Page 500 - Sports
Solskjaer urges Rashford to follow Ronaldo's example
Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has challenged Marcus Rashford to be more ruthless in front of goal by following former United favourite Cristiano Ronaldo's example. Rashford calmly converted the stoppage-time penalty that saw United complete an incredible comeback to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League on away goals by beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 away on Wednesday. However, that was the England international's first goal in six games. The 21-year-old began Solskjaer's reign as United's main centre-forward but has moved back to a wide role, with Romelu Lukaku coming in to score six times in three matches, including twice in the French capital. Ronaldo made his name in Manchester before going on to become Real Madrid's all-time top goalscorer during nine seasons in Spain, leaving to join Italian giants Juventus last summer. But Solskjaer wants Rashford to see out his entire career at United, as well as learning from the Portuguese's ...
Shuttler Saina crashes out in quarters of All England Open
Star shuttler Saina Nehwal lost in straight games to World No.1 Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan in the quarter-finals of the All England Open badminton championships at the Birmingham Arena on Friday.
3rd ODI: Khawaja, Finch help Australia post testing score vs India
Brilliant batting from top-order batsmen guided Australia to a challenging 313/5 against India in the third One Day International match here on Friday.
Rashid maintains two-shot lead with 70 at Chittagong Open
Rashid Khan maintained his two-shot lead after carding a flawless two-under 70 in round three of the Chittagong Open at the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club here Friday. The 28-year-old Rashid (65-66-70), the halfway leader by two shots, kept hopes of his 11th title alive as his total score read 15-under-201 at the Rs 40 lakh event. Indian rookie Kshitij Naveed Kaul (67-66-70) also returned a 70 to be on the leader's tail and continue in second place at 13-under-203. Udayan Mane of India produced the day's best score of 65 and thus climbed from overnight tied 16th to third place at 12-under-204. Md Sajib Ali was the highest-placed Bangladeshi golfer for the third day in a row. Sajib (71) was placed tied 10th at nine-under-207. Rashid Khan, who won the last of his 10 titles in December 2018 to break a two-year title-drought, emerged as the prime contender to win in Chittagong after a determined effort of 70 in the penultimate round. The Delhi-based golfer drove the green on the par-4 ..
Khawaja scores 104 as Australia post 313/5 in 3rd ODI
Opener Usman Khawaja hit 104 off 113 balls to propel Australia to a challenging 313/5 against India in the third ODI here Friday. Apart from Khawaja, who hit a six and 11 boundaries, skipper Aaron Finch smashed 93 off 99 balls with three sixes and 10 fours. Glenn Maxwell also played his part with 47 off 31 balls including three fours and an equal number of maximums.
India restrict Australia to 313/5 despite Khawaja, Finch knocks
Indian pacers covered up commendably for a rare off-day endured by the spinners as Australia were restricted to 313 despite a 193-run opening stand between skipper Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja in the third ODI here Friday. Usman Khawaja (104, 113 balls) scored his maiden ODI ton while skipper Finch (93, 99 balls) chose this particular match to get back to form. Glenn Maxwell (47 off 31 balls) also contributed with lusty blows. The Indian spinners -- Ravindra Jadeja (0/64 in 10 overs) and Kedar Jadhav (0/32 in 2 overs) -- were carted all around the park. Kuldeep Yadav (3/64 in 10 overs), however, redeemed himself at the back-end of the innings. The trio gave away 160 runs in 22 overs and it was left to Jasprit Bumrah (0/53) and Mohammed Shami (1/52 in 10 overs) to maintain the discipline during the final overs as the total could have gone close to the 350-run mark. In the final 10 overs, Australia could score only 69 runs, despite being 244 for 2 after 40 overs, courtesy Bumrah and ...
Steady Gaurika keeps nerve to win fifth leg of Hero WPG Tour
Gaurika Bishnoi held her nerve in the closing stages of the final round to emerge winner in the fifth leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour event here Friday. Gaurika, who led by four shots after the second round, completed a start-to-finish win with a final round of 71 to become the fifth different winner this season. Neha Tripathi made a late charge with an impressive four-under 68 to come within a shot of the winner. Gaurika showed a lot of consistency with rounds of 72, 70 and 71. While Gaurika and Neha were engaged in a big battle, Gursimar Badwal (73) was third while Ridhima Dilawari (73) was Tied-fourth with Smriti Mehra (74). Afshan Fatima (70) was sixth, Siddhi Kapoor (77) slipped to seventh, Khushi Khanijau (71) was eighth while Jyotsna Singh (71) and Ananya Datar (74) were Tied-10th. The final day produced five under-par rounds as the players went all out. Gaurika did not have any birdies in the last six holes, but she was steady for six straight pars and logged her first ..
Eleven Indian Arrows boys in squad as India U-23 team leaves for Qatar
The Indian U-23 national team departed for Qatar after a five-day preparatory camp held at the Tilak Maidan here in which coach Derrick Pereira finalised the list of 23 players for the clash against the U-23 side of reigning AFC Asian Cup Champions Qatar on March 11, at the Aspire Academy ground in Doha.
Saina's run ends with loss to Tai Tzu Ying at All England
Saina Nehwal's dismal run against nemesis Tai Tzu-Ying continued as she suffered yet another defeat against the Taiwanese to crash out of the USD 1 million All England Championship, here Friday. A former finalist, Saina couldn't find answers to the deceptive strokeplay of the World No 1 Taiwanese, going down 15-21 19-21 in the 37-minute quarterfinal clash. Saina is now 5-15 in Head-to-Head career record with Tzu-Ying and it was her 13th straight defeat against the Taiwanese, who has not lost to the Indian since 2015. Tzu-Ying, who had retired at the Hong Kong Open last year due to a waist injury, seemed to have recovered well as she went about her job with consummate ease at the Arena Birmingham. Tzu-Ying's arsenal of strokes was in full display as she rushed to a 11-3 lead. Saina produced two superb drops and won nine of the next 12 points to narrow the equation to 12-14. Tzu-Ying then came out with a flurry of her magical strokes to move to 20-13 and sealed it comfortably. In the ...
Dinesh Dagar knocks out former Olympic bronze medallist Evaldas Petrauskas
Rising Indian boxer Dinesh Dagar made a fabulous start to his 69 kg campaign at the 38th GeeBee Boxing Tournament, edging the 2012 London Olympic bronze medallist Evaldas Petrauskas of Lithuania 3-2 to progress into the quarter-finals in Helsinki on Thursday.The 23-year-old showed his resilience and determination in ample amount to get back from a second-round knockdown on his way to the big win.Given that Petrauskas has a Youth Olympics gold, a Youth World Championships silver medal and a European Championships bronze medal to his name, this was a huge confidence-boosting victory for Dagar. The young Indian pugilist thus continues his fine form a year after grabbing the silver medal at the India Open.India, however, did not have a flawless start at the opening day of the tournament as Ankit Khatana was blanked 0-5 by England's Luke McCormack in the 64kg category.Around 100 boxers are participating in the tournament from 15 countries as the European swing continues in the boxing ...
Need more fearless batters in domestic circuit for improved international show: Mandhana
The Indian women's cricket team's stand-in T20 skipper Smriti Mandhana feels fearless batters have to step up in the domestic circuit for the side to improve at the international level and described the current gulf in quality as "huge". The Indian women lost their sixth match on the trot in the T20 format after going down to England in the first two games of an ongoing series. The Women in Blue had lost an away series to New Zealand 0-3. In both the outings against England, whether chasing or batting first, India managed less than 120 runs. "There is a huge gap between international and domestic cricket. That gap needs to be lessened. The batters we get in domestic, they face very different bowling and fielding attack to international cricket," Mandhana, the ICC's Cricketer of the Year, said. "Our domestic circuit needs to step up. There should be a bit of fearlessness in domestic circuit because if you start playing fearless cricket in the domestic circuit, you are going to play the
Man Utd send support to stabbed fan in Paris
Manchester United sent the club's support to a fan stabbed by a taxi driver in Paris in the wake of the English giants remarkable Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. "We were shocked to hear about the incident with one of our fans who was stabbed while in Paris for the Champions League game," said United in a statement. "Everyone at the club wishes him well during his recovery." A French police source confirmed to AFP that a man had been wounded on Wednesday after an argument with a cab driver but that his condition was not believed to be life-threatening. According to Sky Sports the fan, who is 44, was travelling to the centre of the French capital with three friends when the driver objected to their boisterous celebration of United's 3-1 win to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals. A spokesman for Britain's foreign ministry said: "We are in touch with the French authorities following an incident involving a British man in Paris on March 6 and ..
PKL season 7 auction in April
The auction for the seventh season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), set to commence in July, will he held on April 8 and 9 here. "The auction dates will be April 8 and 9 and it will take place in Mumbai. And just to go on record, we will do (conduct) season 8, 2020, starting in July (next year). It will help everybody," League Commissioner Anupam Goswami told reporters on Thursday. In the seventh season, 12 teams will be in the fray and it will begin on July 19. The schedule will be announced later for the same. According to the League Commissioner, the details for retention of players for the upcoming season will be announced in mid-March. Last year, Jaipur Pink Panthers had played all their home matches at Panchkula in Haryana. Goswami announced that this year the team will return to its home city. "Jaipur will be going (back) to Jaipur (to play their home matches," he said. PKL has so far conducted six seasons. In the sixth season, there were 12 teams participating and
Swapna Barman gets customised six-toed footwear
Asian Games 2018 gold medallist Swapna Burman, who had been battling pain by squeezing her six-toes into regular shoes, finally received customised footwear by Adidas on Friday.Adidas took notice of Swapna and decided to go an extra mile to put an end to her struggle of finding the right shoes. The sportswear manufacturer took the heptathlete to their Athlete Services Lab in Herzogenaurach, Germany for a detailed footwear analysis.Since the visit, the Adidas specialists worked extensively on multiple prototypes and subsequent feedback from Swapna to arrive at a long-term solution for the six-toed athlete from Jalpaiguri.The brand has been pushing boundaries on the technological front and bringing innovative solutions to help elevate the performances of athletes. After launching their 4D technology (3D printed) in recent years and introducing new offerings under the industry defining cushioning technology boost, this was a challenge of a different kind for Adidas team to address.Now ...
Ranchi ODI: India team sports camouflage caps in tribute to soldiers killed in Pulwama attack
India team sported camouflage caps in their third one-day international (ODI) of the five-match series against Australia here in tribute to security personnel who lost their lives in the Pulwama terror attack.The gesture was also aimed at encouraging fellow countrymen to donate to the National Defence Fund set up to take care of the education of dependants of the slain CRPF jawans."We have decided to donate our match fees to the National Defence Fund," India captain Virat Kohli said ahead of the match at the at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.India, with a 2-0 lead, won the toss and elected to bowl first against Australia.After the toss, Kohli said there is no change in the team, adding, "Looks a better track than what we have played before."Australia captain Aaron Finch, on the other hand, said: "I was not exactly sure, though we would probably have bowled first. Have to bat well and make a big score."On being asked any change in the team, Finch said: "Nathan ...
India women to play for pride in final T20 against England
With pride at stake, India batswomen need to make amends for their below-par show as the hosts eye a consolation victory in the third and final T20 International against England here Saturday. After winning the ODI series 2-1, Indian women lost momentum and subsequently conceded an unassailable 2-0 lead against England. The hosts endured a comprehensive 41-run defeat in series-opener before losing the second game by five wickets. The defeat in the second T20 was India's sixth in a row in the shortest format. India have been doing well in the 50-over format but they have plenty to ponder about with the T20 format with World Cup scheduled for early next year. India have now suffered two back-to-back series defeats. Before losing to England at home India had lost their previous series in New Zealand 0-3. In both games, whether chasing or batting first, India managed less than 120 runs, which is below-par against a top team like England. Harmanpreet Kaur, the regular T20 captain, has not .
Swapna gets customised shoes for her 12-toed feet
Asian Games gold-medallist Indian heptathlete Swapna Burman has received a pair of customised shoes to fit her 12-toed feet. German global sportswear company Adidas created and delivered customised footwear for Swapna, who has been struggled to fit in her feet into regular shoes. "I'm so excited to finally have these pairs. I have already started training in these and I know from here on I can focus entirely on improving my performances without worrying about any pain," Swapna said. "The journey from here should get easier. I would like to thank the adidas team in India and at the Athlete Services Lab for helping me with this solution. "I shall continue to work hard and keep moving towards my goal of winning honours for the country." Adidas took Swapna to their Athlete Services Lab in Herzogenaurach, Germany for a detailed footwear analysis. "Taking into consideration the unique task we had at hand, we at adidas are proud to provide Swapna with unique pairs that shall help her across .
Bhullar lies Tied-10th after first round in Qatar
Gaganjeet Bhullar made a fine start in difficult conditions with a three-under 69 that placed him Tied 10th after the first round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, here. The 30-year-old, who won his maiden European Tour title in Fiji, was Tied-10th with 18 others on a windswept first round. Five years ago on his debut in Qatar, Bhullar had started with a 67. SSP Chowrasia's wretched run continued with a one-over 73 that put him a Tied-82nd. "It was a good opening day. I started off well from the 10th and I was minus five in the first 10 holes. Then I was a bit unlucky and had a double bogey, losing the ball. That was the only blemish I had today and I parred the rest," said Bhullar. The conditions were difficult as it was windy, just as it was in Oman last week. It was blowing from the morning so Bhullar did not have any advantage from a morning tee-off. Adri Arnaus and Justin Walters topped the congested leaderboard as they carded first rounds of 67 each. Arnaus, in his first ...
Dikshaplaced T-12th in Australia
Diksha Dagar continued to grow in strenghth as the rookie shot a four-under 67 to leap to the Tied-12th place, up 21 places from T-33rd after her first round of 72. Dagar had six birdies against two bogeys. Starting from the ninth as the course layout is different from others, she birdied ninth, 11th, 16th, third, sixth and seventh. She bogeyed 14th and first. Giving a big boost to Indian women's golf were Amandeep Drall (73-70) and Astha Madan (74-69), who also made the cut. However, Tvesa Malik (79-68) and Vani Kapoor (80-80) missed the cut. The event is a Pro-Am on the Australian Ladies Tour with a purse of AUD 150,000 for the professionals. Iceland's Valdis Jonsdottir, who led by three shots after the first round, still leads by two with a second round of 70 which was preceded by a 63. The 29-year-old, who played in better conditions, which took over after cold temperatures in the morning, took a two-shot lead over Germany's Karolin Lampert (70-65). Frenchwoman Astrid Vayson De ...
Lahiri placed precariously; Rafa leads
Anirban Lahiri was placed precariously at two-over 74 and in Tied-72nd position at the end of the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Lahiri, who has been struggling with consistency in his four starts in 2019, has missed the cut twice. In the first round, Lahiri hit nine of 18 greens in regulation as he shot 74, on Thursday. Rafa Cabrera Bello making his Bay Hill debut shot seven-under 65 for a two-shot lead while playing with Arnold Palmer's grandson, Sam Saunders (73). Keegan Bradley played bogey-free for a 67 in the morning, as did Cabrera Bello. Lahiri started from the 10th tee in the company of Ryan Moore (71) and China's Li Haotong (77), who has been in hot form this year. Lahiri reached the green in two, but from there three-putted for a bogey, including missing a par putt from five feet. He got his first birdie on Par-4 13th hole after a good approach shot and this time he did not miss from four feet. He bogeyed Par-4 15th after going to the left rough and his ...