Page 1793 - Sports
Woods's compelling comeback bid drives Masters drama
Tigermania has blossomed along with the azaleas at Augusta National, but 14-time major champion Tiger Woods is just one of the contenders at a Masters that promises to be a classic. "I don't think there's one clear-cut favorite," said Woods, who is vying to pull off a comeback that would rate among the greatest in sport. His quest to better Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 major titles stalled after he grabbed number 14 at the 2008 US Open. He owns four Masters green jackets, but hasn't even teed it up in the stately confines of Augusta National in two years as back trouble threatened to end his career completely. Pain free at last after spinal fusion surgery last April, Woods has ignited expectations with one runner-up finish and a tie for fifth in five official PGA Tour starts this year -- his best finishes since 2015. Woods himself is at a loss to explain the impressive swing speed and driving distance he never expected to see after having vertebrae in his lower back fused. "For some ..
'Bring it on!' English swimmers brace for Aussie assault
England's swimmers are ready to fight fire with fire at the Commonwealth Games when they clash with a fearsome Australia team revved up by their home crowd. The English, spearheaded by Olympic breaststroke champion Adam Peaty, expect a rude reception from the Australians when the competition begins Friday, but their swimming boss promised they will rise to the occasion. "Australia are a powerhouse, they're the team to beat," team leader Grant Robins told AFP in an interview. "They're strong across pretty much all the events and have a production line of swimming quality." "It's going to be a hostile crowd," added the former Commonwealth Games competitor. "We've said 'You're going to walk out here and it's going to be a hostile crowd'. We've said to the swimmers 'Stick to your game plan, soak up the atmosphere -- but don't be afraid of it!' It will be fun and enjoyable, but tough." Australian athletes can be every bit as spiky as their crowds and the aggressive antics of their ...
No shot put or discus? Use a coconut instead
A Cook Islands athlete set to compete at the Commonwealth Games has revealed her unorthodox method for learning shot put and discus -- she used to lob coconuts. Tereapii Tapoki, a police officer from Rarotonga, the largest of the 15 palm-fringed Pacific islands that make up the country, hit on the solution after finding throwing sports a tough nut to crack with no equipment available. "We didn't have a shot or discus, so we threw coconuts," the 33-year-old told reporters in Gold Coast. "It was quite different -- a discus is flat and a coconut is round." Tapoki, who previously competed at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Games, will contest both the discus and shot put at the Commonwealth Games. She placed 11th in discus at the 2006 Melbourne Games but pregnancies sidelined the mother-of-two from competition in Delhi in 2010 and Glasgow four years ago. "I'm not in as good a shape as perhaps I would like to be but I will give it my best," said Tapoki, who has been training in ..
Thiago grabs winner as Bayern come back to beat Sevilla
Bayern Munich placed one foot in the last four of the Champions League as Thiago Alcantara's header gave them a 2-1 win away to Sevilla in the first leg of their quarter-final in Spain. Sevilla had knocked out Manchester United in the last 16 and another shock looked on the cards when Pablo Sarabia struck from close range in the first half at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. But Bayern's nous, and a little luck, proved decisive, as Jesus Navas diverted Franck Ribery's cross into his own net before Thiago headed in a winner, also deflected, in the second half. The result leaves Sevilla with a mountain to climb. The Spanish side will need to score at least twice in next week's second leg at the Allianz Arena to have any hope of reaching the last four. Their coach Vincenzo Montella had pointed out on Monday how his side has "already made history" by appearing in their first quarter-final of the Champions League era, but their season is in danger of fizzling out before the end of the ...
Ronaldo magic fires Real past 10-man Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in 10 successive Champions League games as he struck twice for holders Real Madrid in a 3-0 win at Juventus in the quarter-final first leg. Ronaldo grabbed the opening goal in Turin after just three minutes and added a second on the hour with a sensational overhead bicycle kick, taking him to 14 goals in this season's competition. Juventus forward Paulo Dybala was sent off on 66 minutes before Ronaldo set up Marcelo to cap the rout and leave Real in complete control of the tie going into the second leg in Madrid on April 11. The 33-year-old Portugal star had shared the previous goalscoring record with former Manchester United team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy, who found the net in nine consecutive matches between 2002 and 2003. "You can say he's one of the most beautiful players in the history of football," said Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane. "It's not easy to get three goals past Juve on their own pitch. But in the end it was ...
Commonwealth Games hit by indecent assault case
The Commonwealth Games were hit by an indecent assault case today as police investigated a Mauritian athlete's complaint of "inappropriate touching" by a team official. Just hours before the opening ceremony, Australian state police said they had launched a criminal probe after a complaint was made overnight. Mauritian media said chef de mission Kaysee Teeroovengadum had been accused of the offence and had stepped down, but that he remained in Gold Coast, the Games' host city. "The Queensland Police Service is currently investigating a complaint in relation to an allegation of assault of an aggravated nature involving an athlete and an official from the Mauritius team," Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told reporters. "This is a criminal investigation that is currently underway. We are giving it absolute priority and anticipate being able to resolve the issue over the coming days." Gollschewski told AFP that the complaint related to "inappropriate touching", adding that there ...
World Cup trophy arrives in Colombia
David Trezeguet, a member of the team that won the World Cup for France in 1998, has arrived in Bogota with the World Cup trophy as part of the tour leading up to this year's tournament in Russia.
Super Cup: FC Goa advances to quarters defeating ATK
FC Goa secured their quarterfinal spot defeating ATK 3-1 in the fifth game of the Super Cup here on Tuesday.The Goan outfit drew first blood through Spanish forward Ferran Corominas (45'+1') in the dying moments of the first half.ATK came back stronger in the second half to equalize via their captain cum manager Robert Keane (50') but couple of strikes within a span of 10 minutes from FC Goa through Hugo Boumous (69') and Hero of the Match - Brandon Fernandes (77') ensured that the Goan team faces their Indian Super League opponent Jamshedpur FC in the quarterfinal encounter.The first half of the game between ATK and FC Goa began on an attacking note, with ATK managing a corner within the first minute but a poor shot ensured they stay eluded from gathering a lead early in the game.The Keane-led Kolkata outfit went on to show their intent, consistently attacking on the Goan post, twice getting extremely close, but the lack of a good finish denied them from an early lead.The Goan outfit
Pakistan complete T20 series whitewash over West Indies
Pakistan produced another imperious performance to beat the West Indies by eight wickets in the third and final Twenty20 international in Karachi on Tuesday, completing a 3-0 clean sweep of the series. The West Indies fared better with the bat compared with the first two matches, reaching 153-6 in their 20 overs after winning the toss. Opener Andre Fletcher scored a 43-ball 52 -- his team's only half-century on this tour. It was not enough, however, as Pakistan got to the total comfortably, with opener Babar Azam scoring a rapid 40-ball 51. The hosts raced to 61 in the sixth over with left-handed opener Fakhar Zaman smashing two sixes and six boundaries in his 17-ball 40. He miscued a drive off Rayad Emrit and was caught behind, but Azam and Hussain Talat continued Pakistan's domination with a 52-run stand. Talat finished with 31, and Asif Ali scored 25 not out as Pakistan chased down the target in 16.5 overs. Earlier, Fletcher added an invaluable 72 runs for the second wicket with ...
Super Cup: FC Goa down ATK 3-1 to move to quarters
FC Goa proved to be too hot for ATK as they beat them 3-1 to advance to the quarter-finals of the Super Cup here on Tuesday.
FC Goa beat ATK to enter quarterfinals
FC Goa beat fellow Indian Super League side ATK 3-1 to book a quarterfinal berth in the Super Cup football tournament here today. Ferran Corominas (45+1) opened the scoring for FC Goa before Robbie Keane (50th) replied with an equaliser soon after the lemon break in the round of 16 match at the Kalinga Stadium. Strikes from Hugo Boumous (70th) and Brandon Fernandes (77th) helped the Goans book a a quarter-final spot. They take on Jamshedpur FC in the last eight stage. Jamshedpur FC had beaten I-League champions Minerva Punjab 5-4 in sudden death penalty shootout in a round of 16 match yesterday.
Washington gives us more options in Powerplay: RCB's Chahal
Washington Sundar's presence in the Royal Challengers Bangalore fold will give skipper Virat Kohli more options during Powerplay and middle overs, feels star leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Washington-Chahal forged a lethal combination during India's Nidahas T20 Tri-Series triumph in Sri Lanka last month. "In Sri Lanka, Washington bowled in the Powerplay overs and I was bowling in the middle overs. In previous IPL seasons, I used to bowl in the Powerplays and was left only with two overs (during later stages). Now we have options. One can bowl in power play and can chip more in middle overs," Chahal said at media conference. Wrist spinners are doing well but are always under the pump with a chance of going for a lot of runs at times. But the wiry leg-break bowler believes that a comeback is possible if one has a big heart. "In this format, you are sure to get hit. For instance, in Nidahas Trophy, I was hit by Sri Lankans for 27 runs in two overs. I just told myself, you need to forget ..
Valverde insists Barca being Champions League favourites means nothing
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde warned on Tuesday that his team being considered the favourites to win the Champions League would not actually help them win any matches.
Pressure of expectations not so hard to deal, asserts Sindhu
Indian badminton ace P.V. Sindhu, one of country's brightest gold medal prospects at the Commonwealth Games, is not new to handling pressure. The top-ranked women's singles badminton player at Gold Coast, says she is not bogged down by pressure of expectations.
Ex-Indian spinner Aashish Kapoor replaces Venkatesh Prasad in BCCI junior selection panel
Former Indian spinner Aashish Kapoor has been named as the replacement of Venkatesh Prasad in the three-member All-India Junior Selection Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).The other two members of the selection panel include Gyanendra Pandey and Rakesh Parikh.Aashish has appeared in four Tests and 17 ODIs for India, including the 1996 ICC World Cup. He has also played 128 first-class games and 93 List A matches.Congratulating Aashish on his appointment, BCCI acting president CK Khanna said, "I wish him all the very best for this endeavour. I am sure he has a lot to offer when it comes to being a part of the junior selection committee with his varied expertise and experience in the game. India have a rich talent pool and it is important to identify the talent at a young age and nurture them."In March, Prasad stepped down as Chairman of Junior Selection Committee, less than a month after India won the U-19 World Cup. The reason for his resignation was not yet
Liverpool's Matip to undergo surgery, likely to miss rest of season
Liverpool FC's central defender Joel Matip will probably require surgery on a thigh injury which would rule him out for the rest of the football season, the English Premier League (EPL) club said on Tuesday.
IOC says 7 countries interested in hosting 2026 Winter Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Tuesday that seven countries have declared their interest in hosting 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
IOA clears Saina's father's CWG accreditation after threats
Hours after star shuttler Saina Nehwal threatened to pull out of the Commonwealth Games, starting here on Wednesday, over her father's name being missing from the Indian team's official list, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Tuesday cleared Harvir Singh's CWG accreditation.
DSport to air Augusta Masters featuring Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma
Golf enthusiasts can watch on DSport the prestigious April 6-9 Augusta Masters 2018 championship featuring young Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma.
Sethi hopeful of more international matches in Pakistan
The Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Najam Sethi is hopeful of more countries agreeing to play international cricket here when he meets Board officials of other nations at the International Cricket Council meeting in Kolkata later this month. "The ICC meeting will be an important platform for us to talk to other board officials and try to convince them to send teams to Pakistan for bilateral series," Sethi told the media today. The ICC meeting in Kolkata from April 22-26 is expected to give final touches to the new Future Tours Program to run from 2019. Sethi said that after successfully hosting the PSL final and the three T20 series against the West Indies in Karachi, the PCB was in a position to try to convince the other Boards to support Pakistan cricket by sending teams for series. "The good thing is that Giles Clarke who heads the ICC's Special Task Force on Pakistan Cricket will also be briefing the ICC Board members on the return of international cricket to Pakistan," Sethi ...