Indians cruise at World TT
New Delhi: Indian paddlers got off to a good start with Soumyajit Ghosh, Harmeet Desai and Sanil Shetty winning their respective first rounds matches of the men's preliminary qualification event at the World Table Tennis Championships in Paris. Indian women paddlers too had an easy qualification group and they progressed to the preliminary round of the singles event. Mouma Das, K Shamini, Madhurika Patkar and Neha Aggrawal won their respective matches today to advance to the round of 128. In the men's opening round preliminary encounters, Ghosh defeated Zokhid Kenjaev of Uzbekistan 4-2, Desai blanked Pablo Tabachnik of Argentina 4-0, while Shetty got the better off Gautemala's Jose Migue Ramirez 4-1, to reach Round of 64 (Prelim).
IBF upsets AIBA again
New Delhi: The suspended Indian Boxing Federation has infuriated the International Boxing Association (AIBA) yet again and it is the pugilists who are paying the price for their refusal to act according to the world body's diktat. The AIBA is livid with the IBF for giving out details of the Indian boxers' international schedule even before getting the world body's clearance. The result is the cancellation of a training-cum-competition tour of Cuba from May 27 to June 17 where 20 boxers were scheduled to go.
Steyn backs proteas
Mumbai: Dale Steyn onTuesday backed his country South Africa to come out trumps in the three-Test series against India to be held at the end of this year, but was also wary of the quality of the opposing batting line-up. "We have got a pretty good Test side at the moment, to be fair, and we play quite well at home. I would like to say that we would win it. Coming to South Africa, it is a difficult place to play cricket," Steyn said. "Wickets here are lot flatter than what it is in South Africa. It does make it a little bit difficult for Indian batsmen.
Hockey camp starts on May 16
New Delhi: The Indian hockey team's core probables will start their training camp in Bangalore on Thursday to prepare for the FIH World league Round 3 (Semi-Final) to be held at Rotterdam, Netherlands from June 13 to 23. The camp will be on till June 4.
OCA opposes IOA delegation
New Delhi: The Olympic Council of Asia has thrown its weight behind IOA's Acting-President V K Malhotra and Secretary General Randhir Singh and has urged the IOC against meeting officials from the suspended IOA during Wednesday's crucial joint meet to end India's Olympic suspension. The IOC will meet delegations of the IOA and the Indian Sports Ministry tomorrow in lausanne to chart a way forward for India's return to the Olympic fold.
EB to play Yangon in AFC Cup
Kolkata: East Bengal will start as favourites when they take on Yangon United of Myanmar in the AFC Cup pre-quarterfinals at the Salt lake Stadium here on Wednesday. Placed fourth in the ongoing Myanmar league, the Yangon United made the last-16 stage after finishing runners-up to New Radiant SC of Maldives on goal difference in the Group F of the preliminary stage of the AFC Cup.