Page 1978 - Sports
Our focus is on winning Asian Games and WC, says Marijne
With a heavy calender lined up this year, Indian men's hockey team chief coach Sjoerd Marijne has set his sights on retaining the Asia Games crown to give his players ample time to prepare themselves for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. India has a heavy schedule this year with as many as four important international tournaments lined up in Commonwealth Games, Champions Trophy, Asian Games and the season-ending FIH men's World Cup, besides the Azlan Shah Cup. But for the coach winning the Asian Games and World Cup sits at the top of his agenda. "I want to win the Asian Games and the World Cup. Those are my two objecives. If you win the Asian Games, you become the first team in the world to qualify for the Olympics. So you get almost 2 years to prepare and that would be perfect. That's what we are aiming for," a determined Marinje told reporters here today. Marijne said other tournaments will act as a preparatory platform in the pursuit of his team's goal which are Asian Games and World ...
'15000-seater Kalinga Stadium to be ready months before Hockey World Cup'
International Hockey Federation (FIH) President Narinder Batra on Thursday said that Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium, with an increased crowd capacity of 15,000, will be almost ready by July, months before it hosts the Hockey World Cup beginning on November 28.
Playing WC qualifiers at home will help us: Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor
Zimbabwe will look to their passionate home support to help them secure one of the two ICC Cricket World Cup qualification spots next month.Zimbabwe, along with Afghanistan, Ireland and the Windies, have got a second chance to qualify for the ICC's pinnacle 50-over tournament after they finished in the bottom four of the ICC ODI Rankings at the September 30, 2017 cut-off date.Zimbabwe are the most successful team in the history of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier (known as the ICC Trophy until 2005), winning the competition three times in 1982, 1986 and 1990, and have not competed in the event since 1990 as they earned direct qualification for all World Cups from 1996 onwards.With a 95.8 per cent success rate (23 wins out of 24 matches with one no-result), Zimbabwe have never lost a match in the tournament, a record they will be determined to keep intact when they host the qualifying event from March 4 to March 25.And the fact that they will be the most experienced side with over ..
England FA signs MoU with Qatar Football Association
The Football Association (FA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Qatar Football Association (QFA) for exploring the possibilities of arranging friendlies across various age groups.
Odisha Govt to sponsor Indian hockey team
In a first-of-its-kind association, Indian hockey today got a new sponsor in state government of Odisha, which has decided to support the game for the next five years. The announcement was made by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during a grand function here today, which was also attended by both the Indian men's and women's hockey team players, International Hockey Federation (FIH) and IOA President Narinder Batra, IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta among other dignitaries. During the function, Odisha government also unveiled its logo that will don the new jerseys of both the teams. Although it is not known how much money the state is going to pump into hockey, the association holds great significance for the development of the sport. Commenting on the association, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said: "Hockey in Odisha is more than a sport, it's a way of life, especially in our tribal regions where children learn to walk with hockey sticks. "No wonder Odisha has produced ...
DY Patil T20 Cup from Feb 19
The 14th edition of the DY Patil T20 Cup will be held at the DY Patil stadium and the university ground in the neighbouring Navi Mumbai from February 19 to March 1. Altogether, 16 teams, which have been drawn into four groups, will take part in the coveted tournament, a media release issued here said today. The top two teams from each of the four groups will qualify for the quarter-finals to be held on February 27, and the final will be played on March 1, it said. Top players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Yuzvendra Chahal, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, among others, participated in the past editions of the tournament.
Klopp praises 'fantastic' Mane
Liverpool Football Club head coach Jurgen Klopp heaped praise on his Senegalese winger Sadio Mane for his prolific performance against Porto in the first leg of the Champions League Round-of-16 fixture.
Canada to have T20 league on the lines of IPL
With the population of Indian, Pakistani and Caribbean immigrants growing fast here, Canada could have its own version of the Indian Premier League T20 cricket soon.
Ronaldo calls himself 'stand out' performer against PSG
Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo called himself a stand out performer after scoring twice for holders Real Madrid against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League Round-of-16 tie here.
Chennai Challenger: Yuki Bhambri advances into semis
Indian tennis ace Yuki Bhambri produced a spirited performance as he bounced back from a set down against Japan's Yasutaka Uchiyama to book his place in the semi-finals of the Chennai Open ATP Challenger tournament here on Thursday.After losing the first set, the second-seeded Indian never looked back and went on to clinch a comfortable 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 win over Uchiyama in a thrilling last-eight clash.With the win, the 25-year-old has now set up a clash against Lee Duck-hee of South Korea for a place in the summit showdown.Earlier, Bhambri became the first Indian to reach the quarter-finals of the Chennai Open with an easy win over compatriot Sidharth Rawat.Bhambri looked dominant throughout that match as he eased past Rawat 6-2, 6-3 in the one-sided clash to make it to the last-eight of the tournament.
Confident Pune take on formidable BFC
With an aim to consolidate their chances of making it to the play-offs, Pune City FC will come out all guns blazing against hosts Bengaluru FC in an Indian Super League encounter, here tomorrow. Bengaluru are already through to the play-offs as they became the first team to qualify in this year's cash-rich league. The hosts still have three matches to play. The formidable 'Blues' sit comfortably on top of the points table with 33 points having registered 11 wins from 15 games. Pune have more than one foot in semi-finals but with 28 points and three matches in hand, they will not take their place for granted, though they are perched second on the points table. Pune have never qualified for semi-finals since ISL's inception in 2014, but with Jamshedpur FC (25 points), Chennaiyin FC (24 points), Kerala Blasters (21 points) and FC Goa (20 points) all breathing down their neck, they cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal. Bengaluru will look to continue their winning momentum but .
Odisha announces 5-year association to sponsor Hockey India
The Odisha government will sponsor Indian hockey teams - both men and women. On Thursday, it announced a first-of-its-kind association with Hockey India for the next five years.
ISL, I-League clubs refuse participation in women' league
The ISL and I-League teams have refused to compete in the 2nd Indian Women's League, leaving All India Football Federation (AIFF) in the lurch. The Indian Super League and I-League teams' refusal to take part in the forthcoming women's league has left the AlFF in a spot of bother. The apex body claimed the franchises had earlier promised participation in the IWL. When contacted AIFF general secretary Kushal Das told PTI: Its extremely disappointing that despite assurances, we havent got any entry from either any ISL or I-League club. Hopefully, they will understand the importance of womens football and rethink about their participation in the sole Womens League in the Country, he added. The format of the IWL grants a direct entry to ISL & I-League clubs in the final round of the IWL but so far none have confirmed their participation. However cost is a major factor which might have prevented all these major Indian clubs to have an exclusive women's football team. Das further ...
Norway's Haga strikes cross-country gold
Norway's Ragnhild Haga won her first Olympic title with victory in the women's 10km cross-country race in Pyeongchang today. Haga, 27, timed 25min 0.5sec to beat Sweden's Charlotte Kalla by 20.3sec, with Norwegian Marit Bjoergen finishing in the bronze medal position.
Pekarik pens contract extension at Berlin
Peter Pekarik and Hertha Berlin have settled on a contract extension, the German Bundesliga football club said.
Ruthless India aim for 5-1 finish against S.Africa in 6th ODI (Preview)
Following a historic series victory on South African soil, India will aim to continue their dominance to finish with a 5-1 record against the Proteas in the sixth One-Day International (ODI) at the SuperSport Park here on Friday.
Nothing is impossible, says Neymar after PSG lose to Real
Neymar insisted that Paris Saint-Germain can still qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals despite losing 3-1 to Real Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 tie today. He was in the Barcelona side that lost 4-0 away to PSG in the first leg of the last 16 last season, before a stunning 6-1 victory in the return. On PSG's chances of beating Real in the return leg on March 6, he said: "I think it is difficult, but nothing is impossible. Last year I was in a much worse situation and we managed to get through. I hope we will be able to play better.
Kim Jong-un impersonator creates stir at Winter Olympics
The crowd who came to watch a unified Korean team play Japan at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics was left amazed when they saw North Korea leader Kim Jong-un made a surprise entry at the event.However, the crowd's expression vanished soon when they realised the man was an impersonator.The man later identified himself as "Howard" and said he's from Australia and of Chinese descent.Howard had also created a stir at the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Games when he and a person dressed as US president Donald Trump were swiftly rush out of the ceremony by the security staff.This time again, he was escorted roughly from the premises when he was apparently trying to rile up the North Korean cheerleaders."They shouted something in Korean, I wasn't sure what it was. And then the police got involved and they dragged me away - they said for my own safety," The Washington Post quoted Howard as saying.He added, "This is seen as the peace Olympics," he said, "so let's hope that peace endures ...
WADA President says anti-doping steps at PyeongChang Games going well
President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Craig Reedie on Thursday said he was happy with the anti-doping programme at the ongoing PyeongChang Winter Games in South Korea.
Bangladesh vows improved cricket pitches after ICC rebuke
- Bangladesh's cricket board today promised to improve pitches for international Tests after its two best venues were rated "below average" by the sports governing body following the Sri Lanka series. The International Cricket Council penalised the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka for its subpar pitch a week after rebuking Bangladesh's other top venue in Chittagong for its shoddy ground. The latest Test against Sri Lanka ended inside three days, with the visitors thrashing Bangladesh by 215 runs in a match that saw both sides all-out twice in less than eight sessions. The Chittagong Test, however, saw batsmen plunder more than 1,500 runs, with Sri Lanka declaring at a colossal 713 for nine in their first and only innings. ICC match referee David Boon -- who issued a demerit point to both venues for below-average pitches -- said the Dhaka ground was poor from day one. "There was evidence of the ball breaking the pitch surface, which resulted in uneven bounce throughout the ...