Page 1722 - Sports
Bihar, Northeast states recommended for Ranji Trophy
The Sourav Ganguly-led technical committee of the BCCI has unanimously recommended the reinstatement of Bihar and inclusion of northeastern states in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy. The northeastern states played the BCCI U-19 tournaments last season as the Board wanted to gradually integrate them into the system. "The technical committee unanimously approved the inclusion of Bihar in the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 season. However, the committee felt in the view of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India's judgment dated July 18, 2016, the North Eastern associates and affiliate members must also be considered," BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said in a statement. The recommendations of the technical committee will be sent to the Committee of Administrators (CoA) and then ratified by the BCCI general body. The technical committee proposed a slew of recommendations during its meeting in Kolkata. "The Ranji Trophy 2018-19 season is proposed to have 4 Groups with the introduction of ...
CWG medallists Pallikal, Chinappa, Sharath arrive home to warm welcome
India's leading squash players Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal and top paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal, who won medals in the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, arrived in the city to a rousing welcome from officials and fans. Sharath Kamal said the medals won at the Commonwealth Games would be a big confidence booster for the upcoming World Championships in Sweden. He had won a gold (in team event), a silver (in men's doubles with G Sathiyan) and a bronze (in men's singles). "After winning three medals in Australia, I am quite confident to perform well at the World Championships at Sweden in this month end," the 35-year-old table tennis player told reporters on his arrival. He said his next target was to reach the top 30 in world rankings. "My current world ranking is No. 48 and with the points gained in the Games I will be going up a few places in the rankings. Playing in the World Championships, my next goal is to reach the world top 30," he added. The ...
Indian boxers to train at Michael Johnson Performance Centre
India's top boxers, including MC Mary Kom, Manoj Kumar and L Sarita Devi, will be training at the world famous Michael Johnson Performance Center from May 1-17 as part of preparations for top level upcoming events. Returning to India after their stellar show in the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, the boxers were today felicitated by the Boxing Federation of India. BFI president Ajay Singh divulged their immediate plans for the boxers and said that a squad of around 20 pugilists will be travelling to the US to train at the world class academy. "We are extremely proud and happy with the boxers' performance but to tell you this is not the end but the beginning of our efforts. Our boxers will now travel to the US and train in in Michael Johnson Academy, the best athletic development Academy in the world for a fortnight. "We want them to get proper exposure mentally and physically so that they are ready in time for the Asian Games, where the competition will be even ...
Rashid Khan is the best leg spinner in world: Dean Jones
Former Australian batsman Dean Jones praised Afghanistan?s Rashid Khan saying he is the best leg-spinner in the world and can spin the balls both ways. Khan (19) plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing Indian Premier League and has so far picked up two wickets in three games in the cash-rich league. "With all due respect to (Yuzvendra) Chahal, I am a big Rashid Khan fan. I have been a coach of the Afghanistan national team and I know how he is like off the ground. He can spin the ball both ways and has got four different grips for his wrong one," Jones was quoted as saying in a media release when asked who of the two ? Chahal and Khan was a better bowler. Jones, an expert on official broadcaster Star Sports, has also been the coach of the Afghanistan national team. "He has got one in the front of his hand and has two different grips for his leg break but even then have you ever seen him going for more than 30? The guy is an absolute super star. All due respect to ...
Zidane downplays anti-Real Madrid sentiments
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane on Tuesday tried to downplay the issue of anti-Madrid sentiments by so-called "anti-Madridistias" that have been unleashed in the wake of Lucas Vazquez's controversial last-gasp penalty, which propelled Madrid into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of Juventus.
Mary Kom has no intention to retie anytime soon
Thoughts of retirement, even at 35, are like a pack of lies for champion boxer MC Mary Kom, who says she is far from relinquishing the queendom she has carved out for herself in all these years. The Olympic bronze medallist, five-time world champion and newly-crowned Commonwealth Games champion today swiftly put to rest speculations around possible retirement, which gained credence after she added the CWG gold to her glowing list of achievements. The 35-year-old boxer said, "I have never talked about retirement, they were just rumours. Even I was shocked when I heard about my retirement, Mary Kom told reporters in the Capital as India's boxing team returned from the Gold Coast with three gold, three silver and three bronze medals. She has won almost everything but not winning one Olympic gold rankles. "An Olympic gold is what I am still dreaming. That remains an unfulfilled dream." She was devastated to miss out on a wildcard entry for the Rio 2016 Olympics. She seemed to have got ...
Mouma loses luggage in transit, returns home frustrated
Commonwealth Games medallist paddler Mouma Das today returned home with frustration and anger after she lost her luggage in transit. Her luggage, which contains her full India kit and mementos from Australia, is held up by the Customs officials in New Delhi airport domestic terminal. She has made an appeal to the Sports Ministry -- through Twitter -- to ensure that her luggage reaches on time before her departure for the Sweden World Team Championship next week. Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore later asked Sports Authority of India officials to immediately look into the matter. "At the moment my focus is on two things -- to get back my luggage and then think of World Team Championships. I don't know, I can't even start training without my luggage. It has everything -- from my rubber, kits, shoes, all the equipment," a frustrated Mouma, a member of the historic gold medal winning women's team, told PTI from her residence. The 10-member Indian table tennis team was the toast ..
CWG performance just the start: BFI President
Congratulating the Indian contingent, which returned with an impressive haul of nine medals from the just-concluded Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Boxing Federation of India (BFI) President Ajay Singh on Tuesday warned the boxers not to get carried away with the recent accolades.
Miku hat-trick propels Bengaluru to Super Cup final
A 10-man Bengaluru FC rode on Miku's hat-trick as they staged a remarkable comeback to beat Mohun Bagan 4-2 and book a summit clash berth in the inaugural Super Cup football tournament here today. Down by a goal at the interval and reduced to 10 men after Nishu Kumar was sent off in the 50th minute, Bengaluru fought back to emerge triumphant in the semifinal match at the Kalinga Stadium here. Nicolas Fedor (Miku) scored a hat-trick (62nd, 65th, 89th minute) to turn things around while captain Sunil Chhetri (90th) came up with a sublime strike to take the game away from Mohun Bagan. All of that happened after Dipanda Dicka had put Bagan in the lead in the 42nd minute. Dicka did manage to reduce the margin in added time (90+2) scoring another, but it was a bit too late. Bengaluru FC now face East Bengal in the final slated to be played on April 20. Mohun Bagan coach Shankarlal Chakraborty placed confidence in the same starting eleven which beat Shillong Lajong FC in the quarter-finals ..
Bengaluru FC beat Mohun Bagan to enter Super Cup final
Bengaluru FC (BFC) rode a hat-trick by Nicolas Fedor to beat Mohun Bagan 4-2 in their Super Cup semi-final at the Kalinga Stadium here on Tuesday.
Gold Coast encouraging, Asian Games will be tough (Column: Just Sport)
For India, the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games is remembered more for weightlifter Subrata Paul testing positive for a banned drug than 32 medals the country won. The entire officialdom was there more to canvass for African support to host the Games in India.
IPL: RCB opt to field against winless Mumbai
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to field against winless Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium here on Tuesday.
Players preferring T20 Leagues over national contracts: FICA report
Lucrative contracts in popular Twenty20 Leagues are being preferred over national contracts, posing a significant threat to quality of international cricket, a Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) report has claimed. According to Cricinfo, the first global employment report on men's professional cricketers, released by the FICA says the "traditional model is under significant threat from alternative employment" options available in the "new market" as players have evolved their game, a consequence of playing in different T20 leagues. The report, titled 'Shifting Landscape', is based on responses from 300 cricketers across the world but not from India or Pakistan, where there are no player associations. "We are seeing the beginnings of a trend in which annual contracts across all formats of the game, are being declined by players at both domestic and international level worldwide. This 'flight of talent' from the traditional 'vertical' pathway with players moving ..
Punjab schools to introduce sports period from Class 1
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday gave in-principle approval for the introduction of a sports period in government schools starting from Class I instead of Class VI at present to help promote participation of youngsters in sports.
15 sports federations carrying on doping probes against Russia
As many as 15 international sports federations are carrying on with anti-doping investigations in regard to Russian athletes, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Craig Reedie has said.
Chelsea's Alonso under FA investigation for apparently stamping
Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso's apparent stamp on Southampton striker Shane Long on Sunday is under the English Football Association (FA) investigation, it was reported on Tuesday.
IOC chief Bach arrives tomorrow amid talk of Youth Olympics bid
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is likely to express its willingness in hosting the 2026 Youth Olympic Games when International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach arrives here tomorrow for a two-day visit. Bach, during his second visit to the country, will meet the newly elected IOA office bearers, several Olympic medallists and Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore. Olympic Council of Asia President and chief of the influential Association of National Olympic Committees, Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah will also accompany Bach. The IOC chief will touch down New Delhi late night tomorrow from Bangkok where he is attending the Sports Accord Summit. The IOA, it is learnt, will express its willingness to host the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in India. No official from the IOA is willing to come on record but sources said that the government is not averse to this idea as the cost of hosting a Youth Olympics is much less than a full-fledged Olympic Games. "Since the cost of hosting a ...
Defender Nacho absent as Real Madrid train for Bilbao tie
Real Madrid's head coach Zinedine Zidane could count on a full roster at training on Tuesday ahead of the team's mid-week league home fixture against Athletic Bilbao with the exception of defender Nacho Fernández, who remains in recovery from a thigh injury.
NRAI hopeful of shooting getting included in 2022 Commonwealth Games
Raninder Singh, president of National Rifle Association of India, on Tuesday said that India is still hopeful of shooting being included in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG).It can be recalled that earlier in January this year, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) had backed the local organizing committee's choice to not include Shooting at the Birmingham 2022 CWG.At an event to celebrate the success of India's shooting contingent at the recently-concluded Gold Coast 2018 CWG, Singh also urged the Government to withdraw from the said Games, if all efforts failed.Singh also said that the NRAI was in constant touch with the sport's world body the ISSF, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) as well as with the Birmingham Games organizing committee to work out ways in which the sport can still be included.Shooting, though an optional sport at the CWG, has been played in every edition since Kingston 1966, except once in Edinburgh in 1970.Singh also declared that in order to
Winning CWG gold was meaningful for me: Mary Kom
Few days after picking up a gold medal on her debut at the Commonwealth Games, World champion M.C. Mary Kom on Tuesday said that winning a medal at the Gold Coast was extremely meaningful for her.The five-time world champion thrashed Northern Ireland's 21-year-old Kristina O'Hara in a unanimous points decision in the finals of the women's 48kg boxing category to clinch the gold medal.Reflecting on her performance, Mary said that she is ecstatic to give something to boxing and to the entire nation."Every medal is very important for me. Winning a medal at this time's Commonwealth Games is very meaningful for me- to give something for boxing and for my entire nation. So, I feel really happy," Mary told ANI.Despite winning several gold medals across various international championships, Mary is yet to pick gold in Olympics.When quizzed about the same, London Olympic bronze-medalist Mary said,"Olympics medal isn't everything for me. If I can win then it's very good, but if I can't then it .