Midfielder Carli Lloyd is among four Americans chosen for the first Women’s World XI.Lloyd’s hat trick led the U.S. past Japan in last year’s World Cup final. She is joined on the team by American goalkeeper Hope Solo and defenders Meghan Klingenberg and Julie Johnston.The international All-Star squad was announced Thursday by FIFPro, soccer’s world players’ union. Players from 33 nationalities in 20 countries voted.Other selections include defenders Kadeisha Buchanan (Canada) and Wendie Renard (France); midfielders Amandine Henry (France) and Aya Miyama (Japan); and forwards Eugenie Le Sommer (France), Anja Mittag (Germany) and Celia Sasic (Germany).Lloyd was voted FIFA Women’s Player of the Year last month and earned the Golden Boot as top player at the World Cup. Buchanan, who attends the University of West Virginia, was voted Best Young Player at the World Cup.TweetPinShare0 Shares
18Nov
Giannis Antetokounmpo will lead the Greek national team in the upcoming pre-olympic tournament of Turin, Italy.The Greek player met today with the Bucks’ owner Marc Lasry and expressed his wish to play with the Greek national team. Despite the fact that the initial plan of the Bucks for Giannis was to take a break from the national team and work on his game during the summer, they understood what playing for Greece means to him.After all, with Giannis Bourousis being the only veteran left from the 2005 European champions, the team is ready to turn the page and be build around Giannis.This is how the Greek freak announced the outcome of the meeting.TweetPinShare0 Shares
Panathinaikos shook off another bad night in Europe on Thursday to defeat Atromitos in the league on Sunday and cut the distance from the top to four points, at least for 24 hours as leader Olympiakos is in action on Monday at PAS Giannina.The Greens had Marcus Berg to thank for their only goal in their second consecutive 1-0 league win under new manager Marinos Ouzounidis, this time behind closed doors at Peristeri.This was one of just 12 goals scored in seven weekend games, four of which came from AEK that thrashed 10-man Levadiakos 4-0 on Saturday. The Yellows leaped up to third at the table, six points off the pace through goals by Andre Simoes, Tomas Pekhart, Costas Galanopoulos and Patito Rodriguez.Xanthi has risen to a surprising joint third with a Thodoris Vassilakakis goal that gave the Thrace club a 1-0 home win over Larissa.Panionios is a point behind AEK and Xanthi, in fifth, after beating Kerkyra 1-0, and Panetolikos moved away from trouble with a 2-0 victory over Iraklis.PAOK lies ninth after its 3-0 win over Platanias in Thessaloniki, while Asteras Tripolis was unable to beat lowly Veria (0-0).Source: KathimeriniTweetPinShare0 Shares
Olympiacos Piraeus showed its resilience to hold off Brose Bamberg for a hard-fought 83-77 victory at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. The Reds improved to 14-6 in the standings with their sixth consecutive home victory, while the gutsy visiting team dropped to 7-13. Athletic big man Khem Birch was the standout performer for Olympiacos with a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds. Veteran Vassilis Spanoulis led the offense with 15 points and 6 assists and Matt Lojeski and Kostas Papanikolaou added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Nicolo Melli paced the visitors with 14 points, Darius Miller and Nikos Zisis scored 13 each and Janis Strelnieks and Fabien Causeur had 12. Both teams saw players fouled out – Nikola Milutinov and Jerel McNeal – in a physical contest, which Bamberg kept close right until the end, partly thanks to converting 23 of 25 free throws.Olympiacos started strong behind an active Papanikolaou, who recorded 5 points, 2 steals and 2 assists by the midway point of the first quarter to establish an 11-3 lead. Eight first-quarter points from Spanoulis sent the advantage into double digits, but Bamberg finally found some offensive rhythm in the second quarter as Causeur and Leon Radosevic supplied a steady stream of points. Dominic Waters scored 6 from the bench for Olympiacos, which led 41-32 at the break. Lojeski netted a quick 7 points at the start of the second half to further extend the lead as the home team’s defense continued to hold Bamberg at bay. Having failed to score a single three-pointer in the first 29 minutes, the German champion then scored 4 triples in quick succession to make it 71-69 midway through the fourth, but Olympiacos pulled away again as Birch dominated inside. And although Bamberg continued to battle hard, there was no way back as Olympiacos finished strong.TweetPinShare0 Shares
LONDON (AP) — Arsene Wenger got the better of managerial rival Jose Mourinho for the first time in a competitive game as Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-0 in the Premier League on Sunday to keep alive its Champions League qualification hopes.Granit Xhaka, with a deflected shot, and former United player Danny Welbeck, with a bullet header, scored goals in a four-minute span early in the second half to end United’s 25-match unbeaten in the league dating to October.This was the 16th competitive head to head between Wenger and Mourinho — and the 13th in league play — since 2004. It has been a one-sided rivalry but Wenger finally got a victory over the man who once dubbed him a “specialist in failure,” for a result that might end United’s chances of a top-four finish and leaves Arsenal with some hope.“Finally, I leave this (Emirates) stadium with Arsenal fans happy,” Mourinho said. “It’s the first time I see them smile, enjoy.”Arsenal moved two points behind fifth-place United with a game in hand, and is seven points behind third-placed Liverpool having played two games fewer and six behind fourth-placed Manchester City having played one game fewer. Wenger’s team has four matches remaining to earn a 20th straight season in the Champions League.“We still have a mathematical chance but we need some help,” Wenger said. “But the best help we can get is by winning our own games.”A disappointing game burst into life in the 54th when Xhaka, afforded plenty of space in central midfield following a throw-in, advanced and sent in a 30-meter (yard) shot that struck the turned back of Ander Herrera and looped over goalkeeper David de Gea.Welbeck, who was sold to Arsenal in 2014 to end a 13-year association with United, has now scored in each of his last three appearances against his old club after powering a header in off the bar in the 57th from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross.Mourinho made eight changes to his starting team from the 1-0 win over Celta Vigo in the first leg of the Europa League semifinals on Thursday. The second leg is at Old Trafford on Thursday and Mourinho has suggested the European competition, which offers a place in the Champions League for the winner, is his priority for the remainder of the season.“Of course, we knew we were not coming in our maximum power,” Mourinho said. “Thursday is the match of the season.”It meant the 19-year-old Axel Tuanzebe was handed his Premier League debut, at right back up against Alexis Sanchez, and he performed excellently. Scott McTominay, a 20-year-old midfielder, came on as a second-half substitute for his first-team debut while Paul Pogba — the world’s most expensive player — didn’t even come off the bench.United hasn’t scored away to a top-six rival all season.Arsenal will climb above United with a win at Southampton on Wednesday.Milner misses penalty as Liverpool held 0-0 by SouthamptonLIVERPOOL, England (AP) — James Milner’s perfect record from the penalty spot ended at a crucial time in the Premier League season for Liverpool in a 0-0 draw against Southampton on Sunday, damaging his team’s quest for Champions League qualification.The left back scored from his first seven spot kicks this season but his eighth attempt was saved by Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster in the 66th minute of a lackluster game at Anfield.“I can’t do more than hold my hands up and apologize to the boys,” said Milner, whose last penalty miss in the Premier League was in 2009.The point lifted Liverpool back into third place above Manchester City, but this was a missed opportunity in its bid to finish in the top four and return to Europe’s elite competition next season.Southampton defended deep and in numbers, and barely ceded a chance to a Liverpool side that played too narrow and was predictable going forward.Liverpool has picked up only two points from its last three games at Anfield and is struggling without injured top scorer Sadio Mane.The Reds have two games left, away to West Ham and at home to Middlesbrough, but can still be caught by City, Manchester United and Arsenal.The penalty was awarded following a hopeful ball into the box, with Liverpool running out of ideas. Southampton center back Jack Stephens first held off Divock Origi, then connected with the falling ball as he moved his right arm.Forster engaged in some gamesmanship before the penalty kick, talking in the ear of Milner and stamping near the penalty spot. The players were teammates at Newcastle and also know each other from time together in the England squad.“I’ve been around long enough not to let that affect me,” Milner said of Forster’s antics.Liverpool has played Southampton four times this season — twice in the league and in the two-legged League Cup semifinals — and didn’t manage to score in any of the games.“Southampton wanted to come here and somehow get a point, or more, and I’m fine with defending,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said.“They did not create anything and we had a hard job to do. To play against 10 deep defending Southampton players is very difficult … it is a point more but doesn’t feel like that.”TweetPinShare0 Shares
CONSTANTINOPLE – Olympiakos qualified for the Euroleague final, after beating CSKA Moscow 82-78 and holding off the Russian team in another dramatic reversal.Olympiacos’s last lead was 7-9 during the first quarter of the semifinal. Agravanis and Green each missed from downtown with a chance to change that almost 2 minutes before the end of the game.Spanoulis didn’t.A deep triple with 1:53 showing put the Reds ahead 73-74. Spanoulis then drew attention to set up Birch for an alley-oop slam. But he’s not the only former MVP on the floor and Teodosic tied it at 76-76 with a three, which indecently moved him into eighth place among Final Four scorers all-time with 148 points.That fact did not impress Green, who answered with a three with 42 seconds to play. CSKA needed a defensive stand and got one. But Teodosic missed a pull-up shot in transition. Still, the champs got the ball back and had Higgins at the line with 3.1 second left down 77-80. He made the first and missed the second intentionally, but Khryapa and Hines were unable to corral the rebound.And Olympiacos proved to have CSKA’s number when it mattered most once again.See the highlights and read more at Euroleague.netOlympiakos qualified for the Euroleague final, after beating CSKA Moscow 82-78, holding off the Russian team in another dramatic reversal. Photo: EurokinissiOlympiakos qualified for the Euroleague final, after beating CSKA Moscow 82-78, holding off the Russian team in another dramatic reversal. Photo: EurokinissiOlympiakos qualified for the Euroleague final, after beating CSKA Moscow 82-78, holding off the Russian team in another dramatic reversal. Photo: EurokinissiOlympiakos qualified for the Euroleague final, after beating CSKA Moscow 82-78, holding off the Russian team in another dramatic reversal. Photo: EurokinissiOlympiakos qualified for the Euroleague final, after beating CSKA Moscow 82-78, holding off the Russian team in another dramatic reversal. Photo: EurokinissiOlympiakos qualified for the Euroleague final, after beating CSKA Moscow 82-78, holding off the Russian team in another dramatic reversal. Photo: EurokinissiTweetPinShare11 Shares
PARIS — After a tantrum in Italy last week, the 36th-ranked Nick Kyrgios withdrew from the French Open on Friday.The ATP said the Australian player cited illness as the reason.Kyrgios was defaulted at the Italian Open after a raging outburst. Trailing against Norwegian qualifier Casper Ruud in round two, he slammed his racket into the clay and kicked a water bottle. Then he picked up a chair and flung it onto the court.He was fined and lost ATP points but escaped a suspension.The controversial Kyrgios’s withdrawal came only days after he posted a video online in which he said the French Open “sucks” when compared to Wimbledon, where he trained recently.In 2015, he insulted Stan Wawrinka with crude remarks during a match in Montreal. He was fined $12,500 and given a suspended 28-day ban. He also attracted criticism for deciding not to play at the 2016 Rio Olympics because of a spat with an Australian team official, and for firing back at retired players who have offered advice.Kyrgios was due to start his Roland Garros campaign against Cameron Norrie of Britain.The tournament starts on Sunday.TweetPinShare0 Shares
Continue Reading Previous From Edge to Fog to Cloud – IOT Computing with SMARCNext Toradex: early access for Apalis iMX8 with NXP i.MX 8QuadMax SoC At PCIM 2018, Rohde & Schwarz will be exhibiting its power-of-ten oscilloscope families R&S RTB2000, R&S RTM3000 and R&S RTA4000 with 10-bit A/D converters, 10 times as much memory as comparable instruments, and large 10.1″ touchscreen displays – the most advanced family of instruments currently available in the 2000, 3000 and 4000 class.The R&S RTB2000 oscilloscope is ideal for education, R&D and production, with a starting price of EUR 1,250. It is the first in its class to offer 10-bit vertical resolution and an acquisition memory of 10 Msample per channel. The R&S RTB2000 also features an impressive 10.1″ capacitive touchscreen. Oscilloscopes in the R&S RTB2000 family are available with two or four channels and with bandwidths of 70 MHz, 100 MHz, 200 MHz or 300 MHz.The R&S RTM3000 family is based on the same platform as the R&S RTB2000. It is designed for measurements on current and power rails, such as ripple and noise measurements on a DC voltage line. The 10-bit vertical resolution and vertical scaling down to 500 µV/div with full bandwidth make it ideal for verifying the increasingly strict tolerance limits on DC voltage signals. With a deep 80 Msample memory and high acquisition rates, users can make measurements over longer periods of time than with comparable instruments on the market. The oscilloscopes are available with bandwidths from 100 MHz to 1 GHz.The R&S RTA4000 oscilloscopes, also based on the same platform, have an even larger memory of 100 Msample per channel, making them ideal for analyzing serial data protocols and power-on/off sequences. They offer a 1 Gsample segmented acquisition memory. These oscilloscopes feature the same 10-bit resolution to clearly display fine details. They are available with bandwidths from 200 MHz to 1 GHz.The economical R&S RTC1000 model is extremely compact and can be equipped with numerous additional functions: eight-channel logic analyzer, four-channel pattern generator, protocol analyzer for I2C, SPI, UART/RS-232, CAN and LIN, digital voltmeter, component tester, spectrum analyzer, counter. Users can upgrade the bandwidth from 50 MHz to as much as 300 MHz with a software license.In addition to its oscilloscopes, Rohde & Schwarz will be presenting new probes to meet current challenges of measuring power electronics components. The R&S RT-ZHD high-voltage differential probes enable measurements with excellent signal integrity. Users can make floating voltage measurements up to 6,000 V with a high common mode rejection ratio (CMRR). The probes have a DC measurement accuracy of 0.5 %. With a bandwidth of up to 200 MHz, they can be used to measure fast switching edges. They also feature offset compensation up to 2,000 V. These probes cover a very wide range of measurement applications. They are perfect for measurements with the R&S RTM3000, R&S RTA4000, R&S RTE1000 and R&S RTO2000 oscilloscopes.The new R&S RT-ZPR40 1:1 power rail probe with 4 GHz bandwidth detects even the smallest coupled RF signals and unwanted ripple on power supplies. The R&S RTM3000, R&S RTA4000, R&S RTE1000 and R&S RTO2000 oscilloscope families work very well with this high-sensitivity, extremely low-noise probe.The R&S Scope Rider with up to 500 MHz bandwidth is ideal for field measurements on power electronics. Thanks to its fully isolated design, this handheld oscilloscope fulfils category CAT IV instrument requirements and can be used for measurements on low-voltage installations up to 600 V. Numerous functions can be added, such as a harmonic analyzer to assess power line quality. A CAN/LIN trigger and decode option is available for users in the automotive industry.Share this:TwitterFacebookLinkedInMoreRedditTumblrPinterestWhatsAppSkypePocketTelegram Tags: Tools & Software 
Continue Reading Previous Winbond and Tiempo Secure announce fully CC EAL5+ certifiable Secure Element IP for IoTNext Winbond to reveal new-generation ULP mobile DRAM solution VersaLogic has announced “SandCat”— a low-cost rugged new PC/104-Plus Single Board Computer. Based on Intel’s highly successful Bay Trail System-on-Chip (SoC), SandCat is an entry level PC/104-Plus single board computer that provides a cost optimized performance level and I/O capability. SandCat’s dual-core processor means that low cost does not mean low performance.The SandCat is designed and tested for industrial temperature (-40 to +85°C) operation and meets MIL-STD-202G specifications to withstand high impact and vibration. Latching connectors and fanless operation provide additional benefits in harsh environments. SandCat’s I/O connectivity includes a Gigabit Ethernet port with network boot capability, four USB 2.0 ports, two serial ports (RS-232/422/485), I2C, and eight digital I/O lines. A SATA 3 Gb/s interface supports high-capacity rotating or solid-state drives. A Mini PCIe socket with mSATA capability provides flexible solid-state drive (SSD) options.The SandCat’s powerful feature set, combined with a low-power draw and standard PC/104-Plus expansion, enables smaller, lighter and more energy efficient systems for industrial, energy, mining, transportation, and other applications. SandCat’s Mini PCIe socket allows easy on-board expansion with plug-in Wi-Fi modems, GPS receivers, and other mini cards such as MIL-STD-1553, Ethernet, and Analog.For stacking expansion using industry-standard add-on boards, the SandCat supports PC/104-Plus expansion, including ISA and PCI based modules. The on-board expansion site provides plug-in access to a wide variety of expansion modules from numerous vendors, all with bolt-down ruggedness.SandCat provides compatibility with a broad range of x86 application development tools for reduced development time and cost. Like other VersaLogic products, the SandCat is designed for long-term availability (10+ year typical production lifecycle). Customization services to help customers create unique solutions are available for the SandCat, even in low OEM quantities. Customization options include conformal coating, revision locks, custom labeling, customized testing and screening, etc.Share this:TwitterFacebookLinkedInMoreRedditTumblrPinterestWhatsAppSkypePocketTelegram Tags: Boards & Modules 
Continue Reading Previous Clientron: Embedded DIN-rail box PC supports triple displaysNext Clientron: multi-display thin client based on 3rd gen AMD R series CPU Leveraging its STM32 family of microcontrollers, STMicroelectronics has extended the associated STM32CubeMX ecosystem for product developers, adding advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) features. AI uses trained artificial neural networks to classify data signals from motion and vibration sensors, environmental sensors, microphones and image sensors, more quickly and efficiently than conventional handcrafted signal processing.With STM32Cube.AI, developers can now convert pre-trained neural networks into C-code that calls functions in optimized libraries that can run on STM32 MCUs. STM32Cube.AI comes together with ready-to-use software function packs that include example code for human activity recognition and audio scene classification. These code examples are immediately usable with the ST SensorTile reference board and the ST BLE Sensor mobile app. Additional support such as engineering services is available for developers through qualified partners inside the ST Partner Program and the dedicated AI & Machine LearningSTM32 online community.The FP-AI-SENSING1 software function pack provides examples of code to support end-to-end motion (human-activity recognition) and audio (audio-scene classification) applications based on neural networks. This function pack leverages ST’s SensorTile reference board to capture and label the sensor data before the training process. The board can then run inferences of the optimized neural network. The ST BLE Sensor mobile app acts as the SensorTile’s remote control and display.The comprehensive toolbox consisting of the STM32Cube.AI mapping tool, application software examples running on small-form-factor, battery-powered SensorTile hardware, together with the partner program and dedicated community support offers a fast and easy path to neural-network implementation on STM32 devices.Share this:TwitterFacebookLinkedInMoreRedditTumblrPinterestWhatsAppSkypePocketTelegram Tags: Chips & Components 
Continue Reading Previous Renesas: 32-bit RX65N MCUs achieve Amazon FreeRTOS qualificationNext Basler presents highlights from embedded portfolio at embedded world 2019 Clientron has unveiled its innovative R800 and Q800 for streamlined thin client applications. The innovative R800 and Q800 both feature a durable fanless design and a reliable embedded platform in an eco-friendly form factor compliant with Energy Star 6.1. They are built to support virtual desktop solutions and cloud computing applications, meeting the demands of today’s mainstream thin client market.Both R800 and Q800 are based on Intel Braswell Refresh delivering 15 years of product life and outstanding performance on less power consumption. The R800 features a solid aluminum chassis and comes with Intel Celeron N3160 quad-core processor offering high flexibility and performance, while the Q800 features an ultra-compact design powered by Intel Celeron N3060 dual-core processor for entry-level to mainstream thin client applications. The innovative designs promise excellent durability with capacitive-touch power buttons for switching on/off the systems without a mechanical part.To enable flexible expansion, the R800 offers 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD), supporting triple displays with two DisplayPorts and one HDMI port. In addition, the R800 features an innovative rotating ports-on-foot design with two built-in USB ports for expansion. Moreover, the R800 offers M.2 interfaces for optional WiFi modules, and it also supports optional PoE+ modules to provide up to 25W of power for the device. As a compact option, the Q800 offers 4K resolution dual displays with one DisplayPort and one HDMI port. The Q800 also supports the M.2 connector for system expansion. Both devices also support optional TPM 2.0 modules that are critical to providing a secure computing environment.Built to serve as virtual desktop solutions, the R800 and Q800 support multiple protocols including Citrix HDX, Microsoft RDP and VMware Horizon View to enhance multimedia streaming performance and expand desktop experience to cloud computing. The R800 and Q800 can run Linux, WES7, WES8, Win10 IoT operating systems to satisfy diverse needs. The R800 is a high-performance and flexible thin client which can be adopted for banking, multimedia and medical care solutions. The Q800 is a compact thin client solution suitable for office, school, and call center operations.Share this:TwitterFacebookLinkedInMoreRedditTumblrPinterestWhatsAppSkypePocketTelegram Tags: Boards & Modules 
Continue Reading Previous Teledyne LeCroy’s MDA 8000HD MDA increases channel counts, memory, bandwidthNext Arrow drives AI infusion with new OpenCL platform for high-performance FPGA accelerator Rugged connector and component manufacturer Bulgin has launched a rugged duplex LC fiber optic connector specialised for use in harsh environments. The 6000 Series Fiber LC Duplex connector contains an additional optical fiber connection for applications where separate transmit and receive cables are required. In comparison to a simplex optical fiber cable and connector, the additional glass fiber on the duplex cable can also be used as a built-in obsolescence in mission-critical applications, or to double the data transmission capabilities where required.Like the popular 4000 Series LC Simplex connector which was launched by Bulgin earlier this year, the 6000 Series LC Duplex connector is ideally suited for outdoor television broadcast, FTTX (fiber to the x), server room engineering, civil engineering, aviation and rail applications. With extremely low insertion loss (average: < 0.1 dB, max: 0.2 dB), the 6000 Series Fiber Duplex connector offers reliable performance regardless of the application environment.With its IP69K and IP68-rated sealing caps, the connector provides protection against dirt and water ingress (fully submersed up to 2 weeks at 10m). In addition, the Mil-Tac quality cable ensures the connector is suitable for any type of harsh environment where deployment and retrieval for reuse may be required.Featuring a secure 30° twist-lock connection, the 6000 Series Fiber LC Duplex connector accommodates durable mechanical mating. The rugged housing is made from thermo-resistant plastic and measures 32mm in diameter and a maximum of 78.4mm in length.The connector is offered either with pre-assembled patch cords or assembly kits for termination in the field. Kits are also available for inline and chassis connectors in order to build the sealed harsh-environment connector around a standard LC duplex interface.Share this:TwitterFacebookLinkedInMoreRedditTumblrPinterestWhatsAppSkypePocketTelegram Tags: Chips & Components 
A Romelu Lukaku double and a Dries Mertens stunner helped Belgium beat World Cup first-timers Panama 3-0 at the at the Fisht Stadium on Monday.Mertens opened the scoring with a superb volley two minutes into the second half as he sent the ball over goalkeeper Jaime Penedo after Panama failed to clear a cross.Lukaku’s work rate worked well for him when he headed home a Kevin De Bruyne cross off the outside off his foot to make it 2-0 in the 69th minute. He went on to add one more when he rushed goal wards after Eden Hazard found him with a great ball and then he chipped the ball over the keeper to complete his brace.Belgium stretched their unbeaten streak to 20 games after their win over Panama. This was also their 10th straight game unbeaten in the group stages of the World Cup. They have now won five and drawn five each.Job done for @BelRedDevils #BELPAN // #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/8uWR1saqrWFIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 18, 2018Earlier, the announcement of the first team to represent the Central American nation at the World Cup finals was greeted by an ear-splitting roar from the thousands of flag-waving Panamanian fans dotted in clusters around the Fisht Stadium.2018 FIFA WORLD CUP: FULL COVERAGEThe debutants suffered a shaky start as Lukaku went close for Belgium in the opening minute after an incisive pass from De Bruyne set Yannick Carrasco free down the left, but the striker fired wide.advertisementDespite being forced to spend much of the game defending, the Panamanians showed strength, speed and trickery when they did break forward, and they created chances of their own in a scoreless first half.Indian kid creates history during Belgium-Panama matchBelgium wasted no time in the second period with Mertens opening the scoring two minutes in, and as the underdogs started to chase an equaliser the space opened up.The Belgians showcased an array of clever set-pieces and will be happy with their performance against a physical Panama side ahead of games against Tunisia and England, who meet in Volgograd later on Monday.The opening goal came as a relief to the Belgians, who have seen other favourites struggle against well-organised opponents in the opening round of World Cup games.The Belgians put their slow start behind them in the second half as their passing game started to click, but Panama still managed to find opportunities for counter-attacks and were unlucky not to score.(With inputs from Reuters)
Valtteri Bottas seized his first pole position of the Formula One season in Austria on Saturday with Mercedes team mate and world championship leader Lewis Hamilton having to settle for second.Bottas, who has had four second places but is yet to win this year, triumphed at the scenic Red Bull Ring from pole in 2017.Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, 14 points behind Hamilton after eight races, qualified third but faced a trip to the stewards for allegedly blocking Renault’s Carlos Sainz.”I can guarantee nobody will be more hungry for the win than me,” said Bottas, whose position at the reigning champions has yet to be confirmed for 2019 even though he is expected to be retained.”The whole weekend we’ve been making good progress with the set-up. We’ve been working to get the car well balanced with the new bits. We did and the car felt so good,” said the Finn.Mercedes, unbeaten in Austria in the four years since the race returned to the calendar, had brought aerodynamic upgrades to Spielberg after the latest specification engine was introduced in France and they clearly helped.”Valtteri did a stunning lap with the first run and I made a bit of a mistake,” said Hamilton. “I’m happy with the second run, it is a good result for the team.”Bottas had lagged Hamilton in practice and the first two phases of the qualifying session but then put down an impressive one minute 03.264 first flying lap in the final shootout.He went even faster with his second lap, a track record 1:03.130 that Hamilton could not match with his own best effort a mere 0.019 slower.advertisementFerrari locked out the second row, with Kimi Raikkonen fourth, while Max Verstappen will line up fifth at Red Bull’s home circuit.Romain Grosjean, yet to score a point so far this season, qualified an impressive sixth for Haas with Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo seventh.Ricciardo, who is rarely seen without a smile, was far from happy afterwards.”I’m not too impressed,” he told Sky Sports television, questioning his team’s approach to the session with the Australian running ahead of Verstappen.”We had three runs and I was just punching a hole for everyone. We could have been more fair,” he said. “It is a short lap here so obviously a chance for others, but Haas have been strong and Romain did a good job.”Haas’s Kevin Magnussen was eighth with Sainz ninth and Renault team mate Nico Hulkenberg 10th.
New Delhi, Aug 27 (PTI) The central public sector enterprises (CPSE) under the steel ministry will promote rural sports and sports for differently-abled, Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh said today. Sports is an indicator of a countrys economic development and strength, and CPSEs under the ministry will strive to groom medal aspirants for the Olympic Games, he said. The minister unveiled the corporate sports policy for CPSEs under the steel ministry here today. The policy, he said, will provide a framework for promotion of sports by these CPSEs. The minister stated that CPSEs will discharge their responsibility through infrastructural and institutional support for talent spotting, scholarships, training and coaching. Emphasising on institutional support to sports, the minister said ‘Khelo India’ programme, which provides annual financial help of Rs 5 lakh for eight years to talented players identified in priority sports disciplines, has started yielding results. Steel CPSEs will allocate a specific budget for sports activities, as per their financial strength, and this budget will be separate from the companys corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds. “CPSEs under the Steel Ministry will encourage rural sports, sports for differently-abled and activities for homemakers by sponsoring annual and periodic sporting events,” he said adding that CPSEs of the steel Ministry will also sponsor national and international sporting events. PTI SID MR
Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Saturday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and is believed to have taken up the issue of weightlifter L Monika Devi’s exclusion from the Indian Olympic team.The Chief Minister is understood to have taken up the issue, which has sparked widespread protest in Manipur, with the Prime Minister, official sources said.Earlier, Manipur Olympic Association (MOA) had decided not to participate in any national championship and forthcoming National Games if Monika was not sent to Beijing as part of the Indian Olympic team.The decision to boycott the national championships and National Games was taken at a joint meeting of the MOA, different sports associations and students organisations on Friday in Imphal.A 24-hour general strike was observed in Manipur on Friday in protest against the dropping of Monika from the Indian team to Beijing.Monika’s exclusion in the team became a major issue, in Manipur with sports associations organising rallies to protest against the dropping of Monika from the team.
L Sarita Devi and MC Mary Kom have advanced to the semi-finals and are assured of winning medals at the 13th International Silesian Boxing Championship for women in Gliwice, Poland.Mary Kom got a direct entry into the semi-finals of the boxing event. However, Sarita had to battle her way to the last four.Sarita defeated Czech Republic’s Alena Czechy 5-0 Wednesday night after going past Kazakhstan’s Aizan Khojabekova in the opening round of the 60kg category the day before. Sarita is a former world champion and Asian Games bronze-medallist.She will now square off against another Kazakh in Karina Ibragimova for a place in the final.Five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist Mary Kom is yet to set foot inside the ring but is through to the semis owing to the small size of the draw in the light flyweight 48kg category.India’s first and only Asian Games gold medal-winning woman boxer is returning to the ring after missing the recently-concluded edition in Jakarta due to minor fitness issues.Among other Indians in fray, Ritu Grewal won her bout against Russia’s Svetlana Rosja 4-1 to make the 51kg category semi-finals along with Lovlina Borgohain (69kg).Borgohain got the better of Czech Republic’s Martina Schmoranzova.However, Seema Punia (+81kg), Pwilao Basumatary (64kg) and Shashi Chopra (57kg) lost their respective bouts to bow out of medal contention.Seema was beaten by Kazakh Lazzat Kungeibayeva 5-0, while Basumatary lost by a similar margin to Poland’s Natalia Barbusinska.Shashi, on the other hand, lost to England’s Anglia Chapmen, also a unanimous verdict.advertisement(With inputs from PTI)
Indian cricket’s newest star Prithvi Shaw may not play for Mumbai in their opening match of the Ranji Trophy against Railways in New Delhi from November 1 as he has still not recovered from an elbow injury.Shaw recently starred for India in the three-match Test series against the Windies, where he ended up as the highest run-scorer of the series and scooped the man-of-the-series award in just his debut series for the country.In his debut match, Shaw scored a hundred to become the youngest Indian to score a hundred on Test debut. Overall, he is the 15th Indian batsman to score a hundred in his first Test and the second youngest Indian to score a Test century after Sachin Tendulkar.Even during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Shaw scored a brilliant half century in the semi-final against Hyderabad to take Mumbai to the final, where they defeated Delhi to win the title.Shaw was first hit on the elbow in the Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final against Hyderabad. He was again hit on the elbow during the Deodhar Trophy, where he was representing India ‘A’.A selector told new agency PTI that Shaw wasn’t considered for selection at the moment because he is unfit, but if he passes fitness test before the game, he could be in.Shreyas Iyer has been named as the skipper of the Mumbai Ranji team, as they prepare to begin their campaign against Railways. Senior pacer Dhawan Kulkarni has been named as deputy skipper in the 15 member squad announced by the Mumbai Cricket Association on Thursday evening.advertisementOther regulars Akhil Herwadkar, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare have been made it to the Squad.Squad: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Dhawal Kulkarni (Vice-Captain), Siddhesh Lad Jay Bista, Surya Kumar Yadav, Kumar Yadav, Ashay Sardesai, Aditya Tare,Eknath Kerkar, Shivam Dube, Akash Parkar, Karsh Kothari, Shams Mulani, Akhil Herwadkar, Tushar Deshpande and Royston Dias.(With PTI inputs)
Ace director Karan Johar is all set to sip coffee with the Kapoor siblings- Sonam, Rhea and Harshvardhan- on his popular talk show Koffee with Karan.Harshvardhan took to Instagram to share a still from the sets of the show, captioned “Get excited @sonamkapoor @rheakapoor @karanjohar #koffewithkaran coming soon.”In the still, Sonam can be seen sporting a lavender off-shoulder dress and matching heels, while her sister Rhea looks stunning in a striped pantsuit and matching blazer.The men, on the other hand, look dapper in three-piece suits as they pose for the snap.The first episode of the sixth season of Koffee with Karan saw Bollywood’s leading ladies Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt gracing the couch. Among other stars who have appeared so far on the talk show, which is aired on Star World every Sunday, include Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, siblings Arjun Kapoor and Jahnvi Kapoor, and Aamir Khan, to name a few.Also see | Koffee with Karan 6: Alia Bhatt to Janhvi Kapoor, check out the complete star-studded guest listAlso read | Koffee with Karan 6: Janhvi to make her debut on the show with brother Arjun KapoorAlso read | Koffee With Karan: Priyanka to sip coffee with Kareena post her nuptials?
Andy Murray may retire after the Australian Open, with the severe pain from his troublesome right hip having become almost unbearable for him to play on, the former world number one said on Friday.Overcome with emotion, the three-times Grand Slam champion wept at a media conference as he revealed that he had initially planned to quit after playing this year’s Wimbledon tournament but now felt Melbourne Park might end up his swansong.”There’s a chance of that, for sure, because I’m not sure I’m able to play through the pain for another four or five months,” the 31-year-old Briton, now ranked 230th in the world, said.”The pain is too much, really, and I don’t want to continue playing that way.”The pain is not allowing me to enjoy competing or training or any of the stuff I love about tennis.”Five-times a runner up at Melbourne Park, Murray had surgery on the joint a year ago, having played with pain for a number of years.He came back last June but was forced to cut his 2018 season short.While still struggling during a pre-season camp in December, Murray said he had told his team that he felt he could not go on for much longer.”Just playing with no idea when the pain was going to stop, and I felt like making that decision,” he said.”I said to my team, Look, I think I can kind of get through this until Wimbledon.’ That was where I’d like to stop stop playing. But I’m also not certain I’m able to do that.”advertisementTwice Wimbledon winner Murray, Britain’s first men’s champion since Fred Perry in 1936, left the door to an eventual comeback slightly ajar, saying he was mulling another round of major hip surgery.He said he had been in touch with American doubles champion Bob Bryan, who returned to the court at the recent Brisbane International after having the surgery.The twice Olympic champion added, though, that the operation would be more aimed at improving quality of life than prolonging his career.”I have an option to have another operation which is a little bit more kind of severe than what I’ve had before, having my hip resurfaced which would allow me to have a better quality of life,” he said.”That’s something I’m seriously considering right now.”Bob Bryan had this operation post-Wimbledon last year and is obviously playing.”But obviously there’s a difference between singles and doubles in terms of the physicality and movement and stuff. Certainly, no guarantees there.”Murray said basic things in everyday life, like putting on socks and shoes, were causing him severe pain and he had grown weary of talking about his hip in every conversation.Murray, who visibly struggled in a 6-1 4-1 practice match defeat to top seed Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park on Thursday, has been drawn to play 22nd seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round on Monday.”I’m going to play, I can still play to a level, not a level that I’m happy playing at,” he said.Also Watch: