| Maha: Shooting training centres for cops to be set up in every
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| Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday that the state government will set up shooting training centres for the police in every district. He was speaking at the closing ceremony of All India Police Shooting Championship at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sports Complex here. "I feel that every police personnel should possess good shooting skills," Thackeray said. The government will set up shooting training centres in every district, he said, asking the police department to submit a proposal for the same.
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| Chess | Easy draw for Anand
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 He continued to share the sixth spot at three points after six rounds of the Tata Steel Masters chess tournament.
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| India lacks sports culture: Rijiju
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| Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday lamented lack of "sports culture" in India. He, however, said the government is working to make the country a "sport powerhouse" in the coming days. The Union minister was in Goa to inaugurate five different indoor stadiums constructed for the upcoming National Games, scheduled to be held in October-November, 2020. "We are trying to create the culture of sports in the country. Today, I was sharing this thought with officers also that we are a country which has not been able to exploit its sporting potential at the international level," the minister said, adding that there are just "few pockets of sports culture" in the country. "Goa has good football culture like the Northeast and West Bengal. Barring this, India has not been able to develop sports culture. For Indians, sports is not a way of life, which is reality," he added. Citing old texts, Rijiju said sports used to be part of the Indian way of life. "From the day one, .
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| Fancied players get off to smooth start at Chennai Open chess
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| : Fancied players led by Russian Grand Master Pavel Ponkratov got off to a fluent start in the 12th Chennai Open International GM Chess tournament, posting wins in the first round here on Saturday. In the top board game, top-seed Ponkrantov outclassed S K Kanishk in an English opening game that lasted 29 moves. The other leading players including Aleksej Aleksandrov, Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara (Peru) and Levan Pantsulaia (Georgia) registered comfortable victories. The lower boards saw Tamil Nadu girl K M Shrija post an upset victory over International Master T U Navin Kanna while national under-11 champion Aakash G of Coimbatore defeated higher-rated International Master C Praveen Kumar. A total of 284 players including 29 GMs and 23 International Masters are taking part in the tournament which offers a total prize money of Rs 15 lakh. The tournament was inaugurated by India's first International Master Manuel Aaron. Important results (Indians unless specified): 1st .
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| Revenge for Humbert as he wins first ATP title in Auckland
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| It was the "tournament of revenge" for rising star Ugo Humbert who won his maiden ATP title beating Benoit Paire in a three-set thriller at the Auckland Classic on Saturday. In the all-French showdown, the unseeded Humbert held his nerve in the deciding tie-break of his first ATP final to beat the fifth seed 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 7-6 (7/5). The 30-year-old Paire, number 24 in the world, was no stranger to playing a decider, having been stretched to three sets in his four previous matches in the tournament. The 21-year-old Humbert, who a year ago was ranked outside the top 100, started the tournament at number 57 and the title should advance him well inside the top 50. He only played three sets in the first round against Casper Ruud and won his next three matches in straight sets including wins over second-seed Denis Shapovalov and fourth-seed John Isner. "I really, really wanted to win it today and I did," said an elated Humbert. "It was the tournament of revenge," he added having ...
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| Kyrgios shuts down Zverev in Grand Slam row
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| Australia's Nick Kyrgios dismissed criticism from Alexander Zverev on Saturday after the German said he was a step behind some of his main rivals when it came to challenging for Grand Slams. Zverev said some of the other young players were "just better" than Kyrgios, who provocatively dropped and did push-ups when the world number seven served double faults during Germany's clash with Australia at the ATP Cup. "I'm not going to entertain that too much. With everything going on, that's the least of my worries," said Kyrgios, who has been at the forefront of fundraising efforts for Australia's bushfire crisis. "He's a great player. I'm not quite sure where those comments come from. I'm sure he didn't mean them in a bad way. But if he did, then I'm sorry for whatever I've done to you." Zverev told media in Melbourne that "there's a lot of young guys that are right now, no offence, just better than (Kyrgios). "I think Stefanos (Tsitsipas) is better than him. Just simply because he is ...
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| Iranian Chess Arbiter Shohreh Bayat Fears For Her Safety After Hijab Row
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 Iranian chess arbiter Shohreh Bayat is reportedly considering not returning home from Russia where she is currently officiating in the ongoing women's world championship after pictures of her not wearing a headscarf appeared in the media. Not wearing hijab is an offence in Iran and could invite fine, public admonishment or arrest. What should have been a career-highlight for Bayat has instead become a source of controversy and she fears returning home. "I turned on my mobile and saw that my picture was everywhere [in Iranian media]. They were claiming I was not wearing a headscarf and that ...
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| Gold medal in Rome shows I am on right track in Olympic year: Vinesh Phogat
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| Her 'ground wrestling' remains a work in progress but Vinesh Phogat on Saturday avowed that a solid gold medal-winning performance in Rome shows that she is on the right track in the Olympic year. Competing in the first Ranking Series event of the 2020 season, Vinesh downed two tough Chinese rivals on her way to the 53kg gold medal bout, in which she overpowered Ecudor's Luisa Elizabeth Valverde. "Competing at an international event tests our training. It tells us whether we are moving in the right direction or not? So this result shows we are on right track since it's big year, it' an Olympic year," Vinesh, India's big medal hope at the Tokyo Games, told PTI from Rome. She won by technical superiority against Ukraine's Khrystyna Bereza (10-0) and China's Lannuan Luo (15-5) before getting the better of Qianyu Pang (4-2) in the semifinal. "At this event, I competed with girls I had never wrestled before and against Pang I was wrestling for the third time. It was important to know if ..
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| Federer has 'low expectations' at Australian Open
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| Roger Federer might have won 20 Grand Slams and six Australian Open titles but the Swiss great Saturday insisted he had "low expectations" at the first Major of the season. The 38-year-old crowd favourite has yet to play a competitive match this year, opting out of the recent ATP Cup to spend more time with his family. The team event in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney provided Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal with six high-intensity clashes heading into Melbourne Park, and Federer knows he has his back to the wall. Seeded three, he has a tricky clash against 81st-ranked American Steve Johnson first up. "I'm happy to be back in Australia. I'm happy to be playing here, of course, I love it," said Federer, who has returned for a 21st Australian Open campaign. "Look, it's a tricky situation right now playing somebody who has just played a lot this week. He's ready to go. He's match-ready and I'm not," he added of Johnson. "I got to really make sure I get out of the gates quick." Despite his age
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, article language English
