Page 563 - Sports

Komal shines in BP XI loss to England XI in practice game

Left-arm pacer Komal Zanzad took three wickets but Board President's XI lost to England XI by two wickets in a practice game at the Wankhede Stadium here on Monday.

RSPB crowned champions of senior women's Hockey Nationals

The Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) were crowned champions for the sixth straight time after they outclassed Hockey Madhya Pradesh 5-0 in the final of the 9th Hockey India senior women Nationals at the Astroturf International Stadium here on Monday.

RSPB retains Senior National Women's hockey title

Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) defeated Madhya Pradesh 5-0 to retain the Hockey India Senior Women's National Championship (Division A) title for the record sixth consecutive time here Monday. Neha (12th, 16th minutes) and Navneet Kaur (25th, 28th) scored a brace each after Vandana Katariya (10th) handed RSPB the lead in the summit clash of the ninth edition of the tournament. Haryana claimed the third spot after eking out a narrow 3-2 win over Maharasthra in the third-fourth place match earlier in the day. Sonika (6th), Rani Rampal (39th) and Deepika (49th) scored for Haryana, while Lalruatfeli (13th, 42nd) struck both the goals for Maharasthra.

Gibbs back India, England as contenders for ODI World Cup

Former South African opener Herschelle Gibbs named India and hosts England as the two strong contenders to win the upcoming ICC World Cup starting May 30. "It is always wide open. The two standout contenders will be England and India. But, who is going to make the other two places for the semi-finals? It is difficult to say. A lot depends on the weather in England. The bowling attacks will all play a part (in the tournament)," the 44-year-old Gibbs said on Monday. He was speaking at a promotional event of OTT video service operator 'Viu', which announced the launch of 'IB Cricket Super Over League'. Asked about South Africa's chances, Gibbs said that it is not about AB de Villiers' absence that will be key but more so about the lack of quality all-rounder. "We (South Africa) are always up there irrespective of ABD. We have got Faf (Du Plessis) and Quinton de Kock. The only issue for South Africa is not having an all-rounder," Gibbs said. Recently, ICC chairman Shashank Manohar ...

Mohammed Shami comes forward to support families of martyrs of CRPF jawans

Indian paceman Mohammed Shami has come forward to support the families of martyrs of CRPF forces.The 28-year-old has donated money to the wives of the jawans who lost lives in the Pulwama terror attack.Speaking to ANI on Monday, Shami said Indian cricketers will always be there for jawans who protect the border while they are playing for the country."When we play for our country, they stand at the borders protecting it. We stand with the families of our jawans and will always be there for them," he said.Former cricketer Virender Sehwag on Saturday took Twitter to announce to take complete care of the education of the children of CRPF jawans in his school."Nothing we can do will be enough, but the least I can do is offer to take complete care of the education of the children of our brave CRPF jawans martyred in #Pulwama in my Sehwag International School @SehwagSchool , Jhajjar. Saubhagya hoga," Sehwag wrote.India are slated to play limited-overs home series against Australia, starting .

WTA rankings: Serena enters top 10 after returning from maternity leave

After coming back from her maternity leave, Serena Williams has broken into the top 10 of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, updated on Monday.American tennis star has attained the 10th position following a span of two years. She has not played any match since the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in 2017. However, Williams has benefitted from other players falling down the rankings and losing crucial points.It is the first time that Williams has entered in top 10 rankings since dropping down to the world number 15 in July 2017. She dipped to as low as number 491, but she made triumphant strides in the Indian Wells tournament allowing her to climb the rankings.Williams' compatriot Sloane Stephens has jumped from number four to take number three although she has not played a singles match since last week.Former world number one and Romanian Simona Halep acquired the number two upon reaching the finals of Doha Open.Ashleigh Barty, who appeared in the quarter-final of the

Mohammad Hafeez ruled out of PSL

Pakistan former captain Mohammad Hafeez will not be taking part in the remainder of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as a fractured thumb has ruled out the batsman out of the tournament.The official management of the Lahore Qalandars confirmed this decision, the Dawn reported on Monday.The all-rounder had sustained injuries on his thumb during a match against Karachi Kings on Saturday. Following the injury, Hafeez was taken to the hospital for X-rays and scans.Initially, it was said that the batsman has been advised rest for some days and the management of the team would release a press release later indicating the return date of the captain of Lahore Qalandars.The Lahore side in its press release has said that Hafeez has acquired a fracture on his thumb and he would require surgery. The player will be out of action for four to six weeks."Hafeez is being released from the Qalandars squad and a replacement will be sought to cover his place", the press release stated."This is extremely ..

Nikhat Zareen advances to Strandja Memorial finals

Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) was among three Indian women boxers to enter the finals of the 70th Strandja Memorial Tournament on Monday in Sofia, Bulgaria. Zareen, a two-time national medallist, defeated Poland's Sandra Drabik 3-2 in an intense see-saw battle. Others who made the last-four stage were Manju Rani (48kg) and Meena Kumari Devi (54kg). While Rani got the better of Bulgaria's Emi-Mari Todorova, Devi beat Russia's Ekaterina Sycheva. Devi had won a bronze medal at the previous edition of the tournament which marks the beginning of the European boxing calendar. India had won 11 medals at the 2018 edition, two of them gold. In the men's draw, Asian Games gold-medallist Amit Panghal (49Kg) is the lone Indian challenger left in fray after advancing to the semifinals on Sunday.

Minerva Punjab moves court after AIFF goes ahead with I-League game in Srinagar

Defending champions Minerva Punjab FC Monday moved the Delhi Hight Court after the All India Football Federation (AIFF) refused to relocate their I-League match in Srinagar in the wake of the Pulwama terrorist attack. Claiming that they were not given the written security assurances they sought, Minerva Punjab did not travel to the Jammu and Kashmir's capital for the game, even as the host team players turned up at the TRC Turf Ground in their jerseys. Interestingly, the AIFF has not declared the match as forfeiture till now. According to FIFA guidelines, in the event of a forfeiture, full points are awarded to the team turning up for the game. "We have filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court, seeking relief so that we are not forced to play in Srinagar at this volatile time," Minerva Punjab FC owner Ranjit Bajaj told PTI. "Even today there was a 12-hour encounter where four Armymen have been martyred. And they are saying 'come and play football here'. Unless the court ...

ICC Women's Rankings: Mandhana maintains top spot

India opener Smriti Mandhana maintained her pole position while ODI skipper Mithali Raj remained fifth in the latest ICC ODI Players' Ranking issued on Monday. Mandhana is leading the pack with 774 rating points ahead of Australia pair of Ellyse Perry and Meg Lanning. New Zealand's Amy Satterthwaite is placed fourth, just ahead of Raj. The other Indians to feature in top 20 are Deepti Sharma, who jumped a place to 17th and Twenty20 skipper Harmanpreet Kaur at 19th. West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor has advanced two places and grabbed eighth position among batters even as a number of players from Pakistan and South Africa have also moved up in the ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings after winning their respective ICC Women's Championship series. Taylor led the list of run-getters with an aggregate of 158, including two fifties, in a 2-1 loss here that enabled Pakistan to overtake the West Indies in the points table of the eight-team championship. It provides direct qualification berths ..

Becker knows Indian tennis stars 'fighting a little', urges them to work together

He isn't involved with Indian tennis but the legendary Boris Becker knows that the country's top stars have been "fighting a little" and Monday urged the trio of Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza to work together for the sport's sake. Talking about Indian tennis, which has not been able to produce world-class singles players in the last three decades, Becker said the trio (all doubles specialists) need to unite to take the game forward in their country. "India has a long success history in tennis. You have to have large pool of players, so that some of them go on to win titles. At the moment you don't see them but I would say it is a matter of time," the German great told PTI. "Tennis is very popular in India, I know that for a fact. May be the likes of Sania, Bhupathi and Paes need to do something about it. I know they are fighting a little but that is the only solution (to work together)," he added. Paes, Bhupathi and Mirza have had public spats over choice of doubles ...

East Bengal awaiting AIFF response on Real Kashmir fixture

City heavyweights East Bengal on Monday said they would adopt a wait and watch policy regarding their I-League football clash in Srinagar against Real Kashmir FC in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack. East Bengal were originally slated to play Real Kashmir FC on February 10 but due to heavy snowfall the tie was rescheduled to February 28. But after the February 14 Pulwama terror attack which killed 40 CRPF jawans, East Bengal sent a letter to the All India Football Federation asking for a change in venue. "We have sent a letter to AIFF and we are awaiting the revert. Let them reply and then we will decide the next course of action," East Bengal CEO Sanjit Sen told PTI. "AIFF has to let us know when and where the match is going to be held. Once they let us know, we will decide our stance," he added. Defending champions Minerva Punjab did not travel to Srinagar to play against Real Kashmir on Monday, citing security risks to their players. The Punjab side had said they may consider ..

Paes, Bhupathi, Saina need to work together for growth of Indian tennis: Becker

Legendary Boris Becker feels the three icons of Indian tennis, Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Saina Mirza need to bury their differences and work together for the betterment of the sport in the country. Talking about Indian tennis, which has not been able to produce world-class singles players in the last three decades, Becker said the trio (all doubles specialists) need to unite to take the game forward in their country. "India has a long success history in tennis. You have to have large pool of players, so that some of them go on to win titles. At the moment you don't see them but I would say it is a matter of time," the German great told PTI. "Tennis is very popular in India, I know that for a fact. May be the likes of Sania, Bhupathi and Paes need to do something about it. I know they are fighting a little but that is the only solution (to work together). That is what the former players did in Germany and France, they went back to sport administration," he added. Becker has ...

Komal impresses in BP XI loss against England XI

Left-arm medium-pacer Komal Zanzad impressed with a three-wicket initial burst but Board President's XI failed to defend their modest score of 154 and lost by two wickets against the visiting England XI in a practise game here on Monday. Komal who is yet to play for India but has taken an amazing 9 for 8 against Haryana in the domestic one-day tournament of the BCCI last season, rocked the visitors with her devastating spell of 3 for 9 in her first six overs at the Wankhede Stadium. England XI were gasping at 11 for 4 by the fifth over triggered by the triple strike by the Vidarbha captain before Heather Knight, with a steady, unbeaten 64 off 86 balls, lifted the team out of the rut and guided it past the finish line in the 38th over. England made 157 for 8. Apart from Komal, Reemalaxmi Ekka and spinner Tanuja Kanwer picked up two wickets apiece. Earlier, the local outfit lost wickets in clusters and were bowled out in 49 overs with lower order batswoman Minnu Mani ...

BBL star Daniel Christian eyes Aussie return

Veteran all-rounder Daniel Christian, who played a pivotal role in Melbourne Renegade's 13-run victory in the Big Bash League (BBL) final against Melbourne Stars on Sunday, is aiming to make a comeback to the Australian team, again.The 35-year-old said that he is playing a good cricket and is at the top of his game at the moment that increases his chances of making a comeback."I think I can (play for Australia again), yeah. I think I'm playing as good cricket - if not better cricket - than I have my entire career," Cricket.com.au quoted Daniel, as saying."The beauty of not playing four-day cricket for the last 12 months is being able to focus on my skills, particularly my batting and slogging at the end. I've been practicing slower balls and yorkers and things like that. I feel like I'm on top of my game," he added.Talking about the BBL final match against Melbourne Stars, where Christian produced an all-round performance by picking two wickets and scoring 38 runs, the cricketer said .

I need funds to play more Int'l tournaments: Natl Champions Sourabh Verma

Reigning national champion Sourabh Verma has appealed for financial help, which will enable him to play more international tournaments in order to improve his current world ranking. The 26-year-old had burst into the scene with his first senior national title in 2011 but over training led to frequent break downs, which stopped him from playing tournaments consistently. It affected his ranking as from a career-best ranking of 30 in 2012 he now finds himself at 55. "I don't have financial support to play international tournaments. Now due to the new rule, only top 25 players are getting financial help from BAI. That led to my international exposure being reduced and hence my ranking slipped," Verma lamented during an interaction. He said that BAI did sponsor him for the Dutch Open but he needs more funding. Of course, Dutch was financed by BAI after my performance in two domestic events but if I get financial support, I can do well," he said. "I need to play at least 10-12 tournaments .

Jyoti, Monika lead Indian elite women's challenge in New Delhi Marathon

Last edition silver and bronze medallists Jyoti Gawte and Monika Raut will lead the Indian challenge in the elite women's race of the New Delhi Marathon to be held on Sunday. Jyoti of Maharashtra won the 2017 edition of the Mumbai Marathon and was also first runner-up of the New Delhi Marathon 2018 with a timing of 2:50:12 sec. Monika of Maharashtra Railways will be another top Indian woman in the fray. She finished third in the last edition with 2:55:02 sec. In the elite men's category, last edition bronze medallist Bahadur Singh Dhoni from Army Sports Institute, Pune, will be the top Indian in the fray. Dhoni is the winner of the Indira Marathon 2018 in Allahabad with a timing of 2:19:13 sec. He will face strong competition from fellow ASI Pune runner Rashpal Singh, runner-up of Indira Marathon 2018, with a timing of 2:19:19 sec. The 4th edition of the IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon will be flagged off from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. It is a National Marathon ...

Australia's major sports pledge to close gender-pay gap

Australia's major sporting organisations Monday threw their weight behind a drive to close the pay gap between top male and female athletes, drawing on a landmark cricket deal in the push for more equality. The chief executives of cricket, golf, rugby union, tennis and swimming were among those to sign up to the "Pathway to Pay Equality" report by the Male Champions of Change Institute, led by former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick. The study outlines some of the inequities faced by women, including lower salaries and poorer facilities, and steps necessary to achieve more equality. It involves a shift in mindset away from male sport being valued more than women's, providing greater equal opportunities from grassroots level up and long-term plans to make it happen. All the signatories have agreed to self-assess against 16 measures each year and report on their performance to ensure progress is made over the next five years. Tennis legend Billie Jean King .

I-League teams planning court route to stall Srinagar matches

With uncertainty continuing over the I-League encounter between Real Kashmir and Minerva Punjab FC, the fate of the February 28 Real Kashmir match against East Bengal, also scheduled to be played in Srinagar, has come under the cloud.

Boca Juniors climb to third in Superliga Argentina

Emmanuel Mas and Mauro Zarate struck second-half goals as defending champions Boca Juniors defeated Lanus 2-1 in the Superliga Argentina.