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Indian badminton star PV Sindhu made it to the quarterfinal of the Denmark Open 2023 as she defeated her Indonesian rival Gregoria Mariska Tunjung on October 19, Thursday. The Kerala government announced a hefty cash award for Asian Games 2023 medal winners from the state. A lot has happened in different sporting disciplines around the world in the last 24 hours, and today's sports wrap will give you insight into all.
PV Sindhu sails to Denmark Open 2023 quarterfinals
Indian star badminton player PV Sindhu got better of her rival, Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia in the Round of 16 at the Denmark Open 2023 on October 19, Thursday. With her win, the world number 12 came one step closer to her first BWF title of the year as she secured her berth in the quarterfinals of the ongoing tournament. After losing the opening game 18-21, Sindhu bounced back to win the remaining games 21-15, 21-13 over her world number 9 rival and reserved her next-round berth.
Kerala government announces cash prizes for Asian Games 2023 state medalists
The Kerala government announced heavy cash prizes for the 2023 Asian Games medal winners from the state. According to the official statement made by the state CM, gold medalists would get INR 25 lakh, silver medalists INR 19 lakh, and bronze medalists would get the prize of INR 12.4 lakh.
The names of the winners are Muhammed Anas and Muhammad Ajmal (4X400 m relay), Minnu Mani (Cricket), and P R Sreejesh (Hockey) were among the gold medal winners. On the other hand, the silver medalists were HS Prannoy and MR Arjun (Badminton), among others.
Karim Benzema gets accused of belonging to terrorist organisation after supporting Gaza
Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema found himself in hot water amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin accused the French striker of having connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, a religious and political group which is considered a terrorist organisation in France. Darmanin’s accusation came after Benzema expressed his support to Gaza residents amid the ongoing war-like scenarios.
The French Interior Minister was in a conversation with the French outlet CNews on Monday, where he said, “We have closed 1,100 Islamist establishments. And in recent weeks, I’ve been particularly interested, Mr. Benzema is linked, we all know it, notoriously with the Muslim Brotherhood.” However, the minister didn’t provide any evidence to support the claims he made.
Barcelona President Joan Laporta charged with bribery; being invested for ‘Negreira Case’
Barcelona President Joan Laporta has been charged with bribery in relation to alleged payments made to former refereeing vice-president Enriquez Negreira. The club is undergoing investigation for ‘active bribery’ made to the former official. Laporta is a new name who has been suspected in the case spanning more than two decades of activities at Spain’s referral committee.
Mohamed Salah demands action from world leaders amid Israel-Palestinian conflicts
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah called for emotional aid from the world leaders amid the Israel-Palestinian conflicts. He posted a video on his social media accounts, where he said, "It's not always easy to speak at a time like this. There has been too much violence and brutality, the escalation in recent weeks has been unbearable to witness. "What's clear now is that humanitarian aid to Gaza must be allowed immediately. The people there are in terrible conditions. The scenes at the hospital last night were horrifying."
The footballer added, "The people of Gaza need food, water and medical supplies urgently. I am calling on world leaders to come together and prevent the slaughter of innocent souls. Humanity must prevail."
Las Vegas Aces go back-to-back and 2nd consecutive WNBA title
The Las Vegas Aces took home their second consecutive WNBA title after defeating the New York Liberty 70-69 in Game 4 of the Finals. A’ja Wilson posted 24 points and 16 rebounds and helped the Aces come back from a 12-point deficit in Brooklyn. The win also helped the Aces become the first team in more than two decades to repeat as champions.
Carlos Alcaraz pulls out of Swiss Indoors championships with injury
World number two Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the upcoming Swiss Indoors championships in Basel due to injury. The organisers released a statement, on Wednesday, saying, "Alcaraz had to cancel his start at the Swiss Indoors (October 21-29) today due to an injury. According to his doctor's bulletin, the world number two is suffering from an inflammation of the sole of his left foot and problems in his gluteal muscles."
Boris Becker returns as coach and mentor Holger Rune
German tennis legend Boris Becker will be returning to the tennis circuit as a coach for Denmark's world number six Holger Rune. Becker was released from a British prison in December 2022, after serving eight months of a two-and-a-half-year sentence for hiding financial assets after declaring bankrupt.
