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wednesdAY 24•02•2016
SPORTS
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Be patient and give Van Gaal time, says Beckham LONDON, February 23 (reuters): Former Manchester United midfielder David Beckham has urged Louis van Gaal's critics to be patient by giving the Dutch coach time to spark a turnaround in his old club's fortunes. Van Gaal has been under the microscope all season, not only because of a string of indifferent results but also due to the team often failing to show the flair and dynamism traditionally associated with United teams. "He (Van Gaal) is an experienced manager with a great reputation in the game," Beckham told Talksport Radio. "Sometimes it takes time, it is not easy being manager of Man United." "As a Man United fan I always hoped we wouldn't go through a slump but it was inevitable," said Beckham who played for United under Ferguson from 1995 to 2003 and helped them win six Premier League titles and the 1999 Champions League. "We have had so much success over the last 20 years that if we don't win something for one season or two seasons people talk about it being a crisis," the 40-year-old added.
Celtic fined £10,000 over conduct of players, fans LONDON, February 23 (ageNCIes): Celtic have been fined £10,000 by UEFA over the conduct of the team and supporters during their Europa League match with Fenerbahce. UEFA's control, ethics and disciplinary body charged the Scottish champions after their supporters set off fireworks during their 1-1 draw at the Sukri Saracoglu Stadium on December 10. Celtic were also charged with improper conduct after receiving five yellow cards, with Mikeal Lustig, Dedryck Boyata, Jozo Simunovic, Kieran Tierney and Stefan Johansen receiving cautions against Fenerbahce.
Dos Anjos pulls out of fight with McGregor
C M Y K
Las Vegas, February 23 (ageNCIes): Rafael dos Anjos has been forced to withdraw from next week's much-anticipated fight with Conor McGregor. Combate's Ana Hissa broke the news that the Brazilian belt holder sustained a training injury which means he will not be able to participate in the fight scheduled for March 5. This means the lightweight title fight will no longer take place, as McGregor was poised to make UFC history by holding two belts at one time if he overcame Dos Anjos. McGregor's coach John Kavanagh posted a sad face on Twitter shortly after the reports broke. One option for McGregor is to fight Cowboy Cerrone in Vegas on March 5. It is the second time McGregor has been left without an opponent after Jose Aldo withdrew from their initial fight last summer with Chad Mendes stepping in to take on McGregor.
Premier League our biggest rival: Barca chief barCeLONa, February 23 (ageNCIes): Barcelona consider the Premier League to be a more considerable threat to their future than bitter rivals Real Madrid, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu has revealed. The Catalan giants face Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie at the Emirates tonight hoping to progress toward an unprecedented second successive European title. Premier League clubs will share a honeypot of £5.136bn for domestic television rights in the 2016/17 season in a deal - involving broadcasting rivals Sky Sports and BT Sport - which places English clubs firmly at the top of the financial ladder. “[They] will have an incredible financial situation from now on and we are worried,” Bartomeu told BBC Sport. “Our rivals are the Premier League, they are the big adversaries. We have to do our best to increase our revenues and our financial situation to make the talent of our teams stay with us.
Johnson admits 'stupidity' of kissing girl braDFOrD, February 23 (aP): England soccer international Adam Johnson has told a court of his "stupidity" in kissing a 15-year-old girl, but denies allegations of sexual contact with the teenager. Johnson, who is accused of sexual activity with a child, gave evidence Monday in his trial. The former Sunderland winger has admitted to kissing the teenager. Johnson told the jury he knew kissing the girl was an offence, but didn't realize that communicating with her with the intention of kissing her prior to a meeting was also an offence. Junior prosecutor Daniel Thomas read a statement that Johnson had made for police. He said Johnson admitted to kissing the girl "fully on the lips" during a meeting in his car on Jan. 30 last year.
Conte odds-on favourite to become new Chelsea manager LONDON, February 23 (ageNCIes): Antonio Conte is the odds-on favourite to become the next Chelsea manager, following reports in Italy he has agreed a deal in principle to join the Blues in the summer. According to Sky Sports News, Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo travelled to Italy on Tuesday and will be present at Juventus' Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich, with Conte also due to attend. British media on Tuesday claimed that the Italy coach had agreed a two-year deal to become the permanent successor to Jose Mourinho. Conte’s contract with Italy expires after the 2016 European Championship in the summer. If Conte does join Chelsea, he will become the 10th manager to work under owner Roman Abramovich since the Russian billionaire acquired the club from Ken Bates in 2004.
Boundaries work for me as I can't hit big sixes: Kohli MIrPur, February 23 (PtI): He is among the most dreaded batsmen in international cricket right now but Indian swashbuckler Virat Kohli says he has made peace with one shortcoming in his game, that he can't strike big sixes. Kohli has hit only 27 sixes in 33 T20 Internationals compared to a whopping 127 boundaries. And talking about his game ahead of the Asia Cup starting tomorrow, the marauding right-hander said he has come to terms with being just a four -hitter. "The game plan in my initial days in T20 was to get 10 off 10 and then take off. But I realised that I don't have the kind of shots to hit big sixes. I have come to terms with the fact that I cannot hit big sixes so I focus on boundaries," Kohli told mediapersons ahead of India's Asia Cup T20 opener against Bangladesh. "Our team has good momentum going into Asia Cup. We cannot be over-confident and we have to respect every opposition," said Kohli.
Vettel sets the pace in f1 preseason tests barCeLONa, February 23 (aP): Sebastian Vettel continued to show good pace with Ferrari in Formula One's preseason testing on Tuesday, setting the fastest time in the morning session. Vettel was nearly a second faster than Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull, the only other top driver to go out on Pirelli's new ultra-soft tire compound. Vettel's time of 1 minute 22.810 seconds was almost two seconds quicker than the pole position in Spain last year. Vettel also was fastest on Monday. Nico Rosberg of Mercedes was third on medium tires, two seconds slower than Vettel. Rosberg, last year's runner-up to teammate Lewis Hamilton, ran 81 laps, the most of any driver. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso made his debut in testing by running 71 laps, a promising sign for McLaren after disappointing results last year.
Warriors hold off Hawks for 50th NBA win
LOs aNgeLes, February 23 (aFP): The Golden State Warriors notched their 50th win of the NBA season in record-setting style, thwarting a Hawks rally to triumph 102-92 in Atlanta. Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry on Monday scored 36 points for the Warriors, who wasted a 23-point third-quarter lead but held on to grab win number 50 in their 55th game of the season. That eclipsed the record of 56 games needed by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls needed to reach 50 wins -- another encouraging sign for a Warriors team bent on beating the record 72-10 regular-season mark put up by those Michael Jordan-led Bulls. "We're right on track," Curry said. "We're not complacent, (we're) trying to get better, finding different ways to win. "We understand our potential, but we're not getting ahead of ourselves," Curry added. "Fifty wins is great, but we've got to keep plugging away and stay hungry." Curry connected on 14 of 22 from the field and made five of 11 three-pointers. He has made a three-pointer in 126 consecutive regularseason contests, one shy
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors drives against Jeff Teague of the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on February 22, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Getty Images)
of matching the all-time record held by Atlanta's Kyle Korver. Klay Thompson added another five three-pointers for the Warriors, scoring 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as Golden State battled back after seeing the Hawks gain an unlikely lead. The game looked as if it would be a blowout until the third quarter. Golden State led 58-30 at halftime and built the cushion to 7047 on Curry's drive to the basket with 6:58 left in the third quarter. But with center Al Horford and guard Dennis Schroder scoring eight points apiece, the Hawks
responded with a 28-6 scoring run that pulled them to within a point heading into the fourth. They took the lead on a basket by Horford and led 80-76 on a three-pointer from Thabo Sefolosha. But Golden State regained control with a 17-4 scoring run. Golden State center Andrew Bogut, back after missing a game with a sore Achilles tendon, had three of his five blocked shots in the fourth to help the Warriors seal it. Pistons shock Cavs As the Warriors continued their march toward the post-season, Eastern Conference leaders Cleveland
were up-ended on their home floor, falling 96-88 to the Detroit Pistons. Reggie Jackson scored 23 points and center Andre Drummond had 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Pistons, who had 59 points dropped on them by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis on Sunday but bounced back to end the Cavaliers' five-game winning streak. Pistons guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 19 points, coming up with a big late steal from Cavaliers star LeBron James that resulted in a basket. James's 12 points matched his season low
as the Cavaliers came out flat a day after handing the Oklahoma City Thunder their worst defeat of the season. Cleveland turned the ball over 18 times and were ineffective at both ends of the floor. "We lacked energy, starting with myself, all the way down to everybody else," James said. Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving scored 30 points -- a day after sitting out much of the game at Oklahoma city with what the team called flu-like symptoms. Irving said he was sickened and sleep deprived after finding bed bugs in his Oklahoma hotel room. Heat hold off Pacers In Miami, the Heat welcomed veteran Dwyane Wade back to action with a 101-93 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers. Wade, who missed the previous two games with knee soreness, connected on four of 21 from the field, but set the Heat up for overtime with two free throws in the waning seconds of regulation. Goran Dragic scored 24 points for the Heat and Hassan Whiteside came off the bench to score 19 points with 18 rebounds and six blocked shots as Miami withstood a 31-point performance from Pacers forward Paul George.
Asia Cup: Dhoni fitness concern looms as India take on Bangladesh
MIrPur, February 23 (PtI): India enter the final phase of their preparations for next month's World Twenty20 with the Asia Cup starting on Wednesday but a cloud of uncertainty over skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's availability threatens to disturb the side's momentum going into the tournament-opener against Bangladesh here. Dhoni has suffered a muscle spasm during the team's training session yesterday, prompting the BCCI to rush Parthiv Patel as his back-up. The skipper's fitness is a concern going into Wednesday's match against the sprightly hosts, who have built a reputation of being giant-slayers on more than one occasion. The continental championship will be played in a Twenty20 format from the usual ODI keeping the World T20 in mind and the need for the Asian teams to get some much-needed match time before the marquee event starts next
DAY/DATE
Wednesday, Feb 24 Thursday, Feb 25 Friday, Feb 26 Saturday, Feb 27 Sunday, Feb 28 Monday, Feb 29 Tuesday, Mar 01 Wednesday, Mar 02 Thursday, Mar 03 Friday, Mar 04 Saturday, Mar 06
TIME
19:00 IST, 19:00 IST 19:00 IST 19:00 IST 19:00 IST 19:00 IST 19:00 IST 19:00 IST 19:00 IST 19:00 IST 19:00 IST
month. For India, who are considered as title contenders, a good Asia Cup performance will give them the much-needed boost going into the World T20. While Dhoni has always stated that "revenge is a very strong word in sport" but the Indian team will be keen to get even against a strong Bangladesh side that beat them fair and square in a three-ODI series at the same venue last year under hostile circumstances with a partisan crowd backing its team.
MATCH
India vs Bangladesh Sri Lanka vs TBA Bangladesh vs TBA India vs Pakistan Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Pakistan vs TBA India vs Sri Lanka Bangladesh vs Pakistan India vs TBA Pakistan vs Sri Lanka TBA vs TBA, Final
This was against the backdrop of the controversial Rohit Sharma decision during the quarter-final of the 50-over World Cup in Melbourne. The ODI series last year saw the emergence of leftarm pacer Mustafizur Rahaman, who bamboozled the Indian batsmen with his variations. This tournament will also give 'Men in Blue' an opportunity to crack the 'Mustafizur Code', having failed miserably the last time round. The Indians have started their T20 preparations
VENUE
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka
in right earnest having won back-to-back series against Australia 'Down Under' and Sri Lanka at home. In the six T20 internationals played this year, India have won five of them with the only defeat coming against Sri Lanka on an unusual Pune pitch in the last series. Squads: India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wk), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik
Pandya, Ashish Nehra, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ajinkya Rahane, Harbhajan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pawan Negi, Parthiv Patel. Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Imrul Kayes, Nurul Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Nasir Hosain, Shabbir Rahaman, Mahmudullah Riyadh, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Al-Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahaman, Abu Hider, Mohammed Mithun, Arafat Sunny.
Pacquiao negotiating new deals after Nike axe
MaNILa, February 23 (aFP): Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao is holding sponsorship negotiations with sports apparel companies after US giant Nike dropped him over his controversial comments on samesex couples, his business manager said on Tuesday. Nike cut ties with the eight-time w o r l d c ha mp i on last week after he described gay couples as "worse than animals". The 37-year-old's comments, which Nike described as "abhorrent", touched off a firestorm of international criticism, particularly from US athletes and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. "There are several already now in the pipeline. They (the Pacquiao camp) were actually negotiating with some already," Pacquiao business manager Eric Pineda told AFP without naming the companies. He said they included a "multi-million-dollar" brand that would likely replace Nike as the supplier of Pacquiao's sports gear. Pineda also said no Philippine-based companies had dropped Pacquiao as a commercial endorser despite the furore over his comments. Pacquiao, a national hero in the Philippines, has made a fortune endorsing products and brands ranging from automobiles, car batteries, pizzas, beer, a bank and even property firms. A devout Christian, Pacquiao has issued a public apology while also defending his comments, saying he was merely quoting the Bible.
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