Lazami Social Welfare Organisation Kohima

NEW YORK, JUN 17

(AGENCIES): The US Open will be held without fans from 31 August to 13 September but suggested restrictions on players’ travelling teams will not be enforced, reports BBC Sports .

The Grand Slam will be held at Flushing Meadows, despite some players voicing concerns about travelling to New York.

But there will be no qualifying and no mixed doubles under plans approved by the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo.

“We can showcase tennis as the ideal social distancing sport,” said US Tennis Association chief Mike Dowse.

There have been no professional tennis events since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Among the details in the US Open’s health and safety plan, which has been widely shared on social media, were:

Players travelling to New York will be entitled to two rooms in an official hotel outside Manhattan. No more than two people will be allowed to a room, but competitors will also

New De lhi, Jun 17

(PTI): The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has recommended legendary former skipper IM Vijayan for Padma Shri, the country’s fourth highest civilian award.

The 51-year-old former India striker, who scored 40 goals in 79 matches for India since making his debut in early 90s, was bestowed the Arjuna award in 2003. He was also awarded the Indian ‘Player of the Year’ in 1993, 1997 and 1999. “Yes, we have sent Vijayan’s name to the Ministry of Home Affairs for Padma Shri,” AIFF general secretary Kushal Das told PTI. Six Indian footballers -- Sailen Manna (1971), Chuni Goswami (1983), P K Banerjee (1990), Bhaichung Bhutia (2008), Sunil Chhetri (2019) and Bembem Devi (2020) -- have earlier won the Padma Shri. “I am happy that I have been recommended for the Padma Shri and I thank the AIFF for that. I will be happier if I get the

New De lhi, Jun 17

(PTI): Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday suspended its team doctor Madhu Thottappillil for a social media post on the death of 20 Indian Army personnel during a clash with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh which was deemed to be in “bad taste” by the IPL franchise.

CSK, captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni who holds the rank of an honorary lieutenant in Territorial Army, announced the suspension on its official Twitter page. The team is owned by former BCCI President N Srinivasan’s India Cements. “The Chennai Super Kings Management was not aware of the personal tweet of Dr. Madhu Thottappillil. He has been suspended from his position as the Team Doctor,” the statement read. “Chennai Super Kings regrets his tweet which was without the knowledge of the Management and in bad taste,” it added.

Thottappillil has been with the team since the IPL’s inception and is a

US open will be taking place as per the scheduled dates i.e., from August 31 to September 13, 2020.

have the option of renting a private house outside Manhattan at their own expense.

Players will not need to quarantine on entering the United States, but will be tested before they begin their journey to New York.

Tests will then be carried out once or twice a week during their stay, along with daily temperature checks.

Everyone at the venue will be expected to wear a face mask, unless playing, practising or working out.

The draw for the men’s and women’s doubles will

IM Vijayan

award,” Vijayan said from his home in Kerala. “I have served Indian football to the best of my abilities and I have no regrets,” he added. Vijayan, who led the Indian team from 2000 to 2003, used to form a formidable pair with fellow striker Bhaichung Bhutia. At the club level, he had memorable stints with Mohun Bagan, Kerala Police, the now defunct FC Cochin and JCT Mills Phagwara. He is credited to have scored one of the fastest international goals, managing to find the back of the net in just 12 seconds in a

Madhu Thottappillil

specialist in sports medicine. On Tuesday, after reports came in of Indian casualties during the violent face-off in Galwan Valley, Thottappillil had posted a tweet mocking the government. He later deleted the tweet and protected his account. A colonel was among the 20 Army personnel killed in the face-off on Monday night, the biggest confrontation between the two militaries after their 1967 clashes in Nathu La. At that time, India lost around 80 soldiers, while over 300 Chinese army personnel were killed in the confrontation. be half the usual size (32 instead of 64).

The United States has the highest number of coronavirus cases and the highest death toll in the world and New York is the hardest-hit state, with more than 30,000 deaths.

Cuomo wrote that “extraordinary precautions” would be in place to protect players, including extra locker room space.

“We recognise the tremendous responsibility of hosting one of the first global sporting events in these challenging times,” a US Tennis Association (USTA) statement read. match against Bhutan in the 1999 SAF Games. He had scored four goals to emerge as the top scorer in the Afro-Asian Games held in India in 2003. It was his last appearance for the country as he retired after the tournament. Asked about his debut match for national senior team, he said, “I played in the 1991 Nehru Cup in Trivandrum.” Most of the participating countries in that tournament had sent under-strength teams and it’s uncertain whether the matches were considered full international games. Romania ‘B’ team won that tournament. Vijayan, who used to sell soda during football games in his home town Thrissur’s Corporation stadium early in his life, began his career as a striker with the Kerala Police Football Club at the age of 17. After hanging up his boots, Vijayan set up a football academy to train young players in his home town.

Me lbourne , Jun 17

(PTI): Cricket Australia on Wednesday said it will cut bonuses of its senior management, remove 40 more staffers and “pause” international tours for the country’s A teams in a cost reduction effort to deal with the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Led by interim chief executive Nick Hockley, who replaced Kevin Roberts after his resignation on Tuesday, Cricket Australia came out with a program that it believes will ensure “long-term sustainability and growth of the game.”

“The amended FY21 plan presented to staff today identifies cost reductions of approximately $40 million a year to partly mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on revenue and other factors such as biosecurity costs and match attendances,” the governing body said in a release on Wednesday. “Regrettably, the plan includes a reduction of 40 roles. The positive impact of the Job Keeper program and an increasingly improved outlook for the season ahead have been recent factors considered in arriving at this final number.

“We will do so in the safest manner possible, mitigating all potential risks.”

Australian player Nick Kyrgios called tournament organisers “selfish” for pushing ahead with the event, while defending men’s champion Rafael Nadal has previously said he “had little desire” to play the event.

World number one Novak Djokovic had called the originally proposed protocols “extreme” and said it would be “impossible” if he was only able to bring one member of his team to the site.

New De lhi, Jun 17

(IANS): The ‘Champions for a Cause- Charity Golf Match, Indias first live sport event post the Covid-19 induced nationwide lockdown and also the first domestic sports event for Covid-19 relief, received a huge boost on Wednesday when top golfing bodies of the country rallied in its support.

The Professional Golfers Tour of India (PGTI) -- the body that not only runs India’s premiere professional golf tour but also co-sanctions the $1.75mn Hero Indian Open, the Golf Industry Association (GIA) -- India’s largest representative body of companies in the golfing equipment and infrastructure space, as well as the Golf Course Superintendents and Managers Association of India (GCSMAI), have all pledged their support to the event.

India’s top professional golfers, nine-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar and 2018 Asian Tour No. 1 Shubhankar Sharma, will be teaming up with Hockley said he hopes to see Australian cricket “emerge stronger from the crisis”. “This is a difficult day for cricket,” he acknowledged. In April, Cricket Australia, under Roberts, had decided to furlough about 80 per cent of staff at head office at 20 per cent salary amid the COVID-19 crisis. CA Chairman Earl Eddings said it is a tough time for employees but the decisions have been taken for the sustainability of the game during this pandemic. “We recognise that this is a difficult time for Cricket Australia employees, particularly for those

However, under the plans revealed on Tuesday the USTA says it is yet to determine how many will be able to accompany a player to Flushing Meadows.

Another of the changes is that the Western and Southern Open, which usually takes place in Cincinnati just before the US Open, has been moved to New York and will also be staged at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre from 22-28 August.

The USTA is putting up $60m (£48m), the majority of which will be on offer as prize money for the two tournaments.

But $6.6m will be set aside for the ATP and WTA tours, to allow them to compensate players being denied the chance to compete by the restriction in numbers.

Ranking points will also be on offer - something which is sure to further upset players who are not able to take part.

However, both the ATP and the WTA Tours could resume before the two tournaments in New York, with a more detailed summer and autumn calen

AIFF recommends IM Vijayan for Padma Shri

Golf bodies rally behind ‘Champions for a Cause’

dar expected imminently. legendary cricketer Kapil Dev and former India spinner Murali Kartik respectively, at the hallowed and renovated Delhi Golf Club (DGC) course over 18-holes, in an exhibition match on July 11.

Chennai based industrialist and veteran golf administrator Dilip Thomas, is the lead donor and inspiration behind the effort, which is aiming to raise an amount of Rs 1 crore in aid of renowned charity Magic Bus’ ongoing Covid-19 relief efforts.

The ‘Champions for a Cause- Charity Golf Match’ has also found support from Golf Digest India (GDI), the Indian edition of the biggest global golf media brand and now owned and licensed by Discovery Networks in USA, thereby enhancing the event’s brand power.

Rishi Narain Sports Marketing (RNSM) are the event organizers and divulged that the day will also feature a set of fun-filled on-course challenges to raise additional charitable funds. staff members affected by these redundancies and their families,” he said. “However, our responsibility is clear: to navigate a path for cricket through this period of uncertainty and disruption to ensure we come out the other side sustainable in the short term and prosperous in the long term.” Among other key components for the new financial year, Cricket Australia decided to continue “the Marsh Sheffield Shield, WNCL and Marsh Cup in their current formats for the FY20-21 season and maintaining the current number of games for rebel WBBL and KFC BBL.”

Rio de Janeiro , jun

17 ( agencies ): Doing so would allow any currently infected players to recover from coronavirus, with reports in Brazil claiming that five of Botafogo’s squad have been training separately due to testing positive for Covid19, reports BBC Sports .

Fluminense, meanwhile, have fixtures scheduled on June 22 and June 24, but club chairman Mario Bittencourt said in his own statement that his players simply are not ready to take to the pitch and doing so would present huge risks to the squad.

He said: “The dates set for our games are unacceptable from the point of view of the health of our players and we won’t be taking the field, and we will look to take action in the sporting court to do what is right.”

Clubs refuse to play as Brazil suffers record increase in coronavirus cases

Over 45,000 people have lost their lives in the South American nation and clubs are far from happy after being told that football should resume

Two of Brazil’s biggest clubs have said that

Virat Kohli, New De lhi, Jun 17

(PTI): India’s leading sportspersons, including cricket captain Virat Kohli and former football skipper Bhaichung Bhutia, have paid tributes to the 20 Army personnel killed during a clash with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh.

The clash at the Galwan valley was the biggest Indo-China military confrontation in over five decades and escalated the volatile border standoff in the region. “Salute and deepest respect to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect

The apex body also decided to pause “international tours for Australia A teams, as well as CA XI fixtures, the Fox Cricket National Premier Cricket T20 and Toyota Second XI competitions for FY21.”

“Reducing budgets in areas including administration, travel and marketing and advertising” and “cutting all bonuses for senior management and implementing ongoing executive pay reductions” were also part of the operational changes announced by the body. Hockley said the changes to Cricket Australia’s cost base would help cope with the short-term impact of COVID-19 and create a more “sustainable financial position to manage four-year cycles that can involve annual revenue swings of 100 million dollars depending on the cricket schedule.”

“We are excited about the prospect of cricket returning this summer but are prepared for fewer crowds and higher associated costs of biosecurity measures in addition to the likelihood of incurring borrowing costs rather than investment returns. they will refuse to return to competitive action this week after Rio de Janeiro’s state football federation called for football to resume on June 18 pending government approval.

Botafogo and Fluminense, two of Rio’s ‘big four’, had been slated to take part in the Campeonato Carioca as the South American nation seeks to follow in the footsteps of other countries around the world that have taken to the pitch once again during the coronavirus pandemic.

Brazil’s Covid-19 death toll continues to rise, however, with reports stating that Tuesday saw a record increase in fatalities – 1,282 – taking the country’s overall total to over 45,000. In that respect, Brazil is the second-worst hit country in the world behind only the United States.

Following Rio’s state federation’s ruling, Botafogo president Nelson Mufarrej said the decision was “disconnected from reality” and that legal action will be taken on the grounds of health and safety.

“Unfortunately, the majority of clubs understand that this is the time to play games again, in spite of the chaotic scenes

Rohit Sharma

our country in the Galwan Valley. NO one is more selfless and brave than a soldier. Sincere condolences to the families. I hope they find peace through our prayers at this difficult time,” Kohli wrote on his twitter page. His white ball deputy Rohit Sharma also mourned the death of the soldiers. “Salute to our REAL HEROES who laid their lives protecting and honouring our border. May god give their families utmost strength,” Rohit tweeted. Bhutia, who has also dabbled in politics, termed the attack a “planned one”.

Lon d on , J un 1 7

(IANS): Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed his concerns regarding plied-up Premier League fixtures when topflight football finally returns in England.

Following a two-month long hiatus due to coronavirus pandemic, football is set to for its much-anticipated return but the prospect of playing four matches in 11 days remains a cause of concern for the Spaniard.

“We are ready to play one game but not another one three days later and then (another) four days after that,” Guardiola was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

“Not just Man City, all the teams. We were two months of holidays, lying on the sofa, and that’s why were living through right now,” Mufarrej said in a statement. “We’re against it.”

The club later said that they would begin training ahead of a potential restart in July. Indeed, director Carlos Montenegro told Radio Transamerica that the earliest Botafogo would consider playing their outstanding games would be on July 1 and 4.

Doing so would allow any currently infected players to recover from coronavirus, with reports in Brazil claiming that five of Botafogo’s squad have been training separately due to testing positive for Covid-19.

Fluminense, meanwhile, have fixtures scheduled on June 22 and June 24, but club chairman Mario Bittencourt said in his own statement that his players simply are not ready to take to the pitch and doing so would present huge risks to the squad.

He said: “The dates set for our games are unacceptable from the point of view of the health of our players and we won’t be taking the field, and we will look to take action in the sporting court to do

Kohli, Sharma, Bhutia pay tribute to Indian soldiers killed in Galwan clash

what is right.”

Baichung Bhutia

“China had asked all its citizens to leave India few weeks back. The killing of our soldiers in LAC was a I think a planned one. “We completely condemn this cowardly act of China. Indian Govt should take strong necessary action and not bow down to Chinese aggression,” Bhutia wrote on the micro-blogging site. Olympic bronze medal winning duo of wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and shuttler Saina Nehwal and cricketer Shikhar Dhawan were also among the notable athletes

CSK suspends team doctor for tweet on Galwan clash

Cricket Australia to cut jobs, pause A teams’ intl tours

Nick Hockley

Guardiola bemoans ‘lack of preparation’ ahead of PL return

Pep Guardiola

to pay tributes. I think the players are not fully fit.

“But we have to finish the season because the economic damage to the clubs must be as little as possible. We have to adapt, pray a little bit and be lucky.

“We were worried with these three weeks, the incredible lack of preparation. It’s not like in Spain or Germany, where they worked for five or six weeks,” he added.

Defending champions City are on the verge of relinquishing their crown as they find themselves 25 points behind league leaders Liverpool. They will be playing their first match of the revamped calendar against Arsenal, who currently occupy the ninth place on the table. K Y M C