SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 4, 2021):-The women’s Combined qualification took place in Tokyo today, with Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret – the reigning Combined World Champion – taking the top spot and securing a place in Friday’s final, where she will be joined by seven other Sport Climbing Olympians. In the Speed round, Poland’s Aleksandra Miroslaw clinched the first ever women’s Speed Olympic record with a time of 6.97 seconds – a mere 0.01 second away from the current world record time of 6.96. This put the Polish climber into first position heading into the next round. French Speed specialist followed in second with a time of 7.12 seconds, and previous world record holder YiLing Song, of China, closed the round in third. It was heartbreak for current world record holder Iuliia Kaplina, of the Russian Olympic Committee, who fell on her second run and placed fifth. Combined and Boulder World Champion Janja Garnbret, of Slovenia, displayed pure prowess in the Boulder round, achieving an incredible four flashes. Garnbret was followed closely by the USA’s Brooke Raboutou, who also flashed two of the blocs, in addition to closing the first boulder in just two attempts and securing the zone on problem three. On home turf, Japan’s Akiyo Noguchi concluded the round in third position, matching Raboutou’s score of three tops and four zones. When asked her thoughts on the climbing community, Raboutou said: “I think the climbing community is one of the most special things about climbing. Everyone is genuinely happy for each other and wants each other to succeed.” The closing round of the women’s Combined qualification, Lead, saw the youngest Olympian in the women’s Sport Climbing field take first place. Aged just 17, Chaehyun Seo of South Korea reached a score of 40+, which after a strong performance in Boulder, earned the young climber a spot in Friday’s final. Austria’s Jessica Pilz achieved second place in Lead with a score of 33+, followed by Japan’s Akiyo Noguchi with 30+. At the end of the qualifying round, it was Garnbret who gained a position at the top of the scoreboard ahead of the women’s Combined final, in a bid to maintain her Combined crown. We asked Garnbret her thoughts on the Sport Climbing walls within the Tokyo 2020 Aomi Urban Sports Park – developed by IFSC partner Entre-Prises – and she said: "It's amazing. I love the Lead wall, I love the Boulder wall. Speed wall is the same, so it's great. Venue is by top the best venue ever. It would be even more amazing if we had spectators, because then it would be insane, but nevertheless it's amazing." The full list of Olympians heading into the final is as follows: 1. Janja Garnbret (SLO) 2. Chaehyun Seo (KOR) 3. Miho Nonaka (JPN) 4. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN) 5. Brooke Raboutou (USA) 6. Jessica Pilz (Austria) 7. Aleksandra Miroslaw (POL) 8. Anouck Jaubert (FRA) The conclusion of the women’s Combined qualification event marks the end of a glittering Sport Climbing career for Great Britain’s Shauna Coxsey, who announced in June 2021 that she would be retiring from competition after the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Coxsey won the overall Boulder World Cup title in both 2016 and 2017, and holds 30 International Federation of Sport Climbing World Cup medals in total, as well as two World Championship medals. The Brit bowed out from professional Sport Climbing with a commendable tenth place at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. When asked what’s next, Coxsey said: “I think I have a lot of options for what comes next. Thinking about this whole experience it's almost overwhelming. It’s such a pivotal time for my sport, and it's such a huge privilege to be part of it. It’s so surreal and I don't think it'll sink in until afterwards. “So, next I'll definitely focus on rock climbing for a while. That's almost what I did five years ago when the sport got announced in the Olympic Games and I made the decision to try and qualify for the Olympics. I put that on hold and it feels like the right time to do that now.”

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL Islamabad (August 4, 2021):-Mari Petroleum Azadi Hockey Cup 2021 will start from August 8 at  Mari Petroleum Astroturf Hockey Stadium Ayub Park Rawalpindi under the auspices of Mari Petroleum Sports Department under the banner of Pakistan Hockey Federation, as top eight teams will take part in the 7-day fixture. The final will be played on Independent Day August 14 at same venue. Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has appointed Olympian Ayaz Mahmood as the director tournament while Rashid Butt will be the umpire’s manager. Federation appointed all umpires and technical officials in accordance with the rules of the International Hockey Federation. The 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist, Pride of Performance, Olympian Ayaz Mahmood has been appointed Tournament Director by PHF while International Technical Officers Mohammad Shafiq Bhatti (Lahore) and Mohammad Yaseen (Rawalpindi) will be the Assistant Tournament Directors. Tournament Officers include Dr. SA Majid (Karachi), M. Javed Sadiq (MEPCO), Hamza Tufail (Peshawar), Aslam Shah (Okara), Mohammad Ali (Quetta), Ikram-ul-Haq (Nankana Sahib), Ghulam Mustafa (Hyderabad), Murtaza. Bhatti (MPCL), Zulfiqar Hussain (Sukkur), Mohammad Ashraf (Islamabad), Haroon Saeed (DG Khan), Naseer Ahmad Mughal (Islamabad), Nisar Aslam (MPCL), Haji Naeem (M PCL), Mohammad Muneeb (MPCL), Dawar Ali (MPCL), Mehboob Alam (MPCL) and Shahid Gul (Faisalabad) will perform their professional duties during the event. FIH Umpires Manager Rashid Mehmood Butt has been assigned as the event's umpires manager while Ehsanul Haq (Rawalpindi) and Dilawar Hussain Bhatti (WAPDA) will be the assistant umpires’ manager. The umpiring panel will consist of Abdul Manan (Hyderabad), Mahmood Ali (PIA), Haroon Rashid (Peshawar), Sabteen Raza (National Bank), Abdul Wali (Quetta), Mohammad Imran (Bahawalpur), Takrim Iftikhar (Karachi), Mohammad Bilal (Army), Asad Abbas (Army) and Zahid Hameed (WAPDA). Lt. Col. R Asif Naz Khokhar has been appointed as the Coordinator of Pakistan Hockey Federation while Habib-ur-Rehman Satti will be the Assistant Coordinator. Pakistan Hockey Federation appoints Syed Ali Abbas as media coordinator of the event. Event Officers Meeting will be held under the chairmanship of Tournament Director Olympian Ayaz Mahmood on August 7 at Mari Petroleum Hockey Stadium Ayub Park Rawalpindi at 3:00 pm while Managers Coaches Meeting will be held at 4:00 pm. Under the auspices of Mari Petroleum Sports Department, the organizing secretary of this magnificent mega-domestic event will be Sports Consultant Mari Petroleum & former Manager National Hockey Team Lt. Col. R Mohsin Ali Khan. The top eight teams of Pakistan Hockey Federation rankings are participating in the event include Pakistan Wapda, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Sui Southern Gas, Pakistan Navy, Mari Petroleum Company Limited, Pakistan Air Force, Punjab and Pakistan Army.

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 4, 2021):-The Netherlands are just one victory away from being in possession of the World, European, FIH Hockey Pro League and Olympic titles after producing yet another dazzling display at the Oi Hockey Stadium, overpowering Rio 2016 gold medallists Great Britain 5-1 in this morning’s first semi-final. It is a fifth successive Olympic final for the Oranje, giving them a chance to claim their fourth Olympic crown. The Netherlands’ opponents in the gold medal match will be the winner of this evening’s second semi-final between Argentina and surprise package India, which takes place at 19:00 Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT+9). Las Leonas are aiming to reach the Olympic final for a third time, having claimed silver at both the Sydney 2000 and London 2012 Olympic Games. India’s sensational 1-0 quarter-final triumph over Pool B winners Australia provides enough evidence that they should not be underestimated.  Great Britain made a superb start to the contest and fully matched the top ranked team in world hockey throughout the first quarter, with the defences of both teams impressing before the Dutch took a stranglehold on the game in the second period with two goals in 60 seconds. Rising star Felice Albers slotted home after Laurien Leurink carved open the British defence, with Marloes Keetels smashing home a second with a thumping hit from the top of the circle that gave GB goalkeeper Maddie Hinch little hope of saving. The Netherlands kicked on further in the third quarter thanks to a sliding penalty corner deflection from Maria Verschoor and a second for Albers, who showed her predatory instincts to attack a cross from the left and guide her touch into the roof of Great Britain’s goal to take the score to 4-0. Giselle Ansley pulled a goal back for Great Britain with a deflected penalty corner before competition top scorer Frederique Matla put the game to bed, netting a penalty corner for her ninth goal in seven matches. While Great Britain can no longer defend the title they won in 2016, they still have a chance to claim a third successive Olympic medal (bronze - London 2012, gold – Rio 2016) on Friday 6 August when they take on either Argentina or India in the bronze medal match at 10:30 JST. "England (Great Britain) put a lot of pressure on us in the first quarter and we had to invest a lot of time and energy on creating space for us to play the game that we needed to play and I think we did that very well", said Netherlands coach Alyson Annan in the post-match press conference. "We welcomed the pressure, which is a very positive thing for us to be welcoming pressure in a semi-final. Once we opened the game up, scored two quick goals in the second quarter we were at our game and played very well for the rest of the match." Great Britain's Hannah Martin said: “We are disappointed. We wanted to keep it tight as long as we could and unfortunately those two goals came in quite quick succession. We knew we could get it back but unfortunately it wasn’t to be today.” It was a milestone match for Great Britain’s Shona McCallin, who today made her 100th international appearance. Women’s semi-finals Netherlands 5-1 Great Britain Upcoming fixtures All times Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT+9) Women’s semi-finals – 4 August 2021 19:00 – Argentina v India Men’s medal matches – 5 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze – Germany v India 19:00 – Gold – Australia v Belgium Women’s medal matches – 6 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze – Great Britain v TBC 19:00 – Gold – Netherlands v TBC Final Standings – Men Gold – Silver –  Bronze – 4 – 5 – Great Britain 6 – Netherlands 7 – Argentina 8 – Spain 9 – New Zealand 10 – South Africa 11 – Japan 12 – Canada Final Standings – Women Gold – Silver –  Bronze – 4 – 5 – Australia 6 – Germany 7 – Spain 8 – New Zealand 9 – China 10 – Ireland 11 – Japan 12 – South Africa

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 4, 2021):-The athletes at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 have elected Pau Gasol, Maja W?oszczowska, Federica Pellegrini and Yuki Ota to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Athletes’ Commission (AC), for a term ending at the Olympic Games LA28. The newly elected members join the Commission to represent the athlete voice within the Olympic Movement. Between 13 July and 3 August, 6,825 athletes voted in the IOC AC election at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, representing a participation rate of 61.27 per cent, one of the highest in the history of AC elections, the first of which was held at the Olympic Games Atlanta 1996. With the highest number of voting stations for any IOC AC election, athletes had the opportunity to vote in 11 locations, including the Tokyo Olympic Village, satellite villages and other official Tokyo 2020 accommodation sites. In total, 30 candidates, from 30 different countries and representing 19 sports, stood for election. IOC AC Chair Kirsty Coventry remarked: “It is fantastic to see the high turnout of athletes participating in the Athletes’ Commission election. We had an impressive list of candidates, and I want to thank all of the candidates for putting up their hands to represent athletes from around the world. Congratulations and welcome to the four new members. The work and responsibility of the Commission is as important as ever to represent and support athletes in all stages of their lives. With these new members and those already on the Commission, I know that the IOC Athletes’ Commission is in very good hands to build on the great work done over the years. Remember, you now represent all athletes from around the world, so do your best to better understand all viewpoints, listen, act and support them to the best of your ability.” The new members Pau Gasol, Basketball, Spain – Five-time Olympian, silver medallist at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, bronze medallist at Rio 2016; world champion in 2006. Maja W?oszczowska, Cycling, Poland – Four-time Olympian, silver medallist at Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016; world champion in 2010, silver medallist in 2004, 2005, 2011 and 2013. Federica Pellegrini, Aquatics, Italy – Five-time Olympian, Olympic champion at Beijing 2008, silver medallist at Athens 2004; world champion in 2009, 2011, 2017 and 2019, silver medallist in 2005, 2013 and 2015, bronze medallist in 2007. Yuki Ota, Fencing, Japan – Four-time Olympian, silver medallist at Beijing 2008 and London 2012; world champion in 2015, bronze medallist in 2010. Outgoing members IOC AC Chair Kirsty Coventry, Vice-Chair Danka Barteková, Tony Estanguet and James Tomkins OAM, elected by their peers during the Olympic Games London 2012, have completed their terms on the Commission. In addition, an appointed member of the Commission, Stefan Holm, is also ending his term. During their tenure, these athletes have played an integral part in strengthening support for athletes within the Olympic Movement as well as the development and implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020. A new Chair and Vice-Chair will now be elected by the IOC AC members on 6 August, with the Chair also set to become a member of the IOC Executive Board, representing athletes at the highest level within the IOC. Third highest turnout for an AC election

SPORTS REPORT Lahore (August 4, 2021):-Umar Akmal has been allowed to resume club cricket activities as part of his rehabilitation process, which commenced last month. In the processes completed to date, Umar has shown remorse, attended an anti-corruption lecture and participated in a Q&A session conducted by the Security and Anti-Corruption Department. His rehabilitation programme is expected to conclude next month, following which he will become eligible to participate in the Pakistan domestic cricket season 2021-22.    

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 3, 2021):-The men’s Hockey gold medal match at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be contested between the two highest ranked teams in the world, with Australia set to face Belgium in a dream title match here at the magnificent Oi Hockey Stadium.  Goals from Tim Brand, Blake Govers and a late tap-in from Lachlan Sharp put the mighty Kookaburras into their first Olympic final since Athens 2004, when Jamie Dwyer famously scored a dramatic golden goal to win Australia’s only Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey, something they will be determined to change here in Tokyo. Australia’s opponents in the gold medal match – which takes place on Thursday 5 August at 19:00 Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT+9) – will be reigning World and FIH Hockey Pro League champions Belgium, who defeated eight times Olympic gold medallists India 5-2 in a thrilling semi-final contest watched by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Dr Thomas Bach. Red Lions defender Alexander Hendrickx scored his third hat-trick of the competition, taking his remarkable tournament tally to 14 in seven matches, just three goals short of the record 17 scored by Netherlands legend Ties Kruize at the Munich 1972 Games. The bronze medal match between Germany and India will be played on Thursday 5 August at 10:30 JST. Germany will be aiming to match the third place finish they achieved at Rio 2016, with India looking for a first Olympic medal since Moscow 1980. Many thought that it would be difficult for this evening’s semi-final to live up to the brilliance of the morning’s incredible encounter between Belgium and India. However, the clash between Australia and Germany was another sensational contest between two teams playing at the very top of their games. Australia took the lead when Tim Brand showed lightning-quick reactions to volley Flynn Ogilvie’s right-field pass into the Germany net just seven minutes into the contest. Germany pulled level three minutes later, with Lukas Windfeder sending a low penalty corner drag-flick against the backboard for his sixth goal of the tournament. The two teams went hard at each other throughout the second period, but it was Australia who put their noses in front again when Blake Govers netted his seventh goal at Tokyo 2020 with a typically fierce penalty corner drag-flick. The Australian defence – marshalled by goalkeeper Andrew Charter and central defender Matt Dawson – were outstanding in the third and fourth periods, repelling numerous attacks as Germany threw everything they had at their opponents. The result was eventually sealed in 59th minute when Tom Wickham broke through Germany’s last line of defence and supplied Lachlan Sharp, who tapped into an empty net after Die Honamas had replaced goalkeeper Alexander Stadler with an outfield player in a last-ditch attempt to turn the situation around. “It was great to get the result … what a great occasion and a great moment”, said Australia captain Aran Zalewski, who made his 200th international appearance this evening, before commenting on when his team will start focussing on the gold medal match. “I think we’ll enjoy tonight’s win. We’ve still got 48 hours I think before the game. We’ll stay the course, do what we usually do – recover, de-brief tonight’s game and move on sometime tomorrow and start looking at Belgium really closely.” Looking ahead to the Belgium match, Kookaburras head coach Colin Batch said: “The hockey fans are in for a real treat, aren’t they. The last time we met each other in a final was in the Pro League in 2019. This will be very different. Both teams have fought their way through some difficult matches to get to the final, and it is not easy these days as there are a lot of good teams around. They [Belgium] would have been pleased with their win this morning against India, so I think it will be a great game and two very good teams.”  Reflecting on his team’s defeat, Germany’s Mats Grambusch said: “We have to recognize that we are not dangerous enough in the opponent's circle compared to Belgium and Australia. Australia has this quality of scoring goals with few chances. We are simply not making enough of the many opportunities and corners. In the end, what counts is what is on the scoreboard - it is of no use to you if you were superior. But we will also get out of this situation and get bronze on Thursday! " Wednesday 4 August is women’s semi-finals day, which begins with a re-match of the gold medal game from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Reigning World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions the Netherlands will be heavy favourites against title holders Great Britain but, as we have already seen here in Tokyo, nothing can be predicted.  The two sides go head-to-head at 10:30 JST, with the second semi-final – between Argentina and surprise package India – being scheduled for 19:00. Las Leonas are aiming to reach the Olympic final for a third time, having claimed silver at both the Sydney 2000 and London 2012 Olympic Games. India’s sensational 1-0 quarter-final triumph over Pool B winners Australia provides enough evidence that they should not be underestimated.  Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – Hockey competitions 3 August 2021 – Day 11 Results - Men’s semi-finals India 2-5 Belgium Australia 3-1 Germany Upcoming fixtures All times Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT+9) Women’s semi-finals – 4 August 2021 10:30 – Netherlands v Great Britain 19:00 – Argentina v India Men’s medal matches – 5 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze – Germany v India 19:00 – Gold – Australia v Belgium Women’s medal matches – 6 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze 19:00 – Gold

SPORTS REPORT Lahore (August 3, 2021):-Dr Najeebullah Soomro, who has made a name in Australia sport with his research, practice and contribution, has been appointed as the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Chief Medical Officer following a robust recruitment process. The position had become vacant following the resignation of Dr Sohail Saleem. Dr Najeebullah is an MBBS from Karachi’s Dow University of Health and Sciences and a PhD from Discipline of Exercise and Sports Science, The University of Sydney (Thesis: Cricket Injury Prevention). This was completed in collaboration with Cricket Australia in creating the world’s first Cricket Injury Prevention Programme (CIPP) and injury surveillance mobile app (TeamDoc) for community cricket. Dr Najeebullah is also a dual trained Injury Epidemiologist & Sports Scientist, having completed Master of Public Health from The University of Sydney, majoring in Epidemiology and Injury Prevention. Dr Najeebullah’s consultancy in Sports Science and Medicine spans national and international organisations, such as Cricket Australia, Cricket New South Wales, Cricket Victoria, Pakistan Cricket Board, IronMan Western Australia, FIFA, Rugby League, Netball and Australian Football League. In 2018, Dr Najeebullah published the world largest cricket injury study, which included data from more than 12,500 cricketers around the world, making him one of the top cited cricket researchers in the world. He is presently leading Sports Medicine and Science at the South Fremantle Football Club, which is a champion Western Australian AFL team. Dr Najeebullah, will relocate from Perth to assume his responsibilities at the National High Performance Centre in October.

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 3, 2021):-For the very first time in history, Sport Climbing athletes today participated in an Olympic Games, as the sport made its long-anticipated debut at Tokyo 2020. A total of 20 climbers took to the Olympic walls within Tokyo’s Aomi Urban Sports Park, competing in the Men’s Combined qualification event for a spot in Thursday’s final. First on the agenda was Speed, where France’s Bassa Mawem triumphed and took the men’s Speed Olympic Record with a time of 5.45 seconds – just 0.25 seconds shy of the current World Record. Joining the sub-six-second scores were Mawem’s younger brother, Mickael, with 5.95 seconds, and Japan’s Tomoa Narasaki, who chose not to climb a second time after stopping the clock at 5.94 in his first run. After placing third in the Speed round, Mickael Mawem put on another stellar performance in Boulder by achieving three tops and four zones. Securing first place, the French athlete positioned himself firmly at the top of the Combined table with a score of three, followed closely by Narasaki with four points. The pair were the only two athletes to find a solution to the second of four blocs, which mixed together a concoction of balance and strength. The Czech Republic’s Adam Ondra closed the Boulder round in third place with two tops and three zones. When asked his thoughts on Sport Climbing’s debut at the Olympic Games, Ondra said: “It's a big step for Sport Climbing. In the world of the competition, it's been a big dream for years, and climbing deserves to be here as a sport. Unfortunately there's only one set of medals, but it will be a good stepping stone for the future where hopefully it will be all three single disciplines." The Men’s Combined qualification round concluded with Lead, with Austria’s Jakob Schubert taking the top spot with a score of 42+, matched by Colin Duffy of the USA. Spain’s Alberto Ginés López reached 41+, therefore closing the Lead round as the only other athlete to climb above hold 40. When asked about the conditions during the competition – over 30°C and 80% humidity – Duffy said: "It was definitely in the back of my head, the fact that I'm not really used to finding this much humidity. Lead is a really unforgiving discipline, one slip or just one small mistake and you’re off. But I was able to just kind of put it in the back of my head and get in my zone and just do what I do best, which is just climb." Despite placing 11th in Lead, Mickael Mawem bagged himself an unbeatable birthday present: the top position in the Combined ranking and thus, a spot in the final. His brother Bassa faced an unfortunate bicep injury during the Lead round, falling at hold seven. However, thanks to his first place in Speed, Mawem achieved a place in the final alongside his younger sibling. An update on his condition will be given in the morning once he has been assessed by his medical team. Following today’s qualification, the following eight Olympians will head into the Men’s Combined Final this Thursday: 1. Mickael Mawem (FRA) 2. Tomoa Narasaki (JPN) 3. Colin Duffy (USA) 4. Jakob Schubert (AUT) 5. Adam Ondra (CZE) 6. Alberto Ginés López (ESP) 7. Bassa Mawem (FRA) 8. Nathaniel Coleman (USA) When asked about participating in his first Olympic Games – the very first in which Sport Climbing has been featured on the programme – Ginés López said: "Everything is amazing. Every day is amazing. I'm so excited to be here, to compete in a few days." Next up on Sport Climbing’s Olympic schedule is the women’s Combined qualification, which will take place tomorrow, 4 August, from 5:00 PM (UTC+9:00). The men’s Combined final is scheduled for 5 August, with the women’s Combined final taking place on 6 August.

SB REPORT Tokyo (August 2, 2021):-India women produced the performance of their lives to claim a stunning quarter-final victory over Pool B winners Australia, with the team that finished fourth in Pool A to be guarenteed a first top four finish at an Olympic Games since Moscow 1980. Gurjit Kaur scored the only goal of the game as India, who finished 12th in the standings at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, ensured their ambition of medalling in Tokyo was kept alive and kicking.  India’s opponents in the semi-finals will be Argentina, who defeated the much-fancied Germany in the day’s first quarter-final. Goals for Agustina Albertarrio, Victoria Granatto and rising star Valentina Raposo earned Las Leonas a comprehensive 3-0 victory over the much-fancied Germany, eliminating the team that finished second in Pool A to march into the semi-finals. It is the fifth time that Argentina’s women have reached the final four of the Olympic Games, having medalled on each of the four previous occasions (silver – Sydney 2000, London 2012; bronze – Athens 2004, Beijing 2008). The two remaining women’s quarter-finals – the Netherlands versus New Zealand and Spain versus Great Britain – will take place this evening. The women’s semi-finals will take place on Wednesday 4th August. Quarter-finals Germany 0-3 Argentina Argentina were worthy winners of their quarter-final against Germany, with the team that finished 3rd in Pool B claiming their place in the semi-finals by defeating the 2nd ranked team from Pool A. Las Leonas produced arguably their best performance of the competition to overpower Die Danas, a team many saw as potential medallists here in Tokyo thanks to a European silver medal and four wins out of five in their pool. The giants of Pan American hockey were largely dominant in the first two quarters but excellent defending from Germany kept them at bay until the final three minutes of the second period, with Agustina Albertarrio’s close range tip-in and Victoria Granatto’s angled penalty corner deflection establishing a 2-0 lead. Germany gave everything they had to get back into the contest but goal-scoring chances came and went before Argentina put the result beyond all doubt with eight minutes of the match remaining. The goal came from the stick of 18-year-old defender Valentina Raposo – one of the breakout stars of Tokyo 2020 – who smashed a blistering penalty corner strike against the Germany backboard. "I can't believe it”, said Argentina’s Victoria Granatto, referring to scoring in an Olympic quarter-final. “Every player who scores it's a great moment for us and today was for me. But I think we did a very, very good game and all the team needs to be happy for this because we fight till the end." Germany’s Franzisca Hauke, who announced her international retirement, said: “We are so disappointed. We had the goal to win a medal in Tokyo and it didn't work out.  We haven't been at our best today and that's what makes us really sad because we could do better. And if you do your best game and you lose, it's not that disappointing like it is now.” Australia 0-1 India India’s women are now certain to at least match their highest ever finish at an Olympic Games after recording the biggest shock of the competition to beat the Hockeyroos of Australia. A fourth-place finish at Moscow 1980 was India’s previous best, although they have good reason to set their sights even higher this time around. India, who lost their first three matches of the competition and finished fourth in Pool A, matched runaway Pool B winners Australia throughout the first two quarters, and came closest to breaking the deadlock when Rani’s angled deflection rattled the right post as lively Indian attackers caused real problems for the Hockeyroos’ defence. Australia certainly had their chances, with India goalkeeper Savita being tested numerous times before the Asians snatched a shock lead when Gurjit Kaur’s penalty corner drag-flick somehow found its way into the bottom right corner. The Hockeyroos threw everything they had at India in the latter stages, winning numerous penalty corner opportunities. However, India – with goalkeeper Savita in truly inspired form – stopped the three times Olympic gold medallists from getting the goal they so desperately needed, with India’s women matching the achievement of their men’s team by reaching the final four for the first time in over 40 years. “I don't know what to say because emotions are too high at the moment, and we all are very happy because it was not an easy game to win from Australia", said elated India captain Rani. "But I'm super proud of my team; each one of them really worked so hard throughout the game. And we just said one thing to each other, 'Just believe in ourselves, we can do this well.'” Hockeyroos captain Edwina Bone said: "There's all sorts of emotions that are going on. Disappointment, but I'm still really proud of the way that we played today.  We came in with lots of momentum, we created lots of opportunities and unfortunately that's how sport goes sometimes. It can be cruel and today just wasn't our day unfortunately." The evening matches begin at 18:30 as reigning World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions the Netherlands (1st Pool A) face Oceania continental champions New Zealand (4th Pool B) before Spain (2nd Pool B) and Great Britain (3rd Pool A) go head-to-head at 21:00. Day 10 (Evening): The semi-final line-up for the women’s Hockey competition of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has been revealed, with the Netherlands and Great Britain joining Argentina and surprise package India in the final four. The Netherlands – the reigning World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions – powered to their sixth win on the bounce in Tokyo with a 3-0 quarter-final victory over New Zealand, with Lidewij Welten, Frederique Matla and Lauren Stam on target as the Oranje confirmed a seventh successive appearance in the medal matches. The Dutch will face Rio 2016 gold medallists Great Britain in the semi-final, with GB sealing their place with a drama-filled shoot-out victory against Spain. As she did against the Netherlands in that famous final in Rio de Janeiro five years ago, goalkeeper Maddie Hinch produced a sensational goalkeeping performance to save all of Spain’s shoot-out attempts as GB won 2-0.   Earlier in the day, India women produced the performance of their lives to claim a stunning quarter-final victory over Pool B winners Australia, with the team that finished fourth in Pool A now guaranteed their first top four finish at an Olympic Games since Moscow 1980. Gurjit Kaur scored the only goal of the game as India, who finished 12th in the standings at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, ensured their ambition of medalling in Tokyo was kept alive and kicking.  India’s semi-final opponents will be Argentina, who defeated the much-fancied Germany in the day’s first quarter-final. Goals for Agustina Albertarrio, Victoria Granatto and rising star Valentina Raposo earned Las Leonas a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Die Danas, eliminating the team that finished second in Pool A to march into the semi-finals. Across both the men’s and women’s Hockey competitions, teams from seven different nations representing four continents have qualified for the semi-finals here at Tokyo 2020 - India (2), Great Britain, Netherlands, Argentina, Australia, Germany and Belgium. Netherlands 3-0 New Zealand Having won all five of their matches in Pool B, the Netherlands started their quarter-final clash with New Zealand in assured fashion, dominating the Black Sticks and scoring goals in each of the first two quarters to firmly take control. Lidewij Welten got the ball rolling in the seventh minute when she tapped home after fine work down the right from Laurien Leurink, who worked her way along the backline before sending the perfect pass into the path of her onrushing team-mate.   That lead was extended in the second quarter by Frederique Matla’s perfectly placed penalty stroke, which was awarded after Caia van Maasakker’s penalty corner drag-flick hit the body of a New Zealand defender on the goal-line. The third and final goal for the Netherlands came from the stick of Lauren Stam, sending a penalty corner drag-flick into the goal via the left glove of New Zealand goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon.  “I’m very happy that we won with the team and got to the semi-finals”, said Netherlands goal-scorer Lauren Stam, who is competing in her first Olympic Games, after the contest. “Of course, it is really nice to score an Olympic goal as well. I have ‘goosebumps’, as you say in English.  I’m excited about everything [here in Tokyo], about the [Athlete’s] Village, the Olympics; I’m very honoured to play here.” Commenting on the emotions of losing their quarter-final match, New Zealand captain Stacey Michelsen said: "Pretty heart-breaking. We were a little bit disappointed with the way that we came through the pools, and we obviously set ourselves up for a very difficult quarter-final against the world No.1. But we were excited for the game, we put everything out there and we certainly worked hard as a team, but unfortunately it just wasn't enough against a better side today.” Spain 2-2 Great Britain (0-2 After Shoot-Out) The quarter-final between Spain and Great Britain was fiercely contested from start to finish, with the Red Sticks proving equals to the reigning champions – 3-1 winners against Spain at the same stage at the Rio 2016 Games – throughout this thrilling, high-octane contest. The two teams went hard from the very first whistle, showing incredible bravery in the battle to keep their Olympic title hopes on track. It was Great Britain who edged ahead early in the second quarter when Hannah Martin’s quick hands allowed her to move past three Spanish defenders before firing a diving slap-shot between the legs of Spain goalkeeper Maria Ruiz. Martin’s wonderful solo goal was cancelled out three minutes later by a perfectly executed Spanish penalty corner routine, with Belen Iglesias sending an angled deflection inside the left post. Great Britain retook the lead in the third quarter when Grace Balsdon launched a penalty corner drag-flick into the top right corner of the Spanish goal. Spain hit back yet again, with Berta Bonastre showing superb skills to control a high ball before lifting it over the head of the helpless Maddie Hinch to force a shoot-out. GB’s shot-stopper Hinch was exceptional in the shoot-out, stopping all four Spain’s attempts on goal, with Hannah Martin and Sarah Jones scoring what proved to be decisive goals as the title holders booked their ticket to the semi-finals. Tuesday 3rd August is men’s semi-final day at the Oi Hockey Stadium, with the four highest ranked teams in the world all fighting it out for the chance to reach the gold medal match. At 10:30 (JST), India men will look to move one step closer to a ninth Olympic title when they take on reigning World and FIH Hockey Pro League champions Belgium. The evening match will be played at 19:00 and will see 2004 Olympic gold medallists taking on four times winners Germany. The two teams met in the semi-final stage of the London 2012 Olympic Games, with the Kookaburras looking to avenge the 4-2 defeat suffered at the hands of eventual champions Germany.

SPORTS NEWS Saint Lucia (August 2, 2021):-The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Saint Lucia franchise are to change their name from the Zouks to the Kings. The team is owned by K.P.H. Dream Cricket Private Limited who also runs the Punjab Kings franchise at the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Saint Lucia Kings will share branding and other assets with their colleagues at the IPL as the ownership team moves to further cement ties between the two brands. This synergy will help build on the successes the team has had since the new owners arrived after they finished as runners-up at last year’s Hero CPL tournament. The Kings will play their first match of this season against the Jamaica Tallawahs on Friday 27 August. The Kings side will be coached by Andy Flower and will have the likes of Faf du Plessis, Andre Fletcher, Rakheem Cornwall and Wahab Riaz in their ranks. Commenting on the new brand identity Darren Sammy, Assistant Coach and Mentor, Saint Lucia Kings, said: “I love the logo and I love the new name. It’s a pleasure to be associated with the Kings Franchise and I truly hope that the name can inspire our players to play like the true Kings that we are!” ABOUT THE HERO CARIBBEAN PREMIER LEAGUE: First started in 2013, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is a franchise-based T20 format cricket tournament that combines two of the most compelling aspects of Caribbean life – dramatic cricket and a vibrant Carnival atmosphere. There was a combined broadcast and digital viewership of over 500 million during the 2020 season to make it one of the most watched leagues in world cricket. Trinbago Knight Riders are the current Hero CPL champions, and the other competing teams are Barbados Royals, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, Saint Lucia Kings and Jamaica Tallawahs. The 2021 tournament will take place in St Kitts & Nevis from 26 August to 15 September.