Tokyo Olympics 2021

WILLIE NELSON MOVES UP TO MIDDLEWEIGH; TARGETS GOLOVKIN, CHARLO, BRANT & MURATA || FIGHTHYPE.COM

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Willie Nelson (27-3-1) is looking to make a big impact in 2021. Like many fighters, Nelson’s 2020 campaign was aborted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Nelson has been a top contender in the super welterweight division the past several years but will campaign as a full fledged middleweight when he returns to the ring.  The middleweight division has produced some of the biggest fights in boxing in recent years and there are several fighters who interest Nelson.

“I just want to get in the mix. (Gennadiy) Golovkin is a guy I want to fight.  I think his style and mine would produce the type of fight that the fans would love.  I also am looking at guys like Rob Brant, Jaime Munguia, Ryota Murata, and Jermall Charlo.  I want to fight the top guys in the division. If I can’t get a champion right away get me a top contender that would put me in position to fight for a title,” Nelson explained.

The 33 year old has never backed down from a challenge and is no stranger to big fights having fought on HBO, Showtime and ESPN throughout his career.  He holds a big knockout victory over former champion Tony Harrison and also handed top prospects Yudel Johnson and John Jackson their first professional losses.  Nelson has also faced WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade and former title challenger Vanes Martirosyan.

“I feel a lot stronger at 160.  The last couple fights was a struggle to get down in weight.  I haven’t taken much punishment and feel like I am in the prime of my career. I can’t wait to begin this next chapter of my career. I just need to get a chance with one of these big names to remind everyone what I am capable of,” said Nelson.

“If we get a good start, we can chase this down” – Ishant Sharma hopeful of India chasing 420

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Team India pace bowler Ishant Sharma believes the hosts are not out of the Chennai Test yet. England have set India a target of 420 to win the first Test.

According to Ishant Sharma, who completed 300 wickets in Test cricket on Monday, if India get a good start tomorrow, anything is possible with the line-up they possess. Speaking at the end of the fourth day’s play, Ishant Sharma said:

“It all depends on how we start tomorrow. If we get a good start I am sure that we can chase this down. We have a fearless batting line-up and we are very positive so it’s about how we start and then we can think about how we go through the game.”

Ishant Sharma added that the pitch has been a tough one to bowl on. Describing the surface as a “road”, he continued:

“For the first two days I thought we were playing on a road but yesterday it started to spin a bit more. I think we’ve bowled really well, even on day one or two when the pitch was offering nothing.”

Ishant Sharma trapped Dan Lawrence lbw to complete 300 Test wickets, while Ravichandran Ashwin ran through the England line-up to finish with figures of 6 for 61. This restricted the visitors to a second-innings score of just 178.

Chasing 420, India lost Rohit Sharma cheaply again, bowled by a peach from Jack Leach for 12. The hosts were 39 for 1 at stumps, with Shubman Gill unbeaten on 15 and Cheteshwar Pujara on 12.

When India chased down 387 against England in Chennai

India’s target is a little more than the 387 they famously chased at this very venue against England back in 2008. That, too, was the first Test of the series, and not many had given India a chance to chase the mammoth total.

However, Virender Sehwag’s spectacular knock of 83 from 68 balls gave India the much-needed impetus. Sehwag’s opening partner, Gautam Gambhir, also made a dogged 66.

Sachin Tendulkar (103 not out) and Yuvraj Singh (85 not out) featured in an unbroken 163-run stand for the fourth wicket to seal a famous win for India.

The hosts will need to come up with a similar effort to clinch the current Chennai Test on Tuesday. India chased down a record total at the Gabba in their most recent Test. Can they add one more to their kitty at Chepauk?

Published 08 Feb 2021, 18:34 IST

French judoka Ludovic Bimont (50) passed away

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The latest Judo News offered by JudoInside.com

French judo is again in mourning at the start of 2021 as 50 year old Ludovic Bimont passed away. It’s another shock after Guy Auffray and Gérard Decherchi passed away recently as well.

Bimont’s club was Maisons-Alfort Judo Club during his years as a competitor The fifty-year-old police officer, stationed in Mayotte, was one of the best lightweights U60kg in the mid nineties. With France he became European team champion and French individual champion in 1996 He gained a total of six national medals and took a silver medal at the Tournoi de Paris in 1995 and was also in the final of the Moscow international Tournament in 1996 and Bulgarian Open in Sofia in 1992. Bimont fought against great fighters such as Tokuno, Taymans, Matuszek, Bagirov, Penas, Poulot at the major judo tournaments in that time.

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