Page 857 - Sports
China's World Cup team is made up of 18 players from one province
Unusual as it may sound but China, for all its sporting culture, provinces and gargantuan size, had to pick all its 18 hockey World Cup-bound players from one province, the name of which sounds similar to that of its neighbouring country. Very few people know that the country's entire 18-member men's hockey team belongs to just one province -- Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. China is made up of 34 provinces. China's men's hockey team is making its debut at the World Cup here and its best result in the sport till date is a silver medal finish at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. What has caught the attention is that all the 18 players representing China in the ongoing World Cup hails from the Inner Mongolia province. Hockey is not that popular in China. It is mostly common among the Daur people, who have been playing a traditional sport called 'Beikou', a game similar to field hockey, for about 1,000 years. The modern game started in China in the mid 1970s. "Yes, all players from the team ..
I-League: Indian Arrows bank on positives to brush off early season blues
With one win out of four matches in the early stages of the ongoing 12th season of the I-League, Indian Arrows are currently sitting at the bottom of the league table. However, there are a lot of positives for the Arrows to take from their first few matches.Despite losing 0-2 to Real Kashmir FC in the last fixture, they have given an indication of what the team might actually evolve into once those early blues are brushed off. Midfielder Rahul Kannoly Praveen, who with his scintillating runs always keeps the rival defence busy, said that the League is a "huge challenge" for them."It is extremely challenging to play in the I-League. All the participating teams are some of the best teams in the country. Each team has the ability to stun the other. It is a highly unpredictable league and you have to adjust to the tactics of some teams who can switch from a direct style of play to a more possession-based style of play, almost at will," he said.Although the Arrows had won 1-0 against ...
Messi surpasses Ronaldo to be Champions League top goal scorer
Barcelona striker Lionel Messi has overtaken Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal to reclaim the record of being the top goal scorer in the Champion League for one club.Messi's goal against PSV Eindhoven Football club in the 61st minute of their Champions League clash took the striker's total goal figures for Barcelona to 106. Ronaldo, on the other hand, had scored record 105 goals during his time at Real Madrid, goal.com reported.In other champions league match, Paris Saint Germain (PSG) forward Neymar surpassed former Real Madrid midfielder Kaka to become Brazil's highest goal scorer in the European League.In a Champion League match against Liverpool, Neymar scored his 31st goal of the tournament which is one better than the 30 goals scored by Kaka throughout his stays with AC Milan and Real Madrid.PSG will take on Red Star Belgrade Football club in their next Champion League match on December 12.
Merchant blanks Bharadia to clinch snooker title
Yasin Merchant of the Khar Gymkhana won the snookercrown in theBSAM Maharashtra State Senior Snooker & Billiards Selection (leg-2) Championship here Thursday. The experienced campaigner, a former two-time Asian snooker champion,kept it simple and potted steadily to curb the aspirations ofMukund Bharadia of the Cricket Club of India by coasting to a straight frame 4-0 victory. Bharadia was not his usual self and was unable to build on the opportunities to construct the big breaks and that proved to be his undoing. On the other hand, Merchant managed to compile a tidy break of 35 in the first and then made a run of 44 to pocket the fourth and complete a deserving 69-28, 60-47, 70-47 and 64-33 triumph. Sparsh Pherwani and Bharadia, both of CCI, finished as Maharashtra's No 1 and 2 ranked players. They both had an identical combined tally of 12 points each, but the former won the play-off to become the number one ranked snooker player. Pherwani had won the first leg to ..
Hockey WC 2018: Argentina clinch thriller vs Spain
Braces from Gonzalo Peillat and Agustin Mazzilli guided Argentina to a narrow 4-3 win against Spain in their campaign opener of the Hockey World Cup 2018 at the Kalinga stadium here on Thursday.
McLeod, Matt, Jager share lead on opening day of Australian PGA Pro-Am
Jake McLeod topped the leaderboard along with his compatriot Matt Jager at the end of the opening day of the Pro-Am of the Australian PGA golf Championships here on Thursday.
Belgium remains atop FIFA men's ranking, Portugal moves up
Belgium's national football team remained atop of the FIFA men's world ranking for November with 1727 points, followed closely by France in second place, while Spain continues to occupy the ninth position, the international governing body announced on Thursday.
Ancient Irish sport of hurling wins UNESCO heritage status
The Irish sport of hurling -- often described as "the fastest game on grass" -- was granted UNESCO special status on Thursday, adding it to the register of "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity". "I am delighted that hurling has achieved international recognition," Irish Culture Minister Josepha Madigan said. "Hurling is a key element of Irish culture. For centuries, hurling has been an important part of the Irish identity, with men and women passing on this living tradition to each rising generation." Hurling is known for its brutal contact tackles and during play the ball regularly travels at speeds in excess of 150 kilometres per hour (93 mph), meaning players wear face masks. The game is played by teams of 15 on a pitch with "H" shaped goals at either end. Players use carved wooden sticks called "hurleys" -- resembling paddles -- as well as their hands and feet to move a "sliotar" -- similar to a baseball -- up the field. Points are gained by striking the sliotar between the .
Neymar steps up as Tuchel gets it right with PSG
Paris Saint-Germain had been waiting for such a performance from Neymar, and the Brazilian more than delivered in Wednesday's Champions League victory over Liverpool. The world's most expensive player scored what proved to be the winning goal as PSG beat last season's runners-up 2-1 to step back from the brink of an unthinkable group-stage exit. His 14th goal of the season came at the end of a move he had initiated with his blinding pace. Neymar celebrated by performing a dance by the corner flag with Kylian Mbappe and posing for the cameras. But Neymar's evening was about so much more than that. Shortly after Juan Bernat's opening goal, Neymar rushed across to the touchline in front of the dugout to make a challenge and then waved his arms in a frenzy to whip up the crowd. He spent much of the second half running his socks off to help PSG defend their lead, and he also upset Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp for being supposedly "clever" in winning fouls and buying time. "For us it was
Schalke fans boo and jeer their team into last 16 in Europe
Schalke have reached the last 16 of the Champions League, but their progress to the knock-out stages did not stop travelling fans booing their team's dismal 3-1 defeat at Porto. German fans celebrated before kick-off in the Portuguese city on Wednesday when Lokomotiv Moscow's 2-0 win over Galatasary meant both Schalke and Porto were through to the last 16 from Group D. However, the mood soured after Schalke were well beaten by Porto as the Germans only had a late Nabil Bentaleb penalty to show and their fans voiced their disappointment over a dismal away display. "It's hard for us when the fans are upset, but we need to understand their reasons," said defensive midfielder Omar Mascarell. Schalke were floored as Porto netted two second-half goals in quick succession, as Brazilian defender Eder Militao struck in the 52nd minute and Jesus Corona three minutes later. Moussa Marega hit a third late for the hosts in added time. The German fans whistled and booed their team off the pitch ...
Bangladesh eye rare Test series win
Bangladesh will be looking for a rare Test series win when they take on West Indies in the second and final Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Friday. The home side lead the two-match series 1-0 thanks to their 64-run win the first Test in Chittagong when their spinners accounted for all 20 West Indies wickets. A win in Dhaka will give Bangladesh only their fourth Test series win in history and first since 2014 when they triumphed over Zimbabwe 3-0 at home. Bangladesh came close to winning series twice in the past two years, respectively against Australia and Sri Lanka but on both occasions they stumbled at the final hurdle. Skipper Shakib Al Hasan said his team has the ability to overcome the odds. "We have a challenge and we believe we can overcome this," Shakib said at the pre-match press conference on Thursday. "Naturally, West Indies will also go into the match more excited. They will give their best to win. We have to perform better than them, more than what
Ridhima, Tvesa battle it out in 17th leg of Hero WPG Tour
Rookie Ridhima Dilawari put herself in a position to bag her first title as a professional, while Tvesa Malik made a strong comeback to set up a keen tussle for top honours in the 17th Leg of Women's Pro Golf Tour. Ridhima, who turned out for India at the Asian Games in Jakarta and then decided to take a plunge into the pro ranks, is playing only her third event on the Hero WPG Tour, but has shown enough signs of maturity. She shot three-over 75 on a day when only Order of Merit leader Tvesa Malik (72) carded par or better. Ridhima is five-over 149 and leads Tvesa by one shot. Smriti Mehra, who led on the first day, had a rough second round when she dropped four bogeys in a span of five holes. She ended up with a seven-over 79 and slipped to Tied-third place alongside Siddhi Kapoor (74) and Millie Saroha (77). Ridhima opened the day with a birdie on the first and added two more on fifth and 17th, while she dropped bogeys on third, fourth and sixth and further on ninth, tenth and ...
Magnus Carlsen defeats Fabiano Caruana to retain world chess title
Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen has retained his World Chess Championship title after defeating America's Fabiano Caruana 3-0 in a tie-break contest.The challenge proved to be one of the most difficult ones for the reigning world champion as both the players played 12 draw matches leading them to the tie-breaker. A 20-day long event tested the nerves of the players but in the end, it was Carlsen who got better off his opponent and emerged victorious.With the defeat, Caruana missed the chance of being the first US chess champion since Bobby Fischer who won the title in 1972.After defending his world title Carlsen, with a smile, said that he had a really good day at the work."I feel like I've had a really good day at work today," CNN quoted Carlsen, as saying.Caruana, on the other hand, expressed disappointment over the defeat and hoped to learn from his mistakes."It wasn't a good day for me. I hope I can look back at the match and learn from it," Caruana said.Later, the American ..
Honda riders all set for Asia Road Racing Championship finale
IDEMITSU Honda Racing rider Taiga Hada of Japan will be eyeing a podium finish in the SuperSport 600cc class final round of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Chang International Circuit here Saturday. The 20-year-old Hada will have Indian teammates Rajiv Sethu and Anish Shetty for company as the 'IDEMITSU Honda Racing India' by T Pro Ten10, the only team from the country, looks to prove its mettle in the two-day Championship finale. In the SS 600 class, Hada is placed ninth in the Championship position till round five, while Sethu is placed 27th, followed by Shetty in the AP 250 class. "This season gave an authentic international exposure to our Indian riders at Asia's toughest motorsports racing. With all the learning and experience this year, both Indian riders would be looking for improving their position in AP 250 class," said Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President, Brand and Communications, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt Ltd. "This season has given us a lot of ...
All eyes on Vinesh and Sakshi at Wrestling Nationals
The spotlight trained on them, Vinesh Phogat gets an opportunity to test her fitness while a struggling Sakshi Malik will look to re-invent herself in the absence of the male stars at the Tata Motors Wrestling Nationals, beginning Thursday. Vinesh was forced to skip the World Championship in Budapest due to a last-minute elbow injury. She was in imperious form following the historic gold-winning effort at the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. Vinesh is one of the most formidable athletes and if she is fit, it is highly unlikely she could be troubled by any of her compatriots. The Railways athlete will compete in the 57kg instead of the 50kg category in which she won three gold medals this season. "For Nationals I won't reduce weight. The competition here won't be very strong and I have several important tournaments coming up in the next few months, so I have to be consistent in maintaining (weight) for those event," Vinesh told PTI when asked about the change in her weight category. The .
Indian batsmen dominate Day 2 vs CA XI
Cricket Australia (CA) XI were at 24/0, trailing by 334 runs after India produced a disciplined batting performance on the second day of the four-day warm-up game at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here on Thursday.
IPL: Rajasthan ropes in Steffan Jones as fast bowling coach
Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Thursday announced the signing of former England cricketer Steffan Jones as it's fast bowling coach for the upcoming 12th edition of the cash-rich league.
Honda riders all set for Asia Road Racing C'ship finale (Preview)
Establishing a new motorsports trend in India, the solo Indian team -- 'Idemitsu Honda Racing India-- by T Pro Ten10 is ready to showcase its mettle in the final round of FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Chang International Circuit here this weekend.
Manav Thakkar shines in Portugal Open TT
Top-seeded Manav Thakkar clinched the singles and doubles titles at the Portugal Junior and Cadet Open in Guimaraes. Manav defeated compatriot Jeet Chandra in a singles match which went down to the wire. He won 11-5, 7-11, 10-12, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9 on Wednesday night. He had beaten fifth-seed Italian John Oyebode 11-9, 11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-5 in the pre-quarterfinals, Portugal's Goncalo Gomez 11-5, 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 in the quarterfinals and third-seeded Indian Snehit 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5, 7-11, 6-11, 11-4 in the semifinals. Manav partnered with Manush Shah to win the doubles title, as the top Indian pair overcame a stiff challenge from compatriots, second seeds Jeet Chandra and Snehit Suravajjula before winning 11-7, 11-6, 13-15, 7-11, 11-6. Jeet also put up a fine effort throughout the tournament as he beat Italy's Andrea Puppo 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-8 in the pre-quarters and then Chinese Tao Yuchang 11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-7 before defeating Spaniard Marc ..
Klopp left to hope for Anfield magic as away-day ills continue
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp now has to hope that Anfield will again bring the best out of his team in their decisive final Champions League group game against Napoli after Wednesday's damaging defeat at Paris Saint-Germain. Last season's runners-up are in serious danger of a group-stage exit from the competition after losing 2-1 to a Neymar-inspired PSG at the Parc des Princes, as Klopp was outmanoeuvred by his opposite number Thomas Tuchel. The result left Liverpool in third place in Group C with one game left, three points behind Napoli and two adrift of PSG. Given the tight nature of the group, the Premier League side now have to beat Napoli at Anfield either 1-0 or by two clear goals if they are to be sure of reaching the last 16, otherwise they will be left hoping for a PSG slip-up at Red Star Belgrade. But while Wednesday's defeat was Liverpool's fifth in a row away from Anfield in the Champions League, they have not lost at home in the Premier League or in Europe for 18 ...