Page 1119 - Sports
Kohli's absence won't be a factor when India face Pakistan: Ganguly
Former skipper Sourav Ganguly said India are a better team and absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli won't be a factor when the defending champions take on arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-voltage Asia Cup clash on Wednesday. The two bitter foes will reignite their rivalry in the Asia Cup Wednesday with India having a 6-5 win-loss record from 12 encounters in the continental event. "It will be a 50-50 contest in Dubai," Ganguly said on the sidelines of a promotional event here. India are the most successful side in the Asia Cup, having won the title a total of six times, while Pakistan bagged the crown twice. Rohit Sharma will lead India in the absence of Kohli who has been given rest after a draining England tour. "Virat Kohli's absence won't be a factor, they are a better side," Ganguly said, adding Pakistan too have improved on their performance. The last time the two sides met was the Champions Trophy summit clash in England last year, with Pakistan winning the match by 180 ...
Real Madrid's full squad gears up for Champions League home opener vs Roma
Real Madrid's full squad resumed team training on Monday as they geared up for their UEFA Champions League group stage home opener against Serie A club Roma later this week.
Ballon d'Or 'on my mind', says Griezmann after FIFA snub
Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann says he still can't fathom why he was not voted one of the world's top three players by FIFA -- but hopes winning the "more prestigious" Ballon d'Or will make amends. "It's a prize from FIFA and it seems a pity that no World Cup winners were nominated," Griezmann, who helped France to World Cup glory in Russia this summer, told Spanish sports daily AS. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, World Cup finalist Luka Modric of Croatia and Egyptian Mohamed Salah, who enjoyed a stunning campaign with Liverpool last season, were the three players nominated by FIFA for the world ruling body's top prize. Now grouped within the FIFA Best awards, it will be presented on September 24. For Griezmann, who helped Atletico to Europa League glory as well as playing a pivotal role in France's World Cup win, FIFA's choice was unwarranted. "We had a really good World Cup campaign, the whole team deserve to be awarded: (Kylian) Mbappe, (Raphael) Varane, (N'Golo) Kante, who .
Sapporo drops 2026 Winter Olympics bid to focus on 2030
The Japanese city of Sapporo has changed its bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics to 2030 following an earthquake in Hokkaido which left 41 dead and caused widespread damage, the International Olympic Committee confirmed Monday. Olympic and local officials said last week they were considering changing the dates because "the 2030 option will be a better environment to host the Games", city official Akihiro Okumura told AFP. Following a meeting in Lausanne on Monday between representatives of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), the City of Sapporo, and the IOC, the IOC confirmed the decision in a statement which said: "The Japanese National Olympic Committee and the IOC agreed today that the IOC would not put Sapporo on the list of candidates for the Olympic Winter Games 2026, but to continue with the close dialogue already underway for the Olympic Winter Games 2030." It added: "The IOC expressed its understanding that recovery from the earthquake in the region should be the immediate
Indian women to kick-off SAFF U-18 Championship in September
Seven countries are set to kick-off the inaugural edition of the SAFF U-18 football Championship for Women which gets underway later this month in Bhutan.
Aim is to identify batsmen for slot number 4 and 6: Rohit
India captain Rohit Sharma Monday admitted that the team's middle-order is still fluid and their objective will be to identify players for the number four and six slot during the Asia Cup. India will start their Asia Cup campaign against minnows Hong Kong on Tuesday followed by the big game against Pakistan. However, the problem for India during the past one year is the lack of a settled middle-order, which was evident during the recent ODI series defeat in England. Rohit made it clear that the likes of Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Ambati Rayudu are fighting for the key middle-order slots. "Lot of spots are up for grabs like Nos 3, 4 and 6. All these guys (Kedar, Manish, Rayudu) are eyeing for those slots. We want to give chances to as many guys for this particular series. In this tournament, we need to seal the batting slot Nos 4 and 6," Rohit said on the eve of the lung opener against Hong Kong. Rohit's answer was an indication that Mahendra Singh Dhoni will bat at number ...
Kabaddi: Sixth season of PKL to start on Oct 7
The sixth season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) will now begin on October 7 instead of October 5, its organisers said Monday. The organisers Mashal Sports Pvt Ltd had earlier announced that the season would begin on October 5. "The 6th Season of the PKL will start on October 7 instead of the earlier date of October 5 owing to logistical reasons such as caravan movement and stadium availability," the organisers said in a media statement issued here. As per the statement, Chennai will continue to play host to the first leg of the tournament. The playoffs would be held as planned in Kochi on December 30-31 while the finals will be played on January 5 next year in Mumbai, the statement added. The matches will be telecast on Star Sports network.
Andalkar's demise has left void in wrestling field: Kaka Pawar
The demise of veteran grappler and Tokyo Olympian Ganpatrao Andalkar has left a void in the wrestling field, according to former international wrestler Kaka Pawar. A double medallist at the 1962 Asian Games at Jakarta in two different styles, Andalkar (83) breathed his last at a private hospital in Pune Sunday night. "He (Andalkar) won medals in the two styles -- Greco Roman and freestyle - in the 1962 Asian Games. Andalkar showed that the Indian wrestlers could also bring medals in the Greco Roman category," Pawar told PTI Monday. A winner of the coveted Hind Kesari title in 1960, Andalkar went on to clinch the heavyweight gold in Greco Roman category and silver in the freestyle category -- in the Indonesian capital which is considered a rare feat. Pawar, who is the coach of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Gold Medallist wrestler Rahul Aware, believes Andalkar's death has created a void in the wrestling field. "He (Andalkar) was like a 'God' for us. His death has left .
Sakshi Malik grabs spot for World Championship, Ritu to fight with Pinky
Struggling wrestler Sakshi Malik has made it to India's World Championship squad without facing the trials as her opponent Sarita Mor has withdrawn from the 62kg clash, due to an injury. The Olympic bronze medallist has been battling poor form since the start of the 2018 season. She could win only a bronze at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and failed to win any medal at the Asian Games. The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) wanted both Sushil Kumar and Sakshi to undergo trials but the former pulled out due to poor form. "The trials in four categories were left. Out of those, we chose not to disturb Bajrang (men's 65kg) and Vinesh Phogat (women's 50kg). Sakshi was to fight Sarita but she has reported a knee injury so we are sending Sakshi to the Worlds," WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar told PTI. Sakshi had ended a runner-up at a UWW ranking event in Belarus, where she lost the gold medal match 2-6 to Ajerbiajan's Marianna Satsin on Sunday. The performance is encouraging for ...
Start of PKL season 6 postponed to Oct 7
The start of the sixth season of the Vivo Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has been postponed by a couple of days due to logistical reasons, the organisers Mashal Sports announced on Monday.
Virat Kohli, Mirabai Chanu recommended for Khel Ratna; Neeraj Chopra picked for Arjuna
Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and world champion weightlifter Mirabai Chanu were Monday jointly recommended for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, while star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was among 20 sportspersons picked for the Arjuna Awards. Besides Chopra, other prominent names recommended for the Arjuna Awards were junior world champion sprinter Hima Das and Asian Games gold-medallist middle distance runner Jinson Johnson, cricketer Smriti Mandhana, hockey players Manpreet Singh and Savita Punia, multiple Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manika Batra and Asian Games doubles gold-medallist tennis player Rohan Bopanna. These recommendations are subject to approval by Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. Once ratified by him, President Ram Nath Kovind will present the awards on September 25 at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Kohli will become the third Indian cricketer after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar (1997) and the talismanic former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2007) once
Afghanistan win toss, opt to bat
Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan won the toss and chose to bat in their Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka here Monday. The Teams: Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews (captain), Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Kusal Perera (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera. Afghanistan: Asghar Afghan (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Ihsanullah Janat, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Aftab Alam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Focusing on Manchester United career, not England snub: Smalling
Manchester United defender Chris Smalling is not worried about the England snub and is rather focusing on re-establishing himself at Manchester United.
Set house in order soon or Indian archers will compete under world body flag, WA warns AAI
The Indian archers run the risk of competing under a neutral World Archery (WA) banner if the de-recognised national federation of the country (AAI) fails to set its house in order soon, international body's secretary general Tom Dielen has warned. Dielen said they were against punishing the archers but described the ongoing deadlock in AAI as a concern ahead of the upcoming Olympic qualification tournaments. The 2019 World Archery Championships, slated in June next year, will offer 24 berths to the top eight teams in both men's and women's sections, while there will also be continental qualification tournament next year. "The current status quo cannot continue indefinitely. At a certain moment we might have to decide that the athletes participate under a neutral World Archery banner. The matter of main concern is the upcoming Olympic qualification tournaments," the 50-year-old archer-turned-sports administrator told PTI in an interview from World Archery headquarters in Lausanne. He .
Mary Kom's trainer Chhote Lal Yadav now 2-star AIBA coach
Former national champion Chhote Lal Yadav, who is currently the assistant coach for Indian women boxers, has become a two-star coach in the International Boxing Association (AIBA) after clearing the certification course. Yadav, a three-time national champion and an Asian Championships quarterfinalist, cleared the exam conducted in July in Amman, Jordan. The former boxer from Uttar Pradesh is the personal trainer of five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom, who has claimed three gold medals in various international events this year alone. "Mr Chhote Lal Yadav has successfully completed the course and passed the examination. I look forward to his continuous dedication and support," AIBA Executive Director Tom Virgets said in a letter addressed to Boxing Federation of India (BFI) President Ajay Singh. The 31-year-old Yadav, who is a Subedar in the Indian Army, is a coaching diploma holder from the National Institute of Sports in Patiala. He had topped the ...
Asia Cup: India to take on minnows HK with eye on Pakistan tie (Preview)
Favourites India will look to sweep aside minnows Hong Kong in their Asia Cup opener on Tuesday and prepare for the much-anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan the next day.
India captain Virat Kohli recommended for Khel Ratna along with weightlifter Mirabai Chanu
Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and world champion weightlifter Mirabai Chanu were Monday jointly recommended for the country's highest sporting honour -- the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. Kohli will become the third Indian cricketer after legendary Sachin Tendulkar (1997) and the talismanic former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2007) once the sports ministry officially accepts the committee's recommendation. "Yes, Virat Kohli and Mirabai Chanu's names have been recommended by the awards committee," a top source told PTI on condition of anonymity. It is learnt that India's top male shuttler Kidambi Srikanth was in contention for his good show in the Super Series Circuit last year but lost out to the 24-year-old Chanu, who is the reigning world champion in the 48kg category with a world record to boot. Kohli, the world's No.1 Test batsman as per the ICC rankings, has been in stupendous form for the past three years and missed out despite nominations in the years 2016 and 2017. The ..
Mexican soccer awaits Maradona's coaching debut with Sinaloa
Argentine legend Diego Armando Maradona will make his debut this week as coach of the Sinaloa Dorados in Mexico's second-tier Ascenso football league at the start of a project to save the "Big Fish," as the team is known.
Nadal maintains ATP rankings top spot
Spain's Rafael Nadal maintained the No. 1 spot in the men's Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world singles rankings released on Monday with 8,760 points, ahead of Switzerland's Roger Federer.
Canada in Davis Cup final
Milos Raonic defeated Scott Griekspoor of the Netherlands in three sets, securing for Canada a berth in the Davis Cup final.