Page 1954 - Sports
Woods, Stricker named vice captains for Ryder Cup
Team captain Jim Furyk named Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker as vice captains for the American Ryder Cup team. Furyk made the announcement at PGA of America headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The Ryder Cup will be played September 28-30 at Le Golf National outside of Paris, France. The Americans have not won in Europe since 1993. Furyk had previously named 2012 and 2016 captain Davis Love to be a vice captain. Furyk, Woods and Love served as assistants on Stricker's winning American Presidents Cup team last year. Woods was an assistant for the US Ryder Cup victory at Hazeltine in 2016.
Srikanth,Sindhu to lead India's badminton charge in CWG 2018
India's highest ranked men's singles player Kidambi Srikanth and Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal will spearhead the country's challenge in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, which is slated to be held in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4.In the women's singles event, Sindhu and Nehwal will shuffle roles as the team will pin high hopes in the singles event.Meanwhile, the mixed team event will see world number three Srikanth leading India's challenge down under, with World No. 11 H.S Prannoy supporting his compatriot up in the men's singles event.The Indian duo of Chirag Shetty and Saiwik Sairaj will look to put up their absolute best in their debut campaign at the Commonwealth Games, while Pranaav Jerry Chopra will join forces with Sikki Reddy in the mixed doubles event.In the women's doubles, the Indian duo of Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponappa will look to continue their good show as Ashwini will aim to emulate her 2010 gold medal winning performance with her new partner."I ...
Centurion T20I: India eye series win, Proteas hope for revival
After clinching a comfortable win in the opening match, India will look to continue their winning spree and seal three-match T20I series when they take on South Africa in the second match here at the SuperSport Park on Wednesday.Coming on the back of their historic ODI series win over South Africa 5-1, the Virat Kohli-led side continued their rich vein of form as they registered a convincing 28-run win over in the opening T20I to take a 1-0 lead in Johannesburg.Now, the Men in Blue will aim to wrap-up the three-match T20I series heading into the second match.South Africa, on the other hand, would aim to bounce back to keep themselves alive in the series.Meanwhile, Indian skipper Virat Kohli is on verge of breaking Viv Richards and Donald Bradman's record of most number of runs scored in a single tour.In the ongoing tour of South Africa so far, Kohli has notched up 870 runs, including seven sixes and 91 boundaries, from 13 innings he played at an average of 87.00 and a strike rate of ..
Chelsea capable of the 'incredible' to spring Barca surprise: Conte
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte believes the English champions can do "something incredible" by knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League at the Camp Nou on March 14, despite blowing a lead to draw the first leg of their last-16 tie 1-1. Willian gave reason to a bold team selection from Conte on Tuesday by putting the English champions ahead just after the hour mark, having also hit the woodwork twice before half-time. However, Barca pounced on a very rare Chelsea mistake on the night as Andres Iniesta intercepted a slack pass by Andreas Christensen and squared for Lionel Messi to slot home his first goal in nine appearances against Chelsea. "We must be realistic. We are talking about Barcelona. They show tonight to be a strong, fantastic team," said Conte. "We have showed that if we are ready to work very hard together defensively, but continue to have the right feeling when you win the ball when you have the chance to score, we can try to do something incredible at the Nou ...
Raonic has unfinished business in Delray Beach
Former world No.3 Milos Raonic got his 2018 off to a roaring start with a 6-1, 7-5 rout of Taro Daniel in the first round of the Delray Beach Open here. Raonic is ranked 32nd in the world which is vastly different than last year when he came into Delray Beach ranked fourth on the men's ATP Tour. Injuries limited Raonic's time on the court in 2017 and this was just his second tour-level win in six months. So his straight set victory on Tuesday against Japan's Daniel is a sign of better days ahead as he seeks his ninth career Tour title. "It's a good thing I was able to win today and it gives me a lot of things that I believe I can do better tomorrow," said ninth seeded Raonic. "I just got to keep building day-by-day and working my way into it and just try to get in as many wins as possible. That's the most important thing." Raonic has some unfinished business in Delray Beach. He advanced to the title match last year but hand to pull out against American Jack Sock because of a leg ...
Three home games for growing PSL lift hopes for 2019 return
The Pakistan Super League launches its third edition in Dubai tomorrow, adding a sixth team, more international stars and with hopes that the Twenty20 tournament can be staged entirely on home soil from 2019. The new Multan Sultans and the confirmation of a slew of international greats such as Shane Watson and Brendon McCullum has given a lift to fans eager to forget last-year's spot-fixing scandal. And the decision to stage the three final matches of the PSL at home, in Lahore and Karachi, could pave the way for the entire tournament to be staged in Pakistan next year. The Sultans, bought by the Schon Group for $5.2 million -- twice the price tag of the previous most expensive team in the franchise, the Karachi Kings -- are coached by legendary Pakistani paceman Wasim Akram and skippered by Shoaib Malik. They will take on defending champions Peshawar Zalmi in the opening match in Dubai Thursday, after a rousing opening ceremony set to include a performance by US rapper Jason ...
Mueller starts treble talk as Bayern rout Besiktas
Thomas Mueller says Bayern Munich could repeat their 2013 treble after crushing 10-man Besiktas 5-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie. Bayern have one foot in the quarter-finals with Besiktas facing a near impossible task for the return leg in Istanbul on March 14. Both Mueller and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern ran riot in the second half in Germany. "Everything is possible," Mueller said when asked whether Bayern can repeat their 2013 haul of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup titles. However head coach Jupp Heynckes, 72, who oversaw the treble five years ago, insists Bayern must do better if they want all three titles again. "Any talk like that is the job of journalists, the Champions League is a different competition and we must improve," said Heynckes. "Everyone in the stadium saw that we found it hard in the first half. "We didn't find our rhythm and we were nervous -- I don't know my team like that. "In the first half ...
ISL: FC Goa look to return to winning ways against Dynamos
FC Goa will look to end their four-match winless streak and get back to winning ways when they take on Delhi Dynamos FC in their crucial Indian Super League (ISL) encounter here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Wednesday.FC Goa come into the contest against Delhi Dynamos FC on the back of four games without a win. The Gaurs have also failed to score in the last couple of matches and this has seen them fall behind the pack in the race for a top-four place.Having romped to a 5-1 victory over the Dynamos in the capital city, FC Goa climbed to the summit of the ISL in December. However, a poor run of form has seen them drop into sixth position on the table with 20 points in 14 matches. FC Goa are desperate to turn their form around and make a late push for a spot in the playoffs in their last four games of the season.Naveen Kumar has been an able replacement for skipper Laxmikant Kattimani and has put in superb performances for the side since coming in. He will start again for FC Goa ...
Messi ends goal drought vs Chelsea to give Barca 1-1 draw
Lionel Messi finally managed one of the few things he had yet to achieve in football. At his ninth attempt, the five-time world player of the year finally scored against Chelsea, salvaging a 1-1 draw on Tuesday and halting his longest drought against any opponent after 730 minutes. By cancelling out Willian's opener, Messi also gave Barcelona a narrow edge in their Champions League round-of-16 matchup heading into the second leg at Camp Nou on March 14. The night's other game produced a far more conclusive outcome with Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski both scoring twice as Bayern Munich beat 10-man Besiktas 5-0. It was far tighter at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea deploying Eden Hazard as a false nine and containing Barcelona's energetic pressing before being made to pay for a rare slip in concentration in the 75th minute. Andreas Christensen passed laxly across his own penalty area and Barcelona capitalised. Andres Iniesta beat Cesar Azpilicueta to the ball, skipped past the ...
Bengaluru FC storm into AFC Cup group stages
Antonio Dovale scored Bengaluru FC's first ever hat-trick in Asian competition (in the 12th, 35th and 48th minutes) as the Blues ran roughshod over Maldivian side TC Sports Club, beating them 5-0 (8-2 on aggregate) at the Kanteerava Stadium here on Tuesday to book a place in the AFC Cup Group stages
DY Patil T20: U19 WC stars' efforts in vain for Reliance 1
India's Under-19 World Cup stars sparkled a bit, but eventually could not help their side Reliance 1 get the better of Jain Irrigation in their opening match of the 14th DY Patil T20 Cup at the DY Patil Stadium here today. Reliance 1 featuring Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Anukul Roy and Abhishek Sharma, apart from another under-19 player Rahul Chahar started off confidently, but in the end it was Jain Irrigation who won by 23 runs. Jain Irrigation boosted by the knocks of Mansing Nigde (61 n.o.: 47b, 5x4, 2x6) and Urvesh Patel (42) posted an impressive 185-5 on the board. Nagarkotti (1-29) and Rahul Chahar (1-40) were the pick of bowlers for Reliance 1. Their response started off well with skipper Saurabh Tiwary (46: 29b, 4x4, 2x6) leading from the front. Later it was down to the under-19 stars -- Sharma (28: 19b, 1x4, 2x6), Anukul Roy (29 n.o., 28b, 3x4) and Nagarkoti (27: 20b, 3x4) -- to rally the innings. However, their efforts did not materialise in a win. In the other games ..
Sevilla's misfiring attack takes on Man U's stout defense
It seems simple to Sevilla coach Vincenzo Montella: His forwards better get their act together or his team won't have a chance against Manchester United in the last 16 of the Champions League. Sevilla has three wins in a row entering the first leg on Wednesday, but Montella is not happy with the many chances wasted on attack. And they can't afford to be inefficient against the English Premier League's best defence. "We need to be capable of finishing off the chances we create," Montella said after Sevilla beat Las Palmas 2-1 in the Spanish league on Saturday. "We had six, seven, eight opportunities to score and we didn't. I'm not happy with that." Sevilla has five goals in its last three matches, and it has scored at least once in its last nine games, but Montella thinks that isn't enough considering how well the team has been playing. "We must be able to capitalize on our chances because games can change in a second," Montella said. "I liked the team's spirit, but we need to improve .
Bengaluru FC storm into AFC Cup group stage, crush TCSC 5-0
Bengaluru FC stormed into the AFC Cup group stage with a 5-0 thrashing of Maldives' TC Sports Club, a splendid hat-trick by Toni Dovale laying the foundation for the rout in the second leg playoff here today. The hat-trick goal came after Dovale tapped in a cross from Udanta Singh in the 48th minute, sealing the match with an aggregate of 8-2. Dovale, who became the first Bengaluru player to get hat-trick in any Asian competition, scored his first two goals in the 12th and 35th minute at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. The other two other goals were scored by Erik Paartalu and Rahul Bheke in 36th and 90th minute. At half time, Bengaluru led 3-0 owing to Dovale's brace. Bengaluru nearly had their fourth goal in the 44th minute as Paartalu missed his brace. He tried to get to the rebound but struggled with the balance as a TCSC defender did well to clear the ball. Riding high after qualifying for ISL's playoffs stage, Bengaluru FC asserted their supremacy by regularly foraying into the ...
Cilic gets easy win, advances to 2nd round at Rio Open
Croatian tennis player Marin Cilic beat Argentine qualifier Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the second round at the Rio Open here.
PCB serious about shifting PSL to Pakistan
The Pakistan Cricket Board is seriously contemplating shifting its Pakistan Super League T20 event to home from next year instead of holding it in the United Arab Emirates. "At some stage, we will have to take a risk and we are now seriously thinking about shifting the PSL fully to Pakistan. Karachi is ready, Multan is ready and we are preparing Rawalpindi and Peshawar," PCB chairman Najam Sethi said in an interview. He made it clear that there was a chance of conflict with the Emirates Cricket Board over holding of the Afghanistan and Arab T20 cricket leagues in UAE. "The Afghanistan league is being planned in January or October. Problem is if they have it in January it is just one month before our PSL. If they have it in Oct, we have our home series at that time in UAE," he said. "I have told them if there is a conflict with us than it is a possibility we will go elsewhere. I am going to Malaysia next month to see the stadiums and other facilities there," he said. Sethi said there ..
Real Madrid confirms injuries to Marcelo, Modric
Real Madrid on Tuesday confirmed that defender Marcelo and midfielder Luka Modric suffered injuries to the right leg muscle and the biceps femoris, in statements released on the Spanish club's website.
Rajasthan Royals begin first camp ahead of IPL 2018
Rajasthan Royals' Indian cricketers are participating in the three-day camp organised at the Cricket Club of India (CCI)'s Brabourne stadium in Mumbai from Tuesday.
Past year brought me down to earth after flying high: Karun
Sport can be cruel and Karun Nair has experienced it, having reached the zenith and hitting the nadir in a space of 12 months. During December 2016, Karun was the new batting sensation with a Test triple hundred under his belt and by December 2017, he was nowhere in the vicinity of the Indian team in any format. Trying to pick up pieces, Karun is now determined to lead (in absence of injured Vinay Kumar) Karnataka to Vijay Hazare Trophy glory as his side takes on Hyderabad in the quarter-final at the Feroz Shah Kotla tomorrow. Asked about his life post triple hundred, Karun was at his pragmatic best. "The past one year has shown me everything. It took me to a high and then brought me down to earth," he said. So, what is the lesson learnt? "It has taught me to stay level-headed emotionally. You can't fly high when you are on top as you can come down at any moment. You have to remain the same person. It's shown me everything in my life in just one year," he added. He did not hide the ...
Games face new doping blow as Canadian skaters serve up magic
The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics was hit by a third doping scandal today, casting a shadow over the magic on ice served up by peerless Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. On a day when the first unified Korean Olympic team took an emotional bow, the Games suffered a fresh doping blow with the suspension of Slovenian ice hockey player Ziga Jeglic. It came soon after a Russian bronze medallist in curling was suspended for failing a doping test and a Japanese short-track speed skater was similarly kicked out of the Games in South Korea last week. Russian curler Alexander Krushelnitsky tested positive for the banned substance meldonium and Moscows sports minister waded into the controversy on Tuesday when he said the athlete was innocent of knowingly taking the drug. "In this case, the athlete could not have used the banned drug intentionally, it would be simply pointless. Curling, as a whole, is not the kind of sport in which dishonest athletes use doping," said Pavel Kolobkov. It ...
Hales turns back on Test cricket
Alex Hales announced today he is turning his back on Test cricket after signing a new limited-overs contract with county side Nottinghamshire following a similar decision by England team-mate Adil Rashid. Rashid last week said he intended to focus solely on shorter, white-ball cricket for Yorkshire this season and Hales has penned a deal until the end of the 2019 season that will see him feature only in 50-over and 20-over formats of the game. Haless decision is likely to strengthen fears that Englands top limited-overs internationals could abandon first class, or red-ball, cricket, which includes five-day Test matches, in favour of playing in lucrative domestic Twenty20 competitions around the world. The opening batsman proved crucial in Nottinghamshires domestic white-ball double in 2017 and is a regular in Englands limited-overs set-up with 58 one-day and 52 T20 international appearances. But the 29-year-olds decision seemingly ends his hopes of adding to his 11 Test caps, the last