Page 664 - Sports
Cilic saves match points to reach Open last 16 in late-night drama
Last year's finalist Marin Cilic survived a huge scare in the Australian Open third round Friday, surviving two match points before beating Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10/8), 6-3. The big-serving Croatian sixth seed was in danger of departing when he lost the first two sets against the 35-year-old Spaniard. He ripped back 6-1 in the third and saved a first match point on his own serve during an edge-of-the-seat fourth set tiebreaker as the clock struck midnight. Verdasco earned a second match point on his own delivery and then double-faulted to leave him tearing his hair out. Cilic took it to a fifth and the still shell-shocked 26th seed Verdasco dropped his serve straight away. Cilic dug deep one last time at 4-2, 0-40, saving three break points and eventually secured the marathon come-from-behind victory in 4hr 18min just before 1:00 am. "It was a tough match. The emotions were up and down," said Cilic, who is into the fourth round at Melbourne for the sixth time. "At two .
Santos Colado strike hands East Bengal 1-0 win against Indian Arrows
A Jamie Santos Colado strike in the second half helped East Bengal beat Indian Arrows 1-0 to jump to the second place in the I-League here on Friday. Santos scored the all-important goal in the 48th minute at the at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. The Kolkata giants now have 22 points -- five shy of leaders Chennai City FC -- from 12 matches. The Arrows remain at eighth position with 13 points after an equal number of games. East Bengal's Spanish coach Alejandro Garcia made two changes to the starting eleven from their previous game against Chennai. Regular Lalrindika Ralte was suspended and Kamalpreet got a start while Samad Ali Mallick sat on the bench as Lalram Chullova came back in after suspension. The Arrows coach Floyd Pinto fielded an unchanged side from their 3-0 victory against Shillong Lajong in their previous game. It was Santos who had the first shot at goal in the 12th minute when he latched onto a second ball but his attempt was off target. He then fed Joby Justin ..
Gukesh wants to become youngest world champion
D Gukesh, who became the world's second youngest chess Grand Master, has set his eyes on becoming the youngest world champion. "I would like to keep improving and become the youngest world champion," the city-based Gukesh said Friday at a felicitation function here. On Tuesday, the 12-year old became the second youngest GM ever and the youngest Indian beating the record of fellow Chennaiite R Praggnanandhaa. At the age of 12 years, seven months and 17 days, he broke the record of Praggnanandhaa, who achieved the feat in June last year. The world record is in the name of Ukraine's Sergey Karjakin, who became a GM at 12 years and seven months. Gukesh said he aspires to beat five-time world champion GM Viswanathan Anand. "I would like to play Anand and it would be nice if I am able to defeat him," said Gukesh, whose favourite players are former world champion Bobby Fischer and Anand. Gukesh will be playing in the Gibraltar Masters soon and later in the Aeroflot Open in ...
Khelo basketball: Punjab & Tamil Nadu eye 3-gold medal finish
Punjab and Tamil Nadu made it to three finals each and will be out to claim bragging rights as the powerhouses of basketball in the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games here. Punjab Under-21 lads earned themselves the chance to avenge a defeat in the group stage by Tamil Nadu in the under-21 final. Punjab bounced back in great style to quell Kerala 72-48, while Tamil Nadu handed Maharashtra a 78-57 loss in the other semifinal, a media release said. In the girls Under-21 semifinals, Tamil Nadu breezed past Uttar Pradesh 79-52, while Karnataka took the last final slot of the day, quashing Kerala hopes with a 79-65 scoreline. Earlier, in the boys Under-17 semifinals, Arvinder Singh led Punjab in edging out Kerala 84-81. Punjab took on Rajasthan, who relatively had it easy against Haryana 67-56. In the girl's Under-17 section, Punjab sent hosts Maharashtra packing 80-73, while Tamil Nadu booked their spot in the final at the expense of Kerala 70-64.
Dhoni is a superstar and all-time great: Langer
Australian coach Justin Langer Friday paid tribute to Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a superstar and an all-time great of the game after the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman produced a master class run-chase in India's ODI series clinching win here. Dhoni scored an unbeaten 87 off 114 balls to anchor India to a seven-wicket victory in the third ODI here to clinch the series 2-1. India won their maiden bilateral ODI series triumph in Australia. Langer was amazed by Dhoni's fitness at the age of 37 and said that playing against him has been a rich learning experience for his young side. "He (Dhoni) is 37 years old. His running between the wickets is elite, and his fitness is elite. For him to run between the wickets for three days in a row, it was 40 degrees the other day, and play like that, he is a superstar of the game and that's what Australians should be aspiring to be -- superstars of the game," Langer said at the post-match press conference. "MS Dhoni, like Virat Kohli, like Cheteshwar ...
Chennaiyin FC to hold inter-school tourney
: Two-time Indian Super League champions Chennaiyin FC will be organising an inter-school football tournament tentatively from January 28 with an aim to develop grassroots football in the state. The four-week long tournament will feature 64 school teams across two age groups (U-13 & U-15), a press release here said. In line with CFCs philosophy of developing youth football, the top three teams from both age groups will receive access to coaching from the Chennaiyin FC coaching staff and select first team players. CFC Assistant Coach and Technical Director for Youth Development Syed Sabir Pasha inaugurated the tournament in the presence of the team's ace midfielder Dhanpal Ganesh and others. The objective is to have budding talent from this tournament absorbed into the youth teams pyramid underneath the CFC first team that comprises the U-13s, U-15s, U-18s and B team," Pasha said. Dhanpal Ganesh, who has missed a major part of the ongoing ISL season owing to injury ..
I-League: Colado strike lifts East Bengal against Indian Arrows
Jamie Santos Colados strike in the second half was enough to fetch East Bengal a hard fought 1-0 win against spirited Indian Arrows in their I-League encounter at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) here on Friday.
Vintage Dhoni gifts India maiden ODI series win Down Under (Intro Roundup)
Melbourne, Jan 18 (IANS Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has once again proved the critics wrong by establishing himself as a master of close finish when he belted an 87 not out to complete a hat trick of half centuries to help the men-in-blue clinch the third ODI by 7 wickets and a historic 2-1 bilateral series win over Australia at the MCG here on Friday.
Chikka lying sixth in weather-hit Singapore Open
India's S Chikkarangappa grabbed a share of the sixth position after carding 71 and 66 on a day when he had to play 30 holes at the weather-hit SMBC Singapore Open on Friday. Chikka had seven birdies against two bogeys in his five-under 66 and he is now five-under for the tournament. Play finished early and some time was also lost due to weather. It will now resume at 7.30am where 76 players will return to their positions on Saturday. The third round is not scheduled to start before 12pm. Among other Indians in fray, Arjun Atwal (67-73) is Tied-36th. Shiv Kapur, even par on first day, was one-over through seven in second, while Rahil Gangjee was two-over for 30 holes after carding 76 on first day and being three-under through 12 holes in second. After a 70 in first round, Ajeetesh Sandhu was struggling at four-over in second through just six holes with two double bogeys. Khalin Joshi was even through six after his first round 76 while Viraj Madappa had played his two rounds in 77 and .
Khelo boxing: Haryana make a big surge with eight gold medals
Favourites Ankit Narwal, Vanshaj and Preeti Dahiya played a key role for Haryana who reaped as many as eight gold, eight silver and 15 bronze medals from boxing in the Boys Under-17 and Girls' Under-17 categories at at Khelo India Youth Games here. Hosts Maharashtra were close behind, winning five gold while Manipur girls marked their presence by winning two gold medals, a media release said Friday. Madhya Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab, Karnataka and Rajasthan won one gold medal each. Maharashtra girls Devika Ghorpade and Mitika Gunele - won a gold medal each in their respective categories. Haryanas Vanshaj and Ankit Narwal overcame stiff resistance from Maharashtra pugilists in the final. Vanshaj faced lanky Akash Gorkha in the 57kg class, while Ankit was challenged by Laisharam Singh, it said.
Happy to bat at any number: Dhoni
With just a handful of ODIs to be played ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup, the No.4 slot in the Indian batting order is still up for grabs and with former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni staking a strong claim with a hat-trick of half-centuries against Australia, it will be interesting to see if the team management persists with him in the quadrennial event.
Bhullar rises to Tied-19th in Abu Dhabi
Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar carded three-under 69 to improve 26 places to tied 19th after the third day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship here Friday. Bhullar opened and closed the day with a birdie and in between had three more to move to seven-under. He is the only Indian to make the cut this week after Shubhankar Sharma and SSP Chawrasia missed out on the second day. Bhullar had five birdies, three on the front nine and two on the back stretch with two bogeys on fifth and 11th. Shane Lowry remained on course to claim his first European Tour title since 2015 after extending his advantage to three shots on day three. The 31-year-old secured the last of his three victories at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational over three years ago but he is in pole position with one round remaining after posting a third-round 67. Lowry showcased his short-game prowess on a breezy afternoon at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, mixing seven birdies - including three in a row from the sixth - with two bogeys on ...
Chhetri's goal against Thailand nominated one of 10 best goals in group stage of Asian Cup
Sunil Chhetri's second goal in India's 4-1 win against Thailand has been nominated as one of the 10 best in the group stage of the ongoing Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Chhetri's 46th minute strike off a fine assist from the right by Udanta Singh was picked as one of the top 10 goals of the group stage and fans have been asked to vote for the best goal on the website of the Asian Football Confederation. It was 34-year-old Chhetri's 67th goal for India in his 105th match as he became the second highest international goal scorer among active players, surpassing Argentine superstar Lionel Messi (65 goals from 128 matches). Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest scorer among active players with 85 from 154 matches. Chhetri also scored India's first goal in that match against Thailand. India were on the verge of qualifying for the knock-out rounds of the showpiece Asian Cup for the first time in their history but conceded a 90th minute goal against Bahrain in their ...
2nd NBA Academy India Women's Program from Jan 22-25
Twenty-four female prospects of ages 17 and below will participate in a camp being organised by the National Basketball Association (NBA) next week. The NBA Friday announced the NBA Academy India will host the second 'The NBA Academy India Women's Program' from January 22-25. According to a media release, 24 female prospects ages 17 and under from throughout the country will participate in the four-day camp. US-based Jennifer Azzi, 1996 Olympic gold medallist and womens basketball hall of fame member, and former college coach Blair Hardiek the global technical directors for womens programming across the leagues seven academies will oversee the camp, it said. The program is a series of basketball development camps for top female prospects from outside the United States, the release said.
Shankar, Umesh selected from Bengaluru Leg of MercedesTrophy
City golfers Shankar Gopal (handicap CAT A) and Umesh N Bhat (handicap CAT B) qualified for the Mercedes Trophy National Finals on day 3 of Bengaluru Leg after carding a Nett. Score of 72 and 74.2 respectively. Eight qualifiers have qualified so far and will be competing in the Mercedes Trophy National Finals to be played at the Oxford Golf Resort in Pune scheduled between March 27 to 29. The best gross winner of the day was K N Bopanna with an excellent round of 78. The day also saw participation from Indian cricketer Syed Kirmani who tested his golf skills at the Prestige Golf Shire. The format of play was Double Peoria. This unique format of adjusting handicaps of players levels the playing field enabling golfers to have a greater chance of qualifying for the National Finals. A total of 322 golfers participated over the three days of qualifications for six qualification spots. The next leg of the Mercedes Trophy will tee off at Bombay Presidency Golf Club on January 23. The 19th ...
Khelo tennis: Dev, Mahak win singles; Mahara win both doubles
Gujarat's Dev Javia powered past Aryaan Bhatia of Maharastra 7-5, 6-3 to win the boys U-17 singles gold medal at the Khelo India Youth Games on Friday. Top seed Mahak Jain of Madhya Pradesh outplayed Maharashtra's Mihika Yadav 6-4, 6-1 in the Under-21 girls singles final to claim the gold medal, a media release said. Meanwhile, hosts Maharashtra won the gold in both the doubles matches contested on Friday. Hosts states Armaan Bhatia and Dhruv Sunish won the Boys-Under 21 doubles beating Ishaque Eqbal and Nitin Sinha of West Bengal. Two doubles gold went to Maharashtra. In the boy's U-21 doubles gold medal match, Maharashtras Armaan Bhatia and Dhruv Sunish defeated Ishaque Eqbal and Nitin Sinha of West Bengal 2-6, 6-3, 10-6 (super tiebreak) in a thrilling encounter. In an all-Maharashtra girls' U-17 doubles final, Prerna Vichare and Gargi Pawar got past Sai Bhoyar and Hrudaya Shah 6-1, 6-1. Results: Boys U-17 Singles: Final: Dev Javia (Guj) bt Aryaan Bhatia (Mah) 7-5, ...
Khelo hockey: Haryana beat Odisha to set up final with J'khand
Haryana overpowered Odisha 2-0 to set up a title clash with Jharkhand in the Girls U-21 hockey competition of the Khelo India Youth Games on Friday. In the first semi-final, Jharkhand overwhelmed Punjab 3-0. The U-17 girls section will also see a Haryana- Jharkhand face-off for gold medal on Sunday. The gold medal matches between Haryana and Jharkhand in both Under-17 and Under-21 will be held on Sunday, while the bronze medal play-offs will be held on Saturday, with Odisha meeting Punjab in both Under-17 and Under-21 sections, a media release said. Results: U-21 Girls Hockey Semi Final Haryana 2 Odisha 0 Jharkhand 3 Punjab 0.
No.4 position is something we want solidified: Kohli
India captain Virat Kohli Friday said the number four slot in the batting line-up is still to be "solidified", months after he backed Ambati Rayudu for the position till this year's World Cup. The skipper said that there has been a lot of experimentation at number four, and while the batting line-up at Adelaide, where Rayudu batted at four, was an ideal one, they would like to keep things mixed up until someone assumed responsibility at number four. "If you look at that last game, Ambati Rayudu batted at four, Dhoni at five and Dinesh Karthik at six. Because we brought in Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav, we didn't want Karthik to change his spot because he is doing a good job," he said after the third and final ODI of a historic tour of Australia. Rayudu was backed for the position by Kohli during the home series against West Indies last year. India became the first team not to lose any series in Australia, winning the Test and ODI rubber while drawing the T20 engagement. The triumph ..
No is more committed to Indian cricket than Dhoni: Kohli
"No is more committed to Indian cricket" than Mahendra Singh Dhoni and batting at number five is the ideal spot for him, said Virat Kohli in stout defense of the former captain. Dhoni faced criticism for slow batting in the ODI series-opener in Sydney before redeeming his pride and reputation with match-winning contributions in the Adelaide and Melbourne ODIs. Acknowledging Dhoni's contribution in the historic series-triumph in Australia, Kohli defended the former captain saying he should be allowed breathing space. "I think firstly as a team we are very happy for Dhoni. That he is amongst the runs, because it is very important to get runs under your belt to get that rhythm and get that confidence back. Especially when you have not been playing so much international cricket," said the India captain at the post-match press conference. "Many things happen on the outside. People say a lot of things but as an individual we know that there is no one more committed to Indian cricket than ...
Number of countries express interest to import Train 18 set, reveal senior rail officials
Peru, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and some countries in the Middle East have expressed interest in importing the Railways' state-of-the-art Train 18, a senior official said Friday, even as the ambitious project awaits its first commercial run. Train 18 which has run at a maximum speed of 180 kmph during its trial run will have its debut journey from Varanasi to Delhi. "Many countries have expressed interest in the train set and we are happy and proud that an indigenously made product is attracting so much interest. The rolling stock market worldwide is worth about 200 billion dollars and we want a significant share of it. Now, the aim is to successfully run the train," said Member, Rolling Stock, Railway Board, Rajesh Agarwal. Sources said the train sets currently available worldwide at the standard of Train 18 cost around Rs 250 crore, while the Indian version manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai costs around Rs 100 crore. India, which is the latest entrant into the