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‘Australia has given me pathway, not a place in team’: Anaya Bangar on WBBL dream | Cricket News

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‘Australia has given me pathway, not a place in team’: Anaya Bangar on WBBL dream

Anaya Bangar’s return to competitive cricket now has a potential timeline, with March 2027 set as the key date in her bid to pursue elite women’s cricket in Australia and potentially earn a route into the Women’s Big Bash League.The former Mumbai U-19 cricketer has been cleared by Cricket Australia to play community cricket and has been given a pathway to pursue elite women’s cricket, subject to the governing body’s eligibility requirements.Bangar, the daughter of former India cricketer and ex-India batting coach Sanjay Bangar, stressed that the clearance does not amount to selection for the WBBL or automatic entry into elite cricket. Instead, it gives her an opportunity to work towards that level.“I am preparing to return to women’s cricket in Australia with the aim of pursuing elite cricket from March 2027,” the 25-year-old said. “This has not been an automatic or an informal process. Cricket Australia has a framework designed to balance fairness, competitive integrity, and inclusion in women’s sport, and my case has been considered through that framework.”Bangar said she understands that she will have to earn any opportunity that comes her way.“Cricket Australia has given me a pathway, which does not mean that I have been given a place in a team. I still have to train, compete, perform and earn that opportunity,” she said.

March 2027 eligibility checkpoint

Bangar’s immediate plan is to find a club and play community cricket in Australia as she works towards a return to the competitive game. Her participation in elite competitions, including the WBBL, will depend on Cricket Australia’s Transgender and Gender Diverse Players in Elite Cricket Policy.Under the policy, a player’s serum testosterone concentration must remain below 10 nmol/L for at least 12 months to qualify for elite cricket.Bangar’s eligibility will be assessed from March 2027, including through a required blood test.“My understanding from Cricket Australia’s clearance is that my eligibility for elite women’s cricket from March 2027 remains subject to the applicable policy requirements, including a blood test assessment at the same time. If that March 2027 test confirms that I continue to meet the required testosterone criteria, I will be eligible to pursue selection for elite women’s cricket, including the Women’s Big Bash League pathway,” Bangar said.Meeting those requirements would allow Bangar to seek selection, but would not guarantee her a place in an elite team.“I don’t expect my history or my identity to earn me a place on a cricket team. I want my cricket to earn me a place on a cricket team,” she said.

Why Bangar approached Cricket Australia

Bangar had earlier sought clarity from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over whether transgender athletes could compete in women’s cricket in India. She said she received no response to a letter submitted last year.She subsequently approached Cricket Australia in June this year.According to Bangar, Cricket Australia assessed her medical records, blood tests, documents relating to her surgeries and a research report from Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Sport before reaching its decision.“After I published my athlete testing report and everything else, BCCI stayed quiet about it. Whereas Cricket Australia actually read my report, went through all my medical history and had a proper team assessing my case,” Bangar said.“I approached Cricket Australia and they gave me clearance to play in terms of fairness and inclusivity.”Bangar is now looking for a club in Australia, with community cricket set to be the first step in her attempt to rebuild her playing career and eventually pursue an opportunity in elite women’s cricket.

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PGA Tour hits Matt Gogel with six-month ban over golf betting violations

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Matt Gogel has been handed a six-month ban after placing bets on golf.

The PGA Tour confirmed on Wednesday that none of his wagers involved events in which he was playing.

The 55-year-old, whose best PGA Tour Champions finish this year was runner-up in the Senior British Open, can return on 22 February 2027.

Gogel called the situation an honest mistake.

“In 2024 and 2025, I unknowingly violated the PGA Tour policy by placing small, recreational wagers on golf,” Gogel said in a statement provided by the tour.

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“I want to be clear that these wagers were not placed on regular PGA Tour events, PGA Tour Champions events or any tournament in which I participated.”

The tour did not disclose details of his violation, though his statement would indicate the wagers involved major championships.

Gogel, who grew up in Kansas, was best known on the PGA Tour for shooting 40 on the back nine in 2000 when Tiger Woods overcame a seven-shot deficit in the final seven holes at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for his sixth straight victory.

Gogel atoned for that two years later by winning at Pebble Beach, his lone PGA Tour title.

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He worked briefly for Golf Channel and CBS, returning to competition when he turned 50 and became eligible for the PGA Tour Champions.

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Czech duo Muchova and Mensik win US Open mixed doubles title

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The Czech team of Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik won the US Open mixed doubles Wednesday, saving two match points in a nervy semi-final and then pulling through in a tight final.

The pair survived a second-set pummeling in the championship decider in New York to edge Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and Flavio Cobolli of Italy, 6-3, 1-6, 10-6. 

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Mensik, a singles semi-finalist at this year’s French Open, sealed the triumph with a searing ace to the backhand corner. 

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Another Mensik ace saved one of two match points earlier in the evening when the Czech pair edged the Russians Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev, 5-4, 3-5, 11-9.

The back-to-back wins secured the first Grand Slam title for both Mensik and Muchova, who lost a heartbreaking Wimbledon singles final in July in three sets to fellow Czech, Linda Noskova.

“At the end the matching outfits made the difference for us,” Muchova quipped during the trophy presentation, referencing the white and maroon kit worn by the team.

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The mixed doubles event is in its second year with a convention-busting format which features shortened sets and multiple matches played the same day.

The competition is scheduled before the main US Open to attract singles stars who usually avoid Grand Slam doubles events to conserve energy for the concluding matches of the biggest events. 

The tournament’s star teams — the cross-generational partnership of Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka — did not make it through the event’s preliminary rounds.

That left open a Grand Slam opportunity for some of the game’s most accomplished non-household names to nab a precious major title, resulting two semifinals and a final that all went the distance.

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Earlier, Cobolli and Bencic beat the married team of Elina Svitolina of Ukraine and Gael Monfils of France in a hard-fought marathon, 4-5, 4-1, 10-5.

The result ended the prospects for a fairytale finale to the career of the acrobatic Monfils, who has said 2026 will be his last season. 

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Usain Bolt Proposes to Longtime Partner Kasi Bennett on 40th Birthday

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Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt has proposed to his longtime partner, Kasi Bennett, during celebrations marking his 40th birthday in Kingston, Jamaica.

Bolt reportedly got down on one knee in front of family and close friends before presenting Bennett with a diamond engagement ring.

The surprise proposal adds a major new chapter to the couple’s relationship, which has lasted for more than a decade.

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Bolt and Bennett began their relationship in 2013 and have since built a family together. They have three children.

The eight-time Olympic champion has often kept his family life away from the spotlight, although he has occasionally shared moments with Bennett and their children on social media.

Bennett has also supported Bolt throughout his life after athletics, as he has remained one of Jamaica’s most recognisable sporting figures since retiring from competitive sprinting.

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Usain Bolt proposesUsain Bolt proposes

Bolt, widely regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time, won eight Olympic gold medals and holds the men’s 100m and 200m world records.

His 100m world record of 9.58 seconds, set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, remains unbeaten.

The proposal came as Bolt celebrated reaching the age of 40, marking another important milestone for the Jamaican sporting icon.

With the engagement now confirmed, Bolt and Bennett are set to begin preparations for the next chapter of their lives together after more than 13 years as a couple.

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Why did Roki Sasaki exit Braves game today? All you need to know about the Dodgers pitcher’s minor health issue

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki has had a mixed second season with the NL West franchise. Sasaki’s struggles worsened after he left Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves with an injury.

Sasaki, who held the Braves to a run over the first three innings, ran into trouble in the fourth. After the Japanese pitcher allowed three earned runs, Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior and interpreter Will Ireton visited the mound.

Dodgers’ head athletic trainer Thomas Albert and manager Dave Roberts also joined them on the mound to evaluate Sasaki’s right hand. The Japanese pitcher exited the game after a brief discussion. He reportedly suffered a blister on the middle finger of his right hand.

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Sasaki entered Wednesday’s game with a 2.31 ERA over his last six starts since the All-Star break. However, he exited the game after just 3.1 innings with four earned runs and three strikeouts.

His shaky fourth inning helped the Braves overturn a 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead. The Dodgers sent reliever Edgardo Henriquez to the mound to replace Sasaki.

The Dodgers allowed another run in the sixth inning, but bounced back with two runs in the seventh to make it 5-5.

Dodgers’ pitching depth expected to cope with Roki Sasaki’s injury