Page 261 - Sports
India colts team named for 8-Nation U-21 tourney in Spain
Hockey India on Tuesday named the 18-member Indian junior men's team for the 8-Nation Under-21 Tournament in Spain, commencing on June 10. The teams which will vie for top honours include the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, hosts Spain and India. The Indian junior men's team will be captained by Mandeep Mor, while Suman Beck will be his deputy. The goalkeepers named for this tournament are Prashant Kumar Chauhan and Pawan. Defenders will be skipper Mor, Pratap Lakra, Sanjay, Akashdeep Singh Junior, Beck and Parampreet Singh. Midfielders include Yashdeep Siwach, Vishnu Kant Singh, Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, Maninder Singh, Vishal Antil while the forwardline will feature Amandeep Singh, Rahul Kumar Rajbhar, Shivam Anand, Sudeep Chirmako. Speaking about the team selection, David John, Director, High Performance said, "Some of the players have had good international exposure and I am hopeful that the 8 Nations U-21 Tournament will further their ...
Minerva face Nepalese side Manang in must-win AFC Cup match
Unbeaten yet without a win so far, former I-League champions Minerva Punjab will need a victory to remain afloat when they take on Manang Marshyangdi Club of Nepal in their AFC Cup group match here on Wednesday. Minerva are yet to notch up their first win of the AFC Cup, having played out three consecutive draws in as many matches. The 2017-18 I-League champions are third in Group E with three points and another draw or a loss will severely dent their chances of advancing to the next round. Chennaiyin FC are leading the group with seven points while Abahani Dhaka are second with four points. Manang are at the bottom of the four-team group with just one point. All the four sides have played three matches each so far and only the top team from the group will make it to the the Inter-Zonal Play-off Semifinals. The two sides had played out a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Bhubaneswar and Wednesday's match at the ANFA Complex will be crucial for both Minerva and Manang. Minerva need a win to
'AIFF behaving like silent killer with I-League clubs'
Minerva Punjab FC owner Ranjit Bajaj on Tuesday called the All India Football Federation (AIFF) a "silent killer" and said the sole purpose of the sporting body is to destroy the I-League and its participating clubs.
Roma captain De Rossi to leave club after 18 years
Roma captain Daniele De Rossi is surprisingly leaving his hometown club after 18 years. Roma made the announcement on its website, adding De Rossi will hold a news conference later Tuesday. The 35-year-old midfielder is expected to play abroad following his final two upcoming matches with Roma at Sassuolo and at home against Parma. "We will all shed tears when he pulls on the Giallorossi shirt for the last time against Parma but we respect his desire to prolong his playing career even if, at almost 36, it will be away from Rome," club president James Pallotta said. "On behalf of everyone at Roma, I would like to thank Daniele for his incredible dedication to this club and assure him that our doors will remain open for him to return to the club in a new role whenever he wants." The move adds another disappointing chapter to a difficult season for Roma, which is still battling to get into the top four Serie A spots and stay in the Champions League.
'In the mood': Federer seeks more match time at Italian Open
At 37 and with 20 Grand Slam titles, Roger Federer still gets excited about playing tennis. That's why he added this week's Italian Open to his schedule. Federer says he was "in the mood to play," adding "honestly, I love to play matches. Regardless of what happens here, I just think it's good for me to play matches at this stage." After reaching the Madrid Open quarterfinals last week upon his return to clay after a two-year absence, Federer went to Switzerland. He said the cool weather at home also convinced him to make the trip to Rome. Federer begins play Wednesday against either 37th-ranked Frances Tiafoe or 75th-ranked Joao Sousa. Federer is preparing for the French Open, which starts in less than two weeks.
India football team's performance can only go up: Udanta Singh
India international Udanta Singh feels that the Kings Cup tournament in Thailand next month will be a chance to show the upward graph in national team's performance after its creditable show at the Asian Cup earlier this year. The Indian team was on the verge of making to the knock-out rounds of the Asian Cup in the UAE in January before a late goal by Bahrain dashed its hopes. The team will play in the Kings Cup starting June 5 in Thailand. "In the AFC Asian Cup, we showed what we are capable of. We were unlucky not to progress through to the next round. But our win over Thailand was a statement of our abilities as a young team," Udanta said. "We can only go upwards from here and the Kings Cup will be another good platform to grow," the India winger was quoted as saying by the official website of the All India Football Federation. India play Caribbean nation Curacao in their opening match of the King's Cup on June 5 at Buriram, Thailand. The fleet-footed Manipuri said strength and ...
Dutch F1 Grand Prix returns at Zandvoort next season
The Dutch Grand Prix will return next season at Zandvoort after a 35-year absence, Formula One organisers announced on Tuesday. A deal to stage the race at the historic seaside resort circuit near Amsterdam has been signed for at least three years. "I am pleased to see that Zandvoort will be part of the proposed calendar... and thankful for the hard work of Formula 1 to bring the sport back to the Netherlands", Jean Todt, president of the sport's ruling body the FIA, said. Red Bull's Dutch driver Max Verstappen, born 12 years after Niki Lauda took the last chequered flag in a McLaren in 1985, hailed the prospect of lining up in his home race. "It's just an iconic, historic track," Verstappen said in a team statement. Formula One chief executive Chase Carey said the return of racing to the Netherlands was in line with their twin policy of "respecting the sport's historic roots in Europe" whilst also looking for new venues. "Next season therefore, we will have a brand new street race ...
History made as women to referee men's AFC Cup
The Asian Football Confederation announced Tuesday that for the first time an all-female referee team will take charge of a men's continental club cup clash. Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita and assistants Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi will officiate the AFC Cup match between Myanmar's Yangon United and Cambodia's Naga World at the Thuwunna Stadium on Wednesday. "This will be the first time three female referees preside in the Asian Football Confederation's club competitions, marking a new milestone in Asian refereeing," the AFC said in a statement. The AFC Cup is the second-string Asian club competition, a rung below the AFC Champions League. Women officals have only previously been employed as assistant referees in AFC Cup matches, with Australians Sarah Ho and Alysson Flynn becoming the first in 2014. "This is one of my dreams," said the experienced Yamashita, who officiated in the 2016 and 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and 2018 Women's Asian Cup. "We've worked very hard ..
4 students get Laliga football schools scholarship
The LaLiga Football Schools Scholarship has been granted to four Indian students, who will travel to Spain and train with a first division club. The four students - Rian Katoch and Asik Shaikh, both from Mumbai, andIshan Murali and Vidwath Shetty, from Bengaluru, will visit Spain from May 26 to June 5 to train with CD Leganes, said a media release issued here on Tuesday. During their visit, the students would be trained in various technical and non-technical aspects of football through sessions with club officials and Spain's best youth players, the release said. Launched in association with the Embassy of Spain in India and private firm India On Track, the LaLiga Football Schools Scholarship aims to reward the best Indian talent and fast-track their sport goals annually, it added.
India's GS Lakshmi is ICC's first female match referee
India's GS Lakshmi on Tuesday became the first female to be appointed to the ICC International Panel of Match Referees.
Shagun best placed Indian in Women's Trap at Changwon Shotgun WC
Shagun Chowdhary shot 65 out of 75 to emerge the best-placed Indian at 34th position after day one of the Women's Trap shooting qualifiers at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Shotgun in Changwon, Korea. Shagun shot rounds of 21, 21 and 23 to lie at 34th spot with France's Carole Cormenier and China's Wang Xiaojing leading the 59-strong field with scores of 72 each at the year's third Shotgun World Cup stage. Rajeshwari Kumari, the second Indian in the field on the day, shot 58 to be at 56th position with two more rounds of qualifying remaining. It will be followed by the finals of Wednesday, which will also be the first day of the Men's Trap qualifiers.
Roma's 'beating heart' De Rossi moving on after 18 years
Captain Daniele De Rossi will bring the curtain down on his 18-year career with Roma at the end of the season, the Serie A side announced on Tuesday. The 35-year-old former World Cup winning midfielder will play his final game at home against Parma on May 26, but will not be retiring from professional football. "(De Rossi) plans to pursue a new adventure away from Rome," the club said in a statement. "It will be the end of an era." The game could be a crucial one for Roma's Champions League ambitions next season as last year's European semi-finalists are sixth in Serie A just one point off fourth place with two games to play. De Rossi has spent his entire senior career with his hometown team coming through the club's academy system. "For 18 years, Daniele has been the beating heart of AS Roma's team," said club president Jim Pallotta said. "We will all shed tears when he pulls on the Giallorossi shirt for the last time against Parma but we respect his desire to prolong his playing ...
AS Roma FC confirms Daniele De Rossi's exit
Italy's football club AS Roma FC on Monday confirmed that midfielder Daniele De Rossi will leave the club this summer."For 18 years, Daniele has been the beating heart of AS Roma's team. From his debut in 2001 to take on the responsibility of the captain's armband, he always represented the Roma fans on the pitch with pride as he established himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe," club president Jim Pallotta said in an official statement."On behalf of everyone at Roma, I'd like to thank Daniele for his incredible dedication to this club and ensure him that our doors will remain open for him to return to the club in a new role whenever he wants," he added.De Rossi joined the club in 2001 and from there onwards he proved himself as the greatest midfielders in the world.After spending some time at the club, De Rossi was handed the captaincy reins and he inherited the captaincy from another Roma icon, Francesco Totti.Totti is the only player who is ahead of De Rossi in Roma's ..
Twitter divided over Dhoni's run out in IPL final
Mumbai Indians (MI) defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by just one run in a thrilling final of the just concluded edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Kagiso Rabada likely to be fit ahead of World Cup
South Africa fast-bowler Kagiso Rabada, who suffered a back injury during his stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL), is set to be fit ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019.Concerns over Rabada's fitness for the World Cup surfaced after the South Africa board asked the fast bowler to return from India, where he was instrumental in Delhi Capitals progress to reach the IPL playoffs for the first time since 2012.Cricket South Africa (CSA) told both Delhi Capitals and IPL that Rabada had a back niggle and needed rest and recovery time ahead of the World Cup. South Africa board's doctor Mohammed Moosajee over the weekend said CSA's medical team was being "extra cautious" in managing Rabada's workload because of his history with back injuries, ESPNcricinfo reported.Earlier, Moosajee, in a statement issued by CSA, had said, "With KG (Rabada), we are extra cautious because of two reasons. He had a back issue that kept him out of the game for a protracted amount of time. Secondly, ...
Have been doing my role for Windies, says Ashley Nurse
Off-spinner Ashley Nurse believes he is fulfilling his role that the West Indies expect from him. However, he wants to be even more consistent going into the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019, beginning May 30."I've been bowling well in patches. I haven't been as consistent as I'd like to be. Getting wickets is the ultimate goal for a bowler. I got a four-wicket haul in the first game against Ireland but I didn't bowl that well. But I'll take getting wickets any day. (In) the other two games it was a bit tough. This hasn't been a spinning deck. Wickets here are generally not good for spinners ... I have been doing my role in the team and it's nice to come in and do what the team requires (from) me," ICC quoted Nurse, as saying.The 30-year-old, who returned with the figures of 3/53 in the fifth match against Bangladesh, has surged to the top of the wicket-taking list with a total of seven scalps. Nurse's performance is impressive given the Irish conditions are not spin-friendly.In the ..
'GoT' fans enraged over Jaime Lannister's regrown right hand, HBO says it is promo still
First there was a takeaway coffee cup and now there is a hand for it in "Game of Thrones". Jaime Lannister's right hand, which had been severed in the season three of the HBO series, made a reappearance in a a promotional photo of the show's latest episode "The Bells". In the penultimate episode of the eighth and final season, when Jaime (played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) reunites with his sister Cersei, the hand makes a comeback. After the debacle of the coffee cup, which the network later erased from the show, fans noticed another gaffe. However, HBO told Fox News on Monday that the error did not make it into the actual episode but only appeared in a promotional still. But there was no stopping the fans on social media. "Another editing blunder. Jaime's grown a hand! #GoT" wrote a fan on Twitter, alongside the still in which one can see the right hand peeping as Jaime hugged Cersei. "Wonderful, Jaime's hand magically healed in, It's the magic of their love. Lol," said another. "A ...
India's GS Lakshmi becomes first female ICC match referee
Former India women cricketer GS Lakshmi on Tuesday became the first female to be appointed to the ICC International Panel of Match Referees.The 51-year-old, who first officiated as a match referee in domestic women's cricket in 2008-09, has overseen three women's ODI matches and as many women's T20I games."To be selected in the international panel by the ICC is a huge honour for me as it opens up new avenues. I have had a long career as a cricketer in India and also as a Match Referee. I hope to put my experience both as a player and as a match official to good use on the international circuit," Lakshmi said."I would like to take this opportunity to thank the ICC, officials at the BCCI, my seniors in the cricketing circuit, my family and colleagues who have supported me over the years. I hope to live up to their expectations by doing my job to the best of my ability," she added.Following close on the heels of Claire Polosak, who earlier this month became the first ever woman umpire to
RBCC national finals being held in Jaipur
The national finals of the Red Bull Campus Cricket (RBCC) 2019 are currently being held in Jaipur from May 13 to 17.
Six African teams aim to keep T20 World Cup dream alive
Six teams are set to battle it out in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Final 2019, scheduled in Uganda, with two countries just one step away from Australia 2020.Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, and Uganda cleared the sub-regional qualifiers last year to reach the Africa Final. The teams will play a round-robin tournament from May 19 to 24.Each team will play each other once and after the completion of 15 games, the top two in the table will go on to represent Africa at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE later this year -- where six teams will advance to the T20 World Cup in Australia in October 2020.The Africa Final qualifiers will join Papua New Guinea, UAE, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Oman, Scotland and Zimbabwe in the global qualifier which will take place between October 11 and November 3 this year. The UAE automatically qualified as hosts and PNG came through the East Asia-Pacific (EAP) Final in March.Australia and nine other top-ranked sides -- ...