I write in reference to the article Neeraj Chopra wins javelin title for India's first Olympic track and field gold (August 7): the feelings of both joy and disappointment are palpable across India after the Tokyo Olympics. I have never seen my compatriots this interested or invested in the Games, with so many following the live coverage of the competitions India's athletes were involved in. Many were touched by the scenes of our women hockey players sinking to their knees and crying after losing to Great Britain in the bronze medal match. This mass involvement across the country is heartening to see. Among other things, it will encourage more youngsters to take up Olympic sports.
It is also encouraging to see the medal winners being rewarded and compensated by governments at various levels and by private institutions. Chopra has even been felicitated by the Indian Army’s Rajputana Rifles. He has earned it. For a country of 1.3 billion people, however, we should be winning more than seven medals. There has been steady improvement and, hopefully, governments across the country will allocate more funds and support towards training and infrastructure for our athletes.
Rajendra Aneja, Dubai
Can Afghanistan survive without external support?
I write in reference to Thomas Harding's article West is losing the 'Great Game’ for Afghanistan (August 10): it is disheartening to see how quickly one Afghan province after another is falling to the Taliban. The withdrawal of US-led troops from the country after a two-decade-long presence will, quite naturally, have a destabilising effect. The speed with which the pull-out is happening has been bad for the morale of the Afghan forces and many civilians. At the same time, many have taken up the cause of protecting their cities and people against the Taliban surge. The question, however, is whether these brave people can meet the challenge with so little external support. That remains to be seen.
K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India
Keep the pressure on Iran
I write in reference to your Iran coverage. The West should continue to tighten the screws on the regime. They are on their knees financially. Former US president Donald Trump had the right formula for dealing with them: maximum pressure. The Iranians are hoping to provoke a military response so that they can fight America, who they call the "Great Satan", and take their own population's mind off their failing policies at home – a standard ploy. We should not buy into it. Economic disruption, not military escalation, should be the policy.
Andy Preston, Abu Dhabi
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Brief scores
Toss India, chose to bat
India 281-7 in 50 ov (Pandya 83, Dhoni 79; Coulter-Nile 3-44)
Australia 137-9 in 21 ov (Maxwell 39, Warner 25; Chahal 3-30)
India won by 26 runs on Duckworth-Lewis Method
Read more from Johann Chacko
HAJJAN
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10
ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons
Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page
Hawks
Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar
Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish
Falcons
Coach: Najeeb Amar
Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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