Page 247 - Sports
Fairytale farewell for Robben and Ribery as Bayern win Bundesliga
Departing veterans Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben both scored in their final game at the Allianz Arena on Saturday as Bayern Munich beat Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 to wrap up a seventh successive Bundesliga title. The fairytale farewell for club icons Robben and Ribery saw Bayern end an unusually tight title race two points ahead of rivals Borussia Dortmund, who beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0. Nine points behind Dortmund in December, Bayern lost just one game between January and May as they bounced back to be crowned German champions for the 29th time in their history. Robben and Ribery, who will both leave the club at the end of the season, came off the bench against Frankfurt to score Bayern's fourth and fifth goals and end Dortmund's hopes of pulling off a final day miracle. Their departure marks the end of a glistening decade of success for Bayern, who are now set for a major squad overhaul ahead of next season, having already signed World Cup winners Benjamin Pavard and Lucas ...
Lyles beats fellow American Coleman in 100m photo finish
Noah Lyles launched himself from near the back of the field to beat fellow American Christian Coleman by just 0.006secs and win the 100 metres at the Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday. Lyles's blistering 9.86sec was the best time this year and a personal best, and lays down a marker ahead of the world championships in the autumn and the Tokyo Olympics next summer. The 21-year-old, part of a new generation of American sprinters, ducked to the line with a glance to his left to Coleman. A photo finish confirmed Lyles had won. Third was South Africa's Akani Simbine and fourth last year's Shanghai victor, Britain's Reece Prescod. It is early days in the season, but Lyles and his rivals are already eyeing the Doha world championships in September while the 2020 Tokyo Games also loom. Lyles, the 200m Diamond trophy winner last year, celebrated wildly and said: "In pre-season I'd taken a couple of losses, a couple of second places, even on my home track, so I really wanted to come out here .
Triumph Knights keep title defence alive
Parikshit Valsangkar and Akash Parkar lived up to their reputations as reliable all-rounders to keep defending champions Triumph Knights Mumbai North East in the hunt for a semi-final berth in the second edition of T20 Mumbai. The duo's impressive efforts with the bat and the ball helped the Knights pocket the must-win game against Eagle Thane Strikers by 38 runs on Saturday. While Valsangkar's quick-fire 39 (24b, 6x4, 1x6) at No. 3 gave the Knights the early impetus, Parkar's powerful 34 (20b, 1x4, 3x6) - aided by in-form Karan More's 36 (26b, 4x4) - gave the teaam a perfect finish to post a decent 162 for seven. The Strikers then faltered on a slowing pitch, with an accurate bowling display by all the bowlers. While Valsangkar was economical with his leggies, conceding just 19 runs in his three overs, Parkar got the prized scalp of dangerous Sarfaraz Khan in the 10th over. Yash Dicholkar bagged 3 wickets, including that of Strikers' captain Aditya Tare. Strikers ...
Mary Kom confident of doing well in new 51kg category in India Open
Gearing up for her first competitive bout in the new 51kg category, celebrated boxer Mary Kom Saturday said change was always good and she was feeling confident of doing well in the India Open, beginning here on Monday. Mary Kom, who reached here Saturday, trained at the Sports Authority of India Centre ahead of the five-day tournament to be held at the Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium. "Yes, of course, there are expectations from me. I have been training well and will give my 100 percent to make my country proud. A change is always good and I feel more confident in 51kg after the last few months of rigorous training," the 2012 Olympics bronze medallist in 48kg said. The 48kg weight category is no longer there in the Olympic Games and the diminutive Manipuri will have to fight in the higher 51kg class if she wants to compete in next year's Tokyo Games. "It feels like a homecoming to come here (Guwahati) and I hope there will be tremendous support for all the Indian ...
Shaun Marsh feels his Test career may be over
Senior Australia batsman Shaun Marsh believes that his Test career might be over with the new crop of players cementing their places.
T20 style bikers rally begins in Bengaluru on Sunday
The introductory edition of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Sprint Championship (2W) 2019 gets underway here on Sunday with over 120 top bikers from different parts of the country set to compete in the new format.
Griezmann whistled as Atletico come back to draw with Levante
Antoine Griezmann was jeered during his last game for Atletico Madrid and Rodrigo might have scored his final goal for the club as they came from behind to draw 2-2 against Levante in La Liga on Saturday. Griezmann received whistles at the City of Valencia Stadium from the visiting fans, who were also heard chanting "out, out, out" before goals from Sergio Camello and Rodrigo ensured Atletico at least ended the season with a draw. Diego Simeone has dismissed fears of a mass exodus, despite both Diego Godin and Griezmann already announcing their departures, with the likes of Rodrigo, Juanfran and Filipe Luis all expected to follow. If this was to be their farewell outing for Atletico, it was an underwhelming finale as Levante, who only secured safety from relegation last weekend, claimed a deserved point. They might have been disappointed not to take all three after leading 2-0 at half-time thanks to goals from Erick Cabaco and Roger Marti before then playing against 10 men for the ...
Brad Hodge trolled for dig on Kohli's commercial video
Former Australia batsman Brad Hodge found himself at the receiving end of social media troll Saturday after he took a dig at India captain Virat Kohli for featuring in a commercial for cosmetics along with Rishabh Pant. Kohli and Pant recently starred in an advertisement for a company to promote face care products. The two brand ambassadors of the company were seen grooving about the benefits of the product. The advertisement went viral instantly with a lot of fans liking it. Hodge joined the bandwagon and took a dig at Kohli. "Amazing what people do for money," he commented on the advertisement video. Hodge's comments did not go down well with a lot of Kohli's fans who slammed the former Kings XI Punjab head coach, reminding him of the infamous ball-tampering scandal of the Australian team in South Africa last year. Several fans also referred to a video of Steve Smith dancing for some advertisements during the Indian Premier League. The furore forced Hodge to clarify his comment with
Sable, Pal lead Indian charge at 12th TCS World 10K run
Long distance runners Avinash Sable, Abhishek Pal and Lakshmanan G will spearhead the Indian elite men's field at the 12th edition of the TCS World 10K Bengaluru here Sunday. Two debutants -- Pradeep Singh Chaudhary and Ranjeet Kumar Patel, will also be in action in the event which will see the winners get richer by Rs 2,75,000, while the runner-up take home Rs 2,00,000. The third-placed runner will fetch a cheque of Rs 1,50,000. The Indian women's elite field will be headlined by course-record holder Sanjivani Jadhav who will face stiff competition from two-time TCS World 10K champion Swati Gadhave (2015 & 2016). Kiran Sahdev and Parul Chaudhary will further strengthen the field. At the 2018 Delhi Half Marathon, Jadhav finished on top among Indians with Chaudhary finishing second behind her. Their rivalry goes back to 58th National Open Athletics Championships held in September 2018, where Jadhav won a gold with Chaudhary in second place in the women's 5000m event. Steeplechase ..
Steeplechase national record holder Avinash Sable prefers Indian over foreign coach
National record holder in 300m steeplechase, Avinash Sable, is against hiring a foreign coach as he feels the Indians understand better the physical fitness and shortcomings of their athletes. "Indian coach can understand the Indian body. He knows better what are the needs and shortcomings of Indian athletes. However, other coaches also are good," he told PTI in the presence of his coach Amrish Kumar, who is an army officer. Sable is running in the 12th edition of TCS World 10K here Sunday. Backing Sable's view, Amrish said he always felt foreign coaches do not understand the physical attributes of Indian athletes. "That's what happened. Sable could not participate in the Asian Games because of the injury he suffered while training under former foreign national coach Nicolai Sensarev in Bengaluru," he said. When Sable's performance dipped following an injury and Nicolai's departure in September last year, he came to him, Amrish said. "He returned to us in October and we worked on his .
Konta stuns Bertens to reach Italian Open final
Britain's Johanna Konta fought back from a set down to seal victory on her fourth match point against Kiki Bertens to reach the final at the Italian Open on Saturday. Konta, ranked 42, came through 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 against sixth seed Bertens, winner of the Madrid Open last week, after almost three hours on the red clay of Rome. Dutchwoman Bertens had advanced to the semi-finals after world number one Naomi Osaka of Japan retired with a hand injury before their match Friday. Konta next meets either Czech fourth seed Karolina Pliskova or Greek qualifier Maria Sakkari, who beat the British number one on clay in the final of the Moroccan Open earlier this month. In the men's semi-finals, world number one Novak Djokovic plays Argentine Diego Schwartzman after surviving two match points in a thrilling three-set tussle late into the night against Juan Martin del Potro on Friday. Defending champion Rafael Nadal has not dropped a set yet with the eight-time winner setting up a rematch with Greek .
Zidane the boss as Bale set for final game at Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane hinted on Saturday that Gareth Bale could make his last appearance for Real Madrid on Sunday after saying he would make changes this summer ahead of the final match of their miserable La Liga season. Bale fell out with Zidane towards the end of the Frenchman's first spell in charge and their relationship has quickly soured again, with the Wales attacker starting just five times since the coach's return in March and left out completely for Real's last two matches against Villarreal and Real Sociedad. Zidane said Bale would be in the squad against Real Betis on Sunday but, asked by reporters if it would be his last game for Madrid, he said: "I don't know, I can't tell you. It's the season finale and next year there are going to be changes. But I don't know what is going to happen." Madrid face Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu in their final match of a campaign that will see them finish third, behind both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, and trophyless after being knocked out
De Bruyne has no sympathy for Liverpool over narrow title miss
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne understands Liverpool players being disappointed at falling just short of winning the Premier League title but he does not have any sympathy for them. The 27-year-old Belgian midfielder says simply his side were better than Liverpool. City, who face Watford in the FA Cup final on Saturday chasing a historic domestic treble, retained their title by a point from Liverpool. De Bruyne says no one would have felt sorry for City when they lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League quarter-final. "No," he said this week when asked did he have sympathy for Liverpool. "It's a remarkable effort but it means that we were just better than them in the end. "I don't feel sorry for them because I don't think they'd feel sorry for us. "I don't think anybody felt sorry about the way we went out of the Champions League." He played a less influential role than in City's 2017/18 title triumph, starting just 11 league matches with bit parts in eight others ...
Guardiola wants Leroy Sane to stay in Manchester City
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola does not want Leroy Sane to leave the club saying they want to extend his contract."We are one-and-a-half years trying to sign his [new] contract. We want him. If you want to extend his contract, it's because you want him. You're not going to extend his contract because you don't want him," Goal.com quoted Guardiola, as saying.Sane has made 46 appearances across all the competitions and scored 16 goals and given out 10 league assists. However, Sane has to compete with Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva to secure his spot in the squad, which Guardiola feels is not easy."He's competing with Sterling and Bernardo Silva. It's not easy. If you want to play in for competitions for the quadruple we need Leroy, Sterling, Riyad [Mahrez], Bernardo, we can't compete for the quadruple with just two wingers," he said."They have to fight each other and play the best as possible to convince me to put them in the line-up," Guardiola added.Guardiola also ...
Heung-Min Son changed the way fans looked at Asian players, says Young-Pyo Lee
Tottenham player Heung-Min Son's scintillating performance has gained praise from former Tottenham player and his fellow South Korean Young-Pyo Lee, who feels that Son's every game affects Korean fans.Son played a major role for the Spurs to help them secure a spot in the Champions League final."Son's every game is affecting South Korean fans, including me. Korean fans, and Asian fans, feel proud of the fact that there's an Asian player who can score more than 20 goals in the Premier League and Champions League. I believe, thanks to Son, European fans' view of Asian players has changed a lot," Goal.com quoted Lee, as saying.Son also displayed an impeccable show in the Premier League, where Tottenham finished on the fourth position, as he scored 12 goals and assisted six times. However, Son's compatriot feels that there are more things to come from him."The Premier League is the best football league in the world and it's not easy to be successful in the Premier League for any player. ..
Kedar Jadhav declared fit, will travel to UK for World Cup
All-rounder Kedar Jadhav, who had hurt his left shoulder during the recently-concluded IPL, has been declared fully fit for the upcoming ODI World Cup, to be held in UK from May 30. The 34-year-old Jadhav's participation in the World Cup was doubtful after he had sustained a shoulder injury while fielding during an IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab on May 5. He had immediately left the field and it was reported that he would be out of action for at least two weeks. "Kedar's injury was not a serious one and he has fully recovered now. All 15 players who were picked in the squad are travelling to UK," a team source said. Team India physio Patrick Farhart submitted Jadhav's fitness report, which cleared him. The fitness test was conducted on Thursday in Mumbai. As per the ICC rules, changes in the 15-member preliminary squad are permitted till May 23. Speculation was rife that if Jadhav will not recover, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant will replace him in the ..
We will play on our strengths in World Cup: Alex Carey
Australia wicket-keeper batsman Alex Carey stated that his team will focus on playing on their strengths rather than changing their game plans according to the oppositions in the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's Cricket World Cup."We have got a certain game style which has been successful in the last eight games, against quality opposition. For us, it is playing to our strengths. Every team in the World Cup has got their strengths. We aren't too much about opposition's game style. That's where we get distracted from what we are really good at," ICC quoted Carey, as saying."So for us, it's building on our success in the last few months. David [Warner] and Steve [Smith] come back in. Quality players. Aaron Finch is in really good form. Our quicks [are in good form as well]. We got a lot of exciting players," he added.Other than having 'exciting players', Carey feels confident going in the premier tournament along with the former World Cup winners, Ricky Ponting ...
World Cup: 5 all-rounders to watch out for
All-rounders are the flavour of the season and this World Cup will feature some of the best in the business. West Indies legend Clive Lloyd told Times of India that the ICC's flagship event in England and Wales will be "World Cup of all-rounders". IANS takes a look at the five best all rounders who could define matches as it kicks off on May 30.
INDIA: A test of Kohli's tactical acumen
His manic consistency has already put him among the pantheon of greats but the World Cup in England will be Virat Kohli's hour of reckoning in his bid to create a lasting legacy as India's captain. The first Indian captain to win a Test series on Australian soil, Kohli will be leading a team which has its own share of worries but is not short of game-changers, a must in a big ticket tournament. Who bats at No 4? Is Kedar Jadhav good enough? Third pacer or an extra all-rounder? Kuldeep or Chahal or both? The World Cup will be much about Kohli, the captain as much as it is about Kohli, the batsman. A World Cup victory will put Kohli in a league of his own and even those sceptical about his tactical nous, will have no other option but to grudgingly doff their hats at his heady achievements. Without doubt, the Indian captain will hold the key during the seven-week period where he is expected to cross 11,000 runs and also add a few more hundreds to the 41 he has already has in his ...
Yogesh Kumar sails into last 16
: Karnataka's Yogesh Kumar outclassed Uday Kumar (TNBSA) by four frames to nil to reach the last 16 in the N Manimaran & Kishan Kothari Memorial SVS Club Snooker Championship 2019 here Saturday. Yogesh Kumar ran away with the first two frames, conceding only 16 points. He encountered some resistance in the third, winning it 62-27 and then won the fourth easily to notch up a 68-09, 84-07, 62-27, 66-10 victory. In another match, Vijay Nichani of Coimbatore edged out high-ranked Railways cuiest Dilip Kumar by four frames to three. Nichani took the first two frames as Dilip Kumar struggled to find fluency. The Railways player bounced back to grab the third and fourth frames to level the match. In the decider, Nichani raised his level of play and took it 58-8 to secure a win. Also advancing to the last 16 were Mustaq (Q-Tricks) and Daksh Reddy. Results: Round of 32: Vijay Nichani (Coimbatore) bt Dilip Kumar (Railways) 4-3 (77-32, 88-16, 49-57, 28-65, 122 (63)-1, 53-62, ...