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In the world of football, Pep Guardiola admitted that Arsenal will be Premier League contenders in the ongoing season, before his Manchester City side travel to Emirates to play against them on the weekend. Lionel Messi is reportedly set to make his big return to Barcelona in the January transfer window, if his current club Inter Miami doesn’t reach the Eastern Conference playoffs in MLS. The Asian Games 2023 saw India win more than 100 medals for the first time in history, after a plethora of golds on the penultimate day of the competition.
Read below to learn details about these top stories and other happenings in the sporting world in the last 24 hours.
Football
Pep Guardiola says that Arsenal will be Premier League contenders in 2023-24 season
When asked if Arsenal will be Premier League contenders in the 2023-24 season, the Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said, “Absolutely, along with Liverpool.” The 52-year-old was speaking to the press before Manchester City take on Arsenal in a high stakes match in the Premier League, during the early stage of the season at the Emirates on October 8, Sunday.
Lionel Messi to make big return to Barcelona in January transfer window: Reports
According to the report from the Spanish outlet AS, Lionel Messi could make his big return to Barcelona in the January transfer window, if his current club Inter Miami fails to make the Eastern Conference playoffs in the Major League Soccer (MLS). In this particular scenario, it was mentioned that the 36-year-old will be free to head back to Spain on loan in January, to get that one final send off at his boyhood club where he played football for 17 years.
Paul Pogba tests positive for testosterone in second sample analysis
The French footballer Paul Pogba has been tested positive for testosterone in his second sample analysis, the development has come to light after he was provisionally suspended last month for the anti-doping offence by NADO Italia. Notably, he was tested after his club Juventus secured a 3-0 win against Udinese during the Serie A competition, on August 20, at the Stadio Friuli.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says VAR isn’t ready for football in its current form
After securing a controversial victory against Liverpool by 2-1 at home in the Premier League last weekend, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said that “I would (scrap VAR) in its current form. I just don’t think that technology is ready for our game.” The 58-year-old was talking in reference to the contentious call from the VAR officials, who had ruled out the clear goal for Luis Diaz of Liverpool in the first half against Tottenham, because of a communication breakdown.
Asian Games 2023
Ojas Pravin Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam win gold medals in compound archery individual events
Jyothi Surekha Vennam defeated So Chaewon of South Korea with a margin of 149-145 in the women’s compound archery individual event final to win her third gold medal in the Asian Games 2023, after securing title wins in women’s and mixed team events. Later on, in all Indian men’s compound archery individual event final, Ojas Pravin Deotale got the better of Abhishek Verma by 149-147 to clinch his third gold of the Asiad, after the success at men’s and mixed team events.
India clinches gold medals in men and women’s kabaddi competitions at Asian Games 2023
The Indian women’s team were the first to clinch gold in kabaddi, the historic 100th medal for the country at the Asian Games, on October 7, Saturday, after they got the better of Chinese Taipei by a narrow margin of 26-25. Later on, the Indian men’s team completed the double for the country at the Asiad, defeating the arch-rivals Iran with a margin of 33-29, after play was halted for around an hour over a controversial raid in Hangzhou.
Satwik-Chirag bring first ever gold medal for India in badminton at Asiad
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty scripted history at the Asian Games 2023 with the first ever gold medal for India in badminton at the multi-sporting continental event. They brushed aside the challenge of the South Korean duo of Choi Solgyu and Kim Wonho of South Korea by 21-18, 21-16 in 56 minutes in Hangzhou.
India wins silver medals in men’s and women’s chess competitions at Asian Games 2023
The Indian men’s chess team of Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna, R Praggnanandhaa, and D Gukesh finished in second place in the competition, to take home the silver medal from the Asian Games 2023, behind Iran, who finished in first place. In the women’s competition, the Indian chess team of Harika Dronavalli, Koneru Humpy, R Vaishali, Vantika Agrawal, and Savitha Shri won the silver medal, after their second-place finish behind China.
