Watford closer to PL return
London: Ismaila Sarr scored twice as Watford defeated Reading 2-0 on Friday to edge closer to a return to the Premier League. Watford, relegated from the top flight last season, stay second, five points behind leaders Norwich. Crucially, they have an imposing 12-point lead over third-place Brentford. Reading remains in the final play-off spot in sixth place but are in danger of being overtaken by Bournemouth, who now have two games in hand.
Ikee misses Olympic spot
Tokyo: Leukaemia survivor Rikako Ikee completed a clean sweep of four wins at Japan's Olympic swimming trials on Saturday — but missed out on an individual place at the Tokyo Games. Ikee, who only resumed training in March last year after being diagnosed with cancer in February 2019, won both the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle to add to the two victories she claimed earlier this week. But her time of 24.84 sec in the 50m freestyle was not enough to earn her an individual berth at the Games.
Rijiju inaugurates KISCE for rowing
Srinagar: Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday inaugurated the Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE) for rowing at the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council Water Sports Academy here. At present, the KISCE will focus on rowing and will be provided a first-time grant of `145.16 lakh and an annual recurring grant of `96.17 lakh.
ATK sign Colaco from Hyderabad FC
Hyderabad: Indian Super League side ATK Mohun Bagan has signed forward Liston Colaco from Hyderabad FC for the highest-ever transfer fee for an Indian player. Hyderabad FC and ATK Mohun Bagan agreed to the transfer for an undisclosed fee, the club said on Saturday. The 22-year-old will join the Mariners with effect from June 1.
Roma Khanna resigns
New Delhi: Roma Khanna on Saturday stepped down as the Tournament Director of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and AFC Women's Asian Cup, to be held in India in 2022, citing personal reasons. Khanna had spearheaded the bid for the U-17 World Cup back in 2019, and was later appointed as the Tournament Director for the Local Organising Committee. She also successfully led the bid for AFC Women's Asian Cup, which India is set to host next year in January.
Hans Women FC win Delhi Football league
New Delhi: Hans Women FC emerged as the champions of the Football Delhi league after defeating Hops FC by a solitary goal here on Saturday. In the closely contested final match held at Dr Ambedkar Stadium, Anushka Samuel scored the winning goal. Hero of the match in the final game was Deepika Venkatesh while Aveka Singh was declared the Golden Boot winner with 27 goals scored in eight matches.
2021 Aspire Young Achievers announced
Milan: Celebrating the spirit of awe-inspiring achievements by the young, in art, culture and sportsmanship, Aspire Circle on Thursday announced the 2021 Aspire Young Achiever Awards for three young trailblazers, Harshita Tater (National Gold medallist para athlete and an aspiring doctor), Suhana Narjinary (National champion TT player) and Tanshu (paralympic speed skater) for their outstanding feats in their respective domains. The young achievers identified by Aspire Circle this year, include trailblazers and national heroes from humble backgrounds, often before their peak performance. The awards will be presented online to the three young achievers during the annual ARC 2021on Sunday.