Page 1251 - Sports
Coach Spalletti extends contract with Inter until 2021
Inter Milan chief coach Luciano Spalletti has extended his contract for two more years to be in charge of the Italian football giants until June 2021.
Messi to miss Argentina friendlies: Reports
Star forward Lionel Messi will miss Argentina's friendlies against Guatemala and Colombia next month as he takes a break from international football, according to Argentine press reports.
Benfica, Dynamo Kiev, Ajax reach final round of Champions League qualifiers
Benfica, Dynamo Kiev and Ajax Amsterdam advanced to the final round of qualifiers for the 2018-2019 UEFA Champions League, while Fenerbahce and Celtic were among the football clubs eliminated.
I am yesterday's man looking for next champion: Bindra
Labelling himself as 'yesterday's man', Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra today said that the country should focus on finding the next champion instead of talking about his feat. Bindra had scripted history by winning the 10 metre Air Rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as he became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal in Olympics. "In sports, yesterday never counts, I am yesterday's man looking ahead for the next Olympic champion," Bindra said at the launch of JSW's Inspire Institute of Sports here. "We should look ahead at finding the next gold medal, the facility created right here is the playground for the next emerging champion," he added. Talking about the importance of facing failure before achieving success, the 35-year-old Bindra said one should concentrate on the boring and mundane part of being an athlete. "I had one good day. People should also talk about the miserable days I had. In an athlete's life, there will be failures. It is ...
Unfair to say India are dependent on Kohli: Sangakkara
Former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara feels it is unfair to label India as over-dependent on Virat Kohli and attributes the team's debacle in the first two Tests against England to lack of preparation. England won the first two of the five Tests in Birmingham and Lord's, with a worrying point about India's batting being that Kohli was the only batsman to score any runs. "It is almost unfair to the other batsmen because we have seen Virat batting like he has for the last few years. It is incredible to watch and he is an incredible performer, but others are also fantastic players," Sangakkar told PTI in an interview. "Pujara and Rahane are absolutely great batsmen Pujara averages 50 in Test cricket, Rahane averages 50 overses. Then, there are others. KL Rahul looks brilliant (when in form), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Dinesh Karthik these are no insignificant names." India played a lone warm-up match before the Test series, and that too was overshadowed by a controversy after ..
Nacional beats Sol de America 1-0, qualifies for round 16
Uruguayan football club Nacional has secured its place in the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana after defeating Paraguayan club Sol de America 1-0.
Cincinnati Masters: Federer beats Gojowczyk, qualifies for round of 16
Switzerland's Roger Federer defeated Peter Gojowczyk from Germany and qualified for the round of 16 of the Cincinnati Masters.
JSW Group launches Inspire Institute of Sport Vijayanagar
The Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), claiming to be India's first privately-funded High Performance Training Institute, was today inaugurated in the presence of Olympic gold medallists Balbir Singh Sr. and Abhinav Bindra here. Spread over 42 acres, the Institute aims to provide a world class training centre which can provide Indian athletes access to the most advanced infrastructure, coaching and sports science within the country. It is an initiative led by the JSW Group. The Training Centre will house 300 athletes across five Olympic disciplines of Boxing, Judo, Wrestling, Athletics and Swimming. Scouted athletes from across India will be offered full scholarships to train in a completely residential facility in Vijayanagar with access to world class infrastructure, coaching, sports science support and formal education. IIS has been recognized by the Sports Authority of India as a Khelo India-accredited development center for wrestling and boxing. The initiative, is also supported
Asiad history-chasing Vikas feels no pressure
A medal is not the only thing on accomplished Indian boxer Vikas Krishan's mind heading into the Asian Games, where a podium finish would ensure his name in the history books for an unparalleled feat. A gold-medallist in 2010, a bronze-winner in 2014, Vikas is aiming to become India's first boxer with three back-to-back Asian Games medals. The mega-event starts August 18 in the twin Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang. Should he achieve the feat in Jakarta, the 26-year-old will surpass, at least in medal count, a certain legend who went by the name of Hawa Singh and Vijender Singh, who now plies his trade in the professional circuit after being a trailblazer in the amateur arena. Hawa Singh had notched up successive heavyweight gold medals at the 1966 and 1970 Asian Games, a feat unmatched in the history of Indian boxing. Middleweight star Vijender, on the other hand, had claimed a bronze in the 2006 Doha edition before bettering the colour to gold in 2010 Guangzhou. Vikas' ...
Assam club holds rally with 3.5 km long national flag
A local club today took out a rally with a 3.5 km long national flag to celebrate the 72nd Independence Day, official sources said. The club members along with hundreds of people held the giant flag above their heads while they were moving on the main thoroughfare, they said. The purpose of the making the large flag is to arouse national pride among the youth as well as to honour the Assam Athlete Hima Das, who is the first Indian to win a gold medal in a track event at the World Junior Athletics Championship in Finland this year, said a club member A P Oli. The cotton flag was made by 45 members of the club, stitched by eight tailors without charging any money for their labour and supported by the Baksa district administration besides local politicians, said another member Nayan Newar. Meanwhile, the District Administration of Kamrup Metropolitan District, Guwahati, has appealed to the people not to use plastic flag which violates the 'Flag Code of India, 2002'. The use
It's too early to talk about 5-0 win over India: Bairstow
The Indian team might be at a low ebb after losing the first two Tests but England wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow says it is too early to talk about a 5-0 whitewash. The tourists suffered a humiliating innings defeat at Lord's on Sunday, and England appear unstoppable at the moment but Bairstow is taking nothing for granted and said India still has the ability to turn things around. "Yes, we have exploited the conditions and we know how to play in home conditions, but I do not think you can say that India are vulnerable. They are the number one side in the world for a reason and there is a lot of cricket still to be played in the series," Bairstow was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Telegraph'. "It is too early to be talking about 5-0. The weather could get hot again, the pitches at Southampton and the Oval could be dry. We definitely will not be taking our foot off the pedal," said Bairstow who scored 70 and 28 in the first Test and 93 in the second. The third of the five-match ..
Pressure of international cricket was unbearable at times: de Villiers
Former South Africa captain A B de Villiers says he is relieved to have quit international cricket as the pressure was unbearable at times. The 34-year-old De Villiers, who stunned one and all by retiring in May, says he does not miss the game and is happy to lead a retired life. "It's been unbearable at times: the pressure you have to face, performing day in and day out. The expectations that you put on yourself, from fans, from the country, from coaches. It is huge, and it's something that's on your mind all the time as a cricketer," de Villiers said. De Villiers will continue to play for his IPL team, the Royal Challengers Bangalore. "I know nothing will compare to that feeling of scoring hundreds in a big game. Thousands of people chanting your name. But in all fairness, it's definitely something that I'm not going to miss. Not yet. I'm very happy to have stepped away. Absolutely no regrets," he told 'The Independent' newspaper. Asked if there is a certain relief now that he has ..
Federer opens with win over Gojowczyk, Kvitova ousts
Roger Federer began his US Open preparation with a comprehensive 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Peter Gojowczyk in a first ATP Cincinnati Masters appearance since 2015. The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who turned 37 last week, is pacing his tennis year, playing a limited schedule and missing events when he feels the need to rest. He has missed the last two editions of this tournament because of injury. Eighth seeded Petra Kvitova used her precision serve to overpower Serena Williams 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in their second round match on Tuesday night. Federer's defeat of the 47th-ranked German in 72 minutes marked the first step towards a possible eighth title at the tournament. "I felt good in that first match, to be honest, walking out, hardly any nerves. I think I knew what I had to do," Federer said. "It's fast-court tennis. I knew my opponent was going to go for it and take big cuts at the ball, so there is only so much you can really do. "It's nice to have played a match so that my last match was ...
Tennis world to vote on Davis Cup shake-up
The most radical overhaul in the 118-year history of the Davis Cup could be given the green light tomorrow as the tennis world gathers in Florida to vote on sweeping reforms which have divided the sport. Around 120 delegates at the International Tennis Federation's annual meeting in Orlando will decide whether proposals by federation chief David Haggerty are to be given the go-ahead. Haggerty's plan will see the Davis Cup's sprawling existing format, stretched across the calendar year and played in all corners of the globe, condensed into a season-ending 18-nation event played at a single, neutral venue. Haggerty told AFP in a conference call on Tuesday that the overhaul would boost the ITF's ability to spread development funding across the globe, pumping around $25 million back into the sport. "The ITF is the only organisation that puts money into the development of the game," Haggerty said. "And that's what this project enables us to do. The money that we make will be put back to ...
Mandzukic calls time on Croatia career
Croatian World Cup hero and star striker Mario Mandzukic has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 32, the country's national soccer federation said. "I think the time has come for me now. I gave my best for Croatia and I have contributed to the greatest success in Croatian football," Mandzukic said in a letter circulated by the federation. The Juventus player said that losing 4-2 to France in the World Cup final to take the runner-up spot had given him "new energy but also made this incredible decision easier". Mandzukic scored 33 goals for Croatia in 89 games and ranked second only to the country's Davor Suker.
Gary Stead named New Zealand cricket coach
New Zealand Cricket appointed former Test batsman Gary Stead as the new Black Caps coach today, with pundits describing him as a steady pair of hands to replace predecessor Mike Hesson. Stead, 46, was a journeyman opening bat, playing just five Tests in 1999 before being dropped. But he has excelled as a coach, guiding Canterbury to domestic titles in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Stead said he wanted to continue the improvement New Zealand had shown under Hesson. "This is a well-established and high-performing Black Caps side with an excellent captain in Kane Williamson and a real desire to win series and titles," he said. "It's an honour and a privilege to be part of that. I can't wait to get started." Former batsman Peter Fulton said Stead would build on Hesson's legacy. "He'll be very well organised, a lot of detail and a really good thinker about the game," he told Radio Sport. "New Zealand Cricket have made it pretty obvious they were keen for someone who's going to come in and not rock .
Messi to skip Argentina friendlies - reports
Captain Lionel Messi will miss Argentina's next four friendly matches, according to local press reports. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner previously retired from the national side after their 2016 Copa America final defeat by Chile before returning to help them qualify for this year's World Cup. The two-time world champions will face Guatemala in Los Angeles on September 7 and Colombia in New York four days later, before two friendlies later in the year against as-yet unnamed opponents. "Messi will not return this year and there are doubts about his future," proclaimed Argentinian daily Clarin. News website Infobae said: "He will take a rest period, but that doesn't mean he's quitting." "It is the coach who will say, when the time comes, what the situation is concerning Messi," a team spokesman told AFP. Lionel Scaloni has been in temporary charge of Argentina since Jorge Sampaoli left after their disastrous World Cup tournament in Russia, where they were beaten 4-3 in the last 16 by .
French heavyweight Yoka sees doping ban upheld
French heavyweight boxer Tony Yoka's appeal against a one-year ban for doping violations was rejected, denting his hopes of winning a world title. The 26-year-old followed in the footsteps of British star Anthony Joshua by winning the Olympic super-heavyweight title two years ago in Rio de Janeiro. But he was handed a 12-month suspension last month by the French anti-doping agency for failing three times to provide necessary information on his whereabouts for out-of-competition drugs tests. Yoka appealed the case to the French Council of State, but the ban was upheld on Tuesday. "The casualness of the behaviour of Mr Yoka, who as an experienced sportsman is particularly informed of the importance of doping tests couldn't be unaware from the first warning of the consequences of his carelessness, doesn't allow us to seriously consider that the one-year suspension would be disproportionate," read the judge's order. Yoka says he is aiming to become the first Frenchman to win a world ...
Barcelona rule out Paul Pogba's move
Spanish giants Barcelona on Wednesday ruled out a potential move of Frenchman and Manchester United star midfielder Paul Pogba.According to goal.com, Barcelona director Ariedo Braida admitted that the La Liga champions are unlikely to make a move for Pogba."I don't think we're going to move for Pogba, but he's a great player," goal.com quoted Braida, as saying.The 25-year-old midfielder has been linked to a move to his former club Juventus as well as Barcelona following a turbulent 2017-18 season.Pogba recently guided France to their second World Cup crown in Russia when the Les Bleus defeated Croatia 4-2 in the summit clash.
Abhishek & Sachika to lead the field in Otters Club squash
Abhishek Pradhan and Sachika Ingle will be the top seed in the men's and women's category in the Otters Club Open Squash Tournament to be played here from August 17 to 22. The tournament will be played in both senior and junior categories. While the senior section will feature men's open, women's open, professionals, men's over 35 & 45, the junior tournament will be played in the U-11 to U-19 categories. A total of 502 players will be participating in the tournament, a media release issued here said. In the men's category, Abhishek Agarwal, the current India No 10, is second seed, while Urwashi Joshi who is ranked 4th in India is the women's second seed. In U-19 Category, Tushar Shahani, ranked No 1 in India will be the top seed while India No. 3 Rahul Baitha is the second seed. The tournament has a total prize money of Rs 8.4 lakh.