Page 1505 - Sports
Only time will tell how Afghanistan succeed in Tests: Ex-coach Rajput
Former coach Lalchand Rajput, under whom Afghanistan had earned the Test status, said it is an emotional moment for the team as they play their maiden Test against India but only time will tell how they succeed in the longer format of the game. It is a historic test match and an emotional moment for the Afghanistan players. People and supporters of the Afghanistan team were looking forward to this great event, the former Afghanistan head-coach, under whom the country made rapid strides, told PTI over phone from Zimbabwe. I am really happy for them, we really worked hard to get to this position, and hopefully they carry forward the hard-work, added the 56-year-old Rajput, who is now the interim head coach of Zimbabwe. Afghanistan started their Test journey today playing in a one-off Test match against India at Bengaluru. Afghanistan spin sensation Rashid Khan and Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman have been successful in the shorter format but Rajput believes only time will tell if they can replicate ...
Uruguay believes in chance to host 2030 World Cup
The Uruguayan government has denied that the successful bid by Canada, Mexico and the U.S. to host the 2026 World Cup had weakened the joint bid by Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to host the 2030 edition.
Peru keeper sees possession as key against Denmark
Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese has said that his team's FIFA World Cup opener against Denmark will be "very important" and that the Scandinavians' height will be a challenge for the South Americans.
FIFA WC 2018: Football showpiece set to kickoff in Russia
All eyes are now on football as the countdown has begun for the 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup, which is set to kick off at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on Thursday.The quadrennial month-long event will see 32 nations, divided into eight groups, competing in 64 games over 32 days and fighting it out for the coveted trophy.The matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be played out in 12 stadiums, located in 11 cities and spread over 1,800 miles across Russia.The showpiece event will begin with hosts Russia crossing swords with Saudi Arabia in the Group A in the opening match.Russia, who are tournament's lowest-placed team at the 70th spot in the FIFA's World Rankings, are heading into the showpiece event in full strength, but they are yet to win a friendly in 2018.Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, are placed at the 67th position and are entering the tournament on the back of their World Cup preparations in an international friendly with Italy. Saudi Arabia went on to lose that match ...
Jayaram enters US Open second round
On a comeback trail after recovering from injury, Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram notched up a gritty three-game win over Korea's Yun Kyu Lee to reach the second round of the US Open World Tour Super 300 tournament here. Jayaram, who had unfortunately pulled his hamstring at the Senior National Championship last year and had to skip many tournaments, saw off Lee 26-24 17-21 21-13 in a thrilling opening round contest at the Fullerton Titan Gym. The former world no 13 will next face Brazil's Ygor Coelho, seeded eighth. In women's singles, young Anura Prabhudesai, however, couldn't get across Canada's Rachel Honderich, losing 9-21 17-21 in a lop-sided contest. Men's doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy gave a walkover to Indonesia duo of Rahmat Adianto and Rangga Yave Riano.
Argentina ready for World Cup, says Caballero
Argentina goalkeeper Willy Caballero has insisted that the two-time world champions are well prepared for the 2018 FIFA World Cup despite playing only one warm-up match.
Ghana set up interim body to manage football
The Ghanaian government has constituted a five-member interim committee to oversee the administration of football and other related matters, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Minister for Information said in a statement.
Dhawan's ton help India post 158/0 at lunch vs Afghanistan
Seasoned opener Shikhar Dhawan smashed a quickfire century to help India pile 158/0 at lunch in the lop-sided opening session on day 1 of the one-off Test against debutants Afghanistan here on Thursday.
Scoreboard at lunch on the opening day of the one-off Test between India and Afghanistan ...
Scoreboard at lunch on the opening day of the one-off Test between India and Afghanistan at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here today. India 1st innings: Murali Vijay not out 41 Shikhar Dhawan not out 104 Extras (B-1, LB-9, NB-1, W-2) 13 Total: (For no loss in 27 Overs) 158 Bowling: Yamin Ahmadzai 4-1-18-0, Wafadar 8-2-25-0, Mohammad Nabi 4-0-22-0, Rashid Khan 7-0-51-0, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 4-0-32-0.
Indian hockey eves draw second match against Spain
The second of the five-match series between the Indian women's hockey team and Spain ended in a 1-1 draw here at the Consejo Superior de Deportes Hockey Stadium last evening.It was a match of two halves as hosts Spain dominated the match in the first two quarters, but the Indian team made a comeback in the latter two quarters.It was Spain's Berta Bonastre (14'), who opened the scoring, but India's Anupa Barla cancelled out her goal in the 54th minute which meant that the match ended in a well-fought draw.The opening quarter saw both the teams vie for possession in midfield and creating a few chances.It was the hosts who managed to take the lead in the 14th minute as their 26-year-old forward Betra Bonastre found herself in space and scored in her second consecutive match to put the pressure on the visitors.World number 10 India started the second quarter well and had a couple of chances, but could not manage to beat the Spanish goalkeeper Maria Ruiz. The Indian midfield made sure that
Super Dhawan' hits ton to take India to 158/0 at lunch
Shikhar Dhawan gave Afghanistan a rude reality check on what longest format is all about as his 87-ball-century took India to a comfortable 158 for no loss at lunch on the opening day of the one-off Test here today. Dhawan bludgeoned the rookie Afghan bowlers into submission with a power-packed unbeaten 104 (91 balls) while Murali Vijay (41 no off 72 balls) held one end up with the home team setting the foundation for what promises to be a mammoth first innings total. Incidentally Dhawan became the first ever Indian batsman to score a century in the first session of a Test match joining the illustrious ranks of Sir Don Bradman, Victor Trumper, Majid Khan, David Warner. Afghanistan coach Phil Simmons' statement about "not knowing what it's all about till you get there" seemed prophetic as the talented bunch of cricketers got their introductory lessons in red ball cricket from two openers, who have played 85 Test matches between themselves. Rashid Khan (7-0-51-0) the reigning crown ...
India were 158-0 at lunch against Afghanistan
India scored 158 for no loss at lunch on the opening day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here today. Left-handed opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan (104 not out) completed his century, while Murali Vijay was batting at 41 at the break. Brief Score: India: 158-0 in 27 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 104; Wafadar 25/0).
Indian women's team salvage a 1-1 draw against Spain in 2nd match
Anupa Barla produced a late goal as the Indian women's team salvaged a 1-1 draw against hosts Spain in the second game of the five-match series at the Consejo Superior de Deportes Hockey Stadium here. Outclassed 0-3 in the opening game, India recovered well to produce a gritty show as they made a comeback in the last two quarters after Spain dominated the match in the first two quarters. It was Spain's Berta Bonastre (14th) who opened the scoring but Anupa cancelled out her goal in the 54th minute which meant that the match ended in a well-fought draw. The opening quarter saw both the teams vie for possession in midfield and creating a few chances. It was the hosts who managed to take the lead in the 14th minute as their 26-year-old forward Bonastre found herself in space and scored in her second consecutive match to put the pressure on the visitors. World No. 10 India started the second quarter well and had a couple of chances, but could not manage to beat the Spanish Goalkeeper ...
Women's basketball legend Anne Donovan passes away
The New York Liberty Basketball team has condoled the demise of Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold medallist Anne Donovan, who recently passed away aged 56 of heart failure.Paying homage to their former head coach, the New York Liberty issued a statement on social media, labelling Anne as a true pioneer in the sport, while adding that her leadership and influence had a tremendous impact on the growth of the women's basketball."The New York Liberty is deeply saddened by the passing of one of the greatest figures in the history of women's basketball, Anne Donovan. Anne was a true pioneer in our sport, and her influence and leadership had a tremendous impact on the growth of women's basketball and the WNBA," the statement said."We join the entire women's basketball community in celebrating her life and extraordinary legacy, and send our thoughts and prayers to her family during this time," the basketball team added.Donovan, who won a national championship at Old Dominion, inducted into the ..
Slackers, stores and sightseers score with World Cup
Purveyors of TVs, tourism and takeaway meals are banking on a World Cup bonanza while bosses strive to avert a four-yearly wave of worker absenteeism. As football's flagship tournament kicks off in Russia, businesses around the world are looking either to cash in or find creative ways to stop productivity plummeting. Fan passion runs high well beyond the game's traditional power centres of Europe and Latin America, underlining the potential benefits as well as pitfalls for companies. With a record four Arab countries having qualified, including Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah's Egypt, one survey released this week said 92 percent of employees in the region plan to watch at least some of the tournament -- including a quarter who intend to secretly follow it by live-stream while at work. "Other strategies employees reported they would use to watch the games during working hours, include requesting a full day of annual leave, leaving work early to watch the games, or simply calling in ...
Langer says Smith-led Aussies were 'spoilt brats'
New coach Justin Langer says the Australian side were behaving like "spoilt brats" ahead of the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal and Steve Smith wasn't a strong enough leader to handle the situation. Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were all suspended for their roles in the incident when sandpaper was used to rough up the ball during the third Test in South Africa in March. "The whispers were there," Langer said of the team under former coach Darren Lehmann in a British Sky TV interview reported in Australian media Thursday. "Once upon a time, the opposition didn't like us because we played really good, hard cricket -- we were very skilful and we won a lot of games. "It's easy to dislike the opposition if they're good, but there have been too many whispers in the last 12 months or so about the abuse on the field, or dare I say, the side playing like spoilt brats." He said that as a former player he "nearly died" when he heard about the scandal. "So you've got to wonder why it .
Mexico's 'Grand Warlock' casts World Cup spell to help team
With the help of two priestesses and a rain stick shaped like an ancient Mesoamerican god, Mexico's "Grand Warlock" cast a spell to help the nation at the World Cup. Antonio Vazquez -- better known as "El Brujo Mayor," a soothsayer famed for his annual predictions on politics and the news -- invoked the plumed serpent god Quetzalcoatl, worshipped by the Aztecs and other pre-Columbian peoples, to get the Mexican national team to at least the quarter-finals in Russia. "Give me all your force and power to break through heaven's doors, let Mexico reach the fifth match. Quetzalcoatl, let it be so," he said, his long white beard standing out against his green Mexico jersey. Mexico make their debut Sunday against reigning champions Germany in Group F, hoping to make it past the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time. "El Tri" have never beaten Germany at the tournament, but Vazquez brimmed with optimism. "We will at the very least have a 0-0 draw, or a 1-0 win for Mexico," he ...
Google honours FIFA WC's cultural diversity with doodle
Tech giant Google has come up with a doodle celebrating the spirit of football, highlighting world unity and the diverse cultures of fans from 32 participating nations of the FIFA World Cup 2018, which begins in Russia on Thursday.The doodle, created by 32 artists from different countries, depict exciting fans with drums and other instruments, who are welcoming the quadrennial tournament with great pomp and fervour. One of the fans shown is about to kick a football from the goalpost.The 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup is set to kick off at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, where 32 nations, divided into eight groups will fight it out for the coveted trophy in the month-long event.The opening ceremony will be a star-studded affair dotted with the presence of singer Robbie Williams and Russian soprano Aida Garifullina.After the ceremony, hosts Russia will lock horns with Saudi Arabia in Luzhniki Stadium at 8:30 pm (IST). The final will take place on July 15 at the same stadium.A total of 64
India opt to bat against Afghanistan in historic one-off Test
India have won the toss and opted to bat first in the historic one-off Test match against Afghanistan at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday.After winning the toss, stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane said that it is a historic moment for Afghanistan and that he is really excited for the match."It's important to start well after coming off the IPL. It is a historic moment for Afghanistan, I'm really excited," Rahane said.Afghanistan skipper Asghar Stanikzai, on the other hand, said, "Very proud moment. All guys have first-class experience. Inshallah, we can do well. Maybe the first one hour it will be a good wicket for bowling.Then he recites the entire playing XI from memory, no peeking into paper chits. Amazing."As far as Playing XI is concerned, India are going with all of their three openers while Karun Nair, Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini have all been dropped.India will head into the match without their regular captain Virat Kohli, who is currently undergoing ...
PM Modi congratulates people of Afghanistan over historic Test vs India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated the people of Afghanistan as their national cricket team faces India in their historic first ever Test match at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.The Prime Minister took to Twitter to wish luck to both the sides."I congratulate the people of Afghanistan as their cricket team plays their first international Test match. Glad that they have chosen to play the historic match with India. Best wishes to both teams! May sports continue to bring our people closer and strengthen ties," PM Narendra Modi wrote.Union Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Rajyavardhan Rathore also sent his best wishes to both the teams.Taking to the micro-blogging site, Rathore wrote: "May the best team win! Delighted to be at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium where Afghanistan makes its debut in Test cricket against India. Hope this game marks the beginning of a new inning for the people of Afghanistan and for our countries' relationship."India, in the absence ..