Page 254 - Sports
Arantxa Sanchez picks Nadal, Halep as favourites to win French Open
Former women's world no 1 tennis player Arantxa Sanchez Vicario Thursday picked Rafael Nadal in men's and Simona Halep in women's singles to win this year's French Open titles. "Rafa is my favorite to win French Open Men's singles title this year. How many times has he won this tournament? Ten times before and still he is the favourite. However, one also has to be careful with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer," she told PTI in an interview here. She is in the city as ambassador of IAAF Gold Label TCS World 10K run. Arantxa will encourage the 25,000 runners through her story of determination and never-say-die-attitude. The women's singles is wide open, Arantxa said, but she would pick Halep as favourite to win the French Open because she has been consistent and is a resourceful player. "It is wide open at this moment to see who is going to win. If I want to pick one player, who is more able and resourceful, I must say it is Simona Halep. She stands good chance, but depends on how she ..
Shankar moves into one-shot lead, Sudhir occupies second place
Shankar Das of Kolkata hit a third straight four-under 68 to enjoy a one-shot lead at the Rs. 30 lakh TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship here Thursday. Thirty-six-year-old Shankar took his three-day total to 12-under-204 ahead of the final round. Greater Noida's Sudhir Sharma, who was overnight tied fourth along with Shankar after setting a new course record on Wednesday, also moved up two spots in the penultimate round. Sudhir's 69 on Thursday placed him second at 11-under-205. Bengaluru's Trishul Chinnappa, the halfway leader, slipped to tied third as a result of his third round of 73. Chinnappa shared third place with Noida's Gaurav Pratap Singh (71) at nine-under-207. Panchkula's Angad Cheema was the highest placed among the Tricity golfers. Cheema (68) closed the day in tied 12th at five-under-211. The conditions during round three were unforgiving as it was the windiest day of the tournament and the breeze kept switching directions. The tough scoring conditions meant that only
'Exhausted' Thiem rages at organisers after falling to Verdasco in Rome
World number four and last year's French Open finalist Dominic Thiem, blasted tournament organisers for keeping competitors hanging around all day when play was washed out midweek as he was dumped out of the Italian Open second round on Thursday by Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. Austrian Thiem, who had received a first round bye as the fifth seed, lost 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, in the final warm-up tournament before the start of Roland Garros on May 26. Verdasco will play Russian Karen Khachanov, the 13th seed, later in the day for a place in the quarter-finals, as competitors double up after play on Wednesday was wiped out because of rain. "I really dislike how we players get treated at this tournament because yesterday was, in my opinion, not acceptable," said Thiem. "They knew that not one ball of tennis was going to be played, and they hold us here until 7.30pm." He said players were then caught up in clashes between fans before the Coppa Italia football final in the nearby Stadio ...
Indian athletics to get High Performance Director three years after first one resigns
Indian athletics will have a High Performance Director to plan and strategise for next year's Olympics with the government clearing German Volker Herrmann's name for the high-profile job, the national federation boss Adille Sumariwala said on Thursday. Herrmann will be the second person to take up this job after a short stint by American Derek Boosey, a 1968 Mexico City Olympian, who was appointed in October 2015 ahead of the Rio Olympics but resigned after seven months in charge. Athletics Federation of India (AFI) chief Sumariwala said the 38-year-old Herrmann was highly recommended by the German Athletics Federation and he will take charge soon. "The government has cleared the appointment of High Performance Director and Herrmann will join soon. He is a highly qualified person and his tenure is for the Olympic cycle," Sumariwalla said here. "His job is more to do with planning, strategising, looking after the technical aspect, studying the data, analysing the performance of the ...
Tiger double bogeys, Koepka birdies to start PGA drama
Tiger Woods began his quest for a 16th major title Thursday with an ill-starred double bogey at formidable Bethpage Black in the 101st PGA Championship. Sixth-ranked Woods, coming off a Masters victory that snapped an 11-year major win drought, stumbled badly in an early back-nine start by the feature trio of reigning major champions. Defending champion and playing partner Brooks Koepka opened with a 40-foot chip-in birdie while British Open champion Francesco Molinari salvaged bogey after losing his tee shot left into the tall Long Island weeds. The trio began at the par-4 10th in cool and sunny conditions at the first PGA Championship played in May since 1949, the event moving from August this year in a revamp of the global golf schedule. From one of Bethpage's toughest tees, Woods missed the fairway and found the rough, hit a layup then went over the green and chipped to six feet. But he lipped the right edge on his bogey putt to make double bogey. Molinari found the fairway with ..
Tendulkar responds with witty reply to ICC troll
Sachin Tendulkar, always the master of the game, recently proved that he is also the master of witty replies on social media platforms.
Top gymnasts' participation at Asian Championship in jeopardy after SAI announces selection trials
The participation of India's top gymnasts, including Dipa Karmakar and Rakesh Patra, at the Asia Championship has been thrown into jeopardy after the Sports Authority of India (SAI) called selection trials on May 17. SAI, on Tuesday night, had announced that the selection trials to pick the team for the Asian Championships, scheduled to be held at Mongolia from June 19 to 22, will be held on May 17 at the IG Stadium. The selection trials are not open but limited to just 8-10 gymnasts, who were selected for the National Coaching Camp during the trials conducted by SAI on April 12 and 13, the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) said. Besides Dipa and Patra, other top level Indian gymnasts such as Aruna Reddy, Siddharth Verma and Aditya Rana might not even be allowed to show their abilities. Over 12 top level gymnasts have already written to SAI, Sports Ministry and GFI, expressing concerns regarding the trials. The federation Wednesday had also written a strongly-worded letter to SAI, .
Milan Skriniar extends contract with Inter Milan
Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar signed a new contract to extend his stay with the club for another four years.The 24-year old who joined the club in 2017 has played all the 38 games in the league."Together. Because together we are stronger. Milan Skriniar and Inter have the same aims. And this is why FC Internazionale Milano has extended the Slovakian defender's contract until 30 June 2023," the club said in a statement.Inter Milan stand on the third position in Serie A and the defender not just appeared in the game but he has the highest average number of passes per game in this Serie A season which is 65, with a pass completion of 92.3 per cent.Inter Milan still has two matches in the Serie A against Napoli and Empoli which are scheduled to be played on May 20 and 26 respectively.
England pacer Woakes tells bowlers to be aggressive in World Cup
To bowlers worried at the prospect of running into a rampaging English batting line-up in the World Cup, England pacer Chris Woakes suggests it would be prudent to go in with an attacking mindset. Be it setting big targets or chasing improbable totals, England seemed to be at ease in recent times. On Tuesday, the World Cup hosts eased to a challenging victory target of 359 with more than five overs to spare after an opening stand of 159 between Jonny Bairstow (128) and Jason Roy (76). The bowlers' toil did not escape Woakes' eyes. "I think you have to try to be aggressive as a bowler or at least have a bit of an aggressive mindset to take wickets, because we all know as bowlers, when you get into that defensive mindset and you are just thinking purely about damage limitation that's probably when you are at your most vulnerable," Woakes said after the match. The fast bowler added, "Always trying to take that attacking approach is probably the best way and if I ever had to bowl at them .
Running best form of fitness: Arantxa Sanchez
On her first visit to Bengaluru, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario expressed her happiness to be the TCS World 10K International Event Ambassador. The former World No. 1 tennis player said after retiring events like these keep her connected to the sports world.
KL Rahul could be an option for India at No 4: Vengsarkar
Former captain Dilip Vengsarkar feels trying out K L Rahul at No. 4 is an option India can explore in the World Cup since he has the technique and temperament to succeed in English conditions. One of Indian cricket's best chairmen of selectors, the 'Colonel' is confident that Virat Kohli's men will have a smooth ride to the semi-finals and can take it from there on. The number four position has been a bone of contention after Ambati Rayudu failed to make the cut despite being given an extended run in the run up to the tournament. "We have a settled opening pair in Shikhar (Dhawan) and Rohit (Sharma). Virat Kohli is phenomenal at No 3. I feel that K L Rahul could be an option at No 4. He has the technique and can complement the top three well. I believe No 4 should be a specialist batsman," Vengsarkar told PTI during an interaction. Even though the pitches are expected to be flat during the showpiece, Vengsarkar, who himself played three World Cups (1979, 1983, 1987) with two in ...
Italian Open: Roger Federer defeats Joao Sousa
Roger Federer defeated Portugal's Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday to make a triumphant start in the Italian Open.Federer was scheduled to play against Sousa on Wednesday, but the day's play was washed out due to rain. The match was played on Thursday and Federer had no problem in brushing aside the challenge."I'm happy we got to play a good match. I think it's a slippery court here, I must say. It's tough to play I think for all the players. Every clay court plays slightly different: Monaco, Madrid, Barcelona, here, Paris," Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) quoted Federer as saying."I think when it's a bit nicer weather here, it slides a lot. I came out of the blocks well, had a good feeling. Didn't get broken. That on clay in a first round is a good sign," he added.The 20-time Grand Slam winner was seen pretty comfortable in the match hitting forehand winners many times. The veteran easily won the first set and he carried his momentum in the second set, winning the match in ..
IOA will talk to govt after May 23 to sort Pakistan visa issue: Mehta
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will have discussions with the government after the general elections to address the visa issues faced by Pakistan athletes, said its secretary general Rajeev Mehta here Thursday. Mehta, who was here for the launch of India's first Kho Kho League, said few Pakistani players had shown their interest to participate in the tournament. "We will talk to the government after May 23 regarding the visa issues faced by Pakistan players. Pakistan athletes have expressed their wish to participate in this league," said Mehta, who is also the chairman of Kho Kho Federation of India. "It is not about only Kho Kho, other sporting events which are part of International Olympic committee (IOC) are also facing similar problems, which can be solved only after IOA talks to the government," he told reporters. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had revoked the Olympic qualification status of a shooting event in New Delhi after India refused to grant visa to two ..
Gnabry sets sight on Bundesliga title
Bayern Munich player Serge Gnabry feels their campaign would not be a satisfactory one if they are not able to win the Bundesliga title.Bayern Munich have just one game left in Bundesliga. Apart from this, they will also be playing against RB Leipzig for the DFB Pokal final on May 25."It would not be a good one if we don't win a title. That's the main reason why I came to FC Bayern. Team sport is always more important than individual performance. Accordingly, it is important to get both titles at the end," Goal.com quoted Gnabry, as saying.Currently, Bayern Munich have been placed on the top position in the Bundesliga points table with 75 points followed by Dortmund with 73 points. Even a draw against Eintracht Frankfurt would be enough for them to clinch their seventh consecutive title.Bayern Munich will face Eintracht Frankfurt on May 18.
Kean Lewis signs extension with Bengaluru FC
Bengaluru FC have announced Kean Lewis contract renewal, as the winger committed his future to the Blues signing a deal that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2019-20 campaign.
Irfan Pathan only Indian to enrol for 2019 CPL Players Draft
Irfan Pathan became the only Indian cricketer on Thursday to enrol himself in the players draft for upcoming Carribean Premier League (CPL).By signing up for the players draft, Pathan may become the first Indian to play in an overseas T20 league.CPL's official website put out the final list of players who have signed up for the players draft.A record number of 536 players from 20 overseas countries and the West Indies are available to be picked by six CPL teams."The fact that so many players have registered for our draft is a testament to the stature of our league. Playing cricket in the Caribbean is something that all players look forward to, and the CPL combines that allure with a high standard of cricket. We expect that this year's tournament will be no different," Michael Hall, CPL Tournament Operations Director, said in a statement.The likes of Alex Hales, Rashid Khan, Shakib al Hasan, Jofra Archer, and JP Duminy have put their names forward for the draft along with Caribbean ...
Manchester City issues statement over Financial Fair Play sanctions case
English football club Manchester City on Thursday issued a statement expressing their disappointment over their Financial Fair Play (FFP) sanctions case being transferred to the CFCB adjudicatory chamber."Manchester City Football Club is disappointed, but regrettably not surprised, by the sudden announcement of the referral to be made by the CFCB IC Chief Investigator Yves Leterme," Manchester City said in an official statement."The leaks to media over the last week are indicative of the process that has been overseen by Mr. Leterme. Manchester City is entirely confident of a positive outcome when the matter is considered by an independent judicial body," the statement added.The newly crowned Premier League champions discovered in March that they were subjected to an investigation led by UEFA.There have been speculations that the club may face a one season ban from Champions League if they are found guilty of breaching FFP regulations."The accusation of financial irregularities ...
This year speaks for itself: Joe Gomez on Liverpool's performance
Liverpool booked a spot in the Champions League final and defender Joe Gomez is overwhelmed with his team's performance as he stated that the growth they have made is massive and wants to get the 'sixth star'."I definitely think we go into this final in a different place. It's still a Champions League final and they're always separate occasions and you have to approach it with the same mentality. But I think this year speaks for itself and the growth in the team has been massive," club's official website quoted Gomez, as saying."[The manager] shows and emphasises the fact that we're a different team and we can't go into thinking that we're the same team. In that sense, we can take the confidence from that, but still have the desire to win one because we know what it means for this club and we want to get the sixth star," it added.The 2018-19 season for Gomez was full of ups and downs as his extremely encouraging start was halted in December after he suffered a lower leg fracture. ...
Arsenal 'bitterly disappointed' with venue of UEFA final
Arsenal, who will be playing in the UEFA Europa League final later this month, have expressed dismay over the ticketing debacle which has left them with just 6,000 tickets for the final."Everyone at Arsenal is delighted to have reached the Uefa Europa League final and we are all very much looking forward to the match against Chelsea on Wednesday, May 29. However, we are bitterly disappointed by the fact that due to transport limitations Uefa can only make a maximum of 6,000 tickets available to Arsenal for a stadium with a capacity of well over 60,000. Time will tell if it is even possible for 6,000 Arsenal fans to attend the match, given how extreme the travel challenges are" read a statement posted on the team's website.Arsenal went on to question the criteria that was considered by UEFA for selecting such a venue."We have 45,000 season-ticket holders and for so many fans to miss out due to Uefa selecting a final venue with such limited transport provision is quite simply not right.
Kean Lewis signs extension with Bengaluru FC
Bengaluru FC Thursday announced Kean Lewis' contract renewal, signing a deal that will keep the winger at the club until the end of the 2019-20 campaign. The TATA Football Academy graduate was part of the Mahindra United academy where he played at various youth levels, and signed with Bengaluru ahead of the 2018-19 campaign. Twenty-six-year-old Kean claimed the assist for Erik Paartalu's winner against ATK at the Fortress, and was instrumental in several appearances off the bench in Bengaluru's run to the Indian Super League trophy. "I'm very happy to have signed on with Bengaluru FC for another season. I was given the opportunity to play in several positions last season, which shows that the coach has faith in me. It gives me more chances to play, which was a key factor in my decision. "Further to that, the team, the management, and the core of the club is intact, which bodes well for our chances of retaining the title and I'm really looking forward to that," said Kean, after ...