Page 1247 - Sports
Spanish league plans to play regular-season match
A regular-season Spanish league game is coming to the United States, possibly as early as this year, but a "clasico" between Real Madrid and Barcelona is pretty much out of the question. The league said today it is planning to play a match across the Atlantic as part of a new 15-year partnership with sports and entertainment group Relevent to promote soccer in North America. The group operates the International Champions Cup, the world's largest summer club tournament. Barcelona and Real Madrid faced each other in the tournament in Miami last year. The league gave few details on the planned regular-season game. League president Javier Tebas, however, dismissed the possibility of taking the "clasico" away from Spain. The league said it is still making arrangements for the game and there is no timetable for when it will happen, but it could be this season. The Spanish league has been trying to expand internationally for some time, hoping to grow and keep pace with the powerful Premier ..
Khushi takes lead in 11th leg of Hero WPG Tour
Rising golfer Khushi Khanijau, who does not have a single top-5 finish against her name this season, birdied the 18th and final hole of the Boulder Hills Golf and Country Club to take sole lead after the second round of the Hero womens Pro Tour's 11th leg here on Thursday.
BCCI condoles death of Ajit Wadekar
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday condoled the demise of former India captain Ajit Wadekar, who led India to their first-ever Test series wins in the West Indies and England in 1971.
Lahm to be figurehead if Germany host Euro 2024
Former World Cup winner Philipp Lahm will be the head of the organising committee if Germany win the bid to host Euro 2024, it was confirmed today. Germany and Turkey are the only two candidates bidding to host the European championships in six years time with a decision by European football's governing body UEFA set to be made on September 27. Lahm, 34, stepped down from international duty after leading Germany to the 2014 World Cup title and retired from all football in May 2017 after winning a joint record eighth Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. "From the beginning of my work as an ambassador for the European Championship 2024, it was my desire to take responsibility in the long term," said Lahm in a statement. "The new role as head of the tournament offers me a very interesting opportunity to do just that. "Together with the bidding team, I will do everything in the coming weeks to bring Euro 2024 to Germany." Tensions are already high between the German Football Association ..
Major Davis Cup shake-up eyed by divided tennis leaders
A major Davis Cup revamp that would condense the annual global tournament into an 18-team, week-long event will be voted upon today with major tennis leaders divided over the proposal. The International Tennis Federation annual meeting in Orlando will see about 120 delegates decide the fate of the 118-year-old men's team competition with two-thirds majority support needed to approve the measure, which is backed by federation president David Haggerty. Kosmos, a group led and founded by Barcelona football star Gerard Pique and backed by Japanese billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani, has vowed USD 3 billion over 25 years to support the new event. Haggerty vows more money, about USD 25 million, will go to national tennis associations to invest in grassroots level support. "The money that we make will be put back to the nations for their development programs and the future of tennis," Haggerty said. But opponents of the plan include Tennis Australia and Britain's Lawn Tennis Association ...
National Racing Championship to enter crucial phase with Round 4 (Preview)
The Indian National Racing Championship will enter a crucial phase when the fourth round starts at the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) here on Friday.
Kroos dismisses Ozil's international retirement reasons
Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos lashed out at former teammate Mesut Ozil for the way he announced his international retirement, saying the reasons hardly made sense.
Vengsarkar calls for Pant's inclusion in 3rd India-England Test
Former BCCI chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar has backed the inclusion of rookie wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant in India's playing XI for the third cricket Test against England, starting at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
Adieu Wadekar: cricketers pay homage to 'father figure'
A man who didn't just shape careers but also touched lives -- Ajit Wadekar meant many things to the many cricketers he played with and led, mentored as a manager and moulded as a selector. Wadekar, the first captain to lead India to Test series wins in England and the West Indies, passed away at 77 in Mumbai yesterday after prolonged illness. The death was described as a massive loss by India's top cricketers, including the likes of Mohammed Azharuddin and Anil Kumble, who worked closely with Wadekar during his tenure as manager. The duo called him a "father figure". Sachin Tendulkar described the former India captain as a big "influence". "Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Ajit Wadekar Sir. He was someone who was instrumental in bringing out the best in us during the 90s. We'll always be grateful for his advice and guidance. Praying for strength for his family during this difficult time," Tendulkar wrote on his twitter page. Manager Wadekar had an instrumental role to play .
Incredible outpouring of condolences unique to Indian cricket:
Former South Africa cricketer Jonty Rhodes said today that the spontaneous outpouring of condolence messages for former Test captain Ajit Wadekar, who died here yesterday, was unique to Indian cricket. "Ajit Wadekar was a game changer in the way he led India to Test victories overseas. This incredible outpouring of condolences (on his death) is unique to Indian cricket which is a tight knit community. It does not happen elsewhere," said Rhodes after he was announced here as the brand ambassador for ISUZU pick-up vehicles in the country. Wadekar, who died aged 77, had led the country to its first-ever Test series triumphs away from home against the West Indies and England in 1971 to make the year a landmark one for Indian cricket. Rhodes, who has been the fielding coach for three-time IPL-winning outfit Mumbai Indians, felt that India have missed the services of their fast bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah who did so well in his own native country in the Test .
Cricket fraternity mourns Ajit Wadekar's demise
The cricket fraternity on Thursday mourned the death of the former Indian Test captain Ajit Wadekar.Wadekar, who led the national team to their first-ever series victories in England and the West Indies, breathed his last at the age of 77 at the Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday.Describing the cricketer as someone who brought the best out of the 90s Indian team, Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar thanked the left-handed batsman for his advice and guidance."Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Ajit Wadekar Sir. He was someone who was instrumental in bringing out the best in us during the 90s. We'll always be grateful for his advice and guidance. Praying for strength for his family during this difficult time. RIP," Tendulkar wrote on Twitter.Terming the incident as a "sad moment for the Indian cricket", India head coach Ravi Shastri tweeted, "Sad moment for Indian cricket to lose one of its most successful captains. Shrewd to the core. Condolences to the entire family ...
Duleep Trophy kicks off domestic season
The 2018-19 domestic season begins here tomorrow with the Duleep Trophy, which will provide a platform to the aspirants to shine and challenge the established names, who are away on national duties. The tournament will be staged at the picturesque NPR College ground at Natham. Three teams - India Red, India Blue and India Green - comprising a mix of experienced players and talented youngsters will battle it out in the 57th edition of the tournament, which would be played under lights with a pink ball. While the three round-robin matches would be four-day affairs, the final, to be held from September 4, would be played over five days. The first match is between India Green and defending champion India Red. The tournament would serve as an opportunity for the players who have been part of the national squad at various points but find themselves on the fringes now. For India Red captain Abhinav Mukund, a good performance would not only set the tone for the long season ahead but will also
Is Paes coming to Asian Games? Indian captain Zeeshan Ali has no clue
The Indian tennis contingent arrived here today for the Asian Games but the biggest name in the squad, Leander Paes, was conspicuous by his absence. Zeeshan Ali, the captain and coach of the men's team, has no clue about Paes' arrival three days before the start of the competition on Sunday. "I have no idea of his arrival. Only Paes can tell you when he is coming. The last time I spoke to him he said he would play in Cincinnati and then come to Palembang. But he is not playing there also," Ali told PTI. There is still uncertainty over whom the 18-time Grand Slam champion will partner in the doubles, with Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan expected to play together. Paes, who last played at the Asian Games in 2006, could either partner an inexperienced Sumit Nagal or singles specialist Ramkumar Ramanathan. The 45-year-old is in the twilight of his career and would like to end his Asian Games outing on a high. He already has five gold medals to his name in the event, starting from the ...
BCCI condoles demise of Wadekar, calls him "renaissance man" of Indian cricket
The BCCI today condoled the demise of former captain Ajit Wadekar, calling him the "renaissance man" of Indian cricket whose departure has left a big void. Wadekar, who led India to their first overseas Test series wins in England and the West Indies, passed away last night after prolonged illness. He was 77. Wadekar is survived by his wife Rekha, two sons and a daughter. BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary said in a statement, "His demise has left a big void. First as a batsman and then as captain, he took Indian cricket to new heights and then continued to contribute as a coach, manager, and chairman of selectors. "The experience he gained during his playing days was used in man-management as coach and manager, overseeing a highly successful period." Wadekar represented India in 37 Tests and scored 2113 runs. He amassed a staggering 15380 first-class runs from 237 matches. Board CEO Rahul Johri said, "He will always be remembered as the Renaissance Man of Indian cricket. The West ...
Lawyer-cum-shooter not perturbed by int'l debut at Asian Games
The upcoming Asian Games, the world's biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics, will be Abhishek Verma's first brush with international shooting, but the thought and the task that awaits do not unnerve the lawyer-cum-marksman. Optimistically preparing to shoot at the Games, air pistol exponent Verma, 29, is a late bloomer. Daunting as it may sound for many but the strapping man from Rohtak told PTI: "I am very excited and confident of my prospects in Indonesia." The shooting events will be held in Palembang. "I have been preparing for the Games for a while and having done the hard work, I can say I am pretty optimistic even though it is my first outing," he said. Son of a sitting judge, Verma secured a bachelors in law from the Kurukshetra University in Haryana. Having climbed to the top of the charts with a fine performance in the 18th Kumar Surendra Singh championship and the fifth national selection trials, Verma could end up spearheading the Indian men's air pistol team in the
Pakistan will use UAE experience against India in Asia Cup: Sarfaraz Ahmed
Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has said that his side would look to utilise their experience of playing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against India in the upcoming Asia Cup cricket tournament.The 31-year-old further acknowledged that Virat Kohli-led Indian side are a relatively strong team as far as overall experience is concerned."Our team has relatively more experience of playing under UAE conditions and therefore we will try to take advantage of this experience in our Asia Cup match against India," Dawn.com quoted Ahmed, as saying."On the other hand, Virat Kohli-XI is a stronger outfit as far as overall experience is concerned," he added.Shedding light on their preparation for the tournament, the wicketkeeper-batsman said that their prime focus is on maintaining the physical fitness and to make that sure they would be participating in a training camp."Currently, our primary focus is on the players' physical fitness and in this regard, a training camp [for the Asia Cup] is also
Barcelona claims Joan Gamper Trophy in friendly win over Boca Juniors
Barcelona won the Joan Gamper Trophy, defeating Argentina's Boca Juniors 3-0 at the Catalonian side's home stadium of Camp Nou.
Djokovic rallies to defeat Mannarino in Cincinnati third round
Serbia's Novak Djokovic has moved a step closer to winning the only ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event that has eluded him in his career, rallying to defeat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the second round of the Western & Southern Open here.
Aussie Test captaincy still up for grabs: Warne
Former leg-spinner Shane Warne has said that Australia's Test captaincy and vice-captaincy positions are still open to be grabbed, adding, that the team has always followed the policy of choosing the best side.The 48-year-old, who had earlier hailed current Australian skipper Tim Paine as a "quality person", stated that fitting a team around one person is not a good idea in the game of cricket."The Australian way is always to pick your best team. There is a lot of talk about that should Tim Paine be in the side? He is the captain at the moment. But we, as Australians, should always pick our best team and then pick your captain and vice-captain from that," Cricket.com.au quoted Warne, as saying."I don't think we should just make a captain and then fit a side around him. I think the captain and vice-captain should still be up for grabs," he added.Reflecting on the captaincy of Paine, the legendary bowler said that if he is the best person in the team to lead the side then he should ...
Messi eyes Champions League title
Newly-appointed Barcelona captain Lionel Messi is aiming to clinch the ongoing 2018-19 UEFA Champions League title for the club.The 31-year-old said that he would do "everything possible" to help the team retain the title."Regarding this year, I think we have set a platform to get excited, the signings that came will help us a lot to be better than we were. Although last year we won La Liga and the Copa del Rey, we all got stung in the Champions League," goal.com quoted Messi, as saying."We promise that we will do everything possible so that this beautiful cup returns to the Camp Nou again," he added.The star-striker further established that he is proud to be the Barcelona captain and hailed the contribution made by his predecessors to the team."First of all, I want to say that for me it is a great pride to be the captain," Messi said."I know what it means to be the captain of Barca, but I had great teachers like Puyol, Xavi and the great Andres, who we will miss this year," he ...