Page 1482 - Sports
Uttarakhand to make Ranji Trophy debut this season: Vinod Rai
In a historic development for Uttarakhand cricket, Committee of Administrators member Vinod Rai confirmed that they will get to play in Ranji season after a gap of 18 years."I mean noble intent that they set aside all the differences among the different associations ensuring that Uttarakhand gets to play in Ranji and other games this year," Rai told ANI.Further explaining the procedure, Rai said that a committee would be formed to monitor the development in the case."By consensus, a committee will be formed with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) nominees in it which will start working from next week onwards. Six Members from different associations of Uttarakhand, one government nominee, two BCCI nominees," the CoA member informed.The committee would be convened by BCCI nominee Professor Ratnakar Shetty.Former CAG termed this development as positive and said that the state would start playing Ranji from "this season."Players of Uttarakhand are forced to play for other states
Lukaku scores twice as Belgium prove too strong for Panama
Romelu Lukaku netted a brace as a much-improved second-half performance gave Belgium an ultimately comfortable 3-0 victory over tournament debutants Panama in their World Cup opener in Sochi today. A moment of inspiration from Dries Mertens set the Belgians on their way two minutes after the break, his volley breaking the deadlock after a rather flat first period. Lukaku then converted assists from Kevin De Bruyne and captain Eden Hazard to secure victory in this Group G clash, with the Central Americans succumbing to a defeat in their first-ever match at the finals. Group rivals England will look to respond to Belgium's win when they kick off their campaign against Tunisia but this was not entirely the statement of intent that Roberto Martinez's side would have been hoping to make. A victory will do for a team who are, on paper at least, good enough to go far in Russia, especially after heavyweights Germany, Brazil and Argentina all slipped up over the weekend. Belgium are now ...
2018 World Cup: Belgium ride Lukaku brace to blank Panama 3-0
Belgium rode a second-half brace from Romelu Lukaku to blank Panama 3-0 in their Group G opener of the FIFA World Cup 2018 at the Fisht Stadium here on Monday.
Belgium beat Panama 3-0 in World Cup
A sensational volley by Dries Mertens and a Romelu Lukaku double fired classy Belgium to a 3-0 win against World Cup debutants Panama here today. Panama held Belgium at bay until two minutes after the restart when Mertens broke the deadlock, with Lukaku's brace completing a smooth win for Roberto Martinez's team in their Group G opener.
Wawrinka ends wretched run with solid start at Queen's
Stan Wawrinka kicked off his Wimbledon preparations with a 6-2, 6-3 win over British youngster Cameron Norrie in the Queen's Club first round today. Wawrinka has struggled to return to peak form since suffering a left knee injury last yeat that required two operations and wiped out the second half of the Swiss star's season. Still hampered by the problem this term, Wawrinka was sidelined again for three months in between a second round exit at the Australian Open and a first round loss in the French Open. The 33-year-old arrived in west London having lost six of his last seven ATP Tour matches and, given grass has never been Wawrinka's favourite surface, he might have feared more misery at the pre-Wimbledon event. But the three-time Grand Slam champion had an obliging opponent in wild card entry Norrie. Wawrinka hardly had to break sweat to see off Norrie and next faces former Queen's winner Sam Querrey of the United States, who beat British wild card and ATP Tour debutant Jay Clarke .
Manika, Sathiyan sizzle again in UTT as Dabang rise to top
Manika Batra continued to hog the limelight in the Ultimate Table Tennis, scalping another higher ranked player at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex here today. Riding on the winning start provided by the 2018 Commonwealth Games double gold medallist, Dabang Smashers T.T.C put it across defending champions Falcons TTC 17-4. They won six of the seven matches in the tie to emerge as the leaders of the Pune leg with 31 points in their kitty. The outcome of tomorrow's tie between Warriors TTC and Empowerji Challengers will not have any bearing on Dabang's position as they have just 7 and 8 points respectively. India's top-ranked male player (World No. 44) and Dabang captain Gnanasekaran Sathiyan also came up with another sterling display by turning in two winning performances. He first teamed up with Japanese Sakura Mori to win their mixed doubles 3-0 against Sanil Shetty and Bernadette Szocs before extending his unbeaten run in singles since last season by upstaging Spain's Alvaro ...
Colombia leave James decision for World Cup opener until last minute
Colombia will decide as late as possible whether to start James Rodriguez in their opening World Cup clash against Japan on Tuesday as the 2014 top-scorer labours with a calf strain. The Bayern Munich forward, whose six goals left him topping the scoring charts in Brazil, trained with Colombia in Saransk today. After briefly combining with striker Falcao on the pitch at the Mordovia Arena, Rodriguez sat out part of the final session. Head coach Jose Pekerman will make a decision as close to kick-off as possible. "We are waiting to see what the doctor says over the last check," Pekerman said. "We have enough alternatives and players who can give options to the team." Rodriguez, 26, is key to Colombia's hopes at Russia 2018 having scored six goals, creating four more, in their qualifying campaign. However, a persistent calf strain, which he first injured in February on duty with Bayern, has affected his World Cup preparations and he was unable to train last Friday. If he is ruled out, ..
UTT: Dabang Smashers outclass Falcons 17-4
Riding on some good shows by Manika Batra and G Sathiyan, Dabang Smashers T.T.C outclassed defending champions Falcons TTC 17-4 in Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex here on Monday.
Croatia suspend striker Kalinic for refusing to come on as a substitute
Croatia on Monday suspended striker Nikola Kalinic from its FIFA World Cup squad after he refused to come on as a substitute during the 2-0 win over Nigeria in a Group D clash in Kaliningrad on Saturday, head coach Zlatko Dalic confirmed.
Japan team at World Cup troubled by earthquake, hotel alarm
Word of a deadly earthquake in Japan and an early-morning false alarm at a team hotel have given the country's World Cup squad some unsettling moments. Japan coach Akira Nishino, who built his professional reputation coaching Gamba Osaka, said he and a number of his players have acquaintances or loved ones affected by today's quake, making for an unwelcome distraction on the eve of the team's Group H opener against Colombia in Saransk. "The psychological impact is something I'm slightly worried about at this point," Nishino said before today's afternoon's training session. "As staff members, we are consulting with them and I'd like them to be settled down as soon as possible." Osaka is Japan's second-largest city. The 6.1 magnitude earthquake killed at least three people - including a 9-year-old girl - and injured hundreds. Midfielder and captain Hasebe Makoto said that on behalf of the team, he "would like to extend heartfelt condolences to those who've been affected and I hope ...
Croatia's injured Kalinic returns home from Russia
AC Milan striker Nikola Kalinic has returned home from Croatia's World Cup squad due to a back injury, coach Zlatko Dalic confirmed today. Kalinic was an unused substitute in Saturday's 2-0 win over Nigeria with Croatian media reporting he had refused to come on after being left out of the starting line-up. However, in a short statement before training at Croatia's base in Roshchino, north-west of Saint Petersburg, Dalic claimed injury was the reason Kalinic's return to Croatia. "During the Nigeria encounter, Kalinic was warming up and was supposed to come on in the second half. However, he then stated that he wasn't ready to come on due to a back issue," said Dalic. "The same thing happened during the Brazil friendly in England, as well as before the practice session on Sunday. I have calmly accepted that, and since I need my players fit and ready to play, I have made this decision." Kalinic has scored 15 goals in 42 international appearances, including three in qualifying to help ...
Russia charges two England fans with unruly behaviour
Russia today charged two drunk England fans with minor offences over their unruly behaviour on a train to the city of Volgograd where their national team are to play Tunisia. One fan was taken to hospital after cutting himself on a carriage door, while another who tried to leave the train was detained and charged with disobeying a policeman's orders. The incident comes as England is set to play its first World Cup match in Russia, after serious violence broke out between Russian and England fans in the French city of Marseille during the Euro 2016 championship. Regional transport police said in a statement that one of the fans "in a state of inebriation, broke the glass on the entrance door to a carriage and cut open his right hand". He was taken to a hospital in the town of Yelets -- almost 700 kilometres (430 miles) from the venue in Volgograd -- but did not require inpatient treatment. The other fan "in a state of inebriation, learning his acquaintance had been hospitalised, ...
Tahir rested from Proteas ODI squad against Sri Lanka
South Africa leg-spinner Imran Tahir has been rested ahead of five-match one-day international series against Sri Lanka starting next month.The decision taken is a deliberate one as South Africa are exploring its slow bowling options for next year's World Cup tournament. In the newly-announced squad, selectors have given chance to young left-arm spinners like Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj to assess their abilities that might be utilized for bigger tournaments."We have taken the strategic decision to rest Imran Tahir so that we can get a clearer picture as to who our best second spinner is to back him up at the World Cup," ESPNcricinfo quoted South Africa's convener of selectors, Linda Zondi, as saying."Imran will be our first- choice spinner at the World Cup but, if we play him against Sri Lanka, it is unlikely that we will be able to play both Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj. By taking this route, we will be able to play the two of them together," Zondi added.Shamsi holds a ...
IOA gets IOPC backing on dialogue with Sports Ministry
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA), seeking a dialogue with the Sports Ministry on the issue of good governance, has received the backing of IOC which has asked it to follow the principle of responsible autonomy in all deliberations with the government. IOA President Narinder Batra had recently sought time from the Sports Ministry to discuss "good governance and implementation of revised Sports Code" after the IOC warned against government interference in the functioning of the National Olympic Committee. In an email to Sports Secretary Rahul Bhatnagar, Batra said it's time that all stakeholders come under one roof on the issue to avoid a situation where Indian athletes risk the chance of participating in 2020 Tokyo Olympics under the Olympic flag. Batra also attached IOC reply to his e-mail. "We fully support your efforts to work in close coordination with the competent authorities in India and establish a constructive dialogue in order to (i) avoid any undue interference and, at ..
Manika claims another big scalp in CEAT UTT
Manika Batra continued to hog the limelight in the Ultimate Table Tennis, scalping another higher ranked player at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex here today. The 2018 Commonwealth Games double gold medallist squeezed past World No. 30 Matilda Ekholm 2-1 (8-11, 11-10, 11-10) in a pulsating duel to help Dabang Smashers T.T.C. take an early lead against defending champions Falcons TTC. Japanese World No. 27 Yoshida Masaki swelled Smashers' tally to 5-1 with an easy 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-8) victory over Sanil Shetty. The 23-year-old Manika matched her Swedish rival's guile and unleashed 10 winners that eventually made the difference. All three games were locked at 8-8 but the Indian, ranked World No. 80, broke through twice to net golden points and seal victory.
Mehuli bags two gold at 18th KSS Memorial Shooting Championship
Promising shooter Mehuli Ghosh of West Bengal displayed her class as she bagged gold medals in both the senior and junior 10m air rifle event of the 18th KSS Memorial Shooting Championship here today. In the senior category, Mehuli, who had topped the qualifications chart yesterday with a score of 632.7, continued to revel in her red-hot form as she shot 250.5 and towered over Karnataka's Megana (249.9) to take the first spot on the podium. Gun for Glory (GFG) shooter from Madhya Pradesh, Shreya Agarwal, scored 228.3 to climb up on the third spot on the podium. In the junior category, Mehuli (252.1) used her experience to edge out C Kavi Rakshna (250.8) of Tamil Nadu to annex her second gold while ISSF Junior World Cup gold medallist Elavenil Valarivan settled for bronze with a score of 229.1. The senior team category saw Manini Kaushik combine with Simrat Chahal and Barkha to bring home another team gold for Rajasthan. In second place, Gujarat's Valarivan, Lajja Goswami and Hema KC ..
FIFA WC 2018: Granqvist's reviewed penalty helps Sweden beat Korea 1-0
Defender Andreas Granqvist netted a second-half penalty as Sweden kicked off their campaign at the ongoing 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup with a 1-0 triumph over South Korea in Group F here at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Monday.Sweden headed into the opening match after thrashing Italy in the playoffs and were eager to show that they could perform on the biggest stage without their star forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic.Meanwhile, South Korea, who had two draws and two defeats from their last four matches against Sweden, were eager to create an upset over the higher-ranked Sweden going into the clash.However, it was Granqvist's penalty kick in the 64th minute of the match that handed Sweden full three points in a low-scoring affair.It was South Korea who got off to a better start in the first 10 minutes of the match as they attacked Sweden on both wings with a bit of success, while the European side was struggling to find their way into the game.In the 20th minute of the match, ...
Sweden pip S. Korea 1-0 in Group F clash
Sweden kicked off their FIFA 2018 World Cup campaign on a winning note as they pipped South Korea 1-0 in a Group F showdown at the Novgorod stadium here on Monday.
Uruguay's Rodriguez praises teammates before Saudi Arabia duel
Uruguay midfielder Cristian "Cebolla" Rodriguez on Monday praised his 2018 FIFA World Cup teammates Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez ahead of their duel with Saudi Arabia, their second match of the tournament.
Indian hockey squad to leave for Champions Trophy
India's hockey squad will leave in the wee hours of Tuesday for the Rabobank Mens Hockey Champions Trophy, to be held in Breda, the Netherlands from Saturday.