Page 1661 - Sports
Surrey deal: No fat contract, only nominal wages for Kohli
He might be the top earning cricketer in the world today but English county side Surrey has got Virat Kohli for a dirt cheap deal as the BCCI was keen to ensure quality game time for the India captain ahead of tour of England. Kohli, who will not play the one-off Test against Afghanistan and two T20 Internationals against Ireland (all in June), is keen to redeem himself in the Old Blighty in pursuit of greatness. With the BCCI wanting it's top players to get county exposure, the deal with Surrey was finally inked only as late as this week. "Contrary to popular belief that Virat will cost a bomb for Surrey, it was completely the other way round. Let's get it clear. Surrey is paying airfare, accommodation and a very nominal match fee during the month," a senior BCCI office-bearer privy to the deal told PTI on conditions of anonymity. "Since the Board and Virat himself was very keen, the monetary part was least of concern for us," he added. "We are not at liberty to quote the amount but .
Delhi's Aryan Kumar among others to make cut for NBA Academy India
The National Basketball Association on Friday announced eight new prospects from ACG-NBA Jump National Finals, India's first-ever national basketball talent search program, that tipped off its 2018 National Finals on May 3.The selected players become the second batch to receive scholarships and training at the NBA Academy India.The 2018 ACG-NBA Jump National Finals marked the culmination of a talent search which comprised of regional clinics and an open submission allowing players to submit video entries showcasing their basketball skills, athletic ability and attitude.The top 50 players from the nationwide-scouting program were selected for the ACG-NBA Jump National Finals.Los Angeles Lakers' Brook Lopez was present through the two-day camp and shared his personal drills and training techniques with all the finalists.He was also involved in selection of the new prospects for The NBA Academy India.The entire list of players is as follows:Delhi's Aryan Kumar, Haryana's Harsh Dagar, ...
IPL: Hyderabad eyeing to cement play-off berth vs Delhi (Preview)
Table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be aiming to cement their play-off berth when they take on a struggling Delhi Daredevils (DD) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) game at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, here on Saturday.
Marseille pip Salzburg to reach Europa League final
Olympique Marseille needed a goal from Rolando off a controversially awarded corner in the 116th minute to eke out a 3-2 aggregate win over Red Bull Salzburg and advance to the Europa League final.
Have to do a lot to earn back respect: Smith
Disgraced former Australia captain Steve Smith on Friday thanked people for their support during the wretched time off the field, stating it is "time to get back into it".
J-K: Engineer starts first indoor-cricket academy
A man named Irfan Bukhari, who is an engineer by profession, has started the first indoor-cricket academy in Jammu and Kashmir, for budding cricketers in the state.Bukhari says the academy is aimed at promoting cricketing activities in the state and will provide opportunities to talented cricketers. It currently has a turf and a balling machine."I was born in Srinagar, but did my engineering from Bangalore. When I came back to my hometown in 2003, then we started a small business of engineering equipments. Later on we came up with the idea of starting a cricket academy," Bukhari told ANI.Irfan was himself a cricketer from childhood and therefore wanted to do something for budding cricketers of the state. He started the academy with the help of his friends.The academy will also help in streamlining state wide cricketing activities, said Bukhari."This academy is for budding players who want to play the sport. I would urge people to continue such efforts in other districts of the state ..
IPL-2018: Kolkata to host play-offs instead of Pune
The two Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff matches, which were originally scheduled in Pune, will take place at the Eden Gardens, it was confirmed on Friday.
Hertha Berlin sign Dutch young striker Dilrosun
Capital football club Hertha Berlin has completed its first summer transfer after signing striker Javairo Dilrosun from Manchester City's youth team.
Ukraine ready to host UEFA Champions League finals
Ukraine is fully prepared to host the UEFA Champions League finals here later this month, the Ukrainian presidential press service said in a statement.
Praneeth marches on, Verma crashes out of NZ Open badminton
B Sai Praneeth was the lone Indian left in fray at the New Zealand Open Badminton Championship after he entered the semifinals of the men's singles event here today. Even as third seed Praneeth marched on, Sameer Verma, seeded fifth, was shown the door by top seed and two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China. Praneeth hardly broke a sweat as he took just 28 minutes to quell the challenge of Sri Lanka's Niluka Karunaratne 21-7 21-9 in the quarterfinals. Praneeth will next face second seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the semifinals. However, it was curtains for Verma as he failed to counter Lin Dan's attacking game and vast experience to lose 19-21 9-21 in another semifinal duel. Lin Dan will be up against qualifier Kwang Hee Heo of Korea in the other semifinal. Besides, fifth seeded Indian men's doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy also crashed out after losing in the quarterfinals. They were defeated in straight games 10-21 15-21 by fourth seeds Bodin Isara and ...
Kenya's Kiprop tested positive, no mix-up - AIU
Asbel Kiprop tested positive for the endurance-boosting drug EPO, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) confirmed today, refuting allegations by the Kenyan track star that his sample might have been contaminated. Kiprop, a three-time world 1500m champion and 2008 Olympic gold medallist, on Thursday "vehemently denied" doping, suggesting an out-of-competition sample he gave could have been contaminated by two anti-doping agents he suspects might have targeted him for extortion. The AIU, which deals with doping matters for track and field's governing body the IAAF, responded by saying that 28-year-old Kiprop was notified on February 3 of having tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO). "On March 16, 2018, Mr Kiprop was charged with violations of the IAAF Anti-Doping Rules and the matter is currently proceeding before the independent IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal," the AIU said in a statement. "The AIU is satisfied that there has been no mix-up or tampering with the sample and that the sample .
'Clasico of honour' - Real look to crash unbeaten Barca's party
Real Madrid can transform their own season by beating Liverpool in this month's Champions League final, and on Sunday they can dent Barcelona's by becoming the first team to defeat the Catalans in La Liga. This 'clasico' at Camp Nou will have minimal impact on the league, with Barca already crowned champions and Real's passing interest in pipping Atletico to second place diminished by their ambitions in Europe. But there is still much at stake in what Madrid's daily newspaper Marca has billed "the clasico of honour". It could even be argued this match will go some way to defining the seasons of these two teams. Barca, in particular, have been careful in celebrating their domestic double, their players aware of the disappointment that lingers from their Champions League crash in the quarter-finals. Even as they ordered pizza and slurped beer from the top of their open-top bus down Las Ramblas this week, it was noticeable how many interviews still referenced the disappointment in ...
IAAF suspends five Russian walkers over coach link
Five Russian athletes have been ruled out of competing at this weekend's World Race Walking Team Championships in China after attending a training camp with banned coach Viktor Chegin, the IAAF announced today. The IAAF said its Doping Review Board had decided to revoke the Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) status granted to Klavdiya Afanasyeva, Olga Eliseeva, Yuliya Lipanova, Sergey Sharypov and Sergey Shirobokov. The decision was made "pending further investigation into a number of serious issues arising from their participation at the training camp in Karakol in the Kyrgyz Republic last month, including the involvement in Karakol of the coach, Viktor Chegin, who has been banned from the sport for life", the IAAF said. It means the five athletes are not eligible for the World Race Walking Team Championships that will be held on Saturday and Sunday in Taicang, China. "The Doping Review Board will review their status for future competitions in 2018, once it has received further ...
Serena Williams out of Madrid Open
Madrid Open organisers said that Serena Williams has withdrawn from the tournament to be held next week because she wasn't ready to compete.
Carreno Busta reaches quarters, Tsitsipas defeats Anderson
Spain's World No. 11 tennis player Pablo Carreno Busta stormed into the Estoril Open quarterfinals, beating Argentine Nicolas Kicker, while the tournament's top seed South African Kevin Anderson lost to the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Rolando extra-time strike edges Marseille into Europa League final
Marseille booked a Europa League final meeting with Atletico Madrid after Portuguese defender Rolando struck in extra time to grab a 3-2 aggregate victory over a spirited Salzburg. Salzburg produced a rousing second-half performance to wipe out a 2-0 first-leg deficit, but Marseille became the first French side to reach a European final since 2004 despite a 2-1 defeat on the night. Amadou Haidara gave the dominant hosts hope early in the second half with an excellent individual effort before Bouna Sarr's own goal levelled the semi-final. Rudi Garcia's visitors survived some late scares to force a further half-hour and substitute Rolando volleyed home a 116th-minute Dimitri Payet corner that shouldn't have been given. The 20-year-old Haidara, the outstanding player on the night, was sent off as his frustrations boiled over, as Salzburg's incredible run which included wins over Borussia Dortmund and Lazio came to an end. Marseille, runners-up to Valencia in the UEFA Cup 14 years ago, ...
US fans grab tickets for Spain-Portugal match at World Cup
Fans from the United States were the largest group of ticket purchasers for the Spain-Portugal match during the group stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the organisers have said.
Costa ends Europa League dream for Wenger and Arsenal
Diego Costa killed Arsene Wenger's last hope of a glorious Arsenal farewell as his goal sent Atletico Madrid through to the Europa League final. Wenger's 250th European fixture with Arsenal also to proved to be his last, decided by a typically ruthless finish from Costa, who delivered the sort of barnstorming display defenders must have nightmares about. Arsenal's defence, fragile and nervous throughout, were particularly susceptible and this 1-0 defeat, 2-1 on aggregate, means Wenger's final season in charge will end with his team missing out on Champions League qualification for a second year in a row. For all his domestic achievements, Wenger will also depart without a European trophy to his name and it remains to be seen how sitting outside the continent's premier tournament will affect Arsenal's pursuit of a new coach, and players, this summer. "I'm very sad tonight," Wenger said. "Unfortunately you have to go through that - the game can be very cruel, sometimes very nice, but ...
Neymar return to Paris boosts World Cup hopes By Adrien
An almost fit-again Neymar was expected to arrive in Paris from Rio today some 40 days ahead of the World Cup finals in Russia, French daily L'Equipe reported. Although the star was reported to be taking the Thursday flight out of Rio de Janeiro, arriving early Friday in Paris, there was no confirmation from his spokesman that he departed. Neymar was not spotted in the public areas of Rio's Tom Jobim International Airport. While his return is too late to have any impact for his club, Brazil fans are desperate for their iconic star to lead the team out in Russia. The 26-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward -- at 220 million euros ($263 million) the most expensive player in history -- broke a bone in his right foot on February 25 playing for PSG and has been in a race for fitness since undergoing surgery in Brazil on March 3. According to L'Equipe Neymar has been walking without crutches for two weeks but the star striker said last week from his coastal mansion in Rio that he would not .
Serena Williams pulls out of Madrid Open
American tennis ace Serena Williams has pulled out of next week's Madrid Open, saying that she needs more time to prepare for clay-court season.Confirming the news, tournament director Manolo Santana said that Serena is one of the greatest tennis champions and that they regret her absence in the tournament."We regret the absence of Serena and we wish her a speedy recovery. She is one of the great champions of our sport, she has always offered a show to the tournament and we hope to see her again at the Caja Magica in the future," Santana was quoted as saying by WTA website.Serena ended her 15-month absence from tennis during which she gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr in March this year. She went on to play at Indian Wells and Miami Open but has admitted to struggling to get fully fit.The 23-time Grand Slam champion is a two-time champion in the Spanish capital. She clinched the Madrid Open title in the 2012 and 2013 editions of the tournament.