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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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St. Vincent, Dec 16 (IANS) Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy is all set to take over as head coach of the Test team too, adding to his responsibilities as the coach of the ODI and T20I teams. Sammy, who was part of the West Indies squads that won the Champions Trophy in 2004 and the T20 World Cup editions in 2012 and 2016 in his illustrious career, has been appointed as the head coach of the West Indies team across all formats. Cricket West Indies announced his appointment as coach of the Test team on Monday.

The announcement was made by CWI Director Miles Bascombe during the Quarterly Press Conference held in St. Vincent.

Sammy, a two-time ICC Men’s T20 World Cup-winning captain, has been head coach of the West Indies’ white-ball teams since May 2023. From April next year, he will assume the responsibility for the Test side as well. Sammy replaces Andre Coley as the Test head coach after the end of West Indies’ current World Test Championship cycle.

West Indies are currently last in the WTC25 standings, with a 24.24% point percentage, and are out of contention for the finale at Lord’s next year. They still have a two-match series against Pakistan away from home to be played between 16-28 January 2025.

"It’s an honour to represent the West Indies in any capacity and with the new role he has mapped out the new direction," Sammy said at a press conference following the announcement.

“I am really excited about the added responsibility and the new journey, one that I think myself and my team will be prepared for," he added.

Sammy's immediate challenge will be to improve the team's performance in all three formats of the game.

--IANS

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Pune, Dec 16 (IANS) Defending champions Puneri Paltan and the Patna Pirates played out an absolute thriller, winning 37-32 in a Season 11 clash of the Pro Kabaddi League in the Badminton Hall of the Balewadi Sports Complex here on Monday. The Patna Pirates rode on Devank, who got 11 points, Ayan adding nine, and Shubham Shinde registering a High-5. For the Puneri Paltan, who put in a superb fight on the day, Abinesh Nadarajan scored seven points and Aman registered a High-5 too.

The two sides started with two tackle points each in the early exchanges, which meant Patna Pirates’ raiders Devank and Ayan were having a tough start to the game. Pankaj Mohite scored the first raid point of the game in the fifth minute, which gave the Puneri Paltan a slender.

Abinesh Nadarajan, Aman, and Sanket were holding fort in defence for the Puneri Paltan, as they made life very difficult for the Patna Pirates’ raiders. Midway through the first half though, both sides were on level terms, with the Patna Pirates starting to make their presence felt.

Ayan was leading the charge for the Patna Pirates, but the Puneri Paltan’s Akash Shinde and Pankaj Mohite were ensuring that the opposition would stay within touching distance.

With about five minutes to go, Abinesh Nadarajan then put in a Super Tackle on Devank and the defending champions once again got their noses out in front. The first half ended with the Puneri Paltan leading 16-13.

The Patna Pirates started off the second half with an All Out on the Puneri Paltan. And right after Devank wiped out the deficit, and both sides were back on level terms. The three-time champions had started the second half quite strongly and Devank was looking menacing.

Close to the half-hour mark, Aman registered his High-5 for the Puneri Paltan, but Devank then landed an All Out as the Patna Pirates picked up a five-point lead.

In the final phase of play, the Puneri Paltan tried their best to mount a comeback but the Patna Pirates were just about keeping them at bay. With five minutes to go, the deficit was down to 3 points. Eventually, the Patna Pirates managed to close the door on the comeback and clinched the contest in the final couple of minutes.

--IANS

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Muscat, Dec 15 (IANS) Indian hockey team beat China 3-2 in penalty shootout in the final of the Women’s Junior Asia Cup, here on Sunday, to lift the title for the second time in a row.

After a 1-1 draw in regulation time, the title clash went to a shootout which saw the defending champion come out victorious.

Hockey India (HI), on the occasion, announced the cash reward for the team.

"Team India secured an epic victory over China in the Junior Women’s Asia Cup 2024 Final, winning a thrilling penalty shootout. As a reward for their outstanding performance, Hockey India announces a cash prize of Rs2 lakhs for each player and Rs1 lakh for the support staff," the HI wrote on X.

Jinzhuang Tan (30’) scored the first goal for China but Kanika Siwach (41’) bagged the equaliser in the third quarter for India as the match went into a penalty shootout. India’s goalkeeper Nidhi made three crucial saves during the penalty shootout to help her side lift the title.

Both sides were equal stride for stride in the first quarter as they tried to find an opening goal. The possession was shared and both teams created good opportunities but couldn’t break the deadlock. India received two penalty corners but they were defended well by the Chinese to keep it all square.

India started the second quarter strong by dictating the play but couldn’t create a good scoring chance in the shooting circle. China gained the upper hand towards the end of second quarter and pressurised the Indian backline. With just 14 seconds left on the clock, China received a golden opportunity in the form of a penalty stroke. Jinzhuang Tan stepped up to the spot and scored past the Indian goalkeeper to give China a slim lead heading into the second half.

The third quarter saw India aggressively attack and dominate the game. Deepika broke into a solid dribble, broke through the Chinese defense and won a penalty corner for her side. Deepika attempted a drag flick towards goal which was met by a string of saves by the Chinese goalkeeper. Moments later in the 41st minute, Sunelita Toppo and Deepika progressed the ball ahead with some clinical passes and found Kanika Siwach inside the shooting circle, who scored a beautiful field goal to get back on level terms. The score was 1-1 as both sides entered the fourth quarter.

It was all to play for in the final fifteen minutes of the game as both sides went hammer and tongs in search of a winning goal. India received a penalty corner with ten minutes left on the clock but the chance went begging and Deepika's shot went narrowly wide. Moments later, China too squandered a penalty corner in a similar fashion. Despite both sides going all out on the field, they couldn’t be separated in the four quarters played and the final went into a penalty shootout.

Sakshi Rana, Ishika and Sunelita Toppo scored for India in the penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Nidhi made three brilliant saves against Lihang Wang, Jingyi Li and Dandan Zuo to ensure India defended its title.

--IANS

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Kandy, Dec 15 (IANS) Galle Marvels registered a dominating 7-wicket win against Colombo Jaguars in Lanka T10 Super League at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium after pacer Zahoor Khan bagged a hattrick and ended up picking a four-wicket haul.

Jaguars were off to a disappointing start as they lost early wickets and could only manage to put 82/9 in 10 overs on the board. Najibullah Zadran top-scored with 26 off 15 while opener Dan Lawrence got 22 off 16.

Zahoor eventually returned with bowling figures of 4/15 in 2 overs. Captain Maheesh Theekshana and Jeffrey Vandersay picked two wickets apiece for Marvels.

In reply, the Galle team was off to a flying start in the chase as openers Niroshan Dickwella and Alex Hales stitched an opening stand of 48 runs in 4.2 overs. Hales struck 38 off 18 before getting out while Dickwella scored 20 off 12. The side lost three wickets quickly but Shakib Al Hasan and Chamindu Wickramasinghe took the side over the line in 8th over.

Jaffna Titans register thumping win vs Nuwara Eliya Kings

Jaffna Titans thumped Nuwara Eliya Kings by 53 runs to continue their form in the tournament. The side posted a mammoth 153/4 in 10 overs, courtesy Tom Abell's 24-ball 59 and Charith Asalanka's 33 off 17. Apart from them captain David Wiese also chipped in with an unbeaten 14 off 6 while Dwaine Pretorius got 18 not out off 5 to help the side put up a strong total.

Later, Jaffna bowlers rattled Kings' batting unit and reduced them to 12/5 before they were eventually restricted to 100/8. Chamika Karunaratne was the lone warrior for the side as he struck 58 not out off 26. But his efforts weren't really enough to take the side home.

Pramod Madushan picked up three wickets for eight runs while Nuwan Thushara and Dunith Wellalage bagged a couple each.

--IANS

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Pune, Dec 15 (IANS) Jaipur Pink Panther put on an effective all-round display as they eliminated Tamil Thalaivas from the playoffs race after the match ended with a 34-27 score at the Badminton Hall in the Balewadi Sports Complex on Sunday.

In what was match 113 of PKL 11, Arjun Deshwal found ample support from the likes of Neeraj Narwal and Abhijeet Malik while Ankush Rathee led the defensive charge. For the Tamil Thalaivas, Nitesh Kumar’s High 5 went in vain.

Jaipur Pink Panthers skipper and star raider Arjun Deshwal had good support from his supporting raiders Abhijeet Malik and Neeraj Narwal as the two-time PKL champions began to take an early lead. Arjun started the point-scoring with a running hand touch on Amir Hossein Bastami while Abhijeet Malik secured a Do-Or-Die raid against Aashish.

For the Tamil Thalaivas, a Super Tackle sent Arjun Deshwal to the bench but the impressive start by their defenders did not last for too long. Six consecutive points for the Jaipur Pink Panthers saw Sai Prasad caught by Surjeet Singh just after Abhishek Manokaran surrendered to Neeraj Narwal for an ALL OUT. This gave the team a good platform as the score read 20-13 at the end of the first half.

The script of the game was the same as the Jaipur Pink Panthers piled the pressure on the Tamil Thalaivas. For every point won by the Thalaivas, Arjun Deshwal’s side had a very strong response. Using their defensive prowess, the Jaipur Pink Panthers continued to dominate the second half of the match, consistently neutralising the Tamil Thalaivas' offensive attempts.

In a commanding display of Jaipur Pink Panthers' defensive lineup, led by stellar performances from Ankush Rathee – who scored a High 5 – systematically dismantled the Thalaivas' raiders. He stepped up as Arjun Deshwal struggled to find his rhythm, repeatedly getting tackled by the Thalaivas' defenders.

Tamil Thalaivas rode on the raids of Abhishek and Chandran Ranjith, who stepped up to maintain the team's momentum. The Jaipur Pink Panthers effectively controlled the Do-Or-Die raids that helped expand their lead. As the match came to a close, the Jaipur Pink Panthers decisively outperformed the Tamil Thalaivas, ultimately securing a comprehensive seven-point victory.

--IANS

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