Page 2114 - Sports
Federer says get on with it as Open defends heat policy
Australian Open organisers defended their heat policy today as Roger Federer downplayed the oven-like conditions on court, saying players should be fit enough to deal with it. The comments follow suffocating weather at Melbourne Park on Thursday, which some players struggled with, and more of the same on Friday where it was heading to a forecast peak of 42 Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit). Novak Djokovic on Thursday described the conditions as "brutal", complaining it was hard to breathe and they were "right on the limit". Organisers will only active the extreme heat policy and halt play or close roofs when the temperature exceeds 40 Celsius and the wet bulb globe temperature index hits 32.5 Celsius. Tournament director Craig Tiley said the Australian Open was one of the only events in the world to actually have a heat policy. "The policy is from consultation with the players, and remember in most places, be it the Middle East or others parts where it is very warm, they don't
Look at the positives, we took 20 wickets: Dhoni on Test show
The under-fire Indian Test team today got the backing of former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who said there are quite a few positives to pick despite the drubbing handed out by South Africa -- the prominent one being the bowlers' performance. Virat Kohli's world no.1 India are trailing 0-2 in the three-match series after heavy losses in Cape Town and Centurion. The third and final Test is scheduled to be held in Johannesburg from January 24. "I would say look at the positives. To win a Test match you need 20 wickets and we have taken 20 wickets. If you can't take 20 wickets, what is the next thing? You look to draw a Test match," Dhoni, who has retired from Tests but continues to be a part of India's limited-overs teams, said at a press conference here. "How you can draw a Test match is by giving less runs and by scoring runs," he told reporters here at a promotional event. Dhoni said the fact that Indian bowlers are taking 20 wickets in a match is a sign that the side
Quarterfinal-bound India hammer Zimbabwe to top Group B
Three-time champions India completed their Group B domination with a comprehensive 10-wicket win over an ill-equipped Zimbabwe in the ICC U-19 World Cup here today. India, who had already sealed a quarterfinal spot with back-to-back wins against Australia and Papua New Guinea in Group B, produced another professional performance to end the league stage unbeaten. Such was their run in the group stage that they recorded two 10-wicket victories besides a 100-run rout of three-time champions Australia. The England team of 2008 is the other side which has recorded successive 10-wicket wins in the tournament. India are likely to face Bangladesh in the quarterfinal. Zimbabwe batsmen seemed clueless against left-arm spinners Anukul Roy (4/20) and Abhishek Sharma (2/22) and folded up for 154 in 48.1 overs. They were 110 for three at one stage but lost their last seven wickets for 44 runs. The Rahul Dravid-coached Indian side chased down the small target with ridiculous ease as ...
S Korea PM apologises for gaffe on unified team
South Korea's prime minister apologised today for suggesting the country's women's ice hockey team had no chance of a medal at the Winter Olympics in an unsuccessful attempt to dampen criticism over a unified team with the North. Seoul and Pyongyang agreed this week to field a unified side for the women's ice hockey tournament at the Games, which begin in Pyeongchang next month. It came after Pyongyang agreed to attend what organisers and Seoul have sought to proclaim a "peace Olympics", significantly easing tensions over the nuclear-armed North's weapons programmes. But the proposal has sparked a backlash in the South, with critics saying that the move would disrupt the side and deprive some Southern squad members of their chance to play on the Olympic stage. South Korea qualified for the tournament as hosts, rather than on merit, and Prime Minister Lee Nak-Yon said Tuesday that the team was out of medal contention, with the South ranked 22nd in the world and the North
Top stars concerned over extreme heat at Australian Open
Friday's torturously hot conditions at the Australian Open here have raised serious questions about player safety and whether the event should be moved to a different time of year, outside the summer season.
FIFA rankings: India surges 3 places to occupy 102nd spot
The Indian men's football team have climbed three spots to be placed 102nd in the latest Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) rankings.India, which are ranked 14th among Asian countries, have earned 13 points over the past month for a total of 333 points.Coached by Englishman Stephen Constantine, the Sunil Chhetri-led side are currently standing just above 103rd-placed Qatar.It should be noted that the Indian men's football team had remained unbeaten in 2017, having clinched seven of their nine matches while settling with the draw in two matches.They had also confirmed their berth in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 after snatching a 4-1 victory against Macau in the qualifiers in October last year.Meanwhile, the top 14 places remained unchanged, with World Champions Germany standing at the top spot followed by Brazil, Portugal, Argentina and Belgium.
India hammer Zimbabwe to top Group B
Three-time champions India completed their Group B domination with a comprehensive 10-wicket win over an ill-equipped Zimbabwe in the ICC U-19 World Cup here today. India, who had already sealed a quarterfinal spot with back-to-back wins against Australia and Papua New Guinea in Group B, produced another professional performance to end the league stage unbeaten. Such was their run in the group stage that they recorded two 10-wicket victories besides a 100-run rout of three-time champions Australia. Zimbabwe batsmen seemed clueless against left-arm spinners Anukul Roy (4/20) and Abhishek Sharma (2/22) and folded up for 154 in 48.1 overs. They were 110 for three at one stage but lost their last seven wickets for 44 runs. The Rahul Dravid-coached Indian side chased down the small target with ridiculous ease as Harvik Desai (56 not out off 73) and Shubman Gill (90 not out off 59) took the team home in just 21.4 overs. Captain Prithvi Shaw did not open, letting the other ...
Australian Open: Nadal to take on Dzumhur in third round
World number one Rafael Nadal will aim to storm into the pre-quarterfinals of the Australian Open when he squares off with Bosnia and Herzegovina's Damir Dzumhur in the third round of the men's singles event here on Friday.Yesterday, Nadal continued his quest for the 17th Grand Slam title by clinching a hard-fought straight sets victory over Argentina's Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the tournament at the Melbourne Park.The Spanish tennis maestro showed no sign of his recent knee issues, but he was left frustrated by Mayer's resilience before coming out as an eventual winner with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 win in a thrilling clash that lasted for two hours and 38 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.Nadal committed smashed 40 winners and just 10 unforced errors in contrast to Mayer's 48 winners - including 15 aces.With the win, the Spanish superstar had extended his Head-to-Head record to 5-0 against the Argentine.Nadal will now look to continue his good form when he heads into a clash against 28th
India dismiss Zimbabwe for 154
India dismissed Zimbabwe for 154 in a Group B match of the U-19 World Cup here today. Milton Shumba top-scored for Zimbabwe with 36 off 59 balls. Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy was the leading wicket-taker for India with four scalps while another left-arm tweaker Abhishek Sharma and and pacer Arshdeep Singh took a couple of wickets each. Brief scores: 154 all in 48.1 overs (Shumba 36; Roy 4/20).
Pakistan peg back New Zealand, despite Guptill ton
Martin Guptill scored a century as Pakistan limited New Zealand to a modest 271 for seven in the fifth one-day international in Wellington on Friday. Guptill and Colin Munro gave the hosts a flying start before Rumman Raees helped spark a mini-collapse that put the brakes on New Zealand's scoring. Rumman's three for 67 kept the New Zealand total within reach for Pakistan as they seek to avoid a 5-0 series whitewash. Munro racked up 34 from 24 balls to get the Black Caps out of the blocks before edging to Mohammad Nawaz. While Munro's departure slowed the run rate, Guptill was content to steadily accumulate. He had a life on 72 when he slipped over mid-wicket and Faheem Ashraf missed the stumps as the batsman scrambled back to the crease on his hands and knees. It gave his innings greater urgency and he brought up his 13th ODI century off 125 balls, including 10 fours and a six. After a frustrating morning, Pakistan's attack enjoyed some late success when they took four ..
Pro Wrestling League: Punjab Royals crush Delhi Sultans
Geno Petriashvili's performance guided the Punjab Royals to an easy 6-1 victory over Delhi Sultans in the Pro Wrestling League at the Siri Fort Indoor Stadium here on Thursday.Geno, who came into the tie unbeaten, maintained his glorious run and thrashed India's Hitender Beniwal 10-0 by pinning him down on the mat.Before him, World Championship bronze medalist Anastasija Grigorjeva of Latvia annihilated India's Monia Dhanoi in the 62-kg event to give the Royals the upper hand.Leading 2-1, the Latvian won the contest 4-0 by pinfall in the opening period itself to help the Royals take a crucial 3-1 lead mid-way into the tie.Winning the toss, Punjab blocked Sandeep Tomar, the 2016 Asian Championship gold medalist, while the Sultans elected to keep World championship bronze medalist Koumba Larroque out of action.Delhi's Alvarav Aslan of Azerbaijan, however, put his side ahead by pulling off an easy 14-1 win over India's Nasir Hussain in the heavyweight category.The World championship ...
I-league: Churchill Brothers to face Shillong Lajong today
The Churchill Brothers are looking to maintain their winning spree as they host Shillong Lajong in their encounter at the Tilak Maidan, Vasco here today."The confidence is very high and the boys are giving their best. With the addition of three quality players in the squad, the team spirit is high and hopefully we can come away with all three points", Churchill Brothers coach Alfred Fernandes said on the eve of the match.The performances of Koffi Mechac and Kalu Ogba in recent games have aided the team's comeback in the tournament. They have also added three new players in the form of Alder Hussein, Bektur Talgat and a player from Zambia."In three home matches, taking nine points will lead us into mid-table and we can even challenge the best. We are hopeful now because of the strength of the squad with some addition of quality players. I am very confident about our home matches now," Alfred said.Meanwhile, Shillong Lajong sit comfortably in the fifth place in the table tied on 14 ...
Cricket betting rackets busted in Hyderabad
Three cricket betting rackets were busted and 11 people arrested in a joint operation on Thursday in Hyderabad of Telangana.On credible information, the sleuths of commissioner's task force, in a joint operation with the local police, conducted simultaneous raids in the limits of Abids, Banjarahills, Narayanaguda Police Station and busted three organiser's cricket betting racket gangs.Police also seized Rs. 44, 33,000, three televisions, three set top box, five laptops, 62 cell phones, a cash counting machine, 14 note books, a calculator and two hand bags from their possessions.
ISL: Bengaluru beat Mumbai to go top
Bengaluru FC rode on a brace by Sunil Chhetri to outclass Mumbai City FC 3-1 in an Indian Super League (ISL) match here on Thursday and rise to the top of the points table.
Top seed Subramaniam reaches semis
Top seed Murli Subramaniam of Mumbai Suburban District easily defeated Avadhut Joshi of Pune District to storm into the semi-finals of the men's 50+ singles category in the 'Badminton 45' Senior State Veterans Badminton Selection Tournament 2018. The tournament was conducted by the Maharashtra Badminton Association and hosted by Bombay Gymkhana. Subramaniam was in complete control during the quarter-final match against Joshi and cruised to a 21-4, 21-7 victory, a media release said today. Second-seed Suresh Ayyappan of Pune District had to fight hard before he managed to overcome Prashant Mukherjee of Raigad District in three games, winning 21-19, 19-21, 21-13 to book his place in the semi-finals. In other quarter-final matches, Greater Mumbai District's Naval Bir Kumar recovered brilliantly after dropping the first game to put it across Atul Kulkarni of Aurangabad District, winning 17-21, 21-12, 21-1. However, Gurmeet Singh Matharu of Aurangabad enjoyed a good outing .
Australian Open: Hyeon becomes 1st South Korean to reach 3rd round
Chung Hyeon on Thursday became the first South Korean tennis player to reach the third round at the Australian Open tennis tournament.
Mumbai Maharathi denies withdrawal from wrestling league
Pro Wrestling League (PWL) franchise Mumbai Maharathi has discarded the media reports about the team's withdrawal from the tournament, and has called the news "blatantly false".Yesterday, news surfaced that the team has pulled out of the third edition of the league due several instances of mismanagement and operational glitches by the tournament organisers.Mumbai Maharathi owners on Thursday issued an official statement to deny the news."We would like to first categorically and unequivocally state that the story is blatantly false and has been spread by malicious intent and none of the owners have anything to do with it," the statement read.It further read, "We would like to reiterate that we have complete faith in the organisers of the PWL and that they have been conducting this world-class league in a fair and equitable manner. We have been with them right from Day One and would continue to do so."Earlier, Maharathi team alleged that After Sakshi Malik won the toss, she opted to ...
Bengaluru beat Mumbai in ISL tie
Sunil Chhetri struck twice as Bengaluru FC outclassed Mumbai City FC 3-1 in an Indian Super League (ISL) match here on Thursday.
Karnataka teams cause upsets in national basketball
Karnataka men caused a major upset, beating defending champion Uttarakhand 85-83 today in a nail-biting Group 'A' match in Level 1 of the 68th Senior National Basketball Championship here. Arvind led the way for Karnataka with 35 points while Yadwinder (33) did the bulk of the scoring for the holders. Karnataka trailed 17-24 in the first quarter before picking up steam in the next, to gain an eight-point advantage. They nosed ahead with another good performance in the third quarter. The Uttarakhand team roared back in the final quarter and enjoyed the better of the proceedings but couldn't quite catch up with their rivals and went down by a mere two points. In another match, Rajasthan defeated Kerala 87-72 The Karnataka women didn't lag behind their male counterparts and produced a shock result of their own, stunning holders Kerala 70-67 in a close game in Group A. Priyanka was the top-scorer for the winning team, netting 20 points. The strong Indian Railways women's team .
Corrupting charges against cricket official, suspended
The ICC has charged Rajan Nayer, a Zimbabwe domestic cricket official, with three counts of breaching its Anti-Corruption Code, including offering a player cash to improperly influence an international game. He has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect. Nayer is the treasurer and marketing director of the Harare Metropolitan Cricket Association (HMCA), the association that runs league cricket in Harare and overseas domestic franchise the Mashonaland Eagles. He has been charged with breaching Article 2.1.1 of the ICC's code (being party to an effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspects of an International match or matches). Besides, the official has bee been charged with breaching Article 2.1.3 (offering a player USD 30,000 to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspects of an International match or matches) and Article 2.1.4 (directly solicited,