Page 2097 - Sports
Messi, Suarez score twice as Barcelona extends league lead
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored twice as Barcelona won 5-0 at Real Betis with five second-half goals to increase its Spanish league lead. Ivan Rakitic also scored for the Catalan club, which moved 11 points ahead of Atletico Madrid at the start of La Liga's second half. After 20 rounds, Barcelona has a 14-point lead over third-placed Valencia, and is 19 points in front of rival Real Madrid, which has a game in hand. "There are 18 games left, that's a lot," Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said. "But with each win we will be taking a big step toward the title." After an even first half at Benito Villamarin Stadium, Barcelona gained control of the match when Rakitic opened the scoring after a breakaway early in the second half. Messi scored his first goal five minutes later and Suarez quickly added to the lead. Messi's second goal in the 80th was one to admire, with the Argentine entering the area and going past two defenders before calmly finding the net. Suarez ...
Smith rejects ball-tampering suggestions after ODI loss
Australian captain Steve Smith has shot down suggestions of ball-tampering after video of him using saliva from the corner of his mouth during Sunday's one-day loss to England raised eyebrows. Smith laughed off the reaction, after watching a replay of the video, saying it was his standard technique for helping shine the white ball with no assistance from any foreign substance. "It was all spit. People said something about lip balm. If you look at my lips they are pretty dry. I certainly didn't have any of that on," he told reporters yesterday. "It is just the way I get the spit into the side of my mouth and get some spit onto the ball. There was nothing in it." England last month blasted ball-tampering allegations against them as a "beat-up" after footage of England bowler James Anderson working the ball with his thumbnail drew suspicions during their Ashes test match in Melbourne. England coach Trevor Bayliss slammed the accusations after former Australian test players .
Warner to lead Australia in T20 tri-series, Smith rested
David Warner will lead Australia in next month's Twenty20 international tri-series against New Zealand and England as regular captain Steve Smith is given a break ahead of the crucial Test tour to South Africa. Opening batsman Warner, the Test vice-captain, steps up to lead Australia in the T20 games which come a few weeks before the four-Test series in South Africa. "The South African series is a very important one and we have made no secret of our desire to improve our record away from home," chief selector Trevor Hohns said today. "As such we wanted to ensure the players had the best possible preparation and that means playing the tour match prior to the first Test." On the decision for Warner to captain, Hohns added: "Steve Smith has had a very big summer and will benefit from a short break both physically and mentally, before he leaves for South Africa. "David is a very capable leader and has captained in Steve's absence before and done a fine job. "We wanted to ...
Holland, Richardson in Australia's tour squad to South Africa
Spinner Jon Holland and paceman Jhye Richardson are the surprise selections in a 15-man Australia squad named today for the tour to South Africa next month. Victorian left-arm spinner Holland, 30, played two Tests for Australia against Sri Lanka in mid-2016, but was passed over in the recent 4-0 Ashes Test series win over England. Richardson, 21, is one of five pace bowlers in the Australian touring party for the four-Test series and the No.2 ranked South Africans. Holland was the outstanding spinner in the Sheffield Shield last season and was named man of the match as Victoria claimed their third straight title. "Jon was the second leading wicket taker in the Sheffield Shield last season and has performed well in the games he has played for Victoria this season," chief selector Trevor Hohns said. "We envisage the wickets we will see in South Africa will not warrant the need to play two spinners. "But should Nathan Lyon not be able to play at any stage, we wanted to have
US Olympic men's hockey general manager dies unexpectedly
General manager of the U.S Olympic men's hockey team, Jim Johannson, passed away, just weeks before the start of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, USA Hockey announced.He died in his sleep Sunday morning."We are devastated to announce that USA Hockey's Jim Johannson passed away early this morning. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his entire family. JJ will be greatly missed, but always remembered for his immensely positive impact both on & off the ice," a post on USA Hockey's Twitter handle read.USA Hockey Executive Director Pat Kelleher said in a statement, the organisation is "beyond shocked and profoundly saddened" by the loss of 53-year-old Johannson, reports Fox News."As accomplished as Jim was in hockey, he was the absolute best, most humble, kind and caring person you could ever hope to meet," Kelleher said."His impact on our sport and more importantly the people and players in our sport have been immeasurable. Our condolences go out to his entire family, but especially ..
PWL: Veer Marathas beat Sultans, inch closer to semifinals
Vasilisa Marzaluik helped Veer Marathas inch closer to a semifinal berth, sealing her team's victory in the sixth bout of the night in the Pro Wrestling League, here at the Siri Fort Indoor Stadium on Sunday.The 2017 World Championship silver medalist, Vasilisa, breezed past Egypt's Samar Hamza of Delhi Sultans by pinning her down for a 6-0 win and an impregnable 4-2 lead in the tie.Commonwealth Championship silver medalist Parveen Rana set up the victory for the Marathas before her by easily taking down Vinod Omprakash in the 74-kg category.Rana got off to a flying start as he scored two points in the first round. He survived a late scare though, as Vinod, who replaced injury-hit Sushil Kumar, almost tied him down.However, he finished with a comprehensive 4-0 victory to give his side a 3-2 lead.In the fourth bout of the day, down 1-2 in the tie, Marathas' Marwa Amri (57-kg) romped past the 2017 Commonwealth Championship silver medalist, Sangeeta Phogat to level the tie. Marwa pinned .
France drops 2025 World Expo bid over cash worries
France has withdrawn its bid for Paris to host the 2025 World Expo citing financial risks as the country gears up to organise both the Olympics and Rugby World Cup. The decision was revealed by the Journal du Dimanche newspaper today after Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced it in a letter to organisers on Friday. Philippe said the French bid for the event, which sees nations from around the world showcase their achievements, was being called off due to "adjustments in public finances" as the country seeks to slash its deficit. France has not hosted a world expo since 1900, a year after a similar show saw Paris unveil its Eiffel Tower. President Emmanuel Macron had previously given his backing to the plan, saying it would give France a chance to "contribute to new global ambitions". Three other countries remain in the running: Russia, which would host the event in the city of Yekaterinburg; Japan, bidding for the city of Osaka, and Azerbaijan, which would hold it ..
ISL: FC Goa put Kerala Blasters to the sword
FC Goa put an end to Kerala Blasters FC's resurgence as they handed them their second successive defeat in the Hero Indian Super League.
Napoli pass Atalanta test, strengthen grip over Serie A top spot
Napoli on Sunday achieved a hard fought 1-0 victory against hosts Atalanta in the 21st round to strengthen their grip over the top spot in the Serie A football league.
FC Goa edge out Kerala Blasters 2-1 in ISL
FC Goa put an end to Kerala Blasters FC's resurgence as the visitors handed them a 2-1 defeat in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) here today. With David James replacing Rene Meulensteen, Kerala had secured seven points from his first three games in charge, as much as Meulensteen in his seven games. However, the loss against Jamshedpur FC in the last game was followed by another 1-2 defeat at the hands of FC Goa at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Ferran Corominas scored his 10th goal of the season in the seventh minute while another Spaniard, Edu Bedia, secured the winner in the 77th minute after CK Vineeth had drawn his team level in the 29th minute. The win gave FC Goa 19 points from 10 matches but they continue to be placed fourth on the table. The Goans however have a match in hand and can move to the top of the table if they can defeat Mumbai City FC in their next match at home coming Sunday. As expected FC Goa started with attacking intentions and made it clear in ...
Anand draws with Svidler in Tata Steel Masters chess
Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand played out a draw againt Peter Svidler of Russia in the eighth round of Tata Steel Masters underway here. Looking for his sixth record title here, Anand took his tally to 4.5 points out of a possible eight and now needs to score at least two wins in the remaining five rounds to be in with a chance to win the title. The runaway leader, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan met his nemesis in Anish Giri of Holland who played a fine game to cut the huge margin in points. After his super victory, Giri joined Mamedyarov in lead on 5.5 points. They were also joined by top rated Magnus Carlsen of Norway who put it across Gawain Jones of England. Vladimir Kramnik of Russia signed truce with Wesley So of United States and the two now share the fourth spot on five points apiece while Anand and Sergey Karjakin of Russia remained joint third on 4.5 points apiece. Grandmaster B Adhiban, the other Indian in the fray, played out a draw against ...
Hockey Haryana crowned champion in Women National C'ships
The final match of the 8th Hockey India Sub Junior (Women) National Championship 2018 (A Division) took place here, with hosts Hockey Haryana emerging as the Champions after defeating Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy 6-1 on Sunday.In the Bronze Medal match, it was Hockey Gangpur-Odisha who edged past Sports Authority of India (SAI) 4-2 in a thrilling match.The final match saw Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy and Hockey Haryana lock horns to be crowned as the champions of this tournament. After a nervy start from both the teams, it was Hockey Haryana who showed composure to score the first goal of the match in the 19th minute through Deepika.Five minutes later, Hockey Haryana extended their lead when skipper Neelam scored from a penalty corner in the 24th minute. Simranjeet Kaur (30') and Anu (34') also scored goals. The hosts took a 4-0 lead within the half-time break.Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy had been in fine form throughout the tournament but could not produce any attacking flair in ..
Nadal, Dimitrov, Wozniacki hold strong at Australian Open (Roundup)
Although it was far from easy, all the big names like Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov and Caroline Wozniacki made it through to the quarter-finals on Sunday, with the Day 7 action providing some great contests for the 63,000 fans in attendance at the Australian Open.
India drop hints at Rahane return in 3rd Test
India today hinted at a recall for Ajinkya Rahane in the third cricket Test against South Africa, days after his omission from the first two matches of the series raised eyebrows. One of the most successful Indian batsmen overseas in recent years, vice-captain Rahane was not picked for the Tests at Cape Town and Centurion, with the Indian team management instead preferring to go with limited overs specialist Rohit Sharma on "current form". Sharma's failure to live upto the expectations and the Indian batting's inability to stand upto the South African pace attack in the preceding matches attracted widespread criticism, leading to a fiery press conference in the aftermath of the series loss in Centurion. Even in the face of back-to-back humiliating defeats, the Indian team management, led by skipper Virat Kohli, remained defiant on team selection. However, if today's practice session at the Wanderers was any indication, there is a possibility of Rahane being drafted back
ISL: Jamshedpur beat Delhi with superb comeback
Jamshedpur FC staged a stunning comeback to edge out Delhi Dynamos FC 3-2 in an exciting Indian Super League (ISL) clash here on Sunday.
PWL: Marathas beat Delhi, inch closer to semis
Veer Marathas inched closer to a semi-final berth by overpowering Delhi Sultans 5-2 in a Pro Wrestling League (PWL) contest at the Siri Fort Indoor Stadium here on Sunday.
Syed Mushtaq Ali: Punjab, Mumbai, Delhi, Baroda triumph (Roundup)
Punjab edged past Karnataka via a super over in a Group A Super League tie of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 cricket tournament at the Jadavpur University campus ground here on Sunday.
Gill wins national rally title
Mahindra Adventures Gaurav Gill annexed his fifth Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) trophy, speeding away to a grand victory in the MRF K-1000 Rally here on Sunday.
Pant stars in Delhi win; Punjab down Karnakata in thriller
Rishabh Pant cracked a fourth successive fifty-plus score to lead Delhi's eight-wicket rout of Tamil Nadu while Baroda, Mumbai and Punjab also secured wins in their respective Super League matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, here today. Veterans Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh dug deep into their reservoir of experience as star-studded Punjab held their nerves to pip Karnataka via eliminator in a group A match at the Jadavpur University second campus ground. In the second group A match, Virat Singh's sterling 81 off 49 balls (3x6s, 6x4s) went in vain as Jharkhand faltered while chasing 171 to pave the way for Mumbai's 13-run win. In the group B fixtures at Eden Gardens, Pant made mockery of the 146-run chase as his 33-ball 58 (7x4s, 3x6s) saw Delhi cruise home with 5.4 overs to spare. Pant, who hit his sixth T20 half-century, later limped off the ground after sustaining an ankle injury but coach KP Bhaskar said it was minor in nature and he would be available ...
Veer Marathas beat Sultans, inch closer to semifinal
Vasilisa Marzaluik helped Veer Marathas inch closer to a semifinal berth by winning the sixth and final bout of the night to complete a 4-2 victory over Delhi Sultans in the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) here. The 2017 world championship silver medallist, Vasilisa, breezed past Egypt's Samar Hamza for a 6-0 win at the Siri Fort Indoor Stadium. Commonwealth Championship silver medallist Parveen Rana set up the victory for the Marathas before her, by easily taking down Vinod Omprakash in the 74-kg category. Rana got off to a flying start as he scored two points in the first round; he survived a late scare though, as Vinod, who replaced injury hit Sushil Kumar, almost tied him down, to finish with a comprehensive 4-0 victory to give his side a 3-2 lead. In the fourth bout of the day, down 1-2 in the tie, Marathas' Marwa Amri (57-kg) romped past the 2017 Commonwealth Championship silver medallist Sangeeta Phogat to level the tie. Marwa pinned Sangeeta down for a comfortable 4-0