Page 1838 - Sports
Santosh Trophy: Chandigarh bow out, Kerala rout Manipur 6-0
Chandigarh's semi-final hopes ended after a 1-2 loss to Maharashtra while Kerala continued their rampaging run with a 6-0 rout of Manipur in Group A matches of the 72nd national championship for Santosh Trophy here on Friday.
Tickets for KKR matches off to a flier
More than half of the tickets of Kolkata Knight Riders' opening match against the star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 8 has been sold out, claimed the ticketing partner of the event. In just a matter of four days, most of the tickets in the denomination range of Rs 400 to Rs 26,000 for hospitality boxes have been sold out, BookMyShow, the exclusive ticketing partner for the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchise, said in a media statement. "KKR is thrilled at the unprecedented response to the ticket sales this season," KKR CEO Venky Mysore said. "Kolkata is known for its passionate cricket fans. The ticket sales for KKR's matches are off to a flying start," Albert Almeida, COO-Non-Movies, BookMyShow said.
Santosh Trophy: Kerala demolish Manipur 6-0
Kerala demolished Manipur 6-0 while Maharashtra pipped Chandigarh 2-1 in the group A fixtures of the National Football Championship for the 72nd Santosh Trophy here today. It was a goalless stalemate in the first-half at Howrah Stadium before a rampaging Kerala banged in half a dozen goals including a brace by Jithin Gopalan (62nd and 84th) and an own goal by Manipur's Chingakham Singh in the 90+4th minute. Afdal V K opened the floodgates with his 47th minute strike, while India's U-17 World Cupper Rahul KP doubled the lead in the 59th minute before Gopalan and Jithin MS (71st) scored decisive goals. Kerala now have 11 goals from two matches and are ahead of Bengal on goal difference as both teams have a couple of wins each. In the other match of the day, Maharashtra dashed Chandigarh's semi-final hopes at the Rabindra Sarovar Stadium with goals from Shubham Khanvilkar (5th) and Dion Menezes (9th). Chandigarh showed some urgency in the second half but could find the target only once ..
Alonso wary of weather changes ahead of Australian GP qualifying
Spanish Formula One driver Fernando Alonso on Friday said his McLaren team would need to factor in potential weather changes ahead of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.
Golfer Neha clinches sixth leg of Hero women's Tour
Kolkata golfer Neha Tripathi capped an amazing week with a third successive sub-par round that gave her one of the biggest wins in the history of the Hero womens Pro Tour at the Classic Golf and Country Club here on Friday.
South Africa's Rabada wins duel with Warner
Kagiso Rabada was hit for five boundaries in a row by David Warner but won a duel with the Australian opening batsman when he sent Warner's off stump cartwheeling on the second day of the third Test today. Warner was bowled for 30 and Australia were 67 for two at lunch in reply to South Africa's 311 all out. Warner hit three fours off the last three balls of Rabada's second over, then hooked the first ball of Rabada's next over for six. He sliced a no-ball for four, then was bowled by a ball which went between bat and pad with Warner stuck on his crease. Fast bowler Rabada, who had a two-match ban for making contact with Australian captain Steve Smith overturned before the Test, ran down the wicket to celebrate but did not go near the batsman. But in the latest incident of a bad-tempered series, Warner appeared to react to a comment from a spectator in the members' pavilion, stopping and turning as he climbed the steps to the dressing room. South Africa claimed a second wicket when ...
Neha grabs 14-shot win in 6th leg of Hero WPG Tour
Neha Tripathi capped an amazing week with a third successive sub-par round that gave her one of the biggest wins in the history of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour. A final round of three-under 69 with four birdies against one bogey, all on the back nine, gave her a week's total of 16-under 200. It was the best winning total of the season and also gave her a 14-shot win over the second-placed trio of Gaurika Bishnoi (71), Amandeep Drall (72) and Tvesa Malik (72). The win was 26-year-old Neha's first in the 2018 season and it also took her to the top of the 2018 Hero Order of Merit after six events. It also brought her a welcome win after three second places, including a play-off loss, in the previous five legs. A day after setting the Classic Golf and Country Club on fire with a 10-under 62, Neha began the day with a series of nine pars on the front nine. On the back nine, she birdied 10th and 12th and dropped her first bogey on the 15th. It was her first dropped shot since the 17th ...
Atwal shoots 71, Chopra cards 70 in Dominican Republic PGA event
Indian golfer Arjun Atwal made a decent start with a one-under 71 in the first round of the inaugural Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship here. Atwal, with four birdies against three bogeys, was tied 52nd but on the cutline. Daniel Chopra shot a two-under 70 and was tied 35th with three birdies against one bogey. Following an opening-round nine-under 63, Brice Garnett held the first 18-hole lead of his career. His 63, which included nine birdies and nine pars, bettered Garnett's previous career-low round by two strokes. Canada's Corey Conners' eight-under 64 marked his career-low round, bettering a previous best of 66, which he posted in the second round of the 2018 Sony Open in Hawaii. In his rookie season on the PGA TOUR, Conners has made 10 cuts in 11 events, with a tied 16th at the Valspar Championship two weeks ago being his best finish. Conners held the first, second and third-round leads at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort after coming into that week as ...
KKR recruit Rinku hopes to use Raina's advice to play freely
Catapulted into limelight after bagging a contract with Kolkata Knight Riders, Rinku Singh is hoping to follow the advice of his idol Suresh Raina and play freely when he makes his IPL debut for the two-time former champions. Rinku, who comes from a poor family in Aligarh, was picked by KKR for Rs 80 lakh, four times' higher than his base after an intense bidding war with Mumbai Indians. While watching the bidding war from his small two-room house in an LPG company's godown where his father works as a delivery man, Rinku got a congratulatory message from Raina. "It read 'bindaas khelna, jyada pressure mat lena', (play freely without taking any pressure). It was special for me," the KKR's left-handed batsman told PTI in an interview at the team hotel. "I never thought I will get Rs 80 lakh, I thought I would get about Rs 30-35 lakh." The 20-year-old next received a pair of gloves and bat gifted by Raina during their first interaction on the sidelines of his domestic debut. "He made ...
FIFA's official partner announces opening of social project
Aiming to promote peace, equality and respect for all, one of official partners of 2018 FIFA World Cup, Gazprom has announced the opening of Football for Friendship (F4F) International Children's Social Project, which involves Dutch legend Marco van Basten, among others. The initiative is in its sixth season, and one young footballer from India will play in the global event, which will unite kids from 211 countries. The final events of the season will be held in Moscow from June 8 to 15. The goal of the programme is to involve the young generation throughout the world in promoting friendship, equality, peace and respect for different cultures and nationalities. "We were glad to support this unique initiative from our FIFA partner Gazprom," said FIFA's first female secretary general, Fatma Samoura. "The forum is a perfect example of how football can be used to open doors for girls and boys from all backgrounds, a mission that FIFA supports actively." The F4F open draw was held in ...
AIFF officials visit Minerva Punjab FC Academy
All India Football Federation's top officials, including general secretary Kushal Das, visited I-League champions Minerva Punjab FC's academy here today, the two parties keeping their bickering aside for a change. The Punjab-based side which brought the coveted title back to Punjab after 21 years has invested in their youth setup, which was instrumental in them winning the U-15 Youth League trophy for three successive seasons. "I'm delighted to have visited the academy and participate in the I-League prize giving ceremony. I am fully convinced that right things are happening at Minerva Punjab FC," Das said. "The results are there for everyone to see. They've won the youth league and now they've conquered the I-League. I believe they have the ability and determination to become a premier club in Asia," he added. I-League CEO, Sunando Dhar, lauded Minerva Punjab's efforts to nurture the budding talents. "It's great to see that time, money, energy and above all the passion have been put .
NRAI chief takes digs at ministry, backs Ronak and Heena
Throwing his weight behind Ronak Pandit and Heena Sindhu, National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) chief Raninder Singh today said "we have to fight more here than there", in an apparent dig at the Sports Ministry's move to drop 21 names from the IOA's list of non-athletes as part of the contingent for the Gold Coast bound Commonwealth Games. Among those dropped from the Indian Olympic Association's list include PV Sindhu's mother Vijaya Pusarla, Saina Nehwal's father Harvir Singh and shooter Heena's husband Pandit, who is the High Performance Director of the Indian pistol and rifle team. Raninder gave his assurances to Heena and Ronak, who is her technical coach besides being an observer, in a series of tweets. "The NRAI is clearly willing to pay for our observer, who is an integral part of our team. It's almost as if we have to fight more here than there! .The issue shall be accreditation. I am willing to opt out as I think to have him," Raninder wrote on his twitter handle. The ..
Rohtak set to host first World Series Boxing clash
The highly-competitive World Series of Boxing comes to India for the first time, with the National Boxing Academy in Rohtak set to host an explosive clash between the Indian Tigers and the Astana Arians from Kazakhastan on Saturday.The Indian team's campaign will be led by Sanjeet (+91 kg), who recently overturned the odds and defeated heavyweights to punch his way to the gold medal in the recently-held India Open. He will be taking on Abikhair Turlanbekov in a clash of titans.Sanjeet didn't have such a great start. losing to the star boxer from the Patriot Boxing Team from Russia.The Astana Arians, however, begin as overwhelming favourites. They are not only the WSB reigning champions but had also beaten the Indians in the first leg. Tigers will hope to ride on strong home support, with vociferous local fans expected to fill up the ring and cheer every Indian pugilist in the five-bout card."It is a great opportunity for boxing fans to watch world class boxers fight from close ...
WGC Match Play: Shubhankar loses again, set for exit
India's Shubhankar Sharma was not in his element as he lost to Xander Schauffele with a hole to spare in the second match of the WGC-Dell Match Play here. The 21-year-old Indian, who took the reigning Masters champion, Sergio Garcia to the 18th hole, lost 3&1 to Schauffele. Two defeats in two matches means Shubhankar is out of the race for a berth in the knock-out stage, but he could still gain a lot of confidence with a win in the third league match against Dylan Fritelli. Even as Dustin Johnson crashed out, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson kept their chances alive, while Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed meet in their final league match to decide, who goes into the knockout stages. Flying the Asian flag was Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who maintained his winning run with a thrilling 1-up triumph over Keegan Bradley of the US. After a comfortable opening day win over Chez Reavie, Kiradech produced late birdies on 17 and 18 to turn the tables on Bradley. Kiradech needs a win or a ..
Yuki enters 2nd round of Miami Open
India's Yuki Bhambri continued with his commendable performance in the ATP Circuit reaching the second round of the Miami Open with a straight-set 7-5 6-3 victory over Bosnia's Mirza Basic, here today. Yuki will now meet world No 11 and eighth seeded American Jack Sock in the second round of the tournament, having come through the qualifying round. Yuki, who is currently ranked 107th in the ATP list, took an hour and 32 minutes to defeat the world No 75. The win against another higher-ranked opponent will surely help India's top singles player in getting closer to top-100, something that can get him direct entry into the French Open. He had earlier reached the third round of the Indian Wells tournament. The hallmark of Yuki's game in the opening round here was the successful first serve of 68 percent and a whopping 71 percent conversion of points on the second serve. Throughout the match, Yuki converted five of the 13 break points compared to only two by his opponent.
Special athletes to attend training camp ahead of Unified Football Cup
Six special athletes from Special Olympics (SO) Bharat will team up with five football athletes to participate in the first Unified football training camp starting tomorrow. "The four day camp is a run up to the Special Olympics United Football Cup to be held in Chicago, USA from July 17-20," a media release said. The participating athletes range from several states including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Mizoram , Kerala, Goa and Delhi. The camp, to be held at the Scottish High International School, Gurgaon, will also see five SO Bharat football coaches along with two coaches from Indian Super League side Delhi Dynamos training with the unified football team. Alongside football training, about 300-400 athletes will be screened for physical fitness along with a counselling session. The training and participation of the Indian contingent is being supported exclusively by Herbalife Nutrition.
Marijne Mantra: Don't hold ball for too long, says Manpreet
Swift dribbles have been the Indian hockey team's calling card since time immemorial but new national coach Sjoerd Marijne wants his men to not hold onto the ball for too long in a bid to attack with more gusto, says skipper Manpreet Singh. "Now, the drill is not to hold the ball for long, attack fast, try to enter the striking circle and take as many shots as possible. Our focus is to attack more and we are more aggressive now," skipper Manpreet told PTI during an interaction before the hockey squad left for Gold Coast. One of India's biggest problems have been penalty corner conversion but the skipper feels that with four specialist drag flickers including VR Raghunath and Rupinderpal Singh, the team will put up an improved show. "Regarding penalty corner conversions, we have four specialists (drag flickers) in the team and we should be able to convert as many penalty corners as possible. I think we have improved on that front also," he said. India have returned with silver medals ..
Yuki Bhambri cruises to round 2 of Miami Masters
Yuki Bhambri continued his impressive run, beating Bosnia's Mirza Basic in straight sets in the first round of the Miami Masters, here today. Yuki defeated Basic 7-5 6-3 at the Crandon Park Tennis Center here. It was the second meeting between the 25-year-old Indian and the world number 75 Basic, who had beaten Yuki in 2016. The Indian Davis Cupper will now face world number 11 and eighth seed American Jack Sock in the next round. This will be the first meeting between the two. Yuki, ranked 107 had qualified for the ATP 1000 series main draw with a 7-5 6-2 win over Sweden's Elias Ymer in the second and final qualifying round. Yuki, of late, has created excellent results against top players as he registered the biggest win of his career, shocked world number 12 Lucas Pouille in the second round of Indian Wells Masters.
Federer unfazed about No.1 ranking quest
20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer has stressed that retaining his world number one spot in rankings is no more than a 'mini goal' for him as he is looking forward to defend his title at the Miami Open.In order to retain his numero-uno spot, Federer is required to make it to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open or else he would be surpassed by his long-time rival Rafael Nadal of Spain."The number one ranking is in my head a little bit, but no more than that. It's a mini-goal. It would be nice to stay there but it's no more important than that," news.com.au quoted Federer, as saying.Though Federer admitted that the quest of retaining the number one spot helps in keeping a player motivated, the failure of the same would not end his playing career."You have to win matches to go far here. Going far enough to stay number one, it helps my motivation to have a goal. But even if I don't manage it, it's not the end of the world," Federer said.Federer will begin his Miami Open campaign ..
Special Olympics Bharat athletes gear up for Unified Football Cup
Six intellectually challenged athletes from Special Olympics Bharat will be teaming up with five football athletes to participate in the first Unified football training Camp to be held from March 24 to 28 at the Scottish High International School, Gurgaon.The training is a run up to the United Football Cup in Chicago to be held from July 17 to 20.While the athletes from Special Olympics Bharat are from the Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Kerala, Goa and Delhi, the Unified Partners are from Delhi and Goa.Along with five Special Olympics Bharat coaches, two coaches from Delhi Dynamos will be training the team.The Unified Cup Chicago is a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Special Olympics. 24 teams (16 male and 8 female) will be participating from India, Brazil, Canada, China, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, Japan (Nippon),Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Slovakia, United Arab Emirates, United States and Uruguay.