Asian Games bronze medallist gymnast Ashish Kumar will be competing at the Doha World Cup but is set to miss the Baku World Cup after failing to send his entry on time.
Ashish, the first Indian gymnast to win medals at the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, had sent his request to participate at the Baku World Cup to Gymnastic Federation of India (GFI) after the deadline set by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
"GFI received an email on 20th January 2019 from Ashish Kumar showing his willingness to participate in the World Cup at Baku. However the definitive registration deadline (8th Jan 2019)  was already past by that time. As per rules, late registration is possible but now with a fine of CHF 1,250 payable to the International Federation," GFI vice president Riyaz Bhati told PTI.
"Since the request was after the deadline, the applicable fine has to be borne by the person making the belated request. We have accordingly advised Ashish to arrange for payment of fine .

Gymnast Ashish Kumar to compete at Doha World Cup

PTI Automatic

Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu expectedly sailed into the semifinals with two straight-game wins, while defending champion Saina Nehwal entered the quarters after winning a late pre-quarterfinal match on a day of intense drama at the 83rd Senior National Badminton Championship here Thursday.
Sindhu went about her business as usual, beating Riya Mookerjee 21-16 21-7 in 28 minutes to progress to the semifinals on a day when three prequarterfinals were postponed due to uneven court surface at the Assam Badminton Academy.
The top seed from Hyderabad, a former champion, had opened her campaign with a 21-11 21-13 win over Nagpur's Malvika Bansod in the morning.
Saina, who had refused to play her prequarterfinals against Pune's Shruti Mundada at the same court due to "uneven" surface earlier in the morning, finally walked out to play her match late evening after the organisers managed to prepare a fresh court over a wooden plank at the TRP Indoor stadium here.
The Olympic bronze ...

Saina, Kashyap enter quarter, Sindhu progress to semis at Senior Nationals

Badminton legend Prakash Padukone  was Thursday bestowed with the Lifetime achievement award at  the Sportstar Aces awards function here.
In the Sportsman of the Year (Cricket) category, India  skipper Virat Kohli and pacer Jasprit Bumrah were declared as  joint winners.
A video message of Kohli was shown on the occasion.
Indian women's cricket team opener Smriti Mandhana  bagged the Sportswoman of the Year (Cricket) award.
Mandhana said the award would motivate her to score  some more runs.
In racquet sports, nine-time national championships  winner paddler Sharath Kamal won the Sportsman of the Year  award.
Olympic silver medallist shuttler P V Sindhu and  paddler Manika Batra were declared joint winners of  Sportswoman of the Year award (racquet sport).
Young javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra got the Sportsman  of the Year (track and field) award, while athlete Hima Das  won the Sporswoman of the Year (track and field) award.
The awards which ran from 1994 to 2003 in their first  ...

Padukone, Bumrah, Mandhana among Sportstar Aces awardees

Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu sailed into the last four stage, while Nagpur's Vaishnavi Bhale and Ashmita Chaliha of Assam showed superb resilience to book their maiden semifinal spots on a dramatic day at the 83rd Senior National Badminton Championship here Thursday.
On a day when three pre-quarterfinals were postponed due to uneven court surface at the Assam Badminton Academy, Sindhu went about her business as usual, beating Riya Mookerjee 21-16 21-7 in 28 minutes to progress to the semifinals.
The top seed from Hyderabad, a former champion, had opened her campaign with a 21-11 21-13 win over Nagpur's Malvika Bansod in the morning.
Vaishnavi, who had won the All India ranking tournament 2015 and finished runners-up at 2016, dug deep to eke out a hard-fought 19-21 22-20 21-11 win over third seed Shriyanshi Pardeshi.
The maximum cheer was reserved for local sensation Ashmita, who kept her cool in two successive thrillers to set up a semifinal clash against Sindhu.
The ...

Sindhu sails through; Vaishnavi, Ashmita enter maiden Senior National semis

Dale Steyn and his fellow fast bowlers enabled South Africa to gain an advantage over Sri Lanka on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday.
Steyn took four for 48 as South Africa took a first innings lead of 44. They stretched their lead to 170 by reaching 126 for four at the close.
South Africa's decision to pick five specialist bowlers meant that their advantage was some way short of being decisive, with Faf du Plessis (25 not out) and Quinton de Kock (15 not out) their last two recognised batsmen going into day three.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 191 and were unable to build on a good first day when their inexperienced bowlers surprised the South African batsmen, who could manage only 235 in their first innings.
Steyn and Vernon Philander soon put their stamp on the game when Sri Lanka resumed at 49 for one on Thursday, taking three wickets in the first ten overs of the morning.
Kusal Perera played some bold and occasionally lucky ...

Steyn grabs advantage for South Africa

FC Goa returned to their free-flowing ways as they hammered ATK 3-0 in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Thursday.
Sergio Lobera's team were on top throughout the game and denied the visitors space and time on the ball.
Jackichand Singh scored in the first minute of play and Ferran Corominas leapfrogged Bartholomew Ogbeche to the top of the Golden Boot standings by scoring twice in the second half.
The win takes the Gaurs to the second spot on the table and in prime position to clinch a play-off spot. ATK, however, have been left six points adrift of the fourth spot with two games to play which makes their chances of going through extremely difficult.
The hosts got off to a lightning start, scoring a goal in the very first minute. 53 seconds into the first-half, Seriton Fernandes moved forward down the right flank and fed Corominas into the box. The striker found Jackichand who, from the centre of the box, thumped a first-time strike into the .

Goa leave ATK staring at exit

Manchester United revealed on Thursday that sacking Jose Mourinho cost the club nearly 20 million pounds, with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward hailing the impact of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The sum of 19.6 million pounds (USD 25 million) which is listed under "exceptional items" in the club's second-quarter results, includes pay-outs for the members of Mourinho's staff who left with him after he was sacked in December.
The fortunes of the Premier League club have been transformed since Solskjaer took the helm as interim boss.
United are now in the top four after being 11 points adrift of the Champions League places when Mourinho left.
"The appointment of Ole and Mike (Phelan) as caretaker manager and assistant manager... has had a positive impact throughout the club," said Woodward.
"We are delighted with the improvement in the team's performances since December and we look forward to a strong finish to the 18/19 season."
In the report, the club announced record revenues of 208.6 ...

Man Utd confirm huge Mourinho pay-off

Alex Ferguson hailed Eric Harrison as one of the "greatest coaches of our time" after the former Manchester United youth team boss and mentor to the much-vaunted Class of '92 died at the age of 81.
Harrison, responsible for forging the fledgling careers of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Gary and Phil Neville among others, was diagnosed with dementia four years ago.
"Eric's contribution to football and not just at Manchester United was incredible," said former manager Ferguson.
"When I came as manager I was lucky enough to have Eric on the staff as head of youth development, so I got to see the work he did and not just with the Class of 92 but with all the young players.
"He built character and determination in those young players and prepared them for the future. He was a teacher, he gave these players a path, a choice and he only did that through his own hard work and sacrifice.
"He was able to impart that education to the young which made him one of the ...

Man Utd youth coach who mentored Beckham and Giggs dies

Ace paddler Sharath Kamal, who  clinched a historic mixed doubles bronze with Manika Batra at  the Asian Games last year, feels the road to the 2020 Tokyo  Olympics seems difficult in the newly-introduced category, but  once the spot is booked, a medal win was possible.
"I think mixed doubles is our biggest chance to have  that medal (in the Olympics). Firstly, me and Manika did well  at the (Asian) Games. I think more than the Olympic Games, the  qualification to the Games is harder (in the category),"  Sharath told a select group of reporters on Thursday.
"I say so as there are only 16 teams at the Olympic  Games so that you start from the round of 16. If you win three  matches, you have a medal. So, it's only three matches there,  but to get there - that's the more difficult path," Sharath  pointed out.
"We are preparing for that. We are exclusively  training for mixed doubles and trying to spend more time,  because mixed doubles qualification will be through  pro-2-tournaments ...

Olympic medal in mixed doubles is a possibility: Kamal

India continued to draw a blank as Netherlands' Eva de Goede and Arthur Van Doren of Belgium were on Thursday named as the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) Players of the Year for 2018.
Since the inception of the awards in 1998, no Indian hockey player has managed to bag the coveted awards.
While de Goede, 29, was named the Female Player of the Year, world champions Belgium's Van Doren, 24, was picked up as the Male Player of the Year for a second consecutive time.
Red Lions defender Van Doren is one of four Belgian winners in the FIH Hockey Stars Awards for 2018. Last year Van Doren claimed both the Player and Rising Star of the Year Awards.
Van Doren was not the only member of the Belgian set-up to win an award, with 31-year-old Red Lions shot-stopper Vincent Vanasch, a star performer in Belgium's shoot-out triumph over the Netherlands in the World Cup final, claiming 46 per cent of votes to win his second successive Men's Goalkeeper of the Year title.
Arthur De Sloover's ...

De Goede, Van Doren win 2018 FIH players of year awards

Top seed Chandni Srinivasan  outlasted third seed Amodini Naik to reach the girls' singles  final of the Rotary Club All India Ranking Super Series Tennis  for under 14 boys and girls here.
Twelve-year-old Chandni, of Telangana, stopped Amodini  of Karnataka 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 at the MSLTA courts on Thursday.
In the final, Chandni will take on second-seeded Ruma  Gaikaiwari of Maharashtra, who scored a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over  state mate Kyra Shetty in the other semi final.
In the corresponding boys' singles, Maharashtra No. 1  Manas Dhamne used his powerful serve and attacking style to  beat sixth-seeded Manan Nath 6-1, 6-1.
Following are the results: - Boys under 14 (Semi  finals): 3-Manas Dhamne bt 2-Manan Nath 6-1, 6-1; 8- Aryan  Shah bt 4-Cahir Warik 6-1, 6-1.
Girls under 14 (Semi finals): 1-Chandni Srinivasan bt  3-Amodini Naik 6-2, 2-6, 6-0; 2-Ruma Gaikaiwari bt Kyra Shetty  1-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Boys doubles (Semi finals): Manas Dhamne/Cahir Warik  bt Prajwal Tewari/ Jaishnav Shinde 6-3, ..

Chandni downs Amodini to reach girls' final

The All India Chess Federation (AICF) has removed the restrictive undertaking that players had to give while registering themselves with the body, which sought to comply with the Competition Commission of India's order.
However, Karun Duggal and Gurpreet Pal Singh, who were banned and stripped of their FIDE rating for allegedly participating in unauthorised tournaments, called it an "eyewash".
They said the AICF has removed the undertaking from the registration form but state associations had not removed the condition, adding that it remains in brochures for upcoming tournaments.
"It is an eyewash. State associations affiliated to AICF have not removed the condition. Moreover, the condition exists in the brochures for upcoming tournaments," Delhi-based Duggal said.
He also said his FIDE Elo rating has not been restored yet and feared that the AICF may bring in additional clauses which would prevent players from taking part in other tournaments.
He said the chess federation had filed a 

Restrictive undertaking removed by Indian chess body

Gora Ho of the Services and Haryana's Himani Kumari clinched the men's and women's titles at the 40th NTPC Junior Recurve Archery Championships that concluded at the TT Nagar Stadium here Thursday.
The Army Sports Institute player defeated Bengal's Swakrity Sutradhar 6-0 in a one-sided final to claim the individual gold.
Haryana's Himani beat Sindhuja Kadire 6-2 for the women's individual title.
Haryana also clinched the team event when they overcame a stiff challenge from Jharkhand to win via shoot-off 28-25.
Bengal bagged the mixed pair gold when Sutradhar partnered Suparna Singh to get the better of Haryana 5-3.
Results:
Recurve men's: Gora Ho (Services, 6), Swakirti Sutradhar (West Bengal, 0), Yashdeep Bhoge (Maharashtra 5, 9)
Team: Maharashtra (4-27*), Assam (4-27), Haryana (4-28)
Women's Individual: Himani Kumari (Haryana; 6), Sindhuja Kadire (AAI; 2), Ankita Bhagat (Jharkhand, 6)
Team: Haryana (4-28), Jharkhand (4-25), Punjab (6)
Mixed Team: West Bengal (5), Haryana (3), ...

Gora, Himani bag individual titles

The three warring factions of the West Bengal Table Tennis Association (WBTTA) is set to "bury their differences" and want to come under one umbrella, a top official said here Thursday.
The WBTTA has already announced to work with the North Bengal Table Tennis Association (NBTTA), while the de-recognised Bengal Table Tennis Association (BTTA) may join them by April first week.
"For the betterment of the sport, we all are ready to merge and come together under one umbrella. We are open to include the BTTA officials," WBTTA secretary Sharmi Sengupta said at the Kolkata Press Club.
"Our players have done so well at the nationals and the sport in Bengal is getting better. We want to bury the differences and work together."
The three factions will meet next month to decide the way forward. The WBTTA has a proposal to build a residential academy in the city with about 20 tables before expanding the facilities to every district in the next one year.

Warring TT units of West Bengal set to unite

Landanmawia Ralte struck a hat-trick as a rampaging East Bengal toyed with Shillong Lajong FC for a 5-0 thrashing, their fourth consecutive win in the I-League, here Thursday.
Ralte struck in the 8th, 27th and 61st minutes while Jobby Justin (28th)and Enrique Esqueda (45th) scored one each in the first half, helping East Bengal cut the deficit to three points with leaders Chennai City FC with a match in hand.
Their fourth win on the trot took East Bengal past their Sunday's opponents Churchill Brothers to the third place in the table, giving their maiden I-League title pursuit a huge boost in front of about 25,000 turnout.
Real Kashmir are second in the table with 32 points, having played 16 matches, compared to East Bengal's 15.
By denying Shillong Lajong a single goal, East Bengal's goal difference (14) also got a big fillip. Chennai City have a goal difference of 15.
Fresh from two wins in a row, the bottom-placed Shillong Lajong FC came out with a lot of hopes, but the young ...

East Bengal pump in five past Shillong for fourth successive win

Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock and chief executive Ken Choo will attend Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala's funeral in his home town on Saturday, the English Premier league club that signed him shortly before his death told AFP.
Their attendance was confirmed by club spokesman Mark Denham in an email on Thursday.
The 28-year-old had signed for Cardiff City and was flying to his new team from his old club Nantes in France when his light aircraft went missing over the Channel on January 21.
The striker's body was recovered last week but pilot David Ibbotson is still missing. The plane remains under the sea.
Sala's body is due to be returned to Argentina on Friday, the mayor of his hometown of Progreso had earlier told AFP.
An inquest in England concluded that the footballer died of "head and trunk injuries" and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Cardiff City manager to attend Sala funeral: club

Fast bowler Dale Steyn took four wickets as South Africa claimed a 44-run first innings lead at tea on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Kingsmead on Thursday.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 191 with an early tea taken when the last wicket fell.
Steyn took four for 48. He was denied a 27th Test five-wicket haul during a 10-over post-lunch spell when tailender Kasun Rajitha gloved him to gully but Dean Elgar spilled a simple chance.
Steyn took his career tally to 437 Test wickets, passing India's Kapil Dev (434) and drawing level with Stuart Broad of England in joint seventh place on the all-time list.
Kusal Perera top-scored for Sri Lanka with an aggressive 51 off 63 balls. When he was caught at deep cover off Steyn an early end to the innings seemed likely.
But Lasith Embuldeniya and Rajitha defied the bowlers for 55 minutes, adding 32 for the ninth wicket despite being subjected to numerous short-pitched deliveries.
The stand was eventually ended when Rajitha was .

Steyn takes four as South Africa lead in Durban

India 'A' bundled out England Lions for 140 to take a 252-run first-innings lead and the upper hand in the second unofficial Test here Thursday.
Following on, the visitors ended the second day at 24 for no loss in their second innings, still behind by 228 runs.
Earlier, the Lions fought back strongly to stop India 'A' at 392 after the hosts had resumed at 282 for three.
Test discard Karun Nair didn't add to his overnight score of 14, nicking one to keeper Ollie Pope off Zak Chappell.
Wickets tumbled as the England bowlers stuck to their task. Only K S Bharat, a centurion in the last game, made a significant contribution, with a belligerent 46 before being the last man out.
Chappell was the best bowler for the Lions with 4 for 60 while spinner Danny Briggs recovered from a tough first day to finish with 3 for 71.
The England openers started positively, making 23 in the first five overs before Max Holden departed for 19, leg-before to Navdeep Saini.
Sam Hain, who had scored a fifty in ..

India 'A' bowl out England Lions for 140, take upper hand

Coach Nelo Vingada will be eyeing his first win as Kerala Blasters FC take on bottom-placed Chennaiyin FC in the Hero Indian Super League's southern derby here Friday.
Vingada has overseen draws for Kerala against ATK and Bengaluru along with a defeat to the Delhi Dynamos. The former NorthEast United coach will be hoping to be fourth time lucky as the defending champions come to town.
Kerala have just one win in their kitty so far and are winless in 14 games, resulting in dwindling attendance figures. Chennaiyin FC head coach John Gregory was not complaining.
"From my point of view, I will be happy if the stadium is empty coming here. The support you (Kerala) had in your stadium last year, I was gobsmacked. Trust me, I would love to have that support at home. It is one of my biggest mysteries, why Kerala have never won the ISL in five seasons," said Gregory.
The lack of goals has been Kerala's biggest undoing this season with the side managing just 15 of them in as many matches. Only .

Kerala Blasters, Chennaiyin FC play for pride

India's SSP Chawrasia turned in a bogey-free round after a long time as he carded four-under 68 to be placed tied fifth at the end of the first day of the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth golf tournament here on Thursday.
Chawrasia, who has missed the cut in the last two events he played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, started from the back nine and bogeyed twice in each of the halves at the Lake Karrinyup Country Club.
Chawrasia was the best Indian from among the six who have teed off this week at this unique event, which combines stroke play with matchplay.
Ajeetesh Sandhu (71) was tied 36th while Shiv Kapur, Khalin Joshi and S Chikkarangappa were all tied at 76th spot with scores of 73 each. Viraj Madappa trailed further with 74.
Kapur had seven birdies, but he also had four bogeys and two double bogeys in the round, where he parred only five of the 18 holes.
Chawrasia was three shots behind Philippines' Miguel Tabuena, who went on an amazing seven-hole birdie blitz to set the early pace ...

Bogey-free Chawrasia starts of well in Perth, placed tied fifth after Day 1

Little-known and batting with the tail, Akshay Karnewar struck his maiden first-class century to hand Vidarbha a crucial 95-run first-innings lead before Rest of India, riding on a fighting partnership, erased the deficit in the Irani Cup here Thursday.
With Ajinkya Rahane (25) and Hanuma Vihari (40) walking back unbeaten at stumps, the third day's play ended on an even keel.
The hosts, who resumed the day on 245 for six, ended their first innings at 425, courtesy Karnewar's unbeaten knock of 102 off 133 balls. The hosts had bowled Rest of India out for 330 in their first essay.
First-innings centurion Vihari then showed defiance and added 56 runs for the third wicket with skipper Ajinkya Rahane, which helped the visitors wipe off the deficit and finish the day seven runs ahead at 102 for two on a deteriorating pitch at the VCA Stadium.
Earlier, Karnewar, who has played just 11 first-class matches and also bowls slow left-arm spin, proved his mettle with the bat.
At the start of the ..

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