Page 575 - Sports
Champions League: Real Madrid eke out narrow win over Ajax
Real Madrid, chasing a fourth consecutive Champions League title, needed a goal in the final minutes to pull out a 2-1 win against Ajax Amsterdam in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie.
Sindhu begins campaign in Senior Nationals with an easy win
Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu Thursday opened her campaign in the 83rd Senior National Badminton Championship with a straight game win over Nagpur's Malvika Bansod to enter the women's singles quarterfinals here. A former champion, Sindhu took time to get into the groove before claiming a 21-11 21-13 win over Malvika, who is a gold medallist at the South Asian U-21 Championship in Nepal and a runner-up at Khelo India Games. Like last year, the top eight players of the competition on the combined basis of world and domestic rankings were given direct entry into the singles pre-quarterfinals for which a Super Draw was held Wednesday night. Malvika made a dream start, moving to a 4-0 lead. Soon Sindhu clawed her way back to level the scores with a push at the back court. Sindhu eventually grabbed a 11-7 advantage at the break. She continued to force the younger shuttler to commit errors. At 19-11, Sindhu unleashed a couple of smashes to seal the first game. In the second game, ...
'Drone Olympics' to be key attraction at Aero India 2019
One of the key attractions during the 12th edition of Asia's premier air show, Aero India-2019, would be the 'Drone Olympics,' wherein national and international players would demonstrate their potential. The five-day event starting from February 20 would take place at the Yelahanka Air Force Station here. The Defence public relation officer Monday tweeted that the event would be open to both Indian and international players. The Drone Olympics, aimed at giving a boost to unmanned aerial vehicle makers, is scheduled to be held on February 21. The competition would be held in three categories, which include surveillance challenge to determine the surveillance capacities of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), supply drop challenge to assess the weight dropping capacity of the UAVs and the formation flying challenge to demonstrate different shapes with group of UAVs. The PRO said it has received 121 applications for the event of which 57 have qualified for the prelims to be held
Australian cricketers provide landmark investment to grassroots cricket
Grassroots cricket clubs throughout Australia stand to benefit from the most significant collective investment from Australian professional cricketers in history.Up to $30 million from Australian professional cricketers' will be invested into community cricket over the coming years through what is known as the Grassroots Cricket Fund.The players, the Australian Cricketers' Association and Cricket Australia will work in partnership to deliver this vital program, that in year one will focus on providing funds to playing and training facilities that are open to all clubs across Australia and equipment grants to regional, and rural areas - in particular, those affected by drought.Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood says the opportunity to leave a tangible legacy to community cricket is important to all players."The players are passionate about giving back to the game that has given us so much. There's a significant need for investment in grassroots cricket, especially for those communities ...
Ronaldo on bench as Juve warm up for Atletico against Frosinone
Cristiano Ronaldo is set for a rare start on the bench as Juventus host struggling Frosinone on Friday looking to pull 14 points clear in Serie A with an eye towards next week's Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid. Portuguese star Ronaldo brought his tally to 20 goals for Juventus in all competitions last weekend in a 3-0 win over Sassuolo. But the 34-year-old will start on the bench for just the second time this season before the former Real Madrid player returns to the Spanish capital next week. Paulo Dybala returns to the starting line-up, forming an attacking trident alongside Mario Mandzukic and Federico Bernardeschi. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri's defensive problems have been eased with trio Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini back training. Juventus captain Chiellini is expected to return on Friday. Second-placed Napoli dropped points last weekend with a goalless draw against Fiorentina and face a potentially tricky test at home against ...
Son shines as Spurs power surge rocks Dortmund
Tottenham took a huge step towards reaching the Champions League quarter-finals as Son Heung-min inspired their 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 first leg. Mauricio Pochettino's side had been under the cosh as Dortmund dominated the first half at Wembley on Wednesday, but Hugo Lloris kept them level with a series of fine saves. That set the stage for a sublime second half from Tottenham, who were sparked into life by a fine finish from South Korea forward Son. Son's fourth goal in his last four appearances took him to 16 for the season, but none have been as priceless as this one. Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen capped his own powerful performance when he swept in their second goal in the closing stages and substitute Fernando Llorente's late third put the seal on a remarkable result. Although Tottenham still have to survive the second leg at Signal Iduna Park on March 5, they have a golden opportunity to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time ...
VAR denies Ajax goal in Real Madrid Champions League clash
The video assistant referee (VAR) system was used to rule out a goal in the Champions League for the first time in last 16 game between Ajax and Real Madrid. Ajax defender Nicolas Tagliafico appeared to have headed the Dutch side ahead on 38 minutes, but referee Damir Skomina disallowed the goal after Dusan Tadic was shown to be offside on replays. Tadic was deemed to be interfering with Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after the Belgian spilled a header at a corner and Tagliafico nodded in the rebound. UEFA later confirmed why the decision was taken. "The referee identified that Tagliafico's team-mate Dusan Tadic was in an offside position and interfering with the goalkeeper -- preventing him from playing or being able to play the ball -- as the header was being made," said UEFA on Twitter. "This was in line with VAR protocol and the goal was correctly overturned and a free-kick given for offside." The VAR system, widely used during last year's FIFA World Cup, and now called upon in .
Asensio and VAR help Madrid snatch victory against Ajax
Real Madrid needed a late winner from Marco Asensio and VAR's debut in the Champions League to beat a spirited Ajax 2-1 in the first leg of the last 16. Ajax have not beaten Madrid in 24 years and thought they were on their way at the Johan Cruyff Arena when Nicolas Tagliafico headed home after a Thibaut Courtois error. But referee Damir Skomina judged Dusan Tadic to be offside upon review and Madrid showed no pity on their youthful opponents, Karim Benzema and Asensio scoring two precious away goals in the second half. Hakim Ziyech's equaliser at least keeps Ajax in touch heading into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu but Asensio's 87th-minute winner was a sucker-punch in a match the Dutch team had largely dominated. Their ruled out opener will only add to the sense of what might have been and it was no surprise to see a cluster of red and white shirts surrounding the officials at the final whistle. VAR has been introduced to the Champions League for the first time in this ...
Klopp faces sanction from FA charge
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp faces a touchline ban or a fine after being charged by the Football Association for comments he made about referee Kevin Friend after his side's Premier League clash at West Ham on February 4. Klopp intimated after the 1-1 draw that Friend's second half performance had been affected by an assistant referee's mistake for Sadio Mane's opening goal. Mane's goal stood at the London Stadium despite James Milner being clearly offside in the build-up before Michail Antonio's equaliser cost Liverpool two points in the title race. "As a human being, if I know I have made a big mistake in the first half, I don't want to open the gap any more," Klopp said after the game. "Referees are obviously human beings, and I understand that, but I didn't during the game because I had no clue that our goal was offside." The FA confirmed Klopp had been charged for questioning "the integrity" of the match official. "Jurgen Klopp has today been charged with a breach of FA Rule ...
Female umpire duo to make history in Adelaide
Umpires Eloise Sheridan and Mary Waldron are on the verge of making history as they will be the first female duo to officiate in a men's first grade premier (club) cricket match, this weekend.Sheridan and Waldron will stand in a match between Tea Tree Gully and Northern Districts in Adelaide featuring Australia's vice-captain Travis Head.For Sheridan, officiating in a men's cricket match is not something new as she stood as an umpire in a South Australian Premier Cricket first grade game, 18 months ago. Earlier, she and NSW umpire Claire Polosak officiated in a Women's Big Bash League match between the Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Stars to be the first female pair to officiate a professional match in Australia.Walsdron, on the other hand, will be officiating in her first men's grade match. She played for Ireland in last year's International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup and was also a professional football player."To have so many firsts for female umpires in our State in ...
ISL: NorthEast climb above Mumbai with timely win
NorthEast United FC took a big step towards clinching a play-off spot after a crucial 2-0 win over Mumbai City FC in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the Mumbai Football Arena here on Wednesday.
China-Japan gymnasts train together in Tokyo
Visiting Chinese gymnasts said on Wednesday joint training with their Japanese counterparts offers a precious opportunity for the two countries to exchange and learn from each other.
Man Utd, PSG face UEFA investigation after fan incidents
UEFA on Wednesday announced that disciplinary proceedings had begun against both Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain after numerous incidents involving their supporters during Tuesday's Champions League clash at Old Trafford. Both sides face charges that their fans threw objects during the last 16, first leg, which PSG won 2-0. PSG's former United winger Angel di Maria was photographed holding a bottle that had been thrown towards him from the crowd. In addition, PSG face charges after fireworks were lit by their supporters, as well as for "acts of damages" and "crowd disturbance". The Premier League side also face charges that their fans blocked stairways during the game, going against the safety and security regulations of European football's governing body. UEFA said their Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body will deal with the case on February 28. The second leg of the tie will be played in Paris on March 6. PSG had one end of their Parc des Princes stadium closed for their
Icardi stripped of Inter Milan captaincy amid exit speculation
Mauro Icardi has been stripped of the Inter Milan captaincy in favour of goalkeeper Samir Handanovic amid speculation the Argentina forward is set to leave the club, the Italian outfit announced on Wednesday. "The club can confirm that Samir Handanovic is the new captain of the team," the Serie A outfit tweeted. The switch comes as Icardi, 25, has yet to sign a new contract amid protracted negotiations between the club and his wife Wanda Nara, who also acts as his agent. The Argentine has been left out of the team's Europa League round of 32, first-leg game at Rapid Vienna on Thursday. Icardi, valued at 100 million euros ($113 million), has been linked with a move away from Italy to Spanish giants Real Madrid or Chelsea in England. The forward -- joint top scorer in Serie A last season with 29 goals -- has scored 15 this season in all competitions, but has gone seven Serie A games without a goal. "Nobody on the team puts him in a position to play well," complained Nara recently. "The .
Calicut Heroes maintain unbeaten run in PVL
Calicut Heroes maintained their unbeaten run in the RuPay Pro Volleyball League, defeating Ahmedabad Defenders 4-1 here Wednesday. Skipper Jerome Vinith was the leading scorer for Calicut with 17 points (14 spikes, 1 block and a super serve). Ahmedabad's highest scorer was Novica Bjelica who scored 8 points (5 spikes and 3 blocks). It was an interesting start to the match as Ahmedabad nosed ahead with a 5-3 lead owing to two errors from Calicut and three points scored by Novica Bjelica and Victor Sysoev. But Calicut showed why they were table-toppers pulling back things together and taking the lead at 8-6 at the first Technical Time Out (TTO). At 12-10, Calicut looked on their way to win the set but Ahmedabad called for a Super Point and converted on Calicut's serve to level the equation. The last few points were hard fought and it looked like anyone's set till 14-14. It was finally a spike by Paul Lotman which won the set for Calicut 15-14. In the second set, Ahmedabad yet again went
North East United FC beat Mumbai City FC 2-0
Hosts Mumbai City FC suffered their third defeat in a row after going down 0-2 to North East United FC in a lop-sided Indian Super League game here Wednesday. Mid-fielder Rowllin Borges (4th minute) and striker Bartholomew Ogbeche (33rd minute) scored for the visitors as they grabbed three crucial points from the game played at the Mumbai Football Arena. After this loss, Mumbai City FC moved down to the third spot with 27 points, while North East have jumped to the second position with 27 points and are in fray to make the last four. Before this match, Mumbai had gone down 1-0 to Jamshedpur FC in an 'away' game and 2-0 to FC Goa in their previous home game. North East displayed aggressive style of play from the beginning and it paid dividends in the fourth minute itself as they took the lead following a splendid goal by mid-fielder Borges. Keegan Pereira made an excellent run down the left-hand side and cut it back to Borges, who had ample time and space. The 26-year-old Borges, then .
Nath downs top seed Raghuvansi to enter semis
Mannan Nath stunned top seed Krishang Raghuvanshi to enter the under 14 boys' semi finals of the Rotary Club All India Ranking Tennis Super Series on Wednesday. The sixth seeded Nath overcame the top seed in straight sets 6-4 6-2 in their quarter-final match. In the semifinals, Mannan will be challenged by third seed Manas Dhamne. Eighth-seeded Aryan Shah beat Jaishnav Shinde in three well-fought sets. Both the players displayed good quality tennis and fought very hard for every point. Shinde won the first set 6-4. In the second set, Shah used good variation to level proceedings 6-4. He maintained the momentum to win the final set 6-4 and grabbed a place in the last four. In the girls' section, second seed Ruma Gaikaiwari had an easy run against her state mate Ira Shah to win 6-4, 6-0. In the semifinals, Ruma will lock horns with unseeded Kyra Shetty, who blanked out Swara Katkar 6-4, 6-3.
Women's Hockey: India 'A' beat France A 2-0
Youngsters Jyoti and Gagandeep Kaur were on target as India 'A' women beat France 'A' 2-0 in the fourth and final match of the series here Wednesday to register their third straight win. Jyoti and Gagandeep struck twice in the 26th and 32nd minute as India A sealed the series by 3-1 margin. After losing the first game by a solitary goal, India A won their second and third matches by 3-2 and 2-0 margins respectively.
Rituparna, Riya enter pre-quarters of senior badminton Nationals
Former champion Rituparna Das of PSPB and top seed Riya Mookerjee of the Railways put on a brilliant display to book their berths in the pre-quarterfinals of the 83rd Senior National Badminton Championships here on Wednesday.
Lakshya, Harsheel enter pre-quarters at Senior Nationals
Young Indian shuttlers Lakshya Sen and Harsheel Dani progressed to the men's singles pre-quarterfinals with contrasting wins at the 83rd Yonex Sunrise Senior National Championship here Wednesday. Lakshya, who won an Asian Junior Championship and bronze at World Junior Championship last year, completed a clinical 21-10 21-10 win over Arintap Dasgupta of West Bengal. Harsheel, who had clinched the Ghana International in 2018, had to dig deep to secure a 16-21 21-18 21-8 win over Kartikey in another match. Former champions Sourabh Varma and Rituparna Das also entered the pre-quarterfinals after notching up straight-game wins. Sourabh beat Munawer Mohammed 21-13 21-14 after staving off a fight from eighth seed Jagadeesh K 18-21 21-11 21-15 earlier in the day. Rituparna brushed aside Namita Pathania 21-10 21-7 to enter the final 16. She had defeated Saloni Kumari 21-14 21-15 to enter the fourth round. Fast-rising shuttler Gayatri, daughter of chief India coach Pullela Gopichand, however, ..