India move to 2nd spot in ICC T20I team rankings
Dubai, March 10: India climbed a spot to second in the latest ICC men’s T20 International team rankings ahead of a five-match series against top-placed England beginning on March 12. England are seven points ahead of India, who were third before the away series against Australia. Australia’s 2-3 loss to New Zealand in a recent five-game series pushed the side below India with just one point separating the two. (PTI)
Federer to play Evans in Qatar on return from 13-month break
Doha, March 10: Roger Federer will face Britain’s Daniel Evans in the second round of the Qatar Open on Wednesday as the Swiss great makes his comeback after a 13-month break. Federer, who has had two operations on his right knee since playing at the Australian Open last year, is a three-time champion at the Doha tournament and has a 26-3 record at the complex. The 30-year-old Evans saved 16 of the 18 break points he faced to overcome French player Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 on Tuesday. Evans has lost all three of his previous meetings with Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion. (AP)
Vijender’ s pro bout tickets available online from Saturday
New Delhi, March 10: The online ticket sales of Indian professional boxer Vijender Singh’s upcoming bout against a yet-to-be-announced opponent in Goa will start on Saturday. The WBO Oriental and the Asia Pacific Super-middle-weight title holder will make his return to the ring on March 19 as promoters IOS Boxing Promotions introduce Las Vegas style boxing in India for the first time. While Vijender headlines the main event for the night, fans will also witness six other undercard fights bearing 12 top Indian boxers. Following social distancing guidelines, the promoters have decided to fill just 50 per cent of the tickets at the venue and only a limited 150 high-end tickets are available on sale. The tickets are priced from Rs 10, 000 to Rs 20,000 in different categories and will be will be available on BookMyShow.com. The first-of-its-kind fight will be held on the rooftop deck of the Majestic Pride Casino Ship, the venue partner for the fight. (PTI)
Swiss player in epic 1954 World Cup epic dies
Geneva, March 10: Roger Vonlanthen, the last surviving member of the Switzerland team that in 1954 played in the highest-scoring World Cup match, has died. He was 89. The Swiss soccer federation said Tuesday that the former Inter Milan forward died in July at his home near Genevabut his death was not previously reported. At the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, the host nation lost to Austria 7-5 in the quarterfinals in 40 degree Celsius (104 degree Fahrenheit) heat in Lausanne. The Swiss led 3-0 by the 19th minute but trailed 5-3 only 15 minutes later. Vonlanthen also played for Switzerland at the 1962 World Cup in Chile and later coached the national team for two years. He was fired after the team failed to qualify for the 1980 European Championship. (AP)
Sports complex to be developed in Hansi city
Chandigarh, March 10: Haryana Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Sandeep Singh said that a sports complex will be developed as per the availability of land for players to practice wrestling and kabaddi in Hansi city. He said that better sports facilities are already being provided in 12 sports complexes and 13 nurseries which are functional in Hisar district. It is the first time that the state is going to host the Khelo India Games. (UNI)
Man City to play CL second leg against Gladbach in Hungary
Nyon, March 10: Manchester City and Borussia Mönchengladbach will face each other in Hungary for a second time next week because of coronavirus travel restrictions, UEFA announced Wednesday. The second leg of their Champions League last-16 game next Tuesday was relocated from Manchester to the Puskas Arena in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, which also hosted the first leg. City currently holds a 2-0 lead against their opponents. The Puskas Arena — which is a European Championship venue this summer — has become UEFA’s main neutral venue during the pandemic.
Indian hockey teams to get allowance under TOPS: SAI
New Delhi, March 10: The core group players of both the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams will be entitled to a monthly allowance of Rs 50,000 under the government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) till the Tokyo Games in July-August this year. A total of 58 hockey players, 33 men and 25 women, will benefit from this decision. (PTI)
Bach re-elected IOC president
Geneva, March 10: German lawyer and former Olympic fencer Thomas Bach was re-elected as president of the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday for a final four-year term with his immediate focus on this year’s delayed Tokyo Games. (AP)