Page 1449 - Sports
Currently, Buttler is better than Dhoni in white-ball cricket: Paine
For long Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been rated as the best wicketkeeper-batsman in white ball cricket but Australia captain Tim Paine is of the opinion that England's Jos Buttler has surged ahead of the former Indian captain. Buttler is in the form of his life, having played a pivotal role in England's 5-0 rout of Australia in the just concluded ODI series. Asked to rate Buttler, Paine, who himself is a 'keeper-batsman said: He's good, he's very good. Right now, he'd have to be the best white-ball wicket-keeper batsman in the world. "I don't think there's too many guys to challenge him. MS Dhoni is pretty good, but at this moment, Jos is at the absolute peak of his powers. He understands his one-day game so well and knows his strengths inside out and just doesn't go away from him." Buttler scored 275 runs in the series with three not-outs including scores of 91*, 54* and 110*. In fact, he singlehandedly won the final ODI for England with his hundred after the home team was trouble at ..
Dubai likely to host Kabaddi World Cup in 2019
Dubai is all set to host the fourth edition of the Kabaddi World Cup in 2019. This will be the main agenda of discussion in the International Kabaddi Federation's annual general body meeting that will take place here on June 29, on the sidelines of the six-nation Kabaddi Masters Dubai. The IKF president Janardan Singh Gehlot told PTI here that their main objective to organise the one-off Kabaddi Masters here was to organise the World Cup in 2019. He however refused to confirm that Dubai has been confirmed as the venue. "All the three World Cups have taken place in India. We want the sport to spread so we have arranged this preparatory tournament. Dates and venue are yet to be announced. We are assessing the pros and cons here," Gehlot said. Pressed further, he said: "I am not here to speculate. I will only declare (the venue) when it's made official." The six-nation Kabaddi Masters is being held at the Al Wasl Sports Club which hosted legendary Diego Maradona during his 2011-12 stint .
Top athletes vie for Asian Games spots in National Interstate C'ships, Luka unlikely
The absence of a some exempted stars such as Neeraj Chopra and Seema Punia is a bit of a dampener but with Asian Games selection on the line, the 58th National Inter-state Senior Athletics Championships is expected to be a fiercely-contested event, starting tomorrow. The four-day meet, which will feature more than 700 athletes from 32 states and union territories, is a selection trial for the Jakarta and Palembang Asian Games to be held from August 18 to September 2. The Athletics Federation of India has made it clear that those who skip the championships without prior permission will not be considered for the Games. The exempted incude star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who won a gold in the Commonwealth Games, and reigning Asian Games champion discus thrower Seema Punia. Also missing from the meet, to be held at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium, would be national record holder high jumper Tejaswin Shankar, who opted out citing a stiff neck. India's top half miler Tintu Luka, a ..
Tite prepares Brazil to qualify for last 16 at World Cup
Brazil intensified preparations for the final match in Group E of the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Serbia, in which both teams are playing to guarantee a spot in the round of 16.
Saketh jumps 85 places in ATP rankings after Fergana show
Saketh Myneni made a massive 85-place jump to touch 362 in the latest ATP singles rankings following his exploits at the Fergana Challenger where he reached the semifinals. Myneni had lost half of the 2017 season due to a foot injury but has made a strong comeback this year. He had recently won a ITF Futures singles title in Uzbekistan. He was ranked as high 137 and was among country's top three singles players but injuries halted his progress. "It (Fergana) was a good tournament for me and I got a lot of quality matches in these conditions. I had to go through qualifying which had very good players. I will need to slowly crawl my way back to high intensity tennis and hopefully this is a start for it," Myneni told PTI. Meanwhile, Yuki Bhambri dropped a rung to 85 and was followed by Ramkumar Ramanathan (125, unchanged), Prajnesh Gunneswaran (165, -13) and Sumit Nagal (239, -2). In the doubles, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan broke back into top-100 after winning the Ilkley Challenger. He is now
Messi's family, friends celebrate his 31st birthday
Argentine national team star Lionel Messi has turned 31 and his family and friends flooded social media with their well-wishes.
Swadesh Mondal breaks two records in sub-junior aquatic c'ships
Bengal swimmer Swadesh Mondal made his intentions clear by breaking his own record in the heats in the 400 m Individual Medley Boys Group II event on the opening day of the 45th Glenmark Junior and 35th Sub Junior National Aquatic Championships here.Swadesh led from start to finish to win the 400m Individual Medley with a new record time of 04:40.94, beating his existing record by eight seconds.While Aryan Nehra of Gujarat bagged the silver with a time of 04:44.00, Shoan Ganguly of Goa had a wonderful race to win bronze with a time of 04:45.13. All the three swimmers bettered the current national record.Swadesh returned to the pool to break the third record of the day in the 50 m Breaststroke with a time of 00:31.33. Bikram Changmai Swadesh's colleague at the SAI Glenmark TIDM programme at Delhi won the silver with a time of 00:32.67 while Harsha R of Karnataka won bronze with a time of 00:33.23Srihari Nataraj of Karnataka, who represented India at the 2018 edition of the ...
Sarfraz warns Pakistan against taking Zimbabwe lightly
Issuing a warning to his side, Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed has said that their upcoming tour to Zimbabwe will not be easy by any stretch of the imagination.Pakistan will begin their tour to Zimbabwe with a T20 tri-series, also featuring Australia, from July 1 before they are slated to play five-match ODI series against the hosts from July 13 at the Queens Sports Club.Reflecting on the same, Sarfraz--who is all set to lead the top-ranked side in the shortest format of the game-- called on the Men in Green to avoid complacency against Zimbabwe."Zimbabwe tour is just around the corner but it won't be easy by any stretch of the imagination. No team is weak in T20 cricket and hopefully we will perform well in the triangular series," the 31-year-old said.Sarfraz, meanwhile, hinted that youngsters who have been selected in the squad would be given opportunity whenever arises throughout the series."Young players will be inducted in the side whenever an opportunity arises,"the Dawn quoted ..
ODI rankings: Aussies finish at sixth spot post series whitewash
Australia have finished in sixth place in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI Team Rankings after they recently slumped to a 0-5 series whitewash at the hands of England.Australia have slipped behind Pakistan after losing four points in the series and finishing on 100 points.Australia, who fell to sixth place for the first time in more than three decades when they conceded a 2-0 lead during the series, are now two points behind Pakistan and seven ahead of Bangladesh.Meanwhile, the emphatic series victory saw England consolidate their position at the top of table. They have made up for a surprise loss to Scotland in a one-off ODI before this series when they lost two points and slipped to 123 points.The Eoin Morgan-led side have finished the Australia series on 126 points, four more than second-placed India.England's next series is against India at home from July 12 to July 17 July, in which the Asian team have the chance to seize back the top position if they put up ...
Pekerman backs Falcao as El Tigre breaks World Cup duck
Colombia coach Jose Pekerman has tipped Radamel Falcao for more success after the joy of seeing his star striker bag his maiden World Cup goal in a 3-0 win over Poland on Sunday. "I think this is one of the greatest joys we experienced tonight," Pekerman said when asked how important Falcao's goal was for the team and the country. Falcao, 32, was cruelly deprived of competing in Brazil four years ago after suffering a serious knee injury while playing for Monaco against an amateur side in the French Cup. Falcao had to watch on as teammate James Rodriguez emerged as the tournament's top scorer with six goals and the best strike of the tournament as Colombia reached the quarter-finals. Falcao has dreamed of scoring at the World Cup since his childhood, and after missing Brazil the whole of Colombia has prayed for El Tigre (The Tiger) to make his mark on football's biggest stage. After Barcelona defender Yerry Mina broke the deadlock with a powerful header in the 40th minute, Falcao made
'Crazy' or in love, Russia dances to Latin World Cup beat
Latin American countries have sprung a World Cup surprise by filling Russia's 11 host cities with tens of thousands of fans from Mexico and Colombia to Peru and Argentina. And some of the Europeans who did show up said their friends back home told them they were crazy to go. The contrasting cast of supporters at the biggest event in sport reflects Russia's progressive creep away from Europe in the 18 years of President Vladimir Putin's rule. Moscow is now embracing new allies that happen to worship football and where damning -- and often exaggerated -- media stories about Russian hooligans and poisoning cases are rare. This mix and the added ingredient of a more evenly spread-out global middle-class with the means to travel the world has the streets of Russia dancing to a decidedly Latin beat. "We didn't expect it to be this beautiful and the people are amazing," Mauricio Miranda said as she waved a Colombian flag on the edge of Red Square in Moscow. "We will definitely come back," ...
Mane not satisfied despite scoring his 1st World Cup goal
For Sadio Mane, it was a wasted opportunity. The Senegal striker scored the first goal in his team's 2-2 draw with Japan on Sunday at the World Cup, so there was something to celebrate. But that doesn't mean he was satisfied with the result. "Frankly speaking, I think we are a bit disappointed. And that's normal because there was a way to win this match," Mane said. "We started this game well. ... We were dangerous, but in the end we scored and they equalized." The 26-year-old Liverpool winger, playing in his first World Cup, was named man of the match, largely because of his goal. A charging Mane found himself in the right place at the right time in the 11th minute, deflecting a missed shot by Youssouf Sabaly past Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima to put Senegal ahead 1-0. Although Japan equalized when Takashi Inui scored with a curling shot in the 34th minute, Mane was involved in the play that led to Moussa Wague's goal in the 71st. Japan, however, earned the draw when substitute ...
Salah's 30 days of hurt a sorry tale of two cities
The 2017-18 season has been the best of times, and the worst of times for Mohamed Salah. After a stunning debut season for Liverpool, Salah was elevated to Ballon D'Or contention, now all he has left to play for is a chance to avoid a World Cup wooden spoon. His long season officially ends on Monday in Volgograd in a largely meaningless match when the eliminated pair of Egypt and Saudi Arabia face off to administer the last rites to their sorry campaigns. It could be argued Salah's season ended 30 days earlier, 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) to the west in Kiev on May 26, when Salah was slammed to the turf by Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, causing a painful separation of his left shoulder. His spring of hope turned to a summer of despair as soon as he had to leave the pitch in the 29th minute of the Champions League final. Without him, Liverpool lost 3-1. Salah returned to action for the first time in three weeks against Russia on Tuesday but was a shadow of the player who dazzled for ...
What do Costa Rica, Panama early exits say about US soccer?
Costa Rica and Panama were overwhelmed at the World Cup, both going two and out. What does that say about the United States, which didn't even make it to soccer's showcase? "It's an extra twist of the knife," said former U.S. forward Taylor Twellman, now ESPN's lead soccer analyst. "It's another reminder that the failure to qualify is an absolute debacle." Beaten 3-0 by Belgium in its opener, Panama gave up five goals in the first half Sunday in a 6-1 loss to England. Costa Rica was defeated 1-0 by Serbia and 2-0 by Brazil. Mexico is in good position to advance to the round of 16 after victories over defending champion Germany and South Korea. While the North and Central American and Caribbean region had three nations in the knockout rounds four years ago, this will be CONCACAF's first World Cup since 2006 with fewer than two. "Mexico is a good, solid team. So is Costa Rica. Panama is an inferior team in the competition," former U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. "I feel strongly that we ..
On the brink, Argentina handed a final shot at World Cup salvation
Held by Iceland and humiliated by Croatia, Argentina's World Cup could already have been all but over, but Lionel Messi and the rest of Jorge Sampaoli's troubled squad have one final shot at redemption against Nigeria on Tuesday. Victory against the Africans, who Argentina have beaten in all four previous World Cup meetings, will secure qualification for the last 16 as long as Iceland don't shock already-qualified Croatia. Even if Iceland claim a first ever World Cup victory, Argentina could still progress on goal difference. However, bouncing back will take a huge improvement in performance and strength of character so far unseen from the two-time world champions in Russia. The Argentina federation were even moved on Saturday to confirm that Sampaoli would continue for the final group game among rumours of a rift between players and coach. "I get the feeling there's a general anger at the heart of the team," said Argentina's legendary 1986 World Cup-winning captain Diego ...
Sources: Salah considering retiring from national team
Mohamed Salah told Egypt team officials and teammates that he is considering retiring from international play because he is angry about being used as a political symbol while the World Cup squad was based in Chechnya, two people close to the player told The Associated Press. Salah said he was particularly annoyed with a team banquet hosted by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who used the dinner to grant Salah "honorary citizenship," according to the two people, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. Kadyrov has been accused of human rights violations. Egypt soccer federation spokesman Osama Ismail said that Salah has not complained to the federation. "Only what Salah writes on his Twitter account should be counted on.
France bank on slow-starter Griezmann to come good at World Cup
World Cup contenders France are waiting for star striker Antoine Griezmann to hit his stride as they aim to secure top spot in Group C against Denmark on Tuesday. Griezmann signed an extension with Atletico Madrid through to 2023 last week despite strong interest from Barcelona, but the 27-year-old has yet to find his best form in Russia. While he scored from the penalty spot in an opening 2-1 win over Australia, his sluggish start to the tournament mirrors his early travails at Euro 2016 where Griezmann finished as top scorer. "I think he will get stronger, I hope he does. That was the case at the Euros, he started slowly and finished very strong. I'm not worried about him," said Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud. Griezmann scored six goals as France finished runners-up to Portugal at the European Championship, clicking into gear as the competition progressed and netting five times in the knockout stages. "He has had a long, gruelling season. He's played a huge number of matches," ...
Archery: Deepika Kumari wins gold at World Cup stage event
Ace Indian archer Deepika Kumar shrugged off her poor run of form by clinching gold medal in the women's recurve event at the World Cup (Stage III) after a gap of six years beating Germany's Michelle Kroppen 7-3 to qualify for the circuit Final, later this year. Deepika, a four-time World Cup final silver medallist (2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015), automatically qualified for the Archery World Cup Final in Samsun, Turkey, which will be her seventh appearance at the season-ending event. Finally! That's what I said when I won this gold medal, said Deepika, who's last victory at a World Cup stage event came six years ago, in Antalya back in 2012. The Indian archer opened the match with 29 out of a possible 30 points to take a 2-0 lead, before splitting the points with Kroppen in the second. The German archer, making her individual debut in the finals arena, won the third set and tied the match at 3-3. Deepika then took the fourth and fifth sets with a 29 and a 27, over Michelle's pair of 26s,
Kangaroo halts Australian football match
A kangaroo has become the latest social media sensation after invading a football pitch just 2 km from Parliament House in here, Australian authorities said on Monday.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Ticket demand sees new high
With less than a year left for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, excitement has hit the shores of England and Wales, with an exciting response in the first round of ticket ballots.Till now, over one million tickets have been applied. As a result, now 42 of the 48 matches will be balloted, read a statement.The Old Trafford fixture between India and Pakistan proved to be the most popular, receiving enough applications to fill Wembley Stadium twice over, closely followed by the final at Lord's on July 14."The response has been fantastic, not only domestically in England and Wales, but from fans around the world, which gives us enormous satisfaction as we work towards making this a truly global celebration of cricket," said ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Managing Director Steve Elworthy."We expected a high demand for tickets, so we are pleased we could reward the players, coaches, umpires and supporters who make up the Cricket Family via priority access. We look forward to seeing the excitement