Page 489 - Sports
Osaka keeps Indian Wells title defense on track
World number one and defending champion Naomi Osaka powered past American Danielle Collins 6-4, 6-2 on Monday to book a fourth-round meeting with resurgent Swiss Belinda Bencic at Indian Wells. Japan's Osaka, whose second straight Grand Slam title at the Australian Open propelled her to the top of the rankings, traded breaks with Collins early in the first set. But she got the decisive break in the ninth game, giving herself a break point with a backhand winner before pouncing on a short ball and belting a forehand winner to give herself a chance to serve for the set. An increasingly confident Osaka broke Collins at love for a 2-1 lead in the second. She finished out the next game for a 3-1 lead and led 5-1 before Collins saved a match point to hold and make Osaka serve out the match. Collins, trying to build on a breakout run to the Australian Open semi-finals, failed in her bid to avenge her 6-1, 6-0 loss to Osaka in their only prior meeting in Beijing last year. And Osaka, whose ..
Bouncer king Wagner's two-day demolition of Bangladesh secures series
Short-ball specialist Neil Wagner engineered an innings victory over Bangladesh in what New Zealand called "an ideal two days" in the rain-shortened second Test to wrap up the series with a game to spare. After the first two days were washed out, the match finished in the first session of the final day in Wellington as New Zealand completed a fifth consecutive series win for the first time. In the face of Wagner's relentless bouncer barrage, Bangladesh were all out for 209 to give New Zealand victory by an innings and 12 runs to go with their innings and 52-run win in the first Test. "It was an ideal two days," said Tim Southee, who took over the New Zealand captain's armband after Kane Williamson left for treatment to an injured shoulder. "With the amount of time that was lost through rain, a lot of people thought it was going to be tough to win a Test inside three days but we knew there was always going to be a little bit of assistance in the wicket. "The batters need a lot of ...
FIFA urged to consider human rights for 2022 World Cup expansion
FIFA must put human rights at the heart of any decision to increase the number of Middle East countries hosting the 2022 World Cup, leading global pressure groups urged Tuesday. In an open letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the groups say he should state publicly that human rights would be a consideration if the sport's governing body increases the number of teams from 32 to 48. "Given the possibility that an enlarged 2022 World Cup could potentially require additional countries to host the tournament, we remind FIFA of the commitment it has made to enshrine human rights, transparency and sustainability... in its bidding process," reads the letter. "As such we call on you (Infantino) to publicly confirm that any assessments of potential co-hosts for 2022 would follow a process that includes these criteria." The letter is signed by Amnesty International, Football Supporters Europe, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, ITUC, Transparency International, the UNI ..
Ranieri off to winning start with Roma
Claudio Ranieri got off to a winning start as Roma coach with Stephan El Shaarawy and Patrik Schick's first-half goals enough to squeeze past lowly Empoli 2-1 on Monday to keep in touch with the Champions League places. Eusebio Di Francesco was sacked after the team's elimination in the Champions League last-16 last week with Ranieri returning to the club he coached for 18 months until February 2011. The 67-year-old former Roma player was welcomed back to the Stadio Olimpico with a banner reading "Good luck Mister Ranieri". "I thank the fans, as they gave us a big hand this evening," said Ranieri. "I didn't expect us to play better, because this was a tense team that was anxious and still dealing with recent events. "Putting a team together when we didn't have many players, and without the bigger players, the leaders that give a sense of direction to the side, wasn't easy," added the former Leicester and Chelsea coach. "I knew it was going to be tough." Captain Daniele De Rossi, ...
IAAF upholds ban on Russian athletes over doping
The IAAF said that it will maintain its ban on Russian athletes over doping that it imposed in 2015, following a council meeting of top officials in Qatar. Rune Andersen, head of the doping task force for the International Association of Athletics Federations, said two issues remained unresolved -- the examination of data received from the Moscow anti-doping laboratory and the issue of outstanding costs being sought from Russia because of the scandal. "Two key issues remain outstanding," said Andersen at a press conference in Doha. "These need to be resolved." He also said his task force was looking into claims that coaches from the discredited Russian athletics regime were still involved in the sport which, Andersen said, "run counter to assurances" received from Moscow. Asked if this latest extension of the ban meant Russian athletes would not be able to compete under the flag at this year's world championships in Doha in September and October, Andersen said there was still time but
Zinedine Zidane reappointed as coach of Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane has been reappointed as the coach of Real Madrid after Santiago Solari was sacked on Monday.Madrid said in a statement that Zidane has been given a contract until June 2022.His reappointment comes just nine months after he resigned at the end of last season, having led Madrid to a historic third consecutive Champions League triumph."Real Madrid's board met today and decided to end the contract linking Santiago Solari to the club as first team coach and, at the same time, have offered to keep him at the club. The board have named Zinedine Zidane as the new coach to be incorporated immediately for the rest of the season and the next three, until June 30, 2022," read Madrid's statement.Speculations were made about Solari's dismissal following Real Madrid's three consecutive home defeats including twice to Barcelona and once to Ajax.But Zidane coming back, with only 11 games left in La Liga and almost nothing to play for, is a surprise, particularly after he left on the ...
Santosh Trophy moved out of Delhi due to AIFF-DSA dispute
The Santosh Trophy National Championship has been relocated to Punjab from Delhi owing to a dispute between the All India Football Federation and Delhi Soccer Association over the tournament's venue. While the AIFF wanted to host the matches at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the DSA was keen on organising the tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium. Even as the DSA assured the AIFF that the facilities at the Ambedkar Stadium would be upgraded, the apex body wanted it in writing from the concerned authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). "They wanted to do the tournament at JLN but hosting it there, instead of Ambedkar, defeats the whole purpose. People hardly go to the Nehru stadium and it is expensive, too. "Moreover, I had personally given them assurances that everything will be sorted and they (MCD) were on board also but they are not obliged to give us in writing at such short notice. The AIFF was still not convinced," said DSA president Shaji Prabhakaran. The Ambedkar has ...
Idea was to expose U-19 boys to bouncy wickets: Dravid
Head coach Rahul Dravid on Monday said the purpose of exposing the India U-19 boys to bouncy wickets was served during the Quadrangular tournament here. India under-19 'B' outclassed India U-19 'A' by 72 runs in the final to win the 50-over tournament. "The quality of the wickets was really good at both the venues. They were challenging for the batsmen. The bounce was exceptional. Our whole idea was to expose the boys to bouncy wickets so that they play not just on flat wickets and then we can see who can stand up and perform when the conditions are challenging," said Dravid. The bowlers dominated in the tournament with 200 crossed only five times. "We saw almost 45 guys over the course of the four-day and one-day games. We are not really looking to give individual attention at this stage. This was a selection sort of a tournament before we narrow in on the top 30-40 players. "It is a stage where we are looking to identify players. It is going to exciting to work with them leading to
Bengaluru leave it late to break NorthEast hearts
Bengaluru FC sealed their place in the final of the Hero Indian Super League for the second successive year with a 3-0 win against NorthEast United FC in the second leg of the play-off here Monday. The Blues, who were dominant throughout the game at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, were made to work hard by a resilient NorthEast United who were finally outdone by a 72nd-minute goal from Miku. Late strikes from Dimas Delgado (87') and Sunil Chhetri (90+2') followed as Bengaluru overturned the 2-1 defeat in the first leg. The aggregate score read 4-2 in favour of the Blues who will now look to land their first ever ISL title on Sunday. After a dominant first few minutes by Bengaluru, it were NorthEast who threatened first against the run of play. Federico Gallego nicked the ball off Dimas's feet and charged at the Bengaluru defence. The Uruguayan fed Juan Mascia into the box who, with just Gurpreet Singh to beat, shot straight at the goalkeeper from a narrow angle. With NorthEast posing a ..
Zidane set for shock Madrid return - reports
Zinedine Zidane will make a shock return as coach of Real Madrid after the club decided on Monday to sack Santiago Solari, say reports in the Spanish press. Madrid president Florentino Perez has reportedly met with the board and resolved to dismiss Solari, with Zidane set to be his replacement, nine months after the he resigned at the end of last season. Zidane could take training as early as Tuesday and be in charge for Madrid's La Liga game at home to Celta Vigo on Saturday. His priority will be to secure Madrid's place in the top four after a turbulent fortnight that has seen them lose twice to Barcelona and knocked out by Ajax in the Champions League. Zidane won that tournament in each of his three seasons in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu, as well as La Liga in 2016-17, while enjoying a strong relationship with the majority of the players. Gareth Bale was one of the few not to see eye-to-eye with the Frenchman and Bale's future will become even more uncertain, should Zidane's ...
Mushtaq: Mumbai rout Vidarbha; Gujarat, Maha also post wins
Domestic giants Mumbai defeated Vidarbha by six wickets in their Super League Group B match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament here Monday. Opting to field at the Holkar Stadium, Mumbai bowlers, led by medium pacer Tushar Deshpande (3-28), put in a spirited show to restrict Vidarbha to 137/8 in their alloted 20 overs. Deshpande was ably supported by another pacer Shardul Thakur (2-21), while Shams Mulani (1-22), Shivam Dube (1-28) and Siddhesh Lad (1-9), too, played their part, picking up a wicket each. Deshpande gave early breakthrough to Mumbai when he accounted for Vidarbha opener Atharva Taide (4). Jitesh Sharma (20), captain Ganesh Satish (24) and Rushabh Rathod (26) got starts, but failed to convert them into big scores as Mumbai bowlers struck at regular intervals. Vidarbha were reeling at 95-6, but pacer Umesh Yadav chipped in with a blazing 26 off 12 balls, which included three fours and two sixes, to ensure his side crossed the 130- run mark. Young prodigy ..
DDCA cancels Kohli felicitation ceremony in wake of Pulwama attack
The Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) has dropped plans to felicitate India captain Virat Kohli along with Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in the wake of Pulwama terror attack, which killed 40 CRPF personnel. The DDCA had decided to felicitate the three 'Delhi legends' before the start of the final ODI between India and Australia on Wednesday. The decision was taken by DDCA after BCCI decided to not only call off the IPL opening ceremony but also donate entire budget of the event for the welfare of the families of the martyrs. "We had plans of felicitating Sehwag, Gambhir and Kohli but we decided against it since BCCI is also not having an opening ceremony of the IPL," DDCA President Rajat Sharma told PTI on Monday. "We have also decided to donate Rs 10 lakh to Delhi Police's Martyrs Fund. As of now, 90 percent of the tickets that was put on public sale has been sold out," Sharma said. The DDCA for the first time is giving couple of VIP passes to all the former ...
Minerva Punjab will be provided full-proof security including armoured vehicles in Srinagar
Real Kashmir boss Sandeep Chattoo Monday allayed Minerva Punjab's security concerns, saying the visitors will be provided armoured vehicles for travelling purpose during their I-League rematch. While a date for the rematch is yet to be finalised, Minerva Punjab owner Ranjit Bajaj said it would be prudent to organise the re-match as soon as possible to avoid confusion, given that the Super Cup Qualifiers are starting from March 15. "When get the clearance from the authorities there should not be any problem. The team will be taken care of well and provided armoured vehicles to travel from the hotel to stadium and back. That's how it has always been here. We are absolutely ready to host them," Chattoo told PTI. He added, "If we get the go ahead in a day or two, we presume the match could be held around March 20." The February 18 game did not take place after Punjab refused to travel to Srinagar, insisting that their foreign players had been advised against it by their respective ...
Indian men outclass Kazakhstan to stay in second spot
Backed by excellent performances on all boards, the Indian men outclassed Kazakhstan 3.5-0.5 to remain in joint second spot with nine points after the end of the sixth round of the World Teams Chess Championship, here. B Adhiban was held to a draw on the top board by Rinat Jumabayev but the trio of Krishnan Sasikiran, Surya Ganguly and S P Sethuraman delivered the goods on the last three boards for another handsome victory that is bound to help the confidence of a team eyeing a medal-finish. Sasikiran got the better of Anuar Ismagambetov, Ganguly proved too good for Murtas Kazhgaleyev while S P Sethuraman remained unstoppable on the last board as he made is look easy against Denis Makhnev. Meanwhile the Russian men were held to a draw by Azerbaijan with Arkadij Naiditsch defeating top Russian Sergey Karjakin. The Russians drew level on the second board where Ian Nepomniachtchi won against Rauf Mamedov while the other two games ended in draws. Russia remained in sole lead on 10 points .
Afridi feels resting established players for Australia ODIs was wrong move
Pakistan's Shahid Afridi Monday criticised the national selectors for resting six senior players, including skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, for the upcoming ODI series against Australia, saying a good outing would have boosted their confidence ahead of the World Cup. In a surprising move, the selectors picked young speedster Mohammad Hasnain in the one-day squad although he has appeared in just two first-class games, played for the Pakistan juniors and did well in the ongoing Pakistan Super League. "I don't know but we must first give chances to the established bowlers like Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz etc. First look and give proper chance to the established players because after all we are playing in the World Cup," Afridi said. The all-rounder was also critical of the decision to rest Sarfaraz and other key players for the 'home' series, slated to be held in the UAE. "Look if we had been playing against a weak side than it made sense to try new players but this is a series against a big team ...
Marquez finishes 2nd behind Doviziso in season opening MotoGP
: Reigning champion Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda Team took second place in the season opening Qatar MotoGP in Doha on Sunday, finishing behind Italy's Andrea Doviziso. Marquez held his own in the opening laps, keeping out of trouble and moving ahead of the chasing pack with Dovizioso. The Spaniard was soon joined in his hunt for victory by seven other riders, vying for the top position over the next 20 laps. LCR Hondas Cal Crutchlow finished third. Just 0.023 seconds split Marquez from Andrea Dovizioso as they crossed the line, Marquez opening his 2019 season with 20 points, a press release said. Jorge Lorenzo's Repsol Honda Team debut saw him being heavily restricted by lingering pain in his back and shoulder. He, however, finished a battling 13th to earn three points. "It was exactly the same as last year! I tried to push hard but here when you overtake you just run wide and you cant keep the line. I tried to be there, to push a little and just be there until the end," .
Ujwal, Yogeshwar clear trials for Doha gymnastics World Cup
Karnataka's Ujwal Naidu pipped seasoned Ashish Kumar in the Floor event to grab a berth in the Indian men's team while Yogeshwar Singh of SSCB emerged on top in Vault during the selection trials for the artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha. Five gymnasts appeared for the trials, conducted by the Sports Authority of today at the IG Stadium. The trials were for only two apparatus: Floor and Vault. "Ujwal Naidu of Karnataka emerged as the top gymnast on Floor while Yogeshwar Singh of SSCB emerged as top gymnast on Vault," Riyaz Bhati, Vice President, Gymnastic Federation of India, said. Interestingly, the Gymnastic Federation of India (GFI) had sent the entries of Ashish Kumar and Yogeshwar Singh for their respective event after they showed interest in competing but later SAI decide to hold trials for the two slots. "Ashish Kumar who had initially requested for participation in the World Cup appeared for Trials only on Floor but had major errors including two falls and could not finish .
Rajasthan Royals sign BookMyShow as exclusive ticketing partner
Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals on Monday announced a deal with BookMyShow for the upcoming season of the league.
CCI Snooker: Shakeel advances, Shoaib loses
Kolkata's seasoned cueist Shakeel Ahmed recorded a hard-fought 3-2 win against Mumbai's Vishal Gehani in a second round match of the CCI All India Open Snooker Championship on Monday. Shakeel, from Eastern Railway, easily pocketed the opening two frames before the local cueist fought back to win the next two and level the scores. In the deciding fifth, Shakeel kept his cool and grabbed every opportunity, even as Vishal missed easy pots, and went on to complete a 88-20, 61-22, 19-64, 61-70, 48-16 victory to progress to the third round. However, Shakeel's city-mate Shoaib Khan fell by the wayside as he suffered a stunning 1-3 defeat to Delhi's Harpreet Singh. The Delhi cueist potted steadily and romped to a convincing 66-27, 31-67, 78-25, 57-10 win to advance to the third round. Two other Railway cueists, E Panduranga and K Srinu, steamrolled their respective opponents to seal their berths in the round of 64. In a third round match, Panduranga overcame Hanish Sharma of ...
Mumbai pray for miracle in Goa
Mumbai City FC are hoping for a miracle to overturn a four-goal deficit as they take on FC Goa in their second leg semifinal of the Indian Super League here Tuesday. Mumbai were hammered 5-1 at home in the first leg semi-final. Now, as they prepare for the second leg at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, coach Jorge Costa is left hoping for an unlikely miracle. No team has ever overcome such a deficit in Indian football and Costa knows his chances of creating a massive upset is almost impossible. "In football and in life, we can never say never but the reality is that it is very difficult to change this result. I have seen things in football that no one would believe, but normally it is very difficult to change the result from the first leg," said Costa. Mumbai were in the game till the first half an hour when they took the lead. Even at 1-2 down in the first half, they seemed to have a chance until Goa turned on the magic in the second half. When Mumbai visited Fatorda during the league ..