Page 666 - Sports
Betis advance in Copa del Rey
Real Betis and Real Sociedad played to a 2-2 draw on aggregate over two matches in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, but the Seville club are through to the quarter-finals after scoring a pair of away goals here.
Hero MotoSports' Mena finishes 9th in Dakar Rally
Continuing his good run, Spaniard Oriol Mena of Hero MotoSports finished the final stage in the 17th spot, retaining his ninth position in the overall rankings while Aravind KP became the only Indian to finish in the 41st Dakar Rally which concluded here Friday. The final stage was all about bringing the bike home safely across the finish line at Pisco, which was achieved expertly by both Joaquim Rodrigues and Mena as they finished the stage in 12th and 17th positions respectively. With the final stage results in, Mena is placed at the 9th position and Rodrigues at 17th position in the overall standings of the Dakar 2019, bringing in a top 10 and a top 20 finish for the Hero MotoSports team. The Hero MotoSports team also successfully achieved its third successful finish at the Rally, with its riders arriving at the finish line in all the three years that it has participated at the Dakar. It was also its second back-to-back top 10 finish. It was a superlative show put up by Mena ...
CA offers free tickets for Gabba pink-ball Test after abandoned BBL game
Cricket Australia (CA) on Friday announced that the spectators who attended Thursday night's Brisbane Heat-Sydney Thunder Big Bash League (BBL) clash, which was abandoned due to a power outage, will be given free entry to next week's Australia-Sri Lanka Test at the Gabba.CA and Queensland Cricket have decided to offer complimentary entry to abandoned BBL game's ticket-holders, which will entitle them to attend one day's play of the Gabba Test."Last night's match was unable to be completed due to an external power issue that was outside the control of the Brisbane Heat and Cricket Australia. We are now working with Stadiums Queensland to investigate why this occurred, and to ensure there will be no further issues at future matches," Cricket.com.au quoted CA Head of Fan Engagement Anthony Everard, as saying."However, the Heat and Cricket Australia would like to extend an offer to fans to attend next week's day-night First Domain Test match between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Gabba ...
Former coach lashes out at Pakistan pacers for poor performance against Proteas
Former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed on Friday lambasted the national team and its pacers for their poor performance against South Africa. The veteran railed against the bowling speed of the Pakistani pace battery, and their lack of ability to take wickets at crucial stages.The veteran further stated that no one knows what was the criteria to select Mohammad Amir as his speeds were same, around 135-140kph, due to which he was being rested."There is no pace bowler in the team at the moment who can create panic among the opposition's line-up while our batsmen were also below-par. We actually sent a limited-overs team to South Africa," Dawn quoted Javed, as saying."Furthermore, no one knows what was the criteria to select Mohammad Amir as his speeds were same, around 135-140kph, due to which he was being rested, Where did they test whether his bowling speeds were up again?" Javed questioned.After the Champions Trophy, Pakistan team had played 13 Test matches, lost eight and won only ..
Nehwal beats Okuhara to enter Malaysia Masters semi-final
Former world number one Saina Nehwal defeated Nozomi Okuhara of Japan to make it to the semi-final round of the ongoing Malaysian Masters here on Friday.The 28-year-old thrashed Okuhara 21-18, 23-21 in their quarter-final clash that lasted 48 minutes.The Indian shuttler notched up a total of five consecutive points in the match along with three game points to emerge victorious. Nehwal dominated most parts of the clash and won 44 rallies as compared to Okuhara's figure of 39.In the men's singles event, India's Kidambi Srikanth will look to book his berth in the semi-final of the tournament while taking on Son Wan Ho of South Korea in their quarter-final match later today.On Thursday, Parupalli Kashyap bowed out of the tournament after suffering a 17-21 23-25 loss to Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia in their pre-quarters clash of the men's singles event.In the women's doubles event, Indian pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy also suffered an 18-21 17-21 loss to Indonesian ...
Karnataka beat Rajsthan by 6 wickets, enter Ranji semifinals
Captain Manish Pandey and Karun Nair cracked brilliant half centuries as Karnataka registered a comprehensive six-wicket win over Rajasthan to storm into the semifinals of Ranji Trophy here on Friday. Pandey (87) and Nair (61) shared an unbeaten 129-run partnership for the fifth wicket in just 24.5 overs on the fourth and final day to help Karnataka chase down a tricky 184-run victory target. Karnataka will now meet either Saurashtra or Uttar Pardesh in the semifinals. Rajasthan had scored 224 in their first innings, riding on fifties by skipper Mahipal Lomrov (50) and Rajesh Bishnoi (79). In reply, Karnataka put on 263 all out before returning to bundle out Rajasthan for 222 in their second innings, thus setting themselves a 184-run target. Karnataka were 45 for 3 in 18 overs at stumps after day 3. Starting the final day needing 139 runs to win with seven wickets in hand, the hosts lost nightwatchman Ronit More early in the morning which forced Pandey to walk into the middle. Pandey .
Budding boxing star Kattimani lauds Khelo India
World Youth Boxing bronze medallist boxer Bhavesh Kattimani is convinced that the government should conduct more events like Khelo India Youth Games to shape budding talent.
Using meditation, archer Verma aims for a repeat at Khelo
Vinayak Verma of Punjab, recurve gold medallist in the boys Under-17 event at the Delhi Khelo India School Games last year, is determined to turn in a repeat performance in Pune. The 15-year-old was also the team silver medallist at the 3rd Asian Championship in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He will again compete in the U-17 recurve event, which is one of eight gold medals on the line in the archery competition at these Games, that will be hosted at the Army Sports Institute here. In all,128 archers will compete in the boys and girls Under 17 and 21 individual recurve and compound event. "Archery is a concentration sport, we have to forget the score of every arrow we have hit and get ready for the next one. On a daily basis, I do meditation that helps in focusing during the game," Verma was quoted as saying in the release. Meanwhile,Haryana's Akash Malik, who represented India at the Youth Olympics and also won a bronze medal at the Delhi Khelo India School Games, is likely to be ..
Sharapova defeats defending Australian Open champion Wozniacki
Russia's Maria Sharapova defeated defending Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 here on Friday.
Saina tames Okuhara to enter Malaysia Masters semifinals
A gritty Saina Nehwal scripted a hard-fought straight-game win over former world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan to enter the women's singles semifinals of the USD 350,000 Malaysia Masters here Friday. Seventh seeded Saina, who had a 8-4 head-to-head record against Okuhara before Friday, fought back from 9-15 and 14-18 down in the two games to extend her dominance over the second-seeded Japanese with a 21-18 23-21 win in a 48-minute quarterfinals at the Axiata Arena. The 28-year-old from Hyderabad, who had won the title in 2017 and was a runners-up in the 2011 edition, will face a tough test next when she faces three-time world champion Carolina Marin of Spain on Saturday. Saina has defeated Marin five times and has lost to the Spaniard as many times in the last 10 meetings. The match started on an even keel as both the shuttlers fought hard, moving together till 9-9. Okuhara registered six straight points to create a huge gap but Saina showed her mettle as she slowly erased the ...
'Khelo India' good grooming ground for U-17 players: Sridharan
Indianvolleyball legend and coach of the national team G E Sridharan has praised the ongoing Khelo India Games saying players would benefit throught it to a great extent. "Without doubt Khelo India is a good initiative, but what's important is that it can prove to be a very good grooming ground for the U-17 guys to prepare for the big stage," the Arjun and Dronacharya awardee said in a release on Friday. "Not only their own game, but Khelo offers players an opportunity to meet the best talent from other sports too, and add value to their experience," he said. "You see players and coaches from different disciplines, try to understand and interact with them, which helps in shaping personal improvement too," he added. According to Sridharan, the other big advantage players are getting a feel of the taraflex courts. "At the international level, matches are played on these courts and providing an international standard environment to these players will definitely enrich their
D Y Patil T20 Cup from Jan 21 to Feb 2
The 15th edition of the D Y Patil T20 Cup will be held at the D Y Patil Stadium and the University Ground here alongside two matches apiece at Ghansoli and Talegaon from January 21 to February 2. In all, 16 teams will face off to be crowned the champion of the tournament. The 16 teams have been drawn in four groups, a media release issued here Friday said. The top two teams from each of the four groups will qualify for the quarter-finals to be held on January 31. Some of India's best players are expected to be in action in the fortnight-long tournament, the release said.
Australian Open: Lethal Sharapova dethrones Wozniacki to reach pre-quarters
Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova stunned defending champion Caroline Wozniacki in the third round of the ongoing Australian open to enter the pre-quarters round of the women's singles event here at the Rod Laver Arena on Friday.The 31-year-old defeated Wozniacki 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in a gruelling contest that lasted two hours and 24 minutes.The initial period of the match was dominated by Wozniacki who moved ahead with a 4-1 lead in the opening set. Sharapova, who was positioned perfectly to lose the opening set, made a stunning comeback and won the next five games with the help of 16 winners to register an extraordinary victory.In the second set, the Polish player astonished Sharapova into 19 unforced errors to take a 3-0 lead. Wozniacki continued with the lead till the end of the second set and took the match into a decider.Both the players battled hard in the final set and had their chances to move ahead. The defending champion came hard on her opponent but failed to shake her ...
Melbourne ODI: Chahal rattles Australian batting order, hosts bowled out for 230
In a clinical performance, Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal picked up a six-wicket haul helping his side bowl out Australia for a meagre score of 230 in the final ODI of their ongoing three-match series here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.Opting to bowl first in the rain-hit final ODI, India did not give Australian batsmen a chance to settle in and wrapped up the first innings in the 48th over of the match.India gave Australia their first jolt when pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with his swinging delivery, trapped the opposition opener Alex Carey (5) in the third over of the Australian innings.Kumar continued to trouble the Australian batsmen with his tight line and length. All the hard work paid off for the fast bowler as he got the second wicket in the form of Australia skipper Aaron Finch who departed at the score of 14. Finch failed to break the Bhuvi code as it was for the third consecutive time in the series that he was dismissed by the Indian pacer.Left-hand batsman Shaun ..
Rani to lead Indian women's hockey team for Spain tour
Ace striker Rani Rampal will captain an 18-strong Indian women's team, while experienced goalkeeper Savita will be her deputy for the season opener in Spain starting Jan 26, Hockey India announced Friday. The Indian Hockey team is set to play four matches with the Spain and two matches against the Women's World Cup runners-up, Ireland. The team will leave on January 24 for the Spain tour from Bengaluru, where they have been based for the past two weeks for the National Camp. The team includes goalkeepers Savita and Rajani Etimarpu. The Indian team for Spain Tour will feature defender Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam who makes a comeback after missing out on the World Cup and the Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang last year due to injury. Defender Salima Tete, who led the India U-18 team to a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, has also been named in the team along with experienced Deep Grace Ekka, Reena Khokhar, Nikki Pradhan and drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur who will add strength .
Sharapova stuns Wozniacki as ice man Federer ploughs
Maria Sharapova stunned defending champion Caroline Wozniacki to sweep into the Australian Open last 16 Friday and join ice man Roger Federer, who clinically disposed of his opponent. The Russian five-time Grand Slam winner, who has struggled since returning from a drugs ban in 2017, was as at full throttle in ending the Dane's dream of a second major title. Sharapova won 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 with the roof closed on Rod Laver Arena and will next play in-form local hope Ashleigh Barty, who bounced Greece's Maria Sakkari, for a berth in the quarter-finals. "I thought the level was quite high. I knew it would be a tough match," said the 2008 champion, who has been in sizzling form at the tournament as she chases her first Slam title since Roland Garros in 2014. "These types of matches are what I train for and it was really rewarding to win that last point," added the 30th seed. Swiss great Federer was also on fire in taming big-serving American Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 to stay on track for a .
Federer cruises into Round of 16 at Australian Open
Swiss tennis star Roger Federer (3) defeated American Taylor Fritz by a comfortable 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 scoreline in less than an hour and a half in the third round men's singles match at the Australian Open here on Friday.
Hockey India names 18-member women's squad for Spain tour
Hockey India on Friday named an 18-member Indian women's squad for the season opener in Spain which starts on January 26.
Lahiri shoots 70 at Desert Classic, Mickelson cards 12-under 60
Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri shot a two-under 70 for a share of the 70th spot after the opening round of the Desert Classic golf tournament here. Lahiri lay tied-70th at the event where the cut would be applied after three rounds. Phil Mickelson, 48, showed age is just a number, when he began his 27th full season as a pro by coming tantalisingly close to 59, which he has never shot. He shot a 12-under 60, tying his career-low score he last shot in the Waste Management Phoenix Open six years ago. He became the first player to shoot 60 or better three times in PGA history. Adam Long is in second at nine-under while Australian Curtis Luck is in third at eight-under. Defending champion Jon Rahm is Tied-eighth after shooting six-under. Lahiri found nine of 14 fairways and 12 of the 18 greens in regulation. But he missed at least two putts inside 10 feet. On fifth, he messed a bunker shot and missed the regulation and two-putted for a bogey. On the very next, par-three, he had a six-footer
Barça thump Levante to advance in Copa del Rey
Ousmane Dembele had a brace to lead FC Barcelona to a 3-0 victory over Levante in the second leg of their Copa del Rey knockout stage tie for a 4-2 triumph on aggregate.