Page 1215 - Sports

Asian Games: Sindhu, Nehwal start on winning note

Ace Indian shuttlers PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal started their campaign on a winning note as they thrashed their respective opponents in the first round of the badminton women's Singles event at the ongoing 18th edition of the Asian Games.While Nehwal easily swept aside Iranian shuttler Soraya Aghaeihajiagha 21-7, 21-9 in the opening round of the individual event, Sindhu had to toil hard to get past her Vietnamese opponent Trang Thi Vu.Thi Vu gave a tough competition to the Indian shuttler but ultimately Sindhu thrashed her counterpart 21-10, 12-21, 23-21 in a match that lasted 58 minutes.The Rio-Olympic medalist will now take on Mariska Gregoria of Indonesia to cement her spot in the quarter-final of the event.Nehwal, on the other hand, will face Fitriani Fitriani of Indonesia in her pre-quarters clash.In women's doubles event, Indian pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N. Sikki Reddy defeated Indonesian duo of Nga Ting Yeung and Wing Yung Ng 21-16, 21-15 to book their pre-quarters ...

Two Indian gymnasts finish at bottom in vault final, Dipa last hope

Aruna Budda Reddy and Pranati Nayak brought up the rear at seventh and eighth positions respectively in the women's individual vault event final as Indian gymnasts continued their quest for a medal in the 18th Asian Games today. India was the only country to have two participants in the vault final but both failed to produce their best and ended at the bottom of the eight-woman title round. Star gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who finished fourth in Rio Olympics in this event, could not qualify for the final as her old knee injury flared up during the qualification round, finishing behind Aruna and Pranati. Only two gymnasts from a country can qualify for the final round of an individual apparatus. Aruna was the first to start among the two Indians but she had a fall in her first vault to collect just a score of 12.125. She did reasonably well to secure 13.425 in her second vault. But the average score of 12.775 was just enough for a seventh-place finish. Aruna had earlier this year become the

Spanish Midfielder Jonathan Vila joins FC Pune City

Indian Super League club FC Pune City today announced the signing of Spanish defensive midfielder Jonathan Vila to add variety to its midfield for the upcoming season. Vila began his youth career with Spanish side Celta de Vigo and made his La Liga debut in 2006. He also played in the the UEFA Cup 2006-07. After a decade long run with Celta, the midfielder moved to Beitar Jerusalem FC in 2014 and played the Israeli Premier League. In 2017, the Spanish midfielder moved back to Spain to join Recreativo de Huelva. "I am turning a new page in my career and this will be my first season in India. Adapting a new culture and lifestyle is a part of this new challenge and I will make sure that I create a positive impact with my game on fans and the club," Vila said. "Vila's work ethic is tremendous and his vast experience in midfield will be vital for our squad. To my mind, he is a right fit for our plans for the coming season and the team will look up to him to shoulder responsibilities on and

Two more medals assured for India, Raina settles for bronze

Ankita Raina played her heart out against top seed Shuai Zhang before settling for bronze, while Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan used all their experience to bounce back and enter the men's doubles final of the Asian Games, here today. Sharan and Bopanna are assured of at least a silver but will be going for gold in the final tomorrow. Another medal was assured when world number 161 Prajnesh Gunneswaran outlasted 273rd ranked Kwon Soonwoo of South Korea 6-7 (2 ), 6-4, 7-6 (8) in a marathon quarterfinal lasting almost four hours. Earlier, against the world number 34 from China and a Grand Slam quarterfinalist, 189th ranked Raina had nothing to lose. She went for her shots and that surprised her seasoned opponent. The spirited Indian, who agreed to playing all three events, eventually lost 4-6, 6-7 (6) in the semifinal lasting 131 minutes. The gruelling second set alone lasted 77 minutes. After this effort, she became India's second women's singles medallist at the Asian Games after ...

Now a 15-year-old shoots silver for India at Asian Games

Fifteen-year-old Shardul Vihan today became the youngest Indian shooter to win a medal at the Asian Games after he finished second in the men's double trap here, extending the sensational run of teenaged marksmen from the country. The Meerut-based Vihan shot 73 in the final after topping the qualification earlier in the day. The gold went to 34-year-old South Korean Hyunwoo Shin and bronze to 42-year-old from Qatar, Hamad Ali Al Marri. Usually, the shotgun competitions are dominated by older shooters but not today. Vihan, a class 10 student of Dayawati Modi Academy in Modipuram, was unfazed by the presence of experienced shooters double his age. The bronze winner is almost triple his age. Sixteen-year-old Saurabh Chaudhary, who also has a Meerut connection, had made history by winning the gold in the 10m pistol here on Tuesday. Vihan's silver was India's eighth medal from the Jakabaring Shooting Range. It may seem sensational but the young Indian shooters are making a habit of winning

Amandeep retains lead at 12th Leg of Hero WPG Tour

Two early birdies and then another in the closing stages helped overnight leader Amandeep Drall keep her lead after the second round of the 12th Leg of the Hero Womens Pro Tour at the Hyderabad golf club here on Thursday.

James Vince called upon to boost England batting

Hampshire batsman James Vince has been called up to the 14-man England squad for the fourth Test starting in Southampton on August 30. The 27-year-old Vince last played Test cricket for England in April against New Zealand and has been in good form off late, scoring 74 and 147 against Nottinghamshire this past week. He averages 56 in the County championship this season. National selector Ed Smith confirmed that Vince has been called up as a cover for Jonny Bairstow, who has sustained a fracture on his left hand middle finger. If fit enough to bat, Bairstow will play as batsman and Jos Buttler will keep wickets, with Vince on standby. Essex pacer Jamie Porter has been released for the next round of County championship games but he is on standby if any other pacer suffers injury in lead up to the fourth Test. The series is pegged at 2-1 after India won the third Test in Nottingham by 203 runs. England had won the first two Tests at Birmingham and Lord's. Squad: Joe Root (c), Alastair ...

Asian Games: Shooter Shradul Vihan bags silver in Double Trap event

15-year-old Indian shooter Shradul Vihan bagged a silver medal in the men's Double Trap event at the ongoing 18th edition of Asian Games. Vihan narrowly missed the gold after he scored a total of 73 points.While Hyunwoo Shin of Korea finished on top of the podium with a total of 74 points, Qatar shooter Hamad Ali settled for bronze with a score of 53.In women's Double Trap event, Indian challenge ended after shooters Shreyasi Singh and Varsha Varman finished at the sixth and seventh position, respectively in the category. Singh scored a total of 121 points while Varman's score count was 120.Chinese shooters Qingnian Li and Yiting Bai finished first and second on the podium with a point score of 136 and 134, respectively, whereas Mariya Dmitriyenko of Kazakhstan settled for bronze with a point count of 125.India's total medal tally at the prestigious event now stands at seventeen with four gold, four silver, and nine bronze.

Hockey India announces U18 men's and women's teams for Youth Olympic Games

Hockey India today announced the Indian U-18 men's and women's teams for the Hockey 5's competition to be held at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games from October 6-18. Both the teams will have a total of nine members in the squad, which consists of two goalkeepers, two defenders, two midfielders and three forwards. The men's team will be led by midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad, while goalkeeper Prashant Kumar Chauhan will act as his deputy. The captaincy of the women's team has been given to defender Salima Tete, with forward Lalremsiami being the vice-captain. Both the teams have been chosen keeping in mind the requirements of the fast-paced 5-a-side competition and consist of players who have recently gained international exposure as they participated in the Junior Invitational Tournament in Belgium last month. The junior men's team consists of goalkeepers Prashant Kumar Chauhan and Pawan, defenders Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem and Sanjay, Midfielders Vivek Sagar Prasad and ...

India U16 team dedicates win over Cameroon to Kerala flood victims

The India U16 team today dedicated its 2-1 win over Cameroon to the victims of the devastating Kerala floods. Sitting miles away and competing with more acclaimed nations boasting of strong youth development programmes, the India U16 team was not willing to soak in the euphoria. "Our heart goes out to the people of Kerala. We have been praying for them at every moment and we salute the Indian Army and the rescue workers who are involved in the process," head coach Bibiano Fernandes said. "Cameroon are a sublime side and it was so satisfying to register a 2-1 victory against them. On behalf of the team, I would want to dedicate this victory over Cameroon to all the people of Kerala. This victory is more for you than anyone else," he added. Shabas Ahammed Moothedat, who played a pivotal role in yesterday's win against Cameroon, hails from the football-crazy Mallapuram district of Kerala said his family had suffered a significant loss. "My family has suffered a significant loss. However,

Veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami retires from T20Is

Veteran India pacer Jhulan Goswami has decided to call it quits from Twenty-20 Internationals (T20Is). The announcement came less than three months before the Women's World T20 takes place in the West Indies.The 35-year-old represented India in 68 T20Is picking up 56 wickets, which included a five-wicket haul against Australia in Visakhapatnam in March 2012. She had made her T20I debut in August 2006 against England in Derby.Goswami thanked the Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) and her teammates for the support she garnered during her stint with the T20I team and wished them luck going forward."The BCCI and the entire women's national team wishes her the best and looks forward to her valuable contributions when she represents India in other two formats," the cricket body said in a statement.Goswami, a veteran of 10 Tests and 169 ODIs is currently the leading wicket-taker in the women's ODI format and also the first woman cricketer to take 200 ODI wickets.

Dale Steyn sidelined for week with groin injury

South African fast bowler Dale Steyn has been ruled out of action for seven to ten days due to a groin injury.The 35-year-old sustained the injury while playing a county cricket match for his team Hampshire against Northamptonshire Cricket Club, Sports24 reported.Reflecting on his injury, Steyn took to his official Twitter handle and allayed serious injury concerns. He further said that he is likely to return to action after a one-game break."Never had so much attention about my groin area...Small tweak, nothing serious, 7-10 days, Likely to miss 1 game," Steyn wrote.Giving out further details of the injury, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said that the bowler has suffered a Grade 1 injury in his right groin and would need at least 10-14 days to recuperate."Dale Steyn injury update: Scans have revealed a Grade 1 strain to the right groin. The estimated recovery time is 10-14 days. He is aiming to return to action for Hampshire in their match against Worcester on 4 September," CSA ...

Kohli reclaims top Test spot post match-winning show

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has reclaimed the top position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Player Ranking following a brilliant batting performance in the recently-concluded third Test against England in Nottingham.The 29-year-old reached a personal best of 937 rating points and is now standing just one point behind a group of four in the all-time list, with a good chance of going past them on current form that has seen him score 440 runs in the series.Kohli's useful contribution of 97 and 103 runs in the third Test against England not only helped his team to reduce the deficit in the ongoing five-match series to 2-1 but also helped the squad win the recently-concluded match by 203 runs.The top 10 in the all-time list are Don Bradman (961 points), Steven Smith (947), Len Hutton (945), Jack Hobbs (942), Ricky Ponting (942), Peter May (941), Gary Sobers, Clyde Walcott, Vivian Richards and Sangakkara (all 938 points).Meanwhile, Cheteshwar Pujara, who ended on the sixth ...

Deepika Kumari disappointed after exit from individual recurve event

Indian archer Deepika Kumari on Thursday expressed disappointment over her exit from the women's Individual Recurve event at the ongoing 18th edition of the Asian Games.The 24-year had lost her pre-quarters clash 3-7 against Chieng-Ying Lei of Chinese Taipei in the event.Speaking to ANI, Kumari said, "I am disappointed with myself. I started well but I could not perform well on the day."Reflecting on her upcoming recurve mixed team event, the archer said that she is looking forward to preparing for her next category match. "The game (today's) has ended. I will prepare now prepare for the next event," she added.Kumari's coach Sawaiyan Manjhi also expressed dismay over her defeat and said that they would work on her weak points. Manjhi further stated that after Asian Games, they will focus on the upcoming qualification round for the Tokyo Olympics.The India archer will now participate in recurve mixed team event where she, along with Atanu Das, will take on Mongolian pair of ...

Asiad 2018: Saina registers easy win, Sindhu struggles against lower ranked Vu

Top shuttlers Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu registered contrasting victories in the first round in women's singles matches at the 18th Asian Games here on Thursday.

Sathish Sivalingam injured, Ajay Singh finishes fifth

Ajay Singh finished a creditable fifth with a personal best effort while his senior compatriot Sathish Sivalingam got injured during the men's 77kg category weightlifting competition to end at 10th in the Asian Games here today. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sathish, who holds the national record of 339kg, suffered a thigh injury during a failed attempt of 178 kg in clean and jerk to eventually lift a total of 314kg (144kg + 170kg). The 21-year-old Ajay, who had won a bronze medal in the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships, did better than his compatriot but his total lift of 327 kg (145kg+182 kg) was not enough for a podium finish. Ajay, however, bettered his earlier personal best of 326 kg which he lifted during the Senior National Championships earlier this year. Jon Wi Chow of People's Republic of Korea clinched the gold with a total lift of 348 kg (155kg +193kg). South Korea's Woo Jae Kim lifted a total of 347kg (160kgs+187kg) to bag the silver. The bronze ...

38 changes in 38 Tests too much but if results coming, it's alright: Harbhajan

The jury is still out on Virat Kohli's tactic of changing India's playing XI in every match for the last 38 Tests but veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh says there is nothing wrong in it as long as results are coming. India played their 38th combination in as many Test matches under Kohli at the Trent Bridge Test against England which the visitors won by 203 runs to keep themselves afloat in the five-match series. "Personally I think 38 changes in 38 Tests is too much. But every captain is different, and every team's dynamics are different. Maybe they want horses for courses, and it works for them," Harbhajan told PTI. "They were close to winning the series in South Africa. They have turned things here in England. If the captain believes in it, the management agrees and players accept it, then what you and I think doesn't matter." Kohli has been in impressive form during the England tour blasting two centuries to lead India from the front. The India skipper had practised with Raghu ..

Veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami quits T20Is

Veteran India pacer Jhulan Goswami on Thursday announced her retirement from T20 Internationals with immediate effect.

Deepika fails at big stage again, crashes out of Asian Games

Former world number one Deepika Kumari yet again flopped at the big stage as it turned out to be a depressing day for India's recurve archers, whose challenge ended at the Asian Games here today. Of all four archers in action today, only Atanu Das managed to reach the quarterfinals while the other three fell by the wayside at the preliminary stages. After getting a bye, Deepika got past North Korea's Hyang Ji Ri (6-2) but fluffed her second last shot in the third set to lose 3-7 to Chinese Taipei's Chien Ying Lei. India's only hope, after Deepika came a cropper, was Das but he too lost his quarterfinal 3-7 to Indonesia's Riau Ega Agata Salsa Billa. In the final set, the 26-year-old needed to hit a 10 in the final shot but found an eight to total 28. The local favourite after shooting a 10 in his first shot, delivered a 10 and 9 to clinch the match. Das had defeated both Yong Won Pak from Korea and Denis Gankin of Kazakhstan with identical 7-3 victories Deepika had come into the Asian .

Asiad 2018: India women's kabaddi team in final

India women's kabaddi team defeated Chinese Taipei in the semi-final to assure India a silver medal at the 18th Asian Games here on Thursday.