Sydney, June 2 (IANS): Australia opener David Warner said watching Indians struggle for oxygen and seeing people a couple of times line up on streets to cremate family members hit visiting players hard during Indian Premier League (IPL). "I think it really hit home when everyone saw that piece on the TV about what was happening in India with the oxygen," Warner was quoted as saying by Fox Sports. "You know, people on the streets lining up to cremate their family me

Mumbai, June 2 (IANS): India women cricket team's travel to England for their first Test in seven years will pit them in challenging conditions but the team is not going with a pre-determined plan. Though this will be India women's first Test in seven years, many of the current squad members featured in India's last Test in 2014, also against England, at Wormsley. Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Punam Raut and Harmanpreet Kaur were in the

New Delhi, June 2 (IANS): Neeraj Chopra, India's medal hope at Olympic Games in men's javelin throw, looks doubtful for this month's Kuortane Games due to travel restrictions placed by Finland government on Indian visitors. Kuortane Games is a one-day athletics meet scheduled to take place on June 26. "It looks doubtful as Chopra hasn't got approval to travel to Kuortane from the Finnish government though he would be competing in Karlstad Grand Prix in Sweden

Dubai, June 2 (IANS): The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has given India a month's time to show its readiness to host T20 World Cup in the country later this year. The governing body of cricket, however, confirmed that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will remain host of the tournament, to be held in October-November, even it is shifted outside India. The ICC Board has also asked its management to begin planning the tournament in UAE and look for anothe

Mumbai, June 1 (IANS) India women's Test captain Mithali Raj on Tuesday empathised with women's world No.2 tennis star Naomi Osaka of Japan for opting to not speak to media due to her mental health saying that life in bio-secure environment could be tough. Mithali, however, said Indian women cricketers cannot afford to ignore media since they need its support. "I think it is tough to be in quarantine for any athlete. But I think getting into a tournament we don't

Paris, June 1 (IANS) Naomi Osaka, who pulled out of French Open tournament on Monday due to her mental health and was fined $15,000 for skipping media interaction on Sunday, is the world's highest-earning female athlete. Her absence from any Grand Slam event may hurt the tournament itself due to heavy interest of sponsors in her. Naomi pipped long-time top grosser Serena Williams to second place and moved into first place in the 2020 Forbes list for highest earning female athlet

London, June 1 (IANS): New Zealand pace bowler Trent Boult will arrive on Friday but will be available only for World Test Championship final against India from June 18. Left-armer Boult, who is already skipping the first Test against England that begins at Lord's on Wednesday, will also miss second Test against Joe Roots team at Edgbaston from June 10. "I don't think you will see Trent [Boult] in the two Test matches here," said NZ coach Gary Stead while speaking

Paris, June 1 (IANS): French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton said he is expecting Naomi Osaka to return to Roland Garros next year after Japanese world No. 2 player withdrew from the clay-court Grand Slam tournament on Monday due to her mental health. "We are sorry and sad for Naomi Osaka. The outcome of Naomi withdrawing from Roland Garros is unfortunate," said Moretton in a short press conference. "We wish her the best and the quickest possible recove

New Delhi, June 1 (IANS): Nine days after two time olympic medallist Sushil Kumar was arrested on May 24 in connection with the murder of wrestler Sagar Dhankar, Delhi Police has suspended his arms license. According to informed sources in Delhi Police related to his case, Delhi Police has sent notice to Kumar to cancel his arms license that was issued to him in 2012. The source said that as of now the arms license of Kumar has been suspended and in the notice Police has asked wh

Paris, June 1 (IANS): Naomi Osaka has received backing from Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams after the Japanese tennis star pulled out of French Open on Monday. Naomi's decision to not speak to media due to mental health did not find acceptance with organisers of Grand Slam tournaments. She was fined $15,000 for skipping media interaction after her first round win and was also warned of suspension from future Grand Slam events. "I am so sad about Naomi Osaka. I tr

Paris, June 1 (IANS): World No. 2 Naomi Osaka of Japan on Monday withdrew from the French Open over her stand to not to speak to the media due to her mental health. Naomi, 23, defeated Romania's Patricia Maria Tig on Sunday, but did not turn up to face media. This prompted the organisers to fine her $15,000 and be warned that she faced expulsion from Grand Slam tournaments if she continued to do so. On Monday, Naomi posted a statement on Twitter, saying that she had "suf

Mumbai, May 31 (IANS): Goalkeeper Amrinder Singh has left Indian Super League (ISL) champions and League winners Mumbai City Football Club after representing it for five seasons, the club announced on Monday. Singh's contract got over on Monday. Singh, 27, who joined the club on September 7, 2016, initially on loan from Bengaluru FC, made his debut for the Islanders in a 0-0 draw against FC Goa in November that year. With 84 appearances for Mumbai City FC, his last one com

Beijing, May 31 (IANS): The Asian Zone World Cup 2022 qualifying matches scheduled to be played at a centralised Chinese venue will be moved elsewhere owing to coronavirus-related travel restrictions. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Monday the Group A matches would be relocated to 'a neutral venue, which will be decided and announced in the coming days'. "The decision was made due to the mounting challenges faced by several participating teams in trave

Sydney, May 31 (IANS): Cricket Australia (CA) is yet to discuss availability of Aussie cricketers for Indian Premier League (IPL) which resumes in UAE later this year, said Nick Hockley, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CA, on Monday. Hockley, who was confirmed as CEO on Monday after being in interim position for a year, said it was too early to discuss players' availability in IPL since the returning cricketers had only come out of quarantine in Sydney on Monday. "Once

Tunis (Tunisia), May 31 (IANS): Indians Diya Chitale and Swastika Ghosh's splendid run came to an end at the World Table Tennis Youth Star Contender as the pair lost 0-3 to Russians Natalia Malinina and Elizabet Abraamian in the under-19 girls doubles final here. Diya and Swastika lost 3-11, 6-11, 7-11. Earlier, they had made their way into the final after defeating Czech Republic's Linda Zaderova and Croatia's Hana Arapovic 8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 11-9 in a semi-final m

London, May 31 (IANS): England pace bowler James Anderson is on cusp of surpassing Anil Kumble's Test tally of 619 wickets and equal Alastair Cook's record of most Test matches for England. The 38-year-old pacer, who has 614 wickets in 160 Tests, will likely go past former India leg-spinner in first Test against New Zealand that begins at Lord's on Wednesday. Anderson is fourth on list of Test cricket's top wicket-takers while Kumble is third. Ex-Sri Lanka off-spinne

London, May 31 (IANS): New Zealand will look to improve their poor Test record at Lord's when they take on depleted England in first of two Tests from Wednesday. Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer (both due to injuries), Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran and Jonny Bairstow (all rested after Indian Premier League) won't feature in the first Test giving Kiwis an opportunity to win only their second Test at the home of cricket. New Zealand have won only one out of the 1

New Delhi, May 31 (IANS): Expert horse rider Fouaad Mirza, the first Indian to qualify for Olympic Games equestrian in 20 years, has completed the minimum eligibility requirement (MER) to compete in the Olympics Games' eventing discipline. At the Baborowko Equestrian Festival in Poland on Saturday, Mirza retained the first two placings in his event, with Seigneur Medicott finishing first and Dajara 4 second after the cross-country to complete the MER formalities before the June

Sydney, May 31 (IANS): Cricket Australia on Monday announced the appointment of Nick Hockley as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Hockley had been serving as interim CEO since June 2020. "The board of Cricket Australia confirms the appointment of Nick Hockley to the position of Chief Executive Officer," said a statement from Cricket Australia (CA). The success in the conduct of last year's domestic and international season in Australia went in Hockley's favour.

Paris, May 31 (IANS): World No. 2 women's tennis player Naomi Osaka was fined $15,000 for refusing to speak to media after her first round win at French Open and faces expulsion from Grand Slam tournaments if she continues to do so. The Japanese player had defeated Romania's Patricia Maria Tig 6-4 7-6 (7-4) late on Sunday but did not turn up to face media. The rules of Grand Slam tournaments state that players can be fined up to $20,000 for failing to meet media obligatio