Page 582 - Sports
Gujarat archer Krutikaba reigns supreme in Junior Nationals
The 16-year-old Gujarat girl Krutikaba Zala bagged two gold medals in the Indian Round of the 40th NTPC Junior Archery Championship at TT Nagar Stadium here Monday. Krutikaba defeated Dipti Kumari Mahato 6-2 in a one-sided women's individual final. Krutikaba went on to bag her second gold in the team event when she along with Preeti Yadav, Akanksha Vaghela and Urvishaba Zala got the better of their opponents from Jharkhand by an identical scoreline. Having settled for two silver medals in the individual and team events, 17-year-old Dipti clinched a third medal when she along with Dinesh Murmu of Jharkhand bagged a bronze in the mixed pair event. The men's final went down to the wire with Vikas More of Maharashtra edging out Delhi's Monu Kumar in a shoot-off after both were locked 5-all. Results: Indian Round: Men's, Individual: Vikas More (Maharashtra; 5 (X-10)), Monu Kumar (Delhi, 5 (10, 8), Vishal Kumar (SSCB, 6). Team: Jharkhand (5), Assam (3), Uttar Pradesh (6). Women's: Zala ...
Saina, Sindhu to renew rivalry for Senior National title
India's badminton queens Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu will reignite their on-field rivalry at home turf for the coveted women's singles title at the 83rd edition of the Senior National Badminton Championships which begins with the qualifiers here Tuesday. Sindhu and Saina will undoubtedly be the biggest attraction with some big names including last edition's finalists, Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy giving the tournament a miss due to fitness issues. The duo, finalists at the last edition, have been India's biggest achievers over the years, including last season. While Sindhu capped off the season with a maiden gold at the World Tour Final in December after reaching six finals, including the major events such as Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Championship, Saina too have entered four finals, with one resulting in a gold at the Commonwealth Games. Saina had the last laugh in the last edition of the tournament against Sindhu and she went on to get the better off her compatriot
OGQ & PPBA rope in Danish legend Frost for one-year coaching
Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), in association with the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), has roped in legendary Danish shuttler Morten Frost as a consultant coach for junior players at the academy in Bengaluru. This coaching stint is a private arrangement between OGQ, PPBA and former All England champion Frost, a media release said. Frost, who had a legendary on-court rivalry with Indian ace Prakash, is scheduled to arrive in the southern city later this week and will coach junior players at PPBA over the next one year. Prakash hailed that the Dutch legend's presence would benefit the younger players. "We have been looking at getting a top foreign coach to guide the young players at PPBA. I feel that Morten's presence will be a huge boost to many talented young players at the academy. Besides coaching the players, Morten will also help implement a robust coaches development plan," Padukone, who founded the PPBA, said. "Morten has tremendous experience as a player, ..
Alyssa Healy bags her first Belinda Clark Award
Wicketkeeper-batswoman Alyssa Healy claimed her first Belinda Clark Award alongside the T20I and ODI player of the year titles at the Australian Cricket Awards in Melbourne on Monday following a stunning year with bat and gloves at international level.Healy winning the award made it the first time in five years that it has not gone to either skipper Meg Lanning or allrounder Ellyse Perry. The pair has shared the honours between 2014 and 2018 as Lanning won it three times while Perry bagged it twice.The 28-year-old played a crucial role in Australia's victorious World T20 in the Caribbean, becoming the player of the tournament as she scored 225 runs at 56.25. Healy smashed 329 runs at 54.83 in six ODIs, with a best of 133 - her maiden international hundred against India.The award was presented by Clark herself, who is the Cricket Australia's interim executive general manager of team performance and a champion of community cricket."To win an award with Belinda Clark's name on it is ...
Irani Cup: Vidarbha eye encore, Rahane gears up for big one, Umesh misses
Rest of India captain Ajinkya Rahane will be hoping to keep himself in the mix for World Cup selection as he leads a formidable Rest of India against Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha in the Irani Cup starting Tuesday. For Vidarbha, the aim will be to do an encore of the 2017-18 season where they won both Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup. However it will be easier said than done against a Rest of India batting line-up that boasts of current Test vice-captain Rahane, opener Mayank Agarwal, the dashing Shreyas Iyer and the dogged Hanuma Vihari in its ranks. Rahane, who played three List A matches against England Lions with two half-centuries to his credit, is fighting for the reserve opener's slot. For Agarwal, Iyer and Vihari, it will be good game time as they would have little motivation considering they are not in the scheme of things as far as World Cup is concerned. While Irani Cup is a five-day game but a good knock will only help Rahane grab eyeballs as selectors zero in on the couple ..
Kenyan Chepchirchir suspended for doping
Sarah Chepchirchir, the 2017 Tokyo Marathon winner and a sister-in-law of banned Olympic champion Jemimah Jelagat Sumgong, is the latest high-profile Kenyan distance runner to be suspended for doping, Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced, here on Monday.
MCA SGM for 'removal' of Mumbai selectors
Alleging irregularities in the selection process of the Ranji and under 23 squads, an official of a member club of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has called for a Special General Meeting to replace the two selection panels. Khodadad Yazdegardi, who is the vice president and cricket secretary of the Parsee Gymkhana, has called for the SGM of MCA on February 21. The senior selection committee is led by former pacer Ajit Agarkar and also comprises former India spinner Nilesh Kulkarni. The move comes after the Bombay High Court-appointed Ad-Hoc committee of the MCA, in a communication to Khodadad, had informed him that he could call for the SGM invoking rule 37 of the association. "This is with reference to your letter dated January 28 informing us about your decision to call a special general meeting of the MCA as per rule number 37. "Please note that the Ad-Hoc Managing Committee cannot call for a SGM as informed to you vide our email-dated January 9. However, you ..
Djokovic leads ATP rankings
Serbian Novak Djokovic stayed on top of the ATP rankings issued on Monday after being crowned at the 2019 Australian Open.
DDCA Mess: Delhi U-23 aspirant assaults former India pacer Bhandari
Former India pacer Amit Bhandari, who is chairman of the DDCA senior selection committee, was on Monday assaulted by a group of unidentified men, led by a rejected U-23 player, during the Delhi senior team's practice game at the St Stephen's ground. The senior team is gearing up for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (National Twenty20 tournament), starting February 21. Bhandari sustained head and ear injuries and was taken to Sant Paramanand Hospital at Civil Lines by his colleague Sukhvinder Singh. The goons along with the player in question fled before the cops could reach the spot. "We are looking into the matter and a case will be registered after recording the statement of the victim," Nupur Prasad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) said. It has been learnt that Bhandari has alleged that an U-23 state team aspirant Anuj Dedha was behind the attack after being rejected for the National (U-23) One-dayers. "This boy Anuj was pestering Bhandari for some time and he was clearly told that he
Adda52 Rummy offers exciting prize pool of Rs 2.5 lakhs for Valentine's tournament
Love is in the air for youngsters. For rummy lovers, adda52 rummy is offering a romantic contest with a fabulous prize pool of Rs 2,50,000 on that day. The game format is tailor-made for all types of rummy players.Players of all age groups will find it interesting as events on adda52 rummy are always challenging and offer excitement besides good prize money for the participants.Play Rummy online on Valentines's Day and win hugeThe finale of the most-important event of the month is slated on February 14 at 12 noon.The satellites are already under way and one can gain entry to the marquee tournament through them. Satellites are being played every day from February 1 at 1.30 PM, 4.30 PM, 7.30 PM and 10.30 PM. Adda52 rummy is offering convenient time slots for players to compete and gain entry to the finals. The buy-in is as little as Rs 75.Many have already made it to the finals of the 13-card game format. Players have time till February 13 to gain entry for the finals from the ...
DDCA selector thrashed by aspiring cricketers
At least two aspiring cricketers on Monday thrashed the selector of senior men's team and former cricketer Amit Bhandari here after they apparently failed the trials, officials of Delhi police and Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) said.The incident took place at St Stephens ground in north Delhi area at around 1 pm during trials for the Under-23 Mushtaq Ali Trophy, they said."Around 1 pm, two-three players came to him (Bhandari) and started hitting him with a bat on his head. He was bleeding and was rushed to hospital," a DDCA official told ANI."The selection committee was selecting players for Mushtaq Ali Trophy selection. One rejected player came to him and questioned why he was not selected. Then he started beating him (Bhandari). First he used his hands, then used a stick to attack," DCP Nupur Prasad told reporters."Let us wait what doctors have to say. We have not got any statement. Once we get it, we will be clear on the facts," Prasad added.
Leaders Chennai City spilt points with Neroca in 6-goal thriller
Neroca FC held leaders Chennai City FC to a thrilling 3-3 draw to open up the I-League title race wide open here Monday. Chennai City fired in three goals in the first half through Pedro Manzi (34th minute, 41st, 45+1) who scored his fourth hat-trick of the season. Neroca FC came back strongly in the second half through Felix Chidi (52nd), followed by a goal each from Chencho and Aryn Williams in the 68th and the first minute of the added time respectively. Despite the draw, Chennai City still hold the pole position with 34 points from 16 matches, two points clear of debutants Real Kashmir FC (32 from 16 matches). Neroca FC are now placed fifth in the points table with 26 points from 17 matches. Neroca dominated the initial period of the match with left-winger Singham Subhash Singh troubling the Chennai defence with repeated forays down the left flank and channel. Two such forays in the 17th and 20th minute found Katsumi Yusa's head. The Japanese was closer from the first one, making .
Minerva to make maiden continental foray, play Saipa of Iran in AFC Champions League prelims
Woefully out of sorts in the domestic I-League season, Minerva Punjab FC will make their maiden continental foray when they take on Iranian side Saipa FC in a preliminary round match of the AFC Champions League here on Tuesday. Minerva, who got the chance to play in this preliminary stage of Asia's elite club competition as 2017-18 I-League winners, have been struggling whole of this domestic season with just three wins from 16 matches while losing eight games. They are ninth in the 11-team I-League standings and it will require a vastly improved show at the Shahr-e Qods Stadium near here if they want to advance further in the continental tournament. Saipa are playing the continent's premier club competition for only the second time. Their previous appearance came in 2008 when they reached the quarter-finals where they lost over two legs to FC Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan. To the good fortune of Minerva, the Saipa side have also not been exactly doing well in the Iranian top division club .
Former India pacer Bhandari assaulted at Delhi team training, hospitalised
Former India pacer Amit Bhandari, who is chairman of the DDCA senior selection committee, was on Monday assaulted by a group of unidentified men during the Delhi senior team's training at the St Stephen's ground. Bhandari sustained head and ear injuries and was taken to Sant Paramanand Hospital at Civil Lines by his colleague Sukhvinder Singh. The goons fled before the cops could reach the spot. "We are looking into the matter and a case will be registered after recording the statement of the victim," Nupur Prasad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) said. Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rajat Sharma told PTI that guilty will not be spared. "We are trying to procure all details of the incident. As far as I have come to know, it is regarding one disgruntled player, who didn't make it to the probables list for the National U-23 tournament. "The SHO from the local police station has reached the Stephen's ground and I have personally spoken to the Delhi Police
Kuldeep vaults to career-best No.2 in ICC T20I rankings
India's premier wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav rose one place to take a career-best second spot in the ICC mens T20I player rankings after returning 2/26 in the final match against New Zealand which the men-in-blue lost by four runs to go down 1-2 in the series.
Liverpool's improvement is clear to see, says Wijnaldum
Liverpool's transformation this season into Premier League title contenders reflects how much they have improved, says midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum. The 28-year-old Dutch international, who scored a superb goal in Saturday's 3-0 victory over Bournemouth despite suffering from a stomach upset, admitted two successive draws had been a setback as the club chases a first league title since 1990. But he added that garnering 65 points at this stage of the season exceeded their expectations when the campaign got underway. "We had two draws in a row and that didn't feel that good," said Wijnaldum. "But if we had been told that at the beginning (of the season) you will have this kind of points (65) everyone would have taken it. "It could be better but we must appreciate where we stand. "You can see the improvement. You could see at the beginning of the season we improved. We just have to keep it going." Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is taking the squad to the Spanish resort of Marbella for .
Ashok Dinda got injured during practice match
Pacer Ashok Dinda got injured during a practice match ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament here at the Eden Gardens on Monday.The Bengal cricketer threw a full toss delivery to young batsman Vivek Singh who played a shot that hit Dinda back on the face. Following the incident, Dinda suddenly fell on the ground.After receiving the medical assistance on the field, the pacer started playing again and ended his over.Later, Dinda was taken to a hospital where a CT scan revealed that there is no serious injury.The practice match was organised by the batting consultant of Bengal team, VVS Laxman.The Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament is slated to be held from February 21 to March 14.
Delhi cricket mess: Former India pacer Bhandari assaulted at U-23 state trials
Former India pacer Amit Bhandari, who is chairman of the DDCA senior selection committee, was on Monday assaulted by a group of unidentified men during the Under-23 team's trials at St Stephen's ground. Bhandari sustained head and ear injuries and was taken to Sant Paramanand Hospital at Civil Lines by his colleague Sukhvinder Singh. The goons fled the spot before the police could reach. Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rajat Sharma told PTI that guilty will not be spared. "We are trying to procure all details of the incident. As far as I have come to know, it is regarding one disgruntled player, who didn't make it to the probables list for the National U-23 tournament. "The SHO from the local police station has reached the Stephen's ground and I have personally spoken to the Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik. The guilty will not go unpunished. I promise exemplary action against whoever is found involved in this misdeed. We will register an FIR," ...
Pacer Dinda suffers head injury during Bengal's practice session
Senior Bengal pacer Ashok Dinda was hit on his forehead while trying to take a catch off his own during the team's Twenty 20 simulation camp for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Eden Gardens here on Monday.
Dinda stuck on head, advised two-day rest after CT scan
Bengal pace spearhead Ashok Dinda was hit on the forehead while attempting a sharp caught-and-bowled chance during Bengal's Twenty 20 practice match at Eden Gardens here Monday. The incident happened when batsman Birender Vivek Singh hit straight and Dinda attempted the catch on his follow through but it slipped from his hand and hit his forehead, a Bengal support staff member said. "Dinda looked fine as he completed the over before returning back to the dressing room. As a precautionary measure, he was taken for scans. There is nothing alarming but he has been advised two days of rest," a CAB official told PTI. The 2011 Mushtaq Ali champions Bengal open their domestic T20 campaign against Mizoram in their group D fixture at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on February 21. Bengal failed to make the final at home last season after finishing third in the Super League Group B.