Page 577 - Sports

I-League: East Bengal raring to come all guns blazing at Shillong Lajong

On a roll after a hat-trick of wins, title contenders East Bengal will be eyeing to continue their winning momentum when they take on wooden spooners Shillong Lajong in a 15th round I-League encounter here Thursday. With table leaders Chennai City dropping two crucial points after NEROCA's coming-from-behind draw at Imphal, the Kolkata heavyweights' title march is very much on course as they are in the pack with 28 points from 14 games. East Bengal will also find themselves with fresh legs as they got a week long break after their February 10 away match against Real Kashmir in Srinagar was postponed to February 28, following a heavy snowfall. That East Bengal are slated to play three back-to-back home matches in the revised schedule before travelling to Kashmir and Minerva Punjab will make the scenario more interesting as the Alejandro Menndez's team look to remain focus and bag maximum points from the games. "We have to think positive and enjoy every game. The most important thing is

I-League: East Bengal look to close gap at top with win over Lajong (Preview)

High on confidence after their brilliant come-from-behind win against Neroca FC, an in-form East Bengal will look to further cut the gap at the top of the table when they take on wooden spooners Shillong Lajong FC in an I-League encounter at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Thursday.

Argentina midfielder Palacios suffers broken leg

Argentina international midfielder Exequiel Palacios faces more than a month on the sidelines after suffering a broken leg while playing for River Plate, the Buenos Aires club said.

Mithun stands tall as Bangladesh struggle

A gritty half-century from Mohammad Mithun gave Bangladesh some hope as the tourists set New Zealand a modest target of 233 after suffering an early collapse in the first one-day international here on Wednesday. Mithun top scored with 62 after coming to the crease with Bangladesh reeling at 42 for four as their decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired. He survived 90 balls, grinding out his third ODI fifty, after Bangladesh's top order fell to a combination of rash shots and accurate bowling. Mohammad Saifuddin provided support with a hard-fought 41 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 232 with seven balls of their allotted 50 overs remaining. Bangladesh batting coach Neil McKenzie admitted 300 was probably a par score on the McLean Park pitch in good scoring conditions, although the tourists will hope their total is defendable against a New Zealand side coming off a 4-1 ODI series loss to India. Spinner Mitchell Santner and paceman Trent Boult took three wickets apiece for

Boxing season starts: Amit Panghal aims 2nd successive gold at Strandja Memorial

A busy international calendar unfolds for Indian boxing from Thursday with the 70th Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria where Asian Games gold-medallist Amit Panghal (49kg) will be eyeing a second successive top finish. India will have a 19-strong representation, 10 of them women, in the annual showpiece of the European calendar which gets underway following a draw on Thursday morning. Amit has not competed after picking up India's sole boxing gold at the Asiad in Jakarta. Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Gaurav Solanki (52kg), who won a silver at this event last year, will be aiming for a better finish on the podium this time around. The 2017 World Championships bronze-medallist Gaurav Bidhuri (56kg), on the other hand, will be seeking a strong return to top-flight competition after recovering from a back injury that kept him out of action for most of the last year. In the women's team, former world silver-medallist Sonia Lather (57kg) would be eager to put behind a ...

Defensor into Libertadores 3rd round

Ecuador's Barcelona FC were eliminated from the Copa Libertadores second round despite beating Uruguay's Defensor Sporting 1-0 here.

Copa Libertadores: Oliveira brace knock out Danubio 3-2

Striker Ricardo Oliveira scored a brace against Uruguay's Danubio in a 3-2 victory for Atletico Mineiro to qualify for the third phase of the 2019 Copa Libertadores.

Indian shuttlers get tough draw at All England Championship

India's dream of breaking an 18-year-old title jinx at the All England Championship got tougher after the country's shuttlers, including P V SIndhu and Saina Nehwal, were handed a tricky draw in the World Tour Super 1000 tournament in Birmingham. Olympic and World Championship silver medallist Sindhu, who had reached the semifinals last year, will open her campaign against South Korea's Sung Ji Hyun, while Indonesia Masters champion Saina takes on Scotland's Kristy Gilmour in the first round. Both Sindhu and Saina are currently playing at the Senior National Championships and will head straight to Birmingham from here for the prestigious tournament, starting March 6. Sindhu will have to be cautious against Hyun, who had defeated her at the Hong Kong Open last year. If she gets past Hyun, the Indian is likely to face third seed Chen Yufei in the quarter-final. Former world no. 1 Saina, who had reached the All England final in 2015, made a good start to the new season with a semifinal ..

Roma beat Porto in Champions League clash

A.S. Roma defeated Porto 2-1 here in the first leg of the Champions League round-of-16 tie, but the away goal gives hope to the Portuguese side looking ahead to next month's decisive contest on their home ground.

Teen shuttler Lakshya eyes top 30 ranking by year end

Making a transition into the senior circuit this year, India's teen badminton sensation Lakshya Sen says he needs to work on his speed and stamina as he eyes to break into the top 30 BWF ranking by the year end. "My target is to break into top 30 by this year," the 17-year-old shuttler from Uttarakhand told PTI. "It is an Olympic qualification year, so entry into tournaments will be difficult. Depending on my performance and ranking I will pick events. For the time being I will play the Super 100 and Super 300 events mainly. "Olympic qualification is extremely tough. Last year, my ranking was 69-70 early in the year but I missed out on many senior tournaments since I played a few junior events. So my ranking went down," he added. Lakshya, who had reached the finals at the 2017 edition and semifinal at last edition of the Nationals, is eager to get the senior national title under his belt. "Senior national championship is a big event for me. I have played 3-4 times before, in fact, ...

Shahbaz back as PHF secretary, resignation turned down

Former Pakistan captain Shahbaz Ahmed has resumed his duties as Pakistan Hockey Federation secretary after his resignation was turned down by PHF President Brigadier (retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokar. Shahbaz had tendered his resignation after Pakistan's dismal performance in the World Cup in India last December but on Tuesday he claimed his resignation has been rejected. "For the last 15 years Pakistan hockey has been on a steady decline and I don't think my resignation is going to help. I resigned initially because I was totally disappointed with our team returning home from the World Cup without winning a single match," he told media here. Shahbaz's resignation was under consideration by the PHF. The sport is in a mess in Pakistan and the country has been forced to withdraw from the FIH Pro League, which also serves as 2020 Olympic qualifiers, after the government refused to release funds. The last minute withdrawal means Pakistan now run the risk of facing a penalty from the ...

Windies aiming to become world's No. 1 team, says Holder

West Indies captain Jason Holder said that his side's main goal is to become the world's number one team after their impressive series victory over England. England comfortably claimed a consolation win in the third Test on Tuesday, but back-to-back thumping triumphs in Barbados and Antigua had already secured the hosts an unassailable 2-0 series lead. "We have got to keep improving in the three facets of the game and be clinical and lot more consistent," said Holder, who missed the game in St Lucia through suspension for a slow over-rate. "Our bowlers have done an outstanding job. It is up to our batsmen to contribute more. "We need to continue to build and not rest on our laurels. Our number one goal is to be the number one team in the world so there is a lot to improve on." The West Indies have been a shadow of the side which totally dominated world cricket for much of the 1970s and 80s, and after years of struggles, sit eighth in the current ICC rankings, ahead of only Bangladesh .

England thrash Windies to claim consolation win

England ended a disappointing Test series with the consolation of a comprehensive victory over the West Indies on the fourth day of the third and final Test in St Lucia. Thrashed in the first two matches of the series to surrender the Wisden Trophy after 10 years in English possession, the tourists gained a measure of consolation in completing a 232-run victory with a day to spare. Set an improbable target of 485 after Joe Root declared his side's second innings at 361 for five following his dismissal for 122, the home team were eventually dismissed for 252 deep into the final session on Tuesday when Ben Stokes had Keemo Paul caught and bowled. Paul, hobbled by a leg injury which prevented him from bowling throughout most of the England second innings, only came out to bat as last man to allow Roston Chase to complete a deserved fifth Test century. Chase was on 97 when Shannon Gabriel was ninth out, but the young all-rounder hung around long enough for the tall right-hander to reach ..

Footballer Sala's body to be returned to Argentina on Friday

Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala's body is to be returned to Argentina on Friday, the mayor of his hometown of Progreso, Julio Muller, told AFP. Sala's body was recovered from plane wreckage in the English Channel last week. He was flying to his new team, English Premier League side Cardiff City, from his old French club Nantes when his plane went missing over the Channel on January 21. Muller said Sala's body would arrive in the late afternoon and be taken to the gymnasium next to his youth club's headquarters, where a vigil was scheduled. He said Sala's "mother, sister and brother have already arrived in Progreso." British authorities formally identified Sala's body last week, after which his family said they could "now begin to mourn our son and our brother." Sala, who was 28, died of "head and trunk injuries," an inquest in England heard on Monday. He was travelling in a light aircraft that disappeared near the British island of Guernsey. The wreckage was found on the seabed but

Mbappe stars as PSG hand Solskjaer's Man Utd a reality check

Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted his side were shown how much they still have to improve after being swept aside by an injury-hit Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie here. Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe struck in a seven-minute spell just before the hour mark as PSG displayed their credentials on Tuesday, to finally become champions of Europe for the first time, especially once they get the world's most expensive player Neymar and Edinson Cavani back from injury. After a run of 10 wins and one draw in 11 games since Solskjaer replaced the sacked Jose Mourinho in December, a first defeat for the Norwegian is a reality check for United's revival and they have a mountain to climb when the sides meet again for the second leg on March 6. The English giants will also have to cope without Paul Pogba in three weeks' time as he was sent off a minute from time to round off a terrible night for the hosts. "Today we ..

Zaniolo bags brace as Roma claim first-leg win over Porto

Teenage sensation Nicolo Zaniolo bagged a brace as Roma beat Porto 2-1 in their Champions League last 16, first-leg clash at the Stadio Olimpico here. The 19-year-old got his first ever Champions League goal in the 70th minute in Rome on Tuesday, adding a second six minutes later to inflict a first defeat on Porto in this year's top-tier European competition. But Adrian Lopez pulled a vital goal back for the Portuguese club after 79 minutes to ensure they remain in the hunt going into their home leg on May 6. "It's an incredible night, I'm speechless and never would have expected such a thing," Zaniolo told Sky Sport Italia. "But we've got the second leg coming up, we shouldn't have conceded the goal." The night belonged to the youngster from Tuscany who has become a fan favourite since arriving from Inter Milan, where he never played a top-flight game, in exchange for Radja Nainggolan last summer. On Tuesday, he was given an ovation by an ecstatic home crowd who see him as the heir ..

Qualification for World Cup 2023 'huge priority': Ireland coach Graham Ford

Ireland men's cricket team head coach Graham Ford on Tuesday said qualifying for the 2023 World Cup will be a "huge priority"."It is a busy year for our cricketers, but also an exciting and challenging phase for Cricket Ireland. Achieving results is something we all want but there is also an understanding of the importance of bringing through some of the younger lads. Their progress is vital to our cricketing future," ICC quoted Ford, as saying."We have the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League ahead of us in 2020 through to 2022, and of course qualification for the 2023 World Cup is a huge priority. We therefore need to have an eye on the future and give some of the younger talent an opportunity to play alongside some of the established players," he said.Paul Stirling, who is leading the team in the absence of regular skipper Gary Wilson, said he is enjoying his new role but pointed out that captaincy, is posing a challenge for him as focussing on his personal fielding is a bit ...

Stuart Broad to captain MCC against Surrey

England fast bowler Stuart Broad has been named to lead the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) for the annual Champion County Match, slated against Surrey in Dubai next month."We are thrilled that Stuart has agreed to captain the side for the Champion County match against Surrey. He is not only a player of the very highest class, but his experience of over 100 Test matches will be invaluable to the younger players in the squad, and I am sure that they will be eager to learn from one of England's greatest ever bowlers," ESPNcricinfo quoted MCC's assistant secretary John Stephenson, as saying."Surrey were undoubtedly the best side in last season's County Championship and have an extremely strong squad, so it will be a tough challenge for Stuart and his side but one I am sure they will relish," Stephenson said.The 32-year-old, who is part of his side's campaign against West Indies in a three-match Test series, will use the match for a first-class leg of England's home summer. The rest of the .

Hero Gold Cup: India women will bounce back, says coach Maymol Rocky

After losing 1-2 to Nepal in their second game at the ongoing Hero Gold Cup, India women's football team head coach Maymol Rocky said the team was still on track despite the minor blip."One loss does not mean you are a bad team. We are still on track, and can definitely do better. There is still one match to go. We will go all out to secure a positive result," Maymol said after the match at the Kalinga Stadium."We are a young side and I am sure the girls are strong-minded and will bounce back. We will prepare hard for the coming match and play our hearts out against Myanmar," she said.India will next face title favourites Myanmar in their last group stage match on February 13 as they search for a spot in the final.In the current standings, Myanmar are on top with six points from two games, followed by India and Nepal with three points each, while Iran are yet to open their account.The tournament regulations state that in case teams are level on points, the goal difference will be ...

Varanasi: A cricket tournament with a Sanskrit touch

Spending their normal days learning Vedic scriptures, students from different Sanskrit-medium schools across Varanasi on Tuesday showcased their cricketing skills in a tournament having a touch of ancient Indian traditions.The youngsters, clad in dhoti and kurta, did not look in discomfort while bowling and batting. Each student had tripund (three lines of 'shivling') on their forehead while they were playing.Even the umpires were seen donning the traditional attire and officiating the match.The tournament is being organised by Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vidyalaya on the occasion of its 75th founding year.The main highlight of the unique cricket tournament is the commentary which is done in Sanskrit language, a rare occasion in today's times.A sizeable crowd which had gathered to watch the tournament were left awestruck as the youngsters in dhoti and kurta ran between the crease barefoot, coupled with the echoes of the Sanskrit commentary through a loudspeaker.Ganesh Dutt Shastri, a ...