Euro 2020 offers unique incentive for 12 host nations

Agencies
December 1, 2018

Dublin, Dec 1: For the first time 12 nations will head into Sunday's qualifying draw for Euro 2020 with the extra incentive of playing on home soil should they make it to the 24-team tournament in two years time.

Amsterdam, Baku, Bilbao, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Glasgow, London, Munich, Rome and Saint Petersburg are the 12 cities that will host matches across the continent to celebrate the 60th anniversary since the first European Championships.

The draw in Dublin will see UEFA's 55 nations split into 10 groups with the top two in each section making up the first 20 teams to qualify.

However, a maximum of two of the hosts nations can be paired together in each group to give all 12 the chance of experiencing a home tournament with a guarantee of at least two home games in the group stages.

England stand to gain most from home advantage with both semi-finals and the final, as well as three group games and a last 16 tie set to be played at Wembley.

The Three Lions have enjoyed argubly their best year since winning the World Cup on home soil in 1966 as Gareth Southgate's side reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia and then beat Spain and Croatia to reach the inaugural finals of the Nations League next summer.

Southgate is well aware of the extra inspiration of playing in a major tournament at home as he was part of the England side that reached the semi-finals at Euro '96.

"What the players are going to experience is close to what we experienced in 1996 and in '66. That's incredible for everybody," said the England manager.

The Wembley factor could be key to ending England's half-century without winning a major tournament with Southgate's exciting young squad having renergised a nation's support.

"I think the most pleasing thing of the year has been the connection with the fans and being able to share brilliant experiences with them," added Southgate after exacting some measure of revenge for defeat to Croatia in the World Cup semi-finals in a thrilling Nations League group finale earlier this month.

"I can't remember the new Wembley like that. We have exciting players that give them excitement." England, Switzerland, Portugal and the Netherlands are guaranteed to end up in a five-team group to free them up from qualifiers for the Nations League finals in June.

'Germany will qualify'

World champions France, Belgium, Croatia, Italy, Poland and Spain make up the rest of the top seeds, as Germany's relegation from their Nations League group with the French and Dutch means they slip into pot two.

After also crashing out at the first hurdle at the World Cup for the first time in 80 years, Germany coach Joachim Loew needs to bounce back in qualifying with Munich playing host to five matches, including a quarter-final.

But Loew has no doubt the four-time world champions will qualify.

"Of course we would have wished for a different set-up for the draw, but we face the situation and accept it," said Loew.

"I'm looking forward to next year. We have a team with good prospects and we'll qualify for the European Championships."

For those who fail to qualify in the top two of their group, there may still be the safety net of a playoff via the Nations League.

The final four places will be decided in a semi-final and final between the top four sides from the four tiers of the Nations League that do not qualify automatically in March 2020.

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News Network
June 5,2020

Jun 5: The Asian Football Confederation has awarded the hosting rights of the 2022 Women's Asian Cup to India for the first time since 1979.

The decision was taken at the AFC Women's Football Committee meeting. In February, the AFC Women's Football Committee had recommended India to be hosts.

In a letter to the All India Football Federation, Dato Windsor John, General Secretary, AFC wrote: "The Committee awarded the hosting rights of the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 Finals to the All India Football Federation."

The tournament will likely be held in the second half of the year. In the 1979 edition, India had finished as runners-up.

"I need to thank the Asian Football Confederation for finding us suitable to host the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2022," AIFF President, Praful Patel said.

"The tournament will galvanise the aspiring women players and bring in a holistic social revolution as far as women's football in the country is concerned," he added.

The tournament will feature 12 teams, expanded from the previous slot of eight teams.

India qualifies directly as hosts. The event will also serve as the final qualification tournament for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The tournament comes as the latest boost to AIFF as India is slated to host the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup next year.

India had also hosted the AFC U-16 Championships in 2016 and the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017.

"The tournament will play a huge role in further popularising women's football in India. The Women’s Asian Cup 2022 comes on the back of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2020, and will help us sustain, and build on the momentum gained," AIFF General Secretary, Kushal Das said.

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News Network
January 8,2020

Indore, Jan 8:  India skipper Virat Kohli has added yet another feather to his cap by becoming the fastest player to score 1,000 runs in T20I cricket as a captain. Kohli played an unbeaten knock of 30 during India''s seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second T20I of the ongoing three-match series on Tuesday evening.

Kohli achieved the milestone of scoring 1,000 runs as captain in his 30th T20I inning. He is the second Indian and sixth overall after MS Dhoni to have achieved the feat. Dhoni had scored 1112 runs in 62 T20I games as captain.

Faf du Plessis (1273 runs from 40 games), Kane Williamson (1083 runs in 39 games), Eoin Morgan (1013 runs in 43 games) and Ireland''s William Porterfield (1002 runs in 56 games) are other captains on the list.

During India''s emphatic victory at the Holkar Stadium, Kohli also surpassed team-mate Rohit Sharma, who has been rested for the series, as the top run-getter in the T20Is. Kohli now has 2663 runs from 71 innings.

Both had finished 2019 as joint top-scorers in T20Is, with 2633 runs each.

India, already with an unassailable lead of 1-0 in the series, will now face Sri Lanka in the final T20I on Friday in Pune. The first match between the two teams was called off without a ball being bowled due to wet patches on the pitch in Guwahati last Sunday.

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News Network
April 4,2020

New Delhi, April 4: India skipper Virat Kohli has said that the 2014 Test series against England was the lowest point of his career.

He made the revelation during a candid Instagram Live session with former England batsman Kevin Pietersen.

To date, the 2014 Test series in England remains one of the worst Test series for Kohli as he averaged just 13.40 from 10 ten innings with his highest score being 39.

"I felt like as a batsman, you know you are going to get out in the morning as soon as you wake up. That was the time I felt like that there is no chance I am getting runs. And still to get out of bed and just get dressed for the game and to go out there and go through that, knowing that you will fail, was something that ate me up," Kohli told Pietersen.

However, just four years later, Kohli made a triumphant return to England as he scored a century in the opening Test of the 2018 series and finished as the highest run-getter in the series.

Kohli told Pietersen that the performance in 2014 came because he was just thinking about his own batting.

"2014 series happened, for all the younger guys listening, because I was too focused on doing well from a personal point of view. I wanted to get runs. I could never think of what does the team want me to do in this situation," Kohli said.

"I just got too engulfed with England tour - if I perform here, Test cricket, in my mind I am going to feel established and all that crap on the outside, which is not important at all," he added.
During the chat, Kohli talked about his favourite format in cricket and he also revealed the main reason for turning into a vegan.

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