Page 1503 - Sports
World Cup "best thing" to happen to a player, says Ibrahimovic
Los Angeles Galaxy forward and former Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic said on Thursday that the 2018 FIFA World Cup was the "best thing" that could happen to the Swedish national football team.
Committed to rebuilding Afghanistan including their sports, says Sports Min
India is "completely committed to strengthening and rebuilding Afghanistan including their sports," said Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Rathore on the sidelines of the ongoing first-ever test match between the two countries in Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.Both, Rathore and Afghanistan's Chief Executive left Chinnaswamy stadium after witnessing part of Test match between the two countries.The minister said that when it comes to inter-country relations, they are like "inseparable brothers".Speaking to ANI he said, "Relations of India and Afghanistan date back to many, many decades; and India Afghanistan are two inseparable brothers, we are completely committed to strengthening and rebuilding Afghanistan including their sports."He congratulated Afghanistan on becoming a full Test team and further wished to see them perform in several other sports."We have seen them in Indian Premier League (IPL) and congratulations to Afghanistan for becoming a full Test team ...
Messi needs to be supported if Argentina wants WC glory: Guzman
Argentina goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman called on his side to lessen the burden of their star striker Lionel Messi if they want to attain the glory at the FIFA World Cup in Russia.Guzman insisted that the 30-year-old is an important figure for the team and that he needs to be well-supported by his international team-mates."Of course Leo is a very important figure to us. We have to know how to be with him. He has to let us too. And we have to somehow, take away the responsibility he already has. He feels it too," goal.com quotes Guzman, as sayingHeading into the showpiece event, the Argentina national football team relies heavily on Messi as the Barcelona forward look to clinch his first international honour.Messi often faces flak for not guiding his country to glory in the major tournaments like World Cup despite being one of the rare talents in the football world.But, Guzman said that he would try his best to support him whenever needed."I'll try to be with him at any moment. I will try ..
Srinath, Ravi retained in ICC elite panel of match officials
Javagal Srinath was the lone Indian to feature in the match referees' list, while Sundaram Ravi continued to be the country's representative among the top umpires as the ICC today announced an unchanged list of elite match officials here. The retention of the panel, for the period July 1 to June 30, 2019, was done following the annual review and selection process, the ICC said in a statement. The ICC Umpires Selection Panel consisted of Chairman and ICC General Manager Cricket, Geoff Allardice, ICC Chief Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle, former England player and commentator - David Lloyd, and former India captain and international umpire Srinivas Venkataraghavan. The umpires' panel includes Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ravi, Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker. The panel of ICC Match Referees comprises David Boon, Chris Broad, Jeff Crowe, Ranjan Madugalle, Andy Pycroft, Javagal .
Bengaluru FC appoint Cuadrat as head coach
Spaniard Carles Cuadrat has been named the new coach of Bengaluru FC in a one-year deal that keeps him with the Blues till the end of the 2018-19 season, the club announced on Thursday.
Argentina great Zanetti excited by 2030 World Cup bid
Former Argentina star Javier Zanetti said it would be a "great satisfaction" for his country to host the 2030 World Cup as part of a joint bid alongside Uruguay and Paraguay. The 44-year-old Zanetti appeared at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups and played 143 times for Argentina, a record he shares with Javier Mascherano. "(The bid) would be a great satisfaction for us as a country after we organised it in 1978, for us to organise such a competition like this again that makes the country grow," Zanetti told reporters at Conmebol's Casa del Futbol in Moscow. The joint bid is the only confirmed candidate so far for the centenary tournament, although the bidding process is not due to open for several years yet. Argentina will begin their 2018 World Cup campaign against Iceland in Group D on Saturday, with games to follow against Croatia and Nigeria. "I always see Argentina with great players," said Zanetti, now vice-president at Inter Milan, where he spent 19 years as a player. "I hope that ..
No smoke without ire for Malaysian badminton player
A Malaysian badminton player has been heavily fined for smoking during a tournament, officials said, in the latest untoward incident to hit the sport in the country. Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, 28, was fined 50 percent of his monthly allowance for lighting up in his hotel room during last month's Thomas Cup in Bangkok, where Malaysia crashed out in the quarter-finals. He also had to pay the hotel's fine of 3,000 baht (about USD 93) for violating its no-smoking rules, Malaysian reports said. Iskandar, who is 50th in the men's singles world rankings, was brought before the Badminton Association of Malaysia's (BAM) disciplinary committee on June 1. "The committee sanctioned Iskandar Zulkarnain a one-time 50 percent fine of his monthly allowance," the BAM's disciplinary committee said in a statement on Wednesday, without revealing the amount of the fine. The statement added that all players will now go through nicotine testing "from time to time", warning of severe repercussions for ...
After surprise sacking, Spain's ex coach Lopetegui to be presented at Real Madrid
Just a day after he was sacked on the eve of the World Cup, former Spain coach Julen Lopetegui arrived in Madrid on Thursday where he will be officially presented as Real Madrid's new manager. Lopetegui landed at Madrid's Barajas airport just before 5 am (0300 GMT). He will be officially presented as Real new coach for the next three seasons at an event at the Spanish giants' Santiago Bernabeu stadium at 7 pm (1700 GMT), the club said in a statement. "I am very sad, but we have a magnificent team and hopefully we'll win the World Cup," Lopetegui told reporters on his departure from Spain's training base in Krasnodar on Wednesday. Spain's World Cup preparations were thrown into turmoil on Wednesday as Real Madrid-bound coach Julen Lopetegui was sacked by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), with Fernando Hierro taking charge just two days before their opening game in Russia. In a surprise announcement on Tuesday, Real Madrid appointed Lopetegui as Zinedine Zidane's successor to take
Donkeys, potatoes and blood tackles - football's rich lexicon
Mario Goetze is an "eternal talent" who was left out of Germany's World Cup squad and Tony Adams is an Arsenal legend but he was still derided as "a donkey" in England. Hundreds of millions of football fans across the globe will be screaming encouragement -- and a fair amount of abuse -- at their television screens during the World Cup in Russia. Whether in English, German, French, Russian, or even Korean, football's vernacular is full of colourful phrases and terms. But while some need no explaining, there are many others that make little or no sense to outsiders. Anyone for a "Bananenflanke"? No, it's not a tasty Bavarian dessert. Rather, it translates as a "banana cross" -- the type of delivery from the wing that tempts the goalkeeper as it bends deliciously in the air. And that "eternal" description of the Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Goetze? "Ewiges talent" might sound flattering, but it isn't -- it is used for players such as the 26-year-old who showed great promise ...
Ponting wants 'big runs' from Australia batsmen
Australia batting great Ricky Ponting has said the top-order must deliver "big runs" after the world champions went 1-0 down in a one-day international series away to England. The 2019 World Cup hosts beat Australia by three wickets in the first of a five-match campaign at The Oval on Wednesday. Although England stuttered during their chase, Australia were always in trouble after being dismissed for just 214, with spin again proving their undoing as England specialist slow-bowlers Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid accounted for five members of their top seven between them. Glenn Maxwell (62) and Ashton Agar (40) tried to repair the damage but their sixth-wicket stand of 84 couldn't change the course of the game. Ponting, one of the outstanding batsmen of his generation, has joined the backroom staff of new Australia coach and former Test team-mate Justin Langer for the tour. Reflecting on Australia's slump to 90 for five on Wednesday, Ponting said: "It highlighted again the importance of our .
BCCI proud to host Afghanistan for their maiden Test
History was created in Bengaluru when India hosted Afghanistan in their first-ever Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday.Pulling out all stops to make this historic event a memorable affair, the BCCI hosted dignitaries from the Government of India and Afghanistan.In attendance were Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Abdullah Abdullah and Indian Minister of State, Sports and Youth Affairs Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore.They greeted the two teams before the start of play.The BCCI invited former India great Salim Durani, the only Indian cricketer to be born in Afghanistan, for the special occasion. Durani presented a special BCCI memento to Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai.Reflecting on the historic event, BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said, "I congratulate Afghanistan for becoming the 12th nation to play Test cricket. The Afghan players were among the top performers in the Indian Premier League and I am sure they will prove their mettle in the .
Scalpers still operating at World Cup despite crackdown
Scalpers are still operating at the World Cup, despite claims of a crackdown by FIFA and Russian organizers on illicit ticket sales. Sellers have been visible outside the main ticket office in Moscow, buying spare tickets from foreign fans and sell at inflated prices. An Associated Press reporter was approached six times within an hour and offered tickets including a luxury Category 1 seat at the opening game Thursday between Russia and Saudi Arabia. One was offered at USD 700, or USD150 above the standard price. The most in-demand tickets, such as for Argentina's opening game, are being offered online for as much as USD 2,300, though buyers have no guarantee they're getting genuine access to the games. FIFA has tried to cancel some tickets and last week filed a criminal complaint against ticket resale website Viagogo. Russia has made World Cup scalping punishable by a fine for individual sellers of up to 25 times the ticket's face value. Despite the tough talk from Russian ...
World Cup "best thing" to happen to Sweden team
Los Angeles Galaxy forward and former Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic said on Thursday that the 2018 FIFA World Cup was the "best thing" that could happen to the Swedish national football team.
Football can bring peace: Syrian great Firas al-Khatib
A political stance halted his international career for five years and now that he is back in the fold, Syrian football great Firas al-Khatib says he doesn't care about politics anymore as football could end up being better at bringing about peace in his war-ravaged country. Firas had hit international headlines when he withdrew from the national team back in 2012 to protest against Syrian President Bashar-al-Assad, accusing him of bombing his home town Homs, following the uprising in 2011. Firas boycotted the Syrian national team for five years -- from 2012 to 2017. He agreed to return to lead the national team "for the sake of his people", in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers last year. "Our players always try their best to do well on a football pitch and bring some smile on the faces of our fans. This is our first and foremost thought," he said. "Apart from that, we don't care about the politics, we don't care. We play football, we play sport. We don't care about other things." In ...
Russia defies critics to throw World Cup party
The World Cup kicks off in Russia on Thursday as years of preparations dogged by diplomatic scandals give way to a month-long feast of action on the field. Russia get the ball rolling against Saudi Arabia at the completely refurbished 80,000-capacity Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow after an opening ceremony attended by President Vladimir Putin. On the day of the curtainraiser, Russia freed the main opposition figure to Putin, Alexei Navalny, from jail after he served a 30-day sentence for organising an illegal protest. Russia is spending more than USD13 billion (11 billion euros) on hosting football's showpiece, the most important event in the country since the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics. Brazil and their superstar Neymar are seeking a sixth global crown while Germany, who won their fourth World Cup in Brazil four years ago, will be determined to draw level with the Brazilians when the final is played in Moscow on July 15. France boast possibly the most talented squad while Lionel Messi ..
Evergreen Cahill's World Cup dream still alive
Australia talisman Tim Cahill shot down talk of retirement on Thursday as he targets joining Pele on an elite, four-man list of players to have scored at four World Cups. But first he has to hope Australia's Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk gives him the nod from the substitutes' bench. Socceroos great Cahill is responsible for nearly half of Australia's 11 World Cup goals to date. And although he is expected to start all three Group C games -- against France, Peru and Denmark -- on the bench, Cahill's dream of becoming just the fourth player after Brazil's Pele and Germans Uwe Seeler and Miroslav Klose to score in four World Cups remains intact. At 38 years old, time is against the Australian, who says he has "spent a whole year getting ready for three games". Cahill underlined his personal ambitions, and those of an Australia team hoping to stun Euro 2016 finalists France in Kazan, on Saturday. Asked about his future plans, he said: "The factor is, we train today, we train the day ...
Manchester City to start title defence at Arsenal
Premier League champions Manchester City will begin their title defence away to Arsenal on the weekend of August 11-12, the English Premier League announced Thursday as it unveiled the fixtures for the 2018/19 season. The match will also be new Arsenal manager Unai Emery's first in English football's top flight. The exact date of the game will be confirmed when television broadcasting schedules are drawn up. City amassed 100 points and scored 106 goals while finishing 19 points clear of second-placed Manchester United in the 2017/18 season. Following the Arsenal game, City do not face another top-six team until they are away to Liverpool -- who beat Pep Guardiola's men in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season -- in October. In between those two eye-catching fixtures, City will play the newly-promoted trio of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cardiff City and Fulham, as well as last year's promoted teams Huddersfield, Newcastle and Brighton. Manchester United begin their league
German reporter who exposed Russia doping 'won't be at World Cup'
German journalist Hajo Seppelt, whose investigative reporting exposed Russia's alleged state-sponsored doping, will not travel to the football World Cup tournament out of security concerns, national broadcaster ARD said. World Cup host Russia had initially refused to issue Seppelt a visa, but later relented after massive international pressure, with FIFA stressing the importance of media freedom to President Vladimir Putin's government. But Germany's security agencies have since evaluated the situation and found that it was risky for the journalist to travel to Russia, said ARD in a statement late Wednesday. Representatives from the broadcaster also held talks with Foreign Minister Heiko Maas over the security issue and the ministry shared the intelligence agencies' concerns. Russia's powerful Investigative Committee has said it intended to question Seppelt on his arrival because he was a key witness in its own investigation into the doping scandal. Seppelt's documentaries on doping ..
Play resumes again on day 1 of India-Afghanistan Test
Play resumed again after the second rain interruption on the opening day of the one-off Test between India and Afghanistan at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here today. Opener Murali Vijay (99) and KL Rahul (44) were at the crease with India at 264 for one in 48.4 overs when heavens had opened up again. A total of 103 minutes of play was lost following the two rain interruptions. India were at 248 for one in 45.1 overs when rain had stopped play for the first time. With rain lashing the stadium, India had taken early tea. After play resumed following a break of about an hour, only 3.3 overs could be bowled with India adding just 16 runs when rain again interrupted proceedings. Brief Score: India: 264 for one in 48.4 overs (S Dhawan 107; M Vijay 99; Y Ahmadzai 1/28).
Hemantha Devapriya stands down as Lanka women coach
Hemantha Devapriya has tendered his resignation as the head coach of the Sri Lanka women's team with immediate effect, citing personal reasons.Devapriya was appointed to the post in October 2016 in a two-year deal, but she has decided to step down just five months prior to the World Twenty20 in West Indies.Confirming the news, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) CEO Ashley De Silva said, "Whilst thanking Devapriya for his services, SLC will start the process of engaging a new coach to take the women's team forward."During his tenure, Lanka have managed to clinch just seven of 34 international matches they have played.While Lanka had won just one out of seven matches they played in the World Cup last year, they got only two victories in five matches they played most recently in the Asia Cup in Malaysia.