Page 352 - Sports
Maha Billiards: Pherwni, Badami march into semis
Top two-ranked cueists Sparsh Pherwani (-300 handicap) and Hasan Badami (-270 handicap) won their respective quarter-final matches of the BSAM-Maharashtra Challenger Tour (Billiards 2019) here Friday. The top seed Pherwani of Khar Gymkhana halted the fine run of Radio Club's Neville Razmi (-100) by coasting to a 250-198 victory and advance to the penultimate round. Second seed Badami was also in complete control against Chandu Kansodaria (-220) of Mandpeshwar Civic Foundation and strolled to a fluent 250-109 win to join Pherwani in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Khar Gymkhana's Sumehr Mago (-120), the youngest competitor remaining in the tournament, produced another impressive showing and managed to overcome seasoned campaigner Amit Sapru (-240) of Park Club by a 250-168 and will now take on Badami in the next round. In another quarter-final encounter, Elphinstone Cricket Club's Anurag Bagri (-240) fired in breaks of 58 and 48 and went on to defeat Cricket Club of India's ..
Timothy Fosu-Mensah to undergo knee surgery
Fulham defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah is heading back to Old Trafford from Fulham for rehabilitation and will undergo a knee ligament surgery."Following assessment of an injury sustained in the recent Fulham versus Everton game, Timothy Fosu-Mensah will undergo knee ligament surgery. He will return to Manchester United for rehabilitation," Fulham posted on their website on Friday.Netherlands international has 21 appearances to his name for the Red Devils across all competitions and joined Fulham in August last year. However, his performances at Craven Cottage have made him a regular target for criticism.The 21-year old has played just 12 times in the Premier League, the latest against Everton on Saturday when he picked up the injury.Fulham will now face Bournemouth at Dean Court on April 20.
England players back decision to recall Aussie duo for World Cup
Steve Smith and David Warner, who were recalled for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, gained succour from former and current England players.After the duo served their year-long ban, everyone was expecting their name in the World Cup squad. They did find their spots in the squad announced on April 15 and this decision by Cricket Australia has been backed by the English players.Chris Woakes and Alex Hales, both named in England's preliminary World Cup squad, have eulogized the duo -- Smith and Warner.Hales is of the opinion that comeback of Smith and Warner will further strengthen the Australia side."They are a strong team and with Warner and Smith coming back that adds to it. To have just gone and beaten India and Pakistan away means no-one will be taking them lightly whatsoever, especially adding Smith and Warner back to that mix. I think they could be a really formidable outfit and I'm sure they'll fancy their chances of defending the World Cup," Cricket.com.au quoted Hales, as ...
Some players need 'reality check', says Solskjaer
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, on Friday, stated that some of his players need a 'reality check' if they are to continue improving."I've learnt a lot about them over the months here and most of them have really impressed in their attitude, but some need to get a reality check of where they are," Goal.com quoted Solskjaer, as saying.Manchester United was recently dumped out of the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona. Also, the club is placed on the sixth position in the Premier League.The Norwegian also said that he spoke to individuals and emphasised that players have to deliver to stay in the squad."I've spoken to individuals and Anthony is one I've spoken to. Anthony's got massive talent and a new contract, so he knows we believe in him. Just keep working," he said."I think anyone that plays for Manchester United has to deliver to stay in the squad and stay in the team. Anthony is no different to Rashy [Marcus Rashford] or Rom [Romelu Lukaku] or Alexis ...
Barcelona can wait as Klopp eyes Cardiff and Huddersfield
Jurgen Klopp is adamant that their upcoming Premier League matches against Cardiff and Huddersfield are just as important as their mouth-watering Champions League semi-final against Barcelona as they chase down a domestic and European double. They will be huge favourites to beat both strugglers Cardiff and already relegated Huddersfield, but Klopp is taking nothing for granted in the Reds' quest to win their first domestic title since 1990 as they tussle with champions Manchester City. "These are all massive games," said Klopp ahead of Sunday's match in Cardiff. "None of them are won before we start. "Everybody thinks a lot about Barcelona but before Barcelona it's Cardiff and Huddersfield and it's exactly the same importance to us as the other games." While Liverpool eased into the last four of the Champions League with a 4-1 win at Porto, City saw their bid for an unprecendented quadruple ended by Tottenham Hotspur after what would have been a decisive goal in stoppage time was ...
Neymar, Cavani near comebacks as stuttering PSG try to wrap up title
It has turned into something of an epic limp towards the finish line, but Paris Saint-Germain will hope to finally secure another Ligue 1 title when they play host to Monaco on Sunday. Having run away with the league for most of the season, PSG have so far squandered three chances to retain the French crown this month, each time in quite remarkable fashion. Thomas Tuchel's team could have become champions in record-equalling time had they beaten Strasbourg on April 7, but Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's unbelievable miss from on the goal line cost them in a 2-2 draw. Last weekend they lost 5-1 at second-placed Lille, the first time they had conceded five in a league game since 2000, and on Wednesday, with a seriously weakened side, another chance was passed up in a 3-2 loss at Nantes. Three games, one point and 10 goals conceded. PSG had not suffered back-to-back league defeats since November 2011. Nevertheless, they are still 17 points ahead of Lille, and will be crowned champions before .
Ronaldo committed to Juve despite Champions League flop, says Allegri
Cristiano Ronaldo is committed to Juventus next season despite his bitter disappointment at the Italian giants Champions League flop, coach Massimiliano Allegri revealed on Friday. Allegri's injury-hit side host Fiorentina on Saturday needing just a point to lift their eighth straight Serie A title, days after a shock home 2-1 defeat to the Dutch side that saw them eliminated 3-2 on aggregate. "Cristiano is the future of Juventus. He has done very well this year and will do so next season, of course he is disappointed like all of us but he's calm about it," said Allegri. "Cristiano has had an extraordinary season and will play tomorrow." Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo had been bidding for a sixth Champions League title to add to his four won with Real Madrid and one with Manchester United. The 34-year-old joined Juventus from Real last summer in a 100 million-euro (USD 117 million) deal which runs until 2022, with a reported annual salary of 31 million euros. He scored six of ...
Bonding session post first loss behind MI's resurgence
Having lost their opening game of the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League at home against Delhi Capitals, the Mumbai Indians players were dejected. But known to always look after the players like her own family, Nita Ambani invited the boys home for a bonding session at Antilia.
No hiding place for out-of-form United stars: Solskjaer
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has warned his under-achieving Manchester United players there is no "hiding place" for them and they are playing for their futures at the club. The United manager, whose side exited the Champions League this week in limp fashion against Barcelona, said he is looking to the likes of Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba to rediscover their best form as they battle to qualify for next season's Champions League. United face three crucial league games with Everton, Manchester City and Chelsea that will have a huge say on whether they finish in the top four. But with big name stars such as Martial and Pogba desperately struggling for form in a run that has seen United lose five of their last seven league and cup games, the United manager has laid out demands to his players. "I've learnt a lot about them over the months I've been here now and you get to know them," said Solskjaer. "Most of them have really impressed me in their attitude and, of course, there are some who need
Satish, Sonia in QFs, 3 others in last-16 of Asian Boxing
Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Satish Kumar (+91kg) and the fast-rising Sonia Chahal (57kg) entered the quarterfinals on an all-win opening day for India at the Asian Boxing Championships here. Satish out-punched Iran's Iman Ramezanpourdelavar to make the last eight, while world silver-medallist Sonia defeated Vietnam's Uyan Do Nha in the women's draw on Friday. In the morning session, national champion Deepak (49kg) and Rohit Tokas (64kg) advanced to the last-16 stage with confident victories. Joining them was Ashish (69kg), who defeated Cambodia's V Y Sophors in the evening session. "All the gold medal winners from this competition will be assured of a place in the world championships team (scheduled in September this year)," Indian boxing's High-Performance Director Santiago Nieva told PTI. Satish, who won a bronze medal at the event in its 2015 edition, quite literally eased past his fumbling opponent, striking at will in a one-sided contest. In the last Indian bout of the ...
KXIP coach Hesson terms Kotla pitch 'consistently slow'
The Feroz Shah Kotla pitch here has been a subject of debate this IPL season and Kings XI Punjab coach Mike Hesson Friday termed it "consistently slow", saying they will prepare accordingly. In four outings, Delhi Capitals have lost three matches at Kotla, the last coming against Mumbai Indians on Thursday night. The home batsmen have found the tracks far from friendly and after one of the matches, coach Ricky Ponting called it the worst. On the eve of their game against Delhi Capitals, KXIP coach Hesson said, "Look the surface here, although we can't guarantee how the pitch is going to be, most of the games have been consistent in terms of how they have been on the slower side. "We will prepare accordingly, obviously we haven't watched the game the other night. We can't guarantee if the pitch is going to be same but the characteristic is probably going to be similar," said Hesson. The 44-year-old said he had no issues with most of this edition's matches finishing past midnight with ..
Hardik has transitioned from 'boy to man', says his coach
Hardik Pandya is in sublime form in the IPL and his coach Jitendra Singh feels that the India all-rounder has transitioned from "a boy to a man." Hardik seems to be in menacing form with the bat ahead of the World Cup, having overcome a back injury and a massive controversy following his sexist comments on a popular TV show. "In very short words I will say that he (Hardik) has now matured from a boy to a man," Jitendra told PTI from his native town in Uttar Pradesh. "You will not believe the day he was back from Australia, I gave him a call in the night and told him that positively from tomorrow or day after we will start doing things (training). No one knew, but we slowly, gradually started preparing for many things," said the coach. Hardik and K L Rahul were sent back home from Australia following their loose comments on women during Koffee with Karan. Their provisional suspension was revoked by the BCCI and they know await the outcome of an inquiry conducted by Ombudsman D K ...
Manush-Raegan secure mixed team bronze at Belgium Junior Open
India's Manush Shah and Raegan Albuquerque clinched a bronze medal in the Belgium Junior and Cadet Open, a part of the ITTF Junior Circuit Premium, here on Friday. The duo paired up with Iran's Amin Ahmadian and Radin Khayyam to win the medal in the Junior Boys event. The Indo-Iranian team didn't have the best of starts against local lads Adrien Rassenfosse, Nicolas Degros and Olav Kosolosky as Iran's Amin Ahmadian went down meekly (0-3) to Adrien in the first match. However, Manush promptly restored parity with a 3-1 win over Olav Kosolosky. Raegan couldn't keep up the momentum as he lost out to Nicolas Degros in a closely fought encounter (1-3). World No. 21 (U-18) Manush displayed grit to register another 3-1 win over Adrien Rassenfosse to take the contest into the last match. Iran's Amin came into his own to seal a 3-2 victory over Olav to carry the team into the semifinals. In the semis, the mixed team of Indians and Iranians were up against the combination of Ryoichi Yoshiyama .
Kotla has been slow, will prepare accordingly: Hesson
With Delhi Capitals making a mess of their chase against Mumbai Indians on their home ground, Kings XI Punjab walk into the game on Saturday with renewed confidence and coach Mike Hesson feels that the team has studied the wicket at the Kotla and will plan accordingly.
7 Indian players to play County cricket before World Test C'ship opener vs WI
Seven of India's Test specialists may play a few games for various English county sides to prepare for the inaugural World Test Championship series in July and August. The players that BCCI have zeroed in are Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Hanuma Vihari, Mayank Agarwal, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ishant Sharma, who will play County cricket. Pujara already has a three-year contract with Yorkshire and is set to play there again. "Pujara's contract was a deal between him and the county and it's a long term deal," a senior BCCI official told PTI on Friday. As far as Rahane is concerned, he is likely to sign a deal with Hampshire in the coming week and is waiting for the approval of all three Committee of Administrators. "CoA head Vinod Rai has already given his approval but Diana Edulji and Lt General Ravi Thodage are yet to give their approvals," the official said. "With India set to play against the Caribbean in about fortnight after the end of the World Cup, the BCCI has
Vikas to fight second pro bout at Madison Square Garden on Saturday
Indian boxer Vikas Krishan will take on American Noah Kidd in his second professional bout, which will be held at the iconic Madison Square Garden here on Saturday. The six-round super welterweight bout is on the undercard for the keenly-anticipated WBO welterweight title clash between Terence Crawford and British star Amir Khan. The 27-year-old from Bhiwani is associated with legendary promoter Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotions and made an impressive professional debut -- a Technical Knock Out win in the second round against Steven Andrade of the United States in January. "Madison Square Garden is one of the biggest and most famous arenas of the world and I am very excited to fight here," said Vikas, who is contracted to fight five bouts in his debut year. "Fighting in a big arena relieves pressure and I have been fighting and training harder since I got here. All of this will help me become a better boxer," he added. Vikas has been training in Newark, New Jersey under veteran boxing ...
Dhawan and Pandya's bromance on display at Kotla
They might have lost the game to Mumbai Indians by 40 runs, but Delhi Capitals opener Shikhar Dhawan had a fun time when MI all-rounder Hardik Pandya met him before the game at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Thursday night. The two were seen sharing a hug as the bromance was clearly on display.
Spinners will be very important: DC spin bowling coach Badree
Delhi Capitals spin bowling coach Samuel Badree feels that the spinners have a huge role to play on a slow pitch here and the team selection is going to be crucial ahead of their IPL match against Kings XI Punjab on Saturday. Delhi lost to Mumbai by 40 runs here on Thursday night with the visiting team spinners playing a key role. "I think the spinners will be very important, especially here at Kotla we have seen that the pitch is a little bit slow. There has been variable bounce and we saw that against Mumbai Indians as well. Their spinners were very crucial through the power-play and the middle overs," said Badree. "I felt they strangled us during the overs that their spinners bowled. In the first 13 overs of our innings, I think they bowled at least 10 overs of spin, so it was a lesson for us. In terms of overall team selection, we may have missed a trick there. But our bowlers had done a great job in our last game in very tough conditions in Hyderabad so we were 100 percent ...
With one eye on World Cup, junior girls NFC set to get underway in Kolhapur
A month on from the announcement of India hosting the FIFA U-17 women's World Cup in 2020, the junior girls' national football championship is all set to kick off here Saturday. The tournament, now entering its fifth edition, will serve as a platform for scouting talent for next year's World Cup and will see a total of 27 teams take part across eight groups, with the winner from each group moving into the quarterfinals. The first three editions were won by Manipur and the previous one, which was held in Cuttack, saw Tamil Nadu lift the trophy. The defending champions have been drawn against Delhi and Madhya Pradesh in Group B and will be in action on the opening day, which will feature a total of six matches being played across two venues the Rajarshi Shahu Stadium and Polo Ground. The fixtures for Day 1 (Saturday) are as follows: Jharkhand vs Jammu and Kashmir (Group A) Tamil Nadu vs Madhya Pradesh (Group B) Manipur vs Uttarakhand (Group C) Goa vs Tripura (Group C) West Bengal vs ...
Junior girls' national football starts Saturday
A month on from the announcement of India hosting the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in 2020, the junior girls' National Football Championship is all set to kick-off here on Saturday.