Page 856 - Sports

Gujarat Fortunegiants record easy win over Puneri Paltan

Gujarat Fortunegiants showed why they are the team to beat as they registered a comfortable 35-20 win over Puneri Paltan in the Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 6 here Thursday. Sachin (7 points) and Prapanjan (5 points) combined to scored 12 raid points while Gujarat's defence scored 14 tackle points and contained Pune's raiders. Puneri Paltan's raiders had a quiet match and that was the biggest reason of their downfall. Sandeep Narwal got a high five for Puneri Paltan. Gujarat Fortunegiants were top of the table in Zone A with 63 points from 15 matches while Puneri Paltan were third with 47 points from 18 matches. Puneri Paltan got off to a quick start as they scored a raid and tackle point to lead 2-0. Gujarat Fortunegiants levelled the match at 2-2 in the second minute. After five minutes of play both teams were neck and neck and it was 5-5. Gujarat's strong defensive unit came to the fore once again as they scored a couple of tackle points to open a four-point lead. Things got worse for ..

Chennaiyin FC, Kerala Blasters play out goalless draw

Defending champions Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters played out an entertaining goalless draw in an Indian Super League game at the Nehru stadium here on Thursday. The result saw the visiting side increase its tally to eight points while Chennayin moved to five points from nine matches. Also, CFC moved to eighth spot on the points table ahead of FC Pune City on the basis of goal difference. It was a match of missed opportunities as both the teams couldn't make the most of the opportunities they had. Like in the first half, Chennaiyin applied pressure on the Kerala backline but without any luck. They had some good chances but nobody could convert it, despite having a virtual empty goal. Kerala managed to hang on and with the introduction of Sandesh Jhingan and Seiminlen Doungel, they had a few superb chances of their own to score, but couldn't find the back of the net. Sahal Abdul Samad latched on to a pass from Keziron Kizito in the 55th minute and slammed a left-footer but debutant .

Hockey WC: New Zealand cruises past France 2-1

2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalists New Zealand made a winning start to their campaign at the ongoing 14th edition of the Men's Hockey World Cup after defeating France 2-1 in the second match of the Pool A here at the Kalinga Stadium on Thursday.The match started on a steady note with both teams moving around with the ball. The first attack of the match was made by New Zealand's Stephen Jenness who tried to hit a reverse shot from the close range but French goalkeeper Arthur Thieffry blocked the attempt.Playing contrary to what their ranking on the world list indicates, France did a good job in the first quarter to restrict New Zealand. They, however, could not hold them longer. In the 17th minute of the match, New Zealand defender Kane Russell scored the first goal for his team.France made continuous attempts to score an equalizer but the lack of accuracy and pace did not let that happen. At the halftime, New Zealand were leading the match 1-0.The trailing side did a good work ..

PKL: Gujarat Fortunegiants outclass Puneri Paltan 45-20

Gujarat Fortunegiants came up with a power packed performance to defeat local favourites Puneri Paltan 45-20 in a Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) clash here on Thursday.

Malik, Kshitij Kaul off to fine starts in Queens Cup

India's Amardeep Malik got off to a flying start at the Queen's Cup hosted by Jaidee Foundation Thursday. Malik, who has been playing on and off on the Asian tour, had six birdies, including three in a row from 14th to 16th against two bogeys for a four-under 66 that placed him tied sixth. While Malik was the best placed Indian, India's latest pro, Kshitij Naveed Kaul, playing only his second event as a pro he was tied sixth in his maiden appearance in India shot two-under 70 with five birdies and three bogeys, all of which came on the back nine of the course. The teenaged Kaul is playing on an invite this week and was tied 21st. Among other Indians, Rashid Khan (68) was also tied 21 as was M Dharma. Abhijit Chadha and Shiv Kapur, with 69 each, were tied 38th. Jeev Milkha Singh (71) was tied 76, while SSP Chawrasia and Honey Baisoya struggled to 72 and was tied 91. American Johannes Veerman produced a magnificent eight-under-par 62 to lead by three shots. He had one eagle and seven .

Surging Gokulam run into red-hot Churchill Brothers

Hosts Gokulam FC will look to win their third successive game when they lock horns with a red-hot Churchill Brothers in an I-League encounter at the EMS Corporation stadium here on Friday. The game promises to be a thrilling encounter between the current number two and number three sides of the I-League in front of a packed stadium in the football-crazy city. The Goans have maintained an unbeaten record in their five games so far, one of only two sides to do so, and have scored seven goals in their last two victories against quality oppositions. Their efforts have taken them to second on the points table with nine points. Romanian coach Petra Gigiu will be particularly pleased with the form of his leading marksman Willis Plaza, who has struck five of those seven goals. Churchill also have a compact defence which has conceded just four goals and have maintained three clean sheets. Besides experienced Indian players like Israil Gurung on the right wing, the Red Machines seem to have ...

Gurinder puts Meghalaya on top, Uttarakhand eye fourth win on trot

Gurinder Singh put up an all-round show as Meghalaya had Manipur on the mat in their Ranji Trophy Plate Group fixture at the Jadavpur University Saltlake Campus ground here Thursday. Gurinder first excelled with the bat with a fine 55, as three other Meghalaya batsmen -- opener Raj Biswa (87) and Puneet Bisht (92) -- struck half centuries to give their side a first innings lead, notching 326. Left-arm spinner Gurinder then returned with an impressive 5/21 to restrict Manipur to 125/8 at close on day two for a slender 10-run lead. Skipper Yashpal Singh waged a lone battle with an unbeaten 69 in Manipur's second innings. Riding on Kartik Joshi's maiden first-class double century, Plate group leaders Uttarakhand remained on course for a fourth successive win in their match against 'home' team Arunachal Pradesh at the DN Singha Stadium in Goalpara in Assam. After bundling out Arunachal Pradesh for a paltry 105 on day one, Uttarakhand had the home side at 98/2 at close of play on day ...

Olympic champions Argentina, NZ score hard-fought wins

Agustin Mazzilli and Gonzalo Peillat scored a brace each to help Olympic champions Argentina eke out a 4-3 win over Spain, while New Zealand scrapped past France 2-1 in their opening matches of hockey World Cup here Thursday. Six places may separate the two teams in the FIH rankings but world number eight Spain gave Argentina, ranked second, a run for their money in the high-scoring Pool A match that produced end-to-end hockey. The Los Leones had to dish out every trick from their arsenal to get the better of a fighting Spanish side, which matched their rivals in every department throughout. Mazzilli (4th, 15th minutes) and Peillat (15th, 49th) were the goal scorers for Argentina, while Spain's goals came from the sticks of Enrique Gonzalez (3rd), Josep Romeu (14th) and Vicenc Ruiz (35th). In the day's second Pool A match, New Zealand scored two field goals through Kane Russell (16th) and Stephen Jenness (56th) to get the better of France. France's lone goal came a minute away from ...

Bangladesh to send cricketers to Pakistan after safety assurances

Bangladesh will send a cricket squad to Pakistan for the first time in three years, officials said Thursday after receiving assurances from their counterparts about security. Pakistan and Sri Lanka are co-hosting an Asian Cricket Council tournament next month, with Bangladesh playing all their group matches in Karachi. Most cricket nations have steered clear of Pakistan since gunmen attacked Sri Lanka's team bus in 2009, killing several people. But international cricket is slowly returning, with Zimbabwe and the West Indies among countries to visit Pakistan in recent years. The Bangladesh squad being sent for the Emerging Teams Asia Cup starting December 6 is the first since 2015 to visit Pakistan. "We agreed to the tour following assurance of adequate security by the Pakistan Cricket Board," said Bangladesh Cricket Board boss Nizamuddin Chowdhury. The board would also sent a security detail with the squad, he added. Bangladesh are in Group B alongside hosts Pakistan, Hong Kong and ..

Punjab inch towards innings victory as Delhi batting collapses again

Delhi suffered another batting collapse to brighten Punjab's prospects of recording an outright victory in their Ranji Trophy Group B match here Thursday. At stumps on the second day, Delhi were 106 for six in reply to Punjab's first innings score of 282. The hosts trailed by 69 runs as they were bowled out for a paltry 107 in their first innings. The opening pair of Gautam Gambhir and Hiten Dalal provided Delhi with a solid start, adding 72 runs before the latter was trapped leg before by left-arm spinner Vinay Choudhary. Two balls later Choudhary claimed the wicket of vice-captain Dhruv Shorey, who was dismissed for a duck. Seamer Siddarth Kaul, who had a six-wicket haul in the first innings, claimed the wicket of skipper Nitish Rana before Himmat Singh and veteran Gautam Gambhir were dismissed in an over, leaving Delhi struggling at 99 for four. Earlier, Punjab captain Mandeep Singh picked up from where he had left on Wednesday, scoring 90 runs with the help of eight ...

2018 was tough year due to packed schedule: Saina

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal said Thursday that 2018 was a tough year for Indian badminton as players hardly got any breaks to recover between the tournaments. "It is definitely a tough year. Throughout there were so many big tournaments and we did not even have time to rest and think about the next event,"Saina said, speaking here. "We had the Commonwealth Games, then in five-ten days, we had Asian Championships, then within one-two months, we had Asian Games and the World Championships and of course our Super Series events. "That way, sometimes it is not easy. At times, one does not feel like playing," she said. Saina was speaking after being appointed as brand ambassador by Rasna for its new range of products 'Rasna Native Haat'. "But you need to fight it out, wondering what the people and coach will say. The stress is so much that no matter how much a player tries to reach semis or quarters, at times the fatigue level makes you low," she added. "I am very proud of the ..

Hockey WC 2018: New Zealand defeat France 2-1

New Zealand pipped France 2-1 in its opening game of the Hockey World Cup 2018 at the Kalinga stadium here on Thursday.

Kohli slammed for wearing shorts at toss for warm-up

Indian captain Virat Kohli was Thursday slammed by cricket fans for wearing shorts at the toss for the warm-up game against Cricket Australia XI ahead of the four-Test series here. The four-day game, which started after the first day was washed out due to rain, though has not been accorded a first-class status. A photograph of Kohli in shorts attending the toss with CA XI captain Sam Whiteman was posted on BCCI's Twitter handle. Fans soon took to the social networking site and criticised Kohli, calling it a "disrespectful act". One of them pointed out how Indian batting great Sunil Gavaskar had slammed Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman for not wearing his cap properly at Asia Cup earlier this year. Cricket is also called the 'gentleman's game'. "This @imVkohli bad attitude is showing no any respect for game and their legacy why @bcci @icc @accessonline n other cricket members think about this. Where is #sunilgavaskar who taunted in #Aisacup to Pakistani player for their cap??? What ...

BFC look to maintain lead, Pune City still searching for right balance

Bolstered by the return of Dimas Delgado, Bengaluru FC's will look to maintain their stranglehold at the top, while Pune FC look to continue their search for the right balance in the Indian Super League Friday. The suspended Delgado is set to return and form a deadly combination with a fully-fit Erik Paartalu and skipper Sunil Chhetri in the first of their reverse fixture against FC Pune. When FC Pune City walk out on to the Sree Kanteerava stadium, it will be a homecoming of sorts for the Stallions' interim head coach Pradyum Reddy. Having been an integral part of the coaching staff when Bengaluru FC was established back in 2013, Reddy was instrumental in putting together a competitive Indian contingent. The team would go on to enjoy success in the three years he spent there before joining Pune City as an assistant coach back in 2017. Despite the familiarity and popularity he enjoys in Bengaluru, Reddy will have his task cut out as he aims to stop Carles Cuadrat's team who are still

Haryana beat Manipur to win junior football national c'ship

After a gruelling contest, it was Haryana who came through as the champions of the 2018-19 BC Roy Junior National Championships (Tier II), beating Manipur by a slender 1-0 margin in the final at Railways Ground, Rajkot on Wednesday.Despite being one of the lesser fancied team in the tournament in comparison to the likes of Manipur, Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu, the side from the northern region came through due to their sheer grit and determination. So much so, that they did not even concede a single goal in the entire tournament.Expressing his views on the victory, Haryana coach Anil Kumar stated the players showed a great discipline and stuck to the plan in all the matches."My boys defended their hearts out in the tournament. We had some tough matches against the likes of Maharashtra in the group stage, Tamil Nadu in the semi-final and then Manipur in the final," Kumar said."But the lads showed great discipline and stuck to the plan in all these matches, especially the ones mentioned ..

I-League: Surging Gokulam Kerala run into Churchill Brothers

After a sluggish start, surging Gokulam Kerala FC will lock horns with Churchill Brothers in the ongoing 12th edition of the I-League here at the EMS Corporation stadium on Friday.The Goan visitors have maintained an unbeaten record in their five games so far and have plundered seven goals in their last two victories against quality opposition. Their efforts have taken them to second on the points table with nine points.Romanian coach Petra Gigiu will be particularly pleased with the form of his leading marksman Willis Plaza, who has struck five of those seven goals. Churchill also have a compact defence which has conceded just four and maintained three clean sheets.Besides experienced Indian players like Israil Gurung on the right wing, the Red Machines seem to have discovered a new lease of life in their game. Gambian Dawda Cessay has really acted like the able leader of the pack with regular effective and telling contributions.Coach Gigiu while being cautiously optimistic also ...

Real Madrid gears up for La Liga home clash vs Valencia

Real Madrid held a training session on Thursday, preparing for its upcoming La Liga match against Valencia.

TN bowls out Bengal for 189, takes first innings lead

Tamil Nadu gained the upperhand, securing a 74-run first innings lead against Bengal on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'B' match at the M A Chidambaram stadim here Thursday. After ending their first innings at 263 all out, built on Baba Aparajith's superb knock of 103, Tamil Nadu struck back with medium pacer M Mohammed (4 for 39) and spinner Rahil Shah (5 for 46) ripping through the visitor's batting line up to bowl it out for 189 in 65.5 overs. At close, the hosts were 12 for 1 at stumps, an overall lead of 86 runs. Earlier, Tamil Nadu resuming at overnight 218 for 7 added 45 runs with Aparajith reaching the well-deserved ton. His 273-ball knock studded with eight fours and a six ended when he holed out to Manoj Tiwari of Pradipto Pramanik's bowling. The eighth wicket partnership between Aparajith and M Mohammed (24, 66 balls) yielded 64 runs and enabled Tamil Nadu push the total past the 250 mark. Aparajith, who came in at No.3, was the ninth batsman

Mumbai reduce Gujarat to 232/8; eye first innings lead

Mumbai bowlers led by left-arm medium pacer Royston Dias raised the team'S chances of taking the crucial first-innings lead as they reduced Gujarat to 232/8 on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match here Thursday. At stumps, Gujarat still trail by 65 runs and all their hopes are pinned on wicket-keeper Dhruv Raval (60 not out), who showed resistance despite being devoid of partners at the other end. Mumbai, courtesy all-rounder Shivam Dubey's hundred, had posted 297 in their first essay. Gujarat openers Kathan Patel (28) and skipper Priyank Panchal (31) added 49 for the first wicket. But when the two looked set for a big score, Dias broke the stand as Panchal edged to wicket-keeper Aditya Tare. From then, the Mumbai bowlers did not look back and kept picking wickets at regular intervals on a greenish Wankhede wicket. Dias (3-52) was the most successful bowler and was ably supported by skipper Dhawal Kulkarni (2-50) and Shivam Dubey (2-45), who had a ...

Atletico's Costa trains normally ahead of Girona clash

Atletico Madrid's Spanish forward Diego Costa on Thursday trained normally with his teammates as he seemed to have fully recovered from the foot discomfort he has been suffering from recently.