Category: 6. Sports

Yanagita Hiroki – Rising son

Yanagita is from Gunma, a sleepy prefecture to the north of Tokyo. His parents were in track and field, and he followed suit when he was in elementary school – but more as a long jumper than a sprinter.

The awakening, ironically, began for Yanagita during the global pandemic. As meets were cancelled, he began running more to stay in shape which gradually made him faster and faster.

After placing third at the 2022 national championships (10.19), Yanagita made his World Championships debut that year in the 4x100m relay but was disqualified in the heats.

The following season led to better results. He was runner-up at the nationals (10.13) then won his first Asian championship in Bangkok, where he recorded his PB of 10.02.

Yanagita got as far as the semi-finals at the World championships in 2023, when he also helped Japan finish fifth in the 4x100m. At Paris 2024, his first Olympic Games, he ran the heats in the relay but was not picked for the final (Japan wound up fifth).

Yanagita has been on a roll this year, winning the Golden Grand Prix and then defending his Asian title in Gumi, Republic of Korea. He perhaps faces his sternest test yet at these Japanese championships starting on Thursday (4 July), and seems to be fully aware of the mounting challenges lying before him.

His goal is to reach the 100m final at the National Stadium in September – something only Abdul Hakim Sani Brown has done for Japan at the World championships – but first things first.

“You can bet the house everyone will bring it this summer,” Yanagita said. “I have to keep working and start with making the team for Worlds.”

Speaking on The Game Plan Podcast on YouTube, Kamran Akmal expressed his frustration over the Pakistan Board’s decision, stating, “I just don’t understand the logic behind this decision. It’s exactly like the time PCB made Mickey Arthur director of cricket while allowing him to continue working with a county team. I couldn’t understand it then, and I can’t understand it now.”

Since 2021, Azhar Mahmood has been the seventh head coach appointed by PCB, succeeding yet another interim coach in Aaqib Javed, who had previously taken over from Australian cricketer Jason Gillespie. Akmal criticised the PCB for its erratic decision-making, asserting that these appointments have caused long-term problems.

“Lack of seriousness”

Akmal further took aim at PCB’s decision, saying, “That role (Mickey Arthur) has continued, and it has brought many issues into Pakistan cricket. The same thing is now happening with the interim coaching setup. Before this, it was Aaqib Javed, then Mohammad Hafeez and now Azhar.”

“These decisions reflect a lack of seriousness. When the PCB starts thinking seriously and acting professionally, it won’t have to make such compromises or temporary appointments”

Arthur returned to the Pakistan setup in 2023 as team director while still coaching Derbyshire in England, a dual arrangement that Akmal believes led to structural problems in the team. Mahmood, now acting as Test coach, is not expected to retain his role as white-ball assistant coach during this tenure, and he was notably absent from the coaching staff during Pakistan’s recent white-ball series against Bangladesh.

Kamran Akmal finally emphasised the situation by stating, “Everyone has been appeased, and now Azhar has also been rewarded. If you’ve made him head coach, then give him the full time and responsibility. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

The last time the one-make cup was held at this venue was during the ADAC Norisring Speedweekend in 2019 – when none of this year’s entrants competed. With no testing permitted on the street circuit just outside Nuremberg, all drivers will arrive at the fourth race weekend (4-6 July 2025) with very little preparation. Their only opportunity to familiarise themselves with the shortest circuit on the calendar – measuring just 2.3 kilometres – has been via simulator training.

This is also the situation for Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti. Like his team, Schumacher CLRT, the 23-year-old Frenchman is contesting his debut season in the German Carrera Cup. Over the first three race weekends, Ghiretti and his engineers were able to draw on existing data. The French squad already knew the Autodromo di Imola, Italy, the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, and the coastal Zandvoort track in the Netherlands from their experience in the international Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. The result: two wins from so far six Carrera Cup races and the current lead in the drivers’ standings for Ghiretti.

Round four, however, presents a completely different challenge. While Ghiretti has previously raced on German circuits during a season in ADAC Formula 4, the Norisring is not one of them. “So, none of my competitors has the advantage of track experience,” he noted. The championship leader will be particularly mindful of his closest rivals: Dutchman Robert de Haan of Proton Huber Competition trails by just four points in second place, with Israeli Ariel Levi of Team GP Elite sitting third.

The highest-ranked German in the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland field is Janne Stiak, ranking fifth overall. The 18-year-old recently celebrated his first win of the season at Zandvoort. “I enjoy the challenge of new tracks,” says Stiak, as he looks ahead to the Norisring. “I use a special software to incorporate the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup into my simulator. It helps me get a feel for key aspects like braking points and the racing line. Still, I want to get in as many laps as possible during the one-hour practice session to optimise the 911’s setup.”

In the ProAm class, Kuwaiti driver Ahmad Alshehab, racing for the German outfit [a-workx] by Porsche Paderborn, currently leads the standings. Among the rookies, Dutchman Sacha Norden holds the top spot. The 24-year-old from Proton Huber Competition has already secured four wins in the newcomers’ classification so far this season.

“I’m delighted that the Norisring is back on the German Carrera Cup calendar for the first time in six years,” says Thorsten Rückert, Project Manager of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland. “With its short layout, the race features more laps than any other round, treating fans to even more on-track action with the Cup 911. The large crowds also create an incredibly special atmosphere.”

Due to its compact length, roughly half that of for example the Hockenheimring, the Norisring requires a unique qualifying format. The Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland field will be split into two qualifying groups, allowing each driver a better chance to set a clean flying lap without interference from traffic.

Racing with synthetic fuel

Committed to cutting CO₂ emissions in motorsport, the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland will use the synthetic fuel “DTM Pro Climate” across all eight race weekends in the 2025 season. Partnering with the Carrera Cup, ADAC is also adopting this fuel for the first time for its DTM, ADAC GT Masters, and GT4 Germany series.

The racetrack: Norisring, Nuremberg

The Norisring, named after the medieval name for Nuremberg, is the only street circuit on the German Carrera Cup calendar. Located on the city’s historic Zeppelin and Beuthener Strasse, the track is transformed each year over a three-week period with the installation of barriers, a temporary pit lane, additional grandstands, and motor racing infrastructure.

Today measuring just 2.3 kilometres, the Norisring first hosted motorcycle racing in 1938. Automobile racing followed in 1948, gaining prominence in the 1960s with the “200 Miles of Nuremberg,” a major fixture in sports prototype championships including the World Sportscar Championship. In 1987, the DTM made its debut at the Norisring, which today remains the centrepiece of the ADAC Norisring Speedweekend.

The Porsche Carrera Cup has a long history at the circuit, appearing on the calendar regularly since its inaugural season in 1990. Most recently, in 2019, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup thrilled fans on the imposing stone grandstand opposite the pits, with Frenchman Julien Andlauer and Germany’s Michael Ammermüller each taking a victory at the doubleheader event.

The Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland on the internet

Fans can follow all the races live with English commentary on the internet, including on the Porsche Motorsport Hub and the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland social media channels on YouTube and Facebook.

Aside from the race weekends, the one-make cup is also present with dedicated channels via the social networks Instagram and X.

Schedule Round 4, Norisring Nuremberg (Germany)

Friday, 4 July
11:55 – 12:55 hrs: Practice
17:42 – 18:20 hrs: Qualifying

Saturday, 5 July
11:20 hrs: Start race 7 (30 minutes plus 1 lap)

Sunday, 6 July
11:15 hrs: Start race 8 (30 minutes plus 1 lap)

Standings after 6 of 16 races

1. Alessandro Ghiretti (FRA/Schumacher CLRT), 105 points/2 wins
2. Robert de Haan (NLD/Proton Huber Competition), 101 points/2 wins
3. Ariel Levi (ISR/Team GP Elite), 71 points

Full results and championship standings on the Porsche Motorsport Hub.

Calendar Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland 2025

18–20 April: Imola (ITA), FIA World Endurance Championship WEC
8–10 May: Spa-Francorchamps (BEL), FIA World Endurance Championship WEC
6–8 June: Zandvoort (NLD), DTM
4–6 July: Norisring Nuremberg (DEU), DTM
8–10 August: Nürburgring (DEU), DTM
22–24 August: Sachsenring (DEU), DTM
12–14 September: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg (AUT), DTM
3–5 October: Hockenheimring (DEU), DTM

Gauff led the head-to-head 3-0, with all those meetings coming on clay. The most recent was in Madrid, at altitude, where Yastremska showed how dangerous she could be.

Gauff prevailed 0-6 6-2 7-5, but under the No.1 Court roof at Wimbledon she confronted an opponent perfectly suited to the conditions – and who possesses the game to go further this fortnight.

“I was actually on fire,” Yastremska smiled. “I really, really enjoyed playing on Court 1.

“I have good memories from this court, even though last year I lost there to Donna Vekic. I still have a nice memory. This court brings me a lot of energy. I really felt it today.”

Yastremska’s giant-killing capabilities are obvious, especially at Grand Slam level – never more so than when she powered to the Australian Open 2024 semifinals, beating Marketa Vondrouova, Emma Navarro and Victoria Azarenka along the way.

But with her win over Gauff, Wimbledon becomes the major tournament at which she has the best winning percentage, nearing 70.

No.1 Court was also where Yastremska appeared in the junior singles final in 2016 – demonstrating her early affection for grass – and where she made the fourth round on her women’s singles main-draw debut in 2019.

That year she beat Sofia Kenin, the 28th seed who looms as a potential third-round opponent.

“I feel pretty good on grass,” Yastremska declared. “I had a couple matches.”

She’s played nine this grasscourt season, to be exact, and won seven.

She’ll be hoping for an eighth when she faces Anastasia Zakharova next.

She is a two-time World Championships bronze medallist, a three-time Commonwealth Games champion and gold medallist at both the Asian Games and Asian Championships.

A member of the famed Phogat sisters, Vinesh is also a three-time Olympian.

At Rio 2016, her debut Summer Games, the Indian wrestler made the quarter-finals but had to retire from her quarter-final match after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury while wrestling against the People’s Republic of China’s Sun Yanan.

Her campaign at Tokyo 2020 also ended in the quarters.

At Paris 2024, Vinesh Phogat reached the final of the women’s 50kg weight category after defeating defending champion Yui Susaki of Japan, former European champion Oksana Livach of Ukraine and Pan American Games champion Yusneylis Guzman of Cuba.

However, a technicality kept her from becoming the first Indian woman to compete in a wrestling final at the Olympics as Vinesh failed to make the weight on the morning of the gold medal bout and was disqualified.

Despite taking some drastic measures to cut down her weight the night before, Vinesh was found marginally overweight at the mandatory weigh-in.

In the aftermath, Vinesh had to be taken to a polyclinic at the Olympic Village owing to dehydration caused by the lack of food and fluids, which she restricted in order to cut weight.

A dejected Vinesh announced her retirement from the sport after the heartbreak and has since joined politics and presently serves as the MLA of Julana constituency in Haryana.

India’s Ira Sharma booked her spot in the women’s singles main draw of the Canada Open 2025 badminton tournament after winning her qualifier match at the Markham Pan Am Centre in Calgary on Tuesday.

Ira Sharma, world No. 84 in the badminton rankings, made short work of Germany’s world No. 119 Miranda Wilson, cruising to a 21-9, 21-13 victory in just 34 minutes.

This was the Indian badminton player’s second straight win over her German opponent in as many matches.

Ira, who made the pre-quarterfinals at the US Open last week after starting from the qualifiers, will next face Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova in the opening round of the main draw, which will also feature India’s Shriyanshi Valishetty and Tanya Hemanth.

Meanwhile, Chirag Sen fell short of making the cut for the men’s singles main draw at the BWF Super 300 tournament after losing 21-14, 21-10 to Malaysia’s Eogene Ewe in the qualifiers.

Sen is ranked 137th in the world while Ewe is 98th.

The men’s singles field at the Canada Open badminton features a strong Indian presence, led by former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, US Open champion Ayush Shetty, Priyanshu Rajawat and S Sankar Muthusamy.

Only two Indian shuttlers, however, will be moving on to the second round with seventh seed Rajawat set to face Srikanth while fifth seed Ayush will stand opposite to Muthusamy in the opening round on Wednesday.

Mixed doubles top seeds Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto are the only Indian team in action at the 2025 Canada Open.

BRASÍLIA, July 2 — A Brazilian accused of stealing a football autographed by Neymar from Congress during the 2023 riots by supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment for the theft and other charges.

The Supreme Court on Monday night convicted Nelson Ribeiro Fonseca Junior, 34, over the robbery of the ball.

He was also convicted of violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, armed criminal association and attempting a coup over his participation in the riots in Brasilia.

More than 500 people have been convicted over the events of January 8, 2023, when thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace to protest his election loss to left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Ribeiro confessed to taking the ball, which Neymar’s boyhood club Santos — to which he returned this year — gifted to the Chamber of Deputies in 2012.

His lawyers claimed that he found it on the floor of Congress during the unrest, took it away to protect it and handed it in 20 days later to the police.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that Ribeiro had “actively participated” in events leading to the storming and sacking of Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace.

Moraes described the ball which he took, which had been on display in a corridor, as a “public good belonging to the public heritage” of Brazil.

The riots came a week after Lula was sworn in after narrowly defeating far-right incumbent Bolsonaro in October 2022 elections.

The demonstrators called for the military to intervene to oust him.

Bolsonaro, a former army captain who served a single term from 2019 to 2022, is accused of instigating the riots, although he was in the United States at the time.

He is on trial for allegedly plotting to wrest power from Lula in the event of his victory.

Prosecutors claim the plot only failed due to a lack of military backing.

Bolsonaro denies the charges. — AFP

The Times of India at Wimbledon: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is on flight mode, having locked out all distractions. The 23-year-old demonstrated it effectively on a blazing hot day at Wimbledon, when his serve rocked. The Italian dropped just four points on his first serve against compatriot Luca Nardi in the first round. Sinner won 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 in one-hour and 49-minutes.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The three-time major winner, whose best result here is a semifinal in 2023, has been working on his serve, which can be a weapon at a whole different level on this surface. Sinner has been watching other players. John Isner, who has the most aces in a tournament with 214 during the 2018 Wimbledon, and also the most career aces at 14,470, has been someone the top-seed is looking at.

Sinner, who goes up against Aussie Aleksandar Vukic in the second round on Thursday, didn’t face a breakpoint in the match. “I feel quite comfortable at the moment,” he said of his serve. Sinner’s quick result was a relief for the tournament as top players struggled with the muggy conditions on the opening day and again on Tuesday.
The Italian, who tested positive twice in March last year for the banned steroid Clostebol, but was cleared of fault or negligence, is playing here for the first time after the news of the positive tests became public. “I think people have forgotten already a little bit what happened,” said Sinner, who had his fair share of support on Court No. 1 on Tuesday. The Italian explained that the situation in the locker-room had also changed, with a lot of players, who had issues with the way the world No. 1 was treated, have put the situation behind them.

Perricard serves fastest; Fritz winsIn the opening game of a first-round match, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard thumped a 153 mph first serve. It was five miles per hour faster than the previous Wimbledon speed record of 148 mph by American Taylor Dent hit 15 summers ago.That was the Frenchman’s takeaway from the three-hour 25-minute clash against the fifth-seeded American Taylor Fritz. Fritz, who didn’t face a single breakpoint in the match, broke at love in the tenth game to close out 6-7 (6), 6-7 (8), 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-4.In other first-round matches, defending champion Czech Barbora Krejcikova, playing just her seventh match of the season, beat Philippines’ Alexandra Eala 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in two hours and 10-minutes.