Birmingham [UK]
India`s Srihari Nataraj qualified for the men`s 100m backstroke swimming semifinal at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Friday. Nataraj finished third in heat 4 with a timing of 54.68s. While Sajan Prakash was eliminated in the men`s 50m butterfly event as he finished eighth with a time of 25.01s. In Men`s 400m Freestyle heats, Kushagra Rawat finished 14th with a clocking of 3:57.45.
Meanwhile, in the triathlon, India was unsuccessful in their first triathlon appearance in the Commonwealth Games as Adarsh Muralidharan finished 30th and Vishwanath Yadav finished 33rd in the men`s individual sprint final. Adarsh Muralidharan finished with a time of 1:00:38 and Vishwanath Yadav finished with a time of 1:02:52. England`s Alex Yee won the first gold medal of the Commonwealth Games on Friday, taking victory in the men`s triathlon. Later in the day, the women`s hockey team will face Ghana. The mixed badminton team would also be in action in the evening.
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Shiva Thapa bags easy win in round one
Indian boxer Shiva Thapa defeated Pakistan`s Suleman Baloch 5-0 in the first round of the men`s 63 Kg weight category here at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Friday. India started their campaign in the boxing arena on a winning note. The Indian light welter boxer led in all three rounds of the match. Thapa displayed a good mix of attack and defence and got a full score from every judge.Shiva Thapa will now play in the round of 16 of this category.Thapa looked confident about his chances in the match as the bell went off. Throughout the bout, Thapa moved well and tested his opponent. Baloch tried to set it up but Thapa kept his calm and also adopted an aggressive approach. Thapa`s swift moves and heavy punches proved difficult for Suleman Baloch.