world cup : Black Sox players in spotlight before world cup

 

Black Sox coach Mark Sorenson has named three newcomers in a 31-strong training squad ahead of the delayed Softball World Cup in Auckland.

While some experienced players are missing, teenage outfielder Te Kirika Cooper-Nicola, infielder Tane Mumu and catcher Max Earley join the team as the Black Sox look ahead to the showpiece event that has been postponed twice due to Covid-19.

The squad named on Tuesday is the result of 18 months of work with the coaching staff.

"We've been tweaking that squad as and when we saw fit and the opportunity now is there for the young guys to come in," Sorenson said.

"Certainly any time we name a squad it's about ring-fencing those athletes to highlight that they're in the selected few at the moment, the opportunity is with them, certainly the spotlight is on them and we're looking for them to continue with the form that saw the selected to be a part of this group."

Sorenson said expectations were high.

"We've got a number of guys in the squad that have been to a number of world champs and the challenge for them is to still maintain as a minimum standard their world-class performance and hopefully look to raise it. If we want to get back to the top of the dais next year we're going to need to be better than we were before."

Sorenson said they were "starting from scratch" to make sure those selected became a cohesive unit - which he said had been a strength of previous Black Sox squads.

Whether the younger players would get on the diamond for a home world cup was dependent on what happened between now and then.

"They've put up consistent performances throughout the course of the year and we're looking to them for the future, but how far that future extends really depends on their development and the speed of their development," Sorenson said of the youngsters.

"I look back over history, and I was one of those players that came in young, so we've always been a sport that has selected players based on their ability as opposed to their age. Experience is critical when trying to win world titles but also getting that balance, you need the young guys to bring that excitement and enthusiasm along but you also need the senior guys to steady the ship."

 

The Softball World Cup was originally scheduled to be played in Auckland in February this year but was moved to 2022 due to travel restrictions associated with Covid-19.

"Having it pushed back now for a second time, I know it hasn't been easy for a number of the guys in the squad and I'm sure our sport is not alone in that," Sorenson said.

"By the time we get out on the diamond again next year it will have been three years since the Black Sox played together so that's quite a break in competition in any sport.

"The delays have maybe pushed it to being a bridge too far for some of the senior guys that were coming close to the end of their career, but it's also an opportunity for the young guys that had the world cup been a couple of months ago, as was previously planned, it might have been too soon for them."

Sorenson said getting into the New Zealand team is now more competitive than when he first took over as coach.

The selectors have kept a close watch on the domestic competition and are pleased with the talent that will be coming through in the future for the Black Sox.

"We've continued to grow that talent pool over the last few years and that being the number of guys that could legitimately compete at a world cup, if we went back five or six years for us when we first took over we maybe only had a little bit more than a full squad of 17, but I'd be confident that we'd have 25 to 30 guys at the moment that could compete and hold their own."

Players based in New Zealand are now in their off season and Sorenson said a few had plans to join the circuit in North America for some game time before the world cup.

Softball New Zealand are in discussions to get games in 2022 against the Australians and Japan - Covid-19 permitting. Sorenson wanted 12 to 15 games together as a team ahead of the world cup to build combinations.

Black Sox training squad: Adam Woon, Alfons Oveinikovas, Ben Enoka, Ben Watts, Bradley Bennett, Callum Bishop, Campbell Enoka, Cole Evans, Conor Peden, Damon Creasey, Daniel Chapman, Dante Makea-Matakatea, Eru Drage, Jackson Watt, Jayden Stratford, Joel Evans, Josh Pettett, Kallan 

Compain, Liam Twigden, Maddix Rice, Max Earley, Pita Rona, Rhys Evans, Rsychan Thompson, Seth Gibson, Taine Slaughter, Tane Mumu, Te Kirika Cooper-Nicola, Thomas Enoka, Zac Boyd and Zane Van Lieshout.

World Cup : Chen and Ternovoi top semi-final standings at FINA Diving World Cup in Tokyo

 

China’s Chen Yiwen and Russia's Ruslan Ternovoi topped semi-final standings at the International Swimming Federation (FINA) Diving World Cup in Japanese capital Tokyo.

Chen finished second in the preliminary rounds of the women’s three metres springboard event behind team mate Yani Chang at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

The semi-final saw Chen emerge as the dominant diver, with the 21-year-old achieving a score of 385.10 points.

The United States' Sarah Bacon finished second in the standings on 344.50, with Canada’s Jennifer Abel placing third on 335.40.

Mexico’s Aranza Vazquez and Japan’s Sayaka Mikami completed the top five.

The top 12 divers qualified for the final, with Chang placing 10^th in the semi-finals to advance.

The men's 10m platform semi-finals saw Ternovoi top the standings.

Ternovoi, a triple bronze medallist at the Buenos Aires 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games, finished with a score of 511.95.

Britain’s Tom Daley qualified for the final in second place, with the two-time men’s 10m platform world champion ending on a score of 503.35.

Canada’s Nathan Zsombor-Murray completed the top three on 477.00.

The FINA Diving World Cup is serving as the final Olympic qualifier in diving.

The World Cup will continue until Thursday (May 6).

The event also serves as a test event for Tokyo 2020.

A series of coronavirus countermeasures have been put in place at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre by FINA and the Organising Committee.

Both the women’s 3m springboard and men’s 10m platform finals will be held tomorrow.

 

World Cup : How have India's T20 World Cup hopefuls done so far in the IPL?

 

We're halfway into the 2021 IPL. About four weeks ago, we identified ten Indian players for whom the tournament was going to be particularly important, given the T20 World Cup is slated for October-November this year. It's time to take stock of how these players have fared.

Shikhar Dhawan

The 618 runs Dhawan made in last year's tournament are the most he has ever made in a single IPL season. Little past halfway into the 2021 

edition, he has already made 380 and looks set to surpass his previous season's tally comfortably. He opened the season with a bruising 85 in a match-winning innings against the Chennai Super Kings, and then went one better against the Punjab Kings, 

hammering a 49-ball 92 in a chase of 196. He has since alternated between playing aggressor and being second fiddle to the marauding Prithvi Shaw. This possibly explains his powerplay strike rate of 116.52 so far this season. But don't let that fool you, this is Dhawan 2.0 in T20s.

Samson began this season with a breathtaking 119 that nearly helped Rajasthan Royals chase down 222. He turned down a single off the penultimate delivery, backing himself to hit a six off the final ball to win, which didn't come off.

 A small blip followed but Samson has recovered to come up with three forties, where he has looked to spend time at the crease instead of striking from the get-go. 

Whether it's captaincy or the quest for consistency that has made him temper his game - mind you, he still strikes at 145 - only time will tell. With three wins in seven matches, the Royals are in the middle of the table, though Samson is on top of his team's run charts and in the top five for the tournament overall.

Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan

Both players came into the IPL on the back of roaring starts to their international careers earlier this season, but things haven't quite gone to plan so far. Yadav struggled to up the tempo on sluggish surfaces in Chennai, where the Mumbai Indians managed just two wins in five games. Since his half-

century in his second match this season, he has managed a best of 33 in his five knocks since, but the move to a more batting-friendly surface in Delhi has promised signs of change.

Kishan, the leading six-hitter at the last IPL, has hit just two so far in six innings. Worryingly, he seems to have lost the No. 4 position in the line-up to Krunal Pandya, with the team management choosing to play an extra bowler during the Delhi leg.

R Ashwin

Ashwin has had a tough time on and off the field. He managed just one wicket in five games - though his economy was an acceptable 7.73. This lack of strike power didn't particularly hurt the Capitals, who have had others - Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav and Axar Patel - chipping in. Ashwin won't have an opportunity to turn things around, though, as he has left the IPL bio-bubble to be with his family, of whom multiple members are affected by Covid-19.

Rahul Chahar and Deepak Chahar

The cousins have made quite a splash in the first half of the tournament. Two of Mumbai's four wins have been single-handedly orchestrated by Rahul, the 21-year-old legspinner. The secret has been his reliance on his stock ball and clever changes of angles and lengths to batters based on match-ups. A no-fear attitude has complemented this consistency. Such has been his impact that Rahul has stolen the 

limelight from Jasprit Bumrah; he sits atop Mumbai's wicket-takers' chart currently. With Yuzvendra Chahal seeming to have lost his wicket-taking bite - he has taken wickets in only three of seven games so far - while also proving expensive, and Kuldeep Yadav deemed surplus to the Kolkata Knight Riders' requirements, Rahul will fancy his chances of making it to the World Cup squad.

Meanwhile, Deepak has continued to be MS Dhoni's main man in the powerplay, a role he has been performing admirably for the Chennai Super Kings since 2018. He has swung the ball both ways and has given the side a fair degree of control upfront. He has taken wickets in only two games, but both 

times he took four apiece, turning the games around. All this even as Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is a like-for-like as far as positions in the Indian team go, has struggled for swing, been down on pace and has been troubled by persistent niggles.

Navdeep Saini and Rahul Tewatia

Saini has had just one game for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Virat Kohli has preferred either batting insurance or the all-round abilities of Shahbaz Ahmed. Tewatia hasn't made an impact yet in the Rajasthan Royals' lower-middle order. His legspin hasn't been as effective as it was last year either, and while he has managed to keep Shreyas Gopal out of the side with his batting potential, time may be running out for last season's wonder man.

Prithvi Shaw is still riding the momentum from his spectacular Vijay Hazare season  BCCI/IPL

Two who have forced their way into contention

Prithvi Shaw

Shaw has batted with swagger and the supreme confidence that came from having scored heavily in the build-up to the IPL. He set records on fire in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and has brought the same intensity to his batting for the Capitals. Among batters to have made over 100 runs in the powerplay 

this season, Shaw's strike rate of 187.39 is by far the highest. He has brought a destructive aura to his batting without really looking to muscle the ball, simply by relying on his timing and hand-eye coordination. Such has been his impact that his troubles in Australia seem a thing of the distant past.

Harshal Patel

A smart off-season trade from the Capitals, Patel has been RCB's go-to death bowler so far and holds the purple cap with 17 wickets at the halfway mark. The secret to his success has been the use of an excellent wide yorker and an assortment of slower variations, including a superb back-of-the-hand 

delivery. Two of RCB's losses so far have coincided with off days for Patel. He also showed glimpses of batting potential in helping the side narrow their margin of defeat against the Punjab Kings with 31 runs off 13 balls.

Baba Ijesha : Arrest those connected to CCTV footage – Yomi Fabiyi tells police

 

Actor Yomi Fabiyi has called for the arrest of those connected to the CCTV footage showing Baba Ijesha assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

In the video, Baba Ijesha was seen at different times touching and assaulting the minor.

However, Yomi Fabiyi described the footage as disturbing, adding that it is criminal to use a minor as bait in order to gather evidence against Baba Ijesha.

According to him, “If the girl was your child, can you make her go through such trauma again in the name of gathering evidence?”

Fabiyi further called on Nigerians to embark on a peaceful protest in demand for the arrest of all those connected to the 

CCTV

 footage and images, adding that the child should not have been set up that way.

Part of the statement read: “Every Nigerian who honestly feel for the poor girl should take to the street in a peaceful protest, demand arrest of all connected to these ugly images, it is a cause worth risking everything for, do it for humanity and every innocent child.

“However, sentiment should never be an excuse to abuse the rights of every suspect or persons connected, that is the only way to achieve peace, fairness, justice and development.

“It is disturbing and unfortunate viewing the images of the released 

CCTV

 footage of a minor being sexually abused by a senior colleague, Mr Lanre Omiyinka a.k.a Baba Ijesha. There is no excuse for this act. I condemn this act, it is embarrassing and disappointing,” he said.

“I have carefully waited for reliable options before jumping to a conclusion as done in a civilised society, a stance a handful misconstrued as supporting the suspect, it is a shame a handful in Nigeria still engage in social media recklessness in the name of social media age. 

NOWHERE HAVE I SUPPORTED OR CONDONE SUCH,

 someone just placed the idea, and many without caution jumped on it. If you are not enlightened,

 SEEK KNOWLEDGE.

“The only person free from arrest and prosecution is the young lady. Several red lines were crossed, IGNORANCE is never an excuse. The key question every honest person should be asking is, ‘if the girl was your child, can you make her go through such trauma again in the name of gathering evidence?’ Where are the social services and domestic violence unit in Lagos State? Shelve press release and sentiments swing into action.

“The law is sacrosanct and we all can agree a lot more needs to be done 

TO PROTECT CHILDREN IN NIGERIA. 

I am sad, we have failed many innocent children and it is time we rise to this challenge,

 THE WORLD IS WATCHING,” the statement added.

 

bandits : Apologise to me now, bandits can kill you – Mbaka tells Garba Shehu

 

Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka of the Adoration Ministry, located in Enugu, has told Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari to apologise to him.

Mbaka also warned Garba Shehu to trade with caution, adding that the President’s mouthpiece can also be killed by rampaging bandits.

Father Mbaka made the demand following Shehu’s recent claims that the clergyman came to Buhari begging for contracts and was disappointed.

Recall that Mbaka had last week asked President Muhammadu Buhari to resign forthwith or be impeached by the House of Representatives.

Angered by the cleric’s outburst, the Presidency, through Mr. Shehu had accused the priest of making the call now because he was denied a contract by Buhari.

Mbaka has now described Shehu’s claims as laughable, saying, “Garba Shehu that is talking, the bandits can kill him too. No amount of security can save them if things get worse.

“They have shown they don’t have reward mechanism. Shehu should be apologising to me.

“They are busy branding communities and states terrorists. If Kaduna, Benue, and other places are branded terrorist states, will Nigeria not be branded a terrorist country?”

 

FOOTBALL : Chelsea Timo Werner equals Eden Hazard’s record

 

Chelsea forward, Timo Werner has equalled the club’s former player, Eden Hazard’s record at Stamford Bridge.

Werner, who has endured a lot of criticism this season, equalled a record held by Hazard, who currently plays for Real Madrid, in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.

The 25-year-old has come under fire on several occasions this season for missing easy chances, the most recent of which came in Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final first-leg 1-1 draw with Real Madrid last Tuesday.

The Germany international failed to get on the scoresheet once again against Fulham, but he did provide the assist for Kai Havertz’s second goal against the visitors.

And in doing so, Werner registered his 10th assist in all competitions for the Blues this season, which means he is now in double figures for both goals and assists for the campaign so far.

And the last Chelsea player to manage that feat in their debut season at the west London club was Hazard in the 2012-2013 campaign.

Meanwhile, speaking about Werner’s display against Fulham, Chelsea coach, Thomas Tuchel, said at his post-match press conference, “Timo [Werner] was involved in many chances.

“Kai played double striker with Timo, and the two had a good connection and were always dangerous. There is still a lot to improve but another good performance.”

FOOTBALL : Man Utd vs Liverpool match called off

 

Sunday’s Premier League clash between Manchester United and Liverpool has been called off.

This follows a massive fans protest inside Old Trafford before the scheduled 4.30pm kick off.

United supporters who are demanding that owners the Glazers family leave the club, found their way into the stadium and invaded the pitch.

They held up placards and lit up flares while chanting anti-Glazers songs.