Page 1041 - Sports

India beat Australia in Sultan of Johor Cup, seal semifinal spot

The Indian junior men's hockey team recorded its fourth successive victory at the Sultan of Johor Cup with a 5-4 win over defending champions Australia, assuring a semifinal spot. The win has also helped India top the pool. India made a dominating start to the game. Though their initial chance of scoring from a PC went amiss, Gursahibjit Singh scored a fine field goal to give India 1-0 lead in the 5th minute. The team built on a good start to score three more back-to-back goals in the 11th, 14th and 15th minute through Haspreet Singh, Mandeep Mor and Vishnukant Singh respectively. The 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter was a major setback for the defending champions. However, India faltered in their defence in the second quarter only to give away an easy goal through a penalty stroke in the 18th minute. Damon Steffens, who scored the first goal for Australia, ended up scoring the second goal too when an Indian infringement inside the circle saw them concede a PC in the 35th ...

Africans running in AG was human trafficking: Adille

Using strong words to condemn the practice of African runners competing for cash in the colours of Arab countries in the Asian Games, Athletics Federation of India chief Adille Sumariwalla termed it as "human trafficking" which, he said, was unlikely to happen in future. "I wear two hats and there are two ways of looking at it. My strong view is that the athletes are bought, used and thrown out by the Arab countries. What they are doing is completely wrong," said Sumariwalla at a media interaction organised by the Sports Journalists' Association of Mumbai on Wednesday. Sumariwalla, also a council member of the world athletics body IAAF, said further that these African runners did not qualify properly to represent their adopted Arab countries. "They are not given citizenship, they are given only residency, given fake passports, on the basis of which they are participating and once they finish they are thrown out; that's human trafficking. I am opposed to human trafficking

Gold for archer Harvinder at Asian Para Games

Harvinder Singh notched up India's maiden archery gold in the Asian Para Games by finishing on top in the men's individual recurve event, while the country also picked up three silver and four bronze medals on day 5 of the competitions here. Harvinder defeated China's Zhao Lixue 6-0 in the W2/ST category final to claim the top honours and take India's gold tally to seven. The W2 category of impairment covers athletes with paraplegia, diplegia or double leg amputation below the knee, requiring wheelchair. The ST category is for archers with limited impairment and who may take aim without having to need a wheelchair. Para-athletics, chess table tennis gave India three silver medals on Wednesday, while the bronze medals came from para-powerlifting, besides para-athletics. It started with Monu Ghangas claiming the silver in the men's discus throw F11 category before Vijay Kumar claimed the second spot in the men's long jump T42/T61/T63 category. Ghangas claimed his silver with a throw of .

Indian hockey colts beat Australia 5-4 in Sultan of Johor Cup

Continuing their unbeaten run in the 8th Sultan of Johor Cup, the Indian junior mens hockey team edged past defending champions Australia 5-4 here on Wednesday to secure a place in the top four stage of the tournament.

Disheartened Rehman retires from international cricket

Former Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, who along with teammate Saeed Ajmal famously stunned England during a 3-0 defeat in 2012, announced his retirement from international cricket Wednesday. The 38-year-old took 19 wickets and Ajmal finished with 24 when Pakistan whitewashed the then-world number one Test team in United Arab Emirates six years ago in one of the finest performances of his career. However Rehman said he was disheartened as of late after being ignored by national selectors. "I am announcing retirement from international cricket with a heavy heart," Rehman told media in Lahore. "It was a tough decision but I have decided to call it a day." A wily spinner Rehman finished his 22 Test career just one short of a deserved hundred wicket mark, while he took 30 in 31 one-days and eight wickets in 11 Twenty20 internationals. His last Test was in Sri Lanka in 2014 before the selectors began picking younger players in his place to form a new team. Rehman said dismantling ..

Australia solid in chase of 462-run target

Australian openers Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja gave their team another solid start of 72 without loss by tea on the fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan in Dubai on Wednesday. Set a daunting 462-run target to win, Finch remained unbeaten on 39 and with him Khawaja on 32 not out at the break, needing another 390 runs for an unlikely win on a weary Dubai stadium pitch. The pair had put on 142 for the opening stand in the first innings but once their partnership was broken Australia lost their last nine wickets for a mere 60 runs. If Australia wish to win this match they will have to rewrite the history books as the highest chase in all Test cricket is West Indies's 418-7, made against Australia at Antigua in 2003. Pakistan, who were 45 for three overnight, declared 7.5 overs after lunch on 181-6 at the fall of Asad Shafiq's wicket for 41. Pakistan made 482 in their first innings while in reply Australia were dismissed for 202. Jon Holland, who took the key wicket of Azhar Ali

Para Asian Games: Harvinder Singh extends India's gold tally to 7

Archer Harvinder Singh extended Indias gold tally to seven as he finished first in the Men's Individual Recurve Open - W2/ST event at the Para Asian Games here on Wednesday.

Abdur Rehman bids adieu to international cricket

Pakistan spinner Abdur Rehman has announced his retirement from international cricket.Declaring the same, the 38-year-old said that it is a "tough call" but it is no longer possible for him to continue playing the game.He further thanked his teammates Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq for their "continued support" throughout his career."I wished that I could have played one more game to complete my century of wickets in Test cricket but now I believe that this is no longer possible. It was a tough call to make. Every cricketer has to make this decision in his career and my time has come, but I will continue to play domestic cricket and leagues,' the Express Tribune quoted Rehman, as saying."I'm taking this moment to sign off from international cricket. I thank all the teammates especially Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul Haq for their support throughout my career. It was an honour representing Pakistan and the love and respect I got in return was unexplainable," he added.Reflecting on his ...

IOC Approves Creation of Refugee Olympic Team to Take Part in Tokyo 2020

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday approved the creation of the Refugee Team, which will take part in the 2020 Tokyo Games, the IOC press service said."The IOC Session has once again endorsed this initiative. In an ideal world, we would not need to have a Refugee Team at the Olympic Games. But, unfortunately, the reasons why we first created a Refugee Olympic Team before the 2016 Rio Olympics continue to persist. We will do our utmost to welcome refugee athletes and give them a home and a flag in the Olympic Village in Tokyo with all the other athletes from 206 National Olympic Committee," IOC President Thomas Bach said after the IOC session in the Argentina capital.The committee has mandated its commission of Olympic Solidarity to establish the conditions for participation, identification and selection of the Refugee Team in cooperation with the National Olympic Committees and the UN Refugee Agency, among others.The 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are slated to .

Wayne Rooney defends Mourinho over Man Utd's disappointing run

In the light of Manchester United's disappointing run in the ongoing Premier League, former player of the club, Wayne Rooney, has defended Coach Jose Mourinho saying that the team needs to raise their game.Rooney further stated that trainers could also do a better job. but ultimately. it is up to the players to improve their performance."It is difficult, it is a difficult situation. The players, the coach...it has been a tough start to the season. I know that Jose is receiving a lot of knocks for a few weeks now but the players need to raise their game," Marca.com quoted Rooney, as saying."The players have to improve, the trainer also could do better but it is down to the players to do it on the pitch," he added.Manchester United had a slow start to their season after they failed to register a win in their first four matches of the Premier League. The team, however, broke the streak with a 3-2 victory over New Castle, last week.They are currently placed at number eight on the points ..

Even West Indies team which had Lara couldn't win Test series in India: Holder

West Indies skipper Jason Holder Wednesday took a dig at his team's critics, pointing out that even a far superior Caribbean outfit of the 90's, including the legendary Brian Lara, couldn't win a Test series in India. West Indies last drew an away Test series against India way back in 1994 when Lara scored 91 at Mohali. However, that was the only Test series that Lara played in India. When asked about critics lashing out at their horrendous show in the first Test against India in Rajkot, Holder said: "We are playing the No.1 team, India, in their backyard. And history would show we haven't won a Test match here since 1994 and if you look at the players who came through West Indies cricket I think Brian Lara and these greats have been playing all that time." Recently, former West Indies captain Carl Hooper was critical of youngsters in the island nations being only interested in T20 contracts but without taking names, the current skipper presented a contrarian view. "Again, everyone ..

Shuttler Sindhu welcomes MeToo movement

Rio silver medallist P.V.Sindhu on Wednesday encouraged people from various walks of life to step out and speak on harassment while distancing herself from the comments of senior shuttler Jwala Gutta, who had alleged "mental harassment" by an unnamed coach.

Archana Kamath reaches semifinals at Youth Olympics

Indian paddler Archana Girish Kamath had to use all her skills, energy and nerves to overcome Azerbaijan's Nign Jing 4-3 and enter the semifinals of the Youth Olympics here. She pulled of a 13-11, 8-11, 6-11, 11-3, 6-11, 12-10, 11-7 in the quarterfinals here on Tuesday. In the semifinals, she takes on China's Yingsha Sun. A win against the Chinese will put her into the medal round straightaway, failing which the Indian will have a shot at the playoff for the bronze. But the spectacular fight she put in the Argentina capital must have given her enough confidence ahead of the last four fixture. After taking the extended first game, Archana was hit back by Ning Jing, a Chinese origin player from Azerbaijan, who went 2-1 up to mount pressure on the Indian. But Archana was up to the task and levelled 3-3 before dropping the next. At this junction, the 18-year-old had to muster courage to keep her nerves calm and approach the match with composure. And she did it marvellously to first erase .

Shooters like Manu are strong Olympic medal hope, says Jaspal Rana

Jaspal Rana feels the Asian Games heartbreak was a blessing in disguise for Manu Bhaker, who went there as the one who could do no wrong, only to fall and rise again in a matter of weeks. The moment of glory at the Youth Olympics, according to the acclaimed shooter-turned-coach, makes her a strong Olympic medal hope, alongside a few of her contemporaries. Delighted as much as he was after the 16-year-old Bhaker rediscovered her form with a first-ever gold medal for India in shooting at the Youth Olympics on Tuesday, Rana admitted that not being able to continue her medal-winning run in Indonesia may have proved to be a boon, as she learns to not only take failures in her stride, but also overcome them. A multiple Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medallist and now the junior national coach, Rana put in a lot of emphasis while calling the likes of Bhaker clear "Olympic materials". "These shooters are clearly Olympic materials and we should be careful in preparing them for glory ..

Tale of two players: Umesh "unfortunate", Rahul needs to be "persisted" with

Opener KL Rahul is an "outstanding talent" who needs to be "persisted with" but fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who gets frequently dropped after one failure is an "unfortunate" player, according to Indian bowling coach Bharath Arun. Despite 14 failures in 16 Test knocks, Rahul may get another chance in the second Test against the West Indies, looking at Australia Tests while Umesh will have to make way when Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma make a comeback. "It's really unfortunate that Umesh didn't get to play a lot in South Africa and in England. The reason being, bowlers who played, performed exceptionally well," said Arun referring to one Test each in South Africa and England. This was after a series of fine performances on unresponsive Indian tracks. "We look at Umesh as somebody who is quick. We also have a system where we rotate the bowlers so that they remain fresh and Umesh is a part of that (policy). We are extremely confident about what Umesh can bring to the table." However when .

Real Kashmir: Changing the goalpost in Valley for better, 'jaldi jaldi'

"I learned all about life with a ball at my feet," was Brazil legend Ronaldinho's take on what football meant to him. And it's a sentiment that Real Kashmir FC would probably identify with after adjusting to the valley's "curfews and cordons" courtesy the 'beautiful game'. The first club from Jammu and Kashmir to qualify for the I-League is slowly building up to that dream debut on the big stage when they take on Churchill Brothers on November 6 at home turf. "We can be the positive story coming from Kashmir. I appreciate the media for putting out the good word. Now it is for us to do all the hard work and shine, we have no other option," says the team's veteran mid-fielder Khalid Qayoom. Qayoom and the rest of the squad enjoyed a day out in Srinagar recently, cheering on the players of an under-18 state championship match at the TRC Turf Ground recently. The two-year old club, started by two friends -- Sandeep Chattoo and Shamim Meraj -- initially just for "fun", became the first ...

'Get your own towels' - tennis rallies round ball kids after Verdasco spat

Fernando Verdasco's treatment of a ball boy who failed to bring him his sweaty towel fast enough has thrust tennis players' attitudes towards the child volunteers into the spotlight, and could prompt changes. The 34-year-old Spaniard has not commented on the incident, when he aggressively gesticulated at a ball boy to hurry up during last month's Shenzhen Open in China. The footage went viral on social media and saw Verdasco heavily criticised. Judy Murray, the former British Fed Cup captain and mother of three-time Grand Slam winner Andy, tweeted: "What about a rule that makes players get their own towels?" Others, while condemning Verdasco's behaviour, pointed out that he is by no means the first tennis player to treat a ball kid harshly. Last week at the China Open, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka was caught in footage shaking an empty bottle in the apparent direction of a ball boy, before tossing it on the floor. "I don't care how good a tennis player you are but this type of ...

Bolt looking to his first football start in Sydney

Sprint superstar Usain Bolt looks set to make his first start as a professional footballer Friday, a challenge he said could determine if he has a future in the sport of his boyhood dreams. Bolt said the coach of his Central Coast Mariners, Mike Mulvey, had indicated he would be in the starting line-up in a friendly against Macarthur South West United in Sydney. "For me, that's always a good step, when the coach is satisfied with your fitness to put you in the starting line up -- that's always a big step," Bolt told Mariners' club media Wednesday. "I am just happy to get the chance and go out there and start, and do my best because that is the key thing." The eight-time Olympic champion made his footballing debut in late August in a 20-minute cameo as a substitute on the left wing, nearly scoring but tiring quickly. Bolt said he had improved his fitness since, and expected to spend more time up front. "My movement and my touch is much better now," he said. "I've learnt how to set my .

Brazil, Uruguay to meet in friendly

Brazil and Uruguay will meet in an international friendly next month, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) have announced.

Costa Rica name Uruguayan Matosas as coach

Former Uruguay international midfielder Gustavo Matosas has been confirmed as the new head coach of Costa Rica's national team.