Page 2102 - Sports
Four Nations hockey: India lose to Belgium in summit clash
Indian hockey team lost 1-2 to Belgium in the summit clash of the first leg of the two-leg Four Nations Invitational Tournament at the Blake Park here on Sunday.Sebastian Dockier and Tom Boon were the two scorers for the sounded a formidable Belgian side while Mandeep Singh was the lone goal scorer for India.India had earlier lost 0-2 to Belgium in the round-robin stage of the tournament.The second leg of the tournament, featuring India, Belgium, New Zealand and Japan will be held in Hamilton from Wednesday.
Elite women runners slam marathon organisers
The elite women runners of the Tata Mumbai Marathon today slammed the event organisers, saying there were too many casual runners on the course and that the Metro construction work was also a hindrance. "It was a quite difficult race as there were a lot of people (casual participants in other non-competitive events) on the road. It was difficult to concentrate," said women's race winner Amane Gobena of Ethiopia at the post-event media conference. Gobena finished first in 2:25:49 and was well ahead of defending champion Bornes Kitur of Kenya who clocked 2:28:48 to finish second. She said she missed receiving water thrice the 5, 15 and 30 km marks. "It was difficult to get water also and there were too many corners (due to construction work for Mumbai Metro-3 line)," she said, about the chaotic manner in which the race was held. Gobena said she knew that despite the hazards she will win the race just past the halfway mark after taking a clear lead. "I had prepared very ...
India lose 1-2 to Belgium in final encounter
India went down fighting to Belgium 1-2 in a thrilling final match of the first leg of the Four Nations Invitational tournament at the Blake Park here today. Tom Boon (4th minute) and Sebastien Dockier (36th) found the target for Belgium while Mandeep Singh (19th) was India's lone goal scorer. Belgium were quick to get off the block as they won a penalty corner within three minutes of the game but Loick Luypaert's drag flick was superbly rendered ineffective by India's first runner Chinglensana Kangujam. Almost immediately, India had a great opportunity to score as a dribbling Dilpreet Singh made a beautiful turn at the top of the circle to dodge a Belgian defender. He then sliced the ball across to Lalit Upadhyay who had positioned himself in front of the post but sadly he could not get a nudge on the ball. Belgium, meanwhile, mounted pressure on India with a goal through Boon in the fourth minute. With three seconds to go for the first hooter, India won a penalty ...
'Ex-athletes, not politicians, should govern Indian sports'
Former sportspersons and professionals rather than politicians and bureaucrats should drive Indian sports federations if the country's standards are to improve, says Geoff Schoenberg, a Research Fellow at Australia's Deakin University, whose post-doctoral work is specifically focused on sports governance in India.
Deksisa, Gobena make it a double delight for Ethiopia
Solomon Deksisa and Amane Gobena made it a double delight for Ethiopia in the USD 405,000 Tata Mumbai Marathon here today by clinching the respective men's and women's races. Twenty-two-year-old Deksisa broke away from the rest of the field at the 35-km mark and kept his nose ahead for the reminder of the 42.195-km men's event to lead a 1-2 finish for Ethiopia ahead of 29-year-old compatriot Shumet Akalnaw. Deksisa clocked 2 hours, 9 minutes, 34 secs, off the course record of 2:08:35, while his compatriot Shumet crossed the finish line in 2:10:00 after being in hot pursuit of the lead runner over the last seven kms without being able to catch up. Kenyan Joshua Kipkorir, second last year, ended up third this year in 2:10:30. Gobena made the women's race her own to win by a comfortable margin and won in 2:25:49 ahead of defending champion Bornes Kitur of Kenya who clocked 2:28:48 with male pacer Bernard Soi of South Africa helping her maintain her speed. In third place ...
Soloman Deksisa from Ethiopia wins Mumbai Marathon
The richest race in India with a prize money worth 405,000 dollars came to a conclusion on Sunday with Ethiopia's Soloman Deksisa winning it.Another Ethiopian, Shumit Akalnaw became the first runner-up, while Joshua Kipkorir from Kenya came second.Meanwhile, Indian Olympic athletes T Gopi and Nitender Singh Rawat also took part in the Tata Mumbai Marathon.While T Gopi won in the Indian Elite category, Nitender Singh Rawat came second.Sudha Singh of Central Railways won the Mumbai Marathon in the Indian Elite Women category.
Federer not keen on his kids following in footsteps
Roger Federer says he's a big believer in kids playing sport, but he's not keen on his own children following in his footsteps. The Swiss great and wife Mirka had identical twins Myla Rose and Charlene Riva in 2009 and another set came along five years later, Leo and Lenny. They are occasionally seen watching their dad ply his trade, but after years travelling the world on the tennis tour, the 36-year-old would prefer not to have to do it all over again. "I mean, I hope they don't just because we don't need another 25 years on tour," he said at the Australian Open when asked if he would encourage them to be professional players. But he added: "No, I'm just a supportive parent. I can't tell which direction they're going to go. "If there's going to be anything in sports or somewhere in finance or business, I have no idea where they're going to go. All I know is I'll be incredibly supportive of them." He did reveal they already play tennis, not because he has been ...
Back's fine as Federer serves up warning to rivals
Roger Federer says he is regaining the rhythm and consistency of his silky serve following his recovery from a back injury as he steps up the defence of his Australian Open title. The Swiss maestro moved into the last 16 with a commanding straight sets win over Frenchman Richard Gasquet on Saturday with his serving game a feature. Federer was struck down with back trouble last year when he lost to Alexander Zverev in the final of the Montreal Masters and subsequently withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters. But on the evidence of his form in the year's opening Grand Slam in Melbourne, he looks back to his serving best The 36-year-old said the renewed freedom in his back was contributing to the improvement in his serving. "Just the back being fine again," Federer said after beating Gasquet. "The problem is, when you have back issues, when you're scared or you don't have the confidence in your body. "It robs you by of say 20 or 30 percent of your capabilities maybe on that ...
Ruthless Wozniacki joins Suarez Navarro in quarters
Ruthless Caroline Wozniacki kicked into full gear today to storm into the Australian Open quarter-finals where she will pit her wits against experienced Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro. On an overcast and muggy day at Melbourne Park, the world number two turned on the style to take another step towards a maiden Grand Slam title. The assured Dane, a semi-finalist in 2011 who has never quite lived up to the hype in the majors, annihilated 19th- seeded Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3, 6-0 on Rod Laver Arena in her most impressive performance to date. "She really mixes up the pace, I just tried to calm down, get my returns in and wait for the opportunities to attack," she said after crushing the Slovak, who made the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year. "I think you can tell my confidence is pretty good at the moment." Her easy passage sets up a last eight clash with the gritty Suarez Navarro, who battled back from a set and 4-1 down to shatter the hopes of 32dn seed Anett ...
Djokovic meditates to 'lose fear and stress'
Novak Djokovic says meditating has helped him overcome fear and stress that comes with playing elite tennis. The 12-time Grand Slam champion, 30, says he often turned to the practice during his long spell out of the game last year with elbow trouble. The Serb former world No.1 is playing in his first tournament since Wimbledon in July and he has a brand new support team, headed by eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi as coach. Djokovic said after reaching the fourth round of the year's opening Grand Slam on Saturday that he now meditates on a daily basis. "Yes, I do. I'll tell you what. I don't want to tell you what I gain with it, but I'll tell what I lose with it," he said. "I lose fear. I lose anxiety. I lose stress. I guess, in the end of the day, that's what you're looking for." Djokovic has become involved in meticulous off-the-court preparation in recent years. He has a strict, gluten-free diet and is an advocate for well-being. The new year has given him ..
Leander Paes, Purav Raja crash out of Aus Open
Veteran Indian doubles legend Leander Paes and Purav Raja have crashed out of the Australian Open after losing to Juan Cabal and Robert Farah in Men's Double third round.The Indian pair lost to the 11th seeded Colombian duo 1-6, 2-6, in an hour-and-nine-minute-long match.Rohan Bopanna, along with Hungarian tennis player Timea Babos, will play the Australian duo of Ellen Perez and Andrew Whittington in the first round of Mixed Doubles later today.
Aus win toss, elect to field first in series decider
Australia have won the toss, and asked England to bat first in the third and series decider One Day International (ODI) against England, here at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).The English team, having won the first two matches and leading the series 2-0, announced an unchanged Playing XI.Australia, on the other hand, have made a handful of changes.Their first-choice pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are back in the yellow jersey.Adam Zampa and Tim Paine also return.Meanwhile, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Andrew Tye and Jhye Richardson miss out.Joe Root will be playing his 100th ODI match.Australia Playing XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Cameron White, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa.
Pro Wrestling League: Haryana hammer Mumbai seal spot in semis
Asian championship silver medalist Sumit Malik overcame Satender Malik to guide Haryana Hammers to a tense 4-3 win over Mumbai Maharathi in the Pro Wrestling League here at the Siri Fort Indoor Stadium on Saturday.Tied 3-3, Satender played with flair and determination to stave off his compatriot and win the crucial bout 4-0 to help his side seal a spot in the semifinals.Down 2-3 and looking at an imminent defeat, Mumbai's icon player Sakshi Malik kept them alive, thwarting a stiff challenge from Sarita Mor to make it 3-3 in the tie.Sakshi started off well but Sarita was equal to the task, keeping pace with her. The Rio Olympics bronze medalist, however, showed her skill to eke to out a narrow 5-4 win.In the fifth bout of the day, World Championship runner-up Khetik Tsabolov underlined his superiority with a comprehensive 16-0 victory over India's Praveen Dahiya in the 74-kg competition. Khetik looked to be at his dominating best and ran past his opponent within just two minutes to put
President Kovind, PM Modi wish team on Blind Cricket World Cup win
President Ram Nath Kovind congratulated the Indian team for winning the 5th ODI Blind Cricket World Cup at Sharjah on Saturday.President Kovind tweeted, "Congratulations to India team for winning the 'Blind Cricket World Cup'! The team showed exceptional skills, grit & determination. The nation is proud of their achievement."Congratulations to India team for winning the 'Blind Cricket World Cup'! The team showed exceptional skills, grit & determination. The nation is proud of their achievement #PresidentKovind— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 20, 2018Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu also wished the Indian team who defeated Pakistan in the World Cup finals."Congratulations to our cricket team for winning the 2018 Blind Cricket World Cup! They make the nation proud and inspire every Indian with their game as well as phenomenal attitude. True champions!" Prime Minister Modi wrote on Twitter.Congratulations to our cricket team for ...
ISL: Pune secure second victory over ATK
FC Pune City continued their march towards securing a place in the Indian Super League (ISL) play-offs with a "double" over ATK as they scripted a comfortable 3-0 victory at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium here on Saturday.
Arsenal offer 50m euros for Aubameyang - report
Arsenal have reportedly had a first offer of 50 million euros ($61.1 million) for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rejected by his German club Borussia Dortmund, according to Kicker magazine today. Aubameyang, last season's top scorer in the German league with 31 goals, has been dropped by Dortmund for the last two games amid speculation he is chasing a move to the Premier League club. Arsenal are reportedly on the verge of selling Chile striker Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United. Dortmund will not accept less than 60 million euros for Gabon hot-shot Aubameyang, who is under contract with Borussia until 2021, reports say. Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke confirmed to SID, an AFP subsidiary, that there has now been contact with Arsenal, but said reports of a possible fee are "speculation" and "the first contact has not been about money". Aubameyang was dropped for Dortmund's draws with Wolfsburg last Sunday and at Hertha Berlin on Friday after failing to attend a team meeting, .
Axelsen to face Nishimoto in Malaysia Masters final
World number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark destroyed Malaysia's Daren Liew 21-15, 21- 11 today to secure a place in the final of the Malaysia Masters. Axelsen, 24, will play against Japan's Kenta Nishimoto, who beat Denmark's Hans-Kristian Vittinghus 21-14, 21-19. Despite facing a boisterous local crowd in the capital Kuala Lumpur, the cool Axelsen produced some sublime play to win the first game 21-15. Axelsen used a lethal combination of deep forehand smashes and killer net play to defeat the Malaysian. Liew who had beaten fourth seeded South Korean Son Wan-Ho in the first round, struggled to keep up with the moves deployed by the world number one, who subsequently sealed an easy victory in the second game 21-11. A modest Axelsen later told reporters he was under "pressure" to book his first final of the season. "I felt a little bit under pressure because of the drift. Daren had been playing really well from the start, and if I hadn't been at my best, it could have been
Pune FC blank ATK 3-0 in ISL
Hosts Pune City dished out a dominating performance to outclass defending champions ATK 3-0 in an Indian Super League match at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex here today. Adil Khan (32nd), Diego Carlos (59th) and Rohit Kumar (77th) scored the goals to help Pune City bounce back from their lose against Chennaiyin FC in the last match. After today's win, Pune kept their hopes alive of reaching the knockout stage as they are firmly placed at the third spot with 19 points, one behind second-placed Chennaiyin FC and two adrift of Bengaluru FC. It was Adil Khan, who drew the first blood for Pune when he jumped over all his markers and found the back of the net with a solid header after Marcelinho took a curling corner kick. At the stroke of an hour, Diego Carlos doubled the lead when he ran down with a brilliant solo effort and dribbled past one defender and found the back of the goal post with a brilliant shot from the edge of the box. Rohit Kumar put the final nail on .
CAB hails India's visually challenged cricketers
The Cricket Association of Bengal congratulated the Indian blind team for successfully defending the Cricket World Cup for Blind beating Pakistan by two wickets at Sharjah today. Put in, Pakistan scored 308/8 in 40 overs as India chased down the total in 38.2 overs. "Winning any global tournament back to back is never easy. This very fact needs to be looked upon in a very positive mind frame," CAB joint secretary Avishek Dalmiya said. "We hope that the BCCI would consider initiating steps to promote or encourage such talented cricketers in whatever way that may be practically possible for it," he said. Dalmiya said stage programmes like eradication of blindness that had been started by Asian Cricket Foundation at the Eden Gardens a decade back should be revived. The National Cricket Club, which has been officially sponsoring kits for the visually-challenged cricketers from Bengal who had been selected for the India/trials, also sent in a note of congratulation. "NCC will
Uttarakhand, TN men post wins in National Basketball
Defending champion Uttarakhand beat Kerala 85-45 in a men's Group A clash in the 68th Senior National Basketball Championship at Nehru Indoor Stadium here today. Uttarakhand started strongly and took the first quarter 22-8 before Kerala fought back in the second. The reigning champions then upped the ante and stormed ahead with some impressive play. The win was never in doubt as Uttarkhand never loosened the grip and wrapped up the match with a huge margin. In Group 'B', Tamil Nadu men continued their winning run, beating a strong Indian Railways 95-85. A Aravind was the main scorer for the home side, with 23 points as they maintained a lead from the start. In other matches, Punjab secured a comfortable 101-57 victory over Haryana while Karnataka breezed past Odisha 78-40 in Group A. While Tawinder Singh was the top scorer from Punjab with 18 points, Ankit had 15 points for the losing team. However, the Railways women had things their way as they steamrolled Telangana ...