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Red Bull racer Max Verstappen beat Ferrari racer Charles Leclerc to emerge victorious in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023. On the other hand, Indian athlete, Neeraj Chopra, better known as India's Golden Boy, made his start-up investment as he invested in a regional OTT platform called Stage.
Catch the latest happenings of several sporting disciplines in today's sports wrap.
Formula One
Max Verstappen beats Charles Leclerc to win Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023
Red Bull racer Max Verstappen beat Ferrari racer Charles Leclerc to emerge victorious in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023. Verstappen finished ahead of Leclerc and Mercedes driver George Russell as well as collected a bonus point for the fastest lap. This win recorded his 19th win of the campaign and 54th win overall. A few other titles that Verstappen won this year include the Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023, Brazilian GP 2023, Sao Paulo GP 2023, Singapore GP 2023, etc.
Athletics
Neeraj Chopra makes his startup debut, invests in regional OTT platform Stage
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra made his investment in the start-up world after he invested in the regional OTT platform, Stage. The OTT platform was launched in 2019 with six million installs and more than 5.5 lakh paid subscribers. On the occasion, Chopra said, “My investment in Stage represents more than just a desire to rekindle the flames of our diverse regional dialects. We will embark on a journey together to reawaken dormant languages and empower every voice, ensuring that our cultural heritage thrives in its true form through this platform.”
Badminton
HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen withdraw from Syed Modi International
Indian shuttlers including HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen pulled out from Syed Modi International. It has been a hectic schedule for both the players as the Asian Games bronze medallist Prannoy recovered from a back injury to make it to the semifinals at China Masters Super 750. On the other hand, the world No. 17 shuttler, Sen, hasn't looked himself with six first-round exits since August. The World No. 24 ranked Kidambi Srikanth is now the top-ranked Indian in the men’s singles draw, which also has Tokyo Olympian B. Sai Praneeth, Kiran George and Priyanshu Rajawat, the winner of the Orleans Masters Super 300 title this year.
Tennis
Iga Swiatek congratulates Jannik Sinner on Italy’s Davis Cup 2023 win over Australia
Polish tennis player Iga Swiatek congratulated Jannik Sinner after Italy’s win over Australia to lift the Davis Cup 2023 trophy. This is the second time Italy clinched the Davis Cup title, defeating Australia 2-0 on Sunday, November 26. After Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi defeated Australian Alexei Popyrin in their first singles match, Jannik Sinner comfortably defeated Alex De Minaur. After Italy’s win, world number 1, Iga Swiatek took to her Twitter to congratulate the Italian team. She tweeted, “Congratulations”, followed by a few clapping emojis.
He’s a player with a very special innate talent: Rafael Nadal on Abdullah Shelbayh
Abdullah Shelbayh is set to compete at the Next Gen ATP Finals after receiving the wild card. The 20-year-old has claimed wins on the ATP Tour this season in Banja Luka and Metz and also became the first player from his country to win an ATP Challenger Tour. Shelbayh joined the Rafael Nadal Academy in 2018 at 14 years of age.
Ahead of his clash, Rafael Nadal heaped praise on the player and said, “To describe Abdullah, you have to analyse his talent,” Nadal said. “I think he’s a player with a very special innate talent, capable of doing things that most can’t. With his style of play, it makes opponents feel very uncomfortable. I know because I’ve trained with him a number of times. And he’s added something very important to that: In the last year and a half, he has taken a step forward in the way he experiences tennis.
Football:
Sam Kerr ruled out for Australia's international friendlies against Canada
Australian captain Sam Kerr to miss Matildas' upcoming international friendlies against Canada in Langford and Vancouver due to a foot injury. Kerr will stay in London with Chelsea and continue treatment for the injury. In the Australian squad, Sam Kerr was replaced by uncapped 20-year-old midfielder Sarah Hunter. The Aussie forward scored in Chelsea's recent Women's Super League fixture against Leicester City in a 5-2 win.
I was disappointed: Ange Postecoglou reacts to Bentancur's injury against Aston Villa
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur suffered a significant injury in the 2-1 Premier League loss against Aston Villa. Bentancur went down after a harsh tackle by Villa full-back Matty Cash in the first half and has been another crucial name on Spurs' injury list. Talking about Bentancur's injury, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou said: "I was disappointed to lose him (Bentancur) because he started the game so well, you can see his quality, and that's a reason we got such a foothold in the game."
It can't be ok: Wolves manager slams VAR decisions in 3-2 Fulham loss
Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O'Neil slammed the Premier League's Virtual Assistant Referee after the 3-2 loss against Fulham. Speaking to the press, O'Neil said "bad refereeing decisions" had cost them another seven points. "I'm managing a big football club here and the difference that you're making to my reputation, to the club's progression up the league, to people's livelihoods, it's huge," he added. "It can't be like this with all the technology and all the time in the biggest league in the world that we're getting so many wrong. It can't be ok."
Major Football results:
ISL: FC Goa 1 - 0 Jamshedpur FC
La Liga: Real Betis 1 - 0 Las Palmas
Italy: Inter Milan 1 - 1 Juventus
Ligue 1: Lyon 0 - 2 Lille
