TRULY TIMES 10 SPORTS JAMMU, MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 Abhinav Bindra questions Kumbh Mela amid Jake Paul beats Ben Askren pandemic, chides Yogeshwar Dutt for backing it as Pro boxing drifts askew YouTuber's win over MMA fighter faster than it takes insta noodles to boil, raises questions on whether Pro Boxing is turning into a shoddy, spoofy spectacle. Hall-of-fame ring announcer er Freddie Roach search of a big name and Michael Buffer intro- believed Askren would be bigger payday. duced Ben Askren — the reality check. “Ben is Saturday’s event is expected one-half of the main a pro and a good finisher. to do big numbers too. event against Jake Paul That comes from experi- Justin Bieber, who — as Ben “Askew”. A ence at an elite level. skipped the Grammy Freudian slip, perhaps, What has Jake Paul Awards last month India’s only individual Olympic gold-medallist, shooter Abhinav Bindra, on Saturday questioned the decision to contin- for a night when profes- learned from the level of despite four nominations, ue with the Haridwar Kumbh Mela amid the raging COVID-19 sional boxing went opposition he has faced?” performed a long set. As pandemic, saying “a virus does not discriminate between reli- askew. Roach, who has trained did other popular artists gions”. Askren himself was lying world champions such as such as The Black Keys, The Kumbh Mela is being seen as a potential superspreader lopsided on the canvas Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Doja Cat, Saweetie, with lakhs of devotees converging at Haridwar for a dip in the under two minutes, the Cotto, Julio Cesar Diplo and Major Lazer. A Ganga river. Official figures for the period between April 10 to third knockout victim for Chávez Jr, had said dur- suitably unhinged, pro- 14 placed the number of infected at 1701. celebrity boxer Paul. Sent ing fight week. wrestling legend Ric Flair “Should the Khumb (sic) mela even be held while an infec- down by a vicious, The sample size is still small, officiated a slapping con- tious pandemic lays waste to india? A virus does not discrimi- nate between religions,” wrote Bindra on his twitter handle in straight right, Askren but Paul definitely has test on the undercard. response to a tweet by wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt. stumbled to his feet after power — the 24-year-old And fittingly, the weirdest Dutt, who had won the bronze in the 60kg freestyle category the eight-count but the has produced three part of the night was the at the 2012 London Olympics, had recently supported the con- referee decided the 36- knockouts and six knock- one legitimate contest duct of the event in his social media post on Wednesday. year-old couldn’t contin- downs over four rounds between actual profes- “No one in the Kumbh Mela is reaching there illegally, peo- ue. A couple of minutes — and fundamentals sional boxers. Former ple are following all protocols, no one is spitting at the security later, Askren was seen (though the first two KOs WBA light-welterweight and medical staff, no one is running away after hiding from the leaving with his wife, came against a fellow champion Regis Prograis administration. Stop defaming the peaceful devotees at wide smiles on their finalist) and 2008 upfront about it.” kept talking about the two YouTuber and a former won a technical decision Kumbh,” he had tweeted. Bindra’s response to Dutt’s tweet did not stop at the question. faces. Olympian — Askren said Minutes before his fight, million he was going to NBA player). Former over Ukrainian Ivan He went on to criticise the wrestler, who is now a member of Askren could very well be he was embarrassed in he retweeted suggestions win if Paul knocks out world title challenger BJ Redkach, who fell to the the ruling BJP, for lending his support to the conduct of the laughing all the way to case the youngsters he that one of the announc- Askren. Davidson hoped Flores, who has been ground and squirmed massive gathering. the bank. Reports suggest trains were watching. “I ers — multiple-time the two fighters “started working with Paul for covering his groin for “Athletes r known to keep their eye on the ball,their focus that the retired MMA feel so bad for the kids world champion Oscar kissing.” close to two years, had five minutes. unwavering & to not get distracted by wht is most important at fighter made $500,000 who are watching right De La Hoya — “is plas- Social media meanwhile predicted Askren “might The preceding right hook this time — saving lives,finding cures THAT can work & show- for his boxing debut, and now. I feel like an irre- tered!” went into overdrive. not get out of the first from Prograis was ing compassion & empathy 4 those who r loosing loved ones. that’s without any pay- sponsible mentor,” he Such suggestions weren’t Some insinuated Askren round”. adjudged a low blow U r failing the entire sports community with this,” the celebrat- per-view shares or fight told Saturday Night Live unwarranted. When the “took a dive” or “got out” More importantly, Paul can even though the replays ed shooter posted. Overall, 2,34,692 fresh COVID-19 fresh cases were reported bonuses. It could be cast member Pete announce team — which easy, others congratulated sell. The fight trended on showed the punch was in the country on Tuesday, the biggest daily spike so far. Amid argued that Askren’s per- Davidson. featured rapper Snoop him for “making bank” social media throughout nowhere near the groin, the unprecedented surge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also formance in and out of On Saturday morning, Askren Dogg, Davidson among for two minutes’ work. the day. It being sanc- wasn’t below the belt and said that attendance at the Hindu festival should be “symbolic”. the ring was a sharp had tweeted: “People others — weren’t talking Expect the knockout clips tioned meant bookmakers didn’t even properly land. President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, Mahant meta-commentary on the love fist fights. People about cocktails and and gifs to keep doing the and gamblers had a busy Prograis saw the replays Naredra Giri was admitted to AIIMS, Rishikesh after testing spectacle. A decorated love circuses. Hope you “joints”, they were rounds till Paul fights day, with odds decidedly and went complaining to positive for the disease last week. wrestler — two-time enjoy tonight.” During throwing F-bombs faster again. favouring Paul. Expect the announcing booth, Mahamandaleshwar of Maha Nirvani Akhara from Madhya NCAA Division I nation- the show, he reiterated: than any boxer threw But can Paul fight? The jury’s the braggart YouTuber to where he was comforted Pradesh, Swami Kapil Dev, who was under treatment for al champion (four-time “Well don’t say I wasn’t punches. Snoop Dogg still out. Legendary train- further louden his act in by Snoop Dogg. COVID-19 at a private hospital here, died on April 13. Mirabai Chanu raises the barbell Miami GP to join F1 calendar from 2022 in 10-year deal Swimmer Srihari Nataraj creates national and her game in dramatic fashion record, wins second gold in Uzbekistan Chinese. Hou Zhihui won the gold with a total score of 213 Ace Indian swimmer (96 in snatch and 117 in clean Srihari Nataraj created a and jerk) and her compatriot national record in 50m Jiang Huihua got the silver backstroke while winning with a lift of 207kg (89 in his second gold of the snatch, 118 in clean and Uzbekistan Open jerk). Championship here. At the Olympics, however, The 20-year-old clocked only one of them will be able 25.11 seconds to bag the to compete as the rules allow top prize in the FINA- each country to field just one accredited Olympic quali- lifter. Ri-Song Gum, the only fying event on Saturday other weightlifter who has There will be two Formula plex in Miami Gardens, night. lifted more than 200kg, is One races in the United home to the NFL’s Miami Indian swimmers already out of contention States next year with the new Dolphins. enjoyed a rich haul of 29 after North Korea pulled out Miami Grand Prix added to The circuit itself will be medals -- 18 gold, seven Jeremy Lalrinnunga was third ‘no-lift’ and her of the Games. Thus all Chanu the calendar from 2022. 5.41 kilometers (3.36 miles) silver and four bronze -- in so emotionally invested that Championship would be over really needs to do to finish on Next year’s race will be the long and will feature 19 cor- the meet. every moment of Mirabai and her credentials as a the podium in Tokyo is match first in a 10-year deal and is ners and three straights, with It was Srihari's third Chanu’s ‘double century’ at medal-favourite for Saturday’s performance. in addition to the existing an estimated top speed of national record in two days the Asian Championship, Olympics would come under Still, it won’t be so straight- Grand Prix at Circuit of The 320k mph (199 kph). Hard as the Bengaluru swimmer including a world record lift the scanner. The debacle of forward. Americas in Austin, Texas. Rock Stadium will sit at the had rewritten the national in clean and jerk, became a the Rio Olympics, where she Chanu’s biggest opponent “We are thrilled to heart of the track. marks twice in 100m back- Saturday, the Kerala clocked 1.57.85s, missing rollercoaster ride, peppered crashed out after being now will be her body itself. announce that Formula 1 will “We have worked with stroke, his pet event, earli- swimmer, who is coming the Olympics 'A' cut which with delightful insights, a unable to complete her event, After the 2018 be racing in Miami beginning specialist designers to create er this week. off a shoulder injury, fin- is set at 1:56.48s. few jokes and some melodra- loomed large in Tashkent on Commonwealth Games, in 2022,” F1 chief executive a racetrack that we, Formula In 100m backstroke in ished with a time of 53.69s While a 'B' mark means ma. The weightlifter’s live Saturday. where she enthralled the Stefano Domenicali said on 1 and the FIA believe will which Srihari has already in the 100m butterfly to the swimmer will receive feed on Instagram, accompa- But this time Chanu did Gold Coasters with a stun- Sunday. provide great racing and we achieved the 'B' standard stand atop the podium. an invitation to the event if nied by his unfiltered narra- not fumble. In her final ning exhibition in weightlift- “The USA is a key growth hope to create best-in-class time for Tokyo Olympics, Maana Patel and Suvana the total available quota tion, sounded more like the attempt in snatch, she lifted ing to win the gold, Chanu market for us, and we are unique fan experiences that the Indian had clocked his Baskar, who clocked a per- places are not filled up, an passionate Latin American or 86kg and after she signed off complained of lower back greatly encouraged by our are reflective of the diverse personal best of 54.10s in sonal best of 30.28 sec- 'A' standard ensures an Arabic football commentary with an incredible 119kg lift pain. The injury was as mys- growing reach in the US and dynamic nature of the heats before bettering onds, took home the gold automatic berth to line up that often goes viral on social in clean and jerk, bettering terious as it was severe. Top which will be further sup- Miami,” said Tom Garfinkel, it to 54.07s in the final to and silver respectively in at the Tokyo Olympics. media. Then again, the thrill the world record by 1kg, doctors across the country ported by this exciting sec- vice-Chairman, president and win the gold. He missed the women's 50m back- Apart from Sajan and element in Chanu’s match Jeremy whooped from the examined her but were ond race.” CEO of Hard Rock Stadium. the Olympic 'A' qualifica- stroke event. Srihari, four other Indian was no less than a last- stands. Chanu joined him unable to diagnose the prob- The exact date of the race Miami will be the 11th tion mark in the event by Like Srihari, Sajan, the swimmers -- Virdhawal minute winner in a football from the platform, grinning lem. For nine months after has yet to be confirmed but location in the US to host an just 0.22 seconds. lone male swimmer from Khade, Kushagra Rawat, game. The heart-in-mouth ear to ear as she cemented that, she was out of action, Domenicali said it would be F1 race since the champi- Another Olympic hope- the country to compete at Aryan Makhija and Advait moment, as Jeremy described her reputation as one of missing the Asian Games and in the “second quarter of next onship began in 1950. There ful, Sajan Prakash also the 2016 Rio Olympics, Page -- have achieved the it, came right at the begin- India’s biggest hopes at the the World Championships year.” have been grands prix in dazzled in the meet, notch- also fell short of the B standard for Tokyo ning of Chanu’s bronze Tokyo Games in July. that year. When she returned, It will be the first-ever F1 Indianapolis, Sebring, ing up gold medal-winning Olympic 'A' mark for Olympics in their respec- medal-winning performance. The combined total of the Imphal-native, who lifted race in Miami and the first in Riverside, Watkins Glen, performances in all four Tokyo Games. tive categories. The 26-year-old had failed to 205kg is the best she has ever hundreds of kilos for fun, Florida since 1959. It will Long Beach, Las Vegas, categories he participated Competing in his pet No Indian has till date nail a lift in the first two of lifted. The two lifters who could not even lift 50kg in take place at a new circuit in Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix in. event, the 200m butterfly achieved the 'A' cut for her three total attempts. A finished above her are both training. the Hard Rock Stadium com- as well as Austin. On the final day on on Tuesday, Sajan had Tokyo Olympics. Jhilli Dalabehera fetches gold Messi nets two as Barcelona beat Athletic Delhi CWG gold medallist at Asian Weightlifting C’ship Krishna Poonia tests positive Bilbao 4-00 to win Copa del Rey for COVID-119 If Lionel Messi isn’t happy Spanish league. at Barcelona, it was impossi- “It has been a difficult year, ble to tell on Saturday when but like in life, sometimes you he scored two goals in another fall down and just have to get masterful performance to back up,” said Barcelona brush aside Athletic Bilbao defender Gerard Pique, who and win the Copa del Rey. excelled in shutting down Messi climbed into the trib- Bilbao’s counterattack. une after leading the 4-0 win “This is like starting anew, a and lifted the trophy high reset . I think we have turned above his head and turned to this around.” his team on the pitch below. Bilbao has now lost two For his teammates, coach, Copa del Rey finals this and millions of anxious fans, for me to lift,” Messi said. “It Barcelona’s record 31st cup month at La Cartuja Stadium it was easy to read so much is too bad we cannot celebrate comes at a crucial junction for in Seville. Bilbao lost 1-0 to into that broad grin, that vig- it with our family and fans. Messi and Barcelona. Real Sociedad just two weeks Delhi Commonwealth scan from which it was India’s Jhilli Dalabehera (60kg+75kg). orous shake of the huge cup. But that is the situation we Barcelona has seen its ago when they met in the 2020 Games gold medallist and diagnosed for COVID-19,” clinched the gold medal in With the win, Jhilli bet- Was Messi finally seeing have to accept.” finances badly damaged by final that had been postponed sitting Rajasthan MLA her husband Virender the 45kg category in a tered her silver-winning per- the folly of ever thinking he Even though Messi avoided the pandemic and its former due to the pandemic. Krishna Poonia on Sunday Poonia told. severely depleted two-lifter formance in the last edition. could find a better home? the burning question of his president Josep Bartomeu was Sociedad’s reign as Copa tested positive for COVID- Krishna is currently a sit- field at the Asian However, it was an under- Or was the club’s all-time plans, his great game will forced to resign after the champion lasted all of 14 19 and is undergoing treat- ting Congress MLA of Weightlifting Championship whelming performance as leading scorer relieved that he raise hopes for Barcelona fans team’s poor performance last days. ment at a Jaipur hospital. Rajasthan from Sadulpur on Sunday. she had lifted 162kg could give Barcelona at least of the soccer great staying at season when it failed to win a “We were far from our The 43-year-old Krishna, constituency. Jhilli, a junior world cham- (71kg+91kg) at the same one more title before saying Camp Nou. And for Joan title and alleged administra- best,” said Bilbao coach who became the first Indian “She is not in a serious pionship bronze medallist, event in 2019. goodbye? Laporta, who returned to the tive irregularities. Bartomeu Marcelino Garcia Toral. “And woman to bag an individual condition and was doing lifted 69kg in the snatch and Her gold was India’s sec- Messi did not mention his club’s presidency last month, has denied any wrongdoing. even playing our your best it is gold in the CWG by win- fine otherwise. Doctors followed that up by 88kg in ond medal of the tournament future after he received the Messi should have an easy But the peak of the club’s tough to beat Barca.” ning the discus throw event have advised her to be at clean jerk for a total of 157kg as star weightlifter Mirabai trophy from Spain’s King choice ahead of him. “Leo is crisis came last summer when Only some tenacious in the 2010 Delhi Games, is hospital for a few days and to finish on top of the podium Chanu smashed the world Felipe VI, one of the few dig- the best player in the world, Messi said that he wanted to defending in its area kept now admitted at the so she is there. Maybe, she in all three categories of the record in the clean and jerk nitaries along with Spanish Leo has deep roots in this put an end to his highly suc- Bilbao in the match until Rajasthan University of will have a test in five days gold level Olympic qualifier category enroute a bronze Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez club, and I am convinced that cessful two decades with Barcelona erupted with four Health Sciences (RUHS) and we will know after event which was postponed medal on Saturday. in attendance at a stadium he wants to stay,” Laporta Barcelona. Since then, he has goals between the 60th and hospital. that,” Virender said. last year due to the pandemic. The Olympic-bound closed to fans due to coron- said. “We will do all we can only said he will make a deci- 72nd minutes. The bombard- “She had cough and mild “She had her first dose of However, 45kg is not a Chanu lifted 86kg in snatch avirus restrictions. for him to stay with us. That is sion when his contract is up at ment started in the fifth when fever and she took a test on COVID-19 vaccine on Olympic weight category. and a world record of 119kg Instead, Messi focused on what we most want. And the end of this season. Messi set up Frenkie de Jong, Saturday but the virus Friday,” said Virender who The silver medal went to in clean and jerk for a total of those who were not able to today Messi gave a master The cup, however, puts an who played a perfect aide to could not be detected. himself had recovered from Philippines’ Mary Flor Diaz 205kg, which was also her share in the celebration. class of soccer while being end to a title drought since Messi throughout the match, Today, we went to RHUS the dreaded virus a few for her effort of 135kg personal best. “This is a very special cup supported by a great team.” Barcelona won the 2019 to hit the post. and doctors there took a CT months ago.