Page 1953 - Sports
Santosh Trophy final phase to kick off in Kolkata on March 19
Defending champions West Bengal will take on Manipur on the opening day as the 72nd edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy kicks off in Kolkata on March 19. Ten teams who qualified from the preliminary stages have been divided into two groups of five teams each with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals which are to be played on March 30, 2018. The final is slated for April 1. All India Football Federation general secretary Kushal Das wished luck to all the participating teams. We are delighted to have the Santosh Trophy being hosted in Kolkata. I wish success to the 10 finalists and look forward to a successful hosting of the prestigious event by the Indian Football Association, he said. The groupings: Group A: West Bengal, Chandigarh, Manipur, Kerala, Maharashtra. Group B: Goa, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Karnataka.
Arjun Maini to race in FIA Formula 2 Championship
Indian driver Arjun Maini, supported by JK Racing and TVS Racing, will be racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for Trident Motorsport after a successful run in GP3 series last season. Arjun moves to the F2 after competing in the GP3 Series where he achieved a historical victory at Barcelona, becoming the first Indian to win a race in the GP3 Series and followed the victory with a podium in Race 1 at the season ending Abu Dhabi round. His victory in Barcelona was also judged the best win of the year by the GP3 paddock. Testing in the post-season FIA F2 as a rookie, Arjun also displayed remarkable pace, topping two out of the six sessions, making the transition to Formula 2 a natural progression. An enthusiastic Arjun shared, "I felt we were quite competitive during the post-season test and given that the series is using all new cars for the coming season, I am excited for the year ahead. "Trident is a very strong team and Im sure if we work hard we will be in for some strong ...
Norway's Bjoergen becomes most successful Winter Olympian
Norway's Marit Bjoergen became the most successful athlete in Winter Olympics history today as she took bronze behind a stunning win for USA in cross country skiing's women's team sprint free. Bjoergen's bronze with Maiken Caspersen Falla put her on 14 Olympic medals, outstripping fellow Norwegian Ole Einar Bjoerndalen who has 13 in biathlon. Bjoergen, 37, is also the second most successful woman at either the Summer or Winter Games, trailing only Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina who compiled 18 medals. Kikkan Randall and Jessica Diggins celebrated ecstatically as they edged Sweden by 0.19sec to win the first Olympic cross country title for the United States. Norway's Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won the men's title by 1.71sec ahead of the Olympic Athletes from Russia, with France finishing third.
Racer Maini joins Trident team for F2 season
Young racer Arjun Maini on Wednesday confirmed his association with the Trident team for the upcoming 2018 FIA Formula 2 season.
Yorkshire stint will help me prepare for England tour: Pujara
Come April when the country's top cricketers crisscross the nation for IPL, Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara will be starting his "homework" for India's 'English Test'. Pujara will be turning out for English county heavyweights Yorkshire in Division 1 with an eye on five Test series against England in August. "I am looking forward to the county season as we will be playing Test matches in August. I was with Yorkshire in 2015 when we won the County Championship. It's a fantastic team with good bunch of professionals, which helps me become a better cricketer," Pujara told PTI during an exclusive interview at the Kotla today. According to Pujara, the most beneficial aspect will be playing county cricket at Test venues of India's tour, which will give an idea about pitches and conditions. "Look, playing at Headingley in early English summer with temperatures around 4 or 6 degrees will test any batsmen's technique and temperament. Even scoring a 50 is tough. By the time, India tour ...
Australia down New Zealand in T20 final, take number one ranking
Australia cruised to a 19-run victory in a rain-affected T20 tri-series final with New Zealand today to claim the world number one ranking in the shortest form of the game for the first time. New Zealand struggled to 150 for nine after electing to bat first at Auckland's Eden Park but failing to repeat the pyrotechnics that saw them score 243 against Australia at the same ground last Friday. Australia's bowlers avenged that pasting as they tore through New Zealand's middle order, led by spinner Ashton Agar's career-best T20 figures for three for 27. Ross Taylor's 43 of 38 balls was the highlight of a poor New Zealand batting display that included just five sixes, despite Eden Park's notoriously short boundaries. Australia never looked in danger of missing the 151-run target but the manner in which the victory came was anti-climatic. The players were off the pitch when officials decided to abandon the match due to persistent rain, awarding Australia a 19-run win under the ...
ISL: Mumbai face NorthEast United in must-win game
Mumbai City FC lock horns with NorthEast United in a must-win final Indian Super League home game here tomorrow to stay in the hunt for a playoff berth. Mumbai, who have suffered four successive losses at home, are in the seventh position with 20 points having won six of their 15 matches so far. A win will fetch Mumbai full three points and keep their slim chances alive while even a draw would end their hopes. NorthEast United, on the other hand, are languishing at the ninth place with 11 points from 16 games and have no chances to make the playoffs. However, the visiting team can spoil Mumbai's chances to make it to the top four if they cause an upset at the Andheri Sports Complex tomorrow. The last four home outings for Mumbai have been horrendous as they lost to FC Pune City (2-0), Jamshedpur FC (2-1), Bengaluru FC (3-1) and Kerala Blasters (1-0). And the Mumbai side needs to really pull up its socks tomorrow and erase the memories of the past few games. Mumbai would take ...
La Liga, RFEF allow Las Palmas to sign Viera replacement
UD Las Palmas said it has received permission from La Liga and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to sign a player to fill the gap left after the transfer of Jonathan Viera to Chinese side Beijing Guoan.
Canada's Leman wins Olympic gold in men's ski cross
Canada's Brady Leman won the gold medal in the men's ski cross event on Wednesday during the Winter Olympics here.
Australians name best team for opener
Australia today named their strongest possible team ahead of their tour opening match against South Africa A starting at Willowmoore Park tomorrow. The only likely member of their Test starting eleven missing from the warm-up match is opening batsman David Warner, who was captaining Australia's Twenty20 team in the final of a triangular tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, on Wednesday. The South Africa A team includes five players with international experience. The first of four Tests starts in Durban on March 1. Teams: South Africa A: Khaya Zondo (captain), Theunis de Bruyn, Zubayr Hamza, Beuran Hendricks, Pieter Malan, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Duanne Olivier, Rudi Second (wkt), Malusi Siboto, Shaun von Berg. Australia: Steve Smith (captain), Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wkt), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
Lanning returns to lead Australia women against India
Australian skipper Meg Lanning, who was out of action for seven months, is all set to return to international cricket as she will lead the 14-man ODI and T20I squads in the upcoming series against India.The 25-year-pld played her last international match during the World Cup in July when Australia slumped to a 36-run defeat at the hands of India in semi-finals.Lanning subsequently underwent shoulder surgery in August and was eventually forced to miss the Ashes series and Women Big Bash League (WBBL).Reflecting on her return, national selector Shawn Flegler said that Lanning has been progressing really well from past few weeks and that they are confident that she would be completely fit in time to play first match against India."Meg's rehab has been progressing well, she's back to her old self with the bat and with a few weeks until the first match, we're confident she'll be right to play when the times comes," the ESPNcricinfo quoted Flegler, as saying.While Lanning will resume ...
Zagitova, 15, smashes skate record as Vonn gets bronze
Record-breaking Alina Zagitova, 15, stole the show in figure skating today as America's Lindsey Vonn wound up her Olympic downhill career by becoming the oldest female alpine ski medallist in Games history. Zagitova was breathtaking in the Russian-dominated short programme, breaking the world record set just minutes earlier by her team-mate, 18-year-old Evgenia Medvedeva. It put the Russians top of the standings ahead of Friday's free skate, where Zagitova will attempt to become the youngest women's singles figure skating champion since Tara Lipinski in 1998. They also look set to win the first gold of the Games for the Olympic Athletes from Russia, who are competing as neutrals after Russia's national team was banned over a major doping scandal. "We are friends, we are young girls, we can talk about anything with each other," said Medvedeva, 18, who like Zagitova is making her Olympic debut. "But on the ice, we must fight, I feel like it's a little war, when you skate you are alone,"
Australia on top as New Zealand limp to 150 for nine
New Zealand struggled to 150 for nine in the T20 tri-series final against Australia at Auckland's Eden Park here today. Australia's bowlers took revenge after being thrashed for 243 by the Black Caps at the same ground last Friday, led by spinner Ashton Agar's career-best T20 figures for three for 27. Ross Taylor's 43 off 38 balls was the highlight of a poor batting display that included just five sixes, despite the venue's notoriously short boundaries. New Zealand batted first after winning the toss and openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro, who combined for a 132-run partnership in the previous match, made their intentions clear with an early flurry of boundaries. They raced to 48 without loss but Australian captain David Warner held his nerve and backed his attack, constantly switching bowlers so the batters could not settle. Lanky paceman Billy Stanlake made the breakthrough in the fourth over when Guptill departed for 21 after sending his shot straight to Warner. Munro ...
Idrissa Gueye renews contract with Everton until 2022
English Premier League club Everton announced that it has extended the contract of midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye until 2022.
Kerber, Suarez Navarro advance to 2nd round of Dubai Open
German World No. 9 Angelique Kerber beat the Czech Republic's Barbora Strycova 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the second round of the Dubai Open here.
Want to stay with Real Madrid, says Zidane
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane sought to quash media speculation about his future by stating emphatically that he wants to remain with the club.
Bayern crush Besiktas 5-0 in CL
Bayern Munich thrashed Besiktas 5-0 in the first leg of a Champions League knockout stage tie to all but assure themselves a berth in the quarterfinals.
Barcelona draw 1-1 with Chelsea
It took him eight matches and more than 12 hours of football, but Lionel Messi finally scored against Chelsea, a late goal to give Barcelona a 1-1 draw in the first leg of a Champions League knockout stage tie.
Centurion T20I: Indian eves eye twin glory in South Africa
The Indian women's cricket team will look to create history when they lock horns with South Africa in the fourth T20I of the five-match series at the SuperSport Park in Centurion here on Wednesday.India took an early lead in the three-match T20I series when they won the first two matches by seven and nine wickets, respectively.However, the Women in Blue failed to capitalize on it and allowed South Africa to keep the series alive by slumping to a five-wicket defeat against the hosts in the third T20I in Johannesburg.Heading into the fourth match, the visitors will look to wrap up the T20I series by taking an unassailable 3-1 lead, something which will make the Hamanpreet Kaur-led side the first to have won two series on a single tour of South Africa.Earlier, India had clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1 against South Africa.South Africa women, on the other hand, would be a much more confident unit this time around and would once again aim to rely on seamer Shabnim Ismail, who took .
Badminton ace Lee was approached by match-fixer: report
Lee Chong Wei has revealed he once rejected an offer by a match-fixer and said he was "ashamed" two fellow Malaysian badminton players were under investigation over alleged fixing, a report said today. World number two Lee said he was approached a few years ago, without giving further details. "Money is not everything to me," he was cited as saying in Kuala Lumpur by Malaysia's New Straits Times newspaper. "For me, national pride comes first and it is my responsibility to uphold it." The 35-year-old's revelation came after news emerged last week that two Malaysian players are being investigated by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for suspected match-fixing. The pair, who are reportedly due to face a BWF hearing in Singapore later this month, could be banned for life if found guilty. Lee, a three-time Olympic silver medallist, said the allegations had "tarnished" Malaysia's reputation. "As a top player, I feel embarrassed and ashamed," he said. "I hope the case comes to an end ...