Neeraj Chopra throws 85.29m to win the Ostrava Golden Spike

OSTRAVA-VITKOVICE, June 24: Neeraj Chopra, India's javelin throw sensation, delivered a stellar performance, securing the prestigious Golden Spike meet title in his debut at the renowned World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event.

Fresh off his triumphant victory at the Paris Diamond League on June 20, the 27-year-old star emerged victorious in a competitive nine-man field with a throw of 85.29 m. Although this effort was slightly more modest compared to his recent feats, it marked another milestone in an already remarkable season. Douw Smith, with 84.12m finished second, followed by Anderson Peters (83.63m) at third.

Neeraj, who missed the previous two Golden Spike meets – where his coach, the iconic Jan Zelezny, claimed nine titles – due to fitness challenges, demonstrated remarkable resilience and consistency. His stellar season features a breakthrough 90m-plus throw, earning second place at the Doha Diamond League in May, and capturing his first Diamond League title in two years in Paris, cementing his reputation as one of javelin’s brightest stars.

Chopra opened with a foul on his first attempt, putting early pressure on the Olympic champion. However, he bounced back strongly in his second throw, launching the javelin to 83.45m, comfortably crossing the 80m mark and placing third behind South Africa’s Smit (84.12m, a personal best) and Grenada’s Peters (83.63m).

The Indian star found his rhythm in his third attempt, unleashing a meet-leading throw of 85.29m, (the first 85m+ effort), taking the top spot. Despite a slight dip in his fourth (82.17m) and fifth (81.01m) attempts, Neeraj remained untroubled at the top, though he appeared unsatisfied with his distances, notably showing a pout after his fourth throw. His 85.29m effort stood as the best of the night, securing his victory.

Elsewhere, Rio Olympics champion Thomas Rohler improved from a modest 69.35m in his first attempt to a respectable 77.78m, but it wasn’t enough to challenge the leaders. Smit and Peters held their positions, finishing strong but unable to surpass Chopra’s third-round mark.

Neeraj Chopra Finishes Top In Paris Diamond League

PARIS, June 20: Neeraj Chopra has added another feather to his cap. He has finished on top in the Paris Diamond League with a best throw of 88.16m, that came in his first attempt.

Germany's Julian Weber finished second with a best throw of 87.88m. Brazil's Luiz Mauricio da Silva finished third with a best throw of 86.62m.

None of the other throwers including Keshorn Walcott and Anderson Peters could breach the 82m mark. Next up for the ace Indian is the Neeraj Chopra Classic at home.

2 Dead In Violent Celebrations In Paris After PSG's Champions League Win

PARIS, June 1: The celebration of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans after their club's victory in the Champions League final took a tragic turn on Sunday, when 2 people were killed following clashes with police in France. Violence broke out near Paris' Champs-Élysées avenue and PSG's Parc des Princes stadium, where nearly 50,000 people had gathered to witness the club's 5-0 win against Inter Milan in Munich on big screens.

The celebrating football fans set off flares and fireworks, smashed bus shelters and touched cars amid the wild celebrations. France's interior ministry said on Sunday that 491 people were arrested in the capital, while a total of 559 people were arrested across France as a whole.

The two people died as the celebrations turned violent. A man riding a motor scooter in Paris died after being hit by a car in the city's southern 15th arrondissement, located just a couple of kilometres (miles) away from the Champs-Élysées.

In the southwestern town of Dax, a 17-year-old boy was fatally stabbed at a gathering feting the PSG victory, prosecutors said.

His death occurred "during the celebrations", but the prosecutor's office said it did not know whether it was directly related to the Champions League final. It added that the perpetrator was "on the run".

According to the interior ministry, over 200 people were injured in violence, including 21 police officers. It said 18 officers were injured in Paris, along with three elsewhere in France. Seven fire-service personnel were also hurt, as well as 192 people celebrating in the streets.

Air India To Drop Turkish Maintenance Service, Cites 'Public Sentiment'S

NEW DELHI, June 1: Air India is set to wind up its association with Turkish Technic, a leading global aviation service provider, that provides comprehensive maintenance for Boeing 777 aircraft in the airline's fleet.

"If there is a concern about continuing to do business in this fashion, then we'll find alternatives," said Campbell Wilson, Air India's CEO and MD, who confirmed that the airline was ending its association with Turkish Technic. "I think we want to respect public sentiment."

The Air India announcement comes within days of the Civil Aviation Ministry telling IndiGo, India's largest airline, that it will not be allowed to operate two aircraft that it has wet-leased from Turkish Airlines beyond three months. Earlier, the government had cancelled the security clearance of Celebi, a Turkey-linked aviation ground handling services company that has been present in nine airports in the country.

The government's moves are a reaction to Turkey's support for Pakistan, which New Delhi has targeted with strikes on terror centres and air bases during Operation Sindoor. Turkish-made drones were also used by Pakistan in military operations against India. New Delhi's message is clear - there cannot, presently, be any 'business as usual' arrangement with Turkish companies given Ankara's support for Pakistan.

Explaining the tie-up with Turkish Technic, Wilson said, "We have committed some aircraft which are already under maintenance. And for alternatives that are about to go into maintenance, we're looking for alternative providers to perform the service instead."

Maintenance, repair and overhaul services for Air India's long-haul Boeing 777 fleet are presently carried out at the Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), a public sector undertaking which belongs to the government. Some aircraft are also being sent to Abu Dhabi and Singapore.

"AIESL was really the only game in town. And they don't have the capacity to perform the basic maintenance as well as the rehabilitation and retrofit that we're currently undertaking. So we've had to send aircraft out of India and some to AIESL, into many locations."

The recent military hostilities between India and Pakistan have also had a direct bearing on Air India's long-haul services. With airspace over Pakistan shut to Indian-owned airlines, some of Air India's flights to North America are having to operate on different, longer routes. Some non-stop services have now become one-stop flights to refuel aircraft.

"There is a significant additional cost," says Wilson. "And ultimately, it does get passed on to the consumer, whether it's because there are fewer seats available to be offered and so the remaining seats have higher demand, or we just pass through the actual cost increase that we're incurring. So we all hope that this normalises as quickly as possible, but it's out of our hands."

Wilson, though, disagrees with suggestions that the airspace ban over Pakistan has significantly disrupted Air India's long-haul offerings. "So I'd push back on that. I think there are only three cities that we're not currently operating nonstop. Every other flight that we have previously operated is continuing to operate nonstop. So the customer proposition of a convenient nonstop service by an Indian carrier to North America remains."

That said, some flights are taking longer -- between an hour to three hours, depending on the city where the aircraft is headed. "But that is still much more convenient than transiting through somewhere in between," says Campbell.