Page 1804 - Sports
I don't follow swimming' - Chalmers unaware of Commonwealth rivals
Don't ask Australia's Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers who are his medal threats in the pool at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, because he says he has no idea. Chalmers, who shocked the swimming world at 18 when he landed gold at the Olympics two years ago, is the favourite to win the 100 metres freestyle at his home Games next weekend. Chalmers, who became the first Australian man in 48 years to win the Olympic 100m freestyle title in Rio, knows he will be up against team-mates Cameron McEvoy and Jack Cartwright in the event. But apart from them, he is in the dark. Asked who he saw as his main overseas threats, Chalmers was disarmingly candid. "I have no idea. I don't know who's swimming here. I don't follow swimming really, to be honest with you, so I have no idea," Chalmers told journalists today. "I have no idea what happened in Glasgow (2014 Commonwealth Games). I know we got top three, so that's exciting but I don't know what people are in the event. "I just know that Cam ...
Joshua goes the distance before beating Parker in world heavyweight clash
Anthony Joshua was taken the distance for the first time in his professional career before winning a unanimous points decision in his world heavyweight title unification fight with Joseph Parker in Cardiff. After 12 rounds, Britain's Joshua triumphed 118-110, 118-110, 119-109 on the three judges' scorecards. Victory extended the London 2012 Olympic champion' perfect professional record to 21 wins from as many bouts but all of his previous successes had been by way of knockouts. It also saw International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association champion Joshua add Parker's World Boxing Organisation belt to his collection. This result was New Zealand boxer Parker's first defeat in his 25-fight pro career. Yesterday's contest in front of a 78,000 capacity crowd at the Principality Stadium was the first time two previously undefeated heavyweight champions had met for a world title in Britain. Joshua's win should move him closer to a bout against Deontay Wilder, the American who ...
Bonucci scores but Juventus beat Milan 3-1 to go 4 clear
Leonardo Bonucci's goal on his return to former team Juventus ultimately counted for nothing as the Bianconeri beat AC Milan 3-1 to move four points clear in Serie A. "It was pre-written," Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said. "He scored on his return but Juventus won, no one could have imagined a better night." Bonucci cancelled out Paulo Dybala's opener in the first half and Hakan Calhanoglu rattled the crossbar as Milan surprisingly outplayed the six-time defending champion. But Juan Cuadrado and Sami Khedira struck late for Juventus. Second-placed Napoli slipped further behind after drawing at Sassuolo 1-1. Juventus drew at lowly Spal 0-0 last time out, and this will boost it ahead of the Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid on Tuesday. All 10 matches were played on Saturday because of Easter. JUVE JUMP AHEAD Juventus got off to the perfect start when Dybala fired it in front with a powerful shot from outside the area in the eighth minute. Andre Silva headed ...
Poulter shares lead in Houston, keeps Masters hopes alive
Ian Poulter put himself in position for a last-minute invitation to the Masters after a near miss last week, shooting a 7-under 65 on Saturday to surge into a share of the lead at the Houston Open. Poulter followed an opening-round 73 that had him packing his bags in anticipation of a missed cut with rounds of 64 and 65 to reach 14-under 202 at the Golf Club of Houston. Beau Hossler birdied the par-4 18th to shoot 69 and match Poulter. It was the first time since his last PGA Tour victory in 2012 that Poulter had consecutive rounds of 65 or better. The 42-year-old English veteran made the quarterfinals at last week's Dell Technologies Match Play to improve his world ranking to 51st -- just missing the cutoff to move into the top 50 and earn an invitation to Augusta National, where he has never missed the cut in a dozen appearances. The only way he can get in the field now is to win in Houston. Rickie Fowler birdied three of the first four holes to move into the lead before he faltered
Ibra-mania as Zlatan's double seals Galaxy fightback
Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his arrival in Major League Soccer with two goals on his debut including an injury-time winner as the Los Angeles Galaxy fought back from three goals down to beat Los Angeles FC 4-3. Ibrahimovic -- who only arrived in California on Thursday -- lashed home an imperious volley from 40 yards just six minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute to make it 3-3 at the StubHub Center. The Swede then headed home Ashley Cole's cross in injury time to put Galaxy ahead in an extraordinary finale that lived up to the hype surrounding the veteran striker's arrival from Manchester United. "If you look back, every team I played for, I scored in my first official game. I wasn't going to let that stop today," a delighted Ibrahimovic said afterwards. "I heard the crowd saying 'We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan' And I gave them Zlatan," he added. Ibrahimovic's winner was the final act of a thrilling first ever derby between the Galaxy and expansion side LAFC, who had ...
Rajput laments Mumbai's decline in domestic circuit
Former India player Lalchand Rajput says Mumbai, a 41-time Ranji champions but bereft of success in recent times, will need to raise their game in the domestic cricket circuit as other teams start to assert their supremacy. Rajput, along with former Mumbai player and chief selector Milind Rege and batsman Abhishek Nayar, spoke on Mumbai cricket at an event titled Lions of Mumbai' organised by the MIG Cricket Club in suburban Bandra last night. "With T20 coming in the mindset (of players) has changed. If a youngster wants to play for Mumbai, first he will think of playing IPL, that is the mindset, which I feel is wrong. First and foremost, you've to try and play for your state, and then for your country. The IPL will come automatically," Rajput said. "Because the money is involved, the mindset has changed. This is the reason why Mumbai cricket has slowly come down (from the) level it was at earlier," he added. To prove his point, Rajput gave examples of teams like Saurashtra and ...
Messi rescues unbeaten Barca as Bale double propels Real
Lionel Messi rescued Barcelona's unbeaten season as the La Liga leaders scored twice in the last three minutes to snatch a 2-2 draw at Sevilla. Messi came off the bench with his team two goals down at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan as Luis Suarez pulled one back in the 88th minute, before the Argentinian struck the equaliser a minute later. Barcelona had not lost a league game this term, or in 13 months, but finishes from Franco Vazquez and Luis Muriel looked to have sealed Sevilla a stunning victory. But Messi came up trumps again and he celebrated his goal, a bending long-range strike into the bottom corner, by rushing to the jubilant coaching staff and substitutes on the touchline. He had been left out of the starting line-up due to a hamstring complaint, with coach Ernesto Valverde perhaps keeping one eye on Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final against Roma. But he still made the decisive intervention even if Barca's draw means Atletico Madrid can cut the gap at the top to nine ..
Candice Warner: 'It's my fault' for husband's ball-tamper crisis
Disgraced Australia former vice-captain David Warner's wife Candice said today she blamed herself for his part in the ball-tampering scandal, adding that the taunts they faced in South Africa took a huge toll. Opening batsman Warner was banned for one year from domestic and international cricket over the plot to change the condition of the ball on the third day of the third Test against South Africa eight days ago. In a tearful press conference in Sydney yesterday, the 31-year-old spoke of his fear that he would never get to represent Australia again as his wife watched on. "I feel like it's all my fault and it's killing me -- it's absolutely killing me," Candice Warner told Sydney's Sunday Telegraph. The Test series was already fractious before the ball-tampering affair, with a row between David Warner and Quinton de Kock during the first Test which the Australian said was sparked when the South African insulted his wife. Two senior Cricket South Africa officials were also ...
England 113-1 at tea on day 3
Alastair Cook failed again but England remained in a strong position in the second cricket Test against New Zealand here, leading by 142 runs with nine second innings wickets remaining at tea on the third day. At the interval, after leading by 29 runs on the first innings, England was 113-1 with James Vince 55 not out and Mark Stoneman unbeaten on 42. Cook made 14 before being caught behind from the bowling of Trent Boult, the fourth time in the series and the ninth time in his career that Cook has been dismissed by the New Zealand left-armer. He has had scores in the current two-Test series of 5, 2, 2 and 14 at an average of 5.7. His dismissal Sunday was demonstrative of his current lack of form and confidence as he unnecessarily played at a wide delivery from Boult and edged the ball to wicketkeeper B.J. Watling. Vince has also been out of form in this series with scores of 25, 18 and 18 in his three previous innings but looked far more fluent Sunday on a pitch at Hagley Oval which .
Steve Smith-less Rajasthan Royals 'prepared' for IPL 2018
Rajasthan Royals Head of Cricket Zubin Bharucha on Saturday said that the team will not feel the absence of Steve Smith as a batsman but the stature of the player will be missed."When we go to auction, we always look for backups. There are certain players like all-rounders, who you don't have many, that person you will miss, but we have dozens of quality batsman in India. So we will not miss anybody," Bharucha told reporter here.He added, "Obviously we miss stature of a player like Smith and the quality he brings but as a team, we are absolutely prepared and we obviously got his replacement as Heinrich Klaasen. So, strategically there has been no change."Australian batsman Smith was to earlier captain the side but was barred from participating in the upcoming IPL season by the BCCI after Cricket Australia (CA) handed him a one-year ban for his role in the massive ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane was promoted as the skipper of the Rajasthan Royals ...
Super Cup: Aizawl edge past Chennayin FC in penalty shootout
Aizawl FC kick started their round-of-16 campaign defeating the ISL 2018 Champions Chennayin FC in a nail biting penalty shootout 5-3 (2-2) here on Saturday.
Women's League: Fazila scores five as Gokulam decimate Indira
Gokulam Kerala FC decimated a hapless Indira Gandhi Academy SE side 6-1 to notch up their first win in the Indian Women's Football League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here in Shillong on Saturday.Ugandan striker Ikwaput Fazila did the maximum damage as she scored five times (32nd, 44th, 45+2nd, 58th, 76th) to notch up a resounding victory. Anita Rawat was the other scorer for Gokulam in the 81st minute while Sumithra Kamaraj scored the lone goal for Indira Gandhi ASE.The match began with Gokulam coming strongly off the blocks. They made several inroads into the Indira Gandhi box with Fazila and Anita combining well. But, their efforts didn't yield a goal.As was the case for Gokulam in their past two matches they conceded against the run of play despite their dominance, when Sumithra scored a stunner in the 24th to give Indira the 1-0 lead.The equaliser arrived in the 32nd minute when Fazila's shot took a slight deflection into the net.Meanwhile, at the other end, Rumpa Malik pulled
Super Cup: Aizawl FC knock out ISL champs Chennaiyin in pre-quaters
Former I-League champions Aizawl FC knocked out reigning ISL champions Chennaiyin FC 5-3 via tie-breaker in a thrilling pre-quarter final encounter of the Super Cup Football tournament. The teams were locked 2-2 at the end of the 120 minutes of slugfest that saw Romanian Andrei Ionescu strike twice for the I-League outfit while Chennaiyin came back twice during the dying moments -- first though Brazilian Mailson Alves in the 89th minute of the regulation time and then through Dhanachandra Singh in the 114th minute. During the tie-breaker, former India player Mohammed Rafi missed the second penalty for the two-time ISL champions while Aizawl were on target with all their five shots. It was Ionescu, whose long ranger took a wicked deflection beating Chennaiyin custodain Karanjit Singh as Aizawl took the lead in the 22nnd minute. Mailson restored parity just a minute before the final whistle converting a rebound in the 89th minute. At the start of the extra time, Ionescu once again ...
Determined Bengaluru look forward to successful Super Cup campaign
Albert Roca's Bengaluru FC will look to build on their reputation when they begin their Super Cup campaign with a pre-quarter clash against Gokulam Kerala FC, here tomorrow. The Blues are no strangers to the Kalinga Stadium, having claimed a 2-0 win against Jamshedpur FC in an ISL encounter but Roca feels that past results in the city will count for little heading into the tournament. It's true that we have played in Odisha before and come away with some good results and a trophy (Federation Cup, 2017) but tomorrow is the beginning of a new tournament against a team we have never played competitively. We will have to be at our best if we are to progress through to the next round, said Roca. Bengaluru met Gokulam Kerala FC twice in closed doors pre-season friendlies at the club's training facility in Bellary in 2017 and Roca feels Sunday's opposition have improved massively since. The Bino George-coached side rode on a Henry Kisekka brace in a 2-0 win over NorthEast United to enter the
Australia new boys flop as South Africa turn screw
Australia's ball-tampering scandal came back to bite them when three replacement batsmen failed on a disastrous day for the tourists in the fourth Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Saturday. South Africa moved closer to a series win as Australia slumped to 110 for six at the end of the second day in reply to the imposing first-innings total of 488 made by the hosts. South Africa, leading the series 2-1, need only to draw to beat Australia in a home series for the first time since 1969/70. Opening batsmen Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw were out for four and eight respectively while Peter Handscomb was out first ball for nought to leave Australia reeling at 38 for three. The trio were playing in place of Cameron Bancroft, David Warner and captain Steve Smith, who were all banned and sent home in disgrace after the ball-tampering scandal which rocked the third Test in Cape Town last weekend. Usman Khawaja made a stroke-filled 53 as he and Shaun Marsh delayed South ...
Schalke 04 extends winning run with victory over Freiburg
Schalke 04 on Saturday stretched its winning streak to six games after beating Freiburg 2-0 in the Bundesliga 28th round, tightening its grip on the second position in the German league table.
Super Cup: Churchill face tough task against Bagan (Preview)
Churchill Brothers FC have left the euphoria of overcoming Delhi Dynamos FC in the Super Cup qualifiers and they're looking forward to facing Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan in their campaign opener here on Sunday.
PCB complains of negative press on West Indies squad
The PCB Chairman Najam Sethi today complained of negative press about the depleted West Indies squad coming to Karachi for a Twenty20 series, starting Sunday. Due to security concerns, the visitors will not address any pre-match conference and miss the trophy unveiling on Saturday. Look these are baby steps and we have to be patient. But I feel disappointed and sorry for those running down the West Indies team, Sethi said. The series will be the first international bilateral one in Karachi since Sri Lanka played a test match at the national stadium in late February 2009. We have had the Pakistan Super League final successfully just last week and now we have three back to back T20 games. We have other teams willing to come but one has to understand that the time for all players having no issues over touring Pakistan will also eventually come, Sethi said. The weak-looking West Indian side sans T20 stars such as Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, regular captain Craig ...
I still respect Smith the batsman: Rahane
Steve Smith may have been disgraced for his role in the ball tampering scandal in South Africa but newly appointed Rajasthan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane said that he still respects him as a world-class batsman. Whatever had to happen has already happened. It's bygone now. It is not for me to comment on the amount of penalty handed to him by the Cricket Australia and the ICC. But his cricketing record should be respected. I respect him as a batsman and player," Rahane said during a media conference. While Smith will be "missed" Rahane feels that it will put added responsibility on his shoulders. "Yes we would miss him but we have a replacement (Heinrich Klaasen). I feel it is an added responsibility and also a big challenge for me," said Rahane. Comparisons are often drawn between him and his national team captain Virat Kohli's leadership styles. "We talk a lot but we both are different kind of persons. He is aggressive and expressive where as I am more composed, serious and ...
My IPL stint will aid Nepal's ambition: Sandeep Lamichhane
Sandeep Lamichhane, the leg-spinner who scripted history by becoming Nepal's first cricketer to enter the Indian Premier League (IPL), believes his participation in the lucrative tournament will help in the promotion of cricket in his home country.Nepal, which recently gained its ODI status, doesn't have a regulatory body for the game as the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) is under suspension from the ICC, the international cricket governing body, due to an administrative fallout."It's been two and half years that our board has been suspended by the ICC and we were nowhere in cricket in last two years. We have become an ODI nation just now. There were various ups and downs in past two years and if right now if I am getting this kind of opportunity to play for IPL then it will help our nation to grow in cricket," Lamichhane told reporters here."The future stars of our country will be very pleased to see this.""We want to remain an ODI nation and play Test matches as well. We are ...