London Olympics 2012

LONDON, July 22: India's national flag was unfurled at the Olympic Games Athletes Village on Sunday in the presence of a small group of sportspersons and contingent officials after their request for deferring the flag-raising ceremony was turned down by the organisers.

According to an IOA media release, an elegant and colorful ceremony, formally welco...

London, July 22: Seasoned defender Ignace Tirkey`s sprained ankle and star mid-fielder Sardara Singh`s injured shin has left the Indian hockey team management worried ahead of the Olympic Games starting July 27.

Injuries sustained by star midfielder Sardara, by far the most outstanding Indian player in recent times, and defender Ignace during the practice matches in Spain have kept the ...

London, July 22: Laid-back American swimming champion Michael Phelps says the passion is back, and he hopes to emerge from the London Olympics as the most decorated Olympian of all time.

He needs to win just three medals to surpass Larisa Latynina Olympic record of 18 set between 1956 and 1964. Swimming has been Phelps‘s life as well but, at 27, he is getting ready to walk away an...

NEW DELHI, July 22: Marathon runner Ram Singh Yadav on Sunday became the third Indian athlete to clear the AFI fitness test for competing in the upcoming London Olympics.

"He is fit for the Olympics and we have cleared him. He bid 32min 30 seconds in a 10km race in Coimbatore Synthetic Trek. We are satisfied with his fitness," Athletics Federation of India secretary general, C K Valson ...

London, July 22: The Amazons, an elite special forces anti-terror team comprising 40 women, trained to infiltrate terrorist cells and kill, will be Britain’s “secret weapon” during the Olympics to keep trouble at bay.

The team has been dubbed The Amazons after the legendary tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology, the Daily Express reported on Sunday.

The w...

London, July 22: The Olympic torch relay, currently travelling through the British capital after it arrived from Olympia‘s Temple of Hera in Greece, has had to face flash protests on the streets. The protestors are demanding the restoration of cuts in the National Health Services (NHS) that is reeling under massive funding cuts. NHS shares its birth year with the 1948 London Olympics. Lon...

London, July 22: He is one of India‘s best bets for an Olympic medal in boxing, but world number six Vikas Krishan does not quite like the spotlight on him as he feels it is better to be “unknown” to lead a normal life. “It is good to be unknown,” 20-year-old Asian Games gold-medallist said in an interaction at the Games Village here today.

“Too much ...

London, July 22: David Beckham has been given a last minute call to take part in the Olympics opening ceremony to be watched by nearly four billion global audience, a gesture to thank him for helping to get the games to London.

Organizers have “specially created” a part for Beckham in Friday’s opening ceremony.

“He’s really excited and delighted at ...

New Delhi, July 22: Realistic about her chances in the Olympics, Indian triple-jumper Mayookha said she is targeting a top-six finish in London by improving her personal best effort. Very few Indians have made it to the final round in Olympics track and field events and Mayookha said that it would be an achievement if she makes the grade in London.

“I don`t want to promise big thi...

London, July 22: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that it will continue its investigation into allegations of illegal ticket sales for the London Olympics.

The IOC issued a statement Saturday regarding the allegations which were made in The Sunday Times.

“The Ethics Commission has received evidence from the newspaper and noted that each individual case m...

Hambantota, July 22: Virat Kohli, who fashioned India‘s 21-run voctory over Sri Lanka in the first one-dayer here, says that wearing India colours was a big motivating factor for him.

“I get really motivated when I put on India jersey. It is a responsibility so I want to perform the best way I can,” Kohli told reporters at the post match press conference last night.

South Africa declare on 637-2, Kallis hits 43rd ton

LONDON, July 22: Hashim Amla hit South Africa's first Test triple century as England's bowlers continued to suffer on the fourth day of the first Test match at the Oval on Sunday.

Amla made 311 not out as South Africa declared at 637 for two at tea; a first innings lead of 252. Amla and Jacques Kallis (182 not out) put o...

HAMBANTOTA, July 22: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Doni was fined 20 per cent of his match fee while his teammates were docked 10 per cent of their earnings for maintaining a slow over-rate during the first ODI against Sri Lanka.

“India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the India team have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during its 21-run victory against Sri Lanka in th...

HAMBANTOTA, July 22: Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara will miss the rest of the five-match One-day International series against India after injuring his groin in Saturday’s opener. Team manager Charith Senanayake said on Sunday that the extent of Kulasekara’s injury was not yet known but confirmed the player will not take any further part in the series.

“We canno...

London, July 22: The 2012 London Olympics will be better than the Beijing Games, a British minister said on Sunday.

Jeremy Hunt, who the minister for culture, Olympics, media and sport affairs, told the Sunday Times he is confident that London can outshine Beijing.

"I believe we'll be better than the Beijing Games. They did a brilliant job, but it was a Games that was playing to...

London, July 22 : Currently ranked World No.1, Chinese shuttler Lin Dan is seeded second in the Olympic badminton tournament as the draw will take place on Monday at the Olympic Park. Across the five medal events - men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles - there will be a total of 172 players in the draw, evenly split between men and women.

The London Game...

HOCKENHEIM, July 22: Fernando Alonso extended his lead in this year's Formula One drivers' world championship on Sunday when he drove to a flawless victory for Ferrari in the German Grand Prix.

The 30-year-old Spaniard started from pole position and dominated the 67-lap race in consummate style as he came home 3.7 seconds ahead of local hero, defending champion Sebastian Vettel of Red B...

CHARTRES, July 22: Bradley Wiggins virtually secured his maiden Tour de France victory after winning the penultimate stage-time trial of the race on Saturday.

Wiggins, who took nearly two minutes from defending champion Cadel Evans when he won the stage nine time-trial over 41.5km, went into the 53.5km race against the clock with a 2min 05sec lead over Sky team-mate Chris Froome.

Hockenheim, July 22: Sahara Force India could not carry a strong qualifying performance into the race Sunday when their drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta managed ninth and 11th place at the Formula One German Grand Prix here.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso cruised to his third victory of the season while Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button came second and third for Red Bull and McLare...

LYTHAM, July 22: Tiger Woods will not have a reunion with his ex-caddie Steve Williams in Sunday’s final twosome at the British Open even though for much of the third round it looked like that was set to happen.

Instead, 54-hole leader Adam Scott, who now has Williams as his bagman, will play alongside Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell with 14-time major champion Woods in t...

Lytham St. Annes, July 22: Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh signed off from The Open Championship with a three-over-par 73 Sunday, and was ready to finally celebrate his Scottish Open win and recharge his batteries for a bid to return into the world`s top-50.

Singh, a two-time Asian Tour number one, was disappointed he failed to make an impact at Royal Lytham and St. Annes although he an...

Gstaad, July 22: Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci won the Credit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad trophy for the second time Sunday as he upset top seed Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-2 in the final.

The Brazilian won his first ATP World Tour title as a qualifier at the same venue in 2009 defeating German Andreas Beck.

"Gstaad is very special for me because I won my first title h...

Melbourne, July 22: The West Indies will renew their rivalry with Australia when they head Down Under for a five-match One-Day International series next February 2013.

The tour will be a part of a hectic summer schedule for the Australians who will also face South Africa and Sri Lanka in three-Test matches, and Sri Lanka in another five-match ODI series, prior to meeting the Windies, re...

MUMBAI, July 22: Playing his maiden Major, Anirban Lahiri has already ‘lived the moment’. Long hailed as one of the most promising golfers in India, Lahiri became the first Indian to register a hole-in-one in a Major championship. He did it in the third round of the British Open, on the par-3 165-yard ninth hole at the Royal Lytham & St Annes with a nine-iron that landed on the ...

ATLANTA, July 22: Andy Roddick reached the final of the ATP Atlanta Open after he withstood 26 aces from John Isner to topple the top seed 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 on Saturday.

Roddick, seeking a second title of the season after victory at Eastbourne, will play Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller, who ousted eighth-seeded Go Soeda of Japan 6-4, 6-3.

“I’m excited,” Rodd...

Rio de Janeiro, July 22: Former Brazilian star Ronaldinho scored a trademark goal as Atletico Mineiro stayed on top of Brazil’s Serie A standings with a 4-1 victory over Sport Recife.

The two-time FIFA world player of the year ran onto a defence splitting pass from Bernard before dribbling past Edcarlos and then curled an angled shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Magrao on Saturd...