Page 932 - Sports
Threat to boxing's Olympic future? It's gonna be ok, say teams at world championship
Boxing's Olympic future hangs in balance but the teams that have checked in for the 10th women's world championships here are only "mildly concerned" about the administrative drama that threatens a much-awaited expansion in Tokyo 2020. Women's boxing will expand from three to five weight categories -- 51kg, 57kg, 60kg, 69kg and 75kg -- at the Tokyo Olympics provided the sport remains on the roster. At present, that itself is under threat after the election of controversial Uzbek Gafur Rakhimov, who allegedly has links to organised crime, as the International Boxing Association (AIBA) President. He won by an overwhelming margin despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC) making it clear that his nomination itself was unacceptable. Less than a week after the world championship finals on November 24, the IOC might give a definitive word on whether boxing will remain in the Olympics in a board meeting scheduled in Tokyo. "We hear about it all the time but my job is to train for this
Gokulam Kerala Look for first win at home against Lajong
Gokulam Kerala will be eyeing their elusive win in the I-League campaign, when they take on Meghalaya's Shillong Lajong at home on Sunday. Both the sides have played three matches so far with Gokulam on two and Shillong on three points respectively. While Shillong won their opening game at home in an impressive display against Aizawl, they were humbled by Quess East Bengal and the Indian Arrows thereafter. What will worry coach Alison Kharsyntiew more, is the way his side travelled to hot and humid Cuttack to go down to the Arrows, with similar weather expected in India's southernmost state. Bino George, the Gokulam coach, on the other hand, will be more positive given their display in the last game against Chennai. Although Gokulam went down at home in the Southern Derby, it was a thrilling five-goal affair, where both teams competed on an even keel and at a high tempo. Gokulam have scored in every game they have played so far and coach Bino has used his forward line pretty smartly ..
Out batsmen could not pick Kuldeep Yadav: Ramdin
Denesh Ramdin reckons that absence of their top players was a major reason for their defeat in the Twenty20 series against India, who also dominated the other formats due to excellence of chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav. Barring two ODIs, the Caribbean side was easily crushed by the hosts, who won the Test, the ODI and the Twenty20 series with ease. "It's difficult to build a team given the current scenario. When you look at our T20 players they are in demand all over the world, so yes, we are suffering in that aspect. Our senior players did not turn up for the tour, and that's one of the reasons why we are 2-0 down in this series, Ramdin said ahead of the third and final T20. Explosive batsmen such as Chris Gayle and very effective spinner Sunil Narine were missing from the West Indies line-up. Dwayne Bravo retired last month from international cricket. "It's all about having food on the table. The players are good enough to be taken by a team in another part of the world, then I can't
Over 500 schools to take part in Maharashtra chess tournament
Students from over 500 schools across the state would take part in the Mahavir Prasad Morarka Memorial Maharashtra State School Chess Championship beginning here from November 14. The five-day championship, featuring over 1,000 students, is being jointly organised by The South Mumbai Chess Academy (SMCA) and Indian Chess School at the Nehru Centre in Worli, it was announced at a media conference Saturday. "The competition will serve as the selection trail for the National School Chess Championship that will be held in Darjeeling in April next year," said tournament director Praful Zaveri. The championship would be conducted for boys and girls in the Under-6, Under-8, Under-10, Under-12, Under-14 and Under-16 categories and the total prize money on offer is Rs 72,000. In addition, the top 10 players in each category would be awarded medals. Matches would be played according to the FIDE laws over nine rounds in each category in the Swiss League format. According to SMCA ...
Confident India aim for a whitewash in final T20I (Preview)
Having already clinched the three-match rubber 2-0, India will be looking for a clean sweep against the West Indies when the two sides face off in the final T20 International at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday.
Sensi, Tonali, Grifo to join Italy roster for 1st time
Young players Stefano Sensi, Sandro Tonali and Vincenzo Grifo were called up for the first time to Italy's national football squad by coach Roberto Mancini, according to the Italian federation (FIGC).
Bajrang becomes number one in world in 65kg
Star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia on Saturday touched a new high in his career by achieving the number one rank in the world in the 65kg category. The 24-year-old Bajrang, who has won five medals this season, including CWG and Asian Games gold and a silver at the World Championship, was placed atop the ranking table with 96 points in the UWW list. It has turned out to be a remarkable season for Bajrang, who was also the only Indian grappler to be given a seeding at the Budapest World Championship. Bajrang is comfortably leading the table and Cuban Alejandro Enrique Vlades Tobier is a distant second with 66 points. Bajrang had won a close semifinal against Tobier in the Budapest Worlds. Russia's Akhmed Chakaev (62) is in third place and the new world champion Takuto Otoguro (56) is at number four, followed by Turkey's Selahattin Kilicsallayan (50). Interestingly, Bajrang is the lone male Indian to figure in top-10 but the country has five female wrestlers who are in top-10 bracket in .
Darren Cahill to no longer coach Simona Halep
Darren Cahill, coach of World number one and Romanian tennis star Simona Halep, announced that the coach-player duo has ended their partnership ahead of the upcoming 2019 season.Cahill took to his Instagram to reveal that he will be taking a 12-month break for personal reasons."After much thought and discussion, and many years with 30 plus weeks on the road away from my family, I've decided to take a 12 month break from coaching to be home more for support as our children enter important stages of their lives with the final year of high school, sports and college preparations all becoming more time consuming," he wrote.Thanking Halep for giving him the opportunity to provide coaching, Cahill stated, "I'd like to thank Simona for the last 4 amazing years. Her understanding, personality, work ethic, generosity and professionalism made it a pleasure to stand by her side as her coach. She's a young woman of total class and someone I respect greatly which is something more important than ..
Sterling signs 3-year contract extension with Man City
Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him at the English Premier League (EPL) giants until 2023, the club announced.
First J-League match featuring Iniesta, Torres ends in goalless draw
Vissel Kobe and Sagan Tosu played out a goalless draw on Saturday in a J-League football match that was most noteworthy for being the first time former Spanish international stars and World Cup winners Andres Iniesta and Fernando Torres faced each other in league competition since they moved to Japan earlier this season.
Women's World T20: Windies outgun Bangladesh in low scoring affair
West Indies rode a five-wicket haul by Deandra Dottin to recover from a poor batting effort and beat Bangladesh by 60 runs at the ICC Women's World T20 2018.
Aussie cricketers 'cooked' after long-awaited victory
Australia's cricketers admit they are drained from a huge effort to halt a demoralising losing streak while dealing with intense scrutiny over their poor form and the ball-tampering scandal. They finally snapped their seven-game run of limited overs defeats thanks to a gutsy effort from their bowlers in the second one-dayer against South Africa in Adelaide on Friday. Set 232 to win, the Proteas could only manage 224-9 in their 50 overs, leaving the series tied at 1-1 with the decider in Hobart on Sunday. "We're all bloody tired. All the bowlers are cooked," said Marcus Stoinis, whose three wickets and run out of Aiden Markram were crucial to the team winning after another mediocre performance with the bat. "It was a big effort, so really proud of everyone." Before the game, Skipper Aaron Finch conceded the scrutiny of Australian cricket during recent months, including disarray within the sport's governing body, where a slew of executives have been forced out, was taking a toll. He ...
Bottas posts fastest time in Brazilian GP's second practice
Finnish Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas was slightly quicker than British teammate Lewis Hamilton in Friday's second free practice session ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the 2018 Formula One season.
Federer, Djokovic top the bill for London finale
Roger Federer is aiming to complete a century of titles at the ATP Finals but will likely have to find a way past the irrepressible Novak Djokovic, who is looking to round off his astonishing season in style. The two men, with 34 Grand Slams between them, are the twin titans at the season-ending event at London's O2 arena. But the tournament, which starts on Sunday, lacks an element of star power without the injured Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro, both of whom were forced to pull out of the season finale. Former champion Andy Murray, still making his way back from injury, and defending champion Grigor Dimitrov are other star names missing. The title is contested by the eight players who have accumulated the most ranking points over the season and is in a round-robin format, with the best four players reaching the knockout semi-finals stage. Federer is expected to emerge from Group Lleyton Hewitt, also featuring Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem and Kei Nishikori, while Djokovic is
India start firm favourites against Pakistan
After a near perfect beginning, the Indian women's team will be overwhelming favourites against arch-rivals Pakistan in its second group league encounter of the ICC World T20 here on Sunday. Not considered among the top T20 teams in the world, India produced a power-packed performance, winning the opener against a formidable New Zealand side by 34 runs after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's 51-ball 103. With momentum firmly on India's side, the 'Women In Blue' would like to set the record straight after losing to their arch-rivals in the 2016 edition at home. However, since that loss in Delhi, India have played Pakistan thrice across two editions of Asia Cup, winning all the battles. That Pakistan lost by a comprehensive 52-run margin to Australia in their lung opener will also give India an upperhand during Sunday's encounter. The best aspect about India's performance against 'White Ferns' was young Jemimah Rodrigues's matured effort. With her skipper going for the jugular, 18-year-old ...
Split between fans and owners rips apart historic Portuguese club
It is the story of a group of supporters who have had their club taken away from them and launched a new team in Portugal's sixth tier, leaving a professional outfit to play in a deserted stadium with a new name and logo. The club is Belenenses, the historic outfit from the Lisbon district of Belem, famous for its monastery, egg tarts and the iconic tower by the River Tagus dating back to the 16th century. Nearby, up the hill in leafy Restelo, the 20,000-seat stadium of the same name plays host to a Sunday amateur game in the Lisbon district league. With a team of homegrown youngsters and before a decent crowd, Belenenses ease to a 3-0 win over Operario, a neighbourhood side from the Portuguese capital. They are top of the league. There wearing his scarf sporting the cross of the Order of Christ -- the symbol of the club in reference to the navigators who set off from Belem in their Caravels on voyages of discovery -- Fernando Nunes struggles to hold back the tears as he discusses the
Loew calls Kroos into Germany's squad
Real Madrid's Toni Kroos was called up for Germany's upcoming international duties, while Barcelona's net-minder Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Bayern Munich's defender Jerome Boateng were left out of the list.
Root looking for another sweet performance at Kandy
England captain Joe Root believes England will go into the second Test against Sri Lanka at Kandy on Wednesday with "huge amounts of confidence" after overcoming the hosts in Galle. "We played some really good stuff," Root said after the commanding 211-run victory. "The way we played throughout the four days, with everyone contributing and playing a part, is really pleasing." "We said we were going to do things slightly differently at the start of the series and we've really backed that up and given ourselves a really good chance to go to Kandy with a lot of confidence and back up what's been a brilliant four-days here," he said. England got off to a shaky start in Galle, losing five wickets for just 103 runs, with debut opener Rory Burns back in the pavilion for nine, Moeen Ali out first ball and Ben Stokes gone for seven. But from lunch onwards, England were in the driving seat, not least due to debutant Ben Foakes's 107 -- making him man of the match -- and with valuable ...
Smith, Warner play together for first time since ban
Banned opener David Warner shared a home field with Steve Smith for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal Saturday, but he didn't last long as Steve Waugh's son claimed his wicket. The two appeared for their respective Sydney club teams in a game at Coogee Oval also featuring Shane Watson and with Test great Waugh and bowling legend Mitchell Johnson watching from the grandstands. Both players were given a warm reception by a bumper crowd and spent time signing autographs and posing for pictures, with no sign of animosity towards them, according to cricket.com.au. Warner's Randwick Petersham was sent in to bat by Smith's Sutherland and he spanked two boundaries before cutting a ball from Austin Waugh to backward point on 13. Smith fared better when his turn came to bat, compiling 48 before being stumped. Former Test all-rounder Watson overshadowed them both with a 41-ball 63 to help Sutherland win by three wickets. It marked the first time Smith and Warner had shared a pitch .
Boca, River ready for 'historic' Libertadores duel
The Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors and River Plate will be a "historic moment" for South American football, the head of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) said.