Page 1082 - Sports
Not enough thought put into Davis Cup revamp: Woodbridge
Todd Woodbridge is not convinced with the radical Davis Cup revamp and the winner of 16 doubles Grand Slam titles feels the tennis bosses seemed to be in a hurry to overhaul, "risking" a century-old tradition. In August, world tennis body approved an overhaul that will condense the 118-year-old competition into an 18-team, week-long event. Under the new format of the Davis Cup, 18 teams will play in a Final in November 2019. "I believe the Davis Cup format needs to change, I believe the current format that has been proposed... a lot of thought has not been put into it, there are no guarantees of players turning up, there's no logistics in place, there are a lot of issues that need to be resolved," Woodbridge said Friday. The 47-year-old Australian, one half of the all-conquering 'Woodies', added, "I think it would have been far better if the ITF had taken their time, another 12 months and actually planned the new competition out. Hope things go okay. But they risk losing the whole ...
All good fighters come out of slums: Tyson
Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, who in his prime was famously promoted as the baddest man on the planet, said here on Friday that all good fighters have come out of the slums, including him. "I think the poorer you are the better boxer you are. The most successful fighters have come from slums. All the fighters who come from the slums are successful. All the current top fighters are from the slums," said Tyson at the launch function of the Mixed Martial Arts Kumite 1 league. From personal experience the 52-year-old Tyson, who retired in 2005 with a record of 50 wins -- including 44 by knock-outs -- and six losses, said that if one works tirelessly that person can get out of the slums. "I am a slumdog. I grew up in a slum. I had the ambition to get out of the slums and that's why I am here. If someone works hard they can get out of the slums. I still go back to see my friends in my old neighbourhood. They still call it a slum," said "Iron Mike" at a ..
Kapur moves into Top-10 in Taiwan Masters
Indian golfer Shiv Kapur traded four birdies with five bogeys to card one-over 73, pushing him up into top-10 after the second round of the Mercuries Taiwan Masters here on Friday. On a wind-swept day when scoring was tough, Kapur was the best Indian with a two-day total of even par 144 at Tied-ninth. The halfway cut was set at four-over-par 148 with a total of 53 players, including one local amateur, advancing to the next two rounds. Among other Indians Gaganjeet Bhullar (74) and Jeev Milkha Singh (73) were Tied-16th at 1-over 145, while SSP Chawrasia, who was fifth after first round, shot 76 and slipped to T-24th. The only other Indian to make the cut was Shubhankar Sharma (74-74) , who was T-46th. The Indians missing the cut were Chiragh Kumar (75-74), Khalin Joshi (77-74), S Chikkarangappa (75-76) and Rashid Khan (77-75), Viraj Madappa (73-80) and Honey Baisoya (76-77). Adilson Da Silva of Brazil renewed his love affair with the Tamsui course after carding a two-under-par 70 to ...
Asia Cup: Here's why India-Afghanistan tie made this young fan break down
Arjan Singh, a little boy who was seen breaking down after Tuesday's India-Afghanistan clash ended in a tie, has revealed the reason why he could not hold back his tears.Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "I cried because I did not want Mahendra Singh Dhoni to lose his last match as an ODI captain and his 200th match as the skipper."The India-Afghanistan game came to an end with a nail-biting draw owing to Rashid Khan's brilliant last over.Needing just seven runs off the final over, the Indian team scored six runs off the first four balls to level the score. But on the fifth ball, Khan got the better of Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and bowled the Men in Blue for 252.Expressing his emotions during the final tense overs of the match, Arjan said that he was really happy with the way the match was going on, but the moment Jadeja got out on the penultimate ball of the match, he could not hold himself back."I liked the match. I liked that Dhoni was captain. I was happy, but at the last ...
Indian team to face Lankan side in final of Red Bull Campus Cricket
Title favourites India will face hosts Sri Lanka in the summit clash of university level Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals T20 tournament here on Saturday. The host country's Business Management School (BMS) on Friday easily defeated Pakistan's Karachi University by eight wickets in the play-off match at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground to set up a summit clash date with their Indian counterparts. Indian team, Marathwada Mitra Mandal College of Commerce (MMMCC) from Pune, had already booked a place in the final after topping the six-team league stage with an all-win record. The Indian team had beaten the Sri Lankan side by seven wickets in the league stage on September 24. Put into bat, Karachi University made 142 for 8 from their 20 overs with Arsalan Farzand top-scoring with a 43-ball 53 while Khurram Shahzad contributed 34. BMS chased down the modest target with 2.3 overs to spare as they reached 143 for 2 in 17.3 overs. Wicketkeeper Pasindu Lakshanka remained not out on 75 ...
Saina Nehwal knocked out of Korea Open
Former world number one Saina Nehwal crashed out of the ongoing Korea Open after losing to Japan's Nozomi Okuhara in the quarter-final clash of the women's singles event here on Friday.The 28-year-old suffered a 21-15, 15-21, 20-22 defeat at the hands of her Japanese opponent, ending India's only challenge left in the tournament.The Indian shuttler gave a tough fight to Okuhara, but the latter's resilient performance proved too good for Nehwal in the end.After making a winning start to the match by clinching the opening game, the Asian Games bronze medallist indicated towards avenging her last two defeats at the hands of Okuhara.But as the match progressed to the second game, Nehwal started to struggle with the Japanese shuttler racing ahead with a six-point lead.Afterwards, Okuhara played some long rallies to gain her momentum back. She, then, made an easy task of the Indian shuttler by beating her 21-15 in the second game.The deciding game of the match started with some promising ...
Andhra Pradesh pitched to create India's sports capital
A workshop on "Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh is building a world-class sports city within Amaravati with the vision to host India's first Olympic Games."Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has taken up this task upon himself to ensure that top class sporting complexes and facilities are developed which are needed to qualify to host Olympic Games. Once the Sports City is ready, Amaravati will be the first city in India to host the Olympic Games," said Sreedhar Cherukuri, Commissioner of APCRDA, the nodal agency which is developing Amaravati."We are developing Sports City in Amaravati which will come in three phases and will comprise integrated sports hub spread in 20 acres with an estimated cost of Rs 1,400 crore, a multi-purpose sports stadium, multi-purpose training campus. Amaravati International Sports Complex, a Rs 60 crore complex, will also be built on 8.9 acres which will revolutionise sports in Andhra Pradesh. Phase I will be ready by 2021," said ...
Mary Kom to lead Indian challenge at AIBA women's world championship
Five-time champion M C Mary Kom (48kg) will be the spearhead of a 10-strong Indian team named Friday for the AIBA women's world boxing championships, scheduled to be held here from November 15 to 24. Olympic bronze-medallist Mary Kom will be aiming for her sixth gold at the event, which is being held in India for the first time since 2006. Pinky Jangra (51kg), Manisha (54kg), Sonia (57kg), L Sarita Devi (60kg), Simranjit Kaur (64kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg), Saweety Boora (75kg), Bhagyabati Kachari (81kg) and Seema Poonia (+81kg) are the other members of the squad. Mary Kom, Lovlina, Sarita, Baghyabati and Simranjit made it to the squad on the basis of their fine performances in the 13th International Silesian Boxing Championships Poland and the 32nd Ahmet Comert Tournament in Turkey. Mary had won a gold at the Poland meet early this month while Lovlina and five-time Asian Champion and a former world champion Sarita claimed a bronze each in their categories. Similarly, Simran won a ..
Rally driver Gill lost out on Arjuna only due to CWG and Asian Games
Gaurav Gill missed out on the Arjuna award for the third time but he came very close to becoming India's first motorsport personality to receive the honour, revealed a selection committee member. Being a non-Olympic sport like cricket, motorsport also doesn't have any specific points criteria and any decision made is solely down to selection committee's discretion. An example of that was Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, who was the deserving winner of Khel Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour. "If 2018 was not a year of Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, Gill would have got the award. The committee unanimously felt he deserved the honour but missed only because the number of Arjuna could not exceed 20, which was already over the usual limit," a committee member told PTI on Friday. "The committee acknowledged that motorsport is popular with the younger generation and a government recognition would go a long way in motivating the aspiring youth. I see no reason why Gill will
Gymnasts left stumped by SAI's selection criteria for World Championship
Indian gymnasts appearing for the trial for the 48th Artistic World Championship have been left stumped by the SAI's directive that they will have to perform the all-around routine instead of their individual events for selection. The uncertainty over Indian gymnasts participation at the Doha event ended last week with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) deciding to hold trials for the event on September 29 and 30. However, the gymnasts were surprised to know that the selection will be done on the basis of all-around results, which include four events for women and six for men. "We only came to know after coming here that the selection will be on all-around basis. Generally, we get a letter a month in advance but this time we got it a week before the trials and then it didn't mention on what basis they will make the selection," a gymnast told PTI on condition of anonymity. "Now there is no time to prepare. I had prepared for three events. For team event, there has to be three men and .
Harmanpreet Kaur to lead India in women's World T20
All-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur will be leading the Indian side in the upcoming 2018 International Cricket Council (ICC) women's World T20 tournament.Left-hand batter Smriti Mandhana will, on the other hand, will serve as the vice-captain of the team.While India are placed in Group B along with Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland in the 10-team event, Group A consists of West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and England.The tournament will kick off with the Group B match between India and New Zealand in Guyana.India's second clash in the tournament will be against arch-rivals Pakistan on November 11 at Guyana followed by a match against Ireland on November 15th at the same venue.The team's last group stage match is against Australia on November 17th at Guyana.The sixth edition of the prestigious tournament will be held in the West Indies from November 9 to November 24.Full Indian squad for the tournament is as follows:India Women's squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti ...
Asia Cup final: India to bowl first against Bangladesh
India have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Bangladesh in their summit clash of the ongoing Asia Cup here at Dubai International Stadium on Friday.Following the toss, India's stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma said "Big game, runs on the board are important. But I guess fielding first is something that suits our team and we have done that superbly, no reason to change it. I think right from the first game onwards, we knew it would be challenging and a lot of people came here with great form. They came out and delivered that.""We've played excellent cricket, just one hurdle to cross. We're ready for it. The sole purpose was to come and qualify for the final first and then come out and perform the way we have. We don't need to change anything, even if it's a big occasion," he added.Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza, on the other hand, said they have played well in the tournament so far and are looking to maintain the momentum in the final match as well."Credit goes to the ...
Sachin parting ways with Kerala Blasters a shame: James
Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC) head coach and former England goalkeeper David James on Friday termed Sachin Tendulkar's parting ways with the club as "shame in some ways", adding that he is still in touch with the cricket legend.
Asia Cup: India opt to field vs Bangladesh in final
India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field against Bangladesh in the final of the Asia Cup 2018 here on Friday.
Former Saurashtra Ranji player Rajendra Shah dead
Former Ranji Trophy player Rajendra Shah died after a brief illness, family sources said Friday. He was 68. Shah, who played for Saurashtra in the premier domestic cricket tournament, had settled in Ahmedabad. "He had been suffering from fever since the last two days. He was given dengue treatment. However, his health condition deteriorated last night," said his son Nimit Shah. "Shah was rushed to a private hospital (in Ahmedabad), where he died," he said. A left-arm leg-spinner and useful middle-order batsman, Shah had played five Ranji Trophy matches for Saurashtra. "He represented Saurashtra between 1971-72 and 1975- 76). He was also a selector of Saurashtra's junior team," the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) said in a press release here. The association condoled the death of the former cricketer and conveyed heartfelt condolences to his family. "Everyone at the SCA is deeply saddened and shocked on sad and untimely demise of yesteryear cricketer Shri ...
Bajrang Punia signs up with JSW Sports
Asian and Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia Friday signed up with athlete management firm JSW Sports. "Bajrang Punia will be supported by a dedicated team of experts to help prepare for upcoming competitions beginning with the World Championships in Budapest in October," JSW Sports said in a statement. Since its inception in 2012, the company's flagship Sports Excellence Program (SEP) has over 50 elite Indian athletes in six Olympic disciplines on its roster. Under the SEP, athletes are offered career planning, training, and a mentorship that includes medical, nutrition and psychological support; finance, equipment and logistical aid besides international exposure. Bajrang joins a list which includes CWG and Asian Games Champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, Olympic medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik, former junior world champion boxer Nikhat Zareen and the newest long jump national record holder M. Sreeshankar. "We have a dedicated team of experts with him ...
Bengal beats Assam; Services, Tripura post wins
Bengal defeated Assam by five wickets Friday for its third win from four games in the Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group 'C' league here. Asked to bat first, Assam lost opener Parviz Aziz (1) in the second over, when he was trapped leg-before wicket by Kanishk Seth. There were no significant partnerships with only the 38-run stand between Riyan Parag (32) and Abhishek Thakuri (27) being the highest as the team were skittled out for 150. Spinner Pradipta Pramanik with 4 for 27 from his 10 overs was the most successful bowler for Bengal. Bengal reached the target in 25.4 overs, but not before losing five wickets. Opener Vivek Singh led the way with an aggressive 51 (51 balls, 4X4, 4X6). Captain Manoj Tiwari fell after hitting a six and a four in his knock of 12. In another match, Services continued its good run, thrashing a strong Gujarat by nine wickets, riding on a superb ton by opener Ravi Chauhan. Services, which opted to field after winning the toss, restricted Parthiv ...
Harmanpreet to lead India at ICC Women's World T20
Star cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the Indian squad for the upcoming ICC Women's World Twenty20, the BCCI announced on Friday.
Korea Open: Saina loses to Okuhara after squandering four match points
Saina Nehwal went down fighting against former world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the quarterfinals to draw curtains on India's campaign at the Korea Open World Tour Super 500 tournament here Friday. The fifth-seeded Indian squandered four match points to go down 21-15 15-21 20-22 to the third-seeded Okuhara in a match that lasted almost an hour. It was Saina's third successive defeat to the Japanese. Going into the match with an overall 6-3 head-to-head count against Okuhara, Saina took time to get into the groove as Okuhra led 3-0 early on. The Indian slowly clawed back at 6-6 before grabbing a slender 11-10 advantage at the first break. After the interval, Saina continued to move ahead and reeled off five straight points at 15-12 to gain eight game points and soon pocketed the opening game. In the second game, Okuhara again opened a 4-1 lead. She made it 6-6 but the Japanese broke off at 8-8 to make it 14-9 and then made rapid progress to roar back into the contest. Saina ...
India opt to field against Bangladesh in Asia Cup final
India won the toss and opted field against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup final here on Friday. India picked a full strength team for the title clash, bringing back Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shikhar Dhawan and captain Rohit Sharma, who all were rested for the game against Afghanistan. Nazmul Islam was picked in place of Mominul Haque in the Bangladesh playing eleven. Teams: India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah. Bangladesh: Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza(captain), Nazmul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman.