Page 1918 - Sports
FIFA boss says Saudi-Iran spat should keep out of football
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said today that a two-year diplomatic rift between Saudi Arabia and Iran should not be allowed to get in the way of football. Saudi clubs have refused to play in Iran since the kingdom broke off relations in January 2016 forcing AFC Champions League fixtures with Iranian clubs to be played in neutral Oman. "It's very clear that politics should stay out of football and football should stay out of politics," Infantino said at a joint news conference in Tehran with Iranian Sport Minister Massoud Soltanifar. "There are of course political issues between countries all over the world but this should not have an impact on the football tournament. "The solution is always just to play home and away like in every competition in every country." The FIFA chief acknowledged that Saudi Arabia had voiced security concerns after protesters angry at its execution of a top Shiite cleric attacked its embassy and a consulate in Iran, prompting it to cut ties. "Obviously ...
Roberto Bautista qualifies for Dubai tennis championship semis
Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, World No. 23, on Thursday qualified for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semi-final for the first time in his career after defeating Borna Coric of Croatia 7-6(4), 6-4.
Australian batsmen kept in check in South Africa
David Warner and Steve Smith hit half-centuries but Australia were unable to dominate South Africa's bowling attack on the first day of the first Test at Kingsmead today. Australia, who won the toss and batted on an easy-paced pitch, were 225 for five when bad light ended play four overs before the second new ball was due. With no assistance for the bowlers from a slow surface, South Africa bowled with discipline to keep the batsmen in check. Apart from a bright third-wicket partnership of 56 off 92 balls between Warner (51) and Smith (56), it was largely attritional cricket between the second and third-ranked teams in Test cricket. Vernon Philander bowled with excellent control to take two for 36, while left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took two for 69. It was an indication of the slowness of the pitch that Maharaj bowled 24 of the 76 overs sent down in the day. Smith made his fifth consecutive score of 50 or more as he continued the form he showed in the Ashes series against England ..
Sethu, Shetty for Asian Road Racing Championship
Rajiv Sethu and Anish D Shetty will be participating as part of an Indian team in the Asian Road Racing Championship, with the first round beginning in Buriram, Thailand, tomorrow. Sethu and Shetty will be part of 'Idemitsu Honda Racing India' by T Pro Ten10, and take part in the Asia Production 250cc class, a release said. The marquee SuperSport 600cc will see the team's third rider, Japan's Taiga Hada compete with 21 other riders. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd president and CEO Minoru Kato, said, "Honda 2-Wheelers India is proud to announce that for the first time, an Indian team will be participating solo in the 23rd season of Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) 2018.
T20 Mumbai League: Owners of 6 participating teams announced
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and Probability Sports India Private Limited (PSIPL) today announced the owners of the six teams that will take part in the inaugural T20 Mumbai League slated to held from March 11. Earlier, bids were invited forowning the six franchises of the T20 Mumbai League and the owners were announced by the cricket body via a media release. The matches will be played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium and the league will conclude on March 21. Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar has already been named as the League Ambassador. The Team Owners for the six franchisees are: TERRITORY TEAM OWNER/S Mumbai North Sandipkumar Gupta / Rajdipkumar Gupta / Sanraj Hotels & Resorts Private Limited Mumbai North-West Radius Developers - Sanjay Chhabria Mumbai North-East Transcon Developers Mumbai North-Central PK Hospitality + Sangam + Rudrakh Mumbai South-Central Jupiter City Mumbai South Star Connect.
FIFA wants tension between Iran, Saudi Arabia not to affect football
The president of FIFA on Thursday called for easing of tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia and not to let it affect any football events.
I-League: Minerva face Chennai in crucial tie (Preview)
Chennai City FC and Minerva Punjab FC will both want nothing less than a win when they meet here on Friday in an I-League clash that will have an effect on both ends of the points table.
Thomas Partey to stay at Atletico Madrid till 2023
Atletico Madrid on Thursday announced the extension of Atletico midfielder Thomas Partey's contract until June 30, 2023.
Sri Lanka's Thangaraja shoots into lead at Chennai Open golf
Sri Lanka's N Thangaraja today came up with an impressive performance, a nine-under 61, to shoot into the lead at end of round one of the Chennai Open golf championship 2018 here. Delhi's Shamim Khan, the 2017 PGTI Order of Merit champion, returned a card of six-under-64, to be second. Thangaraja, runner-up at the PGTI event in Hyderabad last week, dominated the opening round with a breathtaking nine-under-61 that featured an eagle, eight birdies and a bogey. It was the joint best round of the Sri Lankan golfer's career that gave him a handy three-shot lead. Thangaraja, apparently eager to make up for missing the cut at the previous edition of the Chennai Open in 2016, looked in good form from the start. He sank birdies on the first four holes before picking up two more on the sixth and seventh. "It's just been an unbelievable day. It is only the third time I've shot a nine-under. This is my lowest round on the PGTI. My hitting was outstanding, especially my driving," ...
Have proved we belong in top division: Neroca FC coach
Neroca FC coach Gift Raikhan says his team has proved that it belonged to the top division with a string of impressive results that has put them in title contention in the I-League. "As a new team in the league, we took it as a challenge to put up our best front. I think we have justified our promotion to the I-League. We have proven we belong here," Raikhan said. With nine wins and four draws from their 17 matches so far, Neroca have had a fairly consistent run this season. They are currently second on the league table with 31 points, just one behind leaders Minerva Punjab FC. They face a must-win game against current third place holders East Bengal in the last match of their campaign on March 8. Even a victory against East Bengal, though, will not be enough to give them the title if Minerva win their remaining two matches. "What we did in the 2nd division is in the past. The I-League is a different ball game. You have to live in the present and take each day as it comes," Raikhan ...
Amandeep tied 16th, Sharmila tied 42nd at NSW Open
Amandeep Drall was the best Indian on view despite two late bogeys as she finished at tied 16th at the end of the opening round of the Womens New South Wales Open, here today. At the Coffs Harbour Golf Club, Amandeep, who missed the cut at Bonville Resort a week ago, was 2-under through 15 holes, when she dropped back-to-back bogeys on seventh and eighth holes, which were the second nine for her. She finished on tied 16th at even par 71. Sharmila Nicollet was four-over through her first five holes, before staging a good recovery with three birdies against one bogey in the remaining holes for a card of 2-over 73 and is currently tied 42nd. Vani Kapoor and Gaurika Bishnoi were 4-over 75 and Tied-67th after the first round. French rookie Manon Moll and Silvia Baon from Spain fired course record five-under par 66s in the first round to share the lead at Coffs Harbour Golf Club. The pair hold a one-shot lead over another Frenchwoman, Justine Dreher, while a trio of golfers including ...
Trials and tribulations: Stars unsure of boxing body's move
It's a departure from convention and one that has triggered quite a tremor. For the first time ever, an Indian boxing team has been picked without formal trials, a convention well-established and followed all across the world. "During my amateur days, I don't recall a single instance of trials not taking place. It's a well-established system that is followed all across the world. Trials are always good to assess who is in best shape immediately before an event," Vijender Singh, India's first and only male boxer to have won an Olympic medal, told PTI. The team in question is the one picked for next month's Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and the criteria has been a points system put in place last year before the men's National Championships. "Looking at the entire process, I wonder what would I have done before the 2006 Commonwealth Games. I had the likes of Mohammed Ali Qamar and Balbir Singh ahead of me and had it not been for trials, I would have never been able to make the CWG ...
PSL owners not happy with overseas players
A few team owners in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) are not happy with the attitude of some of their overseas signings, who they suspect are not going all out to avoid fitness/fatigue issues before the lucrative Indian Premier League. Sources in some of the franchises competing in the PSL have told PTI that some players have even pulled out of matches citing niggles. "Joffra Archer is one example. He is playing for Quetta Gladiators and he pulled out of a crucial match and this didnt exactly make the owners, management or fellow players happy, a source said. He said the Quetta Gladiators owner, Nadeem Omar, didnt say anything to Archer but suspected the all-rounder was only keen on being fully fit and fresh for the IPL, which begins shortly after the PSL ends on March 25. Archer will make his IPL debut this year and was bought for an astounding USD 800,000 by Rajasthan Royals. Defending champions, Peshawar Zalmi, are also not happy with the unavailability of West Indian ...
Suspended para swimmer Karmakar cries conspiracy
Para-swimmer Prasanta Karmakar, who has been suspended for three years by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), today said an injustice had been done to him."I have been suspended because I questioned the PCI for their wrongdoings. All allegations are fabricated. This is a conspiracy against me by members of the executive body of the PCI," Karmakar said."I have been representing the country for the last 15 years. What they have done is not just an insult to me, but also to para sports. They have no right to do this with any athlete," he added.Para swimmer Karmakar was suspended on Thursday for allegedly recording videos of female swimmers at the National Swimming Championships in Jaipur last year.He said, " I have been accused of video graphing female swimmers, but the videographer was the father of a para swimmer whom he was recording. If the athlete's parents are not having an objection with the filming of the video then why does the PCI have a problem?"He further said the PCI ...
Afridi wants to play PSL final in front of home crowd
Pakistans flamboyant allrounder Shahid Afridi wants to play the final of the third Pakistan Super League as it will be held in his adopted hometown, Karachi, on March 25. Afridi, 37, also rubbished speculations about him making a comeback to international cricket. "My decision to retire is final. I am now enjoying myself playing in these T20 leagues and doing my foundation work," Afridi said in an interview. "I am playing for Karachi Kings for the first time in the PSL and it is my ambition to see us playing in the final on March 25 as it is being held in Karachi for the first time," Afridi said. The all-rounder announced his retirement from international cricket last year in rather acrimonious circumstances after differences with the cricket board over a planned farewell match for him. But Afridi said he was past that episode now. "A cricketer can ask for nothing more. My fans still enjoy my performances and I love that and continue to play for them," he said. Afridi who produced a ..
As his primary skill, Pandya needs to improve his batting: Kapil
Former India captain Kapil Dev wants Hardik Pandya to "work harder on his batting" as that is his primary skill as an all-rounder. Pandya, after his 93 in the first Test against South Africa in Cape Town, failed to get a single half-century across formats in the remaining matches. Comparing any talented all-rounder to Kapil is a norm in Indian cricket and the World Cup winning captain wants Pandya to play without pressure. He (Pandya) has shown the glimpse. He has the talent and the ability. Comparing with anyone put more pressure on him. I would like to see him go and express himself, enjoy himself, Kapil told PTI in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the Laureus World Sports Award here. For Kapil, any all-rounder should be strong in one of the two skill sets and for him Pandya is primarily a batting all-rounder. I would like to see him in the team for one reason, definitely either as a bowler or as batsman. He has to work little harder on his batting because he is a batsman .
'Moondancer' wins the main Hyderabad race
Favourite 'Moondancer', ably ridden by Akshay Kumar, won the Columbia Plate, the chief event of Extra Day of Hyderabad Winter races held here today. The winner was trained by Satyanarayana. Jockey B R Kumar scored a treble. Two first favourites obliged in a card of eight events.
Aizawl confident off sign off with win
Defending champions Aizawl FC will host in-form Gokulam FC in their final match of the ongoing Hero I-League here tomorrow. Aizawl have found it hard to replicate last season's title-winning form and are currently stranded sixth in the table with 21 points from 17 games. After a disappointing start to the I-League, Gokulam have bounced back in style, winning their last three matches against the likes of Minerva Punjab FC, Kingfisher East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. If Bino George can conjure up a win against Aizawl FC, they will leapfrog the current champions in the table, sealing an automatic berth to the Super Cup. "When they play in the home ground they will have an extra boost. We will play our best game to get a point. We have confidence. My boys are playing an excellent football and they are not scared of any team now," George said. "Inexperience was costing us matches at the start of the season. Only one or two players had played in the I-League before. After the addition of new ...
Title within sight, Minerva Punjab take on Chennai City
Firm favourites Minerva FC will look to strengthen their grip on the title when take take on hosts Chennai City in a highly significant Hero I-League game here tomorrow. As Soundararajan and his men prepare for their final league game, they face the daunting task of bringing the relentless Minerva Punjab side to a halt in their title race in order to better their own chances of escaping relegation. "It is a challenge again for us. Tomorrow, it is our last match on our home ground. Only if we win, we can improve our reputation. We will go all out, regardless of the opponent. We have got nothing to lose, said Chennai City head coach V Soundararajan. Minerva Punjab are top of the league table with 32 points from 16 games. With two games left, the I-League title is theirs to lose as NEROCA FC (31 points from 17 games), East Bengal (29 points from 16) and Mohun Bagan (27 points from 16) wait to pounce on any dropped points by the title favourites. The position of their opponents in the ...
ISL: Delhi Dynamos target hat-trick of wins at home (Preview)
Delhi Dynamos FC would like to end their Indian Super League (ISL) campaign on a high when they welcome FC Pune City at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Friday.