Page 1087 - Sports

Usain Bolt has until January to showcase his soccer skills

Usain Bolt has a few more months to prove his soccer prowess in Australia. Central Coast Mariners coach Mike Mulvey said Thursday that he will wait until January before assessing the progress of eight-time Olympic gold medalist sprinter Bolt, who's set to play in his next pre-season match for the Mariners in mid-October. Bolt, who hopes to earn an A-League contract with the team based north of Sydney, will likely play Oct. 12 against Sydney league side Macarthur South West United. The Mariners begin the regular season on Oct. 21 in Brisbane against the Roar. "If I get to start it will be a big thing for me," Bolt said. "It shows that the work that I've been putting in since I've been here is really paying off and the coach has confidence in me and he sees the improvement and the work I've been putting in." Bolt saw his first action for the Mariners on Aug. 31, playing 20 minutes against a Central Coast selection side. He played the entire second half against the North Shore Mariners ..

Leganes earns first-ever victory over Barça

Leganes scored a pair of goals in less than two minutes to defeat FC Barcelona 2-1 in La Liga and notch the club's first-ever victory over the Spanish-league giants.

Now Bollywood takes to kabaddi!

Kabaddi is a native sport that was largely popular in rural India. But with the glamourising of the sport through a professional league that gave it a national as well as international audience, it was only a matter of time before Bollywood gave it some well-deserved attention.

Australia appoint Marsh, Hazelwood Test vice-captains

Australian cricket board has appointed all-rounder Mitchell Marsh and fast bowler Josh Hazelwood as the vice-captains of the national team ahead of their upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan.It is for the first time that the team will have two players serving as the vice-captains of the national side. Moreover, the duo was selected through an unprecedented voting by team members with the final decision made by the selection panel.Reflecting on the appointments, selection chief Trevor Hohns made it clear that the sole purpose behind choosing two vice-captains was to drive the team towards achieving their goal and objectives.He further stated that Marsh and Hazelwood are ready to assist newly-appointed Coach Justin Langer and newly-selected skipper Tim Paine in their journey ahead."It was not a process designed to find the next Australian Test Captain, but to find two vice-captains who will support and help drive the team's goals and objectives," Cricket.com.au quoted Hohns, .

We need to improve our batting and bowling: Mortaza

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza says his injury-struck side will have to improve considerably in all departments to challenge India in the Asia Cup final here Friday. Bangladesh stunned Pakistan by 37 runs in the last Super Four match on Wednesday night to set up a summit clash with defending champions India. "We always know that India are a serious side and the number one side the world. We still need to improve a bit of our batting and bowling," Mortaza said after the match. "We will be missing Shakib (Al Hasan) and Tamim (Iqbal) but the boys have showed character and one match to go, and hopefully the boys will play hard," he added. Shakib flew back to Bangladesh after aggravating a finger injury, while Tamim was ruled out of the Asia Cup after fracturing his hand in the opening match. Praising his team for the crucial win, Mortaza said: "The bowlers did a good job, especially when we didn't get the runs. I think we changed our combination a bit. Usually I open the bowling, but

Asia Cup Final: India ready to tame depleted Bangla Tigers

India will be aiming to reassert their continental supremacy while an injury-hit Bangladesh will hope to shrug off stage fright when the two sides square off in the grand finale of the Asia Cup here Friday. A passionate Bangladesh turned out to be the party-poopers on Wednesday as they wrecked the prospects of an India-Pakistan summit clash with a gutsy performance despite losing key players to injury. On paper, India will remain overwhelming favourites to win the tournament for a record seventh time while Bangladesh will be hoping to be third-time lucky in a summit clash. Final of any tournament is a one-off game in complete isolation from how a team has performed in the tournament. Even the most consistent teams have slipped on the proverbial banana peel when it has mattered the most. Add to this the fact that the Indo-Bangla cricketing rivalry has grown in intensity. But what is definitely a dampener for Bangladesh heading into the final is the injury woes that the side is ...

SRK learnt celebrating incompleteness through para-athletes

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan says he learnt celebrating incompleteness with grit and courage through para-athletes.

Hamilton seeks to tighten title grip with fifth consecutive Russia win

Defending champions Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will seek to tighten their grip on this year's Formula One world championship with a fifth triumph in five years at the Russian Grand Prix. No other team has tasted a 'vodka-laced' victory since the event began at the former winter Olympic Games venue in 2014, Hamilton winning then and in 2015, Nico Rosberg in 2016 and Valtteri Bottas last year. And with a 40-point lead on Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in the title race, four-time champion Hamilton looks set to go into the final six races of the season in confident fashion after registering four wins in his last five outings. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, however, has warned against complacency as they enter the championship's most critical spell. Hamilton's dazzling triumph in Singapore, where his pole lap was widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, may have lifted him into a position with a clear advantage, but Wolff has stressed that rivals Ferrari will be a serious threat ..

Juventus extend Serie A streak, Roma back winning

Paulo Dybala and Blaise Matuidi scored early as Juventus extended their perfect start to their Serie A title defence to six games with a 2-0 win over Bologna, as Roma ended their losing streak with a 4-0 success over promoted Frosinone. The reigning champions have a maximum 18 points, three ahead of Napoli who beat Parma 3-0, with the top two set to go head-to-head in Turin on Saturday. "We made some mistakes at the end of the match and we were sometimes vulnerable," said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri. "On Saturday it's a head-to-head with Napoli and it'll certainly be a great game. I don't have a line-up in my head right now, as on Friday in training we'll see everyone together and decide." Lazio are third, a further three points adrift, after their fourth win on the trot 2-1 against Udinese ahead of this weekend's Roman derby against Roma. Roma, meanwhile, eased the pressure on under-fire coach Eusebio Di Francesco achieving their first three points since their season-opener ..

Stick or twist? UEFA to choose Germany or Turkey as Euro 2024 host

UEFA will select the host of the 2024 European Championship on Thursday in a vote pitting a safe German bid against a riskier Turkish proposal that offers a chance to explore new frontiers. Germany, with its a long history of hosting major sporting events, has everything in place for a successful tournament, from stadiums to infrastructure and hotels, UEFA said in an evaluation last week. Turkey, desperate to host its first ever major sporting event, boasts gleaming new stadiums and a football-mad fanbase. But its economy is troubled, its transport network is lacking and, perhaps most importantly, the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has presided over an unprecedented crackdown that has prompted global concern over respect for human rights. Germany has at times been bitterly critical of Turkey under Erdogan. And, by extraordinary coincidence, the Turkish leader will be in Germany on Thursday for a trip that includes talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel. - 'Football can unify' .

Barca and Madrid endure surprise La Liga defeats

Barcelona conceded twice in 68 seconds and Real Madrid were three down at half-time as La Liga's two title favourites were each stunned by surprise defeats. Barca's 2-1 loss to relegation fighters Leganes was the greater shock but Madrid's beating was more emphatic, blown away 3-0 by Sevilla after a torrid 39 minutes at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Wednesday. For both, it was their first defeat of the season and for both, defensive fragility was the key factor, which will be a major concern with the second round of Champions League games to come next week. By the end, Atletico Madrid, who had cruised to victory over Huesca on Tuesday and play Real on Saturday, were the biggest winners. After a stuttering start, Diego Simeone's side will jump above Real with a win at the Santiago Bernabeu. Sevilla can be a formidable opponent on their own patch but few expected Leganes to inflict what was only Barcelona's second league defeat in 17 months. "We are in a very difficult moment that was ...

Asia Cup: Bangladesh thump Pak by 37 runs, enter finals

Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman's impressive figures of 4/43 in the final Super Four encounter helped his side register a convincing 37-run victory over Pakistan to enter the final of the ongoing Asia Cup.Opting to bat first, Bangladesh got off to a horrendous start, as they lost Soumya Sarkar (0), Mominul Haque (5 off 4 balls) and Liton Das (6 off 16 balls) in the first five overs itself.However, Mushfiqur Rahim (99 off 116 balls) and Mohammad Mithun (60 off 84 balls) stitched a brilliant 144-run partnership for the fourth wicket, helping their side post a competitive target of 240 for Pakistan.Batting all-rounder Mahmudullah (25 off 31 balls) and captain Mashrafe Mortaza (13 off 13 balls) failed to capitalise on a solid platform provided by Rahim and Mithun, as their side got bundled out in 48.5 overs.For Pakistan, left-arm pacer Junaid Khan took 4 wickets while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali claimed two wickets each.Defending 240 runs, Bangladesh made an early dent into

Bangladesh upset Pakistan to enter Asia Cup final

Bangladesh pulled off an upset, defeating Pakistan by 37 runs in the Super Four match to enter the final of the Asia Cup here on Wednesday.

Gritty Bangladesh stun Pakistan by 37 runs to set up Asia Cup final date with India

Mushfiqur Rahim struck a valiant 99 as Bangladesh produced an all-round effort to stun Pakistan by 37 runs in the last Super Four match and progress to the final of the Asia Cup here Wednesday. Mushfiqur's notched up his 30th half-century, while Mohammad Mithun made 60 to lift Bangladesh to a decent 239 all out from a precarious position after opting to bat in the virtual semifinal of the tournament. Mushfiqur was unlucky as he fell one short of what could have been his seventh ODI century but did enough to rescue Bangladesh with a 144-run fourth wicket stand with Mithun after they were reduced to 12 for three inside five overs. Later, opener Imam-ul-Haq (83) turned out to be the lone bright spot as Pakistan faltered in pursuit of the modest chase to be restricted to 202 for nine. Bangladesh will now take on India in the title clash in Dubai on Friday. Just like Bangladesh, Pakistan's chase got off to a disastrous start as they were reduced to 18 for three in 3.3 overs. But Imam did ..

Spain coach says looking to evolve, not change team's playing style

Spain head coach Luis Enrique Martinez on Wednesday said that he is not looking to radically change the national team's playing style, while at the same time evolving in order to fight for a higher spot in the FIFA ranking.

Spain to announce squad for England, Wales matches on Oct 4

Spain coach Luis Enrique is to announce the international team's squad on October 4, according to the Spanish football federation (RFEF).

Milan forward Higuain in doubt for Empoli game due to muscle problem

Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso said on Wednesday that Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain may not play in the upcoming Serie A match against Empoli, and has trained alone for the last two days due to a muscle problem.

Chess Olympiad: Indian men defeat Canada, women draw against Serbia

Led by former World Champion Viswanathan Anand, the fifth seeded Indian team in the open section in the Chess Olympiad in Georgia coasted to a comfortable 3.5-0.5 victory against lowly rated Canada.

After captaincy, Mathews loses ODI spot

Days after being stripped of the captaincy, Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews was on Wednesday dropped from the One-day International squad for the upcoming home series against England, with the selectors raising doubts about his fitness.

Sarvesh, Anjali set meet records at National Open athletics championships

Sarvesh Anil Kushare and Anjali Devi were the stars on the second day of the 58th National Open athletics championships, setting meet records en route gold medal in the men's high jump and the women's 400m on Wednesday. Kushare, representing Services, leaped to a new personal best of 2.24m to erase the old meet record of 2.23m set by VS Yadav, set last year in Chennai. The 23-year-old Kushare's effort was a new personal best for him, eclipsing his previous best of 2.21m set at the same competition last year. Kushare was the clear winner, beating Siddharth Yadav of Railways and B Chetan of Services by a comfortable margin. Both Yadav and Chetan recorded a best jump of 2.16m on the day, with the silver medal going to Yadav by virtue of fewer failed attempts. Also setting a meet record on the day was Anjali Devi. The 20-year-old from Haryana clocked a time of 51.79 seconds to better the previous mark of 51.90 seconds recorded by former Asian Games silver medalist KM Beenamol at the 2002 .