Page 2231 - Sports
Ghaley beats Narang to win men's 5m rifle prone gold
Army Marksmanship Unit's Sushil Ghaley beat Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang to clinch the men's 50m Rifle Prone gold at the 61st National Shooting Championship Competitions here today. Ghaley won the gold in a new national finals record score of 249.6. Narang bagged th silver with a score of 246.6 while Rio Olympian Chain Singh won the bronze, logging 225.4. Earlier, Ghaley had come third in the 318 strong qualification field with a score 624.6 to make it to the eight-man final. Young Akhil Sheoran of Uttar Pradesh topped the field, shooting 625.2 while Narang, representing Air India, shot 619.7 to qualify in sixth place. Ghaley also won the team gold along with Chain and Surendra Singh Rathod, combining for a total of 1866.9. Uttar Pradesh (1849.8) and Air Force (1845.6) teams won the silver and bronze respectively. Niraj Kumar of Punjab won the junior men's prone event, also with a new finals national record score of 245.4. Niraj finished ahead of Gujarat's ...
Rahane aware of his responsibility, will deliver: Amre
Former India batsman Praveen Amre is confident that his ward Ajinkya Rahane will do well in South Africa despite his poor form of late. "For a cricketer whatever (has happened) is history now. He is going to South Africa and he should see that in his last tour of South Africa, he averaged more than 65," Amre told reporters here today. "I think team India, specially the selectors have a lot of faith in him that is the reason he (Rahane) is the vice- captain. That responsibility is there and he is aware of that. I am sure in the coming one month, whatever people believe in him, he will deliver to that," Amre said on the sidelines of an award function organised by Dr Dayal Foundation. Amre who has been Rahane's childhood coach, says it is also his to figure out which are the areas in his batting that needs improvement. "We worked as a team. Whenever he was successful, he got 100 in each innings, you congratulated me. When he is going through a tough time, it is equally my ..
Gill back for Round 5 of Indian National Rally C'ship
Three-time APRC champion Gaurav Gill aims to reassert his supremacy as Round 5 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship, the Rally of Arunachal, got underway here today. Gill, who missed Round 4 of the INRC in Chikmagalur as it was held simultaneously with the APRC, is still ahead with 50 points after winning the rounds in Coimbatore and Jaipur. But INRC 3 leader Dean Mascarenhas and defending champion Karna Kadur are snapping at his heels with 45 and 43 points respectively. He will have to be at his fiercest best here in Ziro, which will be making its debut as hosts in the picturesque backdrop of Arunachal's majestic mountains, as he sets his eyes on his fifth title in INRC. "We welcome Arunachal Pradesh into the INRC fold," Arindam Ghosh, Director of RRPM and promoter of the MRF FMSCI INRC 2017, said at a press interaction just after the ceremonial start. "This is a wonderful backdrop for rallying and I am sure all the participants are going to enjoy ...
You want to win games with Zlatan starting: Sheringham
Former Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham on Thursday lamented the club's League Cup quarter-final defeat to Championship outfit Bristol City, saying if a star figure like Zlatan Ibrahimovic starts, the result does not bode well for the club.
'Governance lapses' around postponed T20 league
Cricket South Africa said today that it remained in a healthy position despite the costly postponement of the planned T20 Global League. In a statement following a board meeting, CSA president Chris Nenzani said lessons had been learned from the failed venture, which led to the resignation of former chief executive Haroon Lorgat. Nenzani said an internal investigation had highlighted "pervasive governance lapses around the T20GL". In a departure from previous statements, Thursday's announcement wavered on a commitment to stage the league in 2018. "The Board has tasked management to look at the various T20 league financial models around the world and to present a viable financial model before a final decision on the future of the T20GL can be taken." Nenzani said a complete financial reconciliation had revealed "no irregularities or financial mismanagement" and that CSA accepted responsibility for losses incurred. No figures were revealed but media reports have estimated .
SLC promises new coach Hathurusingha greater autonomy
The Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) has announced that the new head coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, will be given more say in the team management system.During his two and a half years stint with Bangladesh, Hathurusingha had wielded substantial influence in the system and has been a selector with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as well.Though he will not be a selector in SLC for now, he has, however, signed on for the job, as the board had assured him a greater degree of control and independence.The SLC, however, has a patchy track record of exerting undue influence on coaches in recent years.The board has blown through 10 head coaches since 2011.The last head coach of the Sri Lankan team, Graham Ford had quit in June this year, largely because his freedom was constantly being encroached.SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala suggested that there has been no board influence on coaches since early 2015 when he was elected.On being asked about the decision to give Hathurusingha a free hand, ...
Shubhankar lives up to 'favourite' tag with a scorching 66
Fresh from his maiden international win last week, Shubhankar Sharma lived up to favourite's tag with a scorching opening round of six-under-66 that gave him the lead at the McLeod Russel Tour Championship here today. Bengaluru's Rahil Gangjee, playing at his former home course, the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, and Rashid Khan of Delhi also got off to impressive starts with scores of five-under-67 to share second place at the PGTI's season-ending event worth Rs 1.5 crore. Twenty-one-year-old Shubhankar from Chandigarh, who won the Joburg Open 10 days back to become the youngest Indian to win on the European Tour, continued his hot form with a top- class 66 at the RCGC. Shubhankar's accurate hitting ensured that he kept landing it close to the pin on the front-nine where he had five birdies and a bogey. Shubhankar sank his longest putt of the day, a 30-footer, for birdie on the 10th and followed that up with another birdie on the 11th to move to six-under. He then made pars .
India should have played a practice game in SA: Wadekar
Former India skipper Ajit Wadekar is hopeful that India will translate their brilliant performance at home into something spectacular in South Africa even though not playing a practice match is matter of concern. India will tour South Africa for a three-Test, six-ODI and three-Twenty20 series, starting January 5. "You need to get adjusted to those wickets because of the bounce. With no practice games, it is going to be a little bit hard on our players. Ours is a balanced team though," the 76- year-old veteran player told reporters today. "At the moment, the (Indian) team is doing really well, they are very balanced team and they also have (enough) experience to play on any kind of tracks. Their past track record suggests that they seem to be in good form and they should be able to do well," he said. But he had a word of caution as South Africa is a tough place for any visiting team. "South Africa is always a tough country to beat. They are tough guys and the wickets are a
Seth Rance replaces injured Milne for Windies ODIs, T20Is
All-rounder Seth Rance has been called in the New Zealand squad as a replacement for injured Adam Milne for the ongoing ODI and the upcoming T20Is series against West Indies.The 25-year-old felt discomfort in his left foot while trying to bowl during a practice session prior to the first ODI, which New Zealand went on to win by five wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series against the Caribbean side at Whangareiand.Rance, who is Milne's team-mate from Central Districts and has appeared in just two ODIs, will now join the squad for the remaining games in the limited-overs series against West Indies.Confirming the news, New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen revealed that Rance has got a call-up in the squad of the back of his consistent performances in the domestic circuit."Seth comes into the squad off the back of consistently strong domestic performances," Larsen said. "We were already looking at Seth for the upcoming Twenty20 series, so this just brings him into the squad ...
ISL: Kerala Blasters hope to continue momentum (Preview)
Six days after recording their first win of the season, Kerala Blasters FC will take on Chennaiyin FC on Friday in an attempt to build some momentum in what has so far been a stuttering Indian Super League (ISL) campaign.
Chennaiyin FC eye win and top spot in ISL table
Chennaiyin FC take on Kerala Blasters in their seventh game of the Indian Super League at the Nehru Stadium here tomorrow, aiming for a fifth win and a top spot in the points table. Former champions Chennaiyin have bounced back strongly after losing the season opener to FC Goa and won three games in a row before being stopped by Mumbai City FC. They are at third spot with 12 points from six matches. Chennaiyin beat a strong Bengaluru FC on December 17 in an away fixture and will be hoping to carry the momentum to the encounter against Blasters, co-owned among others by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. Brazilian import Raphael Augusto has been one of the key players for CFC, scoring two goals and has been a driving force in the mid-field. CFC coach John Gregory has hailed the 26-year-old midfielder and termed him as a 'fighter'. Augusto's creativity helped Dhanapal Ganesh and Bikramjit Singh go about their business upfront. Jeje Lalpekhlua, with three goals so far, has ...
It's India's best bowling attack to tour SA: MSK Prasad
Chairman of selectors MSK Prasad today termed India's five-pronged pace attack named for the South Africa series as "one of the best" to have toured that country as every bowler brings something different to the table. The five-man attack comprise Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah -- each one different from the other. "I can't comment on the opposition bowling attack but from our perspective we have one of the best bowling attacks that has toured South Africa," Prasad told reporters on the sidelines of the Ranji Trophy semi-final here today. "You see Umesh (Yadav) and (Mohammed) Shami might be hitting 140 but they still swing the ball. We also have Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), who can swing the ball either way. We have included Bumrah, who has variety. Ishant (Sharma) is there always and Hardik (Pandya) adds that different dimension," Prasad elaborated. "So there are five different varieties of bowlers that we have ...
Chennai City FC ready to face East Bengal at 'new home'
High on confidence after their win over Churchill Brothers in the previous game, Chennai City FC take on Kolkata giants East Bengal in their first 'home match' of the I-League here tomorrow. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai is unavailable for Chennai City FC as it is hosting Indian Super League matches. Coimbatore's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will be their home venue this season. Chennai City coach V Soundarajan expressed concern over the less 'recovery time' his players were getting following their away fixture. "We played our last match on 19th (December) while they (East Bengal) played two days before. Then we had to fly back to Coimbatore. It might be a concern for my boys tomorrow," Soundarajan said. Talking about East Bengal, Soundarajan said, "They are a well-organised unit and no one can deny that they're one of the top teams in India. They will surely impose a great challenge for us. On the flip side, it's a great advantage for us to gauge our ...
Iain Hume convinced me to join ISL: ATK's Ryan Taylor
Just-signed ATK midfielder Ryan Taylor on Thursday revealed that Kerala Blasters player Iain Hume convinced him to join the Indian Super League (ISL).
ATK star Keane to go home for two weeks
Defending champions ATK will be missing the services of star Irish striker Robbie Keane for the next two weeks, coach Teddy Sheringham confirmed on Thursday.
Kohli & co. ready for Proteas challenge: Gautam Gambhir
With India all set to tour South Africa for three Tests and number of limited-overs fixtures, veteran batsman Gautam Gambhir on Thursday said that though the Proteas would pose a big challenge, the Virat Kohli-led side is absolutely ready for the same.Recently, Kohli has led Team India to nine consecutive Test series victories, with a 1-0 win over Sri Lanka at home.However, India have a poor winning record abroad as they are yet to win a Test series in Australia and South Africa.When asked about India's upcoming series against South Africa, Gambhir admitted that Proteas are a very good side, however, adding that the Kohli-led side would head into the series boosting with confidence."I think it is going to be a big challenge because South Africa is a great side. They are a very good side. They have got a good bowling attack. So, I think it is going to be a good challenge. I am sure the guys will be ready for it.Because you want to challenge yourself against the best in their own ...
When I saw Chandu sir's reaction, I was in tears: Gurbani
Chandrakant Pandit in domestic circles is known to be the "khadoos" Mumbaikar, who is not ready to bare his emotions but Rajneesh Gurbani's eyes welled up when he saw the ecstatic Vidarbha coach after they beat Karnataka to reach maiden Ranji Trophy final. Gurbani's match-winning seven-wicket haul helped Vidarbha beat Karnataka by five runs in a thrilling final. Personally for former India stumper Pandit, it was also a statement to Mumbai Cricket Association, which removed him from coach's post despite the team reaching finals last year. "I got quite emotional after getting the final wicket and saw Chandu sir's (Pandit's nickname) reaction tears came into my eyes. We have been following the same routine from the first match we played in the league stage against Punjab till today," Gurbani, who had a match haul of 12 wickets said. There was performance anxiety throughout the night before the final day as he could barely sleep. "I was quite nervous all throughout the night, .
Bowling 1st will be a good option in Indore: Curator Samandar
It will be a batting belter at the Holkar stadium for the second Twenty20 international between India and Sri Lanka but bowling first won't be a bad option for the team that wins the toss, feels Madhya Pradesh CA curator Samandar Singh Chouhan. During the first Twenty20 in Cuttack, dew affected the proceedings from the very first ball but it won't come into play in Indore that early. "It was cloudy here yesterday and there is same forecast for tomorrow. In that case, dew won't fall before 7:30 or 7:45 which means first 10 overs won't be affected by dew. Still, bowling first will be a good option for captain winning the toss," Chouhan told PTI. "We have been using a chemical which prevents grass from getting wet. It causes dew to slip. We will use the substance tomorrow as well to negate the dew factor," Chouhan added. Both Indian and Sri Lankan spinners struggled to grip the ball properly in Cuttack. India are leading the three-match series 1-0, having won the series ...
El Clasico standout game in La Liga (Preview)
Friday and Saturday promise to be key days in the evolution of the La Liga football season with Atletico Madrid and Valencia in action as well as the main course of the 'Clasico' between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
BCCI prepones domestic T20 tournaments for IPL auctions
In the wake of upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions, the Board of Cricket Council of India (BCCI) has advanced the domestic T20 Zonal League and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.The Zonal T20 league is now believed to be held from January 8 to 16, instead of January 21 to 29, whereas the Syed Mushtaq Ali knockout tournament has been advanced to January 21-27, from earlier February 4-10 window.The decision has been taken in regard to ensure that the players get a chance to audition ahead of the 2018 auction, which is scheduled for January 27 and 28.A couple of officials from IPL franchises confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they hadn't made specific rescheduling requests to the BCCI, but noted that the changes were not surprising."It has happened in the last two years as well. It makes sense for both the players and the franchises as we can take a look at the talent on display ahead of the auctions," ESPNcricinfo quoted an IPL franchise official as saying.In 2015, the board had advanced ..