Sports

Kampala, Dec 25 (IANS) Reigning Uganda Premier League champions Vipers SC have terminated the contract of their Brazilian coach Leonardo Martins Neiva.

The club made the announcement on Sunday, only five months after Neiva had taken charge, reports Xinhua.

The decision came two days after Vipers SC had suffered a 3-2 home defeat to league leaders BUL Jinja FC.

"Vipers Sports Club informs its stakeholders and public that it has by mutual consent ended its contractual relationship with Leonardo Martins Neiva effective on December 23, 2023. The club would like to thank Neiva for his services during his stay at the Venoms family and wishes him the best in his career development," said a statement from Vipers SC.

During his unveiling ceremony in July, Neiva, who had signed a two-year contract, said he was in Uganda to win more titles with Vipers SC.

His previous spells included those in North America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and several other countries in Africa.

--IANS

Rio de Janeiro, Dec 25 (IANS) Botafogo are in advanced talks to sign Boca Juniors midfielder Cristian Medina, according to widespread media reports in Brazil.

The Argentine giants have rejected an initial offer of seven million U.S. dollars and are awaiting a counter bid, Globo Esporte reported on Sunday, reports Xinhua.

Medina has made 49 appearances and scored five goals for Boca since being promoted from the club's youth academy in 2020.

His current contract with the Buenos Aires outfit is due to expire in December 2027.

Botafogo finished fifth in Brazil's 20-team Serie A standings this year and qualified for the Copa Libertadores for the first time since 2017.

--IANS

Rio de Janeiro, Dec 25 (IANS) Uruguayan international midfielder Nicolas de la Cruz has joined Flamengo from Argentina's River Plate, the Brazilian club said on Sunday.

The 26-year-old will be tied to Flamengo until December 2028 after the Rio de Janeiro side agreed to a transfer fee reportedly worth 16 million U.S. dollars, reports Xinhua.

"We begin the task of assembling a squad for next season with a big name that was highly anticipated by our fans," Flamengo president Rodolfo Landim said in a statement published on the club's official website.

"We are happy with the agreement and wish De La Cruz every success in our colors."

De la Cruz, who has been capped 25 times for Uruguay's national team, scored 36 goals and provided 40 assists in 214 games for River Plate, whom he joined from Liverpool Montevideo in 2017.

He is the third Uruguayan in Flamengo's squad, joining defender Guillermo Varela and midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta.

--IANS

Cuttack, Dec 24 (IANS) Telugu Yoddhas registered a thrilling 46-44 victory over Mumbai Khiladis here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Sunday.

Rahul Mandal (14 points) scored the most points for Telugu Yoddhas in an action-packed game, while Pratik Warikar also notched up 10 points to take his team to a close win.

Telugu Yoddhas were offered to chase first after losing the toss and used the opportunity to the full effect as they earned 24 points by getting all four batches out in the first turn. Pratik Waikar and Milind Chavrekar scored six points each to give their team a perfect start in the match.

Mumbai Khiladis responded with fierce attacking intent and took a lead in the match by clinching 26 points in the second turn. Ankit Pote's swift moments proved to be a nuisance for the Telugu team as he got 6 points through two pole dives and a skydive. Gajanan Shengal also earned 6 points in the first innings.

The second innings also saw a positive performance from Telugu Yoddhas as they got 22 points and left Mumbai Khiladis to chase 21 points to register a win which proved too much for Ankit's side.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Sanjay Singh, the newly elected chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WGI) who was suspended by the Centre on Sunday, has said that he would meet Sports minister Anurag Thakur soon and explain his point of view in response to the Ministry's claims that led to the new body suspension.

The reactions came after the ministry reportedly asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to form a temporary panel to oversee the operations of the WFI.

Singh, who is a close associate of ex-WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, said he will meet the Sports Minister Anurag Thakur with the letter from all the state federations and explain his point of view.

Responding to the announcement to hold U15 and U20 nationals, which led to a suspension of the new WFI body, Singh said that whatever decisions were taken, were taken by consensus.

"Where the elections were held, the ad-hoc committee had called the general body and that meeting was adjourned and we decided to have a meeting in the hotel where the delegations from 24 states federations were present," he told India Today.

"This year's U15 and U20 calendar is ending on Dec 31, keeping this in mind, everyone decided that U-15 and U-20 Nationals should be conducted so that the children get certificates and the future of the children does not get spoiled.

"Everyone has been asked and everyone has given their consent. Whatever decisions were taken, were taken by consensus. It was not my personal decision and all 24 state associations had given affidavits also, said Singh.

Days after the WFI election was held, The Ministry suspended the Sanjay Singh-led new WFI body over 'hasty' announcement to hold nationals.

The ministry had issued a letter stating, “Sanjay Kumar Singh, newly elected President of Wrestling Federation of India announced on 21.12.2023, the day he was elected as president, that U-15 and U-20 nationals for Wrestling will take place in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) before the end of this year.

"This announcement is hasty, without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers who are to take part in the said nationals and without following the provisions of the constitution of WFI," the letter read.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Sunday said that he has cut ties with the sport and does not have anything to do with the newly elected body getting suspended by the Sports Ministry.

The Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the Sanjay Singh-led new WFI body over 'hasty' announcement to hold nationals.

The ministry issued a letter stating, “Sanjay Kumar Singh, newly elected President of Wrestling Federation of India announced on 21.12.2023, the day he was elected as president, that U-15 and U-20 nationals for Wrestling will take place in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) before the end of this year.

"This announcement is hasty, without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers who are to take part in the said nationals and without following the provisions of the constitution of WFI.”

To this, the former WFI chief said that he did not want to court any controversy, but had nothing to do with the latest developments in the Indian wrestling world.

"I have worked 12 years for the wrestlers. Time will tell if I have done justice. I am completely retired from wrestling. I have cut ties with wrestling. Now decisions and talks with the government will be done by the elected people of the federation," Brij Bhushan Singh said at a press conference in New Delhi on Sunday.

On Sakshi Malik questioning the choice of venue for the proposed games, Bhushan said Nandini Nagar, Gonda, was chosen as no other federation agreed to organise the tournaments at such a short notice.

"The old committee had to make a decision in haste. Under 15 and 20... on December 31, the old session will end... a new year will start after that. That is why all the state federations decided to start the process of sports," he said.

Earlier this year, top Indian wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat along with other grapplers had protested against Brij Bhushan Singh alleging that he had harassed several young junior wrestlers.

--IANS

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Sri Bhaini Sahib (Punjab), Dec 24 (IANS) Delhi FC celebrated an early Christmas gift on Sunday as they returned to winning ways in the I-League. Hudson Dias emerged as the hero for Delhi FC as the midfielder scored the game’s decisive goal in the 77th minute to help his side defeat Real Kashmir FC 1-0 here at the Namdhari Stadium.

The match was also notable for Delhi FC as it was the first time this season they managed to keep a clean sheet, doubling the reasons for celebration.

The win helped Delhi FC move to seventh spot in the I-League standings. They have 16 points from 11 matches, including five wins, one draw, and five losses.

Real Kashmir, on the other hand, failed to rise to the occasion. They remain in second spot with 20 points from 11 matches and have notched up six wins, two draws, and suffered three losses. Mohammedan Sporting lead the points table with 24 points from 10 matches. This marks the end of their six-match unbeaten run in the I-League.

Real Kashmir had a golden opportunity to close the gap with Mohammedan Sporting in the standings, but the profligacy of their strikers proved costly. Mohammad Asrar Rehber and Mohammad Inam were instrumental in creating numerous scoring opportunities throughout the match.

However, their Ivory Coast striker Gnohere Krizo, who had been a reliable scorer with five goals so far this season, was unable to convert any of these chances. Krizo seemed to be out of form, struggling to direct his shots on target and ultimately failing to find the back of the net.

With Real Kashmir floundering, Delhi FC settled into the match slowly. They started creating their chances and the introduction of Brazilian midfielder Sergio Barboza Junior in the second half sharpened their attack.

In the 51st minute of the game, Delhi FC created an opportunity to take the lead. Joseba Beitia delivered a free-kick from the left side and Sergio Barboza Junior met the ball with a well-timed header aimed at the goal. The ball was en route to finding the back of the net, but Real Kashmir goalkeeper Muheet Shabir reacted swiftly, making an impressive diving save to deny Delhi FC the lead and keep the match level.

Delhi FC broke the deadlock and took the lead in the 77th minute through a well-executed play. The move began with Bhupinder Singh, who launched a long ball from deep within his own half. Hudson Dias responded with speed, racing past Real Kashmir’s defender Dion Menezes, exploiting a rare lapse in the usually solid defense.

As Real Kashmir goalkeeper Muheet Shabir advanced off his line in an attempt to intercept, Hudson demonstrated great awareness and control. He cleverly took his first touch to manoeuvre the ball away from the onrushing goalkeeper and then composed himself to coolly finish, slotting the ball into the net.

This goal highlighted a momentary defensive breakdown from Real Kashmir, a team known for their strong defensive record as they conceded only five goals prior to this match, and gave Delhi FC the eventual winning strike of the game.

--IANS

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Jamshedpur, Dec 24 (IANS) Indian star golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar lived up to his reputation of being the pre-tournament favourite as he saw it home with an error-free final round of six-under 66 to triumph by a solitary shot at the PGTI’s season-ending Tour Championship 2023, an INR 3 crore event, played here at the Beldih and Golmuri Golf Courses.

Chandigarh-based Gaganjeet (64-66-67-66), who won the Tour Championship for the second time following his previous victory in 2020, totalled 25-under 263 for the week to bag INR 45 lakh, the biggest winner’s cheque on the PGTI.

It was the lowest winning total at the Tour Championship as Bhullar improved upon his 24-under 264 from the 2020 edition.

Rahil Gangjee (70-62-65-67) finished runner-up at 24-under 264 after firing a 67 in the last round. Bengaluru-based Gangjee’s prize money cheque of INR 30 lakh moved him up 26 spots in the PGTI Order of Merit as he ended the year in sixth place.

Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema (66-66-65-68) had a creditable third place finish at 23-under 265 in Jamshedpur. Cheema gained four spots on the money list to end the year in fifth place.

Om Prakash Chouhan (72-68-65-68) of Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, took the coveted No. 1 spot in the PGTI Ranking (PGTI Order of Merit) after finishing tied 10th at 15-under 273 at the Tour Championship this week.

The 37-year-old Chouhan closed the 2023 season with record earnings of INR 1,18,26,059, the highest ever for a PGTI season, to finish number one in the money list by a fair distance.

Chouhan, who is attached with the Kalhaar Blues & Greens golf course in Ahmedabad, broke the previous record of season’s earnings of INR 88,50,688, set by Manu Gandas in 2022.

Chouhan won four titles and posted eight other top-10s this season. He thus became the first player to breach the INR 1 crore mark in season’s earnings in a single season on the PGTI.

As a result of his Order of Merit triumph, Chouhan has now earned himself a card on the DP World Tour for the 2024 season.

Patna’s Aman Raj finished second on the PGTI Ranking with season’s earnings of INR 91,90,745. Aman took tied seventh place at 16-under 272 in Jamshedpur.

All four rounds of the event saw one half of the field play their first nine holes at Golmuri Golf Course and second nine at Beldih Golf Course while the other half of the field played Beldih first followed by Golmuri. The par for the round was 72. The leading groups started at Golmuri and finished at Beldih.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, a 12-time international winner, ended up as the wire-to-wire winner in Jamshedpur as he led the field from round one till round four. Gaganjeet’s 12th PGTI win came as a result of an eagle and four birdies on Sunday.

Bhullar accumulated three birdies on the front-nine with two up and downs and a brilliant tee shot on the par-3 seventh that landed one foot from the hole.

The 35-year-old, who originally hails from Kapurthala in Punjab, further strengthened his claim to the title after finding the par-5 12th green in two shots that set up an eagle conversion for him. Bhullar’s final birdie came on the 15th where he landed his approach to four feet.

Bhullar, who looked unruffled through the day, said, “I was focused on winning and was solid today from tee to green. It was all about repeating what I had done in the previous three rounds. I executed my plans well today and played some great iron and wedge shots. The two-shot swing in my favour on the 14th and 15th holes was probably the turning point today. I would like to thank TATA Steel for this fabulous season-ending event.”

Rahil Gangjee enjoyed a two-shot lead over Bhullar after the first 13 holes thanks to his eight birdies and a bogey. However, Rahil had a poor final stretch as he dropped two bogeys over the last five holes that swung the match back into Bhullar's favour.

Bhullar left his five-feet par-putt on the 17th just one roll short. It was Rahil’s best finish of the season.

Angad Cheema’s fourth round of 68 featured an eagle, five birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey. Cheema thus registered his second top-3 finish of the year.

Yuvraj Singh Sandhu’s nine-under 63 was the day’s best score and helped him finish fourth at 20-under 268.

The two Jamshedpur-based professionals, Karan Taunk (one-under 287) and Kurush Heerjee (10-over 298) finished tied 61st and 72nd respectively.

The 24-year-old rookie Varun Chopra of the United States won the PGTI Emerging Player of the Year title with season’s earnings of INR 33,15,577, the highest among the rookies.

Varun, who claimed tied 14th place at 14-under 274 at the season-ending event, secured a creditable 15th position on the PGTI Order of Merit as a result of four top-10s in the season including two runner-up finishes.

--IANS

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Centurion, Dec 24 (IANS) Ahead of India’s Test series opener against South Africa, one question which has kept everyone guessing is who will occupy the wicketkeeper slot. With Ishan Kishan pulling out of the series due to personal reasons, head coach Rahul Dravid has seemingly all but confirmed that KL Rahul could be the wicketkeeper when the Boxing Day Test starts on December 26 at SuperSport Park.

"It’s an exciting challenge and it’s an opportunity for him to certainly do something different. Obviously with Ishan (Kishan) not being available, the opportunity came up. We have a couple of keepers we can choose from. Rahul is certainly one. We have had this discussion with him and he’s very confident. He’s very keen on giving it a go,” said Dravid in the pre-series press conference.

If Rahul indeed dons the gloves for the first Test, then it will be just the second time he would be the wicketkeeper in a first-class match. India also have a wicketkeeper-batter in KS Bharat, who played five Tests this year, but as per Dravid’s words, Rahul could be donning the keeping gloves at Centurion.

Dravid also pointed towards Rahul doing keeping duties with aplomb in ODI cricket recently, which gives the team think-tank confidence of him to replicate the same success with the gloves in Test cricket. “We do understand that it’s not probably something he has done as often. He’s been doing it regularly in 50-overs cricket. So, that’s certainly tough to play 50 overs and then bat in a full day; that can take a lot out of your body.”

“He has prepared well, over the last 5-6 months he has done a lot of keeping, even though it’s in the white ball format. But this will be a new and exciting challenge for him as well. I guess one other thing here is that there’s not going to be that much of spin bowling.”

“Probably more pace bowling here than spin, so it will ease him into that role a little bit. But we’ll see how it pans out. It’s nice for us to have someone like him and the options that he provides us. His ability with the bat will be something that will be really useful and let’s see how it goes with the gloves. He’s kept really well in one-day cricket. It’s just a question of transferring that to red ball cricket for long.”

December 26 will also mark the start of India’s quest for a first ever Test series victory in South Africa, a country where they have come very close to winning one, only to fall agonisingly short. In 2021/22, they had a 1-0 lead in the three-game series, only to squander it and lose the series 2-1.

With this series being only of two games, India can’t afford to have a slip-up in their wish to conquer their final frontier in Test cricket. “We have been touring South Africa since 1992 and have played really good cricket here too. We have won Test matches here, played some draws, but we are yet to win a series here.”

“There were one-two Tests where we felt a chance was there to win, but couldn’t do so. With this series being very short, there will be very little time to bounce back if we don’t start the series well.”

“But we will try to pay very well in the full series, though we did well in patches in the past. It does give us some confidence that we can win in conditions like this and play good cricket. The endeavour will be to play very well in both Tests and hopefully win the series,” added Dravid.

India are playing Tests after five months and Dravid thinks the variable bounce as well as preventing wickets from falling in heaps will be the factors for his batters to counter if they are to post big runs and get those crucial World Test Championship points.

“Of late, we have noticed that there is a lot of bounce and seam movement, which makes it a little tough for batting. There are result-oriented wickets, which means that if you don’t fare well in one passage of play, then you are pushed back in the match. Even if you lose a session, it shouldn’t be lost in a very bad manner.”

“Like six-seven wickets shouldn’t fall in a session and one has to fight back and try to stitch partnerships. But in South Africa, you do need that 50-60 extra runs with the bat and those who bat well despite wickets falling around will have the bigger say in winning the matches.”

--IANS

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Melbourne, Dec 24 (IANS) Ahead of Australia’s Boxing Day Test match against Pakistan a the MCG, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected veteran opener Usman Khawaja’s request to put a dove sticker on his bat and shoes during the match.

As per a report in The Sydney Morning Herald, Khawaja trained at the MCG wearing logos of a black dove holding an olive branch during Australia’s practice session. The logo was on his right shoe and also on the back of his bat.

The logo on the bat was accompanied by a reference to Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

“Khawaja checked the logo with Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association ahead of the MCG Test and received no objection from either body. But a rejection of his application arrived from the ICC on Sunday morning,” said the report.

Khawaja had previously been stopped from wearing slogans “All lives are equal” and “Freedom is a human right” on his shoes during Australia’s first Test against Pakistan at Perth. He did wear a black armband during the match, but was reprimanded by the ICC for doing so.

On Friday, Khawaja spoke on the ICC reprimand over wearing the black arm-band in Perth. “I followed all the regulations, past precedents, guys that put stickers on their bats, names on their shoes, done all sorts of things in the past without ICC approval and never been reprimanded. I respect what the ICC (says) and the rules and regulations they have.”

“I will be asking them and contesting they make it fair and equitable for everyone, and they have consistency in how they officiate. That consistency hasn’t been done yet. When I’m looking at my Instagram and seeing innocent kids, videos of them dying, passing away, that’s what hit me the hardest.”

“I just imagine my young daughter in my arms and the same thing. I get emotional talking about it right now again. For me, that’s the reason I’m doing this. I don’t have any hidden agendas. If anything, this brings up more negativity towards me.”

“People come attacking me. I don’t get anything out of this. I just feel like it’s my responsibility to speak up on this. We live in such a beautiful country. I’m blessed to live in Australia. I can walk outside, don’t have to worry about a thing. My kids can do the same. I just want that for the rest of the world.”

The report added that Australia top-order batter Marnus Labuschagne sports an eagle logo with a Bible verse, Isaiah 40:31, which states: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

It also said West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran also bats with a cross and the word “believe” on his bat, while adding that the ICC has been contacted for a comment.

--IANS

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