Manipur win Sepaktakraw championship
Kohima: Manipur emerged as the champions in both the men’s and women’s team event in the 24th National Sepaktakraw Championship held at Indira Gandhi Stadium here on Wednesday. In the final of the men’s team event, Manipur defeated Delhi in two straight sets to emerge victorious, while Manipur women’s team beat Nagaland by same margin to register victory. Nagaland and Uttar Pradesh had lost to Manipur and Delhi, respectively, in the men’s team semifinals to be declared joint third-place winners. In the women’s section, Odisha and Assam emerged joint third after losing their respective semifinal matches to Manipur and Nagaland. The championship is hosted by the Nagaland Sepaktakraw Association under the aegis of the Sepaktakraw Federation of India and Department of Youth Resources and Sports, Nagaland. (PTI)
Mandeep enters 2nd rd at Boxing Worlds
Almaty (Kazakhstan): Asian champion Mandeep Jangra (69kg) rounded off a second successive winning day for India at the World Boxing Championships as he eased past Tanzania’s Selemani Kidunda to enter the second round of the event here on Wednesday. The lone Indian boxer to step into the ring on the day, Mandeep out-punched his rival 3-0 in a one-sided contest. (PTI)
Bhowmick returns to Churchill as Tech Dir
Panaji: Subhash Bhowmick, who guided Churchill Brothers to their second I-League title last season as Technical Director, is back in the team fold after Sukhwinder Singh announced his resignation. Bhowmick was with the team training at Chowgule ground on Tuesday and he has left for Pune today along with the team for the I-League game against Pune FC. He will be formally appointed as Technical Director of the team next week after he is relieved by the Indian Football Association from the post of Technical Director of the Bengal state team for the Santosh Trophy, official sources said. Churchill Brothers started the season with a bang, remaining unbeaten in the ongoing Goa Professional League until they lost their opening match of the the I-League against Salgaocar. They are without a win from their first four encounters in the I-League with two losses and two draws, which forced Sukhwinder Singh to resign. (PTI)
Upbeat East Bengal face Dempo today
Kalyani (WB): Following their emphatic 4-0 win in Shillong, AFC Cup semifinalists East Bengal will take on a struggling Dempo in their first home match of the I-League here on Thursday. After not being in action in the first three rounds due to their AFC Cup commitments, the red and gold brigade began their campaign thrashing Shillong Lajong FC. It was creditable that they won without captain Mehtab Hossain, Arnab Mondal, Saumik Dey and T Naoba Singh for another victory before the crucial second leg of the AFC Cup semifinals against Kuwait SC here on October 22. They will be without injured duo Ryuji Sueoka and Reisangmi Vashum, who who were rested against Lajong to be raring to go in this encounter. East Bengal will look for a big win against the record five-time champions. Dempo have yet to taste victory with three draws from four matches. After throwing away leads in round two and three against Mumbai FC and Rangdajied United respectively, Dempo showed both character and quality to come from behind and earn a point against Salgaocar in the last game. (PTI)
Pakistan sense victory after Proteas slump
Abu Dhabi: Pakistan’s pace-cum-spin attack caught world number one Test team South Africa napping on the third day of the first Test here on Wednesday. South Africa lost four top-order batsmen against a spirited Pakistan and now need another 121 runs to avoid an innings defeat and concede the lead in the two-Test series. AB de Villiers was unbeaten on 11 and with him nightwatchman Dale Steyn on nought on a day when Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq (100) scored his fourth Test hundred and then sent his rivals into submission. Resuming the day on 263/3, Pakistan were bowled out for 442, a lead of 193 over South Africa. The Proteas were then reduced to 72/4 in 26 overs, with skipper Graeme Smith top-scoring with 32. Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal dismissed Smith to claim his 150th Test wicket. (AFP)