Published>Sun, Apr 11 10 12:22 AM
Bangalore, April 10 (IANS) Bangalore Royal Challengers beat Kolkata Knight Riderx by an emphatic seven wickets in the Indian Premier League here Saturday.
Batting first, KKR made 160/9 in their allotted 20 overs and in reply, the Bangalore side got to 164/3 in 17.1 overs.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:49 AM 0 comments
Published Sun, Apr 11 10 12:14 AM
Joseph Hoover Bangalore, Apr 10 (PTI) Rahul Dravid (52) and Robin Uthappa (52) smashed breezy half-centuries to script Royal Challengers Bangalore''s clinical seven-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders and brought their Indian Premier League campaign back on track here today. Bangalore have not only enhanced their semifinal chances with this win as they have moved to number two in the points table but also made life tough for their rivals, as now they need to win all three remaining games to stand any chance to finish among top four. Chasing a modest 161 to win, the hosts overhauled the target with 17 balls to spare as Uthappa unleashed a flurry of boundaries to finish off the game for the hosts in a hurry after Dravid set it up with a brilliant knock. Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders huffed and puffed to 160 for nine after a sensational start, squandered by a middle-order collapse, at M Chinnaswamy stadium. Brendon McCullum (45), Chris Gayle (34) and Sourav Ganguly (33) batted well for the Kolkata after being sent in to bat but their middle-order put up a pathetic show. Paceman R Vinay Kumar (3/23) did well for Bangalore by striking regularly which turned the tide in the favour of his side. In Bangalore''s chase Uthappa''s breathtaking 22-ball unbeaten knock had five sixes and three fours while Dravid''s 35-ball knock had five fours and two sixes. More PTI JH AT
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:41 AM 0 comments
Published Sun, Apr 11 10 12:08 AM
Supporters of Argentine second division side Sportivo Italiano threatened the team with guns and stole their training kit after criticising them for being relegated.
The incident, in which one fan put a gun to a player's head, occurred after evening training on Friday for Saturday's Nacional B championship match against Olimpo.
Salvador D'Antonio, president of the club of the capital's Italian community, complained at the impunity with which "barrabravas" (hooligans) act in Argentine football.
"I've been at this club for 15 years and I've never had a problem like this before. The hooligans have no idea what is it to earn your bread grafting every day, there is total impunity and they take advantage of that," D'Antonio told the sports daily Ole (www.ole.com.ar).
Sportivo Italiano's ground is only 500 metres from the Argentine Football Association's training complex on the outskirts of Buenos Aires where coach Diego Maradona is conducting his World Cup preparations.
The players, who told reporters they were shocked when the supporter put his gun to striker Gustavo Britos's head, were meeting players' union general secretary Sergio Marchi on Saturday to discuss what steps to take.
Earlier in the week, coach Mauro Navas of first division Chacarita Juniors, noted for their violent fans, almost resigned when supporters threatened him and his team after two successive defeats. He said he would quit if it happened again.
Argentine football is plagued by the "barrabravas" who exert a strong hold over clubs and players with threats if their wishes are not met.
Club officials and players rarely dare to confront the hooligans and directors keep them onside by providing them with match tickets, transport to away games and freedom to control ventures around stadiums like parking and food stands.
Soccer violence, which in recent years has centred largely around turf wars between rival gangs of supporters of the same team, has claimed half a dozen lives this year, adding to a total of several hundred.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:35 AM 0 comments
Published Sun, Apr 11 10 12:00 AM
Bangalore, Apr 10 (PTI) Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets in their crucial Indian Premier match at M Chinnaswamy stadium here today. Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders: 160 for 9 in 20 overs. (Brendon McCullum 45, C Gyale 34, S Ganguly 33; Vinay Kumar 3/23). Royal Challengers Bangalore: 164 for three in 17.1 overs (R Dravid 52, R Uthappa 52 not out; A Dinda 2/15).
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:27 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 11:50 PM
Debt-ravaged Portsmouth bowed to the inevitable on Saturday when they were relegated from the Premier League on the eve of their FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur.
The south coast club went down without kicking a ball on the day, their slim hopes of survival snuffed out by West Ham beating Sunderland 1-0.
In truth, their chances had already been effectively killed off when they were docked nine points for going into administration in February.
With West Ham moving four points clear of the drop zone, Portsmouth are mathematically unable to escape with five matches remaining.
In the only other Premier League game of the day, Burnley trounced Hull City 4-1 in a battle between the two sides most likely to follow Portsmouth down to the Championship (second division).
Both have 27 points with Wigan Athletic and West Ham on 31. Portsmouth have 14. On the flip side, West Bromwich Albion secured their promotion back to the top flight, joining Newcastle United, after beating Doncaster Rovers 3-2.
After ending a 58-year wait for a major trophy in 2008, when they won the FA Cup to the sound of the Pompey Chimes, Portsmouth fans have had little to sing as the club lurched from crisis to crisis.
Since their last appearance at Wembley, the 112-year-old club -- English champions in 1949 and 1950 as well as twice FA Cup winners -- have been through four owners and as many managers.
DEBT BURDEN
The club's status as the first Premier League side to go into administration resulted from a winding-up order presented by the government's customs and revenue department for tax debts totalling at least 7.5 million pounds ($11.47 million).
Now buckling under a massive debt burden, Portsmouth were put up for sale by Alexandre "Sacha" Gaydamak last August when the global economic crisis started to bite.
United Arab Emirates businessman Sulaiman al-Fahim stepped in and then sold 90 percent of his shares to Saudi businessman Ali al Faraj.
Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai became the fourth owner in less than a year, saying he had "zero interest" in running the club and hoped to offload it as soon as he could find another buyer.
Gaydamak's father Arkady, a Russian-Israeli businessman, was convicted by a French court last year of illegal arms deals, tax fraud, money laundering, embezzlement and other crimes.
"The adverse publicity surrounding Sacha's father sent the banks who provided us with overdraft facilities into meltdown," former chief executive Peter Storrie said in February.
"Overnight we had to find nearly 50 million pounds as well as sustain the running of the club."
On the pitch, the situation was equally troubled with Portsmouth losing their opening seven matches of the season and struggling to pay players' salaries.
Manager Paul Hart was sacked in November and Israeli Avram Grant, a former Chelsea boss, brought in to try and work an unlikely miracle.
Goalkeeper David James, one of only a handful of survivors from two years ago, suspected the club's unexpected Cup success in 2008 might also have sowed the seeds of Portsmouth's downfall because of the lavish bonuses paid out.
"I think to offer people the opportunity of big bonuses to qualify for Europe seemed like quite a safe bet because you don't anticipate winning the Cup," he told the Guardian newspaper.
"Bizarrely, had we not won the Cup it probably would have done us a lot better because we wouldn't have qualified for Europe and we would have been able to build on two decent years of progression."
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:17 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 11:30 PM
Supporters of Argentine second division side Sportivo Italiano threatened the team with guns and stole their training kit after criticising them for being relegated.
The incident, in which one fan put a gun to a player's head, occurred after evening training on Friday for Saturday's Nacional B championship match against Olimpo.
Salvador D'Antonio, president of the club of the capital's Italian community, complained at the impunity with which "barrabravas" (hooligans) act in Argentine football.
"I've been at this club for 15 years and I've never had a problem like this before. The hooligans have no idea what is it to earn your bread grafting every day, there is total impunity and they take advantage of that," D'Antonio told the sports daily Ole (www.ole.com.ar).
Sportivo Italiano's ground is only 500 metres from the Argentine Football Association's training complex on the outskirts of Buenos Aires where coach Diego Maradona is conducting his World Cup preparations.
The players, who told reporters they were shocked when the supporter put his gun to striker Gustavo Britos's head, were meeting players' union general secretary Sergio Marchi on Saturday to discuss what steps to take.
Earlier in the week, coach Mauro Navas of first division Chacarita Juniors, noted for their violent fans, almost resigned when supporters threatened him and his team after two successive defeats. He said he would quit if it happened again.
Argentine football is plagued by the "barrabravas" who exert a strong hold over clubs and players with threats if their wishes are not met.
Club officials and players rarely dare to confront the hooligans and directors keep them onside by providing them with match tickets, transport to away games and freedom to control ventures around stadiums like parking and food stands.
Soccer violence, which in recent years has centred largely around turf wars between rival gangs of supporters of the same team, has claimed half a dozen lives this year, adding to a total of several hundred.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:57 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 11:10 PM
Chandigarh, April 10 (IANS) World Cup Kabaddi-2010 is all set to witness a heart-pulsating final Monday with traditional rivals India and Pakistan locking horns for the coveted title and the Rs.1 crore prize money.
In the semi-final matches Saturday, India defeated Canada 57-36, while Pakistan overcame Italy 57-33.
Meanwhile, enthused with the overwhelming response to the first edition of the tournament, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal announced that eight stadiums conforming to international standards would be completed within one year in the state.
'The next World Cup Kabaddi tournament would be held in these newly constructed stadiums. Services of international architects would be sought for this ambitious project,' he said.
'This tournament has left behind IPL cricket as for as TRP ratings in northern India, New Delhi, Canada, Britain, the US, Italy, Pakistan and Iran are concerned. People from all over the country are thronging the stadiums to witness the nail biting matches,' Badal said.
Nine teams from countries like Pakistan, the US, Britain, Canada, Iran and Australia participated in this cash-rich tournament.
The winning team of this tournament will receive a cash award of Rs.1 crore, while the first runner-up will bag Rs. 51 lakh. The second and third runner-up teams will take home Rs. 21 and Rs. 10 lakh respectively.
Besides Rs. 500,000 each will be given to other participating teams.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:37 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 11:00 PM
Bangalore, April 10 (IANS) In a must win game to stay in race for a berth in the semi-finals, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Saturday set a target of 161 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium here Saturday.
Put in to bat by RCB skipper and local hero Anil Kumble who won the toss, KKR scored 160 runs for 9 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs, with a jam-packed stadium enjoying the twists and turns in the game.
Though KKR began on a cautious note, their openers Sourav Ganguly and Chris Gayle steadied the innings to score the first 50 in 5 overs and 100 in 11 overs.
After the fall off Gayle for 34 at 52 and Ganguly for 33 at 103, KKR struggled to maintain the momentum and lost three wickets for 2 runs in a span of 14 balls.
Brendon McCullum, however, kept the score ticking with a swashbuckling 45 containing five hits to the ropes and two sixes.
Medium pacer Vinay Kumar was the most successful bowler for RCB, with three crucial wickets for just 23 runs followed by Jacques Kallis with two wickets, while Kumble and Dale Steyn shared one wicket each.
There were two brilliant run outs. Extras were 11.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:27 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 10:54 PM
New Delhi, Apr 9 (PTI) An acrimonious spat has erupted between Churchill Brothers patron Churchill Alemao and AIFF General Secretary Alberto Colaco with the former questioning the latter''s authority in show causing him for making comments on the poor standard of refereeing in the country. AIFF had served a show cause notice on Alemao for his comments against match officials of the country a day before Churchill''s AFC Cup match against Al Hilal of Yemen at Margao on April 6. The outspoken Alemao had said that some of the Indian referees were inept in their job and favoured certain teams at the cost of other sides. "We are pained to read in newspapers about the comments made by you on the Indian officials (referees and their assistants). It is regrettable that you have chosen to make these comments at a press conference organised in connection with the AFC Cup match between your club and Al Hilal from Yemen," Colaco had written in a strongly worded show cause to Alemao asking him to reply within seven days. Alemao today shot back a letter to Colaco, with a copy to AIFF President Praful Patel, asking him under what rules or article of constitution of the national federation he was issuing the show cause. "With reference to your letter dated April 7, you are required to explain under what rules of articles of (AIFF) constitution or under what powers you have issued the same. Also send me the constitution of the AIFF in this regard," Alemao wrote in the letter. Colaco, who was in Goa when Alemao made the comments about the poor standard of refereeing in the country, had in reaction apparently tore an invitation card given to him to attend the AFC Cup match. Alemao in his letter asked Colaco to explain why he tore the invitation. "I have to also ask you why you tore the invitation cards sent to AIFF for the AFC Cup match. You are requested to take note of it and comply with it," Alemao said in the letter. The AIFF had said should Alemao choose to ignore the show cause, the disciplinary committee would decide the matter with the available documents. Colaco in the show cause had pointed out that Alemao''s comments are in violation of Article 36(5) of the I-League regulations as well as the code of ethics and disciplinary code of the AIFF.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 10:40 PM
Kolkata, April 10 (IANS) Brazilian Jose Ramirez Barreto missed a penalty as Mohun Bagan drew 1-1 with Goa's Salgaocar SC in an I-League match at the Salt Lake Stadium here Saturday.
After an unproductive first half, Edeh Chidi put Mohun Bagan ahead before Salgaocar striker Keita Mandjou drew level.
Bagan's goal came in the 62nd minute when a Marcos Pereira flag kick saw Chidi defy a muscle pull to nod home.
The scoreline became even in the 76th minute with Rocus Lamare essaying a well-measured through for Mandjou, who scored off a rasping right footer.
Seven minutes later, Mohun Bagan got the easiest of chances to score.
Referee P. Bikramjit awarded a penalty to the city outfit after Salgaocar goalkeeper Kalyan Choubey brought down Chidi inside the box.
There was utter disbelief among the Mohun Bagan fans as the celebrated striker's shot landed straight into Choubey's lap.
The game seldom rose to any height with the rivals failing to add punch to their attacks.
However, Bagan were distinctly unlucky before the halftime whistle as Marcos Pereira's corner saw Rakesh Masih head straight into the crosspiece, off Choubey's gloves.
After 19 games, Mohun Bagan have now collected 26 points, while Salgaocar are on 22 from 20 matches.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:07 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 10:10 PM
Bangalore, Apr 10 (PTI) Sent in to bat, Kolkata Knight Riders scored 160 for nine against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Indian Premier League match at M Chinnaswamy stadium here today. Brief Score: Kolkata Knight Riders: 160 for 9 in 20 overs. (Brendon McCullum 45, C Gyale 34, S Ganguly 33; Vinay Kumar 3/23). PTI AT
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 9:37 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 09:54 PM
Kolkata, Apr 10 (PTI) Kalyan Chaubey impressed under the bar with some brilliant saves to help Salgaocar hold Mohun Bagan 1-1 in their round 20 I-League match at Yuba Bharati Krirangan here today. After a goalless and lacklustre first-half, Edeh Chidi put Mohun Bagan ahead in the 62nd minute but only to see Salgaocar equalise through Keita Mandjou in the 76th minute. Mohun Bagan''s defence lacked cohesion while their ace Brazilian striker Jose Ramirez Barreto had a forgettable day including a missed penalty that was brilliantly blocked by Chaubey. New coach of Salgaocar, Karim Bencherifa, who was at the helm of Mohun Bagan before parting ways few matches ago, would return a happy man having held the green-and-maroon outfit and scoring a point against his old team. Playing under Biswajit Bhattacharjee for the first time, Mohun Bagan dished out a lacklustre first-half. On paper, they had a strong side with Barreto, Edeh Chidi upfront and their defence boasting of three Indian players in Rakesh Masih, NS Manju and N Mohan Raj, but they were not penetrating enough to see a goalless first-half. Barreto seemed to be out of his silken touch. The Brazilian had an early chance in the sixth minute when Luciano Sobrosa tackled Marcos at the edge of the box. But the Brazilian could not make use of the chance. More PTI TAP RG PDS
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 9:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 09:30 PM
New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) Delhi Daredevils are just two wins away from a semi-final berth in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and coach Greg Shipperd says the team is in no mood to stretch matters till the last league match.
The Delhi team, which plays table laggards Kings XI Punjab at the Ferozeshah Kotla Sunday, are in second place in the points tally with 12 points from 10 matches. They were on a three-match winning streak at home but crashed to a surprise defeat against a resolute Kolkata Knight Riders at the Edens Gardens in their previous outing.
'We want to qualify for the semifinals as soon as possible. We want to win the next two matches and relax. IPL is tough and we don't want to be in a last minute situation where every team is looking to make the semi-finals,' Shipperd said here Saturday.
'There is, however, no need to panic. We want to play a good game in front of the home crowd. We lost from a good position against Kolkata Knight Riders and it was disappointing,' he added.
Asked about Anil Kumble of the Bangalore Royal challengers terming the Kotla wicket not ideal for Twenty20 cricket, Shipperd said: 'If you look at the totals this year, it has been 180-plus scores. Kumble must be reflecting on the scores of Champions League Twenty20 League.
'It is obviously difficult to bat second on this pitch,' he added.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:57 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 09:24 PM
Bathinda, April 10 (PTI) Arch-rivals India and Pakistan set up the Kabaddi World Cup final after winning their respective semifinals here today. India comfortably defeated Canada 51-36 while Pakistan outplayed Italy 57-33. The summit clash will be held on Monday. The host overcame the challenge of Canada after some anxious moments. The gap between the two teams was just four at half-time with India on 23. After the breather, India revised its strategy and played more aggressively and went on to win comfortably in the end. Canada raider Kuljeet Malsian with 15/17 score was adjudged best raider while India Captain Mangat Singh Mangi was adjudged best stopper with 6/11 score. Earlier, in the first semi-final Pakistan stormed into finals by defeating Italy 57-33. Pakistan, led by Imtiaj Alam, dominated the match in both the halfs and was superior side. Italy captain Kamaljit Singh Kala played beautifully but that could not help his team win. Yaser Javed Gujjar was adjudged the best stopper of Pakistan with 4/7 scores.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:51 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 09:10 PM
Nagpur, Apr 10 (ANI): A splendid half-century by Tirumalsetti Suman helped the Deccan Chargers of Hyderabad win their match by six wickets against Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Jamtha on Saturday.
Suman scored a brilliant 55 of 44 deliveries scoring four boundaries and two sixes in his special innings. He was well supported by Andrew Symonds, who remained unbeaten on 27 and guided his team to a victory with five balls to spare.
Chennai Super Kings batting first made 139 runs, which was easily achieved by Adam Gilchrist-led Deccan Chargers at the loss of four wickets.
Suresh Raina scored 52 runs for the Chennai Super Kings before being caught by Rohit Sharma of Ryan Harris's delivery.
Ryan Harris was adjudged the man of the match for scalping three wickets and giving away just 18 runs in his spell. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:37 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 08:54 PM
New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) The Badminton Association of India (BAI) says the organisation of the Badminton Asia Championships, beginning Monday, will decide how soon the country gets to host a Super Series event.
The tournament, which will see the participation of 21 countries, is also a test event for the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games and BAI president V.K. Verma is satisfied with the arrangements at the renovated Sri Fort Sports Complex, the venue for the event.
'The arrangements at the stadium has been excellent. It may be a little early to say but we soon hope to organise a Super Series event in India. A lot will depend on how we organise it and how the players perform at this tournament,' Verma told reporters here Saturday.
The Super Series consists of 13 tournaments, including a Masters Finals at the end of the year.
Verma was also happy that India had got top billing in two of the five categories at the Badminton Asia Championships. While Saina Nehwal is top seeded in the women's singles, Jwala Gutta and V. Diju have got the top billing in the mixed doubles.
'It is for the first time that out of five events, India have got the top billing in two. It is a great news for the Indian badminton.'
Verma said the sales of the tickets have been encouraging and they working on increasing the sales further.
'In Delhi, everyone looks for free passes. But the ticket sales have been phenomenal. Five thousand tickets have already been sold and we are working on increasing the sale further,' he said.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 08:50 PM
New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) Former All England Champion and national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand believes that India should win atleast one title in the Badminton Asia Championships beginning here Monday.
It is the first time that Indian players have got the top billing in two of the five categories in the competition. While World No.6 Saina Nehwal is the top seed in women's singles, Jwala Gutta and V. Diju are the top seeds in the mixed doubles.
'I do believe that India will bag one of the titles,' Gopichand told IANS said Saturday.
Gopichand said the recent good performances of the Indian players at the international tournaments will hold them in good stead.
'The have performed very well at the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup and for the first time we have both men's and women's team in the finals. So, everybody is looking upto this tournament,' he said.
Gopichand, who is also the coach of Saina, said she will have to be at her best.
'She is the top seed but there are some very good players in the tournament. She will have to produce her best. She has prepared well and is in good form.'
'At this moment rankings is not a concern for her. She has to pick the right tournaments and concentrate on doing well in every event.'
Gopichand said it is a positive sign for the Indian badminton that so many good players are coming up.
'Our policy of having long training camps has paid off. It has made the players tough and now they are not participating in tournaments just to have a trip abroad. They are focussed and want to win. Also, the government has provided good support to badminton.'
Gopichand, however, admitted that injuries to players is a matter of concern.
In the men's singles, Anup Sridhar and Arvind Bhat will be carrying India's hopes in the absence of Chetan Anand, who withdrew from the tournament because of injury.
Sridhar and Bhat have always been considered talented but both have found the going tough in major tournaments.
'They played well in the Thomas Cup and I feel it is a matter of one good match before they find their touch,' Gopichand said.
Gopichand said at a time when Indian players are doing so well in badminton, the media should put their performances in perspective.
'Badminton has always got performances whether it is Dinesh Khanna or Prakash Padukone. We have been traditionaly strong in the singles, but today even in the doubles and mixed doubles we are performing well. It is the only physical sport in India which has done so well.
'It is important that media put these performances on record. It is only when Saina reached the semi-final of All England Open that media woke up. But if tennis players make the first round or even qualify for the US Open or Australian Open, it gets good meedia coverage. It demoralises players,' he said.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:17 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 08:24 PM
Bangalore, Apr 10 (PTI) Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble won the toss and opted to bowl against Kolkata Knight Riders in their crucial Indian Premier League match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium here today. Both sides have made one change each with the hosts bringing in Sridharan Sriram in place of Manish Pandey and Kolkata replacing Iqbal Abdulla with paceman Ishant Sharma. Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders: Sourav Ganguly (C), Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Manish Tiwary, Cheteshwar Pujara, Angelo Mathews, Wriddhiman Saha, Ajit Agarkar, Ashok Dinda, Ajantha Mendis and Ishant Sharma. Royal Challengers Bangalore: Anil Kumble (C), Jacques Kallis, S Sriram, Cameron White, Robin Uthappa, Ross Taylor, Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, R Vinay Kumar, Praveen Kumar and Dale Steyn.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 7:51 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 08:00 PM
Nagpur, April 10 (IANS) Tirumalasetti Suman came up with another fine half-century as defending champions Deccan Chargers snapped Chennai Super Kings' three-match winning streak in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a six-wicket win at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium here Saturday.
Deccan Chargers overcame a poor start and achieved the target of 139 by losing four wickets and with five balls to spare after Suman hit a 44-ball 55, his second IPL half-century, and Andrew Symonds remained unbeaten on 27.
Opting to bat first, Suresh Raina's well struck 52 went in vain as Super Kings could get just 138 for eight in 20 overs.
Both the teams now have 10 points from 11 matches and the race for the fourth semi-final place is still wide open. Chennai Super Kings now have to win their remaining three games.
Chasing a small total, Chargers were off to a poor start after off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked up skipper Adam Gilchrist (7) and Monish Mishra (21) in four deliveries in the fifth over with just 35 runs on board. Rohit Sharma (8) also failed to fire and departed as the score stood at 61 for three in the 11 over.
Suman and Symonds then added crucial 46-runs for the fourth wicket to take Chargers to a deserving win at their home ground.
Earlier in the day, Deccan Chargers bowlers were spot on right from the start and bowled a disciplined line and length to restrict the famed Super Kings batting to 138 for eight in 20 overs,
Ryan Harris (3/18) and Harmeet Singh (1/21) did most of the damage as Super Kings could get just 40 runs from the eight overs between the bowlers.
Matthew Hayden (19) was the first to depart after he tried to guide Harmeet to third man but instead edged it to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchirist. In his next over, Harmeet affected a run out to get rid of opener Murali Vijay, who scored a breezy 13-ball 23.
Raina then made the most of the life he got after he was dropped by Monsh Mishra off Dwayne Smith and hit three consecutive fours in the same over to set the tone of his innings. Raina waged a lone battle as he saw wickets falling at the other end. The left-hander departed after charged Harris and holed out to Rohit Sharma at long off.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (7), Mike Hussey (8), Subramaniam Badrinath (6) failed to get to double digits while the odd boundary kept flowing from Raina's blade from the other end.
The Chargers tightened the noose in the last five overs, which yeilded just 28 runs, including one four.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 7:27 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 07:50 PM
Nagpur, April 10 (IANS) Deccan Chargers defeated Chennai Super Kings by six wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium here Saturday.
Deccan Chargers achieved the target of 139 by losing four wickets with five balls to spare after Tirumalasetti Suman scored 55 and Andrew Symonds made an unbeaten 27.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 7:17 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 06:54 PM
Yangon, Apr 10 (PTI) Anirban Lahiri brought home a sedate two-under 70 to surge four places ahead and lie tied 9th after the penultimate round of the USD 300,000 Myanmar Open golf tournament here today. Lahiri sank five birdies against three bogeys to take his three-day total to eight-under 208 at Pun Hlaing Golf Club. Overnight tied 10th, Gaurav Pratap Singh carded four-over 76 to slip to tied 45, while Gaganjeet Bhullar also found the going tough and dropped to tied 38 after carding one-over 73. Himmat Rai surged to tied 18th after turning in a disciplined three-under 69. Firoz Ali (75) and Digvijay SIngh (75) brought home a matching three-over 75 to lie tied 64, while Rahil Gangjee and C Muniyappa carded an identical five-over 77 to lie tied 66. At the top, Tetsuji Hiratsuka carded a three-under 69 to grab the three-stroke lead over Prayad marksaeng (67) , while three shots behind him is Hideto Tanihara (70) with a total of 12-under 204.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 06:40 PM
Karachi/London, April 10 (IANS) Essex police is all set to question Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria over a cricket betting scandal. But the leggie Saturday rejected reports that he is under investigation over his involvement in a while playing for the English county side last year.
British newspaper The Sun reported Saturday that Kaneria and another Essex player are to be probed following incidents in one-day matches last summer. The Pakistan star is missing the start of the season with his county - the official reason being he is playing in a domestic tournament at home.
Essex police said that they had been asked to investigate 'match irregularities' but refused to elaborate. Essex County Cricket Club said that they would make no comment until the investigation has been concluded.
While Kaneria's future at Essex is now in doubt, the other player - who is a lower-profile member of the staff and is not featuring in the opening championship match against Hampshire - will almost certainly be released if found guilty.
Kaneria, who has been Essex's key player for several years, said that he has always played his cricket honestly, adding that such reports are tarnishing his image.
'My cricketing career is completely unstained and I'm surprised at such allegations,' said Kaneria, who is Pakistan's most successful Test spinner of all time.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) issued a brief statement from Essex Police on Friday evening stating that inquiries are currently being conducted into the actions of two Essex players in a match last season.
The newspaper said that Essex have known about the allegations for a month but were shocked when they became public.
'I am not allowed to comment,' the newspaper quoted Essex coach Paul Grayson as saying.
According to The Times, the allegations, which were made last month, relate to a player underperfoming in matches in last season's NatWest Pro40. It is believed that the player had been put in touch with a bookmaker by a team-mate and had been given an incentive to perform poorly in one or more high-profile games in the league's first division, in which Essex came fourth.
'One of the players is believed to have introduced another to a bookmaker, who offered him money if he bowled no-balls and wides in one or more limited-overs games,' The Times quoted a source as saying.
The 29-year-old Kaneria has taken 254 wickets in 58 Tests and is due to play against England in the second half of the summer.
Televised matches in the Twenty20 Cup and the 40-over competition attract millions of pounds worth of gambling money because they are normally shown in India.
The daily also said that the players did not actively throw matches but manipulated passages of play by bowling poorly or sending down no-balls or wides.
This is not the first time the county has been investigated for alleged match fixing. In 1994 Don Topley, a former Essex seam bowler, prompted an inquiry after claiming that matches against Lancashire near the end of the 1991 season had been fixed.
Topley alleged that Lancashire had agreed to bowl badly in their three-day fixture with Essex in exchange for the favour being returned in a Sunday League fixture. Essex were chasing the county championship title, which they went on to win, but Lancashire were pipped to the Sunday League by Nottinghamshire despite beating Essex in their final game.
The allegations were dismissed as having no foundation by the Test and County Cricket Board, the predecessor of the ECB, but the case was reopened in 2000 by Scotland Yard after two of Topley's former team-mates supported his allegation. No charges were brought.
Essex's overseas player in 1991 was Salim Malik, the Pakistan batsman who was banned for life in 2000 for match fixing in international games. There is no suggestion that he was involved in the decision to rig the matches with Lancashire.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:07 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 06:10 PM
Nagpur, April 10 (IANS) Super Kings were restricted to 138 for eight in 20 overs by defending champions Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium here Saturday.
For Chargers, Ryan Harris was the most successful bowler, picking up three wickets from four overs and conceding just 18 runs. Suresh Raina was the top scorer for Super Kings with his 42-ball 52.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 5:37 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 05:40 PM
Hyderabad, April 10 (ANI): The pre-wedding ceremonies of the Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik will start off from Tuesday (April 13), said Imran Mirza, Sania's father here on Friday.
Indian media was abuzz with rumours that Mirza and Malik would be getting married on Friday (April 10) itself. However, scotching the rumours, Imran Mirza said that all wedding celebrations would begin from April 13.
"I have already made the announcement that all official wedding celebrations will begin on the 13 (April 13). We will keep you updated and please bear with us. This is supposed to be a happy moment for us. Please bear with us," said Mirza.
The impending wedding of Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik has been making headlines across the media in India and Pakistan after a Hyderabad-based woman, Ayesha Siddiqui, claimed that she was married to Malik and he couldn't marry Mirza unless he divorced her (Ayesha) being his first wife.
Initially, Malik, however, denied having been married to Siddiqui, which then led to the registration of a criminal case against Malik. The Hyderabad police seized the cricketer's passport.
After much hullabaloo and with the intervention of community elders, Malik finally decided to divorce Ayesha Siddiqui and put an end to the prevailing controversy.
Two of South Asia's best-known sports personalities, Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza plan to marry on April 15 and settle in Dubai.
The 23-year-old tennis player is the first Indian to win a WTA tour event in 2005 and reached her highest world ranking of 27 two years ago although she has since slipped to 92.
Malik, 28, is an all-rounder who captained Pakistan between 2007 and 2009 and has been fighting a 12-month ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board for poor performance and indiscipline. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 5:07 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 05:24 PM
London, April 10 (PTI) A match-fixing scandal has hit English cricket with two Essex county players facing police investigation for allegedly under-performing during the last season''s Pro40 league. Essex Police said they had been asked to investigate "match irregularities" by the two unnamed players but refused to elaborate any further. Essex County Cricket Club too refused to comment until the investigation concluded. According to a report in ''The Times'', a player had been put in touch with a bookmaker by a teammate and had been given incentive to perform poorly in one or more high-profile games in the Pro40 league''s first division, in which Essex came fourth. Quoting a source, the report said, "one of the players is believed to have introduced another to a bookmaker who offered him money if he bowled no balls and wides in one or more limited overs games." The report quoting another source said the alleged bet related to how many runs would be conceded by the player in an over. "Following allegations received about two Essex county Cricket players involved in match irregularities, we have initiated an investigation and are working closely with Essex County Cricket Club and the English Cricket Board," Essex Police said in a statement. The ECB which released the police statement, said it was unaware of the identity of the two players or the matches in question.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 4:51 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 05:20 PM
Karachi, April 10 (IANS) Former Pakistan captain and coach Intikhab Alam Saturday unveiled a proposal for provincial governments to lift the standard of cricket and other sports in the country.
'What I'm proposing is that governments in Punjab and other three provinces should start adopting youngsters and train them in their respective sports,' he told The News daily in an interview.
'For example, the Punjab government can hold these province-wide trials in cricket, hockey, football and other sports for kids aged 12 to 15. They should pick around 15 boys in each sport and adopt them. The government should provide for their education, training and other expenses,' Intikhab said.
The Hoshiarpur-born Intikhab is confident that such a project will boost sports in Pakistan.
'At the moment, we are looking for ways and means to give Pakistan sports a boost. By implementing this project, chief ministers of the four provinces can play a huge role in producing future world champions.'
Speaking on a different issue, Intikhab said that he is looking forward to supervising a training camp for 'reserve' players in the coming months.
He said that he has discussed the idea with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt, new Pakistan coach Waqar Younis and chief selector Mohsin Hasan Khan.
'Our national team will soon be going to the West Indies for the Twenty20 World Cup and then will be busy in England for several months. It's the best time to work on our bench strength and it would be great idea to have them attend a comprehensive training camp.'
Intikhab, now given the responsibility to train and groom youngsters, believes that his blueprint for youth development will ensure that Pakistan will never have to go through the sort of embarrassment that they suffered on the previous tour of Australia.
With Intikhab as coach, Pakistan went on to lose all their three Tests, five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 game during the catastrophic assignment from December to February.
The Pakistanis batted like novices and spilled almost two dozen catches against the Aussies.
Intikhab was sacked while the PCB banned or fined seven leading players for charges ranging from indiscipline to 'infighting' in the aftermath of the dismal tour.
'What we've been lacking in our cricket are proper work ethics, professionalism and discipline,' said Intikhab. 'Without instilling these qualities in our players we will keep on repeating the same mistakes again and again.'
Intikhab said that as National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief, his biggest target is to help produce world class players.
'There are certain things that you can't learn once you are already playing at the international level,' he said.
'You have to teach a player manners, discipline things like how to eat, how to talk. You have to teach him how to carry himself when he is still a boy. That's what we are going to do at the NCA from now on. We would try to ensure that we send players to various national teams who are ready to represent the country at the top level.'
Intikhab is convinced that the reason why Pakistan did so poorly in Australia was that their players are weak when it comes to the basics.
'We could have beaten Australia but what our players needed was skills that they should have learnt years ago as juniors. They fielded badly because they are weak in that department for ever and you can't just teach them to be good fielders overnight. What we should do now is to ensure that the next lot of players is better trained and well-groomed,' he said.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 4:47 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 05:10 PM
Hyderabad, Apr 10 (PTI) With controversy and uncertainty taking a backseat, celebrations have finally begun at the residence of tennis star Sania Mirza, who is going to marry Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik here on April 15. The mood of tension and anxiety prevailing at Sania''s house at Jubilee Hills for the past few days has now turned into that of celebrations as the arrival of relatives and friends began. A spokesperson appointed by the Mirzas'' told reporters here today that the wedding invitations were in the process of being distributed and around 1000 guests were expected for the reception. "Shoaib''s mother, brother, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew have already arrived in the city from Pakistan. Few more family members of Shoaib Malik are expected to arrive soon from Germany. The official celebrations would begin on April 13 with ''Sangeet'' ceremony in which all of Sania and Shoaib''s loved ones will perform," the spokesperson said. "Last night, the two families played dumb charades and anthakshari. Chinese cuisine, one of the favourites of both the bride and the groom was made by Sania''s aunts and served for the dinner. "Sania was in a mood to have some bhelpuri but due to media''s presence outside, she had to remain content by eating it at home as her cousins and sisters helped her to get it from a local shop. The day ended with a usual strength of caroms with Sania''s mother Naseema and Shoaib hogging the limelight," the spokesperson added.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 4:37 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 04:40 PM
London, Apr 10 (ANI): Soccer legend Bert Trautmann has said that today's top footballers lack the heart for the game due to their huge wages.
German-born Bert wrote his name in FA Cup history when he kept goal for Manchester City in the 1956 final despite breaking his neck. is death-defying performance earned him just 9.87 pounds, as compared to the millions pocketed annually by modern Premier League stars.
And German-born Bert, 86, believes huge pay packets have damaged the game.
"The attitude of players today tells me something valuable has been lost," The Sun quoted Bret, as saying.
"If I earn 80,000 pounds a week, have I still got the heart to come away from a match and really analyse my performance? I don't think so. That size of wage spoils a person's character. It gives them a 'couldn't-care-less' attitude."
Bert, a one-time Hitler Youth member who joined the Luftwaffe's elite parachute regiment, came to Britain as a prisoner of war in 1945.
City sparked a public outcry when they signed him, with Jewish groups threatening a boycott. But he became a hero and helped them win the Cup in 1956, even after his injury.
Bert will be named an "ambassador" for Manchester City.
"I watch all City's games on TV, they're still my club. I love England too and still shout for them - even if they're playing Germany!" (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 4:07 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 04:10 PM
Hyderabad, Apr 10 (PTI) Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik has given different names of his father in his divorce certificate with Ayesha Siddiqui and the wedding invitations for his marriage with Indian tennis star Sania Mirza but it turns out that both the names belong to the same man. While the divorce certificate and the agreement which Shoaib signed with the Hyderabadi girl Ayesha Siddiqui on April 7, shows his father''s name to be Malik Saleem Hussain, while the wedding Invitation card has Malik Faqeer Hussain named as his father. According to police, the passport of Shoaib, which was taken by them during his questioning following the complaint by Ayesha, also carries the two names of his father. "His (Shoaib) father''s name has been given as Malik Faqeer Hussain alias Malik Saleem Hussain and both the names are of the same person," the police officer said. Congress leader Abid Rasool Khan, who brokered peace between the Shoaib and the Siddiquis, said the Siddiquis have not objected on the matter as yet. "Siddiquis do not have any objections on the different name issue," he said. Shoaib is set to wed Sania on April 15 after a bitter marriage row with Ayesha, who had married him over phone. PTI VVK PM
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 3:37 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 03:54 PM
Hyderabad, Apr 10 (PTI) With controversy and uncertainty taking a backseat, celebrations have finally begun at the residence of tennis star Sania Mirza, who is going to marry Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik here on April 15. The mood of tension and anxiety prevailing at Sania''s house at Jubilee Hills for the past few days has now turned into that of celebrations as the arrival of relatives and friends began. A spokesperson appointed by the Mirzas'' told reporters here today that the wedding invitations were in the process of being distributed and around 1000 guests were expected for the reception. "Shoaib''s mother, brother, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew have already arrived in the city from Pakistan. Few more family members of Shoaib Malik are expected to arrive soon from Germany. The official celebrations would begin on April 13 with ''Sangeet'' ceremony in which all of Sania and Shoaib''s loved ones will perform," the spokesperson said. "Last night, the two families played dumb charades and anthakshari. Chinese cuisine one of the favourite of both the bride and bridegroom was made by Sania''s aunts and served for the dinner. "Sania was in the mood to had some bhelpuri but due to media''s presence outside, she had to remain content by eating it at home as her cousins and sisters helped her to get it from a local shop. The day ended with a usual strength of caroms with Sania''s mother Naseema and Shoaib hogging the limelight," the spokesperson added.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 3:21 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 03:24 PM
Kolkata, Apr 10 (PTI) One point above the drop zone, East Bengal will have a big task ahead when they take on title contender Dempo in the I-League round 20 encounter at Yuba Bharati Krirangan here tomorrow. With their inspirational striker Bhaichung Bhutia yet to recover from hamstring injury, the challenge will be bigger against the Goan side who will be desperate to snatch the pole position back from Mahindra United. Having suffered a loss to Mahindra United in their last match, Dempo lost their lead spot. But Armando Colaco-coached side now have a chance as Mahindra United were held by Mumbai in their round 20 match. Two points shy of the leaders, Dempo will bank on their Nigerian striker Ranti Martins who has been in top form last month, scoring as many as seven goals in five games. East Bengal on the other hand will look forward to Sanju Pradhan who scored a hattrick in their 6-1 win over Kalighat in a local league match yesterday. The win, incidentally, brought a disappointing 14-match winless streak to an end but their Belgian coach Philippe de Ridder does not want to look back. Ruling out Bhutia for the match, de Ridder said: "What happened in the past is history. We have to look forward and tomorrow''s match is crucial." East Bengal, which has 21 points from 18 matches, currently lay fourth last from the bottom of the standings. PTI TAP AMD SHN
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 2:51 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 03:20 PM
London, Apr 10 (ANI): McLaren team has promised to cut down its mistakes to help Formula One champ Jenson Button and his teammate Lewis Hamilton's title chances.
The British duo head into next week's Chinese Grand Prix with Button fourth and Hamilton sixth in the Formula 1 drivers' championship.
Both would have been higher in the standings, but team errors cost them in Australia and Malaysia, The Sun reports.
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh admitted: "We've not fully met our very high expectations in the first three races. It's our desire to eliminate mistakes from the operation to make us stronger championship contenders."
"There's no denying that our successes - Jenson's integration into the team, his win in Melbourne and some of the greatest drives of Lewis' career - have given us a great early-season boost.
"Now we are looking to establish ourselves as consistent challengers at the front to pick up the maximum available points on a regular basis," he said.
Hamilton told the team to improve after being called in for an extra stop in Melbourne when he could have finished runner-up to his teammate.
And in Kuala Lumpur both were kept in the garage with the team reckoning the rain would stop in qualifying and started near the back of the grid. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 2:47 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 03:10 PM
Washington, Apr 10 (ANI): Amid increasing terror threats, it could be a humongous task to evacuate around 70,000 people in case of a bomb scare in a packed stadium. Now, scientists have found a solution as to how to accomplish this feat-by using avatars in a virtual situation.
The National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at the University of Southern Mississippi has created a new breed of simulation software-dubbed SportEvac.
"SportEvac isn't simply more realistic. It will become a national standard," said program manager Mike Matthews of S and Ts Infrastructure and Geophysical Division.
Using blueprints from actual stadiums, the developers are creating virtual, 3D e stadiums, packed with as many as 70,000 avatars-animated human agents programmed to respond to threats as unpredictably as humans.
Security planners will be able to see how 70,000 fans would behave?and misbehave?when spooked by a security threat.
But a SportEvac avatar need not be a sports fan-the simulation includes make-believe stadium workers, first responders, even objects, such as a fire trucks or a fan's car.
SportEvac tracks them all, accounting for scenarios both probable and improbable.
As simulating thousands of people and cars could impose a crushing load on software and hardware, thus, unlike SportEvac, most evacuation software apps are unable to simulate a crowd much larger than 5,000.
Like an open-source Web browser, the SportEvac software will get better and better because it's built on open, modular code.
If your IT intern creates a module that can more accurately predict parking lot gridlock, just plug it in. This also means it can be customized for any sports arena.
By simulating how sports fans would behave in the minutes following an attack, SportEvac will help security experts across the country to plan and train and answer key questions, like how can a stadium be evacuated in the shortest time.
It can also tell how can civil emergency workers quickly get in as fans are dashing out and how can stadium guards and ushers provide valuable information to civil responders and assist them as the evacuation unfolds.
"Interoperability is also a key goal," said Lou Marciani, NCS4 Director, who serves as the SnT project's principal investigator.
Stadium security officers can use SportEvac to rehearse and refine procedures with civil responders.
During a real evacuation, guards might use the same radios as the civil responders.
And for every usher with a smartphone, a "SportEvac Lite" application will graphically show where fans or cars are bottlenecked.
SportEvac will create a safe, virtual stadium where security teams can practice guiding fans to safety, without risking life, limb, or lawsuit. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 2:37 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 03:00 PM
London, April 10 (IANS) Essex police is likely to question Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria over a cricket betting scandal.
The Sun reported Saturday that Kaneria and another Essex player are to be probed following incidents in one-day matches last summer. The Pakistan star is missing the start of the season with his county - the official reason being he is playing in a domestic tournament at home.
While Kaneria's future at Essex is now in doubt, the other player - who is a lower-profile member of the staff, is not featuring in the opening championship match against Hampshire - will almost certainly be released if found guilty.
The newspaper said that Essex have known about the allegations for a month but were shocked when they became public.
'I am not allowed to comment,' the newspaper quoted Essex coach Paul Grayson as saying.
The 29-year-old Kaneria has taken 254 wickets in 58 Tests and is due to play against England in the second half of the summer.
Televised matches in the Twenty20 Cup and the 40-over competition attract millions of pounds worth of gambling money because they are normally shown in India.
The daily also said that the players did not actively throw matches but manipulated passages of play by bowling poorly or sending down no-balls or wides.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 2:27 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 02:50 PM
New York, April 10 (ANI): Professional golfer Tiger Woods is in contention at the Masters after two rounds.
Woods, 34, followed up his first round 68 with a second round 70 in more difficult conditions at the Augusta National Golf Club.
At 6-under, he's in a five-way tie for third place, two shots behind a pair of Brits, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, both at 8-under.
Had Phil Mickelson not lipped out a long putt on the 18th green, he and Woods would have been paired together in the third round, which as it is, they are tied.
"It feels good. It feels really good," the New York Daily News quoted Woods as saying about being in the mix in his first tournament after a five-month layoff.
"I usually put myself in contention most of the time most years here, and this year I'm right there. We've got 36 more holes and I'm sure the golf course, they are not going to make it easy for us.
"They made it easy on the first day for us and today was certainly much more difficult," he added. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 2:17 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 02:44 PM
Melbourne, April 10 (ANI): Australian model Lara Bingle is continuing her legal action against AFL player Brendan Fevola.
Bingle, 22, is proceeding despite football bosses deciding on April 9 to drop their inquiry into the matter.
"The matter remains in the hands of our lawyers," the Daily Telegraph quoted Bingle's agent Max Markson as saying.
"Our legal action has always been against Fevola and remains so," he stated.
Markson refused to say where that action was up to, only that it was in the hands of Sydney law firm Kennedys and defamation and privacy specialist Patrick George.
AFL football operations general manager Adrian Anderson announced the investigation into Fevola's conduct was complete but that the AFL had not spoken directly to Bingle and would like to do so.
"Given the evidence currently available to us and the time elapsed since the alleged behaviour, the AFL has not established that a breach of our rules has occurred," he said.
"However, we will continue to monitor whether there are legal proceedings arising from this matter and the AFL remains willing to speak with Ms Bingle," he added.
The former Carlton player was interviewed twice as part of the investigation while Bingle, through her lawyers, declined to speak directly with the AFL but provided a statutory declaration. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 2:11 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 02:40 PM
London, Apr 10 (ANI): Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has said that winning the Double will make up for the club's Champions League flop.
The Blues face Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-finals today and are two points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League.
Chelsea has never won the Double, a feat that also eluded Ancelotti when he was the manager at Serie A.
"Winning the Double would make up for the Champions League, for sure. I've never won the Championship and the cup myself. In 2003, I won the Champions League and the Coppa Italia," The Sun quoted Ancelotti, as saying.
"But after the defeat to Inter Milan this was our aim, to win the Double. We are very close but nothing is decided yet," he said.
Chelsea will take on a Villa team still reeling from the recent 7-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge.
Ancelotti said: "We can't afford to be complacent. They will be out to avenge that defeat." (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 2:07 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 02:30 PM
Barcelona, April 10 (DPA) The story will grow over time, and the 93,330 fans who were at the stadium on that April evening will soon turn into hundreds of thousands.
Everyone will want to have been at the Camp Nou to watch Barcelona's mythical 4-1 win over Arsenal, with four goals from Lionel Messi: the match that signalled the infinite potential of the young Argentine star.
In the heyday of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona at Napoli, in the late 1980s, a song with the title 'Ho visto Maradona' (I have seen Maradona) shook San Paolo stadium.
'Mum, do you know why my heart is beating? I have seen Maradona, and I am in love?' the song said.
Barcelona fans are culturally far from the volcanic Napoletani, but they should probably make up something similar because their slow 'Messi, Messi, Messi' sounds somewhat unworthy of the striker's wonders.
'I have seen Messi,' enthusiastic Barca fans said Wednesday, on a cold, grey morning.
Late Tuesday, that enthusiasm was already overflowing in the comments of the star's team-mates.
'Messi is incredible, a footballer of those you get once every 25-30 years. He scores goals, he helps out, he puts pressure on rivals, he defends... He is the number one,' said midfielder Xavi Hernandez, Barca's 'brains' on the pitch.
Xavi's praise and admiration are shared by all his team-mates, who take it for granted that Messi is and should be, at 22, the highest paid player in the squad.
You have to take care of the genius and pamper him. Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola knows that. He usually allows Messi small privileges, like extending his Christmas holiday a bit. Guardiola even convinced club president Joan Laporta of letting the striker play with Argentina at the 2008 Olympics, when the club was under no FIFA-imposed obligation to let him go.
The coach too has run out of ways to define Messi as a footballer.
'I will leave the adjective to you guys. I no longer know what to say. These things cannot be explained in words, there are no words. You have to watch this kind of performance,' Guardiola told reporters after Messi outplayed Arsenal.
But the coach is not lost for words when it comes to defining Messi at the personal level.
'The good thing about Messi is that tomorrow he will wake up and have the affection of his people and his team-mates. He is only interested in football, he is an example for children because of the way he handles everything,' Guardiola said.
Messi, indeed, seems only interested in football. He appears to despise the seductive add-ons that come with being a superstar in the world's most popular sport.
When asked which of Tuesday night's four goals he liked best, Messi's answer was most disappointing: 'The important thing is to score goals.'
When asked how far he could rise as a football star, Messi stayed true to himself: 'The important thing is that the team wins.'
The player's humility does not match his figures: on Tuesday he caught up with the Brazilian Rivaldo as Barcelona's top scorer in the Champions League, with 25 goals.
He has also surpassed his own 38 goals of the 2008-09 season. On Tuesday, he ran to celebrate this with Barca's substitute keeper Juan Manuel Pinto, who had bet with the Argentine in the summer that he would not be able to repeat those 38 goals.
By now, he has 39, and the obvious question is: can he reach 50? He potentially has at least 10 matches left to play - eight in La Liga, and two against Inter Milan in the Champions League semifinals - but many expect Guardiola to let him rest at some point. Messi, of course, will do his best to avoid that: he hates not playing.
His four goals put him level with Marco Van Basten, Simone Inzaghi, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Andrei Shevchenko and Dado Prso, the five men who had managed to score four goals in a Champions League
match before the Argentine. However, Messi is the only one to have scored four goals in a play-off-round match.
The young striker shines because he is happy playing. So says Johan Cruyff, whom Messi challenges week after week as Barca's top legend.
'He has the ability to do difficult things without suffering, without anxiety, without pain,' the Dutchman told El Periodico de Catalunya.
And he has the ability to save energy.
'Nobody at Barca wears himself out less than Leo. If he spent the match running, chasing his moment, when it came he would have no spark, he would be exhausted by the time he had to shoot,' Cruyff explained.
'Many ask themselves, and ask me, why Leo is not like that when he plays for Argentina. Because his team-mates are not the same, or even his situation on the pitch, and he is forced to run, to sort out his life individually, and he wastes energy in a pointless way,' he added.
'And Pep (Guardiola), who has pulled him away from the wing, has put him in a place where he has become the reference for his team-mates,' Cruyff noted.
Cruyff, obviously, has also seen Messi.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 1:57 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 02:20 PM
Augusta (Georgia), April 10 (DPA) Tiger Woods could probably use all the friends he can get right now, but using his late father Earl may be a step too far.
In the build-up to the US Masters, Earl Woods has been used in a Nike commercial that features Woods looking at the screen and listening to the voice of his late father.
The commercial, which ends with the image of the famous Nike swoosh, has caused consternation, with many feeling it is in bad taste, not least in the light of the sex scandal that has swarmed Tiger Woods.
The world No 1 has been out for the past five months after admitting to a series of extra-marital affairs, prompting him to seek treatment for sex addiction.
Woods teed off in the penultimate group of players in the first round of the Masters at Augusta.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 1:47 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 02:14 PM
Karachi, Apr.10 (ANI): Former Pakistan cricket coach Intikhab Alam has said that the country would never suffer the humiliating loss like it did during the recent tour of Australia.
Alam, who was replaced from the national coach's post after Pakistan lost all three Tests, five one-day internationals, and a T20 match during the tour Down Under, said he has developed a blue print for training youngsters that would enable them to cope with the challenges on foreign tours.
Alam, who is currently heading the National Cricket Academy (NCA), said Pakistani players lack professionalism, which was evident in Australia and added that he would groom young players at the NCA as per international requirements.
"What we've been lacking in our cricket are proper work ethics, professionalism and discipline. Without instilling these qualities in our players we will keep on repeating the same mistakes again and again," The News quoted Alam, as saying.
Alam said that as NCA chief, his prime motive would be to help produce world class players.There are certain things that you can't learn once you are already playing at the international level," he added.
Alam, 68, said that one of the prime reasons why the Pakistan team lost so badly in Australia is that the players are weak when it comes to the basics of the game.
"We could have beaten Australia but what our players needed was skills that they should have learnt years ago as juniors. They fielded badly because they are weak in that department and you can't just teach them to be good fielders overnight. What we should do now is to ensure that the next lot of players is better trained and well-groomed," he said. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 1:41 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 01:54 PM
Amit Kumar Das New Delhi, Apr 10 (PTI) Laggards Kings XI Punjab will continue their quest to salvage some pride and make life difficult for second-placed Delhi Daredevils when they clash in their return match of the Indian Premier League here tomorrow. On a roll with four straight wins, Delhi were brought to earth by the Kolkata Knight Riders in their last match and Gautam Gambhir''s men have to make sure that there are no more hiccups from here on or else there semifinal hopes might be in jeopardy. The last time these two teams clashed, Gambhir had smashed a 54-ball 72 to help Delhi beat Punjab by five wickets but things might be a little difficult this time considering, Punjab have already derailed Mumbai''s campaign on Friday. With semifinal hopes dashed and nothing at stake, Punjab will be doubly lethal and they would be look to win the rest of their matches to restore some pride. Punjab''s campaign has been plagued by inconsistency and controversies, especially involving explosive batsman and former skipper Yuvraj Singh. The stylish left-hander has been in pathetic form and even though he has got starts, he has not been able to convert them. Considering the Twenty20 world cup is round the corner, Yuvraj will look to strike form. Among their other batters, Sri Lankan duo of Mahela Jayawardene and skipper Kumar Sangakkara could not make much of an impression in at least the first half of the event. However, Sangakkara''s match-winning 56 against Mumbai last night must have given him some confidence and the left-hander will look to use that when he captains his side tomorrow. Punjab, who have won just three matches against Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and table-toppers Mumbai Indians, Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla have been the highest wicket-takers. Back from injury, Australia''s Brett Lee has so far failed to make an impact, while S Sreesanth has been making news more for his temperamental behaviour then his bowling. In contrast, Delhi boasts of a formidable batting. With David Warner and Virender Sehwag opening and Gambhir coming next, they have the right mix of aggression and caution. Among the bowlers, spinner Amit Mishra has been their wrecker-in-chief with 14 wickets so far, while Farveez Maharoof who has played just six matches, has supported him nicely scalping eight wickets. Ashish Nehra, who has recovered from a rib injury, is also expected to play and swell Delhi''s pace attack.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 1:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 01:50 PM
London, Apr 10(ANI): Twenty-five years after England cricketing legend Ian Botham's first charity walk, from John O'Groats to Land's End, he is stepping out again for his blood cancer charity.
Botham, who is the President of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, has raised 12 million pounds for the charity over the years, and his total last year was more than 500,000 pounds.
This year he will be walking through ten towns in ten days starting in Manchester and finishing in London.
"It is quite remarkable. I feel proud of the achievements we have made over the years...both for myself and for all the people who have been with me throughout the walks," Sky News quoted Botham, as saying.
He further said that he is not as physically fit as he was when he participated for the first time, but insisted that he is looking forward to complete the distance.Its different now. I had a hip operation last summer, so I've been in training for eight weeks," Botham said.
"At the end of the day I have to get myself in shape so that I can reach the finishing point," he added.
Joining Botham for the cause will be Ross Lindley, who at the age of nine suffered from leukaemia and was with the cricketer as he ended his first walk in 1985.
"I can't believe that I am here 25 years later and joining the great man once again. I feel both proud and emotional when I think back all those years," he said. (ANI)
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Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 01:40 PM
Melbourne, Apr 10 (ANI): Former Victorian and Tasmanian fast bowler David Saker, who has been selected as England's bowling coach, has been accused by his friends of being party to the enemy side and plotting Australia's downfall in the upcoming Ashes series.
Saker was selected ahead of higher-profile candidates such as Craig McDermott and South African Allan Donald as the permanent replacement for Ottis Gibson, now the head coach of the West Indies.
"Most of the text messages I've got are already describing me as 'you bloody Pom'. The Peter Siddles and Clint McKays have wished me not too much luck," The Age quoted Saker, as saying.
Saker appreciated the good-natured ribbing from his friends, but insisted that they were right: His allegiances are already firmly in the England camp.
"Once I put myself in the interview mode [last month] I was one of them, and since I've been offered the job obviously I'm one of them now. Everything I'll be doing is about trying to take down the Aussies next season. I'm looking forward to that," he said.
Saker acknowledged that he was "not a big technical person" in terms of bowler tuition. "Bowlers are there to get wickets and I don't care if they look good," he said.
"As long as they're getting wickets and their process of getting wickets is all right, I'm happy. What goes into their heads is most important in my opinion, not their technical stuff. Obviously you've got to be across the technical stuff ... but my major strength is trying to get 20 wickets in a game," he said.
Saker's first task will be to guide the English bowling attack at the World Twenty20 in the West Indies later this month. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 1:07 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 01:30 PM
Johannesburg, April 10 (IANS) The football World Cup to be held in South Africa will be safe despite threats from Al Qaeda, the organising committee has said.
Any move to disrupt the event would be unsuccessful, Danny Jordaan, chief of the local organising committee (LOC), was quoted as saying by BuaNews.
'It's not going to happen,' he said.
Jordaan's comments came after a group Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) warned international visitors not to come to South Africa as their safety would not be guaranteed.
More than 30,000 police officers are being recruited and trained specifically for strategic deployment during the tournament, Jordaan said.
Interpol will also mount a joint intelligence gathering operation during the World Cup to ensure that the tournament concludes without any major security threats.
Al Qaeda's north African branch had warned Thursday that it will attack the international event which kicks off June 11 in Johannesburg.
'All those countries are part of the Zionist-Crusader campaign against Islam,' Al Qaeda said in the Islamic Maghreb statement published Thursday in the jihadist online magazine 'Mushtaqun Lel Jannah'.
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Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 01:18 PM
London, Apr 10 (ANI): Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has said that their ace striker Carlos Tevez is their reply to Manchester United's Wayne Rooney.
The Argentine is in good form having already scored 26 goals this season and four in his last two matches for the Champions League-focused side.
Ahead of their clash with Manchester United at Eastlands on next Saturday, Mancini is hoping he can keep his own striker fit for the last six matches as they aim to hold on to their top-four spot.
Before their game against United, City host Birmingham on Sunday fully aware that a win would put them four points clear of nearest rivals Tottenham.
"We have had a lot of injuries. I hope that in the last six games we can play with a strong team. Carlos is most important for us like Rooney is for United. He is scoring a lot of goals and I am very happy with him," The Sun quoted Mancini, as saying.
Since Tevez's strike partner Emmanuel Adebayor returned from a ban last month, the deadly striker duo have scored six times in just two matches.
Adebayor echoed the thoughts of his manager by calling his pal one of the best in the business.
"Carlos is on top of his form right now. We are very delighted to have a striker like him in our team. It's great for me coming back into the game to play alongside him. He's one of the best in the business and we just pray he can keep going," he said.
"We have four of the best strikers around in the Premier League this year - we have Drogba, Rooney, Torres and Tevez. Those four are doing a great job for their clubs, they are all in top form and that's really good for the Premier League," Adebayor said. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 12:45 AM 0 comments
Published>Sat, Apr 10 10 12:54 PM
London, Apr 10 (ANI): The French model, who allegedly had an affair with England captain John Terry, has said that the media projected her like a "prostitute".
Vanessa Perroncel said Britain's tabloid press "went mad" as the clamour for an interview went into overdrive.
The 34-year-old model said she was left hurt by some of the claims made about her.
Perroncel, who has a three-year-old son with Terry's former team-mate Wayne Bridge, triggered a tabloid frenzy in January when claims of her affair with the Chelsea captain came out in the open.
"They made out that I'm some kind of prostitute. That's really what they're saying. And the stories are untrue. They have gone mad. Who are they to do this?" Sky News quoted her as telling the Guardian.
The underwear model revealed that soon after the revelation of her affair, journalists inundated her Surrey home.
"Masses of journalists are outside my door. And they ring the bell, and I say no, and they keep doing it and doing it. They're putting notes through the letter box, offering me money and then more money," she said.
"I have my three-year-old son, he keeps asking who are these bad men taking pictures. I just tried to go on as if nothing was happening. I told him not to look at them," she added. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 12:21 AM 0 comments
Published Sat, Apr 10 10 12:40 PM
India, April 9 -- The final design for 2010 World Cup tickets was unveiled on Friday by FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke and South Africa organizing committee CEO Danny Jordaan at Maponya Mall in Soweto. The unveiling ceremony of golden-coloured tickets with the World Cup logo on it (an African map and a player doing an overhead kick) was used by organizers to promote the next ticket sale stage. Tickets will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis to the general public from April 15, when the fifth and final sales phase begins. "For this last phase, we have made a big effort to assist football fans by introducing various additional means to purchase a ticket," explained Valcke. "We are committed to facilitating the process for all fans and giving them this last chance to attend the matches and experience the excitement of this first World Cup in Africa." Prices range from $20 to $160 for group matches and $70 to $450 for the opening match between South Africa and Mexico on June 11 at Soccer City in Johannesburg. In all, 500,000 tickets for all matches - except the sold out final July 11 - will be made available. Tickets can be purchased in South Africa during the final sales phase through 11 ticketing centres across the 9 host cities, in 600 FNB brank branches nationwide, at certain sales points, via the FIFA website or by calling a special hotline. We are excited about these new initiatives, which make the process much easier for everyone. We have always said that it is important that we make this World Cup more accessible to the people and with the over-the-counter sales, we believe this measure is consistent with the needs of the fans," said Jordaan.
A total of 240,000 World Cup tickets were sold in the fourth phase, 85 per cent of which went to South African residents. Overall, 2.2 million of around 3 million tickets have been sold for the tournament.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 12:07 AM 0 comments