Sports News

Chances of India escaping a ban slimmed further on Saturday with the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) saying it will take a "strong action" against the Indian body after six of its lifters tested positive for banned substances recently.

Drag-flicker Sandeep Singh has been ruled out of the Champions Challenge I hockey tournament next month due to a back injury and will be replaced by Diwakar Ram in the 21-member squad, a Hockey India media release said on Saturday.

When India take on the visiting Sri Lankans in the one-day international at the Eden Gardens next month, the stadium will achieve a first in Indian cricket history.

Iraq to appeal FIFA ban Iraqi authorities said their lawyers are working on appeal after FIFA banned the team from international participation.

Not surprisingly, the Motera pitch has been the butt of all criticism after a high-scoring drawn Test, in which 1,598 runs were scored.

When sailor Nitin Mongia takes his yacht out to the sea, it's not always with an Olympic or Asian Games medal in mind.

It has been a discouraging period for spinners in India. Over the last two weeks, it's not their flight or guile but the legality of their actions and the degrees of their arms while bowling that have been under the spotlight. The BCCI has taken a stern view of the chucking issue this season, and if ever spin in India required an antidote it was now.

India's top paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal proved no match to Japanese world No 11 Mizutani Jun and went down 4-0 in the third round as India's challenge in singles at the Asian Table Tennis Championships came to an end on Friday.

The Indian archers had an impressive outing in the 16th Asian Archery Championship in Bali, Indonesia on Friday, bagging a gold medal and two silver medals in the team event.

India's chief coach Jose Brasa and Hockey India president A K Mattoo on Friday continued to spar with each other over the fitness, availability and leadership role of defender Sandeep Singh in the team bound for the Champions Challenge in Argentina from December 6.

UP pull out a draw
Ghaziabad: Connor Williams and Rakesh Solanki performed the rescue act with a 103 run partnership, resuming on the final day on 60/3. Williams scored 96 and later Yusuf Pathan unleashed an array of unorthodox strokes in his innings of 78 — an inside out six past long-off, a short arm jab of the backfoot into the sightscreen and finally a slog scoop down fine-leg's throat.

The Indian challenge ended on Friday in the singles events of the 19th Asian Table Tennis Championships with the defeat of Olympian Achanta Sharath Kamal and and Sourav Chakraborty in the third round.

Had India not lost four wickets in the opening hour on the first day here in Ahmedabad, chances are this Test match would have fallen asleep long before lunch on the fifth day, and both captains admitted that there was little they could have done to get a result on the surface.

Half an hour into the second session, the man with the most runs in international cricket — 30,065 as you're reading this — was at the crease; all straight lines, head still, bat steady.

Fifth-seeded and 214th ranked Russian Nina Bratchikova created the biggest upset of the event knocking out 111th ranked Thai top seed Tamarine Tanasugarn, while Uzbek wildcard entrant Sabina Sharipova kept up her winning run to enter the semifinals of the $50000 NECC-ITF Women's Tennis championships organised by the Deccan Gymkhana on their club tennis courts here.

Gauri Monga fought her way back to win the gold division in the 60th Western India Ladies Open Golf Championship, at the Poona Club Golf Club here.

The Pimpri Panthers have roped in Yogesh Takawale, the right-hand wicket-keeper batsman who played for the Mumbai Indians team in IPL II, to play in their team.

When Prasanna Jayawardene went in to bat, Sri Lanka were 375 for five, a situation that could've gone bad had another wicket fallen quickly.

Eden Gardens won't be hosting Bengal's home match against Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy Super League.