Page 1956 - Sports
No surprises in badminton team for CWG
There were no surprises in the Indian badminton team which was picked on Tuesday for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4. P.V. Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth will lead Indias charge.
Need to be more proactive, says pacer Junior Dala
Rookie pacer Junior Dala admitted that the South African bowling unit's execution in the first T20 International against India wasn't up to the mark and they need to be "more proactive rather than being reactive" in the second game, here tomorrow. India won the first T20 international match in Johannesburg by 28 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. India had made a rousing start in that game and score 78 runs in the powerplay overs taking advantage of South Africas short-ball strategy. Dala said that the plan was right but they need to execute it better. With any game plan, if you dont execute well, it always looks bad. As bowlers we were honest with each other, we had a sort of game plan. It boils down to execution. Definitely, we are going to go in with another game plan (in the second game). But I think we need to be a little bit more proactive. We have a game plan but be more proactive to it as opposed to being reactive, Dala said during the pre-match conference ...
Top Indian marathoners to compete at New Delhi marathon
Top Indian marathoners such as Kheta Ram, Gopi T and Jitendra Singh Rawat will be seen in action as more than 15,000 runners are expected to compete at the IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon on Sunday. The event, to be flagged-off by legendary Sachin Tendulkar from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, is the national marathon championship, recognized by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Top runners Monika Athare and Jyoti Singh Gawate will also be part of the event along with 25 wheelchair participants and para-athletes, led by Indian Blade runner Major D. P. Singh. The winners will be awarded prize money of Rs. 8 Lakhs across various categories. The event is being supported by NGO Diksha Foundation. Karthik Raman, CMO, IDBI Federal Life Insurance said, "We are delighted to witness the growing response and enthusiasm that surrounds the 3rd edition of the IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon. The 15,000 registrations bear testimony to the fact that the nation ..
Mumbai dominate Day 1 of The National Inclusion Cup
Mumbai's men and women team dominated proceedings on Day 1 of The National Inclusion Cup organised by Slum Soccer here today. Opening the day's proceedings against Jammu & Kashmir, the men's team of Mumbai beat the visitors 5-3 in the first Group A match. Andhra Pradesh too couldn't match the intensity the home side brought and were handed a 1-4 loss in what was their second encounter of the day. The women's team matched their counterparts' form. They beat Delhi 4-1 in their opening encounter followed by an exciting 3-2 win over Kerala in the second outing. The tournament's opening ceremony opening day saw the presence of superhit film Sairat's actor Akash Thosar to cheer up the participants alongside Slum Soccer founder Vijay Barse, CEO Abhijeet Barse and CHRO of Sony Pictures Network, Smriti Singh. Results: Men: Meghalaya beat Punjab 6-5; Delhi beat Telangana 4-1; West Be gal beat Maharashtra 6-2; Tamil Nadu beat Gujarat 7-0; Mumbai beat Andhra Pradesh 4-1; Chhatisgarh beat ...
Slovenian hockey player tests positive for doping at Winter Games
Slovenian hockey player Ziga Jeglic has tested positive for fenoterol at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and will leave the Olympic Village in the next 24 hours, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Tuesday.
Sindhu, Saina and Srikanth to lead Indian shuttlers' charge at CWG
The highly-successful Kidambi Srikanth will look to complement Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal as the trio spearheads the Indian badminton team's campaign at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. The Commonwealth Games will be held from April 4 to 15. The mixed team event which starts on April 5 will see World No. 3 Srikanth in action while World No. 11 HS Prannoy will be backing his compatriot up in the mens singles department. In the womens singles, Sindhu and Saina will shuffle roles as the team will pin hopes on the event. The pairing of Chirag Shetty and Saiwik Sairaj will look to set the court on fire in their debut performance at the Commonwealth Games, while Pranaav Jerry Chopra will pair up with Sikki Reddy for the mixed doubles clashes. In the womens doubles section, the pair of Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponappa will look to continue their impressive performances as Ashwini will look to emulate her 2010 gold medal winning run with her new partner. "I ...
Tvesa, Gursimar ready for another battle in fifth leg of Hero WPGT
Tvesa Malik, who won last week to rise to the top of the Hero Order of Merit on the Womens Pro Golf Tour, will start as one of the big favourites for the fifth leg here.
Preparations going well for CWG, Asian Games: Sakshi
Olympic bronze-medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik today said her preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games are on the right track. "On the 26th (of this month), I am going for the Asian Championships and after that there is Commonwealth Games, so the preparations continue. The thing is that after we perform well in (Asian Championships), the confidence level will grow and the hope (aim) is to bring a gold medal," Sakshi told PTI here. The Rio Olympic medallist, who was announced as a brand ambassador of tyre company Bridgestone, said she was aiming for a gold medal at both these multi-discipline Games. "The Olympic medal gives me a lot of inspiration and my confidence has grown after that. After getting the medal, I am able to understand wrestling more," she added. While the Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Gold Coast in April, the Asian Games will be hosted by Jakarta in August. Sakshi said that in the CWG she considers the Canadian and Nigerian ...
Russian curler's B-sample tests positive for meldonium
The B-sample of Russian curler Alexander Krushelnitsky has tested positive for meldonium, a spokesman for the Olympic Athletes from Russia team Konstantin Vybornov said on Tuesday.
Srikanth wants 21-point format to stay
Top Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth would not prefer any drastic changes in the scoring system, being contemplated by the World body, and reckons that he can grab the top rank in the 2018 season. BWF has proposed a new scoring system in which five games of 11 points may replace the current three games of 21 points format. The proposals will come up for discussion and voting at BWFs Annual General Meeting scheduled to be held on May 19 in Bangkok. "A couple of things are happening but I have not heard anything official. They had asked (about it) a couple of years back - before the Rio Olympics. I personally haven't tried the 11- point format. The 21-point (format) is working well for me and I prefer it to be the same way," Srikanth emphasised. On the service rule change to come into force from next month's All England event, Srikanth felt it would affect the taller players more than the shorter ones. "The new service rule also starts with the All England (championship). The new rule .
Gokulam continue giant-killing act, shock Minerva 1-0
Giant-killers Gokulam Kerala FC continued their winning run as they notched up a stunning 1-0 victory over frontrunners Minerva Punjab in their own backyard, as the I-League title race took another interesting turn today. It was a solitary 75-th minute strike from Henry Kisekka that secured full three points from Binu George's men at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium. Gokulam hit the cross bar thrice before getting their hard-earned goal in away conditions. With this win Gokulam Kerala have now astonishingly beaten Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Minerva Punjab in back to back games. Minerva Punjab made four tactical changes in their squad from their previous encounter against East Bengal as Amandeep, Shouvik, Bazie and Rakshit made way for debutant left back Akashdeep, left winger Akash Sangwan, defensive midfielder Randeep and Nepal international goalkeeper Kiran. Gokulam Kerala were also forced to make as many changes to their squad due to suspension and injury issues. Clearly the tactical
Following are PTI's top/expected stories at 17:45 hrs:
Following are PTI's top/expected stories at 17:45 hrs: STORIES IN THE PIPELINE: AFC Cup Play Off second leg: Bengaluru FC vs TC Sports (Maldives) from 8 pm Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament report from Sofia (Bulgaria) Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final preview I-League match report Minerva FC vs Gokulam Kerala Stories on the Wire SPO-IND-PREVIEW (CORRECTED) India target series-clincher, South Africa look to survive By Chetan Narula Centurion, Feb 20
ICC ODI Rankings: Kohli attains rare landmark, surpasses Lara
Indian skipper Virat Kohli's prolific run with the bat helped him attain the rare feat of crossing the 900-point mark in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI rankings released on Tuesday.The swashbuckling batsman now has over 900 points in Tests as well as ODIs to stand atop the rankings in both formats of the game.Kohli has become only the second batsman after South Africa's AB de Villiers to attain the landmark concurrently in both forms of the game and one among only five to have crossed 900 points in both forms of the game as he consolidated his top position with 558 runs in the 5-1 series win over South Africa, during which he slammed three centuries.Kohli has thus, moved ahead of Brian Lara in the all-timers' list, having also overtaken him in the all-timers' Test list last month. He is now seventh in the ODI list of all-time rankings that is led by Vivian Richards with 935 points and the India captain is now a good 22 points clear of Sachin Tendulkar, whose ODI ...
FC Goa look to get back to winning ways
A desperate FC Goa will be keen to end their four-match winless streak, when they take on wooden spooners Delhi Dynamos in an Indian Super League encounter, here tomorrow. With 20 points from 14 games, Goa are now placed sixth in the league table will need to win atleast three of their remaining four games in order to harbour any hopes of making the semi-finals of the cash-rich league. The defeats at the hands of table topper Bengaluru FC and Chennainyin FC has dented their chances big time and the Dynamos encounter possibly couldn't have come at a better time. Dynamos are currently placed last in the 10-team table with only 11 points from 14 games. However they have had something to cheer about after beating NorthEast United in their previous encounter, which got their points tally to double digits. "Our team is a different from the one which lost against FC Goa at home. The boys have shown lot of improvement and have beaten the table toppers. Goa are a good side and have player ...
Football coach Constantine accepts contract extension
Englishman Stephen Constantine today said he has accepted the contract extension offered to him by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which will make him the longest serving national coach in the history of the sport here. Under Constantine's tutelage, India qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup after crushing Macau 4-1 last October, which stretched their unbeaten record to 12 matches. It became 13 when they played out a 2-2 draw with Myanmar the following month. "After accepting my second contract extension with the All India Football Federation, I will have the longest tenure of any foreign coach in Indian history, with a total of seven years (2002 - 2005; 2015 - 2019)," Constantine said. Constantine, however, did not state whether he has been given the salary hike that he had demanded. India were struggling at 173 in the FIFA rankings when Constantine took charge. What followed was a dream run as India broke into the top 100 for the first time in 21 years. "I am of course ...
India aim to seal the deal in 2nd T20I against S. Africa (Preview)
After a comprehensive victory in the first Twenty20 International, India will aim to seal the three-match series when they take on South Africa in the second match here at the SuperSport Park on Wednesday.
My entire focus is on Asian Games, says Lalita Babar
National steeplechase record holder Lalita Babar wants to focus all her attention on this year's Asian Games as she feels she has better chances at the continental mega-event than the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Babar said Commonwealth Games is not her priority as she doesn't have enough time to prepare for the event after taking a short break from athletics owing to her marriage. While the Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Gold Coast, Australia in April, the Asian Games will be hosted by Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang in August. "I am preparing for the Asian Games because there is no time for the Commonwealth Games. I feel I will do better in the Asian Games than the Commonwealth Games. So my focus will be on the Asian Games," the 28-year-old Satara-born Babar told PTI here today. The steeplechase specialist was speaking after being appointed as the 'brand ambassador' of tyre company Bridgestone which is connected with the Olympic movement. She, however, ..
Sanath Kumar: A journeyman coach with a 'Midas Touch'
There are two worlds in Indian cricket and they are mutually exclusive. The first is the one where the Virat Kohlis, Rohit Sharmas, Ravi Shastris and the IPL exist amid insane fan following, eye popping money, life in fast lane and everything that one aspires. Then there's another parallel universe where cricket is played as seriously but followed by just a few. This world has the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The cricket here is played in front of mostly empty stands, where there could be a few stray dogs (as the joke goes), and fewer mediapersons in most of the centres. And this is the world where one finds someone like K Sanath Kumar -- a quiet backroom worker, preparing young cricketers for greater challenges without thinking about any greater incentive. The 55-year-old Kumar is one among those innumerable journeyman coaches, who are trying to help some of the lower rung first-class teams command respect from the 'Domestic Dadas' like Delhi, ...
I would like to become no 1 this year, says Sindhu
Terming 2018 "as a big year", top Indian shuttler P V Sindhu today said she wants to become the world number one by the end of it after narrowly missing out of the numero uno status last season. "It's a big year and next (tournament) up is the All England (championships in Birmingham). There are also the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. I intend to take one tournament at a time. l want to see myself as number 1 by the end of the year," Sindhu told PTI on the sidelines of a Bridgestone event. The Olympics and World Championship silver medallist lost in a pulsating final to Japanese rival Akane Yamaguchi21-15 12-21 19-21 in 94 minutes in the women's singles final of the Dubai Super Series Finals to squander a golden chance to attain the number one ranking. Sindhu also lost to Yamaguchi's compatriot Nozomi Okuhara in the World Championship final 19-21 22-20 20-22 in August, a match that lasted a staggering 110 minutes. Sindhu had lost another 83-minute three-game thriller to Carolina .
Tvesa, Gursimar ready for another battle in fifth leg of Hero WPGT
Tvesa Malik, who rose to the top of the Hero Order of Merit on the Womens Pro Golf Tour last week, will start as one of the favourites for the fifth leg when the Tour arrives to the Northern part of India for the first time this season. The first four legs, all in the Western part of India in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Pune, have all produced different winners, making the upcoming leg a wide open affair. Even though four players Vani Kapoor, Amandeep Drall, Sharmila Nicollet and Gaurika Bishnoi are busy with the Australia Ladies Classic at Bonville Resort in New South Wales, the rest of the field has a strong feel about it. The first two events of the current season were won by Vani Kapoor and Sharmila Nicollet, who have since been overseas, while Gursimar Badwal in the third leg and Tvesa Malik in the fourth turned in fine performances. Tvesa and Gursimar, who head the Hero Order of Merit as first and second respectively, have been the most consistent so far. Both have won once each and ..