Fit-again captain Lasith Malinga
returned to lead the side, while vice-captain Angelo Mathews also made his way back from injury in Sri lanka's 15-member squad for next month's World Twenty20 in India.
     Malinga had missed the recent tour to India along with Mathews and seamer Nuwan Kulasekara, who was also nursing a niggle.
     The team features veteran batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath have also made the cut for the big-ticket event starting March 8.
     Surprise omission is fast bowler Kasun Rajitha who stunned India at Pune with a three wicket burst and helped Sri Lanka win the first T20.
     Sri Lanka lost their number one T20 ranking in January in New Zealand and then lost 2-1 to India in the recent series.
     The squad:
     Lasith Malinga (Captain), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, TM Dilshan, Niroshan Dickwella, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milinda Siriwardana, Dasun Shanaka, Chamara Kapugedara, Nuwan Kulasekera, Dushmantha Chameera, Thisara ...

Malinga, Mathews return in Sri Lanka for World T20

PTI Automatic

Formula One team Manor has appointed Indonesia's Rio Haryanto as one of its race drivers for the coming season.
     The 23-year-old Haryanto will become the first Indonesian to compete in F1 and joins Germany's Pascal Wehrlein in an all-rookie lineup for the season that begins March 20 in Melbourne, Australia.
     "Melbourne will be a huge moment for me, my country, supporters and fans and I want to thank everyone who's been with me since I started in single-seaters; 2016 is my chance to reward that faith and represent Asia in F1," Haryanto said in a team statement issued Thursday.
      The second race seat at Manor was the last vacancy among the 11 teams for 2016, and Haryanto's appointment completes the driver lineup.
      Haryanto has spent the past four seasons racing in the GP2 series, winning three races in 2015 to secure fourth place in the season standings. He has had commercial backing from Indonesia's state oil and gas company Pertamina.
      Manor owner Stephen ...

F1's Manor appoints Indonesia's Haryanto as race driver

India today defeated a depleted
China 3-2 in the men's category of the Badminton Asia Team Championships at the Gachibowli indoor stadium here.
     K Srikanth, Ajay Jayaram and HS Prannoy emerged triumphant in their respective Singles matches to give India the victory.
     In the five-match tie, India won the three singles but lost the two doubles matches. India's men's and women's teams have already made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
     In the first singles match, Srikanth, currently the top ranked player for India at No.9, gave a great start to his team's campaign with a superb 2-0 (21-11, 21-17) win over China's Houwei Tian.
     In the second singles between Ajay Jayaram and China's Zhengming Wang, the Indian won the match 22-20, 15-21, 21-18.
     Though Wang was well ahead of Jayaram in terms of rankings, the Indian came up with a spirited performance to challenge his rival. Wang is now ranked 11, while Ajay Jayaram stands at 25.
     It  was an exciting contest 

Indian men beat China 3-2 in Badminton Asia Team Championships

England's spin duo of James Tredwell and Scott Borthwick have been named in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) squad for the annual Champion County match in Abu Dhabi.
     The four-day match, which is the annual curtain raiser for the English county season, will be between MCC and Yorkshire and begins March 20.
     Tredwell and Borthwick are two of five cricketers with England experience included in the squad, along with Ian Bell, Warwickshire all-rounder Rikki Clarke and Durham bowler Graham Onions.
     Nottinghamshire's Jake Ball and Essex all-rounder Tom Westley are also included having recently returned from England Lions duty in the UAE.
     A combined MCC Universities squad and the MCC Young Cricketers will also be playing a number of fixtures in the UAE, and will provide 12th and 13th men for the full MCC squad.
     Tom Westley and Surrey's Rory Burns are both MCC University graduates included in the full squad.
     The match will take place under the MCC Spirit of Cricket 

Tredwell, Borthwick part of MCC Champion County squad

Senior India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh today said he is seeking legal advise on the way ahead after BCCI Ombudsman Justice (Retd) AP Shah observed that the bowler should dissociate himself from sports apparel company 'Bhajji Sports', which supplies kits to  domestic
teams.
     Shah had investigated the 'Conflict of Interest' issues raised by activist Neeraj Gundey, who had filed a number of such complaints with the 'Office of Ombudsman'.
     "I have received an e-mail communication from the Board. All I can say at this moment is that I am discussing the issue with my legal advisor. I will act according to his advice," Harbhajan told PTI today.
     The company 'Bhajji Sports' is owned by Mrs Avtar Kaur, who is the cricketer's mother.
     When a senior BCCI official was asked, he said that if Harbhajan is not the owner, anyone else can run the company, he said: "As long as Harbhajan's name does not feature among the owners of the company in any of the deeds, he will not be under ..

Harbhajan seeks legal opinion regarding Ombudsman observation

The Central Government is planning to commission a study to be conducted by Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Ahmedabad on the recently concluded 12th South Asian Games held in Guwahati and Shillong.
     "We are thinking of commissioning a case study on South Asian Games to be done by IIM-Ahmedabad so that they can point out if there were any defects and what improvement can be done on it," said Rajiv Yadav, secretary, Department of Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports while inaugurating a conference on 'Sports Governance & Policy Development', organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) here today.
     "It was a very-very smooth rollout of the games and this format needs to be watched, it is a case study to be made," he said.
     Quoting examples of conflict between organising committee and government in the Commonwealth Games and Afro-Asian Games, the secretary said, "The format of giving total independence to the organising ...

Centre to commission study on 12th SAG: Sports Secretary

Unstoppable so far, star Indian
boxer Vijender Singh will now gun for his maiden title in the professional circuit when he fights for the WBO Asia belt come June in front of home fans in the national capital.
     The middleweight boxer, who earned worldwide fame by becoming India's first Olympic and World Championships medallist at the amateur level, has exhibited rampaging form even in the pro arena.
     Since his debut in the circuit last October, the 30-year -old from Haryana has won all his three pro contests via knockouts. His next bout is scheduled for March 12 in Liverpool, the opponent for which is yet to be named.
     "I am already excited. My first title fight, that too in front of my own people, in my own country. It cannot get better than this. I have no idea who my opponent is going to be but I am sure I will carry on the way I have so far," Vijender told PTI from Manchester where he is currently training for the March 12 showpiece.
     The venue for the Asia title ...

Vijender to fight for WBO Asia title in India

India's star all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was the cynosure of all eyes when the ICC World T20 Trophy reached the capital as part of the tournament's host city tour, here today.
     On the occasion, the International Cricket Council in partnership with UNICEF and BCCI launched the Team Swachh clinics. This is aimed at promoting a nationwide initiative to build a social movement for sanitation and toilet leading to an open-defecation-free India.
     The 34-year-old Yuvraj, on a comeback trail into the national team, indulged in a bit of cricket with children who had come to get a glimpse of the star player who was accompanied by young spinner Pawan Negi.
     The trophies for the men's and women's World T20 were paraded on a specially designed Nissan vehicle through the streets of Delhi.
     A specially designed double-decker bus carried children from local NGOs besides Yuvrag and Negi.
     The ICC WT20 2016 host city tour is travelling to eight cities beginning with Dharamsala, Mohali, 

World T20 trophy reaches Delhi in Yuvraj, Negi's presence

Never the one to shy away from a bit of adventurism, Australian spin legend Shane Warne ended up getting bitten on his head by an anaconda during his ongoing stint on a reality TV show here.
     According to a report on news.Com.Au, Warne, while performing a task on the show 'I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!', Warne was bitten by a non-venomous anaconda.
     "After bravely facing boxes filled with African clawed frogs, scorpions, Madagascan hissing cockroaches and rats in search of stars, Shane is presented with a box of snakes," the report stated.
     "Host Dr Chris Brown warns the legendary spinner that with the scent of rat on his skin, the snakes could easily think he is their next meal. As Shane - who once cried because his daughter would not let him watch the Vince Vaughn comedy Dodgeball - lowers his head into the box, an aggressive anaconda strikes," it added.
     Warne was treated for his injury and is being monitored for any sign of infection.
     "Shane has made ..

Warne bitten by anaconda in TV show

Indian tennis veteran Leander Paes along with his French partner Jeremy Chardy stormed into the quarter-finals of the Delray Beach Open with a straight-set win here.
     The unseeded Indo-French pair took an hour and 12 minutes to get the better of fourth seeded American combination of Eric Butorac and Scott Lipsky 6-4 7-5 at the Delray Beach Tennis Center.
     Paes and Chardy proved to be a better team than their seeded opponents, serving four aces and winning 66 out of 119 points in the match.
     Although the Indo-French combo were broken twice, they managed to break their American rivals four times during the contest to run away with the match comfortably.
     Paes and Chardy will take on the Spanish-Australian duo of Marcel Granollers and Sam Groth for a place in the semifinals.

Paes-Chardy advance to quarters of Delray Beach Open

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shahryar Khan has admitted that if the national team was unable to participate in next month's World Twenty20 in India, the body could be fined by the ICC.
    	Shahryar told the media in Lahore that in case Pakistan pulls out of the World Cup, the PCB would have to pay a penalty to the world governing body of the sport.
    	"I just spoke to the Prime Minister's secretariat today and until the government has not given clearance to send the team to India for the World T20," Shahryar said.
    	"All these stories about the ICC threatening us with legal action or the Prime Minister having cleared the tour are not correct.
	"We have sought advice and clearance from the government to send our team to the World event. The Prime Minister's secretariat has said they are reviewing the situation and will let us know soon," he added.
	"If we pull out our team from the World T20 then we will have to pay a penalty to the ICC," the PCB chief said without disclosing .

ICC could fine PCB if Pakistan pulls out of WT20: Shahryar

FIFA's appeals committee will announce its decisions regarding disgraced pair Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini at the beginning of next week, several sources claimed.
     Suspended FIFA president Blatter and his UEFA counterpart Platini, likewise banned for eight years for ethics violations, had the appeals against their sanctions heard earlier this week.
	Blatter, 79, argued his case on Tuesday at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, while Platini, 60, also a FIFA vice-president before his ban, was heard the day before.
	The pair were found to have abused their positions over a mysterious 2 million Swiss franc ($2 million, 1.8 million euros) payment made in 2011.
	Both men have argued that the funds paid by Blatter to Platini were part of a legitimate oral contract for consulting work done by the latter a decade earlier, but FIFA's ethics judges dismissed that explanation.
	The notorious 2011 payment is also part of a criminal probe by Swiss prosecutors targeting Blatter, in which Platini .

Blatter, Platini appeal decisions due next week - sources

Australia coach Darren Lehmann said he cannot see himself continuing in the demanding role beyond 2019 with a recent bout of deep vein thrombosis proving a "reality check".
     He was admitted to a Sydney hospital on January 23 with a swollen calf, where the blood clot was diagnosed.
    	Lehmann was forced to miss Australia's Twenty20 series against India and the one-day international tour of New Zealand before being given the all-clear to join the ongoing Test series against the Black Caps.
     He said the scare was a wake-up call, with the 46-year-old still on medication and forced to wear a compression stocking each day.
	Lehmann, who took over from Mickey Arthur in 2013, has been reluctant in the past to set an end date to his tenure but now says he cannot see himself doing the job beyond the 2019 Ashes, with the constant travelling taking a toll.
	"I think a shelf life if you have success is four to six years," he told the Sydney Morning Herald, of a role that requires him to .

Australia coach Lehmann sees 2019 as swansong

Cristiano Ronaldo hit his 89th Champions League goal while second-half substitute Jese added a late second as Real Madrid took a massive step towards the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win at Roma.
     Real travelled to the Stadio Olimpico looking to exorcise painful memories of losing 2-1 twice in succession to the Giallorossi at this stage of the competition in 2008.
     After weathering a frustrating first half in which Roma failed to finish off a series of promising attacks, Ronaldo broke the deadlock on 57 minutes when he ran on to Marcelo's chip to beat Wojciech Szczesny with a shot that deflected off Alessandro Florenzi.
     It was the Portuguese forward's 12th goal in seven games this term.
    	To their credit, Roma dug deep to claim a share of the spoils and were unlucky not to earn a penalty when Florenzi came down under the studs-up challenge of Dani Carvajal.
	Even after that decision, the hosts battled throughout a dominant late spell inspired by Egyptian winger Mohamed ...

Ronaldo, Jese on target as Real beat Roma

Manchester United must "wait and see" on how long Wayne Rooney will be out of action, said manager Louis van Gaal today as he confirmed his captain had suffered a knee injury.
	Several British media reports earlier on today said that 30-year-old striker Rooney, also the captain of England, would be sidelined for up to two months.
	Previously, United confirmed Rooney would miss their Europa League game at FC Midtjylland on Thursday.
	He was not in van Gaal's 18-man squad which travelled to Denmark today for the first leg of their last-32 tie and a United statement said Van Gaal would provide further details at his pre-match press conference.
	"We have 13 players injured and Wayne is one of them," Van Gaal told reporters.
	"It's difficult to say but he's injured in the game versus Sunderland and has a knee problem. We have to wait and see how long that takes. I cannot say," the Dutch manager added.
	"He scores a lot of goals so he is very important for us. We know that but we have to ...

Man United to 'wait and see' on Rooney injury, says Van Gaal

Lionel Messi moved past 300 La Liga goals as Barcelona moved six points clear at the top of the table with a 3-1 win at Sporting Gijon today.
	The five-time World Player of the Year struck either side of Carlos Castro's well-worked equaliser in a three-goal burst in five first-half minutes.
	Luis Suarez missed a second-half penalty days after famously converting Messi's pass from a spot-kick against Celta Vigo, but made amends with a brilliant finish for Barca's third midway through the second half.
	Atletico Madrid are Barca's closest challengers with Real Madrid a further point adrift in third.
	The match had been postponed due to Barcelona's commitments in the Club World Cup in December and, with a huge clash against fellow strugglers Real Betis to come on Saturday, Sporting boss and former Barca defender Abelardo Fernandez made nine changes to his side from the team that started Friday's 2-2 draw with Rayo Vallecano.
	However, in a match dominated by the European champions, it was 

Messi passes 300 Liga goals as Barca extend lead

Pakistan's head coach Waqar Younis today said he was focussing on preparations for the Asia Cup and World T20 events and not thinking about an extension of his coaching contract that expires in May.
	"I have still three to four months of my contract left and right now I haven't given a thought to the future," he told reporters here.
	Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shahryar Khan has said that the board had decided to extend the contract of Waqar for the tour to England which lasts from July to September.
	"Coaching of any team is always a tough job. It doesn't matter whether you do well or disappoint. It is a tough job and I knew about this when I accepted this challenge. I enjoy taking up tough challenges," Waqar said.
	The former Pakistan captain said at present, he was only focusing on preparations for the Asia Cup and World T20 events and not thinking about his contract.
	He said when the time came, he will think about it.
	Waqar was also candid about Pakistan's chances in the two 

Asia Cup, World T20 on mind, not coaching contract: Waqar

Dutch swimmer Inge Dekker, who won gold, silver and bronze medals in the women's 100-meter freestyle relay at the last three Olympic Games, has been diagnosed with cervical cancer.
	In a statement posted today on the Dutch swimming union's website, Dekker said she was shocked by the diagnosis.
	She says that, "for three years my thoughts have been focused on the Olympic Games in Rio and then I hear this." But she added, "I have certainly not yet ruled out the Games in Rio."
	The 30-year-old freestyle and butterfly specialist has long been part of the successful Dutch women's freestyle relay team. She won a bronze medal in the 100-meter relay in Athens in 2004, gold in Beijing four years later and silver in London.

Dutch swimmer Inge Dekker diagnosed with cervical cancer

Franz Beckenbauer has been fined and warned by FIFA's ethics committee for refusing to cooperate with Michael Garcia's investigation of World Cup bidding.
       Beckenbauer failed to cooperate "despite repeated requests for his assistance" in the 2018-2022 World Cup inquiry, world soccer's ethics committee judging chamber said Wednesday. Beckenbauer was also fined 7,000 Swiss francs ($7,050).
       "Mr. Beckenbauer thus did not behave in accordance with the general rules of conduct applicable to football officials in the context of the investigations," the ethics judges said in a statement.
       It is the second sanction imposed on the former West Germany great for initially snubbing Garcia, who was FIFA's lead ethics prosecutor until resigning in December 2014.
       Garcia got Beckenbauer banned from duty for 90 days during the 2014 World Cup that initially blocked him attending matches in Brazil. The ban was lifted after 14 days when Beckenbauer agreed to answer questions.
    

Franz Beckenbauer fined, warned by FIFA ethics judges

Following are the results of 13th day
races held here today.
     1st Race: Charmudi Ghat Plate - 1100M.
     Celestar (Suchit Jayaraj Shah) 53.5 Anil Baandal first
     Likeastar 53.5 Arshad Alam second
     Order Order 55 Madhu Babu third
     Chrome 53.5 Nitin Singh fourth
     Not Run: Always Resolute
     Rest All Ran
     Won By: 1L, 1L and 3Ls
     Time: One Min:07.99 seconds
     Tote: Rs 87 for win. Rs 18, Rs 12 and Rs 95 for places
     Favourite: Likeastar
     Winner Trained By: Monnappa
     Forecast: Rs 143
     Quinella: Rs 43
     Shp     : Rs 57
     Trinalla: 70 pct Rs 2,789
               30 pct Rs 1,076
     Exacta  : 70 pct Rs 9,361
               30 pct Rs 3,439.

 Following are the results of 13th day

Defender Mahipal Narwal rescued leaders Patna Pirates to script a come from behind win against Bengaluru Bulls in Season 3 of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi here today.
     Trailing under the onslaught of the Bengaluru Bulls for almost 30 minutes of the fast paced encounter, Narwal and co scored at will in the second half to first bridge the half-time gap of 11-20 to inflict an all-out over the losers to turn the match.
      And just when the fate of Patna Pirates seemed to be hanging by a slender thread, Narwal drew upon all his experience to trap rival Surjeet Narwal once and substitute Deepak Dahiya twice to prevent any slip up in the dying minutes. To his credit Surjeet with 14 raid points and a tackle point to add went down fighting like a true soldier. The win, their eighth in nine matches takes Patna Pirates to 43 points while with their sixth loss the Bengaluru Bulls lie seventh with just 13 points, with the consolation point they got today for less than 7-point loss.
     The ...

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