Global cricketers’ union warns ICC of breakaway tourney
By IANS,
London : The global cricketers' union has threatened "the Indian-dominated" International Cricket Council (ICC) to drastically reform its way of functioning or face a no-confidence motion and lose top stars to a players-run competition.
The Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA), showing its resentment over the way the ICC has handled some key issues like the Harbhajan Singh-Andrew Symonds racial allegations controversy in Australia recently, will decide at its meeting at Austin, Texas, starting May 26 whether to break away from the 100-year-old body.
Akshay Kumar to lead entertainment blitz at Kotla
By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhites will be feted to some breathtaking action stunts by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar when Delhi Daredevils host Rajasthan Royals at the Ferozshah Kotla Stadium in their first Indian Premier League (IPL) match Saturday.
Delhiites will enjoy a gala evening as best of cricket and entertainment will unfold under the newly installed floodlights.
Akshay, the brand partner of Delhi Daredevils, will be the star attraction of the Saturday evening when Virender Sehwag-led Daredevils open their campaign against Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals.
Olympic torch relay begins amid tight security in Bangkok
By DPA,
Bangkok : The Beijing Olympic torch relay kicked off Saturday in Bangkok's bustling Chinatown amid tight security to ensure no anti-Chinese protests would disrupt the 10.5 km run.
Around 80 Thai athletes participated in the relay, which bears the Olympic flame from the gates of Chinatown through the oldest parts of Bangkok to end at the Royal Plaza, the site of the much-revered King Chulalongkorn statue.
India beat Russia in women’s hockey Olympic qualifier
By IANS,
Kazan (Russia) : The Indian eves team started their hockey Olympic qualifying campaign on a winning note with a comfortable 3-1 victory over hosts Russia here.
Fifteen-year-old Rani Devi, who made her debut Saturday night, opened India's account in the ninth minute. After that, the visitors came close to double the lead but squandered numerous scoring chances.
Russia came out with more purpose in the second half and drew parity with Anna Guteneva in the first minute after the break.
Real Madrid almost champions in Liga
By DPA,
Madrid : Real Madrid are almost champions of Spain for the 31st time after 2-0 win in Santander, with goals from Raul Gonzalez and Gonzalo Higuain.
The authoritative win Sunday keeps Real 10 points ahead of Villarreal, who moved up to second earlier in the day with a 2-0 home win over lowly Valladolid, with goals from Nihat Kahveci and Santi Cazorla.
Real have 72 points from 33 games, Villarreal have 62, and troubled Barcelona - held to a 0-0 draw Saturday by cross town rivals Espanyol - have 61.
IPL shake-up with departure and arrival of players
By IANS,
New Delhi : By the end of the second round of matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL), all teams barring Mumbai Indians will be busy at the arrival an departure lounges of airports, either seeing off or receiving overseas players.
The Australian players will be leaving by the month end to join their team for the tour to West Indies next month. But, some teams have already been strengthened with the arrival Pakistani and South African players and some others will be doing so in a day or two.
Royal Challengers wilt at 185/8 against Rajasthan Royals
By IANS,
Bangalore : Rajasthan Royals restricted Bangalore Royal Challengers to 135 for the loss of eight wickets in the 12th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament here Saturday.
Put into bat first, Royal Challengers kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Ross Taylor emerged the highest scorer with 44. Shane Watson and Munaf Patel picked up two wickets each.
Daredevils score their highest IPL total
By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhi Daredevils' 191 for five against Bangalore Royal Challengers here Wednesday night is their highest total in the Indian Premier League (IPL) so far.
Daredevils surpassed their 158 for 8 against Kings XI Punjab at Mohali Sunday.
Other statistical highlights of Wednesday's match:
# Bangalore Royal Challengers became the second team after Mumbai Indians to lose four games in the IPL.
# Daredevils registered the third win in four games.
Jeev tied ninth in Japan golf
By IANS,
Nagoya (Japan) : Jeev Milkha Singh carded a first round of two-over 68 in his first appearance on the Japan Tour this year at the 120 million Yen Crowns tournament on the Nagoya Golf Club Wago Course Thursday. The card placed him in tied ninth place after the first round.
Jeev, winner of the two tournaments in Japan in 2006, has been playing on European and Asian Tours and cut down his engagements in Japan. Last year he played four events in Japan and had two top-10 finishes including second place at the season-ending Golf Nippon Series JT Cup.
Kolkata Knight Riders go down fighting to Kings XI Punjab
By IANS,
Mohali (Punjab) : Kolkata Knight Riders almost made a match out of a virtually lost cause in their encounter with home team Kings XI Punjab, losing by nine runs in their Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 encounter here Saturday night.
Kolkata still stands by Knight Riders
By Sreya Basu, IANS,
Kolkata : With four consecutive defeats, the "Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo" motto may be losing tempo, but fans of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are unperturbed with some even looking to the gods above.
"We will perform a yagna (fire ritual) to ward off ill-omens and pray for the victory of KKR in every match," said 27-year Kamal Saraf.
"The KKR are just undergoing a bad patch. But Shah Rukh will never let his team lose at the IPL (Indian Premier League)," added Shahjahan Ali, a 22-year old KKR supporter.
Beijing Games volunteers’ corps launched
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The volunteers corps for the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics has been officially launched here with the games' chief organiser, Liu Qi, handing the team its flag at a rally.
Vice President Xi Jinping, a member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), addressed the gathering, which was attended by more than 6,000 people Sunday.
Kings XI restrict Royal Challengers to 126
By IANS,
Bangalore : Bangalore Royal Challengers were bowled out for a paltry 126 by Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League (IPL) tie at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here Monday night.
Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla was the pick of the Kings XI bowlers, taking three wickets for 25 runs in his four overs. However, it was pacer Sreesanth (16/2) who started the demolition in the very first over. He picked up opener Wasim Jaffer (0) with a perfect away swinger in the fourth ball and then cleaned up debutant Cameron White (0) with a delivery that nipped back after pitching.
Flamini signs with AC Milan as Gattuso may leave
By DPA,
Milan : French midfielder Mathieu Flamini signed a contract to join AC Milan from English side Arsenal at the end of the season, the Serie A club said on their website.
Flamini, 24, arrived in Milan late Sunday and underwent medical tests at Milan's camp before signing his new contract Monday.
"We informed Arsenal about what we are doing. We acted following the UEFA rules. We believe that Flamini is a great player," La Gazzetta dello Sport quoted Milan vice president Adriano Galliani as saying.
Waiving Tibetan flags could mean trouble: IOC
By DPA,
Dusseldorf (Germany) : Athletes answering questions in the mixed zone concerning the Tibet issue will comply with Olympic rules, but waiving Tibetan flags during medal ceremonies at the Beijing Games could get them into - so far unspecified - trouble.
National Olympic Committees are studying new guidelines sent by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the sensitive issue.
Tea scoreboard: India vs. South Africa, Second Test, Day 3
By IANS,
Kolkata : Scoreboard at tea on the third day of the second cricket Test between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens here Tuesday:
South Africa first innings: 296
India 1st innings (overnight 342/5):
Gautam Gambhir run out (Petersen/de Villiers) 25
Virender Sehwag c Prince b Duminy 165
Murali Vijay c de Villiers b Morkel 7
Sachin Tendulkar c Kallis b Harris 106
V.V.S. Laxman batting 97
Subramaniam Badrinath b Steyn 1
Amit Mishra c Kallis b Morkel 28
Mahendra Singh Dhoni batting 85
Extras (b 6, lb 7, w 13, nb 8) 34
Australian hockey players await security scan after terror threat
By IANS,
Sydney : Despite an Al Qaeda terror threat, no Australian player plans to opt out of the upcoming Hockey World Cup in New Delhi, an official said here Wednesday. But, he added, "if we receive advice that would change those plans then we'll re-assess".
Hockey Australia chief executive Mark Anderson said that as of Wednesday, the Kookaburras' plan to play in the tournament that starts Feb 28 remained unchanged, pending the outcome of security assessments of the terror threat that was published on the Asia Times Online website Monday.
Terror threat to Jaipur ODI, security beefed up
By IANS,
Jaipur : Rajasthan police have issued a terror alert for the one-day international cricket match between India and South Africa to be played here Feb 21.
"We do have intelligence inputs, though a bit vague, of a terror threat to the first ODI," B.L. Soni, inspector general (IG) police, Jaipur, told IANS. The match venue is the Sawai Mansingh Stadium (SMS).
"We don't want to take any chances, especially after the Pune blast," Soni said, referring to Feb 13 explosion in the Maharashtra city that has claimed at least 11 lives.
Kalinga Sena threatens IPL matches, wants Aussies out
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Kalinga Sena, a fringe political outfit in Orissa, Thursday threatened to disrupt Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in the state next month if its conditions - such as not letting the Australians play - were not met.
"We have set four conditions. If they are not fulfilled, we will not allow the matches to happen," Kalinga Sena president Hemanta Rath told IANS, referring to the IPL games scheduled in Barabati Stadium in Cuttack in March.
We did well to come back in the second half: German captain
By IANS,
New Delhi : German captain Maximillan Muller was a relieved man after his team escaped with a 2-2 draw against Asian champions South Korea in their group A opener of the Hockey World Cup.
Germany, who are chasing their third consecutive World Cup title, went into the breather trailing 0-2 but Florian Fuchs (50th) and Benjamin Wess (58) struck in the second half to split points.
Haryana to award Rs.500,000 to hockey team
By IANS,
Chandigarh : In a bid to boost the morale of the Indian hockey team playing in the World Cup in New Delhi, the Haryana government Tuesday announced a cash prize of Rs.500,000 for the players for beating Pakistan in their first match of the tournament Sunday.
"We will give a sum of Rs.500,000 to the Indian hockey team for winning the match against Pakistan in Hockey World Cup. We will also give Rs.100,000 each to those players who scored goals against Pakistan in that match," state sports minister Gopal Kanda said here.
Germany eye hat-trick, Australia the title after 24 years
By IANS,
New Delhi : A win away from a title hat-trick, a young German side will be looking for another clinical display in the Hockey World Cup Saturday to get past the well-drilled Australians whose lone triumph came 24 years ago.
Beginning with a shock 1-4 defeat to England, pre-tournament favourites Australia have won five matches on the trot to reach the final and hope to be third time lucky against Germany, the 2002 and 2006 winners.
Dope testing compulsory at Kabaddi World Cup
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Dope testing has been made compulsory at the Kabaddi World Cup to be held across Punjab next month, the organising committee said Friday.
Munish Chander, convener of the medical and anti-doping committee of the event, informed Punjab Sports Director Pargat Singh that dope tests will be mandatory for all the players.
Afridi to lead Pakistan in World Twenty20
By IANS,
Karachi: Shahid Afridi was Tuesday named as Pakistan captain for the World Twenty20 championship.
Afridi, 30, will lead a 15-man squad in the tournament, beginning April 30 in the West Indies. Pakistan are the defending champions.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had named their squad for the World Twenty20 earlier this month but did not name the captain, fuelling speculations that apart from Afridi the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt is also mulling over other options like senior all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, Misbah-ul-Haq and Salman Butt.
Kuznetsova shakes off frustration to win in Miami opener
By DPA,
Miami : Svetlana Kuznetsova maintained the winning start in the opening-round matches at the Miami Masters tennis, as the Russian top seed defeated China's Peng Shuai 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
Kuznetsova, fourth in the world, Thursday spent less than two hours in earning victory over the number 65 who is returning from the appendicitis, which forced her to withdraw from February events in Pattaya City and Dubai.
The Russian has never lost in an opening match in Miami and won the title in 2006. Peng has lost her last 12 matches against top five players.
IPL scoreboard: Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians
By IANS,
Chennai : Following is the scoreboard of the Indian Premier League match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians here Tuesday.
Chennai Super Kings:
Murali Vijay b Harbhajan Singh 14 (17b, 2 x 4)
Matthew Hayden c Sathish b Pollard 35 (31b, 1 x 6, 2 x 4)
Suresh Raina c Dhawan b Bravo 23 (18b, 1 x 6, 2 x 4)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni c and b Pollard 31 (18b, 4 x 4)
Mike Hussey (not out) 14 (15b)
Subramaniam Badrinath (not out) 30 (32b, 4 x 4)
Extras (b-1, lb-1, w-15, nb-1),
Total (for 4 wkts): 165.
Mishra keen to continue the good show in IPL
By IANS,
Kolkata : Amit Mishra may not have found a berth in India's Twenty20 World Cup squad despite being among the wickets, but the leg-spinner is not unduly bothered and says he is enjoying his moment under the sun with the purple cap for being the highest wicket-taker in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
Delhi Daredevils bowler Mishra has 14 scalps in nine matches and would don the purple cap in his side's crucial game against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens Wednesday.
IPL Governing Council to decide Modi’s fate Monday
By IANS,
New Delhi/Mumbai : The meeting of the Indian Premier League's (IPL) Governing Council Monday is expected to serve a charge-sheet to its chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi and if his replies are unsatisfactory he will be asked to put in his papers.
The meeting will also decide on the road ahead in the aftermath of the raging controversy that is fast becoming a major embarrassment for the Board of Control for cricket in India (BCCI).
IPL associates under probe, tax raids in multiple cities
By IANS,
Mumbai/New Delhi: A probe into financial deals of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was broad-based Wednesday with searches at offices of three of its event management and broadcast firms in Mumbai, even as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case to investigate foreign exchange violations by its franchisees.
Also, the income tax probe which started with the IPL Kochi franchise last Wednesday was widened Thursday with simultaneous searches in multiple cities.
If Modi shuns council, BCCI would treat him harshly: Pataudi
By IANS,
New Delhi: Former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, an influential Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council member, said chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi should be given time to present his case, but if he doesn't appear before the council April 26, he would be treated "harshly" by the Indian cricket board.
Pataudi said that all the controversies surrounding the IPL were dissapointing and felt that the Governing Council is also to be blamed for the present fall-out.
Dalmiya denies important IPL papers were missing
By IANS,
Kolkata : Describing as "most unpleasant" the Indian Premier League (IPL) controversy that has shaken Indian cricket, Cricket Association of Bengal President Jagmohan Dalmiya Thursday scoffed at allegations that the organisation had received money from questionable sources for hosting the seven IPL matches at the Eden Gardens.
Ashbeer holds four-shot lead at Surya Nepal Masters
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Playing his best round ever, 16-year-old Ashbeer Saini marched ahead to take a four-shot lead after the completion of the third round of the Surya Nepal Masters which is being played at the par-72 Gokarna Forest Golf Resort.
The Indian amateur carded a round of six-under 66 to total 10-under 206, four clear of local favourite Rupak Acharya.
Rupak who went toe-to-toe with Ashbeer in the early part of the round, could not match the young golfer’s pace and had to be content with a round of two-under 70 which puts him at six-under 210 for the tournament.
Aditya finishes sixth in first round of Volkswagen Cup
By IANS,
Hockenheim (Germany) : India’s Aditya Patel finished the opening round of the Volkswagen Scirocco Cup touring car racing series here after having qualified a creditable sixth in a field that included some legendary drivers.
After a very successful practice session where he managed to lead the grid at first and second place, and qualifying at an all time high of fourth for the race, Aditya managed to drive a strong race against some of the world’s best touring car professionals Saturday.
I will evolve my own style of functioning: Amin
By IANS,
Vadodara: The new Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Chirayu Amin Tuesday played down comparisons with his charismatic predecessor Lalit Modi, saying "flamboyancy" has nothing to do with cricket and he would evolve his own style of working.
Amin was Monday made the interim chairman of the cash-rich IPL after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended Modi in a midnight coup, shortly after the IPL final.
Australia ready to bounce Bangladesh at Barbados
By IANS,
Barbados: Australia are looking to line up an all-pace attack to crush Bangladesh on a bouncy Kensington Oval wicket here in their second league match of the World Twenty20 Wednesday.
Australia outclassed Pakistan in their first match and are keen to pick an extra pacer in Ryan Harris at the cost of a slow bowler on a track they feel will assist pace and bounce unlike the slow surfaces at St Lucia and Guyana.
In-form Pietersen shines in England’s emphatic win over Pakistan
By IANS,
Bridgetown (Barbados) : Kevin Pietersen found his touch with an unbeaten 70 as England produced a clinical performance to overpower Pakistan by six wickets in the first Super Eights clash of the World Twenty20 here Thursday.
Set to chase 148 runs, England helped by some poor fielding by Pakistan eased past the target comfortably with three balls to spare.
Pietersen, who had been going through a form slump, guided England's innings smashing 70 off 52 balls with seven fours and two sixes.
Albie Morkel sparkles in South Africa’s victory over Black Caps
By IANS,
Bridgetown (Barbados) : South Africa marched to an impressive 13-run win over New Zealand in their first Super Eights match of the World Twenty20 at Kensington Oval here.
South African all-rounder Albie Morkel made the difference Thursday as he blazed away to 40 off 18 balls with five sixes and along with AB de Villiers (47 not out) carried his team to an imposing 170 for four. In reply, New Zealand ambled to 157 for seven in their 20 overs.
Clarke on backfoot as Modi and IMG plan to sue him
By IANS,
London : The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief Giles Clarke is on the backfoot as suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi and the International Management Group (IMG) are planning to sue him over claims that Modi encouraged counties to form a breakaway Twenty20 league in England.
The Times, London, revealed Monday that Clarke’s letter to Shashank Manohar, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has angered Test match counties whose representatives met Modi in New Delhi, March 31.
Pakistan manager satisfied with team’s discipline in Caribbean
By IANS,
Karachi : While six Indian players face action from their board due to discipline-breach, Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed has given the thumbs up to his players for maintaining discipline during the World Twenty20 in the West Indies.
The Pakistani players spent three weeks in the Caribbean and the team manager has no complaints as far as discipline is concerned.
Soderling shocks Federer in French Open comeback win
By DPA,
Paris : Swede Robin Soderling rallied after losing the first set to deny Roger Federer his place in a 24th consecutive Grand Slam semi-final with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 defeat Tuesday in the quarter-finals of the French Open.
The loss opens the door for Rafael Nadal to regain the world number one ranking from the Swiss and prevent Federer - momentarily - from overtaking Pete Sampras for the most weeks spent atop the ATP standings.
Drogba fractures his elbow; likely to miss World Cup
By IANS,
London : Ivory coast striker Didier Drogba is all set to miss the football World Cup after he fractured his elbow in a friendly against Japan at Sion in Switzerland, Friday.
The Chelsea striker had put his country 1-0 ahead with a free-kick in the 15th minute against Japan before going down following a challenge from the Japan defender Tulio Tanaka - off whom Drogba's goal had deflected in - and he left the pitch in visible distress, The Guardian reported.
Capello insists England are ready for US
By Jonathan Wilson, DPA,
Rustenburg, South Africa : After all the anticipation comes the real test, as England face the United States in their football World Cup opener in Rustenburg Saturday.
England were impressive in qualifying, scoring seven more goals than anybody else in the European section, but injuries to key players and indifferent showings in their warm-up friendlies have dampened expectations.
IOA ecstatic after Verma’s re-election as BAI president
By IANS,
New Delhi : Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Secretary General Randhir Singh Sunday termed the re-election of V.K.Verma as the Badmimton Association of India (BAI) president a victory for the "Olympic movement" in the country.
Verma was facing stiff opposition from the sports ministry to continue in view of the government's guidelines which fixed tenures of sports administrators to 12 years, which Verma crossed with his re-election for a fourth term Sunday. BAI refused to toe the line and said it would not take any financial help from the government in future.
Atwal gives idea of pal Woods’ form on eve of US Open
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
Pebble Beach (California) : It may only be golfer Arjun Atwal's first US Open but the Indian ace has been in a lot of news and it has generally been for his more famous practise partner, who is also world's most-talked about player - Tiger Woods.
Atwal, the former Asia No. 1 and one of India's most successful professional golfer, is said to be one of Woods' closest buddies and his regular playing partner in practise rounds during the last few difficult months for the American, did so again Sunday and then Monday.
Saina favourite to win Indonesia Super Series
By IANS,
New Delhi: Saina Nehwal will be a strong favourite to win three back-to-back titles when she begins her defence of the Indonesia Open Super Series badminton tournament at Jakarta Tuesday.
World No.6 Saina is the top seed in the tournament, as she was at Singapore Open which gave the Indian her second Super series title Sunday, with none of the top five Chinese players competing and that should make Saina's job easy.
US football coach’s fate in Indian American boss’ hands
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Indian-American Sunil Gulati, credited with the rise of the US football team, is faced with a tough question - to sack or keep coach Bob Bradley after the team's World Cup loss to Ghana.
Allahabad-born US Soccer Federation president Gulati's decision would have been simple and swift if the US had failed to advance to the second stage of the World Cup, or had the Americans reached the quarterfinals. Fire him in the first case and keep him in the second.
Madras Cricket Club felicitates Dhoni
By IANS,
Chennai : Newly-wed India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his wife Sakshi were the centre of attraction at a felicitation organised by the Madras Cricket Club to honour Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for winning this year's Indian Premier League (IPL).
Dhoni was offered the honorary membership of the club, one of India's oldest and which was formed in 1846.
Dhoni thus joined the likes of Indian cricketing greats like Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar, to name a few, who have been bestowed with the honorary membership of the club.
Lunch Scoreboard: India vs Sri Lanka, Day Five, first Test
By IANS,
Galle (Sri Lanka) : Scoreboard at lunch on the fifth day of the first cricket Test between India and Sri Lanka here Thursday.
Sri Lanka: first innings 520 for eight declared
India: first innings 276 all out
India: second innings (following on, overnight 181/5)
Gautam Gambhir c Jayawardene b Malinga 0
Virender Sehwag c Mahela Jayawardene b Welegedara 31
Rahul Dravid c Sangakkara b Malinga 44
Sachin Tendulkar lbw b Malinga 84
VVS Laxman batting 58
Yuvraj Singh c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 5
Mahenidra Singh Dhoni b Malinga 4
Back to the future for Roddick; Hewitt crashes out
By DPA,
Atlanta : Andy Roddick will relive his past - against an opponent he beat for the title in his previous appearance at the Atlanta Tennis Championships - after posting a 6-1, 6-7(1), 6-3 victory to reach the quarter-finals.
The top seed Thursday stumbled badly in the second-set tiebreaker against fellow US player Rajeev Ram before pulling away to the second-round opening victory on the back of 15 aces and three breaks of serve.
The win sets up a showdown with Belgian Xavier Malisse, a 6-3, 6-3 winner over Illya Marchenko of Ukraine.
PCB may not recall Yousuf if team wins at Leeds
By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will give up the idea of recalling former captain Mohammad Yousuf for the Test series against England starting later this month if the team went on to win the second Test against Australia at Leeds Saturday.
With seven wickets in hand, Pakistan just need 40 more runs to record a memorable Test victory against Australia. If Pakistan goes on to win the Test and level the two-Test series 1-1, then the PCB will continue showing faith in youngsters instead of bringing back Yousuf.
Leaving controversies behind, full steam ahead for CWG
By IANS,
(60 days to go for Commonwealth Games)
New Delhi : Unfinished work, monsoon rains and extended deadlines... with just 60 days to go for the Commonwealth Games, sceptics are having a field day. But the hurdles will be overcome, say officials, confident that India will host the best ever Commonwealth Games.
Scoreboard: India vs. Sri Lanka, Third Test, Day 2
By IANS,
Colombo : Scoreboard at the close of second day's play in the third cricket Test between Sri Lanka and India here Wednesday.
Sri Lanka 1st innings (overnight 293/4)
Tharanga Paranavitana c Dhoni b Sharma 8
Tillekaratne Dilshan run out (Vijay/Dhoni) 41
Kumar Sangakkara c Sehwag b Ojha 75
Mahela Jayawardene lbw Ojha 56
Thilan Samaraweera not out 137
Angelo Mathews lbw b Ojha 45
Prasanna Jayawardene lbw b Ojha 9
Suraj Randiv c Dravid b Sehwag 8
Lasith Malinga c & b Mishra 4
Ajantha Mendis c Raina b Sharma 3
Tanvir ruled out of Paskistan’s World Cup team
By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan's left-handed pacer Sohail Tanvir was Wednesday ruled out of the Feb 19-April 2 World Cup owing to a knee injury.
India, Pakistan reiterate commitment to fight terrorism in all forms
By IRNA,
New Delhi : India and Pakistan on Tuesday reiterated commitment to fight terrorism in all forms.
Dilshan’s praises India for World Cup win
By IANS,
Colombo : Ace Sri Lankan cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan has given "full credit to India" for winning the World Cup in Mumbai.
I wanted to hit as many sixes or get out: Watson
By IANS,
Dhaka : Australian all-rounder Shane Watson Monday said he ended up smashing a record 15 sixes as he was getting tired in the middle and either wanted to go for his shots or get out.
Sehwag, Ishant ruled out of ODI series
By IANS,
New Delhi : India opener Virender Sehwag and fast bowler Ishant Sharma have been ruled out of the One-day series against England.
Fed cup soccer: Bhaichung’s USFC begins on winning note
By IANS,
Kolkata : United Sikkim Football Club (USFC) pipped ONGC 3-2 to kick-off their campaign on a bright note in the Federation Cup here Friday.
Advani, Chawla in semi-finals of World Snooker
By Anand Philar, IANS,
Bangalore : Pankaj Advani and Kamal Chawla chalked up contrasting victories to enter the semi-finals of the IBSF World snooker championship here on Friday.
Scoreboard: Mumbai Indians vs. Rajasthan Royals
By IANS,
Mumbai : The following is the final scoreboard of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match in which Mumbai Indians defeated Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets here Wednesday:
Match No.27, Indian Premier League, Twenty20, Mumbai Indians vs. Rajasthan Royals, D.Y. Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai, May 7
Rajasthan Royals:
Graeme Smith st Takawale b Pollock 5
Swapnil Asnodkar c Uthappa b Raje 39
Yusuf Pathan b Nehra 1
Shane Watson b Bravo 32
Mohammed Kaif c Nehra b Raje 4
Ravindra Jadeja c Takawale b Kulkarni 0
Shane Warne c Takawale b Kulkarni 7
Sohail Tanvir b Nehra 6
Scoreboard of Knight Riders-Royal Challengers match
By IANS,
Kolkata : Following is the final scoreboard of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match in which Kolkata Knight Riders beat Bangalore Royal Challengers by five runs here Thursday night:
Match No.29, Indian Premier League, Twenty20, Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Bangalore Royal Challengers, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, May 8
Kolkata Knight Riders:
Akash Chopra lbw b Steyn 2
Brad Hodge c R. Vinay Kumar b Khan 10
Sourav Ganguly run out (White) 20
David Hussey run out (Steyn/Boucher) 26
Tatenda Taibu c Boucher b Steyn 15
Laxmi Ratan Shukla b Steyn 11
Wriddhiman Saha not out 17
Future of tennis in India is bright: US tennis coach
By Pragya Tiwari, IANS,
New Delhi : Overseas coaches coming to India have a tendency to bestow lavish praise on talented youngsters, but American tennis coach Dough MacCurdy really means it when he says the next generation of Indian champions is on its way.
MacCurdy is keen on the country producing future Grand Slam champions. He realises that Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are in the twilight of their careers, making Sania Mirza the only one with any star value. But the International Tennis Federation (ITF) development officer is confident that the wait won't be long.
Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab
By IANS,
Chennai : Chennai Super Kings ended Kings XI Punjab's winning streak, beating the visitors by 18 runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here Saturday night.
Set to chase 182, Yuvraj Singh-led Kings XI Punjab could only manage 163 for the loss of nine wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Kings XI Punjab opener Shaun Marsh top-scored with 58 runs off 38 balls, while Irfan Pathan played a quick fire 18-ball, 40-run innings down the order.
Atletico Madrid clinch Champions League berth, Zaragoza in trouble
By DPA,
Madrid : Atletico Madrid are back in the Champions League after 11 years' absence, thanks to a 1-0 home win over Deportivo Coruna.
The tense win Sunday night allows Atletico to clinch fourth place in La Liga. Javier Aguirre's team are three points ahead of Sevilla, who won 2-0 away to crosstown rivals Betis, with just one game less.
"This was a really important win," Atletico captain Antonio Lopez told Canal Plus.
"Our wonderful fans deserve this," he added, "after all they have suffered in the past few years."
Djokovic face Nadal in battle for No.2 in Hamburg tennis
By DPA,
Hamburg : Rafael Nadal meets Novak Djokovic in the Hamburg Masters tennis tournament semi-finals Saturday where the winner earns the number two ranking in men's tennis.
Nadal kept second place at least Friday night when he beat his 11th-seeded mentor Carlos Moya 6-1, 6-3 in a Spanish quarter-final. Djokovic also wasted little time to make the final four when he ousted Spain's Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-3.
Armaan wins first round in Asian motorsports championship
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Armaan Ebrahim gave himself a birthday gift by winning the first round of the Formula Renault V6 Asia Championship at the Sepang circuit here Saturday.
Armaan, who turned 19, was taking part in the series for the second year after finishing runner-up in the 2007 championship. He virtually destroyed the field to win by nine seconds.
India’s top football club to play in Asian champions league
By IANS,
New Delhi : In a major boost to club football in the country, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has chosen India as one of the 11 participants in the revamped 2009 Champions League.
The decision was taken Tuesday at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur by the AFC Pro-League Ad-Hoc Committee under the chairmanship of Saburo Kawabuchi.
With this decision, the champions of I-League, the professional league in the country, will take part in the Champions League. At present the I-League champions and Federation Cup winners are also eligible for the AFC Cup.
China to adjust Olynmpic torch relay in quake-hit areas
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) said Thursday the relay route of the Olympic torch now in China will be adjusted because of the devastating May 12 earthquake in southwestern province of Sichuan.
The relay in the quake-hit Sichuan, which was scheduled between June 15 and June 18, has been postponed to Aug 3 and Aug 5 before the torch is taken to Beijing, officials with the BOCOG said.
Atwal starts with even par 72 in Nationwide golf
By IANS,
Mitchellville (Maryland) : Arjun Atwal, winner of the Malaysian Open on the European and Asian Tour this year, made an even par start at 72 at the Melwood Prince George's County Open Thursday. Atwal was tied for 38th on a day when only 37 players in the field of 153 broke par thanks to 12-18 mph winds that occasionally gusted to 30 mph.
Atwal, currently 14th on the Nationwide Money List and hoping to stay inside top-25 to find a place on main PGA Tour next year, had three birdies and three bogeys in his round in swirling and gusting winds.
Edwards can be uncomfortable to handle: Andy Roberts
By IANS,
Sydney : West Indian bowling great Andy Roberts has warned Australian batsmen to be wary of paceman Fidel Edwards, claiming that the ear-studded youngster would be a constant threat to them throughout the three-Test series.
"He showed a lot of good pace out there and the Australian batsmen were not comfortable with him," Roberts, one of the most feared bowling enforcers of the 1970s, was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph.
"I think that will continue to happen and I am certainly hoping so.
Helped by Marsh fireworks, Kings XI ground Rajasthan Royals
By IANS,
Mohali : Shaun Marsh scored a breathtaking century as Kings XI Punjab brought the high-flying Rajasthan Royals down to the ground with a 41-run victory in the last league match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) here Tuesday night.
Marsh struck a blazing 115 off 69 balls. Helped also by electrifying cameos by James Hopes (51 off 35) and Yuvraj Singh (49 off 15), Kings XI scored a formidable 221/3.
Tight semifinal contest on cards between Royals and Daredevils
By IANS,
Mumbai : The first semi-final of the Indian Premier League will see an interesting clash between table-toppers Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils, which qualified by default, at the Wankhede Stadium here Friday.
Rajasthan Royals would be looking to continue their dream sequence of wins, while Delhi Daredevils, which managed to grab the last spot in the knock-out stage, will be hoping to finally live up to their potential on the big stage.
Pressure on Hayden to end his one-day career
By IANS,
Sydney : Injured Test opener Matthew Hayden could face pressure to end his one-day career as Australia reviews its plan to nurse him for the 2009 Ashes series.
Hayden's Test career has stalled with an achilles tendon injury that will force him home from the tour of the West Indies and has left his playing future in limbo.
Scans have revealed the possibility of major tendon damage and it is possible Hayden could need surgery.
But the 36-year-old will not have a clear diagnosis until he sees specialists in Melbourne on his return to Australia.
Sports schedule for June 4, 2008
By IANS,
New Delhi : Following is the sports schedule for June 4, 2008:
Tennis: French Open in Paris
Football : National Championship for the Santosh Trophy (Srinagar and Jammu); SAFF Cup in Sri Lanka and Maldives
Definite buzz about Indian golf in Europe: Chowrasia
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
Kolkata : There is a definite buzz about Indian golf in Europe, feels S.S.P. Chowrasia, while referring to the spate of Indian successes on the European Tour this year. It was Chowrasia himself who set the ball rolling with his stunning victory at the Emaar-MGF Indian Masters this February.
"But since then, Arjun's (Atwal) win in Malaysia, Jeev's (Milkha Singh) second places in Indonesia and Korea and now this win in Austria has made everyone realise that India is a major force in European golf.
Paes-Dlouhy in Gerry Weber Open semifinals
By IANS,
New Delhi : India's Leander Paes and his Czech partner Luca Dlouhy swept aside local favourites Tommy Hass and Michael Berrer to enter the semi-finals of the Gerry Weber Open tennis tournament at Halle in Germany, Thursday.
The fourth seeded Paes-Dlouhy didn't have to toil much as they downed the German duo 6-3, 6-4, according to information received here.
They winners now face Croatian Ivan Ljubicic and Swede Robin Soderling, who beat top seed Israeli duo Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram 6-3, 3-6, 10-7.
Holland hammer France to reach Euro 2008 quarter-finals
By DPA,
Berne (Switzerland) : The Netherlands beat France 4-1 in an enthralling encounter Friday to secure their place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 and leave the French still winless after two games.
Dirk Kuyt and substitute Robin van Persie put Holland 2-0 up after an hour and though Thierry Henry pulled one back for France (71), another substitute, Arjen Robben, scored 30 seconds later and Wesley Sneijder completed the win in injury time with a superb strike.
Maldives beat India to lift SAFF Cup
By IANS,
Colombo : A last-gasp goal by Mukhtar Nasser helped Maldives shock defending champions India to lift their maiden South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup title at the packed Sugathadassa Stadium here Saturday.
Four-time champion India paid heavily for the numerous chances they missed throughout the 90 minutes. And when the game looked like going into extra-time, the stunner came with a long ranger from Nasser in the 87th minute.
Top scorer Villa sinks Sweden in injury time
By IANS,
Innsbruck (Austria) : A late, late David Villa goal gave Spain a deserved 2-1 win over Sweden Saturday, and left them well out on top of Group D.
The Valencia striker slipped through the weary Swedish defence in injury time and won the game with his fourth goal.
"A draw would have been really unfair since we had the best chances and they just wanted to get a draw," Villa said.
Villa said that "having six points" was "much more important" than he being tournament top scorer.
Pro-China feelings in Hong Kong hit new peak before Beijing Olympics
By IANS,
Hong Kong : Patriotism towards China has hit a new peak in Hong Kong ahead of the Beijing Olympics with nearly four in every 10 people considering themselves Chinese rather than Hong Kongers, according to a survey released Wednesday.
The figure in the six-monthly poll by the University of Hong Kong is the highest recorded since the former British colony reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.
Doubts over Pakistan hosting Champions Trophy
By IANS,
Sydney/Lahore : Serious doubts over Pakistan hosting the Champions Trophy cricket are being expressed as several players from Australia, England and New Zealand reportedly refusing to tour the strife-torn country for fear of security.
Turkey loss will haunt us for life, says Croatian coach
By DPA,
Vienna : Croatia coach Slaven Bilic said the dramatic penalty shootout loss Friday to Turkey in the quarter-final of Euro 2008 would haunt him and his players for the rest of their lives.
Croatia looked to have set up a semi-final date with Germany when substitute Ivan Klasnic headed his side in front in the second-last minute of extra-time but incredibly there was still time for Semih Senturk to equalize for Turkey, who went on to prevail 3-1 in the penalty shoot-out.
Football legend Pele robbed on Brazilian street
By IANS,
Rio de Janeiro : Football legend Pele has been held at gun point and robbed in full daylight by a group of drugged-out youths on a Brazilian street, EFE news agency reported Monday.
The robbery, which took place on June 13 but was not made public until now , occurred near a slum in Guaruja town on the southern coast of Sao Paulo Sunday when about 10 armed young men surrounded Pele's car and robbed his gold chain, mobile phone and a costly watch, media reports said.
The king of soccer, however, was not hurt by the drugged-out robbers, the reports added.
Time right for Arshavin to move, says Russia coach Hiddink
By DPA,
Basel : Russia coach Guus Hiddink believes his star striker Andrei Arshavin should play in a top European league after Euro 2008.
Arshavin, 27, helped Zenit St Petersburg to win the UEFA Cup last season and has excelled against Sweden and the Netherlands after missing the first two games of the tournament through suspension.
All but one of the 23-man Russia squad play their club football in Russia, but Hiddink said Monday: "I think some players can survive and make a contribution to the big leagues in Europe."
National team should comprise of I-League players: Houghton
By IANS,
New Delhi : India's chief football coach Bob Houghton said Wednesday that the professional I-League should be organised properly to get a big pool of players for the national team.
The 60-year-old Briton said that players for the national team should not be selected on the basis of performance in the National Football Championships for the Santosh Trophy or state leagues.
Thuram has heart problem, football career at risk
By DPA,
Paris : Former France international defender Lilian Thuram said that he was suffering from a heart defect which may force him to end his career.
Because of the illness he will not sign with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Thuram Friday told journalists at the Parc des Princes, the home of the Paris side.
"The doctors have detected a cardiac defect. It seems to be the same illness that my brother had a few years ago and which cost him his life on a basketball court. In a month, the doctors will have the definitive results," Thuram said.
Disappointed Lehmann yet to decide on future
By DPA,
Vienna : German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann did not want to talk about his future but conceded that Sunday's 0-1 Euro 2008 final defeat to Spain would be his last European Championship game.
"Unfortunately we are on the side that has nothing to celebrate and that is very frustrating," Lehmann said.
"The disappointment will only really hit me in the next few weeks, months or years. I had made it my aim to win the title and when you are close to doing this it is twice as disappointing."
Federer, Nadal reign at Wimbledon with runaway quarter-final wins
By DPA,
London : Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal comfortably mowed down quarter-final opposition in dominating style Wednesday as the pair of powerhouse players edged closer to their third potential final at the Wimbledon Championships.
Federer, aiming for a sixth straight title at the All England Club after holding off Nadal for the last two years, scythed through the last man to beat him on grass six years ago with a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 defeat of Mario Ancic.
The drubbing put the top seed into his 17th straight Grand Slam semi-final.
India grouped with tough opponents in Asia Cup qualifiers
By IANS,
Doha : India have been grouped with top continental sides United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Uzbekistan in Group C for the final qualifying round of the 2011 Asia Cup football tournament.
Uzbekistan, at 55, is the highest FIFA ranked team in the group followed by UAE (106), India (153) and Malaysia (166).
The draw was made here Thursday at the Aspire Dome.
With UAE and Uzbekistan, who are on the home stretch of qualifying race for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, in the group, India's chances of making the final round are tough.
For Brazil’s Fluminense, no cup and no money
By Xinhua,
Rio de Janeiro : Brazilian football club Fluminense, which lost the Libertadores Cup final to Ecuadors LDU, received another hard blow as the club's share of the final match revenues, which amounts to 2.8 million reais ($1.75 million), was pledged to pay a debt with former player Branco, local reports said.
China’s toilet revolution as Olympics draw near
By Rong Jiaojiao, Xinhua,
Beijing : Strolling along Beijing's Chang'an Street in May, Kevin Born was drawn to an ancient Chinese-style building with delicate wooden carvings and wash painting- only to find it was a pubic toilet.
Inside, he found a granite floor, remote-sensor flushing, automatic hand drier and piped music. He found it difficult to believe that only three years ago when he first came to China, answering nature's call was an experience not for the faint-hearted.
Aymar hailed world’s best hockey player ahead of Olympics
By Xinhua,
Buenos Aires : Luciana Aymar has been hailed as the most famous member of "Las Leonas" (The Lionesses), the Argentinean women's field hockey team that will participate in the Olympic Games of Beijing 2008, according to local media.
Aymar, born August 10, 1977 in the city of Rosario, province of Santa Fe, is known in Argentina as the "Maradona of Hockey".
She has been named the best player of the world in 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
Chinese Olympic Committee gives details of eight doping cases
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The Chinese Olympic Committee Wednesday released details of eight doping cases found in the first half of the year ahead of the Beijing Olympic Games.
Chinese men's top backstroke swimmer Ouyang Kunpeng and wrestler Luo Meng received the most severe punishments of life-time bans after the two national team athletes were respectively tested positive for anabolic steroid clenbuterol and furosemide, a diuretic to lose weight or a marking agent to cover other banned substances.
BOCOG issues Olympic venue rules, banners not allowed
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) has issued a list of rules for the spectators at Olympic venues.
The rules, promulgated Monday, 25 days ahead of the Games advised spectators not to bring into the venues support banners and leaflets of commercial publicity, religion, politics, military, human rights and environmental and animal protection, among others.
Saina is destined for bigger things, says Gopichand
By Avishek Roy, IANS,
Hyderabad : Saina Nehwal is a precocious talent, but even she never thought that she could be face to face with her dream so soon in her fledgling international career. Come August and the 18-year-old badminton player from Hyderabad will be in Beijing playing for the country at the Olympics.
Minister irked at former Sri Lanka captain’s appointment
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka's Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge has expressed concern over the appointment of the former captain Hashan Tillakaratne as the new manager of the Sri Lankan national team for the current Indian tour.
Sri Lanka and visiting India are playing three-match Test series, starting July 23 at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) here in Colombo. The Test series would be followed by a five-match ODI series starting from August 18 at the Dambulla international stadium.
Blake survives battle with Korean qualifier
By IANS,
Indianapolis (Indiana) : Rattled top seed James Blake made heavy weather against a number 293 qualifier but finally gained late control to advance 6-3, 7-5 into the quarter-finals of the Indianapolis Tennis Championships.
The 2006 champion needed four set chances Thursday to wrap up the first set against inexperienced Korean qualifier Jun Woong-Sun, who had earned his first ATP match win in the first round over Australian Chris Guccione.
Cricket is setting a dangerous trend in the country, says Gill
By Avishek Roy, IANS,
Hyderabad : President of the superseded Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) K.P.S. Gill said Friday that corporate sponsorship in cricket is detrimental for the growth of other sports in the country.
Gill, who is also the vice-president of the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), said he was pained to see the dangerous trends set by cricket sponsors and the only way out for a game like hockey is to get government patronage.
Cavendish strikes again in Tour de France, but doping dominates
By DPA,
Nimes (France) : British sprint sensation Mark Cavendish recorded his fourth stage win of the 2008 Tour de France as doping continued to dominate the race.
Cavendish scored an overwhelming victory in the 13th stage of the Tour Friday, dominating veteran Robbie McEwen of Australia and France's Romain Feillu by several bike lengths in the mass sprint to the finish in the southern city of Nimes.
Cavendish is the first man since Italy's Alessandro Petacchi in 2003 to win four stages at one Tour.
Last lot of Olympic tickets to go on sale
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The last lot of tickets for next month's Olympic Games will be put on sale from Friday at the Olympic venues.
Of the 820,000 tickets that will go on sale, 250,000 are for events in Beijing while the rest are for football competitions in Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang and Qinghuangdao.
"In almost each of the 28 sports, there are tickets for sale," Beijing Olympics ticketing director Zhu Yan said. Each person can buy two tickets for one session.
New methods to check doping in Olympics
By Xinhua,
Beijing : A new testing method has been put in place to check previously undetectable human growth hormone (HGH) during the Beijing Olympic Games.
"The new test kits will track the use of HGH, a substance that boosts strength and speeds recovery, beyond 48 hours," said Wu Moutian, deputy director of the Chinese Anti-doping Agency, Wednesday.
Wu, however, declined to disclose the details of the method.
China sets conditions for Olympic protestsBy Bill Smith
By DPA,
Beijing : China has set tough conditions including a minimum notice of five days for any group wanting to protest at three designated parks during the Beijing Olympics, state media said Monday.
Chinese applicants must visit city police in person and provide them with their identity details as well as the purpose, time and route of the protest, copies of posters and slogans to be used, the estimated number of participants and the use of any equipment, the official China Daily said.
Indian contingent against replacement for Monica
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
Beijing : The Indian contingent in Beijing is in no mood to have a replacement for the withdrawn weightlifter Monica Devi, despite pressure from some quarters to rope in Shailaja Pujari as a replacement to make use of the sole quota place the country had in the discipline.
While the contingent was fire-fighting in Beijing, some officials were against getting a replacement.
Sania, Paes-Bhupathi handed a tough draw
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
Beijing : Eyeing a medal from the high-profile tennis event at the Beijing Olympics, India were handed a tough draw Thursday. The country's top women's star Sania Mirza and the men's doubles pair, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, may well make it past the first round, but will then need to come up with something special to make a podium finish in the discipline which gets underway Monday.
Gold medal will add to Federer’s sweet Olympic memories
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
Beijing : The Olympics have always meant a lot to Roger Federer. But this time around, it could mean more than ever before. For one, it refreshes happy memories of having met his girlfriend, Mirka Vavrinec, at the Sydney Games in 2000. In Athens he carried the Swiss flag. And this time, he does it again on the day he celebrates his 27th birthday.
Heavy showers cast doubt on AFC Challenge final
By Abhishek Roy, IANS,
Hyderabad : Heavy rains here have cast doubt on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup final between India and defending champions Tajikistan Sunday.
The late monsoon in Andhra Pradesh has created a problem for the organisers throughout the tournament. The turf at Gachi Bowli stadium turned slushy after heavy rains in the semifinals Thursday and the match was almost called off. It eventually started late.
Bindra ends India’s wait for individual Olympic gold
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
Beijing : Shooter Abhinav Bindra became the first Indian ever to win an individual Olympic gold medal by claiming top honours in the men's 10 m air rifle at the Beijing Olympic Games Monday.
Keeping his composure in a crunch situation, Bindra came up with a near perfect 10.8 in his final shot during the final at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall to give the country its first Olympic gold 28 years after the men's hockey team emerged champion in the Moscow Olympics, 1980.
Shoaib Akhtar returns to Pakistan squad
By IANS,
Karachi : Shoaib Akhtar, who was banned for five years for repeated breaches of discipline four months back, makes a return to the Pakistan squad for next month's Champions Trophy.
Shoaib, who turns 33 Wednesday, was included in a 15-member squad for the eight-nation tournament in a bid to add some firepower to the bowling attack that seemed quite toothless in the Asia Cup earlier this summer.
Sports Minister orders probe in Monika Devi incident
By IANS,
New Delhi : Sports Minister M.S. Gill Wednesday ordered an inquiry in the Monika Devi dope controversy. Retired Election Commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthy will inquire into the matter and submit a report at the earliest.
Weightlifter Monika tested positive in an out-of-competition test conducted by Sports Authority of India (SAI) and was pulled out of the Indian contingent participating in Beijing Olympics. The Manipur weightlifter claimed that she was innocent and was being framed.
Gill, who returned from Beijing Wednesday, decided to appoint the inquiry.
Shooters Anjali, Avneet fare badly in 3-Position
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
Beijing : Thursday was another disappointing day for the Indians at the Beijing Olympics shooting range, as both Anjali Bhagwat and Avneet Kaur Sidhu went out of contention in women's 50m Rifle Three Position.
Competing at her third Olympic Games, Anjali may have had the air rifle - where she failed earlier in the Games - as her favourite event earlier, but it was the 3-Position that she was concentrating on for she had earned her quota place through it.
We need an Olympic programme: Bindra
By IANS,
New Delhi : Country's new sporting icon Abhinav Bindra feels India can attain more glory at top level competitions only when there is a serious Olympic programme in place for churning out champion sportspersons.
"There is a huge difference between us and other countries in the way we prepare for international events. Every country has serious Olympic programme in place. Unfortunately, we do not have it in India. We can make progress if only we have a programme which can provide grassroot level training to athletes from all over the country."
Schedule of Indian competitors in Olympics Saturday
By IANS,
Beijing : The schedule of Indian competitors on the eighth day of competition at the 29th Olympics Games here Saturday.
Athletics:
Men's discus throw - Vikas Gowda
Women's Heptathlon: Sushmita Singha Roy, Pramila Ganapathy and J.J. Shobha (long jump, javelin throw and 800m)
Women's 400m heats - Manjit Kaur
Boxing, Round of 16: Flyweight (51kg) - Jitender Kumar vs. Tulashboy Doniyorov (Uzbekistan)
Middleweight (75kg) - Vijender Kumar vs. Angkhan Chomphuphuang (Thailand)
Gowda, Mandeep out, Indian athletes continue to disappoint
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
Beijing : Indian athletes once again failed miserably at the Olympic platform, as they were unable to produce what they had achieved to earn the Olympic berth in the first place. As a result, discus thrower, Vikas Gowda and quarter-miler Mandeep Kaur, were both eliminated in the qualification rounds itself in the Beijing Games Saturday.
Gowda, 2005 Asian Championship silver medallist, came in with a personal best of 64.96 metres, but managed only 60.69m and finished 11th in the Group B and 22nd overall to finish his Olympic campaign.
Moldovan outwits Akhil to the medal
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
Beijing : Akhil Kumar was brave even in defeat, as he went down 3-10 in a one-sided bantamweight (54kg) quarter final bout against Moldovan Gojan Vaeceslav, enduring the pain of bowing out when the Olympic medal was within his reach.
Vaeceslav cleverly picked up points, while keeping a tight guard which just did not allow the Indian to land any points-gathering punches.
Beijing Games biggest broadcast event in Olympic history
By Xinhua,
Beijing : An official with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said here Wednesday that the Beijing Olympic Games are set to become the biggest broadcast event in Olympic history.
There is an unprecedented volume of Olympic sports content available, with around 5,000 hours of coverage provided for viewers in around 200 countries, Timo Lumme, managing director of IOC Television and Marketing Services, said at a press conference in the Games' Main Press Centre.
Sushil wrestles his way to a stunning bronze
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
Beijing : Freestyle wrestler Sushil Kumar scored a stunning win over Kazakhstan's Leonid Spiridonov in the extra 30-second period after the third round of the 66 kg category to clinch a surprise bronze medal, when everyone had lost hope after his first round loss in the morning.
It was India's second medal of the Games, its first since 1952 in wrestling. It is also only the second time - the first being 1952 - that India have won more than one medal at the same Olympics.
Bhiwani coach to get Rs.2.5 mn reward
By IANS,
Bhiwani/Chandigarh : The Haryana government Friday announced that Jagdish Singh, who coached Akhil Kumar, Vijender Kumar and Jitender Kumar for the Beijing Olympics, will be given a reward of Rs.2.5 million for producing world-class boxers.
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said Jagdish Singh had worked hard to bring laurels to the country through these boxers.
"We have decided to honour him with a reward of Rs.25 lakh. He has done a lot for boxing in Haryana," Hooda said.
Britain hopes its form would last till London Games
By DPA,
Beijing : Britain aimed Friday to improve even further its sensational medal haul at the Beijing Olympics in the presence of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and amid hopes that the good results will last beyond the 2012 Games in London.
Brown Friday watched the fencing portion of the women's modern pentathlon after which Heather Fell was placed fourth overall and within striking position of the medals.
Overseas Uighur group fears ‘fierce’ repression after Olympics
By DPA,
Beijing : A US-based group of exiled members of China's Uighur ethnic community issued a statement Saturday saying it feared the Chinese government will launch a "fierce" repression of Uighurs in its northwest Xinjiang region after the Olympics.
Recent comments made by top Chinese officials and the tightened restrictions and many arrests following a spate of deadly attacks this month were indications that China may be planning a tough crack down once the Olympics end, the Uighur American Association (UAA) said.
Vaas becomes fourth bowler to claim 400 ODI wickets
By Rex Clementine, IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas became the fourth bowler to claim 400 wickets in One-day Internationals during the fourth ODI against India here Wednesday at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
Vaas reached the landmark in his seventh over of the innings when Yuvraj Singh whipped one in the air too early and was snapped up by captain Mahela Jayawardene at short mid wicket for a duck. He reached the landmark after Pakistan’s Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and team-mate Muttiah Muralitharan.
Boxers face high risk of injuries: Physio Matthews
By IANS,
New Delhi : South African physiotherapist Heath Matthews, who was included in India's Olympic contingent after a demand from the boxers, says owing to the lack of world class facilities here the highly talented Indian pugilists get exposed to a high risk of injuries.
Akhil Kumar spoke up for his fellow-boxers in insisting on the inclusion of Matthews in the Beijing-bound squad as the physio had quietly worked behind the scene for a year to keep the boxers injury-free for the Games.
Safin just wants a taste of the quiet life on court
By DPA,
New York : Russian tennis player Marat Safin yearns for the quiet life, with no disputes and no hassles as he plays at the US Open.
But the 2000 champion has already been embroiled in a spat over a foot-fault which cost the big Russian the fourth set in his five-set victory over American Vince Spadea.
Safin insists that his reputation has proceeded him on court: "I'm 28, I've been already on tour for 10 years, and I want to enjoy my tennis.
"I don't want to fight anybody. I don't want to be facing any problems on the court. I just want to enjoy."
Politicians vie with each other to honour Haryana Olympians
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Politicians in Haryana are trying to outdo each other in honouring sportspersons from the state who performed well in the Beijing Olympics.
Liverpool stadium plans delayed again
By DPA,
London : Liverpool announced that the team's plans to leave Anfield for a 60,000-seater stadium in Stanley Park has been delayed.
"Our commitment to building a new world-class Liverpool Football Club stadium is undiminished," the club said in a statement Friday.
"Like many other major development projects in the UK and overseas we are affected by global market conditions and, as such, work on the project will be delayed in the short term. We will use this period productively and revisit the plans for the stadium to increase its capacity to 73,000 seats."
2006 FIFA World Cup match may have been fixed: report
By DPA,
Hamburg (Germany) : A match at the 2006 World Cup involving five-time world champions Brazil may have been rigged by an Asian betting syndicate, a journalist has claimed in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel.
In the report to be published Monday, the Canadian journalist Declan Hill said his research had shown that an Asian syndicate wanted Ghana to lose the quarter-final match by at least two goals. Brazil went on to win 3-0 in Dortmund.
Flintoff hails captain Pietersen
By IANS,
London : England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff credited newly appointed captain Kevin Pietersen for the team's resurgence in the one-day series against South Africa.
England won by seven wickets against South Africa at Lord's Sunday to take a 4-0 series lead with one to play.
"The dressing room is different. KP is confident and that rubs off on us all,” Flintoff, who stood out in England's win by taking three wickets and scoring 31 runs, was quoted as saying in BBC sports.
Malik confident of staying as Pakistan captain
By IANS,
Karachi : With speculations rife that he might be sacked as captain, Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik Tuesday countered the charges of team's poor performance under him.
Malik gave the example of inaugural World Twenty20 championship last year where Pakistan reached the final.
"We did well in that (World Twenty20) tournament and remember Pakistan also won 12 consecutive one-dayers with me as captain earlier this year," Shoaib said Tuesday.
Brett Lee all set for passage to India
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : Australia's Hindi-speaking fast bowler Brett Lee is all set to tour India for the four Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy in October.
"Absolutely. I'm looking forward to it. Can't wait," said the 31-year-old cricketer, who has missed the One-day series against Bangladesh following the split with his podiatrist wife, Liz Kemp.
Scoreboard: India A vs New Zealand A, Day Four
By IANS,
Chennai : Scoreboard on the last day of the four-day cricket match between India A and New Zealand A.
New Zealand A (1st innings) 315
India A (1st innings): 276
New Zealand A (2nd innings): Overnight 107 for 3
Aaaron Redmond c Jadeja b Singh 5
Martin Guptill lbw b Raina 41
Peter Fulton b Mishra 33
Greg Hay c Raina b Jadeja 23
James Marshall c Vijay b Raina 43
BJ Watling (not out) 34
Reece Young c Vijay b Mishra 4
Nathan McCullum c sub (Shah) b Mishra 0
Bradley Scott (not out) 4
Extras: (b6, lb1) 7
Total (7 wickets, dec, 61 overs) 194
Scoreboard: India vs Australia; First Test, Day Two
By IANS,
Bangalore : Scoreboard at the end of second day's play in the first cricket Test between India and Australia here Friday.
Australia (First innings, overnight 254 for 4)
Matthew Hayden c Dhoni b Zaheer 0
Simon Katich c Dhoni b Ishant 66
Ricky Ponting lbw Harbhajan 123
Michael Hussey b Zaheer 146
Michael Clarke lbw b Zaheer 11
Shane Watson b Ishant 2
Brad Haddin c Laxman b Ishant 33
Cameron White c Harbhajan b Ishant 6
Brett Lee b Zaheer 27
Mitchell Johnson b Zaheer 1
Stuart Clark (not out) 0
Extras: (B-1, LB-10-; NB-3; W-1) 15.
Hundred in India is special for Australians: Hussey
By IANS,
Bangalore : After his maiden Test hundred in India, Michael Hussey said it is a matter of pride for any Australian to score century here as the conditions are so challenging.
"It is always special to score a hundred in India, arguably the toughest place for the Australians to score," said Hussey, who scored 146 to guide Australia to a first innings total of 430.
Hussey said they had their chances while India was batting.
Harbahajan, Zaheer raise hopes after top-order collapse
By James Keith, IANS,
Bangalore : Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan treated a 35,000-strong holiday crowd to pre-Diwali fireworks while rejuvenating India to end day three of the first cricket Test at 313 for eight in reply to Australia's daunting first-innings total of 430 at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium here Saturday.
Man-of-the-match Zaheer surprised by Aussies’ defensive approach
By IANS,
Bangalore : Zaheer Khan might have just demolished the uneasy facade of calmness between fierce rivals India and Australia, saying that he was surprised with the defensive approach of the visitors in the drawn first Test.
Zaheer's comments will surely not go down well with the feisty Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who set a challenging 299-run target in 83 overs on the last day of the Test Monday.
"I have not seen any Australian team playing so defensive. We were surprised," Zaheer said.