Sports Highlights

The following are the top/expected stories at 2123 hours: EXPECTED STORIES: *Report of Croatia Grand Chess Tour.

STORIES ON THE WIRE: SPO-CRI-VIRUS-SL-FLOWER Sri Lanka batting coach Grant Flower tests positive for COVID-19 ahead of India series Colombo, Jul 8 (PTI) Sri Lanka's batting coach Grant Flower tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, 48 hours after the squad's arrival from England and less than a week before the home series against India.

SPO-OLY-BOX-VIKAS-LD INTERVIEW Crores spent on me, no longer indisciplined: Vikas Krishan ahead of 3rd Oly appearance By Poonam Mehra New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Among the most accomplished names in Indian boxing and a strong Olympic medal hope he might be but Vikas Krishan has no qualms admitting that he has been ''indisciplined'' and ''too reliant on luck in the past'', problems that he claims to have fixed ahead of the Tokyo Games.

SPO-OLY-SHOOT-IND-TRAVEL Indian shooting contingent to leave for Tokyo on July 16 By Abhishek Hore New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Currently in its last leg of the long competition-cum-training tour of Croatia, the Olympic-bound Indian shooting contingent will leave Zagreb for Tokyo on July 16 and reach the Japanese capital the following day.

SPO-CRI-ICC-SAWHNEY ICC CEO Manu Sawhney resigns amid inquiry over conduct Dubai, Jul 8 (PTI) International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Manu Sawhney on Thursday resigned from his position, four months after his allegedly ''abrasive conduct'' came under the scanner during an internal investigation, prompting the world body to send him on leave. SPO-OLY-BAD-DRAW Tokyo Olympics: Sindhu, Praneeth get easy draws; tough task for Chirag-Satwik Kuala Lumpur, Jul 8 (PTI) Rio Games silver medallist and reigning world champion P V Sindhu and B Sai Praneeth have been handed easy draws for the Tokyo Olympics beginning July 23.

SPO-OLY-CONTINGENT-DEPARTURE First batch of Indian athletes to depart for Tokyo Olympics on July 17: IOA New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) The first batch of India's Olympic-bound athletes will depart for Tokyo on July 17, IOA President Narinder Batra revealed on Thursday while expressing disappointment at the Games organisers' refusal to allow them to check in earlier than that.

SPO-LD MINISTER Anurag Thakur takes charge as sports minister New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Anurag Thakur on Thursday took charge as the country's 17th sports minister, succeeding Kiren Rijiju and promised to do everything possible to make India a sporting powerhouse.

SPO-CRI-IND-CHAHAL You will see a more confident Yuzi in this series: Chahal Colombo, Jul 8 (PTI) Back in ODI fold, India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on Thursday said he is working on his variations and angles and one would 'see a more confident Yuzi' in the upcoming limited over series against Sri Lanka.

SPO-CRI-IND-WOM-PREVIEW Pressure on Harmanpreet to engineer batting turnaround in T20s Northampton, Jul 8 (PTI) India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur would be aiming to overcome her prolonged form slump and provide a much-needed boost to the struggling batting line-up in the opening T20 International against formidable hosts England here on Friday.

SPO-CRI-IND-WOM-HARMANPREET Harmanpreet says COVID and injury hampered preparation, promises 'different' approach in T20s Northampton, July 8 (PTI) India skipper Harmanpreet Singh on Thursday attributed her prolonged lean patch with the bat to lack of preparation following her recovery from a COVID-19 infection and groin injury earlier this year. SPO-MINISTRY-WRESTLING Ministry puts on hold NSF status granted to ISWAI By Amanpreet Singh New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) The Sports Ministry has put in ''abeyance'' the recognition it granted to Indian Style Wrestling Association of India (ISWAI), saying the sports body does not have affiliation from the world governing body, the UWW.

SPO-CRI-GANGULY That's selectors' call: Ganguly on no replacement for injured Gill in England Kolkata, Jul 8 (PTI) BCCI President Sourav Ganguly on Thursday tried to steer clear of the controversy surrounding the national selectors' decision to not send a replacement for injured opener Shubman Gill in England, saying it was a matter for the selection committee to consider.

SPO-CRI-WBBL-IND Indian players emerge as hottest overseas property in WBBL Sydney, Jul 8 (PTI) Indian players, led by teen sensation Shafali Verma, have emerged as the hottest overseas property for the Women's Big Bash League, considering they will already be in Australia before the event kicks off on October 14.

SPO-CRI-GAMBHIR-ARCHERS Yamuna Sports Complex upgraded not converted to cricket field, says Gambhir after archers react New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Former India opener and BJP MP Gautam Gambhir on Thursday clarified that the archery ground at the Yamuna Sports Complex has only been upgraded after some top Indian archers, including world no.1 Deepika Kumari, raised concerns about it being converted into a cricket field.

SPO-CRI-LANKA-PANEL SLC forms five-member panel to probe bubble-breach in England Colombo, Jul 8 (PTI) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has formed a five-member panel to probe the bio-bubble breach committed by Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka during the recent tour of England.

SPO-PARALYMPICS-IND-SHOOT 10 Indian para shooters qualify for Tokyo Paralympics New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Indian para shooters, including two women, have booked an unprecedented 10 quota places for the Tokyo Paralympics beginning August 24.

SPO-ILEAGUE-TEAM-LAUNCH I-League's latest entrant launched in Visakhapatnam New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Sreenidi Deccan FC, the latest entrants into the Hero I-League this season, was launched in Visakhapatnam with Andhra Pradesh Sports Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao attending the event as the chief guest.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)