Page 1298 - Sports
He's back: Neymar rejoins PSG on China tour
Dozens of screaming fans welcomed Brazil star Neymar on Thursday as he flew in to China to rejoin Paris Saint-Germain after his disappointing World Cup. The world's most expensive player, wearing a canary-yellow hoodie, posed for pictures with airport staff before his noisy welcome in the arrivals hall. Footage on Neymar's Twitter account showed him signing Barcelona, Brazil and PSG shirts before being guided through the crowd by minders and security staff. Neymar's arrival, ahead of Saturday's French Super Cup game against Monaco in Shenzhen, comes more than five months after his last appearance for PSG following a foot injury in late February. The flamboyant forward then endured a turbulent World Cup as Brazil were stunned by Belgium in the quarter-finals and he was widely lampooned for his play-acting. "I didn't want to see a ball, or to see any more football played," the 26-year-old told AFP last month in an interview, describing his World Cup disappointment. However, Thursday's ..
Juventus top MLS All-Stars on penalties
Serie A champions Juventus got the best of Major League Soccer's All-Stars in a penalty shootout Wednesday after an entertaining 1-1 draw in the North American league's mid-season exhibition. Before a crowd of 72,317 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium -- home of MLS's Atlanta United -- Juventus prevailed 5-3 in the shoot-out after New York Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips missed his penalty attempt. After Wright-Phillips' effort bounced off the post to leave Juventus up 4-3 -- Mattia De Sciglio fired into the upper left corner past Columbus goalkeeper Zack Steffen to settle it. Andrea Favilli had put Juventus ahead in the 21st minute, heading in a curling cross by Matheus Pereira. The MLS All-Stars, selected from around the league through fan voting, pulled level in the 26th minute through Atlanta United's Josef Martinez -- the Venezuela star and former Torino forward who leads MLS with 24 goals in 23 matches. Juventus keeper Wojciech Szczesny saved an initial effort, but after a ...
Ashwini-Satwik pair enters World Championship quarterfinals
The Indian mixed doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa pulled off a stunning victory over the Malaysian world no.7 combination of Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai to progress to the quarterfinals of the World Championship here today. Satwiksairaj and Ashwini, who put up an impressive show to help India win the historic mixed team gold at the Commonwealth Games, saw off Goh and Shevon 20-22 21-14 21-6 in a match that lasted 59 minutes here. "We ended up making lot of mistakes in the first game but we were more sure in the second about our strategy. We are very happy that we could stay focussed and win,"Ashwini told reporters after the match. The world no 40 Indian pair has a tough task at hand tomorrow when it faces Non.1 and top-seeded Chinese pair of Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong. It was an even battle in the opening game as the Malaysian pair managed an 11-8 lead at the break and though Ashwini and Satwik clawed back at 14-14 and even held a slender 18-16 ...
Valencia, Leicester draw in friendly
CF Valencia and Leicester City finished 1-1 in a pre-season friendly that exposed the Spanish club's urgent need for another effective attacker.
Ajax, Celtic enter 3rd round of Champions League qualifiers
Ajax Amsterdam and Celtic advanced to the third round of the qualifiers for the 2018-2019 Champions League with victories against Sturm Graz and Rosenborg respectively.
Bolillo Gomez begins 2nd stint as Ecuador coach
Hernan "Bolillo" Gomez was presented as the new coach of the Ecuador national football team, a position he currently holds for the second time.
Nacional down Botafogo in Copa Sudamericana tie
Paraguayan club Nacional won 2-1 against Brazilian team Botafogo in the first leg of the second round of the Copa Sudamericana football tournament here.
Kavita an inspiration for young women athletes: WWE Superstar Strowman
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar Braun Strowman has showered praise on Kavita Devi, the only Indian woman in WWE, and said she is an inspiration for young athletes.
Juventus beat MLS All-Stars
Juventus beat MLS All-Stars 5-3 via penalty shoot-out in the annual exhibition match here after the match ended in a 1-1 tie after regular time.
Rahi eyes podium finish in Asiad on comeback trail
On a comeback trail after a long hiatus due to an injury leading to poor form, two-time Commonwealth Games champion pistol shooter Rahi Sarnobat is targeting a podium finish at the Asian Games commencing later this month. "The Asian Games are to commence in just 15 days and later there are the World Championships (in Korea). Even if they (the Asian Games) are challenging for me, my preparation is very good," 27-year-old Rahi, who hails from Kolhapur, told PTI. "Yes definitely, there is no doubt about it," Rahi quipped on being asked if she was targeting a podium finish in the Games commencing on August 18 in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang, where shooting competitions are to be held. Rahi's stars were in ascendancy after she clinched back-to-back gold at the 2010 Delhi and 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games in the 25 metre pistol event. But fate willed otherwise as the markswoman, who trains in Pune, was forced to take a nearly year-long break from the ...
Tennis clocks get good reviews but cut into tune time
New serve and warm-up clocks that debuted in ATP and WTA main draws this week received generally good reviews from players, although hurried warm-ups cut into music time for some. The serve clock gives players 25 seconds to begin their service motion from the time the chair umpire announces the score. The warm-up clock allows one minute from on-court arrival to get to the net, five minutes for warming up and another minute to get ready to play. "It's a positive change for tennis," three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray said after his first-round match at the Washington Open. "It's one of those things in tennis that's so stupid. How are you supposed to count 25 seconds in your head?" While umpires have some discretion, the clock assures players and umpires are on the same wavelength when it comes to measuring the gap, with ball bouncing and gestures not counted as starting a serve motion. "It was great. I don't feel any pressure," said three-time Grand Slam champion Stan ...
Muguruza out of San Jose WTA with arm injury
Top seed Garbine Muguruza pulled out of the WTA tournament in San Jose with a right arm injury, hours before her opening match. "I've been feeling some pain in my right arm for a couple of days and realized I am not ready to play the match, so hopefully I can recover for the next tournaments," Muguruza said in a statement. The Spaniard, bounced from the second round in her title defense at Wimbledon, had been hoping to rebound on the hard courts of San Jose with the US Open looming in less than a month. Muguruza, ranked seventh in the world, was a semi-finalist in San Jose last year, falling to eventual champion Madison Keys. Lucky loser Anna Blinkova of Russia replaces Muguruza in the draw to play Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in a second-round match on Wednesday night. Former world number one Azarenka defeated Kateryna Bondarenko in three sets in the first round. Muguruza's withdrawal follows the shock first-round exit of 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, who fell 6-1, 6-0
Love for cricket helped me fight off-field problems: Shami
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami says his love for cricket helped him battle the off field problems that pegged him back a few months ago as he made an impressive comeback in the ongoing first Test against England here. On the opening day of the first Test here, Shami took 2-64 while R Ashwin returned with figures of 4 for 60 to help India restrict England to 285-9. It was a fine return for the 28-year-old Shami, who was accused of domestic violence and extra-marital affair by his wife some months back. He also sustained injuries after being involved in an accident and later missed the one-off Afghanistan Test for failing the yo-yo fitness test. "(The tour of) South Africa was a long time ago and there have been some off field issues after that. I had to fight a lot in between but my effort was that I have to keep doing what I love most and what is most important to me (cricket)," Shami said. "I wanted to just keep doing my job and then see what happens to the rest of the stuff in my life.
Giant-killer Konta into quarters at San Jose
Johanna Konta followed up her stunning victory over Serena Williams with another brisk triumph Wednesday, downing US teenager Sofia Kenin 6-1, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA hardcourt tournament in San Jose. Konta, who won her first WTA title at this event back in 2016, showed no sign of a let-down after handing 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams the most lopsided defeat of her career -- 6-1, 6-0 on Tuesday. "I kind of approached today as a separate challenge," Konta said. "I just played the challenge of the day and the opponent that I had, and really just tried to do the best that I can with that." The tournament lost another big name when top-seeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza pulled out of the tournament with a right arm injury, hours before she was to face former world number one Victoria Azarenka for a place in the quarters. The Spaniard, bounced from the second round in her title defense at Wimbledon, had been hoping to rebound on the hard courts of San Jose with the
Jennings cool with Virat Kohli's 'mic drop' celebration
England opener Keaton Jennings says he is "cool" with Indian skipper Virat Kohli's 'mic drop' celebration after his teammate Joe Root's dismissal in the opening Test here as everyone is entitled to do it their own way. Kohli's celebration of Root's dismissal with a 'mic drop' gesture, mocking the bat drop by the Englishman to celebrate a hundred during the ODI series, added a bit of spice to the proceedings yesterday. The Indian skipper ran out Root (80) with a direct hit when the home player was attempting to pull off a risky second single in the 63rd over. "It's fine. Everybody is entitled to celebrate how they want to. He celebrated, and that's cool," Jennings said at the end of day's play, playing down the incident. Reflecting on the English batting, which collapsed from 216 for 4 to 285 for 9 at the d draw of stumps, Jennings said the hosts missed an opportunity but can still make it up. R Ashwin was the star for India with figures of 4-60. "If we can come out and be pretty ...
Frenchman Paire fined $16,500 for epic ATP meltdown
France's Benoit Paire was fined USD 16,500 by the ATP Tour after an epic meltdown at the end of his first-round match at the ATP Washington Open. Paire lost to Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 on Tuesday at the hardcourt tuneup event for the US Open. Down 4-2 in the final set, the 55th-ranked Frenchman netted an overhead smash to surrender a break and a 5-2 edge. He smashed his racquet on the ground four times and kicked it in frustration. Baghdatis tried to calm Paire but he hurled two more racquets onto the court, where a ball person collected them. After a less-than peak effort on the final point of the match, he congratulated Baghdatis then walked off to a chorus of boos, blowing the crowd kisses as he departed. The fine, more than double the prize money Paire made for his appearance, was issued by the tour for an audible obscenity, unsportsmanlike conduct and a lack of giving best effort.
Murray outfights Edmund, Zverevs to meet at Washington
Three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray collected the biggest victory of his injury comeback at the ATP and WTA Washington Open while defending champion Alexander Zverev booked a matchup with his older brother. Murray, sidelined by a right hip injury for 11 months until returning in June, ousted fourth seed Kyle Edmund 7-6 (7/4), 1-6, 6-4 in an all-British matchup to reach the third round of the hardcourt tuneup for the US Open. "That has been my best win since I started playing again," Murray said. "It's a great win for me. It'll give me more confidence going forward." World number three Zverev defeated Tunisia's Malek Jaziri 6-2, 6-1, to send the 21-year-old German top seed into his first ATP match against 30-year-old Mischa Zverev, the 15th seed who beat American Tim Smyczek 6-2, 7-6 (9/7). "We played the final of Wimbledon a lot of times in our backyard," Alex Zverev said. "I was 12. He was 22. I don't think I ever won. But this is on hardcourt." On a day when reigning US Open ...
Mithali to lead India Blue in Women's T20 Challenger Trophy
Mithali Raj will lead the India Blue team in the Senior Women's T20 Challenger Trophy, beginning August 14 in Alur, Bengaluru.The India Blue team will also comprise of Vanitha V.R., D. Hemalatha, Neha Tanwar, Anuja Patil, Saima Thakor, Taniya Bhatia (WK), Radha Yadav, Preeti Bose, Poonam Yadav, Keerthy James, Mansi Joshi, Suman Gulia.Meanwhile, the India Red team will be led by Deepti Sharma, with Punam Raut, Disha Kasat, Mona Meshram, Harlene Deol, Tanushree Sarkar, Ekta Bisht, Tanuja Kanwer, Shikha Pandey, Shanti Kumari, ReemaLaxmi Ekka, Nuzhat Parveen (WK), Aditi Sharma making up the rest of the team.Veda Krishnamurthy has been named as the skipper of the India Green team, which will also include Jemimah Rodrigues, Priya Punia, Devika Vaidya, Monikha Das, Arundathi Reddy, Sushma Verma (WK), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Fatima Jaffer, Sushree Dibyadarshini, Sukanya Parida, Jhulan Goswami, Sajana S.The Women's Selection Committee met in Mumbai on Wednesday to pick the teams for the Senior ...
IOA calls for medical assessment of athletes and team officials
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Wednesday wrote to all National Sports Federations (NSF) to ensure the medical fitness of all athletes and team officials, who are to take part in the forthcoming Jakarta Asian Games."NSF's have the responsibility to ensure that athletes and team officials participating in the 18th Asian Games 2018 are in optimal physical and psychological conditions to carry out their games time duties at the best," said the IOA in a statement."We request all participating NSF's to conduct necessary medical assessment and submit the report on or before 10th of August," the statement added.Earlier, the IOA issued directions to all sports federation and athletes asking them to follow the 'no needle policy' ahead of the Asian Games.In a letter to all the participating federations, IOA made it very clear that they should ensure that prescribed medicine carried by the teams does not contain any World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited substance.The directions ...
Higuain's move to Milan confirmed, Juventus swaps Caldara for Bonucci
Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain will complete a move to A. C. Milan in an 18 million Euro one-year loan deal, with the two Serie A rivals also swapping centre backs Leonardo Bonnucci and Mattia Caldara.The deal for Higuain gives Milan the option to make the move for the Argentine permanent the following season for an additional 36 million Euros, reported Goal.The move is sensible, both in terms of finance and football, with the arrival of former Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo threatening Higuain's first team starting place, and the almost 340 million Euros (transfer fee + wages) Juventus will end up spending on the Portuguese brings in the need to balance the books.However, the Bianconeri's move to bring in a 31-year old Bonucci in exchange for a 24-year-old Caldara, who was bought from Atalanta in January 2017 to inject youth into an aging backline, remains bemusing to many.Bonucci spent a single season at Milan as he was bought from Juve for a reported fee in the range of .