Page 1829 - Sports

Long jumper Sreeshankar's CWG dreams over

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) might be trying to get his late entry in the Commonwealth Games but long jumper M Sreeshankar's chances of taking part in the multi-sporting event got over after he was diagnosed with appendicitis. Sreeshankar, who had won the gold in men's long jump with an effort of 7.99m on March 6 at the Federation Cup National Championships at Patiala, is set to be operated at his home town of Palakkad in Kerala. The 18-year-old Engineering student was named in the Indian track and field team for the April 4-15 CWG in Gold Coast but his participation in the Games had remained uncertain as his entry was sent after the deadline of March 7. The IOA said that the official communication of selection of Sreeshankar -- as well as of two more athletes -- was not sent on time while the AFI claimed that it had done so before deadline. The Chef-de-Mission of the Indian contingent Vikram Sisodia, who has reached Gold Coast, is ...

Hamilton laments software glitch as Vettel victorious in Australian Grand Prix

Getting the 2018 Formula One season underway, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel claimed his 48th Grand Prix victory as he beat the current World Champion, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, by 5.036 seconds to rack up 25 points to his name in the points table.The four-time World Champions' victory came as a surprise to many after a dominant performance by the British driver in the qualifying round of the Grand Prix, who left his opponents in their wake and bagged the pole position.However, after Hamilton dominated from pole for 20 of the race's 58 laps, Vettel took the lead by taking advantage of pitting under the virtual safety car and emerging in front.Matching Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who was second at that point, Hamilton took a pit-stop at the 20 lap mark. The Brit, at that moment, had a comfortable lead of more than six seconds to Vettel, and his car looked strong and untroubled throughout.Although, following Haas driver Romain Grosjean's retirement at the side of the track, which triggered ...

Bayern in trouble as Tuchel rejects offer as new coach: Reports

Bayern Munich are still in search of a head coach to succeed the retiring Jupp Heynckes for the 2018/2019 football season.

CWG 2018 raise bar of anti-doping

The Gold Coast 2018 High Integrity Anti-Doping Partnership got underway for Commonwealth athletes on Sunday as the Athletes Village for the XXI multi-sport games officially opened.The partnership will prioritise the rights of clean athletes and ensure fairness-first, values-centered culture at the Games, which runs from April 4 to 15 in Gold Coast, Australia.The partnership brings together the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), the Gold Coast 2018 Organising Committee (GOLDOC) and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA); and aims to set the standard for international major multi-sports event anti-doping programmes through its innovative tri-partite partnership model.Commonwealth Games Federation President, Louise Martin said, "Athletes and sports fans rightly expect Commonwealth Sport to be a beacon for fairness and integrity on the field of play - indeed these ideals are the very fabric of what our Commonwealth of Nations represents. That is why the CGF and its Medical .

Father-son Yadav combo win top honours

The father and son combination of Shekhar S Yadav and Rahul Yadav, of the INWTC, Mumbai, claimed the Enterprise class top honours with the lowest tally of eight points in the Festival of Sails regatta today. The duo continued to enjoy smooth sailing and won the last two races to claim the top honours on the third and final day of the annual weekend sailing regatta conducted by the INWTC along with the Royal Bombay Yacht, and promoted by the Sailing Association of Maharashtra (SAM). Mahendran V and M Chandrasekhar from Army Yachting Node finished with 15 points and were placed second, while the Kochi pairing of Chandra Kant Patra and GSK Raju of INWTC, Kochi, with 34 points finished a distant third. Rahul Chaudhary of INWTC, Goa, bagged the top honours in the Bic Nova surfboards category. He was second in the ninth race and did not start in the 10th race, but his overall performances in the earlier rounds proved sufficient for him to claim the top prize with nine ...

IPL 2018: Royals await BCCI's mandate before deciding on Smith's future

Smith was also fined 100 per cent of his match fee and stripped of his captaincy for the remainder of the third Test by ICC

Valverde seals third Tour of Catalonia success

Spain's Alejandro Valverde clinched his third title at the Tour of Catalonia today despite Britain's Simon Yates winning the seventh and final stage after a late breakaway. Movistar's Valverde posted a total time of 28 hours, 25 minutes and 7 seconds in Barcelona to add to his 2009 and 2017 successes in the event at age 37. Valverde's Movistar team-mate Colombian Nairo Quintana finished 29 seconds behind in the overall standings and Frenchman Pierre Latour of AG2R ended 47 seconds back in third. Latour snuck in after Egan Bernal of Team Sky, who had started the final day in second, was denied a place on the podium by a dramatic late fall. Bernal crashed heavily with only six kilometres left as Yates of Mitchelton-Scott finished first on the day, ahead of Spaniard Marc Soler and Latour. Yates, whose victory earned him fourth place overall, said: "It was very difficult and very fast at the beginning. I wasn't sure if I could match the really fast guys here so I decided to go early and ..

Santosh Trophy: Bengal, Kerala make semis from Group A

Defending champions Bengal and Kerala qualified for the semi-finals of the 72nd edition of the national championship for the Santosh Trophy by registering wins over Chandigarh and and Maharashtra respectively here on Sunday.

Embattled Australian openers survive pace onslaught to tea

Embattled opening batsmen Cameron Bancroft and David Warner survived a challenging 70 minutes against South Africa's fast bowlers today after Australia were set a target of 430 runs to win the third Test at Newlands. Australia were 47 for no wicket at tea on the fourth day after bowling out South Africa for 373 in their second innings. Bancroft, fined 75 percent of his match fee and handed three demerit points by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after admitting to tampering with the ball on Saturday, was on 22 not out. Warner, who agreed to step down from the vice-captaincy after Australia's "leadership group" was implicated in the ball-tampering scandal, made 25 not out. The pair's defiant batting provided some cheer for the Australians after South Africa added 105 runs to their overnight total of 238 for five, taking the match beyond the realistic reach of the tourists. Australia were captained by wicketkeeper Tim Paine after Steve Smith, like Warner, agreed to stand ...

Wales need to improve against Uruguay in China Cup: Coach

Wales chief coach Ryan Giggs said here on Sunday that his footballers will need to be "even better" than they were in their 6-0 demolition of China if they want to win the China Cup International Football Championship on Monday.

Bengal, Kerala storm into semis of Santosh Trophy

Defending champions Bengal defeated Chandigarh by a solitary goal, while Kerala blanked Maharashtra 3-0 to storm into the semifinals from group A in the national football championship for the 72nd Santosh Trophy here today. Kerala struck through Rahul Raj (23rd), Jithin MS (39th) and Rahul KP (58th) at the Howrah Stadium for their third win in a row and book a semifinal berth with nine points. Bengal also secured three successive wins after their triumph at Mohun Bagan ground to complete the line-up from group A as they will face Kerala on March 27 to determine the group toppers. Bengal's repeated raids finally bore fruit in the 18th minute when Bidyasagar Singh's shot from a long range deflected off Chandigarh captain Rahul and floated into the net at the Mohun Bagan ground. Playing after a gap of four days, Bengal were without their captain Jiten Murmu who was down with a stomach bug. In his absence, Tirthankar Sarkar led the side as Chandigarh proved no match to the record 32-times

Smith fined, suspended for ball tampering

Australia captain Steve Smith has been handed a one-match suspension and fined his entire match fee after admitting to ball tampering during the third day of the ongoing third cricket Test against South Africa here.

Brazil are better but will still miss Neymar - Germany's Sane

Brazil are one of the favourites for the 2018 World Cup, but injury to superstar Neymar still weakens the 'Selecao', Germany winger Leroy Sane said today. "Brazil aren't as dependent on Neymar as they were in 2014," said Manchester City winger Sane. "They are better positioned and have a few new stars, but it still makes a big difference whether Neymar plays or not." Germany host Brazil in a mouth-watering friendly at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on Tuesday as part of both teams' build-up to June's World Cup in Russia. It will be their first meeting since the Germans stunned Brazil with five goals inside half an hour in a 7-1 romp in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup. Just as back then, Brazil forward Neymar is sidelined by injury. This time the world's most expensive player is recovering from foot surgery. He is expected to be fit in time for the World Cup, which kicks off on June 14. Brazil beat Russia 3-0 on Friday with three goals in 13 minutes by Miranda, Paulinho and a Philippe .

Ball-tampering scandal: Steve Smith handed one match suspension

Australia captain Steve Smith has been handed a one-match suspension and fined 100 per cent of his match fee following the ball-tampering scandal during the third day's play against South Africa.ICC Chief Executive David Richardson laid the charge against Smith under to Article 2.2.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel which prohibits to 'all types of conduct of a serious nature that is contrary to the spirit of the game'.Smith accepted the charge and the proposed sanction of two suspension points which equates to a ban for the next Test match and which will see four demerit points added to his record.Richardson, "The decision made by the leadership group of the Australian team to act in this way is clearly contrary to the spirit of the game, risks causing significant damage to the integrity of the match, the players and the sport itself and is therefore 'serious' in nature. As captain, Steve Smith must take full responsibility for the actions of his ...

Australia jeered on Day 4 post ball-tampering scandal

In the wake of a massive ball-tampering scandal, the Australian team, led by stand-in-skipper Tim Paine was greeted with jeer by crowd at the start of play here at the Newlands Cricket Ground.Paine was appointed to lead the time after Steve Smith and David Warner agreed to step down as captain and vice-captain, respectively, for the remainder of the third Test against South Africa.Chorus of boos was heard as the Australians were taking their places on the field on Day four.Earlier, after the end of the Day Three on Saturday, both Smith and Cameron Bancroft admitted to charges of tampering the ball in the outfield using a yellow object."The leadership knew about it, we spoke about it at lunch. I'm not proud of what's happened, it's not within the spirit of the game," Smith was quoted as saying by the ESPNcricinfo."My integrity, the team's integrity, the leadership groups integrity has come into question and rightfully so. It's certainly not on and it won't happen again, I can promise ..

Alonso lifts McLaren spirits with fighting fifth in Australia

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso praised his McLaren team for finishing among the points in today's Australian Grand Prix after switching to Renault engines during the off-season. Alonso fought off Red Bull's young Dutchman Max Verstappen to grab fifth place in the season-opening race, in a sign of improved fortunes for the one-time F1 powerhouse. The British team have endured a miserable run in recent years. But after ditching beleaguered engine partner Honda and teaming up with Renault they are desperate to make a bigger impression in 2018. Alonso, 36, looked certain to leave McLaren last year following a disappointing season but decided to extend his deal after the team terminated their relationship with Honda. "The last couple of years have been difficult, and I think the winter has been difficult as well," the Spaniard said. "We switched to the Renault engine quite late and the team had to react very quickly to redesign some of the parts at the rear end, and now we've come

Auckland, Mar 25 (AFP) Scoreboard at stumps on day four of the first Test between New Zealand and England here today:

Scoreboard at stumps on day four of the first Test between New Zealand and England here today: England first innings 58 New Zealand first innings (overnight 233-4) J. Raval c Bairstow b Anderson 3 T. Latham c Woakes b Broad 26 K. Williamson lbw Anderson 102 R. Taylor c Woakes b Anderson 20 H. Nicholls not out 145 B. Watling c Bairstow b Broad 31 C. de Grandhomme c Bairstow b Overton 29 T. Astle b Broad 18 T. Southee c and b Root 25 N. Wagner not out 9 Extras: (b4, lb9, w6) 19 Total: (8 wickets dec; 141 overs) 427 Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-92, 3-123, 4-206, 5-260, 6-309, 7-341, 8-413. Bowling: Anderson 29-10-87-3, Broad 34-9-78-3, Overton 25-7-70-1, Woakes 33-9-107-0, Ali 17-1-59-0, Root 3-0-13-1. England second innings A. Cook c Watling b Boult 2 M. Stoneman c Boult b Wagner 55 J. Root c Watling b Boult 51 D. Malan not out 19 Extras: (b4, lb1) 5 Total: (for 3 wickets, 46.5 overs) 132 Fall of wickets: 1-6 , 2-94, 3-132. Bowling: Boult 13.5-6-24-2, Southee 13-1-40-0, de Grandhomme ...

One of modern cricket's great tragedies: Bishan Bedi on ball tampering

Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi today termed the ball tampering scandal involving top Australian cricketers "one of modern day cricket's great tragedies" and held the players responsible for plunging the sport into crisis. The embattled Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner stood down as captain and vice-captain respectively for rest of Australia's third Test match against South Africa while Cricket Australia investigated a ball-tampering scandal during the third day of the game. "There is no doubt there has been a mistake and the players are responsible for this. The captain has accepted it, acknowledged the mistake, top management has admitted, this is not a handiwork of one or two players. It's very sad, I would like to think it as one of great tragedies of modern cricket," Bedi said here today. Not one to hold back his opinions on issues pertaining to the game, Bedi said it is important that the right message is passed on to the youngsters. "According to me, no limit ...

Our performance will speak for themselves, says Bembem

Bembem Devi, the face of Indian women's football for the past couple of decades, today said Eastern Sporting Union's performances will speak for themselves as the defending champions look to take home the crown that they earned last year when the Hero Indian Women's League gets underway here tomorrow. We are the defending champions and our aim is to take back home what we earned last year," said Bembem, who coaches Eastern Sporting Union. Being the defending champions, there is always an added pressure on you. The weight of expectations can be overwhelming. But if we as a team are not confident enough in our abilities then there is no point in taking the field. There is absolutely no alternative to not believing in yourself and playing like champions," she added. Bembem said they are not waiting on their past laurels. Well some of the players played at the Senior NFC and they learnt that you can't take anything for granted in football. This year we have brought in a few players and ...

England 'need a hero' says Broad as New Zealand tighten grip

The fall of Joe Root's wicket on the last ball of day four today left England calling for a hero to salvage a draw in the first Test against New Zealand in Auckland. England's position at 132 for three, 237 in arrears, revived memories of the cliffhanger Test the last time the sides clashed here in Auckland five years ago, when the match went down to the final ball. On that day in 2013 at Eden Park England started 390 behind with only six wickets remaining, but batted the whole day and survived the final three overs with nine wickets down to claim a nail-biting draw. With Root out to a fired up Trent Boult late Sunday, England go into this final day with seven wickets available to avoid an innings defeat. At stumps England were 132 for three after Root departed for 51 and Mark Stoneman was out for 55. Alastair Cook went early for two while Dawid Malan was not out 19. "We'll need a hero," fast bowler Stuart Broad said at close of play. "Five years ago Matt Prior was the hero with 100 ..