Sourav Ganguly will no longer be a part of the BCCI. He has decided to step down from the position of BCCI president and has also declined the chairmanship of the IPL. The former India captain has been effectively eased out of the board, his refusal to join the BJP being seen as the main cause. Sourav is likely to be pitched as the next ICC president, where the BCCI wants to retain its control.
Sourav was at the head of the board for just three years.
Sourav marked a new beginning at the BCCI in 2019 when he became the first Indian cricketer to take charge of the BCCI. But in three years, like his tenure as the captain, he could not win over the BCCI officials, mostly leaning towards the BJP. Sourav being from West Bengal, where the Trinamool Congress has been in power for three sessions now, could not balance the TMC-BJP issue and decided to opt out of cricket administration altogether.
The BCCI will fall back into political control, headed by secretary Jay Shah, home minister Amit Shah’s son, and real sports would likely take a backseat again.
World Cup 1983 winning team member Roger Binny is being foisted into presidentship of the board, which means that the BJP’s control will be supreme, with help from the Binny rubber stamp. Binny is also the president of the Karnataka Cricket Association. Binny’s nomination remains “unopposed”.
The election to the board on October 18, therefore, will be a farce. There will be no contest, only agreed upon candidates who will receive ‘unanimous’ support.
“Roger Binny has filed a nomination for the president’s post, myself for the vice-president’s post. Jay Shah for secretary and Ashish Shelar for treasurer and Devajit Saikia have filed nominations for joint secretary’s post,” Rajeev Shukla told thge media.
“Arun Dhumal will head the IPL governing council and Avishek Dalmiya will be part of that council. Khairul Jamal (Mamun) Majumdar will be part of the Apex council. As of now these are the nominations and all are unopposed,” Shukla added.
Indian girls hammered 8-0 by USA on debut
The United States hammered hosts India 8-0 on the opening day of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium here on October 12. On a day when India made its debut in the U-17 Women’s World Cup, the United States completely dominated the game and secured the three points with a commanding win.
The tallest player in the Indian team is 169 cm tall, the height of seven of the starting eleven of the United States team. That became the key factor for the visitor.
Riley Jackson, the Golden Ball winner of the U-17 CONCACAF Championship, set up the opening two goals when two of her crosses were converted by Melina Rebimbas and Charlotte Kohler respectively. After the second goal, gaps started emerging in the Indian defence and that was all for Natalia Astrain’s side to punish them further.
In the 26th minute, goalkeeper Anjali Munda’s pass to centre-back Purnima Kumari was intercepted by Onyeka Gamero, who then beat Anjali to make it 3-0.
Coach Natalia, leading a side that has not gone past the knockout stages since 2008, will be relieved to see her plan finally fall into place, since taking charge of the team in November last year.
“The objective was to make a strong start to the tournament. We know that it is really important to send this message to everybody that we are here and we want to win the tournament…This is a big tournament, a long tournament and we need to continue doing our hard work,” said Natalia.
Russia launches biggest missile strike since start of Ukraine war
At least 12 Ukrainian cities have been hit in missile strikes two days after a strategically important bridge linking Russia with Crimea was damaged in a blast.
Kiev has been targeted for the first time in months, but explosions have also been reported in Ternopil and Lviv in the west, which has so far escaped the worst of the war. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia has targeted energy infrastructure across the country and that energy facilities in Kiev, Lviv, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv are among the places hit.
Ukraine’s military commander says Russia launched 83 missiles in total. It comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine’s security services of attacking the Kerch bridge – although Ukrainian officials have not indicated whether their forces were behind the attack.
The 19km (12-mile) bridge, the longest in Europe, is an important supply route for Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.
Russia has used the bridge to move military equipment, ammunition, and personnel from Russia to battlefields in southern Ukraine.
Hindu temple opens in Dubai
A majestic new Hindu temple that blends Indian and Arabic architecture designs has been inaugurated in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Village, with a powerful message of tolerance, peace and harmony.
Located in a neighbourhood referred to as the emirate’s ‘worship village’, the temple formally opened its doors to worshippers across the UAE on Dussehra (October 5).
The ‘worship village’ in Jebel Ali now houses nine religious shrines, including seven churches, the Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Gurudwara, and the new Hindu house of worship.
The temple features detailed hand carvings, ornate pillars, brass spires and striking lattice screens that blend Indian and Arabic architecture. Pre-registration is required to visit the temple and devotees can register online before arrival.
By the end of the year, there will be a spacious community centre where Hindu ceremonies, rituals and prayers can take place, including weddings.
