Cristiano Ronaldo Claims European Goals Record

November 15, 2014

Cristiano RonaldoFaro, Nov 15: Cristiano Ronaldo became the European Championships' all-time top scorer as Portugal beat Armenia 1-0 to stay one point behind Group I leader Denmark in European Championship qualifying on Friday.

Ronaldo scored the winner striking from close range following a goalmouth scramble in the 72nd minute.

"We are in good shape at the moment in qualifying," Ronaldo said. "Denmark also won, but the team is doing very well at the moment, and if we win our game in hand we go top.

"The coach Fernando Santos has been able to impose a new system, bringing new players, and I think we are on the right track."

Elsewhere, Nicklas Bendtner scored twice as Denmark came from a goal down to beat Serbia 3-1. Serbia's Dutch coach Dick Advocaat said after the game that he would consider resigning.

Serbia winger Zoran Tosic opened the scoring with a low strike from 12 yards (meters) in the fourth minute.

But Bendtner equalized in the 60th and centerback Simon Kjaer headed in a free kick from Christian Eriksen two minutes later. Bendtner made it 3-1 in the 85th.

France, which has already qualified as the host of Euro 2016, drew 1-1 with Albania.

In Faro, Portugal coach Fernando Santos made three changes to the side that edged Denmark 1-0 a month ago with the return of veterans Jose Bosingwa and Helder Postiga while leftback Raphael Guerreiro earned his first cap.

Armenia had the best chances in the first half. Henrikh Mkhitaryan had a free kick saved by goalkeeper Rui Patricio and the Borussia Dortmund midfielder then released Kamo Hovhannisyan down the right flank - but Patricio parried the powerful strike from the Armenia wingback.

Roman Berezovski kept Armenia in the game after the break, tipping away a header from winger Nani in the 59th and stopping a long-range attempt from Ronaldo.

However, the Armenia goalkeeper was let down by his defenders when he denied substitute Ricardo Quaresma. Nani flicked the rebound toward Ronaldo, who beat defender Varazdat Haroyan to the ball for the winner.

Portugal nearly added a second in the 89th but the downward header from substitute Eder crashed against the post.

In Belgrade, the match was played in an empty Partizan stadium as punishment by UEFA following a qualifier between Serbia and Albania last month, when skirmishes involving players and fans broke out over an Albanian flag that was flown above the stadium by a drone.

Four minutes after Tosic scored, Serbia almost doubled the lead but goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel stopped the overhead kick from striker Danko Lazovic.

Tottenham playmaker Eriksen hit the post in the 49th before his low drive was only parried by Vladimir Stojkovic - allowing Bendtner to tap home the equalizer. Two minutes later, Denmark took the lead with Kjaer's header.

The match could have gone either way as Lazovic hit the woodwork in the 64th and Denmark rightback Peter Ankersen rattled the bar with a curling shot a minute later.

Bendtner put the result beyond doubt by chesting down a cross from Michael Krohn-Dehli to beat Stojkovic.

Serbia coach Advocaat was quoted as telling UEFA's website: "This is our first terrible match since I became the manager. If someone should be blamed then it's me. And, yes, I will think about resigning."

In Rennes, Albania defender Mergim Mavraj stunned the hosts with a header in the 40th. But France substitute Antoine Griezmann salvaged a draw by cutting inside to fire into the bottom corner in the 73rd.

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News Network
April 5,2020

New Delhi, April 5: England batsman James Vince lashed out at people for not taking proper measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and said people are going out as if "everything is normal".

"Just seen the pictures of people out and about today as if everything is normal. What selfish people, surely by now they've realised this is serious. Well done to everyone who's doing their bit and staying in," Vince tweeted.

On March 13, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that Europe was now the 'epicentre' of the disease.

The death toll due to the novel coronavirus in the UK has exceeded 4,313 with at least 708 new deaths in the last 24 hours, the largest one-day rise since the start of the outbreak as confirmed by the Department of Health and Social Care.

The total number of cases in the UK as on Saturday is 41,903, a rise of 3,735 cases in the last 24 hours.

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News Network
May 9,2020

May 9: Filipina weightlifting star Hidilyn Diaz noticed live-streamed concerts were collecting money for coronavirus relief and was struck by inspiration: why not raise funds with an online workout?

Since then the Olympic silver-medallist -- and strong contender for her country's first Games gold -- has made enough money to buy food packs for hundreds of hard-hit families in the Philippines.

Diaz has done it all from Malaysia, where she was training to qualify for the now-postponed Tokyo Olympics when much of the world locked down against the virus in March.

"I thought (distribution) would be impossible because I'm not physically present," Diaz, 29, told news agency.

"It's a good thing that I have trusted friends and trusted family members who understand why we need to do a fundraising."

That circle of supporters has handed out the packages, which include vegetables, eggs and rice, to more than 400 families.

The food was bought with donations from about 50 people who joined sessions that lasted up to three hours, and gave them a rare chance to train with an elite athlete.

Diaz rose to fame in 2016 after snagging a surprise silver in the 53 kilogramme category in Rio, becoming the Philippines' first female Olympic medallist and ending the nation's 20-year medal drought at the Games.

Two years later, she won gold at the Asian Games in Indonesia.

However, her quest to qualify for Tokyo is on hold ahead of the Games' rescheduled opening in July 2021.

"I thought all the hard work would soon be over... then it was extended," she said. "But I'm still thankful I can still continue with (the training) I need to do."

Still, the lockdown broke her daily training regimen, keeping her away from weights for 14 days for the first time in her career.

"I felt like I was losing my mind already. I've been carrying the barbell for 18 years and all of a sudden it's gone. Those were the kinds of anxiety that I felt," she said.

But she got access to some equipment, and with her coach's urging, got back to work. She was relieved to find her strength was still there.

Instead of a Tokyo berth, the past months have been about a different kind of accomplishment for Diaz: helping her countrymen get through the coronavirus crisis.

Rosemelyn Francisco's family in Zamboanga City, Diaz's home town, is one of the first to get help from the athlete's initiative, and is deeply grateful.

Her family was not wealthy to begin with, and the pandemic has cost her husband his construction job.

"The food she donated has all everything we need, including eggs," said Francisco, 27.

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Agencies
March 15,2020

Chennai, Mar 15: Wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni has left the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) training camp following the postponement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) amidst the coronavirus scare.

The former India skipper had joined the CSK's camp earlier this month in order to practice for the upcoming IPL season.

CSK's official handle tweeted a video of Dhoni and captioned the post as: "It has become your home sir!" Keep whistling, as #Thala Dhoni bids a short adieu to #AnbuDen".

Thirty-eight-year-old Dhoni has been currently enjoying some time away from the game. He last played competitive cricket during the 2019 World Cup.

Dhoni had to face criticism for his slow batting approach during India's matches in the tournament.

Earlier this year, Dhoni did not find a place for himself in the BCCI's centrally contracted players list.

BCCI had released the list of central contract list of players for the period from October 2019 to September 2020.

On Friday, BCCI decided to postpone the IPL until April 15 as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus pandemic.

On Saturday, all the IPL franchises met in Mumbai to discuss as to how to go on with the tournament in the future.

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