Page 1683 - Sports
Joga Bonito Mumbai win Neymar Jr's Five, players set for Brazil trip
Joga Bonito Mumbai emerged champions of the Neymar Jr's Five football tournament, which spanned across 14 cities and saw participation from over 2600 teams. Joga Bonito Mumbai took away the winners' trophy after beating Kalinga Rangers FC Pune 1-0. Anthony Machado, Johnson Dsilva, Mervin Stephen, Preetam Mahadik, Daniel Fernandes, Scott Dsouza and Pratik Kadam will now represent India in the World Finals 2018 at Instituto Projeto Neymar, Brazil, on July 21 and meet the Paris Saint Germain superstar in his own backyard. The qualifiers took place across 14 cities including Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Goa, Delhi, Aizawl, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi and Shillong. Compared to 2420 last year, 2680 teams took part in the tournament this time. Divided into five groups of three, each city champion faced two others in a league format. In closely-fought last-four clashes, Joga Bonito Mumbai outplayed Joga Bonito Bangalore 5-0 and Kalinga Rangers FC Pune ...
Gambhir took 'courageous decision' to miss KKR tie: Iyer
After clinching a thrilling victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash, Delhi Daredevils skipper Shreyas Iyer has revealed that it was not his decision to drop former skipper Gautam Gambhir from the Playing XI.Iyer took over the reins of the captaincy after Gambhir stepped down from his position following Delhi's disastrous start to the ongoing 11th edition of the IPL season, which saw the side lost five of their first six games.And Iyer made a fine start to his captaincy tenure as he struck a scorching 93-run knock to help Delhi seal only their second win of the IPL with a 55-run victory over KKR at the Feroz Shah Kotla yesterday.Munro was roped in for Gambhir for the game against KKR and Iyer confirmed that it was not his, but Gambhir's 'courageous decision' to drop himself from the team."I didn't make any call, to be honest. It wasn't my decision to drop him. He himself decided to sit out, which was really courageous decision with him being the ...
Up against KKR, embattled RCB seek revival in IPL-11
Coming off a heartbreaking loss, the Indian Premier League game against Kolkata Knight Riders tomorrow will be a test of character for embattled Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have left themselves with little margin for error after a string of reverses. RCB are struggling at sixth position after two wins and as many as four defeats, while the visiting KKR side is placed fourth with three victories and four losses. It remains to be seen how RCB have recovered from the painful defeat to Chennai Super Kings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium earlier this week. Though having a much better season than their beleaguered opponents, KKR too were stunned by Delhi Daredevils last night, and the two-time champions will be keen to get back to winning ways. Last time the two teams clashed, KKR, under new captain Dinesh Karthik, successfully chased down a target of 177, thanks to Sunil Narine's blistering 19-ball fifty. The spin trio of Narine, Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla also contributed to KKR's ...
Barcelona Open: Nadal faces Goffin challenge for final spot
World number one Rafael Nadal continues his quest for 11th Barcelona Open title as he squares off against Belgium's David Goffin in the semi-finals of the men's singles event here on Saturday.Yesterday, the Spanish tennis maestro continued his domination on clay-court as he clinched a convincing 6-0, 7-5 win over qualifier Martin Klizan of Slovakia in the last-eight clash that lasted one hour and 45 minutes.Nadal has now won 56 out of the 59 clashes he has played in Barcelona so far besides extending his consecutive sets won on clay streak to 42.The victory has also put the 31-year-old just one win away from 400 on the surface. If he prevails today, Nadal will become only the fourth man to achieve the feat.Nadal will now lock horns with Goffin, who defeated Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2, for a place in the summit showdown.In the other semi-final clash, Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta will play against second-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria.
Mavi, Avesh reprimanded for breaching code of conduct
Fast-medium bowlers Shivam Mavi and Avesh Khan, playing for Kolkata Kinght Riders and Delhi Daredevils respectively, were today reprimanded for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. They were issued reprimands for two separate incidents during the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla last night. "Both Mr. Mavi and Mr Khan admitted to the Level 1 offence under 2.1.7 of the IPL Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials and accepted the sanctions," the Indian Premier League said in a statement. For Level 1 breaches of the IPL Code of Conduct, the match referee's decision is final and binding. Mavi was smashed for 29 runs in the DD innings' final over as the home team thrashed KKR by 55 runs to break its run of reverses.
Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad face off in Jaipur
Rajasthan Royals' desire to move up the pecking order got a boost following an incredible win a week ago, and the mid-table team would look to keep the momentum going in its IPL game against Sunrisers Hyderabad here tomorrow. The Royals are aware of the challenges facing them at the Sawai Mansingh Stadum, a few days after Sunrisers Hyderabad got the better of Kings XI Punjab to grab the second position in the standings. While SRH have won five out of their seven games so far, Rajasthan Royals are placed fifth with three victories and as many losses. Rajasthan were on their way to suffer back-to-back defeats before a superb cameo from all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham helped them stun Mumbai Indians by three wickets last Sunday. The hosts are looking forward to skipper Ajinkya Rahane to lead them by example, and the India Test vice-captain must be eager to live up to the expectations. With his explosive hitting, the immensely talented Sanju Samson is turning out to be RR's batting ...
Badminton Asia C'ships: Saina, Prannoy eye final berths
Ace Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal and HS Prannoy will look to book their place in the finals of the Badminton Asia Championships when they play their respective last-four clashes here on Saturday.Yesterday, London Olympic bronze-medallist showcased a rich vein of form as she thrashed unseeded Korean Lee Jang Mi 21-15, 21-13 in a one-sided quarter-final clash of the women's singles event that lasted 43 minutes.Nehwal, who clinched a gold medal in the recently-concluded 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games, will now lock horns with World No 1 Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei in the semi-finals.Meanwhile, world No 10 Prannoy eked out a hard-fought 18-2, 23-21, 21-12 win over second-seeded Son Wan Ho of Korea in the last-eight men's singles clash that lasted just half an hour.With the win, Prannoy has now set up a semi-final clash against third seed Chen Long of China.Earlier, Rio Olympic silver-medallist PV Sindhu and top-seeded Kidambi Srikanth crashed out of the tournament after losing
Battling Nadal one win away from 400 on clay
Rafael Nadal took his clay-court win streak to 42 consecutive sets when he battled to a 6-0, 7-5 triumph over Martin Klizan in the Barcelona quarter-finals as he also moved just one win away from 400 on the surface. World number one Nadal, the 10-time champion in Barcelona, was made to work by Slovakian qualifier Klizan, ranked at 140 and who had knocked out Novak Djokovic in the second round. Klizan had three set points to take the match to a decider but Nadal, who had been 3-5 down in the second set, battled back for victory on a third match point and will face Belgium's David Goffin for a place in the final. "I went to the bathroom (after the first set) and maybe after that I lost some timing," said Nadal. "It was a great first set but I played a very bad game at the start of the second. It was tough -- I feel a little lucky to win in straight sets." Should he prevail today, Nadal would become only the fourth man to win 400 matches on clay. The 31-year-old remains a long way behind
Maradona quits as coach of second division UAE team
Diego Maradona resigned as coach of United Arab Emirates second division club Al Fujairah after his team failed to gain promotion, his lawyer Matias Morla announced. Argentine legend Maradona, a former World Cup winner and one of football's most divisive figures, said he was stepping down after a 1-1 draw against Khorfakkan. "After today's match, and having failed to achieve the objective of promotion, Diego Maradona will no longer be the coach of the team," tweeted Moria. The lawyer insisted that the decision "had been a mutual agreement" with the club and that he wished Al Fujairah "the best". Maradona, 57, was appointed coach in May last year with the task of getting Al Fujairah back into the top flight after a two-year absence. However, yesterday's result meant that the team cannot finish any higher than third in the table.
Wenger set for for Old Trafford farewell
Arsene Wenger is unsure of the welcome he will receive on his final visit to Old Trafford as Arsenal boss tomorrow after many "great battles" against Manchester United during his two decades in charge. The 68-year-old Frenchman, leaving the club at the end of the season, will bring a side that is a pale shadow of the team that challenged United's Premier League dominance during his first decade in charge. Wenger's clashes with former United boss Alex Ferguson are the stuff of legend and his relationship with current Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been laced with bitterness. But both men have reached out to him with warm words since he announced he was stepping down. Mourinho said he regrets some of the "little negative episodes" between himself and Wenger over the years, calling on United fans to give him a fitting send-off. When asked whether he could be friends with Mourinho, Wenger spoke instead of "respect" for the current United boss. Arsenal, in sixth spot in the ...
Sumit, Nikhat enter finals of Belgrade International boxing
Asian silver-medallist Sumit Sangwan (91kg) and former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) were among the eight Indian boxers to make the finals, while five others settled for bronze medals in the 56th Belgrade International Tournament in Serbia. Sumit defeated Greece's Vagkan Nanitzanian after his opponent threw in the towel in the third round of the bout last night. The India Open bronze-medallist, making a comeback from a wrist injury, will square off against Ecuador's Castilo Torres in the final. Nikhat, also returning to the ring after an injury-forced break, out-punched Serbia's Nina Radovanovic for a unanimous 3-0 win. The national bronze-medallist will be up against Greece's Aikaterini Koutsogeorgopulou of Greece in her summit clash. Also advancing to the finals were Himanshu Sharma (49kg), Laldinmawia (52kg), Varinder Singh (56kg), Pawan Kumar (69kg), Jamuna Boro (54kg), and Ralte Lalfakmawii (+81kg). Himanshu defeated Frenchman Mohamed Radji 3-0, while ...
German tennis player Mayer to retire after US Open
German tennis player Florian Mayer will retire from his professional career of 17 years after the US Open.
Rafael Nadal reaches Barcelona Open semis
Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal has defeated Slovakia's Martin Klizan 6-0, 7-5 here to advance to the semifinals of the Barcelona Open, an ATP World Tour 500-level clay-court tournament.
IAAF rules to limit testosterone levels for female runners
New rules for female athletes with high natural testosterone levels could force two-time Olympic 800-meter champion Caster Semenya to stop running middle-distance races, and were denounced as racist by South Africa's ruling political party. The IAAF said yesterday that from Nov. 1 it will limit entry for all international events from 400 meters through the mile to women with testosterone levels below a specified level. Women with elevated testosterone must reduce their level for "six months (e.g., by use of hormonal contraceptives)" before being eligible to run, and maintain that lowered level. The African National Congress party said it supports Semenya in "yet another attempt ... to exclude and discriminate against her." "We call on government to challenge this grossly unfair, unjust and blatant racist attempt by the IAAF to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and have these regulations set aside," the ANC said in a statement. The new rules could yet be challenged, including by ...
India wins South Asian U-12 Qualifying Tennis Tournament
India has won the South Asian Under-12 Qualifying Tennis Tournament and defeated host Nepal in the finals in Lalitpur on Friday.Indian girls defeated host Nepal by 2-0 in the final in Lalitpur today. In the first match India's Durganshi easily defeated Aaza Regmi of Nepal in the straight sets by 6-0, 6-0."It was a great experience to watch these kids play and there is so much that we can advise them by watching matches because it is so much different in watching and practice, there's not much you can tell about them, watch about them. The future of the country is really like bright as we have kids like this at the age of 12 and to be able to work with them at this age that's what I would take back with me," Coach of the Indian girls team Namita Bal told ANI.In the second match, Anjali Rathi also did not face much difficulty against her Nepalese opponent. She beat Subhangee Laxmi Shah by 6-0, 6-1.The Indian boys have also defeated their Nepali opponents in the final by 2-0. In the ...
IPL 2018: Iyer's daredevilry helps Delhi end losing streak
Inspired by half-centuries from new skipper Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw, Delhi Daredevils finally ended their three-match losing streak with a 55-run thumping win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at the Ferozshah Kotla here on Friday.
Iyer pummels KKR bowlers with unbeaten 93 in DD's big win
Thrust into leadership role in a grim situation, young Shreyas Iyer responded with a whirlwind 93-run knock as Delhi Daredevils, seeking revival in IPL, hammered Kolkata Knight Riders by 55 runs, here tonight. Sent into bat, the Daredevils batsmen fired in unison to put on board a massive 219 for four with the two young batsmen from Mumbai Iyer (93 off 40) and Prithvi Shaw (62) enthralling the fans with their elegant knocks. Iyer and Shaw added 68 runs for the second wicket after the latter had shared a 59-run partnership for the first wicket with Kiwi batsman Colin Munro (33). Batting like a man-possessed, Iyer hammered young pacer Shivam Mavi for four sixes and a four in the last over of the innings as Daredevils collected 76 runs from the last four. Iyer, who replaced Gautam Gambhir as captain, sent the ball soaring over the ropes 10 times and hit the fence thrice while Shaw hit seven fours and two sixes. KKR fielders dropped Iyer twice and paid a very heavy price for the mistake.
DD beat KKR by 55 runs in IPL
Delhi Daredevils defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 55 runs in an IPL fixture at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium here today. Shreyas Iyer (93) was the top-scorer, while Prithvi Shaw (62) also contributed with a fifty as bottom-placed Delhi posted a challenging 219-4, their first 200-plus score this season. For KKR, Andrew Russell scored 44 off 30 balls, while Shubnam Gill hit 37. Brief Score: Delhi Daredevils: 219 for 4 in 20 overs (P Shaw 62, S Iyer 93; A Russell 1/28). Kolkata Knight Riders: 164 for nine in 20 overs (A Russell 44, A Mishra 2/23).
Saina Nehwal, Prannoy ease to semis in Asia Badminton C'ship
Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal and World No. 10 H.S. Prannoy entered the semifinals of the women's and men's singles competition at the 2018 Asia Badminton Championship here on Friday.Nehwal continued her top form as she beat unseeded Korean Lee Jang Mi, 21-15, 21-13, in a 43-minute clash. She will now face World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei.The two-time gold medallist of the recently concluded Gold Coast Commonwealth Games fought back valiantly from 3-8 and 9-13 deficits respectively, to take a lead 14-13, before finishing the first set in style.The second set was easy for Nehwal as Lee failed to put up a fight, leaving the former to take the second set and the game easily.Prannoy, who missed out on a medal at the recently concluded Gold Coast Commonwealth Games eked out a hard-fought victory over second-seeded Korean Son Wan Ho, 18-21, 23-21, 21-12. He will now face Olympic champion and third seed Chen Long of China.However, Gold Coast CWG silver medalist P.V. Sindhu failed to ...
42 sets and counting: Nadal battles to reach Barcelona semi-finals
Rafael Nadal kept his campaign for an 11th Barcelona title on track today with a 6-0, 7-5 win over Slovakian qualifier Martin Klizan. World number one Nadal has now won 42 consecutive sets on clay but he was made to work by Klizan, the world number 140. Klizan, who knocked out Novak Djokovic in the second round, had three set points to take the match to a decider. But Nadal, who had been 3-5 down in the second set, battled back to take victory on a third match point and will face either Belgium's David Goffin or Spanish compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the final.