Santosh Trophy final round to begin on February 21
New Delhi, Jan 14: The final round of the National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy will begin on February 21 in Itanagar and all the matches will be played at Golden Jubilee stadiu, the AIFF announced on Sunday. Hosts Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Meghalaya have earned direct entries in the 12-team tournament which will conclude on March 9. The other teams in the fray are Goa, Delhi, Manipur, Assam, Services, Maharashtra, Kerala, Mizoram and Railways. Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Goa, Assam, Services and Kerala have been clubbed in Group A. The Group B consists of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, Manipur, Mizoram and Railways. (PTI)
Football game abandoned after Reading fans storm field in protest
READING, Jan 14: A third-division match between Reading and Port Vale was abandoned just 16 minutes into the first half Saturday after around 1,000 home fans invaded the pitch to protest against the club’s ownership, with many of them refusing to leave. Reading made several appeals over the stadium loudspeakers and social media for fans to leave the field and allow the League One game to resume, but it was eventually abandoned with the score at 0-0. Reading fans have long been unhappy with the club’s owner, Chinese businessman Dai Yongge, accusing him of financial mismanagement. Reading has been deducted a total of four points this season for failing to pay players on time. Saturday’s game was initially held up for three minutes when fans threw tennis balls onto the playing surface at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, before supporters ran onto the field in large numbers. (AP)
NRAI terms Manavjit’s disqualification ‘unjust’
New Delhi, Jan 14: The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has termed the disqualification of trap shooter Manavjit Singh by organisers of the Asia Olympic Qualifiers in Kuwait as “unjust” and “unfair”, and is ready to take the issue to its “logical conclusion”. The NRAI also said that the rules quoted by the Asian Shooting Confederation (ASC) while barring the former world champion from competition due to a ‘faulty’ gun stock were “unsubstantiated” and “frivolous.” Manavjit was on Saturday not allowed to take part in pre-event training and, on Sunday, was disqualified from competition. Manavjit had alleged on Saturday that the technical director, Abdullah Hamidi, was playing politics, perhaps because “they were scared” of India winning the Olympic quota. NRAI senior vice-president Kalikesh Singhdeo said on Sunday that the issue had been taken up with both the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) and ASC. Singhdeo indicated that this was probably the final opportunity for Manavjit to qualify for the Paris Olympics and expressed his sympathy with the shooter. (AP)