Page 1913 - Sports
IBSF Snooker Team WC:Pankaj Advani-led India stun Pak to lift title
The Indian duo of Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra produced a spirited performance as they bounced back strongly to thrash arch-rivals Pakistan in the summit showdown of the inaugural edition of the IBSF Snooker Team World Cup here last night.Ace Indian cueist Advani and Chandra made a shaki start to their match as they went 0-2 down in the best-of-five final before founding themselves in trouble at 0-30 down in the third frame.However, the Indian pair dug deep thereafter as Chandra recorded a well-crafted break of 39 while Advani also played out of his skin to ensure their side clinch a 3-2 win over Pakistan team of Babar Masih and Muhammad Asif and lift the title.Following the win, an ecstatic Advani took to his Twitter account and wrote,"IBSF World Cup Snooker Champions 2018.What an awesome feeling to win it from 2-0 down against Pakistan in the final! Really enjoyed partnering with the super talented Manan Chandra- superb show mate."Earlier, Advani and Chandra defeated the Iran ...
Mexican Open: Del Potro sets up finals clash with Anderson
Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro dispatched top seed German Alexander Zverev to set up Mexican Open summit clash with South Africa's Kevin Anderson here on Friday.Del Potro defeated Zverev 6-4 6-2 in the semi-final match that lasted just 90 minutes."I was very happy with how I played. I'm starting to play very well again, and that's all that matters for me," Zverev said post his defeat.The Argentine will now take on fifth seed Anderson, who will look to bag a second consecutive title after winning the New York Open two weeks ago and fifth career ATP title.Anderson, 31, defeated America's Jared Donaldson 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the first semi-final clash of the day to reach his third final of the season."When you're out there, you're not really thinking about finals and what happened before. In the heat of the battle, I thought it was a really tough match," he said.Earlier, this year, the South African, who is now at a career-high No. 8 in the ATP Rankings, reached the finals of the ...
PSL players foil fresh approach by bookies:PCB official
A couple of players from ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) were once again approached by a bookmarker, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official has revealed.The PCB official informed that the players, whose identities have not been disclosed, were targeted by a bookie through social media websites, but the cricketers opted to immediately report the matter to the country's cricket board."A couple of players were approached through social media apps but they did not respond to the bookie and reported the matter to us.We are watching out for the culprits," the Dawn quoted the PCB official, as saying.Last year, the second edition of the PSL was marred by spot-fixing scandal after which several players faced suspensions.The spot-fixing allegations were related to a match between Latif's team Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi in Dubai in February last year.Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan both were handed a ban of five years each last year after they were found guilty of spot-fixing and ...
ISL: Rudderless ATK aim to end on high against NorthEast (Preview)
A day after Ashley Westwood stepped down as interim coach of ATK, the reigning champions, who are hopelessly out of form, will look to end their campaign on a high when they take on fellow strugglers NorthEast United in an Indian Super League (ISL) tie here on Sunday.
'Firmino deserves Liverpool contract extension'
Liverpool Football Club coach Jurgen Klopp has heaped praise on his Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino and said that he deserves a contract renewal with a lot of space to improve.
Bremen hold Monchengladbach in Bundesliga tie
Werder Bremen came from two goals down to grab a 2-2 draw against Borussia Monchengladbach in a Bundesliga match here.
Shubhankar on top at World Golf Championships
Indias Shubhankar Sharma upstaged the games biggest stars when he shot to the top of the leaderboard at the $10 million World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship after a brilliant five-under 66 gave him a two-shot lead here.
Porto beat Sporting Lisbon in Portuguese league
FC Porto defeated Sporting Lisbon 2-1 here to increase their lead at the top of the Primeira Liga.
Iran to 'soon' allow women access football stadiums : FIFA
Gianni Infantino, head of football's world governing body, FIFA, has said that has given him assurance that it will soon allow its women to attend soccer matches.Infantino met with Iranian leaders, including President Hassan Rouhani during a visit to Tehran to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Iran's football federation.He also attended a me only football match here which drew criticism from rights activists, reports the Voice of America.The FIFA president, without naming any dignitary, said he was "promised" that Iranian women will soon have access to football stadiums.Iran has barred women from attending men's football events since the Iran Revolution of 1979.Iranian women are, however, allowed to attend female football matches.Recently, Iran detained 35 women for trying to attend a soccer match between Tehran teams Esteqlal and Persepolis.The reports quoted Iranian interior ministry spokesman Sayyed Salman Samani as saying then that women were not arrested, but rather ...
British tennis star Dan Evans to join anti-drugs campaign
British tennis player Dan Evans, after undergoing a year-long-ban, will join an anti-drugs campaign.The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has said that Evans would take part in the body's anti-doping campaign to inform younger players of the pitfalls that await them."We have met with Dan and he has shown genuine commitment to getting his tennis career back on track. Dan has reflected on his experience and would like to support the LTA's anti-doping education programme to help emerging young players avoid similar mistakes," The Guardian quoted the LTA as saying.The former British No 2 will be eligible to compete from April 24 after being banned for failing a drugs test.He was tested positive for cocaine last April during the Barcelona Open.The LTA warned Evans that that their support to the Briton is dependent on his level of professionalism."The LTA condemns any form of doping which has no place in our sport. Our support will be entirely dependent on a non-negotiable commitment to ongoing
Federer drops might compete in French Open
World No 1 Roger Federer has said he is planning to again start competing in the French Open."I dream of coming back to Roland-Garros," Sport24 quoted Federer, as saying.Federer has not played in the French Open for the last two years in order to give rest to his body and focus on other events where he has greater chances of winning.The Swiss has only one French Open title among his 20 Grand Slams."I do not know, I will decide that in April after Indian Wells," Federer said of his French Open probable comeback.The 36-year-old said, "[It depends on] how I feel, it's much more than a decision, it's the decision of the year, it's in the middle of the year, it's a surface change."Roland Garros is currently the only Grand Slam event held on clay, and is widely considered to be the most physically demanding tennis tournament in the world.World No. 2 Rafael Nadal has won the French Open title ten times.The 2018 French Open will begin from May 27.
Mental battle key to Djokovic comeback, says Becker
Former world number one Novak Djokovic's toughest hurdle when he returns to the ATP Tour after a long injury absence will be a mental one, believes former coach Boris Becker. The 30-year-old Serbian's return to competitive action is yet to be confirmed although he published photos of himself on the practice courts earlier this week for the first time since he underwent a minor "medical intervention" following a fourth round exit at the Australian Open. The 12-time Grand Slam winner struggled through his defeat by Chung Hyeon of South Korea, troubled still by a persistent elbow injury, that had seen him off the circuit since Wimbledon last year, and a hip problem. Becker, who coached Djokovic to six Grand Slam titles from 2014-16, told journalists earlier this week at the Laureus Awards in Monte Carlo that Djokovic would have to accept that renewed success might not come immediately. "Mentally is going to be the biggest challenge," said Becker at the event staged by Laureus, a global ..
Neymar's golden foot to go under the knife
Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar was to undergo surgery for a broken right foot Saturday, putting the planet's most expensive footballer out of action until the eve of the World Cup. The operation, performed by national team surgeon Rodrigo Lasmar, was expected early morning in the Mater Dei hospital in Belo Horizonte, where Neymar checked in the previous night. Jose Luiz Runco, a former chief medical officer for the Brazilian team, told AFP that the surgery to mend the broken fifth metatarsal "is not difficult" and should take between one hour and 90 minutes. What concerns Brazil and PSG is how long it will take Neymar to get back on the field, scoring goals. Lasmar describes the break as serious and says that recovery will take from two and a half to three months. That leaves PSG without the striker -- whose transfer from Barcelona cost the club a record 222 million-euro ($264 million) last August -- when they face Real Madrid in a make-or-break Champions League clash
Red-hot Anderson to battle Del Potro in Acapulco
South Africa's Kevin Anderson moved one step closer to capturing his second consecutive title with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over American qualifier Jared Donaldson at the ATP Mexican Open. Anderson, of Johannesburg, won the New York Open crown two weeks ago. The world No. 8 Anderson has plenty of confidence heading into Saturday's final where he will face Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro. "It just feels great to win tonight's match," Anderson said. "When you're out there, you're not really thinking about finals and what happened before. In the heat of the battle, I thought it was a really tough match." Since last January, when he plunged to 80th in the world, Anderson has made five finals comprising Washington D.C., the US Open, Pune, New York and now Acapulco. He was runner-up at the 2017 US Open. Anderson saw his ranking fall of as a result of a variety of injuries and health issues. In the other semi-final, Del Potro blasted six aces and broke Alexander Zverev's serve three times ..
Advani-led India pip Pakistan to win Snooker Team World Cup
The Indian combine of Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra staged a remarkable recovery to pip Pakistan in the final of the inaugural IBSF Snooker Team World Cup. After being 0-2 down in the best-of-five final played last last night, India found themselves in a deeper hole at 0-30 down in the third frame. Thanks to a well-crafted 39 break from Chandra and a classy clearance of the final colours by Advani, the Indian hopes were kept alive. In the fourth frame, even though Advani found himself in a spot of bother when trailing 1-20 against Babar Masih, he took charge of the proceedings and displayed his mastery once again by clearing the table with a 69 break. This made India draw parity with Pakistan and it all boiled down to the final frame to determine the first winners of the inaugural event. Chandra and Muhammad Asif found themselves in a seesaw frame but it was the Indian who changed gears and did most of the scoring with every given opportunity. Eventually, Chandra only needed the ...
Sensational Sharma seizes lead on WGC debut
Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma moved past some of the biggest names in the game to open up a two-shot lead at the USD 10 million WGC-Mexico Championship here. He followed up his first round 65 with a 66, that included a back nine with five birdies against no bogeys. At 11-under, he was two shots ahead of reigning Masters champion, Sergio Garcia, 2017 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Xander Schauffele and Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello. Overnight leader Louis Oosthuizen (71), World No. 1 and defending champion Dustin Johnson (66), two-time Masters champion, Bubba Watson (66), fellow Asian Kiradech Aphinbarnrat (69) were among those Tied-5th and four behind Sharma. Son of an Army Colonel M.L. Sharma, who took time off to devote himself to his talented son, the younger Sharma hit the spotlight with two victories in a matter of seven weeks at co-sanctioned Asian Tour and European Tour events in South Africa and Malaysia. I'm really happy. I couldn't be in a better situation. Played so well, and .
Tight New Zealand bowling restricts England to 234
Tight bowling by part-timer Colin de Grandhomme saw New Zealand restrict England to 234 in the third one-day international in Wellington on Saturday. On a wicket that did not appear to hold many demons, De Grandhomme finished with one for 24 off 10 overs with his medium pacers. With the series level at one-all after the first two games, New Zealand elected to bowl after winning the toss and took immediate control. Most of the England batsmen reached double figures but they were unable to dominate with captain Eoin Morgan top scoring with 48. Jos Buttler managed to attack the bowling until Ish Sodhi, the most successful of the New Zealand bowlers with three wickets, had him caught behind for 29 off 23 deliveries. At the top of the order, openers Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy struggled from the start and when Trent Boult claimed Roy's wicket for 15 at the end of the eighth over, England were 25 for one. New Zealand introduced the spin of Mitch Santner in the 11th over, with England 36 ...
Odisha scores perception goal through sports
Odisha recently announced that it would sponsor the national hockey teams (men and women) for the next five years, something which no other state has done before.This got the state a fair amount of positive attention and goodwill. What it will also get Odisha in the years to come is continuing visibility every time the Indian team steps on to the hockey field to play a match. This will happen through the new logo of the national hockey team jersey which has the Konark wheel, Odisha's coastline, endangered Olive Ridley turtles, Odissi dance form, and hockey. It will serve as a constant visual reminder.The event is not an isolated one, but an ongoing, concerted effort aimed at refurbishing the brand image of Odisha that stands at the threshold of a new journey.Consider this. Odisha's growth rate between 2003 and 2011 was 8 per cent. It has made an impressive effort in poverty reduction with only 39.2 per cent of population living below the poverty line in 2009-10 as compared to 60.8 ...
Windies revenge not on Simmons mind despite axe
Phil Simmons insists that leading Afghanistan to the 2019 World Cup and not exacting revenge over his West Indies compatriots is his only priority when the 10-team qualifying tournament gets underway tomorrow. Simmons, who played 26 Tests and 143 ODIs for the West Indies from 1987 to 1999, was sacked as coach of the Caribbean side in 2016, just five months after leading them to the World Twenty20 title in India. His sacking had been preceded by a suspension the previous year for publically criticising the West Indies selection policy. Simmons, 54, took over the reins of Afghanistan in December and his mission to get the newly-minted Test team to a second successive World Cup in England and Wales next year. Afghanistan take on Scotland in their opening match at Bulawayo on Sunday with Simmons playing down his team's status as one of the favourites to reach the finals. "I am not putting the 'favourites' tag on me. We have just come here to play cricket, we need to play proper cricket ...
Cash-rich City's stability leaves Chelsea playing catch up
Premier League champions Chelsea travel to Manchester City on Sunday 22 points adrift of the side destined to take their crown and fighting just to salvage a place in the top four. Antonio Conte's men could be five points adrift of the Champions League places by the time they kick-off at the Etihad (1600GMT) with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool hosting struggling Huddersfield and Newcastle respectively on Saturday. The Italian is strongly rumoured to be on his way out as boss at Stamford Bridge come what may in the remainder of the season despite Chelsea still competing on three fronts. Conte has repeatedly clashed with the Chelsea hierarchy over his lack of input into the club's recruitment policy. He hinted at his frustrations once more when asked how City had overturned a 15-point deficit on Chelsea last season into such a commanding lead with still 10 games of the Premier League season to go. "When you work very well and there is a great feeling between the manager and the club, ..