Page 853 - Sports
Rookie Ridhima wins maiden pro title
Ridhima Dilawari captured her maiden professional title, cruising to a five-shot win in the 17th leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Noida Golf Course on Friday. Ridhima, who turned pro soon after representing India at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, carded a steady even Par 72 to total five-over 221 and win by five shots over Gursimar Badwal. It was only the third start for Ridhima on the domestic Tour. She has also played at the Hero Women's Indian Open on the Ladies European Tour and finished T-20. Interestingly, Ridhima finished second in the 15th Leg, which was her debut event on the local tour. She was also leading in the final round of the 16th leg but faltered and finished Tied-fourth as Tvesa won her fourth title of the year. This time Ridhima had no such hiccups and the title came her way. The 20-year-old took a year off after her second year at Columbia university to represent India at the Asian Games, and then turned pro. She now has a win, a second place and ...
Army Boys School, Sri Ram School Moulsari Campus win in FC Bayern Youth Cup
Sri Ram School Moulsari, Gurgaon and Bengaluru's Army Boys School emerged winners in the first two legs of FC Bayern Youth Cup. It's a joint initiative by adidas and FC Bayern, which kick-started on November 24. The tournament now heads to its third leg in Mumbai, where around 60 more schools will participate on December 1 and 2. In the first week since it started, the league has successfully showcased a lot of talent at the ground root level, witnessed the participation of over 90 schools from across Delhi and Bangalore. The winner of the tournament will get an opportunity to play in Munich. In search of more talent across the country, the tournament will head towards its next leg in Mumbai followed by Kolkata, Chennai, and Srinagar. The competition will conclude with the finals in February 2019 at adidas The Base in New Delhi. FC Bayern Youth Cup India is an under-16, seven-a-side inter-school tournament.
Minerva look to get back to winning ways against Indian Arrows
Defending champions Minerva Punjab, who have been anything but that so far in the season, will hope they get back to winning ways in their I-League match against Indian Arrows here Saturday. Minerva Punjab have won just one game from five outings to be placed a lowly eighth on the table. In head-to-head, the 'Warriors' from Punjab have won both the encounters so far and that should give new coach, Irishman Paul Munster, a sense of ease. The Arrows coach Floyd Pinto, on the other hand, would be aware that his young side have looked the part but would need to deliver results sooner rather than later if they want to finish anywhere near the top of the league table. Munster would be happy with the fact that Ghanaian striker William Opoku, a key player for his side having scored five times for Minerva last season, finally opened his scoring account in the last game against Shillong. He would also be happy with the form of Nigerian midfielder Philip Njoku who has been playing with a lot of .
Cantlay, Reed share lead; host Tiger trails at Hero World Challenge
Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Reed shot a matching seven-under 65 to share the lead after the opening day of the Hero World Challenge golf tournament here. Cantlay, who has never played the Albany course and got an invite for the event barely two weeks ago, produced a flawless card, while Reed, who won the Masters this year, had eight birdies against one bogey late Thursday evening. They were three shots clear of the field as Henrik Stenson, who has been hit by injuries this season, shared the third place with Dustin Johnson, who was dislodged from the World No. 1 spot in October. They carded four-under 68 each. South African born Englishman, Justin Rose, who has made Bahamas his home, comes into this week needing to finish Tied-third or better to regain his World No.1 spot, which is currently in possession of the absent Brooks Koepka. Rose had a superb eagle on par-5 11th, where he smashed his wood from the fairway to two feet off the pin and tapped it in. He double bogeyed the next ...
Bundesliga announces long-term strategic understanding with IMG Reliance
The Bundesliga and IMG Reliance Friday announced an exclusive long-term understanding to develop and promote football and the German league in India. This will see the Bundesliga and its clubs work towards the growth of Indian football through a series of activities throughout the year, in collaboration with multiple Indian stakeholders. The Bundesliga, the top echelon of German football, is the second highest earning football league globally with annual revenues in excess of USD 4.5 billion. Known for its affinity to fans, it also has the highest average stadium attendance worldwide at a staggering 44,000 per game. The League boasts of global brands such as FC Bayern Mnchen and Borussia Dortmund and some of the world's best talent, including marquee names such as Robert Lewandowski, James Rodriguez, Manuel Neuer and Marco Reus, to name a few. The Bundesliga is one of the most respected football leagues in India with fans picking the Bundesliga as their second choice international ...
Four-time winners Pakistan hope for positive start against Germany
Four-time champions Pakistan would look to shrug off years of disappointment and a chaotic build up when they take on higher-ranked Germany in their opening match of the men's hockey World Cup here Saturday. The most successful team in the history of the World Cup with four titles, the last of which came in the early 90's, Pakistan hockey has witnessed a steady decline in the last two-and-a-half decades. Once a formidable force in world hockey, Pakistan have now slumped to 13th position in world rankings, mainly due to lack of exposure and mismanagement and years of apathy by the national federation (PHF). Such is the condition of Pakistan hockey that their participation in the ongoing World Cup was in serious doubts due to lack of funds and it took a last minute intervention from Haier Pakistan to ensure the team's appearance in the tournament. The home appliance company came in as a last-minute sponsor and released nine million Pakistani rupees to cover the team's expenses in the ...
Chennai City juggernaut reaches desperate Mariner's home
Table-toppers Chennai City FC will look to maintain their stranglehold in the I-League here Saturday against Mohun Bagan, smarting from a 3-0 drubbing by Churchill Brothers in their previous outing at home. After having won five of their six games, the Chennai City juggernaut now reaches the home of city giants Mohun Bagan for a clash at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. The visitors are on a dream run while the hosts are on the backfoot after a stunning reverse against Churchill Brothers in the last game. Only two statistical points work in Mohun Bagan's favour going into the game. The fact that they have conceded two fewer goals than Chennai in the campaign so far, albeit with a match in hand, and that they lead the head-to-head 2-1. Besides such trivia, the prospect of facing Chennai's Spanish armada seems daunting even at home. What has stood out for the southerners this year has been that every time they have conceded, which they did in every game, they came back ...
Champions Minerva look to get back to winning ways vs Arrows
It has not been an ideal start to the 12th I-League for defending champions Minerva FC, having won just one game in five to be placed eighth on the table. However, come Saturday they will look to get back to winning ways against the young Indian Arrows side.
AIFF to soon launch pilot project with FIFA
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) will "very soon" launch a school-level project along with the games world governing body FIFA, a top official said Friday. The project, 'schools league', will be launched on a pilot basis, AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said. "When we had the U-17 FIFA World Cup (in India in 2017), we also started a programme called 'Mission XI Million', which was a school contact programme, and we touched about 15,000 schools across the country. "And very soon we (AIFF) are going to do a project with FIFA called 'the schools league', it will, of course be, a pilot project," he said. "We (AIFF) are basing our data on the Mission XI Million project and it should be launched very soon, by March -April," Das said at the Star Sports India Football Forum 2018 organised by SportzPower. Das gave the information when he asked what has the AIFF done to change the football culture in India. The AIFF and the local organising committee for the FIFA U-17 ...
Kohli's advocacy of Test cricket gives hope to England great Gower
Virat Kohli's endorsement of Test cricket has given hope to former England captain David Gower about its future, amid fears that the traditional form is in danger due to the rise of T20s. The popularity of Test cricket has dwindled after the introduction of the shortest format, which led to the mushrooming of multiple leagues, including the cash-rich India Premier League (IPL), which have witnessed cricketers earning handsome salaries. While T20 cricket is always played in front of packed houses, most times sparse crowds await Test cricket, unless the matches are held in England and Australia. Kohli, who is the number one Test batsman in the world, has often expressed his love for Test cricket. For him, the five-day cricket remains the "most beautiful format of the game", despite the hype surrounding the T20 format. Gower believes Kohli's comments after losing the Test series against England 1-4 this year are significant. "We had a fantastic series against India, closer than the ...
Punjab beat Delhi by 10 wickets for season's maiden win
Punjab pummelled Delhi by 10 wickets for their maiden win of the season here Friday while handing the hosts their first Ranji Trophy loss at home in five years. With Punjab controlling the game from day one, it was only a matter of time before they scored an outright win, fetching seven points. Delhi, who were gasping at 106 for six in their second innings and trailing Punjab by 69 runs at stumps on day two, ended up with 179 courtesy Pulkit Narang (31) and Pulkit Sood (25). Punjab needed just five runs for a big win and and they knocked it off in 2.1 overs with Jiwanjot Sharma and Abhishek Sharma in the middle. With the emphatic win, Punjab have revived their Ranji campaign after having collected just two points from the previous two games. On the other hand, Delhi's troubles have increased with their first loss of the season. They had conceded the first-innings lead against Hyderabad and could not dismiss Himachal Pradesh in their opener for an outright win. Delhi's batting let them
World Cup winning Springbok Drotske shot in robbery
Former Springbok hooker Naka Drotske was in critical condition in hospital on Friday after being shot during an armed robbery outside the South African capital Pretoria. The 47-year-old, a member of the 1995 World Cup winning squad, was at his brother's property in Kameeldrift when three men broke into the house on Thursday evening, police told local media. "There was a struggle whereby one of the men was shot at," police spokesman Kay Makhubele said. Drotske suffered severe blood loss after being shot three times and was undergoing emergency treatment at the Netcare Montana hospital in Pretoria, reports said. His business partner and fellow former Springbok Os du Randt was also at the scene of the robbery, but was unhurt. "Naka was shot and is currently in critical condition in hospital. We wish him a speedy recovery," South African Rugby said on its Twitter feed. English club London Irish for whom Drotske played for two years tweeted its horror at his predicament. "Our thoughts are
Sacked for fixing, Ejaz Ahmed junior now appointed coach by PCB
Fired four years ago following allegations of match-fixing, Ejaz Ahmed junior has been controversially appointed head coach of the Pakistan squad for the Asian Emerging Nations Cup, to be held in Karachi and Colombo in December. The Pakistan Cricket Board's move raised eyebrows but a PCB official insisted Ahmed was already doing coaching in domestic cricket after an inquiry found nothing against him. The allegations of fixing a domestic T20 match against the former Test player surfaced when Basit Ali, also an ex-Test cricketer, claimed while commentating in a tournament, that Ejaz had told him he had fixed a game while coaching Sialkot. According to Ali, Ejaz had told him that Sialkot lost a game on purpose to oust another team from the knockout stage of the tournament. Soon after Ali made the comments, the board fired Ejaz as regional coach and suspended him. Now, the PCB official said a subsequent inquiry had found no evidence of fixing against Ejaz, who played two Tests and as many
Max Verstappen 'regrets' not having raced against Fernando Alonso
Red Bull's Max Verstappen has expressed regret over not being able to race against retired Formula One driver Fernando Alonso.The 21-year-old said that he grew up watching Alonso taking on the legends of Formula One, but never had the opportunity to race against him."It's a shame that I have never been able to face him. Yes, he was in F1 when I got there, but I was never able to fight with him because he was at the back of the pack because of the problems they (McLaren) had. That is something I may regret," Sport24 quoted Verstappen, as saying."I raced Seb, I raced Lewis and it was a great experience, but I never raced Fernando. And it had always been him who was fighting against the others when I watched the races on TV," he added.In August, Alonso had announced that he would bid adieu to racing at the end of the ongoing season. Considered as one of the greatest Formula One drivers, he won the F1 World Championship titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006.Earlier this week, he raced his .
Junior set up Copa Sudamericana final clash with Atletico Paranaense
Atletico Junior will play in their first international final in the 94-year history of the club after beating Independiente Santa Fe 1-0 in their semi-final second leg match at the Metropolitano Stadium here.
Warm-up game: CA XI trail by two runs against India on Day 3
Cricket Australia (CA) XI scored 356/6, trailing by two runs at the end of the third day of the only warm-up game against India here on Friday.
Bowl in tandem and knock them over: Ashwin's plan for Australia
Partnerships will hold the key not just in batting but bowling as well during India's Test clashes with Australia as the hosts cannot really be blown away in a single burst, visiting off-spinner R Ashwin said Friday. India and Australia begin a four-match Test showdown from December 6 in Adelaide. Ashwin said India got good bowling practice in the ongoing warm-up game ahead of the first Test here. Cricket Australia XI finished day three on 356-6 with Ashwin taking 1-63 from 24 overs and Mohammed Shami picking 3-67 from 18 overs. "You have to stitch together partnerships even when bowling and it's very important to ascertain your role to get what you can out of the game," Ashwin said at the end of day's play. "It's very important to soak together good partnerships as a bowling group then try and knock them over. You won't blow oppositions away, it might happen once in a while - but you have to get your noses ahead and keep it ahead," he said. Ashwin said he expects the wickets to be ...
Sri Lanka recall Thirimanne, Pradeep for New Zealand Tests
Pacer Nuwan Pradeep and left-hand batsman Lahiru Thirimanne on Friday were recalled to the Sri Lanka squad for the two Test series against New Zealand starting in Wellington on December 15. Both Thirimanne and Pradeep are making a comeback to the Sri Lankan Test side after a year. The 29-year-old Thirimanne played his last Test against India in Nagpur while Pradeep played against Pakistan in Dubai. Spinner Akila Dananjaya, who is awaiting the results of a reported suspect action, has been omitted from the squad. The first Test will be played in Wellington from December 15 while the second Test will begin from December 26 at the Hagley oval in Christchurch. Sri Lanka Test Squad: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya De Silva, Angelo Mathews, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilaka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha ...
Hockey India invite Australian great Glenn Turner for women's camp
Two-time World Cup-winning Australian forward Glenn Turner will work with the strikers of the Indian women's hockey team in a special eight-day camp starting Saturday in Bengaluru. The Canberra hockey star, who was part of the World Cup-winning Australian squad in 2010 and 2014, will arrive on Friday night for the national camp. "It is good for our strikers to use the experience of Glenn Turner. As a striker, his positioning in the circle was critical for his team scoring goals and the positioning of strikers is one of the key areas we want to improve on," said Sjoerd Marijne, Chief Coach of women's team. Marijne further emphasized that the camp will also help build leadership among the players. "Glenn is someone who has experienced the pressure of performing top level hockey and he was part of the Australia's leadership group and often worked with younger players in his team," he said. "We will ask him to share his experience as a leader too and I am sure our strikers can benefit ...
Bajrang, Vinesh, Pooja get Grade A contracts; Sushil, Sakshi in Grade B
Star wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat were on Friday included in the top Rs 30-lakh Grade A along with Pooja Dhanda as the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Friday rolled out its revolutionary contracts system for the grapplers. It was expected that Bajrang and Vinesh, who won the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games gold medals this year, will be kept in the top grade. Pooja had become only the fourth Indian woman to win a medal at the World Championship recently. Two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar and Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, who are struggling with form for quite some time, could not make the top Grade. They will figure in the Grade B, which will offer a financial support of Rs 20 lakh for one year. The contracts will be reviewed after one year. WFI is the only Indian Olympic Association-affiliated National Sports Federation to offer contracts to its athletes and only the second after the BCCI. The announcement was made by WFI President Brij ..