New Zealand should join Asian Confederation, says Nelsen

Published Sat, Apr 17 10 04:50 AM

New Zealand should follow Australia and leave Oceania for the Asian Football Confederation to give them more competitive matches and improve their standard of play, All Whites captain Ryan Nelsen has said.

"I think New Zealand should go the whole hog and apply to follow Australia into the Asian confederation," defender Nelsen said in an excerpt from his forthcoming book Ryan Nelsen's Road to the World Cup carried in The Press newspaper on Saturday.

"I thought that was a great move for Australia and, ultimately, for Oceania," added the World Cup-bound player.

Australia qualified for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany after becoming Oceania champions and then defeating Uruguay in a playoff before joining the Asian confederation permanently.

New Zealand reached their second World Cup, and first in 28 years, after finishing as Oceania champions and then beating fifth-placed Asian side Bahrain in a two-legged playoff to make the month-long finals in South Africa starting on June 11.

"In the long run, it will be best for everyone but New Zealand would benefit most from full membership of Asia. Just think if we played South Korea or Japan in Auckland.

"I think there would be a fantastic crowd there and I bet we'd get a full house if we played Australia in Wellington."

They have been drawn in Group F with Paraguay, Slovakia and world champions Italy at this year's finals and Nelsen said the national team had improved in the past few years and would not disgrace themselves against the Asian sides.

"We've got a good team now and I think we'd be competitive against Asia's best sides on a regular basis.

TOUGH GAMES

"I would rather have 10 to 15 tough games in Asia even if it meant we didn't go to the World Cup if we weren't good enough.

"This way, we would get the games we need to challenge the top sides," added Nelson, who also captains Blackburn Rovers in the English Premier League.

The All Whites played just six Oceania qualifiers before beating Bahrain 1-0 on aggregate after Rory Fallon's header at a sold-out Westpac Stadium in Wellington last November.

"We've traditionally always been underprepared for World Cup campaigns," Nelsen said. "But it's a different story now.

We've got a very competitive team which can only get better with more international exposure.

"I believe we're good enough to go to the World Cup through playing in Asia."

Soccer is riding a wave of popularity in New Zealand with the World Cup qualification, the Wellington Phoenix making the A-League playoffs, and amateur side Auckland City making the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup last December.

Nelsen said a move to Asia would capitalise on that.

"If it's the Asian Cup or a World Cup qualifier and there's something riding on the result, I think it is proven now that the New Zealand sports public can come and watch.

"We could take the team around the country. Imagine a World Cup qualifier against someone like Saudi Arabia in Invercargill in June. It would be a major advantage.

"We've always had to go to the Middle East and play in the horrible heat and cloying humidity.

"It would be brilliant to bring Asian teams down here in the middle of a freezing New Zealand winter to play in front of a big, ferocious Kiwi crowd while our players lapped up the rain, hail, sleet and wind!"

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Spurs keeper Gomes good enough for Brazil, says Redknapp

Published>Sat, Apr 17 10 03:50 AM

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes is good enough to make Brazil's World Cup squad, according to his club manager Harry Redknapp.

"Gomes has proved himself to be a great goalkeeper. Hopefully he will go to the World Cup and be part of the Brazil squad," Redknapp told a news conference on Friday.

Gomes made three stunning saves in the last 10 minutes of Tottenham's 2-1 victory over north London rivals Arsenal on Wednesday to cement his place in the hearts of the fans.

It was Tottenham's first league win over Arsenal for 11 years and much of the credit was due to the tall keeper who has suffered his share of critics since he arrived from PSV Eindhoven two years ago.

"It was a great moment for me because I helped the team win the points but I feel the same way as always, I just want to do my best for the team," said Gomes. "I'm just doing my job."

"I train every day and feel I'm in my best form now."

The 29-year-old's timing is almost perfect with Brazil coach Dunga weighing up who to include in his squad by the June 1 deadline for the World Cup finals in South Africa which start 10 days later.

Gomes has only won nine caps since his debut in 2003 but is reaching the sort of age where he should be at his peak.

"He's up there with the very best," said Redknapp. "He's a fantastic keeper. When he came to Tottenham (former England defender) Tony Adams said they'd signed the best in the world."

Adams once had a spell coaching in Netherlands.

Inter Milan's Julio Cesar and Gremio's Victor were the only goalkeepers in the Brazil squad for their final two World Cup qualifiers but Gomes must be knocking on the door.

GOOD NEWS

He joined Spurs from Dutch champions PSV in July 2008 after a string of fine saves in the previous season's UEFA Cup had helped knock the Londoners out of the competition.

The joke in the media was there was some good news and some bad news for Spurs -- the good news was they had signed a Brazilian, the bad news was he was a goalkeeper.

Brazil's international past is littered with goalkeeping calamities and their 1970 World Cup stopper Felix struggled to match the quality of their triumphant team of greats.

As if to confirm the stereotype, Gomes had a difficult start in England and committed several errors that were replayed constantly on television.

However, he only missed six games in the 2008-09 campaign, playing a key role as Spurs conceded just 10 league goals at home all season, and has become a cult figure at the club.

His fine form saw Gomes called up by Brazil in May 2009 for the first time in nearly three years and he is hoping Wednesday night's heroics against Arsenal will book a World Cup ticket.

Born in Minas Gerais, he made his debut for Cruzeiro in 2002 and moved to PSV in 2004 where he won four league titles in a row and played in the last four of the Champions League in 2005.

"I spoke to (former PSV coach) Guus Hiddink," said Redknapp. "He said Gomes took them to the championship and a Champions League semi-final almost single-handedly. He was that good.

"He's a great character, fantastic person, great trainer, has a good attitude around the place and he's a top goalkeeper."

The 1.91-metre tall keeper will be hoping Dunga is listening to the praise from his former coaches so he can pack his bags for a trip to South Africa.

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Juggling Maicon helps put Inter back on top

Published Sat, Apr 17 10 03:30 AM

Brazilian defender Maicon broke the deadlock with a spectacular goal to steer Inter Milan to a 2-0 home win over 10-man Juventus that took the champions back to the top of Serie A on Friday.

Full back Maicon juggled the ball three times before cracking an unstoppable volley into the corner of the net in the 75th minute.

Eto'o then fired home a mis-hit Sulley Muntari shot in stoppage time to wrap up a victory that will boost Inter's morale ahead of Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona.

Inter have 70 points with four games to go, two points more than second-placed AS Roma who need to win Sunday's derby against Lazio to return to the top.

Juve, in sixth position, had midfielder Momo Sissoko sent off for a second caution in the 37th minute as defeat represented another blow to their hopes of finishing fourth to qualify for the Champions League preliminaries.

The Turin club are three points behind Palermo and Sampdoria, who both play on Sunday.

CRISP STRIKE

Juve, who beat Inter 2-1 in December, made a bright start and captain Alessandro Del Piero had a crisp strike from outside the box well saved in the second minute.

Inter gradually improved as tempers rose, with a raft of bookings and fouls before Sissoko was dismissed for hacking down Javier Zanetti.

Eto'o and fellow forward Diego Milito wasted chances before Maicon broke through following his flash of brilliance.

Substitute Mario Balotelli then hit the crossbar ahead of the second goal from Eto'o.

There were several empty areas in the San Siro as officials tried to avert trouble between the rival fans.

AC Milan, six points behind Inter in third, visit Sampdoria on Sunday.

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Modi to get full-body check

Published>Sat, Apr 17 10 03:20 AM

Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi may downplay the action of the income-tax department describing it as a mere "inquiry" into the formation of the Kochi consortium, but sources have confirmed to The Indian Express that instructions have been issued to investigators to "go the whole hog" and probe "all aspects and all contracts" related to the beleaguered cricket league.

So instead of officials involved in Thursday's operation being called to the New Delhi headquarters of the director general (investigations) for assessing, a team flew to Mumbai on Friday as an indication of the seriousness the probe has acquired.

A team also visited the Punjab Cricket Association on Friday for information on IPL. At this stage, officers said, full-fledged search-and-seizure operations cannot be ruled out.

While officials said it's too early to detail the papers seized from the offices of the IPL and Modi on Thursday, CCTV footage retrieved from the Four Seasons Hotel suite in Parel, where Modi has a temporary office, is being reviewed.

Reason: when the first batch of IT officials reached the BCCI headquarters in Churchgate on Thursday, they were told that some important documents were lying in Modi's office in Parel. They now claim that since the IPL bosses were forewarned, they succeeded in "spiriting away" the papers before the IT team could reach Parel. Says a senior official: "The CCTV footage retrieved by us clearly shows IPL officials leaving the hotel with papers and briefcases, minutes before the IT team reached the target destination. We are now trying to identify the officials and make a damage-control assessment." Instructions given to the inquiry team on Friday are that besides papers on the formation of IPL teams and money transfers, also under the scanner will be bidding documents and all IPL-related contracts. These would include: contracts signed by Modi and his team for IPL's TV rights, theatre rights, mobile streaming rights, portal and production rights and all merchandise contracts.

"Information received by us that some of the IPL chief's relatives and friends benefitted hugely by winning some lucrative contracts and the fact that money transfers for several deals were routed from abroad are now all part of an all-encompassing probe," a senior official said.

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Inter sink 10-man Juventus to go back on top

Published Sat, Apr 17 10 03:10 AM

Inter Milan regained the lead in Serie A when goals by Maicon and Samuel Eto'o earned a 2-0 home win over 10-man Juventus on Friday.

Brazilian full back Maicon juggled the ball three times before cracking a spectacular volley into the far corner of the net for the opening goal after 75 minutes.

Eto'o then fired home a mis-hit Sulley Muntari shot in stoppage time to wrap up a victory that will boost Inter's morale ahead of Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona.

Champions Inter have 70 points with four games to go, two points more than second-placed AS Roma who need to win Sunday's derby against Lazio to return to the top.

Sixth-placed Juve had Momo Sissoko sent off in the 37th minute as defeat represented another blow to their hopes of finishing fourth to qualify for the Champions League preliminaries.

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Litex poised to upset balance of power in Bulgaria

Published>Sat, Apr 17 10 02:10 AM

A quick glance at the history books suggests Sunday's showdown between leaders Litex Lovech and second-placed Lokomotiv Sofia can direct the Bulgarian league title to an unusual address.

The two most popular clubs in the Balkan country -- CSKA Sofia and city rivals Levski -- have almost monopolised the trophy by winning nine titles between them in the last decade and 52 in total since CSKA's foundation in 1948.

Litex top the standings with 55 points, followed by Lokomotiv on 51 with six games remaining. CSKA are third on 47 while fourth-placed Levski are almost out of the race on 43.

A win on Sunday will give Litex one hand on the trophy.

Based in Lovech -- a town with population of just over 40,000 -- Litex had to wait for 77 years for their first league title, in 1998, and then followed up again in 1999.

"The Lokomotiv match will not be the final for us," said Litex coach Angel Chervenkov. "We have to remain cool and not be distracted."

"We know that if we win, we'll have a comfortable seven-point lead but we have to approach the game very seriously."

The atmosphere in Lovech is buzzing as the locals have no doubt it is a perfect chance for Litex to upset the traditional balance of power.

"We know we come from a small town but who cares since we have the best team this season," Litex fan Zdravko Kovachev told Reuters. "I just can't see us failing against Loko on Sunday."

But Lokomotiv are ready to give Litex a run for their money as they still hope to win their first title since 1978.

The Railwaymen wanted a foreign referee but Litex objected and the Bulgarian Football Union appointed Nikolay Yordanov to take charge of the game.

"We have a very good referees and I can't see the point of inviting a foreigner," said Litex president Trifon Popov.

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INTERVIEW - Britain's got talent, says Prodrive boss

Published>Sat, Apr 17 10 01:30 AM

David Richards, the man whose cars helped the late Colin McRae and Richard Burns to conquer the rally world, has big plans to put Britain back in the driving seat after years of French domination.

While Citroen's Sebastien Loeb has won the last six titles, and looks a good bet for a seventh, Richards believes his Prodrive company could give the Frenchman a run for his money next season.

"I have no doubt whatsoever, we will be competitive from day one," the 57-year-old Briton told Reuters in an interview on Friday, a day after Prodrive ruled out seeking an entry to Formula One for next year and set their sights firmly on a return to the rally world championship.

The company used to run Subaru's world rally team and won drivers' championships in 1995 with McRae and 2001 with Burns as well as in 2003 with Norway's Petter Solberg.

Both Britons died tragically young, McRae in a helicopter accident at his Scottish home in 2007 and Englishman Burns of a brain tumour in 2005.

Since their departure, and despite a healthy number of fans still prepared to brave the winter cold to stand on exposed Welsh hillsides and in forest clearings for a glimpse of a mud-spattered car, media coverage in Britain has evaporated.

Matthew Wilson, son of Ford team boss Malcolm, is Britain's sole full-time driver at the top level at present but has yet to become a winner.

TOP BRIT

"We've been through a bit of a lull if you like and gone through the doldrums for a couple of years, as all sports do and all championships do over periods of time, you lose the individuals and personalities," said Richards, a championship winning co-driver with Finland's Ari Vatanen in 1981.

"In this country it's been worse than ever...but on the other hand countries like France have seen enormous resurgence and interest in the world rally championship, ahead of Formula One," he added.

"I am now on the look-out for a top British driver and the hope is that we will bring the awareness of the world rally championship back to the British public again over the next three years."

Northern Ireland's Kris Meeke, a 30-year-old former protege of McRae's and reigning champion in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) series, is likely to be a frontrunner.

Richards said he had spoken to Meeke and had a lot of time for him, describing him as "an intelligent young guy who has served his apprenticeship."

"Colin made me aware of Kris many years ago," he added.

Richards would not say who his manufacturer partner would be, with Subaru quitting at the end of 2008 due to the global financial crisis, and suggested an announcement was still some months away.

"It's still an open issue, we have been in discussion with three major manufacturers about this project but we do have our favoured partner," he said.

There has however been strong speculation in the rally world that Prodrive will team up with BMW to bring back the iconic Mini brand -- rolling back the years to when Northern Irishman Paddy Hopkirk won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally in a Mini Cooper.

Richards, a former BAR and Benetton team boss in Formula One, made clear that rallying was now a far more attractive proposition.

He said Jean Todt, the new president of the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) and a former rally co-driver, was committed to the success of the series while new regulations would also help.

"The whole chassis and body of the car is far more relevant to the latest road cars and the economics of it make more sense," said Richards, whose company started work on the rally project early last year.

"We have done the most comprehensive analysis and design study that we have ever done in any project we've ever been involved with," he said. "When it came to July, we then started to throw all the resource behind it and this has ramped up over recent months."

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BJP wants PM to clarify on Tharoor's involvement with Kochi IPL team

Published>Sat, Apr 17 10 12:40 AM

New Delhi, Apr 16 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Part today demanded clarification from Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh over alleged involvement of Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor in the Kochi IPL deal.

The party is not satisfied with Tharoor's explanation on the Kochi IPL deal in Lok Sabha on Friday, and wants debate on the issue.

"BJP demands that the Prime Minister should immediately after his return from his foreign trip explain to Parliament why Shashi Tharoor is not resigning from his post," said Ravi Shankar Prasad, spokesperson of the BJP.

The BJP is also not happy with Tharoor giving the statement in Parliament as an MP and not as a minister.

"We want a proper structured debate in Parliament in which all representatives of all political parties should take part," Prasad said.

He questioned Tharror's explanation in the Lok Sabha, and claimed that he was guilty under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"Tharoor does not deny that he is mentor of Rendezvous Sports World. Neither has he denied that his OSD Jacob Joseph was present at the auction of Kochi IPL. The individual in question (Sunanda Pushkar), who is a close friend of Tharoor, has not contributed anything to the franchise, to Kerala or to the game of cricket," Prasad said. (ANI)

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IPL scoreboard: Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers

Published>Sat, Apr 17 10 12:22 AM

Dharmasala, April 16 (IANS) The following is the scoreboard of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Kings XI Punjab and Deccan Chagers at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium here Friday.

Kings XI Punjab:

Mahela Jayawardene not out 93 (62 balls, 4x13, 6x2)

Shaun Marsh c Gilchrist b Harris 0 (1 ball)

Kumar Sangakkara c Ojha b Rohit 52 (37 balls, 4x9, 6x1)

Yuvraj Singh c Symonds b Singh 20 (20 balls, 4x1, 6x1)

Irfan Pathan not out 1 (1 ball)

Extras (lb 3, w 4, nb 1) 8

Total (for three wickets in 20 overs) 174

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Marsh, 0.5 overs), 2-87 (Sangakkara, 11.2), 3-173 (Yuvraj, 19.5)

Bowling:

Ryan Harris 4-0-27-1

Rudra Pratap Singh 4-0-51-1

Mitchell Marsh 4-0-32-0

Andrew Symonds 2-0-16-0

Rohit Sharma 1-0-8-0

Pragyan Ojha 2-0-19-0

Rohit Sharma 3-0-18-1

Deccan Chargers:

Adam Gilchrist c Theron b Pathan 9 (5 balls, 4x2)

Monish Mishra lbw Malik 20 (21 balls, 4x4)

Tirumalasetti Suman c Sangakkara b Chawla 43 (31 balls, 4x3, 6x3)

Rohit Sharma not out 68 (38 balls, 4x6, 3x3)

Andrew Symonds b Theron 4 (6 balls)

Mitchell Marsh c Jayawardene b Yuvraj 15 (11 balls, 4x1, 6x1)

Bodapati Sumanth not out 6 (3 balls, 4x1)

Extras (lb 6, w 7) 13

Total (for five wickets in 19.1 overs) 178

Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Gilchrist, 1.3 overs), 2-54 (Mishra, 6.3), 3-120 (Suman, 13.1), 4-126 (Symonds, 14.3), 5-154 (Marsh, 17.4)

Bowling:

Vikramjit Singh Malik 2.1-0-23-1

Irfan Pathan 3-0-35-1

Shalabh Srivastava 4-0-36-0

Juan Theron 4-0-32-1

Piyush Chawla 4-0-24-1

Yuvraj Singh 2-0-22-1

Toss: Deccan Chargers, who chose to field

Points: Deccan Chargers 2, Kings XI Punjab 0

Player of the match: Rohit Sharma (Deccan Chargers)

Umpires: Marias Erasmus (South Africa) and Ameish Saheba

TV umpire: Billy Bowden (New Zealand)

Match referee: D. Govindjee (South Africa)

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50-50 chance of me in IPL-4, says Shane Warne

Published>Sat, Apr 17 10 12:18 AM

Kolkata, April 16 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals skipper and spin bowling legend Shane Warne Friday said there was a 50-50 chance of him returning to India as a cricketer for the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

'I am not sure if I will return as a cricketer next year. At the moment it's 50-50,' Said Warne, who led the Rajasthan Royals to the title in the maiden edition of the league two years back.

Warne said he has thoroughly enjoyed his three-year stint with the Royals.

'I love India and I have a lot of friends here. I am 40 years old and it takes time to get into the groove coming from a lay-off. This year it took me a couple of games to find the rhythm. But since then I have bowled well,' he said.

Rajasthan Royals, who wrap up their round-robin matches Saturday against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, have very slim chances of making it to the semi finals.

If they fail to make the cut, Eden Gardens could be witness to the last game of the Aussie leg spinner.

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Deccan Chargers beat Kings XI by five wickets

Published>Sat, Apr 17 10 12:00 AM

Dharmasala, April 16 (IANS) Deccan Chargers beat Kings XI Punjab by five wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium here Friday.

Set a target of 175, Deccan Chargers made 178 for five in 19.1 overs with Rohit Sharma scoring an unbeaten 68.

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50-50 chance of me in IPL-4, says Shane Warne

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 11:30 PM

Kolkata, April 16 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals skipper and spin bowling legend Shane Warne Friday said there was a 50-50 chance of him returning to India as a cricketer for the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

'I am not sure if I will return as a cricketer next year. At the moment it's 50-50,' Said Warne, who led the Rajasthan Royals to the title in the maiden edition of the league two years back.

Warne said he has thoroughly enjoyed his three-year stint with the Royals.

'I love India and I have a lot of friends here. I am 40 years old and it takes time to get into the groove coming from a lay-off. This year it took me a couple of games to find the rhythm. But since then I have bowled well,' he said.

Rajasthan Royals, who wrap up their round-robin matches Saturday against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, have very slim chances of making it to the semi finals.

If they fail to make the cut, Eden Gardens could be witness to the last game of the Aussie leg spinner.

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Warne trashes Akram's allegations of ball tampering

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 11:20 PM

Kolkata, April 16 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne Friday trashed Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling coach Wasim Akram's allegations of ball tampering in the Indian Premier League (IPL) saying he was hearing such things for the first time.

'I don't agree with it. I have been hearing this for the first time. You better ask Akram. Maybe he is an expert on this,' Warne told reporters at the Eden Gardens here.

A website Cricinfo, quoted legendary Pakistani fast bowler Akram as saying that he has seen players indulge in ball tampering by rubbing mud on it.

Akram, however, did not name any one of the alleged offenders.

'If umpires are not watching then I don't know who is. In this IPL, umpires should look for players who are putting mud on the ball because you can't alter the state of the ball with anything,' Akram said in the website.

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Tanvir hopes to play in IPL in future

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 11:00 PM

Kolkata, April 16 (IANS) Pakistani pacer Sohail Tanvir, who finished as the top wicket-taker in the maiden edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is hopeful of playing in the future chapters of the event.

Tanvir and his compatriots could not turn out in the ongoing IPL-3 due to visa-related problems.

Asked whether he was missing the IPL, Tanvir said: 'Definitely. I got lot of respect in the first season.'

The left arm medium pacer, who occasionally bowls spin, had taken 22 wickets in the 2008 IPL.

Tanvir, who came to India to attend the marriage of former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik with tennis star Sania Mirza, said he was hoping to return to the league once the 'situation changes'.

'Pakistani cricketers are liked in India. And IPL is an international tournament where lot of players from different parts of the world take part. This year also we thought we will be playing. But the night before we were to catch the flight we were told we cannot play.'

Tanvir is in the city to watch his former IPL team Rajasthan Royals take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens Saturday.

'My wishes are with Rajasthan Royals. I was part of the team. Hope they play well tomorrow and qualify for the semi finals,' he said.

Praising Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne, he said: 'Shane Warne is a great captain. He is a fighter.'

Tanvir said he had enjoyed every minute of the marriage ceremony of Shoaib and Sania.

'I did lot of work too. I got to see how Indian marriages take place,' he said.

Asked if the marriage would improve India-Pakistan relations, he said: 'Of course. It's a union of two stars. It will impact India-Pakistan relations.'

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IPL governing council meets ''informally''

Published Fri, Apr 16 10 10:54 PM

Dharamsala, Apr 16 (PTI) BCCI''s top brass tonight held an informal discussion on the raging controversy over Kochi franchise and IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi''s public spat with minister Shashi Tharoor. The top officials, who gathered here for the inauguration of an academy and to watch the first IPL match being played at this picturesque venue, discussed the issue in detail but no decision has been taken on the future course of action. "The matter was discussed informally among the members of the IPL Governing Council who are here. No decision on the future course of action has yet been taken. We will continue to have discussion," a top BCCI source told PTI. This is the first time that the Governing Council members met after the Modi-Tharoor spat broke out. Modi, who has been in the eye of a storm for his tweet which triggered off a controversy, was not invited for the discussion although he is here for the match. Although no meeting was officially scheduled, the members took the opportunity to meet since they were all here in response to an invitation by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association president Anurag Thakur. The council is apparently not too happy with Modi''s style of functioning that has spawned a lot of controversies, the most damaging so far being the Kochi IPL bid. BCCI President Shashank Manohar, secretary N Srinivasan, IPL vice-Chairman Niranjan Shah, chairman of the media and finance committee Rajiv Shukla and council members Chirayu Amin and Arun Jaitely are present here. Modi flew in this afternoon and told reporters at the Gaggle airport that there was no controversy and there will be no special meeting among the members on the issue. "We are a transparent body and we have nothing to hide. There is no scheduled meeting to discuss the issue," Modi said. Modi, who wields considerable influence in the powerful post of IPL Commissioner and Chairman, has found himself in a spot of bother after his public disclosure of the stake-holding structure in the Kochi franchisee which has snowballed into a major controversy. Although as per the IPL constitution, Modi cannot be removed as the Commissioner till 2012, he may be asked to discuss all issues with the IPL Governing Council before making anything public.

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Dipika in final; Ghosal ousted

Published Fri, Apr 16 10 10:24 PM

Kolkata, Apr 16 (PTI) Saurav Ghosal failed to build on a bright start and went down fighting against third seeded Mohamed El Shorbagy of Egypt in the semifinals of the five-star PSA Indian Challenger at the Calcutta Racket Club courts here today. Tomorrow''s final will be an all-Egyptian affair as Tarek Momen produced a mini upset beating second seeded Cameron Pilley of Australia in the other semifinal. Dipika Pallikal kept Indian hopes alive in WISPA event beating top seeded Sharon Wee of Malaysia. Dipika will face Emma Beddoes of England in the final tomorrow. Dipika''s doubles partner Joshna Chinappa was not so fortunate as she erred her way out of the tournament against second seeded Emma Beddoes of England. Picking up from his brilliant quarterfinal win against top seed and world number 13 Adrian Grant of England yesterday, Saurav dominated the first game producing winners against a tentative Shorbagy. The Indian, enjoying his best international ranking at 29, looked to be at ease with his all court game and led the second game 7-4 against the 19-year-old Egyptian. Things turned the other way thereafter as Shorbagy turned to his front game and successfully finished a series of returns to make it 7-10 and levelled the game 1-1. More PTI TAP RG PDS

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ICC denies giving evidence to PCB regarding Pak players' involvement in match-fixing

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 10:20 PM

Karachi, Apr.16 (ANI): International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Haroon Lorgat has rubbished reports that the ICC had provided evidence regarding some Pakistani cricketer's involvement in match-fixing to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Lorgat said no such report have been given to the PCB, as being claimed by two Pakistani Senators.

" We have a very stringent and modernised procedure in place to tackle any corruption in cricket and we at the ICC don't go by hearsay or unsubstantiated allegations against anyone," The Daily Times quoted Lorgat, as saying.

Earlier, speaking during the ICC World T20 Championship trophy unveiling ceremony, Lorgat said the apex cricket body is trying hard to ensure that Pakistan gets international exposure especially after the refusal of foreign teams to tour the country due the precarious security conditions.

Lorgat, however, hinted that international cricket might not return to the troubled country in the near future.

" Pakistan should be patient in these testing times as there's a lack of confidence in foreign teams. The ICC is very keen to ensure Pakistan play at neutral venues rather than not competing at the international level, which I think will be detrimental for Pakistan cricket," he said. (ANI)

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I have learnt a lot from Tevez: Messi

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 10:10 PM

London, Apr 16(ANI): Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, who has been voted the European and World Player of the Year, has said that the man he looks up to most is fellow Argentina and Manchester City striker Tevez.

"I try to be my own player but, if you are talking about English-based players, then I have learnt a lot from Carlitos," The Daily Express quoted Messi, as saying.

"He always stays so humble and never gets annoyed when he doesn't play. He is just one of the best people in the world. You will never meet a nicer guy and, if you see him with his daughter, it will just melt your heart, I promise you."

"He follows her around and will do anything for her. Even when Carlitos is on the bench for Argentina he is shouting encouragement to the team - and you can learn a lot from a guy like that," he added.

The 22-year-old further believes that that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been made to regret for not showing enough respect to the former United winger.

"He has proved this season he is one of the best strikers in the world and Manchester United have shown just how much they have missed him," Messi said.

"He needed to be somewhere he was valued. He is such a nice guy, he must be with a club who really want him and respect him," he added. (ANI)

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I surprised myself with my performance: Saina

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 10:00 PM

New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) While it was another disheartening performance from the Indians in the Badminton Asia Championships Friday, the country's best bet Saina Nehwal kept herself alive with a convincing display.

The Indian badminton's poster girl scored a brilliant 21-5, 21-13 victory over seventh-seeded Malaysian Mew Choo Wong and surprised even herself with her performance.

'I am speechless. It was a wonderful game. I gave my 100 percent. She was in a great form in the last three-four tournaments. She recently beat me in the Malyasian Super Series. But the way I played today, especially in the first game, 21-5, I surprised myself,' said Saina, the lone Indian survivor in the event.

'Today 80 percent of my game was of drops and my defense was also good. She was coming up with down the line smashes. I was driving them back and keeping it cross.'

Saina's next opponent is an unseeded Chinese girl Xuerui Li but the 20-year-old Indian is used to taking on the Chinese firepower.

'I have not played her before, but all the Chinese are of same level whether seeded or unseeded. But I have beaten some top Chinese players recently, so I am not nervous. I know there are a lot of expectations from me. I will try to live up to them.'

Saina said her decision to play in select tournaments has helped her immensely.

'The move to play in select tournaments and focus more on training has really helped me. It has helped me to improve my strokes so much. Also, this helped me to catch up with top players. Even in All England Open I was able to match with the best.

'The fitness levels tend to go down when you play too many tournaments. I think I will continue with this programme.'

Saina, however, said the performance of Indian players, barring a few, has not been up to the mark.

'This is not the best performance from the Indian team. Aditi's (Mutatkar) performance has been good in this tournament and also of Jwala (Gutta) and (Valiyaveetil) Diju. But it's just the handful of us who are performing well,' she said.

'There are other players who can play well but haven't lived up to their potential. The Commonwealth Games are still five months away and there are a lot of tournaments coming up, so hopefully they will catch up.'

The top seeded mixed doubles pair of Gutta and Diju went down to Chinese pair Zhan Qiu and Qing Tian in a three-game thriller.

'Diju got a stiff back in the second game. He told me that after the match. There should be better communication between us,' Jwala said.

'The way we played the first game, I was superbly confident of wining it,' Jwala said.

'We were not intelligent the way we played. We knew we were slow and tried to push the pace. Though we were able to stay in the rallies, we were not able to score the points.'

'I am disappointed because we really worked hard for this tournament.'

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Deccan to bowl first

Published Fri, Apr 16 10 09:40 PM

Dharamsala, April 16 -- The Deccan Chargers have opted to bawl first against the Kings XI Punjab in the first match of the Indian Premier League III at Dharamsala.

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Court reserves order on Shoaib Malik's petition

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 09:10 PM

Hyderabad, April 16 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh High Court Friday reserved its orders on a petition by Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, seeking direction to police to close the case against him and return his passport.

The Pakistani player, who married Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza Monday, moved the court to get back his passport, seized by police April 5 after he was questioned in connection with a cheating case filed by his first wife Ayesha Siddiqui.

Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy heard the arguments of the counsel for Malik and posted the case for Monday.

In his petition, the former Pakistani skipper sought direction to the Central Crime Station of Hyderabad police to close the case against him and release his passport.

Shoaib's counsel told the court that the issue between him and Ayesha was resolved amicably and she withdrew her complaint and hence there was no reason to hold on to his passport.

Malik moved the high court after police said it might take a week for him to get back his passport as he would have to complete some legal formalities.

A police official had said that Shoaib and Ayesha may have to appear before a lower court. The cricketer approached the high court through his counsel to avoid appearing before a lower court.

Shoaib divorced Ayesha April 7, three days after she lodged a complaint with police after he denied marrying her in 2002.

Source: Web Search

Mega-bucks from mofussil Maharashtra in IPL kitty

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 08:40 PM

Mumbai, April 16 (IANS) Unknown billionaires from mofussil Maharashtra have suddenly come into focus with the recent controversies involving the Indian Premier League (IPL) Kochi franchise.

The names of two - Shailendra Gaikwad from Solapur and his friend Jayant Kotalwar from Latur, but living in Silicon Valley - as investors in the Rs.1,500 crore IPL Kochi franchise have raised more than just eyebrows.

Not that the duo is new to cricket. In fact, Gaikwad has already had a 'mini-IPL' experience in the form of the Solapur Premier League (SPL), a local cricket tourney hosted by young Congress legislator Praniti Shinde and the Solapur Congress in August.

The SFL trophy won in the tourney occupies a pride of place in Gaikwad's huge but modest bungalow in Solapur, presented by Praniti, daughter of Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.

Information gleaned from various sources revealed that prior to that, Gaikwad was locally famous as the man who flew down cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar to Solapur five years ago to attend his youngest sister Pratibha's wedding.

While Pratibha is a London-based gynaecologist, her elder brother Ravi is Assistant Regional Transport Officer (RTO) at Andheri in Mumbai. Currently, he is under cloud following his alleged involvement in a one billion rupees imported motorcycles scam.

However, Gaikwad has shot into big time following Indian Minister of State For External Affairs Shashi Tharoor and IPL commissioner Lalit Modi's Twitter fracas.

Gaikwad earned new respect though his parents - Kishanrao and Pushpa - hold 70 percent of the 25 percent free equity in the IPL Kochi team along with him and Sunanda Pushkar.

The Gaikwad family has stoutly denied allegations that Tendulkar has anything to do with IPL Kochi though he is on their 'wishlist' in next year's IPL shopping extravaganza.

While nobody is willing to guess how the Gaikwads have rolled into millions, Kishanrao was a senior officer in the state irrigation department, and Shailendra, a mechanical engineer, used to run an automobile service, while Ravi is a senior RTO officer in Mumbai.

According to reports, the eight investor-partners in IPL Kochi have divided the stakes as per their individual investments. While RSW holds 26 percent, Anchor has 27 percent, Parinee 26 percent, Filmallas 12 percent, builder Anand Shyam eight percent and Kochi businessman Vivek Venugopal one percent.

Kotalwar, hailing from Latur, neighbouring Solapur, shares Shailendra Gaikwad's passion for cricket - way out in Silicon Valley, US, where he is based and works with Alcatel Lucent.

Incidentally, his elder brother Hemant Kotalwar, an Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently attached with Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur and is a friend of Shailendra's younger brother, Ravi.

The duo had always dreamt of making it 'big' in cricket and the opportunity came in the form of the IPL Kochi team, according to sources.

Kotalwar, a BITS Pilani computer science engineer who went to US 11 years ago, had been playing cricket since his school days in 1980 and currently plays for his company's team in Silicon Valley Bay area.

The Gaikwad-Kotalwar duo hit upon the idea of bidding for IPL-III, and started hunting for prospective investors in the US. But, finally, it was Gaikwad who managed to put all other investors together.

According to reports. 1.6 percent of the 25 percent free equity in Kochi IPL, estimated at around Rs.5.8 crore, it is believed, will start reaping benefit from the third year - or around 2013.

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We want to finish off on a high: Ganguly

Published Fri, Apr 16 10 08:30 PM

Kolkata, Apr 16 (PTI) A miracle can only ensure his side semifinal berth in the IPL but Kolkata Knight Riders captain Sourav Ganguly said KKR would look to finish the tournament on a high by winning their remaining two matches. "There is a lot of motivation. Still nobody is sure who is going to the last four except for Mumbai Indians. Everybody has a lot to play for. We have two more games to go. I know there is a very remote chance but we will try to finish off well," Ganguly told reporters here ahead of their match against Rajasthan Royals tomorrow. "It''s possible to win two games but whether that will help us to qualify we will have to wait and see after the second game. But foremost thing is to win the two games, if we do not win rest of things do not matter," he added. KKR''s chances of making it to semifinals were severely dented after back to back defeats to Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings but the players looked all keyed up for tomorrow''s match. They had a strenuous practice session for about three hours in the afternoon. Asked about team owner Shah Rukh Khan''s tweets expressing sadness about KKR''s performance, Ganguly said, "He is very much actively involved with the team. He is disappointed which is understandable." "This is our third season where we have not done well what we had expected. His disappointment is on the spot. I will speak to him once the tournament finishes," said the former India captain. Ganguly informed that West Indian opener Chris Gayle, who did not take part in the training today, was not well but hopefully would be available tomorrow. "Gayle is not well but hopefully, he will be okay tomorrow. We will try out the best possible combination which we think will win us the game. We have two games to win," he said. Ganguly conceded that his side failed to perform when it mattered the most. "We were in the competition before the last two games in Chennai and Bangalore. But we let go our opportunity in Bangalore where we were in 100 for 1 in 11 overs. We should have scored more than 180. You need to catch hold of the situation in this situation," he said. "Against Kings XI Punjab, we could not defend 200. We had our opportunity which could have taken us forward. But unfortunately, we were not good enough," Ganguly said.

Source: Web Search

Sania 'crowned' by Pakistani minister

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 07:54 PM

New Delhi, April 16 -- Indian tennis star Sania Mirza received the royal treatment from Pakistani delegates. The bride was presented with a gold crown as a special gift from the people of Sialkot, her husband Shoaib Malik's home town. Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza's reception was a grand affair, which was graced by Bollywood stars, Pakistan delegates, corporate biggies, and sport stars. The reception was held at the luxurious Taj Krishna Hotel in Hyderabad, with Sania decked up in bridal finery and Shoaib dressed in an off-white sherwani. The guests had a good time enjoying the food and intermingling with an eclectic set of people. Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia was one of the stars from tinsel town to attend the reception. She tweeted: "Jus finished with sania n shoaib's reception, I indulged in some fantastic hyderabadi cuisine n some great conversations, great mix!" Sania received the royal treatment from Pakistani delegates. The bride was presented with a gold tiara as a special gift from the people of Sialkot, her husband Shoaib Malik's hometown. Minister for Welfare and Population, Firdous Ashiq Awan representing the Pakistani government at Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza's wedding reception in India - gifted a gold crown to the Indian tennis star. Awan also bestowed wedding gifts from President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

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Little-known golfer Kim sets pace in China Open

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 07:50 PM

Although Kim Do-hoon almost failed to make it into the China Open field, the South Korean has his eyes firmly set on victory after taking a one-stroke lead in the second round on Friday.

Kim carded a steady round of 69 for an 11-under 133 total going into the weekend, his only blemish on day two being a bogey on the par-four 18th.

"I was the last Korean to get a spot (in the field)," said the unheralded 21-year-old. "So I just wanted to make the cut coming here. But now I'm in the lead I will be aggressive and hope to win."

Kim was ahead of a trio of players tied for second place, including Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee who had shared the lead following the opening round. South Korea's Yang Yong-eun and Briton Jamie Donaldson were also on 10 under.

Thongchai had four birdies and two bogeys for a 70, while Donaldson added a 68 to his first day 66.

Yang made the most of the warmer conditions on Friday as he enjoyed a hot streak to sink four successive birdies from the 11th to finish on six-under 66.

At one stage it seemed as if he could catch or even surpass Kim's score but an undercooked approach on the short par-4 16th left him short. Erratic irons on the 17th and 18th also lost him ground and he was lucky to make par on both holes.

"Yesterday was a bit chilly to say the least and that affected my overall game," said Yang. "The elements were much friendlier today so I was more aggressive."

Pablo Larrazabal of Spain and Finland's Mikko Ilonen were a stroke further back in fifth place.

Colin Montgomerie restored a little pride in the battle of the Ryder Cup captains. Although American Corey Pavin finished round two tied for eighth place with a total of seven under, his European counterpart closed the gap to make the cut with four-under.

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Aditya Patel finishes 6th in Scirocco Cup

Published Fri, Apr 16 10 07:30 PM

Chennai, Apr 16 (PTI) Up and coming Indian driver Aditya Patel has finished sixth in the professional category of Scirocco Cup 2010 at the Oschersleben Circuit in Germany. The Chennai lad, who posted the second fastest timing on the first day of testing, went down the order after the second leg as he and engineer Hendry Schulze worked with different options on tyres, set up and driving techniques, a press release by Leander Sports said here today. The season''s opening event is scheduled for April 24 and 25 at Hockenheim circuit, along with the famous German DTM and Formula 3 events. Patel would be driving alongside racing legends like former F1 world champion Damon Hill and Martin Brundle, Jacques Laffite and former world rally champion Carlos Sainz Patel timed 1:44.952 seconds while Stefano Proetto (1:44.115sec) was the fastest. Expressing confidence of excelling in the tough professional circuit, Patel said the car was absolutely fabulous to drive, and that he had learnt a lot in the last two days. "I am confident of putting up a good fight against other professional drivers this season. I really look forward to the season starter on April 25 at the famous Hockenheim circuit," he said.

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BCCI divided over Tharoor-Modi controversy

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 07:20 PM

New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) The Indian cricket board seems to be a divided house on the Lalit Modi-Shashi Tharoor row with board vice-president Rajiv Shukla coming out in support of the minsiter of state for external affairs here Friday.

Shukla, a Congres MP, stood by his party colleague Tharoor and said there was 'no reason to disbelieve him (Tharoor)'.

Tharoor and Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi, who is also a BCCI vice-president, are embroiled in a raging row after Modi alleged that the minister wanted him to suppress details of Kochi's shareholding pattern, especially the stakes of his friend Sunanda Pushkar, who is a Dubai based businesswoman.

Tharoor has denied the allegations in the Lok Sabha, amidst vociferous protests from the opposition, and Shukla said the minister's explanations should be taken on face value.

'There is no reason to disbelieve Tharoor. He has presented a statement on the floor of the house and it should end there,' Shukla, a Rajya Sabha member, said.

Asked about the late night raids by Income Tax officials at the IPL and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters in Mumbai, Shukla said: 'Wherever there are financial transactions, the Income Tax department is there to check. The IT department can come and check. They came to investigate and the BCCI and the IPL are cooperating with them. They are free to enquire.'

Modi too described the searches at the IPL and BCCI offices as a regular survey by the IT department.

'They wanted to know how the franchise system works, the auction system works and how we came about with the teams. They wanted details on the bidding process and we gave them all the details. They were very happy with what they got. We are a public body, so we gave them tne documents they wanted,' he said.

On the ongoing controversy, Modi alleged that Tharoor has a 'hidden agenda' in the Kochi franchise.

'Will not allow Mr. Tharoor to shadow this up. Mr. Tharoor has different agenda and his agenda will be shut down, believe me. We are doing the best job we can and will continue doing so, irrespective of the hidden agendas of different people. We will not allow the hidden agendas of different people to derail our process,' said Modi.

Asked why he was targetting Pushkar, he said: 'No, I am not. It is just that Sunanda Pushkar is being linked and found out about. I am sure the other names will come out sooner of later. It is not about Sunanda Pushkar. We did not know who she was and we don't care who she is. All we are concerned about is that the shareholders themselves did not know who she was. And that is what worries me.'

On allegations that he was targetting th Kochi owners under the influence of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the IPL commissioner said these were only speculations.

'There was no pressure from anybody. In fact, they met Mr. Narendra Modi, who told them very clearly that you have won the franchise of Kochi, so keep it to Kochi. They came to me and asked me to move it. Later this morning, I hear that Shashi Tharoor has approached them and said that we would like their support to move the team to Abu Dhabi. I don't know which way they are going. The teams will be playing in India. We will not allow the teams to play anywhere outside India,' he said.

Source: Web Search

French football club turns to India for young talent

Published Fri, Apr 16 10 07:10 PM

Laxmi Devi Metz (France), Apr 16 (PTI) The soaring salaries of footballers in France can prove to be a boon in disguise for Indian players with the Football Club of Metz, that produced the likes of Franck Ribery, Louis Saha and Robert Pires, turning to the subcontinent to find less expensive young talent. One of the top ten football clubs in Europe for grooming young talents, the Football Club of Metz boasts of winning many trophies, including the Danone National Cup (under 11 years) and League Cup and is keen that players from India don the club''s jersey. "We cannot afford to pay for top French players as they are beyond our reach. And that''s why we are looking at acquiring talent from outside the country," 78-year-old Football Club of Metz (FC Metz) Director Commercial Pierre Brochet told PTI here. He said that "the Metz club is keen to get young talent from India through a partnership with the All India Football Federation or private organisations". Although India does not boast of a footballing pedigree, ranked only 132 in the FIFA rankings, there is a belief among officials here that there must be some hidden talent, as shown by the likes of Bhaichung Bhutia and Sunil Chettri, who recently signed up for Kansas City Wizards in the US Major League Soccer. "Among 1.2 billion population in India, there must be some good talent. We want to help FC Metz to tap the talent and give sound training in football, though majority of them are cricket followers," Moselle Economic Development Agency Director for India, M Thierry Petry said. Currently, the FC Metz is training kids from Africa and countries like China, Canada in the age group of 16-18. Young children are trained for up to four years at Metz, the capital city of Moselle Province, he added. The club is hunting for talent outside the country as hiring any top French player at present would cost between 60 and 100 million euros, Brochet noted, adding that while the budget of the FC Metz is just 16 million euros. "Acquiring and training young talent comes out to be cheaper for us as we have to invest only 30,000 euro a player per annum," said the club''s Director for Training Denis Schaeffer, who is currently training five Chinese kids. MORE PTI LUX RKL PDS

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Kalmadi assures smooth broadcast of CWG

Published Fri, Apr 16 10 07:04 PM

New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) With the Commonwealth Games just over five months away, Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi today said everything was on track to ensure smooth broadcast of the sporting extravaganza to the millions of homes in the Commonwealth countries. Delivering the keynote address on the opening day of the three-day second World Broadcasters Meet for the Rights Holding Broadcasters (RHB) of the Games, Kalmadi said Doordarshan had hired some of industry''s best professionals to ensure an exceptional and memorable broadcast of the event. "SIS, which is a subsidiary of the BBC and needs no introduction to the broadcasters, is Doordarshan''s production partner. Similarly, Global TV Australia is partnering Shaf India in building the International Broadcasting Centre and delivering all the technical services needed there," he said. He said that OC has hired experts in all areas such as technology, telecommunications, accreditation, transport, accommodation and logistics that interface with RHBs. "All this will ensure that you will enjoy working during the Games and contribute to the overall success of Delhi 2010," Kalmadi said during the meet being hosted jointly by host broadcaster Prasar Bharati and the OC. Prasar Bharati chief executive officer B S Lalli said the three-day meet, which would include visits to all venues, would address any issues of RBHs. "Let me assure you that we shall overcome any hiccups there are to ensure that you are able to broadcast excellent images to your viewers back home. The Commonwealth Games are a national project," he said. Doordarshan director general Aruna Sharma said every effort would be made to facilitate a smooth broadcast of the Games to be held here from October 3 to 14. The three-day meet is being attended by representatives of Network 10 and FoxTel (Australia), Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, British Broadcasting Corporation, Asian Broadcasting Union and Astro (Malaysia), Singapore Sports Council as well as Sky NZ and TV NZ (New Zealand) besides Doordarshan and All India Radio.

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No misuse of official position: Tharoor

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 01:09 PM

New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor Friday clarified that he had not misused his official position and his 'mentoring' the Kerala consortium of the Kochi Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise was within the 'bounds of appropriate conduct'.

Tharoor, at the centre of a row for alleged involvement in the Kochi franchise, said in a written statement: 'My role in mentoring the Kerala consortium was within the bounds of appropriate conduct for an MP from Thiruvananthapuram.'

Tharoor was forced to lay the statement in the Lok Sabha after opposition members created a ruckus over the row alleging that the minister had misused his official position to help his friend Sunanda Pushkar get sweat equity worth Rs.70 crore in the IPL Kochi franchise.

Tharoor could not read out the statement with opposition MPs, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), gathered near Speaker Meira Kumar's podium, creating noisy scenes.

The speaker then adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

Source: Web Search

IT quizzes Modi on IPL franchise; Modi claims no wrong

Published Fri, Apr 16 10 12:59 PM

Mumbai, Apr 16 (PTI) IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi faced queries from Income Tax officials till early this morning on the ownership of franchises, but he claimed that everything was found in order and IT team had gone back "satisfied". IT teams reached IPL premises at BCCI and offices of Modi, who was involved in a public spat with Minister of state for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor for divulging the names of Kochi team, last evening and were looking at record till this morning. While no official comments could be obtained from IT authorities about the inquiry they launched into ownership of the different teams, including two that were given for a total of over Rs 3200 crore, Modi told PTI, "They have taken details and have gone back satisfied. "They did not know the bidding procedure and asked me about it. They also sought the names of bidders and final documents of successful bids for the Kochi and Pune teams. We have complied with all the information." Asked if he was quizzed for 7-8 hours, as IT teams left his premises only after 0300 hours this morning, Modi said, "No they questioned me only for 15-20 minutes and they wanted papers relating to two teams. It took time to collect these from two to three different places. "They took the photocopies and expressed satisfaction over the entire (bidding) process. We are open to scrutiny by any agency as we have done no wrong and were are totally transparent." Income Tax officials visited the Indian Premier League headquarters at Wankhede Stadium as also Modi''s office at Nirlon House in upmarket Worli, where they sought information and asked questions from Modi between 7.15 pm yesterday and 3.20 am today. After the tax sleuths left, Modi told reporters, "They (the officials) were given documentation details, they verified the documents and went through the entire process of bidding. We fully cooperated with them and provided them with all they required." Modi had kicked off a row by revealing the names of the owners of Rendezvous Sports, including Sunanda Pushkar, a close friend of Tharoor, saying that Minister was pressuring him not to divulge the names. Agriculture Minister and former BCCI chief Sharad Pawar had come out in support of Modi last evening, saying IPL and its Commissioner were well within their rights to seek details about owners. (More) PTI VM SK RBT RRD JD SC

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INTERVIEW - Bielsa revolutionised Chile, says Isla

Published>Fri, Apr 16 10 12:49 PM

Chile midfielder Mauricio Isla credits coach Marcelo Bielsa with revolutionising the national side and says his faith in young players helped them qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.

"The great virtue and merit of having qualified for the World Cup is only his," the 21-year-old midfielder told Reuters in a telephone interview. "We players know we are the ones who play but he revolutionised the country.

"He built a team with very young players who had got no chance of playing in the senior team."

Chile, who face Spain, Switzerland and Honduras in Group H at the finals in South Africa, achieved several milestones in qualifying, including a first competitive win over Argentina.

They will be appearing at their first World Cup finals since 1998.

Bielsa tried out 37 players and formed a good nucleus by the fifth of their 18 matches in the South American group, a 2-0 win away to Bolivia at altitude in La Paz.

"He arrived in Chile and changed quite a lot of things, he worked on things we had never done and, thank God, it worked with a great campaign in the qualifiers," said Isla, who plays for Italian club Udinese.

"He tries to plan a good game depending on how the opponents line up and how we can complicate them and if we play badly never mind. He's not the kind of coach to hold you responsible for mistakes."

Isla identified Argentina captain Javier Mascherano as his ideal midfield role model.

"I really like the way Mascherano plays," he said. "It's good to observe. I'm a very young player who likes to watch a lot of other players to be able to copy the good things they have," he said from Italy.

Both Isla and Mascherano made their international debuts under Bielsa, who coached Argentina from 1998-2004.

Mascherano made his Argentina debut against Uruguay in a friendly in July 2003 when he was just 19.

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Sunanda Pushkar hires lawyer in Dubai, may file damages

Published Fri, Apr 16 10 12:39 PM

Dubai, Apr 16 (PTI) Sunanda Pushkar, the woman at the centre of a ownership controversy surrounding the Kochi IPL franchise, is considering filing for damages and has hired a Dubai-based lawyer for the purpose. It has been alleged that Pushkar got free equity worth 70 crore rupees in the the Kochi franchise with the help of close friend Shashi Tharoor, who is Minister of State for External Affairs. Ashish Mehta, the lawyer, said Pushkar has asked for his legal assistance. "I write to confirm that Ms Sunanda Pushkar has engaged my professional services," Mehta said in a written statement lat night. He said his client''s image had been tarnished, and they would "seriously consider filing for damages". Mehta insisted media has misrepresented her client and that facts needed to be put straight. According to him the reports that Pushkar was a beautician, spa owner or a socialite are untrue. "Ms Pushkar has 20 years of hard core work experience." Sources say Pushkar made her fortune as an executive of a state-owned company in Dubai and has never been in the spa business. "All this spa business is untrue. She has been an entrepreneur and businesswomen for long and that has brought her wealth," an ex-colleague of hers told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

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