1. India beat Pakistan to reach Hockey Asia Cup final for 7th time.
A dominant India continued their unbeaten run in the tournament and thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan 4-0 to sail into the final of the 10th men`s Asia Cup hockey tournament on Saturday.
The sixth ranked India, who just needed a draw to seal a place in Sunday`s summit clash, produced a superlative performance after the change of ends to pump in four goals — three field strikes and one through penalty corner.
Satbir Singh (39th minute), Harmanpreet Singh (51st), Lalit Upadhyay (52nd) and Gurjant Singh (57th) were the scorers for India.
By virtue of this win, India not only topped the Super 4 stage with seven points, but also continued their domination over Pakistan.
It was India`s fourth win over Pakistan this year, having beaten them twice in the Hockey World League Semi-finals in London and once in the pool stages of Hockey Asia Cup.
The defeat knocked Pakistan out of the final race and India will now play either Korea or Malaysia, who play later in the day, in the final.
Contrary to the result, the Indians were slow to get off the blocks, while Pakistan were the better side in terms of possession in the first two quarters.
Pakistan had three chances via penalty corners to take the lead in the first quarter, but wasted all.
The Indians secured the first penalty corner in the final minute of the opening quarter, but Harmanpreet messed up the opportunity.
After Ramandeep Singh`s shot was saved by Pakistan goalkeeper Amjad Ali in the 23rd minute, India defended well to deny their rivals from another short corner.
Minutes later, Harmanpreet hit the cross bar from India`s second penalty corner as both the teams failed to break the deadlock at half time.
But India looked more organised after the change of ends and dominated the proceedings in the final two quarters.
Satbir gave India the lead in the 39th minute after receiving a fine back stick pass from Lalit.
Minutes later, Harmanpreet`s effort from India`s third set piece was saved by Amjad Ali.
The Indians created chances in the final few minutes of the third quarter but Pakistan custodian Amjad Ali was upto the mark to keep Pakistan in the hunt.
India wasted two more penalty corners in a span of two minutes as Amjad Ali made multiple saves to deny their opponents.
India pressed on the gas in the final 10 minutes and scored three goals in a span of six minutes to run away with the game.
While Harmanpreet Singh scored his seventh goal of the tournament from India`s sixth penalty corner, Lalit made it 3-0 a minute later by pouncing on a loose ball inside the D.
India added salt to Pakistan`s wounds when Gurjant slotted home three minutes from the final hooter after receiving a precision pass from Akshdeep Singh from the right flank.
2. Kohli becomes top run scorer at 200 ODIs and 14th Indian player to play 200 ODIs.
He hates losing, he is a master chaser and he thrives under pressure. That are some of the qualities that Virat Kohli possess.
Kohli is set to become the 14th Indian to feature in 200 or more one day internationals when the hosts take on New Zealand in the first match at the Wankhede stadium on Sunday. India host New Zealand in a three-match ODI series.
The long list is headed by the great Sachin Tendulkar, who retired after playing a record 463 ODIs. Rahul Dravid (344), Mohammed Azharuddin (334), Sourav Ganguly (311), MS Dhoni (306), Yuvraj Singh (304), Anil Kumble (271), Virender Sehwag (251), Harbhajan Singh (236), Javagal Srinath (229), Kapil Dev (225), Suresh Raina (223), Zaheer Khan (200 -- 194 for India, 6 for Asia XI) are the other Indians who have played 200 or more ODIs.
Kohli has been in sensational form since the beginning of 2016, hammering runs across formats. He had struck three hundreds last year and has scored four already in 2017 in ODIs.
He has had a great year so far with runs against England, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Australia. The young captain was in fine form in the ICC Champions Trophy as well.
Kohli has been India`s most prolific chaser since his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in August 2008 and has scored 16 hundreds in successful run chases for India till now.
Kohli, who notched up his maiden hundred against Sri Lanka in Kolkata on December 24, 2009, is also joint-second with Ricky Ponting on the list of most ODI hundreds behind Tendulkar (49).
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
Kohli has also been a leader par excellence. If not with the bat, Kohli steps up on the field and fires up his teammates when the chips are down. He leads by example and enjoys support and respect in the dressing room.
>
/* Calculate the width of available ad space */
ad = document.getElementById(`google-ads-1`);
if (ad.getBoundingClientRect().width) {
adWidth = ad.getBoundingClientRect().width; // for modern browsers
} else {
adWidth = ad.offsetWidth; // for old IE
}
/* Replace ca-pub-XXX with your AdSense Publisher ID */
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-2551325655874098";
/* Replace 1234567890 with the AdSense Ad Slot ID */
google_ad_slot = "6713161600";
/* Do not change anything after this line */
if ( adWidth >= 728 )
google_ad_size = ["300", "250"]; /* Leaderboard 728x90 */
else if ( adWidth >= 468 )
google_ad_size = ["468", "60"]; /* Banner (468 x 60) */
else if ( adWidth >= 336 )
google_ad_size = ["336", "300"]; /* Large Rectangle (336 x 280) */
else if ( adWidth >= 300 )
google_ad_size = ["300", "300"]; /* Medium Rectangle (300 x 250) */
else if ( adWidth >= 250 )
google_ad_size = ["250", "250"]; /* Square (250 x 250) */
else if ( adWidth >= 200 )
google_ad_size = ["200", "200"]; /* Small Square (200 x 200) */
else if ( adWidth >= 180 )
google_ad_size = ["180", "150"]; /* Small Rectangle (180 x 150) */
else
google_ad_size = ["125", "250"]; /* Button (125 x 125) */
document.write (
`
`
);
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Not only his teammates, even the opposition is in the awe of the 28-year-old`s passion for the game.
Kohli was named the full time captain after MS Dhoni stepped down from his post in January. Kohli`s first assignment was a three-match ODI series against England and he came out with flying colours.
Under Kohli, India have played 23 matches this year and have lost just five ODIs with one game yielding no result. The series victory over Australia was India`s sixth consecutive and fourth this year.
FITNESS FREAK
Kohli is also known as a fitness freak. Kohli follows a strict protein-rich diet to maintain high fitness levels.
It is no secret that Kohli takes his diet and fitness seriously. A role model and youth icon for both men and women alike, the world`s best batsman is known for his protein-rich diet comprising lean meat, salmon and boiled vegetables.
Kohli`s healthy diet plan has been so popular with his Indian teammates that they too follow a similar diet chart. While grilled chicken or paneer dishes for vegetarians serve as important sources of protein, a blender has also been installed at all the venues across the country as Kohli is against the idea of packaged juices.
3. Asia Cup Hockey 2017 India Beat Malaysia To Lift Their 3rd Continental Title.
India on Sunday ended their 10-year wait for continental triumph when they beat a gutsy Malaysia 2-1 in a nail-bitting final to clinch their third Asia Cup hockey title, here on Sunday.
India, which won the Asia Cup last time in 2007 in Chennai, scored from field efforts through Ramandeep Singh (3rd minute) and Lalit Upadhyay (29th) to dash Malaysian hopes. Malaysia were in summit clash for the first time since tournament’s inception.
The ever-improving Malaysians, however, fought valiantly and didn’t give up for a single minute. Their efforts bore fruit in the 50th minute when Shahril Saabah pulled one goal back. The Indians, ranked sixth in the world, were in for nervous last 10 minutes but the defence did enough to hold on to the lead.
Pakistan won the bronze medal after edging out Korea 6-3 in the third-fourth place play-off match earlier in the day. For India new chief coach Marijne Sjoerd, it was perfect start to his stint as the Asia Cup was his maiden tournament in charge of the senior national side.
The top-ranked Indians finished unbeaten in the tournament, having won all their matches except for the 1-1 draw against Korea in th Super 4 stage.
Sunday’s win was India’s second victory over Malaysia in the tournament, having beaten them 6-2 in the Super-4 stage. For Malaysia, it was their best result in the tournament. They had earlier won the bronze in the 2007 edition of the event in Chennai.
The Indians came out all guns blazing and took the lead as early as the third minute through Ramandeep, who scored from a rebound after his initial deflection from S.V. Sunil’s cross hit the post.
>
/* Calculate the width of available ad space */
ad = document.getElementById(`google-ads-1`);
if (ad.getBoundingClientRect().width) {
adWidth = ad.getBoundingClientRect().width; // for modern browsers
} else {
adWidth = ad.offsetWidth; // for old IE
}
/* Replace ca-pub-XXX with your AdSense Publisher ID */
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-2551325655874098";
/* Replace 1234567890 with the AdSense Ad Slot ID */
google_ad_slot = "6713161600";
/* Do not change anything after this line */
if ( adWidth >= 728 )
google_ad_size = ["300", "250"]; /* Leaderboard 728x90 */
else if ( adWidth >= 468 )
google_ad_size = ["468", "60"]; /* Banner (468 x 60) */
else if ( adWidth >= 336 )
google_ad_size = ["336", "300"]; /* Large Rectangle (336 x 280) */
else if ( adWidth >= 300 )
google_ad_size = ["300", "300"]; /* Medium Rectangle (300 x 250) */
else if ( adWidth >= 250 )
google_ad_size = ["250", "250"]; /* Square (250 x 250) */
else if ( adWidth >= 200 )
google_ad_size = ["200", "200"]; /* Small Square (200 x 200) */
else if ( adWidth >= 180 )
google_ad_size = ["180", "150"]; /* Small Rectangle (180 x 150) */
else
google_ad_size = ["125", "250"]; /* Button (125 x 125) */
document.write (
`
`
);
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Chinglensana Singh’s reverse hit from close range then went wide as India wasted a golden chance. It was a battle fought on even keel between the two teams as Malaysia secured their first penalty corner in the 13th minute but wasted it.
Harmanpreet Singh was then denied by Razie Rahim as he made a goalline save to keep out the Indian defender’s flick from India’s first penalty corner.
Minutes later Malaysian goalkeeper Kumar Subramaniam made double save — first kept out Akashdeep Sinh’s shot and then denied Amit Rohidas from the resultant set piece.
Down by two goals, the Malaysians came hard in the final quarter in search of the equaliser and gave the Indian defence a run for their money. After wasting their second penalty corner, Malaysia came back into the match when Saabah scored from close range in the 50th minute.
4. Kidambi Srikanth Lifts Denmark Open Superseries Trophy 2017.
It took Kidambi Srikanth just 25 minutes to finish the Denmark Open Super Series final and Korea’s Lee Hyun Il on Sunday. Srikanth defeated his opponent 21-10, 21-5 to deservingly take away his third Super Series title of the year and fifth overall. He had defeated Wong Wing Ki Vincent on Saturday in the USD 750,000 Denmark Open Super Series semifinals 21-18, 21-17 to book a place in the final. He had earlier stunned World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen to reach the semi-finals. Srikanth was the only remaining Indian in the competition after HS Prannoy and Saina Nehwal were beaten in the quarterfinals on Friday. Here are the key highlights of the final match between Srikanth and Lee Hyun, taking place in Odense, Denmark:
Denmark Open SS: Srikanth defeats Lee Hyun 21-10, 21-5
2150 hrs IST: SRIKANTH LIFTS DENMARK OPEN SUPER SERIES TITLE
Srikanth wins! And what an easy win it was, like he was playing against a kid! Srikanth thrashes Lee Hyun 21-10, 21-5 to win the men’s singles title, his third Super Series title of the year and fifth overall.
2138 hrs IST: This is a completely one-sided match. Srikanth, who is leading the second game 11-1, is making it seem like a cake walk. He is too good for the Korean.
2132 hrs IST: Srikanth wins opening game 21-10
Wow! What a start to the men’s singles final! Srikanth displays skills to dominate Lee Hyun, beating him 21-10 in just 12 minutes in the opening game. What a performance by the Indian shuttler. If he continues the second game like this, the match will be over before you know it!
2127 hrs IST: Confident start for the Indian shuttler! Srikanth takes a strong lead in the opening game, dominating his opponent 12-7. This is just like his semifinals encounter. Hope the result turns out the same way.
>
/* Calculate the width of available ad space */
ad = document.getElementById(`google-ads-1`);
if (ad.getBoundingClientRect().width) {
adWidth = ad.getBoundingClientRect().width; // for modern browsers
} else {
adWidth = ad.offsetWidth; // for old IE
}
/* Replace ca-pub-XXX with your AdSense Publisher ID */
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-2551325655874098";
/* Replace 1234567890 with the AdSense Ad Slot ID */
google_ad_slot = "6713161600";
/* Do not change anything after this line */
if ( adWidth >= 728 )
google_ad_size = ["300", "250"]; /* Leaderboard 728x90 */
else if ( adWidth >= 468 )
google_ad_size = ["468", "60"]; /* Banner (468 x 60) */
else if ( adWidth >= 336 )
google_ad_size = ["336", "300"]; /* Large Rectangle (336 x 280) */
else if ( adWidth >= 300 )
google_ad_size = ["300", "300"]; /* Medium Rectangle (300 x 250) */
else if ( adWidth >= 250 )
google_ad_size = ["250", "250"]; /* Square (250 x 250) */
else if ( adWidth >= 200 )
google_ad_size = ["200", "200"]; /* Small Square (200 x 200) */
else if ( adWidth >= 180 )
google_ad_size = ["180", "150"]; /* Small Rectangle (180 x 150) */
else
google_ad_size = ["125", "250"]; /* Button (125 x 125) */
document.write (
`
`
);
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
2115 hrs IST: Srikanth takes the court against Lee Hyun. All eyes on the Indian shuttler, who is looking for his third Super Series title this season.
2105 hrs IST: Lie Cheng, Zhang Nan defeat Marcus Fernaldi, Kevin Sanjaya in men’s doubles to lift the title. Next up, Srikanth’s match against Korea’s Lee Hyun.
2045 hrs IST: Here are the winners of all the categories that have played so far. Lee So Hee, Shin Seung Chang lift the women’s doubles Denmark Open title after beating Shiho Tanaka, Koharu Yonemoto 21-13, 21-16 in the final.
Tang Chun Man, Tse Ying Suet defeat Zheng Siwei, Chen Quingchen 24-22, 19-21, 23-21 in mixed doubles. Ratchanong Intanon beat Akane Yamaguchi, who had earlier beaten Sania Mirza in the quarterfinals.
1815 hrs IST: Hello and welcome to the live updates from Kidambi Srikanth’s final Denmark Open Super Series men’s singles match against Korea’s Lee Hyun.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo Named Best FIFA Men`s Player.
CCristiano Ronaldo has tonight been named The Best. The Real Madrid forward successfully defended his title as the best player in the world at the awards ceremony staged in London. After taking the award in its inaugual year in 2016, the Portuguese claims The Best FIFA Men`s Player award for a second year running. Cristiano overcame Lionel Messi and Neymar in the voting cast by a jury consisting of national team captains, national coaches, journalists representing each national team and fans registered on FIFA.com from all over the globe.
>
/* Calculate the width of available ad space */
ad = document.getElementById(`google-ads-1`);
if (ad.getBoundingClientRect().width) {
adWidth = ad.getBoundingClientRect().width; // for modern browsers
} else {
adWidth = ad.offsetWidth; // for old IE
}
/* Replace ca-pub-XXX with your AdSense Publisher ID */
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-2551325655874098";
/* Replace 1234567890 with the AdSense Ad Slot ID */
google_ad_slot = "6713161600";
/* Do not change anything after this line */
if ( adWidth >= 728 )
google_ad_size = ["300", "250"]; /* Leaderboard 728x90 */
else if ( adWidth >= 468 )
google_ad_size = ["468", "60"]; /* Banner (468 x 60) */
else if ( adWidth >= 336 )
google_ad_size = ["336", "300"]; /* Large Rectangle (336 x 280) */
else if ( adWidth >= 300 )
google_ad_size = ["300", "300"]; /* Medium Rectangle (300 x 250) */
else if ( adWidth >= 250 )
google_ad_size = ["250", "250"]; /* Square (250 x 250) */
else if ( adWidth >= 200 )
google_ad_size = ["200", "200"]; /* Small Square (200 x 200) */
else if ( adWidth >= 180 )
google_ad_size = ["180", "150"]; /* Small Rectangle (180 x 150) */
else
google_ad_size = ["125", "250"]; /* Button (125 x 125) */
document.write (
`
`
);
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Last season saw Cristiano capture the Champions League crown, the LaLiga title, the Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup, whilst he has already lifted the UEFA Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup so far this term. In addition, between the 20 November 2016 and 2 July 2017, the period taken into consideration in the awarding of the accolade, the Portuguese forward led the Whites to the Duodécima, a 33rd LaLiga crown and the Club World Cup in Japan.
Cristiano: "Thanks to everyone who voted for me"
"Firstly, I want to thank my teammates and my club, Real Madrid. Thanks to everyone. It has been an extraordinary year. I`ve made this podium in each of the past 11 years, which requires a lot of work and dedication. Never did I think that I`d win so many pieces of silverware in my career. I would also like to acknowledge the work put in by my family, who are here tonight, my brothers and sisters, my friends, my girlfriend, my mum, who is at home right now and also to my children, who are at home".
6. Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu Strike Gold in ISSF World Cup.
Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu combined to give India their first gold medal of the ISSF World Cup Final here, clinching the top honours in the 10m air pistol mixed team event on the opening day of competitions.
Rai, a Commonwealth and Asian Games gold-medallist, and Sidhu, also a former Commonwealth Games gold-winner, picked up their third gold together in the mixed team event, being held officially for the first time at an ISSF World Cup.
The mixed team competitions were organised as test events in the World Cups held earlier this year and will be making their Olympic debut in the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Rai and Sidhu qualified for the finals as top of the table today and comfortably claimed the gold by pipping France, who secured the silver medal.
China settled for the bronze medal in the event.