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Spirited India reach Champions Trophy hockey semis

December 6, 2012

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Melbourne, December 6: India turned a leaf in their hockey history to enter the semi-finals of the men's Champions Trophy on their return to the tournament after a gap of six years. They beat Belgium in a 1-0 cliffhanger to book a meeting with either Australia or England.

The win earned India their first shot at a Champions Trophy medal in 30 years, with their last medal - a bronze - coming in 1982. The hard-fought victory also ensured India a top-four finish in the elite tournament since 2004 when they finished fourth in Lahore, Pakistan.

Nithin Thimmiah's goal in the first half gave India the fillip they needed, but Sardar Singh's boys had to ward off a threatening Belgium in the second half to hold onto their lead. But the Indian defence, especially vice captain VR Raghunath, stood up tall to keep out a flurry of penalty corners earned by Belgium in the closing stages.

Sardar Singh, who was facilitated at the start of the match for his 150th international appearance, once again made a vital assist that allowed Thimmiah score his second goal of the tournament. A perfect pass found Thimmiah 12 yards off the Belgian post and he finished off with a tap-in job that sounded the board to make it 1-0.

Two late penalty corners conceded at the end of the first half gave India a scare but the Belgians couldn't convert either, including a disallowed tap-in after the whistle, as they went into the breather a goal down.

India had the better of opening exchanges in the second half but Yuvraj Walmiki and Gurvinder Singh Chandi missed two close chances. The last 15 minutes saw the red shirts storming Indian 25-yard line repeatedly. India did counter a few times on the break but the finishing kept eluding the strikers.

In the end, Thimmiah's goal stood as the lone strike of the match, taking India through to the semis. In the earlier two quarter-finals, Pakistan beat Germany 2-0 to set up a semi-final meeting with Netherlands who beat New Zealand 2-0.



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Agencies
May 25,2020

Chandigarh, May 25: Legendary former hockey player Balbir Singh Senior died in a private hospital on Monday, his family said.

He was 96 years old. His condition was critical for nearly a fortnight.

He was undergoing treatment at Fortis Mohali and was in a "semi-comatose condition".

He was hospitalised on May 8 with high fever and breathing trouble. His COVID-19 test came negative.

Balbir was part of the Indian teams that won gold at the 1948 London Olympics, Helsinki 1952 and Melbourne 1956. His record for most individual goals scored in an Olympic men's hockey final remains unbeaten.

Balbir had set this record when he scored five goals in India's 6-1 win over Netherlands in the gold medal match of the 1952 Games.

He was the head coach of the Indian team for the 1975 men's World Cup, which India won and the 1971 men's World Cup, where India earned a bronze medal. He was also conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri in 1957.

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Agencies
April 12,2020

London, Apr 12: Former Formula 1 legendary driver Stirling Moss died at the age of 90 on Sunday.

"All at F1 send our heartfelt condolences to Lady Susie and Sir Stirling's family and friends," Formula 1 said in a statement.

Often referred to as the greatest driver never to win the world championship, Moss contested 66 Grands Prix from 1951 to 1961, driving for the likes of Vanwall, Maserati and Mercedes, where he famously formed a contented and ruthlessly effective partnership with lead driver Juan Manuel Fangio.

In his 10-year-long stint at the tracks, Moss took 16 wins, some of which rank among the truly iconic drives in the sport's history - his 1961 victories in Monaco and Germany in particular often held up as all-time classics.

Moss won the 1955 Mille Miglia on public roads for Mercedes at an average speed of close to 100mph, while he also competed in rallies and land-speed attempts.

Following an enforced retirement from racing (barring a brief comeback in saloon cars in the 1980s) after a major crash at Goodwood in 1962, Moss maintained a presence in Formula 1 as both a sports correspondent and an interested observer, before retiring from public life in January of 2018.

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Northamptonshire, Jul 31: Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez has tested positive for coronavirus, and as a result, he will miss the British Grand Prix.

The Racing Point driver was absent from the circuit on Thursday after self-isolating following what his team called an "inconclusive" test. Perez then re-tested later in the day and it returned positive.

Formula 1 is following a strict testing regime as part of the safety protocols put in place when racing resumed earlier this month, and this is the first time a driver has tested positive.

"Perez has entered self-quarantine in accordance with the instructions of the relevant public health authorities, and will continue to follow the procedure mandated by those authorities," Formula 1 and the FIA said in a statement.

"With the assistance of the local organiser of the British Grand Prix, local health authorities and the FIA COVID-19 delegate, a full track and trace initiative has been undertaken and all close contacts have been quarantined," the statement added.

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