Page 2130 - Sports
Kohli fined for showing dissent in Centurion Test
Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been fined 25 percent of his match fee for breaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct during the third day's play of the ongoing second Test against South Africa at the Centurion.The incident took place in the 25th over of South Africa's second innings on Monday when Kohli continuously complained to umpire Michael Gough about the ball being affected by a damp outfield following a rain delay, before throwing the ball into the ground in an aggressive manner.Kohli was found to have breached Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to "conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game."After the day's play, Kohli pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees and, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing.The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Gough and Paul Reiffel, third umpire Richard
I don't worry about competition from others, says Gurpreet
Bengaluru FC goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu today said challenge from quality Indian custodians, including Subrata Paul and Amrinder Singh does not frighten him at all as he himself is his biggest competitor. "For sure, there are many good quality goalkeepers in Indian Super League (ISL). There is Amrinder Singh, Subrata Paul and Subhashish Roy Chowdhury who are doing well. When other keepers do well, it does not frighten me but excites me instead," he told PTI here. "My biggest competitor is myself. The day I don't push myself, it is going to hurt me," he added. Asked whom among the rival strikers he is really worried about, Gurpreet said: "I don't think of anyone as a very special striker that I need to be aware of. All of them are dangerous and that is why they are playing in the ISL. They have the potential of damaging any sides' prospects." Gurpreet has been a crucial part of Albert Roca's Bengaluru FC in his first season at the ISL since his return to India after
Australian Open: Djokovic makes impressive comeback
Former world number one and Serbian tennis maestro Novak Djokovic celebrated his long-awaited return to the grand slam with a thrilling straight sets victory over American Donald Young at the Australian Open here on Tuesday.The Serbian tennis maestro showed no signs of the elbow injury that cut short his 2017 season as he eased past Young 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in a one-sided opening round clash of the men's singles event that lasted one hour and 51 minutes at the Margaret Court Arena.Six-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic won 11 of the first 12 games and amassed 33 winners in an ominous display of class and power.It was Djokovic's first match since he was forced to retire during his Wimbledon quarter-final clash against Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych.The 30-year-old, who is bidding to clinch his sixth Australian Open title, had earlier made a successful comeback from six-month injury lay-off by thrashing world number five Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4 in the exhibition event at the Kooyong Classic in
Virat Kohli fined for breaching ICC code of conduct
India skipper Virat Kohli has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for showing dissent against the umpire during the third day's play of second Test against South Africa here. "India captain Virat Kohli has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee and received one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third day's play in the second Test against South Africa at Centurion on Monday," ICC said in a statement. The incident happened in the 25th over of South Africa's second innings yesterday when Kohli continuously complained to umpire Michael Gough about the ball being affected by a damp outfield following a rain delay, before throwing the ball into the ground in an aggressive manner. Kohli was found to have breached Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to "conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game." After the day's play, Kohli pleaded guilty to the offence and ...
Verdasco reaches Australian Open 2nd round
Spaniard Fernando Verdasco entered the second round of the Australian Open by defeating compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 7-5 and 7-5 on Tuesday.
Nantes defender Carlos cleared to play next Ligue 1 match
Nantes defender Diego Carlos, victim of an aimed kick from match referee Tony Chapron, had his second yellow card withdrawn by the Disciplinary Committee of the French professional football league LFP. He will be allowed to feature in Wednesday's Ligue 1 match against Toulouse.
Sharapova in second round of Australian Open
Maria Sharapova advanced to the second round of the Australian Open tennis tournament after defeating Germany's Tatjana Maria, 6-1, 6-4 at the Margaret Court Arena on Tuesday.
Djokovic back in the groove with first-up Open win
Six-times champion Novak Djokovic looked the part as he powered to a convincing first round victory at the Australian Open today on his return from an elbow injury. The 12-times Grand Slam champion, seeded an unfamiliar 14, was too strong for American Donald Young, winning 6-1, 6- 2, 6-4 in 1hr 51min on Margaret Court Arena. The Serbian former world number one has been out of action for six months. But he looked in good shape as he worked his way into the second round where he will play either France's Gael Monfils or Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar. Djokovic, wearing a flesh-coloured protective guard on his right serving elbow, saluted the cheering crowd as he won on his sixth match point. It was an impressive performance, with the Serb breaking Young's left-handed serve six times, hitting 33 winners and conceding only 27 unforced errors. "There is no better place to start than here in Australia, I love coming here, I love playing here," Djokovic told the crowd. "It's ...
Sanchez would be 'great' for United - Mourinho
Jose Mourinho said today it would be "great" if Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez became a Manchester United player as Manchester City's interest in the Chilean reportedly came to an end. Sanchez, 29, looks to have played his last game for Arsenal, with manager Arsene Wenger saying on Sunday that his move could be confirmed "in the next 48 hours". A layer of uncertainty as to whether he would opt for the blue or red half of Manchester appeared to end on Monday when, with United en route to a 3-0 home win over Stoke, City let it be known they were no longer interested in signing the forward, although there were reports that Chelsea might enter the bidding. Mourinho, speaking after second-placed United had reduced Premier League table-toppers City's lead to 12 points, was wary when it was suggested to him that Sanchez was on his way to Old Trafford. "No news on Alexis Sanchez, he is an Arsenal player," he told the BBC. "If he stays it's great for Arsenal, if he comes to us, great .
Pele backs Brazil to win sixth World Cup
Footballing legend Pele said on Monday that Brazil are favourites to win the World Cup in Russia, four years on from their humiliation on home soil. Five-time winners Brazil were thrashed 7-1 in the 2014 semi-finals by eventual champions Germany at the Maracana, but Pele, considered one of the best players of all time, insisted that new coach Tite has formed a team ready to put his country's painful memories to rest. "Those who are Brazilian and believe in Brazil always point to Brazil as the favourites," the 77-year-old said while attending the opening ceremony of the Rio de Janeiro league. The Selecao romped to qualification as winners of the South American group, with Tite building an exciting side featuring the world's most expensive player Neymar and new Barcelona signing Philippe Coutinho. "One of the good things that happened was the arrival of Tite, he's making a team," Pele added. "In the last World Cup we had the best players in the world but the team was ...
Giggs named new Wales coach
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has signed a four-year contract to be the new chief coach of the Wales football team which failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
India face Japan in Four Nations Invitational tournament
Indian men's hockey team will look to make a winning start to the new season when they take on Japan in their opening match of the Four Nations Invitational Tournament here tomorrow. India will also play Belgium and New Zealand apart from Japan in two separate Five-Day Series. With four days of training at the Blake Park and getting used to the conditions here, drag flicker Rupinder Pal Singh expressed confidence of a good start to the new season. "The mood in the team is upbeat. We have clocked some good sessions on the pitch, now we are looking forward to a good start," said Rupinder who will be leading the team's defence along with Birendra Lakra, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar and Gurinder Singh. "This being the first tournament of the year, it is important to win some good matches to get the momentum going," he added. Against Japan, India has a good record as they had begun their successful outing in Men's Asia Cup last year with a 5-1 win against ...
Sharapova happily back in old routine at Open
Maria Sharapova said today she was delighted to be back in the old routine after a trying 2017 as she sailed into the second round of the Australian Open. It was the Russian star's first match a Melbourne for two years, having tested positive for performance-enhancing meldonium in Australia in 2016 and only returning from a 15- month doping ban last April. And she sealed a 6-1, 6-4 victory in style with an ace against Germany's Tatjana Maria in an hour and 18 minutes. "I felt like I have got a lot of things out of the way physically and emotionally and mentally last year," said Sharapova, who only returned to Grand Slam action at the US Open, where she reached the last 16. "(In 2017) there was a lot of firsts again for me, playing the first tournament, first Grand Slam, and just different feelings and what it would be routinely. "But it felt pretty routine today, just really happy to be back here." On paper this should have been a close match. Sharapova, who is climbing .
Karthik replaces injured Saha for third Proteas Test
Indian batsman Dinesh Karthik has been called in the national squad as a replacement for injured wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha for the third and the final Test of the three-match series against South Africa, beginning January 24 at the Wanderers Stadium in Sandton.Confirming the news, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said that Karthik is set to join the Test squad ahead of the third match against the Faf du Plessis-led side."The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Dinesh Karthik as the replacement for Wriddhiman Saha for the third and final Test against South Africa. He is set to join the team before the third Test," the BCCI said.Saha sustained an upper left hamstring tendon injury during a training session on January 11 and that the BCCI Medical Team would now continue to monitor the 33-year-old's progress.India, who are trailing 0-1 in the ongoing three-match Test series after their 72-run defeat in the Cape Town Test, are currently playing their ..
'Cool Runnings' revisited as Jamaican women qualify in bobsled
A Jamaican women's bobsled team have qualified for next month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, 30 years after a men's team from the Caribbean nation first made their fairytale appearance at the 1988 Calgary Games, it was reported here Monday. Local media citing the Jamaica Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation said the women's team sealed qualification over the weekend. The three-member team comprises Carrie Russell, Audra Segree and pilot Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian. Fenlator-Victorian, who has dual citizenship in the United States and Jamaica, represented the United States at the 2014 Sochi Olympics before switching back to compete for Jamaica. Russell, 27, was a member of the Jamaican women's 4x100m relay team which won gold at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow. A team of Jamaican bobsledders first gained fame in 1988 when they made their Olympic debut in Calgary, becoming a popular underdog story of the games. The team's exploits provided the inspiration ..
Pakistan recover to set New Zealand target of 263
Pakistan bounced back from a horror start to set New Zealand a competitive target of 263 in the fourth one-day international in Hamilton today. Mohammad Hafeez top scored with 81 as the tourists' batsmen finally managed to notch some runs, with Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail and captain Sarfraz Ahmed also posting half centuries. Paceman Tim Southee led the New Zealand attack with three for 44 and skipper Kane Williamson took two for 32. Pakistan finished their 50-over innings at 262 for eight, thanks to some big-hitting from Hafeez, who smashed 22 from the final over. It was a gutsy fightback from a side that was reeling at 11 for two in the fifth over and looked in danger of another humiliation after being skittled for 74 in their last outing. Already 3-0 in the five-match series, Pakistan had little to lose and promoted hard-hitting allrounder Faheem Ashraf to open the batting in the search for runs. The gamble backfired when Faheem departed for one after edging a swinging .
Unseeded Sharapova makes winning start at Australian Open
Russian tennis star and five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova kicked off her Australian Open campaign on a winning note as she motored past Germany's Tatjana Maria in straight sets in the opening match of the tournament here on Tuesday.The former world number one bounced back from 1-3 down in the second set to close out a 6-1, 6-4 win over world No. 47 Maria in a thrilling first-round clash of the women's singles event that lasted for one hour and 18 minutes at the Margaret Court Arena.Sharapova won five of the last six games of the match besides accumulating 22 winners and racking up 28 unforced errors overall in the match to sprint her way into the second round.With the win, unseeded Sharapova has now improved her record in first rounds of Grand Slams to 48-3 while she has improved her record against Germans to 26-5, the WTA reported.It was Sharapova's first match at Melbourne Park since failing a drug test at the 2016 tournament, which led to a 15-month doping ...
Stumper Karthik to replace injured Saha for 3rd Test
The BCCI on Tuesday named Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik as replacement for injured Wriddhiman Saha for the third cricket Test against South Africa.
Tata Steel Masters: Anand crushes Caruana to join Giri in lead
Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand crushed USA's Fabiano Caruana in the third round to join Dutchman Anish Giri in lead on 2.5 points at the Tata Steel Masters Chess tournament here. For Anand, it was his second victory in three days as he looks for a record sixth title here. Caruana went for the Petroff defense, an opening he had used in round one also. Anand went for a topical variation full of complexities and it was in the early middle game that Caruana reacted strongly on the 16th move. "I was very surprised," Anand said in the post-game chat adding, "I thought it didn't call for such extreme measures." In the moves that followed, Caruana gave up two minor pieces for a rook and a pawn and even though the position remained a bit unclear, the American clearly did not like what was happening. It was on the 28th move that Caruana shut his remaining chances. A pawn capture led to a lost position. "Something went wrong in his calculation, he went down a very forced
Sub-Junior Women's Hockey C'ship: Jharkhand thrash MP 16-0
Jharkhand produced a rich vein of form as they crushed Madhya Pradesh 16-0 in their Pool A clash on the sixth day of the 8th Hockey India Sub Junior Women's National Championship (A Division) here last evening.Deepika Soreng opened the scoring with the first goal of the match in the seventh minute and ultimately ended being the highest scorer for her side as she scored five goals (7', 10', 16', 20', 28'). Pramondi Lakra (12', 27') and skipper Priya Dungdung (13', 29') scored four goals each, Poonam Mundu scored two goals in the 58th and the 68th minutes while Kajal Bara (63') also scored a goal.In another Pool A match, Punjab and Delhi played out a 2-2 draw. Delhi's first goal came very quickly as they scored in the 9th minute, with Manshi being the scorer. However, three minutes later, Punjab found the equalizer as captain Mitali scored in the 12th minute. Delhi took the lead again in the 28th minute through Deepi but it was again cut short when Punjab's Chewang Tamang equalized for .