Page 1796 - Sports
Of ball tampering and Aussie pride: Cricket scandal's shadow on CWG
It's a sport not even on the Games roster anymore but Australian cricket's ball-tampering scandal is a massive talking point at the Commonwealth Games with even tough-talking immigration officers concerned about the country's image. "Have you been following the ball-tampering scandal? Please don't write too much about it, we are ashamed," an immigration officer said to this correspondent when he got to know that he was interacting with a journalist at the Gold Coast airport. The fall from grace of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft -- all of whom were handed bans for plotting and trying to tamper the ball with a sandpaper against South Africa -- has left Australia's sports-loving fans a bit miffed, very disappointed but most of all heartbroken. "Smith was quite liked by everyone here and it was very heartbreaking to watch him cry like he did. Warner to my mind is a bit of a bully so he got what he deserved. I feel for Bancroft though," said the immigration officer. The ...
Rybarikova defeats Japan's Ozaki in 1st round of Monterrey Open
Slovakia's second seed Magdalena Rybarikova took an hour and a half to defeat Japan's Risa Ozaki 6-4, 6-3 and move into the second round of the Monterrey Open.
CWG: A look at India's medal contenders
With just two days to go for the 21st Commonwealth Games here, PTI takes a look at some of the Indian contingent's top stars and dark horses to watch out for at an event where the country stands fourth in the all-time medal tally. SHOOTING: India is second in the CWG's all-time medal list for shooting and it is expected that the marksmen and women will once again be contributing a bountiful of medals. Here are some of the strong medal bets. Heena Sidhu: The feisty pistol shooter from Punjab is in fine form going into the Games, having claimed three gold medals at the Commonwealth Championships a few months ago. She will be competing in the women's 25m pistol and 10m air pistol competitions. Manu Bhaker: The 16-year-old has been nothing short of sensational with two gold medals (individual and team) in her maiden senior World Cup just weeks ago. She would be lining up alongside Heena in the 10m air pistol event. Jitu Rai: The diminutive Army shooter is a strong medal hope and would be .
Reduce Smith, Warner, Bancroft's suspension periods: ACA
The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) has asked Cricket Australia to review the "disproportionate" sanctions imposed on Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft who were embroiled in the ball-tampering scandal during the Cape Town Test.Following the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australia cricket, Smith and Warner were banned for a year from international cricket for orchestrating the event, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months."The proposed penalties are disproportionate relative to precedent. We ask that consideration be given to recalibrating the proposed sanctions, to consider options such as suspending or reducing part of the sanction. To consider allowing the players to return to domestic cricket earlier, for example, as part of their rehabilitation," the ESPNcricinfo quoted ACA president Greg Dyer as saying.Dyer pointed out that the incidents of ball-tampering have happened in the past and looking at those, the sanctions imposed in the recent one seems
Tennis world turns focus on clay court season
The tennis world is turning its attention to the clay court season, with the field wide open due to the absence of Swiss great Roger Federer and Argentina's Juan Martín del Potro, as well as questions about the health of Spain's Rafa Nadal, the undisputed "king of clay."
Iran's Esteghlal claim spot in Asian Champions League knockout stage
Esteghlal defeated Qatar's Al Rayyan 2-0 to punch their ticket for the knockout stage of the 2018 Asian Champions League, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on its website.
Gritty New Zealand tail secure draw and series win
Gritty tailenders Ish Sodhi and Neil Wagner held out for a dramatic draw in the second Test today to give New Zealand the series 1-0 and extend England's dismal away record. England were just four wickets from victory when the second new ball was taken before tea but they could only prise out one more until the last ball of the match when Wagner's dismissal ended the rearguard pair's resistance. They added just 37 runs in 188 deliveries after Colin de Grandhomme was the seventh wicket to fall, but by that stage only survival mattered for New Zealand who finished on 256 for eight when Wagner fell for seven and bad light ended play eight balls early. The draw gave New Zealand the series 1-0 after they won the first Test by an innings and 49 runs and it stretched England's winless away record to 13 Tests. Any hopes New Zealand had of reaching 382 to win back-to-back Tests disappeared at the start of the final day when Stuart Broad took two wickets with the first two balls. From there, ...
Betis climb to sixth place in La Liga with win over Getafe
Real Betis defeated Getafe 1-0 to move into sixth place in La Liga - the final European slot - at the expense of a host side who could be forgiven for blaming bad luck.
Nadal trains for 1st time inside Davis Cup venue
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal completed his first training on the court inside the iconic Plaza de Toros de Valencia in preparation for the Spanish national team's Davis Cup quarterfinals against Germany.
Needled India hope to shift spotlight on medals at humdrum CWG
Spooked by a needle controversy but in high spirits nonetheless, the jumbo Indian contingent would be aiming to make it all good with strong medal-winning performances when the acutely-low-on-buzz Commonwealth Games start tomorrow with an opening ceremony here. It's just a day to go before the Games officially get started but Gold Coast hardly looked like a city gearing up for a sporting festival. There are signboards all across welcoming 71 Commonwealth countries for the 21st CWG but what's missing is the festive spirit that usually comes with such a once-in-four-years extravaganzas. The organisers, including Queensland Minister for CWG Kate Johns, were busy making last-minute appeals to the city -- aptly called the 'surfers' paradise' for its breathtakingly beautiful coastline -- to buy the several thousand tickets that are still unsold across different sports. "Go out and buy tickets, it's a one in a lifetime experience. Don't miss this opportunity," said Games organising committee
Uruguayan Gonzalo Carneiro signs for three seasons with Sao Paulo FC
Uruguayan striker Gonzalo Carneiro has signed a three-season contract, till March 31, 2021, with Brazilian Sao Paulo FC, the club said.
Porto fall 2-0 to Belenenses
Porto lost 2-0 to Belenenses to remain at 70 points, one fewer than first-place Benfica in the race for the Primeira Liga championship.
NZL-ENG SCORES
Completed scoreboard at the end of the second and final Test between New Zealand and England in Christchurch today: England first innings 307: New Zealand first innings 278 England second innings 352-9 dec New Zealand second innings (overnight 42-0) T. Latham c Vince b Leach 83 J. Raval c Stoneman b Broad 17 K. Williamson c Bairstow b Broad 0 R. Taylor c Cook b Leach 13 H. Nicholls c Cook b Anderson 13 B. Watling c Anderson b Wood 19 C. de Grandhomme c Leach b Wood 45 I. Sodhi not out 56 N. Wagner c Vince b Root 7 Extras: (lb2, nb1) 3 Total: (for 8 wickets; 124.4 overs) 256 Fall of wickets: 1-42 (Raval), 2-42 (Williamson), 3-66 (Taylor), 4-91 (Nicholls), 5-135 (Watling), 6-162 (Latham), 7-219 (de Grandhomme) 8-256 (Wagner) Bowling: Anderson 26-8-37-1, Broad 24-6-72-2, Wood 22-10-45-2, Leach 32-15-61-2, Root 12.4-5-28-1, Stokes 4-3-2-0, Malan 4-1-9-0.
Australian diver retires on eve of Games over paralysis fears
Heartbroken Australian diver Taneka Kovchenko retired on the eve of her home Commonwealth Games today after medical experts warned that she risked severe paralysis if one more dive went wrong. The 23-year-old, who had been set to compete in the 10m platform and women's synchronised 10m platform at the Gold Coast, has been suffering headaches and neck pain since the end of last year. Scans confirmed two vertebrae have compressed her spinal cord and her doctor and neurologist said she could end up as a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic in the event of a bad landing. "I have had an amazing 14 years diving, chasing my dream of representing Australia," said Kovchenko, who hails from nearby Brisbane. "I am grateful for every experience and opportunity I have been given. I am leaving the sport as an athlete proud of my accomplishments and with so many life skills." Australian team diving manager Michael Hetherington said that he suspected Kovchenko was still in shock at her sudden forced ...
IPL 2018: Ponting's speech gave goosebumps to Shreyas Iyer
As cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) is just days away, Delhi Daredevils' coach Ricky Ponting is preparing his lads to go in the game with a positive mind set.The Australian's aggression and winning approach has already given "goosebumps" in the team camp, says right-hand batsman Shreyas Iyer."He's very aggressive and has a positive frame of mind. When he gave a speech to all of us on the first day, it gave us goosebumps," ESPNcricinfo quoted Iyer as saying."His frame of mind was naturally about winning, everyone comes in and we talk a lot about process. When he came in, he had just one mindset at the time: that to win and he elaborated a lot on that."Ponting was appointed as the new coach of Delhi Daredevils in the IPL earlier this year. He succeeded former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid in the role.Iyer, a right-arm off break bowler, who has also played under Dravid in the IPL, added that Ponting's approach to T20s varied from that of the Indian."Dravid is calm and cool, he likes ..
Needling issues: Syringe controversy reaches CGF court
The needle controversy that has marred India's build-up to the Commonwealth Games has reached the doorsteps of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) court which is hearing the matter, specifically cleared of any doping violation. "The CGF Medical Commission has concluded its investigation into the alleged violation. They have escalated the matter to the CGF court. Following the hearing a decision will be made. Please wait till the final hearing. We will provide full overview of what happens," CGF CEO David Grevemberg said in his daily media briefing this morning. "For clarification, this matter is not defined as an anti-doping rule violation, but rather as an infringement of the CGF's No Needle Policy, which has been introduced by major events organisers to ensure best medical practices," he added. The CGF has stoically refused to name the national association or the athlete involved in the controversy which flared up after syringes were discovered at the Games Village on ...
Badminton's new service rule won't be used at CWG
Indian shuttlers have reason to be cheerful going into the Commonwealth Games with the organisers deciding against implementing BWF's experimental service rule that has been criticised by them. The new service rule, which mandates that the shuttle be exactly at 1.15 meters above the ground at the time of service, was tried at the prestigious All England Championships in March. The Indians have been critical of it along with several global stars such as Danish star Viktor Axelsen and two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China. The Commonwealth Games, which start on April 4 with an opening ceremony, will be played under the old rules which mandate that the shuttle be kept above the waist height at the time of service. "The Commonwealth Games Federation and the Badminton World Federation have agreed that the new service rules will not be used during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games," said a message communicated to the national associations. The decision would be music to the ears
Casillas makes 1000th appearance in Porto loss
Iconic Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas played the 1000th match of his career on Monday as Portuguese title contenders Porto suffered a damaging 2-0 defeat at Belenenses. Casillas was making his 108th appearance for Porto, having previously turned out 725 times with boyhood club Real Madrid while earning 167 caps for Spain. He captained his country to their first World Cup title in 2010 as well as consecutive European Championships, in 2008 and 2012. The 36-year-old broke through into the Real first team as a teenager in 1999, winning the Champions League on three occasions before moving to Porto in 2015. Porto have already announced that Casillas will leave at the end of the season following a three-year stint in Portugal as the club look to trim their payroll. Monday's loss to Belenenses, a second defeat in three matches, left Porto a point behind defending champions and leaders Benfica with six games of the season remaining.
'Extraordinary' Guardiola holds no fears for Klopp
Jurgen Klopp has no qualms about saluting Pep Guardiola's ability to create "extraordinary" teams, but the Liverpool boss is convinced he can bridge the class divide when Manchester City visit Anfield for their Champions League showdown. Having first gone head to head with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, the friendly rivalry between Klopp and Guardiola has its biggest stage yet as Liverpool face City in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. Two of Europe's heavyweight managers, Klopp and Guardiola look destined to compete for the sport's biggest prizes for years to come. But there is strong mutual admiration between the bosses, with Klopp unstinting in his praise for Guardiola's ability to get his players to give life to his purist principles. "His teams are always excellently positioned. He always has great teams which make excellent decisions," Klopp told UEFA.com recently. "At Barcelona it was Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Lionel Messi and so on. "At Bayern ...
Cricketers' union wants Smith, Warner 'disproportionate' bans reduced
Bans handed to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft should be reduced, the Australian cricketers' union said today, arguing the punishment was disproportionate to previous ball-tampering cases. Disgraced former captain Smith and his deputy Warner were suspended from international and domestic cricket for 12 months and Bancroft for nine months over a plot to alter the ball during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town. All three players have apologised and accepted responsibility in emotional press conferences after being kicked off the tour and returning home last week. Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) president Greg Dyer said "justice which is rushed can sometimes be very flawed", referring to Cricket Australia (CA) handing out its punishment so soon after the incident. He urged a relaxation of the bans to allow the men to return to domestic action sooner, saying of the dozen or so previous cases the ACA had studied, the most severe punishment was a ban ...