SPORTS CAFE
FC Goa’s Dheeraj earns AFC accolades MARGAO: FC Goa's young goalkeeper Moirangthem Dheeraj Singh emerged as the best goalkeeper of the group league round of the AFC Champions League even though his side failed to advance to the knockout stage in its maiden appearance. Dheeraj, who had excelled during the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup at home, made a whopping 26 saves in five matches to top the goalkeeping chart of the West Zone group league stage.
Gomathi's appeal against ban rejected
NEW DELHI: The appeal of Indian middle distance runner Gomathi Marimuthu against her four-year suspension for doping in 2019 has been rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). The 32-year-old Gomathi's ban period will run till May 16, 2023, counting from date of her provisional suspension, May 17, 2019. Gomathi won 800m gold at the Asian Championships in 2019 but was later caught for doping.
Pathans' cricket academy to provide meals NEW DELHI: Former India all-rounder Ir fan Pathan said on Wednesday his cricket academy will provide free meals to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in South Delhi. Delhi has emerged as one of the worst hit cities as the countr y grapples with a deadly second wave of the pandemic, leaving hospitals over flowing with patients. "While the nation is in the midst of second wave of COVID-19, it becomes our responsibility to come together and assist the people in need," Ir fan tweeted.
Chhetri organises blood donation drive
MELLI (Sikkim): Indian footballer Nirmal Chhetri organised a blood donation drive along with a local football club in his hometown of Melli in Sikkim. "Social work and giving back to my community as much as possible is something very close to my heart," Chhetri was quoted as saying by the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) website.
Former hockey coach Kaushik hospitalised
NEW DELHI: Former India hockey player and coach M K Kaushik has tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted to a nursing home here. The oxygen saturation level of the 66-yearold, a member of the 1980 Moscow Olympics gold-medal winning Indian team, keeps fluctuating, according to his family. "He is suffering from COVID-19 and is hospitalised in a city nursing home here," said his son Ehsan.
Star India contributes Rs 50 crore
NEW DELHI: With the second wave of the COVID-19 rampant in India, Star India has pledged financial support of Rs 50 crore for India's ongoing COVID-19 relief efforts. The announcement was made through Star India's Twitter handle on Wednesday.
Karunaratne gainer, 3 Indians in top 10
Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne has moved up four spots to 11th in the latest MRF ICC Test Player Rankings for Batting, which were announced on Wednesday. The opening batsman, who scored a century (118) and a half centur y (66) in the just-concluded second Test against Bangladesh which Sri Lanka won by 209 runs at Kandy, has aggregated 712 points. Three Indian players figure in the list, with skipper Virat Kohli at No.5 (814 points), being the highest ranked.
Only home fans allowed in Premier League
Only home fans will be allowed into games when the Premier League welcomes back spectators to stadiums for the final two rounds of the season. Supporters will return in a reduced capacity from May 17, subject to the British government easing lockdown restrictions as planned, and the Premier League has rearranged its schedule to ensure each of its 20 teams plays at least one game at home in front of fans.
Australian MacGill was kidnapped, released
SYDNEY: Former Australia leg-spinner Stuart MacGill was allegedly kidnapped from his home in Sydney and then released af ter an hour-long ordeal last month, New South Wales police said on Wednesday. Quoting Australian police, the countr y's media reported that four men were detained in connection with the alleged kidnapping following a raid.
Coe gives approval to Tokyo Olympic
Sebastian Coe, the head of the world governing body of track and field, said a half-marathon test event run in Japan's northern city of Sapporo on Wednesday made him confident that the Olympic marathon can be held successfully in the city when the Tokyo Games open in just under three months.
FIFA chief gets legal victory
BELLIZONA (Switzerland): In a big legal win for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a special prosecutor investigating his meetings with Switzerland's former attorney general has been removed from the case, a federal court said Wednesday. The Swiss federal criminal court said it upheld a complaint by Infantino to have prosecutor Stefan Keller recused from his investigation. It did not shut down the investigation.