Page 334 - Sports
London Marathon success would rival all my titles - Farah
British athletics legend Mo Farah said on Wednesday winning the London Marathon would equate in terms of achievement with the four Olympic and six world track titles he won. The 36-year-old Somalia-born runner -- who focussed on road racing after taking silver in the 5,000 metres final in London in 2017 -- would have good reason to rate it that highly this year as he has to beat world record holder and defending London Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge. The 34-year-old Kenyan -- who was given a good battle by Farah last year before the latter faded to finish third -- is bidding for a men's record fourth win in the race on Sunday. "My aim is to win the London Marathon one day," he said. "That is my task, but you can't take it for granted because Eliud is a great athlete and a world record holder. "If I do beat him it would be an amazing achievement." Farah, who hinted in March victory in the London Marathon might prompt him to bid for a fourth successive world 10,000m title in Doha ...
FA welcomes players' anti-racism manifesto, warns against unilateral action
A manifesto signed by England star Raheem Sterling and fellow footballers to combat racism in the sport received a positive response from English football's governing body on Wednesday. However, the Football Association (FA) recommended that if players are racially abused and want to walk off the pitch in protest -- as some have intimated they will do in the future -- they leave it to the referee and do not take the decision unilaterally. Sterling, the victim of several instances of racial abuse this season, said teams whose fans racially abused players should be docked nine points in the manifesto published in Tuesday's edition of The Times. It also called for more black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people in positions of power within football, more severe punishments for racist abuse and greater action by social media organisations, sponsors and traditional media. The FA responded with a lengthy statement on Wednesday saying they agreed "completely with the manifesto's ...
Lazio fans hold fascist flash mob ahead of Milan semi-final
Neo-fascists believed to be hardcore fans of Serie A side Lazio held a far-right flash mob ahead of Wednesday's Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against AC Milan, according to media reports. Their faces masked by a long banner reading "Honour to Benito Mussolini", the group sang fascist songs and performed the Nazi salute near the city's Piazza Loreto, where the defeated dictator's body was strung up in 1945, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported. A short video circulating on social media shows the group holding up the banner, signed 'IRR' in a reference to the Irriducibili -- Lazio's hardcore 'ultra' supporters who have a long history of hard-right politics. The flash mob came a day before Italy's Liberation Day, celebrating the end of Nazi occupation, and ahead of a match in Milan already marked by tension between the two teams. The Serie A clash between them at the San Siro earlier this month finished with Milan 1-0 winners and scuffles on the pitch after the home players held up the
Spanish Super Cup could be played in Saudi Arabia - Rubiales
- The Spanish Super Cup could be played in Saudi Arabia from 2020 after the president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, admitted on Wednesday the move is a "possibility". According to a report in Marca on Tuesday, the RFEF is negotiating a six-year deal for the competition to be played in the Middle-East from January 2020. "It's a possibility," Rubiales said during a media breakfast with journalists in Madrid. The RFEF is reportedly hoping to earn around 30 million euros per year from the agreement. "It is very difficult to reach that figure, very, very difficult," Rubiales added. "We are going to try to get as close as possible." Rubiales also wants to change the format of the Spanish Super Cup, which currently pits the reigning La Liga champions against the latest winners of the Copa del Rey. His reforms would expand the tournament to a final four, involving both finalists of the Copa del Rey, as well as the top two teams in La Liga. The new competition ...
La Liga to be Real Madrid's number one priority next season
Zinedine Zidane said on Wednesday La Liga will be Real Madrid's top priority next season after they were mathematically ruled out of the title race with five games left. Barcelona's victory over Alaves confirmed that Madrid cannot be crowned champions given they sit 16 points behind the Catalans with only 15 still to play for. Despite incredible success in the Champions League, it means Madrid have now won the Spanish title only once in seven years while Barca are on the cusp of securing their fourth in the last five, and eighth in 11. "For us next year, the league must be our number one priority," Zidane said. "It's the longest competition, it's the one that cannot be missed and I'm going to put that in the heads of my players. "It will be our bread and butter for sure, without devaluing the rest, because we try to fight on all fronts at this club, but our bread and butter will be La Liga." Barcelona's 26th league title will be confirmed on Wednesday night if Atletico Madrid are ...
Belgian FA, Anderlecht facilities searched amid transfer probe
Authorities carried out searches at the Belgian football association's headquarters and Anderlecht's training ground on Wednesday as part of an investigation into suspected transfer fraud, a judicial source said. The source, confirming local media reports, said the inquiry was separate to the "footballgate" scandal that has resulted in some 20 suspects -- including agents, referees and club officials -- being charged amid a vast probe into fraud and match-fixing. The investigation that led to five searches on Wednesday in the Belgian capital is looking into suspicions of money laundering by player agents, according to the federal prosecutor's office. Local media reported that the training centre at Anderlecht, the record 34-time Belgian champions, was among three places targeted by police in Brussels. Two other searches took place in Laeken, the home of the Belgian FA, and in Schaerbeek, at the headquarters of the One Goal Management company which specialises in transfers, said La ...
Honda's Indian racing team set for ARRC round 2
'IDEMITSU Honda Racing India -- the Indian two-wheeler racing team from Honda 2 wheelers India is all fired up to raise the stakes in Round 2 of the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARCC) 2019.
Pant will play for India for next 15 years, says Ganguly
World Cup snub could surely be disappointing but 21-year-old Rishabh Pant will play "many more World Cups" and don the national colours for at least 15 years, said former skipper Sourav Ganguly. The 21-year-old Pant was pipped by veteran Dinesh Karthik as the second-choice wicketkeeper in the World Cup squad. "Dhoni will not play on forever. DK will also not play on forever. Rishabh is the next best. Pant is the future absolutely," Ganguly told PTI in an interview on the sidelines of the launch of Zee Bangla's U-19 Football League. "He's got 15-16 years ahead of him. I don't see it as a major blow. I don't think it's a problem. He might miss this World Cup but he will play many more World Cups. This is not the end of road for him." As a 'selector' Ganguly would have picked Pant in the side but overall he said it's a well-balanced side for the showpiece event beginning May 30. "Maybe I would have (picked Pant as a selector). But I think Dinesh Karthik is also very good... I think it's .
Chennai Spartans become first Indian club to enter AVC Championship semifinals
Chennai Spartans became the first Indian club to advance to the semifinal of the Asian Men's Volleyball Club Championship when they defeated Ho Chi Minh City here Wednesday. The Vietnamese champions were no match for the Indian club as they stumbled to a defeat in straight sets and surrendered the contest 25-21 25-18 25-21. For the Spartans, Naveen Jacob came up with an impressive haul of 17 points in the encounter. Ho Chi Minh City ran the Spartans close in the first set but some fine attacking by the likes of Jerome Vinith and Ruslans Sorokins helped the Spartans seize the advantage. The next set saw Rudy Verhoeff and Jacob step up as the duo ensured the Spartans never gave away the advantage despite some fine spiking by Nguyen Van Hanh. Ho Chi Minh pushed the Spartans hard in the eventual set, but the late resurgence only delayed the inevitable as the Indian club notched up their second straight set victory. "It was our best result so far in this tournament as we are now among the .
Indian wrestlers bagged five medals but no gold on 2nd day in Asian C'ships
Indian wrestlers reaped a rich-harvest of five medals in men's freestyle events but a gold medal eluded them on the second day of the Asian Championships here on Wednesday. All the five wrestlers who competed on Wednesday won a medal each but none could add a gold on the second day after Bajrang Punia clinched a yellow metal in 65kg men's freestyle on Tuesday. Amit Dhankar and Vicky lost their respective gold medal bouts in the 74kg and 92kg respectively. Rahul Aware (61kg), Deepak Punia (86kg) and Sumit (125kg) swelled the Indian medal tally with a bronze each. With the two silver and three bronze medals on Wednesday, India's medal tally went up to one gold, three silver and four bronze. Bajrang Punia (65kg) had won a gold on Tuesday while Parveen Rana (79kg) and Satywart Kadian (97kg) had clinched a silver and a bronze respectively. Dhankar, who won a gold in 66kg in the 2013 edition, lost to Daniyar Kaisanov of Kazakhstan 0-5 in the final. The 28-year-old Haryana wrestler began ...
Dagar, Vani among five Indians at Lalla Meryem Cup
Teenage sensation Diksha Dagar will spearhead the Indian challenge at the Lalla Meryem Cup Golf Championship here Thursday. Dagar, only the second Indian to win on the Ladies European Tour, will be joined by Vani Kapoor, Tvesa Malik, Amandeep Drall and Astha Madan. Dagar, who had won the Investec South African Ladies Open in March alongside Vani and Tvesa will play in the morning wave, while Amandeep and Astha go out in the afternoon session on the first day. England's Meghan MacLaren will also look to build on her recent strong performances in Australia and Jordan where she finished winner and runner-up respectively as she sets her sights firmly on the Lalla Meryem Cup. A victory here would see her take the lead in the race to be crowned European Number One and leapfrog Charley Hull and Carlota Ciganda into second place on the European Solheim Cup points list, boosting her chances of a debut appearance for Team Europe. The 24-year-old has won the LET Access Series Order of Merit in ..
Punjab ask Bangalore to bat (Toss)
Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) skipper Ravichandran Ashwin won the toss and opted to bowl against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) tie at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Wednesday.
Pant is just 21, WC omission not end of road: Ganguly
Dinesh Karthik getting the nod over Rishabh Pant in India's 15-member squad for the World Cup raised a lot of eyebrows, but former India captain Sourav Ganguly feels the snub is not the end of the road for the young Delhi stumper.
Russel will come up the batting order if situation demands: KKR coach Kallis
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach Jacques Kallis feels Andre Russell will definitely come up higher in the batting order if the situation demands.His remarks come after the underutilisation of Russell with the bat in the IPL match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday."It certainly hadn't been one of our plans but if the situation arises then it's something we'll think of. It's a matter of what the team needs in such a situation and what the captain and management come up with, and we feel where each player is suited to play. But like I said, if a situation arises where Andre or someone else can come up the order, we've got to perhaps try one or two things a little differently," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Kallis as saying on Tuesday.Russell has been in a fine form in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he has scored 392 runs at an average of 65.33 and a strike rate of 217.77.KKR lost the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad and as a result, they are positioned at the ...
Manu Bhaker, Heena Sidhu fail to make final at ISSF World Cup
Teen sensation Manu Bhaker and the seasoned Heena Sidhu looked off colour as both failed to make the final in the 10m air pistol event at the the ISSF World Cup here Wednesday. In the qualification round, Manu shot 575 to end in 17the spot while Heena shot 572 to finished at the 26th position. Korea's Kim Minjung won gold in the event with a score of 245 in the final on day 2 of the competition. In the Men's 3P event, Chain Singh's qualifying round effort of 1165 got him 27th place while Parul Kumar shot 1164 for the 33rd position. Senior marksman Sanjeev Rajput was languishing at the 58th spot with a score of 1145. Talented Czech shooter Philip Nepejchal downed Russian rifle ace Sergey Kamenskiy in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) final to claim the gold. In the two medal events of the day Yashaswani Singh Deswal's 10th place finish in the women's 10m Air Pistol was the best Indian performance. She shot a score of 577 while the 578 was the last qualifying score.
Conditions in England would be unpredictable for WC, says Bairstow
Wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow believes the conditions in England would be unpredictable for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, beginning May 30."We do not know what conditions, we do not know what weather England's going to have in store for us. Sometimes it can be overcast, sometimes it can be nice and sunny. The pitch can change," ESPNcricinfo quoted Bairstow, as saying.The 29-year-old, who played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL), scored 445 runs in 10 games, including a 52-ball century against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Following the performances, Bairstow said he is confident of playing spin and tackle sub-continental teams."You have got Afghanistan that will probably bowl 30-40 overs of spin. And you do not know in England - it is not like in India, where if you see a pitch is dry, then it is definitely going to turn. Sometimes it can be a bit softer in England and a bit tacky, so it can turn as well. If they can potentially limit the team to a ...
Asia Badminton C'ship: Sindhu, Saina enter second round, Srikanth crashes out
Top Indian shuttlers P V Sindhu and Saina Nehwal notched up contrasting wins to enter the second round but Kidambi Srikanth suffered a shock defeat in the Asia Badminton Championship here Wednesday. Olympic and world championship silver-medallist Sindhu eased past Takahashi Sayaka of Japan in straight games. Sindhu looked in command from the beginning and registered a thumping 21-14 21-7 victory in just 28 minutes. The fourth-seeded Indian will next face Choirunnisa of Indonesia. World number nine Saina had to work hard to get the better of China's Han Yue. The seventh seeded Indian came back strongly to pull off a thrilling 12-21 21-11 21-17 win after conceding the first game. The London Olympics bronze-medallist will next square off against Kim Ga Eun of South Korea. In men's singles, fifth seed Srikanth lost to Indonesia's Shesar Hiren Rhustavito in 16-21 20-22 in a match that lasted 44 minutes. This was the Indian Open finalist's second meeting with Rhustavito. The two had last ..
Jamshedpur FC sign Keegan on one-year deal
Jamshedpur FC have completed the signing of Indian defender Keegan Pereira on a one-year deal.
Asian C'ship: Sindhu and Saina advance, Srikanth exits
Ace India shuttlers Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu and Sameer Verma registered victories in their first round matches on Wednesday to advance to the pre-quarterfinal Badminton Asian Championship. However, it was the end of the road for Kidambi Srikanth who made an early exit.
Stephanie Frappart to become first female referee in Ligue 1
Stephanie Frappart will become the first female referee, who will take charge of a Ligue 1 match in French football history.She will be taking charge of the clash between Amiens and Strasbourg, which will take place on Sunday.The 35-year old has refereed at Ligue 2 level since 2014 and the French Football Federation (FFF) has assigned her a top-flight match in a historic move, Goal.com reported.France will host the women's World Cup, which is scheduled to take place next year, and this move is part of their preparation for the tournament.However, this is not the first time when a woman will be officiating in the French top flight. Nelly Viennot was an assistant referee for over a decade.Viennot was one of the 82 elite officials shortlisted for 60 assistant referee positions during the 2006 World Cup in Germany but she failed a sprint test which ruled her out.No other female official has come as close to officiating at a men's World Cup.