Sports

Chennai, Dec 11 (IANS) An early goal from Irfan Yadwad was the decider in Chennaiyin FC’s first home win of the Indian Super League 2024-25 season, a 1-0 triumph over Hyderabad FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday. It turned out to be an apt celebration for head coach Owen Coyle’s milestone 50th game in charge.

Coyle, on Wednesday, became the first Chennaiyin FC head coach to reach the 50-match mark, as his team battled for three points amid difficult circumstances.

Looking for a reaction from his team, Coyle opted for Bikash Yumnam in central defence alongside captain Ryan Edwards. Laldinliana Renthlei and PC Laldinpuia guarded the wings, while further forward, Kiyan Nassiri made his first start of the season.

Chennaiyin enjoyed a blistering start in the torrential downpour, with Wilmar Jordan Gil and Kiyan both testing their luck early before Irfan put the home side ahead in the fifth minute. Latching onto an incredible through pass from playmaker Lukas Brambilla, the Indian striker squeezed the ball into the net from close range.

The Marina Machans nearly produced a second goal later on when Dinaliana’s teasing cross missed Irfan by millimetres. At the other end, custodian Mohammad Nawaz produced a fine, low stop to deny Andrei Alba’s effort from distance. Near the interval, however, Coyle was forced to make an unforeseen substitution, with Elsinho replacing the injured Edwards.

Seven minutes after the restart, Kiyan took on and beat his marker on the right flank before delivering a pinpoint cross into the box, which Jordan Gil fired over the bar on a volley. Minutes later, the Colombian forward sent his strike partner, Irfan, through on goal, who shot narrowly wide from a tight angle. Close to the hour, Coyle was forced into another change when his first-half substitute, Elsinho, suffered a serious collision and was stretchered off the pitch under medical care.

Chennaiyin finished the game with ten men after Shields was sent off by the referee for a second bookable offence. Despite the setbacks, the Marina Machans emerged from the game with three points and will now look to build on their success in their next match against Mumbai City on December 21.

--IANS

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Berlin (Germany), Dec 9 (IANS) Spanish star coach Xabi Alonso has lifted his team Bayer Leverkusen's efficiency to new heights this season. Ahead of the UEFA Champions League encounter against unbeaten Inter Milan, the 2024 German champion seems back on track after a bumpy start in the new season.

Five consecutive league victories have increased confidence in rejoining the 2025 German title race next to Bayer's international goals. Far off the previous season's easiness, Leverkusen has developed a threatening determination to take narrow wins.

While carried by a wave of enthusiasm leading to the club's first national championship last season, things needed readjustment from them in the current campaign, reports Xinhua.

Injury losses in the person of the spearheads Victor Boniface and Patrik Schick have burdened Leverkusen's path lately with genius Florian Wirtz trying to make up for their absence. Fuelled by the prestigious Cup victory in Munich, Alonso is talking about the new "joy" of surviving daily league grinds.

"We don't take things as naturally granted; we have internalized it may be taking a different approach to return to success," the 43-year-old said.

The Spaniard is hoping that rumours about possible departures don't burden his team's progress. So far, the team seems to manage to keep speculations off their back. While Alonso is said to be connected to Real and succeeding Carlo Ancelotti, the future of German genius Wirtz and defender Jonathan Tah remains in limbo.

Speculations talk of Wirtz possibly following Alonso when the Spaniard is returning to his home country next summer. Reports speak of a transfer amount of up to 150 million euros for the German offensive midfielder. Tah is said to be on Barcelona's list.

If Wirtz decides to leave, Leverkusen is said to favour a move abroad to avoid strengthening national rival Bayern. The Bavarians are expected to go all in regarding Wirtz but seem to have to go beyond their usual borders as extensions for Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich already require financial challenges.

So far, Alonso managed to stay in a bubble of independence with his team despite outside storms.

Facing Inter, the Spaniard is hoping for the return of spearhead Schick, while he is also said to be considering appointing Nathan Tella and creating a line-up without a traditional box striker.

--IANS

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Muscat, Dec 9 (IANS) Penalty-corner expert Deepika netted a hat-trick as the Indian junior women’s hockey team continued its winning momentum with a commanding 5-0 victory over Malaysia in its second match in Pool A of the Women’s Junior Asia Cup here on Monday.

Deepika scored in the 37th, 39th and 48th minutes for her hat-trick, while Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke (32’) and Kanika Siwach (38’) added to the scoresheet.

After a goalless first half, India found their rhythm in the last two quarters, securing a comfortable win to maintain their strong form in the tournament. India started the game strongly and dominated possession but missed out on several scoring opportunities. They earned three successive penalty corners towards the end of the first quarter, but Deepika's attempts were saved by Malaysia's goalkeeper, Nur Zainal.

The second quarter followed a similar pattern, with India continuing to dominate but lacking clinical finishing in the shooting circle and giving away possession. Malaysia attempted to break through India’s solid defence with long scooped passes, but the backline held firm, denying any significant chances.

With no goals scored, both teams headed into the dressing room disappointed at the end of the first half.

India turned the game around in the third quarter, scoring four goals in quick succession to take a commanding lead. They earned a penalty corner in the 32nd minute, and this time, instead of going for a goal, Puja Sahoo directed the ball slightly to the left, where Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke was perfectly positioned to strike it into the net. India capitalized on their newfound momentum to dominate the game. The second goal came in the 37th minute when India converted another penalty corner. Star drag-flicker Deepika showcased her expertise, firing a powerful shot past the goalkeeper to extend the lead.

Just a minute later, India launched a quick counterattack as Binima Dhan dribbled down the right flank and set up Kanika Siwach, who scored a stunning field goal from distance. In the 39th minute, Lalrinpuii was fouled by Malaysia's goalkeeper, earning India a penalty stroke. Deepika stepped up and confidently scored from the spot. In the final quarter, India earned another penalty corner in the 48th minute, and Deepika capitalized with a low-driven shot past the goalkeeper to complete her hat-trick, taking India’s score to 5-0 by the end of the match.

India next play China on Wednesday (December 11) at 20:30 hours IST. Both India and China have won two matches in the five-team Pool A. Thailand and Bangladesh are the other teams in Pool A while Pool B comprises Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.-

-IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 9 (IANS) Premier League referee David Coote has had his contract terminated by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) for ‘breach of contract.’ The referee was suspended on November 11 after a video appeared to show Coote using foul language to describe former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and the club went viral.

“Following the conclusion of a thorough investigation into David Coote’s conduct, his employment with PGMOL has been terminated today with immediate effect. David Coote’s actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable.

"Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare,” read the statement by PGMOL.

Coote, who has recently been at the centre of controversies that bring serious questions against the integrity of the Refereeing body, is also being investigated for a possible betting scandal.

The 42-year-old is being questioned surrounding a yellow card he showed to Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski, during the Leeds United versus West Bromwich Albion game in October 2019 and is being investigated both by the refereeing body in England, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and the Football Association (FA) in separate investigations as reported by British newspaper outlet The Sun.

The report suggests that Coote discussed handing out a yellow card over text messages but there is no suggestion that the referee made any financial gains over the event.

A previous video by The Sun also showed the referee snorting white powder whilst he was in Germany for the 2024 European Championship.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Hailing Hockey India's yet another ground-breaking initiative, National Women's Hockey League 2024-2025, former Indian skipper Pritam Rani Siwach championed its significance for aspiring players who are looking to reach the national team set-up.

Lauding the initiative, Pritam, who along with her husband runs the Pritam Siwach Hockey Academy, said, “It is an excellent initiative started by Hockey India. The National Women’s Hockey League will provide an opportunity for young players to showcase their skills and techniques and make a name for themselves, thus creating their own pathway to the national team going forward.”

It must be noted that the Pritam Siwach Hockey Academy is based in Sonipat and has produced many stars for the Indian team, such as Neha, Sharmila Devi, Nisha Warsi, and Jyoti, among others.

“Through this, the players will also get to know what areas they need to work on and how they can improve their game. It is also equally important for the coaches as well as they will be more aware of the players and how they can work on them, train them and refine their game,” she added.

The National Women's Hockey League is the first domestic women’s league of its kind in India, promising an exhilarating showcase of talent and skill. The league is structured into two phases, with the inaugural phase set to take place in Ranchi, Jharkhand, from 30th April to 9th May 2024. All matches during this phase will be hosted at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium.

The National Women’s Hockey League will feature teams that secured top-eight positions in the recently concluded 14th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2024 in Pune. The teams are – Hockey Haryana, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Bengal, Hockey Mizoram, Manipur Hockey, and Hockey Association of Odisha.

The Dronacharya Awardee also expressed her thoughts on the senior men’s team as they prepare and train rigorously ahead of the Paris Olympics. She said, “The team has some really talented players who have the capabilities of winning matches. Yes, the pool in which India is placed in is a bit tricky but I am confident that the team will pass this test and hopefully change the colour of the medal to gold.”

--IANS

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Mullanpur, April 18 (IANS) Left-handed batter Rilee Rossouw replaces an out-of-form Jonny Bairstow as Punjab Kings won the toss and elected to bowl first against Mumbai Indians in match 33 of IPL 2024 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium on Thursday evening.

[7:14 PM, 4/18/2024] Niharika Ians: Both teams have four points from six matches, but due to net run rate, PBKS are at eighth place, while MI are at ninth position. With the league phase nearing the half-way stage, this makes Thursday’s clash a very important match for MI and PBKS to win and keep themselves in contention to enter the playoffs.

With regular captain Shikhar Dhawan out due to a shoulder niggle, Sam Curran will continue leading the side. Curran added that uncapped Indian batter Atharva Taide has also dropped out of the playing eleven as a tactical change.

“Keeping up with the trend of the tournament (on electing to bowl first). It is not nice to lose the close games but we are doing a lot of things right,” said Curran.

Thursday’s match will also see Rohit Sharma becoming just the second player after MS Dhoni to play 250 matches in the IPL. MI skipper Hardik Pandya said his playing eleven is unchanged and was a good toss to lose for him as he was itching to bat first.

“We don't judge (our performances), couple of times we had the game in our grasp and didn't finish the game, IPL tests you, when the game is not over it is not over. We just take it game by game, go out there and give our 100 percent. Every individual should commit to the team's goal and once we do that, the results will be seen,” he said.

Playing XIs

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (captain), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Mohammad Nabi, Gerald Coetzee, Shreyas Gopal and Jasprit Bumrah

Substitutes: Akash Madhwal, Nuwan Thushara, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla and Naman Dhir

Punjab Kings: Rilee Rossouw, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Liam Livingstone, Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh

Substitutes: Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Shivam Singh, Rishi Dhawan and Vidwath Kaverappa

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Meg Lanning, the legendary Australia captain, has revealed an unhealthy obsession with exercise and not eating enough food led to her shock retirement from international cricket last year.

Meg, the five times World Cup winning captain and Commonwealth Games gold medal winning skipper for Australia, announced her retirement from international cricket at 31, leaving everyone shocked. The announcement came on back of her pulling out of Women’s Ashes due to an undisclosed medical issue.

"I was over-exercising and under-fuelling. I got to the point where I was doing about 85-90km (running) a week. I was in denial. It became a bit of an obsession. It was because I could escape mentally. I would throw the headphones in, I wouldn't take my phone with me."

"I would have my Apple watch with me and listen to music. Nobody could contact me. I really liked that because I felt like I was in control. I felt like I was eating. I was still eating. But I'm much more aware of it now. I was not eating enough. I'd eat maybe a couple of meals a day if I was lucky and they weren't significant."

"It didn't start off as a deliberate thing. It just became a bit of a new normal. It sort of slowly crept into conscious decisions. Essentially I felt good. I was light. I could run heaps. I wasn't getting injured like everyone was telling me I was going to do. It almost became a bit of, 'I am going to show you' sort of thing," said Meg on the Howie Games podcast.

Further talking about how things transpired in leading to her missing out on Women’s Ashes last year, Meg said, "It sort of just spiralled and I was in denial. I got down to 57kg from 64kg. It wasn't ridiculous but it was significant. The ratios were out of whack. But it was the other things that I did not realise.”

“It (affected) my ability to concentrate. I didn't really want to see other people. I disengaged a lot from friends and family. I didn't realise that I was doing this. It sort of became a new normal. I naturally would enjoy spending time by myself. I'm totally fine with that. But there would be very few people who I would want to engage with."

"I would get really snappy, real moody if anyone asked anything. I became a bit of a different person. Pretty hard to be around, I would say. I was not in a place to be able to go on tour and play cricket and give the commitment levels required for that Ashes series mentally and physically. So the decision was made with me in conjunction with the medical team to miss that tour."

Meg also revealed she feared sleeping in night due to her obsessive routines. "I felt very out of control in terms of what my future looked like: 'If it's not cricket, what does life look like if I am not playing?' "I dreaded night time because I knew I would go to bed and not be able to sleep."

"How could I not want to travel the world and play cricket? That doesn't make any sense. That would make me so mad. I would just get more angry with myself. If you can't sleep, you can't do anything. No matter what was happening, I was always able to perform. (But) it had become a bit of auto pilot."

Meg continues to play domestic cricket, having recently led Delhi Capitals 2024 Women’s Premier League runners-up finish last month and has signed up with London Spirit to play in The Hundred for the first time in England. She also said that being a private person, she struggled to tell her battles, which is still on, but is now getting better.

"It's still not back to normal ratios I would say, (I have) lots of conversations that I have with myself around what I should do and what is the right thing to do for my health but it's hard for my brain. I have that battle and sometimes I win, sometimes I don't."

"I feel like I'm in a good spot now. Cricket is still part of what I do. But I wasn't cut out for the international touring schedule and what came with all of that. What I have come to know is that everybody is always going through something, no matter how much they look like they have got things under control."

"And that was something that I felt like I was good at, looking like I had everything under control. And that's absolutely not the case. I've really started to understand how actually talking to people and letting people know can actually help."

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Former SAI coach Ajit Singh on Thursday said that Anshu Malik (57kg) has a chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics in women's category, whereas, Vinesh Phogat (50kg) will "struggle" at the Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers in Kyrgyzstan’s Bishkek, starting from April 19 to 21.

Vinesh usually competes in the women’s 53kg but has dropped down to the 50kg category since Antim Phangal has already secured a quota in the category.

Speaking to IANS, Ajit Singh said in the men's category, Aman Sehrawat (57kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg) are strong contenders. However, he has no hope from the Greco-Roman wrestlers at the tournament.

“I have no hope from Greco-Roman, to be honest. In the women's category, Anshu can make it to the podium. While in men’s, Aman and Deepak Punia, I feel, can get quotas for India. Vinesh Phogat, I don’t think so, she will struggle,” said Ajit.

There will be a total of 36 Paris 2024 quotas on offer in 18 weight divisions in Bishkek. India has fielded seventeen wrestlers.

This qualifier will be the penultimate opportunity for Indian grapplers to secure a quota for the Summer Games. The World Qualification Tournament in Turkey, scheduled in May, will be the final wrestling qualifiers.

Indian squad:

Men’s Greco-Roman: Sumit (60kg), Ashu (67kg), Vikas (77kg), Sunil (87kg), Nitesh (97kg), Naveen (130kg)

Women’s freestyle: Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), Mansi (62kg), Nisha (68kg), Reetika Hooda (76kg)

Men’s freestyle: Aman Sehrawat (57kg), Sujeet (65kg), Jaideep (74kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Deepak (97kg), Sumit (125kg)

Where to watch: Live streaming on the United World Wrestling’s (UWW) official website (10:00 AM onwards).

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara while sharing his view on what makes Rohit Sharma a special player said the 36-year-old is a leader whether name him captain or not.

He added that Rohit's ability to put both Team India and Mumbai Indians (MI) first sets him apart.

During MI's clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rohit smashed an unbeaten 105 off 63 balls in a losing cause and in the process the iconic opener achieved two milestones: the most runs by a batter in the MI vs CSK rivalry with 512 runs and counting and the first Indian to hit 500 sixes in T20 cricket.

"When you look at Rohit Sharma, you feel that he connects to the public very well... Spend his entire life from youth to present-day playing for India sometimes not getting the nods from the selectors and having to work his way back and you know. When you have such an image and a statue like Rohit Sharma... sometimes some people don't take the knock-down very well but I think what is very admirable is his ability to put everything aside and put India first and in this case also put Mumbai Indians first and come out and play the cricket the way it should," Lara said on Star Sports.

"He does not look like a big sulker, which is great. He's a leader, doesn't matter if you name captain or not. At some point in time when you get to a certain age, at a certain level you are a leader. I think he represents that role very well," he added.

--IANS

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