Page 1543 - Sports
Guide to the 12 stadiums across Russia
Russia's World Cup is spread across 12 stadiums in 11 host cities. They range from St. Petersburg, which is so far north that the sun doesn't set on some summer days, to Sochi and its subtropical climate on the Black Sea coast. Here is a look at the stadiums: LUZHNIKI STADIUM City: Moscow Capacity: 81,006 Cost: USD 410 million for rebuild. Built in the 1950s to showcase the sporting might of the Soviet Union, Luzhniki has been transformed to host the World Cup final. The old stands were ripped out and the athletics track from the 1980 Olympics torn up as the stadium was converted into a football-specific venue. Luzhniki reopened on Nov. 11 when Argentina beat Russia 1-0 in a friendly. SPARTAK STADIUM City: Moscow Capacity: 43,298 Cost: USD 250 million Home of the 2017 Russian Premier League champion Spartak Moscow, this stadium opened in 2014 and is already well tested as a venue for Champions League and Confederations Cup games. The towering statue of a gladiator outside is a nod to .
Egypt forward Salah's absence won't change Uruguay's plans: Tabarez
Uruguay have not changed their preparations for the team's opening FIFA World Cup match against Egypt despite the likely absence of Mohamed Salah, the former champions' coach Oscar Tabarez said.
Winemaker Wolf Blass pens global deal with ICC
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced its new three-year partnership with leading Australian winemaker Wolf Blass.The long-term global deal sees Wolf Blass, which has been awarded International Red Winemaker of the Year three times, become the Official Wine Partner of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and ICC World T20 in Australia in 2020.ICC General Manager - Commercial, Campbell Jamieson said, "As one of the world's most celebrated sports, we're delighted to partner with Wolf Blass, one of the world's most celebrated and awarded wineries. The global reach of the ICC's events means we can provide Wolf Blass with an outstanding platform to showcase the breadth of their portfolio.""The success of the partnership last summer in the UK at the ICC Champions Trophy, and the opportunities that lie ahead with the ICC Cricket World Cup and the ICC World T20 gives us the chance to cement a great partnership," he added.Treasury Wine Estates Deputy Chief Marketing Officer ...
Rivals Sindhu, Saina train at separate academies ahead of hectic schedule
Fierce rivals on court, badminton stars Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu are training at separate academies of national coach Pullela Gopichand ever since their epic Commonwealth Games summit clash in Gold Coast, eager to ensure that neither of them gets a whiff of the other's strategies and improvisations. Both are still under the aegis of national coach Pullela Gopichand, who is dividing his time at two of his academies to train his most famous proteges. The development is a direct fallout of the CWG singles showdown in which Saina got the better of Sindhu in a gruelling contest. "Sindhu was not comfortable training at the new academy. Since it is an individual sport, there will always be competition, so to hold on to her own tactics, she decided to train at the old academy after the Commonwealth Games," Sindhu's father PV Ramana told PTI. "If they train together, both will be able to gauge each other's weaknesses and also how fit the other is, what each is working on, what difficulties .
Brazil aims to change echo of defeat to sound of celebration
There's no chance Tite or any of his players will forget the score of Brazil's humiliating semifinal loss at the last World Cup. Supporters of the Selecao still ensure it echoes in their ears: 7-1. As high-profile Brazil players walked off the pitch following a recent training session at Teresopolis, a few dozen disgruntled fans chanted "7-1." That loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semifinals will be in the back of the minds of the Brazil players whenever they start a match in Russia, particularly the six who were involved in that squad. But the current group is very different from the group that flopped at home four years ago. After a series of changes implemented by coach Tite since September 2016, the five-time World Cup champions once again are considered title contenders. After hearing the negative chants at the training ground recently, four-time World Cup winner Mario Zagallo expressed optimism the humilation could make Brazil stronger this time. "That 7-1 will sting ...
'Indian football team shouldn't beg people to come watch them play'
Differing from national skipper Sunil Chhetri's plea, Indian men's football team coach Stephen Constantine has insisted that his side which has been performing well should not be begging for support."I don't feel we should be begging people to watch the National team," the coach said after India registered a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Kenya in their second match of the Intercontinental Cup on Monday.Earlier, Chhetri, ahead of the match with Kenya in the ongoing Intercontinental Cup, had made an emotional appeal to fans, requesting them to watch football and support the team.However, Constantine, despite having a different opinion, added that he still expects the stands to be full in the upcoming matches."When the National team has been playing the manner we have been playing in the last three years it was disappointing to see the turnout in the first match. I expect the stands to be full in the next two matches," he stated.Last evening, Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri scored a brace .
Infantino says FIFA can afford Morocco to host 2026 WCup
FIFA can afford to have Morocco host the 2026 World Cup, according to President Gianni Infantino, even if the rival North American bid promises billions of dollars more in revenue. Ahead of next week's vote by FIFA member federations in Moscow, Infantino said on Monday: "FIFA can afford whatever the congress decides." "We have to live with that and to make the best of any decision which is taken," said the FIFA leader, who Moroccan bid leaders have publicly suspected of favoring the joint United States-Canada-Mexico bid. In a FIFA panel's evaluation of the candidates, the North American bid got the only maximum mark for its tickets and corporate hospitality sales plan. A difference in projected ticket sales of USD 1.3 billion between the two bids helped lead the report to note "significantly higher" forecast revenue of USD14.3 billion from North Americans and USD 7.2 billion from Morocco. "Money is one element (but) not the only element" in the report, Infantino said, revealing that ..
Gritty Shubhankar qualifies for US Open
Shubhankar Sharma's magnificent year continued as the Indian grabbed a spot in next week's US Open Golf Championships with a solid display of 69-68 in the qualifiers here. The prestigious tournament will be held at the the Shinnecock Hills. In the qualifiers held at Brookside GCC and Lakes Golf and Country Club, the 21-year-old was tied fifth. Two other Indians -- Shiv Kapur -- playing the qualifier at Walton Heath, Surrey -- Arjun Atwal -- playing in Tennessee -- failed to earn a spot. A thrilled Sharma said, "It was a great day for me. It was a long one with 36 holes but I am glad I played the Brookside in the morning as it is tougher with smaller greens. I grinded it out for a 69." He added, "But it was nervy ending on the 18th (in second round). I hit to the left off the tee and it took a bad bounce and it went into the rough. I had a terrible lie and I had to hit with one foot in the bunker with 150 yards to the front of the green. "I hit a 9-Iron, which stayed short and again in
French Open: Bopanna-Vasselin to play for semi-final spot
Indian tennis ace Rohan Bopanna and his French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin will look to secure their place in the semi-finals of the French Open when they play their last-eight clash of the men's doubles event here on Tuesday.The 13th seeded Indo-French pair will face eighth-seeded team of Austria's Alexander Peya and Croatia's Nikola Mektic in the quarter-final clash at Roland-Garros.Earlier, Bopanna and Roger-Vasselin bounced back strongly to knock out the top-seeded Marcelo Melo and Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 7-6(1) in a thrilling last-16 clash that lasted an hour and 30 minutes.Bopanna and Roger-Vasselin had earlier also made it to the semi-finals in Monte Carlo while the pair also did not drop a set on their way to the third round of the French Open.The Indian tennis star, who continued to lead for India in rankings for men's doubles at the 19th place, had earlier won his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last year in the mixed doubles with Canadian Gabriela ...
We've done enough to merit good turnout, should not beg: Constantine
Coach Stephen Constantine says the Indian football team has done enough in the last few years to merit a decent crowd turnout, and begging was one thing it did not deserve. Constantine was asked about skipper Sunil Chhetri's impassioned plea urging people to come and cheer the team in the ongoing Intercontinental Cup here. Chhetri's video post struck a chord with the Mumbaikars, who turned up in droves for the second game against Kenya, two days after giving the tournament opener a miss. It was Chhetri's 100th international game and he made it memorable by scoring a brace and guiding India into the final following a 3-0 win. As the discussion turned to crowd at the post-match press conference, Constantine said, "Look, I have said it before and I don't feel that we should be begging people to come and watch the national team. "The response today was unbelievable, what I expect from the Blue Pilgrims and the rest of the people, it's not only the Blue Pilgrims. "... But the national team
B-Town celebs hail India's win in Intercontinental Cup
Bollywood celebrities like Abhishek Bachchan, Arjun Kapoor and Varun Dhawan have celebrated India's victory over Kenya at the 2018 International Cup.
Buttler credits IPL for success on Test recall
England's Jos Buttler has attributed his success on Test recall to a stint in the Indian Premier League, saying the confidence gained from there aided his uncomplicated approach and resulted in runs here. Buttler, who followed his 67 in the first Test against Pakistan at Lord's with an unbeaten 80 in Leeds, was a surprise selection for the series against Pakistan, having not made a first-class century since January 2014. "Those couple of weeks in the IPL gave me huge amounts of confidence," Buttler said. "To be in those pressure situations in India, playing in front of crowds, the pressure of being an overseas player. That showed me a lot about where I was at and where I can get to, so that gave me a lot of confidence. "For me, not trying to worry about the colour of the ball definitely helps. Having put in good performances elsewhere and not putting as much pressure on myself." With 20 Tests under his belt, the 27-year-old believes he is in a better place mentally to cope with the ...
Morocco prepare for World Cup with 2-1 win over Slovakia
Morocco came from behind to defeat Slovakia 2-1 in the North African side's penultimate friendly before the 2018 World Cup.
Chile beat World Cup-bound Serbia 1-0 in friendly
Serbia lost to Chile in the first of their 2018 World Cup warm-up matches, conceding a late goal to Guillermo Maripan.
Smith 'cried for four days' after tampering scandal
Former Australian captain Steve Smith admitted he cried for four days after a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa that rocked the sport, as he told children "it's okay to show emotion". Australian cricket's golden boy was left devastated by the fall-out, breaking down at an emotional press conference on his return to Sydney after being sent home in disgrace. Along with David Warner, he was banned from all international and domestic cricket for a year while opening batsman Cameron Bancroft was exiled for nine months for their part in attempting to alter the ball during the third Test in March. Part of their punishment includes doing community service, and Smith attended a function at an exclusive Sydney boy's school on Monday to promote a men's mental health charity, where he provided an insight into the toll it took. "To be honest, I probably spent four days in tears," he told the students, according to the Seven Network which obtained audio of his comments. "I was really ...
Trump calls off Eagles visit over anthem dispute
Digging deeper into a culture war that he's repeatedly stoked, President Donald Trump has called off a visit by the Philadelphia Eagles to the White House today, citing the dispute over whether NFL players must stand during the playing of the national anthem. Trump said in a statement that some members of the Super Bowl championship team "disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country." He said the team wanted to send a smaller delegation, but "the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better." Instead, Trump said he would be hosting "a different type of ceremony," featuring the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus, that "will honor our great country, pay tribute to the heroes who fight to protect it, and loudly and proudly play the National Anthem." None of the Eagles took a knee during the anthem in ...
Sri Lanka aiming to capitalise on rare Windies visit
West Indies and Sri Lanka commence one of the most infrequent of international cricket assignments when the first match of a three-Test series begins tomorrow at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad. More than 36 years since being granted Test status, this is just Sri Lanka's fourth Test tour of the Caribbean and the first involving more than two matches. On their last campaign to the region ten years earlier, the team led by Mahela Jayawardene claimed their first Test victory in the West Indies in a shared rubber. Sri Lanka will be keen to extend the form of their last seven matches in which they were beaten just once, away to top-ranked India, and enjoyed an historic 2-0 triumph over Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates while also prevailing at home over an improving Bangladesh side by the same margin in their last Test action in February. However, their preparations for this series have been hampered by unexpected setbacks involving key players. Concerns also linger over a number of ..
Serena faces Wimbledon fight as Paris party falls flat
Serena Williams admits her dream of an eighth Wimbledon title could either be saved or shattered in a Paris doctor's office this week. The 36-year-old American stunned the French Open yesterday by withdrawing from her eagerly-anticipated last-16 grudge match with bitter rival Maria Sharapova just minutes before the two icons of the women's game were due to clash on Court Philippe Chatrier. A pectoral muscle injury had slammed the brakes on the ruthless Williams's serving arm so she decided not to take up the opportunity to extend her 14-year, 18-match win streak over the Russian. "So I'm going to get an MRI tomorrow (Tuesday). I'm going to stay here and see some of the doctors, see as many specialists as I can," said the 23-time Grand Slam title winner. "And I won't know that (her Wimbledon status) until I get those results." In Paris, Williams was playing her first Grand Slam since winning the 2017 Australian Open when she was two months pregnant and first since she gave birth to ...
Dutch draw 1-1 with Italy on late goal
The Netherlands have salvaged a 1-1 draw against Italy here in a friendly match between the two traditional soccer powers who failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
Mastercard ends meals-for-goals campaign with Neymar, Messi
Mastercard said it was changing a campaign in which thousands of free meals were to be given to the needy every time football superstars Neymar and Messi scored goals. Under the scheme, every time the Brazil and Argentina strikers scored, 10,000 meals would be donated to the United Nations World Food Program. The idea, due to run until March 2020, drew fire from many on social media who said it was in poor taste. Brazilian national team coach Tite also criticized it as counterproductive because it put too much pressure on individual stars. The credit card giant, which sponsors both players and the Brazilian Football Confederation, says that instead a million meals will be donated in 2018, regardless of the goals scored. That is in addition to 400,000 meals already donated. "We don't want the fans, players or anyone else to lose focus of the crucial question of hunger and our efforts to help this cause," Mastercard said in a statement in Brazil. On-pitch rivals Neymar and Messi will ...