Page 1931 - Sports
Halep takes back top position in WTA rankings from Wozniacki
Simona Halep of Romania managed to reclaim the top spot in the Women's Tennis Association rankings released on Monday, ahead of Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki.
Dipa backs new gymnastics star Aruna for CWG gold
Elated at her training partner Aruna Budda Reddy capturing a bronze medal at the Gymnastics World Cup, Dipa Karmakar is optimistic that the Hyderabadi can bring home a gold medal from the upcoming Commonwealth Games in April in Gold Coast.
Ramkumar achieves career-best rank, Yuki drops
Ramkumar Ramanthan today achieved his career-best ranking of 133rd position after jumping seven places even as country's top ranked tennis player Yuki Bhambri dropped four places to 105. The 23-year-old Ramkumar had earned 12 points for qualifying into the main draw of the ATP Delray Beach Open but had lost in the first round. Yuki fell in the qualifying event for the Dubai Duty Free championships on Sunday. Young Sumit Nagal, who also failed to cross the qualifiers in Dubai, lost four places to be 220. The next best Indian on the ATP singles chart was left-handed Prajnesh Gunneswaran, who gained 10 places to reach 232. In the doubles, Rohan Bopanna continues to be India's top ranked player at number 20 and was followed by Divij Sharan (54, -3), Leander Paes and (52, -3). In the women's ranking, Ankita Raina (250) gained five places to get back to top-250 while Karman Kaur Thandi was unchanged at 281. In the doubles, injured Sania Mirza moved up a spot to number 13.
IPL teams should look at hiring more Indian coaches: Sanath Kumar
He is one of the most successful domestic coaches in recent years but Sanath Kumar still can't figure out why most of the Indian Premier League franchises are wary of employing local support staff, which also includes trainers and physios. The 55-year-old Kumar, a former Karnataka medium pacer, has carved a niche for himself successfully guiding relatively weaker teams in the national championships. While coaching minnows Assam to the Ranji Trophy semi-finals (2015-16 season) will remain one of the highlights of his career, guiding Andhra to Vijay Hazare (National One Dayers) is no less an achievement. Not to forget, Baroda's Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 triumph, a few years back. Yet, after a three-year stint as an assistant coach with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Kumar's services have not been sought by IPL franchises, which is quite baffling. Seven out of eight IPL franchises' top coaching/mentorship role is donned by foreign greats. Chennai Super Kings has Stephen Fleming, RCB ..
WADA backs IOC decision on Russian Olympic Committee's status
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) agrees with the decision of the International Olympic Committees Executive Board on the status of the Russian Olympic Committee, WADA said in a statement.
American Frances Tiafoe lifts first ATP title at Delray Beach
American tennis player Frances Tiafoe clinched his first Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour title by thrashing Peter Gojowcz of Germany in straight sets in the finals of the Delray Beach Open here last evening.The 20-year-old smashed 13 aces and 89 percent of his first serve points to register a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 win over Gojowcz in one-sided summit showdown that lasted more than an hour.With the win, Tiafoe becomes the youngest American to clinch an ATP Tour title in 15 years. Earlier, the record was held by Andy Roddick, who won the 2002 Houston tournament at age 19.Tiafoe, who would rise to approximately No. 61 spot in the updated rankings which will release on Monday, was playing in his first career tour-level final at Delray Beach.Last week, he made it to the quarter-finals of the New York Open, only to see himself losing to South Africa's Kevin Anderson 3-6, 7-5, 4-6.
PyeongChang to host largest Winter Paralympics next month
The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games will be the largest Winter Paralympics in history, local organisers said on Monday.
IOA or NSFs, no one can function without Govt grant: Batra
Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra today made it clear that the national sports governing body cannot send the athletes for the upcoming Commonwealth Games on its own cost as it still needs government grant for its functioning. Batra made the comment while announcing sponsorship partners of the Indian contingent for the April 4-15 CWG in Gold Coast, Australia. "To be (financially) independent is good. But in India, except for cricket, no sports body can function without grant from the government. So, we will continue to get grant from the sports ministry," said the IOA chief said in the presence of sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. Batra also announced that India will be represented by 227 athletes in the upcoming Commonwealth Games, which will be the second biggest-ever contingent. Edelweiss Financial Services Limited, India's leading diversified financial company, will be the sponsor of the Indian contingent for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, 2018
Sahara Force India 2018 F1 season car launched
The Sahara Force India 2018 Formula One (F1) season car -- named the VJM11 -- was launched here on Monday.
Ian had doubts over Greg's choice as Team India coach: Ganguly
Even brother Ian Chappell was not very positive about Greg Chappell taking over as Team India coach in 2005 and so was Sunil Gavaskar but Sourav Ganguly says he decided to ignore all these warnings and follow his instincts on the appointment. In fact, Ganguly was in awe of Chappell prior to his appointment and even embarked on a secret trip to Australia in 2003 before the team was to tour that country for doing an exhaustive recce of the grounds and preparing himself and his teammates. He got in touch with Chappell as he thought he "would be the best person" to help him in his mission. "In our previous meetings he had impressed me with his deep cricketing knowledge," Ganguly writes in his autobiography "A Century is Not Enough". But little did Ganguly know then that this association was going to be one of the most controversial of that era. On Greg's appointment, the former Team India skipper says that when there was discussion in 2004 on who could succeed John Wright as ...
Test cricket still 'alive', says Lehmann
Responding strongly to England batting all-rounder Moeen Ali's fears about the future of Test cricket, Australia head coach Darren Lehmann asserted that the longest format of the game is still very much "alive".When quizzed whether he shares common views with Moeen Ali or not about the future of Test cricket, Lehmann said, "No, I don't."Earlier, Moeen had expressed 'disappointment' over his future of Test cricket after he observed low crowd attendance in this winter's Ashes Test Series against Australia, which the home side went on to win by 4-0.Lehmann, however, disagreed with Moeen's opinion as he claimed that cricket crowd during the recent Ashes series was great.He emphasized that after the 1936-37 Ashes season, this is the second-most highest attended Test series in Australia."I thought the Ashes crowds were fantastic, our crowds were great. I think they broke all records, whether they were at the ground or watching, streaming or listening on the radio," cricket.com.au quoted ...
'Sprint King' Bolt signs for mystery football team
Former Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who has won eight Olympic gold medals in his illustrious career, is all set to swap his spikes for studs as he revealed signing for a football team.The 31-year-old, who has always been outspoken of his desire to play football once his athletics career was over, took to Twitter to confirm that he is all set to switch from track to field.Posting a short 10-second video of himself, Bolt revealed that he would reveal the name of the club on Tuesday."I've just signed for a football team! Find out for who it is one this Tuesday, February 27," Bolt said in the video posted on Twitter.Bolt, who is a lifelong Manchester United fan, had earlier this year confirmed that he is due to have a trial with Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund in March."One of my biggest dreams is to sign for Manchester United.If Dortmund say I'm good enough, I'll crack on and train hard. I've spoken to Alex Ferguson, and I told him he needs to put in a good word.He told me if I get ...
SA Tour Positives: 60 wickets in Tests, Plan A ready for World Cup
Virat Kohli's inimitable batting that exhausted all adjectives, Jasprit Bumrah fitting himself perfectly like an all-purpose block in a jigsaw puzzle and identifying the core for the 2019 World Cup in England were some of the notable positives to be drawn from India's highly successful tour of South Africa. It was after many years that an Indian cricket team lived up to expectations outside the sub-continent, winning two out of the three formats and Kohli definitely deserves praise for not taking his foot off the pedal throughout the gruelling seven weeks in the 'Rainbow Nation'. While the Test series defeat remains a glitch despite a stupendous 5-1 result in the ODIs and a 2-1 win in the T20Is, no one can disagree that India were competitive in the longer format too. Mohammed Shami (15 from 3 games), Jasprit Bumrah (14 from 3 games), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (10 from 2 games) and Ishant Sharma (8 from 2 games) accounted for 47 of the 60 wickets, a massive fillip for a nation not known to ...
Juventus-Atalanta Serie A match postponed due to snow
The tie between second-placed Serie A football club Juventus and Atlanta which was originally scheduled to take place on Sunday has been postponed due to snow.
McLaren-Renault confirm Alonso to train at Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit
The McLaren-Renault team has confirmed that Spanish Formula One driver Fernando Alonso will train at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Monday and Wednesday.
Bilbao ends winless run with victory over Malaga
Athletic Bilbao ended a six-game winless streak, beating 10-man Malaga 2-1 in the 25th round of play in Spain's La Liga.
Monday morning blues? Even Olympians must return to work
For the past two weeks they have been feted as Olympians, but many of the men and women at the Pyeongchang Winter Games will this week return to their jobs and the humdrum of daily life. For every Lindsey Vonn, the American ski star, there are dozens like Dominik Maerki, the Swiss curler and bronze medallist who will go back to his day job where there are bills to be paid, customers to keep happy and livelihoods to be sustained. As you would expect when there are nearly 3,000 athletes from across the planet, almost every profession is covered. But the 27-year-old Maerki, a reserve in the Swiss team that beat Canada on Friday to win bronze, believes he may be the only watchmaker at the Olympics in South Korea. Maerki studied watch-making for four years and later moved to Miami for his trade, before opening his own watch and clock repair businesses in the southern US state of Arkansas. "I dated an American girl, now my wife, and ended up there. I have my own repair store, I fix watches .
WADA says Russia still not compliant on anti-doping
The World Anti-Doping Agency stopped short of endorsing the International Olympic Committee's decision to lift Russia's suspension if no new positive drug tests come to light from the Pyeonchang Winter Olympics. In a statement issued last night, WADA said it "acknowledges" the IOC's latest move but pointed out that Russia is still not adhering to the World Anti-Doping Code. "It should be clarified that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) remains non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code as it has not yet met the necessary criteria of RUSADA's Roadmap to Compliance, following Russia's proven systemic manipulation of the doping control process," WADA said in a statement. The agency said it is continuing to work with "RUSADA to assist them in rebuilding a credible and sustainable anti-doping program." The IOC voted unanimously to keep Russia's ban for mass doping, meaning Russian athletes were not able to march behind their flag at the Pyeongchang Olympics closing ceremonies on ..
Griezmann hat-trick as Atletico trounce Sevilla, cut gap on Barcelona
French striker Antoine Griezmann hit a hat-trick as Atletico Madrid thrashed Sevilla 5-2 to cut the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona back to seven points. Yesterday's result was also a boost for Manchester United, who face Sevilla in the Champions League last 16 second leg next month after the two sides were locked 0-0 from the first game. "I'm very happy with the team's work, but a little less happy that we conceded two goals," said Griezmann. "It's good that we have several forwards who score goals, but the most important thing is the three points." Former Chelsea star Diego Costa grabbed the opener just before the half-hour mark after a farcical mix-up in the Sevilla defence. Goalkeeper Sergio Rico attempted to play a short ball to Ever Banega standing on the edge of the penalty area. However, his teammate dallied too long and predator Costa nipped in to steal the ball off the toe of the Argentine before confidently burying the opportunity. Sevilla had plenty of chances with ...
Man City downs Arsenal for EFL Cup
Manchester City claimed the English Football League (EFL) Cup championship, downing Arsenal 3-0 for its first title this season.