Gareth Bale believes he will be able to play a role in Wales's must-win final two Euro 2020 qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Hungary, Welsh manager Ryan Giggs said on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old Real Madrid star has been struggling with a calf problem and has not played since scoring for Wales in their 1-1 draw with World Cup finalists Croatia on October 13.
However, Giggs said Bale is confident he could win the race to be fit for both the game in Azerbaijan on November 16 and at home to Hungary on the 19.
"It wasn't a big injury, but with the short turnaround it's a worry," said Giggs after naming a 27-man squad.
"I'm in constant contact with him and he feels confident that he'll be fit for the game.
"It's just monitoring it this week, literally day by day. The last time I spoke to him he was confident he'd be OK."
The Welsh -- surprise semi-finalists at Euro 2016 -- are presently fourth in their group, six points adrift of table-topping Croatia and four shy of second-placed ...

Bale confident he will be fit for crucial Euro 2020 qualifiers

PTI Automatic

Italian club Verona were on Tuesday given a one-match partial stadium closure for monkey cries from their fans directed at Brescia forward Mario Balotelli during a Serie A game at the weekend.
Italian international Balotelli scored in Sunday's 2-1 Serie A defeat but his performance was overshadowed by his fury at the racist abuse from a section of Verona's supporters.
The Lega Serie A's disciplinary commission on Tuesday said that the chants "were clearly perceived, in addition to the player, also by the federation representative positioned nearby."
The commission found that "after these cries .. there were also cries of support followed by long applause".
As a result they ordered that a section known as the "Poltrone Est" in the Bentegodi Stadium, which can host around 3,500 spectators in the 30,000-capacity stadium, be closed for one match.
Despite denials of abuse from Verona, a video published on Twitter by a fan showed a number of supporters directing abuse at Balotelli before ...

Verona get one-match partial stadium closure for Balotelli racist abuse

Former captain Dilip Vengsarkar on Tuesday hailed the concept of Day/Night Tests in India, terming it as a good initiative which will bring the crowd back to the longest format of the game.
"It (Day Night Test) is a good thing, we will have to wait and see at the end of the day on how it goes. Of course, there will be dew factor. So I don't know how it will work, but I hope it goes well because it is good for Test cricket. We needed these changes to get the people back watching Test cricket," Vengsarkar told reporters here.
He was speaking after unveiling the book 'Wizards  The Story of Indian Spin Bowling' penned by Anindya Dutta.
India will play their first-ever Day/Night Test match against Bangladesh in Kolkata later this month.
Asked whether dew will be a factor, Vengsarkar said, "We will come to know only after the Test match, but it is good to start something. We saw in Australia how huge a success it was, so I am sure people of India will also lap it up. It is the way to revive 

Vengsarkar hails D/N Tests, says fans will lap it up

Olympic chief Thomas Bach on Tuesday urged governments to do more to help "drain the doping swamp" by going after the entourage of a cheating athlete.
"The athlete is not the only culprit," the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) told the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) conference in Katowice.
"The athlete is supported and sometimes even driven to or forced into doping by a secretive network which may include coaches, agents, dealers, managers, officials from government or sport organisations, doctors, physiotherapists or others," he said.
But while sports organisations can punish competitors who test positive they are powerless "to identify and sanction in a deterrent way the athletes' entourage".  As an example he said if the IOC identified a doctor guilty of doping it will banish him from the Games.
"But after the doctor goes back home, in most cases he can just continue with his nefarious business without any consequences.
"This is not acceptable. This is the ...

Olympic chief urges focus on cheating athletes' 'entourage'

The Pakistan Tennis Federation will hold a crucial meeting on Wednesday to decide whether to appeal the decision of International Tennis Federation to shift the Davis Cup tie against India from Islamabad to a neutral venue.
The tie, set for November 29 and 30, was scheduled to be held in the Pakistani capital but the ITF on Monday decided that the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I game will be played at a neutral venue.
It was initially scheduled to be held in September but was delayed when India expressed concerns about the safety of their players due to the prevailing diplomatic tensions between the two nations after the revocation of Article 370.
"We will decide at the meeting our next line of action. We have the option of appealing the ITF decision. Our top players like Aisam ul Haq and Aqeel Khan had made it clear earlier they would not be available for selection if the tie is not played in Islamabad," PTF President Saleem Saifullah said.
"It is a difficult situation for us. We have 

Pak tennis body mulls appeal of ITF decision to shift Davis Cup tie against India to neutral venue

The IPL Governing Council has temporarily shelved the proposal of multiple franchises wanting to play a "mini-tournament" or "friendlies abroad" as it would require more detailed study of ICC's Futures Tours Programme (FTP).
It has been learnt that at least two franchises Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have long been exploring the possibilities of cashing in on their popularity amongst the Indian diaspora.
While the matter came up for discussion, a senior IPL governing council member said that "it's been discussed and the matter has been filed".
"The issue of allowing IPL franchises to play 'frendlies' was also discussed in the meeting but a final call would be taken only after seeing the ICC Future Tours Programme," he said.
"We have to check the FTP. We are looking at a small tournament or friendlies for the franchises. We are playing now in March, April and May and after that they have nothing. We want to popularise the game abroad as well, but we have to see ..

Mini IPL or friendlies abroad? IPL GC shelves franchise proposal

Pakistan tennis star Aisam ul Haq Qureshi has termed International Tennis Federation's (ITF) decision to shift the Indo-Pak Davis Cup tie to a neutral venue as "shocking and disgraceful", saying by doing so the world body has discriminated with his country.
"A really shocking, embarrassing, disgraceful, sad and unfair decision by @ITF_Tennis to hold this @DavisCup tie on a neutral venue. Once again #Pakistan is getting penalised for someone else's actions. To me it's an absolute discrimination at every level," tweeted Qureshi, who had paired with India's Rohan Bopanna in the ATP circuit in the past.
In a big relief for India's national tennis federation (AITA), the ITF on Monday decided to shift the country's Davis Cup tie against Pakistan from Islamabad to a neutral venue.
The November 29-30 contest has already been rescheduled once, owing to security concerns raised by India.
The tie was scheduled to be held in September but was delayed when India expressed concerns about the safety 

Pakistan's Qureshi slams ITF for shifting Davis Cup tie to neutral venue

Haryana's Rachna marked her shift from being a single-lapper to 800m with a memorable victory in the 35th National Junior Athletic Championships, breaking Tintu Luka's 11-year-old under-20 meet record with a 2:06.12 effort here on Tuesday.
Luka had set the meet mark at 2:07.48 in Mysore in 2008. With a bit more challenge and effort, Rachna could have made a crack at Luka's national U-20 record (2:05.21, also set in 2008) but the Haryana girl had to be content with the meet mark.
There were two national marks rewritten in the under-16 age-group. Haryana's Parvej Khan secured the boys 800m record while Uttarkhand's Reshma Patel earned the girls 3000m Race Walk record with gritty efforts.
Parvej Khan tackled the two-lap event with confidence and poise, his time of 1:54.78 improving upon Biren Gogoi's record of 1:55.70 set 28 years ago in Cuttack. He was helped, of course, by the enormous pressure that Madhya Pradesh's Shyam Milan Bind and Uttarakhand's Suraj Yadav exerted on him.
In the .

Haryana's Rachna breaks Tintu Luka's 11-year-old junior meet mark in 800m

Birthday boy Deepak Kumar secured India's 10th Olympic quota in shooting while Manu Bhaker claimed the women's 10m air pistol gold medal in the 14th Asian Championship here on Tuesday.
Deepak gifted himself a bronze medal in men's 10m air rifle on the opening day of the championship.
The Jakarta Asian Games silver medallist shot 227.8 in the eight-man final to finish third on the podium and add to India's quotas for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Later in the day, 17-year-old Bhaker shot 244.3 to win the top prize in her event. The Haryana sensation, though, had already secured an Olympic quota at the Munich World Cup in May.
China's Qian wang and Ranxin Jiang won the silver and bronze respectively in Bhaker's event.
The other Indian competing in the event, Yashaswini Singh Deshwal finished sixth in the final.
The third Indian in the fray, Annu Raj Singh shot 569 for a 20th place finish.
The Indian trio claimed the team bronze with a total of 1731, behind Korea and China ...

Deepak bags India's 10th Olympic quota in shooting, Manu Bhaker also wins gold in Asian C'ships

Former Competition Commission of India chairman Sudhir Mital and Shantikumar Singh were on Tuesday elected as president and general secretary respectively, of the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI), bringing an end to the long-drawn factionalism in the sport.
Returning officer S K Mendiratta declared Mital and Shantikumar elected unopposed in the elections held at the Indian Olympic Association headquarters here.
Mital and Shantikumar remained the lone candidates for their respective posts. There were elections only for the posts of one treasurer and four executive committee members. Kaushik Bidiwala was elected as treasurer, defeating Ashok Kumar Sahoo by 42 votes to 2.
Observers from the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), Sports Ministry and the IOA were present during the elections. Former secretary general Andre Gueisbuhler came as FIG observer, while Deepak Kumar and M S Tyagi represented the sports ministry and the IOA respectively.
Mital, a retired IAS officer of ...

Indian gymnastics body gets new office bearers; Mital, Shantikumar elected prez and secy

World number one Rafael Nadal, recovering from injury, confirmed Tuesday he will compete at the season-ending ATP Tour Finals in London from November 10-17.
"Yesterday I had an MRI in Majorca and despite a slight strain to the left abdominal muscle I will go to London," tweeted Nadal, forced out of last week's Paris Masters by the same injury.
"Thursday or Friday I will start hitting services. The idea is to play the ATP Finals. Thanks for your support." Nadal took over as world number one this week from Novak Djokovic who went on to win the Paris Masters.
The eight top-ranked players in the world gather in London for the ATP Tour Finals where Nadal's world number one ranking will be under threat from Djokovic.
The Serb would be sure of reclaiming the year-end top ranking should he win the tournament and Nadal fail to reach the semis.
If Nadal fails to win even one round robin match, Djokovic could be crowned world number one simply by reaching the final after two group-stage wins.

Nadal confirms London ATP Finals place

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness says the German giants  expect to name Niko Kovac's replacement as head coach within three weeks, while a report Tuesday said Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel has already turned them down.
Kovac was sacked on Sunday after 16 months in charge in the wake of Bayern's 5-1 drubbing at Eintracht Frankfurt, which left the defending giants fourth in the Bundesliga table.
Kovac's assistant Hansi Flick has been named interim coach.
Hoeness says Bayern's senior figures will "think calmly about how to handle" finding a new head coach with a decision expected to be made during the forthcoming international break.
"I think that by the time the next away game comes around in Duesseldorf (on November 23), we'll know how the coach's issue has been resolved," Hoeness added.
According to Sky Germany, PSG coach Tuchel, who has a contract until 2021, has been approached by Bayern, but has already ruled out an immediate switch.
Ajax coach Erik ten Hag, one of the .

Bayern to name coach within three weeks, Tuchel approached - report

Japanese athletics officials on Tuesday slammed the decision to move the 2020 Olympic marathon and race-walking events from Tokyo to Sapporo, saying the move did not put competitor interests first.
The IOC ordered the move last month after seeing athletes struggle to cope with hot and humid conditions at the world championships in Doha in September.
"The IOC was shocked by what we saw in Doha in very similar conditions in terms of temperature and humidity to what's expected here in Tokyo," John Coates, head of the body's coordination commission, said at the time of the announcement.
The IOC had a responsibility "to always put the health of athletes first", he said.  The announcement caught Tokyo 2020 organisers by surprise, and on Tuesday Kazunori Asaba -- training chief of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) -- told reporters it should never have been made.
"It's like the athletes who had been training for many years to climb Everest were told just nine months ...

Japan athletics execs slam 2020 Olympic marathon move

Australia's One Day International captain Aaron Finch is to be skipper of The Northern Superchargers for the inaugural edition of The Hundred, the franchise announced on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old batsman -- who is also skipper of the T20 Australian side -- had been Superchargers coach Darren Lehmann's first pick in the draft.
They know each other well from Lehmann's stint as head coach of Australia -- the pinnacle winning the 2015 World Cup.
Finch -- who has over 100 ODI's and 50 T20 international appearances to his credit -- has played for seven IPL sides as well as the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash.
He also has valuable English county experience through stints at both Surrey and Yorkshire.
He will captain a side which includes England superstar all-rounder Ben Stokes.  "I've spent many years working alongside Darren and I'm really excited to be heading back to Headingley (Yorkshire's home ground) as captain of the Northern Superchargers," he said in a statement.
"I think we ...

Lehmann names Finch as Northern Superchargers skipper

Italian club Verona announced on Tuesday they have banned the leader of their hard-core ultras supporters group until June 2030 for saying that Mario Balotelli would never be "completely Italian".
Verona said that Luca Castellini was barred from their stadium "based on considerations and expressions seriously contrary to those that distinguish the ethical principles and values of our club".
Brescia forward Balotelli threatened to leave the pitch on Sunday after being targeted by monkey chants from a section of Verona's supporters during a Serie A game.
Castellini made racist comments on Monday directed at the 29-year-old Italian forward during a radio interview.
"Balotelli's Italian because he has Italian citizenship, but he can never be completely Italian," said Castellini.
When asked if Verona fans were racist, Castellini added: "We have a negro in our team and he scored yesterday and all of Verona applauded."
Despite denials of abuse from Verona, a video published on Twitter showed 

Verona ban fan leader for saying Balotelli not 'completely Italian'

Young Bangladesh all-rounder Afif Hossain is happy that skipper Mahmudullah Riyad has allowed him to play his natural game which has helped him grow in confidence.
Afif, who is a batting all-rounder did his bit with the ball getting rival debutant Shivam Dube's wicket with a smart return catch during Bangladesh's seven-wicket win over India.
"The environment is pretty good in the dressing room. Our captain's (Mahmuddullah) message is simple -- play in a way that suits you best. Aggressive instinct in the field (in first T20) was a part of our plan," he added.
The youngster however doesn't want to be dragged into the debate whether India are under pressure after losing the first T20 but admitted winning the series opener has definitely bolstered the confidence of the visitors.
Bangladesh came into the tour as underdogs without experienced duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal but the Tigers came out roaring, defeating India by seven wickets in the opening game of three-match T20 ...

Play the way that suits you best, skipper Mahmuduallah's tips to young Afif

The shift in venue for the Pakistan tie has brought relief as well as headache for the national tennis federation (AITA), the officials of which are now scratching their heads on team selection.
The dynamics of the encounter has changed after the International Tennis Federation (ITF) shifted the tie out of Islamabad as top Indian players, who had refused to travel to Pakistan, are now interested to compete in the November 29-30 matches.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) officials spent the day discussing whether top players should be asked for their availability or not because if they do so, it will amount to dumping the players, who showed their willingness to travel to Pakistan despite safety concerns.
The new captain Rohit Rajpal is keen to have a strong side at his disposal but does not want the players, who expressed their willingness to travel to Islamabad, to miss out.
It has been learnt that Rajpal wants to take everyone along.
Veteran Leander Paes, Saketh Myneni, Jeevan 

AITA on sticky wicket after shift in venue

High on confidence after their first win in their previous game, Hyderabad FC would look to make sure their fortunes have indeed turned around after early struggle when they face NorthEast United in an Indian Super League match here on Wednesday.
All the negativity that surrounded Hyderabad FC's poor start to the season was dispelled by their come-from-behind 2-1 win over Kerala Blasters FC in the previous game.
Phil Brown's side were at the receiving end of two heavy defeats away from home before finding some relief at home. Now, the task for the manager is to build on this result and boost the morale of the squad.
However, his task is still unenviable, given the fact that key players are still missing due to injury and suspensions. The likes of Bobo, Rafael Gomez and Giles Barnes are all injured while Nestor Gordillo is still serving a ban.
"I don't think we have moved past all the injuries, there are four big players still injured. What we tend to do is to focus on what we have. We 

Hyderabad FC look to build on first win

Master batsman Steve Smith stroked a faultless unbeaten 80 as Australia edged Pakistan by seven wickets in Canberra to go 1-0 up in their three-match Twenty20 series.
Top-ranked Pakistan set a competitive 150 for six off their 20 overs, with skipper Babar Azam hitting his second consecutive half-century and Iftikhar Ahmed clubbing a quickfire 62.
But their bowling attack was no match for Smith, who brought up his fourth 50 in the short format off 36 balls, with six fours and one big six, as Australia reached 151 for three with nine balls to spare.
It put them 1-0 up after the opening match in Sydney on Sunday was abandoned due to rain. The final game is in Perth on Friday.
"Very pleasing. I thought we were pretty good all day," said skipper Aaron Finch.
"To get wickets consistently was key. Everyone is playing their roles really well, and we've got guys like Steve, who does what he does best."
Australia is on a hot T20 streak, having not been beaten in their last seven ...

Sublime Smith steers Australia to comfortable win over Pakistan

Indian hockey star P R Sreejesh feels that goalkeepers are like wine which gets tastier if kept longer, reflecting on his illustrious career from warming the bench to becoming one of the best in the world.
Sreejesh, a former captain, said the setbacks in the early part of his career taught him lessons to take failures as stepping stones to success.
"The first few years were quite hard for me. It took time for me to understand what exactly is international hockey. With time the game has changed, the game has got faster, so every tournament teaches you something," Sreejesh told PTI in an interview.
"When I started my career I used to concede a lot of goals but still every one had faith in me, they kept motivating me. The best part of a goalkeeper is that when you are the second choice you get to gain a lot of experience by sitting outside and watching. I am very much grateful to my seniors for their advises and suggestions," he said.
"And this is where I am today after overcoming all ...

Goalkeepers are like wine: Sreejesh

Australian wicket-keeping great Adam Gilchrist on Tuesday had just one advice for the embattled Rishabh Pant -- don't try to be the next Mahendra Singh Dhoni just as he didn't didn't try to be Ian Healy 2.0.
Pant has been struggling to hold on to his place in the Indian team despite a resounding start to his career with Test hundreds on debut in England and Australia. In Sunday's T20 match against Bangladesh, Pant also coped criticism for bad DRS calls, something that Dhoni had mastered at his peak.
Glichrist reiterated that the 22-year-old Pant should only focus on being his own best version instead of trying to ape the iconic former captain, who is currently on a sabbatical.
"My number one suggestion to Indian fans and journalists would be: Don't attempt to compare him with MS Dhoni. The mould that they used to make Dhoni, they have mashed it up once he was made. So that they make sure that there is not another one," he quipped at a promotional event of Tourism Australia.
Gilchrist, 

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