Page 954 - Sports
Li Haotong overtakes Justin Rose as Shubhankar stays 53rd in Turkey
Chinese star Li Haotong produced a spectacular eight-under 63 that gave him a three-shot lead after the third round of the Turkish Airlines Open here Saturday. Haotong, starting the moving day at nine-under and Tied-fifth, zoomed to 17-under 196 and sole lead with overnight leader Justin Rose going into the water three times during his two-under 69 that pegged him at 14-under alongside Frenchman Alexander Levy (66). Thorbjorn Olesen (68) was sole fourth at 13-under, while rookie Sam Horsfield (68) and 2016 Masters champion, Danny Willet (69) showing a welcome return to form, were Tied-fifth at 12-under. Asian Tour's best positioned player was Kiradech Aphibarnrat (67) at 10-under and was Tied-ninth. India's Shubhankar Sharma finally seemed to have warmed up to the course, as he was bogey free two-under through 17 holes, before a trip into the water cost him a bogey and finished one-under 70 and one-under 212 in T-53rd place, exactly where he was a day earlier. Li had both luck and ...
Brilliant David earns point for Aizawl vs Mohun Bagan
David Lalrinmuana's brilliant strike deep into the second-half stoppage time helped Aizawl FC hold Mohun Bagan to a 2-2 draw in an I-League match here on Saturday. Playing at home for the first time this season, Mohun Bagan looked all set for their first win of the season with their star striker Sony Norde giving them a 2-1 lead in the 69th minute after starting from the bench. But there was heartbreak in store with the 25-year-old former Mohun Bagan Academy graduate turning into home team's nemesis. Lalrinmuana curled in from 32 yards out in the 90+3rd minute into the top corner beyond the reach of goalkeeper Sankar Roy to help Aizawl return with a point. However Roy's position left a lot to be desired. Aizawl drew first blood through Lalkhawpuimawia in the 29th minute but his statemate Lalchawnkima equalised for the green and maroon brigade in the 43rd minute. Things turned around for Mohun Bagan after Shankarlal Chakraborty introduced Norde in the 64th minute to a boisterous ...
Williams, Masakadza rule even day in 1st Bangladesh Test
Sean Williams and skipper Hamilton Masakadza slammed a fifty each as Zimbabwe made 236-5 on the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet on Saturday. Williams topscored with 88 off 179 balls after Masakadza hit 52 in his 105 ball knock to lay the initial foundation for Zimbabwe at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, which was hosting its maiden Test. Bangladesh made some regular breakthroughs, mostly by their spinners, but lacked the penetrating power to completely unsettle the visiting side playing their first Test in 2018. Williams received some support from Peter Moor as the duo shared 72 runs for the fifth wicket after the Bangladesh spinners looked to have slowly gained control. Skipper Mahmudullah denied Williams his second Test century when he forced the left-hander to give a catch at slip to Mehidy Hasan after hitting nine fours in his patient knock. "I think it's a very good Test wicket. Couple of the balls were turning and bouncing and couple of them .
Indian squad named for 2020 AFC Women's Olympic qualifier
Indian senior women's football team coach Maymol Rocky on Friday named the 20-member final squad which will travel to Myanmar for the first round of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualifying tournament.The players were camped in Mumbai for the last two weeks to prepare for the task ahead. A total of 10 teams will move forward to the second round.The Indian team will become the first to cross the first hurdle at the Olympic level if they advance into the second round."The girls are ready and looking forward to playing. We will enter the tournament with a positive mindset among the players as well as the entire staff. Our aim is to go through to the next round and we are looking forward to that. We need to qualify and I'm confident that we will do so," Rocky revealed about the preparations."I expect all the girls to rise to the occasion and give a good account of themselves. The players in the starting XI as well as the substitutes - each member will have a crucial role to play," she added.The
Rohit to the fore as Windies return with added firepower
What seemed to be a nerve-wracking ODI series ended up with India gaining mastery over visitors West Indies and winning series 3-1. But the solitary three-match T20I series beginning November 4 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata could prove to be a different ball-game altogether.The Caribbean side comparatively have a better balance in their squad for the shortest format of the game. India have added new players in the squad and in the absence of skipper Virat Kohli, the onus to clinch the T20I series has now been shifted on the shoulders of stand-in captain Rohit Sharma.Opener Shikhar Dhawan's performance would also be under scrutiny following his poor form in the recently-concluded ODI series.Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is going through a lean patch in his career, paved the way for Delhi swashbuckling batsman Rishabh Pant, while Dinesh Karthik has been included as a standby.Pant has been given an opportunity to prove his worth as a regular wicketkeeper who can amass runs.A Kohli-less side ...
Krunal set for T20 debut against West Indies
All-rounder Krunal Pandya in all likelihood will make his senior India debut after being named in the final 12 for the first T20 International against West Indies here on Sunday. Krunal, elder brother of star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, was part of the squad for the three T20I series in England this summer but didn't get a game. On the eve of the match, Krunal had a lengthy batting session at the nets and also bowled his orthodox left-arm spin under the watchful eyes of bowling coach Bharat Arun. It was late in the evening the BCCI released the XII Krunal figuring in the list. Krunal had some consistent performances for Mumbai Indians, Baroda and India A during the past three years and his left-arm spin is expected to add variety to Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal's two-pronged wrist spin attack. The XII also included left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed alongside the regular pace duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah but it remains to be seen whether India would go for a three-man ...
Controversial Rakhimov elected AIBA president
Controversial Uzbek businessman Gafur Rakhimov was elected president of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) on Saturday despite fears that his appointment could lead to the sport's ejection from the Olympic Games. Rakhimov won 86 of the 134 second-round votes collected by AIBA officials in Moscow to beat his only opponent, former boxer Serik Konakbayev of Kazakhstan. Rakhimov, previously interim president, courted controversy after being linked to organised crime by the US Treasury Department. He has vigorously denied the allegations but in October the IOC froze relations with the AIBA and refused to accredit Rakhimov for the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. IOC president Thomas Bach said in February that he was "extremely worried about the governance of AIBA". And though amateur boxing's under-fire chiefs handed over a crucial report on internal reforms to the IOC in April, the threat of losing a place in the Olympic movement remains. Until last week, Rakhimov was the only ..
Need to improve against spinners: Rahane
India Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, who has been experiencing a dip in form over the last two years, has admitted that he needs to improve against the spinners. Rahane has scored just three hundreds and eight fifties from 48 innings since 2016 but he remains confident that he will be able to convert the starts into big scores. "There is no problem in my technique and so I am worried. I have to remain patient and convert the 30s and 40s to half centuries and then to centuries. At times you feel you are doing well but the results are not coming your way," Rahane said here on Saturday. "All the players experience this and what is important is how you tackle this and remain strong to get out of this," he said at the Ekamra Sports Literary Festival during a discussion on the topic 'Guardians of Faith - Saving Test Cricket' here on Saturday. Rahane said that he would like to do better against spin bowling. "I have to work on how to play better against spin bowling. I have to improve on .
Come 2024, hockey will not be played on water-based turf, says CEO
Come 2024 Paris Olympics, field hockey will be played on a turf that doesn't require watering, International Hockey Federation (FIH) Chief Executive Officer Thierry Weil said here on Saturday. Weil, who joined the FIH last April, said that the decision was taken by the world body to conserve water and by 2024, a new hockey turf will be launched where balls can roll smoothly without water. "In the Executive Board meeting, we made an important decision that from 2024 Paris Olympic Games, we will not play in a turf that requires water anymore because we cannot continue to be seen as a body which is wasting water," Weil told reporters at the end of FIH's 46th Congress here. "We have briefed all the suppliers around the world to work on creating a turf which comes close to the quality turf with water. It most probably will be a combination of turf, the ball and footwear. "That's an important and bold decision. We cannot continue to waste water on the pitch when people next door may not ...
Rayudu announces retirement from first-class cricket to focus on shorter formats
India's ODI specialist Ambati Rayudu Saturday announced his retirement from first-class cricket to focus on one dayers and T20s. The 33-year-old Rayudu is one of the key members of the Indian ODI side but has never played Test cricket. "This is to inform that Ambati Rayudu, Hyderabad captain and member of the India ODI team, has decided to retire from longer version of the game including Ranji Trophy (multi day) to focus on limited overs cricket and T20 cricket," Hyderabad Cricket Association said in a press release. "He will continue to play international and domestic matches of shorter version. He has thanked BCCI, Hyderabad Cricket Association, Andhra Cricket Association, Baroda Cricket Association and Vidharbha Cricket Association," the release further stated. Rayudu, who recently made a comeback in the Indian team by virtue of a successful IPL for Chennai Super Kings, is being seen as India's number four batsman going into the ODI World Cup in England. He recently had a ...
Krunal named in India's 12 for 1st T20I vs West Indies
All-rounder Krunal Pandya was on Saturday named in India's 12 for the first of the three T20 internationals against the West Indies here at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.
Gill recovers to lead Rally of Arunachal after day one
Three-time Asia Pacific champion Gaurav Gill recovered from a tyre puncture to surge into the lead on the opening day of the Rally of Arunachal, round three of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship. Mahindra Adventure's Gill, with Musa Sherif by his side, won the other three stages in his usual aggressive style to set himself up for another victory in this elite championship. He raced at speeds over 180 kilometres per hour, recording a scorching average speed of 115.55 km/h in the opening stage. He was at his slowest in the second stage, managing an average of 99.92 km/h, which was still good enough to give him the second position in that stretch. Gill's teammate Amittrajit Ghosh (with Ashwin Naik) notched up the honour of beating Gill, winning Stage 2 in style. He had, however, suffered a setback in Stage 1 himself, struggling with a power issue to finish 9th. He made up in the remaining rounds to climb to the third position by the end of an exciting day although his car ..
India favourites in T20I series: WI skipper Brathwaite
Despite the West Indies being the World T20I champions, captain Carlos Brathwaite on Saturday said India will start as favourites in the three-match series.
North and South Korea plan to have unified hockey team in future
North and South Korea are planning to field a unified hockey team in future international tournaments, continuing the sustained efforts to bring peace between the neighbours through sports. The proposal to have a combined team came from South Korea during a meeting between the representatives of the two countries on the sidelines of the 46th International Hockey Federation (FIH) Congress here. Asian Hockey Federation CEO Tayyab Ikram, who played an instrumental role in the meeting, announced the development but said both the countries will have to get green signal from their governments before the proposal sees the light of the day. "We have just finished a very important meeting between South Korea and North Korea and I am glad to announce that both the countries have agreed to co-operate and develop hockey. Both the countries want to use hockey to bring peace between them," Ikram told a select group of Indian journalists. "One of the proposals mooted was to have a combined team in ..
India start favourites, insists Brathwaite
West Indies skipper Carlos Brathwaite on Saturday insisted India start favourites in the three-match series beginning here Sunday, though the statistics sway heavily in favour of the two-time World T20 Champions. India are yet to win against the Windies in their last four matches that includes a World T20 semifinal loss in 2016. West Indies lead India 5-2 in the overall head-to-head record. "We don't think so. India at home in any format (are) very formidable. Especially with the advent of IPL and the amount of T20 cricket that the Indian superstars play, I think they definitely start as favourites," Brathwaite said at the pre-match news conference. "We are not accustomed to the underdog tag but we are going to take it this time around. But it's not something that we are ashamed of really." After a drubbing in Tests, West Indies put up a better show in the ODIs before losing the series 1-3. Brathwaite too hopes to surprise India. "We have a new team, young exciting team and our CPL ...
Deshpande bags six, Mumbai gain big first innings lead
Young pacer Tushar Deshpande recorded his career-best figures of 6 for 70 to help Mumbai earn a sizeable first innings lead against Railways on the third day of their Ranji Trophy group A encounter here on Saturday. Deshpande's second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket saw Mumbai dismiss Railways for 307 in their first innings thereby taking a 104-run lead. At stumps, Mumbai were 57 for 2, consolidating their overall lead to 161 going into the final day of the opening round clash. However credit should be given to Railways lower-order batsmen, who were instrumental in taking the team past 300-run mark and eating into Mumbai's time to register an outright win. It will be interesting if Mumbai captain Dhawal Kulkarni opts for a sporting declaration in his bid to get full points from the match. Starting the day at 115 for six, Arindam Ghosh (71, 197 balls) and Harsh Tyagi (39, 142 balls) added 58 runs in 28.4 overs for the seventh wicket. However Ghosh was trapped leg-before by ...
Gaurav Gill inches closer to defend his Rally of Arunachal crown
Team Mahindra Adventure racer and defending champion Gaurav Gill emerged victorious on the opening day of the third round of the MRF-FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) here on Saturday.
Marijne, John did not treat me well; says Sardar on shock retirement
Former India hockey captain Sardar Singh Saturday claimed that former coach Sjoerd Marijne and current high performance director David John forced him to make a shock retirement in September. The veteran singled out an incident which took place last year during India's triumphant campaign in the Asia Cup in Dhaka, where he was called to John's room in the presence of Marijne. "I was called to his (David John's) room just before the match against Pakistan in Asia Cup. The coach (Marijne) was also there. He (John) said I committed mistakes and I was playing a lot of individual game. Just before an important match I was called to tell this. You could imagine how I was feeling, he could have told me later," the star mid-fielder claimed. After the Asian Games, Sardar was not named among the probables for the Asian Champions Trophy in Oman, forcing him to think about his future. "I was dropped from important tournaments, the World Hockey League and Commonwealth Games. I thought I will be ...
HIL to return in new 5-a-side look in 2019 for both men, women
The revamped Hockey India League (HIL) will return in 2019 in a new avatar with a more fast-paced five-a-side format replacing the traditional 11-a-side event. "The HIL will be held next year (2019) in November-December in a completely new avatar. It will be a five-a-side tournament with the franchises fielding both men's as well as women's teams," the HI official told PTI on the sidelines of the 46h International Hockey Federation (FIH) Congress here. The HIL's future looked uncertain after five seasons when Hockey India postponed the 2018 edition. This was after some of the franchises threatened to withdraw having incurred financial losses. It forced the HI to opt for a financially more viable format for the franchises to keep alive its flagship event. Save Delhi Waveriders, which is no longer part of the event, all other franchises are expected to take part in the league. "Besides the men's and women's events, a mixed team event will also be there. So basically, it means there will
Group C: Rajasthan set J&K daunting target of 395
Rajasthan set a target of 395 for Jammu and Kashmir Saturday in their Elite Group C Ranji Trophy Game here on the third day of the encounter. After putting up 379 in the first innings, Rajasthan bundled out Jammu and Kashmir for 204 and later declared the second innings for 219/4, putting together overall lead of 394. Jammu and Kashmir started from their overnight score of 186/7 but were able to add only 18 runs to their tally and eventually were bowled out for 204. For Rajasthan, leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (5-59) starred with the ball as he picked up a five-wicket haul and spun his web around Jammu and Kashmir at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here. In their second innings, Rajasthan opener A V Gautam top-scored with 68, while middle-order batsman Robin Bist (44) and Tajinder Singh Dhillon (49 not out) made notable contributions. However, their first innings hero Chetan Bist, who had scored 159, fell cheaply in the second outing. At stumps on day 3, Jammu and Kashmir were ...