FIFA World Cup: Argentina's Di Maria, De Paul 'fit' for semifinal clash with Croatia.
“Both players are fit,” Scaloni told a news conference ahead of Tuesday’s match in Lusail…reports Asian Lite News
Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul and Angel Di Maria have overcome injury concerns and will be available to face Croatia in their World Cup semifinal, Albiceleste manager Lionel Scaloni said on Monday.
De Paul was forced off in the second half of Argentina’s quarterfinal victory over the Netherlands on Friday with a hamstring problem while Di Maria has been nursing a quadriceps strain.
“Both players are fit,” Scaloni told a news conference ahead of Tuesday’s match in Lusail.
“We have to think about how many minutes they’ll be able to play. We can wait until tomorrow to make a decision but my understanding is that they will be okay to play.”
Croatia reached the semifinals with successive penalty-shootout wins over Japan and Brazil in their two knockout matches so far while Argentina progressed by beating Australia 2-1 and the Netherlands on penalties.
The winner of the clash at Lusail Iconic stadium will meet either France or Morocco in the final on Sunday.
Argentina will be without Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuna for the semifinal after both players picked up a second yellow card in the clash against the Netherlands, reports Xinhua.
Croatia, meanwhile, have no suspensions and no reported injuries.
“The best recovery (from physical problems) is winning,” Scaloni said. “We were able to reach the semifinals and despite a load of minutes, we’re doing well. We have two players who are sanctioned and we’ll see how we deal with that but generally speaking, the squad is in good shape.”
FIFA World Cup: WC dream was beautiful while it lasted, says Ronaldo on Portugal's exi. (Credit : twitter)
“I fought for it. I fought hard for this dream,” said Ronaldo, who is currently without a club after leaving Manchester United by mutual consent in November…reports Asian Lite News
Cristiano Ronaldo has appeared to acknowledge that his dream of winning the World Cup with Portugal is over after the team’s elimination from football’s showpiece tournament in Qatar.
Portugal were denied a berth in the semifinals after they suffered a 1-0 quarterfinal loss to Morocco in Doha on Saturday.
“Winning a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career,” Ronaldo said in an Instagram post on Sunday. “Fortunately, I won many titles of international dimension, including for Portugal, but putting the name of our country on the highest level in the world was my biggest dream.”
Ronaldo started on the bench for the second consecutive match at Al Thumama stadium after scoring just once — a penalty against Ghana — in four outings at this World Cup.
The defeat to Morocco was almost certainly the 37-year-old’s last appearance in football’s showpiece tournament. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star cut a distraught figure as he walked off the pitch in tears immediately after the final whistle.
Ronaldo, who has been capped 195 times and scored a record 118 goals for his country, will be 41 when the next World Cup begins in the United States, Canada and Mexico, reports Xinhua.
“I fought for it. I fought hard for this dream,” said Ronaldo, who is currently without a club after leaving Manchester United by mutual consent in November.
“I’ve scored in five World Cups over 16 years, always alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese people, I gave my all. I left everything on the pitch. I never turned my back on the fight and I never gave up on that dream.
“Unfortunately, yesterday the dream ended. I just want everyone to know that much has been said, much has been written, much has been speculated, but my dedication to Portugal has not changed for an instant. I was always one more person fighting for everyone’s goal and I would never turn my back on my teammates and my country.
Há um Mundial que Portugal já ganhou: o dos adeptos! Incrível o apoio e o carinho que temos sentido de tantos portugueses (e não só!) aqui no Catar, tão longe da nossa pátria. Continuem a apoiar nos bons e nos maus momentos, tudo faremos para retribuir com vitórias! Força,🇵🇹🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/LKSTQ9W3FB
“For now, there’s not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful while it lasted…Now, I hope that time can offer the best advice and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions.”
Athletics: Neeraj Chopra starts training in England ahead of 2023 season
Earlier this week, the 24-year-old had an interaction with the students of Loughborough University…reports Asian Lite News
After a successful 2022, Tokyo Olympics javelin throw gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has begun his training at Loughborough University in England, ahead of the 2023 season.
The Indian javelin throw ace took to Instagram to share a video of himself sweating it out on Sunday from the University’s high-performance centre.
“Working hard to get back in shape for the new season,” Chopra wrote along with his picture and video.
Chopra landed in England a few days ago and will be camped at Loughborough University, which is known for its state-of-the-art sports gym and training facilities, for 63 days. He is accompanied by his coach and biomechanics expert Dr. Klaus Bartonietz and physiotherapist Ishaan Marwaha.
Earlier this week, the 24-year-old had an interaction with the students of Loughborough University.
Chopra’s 2023 season is expected to include the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August, the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September and also competitions in the Diamond League series.
He competed in six competitions in 2022 and rewrote his national record twice in the season. Chopra also became the first Indian to win a silver at the world athletics championships in July.
Though Chopra pulled out of the Commonwealth Games 2022 due to a groin injury, he marked his return by becoming the first Indian to win a Diamond League meet in Lausanne and eventually became the first Indian to win a Diamond League trophy.
FIH Nations Cup: Indian women's hockey team triumph over Chile 3-1 (Credit : Hockey India)
Her goal gave India the edge over Chile as they went on to build on this momentum in the following minutes of the match. They played with good speed in their attack, putting Chile’s defence under the pump…reports Asian Lite News
Hoping to make it back into the Pro League, the Indian women’s hockey team made a winning start in their campaign to win the FIH Women’s Nations Cup 2022 by registering a dominant 3-1 win against Chile here on a cold Sunday afternoon.
Sangita Kumari (3′), Sonika (11′) and Navneet Kaur (32′) scored the goals for India while Fernanda Villagran (44′) scored Chile’s lone goal. India is hoping to win the title as the winner will be promoted to the next season of the FIH Pro League.
The ace goalkeeper Savita-led Indian women’s hockey team got off the blocks to a fine start in the first quarter, making their intent on their opponents very clear. They played with good structure and rotated the ball with precision to find gaps in the Chilean circle early in the game.
Their efforts paid off, with in-form Sangita Kumari finding the net in the 3rd minute of the game. It was experienced forward Vandana Katariya, who set up the goal with a brilliant tackle into the right flank and pushed the ball to Sangita, who made no mistake in putting it past the Chilean goalie.
Her goal gave India the edge over Chile as they went on to build on this momentum in the following minutes of the match. They played with good speed in their attack, putting Chile’s defence under the pump.
India extended their lead to 2-0 in the 11th minute when Sangita set up Sonika with a fine assist to convert the goal. Sonika, who was positioned on the left flank, found a perfect deflection, giving India a solid lead. Sonika was awarded player of the match for her impressive effort in Sunday’s match, according to a report in the Hockey India website.
After a goalless second quarter, India started the third quarter on an attacking note. This time, it was Neha Goyal, who created the scoring opportunity when she picked up an aerial pass and assisted Navneet to score India’s third goal. This 32nd-minute goal gave India a good cushion in the second half of the match.
India’s defence in the meantime held sway without conceding any goals. Chile, however, did manage to slip one in, in the 44th minute through penalty corner via Fernanda Villagran. The final quarter saw India make some amends for the defensive error that led to a PC goal.
They created some fine scoring opportunities in the D, with some skillful play by Vandana, Sangita and Navneet. But Chile’s goalie Natalia Salvador did a fine job to keep Indian attackers from scoring, thus ending the match with a 3-1 scoreline.
To ensure a safe and incident free event, dedicated fire, security and health teams will be deployed days prior to the celebration. Traffic management and crowd control were discussed in detail…reports Asian Lite News
Hockey India is all set to host the Hockey World Cup celebration at the historic Barabati Stadium in Odisha’s Cuttack city on January 11, 2023.
The Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup-2023 will be organised from January 13 to 29 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
In order to ensure the smooth conduct of the much awaited event, Odisha Sports Secretary R. Vineel Krishna reviewed the preparations made for the grand celebration at the event venue on Saturday.
Odisha has always played the perfect host, set a benchmark and amazed the global sports audience with its spectacular hosting of the Hockey World Cup of 2018. The excitement has been building up in Cuttack for the upcoming World Cup.
The sports secretary emphasised that this time too all efforts should be oriented towards making this event exemplary. He has advised officials present to support and work closely with the hockey federation to ensure the city is prepared to welcome the World Cup event and that the spectators have a great experience.
To ensure a safe and incident free event, dedicated fire, security and health teams will be deployed days prior to the celebration. Traffic management and crowd control were discussed in detail.
To make the tournament memorable for both the participating teams and also common citizens, the state government is going to organise several mega sporting and cultural events across the state including the hosting cities of Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
He then looked ahead to the semifinal against Croatia, who also beat Brazil in a dramatic penalty shootout…reports Asian Lite News
Lionel Messi admitted his side had suffered to qualify for the semifinals of the World Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout against the Netherlands.
“We are really happy, we suffered too much, but it’s a quarterfinal in the World Cup, and we suffered what we had to suffer to qualify,” said Messi.
Messi was the man of the match after setting up Nahuel Molina for the opening goal and then scoring Argentina’s second from the penalty spot with just 17 minutes left to play, reports Xinhua.
The game appeared to be over before a late Dutch fightback saw Wout Weghorst score in the 83rd and 10th minute of injury time to take it to extra time and penalties.
“We are taking it game after game with the same intensity and same desire. We want to be protagonists. We are really excited and really want to win and we need this joy for us and for everyone who supports us,” he said.
The striker expressed his frustration at the second equaliser for the Netherlands, saying that Spanish referee, Mateu Lahoz had added on too much injury time.
“I felt really angry at the late goal. I don’t want to talk about the referee, because you can get a suspension, but people saw what happened. FIFA have to look at that. They can’t put in a referee who isn’t up to the job at this stage,” he said.
However, Messi said that he had confidence his side would qualify.
“We knew we had an advantage with Emiliano (Martinez),” he said.
He then looked ahead to the semifinal against Croatia, who also beat Brazil in a dramatic penalty shootout.
“Croatia will be really hard. They were better than Brazil at times and move the ball really well. They are working with the same coach (Zlatko Dalic) as 2018 and it will be really hard.
“I’ve said all World Cup, we are enjoying this, the fans, and taking it step by step.
“I am very happy,” he concluded.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who saved two penalties in the shootout, said: “I am very excited. We played for 45 million people. The people are not having a good time economically and we are giving them some joy.”
“I couldn’t make the saves in 90 minutes, but luckily I was able to do so in the penalties. I saved two and could have saved a third.
In exposing UAE’s players to a world-class tournament in an event ratified by the ICC the induction of the players is inarguably a huge boost to Associate Cricket…reports Asian Lite News
In just over one month until the first ‘Smartball’ is bowled, and the first bat echoes its glorious crack across the Dubai International Stadium, the International League T20 has today, in conjunction with its six-franchises – Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriors – announced to the cricketing world the UAE players who will compete in the inaugural ILT20 from Friday, 13 January.
This announcement also firms-up the final teams leading into the league’s inaugural edition.
With 24 coveted places available, comprising of four players per team and where at least two (players) will play in the starting XI of each side in each match, the much-anticipated announcement marks an incredible moment in Emirates Cricket’s history as well as heralds a bright future for the Associate nation on their journey towards player development.
In exposing UAE’s players to a world-class tournament in an event ratified by the ICC the induction of the players is inarguably a huge boost to Associate Cricket.
Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary Emirates Cricket said, “Today is an extremely rewarding day. We continue to reiterate that at its heart the league is built on a foundation of development for UAE Cricket and the UAE players.
“To be in the position to now share with the cricketing world that we have delivered on this mandate, with the support of and commitment from our franchises, that 24 of the best available UAE talent has been secured (by the franchises) is an incredible day for Emirates Cricket and the Board.
“We are delighted that alongside a number of capped players the performance and development teams identified a number of budding uncapped players from an exceptionally deep pool on offer.”
UAE Players secured by ILT20’s six franchises are
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders;
Matiullah Khan
Fahad Nawaz
Sabir Ali
Zawar Farid
Desert Vipers;
Rohan Mustafa
Sheraz Ahmad
Ali Naseer
Ronak Panoly
Dubai Capitals;
Hazrat Luqman
Chirag Suri
Jash Ginyani
Raja Akif Ullah Khan
Gulf Giants;
Aayan Khan
Sanchit Sharma
CP Rizwaan
Ashwanth Valthapa
MI Emirates;
Muhammad Waseem
Basil Hameed
Vriitya Aravind
Zahoor Khan
Sharjah Warriors;
Karthik Meiyappan
Alishan Sharafu
Junaid Siddique
Muhammad Jawadullah
Making its debut in January (2023), the inaugural ILT20, which has received multi-year ICC approval, will be played across the UAE’s exemplary, world-class Cricket facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Cricket fans across the world can catch the LIVE telecast of this exciting cricket league on ZEE’s linear channels, digital platform, Zee5 as well as Zee Cinema SD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Anmol Cinema, &Pictures HD, &Flix SD, &Flix HD, Zee Zest SD, Zee Zest HD, Zee Bangla Cinema and Zee Thirai. Franchise teams, comprising 84 International and 24 UAE-based players, include Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Kolkata Knight Riders), Desert Vipers (Lancer Capital), Dubai Capitals (GMR), Gulf Giants (Adani Sportsline), MI Emirates (Reliance Industries), and Sharjah Warriors (Capri Global). ILT20 news, updates and interactive chat can be found via www.ilt20.ae and @ILT20Official on facebook, twitter, instagram, tiktok, snap chat and linkedin
T20 launches official anthem ‘Halla Halla’
Celebrating the incredible power of cricket as a sport and the thrill and entertainment the T20 format provides, the International League T20 official anthem ‘Halla Halla’ was launched on the league’s YouTube channel.
The two-minute 14-second anthem produced and performed by Rapper Badshah. Badshah along with US singer Jason Derulo will be performing at the opening ceremony at Dubai’s Ring of Fire (Dubai International Stadium) on January 13, 2023.
Speaking about the launch of the ILT20 anthem, Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary, Emirates Cricket Board said, “It’s very important for cricket fans to associate a tournament with a catchy anthem and we are absolutely delighted to launch the ILT20 Anthem Halla Halla today. Badshah has produced a magnificent anthem which will certainly motivate one and all to dance to the beats and get ready for the excitement that will unfold in the ILT20.”
Meanwhile, Rapper Badshah expressed, “I am really happy with the way the anthem has come out. I wanted to ensure that we produce a catchy tune and I think we have done a great job. I hope that the cricket fans love the tune and share it with friends and family. I am so honoured to associate with the ILT20 and it gives me immense pleasure to produce and feature in their official anthem Halla Halla.”
Franchise teams, comprising 84 International and 24 UAE-based players, include Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Kolkata Knight Riders), Desert Vipers (Lancer Capital), Dubai Capitals (GMR), Gulf Giants (Adani Sportsline), MI Emirates (Reliance Industries), and Sharjah Warriors (Capri Global).
Sudhir Saxena to represent India in Asian Kickboxing Championship
India’s Sudhir Saxena is all set to participate in Asian Kickboxing to be held from December 10 to 18 in Bangkok…reports Asian Lite News
Sudhir has been sent by Waco India Kickboxing Federation with support of Punjab National Bank and Gauravya Facility to participate in the competition.
He recently won a silver medal in the 2nd India Open International Kickboxing Championship held at Tal Katora Stadium, here. Sudhir, a member of the World Championship and the Asian Championship, represented India in the international sport kickboxing, in which country’s access has been rare till date.
Argentina have also seen good displays from midfielder Enzo Fernandez and young forward Julian Alvarez, who has scored in his last two appearances, reports…Asian Lite News
The Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk has warned that his side will have to beat more than just Lionel Messi when they take on Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals on Friday night.
The Netherlands have progressed calmly into the quarterfinals after beating the United States with an assured and serious display in the last 16, while Argentina were led by an excellent display from Messi against Australia.
Messi was inspirational in what is likely to be his last World Cup appearance, but Van Dijk advised there is more to Argentina.
“Messi is one of the best players. Together with Cristiano Ronaldo, he is one of the best players of the last decades. There is only respect for what he has achieved. But now we are preparing not only to play against him but to face Argentina as a whole,” he told the press two days before the game.
Argentina have also seen good displays from midfielder Enzo Fernandez and young forward Julian Alvarez, who has scored in his last two appearances, reports Xinhua.
“Argentina has many good footballers who can make a difference. They are players we must watch. That’s what we’re going to do. This is not a Holland against Messi, but a Holland against Argentina,” Van Dijk insisted.
The Dutch have been very effective so far in Qatar and are one of four unbeaten sides in the tournament. After topping Group A and beating the U.S., Coach Louis van Gaal said they can win the tournament and Van Dijk believes they have more to give.
“We are all perfectionists and we all want the best. That is part of us. The good thing is that we are still on it. We are in the quarterfinals. Hopefully we can win those too and move on,” he said, adding that although he and his teammates had practiced penalties, it was very different taking them on a training pitch [from] that in a “stadium full of 80,000 spectators and with a semifinal on the line.”
‘Impressive team’
Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic has described Brazil as the most impressive team at this World Cup ahead of their quarterfinal clash on Friday.
Croatia advanced to the last eight by beating Japan on penalties in the round of 16 while Brazil progressed with a 4-1 rout of South Korea.
“I believe Brazil are the best team at this World Cup,” Dalic was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. “They play a very versatile brand of football. They are dangerous, and not just because of Neymar and Vinicius Junior. It’s all of them.”
“We can’t afford to leave them too much space. We have to press them high and ensure they don’t control the ball too much. We have to be fully concentrated because if they have time on the ball it will be difficult to stop them.”
Dalic was confident his players would be fresh for the match at Education City stadium here, despite having had just four days to recover from the gruelling duel against Japan.
“We can’t wait for this match,” he said. “We have to recover after the Japan game and there will not be many changes. We’ve done very well to make it this far. We now face one of the great favorites and we’ll fight to make sure we can get the best possible result.”
The 56-year-old added: “I think the match ahead will be the most demanding of the World Cup for us. I can compare it to the final against France four years ago.
“Brazil will pose a big challenge. I wish this match could have come later in the tournament. But our ambitions will not rest there and we’ll be trying our best to win.”
Australian Open 2022: World No 1 Swiatek leads entry list.
This year’s champion, Ashleigh Barty, retired from professional tennis in March and will not defend her title…reports Asian Lite News
World No.1 Iga Swiatek leads the entry list for next year’s Australian Open, which is based on the WTA rankings of the week beginning December 5.
Reigning Roland Garros and US Open champion Swiatek is one of 12 current or former Grand Slam winners who have entered the first major of 2023, which begins on January 16 in Melbourne. The Pole, who reached her first Australian Open semifinal this year, will be bidding to add a fourth Grand Slam title to her haul so far.
Three former Australian Open champions are in the line-up — Victoria Azarenka (2012-13), Naomi Osaka (2019, 2021) and Sofia Kenin (2020) — as well as three former Australian Open runners-up, Petra Kvitova (2019), Garbie Muguruza (2020) and Danielle Collins (2022).
This year’s champion, Ashleigh Barty, retired from professional tennis in March and will not defend her title.
Alongside Swiatek, Azarenka, Osaka, Kenin, Kvitova and Muguruza, the remaining roster of Grand Slam champions in the field comprises Jelena Ostapenko, Barbora Krejcikova, Elena Rybakina, Sloane Stephens, Bianca Andreescu and Emma Raducanu.
As per WTA, nineteen of the world’s Top 20 are entered, with the only exception being the provisionally suspended Simona Halep.
Kenin, currently ranked No.240 and on the comeback trail after an injury-struck season, is one of 11 players using a special ranking to enter the main draw.
The others include two former Grand Slam finalists, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Marketa Vondrousova, as well as Karolina Muchova, Nadia Podoroska, Laura Siegemund, Jaqueline Cristian, Patricia Maria Tig, Evgeniya Rodina, Zheng Saisai and Kristina Kucova.
No.95-ranked Ysaline Bonaventure is the last player to be directly accepted into the main draw. In the event of withdrawals, the next five players in would be Harriet Dart, Kateryna Baindl, Dayana Yastremska, Alycia Parks and Margarita Betova (ne Gasparyan, using a special ranking).
