Sports

Newcastle, Jan 12 (IANS) Newcastle United secured a 3-1 win over Bromley to reach the FA Cup fourth round, but they had to come from behind against the National League side. The Magpies, who have now won eight consecutive games, faced a tough challenge from a well-organised Bromley team, managed by former Newcastle goalkeeper coach Andy Woodman.

Bromley took an early lead in the eighth minute. Cameron Congreve, on loan from Swansea, scored a stunning 22-yard strike, beating Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. Despite their strong start, Bromley missed a chance to extend their lead when Danny Imray's shot flew wide after a dangerous run into the box.

Newcastle quickly responded, equalising in the 10th minute. Lewis Miley, starting his first game in nearly a year, played a perfect through ball to William Osula. Osula rounded the goalkeeper, and although Bromley scrambled to clear, the ball eventually reached Miley, who unleashed a brilliant strike into the top corner to mark his return in style.

Eddie Howe made nine changes to his starting lineup but kept several key internationals in the team. Despite dominating possession, Newcastle struggled to break down Bromley in the first half. Harvey Barnes and Osula had chances but couldn’t convert.

In the second half, Howe's substitutions made a difference. Anthony Gordon replaced Barnes and scored just two minutes after the restart, converting a penalty after Matt Targett was fouled in the box. Osula then sealed the win in the 62nd minute with a brilliant individual effort, cutting inside and firing home for his first goal for the club.

Newcastle remained comfortable for the remainder of the match, with Targett and Bruno Guimares also going close.

--IANS

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Ranchi, Jan 12 (IANS) The inaugural Women’s Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 got underway on Sunday with the Odisha Warriors thumping the Delhi SG Pipers 4-0 in Ranchi. Yibbi Jansen (16' and 37'), Baljeet Kaur (42`) and Freeke Moes (43' ) scored for the Odisha Warriors.

The Women’s Hockey India League opened with a glitzy ceremony where artists showcased the culture of Jharkhand. Mrs. Kalpana Soren, Member of Legislative Assembly, Govt of Jharkhand and wife of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, unveiled the Women’s Hockey India League trophy along with the captains of the four Women’s HIL teams.

The first quarter was a cautious affair as both teams, playing for the first time, took their time to get into a rhythm. The Pipers and the Warriors had a couple of half chances but were unable to find the finishing touch as the first quarter ended goalless.

Yibbi Jansen got the honour of scoring the first goal of the Women’s Hockey India League. The Warriors won a penalty corner in the 16th minute. Jansen, one of the best drag flickers in the game, made no mistake as she sent her drag flick flying past goalkeeper Elodie Picard.

The Pipers won their first penalty corner in the 21st minute but the injection was not trapped cleanly. The Pipers did well to win another penalty corner straightaway. Deepika’s drag flick was dealt with by the Warriors defence.

The Delhi side came closer in the 26th minute as they won a third penalty corner. Goalkeeper Jocelyn Bartram made a couple of saves before the Pipers won a long corner. At the other end, the Warriors won their second penalty corner of the match in the 27th minute. This time Picard stuck out her glove to keep out Jansen’s drag flick.

The Pipers boasted more possession and asserted themselves more but the Warriors defence stood firm to stay ahead at halftime.

The Warriors doubled their lead midway through the third quarter with Jansen once again on target. The Dutch star fired her drag flick into the corner giving Stephanie de Groof, who was positioned on the post, little time to react.

Five minutes later, the Warriors were 3-0 ahead. Baljeet Kaur dribbled along the goalline and played the ball to Neha Goyal. The ball ricocheted back to Baljeet off Neha’s stick and the former curled it past Picard.

There was barely anytime for the Pipers to regroup before the Warriors mounted another attack and scored their fourth on the night. Freeke Moes rode a couple of challenges before slamming the ball past Picard.

The Warriors were content with defending their lead in the final quarter as the Pipers tried to find a consolation goal. The Warriors were down to 10 players for five minutes after captain Neha received a yellow card in the 49th minute. The Pipers, unfortunately, were unable to capitalize on their numerical advantage.

The Pipers won a couple of penalty corners in the final two minutes but the Warriors’ defence dealt with them effectively to close out a comprehensive 4-0 win.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Indian GT Racer Akshay Gupta, is set to become the second Indian driver to participate in the Dubai 24 Hours race. Gupta follows the trailblaze by renowned Indian actor Ajith Kumar, who previously made the headlines returning to professional racing at Dubai 24 Hours.

The 2025 edition of the race will see a total of 65 cars with 6 different classes. This event will mark the 20th staging of 24H Dubai, to be held at Dubai Autodrome. Gupta will be racing with the German racing team AsBest Racing behind the wheel of a Seat Cupra Leon TCR car in the TCE Class where the competition is scarce. There are 3 total entries in the class and Gupta’s car will be starting on pole position. The 32-year-old will be joined by the Japanese Junichi Umemoto, German Lutz Obermann, Swedish Henrik Sandell and Nadir Zuhour from UAE in car number 102. The race will go on non stop for 24-hours where the drivers will keep taking turns in a relay format.

Commenting on his participation, Akshay Gupta shared, “I wanted to do this race back in 2016. I got a call from AsBest on Monday to know if I was available and I jumped on the opportunity. The TCR car is an upgrade from the production cars I race in the Nurburgring Endurance Championship. They have more power, weigh lesserand have a lot more downforce. Additionally, I have not yet done a full 24 hour race, so, there is a lot of firsts for me and it will warm me up for the 2025 NLS championship scheduled for March end!”

Akshay Gupta is a trailblazing Indian racing driver and tech entrepreneur who has defied obstacles to achieve success in both realms. Born with clubfoot, Akshay has overcome physical challenges to excel in motorsports. His racing career began in 2010, with notable milestones including becoming the Vice Champion in VT2-F Class in Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie in 2024 with the Hyundai i30N (2 race wins and 4 podiums), Runner-up at the 2013 National Championship season finale at Buddh International Circuit for Toyota

Akshay now competes in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, inspiring a new generation of Indian drivers. His determination, resilience, and passion for racing make him a shining star in Indian motorsports.

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Punjab Kings have named Shreyas Iyer as captain for the IPL 2025 season. In an unparalleled move, the announcement was made by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on the reality TV show 'Bigg Boss' on Sunday.

Iyer, Shashank Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal were present on the sets of the show with Salman to make it more exciting for the fans.

The 30-year-old expressed gratitude to the Punjab Kings management and vowed to repay the faith.

"I am honoured that the team has reposed its faith in me. I am looking forward to working again with Coach Ponting. The team looks strong, with a great mix of potential and proven performers. I hope to repay the faith shown by the management to deliver our maiden title," Iyer said.

Head coach Ricky Ponting said, "Shreyas has a great mind for the game. His proven capabilities as captain will enable the team to deliver. I have enjoyed my time with Iyer in the past in IPL, and I look forward to working with him again. With his leadership and the talent in the squad, I am excited about the seasons ahead."

Punjab Kings CEO Satish Menon added, "We had identified Shreyas as our captain and were delighted with the auction result. He has already proven himself to master the format, and his vision for the team aligns perfectly with our goals. With him and Ponting joining hands again, we are confident our team has a solid leadership group to guide us to our first title."

In 2024, Iyer had a banner year. He was part of the Mumbai team that won the Ranji and Irani trophy. He captained Kolkata Knight Riders in their victorious 2024 IPL campaign. Under his leadership, Mumbai won their second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Iyer was expected to be named Punjab Kings captain in IPL 2025 after being acquired for a staggering Rs 26.75 crore during the IPL Mega Auction in November last year.

Punjab came into the auction having retained just two players - Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh - and a maximum purse of Rs 110.5 crore, aiming to build from scratch with new head coach Ricky Ponting in charge. They snapped Arshdeep Singh after deciding to exercise their Right-to-Match (RTM) card against the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s final bid of Rs 18 crore.

Kings broke the bank for Iyer and bagged him for a whopping Rs 26.75 crore, the second most expensive purchase of the auction after Rishabh Pant, who was sold for a jaw-dropping price of Rs 27 crore to Lucknow Super Giants.

"The auction has gone great. It probably couldn't have gone much better, to be honest. It's been a lot of work and a lot of team effort. The analysts have done a terrific job, providing me with much information on the local players. Obviously, I know a lot about the overseas guys," Ponting said after the auction.

Punjab Kings squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nehal Wadhera, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, Lockie Ferguson, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Kuldeep Sen, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett, Pyla Avinash, Pravin Dubey.

--IANS

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Melbourne, Jan 11 (IANS) On the eve of his first match in the Australian Open 2025, the 19-year-old Chinese player Shang Juncheng repeatedly mentioned the word "happily" when fielding reporters' questions in Melbourne's hot summer air. Shang will face Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat the Chinese teenager twice last year. However, during the match at the Madrid Open in April, the Spaniard won a crucial point controversially, as the ball bounced twice before he returned it.

"You probably know what happened in Madrid that I felt was unfair, but I think this time I have some contingency plans if anything happens," Shang said. "It's more important to focus on yourself, play your tennis well, and then finish the match happily on the court," he added.

Discussing his opponent in Sunday's first-round match, Shang called Davidovich Fokina a good player with strong attacks, a good serve, and fast movement. "The way we play is probably quite similar," he said.

Looking back over the past year, Shang said "It was a very perfect season overall," in which he was able to compete throughout the year without any major injuries, reports Xinhua.

It was in 2024 that Shang made significant strides in the ATP rankings, leaping from 183rd into the top 50. In September, he won the Chengdu Open to gain his first ATP title. For 2025, Shang smiled and said he had set a small goal for himself, which is "very useful for himself" and "achievable."

"I think in every match, no matter how you have played, as long as you give 100 percent effort, no matter whether you lose 6-0, or in a third set or fifth set tiebreak, you have to finish this match happily, and then figure out what problems you have," he said. "When it is over, don't think too much, don't put all your pressure on this one match," Shang said.

Of the 128 men's singles players in the 2025 Australian Open, six are under the age of 20, and Shang is one of them. But having finished junior tennis at 16, Shang is no newcomer in men's professional tennis.

As a beacon for the development of tennis in China and around the world, Shang shared his experience with young tennis players who are battling to progress like he was just a few years ago.

"You may have to maintain a positive state of mind. All players may have good skills, but if you can't keep a good mindset, you can't realize your full capacity," Shang said. "So I think the most important thing is to play happily."

--IANS

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Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Jan 11 (IANS) Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti and his Barcelona counterpart Hansi Flick remained quiet on the controversy over Barcelona's Spain international Dani Olmo ahead of the Spanish Super Cup final between the two sides. Olmo and Pau Victor were given the OK to play the game despite Spanish league rules saying that a player cannot be registered twice with the same club in the same season.

Olmo and Victor's registrations with Barcelona ended on December 31 due to financial regulations, and other clubs in Spain, such as Atletico Madrid, Valencia, and Espanyol, have all published communiques showing their opposition to the decision.

Ancelotti was diplomatic when asked what it would mean if Olmo scored in Sunday's final, reports Xinhua.

"It would mean that we have not been able to stop a player that everyone knew," replied the Italian, who added that midfielder Jude Bellingham "had recovered well" after appearing to suffer a muscle problem in Thursday's semifinal against Mallorca.

"All the players are available, we are in good shape and enthusiastic," added Ancelotti, who also predicted a different game after the 4-0 defeat Barcelona had inflicted on his side in La Liga in October. "We have to think about what happened in the first game because they beat us, we have looked at what happened in that game," he insisted.

Asked about Olmo's situation, Flick hinted that the summer signing may not start on Sunday, with Gavi keeping his place in the line-up. "Gavi played really well against Athletic [in the semifinal]. He had the confidence and gave the team a lot of things that are very important. I think Gavi will play," he said in his press conference.

The German added that he had told his players to "forget about all the controversy", saying they needed to be "cohesive and strong", and to block out "all outside noise".

--IANS

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Mumbai, Jan 11 (IANS) In what promises to be a landmark moment in Indian sport, two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra will be bringing a Continental Tour javelin-only competition to India. While the venue is yet to be finalised, the event is slated to take place in May this year.

The event being held in association with JSW Sports, along with the support of World Athletics and the Athletics Federation of India, will see some of the best male and female javelin throwers from around the world – headlined by Chopra – compete on Indian soil for the first time.

Speaking about the event, Chopra said, “It has been a longstanding dream of mine to organise and bring a world-class javelin competition to India. With the help of JSW Sports and the Athletics Federation of India, we are making this happen. I am sure that my fellow athletes and the fans in India will both create an experience that will be spoken about for a long time. I am excited to see how big we can make this.”

Chopra and JSW Sports are keen to make the event an annual fixture in the world athletics calendar, with an eye on adding more track and field disciplines to the meeting.

Parth Jindal, Founder, JSW Sports said, “I would like to thank the Athletics Federation of India and their leadership for giving us this fantastic opportunity of bringing a world-class event to India. The AFI has been doing some incredible work to raise the profile of track and field sports in the country, and how they have come forward to support this event is a testament to their endeavours.”

The star-studded lined-up aside, the focus will be on delivering a competition that enhances viewer experience using technology – both, at the event and via broadcast.

Speaking about the upcoming event, Lord Sebastian Coe, President, World Athletics, said, “World Athletics is delighted to support this new event that will allow fans in India to see their heroes on home soil and that will also showcase to the world India’s ability to stage gold standard events."

The meet also aims to inspire the next generation of Indian athletes and to amplify the health and fitness initiatives undertaken by the Government of India. With the AFI giving track and field disciplines a concerted push, India has taken big strides of progress on the continental and global stage with records and numerous firsts for our athletes.

Adille Sumariwalla, Chairman (N&IR) of the Athletics Federation of India, said, “We could not have a better role model than Neeraj Chopra to inspire the next generation of Indian athletes and we are pleased to partner with Neeraj and JSW Sports to present the best of our sport to the Indian public. 2025 will be an exciting year for Indian athletics with two Continental Tour meetings being held in our country."

--IANS

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Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Jan 11 (IANS) FC Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski says his club can beat Real Madrid in Sunday's Spanish Super Cup final in the final to be played at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium in here on Sunday evening. The two teams had an easy passage to the semifinal stage of the event. In the last-four stage, Barcelona outplayed Athletic Bilbao 2-0, while Real Madrid beat Mallorca 3-0.

"I'm excited ahead of the clash. The final is going to be a really good game, and we will show our best football because these are special games. It's the first opportunity to win a title. We want to take this trophy," Lewandowski told ESPN on Saturday.

In October, Barcelona smashed Madrid 4-0 away in their first La Liga clash of the season, and Lewandowski said his side will be able to beat Carlo Ancelotti's men once more, reports Xinhua.

"Madrid have amazing players. Individually they are so strong. Sometimes you think that they're playing slowly, that they don't have the game under control, but they're waiting to give you one punch. We have to be ready. However, if we're playing our football, we can win," the Pole added.

Real Madrid currently sit at the top of La Liga standings, five points ahead of third-placed Barcelona, who have been leading the table before suffering several defeats in recent weeks.

"We were very good at the start of the season. After many good games, then came a period that we didn't play how we wished. If you want to win the league, you have to win the small games," the 36-year-old concluded.

Jude Bellingham broke down Mallorca's rearguard action in the 63rd minute as he slid the ball through a forest of legs after Rodrygo hit the post with a diving header, and Kylian Mbappe saw his follow-up well saved by Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif.

Mallorca defender Martin Valjent then deflected Brahim Diaz's attempted through ball to Mbappe into his own net in the second minute of injury time and in virtually the last action of the game, Rodrygo got a goal to celebrate his birthday and make it 3-0.

--IANS

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Chennai, Jan 11 (IANS) Muscat-based Ashad Pasha, who hails from Chikkamagaluru, and is a last-minute entrant, clocked the fastest time as he won a triple crown in the South Zone qualifier of the Fmsci Indian National Autocross Championship at the Madras International Circuit here on Saturday.

The 31-year-old reigning National champion in three different classes, Pasha flew in to support his brother, but with a car available, he took part, and he did it in style by clocking the fastest time of the day of two minutes, 28.615 seconds over the 2.4-Kms circuit which was a mix of dirt and tarmac.

Kolhapur’s Pallavi topped the Ladies' class as she clocked 03:30.081 against second-placed Reshma Inchalkar (Goa) (03:44.312) in the event conducted by the Madras Motor Sports Club. “I am from Chikkamagaluru but based in Muscat and flew in here to support my brother. But since a vehicle was available, I was persuaded to drive and so it was a last-minute decision to drive,” said Ashad who participated in three categories and topped them all.

The qualifiers from South Zone will participate in the final round of the Championship to be run at the same venue on Sunday. They will be joined by toppers from North and East Zone qualifiers.

Provisional results:

INAC1 Class B: 1. Kiran Reddy (Bengaluru) (02:39.825).

INAC1 Class C: 1. Ashad Pasha (Chikkamagaluru) (02:28.615); 2. Amandeep Singh (Delhi) (02:57.160); 3. Ashish Gupta (03:08.219).

INAC2 Class B: 1. Ashad Pasha (02:35.871); 2. Kartik Konchady (Mumbai) (02:50.345).

INAC2 Class C: 1. Ashad Pasha (02:29.400); 2. Areeb Rahman (Kolkata) (02:41.547); 3. Saneesh Sharma (02:43.353).

INAC2 Class E: 1. Nameer Pasha (Chikkamagaluru) (02:36.185); 2. Areeb Rahman (02:37.118); 3. Saneesh Sharma (02:41.330).

INAC3 Stock Class A: 1. Amey Desai (Mapusa) (02:52.865); 2. Kartik Konchady (02:55.585); 3. Karan Panikar (Navi Mumbai) (02:56.968).

INAC3 Stock Class B: 1. Kushal Chaudhari (New Panvel) (02:51.735); 2. Althaf Hussain (Kolhapur) (03:14.388).

INAC3 Stock Class C: 1. Kartik Konchady (02:41.524); 2. Amey Desai (02:49.772); 3. Sravan Kumar Kuttoor (Hyderabad) (03:01.017).

INAC3 Stock Class E: 1. Karan Chaudhary (Kolkata) (02:39.694); 2. Amey Desai (02:46.588); 3. Kushal Chaudhari (02:55.132).

Ladies' Open: 1. Pallavi Yadav (Kolhapur) (03:30.081); 2. Reshma Inchalkar (Goa) (03:44.312).

4WD Open: 1. Raunak Jana (Kolkata) (02:44.311); 2. Sravan Kumar Kuttoor (02:50.769).

Amateur: 1. Nameer Pasha (Chikkamagaluru) (02min, 35.441sec); 2. Ashish Gupta (Chennai) (03:45.346).

--IANS

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London, Jan 11 (IANS) Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has withdrawn from the Snooker Masters on medical grounds, the World Snooker Tour revealed on Friday. The annual invitation tournament featuring the Tour's top 16 players opens on Sunday at Alexandra Palace in London. O'Sullivan, 49, was due to face John Higgins in the tournament's opening match.

O'Sullivan's withdrawal comes after he exited a Championship League event in controversial circumstances. During a defeat to Robert Milkins, O'Sullivan angrily struck his cue against the table after failing to make an easy pot, reports Xinhua. The Briton's place in the Masters will be taken by Australia's Neil Robertson, who was ranked in 17th position at the seeding cutoff after the UK Championship.

China's Ding Junhui was drawn to play against veteran Mark Williams in the first round on Monday. The tournament's two other Chinese players, Si Jiahui and Zhang Anda begin their campaigns on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, with Si facing Mark Allen, and Zhang locking horns with Kyren Wilson.

Born in Wordsley, England, O'Sullivan, a seven-time snooker world champion and widely recognised as "The Rocket," took Hong Kong residency earlier this year under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, as announced by the immigration department.

The 49-year-old is widely recognised as one of the most talented players in snooker history. He has won the World Snooker Championship seven times, a modern-era record that he shares with Stephen Hendry. One of the most accomplished players in the sport's history, O'Sullivan has also won a record eight Masters titles and a record eight UK Championship titles, for a total of 23 Triple Crown titles, the most by any player.

One of the most renowned snooker players in the world, O'Sullivan turned professional in 1992 at the age of 16 after winning several amateur titles including the IBSF World Under-21 Snooker Championship.

O'Sullivan's other career highlights include three World Grand Prix titles, two Players Championship titles, four Welsh Open titles, two Scottish Open titles, two German Masters titles, four Irish Masters titles, two China Open titles, two Champions Cup titles, ten Premier League titles, four Champion of Champions titles, three Scottish Masters titles, and five Shanghai Masters titles.

--IANS

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