- 44 minutes ago
Tamil Nadu has expanded its free bus travel scheme for women to include express, limited-stop and deluxe services across the state. The initiative was originally launched by Chief Minister MK Stalin in 2021 and has now been widened days before crucial by-elections in the Dharapuram and Madurantakam Assembly constituencies. The timing of the announcement has drawn attention to its political significance, with both seats heading to the polls. Visuals from Madurantakam showed a roadshow ahead of voting, as parties stepped up campaigning in the two constituencies where the electoral contest is being closely watched.
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00:03tamirnadu chief minister vijay expanding the free bus travel scheme for women in tamirnadu and now
00:10beneficiaries across all kinds of buses express limited stop deluxe buses women will get free
00:16bus travel not something new that's in tamirnadu considering that this was something that was
00:21launched in fact by stalin in 2021 but important to highlight why because we're just days away
00:27from a very very crucial bipol in the state of tamirnadu in two seats dharapuram as well as
00:33madurantakam those images of the roadshow of chief minister vijay from madurantakam so over the next
00:3930 minutes here on super six we're going to be getting you highlights of that roadshow and
00:44what's at stake in these two important bipolar seats
01:09good evening you're watching super six here on india today i'm akshita nandakopal and as i just told
01:14you we're going to be focusing on the big story from tamirnadu next week uh people of two seats two
01:21districts two constituencies madurantakam and darapuram will be speaking out choosing between
01:26the tvk the dmk and the aia dmk it's going to be an interesting political contest because you've got
01:34turncoats involved you've got a high stake high voltage political battle involved and the first
01:39electoral test after the election results in tamirnadu we'll get you a special broadcast on
01:45this bipolar will begin with the headlines and before that let's also in fact
01:58get you the top headlines prime minister modi speaks to captain smith on video call logs his valor
02:04smith breaks down says he was chanting hanuman chalisa inside the cockpit
02:08as prime minister modi wishes smith for a speedy recovery
02:29season two of cjp protest in mumbai despite no police permission hundreds gather at shivaji
02:36park bollywood celebrities nasruddin shah shabana asmi vishal dadlani joinster cjp is now pushing for
02:42cc gyanesh kumar's resignation
02:49high drama delhi's jantar mantra where congress and up agitate against cc gyanesh kumar around 1100
02:57protesters detained cops claim some police personnel also injured
03:05russian president vladimir putin hails prime minister modi's peace push says modi has desired to
03:11end the conflict home minister amit shah says putin's praise for prime minister modi makes every indian proud
03:22it's a gold rush for india the asian games indian women's recurve archery team wins asian games gold
03:29medal of lena burghain also claims gold in 75 kg category india therefore has now over 12 gold medals at
03:37isha
03:52but let's begin with the latest updates coming in on the alleged hijacked bid on that fly dubai
03:58aircraft here's the latest update the uae has branded the incident as an act of terror the uae is the
04:07first country to go ahead and call this a terrorist act you've got the government a senior advisor to
04:12the uae president who's referred to this hijacking as an act of terror in a statement where also they've
04:18praised captain smith machara and the bravery he's shown uh you've also got them referring to this as a
04:25terror act saying that the hijacking of the attempted hijacking of the fly dubai flight to tel aviv by
04:31the omani co-pilot is terrorism and this is the first such designation by the emiratis the uae
04:37presidential advisor has also said that smith machar deserves every bit of appreciation for he embodied
04:44the meaning of courage and responsibility in the face of a dangerous terrorist act and a potential
04:52disaster this is a potential disaster this is the statement that's coming from the uae which has
04:56called it an act of terror and rightly so considering the details that are emerging of the bid to hijack
05:02this particular aircraft the uae also recognizing the bravery of captain machar in the face of what they
05:08call a dangerous terrorist act and a potential disaster remember that there's been a lot of questions
05:16conflict uh inter-nation conflict essentially over the investigation the probe who will look into it
05:23but the first of the emiratis to go ahead and declare this as an act of terror the uae has
05:29in fact said
05:30that in the face of a dangerous terrorist act and the danger in the face of a potential disaster
05:35it was captain uh smith machar who deserves every bit of appreciation remember the pilot here
05:42uh captain machar is currently in uae receiving treatment he's based in the uae his family is
05:48there as well so he is based there getting medical treatment there even as the accused omani pilot who
05:55by the way 48 hours on we still don't have a name we still don't have an identity is being
06:00questioned
06:01by authorities at this point so we're yet to get those details really of who the omani pilot is but
06:07we can
06:08confirm for you that smith machar is currently getting treated in the uae his family is there
06:13too and the uae now has come out to go ahead and say that this is um an act of
06:19terror let's cut across
06:20to more breaking news coming in
06:27it's
06:35it's raining gold medals for india the asian games the indian women's hockey team has bagged a historic
06:42gold at the asian games beating china 1-0 this is a historic moment the first time since 1982 that
06:51the indian women's olympics olympics 2028 spot this is massive for the women in blue beating china 1-0
07:04historic moment at the asian game since 1982 the first time that the indian women's team in hockey
07:11have won a gold medal and so another moment for us to be incredibly proud it's been a day
07:17of honestly non-stop gold medals of a gold rush of sorts here uh in the asian games for indian
07:25athletes
07:26there's uh lavlina there was the women's recurve archery team and now the women's hockey team so
07:33nari shakti indeed the women doing us so incredibly proud uh at the asian games and you're seeing the
07:40images also coming in of their families all of them celebrating uh and this is such a huge moment for
07:46every one of them for every one of us because the gold medals are just pouring in right now for
07:53india
07:53if i'm not wrong this now makes it 13 gold medals for india right now but this is the first
08:00time since
08:001982 that the indian women's hockey team have managed to bag a gold medal what this win has also meant
08:06is
08:07that they've sealed the los angeles olympic 2028 spot huge huge moment for hockey huge moment for the indian
08:15women's team on your screens are the images of family members celebrating that moment when the
08:21game came to an end india beating china 1-0 to clinch gold nikhil naz is with me on this
08:31broadcast for
08:32more on this nikhil take it away huge moment this uh well yeah you're right akshita i mean uh we're
08:38just
08:38seeing pictures on the screen right now of parents of the uh women's team celebrating and why it is a
08:45special win because remember uh we have the chinese team that is the most dominant team at the asian
08:51games but more so in hockey uh in hockey we've seen in the last few years china has emerged as
08:57a powerhouse
08:58in women's hockey uh india and china in fact recently met at the hockey world cup on that occasion
09:04it was a nil nil draw both teams nothing to separate the two of them on that particular occasion
09:09so when india went into this particular final they were the underdogs china remember were also the
09:15defending champions the last gold medal that came in hounds out was also won by the chinese women's
09:21team so the indian women's team were up against it but as it turns out i'll have to credit two
09:26things
09:26for the indian team one when they went up one zero uh with lal ramsayami scoring that one goal and
09:33then
09:33a special mention to the indian goalkeeper savita we call her the wall of india and she saved a penalty
09:40stroke i mean the chances of saving a penalty stroke are no more than 10 percent she saves that penalty
09:46stroke otherwise it could have been one all and after saving that penalty stroke kudos to the indian
09:51defensive setup they bided their time did not allow china to score that second goal or their first goal
09:58and then level things that could have been very very different amazing amazing feat this uh and we've
10:05got the pictures on our screens also of the girls celebrating right after bagging gold uh it's a tough
10:11one for india there's no doubt about it but a one zero managed to win this particular game let's cut
10:17across to reactions from the family
10:24I have seen her from childhood, and she is the first hand of her mother's hand.
10:35When she was 5-6 years old, she had a small stick in a mini stadium.
10:40She was very disappointed in the hockey practice.
10:42She and her brother, both of her brother.
10:44She was very disappointed in her brother, but she was very disappointed in her.
10:49But she was not scared to be scared and she played very good.
10:54At that time, she didn't have the ball and had the ball.
10:57After that, she didn't have the ball and the ball and the ball was done.
11:00He was qualified for the academy, he qualified for the Gualier Hockey Academy and then he was qualified for the
11:08junior team.
11:13He was selected for the senior team since 4-5 years, so he played for the senior team very well.
11:18He played for Odiša Barriar and Rachi also played for the team.
11:25The league in the league had been very good, the last 4-5 years it was very good.
11:32But the last match was a good match.
11:35In 1982 in Delhi, India won the gold medal.
11:40He won the gold medal for 44 years, and now he won the gold medal.
11:45He was very happy. The team played for India very well.
11:48China was very good, but when India came to the defense, he played for 5 penalties.
11:55He saved the penalty score and saved the penalty score.
11:58I would say that the goal was very good.
12:01The penalty score was very good.
12:06You were a hockey player?
12:07I was a hockey player, played on my school level.
12:10The Brijraat Singh Bhadhori coached in sports.
12:13So I was able to play from the school.
12:16I was able to play from the university.
12:19I was able to play from the M.J.S. College for hockey.
12:22After that, I was in the army, so I was able to play hockey in the army.
12:26The hockey team got a big battle.
12:28It was a terrible game, and I had a strong stamina.
12:30I had a lot of practice in hockey.
12:33I had a lot of dedication in hockey.
12:35So, I saw...
12:38I was very happy in the game when I won the gold medal,
12:43our team won the next Olympic Olympic the Year.
12:47I was very happy to play a lot.
12:48Well done, team India!
12:49Well done, team of the teams.
12:55okay the family all smiles they're celebrating uh and uh as we get you those pictures you see some
13:02of the footage really of the girls celebrating right after beating china and clinching that
13:07historic goal what makes this such a huge moment for women's hockey nickel well uh for starters
13:14akshita uh we missed out on playing the olympic games last time around in the women's draw so
13:19you had a scenario in paris where we celebrated the men's team bringing a bronze medal back the
13:24women's team won there they weren't invited to that party they didn't even qualify they weren't
13:29invited to that particular party guess what now becoming asian champions they've booked their
13:33ticket for la 2028 so at least for starters you have them there because i go back to the olympics
13:39that you had in tokyo the indian women's team came very close to winning an olympic medal they've
13:43had a heartbreaking encounter there towards the end and finished at the fourth spot
13:47missed out on the medal there also they saw their male counterpart winning a bronze medal
13:51next time around didn't qualify for starters they've got a ticket now for la 2028 which is
13:57uh outstanding and then on top of that to beat china i mean we we forget we look at the
14:01traditional
14:01powerhouses but in women's hockey china has been the asian powerhouse i mean we're going back to 1982
14:07to see when indian women's team won a gold medal okay it's been a very very long time we just
14:11yeah
14:11we've got meeranjan negi former hockey coach you want to take that away yes i mean meeranjan negi i
14:17don't think we could have asked for a better person because we know it is on him that that famous
14:22film chakte india was based that film was on women's hockey and guess who we've got here on the phone
14:29line
14:29meeranjan negi sir thank you so much for joining us here on india today first things first just
14:36take us through the emotions that you're feeling right now having seen the indian women's team
14:41win that elusive gold medal at the asian games beating the defending champions in china
14:49today is a great day for indian women hockey especially the way the indian women hockey team
14:57were performing we were all knowing that the outcome is going to be different this time
15:03but uh the way our team played today and the entire tournament in fact earlier also the way
15:10they were playing we knew that the gold is in our hand and today we're all crying we were all
15:16shouting at the top of our voice that india was winning and uh initially when savika stopped that
15:23penalty stroke our heart beat stopped for a moment after 44 years india is winning this gold medal
15:31it's a great day for indian women hockey team and we are now only waiting that the men's hockey team
15:36will follow suit we've got our fingers crossed mr degi that the men's hockey team will also follow
15:41suit but sir what do you think really makes this team stand out what makes them shine what's made
15:47them really stand out through the entire asian games that's led to this gold now
15:52actually uh these uh bunch of girls they are playing together for a very long time
15:58and uh they missed uh the podium finish both in world cup and olympics and the way they played i
16:08always said so today they proved themselves in a way they wanted to prove something and many of the
16:19girls from this team they are not going to play uh much further down so probably this was their last
16:27asian games and uh when they came out they will go out very very happy nominees which they will relish
16:36for a very long time india will relish this victory again for a very long time huge moment for so
16:43many
16:43of them i'm sure extremely emotional as well for the reasons that you just told us sir but it's over
16:49to 2028 now we've got our eyes already sealed to the olympics 2028 los angeles uh uh edition
16:57because that's where now we'll see the women's hockey team in action courtesy this win that they've
17:01sealed a spot for the olympics uh they should uh keep the same uh momentum the same uh team
17:12management and the support what they are getting right now the same type of support they should
17:18get from hockey india and the other like uh government of urisa and heroes and other all sponsors
17:24whatever they are supporting indian hockey team and i'm really really hopeful the way our both the
17:33teams are playing although we are missing out at the last moment but uh definitely uh we have
17:42very good chances of reaching the top now certainly certainly hope so the way these girls played
17:50together to defeat china no small feat uh and the entire nation celebrating along with them thank you
17:57very much sir mr negi for joining us here on india today
18:15we're days away from the epic bipole battle in tamirnado maduran takam as well as darapuram
18:21traditional aia dmk strongholds but this time a very interesting battle shaping up because both the
18:27aia dmk mlas who won now with the tvk joining me on this broadcast mr sumansi raman as well as
18:33mr
18:34rangaraj pande political analyst to decode who they think has the advantage going into these bipoles
18:40mr sumansi raman i'd like to begin with you sir your opening comments on both maduran takam as well
18:45as dharapuram do you think it's advantage tvk or that the dmk stands a chance or is this actually a
18:50three-way contest i think the tvk has its nose comfortably in front now how far in front does
18:58the tvk have its nose we don't know yet but clearly from whatever feedback we are getting a lot of
19:05the
19:05aia dmk vote is shifting towards the tvk for obvious reasons the aia dmk is seen as a dwindling force
19:13now and um also the fact that many uh that the two candidates are actually ex-aia dmk candidates
19:20who are now contesting on the tvk symbol so for that reason i would expect both these battles to
19:26be largely fought between uh tvk and dmk uh some of the informal pollsters tell us that the tvk is
19:35comfortably in front um what is going to be interesting is also going to be the margin of
19:40victory akshita because if the tvk wins by 5 000 votes or 7 000 votes it will be seen as
19:45a huge
19:46setback even though a win is a win uh you know so they need to win comfortably and they need
19:52to
19:52have an impressive polling percentage remember in the assembly election they contested a load
19:57now they are contesting as part of an alliance along with the congress party along with the vck
20:02uh and the iuml so technically they should do better than what they have done in the uh in the
20:10assembly elections so it's going to be interesting for the aia dmk and the dmk it's really a question
20:15of who can finish second who can finish third and uh how respectable a performance uh they can come up
20:21with uh because for both of them a very bad performance will seriously impact uh the uh morale of the
20:28cadres yep the optics matter in this one mr rangaraj pande is also with us one of the aspects mr
20:34rangaraj
20:34pande that constantly comes up here is that this will also be the people's mandate on whether they
20:38are okay with these mla switching sides dropping their party allegiance switching over to the winning
20:44side and the allegations of horse trading
20:51sir you're on mute mr rangaraj pande can you unmute yourself
20:56yes yeah sorry uh so i was waiting for a long time so i'm sorry excuse me so uh people
21:04will not
21:05uh people won't take those things in their mind and they just will think whether we should vote
21:10uh we should appreciate we should whether we should endorse the vijay government or not so in that way
21:16i completely agree with mr suman sri raman's comment uh that uh both uh constituency in tharaburum and as
21:22well as madran thugan tbk may win uh that is what the ground situation is telling and uh we have
21:28to
21:28wait for the margin as he rightly uh pointed out if the margin is huge then it will be treated
21:34as a
21:34victory but even though the margin is less you might have noticed in a tripudur constituency uh the
21:40tbk candidate won just to uh the difference of one vote a single vote difference he won in
21:46tripudur he won uh he won uh next minister mr pariah karupan so uh whether you are getting a huge
21:52difference or not win is win loss is loss but the thing is uh by to correct the politics in
21:58a right
21:58way uh i will expect if admk wins in both constituency again that will be uh neutralizing the uh
22:07uh harsh trading complaint and all those things because both uh mlas uh they were candidates of
22:14admk now they are contesting from tbk yeah i can say that both the candidates were snatched from
22:20uh admk so uh there was no reason at all they are again and again they are telling that uh
22:25admk and
22:26dmk was trying to uh alive so being an admk person we were unable to digest all those things so
22:32we switched over to tbk this is what their point is but they are blatantly lying and the second
22:37option given to them in pudicherry everyone is admitting that uh they've all amicably admitted
22:45to make mr trimalum as the chief minister then they can all form the government in those
22:50scenarios also the second scenario also the admk and dmk has to uh tie up when uh where a party
22:56policy has to become the chief minister they were not happy when mr trimalum is become uh will
23:01become cm and and it's constantly this issue that the chief minister also is raising in his
23:06campaigns but ultimately do you also see this mr sumansi raman as that uh final test of the power
23:12of the two leaf symbol these are strongholds of the aia dmk uh i i would not call them traditional
23:21strongholds because even though madharantakam has been won more often by the aidmk than the dmk
23:27it has been won by the dmk also in the past and so has darapuram so they are not the
23:32hardcore
23:33strongholds like for instance a countdown balayam would be or some other constituencies would be
23:37now my point is very simple the aia dmk needs to put up at least a decent show here for
23:46mr yadapadi
23:46parani swami to retain control of the party otherwise more and more people will leave suppose
23:51they finish in third place in both the constituencies in the in constituencies which they won less than six
23:58months ago then it marks the beginning of the end for the party more people will leave and unless
24:04mr yadapadi parani swami is removed from the leadership of the party there will be no future
24:08for the aia dmk absolutely so that is something which is very critical for the dmk also how much
24:14ground have they lost because they've lost all their allies the communists also are contesting on
24:18their own there is the last time they contested with congress they contested with communists they
24:23contested with vck with iuml a whole lot of people this time they are on their own so it's going
24:29to
24:29be a huge test for them to put up a decent show if they lose very badly then the dear
24:35the questions
24:36serious questions will start to be asked about the dmk's prospects also going forward now how do you
24:41think mr rangaraj mande my final question to you is on the dmk's performance this is a big test for
24:47them to you know they need these talents talent they've also been there campaigning dmk is not
24:53showing that much justification to their party but of course the competition might be between
25:00the dmk and the tvk because even though madharandagam is not a dmk stronghold and now the pmk the
25:07dmk alliance pmk is also said that we will be neutral we will not be supporting anybody so
25:11the the admk launched their pmk support also so those vote also may go to um tvk but um
25:18tharaburam is traditionally my admk built like avinasi and dada so we have to see the margin
25:25where dmk uh we we are seeing that today when we are discussing the this debate uh the honorable
25:32chief minister mr vijay is continuously campaigning in madharandagam right from 2 30 pm of uh today so
25:39till more than four hours is in campaign is in the field we have not witnessed any chief minister
25:45in recent days uh campaigning in this capacity on by elections normally no the chief ministers never
25:52campaign in uh you know by elections in tamilna because that will the win will be obvious but in
25:58this scenario we can see that cm is spending his huge money so i think the admk will get a
26:04decent
26:04position and a tvk may win and uh obviously those seats were not dmk seats so they may
26:11lie low well if the dmk comes in a third position that will be a big big blow for them
26:16because the
26:17optics matter in this kind of a fight thank you very much mr sumansi raman mr rangaraj pande for
26:22joining us my apologies that this was a short discussion we did get breaking news coming in on
26:26the asian game well hello and welcome to sports today what a day it has been for the indian contingent
26:34at the asian games we thought it's going to be a five star store guess what happened india hit
26:40everyone else for a six because six gold medals the most successful day for india at asian games
26:472026 that and more coming up on the show but first a look at the headlines
26:54india's women archery team creates history beat world champion south korea to win gold
26:59in rika archery at the asian games for the very first time
27:09three boxing finals and three goals for india lavlina borgo hen ankhush fangal and parveen ooda
27:15give india their best medal tally in boxing in the history of the asian games
27:24sujit kulkal scripts a comeback for the ages to win gold in the 65 kilogram wrestling
27:29the indian was losing 2-9 at halftime then went on to win 10-0 in the finals
27:38india women's hockey team beat china 1-0 to clinch historic gold medal in the asian games
27:43this is the first time since 1982 that indian women's team have won the gold medal
27:48they've also seen los angeles olympics 2028 spot
27:56and india and pakistan renew their rivalry on the cricket pitch as the arch rivals clash
28:02for the gold medal match in cricket at the asian games tomorrow
28:14okay all that and more coming up on the program we'll also be joined by former india captain in
28:20sunil gavaskar who set up that game for us between india and pakistan but here's our top story the indian
28:26women's recurve archery team of ankita bhakat keithi sharma and kum kum mohod created history as they
28:33defeated world champion south korea to win india's first ever gold medal at the event right from the
28:38get-go the korean trio of kang lee and yejin were setting the mark but india never fought in fact
28:45in
28:46the first two sets korea set 54 and 56 and india hit the same level to make it 2-2
28:51and put the world
28:52champions in uncharted territory and the pressure of it all came to the four in the third set korea hit
28:58a total of four eights in their six arrows meanwhile india scored 55 to take the lead in the fourth
29:04set
29:04south korea posted a score of 54 leaving india needing a match tally to keep the contest level
29:11keithi initially registered an eight but then eventually india was outstanding and won that
29:17this historic gold medal
29:31meanwhile the indian women's hockey team secured their first asian games gold medal in 44 years
29:37with a hard-fought 1-0 win over china in the final india took the lead early on in the
29:43match
29:43with landram siami hammering home a thunderous reverse hit to the roof of the net in the 10th
29:50minute of the game after that it was a game of attrition for india as they looked to defend deep
29:55and protect their slim lead the strategy nearly did not pay off as china were awarded a penalty stroke
30:01in the 23rd minute but satan pulled off an incredible save to deny the chinese side
30:08the second half followed a similar pattern as india defended deep and china tried hard
30:14to find an equalizing goal in a bid to increase the number of players attacking china even removed
30:19their goalkeeper and put on another outfield player india held on and only did they win their first asian
30:26gold gold since 1982 they also secured qualification for the 2028 olympics the team even celebrated by
30:33hosting coach serge marine in the air we have written a new script here we are writing a new story
30:41the indian women's team is a force to reckon with okay talking about india stunning performances
30:48lovelina borgo and ended a 12-year wait for india in women's boxing at the asian games as she won
30:55the gold medal in the women's 75 kilogram category beating china's jibao by unanimous decision in the
31:02final the 29 year old had come into the gold medal match having created history as the first indian woman
31:09to reach back-to-back asian games final she had a very closely contested semi-final however she had a
31:16point
31:17in the commonwealth games campaign she managed to get her redemption with a 5-0 win and what's more
31:22with the victory lavlina became the first women boxer since merrycom in 2014 to secure a gold medal at the
31:30place in the end of the day i think this is my best gift i think this is my best
31:37birthday
31:38i thought that if you can give me a gold medal for me this is a great thing for me
31:44and i have
31:45tried so much and i am very happy i am not sure how to explain how to explain how to
31:56explain it
32:00I belong here and I had to feel this feeling because my journey has been a long time for 15
32:10years and I have to finish the podium for this moment and I have to finish the podium and I
32:17have to feel this feeling very special.
32:24Afterwards, Lavlina celebrated that win that happened on her 29th birthday.
32:29By cutting a cake after receiving a medal, making her special day all the more special.
32:34We'll have those pictures up on the screen as well.
32:37This win also extended what has been a special relationship she has with Japan given she also won an Olympic
32:45bronze in the country in the Tokyo Games in 2021.
32:49Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear lovely. Happy Birthday to you. Many more gold for you.
33:05Happy Birthday to you.
33:09Happy Birthday to you.
33:19Happy Birthday to you.
33:26Staying with boxing, Parveen Huda beat Paris Olympic bronze medalist Chen Ni Shin 3-2 to win the women's 65kg
33:34gold at the Asian Games 2026 in what was a nerve-wracking encounter that went right down to the wire.
33:41Parveen was only the third Indian woman boxer to make it to the Asian Games final.
33:46The Chinese Taipei boxer brought considerable experience into the contest but Parveen started strongly and took the early initiative.
33:54Chen fought back as the bout progressed and managed to put Parveen under pressure.
33:58The Indian boxer however stayed in the contest and continued to fight for every run.
34:03The close nature of the bout was reflected in the final verdict with the judges split 3-2 in Parveen's
34:09favour.
34:09It was a comeback for the Indian boxer who was stripped of an Asian Games bronze medal three years ago
34:14for a whereabouts failure.
34:23It was three out of three for Indian boxing.
34:26Ankush Phangal clinched a gold medal for India in the men's 80kg boxing final beating South Korea's Kim Min Seong
34:33by unanimous decision in what was a dominant display by the Indian pugilist.
34:37The Indian was far superior boxer in the bout from start to finish, finishing all the three rounds on four
34:44of the five judges' scorecards and leaving the result beyond all doubt.
34:47After taking the opening two rounds, Ankush maintained his intensity in the third and did not let off.
34:53In the end, he won the bout 10-9 on all five cards to complete a commanding retreat and see
34:59the Asian Games.
35:01Me and, I mean, I was talking about him and how he put on, I mean, I know, he changed
35:06his category and now fighting in a new…
35:0872.
35:09Yeah, 72.
35:11Now to one of the stories of this Asian Games.
35:14Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal delivered a comeback for the ages to win an Asian Games gold medal at the men's
35:20freestyle 65kg resting final.
35:23Now, Sujeet was standing at a defeat with the clock ticking down, trailing 2-9 with just a minute and
35:2940 seconds remaining.
35:30The Indian wrestler looked to be heading out with Kudyev firmly in control.
35:35But what followed was an incredible comeback.
35:39Sujeet suddenly shifted gears, launching a relentless series of attacks and refusing to give up.
35:44He went hunting for takedowns and pulled off three in quick succession to claw his way back into contention.
35:50The deficit was wiped out, the momentum shifted and eventually Sujeet won that contest with 10-9.
35:5711 seconds remaining was when he got the final point and what a stunning comeback.
36:03Remember, in this entire campaign he had also beaten the current Olympic champion.
36:08Sujeet Kalkal writes his name into sporting folklore for India in 2026 at Aichi Nagoya.
36:17Now, of course, those are the six gold medals that India won on the day, but there were more medals
36:21that came into India's kitty.
36:23The gold medals stole the spotlight, but India added plenty of other medals.
36:27Let's quickly take a look at other results from the day.
36:30Kumkum Mohal and Dheeraj Bombadevara won silver in the mixed team event after going down 5-3 against China Zhu
36:38Jing and Lee Mengkui in the final.
36:42China won the opening two sets, but India responded, taking the third set.
36:46And then it was a close encounter that finished 37-37, giving China eventually the title.
36:55The men's recurve team of Dheeraj Bombadevara, Neeraj Chauhan and Yashdi Bhoge took a silver medal in the Asian Games,
37:03losing 5-1 to South Korea in the final.
37:05It was a close encounter with India winning one set, but two sets going South Korea as well.
37:15Netra Kumanan secured a bronze medal in the women's dinghy competition, finishing on the podium at her fourth appearance at
37:22the Games.
37:23Netra finished sixth in one of the two final races, but responded emphatically by winning the other.
37:29That performance was enough to secure the bronze medal.
37:34India also won the bronze medal in Sepak Takrao in Asian Games after securing their first ever podium finish in
37:41the men's quadrant event.
37:43The Indian quadrant team lost 2-0 to Japan in the semi-finals to better their previous best finish in
37:49this particular event, which was fifth in Hangs Out at 2022.
37:59Okay, we're turning our attention to cricket but still staying with the Asian Games.
38:03The Indian men's cricket team are one step away from winning a gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
38:08A final opponent, they have to conquer our struggles Pakistan.
38:12Here's a look at why India are favourites and what can be expected in this contest.
38:21If anyone needed proof that India remained the gold standard in T20 cricket, their demolition of Sri Lanka in the
38:28Asian Games semi-final served up yet another reminder.
38:35Having set the Lankans a stiff target of 170 on a bowler-friendly track, India dismissed the opposition for 45,
38:43registering a mammoth 124-run win in the process.
38:50Ishan Kishan was the difference maker for the Indian team with the bat, scoring an impressive 80 in perilous conditions.
38:57And he revealed what the mindset of the team is heading into the final.
39:06I think just keeping it simple, you know, you don't think so much.
39:10We played today, we know the conditions are not going to be so easy, especially they are also a spinner
39:15friendly team.
39:16At the same time, you know, you just don't think like what's going to happen after two days.
39:20You just keep calm, you play your shots, you be in the moment and just enjoy those.
39:26Pakistan beat one of the pre-tournament favourites in Bangladesh to seal their final spot, with the win being noteworthy
39:33as Pakistan upset the second string team for the tournament.
39:40Look, we were pretty good with the ball bar, you know, five or six deliveries, you know, okay in the
39:45field.
39:45But I thought the way we finished with the bat after being under a little bit of pressure, I was
39:49really pleased with the way Hassan Nawaz and Abdul Samad played.
39:54But India's start is the clear favourites given they have an imperious 14-3 win-loss record over Pakistan in
40:01T20i cricket and their last loss to Pakistan in the format came in 2022.
40:09It will also be the first time the men's teams of the two nations will meet in a final since
40:14the ill-tempered 2025 Asia Cup clash, a match remembered for India refusing to accept the trophy from ACC and
40:22PCB chief Mohsen Natvi.
40:26But this time India's sole focus will be on the win, and with the women's team having already sealed their
40:32gold medal, the men's team will also look to follow suit.
40:37Sports Bureau India Today.
40:42Okay, to build up for that big game, we're joined live by our cricket analyst in Mr. Sunil Gavaskar.
40:48Sahiwai, we just looked at the head-to-head record.
40:51I'm seeing the last six times these two teams have played in T20i's, 6-0 in India's favour.
40:57Looking at the two teams and the current form, fair to say more chances of it being 7-0 than
41:036-1 at the end of tomorrow?
41:07Yeah, but before that, I think salutations to Captain Smith for what he did the other day and saving the
41:14lives of so many people.
41:16I mean, absolutely tremendous.
41:18So, you know, grateful and so proud of what he did.
41:22And yes, I think coming back to the cricket with the way the Indian team has been playing in all
41:30formats of the game, you know, the win against the West Indies two days ago chasing 400,
41:34and then the record that they have in the T20 format, they certainly start the favourites.
41:41Also because the only thing is that Pakistan will probably be under a lot less pressure because it's their second
41:47string team.
41:47And in a T20 game, you know, fortunes can change in an over or so, but I do believe that
41:55India has got all their guns firing.
41:58Once again, with Ishaan Kishan playing, you know, a match-winning game where every time, you know, the team is
42:03in trouble, Ishaan puts his hands up.
42:06So, because you talk about Ishaan Kishan and how good he was in that last game, now we believe it's
42:11going to be a spin-friendly track.
42:13We've seen that in this Asian Games. Does that, in that sense, even out the contest between the two teams?
42:19Because India's strength is their batting, but such pitches don't allow for free-flowing batting.
42:23And in that sense, and we've seen Indian batters sometimes struggle against spin.
42:27It happened versus Japan, kind of happened versus Sri Lanka if it wasn't for Ishaan Kishan.
42:33That evens out the contest, the pitch that will be available?
42:37Yes, but don't forget that India has also got a tremendous spin attack.
42:42Look at what they did to Sri Lanka. Dismissing them for 45 just tells you how well they bowled.
42:47They exploited the pitch well.
42:49Yes, you could have a pitch which is stirring, but you still need the bowlers.
42:52Sri Lanka has always got top-quality spin bowlers.
42:55But because of those two innings, firstly at the start by Vaibos Surya Moushi when he got to 39,
43:02and then Ishaan Kishan's really hammering the bowling around, that's how India got to 170.
43:09I thought at one stage, looking at the way the pitch was, that maybe about 145, 150 would be a
43:15good score to get.
43:16But we've got 20 more.
43:17So, yes, I think with the Indian spin bowling, with being the best in the world at the moment,
43:25you know, yeah, we might not get too many runs, but I don't think we'll allow Pakistan to get too
43:29many runs either.
43:31Yeah, that's exactly what we've been seeing in this particular tournament.
43:34Last time, Pakistan was a bit under pressure versus Bangladesh.
43:38It was only the lower order that really bailed them out.
43:40But one thing that we witnessed in the last game versus Sri Lanka, which was very interesting,
43:46you managed to fit all the three in, in Abhishek, Sanju, Samsung, Vaibhav Suryavanshi into the 11.
43:51Did you like that idea? Would you want India to continue with that?
43:58You've got to, you know, horses for courses.
43:59You've got to go according to what the opposition is, and what is the opposition strength,
44:04and how you can counter that strength.
44:05Then you've also got to have a look at the pitch, the overcast conditions, overhead conditions,
44:09and take the final call.
44:12But I think that was a very, very smart move.
44:17You saw it paid dividends, because Abhishek and Sanju got out early,
44:22but Vaibhav continued batting the way he did.
44:25And got those runs at 39 was something that pushed Sri Lanka back,
44:30because if they had got another wicket or so earlier, then who knows, even India would have struggled.
44:35Okay.
44:36That's an interesting one.
44:38You talk about we'll have to look at the overhead conditions.
44:40I'm just looking at the weather right now.
44:42It's supposed to be a clear day, not a chance of rain.
44:45At best, a very minimal chance of rain.
44:47Bright and sunny.
44:48So, it's a good day for cricket.
44:50That's great news.
44:51In that sense, we saw last game, India play only one regular fast bowler in Jaspreet Bumrah.
44:57Did you like that?
44:58Would you want India to continue with that?
45:00Or maybe look at an Arshlip, get another fast bowler, maybe at the cost of an extra batter,
45:04because the batting was still nine.
45:06Or maybe in place of a spinner, what would you do?
45:11Yes, that's a tricky one.
45:13You want guys who can bowl with the new ball.
45:16I think Shivam Dubey was supposed to be the backup new ball bowler,
45:20along with Jaspreet Bumrah.
45:22That didn't quite happen, because the spinners came to the party straight away.
45:26And I think, I won't be surprised if India go in with a similar kind of line-up,
45:31where they have depth in their batting,
45:33so that in case they lose in the power player of your wicket,
45:35they still have enough firepower to try and get a big score.
45:40So, they could jolly well go with the same combination for the final as well.
45:45And from Pakistan's point of view, Sahib Zada Farhan,
45:48I've seen he's got a decent record versus India when it comes to T20Is.
45:53He's their captain as well.
45:54His wicket is the key wicket for India to target?
45:58Yes.
45:59He's a man who's got runs against India.
46:01He knows how to tackle Bumrah.
46:03He knows how to play against the bowlers.
46:05So, yes, his wicket is going to be the key for India.
46:09Just like I think Ishaan Kishan's wicket is going to be the key for Pakistan.
46:15Okay.
46:16So, I have a final question to you before we let you go.
46:20The draw was out for the World Cup yesterday.
46:24The Indian team, we've seen it alongside Pakistan and Australia.
46:28Plenty of chatter that maybe India's got the easier group.
46:32We'll try and get that group as well on stage.
46:34What did you make of the schedule, the tournament format?
46:37Now, you've got a Super 7.
46:39So, at least four group stages.
46:41Overall, India's group.
46:42Your thoughts?
46:45Yes, I think the World Cup, you know,
46:49where maybe I don't remember whether it was 2011,
46:52where all the teams played against each other once.
46:55I think and then the four semi-finalists were decided after that.
47:00Maybe something like that makes it a little bit more interesting.
47:04But we'll just have to wait and see, because this is a new format.
47:07This format, I don't think, has been used before in the World Cup.
47:10So, it'll be something that we'll have to wait and see.
47:12Obviously, the thinking has been to try and look at the huge amounts
47:18that the broadcasters put in, to try and give them as much as possible.
47:21And over there, there is a possibility of India and Pakistan playing maybe three times
47:27if they both get to the final.
47:31So, therefore, I think it's been thought of with that in mind.
47:34And nobody should be cribbing about it because, you know,
47:37the broadcasters are so, so important.
47:38They bring in the big bucks.
47:41And which is the reason we all get to see it all over the world.
47:44Okay, Saimba, we'll leave it at that.
47:46Completely out of time.
47:47But thanks so much for joining us, talking to us.
47:49Here's a reminder, we'll have Mr. Gavaskar back tomorrow
47:52after that big final gold medal match between India and Pakistan
47:56to analyze that final as well.
47:58So, look forward to your company then for the moment from the entire team.
48:01Thanks so much for watching.
48:03News and updates continue after this break.