Page 2000 - Sports
Aparajith to lead TN in AP match in place of injured Shankar
B Aparajith will captain the Tamil Nadu team in the Vijay Hazare Trophy Group 'C' league match against Andhra Pradesh at the TI Murugappa ground here tomorrow. Aparajith will lead the side in place of an injured captain Vijay Shankar, according to a media release from Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. Shankar will be replaced by off-spinner Malolan Rangarajan in the squad. Tamil Nadu, the defending champion, is virtually out of the tournament, after having suffered three straight defeats after opening with a win over Gujarat.
Ex-Kiwi skipper Bevan Congdon passes away
Former New Zealand skipper Bevan Congdon passed away on Saturday, one day short of his 80th birthday after a long bout of illness.
Delhi bring midfielder Arana on loan from FC Goa
Delhi Dynamos on Saturday completed Spanish midfielder Manuel Arana from FC Goa on a loan deal till the end of the Indian Super League (ISL) football season.
J'burg ODI: India win toss, opt to bat first
India won the toss and elected to bat first against South Africa in the fourth One Day International (ODI) of the six-match series at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Saturday.India's right-handed batsman Shreyas Iyer will come in for all-rounder Kedar Jadhav, who did his hamstring in the last game in Cape Town.For South Africa, AB de Villiers is back into the team for Khaya Zondo while pacer Morne Morkel will replace Imran Tahir.The Virat Kohli-led side is leading the series 3-0 and will aim to write a history here by winning the game and eventually the six-match series, as India have never won a series in South Africa.On the other hand, the hosts will aim to keep the series alive to finish it on a draw. The luck also favours the Proteas here as the history of the last five years says South Africa don't lose on the Pink Day."We weren't sure what to do, we were leaning towards bowling first. Lots of could've, would've and should've in this game. The pink has brought us some luck," ...
PWL earns unprecedented TV ratings
The third edition of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) has proved to be an unprecedented hit on television, reaching over 85 crore viewers across India and has become one of the most successful non-cricketing leagues.
Dynamos sign Manuel Arana, part ways with Guyon Fernandez
Indian Super League outfit Delhi Dynamos have ropefd in Spanish midfielder Manuel Arana from FC Goa on a loan deal till the end of the season. Arana, who primarily operates from the right-wing position, will add more steel to the Dynamos side when going forward. The 33-year old Arana made 10 appearances for FC Goa in the ISL this season, scoring thrice and assisting on two occasions. The winger was also on target when Goa beat the Lions 5-1 earlier in the season. A product of the Real Betis youth system, Arana made his professional debut with Spanish side CD Castellon. He then went onto represent the likes of Rayo Vallecano, Mallorca, Racing and Recreativo - racking up more than 200 appearances and 40 goals to his name. The winger has also plied his trade in the A-League and the Asian Champions League with Australian side Brisbane Roar. The club, meanwhile, has parted ways with forward Guyon Fernandez. The 31-year old Dutch attacker made 10 appearances for the club and ..
Ankita, Karman ensure India stay in Group I
Ankita Raina prevailed over her rival in a long-drawn dog-fight after Karman Kaur Thandi's impressive win as India retained their place in the Asia/Oceania Group I in the Fed Cup after beating Chinese Taipei 2-0 in the relegation Play-off here today. Rising to the occasion, Karman produced a 7-6(4) 6-3 win over a crafty Lee Pei-Chi to hand India a 1-0 lead in the do- or-die tie. Ankita, who had played some incredible matches against higher-ranked rivals, then ran into a wily left-hander Chieh- Yu Hsu, who is ranked at a humble 377 but forced Ankita to play out of her skin. Eventually, after an energy-sapping two hour and 54 minutes, Ankita emerged a 6-4 5-7 6-1 winner to ensure that India remain in the Group I. Japan qualified for the World Group Play-off after beating Kazakhstan 2-1. Both Japan and Kazakhstan had remained unbeaten in their Pools. Ankita, playing the tennis of her life, remained unbeaten in her singles matches in the competition, winning all her four ...
I-League: Draw with Aizawl jolts Neroca's title hopes
Debutants Neroca FC squandered an opportunity to provisionally go top of the table as they were held to an entertaining 0-0 draw by defending champions Aizawl FC in an I-League encounter at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium here on Saturday.
First gold goes to Sweden, Koreas in spotlight
Sweden's Charlotte Kalla claimed the first gold of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics but the spotlight today was expected to fall on the unified Korean hockey team. Kalla won the women's skiathlon cross country race ahead of Norway's Marit Bjoergen, preventing her from collecting an unprecedented third straight gold medal in the event. But Bjoergen still became the most decorated woman in Winter Olympics history as she claimed her 11th medal. Third came Finland's Krista Parmakoski. The gold medal was one of five on offer on the first day of full competition, in which the unified Korean women's ice hockey team which make their debut against Switzerland. The Korean squad have been written off as contenders in the Olympic women's tournament. But they symbolise the sense of rapprochement between the two Koreas, highlighted at Friday's Olympic opening ceremony when athletes from both sides of the heavily fortified border marched together into the stadium for the opening ...
India opt to bat in Pink ODI vs S. Africa
India skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat in the fourth one-dayer -- the Pink ODI dedicated for raising awareness about breast cancer, against South Africa at the New Wanderers Stadium here on Saturday.
Korean alphabet trips up Olympic viewers
The apparently random sequence in which countries marched out at the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics had many observers scratching their heads, but it was indeed in alphabetical order -- in Korean. Greece emerged first into the arena on a sub-zero Friday night, in line with tradition because that is where the Games originated from. But next to march, to much bewilderment among non- Koreans, was the skeleton athlete Akwasi Frimpong, the flag bearer for Ghana. Compounding the confusion for many, Ghana were followed by Nigeria, South Africa and then the Netherlands. Organisers in South Korea clarified that none of this had been a mistake and said the order was based on the Korean alphabet, Hangul, which was developed in the 15th century to replace Chinese characters. Countries at the Olympics always enter the Games in alphabetical order according to the language of the host nation. Last to march out at the curtainraiser were North and South Korea -- ...
Ex-cricketer Bevan Congdon passes away
Former New Zealand cricketer Bevan Congdon passed away in Auckland on Saturday after a long bout of illness.He died a day before his 80th birthday.Condoling his demise, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive David White said that the former player was at the centre of the national team at a time it started gaining attention in the international cricket."Bevan was at the centre of the New Zealand team at a time it started gaining attention on the international cricket scene for the all the right reasons - in no small part due to his leadership and ability," ESPNcricinfo quoted White, as saying."He's left a real legacy in terms of putting New Zealand cricket on the map, and I know the wider cricketer family - not just in New Zealand but worldwide, will be mourning his loss," he added.Congdon, who made his debut for New Zealand in 1965, appeared in a total of 61 Tests taking 59 wickets over a 13-year test career.He had also captained New Zealand in 17 Tests, winning one of those ...
Atletico Mineiro sack coach after row with reporter
Brazilian football club Atletico Mineiro sacked head coach Oswaldo Oliveira after a heated exchange with a reporter in which he needed to be restrained by a club official.
Defensive worries as Barcelona prepare to meet Getafe
FC Barcelona chief coach Ernesto Valverde has to overcome a defensive problem if he is to end a good week for the Catalan football giants on a positive note as they host Getafe in the La Liga on Sunday.
Spinners earn Sri Lanka 1-0 Test series win over Bangladesh
Sri Lankan spinners masterminded a fantastic 215-run win over Bangladesh on the third day of the second and final cricket Test to seal a 1-0 away series win at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium here on Saturday.
India beat Indonesia in 5x5 basketball
India defeated Indonesia 66-55 to record their first victory at the 18th men's Asian Games Invitational Tournament 5x5 Basketball Test Event Road to Asian Games 2018 being held in Jakarta, here today. Indonesia gave a tough fight to the Indian team until the third quarter where India only had a one-point lead. But India took away the game in the final quarter of the game outscoring Indonesia 20-10. India's veteran point guard Joginder Singh led the team with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists which included five 3 pointers. Aravind Annadurai (16 points) and Satnam Singh (11 points) continued their scoring consistency. Avan Seputra was the highest scorer for Indonesia with 13 points. India's third game is against Timor Leste.
Dananjaya, Herath spin Lanka to Test series win over B'desh
Spinners Akila Dananjaya and Rangana Herath have torn through Bangladesh's batting line-up to help their side register a crushing 215-run win over Sri Lanka in the second Test and clinch the two-match series 1-0 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.Chasing a target of 339 runs to win, Dananjaya turned out to be the wrecker-in-chief for a second day in succession as he finished with the best match figures by a Sri Lankan on debut with eight for 44.Dhananjay finished with the figures of five for 24 in the second innings, a masterful exhibition of control more than anything else.Dananjaya was well supported by Rangana Herath as the latter bagged four scalps in Bangladesh's second innings to reach 415 Test wickets and become the most successful left-arm bowler in the format.With his four-wicket haul, Herath (415) also surpassed Wasim Akram (414) for most Test wickets by a left-arm bowler.Meanwhile, Dilruwan Perera also chipped in with a wicket as Bangladesh were .
Ponting, Rolton, O'Neill are latest Australian Hall of Famers
Former Australia captains Ricky Ponting and Karen Rolton, and Norm ONeill, the ex-Test batsman, have been named as the latest inductees into the Australian Cricket Hall of fame.
Alibaba's Ma hopes Beijing 2022 can be smarter, cheaper
Billionaire Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma foresees an Olympics that is better for fans and athletes and is more economical -- and hopes Beijing 2022 will be the pinnacle of that vision. Ma's e-commerce giant in January launched a multimillion-dollar partnership until 2028 with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) designed to propel the Olympics headlong into the digital era. The deal was particularly significant with the 2022 Winter Olympics taking place on Alibaba's home turf of China, and with firms from the country becoming increasingly prominent in sponsoring major global sports tournaments. Alibaba became the cloud-services and e-commerce partner for the Olympics, starting with the current Pyeongchang Winter Games in South Korea, effectively charged with helping the IOC modernise, run smoother and reach its ideal of saving money. Speaking on the sidelines of the Olympics on Saturday, a day after the official opening, the charismatic Ma said that Alibaba would be ..
S Korea's Moon and North's ceremonial head of state to attend
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the North's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam will together attend the unified Korean women's ice hockey team's first match at the Winter Olympics today, a report said. The two men will jointly support the team in the evening match in Gangneung against Switzerland, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing Seoul's presidential Blue House. It did not mention Kim Yo Jong, the young but influential sister of the North's leader Kim Jong Un, who is also part of Pyongyang's delegation and has been the focus of widespread attention. The report could not immediately be confirmed, but pictures showed both Kim Yong Nam and Kim Yo Jong at Seoul railway station taking a high-speed train to Gangneung -- along with the South's unification minister, who is in charge of relations with the North. "We are not giving any information on the itinerary of President Moon in advance," a spokesman told AFP. The unified women's ice hockey team is the first .