Page 1917 - Sports
Sanju Samson launches new sports academy
Sanju Samson, who represents Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, on Friday launched Six Guns Sports Academy here that will train both cricket and football players.
Sharmila, Gaurika and Amandeep make cut in Australia
Indian golfer Sharmila Nicollet led Gaurika Bishnoi and Amandeep Drall into the weekend rounds of the Womens NSW Open here today. The only Indian missing the cut was Vani Kapoor. Sharmila (71) starting on the tenth had four birdies against four bogeys and is now 2-over through 36 holes to be Tied-37th. Gaurika made good amends for her first round 75 with a one-under 70 that brought her right on the cut line at three-over. Amandeep, who was even par for the first round, overcame a mid-round crisis which had four bogeys, one double and one birdie between seventh and 12th holes. Overall she had four birdies, five bogeys and one double in her 74. Both Gaurika and Amandeep squeezed inside the cutline. Vani continued to struggle with rounds of 75 and 78 and missed the cut. New South Wales amateur Jihye Park and Justine Dreher of France moved into a share of the halfway lead on day two. Park, 17, from Sydney, shot a bogey free seven-under-par 64 while Dreher carded a 69 in benign conditions .
I want to pick brains of Dhoni and Bravo: Wood
England paceman Mark Wood today said he wants to pick the brains of former India skipper M S Dhoni and West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo and emerge as a "match winner" for Chennai Super Kings during next month's Indian Premier League. I think learning to cope in pressure situations can only help. And picking the brains of some of the legends of the game... MS Dhoni as my captain will provide a great insight and I would love to work with (Dwayne) Bravo and develop my slower ball, the 28-year-old Wood said. Wood said he was "immensely proud" to get to play for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL. "It will be an immensely proud moment for me to play for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL," Wood was quoted as saying by the CSK website. "Not only is the IPL a great competition but I also get to play for the best team! Who wouldnt want that? Im very lucky and hope to be a match-winner for my team, he added. The highly-rated Durham bowler, who regularly clocks 140kmph, said he wants to ...
More woe for Wenger as Man City cruise past Arsenal again
Beleaguered Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger called on his players to show they can meet the club's standards after a second humbling 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City in five days. City moved 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League as fresh from claiming their first silverware of the Pep Guardiola era in the League Cup final on Sunday, the visitors scored three times in the opening 33 minutes as Arsenal disintegrated once more in front of a sparse crowd at the Emirates. Bernardo Silva, David Silva and Leroy Sane were on target to inflict a third straight defeat on Arsenal and leave them 10 points adrift of the Premier League top four in sixth place. And a night to forget for the Gunners was complete when 56 million ($79 million) club record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw his second-half penalty saved by Ederson. "You go up by stairs and come down by the lift, that is what happens with confidence," said Wenger. "We have to show we have the level to be at Arsenal .
Free-scoring Liverpool face Benitez exam
Liverpool's free-scoring form faces a challenge as their former manager Rafa Benitez returns to Anfield with Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday. Optimism is high for Jurgen Klopp's side, who climbed briefly into second place after beating West Ham 4-1 last Saturday, before Manchester United moved back above them with victory over Chelsea a day later. The latest win at Anfield offered another example of the thrilling football that Liverpool have played under Klopp this season, scoring 103 goals in 40 games in all competitions. Of those goals, 66 have been shared between the formidable front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane. Liverpool should know that former boss Benitez knows how to set up a team to frustrate opponents. Liverpool must be wary of falling into the trap that caught them when they suffered their most recent defeat, 1-0 at Swansea on January 22. That night, Swansea manager Carlos Carvalhal suggested that Liverpool were like a Formula One car ..
Atletico's Griezmann aiming to extend Barcelona dip
Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann goes up against Barcelona on Sunday, looking to derail the title charge of a club he may yet join in the summer. Barca were forced last month to deny claims they had agreed a deal to sign the Frenchman, whose relentless run of form since the turn of the year now stands as the principal threat to them toasting a 25th La Liga triumph. In January, Barcelona and Atletico were separated by 11 points at the top of the table but win this weekend, and Diego Simeone's side will have cut that gap to two. Barca's slip at Las Palmas on Thursday, a day after Atletico claimed their eighth consecutive victory over Leganes, means the balance has tipped back towards the capital. But, just as Griezmann has been the driving force behind their resurgence, with an outstanding 12 goals in nine games, the 26-year-old will be key again if Atletico are to inflict Barca's first defeat this season. He has never scored at the Camp Nou, a drought that extends to nine outings, ..
CPL chief warns against clash with English T20 tournament
The Caribbean Premier League have warned the England and Wales Cricket Board their planned new Twenty20 tournament won't succeed as hoped if it clashes with the existing competition in the West Indies. Although the ECB's eight-team city-based tournament will start in 2020, the exact dates have yet to be finalised. But with the aim to attract new and younger audiences, there's every chance it could clash with the 'school holiday' August-September timeframe in which the Twenty20 CPL is currently played. "We are a unique tournament," said Hero CPL chief operating officer Pete Russell at the 2018 draft in London on Thursday. "We are played across so many countries. "You are always going to come up against challenges. The English one is a good example. "Yes, they might be bigger and bolder but, from a player pool perspective, I don't think it's going to be too much different. "That's the challenge the ECB have -- if they clash with the CPL, which is likely, then how will they, as they say .
Sharma fires 65 for tied 2nd at WGC-Mexico Championship
Rising Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma savoured a dream debut at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship as he fired a sizzling six-under 65 to grab the tied second place after the opening round here. The 21-year-old, playing in the last group alongside Malaysias Gavin Green, was beaming from ear to ear after keeping the bogeys of the card which included an eagle and four birdies at the Club Golf de Chapultepec. He is now one shot behind leader Louis Oosthuizen. I'm really pleased with the way I played. I was very nervous in the morning, but very happy with the way I put it all together. Even after the rain (lightning) delay that we had, just to make birdie on the last hole (on nine), absolutely fantastic, said a delighted Sharma. The young Indian prospect arrived in Mexico City in top form, having won co-sanctioned Asian Tour and European Tour tournaments in South Africa and Malaysia over a span of two months. Despite missing the cut by one stroke in Oman and Qatar over the .
Bengaluru beat Kerala in ISL tie
Miku and Udanta Singh produced two superb late fin ishes to give Bengaluru FC a 2-0 win over Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League match at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here on Thursday.
Vinesh Phogat bags silver at Asian Wrestling C'ships
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat settled for silver in the ongoing Asian Wrestling Championships as she lost the tough-fought title clash in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Thursday.Phogat lost to Chinese wrestler Chun Lei by a narrow margin of 3-2 in women final of the 50kg category (freestyle).She defeated Korean, Kazak, and Japanese wrestlers on her journey to win silver.The 23-year-old came into the final after defeating Japan's Yuki Irie after the scores were tied 4-4.Meanwhile, another female wrestler Sangeeta secured a bronze medal in 59kg weight category after losing to Um Jieun of Korea Republic 9-4.This takes India's medal tally to four in the tournament after Greco-Roman wrestlers Harpreet Singh and Rajender Kumar clinched bronze earlier.This is also Phogat's second consecutive silver of the event, following her last year's podium finish at home on her comeback from a major knee injury.
DY Patil T20 Cup: Saurabh Tiwary helps Reliance 1 defend title
Reliance1, riding on skipper Saurabh Tiwary's tremendous unbeaten 112, successfully defended the title at the 14th DY Patil T20 Cup here today. In the final, Reliance 1 defeated BPCL by 25 runs. Tiwary's blitzkrieg ensured that Reliance 1 posted a mammoth 185-6 in their 20 overs. His 112 came off 63 balls with five boundaries and eight sixes. He shepherded the innings despite regular fall of wickets. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant fell early, but Tiwary took charge. He aligned himself very well with Akshdeep Nath (23) and Nikhil Naik (19). For BPCL ,Rishi Arothe ( 2-34 ) was the pick of the bowlers. In their response, the BPCL chase never really got going. Despite handy knocks by senior pro Abhishek Nayar (43) and India player Shreyas Iyer (35), the chase failed against some accurate bowling. India U19 World Cup star Anukul Roy, with a spell of 3-29, andhis U19 teammate Kamlesh Nagarkoti (4-28) helped Reliance 1 defend the title. BPCL ended at 160-9 thanks largely to .
Brazil's Neymar sidelined for up to three months with foot surgery
Brazilian superstar Neymar will be sidelined for up to three months -- perilously close to the eve of the World Cup -- after undergoing surgery on his broken foot, his doctor said today. The worse than previously announced prognosis came minutes after the Paris Saint-Germain striker, 26, arrived in Rio de Janeiro on an Air France flight from Paris for Saturday's operation. "The (recovery) period will be around two and a half to three months," national team surgeon Rodrigo Lasmar, who flew with Neymar, said. The injury has not only ruled the world's most expensive player out of PSG's make-or-break Champions League clash with Real Madrid on March 6, but more worryingly for the football-mad public in Brazil, also threatens the much-fancied national side's build-up to the World Cup, starting in Russia on June 14. Lasmar, who will lead the surgery at a hospital in Belo Horizonte, underlined that there is no quick fix for the striker. "It's not a simple fracture, but a fracture in an ...
Bengaluru FC post 2-0 win, knock Kerala Blasters out of ISL
Bengaluru FC knocked Kerala Blasters out of the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) with a convincing 2-0 win here today, the double strikes coming in the second-half injury time. Kerala, who were looking to keep themselves in contention for a play-off berth before the match, could not convert the chances that came their way. Miku struck the first goal in the 91st minute and Udanta Singh found the net in 94th. The top-scorer for Bengaluru, Miku scored his 14th goal of the season after he charged into the box and slotted past Kerala goalkeeper Rachubka. Udanta scored after cutting into the box off Dimas Delgado's pass from the right, before sending a powerful kick into the corner of the net. With this win, Bengaluru remained table-toppers with 40 points in 18 matches. There were some anxious moments too, especially when Bengaluru head coach Albert Roca kicked the ball away in anger as referee gave a throw-in to Kerala Blasters. The coach was warned by the referee in the 44th minute. One .
West Indies beat UAE in World Cup Qualifier
Left-arm spinner Nikita Miller and speedster Kemar Roach saved West Indies from embarrassment as they bowled the two-time former world champions to a 32-run victory over United Arab Emirates in a warm-up match of the ICC 2019 World Cup Qualifier, here today. The West Indies were heading for a shocking defeat when they were spun out for 115 in 33.4 overs after being 31 for no loss at one stage with wrist spinner Imran Haider claiming 4/16, off-spinner Rohan Mustafa bagging 2/10 and left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza snapping up 2/14. However, left-arm spinner Miller and Roach turned the screws on the UAE batsmen and reduced them to 58 for seven before rain stopped play. When the match resumed, the UAE innings lasted for another 7.1 overs as they were bowled out for 83 in 29 overs. Miller finished with figures of 10-2-20-5 while Roach claimed three for 15. Off-spinner Ashley Nurse captured two of the last three wickets, to finish with two for 21. Captain Rohan Mustafa (12), Shaiman Anwar (12) .
Advani guides India to semis at IBSF World Team Snooker
Multiple World billiards and snooker Champion Pankaj Advani led Indian team to the penultimate stage at the IBSF World Cup Team Snooker being held in Doha. His teammate, multiple national champion Manan Chandra successfully supported the Indian effort in the knockout stages to ensure a bronze medal. First up in the elimination rounds, up against the China team, Pankaj and Manan handed them a thrashing with a 3-0 whitewash in the last-16 round followed by a 3-1 victory over Ireland, the top seeds of the knockouts. In the last-4 stage, India will be up against the Iranian team.
I-League: Aizawl aim to end on winning note (Preview)
Defending champions Aizawl FC will host in-form Gokulam Kerala FC in their final match of the ongoing I-League season here on Friday.
Neymar to undergo right foot surgery, could miss rest of season
Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar Jr. is expected to miss the rest of this season as it will take up to three months to recover from a surgery on his right foot, according to Brazilian national team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar on Thursday.
Himachal CM congratulates women and men Kabaddi teams
Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today congratulated the women and men Kabaddi teams of the state for winning in a national- level championship held in Andhra Pradesh from February 25 to 28. The women team won a gold medal by defeating Haryana by 47-35. While the men team defeated Punjab to clinch a bronze. The chief minister said that the government was committed to create basic infrastructure to boost sports activities in the state.
Neymar arrives in Brazil for foot surgery
Brazilian superstar Neymar flew into Rio de Janeiro early today ahead of an operation on his fractured foot that will sideline him for up to three months, casting a long shadow over Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil's World Cup preparations. The world's most expensive player, 26, arrived on an Air France flight from Paris and left in a wheelchair, a photo taken by one of his fellow passengers showed. Dressed in a black hoodie, a black baseball cap and wearing sunglasses, the PSG star smiled and took selfies with passengers, before leaving on a private jet to an undisclosed destination. Surgery is booked for Saturday, said national team surgeon Rodrigo Lasmar, who will lead the procedure. But despite the hurry to put Neymar's right foot under the knife at a hospital in Belo Horizonte, he won't be back on the field soon. "The (recovery) period will be around two and a half to three months," Lasmar told journalists after arriving with the player on the same Air France flight. "It's not a ...
Bautista Agut first into Dubai semi-finals
Third seed Roberto Bautista Agut hammered down an overhead winner on match point to book the first semi-final place at the Dubai Championships todya. The Spaniard, playing the event for the sixth straight year, defeated Croatian Borna Coric 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in just under an hour and three-quarters. The 23rd-ranked winner goes through to a Friday showdown with either Greek youngster Stefanos Tsitsipas or Tunisian giant-killer Malek Jaziri, who knocked world number four and top seed Grigor Dimitrov out in the first round. French second seed Lucas Pouille was due to face the Japanese eighth seed Yuichi Sugita later. Bautista Agut overcame six aces from Coric, who made his name in Dubai three years ago when he knocked out Andy Murray. The Spaniard, who won the title in Auckland in January, broke the Croatian twice to ensure his eighth win of the season. "I am happy, I played very good tennis," Bautista Agut said. "It was not easy to beat Borna. He's very solid. "He was playing very good ...