Page 2010 - Sports
Ton-up Fazal guides Vidarbha to third win in row
Faiz Fazal returned to form with a stellar century as Ranji champions Vidarbha routed Hyderabad by 237 runs for a hat-trick of wins in the Vijay Hazare Trophy domestic one-day cricket competition here today. The left-handed opener overcame a string of poor scores with a 97-ball 103 (9x4, 3x6) before the duo of Ravi Jangid (81 from 62 balls; 6x4, 3x6) and Apoorv Wankhade (66 from 43 balls; 3x4, 5x6) took charge of the proceedings to propel Vidarbha to a huge 350/6 after they opted to bat. In reply, Hyderabad folded for 113 in 34.2 overs with Karn Sharma returning figures of 3/38 while Shrikant Wagh claimed 2/20, as the home side suffered its first defeat from three matches. With three wins in a row, Vidarbha led Group D table with 12 points, while the home side remained second with eight points. In other matches, Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir secured their first wins respectively, to remain in contention. Parvez Rasool led from the front with an unbeaten 67 (80 balls;
Khelo India: Odisha win boys' hockey title
Odisha defeated Punjab 2-1 in the boys' hockey final at the Khelo India School Games here on Thursday.
India's philosophy, yoga, religion fascinates Shvedova
The philosophy of life and death presented in great detail in the epic Gita, India's "beautiful" places, its welcoming people and yoga are what fascinated Kazakhstan's top tennis player Yaroslava Shvedova. Shvedova's connection with India is quite old as her maiden WTA singles title had come in Bengaluru in 2007 when she beat Mara Santangelo. She is again back to the country, this time to guide Kazakhstan's Fed Cup team. She, though, is out of action due to an ankle injury. She is yet to understand fully the teachings of Gita, but Shvedova is convinced that Indian philosophy about life is unique and has much more to offer than any other religious text. Shvedova shared that it was during a seminar at Astana that she got interested in Indian philosophy. "A couple of years ago I started doing yoga and this year at home in Astana, there was a seminar, it was about life. There was a guy, he was going deep in religion. I got interested and bought some books," Shvedova, winner .
Gursimar shares lead with Neha in 3rd leg of Hero WPGT
Gursimar Badwal endured a topsy-turvy round but finished the second day with a share of the lead with overnight topper Neha Tripathi in the third leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour today. Gursimar and Neha were tied at the top at four-over 146 at the Par-71 Poona Club Golf Course. Gursimar's adventurous round had seven birdies, six bogeys and one triple bogey and had only four pars. She played in the lead group alongside Neha and Saaniya Sharma and all three golfers in the lead group had a rough start. Neha's four bogeys and one double against two birdies saw her turn in four-over 39. On the back-nine she had just one bogey but no birdies for a final card of 76 that saw her drop to shared lead. Saaniya opened with a double, ended with a triple and in between had four other bogeys and just three birdies. She carded 6-over 77 and was lying sole third at 149. Afshan Fatima (72) had the best card of the day and was tied fifth with Tvesa Malik (76) at 150. Ayesha Kapur (78)
Indian flag raised at Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Village
A day before the beginning of the Winter Olympics, the Indian flag was raised at the Games Village at a formal team welcome ceremony here. Luger Shiva Keshavan, Indian contingent's chef-de-mission Harjinder Singh and the mayor of the Games Village were present during the brief ceremony. "The Indian contingent was formally welcomed at the Games Village today by the mayor of the Games Village. The tri- colour was raised during the welcome ceremony. We are proud to represent the country," Harjinder told PTI. "We have been looked after well by the organisers and we have no problems as such here except that it is very cold, below minus 20 degree celsius," he added. Cross country skier Jagdish Singh is, however, yet to arrive at this resort town of South Korea and is expected to join the team tomorrow. Jagdish was to arrive here on February 4 along with Krshavan but his departure from India was delayed due to confusion over who will accompany him as coach. Harjinder said that ..
Karachi Kings owner claims visit of 98 pc foreign players to Pak
Upto 98 percent of foreign cricketers have agreed to come to Pakistan for the playoffs and finals of the 2018 Pakistan Super League (PSL), Karachi Kings owner Salman Iqbal on Wednesday claimed.The third edition of PSL, which begins on Feb 22, will see two of its playoffs in Lahore, while the final is slated to be played at Karachi's National Stadium on March 25.Many past instances say that overseas players have refused to play in Pakistan due to the security scenario in the country, which includes March 2009 militants attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team bus in Lahore, which killed six Pakistani policemen while injured some of the visiting players.However, full-time international cricket returned to Pakistan with the World XI tour to the country for T20I series.Speaking at the launching ceremony of PSL team Karachi Kings' official kit, owner Iqbal shared that all the overseas cricketers in his team have agreed to play in the country if their team qualifies."Six of our seven players ..
Smriti Mandhana to promote Bata's Power range
Indian women's cricket team's swashbuckling opener Smriti Mandhana was on Thursday unveiled as the new face of European footwear brand Bata's Power range of sports outfits.
Pyeongchang Winter Olympics competition begins with curling
South Korea's Jang Hye-Ji launched 18 days of competition at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics today by sliding the first mixed doubles curling stone in Olympic history down the ice. While the official opening ceremonies are not until tomorrow night, the first mixed doubles curling event in the Olympic Games began a day early to open 18 days of competition that will conclude with the February 25 closing cermonies. Jang took the opportunity to make Olympic history in her opening round-robin match match alongside Lee Ki-Jeong against Finland's Oona Kauste and Tomi Rantamaeki before about 2,500 spectators at Gangneung Curling Centre. Other opening round-robin matches sent Canada against Norway, China against reigning world champion Switzerland and the Olympic Athletes from Russia against the United States. The Russians -- the 2016 world champion husband-and-wife team of Aleksandr Krushelnitckii and Anastasia Bryzgalova -- are competing under the Olympic flag after Russia was ..
Ankita shines again but doubles lets down India
Ankita Raina showed nerves of steel in an inspirational win over a seasoned Yulia Putintseva but her effort proved insufficient again as India lost the Fed Cup tie 1-2 to Kazakhstan after losing the decisive doubles here today. Ankita not only had to grind it out but also shrugged off poor umpiring to emerge a 6-3 1-6 6-4 winner in two hours and 25 minutes against a player, who was ranked as high as 27 last year and had beaten top-10 players. Before Ankita's win, Karman Kaur Thandi gave ample display of her talent but lacked consistency and lost the opening singles of the Asia/Oceania Group I tie to world number 55 Zarina Diyas. However, the doubles proved to be a weak link again as Anita and Prarthana Thombare were demolished 0-6 4-6 by Diyas and Putintseva. Prarthana has been focusing on doubles for some time now but she failed to anchor India in the decisive match for the second day in a row. Today's defeat means that India are out of the World Group Play-offs race. .
Smriti Mandhana to be Bata's new brand ambassador
Indian women's cricket team opener Smriti Mandhana was today named as the new brand ambassador of Bata's sport wear brand 'Power'. The 21-year-old, who is a role model for next generation Indians, is among the most sought-after female sports personalities in the country, with a huge fan base. The turning point of Mandhana's career was her memorable knock at the ICC Women's World Cup last year which helped her win accolades. "When I was approached for Power, the first thing that clicked was their vision to enable more and more young Indians onto a path of fitness. It is a great privilege to be the brand ambassador for Power as it truly reflects my personal style and values," Mandhana said. "Any brand that fuels an active lifestyle in today's world and helps people to overcome their inertia to start on a personal path to fitness, is a brand that I would love to partner with," she added. Starting this month, Mandhana will be seen promoting Power's latest range. Country ...
Jio bags digital rights tobroadcast Winter Olympics in India
Reliance Jio's live television app Jio TV today said it has baggeddigital rights tobroadcast the Winter Olympic Games PyeongChang 2018 across India. "JioTV will work with IOC (International Olympic Committee) to provide comprehensive coverage of the Games in India, thus enabling millions to access live and catch-up content on their mobile devices, on the move," a Jio statement said. The Olympic Winter Games -- scheduled to be held from February 9 to 25 in PyeongChang County, South Korea --will feature 102 events across 15 sports, including Skiing, Skating, Luge, Ski Jumping, Ice Hockey, Snow Boarding, among others. The event is expected to witness participationfrom over 90 countries, including India. JioTV will create multipleexclusive channels on its platform to stream 24x7 live action and content of the games. It will also offer a seven-day catch up feature for consumers to watch repeat action at their convenience, the statementsaid. The events coverage will include ...
Federer can become oldest World No.1 in Rotterdam
20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer is on verge to become the oldest player to claim world number one spot in the men's tennis history after he accepted the late wildcard to play in next week's ATP event in Rotterdam.Federer, who has agreed to play in the Dutch hardcourt event for the first time since 2015, currently sits on the second spot in the world rankings.He is just 155 points behind old-rival Rafael Nadal, with 180 points up for grabs if he makes it to the semi-finals in the Netherlands.Nadal, on the other hand, is currently recovering from a thigh injury he sustained during the Australian Open and is not slated to make a return to the tennis court until the Mexican Open in late February.Talking about his participation in the tournament, Federer said, "The tournament is special for me. I remember playing for the first time in 1999 as it was one of the first events where I got the chance to play at the highest level."Meanwhile, tournament director Richard Krajicek said ...
Fed Cup: Ankita helps India draw level vs Kazakhstan
Ankita Raina battled past Yulia Putintseva in a hard fought singles encounter to help India draw level at 1-1 against Kazakhstan in their Pool A tie of the Federation Cup tennis tournament here on Thursday.
CAS rejects appeals of 13 Russians on eve of Olympics
A group of 13 Russians lost a last-ditch bid to beat their country's doping ban and take part in the Pyeongchang Olympics today, the day before the opening ceremony. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which is also dealing with 47 other Russian appeals, said it "lacked jurisdiction" to deal with the six athletes and seven doctors, coaches and support staff. CAS said separately that a decision over the 47 others attempting to gain late entry into the Olympics would be announced on Friday at 11:00 am. That will be just nine hours before the opening ceremony. In December, the IOC suspended Russia over a state- sponsored doping conspiracy culminating in its hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. But the IOC left open a loophole when it said a large group of "clean" Russian athletes could take part under a neutral flag as "Olympic Athletes from Russia". The CAS drew criticism last week when it lifted life Olympic bans imposed on 28 Russians. But when 15 of them .
Bengaluru FC seek to strengthen top spot
Leaders Bengaluru FC will look to avenge their first leg defeat and strengthen their top position when they take on FC Goa in an Indian Super League match here tomorrow. Bengaluru are currently on a roll after winning their last four matches. In their last match, BFC outplayed Chennaiyin FC 3-1 in an away game and before that they defeated ATK 2-0 convincingly. The Albert Roca-coached side are occupying the top spot with 30 points from 14 matches and FC Goa are at fifth with 20 points from 12 matches. Bengaluru are the second highest goal scoring team with 28 goals and they kept four clean sheets from 14 matches. Goa topped the scoring charts by slotting 29 balls into the opposition net. The visitors would like to draw inspiration from their first leg encounter against Bengaluru when they defeated them 4-3 at Margao. They have one of the best attacks of this year's ISL. The veteran forward Ferran Corominas and midfielder Manuel Lanzarote have won the hearts of the ...
80 Russians to participate in opening ceremony of 2018 Olympics
Eighty members of the delegation of Olympic athletes from Russia will participate in the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Koreas PyeongChang, the delegations head Stanislav Pozdnyakov said.
Kuldeep, Chahal could be the X-factor in 2019 World Cup: Kohli
Virat Kohli has openly expressed his fondness for wrist spinners on numerous occasions, and after gaining an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the six-match ODI series against South Africa, the India skipper feels the duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav will prove to be "massive X-factor" in the 2019 ICC World Cup.
Passion, talent and right philosophy can help India: Lizarazu
Former French star Bixente Lizarazu, who was a part of the triumphant 1998 World Cup squad, says a combination of right philosophy, talent and passion can help India improve its football profile. India are currently ranked 102 in the FIFA rankings, following an unbeaten run of 13 matches, which saw them qualify for the 2019 Asian Cup in the UAE. "I can imagine football to be the best and most popular sport in India, with such immense talent and passion for the game. "Indians can improve the current scenario with ISL and I-League and also building the national team. That way, I am sure they will have a great national team soon and qualify for the World Cup," Lizarazu told PTI. During a career that spanned 12 years from 1992 to 2004, the former Bayern Munich star played in three European Championships and two World Cups for France, winning the 1998 mega event at home and Euro 2000. On the growth of the sport in India, the former French side left-back said, "Football is ...
Badminton Asia Team C'ships: Indian women lose to Japan
Rio Olympics silver-medallist P.V. Sindhu was the only one to manage a win over her opponent as the Indian women team lost 4-1 to Japan in the Badminton Asian Team Championships at the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium here on Thursday.In the first women's singles, the Indian heavyweight defeated world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi 21-19, 21-15 without much fuss.Sindhu had earlier tasted a defeat from Yamaguchi in the Dubai World Superseries Finals.In another singles, world No.13 Sayaka Sato pipped Sri Krishna Priya 21-12, 21-12 to level the team score to 1-1.Later, Ashwini Ponappa was defeated 14-21, 12-21 by world No.16 Aya OhoriIn the women's doubles, the Indian duo of Sanyogita Ghorpade and Prajakta Sawant lost 17-21, 17-21 to the team of Shiho Tanaka and Koharu Yonemoto as Japan took an unassailable lead of 3-1.The other women's doubles the pair of Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi defeated Ashwini and N Sikki Reddy 21-18, 21-18.Japan and India both qualified for the quarter-finals with the .
Ankita does it again, tames Putintseva to keep India alive
Big-hearted Ankita Raina showed nerves of steel as she yet again rose to the occasion for India by taming experienced Yulina Putintseva in a thrilling contest to level the Fed Cup tie against Kazakhstan 1-1, here today. Ankita not only fought off a grinder but also shrugged off some poor umpiring to emerge a 6-3 1-6 6-4 winner after battling hard for two hours and 25 minutes against a player, who was ranked as high as 27 last year and had beaten top-10 players. Before Ankita's inspiring win, Karman Kaur Thandi gave ample display of her talent but lacked consistency as she lost the opening singles of the Asia/Oceania Group I tie to world number 55 Zarina Diyas. Ankita, who had beaten Lin Zhu yesterday, responded to the call from her team with an inspirational performance against the world number 81 Kazakh. Putintseva, who beat players of the caliber of Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dominika Cibulkova en route the final of St Petersburg WTA event last year, found the going ...