<p>Jose Mourinho admits he has not got the best out of Alexis Sanchez since his January transfer because the former Arsenal forward moved to Manchester United at the &quot;wrong&quot; time.</p>

<p>Sanchez was signed in a swap deal that reportedly made him the Premier League&#39;s best-paid player but the Chile international has scored just one goal in eight United appearances, well below his career strike rate.</p>

<p>Mourinho, whose team take on Liverpool at Old Trafford on Saturday, believes it will be next season before the 29-year-old shows his best form.</p>

<p>&quot;What is wrong is that he came at the worst moment of the season, in the winter market,&quot; said the Manchester United boss. &quot;That&#39;s why I don&#39;t like the winter market very much.</p>

<p>&quot;I think this was a chance that we didn&#39;t want to lose and we made. But we don&#39;t believe a lot in the winter market.</p>

<p>&quot;And for sure next season will be better for him. But of course he is learning how to play with us and we are learning how to get the best out of him.&quot;</p>

<p>Pundits have suggested integrating Sanchez in mid-season has had an adverse effect on the form of teammates, in particular midfielder Paul Pogba.</p>

<p>But despite the obvious teething problems, Mourinho does not see Sanchez as a weakness in the United team.</p>

<p>&quot;No. That&#39;s something that we can develop and we&#39;re going to develop with time, with experience and living these experiences together,&quot; said the manager.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t consider that a weakness, I consider that a huge potential to be developed.</p>

<p>&quot;He&#39;s fit and if he is trying too hard, that&#39;s great. He is not afraid to take responsibilities, not afraid to try things.&quot;</p>

<p>Sanchez&#39;s eight appearances have included two defeats, at Tottenham and Newcastle, which all but ended United&#39;s lingering hopes of challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title.</p>

<p><strong>Sanchez happy</strong></p>

<p>But despite an underwhelming start to Sanchez&#39;s United career, Mourinho said the player remains happy.</p>

<p>&quot;He&#39;s fine,&quot; said the United boss. &quot;He&#39;s happy that the team is getting results -- lately he was unhappy when we lost matches with him but he&#39;s a guy with great maturity and attitude and we couldn&#39;t be happier.&quot;</p>

<p>United&#39;s eagerly awaited league encounter with rivals Liverpool comes with both clubs chasing second spot behind champions-elect City.</p>

<p>And, at the start of a week in which Mourinho is also looking to progress in the Champions League and FA Cup, the United manager believes he and opposite number Jurgen Klopp are at similar stages in terms of developing their clubs.</p>

<p>&quot;They have qualities and they have weaknesses,&quot; he said. &quot;We have qualities, and we have weaknesses.</p>

<p>&quot;And one of my good qualities as coach was always to know my team&#39;s weaknesses very well and sometimes I tried to hide them and sometimes I have to try to compensate them with other things.</p>

<p>&quot;But we are very similar in terms of points in the Premier League. Liverpool have already qualified for the (Champions League) quarter-final and we still have 90 minutes or two hours of a big fight to try to be there.&quot;</p>


Mourinho, whose team take on Liverpool at Old Trafford on Saturday, believes it will be next season before the 29-year-old shows his best form

Jose Mourinho admits he has not got the best out of Alexis Sanchez since his January transfer because the former Arsenal forward moved to Manchester United at the "wrong" time. Sanchez was signed in a swap deal that reportedly made him the Premier League's best-paid player but the Chile international has scored just one goal in eight United appearances, well below his career strike rate. Mourinho, whose team take on Liverpool at Old Trafford on Saturday, believes it will be next season before the 29-year-old shows his best form. "What is wrong is that he came at the worst moment of the season, in the winter market," said the Manchester United boss. "That's why I don't like the winter market very much. "I think this was a chance that we didn't want to lose and we made. But we don't believe a lot in the winter market. "And for sure next season will be better for him. But of course he is learning how to play with us and we are learning how to get the best out of him." Pundits have suggested integrating Sanchez in mid-season has had an adverse effect on the form of teammates, in particular midfielder Paul Pogba. But despite the obvious teething problems, Mourinho does not see Sanchez as a weakness in the United team. "No. That's something that we can develop and we're going to develop with time, with experience and living these experiences together," said the manager. "I don't consider that a weakness, I consider that a huge potential to be developed. "He's fit and if he is trying too hard, that's great. He is not afraid to take responsibilities, not afraid to try things." Sanchez's eight appearances have included two defeats, at Tottenham and Newcastle, which all but ended United's lingering hopes of challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title. Sanchez happy But despite an underwhelming start to Sanchez's United career, Mourinho said the player remains happy. "He's fine," said the United boss. "He's happy that the team is getting results -- lately he was unhappy when we lost matches with him but he's a guy with great maturity and attitude and we couldn't be happier." United's eagerly awaited league encounter with rivals Liverpool comes with both clubs chasing second spot behind champions-elect City. And, at the start of a week in which Mourinho is also looking to progress in the Champions League and FA Cup, the United manager believes he and opposite number Jurgen Klopp are at similar stages in terms of developing their clubs. "They have qualities and they have weaknesses," he said. "We have qualities, and we have weaknesses. "And one of my good qualities as coach was always to know my team's weaknesses very well and sometimes I tried to hide them and sometimes I have to try to compensate them with other things. "But we are very similar in terms of points in the Premier League. Liverpool have already qualified for the (Champions League) quarter-final and we still have 90 minutes or two hours of a big fight to try to be there."

Sanchez transferred to Manchester United at 'wrong' time: Jose Mourinho

<p>Lionel Messi has withdrawn from the squad for the game in Andalusia due to &quot;personal reasons&quot; as stated by Barcelona earlier this morning. The &quot;personal reasons&quot; were later confirmed as the birth of his third baby boy &quot;Ciro.&quot;</p>

<p>In Greek, the meaning of the name Ciro is sun or lordly and in Spanish also, the meaning is a bit similar which is throne or sun.</p>

<p>The Barcelona superstar has been given time off so that he can spend time with his family and celebrate the happy&nbsp;moments together.</p>

<p>It is expected that he will and be back in time for their Champions League clash against Chelsea on Wednesday.</p>

<p>Messi shared a beautiful photo on social networking sites stating, &quot;Welcome Ciro!! I thank God that everything went perfectly. Mother and baby boy are doing great. We&#39;re so happy!!&quot;</p>

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<p>Earlier in the month, Messi&#39;s wife Antonella Roccuzzo had revealed the gender and name of her third child. She shared a picture of a blue baby bed which was engraved with the name Ciro.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The Barcelona star&#39;s wife Antonella Roccuzzo has announced name and gender of third child. (Instagram)</p>
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<p>The adorable pair shares two sons, five-year-old Thiago and two-year-old Mateo both of them were born before marriage.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Barcelona&#39;s striker Lionel Messi must have planned a new tattoo for his third baby and as he already has tributes to Mateo and Thiago.</p>

<p>Antonella Roccuzzo had been very open about pregnancy as she kept posting related pictures on social networking sites.</p>

<p>On Mother&#39;s Day in Argentina, Roccuzzo posted a picture of the couple and two sons Thiago, four, and Mateo, two, touching her stomach, with the caption &quot;Family of five&quot;.</p>

<p>Messi and Antonella, childhood lovers, got married in June 2017 in their hometown Rosario in Argentina.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>


FC Barcelona striker shared a beautiful photo on social networking sites quoting, "Welcome Ciro!! I thank God that everything went perfectly. Mother and baby boy are doing great. We're so happy!!"

Lionel Messi has withdrawn from the squad for the game in Andalusia due to "personal reasons" as stated by Barcelona earlier this morning. The "personal reasons" were later confirmed as the birth of his third baby boy "Ciro." In Greek, the meaning of the name Ciro is sun or lordly and in Spanish also, the meaning is a bit similar which is throne or sun. The Barcelona superstar has been given time off so that he can spend time with his family and celebrate the happy moments together. It is expected that he will and be back in time for their Champions League clash against Chelsea on Wednesday. Messi shared a beautiful photo on social networking sites stating, "Welcome Ciro!! I thank God that everything went perfectly. Mother and baby boy are doing great. We're so happy!!" × Earlier in the month, Messi's wife Antonella Roccuzzo had revealed the gender and name of her third child. She shared a picture of a blue baby bed which was engraved with the name Ciro. The Barcelona star's wife Antonella Roccuzzo has announced name and gender of third child. (Instagram) × The adorable pair shares two sons, five-year-old Thiago and two-year-old Mateo both of them were born before marriage. Barcelona's striker Lionel Messi must have planned a new tattoo for his third baby and as he already has tributes to Mateo and Thiago. Antonella Roccuzzo had been very open about pregnancy as she kept posting related pictures on social networking sites. On Mother's Day in Argentina, Roccuzzo posted a picture of the couple and two sons Thiago, four, and Mateo, two, touching her stomach, with the caption "Family of five". Messi and Antonella, childhood lovers, got married in June 2017 in their hometown Rosario in Argentina. × ×

Messi out of Barca squad to welcome baby 'Ciro'

<p>Slovakia&#39;s Henrieta Farkasova won the first gold medal of the Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics on Saturday in women&#39;s vision impaired downhill skiing.</p>

<p>Farkasova and her guide Natalia Subrtova finished in 1min 29.72 sec, beating second-placed Millie Knight of Britain and her guide Brett Wild by 0.86 sec.</p>

<p>It was the Slovakian&#39;s sixth Paralympic gold in vision impaired skiing. Belgium&#39;s Eleonor took the bronze medal, finishing the course in 1min 31.60 sec.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What. A. Run. Henrieta Farkasova of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SVK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SVK</a> claims the first ???? of the Games! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PyeongChang2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PyeongChang2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paralympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paralympics</a> <a href="https://t.co/V0kw7FV9Ak">pic.twitter.com/V0kw7FV9Ak</a></p>
&mdash; Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paralympics/status/972281404703649793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics were officially opened on Friday night with a glittering ceremony, that included fireworks and light shows.</p>

<p>North Korea took centre stage at the ceremony.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pyongyang is sending its first ever athletes, two cross-country skiers, to take part in a Winter Paralympics, the last stage of rapprochement with the South that began at last month&#39;s Winter Olympics.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Farkasova and her guide Natalia Subrtova finished in 1min 29.72 sec, beating second-placed Millie Knight of Britain and her guide Brett Wild by 0.86 sec

Slovakia's Henrieta Farkasova won the first gold medal of the Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics on Saturday in women's vision impaired downhill skiing. Farkasova and her guide Natalia Subrtova finished in 1min 29.72 sec, beating second-placed Millie Knight of Britain and her guide Brett Wild by 0.86 sec. It was the Slovakian's sixth Paralympic gold in vision impaired skiing. Belgium's Eleonor took the bronze medal, finishing the course in 1min 31.60 sec. What. A. Run. Henrieta Farkasova of #SVK claims the first ???? of the Games! #PyeongChang2018 #Paralympics pic.twitter.com/V0kw7FV9Ak — Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) March 10, 2018 × The Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics were officially opened on Friday night with a glittering ceremony, that included fireworks and light shows. North Korea took centre stage at the ceremony. Pyongyang is sending its first ever athletes, two cross-country skiers, to take part in a Winter Paralympics, the last stage of rapprochement with the South that began at last month's Winter Olympics.

Slovakia's Henrieta Farkasova wins first gold of Winter Paralympics

<p>New Zealand set a target of 223 against England&nbsp;in the 5th and decider match of the 5-match ODI series at Hagley Oval, Christchurch on Saturday. Earlier, England captain Eoin Morgan&nbsp;won the toss and opted to bowl. New Zealand started off very poorly as the opener Colin Munro lost his wicket to Chris Woakes in the first over itself.</p>

<p>Martin Guptill scored 47 runs for the team but lost his wicket as immense pressure was building up on him because New Zealand kept losing wickets from the other end.</p>

<p>Henry Nicholls tries to salvage the Blackcaps and found a determined ally in Mitchell Santner but lost his wicket after scoring 55 crucial runs.</p>

<p>Santner, who rescued New Zealand in the first match, hit a personal best 67.</p>

<p>Mark Wood bowled Kane Williamson for 14 before spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali stepped up to decimate the middle of the New Zealand innings.</p>

<p>Rashid, who finished with three for 42, accounted for Tom Latham (10), Martin Guptill (47) and Colin de Grandhomme (six).</p>

<p>Chris&nbsp;Woakes emerged as&nbsp;the most economical of the England bowlers finished with three for 32 off his 10 overs.</p>

<p>New Zealand suffered a major blow before the start of final ODI as their star batsman Ross Taylor has been ruled out due to a thigh injury.</p>

<p>Taylor scored an unbeaten 181 to inspire his side to a five-wicket win in the fourth game in Dunedin that levelled the series at 2-2 on Wednesday.</p>

<p>Taylor has been replaced by Mark Chapman and England has made another change by bringing opening batsman Alex Hales in for the injured Jason Roy.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">4 down the ground takes Santner to 50! 190/7 now in the 46th over. Southee with him. Live scoring | <a href="https://t.co/72J7YqoUGZ">https://t.co/72J7YqoUGZ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/HlNpG5RDaq">pic.twitter.com/HlNpG5RDaq</a></p>
&mdash; BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS/status/972277235196477440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Playing XI:</strong></p>

<p><strong>New Zealand</strong>: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult</p>

<p><strong>England</strong>: Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood</p>


New Zealand suffered a major blow before the start of final ODI as their star batsman Ross Taylor has been ruled out due to a thigh injury

New Zealand set a target of 223 against England in the 5th and decider match of the 5-match ODI series at Hagley Oval, Christchurch on Saturday. Earlier, England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and opted to bowl. New Zealand started off very poorly as the opener Colin Munro lost his wicket to Chris Woakes in the first over itself. Martin Guptill scored 47 runs for the team but lost his wicket as immense pressure was building up on him because New Zealand kept losing wickets from the other end. Henry Nicholls tries to salvage the Blackcaps and found a determined ally in Mitchell Santner but lost his wicket after scoring 55 crucial runs. Santner, who rescued New Zealand in the first match, hit a personal best 67. Mark Wood bowled Kane Williamson for 14 before spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali stepped up to decimate the middle of the New Zealand innings. Rashid, who finished with three for 42, accounted for Tom Latham (10), Martin Guptill (47) and Colin de Grandhomme (six). Chris Woakes emerged as the most economical of the England bowlers finished with three for 32 off his 10 overs. New Zealand suffered a major blow before the start of final ODI as their star batsman Ross Taylor has been ruled out due to a thigh injury. Taylor scored an unbeaten 181 to inspire his side to a five-wicket win in the fourth game in Dunedin that levelled the series at 2-2 on Wednesday. Taylor has been replaced by Mark Chapman and England has made another change by bringing opening batsman Alex Hales in for the injured Jason Roy. 4 down the ground takes Santner to 50! 190/7 now in the 46th over. Southee with him. Live scoring | https://t.co/72J7YqoUGZ #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/HlNpG5RDaq — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 10, 2018 × Playing XI: New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult England: Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood

ENG vs NZ 5th ODI: England bowlers restrict New Zealand to 223

<p>Arsenal&nbsp;manager Arsene Wenger expressed his relief after his side&#39;s Europa League success at AC Milan on Thursday by describing it as an important win after a nightmare week.</p>

<p>&quot;I am happy with the spirit and response we gave,&quot; said the Frenchman after a 2-0 victory at San Siro in the last 16 first leg tie ended a run of four successive defeats.</p>

<p>&ldquo;We were not in a position to take risks, but we could not be too cautious as you lose fluidity. We defended with resilience until the end,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;When you are knocked down like a boxer, you don&rsquo;t have time to react and you are only halfway up, but you have to respond. Your pride and desire to show quality has to come through in the game.</p>

<p>&quot;It is an important win of course after we had a nightmare week,&quot; added Wenger, whose side came to Milan after losing to Premier League leaders Manchester City -- who also beat them in last month&#39;s League Cup final -- and Brighton &amp; Hove Albion.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Squad ????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheArsenal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheArsenal</a> <a href="https://t.co/6WwNDnCaq3">pic.twitter.com/6WwNDnCaq3</a></p>
&mdash; Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/971915723156045824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Arsenal&#39;s Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil described the win in Milan as &quot;our best away performance for some time&quot;, while Aaron Ramsey, scorer of the second goal, called it a &quot;great response.&quot;</p>

<p>Arsenal&nbsp;are 13 points adrift of the Champions League places in the Premier League and are pinning their hopes on winning the Europa League to qualify for Europe&#39;s elite club competition.</p>

<p>Not surprisingly, Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso was far from happy after seeing his team&#39;s 13-match unbeaten run end.</p>

<p>&quot;We made too many mistakes,&quot; he said. &quot;We never played as a compact team and they deserved the win.</p>

<p>&quot;Every time they attacked, they could have scored. Playing at this level is something new for our lads but there were too many mistakes,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>However, the famously fiery coach refused to throw in the towel in the tie.</p>

<p>&quot;In football, you never say never,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ll go to London to try and win, we&#39;re not going on an excursion. This is Milan and there is a shirt we have to respect.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


It is an important win of course after we had a nightmare week: Arsene Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger expressed his relief after his side's Europa League success at AC Milan on Thursday by describing it as an important win after a nightmare week. "I am happy with the spirit and response we gave," said the Frenchman after a 2-0 victory at San Siro in the last 16 first leg tie ended a run of four successive defeats. “We were not in a position to take risks, but we could not be too cautious as you lose fluidity. We defended with resilience until the end," he said. "When you are knocked down like a boxer, you don’t have time to react and you are only halfway up, but you have to respond. Your pride and desire to show quality has to come through in the game. "It is an important win of course after we had a nightmare week," added Wenger, whose side came to Milan after losing to Premier League leaders Manchester City -- who also beat them in last month's League Cup final -- and Brighton & Hove Albion. Squad ????#WeAreTheArsenal pic.twitter.com/6WwNDnCaq3 — Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) March 9, 2018 × Arsenal's Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil described the win in Milan as "our best away performance for some time", while Aaron Ramsey, scorer of the second goal, called it a "great response." Arsenal are 13 points adrift of the Champions League places in the Premier League and are pinning their hopes on winning the Europa League to qualify for Europe's elite club competition. Not surprisingly, Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso was far from happy after seeing his team's 13-match unbeaten run end. "We made too many mistakes," he said. "We never played as a compact team and they deserved the win. "Every time they attacked, they could have scored. Playing at this level is something new for our lads but there were too many mistakes," he added. However, the famously fiery coach refused to throw in the towel in the tie. "In football, you never say never," he said. "We'll go to London to try and win, we're not going on an excursion. This is Milan and there is a shirt we have to respect."

Arsenal beat AC Milan to register much-awaited victory

<p>The 2018 Winter Paralympics which is officially known as the XII Paralympic Winter Games and commonly known as the <a href="https://g.co/doodle/pmjaqg">2018 PyeongChang Paralympics</a> is set to start from today with the glitzy and glamorous opening ceremony.</p>

<p>Winter Paralympics is an international winter multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities. It is scheduled to be held in Pyeongchang County, Gangwon Province, South Korea, from 9 to 18 March 2018.</p>

<p>It is governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).</p>

<p>Pyeongchang launched its third consecutive bid to&nbsp;win the hosting rights of Winter Olympic and&nbsp;<a href="https://g.co/doodle/pmjaqg">Paralympic Games</a>.&nbsp;It will be the first Winter Paralympics held in South Korea.</p>

<p>Recently, the mega sporting event, Winter Olympic 2018, was concluded successfully by South Korea.</p>

<p>Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Cross-country skiing, Ice sledge hockey, snowboarding and wheelchair curling are the games that will be included in the 2018 Winter Paralympics.</p>

<p>PyeongChang will be the stage for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and most snow sports.</p>

<p>Alpine skiing events will take place in Jeongseon, and all ice sports will be played in the coastal city of Gangneung.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The 2018 Winter Paralympics is scheduled to take place in Pyeongchang County, South Korea from 9 to 18 March 2018

The 2018 Winter Paralympics which is officially known as the XII Paralympic Winter Games and commonly known as the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympics is set to start from today with the glitzy and glamorous opening ceremony. Winter Paralympics is an international winter multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities. It is scheduled to be held in Pyeongchang County, Gangwon Province, South Korea, from 9 to 18 March 2018. It is governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Pyeongchang launched its third consecutive bid to win the hosting rights of Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will be the first Winter Paralympics held in South Korea. Recently, the mega sporting event, Winter Olympic 2018, was concluded successfully by South Korea. Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Cross-country skiing, Ice sledge hockey, snowboarding and wheelchair curling are the games that will be included in the 2018 Winter Paralympics. PyeongChang will be the stage for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and most snow sports. Alpine skiing events will take place in Jeongseon, and all ice sports will be played in the coastal city of Gangneung.

Google celebrates 2018 Winter Paralympics kick off

<p>Tiger Woods took the bite out of the &quot;Snake Pit&quot; in his Valspar Championship debut to sit three shots behind clubhouse leader Corey Conners of Canada in first round action at Palm Harbor, Florida on Thursday.</p>

<p>Woods, who two weeks ago at the Honda Classic enjoyed the most encouraging result of his latest comeback from injury, mixed five birdies with four bogeys for a one-under-par 70 at Innisbrook Resort&#39;s Copperhead course.</p>

<p>That left the former world number one, who had spinal-fusion surgery last April and only returned to the PGA Tour this year, ahead of some other high-profile players competing this week, including world number four Jordan Spieth (76), four-times major winner Rory McIlroy (74) and Swede Henrik Stenson (74).</p>

<p>Woods arrived at the 16th, which is the start of a daunting three-hole closing stretch dubbed the &quot;Snake Pit&quot;, with an eye on getting back into red figures and closing the gap on rookie Conners.</p>

<p>After scrambling for a par four, Woods then made birdie at the penultimate hole before a closing par left him in a share of eighth place with a handful of golfers still on the course.</p>

<p>For Woods, who was grouped with Spieth and Stenson, this week marks what is likely to be his penultimate event before the April 5-8 U.S. Masters.</p>

<p>The 14-times major champion got off to an ideal start with a tap-in birdie at the par-five first hole after nearly draining his flop shot from beside the green.</p>

<p>At even-par through nine holes, the 42-year-old Woods then made consecutive birdies to start the back nine but followed that immediately with a pair of bogeys.</p>

<p>Connors, who failed to qualify for the Valspar earlier this week and only made the field as an alternate, mixed five birdies with a closing bogey for the early lead.</p>

<p>Spieth began his round with a birdie but that was the only highlight of the day for the three-time major champion, who made five bogeys during a brutal seven-hole stretch starting at the par-four third.</p>

<p>Masters champion Sergio Garcia (70), who started on the back nine, reached three-under par through 12 holes but bogeys at the fourth and fifth holes took the shine off his round.</p>

<p>McIlroy, seeking his first PGA Tour win in 18 months, also started on the back nine and opened with 10 consecutive pars before a roller-coaster finish that included a double-bogey, two bogeys and a birdie.</p>

<p>Defending champion Adam Hadwin of Canada carded an even-par 71.</p>


Tiger Woods mixed five birdies with four bogeys for a one-under-par 70 at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead course

Tiger Woods took the bite out of the "Snake Pit" in his Valspar Championship debut to sit three shots behind clubhouse leader Corey Conners of Canada in first round action at Palm Harbor, Florida on Thursday. Woods, who two weeks ago at the Honda Classic enjoyed the most encouraging result of his latest comeback from injury, mixed five birdies with four bogeys for a one-under-par 70 at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead course. That left the former world number one, who had spinal-fusion surgery last April and only returned to the PGA Tour this year, ahead of some other high-profile players competing this week, including world number four Jordan Spieth (76), four-times major winner Rory McIlroy (74) and Swede Henrik Stenson (74). Woods arrived at the 16th, which is the start of a daunting three-hole closing stretch dubbed the "Snake Pit", with an eye on getting back into red figures and closing the gap on rookie Conners. After scrambling for a par four, Woods then made birdie at the penultimate hole before a closing par left him in a share of eighth place with a handful of golfers still on the course. For Woods, who was grouped with Spieth and Stenson, this week marks what is likely to be his penultimate event before the April 5-8 U.S. Masters. The 14-times major champion got off to an ideal start with a tap-in birdie at the par-five first hole after nearly draining his flop shot from beside the green. At even-par through nine holes, the 42-year-old Woods then made consecutive birdies to start the back nine but followed that immediately with a pair of bogeys. Connors, who failed to qualify for the Valspar earlier this week and only made the field as an alternate, mixed five birdies with a closing bogey for the early lead. Spieth began his round with a birdie but that was the only highlight of the day for the three-time major champion, who made five bogeys during a brutal seven-hole stretch starting at the par-four third. Masters champion Sergio Garcia (70), who started on the back nine, reached three-under par through 12 holes but bogeys at the fourth and fifth holes took the shine off his round. McIlroy, seeking his first PGA Tour win in 18 months, also started on the back nine and opened with 10 consecutive pars before a roller-coaster finish that included a double-bogey, two bogeys and a birdie. Defending champion Adam Hadwin of Canada carded an even-par 71.

Golf: Tiger in the mix at Valspar, Spieth and McIlroy struggle

<p>Sri Lanka declared a nationwide <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-imposes-10-day-emergency-in-kandy-due-to-communal-tension-34868">state of emergency</a> for 10 days on Tuesday to stop the spread of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-imposes-10-day-emergency-in-kandy-due-to-communal-tension-34868">communal violence</a>, a government spokesman said, after clashes erupted between majority Buddhists and members of the minority Muslim community.</p>

<p>As a result of growing tension between the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-imposes-10-day-emergency-in-kandy-due-to-communal-tension-34868">two communities</a> in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites.</p>

<p>The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-sri-lanka-t20-preview-rohit-sharmas-young-guns-need-to-fire-34846">first match</a> of&nbsp;&quot;Nidahas Trophy&quot; which is a tri-nation series is scheduled today between<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-sri-lanka-t20-preview-rohit-sharmas-young-guns-need-to-fire-34846"> India and Sri Lanka</a> at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.</p>

<p>Amid political chaos, the officials of Sri Lankan government told&nbsp;a sports-related&nbsp;media venture that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-sri-lanka-t20-preview-rohit-sharmas-young-guns-need-to-fire-34846">the match</a> will happen at its scheduled time irrespective of the state of emergency in other Sri Lankan parts.</p>

<p>BCCI has tweeted that, &quot;There have been reports of curfew and an emergency being called in Sri Lanka. The situation is in Kandy, not Colombo. After talking to concerned security personnel, we have understood that situation is completely normal in Colombo: BCCI <a data-query-source="hashtag_click" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSL?src=hash"><s>#</s><b>INDvSL</b></a>&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There have been reports of curfew and an emergency being called in Sri Lanka. The situation is in Kandy, not Colombo. After talking to concerned security personnel, we have understood that situation is completely normal in Colombo: BCCI <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSL</a> <a href="https://t.co/4rTXZ8C8Mb">pic.twitter.com/4rTXZ8C8Mb</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970954015717683200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>BCCI&#39;s acting president C K Khanna told PTI: &quot;The Indian cricket board is in constant touch with the Sri Lankan government authorities. The security is foolproof and we have been assured that there is no threat to the tournament. So the Indian team, as of now, will be playing the tournament.&quot;</p>


The first match of "Nidahas Trophy" which is a tri-nation series is scheduled today between India and Sri Lanka at Colombo

Sri Lanka declared a nationwide state of emergency for 10 days on Tuesday to stop the spread of communal violence, a government spokesman said, after clashes erupted between majority Buddhists and members of the minority Muslim community. As a result of growing tension between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites. The first match of "Nidahas Trophy" which is a tri-nation series is scheduled today between India and Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. Amid political chaos, the officials of Sri Lankan government told a sports-related media venture that the match will happen at its scheduled time irrespective of the state of emergency in other Sri Lankan parts. BCCI has tweeted that, "There have been reports of curfew and an emergency being called in Sri Lanka. The situation is in Kandy, not Colombo. After talking to concerned security personnel, we have understood that situation is completely normal in Colombo: BCCI #INDvSL" There have been reports of curfew and an emergency being called in Sri Lanka. The situation is in Kandy, not Colombo. After talking to concerned security personnel, we have understood that situation is completely normal in Colombo: BCCI #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/4rTXZ8C8Mb — ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2018 × BCCI's acting president C K Khanna told PTI: "The Indian cricket board is in constant touch with the Sri Lankan government authorities. The security is foolproof and we have been assured that there is no threat to the tournament. So the Indian team, as of now, will be playing the tournament."

Emergency won't affect India vs Sri Lanka opening match: BCCI

<p>The disgraced former national team doctor, Larry Nassar was sentenced to a total of 175 years in prison in a Michigan courtroom for sexually abusing young female gymnasts.</p>

<p>Now, a male gymnast, Jacob Moore has accused Larry Nassar of sexual abuse, he became the first male to file charges against Larry Nassar.</p>

<p>Jacob Moore is a gymnast at the University of Michigan, he also said other potential male victim&#39;s to know, they are not alone. His sister was one of more than 100 women to read a victim impact statement against Nassar.</p>

<p>Moore told in a press conference that he went to Larry to get his shoulder injury treated two years ago when he was 16.</p>

<p>Nassar treated the injury with acupuncture to not just the shoulder but his pubic area as well. At one point he pulled down Moore&#39;s pants and showed an underaged female gymnast his genitals.</p>

<p>Moore is joining the lawsuit against not just Nassar but Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics.</p>


Jacob Moore is the first man to accuse Larry Nassar of sexual abuse and said he wants other potential male victim's to know, they are not alone

The disgraced former national team doctor, Larry Nassar was sentenced to a total of 175 years in prison in a Michigan courtroom for sexually abusing young female gymnasts. Now, a male gymnast, Jacob Moore has accused Larry Nassar of sexual abuse, he became the first male to file charges against Larry Nassar. Jacob Moore is a gymnast at the University of Michigan, he also said other potential male victim's to know, they are not alone. His sister was one of more than 100 women to read a victim impact statement against Nassar. Moore told in a press conference that he went to Larry to get his shoulder injury treated two years ago when he was 16. Nassar treated the injury with acupuncture to not just the shoulder but his pubic area as well. At one point he pulled down Moore's pants and showed an underaged female gymnast his genitals. Moore is joining the lawsuit against not just Nassar but Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics.

Watch: Jacob Moore accuses Larry Nassar of sexual abuse

<p>Bill Gates, the world&#39;s richest man worth $91 billion teamed up with tennis world number one Roger Federer for a very special cause and played a tennis match against US tennis player Jack Sock and Savannah Guthrie, the co-anchor of NBC News&#39; TODAY. The most extraordinary doubles team of Roger and Gates won the match though,&nbsp;Savannah being a non-professional, helped her partner Jack to gains some crucial points.</p>

<p>On the&nbsp;opportunity to play alongside tennis legend, Bill Gates said, &quot;I&#39;m a huge fan of Roger Federer, and this Monday I&#39;ll get to play alongside him in the #MatchForAfrica.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">About to go on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MatchforAfrica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MatchforAfrica</a> <a href="https://t.co/u0MTB2CNCd">pic.twitter.com/u0MTB2CNCd</a></p>
&mdash; Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer/status/970863199393218561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It&#39;s almost time! Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/SavannahGuthrie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SavannahGuthrie</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JackSock?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JackSock</a> take on <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RogerFederer</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BillGates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillGates</a> for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MatchForAfrica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MatchForAfrica</a> live on the <a href="https://twitter.com/TennisChannel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TennisChannel</a> at 10:30 pm ET. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoSavannah?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoSavannah</a> <a href="https://t.co/2UnvOz20FN">pic.twitter.com/2UnvOz20FN</a></p>
&mdash; TODAY (@TODAYshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/970856745731088384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The cause of such collaboration is to raise money for&nbsp;Roger Federer Foundation that aims to uplift underprivileged children in Africa so as to empower them by providing educational facilities.</p>

<p>Earlier, Federer and Gates, co-chairman of the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, the world&#39;s largest private charitable foundation, teamed up in Seattle for the Match for Africa 4, which raised $2 million for Federer&#39;s foundation.</p>

<p>The Roger Federer Foundation enhances a world where children living in poverty are able to take control of their future and actively shape it with an aims to develop existing educational services and early support in a sustainable way.</p>

<p>In recent years, fundamental problems such as low classroom performance, poor attendance and high numbers of drop-outs, as well as a lack of early childhood education.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The foundation wishes to empower as many African children as possible through access to high-quality early learning and education.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Coming up at 10:30 pm ET tonight: <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RogerFederer</a> vs. <a href="https://twitter.com/JackSock?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JackSock</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/BillGates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillGates</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SavannahGuthrie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SavannahGuthrie</a> in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MatchForAfrica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MatchForAfrica</a> 5&ndash;&ndash;LIVE on <a href="https://twitter.com/TennisChannel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TennisChannel</a>: <a href="https://t.co/BJi2TIxHpc">https://t.co/BJi2TIxHpc</a> <a href="https://t.co/5vmhSkPp99">pic.twitter.com/5vmhSkPp99</a></p>
&mdash; TENNIS.com (@Tennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tennis/status/970847970697519104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The match was live on Facebook where Bill Gates raised $17,745 USD for Roger Federer Charitable Fund.</p>

<p>Watch the video&nbsp;here:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Proud to be on Team Fed. We&rsquo;re ready for you, <a href="https://twitter.com/SavannahGuthrie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SavannahGuthrie</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JackSock?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JackSock</a>: <a href="https://t.co/tUifhNNBVO">https://t.co/tUifhNNBVO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MatchForAfrica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MatchForAfrica</a> <a href="https://t.co/BMyYpUEmYl">pic.twitter.com/BMyYpUEmYl</a></p>
&mdash; Bill Gates (@BillGates) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillGates/status/970827375721070592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The dream team is out again. Roger: &ldquo;I am doing the running, Bill is doing the thinking...&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MatchForAfrica5?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MatchForAfrica5</a> <a href="https://t.co/U07ve0IYrM">pic.twitter.com/U07ve0IYrM</a></p>
&mdash; Roger Federer Fdn (@rogerfedererfdn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfedererfdn/status/970872720245141505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We can&#39;t wait to watch <a href="https://twitter.com/SavannahGuthrie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@savannahguthrie</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JackSock?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JackSock</a> take on <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rogerfederer</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BillGates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@billgates</a> in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MatchforAfrica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MatchforAfrica</a>! <a href="https://t.co/Mm7lM5Zvm4">https://t.co/Mm7lM5Zvm4</a> ???? <a href="https://t.co/YXRz1o49T8">pic.twitter.com/YXRz1o49T8</a></p>
&mdash; TODAY (@TODAYshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/970656264610033664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The cause of such collaboration is to raise money for underprivileged children in Africa so as to empower them by providing educational facilities

Bill Gates, the world's richest man worth $91 billion teamed up with tennis world number one Roger Federer for a very special cause and played a tennis match against US tennis player Jack Sock and Savannah Guthrie, the co-anchor of NBC News' TODAY. The most extraordinary doubles team of Roger and Gates won the match though, Savannah being a non-professional, helped her partner Jack to gains some crucial points. On the opportunity to play alongside tennis legend, Bill Gates said, "I'm a huge fan of Roger Federer, and this Monday I'll get to play alongside him in the #MatchForAfrica." About to go on #MatchforAfrica pic.twitter.com/u0MTB2CNCd — Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) March 6, 2018 × It's almost time! Watch @SavannahGuthrie and @JackSock take on @RogerFederer and @BillGates for #MatchForAfrica live on the @TennisChannel at 10:30 pm ET. #GoSavannah pic.twitter.com/2UnvOz20FN — TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 6, 2018 × The cause of such collaboration is to raise money for Roger Federer Foundation that aims to uplift underprivileged children in Africa so as to empower them by providing educational facilities. Earlier, Federer and Gates, co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private charitable foundation, teamed up in Seattle for the Match for Africa 4, which raised $2 million for Federer's foundation. The Roger Federer Foundation enhances a world where children living in poverty are able to take control of their future and actively shape it with an aims to develop existing educational services and early support in a sustainable way. In recent years, fundamental problems such as low classroom performance, poor attendance and high numbers of drop-outs, as well as a lack of early childhood education. The foundation wishes to empower as many African children as possible through access to high-quality early learning and education. Coming up at 10:30 pm ET tonight: @RogerFederer vs. @JackSock with @BillGates and @SavannahGuthrie in the #MatchForAfrica 5––LIVE on @TennisChannel: https://t.co/BJi2TIxHpc pic.twitter.com/5vmhSkPp99 — TENNIS.com (@Tennis) March 6, 2018 × The match was live on Facebook where Bill Gates raised $17,745 USD for Roger Federer Charitable Fund. Watch the video here: × Proud to be on Team Fed. We’re ready for you, @SavannahGuthrie and @JackSock: https://t.co/tUifhNNBVO #MatchForAfrica pic.twitter.com/BMyYpUEmYl — Bill Gates (@BillGates) March 6, 2018 × The dream team is out again. Roger: “I am doing the running, Bill is doing the thinking...” #MatchForAfrica5 pic.twitter.com/U07ve0IYrM — Roger Federer Fdn (@rogerfedererfdn) March 6, 2018 × We can't wait to watch @savannahguthrie and @JackSock take on @rogerfederer and @billgates in the #MatchforAfrica! https://t.co/Mm7lM5Zvm4 ???? pic.twitter.com/YXRz1o49T8 — TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 5, 2018 ×

Watch: Bill Gates teams up with Roger Federer for tennis match

<p>India&#39;s gold tally increased after pistol shooter <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/issf-world-cup-16-year-old-manu-bhaker-grabs-gold-for-india-34676">Manu Bhaker</a> contributed her second gold medal in the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup when she partnered Om Prakash Mitharval for the 10m Air Pistol mixed team gold on Monday.</p>

<p>Bhaker won her <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/issf-world-cup-16-year-old-manu-bhaker-grabs-gold-for-india-34676">second Gold medal</a> a day after she won the Women&#39;s 10m Air Pistol Gold on her senior World Cup debut.</p>

<p>In total, India has now won seven medals and are top of the medal tally in the ongoing International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun stage in Guadalajara, Mexico.</p>

<p>In the final, there were three pairs in contention from the very beginning. India 1 represented by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/issf-world-cup-16-year-old-manu-bhaker-grabs-gold-for-india-34676">Manu and Om Prakash</a>, European team consisting of Germany and the French nationals Celine Goberville and Florian Fouquet respectively.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">???????? INDIA!!<br />
???????? GERMANY!!<br />
???????? FRANCE!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISSFWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISSFWC</a> <a href="https://t.co/q9OrBS5zic">pic.twitter.com/q9OrBS5zic</a></p>
&mdash; ISSF (@ISSF_Shooting) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISSF_Shooting/status/970751836776009729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>After a tough battle between the three, the Indian and the German pair pulled ahead of the French pair decisively after 38 shots, with the Germans ahead of the Indians.</p>

<p>With the final six shots remaining the Germans were ahead of the Indians by 0.1, but Manu and Om Prakash finished strong clinching the battle at the eleventh hour after 48 shots, which was a point ahead of the Germans.</p>

<p>The final scores were in favour of the Indians read 476.1 to 475.2. Mahima Agrawal and Shahzar Rizvi finished fourth with a score of 372.4 in the finals.</p>

<p>The pair of Mehuli Ghosh and Deepak Kumar had won a Bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed team event, making it a total of seven medals in three days for India.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="it">???????? CHINA!!<br />
???????? ROMANIA!!<br />
????????&nbsp;INDIA!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISSFWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISSFWC</a> <a href="https://t.co/Mqk59zUdRF">pic.twitter.com/Mqk59zUdRF</a></p>
&mdash; ISSF (@ISSF_Shooting) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISSF_Shooting/status/970725471368466433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>In the Women&#39;s Trap, India&#39;s Seema Tomar was the best finisher, scored 111 in qualifying to end in 15th spot. Shreyasi Singh shot 106 to finish 22nd while Shagun Chowdhary shot 101 to be placed 26th.</p>

<p>At the end of the first day of qualification round in Men&#39;s Trap, India&#39;s Kynan Chenai shot 49 out of 50 to end at the number 6 spot. Zoravar Singh Sandhu shot 46 to lay 28thwhile Manavjit Singh Sandhu shot 42 to be in 47th place.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Manu Bhaker partnered with Om Prakash Mitharval for the 10m Air Pistol mixed and grab the gold for India

India's gold tally increased after pistol shooter Manu Bhaker contributed her second gold medal in the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup when she partnered Om Prakash Mitharval for the 10m Air Pistol mixed team gold on Monday. Bhaker won her second Gold medal a day after she won the Women's 10m Air Pistol Gold on her senior World Cup debut. In total, India has now won seven medals and are top of the medal tally in the ongoing International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun stage in Guadalajara, Mexico. In the final, there were three pairs in contention from the very beginning. India 1 represented by Manu and Om Prakash, European team consisting of Germany and the French nationals Celine Goberville and Florian Fouquet respectively. ???????? INDIA!! ???????? GERMANY!! ???????? FRANCE!!#ISSFWC pic.twitter.com/q9OrBS5zic — ISSF (@ISSF_Shooting) March 5, 2018 × After a tough battle between the three, the Indian and the German pair pulled ahead of the French pair decisively after 38 shots, with the Germans ahead of the Indians. With the final six shots remaining the Germans were ahead of the Indians by 0.1, but Manu and Om Prakash finished strong clinching the battle at the eleventh hour after 48 shots, which was a point ahead of the Germans. The final scores were in favour of the Indians read 476.1 to 475.2. Mahima Agrawal and Shahzar Rizvi finished fourth with a score of 372.4 in the finals. The pair of Mehuli Ghosh and Deepak Kumar had won a Bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed team event, making it a total of seven medals in three days for India. ???????? CHINA!! ???????? ROMANIA!! ???????? INDIA!!#ISSFWC pic.twitter.com/Mqk59zUdRF — ISSF (@ISSF_Shooting) March 5, 2018 × In the Women's Trap, India's Seema Tomar was the best finisher, scored 111 in qualifying to end in 15th spot. Shreyasi Singh shot 106 to finish 22nd while Shagun Chowdhary shot 101 to be placed 26th. At the end of the first day of qualification round in Men's Trap, India's Kynan Chenai shot 49 out of 50 to end at the number 6 spot. Zoravar Singh Sandhu shot 46 to lay 28thwhile Manavjit Singh Sandhu shot 42 to be in 47th place.

ISSF World Cup: Manu Bhaker strikes gold again

<p>Sri Lanka is celebrating its 70th year of Independence by organising a&nbsp;cricket tournament named &quot;Nidahas Trophy&quot; which is a tri-nation series. The tournament includes India, Bangladesh and the host country. The first such tournament was played in 1998 marking Sri Lanka&#39;s 50th year of Independence. The word &quot;Nidahas&quot; means independence in Sanskrit.</p>

<p>The Nidahas Trophy Twenty20 International tournament has been scheduled from March 6 to March 18 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The first match will be played between India and Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium on March 6, Tuesday.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">That&#39;s what the three teams are playing for - The Nidahas Trophy which is all set to begin from the 6th of March 2018 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/MO8gGuTdWz">pic.twitter.com/MO8gGuTdWz</a></p>
&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/970652256478552065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Even with India&#39;s selection having raised eyebrows, India is entering the tournament as a favourite to win the title though some of the star players have been dropped for the series like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav. In the absence of regular captain, Rohit Sharma is leading the squad of young buds.</p>

<p>Rohit Sharma&nbsp;said:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&quot;We won&#39;t label ourselves as favourites. The T20 format is unpredictable and you got to be on the money at all times. Both our oppositions are strong and we look forward to a good contest&quot; - <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRo45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRo45</a></p>
&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/970645809447411712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Sri Lanka&#39;s record against India is woeful but the appointment of new head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has helped spark an upturn in fortunes.</p>

<p>The Lions recently defeated Bangladesh in two Test matches and won the T20 series 2-0, with opening batsman Kusal Mendis a key figure in Sri Lanka&#39;s resurgence.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">And we are all ready to Jet Set Go! ???????? Here we come! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/GI1iczAmNC">pic.twitter.com/GI1iczAmNC</a></p>
&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/970253003239362560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Squad (TBC)</strong></p>

<p><strong>India:</strong><br />
Rohit Sharma(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik(w), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jaydev Unadkat, Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Hooda</p>

<p><strong>Sri Lanka:</strong><br />
Upul Tharanga, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal(w/c), Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Jeevan Mendis, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Danushka Gunathilaka, Nuwan Pradeep, Amila Aponso, Isuru Udana, Dushmantha Chameera</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Even with India's selection having raised eyebrows, India is entering the tournament as favourites to win the title

Sri Lanka is celebrating its 70th year of Independence by organising a cricket tournament named "Nidahas Trophy" which is a tri-nation series. The tournament includes India, Bangladesh and the host country. The first such tournament was played in 1998 marking Sri Lanka's 50th year of Independence. The word "Nidahas" means independence in Sanskrit. The Nidahas Trophy Twenty20 International tournament has been scheduled from March 6 to March 18 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The first match will be played between India and Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium on March 6, Tuesday. That's what the three teams are playing for - The Nidahas Trophy which is all set to begin from the 6th of March 2018 #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/MO8gGuTdWz — BCCI (@BCCI) March 5, 2018 × Even with India's selection having raised eyebrows, India is entering the tournament as a favourite to win the title though some of the star players have been dropped for the series like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav. In the absence of regular captain, Rohit Sharma is leading the squad of young buds. Rohit Sharma said: "We won't label ourselves as favourites. The T20 format is unpredictable and you got to be on the money at all times. Both our oppositions are strong and we look forward to a good contest" - @ImRo45 — BCCI (@BCCI) March 5, 2018 × Sri Lanka's record against India is woeful but the appointment of new head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has helped spark an upturn in fortunes. The Lions recently defeated Bangladesh in two Test matches and won the T20 series 2-0, with opening batsman Kusal Mendis a key figure in Sri Lanka's resurgence. And we are all ready to Jet Set Go! ???????? Here we come! #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/GI1iczAmNC — BCCI (@BCCI) March 4, 2018 × Squad (TBC) India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik(w), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jaydev Unadkat, Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Hooda Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal(w/c), Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Jeevan Mendis, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Danushka Gunathilaka, Nuwan Pradeep, Amila Aponso, Isuru Udana, Dushmantha Chameera

India vs Sri Lanka T20 preview: Rohit Sharma's young guns need to fire

<p>Football is a game of uncertainties, it is not justified to predict the performance of any team and pass the judgement regarding the final result of the game.</p>

<p>The second leg of Champion&#39;s Trophy is starting from today with one of the most crucial face-offs when a Spanish giant will fight with French leaders.</p>

<p>Defending champion Real Madrid will enter the game with a high because they have already taken a 3-1 lead against Paris Saint Germain in the first leg and the aggregate after including today&#39;s score will act as an decider that which team will proceed further.</p>

<p><strong>Paris Saint Germain needs to create chances and the presure of&nbsp;Neymar&#39;s absence must not affect the team&#39;s performance</strong></p>

<p>PSG has the potential and might dribble the comeback and display a shocker in forfeiting the first-leg deficit against Real Madrid. Yes, chances are there!</p>

<p>PSG are up against it, all the more so with Neymar, the world&#39;s most expensive player missing as he recovers in Brazil following a foot operation.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Paris​ have lost just one of their last 46 European home games ????<br />
<br />
Are they strong enough to see off Madrid?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveitLiveit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LoveitLiveit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UCL</a> <a href="https://t.co/7GUOWzYqwA">pic.twitter.com/7GUOWzYqwA</a></p>
&mdash; UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChampionsLeague/status/971064594671329280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Brazil&#39;s Paris St Germain forward Neymar has had a successful operation on his injured foot and ankle.</p>

<p>He was operated on Saturday at the Mater Dei Hospital in Belo Horizonte and currently on post-op rehabilitation. Neymar&#39;s absence is a major important implication in today&#39; match.</p>

<p>Out of contract at the end of this season, Emery is relying on big performances from players like Thiago Silva and Angel Di Maria, who were both left out in the first leg.</p>

<p>Kylian Mbappe is looking good at the moment with some outstanding assists in the previous matches.</p>

<p><strong>Real has the confidence and Charged up and Marcelo&#39;s return is a plus point</strong></p>

<p>Cristiano Ronaldo had scored twice as Real Madrid came from behind to stun Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the first leg of their heavyweight Champions League to inspire the team to victory at the Santiago Bernabeu. The team has travelled to Paris to play the match at Parc des Princes. A memorable stadium when Di Stefano lifted the club&#39;s first continental crown.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">???? Ronaldo doing what he does!<br />
<br />
Which one of your friends is always trying tricks like <a href="https://twitter.com/Cristiano?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cristiano</a>? ????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UCL</a> <a href="https://t.co/XGpD9tj3C0">pic.twitter.com/XGpD9tj3C0</a></p>
&mdash; UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChampionsLeague/status/971020904598827010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Captain Sergio Ramos said, &quot;The Champions League means a lot to us,&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;They have a lot of offensive power, but we have our weapons and we&#39;re going to try to do damage in Paris,&quot; he further added.</p>

<p>Marcelo has returned from injury and he is a big advantage for the team.</p>

<p>This clash takes on huge importance for Zinedine Zidane&rsquo;s Real, who have had an unusually poor domestic campaign and faced many criticisms for the same even his future as Real coach was doubtful.</p>

<p>As far as the final result is concerned, Real Madrid definitely has an intent of winning the game but PSG&#39;s attacking is equally great and might register a comeback and draw the aggregate.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


PSG has the potential and might dribble the comeback and display a shocker in forfeiting the first-leg deficit against Real Madrid. Yes, chances are there!

Football is a game of uncertainties, it is not justified to predict the performance of any team and pass the judgement regarding the final result of the game. The second leg of Champion's Trophy is starting from today with one of the most crucial face-offs when a Spanish giant will fight with French leaders. Defending champion Real Madrid will enter the game with a high because they have already taken a 3-1 lead against Paris Saint Germain in the first leg and the aggregate after including today's score will act as an decider that which team will proceed further. Paris Saint Germain needs to create chances and the presure of Neymar's absence must not affect the team's performance PSG has the potential and might dribble the comeback and display a shocker in forfeiting the first-leg deficit against Real Madrid. Yes, chances are there! PSG are up against it, all the more so with Neymar, the world's most expensive player missing as he recovers in Brazil following a foot operation. Paris have lost just one of their last 46 European home games ???? Are they strong enough to see off Madrid? #LoveitLiveit #UCL pic.twitter.com/7GUOWzYqwA — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 6, 2018 × Brazil's Paris St Germain forward Neymar has had a successful operation on his injured foot and ankle. He was operated on Saturday at the Mater Dei Hospital in Belo Horizonte and currently on post-op rehabilitation. Neymar's absence is a major important implication in today' match. Out of contract at the end of this season, Emery is relying on big performances from players like Thiago Silva and Angel Di Maria, who were both left out in the first leg. Kylian Mbappe is looking good at the moment with some outstanding assists in the previous matches. Real has the confidence and Charged up and Marcelo's return is a plus point Cristiano Ronaldo had scored twice as Real Madrid came from behind to stun Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the first leg of their heavyweight Champions League to inspire the team to victory at the Santiago Bernabeu. The team has travelled to Paris to play the match at Parc des Princes. A memorable stadium when Di Stefano lifted the club's first continental crown. ???? Ronaldo doing what he does! Which one of your friends is always trying tricks like @Cristiano? ????#UCL pic.twitter.com/XGpD9tj3C0 — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 6, 2018 × Captain Sergio Ramos said, "The Champions League means a lot to us," "They have a lot of offensive power, but we have our weapons and we're going to try to do damage in Paris," he further added. Marcelo has returned from injury and he is a big advantage for the team. This clash takes on huge importance for Zinedine Zidane’s Real, who have had an unusually poor domestic campaign and faced many criticisms for the same even his future as Real coach was doubtful. As far as the final result is concerned, Real Madrid definitely has an intent of winning the game but PSG's attacking is equally great and might register a comeback and draw the aggregate.

Champions League: Neymar's absence, Marcelo's return favour Real against PSG

<p>Retired basketball superstar Kobe Bryant-- once the toast of Los Angeles for the Lakers -- is now a Hollywood A-lister with an Oscar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Yes, you read that correctly.</p>

<p>Nearly two years after leaving the NBA, the 39-year-old Bryant&nbsp;won the Academy Award for best animated short on Sunday for &quot;Dear Basketball,&quot; a collaboration with artist Glen Keane and legendary composer John Williams.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sport takes us beyond the lines. Congrats, <a href="https://twitter.com/kobebryant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kobebryant</a> for your award for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DearBasketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DearBasketball</a> ???????????????????????? <a href="https://t.co/ljeOqzSuBM">pic.twitter.com/ljeOqzSuBM</a></p>
&mdash; Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/nikebasketball/status/970506515936194561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;Thank you, Academy, for this amazing honour. Thank you, John Williams, for a wonderful piece of music,&quot;&nbsp;Bryant said.</p>

<p>In a sardonic reference to an attack by Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham against basketballers expressing their political opinions, he said he thought NBA stars were &quot;really supposed to shut up and dribble.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I&#39;m glad we do a little bit more than that,&quot; he added.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Salute <a href="https://twitter.com/kobebryant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kobebryant</a> on that Oscar!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreMoreThanShutUpDribble?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreMoreThanShutUpDribble</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UJustContinueToSitBackAndWatch?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UJustContinueToSitBackAndWatch</a></p>
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/970500221875736576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Awards prediction website Gold Derby had&nbsp;Bryant as the odds-on favourite to win the Oscar for best animated short, but his triumph is unlikely to please everyone.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, it will be a reminder that&nbsp;Bryant was arrested&nbsp;over the suspected rape of a 19-year-old hotel worker in Colorado in 2003.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bryant admitted to a sexual encounter but insisted it was consensual. The criminal case was dropped when the accuser refused to testify, but&nbsp;Bryant faced a civil suit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As part of an out-of-court settlement, he publicly apologized to his accuser but admitted no guilt.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MambaMentality?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MambaMentality</a> meets the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars</a>. Congrats on last night&#39;s win, <a href="https://twitter.com/kobebryant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kobebryant</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyEaglesFly?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyEaglesFly</a> <a href="https://t.co/zc8b3jxMcd">pic.twitter.com/zc8b3jxMcd</a></p>
&mdash; Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eagles/status/970774662849400838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Kobe Bryant was recognised for a five-minute film produced in collaboration with artist Glen Keane and composer John Williams for the short 'Dear Basketball'

Retired basketball superstar Kobe Bryant-- once the toast of Los Angeles for the Lakers -- is now a Hollywood A-lister with an Oscar. Yes, you read that correctly. Nearly two years after leaving the NBA, the 39-year-old Bryant won the Academy Award for best animated short on Sunday for "Dear Basketball," a collaboration with artist Glen Keane and legendary composer John Williams. Sport takes us beyond the lines. Congrats, @kobebryant for your award for #DearBasketball ???????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/ljeOqzSuBM — Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) March 5, 2018 × "Thank you, Academy, for this amazing honour. Thank you, John Williams, for a wonderful piece of music," Bryant said. In a sardonic reference to an attack by Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham against basketballers expressing their political opinions, he said he thought NBA stars were "really supposed to shut up and dribble." "I'm glad we do a little bit more than that," he added. Salute @kobebryant on that Oscar!! #WeAreMoreThanShutUpDribble #UJustContinueToSitBackAndWatch — LeBron James (@KingJames) March 5, 2018 × Awards prediction website Gold Derby had Bryant as the odds-on favourite to win the Oscar for best animated short, but his triumph is unlikely to please everyone. In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, it will be a reminder that Bryant was arrested over the suspected rape of a 19-year-old hotel worker in Colorado in 2003. Bryant admitted to a sexual encounter but insisted it was consensual. The criminal case was dropped when the accuser refused to testify, but Bryant faced a civil suit. As part of an out-of-court settlement, he publicly apologized to his accuser but admitted no guilt. #MambaMentality meets the #Oscars. Congrats on last night's win, @kobebryant!#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/zc8b3jxMcd — Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 5, 2018 ×

NBA legend Kobe Bryant wins Oscar for best animated short

<p>Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said Monday he was worried about the impact of the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/croatian-footballer-luka-modric-charged-with-false-testimony-34523"> false testimony</a> charges against captain Luka Modric on his performance less than four months before the World Cup.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/croatian-footballer-luka-modric-charged-with-false-testimony-34523">Croatian prosecutors</a> charged the Real Madrid midfielder last week with giving false evidence during the multi-million-euro <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/croatian-footballer-luka-modric-charged-with-false-testimony-34523">corruption trial</a> of former Dinamo Zagreb boss Zdravko Mamic in Croatia.</p>

<p>The offence carries a maximum penalty of up to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/croatian-footballer-luka-modric-charged-with-false-testimony-34523">five years in jail</a>.</p>

<p>&quot;I cannot interfere in what is going on but it certainly worries me,&quot; Dalic told reporters when asked whether he feared the charges could affect Modric&#39;s performance.</p>

<p>&quot;But knowing Luka and his character... I belive that he will stoically endure all this.</p>

<p>&quot;For me it is more important that he recovers from his current injury and that he plays,&quot; Dalic said.</p>

<p>He was speaking as he presented a 29-strong list of players for friendlies with Peru and Mexico to be played in the United States this month as part of preparations for the World Cup.</p>

<p>Modric&#39;s indictment has yet to be approved by a court and the 32-year-old is currently not threatened with arrest.</p>

<p>Mamic is accused, along with three other people, of abuse of power and graft that cost Dinamo, the former Croatian champions, more than 15 million euros ($18.4 million), and the state 1.5 million euros.</p>

<p>Cash was allegedly embezzled through fictitious deals related to player transfers. Modric testified last June over the details of his 2008 transfer from Dinamo to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.</p>

<p>From there he joined Real Madrid in 2012.</p>

<p>Modric has shaken off a thigh injury and travelled with the Madrid squad to France for Tuesday&#39;s second-leg last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain.</p>

<p>He is considered the biggest star Croatia have had since 1998 when they surprised the football world by reaching the World Cup semi-finals before losing to eventual winners France.</p>

<p>Croatia plays in the World Cup Group D along with Argentina, Iceland and Nigeria.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Croatian prosecutors charged the Real Madrid midfielder last week with giving false evidence during the multi-million-euro corruption trial of former Dinamo Zagreb boss Zdravko Mamic in Croatia

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said Monday he was worried about the impact of the false testimony charges against captain Luka Modric on his performance less than four months before the World Cup. Croatian prosecutors charged the Real Madrid midfielder last week with giving false evidence during the multi-million-euro corruption trial of former Dinamo Zagreb boss Zdravko Mamic in Croatia. The offence carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in jail. "I cannot interfere in what is going on but it certainly worries me," Dalic told reporters when asked whether he feared the charges could affect Modric's performance. "But knowing Luka and his character... I belive that he will stoically endure all this. "For me it is more important that he recovers from his current injury and that he plays," Dalic said. He was speaking as he presented a 29-strong list of players for friendlies with Peru and Mexico to be played in the United States this month as part of preparations for the World Cup. Modric's indictment has yet to be approved by a court and the 32-year-old is currently not threatened with arrest. Mamic is accused, along with three other people, of abuse of power and graft that cost Dinamo, the former Croatian champions, more than 15 million euros ($18.4 million), and the state 1.5 million euros. Cash was allegedly embezzled through fictitious deals related to player transfers. Modric testified last June over the details of his 2008 transfer from Dinamo to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. From there he joined Real Madrid in 2012. Modric has shaken off a thigh injury and travelled with the Madrid squad to France for Tuesday's second-leg last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain. He is considered the biggest star Croatia have had since 1998 when they surprised the football world by reaching the World Cup semi-finals before losing to eventual winners France. Croatia plays in the World Cup Group D along with Argentina, Iceland and Nigeria.

Croatia coach worried over Modric charges

<p>Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has been charged 15 percent of his match fee for his cheeky celebration following the run out of South Africa batsman AB de Villiers by the International Cricket Council (ICC). He threw&nbsp;the ball at former South African skipper AB de Villiers which is declared as a breach of level one of its code of conduct as behaviour that was &quot;contrary to the spirit of the game&quot;. Nathan&nbsp;has had one demerit point added to his name. A total of four such demerit points will result in him missing a Test match.</p>

<p><em>Watch the video here:</em></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">If I was an <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Australian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Australian</a> or part of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Australiancricket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Australiancricket</a> team I would be <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ashamed?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ashamed</a>. The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/derro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#derro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NathanLyon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NathanLyon</a> clearly throws the ball on AB and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DavidWarner?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DavidWarner</a> acts like an absolute <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bogan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bogan</a> that he is <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/maniac?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#maniac</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvsSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvsSA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/badsportsmen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#badsportsmen</a> #disgrace# <a href="https://t.co/6Cb8LMGXGs">pic.twitter.com/6Cb8LMGXGs</a></p>
&mdash; Br@t (@Mc_Allstar) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mc_Allstar/status/970698669900091392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The incident occurred on the fourth day in the second innings of the first Test match at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on Sunday. De Villiers was run out for nought after being involved in a mix-up with opening batsman Aiden Markram, with Lyon, who had knocked off the bails, dropping the ball towards the sprawled batsman as he ran over to join ecstatic celebrations.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nathan Lyon has been fined after breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the first Test against South Africa.<br />
<br />
STORY ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/zUEzQQBIzH">https://t.co/zUEzQQBIzH</a> <a href="https://t.co/rV8SWOMKkm">pic.twitter.com/rV8SWOMKkm</a></p>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/970708948419571712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Australia won the first match of a four-Test series by 118 runs on Monday&nbsp;</p>

<p>The bowler was said to have apologised to De Villiers and the pair were seen shaking hands while the teams warmed up on Monday.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It didn&#39;t take too long for Australia to wrap up victory on day five of the first Test against South Africa.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvAUS</a> REPORT ➡️<a href="https://t.co/j4xPRt027s">https://t.co/j4xPRt027s</a> <a href="https://t.co/VbuB8q2eWd">pic.twitter.com/VbuB8q2eWd</a></p>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/970637552288854016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Nathan Lyon's behaviour has been declared as a breach of level one of ICC code of conduct as it was "contrary to the spirit of the game"

Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has been charged 15 percent of his match fee for his cheeky celebration following the run out of South Africa batsman AB de Villiers by the International Cricket Council (ICC). He threw the ball at former South African skipper AB de Villiers which is declared as a breach of level one of its code of conduct as behaviour that was "contrary to the spirit of the game". Nathan has had one demerit point added to his name. A total of four such demerit points will result in him missing a Test match. Watch the video here: If I was an #Australian or part of the #Australiancricket team I would be #ashamed. The #derro #NathanLyon clearly throws the ball on AB and #DavidWarner acts like an absolute #bogan that he is #maniac #AUSvsSA #badsportsmen #disgrace# pic.twitter.com/6Cb8LMGXGs — Br@t (@Mc_Allstar) March 5, 2018 × The incident occurred on the fourth day in the second innings of the first Test match at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on Sunday. De Villiers was run out for nought after being involved in a mix-up with opening batsman Aiden Markram, with Lyon, who had knocked off the bails, dropping the ball towards the sprawled batsman as he ran over to join ecstatic celebrations. Nathan Lyon has been fined after breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the first Test against South Africa. STORY ➡️ https://t.co/zUEzQQBIzH pic.twitter.com/rV8SWOMKkm — ICC (@ICC) March 5, 2018 × Australia won the first match of a four-Test series by 118 runs on Monday The bowler was said to have apologised to De Villiers and the pair were seen shaking hands while the teams warmed up on Monday. It didn't take too long for Australia to wrap up victory on day five of the first Test against South Africa.#SAvAUS REPORT ➡️https://t.co/j4xPRt027s pic.twitter.com/VbuB8q2eWd — ICC (@ICC) March 5, 2018 ×

Australian bowler Nathan Lyon fined for 'disrespecting' AB de Villiers

<p>FC Barcelona defeated the visitors Atletico Madrid by 1-0 at their home ground&nbsp;Camp Nou on Sunday. Both the teams are neck-to-neck and are racing to be at number one spot at the Spanish League table. Barca has maintained a modest lead throughout the season but in the previous matches, Atletico displayed a splendid performance to cut the gap between them and the table leaders.</p>

<p>FC Barcelona was five points ahead of second-ranked Atletico Madrid which further extended to eight as marvellous Messi netted in the 26th minute by clearing a free-kick and hitting a swinging banana shot into the top right corner and gave a 1-0 lead. It was Messi&#39;s 600th career goal from 25 yards out.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">???? Another landmark for Leo <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Messi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Messi</a>!<br />
➡️ <a href="https://t.co/2M3jsXs79U">https://t.co/2M3jsXs79U</a> <a href="https://t.co/kqLEVeAVBY">pic.twitter.com/kqLEVeAVBY</a></p>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/970392218602233856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Messi&#39;s goal gave Barcelona a 1-0 win against second-place Atletico Madrid and widened the gap over their closest rivals to eight points with 11 games remaining.</p>

<p>Besides Barca fans and followers, the coach Ernesto Valverde is also very happy after the vital win against Atletico. In the post-match presentation, he said, &quot;(Lionel) Messi there is just one in the world.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t know what would have happened (if he would not be playing for Barcelona), but what is the reason to think about that if he is playing with us?&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also focused on further matches and hoped the team would compete well in such important and crucial games and said, &quot;We have made a step forward, but it is not definitive.&quot;</p>

<p>Before the match, Atletico coach Diego Simeone had hailed&nbsp;Griezmann saying, &quot;Antoine is an extraordinary footballer and when he is at his level like this, he is one of the best, and it is clear that in his present position he is in the perfect place.&quot;</p>

<p>But Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann, who came in with seven goals in two games, was largely anonymous.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Messi's goal gave Barcelona a 1-0 win against second-place Atletico Madrid and widened the gap over their closest rivals to eight points with 11 games remaining

FC Barcelona defeated the visitors Atletico Madrid by 1-0 at their home ground Camp Nou on Sunday. Both the teams are neck-to-neck and are racing to be at number one spot at the Spanish League table. Barca has maintained a modest lead throughout the season but in the previous matches, Atletico displayed a splendid performance to cut the gap between them and the table leaders. FC Barcelona was five points ahead of second-ranked Atletico Madrid which further extended to eight as marvellous Messi netted in the 26th minute by clearing a free-kick and hitting a swinging banana shot into the top right corner and gave a 1-0 lead. It was Messi's 600th career goal from 25 yards out. ???? Another landmark for Leo #Messi! ➡️ https://t.co/2M3jsXs79U pic.twitter.com/kqLEVeAVBY — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 4, 2018 × Messi's goal gave Barcelona a 1-0 win against second-place Atletico Madrid and widened the gap over their closest rivals to eight points with 11 games remaining. Besides Barca fans and followers, the coach Ernesto Valverde is also very happy after the vital win against Atletico. In the post-match presentation, he said, "(Lionel) Messi there is just one in the world." "I don't know what would have happened (if he would not be playing for Barcelona), but what is the reason to think about that if he is playing with us?" He also focused on further matches and hoped the team would compete well in such important and crucial games and said, "We have made a step forward, but it is not definitive." Before the match, Atletico coach Diego Simeone had hailed Griezmann saying, "Antoine is an extraordinary footballer and when he is at his level like this, he is one of the best, and it is clear that in his present position he is in the perfect place." But Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann, who came in with seven goals in two games, was largely anonymous.

Messi just one in the world: FCB coach Ernesto Valverde

<p>Venkatesh Prasad was today appointed bowling coach of Kings XI Punjab for the upcoming Indian Premier League, barely a couple of days after the former India medium pacer resigned as the chief of the junior national selection panel.</p>

<p>With the season 11 of the tournament around the corner, Kings XI Punjab announced their support staff.</p>

<p>&quot;Venkatesh Prasad, former right-arm medium-fast bowler and ex-chairman of the junior national selection committee (BCCI) comes on board as the teams bowling coach,&quot; Kings XI Punjab said in a statement.</p>

<p>Former Australia player Brad Hodge came in on board as the team&#39;s head coach for the next three seasons.</p>

<p>Aggregating more than 7000 runs in this format of the game, Hodge is sure to shake things up for Kings XI Punjab and will lead the team forward under the guidance of team mentor Virender Sehwag.</p>

<p>Hodge said, &quot;The team we&#39;ve managed to get together is absolutely phenomenal. Each member of our coaching staff brings bundles of experience and insight that will help us reach the perfection we strive for here at Kings XI. It&#39;s a truly exciting prospect.&quot;</p>

<p>Delhi player Mithun Manhas is back with the squad as an assistant coach and joining him are Nishant Thakur, Shyamal Vallabhjee and Nishanta Bordoloi who will serve as the franchise&#39;s strength and conditioning coach, technical coach and fielding coach respectively.</p>

<p>Sehwag said &quot;We are glad to have a foreign coach join the team this year along with Venkatesh. I hope the team benefits hugely from their collective experiences.&quot;</p>

<p>Prasad&#39;s resignation comes less than a month after India lifted their fourth title at the Under-19 World Cup.</p>

<p>Prasad, who has worked as the head of the junior national selection committee for 30 months, of late shared a cold relationship with the BCCI mandarins.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Venkatesh Prasad was today appointed bowling coach of Kings XI Punjab for the upcoming Indian Premier League

Venkatesh Prasad was today appointed bowling coach of Kings XI Punjab for the upcoming Indian Premier League, barely a couple of days after the former India medium pacer resigned as the chief of the junior national selection panel. With the season 11 of the tournament around the corner, Kings XI Punjab announced their support staff. "Venkatesh Prasad, former right-arm medium-fast bowler and ex-chairman of the junior national selection committee (BCCI) comes on board as the teams bowling coach," Kings XI Punjab said in a statement. Former Australia player Brad Hodge came in on board as the team's head coach for the next three seasons. Aggregating more than 7000 runs in this format of the game, Hodge is sure to shake things up for Kings XI Punjab and will lead the team forward under the guidance of team mentor Virender Sehwag. Hodge said, "The team we've managed to get together is absolutely phenomenal. Each member of our coaching staff brings bundles of experience and insight that will help us reach the perfection we strive for here at Kings XI. It's a truly exciting prospect." Delhi player Mithun Manhas is back with the squad as an assistant coach and joining him are Nishant Thakur, Shyamal Vallabhjee and Nishanta Bordoloi who will serve as the franchise's strength and conditioning coach, technical coach and fielding coach respectively. Sehwag said "We are glad to have a foreign coach join the team this year along with Venkatesh. I hope the team benefits hugely from their collective experiences." Prasad's resignation comes less than a month after India lifted their fourth title at the Under-19 World Cup. Prasad, who has worked as the head of the junior national selection committee for 30 months, of late shared a cold relationship with the BCCI mandarins.

Venkatesh Prasad appointed as bowling coach of Kings XI Punjab

<p>Wicketkeeper-batsman, Dinesh Karthik has been appointed as the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders for the upcoming 11th edition of Indian Premier League.</p>

<p>He was purchased by KKR at an amount of INR 7.4 Cr. and was one of the expensive buys of the team. Robin Uthappa has been named as the vice-captain.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Drumrolls! ????<br />
Experienced wicket-keeper batsman, <a href="https://twitter.com/DineshKarthik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DineshKarthik</a> will lead the men in Purple and Gold for VIVO <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IPL</a> 2018. ????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KorboLorboJeetbo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KorboLorboJeetbo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKRKaCaptainKaun?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKRKaCaptainKaun</a> <a href="https://t.co/558Nkgpj9F">pic.twitter.com/558Nkgpj9F</a></p>
&mdash; KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKRiders/status/970148536355471360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>KKR gave a shocker when they did not retain their star performer Gautam Gambhir, who led the team to great heights in all its previous seasons but preferred two West Indies players, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. Gambhir then was taken by Delhi Daredevils in the auction as the Delhi&#39;s skipper.</p>

<p>On receiving the honour Dinesh Kartik said, &quot;Its a massive opportunity for me personally, I am very very happy, really excited because its a massive franchise to got this honour and rolled to be the captain of this team.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Its a very young side, there are few very interesting talents from India U-19 we have picked up,&quot; he said about the team.</p>

<p>He further added, &quot;I am looking forward to meeting them, interacting with them and getting the best out of them.&quot;</p>

<p>Watch his reaction here:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here&#39;s a message for all <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KnightRiders?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KnightRiders</a> from our Captain, <a href="https://twitter.com/DineshKarthik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DineshKarthik</a> ????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KorboLorboJeetbo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KorboLorboJeetbo</a> <a href="https://t.co/MNAvDM4tHp">pic.twitter.com/MNAvDM4tHp</a></p>
&mdash; KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKRiders/status/970164597658304512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier, Karthik had played for Gujarat Lions, Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore. He has an aggregate of 2903 runs at a strike rate of 125.94 in his IPL career of 152 matches.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">???? <a href="https://twitter.com/SGanguly99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SGanguly99</a> talks about the expectations from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Knight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Knight</a> who&#39;ll be in charge to lead the troops.<br />
<br />
&lsquo;Watch the unveiling of the next KKR captain, only on <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StarSportsIndia</a> at 9 AM today.&#39; ????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KorboLorboJeetbo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KorboLorboJeetbo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/0CEuVy9Jci">pic.twitter.com/0CEuVy9Jci</a></p>
&mdash; KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKRiders/status/970121182681821184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Robin Uthappa has been named as the vice-captain

Wicketkeeper-batsman, Dinesh Karthik has been appointed as the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders for the upcoming 11th edition of Indian Premier League. He was purchased by KKR at an amount of INR 7.4 Cr. and was one of the expensive buys of the team. Robin Uthappa has been named as the vice-captain. Drumrolls! ???? Experienced wicket-keeper batsman, @DineshKarthik will lead the men in Purple and Gold for VIVO @IPL 2018. ????#KorboLorboJeetbo #KKRKaCaptainKaun pic.twitter.com/558Nkgpj9F — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 4, 2018 × KKR gave a shocker when they did not retain their star performer Gautam Gambhir, who led the team to great heights in all its previous seasons but preferred two West Indies players, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. Gambhir then was taken by Delhi Daredevils in the auction as the Delhi's skipper. On receiving the honour Dinesh Kartik said, "Its a massive opportunity for me personally, I am very very happy, really excited because its a massive franchise to got this honour and rolled to be the captain of this team." "Its a very young side, there are few very interesting talents from India U-19 we have picked up," he said about the team. He further added, "I am looking forward to meeting them, interacting with them and getting the best out of them." Watch his reaction here: Here's a message for all #KnightRiders from our Captain, @DineshKarthik ????#KorboLorboJeetbo pic.twitter.com/MNAvDM4tHp — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 4, 2018 × Earlier, Karthik had played for Gujarat Lions, Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore. He has an aggregate of 2903 runs at a strike rate of 125.94 in his IPL career of 152 matches. ???? @SGanguly99 talks about the expectations from the #Knight who'll be in charge to lead the troops. ‘Watch the unveiling of the next KKR captain, only on @StarSportsIndia at 9 AM today.' ????#KorboLorboJeetbo #IPL2018 pic.twitter.com/0CEuVy9Jci — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 4, 2018 ×

Dinesh Karthik to lead Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2018

<p>Tottenham Hotspur apparently affected early in the season by playing home games at Wembley, achieved a sixth straight win there by beating Huddersfield Town 2-0 with a double by Son Heung-min in the Premier League on Saturday.</p>

<p>It was their 17th game unbeaten in all competitions and moved them up to provisional third place, a point ahead of Liverpool, who were playing later at home to Newcastle United.</p>

<p>South Korean Son Heung-min gave Spurs a halftime lead and added the second with a header from Harry Kane&#39;s superb cross before being substituted to an ovation.</p>

<p>&quot;We feel comfortable at Wembley, we enjoy playing here,&quot; Son said after scoring four times this week at the national stadium where Tottenham are playing while they build a new home ground.</p>

<p>Spurs, who did not win in their first three league games there, are a point behind second-placed Manchester United, who play at Crystal Palace on Monday and five ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea, who visit runaway leaders Manchester City on Sunday.</p>

<p>The defeat pushed Huddersfield right back into the relegation mix, only three points above the bottom three, after winning their two previous games.</p>

<p>Swansea City were the big winners at the bottom, moving above five teams to 13th, including West Ham United who they beat 4-1.</p>

<p>The first half was extended by 10 minutes after a bad injury to West Ham&#39;s New Zealand defender Winston Reid and by the interval the visitors were two goals down.</p>

<p>Ki Sung-Yeung scored the first after nine minutes and the unmarked Mike van der Hoon added a second in the 32nd.</p>

<p>Andy King&#39;s goal and Jordan Ayew&#39;s penalty ensured victory before a consolation by Michail Antonio.</p>

<p>West Ham manager David Moyes, whose team travelled seven hours by coach to reach Swansea from London on Friday after their flight was cancelled, was bitterly disappointed with the performance, their worst since he took over in November.</p>

<p>&quot;I&#39;m embarrassed,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;We played so bad. I couldn&#39;t assess it, it was that poor. The fans travelled through the snow to get here and we let them down badly. That was the poorest performance since I came here.&quot;</p>

<p>Victory continued Swansea&#39;s improved form under Portuguese manager Carlos Carvalhal.</p>

<p>Since he joined the club at the end of December with Swansea bottom they have won five league games and lost only two.</p>

<p><strong>Pardew despair</strong></p>

<p>In contrast, West Bromwich Albion&#39;s change of manager in the same month has not paid off.</p>

<p>Alan Pardew&#39;s job appears to be under greater threat than ever after a 1-0 defeat at Watford.</p>

<p>Albion has now won one of 15 league games since Pardew took over at the start of December and are seven points adrift at the bottom of the table.</p>

<p>Watford captain Troy Deeney was sent clear by Will Hughes to score the only goal.</p>

<p>&quot;The players gave me everything today and I cannot ask for more than that,&quot; Pardew said.</p>

<p>&quot;It is tough but it isn&#39;t about me, it about West Brom and it is tough for the fans and the players.&quot;</p>

<p>Stoke City stayed second-bottom but earned a valuable point in a 0-0 draw at Southampton.</p>

<p>Burnley supporters must have despaired when their team went a goal down at home to Everton. Sean Dyche&#39;s team have never won a Premier League game after falling behind.</p>

<p>This time they did, however, celebrating Dyche&#39;s 250th game as manager by winning 2-1 with goals from Ashley Barnes and substitute Chris Wood.</p>

<p>Everton captain Ashley Williams was sent off four minutes from the end for a wild swipe at Barnes.</p>

<p>In Sunday&#39;s other match, Arsene Wenger&#39;s struggling sixth-placed Arsenal visit mid-table Brighton &amp; Hove Albion.</p>


Tottenham Hotspur achieved a sixth straight win there by beating Huddersfield Town 2-0

Tottenham Hotspur apparently affected early in the season by playing home games at Wembley, achieved a sixth straight win there by beating Huddersfield Town 2-0 with a double by Son Heung-min in the Premier League on Saturday. It was their 17th game unbeaten in all competitions and moved them up to provisional third place, a point ahead of Liverpool, who were playing later at home to Newcastle United. South Korean Son Heung-min gave Spurs a halftime lead and added the second with a header from Harry Kane's superb cross before being substituted to an ovation. "We feel comfortable at Wembley, we enjoy playing here," Son said after scoring four times this week at the national stadium where Tottenham are playing while they build a new home ground. Spurs, who did not win in their first three league games there, are a point behind second-placed Manchester United, who play at Crystal Palace on Monday and five ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea, who visit runaway leaders Manchester City on Sunday. The defeat pushed Huddersfield right back into the relegation mix, only three points above the bottom three, after winning their two previous games. Swansea City were the big winners at the bottom, moving above five teams to 13th, including West Ham United who they beat 4-1. The first half was extended by 10 minutes after a bad injury to West Ham's New Zealand defender Winston Reid and by the interval the visitors were two goals down. Ki Sung-Yeung scored the first after nine minutes and the unmarked Mike van der Hoon added a second in the 32nd. Andy King's goal and Jordan Ayew's penalty ensured victory before a consolation by Michail Antonio. West Ham manager David Moyes, whose team travelled seven hours by coach to reach Swansea from London on Friday after their flight was cancelled, was bitterly disappointed with the performance, their worst since he took over in November. "I'm embarrassed," he told reporters. "We played so bad. I couldn't assess it, it was that poor. The fans travelled through the snow to get here and we let them down badly. That was the poorest performance since I came here." Victory continued Swansea's improved form under Portuguese manager Carlos Carvalhal. Since he joined the club at the end of December with Swansea bottom they have won five league games and lost only two. Pardew despair In contrast, West Bromwich Albion's change of manager in the same month has not paid off. Alan Pardew's job appears to be under greater threat than ever after a 1-0 defeat at Watford. Albion has now won one of 15 league games since Pardew took over at the start of December and are seven points adrift at the bottom of the table. Watford captain Troy Deeney was sent clear by Will Hughes to score the only goal. "The players gave me everything today and I cannot ask for more than that," Pardew said. "It is tough but it isn't about me, it about West Brom and it is tough for the fans and the players." Stoke City stayed second-bottom but earned a valuable point in a 0-0 draw at Southampton. Burnley supporters must have despaired when their team went a goal down at home to Everton. Sean Dyche's team have never won a Premier League game after falling behind. This time they did, however, celebrating Dyche's 250th game as manager by winning 2-1 with goals from Ashley Barnes and substitute Chris Wood. Everton captain Ashley Williams was sent off four minutes from the end for a wild swipe at Barnes. In Sunday's other match, Arsene Wenger's struggling sixth-placed Arsenal visit mid-table Brighton & Hove Albion.

EPL: Tottenham win at Wembley again, West Brom sinking fast

<p>India went down 2-3 to Olympic champions Argentina in the opening match of the 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey here today.</p>

<p>Star drag-flicker Gonzalo Peillat (13th, 23rd, 33rd minute) scored a hat-trick for Argentina while Amit Rohidas (24th, 32nd) converted two penalty corners for India.</p>

<p>The play was stopped in the fourth quarter due to heavy rain. At resumption, India was reduced to 10 men though a last-gasp effort from Talwinder Singh almost found the equaliser for India.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsARG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsARG</a> Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Live Updates:<a href="https://t.co/BqjFjEJi90">https://t.co/BqjFjEJi90</a><br />
<br />
First half stats:- <a href="https://t.co/v6UfrPBozA">pic.twitter.com/v6UfrPBozA</a></p>
&mdash; The Field (@thefield_in) <a href="https://twitter.com/thefield_in/status/969859759573647360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>India next plays England tomorrow. The other teams taking part in the tournament are Australia, Ireland and Malaysia.</p>

<p>India is fielding a young team here in the absence of key players like Akashdeep Singh, SV Sunil, Mandeep Singh, Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh.</p>

<p>Drag-flick specialists Rupinder Pal Singh and Harmanpreet Singh too have been rested.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">FT. Argentina take the spoils in the opening match of the 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on 3rd March, but India&#39;s encouraging performance showed signs of grit as they fought back from two goals down and kept the pressure on till the end.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaKaGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaKaGame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvARG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvARG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SultanAzlanShahCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SultanAzlanShahCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/6IRt3NEiDW">pic.twitter.com/6IRt3NEiDW</a></p>
&mdash; Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia/status/969880941874135042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


India went down 2-3 to Olympic champions Argentina in the opening match of the 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

India went down 2-3 to Olympic champions Argentina in the opening match of the 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey here today. Star drag-flicker Gonzalo Peillat (13th, 23rd, 33rd minute) scored a hat-trick for Argentina while Amit Rohidas (24th, 32nd) converted two penalty corners for India. The play was stopped in the fourth quarter due to heavy rain. At resumption, India was reduced to 10 men though a last-gasp effort from Talwinder Singh almost found the equaliser for India. #INDvsARG Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Live Updates:https://t.co/BqjFjEJi90 First half stats:- pic.twitter.com/v6UfrPBozA — The Field (@thefield_in) March 3, 2018 × India next plays England tomorrow. The other teams taking part in the tournament are Australia, Ireland and Malaysia. India is fielding a young team here in the absence of key players like Akashdeep Singh, SV Sunil, Mandeep Singh, Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh. Drag-flick specialists Rupinder Pal Singh and Harmanpreet Singh too have been rested. FT. Argentina take the spoils in the opening match of the 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on 3rd March, but India's encouraging performance showed signs of grit as they fought back from two goals down and kept the pressure on till the end.#IndiaKaGame #INDvARG #SultanAzlanShahCup pic.twitter.com/6IRt3NEiDW — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) March 3, 2018 ×

Hockey: India lose to Argentina in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup opener

<p>New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl at Westpac Stadium, Wellington in the 3rd one-day international against England on Saturday.</p>

<p>Playing first, England set a modest total of 234 runs.&nbsp;For England, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow opened the innings. Roy lost his wicket by edging the ball into the safe hands of Martin Guptill.</p>

<p>At number two Joe Root came in but lost his wicket after scoring 20 odd runs for the team. A lot was expected from Ben Stokes but even he failed to perform and got outbowled by Ish Sodhi after scoring 39 runs.</p>

<p>Eoin Morgan tried to salvage England and pushed the run rate but returned to the pavilion in the 36th over after scoring 48 runs. Rest of the team got thrashed by New Zealand pacers as they took wickets on a regular interval to build a pressure on England and restrict them at a low total.</p>

<p><strong>Fall of wickets:</strong></p>

<p>25-1 (Jason Roy, 7.6), 53-2 (Joe Root, 13.5), 68-3 (Jonny Bairstow, 16.4), 139-4 (Eoin Morgan, 35.6), 168-5 (Ben Stokes, 40.3), 184-6 (Jos Buttler, 42.5), 215-7 (Chris Woakes, 47.1), 222-8 (Moeen Ali, 48.4), 231-9 (Adil Rashid, 49.2), 234-10 (Mark Wood, 50).</p>

<p>New Zealand won the first match of&nbsp;the five-match ODI series and England took the second match by 6 wickets. England has never won at&nbsp;Westpac Stadium.</p>

<p>Before the match, the wicket has been described as &quot;ugly&quot; by both sides and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said he wanted first use of it.</p>

<p>&quot;It looks like an interesting surface but hard to read,&quot; added Williamson.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">New Zealand win the toss and ask England to bat. There&#39;s an injury-enforced change for New Zealand, but their captain is back! Can he take them to a 2-1 lead against England?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> LIVE ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/LEUgWJThpY">https://t.co/LEUgWJThpY</a> <a href="https://t.co/zjLmIk4hMx">pic.twitter.com/zjLmIk4hMx</a></p>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/969736267914186752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The good news for New Zealand is the return of a fit-again Williamson but they have lost senior batsman Ross Taylor with a quad strain.</p>

<p>England, meanwhile, has gone for added pace with Mark Wood into the side for David Willey.</p>

<p><strong>Playing XI:</strong></p>

<p><strong>New Zealand:</strong> Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.</p>

<p><strong>England:</strong> Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The good news for New Zealand is the return of a fit-again Williamson but they have lost senior batsman Ross Taylor

New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl at Westpac Stadium, Wellington in the 3rd one-day international against England on Saturday. Playing first, England set a modest total of 234 runs. For England, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow opened the innings. Roy lost his wicket by edging the ball into the safe hands of Martin Guptill. At number two Joe Root came in but lost his wicket after scoring 20 odd runs for the team. A lot was expected from Ben Stokes but even he failed to perform and got outbowled by Ish Sodhi after scoring 39 runs. Eoin Morgan tried to salvage England and pushed the run rate but returned to the pavilion in the 36th over after scoring 48 runs. Rest of the team got thrashed by New Zealand pacers as they took wickets on a regular interval to build a pressure on England and restrict them at a low total. Fall of wickets: 25-1 (Jason Roy, 7.6), 53-2 (Joe Root, 13.5), 68-3 (Jonny Bairstow, 16.4), 139-4 (Eoin Morgan, 35.6), 168-5 (Ben Stokes, 40.3), 184-6 (Jos Buttler, 42.5), 215-7 (Chris Woakes, 47.1), 222-8 (Moeen Ali, 48.4), 231-9 (Adil Rashid, 49.2), 234-10 (Mark Wood, 50). New Zealand won the first match of the five-match ODI series and England took the second match by 6 wickets. England has never won at Westpac Stadium. Before the match, the wicket has been described as "ugly" by both sides and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said he wanted first use of it. "It looks like an interesting surface but hard to read," added Williamson. New Zealand win the toss and ask England to bat. There's an injury-enforced change for New Zealand, but their captain is back! Can he take them to a 2-1 lead against England?#NZvENG LIVE ➡️ https://t.co/LEUgWJThpY pic.twitter.com/zjLmIk4hMx — ICC (@ICC) March 3, 2018 × The good news for New Zealand is the return of a fit-again Williamson but they have lost senior batsman Ross Taylor with a quad strain. England, meanwhile, has gone for added pace with Mark Wood into the side for David Willey. Playing XI: New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult. England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood.

NZ vs ENG 3rd ODI: New Zealand bowlers shine as England 234 all-out

<p>Football&#39;s law-making body on Saturday was set to approve the use of video assistant referee technology (VAR) at this summer&#39;s World Cup, overriding purists concerned about technology disrupting the game.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting in Zurich is widely expected to rubber-stamp the move already backed by FIFA&#39;s top brass, including president Gianni Infantino.&nbsp;</p>

<p>VAR can only be used when there is doubt surrounding any of four key game-changing situations: After a goal, penalty decisions, after a straight red card or in cases of mistaken identity.</p>

<p>It has already been implemented in top European leagues including the German Bundesliga and Italy&#39;s Serie A -- along with tests in multiple other leagues -- but opinion is still divided.&nbsp;</p>

<p>UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said this week that European football&#39;s governing body would not introduce VAR in next season&#39;s Champions League due to ongoing &quot;confusion&quot; surrounding its use.</p>

<p>Others have voiced concern about video assistance being used too often, slowing down the game and possibly breaking a team&#39;s momentum.&nbsp;</p>

<p>That is an issue confronting major North American sports&nbsp;like baseball and American football, where different forms of video replay have been in use for several years and where calls to shorten match length have risen. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Access to information</strong></p>

<p>But the desire to avoid ferociously disputed calls -- especially in high-profile moments -- appears to have tipped FIFA to support using VAR at this summer&#39;s World Cup in Russia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One iconic example that VAR could theoretically have prevented is Diego Maradona&#39;s &quot;Hand of God&quot; goal that saw Argentina beat England in the 1986 World Cup.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For Infantino, who will be on hand Saturday for the IFAB announcement, international football cannot allow anyone with a smart-phone having access to better information than a World Cup referee.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;In 2018 we cannot anymore afford that everyone in the stadium and everyone in front of a TV screen can see within a few minutes on his phone whether the referee has made a big mistake or not, and the only one who cannot see it is the referee&quot;, he said last month. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;So if we can help the referee then we should do it,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Representatives of the 32 teams that have qualified for the World Cup meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi this week voiced confidence that the expected VAR rollout would be a positive for the tournament.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;This is the new life. This is modern life,&quot; said Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz.</p>

<p>&quot;It is obvious that football cannot go on with its eyes closed to the modern world.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


VAR can only be used when there is doubt surrounding any of four key game-changing situations: After a goal, penalty decisions, after a straight red card or in cases of mistaken identity

Football's law-making body on Saturday was set to approve the use of video assistant referee technology (VAR) at this summer's World Cup, overriding purists concerned about technology disrupting the game. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting in Zurich is widely expected to rubber-stamp the move already backed by FIFA's top brass, including president Gianni Infantino. VAR can only be used when there is doubt surrounding any of four key game-changing situations: After a goal, penalty decisions, after a straight red card or in cases of mistaken identity. It has already been implemented in top European leagues including the German Bundesliga and Italy's Serie A -- along with tests in multiple other leagues -- but opinion is still divided. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said this week that European football's governing body would not introduce VAR in next season's Champions League due to ongoing "confusion" surrounding its use. Others have voiced concern about video assistance being used too often, slowing down the game and possibly breaking a team's momentum. That is an issue confronting major North American sports like baseball and American football, where different forms of video replay have been in use for several years and where calls to shorten match length have risen. Access to information But the desire to avoid ferociously disputed calls -- especially in high-profile moments -- appears to have tipped FIFA to support using VAR at this summer's World Cup in Russia. One iconic example that VAR could theoretically have prevented is Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal that saw Argentina beat England in the 1986 World Cup. For Infantino, who will be on hand Saturday for the IFAB announcement, international football cannot allow anyone with a smart-phone having access to better information than a World Cup referee. "In 2018 we cannot anymore afford that everyone in the stadium and everyone in front of a TV screen can see within a few minutes on his phone whether the referee has made a big mistake or not, and the only one who cannot see it is the referee", he said last month. "So if we can help the referee then we should do it," he added. Representatives of the 32 teams that have qualified for the World Cup meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi this week voiced confidence that the expected VAR rollout would be a positive for the tournament. "This is the new life. This is modern life," said Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz. "It is obvious that football cannot go on with its eyes closed to the modern world."

Video Assistant Referee set for FIFA World Cup approval

Completing a third consecutive unbeaten run to Olympic gold, the United States captured a sixth Games title with NBA talent in seven tries by routing Serbia 96-66 in yesterday&#39;s final.<br />
<br />
Kevin Durant scored 30 points while DeMarcus Cousins added 13 points and 15 rebounds as the US squad cruised to a 15th overall men&#39;s basketball gold medal, every US player scoring in the romp that decided the last gold medal in Rio.<br />
<br />
The Americans stretched their Olympic win streak to 25 games and overall decade-long winning run to 76 games.<br />
<br />
US forward Carmelo Anthony became the first man to win three Olympic basketball gold medals. He was on the 2004 team that settled for bronze but returned for 2008 and 2012 triumphs, although he has no plans to play in 2020 at Tokyo.<br />
<br />
"It was a special moment for me," Anthony said of winning his third gold. "I know this is the end. This is it for me. I committed to this in &#39;04. I&#39;ve seen the worst and I&#39;ve seen the best. I&#39;m here today three gold medals later."<br />
<br />
It was the farewell game for US coach Mike Krzyzewski, who will be replaced by San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.<br />
<br />
A Serbian team that tested the US squad before falling 94-91 in a group stage game - the closest call in the Americans&#39; Olympic win streak - stayed close for barely a quarter before the NBA playmakers began going wild.<br />
<br />
Serbia led 14-11 with 3:12 remaining in the first quarter when the Americans, who opened the game shooting only 5-of-17 from the floor, began what would become a 32-8 run to break open the contest.<br />
<br />
Durant had 14 points in the pivotal spurt, including a spectacular steal and fast break slam dunk that brought the loudest roar from USA fans.<br />
<br />
For the game, Durant shot 10-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-11 from 3-point range.<br />
<br />
Durant, who scored 18 of his 24 first-half points in the second quarter, joins the NBA Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors next season after their record-setting 73-win 2015-16 campaign.<br />
<br />
Cousins had 11 points and 12 rebounds in the first half, which ended with the Americans ahead 52-29 and playing like the flamboyant side most expected to see once the roster was named.<br />
<br />
In the second half, it was only a matter of settling the final margin and seeing some highlight-reel US moves, notably an alley-oop slam dunk by DeMar DeRozan early in the fourth quarter.<br />
<br />
Durant and Anthony hugged late in the fourth quarter with the result long decided. The two were the only players back from the 2012 squad, their 10 teammates all Olympic first-timers.<br />
<br />
At the finish, the Americans were dancing at mid-court in celebration.<br />
<br />
Nemanja Nedovic led Serbia with 14 points.<br />
<br />
Spain, which lost to the US team in the past two Olympic finals, edged Australia 89-88 in the bronze medal game.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

Kevin Durant scored 30 points as the US squad cruised to a 15th overall men's basketball gold medal

Completing a third consecutive unbeaten run to Olympic gold, the United States captured a sixth Games title with NBA talent in seven tries by routing Serbia 96-66 in yesterday's final. Kevin Durant scored 30 points while DeMarcus Cousins added 13 points and 15 rebounds as the US squad cruised to a 15th overall men's basketball gold medal, every US player scoring in the romp that decided the last gold medal in Rio. The Americans stretched their Olympic win streak to 25 games and overall decade-long winning run to 76 games. US forward Carmelo Anthony became the first man to win three Olympic basketball gold medals. He was on the 2004 team that settled for bronze but returned for 2008 and 2012 triumphs, although he has no plans to play in 2020 at Tokyo. "It was a special moment for me," Anthony said of winning his third gold. "I know this is the end. This is it for me. I committed to this in '04. I've seen the worst and I've seen the best. I'm here today three gold medals later." It was the farewell game for US coach Mike Krzyzewski, who will be replaced by San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. A Serbian team that tested the US squad before falling 94-91 in a group stage game - the closest call in the Americans' Olympic win streak - stayed close for barely a quarter before the NBA playmakers began going wild. Serbia led 14-11 with 3:12 remaining in the first quarter when the Americans, who opened the game shooting only 5-of-17 from the floor, began what would become a 32-8 run to break open the contest. Durant had 14 points in the pivotal spurt, including a spectacular steal and fast break slam dunk that brought the loudest roar from USA fans. For the game, Durant shot 10-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-11 from 3-point range. Durant, who scored 18 of his 24 first-half points in the second quarter, joins the NBA Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors next season after their record-setting 73-win 2015-16 campaign. Cousins had 11 points and 12 rebounds in the first half, which ended with the Americans ahead 52-29 and playing like the flamboyant side most expected to see once the roster was named. In the second half, it was only a matter of settling the final margin and seeing some highlight-reel US moves, notably an alley-oop slam dunk by DeMar DeRozan early in the fourth quarter. Durant and Anthony hugged late in the fourth quarter with the result long decided. The two were the only players back from the 2012 squad, their 10 teammates all Olympic first-timers. At the finish, the Americans were dancing at mid-court in celebration. Nemanja Nedovic led Serbia with 14 points. Spain, which lost to the US team in the past two Olympic finals, edged Australia 89-88 in the bronze medal game. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: US beat Serbia to win third consecutive basketball gold

<p>Thus far at this year&rsquo;s Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has brought disciplinary proceedings against three athletes suspected of doping. One of them is Aleksandr Krushelnitckii, who won bronze in the mixed curling event. He has tested positive for meldonium.</p>

<p>Some have delighted in noting that the strange &ldquo;broom and stone&rdquo; sport of curling had been &ldquo;rocked&rdquo; by the doping allegation. It has also raised memories of Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova, who was banned for 15 months after testing positive to meldonium in 2016.</p>

<p>Krushelnitckii is also Russian, though technically competing in Pyeongchang as an Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR). This is the term the IOC has given to the 160 or so Russian athletes deemed eligible to compete despite the continuing suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee over doping allegations at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.</p>

<p><strong>Krushelnitckii and the &lsquo;sabotage&rsquo; </strong><strong>defence</strong></p>

<p>The construction of the case against Krushelnitckii seems straightforward; his routine doping sample has come back positive for meldonium.</p>

<p>Although he left the Olympic Village without comment, it seems his defence will be that a fellow competitor &ndash; disgruntled at having not been selected to go to the Olympics &ndash; spiked or sabotaged his drink with the prohibited substance.</p>

<p>The burden of proof with this defence will be on Krushelnitckii. The &ldquo;someone spiked my drink&rdquo; defence is rarely credibly argued in doping cases and even more seldom successful.</p>

<p>In the build-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed a decision by India&rsquo;s National Anti-Doping Agency that annulled a doping infraction against wrestler Narsingh Yadav. The Indian body had accepted Yadav&rsquo;s plea of &ldquo;sabotage by another&rdquo;, and the annulment permitted him to be selected to compete in Rio.</p>

<p>But, days before his first bout, WADA appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).</p>

<p>CAS imposed a four-year ban on Yadav. It argued any contention that seeks to undermine the scientific integrity of a positive test needs more than vague, circumstantial assertions by the athlete that persons unknown and at a time unknown had the motive and opportunity to conspire to sabotage the athlete&rsquo;s sample.</p>

<p>Also, in the Yadav case, the expert scientific witness noted that the prohibited substance in question &ndash; a steroid &ndash; would not have dissolved fully, and Yadav would likely have noticed sediment in his drink bottle.</p>

<p>Although the Yadav case gives an insight into the difficulties Krushelnitckii&rsquo;s defence will face, athletes have, on occasion, mounted successful sabotage defences.</p>

<p>The most-celebrated example at CAS was that of Belgian judoka Charline Van Snick. She tested positive for cocaine at the 2013 World Championships and faced a two-year ban, but claimed that someone must have sabotaged her drink bottle with the substance.</p>

<p>At CAS, she provided detailed toxicology reports showing she was not a habitual user of the drug. This evidence, combined with the spiked bottle&rsquo;s testing results, was enough to clear her of wrongdoing.</p>

<p>The only other example of the &ldquo;spiking&rdquo; defence being successful is where the athlete has specific evidence against another person &ndash; usually a rival or disaffected member of that athlete&rsquo;s entourage &ndash; who had the motive and access to carry out the act.</p>

<p>A very recent example of this occurred last month. One of Japan&rsquo;s top sprint canoeists, 32-year-old Yasuhiro Suzuki, was banned for eight years for spiking a younger rival&rsquo;s drink with an anabolic steroid. The rivalry between the two had, by all accounts, intensified as their preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics began in earnest.</p>

<p><strong>The wider context</strong></p>

<p>Returning to Krushelnitckii, many will probably roll their eyes at his purported defence and dismiss it as just another Russian excuse.</p>

<p>Nevertheless, there is something odd about the circumstances. All those on the OAR team would have known they would be subject to enhanced testing in the immediate weeks prior to, and during, the Olympics.</p>

<p>And Krushelnitckii was, it seems, independently tested at the end of January at a training camp in Japan before his departure to Pyeongchang. The results were negative.</p>

<p>OAR participants would also have been acutely aware that they were part of a sophisticated political choreography between Russia and the IOC, which it is claimed may even have resulted in athletes entering the closing ceremony under the Russian flag and in the national uniform. Krushelnitckii&rsquo;s positive test now puts pressure on the IOC not to allow this.</p>

<p>And the closing ceremony in Pyeongchang was an opportunity for Russia to draw a line under the past four years of doping allegations, in a year when it hosts another big sporting event &ndash; the FIFA World Cup.</p>

<p>A more immediate question is why an athlete might take a substance such as meldonium. It is widely used for treating different heart and vascular diseases and helps improve circulation, particularly in the brain. In terms of its performance-enhancing qualities, it appears it could have a positive effect on an athlete&rsquo;s stamina and concentration.</p>

<p>Although the immediate reaction of many was to treat doping in curling as a joke, the pressurised nature of an Olympics and the demands it makes on athletes &ndash; both physically and mentally &ndash; could, presumably, tempt someone to use meldonium.</p>

<p>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</p>


Athletes have, on occasion, mounted successful defences of sabotage in doping cases.

Thus far at this year’s Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has brought disciplinary proceedings against three athletes suspected of doping. One of them is Aleksandr Krushelnitckii, who won bronze in the mixed curling event. He has tested positive for meldonium. Some have delighted in noting that the strange “broom and stone” sport of curling had been “rocked” by the doping allegation. It has also raised memories of Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova, who was banned for 15 months after testing positive to meldonium in 2016. Krushelnitckii is also Russian, though technically competing in Pyeongchang as an Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR). This is the term the IOC has given to the 160 or so Russian athletes deemed eligible to compete despite the continuing suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee over doping allegations at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Krushelnitckii and the ‘sabotage’ defence The construction of the case against Krushelnitckii seems straightforward; his routine doping sample has come back positive for meldonium. Although he left the Olympic Village without comment, it seems his defence will be that a fellow competitor – disgruntled at having not been selected to go to the Olympics – spiked or sabotaged his drink with the prohibited substance. The burden of proof with this defence will be on Krushelnitckii. The “someone spiked my drink” defence is rarely credibly argued in doping cases and even more seldom successful. In the build-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed a decision by India’s National Anti-Doping Agency that annulled a doping infraction against wrestler Narsingh Yadav. The Indian body had accepted Yadav’s plea of “sabotage by another”, and the annulment permitted him to be selected to compete in Rio. But, days before his first bout, WADA appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). CAS imposed a four-year ban on Yadav. It argued any contention that seeks to undermine the scientific integrity of a positive test needs more than vague, circumstantial assertions by the athlete that persons unknown and at a time unknown had the motive and opportunity to conspire to sabotage the athlete’s sample. Also, in the Yadav case, the expert scientific witness noted that the prohibited substance in question – a steroid – would not have dissolved fully, and Yadav would likely have noticed sediment in his drink bottle. Although the Yadav case gives an insight into the difficulties Krushelnitckii’s defence will face, athletes have, on occasion, mounted successful sabotage defences. The most-celebrated example at CAS was that of Belgian judoka Charline Van Snick. She tested positive for cocaine at the 2013 World Championships and faced a two-year ban, but claimed that someone must have sabotaged her drink bottle with the substance. At CAS, she provided detailed toxicology reports showing she was not a habitual user of the drug. This evidence, combined with the spiked bottle’s testing results, was enough to clear her of wrongdoing. The only other example of the “spiking” defence being successful is where the athlete has specific evidence against another person – usually a rival or disaffected member of that athlete’s entourage – who had the motive and access to carry out the act. A very recent example of this occurred last month. One of Japan’s top sprint canoeists, 32-year-old Yasuhiro Suzuki, was banned for eight years for spiking a younger rival’s drink with an anabolic steroid. The rivalry between the two had, by all accounts, intensified as their preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics began in earnest. The wider context Returning to Krushelnitckii, many will probably roll their eyes at his purported defence and dismiss it as just another Russian excuse. Nevertheless, there is something odd about the circumstances. All those on the OAR team would have known they would be subject to enhanced testing in the immediate weeks prior to, and during, the Olympics. And Krushelnitckii was, it seems, independently tested at the end of January at a training camp in Japan before his departure to Pyeongchang. The results were negative. OAR participants would also have been acutely aware that they were part of a sophisticated political choreography between Russia and the IOC, which it is claimed may even have resulted in athletes entering the closing ceremony under the Russian flag and in the national uniform. Krushelnitckii’s positive test now puts pressure on the IOC not to allow this. And the closing ceremony in Pyeongchang was an opportunity for Russia to draw a line under the past four years of doping allegations, in a year when it hosts another big sporting event – the FIFA World Cup. A more immediate question is why an athlete might take a substance such as meldonium. It is widely used for treating different heart and vascular diseases and helps improve circulation, particularly in the brain. In terms of its performance-enhancing qualities, it appears it could have a positive effect on an athlete’s stamina and concentration. Although the immediate reaction of many was to treat doping in curling as a joke, the pressurised nature of an Olympics and the demands it makes on athletes – both physically and mentally – could, presumably, tempt someone to use meldonium. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why are athletes doping in Olympics?

<p>By&nbsp;Keith Parry*,&nbsp;Emma Kavanagh**,&nbsp;Ryan Storr***</p>

<p>Athletes from Western nations have various protections, and many now share equal rights in most aspects of the law. But when they travel to compete in countries with regressive human rights records, these protections can be lost.</p>

<p>Australia competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, both of which were held in Russia. It will again send a team to Russia to play in this year&rsquo;s FIFA World Cup and aims to compete in the 2022 edition in Qatar. Both countries have poor human rights records, particularly on LGBTI+ issues.</p>

<p>Sport is often lauded as a platform to advance human rights. But, for LGBTI+ individuals and athletes, this may not necessarily be true. The continued hosting of mega sporting events in countries with anti-LGBTI+ laws brings the role of sport in campaigns to advance human rights into focus.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>LGBTI+ rights and the Winter Olympics</strong></p>

<p>Sochi became a platform for LGBTI+ rights when Western activists called for a boycott based on several human rights concerns. Their resistance increased in direct response to the implementation of laws in Russia outlawing sexual minorities.</p>

<p>Principle 4 of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism was often referred to amid concerns for the safety of LGBTI+ athletes at Sochi:</p>

<p>The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.</p>

<p>Athlete activists have begun to challenge the hosting of mega sporting events in countries like Russia that ignore human rights and reinforce systems of oppression. But what has really changed since Sochi for Olympians?</p>

<p>This year a country with a questionable stance on LGBTI+ rights is again hosting the Winter Olympics. South Korea scores only 13% on the Rainbow Index, which measures the impacts of a country&rsquo;s laws and policies on the lives of LGBTI+ people. This is only a marginally better score than Russia&rsquo;s 8%.</p>

<p>Although homosexuality is legal in South Korea, LGBTI+ rights remain highly volatile. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has courted controversy with comments opposing homosexuality, and sexual minorities continue to face significant stigma in the region.</p>

<p>Australia is taking 51 athletes to compete in South Korea, with two openly gay women on the team. One, Belle Brockhoff, has criticised the anti-LGBTI+ laws in host countries. She joined 26 other athletes who signed a letter opposing Kazakhstan&rsquo;s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics due to its anti-LGBTI+ policies.</p>

<p>However, it is not only host nations that can be called to account for their poor LGBTI+ records. Adam Rippon, an openly gay figure skater who has won bronze in Pyeongchang, recently said he did not want to meet Vice President Mike Pence as part of an official reception for the US team. Rippon argued the Trump administration does not &ldquo;represent the values that [he] was taught growing up&rdquo;.</p>

<p>A Fox News executive has criticised the inclusion of &ldquo;African-Americans, Asians and openly gay athletes&rdquo; in the US team. He claimed that &ldquo;Darker, Gayer, Different&rdquo; was now a more suitable Olympic motto than &ldquo;Faster, Higher, Stronger&rdquo;.</p>

<p>Current evidence suggests that anti-LGBTI+ discrimination is rising. Stonewall, the UK&rsquo;s leading LGBTI+ charity, reports hate crimes toward the LGBTI+ community have increased: &nbsp;one in five LGBTI+ people have experienced a hate crime due to their sexual orientation or gender identity in the last year.</p>

<p>In the US, Donald Trump tried to ban transgender people from serving in the military. Several states have attempted to pass laws to restrict access to bathrooms for people who are trans or gender-diverse.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>With increased visibility comes increased risk&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>An increasing number of athletes now openly demonstrate their sexual orientation, but many acknowledge it leaves them open to homophobic abuse &ndash; especially on social media platforms.</p>

<p>American Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy referred to social media as a space that serves to reinforce the presence of casual and aggressive homophobia. British Olympian Tom Bosworth said he believed fear of abuse on social media could be preventing athletes from coming out.</p>

<p>Mega sporting events can be problematic for LGBTI+ athletes as many may not be &ldquo;out&rdquo; and there can be serious implications if they were to do so.</p>

<p>The safety and welfare of LGBTI+ athletes made headlines when a journalist went undercover in the athletes&rsquo; village at the 2016 Rio Olympics to identify out or closeted athletes. Several athletes who were identified were from countries where being gay is criminalised or even punishable by death.</p>

<p>Sport is responding at a notably slow pace to the advancement of LGBTI+ human rights.</p>

<p>Major sporting codes have shown they are not ready to tackle trans and gender diversity. For example, the Australian Football League recently banned transgender player Hannah Mouncey from joining its women&rsquo;s competition.</p>

<p>There is still much work to be done around athletes with intersex variations, sex testing in elite-level competition, and transgender and transitioned athletes.</p>

<p><strong>Hope for the future?</strong></p>

<p>One particular social inclusion legacy to come from a mega sporting event is Pride House International. This initiative provides a safe space for the LGBTI+ community to engage with a sporting event.</p>

<p>In addition, the Principle 6 campaign, launched in response to Russia&rsquo;s anti-LGBT laws, led to the expansion of that particular part of the Olympic Charter to include sexual orientation as something sport should be free from discrimination on.</p>

<p>It will be interesting to see whether the 2018 Winter Olympics can contribute to the advancement of LGBTI+ rights within South Korea and beyond. However, more scrutiny must be directed to the human rights records of potential host nations when awarding mega sporting events.&nbsp;</p>

<p>*Keith Parry is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Management, Western Sydney University.</p>

<p>**Emma Kavanagh is a senior lecturer in Sports Psychology and Coaching Sciences, Bournemouth University.&nbsp;</p>

<p>***Ryan Storr, Lecturer in sports development, Western Sydney University.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</p>


A country with a questionable stance on LGBTI+ rights is again hosting the Winter Olympics.

By Keith Parry*, Emma Kavanagh**, Ryan Storr*** Athletes from Western nations have various protections, and many now share equal rights in most aspects of the law. But when they travel to compete in countries with regressive human rights records, these protections can be lost. Australia competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, both of which were held in Russia. It will again send a team to Russia to play in this year’s FIFA World Cup and aims to compete in the 2022 edition in Qatar. Both countries have poor human rights records, particularly on LGBTI+ issues. Sport is often lauded as a platform to advance human rights. But, for LGBTI+ individuals and athletes, this may not necessarily be true. The continued hosting of mega sporting events in countries with anti-LGBTI+ laws brings the role of sport in campaigns to advance human rights into focus. LGBTI+ rights and the Winter Olympics Sochi became a platform for LGBTI+ rights when Western activists called for a boycott based on several human rights concerns. Their resistance increased in direct response to the implementation of laws in Russia outlawing sexual minorities. Principle 4 of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism was often referred to amid concerns for the safety of LGBTI+ athletes at Sochi: The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. Athlete activists have begun to challenge the hosting of mega sporting events in countries like Russia that ignore human rights and reinforce systems of oppression. But what has really changed since Sochi for Olympians? This year a country with a questionable stance on LGBTI+ rights is again hosting the Winter Olympics. South Korea scores only 13% on the Rainbow Index, which measures the impacts of a country’s laws and policies on the lives of LGBTI+ people. This is only a marginally better score than Russia’s 8%. Although homosexuality is legal in South Korea, LGBTI+ rights remain highly volatile. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has courted controversy with comments opposing homosexuality, and sexual minorities continue to face significant stigma in the region. Australia is taking 51 athletes to compete in South Korea, with two openly gay women on the team. One, Belle Brockhoff, has criticised the anti-LGBTI+ laws in host countries. She joined 26 other athletes who signed a letter opposing Kazakhstan’s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics due to its anti-LGBTI+ policies. However, it is not only host nations that can be called to account for their poor LGBTI+ records. Adam Rippon, an openly gay figure skater who has won bronze in Pyeongchang, recently said he did not want to meet Vice President Mike Pence as part of an official reception for the US team. Rippon argued the Trump administration does not “represent the values that [he] was taught growing up”. A Fox News executive has criticised the inclusion of “African-Americans, Asians and openly gay athletes” in the US team. He claimed that “Darker, Gayer, Different” was now a more suitable Olympic motto than “Faster, Higher, Stronger”. Current evidence suggests that anti-LGBTI+ discrimination is rising. Stonewall, the UK’s leading LGBTI+ charity, reports hate crimes toward the LGBTI+ community have increased: one in five LGBTI+ people have experienced a hate crime due to their sexual orientation or gender identity in the last year. In the US, Donald Trump tried to ban transgender people from serving in the military. Several states have attempted to pass laws to restrict access to bathrooms for people who are trans or gender-diverse. With increased visibility comes increased risk An increasing number of athletes now openly demonstrate their sexual orientation, but many acknowledge it leaves them open to homophobic abuse – especially on social media platforms. American Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy referred to social media as a space that serves to reinforce the presence of casual and aggressive homophobia. British Olympian Tom Bosworth said he believed fear of abuse on social media could be preventing athletes from coming out. Mega sporting events can be problematic for LGBTI+ athletes as many may not be “out” and there can be serious implications if they were to do so. The safety and welfare of LGBTI+ athletes made headlines when a journalist went undercover in the athletes’ village at the 2016 Rio Olympics to identify out or closeted athletes. Several athletes who were identified were from countries where being gay is criminalised or even punishable by death. Sport is responding at a notably slow pace to the advancement of LGBTI+ human rights. Major sporting codes have shown they are not ready to tackle trans and gender diversity. For example, the Australian Football League recently banned transgender player Hannah Mouncey from joining its women’s competition. There is still much work to be done around athletes with intersex variations, sex testing in elite-level competition, and transgender and transitioned athletes. Hope for the future? One particular social inclusion legacy to come from a mega sporting event is Pride House International. This initiative provides a safe space for the LGBTI+ community to engage with a sporting event. In addition, the Principle 6 campaign, launched in response to Russia’s anti-LGBT laws, led to the expansion of that particular part of the Olympic Charter to include sexual orientation as something sport should be free from discrimination on. It will be interesting to see whether the 2018 Winter Olympics can contribute to the advancement of LGBTI+ rights within South Korea and beyond. However, more scrutiny must be directed to the human rights records of potential host nations when awarding mega sporting events. *Keith Parry is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Management, Western Sydney University. **Emma Kavanagh is a senior lecturer in Sports Psychology and Coaching Sciences, Bournemouth University. ***Ryan Storr, Lecturer in sports development, Western Sydney University. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Not much development in LGBTI+ rights for sports

<p>A slow-moving Serena Williams made an encouraging return to tennis after maternity leave, taking a set off the French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in an exhibition match Saturday, but said she has not made up her mind about defending the Australian Open title.</p>

<p>In a match featuring a super tie-break and lasting one hour and seven minutes, Ostapenko won 6-2, 3-6, 10-5.</p>

<p>The 36-year-old American, the winner of 23 grand slam singles titles, was making a comeback after taking nearly 11 months off to have her first child.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Her last match was the Australian Open final, which she won despite being two-month pregnant.</p>

<p>&quot;It was good to be back out there. I missed playing, I missed the competition, I missed the crowd, the atmosphere so much. It was really nice to be back,&quot; said Williams after the match.</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t know if I am totally ready to come back on the Tour yet. I know that when I come back I definitely want to be competing for championships,&quot; she said, refusing to commit yet to the Australian Open, which starts in a little over two weeks.</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t know, but I am definitely looking forward to getting back out there.</p>

<p>&quot;I am taking it one day at a time. I am going to assess everything with Patrick (Mouratoglou, her coach) and my team,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>It was the first time Ostapenko had played against Williams, whom she described as her &quot;childhood idol&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 20-year-old Latvian was born almost two years after Williams turned professional in September 1995.</p>

<p>Williams was clearly having problems with her serve and was broken five times in the 17 games.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She also stuck mostly to the baseline and only twice charged the net.</p>

<p>She started well, breaking Ostapenko&#39;s serve in the first game of the match. But Williams&#39;&nbsp;inability to get her first serve going, along with several unforced errors early in the match, allowed the Latvian to break twice and build a 4-1 lead before wrapping up the set 6-2.</p>

<p>Williams&#39;&nbsp;problems with her serve continued, but she unleashed a few of her trademark double-handed shots on both sides to break Ostapenko twice at the start of the second set to go 3-0 up. By this time she was moving better and she started hitting more winners.</p>

<p>&quot;That&#39;s the really good thing. In the beginning, it felt a little tough. But as the match moved on, I was less afraid,&quot; explained Williams.</p>

<p>&quot;I knew I was not going to fall over and break. The more I played, the more confident I felt that I would be able to go for shots that I was afraid to go for in the first set.</p>

<p>&quot;It was a wonderful opportunity for me to kind of test where I am at. Not just physically, but also mentally.&quot;</p>

<p>The super tie-break was mostly a one-sided affair as Williams made unforced errors trying to be aggressive.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She was down 2-8 at one stage and won the next three points, but Ostapenko held her serve twice to close the match.</p>


'I am taking it one day at a time. I am going to assess everything with my coach and my team,' she said

A slow-moving Serena Williams made an encouraging return to tennis after maternity leave, taking a set off the French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in an exhibition match Saturday, but said she has not made up her mind about defending the Australian Open title. In a match featuring a super tie-break and lasting one hour and seven minutes, Ostapenko won 6-2, 3-6, 10-5. The 36-year-old American, the winner of 23 grand slam singles titles, was making a comeback after taking nearly 11 months off to have her first child. Her last match was the Australian Open final, which she won despite being two-month pregnant. "It was good to be back out there. I missed playing, I missed the competition, I missed the crowd, the atmosphere so much. It was really nice to be back," said Williams after the match. "I don't know if I am totally ready to come back on the Tour yet. I know that when I come back I definitely want to be competing for championships," she said, refusing to commit yet to the Australian Open, which starts in a little over two weeks. "I don't know, but I am definitely looking forward to getting back out there. "I am taking it one day at a time. I am going to assess everything with Patrick (Mouratoglou, her coach) and my team," she said. It was the first time Ostapenko had played against Williams, whom she described as her "childhood idol". The 20-year-old Latvian was born almost two years after Williams turned professional in September 1995. Williams was clearly having problems with her serve and was broken five times in the 17 games. She also stuck mostly to the baseline and only twice charged the net. She started well, breaking Ostapenko's serve in the first game of the match. But Williams' inability to get her first serve going, along with several unforced errors early in the match, allowed the Latvian to break twice and build a 4-1 lead before wrapping up the set 6-2. Williams' problems with her serve continued, but she unleashed a few of her trademark double-handed shots on both sides to break Ostapenko twice at the start of the second set to go 3-0 up. By this time she was moving better and she started hitting more winners. "That's the really good thing. In the beginning, it felt a little tough. But as the match moved on, I was less afraid," explained Williams. "I knew I was not going to fall over and break. The more I played, the more confident I felt that I would be able to go for shots that I was afraid to go for in the first set. "It was a wonderful opportunity for me to kind of test where I am at. Not just physically, but also mentally." The super tie-break was mostly a one-sided affair as Williams made unforced errors trying to be aggressive. She was down 2-8 at one stage and won the next three points, but Ostapenko held her serve twice to close the match.

Tennis: Beaten Serena unsure about Australian Open

<p>The Delhi government announced on Tuesday that students in government schools will now get free coaching in their favourite sport.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The purpose behind this decision was to create an opportunity to government school students in sports and also make full use of the playgrounds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The academics, clubs and coaches will have access to government school playgrounds and other related facilities after school hours and during holidays.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The scheme was launched on a pilot basis and now we have decided to take it forward. The academies which will be using the playgrounds will have to give free coaching to the students of the particular school,&quot; Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters.</p>

<p>&quot;They will be free to charge fees as per their own rates from the outsiders taking private coaching. However, 50 per cent of them have to be government school students in the national capital,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We will seek applications from sports academies and clubs for the purpose,&quot; Mr Sisodia said.</p>

<p>Playgrounds of about 77 schools was rented by the government last year to be used by sports clubs and organisations for coaching classes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The children will be trained in 31 sports - consisting of athletics, cricket, football, kho-kho, yoga, hockey, chess, among others.</p>

<p>Moreover, the government plans to formulate policies which will provide sports gear and equipment to children as they are usually unable to purchase them due to high cost.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The scheme comes following deputy chief ministers approval for international level sports complex worth Rs 122 crore in Najafgarh, which has also been agreed by FIFA this month.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The coaching will be imparted by private academies which will then be allowed to make use of government school playgrounds

The Delhi government announced on Tuesday that students in government schools will now get free coaching in their favourite sport. The purpose behind this decision was to create an opportunity to government school students in sports and also make full use of the playgrounds. The academics, clubs and coaches will have access to government school playgrounds and other related facilities after school hours and during holidays. "The scheme was launched on a pilot basis and now we have decided to take it forward. The academies which will be using the playgrounds will have to give free coaching to the students of the particular school," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters. "They will be free to charge fees as per their own rates from the outsiders taking private coaching. However, 50 per cent of them have to be government school students in the national capital," he added. "We will seek applications from sports academies and clubs for the purpose," Mr Sisodia said. Playgrounds of about 77 schools was rented by the government last year to be used by sports clubs and organisations for coaching classes. The children will be trained in 31 sports - consisting of athletics, cricket, football, kho-kho, yoga, hockey, chess, among others. Moreover, the government plans to formulate policies which will provide sports gear and equipment to children as they are usually unable to purchase them due to high cost. The scheme comes following deputy chief ministers approval for international level sports complex worth Rs 122 crore in Najafgarh, which has also been agreed by FIFA this month.

Delhi government schoolkids to get free coaching in favourite sports

<p>Indian Premier League Chairman, Rajiv Shukla, recently spoke on resuming cricketing ties with Pakistan stating that the situation in the neighbouring country is not befitting.</p>

<p>It looks unlikely for the two countries to play any matches in the near future, he noted at a press conference in Jhansi. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Shukla was in Jhansi for a meeting with the state cricket association.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He noted the safety and security of Indian cricketers of paramount importance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>His comments came in the wake of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-3-soldiers-killed-in-pakistan-ceasefire-violation-in-keri-27540">recent ceasefire violation</a> which killed one Indian Army officer and three Indian soldiers.&nbsp;</p>


Shukla noted the safety and security of Indian cricketers of paramount importance

Indian Premier League Chairman, Rajiv Shukla, recently spoke on resuming cricketing ties with Pakistan stating that the situation in the neighbouring country is not befitting. It looks unlikely for the two countries to play any matches in the near future, he noted at a press conference in Jhansi. Shukla was in Jhansi for a meeting with the state cricket association. He noted the safety and security of Indian cricketers of paramount importance. His comments came in the wake of the recent ceasefire violation which killed one Indian Army officer and three Indian soldiers.

Less likely to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan, Rajiv Shukla

<p>Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was supposed to initiate a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sachin-tendulkars-unable-to-lead-debate-as-rajya-sabha-gets-adjourned-27360">debate </a>in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sachin-tendulkars-unable-to-lead-debate-as-rajya-sabha-gets-adjourned-27360">Rajya Sabha yesterday</a>.</p>

<p>His speech was disrupted as the Upper House of Parliament was adjourned due to Congress leaders&#39; sloganeering over PM Modi&#39;s remark on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.&nbsp;</p>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Uproar in Rajya Sabha over PM Modi&#39;s remarks on Manmohan Singh during Gujarat election campaign, as MP Sachin Tendulkar gets up to speak. <a href="https://t.co/qbMh0qZ8yp">pic.twitter.com/qbMh0qZ8yp</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/943763327330553856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Bharat Ratna recipient has released a video expressing his sense of commitment toward transforming India &quot;from a sport loving nation to a sport playing nation&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;I urge you all to participate in this effort and help make my dream, our dream. Always remember, dreams do come true! Jai Hind,&quot; he tweeted along with his YouTube video.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is my endeavour to transform India from being a sport loving nation to a sport playing nation. I urge you all to participate in this effort and help make my dream, our dream. Always remember, dreams do come true! Jai Hind???? <a href="https://t.co/h6l3Iq5lHT">https://t.co/h6l3Iq5lHT</a></p>
&mdash; sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) <a href="https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/944130986794610689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Eminent personalities and notable leaders condemned the fact that Tendulkar was not able to present his speech in Rajya Sabha.</p>

<p>&quot;Sachin Tendulkar has earned a name for India at the world stage, it is a matter of shame that he was not allowed to speak even when everyone knew it was on the agenda,&quot; Jaya Bachchan reacted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">He (<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SachinTendulkar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SachinTendulkar</a>) has earned name for India at the world stage, it is a matter of shame that he was not allowed to speak even when everyone knew it was on today&#39;s agenda. Are only politicians allowed to speak?: Jaya Bachchan, Rajya Sabha MP <a href="https://t.co/NMRMHhdl5E">pic.twitter.com/NMRMHhdl5E</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/943772810165460992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Bharat Ratna recipient released a video expressing his commitment toward transforming India 'from a sport loving nation to a sport playing nation'

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was supposed to initiate a debate in Rajya Sabha yesterday. His speech was disrupted as the Upper House of Parliament was adjourned due to Congress leaders' sloganeering over PM Modi's remark on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Uproar in Rajya Sabha over PM Modi's remarks on Manmohan Singh during Gujarat election campaign, as MP Sachin Tendulkar gets up to speak. pic.twitter.com/qbMh0qZ8yp — ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2017 × The Bharat Ratna recipient has released a video expressing his sense of commitment toward transforming India "from a sport loving nation to a sport playing nation". "I urge you all to participate in this effort and help make my dream, our dream. Always remember, dreams do come true! Jai Hind," he tweeted along with his YouTube video. It is my endeavour to transform India from being a sport loving nation to a sport playing nation. I urge you all to participate in this effort and help make my dream, our dream. Always remember, dreams do come true! Jai Hind???? https://t.co/h6l3Iq5lHT — sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 22, 2017 × Eminent personalities and notable leaders condemned the fact that Tendulkar was not able to present his speech in Rajya Sabha. "Sachin Tendulkar has earned a name for India at the world stage, it is a matter of shame that he was not allowed to speak even when everyone knew it was on the agenda," Jaya Bachchan reacted. He (#SachinTendulkar) has earned name for India at the world stage, it is a matter of shame that he was not allowed to speak even when everyone knew it was on today's agenda. Are only politicians allowed to speak?: Jaya Bachchan, Rajya Sabha MP pic.twitter.com/NMRMHhdl5E — ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2017 ×

Sachin Tendulkar releases video; takes his disrupted Rajya Sabha speech online

<p>Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore today announced a cash award of Rs 6.70 lakh for all the gold medal winners at the recently concluded Youth Women&#39;s World Boxing Championships.</p>

<p>India&#39;s junior women pugilists won five gold and two bronze medals emerging as team champions during the week-long event in Guwahati.</p>

<p>&quot;You girls have changed the old thinking that girls can only take part in some games. This thinking should end, anyone can take part in anything,&quot; Rathore had words of encouragement for the youngsters during a felicitation ceremony organized by Boxing Federation of India (BFI).</p>

<p>&quot;I know how many problems you may have faced just to play, to train and that is why you all are an inspiration for the people of the country and the girls. Your stories need to be heard so that girls hear them and get inspired by them to play,&quot; Rathore said.</p>

<p>The Olympic silver medallist said that his ministry is working on revamping the current structure by appointing CEOs and High-Performance Managers for each and every sport.</p>

<p>&quot;We will change the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme. Every sport will now have CEOs and High Performance Managers. These managers will have to ensure that the players get better training for each sport and also which tournament they should take part in,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>&quot;The CEOs will look at the logistics part -&nbsp;where the players need sport&nbsp;science, sports medicine. These two will be responsible for combining all of this,&quot; Rathore said.</p>

<p>Emphasising on the need for transparency in the system, Rathore appealed to all the sports federations to display fund details on their websites.</p>

<p>&quot;I want the funding that the federations receive displayed in detail on their websites. Where they got the money and where they spent it.&#39;&#39;</p>

<p>&quot;The names of the selected players should also be put on their websites. This transparency is very necessary because each citizen, media, taxpayer should know where their money is being spent by the federation,&quot; Rathore said.&nbsp;</p>


Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore today announced a cash award of Rs 6.70 lakh for all the gold medal winners at the recently concluded Youth Women's World Boxing Championships

Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore today announced a cash award of Rs 6.70 lakh for all the gold medal winners at the recently concluded Youth Women's World Boxing Championships. India's junior women pugilists won five gold and two bronze medals emerging as team champions during the week-long event in Guwahati. "You girls have changed the old thinking that girls can only take part in some games. This thinking should end, anyone can take part in anything," Rathore had words of encouragement for the youngsters during a felicitation ceremony organized by Boxing Federation of India (BFI). "I know how many problems you may have faced just to play, to train and that is why you all are an inspiration for the people of the country and the girls. Your stories need to be heard so that girls hear them and get inspired by them to play," Rathore said. The Olympic silver medallist said that his ministry is working on revamping the current structure by appointing CEOs and High-Performance Managers for each and every sport. "We will change the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme. Every sport will now have CEOs and High Performance Managers. These managers will have to ensure that the players get better training for each sport and also which tournament they should take part in," he added. "The CEOs will look at the logistics part - where the players need sport science, sports medicine. These two will be responsible for combining all of this," Rathore said. Emphasising on the need for transparency in the system, Rathore appealed to all the sports federations to display fund details on their websites. "I want the funding that the federations receive displayed in detail on their websites. Where they got the money and where they spent it.'' "The names of the selected players should also be put on their websites. This transparency is very necessary because each citizen, media, taxpayer should know where their money is being spent by the federation," Rathore said.

Sports minister Rathore announces cash award for youth boxers

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