Page 1993 - Sports
Balotelli 'booked for racist abuse complaint'
Mario Balotelli was booked during Nice's 3-2 loss at Dijon for complaining about racist abuse, his French Ligue 1 club and a local newspaper have claimed. A tweet from Nice at half-time in Saturday's match said Balotelli had "picked up a yellow card after... getting annoyed at fans' racist abuse". Local newspaper Nice Matin in its match report said Balotelli "eyeballed and pointed his finger" at fans and "complained of racist abuse". The newspaper said Dijon goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet had tried to calm down a furious Balotelli telling him he "hadn't heard any racist chants", to which the Italian forward replied it was coming from "two or three supporters". Nice Matin said Balotelli's booking was for his reaction to the Dijon fans, after which he had "alerted the fourth official to the alleged abuse". It would not be the first time Balotelli, 27, has been targeted by racist abuse, in France and beyond. Last season some Bastia fans hurled insults at the former Liverpool, ...
Chelsea slump not all my fault, insists under-pressure Conte
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte believes blame should be shared for the dramatic slump that has the Italian fighting for his job as West Brom visit the English champions tomorrow. A 4-1 thrashing at Watford on Monday followed an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Bournemouth in Chelsea's last home game to leave the blues in serious risk of failing to qualify for next season's Champions League. Conte has repeatedly complained this season about his lack of input into the club's recruitment policy as tensions have risen with the Chelsea hierarchy. But the former Juventus coach accused his players of performing "with fear" and lacking "personality" as they surrendered meekly by conceding three times in the final 10 minutes at Vicarage Road. "When you have this period with such poor results, you have to divide the responsibility between me, the players and the club," said Conte. "As you know very well, because we are talking about football, a lot of times - I don't agree with this - the
Former NZ cricket captain Bevan Congdon dead at 79
Bevan Congdon, who captained New Zealand to their first Test win over Australia in 1974, has died a day short of his 80th birthday, Cricket New Zealand said. Congdon, a captain in 17 Tests, had been in declining health for some time. In total, Congdon played 61 Tests in a 13-year career, scoring 3,448 runs at an average of 32.22 with seven centuries. He also took 59 wickets. He played in 11 one-day internationals, including New Zealand's first in the format in 1973 against Pakistan. His average of 56.33 in ODIs is still the best for a New Zealand batsman with a minimum of 10 innings. While he led New Zealand to only one Test victory, it was a momentous five-wicket win over Australia in Christchurch in 1974. He was also a member of the New Zealand team that beat England in a test for the first time in 1978 at Wellington. Congdon's 176 against England at Trent Bridge in 1976 was his most famous Test innings. He was struck in the face by England fast bowler John Snow when he
Devinder, Sonia win gold in Asian Games test event
India won two gold, three silver and as many bronzes on the opening day of the Asian Games invitational athletics test event here today. Competing in his first event of the season, javelin thrower Devinder Singh Kang stamped Indian dominance in the event at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium. Kang, a finalist at the 2017 World Championships in London, recorded a best effort of 75.87m to finish ahead of Ranasinghe Denagamage of Sri Lanka who had a best effort of 75.39m. 18-year-old Sachin Silwal added bronze for India with a best effort of 68.12m. Kang, who recently began training under former world record holder Uwe Hohn, appeared out of touch initially and was trailing Denagamage until his final effort before producing a mark that put the gold medal out of reach of the Sri Lankan. Sonia Baishya added to India's medal tally with a gold in the women's 400m. Baishya, 22, ran the quartermile in 53.53 seconds to beat teammate Nithya Shree Ananda who clocked 54.34 seconds. It
Chetan-Diju duo triumphs in senior badminton meet
Chetan Anand and V Diju today lifted the men's doubles title at the All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament, beating Arjun Kumar Reddy and Gouse Shaik in the final here. The fifth seeded pair beat Reddy and Shaik, who were seeded eight 21-18 21-16 in 38 minutes. Siddharth Pratap Singh shocked top seed Pratul Joshi 21- 19 21-19 to win the men's singles title in a clash that lasted 42 minutes. In the women's singles title clash, Shikha Gautam defeated Aakarshi Kashyap 14-21 21-14 21-12. The duo of Meghana Jakkampudi and Poorvisha S Ram beat Aparna Balan and Sruthi KP 21-18 21-15 to clinch the women's doubles title.
ISL: Pune down error prone Mumbai
An erroneous deflection from Raju Gaikwad and a beautifully taken finish from Marcelinho made all the difference as FC Pune City beat Mumbai City 2-0 in an Indian Super League (ISL) match here on Sunday.
Vandana hat-trick fires RSPB to women's hockey A Division title
The Railway Sports Promotion Board outplayed Hockey Madhya Pradesh 4-0 in the final of the 8th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2018 (A Division) at the Astro Turf Hockey Stadium here on Sunday.
Don't mention the score: N. Korean media silent on 8-0 loss
North Korean media lauded the players and supporters of the unified Korean women's ice hockey team today after their first match at the Olympics -- without mentioning their 8-0 drubbing. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North's leader Kim Jong Un, was on hand to watch the game against Switzerland with her country's ceremonial head of state and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The match was a political event as much as a sporting one, with the unified team -- the Koreas' first for 27 years, and first ever at the Olympics -- part of a deal forged last month and a symbol of Moon's hopes for a "peace Olympics". And Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency focussed on the team and the North Korean cheerleaders rather than the 8-0 defeat -- mentioning neither the outcome nor the score in its dispatch. "The appearance of the players and the impressive picture of the cheering groups once again made the spectators feel keenly that the Korean nation is a... nation which ...
US teen nails gold, first Winter Games medallist born this
Teen sensation Red Gerard nailed a tension-packed final jump today to win the slopestyle snowboarding and become the first Winter Olympic medallist born this century. Aged 17 and 227 days, Gerard handed the US their first gold of the Pyeongchang Games with his slopestyle win, making him the youngest US Winter Olympic champion since 1928. Gerard, born on June 29, 2000, also set a record for the youngest gold medallist in any snowboarding event that was held previously by Kelly Clark, the 2002 women's halfpipe champion at age 18 years and 199 days. The first medallist born in the 2000's, Gerard is also the youngest US man to win Winter Olympic gold since 16-year- old bobsled driver Billy Fiske piloted a five-man crew to the title 90 years ago. "I cannot believe it," Gerard said. "I'm shaking right now, maybe from the cold, or the excitement. I don't know. But I'm ecstatic. I can't believe it. "Just to land a run would have been plenty for me and to get on the podium, but .
Sevilla back on track with 1-0 win over Girona
Sevilla on Sunday pulled off a 1-0 home win against Girona in the 23rd round of the La Liga football championship, getting back on track after a defeat and a draw in their previous two matches.
Pune City win, dent Mumbai's chance for semis
An erroneous deflection from Raju Gaikwad and a beautiful finish from Marcelinho made all the difference as FC Pune City beat Mumbai City 2-0 in the Indian Super League Maharashtra derby here today. The win keeps The Stallions in second place in the Hero ISL, three points ahead of third placed Jamshedpur FC and five behind table-toppers Bengaluru FC. Mumbai were punished for their profligacy in the match - wasting multiple chances as they attempted to fight back after Gaikwad's own goal had given the visitors the lead. The loss is also Mumbai's fourth in a row at the Mumbai Football Arena, and they now need other results to go their way if they want to make the top four. A cross from Sarthak Goloi in the 18th minute was missed by Diego Carlos who should have headed it in with ease - but Raju Gaikwad was next in line of the trajectory of the ball. It struck him and softly trickled into the net - but it was a deserved lead after some excellent pressure from Pune early ...
Pakistan gears up to host PSL final in Karachi
Foreign experts today inspected security arrangements in Karachi, which is scheduled to stage the final of Pakistan's Twenty20 league next month -- the city's first international match in nine years. The third season of the Pakistan Super League starts in the United Arab Emirates on February 22. The tournament will move to Pakistan for two play-offs on March 20-21 and the final in Karachi on March 25. Security experts Reg Dickason and Richard Dennis witnessed a full dress rehearsal for the final in Karachi. They were also briefed by Pakistani security and government officials on the arrangements. "Whatever we have witnessed today, it's as good as I have seen in all my years of work but I can't say a final word (on hosting the final) now and will submit my report within the next seven days," Dickason told media. The team's report will be integral to paving the way for the final. International cricket in Pakistan was suspended after a 2009 militant attack on the Sri Lankan
Federer chases history in Rotterdam with return to summit
Roger Federer will target a return to the top of the rankings as the Rotterdam World Tennis tournament starts tomorrow, with the Swiss aiming to become the oldest number one player in ATP history. The test begins at the Ahoy stadium when the 36-year-old, who claimed his 20th Grand Slam title a fortnight ago in Melbourne, returns to the Dutch port city for the first time since 2013. Top seed Federer starts in the first round against a qualifier in an event he has won twice before, lifting the trophy in 2005 and 2012. Should he reach the semi-finals, Federer would pass Rafael Nadal to take over the world's top ranking. But his quarter-final opponent could well be long-time friend Stan Wawrinka, seeded fifth as he comes back from 2017 knee surgery. Federer lies just 155 points behind the injured Nadal in the standings, with a possible 180 points available for making the last four in Rotterdam. The Swiss would surpass Andre Agassi, who held the top spot in 2003 aged 33 years
Luger Keshavan retires from sport with 34th-place finish
India's winter sports poster boy Shiva Keshavan today brought the curtains down on his over two-decade international career with a 34th-place finish in the men's luge singles event of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics here. Taking part in his sixth and last Olympics, the 36-year- old Keshavan produced the best timing of his campaign as he covered the 1,344 metre track at the Olympic Sliding Center in 48.900 seconds in his third round heat. The effort put him at 30th in the third heat among 40 competitors and 34th overall after three rounds. Since Keshavan finished outside the top 20 after three runs, he did not get to compete in the fourth and final run, which decided the medals. Keshavan was also 34th overall after the two rounds held yesterday and he maintained that position today. His aggregate time in the three runs stood at two minutes and 28.188 seconds. Unheralded Austrian David Gleirscher won a shocking gold while Chris Mazdzer of the United States bagged a ...
Tennis tourney: Jain, Vishwakarma emerge champions
Madhya Pradesh's Mahak Jain and Chhattisgarh's Siddharth Vishwakarma today claimed the women's and men's singles titles, respectively, in the AITA Ranking JVPG Anirudh Desai All-India Open Tennis Tournament 2018 here. The women's final, a contest between 16-year-olds, saw top seed Jain fight hard to smother the challenge from sixth seed Humera Shaikh of Telangana and secure a 7-5, 6-0 triumph, a media release said. In the men's final, Vishwakarma romped to a 6-2, 6-4 win against Andhra Pradesh's Prenamallur Vignesh. Both Jain and Vishwakarma received trophies and Rs two lakh each, it added. Humera showed promise at the start and did well to break Mahak early in the third game. The MP girl replied strongly by breaking Humera's serve in the fourth, but she once again committed a series of unforced errors and dropped serve for the second time as Humera raced to a 4-3 lead. However, the doughty display from Mahak earned her a crucial break in a long eight game which ensured .
CCI Snooker: Pandurangaiah impresses with brilliant 109 break
E Pandurangaiah of the Railways compiled the first century break of the tournament, a superb unfinished 109, on way to a 3-0 win against Ammar Arsiwala in a second round match of the CCI All India Open Snooker Championship here. Pandurangaiah, who finished runner-up to Pankaj Advani in the nationals last year, was awarded the first frame as his opponent Arsiwala reported late for the match. But, once he got on the table there was no stopping the cueist from Andhra Pradesh as he hardly gave local cueist Arsiwal many visits to the table and the latter scored just six points in the two frames he played. After easily pocketing the second frame 62-6, Pandurangaiah was in full flow in the third. He potted steadily and with good accuracy and also played some brilliant shots and went on to polish the balls off the table to record the three-figure effort and complete the win. On the side table, Ishpreet Singh Chadha of suburban Khar Gymkhana recovered after losing a close opening
Grand Slam hasn't changed my life, says Wozniacki
Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki insisted today that despite last month's breakthrough Grand Slam triumph her life has not changed in the slightest. The world number one was speaking ahead of the Qatar Open, which begins on Monday and where she could face the player she defeated in the Melbourne final, Simona Halep. "Life hasn't changed at all," she said. "Life is the same. Still the same when I go back on the practice courts, I still have things that I need to work on and I still get stuff from my dad saying move your feet, do this. "So, nothing has changed in that regard." Wozniacki is among nine of the 10 best female players in the world who have congregated in Doha this week. The Dane is seeded number one and if all goes according to plan, she will meet number two seed Halep in next Sunday's final. The only top ten player missing in the Gulf is Venus Williams, currently ranked number eight in the world. However, former world number one Maria Sharapova has been
Maharashtra foil Rajasthan challenge to reach Fed Cup semis
National champions Maharashtra men staved off a strong challenge from Rajasthan to register a 52-49 win in their second Group A encounter and book their semi-final berth in the Federation Cup Kabaddi tournament here. In a topsy-turvy encounter that saw the lead change hands more than three times, the hosts rode on their skipper Rishank Devadigas raiding ability and substitute Girish Irnaks catching prowess to ultimately emerge victorious at the SRP ground in suburban Jogeshwari. Irnak, who did not start due to an injury, was fielded in the last five minutes with the team trailing 43-45 and responded by bagging four important points with his catching. Devadiga, on the other hand, won 13 points from 21 raids and was well supported by Nilesh Salunkhe (11 points). Rajashthans Sachin scored 13 points from 13 raids but got injured in the second half and that affected the teams momentum during the final exchanges. Maharashtra will now face Haryana to decide the winner from the
'Tottenham must beat Juventus in Champions League'
Despite being a young and inexperienced side in the Champions League, Tottenham must overcome Italian football giants Juventus on Tuesday to proceed further, said the English club striker Fernando Llorente.
RSPB women win senior hockey nationals
Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) today lifted the 8th Senior National Women's Hockey Championship title, thrashing Madhya Pradesh 4-0 in the final to finish the tournament without losing a game. Playing in front of a boisterous crowd at the Astro Turf Hockey Stadium, RSPB brought their A game into play. They put up a structured defence to prevent Madhya Pradesh attackers from making successful circle entries while the team's attack, led by forward Vandana Katariya, frequently threatened the rival defence. RSPB's first goal was scored in the third quarter through Vandana's field goal in the 36th minute. The two teams were goal-less in the first two quarters. Vandana scored yet another splendid goal in the 41st minute to take their lead to 2-0. Later, Priyanka Wankhede, who is second in the goal- scoring chart behind teammate Anupa Barla, scored a scintillating field goal to not only put the RSPB 3-0 ahead in the 43rd minute but also took her tally to 12 in the ...