Indian women lose 0-2 to Germany
Dusseldorf, March 2: The Indian women’s hockey team’s defence resisted well but formidable Germany walked away with a 2-0 win in the third game, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the four-match series, here. Sonja Zimmermann (26′) and Franzisca Hauke (42′) scored the goals for Germany, who won their third consecutive match on Monday. (PTI)
Paddlers Manika, Sreeja advance
Doha, March 2: IStar paddler Manika Batra and young Sreeja Akula moved to the final round of the women’s singles qualifiers at the WTT Contender after wining their respective matches, here on Tuesday. The world number 150 from Hyderabad, Sreeja prevailed over world number 74 Vega Paulina of Chile before she sent packing Thailand’s 87th-ranked Orawan Paranang packing 11-5 11-5 11-6 in the third round. She will now take on Russia’s Mariia Tailakova in the final round. (PTI)
Bopanna-Qureshi pair returns
New Delhi, March 2: The much-popular Indo-Pak pairing of Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi will be back after six years when it competes at the Acapulco ATP 500 event in Mexico from March 15. It will be first time that Bopanna and Aisam, known as ‘Indo-Pak Express’ will play together since they last competed at the ATP 250 event in Shenzen in 2014. The 2010 season turned out be breakthrough for Bopanna and Aisam as they reached the US Open final together, losing to great Bryan brothers. Bopanna even became world number three in that phase, touching his career-high rank in 2010. (PTI)
UK govt offers $4 mn for WC bid
LONDON, March 2: The British government will provide 2.8 million pounds ($4 million) to pursue a five-nation bid for a World Cup with Ireland. The English Football Association disclosed the financial assistance for a potential British Isles bid on Monday as it received fresh backing from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. England, which hosted and won the 1966 World Cup, is exploring bidding with Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland. (AP)
Police detain former Barça prez
MADRID, March 2: Catalan police arrested four people — including former president Josep Maria Bartomeu — after raiding Barcelona’s stadium in a search and seizure operation, adding to the club’s turmoil less than a week before it holds presidential elections. The operation was related to last year’s “Barçagate,” in which club officials were accused of launching a smear campaign against current and former players who were critical of the club and then-president Bartomeu. Police did not say who were taken into custody but presidential candidate Joan Laporta confirmed Spanish media reports that Bartomeu was among those detained. (AP)
Federer out of Miami Open
Miami, March 2: Roger Federer is withdrawing from this month’s Miami Open so he can spend extra time preparing to “work his way back out on tour,” his agent told The Associated Press. The 20-time Grand Slam champion has not competed in more than a year after having two operations on his right knee during last season. Federer, who turns 40 in August, is scheduled to make his return to the tour next week in a hard-court tournament at Doha, Qatar. It will be his first event since he reached the semifinals at the Australian Open 2020. (AP)
Nagal qualifies for ATP Buenos Aires
Chandigarh, March 2: Sumit Nagal of India broke Nicolas Kicker of Argentina by 2-6 6-2 6-3 in 2 hours and 12 minutes in the final qualifying round match in the $411,940 ATP Tennis tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the first round of the main draw, 150th ranked Sumit, 30, is pitted against 100th ranked Joao Sousa, 31, of Portugal. (AP)