MONDAY-AUGUST 02, 2021 Sport 05 Leeds interested in Traore deal as India’s married archers: ‘We Wolves place £30m pricetag on winger are a powerful couple.’ When love’s arrow struck, the country’s medal hopefuls but 2016 Rio Games, she was part of Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das failed to make it to the podium the German women’s team that were ready with their own quiv- rounds. So far, India has won a won bronze in Tokyo on Sunday. ers. Known as Dee-Das in India, silver medal in women’s weight He made it to the quarterfinals on the couple are one of two pairs of lifting and is assured a medal in Saturday, after having upset an- married archers at the Tokyo women’s boxing. other Korean Olympic gold med- Olympics. Archery is a supremely men- alist. Both halves of the couple ad- tal sport. Going into the competi- With Covid-19 raging in India vanced into the individual archery tion on Saturday, Das inked the and the government keen to raise event, with Das falling in the 1/8 word “calm” on his hand as a re- its Olympic profile, the archery elimination round on Saturday to minder to not let the pressure team was dispatched to an army Takaharu Furukawa of Japan, the erode his confidence. The diver- sports institute in the city of Pune 2012 Olympic silver medalist. gence between a win and a loss in to train for eight months. Being Waving the Indian flag in the archery is measured in millimeters. away from family for so long was stands, under a broiling sun, was “They help each other with difficult, but Kumari and Das had Kumari, the world No. 1, who had the nerves,” said Mim Bahadur each other. reached the quarterfinals the day Gurung, the Indian archery coach, In June, they won gold in the before. She was beaten by An San referring to the support the cou- mixed team event at an archery of South Korea, who went on to ple give each other. “It is easy to World Cup competition. But take the gold medal. be nervous in archery.” Das’s shooting was considered “We are a powerful couple,” In the earlier rounds in Tokyo, erratic in the run-up to the Games, Das said after his elimination on contested on an artificial island and they were not paired for com- Saturday. “We lost in this Olym- built from waste landfill, Das had petition in Tokyo. Kumari and her pics here, but from now we will dispensed with the 2012 Olym- mixed team partner, Pravin Jadhav, play the game differently. We have pic gold medalist Oh Jin-hyek, made it to the quarterfinals before learned so many things in the past who is part of South Korea’s being eliminated by Korean rivals. few years, and we know how to strong archery squad. Unusually, Das and Kumari had original- deal with the pressure.” none of the Koreans were in med- ly planned to get married around India’s Olympic imprint is al contention in the men’s indi- the time of the Tokyo Olympics. small, especially given its large vidual event, although the team But the Games were delayed, and population. Apart from men’s won gold on Monday. they decided to marry last year. hockey, the country has won only The other married archers On one ring finger, Das wears his one other gold medal, in the men’s who competed in Tokyo are Flo- wedding band. On the other, he Leeds United are considering The club were keen to fend assets. was moved on to Middlesbrough 10-meter air rifle event in the 2008 rian Unruh and Lisa Unruh of has a golden band with the Olym- a move for Wolves star Adama off transfer speculation over their Leeds would have to pay up after two season and 12 games. Beijing Games. In Tokyo, India’s Germany. A silver medalist in the pic rings. Traore, Goal understands. star, with Liverpool and Barcelo- to £30 million to convince the club But the winger found his best archers were considered among women’s individual event at the Nytimes Contract talks between the na mentioned as possible destina- to sell this summer, while they football with the Teesiders and Spain winger and his club have tions. may face competition from Liv- then Wolves, where he has been a stalled, attracting the attention of Despite early progress, how- erpool, who have also been linked key first-teamer for the last three their Premier League rivals. ever, negotiations have now to the player in July. years as the club has established But the Whites would have to reached an impasse, raising the A product of Barcelona's La itself in the Premier League. make a significant transfer outlay possibility that he could move on. Masia youth academy, Traore left That form also caught the at- if they hope to land their target. Traore nevertheless remains the Liga giants for Aston Villa in tention of Luis Enrique, who hand- Wolves began discussions under contract until 2023, mean- 2015 having made just four senior ed him his Spain debut in 2020 over a new contract with Traore ing that Wolves are under no obli- appearances. He made little im- and this summer named him to La back in May. gation to sell one of their prized pression at Villa Park either and Roja's Euro 2020 squad. Cricket-Former captain Bailey replaces Hohns as Australia's chief selector Former Australia captain Cup, a home Ashes series George Bailey has been ap- against England as well as pointed chair of the National away tours to the sub-conti- Selection Panel, replacing nent. Trevor Hohns who is retiring "I would like to thank after two successful stints, Trevor for his incredible work Cricket Australia (CA) said on which has helped shape the Sunday. success of Australian cricket Bailey joined the panel in over a long period, including February last year and takes during my days as a player and over as chief selector before captain," Bailey, who played 90 this year's Twenty20 World one-day internationals, said. "In what can be a challeng- ‘We’re just playing a sport’: US ing job, Trevor has always been calm, consistent and ap- proachable. Olympic athletes on mental William Buick and Andrew "Similarly to his journey, he has made my transition from player to selector as smooth as health challenges Balding land Goodwood awards possible. Not only was he crowned all know that it is tough week. I getting married at a church oppo- There is a lot I will take from leading jockey for the week in knew I had some good rides com- site where we live." Trevor's style and very much Sussex with seven winners, he is ing into the week, and it is always Andrew Balding, who won look forward to the journey about to get married on Sunday. a week you look back on and think the Sussex Stakes with Alcohol ahead." Buick landed feature prizes on there is one or two races you Free, was crowned leading trainer CA's Executive General Suesa in the King George Qatar would like to have a go at again, with five winners. Manager of National Teams Stakes and the Qatar Lillie Langtry but all in all it has been a great On being informed of the fact, Ben Oliver said that the recruit- on Wonderful Tonight - having the week. the Kingsclere handler said: ment process for a third selec- top rider prize sewn up halfway "I am really pleased, Suesa and "That's great. I thought we had a tor to join Bailey and head through the final afternoon. Wonderful Tonight being the high- chance coming into today and coach Justin Langer was un- "I'm delighted to be leading lights." we've had a couple of winners. der way. jockey at Glorious Goodwood," He added: "Now I have got to "We've targeted this meeting CEO of QuickDesk Char- said Buick. get my head into my speech - all with the right horses. The ground "Obviously it is over five days week I have been focusing on my suited most of them - it's been a main Tan believes women bring and you can't win them all. It's job, now I am going to focus on good week. "It was a special mo- a unique set of strengths to the intense and there are some you tomorrow! It should be a great day. ment for us with Alcohol Free (in male-dominated tech space. look back on and wish had gone James Doyle is my best man. the Sussex Stakes). She is a spe- Hohns, 67, first joined the differently. "I'm a bit nervous now, but it cial filly and we really enjoyed selection panel in 1991 after re- "It has been a good week, we should be a brilliant day and we're it."skysport tiring as a player following the 1989 Ashes series and helped pick some of Australia's great- est teams, CA said. In his first tenure, Austra- lia won five straight Ashes se- ries and a record 16 consecu- tive test victories, as well as back-to-back 50-over World Cups in 1999 and 2003. TOKYO: Lives are more im- American team reflected on how talking to a psychologist after tak- "The game has been great portant than medals, US triathlon they cope with the pressure of ing part in the Rio Olympics, and to me and I have loved every athlete Morgan Pearson said after competing at the top level of it’s now part of her routine. minute of it, from the good his team won silver Saturday in sport, highlighting the importance Kevin McDowell said the times to the bad," Hohns said. Tokyo. of addressing mental health issues. pandemic has brought him closer "I have been extremely for- The mixed triathlon event – “It’s important to remember to his parents and family, and now swimming, cycling and running – that at the end of the day we’re he opens up and talks to them tunate to be involved with has just made its debut at the just playing a sport, doing a sport, some of the greatest Austra- about his feelings instead of bot- Olympics and the US team came and our lives are more valuable tling “everything in”, and reach out lian teams of all time and many just a few seconds behind Britain. than just the medals,” Pearson said for help when he already was of the best players to have France finished with bronze. in the press conference following “completely broken or down.” played the game." But with the focus on the the medals’ ceremony. Reuters mental health of athletes, the Katie Zafares said she started AP