Javelin thrower Annu Rani sets new national record

LUCKNOW: Javelin thrower Annu Rani smashed her own national record and in the process became the first Indian woman to cross the 60m mark on the third day of the 56th Open National Athletics Championships here today.

Railways’ Annu, who won a bronze in the 2014 Asian Games, threw the javelin to a distance of 60.01m to erase her own national mark of 59.87m, which she made in July. Today's effort was the 24-year-old’s fourth national record in two years. In men's jump, for the first time in Indian athletics history, all the top three finishers cleared 2.20m.

Sharjah

Pakistan, West Indies launch World Cup fight

Pakistan and the West Indies start a narrow two-way fight for an automatic place in the 2019 World Cup in a three-match One-day series starting tomorrow. Pakistan need to win the series 3-0 to rise one place from ninth while West Indies need to avoid a clean sweep to maintain their current eighth spot. England and the seven highest-ranked sides in the ODI rankings on September 30 next year will qualify directly for the World Cup. The bottom four teams will be joined by six Associate sides in a 10-team qualifying round from where two teams will qualify.

WUHAN (CHINA)

CL: Barcelona win, City draw with Celtic

Barcelona proved they can win away in Europe even without Lionel Messi as they posted a 2-1 comeback victory at Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Champions League. Raheem Sterling netted at both ends as Manchester City were made to fight for a 3-3 draw with Celtic in a thriller, while Atletico Madrid once again beat Bayern Munich. 

WUHAN (CHINA)

Halep books place at WTA Finals as she reaches semis

World No. 5 Simona Halep (in pic) downed Madison Keys in the quarterfinals of the Wuhan Open to book her place in the elite season-end WTA Finals for the third consecutive year. 

Results (QF): 14-P Kvitova bt 11-J Konta 6-3 6-4; 9-S Kuznetsova bt 3-A Radwanska 1-6 7-6(9) 6-4; 4-S Halep bt 8-M Keys 6-4 6-2. — Agencies