Page 763 - Sports
Russia's Shipulin quits biathlon amid doping probe
Russian biathlon star Anton Shipulin on Tuesday announced he had lost "motivation" and would retire from the sport, weeks after Austrian prosecutors announced a doping probe into his team. Shipulin has always rejected claims against him but he and other top sports stars were barred from the Winter Olympics this year as part of a ban on Russia for state-sponsored doping. "This race will be the last of my career," the 31-year-old said of a competition in Germany's Gelsenkirchen on December 29, according to Russian news agencies. "There's no sense in carrying on torturing myself, my fans and my loved ones. I can't find in myself the motivation that I need," he told a press conference in Moscow. "On top of that there's the situation with my health, which is unrelenting. Three times in the last month I've suffered from viral infections." "I am not trying to run from problems. I have always said I was clean," he said, but added that he was no longer finding pleasure in the sport. Austrian ..
Mitchell Marsh replaces Peter Handscomb for Melbourne Test
Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has returned to the squad ahead of the third Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.Marsh, who had been dropped of the first two Tests in Adelaide and Perth, has replaced wicket-keeper batsman Peter Handscomb, International Cricket Council (ICC) reported."It is a long series, our bowlers have had a really big workload and we feel we are going to need (Mitchell) Mitch's bowling at some point," skipper Tim Paine said.Earlier on Monday, Coach Justin Langer had hinted at this change in the team composition, calling Marsh "an attractive commodity" on Melbourne's wicket, unlike Adelaide and Perth."The majority of this decision has been based around the fact that it is a long series, we have played on a lot of hot days and our bowlers have had a big workload. We believe Mitch can come in and do a really good job with the bat and obviously he will give great support to our bowlers," Paine added.Handscomb struggled through the series with scores
Mohammad Abbas ruled out of opening Test against South Africa
Pakistan pacer Mohammad Abbas has been ruled out of the first Test against South Africa due to an injury.The 28-year-old, who missed the final Test against New Zealand with a shoulder injury, is hopeful of returning to the squad for the second Test, International Cricket Council (ICC) reported.Other specialist seams in the squad include Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, and Shaheen Afridi, while Faheem Ashraf provides an all-rounder option."Abbas is not fit for the first Test, hopefully, he will be fit for the second Test," Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed said on Monday.Along with Abbas, leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who is suffering a groin injury, will also make a comeback for the second Test."Shadab Khan, too, will be back for the second Test, but Fakhar Zaman is fit," Ahmed added. In his Test career, Abbas has scalped 61 wickets in 12 Tests at an average of 16.62.Pakistan and South Africa are slated to play three Test matches beginning from December 26, followed by five ODIs and then three ...
Injured Huddersfield star Mooy ruled out of Asian Cup
Australia's Asian Cup defence has been dealt a blow with Huddersfield midfielder Aaron Mooy ruled out of the tournament after a second opinion on a knee injury confirmed the worst. Mooy has been in top form this season, but suffered ligament damage in his right knee playing against Arsenal earlier this month. Huddersfield initially sidelined him until February, but he is such a key player for Australia that they insisted on getting a second opinion from an independent specialist. "It is disappointing to lose Aaron for the tournament," said Socceroos coach Graham Arnold in a statement late Monday. "However, it was important that we left no stone unturned in exploring every option to get Aaron on the pitch for Australia in the United Arab Emirates." Mooy needs at least another month to recover and with the Asian Cup starting on January 5, Arnold decided it wasn't worth risking him. "In a best-case scenario, this would mean he would not be ready to play until after the quarter-final ...
My understanding with Sunil is telepathic, says Jeje
Indian football team forward Jeje Lalpekhlua Tuesday said he has developed a "telepathic understanding" with ace striker Sunil Chhetri. Jeje first caught the attention by scoring a hat-trick against Pakistan at the age of 19 -- in his first tournament. Since then, despite scoring regularly, he was in and out of the national squad till 2015, when he cemented his place. "I played with Sunil-bhai when I made my debut. Since then we have been playing together. I feel, together we fit in well, and complement each other's styles," Jeje stated. "He has helped me a lot on and off the field. We have a telepathic understanding on the pitch. I know where he is, and he always knows where I am," he added. India take on Thailand in their opening match of the AFC Asian Cup 2019 and Jeje sounded confident. "This team is a strong one as we have put in a lot of good work so far," the Mizo player said. "We are confident in our abilities and feel that we can take on any challenge." He stated that the ...
3rd Test: India drop struggling Rahul, Vijay for Boxing Day Test (Preview)
Both India and Australia will aim to take a lead in the four-match Test series, currently leveled 1-1, when they square-off in the much awaited Boxing Day clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), starting here from Wednesday.
Rojas signs with Olimpia looking toward Copa Libertadores
Olimpia, this year's two-time Paraguayan football champion, has announced the signing of forward Rodrigo Rojas, who until now had played for Cerro Porteño but who returns to the club where he got his start and with which he will contend for the Copa Libertadores title in 2019.
Klopp sees Chelsea, Arsenal in EPL title hunt
Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp said he was not excluding Chelsea or Arsenal from English Premier League (EPL) title contention despite trailing the Reds by 11 points in the standings.
Toluca ready for Liga MX Clausura tournament: Cristante
Argentine Hernan Cristante, who manages Liga MX club Toluca, said over the weekend that his squad was training at a good level and ready to make a playoff run in the 2019 Clausura tournament.
Jadeja was fit when we selected him for Australia Tests: MSK Prasad
Chairman of selectors MSK Prasad Tuesday made it clear that his committee picked Ravindra Jadeja for the Test series based on the fitness report where he was declared absolutely fit. Jadeja, who had a shoulder stiffness couldn't feature in the second Test in Perth and coach Ravi Shastri told the mediapersons that the player was carrying the niggle from India. Prasad however wanted to set the record straight on the eve of the Boxing Day Test, which will feature the Saurashtra all-rounder. "On the eve of any selection meeting, the selection committee is given a fitness report of all the players. In that report, Jadeja was absolutely fit. So we picked him. After we picked him, he went and played Ranji Trophy also, where he bowled 60 overs. So there is no question of him being unfit at the time of selection (for Australia)," Prasad said. "Whenever a health issue comes up, we have a group in which it is being placed. All that is looked after by the physio and they have very clearly given .
Australian team is still work in progress, feels Tim Paine
Buoyed by team's comprehensive victory in the second Test, a cautious Australian skipper Tim Paine believes that his inexperienced side have the potential to get ahead of India but are still a work in progress. The third Test begins in Melbourne on Wednesday with the four-match series levelled at 1-1. "I don't feel like we are on top of them. We feel like we are getting better with every Test," Paine said on the eve of the Boxing Day Test. "We are improving with every game but we need to keep stacking up good days and play good Test cricket. If we can do that for the next 4-5 days I think we will be in the thick of it again," Paine said. "Certainly when you have an inexperienced team and you get a big win like in Perth against the number one team in the world, guys are going to grow in confidence a little bit and come to Melbourne feeling better than when we did to Perth," the skipper said. India have made three changes for the Boxing Day Test with Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma and ...
Timeless Mary eclipses all; brightest star of India's 2018 boxing story
She has been a defining force in Indian boxing for well over a decade but the timeless M C Mary Kom managed to surpass even herself, obliterating everyone and everything else along the way in a tumultuous year for the sport. She turned 36 the day an unprecedented sixth world title became hers in front of adoring home fans. But it wouldn't be wrong to call Mary Kom ageless for she was around when women's boxing took baby-steps towards going mainstream and she is around when the sport gears up for an Olympic expansion in 2020. That, of course, is subject to the under-fire International Boxing Association (AIBA) saving the sport from Olympic exclusion in the face of mounting IOC criticism of its administrators, particularly the alleged criminal antecedents of its President Gafur Rakhimov. "Mary Kom is amazing, there is no other way to describe her. Performing at that level, beating younger girls, it is quite remarkable," Indian Boxing's High Performance Director Santiago Nieva told PTI, .
Vihari would get adequate chance in middle-order if he fails as opener: Prasad
Hanuma Vihari's role as an opener is a stop-gap one and he will be given enough opportunities in his preferred middle-order spot should he fail at the top, assured chairman of selectors MSK Prasad. Vihari along with debutant Mayank Agarwal will open the innings in the Boxing Day Test against Australia after the team management finally lost patience with the out-of-form duo of KL Rahul and Murali Vijay. When asked if the new role is unfair on Vihari, who has only played two Tests so far, and doesn't regularly open in domestic first-class cricket, Prasad said:"He would be given a fair chance in the middle order should he fail to make an impression as an opener in the next two Tests." Having watched Vihari closely when he played domestic cricket for Andhra, Prasad feels that he has the game to face the new kookaburra. "It's fine. Technically, we feel that Vihari is well-equipped. There were times where Cheteshwar Pujara also opened when the team required. The team demands it and ...
Ahead of Melbourne Test, Kohli says batsmen must 'step up collectively'
Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli on Tuesday said that while bowlers are performing well, batsmen need to "step up collectively" to strengthen the team, ahead of the third Test match against Australia."Our bowling has been performing really well but at the same time, we have to ensure that as a batting unit, we are able to put up those runs on the board. Otherwise, the bowlers won't be able to do anything with the totals that we have been compiling," Kohli told media here."If we are batting second, we will try to take the lead or get as close to the opposition total as possible. If you equal a big score, then it becomes a second-innings match. And if you take a good first-innings lead, then you can capitalise on that. The batsmen must step up collectively. I won't say individually whether someone needs to do that or not, but as a batting unit, we have to definitely put up a better performance," he added.Talking about the Melbourne pitch, the skipper said it has much more grass ..
Jadeja was absolutely fit for Australia tour: MSK Prasad
India's chairman of selectors MSK Prasad on Tuesday said all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was "absolutely fit" when picked for the Australia tour.Prasad's statement comes in the wake of Jadeja's ouster from the squad for the second Test match held in Perth."On the eve of any selection meeting, the selection committee is given a fitness report of all the players. In that report, Jadeja was absolutely fit. So we picked him. After we picked him, he went and played Ranji Trophy also, he bowled 60 overs (against Railways). So there is no question of him being unfit at the time of selection," Prasad told reporters here.Last week, Indian team head coach Ravi Shastri had said that Jadeja had a stiff shoulder, due to which a decision was taken to replace him for the Perth Test."The problem with Jaddu (Jadeja) was that he took an injection four days after coming here. He had a stiff shoulder. So when you look at Perth, he was around 70-80 % fit and we didn't want to take that risk. The last thing we
Kohli's message for batsmen: Bowlers won't be able to do anything with totals we have been putting
Their patchy performance has stuck out like a sore thumb during the first two Tests and India skipper Virat Kohli urged his batsmen to complement the superb effort of his bowling unit in the upcoming Boxing Day Test against Australia starting Wednesday. While Kohli gave a batting masterclass on a challenging track in Perth, Cheteshwar Pujara had played a decisive role in team's win Adelaide but other batsmen have not contributed much unlike bowlers, who have picked 40 wickets in four innings. "It is very important for batsmen to stand up, because as everyone can see, our bowling has been performing really well. Otherwise, the bowlers won't be able to do anything with the totals that we have been compiling," skipper Kohli said on the eve of the third Test. "If we are batting second, we will try to take the lead or get as close to the opposition total as possible. If you equal a big score, then it becomes a second-innings' match and if you take a good first-innings lead, then you can ...
Opening Gambit: Rookies Mayank, Vihari to open as Vijay, Rahul dropped
A desperate India will be punting on the rookie opening pair of Mayank Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari in their bid to regain momentum against a rejuvenated Australia when the 'Boxing Day' Test starts on Wednesday. After being deflated by 146 runs in the second Test at Perth, India after a week's break will be putting their best foot forward, an indicator of which is the decision to finally drop their out-of-form openers KL Rahul and Murali Vijay. While there was temptation to play all-rounder Hardik Pandya, a fit-again Rohit Sharma will give the cushion of an extra batsman. Indian team management in a departure from its convention, announced their playing XI, a day prior to the match ending speculations about the possible team combination. Time had already run-out for Rahul, who had scored only 48 runs in four innings this series, including a highest of 44 in the second innings at Adelaide. In this year's overseas cycle alone, his average had dropped down to 20.94 in nine Tests with only ..
Ind v Aus: Mayank Agarwal to make Test debut at Melbourne
Indian batsman Mayank Agarwal is all set to make his Test debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) at the third Test against Australia.Meanwhile, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who sustained a left-sided abdominal strain ahead of the Perth Test, will be assessed over the next couple of days."R Ashwin is recovering well from his left-sided abdominal strain but not 100 per cent fit. The team management is closely monitoring his progress," a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) statement said.Following are the playing XI: Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane (VC), Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit BumrahA poor batting in the second innings of the Perth Test led India to a crushing defeat against Australia. With the victory, the hosts leveled the four-match series 1-1.India and Australia will play their third Test from December 26 to 30.
Relish rather than fear Old Trafford, Solskjaer tells Man Utd
Manchester United return to Old Trafford for the first time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's management against Huddersfield on Boxing Day with a new-found swagger after scoring five goals in the Premier League for the first time in five years. The Norwegian's caretaker spell in charge until the end of the season got off to a dream start as United threw off the shackles, that led to turgid football and deteriorating results under Jose Mourinho, to thrash Cardiff 5-1. United still face a huge challenge to make up an eight-point gap just to qualify for next season's Champions League via a top-four finish. But for now the luxury of just being able to enjoy watching a side play with freedom and the attacking principles that have underpinned the club's history is enough to excite United fans again. "I think the boys are looking forward to playing at Old Trafford and that's important. We should be looking forward to that, they are the best fans in the world," said Solskjaer when questioned ...
Benitez return a memory of Christmas past for Liverpool
Rafa Benitez's return to Anfield on Boxing Day is likely to stir memories of an unsuccessful Liverpool challenge for the Premier League title, but Jurgen Klopp is trying to focus on the present. Klopp's Liverpool hold a four-point lead at the top of the table as Benitez, the club's manager between 2004 and 2010, visits with his relegation-threatened Newcastle United side on Wednesday. There is a strong sense this could be the season that the English league trophy comes to Anfield for the first time since 1990, although recent history is offering mixed messages as to whether that will happen. First, the good news for Liverpool: In eight of the past 10 seasons, the leaders on Christmas Day have gone on to win the Premier League. Now, the bad news: On the two occasions it did not happen, the Christmas leaders were Liverpool. In 2008/09, Manchester United won the title; in 2013/14 it was Manchester City. The late collapse to miss out in 2014 was perhaps the more immediately painful ...