Page 1443 - Sports
Focusing on coming Asian Games; Satish Kumar Sivalingam
: Commonweath Games gold-winning weightlifter Sathish Kumar Sivalingam today said he was focusing on the forthcoming Asian Games in Jakarta after having recovered from injuries. "Usually the competition at the Asian Games is higher but with countries, including China and Kazakhstan, being banned for doping, I am confident of doing well," Sathish, who won a gold in the 77kg category in the CWG at Gold Coast, said here on the sidelines of an event where he was unveiled as brand ambassador for iSteel, manufacturer of construction steel. He said he was getting ready for the trials for the Asiad next week after undergoing rehabilitation in Bengaluru following injuries. "I am getting ready for the Asian Games selection trials in Patiala next week. I have recovered after the injury and underwent rehabilitation in Bengaluru. After the Asiad there are events, including the world champioship and Olympic qualifications," he added. The 26-year old weightlifter from Vellore had ...
Hockey Champions Trophy: Injured Ramandeep Singh ruled out of competition
Indian Men's Hockey Team ace striker Ramandeep Singh has been ruled out of the ongoing Rabobank Men's Hockey Champions Trophy due to a knee injury.The MRI reports from Monday came as a big blow to the team ahead of their crucial tie against Defending Champions Australia on Wednesday."Ramandeep complained about a pinch in his right knee at half-time during our match against Pakistan. But when we rested him for Argentina match and took him an MRI on Monday, it was revealed that he has sustained a full thickness condral fracture-injury in the center of his right knee," explained Chief Coach Harendra Singh.The 25-year-old has set the momentum right for the Indian team in their opening match against Pakistan after he scored the team's first goal. He also assisted Lalit Upadhyay in the 60th minute of the match as India had marched to a 4-0 victory.Though the team will certainly miss the services of the experienced forward, chief coach insisted that this setback should not deter his players .
Team companionship a good sign for Pakistan: Shoaib Malik
Former Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik said that friendly atmosphere and cordial relation between senior and junior players are encouraging signs for the team."The good thing about this Pakistan team is that now players who are not even in the playing XI are expressing supportive attitude, which was not visible in the past," the Dawn quoted Malik as saying."In the days gone by, there was also a large gulf between junior and senior team members. When I started my international career, a good number of star players were there. But now there are no such stars to speak of and there is no gap," he added.The 36-year-old further stated that the younger generation of Pakistan cricketers has been unlucky in the sense that they did not get to play much in front of the home crowd and most of them have given memorable performances on foreign soils."The younger players have grown up but their bad luck is that they get fewer opportunities to perform before the home crowd. Many of them have given ...
England versus Belgium: To win or not to win?
To win or not to win? That is the question that England head coach Gareth Southgate and his Belgian counterpart Roberto Martinez are probably asking themselves right now as the draw for the next stages of the World Cup opens up ahead of them.
World Cup: Mexico eye top spot against desperate Sweden (Preview)
Mexico will aim to cement their place at the top of Group F while Sweden will battle for survival in what could be a tricky World Cup clash at the Ekaterinburg Arena here on Wednesday.
Indian track and field athletes will bag more medals than previous Asian Games: AFI chief
India will secure more medals in track and field events in the upcoming Asian Games than the last edition in 2014, Athletics Federation of India President Adille Sumariwalla said today. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 58th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championship, Sumariwalla also warned athletes who are training outside the national camps at undisclosed places to remain drug free or else they will be caught. "I am sure our athletes will do better and win more medals this time in Jakarta than the 2014 Asian Games," Sumariwalla said. At Incheon, Indian track and field athletes had won 13 medals including two gold out of the country's total haul of 57 medals. "I am thankful that Guwahati is hosting this event in a short notice after we decided to shift the venue from Kolkata," he said in the presence of Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. "Kolkata will be very humid at this point in time and conditions here in Guwahati is just perfect," he added. Sumariwalla asked
Room to improve for India in T20I ranking
India, who are currently standing at the number three spot in the ICC T20I rankings, will aim to climb up to the top of the standings when they head into the series against Ireland and England, beginning June 27 at the Malahide Cricket Club Ground in Malahide.According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), top-three teams that are Pakistan, Australia and India are in stiff competition with each other as all the teams will be seen in action in the upcoming matches.India have the potential of reaching 127 points by winning their five matches - two against Ireland and three against England. On the other hand, England could go up to 126 points if they beat Australia and then defeat India 3-0. India or England could reach the top spot if Zimbabwe are able to pull off a couple of upsets in the Tri-Series and depending on other results, Australia and Pakistan could be restricted to below those numbers.Pakistan, who lead the table with 131 points, will be the favourites in the upcoming
Furore over shooting's omission from 2022 CWG reaches British Parliament
The furore over shooting's exclusion from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham has reached the doors of the British Parliament, and a debate on the matter will be held in the House of Commons tomorrow. The development follows a sustained effort by National Rifle Association of India's (NRAI) president Raninder Singh and it is believed that India now has managed to get cross party support of a substantial number in the House of Commons, seeking re-inclusion of shooting in Birmingham. "They (House of Commons) are raising it tomorrow. All this is happening because of NRAI president Raninder Singh, who has been quietly trying to get the Olympic sport of shooting back in fold for the 2022 Games," a top federation official told PTI on condition of anonymity. In April, Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore wrote separate letters to both the Commonwealth Games Federation president Louise Martin and British MP Matt Hancock, the secretary of state for digital, culture, media and ...
Spain's Asensio defends goalkeeper David de Gea from growing criticism
Spain attacking midfielder Marco Asensio shielded his team's first-choice goalkeeper David de Gea from critics Tuesday, saying there was little more Manchester United's normally safe pair of hands could have done to save the goals he conceded against Morocco in its final group game at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Kabaddi Masters: India crush Pakistan 41-17 to reach semis
World champion India have stormed into the semi-finals of Kabaddi Masters as they beat arch-rivals Pakistan 41-71 in their last-eight clash here last evening.Led by their star raiders and strong defenders, India made easy work of Pakistan as they dominated the oppositions throughout the match.Indian skipper Ajay Thakur along with Rohit Kumar and Monu Goyat scored raid points with ease to lead India to a comfortable victory. In defence, it was Girish Ernak who did the most damage to Pakistan as he notched five tackle points.Rohit Kumar opened India's account in the third minute while Pakistan's Muhammad Nadeem scored with a raid in the fourth minute. Ajay Thakur got a raid point as India led 3-1 after five minutes.Kumar scored with a super raid as India extended their lead to 6-1. Pakistan were staring at an all out when Nadeem got a raid point in the seventh minute to trail 3-8.India inflicted an all out in the ninth minute to lead 12-3. Pakistan's defence just couldn't get it going ..
Ramandeep ruled out of Champions Trophy
Indian striker Ramandeep Singh has been ruled out of the ongoing FIH Champions Trophy due to a knee injury. The MRI reports on Monday came as a big blow to the team ahead of its crucial tie against defending champions Australia on Wednesday. "Ramandeep complained about a pinch in his right knee at half-time during our match against Pakistan. But when we rested him for Argentina match and took him for an MRI, it was revealed that he has sustained a full thickness condral fracture-injury in the center of his right knee," explained chief coach Harendra Singh. With one key player out, India will face Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands in must-win matches to earn a place in the final. Ramandeep has set the momentum right for India in their opening match against Pakistan after he scored the team's first goal. He had even assisted Lalit Upadhyay in the 60th minute of the match as India marched to a 4-0 victory. "We will certainly miss him, we missed him against Argentina too. He is an ...
Sandeep Tomar secures Asian Games spot, Aware gives trials a miss
Wrestler Sandeep Tomar staved off stiff competition from the talented Utkarsh Kale to qualify for the Asian Games and World Championship in the 57kg category, even as Rahul Aware opted out of the trials, citing a knee injury. In the most exciting bout of the day, Sandeep, the 2016 Asian Championship winner, trailed Utkarsh 2-4 after the first round and drifted further with Utkarsh creating another two-point move in the beginning of second round. However, Sandeep, like many times in the past, made a strong comeback and rolled his opponent twice to level the score at 6-6 towards the end. Since Sandeep had scored the last points, he was declared the winner. With Sandeep's selection, India's men's wrestling squad for the Asian Games is now complete as re-trials were required in the 57kg category after Sandeep, Utkarsh and Ravi had earlier ended on equal points and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Aware sought more time for preparation. "Although I was trailing, I knew I could beat him. I
World Cup: Lukaku skips training ahead of England clash
Throwing a hint that he night not feature in Thursday's final group game against England, Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku missed training with the rest of the World Cup squad on Tuesday.
La Liga club to play matches in Kochi against ISL and A-League teams
La Liga side Girona FC will play two matches in Kochi in July, a development that could provide an impetus to India's quest to become one of the pre-season football destinations for clubs from across the world. Fresh from their stunning win over Real Madrid in the Spanish league, Girona FC will become only the second side from a top European league to visit India. Toyota Yaris La Liga World, will be held in Kochi with Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters FC, A-League's Melbourne City FC and Girona FC locking horns in a three-way tournament. The three sides will play their matches at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium from July 24. One of ISL's biggest? clubs,? Kerala Blasters FC,? will look to kick start their pre-season playing these top foreign clubs at home. Australian club Melbourne City FC, managed by Warren Joyce, will come in after a third-placed finish in the hotly contested A-League, the best finish by the club in their history. Girona FC, who finished 10th in La Liga, will ...
India eye winning start to English summer against Ireland (Preview)
Refreshed and rejuvenated after a much deserved break, India will look to start the English summer on a high when they take the field in the first of the two-match T20I series against Ireland here on Wednesday.
Bawne wants to bat freely on India A tour to England
Classy Maharashtra batsman Ankit Bawne is keen to bat without being weighed down by undue pressure on the upcoming India A tour of England. Bawne is also confident that he has left no stone unturned in his preparations for the tour and has been practising on pitches favouring bowlers at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. "Yes, absolutely (I am geared up) and the preparations have been done. Our camp and fitness tests were going on in Bengaluru. We are practising on bowling-friendly pitches in Bengaluru," Bawne told PTI in an interaction. "Last week, my entire focus was on middling the ball and playing (against) swing bowling to the maximum (extent) with the help of the bowling machine," he said. India A will play a four-day match against England A from July 16-19 at Worcester, apart from a couple of three-day games against county sides. Bawne has also been seeking guidance from experienced former Test players like Kiran More and W V Raman for the upcoming ...
Sweden captain Granqvist may retire after World Cup
Sweden defender and captain Andreas Granqvist may retire from international football after his side's match against Mexico at the FIFA World Cup in Russia, the player said on Tuesday.
Perera cleared of serious injury post nasty blow
Sri Lanka left-hand batsman Kusal Perera has been cleared of any serious injury after he suffered a nasty collision during the ongoing final Test of the ongoing three-match series against West Indies at the Kensington Oval Barbados.The 27-year-old sustained the injury when he crashed into the advertising hoarding while attempting a catch at the long-on boundary during the second innings of the Caribbean side. He was immediately limped off the field and rushed to the hospital.The opening batsman was clearly in pain as the players and the team staff rushed to his aid."He was cleared of any serious injury. But we will have to see how he comes up tomorrow morning before making a decision. He is very sore," ESPNcricinfo quoted Sri Lankan team manager Asanka Gurusinha, as saying.In Perera's absence, Danushka Gunathilaka was called in to open the batting for Sri Lanka in their second innings.Sri Lanka, who are trailing the series 0-1, have reached 81 for the loss of five wickets at stumps ...
Ronaldo in need of Portugal supporting cast to perform
Cristiano Ronaldo's off-night against Iran nearly cost Portugal their World Cup dream and underlined the stark need for his team-mates to contribute more in support of the Real Madrid superstar. Ronaldo carried Portugal through their first two group games, hitting a memorable hat-trick in a 3-3 draw with Spain before netting the winner in a gritty 1-0 victory over Morocco. That left the European champions requiring just a point from their clash with Carlos Queiroz's Iran in Saransk, but an uncharacteristic display from Ronaldo had them sweating over a place in the last 16. The five-time world player of the year missed a penalty that would have given Portugal a 2-0 lead, Ronaldo was then perhaps fortunate to receive just yellow after an elbow on Iran defender Morteza Pouraliganji. A disputed Iran penalty set up a tense final few minutes for Portugal, who only advanced to the knockout rounds after Mehdi Taremi fired a last-gasp chance into the side netting. Qualification was at last ...
FIFA WC: Argentina look to get past Nigeria
Star striker Lionel Messi-led Argentina will look to shake off their disappointing run in an ongoing 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup when they collide with Nigeria in their third and final match of Group D here at the Saint Petersburg Stadium on Tuesday.Heading into the match, two-time champions Argentina will aim to get back on track following their dismal 1-1 draw against debutants Iceland and subsequent 0-3 defeat at the hands of Croatia.Argentina, who have faced flak over the past week for their poor run in the World Cup, will have to win the game against Nigeria if they want to stay alive in the tournament.Nigeria, on the other hand, are placed better after their stunning 2-0 victories over Iceland and Croatia in their previous two matches.Though the team stand chance of qualifying for the knock-out round with a draw in today's clash, the result would not be enough if Iceland beat Croatia in the group's other match that will take place simultaneously.The two nations have faced