Page 555 - Sports
India-Pakistan World Cup tie on schedule: ICC
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Wednesday a decision on the group match between India and Pakistan at the ODI World Cup will be taken at its next meeting.
Mohun Bagan write to AFC for Indian football road map
Former I-League champions Mohun Bagan have written to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), requesting the game's continental governing body to pressurise the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to come up with a roadmap for Indian football.
Mushtaq Ali T20: Ishant boost for Delhi, Saha to turn up for Bengal, Prithvi set for Mumbai return
Ishant Sharma's presence will boost Delhi while Bengal will be bolstered by Wriddhiman Saha's entry and Mumbai will be happy with Prithvi Shaw in their ranks as they gear up for their opening encounters in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 starting Thursday. With IPL auctions being held in December, the relevance has been questioned time and again with GM (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim coming under scanner for faulty scheduling. "For those, who have got an IPL deal, this tournament is like a dress rehearsal while there is no motivation for those who didn't make the cut. Earlier when Mushtaq Ali would be held before IPL auctions, the talent scouts would come to the ground. That's how Hardik Pandya was discovered," a senior BCCI official told PTI. Ishant, who missed out on the final Test against Australia in Sydney owing to an injury is now fit and will be unleashing his thunderbolts against Jharkhand in Delhi's opening game at Vijaywada. "Ishant is captaining the side. The newly married Nitish
Haryana wins 4 freestyle gold in Cadet National Wrestling C'ship
Haryana grapplers dominated the final day of the freestyle events in the Cadet National Wrestling Championships by bagging four gold medals here Wednesday. Akash (45kg), Udit (48kg), Aman (55kg) and Rahul (71kg) won a gold each to help Haryana secure 174 points and grab overall top position. Delhi finished second with 170 points while Maharashtra ended at third with 123 points. Other gold winners of the day were Delhi's Sunil (51kg), Gujarat's Sudhir Jat (60kg), Madhya Pradesh's Rajvir Ben (65kg), Maharashtra's Vetal (80kg) and Uttar Pradesh's Govind Kumar (92kg).
Not just cricket, cut off all sporting ties with Pakistan: Ganguly
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly Wednesday called for severing all sporting ties with Pakistan in the wake of Pulwama terror attack which left 40 CRPF personnel martyred. Ganguly echoed sentiments of his one-time teammate Harbhajan Singh, saying that not playing Pakistan in one group league tie in the upcoming World Cup will not affect India's chances. However, Ganguly didn't elaborate whether the protest should be symbolic for one game or India should forfeit if they happen to meet Pakistan in semi-final or final. "This is a 10-team World Cup and each team plays matches against every other team and I feel if India doesn't play a match in the World Cup, it won't be an issue," Ganguly told India TV. "I feel it will be really difficult for ICC to go on with a World Cup without India. But, you also have to see if India has the power to stop ICC from doing such a thing. But, personally I feel a strong message should be sent," Ganguly added. Ganguly said India should to cut off all ties
PVL: Chennai Spartans beat Kochi Blue Spikers, enters final
: Chennai Spartans edged out Kochi Blue Spikers in a five-set thriller 3-2 (16-14, 9-15, 10-15, 15-8, 15-13) to qualify for the final of the inaugural Pro Volleyball League here Wednesday where it will meet Calicut Heroes. With 17 points, Ruslans Sorokins was the top-scorer for Chennai Spartans (15 spikes, 1 block, 1 serve) while Kochi's Manu Joseph also scored 17 points (16 spikes, 1 block) for Kochi. The home team was in a spot of bother when it was down by two sets to one, but bounced back strongly to take the fourth and nailed an exciting final set to secure a spot in Friday's summit clash against . The teams were level-pegging in the first set and at 6-6 a well placed serve by Sorokins created the first opening. Chennai went into the first Technical Time Out (TTO) leading 8-7. Kochi called for a Super Point immediately after TTO and converted with a Prabagaran spike. Prabagaran followed it up with another spike on their serve and Kochi now held a 10-8 lead. Chennai .
Pune rally to hold NorthEast United 1-1 in ISL
NorthEast United will have to wait till the conclusion of their league engagements to know if they have qualified for the Indian Super League play-offs after they were held to a 1-1 draw by FC Pune City here Wednesday. The home side could have sealed a place among the top four with a victory but the draw in a closely-fought clash at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium meant that they have to wait longer to know their fate. Rowllin Borges' 47th-minute strike looked to have given NorthEast three points and a spot in the play-offs. But Pune equalised though Adil Khan who slammed home a volley in the 69th minute before NorthEast were reduced to 10 men after Jose Leudo was sent off for violent conduct. The result saw Pune's mathematical chances of reaching the play-offs snuffed out while NorthEast, placed third with 28 points, will have to win the concluding league clash against Kerala Blasters. NorthEast United dominated possession in the early stages but it were Pune who got the first ...
Khedira out for a month after heart surgery - Juventus
Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira has undergone successful treatment for a heart problem and will be out of action for a month, the Italian champions confirmed on Wednesday. The Germany World Cup winner had already been ruled out of the midweek Champions League tie at Atletico Madrid because of atrial arrhythmia - an irregular heartbeat. Juventus said in a statement that the 31-year-old had undergone surgery on Wednesday morning in Turin by the club's cardiologist Fiorenzo Gaita. "After a short period of convalescence (Khedira) will be able to resume his activity approximately within one month," it added. Khedira went for treatment after feeling his heart rate suddenly speed up in training on Tuesday. The condition causes an irregular and fast heart rate and can result in dizziness, shortness of breath and tiredness. The German will miss Juventus's top-of-the table clash at Serie A rivals Napoli on March 3 and their Champions League second leg clash against Atletico on March 12. "He's .
Sala tragedy sparks unsavoury legal wrangle
The tragedy of the plane crash that killed Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala has now entered an ugly aftermath as Premier League club Cardiff City and French side Nantes threaten to go to court over his ?15 million ($19 million) transfer fee. Sala, who was buried at the age of 28 in the Argentine village of Progreso on Saturday, never played a game for Cardiff. The plane carrying the striker and pilot David Ibbotson came down in the English Channel en route to the Welsh capital on January 21, two days after he completed his transfer from Nantes. Cardiff have so far refused to pay the first instalment of the club record fee, believed to be ?5 million, as they await the results of an Air Accidents Investigations Bureau (AAIB) investigation into the causes of the crash. The Telegraph reported on Sunday that Cardiff believe that if the AAIB find Ibbotson did not hold the necessary licence to carry passengers on a commercial basis, then a negligence claim could be launched against whoever
Harleen replaces Harmanpreet in women's ODI squad
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Wednesday that Harleen Deol will replace Harmanpreet Kaur in the Indian womens ODI squad.
Sourabh, Kashyap, Ajay enter second round at Barcelona Spain Masters
Newly-crowned national champion Sourabh Verma, Parupalli Kashyap and Ajay Jayaram advanced to the men's singles second round after winning their respective matches at the USD 150,000 Barcelona Spain Masters here Wednesday. Sourabh, who had clinched his third Senior National title in Guwahati last week, beat Spain's Lus Enrique Penalver 21-15 21-16 in 33 minutes. He will clash with either Brazil's Ygor Coelho or Ren Pengbo of China, who had defeated Lakshya Sen 21-8 21-12 on Tuesday. Former Commonwealth Games champion Kashyap, who had reached the semifinals at Guwahati last week, defeated Wong Wing Ki Vincent of Hong Kong 27-25 21-18 in a 53-minute battle, while Ajay eked out a 18-21 21-16 21-17 victory over Malaysia's Cheam June Wei in another match. Ajay will face former world no. 1 and top seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, while Kashyap is likely to meet another Dane Jan O Jorgensen in the next round of the BWF World Tour Super 300 event. Mugdha Agrey also made a positive start to her
Indo-Pak clash: We had 400,000 ticket applicants for that match, claims WC Tournament Director
Amid calls for boycott, the clamour for tickets for the marquee ODI World Cup clash between India and Pakistan in Manchester on June 16 has reached a crescendo, with more than 400,000 applicants for the 25,000 seater Old Trafford stadium. Top India cricketers like Harbhajan Singh has called for boycott of the Pakistan group league encounter while veterans such as Chetan Chauhan wants India to put pressure on ICC by threatening to boycott the whole event. ICC World Cup tournament director Steve Elworthy, during a promotional event in London, said that demand for tickets for the Indo-Pak group league clash is way more than Australia vs England game or the final at the Lord's. "That particular game (India vs Pakistan), we had over 400,000 applications for tickets, which is an incredible number. The stadium (Old Tarfford) only holds 25,000 people. So there are a number of disappointed people. That's just locally, but (there is also) the audience globally," Elworthy was quoted as saying by
Vignesh shocks No.2 seed Suraj Prabodh
Tamil Nadu's Vignesh Veerabhadran shocked second-seeded Suraj R Prabodh of Karnataka 7-6(1), 6-2 in the singles pre-quarterfinals of the MCC-SR Subramaniam Memorial AITA men's tennis championship here Wednesday. Veerabhadran and Prabodh were involved in long rallies in the first set with the latter dominating in the early stages. Errors crept into the No.2 seed's game, allowing the Tamil Nadu player gain an advantage. In the tiebreak, Prabodh's formidable single-handed backhand fell apart and his rival capitalised to win it easily 7-1. In the second set, Prabodh committed several errors, sending his groundstrokes long and wide and trailed 0-5. He won two games, but Veerabhadran held his nerve to close out the match. In the quarterfinals, Veerabhadran will play state-mate Dhakshineswar Suresh, who came from behind to outlast Rishi Reddy of Karnataka in three sets. Top-seed Niki K Poonacha of Andhra Pradesh scored a comfortable win over youngster Ajay Malik of Haryana to ...
Women's ODIs: Harmanpreet Kaur ruled out of England series with ankle injury
Indian women's team was dealt a big blow after vice-captain and premier batswoman Harmanpreet Kaur was ruled out of the upcoming limited overs series against England with an ankle injury. India will play three ODIs in Mumbai starting February 22, followed by three T20 Internationals in Guwahati from March 4. Rookie Harleen Deol, who played two warm-up games against English women, got her maiden berth in the squad. The ODIs are a part of ICC Women's Championship and points will be carried forward. It has been learnt that Harmanpreet had sustained an ankle injury during a training session in Patiala and has a grade 2 tear. She will now undergo rehabilitation programme at the NCA in Bengaluru where the extent of the injury will be ascertained. If Harmanpreet fails to get fit on time for the T20Is, then Smriti Mandhana will be leading the side.
Ravi's source of strength: If I message Abhinav at midnight, he will reply in five minutes
"If I message him with queries sharp at midnight and if he happens to be awake, I would surely get my answers by 12.05 am," shooter Ravi Kumar said Wednesday about Abhinav Bindra, his constant pillar of strength since 2014. With an expression full of gratitude and a tone that was reverential, Ravi spoke about Bindra, who played a major role in his turnaround in a matter of three years. One of India's most consistent rifle shooters in recent times, Ravi was down after failing to win an Olympic quota despite displaying good form in the last World Championship. While he could not secure a quota for the country, Ravi did the next best thing: speak to Bindra. And the 29-year-old shooter, spoken of highly by Bindra himself, was up and running, leaving behind the disappointment of that September evening in the South Korean city of Changwon. "In the World Championships, I was in good form but still I could not get a quota there. Then next day, I spoke to him and soon I was training hard and ..
NRAI open to host Pak shooters, NRAP gets cagey
Hours after the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) put the ball in Pakistan's court, saying there is no hindrance from the Indian side on their participation, the National Rifle Association of Pakistan (NRAP) on Wednesday wrote to the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) to drop the Tokyo Olympic quota places on offer in the 25m rapid fire pistol event from the New Delhi World Cup, starting on Saturday.
Harmanpreet Kaur ruled out of England ODI series
In a big setback for the Indian team ahead of their ODI series against England, vice captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been ruled out due to an injury.India's explosive batswoman, who is going through a blip in form, has sustained an ankle injury, missing the one-day international assignment.Harmanpreet sustained the injury a couple of days ago when she was in Patiala. She, however, took part in the fielding sessions at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday to assess if she was comfortable running about. She is understood to have not been feeling fully fit. Scans later revealed a grade-2 tear in the left ankle, ESPNcricinfo reported on Wednesday.Bowling all-rounder Harleen Deol, who plays for Himachal Pradesh in the domestic circuit, is set to replace Harmanpreet in the Mithali Raj-led one-day team.Harleen was crucial to Himachal Pradesh's journey to the semi-final of the inter-state 50-over competition in December 2018. She impressed in the Challenger Trophy earlier this year and represented ...
Vishwa Fernando adds variety to Sri Lanka: Suranga Lakhmal
Sri Lanka fast bowler Suranga Lakhmal has come out in support of Vishwa Fernando, addressing the importance of the bowler in the team.With the heroics of Kushal Perera and Vishwa Fernando in the first match, Sri Lanka took an early lead in the two-Test series against South Africa."We had actually desperately needed a left-armer in the team. When you have a left-armer, your combination is very different. In the last little while, we played with three right-handers, and you have all got the same angle and pace. Lahiru Kumara was the only one who had a bit of extra speed," ESPNCricinfo quoted Lakhmal, as saying."Vishwa is massively important for the other bowlers in the unit as well, because of that angle he creates. When he plays, at least one of us in the unit can bank on getting wickets, because the batsmen have to constantly adjust to the angle, and it is tough. He has got the chance now, and I am sure he will continue in the same way. His bowling in that Test was very special. If he
Kyle Coetzer targets full-member status for Scotland
Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer believes the team's recent performance should put them next in line to achieve the full-member status.The team added another feather to their cap by defeating Ireland, a member of the ICC, clinching the Oman Quadrangular T20I series title.Scotland were completely dominant in the first one-day international of the three-match series against Oman, bundling them out for the fourth lowest List-A score of just 24 runs."We want to use this tour, it is a platform to get our 2019 campaign off to a start, and I guess coming out on top in this [T20I] series is a real positive for that," ESPNCricinfo quoted Coetzer, as saying. "More importantly, the guys have got some valuable cricket in their legs especially in the T20 format, which is going to be so important moving through the year."Scotland stunned England in the one-off ODI last year.Coetzer asserted that the team is in good shape and will put up a solid display at the World T20 qualifiers, which will be played
U19 Test: India colts dismiss South Africa for 197
Off-spinner Hrithik Shokeen grabbed four for 50 as India U-19 bowled out South Africa for a paltry 197 on the opening day of the first youth 'Test' on Wednesday. However South Africa hit back with a late strike as India under-19 ended the first day's day play at 95 for three. The visiting team, elected to bat after captain Matthew Montgomery won the toss and was in trouble losing opener Thamsanqa Kumalo to the fifth ball of the match for a duck. Kumalo was bowled by right-arm fast-medium pacer Anshul Kamboj and the South Africans suffered another blow when the other opener Jonathan Bird (4) edged one to the India captain Suraj Ahuja off Kamboj. Montgomery (57) and Andile Mogakane (20) were involved in a brief recovery before the latter, nicked one to Ahuja of the bowling of Sabir Khan to reduce the visiting team to 39 for 3. Kamboj and Sabir Khan had two scalps each as three South African batsmen failed to open their account. The right-handed Montgomery played some beautiful shots ...