Germany clinch top spot in hockey rankings after WC; India placed sixth

West Ham United eased into the FA Cup fifth round with a comfortable 2-0 victory away to thirdtier Derby County on Monday to set up a meeting with Manchester United.

Derby, fourth in League One, went into the match on the back of 14 matches unbeaten in all competitions but were quickly overrun by the Premier League side, who took the lead in the 10th minute with a close-range volley from Jarrod Bowen.

Bowen went 12 matches without a goal before netting twice against Everton last week and now has three in his last two games.

The forward then crossed for striker Michail Antonio to head in a second goal five minutes after the interval to break his own goal drought stretching back to November.

Back-to-back wins

David Moyes’ side saw out the victory without conceding many chances, recording back-to-back wins for the first time since October, and Bowen said he hoped the win would boost his side, who are 16th in the table, one point above the relegation zone. “Two wins on the bounce is good for us it’s all about results and momentum and we can use this as a real springboard,” he said.

Bowen said he found out West Ham’s next opponent was United only after he was substituted midway through the second half.

“I asked Dec (teammate Declan Rice) and he said, ‘We’ve got United away,’” Bowen said.

“It’s never easy but if we want to be successful in this competition, we have to beat top teams. It will be a tough game — they are a top, top team — but we’ve been there plenty of times

Australia’s Women’s World Cup opener moved to bigger venue

before.”

Midfielder Pablo Fornals added: “Everyone knows it hasn’t been an easy season so every game we can win gives us massive confidence.

“We work hard every day in training to get a chance and then you have to take it. That’s what the players tried to do tonight.”

VICTORIA

(AUSTRA -

LIA), JAN 31 (IANS): Australian tennis legend Margaret Court’s Perth home allegedly got targeted during a burglary on Australian Day. Two people from Edgewater, aged 33 and 34, have been charged after medals and awards were stolen during the burglary at former world No.1 tennis star and conservative Christian minister’s City Beach home, The Age reported. A Western Australian Police spokeswoman said that thieves allegedly broke in through the front door and rummaged through the property on Thursday evening. “Perth detectives have charged two men in relation to an aggravated home burglary.

“It will be alleged about 8pm, two men gained access to the premises via the front entrance door,” she said.

“Once inside, it will be further alleged that the accused rummaged through the victim’s property and stole a number of items including awards, medals and jewellery,” she added.

India placed in Group B of Asia Mixed Team C’ships 2023

DUBAI, JAN 31 (IANS): India has been placed in Group B alongside Malaysia, UAE, and Kazakhstan in the Asia Mixed Team Championships 2023, which will be held here at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, from February 14 to 19.

NEW

DELHI, JAN 31

(AGENCIES): Newlycrowned world champion Germany has replaced Australia as the top-ranked men’s team in the latest rankings released by FIH. Germany came from 0-2 down to hold title defender Belgium to a 3-3 draw in regulation time before triumphing 5-4 in the penalty shootout in the final of the recently concluded Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. Germany, a threetime world champion, was ranked fourth prior to the quadrennial event in Odisha.

Runner-up Belgium slipped one spot to third.

Host India, which lost to New Zealand in a crossover match, stayed at sixth.

The Netherlands, bronze medallist, climbed up one place to second while Australia, which finished fourth, dropped from the top of the rankings to fourth.

Elsewhere, in the top 10, Korea and New Zealand exchanged the last two spots. Both teams reached the quarterfinals but the

Asian team jumped from 10th to ninth while the Black Sticks slipped from ninth to 10th.

Here are the top 10 ranked teams and their points post the 2023 Hockey

WC

Germany (2912.47)

Netherlands (2848.29)

Belgium (2845.82)

Australia (2792.96)

England (2536.24)

India (2478.22)

Argentina (2260.32)

Spain (2093.52)

Korea (1942.50)

New Zealand (1899.79)

Wrestling row: Babita joins oversight panel

NEW DELHI, JAN 31 (PTI):

Commonwealth Games gold medallist wrestler Babita Phogat has joined the oversight committee formed to probe the various allegations against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

FILE - Australia’s Sam Kerr (20) scores against Sweden’s Nathalie Bjorn (14) during their women’s friendly match in Melbourne Nov.

MELBOURNE, JAN 31 (AGENCIES): Australia’s

Women’s World Cup opener against Ireland has been moved to a larger stadium amid high demand for tickets. Australia’s opener was originally set to be played at Sydney’s new Allianz Stadium, which seats 42,500, but it has been shifted to Stadium Australia, which seats more than 82,000. Stadium Australia, the former Olympic stadium, will also host the World Cup final on Aug. 20.

The tournament, which is cohosted by Australia and New Zealand, opens on July 20 with a match between New Zealand and Norway at Eden

Park in Auckland. Australia’s match against Ireland is set for later in the day.

“It’s going to be an incredible start for the FIFA Women’s World Cup this year. ... Two absolutely massive matches, and we’re expecting over 100,000 fans to fill those two stadiums and take on that momentous moment, which will be the opening day of the Women’s World Cup,” said Sarai Bareman, FIFA’s chief women’s football officer.

Football Australia advocated for the move. “The move from Sydney Football Stadium to Stadium Australia is big for Australian football and highlights the confidence which we have in the CommBank Matildas to draw a huge crowd for the first match of the tournament in Australia,” Football Australia CEO James Johnson said. CommBank sponsors Australia’s women.

The Matildas look to break their attendance record of 36,109 fans, which was set in 2021 at an exhibition between Australia and the United States. Additional tickets for the Matildas’ first game will go on sale Friday, FIFA said. Fans who already have tickets will be moved to seats in the new venue.

The draw for the continental event, which will have 17 teams, took place here at Dubai Sports Council on Tuesday, where Indian ace shuttler PV Sindhu was present as the Guest of Honour. Group A consists of China, Korea, Singapore and Uzbekistan. Group C includes Indonesia, Thailand, Bahrain, Syria and Lebanon while Japan, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and Pakistan are drawn in Group D. China, Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia are the top four seeded teams. All 17 teams are divided into four groups of four countries, and one group with five, where they compete in Round Robin format with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage. Each tie group shall be decided by the results of two singles and three doubles matches. In the Group stage, all five ma tches of each tie shall be played. In the

Knockout stage, each tie shall be stopped when the tie is decided. A draw of the knockout stage will be made after the completion of the last match of the Group Stage. The Indian team was knocked out in the quarterfinals of the first edition held in 2017. India could not go past the group stage in the last edition of the Championship, held in 2019.

INDIA SQUAD:

Men’s singles: Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy

Women’s singles: PV Sindhu, Aakarshi Kashyap

Men’s doubles: Satwiksairaj Ranikreddy/ Chirag Shetty, Krishna Prasad Garga/Vishnuvardhan Goud P

Women’s doubles: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Bhat/Shikha Gautam Mixed doubles: Ishaan Bhatnagar/Tanisha Crasto acKnOWLeDgeMent

Formed by the Sports Ministry, the oversight committee is carrying out an enquiry into the allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment, intimidation, financial irregularities and administrative lapses of the WFI and its chief.

The allegations were levelled by prominent grapplers such as Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Ravi Dahiya. “Former wrestler Babita Phogat has been added to the panel of the Oversight Committee formed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to undertake the day-to-day administration of the Wrestling Federation of India,” the ministry said in a statement. Babita is the sixth member of the oversight committee, being headed by legendary boxer MC Mary Kom.

Farah returns for London Marathon

LONDON, JAN 31 (AGENCIES): Britain’s four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah said on Tuesday he expects 2023 to be the final year of his career, after confirming he will give his home London Marathon “one more shot” in April.

Farah, who withdrew from last year’s event due to injury, has run the London Marathon three times with a best finish of third in 2018, the same year he won the Chicago Marathon. “I’m not going to go to the Olympics and I think 2023 will probably be my last year,” said Farah, who turns 40 in March. “It has been an amazing career and, for me, to take part in London Marathon is a big deal.

“I have always said it would be nice to win it one day, but it takes a lot ... It is just nice to say goodbye and I think it will be quite emotional. “I am very proud of what I have achieved and I just want to give myself one more shot and see what I can do. But I have nothing to prove.”

Farah will be joined by reigning Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres champion Eilish McColgan, who also withdrew ahead of her debut last year due to a medical issue. The 32-yearold is the daughter of the 1996 winner Liz McColgan.

In LOvIng MeMOry Of Lt. JacOB

1St Death annIverSary

Late Diethonuo rülho

Born: 04/05/2004 – Died: 15/01/2023

Psalm 118:17

“I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.”

The bereaved family members of Lt. Diethonuo rülho, would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of our extended family members, friends, neighbours, unions, churches, prayer centres and blood donors. who showed us great kindness and supported us through constant prayers, words of encouragement, generous contributions and for all the tireless help rendered during her illness and in the time till our beloved left us on 15th of January 2023.

We are greatly appreciative of the dedication and compassionate medical care to all the staff of Naga Hospital Kohima and Bethel Hospital Kohima.

We also convey our sincere gratitude to:

• Central Baptist Church Kohima

• Nerhema Baptist Church

• Koinonia Baptist Church Kohima

• Believers Fellowship

• Model Hr. Secondary School Kohima

• Don Bosco College Kohima

• Department of Power Kohima.

We immensely regret our inability to thank each and every individual. However, it is our humble prayer that your generosity is richly rewarded by our Almighty God. Loving Mother, Brother and Sisters

09/11/1990 – 01/02/2022

“Forever in our thoughts, forever in our hearts, unseen, unheard but always near and still loved dearly.”

It's been a year that you left us but we still find it very hard to accept that you’re gone. It breaks our hearts to lose you. No words can describe how painful it is, we are missing you everyday with silent tears and how empty our lives are without you. But we take solace in the memories of you that will live forever in our hearts.

DP-422/23

Loving Mom, Dad, Sis, Brother-in-law and Dear Ones