Page 988 - Sports

I don't feel any sense of entitlement: Kohli on 10,000 run milestone

Performing for the country is "not a favour done to anyone", and may be that is the reason even after 10 years of international cricket, Indian captain Virat Kohli feels "no sense of entitlement". Kohli, who completed the fastest 10,000 ODI runs eclipsing Sachin Tendulkar by an astounding 54 innings, feels that "nothing should be taken for granted" as it's a privilege that only few are bestowed with while a whole lot of them can only aspire. "It's a great honour for me to represent my country and even after playing 10 years, I don't feel like I am entitled for anything here. You still have to work hard for every run that you score at the international level," Kohli told BCCI.TV today. "There are many people who want this (playing for India) very badly. So when you are in that same position yourself, you should have that same hunger and never take things for granted, never take it easy at any stage," said the Indian skipper. For Kohli, commitment is about doing what the team requires ..

India is focussed on retaining Asian title: Harmanpreet

India's penalty corner specialist Harmanpreet Singh said his team is focused on retaining the Hero Asian Champions Trophy after it thrashed South Korea 4-1 in the last league outing here. "The Indian team goes out looking for early goals every time. The team is maintaining its structure and focused on retaining the title," said Harmanpreet, who scored three goals against South Korea last night at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex here. India stayed on top of the league standings with 13 points from five outings. Their semi-final opponent will be determined after the last round of league matches tonight, although Malaysia, Pakistan and Japan have earned enough points to push South Korea and Oman out of the frame. "The support from Indian fans here in Muscat has been wonderful. The fan support is always a big boost for us," said Harmanpreet. Harmanpreet made a dramatic entry into international hockey when he made his debut in the 2016 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh (Malaysia) and went on .

Robin van Persie to retire at the end of the season

Ace Dutch striker Robin van Persie on Thursday said he will retire from football at the end of the season.

Sandhu, Ghai lie tied second after day 1 of Panasonic Open India

Indian duo of Ajeetesh Sandhu and Tapy Ghai produced a matching five-under 67 to lie tied second after the opening day of the Asian Tour's Panasonic Open India on Thursday. Sandhu, a winner on the Asian Tour and last year's joint runner-up and 22-year-old Ghai, playing only his second season as a professional, were one stroke adrift of sole leader Thailand's Suradit Yongcharoenchai (66) at the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) here. While Bangladesh's Md Siddikur Rahman (67) also took a share of second, the other Indians who enjoyed a strong start at the USD 400,000 event were Veer Ahlawat and Rashid Khan in tied fifth with scores of 68. They shared the fifth spot with Thai duo Jazz Janewattananond and Peradol Panyathanasedh. Veteran Jeev Milkha Singh, Kapil Kumar and Karandeep Kochhar were tied ninth with scores of 69. Defending champion Shiv Kapur carded a 70 to be tied 16th. Sandhu was quick off the blocks collecting three birdies on the front nine at the cost of one bogey. The man with two ...

Don't know why I was not picked for remaining Windies ODIs: Jadhav

A 'fit-again' Kedar Jadhav was on Thursday slightly taken aback after not being picked for the remaining three ODIs against the West Indies and said there was no communication over his non-exclusion. Jadhav was drafted into the India A side midway into the Deodhar Trophy as the selectors wanted to assess his fitness before taking a call on his comeback. In the presence of three national selectors, Jadhav made his case with an unbeaten 41 off 25 as well as sent down five overs but the ODI team announced during the course of the Deodhar game didn't figure the Maharashtra player. "I did not know this," said Jadhav when asked if there was any communication over his selection for the remaining three games against the West Indies. "Let's see. You are the first one to tell me this. I need to see why they have not picked me. I don't know what the plan is now that I am not there in the team. Probably, I will be playing the Ranji Trophy," said the 33-year-old from Pune. His comments came in ..

Banthia keeps alive Indian challenge in Asian Juniors singles

Fourth-seeded Local boy Siddhant Banthia was the lone Indian player still in the hunt in the singles after making it to the boys semi-finals of the 2nd HCL Asian B1 Junior Tennis Championship here on Thursday. Banthia got the better of compatriot Dev Javia 7-6 (5)7-5 in the quarter finals to earn a shot at top seed Dostanbek Tashbulatov of Kazakstan on Friday for a place in the finals. The Kazakh boy was given a fright by his sixth-seeded Indian rival Sacchitt Sharrma before prevailing 6-4 2-6 6-4 in another quarter final tie at the Deccan Gymkhana courts. Two other Indians fell by the wayside in quarter final contests against overseas players. Third seed Seon Yong Han of Korea subdued Indian opponent Mann Shah 6-0 6-4 in 70 minutes to earn a face-off in the semis against second seed Sergey Fomin of Uzbekistan who powered past seed number 5 Megh Bhargav Patel of India 6-2 6-1. Top seed Hong Yi Cody Wong of Hong Kong, third seed Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand, number

SAFF U-15 C'ship: India lose to Pak in opener

The Indian U-15 football team kicked off their title defence at the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship with a 1-2 defeat at the hands of Pakistan in their first match here at the ANFA Complex.In a tightly-contested match, Pakistan had taken the lead in the first half. In the 53rd minute, though India had equalized, a late goal by the opponents in the 85th minute proved to be the difference between the two sides.India started the match on an attacking note but failed to see the light of day as the opponent flooded bodies in defence.In the 30th minute, the opposing side took the lead after Adnan Justin found the back of the Indian net from close range. At the half-way point, the scoreline read 1-0 in Pakistan's favour.India wasted time in the second half and got into the thick of affairs. Finding an opportunity to test the opposition at almost every minute upped the ante for the Indians.In the 53rd minute, India equalized their deficit when Thlacheu Vanlalruatfela broke

ISL: Chennaiyin's poor form not an advantage for us, says ATK coach

Despite Chennaiyin FC not playing their best football in this season's Indian Super League (ISL), ATK coach Steve Coppell on Thursday refused to take them lightly and said the defending champions looked good in their last game and they are desperate to log three points too.

France lose top spot to Belgium in FIFA rankings

World Cup winners France dropped one place to second in the FIFA rankings on Thursday as Belgium moved up to claim top spot. England and Uruguay were the only other movers in the top 10, Gareth Southgate's men moving up one place to fifth and Uruguay moving the other way, to sixth. Elsewhere, lowly Gibraltar were rewarded for recent wins over Armenia and Liechtenstein by moving up eight places to 190th. FIFA rankings as of October 25: 1. Belgium 2. France (-1 place) 3. Brazil 4. Croatia 5. England (+1) 6. Uruguay (- 1) 7. Portugal 8. Switzerland 9. Spain 10.

Pliskova storms into WTA Finals semis after beating Kvitova

Czech Karolina Pliskova stormed into the semi-finals Thursday after a convincing straight sets victory against compatriot Petra Kvitova, sending the former Wimbledon champion crashing out of the WTA Finals in Singapore. Pliskova became the first player into the final four after a 6-3, 6-4 triumph in 83 minutes. Kvitova needed to win in straight sets to keep her campaign alive but struggled throughout to complete a disappointing first WTA Finals appearance since 2015. The result puts pressure on reigning champion Caroline Wozniacki, who needs to defeat unbeaten Elina Svitolina in straight sets to keep her title defence alive. Former world number one Pliskova booked her spot in the semi-finals for the second straight year. "I can't be happier right now," she said after the match. "Everything has been working well for me this week. I don't want to think of the trophy ... I'll just do what I can to recover." Kvitova's slump in Singapore continued, serving three double faults to be broken .

Bangladesh call uncapped pacer for Zimbabwe Test

Bangladesh on Thursday included uncapped fast bowler Khaled Ahmed in their 15-man squad for the two-Test series against Zimbabwe starting November 3 in Sylhet. The hosts, who were thrashed in their last Test series in the West Indies in July, made five changes in the absence of injured all-rounder Shakib al Hasan and batsman Tamim Iqbal. Khaled, 26, was selected along with batsman Mohammad Mithun, spinner Nazmul Islam and all-rounder Ariful Haque, who is yet to make his Test debut. Fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman also returned to the Test team after missing out on the West Indies series due to an ankle injury. Fast bowlers Rubel Hossain, Kamrul Islam and wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan made way for the newcomers. "We have selected the best available squad because this series is important for us," chief selector Minhajul Abedin told reporters in Chittagong. Khaled excelled during Bangladesh A team's tour of Ireland in August, picking up 10 wickets in a five-match one-day series. The ...

Kia Motors to train ball kids for Australia Open

Renowned South Korean automakers Kia Motors on Thursday opened up entries for the Australian Open Ballkids Program in India. The company has joined hands with Indian tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi for the selection and training process of the kids. Under the Australian Open Ballkids Program, 10 shortlisted Indian will get to experience the excitement, thrill and sporting spirit of the Tennis tournament through a fully sponsored trip by Kia Motors India. The Ballkids play an important role in smooth functioning and execution of tennis tournaments. Each Ballkid at the Australian Open series is a critical part of the game where they get to actively contribute on-ground and receive a huge boost of confidence at the same time. "Our association with Australian Open has helped us support players and promote the growth of tennis worldwide and it gives me immense pleasure to bring this partnership to India," said Kookhyun Shim, Managing Director & CEO, Kia Motors India. "The Australian Open ..

ISL: Chennaiyin poor form not an advantage for us, says ATK coach

Despite Chennaiyin FC not playing their best football in this season's Indian Super League (ISL), ATK coach Steve Coppell on Thursday refused to take them lightly and said the defending champions looked good in their last game and they are desperate to log three points too.

PCB to issue NOC for T10 League

Ahead of a ten-over (T10) League, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday decided to issue No Objection Certificate (NOC) to some of its players.The decision was made after the PCB procured and processed detailed information from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Emirates Cricket Board, the country's cricket board said.The PCB's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) also executed a thorough review in which it was observed that the ICC had given approval to the member boards to issue NOC to their players to take part in the league if they want to.Reflecting on the same, the PCB will send its own Integrity Officers to monitor the T10 League as they did in the first edition of the league.Pakistan players will now have to approach the PCB to seek NOC; however, each request for NOC will be assessed on a case-to-case basis.Earlier in September, the PCB chairman Ehsan Mani had declined giving NOC to its players until being fully satisfied with the credibility of the game. He had ...

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah named in squad for Windies ODIs

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have been included in the 15-member squad for the remaining three matches against West Indies, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Thursday.The frontline pace duo was rested for the first two One Day Internationals (ODIs) against West Indies.Despite Mohammed Shami returning with figures of 1 for 59 in his quota 10 overs in the second match, he could not retain his position in the team. However, Umesh Yadav, who conceded a massive 142 runs in the two matches in contrast to Shami's 140, will feature in the remaining games.The third, fourth and fifth ODI matches will be played in Pune, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram on October 27, 29 and November 1, respectively.Following is the 15-member squad for the remaining ODIs:Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed, Umesh Yadav, KL .

Dwayne Bravo quits international cricket

West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo on Thursday announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket, ending a 14-year-old career that included 40 Tests, 164 ODIs and 66 T20 Internationals.

I will be Mancunian for rest of my life: Guardiola

Terming Manchester City as the club he wants to coach for the rest of his life, manager Pep Guardiola said it would be impossible for him to take charge of another English football club.

We can top our AFC Championship group: U-18 women's captain

Indian women's football captain Vanlahriattiri feels her side has the potential to top the group after it thrashed Pakistan in their opening match of the AFC U-19 Womens' Championship qualifiers. India began their qualification campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan with an 18-0 win on Wednesday. "We have Pakistan, Nepal, and Thailand in our group. I think we are in a good position, compared to these teams, and can get the desired results. I wouldn't be surprised if we manage to top our group," Vanlahriattiri told AIFF.com. India will take on Nepal on Friday followed by hosts Thailand on October 28. A native of Mizoram, Vanlahriattiri will look to play an important role in the team. Being an out-and-out midfielder herself, "B", as she is popularly known within the dressing room, idolises Liverpool and England legend Steven Gerrard. Much like the other girls in the team, she also had to play alongside boys, when she was a kid, as her village did not have any team for girls. "Back then ..

Shubman Gill takes India C to Deodhar final as national selectors watch

Shubman Gill rose to the occasion with a timely hundred to steer India C to the Deodhar Trophy final with a comprehensive six-wicket win over India A here on Thursday. In the presence of three selectors, U-19 star Gill hit an unbeaten 106 off 111 balls and showed why he is seen as the next big thing in Indian cricket. And probably, the day is not far when he follows his U-19 captain Prithvi Shaw into the national team. With the first three wickets down for 85 runs, Gill paced his innings perfectly and with the support of Ishan Kishan (69 off 60) and the hard-hitting Suryakumar Yadav (56 not out off 36), took India C to the final scheduled for Saturday. The Gill special came after Kedar Jadhav's blitzkrieg in his comeback game. Jadhav plundered an unbeaten 41 off 25 balls in the death overs, pushing India A to 293 for six after the top three Abhimanyu Easwaran (69 off 103), Anmolpreet Singh (59 off 56) and Nitish Rana (68 off 76) scored half-centuries. The chase was a tricky one but ..

I-League kicks off in backdrop of impending restructuring

Its future uncertain due to the impending restructuring of the country's football structure, the I-League kicks off Friday with a lot of promise following a fantastic previous season and a fair amount of buzz due to Real Kashmir's debut in the top division. The All India Football Federation's development side Indian Arrows and Chennai City FC face each other in the opening match at the Nehru Stadium in Coimbatore on Friday. Eleven clubs from 10 states will vie for top honours in the league which will continue for over six months. Srinagar-based Real Kashmir FC are making their debut in the I-League after winning the second division league earlier this year. There is quite a buzz in the Kashmir Valley in anticipation of the first I-League coming to Srinagar and also after the two-year-old club scooped a major sponsorship deal with global sportswear major Adidas. Since the launch of the cash-rich franchise-based Indian Super League in 2013, the I-League has been the poor cousin of the ..