Page 1848 - Sports
By Tapan Mohanta
Included in India's Commonwealth Games gymnastics squad after going to court, Rakesh Patra is desperate for a medal not just to prove his worth but also to become financially strong enough to change his family's fortunes. The 26-year-old artistic gymnast was included in India's CWG squad after he filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court when his name was initially omitted owing to a tussle between the Gymnastics federation and the Indian Olympic Association. Hailing from Odisha, the World Cup finalist has endured a tough journey so far, one that he hopes, will ease up with a good CWG showing. The many hardships of his life include surviving a fire tragedy that gutted his family's thatched hut at Hadagadia Sahi in Puri when he was "about five years old". But despite the challenges, his father Dayanidhi Patra, a primary school teacher in Brahmagiri School about 25 kilometres from Puri, ensured that he got all that was needed to shape into a decent athlete. "He would get about Rs ...
Opportunity knocks for Ricciardo in new F1 season
Daniel Ricciardo faces a pivotal year in his Formula One career with expectations of a much-improved Red Bull performance and mounting speculation over where he will drive next season. The 28-year-old Australian, who embarks on his eighth F1 season under the suffocating pressure and hype of competing at a home Grand Prix in Sunday's opener in Melbourne, endured a frustrating 2017 campaign. He retired from three races with engine-related problems -- including the misery of failing to finish in last year's Melbourne race -- and amassed 70-places-worth of grid penalties stemming from the unreliability of the team's Renault engines. But Ricciardo is considered a championship threat with Red Bull's new RB14 car expected, along with Ferrari, to threaten the Lewis Hamilton-led Mercedes' domination. The optimism comes from winter testing in Barcelona when Ricciardo consistently registered fast lap times, suggesting Red Bull may have overcome the teething issues of last year. "It feels like we
Brazil coach Tite looks for rhythm in last friendlies
Going into his first World Cup as Brazil coach, Tite is looking for some rhythm. It's the one thing, surprisingly, he thinks his team is short of. So Tite will use the upcoming friendlies against World Cup host Russia and defending champion Germany to find a proper No. 10, someone who can play at the heart of the midfield and keep his orchestra in sync. "To use a samba concept, I need a rhythm-maker," Tite said recently. "Even if that player is not in his top form he will be brought in because the team needs that." Beijing Guoan's Renato Augusto has been Tite's first-choice No. 10 so far but hasn't inspired much confidence that he can lead a team that is among the favorites to win the tournament for a sixth time. With Neymar out injured, there's even more room for experiment, and players like Willian, Philippe Coutinho and Fernandinho could be tested in more than one position. Here is a look at the main issues that Tite has to sort out ahead of the World Cup. GOALKEEPER Once a ...
Indian chess Olympiad team starts training for medal playing TT
India's top chess players have started gearing up for a podium finish in the Olympiad -- to be held at Batumi in Georgia this September -- by, well, starting their day playing table tennis.
Surgeon says Neymar's recovery is 'going well'
Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said that Neymar's recovery from foot surgery "is going well", as the star forward bids to be fit for the World Cup in Russia. Lasmar, who operated on Neymar on March 3, said he speaks "two or three time a day" with the physiotherapists working with the Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain player. "For now, everything is going well, they tell me every detail of Neymar's recovery," Lasmar told French sports daily L'Equipe. "They are working hard and in a very professional way so that he can return as quickly as possible and, above all, so there won't be any further problems for his foot or posture." He added that he planned to reassess the injury in mid-April. Neymar, who missed Brazil's 7-1 semi-final thrashing on home soil by Germany through injury four years ago, is key to his country's hopes at this year's World Cup, which starts on June 14. At the time of the operation, Lasmar said Neymar would be out for between "two-and-a-half to three months". The ...
In Somalia, women defy strict rules to play football
Shortly after sunrise, a group of young women arrives at a football pitch in Mogadishu, where they shrug off their hijabs -- some changing underneath the billowing veil -- to reveal their team kit. Young Somali men stand nearby, some disapproving but all watching closely, as the women jog up and down, dribble a worn-out ball between colourful cones and do sit-ups, less than 200 metres (656 feet) from a heavily guarded security checkpoint. The sight of young women playing football is highly unusual in Somalia, due to societal pressures as well as fear of Al-Shabaab. The Al-Qaeda linked Islamist group launches regular attacks in Mogadishu and considers forms of entertainment, such as football, to be evil, worse still if women are involved. "It is obvious that we are scared despite the fact that we put on heavy clothes over our shorts and T-shirts (until) we get to the pitch. It is very difficult to walk normally with sports clothes -- we never wear sports clothing in society," said ...
Messi joins Argentina training ahead of Italy clash
Lionel Messi joined up with his Argentina team-mates as they trained at Manchester City ahead of their World Cup warm-up against Italy. Messi's side are based at the Football Academy of Premier League leaders City while they prepare for the friendly at Eastlands on Friday. The Barcelona forward arrived to start working with the rest of the squad on Tuesday and was present at a training session open to media in the afternoon. Also present but not participating was City striker Sergio Aguero, who has been sidelined with a knee injury recently. Another City player, defender Nicolas Otamendi, was involved along with the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria, Javier Mascherano and Marcos Rojo.
Forget slams ATP plans to reintroduce World Team Cup
French Open director Guy Forget hit out at the ATP's plans to restart the World Team Cup, saying it could hurt the fortunes of the historic Davis Cup. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced last month a plan to run the Davis Cup -- traditionally played over four weekends spread across the season -- over a single week in November from next year. Separately the ATP is hoping to revive the World Team Cup to be played for the first time in eight years in January 2020, possibly only two months after the Davis Cup. "We could end up with two strictly identical competitions a few weeks apart, which I think would be dangerous," said former world number four Forget. "There is no place in the calendar to have two competitions of this kind. Whatever the format of the Davis Cup, I hope it will have the edge." The ITF is hoping the possible change to a one-week format improves the appeal of the Davis Cup, as leading players, including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, skip ties over ...
England guarded over Stokes bowling in Test comeback
England were guarded over whether injury-hit Ben Stokes would bowl against New Zealand when he makes his Test comeback from suspension tomorrow. Speaking on Wednesday, ahead of the first day-night Test to be held in New Zealand, captain Joe Root said the all-rounder would "play a part" but would not discuss what role he would fill. "There's still stuff that needs to come out of today to be very sure of that," Root said, when asked whether Stokes, 26, had recovered sufficiently from a back strain to bowl normally. "But I'm quite happy that Ben will play a part in the game." Stokes, suspended after a nightclub incident last September which left him facing a charge of affray, was sorely missed by England in their 4-0 trouncing by Australia in the Ashes series. He returned to international cricket in the recent limited-overs series against New Zealand, which England won 3-2, but has been hampered by back stiffness. Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said senior batsman Ross ...
Not helping: Vijay Shankar on 'sympathy' for Nidahas off day
Sympathy, however well-meaning, can at times add to misery -- something that Vijay Shankar is dealing with as he tries to move on from a "disheartening" off day that nearly cost India the Nidahas Trophy final against Bangladesh. While Dinesh Karthik became the toast of the nation with a last ball six in India's triumph over the South Asian rivals, the 27-year-old Shankar was lambasted for his 19-ball-17 that included four successive dot balls in the 18th over. "My parents and close friends didn't say anything as they knew what I was going through. But I get these text messages like 'don't worry about what's being said on social media', when I actually I want to move on. They perhaps think that's the way to show sympathy but it may not work," the all-rounder told PTI in an interview. For him, the final was an off-day that marred a good tournament in which he turned in decent figures with the ball. "It was an off-day for me but I am finding it difficult to forget. I know I need to move .
Tainted but celebrated Seema eyes perfect end to CWG career
A dope-tainted past she might have but Seema Punia would once again be one of India's strongest bets for a medal when she hurls the discus one last time at the Commonwealth Games next month. Seema has been the most decorated Indian track and field athlete in the Commonwealth Games history, delivering a medal each time she has represented the country in the quadrennial event. Starting from the 2006 edition in Melbourne, where she won a silver, the Haryana athlete has been on the podium in 2010 and 2014, and at 34 she is again a medal contender in her last CWG in Gold Coast next month. In a nearly two-decade career, Seema has competed in three Olympics (2004, 2012 and 2016), one Asian Games (2014) and three CWG so far and this edition in Gold Coast will be her last CWG. She is also aiming for 2020 Olympics. "It is going to be my fourth CWG and I am confident I can win a medal at Gold Coast but cannot tell which colour it will be," Seema, who is currently training at USA, told PTI. "It ..
Yuki Bhambri qualifies for main draw of Miami Masters
Indian tennis ace Yuki Bhambri continued his rich vein of form as he qualified for the main draw of the ATP Miami Masters after brushing aside Sweden's Elias Ymer in straight sets here on Wednesday.In his second and final ATP Miami Masters qualifying match, the 25-year-old Indian player eased past Ymer 7-5, 6-2 in a one-sided clash that lasted almost one and a half hour.Bhambri will now take on Bosnia and Herzegovina's Mirza Basic in the opening match. It should be noted that Basic comes into the draw as a lucky loser despite slumping to defeats in the second and final qualifying round.Earlier, Bhambri dispatched Renzo Olivo of Argentina 6-4 6-1 in the opening qualifying round.The Indian player had last week also qualified for the main draw of the Indian Wells Master and made it to the round-of-32 of the tournament before going down to America's Sam Querrey 7-6, 4-6, 4-6.
Santosh Trophy: Punjab beat Odisha 2-1 in opener
Former champions Punjab rallied from a goal down to edge past Odisha 2-1 in the opening game of the 72nd Santosh Trophy at the Sailen Manna Sports Complex in Howrah last evening.After a barren first-half, Odisha took the lead in the 62nd minute through Arpan Lakra only for Sarbjit to restore the parity for Punjab in the 70th minute.However, an own goal by Odisha's Rudra Pratap Pradhan sealed full three points for the Kuldip Singh-coached Punjab side.Both the teams started with caution, but it was Punjab who held the upper hand in the midfield but lacked coordination with the strikers, with Baltej Singh and Prameet Jhutty failing to deliver the goods. Punjab had their first chance to go ahead in the 13th minute but Odisha defender D. Srinath came to the rescue to make a goal line save.At the other end, Odisha almost took the lead in the 24th minute through Bijay Behra but Punjab keeper Moses Anthony made a diving save to deny the young striker.Punjab although were more organized in ...
Santosh Trophy: Mizoram see off strong Goa in opener
Mizoram completed a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over six-time champions Goa in their opening Group B game of the 72nd Santosh Trophy at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium in Kolkata last evening.Goa captain Victorino Fernandes opened the scoring in the 11th minute but F. Lalrinpuia equalised in the 25th minute.Thereafter, two quick goals from Lal Romawia in the 81st and 84th minute helped the 2013-14 champions clinch victory and all three points.It did not take much time for the Western state to stamp their authority on the game.Marcus Mascarenhas ran from the left side to beat his marker and play a forward pass to India international Victorino Fernandes who made his way into the box to beat the Mizoram defenders and slot the ball past goalkeeper Laltanpuia Ralte to break the deadlock.The 'home' side for the game, Mizoram had their first notable moment in the 23rd minute. Lalbiakhlua's cross from the right was missed by Lalremruata in the box but F.Lalrinpuia's first-time shot was blocked .
Brazil target women's Copa America title
The Brazilian women's national football team say they are confident looking ahead at the Copa America tournament in Chile in April. They hope to hoist the trophy for the seventh time.
Sr. Men Hockey C'ship: Chandigarh, Punjab reach quarters
Chandigarh booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 8th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2018 (A Division) after registering a comfortable 2-0 win over Central Reserve Police Force in their Pool D clash at the Padma Shri Mohammad Shahid Synthetic Hockey Stadium here last evening.By clinching their second win of the competition, Chandigarh finished second with six points while Central Reserve Police Force kept their top spot with a tally of seven points.Amandeep found the back of the net to give Chandigarh a one-goal lead in the 37th minute which was then doubled in the 56th minute as Damanjit Singh converted a Penalty Corner.Central Reserve Police Force tried to make a comeback in the closing stages of the match but they were kept out by some outstanding display of defense from Chandigarh resulting in a comfortable 2-0 victory for them.In the other Pool D match, Comptroller and Auditor General of India continued to top the Pool with eight points as they defeated ..
Black Cap Taylor fit for first Test against England
New Zealand received a boost today, on the eve of the first Test against England at Auckland's Eden Park, with confirmation senior batsman Ross Taylor is fit to play. Taylor, who has a Test average of 48.04, had been battling a groin injury and a stomach bug but captain Kane Williamson said he had completed a full training session without problem. "He's good to go so that's great news for us," Williamson said. "Roscoe has played beautifully every time he's walked out to the crease, the calmness at the crease, the confidence. "It's reflected in how much success he's had this year. It's important for us as a team that he's there." The clash will be the ninth day-night Test and the first to be played in New Zealand. Williamson described it as a "slightly unique and an exciting opportunity", but did not want to over-think the possible pitfalls of heading into the unknown. "There is probably a danger of over complicating some of the finer parts of the pink-ball game," he said, pointing to .
T20 Mumbai League: Shivaji Park Lions through to the final
Shivaji Park Lions stormed into the finals of the inaugural T2O Mumbai League after they defeated Sobo Supersonics by six wickets in the second qualifier here today. The Lions will take on Triumph Knights Mumbai North East in the final tomorrow. Chasing a massive score of 194, Alpesh Ramjani starred for the Lions with an unbeaten 64 off just 34 balls. The Lions chased the target with 2.1 overs to spare as its batsman punished the opposition bowlers. Earlier, put into bat, Sobo Supersonics posted a massive 194/7 on the board with Abhishek Nayar and Aakarshit Gomel both scoring an identical 51. While Nayar struck five boundaries and a six, Gomel hit eight boundaries in his knock as the two hammered a listless Shivaji Park Lions bowling attack. A late cameo from Rohan Raje (26 not out in 11 balls) also helped the Supersonics go past the 190-run mark at the Wankhede Stadium.
Deepa Malik asks for equal treatment to para-sports
Paralympic silver-medalist Deepa Malik has said that it is the time when para-sports should be treated with equal respect as winning international medals in such sports is yet more challenging than the other abled-bodied sports."There's always a dilemma in para-sports. We never know when our events could get changed or when we could be combined in other categories under point systems. So winning an international medal in para-sports is a little more difficult and challenging and unpredictable than abled bodied sports. So para-sports should now be respected," Malik told ANI.Malik won a silver medal in the shot put at 2016 Paralympic Games, but competed in discus and javelin throw at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai.Talking on similar lines, she said, "It is very challenging to prepare oneself for a new event. Transition from one event to other is really tough for athletes in severe disabilities category to prepare for a minimum qualification standard (MQS)."However, she ...
World Cup Qualifier: Rashid spins Afghanistan to victory over UAE
Rashid Khan, took a big leap towards becoming the quickest bowler to 100 ODI wickets when he took his fourth five-wicket haul as Afghanistan prevailed over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a Super Six fixture of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 at the Old Hararians on Tuesday.The world's number-one ranked bowler returned figures of 9-0-41-5 as the UAE, after electing to bat first, were bowled out for 177 in 43 overs.Afghanistan, in their run-chase, plunged to 54 for five before an unfinished 124-run sixth wicket partnership between player of the match Gulbadin Naib and Najibullah Zadran helped them reach the target for the loss of five wickets.The victory in the 35th over also helped Afghanistan to narrow the gap with Ireland and the Windies on net run-rate, which will come into play if Scotland beat the Windies on Wednesday, the UAE beat Zimbabwe on Thursday and Afghanistan beat Ireland on Friday.The winner of Wednesday's match between the Windies and Scotland will qualify ..