Page 624 - Sports
Rao assures archers' participation at Worlds will not be affected
The participation of Indian archers at the upcoming World events will not be affected, ensured Federation President BVP Rao amidst fears that India may not be allowed to send entries at the prestigious competitions due to questions over validity of the recent AAI elections. The Sports Ministry has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court, seeking fresh election of the office-bearers of the Archery Association of India (AAI), contending that the December-elections were not held as per the 2011 National Sports Code. BVP Rao was elected President of the Association in December last year but World Archery Federation (WAF), the governing body of the game, did not recognise the new body. However, the WAF, in a relief for the AAI, said it would not impose any ban on it and asked secretary general Tom Dielen to resolve the long-standing issue. "World Archery is conscious of the interest of archers and will not harm them (archers) in any way. You should focus on practice and competitions " .
Indian women's hockey team beats Spain 5-2 in third match
The Indian women's hockey team put up a spirited display to stun World Cup bronze medallists Spain 5-2 in its third match of the tour here on Tuesday. Young striker from Mizoram, Lalremsiami (17th, 58th minutes) starred with a brace, while Neha Goyal (21st), Navneet Kaur (32nd), Rani Rampal (51st) maintained India's lead after the initial setback in the first quarter. By virtue of this win, India have managed to level the series at 1-1. After having lost the tour opener 2-3, India held Spain to a 1-1 draw in the second game. But it was Spain, who scored the first goal in the seventh minute through Berta Bonastre. A determined India, however, made a quick recovery with striker Lalremsiami's fine goal in the 17th minute and then struck again four minutes later through Neha to take a 2-1 lead. Navneet struck a splendid third goal for India in the 32nd minute. Though Bonastre scored her second goal of the match in the 35th minute to narrow down India's lead to 3-2, the visitors kept their
We are definitely going for 3-0, says Mithali
Indian captain Mithali Raj on Tuesday said that they are targeting a clean sweep and there won't be any let up in the team's intensity after the series-clinching win in the second women's ODI against New Zealand here. India have dominated New Zealand so far in the series and won the second game by eight runs. The third and final ODI will be played on Friday. "We definitely want to make it 3-0. At the same time, we will try and give some of the youngsters an opportunity," said Mithali. "Initially, a lot of people asked me if the spinners can turn the match around on these wickets. The spinners have been doing well from word go and Smriti (Mandhana) has been amongst runs and so has been Jemimah (Rodrigues)." The fact that star batswoman Harmanpreet Kaur is yet to get a hit in the middle sums up India's rampaging run. "Batting has not been tested. In a way it is a good thing because whoever is getting the opportunity is making the most of it," Mithali said. On T20 skipper Harmanpreet not
Looking forward to make the most of my good run in Davis Cup: Prajnesh
A day after achieving a career-best ATP ranking of 102, rising tennis player Prajnesh Gunneswaran on Tuesday said he would look to make the most of his good run over the past year and help India do well against stronger Italy in the Davis Cup World Group Qualifiers here on Friday.
Anything can happen in new Davis Cup format: Prajnesh
India's number one singles player Prajnesh Gunneswaran on Tuesday said beating formidable sides is a possibility in the new Davis Cup format as he looks forward to cash in on his stupendous form in the Qualifier match against Italy. Best of three set matches would be played inside two days as 24 teams will lock horns around the world on Friday and Saturday in their bid for the World Group Finals in Madrid in November. "Honestly, the change in format would not really matter to me. It's a bit more physical if we play five sets and in best of three anything can happen. It's in two days and not three days so I don't really see too much of a difference," Prajnesh told reporters at the Calcutta South Club. Prajnesh on Monday jumped seven places in the world ranking to be on a career- high rank of 102 as he attempts to build on a successful 2018 where he won two Challenger titles in four finals and also upset now world number 27 Denis Shapovalov on grass at the Stuttgart Open. "I've had ...
ICC announces fixtures of men & women's T20 World Cup 2020
The Indian women's team will start their T20 World Cup 2020 campaign against hosts and defending champions Australia, while the men's team will face South Africa in their T20 World Cup opener as the ICC on Tuesday announced that both the tournaments will be held as standalone events in the same year and the same country.
Rise of Kashmir through the lens of football
Chaos, clashes, conflict -- these are the words often used to describe Kashmir. But a group of footballers are not only putting spotlight on the footballing power of Kashmiris but also showing that there can't be any curfew on dreaming big.
Kohli is an unbelievable player, says England pacer Tom Curran
Young England fast bowler Tom Curran has described Virat Kohli as an "unbelievable player" and hopes to dismiss the India captain when the two teams face-off in the future. Curran spoke to media after the ICC announced the fixtures of the T20 World Cup in Australia next year. India are England are clubbed in the same pool along side South Africa, Afghanistan and two other teams who are yet to be confirmed. But when asked Curran how he hopes to get the prized scalp of Kohli, the 23-year-old right-arm pacer said: "Hopefully not with a no-ball! We'll see. He's an unbelievable player." The ICC event will be played in Australia from October 18 to November 15 next year. India will face off against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 1. The tournament will be played as a stand-alone event after the women's T20 World Cup and Curran can't wait to be a part of a world event. "All the games are so exciting, the crowd will be phenomenal and to be a part of it will be amazing. ...
Andy Murray undergoes hip surgery after months of pain
Tennis star Andy Murray has undergone hip surgery and was hopeful it would bring an end to his pain.
Akram slams PCB for calling back Sarfaraz from South Africa
Former captain Wasim Akram on Tuesday slammed Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to call back Sarfaraz Ahmed from South Africa after he was handed a four-match ban for breaching the ICC's Anti-Racism Code. Wasim said Sarfaraz should have avoided making the comments that he did in the third One-day International in Durban but it was wrong to speculate about his future in the Pakistan team. "It was a wrong decision to call him back from South Africa when he could have played in the final T20 on February 6," said Akram. "What Sarfaraz did was wrong but it is also a fact that more than anyone else, Pakistanis around the world hyped up his comments and created an issue," said the fast bowling great. The former skipper, who is also on the PCB's cricket committee, was clear that Sarfaraz should remain the national team's captain. "There is no need to change the captain before the World Cup. We need a long term captain not a short term one. Shoaib Malik is leading the team now and is doing a ..
I-League: Mohun Bagan to play for pride against struggling Gokulam (Preview)
Their slim chances of getting back into title reckoning now almost gone, a deflated Mohun Bagan will look to salvage pride when they take on relegation-threatened Gokulam Kerala FC in an I-League encounter at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Wednesday.
PSG sign Argentina midfielder Paredes before Man Utd clash: club
Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes on a four-and-a-half-year deal, the French champions announced on Tuesday. The 25-year-old put pen to paper on a contract until 2023 after completing a medical in Qatar. No transfer fee was disclosed, although press reports have put the fee at 47 million euros (USD 54m). "Leandro's arrival will keep the momentum, both on the pitch and among our supporters, ahead of the major events coming up. Exciting times lie ahead," PSG's Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said in a club statement. The Ligue 1 leaders were looking to strengthen in midfield ahead of their Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester United, with Marco Verratti sidelined with an ankle injury and Adrien Rabiot frozen out after refusing to sign a new contract. PSG go to Old Trafford in the first leg of that tie on February 12, and they are currently sweating on the fitness of Neymar, who suffered a metatarsal injury last ...
ICC urges Sri Lanka to come clean on corruption
The International Cricket Council has urged Sri Lanka's scandal-ridden sporting community to come forward with information about corruption before an amnesty expires or risk expulsion from the game. Sri Lankan cricket has been mired in corruption allegations in recent years, including claims of match fixing ahead of an international Test against England last year, and the sport's world governing body is in the middle of a major inquiry into the island nation. The ICC said it had received a "positive response" after granting a 15-day amnesty this month for players, coaches or anyone else linked to the sport to come clean, free of the threat of punishment. Council anti-corruption chief Alex Marshall said new cases had come to light and urged others to come forward before the amnesty expires on Thursday. "In the final few days, I would request the cricket fraternity to come forward and share any other information concerning corrupt conduct or approaches in the strictest of confidence," ..
Murray has hip resurfacing surgery
Andy Murray has undergone hip resurfacing surgery in London, the British tennis great told his Instagram followers on Tuesday. The two-time Wimbledon champion had been weighing up the pros and cons of the operation, which involves putting a metal plate into the joint, in one last bid to prolong a career plagued by injury. The 31-year-old double Olympic gold medallist had previously said ahead of this month's Australian Open earlier that he intended to retire following the 2019 edition of Wimbledon. "I underwent a hip resurfacing surgery in London yesterday (Monday) morning... feeling a bit battered and bruised just now but hopefully that will be the end of my hip pain," Murray said on Instagram. There are no guarantees that the operation will allow Murray to play top-flight tennis again but it should enable him to live a pain-free life off the court. At the Australian Open, Murray showed his competitive spirit and talent were undimmed in a five-set defeat by Roberto ...
Sharapova wins her 1st WTA match in Russia in 13 years
Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova claimed her first WTA victory in her country in 13 years in the first round of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
Mohun Bagan aim to return to winning ways against Gokulam Kerala
Their title hopes all but over after the loss to arch-rivals East Bengal in the last match, Mohun Bagan would look to return to winning ways when they face lower-rung Gokulam Kerala FC in their return leg I-League fixture here Wednesday. Bagan, the 2015 champions, suffered a 0-2 loss to their crosstown rivals East Bengal in the last round on Sunday, which almost crushed their title aspirations this season. Having suffered a successive derby defeat this season, Bagan will look to play for pride, while for Kerala the match would be important to move up from the relegation zone. Kerala found themselves at 10th position with just 11 points from just 13 matches. Bagan, on the other hand, have slipped to sixth place with 21 points from 14 games. As for the changes, Khalid Jamil would look to bring back Shilton D'Silva and Arijit Bagui, while their Japanese midfielder Yuta Kinowaki is likely to sit out with a calf muscle injury. Jamil conceded that the intensity was missing in their derby ...
Indian wrestling has started to do things more professionally: Vanesa (IANS Interview)
Two-time world champion Vanesa Kaladzinskaya has said that Indian wrestling has now started becoming more professional than it had been a few years ago.
ICC Women's Championship: Mandhana stars as India thrash New Zealand
Jhulan Goswami's 3/23 and half-centuries by Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj helped India thrash New Zealand by eight wickets and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ICC Women's Championship one-day international series here on Tuesday.
Great chance for mentally toughest Saina to win All England: Vimal
Saina Nehwal is mentally the toughest shuttler in the country and the ability to overcome injuries is to key to her longevity, believes former coach Vimal Kumar. Saina, who had suffered a shin injury late last year, won the Indonesia Masters last Sunday after the withdrawal of Carolina Marin from the summit clash due to a leg injury. Her former coach Vimal has also backed the Indian ace to win the coveted All England Championship in March. "She is definitely mentally the toughest, even I will give her edge over the men's players, she is much tougher than all of them," Vimal, who had coached Saina from 2014 to 2017, told PTI on Tuesday. "She doesn't think too much once she is on court, no matter if she has some pain, she will go all out and make it difficult for her opponents," said the former India coach, under whom Saina attained the World No. 1 ranking in 2015. With Marin suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) -- the ligament that stabilizes the knee -- and world no 1 Tai
Mandhana, Mithali lead Indian charge to beat Kiwis by 8 wickets
Blistering knocks by opener Smriti Mandhana and skipper Mithali Raj helped India register an eight-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second ODI of their ongoing three-match series and get an unassailable 2-0 lead over the hosts here at the Bay Oval Cricket Ground on Tuesday.Chasing a target of 162 runs, India lost just two wickets and finished the match within 36 overs of their innings.Making a shaky start to their innings, India lost one of their openers Jemimah Rodrigues (0) just in the second over of their innings.Three overs later, the team got another jolt in the form of left-hand batswoman Deepti Sharma who departed back to pavilion at the score of 8.The visitors looked in trouble as they had lost two crucial wickets at the score of 15 runs. Tides, however, took a turn in India's favour when skipper Mithali joined Mandhana on the crease.The duo built a match-winning partnership to help India register an easy victory in the end. While Mandhana played an unbeaten knock of 90 .