Page 1660 - Sports
IPL: Mumbai Indians put Kings XI Punjab in to bat
Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field against Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at the Holkar Cricket Stadium here on Friday.
Gerrard roped in as Scottish club Rangers manager
Former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard was on Friday appointed manager of Scottish football club Rangers on a four-year deal.
Steven Gerrard confirmed as new Rangers boss
Rangers today confirmed former Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard as their new manager, announcing he would join the Scottish Premiership club this summer on a four-year deal. Gerrard, who has previously only worked with Liverpool's Under-18s, faces a daunting task in trying to compete with Old Firm rivals Celtic, who have just sealed their seventh consecutive title. "I am honoured to become the next manager of Rangers," the 37-year-old said in a statement on the club's website. "I have enormous respect for this football club, and its history and tradition. "I can't wait to start this new journey at Rangers as we look to build on the many successes that this club has achieved." Chairman Dave King said: "From the very beginning, talks have been extremely positive and we believe that Steven is the right man to drive Rangers forward. "He was extremely impressive throughout our negotiations and we are convinced that he has the necessary knowledge and temperament to lead the ..
Meet Rashael Kanwal, the skier who overcame challenges to reach the peak
Rashael Kanwal from Shimla was just two-and-a-half-year old when she originated her passion of skiing in the beautiful snow range of Narkanda, an ideal destination for Alpine skiing and winter sports in Himachal Pradesh.The 24-year-old is now a professional on the international skiing circuit and her story is enough to make you feel astonished.Rashael, the Alpine ski champion, is currently preparing for the Winter Olympics and is also looking forward to training under former Olympian and World Cup winner Giorgio Rocca.Talking to ANI, Rashael said her main focus at the moment was to qualify for the fixed races, which were mandatory to make it to the Olympics."I am looking forward to Olympics 2022. And for that, I have to qualify few fixed races which are very mandatory for qualifying the Olympics. So, my main focus right now is on those fixed races and I am looking forward to train myself under Giorgio Rocca. He is former Olympian and World Cup winner. He has his academy in ...
IAAF shakes up 2019 Doha worlds schedule
The IAAF said today it will scrap morning sessions at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, as well as introducing a mixed 4x400 metres relay and a midnight marathon. Race walking events will also start at 11.30pm local time as part of a big shake-up of the traditional scheduling for the championships, which will run from September 28-October 6 when temperatures in the Gulf state remain very hot and humid. The decathlon and heptathlon will be run concurrently -- a first for the world championships -- with their respective event-ending 1500m and 800m finals both starting after midnight. "It's new and exciting," IAAF president Sebastian Coe said in the Qatari capital, although local organisers only expect 10,000 foreigners to make the trip for the nine-day event. "We can learn and adapt for Tokyo 2020 (Olympics) and beyond," Coe said, speaking ahead of Friday's season-opening Diamond League meeting. In the world championships, split evening sessions, with a one-hour break, ...
Unified North-South Korea table tennis team lose
Having taken another step towards the sporting rapprochement of North and South Korea, the unified Korean women's table tennis team was soundly beaten by Japan at the world championships in Sweden today. The two Koreas on Thursday opted against playing each other, deciding instead to field a joint women's team for the semi-finals. But when the action resumed in Halmstad today, South Korean player Jeon Jihee lost in three sets, 11-2, 11-8, 11-9, to Japan's Mima Ito in the first match. Kim Song I, of North Korea, fared better in the second match but lost 11-4, 6-11, 11-8, 11-13, 16-14 to Japan's strongest player, Kasumi Ishikawa. In the final match, Japan's Miu Hirano dispensed with South Korea's Yang Haeun 11-4, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6. "Playing against the combined team, (they) were very strong but I really wanted to give the best... we came here to win the gold medal and that's what we're going to do," Hirano said. Despite the defeat, the combined Korean team were all smiles as they were ...
UEFA opens disciplinary proceedings following Liverpool-AS Roma clash
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on Friday announced that it had opened disciplinary proceedings against AS Roma and Liverpool following the Italians' 4-2 home win in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final here.
IAAF testosterone rules 'appropriate' - Coe
IAAF president Sebastian Coe today hit a defiant note amid criticism of controversial new rules on women's testosterone, insisting they were "appropriate for the sport". Track and field's governing body has come under the spotlight after unveiling the rules to counteract hyperandrogenism, the medical condition which causes women to produce high levels of male sex hormones. The rules, which the IAAF puts under the heading "Difference of Sexual Development" (DSD), cover events from 400m to the mile because the IAAF's medical and science department says it has data showing hyperandrogenous athletes have an advantage over such distances. When the rules come into effect on November 1, 2018, athletes such as South Africa's double Olympic champion Caster Semenya will only be able to compete if they take medication to reduce their levels of male sex hormones. Semenya has long attracted debate because of her powerful physique related to hyperandrogenism. The issue is controversial because it ..
Malaysian badminton player denies match-fixing, to appeal
A Malaysian badminton player hit with a career-ending 20-year ban rejected allegations of match-fixing today and said he will appeal, claiming he was involved in a spot of casino gambling but not corruption. Former world junior champion Zulfadli Zulkiffli, 25, was banned this week and fined $25,000 after the sport's world governing body ruled that he had engaged in corrupt practices dating back to 2013. A second Malaysian player, Tan Chun Seang, 31, was barred for 15 years and fined $15,000. The bans came after the pair faced a Badminton World Federation (BWF) ethics hearing in Singapore in February. But at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Zulfadli insisted he was innocent: "I have in no way spoken about, let alone been involved in, match-fixing." He said he planned to appeal, and called for support from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and country's sports ministry in making his case. "I will follow the appeal procedure step by step," he said. A key part of the evidence
Neeraj can throw close to 90m this year: world champion Vetter
The list of Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's admirers has grown with reigning world champion Johannes Vetter predicting a bright future for the Commonwealth Games gold medallist. After winning gold at Gold Coast Games with his second career-best throw of 86.47m, the 20-year-old Neeraj has said that he would like to join the '90m club' soon. "He (Neeraj) is really young. He is able to throw between 88 and 90m, this year of course," Vetter, who has a personal best of 94.44m, was quoted as saying by the 'Olympic Channel'. Neeraj is competing against Vetter in the season-opening leg of the Diamond League series in Doha. The star-studded field includes Olympic champion Thomas Rohler and Rio Olympics silver medallist Julius Yego of Kenya, besides Vetter. Neeraj's personal best stands at 86.48m, that won him gold at the U-20 World Championships in 2016 in Bydgoszcz (Poland), which is also the existing world junior record. Only 18 athletes have ever thrown over 90m, including six who ..
Agarkar blames MI middle order for team's poor run
Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar today blamed the Mumbai Indians' middle order for the defending champions' poor show in the Indian Premier League. He also wanted MI skipper Rohit Sharma to open or bat at number three. MI are languishing in the last spot with just four points and are staring at an early exit. "Their (MI) bowling attack is quite potent, (but) they haven't again delivered. Their batting has kind of let them down - their middle order. They just somehow have missed the important moments in a game and have probably let themselves down," Agarkar told PTI. Agarkar also emphasised that MI should re-look at their batting order. "They need to start getting their batting right. Rohit, for me, needs to bat at number three, if he is not opening, and not lower than that. "They need Rohit to play well. Others have to chip in. Suryakumar Yadav has been good for them. Apart from that, they haven't had too many match-winners in their batting, which is bit of worry," added Agarkar, who ..
FIFA World Cup: 80 years of a tournament with unforgettable sporting moments
The FIFA World Cup, which first kicked off on July 13, 1930 in Montevideo, Uruguay with a match between France and Mexico, and was most recently contested 84 years later, when Germany took home the trophy after defeating Argentina at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium, has during its 20 editions left an indelible legacy.
Tendulkar, Thakur launch sporting initiative
BJP MP Anurag Thakur and cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar today launched 'Star Khel Mahakumbh' in the presence of 1500 athletes. The event aims to attract participation of at least one lakh youth from Thakur's Hamirpur constituency. The athletes will compete in volleyball, basketball, cricket, football, kabaddi and athletics. I firmly believe that sports has the power to shape personalities and contribute immensely towards the holistic growth of an individual," said Thakur at the launch. "To ensure that the participation is not limited and the remotest of the village resident gets a fair chance to excel, the initiative has been designed in a manner that it seeks participation from youth across 5000 villages and 800 panchayats, he said further. Thakur added that over Rs 1 crore will be invested in the project over the next five years. Talking about the initiative, Tendulkar said: Sports can indeed play a pivotal role in shaping lives and such initiatives help in reinforcing this by ...
Coming back to tennis is priority: Sania Mirza (IANS Interview)
After a career-pausing break and motherhood, will Sania Mirza bounce back to the tennis court for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics? It's a long way off, feels the former doubles World No.1 who says resuming her game is a priority as soon as the pregnancy is done. She wants to set an example that people shouldn't give up dreams just because they're pregnant.
Nadal downplays chances of finishing as year-end No.1
Spain's Rafael Nadal, the world's top-ranked tennis player, has said that despite a torrid start to his clay-court campaign it was unlikely he would be able to overcome an injury hiatus earlier in the season and finish as tennis' year-end No.1 for the fifth time.
We are looking at improvement and not perfection: Williamson
Perched atop the points table, they have so far relished a stupendous performance in the IPL and Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson says all they have tried to do is take "small steps forward" for improvement than chase perfection. "It's been improving and that's what we want to continue. We want to continue that trend of improvement. Small steps forward rather than us looking for perfect performances," Williamson told PTI . The SRH have won six of the eight games they has played despite missing regular captain David Warner in the wake of the ball tampering row. The New Zealand batsman said they focussed on looking ahead than ruing what they are missing. "It (missing Warner) was a loss for our side. I guess from that point it was important that we were to look ahead and not to dwell on it and look at the group we have and try and play cricket as a team. That is something we are focused on and trying to do," he said. SRH are set to clash with resurgent Delhi Daredevils in ...
Water for Pune stadium under industrial category illegal: HC
The Bombay High Court today restrained the Maharashtra Cricket Association from drawing water from the Pavana river to maintain the Pune cricket stadium and held that the state government's decision permitting the association to do so was "illegal". The MCA, since six years, has been drawing water from the Pavana river after signing an agreement with the state government. The water was used to maintain the pitch and ground of the stadium. As per the agreement between the state government and the MCA, the water was to be used for industrial purposes. A division bench of Justices A S Oka and Riyaz Chagla today said that the state government was not entitled to grant permission to the MCA for industrial purposes. "We are shocked to note that for a period of six years, the state government has allowed the MCA to draw water from the Pavana river for industrial purposes when admittedly the MCA is not running any industry. The water is being used for the stadium," the court said in its ...
NZ Open: Shuttler Praneeth in semis, Sameer bows out
Ace Indian shuttler B. Sai Praneeth stormed into the semi-finals of the New Zealand Open Badminton Championship after scoring a convincing straight games win over Niluka Karunaratne of Sri Lanka in their last-eight clash here on Friday.The third-seed showcased a rich vein of form as he eased past Karunaratne 21-7, 21-19 in a one-sided quarter-final clash that lasted just 28 minutes.He will now square off against second-seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia for a place in the summit showdown.Meanwhile, it was curtains down for fifth-seed Sameer Verma as he slumped to straight-games defeat at the hands of top-seed Lin Dan of China.Verma suffered a 19-21, 9-21 defeat against his Chinese opponent in a last-eight encounter that lasted 40 minutes.In the men's doubles event, the Indian duo of Manu Attri and B.Sumeeth Reddy also bowed out of the tournament after suffering a 10-21, 15-21 loss against the Thailand team of Bodin Isara and Nipitphon Phuangphuapet.
Sandhu lies second; four Indians in top-10 at Korea
India's Ajeetesh Sandhu slipped into tied-second spot despite dropping three shots in the second round of the 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship here today. Sandhu, who carded four-under 67 on the opening day, shot an even par 71 on the second to be three-under for 36 holes. Sandhu trailed Korean Dongha Lee (68), while Heungchul Joo (70) joined Sandhu in tied-second place. It was a good day for the Indians as Shiv Kapur, despite carding one-over 72, moved up from tied 7th to tied 5th, while Gaganjeet Bhullar (72-70) and S Chikkarangappa (72-70) were tied 9th as four Indians figured in top-10. Arjun Atwal (75-73) just about squeezed inside the cut line with a birdie on his closing hole, the ninth, after a roller-coaster ride. Atwal had four birdies against a double in first six holes starting from 10th. But three of bogeys from 16 to 18 meant he turned in one-over. Then three bogeys against just one birdie meant he was seven-over with one hole to play and he birdied that to
Lahiri disappoints; modest start for Woods
Anirban Lahiri had a disastrous finish as he dropped four shots in closing three holes to end at 5-over 76 on the opening day of Wells Fargo golf tournament here. The ordinary meant he will need a very low second round to ensure he stays on for the weekend. Lahiri, now lying T-128, continued to miss short putts. On Thursday, he missed at least four putts inside six and a half feet and a few others between 10-15 feet. Lahiri bogeyed the second and eighth hole and dropped another shot on 11th as he was 3-over through the first 12 holes. Birdies on 13th from 21 feet and 15th from 11 feet seemed to have salvaged the round. And then came the last three as he bogeyed 16th when he missed a five-footer par putt and then on and 17th he missed a 11-footer for par. On Par-4 18th, he had a tough shot from the bunker and went beyond. Then he missed a six-footer for bogey and ended with a double. John Peterson, 29, made back-to-back eagles on Par-5 seventh and Par-4 eighth and added three more ...