Page 644 - Sports
'Ney is worried': Neymar suffers fresh metatarsal injury in PSG win
Paris Saint-Germain talisman Neymar has suffered a fresh injury to his right metatarsal, the club said Thursday, marring the holders' advance to the last 16 of the French Cup with a 2-0 win over Strasbourg. A fractured metatarsal curtailed the Brazilian's last season, and the recurrence comes just three weeks ahead of the first leg of PSG's crunch Champions League clash against Manchester United. The severity of the new injury is not yet known, although Neymar was able to walk off the field unsupported. "Initial tests carried out revealed a painful reactivation of the injury to the fifth metatarsal," a club statement said Thursday. "The treatment will depend on progress over the coming days," it said, adding all medical options would be considered. Neymar initially tried to continue playing. But he covered his eyes -- in tears, according to witnesses -- as he was forced off to be replaced by Moussa Diaby just after the hour mark. His early departure was a worrying moment for PSG, with
Johan Botha retires from all forms of cricket
Former South Africa all-rounder Johan Botha has announced his immediate retirement from all forms of cricket. Botha's Australian Twenty20 league team, the Hobart Hurricanes, announced the news late Wednesday. It said Botha cited "wear and tear on his body and sheer physical fatigue." The 36-year-old Botha, who received his Australian citizenship in 2016, failed to take a wicket during Wednesday's nine-wicket loss to the Sydney Sixers. He had played all 10 matches for the first-place Hurricanes this season. Botha played for South Africa in five test matches, 78 one-day internationals and 40 T20 Internationals from 2005 to 2012. Botha captained the Proteas in 10 ODIs and took the team to the No. 1 ranking after they defeated Australia 4-1 in Australia in 2009.
Guardiola relieved as City survive 'dangerous' Burton pitch
Pep Guardiola admitted he was relieved Manchester City sealed their place in the League Cup final without any injuries in a 1-0 win on Burton's "dangerous" pitch. Guardiola's side had thrashed Burton 9-0 in the semi-final first leg earlier in January to effectively guarantee they would return to Wembley 12 months after winning the competition. Inevitably, City took it easier on the third tier minnows this time and Sergio Aguero's first half strike was the only goal of a low-key second leg. But for Guardiola, the tie had been fraught with danger due to the slippery state of the surface on a freezing night at the Pirelli Stadium. "The pitch was so dangerous, so slippery," he said. "Every game is completely different, we started at 9-0 up but I didn't see a lack of desire. We played seriously, had no injuries. "We made a good game, we missed the last pass but the youngsters did well, they had good performances." City will play Tottenham or Chelsea in the final on February 24, with Spurs .
Anderson late show dents Windies progress
James Anderson spearheaded a late England assault with the second new ball to reduce the West Indies to 264 for eight at stumps on the opening day of the first Test at Kensington Oval in Barbados. With long-standing fast bowling partner Stuart Broad dropped from the final 11 to accommodate an additional spinner, Anderson took on the double role of stock and strike bowler to finish the day with the impressive figures of four for 33 from 24 miserly overs. Three of those wickets came in an eventful final session, including two with the second new ball as a previously placid pitch suddenly offered disconcerting bounce to a West Indies middle and lower order which crumbled against the renewed energy and hostility of the visitors. Having chosen to bat first despite selecting four faster bowlers in their line-up, including captain Jason Holder, the hosts were paced by half-centuries from Shai Hope, Roston Chase and Shimron Hetmyer to the relative comfort of 240 for four in the final ...
Stokes double blow checks bright West Indies start
Ben Stokes struck two important blows as England pegged back West Indies' progress with the home team at 132 for three when rain forced an early tea on the opening day of the first Test of the three-match series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Wednesday. Stokes removed obdurate opener Kraigg Brathwaite and the experienced Darren Bravo within a matter of minutes just before the showers swept across the ground to raise the visitors' spirits after they were frustrated by a 73-run second-wicket partnership between Brathwaite and Shai Hope. Brathwaite's patient innings of 40 ended when he followed a delivery from the seam bowling all-rounder to give a straightforward catch to England captain Joe Root. Bravo, playing his first Test in more than two years following a social media spat with Cricket West Indies president Dave Cameron, failed to make any impression as he was trapped lbw by a full-length delivery from Stokes for two. Hope, who has again impressed in compiling an unbeaten 42 by
J&K guv urges youngsters to take part in sports, promises full support
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday encouraged the youth of the valley to take part in sports, while assuring them of support with money, infrastructure and jobs. He showered praises on Real Kashmir FC, saying the performance of the football club had raised his hopes for a bright future for sports in the country. "The arrival of Real Kashmir FC, the way it is playing, has raised hopes.... I am not talking about the Olympics, but I am sure it will go higher in the days to come," Malik said at a sports event here. The Real Kashmir Football Club and the Jammu and Kashmir Police played an exhibition match against each other at the Border Security Force (BSF) camp at Ploura. Both the teams were declared joint winners of the match, which was organised by the Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Police. After the match, the governor handed over a cheque of Rs two crore to the management of Real Kashmir FC and a cheque of Rs 10
Indian eves clinch second straight victory against Hong Kong
Indian women's football team completed back-to-back victories over Hong Kong as they thrashed the hosts 1-0 in a tightly-fought match on Wednesday.The only goal of the game was scored by midfielder Indumathi Kathiresan, as the Indian eves now set off for Indonesia for a couple of more preparatory friendlies.India got off to a good start as forward player Dangmei Grace, combined with Indumathi and Anju Tamang to produce swift attacks, while the home side depended on set-pieces in an effort to inflict damage on the Indians.Coach Maymol Rocky's team earned a free-kick from just outside the 18-yard box on the 17th minute, but Ratanbala Devi's shot was well negotiated by the Hong Kong defence.Hong Kong goalkeeper Yuen Ki NG was on top form in this match, as she made save after save on both sides of the half-time whistle, to deny India the lead. However, substitution on the stroke of half-time seemed to do the trick for the Indian girls. Pyari Xaxa's introduction after the changeover ...
Sabbir Rahman back in Bangladesh squad as BCB reduced his ban
Right-hand batsman Sabbir Rahman, who was serving a six-month ban for abusing a fan on social media, has been selected in Bangladesh team for their upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand after Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reduced his suspension by one month.Bangladesh chief selector Minhajul Abedin stated that Rahman was included in the team on the request of ODI skipper Mashrafe Mortaza."Let me make one thing clear: he is totally the captain's choice. He was very insistent about Sabbir. We agreed with him. They want someone who can handle fast bowling lower down the order. He has been picked with the New Zealand series and World Cup in mind. The captain is quite confident about him. I am also hopeful that he can return well," ESPNcricinfo quoted Abedin, as saying."He has performed in the past and has been playing domestic cricket. BPL is an international-standard tournament with a lot of overseas players so we can take his performance there seriously. The selectors ...
Pliskova 'played her best tennis ever', says Serena post Australian Open ouster
American tennis star Serena Williams was stunned by Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic in their quarter-final clash of the Australian Open but the former is full of praise for her opponent.The 37-year-old said that Pliskova "played her best tennis ever" and "went crazy on match points" to outsmart her in the match."I think she just played well on my serve after that point. I think she just kind of started playing really, really good. I just think she was just nailing and hitting shots. I think she just played lights out on match point, literally, hitting lines. [She] just went crazy on match point....Obviously, I made some mistakes, but she played really well after that," WTA quoted Williams, as saying."There's nothing I did wrong on those match points. I didn't do anything wrong. I stayed aggressive. She just literally hit the lines on some of them. One she hit an ace, unreturnable serve. I literally did everything I could on those match points. I can't say that I choked on those ...
Indonesia Masters: Sindhu gets past first round, Sai Praneeth crashes out
Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu surpassed the initial hurdle of the Indonesia masters as she defeated China's Li Xuerui in the first round of the women's singles event here on Wednesday.The 23-year-old registered a 22-24, 21-8, 21-17 victory over Xuerui to make a winning start to her campaign.After losing the close first game, Sindhu made a solid comeback to clinch the next two games in a convincing fashion. The Rio Olympics gold medallist will next take on home girl Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in her second round clash.Eighth seed Saina Nehwal also kick-started her journey in the competition with a win as she secured a 7-21 21-16 21-11 win over Indonesia's Dinar Dyah Ayustine in the first round. The next challenge for the former world number one will be Fitriani Fitriani of Indonesia.In the men's singles event, while Kidambi Srikanth won the opening battle 21-12, 21-8 against Malaysia's Chong Wei Feng, Sai Praneeth crashed out after being defeated by Chen Long of China 21-21, ...
West Indies batsmen make strong start against England
West Indies were off to an encouraging start at 89 for one at lunch on the opening day of the first Test against England at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Wednesday. Debutant John Campbell impressed with a stroke-filled innings of 44 off 53 balls with eight fours, before becoming the only wicket to fall in the session after home captain Jason Holder won the toss and chose to bat first on a pitch which has so far offered very little encouragement for the faster bowlers. Campbell's senior opening partner, Kraigg Brathwaite, will resume after the interval on 31 in partnership with Shai Hope (14 not out). England dropped a selectorial bombshell before the start of play in omitting senior seamer Stuart Broad, a veteran of 134 Tests with 433 wickets to his name, in preference for a second specialist spinner in Adil Rashid, given the expectation of greater assistance for the slow bowlers than had been initially expected in the lead-in to the match. Sam Curran shared the new ball with ...
FIH throws Pakistan out of Pro League Hockey
Pakistan was thrown out of the inaugural FIH Pro League Hockey after it pulled out of the first three matches of the tournament, the international federation said Wednesday. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) said that Pakistan informed the world body on Wednesday that it was no longer able to play the first three games planned against Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, citing "inevitable circumstances". Therefore, the FIH has taken the decision to suspend Pakistan from the 2019 FIH Pro League in order not to jeopardize the regularity and the smooth delivery of the event, which kicked-off successfully last Saturday in Valencia, Spain. "It is regretful that Pakistan has decided only now to withdraw from the first games of the FIH Pro League. Consequently, FIH were left with no other option than suspending Pakistan from the rest of the competition's season," FIH CEO Thierry Weil said in a statement. "At this stage, I would like to thank all participating National Associations .
Punjab beat MP in PWL tie
Defending champions Punjab Royals defeated debutants MP Yodha 4-3 to claim their second consecutive win in the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) Season 4 here on Wednesday.
DY Patil T20 Cup: Gomel, Tushar Deshpande star in BPCL win
BPCL opener Aakarshit Gomel and Mumbai pacer Tushar Deshpande starred in their side's thumping 68 run win over ONGC during the 15th DY Patil T20 Cup at the Reliance Ground in Ghansoli here Wednesday. Gomel slammed 79 off 55 balls with 10 boundaries and two sixes as BPCL piled up 177-5 in 20 overs. In reply, ONGC was bowled out for 109 in 16.5 overs with Deshpande returning with fine figures of 4-24, a media release said. In the other game of the day, Vijaya Bank registered a narrow seven-run win over Reliance One. Batting first, Vijaya Bank posted 166-8 in their 20 overs and in reply they restricted Reliance One to 159-9 in their 20 overs. BRIEF SCORES At Reliance Ground, Ghansoli Group C: BPCL 177-5 in 20 overs (Aakarshit Gomel 79, Surya Kumar Yadav 35; Mahipal Lomror 2-29) bt ONGC 109 in 16. 5 overs (Sarthak Ranjan 29, Mayank Dagar 27; Tushar Deshpande 4-24, Prathamesh Dake 3-23)-by 68 runs Group A: Vijaya Bank 166-8 in 20 overs (Stalin Hoover 38, CM Gautam 33, ...
Bajrang prevails over Aliyev to give Punjab Royals 4-3 win over MP Yodha
World championships silver medallist Bajrang Punia prevailed over European Championships gold medallist Haji Aliyev 8-6 in a dramatic bout in the 65kg category to give Punjab Royals their second consecutive win in the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) here Wednesday. This was Bajrang's second win in a decider this season which helped defending champions Royals beat MP Yodha 4-3. Earlier, world championships bronze medallist Pooja Dhanda won the crucial sixth bout of the evening 9-3 against Mimi Hristova in the female 57kg category to keep MP Yodha alive in the tie. The former European championships bronze medallist Dato Magarishvili gave Punjab Royals an early lead overcoming the 2017 Commonwealth Championships gold medallist Deepak of MP Yodha 10-0 in a one-sided encounter in the 86kg category. In a major upset, the Khelo India Youth Games gold medallist Punjab Royals' Anju defeated the 2017 Commonwealth Championships gold medal winner Ritu Phogat 6-4 in an exciting encounter to put the ...
Bachchan denies buying IPL stake
Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has denied that his family was interested in picking equity stake in any of the franchises of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL).
Indian women complete consecutive wins over Hong Kong
The Indian womens football team completed back-to-back victories over hosts Hong Kong, with the second coming thanks to a well fought 1-0 win on Wednesday.
VAR has become confusing in La Liga, says Real Madrid coach
Real Madrid's head coach Santiago Solari on Wednesday said that the application of Video Assistant Referee technology in La Liga has become confusing.
Kohli rested for last two ODIs, T20 series against Kiwis
Indian skipper Virat Kohli is rested for the last two one-day matches against New Zealand and the subsequent T20I series.The decision was taken after considering the workload on the captain over the last few months."Considering his workload in the last few months, the team management and senior selection committee is of the view that it would be ideal for him to get adequate rest ahead of the home series against Australia," the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement.The BCCI further informed that there would be no replacement for Kohli in the team and in his absence, top-order batsman Rohit Sharma will be at the helm of the squad.India have kicked off their New Zealand tour on a winning note as they defeated the hosts by eight wickets in their first one-day of the ongoing five-match series on Wednesday. Up next, both the teams will take on each other in the second ODI which is slated to be held on January 26 at Mount Maunganui.
Back on track: Shami oozes with confidence
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has had an injury-ridden bowling journey in the past but his performance since 2018, especially in Test cricket, has made him the leading bowler of the Indian pace attack.The 28-year-old, who scalped three wickets in the opening match of the five-match series against Kiwis on Wednesday, claimed that his confidence level is high and that he is "back on track".Speaking at a post-match press conference, Shami said: "This has been a really long journey for me, especially after the 2015 World Cup when I got injured. It took me 12 years to recover as it was a major injury. I went for rehabilitation after that and made a direct comeback into the team during the 2016 T20 World Cup.""Slowly, I came back on track. Since 2018, I am playing Test cricket regularly. I get confidence from my team members and staff. My confidence level is so high that I have picked up my initial bowling pace and my performance has improved, as well. I am glad that I am seeing this phase ..