Prez inaugurates renovated football ground, basketball court
New Delhi, Feb 16: President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday inaugurated the Rashtrapati Bhavan Krida Sthal (renovated football ground and basketball court) in the President’s Estate, according to an official statement. These state-of-the-art sports facilities are developed with the aim to cater to the needs of the employees of Rashtrapati Bhavan and their families, it said. On the occasion, an ‘exhibition football match’ was played between the children of My Angels Academy, Vikaspuri, New Delhi — a trust working for the cause of underprivileged children, said the statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan. An inter-departmental football tournament with five teams — President’s Secretariat Heroes, Household Youngs, PBG Warriors, Army Guard Daredevils and Delhi Police Stalwarts — starts from Tuesday to encourage the employees and their family members to take part in sports activities, it added. (PTI)
Foundation stone of India’s ‘largest’ hockey stadium laid in Odisha
Bhubaneswar, Feb 16: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of an international hockey stadium in Rourkela in Sundergarh district, which will be India’s largest of its kind when completed. The new stadium named after noted freedom fighter Birsa Munda will be the 2nd venue for the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 matches. The stadium spread over 15 acres of land on the Biju Patnaik University of Technology campus will seat over 20,000 spectators, apart from providing them various facilities. “The spirit of hockey is in the soil, air and water of Sundergarh district, which has now found a place on the world sports map. It is a matter of pleasure that Rourkela city has been nominated for the 2023 hockey World Cup venue,” Patnaik said while addressing a gathering at the BPUT ground. (IANS)
Athletic Bilbao rout Cádiz 4-0
Madrid, Feb 16: Athletic Bilbao ended a four-match winless streak with a 4-0 victory over Cádiz in the Spanish league. Álex Berenguer scored twice in the first half and Unai López and Iñaki Williams added a goal in each half for Athletic on Monday. The win moved the Basque Country club to 10th place in the league standings. It was the third straight loss for Cádiz, which dropped to 15th and stayed three points from the relegation zone. It is enduring a six-match winless streak in which it has been outscored 19-5. Athletic coach Marcelino García Toral, who revitalized the club after arriving at the start of the year, rested some regular starters after a tough streak of matches in which it won the Spanish Super Cup and qualified for the Copa del Rey semifinals. Atlético Madrid has a five-point lead at the top of the Spanish league standings with two games in hand. (AP)