Almost all the Asian Games-bound track and field athletes, including fit-again star steeplechaser Avinash Sable, will be in action in the Indian Athletics Series Final here on Thursday as part of their tune-up to the mega event in Japan later this month.

The invitational one-day event at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is the culmination of the 15-leg Indian Athletics Series, which was introduced by Athletics Federation of India (AFI) this April.

The national federation has made the finale lucrative by introducing a total prize fund of Rs 65 lakh. The winner in each of the 30 events will pocket Rs one lakh.

The second place finishers will receive Rs 50,000 each while the athletes who ended at third, fourth, fifth and sixth will get Rs 25,000, Rs 20,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively.

Except for a few athletes such as long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, high jumper Sarvesh Kushare and triple jumper Praveen Chithravel, all the athletes from the 77-member Indian team for the Asian Games in Japan beginning September 19 will be competing on Thursday.

Sreeshankar, who won a silver in the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and has also crossed the 8m mark in every competition he took part this season, is already in Japan, training at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.

The remaining athletes will leave for Japan on Saturday and reach the University of Tsukuba the next day for a short acclimatisation camp. They will reach Aichi-Nagoya on September 21, two days before the start of the athletics events at the Asian Games.

This is not the first time that the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is giving prize money to the winners.

During the 2009 season, the AFI had given out prize money to the top-three finishers in the three Indian Grand Prix series, with the winners handed Rs 15,000 each, amounting to an aggregate of Rs 15 lakh prize purse.

Sable, Yashvir among top draws ======================= Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist javelin thrower Yashvir Singh, who has replaced an injured Neeraj Chopra in the Asian Games team, will be among the top draws alongside Sable, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, 100m hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, and long jumper Ancy Sojan to name a few.

Thursday’s event is important for Sable as the AFI has made a request to the Asian Games organisers to allow his entry in the 5000m race as well.

But he will have to first breach the qualifying standard (13 minute and 39.18 seconds) set by the AFI at the race on Thursday. His participation in the Asian Games in his pet 30000m steeplechase event, though, is confirmed.

Sable has run just one race this season after undergoing an ACL surgery last year. He won a gold in 3000m steeplechase and a silver in 5000m in the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

India’s fastest male sprinter and 100m national record holder Gurindervir Singh, 200m national record holder Animesh Kujur and 400m national record holder Vishal TK are also in fray.

CWG medallist Gulveer Singh is not competing as long distance events are not included in the meet.

Marathon, race walk, heptathlon, decathlon, men’s discus and women’s 200m race have also been excluded.

List of events: Men: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m steeplechase, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, hammer throw, javelin throw.

Women: 100m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m steeplechase, 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, hammer throw, discus throw, javelin throw.

Chelsea’s defensive problems continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw by promoted Hull City at Stamford Bridge.

Despite scoring twice through Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro, the Blues once again failed to keep a clean sheet, extending their unwanted run to 20 consecutive Premier League matches without one.

Rogers gave Chelsea an early lead in the seventh minute, continuing the club’s fast starts this season. The £117 million signing from Aston Villa moved past Matt Crooks before firing into the bottom corner.

But Chelsea’s defence soon let them down.

Jorrel Hato switched off in the 28th minute, allowing Mohamed Belloumi to meet Ryan Giles’ cross and volley Hull level.

The visitors then turned the game around before half-time. After Semi Ajayi’s header hit the crossbar, Oli McBurnie reacted quickly and the ball eventually fell to Belloumi, whose effort took deflections off Levi Colwill and Reece James before finding the net.

Chelsea had chances to respond, but Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis stood firm.

Joao Pedro eventually rescued a point for Chelsea in the 66th minute, curling a powerful left-footed finish into the near corner after Cole Palmer delivered a dangerous low cross.

The Blues pushed for a winner late on, with Palmer, James and Rogers all coming close. However, Hull survived to take a valuable point from Stamford Bridge.

The result leaves Chelsea fourth in the Premier League, while Hull remain an impressive third.

But for Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso, the biggest concern will once again be at the back.

Twenty Premier League games without a clean sheet is now the reality for Chelsea, highlighting a defensive problem that Alonso will need to solve quickly if the Blues are to challenge at the top end of the table.

Chelsea may be scoring goals, but until they learn how to stop conceding them, every match will continue to feel like a fight.

Dominik Mysterio defended his AAA Mega Championship against El Grande Americano in the main event of TripleMania 34 Night Two. After weeks of bad blood, the two finally settled their differences inside the squared circle, with the biggest prize in AAA Lucha Libre on the line.

Americano kicked off the match at a pace, but “Dirty” Dom gained momentum midway, making the bout more competitive.

Mysterio soon introduced the title belt to inflict serious damage on Americano. But things went El Grande’s way, as he introduced weapons himself.

Seeing the title slipping from Dominik’s hand, JD McDonagh appeared and attacked Americano, but Los Americanos ran in to take out JD. Omos also showed up to help Mysterio, but El Grande managed to put the Nigerian Giant away with a low blow.

In the final moments of the match, El Grande Americano accidentally knocked out the referee. Seizing the opportunity, Mysterio attempted to hit El Grande with the title. However, Americano recovered in time and executed his finisher on Dirty Dom.

Despite being banged up from his match against Omos on night one, Rey Mysterio ran in as a special guest referee. He counted three, and Dominik did not kick out, and a brand-new AAA Mega Champion was crowned

In this article, we will take a look at three reasons why Dominik Mysterio lost his AAA Mega Championship to El Grande Americano:

#3. Nothing left in Dominik Mysterio’s reign

Dominik Mysterio’s reign as the AAA Mega Champion ended after 366 days at TripleMania 34 Night Two. During his lengthy reign, he defended the strap three times, which is not a good look for AAA’s major championship, and Dirty Dom didn’t have much else to offer as the Mega Champion.

Therefore, AAA’s Creative may have decided to finally take the title off The Judgment Day member and put it on a hungrier star who has something new to offer as champion.

#2. To have a dedicated champion

Dominik Mysterio is primarily a WWE Superstar; he features on Monday Night RAW more often and makes only surprise appearances at AAA Lucha Libre.

The brand crowned Dirty Dom AAA Mega Champion to get eyeballs on the product, and with his 350-plus-day reign, Dominik has made the strap more popular with a larger number of fans.

AAA may have thus shifted its focus to getting a more dedicated champion for the brand, and El Grande Americano has been the top guy for quite some time. Americano could defend the title more often and represent the belt better, even on the weekly shows.

#1. WWE might have other plans for Dominik Mysterio

Now that “Dirty” Dom has been rid of the burden of being AAA Mega Champion at TripleMania 34 Night Two, where he dropped the title to El Grande Americano, WWE may have other plans for him on Monday Night RAW.

There have been ongoing rumors regarding the breakup of The Judgment Day. With both Mysterio and Liv Morgan losing their titles, JD, Raquel Rodriguez, and Roxanne Perez could betray the couple and kick them out of the faction.

This would lay the groundwork for Dominik Mysterio and Liv becoming a babyface couple on the red brand, waging war against their former faction.