Page 113 - Sports
Virat Kohli shares absolute joy, spends time with kids
Virat Kohli on Thursday shared absolute joy as the India skipper spent some time with kids on the sidelines of the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.In a Tweet, Kohli said there is honesty and commitment in whatever kids do. He also added that the biggest learning is to "never forget the joy of playing" cricket."Spending time with kids is an absolute joy and an opportunity to contribute to their journey in some way. Such honesty and commitment in whatever kids do. So much to learn as well and the biggest learning is to never forget the joy of playing this great game," Kohli tweeted.Kohli-led India currently sit at the fourth position in the World Cup standings with seven points. The Men in Blue have won three games so far and shared points with New Zealand as the fixture was abandoned due to rain.India will next take on Afghanistan on June 22 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
IOC lifts restrictions imposed on India with regards to hosting international events
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thursday lifted the restrictions imposed on India with regards to hosting international events, two days after the union government's assurance that no eligible athlete would be denied visa on political grounds. The decision was taken at the IOC's Executive Board meeting here Thursday. In a letter addressed to Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra, IOC's Director (Olympic Solidarity and NOC Relations) James Macleod expressed the world body's satisfaction with the written guarantee from the Indian government on the issue. "Lift, with immediate effect, all provisional measures and restrictions imposed under Points 2 and 3 of the IOC EB decision on February 21, 2019 in relation to awarding and hosting any sports events in India, and inform the international federations accordingly," wrote Macleod. "We take this opportunity to thank you NOC (National Olympic Committee) and government of India for your joint efforts and co-operation .
BAI announces 23-member squad for Junior Asian C'ship
Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Thursday announced a 23-member squad, which will participate in the Asian Junior Championship in Suzhou, China, beginning July 20.The Indian team will be undergoing a camp for fifteen days starting July 3 in Panchkula, Haryana.The boys' singles challenge will be spearheaded by Manipur's Maisnam Meiraba Luwang, who has amassed an impressive total of 1,000 points, by virtue of a fine run in the domestic circuit winning consecutive four domestic junior titles as well as both the selection tournaments.The girls' team will be spearheaded by the Airport Authority of India's Malvika Bansod.BAI has considered the cumulative ranking points from the two All India Junior Ranking tournaments held in Chennai and Trivandrum in May while selecting the squad, said BAI general secretary Ajay K Singhania.Meiraba topped the chart in the boys' singles section, the others joining him will be the Tamil Nadu trio of Sathish Kumar, Sidhant Gupta, and Sankar ...
Del Potro out of Wimbledon after another kneecap fracture
Juan Martin del Potro faces a further lengthy injury layoff and will miss Wimbledon next month after fracturing the patella in his right knee for the second time in nine months. The Argentine slipped on court towards the end of his first round win at Queen's Club in London over Denis Shapovalov on Wednesday and could also miss the US Open later this year. "The medical studies done last night in a clinic in London show that Juan Martin del Potro has suffered again a fracture in the right patella," Del Potro's head of communications Jorge Viale tweeted on Thursday. "After consultation with his doctor, Angel Cotorro, it has been determined that it will require surgery. "This will take place in the next couple of days with a date and location to be determined." Del Potro suffered the same injury after falling heavily in a match against Croat Borna Coric at the Shanghai Masters in October. The world number 12 returned to action in February, but has been limited to just five tournament ...
Moeen Ali proud to be part of England's ODI revolution
Moeen Ali says he will always cherish being part of England's one-day revolution ahead of what could be his 100th one-day international appearance against Sri Lanka on Friday. Moeen, 32, has played a key role in England's rise to the top of the ODI rankings after they crashed out of the 2015 World Cup in the first round. The Eoin Morgan-led team have played an aggressive brand of cricket since then and have lived up to their pre-tournament favourites tag, with four wins from five matches so far at the World Cup. "It obviously means a lot," said Moeen, a left-handed batsman who bowls off-spin. "To play 100 ODI games for England is obviously a dream. It's just being part of the team, being part of the change. "Looking back, if I was to retire I'd always be able to say I was part of that change, the whole mindset changing and the great cricket we've played." Coming in at number seven in England's last game against Afghanistan, Moeen smashed 31 off just nine balls to give the side fresh ..
PM Modi wishes Shikhar Dhawan speedy recovery
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday wished Shikhar Dhawan speedy recovery with an encouraging message after the India opening batsman was ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup due to a left thumb injury.In a tweet, Modi wished Dhawan that he recovers at the earliest so that we can return to the field and contribute for the nation."Dear @SDhawan25, no doubt the pitch will miss you but I hope you recover at the earliest so that you can once again be back on the field and contribute to more wins for the nation," PM Modi replied to Dhawan's video, which the batsman had shared on Wednesday.ICC on Wednesday approved wicket-keeper batsman Pant as a replacement for injured batsman Dhawan in India's squad for the remainder of the tournament. Dhawan expressed his gratitude to Indian cricket fans, saying it is time for him to go back and recover after getting ruled out of the remainder of the 50-over tournament.In a video shared by Dhawan on Twitter, the left-hander batsman said: ...
Pitches for white ball cricket in England are flattest in world: Bumrah
World's premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah Thursday said the pitches in England used for white ball cricket are the "flattest tracks" he has ever bowled on as there is rarely any movement in the air or off the pitch. Bumrah, one of the most important components in the Indian set-up, busted the myth about English conditions and tracks during an interaction with the media here. "Whatever white ball cricket I have played so far, I felt the flattest wickets are those in England. There's no help for the bowlers on these tracks," he said. "You see cloud cover and feel that the ball will swing but neither there is seam movement nor there is swing," said Bumrah, whose assessment will not exactly be music to the ears of ICC or England and Wales Cricket Board. Bumrah said when they play in England the Indian bowling unit is always ready for the worst case scenario and if some help is available, they treat it as bonus. "You have to rely a lot on your accuracy and clarity. So that's what we try ..
Warner's ton takes Australia to 381/5 against Bangladesh
A 'calmer' David Warner worked his way to a responsible 166, his second century of the tournament, to lead Australia to a formidable 381 for five in their World Cup clash against Bangladesh here Thursday. The left-handed opener contained aggression, his natural style of play, to build his innings and went on an offensive only after Australia got the license to go for the kill. He completed his 16th ODI hundred, his sixth 150-plus knock, which came off 147 balls with 14 hits to fence and five over the ropes. Warner, who had hit a hundred against Pakistan as well, added 121 runs with his skipper Aaron Finch (53) in a risk-free opening partnership and then raised a 192-run stand with Usman Khawaja (89). The stage was set to go after the bowlers and Glenn Maxwell produced a 10-ball 32, which had three sixes and two fours. He was run out after a mix-up with Khawaja, who sent his partner back sensing risk and was caught behind minutes later to miss out on a hundred. Rain halted play when ...
No doubt pitch will miss you: PM Modi to Shikhar Dhawan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday joined a host of cricketers to offer his sympathy to injured India opener Shikhar Dhawan, saying "the pitch will miss you." Dhawan's World Cup campaign ended with a thumb fracture sustained during the match against Australia. "Dear @SDhawan25, no doubt the pitch will miss you but I hope you recover at the earliest so that you can once again be back on the field and contribute to more wins for the nation," Modi tweeted, quoting Dhawan's message in which the left-handed batsman had announced he won't be able to participate any further in the World Cup. Dhawan has been replaced by young Rishabh Pant in the Indian squad. Many former cricketers from India and abroad also offered words of sympathy for Dhawan, wishing him a quick recovery.
Pranati qualifies for vault finals at Senior Asian Artistic Gymnastics
India's Pranati Nayak on Thursday qualified for vault finals with a sixth place and score of 13.35 at the Senior Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In men's category, Rakesh Kumar Patra did well on Rings but missed a place in the finals, finishing 10th with a score of 13.60. He will be second reserve. The Indian women's team comprising Pranati Nayak (45.350), Pranati Das (43.000), Shraddha Talekar (42.850) and Papiya Das (36.350) finished their qualifications cum team final competition, scoring 131.250. The men's team also concluded its qualifications cum team final competition, scoring 229.699. The team consisted of Rakesh Kumar Patra (76.133), Yogeshwar Singh (75.566), Arik Dey (75.100) and Debang Deb (73.167). "The ranking will be known only later when all teams are done but it is unlikely for anyone to qualify for any apparatus final," Gymnastic Federation of India (GFI) vice president Riyaz Ahmed Bhati said. All the gymnasts in the men's and women's
Warner's ton takes Australia to 368/5 before rain arrives
A 'calmer' David Warner worked his way to a responsible 166, his second century of the tournament, to lead Australia to a formidable 368 for five in 49 overs before rain stopped play in their World Cup clash against Bangladesh here Thursday. The left-handed opener contained aggression, his natural style of play, to build his innings and went on an offensive only after Australia got the license to go for the kill. He completed his 16th ODI hundred, his sixth 150-plus knock, which came off 147 balls with 14 hits to fence and five over the ropes. Warner, who had hit a hundred against Pakistan as well, added 121 runs with his skipper Aaron Finch (53) in a risk-free opening partnership and then raised a 192-run stand with Usman Khawaja (89). The stage was set to go after the bowlers and Glenn Maxwell produced a 10-ball 32, which had three sixes and two fours. He was run out after a mix-up with Khwaja, who sent his partner back sensing risk before he was caught behind minutes later to miss .
David Warner becomes highest scorer in CWC'19
Australia opener David Warner on Thursday displaced England batsman Jason Roy to become the highest scorer in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.Warner smashed 166 runs in the World Cup match against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge. The 32-year-old's innings saw 14 boundaries and five sixes before Soumya Sarkar dismissed him in the 45th over.He had stitched a strong 121-run stand with skipper Aaron Finch and then formed a formidable 192-run partnership with Usman Khawaja.The Australian opener, who featured in his sixth outing, forced Roy's 153 move down to the second place. The top five scorer includes Finch (153), England's Eoin Morgan (148), and India's Rohit Sharma (140).Warner also became the most run-scorer during Australia's innings against Bangladesh. The left-hander had entered the match with 281 runs under his belt. Warner smashed 166 off 147 balls and removed his skipper Finch (396), who took the second place on the same day.The top five run-scorer include Bangladesh's ...
Nobody but Neymar knows about his future plan, says Douglas Costa
Brazil player Douglas Costa has said that he has 'no idea' regarding his team-mate Neymar's future but is certain that the 27-year-old will choose the best for his career."I have no idea [where Neymar will go], I guess nobody knows -- only Neymar. That's a very personal decision but he will choose the best for his career," Goal.com quoted Costa, as saying.Neymar, who is currently recovering from an ankle injury which he picked during Brazil's friendly match against Qatar, failed to improve Paris Saint-Germain's fortune in the Champions League due to which there have been lots of speculations regarding his transfer.Juventus winger Costa will work under newly-appointed Maurizio Sarri for this season. Costa eulogised the former Chelsea manager Sarri and is optimistic about the future."I don't know [Sarri] personally. I could see his work when he was at Napoli and I believe he's a great coach because he had an amazing season in my first year in Italy. I think we all have great things we ..
India name 23-member squad for Jr Asian Badminton C'ship
India on Thursday named a 23-member squad to represent the country at the Asian Junior Badminton Championship to be held in Suzhou, China from July 20-28. The boys' singles challenge will be spearheaded by Manipur's Maisnam Meiraba Luwang, who has amassed an impressive total of 1000 points by virtue of a fine run in the domestic circuit, where he won consecutive four domestic junior titles as well as both the selection tournaments. The Badminton Association of India has considered the cumulative ranking points from the two All India Junior Ranking tournaments held in Chennai and Trivandrum, in the month of May while selecting the squad said the federation's General Secretary, Ajay K Singhania. The girls' team will be spearheaded by Airport Authority of India's Malvika Bansod, who topped the list with 1000 points. While Meiraba topped the chart in the boys' singles section, the others joining him will be the Tamil Nadu trio of Sathish Kumar, Sidhant Gupta and Sankar Muthuswamy. In ...
Faf du Plessis feels 'youngish' batting line-up is a concern
South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis, after their recent defeat in the World Cup, said that his team's batting line-up comprises of 'youngish' players, who are good but lack the ability to put innings together."If you look at opposition, there's been big runs scored by batting lineups. We've got a pretty youngish batting lineup if you take Rassie (van der Dussen), Aiden (Markram), guys like that, even Andile (Phehlukwayo) to a degree. He's going really good at his cricket, but he's young in terms of putting innings together," Sport24.co.za quoted Du Plessis as saying.Du Plessis further added that the squad is not experienced as their opponents and said: "So we're not as experienced perhaps as other teams when it comes to that, but, the reason why I say we're not as good as other teams is we're just not producing scores or innings that can win you games."South Africa's abysmal run in the World Cup continued after the team faced their fourth defeat in the tournament on Wednesday at the ..
CWC'19: Dhawan's exit unfortunate but India has to move on, says Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah believes it is unfortunate that Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup. However, the fast bowler stressed that the team has to move forward."It is unfortunate he (Dhawan) is out of the World Cup. He played really good innings against Australia. We are a good side and we are not worried about it. It was an unfortunate incident which happened but we have to move forward," Bumrah said at a press conference on Thursday.ICC on Wednesday approved wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant as a replacement for injured batsman Dhawan in India's squad.Dhawan is currently nursing an injury on the back of his left hand in the region between the index finger and thumb. During a fixture against Australia on June 9, he was hit by a Pat Cummins bouncer. However, the swashbuckling left-hander went onto play a match-winning knock of 117 off 109 balls which helped India secure a 36-run win.Earlier on Thursday, a day after being hit by a ball, India all-rounder Vijay .
Wasim Khan replaces Mohsin Khan to act as chair of PCB Cricket Committee
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Managing Director Wasim Khan on Thursday replaced Mohsin Khan to act as the Chair of the Cricket Committee to carry out a robust review of the team's performance after the conclusion of the ongoing World Cup.Wasim will chair the review of the Pakistan cricket team's performance over the past three years before submitting its recommendations to the PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani and the Board of Governors (BoG) for their consideration,During a recent meeting with Mani, former Test cricketer Mohsin expressed his willingness to be released from his current position as the Chair, a PCB statement said."I am very thankful to PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani for honouring me with the opportunity to Chair the PCB Cricket Committee. My services are always available for Pakistan cricket at a suitable position in view of my past record," Mohsin said.After accepting Mohsin's request, Mani said, "It is always difficult to let go someone of Mohsin's stature and calibre, but we respect .
Reid's simple and friendly approach is helping us: Manpreet
India hockey captain Manpreet Singh Thursday said new chief coach Graham Reid's "simple and friendly approach" has brought a calming influence on the team and it is reflecting on the turf. "The coach has created a friendly environment in the team and he has kept a very simple approach. He is very open about his thought process and is approachable to each and every team member. If any player has any concerns, he is always welcoming," Manpreet told PTI in an email interaction. "This has also improved the performance of the team on the pitch," added the 26-year-old midfielder from Jalandhar, who had an impressive FIH Series Finals in Bhubneshwar. Manpreet said 56-year-old Reid, who replaced Harendra Singh as Indian men's hockey team chief coach in April this year, didn't tinker too much with their attacking style of play. "The coach (Reid) has not made any significant changes as of now as he is currently new to the set up. He will be looking to make a few changes during our camp which is
Diksha drops late bogeys to shoot even par, lies 26th in Thailand
Back-to-back bogeys towards the end spoilt Diksha Dagar's card as she dropped from two-under to even par in the first round of the Ladies European Thailand Championship, here Thursday. Diksha, winner of the women's South African Open this year, birdied two of the first three Par-5s. She dropped her first shot of the day on Par-4 17th and then erased her earlier gains further by bogeying the Par-5 18th. Diksha is lying tied-26th, as Swede Lina Boqvist shot a 67 in sweltering heat at Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club. The other two Indians in the fray, Tvesa Malik (75) and Asdtha Madan (77) did not have a great start. Tvesa, who had two birdies also had five bogeys, and was Tied-66th, while Astha had five bogeys and no birdies and she was Tied-91st. The leading 60 players will make the cut and head into the weekend. The 28-year-old Swede Lina fired five birdies on the front nine and made another gain at the 10th but carded two late bogeys, followed by another birdie on the short 14th, .
Rough start for Indians in Korean Open golf
In a rough start for Indians at the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship, none could manage an under par round as S Chikkarangappa (73) was best-placed at tied-58th, here Thursday. Viraj Madappa and Rahil Gangjee carded five-over 76 each and were tied-111th, while Khalin Joshi went seven-over 78 and was tied-134th. They will all need solid second rounds to make the weekend cut. The event is part of The Open Qualifying Series. Two spots will be awarded to the leading two players (not otherwise exempt) finishing in the top-eight and ties. Local Junggon Hwang delivered a flawless display of golf as he signed for a solid six-under-par 65 to grab the opening round lead. The 27-year-old Hwang, a three-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour and a two-time champion on the Korean Tour and he has recently shed off 10 kilograms. He fired six birdies to lead by one shot over compatriot Daehyun Kim (66), who also returned with a bogey-free round. Young Thai Phachara Khongwatmai fired six birdies against