India will be hosting the Combined World Cup for shooting in 2019, a qualifying event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which will further boost the country's profile as a global shooting destination.
     The National Rifle Association of India's (NRAI) bid was approved by the International Shooting Sport Federation's Executive Board in its meeting held in New Delhi.
     Combined World Cup comprises all the three categories -- shotgun, rifle and pistol --, and at stake in the 2019 edition will be a number of quota places for the Tokyo Games.
     The tournament will be one of the last few events heading into the quadrennial extravaganza in the Japanese capital.
     "Yes, India has been awarded the hosting rights of the 2019 Combined World Cup by the ISSF Executive Board. The decision to allot India the top tournament was unanimous," a well-placed NRAI source said.
     ISSF delegates are in the city for the season's first World Cup, to be held at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range from ..

India gets 2019 Combined World Cup for shooting

PTI Automatic

India coach Anil Kumble is aware that Australia will come hard at his team but said the hosts will not attach any special significance to this series and would treat Steve Smith and Co. Like any other side.
     Australia had lost 0-4 during their previous tour to India and Kumble said his team will have plans to counter the visiting side when the first Test begins here on Thursday.
     "We respect every opposition. We spoke about this even before the season started with New Zealand. England was tougher. We all know the Australian team. They are really professional, but I would like to treat them as any other team," Kumble said.
     "I don't think we need to attach any other significance to this series other than what we need to do to tick all those boxes we have been doing over last six to eight months.
     "They are a good side, have some good batters and bowlers. The approach they tend to take is to be aggressive. We are aware of it and we will put together strategies in place ..

We would treat Australia like any other team: Kumble

He feels privileged to be India's national cricket coach but the legendary Anil Kumble today said it has been more satisfying to see Virat Kohli and Co. become self-sufficient in dealing with challenges both on and off the field.
     "I have been privileged to have a chance to work this young lot for the last ten months. It's nice to see this squad grow and understand situations and come up with solutions. You want team to be self-sufficient and not look over their shoulders for advice," Kumble said in a press conference ahead of the Test series against Australia, starting on Thursday.
     "I have tried to create an environment where the players can look for solutions on the field and off it as well," added the former captain.
     He also praised some individual displays, like off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin becoming the fastest to 250 Test wickets.
     "Some of them have played 40-45 Tests. Virat has played over 50. Achievements as an individual, people have had. They have all ...

This squad has become self-sufficient: Kumble

The intrepid duo of Sidhartha Santosh and Lokesh Shivaraja of the Bangalore Off-Roaders team (BODA) won the JK Tyre Xtreme 4Play championship at the Kikar Lodge here.
     They garnered 455 points on Sunday to underline their driving skills in tough forest terrain, through water bodies and also their ability to tackle uphill obstacles.
     Their three-day work fetched them the title, a gorgeous trophy and a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh. They were ably assisted by their co-drivers, Prithviraj A C and Rohith K R, to prove once again that they are the team to beat in India.
     This is the second time that the BODA team led by Sidhartha and Lokesh have won a JK title, having annexed the JK Tyre-Orange 4x4 Fury trophy in the picturesque but equally difficult competition in Dambuk Village in Arunachal Pradesh.
     For once, however, they will concede that they needed the help of lady luck. Although they won two stages and were competitive in the remaining four too, the local favourites Kabir 

Sidhartha, Lokesh win JK Xtreme 4 Play title

Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika came within striking distance of securing a semifinal berth after defeating Nana Dzagnidze of Georgia in the first game of the quarterfinals of the World women's chess championship, here.
     The victory in the first game of the two-game mini-match means that the Indian will now just need a draw in the return game to qualify to the next round that will have just four remaining from the original 64-participants in the knockout championship.
     Second seed Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine was the other winner of the day as she accounted for former champion Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria. The other former winner Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia was held to a draw by Ni Shiqun of China while the all Chinese duel between Tan Zhongyi and top seed Ju Wenjun also ended in a peace result.
     Like Harika, Muzychuk is also just a draw away from entering the last-four stage while rating favourites Wenjun and Kosteniuk will try harder in the return games when they play ...

Harika beats Dzagnidze; in sight of semis

Olympian Diwakar Prasad and former national champion Madan Lal today became the latest to join the professional bandwagon in boxing, signing up with the promoters who are managing the likes of Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar.
     The 32-year-old Diwakar, whose amateur career was hampered by illnesses at crucial junctures, signed up with IOS Boxing Promotions along with Madan and 11 others boxers.
     "Five years ago, professional boxing did not have the kind of presence that it has now in India. So I am finally getting a chance to experience what it would be like," said the 32-year-old, who has the experience of competing in the International Boxing Association's semi-professional World Series of Boxing.
     Of the 13, who signed up, most of the boxers are already competing in the professional circuit, the most notable being Neeraj Goyat -- the reigning WBC Asia Pacific welterweight champion.
     "It is a great step for my professional career. I am doing pro boxing for the last six 

Another Indian boxer goes pro, Diwakar takes the plunge

Two-time winner on the Asian Tour, Thailand golfer Kiradech Aphibarnrat will be seen in action at the Hero Indian Open next month.
     The 27-year-old big-built Thai, seen as one of the most talented rising stars from Asia, has confirmed his participation in the tournament.
     Kiradech has won three times on the European Tour and was also crowned the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2013. Currently ranked 76th in the world, the Thai golfer has played a few times in India till 2013. In 2011, he won his first Asian Tour title at the SAIL Open in India.
     A former World No. 37th, Kiradech, who spent 2016 playing three Tours - Asian, European and US Tours, has had a great start to the season with two top-10 finishes in the Middle-East, where he was tied fourth in Abu Dhabi and tied ninth in Qatar.
     Kiradech, one of the most exciting players on the Tour, will lead a strong contingent from Thailand.
     A little over three years ago, when Kiradech was on the rise, he ...

Thai star Kiradech confirms participation in Hero Indian Open

England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who became the highest paid overseas player in the Indian Premier League auction, is excited about sharing the dressing room with Steven Smith and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his maiden stint at the cash-rich event.
      England players landed lucrative deals at the auction yesterday with Stokes bagging the biggest of them all after being bought for Rs 14.5 crore by Rising Pune Supergiants.
     "I am really looking forward to playing with MS Dhoni and Steven Smith. It will be great to share the dressing room with both these players. Dhoni is one of the biggest players in the world and Smith too is one of the best. While I have had some heated moments against Smith, looking forward to play alongside him. He is an amazing player," Stokes said in a Facebook chat on his official page.
     The all-rounder had a good last year and was impressive during the recent series in India even though England lost the Test, ODI and T20 series.
     Pune is the home ...

Stokes excited about sharing dressing room with Smith, Dhoni

Australia coach Darren Lehmann is in favour of doing away with the toss, and feels that flip of the coin won't have any bearing on the result of the upcoming Test series in India.
     Lehmann has already expressed his reservations about the toss and feels that a visiting side should be given the option of choosing whether to bat or bowl.
     "We won four tosses last time we were here and lost 4-0," Lehmann said of the defeats that kickstarted a nine-Test losing streak in the sub-continent.
     "You've still got to play well if you win a toss," he was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press (AAP).
     "My views on the toss is that it should just go anyway, that's the way I've always been. Whether you're here or Australia, it doesn't matter."
     The Australian coach said he is expecting friendly pitches to be prepared in the four-Test series, starting Thursday in Pune.
     "They produce good wickets, so looking forward to good five-day Test (pitches) that deteriorate .

Toss will have no bearing in India, says Lehmann

Under-fire Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has the total support of his players, influential central defender Gerard Pique has insisted.
	Pique was keen to rally fans to the cause after they had booed the team during a 2-1 league win over lowly Leganes on Sunday, as the fallout from a 4-0 Champions League first-leg last-16 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last week turned ugly.
	"All the players are completely behind the coach," Pique said of Enrique, who bore the brunt of criticsm after the PSG thrashing and who had a good share of the boos on Sunday.
     "When the fans come here to the stadium we want their support," Pique said.
	"Sometimes we get it right, and sometimes not. But this is the same coach that led us to the treble," Pique said, reminding fans of the 2015 feat Enrique managed in his debut season, winning the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey.
	The current coach took over after Pep Guardiola's reign was followed by more modest success from Tito Villanova, who won a ..

'Players right behind Enrique' - Pique

Roger Federer has revealed that he wants to join forces in doubles with arch rival Rafael Nadal at the inaugural Laver Cup this year.
	The Swiss tennis great made the confession yesterday at the unveiling of the new tournament scheduled for Prague in September which will pit a Bjorn Borg-captained European team against John McEnroe's rest of the world.
	Federer, who beat Nadal in an epic five-set Australian Open final last month, admitted yesterday: "I've always wanted to play with Rafa... Just because our rivalry has been so special.
	"I've seen his wicked forehand go past me too often!"
	The new addition to the tennis calendar is named after Rod Laver, the last man to achieve the calendar Grand Slam in 1969.
	"Rod Laver wants us to represent our part of the world with pride and play our best and win for our teammates. We will play to our best possibilities," Federer, 35, told the media launch in Prague.
	Federer, the world number nine, is due to figure with sixth-ranked Nadal at the 

Federer wants Rafa as Laver Cup doubles partner

A second string Mohun Bagan will take on Maldives' Club Valencia in their Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) Cup play-off round at the National Stadium, here tomorrow.
     With head coach Sanjoy Sen missing th tie for personal reasons, assistant coach Shankarlal Chakraborty will take charge of the Kolkat giant in the crucial encounter.
     The second leg will be played at the Rabindra Sarovar Stadium on next Tuesday.
     Not just Sen, Mohun Bagan will also miss their important players like Sony Norde, Debjit Majumder, Pritam Kotal, Pronay Halder, Souvik Chakraborty and Jeje Lalpekhlua as they have rested for the tie.
     Mohun Bagan thrashed Sri Lankan outfit Colombo FC 4-2 over two legs in the preliminary stage of the competition.
     With top players missing, the focus would be on striker Balwant Singh who scored a quickfire brace in their last I-League game at home against DSK Shivajians.
     Club Valencia, on the other hand, would be eager to return to winning ways after ..

Second-string Bagan play Club Valencia in AFC Cup play-off

Defending champions Jaypee Punjab Warriors eked out a close 1-0 win over Uttar Pradesh Wizards but still failed to qulify for the semifinals of the fifth edition of the Hockey India League, here today.
     Mink van der Weerden scored th lone goal of the match, successfully converting a penalty corner in the 35th minute of the match.
     Needing a win and that too by atleast a three-goal margin to be contention, Punjab Warriors scored through Mink van der Weerden's sixth penalty corner conversion to take the lead but it was not enough to seal their place in the semi-finals.
      It was the first in the history of HIL, Punjab Warriors failed to qualify for the last four round.
     The win took Punjab Warriors tally to 22 points but UP Wizards and Delhi Waveriders, with 23 points each and still a game in hand, have ensured their places in the semifinals.
     Table toppers Dabang Mumbai and Kalinga Lancers are already through to the semi-finals.
     UP Wizards (+9 goal difference) ..

Punjab Warriors pip UP Wizards but still out of HIL semis

Cricketer Harmeet Singh, who represented India in the ICC Under-19 World Cup, was today arrested for driving his car onto a platform at the suburban Andheri railway station, causing chaos during the rush hour.
	However, the 24-year-old Singh was released on bail later in the day.
	Singh, a left arm spinner who was part of the Indian team in the Under-19 World Cup in 2012, drove the four-wheeler directly onto the platform number 1 of the busy suburban station around 7.20 AM, railway police said.
	Singh apparently "did not realise" that the road had ended and he was driving into a station, a police officer said.
	Singh was booked under sections 147 (trespass), 145 (b) (act of nuisance), 154 (endangering safety of passengers) and other relevant provisions of the Railway Act.
	He was produced before a metropolitan magistrate who granted him bail.
	Singh made his debut in the first class cricket for Mumbai in the Ranji trophy, while at present he represents Jammu and Kashmir.
	His name had 

Cricketer drives into railway station in Mumbai, arrested

Former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin today slammed the Rising Pune Supergiants management for the manner in which double World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was removed from captaincy of the IPL franchise, terming it "third rate and disrespectful".
     "The decision and manner of execution was third-rate and disgraceful. Dhoni has been a jewel in Indian cricket, he has won almost everything in the 8-9 years of his captaincy and even though the franchise can say they run the team with their own money, shouldn't they have seen Dhoni's stature and credibility before first stripping him of captaincy and then not even letting Dhoni the grace? I feel angry and sad as a former cricketer," Azharuddin told 'Aaj Tak'.
     Dhoni was replaced at the helm with Australia's Test skipper Steve Smith, ending his innings as captain in both international and franchise cricket.
     Pune finished seventh in their maiden appearance last year at the IPL, and Azharuddin felt it was not ...

Azhar slams Rising Pune Supergiants for Dhoni sacking

For Mohammed Siraz, the first thing on his mind is to buy a house for his father Mohammed Ghaus and mother Shabana Begum in a good Hyderabad locality.
     And why not? The speedster has landed a Rs 2.6 crore deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad, thanks to a brilliant first class season that saw him get India A and Rest of India call-ups.
     "Today, I remember my first income playing cricket. It was a club match and my maternal uncle was the captain of the team. I got 9 wickets for 20 odd runs in that 25 over game. My uncle was so happy he gave me Rs 500 as a prize. It was a great feeling. But today when the bid was raised to Rs 2.6 crore, I just went numb," Siraz told PTI during an interaction from Hyderabad.
     Coming from a lower middle class family, it is but obvious that he is indebted to his parents for their sacrifices in making him a professional cricketer.
     "Mere walid saab (Father) ne bahot mehnat ki hain (My father has slogged). He drove auto all these years but never let .

Mohd Siraz: Journey from Rs 500 to Rs 2.6 cr

Renowned pistol shooter Heena Sidhu today welcomed the ISSF Athletes Committee's proposal to introduce mixed-gender team events in the Olympics though she felt sorry that its implementation would result in the removal of a few existing events from the Olympic programme.
     "As a woman, I always felt that we didn't have as many events as the men. So I feel it's a very good step, but it's unfortunate that some of the events would have to be removed," Heena said here.
     The first Indian pistol shooter to be ranked World No.1 by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), Heena tried to look at the bigger picture behind the proposed move.
     "Look, a lot of changes are being mulled over in Olympic sports to bring down the rising cost. Brazil is an example and yes, one has to look at the larger picture," she said.
     The concept of mixed-gender event was implemented in the European Championships and Heena seemed positive about it.
     "I thought it's very interesting, ...

Pistol ace Heena welcomes mixed-gender events move

Tributes poured in today for former national goalkeeper Shibaji Banerjee who died last night after suffering a cardiac arrest.
     Legendary P K Banerjee, who was Mohun Bagan coach during Banerjee's world famous save against Pele for New York Cosmos in 1977, led the tributes and also remembered his gentle demeanour off the field.
     "I am shocked and disturbed after hearing this sad news this morning. I didn't know about this yesterday as I returned from Durgapur late at night. He was a thorough gentleman. He always occupied a special place in my heart. I've so many memories of him but one that stood out was his performance against New York Cosmos. He became famous overnight after his brilliant display against Pele in the exhibition match," P K Banerjee said.
     "It was less than a month back I had met him at a birthday celebration of a Mohun Bagan official. He looked perfectly alright and always kept on smiling. Never did I think that he would depart so soon," Banerjee said of ..

Football greats, AIFF condole Banerjee's passing away

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today decided to go ahead with its plan of conducting the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore despite a spate of terrorist attacks in the country.
     The decision was announced by the PSL Chairman, Najam Sethi in Dubai after a meeting with the franchise owners.
     A PCB statement stated the team owners reinforced their solidarity and conviction with the decision of taking the final to Lahore.
     "It has been heart-warming to see the dedication of all the owners to the cause of taking cricket back home and there is a realisation that this final will be the first step in opening the gates to international teams starting to make the journey again. We are all committed to this mission and wish to have a thoroughly entertaining final where it should happen - in Lahore," Sethi said after the meeting.
     The franchise owners will now talk to their foreign signings to find out if they are willing to travel to Lahore for ..

PCB decides to host PSL final in Lahore

Anirban Lahiri had a forgettable Sunday as he carded 76-73 in the final two rounds to plummet to Tied-64th at the Genesis Open on Sunday.
     Lahiri, who was Tied-7th after 37 holes after rounds of 70-67, dropped a whole lot of shots in both third and fourth rounds and ended way back in a tie-with World No. 1 Jason Day (70-70-75-71).
     Meanwhile Dustin Johnson produced a world-class performance to not only win the tournament but also rise to World No. 1 at Riviera.
     With his win, Johnson overtakes the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking from Jason Day. Johnson becomes the 20th different player to achieve World No. 1 status.
     Playing on a marathon Sunday, Johnson added 64-71 to his first two rounds of 66-66 and finished 17-under, a whopping five shots clear of second places Thomas Pieters (63) who made good his special invite for the event.
     Meanwhile, there was some other Indian connection with 19-year-old Sahith Theegala, a Pepperdine University amateur ...

Lahiri drops to T-64, as Dustin Johnson becomes World No. 1

Fresh from a superb win at the new format ISPS Handa World Super Sixes tournament in Perth, Australian golfer Brett Rumford will now be seen in action at the Hero Indian Open 2017 in Gurgaon next month.
     Having jumped to 133 from 274 in world rankings with his latest win, Perth-born 39-year-old Rumford is now looking forward to getting back inside the top-100.
     The Hero Indian Open 2017 - with an enhanced prize purse of USD 1.75 million - will be held from March 9 to 12 at the challenging and picturesque Gary Player layout at the DLF Golf and Country Club for the first time.
     With this year's edition, the Hero Indian Open will be returning to this beautiful club in Gurgaon for the first time since 2009.
     Rumford last won a European Tour title in 2013, when he claimed the Ballantines and Volvo China Open in successive weeks.
     On last Sunday, Rumford beat 17-year-old prodigy Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand in the final match of the tournament in Perth.
     Rumford, 

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