Bollywood ducks IPL bouncer

Published>Sun, Mar 21 10 02:52 AM

The Indian Premier League extravaganza has failed to queer the pitch for Bollywood this year. After taking a hit in the last two years, Bollywood is undeterred by the third edition of the cricket extravaganza and is all set to more than double its earnings to cross the Rs 80-85-crore mark during March and April, the best of the three IPL years so far.

While the strike by Bollywood producers led to no new release during IPL-2, a majority of the dozen or so films hitting the screen during IPL-1 failed to even recover the costs.

The industry has lined up over 25 films this year, mostly small-budget ones, to be strategically released over the next three months, backed by smart marketing and distribution strategies. Even though these films are eyeing only about a 45-50% theatre occupancy, experts say such small-budget films have been able to cover a large chunk of their production costs through television rights alone.

Some of the upcoming films include Shaapit, Lahore, Mittal Vs Mittal, Well Done Abba, Prince and Hum Tum Aur Ghost, among others.

Experts say since it's a sports-heavy year, most of the big-budget Hindi films have been pushed to the later part of the year, leaving a clear ground for small-budget movies. After IPL-3, cricket lovers would tune in to the T20-World Cup, followed by the football World Cup in South Africa. Further, there has been a revival of satellite rights for Bollywood films this year, especially on the smaller TV networks.

"Most of these films have negotiated a deal with various television channels, both national and local, for an average of Rs 3-5 crore, almost recovering their investments in the process," says a film analyst.

"Besides multiplexes, producers are also targeting some large single-screen theatres for their films that fall in the thriller and horror genre. These genres tend to attract masses," says a Mumbai-based film distributor of one such thriller film on the condition of anonymity.

So far, Bollywood has been able to maintain its momentum in terms of the box-office collections.

Net collections for January and February stood at around Rs 200 crore, almost on a par with the collections during the same period in the last two years.

Bollywood saw a big dip from March to May in 2008 and in 2009, owing to IPL. Last year was particularly bad due to the row between multiplex owners and producers.

Source: Web Search

Kallis stars in Royal Challengers seven-wicket win

Published>Sun, Mar 21 10 12:46 AM

Mumbai, March 21 (IANS) Jacques Kallis struck a fine unbeaten 66 as Royal Challengers Bangalore romped home to a convincing seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) here Saturday.

Royal Challengers made 155 for three in 19.1 overs after their bowlers did a decent job by restricting Mumbai Indians to 151 for nine in 20 overs at the Brabourne Stadium.

For Royal Challengers it was their third consecutive win from four matches while Mumbai Indians suffered their first loss in three matches.

Chasing 152, Kallis and young Manish Pandey (40) gave the Royal Challengers a great start with their 85-run partnership for the fist wicket. Pandey completely dominated the proceedings during his 27-ball stay, hitting three fours and two sixes.

Kallis on the other end played a composed knock as his 66 came off 55 balls and was studded with 10 fours. Kallis was also adjudged as the Man of the Match.

With Robin Uthappa (23), Kallis added 31 runs for the second wicket, and took Royal Challengers on the threshold of a win. The veteran South African all-rounder added another 20 runs with Virat Kohli (17) and with Eoin Morgan (7 not out) took the Bangalore team to home.

Earlier, fast bowler R.Vinay Kumar (3/25) struck thrice in an over, picking up the important wickets of Ambati Rayudu (3), Sachin Tendulkar (25) and Dwayne Bravo (1), to restrict Mumbai Indians to a modest total. South African fast bowler Dale Steyn also picked up three for 26.

Mumbai Indians batsmen failed to put up a decent partnership despite getting good starts. Saurabh Tiwary (25), Rajagopal Satish (24) and Keiron Pollar (21) came up with useful contributions while Zaheer Khan struck a quickfire 23 off just nine balls as Mumbai Indians got to a decent total.

Source: Web Search

Scoreboard: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

Published>Sun, Mar 21 10 12:18 AM

Mumbai, March 20 (IANS) The following is the scoreboard of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Mumbai Indians and Bangalore Royal Challengers at the Brabourne Stadium here Saturday.

Mumbai Indians:

Sanath Jayasuriya lbw b Steyn 2

Sachin Tendulkar b Vinay Kumar 25

Aditya Tare c Pandey b Kallis 9

Saurabh Tiwary b Kumble 25

Ambati Rayudu c Boucher b Vinay Kumar 3

Dwayne Bravo lbw b Vinay Kumar 1

R. Sathish c Dravid b Steyn 24

Keiron Pollard c Kohli b Steyn 21

Harbhajan Singh c Kallis b Kumar 4

Zaheer Khan not out 23

Lasith Malinga not out 0

Extras (lb 10, w 4) 14

Total (for nine wickets in 20 overs) 151

Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Jayasuriya, 1.3 overs), 2-36 (Tare, 4.3), 3-71 (Tiwary, 9.3), 4-74 (Rayudu, 10.1), 5-75 (Tendulkar, 10.3), 6-76 (Bravo, 10.6), 7-123 (Pollard, 17.1), 8-125 (Sathish, 17.5), 9-135 (Harbhajan Singh, 19.1)

Bowling:

Parveen Kumar 4-0-37-1

Dale Steyn 4-0-26-3

Jacques Kallis 4-0-35-1

R. Vinay Kumar 4-0-25-3

Anil Kumble 4-0-18-1

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Manish Pandey c Pollard b Harbhajan 40

Jacques Kallis not out 66

Robin Uthappa c Malinga b Khan 23

Virat Kohli run out (Pollard) 17

Eoin Morgan not out 7

Extras (b 1, lb 1) 2

Total (for three wickets in 19.1 overs) 155

Fall of wickets: 1-85 (Pandey, 9.5 overs), 2-116 (Uthappa, 14.3), 3-136 (Kohli, 16.6)

Bowling:

Zaheer Khan 4-0-18-1

Lasith Malinga 4-0-25-0

Dwayne Bravo 3.1-0-35-0

Keiron Pollard 2-0-24-0

Harbhajan Singh 4-0-35-1

Sanath Jayasuriya 2-0-16-0

Toss: Mumbai Indians, chose to bat

Points: Royal Challengers Bangalore won by seven wickets

Man of the Match: Jacques Kallis (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and Sanjay Hazare

TV umpire: Shavir Tarapore

Match referee Yashpal Sharma

Source: Web Search

MLS and players union avert strike with new deal

Published Sun, Mar 21 10 12:10 AM

A threatened strike in Major League Soccer (MLS) has been averted after league management and the players union announced they had reached a deal.

"We have signed a new five-year collective bargaining agreement," MLS commissioner Don Garber told a teleconference on Saturday.

Players had voted to strike if a deal was not reached by midnight on Tuesday.

It now looks likely the season will begin with the scheduled opening game on Thursday.

MLS differs from most soccer leagues in being a 'single entity' where the league, rather than the clubs, own the rights to the players.

The union had wanted major changes to that structure which it had called a cartel that restricted freedom of movement.

Source: Web Search

RCB spank MI by 7 wkts, notch up third straight victory

Published Sun, Mar 21 10 12:06 AM

S S Ramaswamy Mumbai, Mar 20 (PTI) Unheralded pacer R Vinay Kumar produced a sensational three-wicket burst before Jacques Kallis (66 not out) heroics as Royal Challengers Bangalore spanked Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in an Indian Premier League match here tonight. Vinay Kumar (3/25) dismissed Ambati Rayudu (3), Sachin Tendulkar (25) and Dwayne Bravo (1) in one over -- his third and Mumbai''s 11th -- and he was ably supported by Dale Steyn (3/26) in restricting Mumbai Indians to 151 for 9 after the home side elected to bat at the Brabourne Stadium. Chasing the modest target, RCB romped home with five balls to spare with opener Kallis top-scoring with a 55-ball unbeaten 66 -- his third IPL III half century -- and returning unconquered for the fourth time as the visitors notched up their third win on the trot after losing their opening match against Kolkata Knight Riders. Manish Pandey, the other opener, and one-down Robin Uthappa contributed 40 and 23 respectively as RCB ended at 155 for three in 19.1 overs with Kallis hitting a four to win the match in style. For Mumbai Indians, who tasted their first defeat after beating Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils in their earlier two matches, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh picked up a wicket apiece conceding 18 and 35 runs respectively. With tonight''s win, RCB are now on top of IPL III table with six points from four matches.

Source: Web Search

Royal Challengers win by 7 wickets

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 11:56 PM

Mumbai, March 20 (IANS) Bangalore Royal Challengers defeated Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Brabourne Stadium here Saturday.

In reply to Mumbai Indians' 151 for nine, Royal Challengers made 155 for three with five balls to spare after Jacques Kallis struck an unbeaten 66 and Manish Pandey made 40.

Source: Web Search

RCB spank MI by 7 wkts, notch up third straight victory

Published Sat, Mar 20 10 11:52 PM

S S Ramaswamy Mumbai, Mar 20 (PTI) Unheralded pacer R Vinay Kumar produced a sensational three-wicket burst before Jacques Kallis (66 not out) heroics as Royal Challengers Bangalore spanked Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in an Indian Premier League match here tonight. Vinay Kumar (3/25) dismissed Ambati Rayudu (3), Sachin Tendulkar (25) and Dwayne Bravo (1) in one over -- his third and Mumbai''s 11th -- and he was ably supported by Dale Steyn (3/26) in restricting Mumbai Indians to 151 for 9 after the home side elected to bat at the Brabourne Stadium. Chasing the modest target, RCB romped home with five balls to spare with opener Kallis top-scoring with a 55-ball unbeaten 66 -- his third IPL III half century -- and returning unconquered for the fourth time as the visitors notched up their third win on the trot after losing their opening match against Kolkata Knight Riders. Manish Pandey, the other opener, and one-down Robin Uthappa contributed 40 and 23 respectively as RCB ended at 155 for three in 19.1 overs with Kallis hitting a four to win the match in style. For Mumbai Indians, who tasted their first defeat after beating Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils in their earlier two matches, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh picked up a wicket apiece conceding 18 and 35 runs respectively. With tonight''s win, RCB are now on top of IPL III table with six points from four matches.

Source: Web Search

Leaders Bayern sunk by two late Frankfurt goals

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 11:26 PM

Eintracht Frankfurt stunned Bayern Munich with two late goals to beat the Bundesliga leaders 2-1 on Saturday and leave the top spot up for grabs.

Substitute Juvhel Tsoumou drew the hosts level in the 87th minute after Miroslav Klose had put Bayern ahead early on. Martin Fenin then completed the comeback with an 89th-minute winner.

Bayern, who had not lost in the league for 19 games, have 56 points from 27 matches. Second-placed Schalke 04, on 54, travel to Hamburg SV on Sunday.

Bayer Leverkusen, third on 53 points, are in action later on Saturday against in-form Borussia Dortmund.

Visiting Bayern shrugged off the absence of injured playmaker Franck Ribery and strikers Mario Gomez and Ivica Olic to take a seventh-minute lead.

Captain Mark van Bommel sent a deep cross into the box and Klose beat the offside trap to score from close range.

Bayern almost immediately stepped off the gas and Frankfurt seized the opportunity to pour forward.

The home team went agonisingly close to an equaliser when Benjamin Koehler's long-range effort forced a spectacular save from Bayern keeper Hans-Joerg Butt.

Koehler also tried his luck with a header but Butt was again at hand to palm the ball over the bar, just after visiting defender Daniel van Buyten had stopped an Alexander Meier header on the line.

Frankfurt, who ended a three-match losing streak, kept up the pressure in the second half and were unlucky not to level before Tsoumou, who had come on just four minutes earlier, pounced on a bad clearance by Butt in the 87th.

With the Bavarians still reeling, Halil Altintop sent a deep cross to substitute Fenin who shook off 17-year-old defender David Alaba to fire the winner.

Elsewhere, Werder Bremen moved up to fourth on 45 points with a 3-2 home victory over VfL Bochum thanks to goals from Claudio Pizarro, Marko Marin and Torsten Frings.

VfB Stuttgart overcame Hanover 96 2-0, Freiburg beat Mainz 1-0 and Nuremberg shared a 0-0 draw with Hoffenheim.

Source: Web Search

Ranty guides Dempo to victory over Churchill Bros

Published Sat, Mar 20 10 10:46 PM

Margao, Mar 20 (PTI) Ranty Martins scored a goal in each half as Dempo defeated title holders Musli Power Churchill Brothers 4-2 in the 17th round of the I-League here today. Dempo, who dominated the match throughout, scored through Ranty (27th, 62nd), Climax Lawerence (30th) and Joaquim Abranches (73rd), while Churchill Brothers reduced the margin through Felix Chimaokwu (38th) and Odafe Okolie (74th). Dempo has played 17 matches so far and collected 32 points to remain at the top of the table, three points clear of second placed Mahindra United, who have played one match less than Dempo. Churchil Bros, on the other hand, remained on 26 points from their 17 outings. Dempo played aggressively from the start and never felt the pressure despite missing their key players. They played with unison with quick short passes and kept the rival defence under constant pressure. Roberto Silva controlled the midfield along with Climax Lawerence and got good support from Nicolau Borges and Anthony Pereira in the flanks. They kept the forwardline busy and had an early chance to forge ahead but Ranty failed to guide the ball into the net off a Joaquim Abranches cross. .

Source: Web Search

Royal Challengers restrict Mumbai Indians to 151/9

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 10:22 PM

Mumbai, March 20 (IANS) Mumbai Indians made 151 for nine in 20 overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Brabourne Stadium here Saturday.

Dale Steyn and R. Vinay Kumar picked up three wickets each for Royal Challengers. For the Mumbai team, skipper Sachin Tendulkar and Saurabh Tiwary scored 25 runs each.

Source: Web Search

Veteran Marchena latest Valencia injury victim

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 10:06 PM

Madrid, March 20 (DPA) Veteran Spain defender Carlos Marchena is the latest player to join Valencia's lengthy injury list.

Marchena, 30, will be out of action for around three weeks after tearing the abductor muscle in his right leg, the club said Saturday.

He suffered the injury in Thursday's heart-stopping 4-4 draw away to Werder Bremen, in which Valencia scraped through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Valencia's other injury victims are David Albelda, Jeremy Mathieu, David Navarro and Alejandro Dominguez.

In addition, Hedwiges Maduro and Bruno Saltor are suspended for Sunday's league game away to in-form Almeria.

Valencia are third in La Liga, and will face Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Source: Web Search

Soderling slams Murray out of Indian Wells

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 09:46 PM

Indian Wells (California), March 20 (DPA) Andy Murray saved three match points in the second set but his late effort amounted to little as Swede Robin Soderling completed a semi-final victory at the Indian Wells Masters tennis 6-1, 7-6 (7-4).

The French Open finalist, who beat Rafael Nadal in the fourth round at Roland Garros, will face US seventh seed Andy Roddick, a winner over Spain's Tommy Robredo 6-3, 7-5.

Murray, playing his first event since losing the Australian Open to Roger Federer, must now regroup for a title defence in Miami from next Wednesday.

The Scot had chances in the opening game, with Soderling saving four break points, a confidence boost which served him well for the remainder of the 73-minute encounter.

The seventh-seed slipped while trying to close out for victory, losing serve in the 10th game of the second set for 5-all after Murray had salvaged three match-winners for the Swede a game earlier.

But a poor tiebreaker spelled the end for Murray, last year's losing finalist to Nadal.

'He played well to start and I didn't move well,' Murray said. 'I was hitting short and he dictated the points. It was poor from my side.

'The guy was serving well and it was very difficult to return against him. I made mistakes in the tiebreaker and that's why I lost,' he added.

'He's a lot better player than he was three years ago when I played against him.'

Soderling said he went into the match with a plan. 'I was pretty sure before the match that it was that it is almost impossible to out-power Andy because he's moving really well and he puts everything back.

'I had to wait for my opportunities a little bit more. I beat Andy today, and you have to play well to beat him. So when my form is good, I hope I improved a little bit from match to match, and I hope to play even better tomorrow.'

Roddick was untroubled by Robredo in their quarter-final, breaking twice and never facing trouble on his own serve despite only serving six aces.

Upcoming opponent Soderling stands 2-0 against Roddick, defeating the US player twice in 2008.

'Against him, you're probably going to be on your heels, he takes a lot of it out of your hands. I've never played him outdoors, which is probably the better place to play him,' he said.

'He's not fun to play when he gets a clean hit on the ball.'

In the women's semi-finals, Jelena Jankovic scored a wind-swept 6-2, 6-4 win over Australian Samantha Stosur.

Jankovic, seeded ninth and a former number one, next faces off for the title against second seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark who beat Polish fifth-seed Agnieskwa Radwanska 6-2, 6-3.

Jankovic improved to 3-0 against French Open semi-finalist Stosur, who has yet to take a set off of the Serb.

'I'm glad for this win as I've not played well in my last few events,' said Jankovic, 10-4 on the season. 'Sam was serving bombs and I had to really concentrate on return. It was very tough.

'I'm so glad to the in the semis, this was a good win for me.'

Stosur came to the court without the loss of a set so far at the event before she ran into Jankovic. The Australian will debut in the WTA Top 10 on Monday.

She is the first Aussie in the elite group since Alicia Molik in June 2005. Stosur now stands 7-34 against Top 10 players.

Source: Web Search

Pune FC coach accuses Lajong for "unprofessional" game

Published Sat, Mar 20 10 09:22 PM

Shillong, Mar 20 (PTI) After his boys went down to Lajong 0-1 in a round 17 encounter of the I-League here today, Pune FC coach Derrick Pereira accused the home side of exhibiting an "unprofessional" approach. "Many incidents that happened during the game were unprofessional. They (Lajong) wasted time by falling down unnecessarily and pretending to be injured," Pereira said at the joint press conference of the coaches after the match. Lajong coach Stanley Rosario immediately dismissed the allegation and said Periera "should not speak like this at a press conference". "A losing coach always complains," Rosario retorted as the press conference witnessed a spar between the two coaches. Periera claimed that at one point of time when the Lajong custodian fell down, Stanley asked the team physio to walk to him instead of jogging to delay the match. "We lost, I accept. But these things should not be done in football. It is also bad for players," he said. Criticising referee Minangshu Bhattacherjee for being "unprofessional", the Pune coach alleged that in international matches, referees won''t allow such delays when a player was "faking." "How can I and the substitutes sitting at the dug-out see if a player in the field is injured or not," Stanley retorted.

Source: Web Search

Royals showed lot of character, says Warne

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 09:16 PM

Ahmedabad, March 20 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne said his boys showed character in scoring their first win in the third edition of the Indian Premier League.

The 2008 champions defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 34 runs at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera here, after suffering three consecutive defeats in the league.

'We made an ordinary start. The way we played in some of our earlier matches was really embarassing. But the way we played today was great and the guys showed lot of character to win this one,' said Warne.

'This is a good start for us and hopefully it will help us to go a long way in this league,' he added.

Knight Rider's captain Sourav Ganguly blamed his bowlers for the team's second consecutive loss.

'It was not our best. We need to bowl well and show some intensity on the field,' he said.

Ganguly, who scored a 29-ball 33, said the Motera track was slow.

'But they (Royals) bowled pretty well in the middle overs. Now we have to play well and win matches to take off the pressure. We have to get our act right,' he said.

Source: Web Search

Bottom-placed Sporting Clube de Goa stun Mohun Bagan

Published Sat, Mar 20 10 08:56 PM

Kolkata, Mar 20 (PTI) Bottom-placed Sporting Clube de Goa stunned Mohun Bagan 1-2 to deal a big blow to the title aspirations of the Kolkata side in the I-League here today. Sporting thus registered their first win of the season after 17 matches by defeating the last season''s runners-up side at Yuba Bharati Krirangan (YBK) here. Capitalising on the insipid show by Mohun Bagan, the Goan outfit fought back from one-goal deficit to take full points from the match. Mohun Bagan drew the first blood through Jose Ramirez Barreto in the 12th minute, but Sporting scored the equaliser through Adil Khan (32nd) before Elijah Junior banged in the winner in the 67th minute. Winless from 16 matches, Sporting, coached by Vishwas Gaonkar, began the proceedings on backfoot with Mohun Bagan attacking from the start. Barreto looked to attack right from the start but the Goan defence stood firm. Minutes later, Bagan got a freekick but Marcos Pereira shot it away. The persistent Barreto, however, found the goal minutes later when the Brazilian capitalised on a Snehashish Chakraborty cross from the left to head it home. .

Source: Web Search

Scoreboard: Rajasthan Royals vs KKR, IPL

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 08:46 PM

Ahmedabad, March 20 (IANS) Scoreboard of the Indian Premier League match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders here Saturday:

Rajasthan Royals:

Michael Lumb lbw b Dinda 0

Naman Ojha run out (Mathews/Kartik) 27

Faiz Fazal c Pujara b Bond 31

Abhishek Jhunjhunwala c Ganguly b Sharma 45

Yusuf Pathan c Hodge b Dinda 15

Adam Voges not out 37

Paras Dogra c Saha b Sharma 0

Shane Warne c Tiwary b Bond 1

Munaf Patel not out 4

Extras: (b-1, lb-4, w-3) 8

Total: (for seven wickets in 20 overs) 168

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Lumb, 0.1 overs), 2-42 (Fazal, 4.6), 3-72 (Ojha, 8.2), 4-105 (Pathan, 12.6), 5-142 (Jhunjhunwala, 17.1), 6-143 (Dogra, 17.3), 7-146 (Warne, 18.2)

Bowling;

Ashok Dinda 4 0 28 2

Ishant Sharma 4 0 33 2

Shane Bond 4 0 32 2

Angelo Mathews 3 0 33 0

Murali Kartik 4 0 25 0

Brad Hodge 1 0 12 0

Kolkata Knight Riders:

Manoj Tiwary b Pathan 11

Brad Hodge b Pathan 36

Cheteshwar Pujara b Trivedi 29

Sourav Ganguly c Voges b Patel 33

Owais Shah not out 19

Angelo Mathews run out (sub AS Raut) 0

Wriddhiman Saha not out 1

Extras: (lb 4, w 1) 5

Total (for five wickets in 20 overs) 134

Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Tiwary, 2.6 overs), 2-68 (Pujara, 10.4), 3-95 (Hodge, 14.1), 4-132 (Ganguly, 19.2), 5-132 (Mathews, 19.3)

Bowling;

Yusuf Pathan 4 0 23 2

Shaun Tait 4 0 29 0

Munaf Patel 3 0 20 1

Siddharth Trivedi 4 0 26 1

Adam Voges 1 0 5 0

Shane Warne 4 0 27 0

Toss: Rajasthan Royals, who chose to bat

Umpires: Rudy Koertzen (South Africa) and Russell Tiffin (Zimbabwe)

TV umpire: Brian Jerling (South Africa)

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)

Source: Web Search

Sports ministry issues code to check age fraud

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 03:52 PM

New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) The sports ministry Saturday issued a national code to check age fraud in sports.

The National Code against Age Fraud in Sports aims at ensuring fair play. The Code will be operative from April 1 and shall be binding upon all athletes and sports bodies, the ministry said in a statement.

As per the code, all new and existing players participating in age restricted tournaments will be required to once undergo a compulsory medical examination for age determination after which they will be issued an identity card by the Sports Authority of India (SAI)/National Sports Federation (NSFs) concerned.

'Once an I-Card is issued, fresh medical examination will not be required for subsequent participation. Any existing athlete found to be overage, will have the option to appeal and in case he/she is found to be overage even after going through the appeal process, he/she shall not be allowed to participate in the competitions meant for lower age groups.

'SAI will notify a panel of doctors and hospitals state/region wise for carrying out the medical examination and also the list of appellate panel of hospitals.'

The cost for medical examination conducted by SAI and NSFs shall be reimbursed by the government. Compliance with the Code will become part of the eligibility criteria for recognition of NSF by the government.

'Non-compliance with the code will attract suspension/de-recognition clause in respect of the defaulting Federations,' the statement said.

Source: Web Search

England v Bangladesh second test scoreboard

Published Sat, Mar 20 10 03:06 PM

REUTERS - Scoreboard at tea on the opening day of the second and final test between England and Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday. Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat.

Bangladesh first innings

T. Iqbal c Prior b Tredwell 85

I Kayes b Finn b Broad 12

Z. Siddique lbw b Swann 39

J. Islam lbw b Swann 0

Mahmudullah c Collingwood b Finn 59

S. Hasan not out 45

M. Rahim not out 4

Extras (lb-5 n-1) 6

Total (five wickets; 62 overs) 250

Fall of wicket: 1-53 2-119 3-122 4-167 5-226

To bat: N. Islam, A. Razzak, S. Islam, R. Hossain.

Bowling: Broad 8-2-33-1, Bresnan 8-1-34-0, Swann 23-3-79-2, Finn 5-1-43-1 ( n-1) Tredwell 18-3-56-1

Source: Web Search

It pays to be a Super Kings' fan!

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 02:56 PM

Chennai, March 20 -- Among the IPL teams, the Chennai Super Kings have one of the best offers for fan club members. Those who joined the Kings Club even three-four months ago got a complimentary ticket with every first ticket they bought for the seven home matches. That meant a member could get as many as seven free tickets during IPL-3. The offer was valid for tickets to the F-stand at Chepauk that are worth Rs 500 each. The team launched the Kings Club after the first IPL in 2008, offering an annual membership to adults for Rs 1000 and to kids for half the price. "A lot of people became members before last year's IPL but got no privileges because the tournament was shifted to South Africa. So we extended their membership by a year for free," said Kings Club official Srikanth. And there was the one-plus-one offer. "I bought tickets to the March 14 and 31 and April 3 ties and got three complimentary tickets," said E. Balakumar, who joined the club in 2009. In comparison, the Kolkata Knight Riders, who launched their fan club this year, are offering their members only a 10 per cent discount on tickets from the third match. But not all Kings Club members are eligible for the offer. "It is valid for people who became members last year or even three-four months ago but not for those who joined recently, after coming to know of this scheme," Srikanth said. "There may be some offers for them next year," he added. For the moment they have to be happy with a start-up kit that includes some goodies and an opportunity to watch the Super Kings practice and get their autographs.

Source: Web Search

Japan beat India in hockey

Published Sat, Mar 20 10 02:52 PM

Mumbai, March 20 -- Indian women went down to Japan 0-3 in the first match of the four-test hockey series at Kakamigahara, Japan, on Friday.

Japan led via Aaki Yamada in the 55th minute. Shiho Sakai flicked home twice from penalty corners to seal Japan's win. The hosts dominated the proceedings earning seven penalty corners against none for India.

Source: Web Search

Tevez still considers Neville to be 'a moron'

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 02:42 PM

London, Mar. 20 (ANI): Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez believes that Manchester United skipper Gary Neville is "still a moron."

Tevez branded Neville a moron after the Carling Cup semi-final between the rivals in January, The Sun reports.

When asked if he still felt that way, Tevez grinned and said "yes".

He went on to attack United by saying that the club have a high opinion of themselves.

Asked at a fans' forum whether City were better than United, Tevez said: "I'd say United have a very high opinion of themselves."

The Argie striker quit United to sign a 25 million pounds deal with Manchester City in the summer. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Walcott wants a trophy as Birthday present

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 02:36 PM

London, Mar. 20 (ANI): After turning 21 on Tuesday, Arsenal winger Theo Walcott received everything - from an expensive bracelet to a bird feeder - as birthday presents, but winning a trophy is something the England star is hoping to get as gift this year.

"Mum always said what does she get a footballer who can have anything? But I am a very grateful person. I'll have anything. I don't have to go to Boots for a very long time. I've got lots of fragrances, shower gel, shampoo - even though I don't have any hair," The Sun quoted Walcott, as saying.

"I got a nice bracelet from my girlfriend Mel, a Shambhala. She also got me some dragon goblets, as I love dragons. I got an alarm clock, as I am lazy - and a bird feeder," he said.

"Hopefully I can be fresh for the forthcoming months and win something, especially for Arsenal. It has been a long time," he added.

The next four months could prove to be his most memorable to date.

Arsenal will feature in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and in the summer, Walcott will hope to be part of the England squad which travels to South Africa.

So starting with today's home League match with West Ham, every game is vital for him and Arsenal.

"I've been in the limelight since I was 17 so, to be fair, it has gone very quickly. That always put more pressure on me. But it's nice to reach 21 and I've certainly had a lively week," The Sun quoted him, as saying.

"My bash on Sunday was a night to remember. It was meant to be a surprise but Armand Traore leaked it out. It was funny. He was having his hair cut a few days before and said 'See you Sunday, Theo'," he added

"A few players came which was nice and I had some nice presents." (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Man U keeper Van der Sar takes safety of team-mates into his hands

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 02:26 PM

London, Mar. 20 (ANI): In a bid to keep his team-mates safe from armed gangs, Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar has set up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme.

Under the scheme, the Holland stopper has urged all neighbours at housing development in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, to look out for each other and check up on one another.

The footie ace has become ultra security conscious after an armed gang struck the home of Utd midfielder Darren Fletcher last year.

Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and a host of other soccer stars live at Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

"Edwin has set up this unofficial neighbourhood watch scheme which not only covers his team-mates and their wives but also his nearby neighbours," The Sun quoted a source, as saying.

"They will all look out for each other and check up on one another," he added.

The 39-year-old, 6ft 5in goalkeeper has taken to patrolling the posh neighbourhood following a series of raids on the homes of north west based Premier League players.

"Edwin wants to put an end to the fear among his team-mates from armed gangs targeting their homes," the source said.

"Some of the players and especially the WAGs have been living in constant fear. They are petrified that they will become the gang's next victim," he added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Cook's success as skipper in Bangladesh may allow ECB to consider squad rotation

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 02:08 PM

London, Mar.20 (ANI): Alastair Cook's success as stand-in England captain has paved the way for more players to be pulled out of tours.

If Cook delivers a clean sweep of one-day and Test victories over Bangladesh, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could give serious thought to squad rotation and resting key men, The Mirror reports.

ECB Managing Director Hugh Morris said: "The bottom line is that we have to manage the workloads of our players because of the amount of cricket being played internationally now. That is reflected in the sort of selection decision we have made for this tour and over the next 12 months."

"Looking ahead to the Ashes tour followed immediately by the World Cup, there is an enormous amount of cricket being played and we need to make sure that the captain of the England team is fit and absolutely ready for those two challenges," Morris said.

"Alastair has done really well. He is one of the youngest England captains ever. It is a big responsibility on his shoulders and you want to see someone growing as a leader and getting more confident which he has done," he added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Complete training for a regular gym goer

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 01:56 PM

India, March 20 -- I go to the gym six times a week, an hour a day on weekdays and two hours on weekends. I would like a fitness schedule that includes cardio, weights and yoga with special focus on legs, back and abs. Also, how often should steam room and sauna be used after the workout? - Anurag Kashyap I am impressed that you are going to the gym six days a week. I have tried to outline a schedule that covers all aspects of a complete training programme. Monday should be your rest day. This is because you have done a large amount of your weekly training load over the weekend and your body needs to recover. If that means you need a full day of complete rest, then please take it! You could do a light 15-minute bike ride and a solid 20-minute static stretch session purely for recovery. Drink lots of water to flush out toxins and rehydrate the body. Tuesday is your lower body strength day. After a good warm up, include exercises like back squats, dead lifts, lunges and calf raises. Do 15 - 20 minutes of high intensity interval training on the bicycle or treadmill after your weights session and finish off with 10 minutes of good lower body static stretching. Wednesday is for upper body strength and core. Squeeze a 10-15 minute yoga session in at the start to warm up, stretch and activate your postural muscles. Follow this with bench press, pull-ups, military press, inverted rows, seated cable pulls and finish with some core and abdominal work. Don't forget 10 minutes of upper body static stretching after your session to stretch your muscles again. Thursday is your cardio day. Your workout should include a long but less intense cardio training session. Cycling, swimming or a run are perfect for this day. Aim to do about 45 minutes followed by a static stretch and steam session. Drink at least 1 litre of water after this session as you will have sweated a lot and will need to rehydrate. Friday is a repeat of the lower body strength from Tuesday. You can do front squats, step-ups, good mornings, hamstring curls on a Swiss ball and toe raises to strengthen tibialis anterior muscle. Saturday is your second upper body strength session for the week. Start with another yoga session followed by push ups, bent over row, lat pull downs, Arnold press and bicep curls along with core, abdominals and stretching exercises to finish. Sunday is the day when your body tells you that it's a little tired and starting to feel the effects of a solid training load. Do a good cardio day with a long sustained session on the bike, treadmill or rowing machine. I would suggest 20 minutes on each machine to ensure you get the most out of your cardio session without overloading a particular set of muscles and joints at the end of a long week. A solid 20-minute stretch from toes to neck is very important. Some general training tips: Weight training sessions should last maximum 40 minutes. Don't take more than a minute's rest in between sets; this will encourage high intensity work throughout the session. Do 3-4 sets and 10-15 reps as your strength increases, then gradually increase weight and decrease reps. A programme based on this example will cover all essential areas in your training. I'll elaborate on sauna and steam bath benefits next week. Warm up before training and cool down afterwards. Drink lots of water and electrolyte replacement drinks and use a good protein supplement after training sessions. Remember to ask trainers in your gym for advice as they are experts in strength and conditioning and will be able to tailormake a programme that works for your individual needs.

Source: Web Search

Doesn't matter who is giving it to whom!

Published Sat, Mar 20 10 01:52 PM

India, March 20 -- If Sachin Tendulkar runs riot against, say, the KKR, how can someone who is ostensibly a KKR fan not cheer? If Virender Sehwag starts clobbering the ball against, say, the RCB, how can someone who is ostensibly a Challengers fan not cheer? You can't possibly prefer your complicated allegiance towards some plutocratic league side to that towards national heroes, can you? With this in mind, I've been carefully observing those rippling flags at stadiums. They ripple all the time. Everyone is cheering as much as they can as long as someone is doing the clouting. So to tease out - as promised in my previous column - my comparison of the IPL with pornography, someone's giving it to someone nearly all the time. It doesn't so much matter who's giving it to whom. Action is character; action is destiny; action - however mindless - is all. I must clarify that contrary to what you might think, I am not a complete twit. I see the point of the IPL, and certainly that of T20. I merely don't see the point of it for me. I understand that if a lot of people watch/read/listen to something, it necessarily comes to be seen as a good thing. Look at the size of the porno industry globally. It has rather more fans than the films of Luis Bunuel, doesn't it? As John Updike said: "Reality is constantly being formed by the solidification of illusions." Me, I am open to have my reality modified for me. For the moment, the difference between IPL and cricket is - apologies, it's my day for analogies - the difference between snakes-and-ladders (the thrilling leaps on those ladders, the lurking danger of plummeting via snakes) and chess (austere, minimalist, contemplative).

Source: Web Search

Rana Naved, Shoaib Malik to challenge PCB ban

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 01:46 PM

Islamabad, Mar.20 (ANI): Banned Pakistani fast bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan has decided to challenge the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision to impose a year's ban and a hefty fine on him.

Naved said he has received the documents explaining the reasons for his suspension by the PCB and would file his appeal in a couple of days.

" I have been preparing the response papers with my representatives and they will be ready in a couple of days time," PakPassion.net quoted Naved, as saying.

The 32-year-old bowler said he has read the report prepared by the PCB's Inquiry Committee, which had recommended harsh punishments for players who 'underperformed' during the Australia tour.

"Yes I have the report and have had a read of it. The only reason why they have banned me is due to underperformance. They felt that my performance on the tour of Australia was below par. I always give 10o percent effort every time I take the field, it doesn't matter who I am playing for, I always give my all," Naved said.

Meanwhile, former captain Shoiab Malik, who is also facing a year's ban, has also decided to appeal against the PCB's decision.

Malik said he has been informed that the board's inquiry committee has found him guilty of creating 'disharmony' in the dressing room also faking an ankle injury during New Zealand tour.

Earlier, the PCB had given 30 days time to the banned, fined players to appeal.

The PCB had suspended Malik and Naved for one year, and slapped hefty fines on star all-rounder Shahid Afridi, wicket keeper Kamran Akmal and his batsman brother Umer Akmal following the recommendations of a committee headed by the Chief Operating Officer (CCO) Wasim Bari.

The PCB had formed the six-member committee to look into Pakistan's deplorable performance during the tour of Australia, during which the visitors were white washed in all three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 match. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Hit the beach running

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 01:38 PM

India, March 20 -- Besides the sun, surf and sand, the beach offers one of the best places to continue your fitness regime when you're on a vacation. Don't break into a sweat about packing in the pounds, as you can continue losing those calories and keep up with your strength-training and cardio-vascular workouts with this bunch of beach sports. Go running Imagine standing at the start of a long stretch of the beach with the sound of crashing waves in the distance. Sold already, aren't you? For one, there's no crowd to tackle, if you choose the right time to run. Secondly, you end up getting a good strength endurance workout. Heath Matthews, physiotherapist with Elite Athletes Performance, trains sportspersons on the beach by making them do several short sprints rather than long runs. "We keep a mark at 20m or 30m and ask them to run to it and walk back. This increases their strength endurance," he says. Matthews' advice is to start your run on the firm sand near the water to warm up, then shift to slightly looser sand, which ups the ante in your workout. "The impact is lesser when one runs on the soft sand, but because the sand gives, running on it is more tiring." Then, take a break from running on loose sand and return to the firm sand. Remember to balance the impact of the beach's slight slope on both sides of your body. "You can do that by running up and down the same stretch instead of a single direction," adds Matthews. Precautions: Try to run with proper running shoes since the sand could cause blisters on toes and soles. Try Kayaking When he's not pumping iron in the gym, Rajeev Bhatia (40) is in Goa kayaking, and encouraging others to "give it a try". "Not only does the rowing offer a great upper body and core workout, it does so without the vigour of a fast flowing river. You could go out into sea on either a sit-on-top or a sit-in kayak in low tide and return at high tide. It's simpler to learn kayaking on the sea and it's great fun," says Bhatia. Kayaking happens at the Morjhim, Palolim, and Candolim beaches in Goa. Precautions: Carry your mobile, wear a life jacket and don't venture out too far until you're sure of your kayaking skills and stamina. Beach volleyball Running on the beach is such a good cardiovascular and strength workout that even tossing a frisbee or playing catch has its benefits. Fitness instructor Daniel Vaz feels a game of volleyball on the beach is one of the best ways to get a full workout for the body and still have fun. After all, you can only lie on a sun-bed for so long, right? "You leap into the air and use your upper body strength to strike the ball, putting your body through different directional movements," said Vaz. "Even if you fall, you won't injure yourself, since the sand breaks the fall." Precautions: Stay hydrated, keep the shades on and don't play if it's too sunny. Cool off with a swim Wash the sand and sweat off your body with some salt water that not only promises to heal all bruises, but also leaves you feeling blissfully weightless. Swimming is not an impact sport, so even though you're giving your body a great upper and lower body workout, you won't feel as tired.

Source: Web Search

Theo Walcott acknowledges Becks help during toughest year of his career

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 01:08 PM

London, Mar.20 (ANI): Twenty-one-year-old Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has acknowledged England star David Beckham's help in seeing him through the toughest year of his career.

The Arsenal winger, 21, suffered knee and back injuries this term and paid tribute to Becks and club pal Tomas Rosicky.

"David was there to help me out. I really appreciated it. It's a big shame about his injury so near to the World Cup. I've had so many injuries but Arsenal have been fantastic. One big influence has been Tomas. He was out for 20 months with a knee injury but came in every day with a smile. Amazing," The Sun quoted Walcott, as saying. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

England fight back after early Tamim onslaught in Dhaka

Published Sat, Mar 20 10 12:46 PM

Tamim Iqbal blasted a rapid half-century before England's spinners put the brakes on Bangladesh's progress to leave the hosts on 139 for three at lunch the opening day of the second test on Saturday.

Tamim celebrated his 21st birthday with some fireworks of his own, attacking every England bowler before debutant off-spinner James Tredwell had him caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior for 85 off just 71 balls.

The left-handed opener made his intentions clear when he got off the mark with a boundary off the first ball of the innings and completed his fifty in just 34 deliveries with three successive fours off the bowling of Graeme Swann.

He blasted the next ball for a six to take 20 runs from what was Swann's third over in the game as Bangladesh made the most of their decision to bat after winning the toss.

Tamim, who was dropped by Paul Collingwood off Tim Bresnan on 11 and by skipper Alastair Cook at mid on off Stuart Broad on 36, clubbed 13 fours and a six in his sixth test fifty.

Bangladesh raced to 95 runs in the first hour thanks to Tamim's aggression before the introduction of Tredwell slowed down their run riot.

After Tredwell ended Tamim's 66-run second wicket stand with Zunaed Siddique, Swann showed he had recovered from his earlier battering by trapping debutant Jahirul Islam for an lbw.

Zunaed Siddique (25 not out) was batting with Mahmudullah (11 not out) at the interval.

Earlier, Broad ended 53-run opening stand between Tamim and Imrul Kayes, with Steven Finn taking a fine catch diving to his right to dismiss the latter for 12.

England lead the two-match series 1-0 after completing a 181-run victory in Chittagong on Tuesday.

Source: Web Search

Beckham writes open letter to AC Milan mates

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 12:38 PM

London, Mar. 20 (ANI): A torn Achilles may have forced David Beckham out of the game but the England star has expressed full support to his mates at AC Milan by posting an open letter on the club's website.

"I want to wish everyone the best of luck and to say I hope they win the title. I would also like to thank you all for your support after the Chievo match," The Sun quoted Becks, as saying..

"I hope to play with you again and be part of this marvellous club," he added.

Beckham, 34, is out for the season after he tore his Achilles during Milan's 1-0 win against Chievo last Sunday.

Beckham was on loan at the Serie A club from LA Galaxy.

He underwent surgery earlier in the week but is also ruled out of this summer's World Cup. (ANI)

Source: Web Search