Page 700 - Sports
Squash: Ghosal pull-out gains Tandon place in semis
Indias World No.12 Saurav Ghosal Thursday pulled out from the quarterfinal stage of the CCI InternationalJSW Indian Squash Circuit due to a calf injury that he had sustained Wednesday. Defending champion and third seed Ghosal, who secured a 3-1 win over Egypts Mohamed Reda on way to the last eight, was due to face compatriot Ramit Tandon, ranked 68th, in the quarterfinal. The 26-year-old Kolkata-based Tandon has now automatically gained a place in the semi-finals for the second edition running at the Cricket Club of India. Former junior national champion Tandon upset eighth seed Tom Richards of England with surprising ease to enter the quarter finals. Tandon, who upset 9/16 seedJoshua Masters,also of England, in the first round Tuesday, took just 29 minutes to pack off Richards, globally ranked 20 on the professional circuit, 11-7, 11-1, 11-2 to enter the last eight. Tandon will take on number one seed Tarek Momen of Egypt for a place in Satuday's final. Momen, the World
Ranji: UP make quarters after drawing game against Assam
Uttar Pradesh became the second side from Group C to make it to the Ranji Trophy quarter- finals after Rajasthan when they drew their final league game against Assam here Thursday. Uttar Pradesh took the first innings lead in their drawn affair against Assam to snatch three crucial points, while the visitors had to be content with a lone point. After bundling out Assam for 175 in the first innings UP piled on 619 on the back of centuries from Rinku Singh and Upendra Yadav, to take a massive lead. However, the Assam batsmen led by Gokul Sharma, who struck an unbeaten hundred, played the final day out as the match ended in a tame draw with Assam reaching at 317 for 4. Assam opener Rahul Hazarika (63) and Surupam Purkayastha (67), too, hit fifties on the final day. UP finished second to Rajasthan (51 points) with 41 points and the two teams entered the quarters from this group. Meanwhile, in their last league game Jharkhand left- arm spinner Shahbaaz Nadeem spun his web ...
BCCI secretary pushes for stronger punishment for Pandya, Rahul
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anirudh Chaudhary has pushed for strong punishment for cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul following their controversial remarks against women on the chat show 'Koffee with Karan'.Chaudhary said that a two-match suspension as suggested by Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrator (CoA) member Vinod Rai is merely a "stop-gap arrangement" considering that the CoA had banned Australian cricketer Steve Smith and David Warner for an entire IPL season following a massive ball-tampering scandal, last year.He further stated that players should be allowed to re-join the team after going through a "proper sensitization" in addition to serving the ban given."As far as the quantum of the punishment is concerned if the players are found guilty as per the procedures laid down in the Rules and Regulations, keeping in view the above factors and discussions, a two-match suspension seems to be merely a stop-gap arrangement especially
Tennis: De Minaur in Sydney International semis
Australia's Alex De Minaur knocked out fellow countryman Jordan Thompson 7-6(4) 6-3 on Thursday in an all-Australian quarter-final to advance to the final four at the Sydney International tennis meet.
: Tamil Nadu gained three points for
: Tamil Nadu gained three points for securing the first innings lead against Delhi on the final day of its final Ranji Trophy Group B match here Thursday. Resuming at the overnight score of 268 for 6, Delhi's hopes of overhauling the host's first innings total of 432 rested on centurion Jonty Sidhu and Lalit Yadav extending their partnership. The duo started in a promising manner and played some attractive shots. The lanky Sidhu used his reach to counter the Tamil Nadu spinners- R Sai Kishore and Mohan Prasath. He also hit a superb straight six off Vijay Shankar. Yadav looked good to join Sidhu in scoring a ton, but fell to Sai Kishore for 91. Kishore got him caught in the short cover region when playing a drive, ending a partnership of 170 runs off 340 balls for the 7th wicket. The left-arm spinner had Subodh Bhati caught off the first ball of his next over at slip by captain B Indrajith, but his chances of a hat-trick were foiled by a defence-minded Vikas Mishra. Mishra
ISL: Midfielder Zaid Krouch joins FC Goa for rest of the season
FC Goa has announced the signing of attacking midfielder Zaid Krouch from Moroccan football club Moghreb Tetouan till the end of the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) season, after completing his medical.
Khelo: Odisha, UP, Haryana, Punjab in semies in U-17 Men's
Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab registered victories in their last Pool matches to secure spots in semi-finals of Under-17 Men's hockey competition at the Khelo India Youth Games 2019 Thursday. Punjab and UP also won matches in the Under-21 Men's category. In the Under-17 Men's category, Uttar Pradesh made it to the semi-final defeating hosts Maharashtra 5-3 in their last Pool A match, a media release from Hockey India said. Odisha booked a semi-final spot by defeating Delhi 3-1 to make it three wins out of three. In Pool B, it was Punjab who won their second match of the competition to take their tally to six points as they beat Jharkhand 9-4. In the last Pool B match, Haryana showed their quality as they defeated Chandigarh 4-0 to take their tally to nine points from three matches and secure a semi-final berth. In the Under-21 Men's category, Punjab became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals as they defeated Delhi 4-1 in their last Pool A match to ...
PBL-4: Bengaluru face Chennai in last league tie (Preview)
The Premier Badminton League (PBL) has shaped up into an enticing contest and it all comes down to the last league match between Bengaluru Raptors and Chennai Smashers as to how the top-4 will look ahead of the semi-finals stage.
Bengal, Punjab criticise Ranji format after ouster, Karim comes in defence
Ousted from the group stage after finishing third, Bengal team were critical of the revamped qualification format of the Ranji Trophy which saw four teams qualify from group A while only qualified from group B. The format also drew criticism from Bengal's last group league opponents Punjab while BCCI GM (cricket Operations) Saba Karim predictably defended it. With an additional group comprising of new state teams from North East, Bihar, Puducherry and Uttarakhand being added, BCCI Cricket Operations team led by GM Saba Karim tweaked the format for this edition. The changed format was not what the Sourav Ganguly-chaired BCCI cricket committee had proposed last year. In previous editions, there would be three teams qualifying from groups A and B while two teams qualified from group C. However this year, five teams were supposed to qualify for quarter-finals from the first two groups (A and B) as per the points earned while two from group C and one from group D will join them for last ...
Pandya type loose talk could make them target of fixing syndicates: BCCI Treasurer
Under-fire India cricketer Hardik Pandya's loose talk could make him a target of the match-fixing syndicates known for laying "honey traps", feels BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry. Pandya, along with teammate KL Rahul, face potential suspension from the BCCI for their controversial comments on women on the chat show 'Koffee With Karan'. "...the comments such as the ones that have been made would definitely have painted a large, red target on the back of the players for potential recruiters for the organized syndicates who attempt to indulge in match-fixing across the globe," Chaudhry wrote in an email after COA member Diana Edulji sought his opinion on the matter. "The very first caution that the ICC Anti-Corruption officers give in briefing to the players is to beware of situations of honey traps and the comments made on the show make it seem that the players may just be ripe for the plucking," he added. While COA chief Vinod Rai has recommended a two-match ban for the players, ...
Sindhu hopes winning World Tour Finals title should silence her critics
Badminton sensation P V Sindhu hopes winning the year-end World Tour Finals should silence her critics, who labelled her as a mere silver-winning player. Sindhu prevailed 21-19 21-17 over Japan's Nozomi Okuhara in the summit clash to claim the coveted title , last month in Guangzhou. "Last year too I had entered the finals and I was not satisfied with the Finals outcome. I played positively (in 2018) and won the title. I was happy and also hoped there would not be further criticism of I being a mere silver-winning player," Sindhu told reporters here. "I neither felt bad when I lost in the finals last year, nor criticism heaped on me, but was happy and said to myself that I was not ignominiously knocked out in the first round itself," she said. Asked if she changed her strategy while playing in Gunagzhou, Sindhu said she played her own game and tried winning each point, because the 2017 World Champion Okuhara had given her a tough fight. She further said the All England Badminton ...
Tendulkar, Kambli remember late cricket coach Achrekar
Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and former India batsmen Vinod Kambli and Pravin Amre Thursday fondly recalled the memories of their childhood coach Ramakant Achrekar at a condolence meeting here. Tendulkar recollected how the revered coach, who died here last week aged 87, asked him to go back to his original low grip after advising him to hold the bat higher and seeing it did not work well. "I still remember when I started playing cricket, we had just one bat, which belonged to (mybrother) Ajit (Tendulkar). It was a little bigger and my grip was low on the handle. "Sir observed this for a few days and then took me aside and told me to try and hold the bat a little up,"the batting legend reminisced at the gathering organised by the Shivaji Park Gymkhana. The 45-year-old former Team India captain said Achrekar's suggestion was meant to convey the message that coaching doesn't always mean making changes. "Sir observed me play and said it wasn't working because I was not ...
Squash meet: Ghosal pull-out gains Tandon place in semis
India's World No. 12 Saurav Ghosal Thursday pulled out from the quarterfinal stage of theCCIInternationalJSW Indian Squash Circuit due to a calf injury that he had sustained Wednesday. Defending champion Ghosal, who secured a 3-1 win over Egypts Mohamed Reda on way to the last eight, was due to face compatriot Ramit Tandon, ranked 68th, in the quarterfinal. The 26-year-old Kolkata-based Tandon has now automatically gained a place in the semi-finals for the second edition running at the Cricket Club of India. Former junior national champion Tandon upset eighth seed Tom Richards of England with surprising ease to enter the quarterfinals. Tandon, who upset 9/16 seedJoshua Masters,also of England, in the first round on Tuesday, took just 29 minutes to pack off Richards, globally ranked 20 on the professional circuit, 11-7, 11-1, 11-2 to enter the last eight.
Tendulkar pays tribute to late coach at Shivaji Park
Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday paid tribute to his late coach Ramakant Achrekar at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana.Shivaji Park is the same place where the late coach gave training to Tendulkar right from his childhood days. The cricketer was accompanied by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar who also paid tribute to Achrekar.Tendulkar's childhood coach passed away at the age of 87 on January 2. The Dronacharya awardee had blessed the Indian cricket with the likes of Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli.Regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Tendulkar holds the record of being the highest run scorer of all time in the international cricket, having notched up 18,426 runs in ODI and 15,921 runs in Test matches.Last year on Guru Purnima, the master blaster along with Atul Ranade went to meet and pay their respects to their guru, Achrekar."Today, #GuruPurnima, is the day we remember those who have taught us to be better versions of ourselves. Achrekar Sir, I ...
Serena Williams faces tough draw in Australian Open
American tennis ace Serena Williams, who is eying to equal Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 major singles titles, has been handed over a tough draw in the upcoming Australian Open.The 37-year-old has been drawn in world number one Simona Halep's section of the draw and will play her opening match of the tournament against Tatijana Maria of Germany. While the second round clash could see Williams up against resurgent Eugenie Bouchard, a pre-quarters clash with Halep is also a possibility, WTA reported.In the quarter-final round, Williams could potentially face 2019 Brisbane International champion Karolina Pliskova or Garbine Muguruza of Spain, while the semi-final battle of the upcoming Australian Open could be a repeat of 2018 US Open as Williams might face Japan's Naomi Osaka.As far as the final match is concerned, in-form Angelique Kerber of Germany could be Williams' opponent.The 23 times Grand Slam title winner had last won the Australian Open title in 2017 when she was ...
Golfers accuse DGC of discrimination, say not allowed to practice without hindrance
With practice becoming an "ordeal", two-time Asian champion Rashid Khan Thursday accused the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) of discrimination, which, he said, was ruining careers of golfers coming from humble backgrounds. In 2012, he said the DGC stopped allowing caddie-turned-players from practising at the course, one of India's most iconic and which is located at the heart of Lutyens' Delhi. "This is not happening with golfers from other sections (well-to-do families). They don't want us to play. According to them (club committee) I am only allowed to practice from 4.45 in the evening in winter, how can I practice 18 holes which requires five hours," Rashid told reporters. The 2010 Asian Games silver-medallist added, "I can't eat there, I can't use the pool, I can't use the annexure. It is affecting my golf and affecting me mentally." Rashid was accompanied by former national champions Shamim Khan, Honey Baisoya, Kapil Kumar and advocate Vivek Narayan Sharma. Seeking the government's ...
Easwaran scores maiden double hundred but Bengal fail to qualify for knock-outs
Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran's maiden double hundred went in vain as Bengal failed to qualify for the knock-out stages after their final Ranji Trophy group B encounter against Punjab ended in a draw. Abhimanyu batted close to 10 hours and remained unbeaten on 201 from 373 balls (16x4) in his marathon knock that delayed Bengal's declaration to post-tea session in the must-win contest. With the India A opener being given an opportunity to achieve personal milestone, any chances of a sporting declaration went up in smoke. One of Bengal's biggest bane this season has been bowling. That veteran Ashok Dinda in one of his underwhelming seasons with only 28 wickets from 8 games had emerged as highest wicket-taker tells a sorry tale that even after five seasons, there is no one better than him. Bengal declared at 432/6 after Abhimanyu completed his milestone, setting Punjab an improbable target of 173 in 16 overs, with one-hour's play left on the final day. Taking up the challenge with a ..
Bayern Munich bring Qatar training camp to a close
Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich on Thursday wrapped up their winter training camp in Qatar, where the team, currently in second place in Germany's top-flight, had swapped sub-zero temperatures in southern Germany for the balmy climes of the Arabian Peninsula.
Coach Taqavi parts company with Iran's Tractor Sazi
Iran's football club Tractor Sazi's interim coach Mohammad Taqavi parted ways with the team on Thursday.
Real Kashmir to face Aizawl FC in I-League tie
Real Kashmir FC renew their dream debut campaign aiming straight for the top spot in the 12th round Hero I-League clash with Aizawl FC at the Rajiv Gandhi stadium here on Friday.