Tag: Paris Olympics 2024

Pakistan’s star Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem is determined to make his country “proud” at the ongoing Paris Olympics.

Nadeem, who is the sole hope of Pakistan for a medal in the ongoing games, qualified in the final round of the Javelin throw earlier today with an 86.59-meter throw in his first attempt.

He eased past into the final round, finishing fourth, while India’s Neeraj Chopra topped the charts with a massive 89.34-meter throw.

“I want to make Pakistan proud in the Olympic Games,” Nadeem told a local news channel.

“I hope Neeraj Chopra and I will make our respective countries proud. Neeraj Chopra is a good friend, and we will focus on the final round, he added.

“I am optimistic about delivering a good result in the final,” he maintained while thanking fans for the support.”

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The final of the Javelin Throw event will be played on Thursday, August 8, at 11:25 pm Pakistan Standard Time (PST) and will be telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports Channel A Sports and will also be streamed live on ARY ZAP.

It is worth mentioning here that Arshad Nadeem is Pakistan’s last hope for a medal in the ongoing Paris Olympics as all of their remaining athletes have been knocked out of the medal race.

Pakistan last won a medal in the Olympics during the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, however, Arshad is hopeful that he will once again bring the glory to the country.

“I’m fit and well-prepa­red and I’ve worked rea­lly hard for this prestigious ev­e­nt,” he told reporters in Lahore. “I feel I can achieve my goal of winning a medal.”

Pakistan contingent for Paris Olympics:

Athletics: Arshad Nadeem, Faiqa Riaz, Salman Iqbal Butt (support staff), Dr. Ali Sher Bajwa (support staff).

Swimming: Mohammad Ahmed Durrani, Jehanara Nabi, Lt Col (retired) Ahmed Ali Khan (support staff).

Shooting: Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, Gulfam Joseph, Kishmala Talat, Col Junaid Ali (support staff), Gennady Solodovnikov (support staff).

Contingent officials: Mohammad Shafiq (chef de mission), Javaid Shamshad Lodhi (deputy chef de mission); Zainab Shaukat (admin officer).

READ: Shakib Al Hasan confronted by Bangladesh fans amid political unrest

PARIS: Pakistan’s star athlete, Arshad Nadeem, has advanced to the final round of the Men’s Javelin Throw event at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 at Stade de France on Tuesday.

Nadeem earned the qualification in his first attempt as he nailed an 86.59-meter throw, while 84 metres was the criteria for the athletes to advance into the final round of the Javelin Throw.

World champion India’s Neeraj Chopra also made his way to the final with a massive 89.34-meter throw, which was also his season-best. Meanwhile, Grenada’s Anderson Peters joined his South Asian counterparts in the finals with an 86.59m first attempt.

The final of the Javelin Throw event will be played on Thursday, August 8, at 11:25 pm Pakistan Standard Time (PST) and will be telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports Channel A Sports and will also be streamed live on ARY ZAP.

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It is worth mentioning here that Arshad Nadeem is Pakistan’s last hope for a medal in the ongoing Paris Olympics as all of their remaining athletes have been knocked out of the medal race.

Pakistan last won a medal in the Olympics during the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, however, Arshad is hopeful that he will once again bring the glory to the country.

“I’m fit and well-prepa­red and I’ve worked rea­lly hard for this prestigious ev­e­nt,” he told reporters in Lahore. “I feel I can achieve my goal of winning a medal.”

Pakistan contingent for Paris Olympics:

Athletics: Arshad Nadeem, Faiqa Riaz, Salman Iqbal Butt (support staff), Dr. Ali Sher Bajwa (support staff).

Swimming: Mohammad Ahmed Durrani, Jehanara Nabi, Lt Col (retired) Ahmed Ali Khan (support staff).

Shooting: Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, Gulfam Joseph, Kishmala Talat, Col Junaid Ali (support staff), Gennady Solodovnikov (support staff).

Contingent officials: Mohammad Shafiq (chef de mission), Javaid Shamshad Lodhi (deputy chef de mission); Zainab Shaukat (admin officer).

READ: Pacers steer Pakistan Shaheens to dominant victory against Bangladesh A

Jannik Sinner will test his form after a month of illness which culminated in the bronchitis that forced him to skip the Paris Olympics.

The Italian world number one takes to the court to defend the Masters title he won a year ago in Montreal.

Sinner was forced to bypass Paris after focusing his season on the Olympics date, but he will be back in action in the second round here after a bye.

“It has been a little while since my last match, since Wimbledon,” Sinner said on a rainy Monday that wiped out qualifying rounds for the tournament, which starts on Tuesday due to the Olympics.

“I’m very excited to be here. Hopefully I can show some good tennis.”

Sinner last competed on July 9, managing to go five sets in the Wimbledon quarter-finals before losing to Daniil Medvedev.

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The top seed was treated on the court for fatigue and had his vital signs measured before soldiering on to defeat.

Jannik Sinner said he feels ready to get started again: “The body feels good. I got here early to cure the jetlag.

“The first practices were easy but now we’re working harder.”

Sinner should get a confident start on what he calls his favourite surface.

“Hardcourt is my favourite but every situation is different. The ball is flying here quite a lot, you have to feel the ball a bit more. You have to play with a good mindset.”

Sinner heads the Montreal field ahead of 2021 Olympic champion Alexander Zverev and third-seeded Daniil Medvedev.

READ: Bowlers wreak havoc as Montreal Tigers crush Toronto Nationals

Jean-Philippe Mateta scored twice and Michael Olise added a third as France came from behind to beat Egypt 3-1 after extra time on Monday and set up Paris Olympics men’s football final showdown with Spain.

Thierry Henry’s France looked to be heading for defeat in the semi-final in Lyon after Mahmoud Saber put Egypt ahead just after the hour mark.

But Mateta, the Crystal Palace striker, levelled from Olise’s assist with seven minutes of the 90 remaining.

Egypt were reduced to 10 men at the start of extra time when centre-back Omar Fayed was sent off, and the hosts made their numerical superiority count as Mateta headed in.

Olise then sealed the win on 108 minutes and France, looking for their second Olympic men’s football gold medal and first since 1984, now face Spain in the final at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Friday.

Spain, gold medallists in 1992 and silver medallists three years ago in Tokyo, qualified for the Paris Olympics men’s football final earlier on Monday after coming from behind to beat Morocco 2-1 in Marseille.

Egypt and Morocco will meet in Nantes on Thursday in an all-North African play-off for bronze.

France often looked disjointed without suspended midfield duo Manu Kone and Enzo Millot, with the latter banned after his red card at the end of the fiery quarter-final win over Argentina.

However, they had the majority of the chances and defender Loic Bade hit the post late in the first half with a header from a corner.

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Egypt soaked up pressure at the start of the second half before scoring in the 62nd minute.

Saber’s first effort was blocked but when the ball came back to him he engineered space before slamming a shot past France goalkeeper Guillaume Restes.

The hosts almost equalised immediately as a Mateta header was tipped over by goalkeeper Hamza Alaa.

They then struck the woodwork twice in a matter of seconds, captain Alexandre Lacazette heading off a post and Bade nodding the follow-up against the bar.

The equaliser arrived in the 83rd minute, with Olise the creator as he cut through the middle on a driving run before playing in Mateta to finish.

France hoped to find a winner before extra time, but a penalty appeal after Fayed blocked a Bade header with his hand was dismissed following a long VAR review.

They went into the extra half-hour on a sultry evening and Egypt were quickly reduced to 10 men when Fayed, already booked for arguing against the penalty call, saw yellow again for chopping down Desire Doue.

France went ahead when a corner was played short to Olise, and his ball to the far post was headed back across goal by Kiliann Sildillia for Mateta to head in his fourth goal of the tournament.

Olise fired in the third early in the second half of extra time after a clearance struck Doue and fell into his path.

READ: Spain beat Morocco to reach Olympic men’s football final

Substitute Juanlu Sanchez struck a late winner as Spain came from behind to beat Morocco 2-1 on Monday and reach the final of the Paris Olympics men’s football.

Morocco had led in the semi-final through a Soufiane Rahimi penalty towards the end of the first half at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille.

However, Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez equalised midway through the second period and then set up Sevilla right-back Sanchez to fire in the winner.

It is Spain’s second consecutive appearance in the final of the Olympic men’s football. They had to settle for silver three years ago in Tokyo after losing in extra time to Brazil.

Spain, who are chasing a second gold after triumphing in Barcelona in 1992, go to the Paris Olympics final on Friday against either hosts France or Egypt, who play their last-four tie later.

Morocco can still claim a first medal by winning the bronze medal match, which will take place on Thursday in Nantes.

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Last year’s Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations winners had impressed on their run to the semi-finals and looked on course to shock Spain when they went ahead in the 37th minute thanks to the prolific Rahimi.

Morocco were awarded a penalty following a VAR check for a foul by Pablo Barrios on Amir Richardson in the box, and Rahimi stepped up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.

It was a sixth goal of the Paris Olympics for the tournament’s leading scorer, with four of his strikes coming from the penalty spot.

That sent the large Morocco’s support wild but Spain kept their cool to equalise through their own star man in the 66th minute.

Lopez, a member of Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 squad who scored twice in the Olympic quarter-final against Japan, pounced to snatch possession when the ball broke loose in the box and fired low into the net to make it 1-1.

With the prospect of extra time looming, Spain won it in the 85th minute as Lopez found Sanchez bounding into the area, and he sent a shot low into the far corner.

READ: Pakistan’s last hope Arshad Nadeem to compete in Paris Olympics

Pakistan’s hopes for a medal in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 are now pinned on their star athlete Arshad Nadeem, who will be competing in Men’s Javelin Throw Qualification at Stade de France on Tuesday.

The organizers of the game today confirmed the draws for the Javelin Throw Qualification with Arshad Nadeem alongside his Indian rival Neeraj Chopra placed in Group B.

Besides Nadeem and Chopra, the group further features World No. 5 Edis Matusevicius and World No. 6 Anderson Peters, who have breached the 90-metre barrier this year.

The action of Group B will commence at 2:50 PM Pakistan Standard Time (PST) and will be telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports Channel A Sports and will also be streamed live on ARY ZAP. Arshad is scheduled fifth in the draw.

 

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Remember, 84 metres has been set as the criteria for the athletes to advance into the final round of the Javelin Throw, scheduled to take place on Thursday at the same venue.

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A total of 12 athletes will make their way to the final round. However, if the allotted number of athletes could not amass the 84-meter mark then the athletes with next-best throws will proceed further.

It is worth mentioning here that Arshad Nadeem is Pakistan’s last hope for a medal in the ongoing Paris Olympics as all of their remaining athletes have been knocked out of the medal race.

Pakistan last won a medal in the Olympics during the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, however, Arshad is hopeful that he will once again bring the glory to the country.

“I’m fit and well-prepa­red and I’ve worked rea­lly hard for this prestigious ev­e­nt,” he told reporters in Lahore. “I feel I can achieve my goal of winning a medal.”

Pakistan contingent for Paris Olympics:

Athletics: Arshad Nadeem, Faiqa Riaz, Salman Iqbal Butt (support staff), Dr. Ali Sher Bajwa (support staff).

Swimming: Mohammad Ahmed Durrani, Jehanara Nabi, Lt Col (retired) Ahmed Ali Khan (support staff).

Shooting: Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, Gulfam Joseph, Kishmala Talat, Col Junaid Ali (support staff), Gennady Solodovnikov (support staff).

Contingent officials: Mohammad Shafiq (chef de mission), Javaid Shamshad Lodhi (deputy chef de mission); Zainab Shaukat (admin officer).

READ: Novak Djokovic breaks silence on retirement plans

Star Tennis player Novak Djokovic, who made history on Sunday at the Paris Olympics 2024 by defeating Carlos Alcaraz to claim a maiden Olympic gold, opened up on his retirement plans.

The 37-year-old Serb added a much-awaited Olympic gold to his 24 Grand Slam titles after an enthralling 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2) victory in the blockbuster final at Roland Garros.

Novak Djokovic became only the fifth player in the history of the sport to win all four Grand Slam tournaments and Olympic singles gold, joining Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams.

He also became the oldest singles champion since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988.

Speaking at the post-match ceremony, Djokovic was asked about his retirement since the Serb has completed Tennis by completing the “Golden Slam”.

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The 37-year-old, in response, shared that he has no plans to retire any time soon and will participate in the 2028 Olympics, scheduled to be held in Los Angeles.

“Look, I still, I want to play in Los Angeles. I enjoy playing for my country in Olympic Games particularly and Davis Cup. It’s something that, being part of a team…”

“He’s [coach Viktor Troicki] making fun of my calendar goals, playing in Los Angeles. I don’t know if he’s laughing because he thinks it’s unrealistic or he’s like, okay, another four years with this guy.”

Djokovic burst into tears after finally getting his hands on an Olympic Gold and celebrated by holding aloft the Serbian flag on the court before clambering into the players’ box to embrace his wife and children.

“We almost played three hours, the final shot was the only moment when I was sure I could win the match,” said Djokovic, who had lost heavily to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final last month.

For the unversed, Novak Djokovic now has 99 singles titles alongside 24 Grand Slams to his name amid his decorated career, which puts him past the likes of Roger Federer with 20 Grand Slams and struggling Rafael Nadal with 22.

READ: Former England batter Graham Thorpe passes away at 55

Novak Djokovic created history at the Paris Olympics 2024 as he defeated Carlos Alcaraz to claim a maiden Olympic title and become just the fifth player to complete a career Golden Slam.

The 37-year-old Serb, competing in his fifth Games, came through 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2) in an enthralling final at Roland Garros to add Olympic gold to his 24 Grand Slam triumphs.

The victory allowed him to join Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Steffi Graf and the watching Serena Williams as the only players to win all four Grand Slam tournaments and Olympic singles gold.

He also became the oldest singles champion since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988 and shattered Alcaraz’s bid to add gold to the French Open and Wimbledon titles he has already pocketed this summer.

An emotional Djokovic celebrated by holding aloft the Serbian flag on the court before clambering into the players’ box to embrace his wife and children.

“We almost played three hours, the final shot was the only moment when I was sure I could win the match,” said Djokovic, who had lost heavily to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final last month.

Alcaraz was distraught and wept as he attempted to conduct a TV interview.

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“Three hours, a big battle with tough moments,” said the 21-year-old after a final in which neither player dropped serve. “It’s very painful to lose.”

Novak Djokovic carved out a breakpoint in the second game of the opener and three more in the fourth, all saved by the Spaniard.

Then it was the Serb’s turn to demonstrate his famed powers of resilience, fighting off three break points in the fifth game and another five in a marathon ninth game.

In a rollercoaster duel, Alcaraz saved a set point in the 12th game but his veteran opponent dominated the tiebreak to claim the opener after a breathless 93 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.

There was no let-up in the second set, scintillating shot-making alongside rousing defence with Alcaraz fighting off the final’s 14th break point in the third game.

Again the set was decided by a tie-break and it was Djokovic with history on the line again sweeping through to take victory after two hours and 50 minutes.

Lorenzo Musetti defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in three sets on Saturday to claim the bronze medal, giving Italy its first men’s tennis medal in 100 years.

READ: Mohammad Amir powers Vancouver Knights to beat Montreal Tigers

PARIS: Pakistan shooter Ghulam Mustafa Bashir bowed out of the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 as he failed to qualify for the final round of the Men’s 25m rapid pistol event here on Sunday.

Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, a bronze medalist in the World Championships, showcased his talent in the two stages of the shooting qualification event at the Paris Olympics.

However, he failed to a spot in the top six of the 25-meter rapid pistol event, scoring a total of 581 points.

During the first stage of the competition, Bashir scored a total of 292 points. He earned 98 points in the first series, which lasted 8 seconds, 99 points in the second series, which lasted 6 seconds, and 95 points in the 4-second series.

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However, in the second stage, Bashir’s performance fell short of his potential. He scored 97, 97, and 95 points in the three series, which was not enough to secure a place in the top 6.

Out of the seven Pakistani athletes participating in the Paris Olympics 2024, Bashir was the sixth athlete to be eliminated from the competition.

Prior to Bashir, Kishmala Talat was also knocked out of the Paris Games after failing to advance into the next round of the Women’s 25m pistol event on Friday. She finished 22nd with a final score of 579-18x, miles away from sealing a berth in the final round.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s only sprinter competing in the Olympics 2024, Faiqa Riaz, was knocked out of the Games on the same day after failing to progress into the next round of the Athletics event.

READ: PCB to conduct nationwide women trials from August 5

World Cup holders Spain survived a major scare before beating Colombia on penalties to reach the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics women’s football on Saturday, after the United States edged out Japan.

Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati converted the decisive kick in the shoot-out as Spain beat Colombia 4-2 on penalties after their Paris Olympics quarter-final tie in Lyon had finished 2-2 at the end of extra time.

Spain now advance to a semi-final on Tuesday in Marseille against either hosts France or Brazil, who meet later.

Spain are going for gold in their first appearance in the Olympic women’s football, but they were moments away from being eliminated after falling 2-0 behind to the South Americans.

Mayra Ramirez fired Colombia ahead early on and Leicy Santos doubled their lead early in the second half after a Linda Caicedo shot was saved.

Jennifer Hermoso pulled a goal back in the 79th minute for the world champions, who were then rescued when captain Irene Paredes turned in a Salma Paralluelo cross in the seventh minute of injury time.

That meant extra time, and no further goals led to penalties. Captain Catalina Usme’s first kick for Colombia was saved, while Liana Salazar missed her attempt as Spain scored all four of their efforts from the spot to go through.

Earlier, Trinity Rodman scored a stunning goal in extra time as the United States edged Japan 1-0.

The daughter of former NBA superstar Dennis Rodman struck in stoppage time at the end of the first half of extra time to finally break the deadlock, and Japan’s resistance, at a packed Parc des Princes in Paris.

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That took the USA through to a semi-final on Tuesday in Lyon, where they will face either reigning Olympic champions Canada or 2016 gold medallists Germany.

The USA remain on track under new English coach Emma Hayes to win a record-extending fifth women’s football gold, and a first since defeating Japan in the London Olympic final in 2012.

That silver remains Japan’s only medal in the competition and they go home after thwarting the USA for most of a tense quarter-final, where they failed to take what few chances came their way on the break.

“I honestly think that was the only way we were going to find a goal in that game,” Rodman said of her moment of magic after she was set up by Crystal Dunn.

“Obviously we had tried all game long to get in between them and it wasn’t working, but she played it in behind.

“It just bobbled a little, and then I banged it in the upper 90. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I am very happy about it.”

The presence of Snoop Dogg — who is working at the Olympics for US television — in the crowd in Paris provided more excitement for many spectators than the game itself.

Japan sat back and allowed the USA to have most of the possession, which they did without showing a cutting edge.

Their front three of Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith were impressive during the group stage but found the going tougher against Japan’s back five.

That was until Rodman struck midway through extra time, as she controlled a long diagonal ball by Dunn on the right, turned Hikaru Kitagawa inside out and fired a shot high into the far corner of the net.

It was her third goal in four games at the Paris Olympics, making her the USA’s joint-top scorer alongside Swanson.

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