Just Samachar

Thiago Alcantara hat-trick sees Spain retain European U-21 title with 4-2 win over Italy 18th June 2013: Spain, who have the upper hand in Under-21 finals with Italy - leading 2-1 after this victory that handed them a fourth title - took less than seven minutes to open the scoring with a nicely worked goal.

Inverarity warns against writing off Australia in The Ashes 18th June 2013: Meanwhile captain Michael Clarke, now Australia's best batsman, hasn't played a competitive match since March due to a recurrence of a back injury he suffered in India and was absent again as the team's Champions Trophy exit was confirmed by Monday's 20-run loss to Sri Lanka at The Oval.

Pat Cummins set for Irish return 18th June 2013: Cummins, who has not played since October last year due to stress fractures in his back, was already in Belfast as a non-playing member of the Australia A squad that completed a 93-run win over Ireland in their four-day game on Sunday.

Chanderpaul out of Caribbean Premier League, Luke Pomersbach in 18th June 2013: Head coach Andy Roberts said it is unfortunate that Chanderpaul is unable to represent the St. Lucia Zouks. ?His experience would have added some stability to the team, and of course he is loved and respected by fans around the world,? said the former West Indies fast bowler.

Rafael Nadal prepares for Wimbledon challenge 18th June 2013: Nadal suffered the shock of the tournament last year when he was defeated in five sets by the then world number 100 Lukas Rosol in the second round.

Michael Stich backs Tommy Haas as Wimbledon dark horse 18th June 2013: Haas is enjoying a decent run of form this year having reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last month and won April's ATP tournament in Munich.

Li Na warms up for Wimbledon with first win on grass 18th June 2013: Li led fellow seeds to opening victories on a calm day at normally blustery Devonshire park. Number three Angelique Kerber beat Sorona Cirstea 6-4, 6-4 while 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova stopped Monica Niculescu 6-4, 6-1.

Puyol to undergo another knee surgery 18th June 2013: Barca did though confirm that the player should only be out of action for three to four weeks, meaning who could return in time for the start of the club's first pre-season friendly against Lech Gdansk in Poland on July 20.

World Cup qualifier: Ethiopia admit fielding suspended star 18th June 2013: Another midfielder, Alaixys Romao of Togo, started in a Group I game against Cameroon in Lome when he should have been sidelined following cautions in two earlier matches. FIFA issued a statement last weekend saying they were probing games involving Togo, Ethiopia and Equatorial Guinea over the alleged use of ineligible players, but did not name them.

Harbhajan Singh lauds ITBP work, turns counsellor for stranded pilgrims, tourists 18th June 2013: Flash floods, cloudbursts and landslips have claimed 52 lives in Uttarakhand while damaging 175 houses across the state. I am not sure if can make the pilgrim to Hemkund Sahib. But I will definitely come again, he added.

Li Na and Angelique Kerber advance at Eastbourne WTA event 18th June 2013: The second-seeded Chinese Li Na player will play 2011 champion Marion Bartoli of France in the second round.

Winning Champions Trophy would be "massive", says England's James Tredwell 18th June 2013: Many England fans viewed the Champions Trophy, a tournament featuring the world's top eight ODI sides, as a distraction from the rather more important business of a third straight Test campaign win over Australia when they face their arch-rivals in a five-match series starting in Nottingham next month.

Football needs glamour quotient but don't lose I-League: Sunil Chhetri 18th June 2013: India skipper Sunil Chhetri has said that the sport needs to increase its glamour quotient but not at the cost of ignoring the I-League.

Sania Mirza, Liezel Huber in quarter-finals of Eastbourne WTA event 18th June 2013: Sania and Huber will now fight it out with Romania's Monica Niculescu and Czech Republic's Klara Zakopalova for a place in the semifinals.

ICC Champions Trophy: England seem to reverse the ball a bit quicker, says AB de Villiers 18th June 2013: The hosts England have been hit by allegations of ball-tampering ahead of their high-voltage semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy, slated to be held at the Oval on Wednesday against South Africa.

Ethiopia, Togo fielded suspended stars; how World Cup Africa zone standings would change 18th June 2013: World football governing body FIFA issued a statement last weekend saying they were probing games involving Togo, Ethiopia and Equatorial Guinea over the alleged use of ineligible players, but did not name them.

American great Gene Mako dies in California at 97 18th June 2013: Mako and his friend Don Budge won two doubles titles at Wimbledon in 1937 and 1938 and two at the U.S. Championships in 1936 and 1938.

Jagmohan Dalmiya wrong in accepting illegitimate appointment, says I.S. Bindra 18th June 2013: Bindra, who now regularly writes blogs stated his views to a question posed to him about whether the BCCI has gone a decade back by appointing Dalmiya as the head of the interim group after the Sharad Pawar faction ousted him alleging misappropriation of funds.

ICC Champions Trophy: Underachievers - England, South Africa - face off in first semi-final 18th June 2013: It's the weak-kneed legacy that AB de Villiers and his side will have to cope with when they go into The Oval semifinal against England on Wednesday (June 19). Since 1992, they have played two World Cup semifinals and four in the Champions Trophy. They won it when it was played for the first time, as the ICC Knockout, in 1998. In 2000, 2002 and 2006, they made their exit at the last-four stage.

Leander Paes celebrates 40th birthday with Round 1 doubles victory at Aegon International 18th June 2013: Third seeds Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek advanced to the quarterfinals after posting a 5-7 7-6(5) 10-6 win over Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo.

ICC Champions Trophy: Loss to India in warm-up match is behind us, says Mahela Jayawardene 18th June 2013: Joint winners in 2002, Sri Lanka play India in the second semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Cardiff on June 20

Confederations Cup: Nigeria swamp minnows Tahiti 6-1 in opener 18th June 2013: The African champions only arrived in Brazil 36 hours before the game after a row over bonus payments, but with the victory they leapfrogged world champions Spain to the top of Group B.

ICC Champions Trophy: Australia's attacking approach helped us win the match, says Jayawardene 17th June 2013: Former skipper Mahela Jayawardene says enjoying each other's success has been key in Sri Lanka reaching the semis.

India, Argentina to explore cooperation in hockey, other fields 17th June 2013: Addressing a joint media conference after the talks, Khurshid said both countries have vast scope for cooperation in sport and youth affairs.

Top-seed Agnieszka Radwanska dreaming of grass-court consistency 17th June 2013: Radwanska has had her ups and downs on the lawns, losing on the South coast in the first round a year ago but going on to make a surprise appearance in her first major final facing Serena Williams in the title match at the All England club a little more than a fortnight later.

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