Page 591 - Sports
Minerva Punjab lift their maiden Elite League trophy
Minerva Punjab FC rode on two second-half strikes from Makan Winkle Chothe and Thoiba Singh to register a thumping 2-0 victory over FC Pune City to lift their maiden Elite League 2018-19 trophy.While Makan Chothe (59′) exploited a defensive lapse of FC Pune City to break the defence whereas Thoiba Singh (67′) doubled the lead from a freekick to take the match away from the lads from Pune.Having won the Elite League 2018-19, Minerva Punjab FC are the current holders of all the National championships comprising of I-League, Sub-junior League (U13 age group), Junior League (U15 age group) and Elite League (U-18 age group).It was FC Pune City who had their shot on target in the 2nd minute when Laldawngkima's header was brilliantly saved by Minerva goalkeeper Devansh from a stone-throwing distance before Minerva skipper Shahjahan seeing his long-ranger going out of bounce in the 8th minute.FC Pune City attacker Lelsemba had an effective game keeping the defenders on their toes throughout. .
I-League: Churchill Brothers takes on stumbling Mohun Bagan
Churchill Brothers are all set to host Mohun in a return-leg of the ongoing 12th edition of the I-League at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco Da Gama on Saturday.The home side are currently third on the table with 29 points from 16 games and cannot afford to drop points at this stage of the league.Former champions Mohun Bagan, on the other hand, will need a miracle of sorts to win the title for a second time. They are currently sixth after 15 games with 22 points and their fate is no longer in their hands.Churchill go into the game as clear favourites, not only because they routed Mohun Bagan 3-0 in the first leg in Kolkata, but because despite going down 2-3 against Shillong in their previous game, the Goans have been highly impressive in the league and have shown quality goal-scoring prowess.Churchill Brothers coach Petre Gigiu said, "Theoretically, we have a chance but practically it is difficult. At this moment, things are not in our hand, we had made our share of mistakes. We want to ...
Khaleel Ahmed hopeful of series victory against Kiwis
Indian pacer Khaleel Ahmed on Friday expressed hope that the team would clinch the ongoing T20I series after registering a win in the upcoming final match.The visitors, who had made a stumbling start to the series with an 80-run defeat, level the series on Friday with a convincing seven-wicket victory over the hosts."We have won this match. We are feeling confident with the victory. Players who did not do that well will look to improve and win the final match," Khaleel said in a post-match press conference.While talking about his bowling experience in the overseas conditions, Khaleel said that he has learnt a lot playing in countries like Australia and New Zealand."Playing overseas is always a matter of excitement for pacers as you get bounce and swing in such situations. It was a good experience playing in Australia. I learnt a lot in New Zealand, as well," he said.India and New Zealand will play their final match of the series on February 10 at the Seddon Park, Hamilton.
10 dead in Brazil football training centre fire
At least 10 people were killed in a massive blaze that swept through a training centre of Brazilian football club Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro in the early morning hours of Friday.The fire broke out in a dormitory at the youth training ground where the players were sleeping, CNN reported quoting state-run news agency Agencia Brazil.Flamengo is one of the most popular and biggest football clubs in the football-frenzy nation, playing their home games in Rio de Janeiro.Further details are awaited.
Michael Beer announces retirement from BBL
Australian veteran spinner Michael Beer has announced his retirement from the Big Bash League (BBL).The 34-year-old, who has appeared in all the eight seasons of the BBL, thanked his team Melbourne Stars for all the opportunities and support during his career."When I first came to the Stars I probably wasn't enjoying my cricket as much, but the Stars made cricket fun for me again," Beer said. "I'd really like to thank the players and coaches I've been fortunate to work with over the years at the Stars, as well as the club staff and the board for all the support and opportunities they've given me and my career both on and off the field," ESPNcricinfo quoted Beer, as saying."I'd also like to thank the WACA [Western Australia Cricket Association], Perth Scorchers and Cricket Victoria for my time with them, I've been lucky to learn so much from each team I've played with," he added.Shedding light on his future plans, the spinner said that he is looking forward to build on some coaching ...
Jason Holder signs up with Northamptonshire for country season
West Indies skipper Jason Holder on Friday joined the Northamptonshire County Cricket Club (NCCC) for the upcoming Specsaver County Championship and Royal London One Day Cup campaigns.Holder will arrive at the County Ground ahead of the start of the season and will be available for the first two Specsavers County Championship matches against Middlesex and Glamorgan, as well as the opening half-dozen Royal London One Day Cup matches.The 27-year-old expressed delight over the development and said that he is looking forward to get experience of playing county cricket and test himself in different conditions. Holder further hoped that the same would provide him with an opportunity to get accustomed to the English conditions ahead of the World Cup tournament."England is somewhere I've wanted to play for a long time and I'm looking forward to the experience of county cricket and testing myself in the different conditions. Northamptonshire has a reputation of being a good club to be a part ..
Shooter Adarsh battles health issues to rise to the top (IANS Interview)
Despite suffering from major health issues from birth, India's teenage shooter Adarsh Singh, who proved his mettle with some stunning performances at the junior level including the Khelo India Games, is all set to feature in his first senior World Cup starting on February 20 here.
NRAI expecting to secure two to four Olympics quotas from 'home' World Cup
India will be expecting to secure two to four Olympics quotas out of the 16 available at the ISSF World Cup beginning here on February 20, national shooting federation chief Raninder Singh said Friday. "Realistically, I expect anything between two to four quotas. But in shooting, it is all about how you do on that particular day. So, we can get more also," said NRAI chief Singh. India will be hosting the tournament for the third time but it will be the first time ever Olympic quota places will be up for grabs in a shooting event held in the country, claimed Singh. Hosts India will be fielding a 34-member squad, including 11 in the non-competition Minimum Qualification Score (MQS) category. In all, 495 athletes from 58 nations will feature in the event. Only the two mixed team events out of the 10 will have no quotas on offer. "The event will be shown live on television. And let me tell you, we have not sought any financial support from the government to conduct the event. We are doing
Not enamoured of foreign coaches, says NRAI President
National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President Raninder Singh on Friday said he isn't "enamoured with foreign coaches" while emphasising on being self-reliant by developing more and more Indian coaches with greater remuneration.
Maharashtra start on winning note
Maharashtra made a positive start on Friday as they romped to a facile 4-1 win against Gujarat in the opening Group-B league match of the West Zone leg of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2018-19 to be held at Solapur. The Maharashtra side dominated play from the start and took an early lead when Arif Shaikh scored from a penalty in the seventh minute. Referee Vishal Prajapati awarded the penalty after a Gujarat defender handled the ball in the area, a media release said. Three minutes later, Mrunal Tandel struck the second to double the lead. Maharashtra continued to hold sway and added two more goals through Linekar Machado (46th minute) and Rohan Shukla (56th minute) to round off the winning tally, while Gujarat scored a consolation goal through Musamiyan Syed in the 65th minute, the release stated. Results: Maharashtra 4 (Arif Shaikh 7-pen, Mrunal Tandel 10, Linekar Machado 46, Rohan Shukla 56) beat Gujarat 1 (Musamiyan Syed 65).
Archer Muskan bags two gold in Junior Nationals
Asian Games silver medallist Muskan Kirar led Madhya Pradesh's challenge by clinching two gold medals in the compound section in the 40th Junior National Archery Championships here Friday. The 18-year-old, who was part of the silver-medal winning women's team in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, defeated her state-mate Arshiya Chaudhary 149-139 in the compound final to bag the individual title. Madhya Pradesh, who had grabbed the top seed by virtue of Muskan's top-ranked performance (694 points) in the qualifications, faced a stiff challenge from Delhi in the team finals as both were locked 226-all. The shoot-off also saw a tie with both teams scoring 26-26 but the trio of Muskan, Arishya and Anuradha Ahurwar prevailed by shooting closest to the centre (X). MP also got the top billing in the mixed pair section where Muskan partnered Saurabh Pandey but the duo made a second round exit going down to semifinalists Andhra Pradesh 141-147. Seeded fifth, Rajasthan pair of Priya Gurjar and ...
Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Sasikumar Mukund in last four
Top-seed Prajnesh Gunneswaran of India and his 16th-seeded compatriot Sasikumar Mukund moved into the semifinals of the ATP Chennai Open Challenger tournament here Friday, albeit in contrasting styles. They were joined in the last four by second-seeded Corentin Moutet and unseeded Australian Andrew Harris, both coming through in three-set matches. Chennai southpaw Gunneswaran eased past Australia's James Duckworth, the seventh-seed, 6-4, 6-3. He served well and hit some crunching forehands while Duckworth tried to attack with limited success. In the ninth game, Gunneswaran broke his rival's serve with some aggressive play. He served out the set easily in the next game. The second set was a romp as Duckworth began to wilt in the heat. The Aussie quickly fell behind 0-4 before fighting back to 2-5. The Indian was serving for the match when he double faulted twice to drop serve. In the next game, Duckworth saved a match point but missed a shot on the subsequent point to end
10 killed in Brazil football club fire
At least 10 people died after a fire broke out at the youth training centre of Flamengo, one of Brazil's biggest football clubs here on Friday, officials said.
K L Rahul finally finds some form in India A's strong reply
Out-of-favour India opener K L Rahul was back amongst the runs, his unbeaten 88 steering India A to 291 for one on day two of the first unofficial Test against England Lions here Friday. India 'A' came up with a strong reply to England Lions' first innings score of 340, courtesy Rahul and Priyank Panchal, who was unbeaten on 89. Navdeep Saini's five-wicket haul helped the host restrict the Lions, who resumed the day at 303 for five. Apart from Ben Duckett (80), there were half-centuries for Sam Hain (61) and Will Jack (63). The stylish Rahul, who played a few matches in the preceding ODI series against the Lions but couldn't get going, started slowly, scoring 12 off 57 balls. He played with assurance and in Panchal's company added 171 runs for the second wicket. Rahul looked compact and left a lot of balls early in his innings. After settling down, he played some delightful shots all round the wicket, including a few beautiful drives. The stylish Karnataka batsman, who had a dismal ...
I-League: Chennai City beat Indian Arrows to claim pole position
Chennai City FC regained the top spot in the I-League points table with a 2-0 win over Indian Arrows at the Kalinga Stadium here on Friday.
Despite cash crunch 'Deputy Collector' Rahi goes on leave without pay for Tokyo Olympics
Rahi Sarnobat, India's first female shooter to win an Asian Games gold, still has "nightmares" about her financial security despite competing at the highest level for more than a decade. The 28-year-old pistol shooter from Maharashtra's Kohlapur feels that she should have been financially sound after "all these years of hardwork" but apparently she is not. The Asian Games gold got her a total cash reward of Rs 70 lakh (Rs 50 lakh from Maharashtra government and Rs 20 lakh from Sports Ministry) but such are the expenses of a top-level shooter, Rahi ended up giving a chunk of that award money to her personal coach Munkhbayar Dorjsuren, a former Olympic medallist and world champion from Mongolia. Dorjsuren is now a German citizen. Rahi is supported by Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) and is also employed as a deputy collector in her state's revenue department, but she has gone without pay from September, 2017, due to her sporting commitments. "I feel I don't have more than four years left as a ..
Dhoni's presence in team is very important for decision making: Yuvraj Singh
Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh believes that presence of MS Dhoni in the team is very important in terms of decision making. Yuvraj said that Dhoni has done a pretty good job as a captain and has been guiding young players from behind the wickets which make his presence in the team very important."I think Mahi (MS Dhoni) is great cricket brain and as a wicket keeper he is at a best place to monitor the game. He has been a great captain and with young players obviously guiding Virat on the field all the time, I just feel his presence is very important in terms of decision making. And he had a fantastic tournament in Australia which was a good thing to see. I wish him all the best," Yuvraj said at an event.The 37-year-old, who was released by Kings XI Punjab ahead of the 2019 IPL Auction, was purchased by Mumbai Indians for his base price of ₹1 crore. Yuvraj said that he is all excited to play for the Mumbai Indian under the leadership of Rohit Sharma."Well very excited to play for ...
Bhubaneswar to host women's 4-nation tournament
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) will organise the Hero Gold Cup, a four-nation competition, from February 9 to 15 at Kalinga Stadium here.
Dhoni's presence in World Cup important for decision-making: Yuvraj
Veteran Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh Friday said Mahendra Singh Dhoni's presence is crucial to the country's World Cup chances as he is a "guiding" force for current captain Virat Kohli and "important" in decision-making. Dhoni's place in the side has been a subject of debate owing to his inconsistent form but many, including former captain Sunil Gavaskar, have said that his tremendous grasp of match situations makes him invaluable. Yuvraj, the 2011 World Cup's player of the tournament, echoed the sentiment when asked about the Dhoni factor here at an interaction. "I think Mahi (Dhoni) has a great cricket brain. And as a wicket-keeper, you are in the best position to monitor the game and he has done that fantastically over the years. He has been a great captain. (He is) with the young players and guiding Virat (Kohli) all the time," Yuvraj said. "So, I feel his presence is very important in decision-making. He had a fantastic tournament in Australia and it is good to see him hit the .
I-League: Chennai City beat Indian Arrows to regain top spot
Chennai City FC regained pole position riding on two second half goals to beat Indian Arrows in their 15th round I-League encounter here Friday. Chennai drew first blood in the 71st minute through Spanish midfielder Sandro's free-kick and concluded their game with another goal from substitute Vijay N during the stoppage time. With this win, Chennai City FC (33 points) have now leapfrogged Real Kashmir (32) to the top of the 11-team table. Chennai, as expected, started the game on an attacking note, in their effort to bag full points. After a barren first half, Chennai City kick-started their second half, attacking at regular intervals but were unable to find the back of the net. Credit for a valiant Arrows show should also go to their goalkeeper Samik Mitra, who stood tall under bar, denying Chennai City FC, any opportunity to capitalise on errors. As the game entered the final quarter, Chennai City visibly grew frustrated with their inability to break into the Arrows defensive ...