Page 1920 - Sports
PSL action continues to unfold before empty stands
Fans usually flock stadiums to watch slam-bang Twenty20 cricket but organisers of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) are still struggling to generate enough interest in the tournament, where all the action is unfolding before empty stands. The third season of the League kicked off in UAE last week amidst a lot off buzz but has failed to attract crowds despite boasting top Pakistan players along with other international stars. The much hyped opening ceremony featured performances from Pakistani music icon Ali Zafar, sufi singer Abida Parveen and US rapper, Jason Derulo. Even film stars such as Mahira Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Fawad Khan have all made appearances in the PSL but still could not coax the fans to flock the stadium. One of the major reasons for the lack of fan support could be that PSL continues to be played far away in the UAE which is Pakistan's adopted home venue. The lack of support is felt by the players as well, who hope cricket will return to Pakistan at the ...
Ex-Bafana captain Steven Pienaar bids adieu to football
Former Bafana captain Steven Pienaar has officially announced that he is retiring from football, thus putting an end to his 18-year illustrious career.Taking to his official Twitter account, the 35-year-old declared his decision to retire from football before thanking his supporters for the love they had poured in him."Today I'm announcing my retirement from football. I just want to say thanks to my mum, my family and all the clubs that I've played for and the supporters ofcourse, how could I forget you guys. Thanks for the love throughout my career..Thanks for the love," he wrote.Pienaar began his football career at Ajax Cape Town before he moved to Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam as an 18-year-old.With the side, the midfielder went on to win the Eredivisie football league twice in 2002 and 2004 alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley SneijderSubsequently, Pienaar moved to German side Borussia Dortmund before he switched to Everton in the Premier League, where he ..
Bottas not to 'waste energy' on Hamilton mind games
Mercedes driver Valterri Bottas will not attempt to play any mind games with his team-mate and four-time world champion Lewis Hamilton over the course of the 2018 as he believes it is a waste of energy.Bottas is reportedly facing criticism of having a lack of killer instincts as he is fighting once again for a new Mercedes contract extension after his current deal with the team is set to expire at the end of the upcoming season.However, Bottas seemed to be in no mood to try to get under Hamilton's skin and create drama as he said that he just focusing on winning as much Formula One races as possible."I just want to win as many races as I can and that way the championship, I don't need to change anything else what I do.I'm not going to start for example playing any mental games or anything in the team, because I think like this it works well. It is up to me how I perform on track, and I'll decide if I'll show muscle when it's needed," Sport24 quoted Bottas, as saying.The Finish driver .
Disappearing world: West Indies, rivals scramble for 2019
Multi-millionaire and self-proclaimed 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle will rub shoulders with a battalion of teenage leg-spinners and a part-time bat designer when the 2019 World Cup qualifying tournament gets underway Sunday. It's the modern phenomenon of the globalisation of sport, although not in the manner that the likes of Gayle, and his estimated annual income of $7.5 million, would normally recognise. The West Indies, world champions back in 1975 and 1979, were the biggest casualties of the International Cricket Council's controversial decision to shrink next year's World Cup to just 10 nations. Sixteen teams took part the 2007 edition but just 14 graced the 2011 and 2015 tournaments. India, the sport's financial powerhouse, played just three games in the 2007 competition, a woeful performance mourned by millions of fans and legions of business executives across the sub-continent. Now, a differently-formatted 2019 and 2023 World Cup guarantees teams at least nine matches. However, .
Eibar beat Villarreal 1-0
Eibar eked out a 1-0 win here against Villarreal to move up to seventh place in the La Liga, just three points behind the team they had defeated.
Neymar to undergo surgery on fractured foot
Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar will undergo surgery in Brazil this week to repair a broken bone in his right foot, the French club said.
AC Milan advance to Coppa Italia final
AC Milan outgunned Lazio in a penalty shootout here to win a berth in the Coppa Italia final against three-time defending champions Juventus.
Italy's Fognini advances to Brasil Open quarters
Second seed Fabio Fognini of Italy advanced to the Brasil Open quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Portuguese qualifier Joao Domingues.
Copa Libertadores: River Plate snatch point against Flamengo
Argentina's River Plate twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Brazilian side Flamengo in their opening Copa Libertadores group match here.
Argentina, Israel to play pre-World Cup friendly
Argentina will fine-tune their World Cup preparations with an international friendly against Israel on June 9, officials said.
Four goals for Griezmann as Atletico close gap on Barcelona
Atletico Madrid moved to within four points of FC Barcelona at the top of the Spanish football league table as striker Antoine Griezmann scored four goals -- his second hat-trick in four days -- at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
Fognini enters Brasil Open quarters
Second seed Fabio Fognini of Italy advanced to the quarter-finals of the Brasil Open tennis tournament here with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Portuguese qualifier Joao Domingues.
Sports ministry organises competition for differently-abled students
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports organised a sports competition under 'Khelo India Scheme' for differently-abled students at a school in Balrampur, on Wednesday.In a move to promote sports, the sports ministry, for the first time, organised such an event under the aegis of Chhattisgarh's Special Olympic India, which witnessed about 150 participants."I am happy playing these games. I am feeling very good," said a participant.Meanwhile, Rajesh Pratap Singh, district coordinator of Olympic Games for the Ministry of Sports and Youth Welfare, said that such events will be organised every year, considering the fact that the children are interested in it.Games such as 50-meter race, 100-meter race, relay race, ball throw, football, badminton and skill games, were part of the event.
Elgar'shocked' over Morkel's sudden retirement
South Africa opening batsman Dean Elgar has said that he went in a bit of shock after fast bowler Morne Morkel announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.Morkel recently dropped a bombshell when he announced that he would bid adieu to all forms of international cricket following the conclusion of the four-match Test series against Australia, beginning Thursday in Durban.Reflecting on the same, Elgar said that the entire South African team was shocked with Morkel's sudden decision to retire from cricket."I think my reaction is quite mutual in the team, it was a bit of a shock, You don't expect a guy to be retiring so soon. I know he's been playing professional cricket for 12 years but I'm sure every individual would still feel he has got a lot more to give but be that as it may, we respect his decision, Sport24 quoted Elgar, as saying.Morkel has appeared in 83 Tests, 117 ODIs and 44 T20 Internationals in a successful career spanning 12 years.The South African pacer is currently
Hampshire sign Hashim Amla as overseas player
South Africa batsman Hashim Amla has been roped in by Hampshire as an overseas player for the early part of the upcoming County Championship season.Rated as the No.1 batsman in both Test and ODI cricket, the 34-year-old will be available for the first three months of the County Championship and Royal London One-Day Cup.Amla's selection means George Bailey will not make a return to the Hampshire squad, with team's head coach Giles White also conforming that the Australian player would not be signed to replace the South African in the second half of the 2018 domestic season.Describing Amla as a 'world-class player', White said that the former is an exciting acquisition for the team and that he would fit well for them both on and off the pitch."Hashim is an exciting acquisition for us and we feel he'll be an excellent fit within the group we've got, both on and off the pitch. He's a world-class player and this addition adds strength and depth to our batting for the first three months of
Neymar goes under the knife, misses Real clash
Brazilian superstar Neymar will undergo surgery on his fractured foot in Brazil as early as Thursday, ruling the world's most expensive footballer out of Paris Saint-Germain's do-or-die Champions League clash with Real Madrid. The 26-year-old suffered a hairline fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot as well as a twisted ankle late in PSG's 3-0 win over Marseille in Ligue 1 on Sunday. PSG said Wednesday that Rodrigo Lasmar, the surgeon with the Brazilian national squad, will carry out the operation with several Brazilian media outlets reporting that the surgery would take place as early as Thursday. Radio Tupi said Neymar, his father and surgeon Lasmar left Paris Wednesday night for Belo Horizonte's Mater Dei Hospital where the operation is set for Thursday according to O Globo newspaper, one of Brazil's leading dailies. Website UoL also reported the surgery would take place in the southeastern Brazil city but said it was scheduled for Sunday. On Tuesday, the Brazilian's ..
Pietersen says 'nonsense' in the past as he wishes Strauss well
Kevin Pietersen said he now gets on "really well" with Andrew Strauss as he wished the wife of his fellow former England captain a full recovery from cancer. Strauss had a chequered relationship with star batsman Pietersen after taking over the England captaincy from him and as an administrator effectively ended Pietersen's international career in 2015. But Pietersen insisted all the "nonsense" between the two was a thing of the past after making a man-of-the-match 48 for the Quetta Gladiators as they beat Islamabad United in a Pakistan Super League match in Sharjah on Wednesday. "I actually get on really well with Straussy and I've had some real good conversations with Straussy because he's going through some real personal hardships at the moment," Pietersen told reporters. "And I'm being serious when I say that cricket is insignificant when Andrew Strauss is feeling what he's feeling, with his wife and cancer, so you put all the nonsense to one side." It was announced in December ...
Pochettino slams 'embarrassing' VAR after Wembley win
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino said the controversial Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system had been "embarrassing" after his side came through an incident-packed FA Cup replay against Rochdale at Wembley on Wednesday. Spurs, who eventually won 6-1 on the back of a second-half hat-trick from Fernando Llorente, were twice denied goals, had one penalty claim rejected and another accepted on the word of the VAR during an extraordinary opening period at the national stadium. Fans at Wembley, Spurs's temporary home while their successor ground to White Hart Lane is built, had no way of knowing the reasons behind the VAR's decisions as, unlike the systems in use for rugby and cricket, they were not broadcast or displayed on a giant screen. Moreover, there were several occasions when it took the VAR a lengthy amount of time to reach a verdict, while there were others when he appeared to be over-ruling an on-field call that did not involve a clear and obvious error. Once again, .
Men in orange on red alert: Dutch set sights on cricket World Cup
On a fine summer's day more than a century ago, a local and British sports team bowled what is widely believed to be one of the first-ever "international" overs in a cricket game in the Netherlands. Today, 136 years after the Dutch team lost by an innings and 56 runs against Uxbridge Cricket Club, the men in orange are setting their sights on competing in cricket's ultimate tournament -- next year's World Cup in England. The plucky Dutch are in Zimbabwe for the World Cup qualifying event starting Sunday -- which will give two teams who did not automatically make it like cricket giants Australia, India and South Africa, the chance to compete in the 2019 showpiece. "There is a lot on the line in the short-term," admitted Dutch coach Ryan Campbell, a former Australian national player who took over the reins of the Dutch national squad in April last year. Observers in the Netherlands agree, saying that under Campbell's careful eye, working with the Royal Dutch Cricket Federation's (KNCB) .
Feyenoord, Az in Dutch Cup semis
Feyenoord and AZ qualified for the final of the Dutch Cup by beating Willem II and FC Twente respectively, in the semi-finals.