Page 688 - Sports
Beth Mooney becomes only player to score 400 in every WBBL edition
Australia and Brisbane Heat wicketkeeper batter Beth Mooney has become the only player in the history of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) to score 400 runs in every edition of the tournament.Placed at number four on the leading scorers' chart in the tournament with 407 runs, Mooney blazed 102 off 55 balls, which helped her side to a three-wicket victory over the Sydney Thunder in Cairns on Saturday.The 24-year-old's knock that also took her past 400 runs in the tournament, contained 14 boundaries and a six which helped Heat secure a final-over win while chasing 172 runs and a place in the semi-finals.Mooney, who was adjudged Player of the Match, had not hit her best in the tournament before she scored only an unbeaten 63 in the team's opening match of the season."It was nice to hit a few out of the screws for the first time this season, this is a great batting wicket, with a good atmosphere and thankfully the rain stayed away," ICC quoted Mooney, as saying.Having spoke about her ...
Khelo Gymnastics: Dandekar, Dey shine, Maha end campaign on
Aditee Dandekar and Arik Dey turned in meticulous performances as Maharashtra once again dominated the gymnastics arena at Khelo India Youth Games to wrap up the Under-21 category with a whopping nine medals on the last day of competition here on Sunday. With 18 medals (nine gold, six silver and three bronze), Maharashtra were also crowned champions, a media release issued here said. The star of Maharashtra's success story on the day was Aditee. She won four medals in all including two gold in the ball and ribbon routines which took her individual haul to five medals, adding to the Rhythmic Gymnastics all around title on Friday. Meghana Reddy gave her some competition by bagging the hoop gold and silver in both the ribbon and ball categories. Arik Dey continued his magical performance to fetch Maharashtra two more medals. He secured gold in the horizontal bar and silver in parallel bars. Agnivesh Pandey of Uttar Pradesh topped the parallel bar making him the most ...
Indian Arrows thrash Shillong Lajong 3-0
Indian Arrows produced a dominant performance to secure a 3-0 victory over Shillong Lajong in a 12th round I-League match at the JLN Stadium here Sunday. Indian Arrows showed their attacking intent from the very first minute and pressed hard. They were constantly troubling the Lajong defence but a good finish eluded them. It took Shillong Lajong around 10 minutes to regroup and start an attack. Lajong first made an attempt to score in the 11th minute, through Kitrboklang, but failed to convert the chance. Indian Arrows, on the other hand, kept pressing hard and were soon rewarded in the 18th minute, when Vikram Pratap's excellent header from an Ashish Rai cross found the back of the net, helping the visitors take a crucial lead in the game. Lajong thereafter tried making a few attempts but the strong defensive line of the Indian Arrows ensured that the hosts do not pose any threat of scoring an equaliser. Indian Arrows, who still continued with their attacks, were again rewarded in ...
Constantine upbeat about India's chances against Bahrain
The odds are stacked against India but a confident head coach Stephen Constantine says his players have it in them to qualify for the next round of the AFC Asian Cup by beating Bahrain, here on Monday. The Group A is currently balanced on a knife's edge, with all four teams still standing a chance to qualify for the Round of 16. While hosts UAE lead the proceedings with four points from two games, India and Thailand are close behind with three points each. The 'Blue Tigers' are ahead of the 'War Elephants' by virtue of a better head-to-head record, while Bahrain lies bottom with one point. A win for India will be enough to directly seal a berth in the next round, although, with four best third placed teams from the six groups also advancing to the Round of 16, a draw will also see India through. So far, India and Bahrain have faced each other seven times. While Bahrain have won five times, India have just managed a solitary win, with the other match ending in a draw. In fact, the last
1956 Olympian footballer Zulfiqar passes away
Former India footballer Mohammed Zulfiqaruddin, who was part of the fourth place finishing team in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, passed away here Sunday. He was 83 and survived by three sons and two daughters. India lost to Bulgaria 0-3 in the bronze-medal match in Melbourne to finish fourth, a result considered one of the finest moments in the country's football history. Zulfiqaruddin also represented India in the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games and the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia, a release from Telangana Football Association said. He was the captain of Andhra Pradesh in the Santosh Trophy from 1955 to 1967. He also captained AP Police team from 1954 to 1967 and won IFA Shield, Durand Cup and Rovers Cup tournaments. A condolence meeting was held on Sunday at the Telangana Football Association office and it was attended by the office bearers.
10-year-old Shaw becomes youngest Khelo champ
Abhinav Shaw became the youngest gold medallist at the Khelo India Youth Games when he teamed up with Mehuli Ghosh to help West Bengal win the 10m air-rifle mixed team event here Sunday. The 10-year-old from Asansol raised his game enough in the final to ensure Mehuli Ghoshs classy display would not result in any medal other than her second gold, a media release issued here said. The sixth-standard student had to bide his time to get on the range and display his talent, not being among the 16 shooters chosen to compete in the individual events in either Junior (under-21) and Youth (under-17) categories. He was not about to let it go. He dealt with the qualification and the final with a calm that would be the hallmark of any marksman. The pint-sized but hugely talented young star made his team-mate, state and parents proud. A shy lad, embracing quiet, he has taken rapid strides in the direction his father Rupesh and coach Joydeep Karmakar, who missed Olympic bronze in ...
Iran could have defeated Vietnam with more goals, says Queiroz
Iran national football team's head coach Carlos Queiroz said they could have defeated Vietnam with more goals.
Rayudu reported for bowling action
Indias Ambati Rayudu has been reported for a suspect bowling action during the first One-Day International (ODI) against Australia here on Saturday.
Olympic champ says running marathon in under two hours is possible
Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge says breaking the two-hour mark in marathon is very much possible.
'Happy Slam': Djokovic back to where it all began at Aussie Open
World number one Novak Djokovic revealed his fondness for the Australian Open Sunday, saying the tournament kickstarted his storied career when he won his first major in Melbourne more than a decade ago. Perhaps prompted by Andy Murray's shock announcement that this year's appearance Down Under will be his last, Djokovic allowed himself to wax nostalgic about the season-opening Grand Slam. His breakthrough came against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2008 and he has won the title five more times since, most recently against Murray in 2016. "It was my first major trophy, that obviously served as a great springboard for my career," said the Serb, who has 14 majors in the trophy cabinet. "It opened a lot of doors for me. It allowed me to believe in myself that I can actually win the biggest tournaments in the world, challenge the best players in the world." Top seed Djokovic, who launches his campaign for a record seventh crown against American Mitchell Krueger on Tuesday, said he also ..
Moudgil focussed on retaining her Olympic quota in 10m air event
Aware that mere securing an Olympic quota would not guarantee her a place in the 10m air rifle event at the Tokyo Games, CWG silver medallist shooter Anjum Moudgil is focussed on sharpening her skills and take her fitness to the next level. Moudgil had won a silver medal while Apurvi Chandela finished fourth in the women's 10m air rifle event of the ISSF World Championship in September last year to become the first set of Indian shooters to secure quota places for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. "I never thought about quota, especially not in the air event. It was a good experience. I still remember each and every shot and I remember telling my coach 'I feel very anxious'," Anjum, whose pet event is 50m Rifle 3 Positions, told PTI. "Many people said sustaining a quota in air event is very difficult and I know I was not at my top-most level in the World Championships in air event. That gives me so much to work on. I will work on retaining the quota so that no one has any doubts ...
Asian Cup: India aim historic knock-out berth in Chhetri's record-equalling match against Bahrain
A heartbreaking loss after a stunning win denting their confidence, India will still be fired up by the prospect of a maiden knock-out round berth when they take on Bahrain in their final Asian Cup group league match here on Monday. A draw against the West Asian side, currently ranked 113, will be enough for India (ranked 97) to qualify for the round of 16 for the first time in the continent's showpiece event after failed attempts in 1984 and 2011. Monday's match at the Sharjah Stadium, which may turn out to be the biggest night of Indian football after its achievements during the Golden Years (1951 to 64), is also significant as talismanic skipper Sunil Chhetri will equal former captain Bhaichung Bhutia's record of highest appearances for the country at 107 each. India had finished runners-up in the 1964 edition in Israel but that tournament was played in a round-robin format comprising four countries with the winners being decided on the basis of points collected in the league. ...
Rajasthan Royals appoints Paddy Upton as their Head Coach
Rajasthan Royals have brought back former Team India mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton in their ranks for the forthcoming Indian Premier League season. During his earlier stiont, Upton was the head coach for four years, reaching the semi-finals of the IPL in 2013. The edition was particular difficult one as three of its players including the tainted S Sreesanth, were arrested midway into the tournament on allegations of spot-fixing. The same year, Royals also reached the final of the Champions League T20. Upton has guided and mentored several franchise teams across the globe, be it in IPL, Big Bash or Pakistan Super League. As coach of Sydney Thunder for four years, he guided the team to the 2016 Big Bash League title. His biggest achievement came with the Indian national team, as mental conditioning coach, when he combined with head coach Gary Kirsten to guide India to 2011 ODI World Cup title and World No.1 rank in ICC Test rankings. Upton has also held the position of ...
When joke became reality for Behrendorff
On a dream ODI debut, Australian pacer Jason Behrendorff picked up a wicket in his very first over and this was exactly what he had joked about ahead of the match. In a nightmare start to their chase, India were reduced to four for three in the fourth over, with Behrendorff snapping up Shikhar Dhawan for a duck in the very first over. "I was a little nervous in the first over. It shows you care and it was good fun. But I cannot ask much more than how that first over went about. I joked with a couple of guys that I would love to have a wicket in my first ODI over, and then it happened. That was one way to settle the nerves," Behrendorff said on Sunday. His new-ball partner Jhye Richardson left India in the lurch as well, removing Virat Kohli and Ambati Rayudu, and the visitors never really recovered. "Richardson and I have worked on our partnership. My main strength is to swing the ball up front. He bowls pretty quick as well. Our plan was to take wickets up front and fortunately we ...
Khelo India Youth Games: Haryana, Punjab to clash in U-17 Kabaddi final
Haryana hockey team will take on Punjab in the final match of the boys' Under-17 event in the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games.In Saturday's semi-finals at the Mahindra Hockey Stadium in Mumbai, Punjab were fortunate to get past a formidable Odisha unit on the strength of a 6-5 tie-breaker decision after the teams were locked 2-2 at full time.In the other semi-final, the Haryana boys found the target twice in the space of a few minutes to subdue a plucky Uttar Pradesh side 3-2.Odisha can consider themselves unfortunate to not have got the better of Punjab on the day as for long spells, they held sway over the game.The losing side dominated all aspects of the game but was unable to get past the Punjab defence when it was most needed. Moreover, their target man Bikash Kujur missed what could have been the decider by inches.In the tie-break, Odisha came up short, much to their dismay even as the Punjab boys celebrated.In the other game, favourites Haryana and Uttar Pradesh were locked in .
Valladolid holds Valencia to 1-1 tie in La Liga
Real Valladolid held host Valencia to 1-1 draw in a La Liga contest at the Mestalla stadium.
No better place to make my India debut than New Zealand, says Gill after India call-up
Considered the 'next big thing' in Indian cricket, Shubman Gill has broken into the national team sooner than he expected and says there can't be a better place to start his international career than New Zealand, where he was named player of U-19 World Cup, 12 months ago. The last one year has seen the 19-year-old opener take giant strides. The Mohali-based cricketer has followed his U-19 captain Prithvi Shaw to make the Indian team, albeit in the shorter formats, after a 'dream' 2018 when he bagged a lucrative IPL contract following a stellar World Cup and made 790 runs in 10 innings at 98.75 in Punjab's latest Ranji Trophy campaign. He was also part of the Rahul Dravid India A side that toured New Zealand last month. "It is a big advantage (to be picked for the New Zealand tour). I played well there in the U-19 World Cup and now again I have got the opportunity," Gill told PTI on Sunday after getting the news of his life, late last night. " As I have done well there, I can say that .
Facing Federer always been a big challenge: Nadal
An epic final clash between twenty times Grand Slam champion Roger Federer and Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal in the 2017 Australian Open is still fresh in the minds of fans. With the 2019 edition of the tournament around the corner, Nadal admitted that the match was a "special situation" as nobody expected it to happen.The 32-year-old said that both him and Federer were making a comeback in 2017 after a long period but this year, the situation is quite different as both of them are back to the top position. He, however, added that facing Federer has always been a big challenge for him."2017 (Australian Open was) a special situation. Both (Federer and I) came back from a very long time without playing tennis. Nobody expected that, and it happened... That was big," ATP quoted Nadal, as saying."But today is a different story. We are back to the top positions, fighting for things again. It always has been a big challenge to face Roger all around the world, on the different surfaces (and
Rayudu reported for suspect bowling action
India middle-order batsman Ambati Rayudu on Sunday has been reported for a suspect bowling action during the first One-Day International (ODI) against Australia in Sydney.The 33-year-old will now be required to undergo testing within 14 days but is permitted to bowl in the international cricket until the results of the tests are out, ICC reported.The match officials' report, which was handed over to the India team management, cited concerns about the legality of Rayudu's bowling action at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on January 12.Rayudu's bowling action will now be scrutinised further under the ICC process relating to suspected illegal bowling actions reported in Tests, ODIs and T20Is.
Rayudu reported for suspect bowling action
Indian batsman and part time off-spinner Ambati Rayudu has been reported with a suspect bowling action during the first ODI against Australia in Sydney, the ICC said on Sunday. Rayudu bowled only two overs in the game on Saturday, conceding 13 runs. "The match officials' report, which was handed over to the India team management, cited concerns about the legality of the 33-year-old off-spinner's bowling action," said the ICC in a statement. However, Rayudu can still bowl if the need arises. "Rayudu's bowling action will now be scrutinised further under the ICC process relating to suspected illegal bowling actions reported in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. "He is required to undergo testing within 14 days, and, during this period, Rayudu is permitted to continue bowling in international cricket until the results of the testing are known," the statement added. Rayudu has only bowled 20.1 overs in his 46-ODI old career, taking three wickets at an average of 41.33 and economy rate of 6.14. He has