Page 439 - Sports
India Open 2019: Eight singles players, 10 teams advance to main draw
Eight singles players and 10 teams from India secured berths in the main draw as the qualifying rounds got over at the India Open 2019 badminton tournament here on Tuesday.Third seed Rahul Yadav Chittaboina and fourth seed Siddharath Thakur led the march in men's singles along with Kartik Jindal while veteran Pranaav Jerry Chopra made it through to the main draw of men's doubles in partnership with Shivam Sharma.World number 257 Jindal hardly broke a sweat in dismissing the 365th Pavel Kotsarenko in the first round. He was then made to work hard by the spirited world number 814 Sarath Dunna, who had knocked out the 210th ranked Yehezkiel Fritz Mainaky 21-9, 17-21, 21-16 in his opening round.Dunna showed the same resolve against Jindal before going down 12-21, 23-21, 19-21 in a tight contest that lasted 53 minutes.Following the marathon, the 20-year-old Jindal stressed on the importance of recovering well before his first round clash with seventh seed Khosit Phetpradab."I feel ...
Ashwini-Sikki stun Chinese combo to enter second round of India Open
Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy notched up a stunning straight-game win over world no 18 Li Wenmei and Zheng Yu to make it to the second round of women's doubles competition at USD 350,000 India Open here Tuesday. The world no 23 Indian pair, who had finished runners-up at the Syed Modi International World Tour Super 300 tournament, stunned Li and Zheng 22-20 21-19 in the opening round. "We got really good training last week. We had stretched top players but couldn't convert it to a win, so it gives us a lot of confidence to be able to do that," Ashwini said after the match. Men's doubles duo of Arjun MR and Shlok Ramachandran, however, suffered a 16-21 18-21 loss to Chinese pair of Huang Kaixiang and Wang Zekang to crash out of the World Tour Super 500 tournament. In the qualifying round, Indian shuttlers expectedly dominated with eight singles and 10 doubles pairs from the country securing berths in the main draw. As many as 13 shuttlers were .
Sri Lanka Cricket clears Malinga for IPL
Changing its stance, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Tuesday released Lasith Malinga for IPL, saying the fast bowler will get to bowl against better batsmen in the Twenty20 league. Malinga, who is one of the key pacers for Mumbai Indians, had initially made himself unavailable for the team's first six matches as he was supposed to participate in Sri Lanka's Super Provincial One-Day domestic tournament, scheduled for April 4-11. SLC had said competing in the ODI event was a must to be in World Cup reckoning. But SLC released a statement on its official Twitter handle, saying the fast bowler can now play in IPL. "SLC decided to give permission to Lasith Malinga to play in the ongoing IPL. The management decided to release Malinga from participating in the Super Provincial; since he would get an opportunity to play with much stronger opposition in IPL;which consist of international players," the statement read. It has also been reported that BCCI made a few calls to SLC officials to secure ...
I don't want to be Ashwin, says KP
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen says senior India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will not be talked about favourably by many people for his controversial 'Mankading' dismissal in an IPL match here. Kings Xi Punjab captain Ashwin, in a match against Rajasthan Royals on Monday, 'Mankaded' rival batsman Jos Buttler, triggering a debate on 'spirit of the game'. In a first in 12 editions of the IPL, Ashwin ran out a rampaging Buttler, who was at the non-strikers' end, on his delivery stride in the 13th over, an action popularly known as 'Mankading'. The mode of dismissal is permissible as per ICC Rule 41.16 of playing conditions, according to which there is no need to warn the batsman as was the case in earlier times. Buttler was going strong at 69 off 43 balls and Rajasthan steady at 108-1 while chasing 185 but the dismissal proved to be a game-changer and Kings XI eventually defeated the Royals by 14 runs. Pietersen said Ashwin will be talked about for a long time for his ...
IPL: Delhi opt to bat against Chennai
Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against defending champions Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter here on Tuesday.
Ashwin's 'Mankading' of Buttler well within the rules of cricket: Prasanna
Indian spin great Erapalli Prasanna came to Ravichandran Ashwin's rescue, saying his act of 'Mankading' Jos Buttler in an IPL match was well within the rules of the game. "In my opinion, he is still the best Indian spinner at the moment. Whatever he did it was well within the rules of the game," the 78-year-old veteran told PTI from Bengaluru. "It's not a question of whether he's a best bowler or a best batsman. Jos Buttler is supposed to be a star player, but can he do this unfair running before the ball is delivered?" he asked. "Non-striker is not expected to leave the crease and take undue advantage of making the 22 yards into 20 yards before the ball is delivered." Kings XI Punjab captain Ashwin ran out Rajasthan Royals opener, who was at the non-striker's end, on his delivery stride in an IPL match in Jaipur on Monday. TV replays showed that the seasoned off-spinner had waited for Buttler to move out of the crease before removing the bails. "'Mankading' is only allowed by a ...
Manika Batra splits with childhood coach, shifts training base to Pune
India's leading table tennis player Manika Batra has ended her association with Delhi-based childhood coach Sandeep Gupta and will now train in Pune with Sanmay Paranjape. While both Batra and Gupta were unavailable for a comment on the split, TTFI secretary M P Singh confirmed the development. "In the TOPS meeting held on March 18, Manika conveyed her decision to the committee. It is a personal decision and we wish her all the best," Singh told PTI. Batra started training at Gupta's academy here in Punjabi Bagh as an eight-year-old and their association comes to end after more than 15 years. The 23-year-old paddler made history last year by winning as many as four medals at the Commonwealth Games including a singles gold. At the Asian Games, Batra and veteran Sharath Kamal almost did the unthinkable by clinching a mixed doubles bronze. The Indian men's team too finished with a historic bronze at the Jakarta Games, ending India's 60-year wait for a medal at the continental event. TTFI
Ashwin justified in preventing Buttler from taking unfair advantage (Comment)
Kings XI Punjab captain Ravichandran Ashwin controversially 'Mankading Jos Buttler of Rajasthan Royals at a critical juncture of their Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Monday is not the first dismissal of the kind and wont be the last, even if the law is amended with safeguards.
Delhi Capitals win toss, to bat against CSK
Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat in their IPL match against Chennai Super Kings here Tuesday. Delhi Capitals made one change with Amit Mishra coming in for Trent Boult while CSK named an unchanged side that won their first match in Chennai. The Teams: Delhi Capitals: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Colin Ingram, Keemo Paul, Axar Patel, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma. Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhobi (capt & wk), Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir.
Looking to break jinx of early round exits: Ashwini
India's doubles specialist shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa Tuesday credited a new training regime for the stunning opening match win at India Open and hoped that she and her partner N Sikki Reddy would be able to break the jinx of early round exits under the guidance of the two new foreign coaches. BAI had recently roped in the services of specialist doubles coaches Flandy Limpele and Namrih Suroto from Indonesia, who joined the camp following the exit of Malaysian Tan Kim Her. It seemed to bear results as the world number 23 pair of Ashwini and Sikki shocked world number 18 Li Wenmei and Zheng Yu 22-20 21-19 to enter the women's doubles second round here. "We really want to win a couple of tournaments. It has been first and second round exits and we really want to break the jinx. Today's match has given us that confidence. We need a lot more of those matches, consistently entering the quarters and semis is the aim," Ashwini said. Talking about the match, Ashwini, who won a bronze at 2011 ..
KKR bowling attack exceptional, says NZ's Ferguson
Roped in as Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) pace spearhead, New Zealand' Lockie Ferguson on Tuesday said he is excited to be part of a bowling attack that is "exceptional" and is not the leader of the pack.
Rio as special as Beijing Olympics, says Michael Phelps
A record-breaking 28 medals in his kitty, the most decorated Olympian Michael Phelps says although Beijing Olympics was the greatest for him the "climb up the mountain" to the Rio Games made it equally special. Phelps won a staggering eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning all the events he participated in. In the 2012 London Games, the ace swimmer went on to win four gold and two silver medals. The American legend's personal life faced various issues as he went into depression after the 2012 Games, and he later revealed having contemplated suicide. Phelps announced retirement but two years later returned to the sport in 2014. He went on to win six medals -- five gold and a silver -- in the 2016 Rio Olympics. "The 2008 Olympics was stats-wise was the best. Hard to say it wasn't the greatest because I won eight medals but coming back to competing in Rio and the journey to it, that climb up the mountain was an amazing process. It was very different from Beijing but I ...
Glad that I don't have to bowl to Russell: Ferguson
Watching teammate Andre Russell bulldozing Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers was a breathtaking experience for KKR pace spearhead Lockie Ferguson, who is happy that he does not have to bowl to the West Indian this IPL. The Jamaican single-handedly won the match for Kolkata Knight Riders with his unbeaten 49 off 19 balls in their opening match. "It's one of those I've never seen anything like that personally. That was unbelievable. I'm pretty excited he's not on my side, I don't have to bowl to him," the New Zealand quick told reporters on the eve of their match against Kings XI Punjab. The Punjab outfit has explosive Chris Gayle in its ranks but Ferguson said they are prepared to tackle the Jamaican. "Chris (Gayle) is in some pretty fine touch at the moment. He really batted well last night. It's nice to watch him. Perhaps there are some areas we can look at attacking him," he said of Gayle who starred with a 47-ball 79 to fashion Kings XI Punjab's 14-run win against Rajasthan Royals. "It's
Ashwin's 'Mankading' of Buttler creates storm in IPL; opinion divided, BCCI stays away
Ravichandaran Ashwin had no regrets but the cricket fraternity stood divided after the seasoned Indian off-spinner's 'Mankading' of Jos Buttler in the IPL Tuesday triggered a heated debate on the spirit of the game. In a first in 12 editions of the IPL, Kings XI Punjab skipper Ashwin ran out rampaging Rajasthan Royals batsman Buttler, who was at the non-strikers' end, on his delivery stride, an act popularly known as 'Mankading' -- after the legendary Vinoo Mankad, who first did it in 1947 against Australia. The mode of dismissal is permissible as per ICC Rule 41.16 of playing conditions, according to which even a warning to the batsman is not needed anymore. What remains unresolved is whether such a dismissal is in the right spirit. TV replays showed that Ashwin had waited for Buttler to move out of the crease before removing the bails, leading to a storm in which Ashwin's integrity was questioned by the likes of RR brand ambassador Shane Warne, who called his act disgraceful. A ...
India Open: Kartik, Pranaav make it to main draw
Eight singles players and 10 teams from India have secured berths in the main draw on completion of the qualifying rounds at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2019, here on Tuesday.
Golfers keeping a close eye on IPL
Golfers from across the world who have gathered here for the Hero Indian Open, starting Thursday, plan to catch their favourites IPL teams in action. Be it India's Shiv Kapur or South African Brandon Stone, the golfers are keeping a close eye on the ongoing tournament. Although the focus is solely on winning the Hero Indian Open title, Shiv Kapur, a Delhi Capitals fan, is also keenly following the IPL matches. "I loved a touch of cricket when we were in New Zealand and I played the event, which was a unique format with Stephen Fleming. We are playing the Pro-Am together on Wednesday," said Kapur. Scottish Open winner Stone, a die-hard cricket follower, not just wants to watch an IPL match on Saturday in New Delhi but is also determined to turn his Austrian friend and fellow European Tour player Bernd Wiesberger into a cricket fan. "I've got a few mates playing here for the Delhi Capitals in Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris who have promised me tickets for the matches against Chennai ...
AFC Olympic Qualifiers: Indian eves to open campaign against Indonesia
Riding on the success of their fifth consecutive SAFF Championship triumph, the Indian senior women's national team will kick-off their forthcoming AFC Olympic Qualifiers Round-2 campaign against Indonesia on April 3.The last time India and Indonesia played in Jakarta in January, India had won both the matches.India landed in Myanmar for the tournament on Tuesday, eight days in advance. The national side has been clubbed with Myanmar, Nepal, and Indonesia in Group B."Arriving 8 days in advance for the Olympic Qualifiers will help us to acclimatize faster. It's an early advantage which we need to cash upon. If you look at bigger tournaments, teams always arrive early," head coach Maymol Rocky stressed."It usually takes two to three days for a player to fully acclimatize to a new set-up. We're confident that we shall be hundred per cent ready for the first match, despite the hot and humid weather.""The temperatures in Biratnagar during the SAFF Championship served as a warm-up in this ..
Ajay Malik makes it to junior Indian Davis Cup team
Ajay Malik, who rose from the mud courts of Haryana village Gohana, has made it to the Indian junior Davis Cup team for the upcoming Asia/Oceania final qualifying matches in Thailand. Ajay, who had won the Under-14 national title at Fenesta Open in October 2016, has been selected to represent India along with Divesh Gahlot and Sushant Dabas, who are ranked higher than him. Udit Gogoi is the reserve member of the side. The selectors have gone by national rankings in Under-16 category while picking the squad. The selection panel, led by Anil Dhupar, also picked the girls squad which has three playing members in Bhakti Shah, Sudipta Senthil Kumar and Sanjana Sirimala. Gargi Pawar is the reserve member of the side. Both junior Davis Cup and Fed Cup were to be played at DLTA in New Delhi but the tournaments have been moved to Bangkok, Thailand due to the uncertainty caused by the diplomatic tension between India and Pakistan. The Davis Cup is scheduled to be held from April 8-13 while Fed .
England eves register ninth consecutive win, seal Sri Lanka T20I series
All-round England registered a ninth consecutive win after defeating Sri Lanka in the second T20I by eight wickets to seal the series with a game to spare.Chasing a moderate target of 109 runs at the P Sara Oval, England had a fantastic start as openers Danielle Wyatt and Amy Jones smashed back-to-back boundaries to form a 79-run stand before Wyatt got stumped for 37.By the time their attacking batter was dismissed, England had already formed a solid foundation towards taking an unassailable lead. Sri Lanka tried its best to change the fate as off-spinner Shashikala Siriwardene struck Jones, who gave a catch to Oshadi Ranasinghe for 36.However, Tamsin Beaumont (16*) and Natalie Sciver (10*) in the middle completed the formalities and took England over the line in 13.5 overs.Sri Lanka captain Chamari Atapattu attempted to produce a decent start for her side after opting to bat. The left-hander batter smashed four boundaries in her 30-ball 24 before getting bowled by Sciver.Imalka ...
Indian football has grown exponentially in last few years: AIFF Sr VP
With the country set to host another FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2020, this time for women, the All India Football Federation senior vice president Subarta Dutta Tuesday said that the game has grown exponentially in the last few years. Speaking on the sidelines of FICCI's GOAL Summit 2019, Dutta said: "Indian football is growing exponentially. The holistic development of Indian football over the last few years has been a major achievement, and all associated with it should be proud of. "Indian football is being talked about in the nook and corner of the world, be it in terms of our national teams, or the FIFA World Cups that we have hosted, and will host," he added. India hosted the FIFA U-17 World Cup for men in 2017 and is slated to the host women's U-17 World Cup in 2020. "We have six FIFA approved stadiums, and we plan to add four more to them by 2022. The National Centre of Excellence which is coming up in West Bengal will be a state of the art centre which will help in the training ..