Czech Republic’s Pliskova out of Oz Open with hand injury
Melbourne, Dec 16: Karolina Pliskova has withdrawn from next month’s Australian Open and two warm-up tournaments because of a right hand injury sustained in training. Australian Open officials on Thursday confirmed the world fourth-ranked player’s withdrawal, and said in a tweet: “wishing you a speedy recovery.” Pliskova had earlier said on social media “unfortunately I hurt my right hand in practice yesterday and I won’t be able to play in Adelaide, Sydney and Australian Open this year.” (AP)
Mercedes withdraw Formula 1 appeal of season finale
ABU DHABI, Dec 16: Mercedes withdrew its appeal Thursday of the Formula One series finale in which Lewis Hamilton lost the championship to Max Verstappen. Mercedes had filed two protests following Sunday’s race, but both were dismissed. Mercedes was protesting over the use of the safety car following a crash with five laps remaining in Abu Dhabi. Hamilton had a near 12-second lead with Verstappen in second when the crash brought out the yellow flag. Verstappen pitted for fresh tires while Hamilton stayed on track. The race resumed with one lap remaining. (AP)
Motorsports governing body FIA to review F1 finale
Abu Dhabi, Dec 16: The motorsports governing body for Formula One said it will conduct “a detailed analysis” of the wild ending at the season finale that decided the championship in favor of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. The FIA said Sunday’s title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix had created a controversy that is “tarnishing the image of the championship.” The FIA delivered a report on the incident Wednesday to the World Motor Sport Council in Paris, then said in a later statement the finish “notably generated significant misunderstanding and reactions from Formula One teams, drivers and fans. (AP)
Conflict of interest could cost Salernitana Serie A removal
Rome, Dec 16: Last-placed Salernitana risks being removed from Serie A after no acceptable offers were made in a forced sale of the club. Originally owned by Lazio president Claudio Lotito, the Italian Football Association ordered a change in ownership for Salernitana due to regulations that prevent multiple teams in the top division from having the same owner. In June, control of Salernitana was handed over to a trust that was ordered to find a new owner by the end of the year. But the Trust Salernitana 2021 announced on Thursday that none of the offers received were acceptable because they didn’t meet the requirements. (AP)
Italy, Argentina to play ‘Finalissima’ in London
NYON (SWITZERLAND), Dec 16: European champion Italy and Copa America winner Argentina will play each other in London on June 1, UEFA and CONMEBOL said Wednesday. No venue was announced for the “Finalissima” – the first of three inter-continental championships that the two soccer bodies have agreed to stage. Italy won the European Championship in July. The match was played at Wembley Stadium in London. (AP)
SAI B win 3-2 in Khelo India U-21 Women’s Hockey
NEW DELHI, Dec 16: Sports Authority of India ‘B’ team registered a fighting 3-2 win over Him Hockey Academy in Group A at the Khelo India U-21 Women’s Hockey League (Phase 1) here on Thursday. In other matches, India juniors thrashed Raja Karan Hockey Academy (Karnal) 8-1, while Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High-Performance Centre (Bhubaneswar) outplayed Mumbai Schools Sports Association 11-0 to maintain their clean slate. In a Group B game, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy won 8-0 against Jai Bharat Hockey Academy (Delhi). (PTI)
Bengal, UP advance to hockey nationals quarterfinals
Pune, Dec 16: Bengal and Uttar Pradesh advanced to the quarterfinals of the Hockey India Senior Men National Championship by registering victories on the sixth day of the competition here. Odisha, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra also earned victories in their respective matches. Odisha beat Goa 14-0 in a Pool F game. In another Pool F match, Bengal beat Gujarat 19-0. Abhishek Pratap Singh (2′, 12′, 14′, 25′, 34′, 37′, 39) starred with seven goals, while Nitish Neupane (21′, 35′, 53′) bagged a hat-trick. In Pool G, Uttar Pradesh registered a 6-0 win against Assam to reach the quarterfinals. (PTI)
Young national level shooter found hanging in hostel
New Delhi, Dec 16: A young national level shooter Konica Layak was found hanging at her hostel in Bally in Howrah district, police said. According to Howrah Police sources, a suicide note was found with her where she blamed ‘depression’ as the reason for taking the extreme step. The incident happened on Wednesday. “She was depressed for not getting chances, she wrote in the note,” said a police official, adding that the 26-year-old girl was due to get married in February. This is the fourth such case in recent times in the shooting fraternity. (PTI)
Seher leads by two shots at WPGT event
Kolkata, Dec 16: Seher Atwal managed to stay ahead of the field despite a closing bogey in the second round of the 15th leg of Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Thursday. Seher, who had a one-shot lead after the first round, extended it to two shots with a card of 75, the same as the first day. Seher was two clear of Shweta Mansingh, who is looking for her maiden win on the Hero WPGT. (PTI)