Tuesday 31 October 2017

Introduction to Football

Highest governing bodyFIFA
First played19 December 1863
Team members11 per side (including goalkeeper
VenueFootball pitch
Country or regionWorldwide
OlympicYes, men's since the 1900 Olympics and women's since the 1996 Olympics
ParalympicYes, 5-a-side since 2004 and 7-a-side since 1984

Introduction to Cricket

Highest governing bodyInternational Cricket Council
First played16th century
Team members11 players per side (substitutes permitted in some circumstances)
Mixed genderyes, separate competitions
Venuecricket field
Country or regionworldwide but most prominent in Australasia, Great Britain & Ireland, Indian sub-continent, southern Africa, West Indies
Olympicno (1900 Summer Olympics only)

Former Kerala Blasters star Kervens Belfort pays tribute to fans by saying that he won't celebrate goals against them

In the upcoming Indian Super League, Jamshedpur FC will have an edge in the attacking line up as they have signed attacking winger Kervens Belfort from Kerala Blasters. In his Facebook page, Belfort said that he won’t celebrate after scoring against Kerala Blasters since he has lot of respect for the club. He also said he respects the team members and the fans.

Kerala Blasters draw some crazy support from their fans. The sea of yellow jerseys in the gallery is a sheer delight for all.

Belfort paid homage to his former club Kerala Blasters, as he posted a picture of himself with Jamshedpur teammate Sameehg Doutie, saying that he would not celebrate goals against the Kerala Blasters.

The 25-year-old, who played for Kerala Blasters last season, was one of the prime reasons behind the Blasters’ run to the final under the coaching of Steve Coppell. In that season, he made 15 appearances and scored three goals apart from posing a constant threat on the wings for the opposing teams.

This year, Steve Coppell will be coaching Jamshedpur FC who are making their first-ever appearance in the ISL, Coppell wasted no time to bring in the Haitian. Coppell knows Belfort inside out and he will bring in lot of quality into the side. Assistant coach Ishfaq Ahmed is also very familiar with Belfort, having played alongside him at Kerala Blasters last season. 

With Belfort and Doutie in the attacking line up, Coppell's team will have no dearth of pace and the frontline already looks deadly.  Coppell, who is known for setting up defensively solid teams which likes to hit the opposition on the counter attacks, is evidently focusing on bringing proven performers in the demanding league. They have already signed the likes of Doutie, Tiri, Mehtab Hossain and Anas Edathodika.

The TATA Steel-owned franchise will have high hopes into their inaugural campaign. With the team they have, they are surely one of the title contenders.

BURY FC

 Lee Clarke and his assistant Alan Thompson have left Bury with immediate effect.

India U-19 side beat Qatari club Al Ghara

After the high of hosting the FIFA U-17 World Cup and participating in that event for the first time ever, the Indian colts are now preparing for their next assignment - the AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers. In preparation for their qualifying match next week, India travelled to Qatar to play a one-off match against the U-19 side of Al Ghara. India won the game 3-1 in a match played at Doha, the capital city of Qatar. 

Majority of this Indian U-19 team comprises of the U-17 members which recently participated in the World Cup. The Luis Norton De Matos-managed side started the game brilliantly and was dominating possession from the word go. Rahim Ali, the Indian forward scored a first-half brace while Al Ghara's goal was sandwiched between two of Ali's strikes. 

This practice game will serve as a springboard to work upon for these talented youngsters who will now face Saudi Arabia in the AFC Championship qualifier on the 4th of November. 

India's starting XI against Al Ghara: 

Dheeraj Singh, Sahil Panwar, Suresh Singh, Anwar Ali, Ninthoinganba Meetei, Rahim Ali, Naorem, Asish Rai, Roshan Singh Naorem, Princeton Rebello, Abhishek Halder

Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF)

Birendra Prasad Baishya has been re-elected as the president of the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) for the 2017-2021 term.

Archer hit by arrow

A young archer of the sports Authority of India here was injured by a stray arrow during a traning session on Monday.

South Africa men's team qualify

South Africa men qualified for the hockey WC to be held next year in Bhubaneswar after winning the Africa Cup of nations, defeating host Egypt in the final.

West Indies vs Zimbzbwe, 2nd Test (Day 2)

Zimbabwe 326 All Out
H.Masakadza (147)
S.Raza (80)
vs
West Indies 78 for 1 in 49 overs
K.Powell (43 batting)

Kerala Blasters unveil kit partners for upcoming season

Kerala Blasters have officially announced British-based sportswear Admiral as their new kit sponsor for the forthcoming season. As per the deal, Admiral India will supply Kerala Blaster's playing and replica kits along with branded sportswear and accessories.

Admiral is a well-established British sportswear company running since 1903 and has had experience of supplying jerseys for the England national football team, clubs like Manchester United, Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, national teams of Saudi Arabia, Wales etc. Apart from football, they have also supplied kits for the England cricket team and the West Indies cricket team. Since its inception of service in India, this is the first time it is collaborating with any Indian football club.

Meanwhile, it is also the kit maker for Sachin Tendulkar co-owned Pro Kabaddi League team Tamil Thalaivas. Incidentally, Muthoot Group, the main sponsor of Kerala Blasters also sponsors Tamil Thalaivas. It is learned that these connections of Tendulkar and Muthoot led this deal with Admiral possible for Kerala Blasters.

Kerala Blasters are widely regarded as one of the most followed clubs in India. They are even listed among the top 100 attended clubs in the world for a match day. But sadly, the Kerala Blasters management failed to tap into the potential of the apparel business among the passionate fans for the first three season.

Even as getting an international brand like Puma on board for first two seasons, they failed to release merchandises for millions of Blasters fans.

However, it is believed that this season all these scenarios will change as the Blasters' management is already planning to release merchandise for the fans. According to the deal, the official Kerala Blasters merchandise will be available online just before the season for an affordable range of prices.

Monday 30 October 2017

African football mourns death of Burkina Faso goalkeeper Soulama Abdoulaye

African football is mourning the death of former Burkina Faso goalkeeper Soulama Abdoulaye who died from a long illness in hospital in Bobo-Dioulasso aged 37.
Soulama won 42 caps for his country and played twice as the Stallions finished runners-up at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
His last professional club - Accra Hearts of Oak - led the tributes, announcing plans to observe a minute's silence before their Ghanaian FA Cup final against Asante Kotoko on Sunday.

MUMBAI CITY FC'S RESULTS IN PRE-SEASON

Mumbai City FC in Spain
Match No.DateOpponentScoreResult
113/10/2017UE Gandia3-0Win
216/10/2017CD Castellon2-1Win
318/10/2017CD AlcoyanoNANA
421/10/2017UD Alzira3-1Win
527/10/2017Levante UD 'B'2-2Draw

Deportivo sacks coach Pepe Mel

Deportivo la Coruna announced the sacking of coach Pepe Mel. Mel looked to have have saved his job in the recnt weeks with wins and draws, but now he has become the fourth coach to be sacked in the first nine weeks of the Spainsh league.

EURO LEAGUES

Premier Leauge

Liverpool (3) bt Huddersfield (0)

Man City (3) bt West Brom (2)

La Liga


Real Madrid (3) bt Eibar (0)


Bundesliga


Hannover 96 (4) bt Dortmund (2)

Mönchengladbach (3) bt Hoffenheim (1)
FC Augsburg (3) bt Werder (0)
VfB Stuttgart (3) bt SC Freiburg (0)

Ligue 1


PSG (3) bt OGC Nice (0)


Serie A


Sampdoria (4) bt Chievo (1)

Napoli (3) bt Sassuolo (1)
Lazio (5) bt Benevento (1)






Faf will be out of action for 6 weeks

Faf will not be playing for the next 6 weeks due to he is suffering and acute lumbar disc injury.

Michael Klinger joins Khulna Titans

Michael Klinger to Khulna Titans 
Brendon McCullum to Rangpur Riders 
Kieron Pollard to Dhaka Dynamites
Mushfiqur Rahim to Rajshahi Kings
Luke Wright to Rajshahi Kings 
Malcolm Waller to Rajshahi Kings
Mashrafe Mortaza to Rangpur Riders
Chris Lynn to Khulna Titans
Seekkuge Prasanna to Khulna Titans
Kyle Abbott to Khulna Titans 
Sarfraz Ahmed to Khulna Titans 
Shadab Khan to Khulna Titans
Rilee Rossouw to Khulna Titans 
Lendl Simmons to Rajshahi Kings

Former BCCI general manager MV Sridhar dies aged 51

Former Hyderabad captain MV Sridhar, who recently resigned as BCCI's general manager of cricket operations, died on Monday morning. Sridhar, who was 51-years old, suffered a heart attack at his home, and was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. He is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son.
A prolific right-hand batsman, Sridhar had 21 first-class centuries in a career that stretched between 1988-89 and 1999-2000. Sridhar was one of three Hyderabad batsmen to record a first-class triple-century, VVS Laxman and Abdul Azeem being the others. His knock of 366 against Andhra in 1994 is the third-highest individual score in the Ranji Trophy, behind Bhausaheb Nimbalkar's 443 not out and Sanjay Manjrekar's 377. Sridhar was also a qualified doctor. At the Hyderabad Cricket Association, Sridhar served in many roles before becoming the secretary.
D Narsing Rao, an HCA member and a close friend, said Sridhar had spoken to him over the phone this morning saying he had been feeling a bit "uneasy" over the past week. "At 12.30pm he [Sridhar] was uncomfortable so he called his cousin to come home. But then he felt better and told his cousin there was no need and had lunch. But an hour later he suffered a severe heart attack." Sridhar had been preparing for his daughter's birthday on November 2. She had been by his side at the time of the incident.

West Indies vs Zimbabwe, 2nd Test (Day 1)

Zimbabwe 169 for 4 in 61 overs
Hamilton Masakadza (101 batting)
Peter Moor (52)
vs West Indies

South Africa vs Bangladesh, 2nd T20

South Africa 224 for 4 in 20 overs
H.Amla (85)
David Miller (101*)
S.Al.Hassan (2 for 22)
beat
Bangladesh 141 All Out in 18.3 overs
S.Sarkar (44)
JPD (2 for 23)

MOM: David Miller

South Africa won by 83 runs and the series 2-0.

Miller blasts quickest ton in 35 balls while the previous record was of 45 balls by South Africa's Richard Levi and New Zeland in 2011.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanks, 3rd T20

Pakistan 180 for 3 in 20 overs
Umar Amin (45)
Shoaib Malik (51)
beat
Sri Lanka 144 for in 20 overs
Dasun Shanka (54)
Md.Amir (4 for 13)
Fahim Ashraf (2 for 19)

MOM: Md.Amir

Pakistan won by 36 runs and won the series 3-0

India vs New Zeland, 3rd ODI

India 337 for 6 in 50 overs
Rohit Sharma (147)
Virat Kohli (113)
beat
New Zeland 331 for 7 in 50 overs
Colin Munro (75)
Kane Williamson (64)
Tom Latham (65)
Jasprit Bumrah (3 for 47)

Toss: New Zeland choose to field first
MOM: Rohit Sharma
MOS:Virat Kohli

India won the match by 6 runs to clich the series 2-1.

PKL Awards

Top Scorer: Pardeep Narwal (Patna Pirates)
Best Debutant: Sachin (Gujrat Fortunegiants)
Best Raider: Pardeep Narwal (Patna Pirates)
Most Valuable player: Pardeep Narwal (Patna Pirates)
Best Defender: Surender Nada (Haryana Steelers)

Hockey Junior

India (4) bt Malaysia (0)

Hockey Junior

Great Britan (2) bt India (1)

Rating Kerala Blasters' foreign preseason tour

Matches played: 4
Wins: 2
Draws: 1
Losses: 1
Goals scored: 4
Goals conceded: 4
Clean sheets: 2

Mumbai City FC launch new jersey

Mumbai City FC unveiled their brand new Official Home Jersey for Season 4 of the Indian Super League here on Sunday, incorporating the iconic Bandra-Worli Sea Link into the design.The club, owned by Ranbir Kapoor and Bimal Parekh, has included all these elements to pay homage to the unique traits that have made Mumbai the special city that it is.

Nouri sacked by struggling Werder Bremen

Alexander Nouri has been sacked by Werder Bermen after the team moves closer to relegation.
Under-23 boss Florian Kohfeldt has been put in temporary charge of the first team.
Bremen say they hope to appoint a permanent replacement for Nouri during next month's international break.

Sunday 29 October 2017

India U17 star Komal Thatal reportedly attracts interest from Swedish club Orebro SK

While things haven't been going swimmingly for India's youth football star Komal Thatal, his stock hasn't dropped a great deal as sources now inform that the Sikkimese attacker is being tracked by Swedish top-flight outfit Orebro SK.

Apart from Komal, plenty of other players have also been identified by an assortment of clubs from across the world - mainly Europe - and India's goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem was also closely monitored.


Kerala Blasters

Kerala Blasters marquee player Dimitar Berbatov didn't start against Athletic de Coin. Considering the fact Berbatov, Rachubka, Sandesh Jhingan, and Iain Hume are all compatible to wear the captain's armband, we can't say that Meulensteen's decision is final.



ISL Friendlies

Bengaluru FC, who drew against Kolkata giants East Bengal a couple of days back, bagged a comfortable 3-1 win in a repeat friendly yesterday which was inspired by an early brace from striker Udanta Singh.

Last year's champions ATK have had a wonderful preseason till now and won 3-2 in their third friendly against UAE club Dibba Al-Hisn Sports Club. The former Liverpool striker and Irish legend Robbie Keane opened his account for his new club in the game. Strikers Bipin Singh and Zequinha where the other two scorers for the Kolkata-based club. With this win, ATK have now won 3 in 3 matches in their Dubai preseason and the players expressed their joy on social media.

FC Goa, who had a poor season last year, are ready for the new season with their third straight win in preseason, this time against Spanish side FC Cartagena. The Gaurs had a stunning 4-2 win against the Spanish side. Spanish strikers Ferran Corominas and Adrian Colunga were on the score sheet. The Highlanders NorthEast United FC also had their preseason friendly against Iraqi side Al Kahraba football club of which the results are not available.

With all the ten teams preparing hard for the new season which is around the corner, the fight for the silverware will be interesting to see.

FIFA U17 World Cup: All the stats and numbers from the most-attended U17 World Cup ever (Part-2)

66684 - Attendance in the final of the FIFA U17 World Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, "The Mecca of football in India."

Brazil - Fair Play Award winner.

The journey of FIFA U-17 World Cup in India may be over but it has left an indelible mark on every football fan in India. People showed their support and love to every team which went on the ground. This may be a seen as a beginning of the footballing revolution in India.


FIFA U17 World Cup: All the stats and numbers from the most-attended U17 World Cup ever (Part-1)

8 - Rhian Brewster, the Golden Boot winner, was tournament's top goal scorer with 8 goals in just 6 games and also assisted 1, involved in 9 goals in total. The Liverpool starlet managed to play 540 minutes. He was followed by Lassana Ndiaye and Abel Ruiz with 6 goals each.

23 - England! Most number of goals scored by a team in the tournament in 7 matches averaging more than 7.5 goals per game.

184 - Attempts made by Mali in the whole tournament which includes 16 goals scored, 44 shots blocked by the opposition, 41 shots saved and 83 shots off the target. Own goals are not included.

29 - Shield! Gabriel Brazao with the most number of saves in the tournament. He only conceded 5 goals. He also won the Golden Glove award.

3.5 - Number of goals scored per game in the tournament.

14 - Most number of yellow cards given to Mali, who committed 95 fouls. Iran follow with 10 yellows to their name with 66 fouls committed.

3 - Mali. Most number of penalties conceded.

1,347,130 - Record number of total attendance in a FIFA U17 World Cup tournament, that is approx. 25,900 per game. The craze for football is growing in India.

Pak vs SL

Sri Lanka 102 All Out in 18.3 overs
Hasan Ali (3 for 23)
M.Hafeez (2 for 10)
Usman Shinwari (2 for 24)
lost to
Pakistan 103 for 3 in 17.2 overs
S.Malik (42*)
Vikum Sanjaya (2 for 20)

SA vs Zim

South Africa 195 for 4 in 20 overs
Q.De.Qock (59)
ABD (49)
bt
Bangaldesh 175 for 9 in 20 overs
S.Sarkar (47)

IRELAND Squad (2017 GUINNESS Series)

IRELAND Squad (2017 GUINNESS Series):

Player/Club/Province/Caps -

Backs (17):

Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) *
Adam Byrne (UCD/Leinster) *
Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Leinster) 4
Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 3
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 62
Chris Farrell (Young Munster/Munster) *
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 29
Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 16
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 76
Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster) 5
Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 16
Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/UIster) 1
Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) 4
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 57
Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 66
Jacob Stockdale (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 2
Darren Sweetnam (Cork Constitution/Munster) *

Forwards (21):

Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (capt) 104
Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 4
Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht) 10
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 16
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 70
Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 32
Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 1
Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 20
Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster) 4
Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 41
Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster) 49
Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) 12
Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 40
Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 2
Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 16
James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 2
John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 9
CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 15
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 50
James Tracy (UCD/Leinster) 4
Kieran Treadwell (Ballymena/Ulster) 2

* Denotes uncapped player

2017 GUINNESS Series Fixtures -

IRELAND v South Africa
Saturday, November 11, kick-off 5.30pm
Aviva Stadium

IRELAND v Fiji
Saturday, November 18, kick-off 5.30pm
Aviva Stadium

IRELAND v Argentina

Saturday, November 25, kick-off 5.30pm
Aviva Stadium

India U-17 Football WC

Result

Final

England (5) bt Spain (2)

India U-17 Football WC

Results

Match for 3rd Place

Brazil (2) bt  Mali (0)

Pro Kabaddi Finals

Patna Pirates bt Gujrat Fortunrgiants (55-38)

Patna Pirates clinch their third title.

IPL 11 to be played between April 4 and May 31

According to ESPNCricinfo, the next season of the Indian 
Premier League will be held between April 4 and May 31.
Apart from the date, a proposal came up at the IPL governing council meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday which might allow the franchises to retain as many as three players ahead of next year's auctions. 

Saturday 28 October 2017

East Bengal complete foreign signings quota for upcoming season

After defender Carlyle Deon Mitchell suffered a hamstring which put him out of the field for 2 months, East Bengal officials were on the hunt for defenders and have finally reached an agreement with Eduardo Ferreira and Kamo's brother Bajo for I-League 2017/18.

East Bengal already have secured the services of versatile Syrian midfielder Mahmoud Al Amna, former Mohun Bagan star Katsumi Yusa along with former Chennai City FC forward Charles De Souza. East Bengal also has retained the services of Willis Plaza, despite a disappointing I-League campaign in 2016-17.

The 2017-18 I-League kicks off next month on 9th November as per the tentative schedule proposed by All India Football Federation. Clubs have asked for a delayed start citing FIFA's international window and infrastructure issues which can result in the league kicking off on the 16th of November.

I-League 2017-18: Season's first Kolkata derby reportedly set for December kick-off

Amid all the confusion over the fixture list of the 2017-18 I-League season, reports have now emerged that the top division Indian football league will kick off simultaneously with the 2017-18 Indian Super League season, on November 16th or 17th, according to Times News Network. Along with that, the tentative date for the season's first Kolkata derby has been set for the first week of December.

The ISL and I-Leauge will kick off on the same date.

Indian football team's Mumbai homeground to be upgraded into world class facility

The 8,000-capacity stadium is set to get a major renovation.

Currently, the stadium holds up to 8,000 people with bucket seats available only in certain stands. With the renovation, the stadium would have all the bucket seats and get upgraded to a 20,000-capacity stadium.

Arjun Kapoor becomes new co-owner of FC Pune City

In a big announcement today at the JW Marriot Hotel in Juhu, Indian Super League outfit FC Pune City announced their new co-owner and brand ambassador, Bollywood celebrity Arjun Kapoor. He was officially unveiled in the orange-purples of FC Pune City at a glitzy event this afternoon by club CEO Gaurav Modwel.

The 2017-18 ISL kick starts on 17th November but Pune City will start their campaign on 22nd November when they face Delhi Dynamos at the Balewadi Stadium.

5 contenders for Emerging Cricketer of the Year at ICC Awards 2017

Eligibility Criteria: Players eligible for this award must be under 26 years of age at the start of the voting period (21st September 2016) and should have played not more than five Tests and/or 10 ODIs before that date.

#5 Kuldeep Yadav - INDIA

#4 Shadab Khan - PAKISTAN

#3 Matt Renshaw - AUSTRALIA

#2 Hasan Ali - PAKISTAN

#1 Peter Handscomb - AUSTRALIA

Introduction to Polo



Varsity Polo 2013.jpg
NicknamesThe Sport of Kings
Clubs90
Team members4 per side
VenuePolo field (grass)
OlympicNo 

Introduction to Chess

A selection of black and white chess pieces on a chequered surface.

Players2
Playing timeCasual games usually last 10 to 60 minutes; tournament games last anywhere from about ten minutes (fast chess) to six hours or more.
Random chanceNone
Skill(s) requiredStrategytactics

Friday 27 October 2017

Tottenham Hotspur's Best Ever XI

Goalkeeper: Pat Jennings


Left-centre: Ledley King

Sweeper: Dave Mackay (captain)

Right-centre: Steve Perryman


Left: Cliff Jones

Right: Danny Blanchflower


Luka Modric

Ossie Ardiles

Glenn Hoddle


Left: Gareth Bale

Right: Jimmy Greaves




Eredivisie

Eredivisie nieuw logo 2017-.svg
Founded1956
CountryNetherlands Netherlands
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams18

Relegation toEerste Divisie
Domestic cup(s)KNVB Cup
Johan Cruyff Shield
International cup(s)UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League
Current championsFeyenoord (15th title)
(2016–17)
Most championshipsAjax (33 titles)
TV partnersFox Sports Eredivisie
NOS (Highlights)

Indian Football Team in AFC Asian Cup

AFC Ranking: 15 FIFA Ranking: 97 AFC Asian Cup Record Appearances: 3 (1964, 1984 & 2011) Best Finsih: 2nd (1964) Matches Played:...