Page 771 - Sports
Astha Madan finishes 7th, Diksha Dagar 21st to ensure starts at Ladies European Tour
Lack of hearing was no barrier on the golf course for Diksha Dagar, who finished tied 21st, while Astha Madan was seventh in the final stage of Ladies European Tour Qualifying School, ensuring a fair number of starts next year. Madan, 22, who hails from Gurgaon but graduated from the Sacramento State University, turned pro in July and played on the Indian domestic circuit. She began the week by shooting seven-under 65 to lead after the first round and ended the five-round qualifiers with a round of six-under 66 to finish at 10-under 350 at the Amelkis Golf Club in the Moroccan city. Seventeen-year-old southpaw Dagar, who has a hearing impairment and using hearing aids since she was six, was tied 21st following a final round of five-under 67, her best of the week and finished at three-under 357. Astha would still be ruing her nightmarish nine and quadruple bogey on the 10th hole in the second round, but for which she would have finished fifth and earned a start in more events. She shot
UAE would be strong against India at AFC Asian Cup: Gouramangi Singh
Former Indian skipper Gouramangi Singh on Saturday said the Blue Tigers' match against the hosts UAE will be the toughest in the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2019."I would say UAE would be very strong. Their fans would also come in large numbers. Add to that, the team would be preparing to do well on home soil. I feel that will be our toughest match. In the two remaining group matches against Thailand and Bahrain, I feel we stand with a chance and it would all boil down to the performance on the day," he said."Malaysia got a favourable result against Thailand and Bahrain have been up and down with the national team in recent years so we don't really know what to expect. But at the same time, India achieved an away draw versus China and there is no reason to stay intimidated by them," Gouramangi added.India have been drawn in Group A along with UAE, Thailand and Bahrain. They will play their first match against Thailand on January 6, followed by hosts on January 10 and Bahrain on January ...
Bista cracks ton before Saurashtra bounce back
Mumbai opener Jay Bista rediscovered his form with a splendid century to lay a solid foundation with his partner Vikrant Auti before Saurashtra fought back on day one of their Elite Group Ranji Trophy match on Saturday. Bista slammed 127 off just 150 balls studded with 21 hits to the fence and also put on 174 runs with fellow-opener Auti (57) before the visiting team's bowlers, led by left arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (3 for 89), triggered a collapse post lunch taken with the hosts at a commanding 122 for no loss. The hosts were left reeling at 232 for five before captain Siddesh Lad, with a responsible 84 in 115 balls with 12 fours and a six, and all rounder Shivam Dube (34) stemmed the rot with an unfinished partnership of 102 for the sixth wicket that helped Mumbai end the day at a healthier-looking 334 for five. The morning belonged to Bista who raced to his half century in just 63 balls, striking seven fours off left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya, and also helped
Lazio ends winless skid with 3-1 rout of Cagliari in Serie A
Lazio thrashed visiting Cagliari 3-1 in a Serie A contest held at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, ending a winless skid that lasted five matches in the Italian top league, and seven in all competitions.
Drunk driving awareness campaign surprises fans at Spanish football stadium
A joint campaign by Spanish football team Real Betis and the ride-sharing company Uber aimed at raising awareness about the perils of driving under the influence of alcohol surprised fans at the club's stadium in southern Spain on Saturday by painting crooked midfield lines on the pitch.
Manipur bounce back to take 211-run lead on Day 1
Manipur on Saturday bounced back after being bowled out for 85 to take firm control of their Ranji Trophy Plate Group match against Arunachal Pradesh on a day 23 wickets tumbled here. A seaming track at the Jadavpur University Salt Lake Campus on offer, Manipur crashed to 85 all out after being put in to bat. Deendyal Upadhyay (5/38) was the wrecker-in-chief as the Manipur's innings folded inside the first session. In reply, Arunchal Pradesh were skittled out for 66 inside the second session with Thokchom Singh (5/16) and Bishworjit Konthoujam (4/27) sharing nine wickets between them to hand ther side a slender 19-run lead. Manipur batted sensibly in their second innings, ending the day on 192/3 with an overall 211-run lead. At close, opener Hrithik Kanojia was unbeaten on 79 with KP Singh on 18. Kanojia had a crucial 98-run partnership former Services veteran Yashpal Singh (51) before the skipper was trapped by Techi Doria in the fag end of the day. Earlier, Upadhyay and Licha Tehi ..
Test specialists like Rahane might play for India A against England Lions
India's fourth Test against Australia at Sydney, starting January 3, 2019, will be the team's last assignment for six months and the BCCI is likely to prepare a road map for the longest format specialists. There is a possibility that some of the senior India players may play against England Lions (A team) when they tour India for a full-fledged series in end January-February. Once India finish their Test engagements against Australia, they will next play the five-day format in July, 2019 against the West Indies in a two-Test series as part of the World Test Championship. However, a few like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane might have precious little to do once the Ranji Trophy ends in the last week of January. "The fast bowlers workload management is a different issue but in case of some of the Test specialists, we might play them against England Lions. England Lions are coming for a full series where they will play four day Tests as well as List A and T20 matches," a BCCI source .
: A disciplined bowling effort
: A disciplined bowling effort helped Himachal Pradesh bowl out Tamil Nadu for 227 in 78.4 overs on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'B' match here Saturday. In reply, the host lost the wicket of captain Prashant Chopra (5) to end the day at 25 for 1. Electing to bat after winning the toss, Tamil Nadu was in trouble early, losing both the openers - N Jagadeesan (3) Abhinav Mukund for a duck. While Arpit Guleria struck the first blow for HP, trapping Jagadeesan leg-before wicket, Pankaj Jaiswal had the consistent Mukund caught behind by Ankush Bains. This brought together Baba Aparajith and his twin brother, Indrajith, the captain. The duo was involved in a 62-run partnership as the visitors recovered from the early jolts. Indrajith (30), who has been in good touch and leads the run-scoring chart, was bowled by medium-pacer Raghav Dhawan for 30. Aparajith became Jaiswal's second victim, giving a catch to Amit Kumar for a well-made 53. He played some ...
Odisha emerge champions in football Sub-Junior National C'ship
Odisha emerged champions in the football Sub-Junior National Championship on Saturday as they defeated the hosts Arunachal Pradesh 5-4 on penalties after the match ended in a 0-0 draw.After overcoming heavyweights Mizoram in the semi-finals, the hosts gave a tough fight to Odisha in the final but fell one short in the penalty shootout. With the win, Odisha have completed the tournament without losing a single match.Odisha, which was placed in Group A alongside Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab, and runners-up Arunachal Pradesh, came out with flying colours in the group stage. They beat Tamil Nadu 3-0, Maharashtra 4-2, the hosts Arunachal Pradesh 1-0, and got a 1-1 draw against Punjab.The sequence of results pitted them against the second-placed Jharkhand from Group B in the semi-final.In a derby between the two neighbouring states from the eastern regions of the country, Odisha maintained the upper hand over Jharkhand, registering a convincing 6-2 margin.Meanwhile, the hosts had also ...
Former Brazil midfielder Bastos mulling options for 2019
Former Brazil international midfielder Michel Bastos has said he is considering offers from several local clubs as he prepares to extend his professional career to an 18th season.
I-League: Mohun Bagan aim to sustain winning momentum vs Lajong (Preview)
City football giants Mohun Bagan will look to continue their winning momentum when they take on a young Shillong Lajong side at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Sunday.
Buoyant Mohun Bagan face laggards Shillong Lajong
Mohun Bagan would look to continue their winning run and jump to top half of the points table when they face bottom-placed Shillong Lajong FC in an I-League fixture here Sunday. The Mariners showed amazing resilience to overcome the derby defeat to arch rivals East Bengal, downing defending champions Minerva Punjab in their previous match. The win took them to sixth on the table with 12 points from eight games, while the Shillong outfit are yet to win from five matches. In their last fixture, Lajong suffered a 1-6 humiliation against debutants Real Kashmir in Srinagar as they slipped to bottom of the table with four points from eight matches. The Alison Kharsyntiew-coached Lajong have the league's most profligate defence, having leaked 22 goals. The inexperience of his young home-grown side is probably showing the most. Aibanbha Kupar has been the bulwark of the Lajong back four but the likes of Kharshong, Novin Gurung and Khongsit clearly need to step it up more. "Our defence was not
ISL: ATK add Edu Garcia to squad
Two-time Indian Super League (ISL) champions Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) have strengthened their squad with the addition of Edu Garcia, a statement said on Saturday.
T20 League essential for Pak women cricketers: Javeria Khan
In order to encourage more women to take up cricket in Pakistan, skipper Javeria Khan on Saturday said that a T20 league should be introduced on the same basis as Pakistan Super League (PSL).To improve the quality of women's cricket, the 30-year-old told Express Tribune, "We need a women's league on the same basis as PSL. I raised this issue earlier as well because it helps women's cricketers financially while also gaining exposure by playing with foreign cricketers. This will also encourage young women to take up cricket in Pakistan."Reflecting on her team's defeat at the recent ICC T20 World Cup, Javeria said: "The reason behind our loss was the fact that we are developing youngsters which is why there is lack of consistency in our performances."The top-order batter also brushed aside the notion that only a few are considered when selecting the squad. "It is wrong to say that because cricketers who are selected are all performance based. But I will say that there is a relatively ...
Neroca seek to continue winning streak in match against Minerva
On a roll after three wins on the trot, a confident Neroca FC would start as favourites when they take on defending champions Minerva Punjab in their I-League football clash here on Sunday. After a stuttering start in their I-League campaign, Neroca bounced back into the reckoning with three wins in their last three matches -- two at home and one away -- to occupy the third spot with 14 points from eight matches. A win on Sunday will consolidate Neroca's position at the top three and keep them in the hunt for the title as the I-League nears halfway stage. Minerva, on the other hand, sufferred a loss at home against Mohun Bagan in their previous game and their goal scoring woes still refused to go away. The Punjab side are currently at seventh spot with 12 points from nine games. While Neroca look a rejuvenated side since the return from injury of Japanese talisman Katsumi Yusa, Minerva's Irish coach Paul Munster is yet to find a right combination of his players for the ...
Will give acting a shot: Mister Supranational winner Prathamesh
Prathamesh Maulingkar, who created history by becoming the first Asian/Indian to win Mister Supranational title, says he would love to act but would not enter Bollywood without any preparation. The 27-year-old model defeated 37 contestants from all over the world in the final round to win the coveted title at an event held in Poland. "I would love to act. I don't see myself there (yet) but I will give that one shot towards it. I will only do it once I prepare myself completely. But I would want to get into acting classes, get my Hindi right, because I am from Goa," Prathamesh told PTI. "I transitioned from football to modelling. So from modelling to acting will be another transition. I don't want to do for the sake of it. I want to get perfect at it and then give it a shot. I want to know how Bollywood is and then get into it," he added. Prathamesh said he prepared for the title by watching videos of previous Mister Supranational winners. But his moment of glory happened when his name
Virat is the energy of Indian team: Hogg
Virat Kohli might have come under sharp criticism from various quarters for his on-field aggressive behaviour but former Australia spinner Brad Hogg Saturday defended the India captain, saying the visiting team derives energy from him. "Virat Kohli is the energy of this Indian team. He is their clear leader and they feed off him. You just see him on the field - his athleticism is different and he expects that from the Indian team," Hogg told PTI. "And what he expects from the team, he does as well, so it is not as if he is telling the team what to do without leading from the front. He is actually leading from the front and asking his teammates to follow him," he added. Talking about Kohli's batting, Hogg said: "As a batsman too, Kohli is on a different level to anyone else. Perhaps only Usman Khawaja came close, that too in the second innings where he batted with a lot of composure," said 47-year-old Hogg who played seven Tests between 1996 to 2008. "But even then, they don't have ...
Girona salvage 1-1 draw against Getafe with late goal
Girona scored a goal in the dying minutes of the second half to pull out a 1-1 draw against visiting Getafe in La Liga.
Markkanen helps Bulls beat Magic 90-80
Lauri Markkanen scored 32 points to help the Chicago Bulls beat the Orlando Magic 90-80.
Row affected me and family, but time to focus back on cricket: Mithali
Speaking for the first time after the controversy that rocked women's cricket in the country, India's ODI captain Mithali Raj on Saturday acknowledged that she and her family had gone through "stressful" times in the last few days but now with the New Zealand tour coming up, it is time to get the focus back on cricket.