Sports

Srinagar, Nov 18 (IANS) Rajasthan United FC will take on Real Kashmir FC in their second game of the I-League at the TRC Stadium here on Saturday.

The game will see the return of football to the Valley after two years of Covid protocols. Tickets for the game have already been sold out and an estimated 14,000 fans are expected to attend.

The two teams have both made winning starts to their campaigns, Rajasthan beating Churchill Brothers in Goa and Real Kashmir beating Neroca FC in Imphal. Led by two young Indian managers, the game promises to be a tough contest.

The Rajasthan United team conducted its final training session in 2 degrees temperature and the general feeling in the camp - despite the drastic change in conditions after their opener in Goa three days back - is of comfort.

Speaking about the change in conditions coach Pushpender Kundu said that while it was a challenge he was confident that the team would adapt and find a way. "My boys are warriors and they will find a way to block all of this out. It is also the beauty of the I-League that teams have to play in these different conditions."

Rajasthan United also boasts of a player who played for Real Kashmir last season - Ragav Gupta. Gupta who hails from Jammu, has quickly established himself as an important presence in the team. "I will be seeing a lot of my friends across the pitch. My job as a professional requires me to be my best for my current team. And I will not disappoint the coach or my teammates."

At the team's final training session, the players were met by Kashmir and a Indian football legend Md Yousuf Dar and his son Sajid Dar. Md Yousuf Dar, played for Mohammedan Sporting between 1962-73 and is the first Kashmiri footballer to represent India at the senior level, doing so in 1978-79. His son Sajid Dar is one of the foremost coaching minds in the country, has been the head coach of the women's national team and is responsible for much of Kashmir's football's resurgence.

"It is great to see a club from Rajasthan come to Kashmir," Yousuf Dar said. "The state used to host very prestigious tournaments that I have also played in. Footballers must remember that your off pitch character determines your on pitch character. Build both to the highest standards. I wish all the players the best and have no doubt they will give the fans a treat."

--IANS
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Wellington, Nov 17 (IANS) After being beaten in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup in Australia, a new-look India will be back in action in the shortest format against New Zealand in the T20I series opener at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Friday.

With stand-in head coach VVS Laxman insisting that the Hardik Pandya-led side, without many regular stars, will be looking to play fearless and flexible cricket during the series, it also kickstarts the road towards the 2024 T20 World Cup.

After going out of the tournament in the Super 12 stage in 2021, India's adopted an ultra-attacking approach with the bat, which gave them results in the bilateral series. But by the time T20 World Cup 2022 came in Australia, they were back to conservative batting approach, especially in the first six overs, which paled badly in comparison to England's swashbuckling play with both bat and ball, eventually taking them all the way to the trophy.

Missing personnel like captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in the top-order may prove to be a blessing in disguise for India in search of players who bat in sync with today's time in T20 cricket.

The series against New Zealand could throw up players who may become vital cogs in ending India's wait for a silverware in shortest format since winning the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007.

Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill, uncapped in the T20I format, could be the likely openers for the first match. While Kishan did play as an opener this year when the experiments stage was on, Gill will be hoping to make his mark in the country where he clinched Player of the Tournament award in India's run to U19 World Cup trophy and made his ODI debut.

But the Indian team management could give Rishabh Pant a decent run at the top of the order. Pant, who burst on the scene with blistering performances in IPL 2016 just after catching everyone's eye with his exploits in U19 World Cup earlier that year, was largely kept out of the initial playing eleven in T20 World Cup as India preferred finishing touches of Dinesh Karthik.

But after Karthik recorded single-digit scores, India got Pant in for their last Super 12 match against Zimbabwe, as well as for the semi-final against England. In that game at Adelaide Oval, India didn't promote Pant in the batting order when Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone were operating.

Instead, he was sent at number six, making six off four balls, as India were a ten-wicket thrashing by England. With the main top three rested, India could consider getting Pant a long run as an opener or if Kishan and Gill open, he should then be getting sufficient time in middle-order where Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson will feature too.

With the ball, India will be banking on leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav and off-spin all-rounder Washington Sundar to click. Chahal will be having points to prove after warming the bench for India's campaign in the T20 World Cup, which left many in the cricketing circle baffled.

While Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh would share new-ball duties, Umran Malik is expected to chip in with his raw pace and some more accuracy. Harshal Patel and Mohammed Siraj too are in fray for game time.

New Zealand, on the other hand, were also beaten in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup by eventual runners-up Pakistan. With veterans Martin Guptill and Trent Boult mitted from the squad for the series, it gives young attacking opener Finn Allen a chance to cement his spot in both white-ball formats as an opener alongside Devon Conway.

With the ball, Adam Milne will be hoping that injuries stay away to give himself the best chance for shining in Boult's absence. Kane Williamson would be itching to be back amongst the runs while Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips will be keen to continue their run-scoring ways.

Squads
India: Hardik Pandya (captain), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain and wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umran Malik.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson and Blair Tickner.

--IANS
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Gangtok, Nov 17 (IANS) An AIFF Centre of Excellence and the FIFA football for schools programme in Sikkim have been announced by AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey. The AIFF president made the announcement after meeting Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang at Gangtok on Wednesday evening.

"We will set up the Centre of Excellence in Sikkim which will be exclusive for talented football kids of Sikkim. They are unable to get international level infrastructure and training for which they have to go to Mumbai, Kolkata or Delhi, far away from their home. This we do not want. The boys of Sikkim should learn football in their home State through the Centre of Excellence," said the AIFF president to media.

Earlier in the day, Chaubey chaired the AIFF executive committee meet at Gangtok.

The other important takeaway of the AIFF executive meeting was to implement FIFA football for schools project in Sikkim schools.

Chaubey shared that the FIFA, AIFF and Education ministry had signed a tripartite agreement to teach and promote football in 1.4 lakh schools in India.

"As per the tripartite agreement, students of age 6 years to 12 years will learn football under the FIFA football for schools grassroots development programme. We shared about this with the Chief Minister for implementing the grassroots football programme in the six districts of Sikkim," said the AIFF president.

Asked how soon these projects will take shape in Sikkim, Chaubey stated that the AIFF had preliminary discussions and the proposals will be placed beofre the Government of Sikkim through Sikkim Football Association (SFA).

To a question on Sikkim hosting international football matches, the AIFF president said that the Chief Minister had also raised the same issue during the meeting with the AIFF delegation.

"The Chief Minister had also asked when and how Sikkim can host international or senior level national matches. I have assured that we will certainly look forward to it on Sikkim hosting these matches. Let me get back to my office and once we come up with a proper plan, we will share with the Chief Minister," said the AIFF president.

On his part, the Chief Minister shared that the AIFF executive committee, during the meeting with him, has assured all possible support for development of football in Sikkim. Similarly, the Sikkim government will do whatever needs to be done from its side, he said.

Tamang thanked Chaubey and the AIFF executive committee for announcing a Centre of Excellence for football in Sikkim and committed all support from the State government's side.

The Chief Minister informed that, during the meeting with the AIFF meeting, he called for Sikkim hosting international or national-level football matches. "We have two grounds in Sikkim registered under AIFF and proposed that Sikkim can organize national and international matches, he said.

The AIFF president, at the outset, informed that it was for the first time in 50 years of Indian football that the AIFF executive committee meeting was held in Sikkim at Gangtok.

"We discussed with the SFA on how to ensure advancement of football in Sikkim. At the meeting, we made developmental plans for different States, finalised budgets and discussed on youth football and women's football," said Chaubey.

--IANS
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Berlin (Germany), Nov 16 (IANS) Antonio Rudiger might not be the biggest name in Germany's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but the 29-year-old Real Madrid defender is nothing less than a star.

While 2014 World Cup winners Germany are well equipped in midfield and upfront, Rudiger has to deal with a tricky challenge, to turn a newly-formed backline into a robust stronghold.

For some reason, the job appears a perfect match for him.

His early years in the so-called football cages in one of Berlin's roughest areas might have taught him the lesson of his life.

The district of Neukolln came near a melting pot of cultures in a tough environment. In his case, things turned into a helpful school of life in many aspects.

It took him some years to attract attention on the big stage covered by TV cameras.

After his apprenticeship-like years in Stuttgart, the tall defender took the hard way with two years at AS Roma and five at Chelsea, including disappointments and setbacks, reports Xinhua.

Developing a strong will on Berlin's streets, the German turned into one of Europe's best defenders, joining Real Madrid last summer.

Having gained invaluable experience competing against the continent's best strikers of all types clearly convinced Germany coach Hansi Flick to take him to Qatar.

His rapid development, along with game-opening skills, made Flick forget about aging 2014 World Cup-winning defender Mats Hummels.

"If something doesn't destroy you it makes you stronger," Rudiger stated on social media after scoring Real's equaliser in a Champions League group match, despite a heavily bleeding head wound treated with several stitches.

It seems certain he will be a regular in the starting eleven; the issue to solve is who will partner with him.

Flick's decision to leave Hummels at home is not only pushing Rudiger into the limelight but also tells a story of deep trust.

--IANS

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Sydney, Nov 16 (IANS) The Australian Badminton Open 2022 kicked off at Sydney's Quaycentre on Tuesday, seeing China's Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping advance to the second round of mixed doubles with ease.

The Chinese pair opened the match against Australia's Xing Huong Goh and Pitchaya Elysia Viravong by scoring 10 consecutive points, ending the first set at 21-3. In the second set, Feng and Huang only conceded four points before making it 21-4, reports Xinhua.

"The Australian Open is our fourth tournament playing as a pair, and we are much better in communication and cooperation," Huang said, adding that they will be well-prepared for the next round.

The Japanese pair of Yujiro Nishikawa and Saori Ozaki defeated Aussies Jason Hong and Victoria Tjonadi 21-3, 21-11 while Chinese Taipei's Ye Hong Wei and Lee Chia Hsin too advanced in the mixed doubles section, beating Andika Ramadiansyah and Mia Dian Nurlia 21-8, 21-7.

Meanwhile in the men's singles qualifying rounds, local Australian players Yuran Zhang got the better of Lok Yee Chang 21-12, 21-11 while Peter Yan defeated Xing Huong Goh 21-10, 21-9.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) England head coach Matthew Mott has expressed his desire to see star all-rounder Ben Stokes reversing his ODI retirement in order to strengthen their squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

Stokes had announced his decision to call curtains on his ODI career earlier this year, citing the difficult workload of playing in three formats as the reason behind it.

The 31-year-old is the captain of the England Test side, which has seen a change in fortunes ever since he took charge a few months back alongside coach Brendon McCullum.

But Stokes' heroics in the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 against Pakistan, where he played an unbeaten knock of 52 to guide England to their second title in the history of the tournament, once again led to calls for reversing his ODI retirement.

The England coach spoke to the reporters after England's World Cup win in Melbourne and expressed his desire to see Stokes coming out of his ODI retirement for the sake of the team.

"When he spoke to me about his ODI retirement, one of the first things I said was that I'd back any decision he made, but I said to him he didn't necessarily have to retire, he could just not play 50-overs for a while," Mott said.

"I'll let him dust off today. He's his own man and he'll make his own decisions. He'll do what's right for English cricket and he always has. That was part of his decision to retire from ODI cricket. He didn't think he could give it his all and credit to him for making that decision because he's such a special commodity for English cricket. We want what's best for the whole system as well," he added.

The ODI World Cup in India is less than 12 months away and there aren't a lot of T20Is to play during this period. Mott hopes that the lack of T20Is will help him to persuade Stokes to return to the ODI fold.

"It's going to be a World Cup year and we don't play much T20 cricket for a while, but it will be up to him. The more we can get him is great. He's doing an amazing job with the Test captaincy but he is a very big cog in the wheel when he comes back to white-ball."

Mott also went on to praise Stokes for his all-round ability, calling him a "three-dimensional player" and "the glue" that held the team together.

"I think we have a lot of guys who can do extraordinary things but he was the player you knew that if he was in you'd win the game," Mott said.

England are already scheduled to play three ODIs in Australia, starting just three days after the T20 World Cup final. The series ends on November 22 and they will again gear up for a Test series in Pakistan, starting December 1. If Stokes decides to play in the Indian Premier League on top of that, the schedule could become pretty demanding for him.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) The reigning Asian youth champion Vishwanath Suresh and Deepak gave India's campaign a winning start on the opening day of the IBA Youth Men's and Women's World Boxing Championships 2022 in La Nucia, Spain on Tuesday.

Both Vishwanath and Deepak emerged victorious after clinching thrilling opening-round wins.

Vishwanath defeated Ireland's Patsy Joyce Thady by a split 3-2 decision in 48 kg while Deepak beat Useid Nika of Albania by Referee Stops Contest (RSC) verdict in 75kg to give India a rousing start in the competition.

Vishwanath, the 17-year-old Chennai boxer, shifted gears impressively in the deciding three minutes after the intensely fought first two rounds of men's 48kg bout which saw equal resistance from both ends. Vishwanath was among the seven Indians to secure gold medals at the ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships, held in Jordan earlier this year.

Later on Tuesday night, India's Vanshaj (63.5kg) will take the ring against Uzbekistan's Boltaev Shavkatjon.

Indian boxers produced a historic show in the last edition of the prestigious event when they clinched 11 medals, including eight gold. This year's 25-member contingent consists of 13 men and 12 women pugilists.

Reigning Asian champions Vishwanath, Vanshaj, Tamanna and Muskan will spearhead India's challenge at the ongoing championships which will witness the participation of the world's top boxing nations. The tournament will go on till November 26.

Most of the boxers in the men's category will start in the Round of 32 while Mohit (86kg) and Rhythm (+92kg) will kickstart their campaigns in the pre-quarterfinals. In the women's category, on the other hand, Muskan (75kg) and Kirti (+81kg) will open their campaigns directly in the quarterfinals whereas others will begin their challenge in the Round-of-16 with only Preeti Dahiya (57kg) starting in the Round-of-32.

--IANS

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Turin (Italy) For his maiden victory in the ATP Finals, Felix Auger-Aliassime could not have chosen a better victim. The Canadian, whose red-hot streak may have hit a recent blip stunned top seed, Rafael Nadal, in straight sets here on Tuesday.

The fifth seed bounced back impressively from his opening defeat to Casper Ruud at the season finale in Turin, where he defeated Nadal 6-3, 6-4 to notch his maiden victory in the prestigious season finale.

Auger-Aliassime said having played at the same court earlier helped him overcome Nadal.

"I think having one match here, I got used to the conditions on centre court," Auger-Aliassime was quoted as saying in a report on the ATP Tour's official website. "It helped me a lot. I felt my game was better today. My serve was great and return and backhand was much better. I was hitting it with my more consistency and quality. When I am playing like this, I have proven I can compete and beat some of the best players in the world."

With this win, Auger-Aliassime moves to the top of the standings in Green Group with one win and one loss. Taylor Fritz of the United States and Casper Ruud of Norway have played one match and won their respective match. Nadal is at the bottom of the four-team group after losing both of his matches.

Despite the loss, Nadal has not been eliminated from contention for year-end No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. If Ruud wins a set against Taylor Fritz on Tuesday evening, Nadal will be eliminated from semifinal contention in Turin and therefore Carlos Alcaraz will clinch year-end World No. 1.

Auger-Aliassime withstood some early pressure from the top-seeded Nadal, recovering from 15/40 to hold serve in both the first and seventh games of the first set. The Canadian produced precise serving and struck the ball cleanly off both wings at important moments throughout, saving five of five break points to improve his record in Green Group to 1-1. He will take on Taylor Fritz in his final round-robin match at the Pala Alpitour as he seeks to reach the semi-finals on his tournament debut, said a report on the ATP Tour website.

The quality of Auger-Aliassime's serving performance is reflected in his INSIGHTS Serve Quality numbers for the match. He fired 15 aces and won 81 percent (39/48) of points behind his first delivery in the one-hour, 57-minute encounter.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) Ace Indian archer Akash Malik who won silver medal at the youth Olympics is all set to represent India in the Asia Cup archery tournament to be held in Sharjah from December 25.

The three-day trial was a knockout tournament held in Sonipat, Haryana in which Akash secured his participation for the Asia Cup.

Apart from Akash, the other three players who have been shortlisted are from Maharashtra, Services Sports Control Board and Jharkhand.

Commenting on the same, Akash said, "I am very pleased with my performance in the trial. This will motivate me to train harder and give my best at the Asia Cup. Representing my country is a pride moment and I will give my hundred per cent in the tournament."

--IANS

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Melbourne, Nov 13 (IANS) England's leg-spinner Adil Rashid continued his stellar run in the final of Men's T20 World Cup, delivering a fantastic spell of 2/22 at an economy rate of just 5.50 to keep Pakistan to 137/8 at the MCG and revealed that getting wickets via slower balls gave him the confidence to keep bowling at that pace.

"I did slow the ball up and getting wickets gave me the confidence to bowl it slower, which is my strength. It's not an individual game, it's about the collective, and as long as the team is happy with every bit, that's the main thing. If the wickets come, great, but it's all about the team," said Rashid in a mid-innings chat with the broadcasters.

Post power-play, Rashid made an immediate impact in the middle overs as he deceived Mohammad Haris with flight on his first ball of the night and the right-handed batter gave a simple catch to long-on.

In the 12th over of the innings, which was a wicket-maiden, he had cramped captain Babar Azam for a slice on a googly through the off-side, and the ball came back to Rashid for a low catch to his right.

Rashid joined Pakistan's former left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir (2009), Sri Lanka's pace all-rounder Angelo Mathews (2012) and West Indies' leg-spinner Samuel Badree (2016) in the list of bowlers bowling a maiden over in the final of the T20 World Cup.

He advised England to rely on running between the wickets to chase down the total successfully. "Just assess the pitch and conditions, they may like the ball a bit quicker, so slowing it up was my strength."

"There are lots of twos and threes out there so running hard is a big one and really sticking to our strengths and being positive and courageous. Hopefully we can now do the job. If we'd been offered 137, so we'd have been very happy."



--IANS
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