Striker Manvir Singh who headed to the National team after a successful domestic season maintains that nothing is constant as a striker. In a candid interview, Manvir opens up about learning from Sunil Chhetri and Roy Krishna, his maturity, the forthcoming match against Afghanistan and talks at length about him playing as a striker and also as a winger. Excerpts

Q. How much have you matured as a striker in recent years?

A. A striker is all about confidence and that only comes through the game time he gets. The more you get to play, the more mature you become. It’s all about your intuition, the movements inside the box, sniffing it, and eventually the finishing. I reiterate, you can only get all of that when you get to play. Otherwise, your talent and determination will always be on the bench.

Q. What is the biggest takeaway for a striker?

A. I have learnt that nothing is constant. There will be days when you will score and there will be misses too. A striker needs to move on and stay focused.

Q. Can you elaborate?

A. My job becomes easier when I play alongside top strikers. I just watch Sunil-bhai and try to imitate his calm in front of the goal. At the end of the day, that ice-cool head makes all the difference. That’s education for me. In a match a striker won’t get a million chances.

There will be days when you will get just one chance, or maybe a half chance. If you are able to make it count, you have done your job. I also need to mention that I look up to Roy Krishna’s calm in front ofthe goal. They are my heroes.

Q. How would you describe yourself as a player – a winger, or as a striker?

A. At the outset, I was an out and out striker. But a player needs to be flexible. Modern-day football is not just about sticking to one position and role. I have been playing on the wings – both on the right-wing and left-wing in recent times. I feel that has helped me understand the dynamics of a team’s attacking philosophy. It is a plus point for any player.

Q. Sunil has been there for so long. How do you describe his longevity?

A. My dad Kuldip Singh who played for PSEB as a striker and scored quite a few goals in the Federation Cup, Durand Cup and the IFA Shield besides a host of other tournaments always mentions to me to learn fromSunil-bhai the art of his longevity. In fact, he had played against him, and always tells me: “When you are seeing him from close, learn as much as you can. Sunil’s speciality is that he has been there for so long. And that is extremely hard work.” Being around him I have already taken my baby steps. The rest is forme to sustain, and improve.

What can we expect from the next match against Afghanistan?

We need to sustain the momentum gathered in the match against Bangladesh and even in the 0-1 loss against Qatar. But everyone is aware that all of that is past. The match on 15th is a fresh canvas. We need to paint it in the right manner. The coach has been constantly working with us. We need to pay him back.

PARIS: World number one Novak Djokovic will lock horns with defending champion Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the ongoing French Open on Friday.Djokovic on Wednesday (local time) defeated ninth-seeded Italian Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 in the quarter-finals to book the semi-final berth. The Serbian tennis player started off well as he won the first two sets quite easily but Berrettini came back in the third set.However, Djokovic made the most of every opportunity converting four of nine breakpoints and saved all three break points in the fourth set to register a win. As a result, it took more than three hours to overcome his ninth-seeded opponent.Djokovic and Nadal will lock horns for the 58th time and it will be their ninth face-off in Paris.Nadal had defeated Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.The 35-year old was at his prime best and carrying on with his winning momentum, Nadal did not let up and he went on to win the match.

Five Indian women cricketers — Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma will be seen in action in the inaugural edition of ‘The Hundred’.Shafali Verma is the number one ranked short-form batter and she joins Birmingham Phoenix as a replacement for Sophie Devine. Harmanpreet Kaur will star in the opening match, at the Kia Oval on July 21, as she joins Manchester Originals. Jemimah Rodrigues will feature for Northern Superchargers.“It’s very exciting that I’m going to get to play in the first-ever game of The Hundred,” Harmanpreet Kaur said in an official release issued by the Hundred.“It will be special to make history, especially with a women’s match at such a big ground. We’ve played in front of some large crowds in India and it’s always a great experience for the players,” she added.Smriti Mandhana is set to form a devastating opening partnership with Danni Wyatt at Southern Brave, while Deepti Sharma joins England captain Heather Knight at London Spirit.Beth Barrett-Wild, Head of the Hundred Women’s competition said: “It’s so good to finally be able to confirm the involvement of some of the superstars from the India team. They’re a hugely exciting group of players and they’ll bring a lot to the competition. I can’t wait for July 21, I can’t wait for the competition, and I can’t wait for fans to see these world-class players doing what they do best.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on the demise of former India boxer and Asian Games gold medalist Dingko Singh and said his contribution aided the popularity of boxing.Dingko Singh passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness at the age of 42. Regarded as one of the finest boxers India has ever produced, Dingko had clinched a gold medal at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games. The Prime Minister called Dingko an “outstanding boxer” who earned several laurels during his playing career.“Shri Dingko Singh was a sporting superstar, an outstanding boxer who earned several laurels and also contributed to furthering the popularity of boxing. Saddened by his passing away. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” The Prime Minister tweeted.The Sports Authority of India also mourned the demise of the Padma Shri and Arjuna Awardee boxer.“We are sad to hear about the death of Padma Shri and Arjuna Awardee boxer Dingko Singh. His gold medal at the 1998 Asian Games is a glittering moment in Indian sports history. We express our condolences to his family and friends,” SAI media tweeted.Six-time world champion Mary Kom said Dingko might have left but his legacy will always live among us.“You were a true hero of our nation. You leave but your legacy will live among us. RIP,” Mary Kom tweeted.Earlier, Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, and boxing superstar Vijender Singh mourned the demise of Dingko Singh.Dingko Singh had tested positive for coronavirus in May 2020 but the former boxer recovered soon. Last year in April, Dingko was airlifted from Imphal to the national capital for his liver cancer treatment.

With just eight days to go for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand, Team India had their first group training session ahead of the high-octane clash.Virat Kohli and boys’ preparations are in full swing for the WTC final. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday shared a glimpse from the “high intensity” training session of Team India. In the video, the Kohli-led side seems to have ticked all the boxes with players sweating it out on the field honing each and every skill required to be in the top-notch form before taking the field on June 18.“We have had our first group training session and the intensity was high. #TeamIndia’s preparations are on in full swing for the #WTC21 Final,” BCCI tweeted.The Indian cricket team had landed in Southampton on June 3 and after that, every member of the touring contingent underwent three-day mandatory hard quarantine.At the Hampshire Bowl, the players were tested again before commencing a period of managed isolation. Regular tests will be conducted during the period of isolation.Prior to departing for England, India head coach Ravi Shastri had said that going ahead, the International Cricket Council (ICC) should look to make the final of the WTC a best-of-three contest and it could be played like a three-match series.Meanwhile, the New Zealand team is already in the UK for their bilateral series against England and the team will transition from the ECB bio-secure environment into the WTC Final bubble on June 15 and will be subject to regular testing prior to and post-arrival in Southampton.

Indian women’s hockey team midfielder Lilima Minz believes the Olympic core group currently in preparation mode for the Tokyo Games has the right balance between experienced and young players.The midfielder went on to add that while experienced players are crucial to give the team direction in difficult situations, young players are equally important to add an energetic dynamic to the side. “In the National Camp for the Olympic Core group right now there is a very healthy mix of experienced players who have played many international games for India before, and young players who have the hunger and drive to prove themselves at the highest level,” said Lilima in a Hockey India release.“This kind of balance allows the young players to have the guidance of senior members who know what it is like to play at the Olympic level before. At the same time, these young players keep the senior members on their toes as they know that there is someone who can replace them if they do not perform well,” she added.While reflecting on the similarities between this National Camp and the team that went to the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, the 27-year-old midfielder said that it is helpful to have a core group of players who have experienced an occasion like the Olympics before.“The fact that several players from the 2016 Olympics squad are present here in this camp is a good thing because sometimes players can get overwhelmed at a grand occasion like the Olympics. This is where players who have been there before can offer their much needed advice,” said women’s hockey team midfielder Lilima Minz.“Moreover, since our core group of players has played together for several years, we have a good understanding and communication on the field of how we want to play.

There are a lot of new and young players in this camp who have brought a fresh approach and good healthy competition to the team.”