Page 918 - Sports
Paraguay prepare for friendly with South Africa
Nine members of the Paraguay national football team left for South Africa ahead of a November 20 friendly match against the Bafana Bafana in the 24th annual Nelson Mandela Challenge.
Federer routs Thiem to keep chances alive at ATP Finals
Swiss great Roger Federer bounced back quickly from a disappointing loss at the ATP Finals, brushing aside Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-3 here to keep his hopes alive at this elite, year-end event.
It's long journey ahead for young Nihal: Chess great Anand
Indian chess great Viswanathan Anand sees signs of greatness in Nihal Sarin but says it's a long journey ahead for the impressive 14-year-old since there has been a trend of players struggling to replicate success as they age. Sarin did exceedingly well by forcing a draw with five-time World Champion Anand in the eighth round of the Tata Steel Chess Rapid tournament here. Currently ranked world number one in the U14 category, Sarin finished the rapid section of the tournament with just three points with six draws and three defeats but impressed with the calm manner in which he tackled the pressure of playing some of the biggest stars of the game. "Going by the evidence so far, I would not rule it out (Nihal becoming a world champion in future). It's a long journey forward," Anand told PTI in an interview. "At the end, he is just 14. I felt that he would really struggle in this tournament and he would be a bit out of place. It seemed the opposite. He seemed quite comfortable here. Not
BFI delighted to host Women's World Boxing C'ship
Ahead of the commencement of the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships, Boxing Federation of India (BFI) president Ajay Singh has expressed his delight over hosting the premium event here at the Indira Gandhi Stadium."I think it is a matter of great pride for India. It is an occasion for our boxers to participate in their own country and show their best performance," Singh said.While talking about the sport, Singh said that boxing is an empowering sport as it gifts women the ability to break out of social struggles to defeat stereotypes and show that they could do something by themselves.A total of 73 countries and 325 boxers will be participating in this prestigious event, out of which the Indian athletes include- Mary Kom (48 Kg), Pinky Jangra (51 Kg), Manisha Maun (54 Kg), Sonia (57 Kg), L Sarita Devi (60 Kg), Simranjit Kaur (64 Kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69 Kg), Saweety Boora (75 Kg), Bhagyabati Kachari (81 Kg) and Seema Poonia (+81 Kg)."It is absolutely wonderful that the world's .
Federer keeps ATP Finals title hopes alive
Two days after a shocking straight-sets defeat against Kei Nishikori, Swiss tennis star Roger Federer conquered Dominic Thiem in the ongoing ATP Finals here at the O2 Arena.To maintain his hopes of advancing to the semi-finals of the prestigious tournament, the six-time season finale champion ousted Thiem 6-2, 6-3 in his second round-robin match that lasted 67 minutes.Federer, on his secured victory, said that he is delighted to make a comeback after losing to Nishikori in his opening fixture."No match is easy here. It is maybe not something I'm that used to lose and come back and play again, but it was a good exercise. It was a great challenge for me and I'm happy with my attitude. I'm happy with how I played, and it was good fun against Dominic," Nitto ATP Finals quoted Federer, as saying.From the beginning of the match, the World number three gave a dose of his backhand that provoked Austrian into a number of unforced errors. Thiem interestingly tried to break Swiss star's ...
Sindhu, Sameer enter second round of Hong Kong Open
Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu and Sameer Verma notched up contrasting wins on Wednesday to progress to the second round of the Hong Kong Open World Tour Super 500 tournament, here. Sindhu, seeded third, continued her consistent run as she recovered from a mid-game slump to surpass Thailand's Nitchaon Jindapol 21-15 13-21 21-17 in the opening round which lasted a little over an hour. It was Sindhu's fourth win over the Thai player. Sindhu, who won three major silver medals this season -- Commonwealth Games, World Championship and Asian Games -- will take on Korea's Sung Ji Hyun next. The 23-year-old from Hyderabad has a superior 8-5 head-to-head record against the Korean. In the men's singles, Sameer, who clinched the Swiss Open and Hyderabad Open this year, saw off another Thai Suppanyu Avihingsanon 21-17 21-14 to set up a clash with China's Olympic champion Chen Long. However, former Singapore Open champion B Sai Praneeth was stunned by Khosit Phetpradab of Thailand in a ...
India eye semifinals spot in Women's World T20
Eyeing a semi-finals berth, overwhelming favourites India will have to guard against complacency when they play Ireland in their third Group B match of the ICC Women's World T20 here on Thursday. India are on a roll having convincingly won their first two matches, including against arch-rivals Pakistan two days ago. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur declared open the tournament with her blazing hundred against New Zealand at the Providence, the same venue where India will face Ireland. Ireland, on the other hand, have lost to both Australia and Pakistan. India will enter the game against the Irish as overwhelming favourites but Kaur is aware that her team cannot afford to take things for granted in this mega-event. Ireland cricket is known for its fighting abilities and taking them lightly will not be the way to go for India, with qualification to the last-four knocking on their doors. Having eased past Pakistan a couple of days after the big win against the New Zealanders, India will ...
Happy with the way my classical game has stabilised: Viswanathan Anand (IANS Interview)
Content with the way his classical game has shaped up in recent times, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand is not sweating over his poor run in the rapid format and feels he has time to work on his frailties which, according to him, are out in the open.
Now a biopic on Bhaichung Bhutia
Anand Kumar, best known for Sanjay Dutt-Vivek Oberoi starrer "Zila Ghaziabad", is working on former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia's biopic. Bhutia joins the pantheon of sports personalities such as Milkha Singh, Paan Singh Tomar, Mary Kom, MS Dhoni and Sandeep Singh to be immortalised on celluloid through a biopic. Kumar has conceptualised the biopic, which will showcase the life of Bhutia. He is currently in the process of finalising a director and lead actor for the film. Bhutia is excited about the project and he believes the filmmaker is the right person to honour his journey. "I am honoured that people feel that my journey is worth capturing for the big screen. I am certain that Anand will do justice to my story. "I hail from a small town in Sikkim, but playing football for India wasn't my only dream. I always wanted to own a professional football club and I realised that dream with United Sikkim (his football club)," Bhutia said in a statement here. He will be involved
Rooney excited to see what 'fearless' England are capable of
Wayne Rooney will make his final farewell as England's greatest ever goalscorer in a friendly against the United States on Thursday, but is excited at what a young squad can achieve under "fearless" coach Gareth Southgate in the years to come. Rooney, 33, made the last of his 119 international appearances midway through England's World Cup qualifying campaign two years ago. In contrast to his prime when a "golden generation" disappointed at major tournaments and never made it beyond the quarter-finals, Southgate's charges surpassed expectations by making it to the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time in 28 years in Russia. "Fearless," said Rooney when asked what set Southgate apart from the other five England managers he played under. "Because a lot of the other managers didn't really give the youth the opportunity to express themselves and come into the team and have an impact." Rooney insisted he has no regrets on retiring from international football a year before the World
'The facts are not right': Federer fumes over scheduling row
Roger Federer has hit back at claims he gets preferential treatment from tennis tournaments due to his status as one of the sport's all-time greats. Federer was responding to controversial comments from French veteran Julien Benneteau, who said the 20-Grand Slam champion was able to use his reputation to secure favourable scheduling. Benneteau offered Federer's matches at the last two Australian Opens as evidence, suggesting the Swiss star was granted his preference to play in the evening session to avoid the blistering Melbourne heat. "Over the last two Australian Opens, he played 14 matches, because he was champion and finalist. And he played 12 or 13 of them in the night session," Benneteau told France's RMC Sport recently. "On the same day Federer played Jan-Lennard Struff, Novak Djokovic played Gael Monfils. "Any tournament director would put Djokovic-Monfils on the night session at 7:30pm, right? But no. They played at 2:30pm, in 104 degrees. And Federer-Struff played at ...
Bleeding on lungs sees Aussie paceman Hastings retire
Australian fast bowler John Hastings has retired from all forms of cricket fearing a mystery ailment could lead him to bleed to death on the field. The burly all-rounder, who has represented his country in all three formats of the game, revealed last month he was struggling with an illness that causes him to cough up blood whenever he bowls. He first noticed the issue several years ago and despite a battery of tests and operations is no closer to knowing why it happens. "It's (only) when I bowl. The pressure at the crease, little blood vessels in my lungs burst," he told The Age newspaper in Melbourne on Wednesday. "That determines that I cough up blood on a regular basis when I'm trying to bowl. It's a really scary thing." The 33-year-old, who was planning to play in Australia's Twenty20 Big Bash League next month, said he was otherwise healthy. His decision to pull the pin came after doctors were unable to reassure him that he wouldn't bleed to death on the cricket pitch. "I'm ...
Real confirm Solari as coach until 2021
Santiago Solari on Tuesday was confirmed as Real Madrid coach until 2021 following his successful spell in charge as caretaker boss of the European champions. "Real Madrid's board of directors met today and decided to name Santiago Solari as first team coach until June 30, 2021," the club announced in a statement. Solari's anointment as sacked Julen Lopetegui's permanent successor comes after wins in his first four matches. And with 15 goals scored and only two conceded the 42-year-old Argentinian has established the best ever start for a Real manager. After thrashing Melilla in the Copa del Rey, they won 5-0 away to Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League, between victories over Real Valladolid and Celta Vigo in La Liga. The upturn has left Madrid only four points adrift of league leaders Barcelona and on the brink of qualification for the last 16 in Europe. Solari was handed the reins on a temporary two-week basis on October 29 after Lopetegui had overseen a miserable run that ...
World Cup finalists Croatia keen to avoid another 'slap' from Spain
Having finally shaken off their World Cup hangover, finalists Croatia are aiming for their first Nations League victory when they face Spain on Thursday, the side who inflicted a 6-0 drubbing in September. Coach Zlatko Dalic has named a 25-man squad, including three new faces, to face Spain at Zagreb's Maksimir stadium and England on November 18 at Wembley. "I'm focused on the match against 'La Furia (Roja)', we need that victory," Dalic said earlier this month. "I know that many people do not believe that our team is capable of winning both games but I reply -- we will do now as we did in Russia, step by step. "First, Spain," he told the Jutarnji List newspaper. Croatia, a country of 4.2 million people, reached the World Cup final for the first time, inspired by playmaker Luka Modric, and despite losing 4-2 to France Dalic and his players were welcomed home as heroes. But only two months later "Vatreni" -- Croatian for "Fiery Ones" -- suffered the humiliation of the thrashing by ...
PKL 6: U Mumba hammers UP Yoddhas 41-26 in inter-zonal clash.
It was a day when host U Mumba's attack and defense cameA all gun blazing to thrash UP Yoddhas 41-24 in an inter-zonal calash of the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the NSCI stadium here on Tuesday.
AB de Villiers appointed as Tshwane Spartans captain
Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has been appointed as the captain of the Tshwane Spartans for the upcoming edition of the Mzansi Super League.Expressing excitement over the development, the 34-year-old said that it is an "honour" representing a team in the opening edition of the tournament."It's a huge honour to captain this team in the first Mzansi Super League. I'm really excited to work with this group of players - there's a lot of talent, with a great balance between youth and experience," Sport24 quoted De Villiers, as saying.Talking about his captaincy techniques ahead of the league, the former skipper said that he would be banking upon his past experiences."I will try to lead from the front and rely on the experience I've picked up over the years. I believe I'm a decent man manager when it comes to understanding players' strengths and weaknesses. I'm looking forward to it. It's an exciting challenge and I'm ready for it," he said.In May, De Villiers had announced .
PKL: Telugu Titans register win
Telugu Titans notched up a win in their Interzone match of the Pro Kabaddi League here Tuesday after they got better of their opponents Puneri Paltan 28-25. For the Telugu Titans, Rahul Chaudhari (8 points), Nilesh Salunkhe (6 points), Krushan Madane (4 points) emerged as heroes. Pune made a splendid comeback in the dying moments of the game but that wasn't enough for a win. Telugu Titans took an initial 3-1 lead after a few 'empty' raids by the Pune team. But a Super Tackle in the seventh minute by Pune brought them back into the game to reduce the deficit to 4-5. Another Super Tackle by Puneri Paltan helped them to level scores 6-6, with 10 minutes remaining for the end of first half. But Telugu Titans soon came back and inflicted the first 'all out' of the match to surge ahead to 11-7 and successful raids kept on increasing their lead which soon became 14-8. Rahul Chaudhari earned his side another two points to make it 17-8. At the halfway stage, Telugu Titans ...
I league: Chennai City FC pip East Bengal 2-1
Chennai City FC edged past East Bengal 2-1 in the top of the table clash in the I-league at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, on Tuesday.East Bengal came to this game with two back to back victories against Neroca FC and Shillong FC, and were firm favourites, backed by the home crowd. However, the Red and Gold brigade had their task cut out as they faced Chennai, who also picked up 7 points from 3 matches before this game.In a docile first up, that saw both the teams failed to convert their chances, it was Chennai City who finished the first half with a goal from Sandro Rodriguez in the 47th minute, as he curled in a freekick from around 30 yards.East Bengal equalised in the 52nd minute, as Johnny Acosta flicked it for Mexican international Enrique Esqueda who wrote his name, levelling the score for the hosts.Chennai FC scored in the dying embers of the game as Spanish midfielder Nestor Gordillo didn't fail to convert a spot-kick from the six yards, giving his team a .
Anderson hammers Nishikori in ATP Finals humiliation
Kevin Anderson handed Japan's Kei Nishikori a humiliating 6-0, 6-1 thrashing at the ATP Finals as the South African moved to the brink of a semi-final berth on Tuesday. Anderson won the first 11 games and needed only 64 minutes to demolish the woeful Nishikori in a remarkably one-sided group stage clash at London's O2 Arena. Having also won his opening match against Dominic Thiem in his debut at the prestigious season-ending event, Anderson is close to becoming the first African to qualify for the last four at the ATP Finals. The 32-year-old's place will be secure if Thiem beats Roger Federer, or if Federer defeats Thiem in three sets later on Tuesday. It was a landmark moment for Wimbledon finalist Anderson, who has set a new career-high of 47 victories in a calender year. He will rarely have had such an easy outing as this one throughout his memorable 2018. Anderson won the Vienna final at Nishikori's expense in October before losing to the Japanese star in the Paris Masters four ...
Nakamura sole leader after day 1 of Tata Steel blitz chess meet
World No.3 Hikaru Nakamura of the US stayed unbeaten to remain on sole pole position as five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand alongwith Pentala Harikrishna led the Indian challenge at the end of day one of the Tata Steel Chess India 2018 Blitz tournament here on Tuesday.