Limassol: Indian boxers scaled new frontiers as they powered through to claim the top rank and bag the 2013 Invitational FXTM International Limassol Boxing Cup.
The Indian pugilists displayed grit and talent throughout the tournament and a stunning performance particularity in the finals Sunday with a total tally of 10 medals - four gold, three silver and three bronze - ensured a first place in the overall standings for the Indian contingent. This is the first time that Indian boxers have won a tournament on the European circuit.
Reigning national champion Madan Lal (52kg) was the first Indian to take to the ring. Up against Ayigah Dodsi from Belgium, Lal started strongly to register an early lead. His sharp combinations of straight punches and hooks helped him gain a five-point lead at the end of Round 1.
In the second, the Belgian tried to make a comeback but the 21-year-old Lal was up to the challenge, quickly changing his strategy. Lal relied more on counter-attacks in the final two rounds and went on to bag the flyweight title with ease....
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06:56 PM, May 20, 2013
Hyderabad: Kris Srikkanth, mentor of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, has termed the franchise's qualifying for the play-off stage of IPL 6 as similar to when India made it to the knock-outs of the 1983 World Cup after entering the tournament as rank underdogs. Hyderabad entered the last match of the league stage needing a win to secure a spot in the final four and did so through a solid fielding performance...
02:48 PM, May 20, 2013
Kolkata: Promising Deepika Kumari was done in by some sheer class of more experienced opponents as she settled for two silver medals, including one with Jayanta Talukdar, to help India finish fourth in the Archery World Cup Stage 1 that concluded in Shanghai Sunday. Pitted against Ok-Hee Yun, a team Olympic champion and individual bronze medallist in Beijing 2008, Deepika took a 4-2 lead but the Korean showed amazing resilience...
05:55 PM, May 19, 2013
Kuala Lumpur: India suffered a 0-5 thrashing at the hands of formidable China in their opening group match of the Sudirman Cup mixed team badminton championship here. Only P V Sindhu could offer a semblance of a fight in her 21-19, 16-21, 14-21 women's singles loss to Wang Yihan while the four other Indians were outclassed by the Chinese at the Putra Stadium. The Group A match began with the...
05:30 PM, May 19, 2013
Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff officially opened Brasilia's Mane Garrincha World Cup stadium. Despite controversy surrounding delays and cost overruns, Rousseff said the 71,000-seat venue was now the source of pride among Brazilians, reports Xinhua. "A year ago they said that we wouldn't build our stadiums, that they wouldn't be ready. But now we are seeing that the stadiums have been built and are being opened. I am...
03:00 PM, May 19, 2013
Madrid: Better known for his tough tackles, powerful heading ability and nerves of steel when taking penalties, Sergio Ramos appeared in the conference room to represent the club and deftly handled a string of awkward questions. "If I am here it is for a reason. I can also answer questions just like the boss," Ramos said. "We are here to talk about football, and not about controversy or the future...
09:38 AM, May 17, 2013
Barcelona: With a return to England looking likely, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho can go out a winner when his team plays crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid on Friday in the Copa del Rey final. Luckily for Mourinho and Madrid, Atletico have been incapable of winning a Spanish capital derby so far this millennium. Atletico's last victory over their city rivals came 14 years ago, in 1999. Since then, Madrid have...
09:37 AM, May 17, 2013
Sao Paulo's World Cup stadium will be ready on time, FIFA said on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after warning the city it could lose the right to stage matches because of delays in building the new arena. Soccer's governing body said it had reached a settlement with stadium owners Corinthians the day after the two parties were involved in a public disagreement. Corinthians president Andres Sanchez said there had...
12:29 PM, May 16, 2013
Kolkata: Talismanic Nigerian Edeh Chidi struck a hat-trick and set up a couple more as East Bengal thrashed Yangon United of Myanmar 5-1 to enter the AFC Cup quarter-final for the second time after 2004. It was Chidi (25th, 71st and 76) who made his presence felt with a treble while Penn Orji (2nd) and captain Mehtab Hossain (48th) chipped in with a goal each much to the delight of...
10:06 PM, May 15, 2013
Madrid: Jose Mourinho faces ending a season without a major trophy for the first time in a decade if his Real Madrid side fail to beat city rivals Atletico Madrid in the King's Cup final at the Bernabeu on Friday. Since starting out in his first full season as a coach with Porto in the 2002/3 campaign, through spells with Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real, the Portuguese has amassed two...
05:53 PM, May 15, 2013
Sao Paulo: Ronaldinho and Kaka have been left out of Brazil's team for the Confederations Cup in June. Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari on Tuesday also overlooked Alexandre Pato and Ramires for the World Cup warm-up tournament that Brazil will host. The team does include Santos' Neymar, Chelsea's Oscar, Real Madrid's Marcelo, and Paris Saint-Germain's Lucas and Thiago Silva. "I sincerely hope that from now on, regardless of the players...
09:59 PM, May 14, 2013
London: As blue-and-white confetti exploded under the Wembley arch, Wigan players lifted a trophy for the first time in the club's 81-year history. In one of the biggest FA Cup final upsets, a team playing non-league football 35 years ago and assembled for barely $30 million beat big-spending Manchester City 1-0 on Saturday. Winning English football's showpiece match was not only a reward for Wigan owner Dave Whelan's investment in...
11:48 PM, May 11, 2013
Australia's Royal Melbourne Golf Club will host this year's edition of the World Cup of Golf, which has been played in China since 2007, the tournament's promoters said on Saturday. Mission Hills Group, which has hosted the tournament five times in China, said the 57th edition would be held in Melbourne in November to ensure it maintained its global status. "Mission Hills recognises the need to maintain the tournament's prestigious...
01:58 PM, May 11, 2013
London: The FA Cup final on Saturday features two teams apparently heading in different directions. There's Manchester City, confirmed for another season in the ritzy Champions League. And Wigan, happy to forget for one day an impending fall into anonymity in the League Championship. Wigan, three points from avoiding relegation in the English Premier League with two games to go, still believes they can stay up. In their pursuit for...
08:29 AM, May 11, 2013
London: Roberto Martinez is a strong manager who can keep Wigan Athletic in the Premier League, Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini said on the eve of Saturday's FA Cup final against the Spaniard's struggling team. Wigan's place in the top flight is under threat as they are three points from safety with two matches to play but Mancini believes Martinez can keep them afloat. "Martinez is a strong manager and...
11:25 PM, May 10, 2013
London: Lionel Messi's life story is set to hit the movie screens in time for the 2014 World Cup. Epic Pictures Group says it is financing and developing a Rocky-style film after buying the rights to dramatize a biography about the Barcelona soccer star. The Beverly Hills-based company says the biopic will chart Messi's rise from a modest background in Argentina and how he "overcame his physical shortcomings to become...
06:48 PM, May 10, 2013
New Delhi: The Indian cricket team will have its hands full with non-stop cricket for nearly nine months, starting this December, which hardly leaves them with any time away from the game. After months of uncertainty, the tour to New Zealand next year is back on track, leaving virtually no rest period for MS Dhoni's men. CNN-IBN has learnt that after prolonged negotiations between the respective cricket boards ended months...
05:15 PM, May 10, 2013
Uruguay forward Luis Suarez has escaped a sanction for allegedly punching an opponent during the World Cup qualifier against Chile, the country's football federation (AUF) said in a statement. Soccer's governing body FIFA opened an investigation after Argentine referee Nestor Pitana missed the incident which happened as Suarez tussled with Gonzalo Jara as they lined up for a corner during Chile's 2-0 win in Santiago. "The matter in question does...
03:40 PM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: Indian shooters' disappointing show in the ISSF World Cup in Fort Benning, USA continued as all the participants in the 10-metre Air Pistol men's event crashed out in the qualifying round, with Jitu Rai narrowly missing the final cut. Rai finished 11th with a total score of 579 while Amanpreet Singh finished 17th after shooting 576 over six series. Prakash Nanjappa, who had emerged as India's latest success...
11:59 PM, May 07, 2013
Hyderabad: After winning her first major international title, the Malaysia Grand Prix Gold 2013, ace Indian shuttler P V Sindhu is aiming to break into top 10 by the end of this year. She is currently ranked world number 13. Sindhu arrived at the P Gopichand Badminton Academy to a grand welcome from the coaches, staff and her peers. She hopes to do well in the Sudirman Cup and other...
08:41 AM, May 07, 2013
