Page 806 - Sports
Allan Border Medal to be rebranded as Australian Cricket Awards
With the increase in recognition of women's cricket and the popularity of the T20 format, Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) on Thursday announced to rebrand its Allan Border Medal to Australian Cricket Awards from 2019 onwards."We are very proud of the history of cricket's premier awards and have taken the opportunity to change the name to reflect the evolution of the sport that has taken place in the years since the Allan Border Medal and the Belinda Clark Award, were first introduced," cricket.com.au quoted CA CEO Kevin Roberts, as saying."The Australian Cricket Awards will be a wonderful celebration of our sport and an occasion that highlights the achievement, passion, and dedication of our women's and men's players across all formats of the game," Roberts added.While the ACA CEO Alistair Nicholson said: "This event has a rich history and updating the name to the Australian Cricket Awards is a very positive step in recognising the current state
WACA head curator unveils pitch
Ahead of the second Test between India and Australia in Perth, WACA head curator Brett Sipthorpe on Thursday revealed the nature of the pitch.Indian teams of the past have struggled to handle the pace and bounce of Australian pitches. The Virat Kohli-led side is set to experience what may well begin to earn a reputation as the fastest and bounciest wicket in the world. Unveiling the same, Sipthorpe told Cricket Australia that the bright green pitch is expected to provide Test cricket's much-coveted balance between bat and ball."We have just been told make it fast, make it bouncy if you can and run with it. We are just trying to produce the bounciest pitch we can," Sipthorpe said.Following a thorough survey of the players involved, the surface has deemed a success and suitable for Test match cricket. "The feedback we got back from the players was terrific, I don't think I have spent so much time talking to players during a game but we just wanted to garner as much feedback as we could .
Prithvi, Ashwin, Rohit ruled out of Perth Test
Prithvi Shaw, Ravichandran Ashwin and Rohit Sharma have been ruled out from the second Test of the ongoing four-match series against Australia due to injuries.Shaw, who is recovering well from his left ankle injury, is still undergoing treatment. He had struck a fluent 66-runs during the warm-up game against Cricket Australia XI.Ashwin, on the other hand, sustained a left-sided abdominal strain, while the Hitman jarred his lower back when he was fielding in the opening Test at the Adelaide Oval. Both the spinner and the middle-order batsman are receiving treatment and have been ruled out.Rohit had scored 37 and one in the first Test while Ashwin scalped three wickets each in the first and second innings as India clinched a 31-run victory.Following is the 13-member squad: Virat Kohli (C), M Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh YadavIndia, with .
World Tour Finals: Sameer beats Sugiarto to keep knockout hopes alive
India's Sameer Verma dished out a dominating performance to outclass Indonesia's Tommy Sugiarto in straight games to keep his hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage alive at the BWF World Tour Finals here Thursday. World No 14 Sameer, who qualified for the tournament at the last moment after defending his title at the Syed Modi International last month, looked at ease against the 10th ranked Sugiarto, defeating him 21-16 21-7 in a 40-minute Group B clash. The 24-year-old Indian, who had lost the opening match against world no 1 and world champion Kento Momota, will face Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoen next on Friday. He had defeated Wangcharoen en route to his Swiss Open title but lost at the Thailand Open this year. Sameer had come into the tournament with a 1-1 head-to-head record against the Indonesian and he looked comfortable as his sharp game made life difficult for his opponent. The Indian lagged 1-3 and 5-6 initially but he soon wrested the lead with four straight points .
Injuries rule Ashwin, Rohit out of Perth Test
Star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and batsman Rohit Sharma were ruled out of the second cricket Test against Australia, starting at the WACA here on Friday.
Mourinho says 'nothing' surprised him about Valencia defeat
Jose Mourinho said "nothing surprised" him about Manchester United's miserable performance against Valencia on Wednesday but dismissed the potential impact of them finishing second in their group. United were beaten 2-1, a result made all the more disappointing given they could have gone through top of Group H following Juventus' surprise loss to Young Boys. Defeat, however, was nothing more than Mourinho's side deserved, as a line-up that included eight changes and a return for Paul Pogba delivered a sluggish display at Mestalla. "I didn't learn anything at all," Mourinho said. "Nothing surprised me at all." United go through as runners-up into Monday's draw for the last 16, with Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich their potential opponents in the next round. Finishing first would have earned them a tie against one of Atletico Madrid, Roma, Schalke, Ajax and Lyon. "I think to qualify in this group is a success, never a failure. To ..
Manchester United through as runners-up after limp defeat to Valencia
Manchester United squandered the chance to win their Champions League group on Wednesday after a lacklustre display got what it deserved in a 2-1 defeat to Valencia. Already through to the last 16, Jose Mourinho made eight changes at the Mestalla, including a return for Paul Pogba, but United were largely outplayed by their Spanish opponents, who sit 15th in La Liga. After the game, Mourinho seemed to aim a dig at those players to have come in. "Nothing surprised me at all," he said. Carlos Soler's driven shot and a Phil Jones own-goal put Valencia two up early in the second half before United came alive in the final minutes after Marcus Rashford's header gave them brief hope. Perhaps Mourinho and his players had assumed Juventus would win away at Young Boys but the Italians' surprise 2-1 loss meant United had first place within their grasp. Instead, they go through as runners-up into Monday's draw for the last 16, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, ...
Sane double secures Champions League top spot for Man City
Manchester City survived a sloppy start to secure top spot in Champions League Group F by coming from behind to beat Hoffenheim 2-1 thanks to Leroy Sane's double on Wednesday. Andrej Kramaric's penalty put the Germans deservedly in front on 16 minutes as another much-changed City side struggled to get up to speed. However, Pep Guardiola's men found their feet as the first half wore on and were level just before the break courtesy of a brilliant Sane free-kick. Guardiola was frustrated by his side's wastefulness in front of goal in the second period, but Sane did at least secure victory by converting Raheem Sterling's pass on the hour mark. City made life difficult for themselves with a flat performance in losing at home to Lyon in their opening group game and were similarly caught cold having already secured their place in the last 16. Kramaric had fired a warning shot inches over before Ederson in the City goal showed he wasn't to be outdone by Brazilian international team-mate ...
Hoarau brace beats Juve but Italians take top spot ahead of Man United
Guillaume Hoarau scored in either half as Young Boys inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Juventus in their final Champions League group game on Wednesday in Switzerland, but the Italians still took top spot in Group H after Manchester United lost by the same scoreline to Valencia. The Swiss champions proved too hot to handle for the Cristiano Ronaldo-led Italians whose 26-match unbeaten away run going back to November 2017 ended in freezing temperatures in Bern. France forward Hoarau slotted in the first after half an hour from the spot at the Stade de Suisse, blasting in the second after 68 minutes to lift the spirits of his already-eliminated side who finished bottom of the group. Paulo Dybala -- who scored a hat-trick in Juve's 3-0 home win in Turin -- came off the bench just after the second goal and pulled one back for Massimiliano Allegri's side ten minutes from time and had a second disallowed in injury time. Juventus finish top of Group H on 12 points with United on ten, Valencia on ...
Bayern tops Group E Bayern and Ajax thrill with 3-3 draw
Nicolas Tagliafico scored a stoppage-time equalizer as Ajax salvaged a thrilling 3-3 draw against Bayern Munich that saw the German side top Champions League Group E. In a game that featured four goals after the 82nd minute, two red cards and two penalties, substitute Kingsley Coman looked to have grabbed a winner for Bayern in the 90th before defender Tagliafico tapped in the equalizer five minutes into stoppage time. Robert Lewandowski scored twice for Bayern, including an equalizer for 2-2 in the 87th. "It was a great match, I want to congratulate both teams for reaching the next round," Bayern coach Niko Kovac said. The two teams were already assured of progressing to the round of 16 before the match at Johan Cruyff Arena and Bayern needed only a draw to ensure top spot in the group, while Ajax needed to win. With group victory at stake, the two teams put on a memorable show. "This is why fans come to the stadium, why football is such a great sport on television," Ajax cocach Erik
CSKA Moscow stuns Real Madrid 3-0 at Bernabeu
CSKA Moscow handed Real Madrid its worst ever European home loss and got nothing in reward. CSKA beat Madrid 3-0 on Wednesday for its second straight win over the defending Champions League holders, but it still finished in last place in their group and missed out on a Europa League spot. The Russian team finished behind Viktoria Plzen, which defeated Roma 2-1. CSKA need to better Plzen's result in the Czech Republic to finish third, with both teams already out of contention for the Champions League knockout stage. "It's sad to say the least to beat Real Madrid, earn seven points, but finish bottom and get eliminated from Europe," CSKA coach Viktor Goncharenko said. "But we only have ourselves to blame. In any case, we've made sure we'll spend the holidays in a great mood after tonight's win." CSKA finished with the same seven points as Viktoria Plzen but lost on the head-to-head tiebreaker. Madrid finished with 12 points, three more than Roma. FC Copenhagen was the last team to ...
Technical Directors should be catalyst of change: FIFA RDM
FIFA Regional Development Manager for South Asia, Prince Rufus on Wednesday said that Technical Directors should work as a catalyst of change in their respective countries for the development of football operations."I'm sure the Technical Directors workshop will help all participants go back enriched to their respective member associations and be a catalyst of change in their countries," said Prince Rufus during a FIFA Workshop for the Technical Directors here.Football is an ever-changing game and with as many as 211 countries being under FIFA's banner, the confluence of cultures has brought about different practices to the 'beautiful game.'Representatives from as many as five Asian member associations - Syria, Sri Lanka, Oman, Iran, and hosts India -- are currently participating in the FIFA Workshop for the Technical Directors in Mumbai.Former National Team player Savio Medeira, presently the Technical Director of the AIFF, opined that the role presents a whole set of new challenges,
PKL: Bengaluru outclass Titans 37-24
In the southern derby, Bengaluru Bulls defeated hosts Telugu Titans 37-24 in a Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Clash here on Wednesday.
Hockey WC: Coach Harendra Singh confident of India's victory despite Dutch history
Indian men's hockey team coach Harendra Singh is confident of his side's victory in their upcoming Hockey World Cup quarter-final clash against world number four side, the Netherlands. He said the players are prepared, both mentally and physically, to take up any challenge thrown by the Dutch team at them.India have never defeated the Netherlands in the history of the Hockey World Cup but the coach refused to ponder about the same and asserted that he is "History is only to read and not to understand.""Indian team is mentally and physically ready to take every challenge thrown at them by the Netherlands. We will not accept the challenge but solve it," Harendra said. "I am interested in reading the history not understanding it," he added.Reflecting on their preparations ahead of the quarter-final match, Harendra said that they are not looking to try something different in the game but some minor adjustments. He asked his players to keep three things in mind-- goals, shots on goal, or ..
Hockey WC: Germany's Julius Meyer replaces injured Benedikt Furk
German hockey player Benedict Furk has pulled out of ongoing men's Hockey World Cup due to an injury. He will be replaced by Julius Meyer in the team.The German had sought the approval from FIH. The request was assessed and evaluated before being approved.Germany, who finished on top of the Pool D, have made it to the quarter-final of the ongoing tournament after defeating Malaysia 5-3 in their last Pool match of the tournament. They will take on Belgium in their quarters clash to seal a spot in the last four of the competition.Two teams, England and Australia, have already made their way into the semi-final of the tournament after defeating Argentina and France, respectively, in their last eight clashes.
Australia thrash France 3-0, cruise into Hockey WC semi-final
In a one-sided encounter, world number one side Australia thumped France 3-0 to breeze into the semi-final of the ongoing men's Hockey World Cup here at the Kalinga Stadium on Wednesday.Australia, who had finished on top of the Pool B, were hoping to maintain their consecutive spree of making it to the Hockey World Cup semi-final and they achieved the same with ease, in the end. With England stunning Rio Olympics champion Argentina in their quarter-final match, it was not an unusual thing to expect something similar from world number 20 France. Australia, however, did not give their opponents any chance to create an upset.The defending champions took a lead in the fourth minute of the match when Jeremy Hayward scored a goal off a penalty corner. He beautifully dribbled the ball and deceived a couple of French players to hit the bull's eye.France showed enough intent in the game with repeated attacks but an equalizer remained out of their reach. They sustained another jolt when ...
Australia storm into hockey World Cup semis
Australia thrashed France 3-0 to enter the semi-finals of the ongoing Hockey World Cup 2018 at the Kalinga Stadium here on Wednesday.
FIFA bans Afghan football chief pending sex abuse probe
FIFA on Wednesday suspended the president of the Afghanistan Football Federation Keramuddin Karim for 90 days pending an investigation into allegations of sexual and physical abuse against the national women's team. FIFA's independent ethics committee said in a statement that the provisional ban "may be extended pending proceedings on the merits of the case." Karim is barred from all football-related activities at both the national and international level, the statement said. Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani has ordered an investigation into claims of abuse by male officials against members of the women's team, which were first reported in Britain's Guardian newspaper. The Guardian cited what it described as senior figures associated with the women's team who said the abuse had taken place in Afghanistan, including at the AFF headquarters, and at a training camp in Jordan last February. The story quoted former captain Khalida Popal -- who fled the country after receiving death ...
Technical Director needs to be a catalyst of change: FIFA RDM Rufus
FIFA Regional Development Manager for South Asia, Prince Rufus on Wednesday said it is important for Technical Directors to be a catalyst of change in the development of football operations in their respective countries. Football is an ever-changing game and with as many as 211 countries being under FIFA's banner, the confluence of cultures has brought about different practices to the 'beautiful game.' Technical Director is an official who is responsible for putting in place the framework for the improvement of both coaches and players in the country and FIFA is looking to help these officials improve through an exchange of ideas from different countries. "I'm sure the Technical Directors workshop will help all participants go back enriched to their respective member associations and be a catalyst of change in their countries," said Prince Rufus during a FIFA Workshop for the Technical Directors here. Representatives from as many as five Asian member associations Syria, Sri Lanka, ...
ISL: Cahill, Choudhary fire Jamshedpur back into top 4
Jamshedpur FC got their chase for the Indian Super League (ISL) play-offs back on track with an excellent 2-1 comeback win against Delhi Dynamos at the Tata Sports Complex here on Wednesday.