Page 838 - Sports
ISL: North East aim to break Bengaluru dominance in top of table clash (Preview)
In-form NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) will look to break Bengaluru FC's dominance and close the gap at the top of the table when the two sides clash in an Indian Super League (ISL) game at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium here on Wednesday.
Real Kashmir FC face former champions Aizawl at home
Buoyed by their maiden victory at home in their previous match, I-League debutants Real Kashmir FC would look to build a winning momentum when they take on former champions Aizawl FC here on Wednesday. Both sides would go into the game after wins in their previous encounters, setting the stage for an absorbing clash at the TRC Turf ground. Real Kashmir are currently placed seventh on the points table with seven points from five games while the Mizoram side are languishing at the ninth position with five points from six. However, Aizawl notched up their first win of this season in their last game against East Bengal in an impressive display and will also look to keep the momentum going. For the home side, Wednesday's match will be their fifth on the trot at home. They have won one (2-0 against Indian Arrows in their previous match), lost two and drawn one. They would be looking to notch up a win to jump to the top half of the table. Real Kashmir have proved that they can be dangerous ..
New women's coach: Kapil, Gaekwad may be in interview panel if CAC refuses
The legendary Kapil Dev could be part of the panel to finalise India's new women's cricket coach as there is a possibility that the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) may not be able to conduct the process for various reasons. The position of women's coach has been left vacant after a bitter end to Ramesh Powar's interim tenure on November 30 and the deadline for potential candidates to file applications ends on December 15. As per norms, the CAC is mandated to conduct interviews for the job but the committee, comprising the legendary trio of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly, may not be part of the process owing to prior commitments. "Sachin (Tendulkar), (VVS) Laxman and Sourav (Ganguly) will be asked first and once they give it in writing that they are interested, they will decide on a new coach," a BCCI source privy to development, told PTI on condition of anonymity. However, there is speculation that the CAC may refuse like it did during the choice of junior ...
Paris police force postponement of PSG game
Paris Saint-Germain's home Ligue 1 game against Montpellier on Saturday has been postponed after a request from police in the French capital, the club said on Tuesday. The match was due to be played at 4:00 pm (1500 GMT) at the Parc des Princes. No reason was given for the postponement but it is likely to be down to security concerns. Paris has been the scene of protests for three weekends running from "yellow vest" demonstrators unhappy at planned fuel tax rises. Demonstrations turned particularly violent last Saturday, with 412 people arrested after the worst clashes in central Paris for decades. However, the French government backed down on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Edouard Philippe saying the planned increases in the price of fuel would be suspended for six months. PSG are 14 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after seeing their perfect record this season ended in a 2-2 draw at Bordeaux on Sunday. They play Strasbourg away on Wednesday, but the postponement of Saturday's game ..
River Plate confirm flight to Madrid for Libertadores final
The River Plate team will leave for Spain on Wednesday to play the second leg of the highly controversial Libertadores Cup final, the club announced on Monday. In a statement to the South American football federation CONMEBOL, the Argentinian club said the team would leave for Spain "Wednesday at 1400 local time (1700 GMT) in a charter flight from Ezeiza airport". River Plate had earlier said it was opposed to moving Sunday's match against fierce local rivals Boca Juniors from Buenos Aires to the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. Coach Marcelo Gallardo had called it "absurd", adding that his side had lost home advantage. River should have hosted the match at their own El Monumental stadium on November 24 but it was postponed after River Plate fans attacked the Boca Juniors team bus. Several Boca Juniors players including Pablo Perez needed hospital treatment for injuries caused by shards of glass and others complained about the effects of inhaling teargas in the attack. Boca then refused ..
WADA experts to return to Moscow next week
A team of World Anti-Doping Agency experts will return to Moscow next week to conduct an audit of the Russian anti-doping agency, Russian sports officials said Tuesday. WADA has made access to the agency's lab a condition of the continued reinstatement of RUSADA following major doping scandals. Last week, WADA was given access to the Moscow drug-testing laboratory for the first time. The visit was to prepare access to data and control samples from 2011 to 2015, the period when investigations found institutional doping. "Our aim is to pass the audit successfully, we are preparing for that," RUSADA's vice president Margarita Pakhnotskaya said in comments carried by Russian media. "WADA will come (to Russia) on December 10 and RUSADA's audit will be on December 11 and 12," she said. RUSADA's president Yuri Ganus told the Interfax news agency that the audit will be "a separate procedure" to the earlier Moscow lab visit. WADA suspended RUSADA in November 2015 after investigations, ...
Azhar and Sohail rebuild after Boult strikes Pakistan
Azhar Ali and Haris Sohail shared an unbroken partnership of 64 for the third wicket as Pakistan recovered from the early loss of both openers to reach 81-2 at tea on the second day of the third and final Test in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Pakistan still trail New Zealand's first innings total of 274 by 193 runs with eight wickets intact. This is the deciding in a fascinating series which currently stands 1-1. Azhar, who is unbeaten on 34 from 91 balls, and Sohail (30 from 81) came together in the sixth over of the innings after a double strike from New Zealand's pace spearhead Trent Boult had reduced Pakistan to 17-2. Boult had out-of-form Mohammad Hafeez caught low down at second slip by Tim Southee for a fourth-ball duck in his first over right before the lunch interval. In the fourth full over after the break, Imam took his eye off a Trent bouncer and was hit on the back of the helmet. Next ball, he edged to Southee at third slip and was on his way for just nine. It was Watling, with ..
Athletic Bilbao sacks coach after winless streak
Spanish La Liga side Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday sacked its head coach Eduardo Berizzo in the light of the club's woeful track record in the season so far.
St. Pius wins FC Bayern Youth Cup's Mumbai leg
St. Pius Mulund defeated Ryan International School, Nerul 2-0 in the Mumbai leg final of sixth edition of adidas FC Bayern Youth Cup here on Tuesday.
NEUFC face Bengaluru in top of the table clash
NorthEast United FC will face their toughest test of this Indian Super League season when they take on Bengaluru FC in the top-of-table clash here on Wednesday. Bengaluru FC have been the best side in the league so far. They have remained unbeaten in eight matches, wining seven of them, including six on the trot to occupy the top spot in the points table. But they will still be on their guard as they are challenged by the next best side, NorthEast United FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium. NorthEast United coach Eelco Schattorie will be doubly motivated to end Bengaluru's unbeaten run. The home side have not exactly been in red-hot form this season, particularly at home. They have registered a single win in their four matches on home soil but Schattorie will hope they can get a positive result as they attempt to break the 20-point mark at the start of the second leg. It will not be easy for the team, particularly with matches coming in thick and fast. "I think Bengaluru have an
DJ Martin Solveig apologises for Ballon d'Or twerk question
French DJ Martin Solveig apologised on Tuesday for asking the first female winner of the Ballon d'Or award Ada Hegerberg if she knew how to twerk as she collected the prestigious football accolade.
India to send biggest Ball Kids' contingent for Australian Open 2019
Ten kids from different parts of the country, including four girls, have been selected to represent India as the Official Kia Ball Kids for the Australian Open 2019, it was announced on Tuesday.
Mitchell Marsh assures pace relief in Adelaide
One of two vice-captains of the Australian Test squad, Mitchell Marsh on Tuesday has asked for the "graveyard shift" with the ball as the home team aims to nurse their precious pace assets.Banking on his ability with the ball, the 27-year-old told Cricket Australia: "My goal this summer is to start really chipping in with the ball and get some more wickets for the team. I love coming on in the graveyard shift after 70 or 80 overs when the ball's doing nothing and trying to sneak a wicket. I really want to take my bowling to the next level in this team."However, in Australia, the all-rounder is anything but a certainty in the playing XI. In his most recent assignment in the longest-format against Pakistan, Marsh scored 30 runs in four innings and scalped only two wickets in a total of 30-overs in two Tests."After the UAE, there's no doubt that there were a few question marks about me," Marsh acknowledged. "But I'm really pumped if I'm selected to get out there in front of Australian ...
NBA Global Academy's Princepal Singh selected in Indian team
The NBA Global Academy's Princepal Singh has been selected to play in the Indian men's team for the Super Kung Sheung Cup International Basketball Invitation Championship in Hong Kong from December 11 to 16. The 17-year old, based at The NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, was previously a prospect at The NBA Academy India. Princepal has been a part of multiple camps organised by the NBA, including Basketball Without Borders Global Camp during NBA All-Star 2018. "The 6'10'' player from Punjab is one of the most exciting prospects from India, following an impressive run during U16 FIBA Asian Championships in April where he averaged 22.7 points per game and 13 rebounds per game," a press release from NBA India stated. Princepal is among 12 promising players at the NBA Global Academy, a training center at Basketball Australia's (BA) Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra. "I had a great experience at The NBA Academy India and I'm excited for ...
Never had this kind of depth in Indian tennis: Mahesh Bhupathi
Davis Cup non-playing captain Mahesh Bhupathi on Tuesday said Indian tennis has an unprecedented depth in its talent pool and it's headed in the right direction. "The depth we have today we have never had. Prajnesh, Yuki, Ram and many more right behind them are doing well. India hasn't had this kind of talent pool before in the men's team," Bhupathi said at a KIA Motors event where 10 young tennis fans of the country were selected as ball kids for the Australian Open in January. For the first time India has three men in the top-150 in the world rankings. Prajnesh Gunneswaran is the highest ranked Indian just outside the top-100 at 104, followed by Ramkumar Ramanathan at 133 and Yuki Bhambri at 137. "In the women's team, Harman and Ankita have made a nice run in towards the last part of the season. The results are very positive," Bhupathi added. Ankita Raina, ranked 213 in the world, and world number 218 Karman Thandi won two back-to-back titles recently. They first clinched their ...
Modric, from Croatian war child to Ballon d'Or winner
Luka Modric's journey from Croatian war child to the world's best footballer was celebrated when the Real Madrid midfielder hoisted the Ballon d'Or. A national hero in his home country and crowned the best player on the planet, Modric was rewarded for his key role in Croatia's historic run to the World Cup final and his club Real Madrid's third straight Champions League trophy. "It's a unique feeling. I'm happy, proud and honoured," said Modric, who also won the FIFA Player of the Year award in September. The star-studded Paris ceremony could hardly be further removed from Modric's early years as a child refugee, fleeing the burned-out shell of a remote Croatian cottage where he spent part of his childhood. Hidden in the folds of Velebit mountain, with the nearest neighbours several kilometres away, trees now grow inside the roofless ruin and a sign warns of "Mines - Keep out!" The player's grandfather, also named Luka, lived in the house, lying on a mountain road winding through the .
I constantly go back to knocks played with Smith, it's important for me: Marsh
Going back to knocks played alongside the banned Steve Smith is a source of positivity for Australian vice-captain Mitchell Marsh, who hopes to partner the former skipper a few more times once his suspension ends. Speaking ahead of the Test series against India which gets underway on Thursday here, Marsh reminisced about his partnerships with Smith in the past, the most notable being his maiden Test century with the then captain at the other end. Smith scored a double ton in that game against England in Perth last year. "I constantly go back to that and watch my innings," the all-rounder said. "I think it's important for me to go back to that, I feel like I was batting really well last summer, I feel like I'm batting really well at the moment," he added. Speaking of his equation with Smith, who is serving a one-year ban for the ball-tampering scandal that forced a review of the Australian cricket team's overall conduct, Marsh called him one of his "best mates". The ban on Smith comes .
Hegerberg says 'twerk' request doesn't overshadow historic Ballon d'Or
Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg said the introduction of a women's Ballon d'Or was a "big step forward" for the game, playing down suggestions her historic victory was overshadowed after being asked to perform a "twerk" live on stage. The Lyon star -- whose prolific form in front of goal helped the French club secure a third successive Champions League victory -- edged out Danish forward Pernille Harder to claim the inaugural prize at a ceremony in Paris on Monday. But the 23-year-old was asked if she would perform a sexually provocative dance by French host DJ, Martin Solveig, and appeared embarrassed as she rejected the request. Hegerberg later said: "He came to see me after and apologised. The Ballon d'Or is the most important thing." "I am touched and very proud, for women's football, for myself, for the club. I share this with Olympique Lyonnais, my teammates, the staff," she beamed after joining men's winner Luka Modric and men's best young player Kylian Mbappe on the stage with
Disciplinary action against Maradona for spat
A disciplinary investigation will be opened against football legend Diego Maradona by Mexico's football federation for his verbal spat against fans during the second leg of the Ascenso MX final between Dorados de Sinaloa and Atletico San Luis.
Afghan leader orders probe of sex abuse on women's football team
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Tuesday called for an investigation into claims of sexual abuse against the national women's football team, calling the allegations "shocking" and vowing to act immediately. The president's call comes days after the Guardian newspaper broke a story about allegations of sexual and physical abuse of members of the women's team by male officials, including the president of the country's football federation. "It is shocking to all Afghans. Any kind of misconduct against athletes, male and female, is not acceptable," Ghani said after meeting with the country's attorney general. "I ask Mr Attorney General to conduct a thorough investigation compliant with our legal codes into the issue," he added. 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 Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) headquarters, and at a training camp in Jordan last February. The story ...