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sports
Nuklutoshi opens MDFA trophy Arkong Sporting Club beat Marepkong 1-0 in opener
Players from both the teams along with the chief guest, match officials and members of MDFA before the opening match at at Imkongmeren Sports Complex, Mokokchung, Tuesday. (NP)
Correspondent Mokokchung, Oct 7 (NPN): Arkong Sporting Club defeated Marepkong YA 1-0 in the opening match of the XX MDFA trophy 2014, which kick started at Imkongmeren Sports Complex, here Tuesday. The lone and the first goal of the tournament was scored by Toshi in the first session of the match. The month long event will witness 18 teams vying for the coveted title. Earlier, minister for soil and water conservation national highway and mechanical engineering, Nuklutoshi
graced the opening ceremony as chief guest and declared the tournament open. Pointing out that football has become a billion dollar industry, he urged the Naga footballers to maintain discipline and determination in order to become part of the global football business. However, the minister said that Nagas “boast” of producing the first captain of the Indian Olympic Football team in the person of late Dr. T. Ao, but today none of the Nagas so called talented and gifted in football try to inherit the legacy of Dr. T. Ao. He urged the upcoming
youths to take up football seriously and go beyond entertainment. According to Nuklutoshi, football also play a diplomatic role towards peace and unity. To this, he advised the gathering to let football be a uniting factor that cast aside “ancient animosities” as peace and unity was a prerequisite factor for all round development. The minister further said that DAN government under the leadership of T.R Zeliang, despite financial constraints was working hard to provide basic infrastructures in all the districts.
India look to take upper hand against West Indies Kochi, Oct 7 (PTI): India will seek to reaffirm their supremacy in the shorter version of the game as they go into a five-match ODI series against an under-strength West Indies here tomorrow with the prime focus of preparing for the upcoming cricket World Cup. With five series victories against the Caribbean side, including three away series since 2006-07 under their belt, India would be looking to keep their winning record intact as they start the series as clear favourites. The hosts are expected to have little trouble against the lowly West Indians, who are further handicapped with mystery spinner Sunil Narine being withdrawn from the tour following his “illegal” bowling action reported during the Champions League T20. The Windies are also without their run machine Chris Gayle, whose absence will certainly dent their chances.
MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli during a practice session ahead of the first ODI match against West Indies on Tuesday. (PTI)
While the threat of rain looms large over the first ODI tomorrow, the fans would be hoping to see the two teams in action. The home team will be keen to take a 1-0 lead at this ground where they dethroned Australia in January last year, before beating the West Indians last November at the same
venue. The series is crucial to India’s preparation to defend their World Cup title next year and the players will be looking to put up solid performances. Mahendra Singh Dhoniled India are a well balanced side with both batsmen, barring the prolonged slump of Virat Kohli, and bowlers in good nick.
To this, he called upon the youngsters to take a fresh look at these opportunities and take sports more seriously and professionally so that they become “players in the making” for national and international players in the near future. Earlier, the welcome address was delivered by convener XX MDFA trophy Rongsenmongba while short speech was delivered by chairman All Ward union R. Ayim Lkr. Wednesday’s matches OCYA Vs Rising Star S/C SSS Vs NU Lumami Arkong S/C A Vs Royal United
India lose to Palestine in friendly match
SILIGURI, Oct 7 (Agencies): India coach Wim Koevermans was not destined to get a winning farewell. His boys showed a lot of grit and gumption to come back from a goal down quite early in their Fifa International friendly against Palestine and take a 2-1 lead at half-time. However, just like in their previous friendly in February last year, Palestine showed their class to score twice in the second session and emerge 3-2 winners at the Kanchejunga Stadium here on Monday evening. It was Ashraf Nu’man who put the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup winners ahead in the eighth minute before Sunil Chhetri and Francis Fernandez struck in quick succession. After change of ends, Ahmed Wridat and Khader Abuhammad delivered for the visiting side to fetch them a satisfying victory. A special mention has to be made of India goalkeeper Subrata Paul, who was outstanding under the bar and pulled off some great saves to keep the hosts in the match. The Indians found it difficult to contain the pressure applied by Palestine in the early stages. The visitors threatened to score any time as they thrilled the crowd with some accurate passing, swift movements and organized football. And they did, as early as in the eighth minute when striker Ashraf Nu’man Alfawaghra found the back of the net for the 102nd-ranked team in the world. There was an element of luck in Palestine’s winner. Khader Abuhammad’s longranger in the 72nd minute was heading straight for Subrata, but it took a wicked deflection off Arnab Mondal to change path and lodge into the net.
It was right decision to play in Asiad: Sania H y d e r a ba d, O c t 7 (AFP): Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, who won a gold and bronze at 17th Asian Games in Incheon, said it was a right decision to participate in the event. “Every time I win for the country it is special. I said that before going that the expectations were not very high because we were not going with our best team. One person cannot win you a match because it is a team event,” Sania told the media here. “But every one supported each other very well and it feels great to come back with a gold and a bronze, it feels great to come back with two medals and it was my fourth Asian Games, so it feels great to come back with eight medals. Every time that flag goes up its special. I think it was the right decision to go there and the medal has made it good,” she added. Sania further said that she was in best of her form during the tournament. “I have been able to peak at the right time. Every time is the right time but to peak at the Asian Games feels good,” she added. The Indian tennis ace had partnered with Saketh Myneni to beat China’s Hsien Yin Peng and Hao Ching Chan and win gold in the doubles tournament. She won bronze in women’s doubles with Prarthana Thombare.
Nagaland Post, Dimapur wednesDAY, October 8, 2014
Michael Phelps banned for six months; no 2015 worlds
WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (AFP): Michael Phelps, the 18-time Olympic swim champion arrested last week for drunk driving, was banned for six months by USA Swimming and dropped from the 2015 World Championships. Monday’s punishments came six days after Phelps was apprehended by police in his hometown of Baltimore and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, excessive speed and crossing the center line while driving inside a tunnel. On Sunday, Phelps said on Twitter that he would be taking a break from swimming and “take some time away to attend a program” for treatment of unspecified personal issues. In announcing sanctions against the Olympic superstar, USA Swimming executive director Chuck Wielgus said Phelps’ actions required “significant consequences.” “Michael has publicly acknowledged the impact of his decisions, his accountability especially due to his stature in the sport and the steps necessary for self-improvement,” Wielgus said. “We endorse and are here to fully support his personal development actions.” The discipline meted out, which includes forfeiture of Phelps’ funding from the federation for six months, is
Michael Phelps
based on USA Swimming rules that prohibit conduct “detrimental to the image or reputation” of USA Swimming or the sport. Phelps will still be allowed to train with his club, but cannot compete in USA Swimming-sanctioned competitions through March 6, 2015. According to the federation, Phelps has agreed that he will not represent the United States at the World Championships on August 2-9 in Kazan, Russia. The worlds were expected to provide a key measure of whether Phelps’ comeback had him on course to challenge for more Olympic gold at Rio in 2016. The 29-year-old retired
after the 2012 London Olympics with a record 22 Olympic medals, but launched a comeback earlier this year. He won three gold medals at the Pan Pacific Championships in late August in Australia to cement his place on the world championship team. Phelps said in his statement on social media on Sunday that he was entering a program “that will provide the help I need to better understand myself.” He gave no further details of the issues he expected to deal with. Police say a breathalyzer administered after Phelps’ arrest measured his blood alcohol level at .14, almost twice the legal limit of .08 in Maryland. Phelps’ trial is scheduled for November 19. Ten years ago, Phelps pleaded guilty to driving while impaired in rural Maryland. He was sentenced to 18 months’ probation and fined $250 for what he later described as an “isolated incident.” He was under the microscope again in 2009 -- after his glittering eight-gold haul at the 2008 Beijing Olympics -- when a photograph of him apparently smoking a marijuana pipe was published in a British tabloid and went viral. USA Swimming banned him for three months over that incident.
Grand opening ceremony planned for ISL
Chairperson of Football Sports Development, Neeta Ambani along with Fredrik Ljungberg (Mumbai City) David James (Kerla Blasters) David Trezeguet (FC Pune City) Robert Pires (FC Goa) Alessandra Del Piero (Delhi Dynamos FC) Joan Capdevila (Northwest United FC) Luis Garcia (Atletico de Kolkata) and Mikael Silvestre (Chennaiyin FC) during the unveiling of the ISL (Indian Super League) trophy in Mumbai on October 5. (PTI)
Kolkata, Oct 7 (PTI): From Amitabh Bachchan to Sachin Tendulkar to Mukesh and Nita Ambani, the who’s who of Bollywood, cricket and business world will attend the high profile opening ceremony of the Indian Super League at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan on October 12. We s t B e n g a l C h i e f Minister Mamata Banerjee is slated to inaugurate the tournament that will conclude on December 20, while Bollywood heartthrob Priyanka Chopra will set the stage on fire along with Varun Dhawan in a 45-minute opening ceremony that would begin at 5pm. As the league is copromoted by IMG Reliance and Star India and has some high-profile owners and brand ambassadors from both Bollywood and cricketing world,
the opening ceremony guarantees to be a fun-filled affair. Being the co-owners of their respective teams, Abhishek Bachchan (Chennai), Ranbir Kapoor (Mumbai), Salman Khan (Pune), John Abraham (Guwahati), Varun Dhawan (brand ambassador Goa), Sachin Tendulkar (Kochi), M S Dhoni (Chennai), Virat Kohli (Goa) and city’s favourite son Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata) are also set to promote football. “Tell me who won’t be there? We will have Amitabh, Abhishek, Salman, Ranbir then Sachin, Dhoni and the king of kings Sourav Ganguly. The stars will descend on Kolkata. The honourable CM will inaugurate the tournament. It will be an out of the world experience,” Atletico de Kolkata co-owner Utsav Parekh told PTI. “Priyanka along with
Varun will be the star performers and will be joined by more than 500 co-performers.” There will also be a host of top notch industrialists including Mukesh and Nita Ambani of the Reliance Industries Limited, Munjals (Hero Motocorp), Dani (Asian Paints) and Salgaocars who will grace the occasion along with Praful Patel, president of the All India Football Federation that is supporting the tournament. Selling tickets at a throwaway price of Rs 200, the city franchise is confident of a sell-out crowd at the gigantic 120,000 capacity stadium in Salt Lake. “It’s very difficult to offer such quality football at such a price but we have managed to bring it down and offer the spectators wholesome entertainment. We are confident of pulling it off,”
the investment banker said adding that they have already sold 5700 tickets online. Tickets are priced at Rs 200, 300 and 400 for general categories while for bucket seats one will have to sell out Rs 500, 750 and 1250 and Rs 2500 for a hospitality seat. If one buys tickets for the first six matches the seventh match will be offered free.
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