Divij-Raja reach quarters
New Delhi: Divij Sharan and Purav Raja scored an easy straight sets win over David Kostner and Patric Prinoth to move to the doubles quarter-finals of the ATP Challenger event in Ortisei, Italy. The top-seeded Indian pair beat the local pair 6-1 6-3 in the first round of the euro 64,000 hard court event. Divij and Raja broke their rival thrice in the opening set and once in the second set. They next play Martin Fischer of Austria and Peter Gojowczyk of Germany. Both Divij and Raja had played singles qualifiers too went down in close matches in their respective final rounds.
Pre-natl shooting c’ship today
Asansol: A 10-day all India 23rd G V Mavalankar (Pre-National) shooting championship commences at the Chandmari shooting range on the outskirts of Asansol town in West Bengal on Tuesday. Nearly 2000 shooters from 21 states, including sharp shooters from military and para military are expected to participate in 62 events of junior (boys and girls) and men and women categories. It is also called a pre-national meet because upcoming and budding shooters who will qualify in Asansol will get the chance to participate in the Delhi national event on December 11, said Virender Kumar Dhall, the organising secretary. Olympian Joydeep Karmakar will not participate in Asansol because he will participate in the national event directly.
O'Neill set to be Ireland coach
Dublin: Martin O'Neill is set to become Ireland coach with Roy Keane working alongside him. The Football Association of Ireland says talks with the pair are at an advanced stage. O'Neill, a former Northern Ireland international, has been the favorite to replace Giovanni Trapattoni since the Italian left the job in September, but the decision to choose Keane as his assistant is seen as a surprise. The former Ireland captain had a volatile relationship with the FAI and walked out of the 2002 World Cup without kicking a ball. The 61-year-old O'Neill has been out of work since being fired by Sunderland in March.
Sun Yang suspended
Beijing: Two-time Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang has been suspended from training and competing indefinitely for repeated absences and being out of contact, his college said on Tuesday. The announcement by Zhejiang College of Sports came a day after Sun was given seven days of administrative detention as punishment for driving without a license after his Porsche SUV was hit by a bus. School vice president Zhang Yadong said the decision to stop Sun from training, competing and participating in commercial activities was made before Sunday's collision. "The car crash case simply forced us to announce this decision earlier than expected," he said by phone. "He has not been back to the school recently, and we could not reach him by phone."
Mickelson to start in abu dhabi
Abu Dhabi: Phil Mickelson is starting his 2014 schedule in Abu Dhabi. Organizers said Tuesday that Mickelson will play in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Jan. 16-19, the same week as the Humana Challenge. Mickelson is expected to make his first PGA Tour appearance of 2014 a week later at Torrey Pines, not far from where he lives. It will be the first time since 2011 that Mickelson plays in Abu Dhabi. Rory McIlroy and U.S. Open champion Justin Rose also are playing the event. Abu Dhabi is the first of three straight Europe Tour events in the United Arab Emirates. Tiger Woods has played Abu Dhabi the last two years.
Uche wins it for Villarreal
Elche: Ikechuwku Uche's stoppage-time goal propelled Villarreal to a 1-0 victory Monday at Elche and into fourth place in the Spanish league. Bruno Soriano miss-hit a pass into the area but the loose ball rolled to Uche inside the box to score the 90th-minute winner in a matchup of Mediterranean coast clubs at the Martinez Valero Stadium. Villarreal's victory came at a cost, however, as Mexico striker Giovani Dos Santos limped off with a leg injury at the start of the second half.
Bologna draw 0-0 against Chievo
Bologna: Strugglers Bologna and Chievo Verona played out a 0-0 draw in Serie A on Monday. There was hardly any shots on target as Bologna, searching for a third successive victory, was frustrated by a Chievo lineup keen to avoid a seventh consecutive defeat. Chievo defender Gennaro Sardo went close in the third minute with a powerful strike that went narrowly past the left upright. Bologna's best chance came when Jonathan Cristaldo headed Alessandro Diamanti's cross just wide of the left post.
PNS/Agencies