Cricketers win but Ranbir Kapoor steals the show

March 31, 2013

Ranbir_KapoorNew Delhi, Mar 31: It was a different ball game altogether when the Indian cricketers took on movie stars at the floodlit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in a maiden charity football match.

The cricketers emerged victorious by a scoreline of 4-3 on Saturday but they were given a run for their money by the All Star team led by Abhishek Bachchan.

The funds raised from the match went to the Magic Bus Organisation, which works for charity for underprivileged children. Virat Kohli launched the team for his foundation 'All Heart Football Club' against the All Stars Football Club.

With 'RK' emblazoned on his back and the loudest cheers from the crowd every time he had the ball, the 'Barfi' star Ranbir Kapoor stole the show.

He dribbled past defenders at ease, outpaced the cricketers, made numerous attempts at goal and capped off his night with a blistering strike from the edge of the penalty box. The only blip was a missed penalty, which however he made up for by winning another one for his team.

Earlier, the cricketers dressed in red and black, showed their prowess with the ball at their feat by smashing three goals in the first half.

They started off in an aggressive fashion with India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni making a pin-point cross in the box from the right wing which was duly put at the back of the net by Tanmoy Mishra giving the 'All Heart' team the lead in the second minute of the game.

Though all for charity, the seriousness out on the field was evident with Yuvraj Singh shouting at every referee call against him, grimacing at every miss by his teammates.

Egged on by over 10,000 cheering crowd, the All Stars coached by former footballer Bhaichung Bhutia, equalised in the 10th minute with Shabbir Ahluwalia scoring the goal.

It was all Manoj Tiwary show after that with the Bengal cricketer showing his footballing skills with two neatly scored goals to give the All Heart team a 3-1 lead. Tiwary was later adjudged the Man of Match for his brilliant show.

Playing in humid conditions, the All Stars team managed to give a tough fight even though they went 4-1 down immediately after the resumption of play in the second half.

It was a Ranbir Kapoor show after that. He easily dodged and moved past Zaheer Khan on several occasions. He even tried a back flick which almost gave the All Stars a second goal. But it came nonetheless moments later, when 'RK' was tripped in the box which was duly put away.

Ten minutes into the second half, Dino Morea was tripped in the box, but Ranbir's lame shot from the resultant penalty was easily saved by All Heart goalkeeper Ishant Sharma.

But Ranbir was not to be denied a few minutes later, when he picked up a pass from Marc Robinson and smashed a thundering strike right into the top corner to make the scoreline 4-3.

The All Heart team coached by footballer Sunil Chhetri, managed to survive the nervy moments and emerge victorious but not before getting a real scare from their opponents.

"The Indian cricketers are in a habit of winning matches with a scoreline of 4-0. We were scared we would get the same treatment, but all credit to our team especially Ranbir for having fought so brilliantly against the cricketers," said All Stars captain Abhishek Bachchan after the match.

Talking about the team composition, vice-captain Ranbir, who was disappointed at having missed the penalty, said they had been practising for over six months now for the match.

"Everyone who was regularly practising with us today, was given a chance to play. There is nothing to be ashamed of in losing 4-3 and it was an honour to step up and compete against the mighty cricketers," he said.

Talking about the prospect of arranging a revenge match, Abhishek said a few games were in the pipeline with talks doing the rounds that the two teams will square up again in Sikkim for Bhaichung Bhutia's foundation.

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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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News Network
June 17,2020

New Delhi, Jun 17: Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday paid tributes to Indian Army soldiers, who were killed during the face-off with the Chinese troops in Ladakh's Galwan Valley.

Extending condolences to the kin of bravehearts, Kohli said, "No one is more selfless and brave than a soldier."

"Salute and deepest respect to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect our country in the Galwan Valley. NO one is more selfless and brave than a soldier. Sincere condolences to the families. I hope they find peace through our prayers at this difficult time," he tweeted.

The violent face-off happened on late evening and night of June 15 in Ladakh's Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India said on Tuesday.

The Army confirmed that 20 soldiers were killed in the face-off, including 17 who were critically injured at the stand-off location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain.

Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area in Ladakh where they had earlier clashed on the night of June 15 and 16, Indian Army said.

Former cricketer Irfan Pathan tweeted, "We will always be indebted to our jawans of #IndianArmy who lost their lives in #GalwanValley #JaiHind."

Expressing similar sentiments, Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan wrote, "A sacrifice that will never be forgotten by the nation. Heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the Indian Army officer and the two soldiers. Saluting your bravery, Jai Hind! #GalwanValley."

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News Network
January 27,2020

Los Angeles, Jan 27: Kobe Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday. He was 41.

Bryant died in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. A different person familiar with the case confirmed that Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna also was killed.

Both spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the crash had not been released publicly. The crash happened around 10 a.m. about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said it was a Sikorsky S-76 and it was not known what caused the crash. The LA County Sheriff's Department confirmed five dead in the crash, but had not released identities.

Bryant lived south of Los Angeles in coastal Orange County for much of his adult life, and he often used helicopters to save time and avoid Southern California's notorious traffic. Even as a player, he often traveled to practices and games by helicopter, and he kept up the practice after retirement as he attended to his business ventures.

The crash occurred several miles from Mamba Sports Academy, Bryant's basketball training complex in Thousand Oaks, California. Bryant, who had four daughters with his wife, Vanessa, dedicated himself to boosting women's sports in his retirement.

Colin Storm was in his living room in Calabasas when he heard ``what sounded like a low-flying airplane or helicopter.''

“It was very foggy so we couldn't see anything,'' he said. ``But then we heard some sputtering, and then a boom.''

A short time later the fog cleared a bit and Storm could see smoke rising from the hillside in front of his home.

Bryant retired in 2016 as the third-leading scorer in NBA history, finishing two decades with the Lakers as a prolific scorer with a sublime all-around game and a relentless competitive ethic. He held that spot in the league scoring ranks until Saturday night, when the Lakers' LeBron James passed him for third place during a game in Philadelphia, Bryant's hometown.

“Continuing to move the game forward (at)KingJames,'' Bryant wrote in his last tweet. “Much respect my brother.''

Bryant had one of the greatest careers in recent NBA history and became one of the game's most popular players as the face of the 16-time NBA champion Lakers franchise. He was the league MVP in 2008 and a two-time NBA scoring champion, and he earned 12 selections to the NBA's All-Defensive teams.

He teamed with Shaquille O'Neal in a combustible partnership to lead the Lakers to NBA titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002. He later teamed with Pau Gasol to win two more titles in 2009 and 2010.

Bryant retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his final NBA game.

Bryant looms large over the current generation of NBA players. After James passed Bryant on Saturday, he remembered listening to Bryant when the superstar came to speak at a childhood basketball camp.

“I remember one thing he said: If you want to be great at it, or want to be one of the greats, you've got to put the work in,'' James said. “There's no substitution for work.''

James later teamed up with Bryant on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team in Beijing.

“He had zero flaws offensively,'' James said. “Zero. You backed off of him, he could shoot the 3. You body him up a little bit, he could go around you. He could shoot from mid-range. He could post. He could make free throws. ... He was just immortal offensively because of his skill set and his work ethic.''

Bryant was a basketball superstar for his entire adult life. He entered the NBA draft straight out of high school in 1996 after a childhood spent partly in Italy, where his father, former NBA player Joe “Jellybean'' Bryant, played professionally.

The Lakers acquired the 17-year-old Bryant in a trade shortly after Charlotte drafted him, and he immediately became one of the most exciting and intriguing players in the sport alongside O'Neal, who had signed with the Lakers as a free agent. Bryant won the Slam Dunk Contest as an upstart rookie, and the Lakers gradually grew into a team that won three consecutive championships.

Bryant and Gasol formed the nucleus of another championship team in 2008, reaching three straight NBA Finals and eventually winning two more titles.

In 2003, Bryant was charged with attacking a 19-year-old employee at a Colorado resort. He had said the two had consensual sex. Prosecutors later dropped the felony sexual assault charge against Bryant at the request of the accuser.

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