was even sweeter for India as this was a grudge match, having misplaced to Pakistan within the preliminary spherical simply three days in the past. And extra so for Abhay, who had suffered a humbling defeat by the hands of Zaman.

    Sparks flew all through this three-match tie, similar to it did when the 2 groups met Wednesday. After India misplaced that encounter 2-1, veteran participant Ghosal obtained his youthful teammates, Abhay and Mahesh Mangaonkar, collectively for a briefing.

    “Both Abhay and Mahesh got very, very emotionally charged. It’s my belief that’s not the way to play them (Pakistan),” Ghosal mentioned. “I told them yesterday you almost have to be robots. Literally, like no emotions. No emotion is more powerful than any other outward thing you can show.”

    No love misplaced

    If staying bereft of feelings was the sport plan, India didn’t start nicely. The opening match between Mangaonkar and Nasir Iqbal changed into an disagreeable brawl with each gamers colliding into one another — typically inadvertently, at occasions strategically — after which complaining always to the umpire, alleging interference.

    The antics appeared to backfire on the Indian, who obtained more and more annoyed when the referee didn’t hearken to his pleas. Mangaonkar was dropping the psychological sport in addition to the technical one as Iqbal made him transfer everywhere in the court docket, discovering the appropriate angles, top and placement to maintain the ball away from the Indian, particularly on the far facet of the forehand.

    Iqbal received the opener in straight video games, placing the onus on Ghosal — India’s No. 1 participant for 860 consecutive weeks. The man who has saved the nation’s flag flying ensured it didn’t bow out tepidly on this tie.

    Digging into his many years of expertise and displaying impenetrable calmness, Ghosal made quick work of Muhammad Asim Khan, permitting the Pakistani participant simply 9 factors throughout three video games to power the gold medal match right into a decider.

    Ghosal might have wrapped up his contest in precisely half an hour however he was deeply concerned all by the 2 hours the tie lasted. The 37-year-old was the chief cheerleader from the bench, shouted phrases of recommendation and warning in between factors and went into breathless monologues throughout sport intervals, giving directions to his teammates.

    Before the all-important match between Abhay and Zaman, each Ghosal and coach Christopher Walker sat Abhay down and went over the technique. “It was quite cold so we just had to be very careful hitting the ball back,” Walker mentioned. “We made sure he’s covering the front very well since when the ball doesn’t bounce much when you take it to the front and play the drop shots. The drop shots become a bigger weapon as the match goes on.”

    These phrases ringing in his ears, Abhay entered the court docket to play what turned out to be a match of nice deception, artistry and gamesmanship. He appeared to be heading for a simple win after wrapping up the primary sport inside no time, and racing to a 7-4 lead within the second.

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    But then, the tide turned and Zaman made a robust comeback with a flurry of cross-court hits, pinning Abhay to the backcourt and utilizing the drop photographs with lethal accuracy.

    Abhay stayed alive within the match along with his unimaginable athleticism and stubbornness to not give in regardless of being put underneath relentless stress. Eventually, he did simply sufficient to disclaim Pakistan what, at a number of factors, felt like an assured gold.

    Especially when Zaman had two match factors to seal the gold medal and had the group vociferously backing him. “The only thing I was thinking at 10-8 was how did I get here but I had all the confidence in myself,” Abhay mentioned. “There was a lot of talk from the other team three nights ago, some on social media… Well, I am looking forward to some tonight.”

  • In final yr’s disaster, Lanka cricketers went all out to assist; followers are returning the love

    It’s nearly 1:30 on Friday night time and roughly 25 minutes since Charith Asalanka scored the successful runs in opposition to Pakistan, propelling Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup closing in opposition to India. The presentation ceremony is over and the commentary crew are packing up.

    However, on the spectator stands inside R Premadasa Stadium, nobody is able to go away. As chants of ‘Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka’ proceed to reverberate round, for a lot of, Sunday’s closing in opposition to India can’t come any sooner.

    There is one thing unmistakable that swells in from the stands together with the ‘Papare’ soundtrack, grown from Sinhala Baila music: it’s the sound of individuals falling in love once more with the nationwide cricket staff, the only unifying drive in a rustic that suffered via an financial turmoil in 2022.

    India’s captain Rohit Sharma and different examine the sector earlier than the resume of Asia Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan delays in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Monday, Sept.11, 2023. (AP)

    As far as cricketing achievements go, Sunday’s sport shall be particular for India, who’ve overwhelmed Pakistan and Sri Lanka within the group phases and need to win a multinational match forward of the World Cup closing. But for the Sri Lankans, the Asia cup has gone past mere victory and loss. When the 2 sides meet Sunday, India shall be going through not simply 11 gamers however a packed crowd of Sri Lankans bursting with love and gratitude for his or her nationwide cricket staff.

    “This is our way of returning the favour,” mentioned Dayani, a working girl, who took a time off to rejoice on the stadium.

    “Let us say it is just a thanksgiving. When we were struggling to make ends meet [during the financial crisis], they helped us in every way possible, including providing food materials and ration. We know they didn’t reveal it in public, but we do know these guys should be shoulder-to-shoulder with us.”

    It’s a outstanding flip of occasions.

    Only 4 years in the past, with one cricketing title after one other, together with Sanath Jayasuriya, getting caught in a crackdown on corruption, and the staff’s efficiency plummeting, followers had chosen to remain away. Even the well-known ‘Papare’ band might hardly be noticed throughout matches.

    And with among the present gamers embroiled in disciplinary points (some have been despatched again from abroad excursions, a participant was even arrested in Australia on sexual-harassment expenses) and inflation hitting the pockets exhausting, cricket took a again seat.

    All that appears to be forgotten now.

    “Fans have been amazing in the recent past and the way the guys have performed has attracted more crowds to the game,” mentioned captain Dasun Shanaka. “Especially the youngsters, they have been amazing in the last two years and the record is good so they see that we are fighting in the middle (rather) than (seeing) what the end result is. They are looking to enjoy cricket, apart from their jobs.”

    During the match in opposition to Pakistan, as Maheesh Theekshana hobbled off the sector, he acquired a standing ovation from the group. The cheer got here regardless of Theekshana not having the most effective of the times with the ball and accounting for just one wicket within the match. They maybe remembered the economical disaster final yr when, simply earlier than becoming a member of his IPL staff Chennai Super Kings, Theekshana visited his alma mater St Benedict College in Colombo to assist just a few faculty youngsters.

    During the turmoil, whereas most of their former gamers together with the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralidharan have been vocal supporters of the protestors, the present staff helped by distributing rations, canned fish and even coming to the monetary assist of many.

    “They (fans) want to see these kids Dunith Wellalage and Pathirana and young batsmen like Asalanka, (Pathum) Nissanka, how they chip in and they eagerly wait for these guys to perform, that’s what the difference is,” Shanaka mentioned. “Now everyone wants to come and see what they are doing. Now we are in the Asia Cup final again, and they are expecting us to do something special.”

    The locals have been ready to throng the stadium because the Super 4 fixtures landed in Colombo. However, with the ticket costs prohibitive — even a budget concrete seat value LKR 10,000 (INR 2,500), they stayed away when Sri Lanka confronted Bangladesh the earlier Saturday, a contest that has developed into a giant rivalry in these components.

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    But when the Pakistan Cricket Board – which is internet hosting the occasion in Sri Lanka — woke as much as the empty stands, slashing the costs, the followers started to show up in numbers. Most of the tuk-tuk (because the auto rickshaws are referred to as right here) drivers have been cajoling the journalists to conjure a ticket for them to purchase.

    The few years of issue behind, in Sri Lanka, cricket is starting appears to look promising once more. Having received the T20 Asia Cup final yr, the staff entered this yr’s Asia Cup as underdogs and, regardless of the absence of 4 of their first-four bowlers on account of accidents, are actually ready to grab their second in opposition to top-dogs India.

    The Papare band is prepared. The individuals are prepared. The love is actual.

  • Borders blur in Kartarpur as Bedi, Intikhab catch up over some jazz

    “WHEN THE saints go marching in…” The jazz of Louis Armstrong floats in Kartarpur on the Ravi river’s west financial institution outdoors Lahore. An ideal Indian Sikh spinner, a revered Pakistani Muslim captain and a legendary African-American musician, who additionally sang gospel songs, have discovered a solution to mingle on the fabled shrine.

    “I could see tears welling up in his eyes when I sang that song,” Intikhab Alam says over the telephone about assembly his outdated good friend Bishan Singh Bedi at Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara on Tuesday. “We both go a long way and that song, too, plays a role in it. In fact, we all cried when we met.”

    Bishan Bedi’s spouse Anju, too, was left in tears. “Intikhab, Shafqat Rana (a Pakistan international from the 1960s), Bishan, all holding hands and crying. It was some sight. Right through Bishan’s illness and recovery, Intikhab would call every third day. So would Zaheer Abbas, who is not well these days. All the Pakistani players who live in England, like Mushtaq Mohammad, are all his buddies and would keep calling. Intikhab has been a great, true friend and Bishan has always been much loved in Pakistan,” she says.

    In February 2021, three days after Bedi underwent a coronary heart surgical procedure, he suffered a stroke due to a mind clot. An emergency surgical procedure was completed. The progress was sluggish. Initially, he couldn’t recognise folks round him and couldn’t stroll. But Bedi recovered. And after they met in Kartarpur, Alam gave Bedi a watch. “He put it on Bishan’s wrist,” says Anju, who obtained a number of presents from Alam and his household.

    Before Kartarpur, Intikhab’s spouse had pressed Anju with a “simple request”.

    “She asked me to bring a mixer — steel-waali, that blender. She said ‘In Pakistan, you get plastic and glass ka mixie and it frequently gets broken. Can you bring a steel mixie from India?’ I bought two of them in Amritsar and wasn’t sure whether it would be allowed. My son Angad said, ‘Take it mummy, who is going to stop my dad?” says Anju, laughing.

    “And so, I took it along with other gifts. No one in Customs here or there said anything. In fact, we had forgotten about the Covid test also but it was all done sweetly by the authorities without any problem. We went on a one-day visa,” she says.

    The assembly in Kartarpur was Bedi’s nice need. Anju had stored Intikhab and his spouse within the loop. “On October 3, we were celebrating our grandson’s birthday and Bishan said we should go to Kartarpur now. I told Intikhab’s wife, and they said ‘Don’t worry, we will be there’. When it happened, I was surprised that border forces from the Pakistan side were also dying to take photos with Bishan,” Anju says.

    “I could see tears welling up in his eyes when I sang that song,” Intikhab Alam says over the telephone about assembly his outdated good friend Bishan Singh Bedi at Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara on Tuesday. “We both go a long way and that song, too, plays a role in it. In fact, we all cried when we met.” picture credit score: Bishan Singh Bedi

    Intikhab says he didn’t want an invite. “It was five hours of bliss. Old memories dusted up. Laughter. And as your countrymen will know, Bedi is a magnificent personality. What a heart. Courage. Honest man. And a humorous man. We laughed and laughed. Louis Armstrong was also part of our relationship. And it was Anju-ji who told me to sing,” Intikhab laughs.

    Says Anju, “I told him now you have to sing that song. He said ‘Are you mad, we are in a Gurdwara’ but I said you have to sing. It was so lovely.”

    The music connection dates again to the Nineteen Seventies throughout Kerry Packer’s insurgent league that modified the cricketing world. Intikhab and Bedi had been within the Rest of the World staff. “We had a Sunday club during that tournament. We had players from so many different countries. Someone would dance, someone would sing or play an instrument and so on. I used to sing this song the way Armstrong sang or tried to, and Bishan loved it. I guess he still does,” says Intikhab, a jazz lover who had picked up the music throughout his enjoying days in Scotland.

    The assembly in Kartarpur was Bedi’s nice need. Anju had stored Intikhab and his spouse within the loop.

    His household, Intikhab says, was the final in Shimla to flee to Pakistan throughout Partition. His father had performed for the Maharaja of Patiala’s staff, and had associates within the Army. He recollects {that a} brigadier had despatched a truck that took the household to Ludhiana. They moved to Kalka, after which took a prepare to Lahore. “The first was a passenger train… But a wrong signal said the first train was a goods train, and the second was carrying passengers, and that’s how we made it across the border,” Intikhab says. “Very lucky. That was the last train. No other train came from India.”

    He first met Bedi in a match. “I hit him for a six or two, and he joked ‘Bhai, why are you hitting me? There are other spinners also in the team.’ I immediately knew that we were going to hit it off. Then, that Australia tournament (Packer’s World Series) happened and we have been thick friends since.”

    His household, Intikhab says, was the final in Shimla to flee to Pakistan throughout Partition. His father had performed for the Maharaja of Patiala’s staff, and had associates within the Army. He recollects {that a} brigadier had despatched a truck that took the household to Ludhiana.

    Referring to Bedi, he says, “Allah inko lambi umar dein and give him all the good health. Aise insaan toh kum paide hote hain aajkal (People like him are very rare these days. May God give him a long, healthy life).”

    Anju says, “I know Bishan is much loved in Pakistan. But the way Intikhab, Shafqat and all his Pakistani friends have been in touch was amazing. They just hugged and cried.” Intikhab says, “When Bishan left, he told me ‘Come to India’. I have been there before and roamed Purani Dilli (Old Delhi) with him in the past. It’s been years now. I shall come, Inshallah.”

    Anju awaits that day. Until then, she may even cherish one other lasting reminiscence from Kartarpur. “A Pakistani journalist asked me what I liked most from Pakistan: Dry fruits, shawls, clothes… I replied ‘Apka pyaar sabse behtar lagta hai (I like your love the best)’.”

  • Ayodhya Ram temple head priest calls for fast ban on ‘Adipurush’, says it wrongly depicts deities

    The head priest of Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday demanded a direct ban on Bollywood film ‘Adipurush’, alleging that it has wrongly portrayed Lord Ram, Hanuman and Ravana.

    A 1.46-minute teaser of the film was launched on Sunday in Ayodhya, and has been receiving blowback since then.

    The approach through which Ravana has been depicted is totally mistaken and condemnable. Through the media, we demand a direct ban on the movie, priest Satyendra Das, who was right here on the event of the annual Vijay Rath Yatra, informed the media.

    He mentioned ‘Adipurush’, a giant finances adaptation of the Ramayana and directed by Om Raut of ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ fame, doesn’t present Lord Rama and Hanuman as talked about within the epic both and therefore goes towards their dignity.

    BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, who was right here to attend a separate ‘Shastra Puja’, mentioned it seems that such controversies are being created intentionally.

    Making a movie just isn’t against the law. They needs to be made however creating deliberate controversies to hog limelight is inappropriate, he mentioned.

    Fronted by ‘Baahubali’ star Prabhas, who options as Lord Ram, the multilingual interval saga sees Saif Ali Khan play the position of a 10-headed demon king referred to as Lankesh. With a beard, fierce eyes and a buzz reduce, he appears barbarism personified and lots of referred to as out the filmmakers for the obvious Islamisation of Ravana.

  • Vineeth Sreenivasan turns 38: A have a look at the director’s romantic dramas

    Vineeth Sreenivasan, who celebrates his birthday as we speak, has helmed films like Malarvaadi Arts Club, Thira and Jacobinte Swargarajyam amongst others. However, his films within the style of romance have discovered many takers.

    Vineeth’s romantic movies are usually not solely recognized for its feel-good issue but in addition for making even the routine drama appear interesting and distinctive.

    We have a look at two of his romantic dramas – Thattathin Marayathu (2012) and Hridayam (2022) – that made a spot for itself within the hearts of many.

    Thattathin Marayathu revolves round Vinod (Nivin Pauly), a man from a humble background, and Aisha (Isha Talwar) who comes from a politically influential household. Vinod falls in love with Aisha after he runs into her (fairly actually) at a marriage. Aisha additionally begins to like him again however the truth that they’re from totally different religions places a number of obstacles of their approach. Aisha is tortured by her conservative uncle. It is lastly when Aisha’s father Abdul Rahman stands as much as her uncle for his daughter’s rights that she reunites with Vinod.

    10 years later, Vineeth Sreenivasan made Hridayam, the story of Arun Neelakandan (Pranav Mohanlal) who will get enrolled right into a Chennai-based school. Arun finds a couple of good pals, will get into fights with a couple of others and in addition meets Darshana (Darshana Rajendran), a woman he falls in love with at first sight. However, his relationship with Darshana turns rocky, they usually finally half methods. He additionally turns into pals along with his classmate Selva who modifications him for the higher.

    Cut to the second half of the film, we see Arun as an expert marriage ceremony photographer. He meets Nithya (Kalyani Priyadarshan) at one of many weddings. Arun’s marriage with Nithya ignites the pent-up emotions inside Darshana. However, she manages to seek out closure in the direction of the tip.

    Both these Vineeth Sreenivasan films have captured the creativeness of children. While the plots of those films fluctuate extensively, some widespread threads endure.

    Love at first sight

    Love at first sight, although widespread in each romantic movie, is made fascinating in Thattathin Marayathu and Hridayam. In each the flicks, the male protagonist is made to fall in love at first sight. While the previous has Vinod by accident pushing Aisha down a flight of stairs on the first occasion, within the latter, Arun sees Darshana’s toes first (the digital camera then pans to her face, for the shortage of a greater phrase, in an inverted method).

    Both the male leads additionally appear smitten with sure features of their woman love. While Vinod is in love with Aisha’s ‘thattam’ (veil), one can see Arun being in love along with his woman love’s untied hair.

    By the ocean

    A sea setting is a typical thread in these Vineeth Sreenivasan films. Some of crucial scenes play out by the shores.

    In Thattathin Marayathu, Vinod as a toddler prays that Aisha be his spouse on a sea bridge. It is, once more, on the ocean bridge that the 2 unite on the finish. Similarly, in Hridayam, the Palavakkam seashore in Chennai performs matchmaker when Darshana confesses her like to Arun. Years later, Darshana finds closure in Arun’s relationship with Nithya on the similar place.

    The classical contact in songs

    The romantic facet of flicks, naturally, spills into its songs. Both Thattathin Marayathu and Hridayam boast of songs with a classical, divine contact. Case in level, “Namosthuthe” in Thattathin Marayathu and “Nagumo” in Hridayam. Again, each these songs play out when the boy sees the woman for the primary time – lending a facet of divinity to the love.

    Friendship and household

    Vineeth Sreenivasan offers significance to friendship and household in his films. Families in each these movies play healer to the protagonists. For occasion, Arun Neelakandan finds himself in a greater place (his tryst with Selva) after a go to to his house.

    Anthony Dhaadikaran (Aswath Lal) and Abdu (Aju Varghese) play the protagonist’s good friend in Hridayam and Thattathin Marayathu, respectively. While the theme of friendship is carried evenly in a giant approach all through Vineeth Sreenivasan’s Hridayam, in Thattathin Marayathu, a number of pals assist Vinod and Aisha to get again collectively.

  • ITF Asian B1 tennis championships: Local lad Manas Dhamne youngest Indian to elevate title; Shruti Alhawat clinches women’ crown

    Local favorite and rising tennis star Manas Dhamne had each motive to rejoice on Saturday as he not solely clinched the ITF Asian B1 Championships title but additionally grew to become the youngest Indian to take action.

    In a becoming finale of the week-long event on the Deccan Gymkhana, Dhamne blitzed previous compatriot Aryan Shah to elevate the boys’ trophy whereas Shruti Alhawat triumphed 6-1, 6-4 over Lily Taylor of Australia to clinch the women’ singles title.The opening set of the boys’ singles closing went right down to the wire as each gamers held their serve, thus forcing a tiebreak.

    In the tiebreak, Dhamne gained essential factors off Shah’s serve to open up a 5-1 lead and ultimately romping to a 7-4 win to clinch the opening set 7-6.

    In the second set, Shah broke Dhamne’s serve within the very first recreation and constructed a wholesome lead.

    Dhamne, nonetheless, broke again within the fourth and tenth video games, inching nearer to the title. He ultimately claimed the second set 6-4, clinching the title.

    “I am very happy to win in my own city. What makes it more special is that I would be able to play the Australian Open next year. It was a very good final. I didn’t have any plans going into the final. He was serving very well and coming into the net, playing good volleys. I scored some crucial points in the first set, which helped me win it,” mentioned Dhamne, who at present trains beneath Riccardo Piatti on the Piatti Tennis Centre.

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    The women’ closing, which spanned an hour and 12 minutes, turned out to be a lopsided affair. It was Alhawat’s first run-in with Taylor within the ITF circuit, however she didn’t present any nerves going into the title conflict. “I am really happy with the win as I worked really hard. I played solid from the start and I did nothing more than rely on my big serves. I also covered a lot of ground during the match. She was serving really well, too, even in the second set. So, I had to make sure that there wasn’t a drop in my intensity. I played my best,” mentioned 16-year-old Alhawat, who’s at present India’s number one on the U-18 stage.

  • Nude photograph on social media morphed: Ranveer to cops

    One of the images shared on social media, which was claimed to be part of actor Ranveer Singh’s “nude photoshoot” for New York-based Paper journal, during which his non-public components have been allegedly seen, is morphed and doesn’t belong to him, the actor has advised the Mumbai Police in his assertion recorded on August 29.

    It was based mostly on this {photograph} that the Mumbai Police had registered an FIR in opposition to Singh on expenses of obscenity on July 26. This explicit {photograph} was not a part of the seven images uploaded by the him on his Instagram account, Singh has claimed.

    The police have now despatched the {photograph} to the forensic science laboratory to substantiate if it has been morphed. If it seems that the {photograph} has been morphed, Singh is prone to get a clear chit because the FIR was registered on the bottom that his non-public components have been seen in one of many images, sources stated.

    The images uploaded by Singh in his Instagram account don’t come beneath the definition of obscenity, as no non-public components are seen, the sources added.

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    An officer stated, “In his statement, he has said that the seven photographs he posted on Instagram were not obscene and he was wearing underwear. He added that the photograph in which the complainant had alleged that his ‘private parts were visible’ was morphed and not part of the photoshoot.”

    “He provided us with all the photos taken during the photoshoot. The police team also checked his Instagram posts, which do not have the photograph that was given by the complainant,” the officer added.

  • Betting website seeks backdoor entry into India by means of surrogate advertisements

    During key moments of the Asia Cup match that concluded on Sunday, the picture of Yuvraj Singh — wearing whites, pumping his fists, flashing a large smile and holding a bat — would flash on the screens.

    The former India cricketer was, on paper, selling a ‘professional sportsblog’, 1xBet. In actuality, nevertheless, 1xBet is a controversial offshore betting web site.

    The on-line bookmaker, banned in a number of nations, together with Russia, the place it was based, had in 2019 been blacklisted by Britain’s Gambling Commission following an investigation by the Sunday Times that exposed that 1xBet’s “brand had been used to promote betting on children’s sports, cockfighting and a ‘pornhub’ casino with topless women dealing the cards”. The blacklisting had additionally led to high soccer golf equipment competing within the English Premier League golf equipment terminating their sponsorship contracts.

    Also, in June this 12 months, Norwegian soccer journal Josimar reported that 1xBet, one of many greatest sponsors in soccer, was “declared bankrupt in the Caribbean island of Curacao, where the company has a licence that allows it to offer bets around the world”.

    Now, the identical platform is making an attempt to realize a foothold in India. Operating underneath the banner of a ‘professional sportsblog’ to bypass the foundations, it has launched a advertising and marketing blitzkrieg, which, Indian regulators mentioned, could possibly be in ‘potential violation’ of the nation’s legal guidelines.

    And it’s not simply 1xBet. Another betting web site, FairPlay, too, has been on an promoting overdrive throughout the Asia Cup and the US Open, in an try and lure new clients.

    With playing and betting unlawful in India, these platforms arrange sports activities information web sites, which supply match predictions and suggestions, to help them in surrogate promoting. Yuvraj is among the ambassadors of 1xBet’s sportsblog, whereas actor Ranbir Kapoor and boxer Mary Kom, amongst others, endorse the information portal of FairPlay.

    The authorities’s draft pointers for deceptive commercials underneath the Consumer Protection Act prohibit firms from surrogate promoting. “Advertisements for goods or services whose advertising is otherwise prohibited or restricted by law shall not circumvent such restrictions by purporting to be advertisements for other goods or services, the advertising of which is not prohibited or restricted by law,” state the draft pointers launched in August 2020.

    In June this 12 months, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry issued an advisory to print, digital and digital media to chorus from promoting on-line betting platforms.

    “The advertisements of online betting are misleading, and do not appear to be in strict conformity with the Consumer Protection Act 2019, Advertising Code under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995, and advertisement norms under the Norms of Journalistic Conduct laid down by the Press Council of India under the Press Council Act, 1978,” the ministry had mentioned in a press release.

    Manisha Kapoor, the CEO and secretary basic of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) instructed The Indian Express that it is a matter for “judiciary and states to look into”.

    “The ads mentioned are in potential violation of the Indian government’s law rather than ASCI’s code. This is a matter for the judiciary and states to look into in the interest of consumer protection and is beyond the purview of ASCI,” Kapoor mentioned. “Having said that, we support the government at all times in monitoring such ads when asked for.”

    Yet, the difficulty continues to go unchecked. Over the previous couple of years, particularly throughout and publish the pandemic, betting firms – by means of direct or surrogate methods – have been overtly and more and more promoting on main streaming providers, together with Hotstar and SonyLIV, throughout reside sports activities occasions, most notably cricket matches.

    When contacted, Hotstar, SonyLIV, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Yuvraj Singh and 1xBet didn’t reply. FairPlay couldn’t be reached for remark.

    To place bets on these offshore web sites, customers should first create an account by sharing their private particulars. In the case of 1xBet, the textual content message for the One-Time Password required to register is delivered in Russian. Once logged in, customers can place bets on home and worldwide matches in sports activities starting from cricket, kabaddi, volleyball, soccer, desk tennis, basketball and tennis, amongst others.

    The web site presents a number of fee choices for customers based mostly out of India, together with e-wallets, cryptocurrencies, financial institution transfers and financial institution playing cards. Curiously, whereas making UPI transfers, as a substitute of creating the fee on to 1xBet, the registered ID belongs to a non-public particular person and it routinely retains altering. Users are given a singular reference code to validate the transactions and the cash is deposited within the betting account by means of a 3rd celebration inside an hour, reasonably than instantaneously.

    Additionally, these web sites – registered in tax havens like Curacao and Cyprus – put the onus of determining the legalities of on-line betting on the consumer. “When opening an account and/or using our Website you must make sure that your actions are legal in the territory in which you reside. You also guarantee and agree that you have received legal advice before registering on our Website,” the phrases and situations printed on 1xBet said, including that it’s unlawful in nations like “the USA, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, the Netherlands, etc.”

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    All these nations have banned 1xBet, based in Russia in 2007, for violating their betting and playing legal guidelines. According to Spanish day by day AS, the corporate has additionally been fined in nations like Kenya, Poland, Israel, and the Netherlands.

    The firm, although, continues to sponsor two of the largest soccer golf equipment – Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. However, it can’t be legally accessed in each Spain and France.

    In India, 1xBet and FairPlay are the most recent in a string of betting firms flooding the unlawful market. Apart from promoting on TV and streaming websites, a number of offshore web sites resembling Dafabet and Parimatch have entered into sponsorship agreements, by means of surrogate methods, with groups that play within the home leagues in sports activities like cricket, soccer and kabaddi.