Sultan Azlan Shah Cup: India move to third spot after 3-1 win over Canada

April 10, 2016

Ipoh (Malaysia), Apr 11: India's hockey team claimed a 3-1 victory over Canada to move to the third spot in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup here on Sunday.

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India, coming into the match with a 1-5 defeat against world champions Australia, caught a flying start with forward Nikkin Thimmiah scoring in the third minute. Keegan Pereira, however, made it 1-1 for Canada in the 23rd minute.

Later drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh gave India the lead in the 41st minutes before forward Talwinder Singh sealed the game in India's favour with just three minutes left on the clock.

With this win, India have six points -- two more than fourth-placed Canada. Australia are on top of the table with three wins from as many games -- they thrashed Pakistan 4-0 earlier in the day. New Zealand, who saw off Japan 4-1, are second on the table with eight points from four matches.

Rolant Oltmans' India had been criticised for poor show in the two matches so far, albeit they have a young team, bereft of at least six settled players.

However, on Sunday, they turned out in style, right from the push-back. A brilliant pass by Rupinder Pal Singh split the Canadian defence open to allow Ramandeep Singh who set up Nikkin for a simple tap in the third minute.

Chinglensana Singh had another attempt -- a superb reverse hit saved by the goalkeeper to ensure Canada went into the 150-second break just a goal down.

The Canadians responded strongly in the second quarter, coming back and matching India strength for strength. Even the statistics showed that.

Canada's best showing came in the second quarter as they managed a massive seven circle penetrations, and 50 percent of the possession. Appropriately, they scored the equaliser with six minutes of the quarter remaining via Pereira. The two teams walked into half-time level at 1-1.

Rudely awakened, India did not allow any such lapses in concentration in the second half as they came out looking to close the match strongly.

Having not been awarded a single penalty corner in the first half, India managed to win one ten minutes into the third quarter and duly converted it in style. India's young drag-flicker Harmanpreet scored his second goal of the tournament to give India the lead.

India did not let up in the fourth quarter, controlling the possession and had seven circle penetrations in the final period. In contrast, Canada managed a solitary penetration in the entire period. Another penalty corner by India was saved smartly by Canada.

The quarter saw a brilliant solo effort by captain Sardar Singh hit the post. Winning the ball in midfield, Sardar stormed down almost 50 yards before trying a reverse flick that hit the post and bounced back only to be cleared by the Canadian defence.

Not too long later though, India ensured the result did not change after a Sardar cross, and a Chinglensana mishit, left Talwinder with the clearest of chances inside the box to extend India's lead to 3-1 and ensured they took home the points.

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News Network
July 16,2020

Kolkata, Jul 16: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday went into home quarantine after his elder brother and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) joint secretary Snehasish Ganguly tested positive for Covid-19.

Snehasish, a former Bengal first-class player, has been admitted to the Belle Vue hospital in Kolkata after his COVID report came positive.

"He was suffering from fever for the last few days and his test report came positive today. He's been admitted to Belle Vue Hospital," a CAB official said.

"The reports arrived late in the evening. As per health protocols, even Sourav will have to be in home quarantine for a stipulated period," a source close to the BCCI President added.

Snehasish had shifted to their ancestral house, where Sourav is based, in Behala after his wife and in-laws at his Mominpur residence tested positive for the dreaded virus.

The former India captain was, however, unavailable for a comment on the development.

Recently, during an interview to India Today, Sourav had spoken about how life around him has changed, making people more vulnerable.

"My brother visits our factories everyday and he is more at risk," the former batting star had said

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Agencies
July 20,2020

Vitoria, Jul 20: Lionel Messi won a record seventh top scoring title in the Spanish league after netting twice in Barcelona's 5-0 rout of Alav s in the final round.

Messi ended with 25 goals, four more than Karim Benzema, who did not score in Real Madrid's 2-2 draw at Legan s.

Messi is the first player to finish as the league's top scorer in seven different seasons. He reached the milestone despite missing games because of an injury early in the season. The Argentine's 25 goals came in 33 matches.

Messi was tied with Telmo Zarra with six scoring titles. He has also now equaled Hugo Sanchez's feat of four straight top-scorer trophies.

"Individual achievements are always secondary," Messi said on Sunday.

"I wished it could have come along with the league title."

This is also the third successive season that Messi finished with the most assists 21 in the league.

Ansu Fati, Luis Su rez and Nelson Semedo also scored Sunday for Barcelona, which had already secured second place behind Madrid.

Fati opened the scoring in the 24th minute, Messi added to the lead 10 minutes later and Su rez closed the first-half scoring in the 44th. Semedo got on the board in the 57th and Messi in the 75th to help Barcelona rebound from a 2-1 home loss to Osasuna.

"Today things were different," Messi said.

"The team showed better attitude and commitment. It was an important step forward for us ahead of what's left in the season."

Barcelona now turns its focus to its Aug. 8 home game against Napoli in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The first leg, played before the break, ended 1-1.

Barcelona coach Quique Seti n finished under pressure after the team relinquished a two-point lead over Madrid when the league resumed following the pandemic break. It was four points back before Madrid's match at Legan s.

Barcelona defender Cl ment Lenglet had to be substituted early in the second half because of an apparent muscle injury.

Alav s, sitting in 15th, had already done enough to stay up.

BAR A "B" TEAM

American winger Konrad de la Fuente scored twice as Barcelona's "B" team beat Valladolid B to keep alive its hopes of reaching the second division next season. The victory put Barcelona in the second round of the promotion playoffs.

The 19-year-old De la Fuente, who recently had his contract with Barcelona extended through the 2021-22 season, scored in each half.

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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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