Sports Shorts: I-League may have 4 new clubs from next season

I-League may have 4 new clubs from next season

The All India Football Federation's bid evaluation committee will meet on August 18 to decide the fate of four new clubs from Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan that are keen to participate in the 2017-18 I-League.

Bengaluru's Ozone FC and Kerala's Gokulam FC are two of the four teams who have submitted the bid documents, a senior I-League official said.

"The decision will be taken on August 18," he said.

The I-League has never seen participation from Rajasthan and Gujarat in its 10 years' history.

If Ozone FC, which competes in I-League second division, makes the cut then Bengaluru will have a team each, in the I-League and Indian Super League.

Bengaluru FC have opted for ISL after it was given an official status of an AFC Cup berth as both the tournaments will run parallel after AIFF's merger plan failed.

If Gokulam FC's bid is accepted, they will be the first team from Kerala after Chirag United were relegated in 2011-12.

Vardhan out of singles but makes doubles semis with Balaji

Vishnu Vardhan was ousted from the singles event following a straight-set defeat in the second round but progressed to the doubles semi-finals with compatriot N Sriram Balaji at the ATP Challenger event in Jinan, China.

Vardhan was the only Indian surviving in the singles but with his 4-6, 4-6 defeat against the sixth seed Ricardas Berankis from Lithuania, it ended the country's challenge.

Saketh Myneni, Sidharth Rawat, Balaji, Sasi Kumar Mukund and N Vijay Sundar had all bit dust in the first round itself.

Vardhan and Balaji though had success in the doubles as they made it to the last four with a fighting 7-6(4), 6-3 win over local pair of Di Wu and Zhzhen Zhang in the quarter-finals.

Last week, Vardhan and Balaji had won the doubles title at the $ 125,000 Chengdu Challenger, defeating the Taipei pair of Cheng-Peng Hsieh and Hsle-Yin Peng.

Woods set for arraignment on DUI charge in Florida

Golfer Tiger Woods, arrested in May on a charge of driving under the influence after police found him asleep at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz stopped on a Florida road, is due to be arraigned in the case on Wednesday.

Woods, 41, is unlikely to appear in court in Palm Beach Gardens after his lawyer waived the former world No. 1 golfer's appearance at pre-trial hearings.

Police found Woods on the side of a Palm Beach-area road at about 3 a.m. on May 29. He had "extremely slow and slurred speech" after being awakened by a Jupiter police officer but was cooperative and told officers he takes several prescriptions, including Xanax, according to a police report.

Woods, who had been heading away from his home on the exclusive Jupiter Island, could not remember where he was going and told police he was returning from Los Angeles.

A blood test showed he had the painkiller Vicodin and the antidepressant Xanax in his system, but no alcohol. He was charged with driving under the influence and improperly stopping his vehicle.

In a statement after his arrest, Woods apologized to fans and blamed the incident on prescription medication he was taking to manage pain from a recent back surgery.