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australian cricket leGend rod marsh dies after heart attack at 74

AUsTrALIAN cricket legend Rod Marsh has died at the age of 74.

Tributes have poured in for the former wicketkeeper and England selector just a week after he suffered a heart attack.

Marsh had been in a critical condition in Bundaberg, Queensland, and died in South Australia’s capital Adelaide on Friday morning local time.

Marsh made 96 Test appearances for Australia and ended his career with a then-record 355 dismissals.

He made a further 92 appearances in white-ball cricket for his country in an international career that lasted from 1970 to 1984.

His passing was confirmed by Marsh’s son Paul, who said in a statement: “On behalf of my mother Ros and brothers Dan and Jamie, it is with immense sadness that I advise that my father Rod passed away peacefully early this morning.

“He has been an incredible husband, father and grandfather and we have been so fortunate to have had him in all our lives.”

Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins led a chorus of tributes to Marsh, calling him a “colossal figure in Australian cricket”.

He said in a statement released by Cricket Australia (CA): “I, along with countless other people in Australia, grew up hearing the stories of him as a fearless and tough cricketer, but his swashbuckling batting and his brilliance behind the stumps over more than a decade made him one of the all-time greats of our sport, not just in Australia, but globally.

“When I think of Rod, I think of a generous and larger-than-life character who always had a lifeloving, positive and relaxed outlook, and his passing leaves a massive void in the Australian cricket community.”

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called Marsh a “fierce competitor and a fine sportsman”.

He wrote on Twitter: “Very sad to hear of the passing of Rod Marsh. As a kid he was my favourite player.

“He was part of one of the most exciting eras in Australian and world cricket.

“He will be remembered as one of Australia’s greatest ever Test cricket players.

“He was a fierce competitor and a fine sportsman who valued what the game stood for.

“Rod Marsh was a proud Western Australian and an absolute Aussie legend.

“My deepest sympathies go to his wife Ros and children Paul, Dan and Jamie.”

Becker, nadal Part of star studded line-uP for World tennis conference

THe world tennis conference in 2022 will be held from March 24th till March 27th as a virtual event and the lineup is tremendous.

The tennis event featuring some of the best coaches and players will be held virtually this year due to the pandemic but the event will still feature some of the biggest names in the world of tennis. The 2022 lineup is truly an amazing one with Rafael Nadal taking part as well as Boris Becker. The event will also have two live panels and will run from March 24th till March 27th.

arnold sports festival Pro Boxing facebooktwitterreddit

TROy Speakman brought back boxing in association with the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio Friday night after a two year lay off from holding the event due to Covid. The main event featured Alante “Bam Bam” Green (10-0-1, 7 KOs) vs. Samuel Clarkson (22-71, 15 KOs). What was supposed to be a Cruiserweight championship fight for the IBF/USBA and WBC/ NABF titles, which Green holds, turned into a Heavyweight contest due to Clarkson weighing in over the limit. The early rounds showcased Green’s speed with a fast jab. Rounds 2 and 4 produced incredible action, as both fighters traded hard blows. In the end, Green proved too much and was able to score a knockdown that Clarkson could not rightfully stand up and continue. The 2:28 Round 6 TKO victory puts Green on the fast track for some bigger fights in the near future.

The most exciting point in the card was Lightweight Ronaldo Vargas improving to (7-1, 6 KOs) by defeating Jerrell Hodge (2-2) with a devastating left hook to the body of Hodge. The knockdown had Hodge swimming across the ring, attempting to get up. But he had no chance, as the KO at the 2:10 mark of the 1st Round ended his night.

The fight of the night honors went to the Middleweight contest of Roy Barringer (7-3, 5 KOs) vs. Sam Wildenhaus (4-2, 1 KO). Round 1 saw Wildehaus leaning on Roy, not allowing Barringer to extend his punches. Round 2 and Round 3 were very close, giving both fighters great moments. In the 4th Round, Barringer caught Wildenhaus with a good, clean right. Round 5 had Wildenhaus catching Barringer with a right on the ropes. Round 6 is where Barringer’s hard work paid off with a knockdown of Wildenhaus. Unable to do more, Referee Lonnie Scott saw too much, as he waved off the fight with a 2:32 TKO.

Other fights had Kechayn Jenkins (1-0, 1 KO) winning his pro debut with a 2:28 1st Round TKO in the Junior Welterweight division over Chris Ortiz (0-1).

Mirady Lubanzadio Zola (2-0) won by UD over Light Heavyweight Jimmy Sandlin (0-1). The judges UD decision was (39-36, 40-35, 40-35).

And the first fight of the event had Heavyweight Cornelius Mitchell (1-0) winning by UD (3937, 40-36, 40-36) in his pro debut over Justin Richwine (0-2).

massive brawl at Queretaro vs atlas soccer match in mexico leaves three in critical condition

MexICO's top soccer league has suspended all matches after a massive brawl among fans left more than two dozen people in hospital and three in a critical condition.

Saturday's match between hosts Queretaro, and Atlas from Guadalajara, the reigning league champions, had to be stopped in the 62nd minute when multiple fights broke out in the stands before spilling onto the field.

Security personnel had opened the gates to the field so that fans, including women and children, could escape the stands.

State authorities said 23 people remained in hospital, 10 in a serious condition and three in critical condition with very severe injuries. "They were savagely injured, which is a shame and a blot on soccer, for these type of things to happen, in a place that should be for families to go and have fun. This is totally unacceptable," Queretaro Governor Mauricio Kuri said.

ChAIrs AND MeTAL BArs Were seeN TO Be UseD IN The FIGhT

Atlas was leading 1-0 when the fighting broke out.

Its players quickly fled to the locker rooms, as did some from the Queretaro side.

Other Queretaro players, including Uruguayan goalie Washington Aguerre, stayed near the bench trying to calm the fans.

Some fans armed themselves with chairs and metal bars.

One could be seen pulling a knife to cut the nets of one goal. Others fought in the tunnel to the field.

Officials have not said what might have triggered the clashes.

'DArkesT DAy' IN MexICAN sOCCer hIsTOry

Both teams issued statements condemning the violence.

Mexican newspaper El Universal ran the front-page headline: "The darkest day for Mexican soccer." "We regret and condemn these events, which run contrary to the spirit of our soccer," the Mexican Soccer Federation said in a statement.

Mr Kuri condemned the violence and said the owners of the Queretaro club would have to answer for what happened. "I have given instructions that the law be applied with all of its consequences," he said. "No-one will go unpunished," he tweeted following his meeting with the Liga MX president and Queretaro club president.

Giant-killer sahaja Yamalapalli wins mslta Women's itf World tennis crown

sAhAJA Yamlapalli of India lifted the women's singles title at the Aryan PumpsMSLTA Women's 15K ITF World Tennis Tour event. The tournament took place at the Ram Nagar ground in Nagpur on Sunday.

The week-long tournament was organized by the Nagpur District Hard Court Tennis Association (NDHTA), under the auspices of the ITF, AITA and MSLTA in Nagpur.

Yamalapalli became the first Indian in four weeks to win the title in an anticlimactic summit clash. Young and the upcoming Sahaja lost the first set 4-6, but won the match after third seed Emily Seibold of Germany conceded due to injury.

Emily suffered the injury during the match and had to retire before the start of the second set against Sahaja.

UNseeDeD sAhAJA WINs 10 WTs POINTs FOr her TrIUMPh

The unseeded Sahaja performed excellently throughout the tournament. Although Sahaja proved lucky in the final, she won the hearts of everyone with her giantkilling run in the last few days.

Emily Seibold, who won the event in Ahmedabad last week, was unfortunate not to win the back-to-back event. Sahaja shocked three higherranked players on her way to first ever career title.

On Saturday, Sahaja toppled second seed Anna Ureke of Russia in the semifinals.

The singles champion won the trophy with 10 WTA points. The prizes were given away by chief guests Dr. Pariniti Fuke and Prashant Sutar, MD of Aryan Pumps.

Kumar Kale, President NDHTA, Ashok Bhiwapurkar, Vice-President, Prashant Ugemuge, chairman, Vidarbha Infotech, Rajiv Desai, Joint Secretary MSLTA, Sudhir Bhiwpurkar, Treasurer MSLTA and Vijay Naidu, tournament director were the guests of the honor.

Shiv Mor, Ali Panjwani, Vikram Naidu, Dr Darshan Dakshindas, Ganesh Pagay, Behram Patel and Murli Asudani were also present on the occasion,

Queensland flood

aPPeal kicks off as neW fiGures reveal extent of damaGe

Authorities say the financial toll on residents and businesses will continue for quite some time.

PreMIer Annastacia Palaszczuk is asking Queenslanders to dig deep and donate to flood-affected families, announcing the state government will start the Queensland flood appeal with $2.1 million.

Ms Palaszczuk said the Australian Red Cross, Lifeline, The Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul would each receive $500,000.

BHP is donating $2 million and Suncorp is donating $1 million across the Queensland and New South Wales disaster, with $200,000 going towards the government's flood appeal.

It came as the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rain and damaging winds for the Gympie, Cherbourg, Sunshine Coast, Somerset, South Burnett, Wide Bay, Darling Downs and Granite Belt regions.

As the extent of the damage starts to come to light, Ms Palaszczuk has revealed 26,686 hardship grant applications had been submitted so far.

There have been 9,643 payments made totalling $4.2 million and benefiting 23,000 people.

On Saturday, the state and federal governments announced a financial support package of $558.5 million for small businesses, farmers, not-for-profit organisations and sporting and community clubs devastated by the flood emergency.

Ms Palaszczuk said there had also been more than 10,000 calls to the community safety hotline.

Suncorp Insurance said 15,000 claims had been made in Queensland alone.

It said the five most affected suburbs were Rocklea, Deagon, Brighton, Windsor and The Gap.

Logan Mayor Darren Power said 90 homes were lost in his region, and 50 businesses inundated. "Logan dodged a bullet. Had it not stopped raining on Sunday night, it would've been a lot worse," he said.

MOre WILD WeATher

Severe thunderstorms hit the southern Queensland coast on Sunday evening, bringing heavy rainfall and large hailstones.

Hail as big as 9 centimetres was recorded in Beaudesert as storms moved through the area towards the coast late Sunday afternoon.

Steve Hadley from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said that storm was "quite an organised supercell storm", but it quickly diminished in ferocity as it moved east.

The severe weather warning stretched from Rockhampton to the Gold Coast, with fears heavy rainfall could cause flooding in creeks and rivers already swollen by earlier rain.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll urged people to be careful on the roads. "It is still quite saturated," she said. "We will expect flash flooding so please be patient, please keep off flooded waters."

Authorities said the disaster response had moved into the recovery phase.

The Mud Army 2.0 has been stood down after Saturday's major effort.

The defence force will take over on Monday, with 135 personnel already assisting across Ipswich, the Lockyer Valley, Gympie and Brisbane.

There were clean-up efforts happening in some areas of the Redlands and Moreton Bay on Sunday.

Some communities in Gympie are still isolated but they are being looked after and the roads to those communities are expected to open on Monday.

There are 140 people left in evacuation centres.

Ms Palaszczuk said only 3,000 people were still without power. "So that [restoring electricity] has been a huge mammoth effort as well," she said.

She said fewer than a dozen state schools would remain closed tomorrow, with the list to be available on the state government website.

Annastacia Palaszczuk announces $2.1 million for Queensland’s flood appeal.

receive a $250 rebate for their next rates bill, as part of a recovery package from the Brisbane City Council.

Mr Schrinner said although the clean-up and recovery were still underway, the financial toll on many residents and business owners was expected to continue for quite some time. "[From what] I've seen so far, we will have more flood waste and debris to collect than there was in 2011 as well. So the task in terms of that kerbside collection is significantly more than what it was in 2011."

He said all Brisbane residential rates notices for the April quarter would also be postponed a month, ensuring bills did not arrive until the end of next month.

Thousands of Brisbane residents will receive a $250 rebate off their next rates bill.

COUNCIL reBATe AVAILABLe IN BrIsBANe

It comes as Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced up to 28,000 residents and business owners affected by flooding in Brisbane would

PUBLIC TrANsPOrT sysTeM reTUrNs

Minister for Transport Mark Bailey said "most" rail services, and 90 per cent of bus services would be operational on Monday.

Mr Bailey said the government still had "concerns" over stations throughout Logan, which would remain closed.

The Beenleigh station has opened, but buses will continue to replace trains from Beenleigh to Kuraby.

The Shorncliffe and Cleveland lines will be running.

Mr Bailey said everything was being done to restore stations past Ipswich on the Rosewood line.

Some roads remain closed as repair works continue. "We're opening as much as we can, as well as making sure it's safe … we'll continue to see gradual improvements [to road conditions] during the week," he said.