Page 765 - Sports
Vice-President all-praise for P V Sindhu
: Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu Monday said every child should be encouraged to take to some form of sports from the early days and that sports should be an essential element of education. He said this after interacting with badminton player P VSindhu and her family who called on him here. Naidu congratulated Sindhu on her recent victory which helped her script history by becoming the first Indian to win the Badminton World Federation finals. "She made us all proud," he said and appreciated her for being consistent with her performance thereby making her a role model for youngsters. The youth must draw inspiration from her dedication, hardwork, and passion for the game, he added. The Vice-President appreciated Sindhus parents for supporting her career throughout, the release added. Also,he complimented badminton coach Pullela Gopichand and all those training the sports talent in the country and lauded their efforts in mentoring the sportsmen and athletes.
Klopp taking nothing for granted despite Liverpool lead
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said the fact his side top the Premier League table heading into the busy holiday period counts for little. The Anfield club are four points clear at the summit going into their Boxing Day clash at home to Newcastle, with champions Manchester City second and Tottenham Hotspur six points adrift in third place. Liverpool, however, have not won the English title in the Premier League era -- their last domestic Championship crown came back in 1990. And with Tottenham having hammered Everton, Liverpool's local rivals, 6-2 on Sunday, Klopp does not expect to have things all his own way during the rest of the season. "You (the media) make these stories about who is in and who is out," said Klopp. "I saw the game against Everton who played absolutely more than okay and then they (Spurs) hit pretty much everything and it was really impressive how Tottenham did. "The same will happen to Arsenal and Chelsea. No decision is made, why should it be? Nobody should .
Dhoni back in T20 squad for NZ, Pant dropped from ODIs
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was Monday brought back to India's T20 squad to ensure he gets "enough game-time" before the ODI World Cup but the young Rishabh Pant was axed from the 50-over side for the upcoming series against Australia and New Zealand. While Dhoni's inclusion in the shortest format came as a surprise after he was dropped for the Australia leg just last month, Pant's omission is an indication that he is currently not in the team management's 2019 World Cup radar as a first XI player. The convenor of selection committee, Amitabh Chaudhary, refused to comment on the matter but a source privy to the development justified the 37-year-old Dhoni's selection. "Since there are only eight ODIs (three against Australia and five against New Zealand), selectors want to give MS as much game time as possible (before the World Cup). Three T20Is means 11 international matches through the next one month," a BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity. Pant, on the other hand, will come ..
Phil Brown joins as coach of FC Pune City
The Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Pune City on Monday announced Phil Brown as their new head coach for the remaining part of the 2018-19 season.
Dhoni recalled for T20Is vs New Zealand
Former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on Monday recalled to India's T20I squad that will play a three-match rubber in New Zealand.
New Zealand seek record series win in Sri Lanka decider
New Zealand and Sri Lanka both have unfinished business when they head into the series-deciding second Test in Christchurch on Wednesday. The home side have put the frustration of the drawn first Test aside as they push to win a fourth consecutive series for the first time. Sri Lanka are equally determined to show the epic partnership by Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis to save the match in Wellington last week was no fluke. "We got so much confidence from that game for this game," wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella said during nets practice Monday, ahead of the Boxing Day Test on what promises to be a green wicket. "If we get some movement here our bowlers will do the job and they know what areas they must bowl at. Unlike in the subcontinent we have to bowl fuller here." New Zealand went into the two-Test series with a chance to move to number two in the world rankings if they won both Tests. That opportunity dissolved in Wellington with the heroics of Mathews and Mendis, as well as the .
Phil Brown joins as head coach of FC Pune City
Indian Super League (ISL) franchise FC Pune City Monday announced Phil Brown as their new head coach for the remaining 2018-19 season. With close to two decades of managerial experience, Brown has been at the helm of top English football clubs like Blackpool, SouthEnd United, Preston North End, Derby County and Hull City, a media release issued by the club said. Before starting his managerial career in England in 1999, Brown played across England for clubs like Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool for over 18 years. In 1999, he started his managerial career with Blackpool as an assistant coach and in 2006 the Englishman took charge of Hull City and helped the club earn promotion to the Premier League for the first time in its 104-year history. In 2013, Brown joined SouthEnd United in League 2 and in his five years there, the team qualified for playoffs thrice and won promotion to League 1. "FC Pune City has been having a difficult season but I am optimistic about taking up this
Ranji: Iyer onslaught gives Mumbai hopes of outright victory
Shreyas Iyer blitzed his way to 83 of just 60 balls after Mumbai pressed on for a much-needed outright victory after taking the first innings lead over table toppers Saurashtra in their Ranji Trophy tie Monday. Iyer slammed seven sixes, three of them off successive balls from left-arm spinner Dharmendra Jadeja before perishing to the fourth ball while trying for a fourth maximum hit. Mumbai ended day three of the four-day Elite Group A match by making 175 for five in their second innings, an overall lead of 221 going into the final day Tuesday. Iyer, who looked out for runs from the first ball he faced after coming to the crease at 20 for one, also struck 5 fours and got involved in a rapid-fire fourth wicket stand of 74 in 57 balls with all rounder Shivam Dube who made a brisk 29-ball 39 with the help of three sixes and as many fours. Earlier, resuming at the overnight 213 for five chasing Mumbai's first innings total of 394, Saurashtra were bowled out for 348, with 12 ..
Bihar on verge of massive win vs Nagaland
Riding on a solid batting display in their second innings, Bihar were on the verge of a massive win over Nagaland in their Ranji Trophy Plate Group fixture here Monday. Having conceded a 59-run first innings lead after being bundled out for 150 at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium here, Bihar bounced back in their second essay to declare at 504/8. Debutant Mangal Mehrur slammed 177 while MD Rahmatullah scored 107 as they continued their overnight stand to put together 177-run for the fourth wicket. Wicketkeeper batsman Vikash Ranjan (53 not out) and Utkarsh Bhaskar (46) also made significant contributions as Bihar set a stiff 446-run target. Nagaland were 112/7 at close on the penultimate day and they still need 334 with three wickets in hand. Captain Rongsen Jonathan waged Nagaland's lone battle with an unbeaten 57 from 60 balls (8x4, 2x6). Ashutosh Aman, who had claimed 7/47 to turn the match around in favour of his side, bagged 3/26 in Nagaland's second innings for a match haul of 10 ...
Sunil Chhetri sets best examples in team: Former Indian midfielder
With the AFC Asian Cup 2019 knocking at the door, former Indian midfielder Renedy Singh, a member of India's AFC Asian Cup Doha 2011 campaign, feels that talismanic striker "Sunil Chhetri sets the best example in the current team.""There are many players who have been doing well recently. But for me, Sunil sets the best example. He has done so well consistently over the past few years. He may not be growing younger, but most significantly, he's not just there to support. He is there to lead by example," he said.Renedy, best remembered for his accurate crosses from the flanks and his dead ball exploits, also certified that "Sunil is at the stage of his career where he can take up that mantle"."It's good to see that Sunil has improved as a dead-ball player. Back in our days, he never used to take free-kicks -- it was either me or Steven Dias. But then one fine day, he walked up to me and said, 'Renedy-bhai, you can't take both free-kicks and penalties. I want to chip in, too," Renedy ...
Asian Cup: Chhetri sets the best example, says Renedy
Former India midfielder Renedy Singh believes skipper Sunil Chhetri will be the key to India's Asian Cup football tournament campaign as he sets the best example in the current team.
Kohli is 'fantastic' to play under: Mitchell Starc
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who has played under the leadership of Indian skipper Virat Kohli in the Indian Premier League (IPL), believes that the top-ranked batsman is a "fantastic" captain.Kohli faced a lot of criticism for engaging in a verbal spat with Australian skipper Tim Paine during their second Test of the ongoing series. The incident invited many questions related to the Indian captain's on-field behaviour as well.Starc said that apart from being a fantastic skipper, the right-hand batsman is a great player adding that how India project itself on the field in this series is up to them."I've played a couple of IPLs with Virat and he's been fantastic to play under, as a captain," Cricket.com.au quoted Starc as saying."Obviously, he's a fantastic player. The way India play this series and go about their cricket, it's up to them," he added.India and Australia are slated to play their third Test of the ongoing four-match series from December 26 to 30 at the Melbourne
The aim is now to be in top 50: Prajnesh
On a high after a successful season, India's number one singles tennis player Prajnesh Gunneswaran has set his goal of being in the top 50 in the coming year.
Five weightlifters banned after 2012 Olympic tests reanalysed
Five weightlifters, including two Olympic champions, have been provisionally suspended after reanalysis of urine samples provided during the 2012 London Olympics, the International Weightlifting Federation announced on Monday. Ukrainian Oleksiy Torokhtiy, Olympic -105kg gold medallist six years ago, and Uzbek Ruslan Nurudinov, who won the same category in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, both tested positive for anabolic steroids. Only Torokhtiy stands to lose his title, as the samples retested were given four years before Nurudinov's gold-medal winning performance in Brazil. Valentin Hristov of Azerbaijan, currently serving an eight-year ban following two positive doping tests in 2013 and 2015, could lose his 2012 bronze medal from the -56kg category after also testing positive for an anabolic agent. The other two athletes to test positive -- Armenia's Meline Daluzyan and Belarusian Mikalai Novikau -- did not win medals in London. Last month, the International Olympic Committee ...
Play all out against Thailand to get result in opening match: Renedy's advice to Asian Cup team
The Indian football team's fortunes in the upcoming Asian Cup will depend a lot on its opening match against Thailand and it should go all out to get a result, feels former player Renedy Singh. "We have to go all-out against Thailand in the first match. Do not think about UAE, do not think about Bahrain. Just go after the result in the first game," Renedy, who was a key member of the Indian team that played in the 2011 Asian Cup in Doha, said. "Only after the match we can decide on the next course of action. If they can get a result against China, we should be able to do the same against Thailand," the former midfielder told the official website of the All India Football Federation. The Asian Cup is being held in four venues of the United Arab Emirates from January 5 to February 1. India has been clubbed with Thailand, Bahrain and hosts UAE in Group A. India play Thailand on January 6, UAE on January 10 and Bahrain on January 14. When India played last time in the Asian Cup in 2011, ..
I have worked on adding more power to my serve: Ramkumar
Ramkumar Ramanathan stood out with his fitness in 2018, playing 35 tournaments without any injury and the lanky Indian tennis player says going into the new season he has tried to add some more power to his serve by strengthening his upper body. Ramkumar will open the new season in Pune at the Tata Open Maharashtra, where the organisers have awarded him and Prajnesh Guneswaran wild card entries. "I have been working a lot on my upper body to open up my shoulders so that I can get more power on serve and also on my legs to stay longer in the point. It will be of great help when you play on clay courts," Ramkumar said on the sidelines of a TNTA event. The 24-year-old said he is planning to cut down on number of tournaments in the new season and will consult his coaching team at Sanchez-Casal Academy in Spain. "I am going to pick and chose the tournaments and try to give my best whenever I play. I have no regrets about 2018. I am still ranked 130 and there is a long way to go. And you ...
Mitchell Marsh likely to share load in Melbourne Test: Justin Langer
Australia head cricket coach Justin Langer on Monday said all-rounder Mitchell Marsh is "an attractive commodity" for the hosts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)."In a perfectly balanced side, you have got someone who can bowl some overs. And Mitch (Marsh) becomes an attractive commodity on a wicket, unlike Adelaide and Perth," International Cricket Council quoted Langer, as saying."Although it looks like there is some grass on the wicket, there is a bit of moisture in it as we know the history of the pitch," ICC further quoted Langer, as saying.The 27-year-old was left out of the playing XI for the first two Tests as the three-man pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins supported with spinner Nathan Lyon completed the squad.However, as the series progresses, bowlers are tiring and having another pace-attack option in Marsh will help share the load. Lyon has been the best pick so far with 16 wickets, followed by Starc (10), Hazelwood (8) and Cummins ...
Tottenham crush Everton 6-2 to close in on EPL toppers Manchester City
English football giants Tottenham Hotspur cruised to a 6-2 victory away to Everton in an English Premier League (EPL) tie here.
Argentine striker Boselli on Corinthians' radar
Brazilian football giants Corinthians have made a bid to sign Leon and Argentina international striker Mauro Boselli, according to widespread media reports here.
Batsmen definitely need to step up, feels Rahane
With the four-Test series between India and Australia currently locked at 1-1, India Test Vice Captain Ajinkya Rahane on Monday urged his team's batsmen to step up and support the bowling unit in the third Test starting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here on Wednesday.