KATHMANDU: Nepali cricketers have improved their position in the latest International Cricket Council T20 ranking. In a recent ranking list released by ICC, national team captain Paras Khadka, Sompal Kami and Basanta Regmi have climbed up the list. With the impressive performance against UAE recently, the Nepali cricketers have improved their position.
According to the list, Khadka has reached the 90th position as a batsman and 40th position as an all-rounder.
Similarly, Kami has stood at 70th position from 93rd as the bowlers and 51st position as an all-rounder. Likewise, Basanta Regmi jumped to the 71st position from the 74th position. Pakistani batsman Babar Azam of Pakistan leads the category of batting whereas Rashid Khan of Afghanistan in bowling and Glen Maxwell of Australia as an all-rounder.
KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Goldens has won Dhangadi Stars by four wickets at the first match of Dhangadhi Premier League underway at Dhangadhi on Monday.
Chasing the 133-run target set by Dhangadhi Stars, Kathmandu achieved it in the 19.5 overs losing six wickets.
Right-hand batsman Ankit Dabas top-scored with 29 runs including two fours and two sixes off 23 balls, Gaurav Tomar made 28 runs including three fours and two sixes off 24 balls while Anil Sah contributed 24 runs off 40 balls, ensuring win for Kathmandu.
In reply, Dhangadhi’s Roshan Mustafa grabbed highest four wickets of Kathmandu, giving away 27 runs in four overs while Bipin Khatri and Amir Hayat took one wicket each conceding 17 and 30 runs, respectively.
Earlier, electing to bat first after winning the toss, Kathmandu Goldens made 132 runs losing five wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Amit Shrestha secured highest 50 runs including four fours and two sixes off 50 balls.
Similarly, Sandeep Rajali collected 28 runs including four fours off 35 balls, Saurav Khanal made 25 runs off 10 balls while Pawan Sarraf 19 runs. The other players did not score double-digit runs.
Nandan Yadav took two wickets of Dhangadhi, giving away eight runs while Lalit Rajbanshi and Ankit Dabas grabbed one wicket each.
LONDON: Manchester City has crushed Chelsea 6-0 to be atop the Premier League points table on Sunday, after all Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick. City were ahead 4-0 just 25 minutes into the first half. Only six minutes later, Aguero span to knock the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga to make it 3-0.
In the 25th minute, Chelsea were 4-0 through Ilkay Gundogan’s low shot from the edge of the box after Sterling’s pass to Aguero had been poorly cleared by Antonio Rudiger. Aguero completed his 15th hat-trick for City in the 56th minute, when he coolly rolled home a penalty earned by Sterling after he had been tackled by Cesar Azpilicueta.
It was also Aguero’s 11th Premier League hat-trick, level with former Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer in pole position. Sterling sealed the victory by scoring his second from the close range in the 80th minute, handing Chelsea their biggest loss since they were defeated 7-0 by Nottingham Forest in 1991. (Agencies)
CHITWAN: “Sports is connected with the country’s pride,” remarked Jagat Bahadur Bishwokarma, Minister for Youth and Sports at a program here.
Addressing media persons in terms of announcing the construction of Gautam Buddha International Cricket Stadium, the minister stated that the sports should be taken seriously and that it should be made a healthy and respected profession.
Construction of the stadium is initiated by Dhurmus Suntali Foundation.
NAWALPARASI: A national men’s volleyball tournament is all set to commence in Pratappur Rural Municipality of west Nawalparasi from February 14. The event is being hosted by the municipality. Four teams, including National Volleyball Club, Nepal Army Club, Nepal Police Club and a club from India are participating in the three day tournament. The winner of the tournament will win a cash prize of Rs. 111,111 while the second and third will bag Rs. 51,111 and 25,111 respectively.
The tournament is being organized in collaboration with the National Volleyball Association, according to Pratappur rural municipality chair Raj Kumar Sharma.
LONDON: Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard is convinced that he can form a great partnership with the club’s new striker Gonzalo Higuain after playing two matches together.
Chelsea signed Higuain on loan from Juventus last month and the Argentina striker scored twice in last week’s 5-0 thumping of the Premier League’s bottom club Huddersfield Town.
“Chelsea is not about Higuain and Hazard, it is about 25 players. But Higuain is a fantastic striker.”
Hazard, who also scored two goals in that game at Stamford Bridge, said he was already enjoying playing alongside the former Real Madrid and Napoli striker.
“I’ve only played two games with Higuain and I know we can do something great together, not only with him but also with the other strikers, the other winger,” Hazard told The Times ahead of Sunday’s league meeting with Manchester City.
“Chelsea is not about Higuain and Hazard, it is about 25 players. But Higuain is a fantastic striker.”
Victory over Huddersfield followed league defeats by Arsenal and Bournemouth where midfielder Jorginho was man-marked to nullify the Italy international’s influence.
“If one guy is marking him all the time, we need to adapt also. Jorginho is always trying to be free to take the ball to create something. He’s a fantastic player,” Hazard said.
Manager Maurizio Sarri has also faced questions about his insistence on playing N’Golo Kante on the right side of midfield instead of in his natural holding role, but Hazard believes the Frenchman has to adapt.
“N’Golo’s a clever guy, one of the best in his position, maybe the best in the world. N’Golo now plays six months in a different position. He needs to adapt,” Hazard said.
“When we win, everyone will say, ‘yes, he plays in his (best) position, and if we lose everyone will say, ‘no, he needs to go a bit behind’. Depends only on the result.”
Hazard said Chelsea still need time to adapt to Sarri’s possession-based style of play, which contrasts to the counter-attacking football of previous managers Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.
“Sometimes we keep possession, and I understand the fans want us to go forward (more directly), but it is part of the football,” Hazard said.
“We are still learning about his concept. We are doing well. I like this kind of football.”
Reuters
KATHMANDU: International Cricket Council (ICC) has finally disbursed remuneration to Nepali cricket players after two years in a lump sum. Regular disbursement had stopped following the ICC decision to suspend the Cricket Association of Nepal. The National Sports Council (NSC) has got Rs 12 million 787 thousand 682 to pay 21 cricketers eligible for the payment.
Keshab Bista, NSC member secretary confirmed yesterday that the NSC had received the budget. Cricket players entitled to the facility are grouped into ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ categories. The ‘A’ grade cricketers are paid Rs 35,000 per month, ‘B’ grade players get Rs 25,000 per month while the players in ‘C’ grade are provided Rs 15,000 per month.
Beneficiaries include: Captain Paras Khadka, Vice-Captain Gyanendra Malla, Sharad Bheswakar, Basanta Regmi, Sompal Kami, Dipendra Singh Airee and Sandip Lamichhane. Players in ‘A’ category now will get Rs 840,000 each.
Arif Sheikh, Karan KC, Lalit Bhandari, Anil Kumar Shah, Rohit Poudel, Lalit Rajbanshi and Shakti Gauchan, the players in ‘B’ class will get Rs 600,000 each while ‘C’ class players — Subash Khakurel, Sagar Pun, Dilip Nath, Sunil Dhamala, Susan Bhari, Pradeep Airee and Binod Bhandari – will be awarded Rs 300,000 each.
Besides them, team manager Raman Shiwakoti and main coach Jagat Tamata will be provided remunerations of two years.
The ICC had suspended the CAN around two and half years ago, citing government intervention and partiality.
NAWALPARASI: A two-day international wrestling championship is to be held in Hakui of Ramgram municipality from coming February 19 to 20. Around 300 wrestlers from Nepal and India participating in the competition, that will also feature women wrestling for the first time. The first, second and third winner of the tournament will win a cash prize of Rs. 175,000, 100,000 and 75,000 respectively.
The tournament is being organized at the initiative of the local sports enthusiasts with the objective of preserving the traditional sport, according to Dhurva Chaudhary, tournament managing committee secretary. The tournament is expected to cost around Rs. 500,000. Ward no 15 and 16 of Ramgram municipalities are also providing financial support for the tournament. Besides, local organizations and industrialists are contributing to the event.
Bhadrapur : The first GP Koirala memorial national hockey tournament begins at the Mechi stadium today. Teams from all the provinces except Karnali province and a departmental team from Nepal Army are competing in the tournament to run until February 13. Member-secretary of National Sports Council Keshav Kumar Bista is scheduled to inaugurate the tournament.
The tournament is expected to cost Rs. 2 million.
It is the first time that a national-level hockey tournament is being held in the region. The tournament is being hosted by Nepal Hockey Association in collaboration with the National Sports Council.
Prior to this, a national level hockey tournament was held in Biratnagar in 1989. The tournament has been organised to promote the sport of hockey and produce hockey players at the province level, said the Association Secretary Ranjan Thapa.
At least 10 people, mostly young athletes, died when a fire engulfed a dormitory at the youth team training center of one of Brazil’s biggest football clubs, reports said.
The fire broke out at Ninho de Urubu, the training ground of Flamengo football club, in Rio de Janeiro injuring three people.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, according to reports. Flamengo is one of Brazil’s biggest and best-known clubs internationally. The fire was later extinguished, according to the G1 news portal.
The injured were taken to a nearby hospital, firefighters say. Flamengo being one of Brazil’s most successful football clubs, has basketball, rowing, swimming and volleyball teams. (Agencies)