Bengaluru FC will have their task cut out to be in the top two reckoning when they host new entrant Aizawl FC in the Hero I-League here tomorrow.
     Bengaluru FC are placed third with 15 points ahead of the match at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
     Aizawl are placed seventh on the points-table with eight points from as many matches.
     For Bengaluru, who lost an AFC Cup match against Lao Toyota FC 1-2, the schedule may seem demanding, Coach Ashley Westwood looked at the positive side of things.
     "Fortunately the game against Aizawl has come quickly which means we can get the defeat in Laos out of our system. Our performance wasn't too bad. We made one individual error and then got done in by a poor decision from the referee. But now it's all about Sunday. The pitch is looking really good. So hopefully we can match it and put on a good performance," he said.
     Before boarding the plane to Laos, Bengaluru had tasted defeat against Mohun Bagan 0-2 in their last match and ...

Bengaluru FC take on Aizawl, eye maximum points

PTI Automatic

With an aim to raise awareness about sanitation and building toilets, International Cricket Council, with UNICEF and BCCI, organised Team Swachh clinics here today as part of nationwide initiative.
	A group of around 25 children from Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, who have been advocating use of toilets in their villages, toured with Indian Cricketer Umesh Yadav and ICC T-20 trophy in a double-decker bus to spread awareness.
	Though Yadav didn't speak during the event, the children shared their experiences with him about their campaign and the difficulties they faced.
	My friends and I went to around 50 households and explained harmful effects of open-defecation, said Govind Phule, a class IX student.
	"Though some people asked us not to lecture as they found it uncomfortable to discuss, but most of them took us very seriously and have already started building toilets," he said.
	Interestingly, some children in the group also don't have toilets in their home.
	"I don't have ...

Umesh Yadav joins Nagpur children at ICC-UNICEF Swachh Clinics

Scoreboard of the Asia Cup match
between India and Pakistan at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, here today.
 	Pakistan:
     Mohammad Hafeez	    c Dhoni b Nehra        4
     Sharjeel Khan  	    c Rahane b Bumrah	   7
     Khurram Manzoor	         run out          10
     Shoaib Malik	         c Dhoni b Pandya	   4
     Umar Akmal	             lbw b Y Singh	   3
     Sarfraz Ahmed	                 b Jadeja	  25
  	Shahid Afridi	              run out           2
     Wahab Riaz                	lbw b Jadeja	   4
 	Mohammad Sami	         c Raina b Pandya	   8
     Mohammad Amir	                 b Pandya	   1
     Mohammad Irfan	         not out	        0
     Extras (LB-4, WD-11)	                     15
	Total (all out in 17.3 overs)	            83
     Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-22, 3-32, 4-35, 5-35, 6-42, 7-52, 8-70, 9-83.
 	Bowling: A Nehra 3-0-20-1, J Bumrah 3-2-8-1, H Pandya 3.3-0-8-3, Yuvraj Singh	 2-0-11-1, R Jadeja 3-0-11-2, R Ashwin 3-0-21-0.

 Scoreboard of the Asia Cup match

Indian bowlers demolished Pakistan batting line up with a superlative show as they bundled out the arch-rivals for a paltry 83 in their Asia Cup T20 cricket match, here today.
     Collective effort from the bowlers was backed brilliantly by the fielders as it became a 'no-contest' from the moment India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni opted to field on a pacer- friendly wicket.
     The Indian bowlers made good use of the conditions and the fielding unit also put relentless pressure to effect two run-outs as it threw Pakistani innings in disarray.
     Ashish Nehra (1/20) and Jasprit Bumrah (1/8) dealt initial blows while new sensation Hardik Pandya (3/8) kept up the pressure and recorded the best figures among the bowlers.
     Such was the pressure on Pakistan, that spin twins Ravindra Jadeja (2/11) and Ravichandran Ashwin were brought in the 12th and 13th over respectively.
     The only Pakistan player to cross the 10-run mark was wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed (25). This was their ...

India skittle out Pakistan for 83 in Asia Cup

Young shuttler Ruthvika Shivani will take on P C Thulasi in the finals of the women's singles competition at the All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament here tomorrow.
     In men's singles, Rahul Yadav and Shreyansh Jaiswal have set up a summit clash after dispatching their respective opponents in the semifinals today.
     Fifth seed Shivani beat Arundhati Pantawane 21-11 21-19 in a 40-minute match, while Thulasi spanked eighth seed Sai Uttejitha Rao Ch 21-11 21-5 in another match.
     In men's singles, 15th seed Rahul Yadav eked out a stunning 22-24 21-16 21-16 win over top seed Aditya Joshi in a match that lasted an hour and 25 minutes, while second seed Shreyansh beat 10th seed Pratul Joshi 21-14 21-8 in another match.
     Top seeds in mixed doubles, Arun Vishnu and Aparna Balan saw off Shivam Sharma and Harika V 21-13 21-14, while second seeds Hemanagendra Babu T and Poorvisha S Ram defeated third seeds Rohan Kapoor and Meghana J 21-14 22-20. The two pairs will now face .

Shivani, Thulasi, Rahul & Shreyansh reach finals at Gujarat

Cornell Glen struck twice as defending champions Mohun Bagan continued their winning run by notching up a convincing 3-1 win over Salgaocar FC to remain at the top of the table after the 9th round of the Hero I-League played at Tilak Stadium here today.
     Bagan scored through Jeje Lalpakhlua (13th minute) and Glen Cornell (30th, 45+2), while Salgaocar FC pulled one back in the 71st minute through Darryl Duffy.
     Salgaocar were reduced to 10 man in the second half after Gilbert Oliveira, who had altercation with substiute Bikramjit Singh, lost his cool and exchanged blow on him prompting referee Rowan Arumughan to give him marching orders.
     The win takes Mohun Bagan four points clear of East Bengal as they lead the table with 21 points from 9 matches. While Salgaocar FC who are facing relegation are at the bottom of the table with 5 points from nine matches.
     Bagan, who are leading the table at the end of the first leg, played as a unit with Sony Norde, Jeje and Kastumi ..

Cornell Glen brace sinks Salgaocar

Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri made an early exit from the Honda Classic as he struggled to a six-over 76 in windy conditions on the second day of the event, here.
     Lahiri, who had an even par 70 on first day, did not find the momentum from almost the start, as he teed off from the 10th hole.
     Also missing the cut were Rory McIlroy while defending champion, three-time Major winner, Padraig Harrington, who will be seen in action in India next month, recovered from a bogey-double start to find five birdies in the next seven holes as he roared to two-under 70. He made the cut at Tied- 28th.
     At the top Rickie Fowler kept bogeys off his card for the second straight round Friday for a 4-under 66 and took the early lead ahead of Jimmy Walker (67-66) and Sergio Garcia (65-69).
     Lahiri, the two-time winner of Malaysian Open and Hero Indian Open, who is playing his Rookie year on the PGA Tour had two doubles in his first four holes and never recovered from there.
     He opened ..

Lahiri misses cut, Fowler takes lead

Two birdies in the last four holes of the third round kept Shiv Kapur's hopes alive of securing his first Top-10 finish of the year at the ISPS HANDA Perth International, here today.
     Kapur, who began the week with a stunning 66 has since shot 73-71 in the next two rounds. At six-under 206, he is Tied-20th, but 11 shots behind the leader, Louis Oosthuizen who takes a three shot lead into the final round.
     Looking unstoppable at Lake Karrinyup Country Club, Oosthuizen was 7-under the card through 15 holes and had stretched his lead out to five shots. However back-to-back bogeys saw him come back to the field, setting up the final round for a dramatic finish.
     Himmat Rai (73) with three birdies, two bogeys and a double was Tied 45th, while Gaganjeet Bhullar (71), who had an eagle at second, a double bogey, two other bogeys and three birdies, was Tied 54th. Chiragh Kumar (74) was Tied 63rd.
     Kapur, who has a troublesome shoulder that flared up before the first round and ..

Two late birdies give Kapur a chance for Top-10 at Perth

The Golconda Masters seems to be heading for a pulsating finale with three golfers, including Ajeetesh Sandhu, emerging as top contenders for the crown on the penultimate day of the event at the picturesque Hyderabad Golf Club (HGC).
     While Chandigarh-lad Sandhu managed to hold on to his lead for the third consecutive day with a sizzling five-under 66 that took his total to 17-under-196, Gurgaon's Shubhankar Sharma and Kolkata's Feroz Ali Mollah were within striking distance at 16-under 197 and 15-under 198 respectively after they shot matching scores of six-under 65.
     Sandhu (62-68-66), looking to break a three-year winless streak, carried a one-shot advantage into the final round of the Rs. 40 lakh event as he continued as the wire-to-wire leader.
     Sandhu, leading by two at the halfway stage, had a shaky start to the third day as he found the water on the third that led to a bogey. The mild-mannered 27-year-old then rallied with six birdies, including four on the last ...

Sandhu leads by one-shot after round 3 at Golconda Masters

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and invited arch-rivals Pakistan to bat in the Asia Cup cricket tournament, here today.
     India have replaced opener Shikhar Dhawan, who has a niggle, with Ajinkya Rahane.
     Teams:
     India: MS Dhoni (C), Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah and Ashish Nehra.
     Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (C), Khurram Manzoor, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Irfan.

Dhoni wins toss, opts to bowl against Pakistan

Defending champions Services and runners-up Mizoram are among 10 teams vying for the top honours in the 70th edition of the senior National Football Championship for Santosh trophy which will be played here from February 29 to March 13.
     Apart from both the teams, Jammu and Kashmir, Railways, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Goa have qualified for the league cum knock out matches, Nagpur District Football Association (NDFA) president Haresh Vora told reporters here today.
     Matches will be played at South East Central Railway ground in Motibagh and Nagpur University ground, Secretary of the hosts Western India Football Association (WIFA) Souter Vaz and Tournament director and assistant secretary of All India Football Federation (AIFF), Anil Kamath said.
	While the league matches will conclude on March 9, the semi-finals will be played after a day's break on March 11 and the final is scheduled for March 13.
	Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, ...

Santosh Trophy: Senior National Football C'ship in Nagpur

The Goa Football Association has welcomed the election of Gianni Infantino as the new FIFA President.
     "The advent of Mr (Gianni) Infantino to the prestigious post of FIFA President heralds a new dawn for the management of football in the world," Goa Football Association (GFA) chief Elvin Gomes said in a release.
     "The election of Infantino is a breath of fresh air, and we believe that the new FIFA President needs to become more inclusive and reflect the diversity of world football," he added.
	According to Gomes, the GFA trusts Infantino to provide the leadership to achieve this, as well as the rest of the reforms that are now urgently needed, to clean the game of the scars of the past.
     "In India and China, you have two of the most populous countries in the world, and we do hope there will be focused efforts from the new FIFA Committee to improve the game and reach out to an unreached fan-base, so that millions more will fall in love with football," he added.
     ...

Goa Football Association welcomes election of new FIFA Prez

With an aim to provide young tennis players a "developmental pathway", the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) today launched an exclusive Asian Tennis Tour (ATT) for the players in the Asian region.
     The decision to launch the initiative was taken at the ATF Board of Directors meeting here on Thursday.
     Only the Asian players will be allowed to compete in the ATT events and incentive would be to get wild cards for various ITF Futures and ATP Challenger events apart from some prize money.
     Another incentive is that top-five players on the ATT will be given a chance to travel with the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) teams.
     "The Asian tennis tour has been created with the specific objective of enhancing opportunities for the young Asian tennis players to fill up the void between the national and international professional circuits. This transition void has been traditionally resulting in many of these players dropping off the game due to lack of chances of making a 

New Asian Tennis Tour launched exclusively for Asian players

Sepp Blatter congratulated Gianni Infantino on being elected his successor as FIFA president following a campaign focused on the need to condemn his scandal-plagued 18-year era to the past.
     "I congratulate Gianni sincerely and from the bottom of my heart for his election," Blatter said in a statement sent to AFP in an email from his spokesman.
     Blatter was suspended by FIFA in October after Swiss prosecutors announced he was the target of an investigation into criminal mismanagement and misuse of funds.
     The 79-year-old Swiss national, however, warned that his successor will now face even higher expectations after the multilingual lawyer, who cut his teeth at UEFA where he was secretary-general, set out radical proposals for change.
     "With the adoption of the reform programme, expectations on him will be even higher. But I am convinced that my successor will put them in place," said Blatter, currently serving a six-year ban from the game.
     "With his experience, ...

Infantino has 'qualities to continue my work', says Blatter

Pacer Umesh Yadav was the cynosure of all eyes at a event here today when the ICC World T20 trophies reached the orange city as part of the tournament's host city tour.
	Yadav interacted with around 20 kids, who were roped in as sanitation messengers, hailing from interiors of tribal dominant block in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district.
	On the occasion, International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket in partnership with UNICEF and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) launched the Team Swachh clinics.
	Nagpur residents had a glimpse of the Men's and Women's T20 trophies as they were taken around the city in specially designed trucks.
	The 28-year-old bowler spoke about importance of hygiene and sanitation in the specially designed Team Swachh Wash clinic, set up inside the Vidarbha Cricket Association premises.
	Nagpur hosts India's first match on March 15 in the mega-event when they play against New Zealand.

Yadav interacts with kids as World T20 trophy reaches Nagpur

It will be a battle between the pace attacks of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as the two teams square off in a crucial round robin league match of the Asia Cup T20 here tomorrow.
     The match assumes significance as the winner will take a giant step towards qualifying for the summit clash of the tournament.
     For Bangladesh, a victory is a must as they have already played two matches winning one and losing against India in the opener.
     Both the teams beat minnows United Arab Emirates in their opening games. Sri Lanka did not need much effort even though the margin of their victory was 14 runs while Bangladesh were more convincing in their 51-run win.
     But both teams had poor outing as far as their batsmen are concerned. Sri Lanka managed 129 against an inexperienced UAE attack while Bangladesh were no better in their 133-run effort yesterday.
     It will be a battle of bowlers with Sri Lanka being led by their dashing captain Lasith Malinga, who rocked the opposition with a ..

It's Malinga vs Mustafizur as Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka

Ronnie Screwvala, owner of Pro Kabaddi League franchise U Mumba, supported the League taking place twice in a calendar year, saying it's the right way to promote the game among the youngsters.
     "Kabaddi cannot become popular if we have a six-week event and then a break of 11 months. Now it's being held for six weeks with a gap of six months. I am happy with the development," said Screwvala ahead of his team hosting the last league phase of the tournament from tomorrow.
     Team captain Anup Kumar clarified his views aired before the start of the event by saying he had never been against the league being held twice in a calendar year.
     "All I said was that kabaddi is a game in which injuries happen and the prospects increase (if it's held twice in a year). But having two seasons (in one year) is good for the game," said Kumar.
     Defending champions U Mumba are placed second in the table going into the last leg at the NSCI's Vallabhbhai Stadium in Worli here.
	Unlike the ...

Two seasons a year will popularise kabaddi: Screwvala

Hockey India today announced the commencement of coaching camps for junior and senior men's national teams in Bengaluru.
     Both the camps are scheduled to commence from March 7. The camp for the senior team is scheduled to conclude on April 8 while the junior camp is slated to end on April 2.
     Both the camps will be held at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre.
     The 4th Coal India Hockey India League (HIL) has seen the emergence of new prospects for Indian hockey both at junior and senior level. The importance of the camps increases considering that the Rio Olympics and the Junior World Cup are scheduled to be held this year.
     Names of 32 and 33 players have been announced for the junior and senior core probables respectively.

Junior and senior men's hockey camps to commence in Bengaluru

All India Football Federation (AIFF) chief Praful Patel is hopeful of establishing fruitful relations with new FIFA president Gianni Infantino and work towards the development of the game in the country.
     Swiss-Italian Infantino yesterday won the presidency of FIFA with a convincing victory over Asian rival Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and vowed to lead the scandal-tainted body into a new era.
     India was represented by Patel in the extraordinary congress. Patel congratulated the new FIFA president after his election.
     "#AIFF looking forward to working with #FIFA President #GianniInfantino to make #Football a great success in #India," Patel wrote on his twitter handle congratulating Sepp Blatter's successor.
     Patel also posed for a picture with Infantino and FIFA executive committee member Prince Abdullah.
     Infantino secured 115 votes in the second round of polls, beating off favourite Salman Bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa into second while Prince Ali bin Hussein ...

Blatter gone, AIFF looks up to new FIFA chief Infantino

Due to rains in the last two days,
the underfoot condition was unfit for racing, the Stewards of the RCTC announced.
      The Kolkata races scheduled for Saturday February 27 has been postponed to Wednesday March 2. The same card will hold good, they said.

 Due to rains in the last two days,

The Jaipur race walk course might have got praise from international experts but national record holder Khushbir Kaur was not happy with it as she limped out of the finishing line after winning the gold in the women's 20km event here today.
     Irishman Pierce O'Callaghan, who is in the international panel of race walking judges of the IAAF, praised the course as one of the best he had seen and capable of hosting top level international events, but Khushbir was not impressed.
     After winning the women's 20km race walk event today in a moderate time of 1:34:52.70, Khushbir, who has already qualified for the Rio Olympics, blamed the slope of the course for her limping as she said that she felt pain on her right thigh from the 11km mark onwards.
     She continued and completed the race to win the gold but later made her displeasure known to the officials about the slope in the course.
     Khushbir's national record (which she created in 2014) stands at 1:31.40 and given that her ...

Page 3227 -