Tag: Sports

Foz Do Iguacu (TIP)- The Indian contingent bagged six medals, including a gold and a silver, at the World Boxing Cup Brazil 2025 at Foz Do Iguacu.
Hitesh Gulia became the first Indian boxer to clinch a gold medal in the World Boxing Cup. He was handed a walkover in the final of the men’s 70kg weight category as opponent, Odel Kamara of England, was injured and couldn’t take to the ring.
Abhinash Jamwal, the other Indian boxer to reach the final in the 65kg category, gave his best against local favourite Yuri Reis but had to settle for a silver medal.
Four Indian boxers, including Jadumani Singh Mandengbam (50kg), Manish Rathore (55kg), Sachin (60kg) and Vishal (90kg), bagged bronze medals after going down in the semi-finals.
Like in Olympic boxing, both losing semi-finalists received bronze medals at the Brazil meet.
After winning his gold, Hitesh Gulia credited the 10-day preparation camp in Brazil ahead of the tournament as something that helped him and the team a lot. “The camp helped me learn a few tactical nuances that helped me a lot in the competition. This tournament has provided us fantastic exposure at the highest level and I am happy that I could grab the gold medal,” said Hitesh.
Over 130 boxers, including Olympians from 19 different countries, participated in the first World Boxing Cup of the year. Competitions were being held for both men and women but India only had representation in the 10 men’s weight categories.
The women missed out on the meet on account of the senior nationals being held earlier this month.
The Brazil meet is one of the three World Boxing Cups scheduled for this year. Kazakhstan and India will host the other two in June-July and November, respectively.
Ranking points will be on offer at each meet with the top-ranked boxers qualifying for the season-ending World Boxing Cup Finals.

Madrid (TIP)- Barcelona have made it back to the Copa del Rey final. Atletico Madrid are left enduring yet another elimination. Barcelona defeated Atletico 1-0 on Wednesday to reach their first Copa final in four seasons, setting up a “clasico” against Real Madrid.
Ferran Torres scored a first-half winner for the Catalan club, who advanced 5-4 on aggregate after a 4-4 draw in the first leg in Barcelona in February. Madrid eliminated Real Sociedad in extra time, also advancing 5-4 on aggregate. The rivals will meet in the Copa decider for the first time since the 2013-14 season, when Madrid won the title.
“It feels great to win here, and it’s even more special that it means we have qualified for the final,” Torres said. “It’s always good motivation to be in a final, even more so when it’s against a direct rival.”
It was yet another disappointing home elimination for Atletico after they lost on penalties to Madrid in the Round of 16 of the Champions League last month.
“We are just as sad as our fans,” Atletico defender Jose Maria Gimenez said. “We have to raise our heads and try to finish the season the best way possible.”
The Copa was Atletico’s only realistic hope for a title this season, as they trail first-placed Barcelona by nine points after 29 matches in the league. “Our team has competed really well,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. “It did it in the Champions League, in the Copa and in the league.”
Reds restore 12-point lead with 1-0 win
London: Diogo Jota scored the goal that settled the Merseyside derby on Wednesday and kept Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge on track. The Portugal international’s second-half strike sealed a 1-0 win at Anfield and restored Liverpool’s 12-point lead over Arsenal at the top of the standings.
With just eight games remaining this season, this was one of the biggest hurdles standing in the way of a record-equalling 20th English title for Arne Slot’s team. And it was Jota who came up with the decisive moment in the 57th minute when he twisted his way through the box and lashed a shot past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard played down the chats surrounding Rohit Sharma’s lukewarm start to the IPL, saying the ace batter should not be judged on the back of a couple of low scores. Former skipper Rohit, who landed MI five IPL titles, has failed to fire so far in this edition of the tournament, making 0, 8 and 13. “Rohit has etched his name in history, in record books, in different situations, in different formats of the game. He is a legend of the game. So, let’s not judge him on a couple of low scores,” said Pollard.
Pollard said a big innings from the 37-year-old is just around the corner, and he should not be put under undue pressure. “There are times when you will have a couple of low scores. As an individual, he is enjoying his cricket and not being pressurised in certain situations. I am sure we will be singing his praises when he comes and he gives us that big score and then we will be on to the next hot topic,” said Pollard.
Mumbai have unearthed some young talent this season and the Trinidadian was delighted to see them chipping in for the team.
“We have young guys coming in at different times and doing well. We tend to put a lot of expectations on their shoulders and straight away start to think that the senior guys who have nurtured them should be out of the reckoning. There should be a balance,” he said.

Kolkata (TIP)- Venkatesh Iyer answered his critics with a match-winning 60 off 29 balls, propelling Kolkata Knight Riders to a convincing 80-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL here on April 3. Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s classy 50 off 32 balls in an 81-run stand with skipper Ajinkya Rahane (38 off 27) laid the foundation, while Iyer and Rinku Singh (32 not out off 17 balls) provided the late fireworks with a 91-run partnership off 41 balls to lift KKR to 200/6 — their highest total of the season. Seamer Vaibhav Arora set the tone by removing the dangerous Travis Head (4) and Ishan Kishan (2) in successive overs to return with impressive figures of 3/29.
Harshit Rana dismissed Abhishek Sharma (2), leaving SRH reeling at 9/3 in 2.1 overs, while Andre Russell and Sunil Narine also chipped in with a wicket each to make it 66/5 inside 10 overs.
Varun Chakravarthy then cleaned up the lower order taking two wickets in two balls en route to his 3/22 as SRH crumbled to 120 all out — their explosive batting lineup lasting just 16.4 overs.
The defending champions thus returned to winning ways after losing two of their first three matches. Meanwhile, SRH, endured their third straight defeat.
After being reduced to 9/3, Nitish Reddy (19) counterattacked Arora with two fours and a six, while Kamindu Mendis (27 off 20 balls) lifted hopes by taking on Russell with a pick-up shot over deep square leg. But Russell struck back to remove Reddy before Narine accounted for Mendis in the 10th over, reducing SRH to 66/5 at the halfway mark and effectively ending their chase.
Earlier, KKR’s new-look opening pair continued to struggle, with Quinton de Kock (1) and Narine (7) once again falling cheaply after Pat Cummins opted to bowl first.
Rahane and Raghuvanshi steadied the innings, countering early movement with intelligent shot selection. Rahane’s back-to-back pull-shot sixes off Mohammed Shami and Cummins broke the shackles, as KKR reached 53/2 after the powerplay.
Raghuvanshi showcased his stroke-making prowess with exquisite drives and a stunning reverse hit past backward point, reaching his fifty in 30 balls.
Zeeshan Ansari eventually ended the partnership, dismissing Rahane in the same over Raghuvanshi was dropped on 43.
However, the youngster didn’t last long, falling to a stunning forward-diving catch off IPL debutant Mendis. Mendis bowled left-arm spin to right-hander Raghuvanshi before switching to off-spin against the left-handed Rinku Singh in the same over, a rare sight in the competition.
Boundaries dried up for 16 balls before Iyer, KKR’s costliest player this season (Rs 23.75 crore), broke the shackles with a desperate pull off a Simarjeet Singh beamer.
Rinku followed with three successive boundaries off Harshal Patel before Iyer tore into Simarjeet, hammering him for consecutive fours. Rinku finished the over with a towering six over long-on, while Iyer went berserk against Cummins in the 19th over, smashing him for 4, 6, 4, 4 in succession as KKR amassed 78 runs in the last five overs.

Guwahati (TIP)- After giving a match-winning performance against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener Quinton De Kock expressed his feelings on scoring an unbeaten fifty in the sixth match of the competition.
De Kock won the Player of the Match award after playing unbeaten innings of 97 runs from 61 balls at a staggering strike rate of 159.02, which was laced by eight boundaries and six maximums in his innings.
Speaking after the match, the wicketkeeper-batter said that he felt really good as he got an opportunity to play and make it count for the defending champions.
“Nice to get my opportunity, and I wanted to make it count. To be fair, haven’t felt any challenges yet. Have had 3 months off which felt nice. Had about a 10-day build-up to this season. Only my second game here, just taking it as I see it. Luckily, we batted second so I could watch the wicket, see how the ball was behaving. Just played the situation of the game. The IPL is known for big sixes and big scores, but that wasn’t the moment for me. It was just about winning it, as far as I know it,” De Kock said in the post-match presentation.
Further, the 32-year-old player spoke about the pitch conditions of the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati during the second innings of the encounter.
“I love meeting new people and being in new environments. It is about finding your feet within the team. Sometimes, the team accepts you later, but here, with KKR, they have accepted me already with open arms, so it feels good. Not the type of wicket for that kind of game; the ball was turning and stopping. It was a working man’s wicket. If we get an opportunity at a better wicket, then surely that will be a chat, but today it was all about getting down and winning it,” the former South African cricketer added. Source: ANI

Las Vegas (TIP): George Foreman, the fearsome heavyweight who lost the “Rumble in the Jungle” to Muhammad Ali before his inspiring second act as a 45-year-old champion and a successful businessman, died Friday night. He was 76. Foreman’s family announced his death on social media, not saying how or where he died. “A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,” his family wrote. “A humanitarian, an Olympian and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he was deeply respected. A force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name— for his family.”
A native Texan, Foreman began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medalist who inspired fear as he climbed to the peak of the heavyweight division by stopping Joe Frazier in 1973. His formidable aura evaporated only a year later when Ali pulled off one of the most audacious victories in boxing history in Zaire, baiting and taunting Foreman into losing his belt in one of the greatest fights ever staged.
Foreman left the sport a few years later, but returned after a 10-year absence and a self-described religious awakening.
The 45-year-old then pulled off one of the most spectacular knockouts in boxing history in 1994, flooring Michael Moorer — 19 years his junior — with one perfect combination to claim Moorer’s two heavyweight belts.
Foreman’s transformation into an inspirational figure was complete, and he fought only four more times before moving onto his next career as a genial businessman, pitchman and occasional actor.
He was best known as the face of the George Foreman Grill, which launched in the same year as his victory over Moorer. The simple cooking machine sold more than 100 million units and made him much wealthier than his sport ever did.
“George was a great friend to not only myself, but to my entire family,” Top Rank president Bob Arum said. “We’ve lost a family member and are absolutely devastated.” (AP)

SHANGHAI (TIP): McLaren’s Oscar Piastri scored his maiden pole position in Formula 1 ahead of Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix by delivering two sizzling laps that were quick enough for the top spot ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell. The 23-year-old Australian, who is maximizing his weekend with second in Saturday morning’s Sprint race, said he’s “pretty pumped” to go one better Sunday, with the major challenge being tire wear.
Piastri, who will start the 56-lap race two places ahead of McLaren teammate Lando Norris, set it up by putting it all on the line on his final Q3 lap.
“My first lap was honestly better than my second lap, but just at the end of the (back) straight I lost a bit of time and didn’t do the best hairpin,” Piastri said.
“On the second lap,” he continued, “I was about two-tenths down on myself. So, I kind of just went ‘why not send it into the hairpin’ and I gained those back, and found a little bit more in the last corner. I was tempted to box before that, so I’m pretty happy now that I didn’t.”
Norris, who won the season opening Australian Grand Prix, will start ahead of his expected title rival, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who was fourth.
Sprint winner Lewis Hamilton starts fifth for Ferrari ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.
Russell will be on the front row for the 15th time and first since Qatar last year. The British driver was thrilled to split the McLarens given the pace deficit he previously highlighted.
“To be on the front row is a really great place to start,” Russell said.
Russell had also managed to pull out a searing final lap, describing the qualifying session as one of the hardest of his career, given the difficulty in managing the tires.
“The first lap in Q3, I was full-gas. And it seemed OK, I was thinking I was in P5 … and then found four-tenths on my last lap,” he said.
Norris led the first segments of qualifying (Q1 and Q3) but said he’d done a “terrible job” in the session, having pitted on his final lap following a couple of mistakes.
“Oscar’s shown great pace. I definitely haven’t,” Norris said.
“Whenever we struggle with front (tire) graining, it’s something I just struggle with a lot,” he added. “It’s difficult for me, it’s been a therefore difficult weekend, just trying to deal with those things. It’s not something I’m strong enough in. (AP)

India’s Lakshya Sen bowed out of the All England Badminton Championships after a straight-game loss to Chinese world No. 6 Li Shi Feng in the men’s singles quarterfinals. The 2022 finalist, who had narrowly lost a Paris Olympic medal last year, was outplayed 10-21, 16-21 in a 45-minute contest.
Sen, ranked world No. 15, had won his last two matches against Li, including at the Thomas Cup. But on the day, he struggled against his familiar Chinese opponent from the junior class of 2018.
Feng stamped his authority early, winning the first game in just 17 minutes.
He played composed badminton, avoiding unnecessary risks. A powerful smash gave him a 9-4 lead, and he entered the break with a solid 11-4 advantage.
Sen’s unsuccessful review left him trailing 4-12, but he briefly upped his attack, reducing the gap to 7-12 with a sharp cross-court smash.
However, Feng adjusted quickly, mixing up his pace and tactics effectively.
A precise review put him ahead 19-10 before unforced errors from Sen handed Feng the game.
Sen showed signs of improvement in the second game, but Feng remained dominant, sealing the issue in 27 minutes.
Sen trailed 2-5 but clawed back with better net play, edging ahead 10-8 after a gruelling 37-shot rally.
He took a slender three-point lead at the break and kept pace in a tight battle, with a marathon 44-shot exchange locking it at 14-all.
However, the tall Feng upped his aggression, moving ahead 17-15 with a powerful smash.
At 15-18, Sen suffered some finger bruises, spilling blood on the court and requiring medical attention and the court had to be cleaned.
The brief stoppage, however, did little to halt Feng’s momentum, as he powered through with another thundering smash to close out the match.

Mumbai (TIP)- Axar Patel has been appointed captain of Delhi Capitals (DC) for IPL 2025. He has been with DC since 2019 and was their top retention for INR 16.50 crore ahead of the mega auction last November. While his captaincy experience isn’t extensive, he was named India’s T20I vice-captain in January this year. Axar, 31, has led his state team Gujarat in 23 matches across formats, most recently in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2024-25. He captained DC in one IPL match last year – a must-win fixture that they lost to RCB to miss out on the playoffs – when Rishabh Pant was serving a ban for a slow over-rate.
With Pant’s exit from the DC franchise ahead of the mega auction, Axar was their most experienced player. He’s played 82 games for them across six seasons; last year he scored 235 runs at an average of nearly 30 and took 11 wickets with an economy rate of 7.65.
“It is my absolute honour to captain the Delhi Capitals, and I’m deeply grateful to our owners and support staff for placing their faith in me,” Axar said in a DC statement. “I’ve grown as a cricketer and a human being during my time here at the Capitals, and I feel ready and confident to lead this side going forward.
“Our coaches and scouts have done a superb job at the mega auction by putting together a balanced and robust squad which has tremendous potential. We have plenty of leaders in the group, which is also very helpful for me, and I can’t wait to join the team as we look forward to a very successful season for the Capitals, backed by the immense love and support of our fans.”
The squad has KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis, who have both led other IPL teams in the past, and Mitchell Starc among the senior international players.
“We are delighted to appoint Axar as the Delhi Capitals captain. He has been an integral part of the Capitals family since 2019 and embodies the values that this team is built on,” DC chairman Kiran Kumar Grandhi said, “This decision reflects the natural progression for him as a leader – from being our vice-captain for two seasons to now leading the team, he has always stepped up to the occasion for us. Axar has the full support of our coaching staff and the experienced leadership group, and I wish him the very best for this new role which I am confident he will excel in.”
DC co-owner Parth Jindal said, “I have witnessed Axar’s progression as a cricketer and a leader first-hand at the Delhi Capitals,” said. “Having personally picked Axar in 2019, my relationship with him is one that goes beyond cricket. Having seen him as the vice-captain of the team over the last two years, it is safe to say that he is a much-loved character in the dressing room and is someone who I am sure will motivate the players in the squad.
“From being an economical spinner who had an immediate impact when he came onto bowl, Axar has blossomed into a brilliant, mature cricketer whose all-round prowess was on full display in India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy winning campaigns recently. I wish him good luck as he starts a new innings in his cricketing journey. With seniors like KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis and Mitchell Starc being part of our leadership group, I believe this is the start of something special for the Delhi Capitals.”

Dubai (TIP)- India and New Zealand are set to clash in a major tournament final in white-ball cricket for the first time in 25 years. New Zealand secured their place in the Champions Trophy 2025 final with a dominant performance against South Africa in the second semi-final in Lahore on Wednesday, March 5. The Black Caps will now face familiar rivals India in the grand finale on Sunday, March 9, in Dubai.
India became the first team to book their spot in the final after defeating Australia by four wickets in Dubai on Tuesday. New Zealand, who lost their last Group A match against India, will now have the opportunity to avenge that defeat when they take on Rohit Sharma and his men at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India and New Zealand have met twice before in ICC tournament finals. The last time they faced each other in a title match was in the 2021 ICC World Test Championship final in Southampton, where a Kane Williamson-led New Zealand outclassed India by eight wickets in a rain-affected contest that stretched over six days.
India secured a spot in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final by defeating Australia by four wickets in the semi-final held on March 4, 2025, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Match Highlights:
– Australia’s Innings: After opting to bat first, Australia posted a total of 264 runs. Steve Smith top-scored with 73 runs, and Alex Carey contributed 60 runs.
– India’s Chase: Virat Kohli anchored India’s response with a crucial 84 runs. Despite losing wickets at intervals, India successfully chased down the target in 48.1 overs, thanks to key contributions from KL Rahul (36 not out) and Hardik Pandya (28).
– Man of the Match: Virat Kohli was named Man of the Match for his pivotal innings.
– This victory propels India into their third consecutive Champions Trophy final, where they will face the winner of the second semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa.
– The final is scheduled for March 9, 2025, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

England’s Test captain Ben Stokes is being considered as a potential replacement for Jos Buttler as the limited-overs skipper with ECB’s director of men’s cricket, Rob Key emphasising that it would be “stupid” not to explore the option, given his leadership qualities and the need to revive England’s struggling white-ball setup.
Stokes, 33, has not played ODIs since the 2023 World Cup, where he reversed his initial decision to retire from the format.
His Champions Trophy return was marred by a second hamstring tear in six months, sustained during the third Test against New Zealand.
“I think nothing’s off the table really,” Key was quoted saying in ESPNcricinfo. “You look at every single option and you think, right, what is the best thing to do? How is that going to impact on other things?”
“Ben Stokes is one of the best captains I’ve ever seen. So it would be stupid not to look at him. It’s just the knock-on effect of what that means.
Source: PTI

Rawalpindi (TIP)- Pakistan’s campaign in the Champions Trophy ended on a winless note after their match against Bangladesh was called off without a ball being bowled due to incessant rain here on Thursday, February 27. The match was effectively a dead-rubber, with both teams already out of contention after failing to secure a win in their two previous matches. Pakistan, hosting an ICC tournament for the first time in 29 years, had hoped for a strong finish but ended their disastrous campaign without a victory.
Persistent downpour left the ground soaked, with covers in place and puddles forming around the field. With weather not improving, match officials called off the game nearly two hours after the scheduled start time. The gloomy weather prevented even the toss from taking place.
As a result, the two teams shared one point each, though both Pakistan and Bangladesh finished the tournament winless.
This is the second match in Rawalpindi to be called off without a ball being bowled, following the washout between South Africa and Australia earlier this week.
The rain-induced abandonment left the home fans frustrated, as they hoped for play at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan have faced criticism for their poor showing in the tournament, having suffered defeats to New Zealand (by 60 runs) and India (by six wickets).
“We wanted to do well and perform well in front of our nation. The expectations are very high. We didn’t perform well and it is disappointing for us,” Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan said.
Reflecting on the road ahead, Rizwan said: “You can learn from your mistakes. We have made mistakes in the last few games. Hopefully, we can learn from these.
“We are next going to New Zealand and, hopefully, we can perform there and the mistakes that we did against New Zealand here in Pakistan, we can learn from that. And we will do better in New Zealand.”

Former opener Shikhar Dhawan believes Rohit Sharma has matured as a leader over the years and shares a close bond with his teammates, which augurs well for the Indian team.
Dhawan, who was Rohit’s opening partner for a considerable period of time, said the Mumbai batter is experienced enough to handle the team.
“From 2013 to 2025, 12 years of experience is a lot. Rohit has been through a lot. He knows how to work in a pressure situation, how to gather the boys.
“As a leader, he has become mature, he knows when to be lenient and when to pull back. It’s a fine balance and Rohit’s bond with the boys is amazing. We are in a great situation,” Dhawan said in a special series titled ‘The Shikhar Dhawan Experience’ on Star Sports and JioHotstar.
Dhawan also spoke about his 2013 ICC Champions Trophy journey, and recollected his nine-year long opening partnership with Rohit, which also began at the same tournament.
The 39-year-old former left-hander said it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s idea to promote Rohit as an opener alongside him.

lahore (TIP)- Ibrahim Zadran’s majestic 177 and pacer Azmatullah Omarzai’s fifer trumped Joe Root’s masterful hundred, as the brave Afghanistan registered a thrilling 8-run win to knock a largely-insipid England out of the Champions Trophy here on Wednesday, February 26.
England are winless after two matches and in their last league match in Group B they will face South Africa, who already have three points along with Australia.
Afghanistan now have two points and will have to beat the Aussies in their final group match to entertain the hopes of reaching the last four.
For a long time, England’s chase merely rattled along as the dismissal of Phil Salt and Jamie Smith jolted them early. They were 30 for two then, and eventually ended up at 317 all out with a ball to spare as pacer Omarzai (5/58) struck at crucial junctures.
But Root (120, 111b, 11×4, 1×6) brought stability to England’s innings through two alliances, adding 68 runs with Ben Duckett (38), who was dropped on 29, for the third wicket and then an 83-run stand with skipper Jos Buttler for the fifth wicket.
They were not really blazing partnerships but kept England afloat, keeping them in the vicinity of the asking rate.
But the jettisoning of Duckett and Buttler prematurely curtailed those blossoming joint ventures, as Root had to shoulder the burden all by himself.
Root’s was a clever innings, as he hardly hit any ball in anger but still managed a strike-rate close to 100, and at times above 100.
But there were those little flourishes which are so central to a Root innings such as a reverse sweep four off wrist spinner Noor Ahmad or a scooped six behind wicketkeeper off Fazalhaq Farooqi.
He brought up his 17th ODI hundred with a single off Rashid Khan, and looked to stay on. But a rather tired ramp off pacer Omarzai ended in the gloves of keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
But England had another willing soldier in Jamie Overton (32, 28b), who added precious 54 runs for the seventh wicket, but a feeble heave off Omarzai ended his stint.
It also marked the end of England’s journey in this tournament.
Earlier, Zadran’s remarkable innings helped Afghanistan pile 325 for seven.
Zadran, whose hundred came off 146 balls (12×4, 6×6), had solid support from skipper Hashmathullah Shahidi (40, 67b, 3×4), with whom he raised 103 runs for the fourth wicket, and Azmatullah Omarzai (41, 31b) with whom he milked 72 runs for the fifth wicket.
Later, he plundered 111 runs for the sixth wicket with Mohammed Nabi (40, 24b) to put England through the wringer.