New coach before Lanka tour: Shukla
The BCCI failed to resolve the differences between Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli despite its best efforts, said senior board official Rajeev Shukla before assuring that a new head coach will be appointed before India's tour of Sri Lanka next month. "BCCI tried its level best to resolve the issue. The acting secretary, the CEO, they discussed the matter with Kumble and Kohli in great detail, the board consulted the chairman of the COA (Vinod Rai) also," Shukla said. "They tried to resolve the issues but eventually no outcome could be found out and Kumble decided to move on," he added. Kumble, in his statement, said that Kohli had reservations about his coaching 'style' and there partnership was untenable. When asked whether Virat Kohli was the only one who objected to Kumble as coach, he said: "All these are speculations. It is not that captain is given all the importance. We give importance to everybody. There are differences sometimes. They are also human beings."
Rani Rampal to lead Indian eves
Striker Rani Rampal will lead an 18-member Indian women's team at the Hockey World League Semi-Final to begin on July 8 in Johannesburg. Defender Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam has been named as Rani's deputy for the tournament. The team features an experienced line-up with Deep Grace Ekka, Sunita Lakra, Monika, Sushila and Gurjit Kaur forming a part of the defensive line. The team has two goalkeepers—Savita and Rajani Etimarpu while the midfield consists of Ritu Rani, Lilima Minz, Navjot Kaur, Renuka Yadav, Nikki Pradhan and Namita Toppo. The forward line features Rani, Vandana Katariya, Preeti Dubey, Anupa Barla and Reena Khokhar. The event will also see participation from Germany, England, Ireland, Japan and Poland. India will begin their campaign at the Hockey World League Semi-Final against South Africa on July 8.
Srikanth, Saina, Praneeth advance
Indian shuttlers had a mixed day at the Australian Open Super Series as Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth and B. Sai Praneeth progressed to the second round but four others were knocked out in the first round itself. Srikanth, who won the Indonesia Open last week, continued his good form by defeating Chinese Taipei Kan Chao Yu 21-13 21-16 in the men's singles opening round while Sai Praneeth had to sweat it out to register a hard-fought 10-21 21-12 21- 10 win over Indonesia's Tommy Sugiarto. Srikanth will next play top seed Son Wan Ho of Korea, while Sai Praneeth will be up against Huang Yuxiang of China.
In the women's singles, Saina was up against a tough opponent in fourth seed Sung Ji Hyun of Korea but the former world no. 1 showed her masterclass to beat her opponent in straight games 21-10 21-16. However, it was curtains for H.S. Prannoy, Ajay Jayram, Praupalli Kashyap and Siril Verma in the men's singles first round.
Three Russians banned after Beijing retesting
The Beijing Olympics relay silver medallist Anastasiya Kapachinskaya and two other Russian athletes were banned for four years for doping. Kapachinskaya, Inga Abitova and Denis Alekseyev, were caught out for using the prohibited substance turinabol when their samples from the 2008 Games were retested. The bans were announced by the All-Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF). Kapachinskaya, who also tested positive for stanozolol, was part of the women's 4X400m relay team that came second in Beijing. Her retested sample from the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu also came back positive. Abitova came sixth in the women's 10,000m in China while Alekseyev picked up bronze in the men's 4x400m relay bronze that year. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is retesting hundreds of stored samples from the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics using improved techniques to root out drug cheats. Russia was accused in a World Anti-Doping Agency report last year of state-sponsored doping. Its athletics team was barred from last summer's Rio Olympics and remains banned.
Jamil becomes East Bengal's new coach
City football giants East Bengal on Wednesday appointed Khalid Jamil as their head coach for the upcoming season. Jamil, who made a name for himself by guiding Aizawl FC to an improbable I-League triumph last season, put pen to paper on a one-year deal. A former India international, Mumbai-based Jamil had been at the helm of Mumbai FC for seven seasons before taking charge of Aizawl who defied all odds to lay hands on the league crown. East Bengal, who finished third in the 2016-17 season under British coach Trevor Morgan, have already signed a number of players including Lalramchullova, Mahmoud Al Amna and Brandon Vanlalremdika, all part of Aizawl's fairytale season. The red and gold brigade, after bouts of jousting with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) regarding taking part in the Indian Super League (ISL) along with arch-rivals Mohun Bagan, will have to be content with playing the I-League which is expected to run simultaneously with the ISL from November.
