Picture Credit: X
Deepak Punia’s Olympic qualification suffered a heavy jolt as he lost his first round at the World Qualifiers. In the world of chess, Magnus Carlsen spoke about his loss in Round 11 of the Grand Chess Tour Superbet Rapid and Blitz 2024.
A lot more happened in various sporting disciplines across the globe, read below to learn about major events in the world of sports in the last 24 hours.
Wrestling
Aman Sehrawat moves to semifinal, Deepak Punia’s qualification doubtful
Deepak Punia’s Olympic qualification suffered a heavy jolt as he lost his first round at the World Qualifiers. However, Aman Sehrawat moved to the 57kg semifinals and is now one win away from securing his Paris Games quota. On the other hand, Sujeet Kalkal (65kg) and Jaideep Ahlawat (74kg) advanced to the quarterfinals in their respective categories. It is to be noted that no Indian male wrestler has qualified for the forthcoming games and it is their last chance to secure their quota.
Chess
My nervous system just collapsed: Magnus Carlsen after losing to R Praggnanandhaa
Magnus Carlsen spoke about his loss in Round 11 of the Grand Chess Tour Superbet Rapid and Blitz 2024. He lost to R Praggnanandhaa, and following the game, he said, “Pretty much every game tomorrow is a must-win for sure. I just didn’t have it today. I felt good from the start, but then I think my nervous system just collapsed during or after the game against Pragg, and after that I just sucked, honestly. The score was still half-decent, but obviously if Wei Yi continues to win then it doesn’t matter.”
Time to brag about Pragg: Anand Mahindra on R Praggnanandhaa's stellar performance against Magnus Carlsen
Indian Industrialist and business tycoon Anand Mahindra praised R Praggnanandhaa after his stellar performance against Magnus Carlsen. The Indian teenage grandmaster defeated Carlsen at the Serbet tournament in Poland. Mahindra is known for his avid support of Indian chess, and he shared a post on X after the Indian chess star’s performance. His post on X read, “Time to brag about Pragg..”.
Smart lad: Gary Kasparov praises Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa
Chess legend Gary Kasparov heaped praise on young grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa as he gave autographs to fans during the Rapid and Blitz tournament. He said that the way he was giving his signature means ‘hand doesn’t get sore so quickly’. Kasparov shared the video on his timeline and wrote, "Smart lad; a fast and short signature means your hand doesn't get sore so quickly!" Notably, he became the world’s youngest chess player to reach the World Cup final and only the second player after Viswanathan Anand to achieve the feat.
Athletics
Maybe in some years the Indian will throw really far: Neeraj Chopra
Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra pledged to go a step ahead in the next Diamond League after finishing a close second in the Doha leg. He said, “The most important competition for me this year is Paris Olympics, but Diamond League meetings are important too. This was the opener for me this season, I finished second with a narrow two-centimetre margin but next time I will try to draw far and try to win. The support I am getting from the Indian people here in Qatar is always amazing, there aren't words enough for me to thank them for their support. Maybe in some years the Indian will throw really far! I feel really proud that I am an Indian."
Tennis
Hubert Hurkacz defeats Rafael Nadal at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia
Hubert Hurkacz defeated Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Rome ATP Masters 1000 to a close. He recorded a 6-1, 6-3 win over the 22-time Grand Slam champion. After the game, he said, “I’m definitely really proud of myself. Playing Rafa is something special. It’s just different, especially being on clay, the surface that he has just dominated over the past 20 years. No one will ever have a record like him on this surface. He’s just bigger than the sport at the end of the day. So many people follow him and he inspired so many guys, so I’m just really happy to have had that experience today.”
Rafael Nadal addresses physical challenges he faced recently
20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal spoke about the physical challenges he faced recently. After his loss to Hubert Hurkacz at the Italian Open, Nadal said, "Now [there are] two ways. Probably one is to say, Okay, I am not ready, I am not playing well enough. Then is the moment to take a decision in terms of not playing Roland Garros. Another is to accept how I am today and work the proper way to try to be in a different way in two weeks. The decision, as you can imagine, is not clear in my mind today. But if I have to say what's my feeling and if my mind is closer one way or the other way, I'm going to say I will be in Roland Garros and try my best.”
Football
Lionel Messi expresses frustration on camera over MLS' two minutes sideline rule
Argentina and Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi expressed his frustration on camera over the Major League Soccer’s (MLS) rule to be sidelined for two minutes before entering the pitch following the injury treatment. Messi was forced to remain outside for two minutes after he had an injury treatment in their game against Montreal on Saturday night. The Paraguay and Inter Miami mid-fielder Matias Rojas stunned the Montreal audience as he converted a freekick into a stunning goal which led the way for the visitor's comeback into the game. The action took place when the home side were 2-0 up in the game and were cruising towards a convincing victory.
We will win in Wembley: Jude Bellingham speaks Spanish in front of Madrid crowd
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham was ecstatic when he turned out in front of the Madrid crowd following Real Madrid’s final date with Dortmund on June 1 at Wembley. Before that much-anticipated clash, Carlo Ancelotti’s side gathered at the prestigious building of Madrid to honour their fans. In their gratitude ceremony to the fans, all the players from the club and coach were assembled there to mark their respect to the fans for their unwavering support. In the procedure, Jude Bellingham was asked to represent the ignited crowd. The 20-year-old midfielder didn’t stand back as he communicated in the local language. He uttered a statement in Spanish language which meant, “We will win in Wembley.”
