Zidane strikes back to win tactical battle with PSG

Zinedine Zidane has been questioned for his failure to repeat Real Madrid’s magnificent feats of last season but the Frenchman showed he still knows how to manage a big game as his side beat Paris St Germain 3-1 on Wednesday in the Champions League.

Zidane was expected to match PSG’s 4-3-3 formation and field Gareth Bale in the last 16-first leg at the Bernabeu but instead opted to play Isco to give his team numerical superiority in midfield.

“We wanted to control the game and we did that,” Zidane told reporters.

“We did that by playing four in middle against their midfield three, Isco had a great game and gave us greater possession and the game went as we had envisaged it.”

Real made the stronger start although they fell behind to Adrien Rabiot’s strike, which Cristiano Ronaldo cancelled out from the penalty spot.

Zidane looked to his bench to win the game and made ultra-attacking changes by throwing on Bale and wingers Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez.

The injection of fresh legs startled the tired visitors and after Bale came close to scoring from the right-hand side Asensio made two darting runs down the left which led to Ronaldo putting Real ahead in the 83rd minute and Marcelo’s late strike tightened their grip on the tie.

“Despite all the speculation, we showed that you can never presume Real Madrid are dead,” Real captain Sergio Ramos said.

After sweeping to the Liga and Champions League double last season and becoming the first coach to successfully defend the trophy since the tournament changed format, Zidane has seen his reputation as a coach nose-dive as his side fell way behind Barcelona in the Liga and were eliminated from the King’s Cup.

Their hopes for the season entirely rested on the blockbuster tie against PSG and with their supporters fully behind them in a competition they have won an astounding 12 times, Real delivered.

“The Champions League turns us on,” said Zidane. “This club has won this competition 12 times for a reason.”

Marca newspaper hailed Zidane’s strategy.

“Zidane struck back and turned the tie on its head with a statement of authority from the tactical board,” the paper said.

“It was a masterstroke which gave his team wings and came off perfectly.”

The late goals gave Real a big advantage going into the second leg in Paris on March 6 and Ramos called on his side to produce a repeat performance to continue their quest for a third consecutive Champions League triumph.

“We were effective in a way we haven’t been for much of the season and we played a complete game,” he said.

source: news agency

Unstoppable Kane matches Gerrard's magnificent seven

Harry Kane continued his single-handed assault on the record books when he scored Tottenham Hotspur’s opening goal in their comeback 2-2 draw at Juventus in the Champions League last 16, first leg on Tuesday.

Kane’s 35th minute effort was his seventh goal in the competition this season -- matching Steven Gerrard whose seven for Liverpool in the 2008-09 campaign had stood as a record for an English player.

Not only that but Kane’s nine-goal haul from his first nine games is more than any other player in the history of Europe’s blue-riband club competition -- one more than the quartet of Ronaldinho, Simone Inzaghi, Didier Drogba and Diego Costa.

Kane has scored nine goals in his last eight games in all competitions and has 33 for the season -- more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues.

The 24-year-old, who this month reached 100 Premier League goals in only 141 appearances, could have added to his tally on Tuesday but for two great saves by Juve’s veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon in the first half.

With the twice Premier League Golden Boot winner in this sort of form, however, Tottenham will feel they can topple Juventus in the second leg at Wembley next month -- indeed they will be favourites to do so.

Kane, who bagged Tottenham’s winner against rivals Arsenal last weekend, paid tribute to the way his team mates recovered from conceding twice in the first nine minutes on Tuesday -- Gonzalo Higuain striking twice for the hosts.

“We could have capitulated, away from home in the Champions League. It showed character,” he said.

“It was an excellent performance after that and we take two away goals to Wembley. A great result.”

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said his side had been sloppy in the opening 10 minutes but felt they should have been celebrating a victory after recovering to enjoy 62 percent of the possession against a side starting with seven of the players who began last year’s final against Real Madrid in Cardiff.

His opposite number Massimiliano Allegri said his side had been taken aback by Tottenham’s riposte.

“We started very well but then we struggled to keep the ball because Tottenham were playing so well,” he said.

“After going 2-0 up, we did not decide to defend deep, Tottenham forced us to. After their second goal, however, we were the more dangerous side.”


source: news agency

White delivers again to win third halfpipe gold

American Shaun White cemented his legacy as the most successful snowboarder of all time as he delivered a stunning routine under massive pressure on the final run of a gripping halfpipe final on Wednesday to win his third Winter Olympic gold and a landmark 100th for his country.

White needed a big performance to overhaul Japan’s Ayumu Hirano and duly delivered with a spectacular display to earn a score of 97.75. His victory means the United States have won all four snowboarding golds awarded at the Games.

White, 31, triumphed in 2006 and 2010 and after a long wait for his score on Wednesday he roared with emotion, punching the air as his superstar status - briefly undermined when he failed in Sochi four years ago - was set in stone.

“Man, that was awful and amazing at the same time,” White said of the long wait for his score. “I knew I did a great ride and I was proud of that and I could walk away with my head high, but when they announced my score and I’d won, it crippled me.”

Nineteen-year-old Hirano, who edged into first place after his second run and then posted 95.25 on his third, could not hide his disappointment as he trudged away from the finish area having matched his silver from Sochi 2014.

Australian Scotty James, the 23-year-old world champion, took bronze.


source: news agency

North Korean pair given warm welcome on Pyeongchang debut

North Korean pair skaters Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik made their long-awaited debut at the Pyeongchang Olympics on Wednesday in front of a crowd of euphoric spectators cheering on every jump and lift.

The pair were the first North Korean athletes to qualify for the Games but it was unclear for several months whether they would actually compete in South Korea.

The sense of anticipation was palpable at the Gangneung Ice Arena before the pairs short program.

A swarm of North Korean female fans wearing red and white tracksuits marched up to the stands, smiling and waiving to passers-by as out of uniform police officer looked on.

In the stands, they rhythmically chanted the skaters’ names as they waived flags of the country.

A small group of university students supporting better inter-Korean ties brandished a banner that read: “Pyeongchang fairy Ryom Tae Ok, jump toward unification!”

Skating to an instrumental cover of “A Day in the Life” by the Beatles, the pair cleanly executed all the elements of their program with a technically-sound performance that earned them a personal best score of 69.40 points.

They finished 11th overall and will compete in the long program on Thursday.

Bruno Marcotte, a Canadian coach who works with the pair, told Reuters on Tuesday they had been striving for a personal best score close to 70 points in the short program.

Their goal for the long program is more than 125 points. Their current personal best score for that program is 119.90.

The pair, who won bronze at the Four Continents Cup in Taiwan last month, embraced each other and their coaches in the kiss and cry area, jumping up and down with joy.

“There have been no inconveniences whatsoever when it comes to the life here in the South area,” Kim said in translated televised comments before the pair sped past the mixed zone where a horde of reporters were waiting for them.

“You could really feel the power and the energy of the Korean people.”

North Korea agreed to compete in Pyeongchang after the South and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) encouraged the heavily sanctioned state to participate as a peace gesture.

The skaters were the first North Koreans to qualify for the Games after they finished in the top six at a competition in Germany in September.


source: news agency

Polish K2 climber breaks arm

Rafał Fronia, one of the Polish team of climbers attempting to be the first to conquer K2 in winter, has been airlifted to a hospital in Skardu, Pakistan after a falling rock broke his arm.

Fronia's arm was broken two days ago. He received first aid at camp and needed to wait for better weather conditions so that a helicopter could take him for treatment.

He is the second climber in the expedition to be injured by falling rocks after Adam Bielecki's nose was broken a few days ago.

The Polish expedition has decided to try a different route to the top of the world's second tallest mountain, located on the Chinese-Pakistani border.

Janusz Majer, head of the Polish winter mountaineering programme, said the rocks falling from the face of the mountain rendered the shorter south-southeast spur too dangerous in winter.

The expedition's managers said that the Polish climbers would attempt to reach the summit via the Abruzzi Spur located on the Pakistani side of the mountain and taken by 75 percent of expeditions.

Both routes have been successfully used by Polish teams to reach K2's 8611-metre altitude summit in summer.



source: news agency

Netherlands gearing up to shine on world stage

The Netherlands are all set to show the world that they are worth being the 13th side on the ODI League (which kicks-off in 2020) by shining on the big stage and qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales.

They qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier by winning the ICC World Cricket League Championship 2015-2017 and claiming the 13th position in the ODI League, which now guarantees the Dutch ODI status following the Zimbabwe event which will run from March 4 to 25.

They have been a frequent participant in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, having played 75 matches with 54 wins and 20 defeats from 1982 to 2014.

Captain Peter Borren, who led his team to victory in the ICC World Cricket League Championship, believes it is a positive time to be involved in associate cricket.

"Going to Zimbabwe is something to look forward to, there is obviously a lot of exciting cricket coming up, it is a good time to be involved with Dutch cricket and Associate cricket, there are opportunities and hopefully we can grab them," he said.

Borren, who has played 13 matches, scoring 389 runs in 11 innings with a high score of 65 not out in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, cannot wait to show world cricket what his team is made of.

"We are now the 13th-ranked ODI nation on the ODI League, earned through three years of hard work, and this will be our chance to show to the world that we want to be more than just the 13th team, what better stage for us to shine," he said.

The team will depart for Pretoria, South Africa next week for a set of warm-up fixtures against, Scotland, Hong Kong and Ireland between 16 and 23 February. Following that they will travel to Zimbabwe to face the Windies, Ireland, Papua New Guinea and the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 winners in Group A. 



source: news agency

Russian player dedicates medal to banned compatriots

London: Russian speed skater Semen Elistratov, who earned Russia its first medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, dedicated the medal to his compatriots who have been banned from the Games in an "unfair way".

After winning a bronze medal in men's 1500m short track speed skating, following a crash that took out two skaters, Elistratov said, "I have difficulties to hold back my tears. I am incredibly happy that I did it, in spite of all the circumstances around Russian sport."

"I dedicate this medal to all guys that have been excluded from these Games in such a hard and unfair way. This medal is for you," the Guardian quoted Elistratov as saying.

Russia were banned from competing at the Winter Olympics because of state-sponsored doping at the 2014 Games in Sochi.

However, 169 Russian athletes are allowed to compete in the Games as neutrals under the OAR team banner and Elistratov is one of them.

"I still have two distances to contest and I will fight until the end," he said.

Elistratov comments are, however, under investigation as they appear to breach the rule over making any political statements.

The 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang were kicked off on February 9.

The first medal of the Games was won by Sweden's Charlotte Kalla in the ladies' skiathlon while Hyo-jun Lim provided the home nation with their first gold.



source: news agency

Rohan More becomes first Asian to swim across Ocean Seven

Pune-based swimmer, Rohan More became the first Asian as well as the first Indian to swim across the Ocean Seven. Rohan is the youngest person in the world to swim across the Ocean Seven.

The Ocean's Seven marathon consists of seven long-distance open-water swims, which includes the North Channel, the Cook Strait, the Molokai Channel, the English Channel, the Catalina Channel, the Tsugaru Strait and the Strait of Gibraltar.

The swimming marathon is widely considered equivalent to the Seven Summits mountaineering challenge.

With this, More becomes only the ninth person in the world to complete it.

After waiting for a long time, due to bad weather conditions, Rohan got the chance to swim on February 9.

He began swimming at about 9:30 a.m. from the North Island.

For the first five hours, the water was calm and the temperature was around 19 degrees Celsius.

However, as he progressed towards the South Island, the water temperature dropped by about four degrees Celsius, due to currents from the Antarctic water.

He fought bravely against the cold water and strong Antarctic currents to complete the swim in eight hours 37 minutes.

Talking about his achievement, More said, "It is the greatest moment of my life as I swam across Cook Strait in New Zealand which was the seven and last in the Ocean Seven."

"I really feel very proud and emotional about this thing because after swimming this challenge I became the first Indian ever in the history to complete this challenge and only ninth person in the world who has swam all the seven challenges in the Ocean Seven," he added.

The Pune based swimmer also thanked his family members and friends for their support which helped him achieve this feat.

More completed his first marathon swim at the age of 11. He completed the Triple Crown almost twenty years later, in less than 11 months and continues to set and accomplish marathon goals.

In 1996, he crossed 'Dharamtar to Gateway of India Channel (35 km) in seven hours and 29 minutes.

More also completed six of the Oceans Seven swims between 2014 and 2016: English Channel (13 hours and 23 minutes), North Channel (12 hours and 43 minutes), Catalina Channel (10 hours and 17 minutes), Molokai Channel (17 hours and 28 minutes), Tsugaru Strait (10 hours and 37 minutes) and Gibraltar Strait (3 hours and 56 minutes).

He is a national figure and has received the Tenzing Norgay Award from the Indian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.



source: news agency

Vintage car rally grab eyeballs in national capital

The 52nd edition of The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally was organized in the national capital on Sunday with a large turnout of Delhi-NCR's antique car aficionados and curious onlookers.

Over 100 vintage vehicles and 25 classic motorcycles participated in the rally.

The event witnessed a spectacular rollout of classic, handpicked, vintage automobiles that were flagged off at 10:00 a.m.

The convoy of gleaming motors then moved towards India Gate before arriving at national stadium, the final exhibition area.

Every year, the event witnesses the presence of royal family members and classic car collectors from all parts of the country, competing fiercely to win prestigious titles for their vintage beauties.



source: news agency

Organizers confirm 177 total norovirus cases at Pyeongchang

Pyeongchang Winter Olympics organizers (POCOG) said on Monday a total of 177 norovirus cases had been confirmed so far at the Games but that the athletic delegations remained unaffected.

POCOG said 19 new cases of the virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea had been confirmed as of Sunday afternoon. It added that of the 177 cases, 68 had recovered and had been released from quarantine and returned to work at the Games.

The virus had broken out in the leadup to the opening ceremony in Pyeongchang last Friday and led to some 1,200 security staff being quarantined. Organizers had to call in military personnel to replace them.

No athletes have been confirmed to have contracted the highly contagious virus. An outbreak at last year’s World Athletics Championship in London forced competitors from several countries to miss events.

POCOG has said several agencies were cooperating to stifle the outbreak, with water quality being tested and inspections taking place at venues, restaurants, hotels and worker accommodation.



source: news agency

NBC boots analyst over Japan comment at Pyeongchang Games

Joshua Cooper Ramo, the commentator who offended locals during coverage of the Pyeongchang Olympics opening ceremony by straying into the sensitive issue of Japan-South Korean relations, has been taken off the air, U.S. broadcaster NBC said on Monday.

“Joshua Cooper Ramo has completed his responsibilities for NBC in Pyeongchang, and will have no further role on our air,” an NBC spokesman said in an email to Reuters.

NBC, a unit of Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) had announced in December that Ramo would be a contributor at the Games, having previously served as an expert on culture and geo-political issues during the 2008 Beijing Olympics for the network.

Ramo’s speaker agency that represents him did not respond to a request for comment.

Ramo, who has written books on China and is a corporate director of Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) and FedEx Corp (FDX.N), said as athletes paraded into the Games stadium on Friday that “every Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural, technological and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation”.

Koreans around the world criticized his remarks on social media and a petition soon circulated online.

Japan, which colonized the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945, has left a deep legacy of mistrust and ill-feeling in South Korea.

The Pyeongchang Organising Committee (POCOG) had earlier told Reuters that it “informed NBC of the errors in their commentary and the sensitivity of the subject in Korea”.

NBC apologized in writing to Pyeongchang’s organizing committee for the remark, which the committee said it had accepted.

The Pyeongchang organizing committee did not immediately respond to the news Ramo had been let go.

Ramo is also co-CEO of Kissinger Associates, an advisory firm of former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

NBC is the exclusive U.S. broadcaster of the Olympics having paid about $7.65 billion to air the Games until at least 2032.



source: news agency

Johnson in hunt for another win, tied with Potter at Pebble

World number one Dustin Johnson stayed on track for a second successive victory on the PGA Tour but was joined in the lead by journeyman Ted Potter, Jr. after the third round at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California on Saturday.

While Johnson compiled a ho-hum two-under-par 70 at Pebble Beach, Potter flirted with a sub-60 round at nearby Monterey Peninsula, one of three courses used for the event.

The left-hander picked up 11 strokes through 15 holes, only to bogey his final two holes for a nine-under 62.

The somewhat deflating finish left Potter, whose lone PGA Tour victory was in 2012, locked with fellow American Johnson at 14-under 201, two strokes clear of Australian Jason Day and American Troy Merritt.

The leaders will be able to keep an eye on each other on Sunday when everyone plays the final round on the Pebble Beach host course.

Johnson missed a chance to put some distance between himself and the pack when he negotiated the inward half in two-over, but seemed unfazed.

“The couple of bogeys I made the wind was a little bit tricky and I just got on wrong side of the holes, which I knew better,” he said in a greenside interview.

“All in all felt good about the game, feeling really good about tomorrow.”

Johnson, who won the Tournament of Champions by nine strokes in January, is chasing a third Pebble Beach victory, after previous successes in 2009 and 2010.

Rory McIlroy missed the 54-hole cut as he finished at one-under, but he almost went out in spectacular fashion with what would have been an astonishing eagle at the par-five 18th.

After pulling his drive into a water hazard -- the Pacific Ocean -- McIlroy took a penalty stroke and then hit a brilliant third shot from 220 yards.

His ball clattered against the pin but did not drop, a birdie only minor consolation.

The former world number one, however, did not sound too worried about the state of his game.

“I just need a few putts to fall,” he said.

source: news agency

Serena loses in return but says 'on the right track'

Serena Williams was understandably far from her best in her return to competition on Sunday but the greatest player of her generation said it was a positive step toward her goal of returning to the pinnacle of her sport.

Williams, playing her first official match since having a baby, and older sister Venus were beaten in a dead doubles rubber by the Netherlands in the Fed Cup in Asheville, North Carolina, but walked away feeling upbeat.

“I honestly feel better than I thought I was going to feel,” said Williams, who prior to Sunday had not played a competitive match since her 2017 Australian Open victory.

“I feel like I didn’t expect to play, you know, like that for me. I feel like I‘m on the right track.”

Williams, who gave birth to her first child last September, showed glimpses of both her prowess and rust during the 6-2 6-3 loss to Demi Schuurs and Lesley Kerkhove.

Early in the match Williams showed the effects of her lengthy layoff, perhaps most noticeably when she shanked a routine volley that left her bent over in embarrassment.

But shortly after, the owner of an Open-era record 23 grand slam singles titles drew wild cheers when she confidently stepped to the net and stretched out to drive home a superb backhand volley.

“I didn’t know what to expect. Maybe that’s why I felt like I did better. I didn’t expect to ...have that much power on my serves, even though they didn’t go in,” said Williams.

“It’s just a start. I feel like that’s a very good step in the right direction.”

Despite the loss, it was a positive step for Williams, who was bedridden for six weeks from a series of complications, including a pulmonary embolism that led to multiple surgeries, after her daughter was delivered by emergency cesarean section.

Still, the 36-year-old American said she came into the tie with high expectations.


“If I walk out there with low expectations, then I need to stop doing what I do. So that’s never going to happen for me,” said Williams.

“I‘m always going to have the best and highest expectations for myself.”

The rubber had no impact on the best-of-five tie as it was played after Venus gave the United States an insurmountable 3-0 lead that put the reigning champions into the April 21-22 semi-finals against France.

Williams, who played an exhibition match last December in the United Arab Emirates, where she lost to French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, said in addition to working on her serve and returns, she needs to manage her time better now that she has her daughter in tow.

“I didn’t manage my time well, but I was thinking about it in the future how to manage it better,” said Williams, whose daughter was among those in the sellout crowd.

source: news agency

Joy for Benitez as Newcastle stun Mourinho's United, Liverpool cruise

London: Newcastle United’s manager Rafa Benitez would have taken a victory against just about anyone on Sunday, such was his side’s predicament, but a 1-0 win over Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United would have tasted that bit sweeter.

Huddersfield Town’s 4-1 home victory over Bournemouth earlier in the day meant Newcastle started their home clash against United in the Premier League’s bottom three.

Yet they responded with a gritty display, riding their luck at times to take the points courtesy of Matt Ritchie’s 65th-minute winner which propelled them from 18th to 13th.

The result also left second-placed United a whopping 16 points behind leaders Manchester City and looking anxiously over their shoulders in what looks like becoming a tense battle for the remaining Champions League places.

Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Saturday had lifted the north London club to within four points of United and Liverpool sliced the gap to two after Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah scored in a nonchalant 2-0 win at Southampton in Sunday’s late kickoff.

Fifth-placed Chelsea can move to within three points of United with victory at West Brom on Monday.

There was a warm handshake between Benitez and Mourinho when the final whistle sounded at a tumultuous St James’ Park to confirm Newcastle’s first home league win since October.

But their previous history has been marked by frostiness -- a result of former Liverpool manager Benitez twice getting the better of Mourinho’s Chelsea in Champions League semi-finals.

The fact that they have both managed Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, with Mourinho enjoying a superior record, meant Benitez’s triumph on Sunday, only his second in the Premier League against Mourinho, had added meaning.

Ritchie rifled a shot past David De Gea in the 65th minute to punish a profligate United side who wasted several good chances with Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez culpable.

Newcastle dug deep for their manager and debutant keeper Martin Dubravka made several superb saves.

“They fought like animals,” Mourinho said of Benitez’s side.

“Newcastle’s players gave the sacrifices all managers like to see. Were they lucky? Yes. But sometimes you deserve that luck. They fought for their lives and that’s a beautiful thing.”

TOO SLICK

Martial was denied by a great save from Dubravka and had two efforts cleared off the line after the break.

Sanchez inexplicably failed to fire into an empty net after rounding Dubravka, shortly before Ritchie struck the winner.

“We had games in the past when we conceded late. We got lucky with some shots, but we showed the character, the commitment and the desire today,” Benitez said.

Liverpool were too slick for a feeble Southampton as they condemned the south coast side to a place in the bottom three.

Salah punished a mistake and squared for Firmino to score in the seventh minute and the livewire Egyptian then stroked home the second before halftime after a snappy passing move.

United have 56 points, Liverpool 54 and Tottenham 52 with Chelsea on 50.

It is equally tight at the bottom where the so-called trap door is looking more like a revolving door.

Huddersfield escaped the bottom three on Sunday as they snapped a five-game losing sequence.

Alex Pritchard fired Huddersfield in front after seven minutes and although Junior Stanislas levelled, the hosts were ahead again before the break thanks to Steve Mounie’s 27th-minute header from Aaron Mooy’s delivery.

source: news agency

Polish president meets winter Olympians in Pyeongchang

Polish President Andrzej Duda and his wife, Agata Kornhauser Duda, have met Polish sportspeople at the Olympic village in Pyeongchang.

Several dozen Poles, among them the country's top figure ice skaters, bobsledders and cross-country skiers, also met presidential aide Krzysztof Szczerski, Polish Ambassador to South Korea Piotr Ostaszewski, Sports Minister Witold Bańka and Polish Olympic Committee chief Andrzej Kraśnicki.

“The president told competitors that he was cheering for them and wished them new personal bests,” the Polish Olympic team's spokesman, Henryk Urbaś, said.

“The presidential couple said they were happy to be in Pyeongchang and were impressed by the mood,” Urbaś added.

The Polish first couple watched the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics from the stands at Pyeongchang on Friday and are set to watch ski jumpers, including Poland's Kamil Stoch, a gold medal winner at the Sochi games, in flight on Saturday.


source: news agency

Virat Kohli rues missed chances after Wanderers defeat

JOHANNESBURG: Indian captain Virat Kohli lamented two crucial errors which effectively cost his team a chance of wrapping up the series in the fourth one-day international against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Saturday.

"You have to take your chances in this game," said Kohli after David Miller escaped twice in one over at a time when India seemed to have taken control.

South Africa chased down a rain-reduced target of 202 in 28 overs with five wickets and 15 balls to spare to keep alive their hopes of sharing the six-match series after losing the first three games.

But the home team's chances looked slim when returning star AB de Villiers was fourth man out with 100 runs still needed and only 67 balls remaining.

In the next over David Miller, on six, was dropped by Shreyas Iyer at deep square leg off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Back on strike in the same over he missed a sweep and was bowled -- only to be recalled when a replay showed Chahal had sent down a no-ball.

Miller went on to hit 39 and shared a quickfire stand of 72 with Heinrich Klaasen, whose 43 not out off 27 balls earned him the man of the match award.

Two weather interruptions played a key role. India were 200 for two, with Shikhar Dhawan on 107 not out when the threat of lightning caused a stoppage after 34.2 overs.

Dhawan added only two runs after the resumption and India lost five wickets for 89 runs to finish with a slightly disappointing 289 for seven.

South Africa were 43 for one after 7.2 overs when lightning, followed by rain, caused a lengthy delay. They came came back needing another 159 runs off 20.4 overs.

"It basically became a T20 game," said Kohli. "We did not grab our chances so we did not deserve to win."

Indian spinners Chahal and left-armer Kuldeep Yadav, who took 21 wickets between them in the first three matches, conceded a combined 119 runs off 11.3 overs on Saturday as they struggled to control a wet ball against aggressive batting.

"It was nice to put some pressure on the Indians. The message today was to put fear aside," said South African captain Aiden Markram.


Kohli, the star of a series in which India hold an unbeatable 3-0 lead, played another valuable innings, hitting 75 in a second-wicket stand of 178 with Dhawan. His 83-ball innings took Kohli to 393 runs for a series in which he has only been dismissed twice.

It was the third successive big partnership between Dhawan and Kohli. They put on an unbeaten 93 in chasing down a small target in the second match in Centurion and added 140 in setting up a win in the third match in Cape Town.


This time, though, it was the left-handed Dhawan who made the biggest contribution, hitting his 13th ODI century in his 100th match in the format. His 109 runs were scored off 105 balls, with ten fours and two sixes.


source: news agency

Polish ski jumpers fourth and fifth at winter Olympics

Polish ski jumping star Kamil Stoch and his teammate Stefan Hula have finished fourth and fifth respectively at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in the Normal Hill event.

Germany's Andreas Wellinger grabbed the gold with a total of 259.3 points, followed by Norwegians Johann Andre Forfang (250.9 points) and Robert Johansson (249.7 points).

Poland's Maciej Kot came 19th while his countryman Dawid Kubacki did not qualify for the final round.

Polish ski jumpers will compete in the large hill event next Saturday and in the team event on Monday, February 19.

In the run-up to the Olympics, Polish officials had named ski jumping as the country's big hope for honours in South Korea.

source: news agency

Ronaldo hits hat-trick as Real and Atletico win

Cristiano Ronaldo bagged a hat-trick as Real Madrid thrashed Real Sociedad 5-2 in La Liga on Saturday to warm up for their Champions League clash with Paris St Germain in style.

Atletico Madrid saw off Malaga 1-0 in a tight game to provisionally close the gap on leaders Barcelona to six points.

Real’s big victory over Sociedad took them third above Valencia but they trail Barcelona by 16 points as they turn their attention to the defence of their Champions League title against PSG at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

Zinedine Zidane rested Casemiro and Gareth Bale with one eye on that, but the Welsh winger’s replacement Lucas Vazquez took full advantage when he headed home Ronaldo’s cross after 49 seconds.

Karim Benzema struck the post with a low effort as he failed to break his scoring drought, the French striker is now without a league goal since November, as Real pressed to add to their advantage.

They did just that after 27 minutes when a brilliant turn by Asensio unlocked Sociedad’s defence and Marcelo crossed for Ronaldo to slam home from close range.

Toni Kroos curled home the third from outside the area and Ronaldo headed home Luka Modric’s corner in a four-minute spell before the interval.

The Portuguese forward completed his treble after Geronimo Rulli beat away substitute Bale’s long-range effort. Jon Bautista and Asier Illaramendi netted consolation goals for Real Sociedad.

“Today from the first minute the team came out to play football, to keep the ball, to press the opponent and steal it high up, and there was a big difference,” Real captain Sergio Ramos said.

”Then in front of goal we were more accurate (than in recent games). I’d be lying to you if I said that we weren’t thinking about PSG.

”Against them we play for our season, (here) we could have continued to press but we couldn’t keep up that rhythm for 90 minutes. We knew how to rest ourselves.

“The objective was to gain confidence and that is what we did today.”

In Malaga, second-placed Atletico went ahead almost instantly when Antoine Griezmann capitalised on Saul Niguez’s deflected strike falling at his feet close to goal.

Jan Oblak saved a Roberto Rosales free kick in the second half as Atletico kept their opponents at bay to earn a narrow victory in typical fashion.

Malaga, rooted to the bottom of the table, have picked up two points in their last eight games.

source: news agency

Venus, CoCo give U.S. commanding lead over Netherlands

Venus Williams and CoCo Vandeweghe won the opening singles matches to give holders the United States a commanding 2-0 lead in their Fed Cup World Group opener against the Netherlands in Asheville, North Carolina on Saturday.

Williams, with younger sister Serena watching on from the sidelines after being selected for the team, struck first with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Arantxa Rus on the indoor hard court.

After racing through the opening set, Williams was made to work in the second where the first five games all ended in service breaks. Williams finally saved a break point in the sixth game and held serve for the first time in the second set.

“It’s never easy and it’s always a challenge,” Williams said after beating her 124th-ranked opponent. “On paper, today I looked like I should win but it was a battle and I‘m glad to get through that.”

With the win, Williams joined Billie Jean King, Chris Evert and Lindsay Davenport as the only American women to win 20 or more Fed Cup singles matches.

World number 17 Vandeweghe battled back for a 4-6 7-6(6) 6-3 victory over world number 108 Richel Hogenkamp to put the Americans one win away from the April 21-22 semi-finals.

Hogenkamp won four consecutive games to take the opener but Vandeweghe levelled the match with an ace on her fourth set point, triggering a massive fist pump and show of emotion that few expected from what initially appeared to be a mismatch.

Vandeweghe charged home in the decisive set to give her side a comfortable lead heading into Sunday’s reverse singles and doubles closer.

Serena Williams, who has not played a competitive match since she won the Australian Open title last year, will team up with Lauren Davis in a doubles match that will be played even if the U.S. clinch the tie earlier.

Elsewhere, the Czech Republic, winners in five of the last seven years, ended day one of their tie in Prague against Switzerland 2-0 ahead after Petra Kvitova beat Viktorija Golubic in three sets before Barbara Strycova eased past Belinda Bencic.

Belarus were locked at 1-1 with Germany in Minsk while hosts France and Belgium were also level going into Sunday’s action.


source: news agency

Games organisers confirm cyber attack, won't reveal source

Pyeongchang Winter Olympics organisers confirmed on Sunday that the Games had fallen victim to a cyber attack during Friday’s opening ceremony, but they refused to reveal the source.

The Games’ systems, including the internet and television services, were affected by the hack two days ago but organisers said it had not compromised any critical part of their operations.

“Maintaining secure operations is our purpose,” said International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman Mark Adams.

“We are not going to comment on the issue. It is one we are dealing with. We are making sure our systems are secure and they are secure.”

Asked if organisers knew who was behind the attack, Adams said: “I certainly don’t know. But best international practice says that you don’t talk about an attack.”

The Winter Games are being staged only 80km (50 miles) from the border with North Korea, which is technically still at war with the South since their 1950-1953 war ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.

The two teams marched together at an Olympics opening ceremony for the first time since 2006.

South Korea has been using the Pyeongchang Games to break the ice with the reclusive North, which has been trading nuclear threats with the United States recently.

“All issues were resolved and recovered yesterday morning,” Pyeongchang organising committee spokesman Sung Baik-you told reporters.

“We know the cause of the problem but that kind of issues occurs frequently during the Games. We decided with the IOC we are not going to reveal the source (of the attack),” he told reporters.

Russia, which has been banned from the Games for doping, said days before the opening ceremony that any allegations linking Russian hackers to attacks on the infrastructure connected to the Pyeongchang Olympic Games were unfounded.

“We know that Western media are planning pseudo-investigations on the theme of ‘Russian fingerprints’ in hacking attacks on information resources related to the hosting of the Winter Olympic Games in the Republic of Korea,” Russia’s foreign ministry said.

“Of course, no evidence will be presented to the world.”

Cyber security researchers said in January they had found early indications that Russia-based hackers may be planning attacks against anti-doping and Olympic organisations in retaliation for Russia’s exclusion from the Pyeongchang Games.


source: news agency