Rafael Nadal went down on his knees, pumped his fists and lit the Philippe Chatrier court with a smile that sang, ‘I’m home’. The 34-year-old, who outplayed top-seeded Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 in two hours and 41 minutes, reeled in a racket full of records - a century of wins at Roland Garros, 13 French Open crowns and the epic, equalling Roger Federer’s haul of 20 Grand Slam titles. Nadal pointed at the court, the most significant rostrum of his career. He called it a love story.
The champion said: “For me, today is just about Roland Garros, not 20 Grand Slams, equalling Roger. Winning here another time is I cannot say a dream. It’s something that’s out of my better thoughts.” Nadal sent out words of encouragement to people around the world. “We are facing one of the worst moments,” he said of the pandemic, “just keep going, stay positive. Together we will get through this, we will beat the virus.”
Barbie doll modelled after para-badminton champion
World para badminton champion Manasi Joshi has a Barbie doll modelled after her. On the occasion of international day of girl child on Sunday, Joshi joined the select club of women – Barbie Sheroes - who have had Barbie dolls modelled to their likeness. Manasi Joshi is only the second Indian woman - and the first para-athlete – to have a Barbie doll modelled after her. The only other Indian to have received this laurel is gymnast Dipa Karmakar in 2019. Joshi has received the one-of-a-kind (OOAK) Barbie doll modelled to her likeness. “It is an immense honour to be felicitated by Barbie and having a doll modelled after me. Recognitions like these will help me change perceptions among people about disability,” Manasi Joshi said. Commenting on Barbie’s tagline – “You can be anything”, Manasi said, “Yes, it does apply to me to a large extent. This is about converting situations into those of advantage.”
Indian boxers to train overseas during pandemic
India’s elite Tokyo Olympic-bound boxers and others harbouring hopes of making the cut for the Games will head to Europe this month for a two-month long training-cum-competition sojourn. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) cleared the proposal at a cost of £131,000. A 28-member contingent, including 10 male and six women boxers along with the coaching support staff, will station itself in Assisi, Italy for a period of 52 days from October 15 to December 5, with the aim to assess where they stand vis-à-vis their European counterparts and what aspects of their game need improvement. A group of 13 boxers will separately participate in the Alexis Vastine International boxing tournament in Nantes, France from October 28 to 30. The Covid-19 tests of all 28 boxers, coaches and support staff will be done before leaving India. Thier expenses will be covered by SAI.
Among those who would be travelling are Amit Panghal, Ashish Kumar, Satish Kumar, Simranjit Kaur, Lovlina Borgohain and Pooja Rani.
Stokes reveals ailing father told him to return to cricket
England allrounder Ben Stokes has revealed that his ailing father, for whom he took a break from cricket, encouraged him to return to action in the IPL by telling him that he was duty-bound “to do the job”. Stokes took compassionate leave in the middle of the home Test series against Pakistan in August and travelled to New Zealand to attend to his father who has been diagnosed with brain cancer. After spending five weeks with his family, Stokes, who is contracted with Rajasthan Royals, has landed in the UAE and is currently in quarantine. “Saying goodbye to my dad, my mum and my brother in Christchurch was tough. It has been a difficult time for us as a family, but we've pulled together and supported each other as best we can,” Stokes wrote in his column for the 'Daily Mirror'.
