Page 467 - Sports
India agrees to build cricket stadium in Maldives
India assured the Maldives on Monday that it will "positively consider" its request to help build a cricket stadium in the island nation as the two countries discussed cooperation in the field of youth and sports. India and the Maldives discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with the country's top leadership, including her Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid. Swaraj arrived here on Sunday on a two-day visit, the first full-fledged bilateral trip from India to the island nation after the government of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih came to power in November last year. "While discussing cooperation in the field of youth and sports, the Maldivian side requested Indian assistance for the construction of a cricket stadium," according to a joint statement released at the end of Swaraj's visit. "The Indian side agreed to positively consider the request," it said. India and the Maldives on Sunday discussed measures to ...
'It's a historic day for Afghanistan', says captain Asghar Afghan
Afghanistan defeated Ireland by seven wickets on Monday, registering their first ever win in the Test format. Asghar Afghan, the captain of Afghanistan has said that this victory is very important for the country and this win makes him extremely happy."Happy for today, it is a very historic day for Afghanistan, for Afghanistan people, for our team, for our cricket board. We are very happy. When [we play] a lot of Test matches, we mature. Nowadays, we are playing a lot in Afghanistan first-class cricket. Before, it was three-day, two-day cricket. Now we are playing first-class cricket," International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Afghan as saying."It was our dream to play Test cricket. It was just our second Test and we won the game. I will give a lot of credit to our bowlers, especially Rashid Khan, Waqar (Salamkheil), Yamin (Ahmadzai), and (Mohammad) Nabi. They bowled very well, on a wicket that was good for batting," he added.Rahmat Shah was instrumental in setting up the match for ..
PCB effort has changed perception about Pakistan, says ICC CEO David Richardson
Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) effort to bring top-drawer cricket back to the country, which saw the success of Pakistan Super League, has "changed the perception" about the country so far as hosting the international matches is concerned, says ICC CEO David Richardson."I think they've done a tremendous job and the level of comfort is growing all the time among the foreign players," ESPNcricinfo quoted Richardson, as saying during PSL final between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi in Karachi."I know some security officials from Australia and other countries have come to see the matches here. Step by step, certainly, Pakistan is on the right path and I know that the PCB will be redoubling their efforts to encourage people and teams to come across and certainly it will be with the ICC's support," he said.Pakistan has completed ten years since the country became a no-go zone for international cricket teams after the armed attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009. The PCB ..
Afghanistan notch up maiden Test win, beat Ireland
Afghanistan registered their maiden win in the longest format of the game on Monday after hammering Ireland by seven wickets in the one-off Test here.
Minerva win Amarjit Singh Memorial Cup meet
Minerva Punjab FC was crowned champions of the Amarjit Singh Memorial Cup as they thrashed Punjab University 6-0.
Women's senior team hails 2020 U-17 World Cup nod
The women's national football team hailed FIFA's decision to give the 2020 U-17 World Cup to India, calling it a "game-changer". On Friday, FIFA announced India as the hosts for the tournament. It will be the second FIFA World Cup event being held in India in four years - the first being the U-17 World Cup in 2017. "My initial reaction was 'wow'!" said head coach Maymol Rocky, before stating that hosting the World Cup will be a huge step in developing the sport and increasing its popularity, especially among girls. "I am delighted that an Indian women's team will take part at a World Cup for the very first time. It will increase awareness about women's football and in the process, create a bigger base for subsequent age-group and senior national teams - which is good for us as coaches as well," she stated. Coach Maymol also said that like the U-17 World Cup, this competition will pave the way for the sport to grow pan-India. "The U-17 World Cup in 2017 was a huge success and this is a
IPL: 5 mystery spinners to watch out for in 2019
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been the perfect platform for youngsters to showcase their skills and impress the global audience. In the last 11 years, the IPL has seen some quality players make a mark.
Prajnesh rises to career-high 84 post Indian Wells run, injured Yuki out of top-200
The breakthrough run at the Indian Wells has propelled India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran to career-high rank of 84 but injured Yuki Bhambri on Monday dropped out of top-200 for the first time in almost two years. In the recently released ATP rankings, Prajnesh had collected 61 points after reaching the third round at the ATP Master series event, where he beat world number 18 Nikoloz Basilashvili to register the biggest win of his career. The performance helped him zoom 13 places to his new career-best ranking. He was followed by Ramkumar Ramanathan (139), who dropped three places. Both of them will try to qualify for the singles main draw of the Miami Masters this week. Yuki, who is nursing a knee injury, slid 36 places to 207. The last time the Delhi player was placed outside the top-200 bracket was in July 2017. Yuki is probably the most unlucky Indian singles player, whose progress has been halted by one or other injury. Whenever he has managed to break the top-100 bracket, injuries ...
Exchanging missiles for medals: Syrian athletes stand out in times of war
Syria's athletes have put their lives at stake, their spirit far from broken by the bombs, missiles, death and destruction around the places they live and train, and driven by a desire to make the country proud. Training in the country ravaged by years of civil war is different from elsewhere, but its athletes are made of different stuff, too. The ones participating in the Special Olympics (SO) here are fine examples of that. Syria is fielding a contingent of 125 people, including 105 athletes, of which more than fifty percent are women. "In the last few years the situation has been really bad. We have had a lot of missiles and bombs land in the training areas but we have no other option. There is no safe place in the country, so as long as you want to train you need to get out of the house," a SO Syria technical official told PTI. The athletes have heard of missiles landing on the tracks they train on, seen their houses getting wiped out, but they have taken everything in their ...
When Parrikar helped shooter Tejaswini take aim
When a young and little known Tejaswini Sawant was in urgent need of financial help to participate in a shooting world championship in Germany, Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar came as her ray of hope. The support not only enabled the shooter from Kolhapur in Maharashtra to participate in the competition in 2005, but also became a turning point in her career as she scaled new heights thereafter, Sawant said. Her only regret now is that she could not thank the chief minister enough for his generosity which made a big contribution in her life and shooting career. "It was a brief meeting with Parrikar along with family friend and senior BJP leader Chandrakant Patil. He just listened about my performance and estimated the expenditure. He then signed a cheque for me immediately," the ace shooter recalled while talking to PTI over phone. "The amount was around Rs 1 lakh and it was the most needed help for me that changed my entire career," she said. It helped Sawant move ...
Canadian teen Andreescu topples Kerber to win Indian Wells WTA title
Canadian sensation Bianca Andreescu became the first wild card to win the WTA title at Indian Wells on Sunday with a gritty 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber. Andreescu, 18, shook off fatigue and rallied from a break down in the third set to topple the eighth-ranked German, who hasn't won a title since she beat Serena Williams in last year's Wimbledon final for her third Grand Slam crown. Ranked 60th coming into the tournament, Andreescu will rise to 24th in the world with her first WTA title. When she finally converted her fourth match point she kissed the sun-baked court and flopped spread-eagled on her back. - 'It's crazy' - ================ "If you believe in yourself, anything is possible," Andreescu said as she hoisted the crystal trophy as the youngest player ever to win one of the WTA's prestigious Premier Mandatory tournaments. "It's crazy. Crazy is the word of the tournament for me. Just crazy." It's another giant step in a breakout season for ...
East Bengal being run by 3 factions reveals CEO Sen
The rift in East Bengal is getting wider by the day. Things took an ugly turn on Monday when Quess East Bengal CEO Sanjit Sen said that one needs to understand that there are three factions in the club - investing company Quess, Quess East Bengal, the faction looking into club activities, and its executive committee.
Afghanistan seal historic maiden Test victory
Afghanistan clinched their maiden Test victory by seven wickets against Ireland at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun on Monday.Rahmat Shah scored a 122-ball 76 and Ishanullah Janat played an unbeaten knock of 65 off 129 balls as Afghanistan notched up a 147-run target on the fourth morning.Ireland began the day in a hope to pick up a couple of early wickets, however, Afghanistan batsmen were well-prepared to handle. Shah smashed consecutive boundaries in the second over of the day to get the hang of things.The duo of Shah and Janat kept the boundaries flowing and it did not take long for them to reach their respective half-centuries. First, Shah got his fifty-plus mark with a sweep for four off George Dockrell. Janat followed Shah as he hit two boundaries sandwiched by a six, reaching his half-century.Both the batsmen crossed the 100-run partnership with Afghanistan needing just 32 runs to seal the win. Unfortunately, the stand was broken and two wickets were .
Ehsan Mani hopeful of hosting all PSL matches in Pakistan
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani is hopeful that all the matches of next edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) could be held in Pakistan and not around UAE."The biggest reward should be given to the people of Karachi, the way you people have supported and embraced PSL 4 here in your city. The love and support were extraordinary," ESPNcricinfo quoted Mani, as saying during the closing ceremony of the PSL on Sunday."Finally, I would like to say that all overseas players, officials, and technical support teams, you have seen yourself the passion and love for cricket in Pakistan. Next year we look forward to welcoming you back with all the PSL matches in Pakistan," he added.Meanwhile, Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who attended the PSL final, hoped Karachi would continue to play a significant role in the return of international cricket to Pakistan."Last year, we hosted the final and this year we staged eight matches here. I salute the fans of Karachi who ...
Afghanistan record maiden Test win, beat Ireland by 7 wickets
Afghanistan's cricket team Monday recorded its maiden Test win as it beat Ireland by seven wickets in a one-off game here, nine months after making its debut in the traditional format. Chasing 147 for victory, Afghanistan rode on a 139-run second-wicket partnership between Rahmat Shah and Ihsanullah Janat to secure a historic win months after their Test debut against India. Both Shah and Ihsanullah struck half centuries, helping their team march to the victory target on the fourth morning of the match in a place that has been its 'home' for a while. Shah scored a 122-ball 76, and Janat an unbeaten 129-ball 65 as Afghanistan notched up the target within a session. Afghanistan lost Shah and Mohammad Nabi back-to-back off James Cameron-Dow's bowling before Hashmatullah Shahidi smashed the winning boundary to trigger celebrations in the Afghan dressing room. Also playing their second Test, Ireland were on the backfoot from the opening day when they were bowled out for 172, even as ...
Marathon runner Gopi qualifies for Doha Worlds
India's Asian marathon champion Gopi Thonakal has qualified for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Doha in September-October after finishing 11th in the Seoul International Marathon. The 30-year-old Gopi clocked his personal best time of 2 hours 13 minutes 39 seconds in the marathon race on Sunday, bettering the World Championships qualification mark of 2:16:00. His earlier best was 2:15:16 last year. Gopi's time is the second best ever by an Indian after the four-decade old national record of 2:12:00, which is held by Shivnath Singh. Seoul International Marathon is a world class IAAF Gold label event. Gopi won the Asian marathon title in Dongguan, China in 2017. He finished 25th in the 2016 Olympics. The following year, he took part in the World Championships in London and finished 28th.
Indian batsmen will need to do well for Delhi Capitals to win IPL, feels Dhawan
Senior opener Shikhar Dhawan Monday reckoned that the Indian batsmen would need to score the bulk of runs for Delhi Capitals to harbour hopes of winning the Indian Premier League. Dhawan joined the rest of the Delhi Capitals squad here on Sunday after having taken part in the recently concluded One-Day series against Australia. The left-handed batsman also took part in a T20 practice match organised by the Delhi Capitals to prepare for the upcoming season. "In IPL, the team who wins the trophy is always the one who has the best balance in the squad. Our team this year is also very balanced as we have good all-rounders, spinners and batsmen. The most important thing for us will be that our Indian batsmen play well and our top 4-5 batsmen are Indian, so I am expecting a great season ahead," said Dhawan. A regular in India's limited overs scheme of things, Dhawan has spent 10 seasons away in IPL before joining the Delhi franchise. "It is like a second homecoming for me, and I am very ...
Skipping Asian C'ships plan part of plan to qualify for Olympics: Mary Kom
Indian boxing star M C Mary Kom says her decision to skip the Asian Championships is part of a larger plan to enhance her chances of Olympic qualification at a time when the competition in her weight category has become significantly "difficult". Mary Kom, who claimed her sixth world title last year in Delhi, will be looking to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the World Championships in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The Asian Championship is scheduled to be held next month in Thailand. "This year is very important for me. Qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics is my main aim. Without competing in any competition I cannot qualify for the Olympics. It would be difficult. I have to know all the opponents in my category (51kg) and judge how strong they are compared to me," Mary Kom, who has signed up with the sports goods manufacturing giant 'PUMA', told PTI here. "I have to first compete in the India Open and then slowly choose my tournaments in the 51kg category. I am looking to qualify for ..
Colombia midfielder Quintero to miss Copa America
Colombia international midfielder Juan Fernando Quintero is set to miss this year's Copa America after suffering a serious knee injury while playing for Argentina's River Plate.
Markram, Nortje, Qeshile called up for T20Is against Sri Lanka
Top-order batsman Aiden Markram, fast bowler Anrich Nortje and wicketkeeper-batsman Sinethemba Qeshile were named in South Africa squad for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka, starting March 19.Markram and Nortje, who were both impressive in South Africa's comfortable 5-0 ODI series win, have been picked for all three matches while the uncapped Qeshile has been selected only for the last two T20Is.Since making his ODI debut on this tour, Nortje has notched eight wickets from his four matches at an impressive 18.75. Meanwhile, Markram returned for the last two matches, scoring a career-best 67 not out in the fifth ODI.The promising young Qeshile has come in on the back of some accomplished domestic performances. He has an impressive average of 48.11 in first-class cricket, while he recorded a century and three half-centuries at 41.22 from just 12 List A games."Sinethemba Qeshile has had an outstanding rookie season of franchise cricket and is certainly one of the form batsmen ..