Kazakhstan - players.bio

ATP roundup: Action underway in Barcelona, Belgrade

Brandon Nakashima fought off two set points in a 7-6 (6), 6-3 win against Spanish qualifier Nicolas Alvarez Varona on Monday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell in Spain.

Exclusive: 'Complete focus on my wrestling career, coach Shako wasn't pushed out' - Bajrang Punia on his comeback after injury, the Olympic bronze & more

Bajrang Punia, debilitated and frustrated by his knee injury, was warming up for his 65kg freestyle bronze-medal bout. It was the biggest stage of them all -- the Olympics. He had landed in Tokyo virtually on one leg, carrying a knee injury he suffered in Russia barely a month or so before the Games. But his valor had shone through in the Japanese capital. Bajrang, though, lost in the semis to Azerbaijan's Haji Aliyev. Now, it was either an Olympic medal or an agonizing wait of another three years. With that playing on his mind, Bajrang virtually decided to put his career on the line. "Remove the (knee) brace for now, we'll take care of the injury later," he told the physio. Summoning every inch of his energy reserves, Bajrang beat Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov 8-0 to win an Olympic bronze medal. But the effort took its toll, on his knees. For more than six months after that, Bajrang had to be in rehab mode, and returned only late last month for the selection trials ahead of the Asian Championships beginning April 19. Ahead of his departure for the tournament in Mongolia, TimesofIndia.com visited the Sports Authority of India centre in Sonepat, where Bajrang was part of the national camp for the Indian men's wrestling team. A candid Bajrang sat down for an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com on the sidelines of the arena , taking questions on his life on and around the mat, and also on what it's like to be a newly-married man (Bajrang married wrestler Sangeeta Phogat of the famed Phogat wrestling family in November 2020).

American Ilia Malinin wins world junior figure skating title in record rout

Ilia Malinin became the third American man to win a world junior figure skating title in the last six years, routing the field in Tallinn, Estonia, this week.

Swiatek sends Poland into BJK Cup finals, Czechs beat Britain

Poland's world number one Iga Swiatek handed Romania's Andreea Prisacariu a double bagel en route to victory in their Billie Jean King Cup qualifier on Saturday, securing the decisive third point in the tie and a spot in November's finals for the first time.