IPL scoreboard: Chennai Super Kings vs. Rajasthan Royals
By IANS,
Chennai: The following is the scoreboard of an Indian Premier League match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals:
Murali Vijay c Fazal b Watson 127 (56b, 11 x 6, 8 x 4)
Matthew Hayden c Watson b Wagh 34 (21b, 1 x 6, 5 x 4)
Suresh Raina c Tait b Warne 13 (7b, 2 x 4)
Albie Morkel run out Narwal 62 (34b, 5 x 6, 3 x 4)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Narwal b Watson 00 (1b)
Subramaniam Badrinath not out 4 (1b, 1 x 4)
Anirudha Srikkanth (not out) 0 (0b)
Extras: (b-4, w-2)6
Total: (for five wickets in 20 overs) 246.
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan to enter World T20 final
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 16 runs to enter the final of the World Twenty20 tournament at the R. Premadasa Stadium here Thursday.
Irani Trophy: Munaf strikes for Rest Of India
By IANS,
Vadodara : Munaf Patel's triple strike brought Rest of India (ROI) back into the match as Ranji Trophy Champions Delhi were left tottering at 131 for five at lunch on day two of their Irani Trophy encounter here Thursday.
ROI were dismissed for 252 in their first innings Wednesday, but Munaf took three for 23 to peg back the opposition at the Reliance Stadium.
Resuming at their overnight score of 21 for no loss, Delhi lost opener Gautam Gambhir (5) in the second over of the day. The in-form Gambhir was caught in the slips by Rahul Dravid off Zaheer Khan.
Shami credits Akram, Gambhir
By IANS,
New Delhi : India's promising young pacer Shami Ahmed has credited Pakistan bowling legend Wasim Akram and India opener Gautam Gambhir for his success.
Indian men’s hockey team fail to make it to Beijing Olympics
By IANS
Santiago (Chile) : Great Britain shut the Olympic door on India's face as two quick strikes in the first 10 minutes of the final qualifier game here spelt disaster for the Indian hockey team that will now sit out the Olympic Games for the first time since 1928.
With the Olympic qualification boiling down to one final game Sunday, India failed to rise to the occasion. India had earlier lost to Great Britain 2-3 in the league phase.
Australia opt to bat; Henriques, Bhuvaneshwar set for debut
By IANS,
Chennai: Australia captain Michael Clarke won the toss and opted to bat against India in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy here Friday.
Loss a bitter pill to swallow, says Pietersen
By Anand Philar, IANS,
Chennai : A dejected England captain Kevin Pietersen Monday conceded that the six-wicket loss to India in the first cricket Test was a "bitter pill to swallow" considering that his side had control the match much of the time.
Spain, Netherlands break yellow card record
By DPA,
Johannesburg : When English referee Howard Webb booked Dutch defender John Heitinga in the 57th minute of Sunday's World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain, he was probably not aware that he was just writing his name into the history books.
Heitinga was the seventh player to be booked in the match, which is the highest number of bookings ever to be dished out in a World Cup final.
The Everton defender became only the fourth player in the history of the competition to be sent off in a final when he was booked for the second time in the second half of extra-time.
Akhtar likely to return to Pakistan team
By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar is likely to make another return to the national team for the Asia Cup and England tour.
The fast bowler convinced the top Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) brass with his fitness while performing in the last month’s Pentangular Cup One-Day cricket tournament.
According to sources, the selection committee headed by former Test cricketer Mohsin Hasan Khan is considering the pacer for team’s assignments later this summer.
India regains second spot in ICC Test rankings
By IANS
Dubai : Despite the loss in the first two Test matches in the ongoing four-match Border-Gavaskar series, India has regained second place in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings.
India is level on 109 points with Sri Lanka but is shown to be ahead of Mahela Jayawardena's team when the points are calculated beyond the decimal point. Australia is still way out in front of the rest on 143 ratings points, some 34 clear of its nearest rival.
Football talent hunt to cover 50 Indian cities
By Abhishek Roy, IANS,
Johannesburg : Global beverages major Coca-Cola's football talent hunt initiative will be extended to 50 Indian cities this year as against eight last year.
The joint venture with the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) was restricted to the under-16 age-group last year, but will now encompass the under-18 as well.
As part of the eight-city national initiative last year, 16 promising footballers were picked from a pool of 3,000 aspirants who were put through a massive 272-match programme.
Hope IPL-broadcasters dispute will be resolved: Juhi Chawla
By IANS,
Kolkata : Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Juhi Chawla Friday said the standoff between News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and Indian Premier League (IPL) would affect the coverage of the cash-rich league and hoped it would be resolved amicably.
"Like all the IPL franchisees, we also need coverage and this standoff will affect it. But we are a component of IPL and we will stand by whatever decision IPL takes. But I hope things will be resolved amicably," she said at a press conference here.
UEFA Champions League winners
Berlin: The following are European Champions League winners after Barcelona beat Juventus 3-1 to win the 2014-2015 competition here on Saturday:
2014-2015: Barcelona (Spain)
2013-2014: Real...
Reigning champs Italy held to a draw by Paraguay
By DPA,
Cape Town : Reigning champions Italy took advantage of a goalkeeping blunder to come back for a 1-1 draw with Paraguay in Monday's opening Group F match in Cape Town.
Paraguay defender Antolin Alcaraz opened the scoring with a header in the 39th minute, but Daniele De Rossi equalized in the 63rd by taking advantage of Paraguay keeper Justo Villar's failed clearance attempt to knot the game at the Green Point Stadium.
The other Group F match, to be played Tuesday, was to pit New Zealand versus Slovakia.
Simi takes a shot at Binhai Open in Shanghai
By IANS,
Shanghai : It has been quite some time since India's female golf icon Smriti Mehra last won an international event; she attributes that to injuries that resulted in a drop in form.
Come Thursday, Simi, as she's affectionately called, wants a crack at the title as she tees up for the $300,000 Binhai Open, the flagship tournament on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT) here.
Second Test: England 130/2 at lunch on day three
By IANS,
Nottingham : England were 130/2 in their second innings at lunch on the third day of the second cricket Test against India here Sunday.
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.
Kolkata all set to give a grand farewell to Kahn
By Abhishek Roy, IANS,
Kolkata : When Bayern Munich take on city giants Mohun Bagan in an exhibition match here Tuesday, which would be legendary goalkeeper Oliver Kahn's farewell game, the focus will not be on class or competitive football.
The Bavarians have made it clear that it is social service which is high on their agenda, not football.
The German champions are in India for the first time as a part of their Asian Tour and have created a lot of buzz in the city known for its football passion.
World T20: Gayle confident Windies can go all the way
By IANS/CMC,
Pallekele: Opening batsman Chris Gayle says he remains confident the West Indies can advance to the finals of the ICC world Twenty20 tournament currently underway in Sri Lanka.
Asian Games medals tally, Day 13
By IANS,
Guangzhou: Medals tally on thirteenth day of the Asian Games here Thursday:
Country G S B T
1 China 180 103 91 374
2 South Korea 72 60 85 217
3 Japan 39 68 86 193
Commonwealth Games a proud moment for India: PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Amid uproar over corruption in the Commonwealth Games, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday said the October mega event will be a "success" and it will be a "proud moment for the whole country".
"The Commonwealth Games will start in Delhi after about one and a half months. This will be a proud moment for the whole country and especially for Delhi," he said in his Independence Day speech.
Participation aggrement could have saved AIFF
By IANS,
New Delhi: Senior officials of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) now feel that they should have entered into a participation agreement with the teams playing in the Nehru Cup and that would have saved the federation from the embarrassment Thailand and Palestine caused by choosing to send nondescript junior teams.
Railways trounce Haryana to win national women’s hockey title
By IANS,
Sonepat : Railways trounced Haryana 7-1 to win the Senior National Women's Hockey Championship at the Motilal Nehru Sports School here Sunday.
Yuvraj, Harbhajan to get Rs.1 crore each from Punjab
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Punjab Monday announced a cash award of Rs.1 crore each for Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh, who hail from the state and were part of the World Cup winning cricket team.
Salman, acrobats, laser show lend glamour to IPL final
By IANS,
Mumbai : Though Shah Rukh Khan was not there, fellow Bollywood actor Salman Khan danced with a bevy of starlets to popular chartbusters amid razzmatazz, setting the tempo before the start of the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) final between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals here Sunday.
Salman, always a crowd puller, had the audience swaying as he performed to songs from his forthcoming film with an entourage of 24 dancers in the background. Kim Sharma, Shamita Shetty, Dia Mirza and Sameera Reddy also shared the stage with him at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Nerul.
Women’s hockey team ready for World Cup challenge
By Alkesh Sharma,IANS,
Chandigarh : Women's hockey team, which was recently rocked by allegations of sexual harassment, is now trying to re-group as both coach and captain are expecting good results in the World Cup at Rosario, Argentina, from Aug 29.
The team's one-week training camp under coach-in-charge Sandeep Somesh concluded Friday at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala.
Spanish Primera Liga football standings
Madrid, Sep 28 (Xinhua) Following are the Spanish Primera Liga football standings after Thursday's matches (tabulated under games played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against and points):
Real Madrid 5 4 1 0 13 3 13
Villarreal 5 4 0 1 8 5 12
Valencia 5 4 0 1 8 7 12
Barcelona 5 3 2 0 9 3 11
Atletico Madrid 5 2 2 1 9 4 8
Real Mallorca 5 2 2 1 9 5 8
Recreativo Huelva 5 2 2 1 7 7 8
Almeria 5 2 1 2 7 6 7
Espanyol 5 2 1 2 7 7 7
Sevilla 4 2 0 2 11 7 6
Osasuna 4 1 2 1 5 3 5
Real Valladolid 5 1 2 2 7 9 5
Real Murcia 5 1 2 2 3 5 5
Real Zaragoza 5 1 2 2 6 9 5
Olympics flame reaches Everest, China congratulates climbers
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping congratulated climbers for successfully carrying the Olympics torch to the peak of Mount Everest Thursday morning.
"This is one of the greatest events in the history of Olympic Games and a precious gift given by the Chinese to the Olympics and people worldwide," Xi said in a message to the climbers.
Mumbai terror attack cost me a recall: Vaughan
By IANS,
London : Former England captain Michael Vaughan feels last
month's Mumbai terror attacks robbed him of a chance to press his claims to
the national side.
Vaughan, who stepped down as England captain in August, went to India with
the Elite Performance Squad but terror attack in Mumbai led to the
cancellation of England Lions games, which he hoped to use to show that he
can still deliver.
Vaughan was awarded a central contract earlier this year, but has not played
for England since resigning the captaincy.
Randhawa slips to tied 16th on final day
By IANS,
Kyoto : Jyoti Randhawa was unable to recover from a poor start and ended with a five-over 76 that saw him slide out of top-10 and finish tied 16th at the end of the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open here Sunday.
Randhawa ended with a four day total of two-over 286. India's other challenger Gaganjeet Bhullar improved on his third day's 79 by shooting a 74 and finished tied 51st at 10-over 294. Randhawa picked up $16,422 and Bhullar $7,370 for the week's work.
Government to collect Rs.7.45 lakh crore tax in 2010-11
By IANS,
New Delhi: The government is confident of meeting its tax revenue target of Rs.7.45 lakh crore for the current fiscal, Revenue Secretary Sunil Mitra said Wednesday.
Services shock Bengal to enter Santosh Trophy final
By IANS,
Srinagar : Services stunned 29-time champions Bengal to enter the final of the 62nd National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy here Thursday.
Services striker S. Raleng struck thrice while Norgan Lama scored one goal to complete the tally while Lal Kamal Bhowmick scored the consolatory goal for Bengal in the first semi-final.
Raleng also became the highest scorer of the championship with 13 goals from nine matches that also includes a hat-trick in the quarter final stage.
Boxer Akhil goes down in Olympic quarters
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
Beijing : India's hopes for its first ever Olympic boxing medal from bantamweight (54kg) competitor Akhil Kumar evaporated with the pugilist going down 3-10 to Moldovan Veaceslav Gojan the quarterfinals at the Games here Monday.
A win away from a medal, the Indian seemed to have reached a dead end against Gojan, who displayed oodles of patience and adopted a calculated defensive ploy to sail into the semi final.
Double blow for Thai weightlifter
By DPA,
Bangkok : Thai Olympic hope Pensri Laosirikul suffered a double blow when she failed to win a medal in the Beijing Gamesand a fire killed her two pet dogs in Thailand, news reports said Sunday.
Pensri finish fifth in her weightlifting event on Saturday, missing out on a medal.
While she was competing a fire broke out in her dormitory at a training camp in Chiang Mai, 650 kilometres north of Bangkok, destroying her belongings and killing her two pet dogs.
Ponting shocked over Katich’s omission
By IANS,
Sydney : Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting says he was shocked to know that Simon Katich was not offered a contract by Cricket Australia (CA).
Sangakkara asks seniors to step up
By IANS,
New Delhi: Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara has asked the senior players in the side to step up their performance for a face-saving win in the fifth and final one-day international against India at the Ferozeshah Kotla here Sunday.
The Sri Lankan team has already lost the ODI series, but would hope to finish the two-month long tour on a winning note.
Sangakkara said there has not been much difference between the two sides, but they have failed to close the matches.
The big branding game plays out on IPL pitches
By Nayanima Basu, IANS,
New Delhi : With the promise of keeping viewers glued to their TV sets, cricket's biggest fiesta Indian Premier League (IPL) has unfolded with mega stars on the field - and off it too - and marketing teams pitching in with multimillion rupee budgets to cash in on the action.
Gillespie announces retirement, to join ICL
By IANS
Adelaide : Fast bowler Jason Gillespie Friday announced his retirement from first class Australian cricket to play in the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Gillispie called it a day during the lunch break of his team South Australia's Pura Cup encounter with Queensland at the Adelaide Oval.
Sri Lanka beat New Zealand, both advance
By IANS
Johannesburg : Sanath Jayasuriya propelled Sri Lanka to a seven-wicket win over New Zealand in a Twenty20 World Championship cricket match here Saturday, but both teams advanced to the second round.
Jayasuriya hammered a 44-ball 61, including six boundaries and three sixes, to help Sri Lanka overhaul New Zealand's 164 for seven wickets in 20 overs. Sri Lanka finished at 168 for three in 18.5 overs, winning with seven balls to spare at the New Wanderers Stadium.
Indian team for junior World Cup badminton
By IANS
New Delhi : A 12-member Indian team, including six girls, will take part in the Junior Badminton World Championship in Auckland starting Oct 24.
The 11-day championship will end Nov 4, a Badminton Association of India official told IANS.
A coaching camp started in Jalandhar Tuesday and will end Oct 22. The squad, also comprising two coaches, leaves for New Zealand the following day, said the official.
Squad:
Rajasthan NGO accuses Lalit Modi of cheating, forgery
By IANS,
Jaipur : A Jaipur based voluntary organisation Sunday filed a police complaint against Lalit Modi, the president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association and the brain behind the Indian Premier League (IPL), for alleged misappropriation of funds.
"Nagrik Morcha has filed an FIR (first information report) under section 420 and section 467 of the IPC against Modi with us today (Sunday)," a police official of Jyoti Nagar police station told IANS.
Section 420 deals with cheating and section 467 with forgery of valuable security.
Intikhab plan for boosting sports in Pakistan
By IANS,
Karachi: Former Pakistan captain and coach Intikhab Alam Saturday unveiled a proposal for provincial governments to lift the standard of cricket and other sports in the country.
"What I'm proposing is that governments in Punjab and other three provinces should start adopting youngsters and train them in their respective sports," he told The News daily in an interview.
Henin storms into Proximus Diamond semi-finals
By DPA
Antwerp (Belgium) : World No. 1 Justine Henin came out strong to thrash an unknown opponent in Russian Alisa Kleybanova 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the Proximus Diamond Games here.
Henin, who is competing at home for the first time since a 2003 semi-final appearance at the Sportpaleis, will Saturday play Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky, who profited from ill health against third seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 4-6, 4-1.
Hantuchova had to quit with a cold, which she has been carrying for nearly week.
Bhupathi-Mirnyi to meet Paes-Dlouhy in Miami final
By IANS,
Miami: India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi of Belarus overcame Poland's Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 7-6(4), 6-4 the Sony Ericsson Open doubles final tennis.
Fourth-seeded Bhupathi and Mirnyi now play third seeds Leander Paes, Bhupathi's compatriot and former doubles partner, and Czech Lukas Dlouhy, who Thursday beat Spaniards Nicolas Almagro and Tommy Robredo.
Bhupathi and Mirnyi served solid, with a 72 per cent first serve percentage, and broke their opponents' serve twice in the one hour and 20 minutes contest here Friday.
Yousuf hopes Younis will join Pakistan team for ODI series
By IANS,
Hobart : Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf is confident that his predecessor Younis Khan will return to strengthen the team's batting ahead of the five-match one-day series that gets underway Jan 22 in Brisbane.
Younis is likely to make his international comeback after missing the Test tour of New Zealand and the three-match Test series against Australia that concludes here January 19.
Yousuf hoped that his long-time batting partner Younis will make a successful comeback in the one-day series.
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
India’s budding players to train at Brazilian Football Academy
By IANS,
Kolkata : Sixteen budding Indian footballers from seven schools will fly out to Brazil for a six-day training camp beginning Monday.
The players, selected from among 3,000 footballers who participated in an all-India tournament held across eight cities, would attend the camp in Rio de Janeiro till July 12.
Former India international Jo Paul Ancheri would accompany the players as coach.
Organised by beverage giant Coca Cola in partnership with Brazilian Football Academy (BFA), the camp would see the Indian footballers joining 312 others from 24 countries.
With an Italian manager England have no chance, feels Cryuff
By IANS,
London : Dutch soccer legend Johan Cruyff feels that with Fabio Capello in charge, England have no chance of lifting the World Cup in South Africa.
Cruyff feels that the growing influence of Italian coaches was part of a wider problem in English football suggesting that Capello as well as Roberto Mancini and Carlo Ancelotti have been responsible for a mentality shift that prioritises the result alone.
"With Capello on the bench, all the world knows how England will play. It's a curious situation in England," Cruyff told The Mirror.
Pakistani media restrained on Twenty20 loss
Islamabad, Sep 25 (IANS) The Pakistani media Tuesday reacted with restraint to the loss to India in the final of the inaugural Twenty20 World Championships at Johannesburg, with one newspaper saying cricket was the winner and another lamenting: "What a heartbreak!"
There were analyses galore, with former Test captain Intikhab Alam decrying Misbahul Haq's "stupid shot" in the last over that cost Pakistan the match, while Rashid Latif, another former skipper said the result shouldn't have come as a surprise - but that there was still hope for the country.
India beat Sri Lanka 2-0 to become top Test team
By IANS,
Mumbai: India crushed Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the third and final cricket Test to claim the series 2-0 at the historic Brabourne Stadium here Sunday and became the top Test team in the International Cricket Council's rankings.
India bowled out Sri Lanka for 309 in their second innings half-an-hour after the start of play on the fifth and final morning.
The visiting team were packed off for 393 in the first innings and India piled up 726 with Virender Sehwag scoring a sensational 293 and Mahendra Singh Dhoni making an unbeaten century.
Kalinga Sena threatens to disrupt IPL matches in Orissa
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Kalinga Sena, a fringe political outfit in Orissa, Thursday set four conditions for allowing IPL matches to be played in the state's Barabati stadium next month and threatened to disrupt them if their demands, including not allowing Australians to play there, 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.
Swimmers give South Africa lead in gold hunt
By Xinhua
Algiers (Algeria) : South Africa secured the pole position in the gold hunt at the All-Africa Games as their swimmers stirred up a big splash in the pool to capture four gold medals out of six at stake on the first-day.
The South African swimmers capped their impressive performance in the women's 4x200 metres relay race when the quartet from South Africa led all the way to finish first in 8:28.46 and landed the fourth gold for their delegation Thursday.
Beijing hopes to make $400 mln from Olympic tourists
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : Beijing expects to earn around $400 mln from tourists during the 2008 Olympic Games, the deputy head of the Beijing Tourism Administration said on Tuesday.
Beijing will play host to between 450,000 and 500,000 overseas visitors during August, including 120,000 who are expected to arrive to attend the Games.
"We expect an Olympic tourist revenue of around $400 mln," Xiong Yumei said.
Under-19 cricket stars to train in Australia
By IANS,
New Delhi : Virat Kohli, Pradeep Sangwan and Tanmay Srivastava, who were part of India's Under-19 World Cup winning squad this year, have been awarded the Border-Gavaskar scholarships for 2008.
They will undergo six weeks training at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, Australia.
Mumbai seamer Dhaval Kulkarni, who did well for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, has been also named for the training stint.
Dhaval's trip is being sponsored by the Mumbai Cricket Association, under their recently-instituted Dilip Sardesai scholarship.
South Africa coach not in favour of triangular series
By IANS,
Durban : South Africa's cricket coach Mickey Arthur does not favour the team playing a triangular cricket series in June against India and Zimbabwe.
Arthur said he would want his side to play in September to warm up for the Champions Trophy tournament that is taking place in South Africa at the end of that month instead of the series in Zimbabwe.
Arthur said his side needs proper rest between the end of the Twenty20 World Cup in England in June and the start of their preparation for the Champions Trophy tournament, according to media reports here.
Under-14 rugby team from India making waves in Australia
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : An under-14 rugby team from Orissa is going places, winning matches against seasoned state and territory teams around Australia.
The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences' under-14 rugby team based in Bhubaneswar - which won the under-14 International School Rugby World Cup 2007 in Britain last September - is on its second international tour. The team has won its fixtures against the Northern Territory team in Darwin and against the under-14 team of the Lloyd McDermott Foundation (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rugby Union) in Sydney.
India will tour Pakistan, BCCI to PCB
By IANS,
Karachi : The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) breathed a sigh of relief Tuesday after the Indian cricket board assured them that India will visit the country early next year as scheduled.
A PCB spokesman said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar has assured PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt that the Indian team will tour Pakistan to honour its commitment as per the International Cricket Council's Futures Tour Programme.
Bangalore warms up for India-Pakistan T20 Christmas party
BY IANS,
Bangalore: A defiant India will take on an upbeat Pakistan Christmas night Tuesday in a high-octane T20 tie at the Chinnaswamy stadium in this tech hub amid unprecedented security.
After Tendulkar, Aamer now eyeing Ponting’s wicket
By IANS,
Centurion : After picking up the prized wicket of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, Pakistan's teenage pacer Mohammad Aamer is living a dream but he is still looking to have more fun.
The lanky left-armer made an impressive international debut at the World Twenty20 in England last June and is making waves at the Champions Trophy in South Africa.
After Tendulkar, Aamer has now set his sight on another batting great - Australia captain Ricky Ponting.
Hanover edge closer to international football
By DPA
Hanover : Bundesliga club Hanover 96 retained their chance of qualifying for international football next season with a 2-0 league victory over rivals Energie Cottbus.
Sachin injured during net practice
By IANS,
Kolkata : Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar sustained injury in his right ankle during a practice session Wednesday at Eden Gardens.
Sources within the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) said that Tendulkar got hurt while trying to negotiate a delivery from pacer S. Sreesanth.
The injury might not be too serious but Tendulkar was seen limping back to the dressing room for medical assistance at around 4 p.m., the sources said.
Atwal misses cut by two, crashes out of Miccosukee Championship
By IANS
Miami : Arjun Atwal needing a birdie on the last hole to make the cut, went for a bogey and crashed out of the Miccosukee Championship, the final full-field event of the season on the Nationwide Tour.
Atwal, who shot 73 in the first round, carded 70 in the second and at one-over 143, he missed the cut by two.
Atwal is currently 57th on the Nationwide Money List and will need to wait till Sunday if he makes the top-60 to be find a berth in the Tour Championships next week.
Kruttika Nadig is women’s national chess champion
By IANS,
New Delhi : Kruttika Nadig of Maharashtra won the 35th Parsvnath National Women chess title by playing a safe draw in the 11th and final round of the tournament here Sunday.
She totalled eight points as she settled for a quick draw against third seed and state mate Eesha Karavade in Sicilian defence in just 20 moves.
Kruttika achieved 11-round Women Grandmaster norm from this championship and also pocketed Rs.100,000 as prize money.
Kalmadi hits out at Aiyar for CWG comment
By IANS,
New Delhi : Nobody could spoil the Commonwealth Games, event organiser Suresh Kalmadi said Tuesday in a sharp - and swift - response to Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar's declaration that he would be happy if the Games were a failure.
"If Aiyar had been sports minister, no stadia would have been ready," Kalmadi, the chairperson of the Commonwealth Games organising committee, said at a function here.
He stressed that nobody could spoil the Games.
Younis Khan resigns as Pakistan cricket captain
By IANS,
Islamabad: Younis Khan has resigned as the Pakistan cricket captain following allegations of match fixing levelled against the team after its semi-final loss in the Champions Trophy.
Younis tendered his resignation to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ejaz Butt Tuesday, the Online news agency reported.
Younis was apparently fed up with the allegations levelled by the National Assembly Standing Committee for Sports against him following the semi-final defeat against New Zealand in South Africa.
Arrange security yourselves, Mamata tells sports clubs
By IANS,
Kolkata: Citing shortage of state police personnel, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday asked the sporting clubs to arrange for their own security during games.
ICC asks BCCI to meet ICL officials
By IANS,
Dubai : The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has asked Indian cricket board president Shashank Manohar to meet the officials of the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).
The decision was taken by ICC Board Tuesday after it received a formal application for approval from the ICL.
"Manohar agreed to provide the Board with a full written report of those discussions in due course," the ICC said in a statement.
India to miss Kirsten in series decider
By Rex Clementine, IANS,
Colombo : India will be without coach Gary Kirsten for the crucial third Test against Sri Lanka as the South African would fly home to be with his mother, who is critically ill with cancer. Kirsten is scheduled to fly home to Cape Town Tuesday evening.
"It's a blow. I have to fly home but these players are aware what they need to do," Kirsten told journalists while leaving the team hotel.
"I have complete faith in what Anil (Kumble) can do. He can take over the reins. We had an extensive chat yesterday over what needs to be done."
Visas for Pakistani fans ‘bomb’ before Mohali ODI
By Jaideep Sarin, IANS
Mohali : The recent bombings in various parts of India have taken a toll on cricket with only 250 Pakistanis being allowed to come to watch the one-day international (ODI) in Mohali next month.
Only 250 visas have been allowed for fans wanting to cross the border at Attari-Wagah to see the ODI match between India and Pakistan to be played Nov 8 at the majestic Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) ground at Mohali, 10 km from Chandigarh.
Indians need a balanced bowling attack
By Ashis Ray, IANSÂ
London : Indian cricketers led by Rahul Dravid assembled here Wednesday for the most important leg of their visit to the British Isles - the tour of England for three test matches and seven one-day internationals.
Celebs congratulate Mumbai Indians on Twitter
By IANS,
Kolkata: Congratulations kept rolling in as celebs took to Twitter to laud the Mumbai Indians for their triumph in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League Sunday.
India open against Russia in Olympic hockey qualifier
By IANS
Chennai : India will meet Russia in their opening league fixture in the men's 2008 Olympic hockey qualifying tournament in Santiago, Chile, starting March 1, according to the revised schedule released by the organisers.
Russia replace Bangladesh, who withdrew from the tournament for reasons yet to be specified, according to information received here.
Austria, Chile, Great Britain and Mexico along with India and Russia complete the six-team line-up from which the tournament winner will qualify for the Beijing Olympics in August.
Revised schedule:
March 1:
Beckham and Pele – two different eras, two different challenges
By IANS
Los Angeles : Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.
Former US president John F. Kennedy's patriotic plea seems tailor-made to adapt for David Beckham's mission statement: Ask not what football can do for me but what I can do for football.
After all, Beckham is coming to the US to save football. Isn't he?
Rahman wins Bangalore Open golf
By IANS,
Bangalore : Mohammad Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh bagged his third title on the Aircel PGTI when he shot a one under 71 to win the Global Green Bangalore Open by one stroke at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) course Saturday.
Siddikur totalled eight under 280 for the week. He has now climbed from 20th to seventh on the Aircel PGTI Order of Merit as a result of his victory. Ranjit Singh was second with a tournament total of seven under 281.
Clashes in Seoul as Olympic torch relay continues
By DPA,
Seoul : The Olympic torch relay continued Sunday in the South Korean capital with shouts of pro-China demonstrators and amid strict security.
Shortly after the torch set off from the Olympic Park in the south of the city Sunday afternoon, witnesses reported clashes between the Chinese and some 50 people taking part in a protest against the deportation of North Korean refugees from China.
A middle-aged man tried to immolate himself in protest against the treatment of the North Korean refugees but was stopped by the police before he could set himself on fire.
Iranian women footballers steal limelight despite defeat
By IANS
New Delhi : Covered from head to toe, Iranian women footballers Saturday displayed some grit and determination and stole the limelight despite their 1-3 loss to hosts India in the first round qualifier of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup at the Devi Lal Sports Complex in Gurgaon.
Under the Iranian law, women footballers must cover their body right from head to toe. And it was no different Saturday, as the Iranian eves in their special red veil gave the hosts a tough fight.
Inter Milan, AC Milan in trouble for false bookkeeping
By DPA
Milan : Italian champions Inter Milan face sanctions which could include the stripping of a title in an investigation on false bookkeeping, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported Thursday.
Indian batsmen need to click in fourth ODI
By IANS
Chandigarh : Two down in the seven-match series, India will need to show drastic improvement in their batting against in-form Australia in the fourth One-Day International (ODI) here Monday.
It will take some really good cricket, especially sensible batting, for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team to challenge Ricky Ponting's squad at the Sector 16 Stadium, where international cricket returns after a 14-year hiatus.
Sania to wed Shoaib today, to be his second wife
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Sania Mirza will tie the knot with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik here Friday with the 'nikahnama', or the marriage document, clearly stating that the Indian tennis star would be his second wife.
Sources in 'Qazat', or a section of Wakf Board, which deals with Muslim marriages, told IANS that the nikahnama will clearly mention this to be Shoaib's second marriage.
Azmatullah Jafari, one of the qazis of the area in which Sania's house is located, told reporters Friday that the nikah would be performed after the 'maghrib' prayers after sunset.
At tea, Australia trail India by 398
By IANS,
Nagpur : Australia were 43 for one in their first innings in reply to India's 441 at tea on the second day of the fourth and last Test at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium here Friday.
Simon Katich was batting on 18 and skipper Ricky Ponting was on seven at the break after Matthew Hayden (16) was run out.
Syria will look to prove their top billing against Kyrgyzstan
By IANS,
New Delhi : Syria, runners-up last time, are the highest ranked team at the ONGC Nehru Cup 2009 and they will have to live up to their top billing when they face 160th ranked Kyrgyzstan in the second game of the ONGC Nehru Cup here Thursday.
Going by their recent track record, 96th-ranked Syria undoubtedly are the tournament favourites as they had beaten China and Lebanon in the Asian Cup qualifiers and currently are at the top of Group D.
Syria's coach Fazer Ibrahim said for him the Nehru Cup is a preparation to qualify for the Asian Cup.
Kings XI snatch exciting win from Chennai Super Kings
By IANS,
Chennai : The Kings XI Punjab came back from a seemingly hopeless position to score a thrilling victory against the Chennai Super Kings here late Sunday, the final result coming in the Super Over after the teams had tied the scores.
Asked to bat first, the Kings XI made 136 for eight in 20 overs and in reply the Super Kings collapsed from 65 for no loss to tie the scores with one delivery left.
Ravichandran Ashwin was then caught off the last ball with Super Kings on 136 for seven.
Scintillating prospects for African Cup of Nations semi-finals
By DPA
Accra (Ghana) : Cameroon captain Rigobert Song believes that his side has more than a good chance of winning Thursday's African Cup of Nations semi-final against hosts Ghana.
The Indomitable Lions beat Tunisia 3-2 in extra time Monday through two goals by Stephen Mbia and one by Newcastle winger Geremi Njitap to advance to the semi-finals.
Song, who has played in every minute of every game for Cameroon at the Nations Cup since 1996 for a total of 31 games, said that he was happy that the side had proved the pundits wrong against Tunisia.
Kibaki invites FIFA World Cup teams to train in Kenya
By IANS,
Nairobi: Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki has invited the qualifying teams to take advantage of the country's state-of-the-art sport facilities for training before their FIFA World Cup contest in South Africa next year.
He said a committee has been formed to work on the modalities to invite the teams which have qualified for the event.
He pointed out that the country is well connected with all parts of the globe and is just a few hours away from South Africa by air.
Mukesh in command at Centurion Bank Punjab Open golf
By IANS
Chandigarh : Experienced Mukesh Kumar shot a three under 69 to open up a two-stroke lead after round two of the Centurion Bank Punjab Open golf here Friday.
Mukesh took his total to eight under 136. Gaganjeet Bhullar and Vijay Kumar are tied second as they trail Mukesh by two strokes.
C. Muniyappa is a further stroke behind in fourth. Round one joint leader Ashbeer Saini slipped to fifth as the cut was made at six over. Fifty eight professionals and four amateurs made the cut.
Uttar Pradesh man first South Asian to judge world judo championships
By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Judo Association secretary Munawar Anzar has been given the world referee licence by the International Judo Federation, the first South Asian to get the coveted licence.
Anzar, who started his career as a judo referee in 1994, would now judge world championship matches.
In the 2003 African games, he received the international referee licence (IRL) enabling him to participate in international events, but not in those that decide world judo champions.
Beijing Police Nab Olympic Ticket Scalpers
By Tham Choy Lin, Bernama,
Beijing : Beijing police have detained a gang led by an advertising agency owner which used fake identity cards to buy more than 1,500 Olympic Games tickets and resell them for a 50 per cent profit, state media said.
The gang is said to have opened 920 bank accounts in Beijing and neighbouring Hebei province with stolen personal information from as many as 2,500 people and counterfeit identity cards to pay for the tickets purchased online, according to a "Beijing News" report.
What transformation, from nobody to somebody!
By Veturi Srivatsa,
Where does one put one’s finger on for India staying unbeaten, winning all their five Pool B matches in the World Cup? For once, answers are easy.
The major achievement is that the Indians bowled the opposition out in all matches with all-round performances.
Olympics: Schedule of events involving Indian athletes Wednesday
By IANS,
London : Following is the schedule of events involving Indian athletes at the London Olympic Games Wednesday.
Will IPL concept improve cricket at grassroots level?
By Avishek Roy, IANS
New Delhi : Powered by top-flight business houses and Bollywood bigwigs, the Indian Premier League (IPL) might usher in a new revolution in cricket, changing the rules of the game once and for all.
But the big question is how much of the new concept will percolate down to improve the game at the grassroots level.
Adviser to Delhi franchise GMR Group B. Vanchi feels the IPL will boost cricket at the grassroots level.
As a first step, the group has floated GMR sports infrastructure to explore the "future possibilities" of IPL.
Eric Simmons appointed India’s bowling consultant
By IANS,
New Delhi : Former South Africa coach Eric Simmons has been appointed as the bowling consultant for the Indian cricket team, it was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) here Monday.
Simmons will be joining the team in Bangladesh for the Test series starting Jan 17 and then the subsequent series against South Africa at home.
"Eric Simons has been appointed bowling consultant... for the Test series against Bangladesh and the test and ODI series against South Africa," BCCI said in a statement.
IOA sacks K P S Gill, dissolves IHF
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in a bold move Monday dissolved the Indian Hockey Federation, sacked its President K P S Gill and took over the reins of the game.
IOA, at its emergency Executive Committee meeting in which Gill was also present, decided to form a five-member ad-hoc committee to run the sport and named a five-member selection committee of Olympians.
Tendulkar is India’s leading run-getter
By IANS
Perth : Sachin Tendulkar, after six innings in the current series, is the leading run-getter for India - 327 at an average of 65.40. He is the only Indian in the current Test series against Australia to have averaged 60-plus.
The averages of the other top Indian batsmen are: V. V. S. Laxman (50.50), Sourav Ganguly (35.00) and Rahul Dravid (34.66).
ICC rejects Howard’s nomination
By IANS,
Singapore : The International Cricket Council (ICC) Wednesday rejected the nomination of former Australian prime minister John Howard for the ICC vice president (2010-12).
Howard's nomination was forwarded by Cricket Australia (CA) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC), who said they were "deeply disaapointed" at the rejection.
The ICC executive board met here Wednesday to discuss Howard's nomination.
Prakash in pre-quarter-finals of Calabasas Challenger
By IANS,
Calabasas (California) : India's Prakash Amritraj outplayed Australian Robert Smeets to move into the pre-quarter-finals of the $50,000 Mercedes Benz tennis Challenger tournament.
Prakash, ranked 227, beat 172-ranked Smeets 6-4,6-3 on the hard courts here Monday.
Prakash next plays Peru's Ivan Miranda who shocked fifth-seeded American Kevin Kim, winning 7-5,7-6(2).
Another Indian Somdev Devvarman, who is also listed in main draw, will take on American Alex Bogomolov jr. in his opening match.
Night out at French Beach didn’t help India cricketers
By K. Hussain, IANS,
Karachi : Three members of the Indian team that crashed to a pathetic 100-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final here Sunday spent a night out on an elite Karachi beach just a day before the big game.
Incidentally, the three players -- Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma -- failed to make any worthwhile contributions to India's cause in the one-sided final.
Liverpool stay ahead as all big four clubs win
By DPA,
London : Victories for Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal meant there was no change at the top of the English Premier League.
Three second-half goals gave Liverpool a 3-1 win at struggling Blackburn Rovers, while Chelsea won 2-0 at Bolton Wanderers, meaning that the Merseyside club's one point lead remains intact after Saturday's matches.
National Games: Maharashtra continue at top of medal tally
By IANS,
Ranchi: Maharashtra Friday continued to top the overall medal tally with 28 gold at the 34th National Games here.
Drained Aussie quickie Tait rested from all cricket
By IANS
Melbourne : Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait, suffering from "physical and emotional exhaustion", is being rested from all forms of the game to undergo a special programme aimed at his rehabilitation.
The 24-year-old right-arm bowler, who missed most of the recent Test series against India, said that it was a difficult time for him and hoped the rest would give him a "clear mind and a chance" for his body to recover from recent injuries.
Lord’s to stage first day-night match in September
By IANS
London : The unofficial home of cricket, Lord's, is to stage its first day-night match in September after Westminster Council approved the temporary installation of floodlights at the ground.
The match in question will be a Pro40 Division Two contest between Middlesex and Derbyshire, to be held on Sep 10 and originally scheduled to have taken place in Southgate, reports Sky Sports News.
London : The unofficial home of cricket, Lord's, is to stage its first day-night match in September after Westminster Council approved the temporary installation of floodlights at the ground.
The match in question will be a Pro40 Division Two contest between Middlesex and Derbyshire, to be held on Sep 10 and originally scheduled to have taken place in Southgate, reports Sky Sports News.
Randhawa, Kapur for British Open qualifiers
By IANS
Singapore : Jyoti Randhawa will lead the six-member Indian contingent vying for the four berths on offer at the Asian qualifier for the British Open Championship at the Sentosa Golf Club.
The qualifier to be held March 25-26 will be a 36-hole affair with 67 players from 16 countries having already confirmed their participation.
There will be four berths available for the 137th Open Championship to be held at Royal Birkdale in Britain July 17-20.
Bracken adjudged Man of the Series
By IANS
New Delhi : Nathan Bracken was adjudged the Man of the Series for his haul of 21 wickets at the end of the Commonwealth Bank series on Tuesday.
Praveen Kumar, 21, got his second Man of the Match award - his first against Australia with his four for 46, but it was only his second best analysis, after four for 31 against Sri Lanka.
Praveen's four for 46, is his best bowling performance against Australia, eclipsing his two for 49 at SCG on March 2, 2008. His career-best is 4 for 31 against Sri Lanka at Hobart on February 26, 2008.
Club president denies Mancini’s willingness to leave Inter
By DPA
Milan : Italian football club Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti late Wednesday denied that coach Roberto Mancini had expressed his willingness not to continue with his job beyond the end of the season after the team's elimination from the European Champions League.
The Serie A title holders lost 1-0 at home against Liverpool to go out 3-0 on aggregate in the round of 16. It was Mancini's fourth elimination in the event since he arrived at Inter in 2004.
Indian coaches have burnt their bridges
By Veturi Srivatsa,
What exactly is the role of Ravi Shastri, the new director of cricket operations of the Indian team now in England to complete a tortuous tour playing five one-dayers and a Twenty20 game after losing the five-Test series 1-3?
Iranian footballers arrested over partying
By DPA,
Tehran : Several Iranian football players and coaches have been arrested for having attended a party, Tehran press reported.
Results and standings in German Bundesliga football
By DPA
Hamburg : Following are the result and standings in the German Bundesliga football:
Friday's result:
Hansa Rostock 0 VfL Wolfsburg 1
Standings P W D L F A Pts
Bayern Munich 25 15 8 2 43 14 53
SV Hamburg 25 12 10 3 36 18 46
Bayer Leverkusen 25 13 5 7 46 26 44
Werder Bremen 25 13 5 7 52 36 44
Schalke 04 25 12 8 5 40 26 44
VfB Stuttgart 25 13 2 10 44 40 41
VfL Wolfsburg 26 11 7 8 42 36 40
Twenty20 extravaganza now comes to Canada
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : The Twenty20 cricket extravaganza comes to Canada this month with a bang.
Fresh from sponsorship by Scotiabank, Cricket Canada Tuesday unveiled the nation's first premier cricket tournament, to be known as the Scotiabank National T20 Cricket Championship. It will to be held at King City near Toronto May 17 and 18.
Eight teams from the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia will vie for the Scotiabank National Cricket Trophy.
Tea scoreboard: India vs New Zealand, First Test, Day three
By IANS,
Ahmedabad: Scoreboard at tea on the third day of the first cricket Test between India and New Zealand here Saturday:
India first innings: 487
New Zealand first innings:
Humpy suffers shock defeat in first round
By IANS,
Moscow : Top seed, India's Koneru Humpy, suffered a shock defeat in the opening round of the Category 19 North Urals Cup chess tournament Sunday. Humpy, rated 2622, lost to Bulgarian Stefanova Antoaneta rated way below at 2550, but is the second seed in the tournament.
World No. 2 Humpy, who won this same tournament in 2005, was playing with white but was unable to face the onslaught from Antoaneta in the only match that provided a result. The other three games were drawn. The Humpy-Antoaneta game was in the anti-Meran variation and lasted 46 moves.
Second Test: India vs. Sri Lanka, final scoreboard
By IANS,
Galle (Sri Lanka) : Following is the final scoreboard of the second cricket Test between Sri Lanka and India at Galle International Stadium here Sunday.
Scoreboard:
India: Ist innings 329 all out
Sri Lanka: 1st innings 292 all out
India 2nd innings (overnight 200/4)
Gautam Gambhir b Mendis 74
Virender Sehwag c Dilshan b Vaas 50
Rahul Dravid lbw b Muralitharan 44
Sachin Tendulkar c Mahela b Vaas 31
Sourav Ganguly st Prasanna b Muralitharan 16
V.V.S. Laxman lbw b Mendis 13
Dinesh Karthik c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 20
Anil Kumble lbw b Mendis 2
Rajasthan Royals maintain top slot in IPL standings
By IANS,
Kolkata : Rajasthan Royals maintained their position at the top of the Indian Premier League points table after beating Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets here Tuesday.
The standings have been tabulated under matches played, won, drawn, lost, points and net run rate:
Team M W L T Pts Net.R.R
Rajasthan Royals 11 9 2 18 +0.950
Kings XI Punjab 10 7 3 14 +0.475
Chennai Super Kings 11 7 4 14 -0.175
Mumbai Indians 10 6 4 12 +0.727
Delhi Daredevils 12 6 6 12 +0.350
Kolkata Knight Riders 12 5 7 10 -0.167
Deccan Chargers 11 2 9 0 4 -0.463
No Pakistani players in Indian Challenger squash
By IANS,
Kolkata : Pakistan players have stayed away from the $30,000 PSA Indian Challenger squash meet beginning here Wednesday.
"This is not an invitation meet. The players have to put in their entries for the tournament," R. N. Ghosal of the Calcutta Racket Club, which is organising the meet, told reporters Tuesday.
"None of the players from Pakistan has sent in applications. Probably this is because they thought they may face difficulties in getting visas," he added.
India collapse for 76, South Africa 1/0 at lunch
By IANS
Ahmedabad : South Africa were one run for no loss at lunch in reply to India's paltry first-innings' 76 on the opening day of the second Test at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera near here Thursday. Captain Graeme Smith was batting on one and Neil McKenzie was yet to open his account at the interval.
Earlier, fast bowler Dale Steyn snared five wickets while only two batsmen - Irfan Pathan (21) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (14) - managed double-digit scores after captain Anil Kumble won the toss and decided to bat. Speedsters Makhaya Ntini bagged three wickets and Morne Morkel two.
Bhupathi-Knowles sails into Monte Carlo Masters final
By IANS,
Monte Carlo (Monaco) : India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles of Bahamas stormed into the finals of the men's doubles event at the Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament here Saturday with a straight sets victory.
Bhupathi-Knowles, seeded fourth in the event, took just over an hour to thrash the unseeded South African combination of Jefff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie 6-0, 7-5 in the first semifinal.
Lumb, Ojha star in Rajasthan Royals win over Kings XI
By IANS,
Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals stayed in contention for a semi-final berth with a nine-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here Wednesday.
Playing on their home ground for the first time this season, Royals put a up a splendid show by first restricting Kings XI to 153 for five in 20 overs and then its Michael Lumb (88) and Naman Ojha (44 not out) displaying good power hitting to surpass the target with five overs to spare.
German gov’t to stay away from Beijing Olympic Games opening ceremony
By IRNA
Berlin : No member of the German cabinet will attend the opening ceremony of the Bejing Olympic Games, deputy government spokesman Thomas Steg announced here Friday at a routine weekly press briefing.
He also confirmed that Chancellor Angela Merkel had "at no point of time any intention of being a guest at the Olympics, either at the opening ceremony or at the sporting events."
Bharti also ‘interested’ in I-League football
By IANS
New Delhi : The inaugural I-League football has caught Sunil Bharti Mittal's eye. The billionaire businessman with huge interests in telecom sector announced plans to invest to the tune of Rs. One billion in Indian football, and then let slip that he was also 'interested' in the I-League.
During the course of the press conference, Mittal mentioned, "Something which I am looking forward to is the I-League."
Smith would be tempted to bat if need arise: Arthur
By IANS,
Sydney : South African captain Graeme Smith would be tempted to come out to bat with his broken hand if it means the Proteas win or draw the third Test against Australia on the fifth day Wednesday, said coach Mickey Arthur.
Smith could be required to make a courageous trip to the SCG wicket if the match reaches a dramatic climax and if so, he will be forced to remove the cast on his left arm and risk further injury to his broken hand.
South Africa need 314 runs on the final day to win the Test and the series 3-0. Smith fractured his left hand in the first innings.
India ask Bangladesh to follow on
By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh were asked to follow on after being bowled out for a paltry 118 runs in the first innings in reply to India's 610 for three, on the third day of the second Test match here Sunday.
Zaheer Khan was the most successful bowler as he picked up five for 34 while veteran Anil Kumble scalped three for 32.
Yuvraj feeling ‘weak’ after second round of chemotherapy
By IANS,
New Delhi : India cricketer Yuvraj Singh, currently undergoing treatment for a malignant lung tumour in the United States, is feeling "weak" after his second round of chemotherapy.
New Zealand finish ninth beating South Africa in sudden death
By IANS,
New Delhi : New Zealand prevailed over South Africa 5-4 in sudden death to finish ninth in the Hockey World Cup at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here Friday.
The two teams were 4-4 at the end of the regulation time and then 4-4 in the shootout.
In the sudden death, New Zealand goalkeeper Kyle Pontifex, who has been in good form in the tournament, stopped Lloyd Madsen's strike. The Black Sticks captain Dean Couzins then scored from the spot to give his side victory.
Pietersen mulling India return
By IANS,
London : England captain Kevin Pietersen has apparently made up his mind to return to India for the two-Test series starting Dec 11, according to media reports here.
But his enthusiasm to play in India is not shared by some of his team mates. Andrew Flintoff and pacer Steve Harmison are likely to pull out of the series.
The English team decided to cut short the seven-match ODI series after the terror attacks in Mumbai and arrived here Saturday night.
Three Romanian boxers banned for life for shoplifting
By IANS
Chicago : Three Romanian pugilists and their team manager have been ejected from the ongoing World Boxing Championships here and received a life ban from AIBA, the sport's world governing body, after being caught shoplifting in a department store, reports Xinhua.
According to an AIBA statement Sunday, a local police report indicated that Marius Bogdan Dinu, 21, Ronald Gavril, 21, and Gabriel Julian Stan, 20, were caught shoplifting in the Nordstrom Department Store here Friday evening.
India’s ‘last-gasp’ win toasted by British press
By IANS
London : The British press paid fulsome tributes to the Indian cricket team for Wednesday's nail-biting two-wicket victory over England and wondered if the final encounter at the Lord's on Saturday would be equally thrilling.
The Guardian reported India's victory with the title:
'India stun England with last-gasp win to level series', and called the tie as "one of the most scintillating ever seen in this country".
Wah bombings stun women squash players
By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistani squash officials were Thursday making desperate attempts to save an international women's tournament from falling victim to a couple of bombings in Wah that killed more than 50 people.
Players from various countries including India, Egypt and Russia were in action at a squash complex just a stone's throw away from the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) in Wah - an industrial town situated just 30 km away from capital Islamabad -- when a suicide bomber reportedly blew himself up at the main entrance to the facility, killing dozens of people.
Hockey India poll will be held on time: Mattoo
By IANS,
New Delhi : Hockey India (HI) president Ashok Kumar Mattoo Monday strongly refuted charges of Hockey Punjab (HP) that the state is being deliberately denied affiliation to the national organisation.
Mattoo also said there is no threat to HI election and it will be conducted Jan 29.
"There is no conspiracy to keep any state out of the affiliation process. Our intention is not to leave anyone. We are not holding back any state from getting the affiliation. The process is on and we are looking into it," Mattoo said Monday.
Australians’ body language tells a grim tale, says expert
By IANS,
Melbourne : Listlessness, lifelessness, aimlessness, sloppiness are the words one can associate with the Australian cricket team that is losing its decade-long dominance at home to an young South African side.
Noted cricket writer Mike Coward wrote in his column in The Australian that while the future of the vibrant young South African team is assured, this Australian team has regressed dramatically over the past two weeks.
Fire in Chandigarh stadium ahead of the ODI
By IANS
Chandigarh : A fire broke out Thursday in a newly constructed building in a cricket stadium here that will host Monday's fourth India-Australia one-day international but there was no serious damage to the structure.
Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot after smoke billowed out of the air-conditioning ducts in the media centre housed in the building. The fire was controlled before it could spread.
Officials of who rushed to the spot said a new air-conditioning plant would be installed in the media centre.