American Blake shocked to still inspire at U.S. Open

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 09:38 AM

James Blake shrugs off the suggestion that he can still inspire others after overcoming serious childhood health problems to carve an unlikely career in tennis.

The New Yorker delighted his home crowd while he coasted through his opening match of this year's U.S. Open with a 6-3 6-2 6-4 victory against Belgium's Kristof Vliegen on Tuesday.

As a teenager, Blake had to wear a back brace for 18 hours a day after being diagnosed with severe scoliosis.

His ability to overcome adversity was duly recognised at the opening ceremony the day before his first-round match alongside the likes of Martina Navratilova.

"I was just proud to know that I was among those that inspire others - that's something that's shocking to me," the former world number four said after the Vliegen win.

"To me, it seemed like I was going through life day to day. I remember people talking about the scoliosis being such a great effort, wearing a back brace, to me it seemed normal, because that's the only thing I knew."

Blake revealed friends and on-court rivals had suggested his part in the opening ceremony had looked like a farewell to the tournament but he insisted, at the age of 30, he had no plans to retire.

"A couple of people mentioned something like that to me," he said. "They're trying to get rid of me. I hope that's not the case. It's still exciting for me to win a match here and to have fans that are excited to see me play."

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Sharapova outlasts Australian Groth at U.S. Open

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 09:18 AM

Former champion Maria Sharapova dropped the first set but fought back to claim a 4-6 6-3 6-1 first-round victory over big-serving Australian Jarmila Groth at the U.S. Open on Tuesday.

Groth, ranked 60th after reaching the fourth round at this year's French and Wimbledon championships, hammered 13 winners in the first set as she applied constant hard-hitting pressure on the 23-year-old Russian.

"I think she came out today and really swung and didn't give me much time to do anything out there," said 2006 U.S. Open winner Sharapova. "Against a player like that, who kind of plays the one-two punch type of tennis, it's quite difficult to get a rhythm in the beginning."

As the match wore on, however, Sharapova extended the rallies and made Groth play more shots, inducing 20 unforced errors over the last two sets with the Australian committing 12 double faults in the same period.

Sharapova, who struggled with her serve the last couple of seasons because of an injured shoulder, committed 21 double faults when she was ousted in the third round at last year's U.S. Open by unseeded American Melanie Oudin.

The 23-year-old Sharapova landed only 45 percent of her first serves against Groth, but said her second serve was one of the keys to her victory.

"I think my percentage was quite low today, but I think I did a really good job of hitting some great second serves when I needed to," she said.

"Especially in the third set, I wasn't getting too many first serves in. But I hurt her from my second serve. I probably could say that that was one of the shots that won me the match today."

Sharapova next meets Czech Iveta Benesova, who advanced past Nuria Llagostera Vives of Spain.

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Djokovic dispels some doubts with heated comeback

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 08:36 AM

Novak Djokovic, dogged by nagging questions about his stamina and guts when pressed in big matches and high temperatures, showed fortitude against an old friend at the U.S. Open on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old Serb dug deep to come back after trailing two sets to one and down a break in the fourth set to overtake his Davis Cup team mate Viktor Troicki 6-3 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-3 in the first round on Arthur Ashe centre court.

"I've been in those situations before, played a lot of long matches in very difficult conditions, feeling very exhausted," 2008 Australian Open winner Djokovic told reporters.

"You kind of start panicking a little bit when you don't feel great physically. Then your opponent takes the advantage. And it's not easy. Definitely those moments are very challenging for an athlete."

Djokovic absorbed heavy criticism when he retired during his Melbourne defense in 2009 because of heat illness in the quarter-finals and then withdrew from Wimbledon complaining of a blister on his toe.

This year Djokovic, who has struggled with allergies and sinus problems, withdrew from the Serbian Open quarters because of breathing problems. Three weeks ago he called for medical treatment while playing under intense heat in Toronto.

But with on-court temperatures reaching 109 Fahrenheit (43 Celsius), Djokovic refused to quit against 47th-ranked Troicki, a friend and foe since they were kids.

Over the years, the two have shared many victories together, joining forces this year to carry Serbia to their first Davis Cup world group semi-finals against the Czech Republic in September.

"We grew up together playing in juniors. We're practising together for a long time. We know each other since we were I think nine years old," said Djokovic, U.S. Open runner-up in 2007 and semi-finalist the last two years.

"My first tournament in my life that I've played, it was under-10, I won my first round and then I played him second round. He destroyed me."

Djokovic, winner of the previous four matches against the 24-year-old Troicki, got another measure of revenge against him on centre court Tuesday and dispelled some doubts about his distaste for adversity.

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FACTBOX - Soccer-Serie A club prospects and major transfers

Wed, Sep 01 10 08:18 AM

Factbox on Serie A clubs after the transfer window closed (all amounts in euros, last season's positions in brackets):

Inter Milan (Champions, 82 points)

Jose Mourinho left for Real Madrid in a blaze of glory after sealing an unprecedented Italian treble last season and new coach Rafael Benitez must quickly learn from mistakes during his final turgid year at Liverpool.

Transfer movement has been limited with Mario Balotelli joining Manchester City and Benitez looking to put faith in youngsters such as Brazilian Coutinho.

In: Jonathan Biabiany (Parma, end of loan), Luca Castellazzi (Sampdoria, free), Coutinho (Vasco da Gama), Mancini (AC Milan, end of loan), Victor Obinna (Malaga, end of loan), Andrea Ranocchia (Bari, will play this season at Genoa under co-ownership deal), David Suazo (Genoa, end of loan)

Out: Marko Arnautovic (Werder Bremen, undisclosed), Mario Balotelli (Manchester City, undisclosed), Nicolas Burdisso (AS Roma, 8 million), Rene Krhin (Bologna, co-ownership), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas, undisclosed), Francesco Toldo (retired)

AS Roma (2nd, 80 points)

Claudio Ranieri's side narrowly missed out on a shock scudetto last term and the decision to sign troubled striker Adriano and let successful loanee Luca Toni leave has raised eyebrows across Italy.

Financial problems mean the club are up for sale but the Roman spirit of Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi could lead to another good campaign.

In: Adriano (Flamengo, undisclosed), Marco Borriello (AC Milan, loan), Guillermo Burdisso (Rosario Central, loan), Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan, 8 million), Stefano Okaka (Fulham, end of loan), Simplicio (Palermo, free)

Out: Artur (released), Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan, end of loan), Alessio Cerci (Fiorentina, 3 million), Marco Motta (Juventus, from Udinese, loan), Max Tonetto (released), Luca Toni (Genoa, end of loan)

AC Milan (third, 70 points)

Leonardo quit at the end of his only season after becoming fed up with interference from club owner Silvio Berlusconi and new coach Massimiliano Allegri, who impressed in two years at Cagliari, has already been told he is expected to win trophies.

New signings had been modest until a deal for Barcelona's former Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

In: Marco Amelia (Genoa, loan), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Genoa, loan), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona, loan then 24 million), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Genoa, loan), Robinho (Manchester City, undisclosed), Mario Yepes (Chievo, free)

Out: Dominic Adiyiah (Reggina, loan) David Beckham (LA Galaxy, end of loan), Marco Borriello (As Roma, loan), Dida (released), Giuseppe Favalli (retired), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04, 13 million), Kakha Kaladze (Genoa, undisclosed), Mancini (Inter Milan, end of loan)

Sampdoria (4th, 67 points)

Coach Luigi Del Neri jumped ship for the riches of Juventus just days after taking Samp to a surprise fourth spot last term.

New boss Domenico Di Carlo arrived from Chievo and has little experience but the club hanging on to top strike duo Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini bodes well despite their elimination in the Champions League qualifying round.

In: Gianluca Curci (Siena, undisclosed), Daniele Dessena (Cagliari, undisclosed), Luciano Zauri (Lazio, loan)

Out: Luca Castellazzi (Inter Milan, free), Marius Stankevicius (Valencia, loan), Marco Storari (from AC Milan to Juventus, end of loan)

Palermo (5th, 65 points)

The sale of Edinson Cavani to rivals Napoli, among others, suggests Delio Rossi's side could go backwards this term.

In: Massimo Maccarone (Siena, undisclosed), Ezequiel Munoz (Boca Juniors, undisclosed), Joao Pedro (Atletico Mineiro, undisclosed)

Out: Mark Bresciano (Lazio, undisclosed), Igor Budan (Cesena, loan), Edinson Cavani (Napoli, 16 million), Roberto Guana (Palermo, free), Simon Kjaer (VfL Wolfsburg, undisclosed), Rubinho (Torino, loan), Simplicio (Roma, free)

Napoli (6th, 59 points)

The Naples club will be looking to take another step forward and push for the Champions League places with the addition of Uruguay World Cup forward Edinson Cavani from Palermo.

However, owner Aurelio De Laurentiis takes no prisoners and has angered some of the squad with his hard-nosed approach to contracts and Fabio Quagliarella's exit upset fans.

In: Edinson Cavani (Palermo, 16 million), Emilson Cribari (Lazio, undisclosed), Nicolao Dumitru (Empoli, loan) Cristiano Lucarelli (Parma, loan), Jose Ernesto Sosa (Bayern Munich, undisclosed), Hassan Yebda (Benfica, loan)

Out: Luca Cigarini (Sevilla, loan), Jesus Datolo (Espanyol, loan), German Denis (Udinese, undisclosed), Erwin Hoffer (Kaiserslautern, loan), Fabio Quagliarella (Juventus, loan then 15 million), Leandro Rinaudo (Juventus, loan)

Juventus (7th, 55 points)

The twice European champions have made major changes after last season's dreadful run. Luigi Del Neri has been hired as coach after steering Sampdoria to fourth last term and Diego and David Trezeguet have left as part of the rebuilding.

Del Neri has vowed a return to their traditional 4-4-2 after different formations under Ciro Ferrara and Alberto Zaccheroni flopped last term. Alessandro Del Piero is poised to play his final season at the club but is not guaranteed a start.

In: Alberto Aquilani (Liverpool, loan), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari, 15.5 million), Milos Krasic (CSKA Moscow, 15 million), Davide Lanzafame (Parma, end of loan), Jorge Martinez (Catania, 12 million), Marco Motta (Udinese, loan), Simone Pepe (Udinese, loan), Marco Storari (AC Milan, 4.5 million), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli, loan then 15 million), Leandro Rinaudo (Napoli, loan), Armand Traore (Arsenal, loan)

Out: Martin Caceres (Barcelona, end of loan), Mauro Camoranesi (Vfb Stuttgart, released), Antonio Candreva (Udinese then Parma, end of loan), Fabio Cannavaro (Al Ahli, free), Diego (VfL Wolfsburg, 15.5 million), Sebastian Giovinco (Parma, loan), Christian Poulsen (Liverpool, 5.5 million), Tiago (Atletico Madrid, loan), David Trezeguet (Hercules, released), Jonathan Zebina (Brescia, released)

Parma (8th, 52 points)

The club have swapped coaches with Udinese so Pasquale Marino takes the reins this term.

However, the loss of loan players and the Italian federation's decision to limit non-European Union buys to one player per transfer window has hit their plans hard.

In: Valeri Bojinov, (Manchester City, undisclosed), Antonio Candreva (Udinese, loan), Sebastian Giovinco (Juventus, loan)

Out: Jonathan Biabiany (Inter Milan, end of loan), Manuel Coppola (Lecce, loan), Davide Lanzafame (Juventus, end of loan), Cristiano Lucarelli (Napoli, loan), Gabriele Paonessa (Cesena, loan), Andrea Rispoli (Lecce, loan)

Genoa (9th, 51 points)

Italy's oldest club have been busier than most in a quiet transfer market and Gian Piero Gasperini's attacking side will be looking to push for a top four finish having seen city rivals Sampdoria grab fourth spot last term.

In: Rafinha (Schalke, 9 million), Eduardo (Braga, undisclosed), Kakha Kaladze (AC Milan, undisclosed), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich, free), Andrea Ranocchia (Bari, co-ownership with Inter Milan. At Genoa for this season), Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon, undisclosed)

Out: Marco Amelia (AC Milan, loan), Salvatore Bocchetti (Rubin Kazan, undisclosed), Ivan Fatic (Cesena, loan), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (AC Milan, loan), Alberto Zapater (Sporting Lisbon, undisclosed)

Bari (10th, 50 points)

Giampiero Ventura worked wonders last term as Bari finished mid-table in their first season back in the top flight, playing some stylish football.

The sale of impressive defensive duo Andrea Ranocchia and Leonardo Bonucci and a lack of quality new recruits may hamper them this campaign, however.

In: Abdelkader Ghezzal (Siena, undisclosed), Andrea Raggi (Bologna, undisclosed)

Out: Andrea Ranocchia (Genoa and Inter Milan co-ownership), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus, 15.5 million)

- - - -

Fiorentina (11th, 47 points)

Cesare Prandelli left to manage Italy so tough taskmaster Sinisa Mihajlovic was brought in from Catania.

A superb run to the Champions League last 16 last term was undermined by a poor Serie A campaign and this season could also be difficult given the lack of big new names and forward Stevan Jovetic being ruled out injured for six months.

In: Gaetano D'Agostino (Udinese, undisclosed), Artur Boruc (Celtic, 3 million), Alessio Cerci (AS Roma, 3 million)

Out: Massimo Gobbi (released), Keirrison (Barcelona then Santos, end of loan)

Lazio (12th, 46 points)

The enigmas of Serie A flirted dangerously with relegation last term before a late burst but Edy Reja will hope for a top 10 finish at the least this season despite selling influential left back Aleksandar Kolarov to Manchester City.

In: Mark Bresciano (Palermo, undisclosed), Javier Garrido (Manchester City, undisclosed), Hernanes (Sao Paulo, undisclosed), Luciano Zauri (Sampdoria, loan)

Out: Emilson Cribari (Napoli, undisclosed), Thomas Hitzlsperger (West Ham United, free), Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City, 22 million), Julio Cruz (released)

Catania (13th, 45 points)

Boss Sinisa Mihajlovic's decision to quit for Fiorentina was a big blow, as was midfielder Jorge Martinez's sale to Juventus, but a growing army of Argentine recruits and new coach Marco Giampaolo will hope to keep the Sicilians up yet again.

In: Alejandro Gomez (San Lorenzo, undisclosed)

Out: Jorge Martinez (Juventus, 12 million)

Cagliari (14th, 44 points)

Pierpaolo Bisoli, well-liked in Sardinia for his attachment to the club as a player, has taken over as coach from new AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri.

A promising start last season fizzled out and with Italy goalkeeper Federico Marchetti unsettled and only forward Robert Acquafresca a major signing, the same may occur this term.

In: Robert Aqcuafresca (Genoa, undisclosed)

Out: Daniele Dossena (Sampdoria, undisclosed), Jeda (Lecce, undisclosed)

Udinese (15th, 44 points)

Coach Francesco Guidolin surprisingly decided to swap promising Parma for strugglers Udinese, especially given the departure of key players Simone Pepe and Gaetano D'Agostino.

Antonio Di Natale, Serie A's top scorer last term with 29 goals, stayed despite interest fron Juve.

In: Gabriele Angella (Empoli, co-ownership), German Denis (Napoli, undisclosed)

Out: Gaetano D'Agostino (Fiorentina, undisclosed), Antonio Candreva (Parma, loan), Andreas Landgren (Willem II, loan), Simone Pepe (Juventus, loan), Alexandar Lukovic (Zenit St Petersburg, undisclosed)

Chievo (16th, 44 points)

New coach Stefano Pioli, who steered unfashionable Sassuolo to fourth in Serie B last term, was recruited to replace Sampdoria-bound Domenico Di Carlo but otherwise the Verona side's business has been low key and they are set to struggle.

In: Kevin Constant, (Chateauroux, undisclosed), Gelson Fernandes (St Etienne, loan), Roberto Guana (Palermo, free)

Out: Mario Yepes (AC Milan, free)

Bologna (17th, 42 points)

A change in ownership and sacking coach Franco Colomba a day before their season opener is unlikely to boost their league position after scrapes with relegation for the past two seasons.

Transfer business has been brisk but most deals have been small.

In: Rene Krhin (Inter Milan, co-ownership), Albin Ekdal (Siena, undisclosed), Diego Perez (AS Monaco, undisclosed), Ivan Radovanovic (Atalanta, loan), Matteo Rubin (Torino, undisclosed)

Out: Adailton (released), Andrea Raggi (Bari, undisclosed), Stephen Appiah (Cesena, free)

Lecce (Serie B champions)

The southern side spent just one season in Serie B and returned to the top flight as champions but a lack of Serie A quality signings means they could head straight back where they came from.

In: Manuel Coppola (Parma, loan), Davide Di Michele (Torino, undisclosed) Javier Chevanton (Sevilla, undisclosed), Jeda (Cagliari, undisclosed), Ignacio Piatti (Independiente, undisclosed), Edward Ofere (Malmo, undisclosed), Ruben Olivera (A. Penarol, undisclosed), Andrea Rispoli (Parma, loan)

Out: Emanuele Terranova (Frosinone, free)

Cesena (Serie B runners-up)

The surprise packages in the second tier last season, they have made some eye-catching signings despite their small budget.

In: Stephen Appiah, (Bologna, free), Steve von Bergen (Hertha Berlin, free), Igor Budan (Palermo, loan), Diego Cavalieri (Liverpool, undisclosed), Ivan Fatic (Genoa, loan),Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo, undisclosed), Gabriele Paonessa (Parma, loan)

Out: Ivan Franceschini (released)

Brescia (Serie B playoff winners)

The northern club face a tough task staying in Serie A but have made two decent signings this week in Eder and Alessandro Diamanti.

In: Alessandro Diamanti (West Ham United, 2.2 million), Eder (Empoli, undisclosed), Panagiotis Kone (Iraklis, undisclosed), Matteo Sereni (Torino, undisclosed), Jonathan Zebina (Juventus, released)

Out: Juergen Saumel (Torino, end of loan)

Source: Published>

Revitalised Lucic earns first grand-slam win since 2002

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 07:18 AM

When Croatian Mirjana Lucic reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 1999 as a fresh-faced 17-year-old, she was tipped as a future star of women's tennis.

Just four years later, she was all but gone from the tour, the victim of an abusive father and seemingly destined to go down as a footnote in the sport's history.

But on Tuesday at a sweltering Flushing Meadows, the 28-year-old Lucic was back and all smiles after earning her first grand-slam victory in more than eight years with a 7-6 6-1 first-round win over Australian Alicia Molik.

"I feel fantastic," Lucic told reporters. "I'm so, so happy. I worked so hard to get here. This is my first U.S. Open in, I don't know, seven years or something. It feels incredible. It just feels so rewarding.

Lucic burst onto the scene in 1997 as a 15-year-old when she won the title in her first tour event.

She reached the final in her next tournament in Strasbourg and was so impressive that Steffi Graf, who beat her, said she was better than she had been at the same age.

Lucic won her only grand-slam title at the Australian Open the following year, taking the doubles crown in partnership with Martina Hingis.

But after the high of Wimbledon in 1999, it soon became clear that all was not well in the Lucic family.

Estranged from her abusive father, she was beset by personal and financial problems and it took her until 2007 before she began to make positive moves in the rankings again.

"I grew up winning since I was six years old," she said. "Once that has been taken away from you for years and you haven't had that feeling, (to get it back) is incredible."

Having won three matches in qualifying to get to the main draw, her win over Molik - her first grand-slam victory since the 2002 French Open - will lift her several places from her current ranking of 150.

She still has a long way if she is going to return to near her career-high of 32 but she is simply delighted to be back.

"Every match I win now, it's like winning an entire tournament," she said. "Every match gives me such satisfaction. I really enjoy it so much.

"I just love it out there. I'm doing what I love and I know that there is still a lot of good tennis in me, a lot of good results. That's what's pushing me."

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Mexico mulls cutting foreigners from domestic league

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 06:58 AM

Mexico, whose younger players impressed at the World Cup, are looking to cut the number of foreigners in the domestic league to increase international opportunities for the country's juniors.

The cosmpolitan league, whose foreign contingent largely includes South American talent, allows its 18 first division clubs a maximum of five non-Mexican players in their squads.

"We're working to see how many foreigners are needed per team. We have to think about defending our young Mexicans," Justino Compean, president of the country's football federation Femexfut, told reporters.

The large number of foreigners in the league has proved controversial, with the national side selecting naturalised players like Argentina-born Guillermo Franco.

Brazil-born Mexico midfielder Antonio Naelson "Sinha" of champions Toluca was voted the best player of last season's Clausura tournament.

In recent years, the top scorer in the Mexican league has been a Chilean or Argentine and last season Mexico's Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, now with Manchester United, shared it with American Herculez Gomez and Peru's Johan Fano.

The performance of Mexico's younger brigade, including Hernandez and Giovanni dos Santos at the World Cup in South Africa, has raised hopes of a new generation to lead the team at the Brazil finals in 2014.

"I'm aware of the work developed by the 18 clubs, giving youngsters more opportunities. They really care to work more and better and this will help Mexican football to improve institutionally and nationally," interim Mexico coach Efrain Flores said.

Flores, standing in after the resignation of 2010 World Cup trainer Javier Aguirre, will prepare Mexico to host Ecuador and Colombia in friendlies on Saturday and next Tuesday.

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Ashok, Gaurav, Feroz in joint lead

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 06:36 AM

With identical scores of four under 68, Ashok Kumar, Gaurav Pratap Singh and Feroz Ali Mollah shared the joint-lead after round one of the PGTI Players Championship held at the Chandigarh Golf Club on Tuesday. Harendra Gupta and Sandeep Syal were one stroke behind the leaders in joint fourth position.

Delhi's Ashok Kumar, a seven-time winner on the PGTI, was even par after 12 holes as he had birdied the fourth and bogeyed the 12th. He then unleashed a 340-yard drive on the par five 13th that helped him set up an eagle. The Delhi golfer made successive birdies on the 16th and 17th to close the day at four under. He drove the green on the par four 17th and two-putted from 30 feet for birdie.

Ashok, who has never won at the Chandigarh Golf Club, is eager to set the record straight this time around. Ashok said, "I'm really keen to win at the Chandigarh Golf Club. I have been beaten in a few playoffs at this venue in the past and I want to make up for all those losses during this week. I'm in the process of recovering from a wrist injury that kept me out of action for the last three months and today's round of 68 provided me the ideal start for the second half of the season."

He added, "My driving was fantastic today and I also holed some decent putts including one from 15 feet for birdie on the 16th."

Gaurav Pratap Singh of Noida, a winner on the PGTI last season, fired five birdies against a lone bogey to be at the top of the leaderboard. The 26-year-old, who made two cuts out of four starts in his first season on the Asian Tour this year, putted consistently and made a great par save on the 16th on day one.

"This is a great start for me considering that I have had an ordinary season so far. This is the best I have played since I sustained an injury towards the end of last year. I now feel that I'm getting back into form," said Gaurav.

Feroz Ali Mollah of Kolkata also ended the day as the joint leader as he came up with five birdies and a bogey in his opening round. The former Indian Open champion, who has never won on the Aircel-PGTI, hit it close through the day.

Feroz said, "I hit it close today, especially on the 10th where I landed it within four feet from 100 yards out. I hope to carry on this form and post a good finish this week."Harendra Gupta was the highest placed among the Chandigarh golfers on Tuesday. He returned a 69 to be tied fourth along with Sandeep Syal of Chennai.

Mukesh Kumar, Ajeetesh Sandhu of Chandigarh, Raju Ali Mollah and Shankar Das are a further stroke back in tied sixth.

Rahil Gangjee, one of the pre-tournament favourites, is tied 15th at even par 72 while Chandigarh's Sujjan Singh lies tied 70th at five over 77.

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Manisha hands LIC Club its maiden title

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 05:56 AM

Talented batswoman Manisha gave brilliant all round performance (73 no and 2 for 12) to help LIC Cricket Club beat GMSSS, Sector 56 Club, by 18 runs to claim their maiden title during the State Women Cricket Championship (U-16) for Kailash Bahl Trophy held in Chandigarh.

Batting first, LIC Club posted a total of 116 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs. Manisha topscored with an unbeaten knock of 73 runs. She stayed at the crease till the end to help LIC Club make 116 runs. She was ably supported by Kavita who chipped in with 31 runs. In reply to the total, GMSSS, Sector56 Club, got off to a bad start losing two wickets within a total of 10 runs. Mala, Sony and Manisha claimed two wickets a piece.Manisha was adjudged as the woman of the match while Reena of GMSSS-56 Club was adjudged as the best bowler of the tournament.

Meanwhile, the organisers announced trials to select women team for upcoming T20 national tournament to be held in Ludhiana will be conducted at IS Dev Samaj Sr. Sec. School,Sector 21, Chandigarh, on September 1 at 3.00pm.

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Ashish and Bhawna claim singles titles

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 05:38 AM

Ashish Sharma of AG Punjab cornered glory beating Vijay of Delhi Audit in straight sets 21-13, 21-14 to claim title in the men's singles category during the Indian Audit and Accounts Department Badminton tournament held at Sector 42 Badminton Hall in Chandigarh on Tuesday. In the women's singles final, Bhawna of AG Haryana emerged as champion outclassing Saroj of AG Haryana by 21-9, 21-9 with ease. It was duo of Ashish and Amit who got the better off Deepak and Amit by 21-10, 21-10 to clinch the men's doubles title. Meanwhile, in the veterans final, Swarup of AG Haryana drubbed Vinod of AG Himachal Pradesh by 18-21, 26-24, 22-20 in a well contested match.

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Djokovic beats heat, and Davis Cup team mate

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 04:58 AM

Serbia's Novak Djokovic caught his second wind in the nick of time to overcome Davis Cup team mate Viktor Troicki 6-3 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-3 in the first round on a brutally hot day at the U.S. Open on Tuesday.

Djokovic, who has struggled in the heat in the past, looked beaten after trailing two sets to one and a break down at 3-1 in the fourth set, but the third seed came roaring back.

The former Australian Open champion and U.S. Open runner-up broke the big-serving Troicki, ranked 47th, in the sixth game to put the set back on serve and again in the 12th to force a fifth set which he won with relative ease.

The Serbians hugged each other at the net following their three-hour, 40-minute centre court battle.

"Even if I lose today, it would be absolutely deserved on his side," a relieved Djokovic said in an on-court interview. "It was just bad luck for him. I'm happy to get through."

The match was played in searing heat that hit 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius), leaving the stands more than half empty as fans looked for cooler options.

For the thousands that stayed, many huddled under umbrellas for protection from the sun, they were treated to a terrific tilt.

Troicki, who had lost his last four matches against Djokovic, blasted 23 aces and made life miserable for his compatriot, slugging 66 winners overall.

"You have to give Viktor credit," said Djokovic, who teamed up with Troicki to lead Serbia to their first World Cup semi-final set for September against the Czech Republic.

"He was playing really well and serving incredibly well."

By the fifth set, the late afternoon sun dipped below the lip of Arthur Ashe Stadium, mercifully putting the combatants in the shade.

Asked if that had provided him with some relief, Djokovic sighed. "Oh my god," he said. "It was like, I don't know, sleeping with my girlfriend I guess kind of feeling."

The victory lifted Djokovic to a second-round match against Philipp Petzschner of Germany, who beat Dusan Lojda of the Czech Republic to advance.

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Beaten Li Na says she wilted in U.S. Open heat

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 04:38 AM

China's Li Na admitted she wilted in the stifling heat at the U.S. Open on Tuesday as she suffered a shock 2-6 6-4 6-2 defeat to hard-hitting Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko.

With temperatures peaking at around 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius), the eighth seed cruised through the first set but then lost her way as world number 59 Bondarenko stormed back to clinch victory in one hour 43 minutes.

"From the middle of the second set I was feeling the energy was going down," Li told Reuters. "I talked to myself to stay positive on the court but it didn't work."

Li looked on course for a straightforward win when she broke serve twice to win the first set. But Bondarenko, who has slipped down the rankings after a three-month absence with knee trouble, levelled the match and, as Li faded, roared through the decider to reach round two.

Li, who reached the quarter-finals in New York along with Bondarenko in 2009, was surprised that she was not able to cope with the intense conditions since she is from a hot climate.

"My home town (Wuhan) also is hot but I don't know why (I felt so bad)," she said. "(The warm-up event in) Cincinnati was also hot and humid so maybe the body didn't feel good in this weather."

It is only the second time Li has lost in the first round in the U.S. Open and she went into the event confident having reached at least the fourth round the past three years.

"I really wanted to try in the U.S. Open because I also had a good beginning to the year," she said.

"The whole year I was playing well and only in the U.S. Open I lost in the first round. Maybe I am tired in the body and tired in the mind, I don't know."

Bondarenko now plays either Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia or Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland in the second round.

Source: Web Search

Premier League transfer spending dips to three-year low

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 04:16 AM

Premier League clubs spent less than they did in 2007 in the summer transfer window as cash-strapped clubs sought to balance their books, according to business consultancy Deloitte.

Overall spending by English clubs was around 350 million pounds ($539.2 million), 22 percent below the levels of 2009 and the lowest after three years of record growth, Deloitte said in a report released after the English deadline closed on Tuesday.

"In general, an absence of new owners and clubs striving to improve their financial balance has diminished the vibrancy of the transfer market," Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said in a statement.

Gross transfer spending by top clubs in France, Germany, Italy and Spain was down 25 percent to 40 percent compared with 2009, widening the gap with their English peers.

"Premier League clubs generated more revenue and income on aggregate than the other leagues and they can afford to spend more in the transfer market," Paul Rawnsley, director in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, told Reuters.

Clubs from Italy's Serie A and Spain's Primera Liga have reportedly spent around 260 million pounds and 240 million pounds respectively during the window.

Spain striker David Villa moved to Barcelona from Valencia for 40 million euros in one of the biggest deals.

Premier League Manchester City, the world's wealthiest club, dominated transfer activity with acquisitions of around 125 million pounds accounting for 36 percent of total spending.

"Despite improved economic conditions and enhanced values from international media rights that kicked in for the 2010-11 season, without further significant capital injections from owners, transfer spending is unlikely to exceed the high watermark achieved in 2008," Rawnsley said.

Source: Web Search

Wednesday's order of play at the U.S. Open

Wed, Sep 01 10 03:18 AM

Wednesday's order of play on the show courts on day three of the U.S. Open (prefix denotes seeding):

ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM (Play begins 1500GMT)

Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) v 21-Zheng Jie (China)

Not before 1700GMT

4-Andy Murray (Britain) v Lukas Lacko (Slovakia)

3-Venus Williams (U.S.) v Rebecca Marino (Canada)

Not before 2300GMT

2-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) v Sally Peers (Australia)

9-Andy Roddick (U.S.) v Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia)

LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM (Play begins 1500GMT)

20-Sam Querrey (U.S.) v Bradley Klahn (U.S.)

24-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) v Vania King (U.S.)

Melanie Oudin (U.S.) v 29-Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine)

Frederico Gil (Portugal) v 18-John Isner (U.S.)

GRANDSTAND COURT (Play begins 1500GMT)

10-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) v Gisela Dulko (Argentina)

7-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) v Michael Llodra (France)

6-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) v Maria Elena Camerin (Italy)

17-Gael Monfils (France) v Igor Andreev (Russia)

Source: Published>

CCI mulls probe into contracts for Commonwealth Games

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 02:52 AM

With just about a month to go for the Commonwealth Games, the Competition Commission of India is mulling a thorough probe into the awarding of key contracts for the Games.

According to top CCI sources who spoke to FE on conditions of anonymity, the commission has noted that several contracts relating to the Games have been doled out to private players without conducting a fair tendering process. "There are serious competition violations. We are collecting all information on the bidding process following which we will take a decision on whether to conduct a suo moto probe into it or not," a senior CCI official told FE. He said that since on many instances the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CMOC) has flouted basic bidding rules, it is in contravention of sections 3 and 4 of the Competition Act 2002.

"CWG is a case of non-tendering...simple and transparent tendering process has not been followed. We need to find out which are the firms that benefited the most from non-tendering...currently we are compiling all the evidence," he said.

As per several reports trickling in following the allegations of corruption by CMOC chairman Suresh Kalmadi, there have been many instances of a collusion between members of the CMOC and a handful of private parties.

The committee has not been following a transparent bidding process for selecting a sponsorship servicing contract after the cancellation of Australian firm SMAM's contract earlier this year. Following this Nimbus Sports, which was involved in the bidding process, backed out citing transparency issues.

Last month, the UK-based AM Firms came out in the open and said that it had not entered into any formal contract with the organising committee in New Delhi for offering its services during the Queen's Baton Relay in London.

Source: Web Search

French great Fignon, 50, dies of cancer

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 02:36 AM

Laurent Fignon died of cancer on Tuesday at the age of 50 with two Tour de France wins to his name -- but the eight seconds that cost him a third triumph will live just as long in the memory.

On July 23 1989, after 21 stages and 3,285-km of gruelling cycling, Greg LeMond pipped the Frenchman by the Tour's narrowest margin in one of the great finishes of all time.

Fignon had started the time trial with a 50-second lead only to see his American rival go 58 seconds faster in the 24.5-km final stage.

"Even on the podium I was feeling uncomfortable and sorry because Fignon had also won the Tour," LeMond told France 24 television from his Minnesota home on Tuesday.

"He was a priceless man and I was choked when I heard he had died. A week ago I was told he was not well but he was very strong minded and I liked him because he has always been true to himself and I regard him as one of the best riders of the last 35 or 40 years."

RadioShack team manager Alain Gallopin, Fignon's physio and friend, told Reuters the rider died at the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris at 1230 local time (1030 GMT).

"I have lost a brother. I saw him yesterday and he was still fighting," said Gallopin.

TYPICAL FRENCHMAN

In a book published in June 2009, 'We Were Young and Carefree', Fignon said he had been diagnosed with cancer.

He also admitted having used doping products but said he did not know if they had caused his illness.

"I don't want to die at 50 but if my cancer is incurable, what can I do?," he told Paris-Match magazine in January.

"I love life, I love a good laugh, travel, books, good food. I'm a typical Frenchman. I'm not afraid of death, I just don't want to die."

Fignon's sport was soccer until he rode his first cycle race in 1976 and won it.

He turned professional in 1982, winning his first trophy the same year, the Criterium National.

In 1983 at the age of 22, with his round glasses and ponytail, Fignon became the youngest rider for 50 years to win the Tour de France after taking advantage of the withdrawal through injury of Bernard Hinault who had won the race four times.

The young champion won again in 1984, earning the nickname 'The Teacher' for his tactical skills.

Injuries marred the end of his career but he also won the Giro d'Italia in 1989, the Fleche Wallonne in 1986 and the Milan-San Remo classic in 1988 and 1989.

Fignon retired from cycling in 1993 and soon became a television consultant.

He worked for France television on the last Tour, despite a voice broken by illness, and said at the end of the race that he would be back in 2011.

"During the last Tour de France which he covered with total passion and beyond human endurance, Laurent Fignon showed he was a man who knew how to face his last battle," France President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a statement.

"He gave the entire world a masterly lesson of dignity, courage and humanity."

Five-times Tour de France winner Eddy Merckx said he was saddened to learn of Fignon's death.

"I couldn't believe it," said Merckx, 65, remembering how he had talked to Fignon before this year's Tour.

"He told me: 'My cancer is very hard, but I will fight to the last second,'" the Belgian told Reuters. "He was very honest to the people and very honest to himself. He was a great person, and cycling has lost a great man."

Source: Web Search

U.S. Open curse haunts Baghdatis in early loss

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 02:16 AM

Marcos Baghdatis's U.S. Open curse struck again on Tuesday when the Cypriot suffered his third first-round defeat in five visits, losing to seasoned Frenchman Arnaud Clement in a five-set thriller.

The 16th-seeded Baghdatis led by two sets to one and then by 3-1 in the fifth set but eventually went down 6-3 2-6 1-6 6-4 7-5 to the 32-year-old Clement, who clinched his first win since Wimbledon.

In the battle of the two former Australian Open finalists, Baghdatis recovered from a poor start to storm through the second and third sets for the loss of just three games.

But Clement snatched the fourth and then came from 3-1 down to seal victory and a meeting with either American Robby Ginepri or Eduardo Schwank of Argentina.

Baghdatis went into the tournament riding confidence after an encouraging lead-up to the U.S. Open, winning the title in Washington and reaching the semi-finals in Cincinnati.

But he had never made it past the second round in four previous trips to New York and began nervously, with Clement rushing the net to good effect.

The two players both produced some outstanding shot-making but Baghdatis found his feet in the third set to move ahead.

But Clement snatched the fourth set and then came from 3-1 down in the decider, finally clinching victory by breaking Baghdatis in the 12th game when he pulled a forehand wide.

Source: Web Search

Tottenham close on late deal for Dutchman Van der Vaart

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 01:56 AM

Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart will move from Real Madrid to Tottenham Hotspur if a last-minute deal can be agreed before the transfer deadline, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old midfielder was poised to join Bayern Munich on Monday but when that fell through Spurs moved just before the transfer window was due to close.

"It was a last-minute job. When I came in this morning it wasn't something I was looking to do," Redknapp told Sky Sports News. "It's now just a question of the papers being lodged with the Premier League in time.

"We are playing Champions League football now and need a strong squad and I hope we have got the paperwork in on time, we will have to wait and see."

Redknapp said Spurs would pay around 8 million pounds ($12.32 million) for the midfielder who was in the Netherlands team beaten in this year's World Cup final by Spain.

"He's a great passer of the ball, I have watched him play for Holland, he is a top player and would be a big, big plus for us," Redknapp said.

Van der Vaart, who began his career at Ajax Amsterdam, joined Real from Hamburg in 2008 but dropped down the pecking order following Kaka's arrival from AC Milan last year.

New Real coach Jose Mourinho has signed teenager Sergio Canales and Germany's Mesut Ozil to further increase competition for places in the team.

Source: Web Search

U.S back Bradley but tight-lipped over alternatives

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 01:38 AM

United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati refused on Tuesday to confirm whether he had talked to any other coaches before signing up incumbent Bob Bradley to four more years in the role.

Bradley, who had been linked with the Fulham and Aston Villa vacancies in England's Premier League, inked the new deal on Monday after unconfirmed reports suggested Gulati had met with former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann.

Gulati and Bradley held a teleconference on Tuesday to discuss the new deal, which will extend the coach's contact until after the 2014 World Cup.

"We are here to talk about Bob's appointment as national team coach," Gulati said when asked whether he had talked with Klinsmann, who has a residence in California.

"I'm not going to talk about any conversations we may or may not have had with any other candidates," he added.

Four years ago, following the departure of Bruce Arena, Gulati held talks with Klinsmann over the role but the pair failed to reach agreement and Bradley was handed his chance.

Once again, Gulati, having surveyed his options internationally, has opted for the domestic choice and he said there were advantages to having an American in charge.

"Did we go into any of these situations thinking we will appoint an American coach? The answer is no. Do I think there are some natural advantages to having a coach who understands the American system? The answer is yes," said Gulati.

"That doesn't mean there aren't advantages to having coached in the Premier League or Serie A or having coached in two World Cups or whatever else it might be.

"I don't think there is any doubt that having some knowledge of the American set-up, our league, our player development programs, all of those things, the things that make American young men tick, I think that is a plus," said Gulati, adding that he would not rule out a foreign coach in the future.

Under Bradley the U.S won the Gold Cup, reached the final of the Confederations Cup, beating European and eventual world champions Spain en route, and finished above England in first place in their group at this year's World Cup finals.

But the Americans fell short of their goal of reaching the last eight when they lost to Ghana in extra-time in their second-round match.

Despite that disappointment, Gulati said Bradley had achieved positive results over the four-year period.

"His record speaks for itself, the level of competition that we have had over the last four years is probably tougher than we have ever had in our history...we played Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Holland, the list goes on," he said.

"We are very pleased that we have been able to work out a four-year extension."

Bradley said he had assessed his options in international club competition after the World Cup but said he had not spoken formally with either Villa or Fulham.

"The respect that we have gained has been significant and that also means there is a great respect internationally for the job done on the coaching side," he said. "It was nice to talk to people in different situations and get a sense of what opportunities exist now or going forward."

But the 52-year-old coach said despite that growing respect Americans still faced a battle to get opportunities abroad.

"(It is) still a challenge for all of us," he said.

Source: Web Search

Robinho joins Milan, Huntelaar moves to Schalke

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 01:18 AM

Brazil striker Robinho ended his unhappy spell at Manchester City when he joined AC Milan on Tuesday, just two years after arriving in England for a British record fee.

Although financial details were not disclosed, it was the highest profile deal on a quiet final day of trading before the transfer window shut until January.

Other big moves included Dutch forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar leaving Milan for Schalke 04 and Premier League Sunderland smashing their transfer record to sign Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan from Stade Rennes for a reported fee in excess of 13 million pounds ($20.03 million).

The 26-year-old Robinho, who cost City 32.5 million pounds from Real Madrid and has played 80 times for his country, never settled in Manchester and spent six months on loan at Brazilian club Santos last season.

Milan hope Robinho, who has signed a four-year contract, will be a key element in helping them regain the Serie A title they last won in 2004.

"AC Milan announce the permanent signing of Robinho from Manchester City. The Brazilian player has signed a four-year contract," Milan said in a statement.

Huntelaar left the San Siro to join Schalke and the German club also recruited Atletico Madrid midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado.

Schalke's Bundesliga rivals VfB Stuttgart signed Italian midfielder Mauro Camoranesi, a 2006 World Cup winner, from Juventus for one year.

KONCHESKY LINK

In England, Fulham full back Paul Konchesky moved to Premier League rivals Liverpool on a four-year deal where he will link up again with his former manager Roy Hodgson. Liverpool's Argentine defender Emiliano Insua left Anfield on a season-long loan deal for Galatasaray in Turkey.

Another player heading to Turkey was Everton defender Joseph Yobo, poised to joined Fenerbahce on loan before the Turkish transfer window closes on Wednesday.

Arsenal left back Armand Traore joined Juventus on loan and Croatia goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa moved from Spartak Moscow to Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long deal.

Stoke City bolstered their squad with two signings, Iceland striker Eidur Gudjohnsen arriving from AS Monaco and Senegal midfielder Salif Diao rejoining the club on a two-year deal.

Birmingham City recruited Spartak Moscow captain Martin Jiranek, Belarus midfielder Aleksandr Hleb and Chile striker Jean Beausejour, while Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink left English Championship (second division) side Hull City to sign a two-year deal with Rapid Vienna.

Source: Web Search

Jankovic grinds out win over unseeded Romanian

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 12:58 AM

Fourth seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia narrowly averted a first-round upset by rallying to beat unseeded Romanian teenager Simona Halep 6-4 4-6 7-5 at the U.S. Open on Tuesday.

The 18-year-old Halep, ranked 96th in the world, was two points from registering the first major upset of the championships serving at 5-4 in the third set before Jankovic broke her serve with a forehand winner to level the set.

Jankovic, who reached the Open final two years ago but has been hampered by an ankle injury in recent months, won the next two games and ended the tussle by breaking Halep at love -- the 15th service break of the match in windy conditions on Arthur Ashe centre court.

"It was really a tough match," Jankovic said in an on-court interview. "I had to get used to conditions. It was quite windy here and I was a little bit nervous to be honest, so I'm very happy to get through."

Both Jankovic and Halep committed seven double faults in the two-hour 20-minute match.

Jankovic, who played only four hardcourt matches in three tournaments in the run-up to the Open, made an uncharacteristic 48 unforced errors against the Romanian, who engaged her in many long rallies until appearing to tire at the end.

"I injured my ankle and I was not able to train and play," explained Jankovic, who fell to Serena Williams in the 2008 U.S. Open final. "Hopefully I can get better in each match.

"Hopefully, I'll play with more confidence, go after my shots and make less errors. Today I was a little rusty."

Halep made a superb showing in her U.S. Open debut despite failing to qualify in Cincinnati, Montreal and New Haven leading up to the tournament.

The teenager, who won her first tour title at Fes in April, looked poised to notch her first grand slam match victory after she broke Jankovic to take a 5-4 lead in the third set, ripping a forehand crosscourt passing winner and taking advantage of two bad mis-hits by the Serb.

However, Jankovic stepped up her game and a fatigued Halep had no more answers despite a valiant effort.

Former world number one Jankovic next plays Croatian qualifier Mirjana Lucic, who eliminated Australian Alicia Molik.

Source: Web Search

Pietersen dropped by England, joins Surrey

Published>Wed, Sep 01 10 12:38 AM

Batsman Kevin Pietersen was dropped by England on Tuesday for the first time in his career and will move from Hampshire to Surrey on loan for the rest of the county season.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) omitted the 30-year-old right-hander from the squads for the Twenty20 internationals against Pakistan which start on Sunday and the five one-dayers that follow.

"Kevin Pietersen has been omitted from both squads as we feel that his game would be best served by getting as much cricket under his belt as possible before a long and challenging winter," national selector Geoff Miller said.

"The remainder of the county season is an ideal opportunity to do just that...

"Kevin has proved on numerous occasions that he is a world- class player and we know he'll benefit from getting more time in the middle to work on his batting and get his game back to the level he has shown throughout his career.

Pietersen, part of the Twenty20 World Cup-winning side this year and voted the player of that tournament, had earlier declared on Twitter that he was "Done for rest of summer. Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too."

The South African-born player, who made his debut for England in 2004, also used an expletive in a 'Tweet' that was subsequently deleted -- but not before the content had spread rapidly through the media.

"NATURALLY DISAPPOINTED"

England under-19 captain Azeem Rafiq, who plays for Yorkshire, was fined 500 pounds ($770.3) and banned from all cricket for a month earlier in August for criticising team manager John Abrahams on his Twitter feed.

"While I'm naturally disappointed to have been omitted from the England squad I fully understand the reasons why and will be doing everything I can to get back into the England team," he said in the ECB statement.

"I have no issue with the selectors omitting me from the limited-overs squads and my sole focus now is working on my game ahead of an exciting winter."

Pietersen has passed fifty for England just once this season and the last of his 16 test centuries was scored against West Indies in March, 2009.

A break from internationals would give him time to get more first-class cricket under his belt before the start of the Ashes in Australia in November.

Pietersen spoke this month of a personal crisis in which he said he had fallen out of love with the game after struggling to score runs and having to re-adjust to the ranks after losing the captaincy.

Pietersen quit as captain 18 months ago in controversial circumstances after a public fallout with former coach Peter Moores.

He also underwent Achilles surgery last year which became infected, keeping him out of most of the Ashes series and leaving him fearing for his career. He returned to the side for a disappointing tour of his native South Africa.

Wicketkeeper Steven Davies was selected in both squads after an excellent year for Surrey while Craig Kieswetter was omitted from the one-day series lineup.

"As ever the wicketkeeper's role is a fiercely contested position in the England team and we've no doubt Craig Kieswetter will continue to press for the chance to reclaim his place in the England ODI squad," said Miller.

Twenty20 squad: Collingwood, Anderson, Bopara, Bresnan, Broad, Steven Davies, Kieswetter, Morgan, Sidebottom, Swann, Luke Wright, Yardy.

One-day squad: Strauss, Anderson, Bopara, Bresnan, Broad, Collingwood, Steven Davies, Morgan, Shahzad, Sidebottom, Swann, Trott, Luke Wright, Yardy.

Source: Web Search

Spain eyes 2018 World Cup prize as fitting end to year

Wed, Sep 01 10 12:20 AM

Being chosen to host the 2018 World Cup would be a fitting end to a year in which Spain were crowned world champions, Spanish sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky said on Tuesday.

FIFA delegates started their four-day inspection visit of facilities in Spain and Portugal on Monday to assess their joint bid to host the finals in 2018 or 2022.

"The perfect end to the year, in which the greatest collective feet in Spanish sport was achieved by winning the World Cup finals in South Africa, would be that they awarded us the event to host," Lissavetzky told reporters.

"I am convinced it will be 2018," he added, after a meeting with the FIFA committee in Madrid.

Delegates were shown round the Spanish capital visiting infrastructure facilities, Real Madrid's training complex at Valdebebas where they met Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo, and their Bernabeu stadium, the proposed final venue.

Later on Tuesday, the inspection team were travelling by high-speed train to Barcelona before moving on to Porto and finally Lisbon to wrap up their tour.

"Spain are one of the favourites," said Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba who also attended the meeting.

"Everyone knows we are prepared, that football is the national sport, and that Spaniards are passionate about football.

"We have excellent stadiums, good communications, magnificent hotel capacity and very good security. We are there, I don't know if we are the first choice, but it isn't our decision."

Spain, who last hosted the World Cup in 1982, and Portugal and competing against England, Russia, the United States, and another joint bid from Belgium and the Netherlands to stage the finals in 2018.

Soccer's governing body will announce the host nation on Dec. 2 in Zurich.

Source: Published>

Lorgat to meet PCB chief tomorrow in London

Tue, Aug 31 10 11:52 PM

Islamabad, Aug 31 (PTI) ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat will meet PCB chairman Ijaz Butt in London tomorrow in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal which rocked world cricket recently. Lorgat told Geo News channel that there is a "zero tolerance" policy for corruption in cricket and any player involved in wrong-doing will be strictly punished. He said it was not possible to say at this juncture what action will be taken against any player involved in match-fixing. "It would be premature to say what action will be taken," he added. Corruption in cricket will not be tolerated under any circumstances. However, many players are innocent and all are not involved in match-fixing, he said. The ICC Chief said the world body was expecting that the investigation would be over by the weekend. "We''re busy with the Metropolitan Police and hopefully before the weekend arrives we can get to some sort of a conclusion, but this is a live issue which moves with the hour, every hour and it''s an individual''s right that you''re innocent until proven guilty," he said. "At the moment, it is also appropriate that the game continues. We shouldn''t let everyone suffer because of a couple of individuals that might have got caught up in corrupt practices. The vast majority of players are not guilty of any such behaviour. They play the sport in the right spirit, and there are many fans who want to watch the game," he said. Pakistan''s tainted trio of Test captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif were today barred from practice and summoned to face PCB''s internal inquiry at the High Commission in London.

Source: Published>

Aamir is innocent: Muhammad Ijaz

Tue, Aug 31 10 11:48 PM

Karachi, Aug 31 (PTI) The elder brother of Muhammad Aamir, who is in the middle of a spot-fixing scandal, today dismissed all allegations levelled against the Pakistani fast bowler and said he was innocent. Muhammad Ijaz said in an interview that he was in touch with his brother constantly. "He is feeling depressed and is under a lot of tension since this controversy broke out. He has told us repeatedly that he is innocent and has never done anything against the interests of Pakistan cricket," Ijaz said. "We believe him because we know well and we know what sort of person he is. If he says he is innocent then he is innocent." Ijaz said he had assured his brother not to lose hope and keep faith in God. "We have told him remain firm and the truth will come out and you will be vindicated soon." Ijaz felt that the betting charges against Aamir were made because he was an upcoming cricketer and had performed very well in England. "Aamir is very disappointed with this situation and it is hard for him to reconcile that he is being accused of spot fixing," Ijaz said. He also said it was funny that one could accuse his brother of fixing because he bowled two no-balls. The father of Kamran and Umar Akmal also told a television channel that he and the rest of his family were under a lot of stress because of the false allegations made against his children. "It is a difficult situation for the family to see people brand my children and other players guilty without even waiting for the investigations to be completed. I know my children are innocent. In the past similar allegations have been made against Kamran," Muhammad Akmal said.

Source: Published>

Mazhar, wife and Azhar arrested in spot-fixing scam

Tue, Aug 31 10 11:22 PM

London, Aug 31 (PTI) Mazhar Majeed, the Pakistani-origin man at the centre of match-fixing allegations, his wife and elder brother have been arrested by Customs officers investigating a multi-million pound money laundering operation. Mazhar Majeed and his wife were arrested at their home at the weekend and questioned before being released pending further inquiries. Azhar Majeed, 49, Mazhar Majeed''s elder brother and business partner in the agency that represents Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir and a number of other Pakistan international players, was also arrested in Wembley, North London on Sunday. The arrests were made as part of an ongoing inquiry by officials. A source said that they usually only investigated money laundering allegations if it involved "huge sums of money and had links to organised crime." According to Sky News this is a separate, criminal investigation into allegations around cricket match fixing. "Mazhar Majeed, the Pakistan players'' agent and fixer at the centre of the News of the World story was re-arrested by the customs service as part of a connected investigation into money laundering. He was released only today," Sky TV said. Majeed was arrested by the Scotland Yard on Saturday over allegations of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers. All three were questioned by customs investigators around suspicion of money laundering in connection with cricket match fixing and were released on bail. "The inquiry is quite separate to the Scotland Yard investigation into defrauding bookmakers but is part of the bigger area of match fixing claims made against members of the Pakistan team," the Sky news said. Majeed has been bailed to appear before police at a future date. He is alleged to have offered the bribes. News of the arrests emerged as three of the Pakistan cricketers at the centre of the scandal -- pace duo Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and Test skipper Salman Butt -- were summoned to London to meet officials. They will meet the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt and the country''s High Commisioner tomorrow. The players are then expected to return to the squad in Somerset. World cricket was rocked by the spot-fixing scam after ''News of the World'' posted a ''sting operation'' video showing an alleged fixer Mazhar Majeed making bowlers Aamir and Asif bowl deliberate no-balls during the fourth Test against England at Lord''s. British investigators are also probing the involvement of Salman Butt, from whose hotel room 50,000 pounds was reportedly recovered by police.

Source: Published>

Queen''s Baton Relay arrives in Ooty

Tue, Aug 31 10 11:18 PM

Udhagamandalam, Aug 31 (PTI) The Queen''s Baton Relay of the Commonwealth Games arrived here today which was received by district Collector amid much fanfare. The Baton was brought here by Kerala''s Waynad district Collector T Bhaskar and handed over to Nilgiris district collector Archana Patnaik. Arjuna Awardee Wing Commander, Jayashankar was also present on the occassion. The baton was later taken to Botanical Gardens and Anna Indoor Stadium. The baton will leave for Mysore tomorrow for its Karnataka leg.

Source: Published>

Aamir is innocent: Muhammad Ijaz

Tue, Aug 31 10 11:08 PM

Karachi, Aug 31 (PTI) The elder brother of Muhammad Aamir, who is in the middle of a spot-fixing scandal, today dismissed all allegations levelled against the Pakistani fast bowler and said he was innocent. Muhammad Ijaz said in an interview that he was in touch with his brother constantly. "He is feeling depressed and is under a lot of tension since this controversy broke out. He has told us repeatedly that he is innocent and has never done anything against the interests of Pakistan cricket," Ijaz said. "We believe him because we know well and we know what sort of person he is. If he says he is innocent then he is innocent." Ijaz said he had assured his brother not to lose hope and keep faith in God. "We have told him remain firm and the truth will come out and you will be vindicated soon." Ijaz felt that the betting charges against Aamir were made because he was an upcoming cricketer and had performed very well in England. "Aamir is very disappointed with this situation and it is hard for him to reconcile that he is being accused of spot fixing," Ijaz said. He also said it was funny that one could accuse his brother of fixing because he bowled two no-balls. The father of Kamran and Umar Akmal also told a television channel that he and the rest of his family were under a lot of stress because of the false allegations made against his children. "It is a difficult situation for the family to see people brand my children and other players guilty without even waiting for the investigations to be completed. I know my children are innocent. In the past similar allegations have been made against Kamran," Muhammad Akmal said.

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Spot-fixing by Pak players may be due to threat from bookies

Tue, Aug 31 10 10:52 PM

London, Aug 31 (PTI) Former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson has claimed that the current squad touring England may have been threatened by illegal bookmakers to get involved in the ''spot-fixing'' or else their families would be harmed. Lawson said that people have been quick to judge the Pakistani cricketers, but what is happening might have nothing to do with money. In his column in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, Lawson wrote: "If these allegations of fixing are proved, it could be related to extortion, threats, and the well-being of their own family members. It would not surprise me if illegal bookmakers have told players that if they do not perform X and Y, their families will be kidnapped or harmed." Pakistan''s current tour of England is under threat after allegations in ''The News of the World'' tabloid surfaced that seven members of the team were involved with illegal betting syndicates. The accused include captain Salman Butt, wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and star bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer but Lawson has offered his support. The former Australia fast bowler, who coached Pakistan from July 2007 to October 2008, believes criminal organisations target players with non-financial ways of ensuring matches go according to a certain plan. "In my time as Pakistan coach, I gained some incredible insights into the workings of the country and the team, and I''ll never forget the time the team captain called me up to his room on the eve of a match. "Earlier that day, a player who we had not selected for the game approached me, saying: "I was told I would be playing tomorrow." My response was, "Well no, you''re not, you''ve obviously been given the wrong information." "Then the skipper of the side called me late in the evening. I went to his room and he was standing there with a very sombre-looking selector. "This selector said: "We must pick [the player who had earlier approached me], I have been told that if he is not in the team tomorrow, my daughter will be kidnapped and I will not see her again." "At first we both laughed, but then we realised he was being serious. Our chairman then called the president, Pervez Musharraf, who in turn phoned the people behind the threats and said they had better reconsider or else. The next we heard the matter had been resolved," Lawson said. (More) PTI SHN

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Amir needs rehabilitation not punishment: Atherton

Published>Tue, Aug 31 10 10:28 PM

Taunton, Aug 31 (IANS) Former England captain Michael Atherton feels 18-year-old Mohammad Amir, one of the three Pakistani cricketers named in spot-fixing in the fourth Test against England at Lords, should be helped with rehabilitation instead of being banned for life if found guilty.

'Admittedly, if these allegations are proven accurate, to reprieve Amir at the expense of anyone else involved would be arbitrary and, in a sense, unfair. It would give succour to those who argue - rightly - that the events of the past few days are a direct consequence of a failure to act on the excesses of the past.

'Yet that would be to ignore the obvious: that Amir is a potent symbol right now, of what was, what is and what might be,' wrote Atherton in his column in for The Times on Tuesday.

'He should not be punished as an example to the rest, as everyone seems to suggest, rather he should be made aware of the issues, educated, rehabilitate and held up as an example of what can be achieved.

'Amir's rehabilitation should be at the heart of the cleansing of Pakistan cricket. The brilliant young bowler is not the cause of the problem but the most tragic consequence of it,' stressed Atherton.

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Biased selection policy forced me to boycott trials: Rathore

Tue, Aug 31 10 10:22 PM

New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) Athens Olympics silver-medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who is set to miss the Delhi Commonwealth Games after skipping the trials, today said he was driven into taking the step by a "biased" selection policy and a "prejudiced and vindictive" National Rifles Association of India. Rathore has become ineligible for the Commonwealth Games selection after he refused to turn up for the double trap trials today. "I have been driven to this. What does an ordinary sportsperson do? I had been begging the officials and the ministry to change the policy but nobody listened to me. I don''t know, what do I have in terms of personal pride?" Rathore told PTI. "I have listed the ills of this system time and again but nobody seems to care. I mean, this is a system which almost drove an Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra into giving up and something similar has happened to me," he added. "The whole atmosphere of Vindictiveness, created by the sports administrators did not leave me or some of the other shooters with a positive frame of mind to overcome the odds stacked up," he said. Rathore said the current selection policy, which follows a system of adding up all scores and averaging them out, had left him stumped when it was introduced in March this year and disturbed his preparations to an extent that he longer felt motivated to attend the trials. "I think, as sportsmen, we all go through the adversities created by our sports officials some time or the other. After taking 2009 off I planned to start training by January 2010 and be in form by June 2010 for World Shooting Championships. However in March 2010, we got stumped by the Federation when they announced a new selection policy," he said. Listing the problems with the policy, Rathore said despite being introduced in March "the scores were retrospectively taken from previous months like February 2010 giving rise to prejudice and bias." "Scores shot by Indian shooters abroad in different (mostly better) conditions were to be compared to scores shot in humid, hot and windy conditions prevailing in the summer months in India. "Taken by surprise, since I was not in form in early 2010, I was left with a huge score deficit to catchup in the later selection trials (in Indian conditions)," he explained. MORE PTI PM ATK

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Evidence compelling enough in spot-fixing scam: tabloid editor

Tue, Aug 31 10 10:18 PM

Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Aug 31 (PTI) The sports editor of the British tabloid that uncovered a major spot-fixing scam in cricket today said there was "no other agenda" in targeting Pakistani cricketers and the evidence gathered was compelling enough to arrest the alleged fixer and quiz three players. Paul McCarthy, sports editor of the News of the World, said there was no hidden agenda behind his publication''s decision to target the Pakistani players in its sting operation. After the tabloid alerted British police about its findings on Friday evening, police officers came to its office the following day and reviewed transcripts and video footage gathered during the investigation. "They found the evidence compelling and they were here for several hours. They felt there was a case to answer. The evidence we provided was the foundation of that," McCarthy told Geo News channel in an interview. Asked why the tabloid had not targeted Indian betting cartels and players allegedly involved in match-fixing, McCarthy said the evidence gathered by his newspaper only "pointed to corruption within the Pakistan team". "There is no other agenda whatsoever other than the fact that the story this time centred around the Pakistan team and the three players involved Asif, Amir and Salman Butt whom the police have interviewed," he said. He denied that News of the World had worked with British police to uncover the scam. The tabloid alerted the police once it "realised that there was a situation where we could not be seen to be helping to impugn the integrity of a cricket match," he said. The evidence provided by the tabloid led to the arrest of alleged fixer Mazhar Majeed on Saturday afternoon and the interview of certain cricketers after they left the field at Lord''s the same day, he said. The tabloid had given the police "video evidence of Majeed telling reporter exactly when three no-balls would be bowled" and transcripts of the whole investigation, McCarthy said. In the footage, Majeed identified "the bowlers, the over and exactly which ball would be a no-ball," he added. McCarthy said his publication had worked for "several months" on the sting operation. "Our suspicions were aroused as far back as the beginning of the year. The Test match that Pakistan played against Australia where there was an ICC investigation. "From then on, it was obviously easier once Pakistan came to England to play two Test matches against Australia and four against England," he said. .

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East Bengal drub Mohammedan Club 5-0 in Sahara league opener

Tue, Aug 31 10 10:08 PM

Kolkata, Aug 31 (PTI) Former champions East Bengal opened their campaign in the Sahara Kolkata Premier Division Soccer League in commanding style, drubbing Mohammedan Athletic Club 5-0 with medio Bikash Narzary scoring the first hat-trick of the season at their home ground here today. Two other goals for the winners were scored by Budhiram Tudu and Penn Orji. British coach Trevor James Morgan, who was with Hul City earlier and took charge of the red and yellow brigade this season after the club put up a poor show last season, passed with honours marks as his boys displayed good team work and fine marksmanship. Mohammedan A C, another outfit of former soccer giant Mohamedan Sporting, playing at the premier league dished out a lack lustre display and were outplayed by far superior rivals in all the departments of the game. Mohammedan A C who could earn only a lone point out of the three matches they played erarlier, failed to produce hardly any goal-bound move worth mentioning. On the other hand, Nigerian striker Penn Orji scheming most of the attacks comined well with medio Vasum and defender Naoba Singh. They were ably supported by stopper Uga Opara who also defended well to keep the East Bengal fort intact. MORE PTI COR PC SHN

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CSKA Sofia sign Algeria keeper Mbolhi on loan

Tue, Aug 31 10 09:58 PM

CSKA Sofia signed Algeria goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi on loan from city rivals Slavia on Tuesday.

"It's a big challenge to play in the Europa League," Mbolhi told reporters.

CSKA, Bulgarian champions 31 times, have been drawn alongside Porto, Besiktas and Rapid Vienna in Group L. The French-born Mbolhi, 24, played at the 2010 World Cup.

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Watson, Hadddin confirm they were approached by bookies

Published>Tue, Aug 31 10 09:48 PM

Sydney, Aug 31 (IANS) Australian cricketers Shane Watson and Brad Haddin confirmed Tuesday that they were approached by a bookie during the tour of England last year.

The cricketers came out in the open after the Sydney Morning Herald reported that both players 'were approached by a suspected Mumbai gangster with links to illegal bookmakers during the tour of England last year'.

Watson was approached in the bar of the team's hotel in West London while Haddin was contacted in the hotel room during the World Twenty20 tournament, the report said.

Watson later confirmed he was approached twice and subsequently informed the Australian team management.

'I did not think much about it until I found out that he was a illegal bookmaker. He was just a little too different in comparison to a normal fan,' said Watson.

Watson felt bad for Mohammad Aamer, one of the Pakistani players involved in the spot-fixing scandal and called him naive and innocent.

'I was in shock after the news broke out. I feel the most for Aamer. I found him as a great competitor. He is just 18 and if found guilty, he could be banned for life,' added Watson.

The bookie contacted Haddin during the night in the hotel room.

'I was contacted at around 11 in the night. The guy wanted me to come to his room and have a drink. I refused the stranger's offer,' said Haddin.

The revelation comes in the wake of Scotland Yard investigating match-fixing allegations against the Pakistani players.

Mazhar Majeed, a players' agent, was caught on videotape accepting 150,000 pounds in cash in a sting operation conducted by the News of the World (NOTW) tabloid.

The players -- captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Aamer are charged with underperforming in the fourth Test match between England and Pakistan that ended Sunday.

--Indo--Asian News Service

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Maha Govt felicitates Tejaswini, Donde

Tue, Aug 31 10 09:22 PM

Mumbai, Aug 31 (PTI) Maharashtra Government today felicitated shooter Tejaswini Sawant and sailor Dilip Donde for their achievements in the sports arena. Sawant became the first Indian woman shooter to clinch a gold medal at the recent World Championships in Munich while Donde is the first Indian ever to circumnavigate the globe solo on a sail boat. Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who felicitated both at a function in south Mumbai this evening, said their outstanding performance has brought laurels to the nation and the achievements will inspire other youngsters to do their best for the country. Tejaswini shot a world-record equalling score of 597 (100,100,100,99,99,99) in the 50m Rifle Prone event to finish on top. She equalled the 1998 record set by Marina Bobkova of Russia. Naval officer Donde''s Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSL) Mhadei embarked on the voyage in August 19 last year and touched base back in India at the Sunk Rock Light House in May this year.

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Vijender to spearhead India's CWG boxing challenge

Published>Tue, Aug 31 10 09:08 PM

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh will spearhead India's boxing challenge at the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games here.

The 10-member Indian team was selected after two-day trials at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala. A total of 44 boxers from the core group participated in the trials.

German Coach Mirko Wolf, who has been hired by Videocon for the Indian World Series of Boxing (WSB), team was also present at the trials.

The trials were held in a transparent manner wherein the boxers in each weight category had the opportunity of showing their mettle against the others in their category, an official said.

Each bout was of three rounds of three minutes each and judged with the international body's approved computerised scoring system.

All the bouts were videographed so as to replay them and check the performance of the boxers when in doubt.

The team will continue to train at Patiala till Sept 15 and then shift base to Delhi to acclimatize themselves prior to the Games.

The teams:

Commonwealth Games: Amandeep Singh (49 kg), Suranjoy Singh (52 kg), Akhil Kumar (56 kg), Jai Bhagawan (60 kg), Manoj Kumar (64 kg), Dilbagh Singh (69 kg), Vijender Singh (75 kg), Dinesh Kumar (81 kg), Manpreet Singh (91 kg), Paramjit Samota (+91 kg)

Asian Games (Guangzhou): Amandeep Singh (49 kg), Suranjoy Singh (52 kg), Chotte Lal Yadav (56 kg), Vikash Krishan (60 kg), V. Santhosh Kumar (64 kg), Dilbagh Singh (69 kg), Vijender Singh (75 kg), Dinesh Kumar (81 kg), Manpreet Singh (91 kg), Paramjit Samota (+91 kg)

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Rathore misses CWG cut, lashes out at NRAI selection policy

Published>Tue, Aug 31 10 08:58 PM

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) India's first Olympic silver medallist double trap shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Tuesday lashed out at the 'vindictive attitude' of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) after pulling out of the last day's trials to select the Commonwealth Games shooting squad.

Rathore was disqualified after he skipped the trials saying that he had no option but to pull out after the way the NRAI hounded him and some other shooters.

'I think, as sportsmen, we all go through the adversities created by our sports officials some time or the other. But the whole atmosphere of vindictiveness, created by the sports administrators did not leave me or some of the other shooters with a positive frame of mind to overcome the odds stacked up,' Rathore told IANS.

Rathore was highly critical of NRAI's selection policy which came in for similar criticism from Beijing Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and world No.5 double trap shooter Ronjan Sodhi.

Rathore said: 'Our previous selection policy was that selection trials are held for competitions in the forthcoming two months calender (and if someone has won a medal in the immediate past or had an exceptional performance then he is excused from trials, if he so desires with the permission of the federation). Hence after taking 2009 off, I planned to start training by January 2010 and be in form by June for World Championships.

'However in March, we got stumped by the NRAI when it announced a new selection policy. The new policy was to follow a system of adding up all scores shot by shooters and averaging them out. The highest aggregate gets selected.'

Rathore went on to add that the policy was implemented in March but scores were retrospectively taken from previous months like February, giving rise to prejudice and bias.

'Scores shot by Indian shooters abroad in different (mostly better) conditions were to be compared to scores shot in humid, hot and windy conditions prevailing in the summer months in India. Taken by surprise, since I was not in form in early 2010, I was left with a huge score deficit to fulfill in the latter selection trials in indian conditions,' he said.

Rathore said the rifle and pistol shooters too were made to follow the same policy, though it was amended for them, but not for shot-gunners.

'So we had a situation, one federation but different selection policies. Again, revealing bias. The policy laid down some grace marks for Olympic and World Championship medallist but decided that 2004 Olympics being in distant past did not warrant grace marks. As if the experience is limited by four-year life cycle of each Olympics,' he said.

'Its now interesting to hear the officials say that the matter was never brought up to their notice, was it not, really! I have tried to maintain as positive an attitude as is possible. I do believe there is a higher good for me despite these troubles. I know the strength of the Indian shooting team and hence am looking confidently at all those selected to win at the Commonwealth Games,' he said.

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