*Pune:* Indian Super League club FC Pune City strengthened its home-bred options by signing winger Zodingliana Ralte and goalkeeper Vishal Kaith for the upcoming edition.FC Pune City CEO Gaurav Modwel said, "Both Ralte and Kaith were one of the most sought after youth talent in the country. Zodingliana is a versatile player and can play in a
variety of positions, be it left back or even in the middle of the park."
Ralte played for NorthEast United in 2014 season and Delhi Dynamos in 2015. The 21-year old winger started his career with Shillong Lajong after the North Eastern club selected him from an U-14 football festival held in Goa.
To bolster their goalkeeping options Vishal Kaith will join the ranks alongside Arindham Bhattacharya. Having played the nationals for Himachal Pradesh, Kaith was picked by the AIFF to play for the U-16 and U-19 national sides.
He then joined the AIFF Elite Academy in 2013, where for a year he honed his skills and was eventually picked up by Shillong Lajong FC.
Head Coach, Antonio Habas said, "Having had the chance to assess the various players we already have on board, we were able to identify the characteristics and positions needed to strengthen the squad. In both Ralte and Kaith we are filling up the jigsaw puzzle with the right pieces. I can't wait until all of them start training with us."
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The West Indies opener took to Instagram to wish his partner on Mother's Day.
Over the last couple years I used to tease you and say happy Mother's Day ð - well, today it's for real. Happy Mother's Day Tash ðÂÂÂÂÂÂ. I want to wish all Moms a wonderful day. There's a glimpse of Blush ð #BossLadies â¤ï¸ÂÂ
A photo posted by KingGayle ð (@chrisgayle333) onMay 8, 2016 at 6:15am PDT
The couple were blessed with a baby girl, Blush, last month.
The two have been together since a long while now but have kept their relation on a low profile.
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The pacer took a sensational 3 wickets for 15 runs during his spell.
Sunrisers mentor and former Indian batsman VVS Laxman recently revealed on Twitter, the secret to Nehra's success.
He posted a picture on his Twitter account of Nehra's pre-match preparation.
Pre match preparation of Nehra Ji before his match winning performance against MI ðÂÂÂÂÂÂðÂÂÂÂÂÂðÂÂÂÂÂÂð @SunRisers #OrangeArmy pic.twitter.com/7Y2EWNfElt
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) May 8, 2016
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/apr/Hillsborough-Stampe-s.jpg
*The Hillsborough Stadium Stampede*
*
Policemen rescue soccer fans at Hillsborough stadium April 15, 1989 when 96 fans were crushed to death and hundreds injured after support railings collapsed during a match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Pic/AFP*
Dubbed Britain’s worst sports disaster, this 1989 stampede saw at least 96 football supporters killed and over 200 more injured. The tragedy took place at Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield during the FA Cup semi-final between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool after a wall collapsed during a stampede by Liverpool supporters. The crush is said to have resulted from too many Liverpool fans being allowed in to the back of an already full stand at the Leppings Lane end of the ground. Some fans have said bad ticket allocation contributed to the disaster. Liverpool has far more supporters than Nottingham Forest but were given 6,000 fewer tickets and allocated the smaller Leppings Lane stand.
*Terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers - 3 Mar 2009*
**
*(L-R) Kumar Sangakkara with his wife Yehali, Mahela Jayawardene, Ajantha Mendis and Tharanga Paranavitana. (Pic/ AFP)*
The Sri Lankan cricket team bus was attacked by terrorists while travelling to Gadaffi for their second Test match against Pakistan. 12 gunmen of the terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi awaited a bus, carrying Sri Lankan cricketers when they were travelling to Gadaffi stadium in Lahore, to play the second Test against Pakistan. As the bus passed, the militants opened fire at the bus. Pakistan police returned fire and in the process 6 policemen and 2 civilians died. Several Sri Lankan cricketers were severely injured namely Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara,Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana, Chaminda Vaas, Ajantha Mendis and Suranga Lakmal.
*SS Bokhara disaster – 10 Oct 1892*
A P&O ship known as the SS Bokhara sank off-coast of Sand Island in Taiwan due to a disastrous typhoon. This shipwreck claimed a total of 125 lives, eleven of who were members of the Hong Kong national cricket team. The team were returning home after a cricket match a week earlier against Shanghai.
*Munich Olympics massacre – 5-6 Sept 1972*
*
A commemoration plate for the victims of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre in front of the house in Connollystrasse 31, where the Israeli team stayed during the Olympic Games, in Munich, southern Germany. Pic/ AFP*
* *During the ongoing Summer Olympics in Munich, a Palestinian group known as ‘Black September’ held 11 members of the Israel Olympics team hostage and demanded the release of 234 of their political prisoners who were held at a jail in Israel. The terrorist killed 6 Israeli coaches and 5 Israeli athletes. A total of 17 were reported dead which also included 5 Black September members and a German police officer.
*Accra Sports stadium disaster - 9 May 2001*
129 football fans in Ghana died after a horrific stampede broke out during a game between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko. The stampede broke out after the referee of the match gave a controversial decision. The police personnel present at the stadium began to fire teargas which led to the aggravating the incident.
*Southern Airways Flight 932 disaster – 14 Nov 1970*
A chartered United States jet plane flying from North Carolina to West Virginia crashed into tree tops on a hill in an attempt to land after an alert regarding bad weather conditions. The plane carried a total of 75 people, 37 who were footballers of the Marshall University team. Following a loss to East Carolina Pirates, the team were on their way home; it was also one of the rare occasions the team travelled by flight. This disaster is recorded as the worst is U.S. sports history.
*Superga air disaster – 4 May 1949*
A plane carrying the entire Torino football team, also known as 11 Grande Torino, crashed into a wall of the Basilica of Superlaga on a hill of Turin due to bad weather conditions. The team were on their way back home after a friendly match in Portugal. 31 passengers on board were killed which included 18 players, 4 crew members and journalists.
*Munich air disaster – 6 Feb 1958*
*
The crowd pause for a minutes silence on the game nearest to the anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster before the English Premier League match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford. Pic/ AFP*
A British European Airlines flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway in West Germany. The plane carried members of the Manchester United football team who were returning home from a European Cup match. This crash killed a total of 23 people from the 44 on board.
*Kathmandu stampede*
The Kathmandu Stadium Disaster occurred on March 12, 1988, in Kathmandu, Nepal, during an association football match between Janakpur Cigarette Factory Ltd and Liberation Army of Bangladesh for the 1988 Tribhuvan Challenge Shield. At least 93 people were killed and 100 more were injured when fans attempted to flee from a hailstorm inside the national Dasarath Rangasala Stadium. The Kathmandu stadium disaster is the 4th biggest stadium disaster (in terms of human loss), and the worst stadium disaster in Nepal.
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As a first step towards this endeavor, a one-of-its-kind charity dinner in Mumbai is going to be organised in June. Virat Kohli himself will host the charity dinner, which will be attended by eminent cricketers, industry stalwarts, corporate honchos, bollywood personalities and achievers from diverse fields.
The experiential evening will have a five course Michelin starred dinner curated by Chef Vikas Khanna for 200 distinguished guests. Also, there will be an auction of priceless, crème de la crème luxury items as well as high power entertainment to bring the evening alive.
Speaking on this occasion Virat Kohli Said “Children and Youth are the next generation of students, leaders, entrepreneurs, and the future of the country and there is no better tool other than education to empower them. This initiative is not just about fulfilling their basic needs, but making them able to take care of their own needs – giving them an opportunity to learn, equipping them to face challenges and preparing them to be tomorrow’s leaders. I am glad to be associated with Smile Foundation and contribute towards this endeavor. ”
Today, more than half of India’s population is below the age of 25. India is touted to become one of the youngest countries by 2020 with average age being 29. However, nearly 8 million children in India are still out of school – on the streets, working in hazardous conditions, getting involved in illegal activities – far away from the innocence of childhood.
The situation of our youth is no different. As per a latest Survey Report by the NSSO, the unemployment rate in India has increased substantially in the last two years with nearly 10.8 million unemployed young men and women. Thus, the soul behind this initiative is to raise awareness and support for the cause of education and skill training for the thousands of less privileged children and youth in India.
Virat Kohli, is one of the most loved, followed youth icons of the day. The place he has created for himself in the hearts of millions’ of cricket lovers across the globe, at such a young age remains unparalleled. His association with social work brings admiration, not only from the cricket arena, but from every strata of the society. Through this initiative, he will be encouraging youth to reach for their aspirations and will also advocate, inspire and encourage more individuals to join the social movement.
Michelin starred Chef Vikas Khanna, Global Ambassador for Smile Foundation has been advocating the cause of Nutrition for Education. According to Chef Vikas Khanna “Proper nutrition is crucial for our younger generation and to ensure that they are surging ahead towards building a stronger India. My association with Smile Foundation is towards ensuring that no child misses out on education because of the lack of nutrition. With the first ever auction of Utsav, I am reiterating my pledge to raise a MillionDollar4Nutrition to eradicate malnutrition in my heartland - India”.
Chef Vikas Khanna has pledged to auction the 12th copy of the limited edition of “Utsav – a culinary epic of Indian festivals” at the event to support the campaign of #Milliondollar4Nutrition which aims at raising funds to support Nutrition for less privileged children, a cause that he has been supporting with Smile Foundation for more than 3 years .
UTSAV celebrates Incredible India in all its glory and grandeur, while also supporting a cause very close to our hearts – of feeding underprivileged children across India. The book would be one of the 12 limited edition copies which will go to luminaries from around the world, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and HH the Dalai Lama.
An exquisite work of art with its cover and box hand-painted in 24-Carat Gold, what makes it extra special and a worthy collectible for the world’s best known humanitarians is that it features a hand written prayer in Tibetian by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Incidentally, this 12th copy was meant for Steve Jobs and since he is no more, Chef Khanna gave it to Smile Foundation in the hope of being able to nurture the next “Steve Jobs” from India.
“Virat Kohli is one of the most loved youth icons of the day, embodying the hopes, aspirations and dreams of millions of young people across the country. We appreciate philanthropic values of Virat Kohli Foundation. To have him support the cause of empowerment for children and youth strengthens our resolve to reach out to thousands of those unreached young people who are still struggling to come out of the vicious cycle of poverty and help them write their own destinies with the power of education.” Said Mr. Santanu Mishra, Co-Founder and Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Piyush-Chawla-s.jpg*Piyush Chawla*
"Wicket was good and maybe because of the last night's rain it was fresh and seaming a bit during the first innings. They got the advantage of first wicket," Chawla said after their loss to Gujarat Lions last night.
In a splendid display of seam bowling, Praveen Kumar (2/19), Dhawal Kulkarni (1/30) and Dwayne Smith (1/14) reduced KKR to 24/4 in 5.5 overs before they recovered to 158/4 but the total proved insufficient as the Lions cantered home by five wickets with two overs to spare.
"We lost a few early wickets but recovered well. They batted really well. I don't think many things went wrong, it's just that they played better cricket," Chawla said.
The two-time former champions' most successful bowler Sunil Narine missed a second match but Chawla blamed it on the offspinner's injured finger in his bowling hand. "He's not yet fully fit. He has injury on his spinning finger. We will have to wait."
Asked whether death bowling was a worry, Chawla said, "First few games, we didn't bowl well in death. But in the last game (against KXIP) we defended really well. In this game, they just needed run a ball at one point of time and we could not do much. It's not that like that. In this format, you're bound to go for few runs."
From being at the top of the table, KKR slipped to third place after the loss and they still have to win two more from four matches to qualify for the playoffs but Chawla chose to count on the positives.
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*Also check out: Indian sports stars share pics with their mums on Mother's Day*
The Indian Test captain took to Twitter to shower his blessings and 'unconditional love' on the auspicious day.
Happy Mother's Day to all Moms; especially my mom
Thank You for all the love & for being my strongest support system pic.twitter.com/x4ZprPxopt
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) May 8, 2016
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/9Michael-Phelps-s.jpg*Michael Phelps' girlfriend Nicole Johnson at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China in 2011. Pic/Getty Images *
Phelps said fiancee Nicole Johnson gave birth on Thursday night, and posted a picture of himself cradling the infant at Johnson's bedside.
A photo posted by Michael Phelps (@m_phelps00) onMay 7, 2016 at 10:22am PDT
"Welcome Boomer Robert Phelps into the world!!! Born 5-5-2016 at 7:21 pm !!! Healthy and happy!!! Best feeling I have ever felt in my life!!!," Phelps wrote.
A photo posted by Michael Phelps (@m_phelps00) onMay 8, 2016 at 8:27am PDT
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/9Praveen-Kumar-s.jpg*Gujarat Lions bowler Praveen Kumar celebrates after the dismissal of Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Manish Pandey during the 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Lions at The Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkata. Pic/AFP*
Known for its slow and turning wickets, the Eden's thin grass boosted Praveen, who rattled the top order with his match-winning 2/19 to restrict KKR to 158/4, a target they chased down in 18 overs with five wickets in hand to return to the top of the points table.
"We were surprised to see this wicket. We were expecting a rank-turner. There was a bit of juice in the wicket initially, with a bit of grass that made some difference. We bowled in the right areas and got early breakthroughs so it helped us. It was a double-pace wicket," Praveen Kumar said.
Praveen took two wickets in three balls which included that of in-form Gautam Gambhir (five) as KKR were tottering at 24/4 in 5.5 overs before Shakib Al Hasan (66 not out) and Yusuf Pathan (63 not out) staged the recovery.
He, however, disagreed that toss played a crucial factor as Gujarat Lions returned to winning ways after a hattrick of losses. "Toss does not matter much, you have to give your 100 per cent. If you play well, you will come up in the table, like Sunrisers Hyderabad did (in the previous match today)."
Giving the team the credit for having full faith on him, he said: "My team has full faith in me, Raina trusts me. Getting wickets is really not in your hands. One day you can get hit and the next day you may get four wickets also and win the match in this format. You always want to do well. But this format is very unpredictable."
Asked whether he's eyeing an India comeback like another veteran Ashish Nehra, he said, "I follow a simple principle, I just focus on my performance, work hard and win the match for your team. That's my job. I don't think what others saying or doing."
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The win, which was Djokovic' s fifth win in the last 6 ATP 1000 competitions, gives Djokovic a record of 29 ATP 1000 titles, one more than Spain' s Rafael Nadal, who was beaten by Murray in Saturday' s semi-final.*Novak Djokovic poses with ball girls after beating Britain's Andy Murray during the Madrid Open men's tennis final. pic/ AFP*
The Serb began much stronger than Murray and dropped just three points on his serve in the first set. He was also highly effective with his second serve, winning 80 percent of second service points as he hugged the baseline and made Murray do all of the running.
However, the Scot fought back in the second set, breaking Djokovic to move 3-1 ahead in the second set and with both players holding their remaining serves that was enough to see him take the second set to level the match.
The match was turning into a classic and seemed to turn again in the second game of the third set as Murray missed an easy point in his first service game and Djokovic went on to break following a 23-shot rally.
Murray showed courage to break straight back, but Djokovic broke again in the sixth game of what was turning into a compelling final set, to take a 4-2 lead.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/9Kings-XI-Punjab-s.jpg*Kings XI Punjab players celebrate the wicket of a Delhi Daredevils batsman during the 2016 Indian Premier League match at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Saturday. Punjab won by nine runs. Pic/AFP*
Both Kings XI and RCB have struggled and their hard-fought victories on Saturday came at a time when they badly needed wins to remain in the hunt. While RCB managed to snap their three losing streak with a seven-wicket win over Rising Pune Supergiants, Kings XI defeated Delhi Daredevils by nine runs to register only their third win in the tournament out of nine games.
Kings XI is languishing at the bottom of the table with six points from nine games, while RCB are just ahead with same points from eight matches.
*No margin for error*
And from here on, both the teams cannot afford to slip a bit and would look for consistency to keep their campaigns alive.
For Kings XI it won't be easy as RCB's batting line up includes some of the destructive names of world cricket in skipper Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Shane Watson. All eyes will be on RCB skipper Virat Kohli whose performance in the ongoing IPL has left oppositions dumbstruck. Kohli has emerged as man of the moment for RCB, whose third victory against Pune on Saturday, came largely due to the skipper's 58-ball unbeaten 108.
Chasing a formidable 192 for victory, a determined Kohli batted right till the end to amass his second century of the tournament and guide RCB to the much-needed win. Kohli is leading the top scorers list with 541 runs, which includes two tons and four half-centuries. It will an acid test for Kings XI bowling unit to contain Kohli & Co. The encounter will be a battle between Kings XI bowlers and RCB batsmen and whichever side manages to keep their composure will come out victorious.
*Pedestrian bowling*
RCB, with perhaps the most intimidating batting line-ups, has had to taste defeats because of a pedestrian bowling attack that has failed to defend 180 plus scores in most of the matches. RCB's two best performers with the ball have been Watson and Yuzvendra Chahal but the likes of Stuart Binny, newly-inducted Chris Jordan, Varun Aaron and Parvez Rasool, who all leaked runs, will have to put up much better performance to support the team's batting department.
*Inconsistent Punjab*
On the other hand, inconsistency has hurt Kings XI badly in the ongoing season. They have lost three while managing to win just two on their home turf. Kings XI, which looked to have gained some confidence from their 23-run win over Gujarat Lions earlier on May 1, were quick to fritter away the advantage in the subsequent match when they lost by seven runs to Kolkata Knight Riders.
*Captains' wishlist*
*Murali Vijay Kings XI Punjab*
> In-form Virat Kohli is dismissed cheaply
> Axar Patel provides an all-round show
> Pacer Mohit Sharma is among wickets
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/9Ashish-Nehra-s.jpg*Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler Ashish Nehra celebrates after taking the wicket of Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma during the 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Pic/AFP*
"Today was my day. I'm getting the rhythm back in the last three to four games. All in all, I'm feeling good. The wicket was on the slower side. If we went for one or two extra sixes, we were looking to take wickets," said Nehra.
The left-arm pacer's captain, David Warner was delighted with his side's "clinical" performance.
"It was a fantastic knock from Shikhar (Dhawan). We have been executing our skills at the top of the order. We got the momentum, we got to keep going on with that," said Warner.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/9Sandeep-Sharma-s.jpg*Sandeep Sharma*
Kings XI are languishing at the bottom of the eight-team standings with just six points from nine games. And from here on, Kings XI will need to produce consistent performances to keep the team in the hunt.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/9Alexis-Sanchez-s.jpg*Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez is ecstatic after a goal during an EPL match against Man City in Manchester yesterday. Pic/AFP*
In his final home game as City manager before handing over to Pep Guardiola, Manuel Pellegrini saw Kevin De Bruyne put the hosts in front after Sergio Aguero's early opener was cancelled out by Olivier Giroud.
But Sanchez's strike means that Pellegrini is now dependent on fifth-place Man United dropping points — or Arsenal losing to Aston Villa.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/9Luis-Suarez-s.jpg*A jubilant Luis Suarez of Barca celebrates after scoring a goal against Espanyol yesterday. Pic/AFP*
The penultimate round of fixtures began with Barca and Atletico level on 85 points at the top with Real just a point back, but Barca could have clinched the championship if results had gone their way due to their superior head-to-head record over both capital clubs this term.*Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a goal. Pic/ AFP*
Barca did their job, thrashing city rivals Espanyol 5-0, but Real Madrid ensured the champagne would remain on ice at the Nou Camp by beating Valencia 3-2.
*Advantage Barca*
That means defending champions Barca will go into their final match at Granada still boasting a one-point lead over bitter rivals Real, who travel to Deportivo La Coruna.
However, Atletico — who will face Real in the Champions League final later this month — are now out of it after they were surprisingly beaten 2-1 at relegated Levante.
Fernando Torres gave Atletico an early lead but Victor's equaliser and Guiseppe Rossi's late breakaway goal at the Ciutat de Valencia means 2014 champions Atletico now cannot overhaul Barca.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/9Asafa-Powell-s.jpg*Asafa Powell*
Powell held off a strong field at Kingston's National Stadium and later described the 200m victory as a learning experience. "Honestly I don't remember how to even run the 200m event so this is a work in process," he said. The 33-year-old Powell said he felt good for the first 150m then got tired over the last 50m.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/9Victoria-Beckham-s.jpg*Victoria Beckham*
Victoria, 42, however, says she made this claim earlier too but failed to adhere to it, reported Female First.
"When I hear another Vogue cover has come up, I always say, 'This is the last one, because I'm a bit of an old bag now. Surely this is the last one? I'm 42, I've got four kids'." Reported by Mid-Day 12 hours ago.