Page 1123 - Sports
Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge sets new marathon world record
Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge set a new marathon world record in Berlin on Sunday, smashing the previous best as he clocked 2hr 1min 40sec. The 33-year-old Olympic champion, aided by a string of pacemakers through to 25km of the 42.195km race, took 1min 17sec off the previous best set four years ago by Dennis Kimetto. It was the largest single improvement on the marathon world record since Derek Clayton improved the mark by 2:23 in 1967. "My only words are 'Thank you!'," said Kipchoge. Acclaimed as the greatest marathon runner of the modern era, Kipchoge has dominated marathon racing since making his debut in Hamburg in 2013 after a successful track career that saw him win world gold and silver (2003, 2007) in the 5000m and Olympic silver and bronze (2008, 2004) over the same distance. He has notched up 10 wins from the 11 marathons he has raced, winning three times not only in Berlin but also London, with victories in Rio for Olympic gold as well as in Hamburg, Rotterdam and Chicago. In the .
Barça rallies for 2-1 win over Real Sociedad
FC Barcelona rallied from an early deficit to defeat Real Sociedad 2-1, picking up its second straight road win against the Basque side and effectively ending the so-called Anoeta curse that stretched from 2011 to 2017.
DSport to broadcast Afghanistan Premier League
DSport will broadcast the matches of the Afghanistan Premier League cricket tournament in India from October 5-21.
Pujara, Jadeja in Saurashtra squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy
Team India players Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja have been included in the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) team for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. The SCA announced their inclusion in the team Sunday. The Vijay Hazare Trophy will be played in New Delhi where last year's runners-up Saurashtra will play their first match against Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) on September 19, the SCA said in a media release. Saurashtra will play eight matches in the tournament. However, Pujara, a Test specialist, and Jadeja, an all-rounder, may miss the fifth match, to be played on September 30, and the remaining matches, if they are selected in the national side for the next month's Test series at home against the West Indies. When contacted, SCA media manager Himanshu Shah told PTI, "Pujara and Jadeja have been included in the squad. The duo will play first half of the tournament as West Indies will start their India tour by playing the first Test at the SCA ...
Road to redemption: Momota wins Japan badminton title
Japan's Kento Momota outgunned Thai rival Khosit Phetpradab 21-14, 21-11 in a one-sided final to capture the Japan Open badminton title on Sunday. The 24-year-old sank to his knees after a towering smash completed a comfortable win, kissing the Japanese badge on his shirt as he took another step towards redemption following a gambling scandal that threatened to ruin his career. "I was just so overwhelmed at winning and the sense of what I achieved," said Momota after becoming the first Japanese player to win the men's singles crown. "I kept telling myself 'a couple more points, a couple more points' -- and then finally it was over. The home support was a massive help." Momota, who was booted off the Japanese team for the 2016 Rio Olympics and banned for over a year for visiting an illegal casino, had been furious with himself after crashing out of the Asian Games at the semi-final stage last month. But having beaten China's two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan in the Tokyo quarter-finals
Hockey India names 24 players for junior men's national camp
Hockey India on Sunday named a 24 member core probables for a junior men's national coaching camp, to be held in Bengaluru from September 17, ahead of the Sultan of Johor Cup. The players will train under coach Jude Felix till October 4, as they prepare for the upcoming 8th Sultan of Johor Cup, slated to begin from October 6-13 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Eight members from the Indian junior men's team that won the bronze medal at the last edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup including Pankaj Rajak, Suman Beck, Harmanjit Singh, Mandeep Mor have been selected for the camp. The camp also includes several new faces who have received their first call-up to the junior national camp. Coach Jude Felix has watched all the 24 players closely before giving them a call-up to the camp and the former Indian captain believes that it is crucial to train the upcoming crop of players well. "We have selected these campers focusing on creating a team which can represent the senior team in the coming years. .
Patiala police file FIR for missing Olympic blazer
Patiala police have registered a FIR against unidentified persons for the theft of hockey legend Balbir Singh Senior's Olympic blazer, police said Sunday. As per the FIR, Singh Sr had donated the blazer to the Secretary of Sports Authority of India in 1985. The blazer was from 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The 94-year-old triple Olympic gold-medallist had earlier maintained that in 1985 he had donated his Olympic blazer, medals and other memorabilia to the then SAI secretary on being told that the items would be displayed in a proposed National Sports Museum, which was to be opened in Delhi. However, such a museum was never built. An enquiry about the items at the request of the Olympic Museum ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, had revealed that SAI officials were clueless about the whereabouts of the donated items. The International Olympic Committee wanted the relics to be part of the official 2012 London Olympics exhibition. Last year, Patiala NIS Regional Director SS Roy had written a .
Indian boxers win 3 gold medals in Turkey
Simranjit Kaur (64kg), Monika (48kg) and Bhagyabati Kachari (81kg) claimed gold medals as Indian boxers notched up an impressive seven podium finishes at the Ahmet Comert Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey. Simranjit, a former national medallist, defeated Turkey's Sema Caliskan to fetch the top honours. Competing in the light fly category, Monika beat Ayse Cagirer of Turkey to win the gold medal, while Bhagyabati got the better of Selma Karakoyun, who is also from the host nation, in the light heavyweight category. However, Pinki Jangra (51kg), a former Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist, had to be content with a silver as she lost to another local hope Busenaz Cakiroglu to sign off second in the tournament. World Championship silver medallist Sonia Lather (57kg) too, settled for a bronze. Bhagyabati was declared the most scientific boxer of the tournament, and the Indian women's team finished third.
India giving tough competition in international sporting events: Steel Minister
India is not behind any country when it comes to sports, Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh Sunday. "We are giving tough competition to other countries at various international sports championships. In the recently held Asian Games, our stars bagged a number of gold and silver medals," Singh said at the ninth Champions Run 2018 event here. India is not behind any other nation when it comes to sports, he added. India bagged 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze medals in the Asian Games 2018 held in Indonesia. Further, the minister said one must understand the importance of sports in life and join some games to remain fit. A healthy body and mind is key to a healthy nation, he said, urging the youngsters to devote some time to exercise each day.
India have to address batting inadequacies before facing Australia: Chappell
India need to sort out their inadequacies in batting before standing up to an "extremely strong" bowling attack later this year Down Under, feels former Australia captain Ian Chappell. Virat Kohli's India will hope for redemption in Australia after Test series reverses in South Africa and England. "India now have to look on rehabilitating their reputation in the highly anticipated series against Australia but the batting inadequacies have to be addressed," Chappell wrote in 'ESPNcricinfo.com'. "While Australia's batting is questionable, with their two best players, Steven Smith and David Warner, missing through suspension, the bowling attack is still extremely strong." India are slated to tour Australia for three T20 internationals, four Test matches and three ODIs from November 21 to January 18. "If Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Patrick Cummins and Nathan Lyon remain fit then the Indian batsmen will be in for a challenging time. In England it was movement through the air and off ...
A piece of my heart will always beat for Kerala Blasters: Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar Sunday said "a piece of my heart will always beat" for Kerala Blasters, after selling off his stakes in the franchise before the start of the new Indian Premier League football season. Tendulkar has always been an integral part of the Blasters set-up and was often seen cheering the team from the stands in home and away games. "In its fifth year, it is important that the club puts the building blocks for the next five years and beyond. It is also a time for me to reflect on the role that I should play. After reflecting and much discussion with my team, I have decided to exit my association with Kerala Blasters as a co-promoter," Tendulkar said in a statement. "I strongly believe that Kerala Blasters is in very good shape and on its path to attain many more successes with the backing of its fans offering unconditional support. I am very proud of Kerala Blasters and a piece of my heart will always beat for the club." Tendulkar has been associated with the franchise since
Broken wrist, brave heart: Tamim applauded for batting with one hand
Tamim Iqbal batted, got inured, visited a hospital, returned with a wrist fracture and batted again - this time with one hand, his act of bravado receiving instant applause in the real and virtual world. A couple of hours after being told by doctors that his Asia Cup was over because of a fractured left wrist, Tamim walked out to bat with one hand after the fall of ninth wicket. He hung on with centurion Mushfiqur Rahim and helped add 32 for the final wicket, lifting his side to 261. The end result was a massive win for Bangladesh over Sri Lanka in the tournament opener. "There was a lot of pressure, losing lost two wickets early and Tamim couldn't bat. But decision to bat (again) was made by him. If he didn't want to bat, no one could push him. Credit goes to him for the decision,' Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza said after the game on Saturday. The dashing opener missing out will be a "big blow" for Bangladesh, according to the captain, who called Mushfiqur's innings one of the .
Rayudu looks up to 'everybody's go-to man' Dhoni ahead of Asia Cup campaign opener
Batsman Ambati Rayudu is looking up to "everybody's go-to man" Mahendra Singh Dhoni for inspiration and guidance as a Virat Kohli-less India gear up for the Asia Cup here. India reached UAE without Kohli, who has been rested by the selectors owing to excess workload. "Obviously he (Virat) is a big miss and loss to the team. However, we still have enough quality in the team to go out and win. He (Dhoni) has been India's captain and always been the go-to man for everybody in the team," Rayudu said at a media conference on Saturday. "He (Dhoni) has helped me a lot in terms of how I recovered this season." With India yet to settle their middle-order conundrum with less than a year left for the World Cup, there is a chance for players such as Rayudu to cement their places in the team. "To be very honest, (I) haven't thought about it (middle-order) or looked at it as a competition. It's just an opportunity to express myself and (I) don't want to put more pressure to my game by thinking ...
Zlatan pleased to make Toronto his 500th goal
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic made history, scoring his 500th career goal in stunning fashion but it wasn't enough to lift the Los Angeles Galaxy to a win over Toronto FC. The 36-year-old Ibrahimovic as always had a flair for the dramatic and he did just that Saturday in becoming the third active footballer to reach the milestone, joining Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The six-foot-five (1.95 metre) Ibrahimovic released a perfectly-timed roundhouse kick in the 43th minute that fooled goalkeeper Alex Bono for his 17th goal of the season. The goal cut the deficit to 3-1 and sparked a three-goal Galaxy rally but the defending MLS champions would go on to win 5-3 in front of a crowd of 30,700 at BMO Field in Toronto. "I am happy for Toronto because they will be remembered as my 500th victim," said Ibrahimovic. Ibrahimovic came into Saturday's game tied for second in MLS scoring. "I was close to the goal. It reminds me of a goal I did in Ajax," he said. "It came from a cross and .
Male tennis players punished more than women, report
Male tennis players are almost three times more likely to be fined for losing their temper and smashing racquets than their female counterparts, The New York Times reported. Male players were slapped with 1,517 fines compared to 535 fines for females according to data compiled by officials at Grand Slam tournaments for the period covering 1998 to 2018. The figures obtained by the Times show that men received 649 fines for breaking racquets to 99 for women in tens of thousands of matches in the four Grand Slams over the last two decades. Men were fined 344 times compared to 140 for "audible obscenity" and 287 to 67 for unsportsmanlike conduct. Last week, Serena Williams accused the chair umpire Carlos Ramos of being a "liar" and a "thief" after she was cited for verbal abuse during the US Open women's final against Japan's Naomi Osaka. "Because I'm a woman you are going to take this away from me?" she said to the tournament referee Brian Earley. "That is not right." In the post-match ..
Spanish legend Xavi moving closer to history and Asian title
Spanish legend Xavi Hernandez can take a significant step on Monday towards becoming the first player to win both the UEFA Champions League and its Asian equivalent. After four continental titles with Barcelona, the midfielder has one foot in the semifinal of the Asian Champions League with Al Sadd, the club he joined in 2015. The Qatari powerhouse won its quarterfinal first leg at the Iranian home of Esteghlal 3-1 in August and is ready for the return match in Doha. "I think we can compete with the rest of the teams in Asia for the AFC Champions League title." Xavi told the Asian Football Confederation's website. "We now have a very good team. This season, we signed good players." Al Sadd, champion in 2011, did the hard work in the first leg at Tehran's famous Azadi Stadium and just needs to avoid defeat at home to progress. "I think we did well but there's one more game," said the 2010 World Cup winner. "It could be just 90 minutes or it could even go to extra time. We don't know; ..
Simranjit wins gold, Pinki settles for silver in Turkey
Indian boxer Simranjit Kaur (64kg) notched up a gold medal but Pinki Jangra (51kg) had to be content with a silver at the Ahmet Comert Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey. Simranjit, a former national medallist, defeated Turkey's Sema Caliskan to fetch the top honours. However, Pinki, a former Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist, lost to another local hope Busenaz Cakiroglu to sign off second in the tournament.
Gold for Mary Kom, Manisha gets silver in Polish boxing tourney
The seasoned M C Mary Kom (48kg) collected her third gold medal of the year with a display of tactical brilliance while Manisha (54kg) settled for a silver in the 13th Silesian Open Boxing Tournament for women in Gliwice, Poland. Five-time world champion Mary Kom, returning to the ring after recovering from some niggles that kept her out of the Asian Games, prevailed 5-0 against Kazakhstan's Aigerim Kassanayeva to pick up India's lone senior category gold at the event Saturday. Her other two gold medals this year came in the inaugural India Open in Delhi and the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. She also won a silver at the prestigious Strandja Memorial Tournament in Bulgaria. The 35-year-old former Olympic bronze-medallist was in her elements against a taller opponent, displaying a brilliant counter-attacking strategy. The nimble-footed Indian showed sharp reflexes and did not allow a clear shot to Kassanayeva through the bout. "Mary was terrific in executing her strategy, it was
Sachin Tendulkar inspired me to stage comeback: Sardar Singh
Hockey star player Sardar Singh, who recently hung up his boots, has revealed that master blaster and former Indian batsman great Sachin Tendulkar had motivated him to make a comeback after he was ignored from this year's Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Australia.Addressing media here on Saturday, post his retirement, Sardar recalled, "When I was left out from CWG, I called Sachin paaji. I was feeling very distraught. I asked him that what he used to do when he scored 0. He bucked me up and said that people criticise a lot on your bad performance. He spoke to me for a long time and told me to forget all criticisms, analyse my performance by watching old videos and play your natural game. It has helped me a lot in the last four to five months."Calling Sachin as his inspiration, Sardar said that his pep talk with the master blaster helped him to bounce back and rejuvenated his confidence.In July, Sardar had led the Indian hockey team to a historic silver after losing to powerhouses ...
ICC conducts elite panel conference in Dubai
The best match officials of the world converged in Dubai to spend four days sharing their expertise on the conduct of the game and application of the rules among other things during the annual elite panel conference that culminated on Saturday.The conference, attended by the Emirates Elite Panel of Match Referees, Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, members of the emerging group of umpires and the umpire coaches, focused on implementation of the amendments to the code of conduct and playing conditions, low catches and use of technology.ICC Chief Executive David Richardson and ICC General Manager Cricket Geoff Allardice were among those to address the gathering during different sessions.ICC Senior Manager, Umpires and Referees, Adrian Griffith said, "We don't get together very frequently during the course of the year even though we communicate regularly. When we are together, we use our experiences of dealing with situations and go over the playing conditions.""We had some very ...