Brazil sets swimming wr
DOHA (Qatar): Brazil set a world record to win the men's 4x50-meter medley relay final on the second day of the short-course world championships Thursday, improving a mark that had been set hours earlier by Russia. Brazil's quartet of Guilherme Guido, Felipe Franca Silva, Nicholas Santos and Cesar Cielo finished in 1 minute, 30.51 seconds to take the gold and shave more than two seconds off the world record Russia had set in the morning heats at the Hamad Aquatic Centre. France was second in 1:31.25, with the United States third in 1:31.83. Russia settled for fourth place in 1:32.15.
Tough groups for AFCON 2015
Malabo (Eq. Guinea): Ghana, Algeria, South Africa and Senegal were drawn together Wednesday in one of two extremely tough groups for next year’s African Cup of Nations. In the other, it’s Ivory Coast, Mali, Cameroon and Guinea. New host Equatorial Guinea will play Republic of Congo in the opening game of the four-group, 16-team African Cup on January 17. Gabon and 2013 finalist Burkina Faso are the other teams in Group A and also meet on the first day. Group B has 2012 champion Zambia, Tunisia, Cape Verde and Congo.
Aces lose 20-25 to mavericks
Singapore: Indian Aces suffered their second successive loss in the inaugural International Premier Tennis league as they went down fighting 20-25 to Manila Mavericks in the last match of the Singapore leg, here Thursday. In an encounter that saw the lead change hands three times in the first three sets, Manila rode on the victories of Philippoussis in legend’s singles, Daniel Nestor and Kirsten Flipkens in mixed doubles and Treat Huey and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in men's doubles. World No. 5 Ana Ivanovic then brought the Aces back into the contest with a comprehensive 6-2 win over Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium.
Atwal tied third in round 1
Jakarta: Indian golfer Arjun Atwal bounced back from a slow start to end round one in tied third place while compatriots Rahil Gangjee and S.S.P. Chowrasia were a shot further behind in the BANK BRI Indonesia Open here Thursday. Atwal, the 2003 Asian Tour number one and first Indian to win on the PGA Tour, got off to a slow start when he turned in 35 but bounced back with three birdies to finish day one with four-under-par 67 while Ganjee and Chowrasia were on three-under-par 68.
Russia under dopig scanner
Moscow: Russia faced explosive allegations of corruption and systematic doping on Wednesday, including the reported admission of drug use by an Olympic champion runner and cover-up and extortion involving a three-time Chicago Marathon winner. Both German television channel ARD and French sports daily l'Equipe reported that liliya Shobukhova, who won the Chicago Marathon from 2009-11 and the london race in 2010, paid the Russian athletics federation 450,000 euros ($550,000) to cover up a positive doping case. Yulia Stepanova also accused the head of the Russian federation's medical department, Sergei Portugalov, of supplying doping products in exchange for 5 percent of an athlete's earnings, plus bonuses for competition wins.
Kerala-Neufc ends nil-nil
Kochi: Hosts Kerala Blasters did themselves no good after playing a goalless draw against a 10-man NorthEast United FC in a hard-fought Indian Super league (ISl) game at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, here Thursday. The match though saw a Red Card when NorthEast forward James Keene was sent off in the 75th minute after reacting violently to a bad challenge from Kerala striker Michael Chopra, who also conceded a booking for the tackle. Substitute Andrew Barisic thumped a shot from outside the box but Rehenesh pulled off a sensational save to keep the score-line intact as thus win a point for his side.