Tuesday, July 07
Rob Walter has been appointed as the new head coach of the New Zealand men's cricket team across all formats, succeeding Gary Stead. Walter, a 49-year-old South African, brings a wealth of experience, including guiding South Africa to significant achievements in recent World Cups and Champions Trophy.
Deepika Kumari, India's celebrated archer, secured her 18th World Cup medal, fueled by her Olympic aspirations. Despite past heartbreaks, she remains determined, focusing on rebuilding her fundamentals with a new coach and support. Kumari acknowledges the challenges in Indian archery, including high expectations and equipment costs, while looking forward to the LA 2028 Olympics and the inclusion of compound archery.
Vikram Singh, a disabled cricketer, tragically died on the Chhattisgarh Express en route to a tournament after experiencing severe pain. Despite urgent calls for medical assistance, help failed to arrive in time, leading to his death before reaching Mathura station. The incident has sparked outrage and raised serious questions about the Indian Railways' emergency medical response capabilities for disabled passengers.
Indian compound archers faced disappointment at the Archery World Cup Stage 3, failing to secure medal round positions in individual events after a strong showing in Shanghai. Madhura Dhamangaonkar and Aditi Swami were ousted in the women's section, while Rishabh Yadav's quarter-final loss and Ojas Deotale's first-round exit marked struggles in the men's competition.
In a disappointing turn at the Indonesia Open Super 1000 tournament, India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were ousted in the quarterfinals. The former champions succumbed to Malaysia’s Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun, losing 19-21, 16-21. The Indian duo struggled with serves and defence, allowing the Malaysians to dominate with flat trajectory shots.
Following the tragic stampede at Royal Challengers Bengaluru's victory parade, which resulted in 11 deaths and 75 injuries, Diageo, RCB's parent company, has remained silent. On the ground, Bengaluru Police have arrested RCB's marketing head and three others while the government have started an investigation led by a former Karnataka High Court judge.
