Author: Abhishek Shukla

Owner of Sports India Live.
by Abhishek Shukla

Sachin, Sagar storm into quarters at 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament

Sofia, (Bulgaria), February 6, 2024: Former world youth champion Sachin and Commonwealth Games silver medalist Sagar entered the quarter-finals on day three of the ongoing 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria on Tuesday.

Sachin (57kg) was up against Uzbekistan’s Fayzov Khudoynazar in the pre-quarters and both the boxers came out with an attacking intent but it was Fayzov who took a slight advantage in the first round.

Sachin looked transformed in the second round and initiated a comeback by using his quick reflexes to dodge multiple attacks before landing some accurate jabs. In the third round, he was at his attacking best, leaving his opponent clueless with his sharp punches and quick movements, ultimately grabbing a phenomenal 3-2 win to enter the quarter-finals. He will now face Kapanadze Giorgi of Georgia on Friday to secure a place in the semifinals.

Sagar (92+kg) faced Lithuania’s Jazeviciius Jonas in the pre-quarters. The Indian pugilist looked completely in control of the game from the get-go as he put up a scintillating attacking display, making his way into the quarterfinals with a 5-0 unanimous decision win. Sagar will now take on Zokirov Jakhongir of Uzbekistan on Thursday.

Vanshaj (63.5kg) went down fighting in a close contest against Iran’s Habibinezhad Ali. Both the boxers were cautious in their approach and were looking to capitalize on counterattacks. Vanshaj had his moments of domination but eventually, the final verdict came against him as he lost the bout 2-3 to end his campaign.

Late on Monday, Arundhati Choudhary (66kg) made her way into the quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over France’s Sonvico Emilie. She will now face Matovic Milena of Serbia on Thursday. Manisha (60kg), on the other hand, went down 2-3 against Zidani Amina of France in the pre-quarters.

On Wednesday, five Indian pugilists will kick off their campaign in their respective pre-quarter bouts. Amit Panghal (51kg) will be in action against Rudyk Maksym of Ukraine, Akash (71kg) will take on Traore Makan of France and Deepak (75kg) will face Asankul Uulu Sultan of Kyrgyzstan,

Abhimanyu Loura (80kg) and Naveen Kumar (92kg) will go up against France’s Monny Raphael and Voisnarovic Darius of Lithuania, respectively.

The Strandja Memorial Tournament is one of Europe’s oldest international sports competitions and is witnessing the participation of over 300 pugilists from 30 countries.

by Abhishek Shukla

Shrivalli Bhamidipaty stuns second seed Nao Hibino; Rutuja Bhosale, Prarthana Thombare win at L&T Mumbai Open Tennis Championships

Mumbai, February 6: A day after wild carder Sahaja Yamalapalli sent the top seed Kayla Day of USA crashing out of the tournament, Indian qualifier Shrivalli Bhamidipatty pulled off another stunning upset, defeating second seed Nao Hibino of Japan in the first round of the L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series Tennis Championships, being organized by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) and the Cricket Club of India (CCI) and played at the floodlit CCI courts on Tuesday.


Ranked No. 520 in the world and playing against a top 100 player for the first, the 22-year-old Bhamidipaty, who won two matches in qualifying to reach the main draw, recovered from the loss of the first set to oust the three-time WTA titlist Hibino 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5) in two hours and 17 minutes. The Indian will take on 16-year-old Russian Alina Korneeva for a spot in the pre-quarter-finals.

Earlier in the day, Asian Games mixed doubles gold medallist Rutuja Bhosale scored a straight sets win over Thailand’s Peangtarn Plipuech 6-4, 7-5 to make it three Indians advancing to the second round of the biggest professional women’s tennis tournament in the country this year. Later, Indian No. 1 Ankita Raina went down tamely to American 8th seed Katie Volynets in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.

There was also good news for local fans in the doubles draw with India No 1 Prarthana Thombare and Dutch partner Arianne Hartono reaching the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 2-6, 10-6 upset win over the fourth-seeded Thai duo Luksika Kumkhum/ Peangtarn Plipuech.

Fourth seed Arina Rodionova, who created history this week by becoming the oldest woman to make her top 100 debut at the age of 34, scored a 6-2, 7-5 win over Dutch player Suzan Lamens.

The tournament’s third seed Tamara Zidansek pulled out of the tournament and was replaced by lucky loser Camilia Rosatello, who scored a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Anastasia Tikhonova. Seventh seeded Kimberly Birrel was also knocked out in a two-hour, 35-minute battle, going down to Hungary’s Dalma Galfi 2-6, 6-4, 5-7.

Results – Singles (Round 1):
Shrivalli Bhamidipaty (IND) beat 2-Nao Hibino (JPN) 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(5);
4-Arina Rodionova (AUS) bt Suzan Lamens (NED) 6-2, 7-5;
Dalma Galfi (HUN) bt Kimberly Birrell (AUS) 6-2, 4-6, 7-5;
Polina Kudermetova bt Anastasia Zakharova 7-6 (8), 6-0;
Moyuka Uchijima (JPN) bt Carole Monnet (FRA) 6-3, 6-3
WC-Rutuja Bhosale (IND) Q-Peangtarn Plipuech (THA) 6-4, 7-5;
Storm Hunter (AUS) bt Q-Fanny Stollar (HUN) 3-0 retd.
Q-Amandine Hesse (FRA) bt Q-Lina Glushko (ISR) 6-1, 6-1;
LL-Camilia Rosatello (ITA) bt Anastasia Tikhonova 7-5, 3-6, 6-2.
8-Katie Volynets (USA) bt WC-Ankita Raina (IND) 6-4, 6-2

Doubles (Round 1): 
A Hartono (NED) / P. Thombare (IND) bt 4-L. Kumkhum (THA) / P. Plipuech (THA) 6-4, 2-6, 10-6.
C. Monnet (FRA) / E. Yashina def. V. Grammatikopoulou (GRE) / D. Semenistaja (LAT) 7-6, 6-4

by Abhishek Shukla

“Goal is to play Grand Slam Qualifiers this year” – Sahaja Yamalapalli dreams of bigger things after win over top seed at L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125K

Mumbai, February 6: India’s Sahaja Yamalapalli had never played a WTA $125K event or a player ranked inside the top 100 in the world prior to Monday. But the 23-year-old displayed power-packed groundstrokes and nerves of steel to pull off an upset win over top seed Kayla Day in the first round of the L&T Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series Tennis Championships, being organized by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) and the Cricket Club of India (CCI), on Monday evening.

After the big win, Yamalapalli was thankful to tournament organizers for the wild card. “As you all know, I’m a wild-carder here in the tournament. I would like to thank MSLTA and Sunder (Iyer) Sir for giving me this opportunity to play on this big stage. To just be around these players, you start believing that you belong here. You see them, you play with them and you get that confidence and then you go on to the match like thinking, OK, you can do this. I was telling myself I can do this even though she’s the first seed. She’s top 100. I’ve never played a top 100 player before. It’s my first match playing a top 100 and I just wanted to give everything out there. In the end, I got a couple of match points and I was like shaking, like, Oh my God. Like I’m winning this. And I’m really glad that I was able to pull it off.”

“This is a big win for me, especially at this point of my career, it’s very motivating. It’s really pushing me to do better, push harder and more practices and really go out there and get more wins in, on the big stage. So I’m really happy to get this.”

Despite this being her first match against a top 100 player, Yamalapalli was not surprised at her level, having gained confidence to know that she can compete with players at the elite level.

“I mean, not really (surprised) because I know I can produce this type of tennis. It’s all mental. I was just preparing myself that I can do this because I was in the same position before against players in the top 200. And then I got this close and did not come on the winning side. At that time, I was a little bit less confident. But this time, all those experiences helped me for this match to go into that thinking like I can do this, I can beat anyone here. I was confident and just going for it.”

Having come through the American collegiate circuit and now training with PBI, Yamalapalli believes her fitness and physical strength have been some of the biggest improvements in her game.

“For sure, it’s fitness and physical strength. I’ve built a lot over the years and then my forehand has been the biggest strength in my game and the serve. Lately I’ve been working a lot on my serve because I have big groundstrokes. But my serve was very decent. So I was working on that for the past couple of weeks and today I was able to serve better than my last matches.”

Speaking about her goals for the season, Yamalapalli said her target is to play in the qualifying draws for the Grand Slams this year.

“I don’t want to say a ranking like a number. Of course, I want to build on this, keep working on my game. I think there’s still a lot more to learn and a lot more things to improve. There’s always things to improve. So I just want to take this match, take the confidence and motivation and keep going. And you know I want to at the end of the year play the qualifying at the Grand slams. I’m going to keep working hard and keep going towards it.”

by Abhishek Shukla

Virender Sehwag to captain Mumbai Champions in Indian Veteran Premier League

Dehradun (Uttrakhand) [India], February 6:Former Indian cricketing maestro Virender Sehwag is set to return to the field, this time as the captain of Mumbai Champions in the inaugural edition of the much-anticipated Indian Veteran Premier League (IVPL).

The IVPL, scheduled from February 23 to March 3, 2024, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun, promises to be an enthralling display of cricketing excellence, with Sehwag at the helm of Mumbai Champions. The swashbuckling opener is excited to entertain his fans in the upcoming first edition of IVPL.

“I’m very excited to be part of the Indian Veteran Premier League (IVPL). I’ll be playing for Mumbai Champions. Let’s support Mumbai Champions and meet you all in Dehradun,” Sehwag said in a statement.

Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, who played 21 matches in the IPL, will also be seen in action for the Mumbai Champions. Another former IPL player Iqbal Abdulla will take the field alongside Sehwag in the IVPL.

Organized by the Board for Veteran Cricket in India (BVCI) and managed by 100 Sports, the IVPL promises an extraordinary showcase of cricketing talent, bringing together veterans such as Sehwag, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, Rajat Bhatia, Chris Gayle, Praveen Kumar, Yusuf Pathan, Herschelle Gibbs, and many more.

Shri Praveen Tyagi, the Acting President of BVCI and Chairman of IVPL said, “We are trying to create one of the best League in  India after IPL, we have added World’s best cricketers for the stature of Veteran Cricket, such as Chris Gayle, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina. This will  infuse a new energy for Veteran Cricket in India as well as it will work like magic for Veteran Cricketers, who are living their passion for playing with International Cricketers from the World.”

The IVPL will witness fierce competition among six formidable teams, including VVIP Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan Legends, Red Carpet Delhi, Chhattisgarh Warriors, Telangana Tigers, and Mumbai Champions. Each team boasts a roster of iconic players from around the globe, enhancing the league’s allure and competitiveness. Each team will have four to five iconic players from across the World.

The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun is all set to be the epicenter of this cricketing extravaganza, providing fans with an unparalleled opportunity to witness their favourite cricketing icons in action. The matches will be broadcasted live in India on the Eurosport channel, DD Sports, and Fancode.

Tickets for the matches at the iconic Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium will soon be available for purchase. Fans eagerly awaiting the opportunity to experience the live cricketing extravaganza firsthand can secure their seats and be part of the electric atmosphere at the stadium.

by Abhishek Shukla

Bengal Warriors and Maninder Singh Delighted to be Back on Home Turf in Kolkata for PKL

Kolkata, 6 February, 2024: Among the founding franchises and a former champion in the Pro Kabaddi League, the Bengal Warriors, are back on home turf for the first time in 4 years, and for the first time after they won the title in 2019.

Led by the inimitable Maninder Singh and coached by K Bhaskaran and Prashant Surve, the Bengal Warriors are keen to make a splash during their home leg in the milestone Season 10 of the Pro Kabaddi League, which has also returned to the caravan format for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.

In the City of Joy, at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, the Bengal Warriors will play the Gujarat Giants first on 9th February, then the Telugu Titans on 10th February, before wrapping up the leg with games against U Mumba (13 February) and Puneri Paltan (14 February).

The Bengal Warriors have their task cut out in the race for the playoffs for this season, and will hope to build some solid momentum during the home leg, and the last five games. However, the Bengal Warriors, dressed in their smart kits, are more quietly confident of putting on a good show for their home fans, and are hoping to give the people of the city enough and more reasons to rejoice in the first half of February.

“After we won the PKL title in Season 7, we could not come back and play at our home venue in Kolkata, in front of our home fans. Our fans in Bengal have always shown us a lot of love and we felt sad that we could not come back as defending champions in Season 8,” said Maninder Singh, Captain, Bengal Warriors.

“But, now that the PKL is back to the format of visiting the home venues of all the teams, the Bengal Warriors team is very happy. We love the city of Kolkata and its people, and we promise to play to the best of our ability when we take the mat at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. It is an iconic stadium and beautiful city, and we want our fans to take away the best memories from our four games in Kolkata. Apnara ashun aar dekhun amader, apnader bhalobasha chhara aar kichu chai na,” Maninder added.

“Kolkata is a city that loves its sports and has always shown immense adulation for their home teams. We hope that the Bengal Warriors family will come out and support us with full enthusiasm, and cheer us up, so that we find that extra bit of energy for the match-winning raid or tackle. We as a team are very much looking forward to the Kolkata leg, and hope to see our fans at the stadium,” said Apurv Gupta, Sr. VP & Head, Contact Sports (Capri Sports).  

“Nomoshkar Warriors, after 4 years our Bengal Warriors are coming back home to their home venue in Kolkata. We, the Warriors family, must come together and give our team the biggest and grandest welcome at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. I wish the Bengal Warriors team all the best for the remainder of the season,” said Akshay Kumar, Bollywood actor and Co-Owner of Bengal Warriors.

by Abhishek Shukla

South Asia’s inaugural Women’s Handball League launched in India

New Delhi, February 6, 2024: Marking a historic milestone, India is set to witness South Asia’s first-ever professional Women’s Handball League (WHL) which will be featuring prominent players from the Middle East, South East, Europe, and Africa.

The groundbreaking league is promoted by Pavna Sports Venture which is the official licensee holder, under the auspices of the South Asian Handball Federation, the Asian Handball Federation, and supported by the Handball Association of India.

With six teams set to compete in the inaugural edition, the league promises to be a game-changer for women’s handball in India by not only providing a transformative platform for players to showcase their skills but also creating a platform that will be able to churn future champions from the Sport.

The inclusion of players from around the globe will enhance the league’s diversity and competitiveness, promising to create a spectacle of best-in-class Handball action for sports fans across the country.

Commenting on the announcement of the revolutionary league during the press conference, Mr. Anandeshwar Pandey, League Chairman of the Handball Association of India & Secretary General of the South Asian Handball Federation expressed, “We are proud to be part of this historic moment as we launch India’s first Women’s Handball League. This league is a significant step forward in our mission to promote and develop women’s handball across the country. By joining forces with Pavna Sports Venture and the Asian and international bodies, our aim is to elevate the standard of women’s handball in India and provide our athletes with a world-class platform to compete at the highest level. This league marks the beginning of a new era for women’s handball as well as women’s sports for our country.”

India’s Girls Handball Team won the prestigious “Asian Presidents Cup” title for the first time in Jordan last year while the Indian Girls Junior Handball team also made history by winning the Gold Medal at the Asian Junior Girls Championship and qualified for the World Championship last year.

In the Asian Games 2022, the Indian women’s handball team secured the 5th position in the rankings.

Pavna Sports Venture is set to make a substantial investment of INR 100+ crores over the next three years in the sport to focus on infrastructure development, talent identification, and creating of top-notch coaching facilities for the game at grassroots level.

The WHL also plans to integrate foreign exchange programs as a crucial part of its grassroots development initiatives with the international federations to provide a holistic development platform for players that will provide them with the necessary exposure and experience to make their name in the sport both nationally as well as globally.

“As a Corporate group, Pavna Sports Venture is a strong advocate of women’s sports empowerment, believing that sports as a tool can facilitate the growth of an individual in multiple aspects The conception of the Women’s Handball League aims to bridge existing gaps not only in women’s handball but also in women’s sports across India. Our primary goal is to establish an inclusive ecosystem that empowers women’s handball to thrive and secure a premium position within Women’s Sports Leagues in India. Through this league, we will also aim to provide a platform for the New Generation Women to achieve financial, mental, physical, and emotional independence thereby empowering and inspiring millions of women throughout the country to embrace sports. We are aiming to launch the league by January 2025,” stated Mrs. Priya Jain, Executive Director of Pavna Industries & Chairperson of Pavna Sports Venture.

Handball is recognized as the fastest Olympic sport where two teams, each comprising seven players pass a ball using their hands, aiming to throw it into the opposing team’s goal.

A standard match is divided into two periods of 30 minutes each, and the team with more goals at the end of the match emerges as the winner.

Women’s handball in India has been on the rise with over 300,000 girls and women actively engaging in handball across various levels in India, representing schools, colleges, universities, CISF, CRPF, Railways, Services Sports Control Board (Army, Navy, Airforce), Sports Authority of India, Sports Promotion Board, and more.

by Abhishek Shukla

Australian Men’s Hockey Team arrives in Bhubaneswar for FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24

Bhubaneswar, 6th February 2024: The Australian Men’s Hockey Team landed in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday to begin their FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 campaign. The hockeyroos finished 7th in the previous campaign with 19 points.

The FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 (Men) is scheduled to take place at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar from 10th February to 16th February, before moving to the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, where the league will continue from 19th February to 25th February. Five national teams – Ireland, The Netherlands, India, Spain, and Australia – will participate in the India leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 (Men), facing each other once in Bhubaneswar and once in Rourkela.

Australia will take on Spain in their first match of the season on 11th February, followed by a clash with Ireland on 13th February. They will take on hosts India on 15th February, before they face the Netherlands in the last match of the Bhubaneswar leg on 16th February.

Australia’s goalkeeper Andrew Charter commented on the importance of the Pro League saying, “Preparations have been pretty good, we have been working really hard on our conditioning, we just had a little break over Christmas and we are feeling confident coming in. This mini-tournament is enormous for us primarily for the Paris 2024 Olympics; we want to use this as an opportunity to train a lot of our structures, test new things and get some experience to our younger team members. So, this is really valuable for us. And we’re putting a lot of importance on it.”

“Everyone’s going to be hard to play against, but Holland are looking pretty good right now. So I think our two games against Holland are going to be a really good test and India with the home support in Bhubaneswar is always going to be hard. The crowd’s going to be massive. So we’re looking forward to it,” he added when asked about the other teams in the league.

All matches of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 will be streamed on JioCinema, additionally, all India matches will be telecast on Sports18 – Khel.

by Abhishek Shukla

Major League Soccer and EA SPORTS FC™ Pro Reveal eMLS 2024 Season Exclusively on EA SPORTS FC 24

NEW YORK (Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024) – Major League Soccer (MLS) and EA SPORTS FC Pro today revealed details for the upcoming eMLS 2024 season, which includes a new competitive platform and players for 22 clubs that represent the global growth of the league. The eMLS 2024 season marks the debut of EA SPORTS FC™ 24 as the exclusive platform for all eMLS matches and its inaugural season as part of a new era of esports with FC Pro. The competitive calendar will feature two marquee League Series events in February and March, concluding with the eMLS Cup on March 10 in Austin.
 
Former Canadian National Team and Vancouver Whitecaps FC striker Tosaint “eightysvn”Ricketts, who made over 250 professional appearances in his decade-long career and was recently announced as the club’s 2024 eMLS athlete, will make his debut as the first former MLS player to compete in eMLS. As eMLS continues to grow on a global scale, this year’s edition will feature international stars like 2023 eMLS Cup champion Niklas “NR7”Raseck (Germany) with St. Louis City SC looking to defend his title, 2022 eMLS Cup champion Paulo “Paulo Neto ” Neto (Brazil) with Atlanta United, João Afonso “JAFONSO”Vasconcelos (Portugal) with New England Revolution, and Olle “Ollelito” Arbin (Sweden) with New York City FC.


“eMLS is excited to welcome new faces and have some of the world’s best return for the 2024 season,” said Jesse Perl, MLS VP of Brand Marketing. “Partnering with EA SPORTS FC Pro to bring the highest level of esports competition to North America is an important part of how MLS lives in culture and reaches our young, multicultural fans outside of the traditional gameday.”

The remote qualifiers and group stages of each League Series will be featured on each MLS club’s or player’s Twitch and YouTube channel, and fans can watch each event’s bracket on  Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/mls) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/mls ). Each league broadcast will showcase the top 12 remaining players and enhanced coverage for fans. The top two players within the eMLS Cup get direct bids to the FC Pro World Championship.
 
The season format will be as follows:

  • eMLS League Series 1: The 2024 season kicks off on Feb. 16 with remote qualifiers followed by the group stage on Feb. 17 and bracket final on Feb. 18.
  • eMLS League Series 2: The season continues March 1 with remote qualifiers, the group stage on March 2 and bracket final on March 3.
  • eMLS Cup: The season will conclude in Austin, with the group stage on March 9 and the fan-facing live bracket final on March 10.

eMLS is excited to bring back an all-star commentary crew, including host Faizal Khamisa, play-by-play announcer and reigning Esports Awards Caster of the Year Dan Gaskin, and commentator Mike Labelle.
 
“It’s exciting to welcome eMLS to EA SPORTS FC Pro,” said Sam Turkbas, Senior Director & Commissioner, Football Esports, Electronic Arts. “eMLS League Series and Cup format deliver exciting action to viewers throughout their season, expanding fandom and interaction with MLS clubs through EA SPORTS FC.  We are looking forward to hosting the eMLS Champion and runner-up at our inaugural FC Pro World Championship this year.”
 
Since the start of eMLS in 2018, the esports league continues to see annual increases in viewership and digital engagement. The 2024 season features a roster of notable partners, including TikTok, DoorDash, EA SPORTS and Avant.
 
All participating clubs have signed top talent including those listed below.

Atlanta United: Paulo “Paulo Neto” NetoNashville SC: Samuel “SaucySammy” Abraham
Austin FC: Diogo “Diogo” MendesNew England Revolution: João Afonso “JAFONSO” Vasconcelos
CF Montréal: Alix “Loux” LargerieNew York City FC: Ollie “Ollelito” Arbin
Charlotte FC: Gustavo “Gustavo” NascimentoNew York Red Bulls: Cormac “doolsta” Dooley
Columbus Crew: Christian “Chris Lopez” LopezOrlando City SC: Youssef “yaboyoussef“ Aboyoussef
D.C. United: Mohamed “KingCJ0” DiopPhiladelphia Union: Thiago Martin “ThiagoCapo12” Vazquez
FC Dallas: Alan “AlanAvi” AvilaSan Jose Earthquakes: Ben “BENR” Remez
Houston Dynamo FC: Jordy “JordyReyes” ReyesSeattle Sounders FC: George “GADAMOU10” Adamou
Inter Miami CF: John “K1john” KamelSt. Louis City SC: Niklas “NR7” Raseck
Los Angeles Football Club: Pablo “Pabs” GeorgakopoulosToronto FC: Christopher  “Didychrislito” Holly
Minnesota United: Ehsan “Lamps” ZakeriVancouver Whitecaps FC: Tosaint “eightysvn” Ricketts

by Abhishek Shukla

Zaragoza: Bengaluru FC fans are the fire in our veins, we need to bring joy to them

Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza believes that the Blues need to spark a turnaround and play an attractive brand of football primarily to bring happiness back to their beloved supporters. The team is gearing up to host their southern rivals Chennaiyin FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on February 7, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. (IST). Zaragoza shares a special connection with the club, as he was the assistant to Carles Cuadrat when they won the title in 2018-19.

“We need to ensure that fans enjoy the price that they pay for our tickets”

Since then, he has coached in Greece and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but Zaragoza fondly remembers the sheer passion of the BFC faithful, and his straightforward objective at the moment is to give a memorable experience to the supporters flocking the stands in their home games.

“We are going day by day, match by match, this is a process. The only thing we want to do is to bring joy to our supporters. They are too important for us. They are the fire in our veins. When we are in the changing room and we go outside and listen to them, it’s amazing. The players know that not just the players, even when the other clubs come to the Kanteerava, they know the importance of our supporters. They pay a ticket to come to us, and when they go home, they need to say, ‘We enjoyed today’. This is the most important thing,” Zaragoza said.

Bengaluru FC saw some significant departures in the summer, most important, Udanta Singh and Sandesh Jhingan leaving for FC Goa. That surely took a hit on the club, as acknowledged by former head coach Simon Grayson before he was relieved from his duties. Throughout his career, he has coached in Spain, Georgia, UAE, Qatar, Greece, and India. The Blues are accordingly in a phase of transition this season, and Zaragoza is acknowledging the fact that he cannot burden the team with his demands straightaway. He understands that he needs to spend some time getting the current squad adapted with his ideas, and hence has adopted a pragmatic approach of finding a middle ground that works in the best interests of all stakeholders involved.

“We will see a nice change at BFC in a few months”

“It is something that I have learned from all the countries I have worked in. You need to have the capacity to adapt to the new country, new club, and new players. For me, in my style of life, I have a style of football, and I have these players, and I need to try to arrive in the middle and we have to try to arrive in the middle. That means that the players we have are the best at the moment. We are going to work hard,” Zaragoza said.

“We are on the right wave. We have a lot of young talented players who are knocking at the door and I am sure that we will see a nice change in a few weeks or months,” he added.

There is a sense of familiarity for Zaragoza at Bengaluru FC, primarily because of his former association with the club. Albert Roca is the technical consultant for the Blues, and he naturally had a key role to play in bringing Zaragoza back to the club. He is also in good touch with his former head coach Cuadrat, who is at the helm of East Bengal FC at the moment. He insists that his style of football is concerned with maintaining complete control over the proceedings.

“I know what Albert Roca means for the BFC and the city”

“I know what Albert Roca means for the BFC and the city. We have been friends for a long time. From when I was with Carles, we always said that maybe one day we will work together. We were always in touch, not only about BFC, but about football in general. I am a type of person that likes to have control over everything and in football, of course. I like to take control of the game, it means whether we have the ball or not, we control the situation. But this is a process that needs time to work, and needs the players to understand too,” Zaragoza said.

Whilst the campaign must not have resumed on the best of notes for the Blues, as the head coach said, they must be taking belief and confidence in returning to their base at the Sree Kanteerava. Their clashes against Chennaiyin FC have always produced fireworks, starting from their maiden final encounter in the 2017-18 season, where the Marina Machans triumphed. With both teams in the quest of a much-needed win, one can expect this match to be a terrific entertainer for the fans.

Where to Watch

Fans across the country can catch the action in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam. Fans can watch the action on linear channels like Sports18 Khel (Hindi), Sports18 1 HD (English), Sports18 3 SD (English, Hindi, Malayalam and Bengali), VH1 SD & HD (English), Surya Movies (Malayalam), News 18 Kerala (Malayalam – select matches) & DD Bangla (Bengali). In addition to this, as part of FSDL’s partnership with OneFootball, ISL live streams and highlights of all matches of the upcoming 2023-24 season will be delivered across more than 190 countries.

by Abhishek Shukla

‘Looking to finish at the top of the table,’ says Puneri Paltan’s Head Coach BC Ramesh

NEW DELHI, 06 FEBRUARY 2024: The Puneri Paltan became the second team to qualify for the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 Playoffs after registering a 30-30 tie with Dabang Delhi K.C. in New Delhi on Monday. When asked about qualifying for the playoffs, Puneri Paltan’s Head Coach BC Ramesh said, “We will certainly finish first or second in the league stage. I have no doubt about that. We’ll look to perform well in our upcoming games and finish at the top of the table.”

Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh made another crucial contribution to Puneri Paltan with 4 points against Delhi. Speaking about his impact on the side, Puneri Paltan’s Captain Aslam Inamdar said, “Shadloui is an important player for us. We speak a lot about our defensive and raiding strategies. He’s supporting all the players well in the team.”

Speaking about their next match, Aslam said, “We’ll look to back our strengths when we take on Bengaluru Bulls. We’ll correct the mistakes we made against Dabang Delhi K.C. ahead of our next game. The Bengaluru side is a good one and the best team will certainly win the match.”

When asked about his team’s strategies specifically for Bengaluru Bulls’ defender Surjeet Singh, Aslam said, “Surjeet is a very experienced player. He’s been playing for many seasons. We’ll definitely make a strategy to take on him. Our players will have to think properly before making a move against Surjeet.”

The Puneri Paltan will take on Bengaluru Bulls in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Please find below the schedule for PKL Season 10 matches today

Game 1 – Tamil Thalaivas vs U.P. Yoddhas – 8 pm

Venue: New Delhi

Season 10 of the Pro Kabaddi League will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and for free on Disney+ hotstar.  

by Abhishek Shukla

Mooney moves up in ICC Women’s ODI batting rankings

Australia batter Beth Mooney has advanced one place to third position in the ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings after smashing an unbeaten half-century against South Africa in the opening match of their ICC Women’s Championship series in Adelaide.

Mooney, who last week regained the number one position in the ICC Women’s T20I Batting Rankings, has overtaken South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and would be hoping to move back towards the top in the longer format, in which too she has been number one in the past.

Kim Garth and Ellyse Perry are the other Australia players to gain in the latest weekly update after Australia’s eight-wicket win that lifts them to the top of the ICC Women’s Championship points table. Australia are now on 20 points from 13 matches with South Africa second on 18 from 13.

Pakistan and New Zealand are on 16 points each after 18 and 15 matches, respectively, while England (15 from 12), India (15 from nine), Bangladesh (13 from 15), Sri Lanka (11 from 15), the West Indies (eight from 12) and Ireland (two from 12) follow in the 10-team league championship that will see hosts India and five other teams qualify directly for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 with the bottom four teams getting a chance to make it through a qualifying tournament.

All-rounder Garth, who played for Ireland till 2019 before moving to Australia, has progressed four places to joint-38th in the bowling rankings after her Player of the Match performance of two for 18. Perry is up two places to 51st among bowlers and up to seventh in the all-rounders’ list.

South Africa all-rounder Marizanne Kapp has advanced from 10th to eighth position in the batting rankings after contributing 50 runs while Nadine de Klerk is up three places to 78th. In the bowling rankings, Masabata Klaas has progressed from 32nd to 26th position.

The T20I rankings see Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner (up one place to 11th), Ireland all-rounder Orla Prendergast (up eight places to 38th) and Zimbabwe’s Kelis Ndhlovu (up 13 places to 46th) make notable progress in the top 50 of the batting rankings. In the bowling rankings, Australia’s Annabel Sutherland (up 10 places to 24th) and Ireland’s Laura Delaney (up eight places to 48th) are among the main gainers.

by Abhishek Shukla

Box Office ticket sales commence for the Rourkela leg of FIH Pro League 2023/24 matches

Bhubaneswar, 6th February 2024: The Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneshwar has witnessed some scintillating matches in the FIH Pro League 2023/24 so far. With the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela also scheduled to witness the Indian Hockey Teams in action against some of the best teams in the world soon, Hockey India will begin the sale of offline tickets for the Rourkela leg of FIH Pro League 2023/24 on 8th February.

Starting Thursday, the offline tickets for North Stand and East Stand will be on sale at Gate No. 2 of the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium while the tickets for West Stand and South Stand will be sold at Gate No. 6 between 11.00 AM and 6.00 PM. The tickets for the West Stand and East Stand are priced at Rs.500 and Rs.200 respectively. Meanwhile, North Stand and South Stand tickets are priced at Rs.100.

The Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium will host 10 matches of the Women’s teams from 12th February to 18th February, followed by 10 matches of the Men’s teams from 19th February to 25th February. The Women’s teams participating in the mini-tournament are the United States of America, China, the Netherlands, Australia, and India and the Men’s teams that would be participating are the Netherlands, Spain, Australia, Ireland, and India. Each team is scheduled to compete against each other once in this mini-tournament being held in Rourkela.

Commenting on the launch of the sale of physical tickets Dr. Dilip Tirkey, Hockey India President said, “Pro League action is set to continue in the state-of-the-art Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela and I am certain that the matches there will be just as entertaining. I implore hockey fans to turn up in droves and support the Indian Hockey Teams as they take on the best teams in the world.”

Details of the tickets for sale are as under for all days:

STANDSTICKET PRICE PER DAY (Rs.)
West Stand First FloorRs.500/-
East Stand First FloorRs.200/-
North Stand First FloorRs.100/-
South Stand First FloorRs.100/-

Earlier, Hockey India announced online ticket sales for all the Women’s and Men’s matches in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. Fans can avail of the match tickets from www.ticketgenie.in, and there will be no need for redemption for physical tickets of online purchases.

All matches of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 will be streamed on JioCinema, additionally, all India matches will be telecast on Sports18 – Khel.

by Abhishek Shukla

Michael Klinger joins Adani’s Gujarat Giants as head coach ahead of WPL 2024

Bengaluru, 6 February 2024: Ahead of Season 2 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), former Australia cricketer Michael Klinger has been appointed as the Head Coach for the Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants. The second season of the WPL will be played in Bangalore and New Delhi, with the tournament starting on 23 February at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. He joins the squad with legendary former Indian captain Mithali Raj, who is the Mentor and Advisor of the team, and Nooshin Al Khadeer, who has been the Bowling Coach since Season 1.  

Klinger most recently served as an assistant coach for Sydney Thunder, a team that finished fourth in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).  He also worked with Phoebe Litchfield, the new recruit to the Thunder, having served as the head coach of Melbourne Renegades Men’s team from 2019 to 2021.

Klinger attained legendary status in the Men’s BBL as a player. He retired in 2019 and left as the league’s highest ever run scorer. His experience in various aspects of the game will prove beneficial for the Gujarat Giants team. 

Speaking about his recent appointment as head coach, Michael Klinger said, “The Gujarat Giants have a chance to do something special in the Season 2 of the Women’s Premier League. I am eagerly looking forward to working with cricketing legend in Mithali Raj, who has played a transformative role in women’s cricket in India. Together with the Adani Sportsline family, Mithali Raj, and the rest of the team, I hope to take the team to ultimate glory.”

The appointment of Klinger was also lauded by Mithali Raj, Team Mentor and Advisor, “Working with Michael will help bring out the best in the Gujarat Giants players.  . His expertise with the bat is also well-known and will surely benefit some of the younger members of our team. We look forward to having Klinger in the dressing room. We are sure of attaining success with him as head coach.”

Sanjay Adesara, CBO, Adani Sportsline, said, “Michael Klinger is a very worthy addition to the Gujarat Giants and Adani Sportsline family. He has shown great pedigree in the BBL as both coach and player. This will surely help our team in the upcoming season of the WPL as well as in the future. He will work closely with Mithali Raj as the two guide our team to greater heights.”

Meanwhile, the Giants will take the field against the Mumbai Indians in their first match of the campaign on February 25, 2024.
 
About Adani Sportsline
Adani Sportsline is the sports arm of the diversified Adani Group, which has a presence in ports, logistics, energy, utility, infrastructure, electric power generation and transmission, mining, airport operations, natural gas, and food processing.
 
Formed in 2019, Adani Sportsline has an overarching philosophy to inculcate a culture of sports at the grassroots level and create globally competitive opportunities for future champions in India. In line with the group’s vision of nation-building, the company aims to build a world-class ecosystem that nurtures sporting talent, accelerates the sports economy, and plays the role of an enabler in India’s journey to become a leading sporting nation.

by Abhishek Shukla

Royals Announce 14-Year Contract Agreement with Bobby Witt Jr.

In a move that solidifies their commitment to building a championship-contending team, the Kansas City Royals have made a monumental decision, signing shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to the largest contract in franchise history. The Royals have penned a 14-year agreement with Witt Jr., including 11 years guaranteed, marking a significant milestone for both the player and the team.

The announcement was made in Kansas City, MO, where the Royals also revealed plans to host a press conference at Kauffman Stadium’s Hall of Fame Suites, celebrating this historic agreement. This gesture underlines the importance of Witt Jr. to the Royals’ organization and their high hopes for his continued impact on the field.

Bobby Witt Jr., at the young age of 23, has already made a profound impact in Major League Baseball (MLB). In his rookie year, Witt Jr. showcased his prowess with 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases. He built on this impressive debut with an even more stellar sophomore season, recording 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases. This achievement not only made him the first Royal to accomplish a 30/30 season but also placed him among the elite in MLB history to reach such heights at 23 or younger.

Witt Jr.’s performance last season—leading the Royals in numerous categories including games played, hits, triples, home runs, RBI, stolen bases, OPS, and runs—has solidified his status as a cornerstone of the franchise. Among American League leaders, he ranked prominently in stolen bases, hits, total bases, and more, showcasing his all-around talent and contributing significantly to the Royals’ competitiveness.

His exceptional combination of home runs and steals last season places him in the rarefied air, matched only by legends like Eric Davis, Barry Bonds, Mike Trout, and Ronald Acuña Jr. Moreover, Witt Jr.’s defensive prowess, highlighted by leading American League shortstops in Outs Above Average, demonstrates his invaluable contribution to the Royals on both sides of the game.

The Royals’ decision to lock in Witt Jr. for the foreseeable future speaks volumes about their faith in his abilities and character. John Sherman, Chairman and CEO of the Royals, expressed excitement over ensuring Witt Jr.’s presence on the team for many years, emphasizing his impact on improving the team and commitment to the city and fans.

As the Royals look ahead, securing a talent like Bobby Witt Jr. for 14 years is a clear signal of their intentions to compete at the highest levels and strive for championship baseball. Witt Jr.’s historic deal not only celebrates his achievements and potential but also promises Royals fans exciting and competitive baseball for years to come.

by Abhishek Shukla

New York City FC Strengthens Defense with New Signing from Serbia

In a strategic move to fortify their defense, New York City FC has officially announced the acquisition of Serbian defender Strahinja Tanasijević from Spartak Subotica. The 26-year-old, known for his versatility on the field, has been signed through the 2025 MLS season, signaling a long-term commitment from the club to bolster their backline.

Strahinja Tanasijević, who has the capability to excel both centrally and on the right flank, brings a blend of speed, aggression, and technical skill to the team. His ability to play a high defensive line aligns seamlessly with NYCFC’s dynamic style of play, a quality that Sporting Director David Lee highlighted in welcoming the Serbian international to the club. Lee expressed confidence in Tanasijević’s ability to enhance the team’s defensive robustness and inject competitive spirit among the ranks.

With 102 professional matches under his belt, including a stint with notable clubs such as Chievo Verona in Italy, Paris FC in France, and FK Čukarički in Serbia, Tanasijević adds a wealth of experience to NYCFC. His career statistics boast 1 goal and 3 assists, underscoring his contribution not just in defense but also in facilitating offensive plays.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the new chapter, Tanasijević shared his eagerness to embrace the challenges of Major League Soccer and contribute to NYCFC’s quest for success. His ambition is to leverage his international experience to aid the team in competing at the highest levels and vying for trophies.

NYCFC, keen on making a significant impact in the upcoming season and returning to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, looks forward to integrating Tanasijević into their squad. The team’s campaign is set to kick off on February 24 against Charlotte FC, marking the beginning of what promises to be an exciting season.

With this latest signing, New York City FC not only strengthens its defensive line but also sends a clear message about its intentions for the season ahead. Fans and supporters will be keenly watching as Strahinja Tanasijević takes to the field, ready to make his mark in Major League Soccer and contribute to NYCFC’s ambitions for the year.

by Abhishek Shukla

FIFA World Cup 26™ final to be held in New York New Jersey, Mexico City to host historic opening match

FIFA has revealed the match schedule for the FIFA World Cup 26™, with the final to be held in New York New Jersey on Sunday, 19 July 2026 and the opening match featuring the Mexican national team scheduled to be played at the iconic Estadio Azteca Mexico City on Thursday, 11 June 2026.

Like Mexico, the national teams of Canada and the United States will each play their three group-stage matches on home soil. Canada will kick off their campaign in Toronto on Friday, 12 June 2026, while the United States will begin their journey on the same day in Los Angeles.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “The most inclusive and impactful FIFA World Cup ever is no longer a dream but a reality that will take shape in the form of 104 matches in 16 state-of-the-art stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the USA. From the opening match at the iconic Estadio Azteca to the spectacular final in New York New Jersey players and fans have been at the core of our extensive planning for this game-changing tournament.”

“I would like to thank our three host countries and 16 Host Cities for the unwavering commitment to staging a FIFA World Cup that will not only set new records but also leave an indelible legacy.”

FIFA Vice-President and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani said: “The FIFA World Cup 26 will be a watershed moment and one that will trigger massive football development in our region and worldwide. While each Host City is unique, they all have something in common – they are passionate about football and cannot wait to welcome the world in June and July 2026.”

The tournament’s innovative match schedule will serve to minimise travel for teams and fans alike, while the number of rest days between fixtures will be maximised. Having been drawn up in consultation with key stakeholders, including national-team coaches and technical directors, the schedule will also increase the prospect of matches being played in the best possible conditions and ensure that fans have shorter travel times when following their teams.

Match pairings and kick-off times will be confirmed following the Final Draw for FIFA World Cup 26, which is expected to take place towards the end of 2025.

FIFA World Cup 26 match schedule – summary:  

  • FIFA World Cup 26 to kick-off at the iconic Estadio Azteca Mexico City on Thursday, 11 June 2026, with the final scheduled for Sunday, 19 July 2026 in New York New Jersey.
  • Toronto, Mexico City, and Los Angeles to host the opening matches of their respective national teams.
  • Canada, Mexico, and the United States guaranteed to play their three group-stage matches on home soil, with Guadalajara, Vancouver, and Seattle also selected to stage host countries’ group-stage matches.
  • Miami to host the bronze final, Dallas and Atlanta to stage the highly anticipated semi-finals, while Dallas will host nine (9) matches – the most of any Host City at the tournament.
  • Innovative match schedule ensures that three days of rest for teams is observed for 103 of the tournament’s 104 matches. Majority of matches to be played in three regionalised zones (east, central and west) to reduce travel for teams and fans.
  • Group stage:
  • First matchday of the tournament to feature two matches, including the tournament curtain-raiser in Mexico City and a match in Guadalajara.
  • Day two to feature two matches involving hosts Canada and the United States respectively.
  • The final four matchdays of the group stage will feature six matches per day. Matches in the same group will be played simultaneously to maintain the integrity of the competition.
  • All other group-stage matchdays will feature four matches per day across four kick-off times.
  • Estadio Azteca Mexico City set to host opening match for the third time, making FIFA World Cup history as the first stadium to do so.
  • Canada will host its first FIFA World Cup, complementing its proud history of hosting top FIFA women’s and youth tournaments, including the successful FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™.
  • USA to host FIFA World Cup for the second time, following record-setting 1994 edition. USA has also hosted two successful editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup (1999 and 2003).
  • Fans can pre-register for FIFA World Cup 26 tickets atfifa.com/tickets
  • Pre-registration for information about hospitality packages is available atfifa.com/hospitality
by Abhishek Shukla

Odisha FC scales to the top of the table with an emphatic win over Hyderabad

Odisha FC steamrolled past Hyderabad FC by 3-0 at the Gachibowli Stadium tonight to bring up their fourth consecutive victory in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season. The Juggernauts’ in-form striking duo Diego Mauricio and Roy Krishna were on the money as the visitors capped off a convincing win to move to the top of the points table, displacing Kerala Blasters FC.



Joao Victor is the sole foreigner starting matches for Hyderabad FC at the moment, and accordingly there is added responsibility in his shoulders to uplift both his performance as well as that of the entire team around him. Unfortunately for them, it was a misplaced pass by him that led to Mauricio pouncing upon the chance and hitting the ball past Gurmeet Singh to open the scoring for Sergio Lobera & Co.

Throughout the game, Odisha FC went about their business with an impeccable sense of assurance. They perhaps expected to take three points from this encounter, and the sheer individual brilliance in their ranks blended with the seamless consistency with which they operate under Lobera came together to ensure that they suffered no hiccups in their pursuit of this victory.



Isak Vanlalruatfela has been one of the most improved domestic stars in Odisha FC this season, and it was a moment of magic by him that helped them double the lead before the halftime break. Receiving the ball en route to his way inside the box, Isak demonstrated some quick feet and some innate composure in the final third to find an unmarked Roy Krishna on the right. The Fijian received the squared up pass, and had no hesitation in merely slotting the ball into the back of the net, adding another feather to the illustrious season that he has had so far.

After Isak, it was Princeton Rebello’s turn to show his prowess. Having spent time with Lobera at FC Goa, Princeton moved to Odisha FC when his former head coach returned to the league. Whilst chances haven’t come across frequently so far, he gave a good account of the strengths that he possesses, dazzling ahead through the centre, charging towards the Hyderabad FC defence before splitting it wide open for an onrushing Mauricio to strike the ball in and get his second goal of the match in the 75th minute.

Key Performer of the Match

Diego Mauricio (Odisha FC)

The Brazilian consciously limited his involvement in the proceedings in the final third. He made only 14 passes, but completed 10 of them, in addition to being extremely efficient whenever opportunities came his way to bag the brace. The clinical show he put on tonight was arguably the biggest differential point between the two opponents here.

What’s next for both teams?

Odisha FC will be squaring off against FC Goa on February 9, whereas Hyderabad FC will play Mohun Bagan Super Giant the following day.

Brief Scores

Odisha FC 3 (Diego Mauricio 27’ 75, Roy Krishna 45+1’) – 0 Hyderabad FC

Stats Pack:

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by Abhishek Shukla

Spain Men’s Hockey Team arrives in Bhubaneswar for FIH Men’s Hockey Pro League matches

Bhubaneswar, 5th February 2024: TheWorld No. 8 Spain Men’s Hockey Team arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on Monday ahead of their FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 matches in India.

The FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 (Men) is scheduled to take place at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar from 10th February to 16th February, before moving to the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, where the league will continue from 19th February to 25th February. Five national teams – Ireland, The Netherlands, India, Spain and Australia – will participate in the India leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 (Men), facing each other once in Bhubaneswar and once in Rourkela.

Spain will play their first match of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 (Men) on 10th February against hosts India, followed by a contest against Australia, on 11th February. They will then take on Netherlands, the World No.1 ranked team, on 13th February and Ireland on 15th February in their final fixture in the Bhubaneswar leg before heading to Rourkela.

When asked about the importance of the tournament after having landed in Bhubaneswar, Spain’s Captain Marc Miralles said, “It is a crucial tournament for us. We just qualified for the Olympics a couple of weeks ago. It’s important for us to play our eight games really well to have as many points as possible.”

When asked about the toughest side, Marc Miralles said, “We played a really tough game against Ireland in the Olympic qualifiers. The Netherlands are the defending champions, and India is playing at home, so I think we’re going to have some fun games.”

He signed off by saying, “We are in good shape having played the Olympic qualifiers recently. We’ve trained well in the gym and are ready for the challenge.”

All matches of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 will be streamed on JioCinema, additionally, all India matches will be telecast on Sports18 – Khel.

by Abhishek Shukla

Sudhakar’s SUPER 10 helps Patna Pirates stage comeback win against Jaipur Pink Panthers

DELHI, 5 FEBRUARY 2024: Another closely fought match in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 saw the Patna Pirates seal an emphatic 36-33 win over the Jaipur Pink Panthers at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in Delhi on Monday. Arjun Deshwal and Sudhakar M earned SUPER 10s for their respective teams, but it was the Patna Pirates who worked their way back to continue their unbeaten run to six matches. 

Jaipur Pink Panthers, who have already qualified for the playoffs, started on a bright note as they raced to an early lead. The Patna Pirates, who are in the race to seal their spot in the playoffs, prevented one ALL OUT courtesy of Sudhakar M but just before the strategic timeout, he was tackled by Sunil Kumar as the Patna Pirates gave their opponents the three points.  

For the Patna Pirates, all eyes were on Sudhakar, who seemed like the bright spot. However, he was not ably supported by his teammates as the Jaipur Pink Panthers began to take a decisive lead in the game. Arjun Deshwal kept the pressure up on his team, and from the other side, it was Sachin who worked hard to get his side into the game as the score read 18-14 at the end of the first half.  

The Patna Pirates turned the game almost immediately at the start of the second half, getting the Jaipur Pink Panthers ALL OUT as soon as the second 20 minutes started. This gave the team a lot of confidence, allowing them to level the score. 

This did not deter the Jaipur Pink Panthers. Arjun Deshwal reached his SUPER 10, and 200 raid points in Season 10, before Sachin was trapped in a double thigh hold as the Jaipur Pink Panthers got a SUPER TACKLE to their name. They recovered from their slow start to the half, staying ahead of their opponents by a single point as the match went into a close battle.  

Just when the match seemed to be swaying in one direction, Patna Pirates skipper Sachin stuck to get the Jaipur Pink Panthers ALL OUT and giving his team the lead. This was enough to keep them above the two-time defending champions, sealed an important win to boost their chances of reaching the playoffs.

Please see below the PKL Season 10 match on 6th February 

Game 1 – Tamil Thalaivas vs U.P. Yoddhas – 8 pm 

Venue: New Delhi 

Season 10 of the Pro Kabaddi League will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and for free on Disney+ Hotstar.   

by Abhishek Shukla

Nikhat, Sakshi begin campaign with victories at 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament

Sofia, (Bulgaria), February 5, 2024:  Nikhat Zareen and Sakshi Chaudhary began their campaign with contrasting wins at the 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria on Monday.

Nikhat was up against Mongolia’s Oyuntsetseg Yesugen in the 50kg bout. Both the boxers came with an attacking intent as they delivered powerful blows at every opportunity.

The boxers were at their attacking best and didn’t give any breathing space to each other. However, it was the reigning World Champion Nikhat who eventually triumphed with a 3-2 split decision verdict. Nikhat will now face Lkhadiri Wassila of France in her quarterfinal bout on Thursday.

Sakshi (57kg), on the other hand, outclassed Selmouni Chahira of Algeria with her swift moments and surprise attacks. She dominated the match throughout to clinch an easy 5-0 unanimous decision win to enter the quarter-finals. She will now take on Mamajonova Khumorabonu of Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Preeti (54kg) fought a tough battle against Fay Niamh of Ireland. Both the pugilists had their moments in the first two rounds with Fay taking the lead early on. Preeti did make a remarkable comeback in the third round with all five judges tilting in her favour, but it wasn’t enough as she bowed out of the tournament with a 2-3 loss.

In a surprising turn of events Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) got disqualified in the third round of her pre-quarterfinal match after three warnings of excessive grappling against Ireland’s O’Rourke Aoife.

Manisha (60kg) and Arundhati Choudhary (66kg) will be in action later tonight against France’s Zidani Amina and Sonvico Emilie, respectively.  

Late on Sunday, Jugnoo (86kg) secured a hard-fought 3-2 win over Kocharian Ashot of Ukraine in the round of 16 clash. He will now face Djalolov Samandar of Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

On Tuesday, three men boxers will kick start their campaign in their respective round of 16 matches. Sachin (57kg) will take on Uzbekistan’s Fayzov Khudoynazar, Vanshaj (63.5kg) will face Iran’s Habibinezhad Ali and Sagar (92+kg) will square off against Jazeviciius Jonas of Lithuania

The Strandja Memorial Tournament is one of Europe’s oldest international sports competitions and is witnessing the participation of over 300 pugilists from 30 countries.

by Abhishek Shukla

Preview 6th EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup Oberhof (GER):  FIL luge elite on the hunt for points in Thuringia 

Oberhof (FIL) After three weeks in Altenberg, Saxony, the international luge teams  have moved on to Thuringia. The 6th EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup will be held  in the LOTTO Thüringen EISARENA from February 9 to 11, 2024. A total of 98 sleds  from 18 nations have registered for the World Cup, with 32 women’s and 33 men’s  singles and 13 women’s and 20 men’s doubles.  

In addition to the World Cup races, the fifth of six team relays as part of the  EBERSPÄCHER Team Relay World Cup presented by BMW is scheduled for  Sunday. 

It will be a reunion for the Thuringian luge fans with their local World Championship  heroes, first and foremost Max Langenhan, World Champion in the singles and with  the team as well as Vice World Champion in the sprint, and Julia Taubitz, Sprint and  Team World Champion as well as Vice World Champion in Altenberg. Both put in an  

incredible race to catch up in the Altenberg ice track at the last World Cup race: In  difficult weather and resulting ice conditions, both raced from 22nd and 21st place  respectively in the first run to victory. 

The 24-year-old Max Langenhan grew up in Friedrichroda, 30km from Oberhof, and  has won five of the six World Cup races so far, adding a total of 13 World Cup  victories to his account. He leads the overall World Cup with 570 points ahead of the  two Austrians Jonas Müller (419 points) and Vice World Champion Nico Gleirscher  (372 points).  

Julia Taubitz was born in Saxony and started her luge career in Altenberg but has  lived and trained in Oberhof for many years. Like her team-mate Max, she has made  it onto the podium at all six World Cups so far this season, three of them at the top.  This weekend, she could clinch the 25th World Cup victory of her career. With 555  points, she leads the overall World Cup standings ahead of World Championship  bronze medallist Madeleine Egle (457 points) and team-mate Anna Berreiter (357  points). 

Things remain really exciting in the men’s and women’s doubles. The Sprint World  Champions Andrea Vötter/Marion Oberhofer from Italy have moved to the top of the  overall standings after their victory in Altenberg and are currently on 470 points, just  ahead of the two German doubles Jessica Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal (465 

points) and Dajana Eitberger/Saskia Schirmer (416 points). ) In the men’s doubles,  the Vice World Champions Thomas Steu/Wolfgang Kindl (AUT) have one win and  four second places to reach 486 points, putting them ahead of the Sprint World  

Champions Martins Bots/Roberts Plume (LAT, 410 p.) and the Team World  Champions and World Championship bronze medalists Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt  (GER, 409 p.). 

An overview of the overall World Cup standings and the individual disciplines can be  found here: fil-luge.org/en/overall-scores?event_season_id=31 

Press conference on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 

In the run-up to the 6th EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup in Oberhof, the  Thuringian Luge and Bobsleigh Federation invites you to a press conference, which  will take place on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at 1:30 pm in the Haus des Gastes  (Crawinkler Straße 2, in 98559 Oberhof). Besides reigning World Champion Max  Langenhan, World Championship fifth-placed Merle Fräbel, Andi Langenhan,  national base coach, as well as technical coach and Oberhof head mechanic Robert  Eschrich will take part. In addition to an assessment of the sporting results over the  past few weeks and a look ahead to the home race in Oberhof, the press conference  will also focus on the influence of the equipment and technical performance on the  athletes’ success.  

A live stream is planned for all media representatives who cannot be there in person. Here comes the link: Livestream: Pressekonferenz vor dem Rodel-Weltcup in  Oberhof | MDR.DE 

Quotes: 

Emanuel Rieder (ITA): „We were delighted with third place in Altenberg. It was  revenge for the messed-up World Championships and a conciliatory end to the three  weeks in Altenberg for us. After that we went home for a short time before we start  again in Oberhof. We really like the track, it’s one of our favorite tracks and we really  enjoy racing there. “

Andrea Vötter (ITA): „ It’s unbelievable. We’ve barely been in Altenberg for three  weeks when we finally understand the track and can luge fast here. We’re really  

happy about our first World Cup win this season and that we’re now heading to a new  track, to Oberhof.” 

Marion Oberhofer (ITA): „We went home for two days after the World Cup in  Altenberg, and we’ll now attack again in Oberhof with renewed energy. We are  looking forward to the last four World Cups. It’s great to have now also taken the lead  in the overall World Cup. Freshly recovered and highly motivated, we will now tackle  the World Cups in Oberhof and Sigulda and hope to maintain our lead. “ 

Julia Taubitz (GER): „I didn’t expect to go from 22nd to first place. After the first run,  the plan was to be in a good midfield position. It was a weather race today – of course  a win is nice, but you’re not as happy about it as if it had been perfect weather. I’m  really looking forward to the next two World Cups in Oberhof because I can stay in  my own apartment. That’s something different from hotel life. I’m looking forward to  the track and hope for good weather and lots of spectators. “ 

Dajana Eitberger (GER): „We worked really well on turn 9 in the third week in  Altenberg and also saw in the men’s doubles’ race that we had to keep the focus on  this passage. We did a good job of that. We can’t explain why we didn’t make it to the  front in the second run. We had a very good race and were happy about it. The next World Cups in Oberhof and Sigulda are two tracks where we still face some  challenges. We narrowly missed our goal in Oberhof during the training week, which  was to get two safe runs down at the start of the race. We’ll have to work on the  starting height again in the training runs, but we’re taking the momentum from  Altenberg with us and are very confident about the races. The same applies to  Sigulda, where we haven’t had such an easy time so far. However, with the  experience we have already gained, I can well imagine that we will also find our way  around the track there.“ 

Max Langenhan (GER): „I was just lucky at the last World Cup race in Altenberg.  Normally such mistakes deserve a defeat. The fact that the track deteriorates so  much in this weather is something you wouldn’t wish on any other athlete – I feel  sorry for them too. It’s an outdoor sport after all, as we saw last week at the World  Sprint Championships, where it was similar. I was just lucky with the start number in  the second run. “

Juri Gatt (AUT): „Last weekend was exciting with the weather, especially because  the track slowed down a lot. But the World Championship week just gave us so much  confidence that we could go into the race relaxed because we knew we had what it  

takes. It’s cool when you can prove that again and we were able to repeat our World  Championship success in the World Cup. “ 

Christian Eigentler, Head Coach Austria: „It was an incredibly difficult weekend in  Altenberg, where we pretty much made the best of the situation. Weather is always  an issue in outdoor sports, but if the track degrades so quickly, it would be in  everyone’s interest to work out solutions for the future. I can’t blame my team at all,  we worked overtime in the sledging room and performed well, but in some cases we  simply didn’t stand a chance. Even if we had remained completely faultless in the  final relay, we wouldn’t have won today. That’s why we’re all the happier with the  double victory in the doubles and the two podium places in the singles. “ 

Schedule & TV coverage 

6. EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup, Oberhof (GER) 

Local start time (CET/MEZ) 

Friday, February 09, 2024 

09:00 Nations Cup 

14:30 Training seeded group. 

Saturday, February 10, 2024 

09:30 Men’s Doubles, 1st run 

10:18 Women’s Doubles, 1st run 

11:15 Men’s Doubles, 2nd run  

12:07 Women’s Doubles, 2nd run  

13:05 Women’s Singles, 1st run 

14:30 Women’s Singles, 2nd run 

Sunday, February 11, 2024 

10:00 Men’s Singles, 1st run  

11:30 Men’s Singles, 2nd run  

13:30 Team Relay 

Subject to change without notice!

by Abhishek Shukla

Process-driven Musheer Khan is living in the moment ahead of heavyweight World Cup clash

Musheer Khan’s already had a remarkable ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024.

He is currently the leading run-scorer in the tournament, and with a semi-final against South Africa on Tuesday looming, has a chance to further cement his name alongside other luminaries of Indian cricket who walked the same path. 

One of those was Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer’s older brother, who played two editions of this tournament – in 2014 and 2016 – and was recently called up to the Indian Test squad for the series against England. 

Sarfaraz’s journey hasn’t been without its struggles, and in being able to pick the brains of someone who has done this before, Musheer feels privileged. He has learnt what he could while closely observing his brother’s career. His elder sibling is not just a source of inspiration now, but also a confidante.

“The first thing he told me was that there is no bigger pride than playing for India,” Musheer tells ICC when asked about his brother’s influence. “He told me to enjoy myself on the field and whenever I get a chance – be it with the bat or ball – you have to pull the team up in any situation and win the game.

“He told me to play with all my heart because you are representing the country. I have learnt a lot from Sarfaraz – right from how he bats to how he is always thinking about winning the game for his team, to how he builds his innings. 

“Even as he was knocking on the doors of the Indian team, his focus was always on scoring runs and on the process without worrying about the result. My focus too is on the process.”

His brother remains a big benchmark, but Musheer’s biggest source of inspiration – like almost every other cricketer hailing from Mumbai – is Sachin Tendulkar. 

That was evident during a standout moment against New Zealand when Musheer executed a remarkable upper-cut, prompting commentators to highlight the striking resemblance to the Little Master’s influence.

As Musheer continues to make a name for himself, he reflects on the beginnings of his journey, one that commenced at a tender age under the watchful eyes of his father.

“When I was younger, about 5-6 years old, my father would take me to the ground to play cricket,” he says. “Watching my brother play, I slowly started playing cricket

“There have been so many challenges in my journey so far. Right from childhood, there’s a very high level of competition, right from U14, U16 and now at U19.” 

Musheer credits his father for helping him navigate through the tricky patches. “My father always told me to keep working hard,” he says. “The challenges never stop, and you have to accept that as you keep moving ahead.”

Musheer has already played three first-class matches for Mumbai – something he said was the “turning point in my career so far” – and believes playing at the highest level in domestic cricket has helped him adapt strongly to the challenges that come with playing in a World Cup.  

Throughout the conversation, a theme emerges: The 18-year-old is always quick to credit the coaches, and underline his commitment to the team’s cause rather than individual feats. 

“The support staff has backed us to play fearlessly right from the start and back our natural playing style,” he says.

“Another thing that has helped us is that we play for each other in the team. If someone has a bad day, we don’t let it affect the player or the team. We are playing as a family and it shows on the field.”

Despite delivering standout performances in the tournament so far – including two centuries that have put him atop the run charts – Musheer says he won’t be happy until the World Cup is won.

“I am happy with my performances but I won’t be satisfied until we win the World Cup,” he says. “As far as being the highest run-getter, I don’t really want to think about it. 

“Since the start of the tournament, it was only about winning the World Cup and that’s what we are focussing on. I only want to do well for the team and take the results as they come.

“It would give us great happiness to bring the World Cup to India. But we know that it won’t come easily, and that we still have to work very hard to get our hands on the title.”

As the tournament enters a crucial phase, Musheer’s confidence is unwavering, despite the chance of facing a team that will be buoyed by home support. 

“There is no nervousness,” he says. “We view the semi-final as just another match, just as we did in the league stages and Super Six. We are not taking extra pressure.

“We are just looking to stick to our roles in the team, focusing on the process and the results will come. 

“It’s [about being defending champions] there at the back of our minds, that we have to win the World Cup, but we don’t let that get to us.

“We are preparing to the best of our abilities. We are taking this as a normal match and trying to give our best.”

It’s Musheer’s immediate dream to win this tournament. But the dreams go beyond that. Typically, he remains grounded, thanks to another piece of advice from his father. 

“There is a lot to achieve but my father has always told me to work hard and don’t think far too much about the future,” he says. “He tells me to stay in the present and focus on the upcoming matches. 

“When we think too much about the past or the future, we forget to be in the moment. That’s what our team is doing too.”

Profound words from a scintillating prospect

by Abhishek Shukla

Sharapova’s pretty dresses inspired India’s Shrivalli to play tennis

Mumbai, February 5: Among the most promising Indian women’s tennis players in the main draw of the WTA 125K L&T Mumbai Open, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty made a sensational start to the tournament, winning two very impressive games in the qualifying round. The 22-year-old from Hyderabad is keen on making a solid impression in this prestigious event which returns to Mumbai after a gap of six years and is being played at the iconic Cricket Club of India. 

However, what inspired and motivated the current Indian National champion in both singles and doubles, was former World Number 1 Maria Sharapova, whose dressing caught her eye. “I used to look at Maria Sharapova’s pictures and really liked her pretty clothes. I, too, wanted to wear such pretty dresses and that’s the reason I started playing tennis at the age of 11 and got hooked into the sport. Playing tennis gave me the opportunity to be able to wear pretty dresses. So, for me getting into sports was pretty accidental,” she said. 

Hailing from a sporting family, where her mother was a basketball player and her father played cricket and karate, Shrivalli began to take tennis seriously within a couple of years of being introduced to the sport. “For me it was always a roller-coaster ride. Honestly, I just love the sport of tennis and being out there, because that way you don’t have to be home and studying,” she added. 

In her debut WTA tournament, Shrivalli is taking it one game at a time and ensuring she makes the best of every opportunity to be out there on court. 

“I didn’t have too many goals coming into the WTA L&T Mumbai Open because it is my debut tournament, and I just wanted to go out there, play my tennis and have fun at the same time. I know everyone I play will be a higher level than me. So, I just wanted to do my best and give it my best shot,” she added. 

“I am thrilled to qualify for the main draw and I will play normally like any other match. 

Shrivalli is scheduled to meet second seed Nao Hibino in the first round. 

by Abhishek Shukla

Kwena Maphaka, the bowling prodigy destined for bigger things

All it took for Kwena Maphaka to stamp his presence at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 was two balls. Off his second delivery in the tournament, he bowled a searing, inswinging yorker that had West Indies opener Adrian Weir flummoxed.

What followed was an animated punch in the air and a big celebration – quite in contrast to the very mellow one he had planned with his elder brother Tetelo. For a few seconds, Maphaka was drawn into the moment, the adrenaline rush getting the better of him. He would end the day with a five-wicket haul, a feat he would go on to achieve twice more in the next few weeks. 

“That one [spell against West Indies] is probably closest to my heart,” Maphaka told ICC.  

“I just try to put out a good performance every game, but the West Indies one was the most memorable for me. It was the first game of the tournament, lots of nerves, a home World Cup, I thought my spell helped us get off to a really good start to the tournament … set the tone”

The tone was set the moment Maphaka’s sharp inswinger thudded into Weir’s boots. It was the culmination of what Maphaka considers the perfect plan – getting the new ball to swing as much as he can, and surprise the batter. 

Maphaka loves the inswinger. After his last Super Six game, the South African teenager, who’d cheekily said he hoped he was better than Jasprit Bumrah, watched the Indian quick’s unplayable yorker to Ollie Pope in the Test series in India. 

“I think he had all three stumps uprooted. It’s amazing,” Maphaka said. The inswinger, he reveals, is his biggest weapon too. It is his staple delivery with new ball, one he mastered alongside Shukri Conrad, the current South Africa Test team head coach.

Conrad’s first glimpse of Maphaka came at the Under-15 level, when he was amazed by the left-arm pacer who swung the ball at lightning speed. When Conrad became the head coach of the South Africa U19 team ahead of the previous edition of the U19 Men’s CWC, Maphaka was called up into the setup. Under Conrad’s watchful eyes, the young tearaway honed his sharp inswinger.

Aged 16, Maphaka was taken to the West Indies event in 2022, more to help him gain experience in the environment and to shape him into the new-ball force that would spearhead the attack in the next edition. 

However, he ended up playing and making quite an impression. In the current tournament, he has blossomed, his rapid development into one of the best fast bowlers in the competition a topic of conversation around the cricket world. 

This isn’t new for Maphaka, though. He was always well ahead of his peer group in cricket. “My parents tell me I picked up a cricket ball when I was two years old, playing garden cricket with my brother,” he says. 

“There were a lot of challenges in picking up cricket as a profession at such an early age. There’s the pressure of studies at school, the lure of other sports. I would also play hockey, rugby, tennis and athletics … but cricket is something I really enjoy and my passion for the sport has just driven me through all of the hurdles, distractions and other pitfalls.”

When he was young, it was all about pace for Maphaka. As he progressed, he picked up the finer skills of pace bowling, including his trademark inswinger and unplayable yorkers. 

However, Maphaka maintains that his best quality is aggression – something characteristic of Kagiso Rabada too. Rabada and Maphaka came through the same school, St Stithians, and the duo possess very similar attributes.

“It [aggression] is something that comes very naturally for me,” says Maphaka. “I am a very competitive person at heart. I think it’s my biggest attribute. But to be compared with someone like KG [Rabada] is humbling. 

“KG is an inspiration to a lot of people in South Africa and outside, just the way he’s gone about his cricket, the work he has done from such a young age. It’s something I am trying to take on board.”

As the young left-arm quick heads into the big semi-final against India, it’s hard not to draw parallels with the all-time great performance of Rabada in the 2014 edition of this tournament, at the very same stage a decade ago. 

In the semi-finals of the 2014 edition in UAE, Rabada skittled out Australia for 150, taking a six-wicket haul that would put his team in the finals. It’s a match that Maphaka remembers vividly.

“His performance in the U19 World Cup, particularly the one against Australia in the semi-finals, where he took a six-wicket haul, has really inspired me to go on and put in a big performance for my team as well in the big games.”

Maphaka knows he is one of the top performers in the tournament. He stands atop the wickets table with 18 at an average of 9.55, including three five-wicket hauls, a feat not achieved by any other player in the history of the tournament.

“I know I am right up there with some of the best bowlers in the tournament,” he says.

“Saumy Pandey from India, Callum Vidler from Australia, they have bowled really well. I wouldn’t say I am the best, but I’m up there.”

Maphaka is keen to point out that South Africa have had quite a few match-winners so far in the tournament.

From Steve Stolk to Dewan Marais, Tristan Luus, Riley Norton, and Maphaka himself, South Africa have had several individuals making a mark.

“It’s good for us that we haven’t had just one [player] perform in the tournament,” Maphaka says. “We’ve had different guys putting in contributions. It means on any day, one can come in and put in a big performance. That’s what we really need in the semi-finals.”

India will know Maphaka is no easy bowler to face, not least when there are passionate fans egging him on from the stands. The crowd support for South Africa has been immense in the U19 MCWC. 

“They [fans] have come out in numbers to back us every single day, even on weekdays when the kids have school and the parents have work,” Maphaka says. 

“They have always turned up. And they will be there in huge numbers at the semi-finals in Benoni.”

The prospect of reaching the final is a big motivation for Maphaka as the semi-final looms. With fans supporting his every move, the belief is high.

“Having the whole country come to back you would be truly insane,” he says. “The vibe is very different, you know [when the crowd’s behind you]. It’s something that pushes me. 

“Playing away and being in a final might be special, but being at home, with the people that you know. They love you, they support you, they have helped you get to the position that you are in right now. There’s something different about that.”

India and South Africa are yet to face each other in the ongoing tournament, but the teams have history. They faced off in a couple of matches ahead of the tournament in the tri-series in South Africa where India beat them both times.  

Will it make it any easier for the Indian batters to face Maphaka, having played him before recently? The fast bowler has a clear answer.

“Usually, the more you face someone the more comfortable it gets, but I am going to make it as uncomfortable as possible for the Indian batters in the semi-finals,” Maphaka states emphatically.

It’s an ominous warning for the defending champions

by Abhishek Shukla

Chennaiyin aims to grab playoffs spot, asserts head coach Coyle ahead of Southern Derby

Chennai, January 5, 2023: Chennaiyin FC are ready to face Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 on Wednesday at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru after a two-week break and head coach Owen Coyle asserted that the team’s sole focus is to qualify for the playoffs.

The Marina Machans had a comfortable 2-0 win when they faced Bengaluru FC previously in the league this season and will look to register another victory in the southern derby. They are currently sitting in ninth position in the points table with a total of 12 points. 

“It’s great to come back fresh and ready to go as we move into the second half of the season. We have six games at home, four away and with a great opportunity to be in the playoffs. Our aim is to make sure that we move to the top six and everything’s in our own hands, we will decide our own fate. So, we are excited and looking forward to the upcoming match against Bengaluru FC,” commented head coach Owen Coyle ahead of the match.

He added, “We’ll look to pick the best team available and go to Bengaluru. We will try to do the double, having already beaten them in Chennai in the league game and we take valuable three points which would take us into the top six straight away. So whatever happens even coming out of the Bangalore game, everything’s in our own hands. Within the club we always feel that we want to be fighting out for playoffs and championships and to do that, you have to get yourself now in that top six and that’s what we have to do.”

Chennaiyin are coming into the game after a break and forward Ninthoinganba Meetei stated that the players worked hard on their finishing in training during the last two weeks.

Ninthoi said, “Actually, the break was really important for us. Two weeks after the Super Cup, we worked really hard and the training went well and we followed the process doing a lot of conditioning and finishing. The team is focused on the upcoming match against Bengaluru FC. In the matches we work really hard but miss the key opportunities, so we worked on it during the break.”

Chennaiyin and Bengaluru have contested 14 matches in the ISL, with the Marina Machans securing victories in four games, while Bengaluru FC emerged triumphant in seven.

The match will begin at 8 PM IST as the fans can watch the action live on Viacom18 and JioCinema.

Head-to-head:

Matches: 14, CFC: 4, BFC: 7, Draw: 3