Page 696 - Sports
Khelo: Odisha, Haryana make semis in U-21 men's hockey
Odisha and Haryana won their respective Pool B matches in the Under-21 men's category to advance to the semi-finals of the Khelo India Youth Games here on Friday. Haryana produced an emphatic 6-1 win over hosts Maharashtra to secure their qualification to the semi-finals as they finished the pool stages with a tally of six points from three matches, a media release issued by Hockey India said. In the other Pool B match, it was Odisha, who maintained their 100 per cent record as they defeated Jharkhand 2-1 to top their Pool with a tally of nine points. A brace from Odisha's Shilanand Lakra in the 9th and 35th minutes saw him put his team into a commanding position, while Jharkhand's only goal of the match came in the 39th minute through Ashim Tirkey. The semi-final matches of the Under-21 Men's competition will take place on January 13 where Punjab will take on Haryana, while Uttar Pradesh will face Odisha. On Saturday, semi-final matches of the Under-17 Men's ...
CFC 'B' faces Kerala Blasters Reserves in I-League 2nd
: Chennaiyin FC 'B' will open its I-League Second Division campaign against southern rivals Kerala Blasters FC Reserves on January 14 at the Panampilly Ground in Kochi. CFC 'B', which is making its second consecutive appearance in the second tier of Indian football, is pitted against Bengalurus Ozona FC and South United FC and Fateh Hyderabad AFC apart from Kerala Blasters Reserves in Group B. The ties will be played on a home-away basis with CFC contesting their home games at the SSN College ground here, a press release said. Under the tutelage of Sameer Shaikh, a former Youth Development Coach at DSK Shivajians, CFC 'B' players have been training in Goa over the last three weeks. The team also played Goa Pro League outfits Vasco SC and Sporting Clube de Goa as well as FC Goa reserves and Guardian Angel Sports Club in practice games. The CFC B squad comprises talent from Tamil Nadu and around the country, including a number of CFC U-18 boys who qualified for the final ..
Goalless draw with Aizawl FC puts Real Kashmir at par with Churchill
The high-flying league debutants Real Kashmir had to settle for a goal-less draw against former champion Aizawl FC in their I-League clash at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, here. Real Kashmir have drawn level on points with second-placed Churchill Brothers, but are behind on goal difference, as the head-to-head record between the two teams currently stands at 0-0. Hence, the Snow Leopards are placed third on the 12th table with 22 points. In a match with few chances for both sides, Aizawl FC skipper Alfred Kemah Jaryan was awarded the 'Hero of the Match' for his combative performance in the middle of the park. Aizawl, under their new coach, had a more positive approach to the game as defender Kareem was pushed up the field to pair with skipper Alfred Jaryan and local boy Paul Ramfangzaua. Though Aizawl controlled the match, their attacking moves were toothless as Remsanga found no space against the giant Kashmiri defenders. Aizawl had the first real chance of the match as Aaron Katebe's ...
I-League: Real Kashmir FC play goalless draw with Aizawl FC
High flying league debutants Real Kashmir could not continue their winning run against former champion Aizawl FC as both sides failed to find the back of the net at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Friday.
Kenyans Kiplagat, Kirui plan to reclaim Boston Marathon titles
Edna Kiplagat, the two-time Boston Marathon champion, has thrown down the gauntlet, warning Kenya athletes are ready to reclaim the gold medal in this year's race on April 15.
New Zealand defeats SL in lone T20
New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by 35 runs in their one-off T20 international here at the Eden Park on Friday.Chasing a huge total of 179, Sri Lanka got off to a bad start with Sadeera Samarawickrama getting out on the first ball. Stabilising the Sri Lankan innings after the initial jolt, all-rounder Thisara Perera played a gutsy knock of 43 runs which included two boundaries and three sixes. His efforts, however, went in vain as no other batsmen stood up to the occasion.For New Zealand, Paceman Lockie Ferguson and spinner Ish Sodhi scalped three wickets each helping their side bowl out the visitors at a score of 144 runs.Earlier, riding on the back of Bracewell's smashing innings of 44 runs, New Zealand put up a solid total of 179 runs. Another notable performance came from debutant Scott Kuggeleijn, who played an unbeaten knock of 35 runs off 15 balls.With a win over Sri Lanka, New Zealand clean sweeps the visitors across all formats in the tour. Previously, they had defeated Sri ...
TVS riders successfully complete Stage 4 of Dakar Rally
Seasoned Indian rider Aravind KP managed to complete the most challenging stage of the ongoing 2019 Dakar Rally, finishing the Stage 4 at 64th overall even as the other three Sherco TVS Rally Factory team riders also overcame the challenges to complete it.
Schmiedlova in Hobart International final
Unseeded Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova stormed into her first WTA final in Australia after defeating former World No.7 Belinda Bencic in three sets at the Hobart International tennis meet.
Kartik becomes youngest Indian to win junior world title
Budding golfer Kartik Singh has acquired the top position in the under-8 category at the Kids' Golf World Championship organised by US kids Golf in Malaysia.
Bayern to appeal as Mueller suspended for Liverpool tie
Bayern Munich said Friday they will appeal the two-match Champions League suspension handed to Thomas Mueller which means the Germany international will miss both legs of their last-16 tie against Liverpool. European football's governing body UEFA handed Mueller a two-match ban on Friday following his sending-off in the 3-3 draw away to Ajax in their final group game last month. Mueller was shown the first straight red card of his career for kicking Ajax defender Nicolas Tagliafico in the head. The 29-year-old will definitely miss the away leg at Anfield on February 19, but Bayern hope a successful appeal would mean Mueller could play the return at the Allianz Arena on March 13. Mueller apologised following the sending-off, insisting he meant to kick the ball. "No, no, of course I didn't mean to do it. It wasn't intentional," Mueller told reporters, but Bayern coach Niko Kovac said the red card was the correct decision. Mueller has five goals and six assists in 25 matches in all ...
PSG fined by UEFA for crowd trouble
Paris Saint-Germain have escaped with a fine from European football's governing body UEFA following crowd trouble at their Champions League home game against Red Star Belgrade in October. The French giants ran the risk of being forced to play their next home European match -- against Manchester United in the Champions League last 16 second leg in March -- behind closed doors. Trouble erupted outside the Parc des Princes after the game, but the only punishment for the crowd disturbances and "illicit chants" from their supporters was a fine of 35,000 euros (USD 40,346). Red Star, who lost the game 6-1, were also fined 25,000 euros for chants from their supporters. Meanwhile, Olympiakos were fined 90,000 euros and handed a suspended one-game stadium ban after their fans set off fireworks and invaded the pitch when the Greek club beat AC Milan 3-1 in the Europa League last month. Milan were fined 5,000 euros, while Ajax were fined 20,000 euros and Bayern Munich 8,000 euros for the ...
Sarri struggles to spark misfiring Chelsea
Maurizio Sarri must solve Chelsea's striker crisis as his spluttering side bid to get back on track against Newcastle on Saturday. Sarri's fourth-placed team are clinging onto a three-point lead over fifth placed Arsenal in the Premier League, leaving them with no margin for error in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League. The root cause of Chelsea's recent dip has been their misfiring forwards. Plagued by injuries, Olivier Giroud has managed just five goals this season, with only one coming in the league. Alvaro Morata has netted nine times, but just five of those goals have come in his 16 league appearances. Morata appears to be uninterested in adapting to the demands of the physical Premier League -- the former Real Madrid forward's diffident style is the polar opposite of the bruising presence provided by Diego Costa, who fired Chelsea to two titles. Sarri has recognised the fatal flaw in Chelsea's squad and installed Eden Hazard as his central striker on several .
Dhanush upsets World Cupmedallist Babuta, wins airrifle gold
Telangana's Dhanush Srikant Friday upstaged two-time Junior World Cup bronze medallist Arjun Babuta of Punjab in men's under-21 10m air rifle final in the Khelo India Youth Games here and claimed the gold. Dhanush was a picture of consistency through the day, topping the qualification with 629.7, his best score. He showed nerves of steel in the final where he was ahead of competition after each shot. The 16-year-old, who has been shooting for just over two years after becoming a taekwondo Dan 2, is a product of Project Leap run by Olympic medallist Gagan Narang's Gun for Glory. Arjun Babuta, who won Junior World Cup bronze medal in Gabala in 2016 and in Sydney last year, was third in qualification and remained in that spot in the final. Goa's Yash Yogesh earned silver, a mere 1.3 points behind the Hyderabad lad. Dhanush's mother Asha Srikant revealed that he had a Cochlear implant -- a hearing aid device -- in his first year. "He has been a happy, active child and has not .
Markram helps South African recovery against Pakistan
Aiden Markram hit a half-century as South Africa recovered from the early loss of stand-in captain Dean Elgar on the first day of the third and final Test against Pakistan on Friday. Markram made a stroke-filled 78 not out in a South African total of 108 for one at lunch. Elgar was caught behind off Mohammad Abbas for five in the second over after winning the toss and deciding to bat on easily the best pitch for batsmen in the series. Markram, who had to pass a fitness test after suffering a badly bruised right thigh while fielding in the second Test in Cape Town, gave a sharp chance to short leg Shan Masood off Mohammad Amir when he had two, but otherwise looked in command on an easy-paced surface. Markram hit 14 boundaries off 101 balls in an innings marked by crisply-struck drives and clips to leg. Hashim Amla was content to play a supporting role and made 22 not out in a partnership which was worth 102 at lunch.
Cricketers Hardik, Rahul suspended pending probe
The participation of all-rounder Hardik Pandya and opener Lokesh Rahul in the three-ODI series against Australia, starting in Sydney on Saturday, has been thrown into jeopardy as the duo have been suspended for their controversial comments in a television talk show.
Organized by CEQUIN, Football Delhi and Delhi Dynamos
In a bid to galvanize women's football in India, the National Alliance for Women's Football in India has been set up by CEQUIN, an NGO that promotes gender equality. CEQUIN has partnered with alliance members Football Delhi (the State Association) and Delhi Dynamos FC, to address the dearth of opportunities for young school girls to play football competitively at the Delhi state level.The first edition of the Under-13 School League has been organized with the enthusiastic participation of 32 school teams. 10 of these teams are from government schools (who have been trained by CEQUIN), while the rest are from private schools, making this a truly inclusive initiative. The league will feature a total of 384 players divided into 4 zones.Prominent schools have come forward to support as venue partners, including Sanskriti School, Tagore International School and Maharaja Aggarsain Adarsh Public School. A total of seven match days, spread across 1 month will be conducted within the school ...
Australian Open '19 could be Andy Murray's last tournament
Former world number one Andy Murray, who has had a rough 2018 season, having missed most of the tournaments due to a hip injury, stated that the upcoming 2019 edition of the Australian Open could be his last tournament.A teary-eyed Murray said that he has been struggling with pain for the last 20 months and is still in "a lot of pain". He said that if he could not overcome the pain in the next four or five months, he will go for another surgery- not to get back in the professional zone but for a "better quality of life"."There's a chance of that (Taking retirement after 2019 Australian Open) for sure. Like I said, I'm not sure I'm able to play through the pain for another four or five months. I have an option to have another operation, which is a little more severe than what I've had before and having my hip resurfaced, which would allow me to have a better quality of life and be out of pain. That's something I'm seriously considering right now," ATP quoted Murray, as saying."Some ...
Karanka steps down as Nottingham Forest coach
Aitor Karanka has decided to leave his job as head coach at English Championship side Nottingham Forest after spending over a year at the helm, the club said on Friday.
Madrid face Champions League qualification fight unless form improves
There might have been two clubs toasting Athletic Bilbao signing Ibai Gomez from Alaves on Thursday -- Athletic for one, but also Real Madrid. Few would expect the team that has won the Champions League three times in a row to be buoyed by a star player leaving Alaves, whose stadium holds just over 19,000 and who, five years ago, finished 18th in the second tier. But currently it is Alaves who stand between Madrid and La Liga's top four. Real missing out seems unthinkable, and for now it remains unlikely, but as their title hopes fade, priorities will adjust too. The expectation is Alaves' remarkable form will at some point drift, particularly now Gomez has gone, his departure to a team placed 17th suggesting he too believed the surge may not last. This, however, is where Real are now, fifth in the table, 10 points behind Barcelona, playing catch-up not just for first place but fourth. And there is a possibility the gap could widen through a run of tricky fixtures this month. First, a
Bavleen takes Jammu and Kashmir to new heights in gymnastics
Budding gymnast Bavleen Kaur from Jammu and Kashmir stole the limelight at the Khelo India Youth Games here after she took home three gold and two silver medals. Bavleen, who turns 16 later this week, had bagged four medals at the Khelo India School Games 2018. Jammu and Kashmir had won six medals till the end of the competition Thursday and off those, five belonged to Bavleen. Bavleen, a trainee of Krupali Patel Singh and S P Singh, says she is at the Games only because of her coaches. "I am here only because of my coaches who have worked relentlessly to help us be ready for such major events," Bavleen was quoted as saying in a media release. "What makes this win even more special for me is the happiness I was able to give my coaches who have always helped me grow despite the lack of adequate training facilities and equipment back home in Jammu and Kashmir. They always ensured that I focused solely on my game and they took care of the rest." And like all sports persons,