Page 1590 - Sports
Ode to ABD: When 360 degree was not geometry but joy
"It's strange but a very humbling experience," said Abraham Benjamin de Villiers senior as a host of Indian journalists sneaked into the VIP box during that November morning at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. De Villiers senior had come to watch his son AB play a Test match in his 'adopted city' against India and the chants of "ABD ABD" across the stands was a weird experience for him. Here his son was playing against the home team and the crowd went into raptures every time the ball crossed the boundary ropes. But that is AB de Villiers for you. At a time when boorish players' behaviour is a cause of concern for cricketing nations, the man earned love, respect, plaudits with his sheer cricketing skills. The imperious cut, the ferocious pull shots and the slog hits off spinners into the cow corner stands, watching ABD was 'joie de vivre' for everyone. He let his bat do the talking. It was enough to destroy attacks. He was a smiling assassin, who could demonize bowlers and even the partisan ..
Cricket world recats with shock at de Villiers sudden retirement
The cricketing world today reacted with shock and surprise at AB de Villiers' sudden decision to quit international cricket with Sachin Tendulkar leading the tributes. "Like your on-field game, may you have 360-degree success off the field as well. You will definitely be missed. My best wishes you to always, @ABdeVilliers17!," Tendulkar tweeted. One of contemporary cricket's greatest batsmen, De Villiers, today made a sudden announcement to retire from all forms of cricket with immediate effect, claiming to be "out of gas" after 14 years in the top league. Congratulating De Villiers on his illustrious career, former India batsman Virender Sehwag said international cricket will be "poorer" without the South African talisman. "Congratulations @ABdeVilliers17 , the most loved cricketer in the world, on a wonderful career. International cricket will be poorer without you, but you will continue to be celebrated by cricket fans around the world," Sehwag wrote on his twitter handle. Veteran .
Emery confirmed as new Arsenal manager
Unai Emery of Spain has been named as the new manager of English Premier League side Arsenal, replacing Frenchman Arsene Wenger who parted company with the north London club two weeks ago.
IPL-Playoffs: Rajasthan to field vs Kolkata
Rajasthan Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to field against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) eliminator at the Eden Gardens here on Wednesday.
Nigeria satisfied despite friendly loss to Atletico Madrid
The international friendly match between Atletico Madrid and Nigeria here will prepare the country to excel at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia next month, officials said here on Wednesday.
Leverkusen sign Finland goalkeeper Hradecky
Bayer Leverkusen have signed Lukas Hradecky from league rivals and German Cup winners Eintracht Frankfurt, both Bundesliga clubs confirmed on Wednesday.
Indonesia to play U-23 friendlies against Thailand
The Indonesian U-23 squad is scheduled to meet Thailand in two tryout matches at the end of this month and early next month in Indonesia, the country's football association said here on Wednesday.
Algeria football stadiums, violent outlets for frustrated youth
Football stadiums across Algeria have turned into venues of almost weekly clashes, reflecting what commentators see as the frustrations of young Algerians faced with bleak prospects. Violence peaked in 2014 with the death of Albert Ebosse, a Cameroon striker with Algeria's JS Kabylie, who was killed on the field by a projectile thrown from the stands. But sanctions and fair play campaigns have since failed to quell the phenomenon. This season's matches -- both professional and amateur -- have been regularly interrupted by pitch invasions, clashes between young fans and police, and attacks on referees. Club suspensions and bans on spectators have changed little. Last December, clashes between rival fans at an amateur derby in eastern Algeria left one person dead. In mid-April, more than 100 people were injured in clashes at an Algeria Cup semi-final, pushing the interior ministry to set up a commission of inquiry, determined to "put an end" to the violence. Sociologist Noureddine ...
AFC Cup: Bengaluru FC face Altyn Asyr FK in Inter-Zone semifinal
South Zone champions Bengaluru FC will face Turkmenistan side Altyn Asyr FK in the 2018 AFC Cup Inter-Zone semifinals as per the AFC club competitions draw held here on Wednesday.
I-League 2nd Division: Ozone, Real Kashmir aim for positive start
Ozone FC and Real Kashmir FC will aim to start their I-League second division final round on the right foot when they square off at the FSV Arena in Bengaluru on Thursday.Following a gruelling qualifying round, four teams have made it to the final round and at the end of a single round-robin competition, the top team will earn promotion in the next edition of I-League.While Ozone FC qualified for the final round on top of their qualifying group after an impressive run that saw them beating strong teams like FC Kerala and Fateh Hyderabad. Real Kashmir defied the odds to topple a tricky group that included Hindustan FC, Delhi United and Lonestar Kashmir FC.While Ozone FC have a reputation for free-flowing and attacking football, they are equally known for their physical play.Ozone FC have shown just how explosive they could be with 19 goals during a nine-game unbeaten streak in qualifying round before falling to Kerala Blasters reserves 1-0 in their final qualifying round game.Ozone FC
Pro Volleyball League important step for sport's development:
A senior official of The Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) has said that the upcoming Pro Volleyball League was an important step to develop the sport in India. In a letter addressed to Volleyball Federation of India Secretary General Ramavtar Singh Jakhar, FIVB President Ary S Graca congratulated VFI on setting up a professional volleyball league. "I congratulate you on the creation of the Pro Volleyball League in India. This is the most important step for the development of our beloved sport in the country. Developing the sport of Volleyball in India is one of the top priorities for FIVB and we extend all our support to the Pro Volleyball league in as many ways as possible," Graca said in the letter. The Pro Volleyball League which will commence post the Asian Games 2018, in mid-September, will be played across two cities in the country.
AFI names 51-member team for Asian Junior Athletics
Quartermiler Jisna Mathew and triple jumper Kamalraj Kanagraj will spearhead the Indian challenge in the 18th Asian Junior Athletics Championships to be held at Gifu, Japan from June 7-10. Shot putter Ashish Bhalothia and hammer thrower Ashish Jakhar are among the other top medal prospects named in the 51-member Indian team. The Indian team consists of 30 men and 21 women athletes. Kerala long jumper Sreeshankar was also named in the team but he is unlikely to travel to Japan as he is recovering from a surgery which he underwent in late March. He was named in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games team but eventually did not make it. In the last edition of the championships in Vietnam two years ago, India finished overall third with 17 medals that included seven gold, four silver and six bronze. India is hopeful of improving its medal tally this time. "We have a good number of upcoming junior athletes. A lot of these juniors are part of our core group and they train in senior camps. We are
'Tired' de Villiers retires from international cricket
Former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers sprang a surprise on Wednesday by announcing his retirement from all forms of international cricket with immediate effect.
U-18 Youth League: SAI Kolkata, Kerala Blasters set for engrossing semis
SAI Kolkata and Kerala Blasters will square off against each other in what promises to be a high-octane first semi-final of the ongoing 2017-18 U-18 Youth League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong here on Thursday.The two sides took distinctly different routes to the final-four in a keenly contested tournament.SAI Kolkata would consider themselves extremely lucky to be in the semifinals as they were awarded three goals and three points against Sudeva FC despite the game ended in a goalless draw as the later team fielded an ineligible player which saw SAI Kolkata go through on goal difference ahead of TFA from Group A.Meanwhile, Kerala finished on top of its group despite rocky performances and having to sweat it out until the end of its third match.SAI Kolkata have underwhelmed so far, scoring just twice during the group stage. Rohit Tigga has failed to continue his stunning form which he showcased in the zonal round and scored only once in three matches. Their defensive ...
De Villiers bids adieu to int'l cricket with immediate effect
In a shocking move, South Africa's swashbuckling batsman AB de Villiers on Wednesday bid adieu to all forms of international cricket with immediate effect, thus putting an end to his 14-year illustrious career.Announcing the news, the 34-year-old posted a video of himself on his Twitter handle and said though it was quiet a tough decision, he believes it is the right time for other talented players to take over."I have decided to retire from all forms of international cricket with immediate effect. After 114 Test matches, 228 ODI's and 78 T20 Internationals, it is time for others to take over. I have had my turn, and to be honest, I am tired," De Villiers said.De Villiers further revealed that he always wanted to retire while playing decent cricket and, therefore, he felt that it was a right time to bid adieu to international cricket following impressive series win against India and Australia."This is a tough decision. I have thought long and hard about it and I would like to retire ..
'Tired' AB De Villiers retires from international cricket
One of contemporary cricket's greatest batsmen, AB de Villiers, today called time on his illustrious international career, claiming to be "out of gas" after 14 years in the top league. The 34-year-old former South African skipper said his jaded body was no longer in a position to take the rigours of international cricket after a staggering 420 matches across three formats with over 20,000 runs and 47 hundreds. "I have decided to retire from all international cricket with immediate effect. After 114 Test matches, 228 ODI's and 78 T20 Internationals, it is time for others to take over. I have had my turn, and to be honest, I am tired," De Villiers announced through a video message on social networking site twitter. This is a tough decision, I have thought long and hard about it and I'd like to retire while still playing decent cricket. After the fantastic series wins against India and Australia, now feels like the right time to step aside," De Villiers' decision epitomised the age-old ..
Japan thrash India in Uber Cup tie
India suffered a humiliating 0-5 defeat to Japan in their third and final Group A tie at the Uber Cup badminton tournament here on Wednesday.
Bengaluru FC face Altyn Asyr FK in Inter-Zone semifinal
South zone champions Bengaluru FC were drawn to face Turkmenistan side Altyn Asyr FK in the 2018 AFC Cup Inter-Zone semifinals, at the AFC club competitions draw, held here today. While the Sree Kanteerava Stadium is set to host the Turkmenistan side on August 22, the reverse leg of the tie will be played at the Sport Toplumy Stadium, in Balkanabat, on August 29. Having qualified for the competition as the Turkmenistan Yokary Liga champions in 2017, Altyn Asyr made their way to the Inter-Zone semifinals with a thrilling 3-2 last round win over 2017 finalists FC Istiklol from Tajikistan, who incidentally got the better of the Blues in the inter-zone final in the last edition. Currently fourth in the Yokary Liga with four games in hand, Altyn Asyr will be a strong opponent for Bengaluru who will be led by a new coach after the club announced Roca's departure last week. Should the Blues get past the Turkmenistan side, they will be up against one of DPR Korea's 4.25 SC and the ASEAN Zone .
Rabiot emails Deschamps rejecting World Cup standby spot
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot has written to France manager Didier Deschamps saying he is not prepared to be a World Cup standby player. The 23-year-old Paris Saint-Germain player sent an email to Deschamps saying he would not "be able to follow the training programme" sent to the 11 standbys. A source who had seen the message said on Wednesday it was short but filled with phrases that read as if they had been written by a lawyer. French sports daily L'Equipe wrote that Rabiot "had decided to act himself without necessarily listening to the advice of those around him". Another newspaper, Le Parisien, suggested that it was "a thoughtful decision" that the French coaching staff "would have tried to change". When he announced the squad last Thursday, Deschamps said: "Adrien's performances for the French team are not at all at the same level as with the PSG." Deschamps was due to speak again on Wednesday afternoon as 22 members of the squad assembled to start preparations for the World ...
Japan swimmer Koga axed after failed drugs test
Former swimming world champion Junya Koga has been kicked out of the Japan squad for this summer's Asian Games after failing a drug test, officials said Wednesday. The 30-year-old, who won the 100 metres backstroke world title in 2009, tested positive for traces of banned muscle-building substances, according to the Japan Swimming Federation (JSF). Koga denied taking the substances knowingly but admitted taking a diet of supplements which could have been to blame. He now faces a maximum ban of four years. "I feel ashamed, miserable and frustrated," the swimmer told a news conference. "I couldn't believe it -- I was in shock, I thought it was some mistake," added Koga, who failed a test conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in March. "I didn't know if it was real, or a dream. I never took the substance detected intentionally. But I'm responsible for proving that. To those who support me, I'm deeply sorry." Documents provided by the JSF state that Koga returned traces of ...