Sports

Sao Paulo, Jun 12: After years of construction delays and budget overruns, the World Cup kicks off in Brazil on Thursday under a cloud of discontent at home even as happy foreign fans pour in for the tournament. Brazil's national team hosts Croatia in the opening match at a newly built stadium in Sao Paulo whose cost and late delivery came to embody the troubled World Cup preparations. Brazil is

New York, Jun 12: Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the lone Indian sportsman to figure on Forbes' list of world's 100 highest paid athletes. The is being been topped by American boxer Floyd Mayweather and includes golfer Tiger Woods and tennis stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Dhoni is ranked 22nd on the list with total earnings of USD 30 million and endorsements worth USD

London, Jun 12: After the first whistle, it will be 32 days of non-stop football featuring 32 teams and some of the biggest names in the game.Organised football came to Brazil in 1894 with Charles Miller. Born in Sao Paulo, he went to school in England, where he learnt to play. When he returned, he brought with him a book of rules and a deflated ball, and started teaching expats. But once the

London, Jun 11: During the opening of the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil Thursday, a paralysed person wearing a brain-controlled robotic exoskeleton is expected to make the first kick of the championship. Part of the "Walk Again Project", an international collaboration of more than 100 scientists, eight Brazilian patients who are paralysed from the waist down have been training for months to use

Mumbai, Jun 11: Manoj Tiwary and Robin Uthappa were today named captains of India A squads to tour Australia next month. The selection committee rewarded players for their performances in domestic circuit and also the Indian Premier League. Youngsters like Manan Vohra, Sanju Samson and Akshar Patel are part of the squad. Manoj will lead India A in four-day matches will Robin is the skipper for one

Mumbai, Jun 11: Vithal Patil, former Mumbai fast bowler, and a stalwart at the Dadar Union Sporting Club, passed away in Mumbai due to old age. Patil was 86. Despite getting only two matches for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy Patil gained eminence in the once prestigious HD Kanga League club tournament, which used to be played in the monsoons. Patil, who would be nicknamed "Marshall", joined Dadar

New Delhi, Jun 10: Conceding that India has been left far behind in world football, national team captain Sunil Chhetri today said that the country should not think of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in the near future, and instead should aim to be in the top 10 in Asia. With the FIFA World Cup just a few days away, Chhetri was asked when would India qualify for that showpiece football event and

New Delhi, Jun 9: Touching a new high, India's tennis ace Sania Mirza today became world number six in doubles, her career-best ranking, as the new chart was released following the conclusion of the French Open. Courtesy a quarterfinals appearance at the Roland Garros, Sania earned 430 ranking points along with partner Cara Black to jump eight places in the ranking charts. Sania and Cara had lost

New Delhi, Jun 9: The seventh edition of IPL may have ended without major controversies but those with an urge to know more about how the league spread its wings over the last seven years can get hold of a new book that has hit the market recently. Journalist Alam Srinivas` book, `Cricket Czars: Two men who changed gentleman`s game`, chronicles events over the last seven years about how Lalit Modi

Paris, Jun 8: The Russian, 27, beat Romania's Simona Halep 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 in just over three hours at Roland Garros. "I didn't grow up on clay; didn't play on it," she said. "I just took it upon myself to make myself better on it. "There is no one else that was going to do that for me. I had to do the work and I worked to get to this position." Sharapova won Wimbledon aged 17 and within four