Chess
Harika exits World Women’s Chess Championship
Indian chess Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli exited the World Women’s Chess Championship on Tuesday, losing the crucial semi-final tie-breaker to Ukraine Woman GM (WGM) Mariya Muzychuk. The tie-breaker scores stood at 3.5-2.5 in favour of Muzychuk.
In the final, Muzychuk would face Russian WGM Natalija Pogonina who defeated Swedish GM Pia Cramling in another tie-breaker.IANS
Football
Real sign Porto
full-back Danilo
European champions Real Madrid have completed the signing of Brazilian international right-back Danilo ( below left ) from Porto on a six-year deal. Danilo has become a regular with his national team since Dunga took charge of the five-time world champions.AFP
Gervinho sidelined with thigh tear: Roma
Roma striker Gervinho ( above ) has been ruled out for three weeks with a thigh muscle tear, denting the Serie A side’s hopes of a second place finish this season.
Gervinho will miss games against Napoli, Torino, Atalanta and possibly Inter Milan on April 25.AFP
Cricket
Graves mulls
four-day Tests
Incoming England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Colin Graves confirmed on Tuesday that he is considering tabling proposals to shorten Test matches from five days to four. “Personally, I think we should look at four-day Test cricket and play 105 overs a day starting at 10.30am in the morning, and finish when you finish as all the grounds now have lights,” Graves, who takes up his role in May, told the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) website.AFP
Yuvraj, Zaheer eye Indian team comeback via IPL
Hoping to make a comeback into the Indian cricket team with stellar showings in the IPL, new Delhi Daredevils recruits Yuvraj Singh ( right in picture below ) and Zaheer Khan ( left ) on Tuesday said they will make their stint with the franchise count to revive their international careers.
“Definitely yes, it’s been a couple of hard years for me since I have come back from my treatment. I am in good shape, I have worked very hard and I have had a good domestic season.
I am confident of doing well and hope that things get better from here and I make it back into the team,” Yuvraj said at a function.PTI
Cricket legends call for restoring bat-ball balance in ODIs
Cricket legends have called for restoring the balance between bat and ball, including easing fielding restrictions and regulating bat thickness, in the ODI format.
Michael Holding, Ian Chappell, Rahul Dravid and Martin Crowe, participating as experts in ‘ESPNcricinfo’ discussion on the future of ODI game, in Sydney after the second World Cup semi-final, felt these changes would encourage imaginative captaincy and more aggressive cricket.PTI
SQUASH
An Olympic berth for squash will be a big boost: Gaultier
Men’s squash world No 2 Gregory Gaultier ( left above ) is fervently hoping that the racquet game played inside four walls makes entry in the Summer Olympic Games of 2020 in Tokyo to give it the much-needed shot-in-the-arm.
“Being part of Olympics will be biggest boost for our sport. We still have a chance next year when it will be decided (whether to include squash or not) for the 2020 Games. That’s (Olympic berth) the only thing missing from our sport,” said the four-time World Open finalist here on Tuesday.PTI
athletics
Lashmanova could miss Olympics
The Russian athletics federation says Olympic race walking champion Elena Lashmanova ( left below ) could miss the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro because she competed while serving a doping ban. AP
Farah kicks off season in Doha
British double Olympic and world champion Mo Farah ( above ) will open his Diamond League campaign in Doha on May 15, organisers said.AFP
Dutee allowed to take part in Asian C’ships
Promising Odisha sprinter Dutee Chand got a massive shot in the arm after the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Switzerland specifically allowed her to take part in the Asian Championships, pending a final decision on her appeal against IAAF’s hyperandrogenism policy.PTI
Hockey
‘Versatile, speedy’ Gurbaj key for India: Sreejesh
A “versatile” and “speedy” Gurbaj Singh ( below ) will be key to Indian team’s success in the upcoming 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia, feels the national side’s vice-captain and goalkeeper P R Sreejesh.PTI
18-member Indian eves team named
India on Tuesday named a 18-member women’s hockey team to be led by midfielder Ritu Rani for the Hawke’s Bay Cup to be played in New Zealand from the April 11th to 19.PTI
Formula One
Vettel’s victory ‘scared’ Rosberg
Nico Rosberg ( above ) admits he was ‘scared’ by Sebastian Vettel’s debut victory for Ferrari in last weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix which caught the German’s Mercedes rivals by surprise.
“I really didn’t expect that much from Sebastian and Ferrari. That was a total surprise,” Rosberg wrote in his weekly column for German daily Bild.AFP
