Page 1171 - Sports
AIBA to allow judging protests after Asian Games boxing turmoil
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) will introduce a right of protest against controversial judging "to ensure fair play" and prevent a repeat of ugly scenes that marred the Asian Games. Two North Korean boxing coaches were thrown out of the Asian Games Saturday after refusing to leave the ring and inciting the crowd after their fighter lost gold on a split decision to a Chinese boxer. Police had to move in to escort the duo, who had their Asian Games credentials immediately removed, from the Jakarta International Expo arena. They will now face disciplinary action by AIBA. And there were ugly scenes earlier in the week after an Iraqi fighter lost a close fight and a fan jumped over barriers and tried to storm the ring encouraged by the boxer's cornermen. "AIBA has a responsibility to ensure fair play and we're going to make sure that happens," AIBA executive director Tom Virgets told AFP. "We're going to have a protest committee in place because even in the best of times there
US Open: Djokovic cruises into pre-quarters
Former world number one Novak Djokovic cemented his spot in the pre-quarters round of the ongoing US Open after he edged past French tennis player Richard Gasquet in the men's singles event here at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.The 31-year-old handed over a crushing 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 defeat to his French opponent in a clash that lasted two hours and 11 minutes.Displaying some spectacular form on the court, Djokovic saved all the breakpoints in the match, including three in the third set. He continuously pushed his opponent behind the baseline, giving him no room to play defensive shots.With this victory, the Serbian player has confirmed his eleventh consecutive appearance in the fourth round of the ongoing tournament.Swiss tennis maestro Roger Federer also booked his place in the pre-quarters round after defeating Nick Kyrgios 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 in their round of 32 clash.In the women's event, American tennis star Serena Williams swept aside world number 16 Venus Williams 6-1, 6-2 to ...
Contestant to wear hijab in Miss England finals
A 20-year-old Muslim woman is set to become the first to wear a hijab in the Miss England finals, a media report said on Sunday. Sara Iftekhar will walk on the ramp in the headscarf this week, hoping to get the crown. Women have worn the hijab in qualifying rounds of the event, but Sara is the first to wear it for a final, Mirror reported. The law student, who won Miss Huddersfield and Yorkshire's Miss Popularity round, said: "Everyone is beautiful in their own way, regardless of weight, race, colour or shape.
India begin shooting World Championship with 2 junior gold, seniors miss finals
India began their campaign in the 52nd ISSF World Championship with two gold medals in the junior section but shooters representing the senior teams failed to reach the finals of their respective events here Sunday. The tournament assumes significance as it is the first quota event for the 2020 Rio Olympic Games, offering as many as 60 berths. Arjun Singh Cheema won the individual junior men's 50m pistol gold and then led his team, also comprising Gaurav Rana and Anmol Jain, to the team gold in the event. Gaurav also clinched the individual bronze in the event. Arjun shot a score of 559 to get the better of Korean Woojong Kim, who managed 554 for the silver. Gaurav tallied 551 to claim bronze. Arjun, Gaurav and Anmol Jain tallied 1659 to claim the team gold ahead of Korea who came second with 1640. China won bronze in the team event. In the mixed team 10m air rifle, the pair of Apurvi Chandela and Ravi Kumar shot 835.6 in qualifications to finish seventh. The top five teams make it to
Sharapova lights up US Open again with win over Ostapenko
Maria Sharapova's love affair with New York nights continued Saturday as the 2006 US Open champion swept past 10th-seeded Jelena Ostapenko and into the fourth round at Flushing Meadows. Sharapova is now undefeated in 22 night matches at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. "There's no doubt I feed off this energy," Sharapova said. "We all spend so much time on the back courts with our teams practicing. "When you get a chance to come out here why not give everything that you have." After some shaky moments in her first two matches, Sharapova charged through the opening set, aided by 27 unforced errors from 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko. Ostapenko cut that down in the second, but she couldn't halt five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova, aiming to bounce back from a first-round loss at Wimbledon this year that was followed by injury withdrawals from tournaments in San Jose and Cincinnati. Sharapova next faces Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro, who ousted sixth-seeded Caroline ...
Federer out-maneuvers Kyrgios as Kerber, Zverev fall at US Open
Five-time champion Roger Federer found a new way to amaze Saturday as he reached the US Open last 16 with a 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 victory over Nick Kyrgios. The second-seeded Swiss withstood an early onslaught from the unpredictable Aussie, firing 51 winners that included an unlikely forehand flicked around the net post that Kyrgios couldn't believe. "Definitely a bit of luck and good feet," Federer said of the shot that had Kyrgios wide-eyed at the net. Federer had the luxury of a two-set lead when the duo's most entertaining exchanges thrilled the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. Things would have been much different if Kyrgios could have converted one of four break points in the seventh game of the opening set. But Federer escaped, breaking Kyrgios to pocket the first set and dominating the second. "He's an unbelievable frontrunner," Kyrgios said. "When he gets in front, there's not much you can do." Federer will be seeking a 13th appearance in the US Open quarter-finals when he plays Australian
Benzema scoring freely for Real, Atletico crash to Celta
Karim Benzema scored twice and Gareth Bale notched another for Real Madrid in a 4-1 thrashing of Leganes on Saturday after Atletico Madrid crashed to defeat in La Liga. Benzema grabbed a second-half double and might have got his hat-trick had Sergio Ramos passed on the penalty he scored after a foul on Marco Asensio. Atletico lost more ground on their city neighbours as they sank to a 2-0 defeat at Celta Vigo which coach Diego Simeone described as "a major wake-up call". At the Santiago Bernabeu, Bale broke the deadlock with a smart half-volley, which was briefly cancelled out by Leganes' Guido Carrillo, who converted his own spot-kick to ensure Thibaut Courtois' first Madrid contribution was to pick the ball out of his own net. Rejuvenated under new coach Julen Lopetegui and, perhaps, liberated by Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, Bale and Benzema impressed again. Bale has now scored three times and Benzema four from the first three La Liga games of the season. Together with Asensio, ...
Matuidi scores winner, Ronaldo draws blank as Juventus beat Parma
Cristiano Ronaldo drew another blank in his bid to score his first Serie A goal for Juventus but the Italian champions kept their winning momentum 2-1 at promoted Parma on Saturday with goals in either half from World Cup stars Mario Mandzukic and Blaise Matuidi. World Cup winner Matuidi bagged the decisive goal on 58 minutes after Croatia's Mandzukic, a finalist in Moscow this summer, had scored after just two minutes in Emilia Romagna. New Parma signing Gervinho -- back in Italy after two years with Chinese club Hebei China Fortune -- pulled one back after 33 minutes for the hosts who have returned to the top flight after three consecutive promotions following demotion for bankruptcy in 2015. Ronaldo is yet to score but the seven-time reigning Italian champions are on maximum points after winning all three of their games this season. The 33-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or winner missed a chance to open his account after 26 minutes when his powerful header was just wide, and spurned ..
We can win the fourth Test, says Buttler
England batsman Jos Buttler has said that the hosts are in the driver's seat to win the fourth Test and seal the series after taking a 233-run lead in the second innings. "Yes, definitely (we can win). You've seen the wear and tear in the wicket even in the first innings as well, there was quite a bit of rough outside the right-hander's off-stump. That's promising for Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid and with the seamers, we've seen a bit of variable bounce. So I think it's nice to have the runs on the board," said Buttler on Saturday. Buttler scored 69 and put on vital lower-order partnerships with Ben Stokes and Sam Curran as England recovered from 122 for five to finish at 260 for eight eight at stumps. Talking about his partnership with Stokes, he said, "We've batted together in quite a lot of situations in different formats, so that rapport is obviously comforting in a way and allows you to get the best out of each other. "We've got that right, left-hand combination, trying to rotate .
Ashwin kept on bowling in right areas: Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara defended team-mate Ravichandran Ashwin after a poor outing by the premier off-spinner left India with the possibility of facing a daunting task in the fourth Test against England here. England relied on Jos Buttler's gutsy half century to take a competitive lead of 233 runs by stumps on the third day. In contrast to Moeen Ali's five-wicket haul, Ashwin struggled to get going on Saturday and finished with 1-78 in 35 overs despite his good bowling form earlier in the series. Pujara though defended his teammate. "I don't think he had a bad day. He didn't get too many wickets but he kept on bowling in the right areas. Sometimes as a bowler you do have such days when you are bowling but you might not end up picking too many wickets," Pujara said. The Tamil Nadu off-spinner couldn't use the footmarks created by the trio of Mohammed Shami (3/53), Ishant Sharma (2/36) and Jasprit Bumrah (1/51 in 19 overs). First-innings centurion Pujara said, "Someone like him, he is a ...
4th Test: Jos Buttler helps England take 233-run lead on Day 3
Jos Buttler's fighting knock of 69 on Saturday helped England post 260 for 8 in their second innings on the third day of the fourth Test at the Ageas Bowl cricket ground.England now have a competitive lead of 233 runs in the game and will look forward to push it further on Sunday with still two wickets in hand.Quite like their first innings, England didn't get a good start in the second one as well as none of their top order players - Alastair Cook (13), Keaton Jennings (36), Moeen Ali (4) - managed to play a long inning. After Jonny Bairstow got out for duck on the first ball itself at the score of 4-92, it was England skipper Joe Root (48) and Ben Stokes (30), who gave a little bit of momentum to their side.However, it was Buttler, whose 56-run partnership with Stokes and 55-run partnership with Sam Curran (37 batting), helped England get into a competitive position with 200-plus lead. At stumps, Curran remained unbeaten for 37 while James Anderson and Stuart Broad are yet to ...
England reach 260/8, take 233-run lead over India on Day 3 (Roundup)
Jos Buttler led England's fight-back with a 69 as the hosts reached 260 for eight in their second innings to take a 233-run lead over India on the third day of the fourth Test here on Saturday.
Buttler scores 69 as England reach 260/8 on Day 3
Jos Buttler once again proved to be a thorn in India's flesh as his gutsy knock of 69 enabled the hosts to put up a fighting 260 for 8 in their second innings on the third day of an even poised fourth Test. Overall, England now have a competitive lead of 233 runs and it could be a tricky chase for the Indian line-up especially with the track being two paced where handling Stuart Broad could prove to be a difficult proposition. Buttler received good support from the stodgy Ben Stokes (30, 110 balls) adding 56 runs for the sixth wicket and 55 runs for the seventh wicket with the ever-improving Sam Curan (37 batting, 67 balls). How quickly India get Curran out tomorrow will decide the quantum of runs that India would need to chase. The match is expected to end tomorrow if weather permits. This was Buttler's ninth Test fifty and he showed a lot of application even though he was troubled by the initial spell from Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami. He survived a good spell of reverse swing ..
Shivraj announces reward for 2 MP women hockey players
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday announced Rs 75 Lakh reward for both Madhya Pradesh hockey players - Reena Khokhar and Monika-who were part of the Indian women's hockey team that won the silver medal at the ongoing 18th edition of Asian Games in Jakarta.Earlier in the week, Chouhan had announced a similar cash reward for archer Muskan Kirar, who, along with Madhumita Kumari, won a silver medal in Women's Compound Archery Team event at the ongoing games.The Indian team that qualified for the final of the Asian Games after a gap of 20 years, settled for a silver medal after losing 1-2 to Japan.The Japanese team secured their victory with two goals from penalty corners, which were scored by Minami Shimizu (11') and Motomi Kawamura (44') while India's only goal was scored by Neha Goyal (25').In addition to Chouhan, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also announced Rs 1 crore cash reward for each of the four Odisha hockey players - Sunita Lakra, Namita Toppo, Lilima Minz
Gold medallist Amit's ancestral village erupts in joy
As Amit Panghal (49kg) on Saturday hit the golden punch at the ongoing Asian Games, back home in his village, Mayana the anxious villagers erupted in spontaneous joy and celebration. The villagers, who had waited with bated breath, turned joyous after a stunning tactical win by Amit over reigning Olympic and Asian champion Hasanboy Dusmatov in the summit clash at Jakarta. Residents of nearby villages too descended to Mayana, some 8 km from Rohtak, to congratulate his father Vijender Singh, a farmer and his elder brother Ajay, a JCO in the Army. "I am elated," said Vijender after watching his younger son winning the gold. He, however, at the same time felt dejected as his elder son who too is a boxer was not part of the event. "Had our financial position would have been better not only Amit even Ajay too would have today brought a medal for the country," he said. He hailed the Manohar Lal Khattar government's sports policy which honours medal winners by giving cash award and government
Asiad success will popularise bridge among youth, says India coach
Bridge as a game will gain popularity among the youth of the country after the Bengal duo of Pranab Bardhan and Shibnath De Sarkar bagged gold in the men's bridge pair competition at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, the teams non-playing captain and coach Debasish Ray said on Saturday.
'Best day ever!' Son scoops Asian gold to avoid military service
Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min was left beaming from ear to ear after winning an exemption from almost two years of military service by leading South Korea to Asian Games gold on Saturday. The defending champions beat Japan 2-1 after extra time in steamy Cibinong, West Java as Lee Seung-woo and Hwang Hee-chan scored the goals that will allow 26-year-old Son to see out his new five-year deal with Spurs. A late header from Ayase Ueda gave South Korea an almighty fright, but they survived a nervous last few moments to capture a record fifth Asian Games title. Korean captain Son, substituted in the dying seconds to buy precious time, sprinted from the bench to embrace goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo, sobbing tears of joy as they rolled on the turf together. "This is the best day in my life," Son told AFP, clutching his gold medal. "I'm so proud of my team-mates, they fought for 120 minutes. But without the Korean people behind us we couldn't win this tournament. Of course when I see the .
Amit stuns Olympic champion as India post biggest ever tally (Roundup)
Upcoming boxer Amit Panghal stunned the reigning Olympic champion to add the extra glitz to a day on which the Indian contingent recorded their best ever tally even as the bridge team won gold while the women's squash and men's hockey teams added silver and bronze respectively at the 18th Asian Games here on Saturday.
Liverpool beat Leicester 2-1 as Mane, Firmino redeem Alisson's error
Liverpool FC defeated hosts Leicester City 2-1, thanks to first-half goals from forwards Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, despite a grave error by goalkeeper Alisson that handed Leicester their lone goal of the English Premier League (EPL) match on Saturday.
Fourth Test: Struggling England swell lead to 125 at tea on Day 3
India dominated the second session, picking up two crucial wickets as England were 152/5 in the second innings, leading by 125 runs, at tea on the third day of the fourth Test at Rose Bowl here on Saturday.