Teenager Deependra gives Kerala crucial win

Kochi: Kerala Blasters came back from behind to register a 2-1 win over Delhi Dynamos FC at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi, on Saturday. The home side desperately needed the three points to keep their hopes for a top-four place alive in the Hero Indian Super League and are now placed fifth with 17 points.

Kalu Uche gave Miguel Angel Portugal's side the lead from the spot but Kerala Blasters found an unlikely hero in 19-year-old teenager, Deependra Singh Negi, who scored one and played a big part in his team’s second after the change of ends.

Delhi Dynamos started on the front foot and after testing Kerala Blasters goalkeeper Subhasish Roy Chowdhury a couple of times early on, they deservedly took the lead in the 35th minute. 

Deependra Singh Negi

Prasanth Karuthadathkuni's clumsy push on Seityasen Singh in his own box gave the referee a good reason to point to the spot. Kalu Uche took the responsibility and calmly slotted the ball past Chowdhury.

Even after going a goal down, there was little reaction from the home side, and Delhi could have doubled their lead but Chowdhury came to his side’s rescue with a fingertip save to keep Mathias Mirabaje’s dipping shot out.

Not happy with his team's performance, Kerala Blasters coach David James introduced 19-year-old teenager, Deependra Singh Negi early in the second half. It turned out to be a masterstroke. 

Barely minutes after coming on for his ISL debut, Negi brought the home side on level terms. In the 48th minute, Jackichand Singh’s corner was met by the youngster at the near post and it took a deflection of a Delhi player before going into the net.

The goal gave Kerala a much need boost and they pushed on. Negi could have given the home side the lead 10 minutes later when Lalruatthara Lalruatthara’s cross from the right found him in the box. But he could only direct the ball wide of the post under pressure from defenders.

As the game progressed, there were chances created at either ends as both sides pushed for a winner. For Delhi, a couple of those chances fell to their main man Kalu Uche, but the big Nigerian failed to make them count. At the other end, Negi again stepped up for his side and won a penalty in the 75th minute. 

Pratik Chowdhary’s lunging tackle brought the youngster down inside the box and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty for the second time in the game. Iain Hume did the rest from the spot to give the home side the lead much to the delight of their supporters.

Caroline Wozniacki wins first major title at Australian Open

MELBOURNE: An emotional Caroline Wozniacki finally lifted her first Grand Slam title at the 43rd attempt as she beat Simona Halep in three energy-sapping sets to win the Australian Open on Saturday.

The Dane, who will become the new world number one, burst into tears as she secured the championship 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-4 against the battling Romanian top seed on her first match point of a gruelling, epic encounter.

"I've dreamt of this moment for so many years," said second seeded Wozniacki after becoming the first player from Denmark to win a Grand Slam.

"My voice is shaking. I never cry, but this is a very emotional moment.

"I want to congratulate Simona, I know it's a tough day," she added after receiving the trophy from Billie Jean King.

"I'm sorry that I had to win today but I'm sure we'll have many matches in the future and it was an incredible match and an incredible fight and again, I'm sorry."

Wozniacki, 27, had to overcome bouts of nerves throughout the long match. She wobbled when serving for the first set at 5-3 and had to come through a tiebreak.

"I want to thank my fiance," she said, looking up to American basketball player David Lee in her box. "I was a nervous wreck this morning, I wanted to win so bad, but you calmed me down."

Both players needed medical attention on court before the Dane prevailed in 2hr 49min on Rod Laver Arena.

For Wozniacki, victory meant shedding at last the unwanted moniker of best player never to win a major, having reached the US Open final in 2009 and 2014, and first becoming number one in 2010.

For Halep, who surrendered her number one status to Wozniacki in defeat, the wait goes on.

"It's not easy to talk now but first of all I want to congratulate Caroline," said Halep, who was also appearing in her third Grand Slam final and first in Australia.

"She played amazing. It's been a great tournament for me. Of course I'm sad I couldn't win today but Caroline was better than me.

"But I will fight and hopefully I will face another challenge like I did today. I'm sad that I couldn't make it the third time, but maybe the fourth time will be with luck."

Wozniacki started the stronger, breaking Halep's opening service game with the early evening temperature still above 30 Celsius (86 Farenheit) before racing into a 3-0 lead.

She had not won a set in either of her previous two Grand Slam final appearances and tightened visibly serving for this one, and the set headed for a tiebreak.

The Dane went 4-1 up before a second mini-break and two solid serves gave her the tiebreak 7-2.

Wozniacki was growing in confidence and Halep needed to save four break points at 1-1 in the second set in a brutal game that lasted 11 minutes.

Soon after Halep signalled to her coach Darren Cahill that she wasn't feeling well and there were worrying scenes as she had her blood pressure taken and an ice towel applied in the next changeover.

She re-emerged with her energy drained and needed the luckiest of net cords to hold for 4-3.

Cramping, she decided to stand and deliver in the next game, keeping the points short.

Incredibly the tactic paid off as she broke Wozniacki with a ripping drive up the line to level the match.


The tournament's extreme heat policy was invoked meaning the players took a 10-minute break before the start of the third set.

When they resumed neither of them could hold their serve until Wozniacki, after having a timeout to have her left knee strapped, held for 5-4 to force Halep to serve to stay in the match.


source: news agency

Messi credits coach for Barcelona's success

New manager Ernesto Valverde deserves credit for FC Barcelona's improved performance, Lionel Messi has said.

Under Valverde, who joined the club last summer, Barça have built a 11-point lead at the top of La Liga, reached the Champions League round of 16 and qualified for the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, Efe news report.

"Since the new coach's arrival, he was very clear from the beginning about what he expected from the squad and we adapted fast to his instructions, ...," Messi said at a promotional event.

"We became defensively stronger and in the attacking line we have high quality players," the Argentine superstar said.

Messi said that he was optimistic about Barcelona's season, noting that the club is still alive in all competitions.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner said that the squad was delighted with the arrival of Philippe Coutinho and Yerry Mina, who joined the club during the winter transfer window.

Asked about the possibility of winning another Ballon d'Or, he said: "Individual awards are not my aims.

source: News Agency

Nehwal to face Ratchanok in Indonesia Masters semis

Jakarta : Rio Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal will face Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the semi-finals of the Indonesia Masters here on Saturday.

Former world No. 1 Nehwal has an 8-5 head-to-head record against fourth-seeded Intanon.

Nehwal made it to the semi-finals by defeating P.V. Sindhu in straight sets 21-13, 21-19 in an all-Indian clash.

Meanwhile, in the men's doubles, Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will lock horns with Indonesian pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo in the last four.

The Indian duo earlier stunned fourth-seeded Denmark pair of Mads Conrad-Petersen and Mads Pieler Kolding 23-21, 15-21, 21-19.

source: News Agency

IPL auction: Stokes goes to Royals for Rs 12.5 cr, Ashwin to Kings XI

Bengaluru: England's Ben Stokes has once again made the headlines as he has been sold for a whopping Rs 12.5 crore to the Rajasthan Royals in the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction for the 11th edition of the tournament here on Saturday.

Stokes, who was on the marquee list, had a base price of Rs 2 crore.

He played the last season with the Rising Pune Supergiant and has been the top-priced overseas player in the competition's history.

Meanwhile, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been sold to Kings XI Punjab for Rs 7.6 crore, departing ways with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

West Indies' Chris Gayle, who played last season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has remained unsold.

Australia's Mitchell Starc has been sold to Kolkata Knight Rider (KKR) for Rs 9.4 crore.

Rajasthan Royal's used the Right To Match (RTM) to retain India's Ajinkya Rahane for Rs 4 crore.

Meanhwile, Shikhar Dhawan with a base price of Rs 2 crore has been sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 5.20 crore.

Sunrisers Hyderabad used the Right To Match (RTM) to retain Dhawan.

West Indies's Kieron Pollard with a base price of Rs 2 crore has been sold to Mumbai Indians for Rs 5.4 crore.

Up to 578 players, out of the 1,122 players, have been kept for the final two-day auction, which includes 244 capped players (62 from India), 332 uncapped players (34 from overseas), and two players from Associate countries.

source: News Agency

IPL auction 2018: Daredevils take Glenn Maxwell for Rs 9 crore, Root unsold

Bengaluru : In a bidding war for Australian superstar Glenn Maxwell, Delhi Daredevils snapped up the right-handed batsman for Rs 9 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction for the 11th edition of the tournament here on Saturday.

Daredevil also bought left-handed batsman Gautam Gambhir for Rs 2.8 crores.

Gambhir had earlier led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 but the franchise did not retain the Indian this time.

Yuvraj Singh was welcomed by the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) as they bought him for Rs 2 crore, also his base price.

He played the last season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bought Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for Rs 2 crore, not a penny more than his base price, and retained West Indies' Dwayne Bravo for Rs 6.4 crores.

Harbhajan last played the league with the Mumbai Indians.

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was sold for Rs 3 crore to the Sunrisers Hyderabad while England captain Joe Root, who was making an IPL auction debut, remained unsold.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was sold to the Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 2 crore.

Up to 578 players, out of the 1,122 players, have been kept for the final two-day auction, which includes 244 capped players (62 from India), 332 uncapped players (34 from overseas), and two players from Associate countries.

source: News Agency

IPL auction to begin today, 578 players to go under hammer

New Delhi : The much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) auction for the 11th edition of the tournament will begin on Saturday.

Up to 578 players, out of the 1,122 players, have been kept for the final two-day auction, which includes 244 capped players (62 from India), 332 uncapped players (34 from overseas), and two players from Associate countries.

The players have been divided into different sets and the auction will kick start with the 'marquee' list, where 16 players, in two batches of eight each will go for the bid.

The marquee list includes Gautam Gambhir, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh from India while from overseas, players such as Ben Stokes, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Christopher Gayle, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Shakib Hasan - each priced at Rs 2 crore - are on that list.

The auction pool will also include players from the Under-19 India team squad in the form of skipper Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Himanshu Rana, Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Arshdeep Singh and Harvik Desai.

The eight IPL franchise have been allowed to spend a maximum of Rs 80 crore on their squad salaries.

Players who have already been retained by the franchises are- MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja- by the Chennai Super Kings; Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah by the Mumbai Indians; Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Sarfaraz Khan by the Royal Challengers Bangalore; Sunil Narine, Andre Russell by the Kolkata Knight Riders; Rishabh Pant, Chris Morris, Shreyas Iyer by the Delhi Daredevils; Axar Patel by the Kings XI Punjab; David Warner, Bhuvneshwar Kumar by the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Steven Smith by the Rajasthan Royals. 



source: news agency

Rahm strong in pursuit of number one

Jon Rahm's six-under par 66 left him one shot behind 36-hole leader Ryan Palmer on Friday and within striking distance of a second straight Farmers Insurance Open crown and the world number one ranking.

The 23-year-old Spaniard is thriving in the first pro title defense of his career.

"You know, it's really fun to be the last person that won here and be playing good again and have a chance to go back-to-back," said Rahm, who had six birdies without a bogey on the Torrey Pines North Course, where Palmer carded a five-under par 67.

Palmer closed eagle-birdie to grab the lead with a 36-hole total of 133.

Rahm, meanwhile, did most of his damage early, teeing off on 10 and opening with back-to-back birdies.

He was four-under for the round through eight holes, and added two more birdies in his last three holes.

"I had the putter really hot on the first nine holes," Rahm said. "I made a lot of really good putts, four for birdie and par, but my short game kept me alive today."

Some six holes in, Rahm said, his swing "started feeling a little iffy off the tee".

"I wasn't hitting it in the fairway, not comfortable, and I was able to save some great pars out there today. Then I kind of pulled it back again on the last few holes."

Rahm arrived at Torrey Pines last year ranked 137th in the world.

His first US PGA Tour victory pushed him into the top 50 and he followed with victories at the Irish Open and the DP World Tour Championship.

His victory on Sunday in the CareerBuilder Challenge saw him overtake Jordan Spieth for number two in the world, and he said it's "humbling" to think he has the number one ranking in his sights.

"I'm just trying to keep going and trying to keep playing good golf," Rahm said. "What happens will happen, but so far I'm trying to focus on one round at a time."



source: news agency

Olympics: U.S to send record 242 athletes to Pyeongchang Games

The United States will send the largest team ever to attend a Winter Olympics, 242 athletes, to next month’s Pyeongchang Games, the U.S. Olympic Committee announced.

Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, figure skating favourite Nathan Chen and speedskater Shani Davis, the winner of four Olympic medals, headline the team of 107 women and 135 men who will be seeking to earn the United States their 100th Olympic gold and 300th medal.

The Americans won 28 medals, including nine golds, at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and with 103 Olympians returning, they are looking for an equally strong showing.

“It’s been pretty brutal to wait for another Olympics,” said Vonn, who will be making her fourth appearance at a Games having missed out on a trip to Sochi in 2014 with a knee injury.

“I am so excited, it is probably my last Olympics,” added the 2010 Vancouver downhill gold medallist who recently claimed a record 79th World Cup race.

For Chen, a prediction he made as a 10-year-old that he would become an Olympian is about to become a reality.

“It is crazy,” said the figure skater, “to think that eight years later here I am, I made that dream happen.”

Ten Olympic champions are on the team, including five looking to defend their titles from the 2014 Sochi Games – Jamie Anderson (snowboarding slopestyle), Maddie Bowman (freestyle skiing halfpipe), Ted Ligety (Alpine skiing giant slalom), Mikaela Shiffrin (Alpine skiing slalom) and David Wise (freestyle skiing halfpipe).

“My confidence is through the roof right now,” said Wise.

With 10 African-Americans, 11 Asian-Americans and the first two openly gay male athletes, the 2018 team is the most diverse U.S. team ever.

The squad also will feature the first African-American women to represent the United States in speedskating (Maame Biney and Erin Jackson) and the first African-American on the U.S. hockey team (Jordan Greenway).

Kelly Clark (snowboarding) and Kikkan Randall (cross-country skiing) will become the first female five-time U.S. Olympians at the Winter Games, while Davis becomes the first U.S. speedskater to compete in five Olympics.



source: news agency

De Bruyne the engine driving Man City's trophy charge

LONDON: There have been moments this season when Pep Guardiola, the orchestrator of Manchester City’s landmark season, has been left open-mouthed by the excellence of his on-field conductor Kevin De Bruyne.

“I have no words...” spluttered the City manager after watching De Bruyne engineer the 4-1 destruction of Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in December.

Guardiola explained then that it was the Belgian’s work ethic, chasing around tirelessly like “a player in the Conference (minor) league” as much as his sheer brilliance on the ball that was so striking.

De Bruyne, he felt, was shining his light on the path that the rest of City’s young armada of talent needed to take. His positivity, selflessness and industry demonstrated the way forward. The Guardiola way and now the City way.

Which was why the manager sounded so enthused when commenting on the five-year contract extension that De Bruyne signed on Monday. Asked how delighted he felt by this news, the Spaniard just smiled: “You cannot imagine...”

Twenty-four hours after he had put pen to paper, the League Cup semi-final second leg at Bristol City illustrated De Bruyne’s worth perfectly.

Though the home side’s late equaliser could only be a consolation with the tie already lost, the 26-year-old made it seem a personal affront, driving back downfield in the 96th minute to score and make it 3-2.

It capped yet another of those complete performances that makes De Bruyne an unassailable favourite to win the footballer of the year honours in England this season.

Yet it also left awed observers wondering if a man who has run his heart out in all of City’s 24 league matches this season could maintain such energy levels over the rest of a sapping campaign as City still targetted four trophies.

“I‘m trying to, hopefully,” he told reporters after the Bristol City match when asked if he could feature on all four fronts, adding wryly: “Otherwise I will fall down...”

For the moment, though, with City preparing for another potentially tricky visit to a Championship (second-tier) side, this time Cardiff City in the fourth round of the FA Cup, on Sunday, he reckoned he and his team were “managing really well”.

Guardiola, who has overseen City’s commanding 12-point lead in the League as well as piloting them to a League Cup final date against Arsenal on Feb. 25, keeps saying the ‘quadruple’, capped by a Champions League triumph, is “an illusion”.

In truth, a coach who once won six trophies in a year with Barcelona must know anything is possible yet he will need De Bruyne, the man he hails for “making us a better club”, to be operating at the stellar level he has made look almost routine.

De Bruyne, who still shows no signs of offering anything but his familiar study in perpetual motion, rules out nothing himself.

“Obviously we want to try and win all four, because we want to win every game,” he shrugged. “But it’s a hard task...”



source: news agency

Big guns silenced as Spain, Sweden reach Euro final

ZAGREB: Both favourites were knocked out of the European handball championship semi-finals on Friday as Spain beat world champions France 27-23 and Sweden edged Olympic title holders Denmark 35-34 after extra time.

Goalkeepers took centre stage in both games as Spain’s Arpad Sterbik, called up as a late replacement for the injured first-choice Perez de Vargas, stopped three penalties while Sweden’s Andreas Palicka racked up a barrage of saves.

France and Denmark will meet in the bronze medal match on Sunday before Spain, who are aiming for their first European title after four silver medals, meet former quadruple champions Sweden in the imposing Zagreb Arena.

A normally prolific French attack was stifled by Spain’s steely defence which gave playmaker Nikola Karabatic no room to operate and with the supply routes cut off, France trailed 15-9 at halftime.

Spain appeared to have wrapped up the match when they carved out a staggering 23-14 lead midway through the second half, but France then produced their best spell of the contest as they scored six unanswered goals.

Spain held their nerve in the closing stages though and romped into the final on the back of seven goals from right wing Ferran Sole and six from centre back Raul Entrerrios.

Sweden prevailed in an epic Scandinavian derby after taking a body blow on the buzzer, when livewire Denmark winger Lasse Svan netted to force extra time and seemingly shift the momentum his team’s way.

Sweden had led throughout regular time and showed remarkable composure to regain the advantage in the additional 10 minutes, with Palicka frustrating the Danes whenever they looked likely to turn the tide.




source: news agency

Sanchez stars on debut to help Man United progress past Yeovil

London: Debutant Alexis Sanchez had little trouble adjusting to his new place in Manchester United's line-up as he assisted the opening two goals in the Premier League club's 4-0 FA Cup fourth round win at Yeovil Town on Friday.

Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera both benefited from the Chilean's presence either side of halftime, while Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku scored late on as the 12-times FA Cup champions overcame a spirited performance from the League Two hosts.

United will discover their fifth round opponents when the draw is made on Monday, two days before they return to Premier League action at Tottenham Hotspur. 

Despite a shaky start to the match, it proved to be a very happy evening for manager Jose Mourinho to mark his 55th birthday, a day after committing his future to Old Trafford until 2020.

The Portuguese coach, who previously criticised his side for their lack of intensity in falling to lower league side Bristol City in the League Cup last month, this time hailed his side's 'correct attitude' and singled out the maturity of his new signing in particular.

"Everybody is happy that he (Sanchez) comes because good players want good players and Alexis is a fantastic player for us," Mourinho told the BBC.

"And the question as well is which one is going to be axed, where is he going to play - it is not about that for us. For us it is the fact that we have a fantastic group of attacking players and he's another one with a bit more maturity, more experience."

Yeovil started the brighter of the two teams in front of a packed Huish Park and had the first shots on goal, Jordan Green in particular testing stand-in United goalkeeper Sergio Romero after 15 minutes.

However, they went behind after 41 minutes when Sanchez played in Rashford who was fortunate that Yeovil defender Thomas James hesitated to clear, allowing the English striker to put the ball in.

Hopes of an upset were further dashed in a swift United counter-attack around the hour mark, with Sanchez once again the provider to the overlapping Herrera, who rifled in with his left foot.


Sanchez's replacement Lingard continued his recent fine run of form by running into the opposition penalty area late on and firing in his 12th goal of the season in all competitions.

Lukaku then grabbed his third goal of 2018 with a close finish to cap a flattering win for Mourinho's men.





source: news agency

Woods birdies his final hole to make cut in PGA Tour return

LA JOLLA (California): Tiger Woods acknowledged that his long game was poor in the second round at the Farmers Insurance Open but said he was excited to make the cut and qualify for the final two rounds.

That is a far cry from the days when he considered finishing second to be a failure, but reflects the new reality of a 42-year-old who has hardly played in the past two years as he struggled to overcome back problems.

But after successful spinal fusion surgery, Woods is swinging freely for the first time in four years, even if inaccuracy plagued him on Friday in his first official event in 51 weeks.

He birdied his final hole, the par-five ninth, by two-putting from 80 feet to make the cut with nothing to spare, giving himself the chance to play two more competitive rounds as he works his way back.

"This is a different body and that's why I'm excited to play the weekend, continue getting used to my feels because they are different," Woods said after shooting 71 for one-under 143.

"I can hit certain shots (at home) but come out here in competition and my adrenaline goes up a little bit, I hit the ball further, but how much further?

"These are things I'm going to have to learn and I need more time under the fire of competition."

He is equal 65th, 10 strokes behind leader Ryan Palmer (67), who heads Spanish defending champion Jon Rahm (66) by a stroke.

Woods drove the ball wildly most of the day, pulling several drives hard left but also blocking a couple right.

"I had the pulls early, actually more like a pull-flip, so it was even worse than that," he said.

"And then after I hit a couple of shots I went for the spinner out there, and lost a couple to the right. Then I settled in and hit some good ones, but still not quite right. I need to fix that."

But at least his short game was sharp and he putted well.

"My short game has been good all week, so that parts been solid.

"It's been a long 12 months," he added.


source: news agency

Blasters look to keep nothing to chance

Kochi: The appointment of David James as the head coach at the turn of the year, brought a fresh resurgence to Kerala Blasters in the Hero Indian Super League. The former England goalkeeper oversaw two wins and a draw in his first three games in charge but after having suffered two consecutive defeats in their last two games against Jamshedpur FC and FC Goa, the pressure is back on the 'Yellow Army' and more so on the coach who replaced former Manchester United A team Dutch coach Rene Meulensteen. 

The Blasters are currently seventh in the league standings with 14 points from their 12 games, and desperately need a win against Delhi Dynamos when the two sides meet at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday to keep their hopes of making it to the top four places alive. 

"Obviously, it's not a position we wanted to be in at the start of the season. We have been watching games and hoping there are wins for the teams below us so that it gives us a chance to catch up with teams above us on the table.  But it's simple, we have got six games in hand, we plan to win all of them. But that still might not be enough," James told reporters at the pre-match press conference.

To strengthen their chances, Kerala Blasters have also signed Icelandic striker Gudjon Baldvinsson to replace Dutch striker Mark Sifneos, who was released from the club earlier this week. "With the loss of Mark (Sifineos) to injury, Gudjon is someone who gives a different option going forward. He is an accomplished player in Iceland," James said.

KBFC coach David James a tough task in hand

The Kerala Blasters coach also hinted that the club may sign few more players before the January transfer window closes. "With the transfer window still open, there is a chance to bring in few more players to replace some of the injured players in the current team. The work is not quite finished," he added.

For Delhi Dynamos, who have been languishing at the bottom of the ISL points table, a place in the top four may be out of reach already but they still have a lot to play for. "For us, there is not much chance of making it to the top four now," Delhi Dynamos head coach, Miguel Angel Portugal conceded at the pre-match pre-conference. But the Spanish tactician added that his side will want to win the remaining games to finish the season on a high. 

And for the game against Kerala, there will be added determination in his side after having suffered a 3:1 loss to them at home in the first leg played earlier in the month. Talking about Kerala Portugal said, "There mentality has changed with the appointment of a new coach. It's an important game for both of us." 

Bengaluru back on top with 2-1 win over NorthEast

Bengaluru:Bengaluru FC returned to the top of the Hero Indian Super League table after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over NorthEast United at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday. 

Spanish defender Juanan scored the opening goal to give BFC the lead before Marcinho equalised for the visitors from the spot. But it was BFC skipper Sunil Chhetri who scored the winner to take BFC to the top again. The victory means BFC are a point above Chennaiyin after the same number of games. The Blues have now won four of their last five matches.

Seminlen Doungel, still fresh from his hat-trick against Chennaiyin FC, tried to go for the spectacular when he went for a back-heeled effort early on. He was in the thick of the action again, but this time his high-boot led to an innocuous looking free kick for Bengaluru. Edu Garcia aimed straight for the danger area and Juanan somehow flicked it into the net to give the home side the lead. 

Sunil Chhetri of Bengaluru FC celebrates after scoring against NorthEast United FC

They almost doubled their lead but Chhetri's low effort was saved by the goalkeeper's foot and then a well-worked free kick was easily defended by NorthEast. The two chances came immediately after BFC had taken the lead and could have really hurt the visitors.

Lenny Rodriguez then set up Garcia with one of the passes of the league but the finish was very poor and didn't do justice to the precise pass. Juanan had another shy on goal with a header but this time it was just wide. 

Then Bengaluru gave away a penalty and allowed NorthEast to score completely against the run of play. It was a soft penalty where Subhasish Bose's arm struck the ball after a sliding tackle. Marcinho blasted the penalty past Gurpreet Singh.

The second half saw Garcia get another chance - but he made things difficult for himself and his attempt to curl the ball into the net went begging. Minutes later, a cross from Harmanjot Khabra eventually bounced at an odd angle for Chhetri, but he brilliantly scored at the far post - an impeccable finish. 

Doungel and Cezario were then through on goal with a fine combination but somehow didn't even hit the target. Most of the final quarter of an hour was about substitutions and a flurry of yellow cards. Until the 81st minute, when Nirmal Chhetri found John Mosquero who's header went over. NorthEast was creating half chances, but not finishing them.

They would regret that - as the whistle soon went off after the last highlight of the match - when NorthEast could only force a sharp save from Gurpreet.

CoA chief Vinod Rai backs under-fire Kohli

KOLKATA: BCCI Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai backed under-fire Virat Kohli, saying there is nothing wrong in giving the India skipper a free hand in selection matters.

Kohli was criticised for his bold selection decisions in the ongoing Test series against South Africa with former batsman Virender Sehwag saying there is no one in the dressing room to point out Kohli's mistakes.

However, Rai said there's nothing wrong in giving Kohli a "free hand".

"He has motivated the players. He's very aggressive and systematic on the field. He's doing an excellent job," Rai said.

"A captain should be given a free hand in the matter (of team selection). You can't have a captain being controlled from outside. I think he's given a total free hand and he's been able to mould an excellent team."

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is pushing for an Olympic return of the sport, probably with the T20 version, in the 2024 edition.

But the ICC's hopes hinge on India as without the BCCI approval, the cricket's international body can't dare to make the bid.

Rai said: "It's still under consideration. We will see. It depends a lot on the cricket loving population of the country. What's the kind of cricket they want. It will take place slowly."

Rai also urged former greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev to get into cricket administration.

"I think it's high time that cricketers come into administration too. The pain of playing was demonstrated this year and Sourav will agree," he said while speaking at a session on cricketers at the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet.

"The Lodha Committee has done a very good thing. They have said that one of the members in the BCCI has to be an ex-cricketer. I've been feeling for a long time that people like Sourav, Sachin and Kapil whom I've personally requested come into cricket in a big way.

"They are the people who have come up the hard way. They learnt at every level what it means to be playing cricket. Cricket administration must at least some sprinkling of former cricketers in it to make the game much better in terms of quality."

On the upcoming IPL, he said they are trying their best to maintain the sanctity of the sport as there's an "emotional connect".


"The number of people who follow the sport passionately are Indians all over the place. We would very much like to ensure their interest and trust and the way forward for them is preserved for this country."

He said they would like to nurture the team in a way that they deliver the 2019 World Cup.

source: news agency

Gisele Bundchen wants Tom Brady to retire

London: Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen is apparently keen that Tom Brady should retire from professional sports.

The 37-year-old has been married to the American football star since 2009, and according to Brady's former college teammate Jay Feely, he been urged to speak to her husband about ending his playing days, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

He told Sports Illustrated: "(She was) trying to get me to convince (Tom Brady) to stop playing."

Brady, 40, who has son Benjamin, 8, and daughter Vivian, 5, with Bundchen, is still one of the top-earning stars in the NFL.

But the Brazilian beauty is keen for him to call it quits.

Bundchen added: "She was dead serious."

Source: News Agency

Mourinho feels Sanchez move not money driven

Manchester: Manchester United head coach Jose Mourinho stressed on Alexis Sanchez's decision to sign for the club over arch-rivals Manchester City and said he did not join the club because of the money poured at him.

"I know that if other clubs did not get him it's not a problem of money, for sure.


"That's not a problem of money. You go and analyse the numbers and Manchester City spent more money than us, Chelsea spent more money than us, I think even Everton spent more money than us. I don't think that's not the problem.

"I don't know.

Alexis could go everywhere. He had lots of choices. He decided to come here and you have to ask him why," Mourinho was quoted as saying by ESPNFC on Thursday.

City were jostling with United for the Chilean's signature this month. Sanchez eventually moved to Old Trafford from Arsenal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan signing for the Gunners in return.

"I think Alexis reminds me a little bit of the history -- I don't know, it's not a history, almost a metaphor -- when you see the tree with amazing oranges at the top of the tree and cannot get there," Mourinho added.

"You say: 'Oh, I got the lower ones because I don't like the ones at the top.' You like the ones at the top.

"They are so nice, so orange, so round, so full of juice but you cannot get there so you say: 'I don't want to go there' or 'I didn't like it, I prefer the other ones.' It reminds me of that story," the Portuguese continued.

It was widely reported that City finally pulled out of the race as they could not match United's bid.

The Chilean star forward has signed a four-and-a-half year deal at Old Trafford.

Source: News Agency

Tihar Jail inmates to play football match with families

New Delhi: The Tihar Jail administration will organise a unique football match between the inmates and their families which will be held on Sunday at the playground of Central Jail No.1 here.

The "Sadbhavna Football Exhibition Match" will be the first of its kind and will provide jail inmates an opportunity to strengthen family ties and enhance better communication through sports.

The match will be organised under the "Khelo India Abhiyan" of the Sports Ministry in partnership with Football Delhi.

Source: News Agency

USA Gymnastics quiet on board resignation call after abuse scandal

Michigan: The leadership of USA Gymnastics remained silent on Friday in the face of pressure from U.S. Olympic officials and others to resign en masse two days after the team doctor was sentenced for abusing female athletes.

As of Friday morning, USA Gymnastics had not issued an official comment on the call for its 18 listed directors to step down after long-time team doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced on Wednesday to up to 175 years in prison for sexually assaulting young female gymnasts.

Nassar, 54, was jailed for carrying out the attacks on young girls under the guise of medical treatment following a week-long hearing in which more than 150 accusers recounted their stories in a Michigan courtroom.

One of those 18 directors, Kevin Martinez, an ESPN executive, told Reuters on Thursday he had cut ties with the gymnastics federation, after the U.S. Olympic Committee’s chief executive threatened to decertify USA Gymnastics unless all board members were removed.

The U.S. Olympic Committee’s CEO, Scott Blackmun, joined the chorus calling for resignations, CNN reported early on Friday.

The board will lose its status as a sports governing body unless all of its current members resign by Wednesday and an interim board is in place by February 28, the network reported.

None of the remaining listed directors was immediately available for comment.

As of Friday morning, USA Gymnastics had not issued an official comment on the call for its 18 listed directors to step down after long-time team doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced on Wednesday to up to 175 years in prison for sexually assaulting young female gymnasts.

Nassar, 54, was jailed for carrying out the attacks on young girls under the guise of medical treatment following a week-long hearing in which more than 150 accusers recounted their stories in a Michigan courtroom.

One of those 18 directors, Kevin Martinez, an ESPN executive, told Reuters on Thursday he had cut ties with the gymnastics federation, after the U.S. Olympic Committee’s chief executive threatened to decertify USA Gymnastics unless all board members were removed.

The U.S. Olympic Committee’s CEO, Scott Blackmun, joined the chorus calling for resignations, CNN reported early on Friday.

The board will lose its status as a sports governing body unless all of its current members resign by Wednesday and an interim board is in place by February 28, the network reported.

None of the remaining listed directors was immediately available for comment.

“According to my knowledge, Larry Nassar did not have a medical license in Texas where we trained for the Olympics. How could you allow this?,” she wrote.

Martinez’s departure comes after three other members, who held the USAG board’s leadership positions, stepped down on Monday. The scandal has already cost USAG sponsors and heavily damaged its reputation.

The group said in a statement on Wednesday in response to the resignation demand by the U.S. Olympic Committee that there should be “meaningful change within our organization,” and has not commented beyond that.

Lou Anna Simon, the president of Michigan State University, where Nassar also worked, stepped down on Wednesday after facing a barrage of criticism for not doing enough to halt the abuse.

Source: News Agency

Everest climb chronicler Elizabeth Hawley dies in Nepal

KATHMANDU: Elizabeth Hawley, a leading chronicler of expeditions on Himalayan peaks in Nepal, died on Friday at a private hospital in Kathmandu, her doctor said. She was 94.

Born in the United States, former journalist Hawley had lived alone in Nepal since 1960 and had become an unofficial arbiter of climbing-related disputes.

Over the years, she became a highly-respected chronicler of mountain climbing in the Himalayan nation, which is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, including Mount Everest.

Hawley, who was admitted last week to the CIWEC Hospital and Travel Medicine Centre in the Nepali capital, died early on Friday of complications arising from pneumonia, said Prathiva Pandey, a doctor at the hospital.

The global climbing community has lost a “great friend”, said Ang Tshering Sherpa, a former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

“But her memory will live on in the form of her life’s work,” Sherpa told Reuters.

Born in Chicago in 1923, Hawley began reporting for Reuters in 1962, nine years after the pioneering climb of Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay opened the gates to global tourism in the mountainous nation.

Hawley managed the “Himalayan Database”, a record of major climbs of the Nepali mountains, and a necessary endorsement for climbers to gain global fame by validating their achievements. The database is unofficial, but widely respected by climbers.

Source: News Agency

Indonesia Masters: Saina sinks Sindhu to sail into semis

JAKARTA: Former World No 1 Saina Nehwal asserted her supremacy over Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu with a straight game victory to enter the semifinals of the $350,000 Indonesia Masters, here on Friday.

London Olympics bronze medalist Saina, who is coming back from an ankle injury, gave ample display of her powerful game as she overcame Sindhu 21-13 21-19 in an all-Indian women's singles quarterfinal clash.

Saina, who has a silver and a bronze at World Championships, will next face Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon, seeded fourth, who dumped Glasgow World Champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in another match.

Saina has an 8-5 head-to-head record against Ratchanok.

Playing Sindhu for the first time outside India, Saina produced her best and never let the advantage slip after leading 3-0 early on in the first game.

Despite Sindhu fighting back and making it 4-4, Saina continued to dominate the proceedings and entered the break with 11-9 advantage.

The 27-year-old continued her good run after the interval, increasing her lead to 18-10 at one stage. Sindhu manage to win three more points before the senior shuttler grabbed the opening game.

In the second game, the celebrated duo engaged in a fierce fight till 3-3 when Sindhu changed gears and jumped to a 10-5 advantage. But Saina clawed back with five straight points to make it 10-10.

Sindhu then managed to enter the lemon break with a slender 11-10 advantage. The duo fought tooth and nail till 14-14 before engaging in a long rally which left both gasping for breath.

But at the end of it, Saina had managed to lead 15-14, which she increased to 17-14.

The World No 3 and second seed, Sindhu tried to claw back but Saina managed to keep her nose ahead and shut the door on her younger compatriot to reach her first semifinal since the World Championship in August last year.


Saina and Sindhu have clashed twice in the international circuit so far with both winning once. At the 2014 Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold, Saina defeated Sindhu, who returned the favour at the India Open Super Series last year.

Source: News Agency

Roger Federer into Australian Open final as Chung retires injured

MELBOURNE: Defending champion Roger Federer strolled into the Australian Open final in a bitter-sweet win after Chung Hyeon's retired injured in their semi-final on Friday.

The Swiss star was leading 6-1, 5-2 when the South Korean called it quits with foot blisters and will now face Marin Cilic in Sunday's final.

Chung, the first South Korean man or woman to play in a Grand Slam semi-final, was treated in a medical timeout for the left foot problem two games earlier.

But it came as a big surprise when the 21-year-old walked to the net at 30-30 and trailing 2-5 after 1hr 02mins in the second set to concede defeat.

It put Federer into his seventh Australian final as he chases his sixth Melbourne title and 20th Grand Slam victory.

Federer leads 2014 US Open champion Cilic 8-1 in their meetings.

The Swiss maestro now has a 30-13 win-loss record in Grand Slam semi-finals and has yet to drop a set in this year's Australian Open.

"You couldn't tell until the end," he said of Chung's injury problems. "That's probably why a lot of people are stunned (he retired).

"I could tell something was wrong before he took the injury timeout, but he has a great composure.

"I think he is already a great player, but we are talking next level excellence and I think he will achieve that.

"We will see much more of him. Top 10 for sure. The rest we will see."

It was a muted semi-final with the Rod Laver Arena retractable roof closed for rain further improving Federer's chances given his indoor record.

He broke Chung's opening service and twice more to romp away with the first set in just 33 minutes as the Korean made a flurry of errors.

It got no better in the second set with Federer again breaking in the fourth game before the trainer was called on to the court to treat Chung for his foot blisters.

Chung only lasted a bit more than two games before pulling out to a stunned silence.

"In the second set I felt he was starting to get a bit slower, fighting with a blister," Federer said.

"I've played with blisters in the past a lot, and it hurts a lot, and at one point it is just too much and you can't take it anymore.

"That's when you realise there is no way you can come back and you make things really worse, it is better to stop. That's why this feels bitter-sweet.

Source: News Agency

Ngidi named in ODI squad; Morkel, Morris return

Johannesburg: Young pace sensation Lungi Ngidi has been rewarded for his recent performances with a place in South Africa's squad for the six-match ODI series against India starting in Durban on February 1.

The 21-year-old had made his Test debut at Centurion and was named man-of-the-match for returning 7-for-90 as South Africa took the series 2-0.

Ngidi had previously missed out on ODI call-up because he was injured.

Pacer Morne Morkel and all-rounder Chris Morris have also been included in the 15-man squad. The duo returns after missing the ODI series against Bangladesh (in October 2017) owing to injuries.

More noticeably, South Africa have named two leg-spinners in the squad with orthodox Imran Tahir pairing up with chinaman Tabraiz Shamsi.

Middle-order batsman/wicket-keeper Khayelihle Zondo is another inclusion. He had previously toured India in 2015 but didn t feature in a single game as South African had won that five-match series 3-2.

Squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Lungisani Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Khayelihle Zondo.


Source: News Agency

India beat Bangladesh by 131 runs, enter U-19 World Cup semis

Queenstown: Three-time champions India beat Bangladesh by a comfortable 131-run margin to enter the semi- final of the ICC U-19 World Cup, here today.

Batting first, India scored 265 in 49.2 overs with Shubhamn Gill scoring 86 and Abhishek Sharma contributing 50.

Skipper Prithvi Shaw (40) and Harvik Desai (34) also chipped in with useful runs.

In reply, Bangladesh were all-out for 134 in 42.1 overs with Kamlesh Nagarkoti taking 3 for 18 in 7.1 overs. For Bangladesh only Pinak Ghosh top-scored with 43.

Brief Scores: India U-19 265 in 49.2 overs (Shubhman Gill 86, Abhishek Sharma 50, Prithvi Shaw 40) beat Bangladesh 134 in 42.1 overs (Pinak Ghosh 43, Kamlesh Nagarkoti 3/18 in 7.1 overs, Abhishek Sharma 2/11, shivam Mavi 2/27).


Source: News Agency

Woods shoots even-par 72 in PGA Tour comeback at Torrey Pines

California : Tiger Woods made a respectable return to the PGA Tour on Thursday, shooting even-par 72 in the first round at the Farmers Insurance Open.

In his first official start since this time last year, Woods took a while to dust off the rust, but the quality of his shotmaking improved as the round progressed on the South course at Torrey Pines.

He trails American leader Tony Finau by seven strokes and expressed mild satisfaction with his performance, while at the same time adding that there was plenty of room for improvement.

”I still feel the same excitement, the same nerves,“ said the 42-year-old, who underwent spinal fusion surgery on his lower back last April. ”It was fun to feel the competitive rush again.

“I didn’t hit anything close, didn’t give myself a lot of looks (for) and consequently didn’t have a lot of chances for birdies.”

Tiger Woods plays his shot from the fifth tee during the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament 

A gallery of about 2000 people lined the first fairway to watch the 14-times major champion tee off at 10.40 AM local time (1840 GMT) on a course where he has won eight times.

Woods pulled his opening drive and ran up a bogey on the first but was in a relaxed mood on the fourth tee where he wandered over to the nearby cliff to watch a pod of dolphins playing in the Pacific Ocean below.

The fourth, which follows the cliff high above the crashing waves, also afforded a perfect opportunity for a couple of hang gliders to gatecrash the event.

The hang gliders had gone when Woods showed the first glimpse of his old magic with a perfect drive at the par-five sixth, where he split the fairway, nonchalantly picked up his tee and strode off without even bothering to watch his ball.From there he found the putting surface with a four-iron to set up his first birdie of the day.


Source: News Agency

Barcelona through to Cup semis as Coutinho makes debut

BARCELONA: Lionel Messi scored what proved to be the winner as Barcelona beat Espanyol 2-0 to reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals on Thursday in a game that saw Philippe Coutinho make his long-awaited debut. Valencia beat Alaves on penalties while Sevilla beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 on Tuesday for a 5-1 aggregate success.

Luis Suarez scored an early opener in the quarter-final second leg before Messi's deflected effort gave Barcelona a 2-1 aggregate advantage as the holders overturned a 1-0 deficit from last week's first leg.

Messi had missed a penalty in that match as the leaders of La Liga were beaten for the first time since August, but they did enough on Thursday to join Sevilla, Valencia and Leganes in Friday's draw for the last four.

Coutinho was named on the bench for the first time since his 160 million-euro ($192 million) transfer from Liverpool earlier this month.

The 25-year-old Brazilian was introduced midway through the second half in place of Andres Iniesta, entering the Camp Nou pitch to a huge roar from the home crowd.

By that point Ernesto Valverde's men had already turned the tie around against the club for whom Coutinho played on loan from Inter Milan in 2012.

Suarez headed in Aleix Vidal's cross from the right at the back post in the ninth minute to open the scoring on the night and level the tie on aggregate.

The Uruguayan has now scored seven times in Barcelona's last six matches.

Messi scored in the 25th minute, his shot beating goalkeeper Pau Lopez with the help of a sizeable deflection off Brazilian defender Naldo.

It was Barcelona's 4,000th goal at the Camp Nou in an official game.

Barcelona, who have won the Copa del Rey in the last three seasons, had a host of chances to put the tie to bed but saw out the victory, with Espanyol unable to get the away goal that would have swung the tie.

On Wednesday, Real Madrid were eliminated by Leganes, a 2-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu seeing them go out on away goals and increasing the pressure further on coach Zinedine Zidane.


Source: News Agency

Gavaskar, Pollock slam Wanderers pitch

Johannesburg :Former Test captains Sunil Gavaskar and Shaun Pollock today criticised the wicket on offer for the ongoing the third and final cricket Test between India and South Africa, terming it a "completely bowler- friendly pitch".

Gavaskar was of the view that Test match pitches needed to be of sporting nature.

"You can get a very flat surface which is totally in favour of batsmen.

This is a pitch which is totally in favour of bowlers," Gavaskar said while commenting on the pitch for SuperSport television.

Pollock went a level higher and termed the surface as a bad one.

"If you've got deliveries behaving like this on day two of a Test match it can't be judged a good surface," he said.

Pollock compared the Wanderers pitch with the Nagpur wicket of 2015 which was rated "poor" by the ICC when South Africa toured India.

"You go to India and get a surface like Nagpur where it turned too much. This can't be judged a good surface because as a batsman you are never in," he said.

Source: News Agency