Hima Das' golden run continues, bags 4th gold in 15 days
Muhammad Anas wins men's 400m race at Tabor Athletics Meet
New Delhi: Star Indian sprinter Hima Das clinched her fourth gold of the fortnight as she won the 200m race with a creditable time in the Tabor Athletics Meet in Czech Republic here Wednesday.
Hima won in 23.25 seconds though the race had a mediocre field with most of the competitors representing clubs of Czech Republic. Nonetheless, she is inching closer to her personal best of 23.10.
Hima's compatriot V K Vismaya was second with a season best 23.43.
This was 19-year-old Hima's fourth gold since July 2 when she ran her first competitive race in Europe. She has been keeping on improving since her first race.
In her first competitive 200m race of the year, the old Assam runner had clocked 23.65 seconds on her way to gold at the Poznan Athletics Grand Prix in Poland on July 2. After that, she won her second 200m gold at the Kutno Athletics Meet, also in Poland, on July 7 with a time of 23.97 seconds.
On July 13, she won her third 200m gold at the Kladno Athletics Meet in Czech Republic with a time of 23.43. Hima's pet event is 400m and she is yet to qualify for the World Championships in both the quartermile event and the 200m.
The World Championships qualifying time for 200m is 23.02 while it is 51.80 in 400m.
In men's 400m, Muhammad Anas won in 45.40 seconds in a mediocre field while compatriots Tom Noah Nirmal came second with a season best effort of 46.59. K S Jeevan was third in 46.60 and M P Jabir finished fourth in 47.16.
On July 13 at Kladno, Anas had bettered his own 400m national record to clinch a gold and qualify for the World Championships by clocking 45.21 seconds.
The World Championships qualification time is 45.30 seconds in men's 400m race.
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Neymar helps Santos avoid relegation, says he will have knee surgery
Sao Paulo (AP): Neymar's Santos secured its survival in Brazil's Serie A on Sunday with a 3-0 win over Cruzeiro, and the 33-year-old soccer star later confirmed he will undergo surgery on his left knee.
Playing its last league match of the season, Santos — which achieved a global following with all-time great Pelé — avoided what would have been the club's second relegation in its history. Santos was relegated in 2023 for the first time almost a year after the death of Pelé.
Neymar struggled to recover from a torn ACL in October 2023 during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay. But he proved key for Santos in its successful fight to avoid relegation in the Brazilian championship after its promotion last year.
Neymar, who returned to Santos in January, was decisive for the club where he started his professional career. In the last three rounds of the league, Neymar scored a goal against Sport Recife in a 3-0 win, netted a hat trick against Juventude on Wednesday in another 3-0 victory, and on Sunday was an effective playmaker.
Thaciano (26th and 28th minutes) and João Schmidt (60th) scored against Cruzeiro at Vila Belmiro Stadium as Santos finished 12th with 47 points.
Neymar played only 19 of the 38 rounds of the league, which started in April. He scored eight goals.
"I came for this, to try to help the best way I can. These have been tough weeks for me,” Neymar said after the game. "I thank those who were with me to lift me up. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have played these matches because of these injuries, this knee problem. I need to rest and then we will have this knee surgery."
Neymar did not give more details about the knee injury and surgery. He still hopes to be included in Brazil's final squad for the 2026 World Cup, though coach Carlo Ancelotti is yet to pick the former captain since he took over in May.
Flamengo won its ninth Brazilian league title midweek after a 1-0 home victory against Ceara. The Rio de Janeiro club also won the Copa Libertadores last month. AP
