Page 615 - Sports

Divya Deshmukh leads points table

Woman International Master Divya Deshmukh jumped into the sole lead with 4.5 points after the sixth round of the Velammal AICF Woman Grandmaster Round Robin Chess tournament 2019 here Thursday. Two wins on a double round day - against V Varshini and Franco Valencia Angela - propelled the Nagpur girl to sole lead. Following Divya on four points were Osmak Iulija and Babiy Olga (both Ukraine) and Michelle Catherina (India). Former World Under-12 champion Deshmukh consolidated her WGM norm prospects with a fine win over Woman International Master Franco Valencia Angela of Colombia. Giving up her queen for two rooks, the Indian girl swung her pieces with elan catching the back-rank with a vice like grip. Facing mate and multiple piece loss, her rival resigned on the 37th move. In another interesting game, leader Michelle Catherina went down to Kazakh girl Nakhbayeva Guliskhan. The Nimzo Indian game saw Catherina allowing an extended liberty to Guliskhan, who swept through the

Haryana Hammers beat Punjab Royals to win PWL-4 title

It was fourth time lucky for Haryana Hammers as they beat Punjab Royals 6-3 in the summit clash to win the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) season 4 title here on Thursday. Riding on Aleksander Khotsianivski, Ali Shabanov, Kiran, Ravi Kumar and Anastasia Nichita's dominating performance, Haryana Hammers, the runners-up in the last three editions, turned the tables on the defending champions Punjab Royals by winning all the first five bouts to clinch the title. So dominating was Haryana Hammers' performance that Punjab Royals' campaign ended even before their star player Bajrang Punia could take the stage. The Asian Games gold medallist Punia scored an impressive 11-0 win over Rajneesh but it was too late in the day. It was Khotsianivski of Ukraine who put the Hammers on road to victory by winning the 125kg super heavyweight bout against Canadian Korey Jarvis 3-0. Shabanov got his revenge and also broke Dato Marsagishvili's unbeaten run to win the men's 86kg bout 4-3 and give the Hammers a ..

Canara Bank, Reliance One, D Y Patil A and B enter semis

Bharat Chipli's 84 helped Canara Bank beat Mumbai Customs by six wickets in a high-scoring match in the quarter-finals of the 15th D Y Patil T20 Cup here Thursday. Along with Canara Bank, Reliance One, D Y Patil A and D Y Patil B also entered the semi-finals, a media release said. Mumbai Customs posted 183-8 in their 20 overs thanks to Sachin Wagh's 87. In their reply, Chipli starred in the chase as Canara Bank chased down the target in 16.4 overs. In other quarter-finals, D Y Patil A successfully defended a total of 164-5 to win by 57 runs against Western Railway, it added. In the other quarter-final at the Stadium, D Y Patil B also held CAG at bay to win by 12 runs. In the final quarter-final, Reliance One posted a massive 193-6 in their 20 overs and then bowled out BPCL for 145 to register a 48 run win. D Y Patil A and DY Patil B will square off in the semi-finals at the DY Patil Stadium on Saturday, whereas Canara Bank will play Reliance One for a place in the ...

I-League: Plaza scores in Churchill's 1-1 draw against Real Kashmir

Both Churchill Brothers and Real Kashmir FC went into their return leg fixture at the Tilak Maidan here on Thursday harbouring dreams of going to the top of the 12th I-League table.

Maha announces rewards for Khelo India medallists from state

The Maharashtra government Thursday announced rewards for players from the state, who won medals at the recently-held Khelo India Youth Games. An announcement to this effect was made by state sports minister Vinod Tawde at a ceremony here, where the medal winners were felicitated. "The young champions won Maharashtra a glittering 1st place at the @kheloindia Youth Games 2019, with an unprecedented victory. It was an incredible moment to interact with each one of them, cheering them on as they go forth, strengthening the sports culture of our nation!," Tawde tweeted. "Encouraging these young champions and extending support to their sports aspirations, GoM has awarded (Rs) 1 lakh for the gold, (Rs) 75,000 for silver and (Rs) 50,000 for bronze medallists as a reward for their excellent performances that won Maharashtra the @kheloindia Youth Games - 2019," the Minister said in another tweet. Maharashtra had emerged as the overall champions in the Games, jointly organised by

ISL: Bengaluru FC rope in Luisma Villa

Bengaluru FC on Thursday announced that they have secured the services of Spanish midfielder Luis Manuel Villa, more commonly known as 'Luisma', on a deal that runs until the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

ISL: Rejuvenated Mumbai hunt for Goa revenge (Preview)

Mumbai City FC pit their wits against FC Goa in an attempt to wipe off the first leg humiliation in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the Mumbai Football Arena here on Friday.

India are one of the favourites and hope they peak at right time: Dravid on ODI World Cup

Former captain Rahul Dravid is confident that the Indian team under Virat Kohli will "peak during next few months" as they go into the World Cup in England as one of the tournament favourites. India have now won three away ODI series in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand and are considered by many as the team to beat at the global event which begins on May 30. "I think India are playing very good cricket at the moment and go in as one of the favourites. Hopefully, we will peak in the next few months," Dravid told reporters on Thursday after India A clinched the one-day series against England Lions by 4-1 margin. Dravid, who was the top scorer (461 runs) in the 1999 World Cup held in England, feels that there should not be any comparison between the two editions as conditions will be very different. "Wickets will be very flat in England and I expect it to be quite a high-scoring World Cup. When we were in England with A team, 300 was regularly scored," Dravid said, citing how ...

I-League: Neroca up against Indian Arrows in must-win game (Preview)

Manipur-based side Neroca FC take on the Indian Arrows in a must-win tie at the Kalinga Stadium here on Friday.

I am not too worried about KL Rahul's form: India A coach Dravid

There has been no change in KL Rahul's wretched form even after his comeback from suspension but India A coach Rahul Dravid is not worried as he has confidence in the talented opener's quality. Rahul was suspended by the BCCI for his sexist comments on a TV chat show and the ban was subsequently lifted subject to an inquiry by a court- appointed ombudsman. The Karantaka opener, who made a comeback to competitive cricket with India A assignment, had scores of 13, 42 and 0 against England Lions in three one-day games. "He (KL) got a good first ball today as it seamed. I have no doubt that he has got quality and ability. He is playing four-day games as well and he has shown that he can succeed at the international level in all three formats," Dravid told reporters after India A clinched the five-match limited overs series 4-1. "He has got a hundred in T20, ODI and Test and not many batsmen have that record. He is a proven performer and I am not too worried about his form," the India A ..

Amateur Rayhan top Indian at T-17th in Saudi international

Dubai-based golfer Rayhan Thomas, who is looking to crack the Top-10 in World Amateur Rankings, was the best Indian on display on the first day of the inaugural Saudi International here Thursday. The 19-year-old Thomas was placed Tied-17th after bringing in a card of three-under 67 with four birdies, three of them in the first five holes, against one bogey. He was four shots behind leader Belgian Thomas Pieters (63) at the Par-70 Royal Greens Golf & Country Club. Gaganjeet Bhullar shot 68 and was Tied-31st, while Shubhankar Sharma struggled in the strong afternoon winds to shoot a birdie-less 77, which means he needs to go really low to make the cut that is likely to be at even par. Rayhan, who won a silver medal for India at the Asia-Pacific Amateurs, said, "I played solid and hit a lot of good drives and iron shots. The putting also gave me confidence. Overall it was a good day and I need to build on it." He will tee off in the first group on Friday. "The wind should be down and

West Indies women spoil Pakistan's 100th T20I celebration with 71-run win in 1st match

The visiting West Indies women's team spoiled Pakistan's 100th T20I celebrations with a convincing 71-run victory in the first match of the three-game series at the Southend club here Thursday. In a match that was played under heavy security, Deandra Dottin blasted an unbeaten 90, while Chedean Nation hit a 50 not out to share an unbroken third-wicket partnership that helped West Indies score 160 for two after electing to bat first. The visitors then bowled out the home side for 89 in 18 overs with fast bowler Shamilia Connell taking 3 for 29 in the match which is the first on Pakistan soil by the West Indian women's team since 2004. The West Indians are without their regular captain, Stefanie Taylor who opted out of the tour because of security concerns. Only Pakistan's skipper, Bismah Maroof put up some resistance by scoring a run-a-ball 38 with five boundaries with Javaria Khan contributing 19 runs. Dottin displayed some big power hitting skills by smashing 62 in the last five ...

I-League: Minerva Punjab and Aizawl FC face-off in battle for pride (Preview)

In a battle for pride, defending champions Minerva Punjab, now sure to lose that tag at the end of the 12th I-League season, will take on former champions Aizawl FC at the Tau Devi Lal stadium here on Friday.

Spain hold Indian women to 2-2 draw in hockey

The Indian women's hockey team fumbled at a good opportunity to take control of the proceedings after leading 2-0 at half-time before drawing 2-2 against Spain in the deciding fourth encounter here on Thursday.

Real Kashmir play out 1-1 draw with Churchill Brothers, remain in title hunt

Real Kashmir FC played out a 1-1 draw with Churchill Brothers in their 15th round I-League match as both sides missed out on a chance to go to the top of points table here Thursday. Farhan Ganie put the visitors in the lead in the 55th minute but the league's top scorer Willis Plaza -- with 16 strikes so far -- got the equaliser in the 69th minute for the home side. A win for either side would have taken them on top but after the draw and the resultant one point apiece, both remain where they were at the beginning of the game -- in second and third spots respectively with 29 points each from 15 matches. Churchill are ahead by virtue of a better goal difference. Chennai City FC, whom Real Kashmir had beaten twice this season, are leading the table with 30 points from 14 matches. Thursday's draw, however, extended Real Kashmir's unbeaten run to 11 matches. The first leg match had also ended in a draw (0-0) in Srinagar in November last year. A total of 20 matches will be played by each ..

Arsenal sign Barcelona's Denis Suarez on loan

Arsenal announced the signing of Spain international Denis Suarez on loan for the rest of the season on Thursday's transfer deadline day. Suarez will link up again with Arsenal boss Unai Emery, with whom he worked during a loan spell at Sevilla in the 2014-15 season. The 25-year-old has played 71 games for Barcelona, scoring eight goals and once for Spain. "We are very happy that Denis Suarez is joining us," Emery said on Arsenal's website. "He is a player we know well and I have worked with him at Sevilla. "He brings us quality and options in many different attacking positions, so he'll be able to help the team." The Spanish playmaker posted a picture of himself with Barcelona teammates on his personal Twitter account and said: "You're a group of amazing people! Thank you for everything, see you soon. Good luck and Forca Barca." Arsenal are fourth in the Premier League after beating Cardiff 2-1 on Tuesday.

Coe expects 'full house' at Qatar worlds despite Gulf crisis

World athletics chief Sebastian Coe told AFP on Thursday that he expects a "full house" of countries to compete at this year's world championships in Qatar despite the ongoing Gulf blockade. A swathe of countries in the Middle East and Africa have cut diplomatic and transport ties with the gas-rich state, claiming it supports terrorism -- a charge Doha denies. But the IAAF president, speaking to AFP at the Sport Business Summit in Abu Dhabi, said he could "see no reason" why all countries wouldn't be present at the September-October championships. "We have open dialogue with all those federations, and yes it's very important that we have a full house at our world championships. I see no reason why we shouldn't," said Coe. He added: "I'm not going to maintain a running commentary on those conversations that have taken place and will continue to take place, but I'm pretty confident and optimistic that there is a recognition that the primacy of sport is very important." The blockade in ..

Indian women's hockey team held 2-2 by Spain

The Indian women's hockey team squandered a two-goal advantage at the half-time to allow hosts Spain stage a superb fightback and earn a 2-2 draw in the fourth and final encounter here Thursday. Deep Grace Ekka (8th) and Navneet Kaur (26th) scored for India, while Lucia Jimenez (35th) and Clara Ycart (39th) sounded the board for the hosts. With this draw, the two teams levelled the four-match series 1-1. Spain had registered a narrow 3-2 win in the opening match with the second match ending in a 2-2 draw. India won the third match 5-2. India will now face 2018 World Cup silver medallists Ireland on February 2. India got off to a rollicking start as they caught the Spanish defence on the wrong foot. An infringement by a Spanish defender saw India being awarded a penalty stroke only minutes into the first quarter. Though India missed scoring from this opportunity, Deep Grace Ekka made up for the missed chance with a well-converted penalty corner awarded in the 8th minute. India's 1-0 ...

No cakewalk in All England even without Marin, says Sindhu

Star Indian shuttler P V Sindhu Thursday said it won't be an easy outing for her at the upcoming All England championship even in the expected absence of injured reigning Olympic Champion, Carolina Marin. The All England Championship is to be held from March 6 and Rio Olympics silver medallist Sindhu feels she would have to give her 100 per cent there in order to win the women's singles title. "We have the nationals and then we have the All England Championships. It (All England) is one of the biggest tournaments and I hope I give my best, play well and I know it is not going to be easy. I think we have to be at our 100 per cent," said Sindhu here after being named as the brand ambassador of life insurance company PNB Metlife. "After that we have couple of Super Series and then we start with our Olympic qualifications this year, where we will have to keep ourselves fit and healthy," Sindhu told reporters. Coach Vimal Kumar had remarked that with Spaniard Carolina out, ..

Athletic Club Bilbao set new record for attendance at women's game

The quarterfinal game of the Copa de la Reina between Athletic Club Bilbao and Atletico Madrid has set a new European attendance record for women's football.