EB-Man U proposed match hits financial hurdle
Kolkata: East Bengal are desperately looking for sponsors to host English Premier League giants Manchester United for a dream clash, later this year. A Manchester United delegation did a recce for the match, planned as per their ongoing centenary celebrations, but with the budget estimated to be Rs 30-crore plus, East Bengal are now in a quandary. “They are happy and have submitted the report after the inspection. After May we can decide whether they would play or not. As of now we are busy with finding a new investors,” East Bengal executive member Debabrata Sarkar told PTI. Having severed ties with current sponsors Quess Corp who are set to leave after the end of the season, East Bengal are looking for sponsors. On the field too East Bengal are going through a rough patch having suffered four defeats from five matches, including a derby debacle to slip to seventh in the table. East Bengal’s Bengaluru-based title sponsors Quess Corp drew criticism in social for the performance as they have posted an apology. “QEBFC management expresses its sincere regret and apology for any statement/comment which have hurt our fan base and anyone in the East Bengal Family,” it said in their tweet post. Last month, shoes were thrown at Quess East Bengal CEO Sanjit Sen and COO Biswajit Chatterjee following their 1-3 loss to Gokulam Kerala in an I-League match in Kalyani. (PTI)
Tom signs deal with Brisbane Heat
Brisbane: England batsman Tom Banton has signed a new two-year deal with Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League (BBL).Banton, currently in South Africa where he made his ODI debut for England overnight in the series against the Proteas, played the first half of the ninth BBL edition for the Heat, hitting three half centuries at a team high strike rate of 176.98 in his haul of 223 runs.He thrashed the second fastest half century of all time in the BBL during the rain-affected clash with the Sydney Thunder, scoring 50 from just 16 balls. (IANS)
Valencia fall to Granada
Granada: Granada defeated holders Valencia 2-1 to claim a berth in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey for the first time since 1969.Neither Valencia, who are at the fifth spot in LaLiga, nor 10th-place Granada made many changes on Tuesday evening from the lineups they fielded in their respective league matches last weekend, reports Efe news.Granada started brightly and took the lead in the third minute on a great individual effort by Roberto Soldado, who made up for flubbing a clear opportunity moments earlier.The opening 30 minutes saw furious action at both ends. (IANS)