Nasheman News :In a major setback for India, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Friday suspended all Indian applications to host future Olympic-related events until New Delhi guarantees in writing the entry of all participants.

The IOC measure comes after two Pakistani shooters were denied visas to compete in the ISSF Shooting World Cup, starting here on Saturday, which also resulted in scrapping of two of the 16 Tokyo Olympic quota places on offer in the marquee tournament.

The denial of visas followed the February 14 Pulwama terror attack that led to the martyrdom of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldiers.

“Since becoming aware of the issue, and in spite of intense last-minute efforts and discussions with the Indian government authorities, no solution has been found to allow the Pakistani delegation to enter India in time to compete,” the IOC statement said.

“As a result, the IOC Executive Board also decided to suspend all discussions with the IOA (Indian Olympic Association) and government regarding the potential applications for hosting future sports and Olympic-related events in India,” it added.

The global sports governing body also urged all international sports federations not to hold events in India, or grant hosting rights to the country for future competitions, until the government had provided “clear written guarantees” to ensure access for all athletes.

The IOC also stated that the men’s 25-metre rapid fire pistol category, in which the two Pakistanis – G.M. Bashir and Khalil Ahmed – were due to take part, is not a part of the Olympic qualifying process. 

That particular event had two Olympic quotas on offer, which have been scrapped by the IOC following a written request by the National Rifle Association of Pakistan (NRAP) on Wednesday.

Those quota places will now be included in the other ISSF World Cups scheduled for later this year.

International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) President Vladimir Lisin had earlier told the media on the sidelines of the World Cup opening ceremony on Thursday evening that all the 16 quota places could be scrapped. That number, however, has been reduced to two by the IOC.

“The IOC restricted the withdrawal of recognition as an Olympic qualification event to the 25m rapid fire pistol competition in which the two Pakistani athletes were supposed to participate,” the IOC said.

“This happened in the interest of the other 500 athletes from 61 countries participating in the other events who are already in India for their competition.”

Stating that no solution could be found despite best efforts of the IOC and the ISSF, the world body said the non-participation of the Pakistani shooters goes against the basic principles of the Olympic charter.

“This situation goes against the fundamental principles of the Olympic charter, in particular the principles of non-discrimination. In view of the above, we wish to inform that the IOC executive board decided to revoke the Olympic qualification status of the specific event,” it added.

Nasheman News : Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the upcoming Twenty20 International and One-Day International series against Australia due to lower back stiffness, BCCI announced on Thursday.

Left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been named replacement for Hardik for the ODIs. However, no replacement has been named in the T20I squad.

The BCCI medical team decided to rest the all-rounder and let him undergo strength and conditioning work for his lower back at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, BCCI said in a statement.

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Wednesday a decision on the group match between India and Pakistan at the ODI World Cup will be taken at its next meeting.

Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials Sanjay Patel and Rajiv Shukla had demanded that India boycott the World Cup match against Pakistan following the recent suicide attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers were killed.

“There is no indication that any World Cup match will not go ahead as planned. Sport, in particular cricket, has the wonderful ability to bring people together and unite communities. We will work with our members on that basis,” Richardson was quoted as saying.

According to ICC officials, the game’s global governing body is likely to take a call on cricket ties between the two south Asian nations at the February 27 meeting in Dubai.

Nasheman News : After facing a two-year ban due to betting activities of its top officials, star-studded Chennai Super Kings made a roaring comeback in the 10th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) last year and will be aiming to maintain the same momentum in the 2019 edition of the cash rich tournament.

Back in the mix after a two-year hiatus and playing almost all of their home games away from home, Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side defied all odds to lift their third title and once again proved why the ‘Yellow Brigade’ is one of the best teams in the league.

The main reason Chennai Super Kings has been a powerhouse over the years is because of the Indian talent at their disposal. One of their primary aim has been to keep the core of the team intact. 

Suresh Raina, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo, Murali Vijay, Harbhajan Singh, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Mohit Sharma, David Willey, and Sam Billings are the backbone of the outfit and are in the squad for this edition.

The southern outfit is a team that has never gone for fancy Twenty20 International stars names like Chris Gayle, Lasith Malinga or Kieron Pollard. They maintain their stability, unperturbed by the auctions. For 2019 edition, the franchise announced the retention of 22 players. 

In the 2019 edition, the Chennai franchise just bought two players to complete their squad. They bought pacer Mohit Sharma and uncapped player Ruturaj Gaikwa for the upcoming edition. Mohit had earlier played for the same side and took 57 wickets in 47 matches.

On Tuesday, BCCI has released the schedule for the first two weeks. Dhoni’s side will take on Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening match in Chennai on March 23.

There are several good news for the Southern outfit. Their middle-order batsman Kedar Jadhav and New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner are back in the mix. In the 2018 edition, the duo got injured and had to miss the entire season.

The franchise will be playing this edition at its home ground. Last year they had to shift their base to Pune.

So in the upcoming edition, the conditions and several other factors are favouring the defending champions and the fans can expect to witness another thrilling edition.

Nasheman News :The Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Wednesday announced 20-member junior India squad for the six-day Dutch Junior International, starting on February 27, and the four-day German Junior 2019 starting on March 7.

Manipur’s Maisnam Meiraba Luwang will be leading the boys’ singles challenge by virtue of the 1192 points that he amassed following his title wins at the All-India Junior Ranking Badminton Tournaments in Vijayawada and Bengaluru. 

The girls’ team will be spearheaded by the 2017 U-15 Asian Junior Championships gold medallist Samiya Imad Farooqui who logged in 1125 points in the ranking tournaments.

The BAI considered the cumulative ranking points from the three All India Junior Ranking tournaments held in Vijayawada, Bengaluru and Jaipur in January. 

While Meiraba topped the chart in the boys’ singles section, the others joining him are Andhra Pradesh’s Sai Charan Koya, Priyanshu Rajawat of Dhar in Madhya Pradesh and Sathish Kumar from Coimbatore.

In girls’ singles, Farooqui is joined by Gayatri Gopichand, Nashik girl Smit Toshniwal and Amolika Singh from Uttar Pradesh.

The winner of each leg gets 500 points and the runner-up 425 points. The rest of the points bifurcation are semi-finals (350), quarter-finals (275) and pre quarter-finals (192).

Ishaan Bhatnagar and Edwin Joy will be leading India’s challenge in the boys’ doubles section. Treesa Jolly and Varshini VS will be the ones to watch in girls’ doubles, while the in-form Navaneeth Bokka and Sahithi Bandi, who swept the three ranking events, will be India’s top team in mixed doubles.

The prestigious Dutch Junior International and the German Junior 2019, both part of the Junior International Grand Prix category, will kick start the major events on the junior badminton calendar.

Last year, India won the boys’ doubles silver medal at the Dutch Junior when the talented duo of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Dhruv Kapila finished runners-up.

Nasheman News : Expressing confidence that he will claim a medal at the upcoming ISSF World Cup here, Indian shooter Abhishek Verma said that the hosts will have to deal with increased expectations and home ground pressure in order to emerge triumphant.

“There is an increased responsibility when we are playing on home ground. There are a lot of advantages as well. But if you are unable to handle the pressure, playing at home can be a negative factor also. It is better to take up the challenge with a positive mindset,” Verma told IANS.

With the tournament being held at the Karni Singh range here, Verma asserted that the Indians are better prepared to do well in home conditions.

“When we play tournaments in foreign countries, we often don’t get too much time to practise in those conditions. We have to wait for three-four days without practice before going into tournaments. But here we are practising everyday and will go into the World Cup in a much better frame of mind,” he said.

“We already have two Olympic quotas in the rifle events. We have our strongest possible team in every event at this World Cup. In several events, we have the strongest team. Pressure will only be there when we don’t work hard,” he added. 

Asserting that he is working extra hard during practice sessions, the 29-year-old said he is confident of bagging medals both at the World Cup and the Tokyo Olympics next year.

“I always try to go into a tournament with a positive mindset. I also practise throughout the day and not just for a few hours. I have increased the number of practice sessions I do in a day and have also increased the intensity. I am doing meditation and yoga for mental strength,” Verma remarked. 

“I want to give my best finish on the podium at both events,” he added.

Nasheman News :  Even as the BCCI has dropped a hint that it will keep an eye on the workload of India players during the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore on Tuesday said they have not got any directive of that sort yet, also expressing confidence that a situation like that will not arise and things will work out well.

“It’s a hypothetical situation to be honest. I don’t think it will arise because, having been around cricketers and coaches, they always feel that when you’re playing competitive cricket it’s better than having net sessions and what not,” Mysore told reporters on the sidelines of the Mayors Cup at the Eden Gardens here.

Besides Mysore, KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik and head coach-cum-mentor of the academy Abhishek Nayar were also present to give away prizes.

“The way it plays out, the final is only two teams on May 12. Then in the playoffs… so it is not like everyone involved in the tournament is going to be… depends on which teams make it and all that… I think its all going to work out well,” Mysore said.

BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary and chief selector M.S.K. Prasad have recently hinted that they will keep a close eye on the workload of India players during the IPL keeping in the mind the forthcoming ICC World Cup in May.

The World Cup, to be played in the UK from May 30 to July 14, comes close on the heels of the IPL, starting March 23.

“We have not heard any such thing from them. The tournament is finishing early enough. If May 12 is the final, and India plays its first game on June 5, I think there is enough of a gap but we have not had any such guidance or instruction,” Mysore said when asked whether they have heard anything from the board yet.

Last November, in a meeting convened by the Committee of Administration (CoA) members Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji and attended by Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravi Shastri, Ajinkya Rahane and chief selector Prasad, the India captain had suggested that key pacers like Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and others in the fray for the World Cup should not play a big part in the cash-rich T20 tournament.

Due to the general elections, IPL games this time might take place at neutral venues as the BCCI might have to do away with the home and away format. 

Mysore said there is a “strong possibility” of that happening and as a franchise they would hope that they get to play as many matches as they can at Eden.

“There is a strong possibility of that. From what I hear, they want to have the whole tournament in India. So it could be that there are neutral venues in India rather than neutral venues outside and we are happy with that.”

“It is a different year. Let’s hope somehow the dates will work out in a way that we have as many games as possible at Eden,” he said.

The fixtures of the first two weeks was announced on Tuesday while the rest of the schedule is likely to be announced after the election dates are out. 

With KKR set to open their IPL campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at home on March 24, Mysore said the pre-tournament camp could be held in the second week of March.

“We are still trying to figure it out because a lot of it depends on player availability.”

“They have different domestic and international commitments. Ideally we target at least 10 days before the start of the tournament. So it can March 12 or 13. Let’s see, many of the players might end up being in Mumbai for some reason. So we may have three-four days of something there and then we come over here,” he said.

Mysore was asked if the franchises were consulted by the BCCI before taking the decision to host the IPL in India.

“The overwhelming view on everyone’s part was that we should play in India. IPL is one of the biggest sporting products that has come out of the world. So why take it out? But having said that, it is a big year for the country from an election standpoint.

“So the BCCI asked all of us before taking the call. When they asked me I said I would rather play at a neutral venue in India than anywhere outside. They were happy to hear that,” he said.

He was also asked about KKR’s contribution to the Pulwama terror attacks.

“We got something yesterday. We have been thinking about it. On a continuous basis we do a lot of things. We also have a CSR side to our activities.

“We have always been doing whatever is necessary. So to step up not only in the form of writing cheques but also in kind and time. That’s the tougher part. We do a charity golf tournament to raise money for good cause. This is something that we are looking at,” he said.

Nasheman News : Last year’s winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Bengaluru in the opener of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 that will begin on March 23.

The schedule of the 2019 edition of the IPL will be released in parts by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in view of the coming Lok Sabha elections. A total of 17 matches will be played during the two-week period from March 23 to April 5 across the eight home venues of the respective franchises.

All teams will play a minimum of four matches with the newly-christened Delhi Capitals and RCB playing five matches. Every team will play a minimum of twp home and two away matches with DC playing three home matches, while RCB will play 3 away matches.

The schedule is:

March 23 – Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – 8 p.m.

Match 24 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – 4 p.m.

March 24 – Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals – 8 p.m.

Match 25 – Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab – 8 p.m.

March 26 – Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings – 8 p.m.

March 27 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab – 8 p.m.

March 28 – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians – 8 p.m.

March 29 – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals – 8 p.m.

March 30 – Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians – 4 p.m.

March 30 – Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders – 8 p.m.

March 31 – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – 4 p.m.

March 31 – Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals – 8 p.m.

April 1 – Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Capitals – 8 p.m.

April 2 – Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – 8 p.m.

April 3 – Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings – 8 p.m.

April 4 – Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – 8 p.m.

April 5 – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders – 8 p.m.

Nasheman News :  The West Indies cricket board on Sunday announced that Chris Gayle will retire from One-day Internationals after the ICC Cricket World Cup to be held in England and Wales later this year.

“Gayle made the announcement just ahead of a Windies practice session leading up to the One-Day International series against England at Kensington Oval in Barbados,” a statement on Windies cricket official website said.

Gayle, 39, is the second most capped West Indies player with 284 matches and is also the second highest run-scorer with 9,727 runs, behind only Brian Lara – who has 10,405 runs from 299 matches.

Gayle also has the most number of centuries by a West Indian in a 50-over game with 23 to his name.

He also holds the record for the highest score of 215 which he scored in the last edition of the World Cup against Zimbabwe.

Gayle has also picked up 165 wickets.

Earlier this month, Gayle made a return to international cricket after he was named in the ODI squad for the first two matches against England. The dashing left-hander last played an ODI for the West Indies in July 2018 – in a home series against Bangladesh.

New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) Daniel Lalhlimpuia scored twice in three minutes as Delhi Dynamos FC pipped Bengaluru FC 3-2 in a closely fought Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, here on Sunday.

Ulises Davila’s goal in the ninth minute gave Delhi the lead and opened the game up in midfield before Boithang Haokip scored in the 19th minute to bring Bengaluru level. 

Sunil Chhetri’s 72nd-minute strike looked to have put Bengaluru in the driving seat before Lalhlimpuia struck twice (77′, 80′) to seal a win for his team. 

The win means Delhi are now unbeaten in their last five matches, winning three of them. 

Bengaluru, on the other hand, have lost three of their last five matches, picking up just four points after being unbeaten in the first 11 games of the season. Bengaluru, however, are perched at the top of the table with 31 points from 16 matches.