Page 1004 - Sports
Anand beats Sadhwani, Kidambi holds Kramnik in Isle of Man
Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand scored an expected victory over young gun Raunak Sadhwani while Grandmaster S Kidambi caused a huge flutter by holding Vladimir Kramnik to a draw in the first round of Isle of Man International Chess tournament here. On what turned out to be a tough day for the highly rated and fancied players, Anand maintained his cool amidst wild complications that once threatened to ruin his position against young International Master Sadhwani who played with white. Seeded sixth here, Anand went for the variation he had chosen to beat Eric Hansen of Canada in the just-concluded Chess Olympiad but clearly the Nagpur kid was much better prepared. The idol faced some tough time before he could reach an endgame where his extra pawn did the talking. Kidmabi showed his solid game against fourth seed Kramnik. The Chennai based is known for his deep opening knowledge and that helped initially in maintaining the balance. Once the endgame approached, former World ...
Kohli, Rohit pummel West Indies with centuries in first ODI
Skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma conjured up breathtaking centuries as India's ruthless domination over the West Indies continued with a facile eight-wicket win in the first One-day International, here on Sunday. Making mockery of what looked like a stiff 323-run target, the home team cantered to the win with 7.5 overs to spare, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Kohli pounded the Caribbean bowlers with 21 fours and two sixes to raise his 36th ODI century and now needs just 81 runs to join the elite club of cricketers who have amassed 10,000 runs in the One-day format. After early departure of Shikhar Dhawan (4), Kohli raised a massive 246-run stand for the second wicket with Rohit, who remained unbeaten on 152. It was Rohit's 20th ODI hundred which came off 117 balls with 15 fours and eight sixes. While Kohli and Rohit plundered boundaries to entertain the packed stadium, it painted a sorry picture of the West Indies attack, which once was intimidating for any
Bajrang Punia storms into World Championship semis
Leading the Indian challenge, India's seasoned campaigner Bajrang Punia handed a 5-3 drubbing to Tulga Tumur Ochir of Mongolia to storm into the semi-finals of the men's 65 kg event on the second day of the World Wrestling Championships here at the Papp Laszlo Sportarena in Budapest on Sunday.In a thrilling quarterfinal clash, the Haryana lad held upper hand until the last minute, leading 4-1. But Punia conceded to his Mongolian opponent three crucial points, including one for the neutral position and two for the takedown within 40-odd seconds, almost halting the Indian's progress.But Punia held his nerves and thwarted the challenge by the Mongolian in the last second, thus earning an additional point."I am happy I was able to keep my cool in the last few seconds to see this through. I am confident and I also knew that the challenge cannot go against me," said a relieved Punia from Budapest over the phone.The Indian will now take on Alejandro Enrique Valdes Tobier of Cuba in the ...
Rohit, Kohli tons ensure easy eight-wicket win for India in 1st ODI
India rode on skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's strokeful centuries to register a comfortable eight-wicket win over the West Indies in the first One-Day International of the five-match series here on Sunday. Chasing a stiff 324-run target, Kohli smashed 140 off 107 balls while Rohit remained unbeaten on 152 off 117 deliveries as India coasted to the victory with 47 balls to spare. Earlier, Shimron Hetmyer scored 106 off 78 balls while opener Kieran Powell made 51 as West Indies posted a stiff 323 for eight after being sent into bat. Brief Scores: West Indies: 322 for eight in 50 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 106, Kieran Powell 51; Yuzvendra Chahal 3/41). India: 326 for two in 42.1 overs (Rohit Sharma 152 not out; Virat Kohli 140; Devendra Bishoo 1/72).
Shuttler Saina loses in Denmark Open final
Saina Nehwal went down fighting to Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei in the women's singles final of the Denmark Open badminton tournament here on Sunday.
Empoli extend Frosinone's winless Serie A season with late draw
Empoli came from behind on Sunday to deprive hosts Frosinone of their first win this Serie A season in a thrilling 3-3 draw in the Italian league's ninth round.
PM Modi felicitates Youth Olympics medal winners
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday felicitated all the medal winners of the recently-concluded third edition of the Youth Olympic Games.The function was also attended by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Rathore.Players present in the ceremony were delighted after meeting the Prime Minister and admitted that they felt truly motivated after being honoured.Speaking on the sidelines of the event, shooter Saurabh Chaudhary, who had bagged a gold medal in Men's 10m Air Pistol Event in the tournament, said that he is happy to have made the country proud at the international level."I am happy to meet the Prime Minister. I won gold at Asian Games, Youth Olympics, and World Championship. I am happy that I am making the country proud," Chaudhary said.Another Indian shooter Tushar Mane, who had also won a silver medal in the men's 10m air rifle event at the Youth Olympic Games, also appreciated the government's special interest in the sports field.He further credited ...
IOA felicitates Youth Olympic Games medallists
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Sunday felicitated all the medal winners of the recently-concluded third edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games.Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was the chief guest at the event.Rathore congratulated the athletes on their exceptional medal haul at the Youth Olympic Games, while also thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for specifically focusing on youth development and sports."The year 2018 has been the best year for the Indian sports. India won several medals at the international level. In Asian Games, India made a historic record. In Youth Olympics, India got 13 medals and if we included international then there are 15 medals," Rathore said."I would like to thank honourable Prime Minister who always focused on youth, youth development, youth values, fitness and sports. That's why we are saying whether it would be 2020 Olympics, 2022 games or any other games, we will be professionally prepared to ...
Magpie Group to conduct cricket talent search in Chandigarh
Magpie Sports Group, one of India's leading sports management companies, announced on Sunday that they will conduct a talent hunt for aspiring cricketers in Chandigarh from January 10-14 next year.
ISL: Battle of attackers as Pune face Bengaluru (Preview)
FC Pune City may find the going tough as they hunt for their first win in the Indian Super League (ISL) against last year's runners-up Bengaluru FC at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex here on Monday.
Spinner Ray earns maiden call-up to Odisha's Ranji squad
Odisha left-arm spinner Papu Ray on Sunday earned a maiden Ranji Trophy call-up for the first two matches following his impressive performance in the just-concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy. Odisha will open their Ranji campaign in the Elite C League against Haryana from November 1-4 and then face Uttar Pradesh (November 12-15) at the KIIT Cricket Stadium here. Ray took 14 wickets in eight games at a strike rate of 18.42 in the league stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and came under the spotlight of national selectors, who picked him for the Ajinkya Rahane-led India C squad in the upcoming Deodhar Trophy. Biplab Samantray will lead the 15-member Odisha squad. Squad: Biplab Samantray (Captain), Anurag Sarangi, Ranjit Singh, Sandeep Pattnaik, Govinda Poddar, Subhranshu Sekhar Senapati, Shantanu Lenka (WK), Papu Ray, Rajesh Mohanty, Debabrata Pradhan, Basanta Mohanty, Suryakant Pradhan, Abhishek Rout and Subham Nayak.
Bajrang keeps himself in medal race, reaches semis at Worlds
Star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia kept himself in the medal hunt by reaching the semifinals even as three of his compatriots faded in the men's free style competition at the World Championship, here on Sunday. The Commonwealth Games and Asian Games gold medallist held off a late charge from Mongolia's Tulga Tumur Ochir to register a 5-3 win in the 65kg quarter-finals. Bajrang had a comfortable 4-1 lead but conceded points late in the bout, including one for the neutral position and two for takedown at the Papp Lszl Sport Arna. The 24-year-old, a bronze medal winner at the 2013 edition, though held nerves to stay in the race for his second medal at the Worlds. Earlier, Bajrang defeated Roman Asharin 9-4 in the first round and beat Korean Lee Seungchul 4-0. The Indian will take on Alejandro Enrique Valdes Tobier of Cuba in the semifinals later tonight. In other bouts of the day, Sandeep Tomar began in stupendous fashion but could not sustain the momentum. He outclassed his Guatemala ...
Belligerent Hetmyer propels Windies to 322 against India
On the back of some fireworks produced by 21-year-old West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer, West Indies bounced back to post a mammoth total of 322 in the opening ODI of five-match series against India at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati in Assam on Sunday.Coming fresh from a humiliating 2-0 loss in the Test series, the Caribbean team, who are known for their brut hitting, showcased their trait, till the final over to take the score par 300-run mark.On a prodigious pitch, skipper Virat Kohli opted to field after winning the toss.West Indies skipper Jason holder was exuding confidence after fielding a rather young side with two debutants - Chandrapaul Hemraj, who opened the batting and Oshane Thomas, who will credit the fast bowling.The Caribbean side started off in their signature style dealing in boundaries. The debutant even sent the ball twice to the ropes on the last two deliveries of Shami's second over. Getting a little confidence, Hemraj tried to pull one but played the ball late ..
Denmark Open final: Nehwal fails to break Tai Tzu jinx
Former world number one Saina Nehwal, who was expected to break a 10-match losing streak against Tai Tzu-Ying of Taiwan in the final of the ongoing Denmark Open, has failed to break the jinx as she slumped to a defeat in the summit showdown of the tournament here on Sunday.The 28-year-old settled for a silver medal after suffering a 13-21, 21-13, 6-21 defeat at the hands of her Taiwanese opponent.After having a smooth run in the tournament so far, Nehwal's victory in the match was quite a possible thing to imagine but the Indian shuttler faced a terrible collapse by the end of the third game to lose the match.Making a trailing start to the match, Nehwal seemed to have no answer to the attacking rallies of her world number one opponent. Tai Tzu never let the game slip out of her fist as she constantly maintained a healthy lead in the opening game.Tired and clueless Saina, who was trailing the game by 5-11 at one point, eventually stumbled to a 13-21 defeat helping her opponent to gain .
ISL: Pune face Bengaluru on Monday
In search of their first win, FC Pune City Monday face a formidable Bengaluru FC in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash here. The Stallions are languishing in the ninth spot on the table after picking up just a solitary point from their first two away games. "I think Bengaluru FC is the best team in India. They are playing the second season with almost the same players. They have changed only two-three players. That is very important. Albert Roca has gone but Carles Cuadrat is the same. It is important to follow a continuous philosophy," said Pune coach Miguel Angel Portugal. A win against Bengaluru will not just be Pune's first of the season, but it will also be their maiden victory over the opposition to whom they bowed out in last edition's playoffs. "We are preparing for the match very well. We know their strengths and weaknesses very well. We have our ideas and we know the plan how to pick up a win," added Portugal. The Spanish coach will look towards his key ...
Ongoing series against Windies will be crucial for Dhoni: Ganguly
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Sunday backed struggling Mahendra Singh Dhoni to do well in the World Cup and said the ongoing series against West Indies would be crucial for the veteran stumper looking forward to next year's showpiece event. A colossus in ODI cricket, of late Dhoni is struggling with his batting and his scores have dwindled in the last few years. Starting with the five-match ODI series against West Indies here, India have 18-odd matches left for the World Cup and the think-tank has brought in dashing Delhi wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant in the mix to spice up the scenario. "I don't know what combination they are thinking at. But I'm sure he (Dhoni) will do well in the World Cup. It's (against West Indies) big series for him," Ganguly told PTI at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium while watching the ODI with Assam governor Jagdish Mukhi. In the Asia Cup, Dhoni batted four times, scoring 77 runs with an average of 19.25 and a strike rate of 62.09. Overall in 2018,
Tvesa and Gaurika best Indians at T-, Becky ends 18-year wait for maiden pro win
India's rising stars Gaurika Bishnoi and Tvesa Malik were the top home players at tied 13th place even as Becky Morgan of Wales ended a 18-year-old barren run to secure her first ever professional title at the Hero Women's Indian Open, here Sunday. The two youngsters, who are only in their second year of professional golf, shot 73 and 72 respectively to finish at one-over 289, eight shots behind Becky Morgan (68, and 7-under 281). Vani Kapoor (70), who played with tendinitis this week, and Astha Madan (70) were Tied-37th. "I was very happy to have fought back from back-to-back double bogeys on seventh and eighth, when I suffered a lapse of concentration. Then there was a bogey on 12th, too. But four birdies in last seven holes gave me a lot of confidence in my ability to score on a tough track," said Gaurika. "This is my last event of the year and I will now focus on my final year examinations in college and then get back to full-time golf next year. Tvesa Malik had as many as six ...
Graeme Smith to deliver lecture at Jagmohan Dalmiya conclave
Former South African captain Graeme Smith will deliver a lecture at the second edition of the Jagmohan Dalmiya Annual Conclave slated for November 2 ahead of Indias first Twenty20 international against the West Indies, a source said on Sunday.
Sushant, Archita among seven Indian qualifiers at Asian Jr tennis championships
Seventh seed Sushant Dabas shocked top seed Fardeen Qamar while second seeded Krish Patel outplayed Kushan Shah as seven Indians qualified for the main draw of the HCL Asian B1 Junior Tennis Championship, here on Sunday. Sushant upset Fardeen 7-6(5), 6-3 while Krish emerged winner with a 6-3 6-3 scoreline. Also making it to the main draw of the second edition of the event, organised by MSLTA and PMDTA, were Subash Paramasivam, Nishant Dabas, Archita Mahalwal, Priyanshi Bhandari and local girl Prerna Vichare. Top seeded Sevil Yuldashiva of Uzbekistan got past a fighting Bhakti Shah 6-4 6-4 to become the lone foreign qualifier. World no 61 in junior rankings, Dostanbek Tashbulatov of Kazakhstan and world no 49 Hong Yi Cody Wong of Hong Kong have been given the top seedings in the boys and girls events respectively. Tashbulatov will take on wildcard Aryan Bhatia while Wong will clash with reigning under-16 national champion Gargi Pawar in the opening rounds. Under-18 national champion .
Strikers should make quick decisions: Indian hockey coach
Despite registering a convincing 3-1 victory over Pakistan in the Asian Champions Trophy here on Saturday, Indian men's hockey team chief coach Harendra Singh has said that the strikers need to sharpen up and make decisions efficiently.Complimenting his team's performance, Harendra said that the squad deserves full credit, but he was concerned with the finishing as the men took too much time in making decisions."I am proud of the manner in which the Indian team staged a comeback. They deserve full credit, but I remain concerned with our finishing," Harendra said."We missed a few chances. We are taking too much time to make decisions. That's where we need to sharpen up. Any team can score early, but what mattered is how our team came back from the early reversal," he added.Skipper Manpreet Singh, who was adjudged 'the Player of the Match', said that the team needs to guard against giving away easy opportunities to the rivals."Despite playing a good match, there are many things we need .