Author: SpogoNews Team

Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Jan 15 (PTI) Kevin Benavides triumphed after 12 gruelling stages while teammate Ricky Brabec finished second to give Monster Energy Honda team the overall victory at the Dakar Rally here on Friday. It was an intense, yet intriguing 202-kilometre special stage, which brought down the curtain on the Dakar Rally on the shores of the Red Sea. Benavides clinched the 2021 Dakar crown with team-mate Brabec taking the runner-up position. This was the first title for the Argentinean Monster Energy Honda team rider and, once again, a historic result for Honda, which dominated throughout the 2021 Dakar.…

Margao, Jan 14 (PTI) A brace from Jorge Ortiz helped FC Goa script a 3-0 win over Jamshedpur FC in an Indian Super League match at the Fatorda Stadium here on Thursday. Ortiz scored a goal each in either half (19th, 52nd) while Ivan Gonzalez added a late third (89th) after Alexandre Lima received marching orders following a second booking. Goalkeeper Naveen Kumar got his first start for the Gaurs under Juan Ferrando while Lenny Rodrigues returned to the side. Top scorer Igor Angulo was a surprise exclusion as Alberto Noguera came in, allowing Ortiz to play in the number…

Kolkata, Jan 14 (PTI) Dennis Antwi stole the limelight from Chencho Gyeltshen as Gokulam Kerala FC came from two goals down to earn a remarkable 4-3 win against RoundGlass Punjab FC in an I-League fixture here on Thursday. Gyeltshen’s quick-fire brace and a goal by Rupert Nongrum failed to safeguard Punjab’s lead as Dennis Antwi struck twice and an own goal by Anwar Ali in the second half saw the Kerala outfit emerge victories at the VYBK Stadium. In the third minute, Gokulam were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead when a cross from Mayakkannan found Sharif Mohammad…

Vienna, Jan 15 (PTI) Promising Indian racer Jehan Daruvala was on Friday handed a one-year extension by Red Bull Racing team, which will enable him to compete along side Carling in the upcoming Formula 2 season. The 22-year-old, who is being hailed as the next big thing in Indian motorsports, created history last month, when he successfully culminated his maiden FIA Formula 2 Championship with a well-deserved victory. Daruvala’s victory in his rookie season was preceded by a hard fought podium a week prior. The Red Bull Junior program has been instrumental in producing some of the world’s best F1…

Bengaluru, Jan 14 (PTI) Ridhima Dilawari played some stunning golf over the last 10 holes to card five-under 67 and open up a massive six-shot lead after the second round of the first leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour here on Thursday. Ridhima is six-under 138 for 36 holes, while her nearest rival, local Bengalurean Pranavi Urs (71) moved into second place at even par 144. Vani Kapoor, third in the first round, stayed there despite a two-over 74 while Amandeep Drall had a rare off-day with a 78 that included a crippling quadruple bogey on Par-4 seventh…

Bangkok, Jan 14 (PTI) Star India shuttler Saina Nehwal was knocked out of the Yonex Thailand Open Super 1000 event after losing the women’s singles second round to Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan here on Thursday. In a battle of attrition, Saina managed to grab the opening game but ran out of steam in the end, losing 23-21 14-21 16-21 in a match that clocked 68 minutes. It was Saina’s fourth straight loss to the world number 12 Busanan. In the men’s singles, former world number one Kidambi Srikanth was forced to give a walkover to his eighth seeded Malaysian opponent Lee…

New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) Renowned physiologist and sports science expert Dr. Genadijus Sokolovas will be conducting a national swimming camp at CSE Bangalore over six days between January 11 and February 21, the Sports Authority of India announced on Wednesday. His visit is expected to give a boost to the training and preparation of senior national campers and TOPS developmental swimmers like Srihari Nataraj, Kushagra Rawat and Mihir Ambre, who will get access to an internationally renowned expert. Dr. Sokolovas has headed the Department of Physiology and Sport Science of the USA Swimming Federation for eight years and has…

New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) Their Olympic preparations back on track after the disruption caused by COVID-19, Indian boxers will be travelling extensively to compete in various European tournaments in the next couple of months starting with the prestigious Strandja Memorial in Bulgaria. In a conversation with PTI, Indian boxing's High Performance Director Santiago Nieva revealed that apart from an international schedule, he would also like to see the national championships take place some time before the Olympic Games. "This year, we are starting with the Strandja Memorial in Bulgaria, then hopefully a tournament in Hungary and one more after…

Brisbane, Jan 13 (PTI) Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj has set a new standard for calling out poor crowd behaviour, Australia’s top off-spinner Nathan Lyon said on Wednesday, describing cricket as a sport for all with no room for racism or abuse of any form. The Indian team had lodged an official complaint with the ICC after a group of spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground racially abused pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj on the third and fourth day of the third Test. “There is no room for any racial sledges or any abuse in any type. People think they are…

Bangkok, Jan 13 (PTI) India’s Parupalli Kashyap made an early exit from the Thailand Open Super 1000 tournament after he was forced to retire midway in his opening-round match against Jason Anthony Ho-Shue of Canada here on Wednesday. Kashyap, a former Commonwealth Games champion, was trailing 8-14 in the third game when he chose to retire as he pulled his calf muscle. He had lost the first game 9-21 before making a comeback to take the second 21-13. In the men’s doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty came from behind to defeat the South Korean pair of Kim Gi Jung…