Shillong FC, Aizawl FC share honours
aizwal: Shillong lajong FC drew goalless with hosts Aizawl FC in the first leg of the Northeast I-league derby at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Saturday. This was the first-ever Northeast I-league derby played in Aizawl in front of thousands of football fans in the capital of Mizoram. The crowd had high expectations but the match did not reach the dizzy heights they had expected. It was the home team that played well throughout the first half of the match. They had their opponents defending majority of the half with the ball mostly played in the lajong half of the pitch.
Aditi, Vani miss cut in NZ Open; Ko in lead
christchurch: India's Aditi Ashok, Vani Kapoor and Amandeep Drall made early exits from the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open golf tournament at Clearwater Golf Club, here on Saturday. The 17-year-old Aditi, who made her lET debut this week, carded three-over 75 and ended at five-over 149. Vani carded two-over 74 and also totaled 149, while Amandeep (83-75) finished further down. World no 1 lydia Ko shook off her jetlag and flew into the lead in the second round. The 18-year-old Kiwi said that a three-under-par 69 yesterday did not represent her best golf but was pleased with a second round of five under 68.
Saina pulls out of Asia Team Championships
hyderabad: India's star shuttler Saina Nehwal has pulled out of Badminton Asia Team Championships, starting Monday, owing to an injury that prevented her from particpating in the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold tournament and the 12th South Asian Games. The week-long Badminton Asia Team Championships would be held at the Gachibowli stadium. "Saina pulled out long ago, somewhere end of January. She took exemption from the lucknow Open, South Asian Games and this tournament (Badminton Asia) starting in Hyderabad from Monday," Saina's father Harvir Singh said. She had said in the communication to Badminton Association of India (BAI) that the recovery would be fast due to the rest from the three competitive tournaments, according to him.
Cruyff, sure of cancer recovery
london: Dutch soccer great Johan Cruyff announced on Saturday that he is "2-0 up in the first half" and confident he will go on to win his battle against lung cancer. The former Ajax, Barcelona and Netherlands star, a smoker during his playing days and until undergoing an emergency heart bypass in 1991, disclosed his illness last October. "After several medical treatments I can say that the results have been very positive, thanks to the excellent work of the doctors, the affection of the people and my positive mentality," the 68-year-old Cruyff said in a statement on his website.