ESPN India’s daily live blog is your handy guide for everything to do with the wide world of Indian sport. We have the latest updates and analysis from the entire bouquet of Olympic and franchise sports with an Indian bent. The blog is updated throughout the day, so keep checking back to catch up on news you may have missed.
Here are all the key updates from December 29, Friday:
ISL: Odisha hit four past Jamshedpur, NorthEast hold Goa
Odisha FC continued their unbeaten with yet another impressive victory. They defeated Jamshedpur 4-1 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
They move up to second place in the league after their seventh win in 12 matches with 24 points to their name. All the goals in the match were scored in the first half with Jamshedpur taking a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute thanks to Rei Tachikawa.
Isak Vanlalruatfela equalised for Odisha and then Roy Krisha scored twice to make it 3-1. Diego Mauricio netted Odisha’s fourth via a penalty.
In the second match on Friday, NorthEast United drew 1-1 against FC Goa in a creditable result for them, as two first-half goals ensured both sides took a point. Carlos Martinez Retre opened the scoring for Goa in the 20th minute but that was cancelled out by MS Jithin’s 26th-minute equaliser.
PKL: UP Yoddhas edge past Bengaluru Bulls; Patna Pirates beat Haryana Steelers
Bengaluru Bulls lost another close game in the PKL, as UP Yoddhas beat them by a solitary point in a 34-33 scoreline on the opening day of the Noida leg of PKL season 10.
In the other match on Friday, Haryna Steelers were soundly beaten by Patna Pirates, who moved up to fifth in the standings, with a 46-33 victory.
WFI offices moved out of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s Delhi residence
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) moved its office out of the residence of its former president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, after the sports ministry had recently raised serious objections to it.
“The WFI will operate from a new address in New Delhi after vacating Brij Bhushan’s premises,” said PTI sources. The new WFI office is located in the Hari Nagar area of New Delhi.
The ministry, while suspending the newly-formed WFI panel under president Sanjay Singh on December 24, three days after he was elected its head, had cited the office running from Brij Bhushan’s residence as one of the reasons for taking the stringent action.
“The business of the federation is being run from the premises controlled by former office bearers (Brij Bhushan) — which is also the alleged premises wherein sexual harassment of the players have been alleged and present(ly) the court is hearing the matter,” the ministry had said in its letter.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has once again instituted a three-member ad-hoc committee under the chairmanship of Wushu Association of India chief Bhupender Singh Bajwa to run the affairs of the sport.
What’s on today?
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ISL: It’s the last day of ISL action before the season breaks for the AFC Asian Cup, with a double-header in store. Odisha FC take on Jamshedpur FC in the early kickoff, after which table-toppers FC Goa make the trip to NorthEast United FC.
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PKL: The Noida leg of the Pro Kabaddi league takes centre-stage, as Patna Pirates take on the Haryana Steelers, after which UP Yoddhas face Bengaluru Bulls.
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More possible updates from Indian wrestling as a three-member ad-hoc committee takes charge of WFI operations once more.
What happened yesterday?
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Mumbai City FC strolled past Chennaiyin FC with a 3-0 win at home, with Lallianzuala Chhangte, Vikram Partap Singh and Gurkirat Singh finding the net for the hosts. Mumbai climbed to third in the table, while Chennaiyin remained sixth.
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World champion Saweety Boora (81kg) and CWG gold medallist Jaismine (60kg) won gold in the Boxing Nationals.
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India had to suffer the humiliation of an innings defeat in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa, after Dean Elgar’s masterful 185 and the hosts’ pacers bundling India out for 131 in the second innings.
You can check all the details of yesterday’s news events here.
