Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt will run the 100 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco on July 21, organisers announced today.
     The Jamaican sprinting legend is competing in his final season before retirement and will use the Monaco event as a warm-up for the world championships in London that start on August 5.
     The world-record holder (9.58sec) won his first race of the year in Kingston earlier this month in 10.03sec, and is also due to run in Ostrava on June 28.
     Bolt, who has won three Olympic 100m-200m doubles, will only compete in the 100m for his farewell at the worlds.
     The 30-year-old saw his tally of Olympic gold medals reduced from nine to eight earlier this year, when the Jamaican team were stripped of their 2008 4x100m medals after Nesta Carter's disqualification for doping.

Bolt to run in Monaco before world championships

PTI Automatic

Just days after splitting with long-term sponsor McDonald's, the International Olympic Committee said today it had signed a partnership deal with technology giant Intel.
     "Intel and the IOC are partnering to bring Intel's leading technology to enhance the Olympic Games through to 2024," the International Olympic Committee said.
     The partnership was signed at an official ceremony in New York with IOC president Thomas Bach and Brian Krzanich, Intel's chief executive, both present.
     "We're very excited to be working with the Intel team to drive the future of the Olympic Games through cutting-edge technology," said Bach.
     Krzanich added. "Through this close collaboration with the Olympic family, we will accelerate the adoption of technology for the future of sports on the world's largest athletic stage."
     Intel's global rights will include the Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang in 2018, the 2020 Tokyo Games, Beijing's Winter Games in 2022 and the Olympics in 2024 ...

Intel becomes top Olympic partner after McDonald's split

The International Olympic Committee says it has signed a deal with technology provider Intel, one week after McDonald's ended its long- standing sponsorship three years early.
	The IOC says Intel will bring its expertise with virtual reality and drones to the games for four Summer and Winter Games through 2024.
	At the announcement in New York, the Olympic committee says Intel will focus on "infusing its 5G platforms, VR, 3D and 360 content development platforms, artificial intelligence platforms and drones, along with other silicon solutions to enhance the Olympic Games."
	The IOC says the Santa Clara, California-based firm will "provide real-time virtual reality viewing" of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.
	Intel restores the IOC's slate of top-tier sponsors to 13 following the loss of McDonald's.

Intel signs up as top Olympic sponsor through 2024

The Beijing Olympics relay silver medallist Anastasiya Kapachinskaya and two other Russian athletes were banned for four years today for doping.
     Kapachinskaya, Inga Abitova and Denis Alekseyev, were caught out for using the prohibited substance turinabol when their samples from the 2008 Games were retested.
     The bans were announced by the All-Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF).
     Kapachinskaya, who also tested positive for stanozolol, was part of the women's 4X400m relay team that came second in Beijing.
     Her retested sample from the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu also came back positive.
     Abitova took sixth in the women's 10,000m in China while Alekseyev picked up bronze in the men's 4x400m relay bronze that year.
     "These three runners have voluntary admitted doping code violations," RusAF anti-doping coordinator Yelena Ikonnikova told AFP.
     "Their avowals of guilt, which we received from the international athletics federation (IAAF) have ...

Three Russians banned after Beijing retesting

Germany and Chile clash for control of Group B at the Confederations Cup tomorrow with die Mannschaft's head coach Joachim Loew talking up the south American champions.
     "They have shown in the past few years that they belong to the elite of world football," said German boss Loew ahead of the encounter in Kazan, Russia.
     "Chile have fantastic individual players and are flexible tactically like few other teams, they can switch things around several times during a match."
     Both teams have three points with Chile ahead on goal difference after their 2-0 win over Cameroon and Germany's 3-2 victory against Australia.
     Loew, having rested all of his World Cup-winning stars, will match his young guns against an experienced Chile team which won both the 2015 and 2016 Copa America titles.
     Both sides are amongst the favourites to win the 2017 Confed Cup in the St Petersburg final on July 2.
     "They are the rival that will give us a good idea of what we can accomplish ...

Heavyweights Germany, Chile clash at Confed Cup

Three-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic is to play at the ATP tournament in Eastbourne, southern England, in preparation for the grass-court Grand Slam, it was announced today.
     It will be the first time the struggling Djokovic has played a grass-court event between the French Open and Wimbledon since 2010.
     The 30-year-old Serb saw his French Open title defence come to a surprise halt with a straight sets quarter-final loss to the up-and-coming Dominic Thiem on the clay courts of Roland Garros in Paris this month.
     Now, following what was his quickest exit from the French Open in seven years, 12-time Grand Slam champion is to play Eastbourne, which runs from June 23-July 1 after accepting a main draw wildcard.
     "This will be my first trip to Eastbourne, I have heard great things about the tournament," said 12-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic in a statement. "I am looking forward to fine tuning my grass court game there ahead of Wimbledon."
     World number four 

Djokovic to warm-up for Wimbledon at Eastbourne

Bangladeshi fast bowler Rubel Hossain has been ruled out of competition for at least a month after colliding with a door and breaking his jaw while on tour in England, his doctor said today.
     The mishap occurred in the Bangladesh team hotel in Birmingham on June 15 after the semi-final loss to India in the Champions Trophy.
     Bangladesh Cricket Board physician Monirul Amin said Rubel underwent surgery today and would need four to six weeks off to recover.
     "We hope he will be fine after that period, and make himself available for selection for the Australia series," Amin told AFP, referring to the first of two Tests starting late August.
     Rubel featured in all four of Bangladesh's Champions Trophy matches but claimed just two wickets at an average of 95.50.
     Bangladesh progressed to the semi-final of the 50-over tournament for the first time in their history, but were crushed by India in a nine-wicket thumping.

Bangladesh's Rubel has surgery after door collision

Five-time world champion M C Mary Kom (51kg) got a bye into the quarterfinals as India made a solid start at the Ulaanbaatar Cup boxing tournament with four wins on the opening day in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia today.
     Mary Kom, returning to competitive action after a one- year hiatus, will take on the winner of the bout between Russia's Anna Aedma and Korea's Chol Mi Bang tomorrow.
     Strandja Memorial silver-medallist Mohamed Hussamuddin (56kg) and King's Cup bronze-medallist Rohit Tokas (64kg) were among the winners in the men's draw.
     Hussamuddin defeated Kyrgyzstan's Almanbet Alibekov to enter the quarterfinals. He will face China's Ma Xin Ming tomorrow.
     Rohit defeated Russia's Dorjo Dakhaev to also enter the quarterfinals. He will now face Chinzorig Baatarsukh of Mongolia.
     However, Jaideep (75kg) bowed out after losing his opening bout to China's Zhan Chao Feng.
     Commonwealth Games and Asian Championships silver- medallist L Devendro Singh (52kg), King's Cup ..

Mary Kom, Devendro in QFs of Mongolian boxing tourney

Pakistan's former captain Shahid Afridi has asked the national team to build on its Champions Trophy triumph and show more consistency in the future.
     Pakistan beat India in the final in London on Sunday for their maiden Champions Trophy win.
     "Winning the Champions Trophy is a big achievement from this team. But winning one cup does not mean we have conquered the world. We need to continue to do well and be more consistent in our performances and continue our winning ways," Afridi said at a function here today.
     According to a newspaper, Afridi admitted that even he didn't have any idea that Pakistan would reach the final and win it.
     "But the way the team recovered after the loss to India is commendable and I am very happy that the cricket team has brought so much of happiness and joy to our people," he said.
     "But we need to build on this great victory and become a force to reckon with on a consistent basis.

We need to continue this momentum, says Afridi

Aditi Ashok, who looked set for a Top-10 finish at one stage last week before signing off at 32nd place, will have another crack at it in this week's Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
     It will be a high profile field as 12 of the world's top-20 ranked players opted to tee up at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, one week before the season's second major, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
     Aditi is already in the field for PGA Championship, but would love to carry some good form and results into it. She played and made the cut at ANA Inspiration earlier in the season.
     World No. 2 Lydia Ko headlines the field as defending champion. She returns to Arkansas where, in 2016, she captured her third win of the year.
     She's joined by two-time major champion and world No. 3 So Yeon Ryu, who returns to action for the first time since the ShopRite LPGA Classic where she missed the cut, ending the longest active cut streak on Tour which dated back to 2014.
     Rounding out ...

Aditi set for Arkansas Championships on LPGA

East Bengal today unveiled the I- League-winning Khalid Jamil as their head coach for the upcoming season even as uncertainty remained around the structure of India's football calendar for 2017-18.
     A former India international who won the SAFF Cup in his debut season in 1997, Jamil had been at the helm of Mumbai FC for seven seasons but his moment of glory came when he guided Aizawl FC to their maiden I-League title in a path-breaking last season.
     East Bengal, who are yet to win the coveted I-League, wasted little time in striking a deal for a rumoured salary of Rs 1.25 crore, making him the highest-paid coach in Indian football.
     "Honestly I did not want to leave Aizawl FC but Nituda (assistant secretary Debabrata Sarkar) convinced me and said you must join East Bengal," Jamil told reporters in his first media interaction at the club.
     "I won the I-League and I thought it's time for me to take up the challenge to a next level. East Bengal are a bigger club and there 

East Bengal unveil Khalid Jamil as chief coach

Rio Olympics bronze medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik said she wasn't 100 per cent prepared for the Asian Wrestling Championship, her first international event after the quadrennial games.
     Malik had settled for a silver in women's 60kg in Asian Wrestling Championship held in May this year.
     "Actually, after (Rio) Olympics that (Asian Championship) was my first international competition, and there was too much gap, and I felt that there was some gap in the experience. We cannot say that the preparation was 100 per cent (for the Asian Championship)," Sakshi told reporters on sidelines of an event here.
     "Now the training is in full swing and hopefully I will do better in the future," she quipped.
     She received the Woman of the Year award of The IMC Ladies' Wing at their AGM here this evening.
     Asked how she felt when she was back on the mat after fanfare, she said, "That is the best feeling (to be on the mat). The sport I play and because of which I have reached this .

Wasn't 100 per cent prepared for Asian Wresting C'ship: Sakshi

After a difficult start that cost them two matches, the Indian men continued with their winning ways defeating Olympiad champion United States 3.5-0.5 in what was a creditable effort in the fourth round of the world teams' chess championship here.
     Grandmaster B Adhiban showed the way with black pieces and outwitted Varuzhan Akobian, Krishnan Sasikiran showed his golden form in crushing Ray Robson right from the opening while Parimarjan Negi showed that being out of the game for a little while hasn't really dampened his spirits as he crushed Jeffery Xiong.
     At the top of the tables, Vidit Gujarathi played out a draw with Alexander Onischuk to complete a near whitewash of the US team.
     Having beaten Belarus in the previous round, the Indian men continued to climb up the ladders, taking their tally to four points out of a possible eight to grab a joint fifth in the standings.
     Russian men scored over Belarus by a 3-1 margin to jump into joint lead along with China that ..

Indian men crush USA 3.5-0.5 in World Chess teams Championship

Rio Olympics' bronze medal-winning wrestler Sakshi Malik wasn't fully prepared for last month's Asian Wrestling Championship, her first international event after the quadrennial games, she said today.
     Sakshi, who got married to another wrestler Satyawart Kadian post the Games, settled for silver in the women's 60kg class in the continental championship held in the national capital this year.
      "Actually, after (Rio) Olympics that (Asian Wrestling Championship) was my first international competition and there was too much gap and I felt that there was some gap in the experience. We cannot say that the preparation was 100 per cent (for the Asian Championship)," Sakshi told reporters here.
     "Now the training is in full swing and hopefully I will do better in the future," she quipped.
     The Haryana-based wrestler was here to receive the Woman of the Year award given away by the Indian Merchants Chamber's Ladies' Wing at their AGM.
      Asked how she felt when she was back 

Wasn't 100 pc prepared for Asian Wrestling C'ship: Sakshi

Top Indian discus thrower Vikas Gowda has been told by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to appear in a trial later this week if he wants to defend his title in next month's Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar.
     Gowda, who won a gold in discus throw in the last edition in 2015 in Wuhan, China, and top 110m hurdler Siddhanth Thingalaya were among a few foreign-based Indian athletes told to come for a trial at NIS Patiala on June 25-26, failing which they will be barred from the July 6-9 continental event.
     AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said today that the federation will act tough this time after a few athletes did not give a correct picture of their fitness and performance level in the run-up to the Rio Olympics where they were nowhere near their best.
     "We are very clear after Rio Olympics that we will strictly monitor the fitness and performance level of these foreign-based athletes and those who train outside national camps," Sumariwalla said at a ...

Gowda told to come for trial for Asian Athletics selection

A 25-year-old woman sportsperson from Haryana has alleged that a co-player from her state raped her under the pretext of marriage during their stay at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Ratibad locality here from 2013 till January this year, police said today.
	The woman who lodged the complaint in Rohtak Mahila Thana recently, which was later transferred to Ratibad police station, stated that she and the accused used to live in the SAI academy after they got the admission in 2013, according to police.
	She stated that the accused "lured" her into having physical relations with him under the pretext of marriage and later shot a video of the act, but later reneged on his promise, an officer said.
	An FIR under section 376 (punishment for rape) was registered recently in Rohtak and the case diary was transferred to Ratibad police station since the SAI centre comes under its jurisdiction, Ratibad police station in-charge Ashok Gautam told PTI today.
	"The case diary of this ...

Woman player accuses co-player of rape at Bhopal's SAI centre

India will have a new coach before the tour of Sri Lanka next month, the BCCI said today while conceding that it failed to resolve the differences between Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli.
     "Team India will get his new head coach before tour to Sri Lanka. The assignment of the new head coach will be till the next World Cup to be held in June 2019 in England," said BCCI acting president CK Khanna.
     Another top BCCI official, Rajeev Shukla, said all possible efforts were made to sort out the issues between the captain and the coach.
     "BCCI tried its level best to resolve the issue. The acting secretary, the CEO, they discussed the matter with Kumble and Kohli in great detail, the board consulted the chairman of the COA (Vinod Rai) also," Shukla told reporters.
     "They tried to resolve the issues but eventually no outcome could be found out and Kumble decided to move on," he said.
     Kumble, in his statement, said that Kohli had reservations about his coaching 'style' and ...

India will have coach before SL tour: BCCI acting president

The Indian cricket team arrived here for a limited-overs series against the West Indies amid the off-field drama surrounding Anil Kumble's resignation as head coach following a rift with captain Virat Kohli.
    The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) posted a photo of Kohli and opposition captain Jason Holder at the team hotel.
    India, who lost to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final at The Oval on Sunday, start favourites for the series comprising five ODIs and a T20 International.
    The series-opener will be played here on Friday.
    While Kumble has given his side of the story, Kohli is yet to speak about the differences with the former Indian spinner, who stepped down yesterday as the team boarded the flight to the Caribbean from London.
     Batting coach Sanjay Bangar and fielding coach R Sridhar have travelled with the team to the West Indies.
     West Indies, currently ninth in the ODI rankings, failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy where the top eight teams ...

Indians arrive in West Indies

Pakistan's participation in the Asian Athletics Championships, to be held in Bhubaneswar from July 6-9, remained uncertain as the government was yet to clear the visas of its contingent.
     With the deadline of making final entry of athletes having ended yesterday, athletes from neighbouring countries are set to start arriving here in the next few days, but the Indian government is yet to grant visas to the Pakistani athletes.
     Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla said that the organisers are awaiting a response from the government on the matter.
     "We have invited Pakistan for the championships. Under International Olympic Committee Protocol, you have to send invitation to all countries. Pakistan has sent their entries and we have forwarded the name of their athletes and their passports to government. We are awaiting a response from the government," Sumariwalla said at a press conference here today.
     "India played with Pakistani teams in ...

Pakistan's participation in Asian Athletics in doubt

Newly-crowned Indonesia Open champion K Srikanth and title-holder Saina Nehwal progressed to the second round with contrasting wins at the Australian Super Series here today.
     Olympic silver-medallist P V Sindhu and Singapore Open Champion B Sai Praneeth also entered the second round but it was curtains for four other singles player, including giant- slayer H S Prannoy.
     Srikanth continued his good form by defeating Chinese Taipei's Kan Chao Yu 21-13 21-16 in the men's singles opening round while Sai Praneeth had to sweat it out to register a hard-fought 10-21 21-12 21-10 win over Indonesia's Tommy Sugiarto.
     Srikanth will next play top seed Son Wan Ho of Korea, while Sai Praneeth will be up against Huang Yuxiang of China.
     In the women's singles, Saina was up against a tough opponent in fourth seed Sung Ji Hyun of Korea but the former world No.1 showed her masterclass to beat her opponent in straight games 21-10 21-16. Saina will face Malaysia's Soniia Cheah in her ...

Srikanth, Saina, Sindhu, Praneeth advance in Australian Open

Indian cricket team captain Mithali Raj says reaching the semi-final will be their first target in the ICC Women's World Cup starting Saturday.
     Mithali, who led India for the 100th time in her ODI career in May, struck a century four years ago in a seventh- place play-off to salvage something for India in what was a disappointing campaign.
     However, after a record-breaking feat in a quadrangular series recently, she is optimistic about India's chances in the mega event.
     "The Quadrangular Series was very good preparation in terms of gaining confidence and sorting out the composition of the team, but we can't really depend on past glory," she said.
     "Our first target will be to reach the semi-finals, but for that you need to be able to play good cricket throughout the tournament and have good momentum," Raj was quoted as saying in the ICC's official website.
     Raj struck her sixth successive half-century in the final of the quadrangular series as India beat South ...

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