Page 1800 - Sports
Algeria endorses Morocco's bid to host 2026 World Cup
Algerian Minister of Sports El Hadi Ould Ali has confirmed that his country endorses neighbouring Morocco's bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Gameiro penalty boosts Atletico
A first-half penalty into the top corner by France's Kevin Gameiro gave Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna in their Spanish top division football match at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium here.
Blacked-out goggles, ice baths as outdoor pool poses challenge
Some swimmers have taped over their goggles and others will be hitting ice baths as they grapple with the challenges of an outdoor pool at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Leading backstrokers Kylie Masse and Emily Seebohm have been working on ways to avoid veering into the lane ropes in the open-air pool, which gives them no overhead reference points. Canada's world record holder Masse has been training outdoors in preparation, while Australia's triple world champion Seebohm has been swimming in semi-blacked out goggles in a bid to adjust. "We knew it was coming so I tried to swim outdoors as much as possible this year to kind of prepare myself," Masse said. "I've practised a bit outside, we've been down in Florida and Arizona for training camps a bit this year because we knew the Games were here and they'd be outside. "A number of times you can be doing a really fast set or something then all of a sudden, wham, you hit the lane rope." Australian coaching staff have come up with ...
Commonwealth organisers roll out red carpet - and condoms
About 225,000 condoms, 17,000 toilet rolls and free ice cream: welcome to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games village, where athletes and officials will want for little. Ahead of Wednesday's opening ceremony, thousands of competitors and support staff are pouring in to their temporary home on Australia's eastern coast. Organisers hope to make the village as comfortable and safe as possible for the 6,600 athletes and team officials -- and that includes their sexual health. The large number of free condoms equates to about 34 per person, a robust average of three a day over the 11 days of competition. At the recent Pyeongchang Olympics in South Korea, organisers handed out 110,000 free condoms -- a Winter Games record -- while 450,000 were on offer at the Rio Olympics, where sexually transmissible Zika was a threat. At the Gold Coast village, competitors can relax with virtual reality computer games, swim, lounge by a man-made waterfall, play the piano or sample the free lollies and ice ..
Kiwis to chase mammoth 382-run-target to win Christchurch Test
England set a massive 382-tun victory target for New Zealand as the hosts' chase was hindered by bad light on the fourth day of the second Test at Hagley Oval here on Monday.New Zealand were 42 without loss when the day was called off.The day resumed with England on 202-3. Skipper Joe Root (54) and Dawid Malan (53) then batted patiently to put their side on top.After scoring half-centuries, Root and Malan both departed in a gap of three balls to leave their side 278/5 at lunch.It was Lower order batsman Jonny Bairstow who then struck 36 as his side declared on 352 for the loss of nine wickets.Coming down to chase in, New Zealand's Tom Latham and Jeet Raval were batting on 25 and 17 respectively before bad light ended play early.New Zealand are currently leading the series 1-0 and will need their highest Test run chase to defeat the tourists in the second Test.
Huntelaar, Onana save Ajax at Groningen
A late strike by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and a couple of saves by goalkeeper Andre Onana handed Ajax Amsterdam a 2-1 away win at FC Groningen in the Dutch Eredivisie here.
Ranveer won't perform at IPL opener due to injury
Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, who was scheduled to perform at the opening ceremony of the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, won't shake a leg at the event to avoid aggravating a shoulder injury.
Djokovic parts ways with coach Andre Agassi
American great Andre Agassi has announced his separation with Novak Djokovic to end his 11-month coaching relationship with former world No. 1.Eight-time grand slam champion Agassi started his stint as Djokovic's coach in May last year.However, Djokovic has been witnessing a downfall in his career after claiming his 16th grand slam at the French Open in 2016. The Serb also failed to defend his title at Roland Garros last year, before retiring injured in the Wimbledon quarter-finals."I wish him only the best moving forward," the Sport24 quoted Agassi as saying."With only the best intentions, I tried to help Novak. We far too often found ourselves agreeing to disagree," he added.Djokovic, 30, has been struggling to make a winning comeback since undergoing an elbow surgery following the Australian Open. He had suffered first-round defeats at both Indian Wells and the Miami Open last month.After having more surgery on his elbow, he returned to court last month but fell to successive ...
Aussie Campbell eyes redemption after 'greatest choke'
A defiant Cate Campbell has promised a return to her best form at the Commonwealth Games as the Aussie swimmer looks to exorcise the demons of her Olympic flop two years ago. The 25-year-old is blazing the comeback trail after taking a year out from the sport, prompted by what Campbell described as the "greatest choke in Olympic history" in Rio -- her sixth-place finish in the 100 metres freestyle final. Campbell, who is limbering up for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast this week, rediscovered her mojo at the national trials, where she dominated the 100m freestyle and broke Australian records in the 50m free and 50m butterfly. "I definitely missed being part of the team," she told reporters. "To be back in the green and gold, it really makes my heart beat a little bit faster." Campbell was the red-hot favourite to win the Olympic 100m title in 2016 and led at the turn before fading badly, allowing Canada's Penny Oleksiak and American Simone Manuel to come through and tie for ...
Latham, Raval in safe start as New Zealand chase 382
Tom Latham and Jeet Raval edged New Zealand to 42 without loss at the start of a formidable run chase when bad light brought an early end to the penultimate day of the second Test on Monday. Latham was not out 25 with Raval on 17 and New Zealand requiring a further 340 to reach their 382-run target. If successful, it would be the seventh-highest winning run chase in Test history. New Zealand's highest successful fourth innings is 325 for five to beat Pakistan in Christchurch 24 years ago. After England declared at 352 for nine, Latham and Raval had some difficult moments in a hostile first-up spell by Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad. Anderson did everything but claim Latham's wicket as the New Zealand opener flirted outside the off stump in similar fashion to the way he was removed by Broad in the first innings. After some near misses, Latham on 23 eventually found an edge but James Vince dropped the chance at third slip. Broad, meanwhile, consistently beat Raval in his early overs ...
Isner beats Zverev to win first Miami Open
American John Isner triumphed over Germany's Alexander Zverev in the Miami Open title showdown to finally put an end to his ATP Masters final agony.Isner came back from a set down to beat world No. 5 Zverev 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4 in a clash which lasted for two hours and 29 minutes.En route to his first ever Masters 1,000 title, The 14th seed defeated in-form Juan Martin del Potro in the semi-finals and put behind his three previous major tour final.The 32-year-old had lost his previous three major tour final appearances in 2012, 2013 and 2016."To win like that in front of a crowd like that, with that atmosphere, you can't replicate moments like that. It was absolutely amazing," said Isner post his title triumph."This tournament has so much history. All the best players have played here through the years. For Sascha and I to share the court in the last men's singles match ever here at this tournament is amazing. I never thought I would be at this moment considering how I was playing ...
Gameiro penalty edges Atletico past Deportivo, closer to Barca
Atletico Madrid cut the gap behind Barcelona to nine points in La Liga after Kevin Gameiro's penalty sealed a 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday. Barca's 2-2 draw at Sevilla on Saturday gave Atletico a rare chance to reduce the Catalans' lead at the top, which they took with a hard-fought victory at the Wanda Metropolitano. Gameiro made no mistake from the spot in the 34th minute after referee Daniel Trujillo adjudged Atletico's Saul had been pulled down by Pedro Mosquera. While Diego Simeone's men still require a Barcelona collapse with only eight games left, Deportivo are also in need of a miracle to avoid relegation. They remain 19th and eight points adrift of safety. Elsewhere on Sunday, Valencia took one step closer to Champions League qualification after Spanish World Cup hopeful Rodrigo Moreno scored in a 1-0 win over Leganes. Their victory became even more valuable after Villarreal slipped to a 1-0 defeat by Malaga, giving Valencia a 15-point cushion in fourth place. ..
Isner upsets Zverev to win Miami Open
John Isner finally put an end to his ATP Masters final agony on Sunday, winning the Miami Open for the first time by beating Germany's Alexander Zverev 6-7 (4/7) 6-4 6-4. The 14th seed had lost his previous three major tour final appearances in 2012, 2013 and 2016 but came back from a set down to beat Zverev in two hours and 29 minutes. The victory capped a superb tournament for Isner, who endured a difficult start to 2018 which included an early-round exit at Indian Wells in his lead-in to Miami. "I couldn't have scripted this. I came into this tournament, I won one ATP [World Tour] match all year and was playing very poorly," Isner said. "I won my first match in three sets and that's how tennis goes - you start to gain a little confidence and next thing you know things start to roll your way." Isner is the first US player since Andy Roddick in 2010 to lift the Miami title. Isner will also reclaim a career high world ranking of ninth after the victory, the 13th title of his ...
Latham leads steady New Zealand start chasing 382
New Zealand made a steady start to be 34 without loss at tea on day four, chasing 382 to win the second Test against England in Christchurch on Monday. Tom Latham was not out 21 and Jeet Raval, who suffered a painful blow to the ribs from Stuart Broad, was on 13. The New Zealand innings began with a minimum of 137 overs to reach the target at an average of 2.78 per over. By tea, after 12 overs, they were on target although bad light was threatening. England declared their second innings at 352 for nine after losing their last six wickets for 90 runs on an easy-paced wicket. The declaration came as Colin de Grandhomme brought New Zealand back into the Test with his medium-paced deliveries. Returning to the scene of his best career figures, six for 41 on debut against Pakistan two years ago, de Grandhomme produced his second best figures of four for 94. Joe Root and Dawid Malan had taken England from an overnight 202 for three to 262 when the medium pacer made the breakthrough for a New
Bayern wary of another Sevilla surprise
Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has said there were no celebrations when his players watched the Champions League draw come out but Sevilla head into Tuesday's tie as the overwhelming under-dogs of the quarter-finals. Only Roma, who play Barcelona on Wednesday, might claim to face a more formidable task in the last eight but the Italians have at least grown familiar with the competition's knock-out rounds in recent seasons. This will be Sevilla's first ever appearance in a Champions League quarter-final. "The team was not euphoric [at the draw]," Heynckes said. "They reacted very calmly, as though they just had a beer. "Of course, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City are playing very well, Liverpool are playing well, but we had five English teams through and we were talking about the best league in the world - three of them are gone. So we must take these guys seriously." Sevilla were responsible for the least expected blow landed on the Premier League after they dumped out ...
Salah, De Bruyne grasp second chance to take England by storm
Had their first experiences in English football gone as they would have wished, Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne could have been teammates rather than on a collision course for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final clash between Liverpool and Manchester City. How Chelsea fans must wish they had remained on the same side. Instead, neither player's style suited Jose Mourinho's physical approach and were sent through Stamford Bridge's revolving door for talented midfield players at the time having made just a combined 16 league appearances. Both sales have come back to haunt Chelsea, who now look set to miss out on a place in the Champions League next season whilst De Bruyne orchestrates City's relentless march towards the title, and Salah's stunning scoring streak has Liverpool well on course for a place in the Premier League's top four. They are also engaged in a personal duel for Premier League player of the year prizes as the two outstanding players in the division. De Bruyne ..
Pressure back on as Real and Zidane reunite with Juventus
Zinedine Zidane said last week he wants to stay at Real Madrid but how welcome his wishes are will depend on the team's Champions League tie against Juventus. Real face Zidane's former club in the first leg of the quarter-final on Tuesday, knowing their season, and perhaps the Frenchman's future as coach, hinges on reaching the last four. It was the same in the previous round against Paris Saint-Germain. Real's limp La Liga title defence, combined with their early exit from the Copa del Rey, means they now have only one shot at winning a major trophy this term. The mood in Madrid, however, is upbeat. Real have won 10 out of their last 11 matches, a run that has seen them brush aside PSG and move to within four points of second-placed Atletico Madrid in the league. They have scored 36 goals in that period, at an average of just over three a game. "The match comes at a good time for us," Real forward Lucas Vazquez said. "We have been doing things well for the last few months, playing ...
Sports Schedule for Monday, April 2
Sports Schedule for Monday, April 2 CRICKET IPL related stories from across the country (Build Up stories of 8 franchises) Stories related to Indian cricket. Fourth of fourth Test between Australia and South Africa in Johannesburg. Fourth day of second Test between England and New Zealand in Christchurch. COMMONWEALTH GAMES News and all related stories of Indian contingent in Gold Coast TENNIS: ATP tournaments across various venues.
Hero Super Cup: Dicka's brace ensures quarterfinal spot for Mohun Bagan
Match 3 of the Hero Super Cup 2018 saw Hero I-League giants Mohun Bagan move to the quarter finals defeating Goan Churchill Brothers SC 2-1.Mohun Bagan came from behind through a brace from their Cameroon forward Dipanda Dicka (45' + 2'; 69') to ensure their quarterfinal spot in the tournament. For Churchill Brothers SC it was Willis Plaza who scored in the 30th minute. The tournament is being played at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.The game began on a slow note with most of the first half being played around the midfield. There were a few attempts to score on either sides but either of the teams failed to find the back of the net. It was only in the 30th minute when Churchill Brothers Willis Plaza scored from a calculated pass from Nicholas Fernandes, the Goan outfit earned a crucial lead in the game.A series of attacks from Mohun Bagan thereafter kept Churchill Brothers on their toes, but a reckless tackle from Nicholas on Mohun Bagan's SK Faiaz helped the Bengal club earn a ...
Kerala bag Hero Santosh Trophy by defeating Bengal on penalties
Kerala defeated defending Champions Bengal 4-2 on penalties after the full-time scoreline read 2-2 to win the 72nd Hero Santosh Trophy at the Vivekananda Yuvabharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday.Jithin MS scored in the 19th minute for Kerala while Jiten Murmu drew level in the 68th minute. In extra time, Vibin Thomas first found the net in the 117th minute after Rajon Burman was sent off. Tirthankar scored late into injury time for Bengal to take the game to penalties where Kerala emerged eventual victors.Bengal were on the attack from the early minutes of the match. Tirthankar Sarkar had two freekick chances from the left side of the area within the first six minutes. While the first one was duly cleared by the Kerala wall, left-back Sreerag G pulled off a goal-line clearance from Monotosh Chakladar's shot after goalkeeper Midhun V parried it away.However, it was Kerala who broke the deadlock against the run of play. Jithin Gopalan intercepted a ball in the centre of the park and