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SPORTS
IMPHAL MONDAY 27 OCTOBER 2014
Williams beats Halep to win WTA Finals title State body builders selected
SINGAPORE, Oct 26
Serena Williams beat Simona
Halep 6-3, 6-0 on Sunday to
win her third-successive title
at the WTA Finals and her fifth
overall.
Halep easily beat Williams
just four days earlier during
the group stage of the tournament, but Williams turned
that around with an aggressive game plan that unsettled
the Romanian player.
Williams won 11 of the
last 12 games in the match to
join Martina Navratilova and
Steffi Graf as the only players to have won five titles in
the season-ending championships.
The 33-year-old American
pulled out of her previous
two tournaments with illness
and a knee injury, yet still
claimed the $2 million first
prize.
‘’I just started training,
because I had such a bad
knee in Beijing I didn’t
know if I’d be able to play
here, and now I have won
the Billie-Jean King trophy I am so excited,’’ Williams
said. The match was the most
one-sided
championship
match in the WTA Finals
since Kim Clijsters beat
Amelie Mauresmo 6-2, 6-0
in 2003.
‘’It was an amazing week
so I can’t be too sad that I
lost,’’ Halep said. ‘’Congratulations to Serena, you
are the best.’’
Halep got the first break
of the match in the third game
and looked capable of repeating the surprise 6-0, 6-2
victory she recorded over
Williams on Wednesday, but
in the next game Williams
broke back at her third opportunity and the course of
the match was set.
Halep won only three
points less than Williams in
the opening set but clinched
just seven points in the entire
second set - including only
two on return. The set was
over in 25 minutes.
Halep’s serve, so effective
throughout
the
tournament, let her down on
the big stage, winning less
than half her first-serve
WTA mulling new
women's tennis WC
Serena Williams of the United States lifts the trophy
points while Williams won
77 percent.
Williams changed her
game plan from the groupstage contest, attacking
Halep’s second serve with
fierce ground strokes, and
regularly rushing the net to
cut the points short and prevent the Romanian playing
her preferred style.
Halep tried in vain to
change the momentum, even
trying a drop shot from well
behind the baseline, but her
spirit and body language
quickly deteriorated in the
face of Williams’ relentless
attack.
Williams had 25 winners
against just five by her opponent.
Halep’s victory in the
group stage ended Williams’
16-game winning streak at
the WTA Finals, but the
American built her career
win-loss record in the championships - for the top eight
players - to 29 wins against
just five losses. Williams also
retained her No.1 ranking.
Simona Halep, like many
others before her, learnt a
hard lesson on Sunday, that
there is a hefty price to pay
for beating Serena Williams.
Just days after the diminutive Romanian handed
Williams her heaviest defeat
in 16 years, she was brought
back to earth with a thud,
thrashed 6-3 6-0 in the WTA
Finals title match.
"I have no power now to
have emotions anymore,"
Halep told a news conference. "I feel okay but I
cannot say that I feel happy.
Every time when I lose I'm
sad."
Halep knew from the moment she beat Williams that
the American would come
back at her hard the next time
they met.
Sania Mirza-Cara Black
clinch WTA Finals title :
La Liga
Real Madrid down Barca 3-1
SINGAPORE, Oct 26 : Women's tennis is considering
introducing a new World Cup team event, its head said Saturday,
a move which may bring competition for the soon-to-belaunched International Premier Tennis League.
Stacey Allaster, chair and CEO of the Women‘s Tennis
Association, said plans envisaged a five-day team event
“with all-star elements” in one location with ranking points
and $4-5 million in prize money.
Her comments came as the IPTL, brainchild of Indian
former doubles player Mahesh Bhupathi, prepares for its
debut with four three-day team events in Asia spread over
two weeks in November-December.
Allaster said the WTA had looked at successful team
competitions like golf‘s Ryder Cup, rugby sevens, NBA
basketball and the UEFA Champions League football before coming up with the World Cup idea.
“The market recommendation, the demand from sponsors, host nations, and fans, is a World Cup event with
all-star elements over a five-day period,” she said in a
“WTA State of the Tour” address in Singapore.
“So we are going to go to market and see if the market
is really there. We haven`t decided if we`re going to do it.
I`ll say it again: we haven`t decided if we will do it.
“However, we believe we have a responsibility. I think
the demand is there. Others are doing it. If we don`t do it,
someone else is going to do it. In fact, somebody is doing
it.” The IPTL, with city-based teams including star players
and former greats, will feature five one-set matches of
singles and doubles. Ties will be played in Manila, Singapore, Mumbai and Dubai.
Allaster said the WTA has also appointed a new president, Micky Lawler, as it aims to push forward 41 years
after its creation by American legend Billie Jean King.
She said other innovations which may be tested next
year included live-streaming practice, and making players
hold open sessions where they hit with fans and children.
Players may also walk out on court with young girls,
adopting a tradition of football and other sports, and spectators will be able to keep balls that are hit into the stands,
as in baseball. Allaster and the WTA have made a big bet
on Asia, including moving the ongoing WTA Finals to
Singapore and organising seven events on Chinese soil
next year. –– AFP
Indian ace Sania Mirza and
her Zimbabwean partner Cara
Black ended the season and
their partnership on a remarkable high by clinching
the WTA finals women’s
doubles title with a comprehensive triumph in the
summit clash here on Sunday.
Sania and Cara, making
their debut at the season finale, prevailed 6-1 6-0 over
Su-Wei Hseih of Chinese
Taipei and Shuai Peng of
China in a clash that lasted
just about an hour.
In a completely lop-sided
contest, third seeds Sania
and Cara did not concede a
single break point to their
second-seeded rivals.
The Indo-Zimbabwean
combination, which would
be breaking up after this,
broke the East Asians thrice
in the opening set itself and
were decisively better with
their first serve.
Sania and Cara were even
more dominant in the second
set, breaking Hseih and Peng
thrice again to race away with
the match and the title.
2nd division football league
Jiri News Network (JNN)
LAMKA Oct 26 : The (L) Sonkhomang Haokip Memorial 2nd
Division Soccer League concluded today at Lamka public
ground.
In today's final clash, Headquarters Football Club, (HFC)
Lamka edged past Takchapa Football (TF) team by a margin
of 2 goals to one to claim the title.
Mangcha Gangte of Headquarters Football Club struck
the opening goal in the 30th minute to help his side take a
1-0 lead in the first half.
After the first half, the TF players found the equaliser in
the 60th minute. HFC however did not give in and mounted
a series of offensives. This gave dividends minutes after the
breather when the maruding players from HFC found the
net to emerge the winner.
Altogether 33 teams participated out of which seven have
been promoted to the first division league.
DC Lunminthang Haokip, chief of Lamka and Thangzang
of KIC Thangkhosuanmung Guite graced the occasion as
chief guest and president respectively.
The selected body builders pose for the lens
By Our Sports Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 26 : The All
Manipur Gymnasium Welfare
Association (AMGWA) has
selected 17 State body builders
to participate in the trial
selection contest to be held on
November 8 at Vadodara,
Gujarat.
The body builders selected
from the trial will take part in
the 6th Mr World Body
Building and Physique Sports
Championship to be held
from December 5 to 10 at
Mumbai.
The name of the body
builders are:
Men's category : Araba
Laitonjam (Super Gym,
Khurai), Romario Thoudam
(YPISM) and Aheibam
Taibangnganba
(KFC,
Canchipur).
Women's category : K
Rebita
(Royal
Gym,
Ningomthong) and Th Sarita
(Royal
Fitness
Center,
Thoubal).
Junior category (70 kg) :
Y Open (MPSC), N Suraj
(Royal Gym, Ningomthong)
and
Th
Dayananda
(Prabhabati Fitness Center).
Master category (40 to
60+ year) : K Dineshchandra
(YPISM), M Ranjit Meitei
(Power Gym, Yaiskul), Ch
Indira Singh (Power Gym,
Yaiskul) and
Y Nando
Luwang ( KFC, Singjamei).
Senior category (65-75
kg) : Th Athoi (Unique
Gym, Ningomthong), I
Ishworchandra
(KFC,
Singjamei), K Dineshchandra
(YPISM), Th Devatajit (35
Assam Rifles), K Arnold
(MPSC) and M Monoranjan
(35 AR Royal Gym).
This was informed in a
press release issued by
AMGWA.
ISL: Atletico de Kolkata impress in
1-1 draw against Kerala Blasters
KOLKATA, Oct 26
A depleted Atletico de Kolkata,
without star forward Fikru
Teferra, put up a spirited show
but could not score that elusive
winner settling for a 1-1 draw
against a lucky Kerala Blasters
FC in their fifth ISL encounter at
the Salt Lake Stadium, here on
Sunday.
Atletico maintained their top
position in the league table with
11 points from five games
while Blasters earned their first
point in third game.
Baljit Sahni gave the lead in
the 22nd minute with a powerful angular right-footer beating
David James’ outstretched
hands. Minutes later, Atletico
could have easily doubled the
lead when Jofre gathered a
good long ball on the left flank
and crossed it to their sole
striker Arnal Llibert near the
six-yard box but it was blocked
by the KBFC defender Cedric
Hengbart much to the home
team’s dismay.
Just when Atletico looked
to press further KBFC struck
the equaliser from nowhere
with former Championship
goal poacher Iain Hume again
being the scorer, when he converted the opportunity with a
smart finish beating a surging
Subhasish Roy Chowdhury in
the 41st minute of the match.
Luck too deserted Atletico
as they failed to bring up the
winner despite a superb effort
by Baljit who clearly had a field
day in absence of their star
players. It was the horizontal
that came to Blasters’ rescue
after a stunning shot by Baljit
in the six-yard box went past
an aerial James only to hit the
woodwork.
There were some last minute
drama with Atletico pressing
for the winner but the 6 feet 5
inches tall James ensured that
Blasters returned with a point.
No sooner the equaliser
came in the Atletico players
started indulging in rough play
with tough tackles becoming
the order of the day.
Kingshuk Debnath nearly
missed a yellow or may be a
red after jabbing Stephen
Pearson whose shin guard
came out after the tackle as
referee A Rowan failed to spot
it. But Atletico had their share
of yellow cards after Baljit and
substitute Rakesh Masih were
cautioned in the second-half.
Suspension blow meant that
ATK had a string of changes
both in the starting XI and in
the officials bench where assistant coach Angel Diaz
Barrachina supervised the proceedings in place of marquee
manager Antonio Habas (fourmatch
suspension)
and
goalkeeping
coach
Predipkumar Bhaktawer (one
match). The absence of their
mercurial forward Fikru (twomatch) meant Llibert started up
front, while Debnath too began
in the right back in place of
Denzil Franco (injury) as the
team also brought in goalkeeper
Subhasish, who sat out against
FC Goa in place of Edel.
Their marquee player Luis
Garcia who is recovering from
a hamstring injury too failed to
make the 18 as ATK had to
field five foreigners in the XI.
But what remained unchanged was their 4-2-3-1
formation with Arnal taking the
place of Fikru as a solitary attacking forward.
Their measured passing and
compact display too remained
the same way even as Atletico
hit hard by the suspension
blues, were cautious to start
with against a team that struggled for possession and had
Canadian recruit Iain Hume as
the one-man Army with little
support from the rest. –– PTI
Indian eves gearing up for
World Hockey League
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo heads the ball as Barcelona's Jeremy Mathieu looks on
MADRID, Oct 26
Luis Suarez’s Barcelona debut
ended in defeat as Real Madrid
cut the gap on the La Liga
leaders to just a point as they
came from behind to win El
Clasico 3-1 on Saturday thanks
to goals from Cristiano
Ronaldo, Pepe and Karim
Benzema.
Playing for the first time in
a competitive game since being handed a four-month ban
for biting Giorgio Chiellini at
the World Cup, Suarez’s
Barca career had got off to a
flying start as he set up
Neymar to slide home the
opening goal after just three
minutes.
However, Real responded
like European champions as
Ronaldo levelled from the
penalty spot before secondhalf goals from Pepe and
Benzema handed them a deserved ninth consecutive
victory in all competitions.
“The feeling is bittersweet
because of the result but this
team has lifted itself many
times before.” Barca boss
Luis Enrique insisted he
didn’t regret his decision to
start the Uruguayan. “I don’t
regret it at all,” said Enrique.
Real Madrid coach Carlo
Ancelotti, meanwhile, lauded
his side’s reaction to conceding early on.
“We didn’t lose our head
after losing the early goal,”
he said. “I liked many things
about the team, above all the
high tempo we played with.
The team recovered well with
just two days rest after
Wednesday and played very
well.” Suarez proved his
worth within three minutes as
his cross-field pass was taken
down by Neymar who
skipped inside Dani Carvajal
and Pepe before sliding the
ball into the far corner for his
11th goal in as many games
this season.
The goal sparked Madrid
into life as Benzema failed to
find the target from a narrow
angle as he was pressured by
Claudio Bravo before the
Frenchman crashed a header
off the bar from Ronaldo’s
cross. Both Messi and
Neymar were booked for late
challenges on Toni Kroos and
Carvajal as the hosts upped
the pressure in search of an
equaliser.
However, they were
thankful to captain Iker
Casillas midway through the
half as he spread himself to
stop Lionel Messi becoming
the joint top goalscorer in La
Liga history from a tempting
cross from Suarez.
Just when Barca had appeared to have taken the sting
out of Madrid’s pressing,
though, they gifted the hosts
a route back into the game as
Marcelo’s low cross was blatantly handled inside the area
by Gerard Pique.
Ronaldo stepped up and
confidently buried the resulting spot-kick to become the
first man to score against
Barcelona in nine league
games this season.
The home side could even
have gone in at half-time in
front as James Rodriguez’s
header drifted just wide from
another Marcelo cross.
It took Ancelotti’s men just
five minutes to go in front
after the break as Kroos’s
out-swinging corner was
powered past Bravo by Pepe.
Barca came close to opening up the Madrid defence a
couple of times as Suarez
slipped after turning Sergio
Ramos in the box before
Ramos made a last-ditch
tackle to prevent Messi turning home Neymar’s cut-back.
Casillas then produced another stunning save to prevent
Jeremy Mathieu’s rising drive
finding the top corner.
However, in their haste for
an equaliser, Barca were
caught on the counter-attack
from their own corner as
Isco, Ronaldo and Rodriguez
combined to play in Benzema
to fire home his seventh El
Clasico goal.
Suarez’s debut was then
brought to a premature end as
he made way for Pedro
Rodriguez and matters got
even worse for the visitors
when Andres Iniesta hobbled
off to be replaced by Sergi
Roberto. Madrid comfortably
saw the game out in the final
20 minutes to inflict Barca’s
first league defeat of the season. –– AFP
NEW DELHI, Oct 26 : The Indian women’s hockey team has
started preparing for the World Hockey League Round 2 with a
camp at the Sports Authority of India Centre, Bhopal.
The 33 probables the tournament will train in Bhopal till
December 7. New Delhi will host the big event next year
from March 7 to 15.
Speaking on the sidelines of the camp, chief coach Neil
Hawgood said: “The camp will be a good learning experience for the team and I am sure through this, the girls will
be better prepared for what is coming next in their way.
“Post their bronze at the just culminated Asian Games,
the entire team looks confident and ready to take on newer
and bigger challenges. We will look at the camp giving us
the perfect team for the upcoming tournaments.” –– PTI
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