Page 1655 - Sports
Jaipur siblings win Roland Garros' AITA event in Bengaluru
Fardeen Qamar and Farhat Aleen Qamar, the brother and sister from Jaipur, won the Under-18 Roland Garros series event in Bengaluru, earning the chance to not only watch the business end of French Open but also hit with international players during the clay court Grand Slam. It is perhaps first time that siblings have won both boys and singles events at the same AITA national series event. Fardeen, a class XII student, won the boys event with a commanding 6-1 6-0 win over Delhi's Ayush Deshwal while XIth standard student Farhat came from behind to beat Sharanya Gaware and claim the girls singles trophy. Both the players are coached by their father Qamaruddin Khan, who runs Rajasthan Tennis Club in Jaipur. "You will be surprised to know that these kids earn by themselves by coaching kids at our academy. They help in coaching in the morning session and in the evening they train with each other," an elated Qamaruddin told PTI from Jaipur. It is first time that Roland Garros has organised .
Kadhe ends runner-up in Abuja ITF Futures
India's Arjun Kadhe ended a runner-up at the ITF Futures event at Abuja, Nigeria after losing the final in straight sets to Brazil's Joao Menezes. Playing in his fourth final on the ITF circuit this season, the 397th-ranked Kadhe lost 3-6 1-6 to his opponent, placed three places above him in the ranking chart. It was third runner-up finish for the 24-year old from Pune after similar results in Kolkata and Trivandrum early this year. Kadhe had won title in Bhubneswar in February.
Neeraj signs up with Canadian promoter, to fight for 2nd title next month
Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat, who holds the WBC Asia-Pacific welterweight title, would be gunning for a second yet-to-be-announced belt next month after signing up with Canada's Lee Baxter Promotions. Goyat, who has won nine of his 13 professional bouts, has signed a two-year contract with Lee Baxter Promotions. His opponent and the title for which he would fight will be known after May 19. The bout is expected to take place in Canada on June 26. "I cannot reveal the financial details of the contract but it is a good deal that I have got. I guess I am the first Indian boxer to sign up with a Canadian promoter. I hope it will take my professional career in the right direction," Neeraj told PTI. "I would be fighting for a title on June 26 but the formalities are still being worked out and my opponent's name will be out in the second half of this month," he added. Neeraj had won a bronze medal in the Olympic qualifying event for professional boxers in 2016. The 26-year-old had last competed
Guardiola backs Delph for World Cup berth
Pep Guardiola believes Gareth Southgate would be taking a risk if he did not name Fabian Delph in England's World Cup squad after an impressive season from the Manchester City utility man. Delph, 28, overcame three injury-ravaged seasons to become Guardiola's first-choice left-back following the knee problem suffered by Benjamin Mendy in September. His form, and ability to play numerous positions, has seen the former Aston Villa midfielder emerge as a strong contender for Southgate's squad. Southgate visited Guardiola and his English contingent for talks at their training ground on Friday. Delph won his ninth, and most recent, cap in November 2015, but Guardiola clearly believes his player should be on the plane to Russia when Southgate finalises his squad. "Maybe it will be a risk if he doesn't take him to the World Cup," Guardiola said when asked if Southgate would be taking a gamble if he names Delph. "Today Gareth Southgate was here, we speak together about the English players in
Juve on brink of title after win over Bologna
Douglas Costa sparked an emphatic comeback as Juventus closed in on a seventh successive Serie A title by recovering from a goal down to beat Bologna 3-1. Juventus entered the game in Turin with a four-point lead over chasing Napoli and just three matches of the season to play, but the hosts fell behind to a first-half penalty from Bologna's Simone Verdi. However, an own goal from visiting defender Sebastien De Maio on 52 minutes allowed Juventus to draw level before Costa supplied Sami Khedira and then Paulo Dybala for two quick goals to seal the victory. Juventus's six-year reign in Italy looked under threat a fortnight ago when Napoli snatched a dramatic 1-0 win over Massimiliano Allegri's side, but last week's late heroics in Milan left the Turin giants once again in charge of the title race. After Juventus threatened through Gonzalo Higuain and Alex Sandro, Bologna grabbed a surprise lead when Lorenzo Crisetig pounced on a sloppy pass from Gianluigi Buffon and was fouled in the ..
Century-maker Shafiq leads Pakistan run-spree
Asad Shafiq made a hundred as several Pakistan batsmen spent valuable time in the middle ahead of Test matches against Ireland and England. At stumps on the second day of four, Pakistan were 357 for seven in reply to Northamptonshire's first innings 259 in their warm-up match at Wantage Road. Shafiq was 135 not out, with Haris Sohail having made 79 and Babar Azam 57. Pakistan provide the opposition when Ireland make their Test debut in a match starting in Malahide, near Dublin, on Friday and they then return across the Irish Sea for a two-Test series against England. Two days of their tour opener against Kent were lost to bad weather without a ball bowled but conditions have so far proved kinder in Northampton where Shafiq, dropped twice, made his 20th first-class century and shared with Sohail a third-wicket stand of 136. Sohail was in good touch but fell trying to hit off-spinner Rob Keogh against the turn when he got a leading edge and was caught at point. An increasingly fluent ..
Gymnast sex-abuse survivors say epidemic goes far beyond Nassar
Former star athletes who were sexually abused by one-time sports doctor Larry Nassar condemned an "epidemic" of pedophilia in the United States, calling for a "nationwide sweep" and greater accountability. Jeanette Antolin, who was on the US national gymnastics team from 1995-2000, said that one out of every three girls and one out of every five boys will be a victim of sexual abuse before his or her 18th birthday. "The reason why child sexual abuse is such an epidemic is because kids are being silenced," she said, speaking at the two-day United State of Women Summit in Los Angeles. Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, who sued the US Olympic Committee for negligence over its handling of the Nassar abuse scandal, added: "More and more women are being heard and believed when they come forward, but we still have a long way to go." "To hold accountable those who abused, enabled and looked the other way is crucial," she added. Tiffany Lopez, a former Michigan State University softball ...
Sousa stops Tsitsipas to reach home Estoril final
Portugal's Joao Sousa scored a popular victory, beating Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4) to reach the final of the Estoril Open. He is the first local since Federico Gil in 2010 to make the home final. "It was a fantastic match for me, it's a dream to be in a final at home," Sousa said. "He's been playing well on the clay." "I'm pleased with my level, the first set was one of the best of my career. He raised his game in the second and I was not able to keep up. "But I think I won the tie-breaker in the third due to more experience in those situations. It's great to now have a chance for the title." The 44th-ranked Tsitsipas was beaten as he competed in his 10th match in 13 days after reaching the Barcelona final a week ago against Rafael Nadal. "I played okay, but I am tired," he said. "But Joao played better than me. I did feel dominant at some points in the second set. "I thought I had things under control, but he found some holes in my game and took advantage. .
Kidambi Srikanth counts on performance over ranking
Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth on Saturday said he was not worried about rankings and that his main priority was to perform well in upcoming badminton tournaments.Speaking to ANI after being felicitated by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) here, Srikanth said, "I am not thinking about the rankings. Right now, it is really important for me to win medals in the big events. It is really important for me to perform well and be consistent."His coach and former badminton player Pullela Gopichand earlier said that rankings was not the priority right now for players and stressed on consistent performance in the upcoming major tournaments."Ranking is about luck and it's not a priority, but I think performance in the big tournaments is what we are looking for," Gopichand told ANI.Srikanth underscored that he wanted to remain fit ahead of 2018 Badminton World Championships and 2018 Asian Games scheduled to be held in the next two to three months."Right now, there are four to five ...
IPL' 18: SRH defeat DD to go top
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated Delhi Daredevils (DD) by seven wickets to go to the top of the table at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Saturday.Chasing 164 to win, Sunrisers were off to a blazing start as England's Alex Hales (45 off 31 balls) clobbered three fours and sixes each, courtesy a drop by Glenn Maxwell earlier in the innings.Hales smashed 27 runs off Daredevils pacer Avesh Khan, as the latter kept on bowling short to the English batsman.After Hales departed for a well-made 45 by spinner Amit Mishra, DD needed wickets to stall the momentum of SRH to have any chance of winning.Despite the innings slowing down, Sunrisers' kept the scoreboard ticking as batsmen Shikhar Dhawan (33) and skipper Kane Williamson (32) led the way, coupled with poor fielding and dropped catches.In the end, Yusuf Pathan (unbeaten 27) smashed two fours and sixes each, as the 2016 champions jumped back to the numero uno spot at the table, further enhancing their chances to earn a spot
IPL: Hyderabad regain top spot top after beating Delhi by 7 wickets
Sunrisers Hyderabad moved closer to the playoffs of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after they defeated Delhi Daredevils by seven wickets here on Saturday for their fourth win on the trot, and a victory that drove them back to the top spot.
Sunrisers win by 7 wickets, Daredevils all but out of IPL
Delhi Daredevils paid the price for flawed team selection and poor fielding as Sunrisers Hyderabad pushed them towards exit door with a seven-wicket victory in an IPL encounter, here tonight. Yusuf Pathan (27 no off 12 balls) and skipper Kane Williamson (32 no off 30 balls) kept their calm surpassing the 164-run target in 19.5 overs on a tricky surface. Pathan's dropped catch by Vijay Shankar was one of the game changing moments during the chase. Despite Amit Mishra's (2/19 in 4 overs) brilliant bowling, the lack of second specialist spinners hurt Delhi dearly as Avesh Khan (0/47 in 3 overs) and Dan Christian (0/37 in 3.5 overs) gave away 84 runs in less than seven overs which proved to be decisive. Sunrisers maintained their pole position with 14 points from nine games while Delhi after their seventh defeat are almost out of the competition. Only a mathematical possibility remains if they win all their remaining four home games. Opener Alex Hales (45, 31 balls) was dropped by Maxwell
India wins 11 gold medals on first day of SAJAC
Indian junior athletes dominated the proceedings on day one of the South Asian Junior Athletics Championships (SAJAC) at the Sugathadasa Stadium, here on Saturday.Indian juniors bagged 11 gold, ten silver and three bronze medals to put India on top of the medal tally.Arshdeep Singh provided India with the first gold medal of the day in the boys' javelin throw event with an effort of 71.47m, a new meet record.Sri Lankan duo of Prasanna Ranawaka (61.71m) and Anjana Fonseka (60.47m) won silver and bronze medals, respectively.A new meet record was also registered in the girls shot put event by India's Kiran Baliyan who won the gold with a 14.77m throw.India also grabbed the silver medal in this event through Anamika Dass' 14.54m effort while Sri Lanka's Sarisha Gunasekara (11.51m) won the bronze.Later in the day, Indian juniors also created new meet records in the boys long jump, girls 100m hurdles and 1500m events.Lokesh Sathyanathan (7.74m) won the gold for India in the long jump final .
Ball-tampering scandal, a 'valuable lesson' for Warner
Australia's sacked vice-captain David Warner on Saturday said that he has "learned a valuable lesson" after the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa earlier in March."Sometimes with our society, something has to happen for the worst for people to come out and show a lot of support and I think I've learned a valuable lesson in this myself for the support I have been given to be on the front foot to help others," Espncricinfo quoted Warner's interview to NT News.The flamboyant batsman also added that he was making use of this time by spending it with his family."I think the biggest thing for us has been when you are in a routine you can get caught in a bubble - cricket, hotels, packing your bags, coming home. I've missed that part until now where the kids run up to the gate saying, 'Mummy and daddy are here', and I am really enjoying and embracing that," he added.Warner broke silence over his role in the ball-tampering crisis on March 31 and apologised for betraying the people who had
Neymar returns to PSG training ground and works out
Neymar returned to the Paris Saint-Germain training centre today and the club tweeted photos of the Brazilian star working out in the gym. The pictures showed the world's most expensive player grimacing as he lifted weights and working out on leg-strengthening equipment. One photo showed him walking barefoot in a sand-covered area used by players returning from injury. Neymar flew back into France on Friday to rejoin the club after an operation on a broken foot bone in March. He has made clear that his main target is to be fit to play for Brazil in the World Cup in Russia, which kicks off in 40 days. The chances of Neymar adding to his 30 appearances this season for PSG, who paid 222 million euros ($263 million) for him last summer, seem slim. Neymar is expected to watch from the stands at the Stade de France on Tuesday when PSG take on third-division Les Herbiers in the French Cup final. He should then take part in the league title celebration next Saturday when PSG entertain Rennes .
No guard of honour for Barca as they did not do one for us - Zidane
Zinedine Zidane says Barcelona do not deserve a guard of honour before the Clasico on Sunday because they refused to give Real Madrid one for winning the Club World Cup. Barca host Real as La Liga and Copa del Rey champions but Zidane's side will not perform a 'pasillo', the tradition of players applauding their opponents onto the pitch. Deportivo La Coruna made the gesture ahead of their game against Barca last weekend while Barca gave Real a guard of honour at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2008, after Los Blancos had already won the league. But Barcelona bucked the trend when the two teams met in December, opting against honouring Real's success in the Club World Cup as Barca argued they had not taken part in the competition. "I'm not the one who decides," Zidane said on Saturday. "After the Club World Cup, it wasn?t important for them to give us a guard of honour. "They said they weren't in the competition, but that's a lie, because you get into the Club World Cup through the Champions
FLO felicitates Saina, Sindhu
The FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) on Saturday felicitated Indias star shuttlers Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu along with current chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand.
IPL: Shaw, Iyer lift Delhi to 163/5 vs Hyderabad
Teenaged sensation Prithvi Shaw's 65-run knock followed by skipper Shreyas Iyer's 44 helped Delhi Daredevils post a moderate 163/5 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League (IPL) tie at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Saturday.
India wins 11 gold on first day of South Asian Junior Athletics Meet
Indians dominated the proceedings on day one of the South Asian Junior Athletics Championships, winning 11 gold, 10 silver and three bronze to occupy top spot in the medal tally here today. Arshdeep Singh provided India the first gold medal of the day in the junior men's javelin throw event with an effort of 71.47m, a new meet record. Sri Lankan duo of Prasanna Ranawaka (61.71m) and Anjana Fonseka (60.47m) won silver and bronze respectively. A new meet record was also registered in the junior women's shot put event by India's Kiran Baliyan who won the gold with a 14.77m throw. India also grabbed the silver medal in this event through Anamika Das's 14.54m effort while Sri Lanka's Sarisha Gunasekara (11.51m) won the bronze. Later in the day, Indian juniors also created new meet records in the men's long jump, women's 100m hurdles and 1500m events. Lokesh Sathyanathan (7.74m) won the gold for India in the long jump final while in 100m hurdles Sapna Kumari bagged the gold with a timing of
Suarez drops hint Griezmann is Barcelona bound
FC Barcelona striker Luis Suarez dropped a big hint on Saturday about the prosepct of Atletico Madrid forwrd Antoine Griezmann becoming the Catalan football giants' big signing of the summer.