Vandana double helps India beat Malaysia 3-0 in Hockey World League

February 20, 2013

Vandana_KatariyaNew Delhi, Feb 20: Vandana Kataria struck twice as India beat Malaysia 3-0 to register their second consecutive win in the women's competition of the Hero Hockey World League Round 2 at the floodlit Major Dhyan Chand Stadium on Tuesday.

Contrary to the final outcome of the game, the Indians were far from impressive against Malaysia today as they were expected to win big against a side which is ranked 10 places below them in the world rankings.

The Indian eves looked tired and jaded today and their performance against Malaysia was nowhere near to their 8-0 drubbing of Kazakhstan last night.

Malaysia might have started the match as underdogs but they gave the 12th ranked Indians a run for their money by dominating the early share of exchanges, at least for the first eight minutes of the game.

After sitting back for a brief period in the initial stages of the match, it was India who drew the first blood in the ninth minute when Vandana deflected in Jaspreet Kaur's hit from the hosts' first penalty corner.

The Malaysians made some promising forays into the Indian 'D' thereafter but their forwards lacked vision and purpose.

Malaysia got a golden opportunity to equalise in the 25th minute but Azlin Nor Sumantri missed a sitter as she had Indian goalkeeper Yogita Bali in a one-on-one situation.

Sprinting down the flank after intercepting Joydeep in the midfield, Sumantri just had to beat an onrushing Yogita but the Malaysian forward misdirected her gentle push even after getting the better of the Indian custodian to trail by a goal at the half-way stage.

The Malaysians started on a bright note after the change of ends and earned their second penalty corner but an alert Yogita at the Indian goal averted that threat.

The Indians added salt to Malaysia's wound when an unmarked Vandana scored her second goal of the match in the 38th minute from the ensuing attack after receiving a measured pass from Anupa Barla.

Thereafter, it was all about keeping ball possession for the Indians, while the Malaysians had no other option but to go for attack.

But India took the match beyond Malaysia's grip when Rani Rampal scored from goal-mouth melee in the 65th minute after cashing on a miss pass.

After a rest day, the Indians will next play minnows Fiji on Thursday.

Malaysia, who defeated Russia 3-1 in their tournament opener, will have to get over the defeat quickly as they take on Kazakhstan in their next match the same day.

Meanwhile, in earlier matches of the day in the women's competition, Russia spanked Fiji 9-0, while top-ranked Japan demolished Kazakhstan 11-0.

Even though India got three points from the game, but chief coach Neil Hawgood wasn't satisfied with his wards performance today.

"We got three points from the game but I am very disappointed with our performance. We didn't play well at well. We played our worst hockey in the last six months," Hawgood said after the match.

"Malaysia is a good team so it was important to win against them today in the context of the tournament. There are a plenty of areas to work on ahead of the remaining matches of the tournament," he added.

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News Network
April 8,2020

London, Apr 8: England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler has raised more than 65,000 pound (USD 80,000) to help fight the coronavirus by auctioning off his World Cup final shirt.

Buttler's shirt, which he wore when completing the last-ball run-out that saw England beat New Zealand at Lord's last year, was sold to raise money for specialist heart and lung centres provided by the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals in London.

Buttler, who earlier in the showpiece match had hit a fifty and batted in the Super Over, put his long-sleeve keeping jersey up for sale on eBay a week ago.

By the time the auction closed on Tuesday, the shirt had attracted 82 bids with the winner paying 65,100 pound.

Buttler, speaking on Monday, said: "It's a very special shirt but I think it takes on extra meaning with it being able to hopefully go to the emergency cause.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

New Delhi Jul 30: After Pakistan cricketer Umar Akmal's ban was reduced to 18 months, Danish Kaneria criticised Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) policies and said that the 'zero tolerance policy' applies only to him.

"Zero Tolerance policy only apply on Danish Kaneria not on others, can anybody answer the reason why I get life ban not others, Are policy applies only on cast, colour, and powerful background. I am Hindu and proud of it that's my background and my dharma," Kaneria tweeted.

Earlier on Wednesday, Akmal's three-year suspension was reduced to 18 months by an independent adjudicator, former Pakistan Supreme Court judge, Faqir Mohammad Khokhar.

On April 27, the Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel, Justice (retd) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, had banned the wicketkeeper-batsman for three years after finding him guilty of breaching the PCB's Anti-Corruption Code in two separate incidents.

Akmal, on May 19, filed an appeal against the three-year ban imposed on him, seeking a reduction in the duration of the sanction. He will remain suspended effectively from February 2020 till August 2021.

The batsman said he might appeal again to get the ban "reduced further".

"I am thankful to the judge for listening to my lawyers properly. I will decide about the remaining sentence and try to get it reduced further. For now I am not satisfied and will consult my lawyers and family how to take this ahead," ESPNcricinfo had quoted Akmal as saying.

"There are many players before me who made mistakes and just look at what they got and what I got. So all I say right now is thank you very much," he had added.

On the other hand, Kaneria was found guilty of spot-fixing while playing for English club Essex and was banned from the sport.

Earlier this month, Pakistan's cricket governing body 'advised' Kaneria to approach England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) if he wants to play domestic cricket after the cricketer had appealed to the PCB, seeking permission to play domestic cricket. 

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Agencies
April 14,2020

Tokyo, Apr 14: Tokyo organizers said Tuesday they have no B Plan in the event the Olympics need to be postponed again because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Masa Takaya, the spokesman for the Tokyo Olympics, said organizers are proceeding under the assumption the Olympics will open on July 23, 2021. The Paralympics follow on Aug. 24.

Those dates were set last month by the International Olympic Committee and Japanese officials after the coronavirus pandemic made it clear the Olympics could not be held as scheduled this summer.

We are working toward the new goal, Takaya said, speaking in English on a teleconference call with journalists.

We don't have a B Plan. The severity of the pandemic and the death toll has raised questions if it will even be feasible to hold the Olympics in just over 15 months. Several Japanese journalists raised the question on the call.

All I can tell you today is that the new games' dates for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been just set up, Takaya said.

In that respect, Tokyo 2020 and all concerned parties now are doing their very best effort to deliver the games next year." IOC President Thomas Bach was asked about the possibility of a postponement in an interview published in the German newspaper Die Welt on Sunday.

He did not answer the question directly, but said later that Japanese organizers and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe indicated they could not manage a postponement beyond next summer at the lastest.

The Olympics draw 11,000 athletes and 4,400 Paralympic athletes and large support staffs from 206 national Olympic committees.

There are also questions about frozen travel, rebooking hotels, cramming fans into stadiums and arenas, securing venues, and the massive costs of rescheduling, which is estimated in Japan at 2 billion- 6 billion.

Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto addressed the issue in a news conference on Friday. He is likely to be asked about it again on Thursday when local organizers and the IOC hold a teleconferene with media in Japan.

The other major question is the cost of the delay; how much will it be, and who pays? Bach said in the Sunday interview that the IOC would incur several hundred million dollars in added costs. Under the so-called Host City Agreement, Japan is liable for the vast majority of the expenses.

This is impossible to say for now, Takaya, the spokesman said.

It is not very easy to estimate the exact amount of the games' additional costs, which have been impacted by the postponement."

Tokyo says it's spending 12.6 billion to organize the Olympics. But a Japanese government audit published last year says the costs are twice that much. Of the total spending, 5.6 billion in private money. The rest is from Japanese governments.

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