Page 1690 - Sports
Iniesta move 'a rumour' says Chongqing coach
Andres Iniesta's move to Chongqing Lifan is just "a rumour", the Chinese club's coach said, as the Barcelona captain gets ready to reveal his future plans. Reports in Spain and China say the 33-year-old Spanish international midfielder is close to sealing a transfer to the Chinese Super League (CSL), with Chongqing said to be his most likely destination. Chongqing coach Paulo Bento, who was in charge of Portugal at the last World Cup, said: "This is a rumour and it is very difficult to comment on rumours. "But I don't think there is any fan or coach in the world that doesn't like a player like Iniesta," the Portuguese said, according to Chinese media reports, after Chongqing won 2-0 at Anhui Hefei in the fourth round of the Chinese FA Cup on Wednesday. Iniesta, who has been central to Barcelona and Spain's success over more than a decade, looks set to leave his boyhood club at the end of the season. He is keeping tight-lipped about his future, but he has been strongly linked for ...
Gambhir's captaincy was no issue, DD batsmen failed: Manjrekar
Gautam Gambhir had to step down from the helm after the failure of Delhi Daredevils' batting unit in this Indian Premier League season, but his leadership was not an issue, feels former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar. Daredevils, yet to win an IPL crown, are in the last spot in the points table after losing five of the six games they figured in, their sole win coming against defending champions Mumbai Indians here. "I don't think Gambhir's leadership was a problem, it was just about the batsmen not getting runs, notable failure like (Glenn) Maxwell hurting them. Gambhir, the batsman, thereby had to get runs because the others were failing around him. Gambhir was picked more for his captaincy than his batting, but because the batting group was not clicking, Gambhir the batsman came under scrutiny," Manjrekar told PTI. "I don't think the leadership was an issue but (they needed to) do something to reboot. You expected something like this after their last result and being ..
Being patient will be key at Roland Garros: Yuki
Clay is not his preferred surface but Yuki Bhambri says he is ready for the French Open challenge and staying patient during long rallies will be key for his maiden campaign at the Roland Garros. Yuki broke back into top-100 just ahead of French Open cut-off date, earning a direct entry into the main draw in the second major of the season for the first time in his career. He had played qualifiers of the clay court Grand Slam back in 2015, losing in the second round. "I will play warm up event in Geneva (last red clay event before French Open). Also, I will reach there one week before (to get acclimatised). The traditional French Open courts are not that slow, compared to other clay courts. I have nothing to lose," Yuki said on the sidelines of a event to showcase French Open singles trophies. "The movement and getting used to sliding will crucial. I have to stay patient during long rallies. That will be key. You have to play 3-4-5 shots before you to set up point,"the 25-year-old, who
ICC converts 50-over CT in India into World T20
The ICC today decided to convert the 2021 Champions Trophy scheduled in India into a World T20 event, finally scrapping the eight-team ODI tournament, the context and relevance of which has been questioned repeatedly. At the end of its five-day board meeting, ICC Chief Executive Dave Richardson said the global body has "unanimously agreed" that the 2021 meet in India would now be a 16-team event in the shortest format. Richardson's announcement meant that BCCI representative Amitabh Chaudhary also voted in favour of the change after the initial opposition to the move. This means that there would be an unprecedented two ICC World T20 events in two years --- the 2020 edition in Australia and the 2021 edition in India. "The 2021 Champions Trophy in India will now change to World T20. It fits into our strategy of growing the game," Richardson said today at a media conference at the end of the meeting. There will be a 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cup, effectively scrapping the very concept of ..
India clubbed with Iran, Vietnam and Indonesia in AFC U-16 Finals
India havebeen clubbed with strong contenders Islamic Republic of Iran, Vietnam and Indonesia in Group C of the AFC U-16 Championship Finals, which is slated to be held in Malaysia in September this year.The official draw for the Championship was held at the AFC headquarters earlier today.India had qualified as second-best team from the AFC U-16 qualifiers in Nepal 2017, where the young guns had held defending champions Iraq to a 0-0 draw in the last match of the group.In the other two matches, India had accounted for Palestine 3-0, while they were held on to a 2-2 draw by hosts Nepal in the other match. This is India's third qualification to the AFC U-16 finals from the last four editions.The tournament will be held in Kuala Lumpur from September 20 to October 7, 2018. However, the official match dates haven't been announced as yet.The last edition of the AFC U-16 finals was held in Goa in 2016 and Asian Football Confederation's General Secretary Dato Windsor John lavished praise on .
Nacional defeat Garcilaso 4-0 in Copa Libertadores match
Uruguayan football club Nacional won their first victory in the Copa Libertadores, beating the Peruvian Real Garcilaso 4-0 in the fourth round of Group F here.
IPL 2018: Beleaguered Delhi hope for turnaround in fortune vs KKR (Preview)
Bruised and battered from the poor start to their IPL 2018 campaign, and compounded by the resignation of skipper Gautam Gambhir, a beleaguered Delhi Daredevils under young Shreyas Iyer face a daunting task to lift their fortunes as they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) here on Friday.
Halep beats Rybarikova, qualifies for Stuttgart Open quarters
First-seeded Romanian Simona Halep has qualified for the quarter-finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix here, winning in three sets against Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia.
May increase contract list, Mosaddek, Liton to be included: BCB boss (IANS Intrview)
Hot on the heels of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) slashing the number of centrally contracted cricketers, its president, Nazmul Hassan, said on Thursday the gates are open for as many as 50 players come under the umbrella "purely based on performance".
Badminton Asia C'ships: Nehwal, Sindhu ease into quarters
Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu, who clinched a silver medal at the recently-concluded 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games, eased past China's Chen Xiaox in straight games to storm into the quarter-finals of the Badminton Asia Championships 2018 here on Thursday.Third-seed Sindhu looked dominant throughout the match as she clinched a convincing 21-12, 21-15 win over her Chinese opponent in a clash that lasted 44 minutes.Sindhu will now lock horns with the winner of other second-round clash between Thailand's Busanan Ongbumrungpan and seventh-seed Sung Ji-hyun of South Korea.In another women's singles clash, 2018 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Saina Nehwal also booked her place in the last-eight after thrashing Gao Fangjie of China in 21-18, 21-8 in 40 minutes.Nehwal will now take on Lee Jang Mi of Korea for a place in the semi-finals.Earlier, on the last day of the Commonwealth Games, Nehwal defeated her compatriot Sindhu by straight games 21-18, 23-21 in a high-octane clash to ..
Omung Kumar to direct sports drama 'Yubi Lukpi'
Director Omung Kumar will once again collaborate with producer Sandeep Singh on another sports drama "Yubi Lukpi". The duo earlier worked together on Priyanka Chopra-starrer "Mary Kom" and "Sarbjit. The new project will be once again set in the north-east and focuses on Yubi Lukpi, a local Manipuri sport which is played with coconuts and is said to be similar to rugby. "With Yubi Lukpi, we are tracing the journey of the Indian rugby team. Yes, India plays Rugby and it's high time the sport gets a pushup in the country. We're still working on the story and once complete, we will begin shooting," Omung said in a statement. He has been working on the project for the past two years. "Omung does wonders with sports dramas. We wanted to tell the story of rugby to the people of this country. Every sport deserves to have its story told and to have people cheering for them. We did not plan on going back to Manipur, but the story took us there," Sandeep said. Filming is expected to start next ..
It's criminal to bowl in this way, says Kohli
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli called it "criminal" after his bowlers' profligacy in the death allowed Chennai Super Kings to chase down 205 in the Indian Premier League. Chasing 206, CSK were reduced to 74-4 but Mahendra Singh Dhoni blazed his way to an unbeaten 70 off 34, while opener Ambati Rayudu slammed a 53-ball 82 to overhaul the target in the last over with two balls to spare. Dhoni blasted seven sixes, including one to seal the winning runs , while Rayudu cracked eight sixes. It rained a record 33 sixes last night at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. "The way we bowled is just not acceptable. Just not good enough on the day, 72/4 and giving away runs like that for just 1 wicket is criminal. Something that we need to address going forward because we haven't bowled well. If we cannot defend even 200, it's a problem somewhere," Kohli said after the match. "We have to back the guys and have enough confidence in them and they need to be clear in their head to execute ...
Saina, Sindhu enter quarterfinals of ABC
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Saina Nehwal and Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu produced dominating performance to progress to the women's singles quarterfinals of Asia Badminton Championship here today. Top seed Kidambi Srikanth and world number 10 H S Prannoy also advanced to the last eight stage in men's singles in contrasting fashion. Saina, a London Olympics bronze medallist, continued her impressive run as she kept a tight leash on China's Gao Fangjie, outwitting her 21-18 21-8 in a 40-minute clash. The former world number one will now face unseeded Korean Lee Jang Mi, who saw off Thailand's former world champion Ratchanok Intanon. Third seed Sindhu, who won a silver at the Commonwealth Games, too notched up a commanding 21-12 21-15 win over another Chinese Chen Xiaoxin in another pre-quarterfinal match. She will take on either seventh seed Korean Sung Ji Hyun or Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan next. Srikanth, however, did not have to break any sweat as his opponent ...
Junior Indian teams continue good form at Youth Olympic Games Qualifier
The junior Indian men and women's hockey teams continued their good form at the Youth Olympic Games Qualifiers here today. The Junior women's team crushed South Korea 10-0 while the men's side beat Japan 6-2. In their second Pool B match, the junior women's team scored as early as in the first minute via Lalremisiami. The lead was doubled in the fourth minute as Lalremsiami again found the back of the net. Sangita Kumari, who scored six goals in the match yesterday against Singapore, scored her first in the 10th minute. That ended the first period in India's favour at 3-0. The Indian team continued to attack scoring four goals in the second period via Mumtaz Khan (11', 12'), Sangeeta Kumari (14') and Deepika (19'). South Korea had no answer to India's consistent goal-scoring abilities as three more goals were scored in the final period, two by Sangita Kumari (29', 29') and one by Lalremsiami (21') for the final scoreline to read 10-0. This win put India on top of Pool B with six ...
India clubbed with Iran, Vietnam and Indonesia in AFC U-16 finals
India have been clubbed with strong contenders Iran, Vietnam and Indonesia in Group C of the AFC U-16 Championship Finals, scheduled to be held in Malaysia from September 2018. The official draw for the championship was held at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today. India had qualified as second-best team from the AFC U-16 qualifiers in Nepal 2017, where the young guns had held defending champions Iraq to a 0-0 draw in the last match of the group. In the other two matches, India had accounted for Palestine 3-0, while they were held on to a 2-2 draw by hosts Nepal in the other match. This is India's third qualification to the AFC U-16 finals from the last four editions. The tournament will be held in Kuala Lumpur from September 20 to October 7, 2018. However, the official match dates haven't been announced as yet. The last edition of the AFC U-16 finals was held in Goa in 2016 and Asian Football Confederation's general secretary Dato Windsor John lavished praise on the success of .
BCB's new stadium may give competition to Eden Gardens
The hallowed Eden Gardens may be the largest cricket ground in the subcontinent but in two years time, it may get competition from a stadium in neighbouring Bangladesh. Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan said that they are ready to build one of the best stadiums in the world in Purbachal, and it will be named after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. "We want this to become one of the best in the world. Let's hope for the best. It will be a centre of excellence," Hassan told PTI after the conclusion of the ICC Board meeting here today. The stadium will have the Centre of Excellence for cricket in Bangladesh and they are planning for a capacity of "at least 50,000". The Eden has a capacity of around 68000 and the BCB is awaiting land allocation from the government. "We are waiting for the land, the earlier we get the faster it will be ready. If we get the land, then BCB will build the stadium at its own. It will be the best venue ever in Bangladesh with a capacity of at least ..
Shooters Manu, Om finish fourth at World Cup
Manu Bhaker and Om Prakash Mitharval failed to reach the podium as India finished fourth at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup here on Thursday.
Messi can trademark name for sports goods: EU court
The world's top earning footballer, Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi, won an EU court battle today to register his surname as a trademark to sell sports goods. "The football player's fame counteracts the visual and phonetic similarities" with the name of a Spanish cycling gear manufacturer called Massi, which had challenged the trademark, the European Union's second highest court said.
Jr Women Hockey C'ship: MP thrash Mumbai 11-0
Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy produced a rich vein of form as they hammered Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd 11-0 in their 8th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship 2018 (A Division) here on Thursday.Goals for the victors were scored by Sadhna Sengar (40', 48', 65'), Savita (21', 57'), Neeraj Rana (33', 52'), Sarita Devi Brahmachari Mayum (45'), Poonam (59'), Kanchan Nidhi Kerketta (64') and Yogita Verma (66').In the other Pool A match, Gangpur-Odisha beat Chandigarh 6-3. Goals for Gangpur-Odisha were scored by Janhabi Pradhan (5', 54'), skipper Jiwan Kishori Toppo (6', 35'), Namrata Jasmin Bara (46') and Premanjali Toppo (48') while Akshita Yadav (16', 19') and skipper Amritpal Kaur (8') scored for Chandigarh.In Pool B, Odisha started their campaign with a win as they defeated Karnataka 2-1. Goals for Odisha were scored by Nimabati Singh (7') and Manju Lakra (22') while skipper SR Abhinashree (18') scored the only goal for Karnataka.In the other Pool B match, Haryana secured ..
At Argentina football club, Maradona is God, Messi is Adam
There is no question that football is a sort of religion in Argentina. And one of the football-mad country's brightest stars, Diego Maradona, is known for his infamous "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 World Cup. Now, on the ceiling of one club in Buenos Aires, in a painting modelled after Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel, Maradona is God, extending his hand to Adam -- Lionel Messi. Argentina-born Pope Francis, an avowed football fan, would certainly smile at the grand gesture made by the club Sportivo Pereyra, located in the Barracas district of the capital, where football and other team sports are played. "For us, this pitch is our temple -- a sacred temple of football, and what better than to have a fresco on the ceiling that is worthy of a temple," coach Ricardo Elsegood told AFP. "The Sistine Chapel has God and Adam, and the chapel of football has Messi and Maradona." In this version of Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam," instead of the angels surrounding ...