Page 1960 - Sports
Boxing: 1 medal assured for India at Strandja Memorial draws
Seema Punia was assured of a medal without a fight, while the likes of M C Mary Kom and Shiva Thapa were handed tricky draws in the 69th Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament for men and women, here today. Punia (+81kg) was assured of a medal due to the presence of just three boxers in her draw. The Indian will face local favourite Mihaela Nikolova for a place in the final where Russia's Anna Ivanova has got a direct entry. Just a win away from ensuring herself a medal was the celebrated Mary Kom (48kg), who is coming here on the back of back-to-back gold at the Asian Championships and last month's India Open. She will face Romanian legend Steluta Duta, a three-time silver-medallist at the World Championships and a four-time gold-winner at the European Championships, in her opening contest. Interestingly, all of Steluta's world championship silver medals are courtesy losses to Mary Kom in the finals (2006, 2008 and 2010). It would be interesting to see how the face-off pans out when the
Real Madrid defender Marcelo suffers hamstring injury
Real Madrid have suffered a second injury setback in just four days after left back Marcelo suffered a hamstring injury in his side's 5-3 win away to Betis.
India are in unique position with two wrist spinners: Paul Adams
Former South African chinaman bowler Paul Adams believes that India are in a "unique position" in world cricket with the wrist spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in their limited-overs' playing eleven. The pair picked 33 wickets in six ODIs as India marched to a historic maiden bilateral series win on South African soil. With the ODI/T20 strategy moving towards wrist spin, Adams believes India are in an advantageous position if they can keep playing the duo regularly. If you look at the way cricket has gone in recent times, it has become more in favour of batsmen. So it is great for India that they are able to include both in the same playing eleven," Adams told PTI. "Yes, they are wrist spinners but they are different. They can take the ball away from batsmen. With different angles and different deliveries, they are very potent." With his complex action, Adams made quite a flutter when he burst into international cricket in the mid 90s. "India are eager to use both ...
PSL: McCullum eager to play 'selfless, fearless' cricket for Qalandars
Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum has said that he is looking to play selfless and fearless cricket for Lahore Qalandars in the upcoming third edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).It should be recalled that the Qalandars have been unlucky in the previous two editions of the PSL as they finished bottom of the six-team tournament each time, with little fault from McCullum as well.However, McCullum insisted that he wants to change than scenario this time around, adding that the Qalandars would try to put their absolute best and would look to clinch the title in the upcoming 2018 edition."We'll play selfless cricket, we'll play fearless cricket and we hope we can make our fans proud this year. We'll try and do our absolute best [to win].""We've had a couple of disappointing years but maybe this is the year when we can stand up for the people of Lahore but also for those who support the Qalandars from all over the world," he added.Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman will serve as .
Chinese Vice Premier to attend PyeongChang Olympics' closing ceremony
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong will attend the upcoming closing ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics as the President's envoy, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.
I-League: Minerva look to get back to top with win over Gokulam (Preview)
After suffering a defeat at home to East Bengal, Minerva Punjab FC will look to come back to winning ways and get closer to the I-League silverware when they take on seventh-placed Gokulam Kerala FC at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium here on Tuesday.
Star wins audio-visual production rights for IPL, BCCI domestic season
The Star India Pvt. Ltd, which holds the media rights of the Indian Premier League, today also won the audio-visual production rights for not just the IPL but also the BCCI's domestic circuit for the 2018-19 season. The BCCI had invited Request For Proposal (RFP) documents for services relating to the live production of all matches for the IPL and the domestic cricket season, the Board's Acting Secretary Amitabh Choudhary said in a media release. The BCCI, however, has not revealed the amount of the deal. The service agreement and the contract term will cover one season of the IPL (2018) and one season of Domestic Cricket (2018-2019), Choudhary said. The BCCI, however, reserves the right to extend the term for one more season of IPL and one more season of domestic cricket. The Board, at its discretion, can extend the term to include IPL season 2020, as provided for in the Services Agreement, added the secretary. Last year, Star India Pvt. Ltd had won the IPL's television, digital, ...
Kohli & Co showed its real potential in ODI series, says Kirmani
Former India wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani has lauded the manner in which the national cricket team has bounced back after losing the Test series in South Africa, saying the Virat Kohli-led side showcased its real potential and talent in the ODI series triumph. "Before they (the team) could get acclimatised to the conditions in South Africa, they lost the Test series. They however, bounced back well and showed their capabilities in the ODIs and won it," he told PTI over phone from Bengaluru. "It was a great comeback by the team to show their real potential and talent and win the one-day series," he said. After losing the Test series 2-1, India bounced back strongly to claim the six-match ODI series 5-1. Kirmani also said it was unfair to criticise Mahendra Singh Dhoni on various counts, including his keeping technique, adding he had produced results, which was more important. "It is all about results. Those who are criticising Dhoni about his keeping and batting are not aware that he has
Title aspirant Minerva hope to return to winning ways against Gokulam
Debutants Minerva Punjab FC would look to return to winning ways when they take on seventh-placed Gokulam Kerala FC here tomorrow, if they desire to get closer to their maiden Hero I-League title. But Minerva would adopt a cautious approach after their tiring 0-1 defeat at the hands of East Bengal at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium here, the venue for tomorrow's match. Meanwhile, the Kerala-outfit are in a blazing form after beating both Kolkata powerhouses in successive fixtures. They humbled Mohun Bagan 2-1 in Kolkata and then dented East Bengal's title hopes by the same margin in Kozhikode. Gokulams red hot form can be assessed from the fact that they have collected a total of 12 points in their last five matches. Placed second in the points table with the title up for grabs, Minerva head coach Wangkhem Khogen Singh very well knows the significance of tomorrow's fixture. The upcoming match against Gokulam is very important and we have already convinced our boys how important this match is
Top cueists for PSPB tourney
Country's top cueists, including Pankaj Advani and Adiya Mehta, would take part in the 14th PSPB Inter Unit Billiards and Snooker Tournament here from tomorrow. Apart from Advani (ONGC) and Mehta (Indian Oil), Devendra Joshi (BPCL), Sourav Kothari (ONGC), Rupesh Shah (ONGC), Alok Kumar (ONGC), Dhruv Sitwala (ONGC), Manan Chandra (BPCL) and Shahbaaz Adil Khan (BPCL) will be seen in action at the PYC Gymkhana here, said a media release. The tournament is being hosted by Bharat Petroleum. The tournament would start with the team championships while the individual championships would be starting on the 23rd and concluding the next day, the release added. Along with the cue sports, the 23rd PSPB Inter Unit Kabaddi Tournament will also be conducted at the same venue concurrently. Oil companies like ONGC, Bharat Petroleum, CPCL, MRPL and EIL would be participating in the tournament. Top Kabaddi players of the country from the Oil sector - including Rishank Devadiga, Nilesh ...
Bengaluru FC eye win and qualification to AFC Cup group stage
Bengaluru FC are eyeing a win and qualification to the AFC Cup group stage as they get ready to host Maldivies' TC Sports Club in the second leg playoff here tomorrow. Having won the first leg in Male 3-2, BFC would go through to the next stage even if they lose by a 1-2 margin, as they would be still ahead in terms of number of goals scored in the away game. BFC will be taking the field with their tails up, days after making the semifinals of the Indian Super League (ISL) in their maiden season. The result in Male will only to their confidence when they play in front of their home fans. Semboi Haokip and Erik Paartulu will be looking to repeat their performance against TC Sports Club -- the Indian had scored twice and the Australian defender once -- in the last game. Winger Toni Dovale also would be keen on contributing with his precision set-pieces for the main strikers. Keeping in mind the crucial knockout match coming up in the ISL, BFC head coach Albert Roca may continue ...
Star India wins rights for IPL, domestic cricket
Star India Pvt. Ltd on Monday won the rights for audio-visual production services for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and BCCI domestic cricket for the 2018-19 season.
Yuki jumps 11 places to 101 in ATP singles rankings
Yuki Bhambri today jumped 11 places to stand just outside the top-100 bracket in the men's singles rankings, following his runner-up finish at the Chennai Open Challenger tournament. Bhambri had squandered a match point against Australia's Jordon Thompson to settle for 48 ranking points and USD 4240 in prize money. With this jump, Yuki is now ranked 101 and is followed by Ramkumar Ramanathanm (140, +1), Sumit Nagal (216, +1) and left-hander Prajnesh Gunseswaran (242, -1). Yuki had achieved his career-best rank of 88 in November 2015. In the doubles category, Rohan Bopanna (20) and Divij Sharan (42) were unchanged but Leander Paes lost two spots to be placed 49. He was followed by his partner Purav Raja (57). In the WTA rankings, Ankita Raina continues to be India's number one singles players at number 255, a loss of two places, and was followed by Karman Kaur Thandi (281, -3). In doubles, out of action Sania Mirza was unchanged at number 14 in the world.
Cricket can melt ice between India and Pak, says Afridi
Referring to suspension of cricketing ties between India and Pakistan, former skipper Shahid Afridi has said sports should be used to end tensions between the two neighbouring countries than as another tool of politics.The two countries have not been involved in a bilateral series since the 2012-13 limited-overs series which comprised two T20Is and three ODIs in India."Due to lack of international cricket between the two countries, we now play either in the ICC tournaments or the events such as Ice Cricket," Geo TV quoted Afridi, as saying."I believe politics should be kept away from sports. It should rather be used as a tool to improve relations between the countries. Sport is something which can play a big role in bringing peace," he added.In June 2014, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) signed Future Tours agreement during the ICC annual conference in Melbourne to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023.Political tensions ..
Euro zone ministers likely to choose Spaniard to succeed ECB vice president
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers are likely to agree on Monday to back Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos to succeed European Central Bank Vice President Vitor Constancio in May, a move likely to boost the chances of a German becoming the head of the ECB next year.
Minerva hope to return to winning ways against Gokulam FC
After suffering a tiring defeat at home to Kingfisher East Bengal, Minerva Punjab would look to return to winning ways to get closer to the Hero I-League silverware when they take on seventh-placed Gokulam Kerala FC at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium, here tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Kerala-outfit are in a blazing form after beating both Kolkata powerhouses in successive fixtures. They humbled Mohun Bagan 2-1 in Kolkata and then dented East Bengal's title hopes by the same margin in Kozhikode. Gokulams red hot form can be seen from the fact that they have collected a total of 12 points in their last five matches. Minerva Punjab head coach Wangkhem Khogen Singh very well knows the significance of tomorrow's fixture. The upcoming match against Gokulam is very important and we have already convinced our boys how important this match is for the I-League title. If we take 3 points in this match then we are on top," Khogen said. "The boys need to understand this and they will give 100 per cent ..
Competing for middle-order slot excites me: Shreyas Iyer
With 16 months left for the World Cup, India have a couple of middle-order slots still up for grabs and Shreyas Iyer sees this as an "opportunity", as he tries to make a case for himself in the coming days. Iyer is seen as one of the contenders for either No. 4 or 5 position in the ODI line-up and will be competing with the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik and possibly Suresh Raina. The 23-year-old Mumbaikar though, is not at all tensed. "Competition for a batting slot has never worried me. I would say it always brings the best out of me. For me, battling for a slot is not a threat but an opportunity," Iyer told PTI after coming back from the South Africa tour. "Also, I should only be looking at improving my game and not think about who are my competitors," said Iyer, who scored 18 and 30 in the 4th and 5th ODIs respectively. While he has had a successful 'A' tour of South Africa, travelling with the senior team has been a different experience for the talented ...
Australia's most-capped female player Blackwell retires
Australia's most-capped female player and vice-captain Alex Blackwell was hailed as a "tremendous leader" in the women's game after announcing her retirement from international and state cricket today. Blackwell, 34, made her debut for Australia in a one-day international against England in 2003, and went on to play 251 matches across all three formats for her country. She became just the fourth female Australian to pass 5,000 runs when she batted in the Test, Twenty20 and One-Day arenas, compiling 5,250 runs. "Alex has been a wonderful servant to Australian cricket, and a tremendous leader both at national and international level, and we congratulate her on an outstanding career that has spanned more than 16 years," Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said in a statement. Blackwell, who led Australia to victory at the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies in 2010, was also a member of Australias World T20 winning sides in 2012 and 2014 and has two World Cup ...
Need to look in mirror and improve, Dumiy on SA batting
Batting has been South Africa's "Achilles' heel" during the ongoing series against India, conceded captain J P Duminy, who feels each one of his team's senior players need to "look in the mirror" and improve. "Unfortunately from a batting perspective, that's been our Achilles heel throughout this Indian tour in the short format. As players and as senior batters we have to take responsibility for that," Duminy said after South Africa lost the first Twenty20 International by 28 runs, chasing 204 for victory. "We've got to look ourselves in the mirror, ask how we can improve and get better. Hopefully that improves come Wednesday. "You are going to go through periods in your career, where you go through slumps, be it a senior player or a new player. Unfortunately, throughout the series quite a few senior players have come up short, including myself. It's been a dismal ODI series and today as well, he added. Duminy, however, defended his bowlers for targetting Indian batsmen with short ...
US hockey players father quarantined for norovirus
US hockey player James Wisniewski's father Jim wont be coming out to see him play tomorrow at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics after contracting norovirus. The 62-year-old American vommitted while waiting for a taxi and has been in isolation in one of two apartments his family rented for the Games. The norovirus outbreak has hit 283 people at the Pyeongchang Games, including two athletes, officials said on today. "He tested positive yesterday," Wisniewski said today after practice. "He got in on the 13th (of February) and he got tested. He's quarantined." It has forced the younger Wisniewski, whose team faces Slovakia in a first-round knockout playoff match tomorrow, to stay away from his dad to avoid having the illness spread through the American locker room. "It's something that you are, like, Ahh, really, how bad can it get? and all of the sudden, bang bang, a couple of people close to you have it and you dont really know how, you dont know where," the defenceman said. "Its just one