Page 1012 - Sports
Dope Violation: NADA bans hockey goalie Chitke for 2 years, 4-year suspension for 5 others
The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has banned hockey goalkeeper Akash Chitke for two years after he tested positive for a prohibited substance earlier this year. Chitke was provisionally suspended by NADA from March 27 and the minimum sanction of two years was imposed by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) after a final hearing on October 8. Chitke was found positive for banned anabolic steroid (Norandrosterone) during an out-of-competition test during the senior team's hockey camp in Bengaluru on February 27. The final order was uploaded on agency's website late on Thursday where it was mentioned that his case of dope violation was "unintentional" as he had taken medicine for an injury on his left foot. However along with Chitke, there were five other athletes across other disciplines, who were all handed four-year suspensions for violation of anti-doping code as they could not prove how prohibited substances entered their body. The five others are wrestler Amit, kabaddi ...
Women's cricket: Australia A complete clean sweep, win 3rd ODI
The Australia A Women completed a 3-0 sweep against India A Women by beating the latter by five wickets in the third One-Day International here Friday. The clash was a dead rubber as Australia A had taken an inaccessible 2-0 lead after beating the hosts in the the first two ODIs by 91 runs and four wickets respectively. Choosing to bat, skipper Punam Raut led from the front with a 98-run knock from 123 balls as the hosts managed to put 254/8 in the allotted 50 overs. Raut was in a class of her own as she hit 16 boundaries at the Mumbai Cricket Association's Bandra-Kurla Complex facility. But, once again, she ran out of partners at the other end. Mona Meshram (57) too played her part to perfection while wicket-keeper Sushma Verma remained unbeaten on 40 to steer the home side beyond the 250-run mark. For the visitors, Amanda Jade Wellington returned with fine figures of 3-59. But Australian opener Georgia Redmayne laid the foundation of the win with her 123-ball 98. She ...
Marquez, Dovizioso withdraw from 2nd free practice for Japan GP
Marc Marquez of Spain and Italy's Andrea Dovizioso decided not to take part in Friday's second free practice session ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix due to unfavourable track conditions.
Wimbledon to have final set tie-break
The organisers of Wimbledon have announced the introduction of a final set tie-break in all the events of the championship.According to the changed rules, once the score reaches 12-12 in the final set of all the matches of the tournament, the match winner(s) will be the first player(s) to win seven points with an advantage of two or more points.The new method will be applicable from 2019 Wimbledon Championship to all the events across Qualifying, Gentlemen's, Ladies', Mixed and Junior singles and doubles.However, there will be no change to the current format of the Wheelchair and Quad Wheelchair events, which are the best of three tie-break sets.Reflecting on the changes, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) Philip Brook said that the decision was taken on the basis of feedback received from players and officials. He further stated that the method was introduced to reach the "natural conclusion" of matches."In reaching this decision, the AELTC Committee sought the feedback of both
Domestic hockey player killed in Pakistan
A domestic hockey player associated with a local club here was on Friday shot dead after some unidentified armed men open fired at him in northwest Pakistan, said police. Ziaur Rehman, who was in-charge of Qazi Mohib Hockey club, was killed in the premises of a sports complex in Bannu district of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The armed men open fired at him due to an old enmity. The killer escaped from the spot, said the police. Later, the police shifted the body to DHQ hospital in Bannu. An employee of Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority, Rehman had represented WAPDA in a number of hockey events at the national level. Police said that it has started investigation into the killing.
Mumbai Open Tennis at CCI from October 27
The 2nd USD 125,000 WTA L&T Mumbai Open Tennis, to be hosted by Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association and Cricket Club of India (CCI), would be held at CCI here from October 27 to November 4. Besides four of the world's top 100 players who have already confirmed their entry, the event will also see some marquee players being awarded wild cards, along with India's leading women players, a media release said. Aryna Sabalenka won the singles title in the inaugural edition last year and has been doing well since then, noted CCI President Premal Udani. "We are very happy to have got the event back. Aryna Sabalenka who won the event last year is racing on the world stage and we are happy to provide such a platform to young and upcoming women tennis players from around the world," he said. "For long CCI is one of the best sporting venues in the country, and we are gearing up for the mega event by upgrading our tennis facilities," he added. The centre court, two match ...
Hungry for success: From Rs 10 per wicket for food, Kolkata's Papu gets ready for Deodhar debut
Hunger for success is a common trait but for young left-arm spinner Papu Ray, success was non-negotiable as it ensured that he didn't go off to sleep hungry. The 23-year-old has been selected to represent the India C squad led by Ajinkya Rahane for the Deodhar Trophy but it has been heart wrenching journey for the Kolkata-boy, who was lost his parents even before he could pronounce "Mummy Papa". As Papu gets ready for his first brush with big time cricket after good Vijay Hazare Trophy for his adopted state Odisha, he recollected his back-breaking journey where each and every wicket meant, he would get to eat proper lunch and dinner. "Bhaiya log bulate the aur bolte the ball dalega toh khana khilaoonga. Aur har wicket ka 10 rupaiya dete the. (Seniors in my locality used to summon me to bowl and gave me Rs 10 per wicket)," Papu recalled his days of hardship during an interaction with PTI. Son of Bihari couple, who migrated to Bengal for greener pastures, Papu lost his parents Jamdar ...
Bajrang to spearhead India's challenge at Wrestling Worlds
Asian Games gold medallist Bajrang Punia will be India's best bet for a medal in the World Wrestling Championship as a 30-member team seeks a strong performance in the the flagship event beginning here Saturday. Already a bronze winner at the 2013 World Championship, Bajrang has come a long way in last the five years, establishing himself as a force to reckon with in the 65kg category. He was ignored for the prestigious Khel Ratna Award last month but he has left behind the snub and trained hard to have a shot a bettering the colour of his 2013 medal. Considering the ease with which he won gold at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, Bajrang will be one of the medal favourites. The only Indian to be seeded at this championship, Bajrang will compete on the second day of the championship on Sunday. With Russia's Illya Bekbulatov, a silver medal winner at the 2018 European championship pulling out, Turkey's top seed Selahattin Kilicsallayan would be the one to watch out for in the
Pacer Khaleel has his eyes set on World Cup berth
India's left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed has his eyes on making the 2019 cricket World Cup squad and wants to impress the team management in the series against the West Indies.
Ten-wicket Abbas destroys Australia for Pakistan's series win
Medium pacer Mohammad Abbas took his maiden ten-wicket haul in a match to fire Pakistan to a 373-run win over Australia in the second Test in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Abbas followed his 5-33 in the first innings with figures of 5-62 to wreck Australia for 164 after they were set a big 538-run target. The win gave Pakistan a 1-0 win in the two-match series after Australia fought back to draw the first Test in Dubai last week. This becomes Australia's heaviest defeat against Pakistan, beating the 356-run hammering at this same venue four years ago. It was Abbas who destroyed Australia with a haul of 17 wickets in the series -- becoming the first Pakistani fast bowler to take ten wickets in a Test since Mohammad Asif's feat against Sri Lanka at Kandy in 2006. Abbas had jolted Australia with four wickets off just 23 balls while Yasir Shah finished with 3-45 to give Pakistan their tenth series win on the neutral venues of United Arab Emirates (UAE). They have only lost one series -- 2-0 to Sri
Wimbledon to introduce final set tie-breaks
Wimbledon will introduce tie-breaks in the final set of all events for the first time next year, but only once the score in the deciding set reaches 12-12, the All England Lawn Tennis Club announced on Friday. "Our view was that the time had come to introduce a tie-break method for matches that had not reached their natural conclusion at a reasonable point during the deciding set," said the club's chairman Philip Brook. A tie-break is normally played to decide the set when the score reaches 6-6. However, until now the US Open has been the only Grand Slam that uses a tie-break in the fifth set. In this year's Wimbledon men's final, South African Kevin Anderson lost to Novak Djokovic in straight sets less than two days after beating John Isner 26-24 in the fifth set after more than six-and-a-half hours on court. Djokovic's own five-set semi-final victory over Rafael Nadal also had to be played over two days due to the delay in a conclusion to the Anderson-Isner match. "While we know the
Another tough day for Shubhankar in Korea
Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma started with a birdie from the tenth hole but failed to maintain the momentum and slipped to T-71st place at the halfway stage of the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES tournament on Friday. Sharma ended the second day at 3-over 75 for a two-day total of 5-over 149. With no cut being applied in the limited field event, Sharma stayed on for the weekend with a chance to improve his scores and position. He birdied first, but bogeyed 11th, 12th and 16th. On the second nine, he bogeyed first, birdied eighth and closed with a bogey on ninth. Brooks Koepka, recently named the PGA TOUR player of the year, gave himself a chance to become the No. 1 player in the world as he shot a 7-under par 65 to move to within one shot of the lead. Koepka will move to the top of world rankings on Monday if he wins the tournament, as long as former No. 1 Justin Thomas, the defending champion here, does not finish any better than second. Thomas matched Koepka's eagle on the last, but that ..
'Mohammad Abbas has potential to be No. 1 Test bowler'
South African fast bowler Dale Steyn heaped praise on Pakistan pacer Mohammad Abbas, claiming that the latter has the potential to achieve the number one spot in the longest format of the game.The 28-year-old had rocked the Australian batting line-up after picking up a ten-wicket haul in their recently-concluded second Test of the two-match series.Steyn, who had held the number one spot for bowlers in the Test format, took to his Twitter handle to praise Abbas' performance. He tweeted, "I see a new number 1 Test bowler coming... Mohammad Abbas."Meanwhile, former Indian middle-order batsman Mohammad Kaif, former England captains Michael Vaughan and Paul Collingowodd also applauded the rising star.Pakistan registered a dominating 373-run victory over Australia, clinching the two-match Test series 1-0. The two teams will now face each other in a three-match T20 series from Octoberv 24 to 28.
Aditi slips to T-30 in Shanghai
Indian golfer Aditi Ashok played a roller-coaster of a round to end the day with a 1-over 73 that saw her slip from T-22 to T-30 in the Buick LPGA event here on Friday. Aditi, who shot 71 in the first round, is now even par for 36 holes. The leader is Sei Young Kim (67-67) at 10-under, while Ariya Jutanugarn (66-69) is 9-under and shares second place with Danielle Kang (67-68) is third. Aditi, 96th in the Rolex World Rankings and 63rd in Race to CME Rankings, has had a mixed season with 20 starts in which she missed seven cuts. The tournament is the second of five being played in South Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan in the LPGA's annual Asian swing. On the opening day, Ariya Jutanugarn shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead. The Thai player had six birdies in a bogey-free round, including three straight from fourth to sixth. In Florida, Sharmila Nicollet, who was 4-under for 36 holes and lying T-5 at the Stage II of the LPGA Qualifying School, was unable to maintain the tempo and
Our competition starts with Pakistan clash, says Harendra
Indian men's hockey team chief coach Harendra Singh says his team has shrugged off the disappointment of the Jakarta Games and is looking forward to the keenly awaited contest against arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asian Champions Trophy here on Saturday. Title holders India started the tournament with a runaway 11-0 victory over hosts Oman on Thursday, while former champions Pakistan will take on South Korea in their first fixture later Friday. "The competitive part of the tournament starts Saturday with the match against Pakistan," said Harendra, who admitted the dejection within the squad when they failed to defend the Asian Games title in Jakarta. "After the semi-final loss in the Asian Games, the mood was not good for a few days. The disappointment of not winning the Asian Games gold is still playing on the minds of the players somewhat, but we cannot keep thinking of the past," he said. India, however, managed to secure bronze with a win over Pakistan. "We are now focused on this ..
Juventus asked me to leave after Ronaldo's arrival: Higuain
AC Milan striker Gonzalo Higuain has disclosed that he was forced to leave Juventus following the arrival of former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo to the Allianz club.Despite winning two Serie A and Coppa Italia doubles, Juventus broke the transfer record with Higuain by signing Ronaldo for 100 million Euros.Ahead of AC Milan derby clash against Inter Milan, Higuain alleged that it was never his decision to bid adieu to Juventus and that he was forced to leave the club after Ronaldo's arrival."I gave everything for Juve[ntus], I won several titles, but when Cristiano arrived, the club told me that I couldn't continue and that they were looking for a solution," he said.Soon after leaving Juventus, Higuain joined AC Milan on a season-long loan deal.Reflecting on the same, the striker said that it was his best decision to come to Milan."I chose Milan because I liked the conviction that they showed to get me. Leonardo, [Paolo] Maldini and [Gennaro] Gattuso know Milan very well and ...
Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge for vital EPL clash
All eyes will be on Stamford Bridge on Saturday when Jose Mourinho returns to face the club he managed twice in his career.
Daring Delhi face Mumbai test in Vijay Hazare final
A daring Delhi will have to be at their best to upstage the mighty Mumbai when the traditional domestic powerhouses square off in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Saturday. Both teams have their bases covered though Delhi have an upper hand in the pace department with Navdeep Saini and Kulwant Khejroliya doing the job for the team in helpful conditions at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Mumbai, on the other hand, have a star-studded batting line-up comprising Ajinkya Rahane, Prithivi Shaw and in-form captain Shreyas Iyer. With the firepower they possess, Mumbai should not be missing the services of Rohit Sharma, who played the quarterfinals and semifinals before joining the India ODI squad ahead of the West Indies series beginning on Sunday. Mumbai, who have won the tournament twice ever since it became a pan India affair, have cruised into the final having thrashed Bihar and Hyderabad in the quarter and semi-final respectively. Pacers Dhawal Kulkarni and Tushar Deshpande have ...
Somdev backs new ATP ranking system
Former India Davis Cup singles stalwart Somdev Devvarman Friday backed the new ATP ranking system, saying it will be a good thing for the Indian players in the long run. From 2020, ATP Ranking points will begin at the ATP Challenger Tour, a change that could significantly reduce the number of ATP-ranked players in the country. "It is actually going to be very useful in the long run because nowadays, for whatever reason, kids don't believe that education can go hand in hand with sport. Indian children can start looking at getting scholarships abroad, going to college tennis and continuing their tennis over there. There are pros and cons of transition too," Devvarman said. The former top 100 player was in Thane to inaugurate the Singhania Sports Academy at the Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School. Conceding the new ranking format will hurt Indians initially, Devvarman said it will be beneficial to youngsters in the longer run. "It is going to hurt in the beginning. But ...
Getting wickets will ease pressure if I am picked for World Cup: Khaleel Ahmed
Having impressed the team management with his skill set, left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed now wants seal his spot in the 2019 World Cup bound Indian squad with some good performances in the upcoming series against the West Indies. Khaleel made his debut during India's victorious Asia Cup campaign in Dubai and his ability to swing the ball at a fair pace impressed none other than stand-in captain Rohit Sharma. With 18 games left before India's World Cup opener against South Africa on June 5, next year, Khaleel has his priorities in place. "It's a good preparation for me for the World Cup. I want to take as many wickets as I can in the ODIs leading up to the World Cup. It will also boost my confidence and I will be under less pressure, if I am picked for the World Cup," Khaleel said ahead of India's first ODI against West Indies on Sunday. His stint at the Delhi Daredevils with Zaheer Khan as the mentor has helped him evolve, feels Khaleel. "I think I became a better bowler with his ...