Page 536 - Sports
David Luiz still waiting on his Chelsea contract extension
The Brazilian football star David Luiz is having one of his best seasons at Chelsea, but has said that the results need to have priority over a contract extension."It's one of the best seasons I've had individually, but, for me, this doesn't count because I want my team to win", Goal.com quoted Luiz as saying."It's better that my team wins 5-4 and it's better that everyone talks bad about me but my team is winning than I'm doing a great job and we're still not winning."Luiz's deal with Chelsea is set to expire at the end of this season and if there are no fresh terms, the 31-year-old will drop into the free agent category this summer.Chelsea is not sure about parting with an experienced performer like Luiz. The player is prepared to be patient until any further talks.Chelsea have slipped out of the Premier League's top four after facing consecutive losses in recent weeks.The club still remains in the contention for Champions League, but they have suffered a dip in form in away ...
Injuries open way for Sanchez and Lukaku to shine for United
Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku must both take their opportunity to impress as an injury crisis cuts through Manchester United's squad, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says. Both players have struggled for form for much of the season, with Sanchez having started just one Premier League match in 2019, and Lukaku having gone 10 matches without scoring. The two forwards were heralded as major signings when they arrived at Old Trafford, but neither would now be considered an automatic starter. However, United's squad is stretched to the limit as they prepare for Wednesday's Premier League trip to Crystal Palace, with 10 players either unavailable or doubtful because of injury. That list includes four frontline forwards, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata. Lingard and Mata both had to be substituted during the first half of Sunday's 0-0 draw at home to Liverpool, while Rashford played to the finish despite an ankle injury caused by Jordan Henderson's challenge early ...
Bruised India look to bounce back in second T20I (Preview)
Bruised by the narrow three-wicket loss to Australia in the series opener, India will aim to come back strong and avoid a 0-2 whitewash in the second and final T20I at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, here on Wednesday.
Shut the phone and stay disciplined: Jaspal to his young shooters
"Shut the phone and stay away from social networking," India's junior shooting coach Jaspal Rana Tuesday advised his wards, urging them to follow in the footsteps of Abhinav Bindra and not take "things for granted". The multiple Asian Games gold-medallist spoke after the trailblazing Manu Bhaker, seeking an Olympic quota place, fizzled out in the qualifications of the women's 10m air pistol event of the ongoing ISSF World Cup. Having failed to finish on the podium in the 25m pistol too, Bhaker will now have to wait until the next World Cup in Beijing. "Those who are disciplined and those who don't indulge in anything else, they are the ones who are doing well," Rana said. "We need to look after the shooters well because this is the first step, getting quota places is not difficult, but we are talking about Olympics now. We have enough competitions till the end of this year and we will have a good number of quota places." Rana, who has played a crucial role in the young shooters' ...
No talks with government as yet on India-Pak World Cup tie, says BCCI official
The debate over whether India should play Pakistan in their World Cup group-stage encounter in Manchester on June 16 has kicked off again following the Indian Air Force action against terror targets in Balakot, Pakistan.
Wrong to compare Indian footballers to European counterparts: García (IANS Interview)
Wrong to compare Indian footballers to European counterparts: Garcia (IANS Interview)
2nd T20 Int'l: Chinnaswamy pitch expected to be batting-friendly
After a low-scoring thriller in the first T20 International between India and Australia at Visakhapatnam, the second and final game at the Chinnaswamy promises to be a run-feast, a KSCA official said Tuesday. Though the wicket at Chinnaswamy has slowed down over the years, the game is expected to be a high-scoring affair unlike the series opener in which Australia chased down 127 on the final ball of the innings. "The surface may not be as high scoring as an IPL game but will have plenty of runs. We are using a wicket which has not been used for more than two months, it was last used in Vijay Hazare Trophy," a KSCA official told PTI. During this time of the year, dew is also not expected to be a factor. "Around 180 should be a par score on this surface," he added. The last T20 International was played here in February 2017 when India beat England by 75 runs after amassing 202 for six. India all-rounder Krunal Pandya too thinks the this track will be more batting friendly. There was a .
World Cup selection not in my control, says Krunal Pandya
India all-rounder Krunal Pandya on Tuesday said the 50-over World Cup is not on his mind as he likes to stay in the present.Pandya, who has become a regular member of the T20 squad, said: "I am not thinking that far. I like to stay in the present and would like to control whatever is in my hand. I am just thinking about the game tomorrow."India will face a must-win challenge against Australia on Wednesday, having lost the series opener by three wickets."Obviously every game is important when you play for India. We are 0-1 down in the series and we will go to level the series tomorrow," he said.India would be looking to make the most of the situation and assess every player in the limited opportunities as the Virat Kohli-led side is left with only one T20I and five ODIs against Australia ahead of the World Cup."We have been constantly performing well, just losing the odd game in the middle. We have momentum on our side and we are confident that we will have a positive result tomorrow,"
Shooting World Cup: Manu, Heena fizzle out in qualifications
Big guns Manu Bhaker and Heena Sidhu belied expectations and failed to qualify for the final of women's 10m air pistol on a lacklustre day for India in the ISSF World Cup here Tuesday. Gaayathri Nityanadam and Sunidhi Chauhan have also failed to qualify for the final in the 50m rifle 3 positions at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range. Hoping to make up for her meltdown in the 25m pistol final, the 17-year-old Bhaker was in for more disappointment, finishing a poor 14th with 573 in the qualifications. The more experienced Heena Sidhu suffered a similar fate, as she was placed 25th with 571. Shooting in her maiden World Cup, Anuradha, employed with the Indian Navy, was 22nd with 571. Hungary's Veronika Major (245.1) won the gold medal in 10am air pistol ahead of Taipei's Chia Ying Wu (238.4) and Korean Bomi Kim (218.3). In the day's other event, women's 50m rifle positions, India's Nityanadam was 36th with 1163, while Chauhan was 49th with 1156. Nina Christen from Switzerland won the 50m .
Turkish Women's Cup football: India look to return to winning ways against Uzbekistan
India would look to return to winning ways when it takes on Uzbekistan in the opening match of the Turkish Women's Cup football tournament in Alanya, Turkey on Wednesday. India have been clubbed along side Romania, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in Group A, while France (B), Jordan, Northern Ireland and hosts Turkey feature in Group B. The tournament is part of the Indian team's preparation for the AFC Olympic Qualifiers Round 2 (in April) and also next month's SAFF Women's Championship. "Uzbekistan are one of the top teams of Asia and it will be a challenge to face them. They are strong on counters and we will have to be at our 100 per cent to beat them" India's head coach, Maymol Rocky said. "The Hero Gold Cup was a good opportunity for us to test our permutations and combinations strategically against quality opponents and we will look to do the same in the Turkish Cup with an aim of creating a final iteration as we proceed to the Olympic Qualifiers," he added. India enjoyed an ...
Six Indian boxers enter finals of Makran Cup
In a stellar display, six Indian pugilists sealed berths in the finals and are a shot away from winning gold while two other boxers finished their campaign with bronze medals during the Makran Cup Boxing tournament in Iran.The 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Manish Kaushik looked no match for his opponent, putting up a dominant display on Monday to win the match with a unanimous 5:0 verdict (60kg) and seal his berth in the finals.Army man, Duryodhan Singh Negi continued the winning spree scripting a confident unanimous victory over his rival Moradi Al to guarantee himself a place in the finals of the 54kg category and a shot at winning the gold medal.Satish Kumar, who is a former Asian Games bronze medallist, blanked Ramazan Pour 5:0 to enter the finals where he will battle for the coveted gold medal.Other Indian boxers who entered the finals were Deepak and Lalitha Prasad. Deepak defeated Ammari Malek 5:0 in the (46-49) light-fly category while Lalitha got the better of ...
Fitness may help cementing spot in Aussie WC squad: Handscomb
Wicket-keeper batsman Peter Handscomb aims to maintain his fitness ahead of the 50-over World Cup to cement his position in the Australian squad."I just need to make sure I am fit and strong enough that if we keep first in a 50-over game I can still go out there and bat at four or five and make sure I am still running hard between the wickets and doing everything right by the team," Cricket Australia quoted Handscomb, as saying.The gloveman said the time spent with the World Cup-winning player and assistant coach Brad Haddin helped him to improve his wicket-keeping skills in the recent series against India and New Zealand."Haddin is great. We actually did a bit of work together, a couple of years ago - maybe a year and a half ago. That put me on the right path with my keeping. We found a little routine that I can do at training or before a game that just gets me going, gets me ready to keep, whether I have been training a lot or I have not been," he said.Handscomb would be looking to .
Empathy pivotal to Mourinho's next destination
Jose Mourinho wants his next club to be one where "internal empathy" exists and not "internal conflict" he told the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday. The 56-year-old Portuguese -- sacked by Manchester United on December 18 after a series of bust-ups with senior players and poor results -- said the club where he had felt this the most was Serie A side Inter Milan. He guided them to a Champions League, two league titles and an Italian Cup in two seasons there from 2008-10. Mourinho said money is not the priority admitting since he left United he had turned down a lucrative offer from an unnamed club because "I want high-level football and ambitions at the highest level". However, he says that comes second on his list of ingredients for taking a job. "I don't want an internal conflict," said Mourinho, who has down the years earned a reputation for confronting senior players at clubs he has managed. "I want internal empathy. And then your conflict is on Sunday on the pitch when you play against
Double Clasico could be pivotal for Barca - Lenglet
Clement Lenglet describes it as the fixture that "freezes time" and believes this week's Clasico double-header could still define the seasons of both his own Barcelona, and Real Madrid. The two clubs will meet twice in four days at the Santiago Bernabeu, on Wednesday in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final and then on Saturday, in a battle of first against third in La Liga. Even victory is unlikely to project Madrid back into the title race but for Santiago Solari's side, momentum is at stake, their steady, if not unwavering, resurgence poised for a potential double boost ahead of the campaign's decisive months. Barcelona's priority may be the Champions League and their hold on La Liga too tight to shake off but it says something for the magnitude of the Clasico that Lenglet still feels its significance. "This month is pivotal," he says, in an exclusive interview with AFP. "There is the Champions League and these two games against Real, when we can qualify for a cup final ..
Former shooters have a hand in India's recent upsurge: Lazlo Szucsak
India's former rifle coach Lazlo Szucsak feels the likes of Gagan Narang and Suma Shirur, by taking to mentoring and coaching, are playing an influential role in shooting's recent upsurge. The well-travelled Hungarian had had two stints as India's coach, first from 1998 to 2000, followed by an even more successful tenure from 2005 to 2009, when Abhinav Bindra won a historic Olympic medal and triumphed in the world championship. That was also the time when Narang was winning a lot on the world stage, culminating with a bronze at the London Olympics. From his time, he feels things have changed for better in India. "During my time also, we had some excellent shooters like Anjali Bhagwat, nobody is as talented as her. Suma Shirur, Deepali Deshpande, Anuja Jung, Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang were there," he said. "The good point for India is their athletes at that time have come back to coaching, they know how to do it and they have international experience, there are many good coaches ..
From one class act to another: Cummins praises 'fast and accurate' Bumrah
In-form Australian pacer Pat Cummins on Tuesday could not help but praise another fast bowler on the top of his game -- Jasprit Bumrah, saying the Indian's pace and accuracy has made him a serious threat in all three formats. Cummins has been Australia's standout fast bowler over the last 12 months and has even made some useful contributions with the bat, including in the first T20 against India in Vizag on Sunday, when he got a crucial four and a double on the final two balls to pull off a three wicket win for his team. Bumrah, on the other hand, brought back India into the game by taking two wickets in the 19th over in which he conceded just two runs. In his comeback game, he showed how invaluable he has become for India in all three formats. "He is obviously a class act. Two of the basics he does really well is that he bowls fast and he bowls accurately. Anyone who does that in world cricket will pose a real challenge for the batsmen. He has got a great slower ball, seems to have a
Ireland's Kevin O'Brien eyes T20 World Cup 2020
With ICC T20 World Cup 2020 due in Australia, Ireland all-rounder Kevin O'Brien said that his side has high ambitions in the shortest format.In spite of suffering a whitewash at the hands of Afghanistan in a recent three-match T20I, the all-rounder is assertive to qualify for the tournament.O'Brien insisted that his side was competitive with the ball in the first game and batting in the next two. In the opening T20I, Ireland bowlers held the neck of the opponents till last over while defending a modest 132. In the second and third, Irish batsmen performed better in the run-chase of 200-plus totals posted by Afghanistan."It is disappointing to lose 0-3, although Afghanistan are a very good side. We acquitted ourselves well in periods of all three games - especially with the ball in game one, and in the run chase in game two and three. We probably just lacked a little bit of experience towards the end of both innings, but we are certainly gearing up for bigger things in the future - ...
Football fraternity says government will decide on playing matches with Pak teams
After the Pulwama attack, while the cricket fraternity has made suggestions on playing against Pakistan - former India captain and current CAB president Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh have already asked the BCCI to boycott India's World Cup match against Pakistan to be played on June 16 - there is hardly any reaction from the football fraternity.
Hockey India to conduct online test for umpires and technical officials
In a bid to raise the standards of umpiring and officiating in the country, Hockey India on Tuesday announced it will conduct an online test on March 29. The online Test is designed as part of a program for professional development of the umpires and technical officials. It will help them enhance their skill-based and knowledge-based expertise. It is also expected to illustrate the officials' knowledge levels of International Hockey Federation (FIH) rules and regulations. The online test will focus on testing the practical and theoretical knowledge of the FIH Rules of hockey. It is mandatory for any candidate appearing for this test to be registered with a Hockey India Permanent/ Associate State Member Unit. The registration for the test begin on Tuesday and close on March 15 at 5pm. "Organising this online test will only raise the bar of umpiring and technical officiating in India," said Rajinder Singh, Secretary General, Hockey India. "We have several young men and women who want to
Have taken lot of heart from almost defending 126: Krunal
India all-rounder Krunal Pandya on Tuesday insisted that the team has not lost momentum despite losing the series opener and instead taken a lot of heart from "almost defending" 126 at Vizag. Krunal was the best spinner in the game while pacer Jasprit Bumrah bowled brilliantly in his comeback game to take the match into the final over after a pedestrian batting performance. "It was a great bowling effort. Everyone chipped in and we almost defended the low total. We just have to be more cautious about our batting," said Krunal ahead of the second and final T20 against Australia here on Wednesday. "Tomorrow is a very important game as we are 0-1 down but I would not say that we have lost momentum. We lost the other night but we are not losing consecutive games. I am sure we will do well tomorrow," said the 27-year-old. The Baroda-based cricketer has become a regular in the playing eleven in the shortest format ever since making his debut in November. He has played 10 games, taking 11 ...