CHOGM will dispel pessimism about Copenhagen: Trinidad PM
By Paras Ramoutar, IANS,
Port-of-Spain : The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) here will "lead the way" for the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen next month, according to Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Patrick Manning.
CHOGM can overcome the pessimism surrounding the Copenhagen conference, Manning said at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth People's Forum Sunday evening.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected here with his delegation Thursday.
Mendis sits out, Sri Lanka opt for extra seamer
By IANS,
Mumbai : Mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis will miss the third and the final Test match of the series against India here Wednesday as Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara opted for a third seamer on a bouncy track at the Brabourne Stadium.
Mendis played the second Test in Kanpur after the management opted for a three-pronged spin attack. But after he took two for 162 in the match, the management had no option but to axe Mendis.
CWG projects should not be politicised: Dikshit
By IANS,
New Delhi: Noting that completion of Commonwealth Games (CWG) projects were more important and it should not be politicised, Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit Friday refused to comment on the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) pointing to corruption and cost overruns in the projects.
Emerging out of a meeting to review the CWG projects, Dikshit said, "There is no need to panic over the timely completion of Games projects as we will stick to the deadlines."
She also said that faults, if any, will be taken care of once the Games are over.
Biggest field of Indian golfers in European Tour event
By IANS
New Delhi : It will be the biggest Indian representation in any European Tour event when the home grown golfers tee-off at the inaugural EMAAR-MGF Indian Masters at the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) starting Feb 7.
Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, Arjun Atwal and Gaurav Ghei are some of the top Indian golfers who will lead the home challenge in this tournament, which carries a prize purse of $2.5 million.
Myanmar, North Korea move into AFC Challenge Cup semis
By Abhishek Roy, IANS,
Hyderabad : Myanmar and North Korea are through to the semi-finals of the AFC Challenge Cup football tournament after winning their second Group B matches at the Gachibowli Stadium here Saturday.
Mayanmar beat Sri Lanka 3-1 while a determined Nepal gave a tough fight before going down to he much superior North Koreans 0-1.
North Korea and Myanmar both have six points each after two wins but the latter is now at the top of Group B by virtue of a better goal difference. They will clash in their last league match Monday to decide to group topper.
Injured Aftab will skip cricket match in Colombo
By Subhash K. Jha, IANS,
Mumbai : Aftab Shivdasani won't be able to participate in the charity cricket match to be played between Bollywood actors and Sri Lankan cricketers as part of the ongoing International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) extravaganza in Colombo.
He suffered an injury while playing cricket for Salman Khan's Being Human team in Dubai last week.
Nalbandian masters Federer again for Paris upset
By DPA
Paris : David Nalbandian of Argentina followed up on a win less than a fortnight ago as he stunned Roger Federer 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) to send the top seed crashing out in the third round of the Paris Masters.
While the Swiss world number one was struggling Thursday with the second man this year to beat him twice in two meetings - Argentine Guillermo Coria was the other in March - Spain's Rafael Nadal was finding his feet with a win over another Swiss, Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-4, 6-3.
India will come back strongly in Sydney: Ganguly
By IANS,
Sydney : Former captain Sourav Ganguly is confident India will bounce back in the second Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) starting Tuesday.
Military makes belated attempt to get people to Games
By IANS
Hyderabad : India is hosting the fourth Military World Games here, the biggest sports event after Olympics in terms of participation. But the people of Hyderabad have been left out of it.
More than 5,000 athletes from 102 armed forces around the world were greeted with empty stadiums, in sharp contrast to the Afro-Asian Games held here in 2003 and the National Games earlier.
Major General Anil Chait, General Officer Commanding of 54 Division stationed here, has now announced that except for the closing ceremony Sunday, entry to all stadiums would be free.
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.
World T20: Windies through to Super Eights after Ireland match rained out
By IANS,
Colombo: West Indies made it into the Super Eights after their World Twenty20 Group B tie against Ireland was abandoned due to rain at the R Premadasa Stadium here in Colombo Monday.
‘Batsmen and not pitches responsible for Pakistan’s series defeat’
By Omar Khalid, IANS,
Karachi : The Pakistan team management has rejected claims that the national team lost its five-match one-day series against Australia in United Arab Emirates (UAE) because of poor pitches and has instead blamed lack of international cricket for the defeat.
Sources in the PCB told IANS Wednesday that the team management in its initial report has said that their players suffered a 2-3 loss in the series because of a lack of international cricket, adding that the team's batsmen failed to live up to expectations.
Indian hockey needs professional approach: Charlesworth
By IANS,
New Delhi : Australian Ric Charlesworth, whose tenure as technical advisor to hockey ended in a controversial manner, says the sport in India lacks professional approach.
Training his gun at the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Charlesworth, who resigned from his post last month, said India can only relive hockey's glorious past by changing the present bureaucratic set-up and bringing professionals to run the game.
"A professional structure should be in place. That's the best way to improve the game," Charlesworth told reporters here.
Rebel league issue missing from cricket board agenda
By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, IANS
New Delhi : The issue of the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL) surprisingly does not feature on the agenda of the Indian cricket board's working committee that meets in Mumbai Tuesday.
The eight-point agenda, a copy of which is with IANS, does not list Zee group's ICL, which named Monday the 44 Indian and six foreign players who will play in the league this winter.
By announcing the players' names, Zee has given an opportunity to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to initiate action against the rebel players.
IPL points table after seventh match
By IANS,
New Delhi : The following are the standings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the seventh match, which Delhi Daredevils won convincingly by nine wickets against Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad Tuesday.
The standings have been tabulated under matches played, won, lost, points and net run rate:
Teams P W L Pts NRRate
Kolkata Knight Riders 2 2 0 4 +3.764
Delhi Daredevils 2 2 0 4 +2.988
Chennai Super Kings 1 1 0 2 +1.650
Rajasthan Royals 1 0 1 0 -0.692
Bangalore Royal Challengers 2 1 1 2 -3.423
Mumbai Indians 1 0 1 0 -0.191
Kings XI Punjab 2 0 2 0 -1.365
Former greats flay Pakistan’s display at Hockey World Cup
By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan's former hockey greats Islahuddin Siddiqui and Samiullah Khan lambasted the national team's below-par showing in the World Cup, saying they were unprepared for such a major event.
Pakistan, four-time world champions, flopped miserably against India in a 1-4 loss and after bouncing back with a 2-1 win against Spain, they got a 5-2 mauling by England in their third Group B match at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi Thursday.
India fighting to save first Test against Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Ahmedabad : India are fighting hard to prevent Sri Lanka from winning their first Test on Indian soil by giving themselves a fair chance of batting out the fifth and last day for the first cricket Test here Friday.
IPL will not disturb Test, ODI schedule: ICC
By IANS
Kuala Lumpur : Global Test match and One-Day International (ODI) schedule will take precedence over the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), the International Cricket Council (ICC) said after its chief executives' meeting here Wednesday.
Marat Dzhumaev rolls on in Parasvnath chess
By IANS
New Delhi : Grandmaster Marat Dzhumaev of Uzbekistan continued with his winning ways and defeated top seed GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami of Iran in the seventh round of the sixth Parsvnath International Chess tournament here Thursday.
With his seventh victory on the trot, Dzhumaev made sure he kept nearest contender GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly a half point behind even as the latter showed some imaginative chess to beat G.B. Prakash.
In the eighth round, Ganguly will meet Dzhumaev and this contest will determine the winner in the biggest open event of the country.
Asian Games boxing: Krishan, Manpreet in semis
By IANS,
Guangzhou: Indian boxers continued to impress as Vikas Krishan and Manpreet Singh moved into the semifinals of the 60 kg and 91 kg categories at the Asian Games here Sunday.
Talwar stuns top seed Joshi, enters carombole quarters
By IANS
New Delhi : Sumit Talwar achieved a record break of 15 canons on way to an upset victory over top seeded Devender Joshi to breathe life into the national one-cushion carombole championship at the Billiardco Hall here Sunday.
Punjab cueist Talwar he sustained himself with a more than average game per visit to take a commanding lead before winning 85-57 against the seasoned Joshi to storm into the quarterfinals.
Mushtaq backs Afridi as future Pakistan captain
By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan cricket officials are under immense pressure to replace current skipper Shoaib Malik with a more aggressive captain ahead of the crunch home series against India in January.
Former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed is the latest to join the bandwagon and has expressed his support for seasoned all-rounder Shahid Afridi as the new Pakistan captain.
Mushtaq is of the view that Afridi would make a better captain than Malik for the Pakistan team.
Food feast, ayurvedic massages for cricketers
By IANS
Kochi : It will be dinner on a cruise boat for the Indian cricket team ahead of their second one day international against Australia here Tuesday. Special high protein diets and herbal massages too are planned for both teams.
The cricketers will stay at Taj Malabar, and hotel officials say they will be pampering their guests.
Amit Ghosh, a veteran chef, told IANS that it would be a food feast for the players.
Australian Open: Cilic chips away to overcome Roddick
By DPA,
Melbourne : Marin Cilic struggled through a five-set marathon capped with a closing burst of form to bury Andy Roddick 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 Tuesday and become the first Croatian to reach the men's semi-final of an Australian Open.
"It wasn't easy," said the relieved 14th seeded winner. "But I had experience - it was his third five-set match of the tournament - during the week.
"In the fifth set I had a few extra gears. He started to play better and I struggled on serve.
Kings XI start CLT20 campaign with a dominating win
Mohali: Indian Premier League (IPL) finalists Kings XI Punjab started their Champions League T20 campaign with a dominating five-wicket win over Hobart Hurricanes at...
Spain beat US thanks to late wonder goal from Xavi
By DPA,
Santander (Spain) : Spain completed their preparations for Euro 2008 with a late 1-0 defeat of the US.
The hosts won Wednesday in rainy Santander thanks to a late wonder goal from Barcelona midfield maestro Xavi Hernandez.
Spain will now go to Austria and Switzerland as Europe's form team, having won 16 and drawn two out of their last 18 games.
Without injury victims David Villa and Andres Iniesta, Spain struggled to break down a well-drilled US defence - until Xavi decided to take the bull by the horns, that is.
Dravid completes 50th fifty in Test cricket
By IANS
Sydney : Rahul Dravid may be struggling right now, but he did manage to get to his 50th fifty in Test cricket with his 53 in the first innings of the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground here Thursday.
It was Dravid's 200th innings in his 117th Test. He now has 24 hundreds and 50 fifties in his 9757 runs.
Dravid's latest fifty is his ninth against Australia.
Dravid became only the third batsman in Test annals to have recorded 50 fifties, joining Australia's Allan Border (63) and Steve Waugh (50).
De Villiers boosts Daredevils’ batting
By IANS,
New Delhi : Having led the Titans to the Pro20 title back home, South African A.B. De Villiers is ready to repeat the same with Delhi Daredevils in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament.
The 24-year-old from Pretoria scored a match-winning 46 in the domestic Twenty20 title against the Dolphins and was also awarded the Man of the Match. This time also De Villiers hoped that he would continue the form for the Delhi team in the IPL.
Kochi ODI: India wins toss, opts to bat
By IANS,
Kochi : India won the toss and opted to bat in their second one-day international against England at the Nehru Stadium here Tuesday.
Teams:
Wimbledon tennis: Sania out, Paes advances
By Indo-Asian News Service
London, June 28 (IANS) Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza Thursday crashed out of the Wimbledon Championships when she lost 2-6, 2-6 to 11th seed Nadia Petrova of Russia. Leander Paes, however, kept the Indian flag flying.
Paes and Martin Damm of Czech Republic, seeded fifth, defeated Chris Haggard of South Africa and Marcin Matkowski of Poland 7-6 (4), 6-3, 7-5.
Paes and Damm will now play the winners of the match between James Auckland of England and Australian Stephen Huss and Ilia Bozoljac of Serbia and Czech Republic's Dick Norman.
Rajasthan Royals restrict Kings XI to 153/6
By IANS,
Jaipur : Kings XI Punjab were restricted to 153 for six in 20 overs by Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here Wednesday.
Mahela Jayawardene was the top scorer with 44 while Yuvraj Singh made 28. Siddharth Trivedi and Aditya Dole picked up two wickets each.
Australian Open: Paes-Dlouhy seeded third, Bhupathi-Mirnyi fourth
By IANS,
Melbourne : India's Leander Paes and Czech Lukas Dlouhy have been seeded third and India-Belarus pair Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi fourth at the Australian Open men's doubles.
Paes and Dlouhy play Czech pair Leos Friedl and David Skoch in the opener, while Bhupathi and Mirnyi, who rejoined in November, take on Michael Kohlmann of Germany and Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in the first round.
Also in the fray, are Somdev Devvarman and Prakash Amritraj. They face Americans James Cerretani and Travis Rettenmaier in the first round.
Kumble expects Australians to play honestly, sincerely
By IANS
Sydney : A normally calm and composed India captain Anil Kumble could not hide his disappointment at the erring umpires here Sunday, and said expects the Australian cricket team to play the game honestly and sincerely.
"I have played my cricket honestly and sincerely, and that is the approach of my team as well. I expect that from the Australians also," Kumble said in the post-match press conference.
Kumble was told that the Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, had said he had no doubt about this match being played in the right spirit.
Satyam now a player in global football
By IANS
Hyderabad : Satyam Computer Services Ltd, a leading global consulting and IT services company, Tuesday signed two multi-million dollar contracts with international football association FIFA to support its major upcoming events.
Satyam will develop a customised event management system and build extranet and intranet for FIFA in order to lend full and uninterrupted support for both solutions until the final whistle of each game.
Hyderabad : Satyam Computer Services Ltd, a leading global consulting and IT services company, Tuesday signed two multi-million dollar contracts with international football association FIFA to support its major upcoming events.
Satyam will develop a customised event management system and build extranet and intranet for FIFA in order to lend full and uninterrupted support for both solutions until the final whistle of each game.
Mahindra beat Sporting via tie-breakers, move into semis
By Abhishek Roy, IANS
Ludhiana : Mahindra United defeated Sporting Clube de Goa 6-5 via tie-breakers in an enthralling quarterfinal of the 29th Federation Cup football tournament, after the regulation time ended in a 1-1 deadlock here Saturday.
For Mahindra, substitute goalkeeper Subhasish Roy Chaudhuri was the hero of the day as he fisted out Sporting's final spot kick off Bibiano Fernandes, which ultimately knocked out the Goan outfit from the 16-team tournament at the Guru Nanak Stadium here.
Ten-year-old shooting prodigy in National Games
By IANS,
Ranchi: Yash Yogeshwar Padloskar is only 10 years old, but has become the first shooter to represent Goa in the National Games.
BCCI jeopardising Sri Lanka’s Pakistan tour: media reports
By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan's hastly-arranged home series against Sri Lanka has fallen into scheduling problems because of Indian cricket board's interference, according to media reports here.
A report in the daily 'Jang' claimed Thursday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has forced Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to make tough demands regarding the tour.
The views seem to be based on media reports originating from Sri Lanka that India is not happy with Sri Lanka's cricket tour of Pakistan.
India end Day I at 352/3 in second Test
By IANS
Kolkata : India were in a commanding position at 352 for the loss of three wickets at stumps on opening day of the second Test match against Pakistan here at the Eden Gardens Friday.
At the close of play, opening batsman Wasim Jaffer was batting on 192 and with him was Sourav Ganguly on 17.
Kings XI rout Royal Challengers by six wickets
By IANS,
Bangalore : Kings XI Punjab registered their fifth consecutive victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL), defeating Bangalore Royal Challengers comprehensively by six wickets in a round robin match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here Monday night.
Kings XI reached the target with 10 balls to spare after restricting Bangalore Royal Challengers to a paltry 126 earlier in the day.
Corporates must pump money into sport at grassroots level
By K. Datta, IANS,
See what an Olympic medal can do for you. If it happens to be a gold medal it can even fetch you a doctorate from a university as it happened in the case of Abhinav Bindra in Chennai. Till only the other day the media didn't think it worth its while talking to boxers or wrestlers. The Beijing bronze medals have changed all that. Now Vijender Singh and Sushil Kumar are much sought after by camerapersons and reporters. Even those who didn't win a medal, Akhil Kumar for one, are receiving flattering attention.
IPL – the new blockbuster in Kolkata
By Sreya Basu, IANS,
Kolkata : The Indian Premier League (IPL) has undoubtedly become the latest and hottest blockbuster in the city - leaving the usually teeming city multiplexes and single screen cinema halls virtually empty throughout the Twenty20 series.
With Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan promising that he would give his audience the "multiplex experience" with three hours of action-packed entertainment live on the fields every match night, theatre owners are reporting an alarming drop in earnings.
Protests in Agra against Queen’s baton
By IANS,
Agra : Agra Mayor Anjula Singh Mahaur and Lok Sabha member Ram Shankar Katheria have announced a boycott of the Queen's baton for the Commonwealth Games when it arrives here Monday.
Indian cricket fans burn effigy of Pakistani president to condemn attack
By IANS,
Ranchi : Fans of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni Tuesday burnt an effigy of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and condemned the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistani city of Lahore.
Hundreds of cricket lovers of the Dhoni Fans Club gathered near the Albert Ekka roundabout and shouted slogans like "Pakistan Murdabad, Zardari hai hai, Taliban hai hai" (condemning Pakistan, Zardari and the Taliban).
Chidambaram assures security during badminton championship
By IANS,
New Delhi : Following an alert that militants would target the World Badminton Championship to be held in Hyderabad next week, Home minister P. Chidambaram Saturday assured that the tournament would take place "in complete security".
"I am satisfied that the World Badminton Championship will take place in complete security. No one need to have any apprehensions on this score," Chidambaram said in a statement.
Diwakar Ram a drag-flicker of immense talent
By Avishek Roy, IANS
Hyderabad: Indian hockey has found a highly talented drag-flicker in Diwakar Ram. His utility to the side could be seen in the two games India played in the junior Asia Cup here, particularly the manner in which he produced two goals against a fighting Japan in the championship opener.
Diwakar is making a progress at an astonishing pace and in four international tournaments in his short career, he has struck 26 goals and all from penalty corners, a conversion rate that would be envy of any defender.
Injury rules out a struggling Lee from Sydney Test
By IANS,
Melbourne : An out-of-form Brett Lee's woes do not seem to be ending. The Australian pace spearhead has now been ruled out of the third and the final Test in Sydney after sustaining a foot injury during the ongoing second Test against South Africa here Saturday.
Lee will face four to six weeks on the sidelines after X-rays revealed the first stages of a stress fracture had been detected in his left foot.
World Cup ticket sales hit 2.3 million
By IANS,
Brasilia: Fans have already purchased 2.3 million tickets for this year's World Cup following this week's second lottery-style sales phase, world soccer governing...
Controversial penalty earns Chelsea a point at Liverpool
By Xinhua
London : A controversial penalty earned Chelsea a fortunate 1-1 draw at Liverpool while Manchester United's English Premier League opening woes aggravated as they crashed to a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Elsewhere, a mistake by goalkeeper Jens Lehmann cost Arsenal two points Sunday against Blackburn Rovers as the sides drew 1-1 at Ewood Park.
City made it three wins out of three this season to top the league table after Geovanni's 31st-minute strike gave his team an unlikely victory in the highly charged Manchester derby at Eastlands.
Pakistan Cricket Board to make policy for IPL recruits
By IANS
Karachi : The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to set up a policy framework this week to govern its players who have signed up with the million-dollar Indian Premier League (IPL).
PCB chief operating officer (COO) Shafqat Naghmi said the policy needed to be put in place for the IPL recruited players as the schedule of the Twenty20 extravaganza coincides with national commitments.
Japan to meet Mozambique for World Cup tune-up
By DPA,
George (South Africa) : Japan has arranged a training match with Mozambique Thursday with three 30-minute periods to tune-up for their World Cup football opening match.
Closed to the public, it will be played in the city of George, in South Africa's Western Cape province.
The coach of Japan's national team, Takeshi Okada, is still undecided on his starting lineup following several disappointing test matches.
Japan, in Group E, plays its opener Monday against Cameroon in Bloemfontein (4 p.m.). Its other preliminary round opponents are the Netherlands and Denmark.
Rajasthan Royals move to top spot
By IANS,
New Delhi : Rajasthan Royals moved to the top spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after beating Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in Jaipur Sunday night.
It was Royals' fifth consecutive win in the league while Super Kings suffered their second consecutive loss and slipped to the fourth spot.
Super Kings, with eight points, are tied with Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab but the Chennai team is fourth on the basis of run rate. Daredevils are second while Kings XI third.
Teams M W L Pts N.R.R
Rajasthan Royals 6 5 1 10 +0.873
Delhi Daredevils 6 4 2 8 +0.761
Laxman, Dhoni partner new record in Perth
By IANS
Perth : The 75-run seventh-wicket partnership between V.V.S. Laxman and Mahednra Singh Dhoni in India's second innings of the Perth Test Friday is India's best for the seventh wicket at the Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, obliterating the 44 between Dhoni and Irfan Pathan in the first innings here in the third Test.
Laxman and Rudra Pratap Singh put on 51 runs for the ninth wicket, which is India's second best at Perth, next only to the 81-run stand between Tendulkar and Kiran More in February 1992.
India look to draw level against injury-hit Australia
By IANS,
Nagpur: India will be lot more confident when they take on an injury-hit Australia in the second One-day International (ODI) here Wednesday.
Apart from India's valiant lower-order fightback, courtesy Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar, Australia did everything right and were the deserving winners in the first ODI in Vadodara.
While there is still a lot of cricket left in the seven-match series, the injuries to their frontline players have become a headache for the Australians.
Actresses running after cricketers, feels Sreesanth
By IANS
New Delhi : Link-up between Team India's young brigade and Bollywood actresses has become the talk of the town of late, but speedster Shanthakumaran Sreesanth feels the tinsel town girls could be running after cricketers and not the other way round.
There was a rumour recently about the Kerala pacer's starry romance with Bollywood diva Priyanka Chopra after the two were seen at a promotional event in Mumbai.
Dismissing the rumour, Sreesanth lightly said: "Maybe, the Bollywood actresses are running after cricketers."
FIFA warns French government against meddling in football
By DPA,
Johannesburg: Football's ruling body FIFA has warned the French government to keep out of the workings of football, the organization's secretary general, Jerome Valcke, said Saturday.
"I spoke to the sports minister's office and told them to be very careful," Valcke said after Sports Minister Roselyne Bachelot called on the head of the French football federation (FFF) to resign over the French team's antics at the tournament.
The 2006 finalists became the butt of jokes at the World Cup, where they crashed out in the first round.
Santosh Trophy: Maharashtra, Karnataka to meet in prequarters
By IANS,
Kolkata: Maharashtra and Karnataka finished atop their clusters Monday to settle for a last 16 clash in the 64th Santosh Trophy national soccer competition here.
Three time champions Maharashta outplayed Tripura 4-1 at Vidyasagar stadium in Barasat to finish their cluster-II engagements with an all-win record.
Maharashtra called the shots from the start and rode on a double strike by K. Anees, whike Darren Caldeira and Surojit Bose scored once apiece. Tripura got a late reducer through Kiran Chetri.
Austrian cyclist Kohl admits to doping
By DPA,
Vienna : Austrian cyclist Bernhard Kohl admitted that he was guilty of doping during this year's Tour de France.
Kohl finished third in the race and recently was one of four cyclists who tested positive to the third generation of the blood booster EPO, known as CERA, during re-tests of samples gathered at the Tour de France.
The 26-year-old Wednesday told Austrian state television that he would not demand his B sample be tested.
Hard work behind glamour at opening ceremony
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics would leave the world something to remember for years and surely set a mark in the Olympic movement. The couple of hour's glamour was the result of toilsome preparations.
About 14,000 performers, who took part in the opening ceremony on the stadium field, had trained for 13 months.
One of the highlights was Taiji martial art shown by thousands in accord. Xue Mingrui, an official from Tagou School of Martial Arts, was in charge of the selection of the Taiji performers.
Hogg charged for using abusive language
By IANS
Sydney : Australia spinner Brad Hogg has been charged by Indian team manager Chetan Chauhan for using abusing language following an alleged incident that took place on the final day of the second Test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Hogg has been charged under Level 3 of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Code of Conduct. The spinner is accused of making an offensive remark to India captain Anil Kumble and vice-captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni during India's second innings on Sunday.
Injured Paes pulls out of Davis Cup tie
By IANS,
New Delhi : India's chances of qualifying for Davis Cup World Group finals received a major setback as injured Leander Paes pulled out of the play-off tie against South Africa in Johannesburg.
Yuki Bhambri,17, who was fifth member of the squad, will now be part of the main team.
The 36-year-old Paes, who won the US Open doubles title with Czech Lukas Dlouhy Sunday, played the entire championship with a bad wrist.
To avoid stress on his troublesome wrist, Paes put pressure on his elbow and shoulder, complicating the matter.
Saina to get Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
By IANS,
New Delhi : Ace Indian shuttler and World no.2 Saina Nehwal will get the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sports award, while Indian footballer Sunil Chettri, currently playing for American club Kansas City Wizards, is among the 15 sportspersons selected for the Arjuna Award.
The award's committee, headed by legendary athlete P.T. Usha, met here Friday to finalise the winners of this year's national sports awards.
Scoreboard: India vs. Sri Lanka, Day 4, Second Test
By IANS,
Colombo : The following is the scoreboard at the end of fourth day's play in the second cricket Test match between India and Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club here Thursday.
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 642 for four declared
India 1st innings (overnight 382/4)
Murali Vijay lbw Mendis 58
Virender Sehwag st Prasanna b Randiv 99
Rahul Dravid lbw Randiv 3
Sachin Tendulkar c Prasanna b Dilshan 203
V.V.S. Laxman lbw Mendis 29
Suresh Raina c Sangakkara b Mendis 120
Mahendra Singh Dhoni c & b Dilshan 76
Harbhajan Singh c Sangakkara b Dilshan 0
I will be back as England captain: Pietersen
By IANS,
London : Kevin Pietersen Sunday said he has "unfinished business' as England captain following his resignation last week.
The South Africa-born batsman, however, said he will back new captain Andrew Strauss.
"I feel I've got unfinished business as captain of England - I definitely feel that," Pietersen was quoted as saying in Daily Telegraph.
"But right now, I feel it is right for me to go back and just play -- to do something that I totally, totally love, which is scoring runs and more runs for England."
Dissolved Hockey Federation accuses FIH breach of contract on 2010 World Cup
By NNN-PTI,
Hyderabad : The dissolved Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president KPS Gill Friday accused the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) of breach of contract for entrusting the responsibility to host the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
After a meeting with the IOA President Suresh Kalmadi and ad-hoc committee members here today, the game's governing body said it has entered into an agreement with the IOA to organise the mega event in New Delhi.
Kahlon tied third, weather hits third round in Jakarta
By IANS
Jakarta : Harmeet Kahlon, looking to add to his solitary win on the Asian Tour, was two-under through 12 holes and just one off the lead when play was suspended for the day at the Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational golf Saturday.
Kahlon, who had rounds of 67 and 66 in first two rounds, the second of which he completed only on Saturday morning, was tied third with Lee Westwood and Nevin Basic and the trio was one behind joint leaders, Prom Meesawat and Anthony Kang, who were at 13-under, but they too had not completed their third round.
Sachin undergoes knee scan; cleared for England tie
By IANS,
Mumbai : Sachin Tendulkar was Monday cleared to play in the next group match against England after undergoing an MRI scan on his left knee.
Agarkar was ill-treated by Bichel: report
By IANS,
New Delhi : Indian fast bowler Ajit Agarkar and former Australian pacer Andy Bichel, who is now a bowling coach with Kolkata Knight Riders, allegedly got into a fracas leading to a racial slur.
Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja during a chat show on NDTV revealed that Knight Riders' Indian players are being ill-treated by foreign coaching staff.
Jadeja revealed how an Indian player was asked to come off while fielding and when asked why he was called back, one of the assistant coaches said: "You Indian, you do as you're told."
McCullum’s dismissal was turning point, says Shukla
By IANS,
Chennai : Brendon McCullum's dismissal in the very third over was the turning point of the match, said Lakshmi Ratan Shukla after his team, Kolkata Knight Riders, lost to Chennai Super Kings by nine wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament here Saturday.
At the post-match press conference, Shukla felt it was a rather soft dismissal and came when McCullum was batting well.
The Kiwi opener swatted a full-toss into the hands of Suresh Raina in the covers just as he was looking to cut loose.
Bangalore Challengers have it all worked out
By IANS
Bangalore : With proven Twenty20 performers like Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Nathan Bracken and Misbah-ul-Haq in its ranks, Bangalore Royal Challengers are confident they can take on all other teams in the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) starting April 18.
The tourney kicks off with a home game for them against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Vijay Mallya paid $111.6 million to own the team for 10 years, but then spent a relatively meagre $3.6 million in the players' auctions.
The team management thinks it has got a good deal and has its strategies all worked out.
Llyod named ICC Cricket Committee chairman
By IANS,
Dubai : International Cricket Council (ICC) Thursday named former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd as the new chairman of the high-profile ICC Cricket Committee.
Llyod replaces former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who stood down in May after eight years in the role following his conflict of interest as a columnist and commentator.
The ICC board selected Lloyd ahead of other nominees, who included former Pakistan captain Majid Khan.
ICC also retained Michael Beloff as chairman of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission.
India to take on Australia in Champions Trophy
Karachi, March 23 (IANS) India will clash with defending champions and top seed Australia in their first match of the Champions Trophy at Gadaffi stadium in Lahore Sep 13.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the schedule and venues for this year's ICC Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan from Sep 11-28.
ICC said a security assessment of the strife-torn country would be done in June before the tournament kicks off.
Jeev tied 35th in US Open after third round
By IANS
Oakmont (US) : India's Jeev Milkha Singh carded a three-over 73 and jumped to the tied 35th place at the end of the third round of 107th US Open here.
Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Asif to be deported from Dubai: reports
By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS,
Dubai : Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Asif, held here since June 1 for allegedly possessing drugs as he arrived on a flight from India after playing in the Indian Premier League, will be freed and deported from Dubai, according to reports.
A report in the Gulf News newspaper quoted Dubai public prosecutor Mohammad Al Nuaimi as saying that the cricketer "has been discharged and will be deported from his Dubai detention centre within the next 48 hours".
I got royal scolding for missing ton: Harbhajan
Adelaide, Jan 25 (IANS) Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh missed a golden opportunity to score his first Test century and got "royal scolding" from Sachin Tendulkar for getting out on 63 on the second day of the fourth and final Test against Australia here Friday.
"I got a royal scolding from Sachin. He told me 'Sardaron wala kaam kiya hai' (You have acted like Sardars)," he said and laughed while speaking to reporters after the day's play.
Harbhajan, whose career highest score is 66, admitted he should have aimed for a century.
Nehru Cup: Syria come back twice against Cameroon
By IANS,
New Delhi : Syria came back twice to draw their Nehru Cup football tournament match against the "The Indomitable Lions" Cameroon 2-2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here Friday.
Good year ahead for Indian football: Houghton
By IANS
New Delhi : National football coach Bob Houghton Friday promised a "good year ahead" for the 161 ranked Indian team, as it starts its month-long preparations for the seven-nation ONGC Cup tournament that begins here in August.
Hockey world body should have more Indians: Gill
By IANS,
New Delhi : Taking off from the assertion that the International Hockey Federation (FIH) receives a large quantum of its revenues from India, Union Sports Minister M.S. Gill Friday said the country should have more representation and greater say in the world body.
Gill went a step further to say that the FIH panel should have more Indian umpires.
"If FIH is earning half its revenues from India, the second best being the Netherlands, then the Indians should have adequate representation on the world body, " said Gill at an interactive session with the media here Friday.
Delhi ‘absolutely ready’ for CWG: Dikshit
By IANS,
New Delhi : Welcoming the Queen's Baton Relay, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Friday declared that Delhi was "absolutely ready" for the Commonwealth Games.
Ireland elect to field against West Indies
By IANS,
Mohali : Ireland won the toss and decided to field against West Indies in the World Cup Group B match at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium here Friday.
Pakistan hopes National Games’ success will change sporting scenario
By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan's sports chiefs are hoping to bring international sporting action back to the country after successfully hosting the National Games in Peshawar last month.
Djokovic blames his racquet for form slump
By IANS,
Sydney : Novak Djokovic blames his new racquet for his form slump. The World No.3, who is not in best of form to defend his Australian Open title, has been criticised for excess golf and partying for his loss of form.
The flak was flying around Djokovic after his first-round exit from last week's Brisbane International, his lacklustre effort against Latvian Ernests Gulbis drawing widespread criticism.
IPL bidding: Mohammad Kaif sold to Kings XI Punjab
By IANS,
Mumbai : India's Mohammad Kaif was sold to Kings XI Punjab for $250,000 in the Indian Premier League auction here Tuesday.
Kaif, who went unsold in the first round, was brought back in the auction after Kings XI Punjab and Bangalore Royal Challengers bid for him.
Kaif with a base price of $100,000 was the only Indian player to be sold in the auction. He played for Rajasthan Royals in the earlier two IPL editions.
Tough fight on cards for women’s hockey gold: Aussie coach
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Australian women's hockey coach Frank Murray predicts a close competition for the coveted Olympic gold in Beijing.
"There are six or seven teams that can win. Besides us, the Netherlands, South Korea, Argentina, Germany, China, and even Japan could win," Frank told Xinhua at the training course.
Murray says that all these teams have the strength to win the gold.
"South Korea and the Netherlands are the favourites, and there's not much difference," he added.
Openers give South Africa a solid start
By Anand Philar, IANS
Chennai : South Africa took full advantage of winning the toss to post 109 without loss at lunch on the first day of the first Future Cup Test against India here Wednesday.
Neil McKenzie, looking solid and composed, was on 54 and skipper Graeme Smith 53.
The South Africans enjoyed a steady start with the openers negotiating the new ball attack with fair degree of comfort if not authority.
McKenzie, in particular, was the more aggressive of the two, playing some spanking shots through covers and a particularly severe pull to midwicket.
West Bengal rewards CWG medal winners
By IANS,
Kolkata: Commonwealth Games medallists from West Bengal were rewarded by the state government here Tuesday and were given cash prizes ranging from Rs.2-7 lakh.
Tenzing-Hillary, a partnership that endured a colonial row
By IANS
London : The death of Sir Edmund Hillary has ended one of the most enduring partnerships in sporting history, but one that was also mired in political controversy.
When Hillary stepped on Mount Everest along with Tenzing Norgay May 29, 1953, not only were there worldwide celebrations but also furious speculation over who first set foot on the peak, until then virgin and untouched by human feet.
Jeev loses title on last hole in Indonesian Open
By IANS
Jakarta : Jeev Milkha Singh blew a two-shot lead with three holes to go and virtually handed the Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open trophy to rookie Felipe Aguilar of Chile here Sunday.
The experienced Indian golfer, who won four times in 2006, landed two eagles during the day but collapsed when it came to the finish, as he bogeyed the 16th and 18th. On the 18th needing to hole a par putt from inside four feet to get into play-off, Jeev's putt lipped out for a bogey and that gave Aguilar the title at the par-70 Cengkareng Golf Club.
BCCI and IPL strike website deal with US firm for $50m
By IANS
New Delhi : By August, the Indian cricket board and its prestigious offshoot Indian Premier League (IPL) will have fully functional websites, to be built by a US company, a deal fetching them $50 million, a board official said Wednesday.
The deal for both portals has been finalised, but a formal announcement about it would be made only in April, before the cash-rich IPL kicks off April 18, said the official.
British football inspired Shah Rukh to think of owning a team
By IANS
Kolkata : Five years ago Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was watching a football match in London when the idea of owning a team crossed his mind. Shah Rukh realised that dream - though in cricket, not football - when he bought the Kolkata franchise of the Indian Premier League.
Italian referee Rosetti hails positive and fair Euro 2008
By DPA,
Vienna : Italian referee Roberto Rosetti praised a fair Euro 2008 tournament on the eve of the final between Germany and Spain.
Rosetti, who will referee the final match in the Ernst Happel stadium here between Germany and Spain, said: "I think this European Championship has been very correct.
"I don't think I have seen many violent clashes which perhaps we had seen in a few past competitions. So far the approach has been very positive."
FIFA renews ban on Kuwait
By IANS,
Zurich : Football's world governing body FIFA renewed the suspension of the Kuwaiti Football Association (KFA) because of its failure to hold the general assembly elections by mid-October.
"We had given a supplementary delay (to the KFA)," FIFA President Joseph Blatter said at the FIFA Executive Committee meeting here Friday.
KFA were to have held their general assembly in September but delayed it for Ramadan but after no meeting took place Blatter said the Kuwaitis had been "definitively suspended" from international matches.
Sehwag’s first fifty in 11 innings
By IANS
Adelaide : India's opening batsman Virender Sehwag's 63 in the fourth Test at Adelaide Thursday was his 13th Test fifty and his third against Australia.
Overall, he has recorded four fifties against Australia, including 76 off 82 balls for World XI at Sydney in 2005-06.
Sehwag's Thursday's knock was his highest score at Adelaide and his first fifty in 11 innings, the last one being against West Indies at Basseterre in June 2006.
Sehwag became Brett Lee 20th victim in the current series, the first bowler to cross the 20-wicket mark.
Scoreboard at end of Australia-Sri Lanka ODI
By IANS
Perth : The following is the scoreboard at the end of the Australia-Sri Lanka One-Day International in the Commonwealth Bank Triangular Series at the Western Australian Cricket Association ground here Friday:
Scoreboard
Match No. 6, Australia vs. Sri Lanka (day/night), at the Western Australian Cricket Association ground, Perth
Australia:
Adam Gilchrist c Kapugedera b Malinga 118
Matthew Hayden c Maharoof b Malinga 4
Ricky Ponting c Jayawardene b Vaas 25
Michael Clarke st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 43
Andrew Symonds c Sangakkara b Maharoof 4
China claim first gold of Beijing Games
By John Bagratuni, IANS,
Beijing : Host nation China took their first gold medals of the 2008 Olympics on Saturday, winning in weightlifting and sharing shooting honours with the Czech Republic.
Spanish cyclist Samuel Sanchez took gold in the gruelling men's road race ahead of Italy's Davide Rebellin in a sprint finish involving six riders. Switzerland's Fabio Cancellara claimed bronze.
Chen Xiexia lived up to her top billing in the women's 48 kilos weightlifting competition to the delight of 6,000 fans in the packed Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium.
Harbhajan dismisses Ponting for eighth time in as many Tests
By IANS
Sydney : Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh dismissed Ricky Ponting for the eighth time Saturday and Australia were 90 for two in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day of the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here.
The hosts have an overall lead of 21 runs after recovering from a 69-run deficit on the first innings as they made 463 and India replied with 532.
Younis likely to take PCB to court
By IANS,
Karachi : Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan seems all set to take the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to court over the board's refusal to give reasons for a ban slapped on him last month.
Younis was banned indefinitely by the PCB last month while six other leading cricketers were also severely punished in the wake of a disastrous tour of Australia during December-February.
New Zealand decide to field against Zimbabwe
By IANS,
Guyana: New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori won the toss and elected to field against Zimbabwe in their Group B World Twenty20 match here...
Move to host five-nation chess tournament in Kolkata
By IANS
Kolkata : Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy and Kolkata Municipal Corporation could jointly hold the first four-continent Mayor's Invitational Chess Tournament in 2008.
Announcing this here Monday, Mayor Bikash Bhattacharya said, "A five-member team consisting of Grandmasters Dibyendu Barua, Surya Sekhar Ganguly, Sandipan Chanda, Atananu Lahiri and Saptarshi Roychowdhury has just won the Warsaw Invitational Mayor's Trophy, a meet held from Dec 11-13."
Sania and Poojashree too good for Malaysians
By IANS,
New Delhi : Sania Mirza and Poojashree Venkatesh won their singles matches, dropping a game in each set, as India beat Malaysia 3-0 to top Group II Pool. They are now one match away to be back in the Asia-Oceania Group I.
India play the winners of the Pool B match between Hong Kong China and Syria in the qualification play-off.
Poojashree and Sania made short of work of their opponents, wrapping up the tie 2-0 at the National Tennis Centre in Kuala Lumpur Friday. Sanaa Bhambri and Poojashree then won the dead doubles rubber.
Jeev’s win emphasises strength of Indian and Asian golf
By IANS,
Sentosa (Singapore) : Jeev Milkha Singh's accomplished victory over a world-class field at the Barclays Singapore Open golf Sunday has once again shown the strength and class of Indian golfers.
The former Asian No.1 produced an impressive one-stroke victory over Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els at Sentosa Golf Club to seal his third victory of the season and virtually clinched the Asian Tour's Order of Merit title for the second time in three years.
Saina reaches semis of Swiss Open
By IANS,
Basel: Two-time defending champion Saina Nehwal booked her berth in the women's singles semifinals of the $125,000 Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold here at St. Jakobshalle Friday.
Atwal braves elements to make cut, lies 18th
By IANS,
Glenview (Illinois) : Indian golfer Arjun Atwal slipped early in the round with back to back bogeys, but then braved the elements to make up with a late birdie as he carded an even par 72 in wet and tough conditions on the second day of the Nationwide Tour's $750,000 Bank of America Open Friday.
British PM rejects Olympics boycott call
By IANS
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has rejected calls to stay away from the Beijing Olympics, saying the Dalai Lama himself opposes such action.
"Any violence in China is to be condemned and I do urge restraint all round," he told a conference of international centre-left leaders Saturday.
"It is important that we recognise that the tensions between those in Tibet and the Chinese authorities can only in the end be solved by dialogue."
Bhupathi-Bopanna put India ahead in Davis Cup
By IANS
New Delhi : Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna expectedly put India 2-1 ahead in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group I tie against Uzbekistan by beating Denis Istomin and Farrukh Dustov in the key doubles match at the R.K. Khanna Stadium here Saturday.
Bhupathi's vast experience as a champion doubles player coupled with young Bopanna's power-packed aggression proved too lethal as they easily outclassed the Uzbeks 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
The opening day's singles on Friday were split as Bopanna beat Dustov and Istomin beat debutant Som Dev Varman.
Shuttlers confident of good show in Thomas Cup qualifiers
By IANS,
New Delhi: Indian men's team was upbeat about its chances in the Asian qualifiers for the Thomas Cup badminton championships, beginning Monday at Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
In Thomas Cup, India have been clubbed along with home team Thailand, Sri Lanka and Cambodia in Group 'C'.
IOA has no knowledge of F1 racing, says Akbar Ibrahim
By Abhishek Roy, IANS
New Delhi : At a time when India is buoyed by the Formula One hype, the country's A1 Grand Prix team manager Akbar Ibrahim took a dig at the organisers, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), saying they have no knowledge of the sport.
German first division football league standings
By Xinhua
Berlin : Following are the standings in the German top soccer league Bundesliga after the third round matches Sunday (tabulated under games played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against and points):
Bayern Munchen 3 3 0 0 10 0 9
Arminia Bielefeld 3 2 1 0 7 3 7
VfL Bochum 3 2 1 0 6 4 7
Eintracht Frankfurt 3 2 1 0 4 2 7
Hamburger SV 3 2 0 1 3 2 6
Schalke 04 3 1 2 0 7 4 5
Bayer Leverkusen 3 1 1 1 3 1 4
VfL Wolfsburg 3 1 1 1 5 5 4
VfB Stuttgart 3 1 1 1 4 5 4
Werder Bremen 3 1 1 1 3 6 4
MSV Duisburg 3 1 0 2 4 5 3
Hertha BSC 3 1 0 2 3 4 3
Steve Waugh made overkill of baggy green: Ian Chappell
By IANS,
Melbourne : Former Test skipper Ian Chappell has joined the baggy green debate saying the cap has been more glorified under Steve Waugh's captaincy.
Chappell said reverence for the baggy green, inspired by former captain Waugh, bordered on overkill.
"There is too much made of the baggy green. It is a cap, a nice cap, but has only become more than a cap since Steve Waugh started to jump up and down about it," Chappell was quoted as saying in the Herald Sun.
Asian Games medals tally, Day nine
By IANS,
Guangzhou: Medals tally on the ninth day of the Asian Games here Sunday:
1 China 146 71 70 287
2 South Korea 55 46 61 162
3 Japan 30 53 62 145
4 Iran 10 8 14 32
ICC confirms security process for Champions Trophy
By IANS,
Dubai : A security process has been put in place ahead of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in September, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said Sunday.
"During the annual conference week the Chief Executives’ Committee and the ICC Board came together to receive a presentation by the security consultants hired to oversee the matter both before and during the ICC Champions Trophy,” ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat said Sunday.
IOA delayed National Sports Policy: Aiyar
By IANS
New Delhi : Union Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said that Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi has repeatedly ignored his invitation to discuss the draft of the proposed National Sports Policy, delaying its submission to the cabinet.
More opposition to Dhoni’s swimming pool
By IANS
Ranchi : Opposition is building up against a swimming pool Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni wants to build at his dream house.
A resident of Harmu Housing Colony where the house is coming up wrote to Dhoni Tuesday saying the swimming pool would put tremendous strain on scarce water resources.
The resident, B.P. Sinha, said: "The housing colony faces acute water scarcity. Water is an important part of life. We face acute water scarcity during summer. I would request you to give up the plan for building a swimming pool."
Ajax steal the show in Dutch league opener
By Xinhua
Amsterdam : The three big title contenders in the Dutch first division football league - Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord - all won their opening matches of the Eredivisie new season, with Ajax stealing the show with an 8-1 rout of De Graafschap.
In Sunday's away win over De Graafschap, Ajax's Klaas Jan Huntelaar scored four goals to lead the assault. Uruguayan international Luis Suarez, who moved to Ajax earlier this month, scored once, and earned a penalty, converted by Huntelaar.
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.
IFA Shield: Mahindra beat East Bengal 2-0
By IANS
Kolkata : East Bengal's dismal form continued as they were beaten 2-0 by Mahindra United in the IFA Shield Saturday, while Dhaka Mohameddan Sporting and Churchill Brothers finished with a goalless draw.
Playing in Barasat on the outskirts of the state capital, the red and gold outfit showed flashes of brilliance early in the first half before they were bulldozed into defending by the Mumbai outfit.
Sri Lanka set 309-run target for India in Asia Cup
By IANS,
Karachi : Sri Lanka made 308 for the loss of eight wickets in 50 overs against India in the Super Four match of the Asia Cup cricket tournament at National Stadium here Thursday.
For Sri Lanka, Chamara Kapugedera top scored with 75 runs while Chamara Silva made 50. Ishant Sharma was the most successful Indian bowler snapping two wickets for 55 runs from ten overs.
Defiant Benitez defends Liverpool despite West Ham draw
By DPA,
London : Defiant Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said that his side deserved more than the point they earned in the goalless draw with West Ham United in the English Premier League.
The point was enough to put Liverpool atop the English Premier League, one point clear of Chelsea, with champions Manchester United another five points back, albeit with a game in hand.
After Chelsea's defeat Sunday by Arsenal, Monday's draw was a missed opportunity for Liverpool, who have now drawn back-to-back matches at home in the league.
Benitez said that Liverpool deserved to win.
Games organising committee under RTI ambit, rules court
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Thursday ruled that the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) fall under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act and have to provide information to an applicant.
Dismissing the appeals of the Games Organising Committee and the IOA against the Central Information Commission's (CIC) order to provide information, Justice Ravinder Bhatt ruled that both are public authorities under the RTI Act and have to provide information and cannot keep their accounts private.
Scoreboard: India vs West Indies, Third Test, Day One
By IANS,
Mumbai : Scoreboard at stumps on the first day of the third cricket Test between India and the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium here Tuesday.
West Indies 1st innings
Silver for Indian junior women’s recurve team in Turkey
By IANS,
Kolkata : The Indian junior women's recurve team Sunday bagged a silver at the World Youth Archery Championship at Antalya in Turkey.
The Indian trio of Belsri Narzary, Rimil Biruly and V. Pranitha lost 190-208 to China in the final, according to information received here.
India were assured of another medal, with Beijing Olympian Pranitha moving into the final of the junior women's recurve individual final.
Of cricket, cars and controversy
By Murali Krishnan, IANS
New Delhi : It has always been a windfall of swanky automobiles - and ensuing controversies - for cricketers. And Team India's stunning Twenty20 victory has provided another occasion for them to show off those gleaming machines.
First it was the announcement of a Porsche 911 sports for all-rounder Yuvraj Singh by Lalit Modi, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president, for his 6 sixes feat against England.
Vasco attempts to lift suspension of Romario
By Xinhua
Brasilia : After having been suspended for a minimum of 120 days for using an illegal substance, Romario, along with the legal experts of his club Vasco da Gama, is looking to revoke the Supreme Court of Sports Justice's decision.
The player-coach was placed on suspension Dec 18. The illegal substance found in Romario's blood stream was finasteroid, a drug commonly found in treatment for baldness.
Due to the holiday recess, the court will only open again in the New Year.
Pune and Kochi are two new IPL teams
By IANS,
Chennai : Sahara Group and Rendezvous Sports, a consortium of business houses, pipped three other corporate biggies to win the bids for two new Indian Premier League teams from the next season.
Sahara Adventure Sports Group was the highest bidder at $370 million (Rs.1,702 crore) and bagged Pune as the host city. Kerala-based consortium Rendezvous Sports bid $333.33 million (Rs.1.333.33 crore) to get Kochi as the other franchisee to make the IPL a 10-team affair from 2011.
Iraq beat South Korea in penalties to enter Asian Cup final
By Xinhua
Kuala Lumpur : Iraq defeated South Korea 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out to march into the final of the Asian Cup football championships here Wednesday.
Both teams failed to score during regulation and extra time, leaving it to spot kicks to decide the first semi-final.
Japan face Saudi Arabia in the second semi-final at Hanoi.
I’m successful because of my team: Dhoni
By IANS,
Kolkata: Indian cricket skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni Tuesday attributed his success in the hot-seat to quality players in the side who delivered when the team needed the most.
Team that ‘jells well’ will win IPL, says Dhoni
By IANS,
Chennai : The team that "jells well" would win the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament, Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni says.
At a media conference here Tuesday, Dhoni pointed out that one cannot judge any team on the basis of performances so far.
Gambhir jumps 11 places in ICC ranking
By IANS,
Dubai : Riding on his double century in the third Test against Australia, Indian opener Gautam Gambhir jumped 11 places to achieve his career-best Test ranking of 18th in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) player rankings list.
Anil Kumble, who retired from international cricket Sunday, ended his illustrious 132-Test career in 19th position in the bowlers' list. It is, however, his lowest ranking since January 1993 when he had dropped out of the top-20 after the Newlands, Cape Town Test against South Africa.
Adler stays in goal for Germany
By DPA,
Barsinghausen (Germany) : Rene Adler retains his place in goal for Germany's World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan in Hanover Wednesday, coach Joachim Loew said Tuesday.
The Bayer Leverkusen keeper got the nod over Schalke's Manuel Neuer after Robert Enke pulled out Monday with an infection.
The Hanover keeper, who is seen as first choice, has left the squad ahead of the Group 4 match. Adler did much to stake his claim for a place in the side with a fine performance in Saturday's 2-0 win over South Africa in a friendly.
Relent or juniors will take over: Hockey India warns
By IANS,
Pune/New Delhi: Hockey India, after failing to resolve the outstanding payments issue, warned the protesting players Tuesday that if they did not return to the camp within 24 hours, a new team will have to be drafted for the New Delhi World Cup.
After a two-hour meeting in Pune this afternoon, both HI officials and players stuck to the positions they had held after their meeting in Delhi Saturday.
I used the conditions to my advantage: Imran
By IANS,
New Delhi : Pakistan national champions Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited's (SNGPL) fast bowler Imran Ali said the overcast sky helped him swung the ball and claim a hat trick against Ranji Trophy champions Delhi on the opening day of the Mohammed Nissar Trophy here Monday.
Imran picked up six for 52 including the hat trick - his second in recent months - to bowl out Delhi for a paltry 134 in the first innings. At the close of play, SNGPL were struggling at 143 for six at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium.