Page 1479 - Sports
We must score against Brazil, says Costa Rica striker
Costa Rica striker Marco Ureña on Tuesday said his national team needs to score in their upcoming FIFA World Cup match against Brazil in order to have a chance of qualifying for the next round.
ITF seniors circuit tournament from June 25-30
Presidency Club here will be hosting the PC Open, an ITF Seniors Circuit tournament from June 25 to June 30. There would be events in the 35+, 45+ and 55+ categories, both singles and doubles, the organisers said. Four players from the U.S.A and two from Singapore would be taking part in the tournament, organising committee chairman Dr Shivaram Selvakumar said. Over 150 participants have registered for the various categories, he said. The prize money for the tournament is Rs 1.75 lakh. The qualifying rounds will begin on June 23 and the main draw will commence from June 25. The event is being conducted under the auspices of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), All India Tennis Association (AITA) and Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA).
Boris Becker's diplomatic passport is 'fake': Central Africa
The Central African Republic (CAR) today said a diplomatic passport that tennis star Boris Becker claims entitles him to immunity in bankruptcy proceedings in Britain "is a fake". "The diplomatic passport that he has is a fake," foreign ministry chief of staff Cherubin Moroubama told AFP. The document's serial number corresponded to one of a batch of "new passports that were stolen in 2014," he said. In addition, the passport -- a copy of which has been seen by AFP, and bears the date of March 19, 2018 -- does not carry the signature or the stamp of the foreign minister, Charles Armel Doubane, Moroubama said. On Friday, lawyers for Germany's three-time Wimbledon champion lodged a claim in the High Court in Britain saying that he had been appointed a sports attache for the CAR to the European Union (EU) in April. This, they argued, granted him immunity under the 1961 Vienna Diplomatic Convention on Diplomatic Relations from bankruptcy proceedings over failure to pay a long-standing ...
No truth in Schweinsteiger deal, says ATK
Two-time Indian Super League champions ATK today denied speculations that they are in an advanced stage of reaching an agreement with 2014 World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany. ATK's denial came after reports in a vernacular daily claimed that the former Bayern Munich star midfielder may be seen in ATK colours in the upcoming season of ISL with new head coach Steve Coppell keen to rope in the German. "At this point of time, we at ATK have not contacted any player. We have no clue about the development," an ATK spokesperson said today. The report claimed Coppell had proposed Schweinsteiger as one of the possible recruits to the team management and the Kolkata franchise are in an advanced discussion with him. "We are not aware whether Coppell has reached out to him (Schweinsteiger). There's no truth to this," he said. ATK had a disappointing last season, finishing ninth in the 10-team table with 16 points from 18 games. In the Super Cup, ATK made it to the round-of-16 ...
Manika thrilled to return home as UTT's Delhi leg opens Wednesday (Preview)
As the CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) moves to Delhi for the second leg, 2018 Commonwealth Games double gold medallist Manika Batra on Tuesday expressed her excitement at the prospect of playing in front of her home crowd for the first time after her Gold Coast feats.
Yasir, Babar to undergo fitness test ahead of Zimbabwe tour
Senior leg-spinner Yasir Shah will undergo fitness test this weekend in Lahore ahead of the tour to Zimbabwe, starting June 28. Some apprehensions, though, still remain whether the tour will take place. The ongoing dispute on salary and match fee issue between the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) and players doesn't affect the Pakistan Cricket Board with their preparations and selection procedure. A fitness test will be commencing on June 23 in Lahore and the team would be leaving for Harare on the June 28, a Board official said. Head coach, Mickey Arthur and the team physiotherapist will be supervising the fitness test for Yasir (all-rounder), Emmad Wasim, pacer Rumman Raees and Babar Azam. The Test tour of Ireland and England were missed by Yasir owing to a hip injury while Babar suffered a fracture in his arm while batting in the first Test at Lord's last month. Thereby, the team selectors are very much concerned over the fitness of Yasir Shah and Babar Azam in particular as they are ..
JK Tyre national racing championship kick-starts July 6
The 21st edition of the JK Tyre FMSCI national racing championship will get underway here on July 6, with the countrys top drivers vying for the mantle of Indias fastest racer of the year, the organisers announced on Tuesday.
ISL: Midfielder Balmuchu joins Jamshedpur FC
Jamshedpur FC on Tuesday announced the signing of Indian midfielder Sanjay Balmuchu in a three-year deal.
Harendra eyeing Olympic dream in different role in Tokyo
He never got the opportunity to represent India at the Olympics as a player but Harendra Singh is hopeful of living that dream in a different way -- as the coach of the senior men's hockey team at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Considered the 'Man Friday' of Indian hockey, Harendra claims "nothing is impossible" for him. Barely a month into the high-profile job, he is clear about his goals -- securing podium finishes in the upcoming Champions Trophy and the season-ending World Cup, retaining the Asian Games gold in Jakarta -- a direct ticket to the 2020 Olympics. "Yes, I never got the opportunity to compete at the Olympics and that will always remain the biggest regret of my playing career. But there is always another day and now I have an opportunity to be at the big stage in a different capacity," Harendra told PTI in an interview before leaving for the Champions Trophy to be held in Breda, Netherlands from June 23 to July 1. Harendra was brought in as men's coach for a fourth stint after ..
Brazil's jailed former president criticises World Cup team
Brazil's jailed former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made his debut as a soccer pundit, writing a column from behind bars in which he criticized Brazil's performance in the team's 1-1 World Cup draw against Switzerland. "Qualifying is one thing. The World Cup is different," da Silva wrote in comments that were read by a reporter on the ex-president's Workers' Party TV yesterday. "Switzerland was strong in defense, playing rough, and didn't allow Brazil to perform...They also stopped Neymar by fouling him again and again," Da Silva continued. Da Silva, known by his admirers as "Lula", began serving a 12-year sentence for corruption in April. He remains the Workers' Party's candidate for president in October's elections and he leads presidential preference polls, but he will likely be barred from running. The former president can still appeal his conviction, which he calls politically fabricated. Da Silva also provided some analysis of other teams. "The first week of the World Cup
Stay connected with your favorite FIFA team's with these apps
With the commencement of much awaited FIFA world cup 2018, fans all over the world are excited to stay connected with their favorite sport.There are various companies and start-ups that are bringing innovative apps to enhance the experience of the FIFA enthusiasts. Companies are offering unique services like live streaming of the match, live match prediction, social feed, chat forums, etc in order to engage fans during the live matches.The following apps help fans to stay tuned with their favorite team during the series and in turn bringing fans and sports closer:Official FIFA AppThis is the official app of FIFA which provides fans with all the information and updates of the live match. The app is available on both Android and iOS to allow users to share the complete schedule of the match with the details of participating teams, live scores, and minute to minute description of the match, etc.RooterRooter is the world's first sports social gaming platform that connects sports fans and .
Spain PM hopes country will win World Cup
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday that he hoped Spain wins the FIFA World Cup in Russia.
JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship kickstarts on Jul 6
The countrys top drivers will vie for the mantle of India's fastest racer of the year at the the 21st edition of the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship, which will get underway here on July 6. The first round will be held during the July 6-8 weekend, while the grand finale will be held from November 16-18 at the Buddh Circuit in Greater Noida. The second round is scheduled for August 31 to September 2 and the third from October 12 to 14, both in the city, a release said today. The Euro JK 18 will continue to be the blue riband event of the championship, drawing the cream of the racing pool, including those already competing on the international stage. It will be supported by the LGB Formula 4, which gives budding racers the opportunity to hone their skills, with the Suzuki Gixxer Cup remaining an integral part of the championship, offering the countrys prominent bikers the platform to compete against the best, it said.
JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing begins July 6
The 21st edition of the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship will get underway in Coimbatore on July 5. JK Motorsport announced the dates here today besides unveiling a string of events, from circuit racing to off-roading to rallying competitions in different parts of the country. The first round will take place during the July 6-8 weekend while the grand finale will be held from November 16-18 at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. The second Round is scheduled for August 31 to September 2 and the third from October 12 to 14, both at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore. The Euro JK 18 will continue to be the blue riband event of the championship, drawing drivers who are already competing on the international stage. It will be supported by the LGB Formula 4 which gives budding racers the opportunity to hone their skills. The Suzuki Gixxer Cup will remain an integral part of the championship, offering the country's prominent bikers the platform to compete against .
Tick, Tock: Time running out for Messi to deliver
Time is running out for Lionel Messi to bring Argentina a World Cup, which would give him the one thing that's missing from a career that ranks among the greatest. He turns 31 on Sunday, which means this World Cup could be his last chance. It also means that Thursday's match against Croatia is momentous. He has delivered for his club Barcelona - four Champions League titles, and nine La Liga championships in Spain - but still no major title for Argentina. Messi missed a penalty - it was saved - in a disappointing 1-1 draw against Iceland in the opening group match. Argentina needs to beat Croatia to clear its path from the three-game group stage to the knock-out round of 16. "We have to look at what we need to correct from the Iceland match, but we can't dwell on it," Argentina defender Gabriel Mercado said. "We have to look forward and win the next match against Croatia." The Croatians opened with a 2-0 win over Nigeria, putting them in a better spot in Group D than Argentina when ...
Spain rally behind De Gea as questions swirl over goalkeeper's form
Spain players are rallying behind goalkeeper David De Gea as they prepare for their second group game at the World Cup against Iran in Kazan on Wednesday. De Gea endured an evening to forget in Spain's opening match against Portugal on Friday, committing a howling error to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to score his second goal on the way to a hat-trick in the 3-3 thriller in Sochi. Ronaldo scored from all three of Portugal's attempts on target against the Manchester United goalkeeper and suddenly new coach Fernando Hierro has found himself having to defend the 27-year-old. "We don't doubt him and he doesn't doubt himself either," said Hierro after La Roja kicked off their Group B campaign. "I embraced him. We know goalkeeper is a special position, with a special psychology, and we have no doubts. Honestly," added Hierro, hastily promoted to the role as coach last week after Julen Lopetegui's shock sacking on the eve of the tournament. On the whole, the Spanish performed well in their first .
Dhawan, Vijay move up in ICC Test rankings
India openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay moved up the ladder in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen after their twin tons in the first innings of India's one-off five-day game against Afghanistan in Bengaluru last week.
Dhawan reaches career-best 24, Vijay and Jadeja move up too
Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan moved up 10 places to achieve a career-best 24 while teammates Murali Vijay and Ravinder Jadeja also moved up in the latest ICC Test rankings. Dhawan's knock of 107 in the historic Bengaluru Test against Afghanistan saw him become the first Indian to complete a century before lunch on the opening day of a Test match, while Vijay's innings of 105 has lifted him six spots to the 23rd position. India spinner Jadeja inched up one slot to third position after claiming six wickets in the Bengaluru Test while fast bowlers Ishant Sharma (up two places to 25th) and Umesh Yadav (up two places to 26th) have also made northward movement. Afghanistan batsmen Hashmatuallah Shahidi (111th) and captain Asghar Stanikzai (136th) also made an entry into players' rankings. Among bowlers, Yamin Ahmadzai (94th) and spinners Mujeeb ur Rehman (114th) and Rashid Khan (119th) are among those in the rankings. Rashid is currently top-ranked in T20Is and second in ODIs. Meanwhile, ...
Ronaldo joins training session ahead of Morocco clash
Portugal's national football team on Tuesday took to the field in Moscow to prepare for its upcoming World Cup clash against Morocco, having drawn 3-3 in its opening tie against Spain.
'Indian table tennis players have improved a lot'
Maharashtra United's Elizabeta Samara, who made her debut in Ultimate Table Tennis this season, believes Indian paddlers have upped their game.The Romanian said, "I have seen Indian players play international games and now in UTT, They are really competitive to face and their understanding about the game has developed too."The world number 19, who beat a higher-ranked opponent in world number 11 Doo Hoi Kem (Hongkong) of RPSG Mavericks 3-0 in the last tie in Pune, feels the league is a great opportunity for all players to compete against some of the best in the business."The organisation of the league, rules and regulations and most importantly the format of the league is good. I believe all the players in the league are really enjoying it," said Samara.During the player draft, Maharashtra United picked Romania's number one Samara as their first foreign female player in round two.Samara, a three-time European champion, also has been playing mixed doubles in the league along with ...