Praful elected as FIFA Council member
Kuala Lumpur: All India Football Federation president Praful Patel was on Saturday elected as a FIFA Council member, becoming the first Indian to enter the prestigious council in a landmark development. Patel got 38 out of 46 votes. The AIFF chief was one of the eight candidates vying for the spot in the election which was held during the 29th AFC (Asian Football Confederations) Congress in the Malaysian capital. Patel was accompanied by AIFF general secretary Kushal Das and senior vice-president Subrata Datta. "Mr Patel's victory is a "landmark for Indian football". Congratulations to Mr Patel. He fully deserves this honour. His leadership has taken Indian football to greater heights. Asian football will immensely benefit from his presence as a FIFA Council member," Datta said.
Anup joins Pune as new coach
Pune: Puneri Paltan has appointed ex-India captain Anup Kumar, as the new head coach for the upcoming season 7 of Pro Kabaddi League. Anup Kumar, who had led India to the men's kabaddi team Golds in the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games, retired as a player in season 6 of the league. Anup, who made his India debut in 2006 at the South Asian Games, had also led the country to the Kabaddi World Cup title in 2016. "Kabaddi is my first love and I have given everything for the sport. As a coach, this will be my first stint and I will concentrate on improving our team's skills, fitness and presence of mind on the mat," said Anup. Speaking on the appointment Kailash Kandpal, CEO of Puneri Paltan, said, "Anup is vastly experienced in the PKL format and known for his cool and calm composure. We are banking on his expertise to implement new tactics this season for our team."
Global T20 League to begin in July
Mumbai: The power-hitters from the West Indies such as Andre Russell and Chris Gayle are expected to compete in the second edition of Global T20 Canada league, scheduled to begin in July in Brampton, the organisers announced on Saturday. Some of the other marquee players like Darren Sammy, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Lynn, Lasith Malinga and David Miller are also expected to make a come-back this year. "We had to postpone the dates of the tournament due to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 which will surely give us more time to prepare the event in a better way. We are in talks with all the teams and players and hoping for most of them to return in a most competitive way," said the promoter of the league. In the inaugural season, Vancouver Knights emerged Champions in had six-team League.