Chelsea coach Tuchel tests positive for Covid-19
London, Feb 5: Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel tested positive for Covid-19 and missed Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Plymouth Argyle at Stamford Bridge. Tuchel will go into self-isolation and would most likely join up with the team in Abu Dhabi next week for the Club World Cup. “Thomas Tuchel has tested positive for Covid-19. The Chelsea head coach will now follow necessary self-isolation protocols and hopes to join up with the team in Abu Dhabi later next week,” the Chelsea said in a statement on Saturday. “The team flies out for the Club World Cup following this afternoon’s FA Cup clash with Plymouth Argyle,” it added. Assistant coach Arno Michels will take charge of the side in Tuchel’s absence. (IANS)
Asian Cup soccer: All-female officials appointed for final
Mumbai, Feb 5: An all-female cast of match officials have been appointed for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 final between China PR and Korea Republic at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday. FIFA Women’s World Cup referee Casey Reibelt from Australia will officiate in the final alongside assistant referees Joanna Charaktis, also from Australia, and Heba Saadieh from Palestine. Meanwhile, Australians Kate Jacewicz and Lara Lee have also been selected as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and Assistant VAR respectively. (ANI)
Aditi’s birdies help her make cut at Drive On Champs
Fort Myers (US), Feb 5: Aditi Ashok fired two birdies in the last four holes to make the cut at the LPGA Drive On Championship. Aditi, who shot 72 in the first round, was staring at the possibility of an early exit when she was 1-over for the second day after 14 holes. Aditi birdied the sixth and then holed a clutch putt on the ninth, her 18th and final hole of the second round. She carded 1-under 71. At 1-under for two days, Aditi was T-61st right on the cut-line. With just 18 holes remaining at the 54-hole event, Marina Alex and Leona Maguire ended the second round tied at the top of the leader board at -13, four strokes ahead of the pack. (PTI)
National selection trials for athletics to begin on Feb 9
New Delhi, Feb 5: The national selection trails for 17 disciplines of athletics will be held over two days in eight National Centre of Excellence across the country starting on February 9. The selection trails are open to boys and girls between the age group of 16 to 21 years. The eight NCoEs are Bhopal (middle distance, Feb 17-18), Patiala (sprints, horizontal jumps, throws and combined events, Feb 14-15), Sonipat (sprints, throws, combined events & race walk, Feb 17-18), Trivandrum (sprints, jumps, middle distance, Feb 14-15), Bangalore (sprints, jumps, middle distance and racewalk, Feb 17-18). Lucknow (middle distance, long distance, Feb 9 -10), Imphal (long distance, walk, Feb 14-15), Kolkata (sprints and combined events, Feb 17-18) are the other centres which will host the trials. (PTI)
Total of 45 new positive cases reported in Beijing Olympics
Beijing, Feb 5: A total of 45 new positive tests for COVID-19 have been announced by organizers of the Beijing Olympics. Athletes and officials account for 25 of the cases, with 20 detected in people arriving at the airport in Beijing and five more in daily PCR tests taken by everyone at the games. The 20 other cases involved people working at the games, including media, with six at the airport and 14 inside the Olympic bubblesA drop in cases is expected in the days ahead as fewer people arrive for the games and those inside the bubbles have already returned several days of negative tests. The overall total of COVID-19 cases at the games is 353 since Jan. 23. (AP)
Cordoba Open: Schwartzman survives Galan to enter semis
Cordoba (Argentina), Feb 5: The top-seed Diego Schwartzman survived a rollercoaster battle against Daniel Elahi Galan to advance to the semi-finals of the Cordoba Open on Friday night. After dropping the first set and serving a bagel to his Colombian opponent in the second, Schwartzman dropped serve in the opening game of the third and again when he served for the match at 5-3, but fought back to break in the final game of the match to secure a 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 win in two hours and 19 minutes. (ANI)
Athletics season to commence with Indian Open Throws
NEW DELHI, Feb 5: The domestic athletics season will begin with the inaugural Indian Open Throws competition here on February 26 while the first National Javelin Day events will be held on August 7 in all the states to mark Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic gold medal-winning feat. The Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championships will be held in Kozhikode from April 2-6, while the Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships and National Open Athletics Championships will be in Chennai (June 10-14) and Jamshedpur (October 15-19), respectively. (PTI)