Manasi clinches gold; Bhagat bags
2 silvers at Dubai Para-Badminton
Dubai, Dec 18: World Para-Badminton No. 2 ranked pair of Manasi Joshi and Thulasimathi Murugesan clinched a gold medal in the women’s doubles Sl3-SU5 category while Para Asian gold medalist Pramod Bhagat secured two silvers at the recently concluded 5th Fazza Dubai Para Badminton International 2023. Joshi and Murugesan pair defeated Indonesian pair of Leani Ratri Oktila and Khalimatus Sadiyah 15-21, 21-14 & 21-6. The duo emerged as the only winners among six finals that India played on Sunday. In the men’s singles SL 3 category, Pramod went down to England’s Daniel Bethell in the finals, the game was intense and could have swung anyway. Daniel held his nerves in the end of both games to clear the finish line with a score 21-17, 21-18. In the Mixed Doubles SL3 and SU 5 category Pramod and Manisha Ramdass went down to Indonesia’s Hikmat Ramdani and Leani Ratri Oktila in the finals, the final score read 21-14 and 21-11. India also secured a bronze medal in Mixed Doubles SL 3 and SU 5 with Kumar Nitesh and Thulasimathi Murugesan. In the men’s singles SL 4 category, Suhas Yathiraj took silver while Sukant Kadama and Tarun secured bronze while Palak Kohli secured bronze in the women’s singles SL4. In the Men’s doubles Sl 3- SL4 category Manoj Sarkar and his Korean partner Cho Nadan pocketed silver while Kumar Nitesh and Tarun secured bronze. (IANS)
Kalinga Super Cup: Mohun Bagan, East Bengal in same group
New Delhi, Dec 18: Archrivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC were placed in the group along with former Indian Super League (ISL) champion Hyderabad FC in the group stage of the Kalinga Super Cup 2024 that will be held in Odisha from January 9 to 28, 2024. A qualifier from the I-League will be the other team in the four-team Group A. The draw for the group stage of the Kalinga Super Cup 2024 was conducted at the Football House in New Delhi on Monday. The tournament will see 16 teams (12 from the Indian Super League and four from the I-League) divided into four groups of four teams each. AIFF Acting Secretary General Satyanarayan M. said, “I’d like to extend our thanks to the Odisha Government for facilitating this support for the Super Cup, which this year is going to be known as the Kalinga Super Cup. “One of the reasons we are conducting it in January is because of the problems faced by the clubs when played in April last year. One of the major rules we amended is that the clubs can field all six foreigners in the playing eleven. Hopefully, it will help the clubs. The winners will also get a continental club competition slot. Best of luck to all the teams,” he added. The teams were divided into four pots, with the 12 ISL teams placed in Pots 1-3, according to their points per match in the ISL 2023-24 as of December 17. Mohun Bagan Super Giant, FC Goa, Mumbai City FC, and Kerala Blasters were in Pot 1. Odisha FC, Chennaiyin FC, East Bengal FC, and NorthEast United FC were in Pot 2. Bengaluru FC, Jamshedpur FC, Punjab FC, and Hyderabad FC were in Pot 3. The three I-League teams were in Pot 4. Five I-League teams -– Gokulam Kerala FC, Sreenidi Deccan FC, Shillong Lajong FC, Inter Kashi, and Rajasthan United FC — confirmed their participation in the Kalinga Super Cup. The top three of these teams, as per the I-League 2023-24 standings after the matches on December 24, will qualify directly for the Kalinga Super Cup group stage as I-League 1, I-League 2, and I-League 3, respectively. (IANS)
Man City fined $150,000 after
Haaland, teammates show dissent
London, Dec 18: Manchester City was handed a fine of 120,000 pounds ($150,000) on Monday for dissent shown to the referee by Erling Haaland and other players in an English Premier League game this month. Haaland and teammates surrounded the ref because the match official failed to play advantage for a potential scoring chance late in the 3-3 draw with Tottenham on Dec. 3 at Etihad Stadium. City accepted it failed to ensure its players “did not behave in an improper way” during the stoppage-time incident, the English Football Association said. Haaland was particularly angry with referee Simon Hooper’s decision to not play advantage and continued his complaints after the final whistle, expressing his frustration in a post on X – formerly known as Twitter – when responding to video of the incident. Haaland didn’t face separate action for his conduct. Haaland was brought down by Tottenham defender Emerson Royal as City went in search of a winner after Dejan Kulusevski’s 90th-minute equalizer. As the striker got back to his feet, Hooper appeared to gesture for play to carry on, with Haaland releasing Grealish with a pass. It was then that Hooper blew his whistle. (AP)