Page 479 - Sports
Bayern plan to ditch ageing stars in wake of European exit
Bayern are back on top of the Bundesliga, but club bosses plan to clean out their ageing squad whose shortcomings were brutally exposed by Liverpool in the Champions League. Jurgen Klopp's Reds dumped Bayern out of Europe on Wednesday with a deserved 3-1 return-leg win, handing Bayern a last-16 aggregate defeat by the same margin, at the Allianz Arena. "Bayern urgently need radical change to still challenge for titles," Germany's daily Bild said -- the lineup which lost to Liverpool had an average age of 30. German pundits agreed with ex-Bayern coach Louis van Gaal who late last year said senior club bosses had "failed to renew the squad." Bayern had no answers as Sadio Mane took advantage of a mistake by 32-year-old Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to score the opener from a near-impossible angle before Liverpool defender Joel Matip netted an own goal to put the hosts level. Virgil van Dijk killed Bayern's hopes with a crisp header before Mane again breached the defence late on from a
Aubameyang seals Arsenal comeback, Giroud helps Chelsea into Europa League quarters
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang spearheaded Arsenal's revival by scoring twice in a 3-0 win over Rennes to reach the Europa League quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate, as Chelsea and Napoli also booked a last-eight spot on Thursday. The Gunners cancelled out their 3-1 deficit from last week's first leg in France inside 15 minutes as Aubameyang swept home from close range before teeing up Ainsley Maitland-Niles to head home. However, Rennes had cause to complain as Aubameyang should have been flagged offside before the second goal. With VAR not in use for the Europa League unlike the Champions League, there was no recourse for Rennes and the Ligue 1 side will also reflect on missed opportunities after the break as a historic European run for the club came to an end. M'Baye Niang struck the post and Sead Kolasinac's last-ditch tackle denied Ismaila Sarr before the Bosnian wing-back crossed for Aubameyang to give Arsenal breathing space. Winning the Europa League also offers Arsenal and Chelsea ...
Key decisions for Zidane as Madrid rebuild begins
Zinedine Zidane has promised change at Real Madrid this summer and the last 11 games of the season will give an indication as to who will be part of his new era. Zidane's first match since being reappointed as coach comes against Celta Vigo on Saturday, with Madrid lying in no-man's land in La Liga, 12 points behind Barcelona in first and 10 ahead of Alaves in fifth. Atletico are away to Athletic Bilbao while Barcelona travel to Real Betis on Sunday. But several Madrid players are playing for their futures before the campaign ends and Zidane's selection will offer early clues as to his thinking about his squad. Here, AFP Sport looks at five areas of contention ahead of the game at the Santiago Bernabeu this weekend: Bale clean slate? ================= Gareth Bale was the player many hoped would step up after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus but injuries have again disrupted his rhythm and, when fit, he has only delivered in flashes. Zidane lost patience with Bale last ..
Switzerland's Bencic reaches Indian Wells semi-finals
Switzerland's Belinda Bencic's resurgence continued Thursday as she reached the Indian Wells WTA semi-finals with a battling 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win over fifth-ranked Karolina Pliskova. Bencic, a former world number seven whose ranking slumped as injuries stalled her career, took her current winning streak to 12 matches. Six of those wins have come against top-10 players, including a 6-3, 6-1 triumph over world number one and defending Indian Wells champion Naomi Osaka in the fourth round. Bencic, who won her first title in four years at Dubai last month, will face either seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams or two-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber for a place in the final.
Raonic ends lucky loser's run at Indian Wells
Milos Raonic made sure Miomir Kecmanovic's good luck finally ran out at the BNP Paribas Open. Raonic beat the 19-year-old Serb 6-4 6-3 on Thursday to reach the semifinals and improve to 19-4 at Indian Wells since 2014. Raonic fired 13 aces against no double faults in putting away Kecmanovic in 72 minutes on a sunny, windy and cool day in the Southern California desert. Kecmanovic was the first lucky loser to reach the quarterfinals at the tournament since it became a Masters 1000 event in 1990. Ranked 130th in the world, the Serb lost in qualifying, but his fortune soon turned. Three seeded players withdrew before the tournament began, clearing the way for Kecmanovic to become a lucky loser and receive a first-round bye. The teenager certainly made the most of it. Kecmanovic got by three players, including 30th-seeded Laslo Djere, in straight sets to set up his second meeting with Raonic. That's where Kecmanovic's luck ended. Raonic won 88 percent of his first-serve points and saved ..
Bangladesh cricket team flees mosque shooting
Members of the Bangladesh cricket team have described on social media their narrow escape from a mass shooting at a Christchurch mosque on New Zealand's South Island on Friday. Players and members of the team's coaching staff were reportedly on their bus, approaching the Masjid Al Noor mosque in Hagley Park when the shooting broke out. Opening batsman Tamim Iqbal tweeted "entire team got saved from active shooters. Frightening experience and please keep us in your prayers." Performance analyst Shrinivas Chandrasekeran, also on Twitter, said "Just escaped active shooters. Heartbeats pumping badly and panic everywhere." Player Mushfiqur Rahim posted "Alhamdulillah Allah save us today while shooting in Christchurch in the mosque. We (were) extremely lucky...never want to see this things happen again....pray for us." Mario Villavarayen, a strength and conditioning coach with the team, told New Zealand media the players did not see the shooter but heard shots. He said they were shaken but .
Kohli's record insane, I won't bowl to him: Warne
The debate on whether India skipper Virat Kohli is as good or better than the legendary Sachin Tendulkar shall not die down any time soon. But former Australia leg-spinner and current Rajasthan Royals brand ambassador Shane Warne has a fun take on this. Asked on and off about the two and who he considers best, Warne says he "would not wish to bowl to either of the Indian batsmen".
Ganguly to be advisor for Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals on Thursday announced that former India captain Sourav Ganguly will be the advisor for the team in this year's edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).The exact nature of his role is still unclear but he has been signed as an advisor. There was speculation as early as March 2018 that Ganguly was advising Parth Jindal, the new franchise head of Delhi Capitals on matters relating to the team.Ganguly was part of Kolkata Knight Riders for three seasons in which he was also the captain of the team, and the former India skipper finished his IPL career with Pune Warriors in 2013.Delhi Capitals is currently coached by former Australian captain Ricky Ponting and the franchise is hoping to put on a better show in the tournament beginning on March 23.The franchise has had a poor showing in last few editions of the tournament, having failed to reach the play-off stage.Delhi Capitals plays Mumbai Indians in their first match of the tournament on March 24 at Wankhede Stadium, ...
Cannot wait to come back to Pakistan: Sandeep Lamichhane
Nepal's spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who participated in this year's edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL), has said that he "cannot wait to come back to the country" to play again."It was lovely to be here (in Karachi). I enjoyed my visit and would wait for another trip, whether for the PSL or with the Nepal team. It was a lifetime experience, International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Lamichhane as saying. "I cannot wait to come back to Pakistan with the Nepal cricket team as I am sure more cricket will come to Pakistan. The fans were very passionate and deserved more cricket. We all felt at home and it is really great news for Pakistan that we have played PSL matches here in Karachi." The spinner, who was part of the Lahore Qalandars, said it was a challenge to play T20 cricket in the sub-continent as batsmen here are skilled at tackling spinners."It is always challenging to play T20 cricket, and more than that, batsmen in the subcontinent play spin well, so it was a double ...
Bangladesh cricket team escapes NZ mosque shooting: official
Bangladesh's cricket team escaped unscathed after a shooting at a mosque in central Christchurch, an official told AFP on Friday. Bangladesh Cricket Board spokesman Jalal Yunus said most of the team were bussed to the mosque and were about to go inside when the incident happened. "They are safe. But they are mentally shocked. We have asked the team to stay confined in the hotel," he told AFP. Player Tamim Iqbal tweeted that it was a "frightening experience" and that there were "active shooters". "Entire team got saved from active shooters!!!" tweeted Tamim Iqbal. "Frightening experience and please keep us in your prayers." Local media said there were multiple casualties at one mosque and that another had been evacuated.
J-K: Basic cricket coaching camp for girls concludes at Leh
A 15-day basic cricket coaching camp for girls under Khelo India's Sports for Peace and Development programme concluded here on Thursday.The camp was organized by the District Administration through District Youth Services and Sports Department.At the valedictory function, Deputy Commissioner of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Avny Lavasa was the chief guest along with Additional District Development Commissioner, Moses Kunzang and other district officers.Around 30 girls mostly students participated in this coaching camp. To mark the concluding juncture, an exhibition match between yellow team and blue team was played which was won by blue team by 3 wickets.Appreciating the performance of the players, Kunzang said: "It was a 15-day coaching camp for girls and we hope to have a good women cricket team in future. Students should take part in sports to strengthen their mental and physical capabilities."The prizes were distributed among the teams and players by dignitaries ...
Afghanistan, Ireland to play first Test against each other
After playing each other in 15 limited-overs matches, the rivalry between Afghanistan and Ireland is set to turn a new chapter when the teams meet for their first Test against each other, starting March 15 in Dehradun.Both the teams have played only one Test each. Ireland faced Pakistan in their maiden Test in March last year, while Afghanistan met India in June 2018."As an experience, it's going to be hard to beat the feeling around Ireland's first Test last year, but it's always very special to play a Test match for your country and it will always have a buzz about it," ICC quoted Irish bowler Boyd Rankin, as saying.Emphasising on the rivalry between the teams, Ireland all-rounder Paul Stirling said: "I think there will always be something special about every Test match we play in. The rivalry between these two teams is what sets this one apart from others, both sides will go in believing they can come out on top."Meanwhile, Kevin O'Brien, who made Ireland's maiden Test a memorable .
Karnataka defeat Maharashtra to clinch maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Karnataka defeated Maharashtra to win their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Thursday.Chasing a target of 156 runs, Mayank Agarwal (85*) took charge of Karnataka's innings after the fall of opener Belur Sharath (2) and anchored a match-winning partnership of 92 runs off 59 balls with left-hander Rohan Kadam (60) for the second wicket.After Kadam's departure, Karun Nair (8*) supported Agarwal in an unbroken third wicket stand of 53 runs off 38 balls. Agarwal then finished the match in style with a sixth boundary off seamer Divyang Hinganekar.Maharashtra had early hiccups after sent in to bat. Naushad Shaikh, with his unbeaten 69, was the only run-getter from his side. Shaikh along with Ankit Bawne (29) put Maharashtra back on track for the fourth wicket.At a point it seemed the duo would post a competitive target, however, the fall of Bawne off pacer Abhimanyu Mithun restricted Maharashtra to 155 for four.Brief scores: Maharashtra 155/4 (Naushad
Series win a WC boost for Australia: Katich
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach Simon Katich believes winning the just concluded One-Day International (ODI) series in India will give the Australian players a lot of confidence going into the World Cup later this year.
Final decision on 48-team 2022 World Cup set for June: FIFA
FIFA chiefs will decide on Friday whether to back an expansion of the 2022 World Cup to 48 teams but a final decision will only be taken at a meeting in Paris in June, sources said Thursday. The FIFA Council meeting in Miami on Friday will give its verdict on an internal feasibility study which supported increasing the number of teams at the 2022 tournament in Qatar from 32 to 48, However a final vote on increasing the number of teams at the football showpiece would only be taken at a full Congress meeting of football's global governing body in June. And any declaration of support by FIFA's Council on Friday would acknowledge that expansion in 2022 can only take place if one or more countries on Qatar's borders are able to host games, according to a document seen by AFP. FIFA's feasibility study into an expanded World Cup in 2022 said Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and United Arab Emirates were potential options to host games in three years time. But Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the
Prince Ali urges FIFA to act on Afghanistan abuse investigation
Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, who has twice stood for the FIFA presidency, on Thursday called on world football's governing body to take firmer action against Afghanistan's football chief over allegations of sexual assault on members of the country's women's team. FIFA this week extended the suspension of Afghan Football Federation (AFF) president Keramuddin Karim by 90 days at the recommendation of the investigating arm of its ethics commission. "This further extension is an added delay and it is vital that the investigation into the allegations against the president is made an absolute priority," Prince Ali said. "Serious sanctions must be taken against the AFF and all its presiding staff members, until the AFF can demonstrate that safeguarding policies and processes are in place," the Jordanian prince added in a statement. "All AFF officials who are implicated in the current crisis should not be permitted to stand for the forthcoming election to the AFC Executive Committee or any ...
Vandersay, Lakmal recalled for South Africa T20Is
Jeffrey Vandersay and Suranga Lakmal have been recalled to Sri Lanka squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against South Africa, beginning March 19.Leg-spinner Vandersay's last appearance came during the 2016 World T20, while pacer Lakmal's inclusion comes after he featured in his side's historic Test series victory over South Africa.Meanwhile, Dinesh Chandimal remains in international exile, with Priyamal Perera, who returned with a first-ball duck in the fourth ODI against South Africa, included in the 16-man squad.Following is the squad: Lasith Malinga (c) Niroshan Dickwella, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Perera, Dhananjaya De Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Priyamal Perera, Thisara Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Isuru Udana, Asitha Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay and Lakshan Sandakan.Sri Lanka will meet South Africa for three-match series, with the first T20I to be played on March 19 at Cape Town.
Dey, Mookerjee advance to quarters of Swiss Open
Subhankar Dey and Riya Mookerjee advanced to men's and women's singles quarterfinals respectively of the Swiss Open badminton tournament here on Thursday. Dey registered a hard-fought 12-21 22-20 21-17 win over fifth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in a men's singles contest that lasted one hour and 11 minutes, while Mookerjee made it to the quarterfinals after her opponent from Canada, Michelle Li retired hurt when the score read 18-16 in favour of the Indian. Dey will face reigning Olympic champion and two-time All England champion Chen Long of China in the round of eight, while Mookerjee will take on top seeded Chinese Chen Yufei. In women's doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy registered a straight-game 21-14 21-17 win over the pair of Nadia Fankhauser of Switzerland and Iris Tabeling of the Netherlands to enter the quarerfinals. In mixed doubles, M R Arjun and K Maneesha defeated compatriots Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy 21-16 16-21 21-15 in a 55-minute contest
Lahiri has a late start as four players share early lead at Players
Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri has been slotted for a late tee off but fellow Asian An Byeong-hun put himself up high on the leaderboard in early play on the opening day of the PLAYERS Championships on Thursday. Lahiri, who is playing with fellow Asian Kiradech Aphibarnrat and American Ryan Blaum, will tee off later. South Korean An was four-under through 14 holes and he shared the lead with four others including Brendon Steele (through 12), Billy Horschel (through 10), Dustin Johnson (through nine) and Brandon Harkins (through seven). Interestingly, all of them started on the back nine and the player with the best score starting from the first was Matt Wallace, three-under 13. The highlight of An's play so far was a birdie on the Island Green on the par-3 17th, where he hit his tee shot to inside five feet and holed it. After 13 holes, he had five birdies and no bogeys before he dropped a shot on par-4 fifth, where he went from the left rough off the tee to right fairway bunker with ...
Bowlers, Agarwal help Karnataka lift Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Opener Mayank Agarwal smashed an unbeaten 85 off 57 balls as Karnataka dished out a clinical all-round performance to beat Maharashtra by eight wickets and lift the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy here on Thursday. Karnataka bowlers, led by experienced Abhimanyu Mithun (2-24), put up a spirited show to restrict Maharashtra to 155/4 despite an unbeaten 69 by all-rounder Naushad Shaikh. Later, they overhauled the target with Agarwal and Rohan Kadam (60 off 39 balls) striking half-centuries. Karnataka chased the target with nine balls to spare and ended their otherwise ordinary season on a high. Chasing 156, Karnataka lost opener B R Sharath (2) in the third over after left-arm medium pacer Samad Fallah cleaned him up. Then in-form Kadam and Agarwal steadied the ship, as Karnataka raced to 45/1 in five overs. The duo kept on scoring at a brisk pace and took a listless Maharashtra attack to cleaners in their 92-run stand for the second wicket, which laid foundation of the eight-wicket ...