Sports

Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Dec 18 (IANS) Alex Michelsen of the United States and Luca Van Assche made a winning start in the Next Gen ATP Finals, getting the better of Nishesh Basavareddy of the United States of America (USA) and China's Shang Juncheng respectively in the opening two matches of the event for 20-under-players on Wednesday.

Luca Van Assche set the ball rolling in Saudi Arabia, producing a classy overall opening performance. The Frenchman overcame fourth seed Juncheng 4-3(3), 2-4, 4-1, 4-3(5) in the first match of the week in the Next Gen ATP Finals.

Van Assche, who reached the semifinals in 2023, capitalised on an inconsistent showing from his third-seeded opponent to seal a one-minute, 56-minute win and move to 1-0 in Red Group.

Van Assche won two points on serve — at 1-2 in the first set and on the first point of the second set — thanks to the No Let rule, which has been reintroduced for the 2024 edition of the 20-and-under event. It dictates that play will continue even if the ball touches the net during a serve, provided it lands in the correct service box.

After the first of his serves trickled into the service box after catching the net cord, Van Assche held his hands up while giving Shang an apologetic grin. He was smiling again after beginning the second set with a similar winner, although Shang later enjoyed a net cord ace of his own early in the third set.

In the second match of the day, Michelsen shook off any lingering doubts from last year's campaign to secure his maiden win, the second-seeded American overcame Basavareddy 2-4, 4-3(5), 4-3(4), 4-2 in a high-octane battle on Wednesday. After losing all three round-robin matches on his debut in 2023, Michelsen displayed resilience in a one-hour, 50-minute victory to move to 1-0 in Red Group.

The match appeared to be swinging in Basavaraddy’s favour at the end of the third set, helped by a missed routine volley from Michelsen. At 40/30, the 20-year-old attempted a drop volley instead of a put-away smash to gift the seventh seed a route back into the game. Yet the Michelsen recovered from letting slip four set points from 40/0 to drop serve by steadying to seal a dominant tie-break.

Basavareddy, the former Stanford standout who announced this month his decision to turn pro, will seek a first win at the innovative event on Thursday. The 19-year-old will face Shang Juncheng, who was defeated by sixth seed Luca Van Assche in Red Group’s opening match.

--IANS

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Kandy (Sri Lanka), Dec 17 (IANS) Kandy Bolts registered an important win against Nuwara Eliya Kings by five runs as they reached the Eliminator in Lanka T10 Super League at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium here on Tuesday. Batting first, Kandy rode on some good batting performances from opener Pathum Nissanka and Shehan Jayasuriya to put up 111/9 in 10 overs on the board.

While Nissanka struck an aggressive 14-ball 41, Jayasuriya chipped in with 33 off 11. Kasun Rajitha was the pick of the bowlers for the Kings as he bagged a four-wicket haul and returned with figures of 4-16 in two overs. Lahiru Madushanka was also among the wickets as he picked two wickets for 9 runs in his two overs.

Later, Kyle Mayers and Avishka Fernando provided a solid start to the chase as the two openers put up 42 for the first wicket in 3.2 overs. But Mayers' departure for 36 off 15 was followed by a mini-collapse that pushed the side on the back foot. Despite Fernando's 50* off 26, Nuwara Eliya Kings were restricted to 106/5 in 10 overs.

Hambantota Bangla Tigers win

Hambantota Bangla Tigers defeated Galle Marvels by five wickets in a low-scoring encounter. Chasing a target of 83, the Bangla Tigers lost early wickets but captain Shevon Daniel and Mosaddek Hossain held their nerves and took the team over the line in the final over. Jeffrey Vandersay and Binura Fernando picked up two wickets each.

Galle Marvels were earlier restricted to 82/6 in 10 overs after the Hambantota Bangla Tigers unit didn't let the batters take the upper hand. Shakib Al Hasan was the lone warrior for Marvels after he ended up getting 43* off 19.

With this win, the Bangla Tigers move to the second spot in the points table and will now take on Jaffna Titans in Qualifier 1. Galle Marvels will lock horns with Kandy Bolts in the Eliminator match. The winner of Qualifier 1 will register a place in the final while the team that loses the clash will play Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Eliminator match.

--IANS

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Pune, Dec 17 (IANS) Arjun Deshwal came up with another brilliant performance as Jaipur Pink Panthers secured an important win against Bengaluru Bulls to keep their playoff hopes alive, surging to a 35-26 victory in a Season 11 match of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Badminton Hall in the Balewadi Sports Complex on Tuesday.

Deshwal carried on his sensational run of form with a massive 17-point game, helping his side to its third consecutive win as the battle for the playoff remained boiling. The win moved the Jaipur Pink Panthers up to fifth on the points table, while Arjun Deshwal also achieved the 200-raid points milestone in the season.

It was an action-packed start to the game as the raiders, Pardeep Narwal and Deshwal wasted no time to get their respective sides on the board. The latter ensured that Jaipur Pink Panthers took the lead with his two-point raid, as he did most of the heavy lifting for his side on the attacking end in the early exchanges.

Ajinkya Pawar helped the Bengaluru Bulls stay within striking distance with his raiding efficiency on the mat. With the tempo of the game intensifying, only two points were separating the two sides after 10 minutes, with the score at 7-9. Nitin Rawal got himself into the mix to help his side close the gap and level the score at 10-10 before Jaipur Pink Panthers quickly regained their two-point lead.

To close out the first half, the two teams resorted to the Do-Or-Die strategy, which helped the season 10 champions drive home the advantage. With Arjun Deshwal continuing to do what he does best, the Jaipur Pink Panthers further increased their lead to four points, closing out the first half with the scoreline at 15-11.

Bengaluru Bulls roared right back at the start of the second half with Arulnanthababu getting a Super Tackle on Neeraj Narwal. Alongside Ajinkya Pawar, he then helped his side level the score at 15-15 with a crucial tackle on Arjun Deshwal. The trend of Do-Or-Die Raids carried on in the second half too, with neither team keen to give an inch.

The raid machine, Arjun Deshwal completed another Super 10, executing a stunning Super Raid to give his side a four-point lead as the game entered its final phase. To make matters worse for Bengaluru Bulls at that point, Jaipur Pink Panthers inflicted an All Out to extend their lead to seven points.

With momentum on their side, Jaipur Pink Panthers piled on the misery of their opposition. With under two minutes remaining, Bengaluru Bulls had something to smile about as Arulnanthababu showed some character with another Super Tackle, completing his High 5.

However, it was nowhere near enough for them to rescue something from the game as Jaipur Pink Panthers completed a 35-26 victory, moving to fifth place in the points table.

--IANS

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Navi Mumbai, Dec 17 (IANS) A brilliant all-round performance by skipper Hayley Matthews, who hammered an unbeaten 85 after claiming (2-36) as West Indies Women handed the Indian Women a nine-wicket thrashing with 26 balls remaining in the second Women's T20I of the three-match series at the Dr. D.Y. Patil Sports Academy here on Tuesday. With this, the West Indies Women levelled the series 1-1 as India had won the first match here on Sunday.

Hayley Matthews blazed 17 fours as she struck a 47-ball 85 not out as the West Indies chased the target with ease as they reached 160/1 in 15.4 overs after the visitors rode on a fine bowling performance by Chinelle Henry (2-37), Deandra Dottin (2-14), Hayley Matthews (2-36) and Afy Fletcher (2-28) to restrict the hosts to 159/9. Opener Smriti Mandhana continued her good work as she scored a half-century but in the end that proved insufficient for India Women after the visitors elected to field first on winning the toss.

Chasing the target of 160, West Indies women got off to a good start as Hayley and Qiana Joseph raised 66 runs for the opening wicket in just seven overs. Qiana scored 38 off 28 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes before she was caught behind by Richa Ghosh off Saima Thakor.

Matthews then found a good partner in Shemaine Campbelle as they raised 94 runs for the unfinished second wicket partnership as they helped the West Indies women romp to a big win. Shemaine Campbelle remained unbeaten on 29 off 26 balls while Matthews completed her half-century in 31 balls as she went from strength to strength to help the visitors to victory.

Earlier, asked to bat first, the Indian women lost opener Uma Chetry for four with the score of six runs as she was bowled by Dottin with a delivery that pitched outside off-stump and nipped back in sharply.

Jemimah Rodrigues (13) and Raghvi Bist (5) also did not last long as India Women slumped to 48/3 in the ninth over. Mandhana and Deepti Sharma (17 off 15) added 66 runs for the fourth wicket to take the score to 104. In the process, Smriti Mandhana in 37 balls to add to the 54 she scored in the previous match that India won by 49 runs.

After Mandhana was sent back for 62 by Hayley Matthews, Deepti Sharma too did not last long. Richa Ghosh (32) kept the scoring going as the tail failed to wag and India managed a fighting total. However, it proved to be insufficient as Hayley ensured West Indies Women romped to victory.

Brief scores:

India Women 159/9m in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 62, Richa Ghosh 32; Chinelle Henry 2-37, Deandra Dottin 2-14, Hayley Matthews 2-36, Afy Fletcher 2-28) lost to West Indies Women 160/1 in 15.4 overs (Hayley Matthews 85 not out, Qiana Joseph 38; Saima Thakor 1-28) by nine wickets.

--IANS

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Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Dec 17 (IANS) Brazilian side Fluminense is pushing ahead with plans to sign forward Richarlison from Tottenham Hotspur, the Brazilian club's president said on Monday. Mario Bittencourt said he was hopeful the 27-year-old would return to the club he represented from 2016 and 2017.

"We have expressed formal interest in Richarlison," Bittencourt told reporters. "We know it will be difficult to bring him back, but we believe that perhaps because he will be closer to the Brazilian national team, at the club where he excelled, he may be tempted."

According to local media reports on Monday, Palmeiras is also interested in signing the Brazil international but has yet to initiate talks with Spurs, reports Xinhua.

Richarlison has endured a frustrating season at Tottenham, with injuries limiting him to just seven games across all competitions and one goal. Fluminense finished the 2024 Brazilian Serie A season in 13th place with just 46 points from 38 matches.

The Rio de Janeiro club has initiated talks with Richarlison's representatives and Tottenham officials about a deal that would see him move to Fluminense in January 2025, Globo Esporte reported.

It added that Fluminense viewed Richarlison as the possible "face of the club" at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, to be played in the United States from June 14 to July 13.

Richarlison has endured a frustrating season at Tottenham, with injuries limiting him to just seven games across all competitions and one goal. The 27-year-old played for Fluminense in 2016 and 2017, and he had subsequent spells at Watford and Everton before joining Tottenham in 2022.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Dec 17 (IANS) East Bengal SC mounted a stunning comeback victory, scoring four goals in 22 minutes in the second half to come from a two-goal deficit and secure a 4-2 victory against Punjab FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season which was played here at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.

Asmir Suljic and Pulga Vidal’s goals gave Punjab a comfortable position after the end of the first half but goals from Hijazi Maher, P.V. Vishnu, David Hmar, and an own goal from Suresh Meitei completed the comeback for the home side. Punjab remain in fifth position with 18 points from 11 matches while East Bengal have 10 points from the same number of matches and are in 11th position in the table.

Ravi Kumar returned in goal for The Shers as Panagiotis Dilmperis made three changes to the starting eleven. Khaimingthang Lhungdim returned in the right-back position in place of Leon Augustine while Asmir Suljic started in midfield in place of the injured Filip Mrzljak. Oscar Bruzon with limited options in midfield started with Anwar Ali to protect the defense of Hector Yuste and Hijazi Maher. David Lalhlansanga led the attack line with Cleiton Silva, Naorem Mahesh Singh, and Nandhakumar Sekar starting alongside him.

Both sides took their time to settle into the game and once the game opened up, it was Punjab who pinned East Bengal by dominating the middle of the pitch. Punjab used the long passes to good effect with Luka Majcen and Asmir Suljic always willing to run behind the high line of the Red and Gold Brigade defence. On the other end, David Hmar found the net with a neat finish from a free kick but was ruled out for offside.

The Shers took the lead in the 21st minute from a well-worked goal. Pulga Vidal obliged to the run of Asmir into the box and expertly found the Hungarian who took it on the volley and finished past Prabhsukhan Gill for his third goal of the season. Punjab grew in confidence as the game went on as they opened up the East Bengal defence with ease.

They could have doubled the advantage as Luka found himself in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper but Prabhsukhan denied the Slovenian with an outstretched leg. The rebound fell on the path of Nihal but his attempt was blocked by Lalchungnunga. On the other end, Cleiton Silva created space for himself on the edge of the box, but the attempt was weak.

Pulga Vidal doubled the away side’s advantage with a splendid finish. He received the ball from a simple throw in and he completely floored Anwar Ali with a drop of a shoulder and in one turn drilled the ball past the goalkeeper into the far corner of the goal.

East Bengal mounted a stunning comeback and scored three goals within 22 minutes from the start of the second half. Hijazi Maher rose the highest to a Cleiton Silva free kick and planted his header in the goal past the outstretched hands of Ravi Kumar.

The second-half substitute then equalised within seven minutes. Suresh Meitei’s headed clearance fell on the path of Vishnu and the winger finished it past the on-rushing Ravi Kumar and Suresh on the line. East Bengal took the lead through an own goal six minutes later. Nandhakumar’s low cross from the right wing was deflected into his own goal by Suresh who got his feet tangled.

Things got worse for The Shers when Khaimingthing Lhungdim was sent off for his second yellow card offence. East Bengal took good use of the man advantage and scored a fourth through David Hmar. Vishnu P.V. was once again the provider as his curling cross was met by a diving David Hmar whose header found the bottom corner to send the Salt Lake Stadium into a frenzy.

The 10 men of Punjab FC tried to muster something in the remaining quarter of the match but could not create much as East Bengal managed the game well. Pulga Vidal missed a couple of chances to score one back but Prabhsukhan Gill closed the gap well and kept the score intact to secure their third win in four matches.

Punjab FC will face Mohun Bagan Super Giant in their next fixture on Boxing Day (December 26) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

— IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) Rohan Jaitley, the incumbent Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) president, won the second straight term on Tuesday, defeating former Indian cricketer and sitting Trinamool Congress MP from Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency, Kirti Azad.

Rohan, the son of former Union minister Arun Jaitley, got 1577 votes against his opponent Azad, who got 777.

The Jaitley-CK Khanna's group members clinched all other posts. For vice president, Shikha Kumar (1246 votes) defeated Rakesh Kumar Bansal (536) and Sudhir Kumar Agarwal (498).

Initially, there was a close fight for the secretary post between the Jaitley camp's Ashok Sharma and Vinod Tihara. However, as the day progressed, Sharma managed to get the lead and emerged victorious with 893 votes. Tihara got 744.

Harish Singla with 1328 votes won the race for treasurer's post, while Amit Grover elected joint secretary (1189).

For directors' post, the winners were, Anand Verma (985), Manjit Singh (1050), Navdeep M (1034), Shyam Sharma (1165), Tushar Saigal (926), Vikas Katyal (1054), Vikram Kohli (939).

Rohan Jaitley was earlier elected unopposed in October 2020 as the president, after Sunil Kumar Goel, the only other candidate who had filed his nomination against him, withdrew his candidature.

--IANS

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Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Dec 16 (IANS) Himalayan Tahrs and Ranchi Rangers encountered contrasting fortunes as the 11th edition of the Yuva Kabaddi Series Division 3 continued its thrilling journey at the Karpagam Academy of Higher Education here on Monday. Day 3 witnessed a mix of nail-biting encounters and one-sided clashes.

The day kicked off with Himalayan Tahrs maintaining their unbeaten streak, comfortably defeating Chambal Challengers 49-25. Mithun Singh came off the bench to deliver a stellar performance, scoring 11 points, including four raid and seven tackle points.

Shivansh Thakur added six tackle points to further bolster the team’s defense. For the Challengers, Ajay Maravi continued his fine form with another Super 10, but the lack of support from his teammates resulted in their second defeat of the tournament.

Vasco Vipers put on a dominant display in the second match, crushing Ladakh Wolves 57-27. Prince was unstoppable, racking up an impressive 18 raid points, while Gaurav excelled in defense with seven tackle points. For the Wolves, Sonu Azad managed a Super 10 with 16 raid points, but the team’s defensive frailty left them vulnerable, handing the Vipers a comprehensive victory.

The third match of the day was a closely contested affair as Indore Invincibles narrowly defeated Tadoba Tigers 44-41. The Invincibles showcased an all-round effort, with Sachin securing a Super 10 and strong contributions from Ritik and Anil Gurjar. Their defense played a crucial role in clinching the win despite the Tigers’ valiant fightback. For the Tigers, Abhishek Nimbalkar led the charge with a Super 10, but conceding an extra all-out ultimately cost them the game.

In the fourth match, Konark Kings handed Ranchi Rangers their third consecutive defeat with a dominant 58-24 win. Rajesh Dehury and Niroj Kumar shone for the Kings, both achieving Super 10s while contributing defensively as well. Kunal Bhoi was a standout in defense, amassing nine tackle points. Ranchi’s struggles continued, with substitute Rahul Gope emerging as their top scorer with just seven raid points.

The day ended on a dramatic note as Dehradun Dynamos edged out Indore Invincibles 36-34 in a nail-biting thriller. The Dynamos’ Ajay Kumar delivered a crucial Super 10, while Harbir Singh and Amandeep Kajal secured High 5s to keep their team ahead. Indore fought back valiantly after trailing early, with Sameer Khan leading their raiding unit with nine points. However, their defensive lapses proved costly, allowing the Dynamos to clinch the victory by a mere two points.

After Day 3, Himalayan Tahrs led the table with a perfect record of three wins from three games, cementing their position as the team to beat. Tadoba Tigers and Indore Invincibles follow with two wins each, while Ranchi Rangers remain winless and languish at the bottom of the standings. Ladakh Wolves, with two losses and a tie, sit just above Ranchi in the table.

--IANS

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Madrid (Spain), Dec 16 (IANS) Spanish motorcycle ace Aleix Espargaro will continue his career on two wheels, but has swapped a motor for pedal power after Monday's announcement that the MotoGP rider has signed with the Lidl-Trek cycling team.

"Lidl-Trek welcomes Aleix Espargaro to the family (...) The three-time MotoGP race winner will serve as a Lidl-Trek ambassador, joining the Team at some of the most prestigious events on the calendar whilst promoting the sport of cycling to a wide audience," confirmed the cycling team on social media.

Espargaro has ridden for the Ducati, ART, Forward Yamaha, Suzuki, and Aprilia motorbike racing teams, spending the past eight years with the Italian-based Aprilia squad, reports Xinhua.

The 35-year-old Spaniard moves into cycling after three MotoGP wins and 12 podiums in 255 MotoGP races and 17 in Moto2 and will share his work with Lidl-Trek while working as a test rider for the Honda MotoGP team.

He will also form part of the Lidl-Trek development team, while also riding some races, with the Spanish sports paper Diario AS commenting that he will compete in the Tour of Burgos in early August.

"Cycling has been my passion for years and I have decided to leave MotoGP earlier than expected to join with a program that adapts so well to my passion. I am very grateful to Lidl-Trek for welcoming me into their family and supporting me. I will give all I have," commented the rider.

--IANS

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Madrid (Spain), Dec 16 (IANS) Rafael Louzan was elected as the new president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) after defeating his only rival Salvador Gomar by 90 votes to 43 at an assembly at the headquarters of the organisation on Monday. Louzan's election comes despite him facing a seven-year ban from holding public office for the perversion of justice, related to when he was president of the Provincial Deputation of Pontevedra.

Louzan has appealed against the decision in the Spanish High Court, with the case due to be held in February, but if the ban is upheld, Louzan will become the fourth consecutive RFEF President, reports Xinhua.

Louzan's election comes at a vital moment for the Spanish game, coming just days after Spain was confirmed as one of the hosts for the 2030 World Cup, along with Portugal and Morocco, while the RFEF has still to recover from the effects of the 'Luis Rubiales case' after the former president's unsolicited kiss of Jenni Hermoso following Spain's win at the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia.

Former Spanish Football Association (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales has been banned from all football-related activities for three years by FIFA's Disciplinary Committee for breaching Article 13 of their disciplinary code.

Rubiales kissed Spain player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the awards ceremony in Sydney on August 20. He also carried Spain player Athenea del Castillo over his shoulder during the post-match celebrations.

The 46-year-old Spaniard resigned as president of the Spanish soccer federation and vice president of UEFA following intense criticism over his unwanted kiss with FIFA Women's World Cup champion Jennifer Hermoso.

--IANS

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