Indian teenager Arjun Maini has joined the U.S.-owned Haas Formula One team as a development driver alongside 18-year-old American Santino Ferrucci.Originally from Bangalore, the 19-year-old moved to Europe initially after winning the Force India Formula One team’s ‘One in a Billion’ Indian driver talent competition in 2011.He is currently competing in the GP3 support series.”All of my racing to date has been with the focus of becoming a Formula One driver, and this opportunity puts me one step closer to my goal,” he said in a Haas statement at the Spanish Grand Prix on Thursday.”I am eager to learn, understand and experience how a Formula One team operates. Everything I learn can be used immediately in GP3 while preparing for my ultimate goal of Formula One.”NEWS: Haas F1 Team signs Arjun Maini as a development driver.Read More: https://t.co/YJQ9ntGbVG pic.twitter.com/KlMb6ZC72Y- Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) May 11, 2017Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok are the only Indians to have raced in Formula One, with the former scoring points when he finished fourth for Jordan in the six-car U.S. Grand Prix of 2005.India also hosted a grand prix at the Buddh International Circuit near New Delhi between 2011-2013.Haas, who are Ferrari powered and work closely with the Italian team, made their Formula One debut last season and finished eighth overall.The team said the development drivers would be “embedded” with them, attending races and tests throughout the year while also taking part in their simulator program.advertisement”As Haas F1 Team continues to mature, we must look toward our future and develop potential talent,” said team principal Guenther Steiner, whose current racers are Frenchman Romain Grosjean and Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen.”Arjun was successful in karting and has transitioned well to various Formula series and now GP3. We’ll keep a keen eye on his progress this year.”
Cristiano Ronaldo defrauded tax of nearly 9 million U.S. Dollars
The Spanish Tax Authorities (Agencia Tributaria) consider that Real Madrid football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo defrauded over 8 million euros (8.95 million U.S. Dollars) by not correctly declaring his image rights for the period between 2011 and 2013, according to media reports in Spain.The revelations were made on Thursday by radio stations Cadena Ser and Cadena Cope citing sources in the Spanish tax authorities, reports Xinhua news agency.However, the radio stations added that there is an internal debate within the tax authority over whether Ronaldo actually committed a crime or an administrative error, given that he tried to bring his situation up to date before the investigation began.If finally it is considered that Ronaldo merely committed an administrative error, he would have to repay the 8 million euros, as well as the corresponding fine. But if it was considered to be a criminal offence, he would face a prison sentence of four months in jail for every year he was considered to have offended (2011, 2012, 2013).These revelations come just 24 hours after the Spanish Supreme Court maintained a 21-prison sentence for FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi, who was considered to have defrauded 4.2 million euros ($4.70 million) in tax from earnings related to his image rights during the period 2007-2009.
Salaam Cricket 2017: Sourav Ganguly, Shane Warne in ‘sledge-fest’
ICC Champions Trophy: Chris Woakes injury a concern for England, says Eoin Morgan
England captain Eoin Morgan said the side injury suffered by all-rounder Chris Woakes was a major concern after his team crushed Bangladesh by eight wickets in the opening game of the Champions Trophy on Thursday.Woakes bowled two overs before being forced off and Bangladesh racked up a competitive total of 305 for six before Joe Root’s 133 not out guided England to an easy victory.”It is a worry when he (Woakes) goes off the field and can’t come back on and bowl,” Morgan told a news conference.”He’s going to have a scan tonight. He’s obviously been very impressive for us over the last couple of years – and a mainstay, very reliable guy. He would definitely be a loss if he couldn’t play.”Root also suffered an injury scare when he damaged his calf early in his innings but he made light of the problem to post his highest one-day international score.”It’s all right – it looks like it’s just a bit of cramp,” Root said.”I must not have eaten well enough this morning. I don’t see it as too big an issue.”Opener Alex Hales made 95 and Morgan’s 75 not out steered his team to victory with Root as England began their bid to win a first global 50-over title.”Obviously, Alex continued his form,” Morgan said. “Joe, unbelievable, as usual, and it was nice for me to get some runs as well.”BIG DISAPPOINTMENTThe major disappointment for England was another failure for opener Jason Roy, who was caught at short fine leg for one to continue his poor run and intensify the calls for in-form Jonny Bairstow to replace him in the side.advertisementMorgan, however, said Roy will keep his place in the team for England’s next match against New Zealand in Cardiff on Tuesday.”I thought he (Roy) was terribly unlucky today,” Morgan said.”It was quite smart, bowling a slow ball, and brave … a big gamble. That sort of stuff can happen. You can get out in that sort of fashion when you’re short on runs. But, yes, certainly we believe in him.”Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said his team had failed to score enough runs in favourable conditions.”On this wicket we were a little bit short. In the middle patches we couldn’t get any wickets and Root and Morgan took the game away from us,” he said.”We need more variety in our attack. We will think about playing an extra bowler.”
India A lose against South Africa A in tri-series opener
India A suffered a two wicket loss at the hands of hosts South Africa A in a low-scoring one-dayer of the cricket Tri-Series here on Wednesday.Put in to bat, India A recovered from a batting collapse, thanks to captain Manish Pandey’s patient 95-ball 55 and cameos from Karun Nair (25) and Yuzvendra Chahal (24 not out), but were skittled out for 152.In reply, South Africa A stumbled on their way losing eight wickets before overhauling the target in 37.4 overs.The hosts found themselves struggling at 16/2 after losing Henry Davids (5) and Dane Paterson (11) early. By the 16th over, the hosts had lost half their side with 71 runs on board as Reeza Hendricks (11), captain Khaya Zondo (15) and Heinrich Klaasen (24) were back in the dressing room.Thereafter, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s twin strikes in the 32nd over got rid of Dwaine Pretorius (38) and J.T. Smuts (0) within a space of four balls.The chase looked tough for the hosts and it was only after Farhaan Behardien (37) and A.M. Phangiso (3) got together that the hosts sneaked a win with 12.2 overs to spare.Earlier, left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso returned with a four-wicket haul and Pretorius scalped three to skittle out India A for a low total.Brief Scores: India A 152 (Manish Pandey 55, Karun Nair 25, Yuzvendra Chahal 24 not out, Aaron Phangiso 4/30, Dwaine Pretorius 3/24) lose to South Africa A 153/8 (Dwaine Pretorius 38, Farhaan Behardien 37, Yuzvendra Chahal 3/41, Axar Patel 2/35) by 2 wickets.
Wrestler Sangram Singh pays tribute to KD Jadhav
Sangram Singh has spent more time wrestling than starring in TV dramas and reality shows. However, the 32-year-old regrets that people recognise him only as the finalist of the Big Boss show four years ago.”They don’t know what I have achieved in the world of sports. They don’t care at all. They only know me as a reality show star,” regretted the man from Rohtak.This and the urge to return to the mat has now prompted Sangram to launch the first KD Jadhav Memorial International Kushti Championship on Friday.”I not only want to pay tribute to KD saheb, India’s first individual Olympic medallist but also change the face of wrestling in country,” Sangram said in the presence of Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and Olympian boxers Akhil and Jitender Kumar.Sangram, a World Pro-wrestling and two-time Commonwealth heavyweight champion, will also return to the mat after a one year gap, taking on America’s Kevin Radford junior in the biggest bout of the tournament on September 15 at Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium.”We will give opportunities to young and talented wrestlers of the country. We will also see participation of two female wrestlers. Our aim is to try and unearth talent from smaller cities,” says Sangram.The one-day championship will adhere to professional boxing norms, with six rounds of three minutes each.
Ben Stokes ties the knot with long-time partner Clare Ratcliffe
England’s Ben Stokes — who’s Ashes hopes hang in the balance after he was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm — tied the knot on Saturday.The all-rounder tied the knot with fiancee Clare Ratcliffe in the southwest of England, with guests including Test captain Joe Root, former skipper Alastair Cook and fast bowler Stuart Broad.Earlier this week, representatives of Stokes said the cricketer would offer a full explanation of the incident in Bristol last month, that could cost him his Ashes place, “when the time is right”.AP PhotoThe England all-rounder, 26, was arrested following a disturbance outside a nightclub late last month.Stokes will not travel to Australia with the rest of the England squad for the Ashes as he waits to learn whether he will face criminal charges but has not been ruled out of the five-Test series, which starts on November 23.The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will not consider him for selection until further notice as it awaits developments in the ongoing police investigation.The player’s contract with sports equipment manufacturer New Balance was terminated this week.The company’s decision was announced hours after Stokes apologised to British celebrity Katie Price and her disabled son Harvey after a video emerged of Stokes impersonating the pair.Beautiful day for a friends wedding!! Plus my date isn’t looking too bad either ??????????? pic.twitter.com/hG3IsS4n1badvertisement- Ian Bell (@Ian_Bell) October 14, 2017Stokes, who is also subject to internal disciplinary action, has had his central contract renewed by the ECB since his arrest.AP Photo
Shreyas Iyer rewarded for consistent brilliance in domestic cricket
Shreyas Santosh Iyer, aged 22, realised his dream of playing for India when coach Ravi Shastri handed him his maiden international cap ahead of India’s first T20 against New Zealand at the Feroz Shah Kotla.Iyer has long been touted as the next big thing. Big, consistent scores in domestic cricket and impressive performances in the IPL left no doubt he would one day play for India. And the day would come sooner rather than later.But there was a slight problem. The Test team has looked settled for a long time and one might dare say, India have a problem of plenty in the traditional format.Proud moment for young Shreyas Iyer as he receives his T20I cap from @RaviShastriOfc #TeamIndia #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/6Men3m6ciz- BCCI (@BCCI) November 1, 2017Even in ODIs, India were unwilling to look beyond Yuvraj Singh in the middle order as was evident with his inclusion earlier in the year. Yuvraj travelled to England for the Champions Trophy and then to the West Indies.However, with less than two years left for the 2019 World Cup, India have brought about a sense of urgency in their search for two permanent solutions in the middle order: Nos 4 and 5.Several batsmen were tried, discarded. Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul may no longer make it to the playing XI as middle-order batsmen. Kedar Jadhav was on fire against England in January but has since not done much.Manish Pandey can consider himself unlucky because he really has not got a long run. Dinesh Karthik, meanwhile, has given India some relief with a couple of gutsy knocks against New Zealand in the ODI series.advertisementAnd then at the Kotla, Iyer was included ahead of Pandey, who was expected to make the XI. Perhaps, Kohli feels Iyer could be the answer to India’s middle-order problems.The 22-year-old certainly has the numbers to back it up. In 72 first-class innings, he has 11 hundreds and 19 half-centuries. No other batsman in the world has those many fifty-plus scores since 2014 when Iyer made his debut.Besides his strike-rate of 90.76 in List A cricket and 128 in T20s, makes him a dangerous component. His last hundred, a fine 138 against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy, was a masterclass. Iyer was up against an attack that comprised R Ashwin and the youngster dealt with the champion off-spinner like a seasoned pro.Expectations are high from Iyer and it is hoped he would get a reasonably long run at No.4 to prove himself.
KSA-Ambitious Football Academy launched; Dias to be head coach
Mumbai, Nov 14 (PTI) The Karnataka Sporting Association (KSA) has launched the KSA-Ambitious Football Academy to scout the local talent and provide them training.The announcement was made here at a press briefing by KSA President Dr P V Shetty and former India football player Steven Dias.Dias will don the coachs hat and will train the children under various age-groups, including Under-8, Under-13 and Under 15, it was announced.Dias, who will be assisted by Vijith Shetty and Santosh Koli, said the kids initially will be trained thrice a a week.”I started my career at this KSA ground and KSA has always supported me. So I wanted to scout some good talent and help them make a career. We will work on their basics,” said the 33-year-old Dias who played for Mumbai FC in the I-League.He said after the camp 20 kids from the three age groups would be selected for the Academy.The player also said the successful conduct of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in India has helped in increasing the popularity of the sport.”Now after the World Cup, where ever I go parents bring their kid, and are taking interest in football. After the World Cup, everyone has started knowing that there is football in India and Mumbai. People have started taking interest in football which is a good thing,” Dias told reporters.”I have recently done my (coaching) licence. I always wanted to get into coaching and be with football,” he added.Dias said he had not announced his decision to retire, adding “may be I will announce soon.” PTI NRB SSR NRBadvertisement
Uday Shankar appointed as President of 21st Century Fox Asia
Mumbai, Dec 5 (PTI) Media firm 21st Century Fox today said it has elevated Star India Chairman and CEO Uday Shankar as 21st Century Fox Asia President with immediate effect.In his new role, Shankar will lead 21st Century Foxs video businesses across all of Asia, including Star India and Fox Networks Group, and work closely with 21st Century Foxs leadership on key strategic initiatives in the region, it said in a statement.”He will continue to serve as Chairman and CEO for Star India, a key driver of 21st Century Foxs growth and one of Indias largest media and entertainment companies, comprising 60-plus channels across entertainment and sports and eight languages, as well as leading digital video platform Hotstar,” it added.Star India today reaches more than 700 million viewers in India and across the globe every week.Shankar has been at the helm of Star India since October 2007 and has guided the transformation of Star into a diversified media company, leading initiatives in distribution through Media Pro, movies through Fox Studio, regional television through Asianet, and sports, following 21st Century Foxs (then News Corp) acquisition of its joint venture with ESPN in 2012.”Udays new role will enhance our strategic focus across all of Asia and enable us to further capture opportunities, building on the transformation Star India has driven in our most important growth market,” 21st Century Fox Executive Chairman Lachlan Murdoch and CEO James Murdoch said.Zubin Gandevia, President of Fox Networks Group Asia, will continue to oversee video brands across 14 markets and will report to Shankar under this realigned regional structure. 21st Century Foxs film business in Asia will continue to report directly to Stacey Snider, Chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox Film. PTI DS DSK DSK RDSadvertisement
PBL 3: Sameer Verma stars as Mumbai Rockets beat Delhi Dashers
Sameer Verma shone for Mumbai Rockets in their first tie of the third season of Premier Badminton League (PBL) as they beat Delhi Dashers by a convincing 4-1 margin at the Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium in Guwahati on Monday.Mumbai Rockets were the finalists in the previous edition of the tournament and lost to Chennai Smashers.Sameer Verma threw Delhi into troubled waters as he thumped Wong Wing Ki Vincent 15-11, 15-12 in what was the Trump match for the capital outfit.With the loss in their Trump match, Delhi lost a point even when they had not opened their account.Lee Yong Dae and Boon Heong Tan gave Mumbai Rockets a brilliant start to the tie after they came from behind to beat Delhi’s Ivan Sozonov and Vladimir Ivanov 14-15, 15-14, 15-10 in men’s doubles to put Mumbai 1-0 up.Lee Yong Dae, an Olympic gold-medallist, brought all his experience to the fore to down the Delhi team after the latter had a great start to the day.Delhi only went downhill post that as Sameer Verma pulled off an upset in a match that Delhi had placed their bet.In a dominating performance, the Indian put his strong, aggressive and all-round play to the front and put his team 2-(-1) up in the tie.World No.6 Sung Ji Hyun then brought Delhi back into contention with her come from behind victory against world No.11 Beiwen Zhang.Delhi were on the verge of losing the tie within the first three matches when Sung Ji dropped the first game 12-15 but the Korean upped her game from there to eke out a close 15-14 win in the second game of the match.advertisementSung Ji brought her A game in the decider to beat Zhang 15-9 and close down the tie gap to 2-0.Thereafter, the fancied world No.5 Son Wan Ho took on world No.22 Tian Houwei in the men’s singles tie but Houwei pulled the cat out of the bag with a major upset. In what turned out to be the third come from behind win of this thrilling tie, Houwei beat Son Wan Ho 13-15, 15-13, 15-9 to give a sniffing chance of coming out victorious.Houwei negated Son Wan’s defensive mastery with his all-round game and patience that helped Delhi back in the tie.The result of the tie eventually depended on the final match, which was also Mumbai’s Trump match.Delhi’s star attraction Ashwini Ponappa opted out of the tie as she has recently got married and asked for team manager’s allowance of joining the team in the Delhi leg of the tournament.With Ponappa not a part of the tie, Delhi’s mixed doubles pair was Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Arathi Sara Sunil.The Indian pair was up against Lee Yong Dae and Gabriela Stoeva, who were clearly the favourites for the match.Pranaav and Arathi fought valiantly but as Lee Yong Dae had proved earlier in the day, his experience was of immense value.Despite putting up a good fought, Delhi lost 11-15, 9-15 in the final match to eventually lose the tie 4-1.In the final match of the tournament at Guwahati, North Eastern Warriors will take on Ahmedabad Smash Masters on Tuesday.
SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS AT 1800 HRS
New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) The following are PTIsNew Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) The following are PTIs top/expected sports stories at 6:00 pm:STORIES IN THE PIPELINE:NEW DELHI – Report of Premier Badminton League tiebetween Delhi Dashers and Hyderabad Hunters.KOCHI – Report of Indian Super League match betweenKerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC United in Kochi.STORIES ON THE WIRE:SPO-OPEN-PREVIEW Indian youngsters chance to shine at big stageBy Amanpreet SinghPune, Dec 31 (PTI) Indian youngsters, led by Yuki Bhambri, will look to exploit the familiar home conditions and start the new season on a high even as Wimbledon finalist and world number six Marin Cilic will start as favourite at the inaugural Tata Open Maharashtra, beginning here tomorrow.SPO-RANJI-FINALVidarbha close in on Ranji title after Wadkars maiden tonBy Abhishek HoreIndore, Dec 31 (PTI) Vidarbha today inched closer to a maiden Ranji Trophy title by grabbing a commanding 233-run lead against a Delhi side that looked defeated for better part of the day, as little-known Akshay Wadkar chose first-class crickets biggest stage to compile his maiden century.SPO-GOLF-IND (UPGRADING) Kapur wins third title of the year, ends 2017 on a highPattaya, Dec 31 (PTI) Indian golfer Shiv Kapur today produced a dramatic turnaround in the closing stages to win the Royal Cup and end the year on a high note by claiming his third Asian Tour title of 2017 here.SPO-ILEAGUE-AIZAWL Clinical Aizawl beat Gokulam 2-0 to grab full away pointsKozhikode, Dec 31 (PTI) Reigning champions Aizawl FC logged home full points beating debutants Gokulam Kerala 2-0 in an away encounter of I-League, here today.advertisementSPO-ICC-RANKINGS Kohli remains second in Test rankings, Cook catapults to 8thDubai, Dec 31 (PTI) Virat Kohli remained in second spot behind Steve Smith while Alastair Cook jumped nine places to be eighth in the latest ICC Test rankings after his unbeaten double century in the ongoing Ashes.SPO-IND-BHUVNESHWAR Bowling with Kookaburra will be a challenge: BhuvneshwarCape Town, Dec 31 (PTI) The extra bounce will be a welcome change but bowling with the red Kookaburra ball “will be a challenge” in the three-match Test series against South Africa, reckons India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. PTI SSC SSC
MCC urge BCCI to back cricket’s Olympics inclusion
MCC World Cricket committee has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to back the bid for the sport’s Olympics inclusion.Cricket was last played at the Olympics in the 1900 Paris Games and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC) has said most of its members backed the inclusion of the 20-overs format in Olympic Games.WATCH VIDEO The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is open to cricket’s future inclusion provided all top teams compete but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the game’s richest and most influential board, has been rather reluctant.After the MCC Committee meetings this week, the panel of former players requested the BCCI to reconsider its stance.”It’s one of those things that has frustrated me,” committee chairman Mike Gatting told a news conference.”We would like to urge the BCCI to have a look at it again and support the main body of boards that would like to get into the Olympics…”It seems strange that everyone else seems happy to get in there because it’s just going to be so good for the game,” said the former England captain.”Free-to-air TV all over the world. It’s only once every four years. It’s not going to be a scheduling matter. It just seems they seem reticent to try and get involved.”The Indian board has not been keen on cricket’s Olympic inclusion partly because of apprehensions that BCCI might lose its autonomy and be answerable to the country’s Olympic committee.advertisementFormer Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is part of the 14-person independent committee along with Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara, Indian Sourav Ganguly and Rod Marsh of Australia, said the sport must be represented by its best players at the Olympics.”We’re very conscious of not lessening the product we’re putting out,” Ponting said.”If cricket makes it into the Olympics it has to be the best players and showcasing the sport for what it is.”The players would want it because of how beneficial they would see that being for the game going forward.”The independent committee also discussed the wage gap in the international game, making helmets compulsory and DRS technology among a variety of other topics.(With inputs from Reuters)
NASCAR Bans Driver Car Exits
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Even Jimmie Johnson has a temper — one that was on display long before he became a six-time champion and one of NASCAR’s most respected drivers.“I guess the one experience that comes to mind for me in Cup was maybe my rookie year at Bristol,” he said. “Robby Gordon wrecked me on a restart, and I got out and shot him the bird.”NASCAR has thrived for years thanks to the personalities of some of its biggest stars and that includes an occasional feud, gesture or angry encounter on the track.But less than a week after Kevin Ward Jr. was killed during a sprint car race in New York after being struck by a car driven by Tony Stewart, NASCAR on Aug. 15 barred its drivers from approaching the track or moving cars after an incident during the race.“Through time you have to recognize when you get a reminder or tap on the shoulder, something that may need to be addressed,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s Vice President of Competition and Racing Development. “This is one of those times where we look outside our sport and we look at other things, and we feel like it was time to address this.”Johnson said he supports NASCAR’s rule addition. The father of two also has a slightly different perspective now on his “salute” to Gordon all those years ago.“I’m sure I picked up a few fans and lost a few fans,” he said. “Now, as a parent, if my child’s hero was out there shooting the bird to another ballplayer, baseball player or football player or whatever it was, I’d probably try to steer my kids away from that. So, it depends. I don’t think that entertainment value should come with any safety implications. Safety is the No. 1 priority for drivers, crew members, and the officials that are out there on the race track. And if it turns a few fans off, then in my opinion, they’re a fan for the wrong reason.”The new rule takes effect immediately and applies to all NASCAR series.“Really, we’re formalizing rules that have been there,” Pemberton said. “It’s reminders that take place during drivers meetings with drivers about on-track accidents.”IndyCar reviewed its safety guidelines after Ward’s death and the protocol is similar to what NASCAR announced, IndyCar spokesman Mike Kitchel said. Drivers are supposed to stay put until a safety team arrives unless there is a fire or other extenuating circumstances.It remains to be seen how NASCAR will enforce its provision, and how much the threat of penalties will deter drivers in the heat of the moment.“There’s still going to be confrontations out there and that’s never going to change. People will still get mad at each other,” Joey Logano said. “You’ve got to keep the big picture of staying safe out there and somehow controlling your emotions.”On Aug. 9, Stewart’s car struck Ward during a sprint car race in Canandaigua, New York. After Stewart’s car appeared to clip Ward’s car, sending it spinning, Ward left the car during the caution period, walked down the track and was hit by Stewart. His funeral was Aug. 14.Stewart, who could face criminal charges, is skipping this weekend’s Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway. He did not race last week at Watkins Glen, a few hours after Ward was killed.Stewart once threw his helmet at Matt Kenseth’s car. In 2003, Kevin Harvick climbed on the roof of his car to shout at Ricky Rudd, who had nudged him from behind late in a race.The 1979 Daytona 500 is remembered for a last-lap crash between Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough as they raced for the lead. The crash led to a three-man fight after Allison’s brother, Bobby, pulled up to the accident scene.An occasional shouting match or obscene gesture may seem like a harmless frivolity, but Ward’s death underscored the dangers of being on foot near moving race cars.Johnson said the risk may be higher on dirt tracks.“A lot of those dirt drivers don’t have spotters. They don’t have radios in the car. And in a NASCAR event, especially if you’re part of the crash and that guy is mad at you, your spotter is telling you where he is,” Johnson said.“I would just say that hopefully short tracks pick up this philosophy and enforce it. But I don’t know if it will change a driver’s mind as they get out of the race car. But it would be nice for the rest of the field to know what has happened and if there is a hot-tempered driver on foot.”NASCAR hopes that will be less of an issue now that post-accident procedures have been spelled out in the rule book. “Will that stop a driver that’s really upset?” Johnson said. “I don’t know. It’s hard to say.”(NOAH TRISTER, AP Sports Writer)TweetPinShare0 Shares
Super League to Start as Scheduled Aug. 25
Greece’s Super League football competition will start on schedule on August 25 after Deputy Sports Minister Giorgos Vassiliadis reached an agreement with the seven teams that had been left without television coverage.The seven teams – Panathinaikos, Aris, Atromitos, Panaitolikos, Xanthi, Appollon Smyrnis and Lamia – agreed on a two year deal with state broadcaster ERT regarding the coverage of their games. The deal is worth a total of 17 million euros for the year, with the largest chunk going to Panathinaikos and Aris.The draw to determine the fixture for the 2018-2019 season will take place Thursday.TweetPinShare0 Shares
Socionext: successful premiere at electronica 2018
Continue Reading Previous IAR, Secure Thingz and Renesas collaborate on solutions for reliable industrial IoT securityNext ST: 6-axis inertial module extends ultra-low-power MEMS sensor offering This year, Socionext Embedded Software Austria attended electronica with its own booth presenting a mix of innovative solutions and technologies in the area of embedded HMI design – a successful „premiere“ for SESA and its HMI development tool CGI Studio. SESA was presenting an exciting mix of multiple HMI solutions based on target hardware like Socionext, Intel, Renesas, TI, Cypress and many more. The new Holi solution based on a holistic HMI approach attracted a great deal of attention.SESA‘s new holistic HMI approach has been created with CGI Studio and is based on Android/Linux. It enables the perfect interaction and communication between a full digital instrument Cluster and an IVI system. This is possible due to SESA’s powerful messaging and data binding tool Courier Interaction Framework for smooth interaction between the HMI application and external data sources. The Holi solution features a modern and user-friendly look & feel that has been created in cooperation with the renowned design agency studiokurbos situated in Stuttgart / Germany.This new HMI solution shows an innovative full-digital 2D/3D Washing Machine UI featuring dynamic 2D and 3D scenes. Via Smart Control it is possible to remotely control and monitor the washing machine via tablet and smartphone.Also the functional saftey Cluster that SESA has developed in cooperation with Mentor, a Siemens Business, was presented at Electronica. This approach showcased the separation between an advanced automotive cluster HMI application, implemented using CGI Studio, and safety-critical digitally displayed tell-tale warning indicators.Share this:TwitterFacebookLinkedInMoreRedditTumblrPinterestWhatsAppSkypePocketTelegram Tags: Chips & Components 
BookMyShow forays into int’l event ticketing
New Delhi, Jun 20 (PTI) Online entertainment ticketing platform BookMyShow (BMS) today said it is expanding into international event ticketing as part of its efforts to strengthen its non-movie business over the next 2-3 years. “We are foraying into ticketing for events being held outside of India with the multi Tony-award winning production of Rodgers & Hammersteins THE KING AND I. This is our second production after our partnership with Disney for the musical Aladdin in India,” BMS COO-Non Movies Albert Almeida told PTI. He added that in the next 2-3 years, the movie ticket booking business and non-movie business is expected to be evenly split. Almeida explained that the move will help the company target two sets of users — leisure travellers who want to attend events when they travel abroad and people looking at attending specific international events. “Our customers in India will now be able to get their tickets seamlessly for some of the biggest international events happening around the world be it live concerts, theatre or even sport,” Almeida said. He said the non-movie segment has been growing at about 60 per cent annually as the company is looking at further strengthening its portfolio of events ticketing. Talking about the partnership with Trafalgar Entertainment Group for THE KING AND I, Almeida said BMS has been working with partners across the world to bring some of the best entertainment experiences to India. “While we are looking to bring this majestic production to our country in the near future, as co-producers we are also keen to work with leading production houses such as Trafalgar Entertainment to adopt some of their best practices to ensure our audiences here get the same world class experience that they would at Broadway or the West End,” he said.advertisement He added that the company is also open to working on shows in Indian languages. PTI SR SBT SBT
World Cup 2018: Russia to mint half-rouble coin if hosts reach semi-finals
Russia’s central bank said on Friday it would issue a commemorative half-rouble coin if the national soccer team beats Croatia in their World Cup quarter-final this Saturday.The recent success of the Russian team, widely scorned at home for their poor performances in the past, has taken the country and the soccer world by surprise.Russian supporters and state officials now have begun rallying around the team in light of their unexpected victories.In a vivid example of such support, the Bank of Russia posted a picture on its social media pages of the silver-coloured coin featuring the fraction “1/2” and the inscription “FIFA 2018 Soccer World Cup in Russia.”The central bank’s press office confirmed the bank was committed to mint such a coin if Russia beat Croatia in the match that kicks off on Saturday at 1800 GMT in Sochi.Half-rouble coins do not exist in Russia, but there are 50-kopeck coins of the same face value, the equivalent of less than $0.01. It was unclear when the central bank could mint such a coin and in what quantities.The Bank of Russia has traditionally issued commemorative coins and notes for major events. Some of these notes, including 100-rouble bills in tribute to the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and the World Cup, are in circulation and in high demand among collectors.After automatically qualifying as host country and entering the tournament as the lowest-ranked side, Russia reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in post-Soviet history after victories against Saudi Arabia and Egypt.advertisementThe team then went on to beat Spain, the 2010 World Cup champions, in penalty kicks in the round of 16 last week.(With Reuters inputs)
Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets in one-day match
\R Bulawayo, Jul 18 (AFP) Pakistan sealed a series win after strolling to a nine-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the third one-day international today. Pakistan seamer Faheem Ashraf took a career best five for 22as the hosts were skittled for just 67. The total was the home side’s lowest ever against Pakistan, and the lowest ever recorded in 78 ODIs at Queens Sports Club. In reply opener Fakhar Zaman then hit an undefeated 43 as Pakistan needed just 10 overs to seal victory and take an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-game series. Once again Zimbabwe won the toss and opted to bat first, but their slide began as early as the second over. Prince Masvaure, on his debut, ws caught out on a lifter from Usman Khan and Zimbabwe were under immediate pressure at 1 for 1. The hosts were wobbling at 26 for 3 when matters went from bad to worse when Ashraf came on as first change in the 10th over. He quickly had Peter Moor brilliantly caught in the slips by Babar Azam before trapping Chamu Chibhabha leg before wicket with a skidding full delivery. He then had Elton Chigumbura caught behind and castled Ryan Murray as Zimbabwe slipped to a perilous 54 for 8. (AFP) ATKATK
Fakhar Zaman, 6th batman to slam ODI double hundred, toast of cricket world
Brendon McCullum, Waqar Younis and other leading lights from the cricket world paid rich tribute to Fakhar Zaman, the first Pakistan batsman to score a double hundred in one-day internationals. Overall, Fakhar joined Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle and Martin Guptill to become the sixth batsman to score an ODI double hundred.Among the double centurions in one-day internationals, Rohit is the only one to do it thrice – he also holds the record for the highest ODI score.The record for the highest individual score was earlier held by Saeed Anwar, who had made 194 against India back in 1997.Playing only his 17th ODI, Fakhar finished unbeaten on 210 off 156 balls after sharing a world record opening stand with Imam-ul-Haq against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. The pair added 304 off 42 overs to break a 12-year-old recrord by Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya.Imam and Fakhar were ruthless against an indisciplined Zimbabwe attack and the record seemed inevitable.Fakhar Zaman 1st Pakistan batsman to slam ODI double hundredIn recent years, two other pairs had come close to breaking the record for the highest opening stand in ODIs. David Warner and Travis Head of Australia had added 284 against Pakistan in Adelaide in January last year.Nine months later, South Africa’s opening pair of Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla added an unbroken 282 against Bangladesh in Kimberley.@FakharZamanLive What a superb achievement brother.Brendon McCullum (@Bazmccullum) July 20, 2018Brilliant performance Fakhar Zaman! You’re turning into a world-class opener. Richly deserved, champion in the making. #ZIMVPAKadvertisementShahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) July 20, 2018Fakhar Zaman!!!You played a wonderful knock201* Not Out..????First Pakistani to score double ton.imam-ul-haq and asif also played well.Pakistan zindabad??Mohammad Yousaf (@yousaf1788) July 20, 2018Well done @FakharZamanLive Superb performance,,To break Saeeds record needed a special knock #Congratulations This is talent which some think we dont have in our country..Waqar Younis (@waqyounis99) July 20, 2018Congratulations team Pakistan n Fakhar zaman for ur double ?? #PakistanZindabad ????Umar Akmal (@Umar96Akmal) July 20, 2018#Fakhar200 Now we are talking !! Salute and standing ovation ????????Ramiz Raja (@iramizraja) July 20, 2018Well done to Fakhar Zaman to become the first Pakistani to score a Double ?? in ODI. #gun #210Also to our little dynamo @AasifAli2018 for his first 50! ????????????Dean Jones (@ProfDeano) July 20, 2018WHAT AN INNINGS!@FakharZamanLive hits the first ODI double century for Pakistan! ????He passes Saeed Anwar’s previous record for Pakistan of 194!Take a bow! ?? #ZIMvPAK pic.twitter.com/iQNbmAGclUICC (@ICC) July 20, 2018