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Sheikh Hasina Intl Chess Tournament begins Sunday
The "Joytu Sheikh Hasina International Grandmasters Chess Tournament," organised by the Bangladesh Chess Federation on the occasion of the 75th birth anniversary of the prime minister will begin Sunday at 3pm in the capital.
Around 12 grandmasters, 16 international masters, three women international masters and 60 leading players from 10 different countries, including Bangladesh, are expected to compete in the nine-round Swiss League system competition.
Bangladeshi grandmasters Niaz Morshed, Ziaur Rahman, Reefat Bin Sattar, Mollah Abdullah Al Rakib, Enamul Hossain Rajib; international masters Abu Safian Shakil, Mohammad Minhaz Uddin, Mohammad Fahad Rahman; women international masters Rani Hamid and Sharmin Sultana Shirin and some selected rated players of the country have been invited to join the competition.
At Sheikh Hasina International Chess, $1,500 will be awarded in cash, the highest prize money for any chess competition held in Bangladesh.
Read: Asian School Chess: Bangladesh's Khusbu emerges top and unbeaten
The main prize will be $13,000 – $4,000 for champion, $2,500 runner-up, $1,500 for second runner-up; $1,000 each for fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth position holders.
Also read: Prizes of Sheikh Kamal Int'l Chess distributed
Special cash prize money of $2,000 will be awarded to Bangladeshi players.
Daniil Medvedev: The Second Russian to Win Men’s Singles in the History of US Open
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev upset world number one Novak Djokovic to win his first major championship (Grand Slam) on Sunday (September 12). Currently, he is the second Russian player to win the US Open following Marat Safin in 2000. Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon in 2021. If Djokovic had won the final against Medvedev, he would have completed the Calendar Grand Slam. Medvedev, on the other hand, was in great form in the final, defeating Djokovic in straight sets. Take a look at Daniil Medvedev's journey to the US Open 2021.
Daniil Medvedev Journey to the US Open 2021
25-year-old Daniil Medvedev won the US Open 2021 in straight sets over 34-year-old Novak Djokovic at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The second seed Daniil Medvedev had a fantastic tournament at the recently ended US Open 2021. He dropped one set in the quarter-final match against Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp. He won the remainder of the matches in straight sets, with the exception of that one.
Daniil Medvedev played a seeded opponent for the first time in the Round of 16. Britain's Dan Evans was her opponent. After beating Dan Evans in the quarterfinals (6-3, 6-4, 6-3), Daniil Medvedev gained a lot of confidence heading into the semifinals. Then he overcame the 12th seeded Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime (6-4, 7-5, 6-2).
Read Qualifier to champion: UK's Raducanu wins US Open
Daniil Medvedev's final match opponent Novak Djokovic had his ups and downs throughout the campaign. He dropped several sets and had to fight hard for every victory from the first round until the semifinals. However, in the knockout stage, Djokovic faced tougher opponents than Medvedev. He played against 6th seed Matteo Berrettini (5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3) in the quarter-finals, he faced 4th seed Alexander Zverev (4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2) in the semi-finals. Furthermore, he had a tough match against Japanese Kei Nishikori in the fourth round.
Daniil Medvedev was assured in his abilities going into the final, and his performance reflected that confidence. He was on fire, winning the most games on the second serve (76 percent). He also earned 99 points, compared to 83 points for Novak Djokovic. Daniil Medvedev gained momentum all through the match and won each set by 6-4 margin.
The Russian avenged a straight-set loss to Djokovic in the Australian Open final in February 2021, forcing errors from his opponent with powerful serving, dominating Djokovic from the baseline, and completing points with accurate wins.
Read US Open 2021: Meet Emma Raducanu, Britain’s First Women’s Grand Slam Singles Winner in 44 Years
Medvedev broke out in a big smile after clinching the match and pondered finally claiming his first Grand Slam championship.
Daniil Medvedev's Professional Tennis Career
Daniil Medvedev is the son of Sergey Medvedev and Olga Medvedeva, and was born in Moscow in 1996. His father pushed him to take tennis lessons when he was nine years old. He was then admitted into the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth, and Tourism. He afterward relocated to France with his family, where he attended a tennis academy.
At the 2015 Kremlin Cup, Medvedev made his ATP main draw debut in the doubles event, partnering with Aslan Karatsev. At the 2016 Nice Open, Medvedev made his ATP singles main draw debut. He won his first singles ATP World Tour match at the 2016 Ricoh Open.
Read Elko s grand slam leads Ole Miss into super regionals
Medvedev made his first ATP singles final in January 2017 and won his first Grand Slam match in the first round of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships against Stan Wawrinka. At the 2018 Sydney International, Medvedev won his maiden ATP championship.
In the year 2019, he won six Master titles and competed in six finals in a row. More notably, he made his first appearance in the US Open final, where he lost to Rafael Nadal. He was the ATP finals winner in 2020 and earned his third Masters championship. The next year, he reached the final of the Australian Open, won the ATP Cup, and won his fourth Masters championship.
Bottom Line
Following the golden era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, tennis fans often debate about who will dominate men's tennis in the future. The 25-year-old Daniil Medvedev has a strong chance of becoming one of the best players of his generation if he can stay injury-free and strive for perfection. Because many pundits and fans were impressed by Daniil Medvedev's strong attitude and competitive approach to the game during the main event of the US Open 2021, particularly in the final against Novak Djokovic, one of the all-time greats. On the other side, Russian tennis fans anticipate him to usher in a new era of the tennis in their country.
Read Grand Slam leaders pledge to address Naomi Osaka s concerns
Shammi Nasrin: An Inspiration to Bangladesh Women in Weightlifting
Women's participation in outdoor sports in a conservative country like Bangladesh is incredibly difficult. Women should move forward by persuading their families and avoiding society's conservative viewpoint. Shammi Nasrin is one such woman. The 46-year-old middle-aged woman stunned everyone by taking third place (63kg category) in a Bangladesh Powerlifting Association's weightlifting competition. Her accomplishment is a source of pride for women in Bangladesh. Despite the potential, many women are afraid to participate in sports such as weightlifting by defying society's conservative viewpoint. Shammi Nasrin's path as a weightlifter and the accomplishments of other notable women's weightlifters in Bangladesh are highlighted in this article.
Shammi Nasrin's Journey as a Weightlifter
It's no surprise that women's strength, which is frequently honored as motherhood, is a source of inspiration. A middle-aged Bangladeshi woman has not only enhanced feminine power but also transcended the constraints of societal taboos and other barriers with sheer drive and courage.
A weightlifting competition was held by the Bangladesh Powerlifting Association. Shammi Nasrin, a 46-year-old mother of three, finished third in the 63-kg weightlifting category. She has astounded everyone with her accomplishment, given her present age, defying the obligations she has in her daily life.
Read FIFA Women's Friendly Football: Bangladesh, Nepal play out goalless 2nd match
Shammi Nasrin used to devote her life to caring for her three children (two boys and a girl) as well as domestic duties. However, she has always had a strong interest in weightlifting and is a sports enthusiast.
Nasrin gradually realized that fitness is essential, especially as one reaches the age of forty. Her passion for fitness became even stronger once she began working out at the gym on a daily basis, and she decided to compete in the powerlifting competition.
Shammi Nasrin's accomplishments made her children very proud. One of her sons is a semi-professional football player who draws inspiration from her.
Read: Women in Afghanistan: Taliban Government to Ban Women's Sports in Afghanistan
When women like Shammi come forward, the so-called myths of society will be dispelled, and more women will be motivated to follow in her footsteps.
Bangladesh's Notable Female Weightlifters
Smrity Akter, Shabira Molla, Chakma Fullpoti, Fayema Akter, Rokeya Sultana Sathy, Mabia Akhtar, Nisha Juhora Khaton, and Parvin Feroza are among the women weightlifters who have recently represented Bangladesh on the international stage.
Mabia Akter Shimanta and Smrity Akter are two of the best female weightlifters in Bangladesh. They both won silver medals in the 5th ISSF International Solidarity Weightlifting Championship 2018 in Cairo, Egypt.
Read: Bashonti Nibash, One Taka Hotel: First women-only hotel in Bangladesh by Bidyanondo
Mabia took silver in the women's 71kg category; while Smrity won silver in the 45kg weight category. Mabia was also a gold medalist at the 2016 and 2019 South Asian Games.
Shabira Molla is another talented female weightlifter from Bangladesh. In 2003, she came in third at the Asian Weightlifting Championships, and in 2007, she came in second at the Asian Junior Weightlifting Championships. She also earned a bronze medal in the 2019 South Asian Games.
Other recent notable international successes by women weightlifters include: Juhora Khatun Nisha won gold (81 kgs), Rokeya Sultana Sathy took silver (155 kgs), Fullpoti Chakma took silver (55 kgs), and Fayema Akter took bronze (59 kgs) in the 2019 South African Games.
Read: FIFA women's friendlies: Bangladesh lose 1-2 to Nepal
Bottom Line
It is possible to achieve any goal with a strong mind, such as Shammi Nasrin's, despite societal barriers. Bangladesh women should look up to her for inspiration. In addition, the family must play a significant role in Bangladesh women's progress. Bangladeshi women have had little success in weightlifting at the international level. However, we must strive to identify talented female athletes via countrywide talent search events. Women may succeed in the international arena if they are well cared for.
BAN vs. NZ Series 2021: Mahmudullah Becomes Bangladesh’s Most Successful T20I Captain
Bangladesh met Zimbabwe in their maiden Twenty20 International match on November 28, 2006, at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna. Bangladesh's inaugural T20I match was captained by Shahriar Nafees, and it was the only cricket format in which Bangladesh won their first match. Bangladesh have played 109 T20I matches since then, winning 40 and losing 67 of them. Bangladesh have had seven T20I captains so far, with Mahmudullah Riyad leading the way with 12 victories. How Mahmudullah Riyad becomes Bangladesh's most successful T20I captain in the ongoing 5-match bilateral BAN vs. NZ 2021 series is discussed in this article.
Bangladesh National Cricket Team's T20I Captaincy Record
Left-arm opener Shahriar Nafees led Bangladesh to victory in their maiden T20I match against Zimbabwe in 2006. Interestingly, he did not captain Bangladesh for the second time. Opener Liton Das has also captained Bangladesh for a single match.
Mahmudullah Riyad became the most successful T20I captain in history after winning the series opener against New Zealand on Wednesday (September 1). Mahmudullah Riyad has won 12 of his 24 matches as captain, giving him the highest winning percentage.
Read: Bangladesh-New Zealand T20 series: PM greets Tigers for going 2-0 up
Surprisingly, 9 of his 12 victories have come in the last 10 matches, which is an incredible number. It indicates that Mahmudullah has improved as a skipper and he has performed very well in the recent T20I series.
Seven players have captained Bangladesh in the Twenty20 format. Mashrafe Mortaza has led Bangladesh the most times (28), followed by Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mohammad Ashraful.
Bangladesh have been winning consistently since Mushfiqur Rahim took over as captain of the national team in 2011. Bangladesh have won eight games and lost fourteen under his leadership. Mushfiqur Rahim is Bangladesh's third-best captain in terms of victories and without a doubt one of the finest captains in the country's history.
Also read: Tigers do enough to see off Latham's Black Caps in 2nd T20I
Mohammad Ashraful was the captain of Bangladesh's T20 team from 2007 to 2009. Bangladesh only won two games out of 11 when he was captain.
Bangladesh won the fourth-most T20I matches (7) under Shakib Al Hasan's leadership. Shakib captained Bangladesh in 21 games, winning 33.33 percent of the time. When Shakib was in charge, though, Bangladesh lost 14 games.
From 2014 to 2017, Mashrafe Mortaza captained Bangladesh in the most number of matches. The Bangladesh national cricket team improved tremendously under his leadership. Bangladesh won ten games when he was captain. Mashrafe also suffered the most losses (17) while captaining the Bangladesh national team.
Read Afghanistan U-19 team's tour of Bangladesh on: BCB
Twenty20 International Captaincy Record for Bangladesh
Player
Match
Won
Loss
%
Mashrafe Mortaza
28
10
17
37.03%
Mahmudullah Riyad
24
12
12
50%
Mushfiqur Rahim
23
08
14
36.36%
Shakib Al Hasan
21
07
14
33.33%
Mohammad Ashraful
11
02
09
18.18%
Liton Das
01
0
0
0.00
Shahriar Nafees
01
01
0
100%
Read ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: Five Potential Replacements of Tamim Iqbal
BAN vs. NZ T20 Series: As It Stands
Mahmudullah Riyad became Bangladesh cricket's most successful T20I skipper after winning the low-scoring opening match of the BAN vs. NZ 2021 series. He extended his lead by winning the second match on Friday, (September 3).
Bangladesh will seal the series with two games left if they win the third match. Therefore, the third match is crucial for New Zealand to stay firm in the series.
There was heavy criticism regarding the slow pitch that took place in the opening match. New Zealand only scored 60 runs, and Bangladesh had to play 15 overs to reach the target. Following the first match, BCB’s Operations Committee Akram Khan told the media that they will prepare a better wicket for the second match to ensure a run-fest.
Read BAN vs. NZ 2021: Bangladesh Clinch Their First T20I Win Against New Zealand
Thankfully, the curator did a good job, putting up a better pitch for the second encounter. Batting first, Bangladesh made 141 runs in the second match and successfully defended the total. Bangladesh won the match by four runs in a closely contested encounter. We can anticipate New Zealand to play even better cricket on a more competitive surface in the third match.
Verdict
The team has improved under Mahmudullah Riyad's leadership after analyzing Bangladesh's T20I captains' performances. Mahmudullah has a genuine chance to improve his statistics as a skipper in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand. Bangladesh are presently leading the series 2-0, with three more matches to be played. Bangladesh's main goal would be to win the series and then try to sweep New Zealand.
Mahmudullah's captaincy record will significantly improve if Bangladesh win the remaining matches in the BAN vs. NZ 2021 series. Bangladesh's players will gain confidence as a result of the series win ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in October.
Read Shakib admits pitch even 'tougher' than Australia series
Prizes of Sheikh Kamal Int'l Chess distributed
Prizes of the Shahid Captain Sheikh Kamal Invitational International Online Chess Tournament' 2021, distributed at a function at Sky Ball-Room of Hotel La Meridian Monday night.
Bangladesh Chess Federation (BCF) organized the tournament on the occasion of the 72nd birth anniversary of the Shahid Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under the financial support of SAIF Piwertech Ltd.
State Minister for Youth Sports Md. Zahid Ahsan Russell, MP was the chief guest at the function and distributed the prizes to the winners of Bangladesh and gave virtual prizes to the foreign recepiants.
Dr. Benzir Ahmed, Inspector General of Police and Presidents of BCF and South Asian Chess Council, and Tarafdar Md. Ruhul Amin, Managing Director of the meet's sponsor SAIF Powertech Limited and Vice President of BCF were also present as special guests.
Syed Shahab Uddin Shamim, General Secretary of Bangladesh Chess Federation and President of FIDE Zone 3.2 and Mr. Abundo Casto, Executive Director of Asian Chess Federation also spoke on the occasion.
In the tournament, Chinese Grand Master Li Di became unbeaten champion securing 8 points from 9 matches. Indian Grandmaster Abhimanyu Puranik become the runner-up with seven and a half points.
Five players scored six and a half points each, in tie-breaking system GM Karthik Venkataraman of India became third, GM Amin M Tabatabaei of Iran finished fourth, GM Vadislav Kovalev of Belarus became fifth, GM Shyam Sundar of India became 6th and GM Maksoodloo Parham of Iran became 7th, IM Ali Muhammad Lutfi of Indonesia became 8th, IM Murzin Volodar of Russia became 9th, Xu Yinglun of China became 10th, IM Garcia Jan Emmanuel of Philippine finished 11th in the tiebreaker.
Read: Asian School Chess: Bangladesh's Khusbu emerges top and unbeaten
Among the Bangladeshi players, GM Reefat Bin Sattar clinched the top slot collecting 6 points from 9 games, GM Enamul Hossain Razib became second, IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman became third and GM Ziaur Rahman became 4th with five and half points .
CM Tahsin Tajwar Zia finished fifth and Shawkat Hossain Pallab became sixth with five points each. Sakline Mostafa Sajid won the special boys award and WIM Noshin Anjum won the special girls award.
Champion GM Li Di received two thousand US dollars, runner-up GM Abhimanyu Puranik received fifteen hundred us dollars, third GM Karthik Venkataraman received one thousand US dollars, fourth GM Amin Tabatabaei received six hundred US dollars, fifth GM Vladislav Kovalev received Five hundred US dollars, Sixth GM Shyam Sundar received four hundred US dollars, Seventh GM Maksoodloo Parham received four hundred US dollars, Eighth to tenth IM Ali Muhammad Lutfi, IM Murzin Volodar and GM Xu Yinglun received three hundred US dollars each, while IM Garcia Jane Emanuel Philippines, received a prize of two hundred US dollars as eleven prize .
GM Reefat Bin Sattar received 800 US dollars, GM Enamul Hossain Razib received 600 US dollars, 3rd IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman received 400 US dollars, 4th GM Ziaur Rahman received 300 US dollars, 5th CM Tahsin Tajwar Zia and 6th Shawkat Hossain Pallab each received two hundred US dollars, and as a special prize Sakline Mostafa Sajid and WFM Noshin Anjum received ten thousand taka each.
A total of ten thousand US dollars distributed among the winners
In all 80 players, including 21 Grand Masters and 13 International Masters from 15 countries, took part in the three-day 9-round Swiss-League basis event.
Pro Kabaddi League 2021: Bangladesh Players Picked up in the Auction
The Pro Kabaddi League will return in 2021 for its eighth season. A notable number of overseas players were acquired on the second day of the Pro Kabaddi League's 2021 auction. The auction had a total of 8 Bangladeshi participants. Three Bangladeshi players were picked at the auction by three different franchise teams. Previously, a notable number of Bangladeshi players competed in the Indian professional kabaddi competition. However, this will be the first season in which three Bangladeshi players participate in a single season. Take a look at which Bangladesh players were acquired in the Pro Kabaddi League 2021 auction.
Bangladesh Players in Pro Kabaddi League 2021
There were eight Bangladeshis on the auction list, which included 442 players from all around the world. The Pro-Kabaddi auction this time had the most number of Bangladeshi participants. The majority of the players were separated into three groups: 'A, B, and C.' New players, on the other hand, were not included in any of the categories. All-rounder Zakir Hossain, defender Ziaur Rahman, Sabuj Mia, Tuhin Tarafdar, and Monirul Islam were all put in the 'C' category. Raiders Arduzzaman, Hasan Ali, and Masood Karim were in the 'C' category. A maximum budget of Rs 4 crore was available to each side for player acquisition.
Among the Bangladeshi players, Tuhin Tarafdar, Masud Karim, and Ziaur Rahman were all purchased by three pro-kabaddi teams on day 2 of the auction.
Read: 16th Premier Division Kabaddi League begins Saturday
The three players picked during the auction are as follows:
Ziaur Rahman, Bengaluru Bulls (INR 12.20 Lacs)
Bengaluru Bulls paid INR 12.20 lacs for Ziaur Rahman. The basic price for defender Ziaur Rahman was ten lakh rupees. He will be joined by a slew of world-class players in Bengaluru's team.
Tuhin Tarafdar, Tamil Thalaivas (INR 10 Lacs)
Young defender Tuhin Tarafdar was purchased for INR 10 lacs by Tamil Thalaivas. He was a player in the ‘C' category.
Md Masud Karim, UP Yoddha(INR 10 Lacs)
Veteran Raider Masud Karim was purchased by UP Yoddha for a basic fee of INR 10 lacs. He was a part of the same team in the previous edition of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Read Pro Kabaddi Tournament Could Rejuvenate Bangladesh’s National Sport
Pro Kabaddi League 2021: Meet the Teams
The Pro Kabaddi competition is an Indian professional franchise-based Kabaddi league. It was founded in 2014 with the goal of spreading the game throughout India. The T20 format Indian Premier League inspired the format of the competition.
The Pro Kabaddi League 2021 will include a total of 12 teams.Bengal Warriors (Kolkata), Bengaluru Bulls (Bengaluru), Dabang Delhi KC (Delhi), Gujarat Giants (Ahmedabad), Haryana Steelers (Sonipat), Jaipur Pink Panthers (Jaipur), Patna Pirates (Patna Ranchi), PuneriPaltan(Pune), Tamil Thalaivas (Chennai), Telugu Titans (Hyderabad Vizag), U Mumba (Mumbai), and UP Yoddha (Lucknow).
Patna Pirates are the most successful franchise team in the league. They have won the league three times in a row. Their most recent championship was in 2017. Bengaluru Bulls, Bengal Warriors, Jaipur Pink Panthers, and U Mumba all have won one league title. The defending champion is the Bengal Warriors.
Read Bangladesh Ansar clinch National Women’s Kabaddi title
Bottom Line
The presence of Bangladeshi players in the Pro Kabaddi League 2021 would increase the interest of Bangladeshi fans in the league. Bangladeshi players will be able to showcase their potential if they are given regular opportunities to play. Furthermore, they will have the opportunity to improve their skills by playing against top opponents on a regular basis. The launch of a professional kabaddi league in India has already proven to be a success. The development of Kabaddi in Bangladesh requires government support. In this respect, professional Kabaddi League may be an ideal option.
Sheikh Kamal Int'l Chess begins Friday
The three-day Sheikh Kamal Invitational International Online Chess Tournament will begin Friday at the online chess platform Tornelo.
The Bangladesh Chess Federation, with the financial support of Saif Powertech, is organising the tournament on the occasion of the 72nd Birth Anniversary of Shahid Captain Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
More than 20 grandmasters from 15 countries, including Bangladesh, will take part in the three-day, nine-round, Swiss league system tournament.
Tarafder Md Ruhul Amin, managing director of Saif Powertech and vice-president of Chess Federation, disclosed the details of the competition at a press conference in the city Wednesday.
KM Shahidullah, vice-president of Chess Federation, Syed Shahab Uddin Shamim, general secretary, Dr Shoeb Reaz Alam, joint secretary and additional DIG of Bangladesh Police, spoke on the occasion.
The organiser announced a cash award of $10,000 for the winners – $7,500 for the main competition and $2,500 for Bangladeshi players.
AFC Cup: Mohun Bagan beat Bengaluru 2-0
Indian league champions ATK Mohun Bagan of Kolkata made a flying start to the AFC Cup 2021, beating Bengaluru FC 2-0 in the opening match of Group D at the National Football Stadium in the Maldives' capital Male Wednesday.
Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings will start their Group D campaign of the AFC Cup Football tonight, with the match against the Maldives' Maziya Sports and Recreation Club.
The match will kick-off at 10pm Bangladesh time at the National Football Stadium in Male.
READ: BPL Football:Dhaka Abahani crush Sheikh Russel 5-1
In Wednesday's first match, Roy Krishna put Mohun Bagan Club ahead in the 39th minute (1-0).
French-Moroccan midfielder Subhasish Bose struck again for Mohun Bagan at the start of the second half (46th minute).
Mohun Bagan earned a direct berth in the group stage of the second-tier Asian club competition as the 2019-20 I-League champions.
READ: AFC Cup: Bashundhara Kings to start campaign taking on Maziya S&RC Wednesday
Bengaluru FC beat the Maldives' Club Eagles 1-0 in the 2021 AFC Cup play-off Sunday to join Mohun Bagan (India), Bashundhara Kings (Bangladesh) and Maziya (Maldives) in Group D.
IPL 2021: Those who are at the Top Before the Tournament Resume
The IPL 2021 was postponed earlier this year due to the coronavirus epidemic in India. Later, the BCCI contacted the United Arab Emirates to host the remaining tournament during the September-October period. The decision was made within a month, and the UAE was picked to host the remainder of the competition. The UAE and Oman will co-host the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in October-November window following this franchise-based Twenty20 competition. Only 29 matches were played in the IPL 2021 before it was postponed. Before the IPL 2021 resumes in September, let's take a look at who's at the top.
Tokyo’s Olympic fears give way to acceptance, to a point
When the Tokyo Olympics began during a worsening pandemic in Japan, the majority of the host nation was in opposition, with Emperor Naruhito dropping the word “celebrating” from his opening declaration of welcome.
But once the Games got underway and local media switched to covering Japanese athletes’ “medal rush,” many Japanese were won over. They watched TV to cheer on Japanese athletes in an Olympics that ended Sunday with a record 58 medals for the home nation, including 27 gold.
There are still worries that Japan will pay a price for hosting these Games; recent days have seen record numbers of virus cases. But for now, among many, a sense of pride and goodwill is lingering.
“Having the games in the middle of the pandemic didn’t seem like a good idea, and I did wonder if they should be canceled,” said Keisuke Uchisawa, 27, an office worker. But the medal haul, he said, was “very exciting and stimulating. Once the Games started, we naturally cheered the athletes and simply enjoyed watching them.”
Read: Olympic photos from far above and underwater
His wife Yuki, a medical worker, worried especially about the pandemic. But she began cheering when she noticed patients at her hospital beaming as they watched the Games. “I saw the power of sports, and I thought it was wonderful,” she said. “Athletes made outstanding performances, and we wanted to cheer for them.”
The couple were recently picking out matching Olympics shirts and pandemic masks from an official goods store in downtown Tokyo. The store, almost empty before the Games, was crowded on a recent weekday toward the end of the Olympics. Many customers appeared to be workers from the neighborhood dropping by during lunch breaks.
Beforehand, a lot of Japanese expressed reluctance or opposition to holding the Olympics during a pandemic that, for them, was worsening. A series of resignations of Olympic-linked officials over sexism, past bullying and Holocaust jokes also hurt the Games’ image ahead of the July 23 opening. There were protests on Tokyo streets and on social media.
After the opening ceremony, however, many opponents started to cheer.
More than half of Japan’s population watched the event, according to rating company Video Research — the highest rating for an Olympic opening ceremony in Japan since 61% for the 1964 Tokyo games, a time when far fewer people had televisions.
Outside the National Stadium, where dozens of demonstrators regularly held anti-Olympic rallies, many fans stood in a line next to the Olympic rings waiting to take selfies. It was the closest they could get to locked-down, spectator-free stadiums.
Opposition to the Olympics has steadily dropped in recent weeks. One poll taken by the Asahi newspaper just ahead of the Olympics showed opponents fell to 55% from around 70% earlier this year, and 56% of the respondents said they wanted to watch the Games on TV. And separate surveys taken by the Yomiuri newspaper and TBS Television at the end of the Games showed more than 60% of their respective respondents said it had been good to hold the Games.
Those who felt intimidated by the unwelcome mood in the beginning began to feel relieved.
“It was a bit scary to get on a train wearing an Olympic volunteer uniform” early on, when people were still more strongly opposing the Games, said Asuka Takahashi, a 21-year-old student who helped at the beach volleyball venue. She felt less tension after the Games started, and thought more people were interested in them than she had initially believed.
Read: Over 450 Covid cases confirmed during Tokyo Olympics
And when Takahashi recently visited Olympics stores, she also saw that lots of merchandise was sold out. “Many Japanese,” she said, “are enjoying the Olympics in the end.”
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, criticized for insisting on hosting the Olympics despite the virus, was likely hoping for this evolution in sentiment. He has been trying to reverse nosediving support ratings for his government ahead of general elections expected in the autumn.
“Japanese Olympians’ outstanding achievements will give us strength, too,” said Tateo Kawamura, a veteran lawmaker of Suga’s governing party. Suga called and congratulated judoka Naohisa Takato, who won the first gold for Japan, and has since publicly congratulated medal winners on Twitter.
Suga has repeatedly said there is no evidence linking the upsurge in cases to the Games — and, in fact, barely more than 400 positive cases were reported inside the Olympic “bubble” from early July until the closing ceremony.
But whether the Games lift public sentiment in a lasting way could hinge on how the virus plays out.
“The government has forced the holding of the Olympics and Paralympics in order to regain popularity ... but it’s a risky gamble,” Seigo Hirowatari, a University of Tokyo law professor emeritus, said during a recent online event.
While some have tried to see the positive side of the Olympics, others remain opposed. There’s a new word floating around to describe what some see as a growing pressure to support or even to talk about the Games: “Oly-hara” or Olympic harassment.
Medical experts have raised alarms as virus infections accelerate in Tokyo; daily cases surged to new highs during the Olympics. On Aug. 5, Tokyo logged 5,042 cases, an all-time high since the pandemic began early last year. Experts say the ongoing infections propelled by the more contagious delta variant could send the daily case load above 10,000 within two weeks. Nationwide, total cases exceeded 1 million, with more than 15,300 deaths.
Last week, Japan’s government introduced a contentious new policy in which coronavirus patients with moderate symptoms will isolate at home as the surge of cases strain hospitals. That policy was needed, the government said, in spite of an expansion of the state of emergency from Tokyo to wider areas that will last until the end of August.
Read: Mixed bag: Erratic Pandemic Olympics come to a nuanced end
“If you turn on the TV, there is nothing else but the Olympic Games, and people are not sharing in a sense of crisis” about the exploding infections amid the festivity, said Dr. Jin Kuramochi, a respiratory medicine expert. “People will see the reality after the closing ceremony.”
Those who opposed the Games say the money should have been spent on health care and economic support for pandemic-hit people and businesses. The $15.4 billion cost of the Games — largely shouldered by Japanese citizens’ tax money — has caused concerns.
That leads to sentiments like the one from Yoko Kudo, a preschool teacher.
“I hope” she said, “at least the rest of the world will thank Japan for achieving the Games despite the difficulties.”