Page 1338 - Sports

Prannoy's mantra for WC, Asiad: Take calculative risks, don't hold back

Having endured a topsy-turvy season, shuttler HS Prannoy says he wants to stay away from the negativity that surrounds heart-breaking losses and focus on taking more calculative risks to improve his fortunes at the upcoming World Championship and Asian Games. The 26-year-old played quite a few three-game thrillers this season. In fact, his semifinal and bronze medal play-off at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games went the full distance but he had to endure the pain of narrow defeats in both the matches. "I have stopped thinking about losing those crucial matches because it brings a lot of negativity. I am just focusing on a whole perspective where I need to implement those strokes, take calculative risks and not hold back," Prannoy told PTI. "I guess people notice when you lose, they won't notice when you take risks and win some matches. ABC (Asian Badminton Championship) was one tournament where it worked for me and I got a medal. But I guess you need to keep trying." To claim his ...

Keep Ashwin, Kuldeep in Test XI, go with 3-2 bowling combination: Azhar

Part of many an English summers in his playing days, former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin feels the Indian team should go in with two spinners -- Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav -- in the Test series against England as wickets would be dry during this time of the year. Azhar, who was part of the Indian side that beat England in their own backyard in 1986, said it was India's best chance to trump England in the five-match Test series starting next week in Birmingham as the Virat Kohli-led side is strong in all departments of the game. "England will find it very difficult to dislodge India because they don't have a good bowling attack. We have a very strong side. There are only two (good) bowlers they have -- (James) Anderson and (Stuart) Broad, but they are injury prone and in the twilight of their careers," Azhar told PTI in an interview here. The former Indian skipper said India should play Yadav as the England side did struggle against him in the limited-overs games. Azhar

Indian sprinter Muhammad Anas sets new national record

Indian sprinter Muhammad Anas broke his own 400m national record at the Cena Noveho Mesta nad Metuji event here on Saturday.The 23-the-old achieved the feat while winning gold with a time of 45.24 seconds in the tournament.The earlier national record of 45.31 seconds was made by the sprinter during the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Queensland.Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille J. Sumariwalla tweeted a congratulatory message on the occasion and gave credit to the support staff as well.Meanwhile, in women's event, Machettira Raju Poovamma won gold for India in the 400m race with a timing of 53.01 seconds.

Rishabh has temperament and skills to bat differently: Dravid

Rishabh Pant has earned plaudits for his flamboyant batting in shorter formats but India A coach Rahul Dravid believes that the talented youngster has the "temperament and skills to bat differently" in longer formats. Pant has earned his maiden call up to the Indian Test side riding on impressive knocks for India A during the recently concluded tour of UK, where he hit crucial half centuries in four day games against West Indies A and England Lions. "Rishabh has shown that he could bat differently. He has the temperament and skills to bat differently," Dravid told bcci.tv. The former India captain was also Pant's coach during his India U-19 days and knows his ward's game inside out. Pant can score runs at a brisk pace in longer format but what has impressed Dravid is his ability to read match situations. "He is always going to be an attacking player but reading of the situation when one is playing red ball cricket is required. We are glad that he has been picked in the national team ..

India has strong bench strength in pace bowling: Zaheer

Former pacer Zaheer Khan believes that India has sufficient bench strength to make up for the absence of injured pace bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, at least for part of the upcoming five-Test series against hosts England. The Indian selectors have named Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur in the squad for the first three Tests. Even all-rounder Hardik Pandya is there in the squad. The BCCI has informed that pacer Bumrah, who was unfit for the ODI series, will be available for selection from the second Test onwards. The first Test of the five-match series starts in Edgbaston, Birmingham on August 1. "Bumrah is injured for the first few matches and there has been an injury concern to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, which is a concern seeing the forthcoming season, but I believe even after their injuries, the five-match tournament is a long series," Zaheer said here today. "I believe whichever bowlers will play - like Umesh (Yadav) is ...

Germany's Stich, Czech Sukova join Tennis Hall of Fame

Former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich said it was the "special moments" more than match results that he remembered as he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Stich and 14-time Grand Slam doubles champion Helena Sukova of Czech Republic were inducted in ceremonies in Newport, Rhode Island, during the ATP grass court tournament. Stich won his only Grand Slam singles crown at Wimbledon in 1991, downing countryman Boris Becker in straight sets in the final. He was a runner-up at the 1994 US Open, falling to Andre Agassi, and in the 1996 French Open, losing to Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov. Former world number two Stich partnered with Becker to win the 1992 Barcelona Olympic men's doubles crown and joined American John McEnroe to claim the 1992 Wimbledon men's doubles title. Now tournament director of the ATP German Open in Hamburg, Stich won 18 career singles titles in 31 finals before retiring in 1997. "But it's just those special moments, occasions that I remember ...

Neymar: "I couldn't look at a football" after the World Cup

Brazil superstar Neymar admits that after his nation's quarter-final defeat to Belgium at the World Cup he couldn't look at a ball and didn't want to see any of the remaining matches. "I wouldn't go as far as to say I didn't want to play again but, I didn't want to see a ball, or to see any more football played," 26-year-old Neymar told AFP in an exclusive interview on Saturday. The Paris Saint Germain forward was talking at his Neymar Praia Grande institute where the Red Bull Neymar Jr 5's (five-a-side-soccer) tournament was being played. Dressed in a sleeveless t-shirt, with his six-year-old son Davi Lucca sat upon his knee, the striker was however in a relaxed mood as he explained his post-World Cup blues. "I was in mourning, I was really sad about it, but sadness passes, I have my son, my family, my friends and they don't want to see me moping around. I've got more reason to be happy than sad," said Neymar, reflecting on his team's 2-1 quarter-final defeat to Belgium. Asked about .

Thailand hits out at foreign media for interviewing cave boys

Thai authorities have lambasted at foreign media for conducting an interview with the boys of the Wild Boars soccer team who were miraculously rescued from Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand, after being trapped for two weeks.In a Facebook post, Thailand's Deputy Permanent Secretary for Justice Tawatchai Thaikyo wrote, "I was saddened that the foreign media, whom we assumed understood children' rights very well as well as the procedures for protecting children and minors, but their standards have turned out to be unexpectedly substandard," CNN reported.He asserted that media organisations should follow such guidelines when interviewing juveniles and minors.The guidelines are the same which is followed in legal proceedings in Thailand.A psychologist has to be present during questioning "to stop opening the wound laid deep inside the hearts of children and minors. They are at the age of fragility and they must be protected," as per the report.Meanwhile, governor of Chiang Rai province

Indian midfielder Namita Toppo completes 150 international caps

The Indian women hockey team's opening match of the London World Cup 2018 against hosts England saw Indian midfielder Namita Toppo acheive the milestone of 150 international caps for the country.The 23-year-old from Odisha made her international debut for the senior team in the FIH Champions Challenge I in Dublin in the year 2012 aged just 17.Namita expressed her delight at completing 150 international caps for the national team.She said, "I feel extremely proud to have represented the nation for 150 International matches. For me, it is just a start as I am quite young and I look forward to playing many more games for the country. It is a promising phase for Women's hockey in India and it is important for us to perform well and keep winning trophies to make the fans proud of our team."Namita is a product of the Sports Hostel, Panposh, Rourkela which is located in her native state of Odisha. The young midfielder first represented her state team in 2007 and her performances in the ...

Sprinter Anas sets new national record

India's star sprinter Muhammed Anas reset the national record on his way to the gold medal in the men's 400 metre category at the Cena Noveho Mesta nad Metuji meet here on Saturday.

Anas betters own 400m national record

Muhammad Anas today bettered his own 400m national record while winning gold with a time of 45.24 seconds in an event at Czech Republic. His earlier national mark is 45.31 which he clocked while finishing fourth at the Gold Coast CWG. Anas, who is training near Prague along with other quartermilers as part of preparation for the upcoming Asian Games, set the new mark at an event at Velka Cena Nove Mesto nad Metuji. In the women's event, MR Poovamma won gold with a timing of 53.01 seconds. However there were only five women, who competed in the event.

Fognini, Gasquet enter Swedish Open final

Italian third seed Fabio Fognini and fourth-seeded Richard Gasquet of France advanced to the final of the Swedish Open here on Saturday.

Hamilton gives up on German victory after qualifying catastrophe

Lewis Hamilton said he does not believe he can repeat his Silverstone heroics by driving through the field to gain a podium finish in Sunday's German Grand Prix. The four-time world champion is expected to start the race from 14th on the grid after suffering a hydraulics failure in the first period of qualifying when he pulled up in his Mercedes and abandoned the session. "At a track like this not really, no," he said, when asked if he could find a way to challenge at the front of the race. "This is one of the worst ones for overtaking. I will do what I can from there. "These things happen, all you can do is try to gather your thoughts and live to fight another day. "Put your energy, any negative energy, whatever energy you have and put it towards trying to do your best next day, for another opportunity to rise -- so I'll give it everything tomorrow and see how I can get up but it's not going to be like Silverstone." The 33-year-old defending champion added that he believed his car ...

Qatar to spend at least $200 bn on 2022 World Cup

Doha plans to spend at least $200 billion on the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Russian Ambassador to Qatar Nurmakhmad Kholov said on Saturday.

Shubhankar scores 71 in 3rd round of British Open

Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma carded a second successive even-par 71 in the third round even as he failed to break into the top-50 spot of the 147th British Open here on Saturday.

Vettel earns pole for F1 German GP

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel of Germany earned pole position on Saturday for the Formula One German Grand Prix.

Hockey women's WC: India hold England 1-1 in Pool B opener

India started off their campaign in the hockey women's World Cup with a 1-1 draw against World No.2 England in a Pool B match at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre here on Saturday.

Batsmen need to deliver if India are to win Test series in England: Ganguly

The batsmen need to deliver and amass 400-450 runs in the first innings for India to win the five-match Test series in England, former India captain Sourav Ganguly said here on Saturday.

Indian batsmen will hold key to win Test series in England: Ganguly

Former captain Sourav Ganguly feels that batsmen will hold key to India's chances in the upcoming five-Test series against England. India won the T20 series quite convincingly only to be outplayed by the hosts in the ODI series. "You have to score 400 runs in an innings in Test cricket in order to be competitive. If they get 400 runs in the first innings, they will win," Ganguly told reporters at Eden Gardens today. The fifth-ranked Test side England have failed to win any of their last three series with just one match won as top-ranked India would fancy their chances "India will have a chance. They are a good side, if they bat well, they will do well in England. They can win the test series. India have got a big chance of winning." World Cup winning skipper MS Dhoni drew a lot of flak for his slow-paced innings in India's second and third ODIs against England as his retirement rumors did the rounds. Ganguly hoped that Dhoni will soon be back among runs when India play the Asia Cup in

Egypt players dominate in world junior squash

Egypt players dominated proceedings in the ongoing WSF-World Junior Squash Championship here, filling all but one of the semifinals berths on offer. While the men's semifinals will be an all-Egyptian affair, Lucy Turmel of England is the only non-Egyptian in the semis of the women's section. As the action moved to the Express Avenue mall in the city, the top-seeds in both events advanced without much trouble. The men's top seed Marwan Tarek, the defending champion, marched ahead with a clinical 11-8, 11-1, 11-5 win over compatriot Mostafa Montaser (5/8 seed) in 31 minutes. The top-seed and favourite in the women's draw, Rowan El Araby overcame the early challenge from fellow Egyptian Hana Moataz (5/8 seed) to win 12-10, 11-6, 11-3. Meanwhile, the impressive run of Singapore's Indian-origin player Sneha Sivakumar ended with a straight games loss to Lucy Termel. Sneha Sivakumar, who had pulled off two wins over seeded opponents in previous rounds, went down 5-11, 8-11, 8-11. The men's .