Page 898 - Sports

Botafogo extend winning run as Internacional's title hopes fade

Botafogo dealt a blow to Internacional's Brazilian Serie A title hopes with a 1-0 victory in their clash here.

Besides Kohli, wary Australia plan to stop Rohit

Trap him in front of the stumps with a sharp inswinger or test him with a short ball: These could be the tactics employed by Australia against dangerous India opener Rohit Sharma, says pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile. Besides India captain Virat Kohli, Rohit is another batsmen that could give the home team plenty of headache in the limited overs leg of the series beginning Wednesday. "He's an unbelievable player. His record speaks for itself. He's got a good record all around the world, so he's a definite player to watch," Coulter-Nile said at the Gabba on Monday. "But we've also had a bit of success against him with the new ball as well I think 'Dorff' (Jason Behrendorff) got him out last time we played him rapped him on the pads so we'll look to do that again early." Coulter-Nile also fancies bowling short to Rohit, who has an impressive record in Australia and has scored 810 runs at an average of 62.31 in the last eight years. Left-arm pacer Behrendorff could be Australia's trump card

Unfortunate that India couldn't get equaliser against Jordan: Football Coach

Indian national football team head coach Stephen Constantine, while talking about the team's narrow defeat at the hands of Jordan in a friendly match, stated that although India's performance was "outstanding", it was unfortunate that the team could not get the equaliser.India had stumbled to a 1-2 loss against Jordan in a closely-fought friendly match.Speaking on this, Constantine said: "The boys were outstanding and gave their all in the match. I could not have asked for more and I am extremely happy with the effort the bunch of players who played have put. We came here to play and gain valuable experience and I am delighted with the effort that they boys gave today while learning to cope under pressure and playing out of positions.""I am disappointed as we lost but looking at the bright side of things, we gave a great performance in the first half given that most players played out of position and we did not play with a striker," he added.The Indian contingent that had travelled to

Zverev beats Djokovic to win ATP Finals crown

Alexander Zverev defeated World No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 here to win the ATP Finals championship and claim the most important title of his budding career.

Spain's Mendez debuts with tally for 1-0 win

The Spanish national football team played its last match of 2018 with a 1-0 friendly win over Bosnia Herzegovina in the Gran Canaria Stadium here.

Argentina players hoping for Messi return

Argentina forward Paulo Dybala said that he and his Albiceleste teammates want Lionel Messi to return to the national team.

Swiss pound Belgium 5-2 in Nations League

Switzerland fought back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Belgium 5-2 and claim a berth in the final phase of the inaugural UEFA Nations League.

Thousands sign petition appealing Maroon 5 to drop out of Super Bowl halftime show

Thousands of people have signed a petition urging Maroon 5 to pull out of performing at the Super Bowl halftime show in support of former NFL player Colin Kaepernick. More than 44,000 people have signed the petition on change.org appealing the group to cancel their plans to perform at the sporting event in Atlanta on February 3 next year. "Kaepernick risked his career to take a knee for equality, and the NFL punished him for it. Until the league changes their policy and support players' constitutional right to protest, no artists should agree to work with the NFL," the petition read. The 31-year-old former San Francisco 49ers quarterback was the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem in a peaceful protest against police brutality and racial inequality in 2016. He has not played since that season and last year filed a grievance against the league and its owners, accusing them of colluding to keep him off the field. In October, Amy Schumer also urged the band to reconsider

Want to make it count this time around: Rohit Sharma

India's vice captain Rohot Sharma on Monday said the team played a few close matches in Australia the last time around, but want to make it count on the current tour.

Tall Aussie bowlers have advantage but Indian batsmen ready for challenge: Rohit

Australia's towering pacers are at an advantage against the "not that tall" Indian batsmen, says visiting vice-captain Rohit Sharma but insisted that his team is ready to rewrite the script of the battle this time. India start the tour with the T20 Internationals from November 21 here and Rohit said said it would a tough task to counter the fast pitches. "India have always played either at Perth (venue for second Test from December 14-18 this time) or Brisbane. These two conditions are challenging and the Australians have tall bowlers who exploit those conditions and use it to their advantage," he said. "Indian batsman are generally not that tall, so it is not easy for us but the guys are determined to change things this time, we are ready to accept the challenge," he asserted. "It is challenging for our batsmen...But most of the guys have come to Australia before. So they understand the conditions. Of course their bowling attack will challenge us whichever format we play but as a ...

England finish second in Group, to face in-form India in semis

India will face a formidable England in the second semifinals on Friday after the West Indies defeated 2009 champions by four wickets in their last group match of the ICC Women's World T20 here. India have been invincible so far in the tournament, winning all their three games in the group stage. The in-form team will also have revenge on its mind, having lost to England in the 50-over World Cup final last year. En route to the semifinals, Harmanpreet Kaur's side also hammered three-time former champions Australia in its last pool match. Defending champions West Indies, on the other hand, topped group A with eight points after beating England in the last-over thriller to set up a clash with Australia in the first semifinals in Antigua on November 22. In the last group A match, the West Indies dished out a disciplined performance as they first restricted England to 115-8 and then overhauled the target with three balls to spare, riding on Deandra Dottin's 52-ball 48. After winning the ..

Djokovic is proud of 'phenomenal season' despite ATP Finals debacle

World number one Novak Djokovic, who narrowly missed the ATP Finals title after going down to Alexander Zverev of Germany in the summit showdown, has stated that despite the loss he is proud to have a 'phenomenal season' during which he reclaimed his top world ranking."Finishing the year as No. 1 [in the ATP Rankings], that was the goal coming into the indoor season. I managed to achieve that. Overall it was a phenomenal season that I have to be definitely very proud of," ATP quoted Djokovic, as saying.Speaking about the final match, the 31-year-old asserted that despite trying his best he lost the battle. He, however, added that there is need to focus on the positive things that happened to him in last six months instead of feeling disappointed over the loss."Obviously no one likes to lose a tennis match. You try your best. But at the same time, as I said on the court, you put things in a larger perspective, see things a bit differently," he said."When you get out of this feeling of .

From 'Super Dan' to 'First-Round Lin' as badminton legend falters

Lin Dan is regarded as the best badminton player of all time but his brilliance has faded markedly and Chinese fans and media are readying his career obituary. Widely known as "Super Dan" during his pomp, the 35-year-old Chinese last week suffered his ninth first-round defeat in 19 tournaments this year, underlining his steep decline. The former world number one, who has won every major prize in badminton -- some of them multiple times -- appears determined to go for a third Olympic title at Tokyo 2020. But badminton's answer to Roger Federer will be nearly 37 by then, and unlike the Swiss tennis great all the signs are that he is already well past his prime. Time waits for no sportsman, even one of the best ever produced by China. Lin is currently ranked 13th, below compatriots Shi Yuqi and Chen Long, and each country can send a maximum of two men's singles players to the Olympics. "It all depends because there are very many strong players in China," Lin said of his chances of making

Anjana Reddy's Universal Sportsbiz uses celebrities to build apparels

USPL has combined celebrity appeal with good assortment and marketing

Molinari stunned by 'incredible' 2018

Newly-crowned European number one Francesco Molinari said he would have "laughed" if anyone had predicted his successes in an "incredible" 2018 campaign that culminated with the Race To Dubai title on Sunday. The 36-year-old Italian, who lifted his maiden major title at the British Open in July, wrapped up top spot in the European Tour's Order of Merit as his only rival for the title, his good friend and Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood, failed to win the DP World Tour Championship. It finished off a season which also saw him claim the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, seal a first-ever tournament triumph on the USPGA Tour, and become the first European in history to win five matches at a Ryder Cup. "I can't wait to go back and sit down and really relive the last few months," said Molinari after finishing tied for 26th in the United Arab Emirates. "I'm not very proud of this week for the way I played but obviously I will remember it for a long time for winning The Race to ...

Tearful Howell snaps 11-year PGA win drought at RSM Classic

Charles Howell snapped an 11-year US PGA Tour win drought in epic fashion, sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to capture the RSM Classic. The 39-year-old American had not won since Riviera in 2007 -- a gap of 4,291 days -- and had lost four of five prior playoffs before conquering compatriot Patrick Rodgers to win at Sea Island, Georgia on Sunday. "I just don't even know (how I did it). I haven't been able to pull it off in so long," Howell said before breaking down in tears. "It means a lot because I hung in there. It means I can still win out here." Squandering his lead with a bogey-double bogey start, Howell battled back all day to match Rodgers, whose 61-62 weekend nearly took him to his first PGA title. "To hang in there and turn it around, I needed some good fortune on my side and fortunately I had it," Howell said. "I've failed a lot of times. It was different today." Howell also secured a berth in his hometown event -- next year's Masters at Augusta, ...

Djokovic sets sights on 2019 after 'phenomenal season'

Novak Djokovic set his sights on the Australian Open after a painful defeat in the ATP Finals at the hands of Alexander Zverev took some of the gloss off an incredible season. The Serbian world number one looked unbeatable heading into Sunday's final, winning all four of his matches in London in straight sets and not dropping serve once. But his 21-year-old opponent showed no fear at a packed O2 Arena, trading heavy blows with his illustrious opponent from the back of the court and outlasting him in long rallies to win 6-4, 6-3. A sanguine Djokovic was eager to put the defeat into context after a memorable second half of the season, during which he has clambered back to the top of the men's game from the lowly ranking of 22 he found himself in as recently as June. "Obviously no one likes to lose a tennis match," he said. "You try your best. But at the same time, as I said on the court, you put things in a larger perspective, see things a bit differently. "When you get out of this ...

Zverev shocks Djokovic to win ATP Finals

Alexander Zverev emphatically announced his arrival at the top of the men's game by overpowering Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 to win his first ATP Finals title. The 21-year-old German, making his second appearance at the end-of-season showpiece, outlasted six-time champion Roger Federer in the semi-finals and repeated the feat against the world number one on Sunday. Djokovic had not been broken once in the tournament coming into the match, winning all 36 service games and only facing two break points but Zverev wrecked his numbers, breaking four times in the match. The German, coached by Ivan Lendl, faltered just once when Djokovic broke him early in the second set but that was the only blemish on an extraordinary performance of power and skill. "I really can't describe it," said Zverev. "It is the biggest title I have ever won. Firstly, I want to congratulate Novak and we may never have seen the tennis he has played in the last few months before. He barely lost a match but thankfully he ..

Cuttack to gift souvenirs with silver filigree to players at Men's Hockey World Cup

A physically challenged artist Pankaj Kumar Sahu has become an inspiration to others by making Cuttack known as the 'Silver City' has found its place of pride at Men's Hockey World Cup for its famous silver filigree works.A team of craftsmen led by Sahu, an awardee of National Award by the Ministry of Handlooms and Textiles in 1994-95, is making silver filigree mementoes which will be presented to players participating in Men's Hockey World Cup, going to be held in Bhubaneswar from November 28 to December 16.Along with famous silver, filigree works from Cuttack, other famous handicrafts and handlooms of Odisha will also be placed in the event.Finely crafted miniature such as a stick, ball and trophy packed in velvet coated fibre boxes will be gifted to all the 16 participating teams of the tournament, their support staff and officials along with dignitaries, VIPs and celebrities attending the mega international sports event.Following an accident in 2004, Sahu had lost his left palm, ..

Teaser of Hockey Men's World Cup title song featuring Rahman, SRK out

As the much-awaited Hockey Men's World Cup is inching closer, music maestro AR Rahman has shared the glimpse of the much-anticipated official theme song and video of the hockey tournament, slated to be held from November 28 to December 16 in Bhubaneswar.Bollywood music composer and producer Rahman on Sunday uploaded a teaser video of the official track titled 'Jai Hind India' of the Hockey Men's World Cup on Twitter."Presenting the promo for 'Jai Hind India' the song for Hockey World Cup 2018 with @iamsrk and wonderful musicians who have collaborated for this track," Rahman tweeted.To make it best, Rahman has collaborated with Bollywood lyricist Gulzar. The teaser video also features actor Shah Rukh Khan.As soon as the promo video was released, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik thanked the Grammy award-winner, stating the "catchy" teaser captures the excitement and euphoria of Hockey lovers across the country."Thanks @arrahman ji for #OdishaWorldCupAnthem. The catchy teaser ...