Sania Mirza to retain her maiden name post-marriage

Published Fri, Apr 23 10 12:20 PM

Mumbai, Apr 23 (PTI) Sania Mirza will not be known as Sania Malik afer her marriage with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik as the Indian tennis star has decided to retain her maiden name. In an interview to ''People'' magazine along with husband and former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik, Sania said, "no matter what happens I am always going to be Sania Mirza. May later I''ll add his name (sic)." She said they have chosen Palm Jumeirah in Dubai as their new residence. "My husband wants to live in Palm Jumeirah and I am not fussy, so that''s where we live," says Sania. The couple said their courtship developed over telephone after the first few meetings. "Suddenly we were constantly texting and then we started talking on the phone for hours. So that''s where things started for us," says Sania. Sania said her mother would keep saying that she was wasting so much money on phone calls. "I would tell her that it''s not a waste," the 23-year-old tennis star said. On the controversy surrounding their marriage, the two of them said it brought them closer together. "Hats off to my parents who supported Shoaib like they have stood by me even before he became a part of the family. That got us all much closer," said Sania. Shoaib says he also had full faith in Sania''s love. "Sania always knew the truth so I was very confident. We were together and surrounded by people who loved and supported us." When asked about their busy schedules, Shoaib said, "We are going to be together for a lifetime so it won''t be very difficult to stay away from each other for a few weeks or months." "Anyway, it''s temporary. I''ll probably play for another three to four years," Sania added. Sania said Shoaib was more romantic than her. "He is more romantic. When I was getting the mehndi done, he sat with me for four hours." On their marriage, she said, "Five years from now when we go on a drive, I want us to be excited at the thought of being together and holding hands." Shoaib said Sania was very adjusting, extremely sweet and very punctual. More importantly, she doesn''t get angry, he said. Sania felt Shoaib was an easy person to live with. "We have spent the last seven days together and we haven''t felt like we are in each other''s face. It''s been very easy to live with him," she said of her week-old marriage. PTI MR AMA AT

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Gill-led IHF to hold AGM

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 12:16 PM

Mumbai, April 22 -- Though it has been de-recognised, the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) will be holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in New Delhi on Sunday. KPS Gill, who was suspended by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in April 2008 and the IHF de-recognised, has called the meeting to discuss, among other things, the present state of hockey in the country and India's performance in the World Cup. "Mr Gill has called us to Delhi on April 25 to discuss the future of Indian hockey and a number of IHF units will be attending the meeting," said a source close to the erstwhile IHF chief. This will be the second AGM of the IHF after it was de-recognised. The earlier one was held in September 2008 in New Delhi. Though it is not on the agenda, the meeting is expected to firm up strategy against Hockey India (HI), which has now lost support of the Sports Ministry. The IHF has gained strength from the Ministry's affidavit in the Delhi High Court, which said it no longer had faith in HI. Gill's move is surprising because he had merged the IHF with HI in June 2009 and agreed to participate in HI elections.

Sunday's meeting is being seen as an attempt to garner support for a three-way contest in the HI elections against a group led by incumbents Vidya Stokes and Narinder Batra, and JB Roy and Amrit Bose. Though the process is currently stalled because of the court cases, HI have to hold elections before May 31 as per the deadline set by the international hockey federation(FIH).

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I-T examines salaries

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 11:50 AM

New Delhi, April 22 -- The I-T department is going through all salary payments to players, support staff, cheer leaders and other individuals associated to each of the franchisees to find patterns of payment, banks involved and payments made through modes other than cheques. Armed with information gathered through nation-wide surveys, the department has now asked BCCI to furnish details of the tax deductions made while making payments to all the players. Officials are also examining player remuneration details to find out if any payments were made through banks based out of tax havens such as Mauritius or British Virgin Islands and whether tax had been deducted at 11.33 per cent for each of the 32 foreign players. All the teams put together are expected to pay out Rs 210 crore as salaries to their players and about Rs 40 crore to support staff.

Tax sleuths are also scouring through pages to find out any change in the pattern of salaries paid.

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Knight Riders' Mauritius link being probed

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 11:48 AM

New Delhi, April 22 -- With the entire nation's focus on the IPL, Income Tax (I-T) officials have stumbled upon evidence that some transactions made by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) may have been routed through a Mauritius bank. I-T officials sent nine hours at the KKR and Cricket Association of Bengal offices on Wednesday. I-T officials are specifically examining two cheques issued by KKR to CAB allegedly drawn upon a bank in Mauritius. The CAB and KKR had inked a new agreement before IPL-3 began in March, but the document was missing from their offices. CAB officials said they would hand over the file within 48 hours.

I-T officials also visited the five-star hotel where KKR has a unit.

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My husband is innocent: Supriya

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 11:20 AM

Mumbai, April 22 -- Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule has repeatedly denied that her husband Sadanand Sule or anyone from her family had financially benefited owning shares in the the company that owns telecast rights to the IPL. When asked whether her husband Sadanand Sule had a 10 per cent stake in Multi Screen Media or earlier in Sony Entertainment, Sule said that this investment was not 'news and the allegations were baseless'. "The shares have belonged to my father-in-law B R Sule since 1992; he was chairman of Sony at one time," said Sule. The shares were handed down to Sadanand when his father, now 84, fell sick. Sule reiterated the fact that the family had held the investment long before the IPL was born. "My husband has no links with IPL other than watching the tournament," she said. The telecast deal with MSM is now being investigated by I-T officials because it allegedly involved a 80 million dollar 'facilitation fee', or commission. Sule said she was upset with the media allegations. "Five days ago, the media was alleging that my husband has proxy stake in franchises, now the story is that he has benefited from telecasting rights given to Sony."

"My father, Praful bhai (Patel) and I, are public figures; we are answerable to the public; but why drag our families into it? All these allegations are baseless."

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IPL team valuations get a scandal scare

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 11:16 AM

New Delhi, April 22 -- The IPL may still be attracting viewers and advertisers to make it lucrative, but the recent controversy has made a dent on its investment prospects as team owners come under scrutiny that threatens its so-far dizzying valuations, experts tracking the tournament said. A source familiar with the development said that companies like Videocon Group and the Gujarat-based Adani Group, which had earlier shown a keen interest in entering the IPL fray may have second thoughts and adopt a wait-and-watch policy though officially, both insist they are seriously interested. "These have listed entities and at this point, may not be willing to throw their hat in the ring," a source familiar with the developments told HT. Further, a serious contender who has shown keen interest in buying stake in one of the IPL teams said that valuations have come down substantially over the last one week. "The valuations have eroded by almost half due to recent controversies and if they continue to drag valuations may go down even further," the contender told HT. Alok Dhir, managing partner of legal firm Dhir and Dhir Associates said that the long term brand value would depend on how things unfold in the near future. "Since valuation was based on subjective factors, it has eroded significantly," Dhir said.

However, the alleged web of financial irregularities are bound to significantly erode valuation of clubs affecting their plan to offload stake.

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Consistent Prez bats on at the top

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 11:08 AM

New Delhi, April 22 -- Cricket isn't quite in Shashank Manohar's blood. In fact, he's never played the game at a serious level, although his brother Sunil's - often mentioned in records as S Manohar - solitary visit to the crease in a first-class match has many thinking he has. What is in his blood, though, is law, a profession he followed his father into. In fact, had it not been for law, you might never have heard of the low-profile advocate from Nagpur. When V. R. Manohar, Shashank's father, was Advocate General of Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar was the state's chief minister. Years later, when Pawar took over the reigns of the BCCI, Manohar was the head of the Vidarbha Cricket Association, a post he first held in 1996, and it was only natural that he be elevated to a bigger stage. But that trajectory had little impact on Manohar's style of functioning. A staunch believer in the simple life, Manohar, to this day, doesn't wear a watch or carry a mobile phone. He felt no need for a passport till he was forced to get one in 2007, when his position in the BCCI meant the possibility of attending ICC board meetings in Dubai. It turned out that one such trip in 2008 was the first time Manohar stepped on foreign soil.

For Nair, what stands out is Manohar's consistency. "He's a man of very strong opinions, but he won't air them unless asked," explains Nair. "And he hates chamcha-giri. When he asks you something, you're free to disagree and he will explain his point of view. If you try to suck up to him, he won't have any time for you; if you lie to him, God save you." Lalit Modi might have done both, and earned Manohar's wrath.

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Forlan strike gives Atletico edge over Liverpool

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 10:56 AM

Diego Forlan scrambled an early goal to give Atletico Madrid a deserved 1-0 win over a lethargic-looking Liverpool in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday.

The Uruguay striker fluffed an attempted header but his follow-up effort evaded goalkeeper Pepe Reina and defender Jamie Carragher in the ninth minute at a boisterous Calderon stadium.

Reina pulled off a fine reflex save to deny Simao Sabrosa early in the second period and flung himself to his right to block a powerful Tomas Ujfalusi strike as dominant Atletico pressed for a second goal.

"We are happy but we know that we have to play another 90 minutes and it's going to be difficult," Forlan said in a television interview.

"It's going to be hard. They play well at Anfield and they are a very strong side," added Forlan, who scored two goals for his former club Manchester United to win a Premier League match at Liverpool's home ground in 2002.

After a minute's silence for former International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch, who died on Wednesday, Atletico seized early control.

Liverpool, five-times European champions, appeared sluggish, perhaps as a result of their 24-hour 2000-kilometre journey to the Spanish capital by train and plane due to airspace restrictions caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

ACROBATIC SAVE

The English side's only real chance of the first half came in the 19th minute when captain Steven Gerrard raced clear but his left-foot strike under pressure flew well wide.

Atletico, who have struggled in La Liga but are also through to the King's Cup final, twice went close to extending their lead in the second period.

Ujfalusi sent a looping cross over from the right and Spaniard Reina flung out a hand to palm Portugal winger Simao's crisp half volley away before the keeper denied the Czech defender with another acrobatic save.

The return leg is at Anfield next Thursday. The winners play Hamburg SV or Fulham in the final on May 12.

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'Dhoni is a great captain'

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 10:48 AM

Doug Bollinger, architect of Chennai Super Kings' comprehensive victory over Deccan Chargers, heaped praise on his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, saying the CSK skipper marshalled his resources with aplomb in the IPL semifinal match tonight.

"Mahi is a great captain and player. He grabbed the bull by its horns against Kings XI Punjab," said Bollinger.

"He's captained very well," said the Australian left-arm pacer after returning splendid figures of 4 for 13 that flattened the Chargers hopes and earned him the Man of the Match award.

Bollinger said that it was a question of adapting to different wicket conditions that was the key to a pace bowler's success in Indian conditions.

"In Chennai the wicket has some pace and bounce. In Delhi it's a bit slow and you have to hit the deck hard. In New Zealand (where he played a Test series prior to his stint in the IPL) too there were different wickets. It's a question of adapting to the wicket conditions," he said.

About the wicket prepared for today's tie at the D Y Patil Stadium, the Australian said it started as a track offering good bounce before becoming a bit slow in the latter part.

"It was a wicket with some good bounce in it when we batted. When we were bowling it became a bit slow and also turned. But we enjoyed playing on it," he said.

Describing his four-wicket haul, his second in the competition, as "pretty exciting", Bollinger said he was optimistic of his team's chances in the final against Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai Indians on Sunday.

"We have a good chance if we play as well as we did. We back out ability. They have a great team but we will give it everything," he said.

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Controversies or not, IPL rules the roost

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 10:22 AM

Mumbai, April 22 -- The IPL controversy, including investigations into money management, match-fixing, team auctions and ownerships, hasn't yet put a dampener on India's viewership, establishing the Indian cricket fans' enthusiasm for the lucrative league. If audience numbers on Wednesday - both at Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium and people watching on television - are anything to go by, the interest has not waned. The semifinal between the Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore opened to a packed stadium. Piyush Pandey, head of Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, who was at the stadium said, "The audience's excitement and enthusiasm is strongly evident." Television viewership numbers, too, were very strong. According to viewership data recorded by aMap - the overnight television viewership measurement system - the top six metros (Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad) registered a TRP (television rating point, a percentage of the total television viewership at that time) of 6.2 per cent. The 'Net' reach was 19.1 per cent, at just under 84 lakh viewers. Net reach is the number of people watching a particular programme for more than one minute.

On whether the ongoing IPL controversy had drawn more people to television news too, the average of all news channels' daily GRPs (gross rating points - a total of TRPs for every channel during a specific period of time averaged) from April 5 to 20 doesn't show much of a shift. Except on Sunday, April 18, when the GRP peaked at 31.7 points, the remaining days, after the controversy broke, have maintained similar patterns of viewership.

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I-T sleuths conduct raids at Sahara offices

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 02:26 AM

Sahara India Pariwar's corporate headquarter in Kapoorthala, in Lucknow, was a centre of activity, with income tax officials conducting a day-long survey of the documents related to the Indian Premier League (IPL). According to sources, the income tax sleuths were screening documents related to Sahara Adventure Sports Limited, the company which had bid for Ahmedabad, Pune and Nagpur teams for the 4th season of the now beleaguered IPL and finally won the Pune team for a whopping Rs 1,702 crore.

"A simultaneous survey is being carried on by the IT department at the registered office of Sahara Adventure Sports in Mumbai," said a source close to the developments, adding that efforts are on to decipher what are the sources of money that has been pooled in for the franchise and who all are involved in it. The IT-team investigating the matter in Lucknow, is headed by Joint Commissioner (inquiry) Abhay Thakur. The survey, which began around noon, was continuing till the time of going to the press.

It may be mentioned that the survey in Lucknow is part of the nation-wide inspection of all the IPL franchisees. Following the controversy over IPL Kochi franchise, the officials had on Wednesday swooped down on the offices of other IPL franchisees like Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab.

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India Inc asks finmin for IPL probe plans

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 02:22 AM

Corporate India has emerged smarter after the heat of the ongoing tax operations against IPL franchises. Several top industrial groups, including RIL and GMR, have approached the finance ministry to find out how far the government plans to go to unearth the trails of the funding for the cricket league.

RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani owns the Mumbai IPL team, while GMR owns the Delhi team. Corporates are obviously a bit jittery over the scare being spread over the pre-mature leaks on suspected tax evasions by IPL franchises and persons behind them. Corporate houses are also worried over the probe's focus on use of tax havens by investors, since this is legitimate unless round tripping is involved.

For obvious reasons, the government does not want to spell out the details of the operations and how long they will run. However, as top corporate leaders, including some from the Sensex thirty, rang up the finance ministry this week, the ministry officials in turn, have taken upon themselves to explain to them the context of the operations.

As one aide of a senior leader explained, with almost all companies having exposure abroad for equity and debt, even a cursory visit from the tax officials would raise question marks. However he declined.

Ministry officials have responded to these calls by explaining why it has been necessary to launch the current drive and have clearly ruled out any witch-hunt.

As part of the dialogue, it has also been explained that the operation will be seen positively among the global investors as a sign of the government's no-nonsense approach to corruption. However, as the searches are on, one of them said there is no scope to share any details. But as a follow up measure the ministry has instructed the revenue department to avoid publicity. The Mumbai office of the Directorate General of Investigation for instance has become absolutely no entry zone for media since Wednesday. But, he said the ministry is appreciative of the negative impact the operations had on segments of corporate India.

The industrial leaders have explained to the government that the concern is more than the visit itself. At stake is also the rising interest to finance the Indian sports industry, which is developing as an attractive investment opportunity. But most sport bodies, like the IPL, are opaque in disclosing the source of financing and its usage.

Meanwhile, as the scope of the survey has spread beyond India, the government for the first time ever has decided to track data from the Financial Intelligence Unit. The FIU includes a vast array of bank data that is shared by the signatory countries.

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Olympic 400m champion Merritt fails doping test

Published Fri, Apr 23 10 01:26 AM

Olympic and world 400 metres champion LaShawn Merritt has failed a doping test and accepted a provisional suspension, his lawyer said on Thursday.

"LaShawn Merritt has accepted a provisional suspension as a result of positive drug tests caused by his use of an over-the-counter male enhancement product," the American athlete's attorney Howard Jacobs said in a statement.

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INTERVIEW - It's all about Tour de France, says Contador

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 01:06 AM

Alberto Contador is trying his luck in the classics but do not get the Spaniard wrong -- it's still all about the Tour de France for him.

The twice Tour de France champion, who also has Giro d'Italia and Tour of Spain triumphs under his belt, came close to another victory when he finished third in Wednesday's Fleche Wallonne, a one-day race in the Ardennes region.

Contador, 27, will give the classics another go at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Sunday, a far cry from the glamour of the Tour de France although the world's greatest race will also go through the same region in its first week.

"The big objective is the Tour de France. So although I want to win every race if I can, I never forget about that," the Astana rider told Reuters following a morning ride to Maastricht where he stopped to enjoy a hot chocolate in the sun with his team mates.

Contador, whose appearance at the Fleche Wallonne was his first in a classic since 2007, is set to remain in the Ardennes where he rides the cobblestones he must tackle in the opening week of this year's Tour.

"I will stay and go there to check the roads. I might also come back later this year so I can check the prologue route in Rotterdam," said the Spaniard, the right side of his skull showing a big scar from a life-threatening bike crash six years ago.

"This is going to be a tricky week because of the cobblestones and all the wind."

The Astana riders arrived late at their Liege hotel but it did not stop them joking around before going up to their rooms for a quick shower.

HOTEL LOBBY

Wearing his team uniform, a light blue polo shirt and black trousers with a 1. Leader tag on the right leg, Contador looked relaxed in the hotel lobby as he signed an autograph for a reporter's delighted son.

While Lance Armstrong focused solely on the world's greatest race during his years of domination from 1999-2005, Contador has a slightly broader approach.

"I am here to learn (about the classics)," he said as he set his sights on Sunday's demanding race where he will be joined by team mate Alexandre Vinokourov.

"When I start my season, during training, I'm thinking 'competition', I need to have big objectives quickly."

Contador has already won this year's Tour of Algarve, the ultra-competitive Paris-Nice race and the Tour of Castille and Leon.

However, once his job is done he is happy to chill out and relax on the beach.

"There are two sides to me," said Contador. "I need to be 100 percent focused (when I ride) but also, afterwards, to be 100 percent disconnected.

"I am happy to put the bike in the garage and see normal people."

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Super Kings beat Deccan Chargers, to face Mumbai Indians in final (Lead

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 12:46 AM

Mumbai, April 23 (IANS) A fine spell of fast bowling from Doug Bollinger helped Chennai Super Kings beat defending champions Deccan Chargers by 38 runs in the semi-final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) here Thursday. Super Kings will now face Mumbai Indian in Sunday's final at the same venue.

Bollinger picked up four for 13 as Deccan Chargers were bowled out for 104 runs in 19.2 overs with Andrew Symonds (23) as the top scorer. Chennai Super Kings spinners also did a great job as they dried up the runs at one end while Man of the Match Bollinger picked up the wickets at the D.Y. Sports Academy.

Opting to bat first, Chennai Super Kings struggled to get 142 runs for seven in 20 overs. Subramaniam Badrinath made patient 41-ball 37 while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni made 30.

Chasing a modest total, Deccan Chargers faltered right from the start and lost wickets regularly to some tight bowling of the Super Kings.

Bollinger struck twice in the fifth over to remove Adam Gilchrist (18) and the in form Tirumalasetti Suman (4) in just five balls to trigger the collapse.

Barring Andrew Symonds (23), none of the Deccan Chargers batsmen showed intent to hold fort and the paid the heavy price of playing loose shots. Symonds was also tied down during his 20-ball stay and he managed just three fours.

Deccan Chargers lost the last three wickets on 103 and killed their chances to defend the title. Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Muttiah Muralitharan picked up one wicket each while Shadab Jakati bagged two from 44 from his four overs.

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Scoreboard: Chennai Super Kings vs. Deccan Chargers, IPL

Published>Fri, Apr 23 10 12:22 AM

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) The following is the scoreboard of the semi-final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) between Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers at the D.Y. Patil Satadium in Navi Mumbai here Thursday.

Chennai Super Kings:

Murali Vijay lbw Harris 15 (10 balls, 4x1, 6x1)

Matthew Hayden c Symonds b Harris 8 (9 balls, 4x2)

Suresh Raina c Gilchrist b Symonds 2 (4 balls)

Subramaniam Badrinath run out (Gilchrist) 37 (41 balls, 4x3, 6x1)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Sharma b Harmeet 30 (32 balls, 4x3)

Albie Morkel c Symonds b Ojha 4 (4 balls)

Srikkanth Anirudha c Gibbs b Harris 24 (15 balls, 4x1, 6x2)

Ravichandran Ashwin not out 6 (5 balls, 4x1)

Shadab Jakati not out 0(0 balls)

Extras (b 8, lb 5, w 3) 16

Total (for seven wickets in 20 overs) 142

Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Hayden, 1.6 overs), 2-25 (Vijay, 3.1), 3-29 (Raina, 4.5), 4-81 (Dhoni, 13.2), 5-96 (Morkel, 14.5), 6-117 (Badrinath, 18.2), 7-137 (Anirudha, 19.4)

Bowling:

Andrew Symonds 4-0-18-1

Ryan Harris 4-0-29-3

Rudra Pratap Singh 4-0-33-0

Pragyan Ojha 4-0-27-1

Harmeet Singh 4-0-22-1

Deccan Chargers:

Adam Gilchrist c Anirudha b Bollinger 15 (20 balls, 4x1, 6x1)

Herschelle Gibbs b Jakati 18 (26 balls, 4x1)

Tirumalasetti Suman c Raina b Bollinger 4 (4 balls, 4x1)

Rohit Sharma c Muralitharan b Morkel 2 (5 balls)

Andrew Symonds not out 11 (13 balls, 4x1)

Monish Mishra st Dhoni b Jakati 2 (5 balls)

Bodapati Sumanth b Bollinger 16 (18 balls, 4x2)

Ryan Harris c Vijay b Bollinger 15 (8 balls, 4x1, 6x1)

Harmeet Singh lbw Muralitharan 0 (1 ball)

Rudra Pratap Singh not out 0 (3 balls)

Pragyan Ojha c Bollinger b Raina 1 (4 balls)

Extras (lb 2, w 6) 8

Total (all out in 19.2 overs) 104

Fall of wickets1-19 (Gilchrist, 5.1 ov), 2-23 (Suman, 5.5 ov), 3-31 (Sharma, 7.2 ov), 4-48 (Gibbs, 10.5 ov), 5-54 (Mishra, 12.1 ov), 6-82 (Symonds, 15.2), 7-103 (Harris, 17.4), 8-103 (Sumanth, 17.6), 9-103 (Harmeet, 18.1)

Bowling:

Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0-14-1

Doug Bollinger 4-1-13-4

Muttiah Muralitharan 4-0-16-1

Albie Morkel 3-0-15-1

Shadab Jakati 4-0-44-2

Suresh Raina 0.2-0-0-1

Toss: Chennai Super Kings, who chose to bat

Series: Chennai Super Kings advanced

Player of the match: Doug Bollinger (Super Kings)

Umpires: Billy Doctrove (West Indies) and Russel Tiffin (Zimbabwe)

TV umpire: Daryl Harper (Australia)

Match referee: Javagal Srinath

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Sania, Shoaib arrive in Pakistan to frenzied reception

Published Fri, Apr 23 10 12:16 AM

Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Apr 22 (PTI) Newly-wed couple tennis star Sania Mirza and cricketer Shoaib Malik arrived in Pakistan today to a frenzied reception, with the federal government according the couple the status of "state guests". After flying into the port city of Karachi from Mumbai in the afternoon, the couple arrived in the federal capital late this evening. The couple and their entourage were received by senior police and civil officials at Benazir Bhutto airport in Rawalpindi and driven to Serena Hotel in Islamabad. Coverage of Sania and Shoaib''s every move dominated news bulletins on TV channels though Pakistan is grappling with a crippling energy crisis that has sparked protests across the country. New measures unveiled by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani were relegated to second place as the TV news channels sought to out-do each other with "exclusive footage" of the couple. Sania and Shoaib disappointed hundreds of fans who gathered at the airports in Karachi and Islamabad as they did not make any public appearances. At both places, they were whisked on and off the aircraft amidst tight security. The fans, who carried banners with slogans like "Welcome to Pakistan''s daughter-in-law", said they were disappointed that Sania and Shoaib did not even emerge from the airport to wave to them. Footage on television showed Sania, wearing a green salwar and a red kurta, holding the hand of Shoaib, clad in a green T-shirt and jeans, as they emerged from the aircraft at the Rawalpindi airport. While airing reports on the couple, Geo News channel ran a ticker that read: "Welcome Sania-Shoaib". The security arrangements put in place for the couple''s drive from the airport in Rawalpindi to Islamabad were akin to those made for VVIPs like the Prime Minister and President, and outsiders were barred from the Serena by the hotel''s management. The hotel''s management decided to host the couple for free and arranged a special cake to mark their wedding. The couple is expected to meet Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal tomorrow. Officials said Sania had sought a meeting though the reason was not known. The Indian envoy is not hosting any reception for the couple, the officials said. Sania and Shoaib arrived in Pakistan after their April 12 wedding that some in Pakistan, like Population Welfare Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan, are hoping will help bridge the divide with India. .

Source: Web Search

Chennai Super Kings beat Deccan Chargers to make IPL final

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 11:56 PM

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Chennai Super Kings made it to the finals of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a 38-run win over defending champions Deccan Chargers in the semi-finals at the D.Y. Patil Sports Complex here Thursday.

Chasing a target of 143, Deccan Chargers were bowled out for 104 in 19.2 overs. Super Kings, 2008 finalists, will face Mumbai Indians in Sunday's final at the same venue.

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Sania, Shoaib arrive in Pakistan to frenzied reception

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 11:08 PM

Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Apr 22 (PTI) Newly-wed couple tennis star Sania Mirza and cricketer Shoaib Malik arrived in Pakistan today to a frenzied reception, with the federal government according the couple the status of "state guests". After flying into the port city of Karachi from Mumbai in the afternoon, the couple arrived in the federal capital late this evening. The couple and their entourage were received by senior police and civil officials at Benazir Bhutto airport in Rawalpindi and driven to Serena Hotel in Islamabad. Coverage of Sania and Shoaib''s every move dominated news bulletins on TV channels though Pakistan is grappling with a crippling energy crisis that has sparked protests across the country. New measures unveiled by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani were relegated to second place as the TV news channels sought to out-do each other with "exclusive footage" of the couple. Sania and Shoaib disappointed hundreds of fans who gathered at the airports in Karachi and Islamabad as they did not make any public appearances. At both places, they were whisked on and off the aircraft amidst tight security. The fans, who carried banners with slogans like "Welcome to Pakistan''s daughter-in-law", said they were disappointed that Sania and Shoaib did not even emerge from the airport to wave to them. Footage on television showed Sania, wearing a green salwar and a red kurta, holding the hand of Shoaib, clad in a green T-shirt and jeans, as they emerged from the aircraft at the Rawalpindi airport. While airing reports on the couple, Geo News channel ran a ticker that read: "Welcome Sania-Shoaib". The security arrangements put in place for the couple''s drive from the airport in Rawalpindi to Islamabad were akin to those made for VVIPs like the Prime Minister and President, and outsiders were barred from the Serena by the hotel''s management. The hotel''s management decided to host the couple for free and arranged a special cake to mark their wedding. The couple is expected to meet Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal tomorrow. Officials said Sania had sought a meeting though the reason was not known. The Indian envoy is not hosting any reception for the couple, the officials said. Sania and Shoaib arrived in Pakistan after their April 12 wedding that some in Pakistan, like Population Welfare Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan, are hoping will help bridge the divide with India. .

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We will overcome IPL crisis, says Tendulkar

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 10:52 PM

New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) Sachin Tendulkar feels the hurdles confronting Indian cricket will be overcome and that the sport is strong enough to see through the rough patch. "Life is not a smooth journey always, there are sometimes rough patches in between and you overcome all those hurdles. I''m sure cricket will help to overcome all those hurdles," he said. Reacting to the controversy that so far has cost union minister Shashi Tharoor his job, invited Income-Tax surveys and allegations of corruption, nepotism and rigged bidding against IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, Tendulkar said, "I think when that competitiveness is witnessed by millions, you leave all those things behind." According to Tendulkar, what matters to a common fan was a competitive match between two sides. "People are waiting to see (IPL matches). Every evening they are switching on their television to see a competitive match. Any form of competitive sport is fantastic to watch and it''s not only cricket. It could be any sport, that is what even I love. "I personally feel all these obstacles and hurdles will be (overcome)," the Mumbai Indians skipper told ''Times Now''. Tendulkar said incidents like this do not distract the players, who forget everything else when they enter a ground. "There are lot of things happening off-the-field, outside the boundary line but once you cross the line, whatever you planned you want to go out and execute those plans. Switching off and switching on are important for a player," Tendulkar explained. The Mumbai Indians skipper, who had sustained a finger injury in last night''s semifinal against Royal Challengers Bangalore, may have to skip Sunday''s IPL final. He said there were five stitches on one hand and swelling in the little finger of the other hand and "the stitches would not come off for the next eight days." On new IPL rules coming into effect from next year when two more teams will join the fray, Tendulkar said four Indians and as many foreigners should be retained. He said it takes a lot of time to build a team and players are identified with a particular team and enjoy a huge fan following. On India''s prospects in the Twenty20 World Cup starting April 30 in the West Indies, he said the chances were very high. "We got a terrific team and a well-balanced side. Just look at the batting order and the bowling side. There are batters who can roll their arm as well. I really rate our chances very high," he said.

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Australia, Japan fail to secure top seeding for Asian Cup

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 10:46 PM

World Cup bound Australia and Japan have failed to secure top seeding at next year's Asian Cup even though they are the highest ranked teams in the region.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) named host nation Qatar, ranked 97th in the world, as the surprise top seeds while Japan were fifth and Australia sixth ahead of Friday's draw for the finals.

"We see no reason to follow FIFA rankings," AFC spokesman Ali Al-Hamdani said on Thursday.

"Seedings for the 2007 event were based on FIFA rankings so as to accommodate Australia, who were making their debut in the competition after moving across from Oceania to Asia. The 2007 system was a one-off to make it fair on other teams following the arrival of Australia."

With Australia, ranked 19th in the world, now an established force in the continent, the AFC has based the seedings for the Jan. 7-29 event according to results in previous tournaments.

Champions Iraq, who had their international suspension lifted by world soccer's governing body FIFA last month, 2007 runners-up Saudi Arabia and South Korea make up the rest of the top four seeds.

As a result of the seedings, South Korea could face a showdown with bitter rivals North Korea in the group stages.

The 16 nations will be placed into four pools of four in the draw, which takes place on Friday at Doha's Aspire Dome -- the largest indoor sports facility in the world.

While most teams will be eager to find out which groups they have been drawn in, Qatar organisers face a race against time to fill the stadiums during the state's largest international sporting event since the 2006 Asian Games, when many seats were empty.

Organisers say they can guarantee full houses at the five designated stadiums, which they hope will strengthen their chances of winning the bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

"Of course, the successful planning of the Asian Cup will have a major bearing on our World Cup bid," Qatar organising committee chief executive Saud Al Mohannadi told Reuters.

"Preparations are in full swing. We will be targeting both domestic and expat fans. We expect 70 percent of fans to be expats based and working in the region."

Fears have been raised that Doha's expensive hotel rates could put off travelling fans.

But Mohannadi said special accommodation rates and packages together with relaxed visa rules and ticketing -- which will be announced after the World Cup in South Africa in June -- would make the tournament affordable.

The groups will be drawn from four pots:

Pot 1 - Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, South Korea

Pot 2 - Japan, Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan

Pot 3 - China, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan

Pot 4 - Syria, Kuwait, India, North Korea

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We will overcome IPL crisis, says Tendulkar

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 10:08 PM

New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) The IPL controversy has left Indian cricket in complete chaos but senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar said he is optimistic that the game would tide over this crisis. Reacting to the controversy that so far has cost union minister Shashi Tharoor his job, invited Income-Tax surveys and allegations of corruption, nepotism and rigged bidding against IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, Tendulkar said the game was strong enough to survive the crisis. "I think when that competitiveness is witnessed by millions, you leave all those things behind," said Tendulkar. "Life is not a smooth journey always, there are sometimes rough patches in between and you overcome all those hurdles. I''m sure cricket will help to overcome all those hurdles," he told ''Times Now'' channel. According to Tendulkar, what matters to a common fan was a competitive match between two sides. "People are waiting to see (IPL matches). Every evening they are switching on their television to see a competitive match. Any form of competitive sport is fantastic to watch and it''s not only cricket. It could be any sport, that is what even I love. "I personally feel all these obstacles and hurdles will be (overcome)," said the Mumbai Indians skipper. Tendulkar said incidents like this do not distract the players, who forget everything else when they enter a ground. "There are lot of things happening off-the-field, outside the boundary line but once you cross the line, whatever you planned you want to go out and execute those plans," Tendulkar explained.

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Newlyweds Shoaib-Sania arrive in Karachi

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 09:32 PM

Karachi, April 22 (IANS) Carrying placards reading 'Welcome to Pakistan's daughter-in-law', hundreds of fans gathered outside the Jinnah International Airport as newlyweds Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza arrived here Thursday.

The couple were welcomed by Sindh Sports Minister Mohammad Ali Shah and other government officials.

'It feels great to have arrived here in Pakistan,' Online news agency quoted Sania as saying on her first visit to this southern port city.

Shoaib said the couple will stay in Pakistan for one week.

They will fly to Islamabad, where they would be treated as state guests, to arrange Sania's visa for Sialkot, Shoaib's hometown, where a reception is planned for April 25.

They are expected to meet top officials in Islamabad, including Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal.

Sania's mother is accompanying the couple. It is expected that the Indian guests will start arriving in Pakistan in the next day or two to attend the Valima reception.

Another reception will be held in Lahore two days later, family sources said. Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is also expected to hold a reception in the couple's honour later this month.

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Gehlot targets Raje over IPL row

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 09:08 PM

Jaipur, Apr 22 (PTI) Accusing Vasundhara Raje of "propping up" Lalit Modi as RCA president during her rule, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today said the BJP leader should clarify whether any state funds were pumped into the Indian Premier League. "Whatever I had alleged during the campaign in the last assembly elections that Modi has acted as an extra-constitutional power during the Raje regime has proved to be true," Gehlot alleged at a press conference here. He claimed that because of Modi''s proximity to Raje, he used to pressurise officers for favours. "Bureaucrats went to his hotel room carrying files for clearance but Raje who was aware of all these happenings never cared to stop him," the Congress leader alleged. Gehlot said that despite the protests by opposition and the media against Modi''s activities, Raje "remained silent and this continued for her entire five-year tenure as chief minister of the state". Gehlot claimed that Raje''s silence would be considered as acceptance of doubts in public mind. Regarding the purchase of two heritage buildings by Modi at Amber on the outskirt of the city, Gehlot said that it was being examined by the law department whether they belonged to the government. On the court''s stay on the Mathur Commission, which is probing charges of corruption against the previous BJP government led by Raje, Gehlot said, "Had the commission been allowed to work then many things would have been exposed". On former minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor quitting over the IPL row, Gehlot said, "Tharoor is a good person but he did not understand the style of functioning and became a political casuality." Gehlot said that during an earlier meeting with Tharoor when his "cattle class" comment had sparked a controversy, he had cautioned the former minister to be careful about his utterances. The Congress president and the Prime Minister had initiated Tharoor into politics because of his international connections and personality so that the country could benefit from them but unfortunately he did not understand that, he said. Meanwhile, the Indian National Lok Dal has demanded a judicial inquiry into the IPL controversy, saying that the row had brought the gentleman''s game into disrepute. INLD general secretary Ajay Singh Chautala told reporters in Rohtak, Haryana that the resignation by Tharoor was just an eye wash and an inquiry by a retired judge of the Supreme Court into the issue should be held to reveal the truth.

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Del Piero heads to America...but only on holiday

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 08:48 PM

Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero will see out his contract until the end of next season, ending media speculation he would quit in May to play in Major League Soccer.

"Yes, it's true. This summer I'm going to America. On holiday. Then however, I will definitely come back," the 35-year-old forward wrote on his official website (www.alessandrodelpiero.com) on Thursday.

Juventus are seventh in Serie A after one of their worst seasons in the top flight while Del Piero has struggled for form and fitness, meaning an Italy comeback at June's World Cup looks highly unlikely.

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Katich, Chanderpaul sign for Lancashire

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 08:08 PM

Australia opener Simon Katich and former West Indies skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul have signed for English county side Lancashire for part of this season, the club said on Thursday.

Left-hander Katich will join Lancashire for the duration of June before joining the Australian squad who face Pakistan in a two-test series in England in July.

Chanderpaul, another left-handed batsman who has also played for Durham, will join in mid-July and will play for the remainder of the season.

Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara was due to be the Red Rose county's overseas player for the second part of the season, but international commitments meant the move was cancelled.

"While it was disappointing to learn that Kumar wasn't coming it is fantastic that we have been able to secure the services of two world-class left handed batsmen to keep the continuity within the side once Ashwell Prince departs," head coach Peter Moores told the club's website (www.lccc.co.uk).

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Former superbike champion Hodgson retires

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 07:48 PM

Former world superbike champion and MotoGP rider Neil Hodgson announced his retirement on Thursday due to a shoulder injury.

The 36-year-old Briton, world champion in 2003, had returned to British superbikes this season but aggravated an injury he suffered last year when he crashed in the opening round at Brands Hatch this month.

"It will take time for me to come to terms with this but it is the right decision," he said in a statement after seeing a shoulder specialist in Manchester.

"My shoulder will get back to probably 90 percent over the next couple of years so I will be able to have a normal life."

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Advani, Chitra shepherd Karnataka to inter-state title

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 07:22 PM

Chennai, Apr 22 (PTI) Pankaj Advani and M Chitra led with example as formidable Karnataka beat Tamil Nadu 10-7 to clinch the championship in the inter-state multi-event cue sport tournament here today. After being level having won five matches each, Karnataka wizard Advani paired with I H Manudev to show their supremacy in the two-frame format, beating Nigel and Imran Khan 176-38. Chitra then blanked Asha 2-0 (43-13, 29-21) as, in the second event today, Karnataka won five different matches as against the hosts'' two. Results: Senior Snooker Singles: (Aggregate of two frames): Balaji Reddy (Kar) beat Rafat Habib (TN) 121-107, Mens doubles 9-ball (Race to 5): Harpreet/Pranit (TN) beat Arjun/ Anand (Kar) 5-0, Mixed doubles 9-ball (Race to 5):Senthil/ Neena Praveen (TN) bt Indra Gowda/Rajkumar 5-3, Senior Snooker Third Single: (Best of three frames): M S Arun (Kar) beat Dilip (TN) 2-1 (56-0, 21-35, 33-01), Senior Snooker Doubles (Aggregate two frames): Pankaj Advani/I H Manudev (Kar) beat Nigel/Imran (TN) 176-38, Sub-Junior Snooker (Best of three frames): Mundir (Kar) bt Sundarajan (TN) 2-0 (57-16, 60-22) and Womens Snooker (Best of three frames):Chitra M (Kar) beat Asha (TN) 2-0 (43-13, 29-21).

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Australian Fraser leads at fog-bound Ballantine's

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 07:08 PM

Australian Marcus Fraser was the clubhouse leader after fog wrecked the opening round of the $2.9 million Ballantine's Championship on Thursday, leaving more than a third of field yet to hit a shot.

Six hours and 10 minutes of play were lost in total when fog descended on the European and Asian Tour co-sanctioned event on Jeju island, shrouding the Pinx Golf Club and severely restricting visibility.

Fraser prospered despite the conditions to shoot a superb seven-birdie 65 and top the leaderboard by a shot from Britain's Mark Foster, who carded six-under-par 66.

"It was just one of those days where I felt like I did a lot of things right," said the unheralded Australian. "It's nice when the round turns out that way and would be even nicer if you can play like that all the time."

Three-times major winner Ernie Els was also one of 36 players who finished their rounds and the South African managed a 68 for a share of sixth alongside Korean-American world number 10 Anthony Kim and several others.

"I stayed patient and I'm happy with how I played, I just didn't score very well," said Kim, who finished third at the U.S. Masters earlier this month.

"It's going to be a long day tomorrow for the guys in front of us and we're just going to hang in there and wait until we can go play some golf.

"The greens were very slow today. My last tournament was the Masters, so the greens were very fast there and here it's slow. So it's a little bit of an adjustment."

PGA Championship winner Yang Yong-eun, fresh from his victory at last week's China Open and playing on his home island, managed just one hole, shooting a birdie.

In addition to the players who failed to start, another large part of the field had not completed their rounds when play was suspended for poor light.

It will commence at 7am local time (2200 GMT) on Friday to try and clear the backlog.

"Tomorrow, if there's no wind like now, you can really attack the golf course, so all depends on the weather," said world number seven Els.

Source: Web Search

Karnataka cueists top

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 06:48 PM

Chennai, April 22 (IANS) Karnataka beat Tamil Nadu 5-2 in the Inter-State cue sport championship here Thursday for an overall 10-7 aggregate margin.

The teams were tied 5-5 at the end of the first day's competition that is played on an annual basis with both teams hosting the event on a reciprocal basis.

The results (second day):

Senior Snooker Singles (Aggregate of two frames): Balaji Reddy (Kar) beat Rafat Habib (TN) 121-107. Men's doubles 9-ball (Race to 5): Harpreet/ Pranit (TN) beat Arjun/ Anand (Kar) 5-0. Mixed doubles 9-ball (Race to 5): Senthil/ Neena Praveen (TN) bt Indra Gowda/ Rajkumar 5-3. Senior Snooker Third Singles (Best of three frames): MS Arun (Kar) beat Dilip (TN) 2-1 (56-0, 21-35, 33-01). Senior Snooker Doubles (Aggregate two frames): Pankaj Advani/ I H Manudev (Kar) beat Nigel/ Imran (TN) 176-38. Sub-Junior Snooker (Best of three frames): Mundir (Kar) bt Sundarajan (TN) 2-0 (57-16, 60-22). Women's Snooker (Best of three frames): Chitra M (Kar) beat Asha (TN) 2-0 (43-13, 29-21).

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Harikrishna, Tania shocked in continental opener

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 06:38 PM

Subic Bay (Philippines), Apr 22 (PTI) Grandmaster P Harikrishna and woman Grandmaster Tania Sachdev''s campaign started on a disappointing note as both suffered shock opening round defeats in the ninth Asian Continental Chess Championship here. Fifth seed Harikrishna was outdone in a Slav Exchange game in which China''s Lou Yiping remained calm and went for the exchange variation. Harikrishna could have equalised but went for an erroneous plan in a complicated position and ended up on the losing side. In the women''s section, third seed Tania Sachdev also crashed to a defeat against lower ranked Chinese Jue Wang on a mixed day for the Indian contingent. Tania misplayed a clear better position out of a closed Ruy Lopez and it was a shock for her to find in the postmortem that she missed out on a win on a few occasions before blundering away in the endgame. Grandmaster K Sasikiran proved much stronger than International Master Oliver Dimakling of Philippines who could not handle the middle game well from a Queen pawn opening. The game was a methodical squeeze by second seed Sasikiran who started his campaign on a positive note. Padmini Rout, who has opted to participate in the strong open section, too got off to a flier with a brilliant victory over Dzhurabek Khamrakulov of Uzbekistan. Playing the black side of a Sicilian Alapin, Padmini showcased her growing positional chess and won a pawn with emphatic technique. The Uzbek tried hard to salvage a difficult situation but Padmini was merciless on her day. Former world junior champion Abhijeet Gupta scored an easy victory over Wang Li of China. Playing the white side of a Queen''s gambit accepted, Abhijeet played precise moves in the middle game to win a rook for Bishop and it was a matter of technique once the Indian had extra material. Among other Indians in the fray in the open section, S P Sethuraman was among the first to score a full point at the expense of local hopeful Rhobel Legaspi while National Champion B Adhiban and Tejas Bakre were held to draws by lesser known opponents. Grandmaster Neelotpal Das scored over Joseph Galindo of Philippines but D Harika went down fighting against lower ranked local player Allan Macala. In the women''s section, Kiran Manisha Mohanty brought cheers to the camp by holding top seed Ju Wenjun to a fairly easy draw. Facing the Sicilian Najdorf, Kiran was in control in the Poisoned pawn variation and kept black''s forces at bay with exchanges at regular intervals. .

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Australian Fraser leads at fog-bound Ballantine's

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 06:26 PM

Australian Marcus Fraser was the clubhouse leader after fog wrecked the opening round of the $2.9 million Ballantine's Championship on Thursday, leaving more than a third of field yet to hit a shot.

Six hours and 10 minutes of play were lost in total when fog descended on the European and Asian Tour co-sanctioned event on Jeju island, shrouding the Pinx Golf Club and severely restricting visibility.

Fraser prospered despite the conditions to shoot a superb seven-birdie 65 and top the leaderboard by a shot from Britain's Mark Foster, who carded six-under-par 66.

Three-times major winner Ernie Els was also one of the early starters and managed a 68 for a share of sixth alongside Korean-American world number 10 Anthony Kim, who finished third at the Masters earlier this month, and several others.

PGA Championship winner Yang Yong-eun, fresh from his victory at last week's China Open and playing on his home island, managed just one hole, shooting a birdie.

In addition to the players who failed to start, another third of the field had not completed their rounds when play was suspended for poor light. Play will commence at 7am local time (2200 GMT) on Friday to try and clear the backlog.

Source: Web Search

Greens to have exclusive Internet domain name

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 05:56 PM

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Very soon, the global green community will have its very own domain name on the Internet, according to the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF).

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN), responsible for creating domain endings like .com or .org, will soon initiate the process to create a whole bunch of new endings, including .eco.

This would enable those who want to proclaim their green credentials by adding a .eco ending to their website or even email address, the WWF said.

An email address or website that ends in .eco could also send powerful signals to all concerned that their owners are in some way eco-friendly, sustainable or green.

Accordingly, the WWF-International and many non-governmental organizations, individuals and others are devising ways to manage the .eco domain ending responsibly.

'It's critical that the rules for operating .eco - including who can buy names, how proceeds are used, what it stands for, and how a trust is maintained - are transparent, accountable, community-based and designed for the long-term benefit of people and the environment,' the WWF-International said on its website.

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Gary Lineker's wife Danielle Bux to front World Cup coverage?

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 05:38 PM

London, April 22 (ANI): Former English footballer Gary Lineker's wife Danielle Bux is reportedly being signed up by ITV to front its World Cup coverage.

Bosses at GMTV want Bux, 30, to add glamour to their programmes from South Africa this summer, and negotiations are at a key stage with the World Cup due to start soon.

"Danielle is well admired here. She will be a viewer favourite," the Daily Star quoted a GMTV insider as saying.

"Plus, she's likely to be in South Africa with Gary this summer so it could be the perfect situation," the insider said.

The Welsh lingerie model will help cover the WAG invasion that is due to accompany the players when they jet out on June 3.

"The story was as much about the girls as the lads last time, so while Danielle may not have the best football brain, she'd be ideal to offer insight into the WAGs' world," the insider stated.

Bux's agent, Becca Barr, confirmed she was looking for work at ITV.

"We are in negotiations with ITV, but no particular topics have been discussed," she added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Franck Ribery football scandal call girl breaks her silence

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 05:06 PM

London, Apr 22 (ANI): The teenage call girl, who was accused of sleeping with at least three French football stars including Franck Ribery, has broken her silence saying she "loved them all".

Zahia Dehar, 18, said she was "shocked" that the players were facing up to three years in prison for having sex with her when she was underage girl.

She said that Ribery, 27, Karim Benzema, 22, and Sidney Govou, 30, had all treated her "with utter respect" and should be left alone.

The young French Moroccan has told vice squad officers that she had 2,000 pounds-a-night sex with all three players, reports the Telegraph.

According to reports, Ribery has admitted having sexual relationship with the girl over several months, but denies knowing she was underage.

All the three players could be in very serious trouble if they are found to have been knowingly sleeping with an underage prostitute.

Detectives have said that Dehar has co-operated fully with their enquiries, and did not face criminal charges herself. (ANI)

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Mukherjee briefs PM on in 'IPL-Gate' probe

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 04:52 PM

New Delhi, Apr 22 (ANI): Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday briefed the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, on the ongoing investigation against the owners of Indian Premier League (IPL) teams.

During the briefing, Mukherjee explained to Dr. Singh how bids for franchisees were made.

Reportedly, Dr. Singh and Mukherjee also discussed the names of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders Praful Patel and Supriya Sule being drawn into the IPL controversy.

Patel was drawn into the controversy when he confirmed media reports that his private secretary had e-mailed former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor documents containing projections of the new franchisee valuations in the IPL.

The confirmation comes just two days after Patel categorically denied any role in the Indian Premier League.

However, it has now emerged that Patel's secretary, Champa Bharadwaj, had forwarded a mail to Tharoor's personal mail account on March 19, two days before the bids were opened.

It happened hours after IPL CEO Sundar Raman sent the document to Patel's daughter and IPL hospitality manager Poorna Patel.

The Kochi consortium surprisingly made the second-highest bid.

Patel now says that it was Tharoor who had sought his help.

"Shashi Tharoor called me because he was putting together a team. He wanted me to speak to Lalit Modi and help him out. This has got nothing to do with IPL. This is a needless controversy," claims Patel. (ANI)

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Taxmen question Modi on IPL controversy

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 04:38 PM

Mumbai, Apr 22 (ANI): Enforcement Department officials on Thursday questioned Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner Lalit Modi on his alleged role in the multi crore Indian Premier League.

Modi is at the centre of controversies since he wrote a comment on the social networking site twitter on former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor's persuasion for the Kochi franchise.

This is the third time that Modi has been questioned in the last week.

Officials questioned Modi at his office in a plush central Mumbai hotel, related to IPL for about an hour.

On Wednesday, the IT officials conducted search and survey operations at the offices of Multi-Screen Media (MSM), the International Management Group and the World Sports Group (WSG), all of which are closely connected to Modi-led IPL.

MSM is the telecasting agency of IPL, while WSG is its marketing arm. IMG is the organising agency of the IPL. Besides, a similar exercise was undertaken at the Bandra residence of Venu Nair, CEO of WSG. (ANI)

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Praful Patel, Tharoor have long chat in Lok Sabha

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 04:22 PM

New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and former Minister of State Shashi Tharoor were today seen having an long chat in the Lok Sabha, on a day their alleged link in the IPL bids for the Kochi team was reported by a newspaper. Around 3 pm, when the House was debating the Demand for Grants for the Rural Development Ministry, Patel and Tharoor walked in one after another. As Patel took a seat in the back benches of the House on the treasury side, Tharoor soon went there and sat beside him. The two then started their discussion, oblivious of the proceedings. They sat together for 15 minutes after which Patel left the House. The development came two days after Patel rubbished allegations of his role in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, the newspaper report today said his personal secretary had sent a mail to Tharoor with a document containing projections of new franchisee valuations in IPL. Tharoor, who had resigned from the government on Sunday, has denied any illegality in his involvement in the IPL episode and Patel had said he had no role in the IPL.

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N'Zogbia held over alleged driving test scam

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 03:46 PM

Wigan Athletic's French midfielder Charles N'Zogbia has been arrested over suspicion that he arranged for someone else to take part of his driving test for him, police said on Thursday.

N'Zogbia, who scored a last-minute winner for Wigan in their 3-2 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, was held by officers on Wednesday at a test centre in Greater Manchester, northern England.

Newspapers said staff from the centre had become suspicious about a man who turned up to take the theory part of the driving test some weeks ago.

They reported that 23-year-old N'Zogbia was arrested as he was about to get into a car with an examiner for the practical test.

"At about 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, police working alongside the Driving Standards Agency arrested a 23-year-old man at Sale driving test centre on suspicion of fraud by false representation," Greater Manchester Police said in a statement.

The player has been released on police bail until June 3.

The offence of fraud by false representation carries a maximum jail term of 10 years.

Source: Web Search

IT sleuths raid Sahara head office in Lucknow

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 03:22 PM

Lucknow, Apr 22 (PTI) Income Tax department sleuths today conducted a raid at the head office of the Sahara Group, owner of IPL Pune team, at Aliganj here and scoured through documents related to the Indian Premier League. A 12-member team came to the office at about 2 PM and examined documents related to IPL, company sources said. However, company officials maintained that it was "not a raid but a routine survey" by the department. "They had sought time to examine the IPL papers," they said. Following the controversy over IPL Kochi franchise, Income Tax officials had yesterday swooped down on the offices of other IPL franchisees like Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab. Business conglomerate Sahara had last month bagged Pune, one of the two new teams unveiled in the cash-awash Twenty20 League from the 2011 season.

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Case filed against Shoaib, Sania for 'hurting Muslim sentiments'

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 03:18 PM

In fresh trouble for Shoaib Malik and his wife Sania Mirza, police have registered a case against them and 12 others for allegedly hurting sentiments of Muslims by violating religious traditions in the Pakistani cricketer's divorce and marriage.

Based on a private complaint lodged by a city-based Muslim organisation, the court of Third Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate has referred the matter to Station House Officer of Banjara Hills Police here for investigation and asked for a report on it by May 26. West Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police Stephen Ravindra said today.

"After the court order, a case was registered last night. We have to investigate and a status report will be filed before the court," Ravindra said.

The complainant Moullim Mohsin Bin Hussain Al-Kasary, founder president of Mazlumeen-e-Ummatay Mohammediya organisation, has accused the Pakistani cricketer, Sania and her father as well as Shoaib's first wife Ayesha Siddiqui and family friends of hurting religious sentiments over matters relating to Shoaib's divorce to Ayesha and his subsequent marriage to the tennis star earlier this month.

According to the complainant, Shoaib had initially said he never married Ayesha, a Hyderabadi girl, but had later divorced her. "There is no official divorce, but the 14 accused declared that divorce proceedings are over and got the public, particularly Muslims, confused and insulted their religious feelings," Al-Kasary has alleged.

The case under section 295 A (hurting religious sentiments of others) of IPC has been registered against the 14 persons, Ravindra said.

He said police would first verify whether any allegations could be made out or not. "We should go a little deep into the complaint. After going through the court order, the SHO Banjara Hills will decide on questioning of the 14 persons," Ravindra said.

"We will look into the whole matter and then decide," he said.

Meanwhile, Shoaib and Sania reportedly left Hyderabad for Pakistan last night.

When asked if Shoaib and Sania had taken a flight from the RGI Airport, an official said they might have left like normal passengers as there was no specific information on their departure with the protocol department. "We exactly cannot say if the couple took a flight from RGI Airport," the official said.

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The Business Of Soccer

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 02:52 PM

Edited by Peter J. Schwartz, Paul Maidment and Michael K. Ozanian, Forbes.com

The world's 20 most valuable soccer clubs took a kick on the shins from a stronger greenback last year.

From June 2008 to June 2009 the euro and pound fell 11% and 17%, respectively, relative to the dollar. As result, the top 20 clubs have an average enterprise value (equity plus net debt) of $632 million vs. $691 million a year ago. The 8.5% decline equates to a $1.2 billion aggregate loss in value. Absent the conversion to U.S. dollars the clubs appreciated in value--2.7% in euros and 10.7% in pounds. Our team values are calculated using revenue (excluding player transfers and dispositions) multiples based on historical transactions.

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Operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) fell for our top 20 from an average of $50 million to $32 million. But the bigger concern is the growing bifurcation in profitability among Europe's elite clubs. The five richest teams (Manchester United, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich) earned $556 million, an operating margin of 24%. The five poorest teams (Newcastle United, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Olympique Marseille, Werder Bremen) lost a combined $54 million on revenues of $778 million.

Look closer and it becomes clear that the wealthiest clubs have a big advantage over their competitors because they are global brands, which allows them to generate more revenue outside their home market from sponsorships, merchandise and broadcasting.

The prime example is Manchester United, the most valuable club in the world, worth $1.84 billion. Man U's Club TV Channel is shown in over 192 million homes. The club claims 333 million followers and 139 million core fans. Beginning next season Man U will have a new shirt sponsorship with Aon that will bring in $34 million a year over four years, 50% more than its current deal with AIG. The Nike swoosh will continue to adorn the shirt as well thanks to a 13-year pact with the apparel maker that pays the team $470 million plus a 50% share of profits on specific merchandise through 2015. Man U posted operating income of $150 million last year, the most of any team, while their media revenue of $164 million was tops in the English Premiership. Despite the club's huge success on the pitch since Malcolm Glazer bought them in 2005, the locals are unhappy with the $839 million of debt Glazer has saddled the club with and are hoping to raise enough money to buy him out.

Another English club with a strong following outside the United Kingdom is Arsenal, ranked third on our list at $1.18 billion. The club has been embroiled in a takeover battle the past three years with American Stanley Kroenke, who now owns 29% and appears to have outgunned rival owner Alisher Usmanov. Kroenke also controls two major U.S. sports teams--the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets--and has an option to increase his 40% stake to 100% in a third, the St. Louis Rams. Arsenal boasts the highest match day revenue (gate and concessions), $165 million, save Man U. The club reached the semifinals of the Champions League and FA Cup last season helping it to post operating income of $102 million.

Real Madrid's strategy has been to load its roster with marquee players. The club also spent the most on players--$510 million last season (transfer fees and salaries), including the purchases of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka for a combined $222 million. Real, worth $1.32 billion, is the second most valuable club and pulls in more revenue than any other squad, $563 million. Real's media revenue increased $35 million last season to $226 million, also highest in soccer. The club's seven-year contract with Mediapro, the Spanish broadcaster, guarantees them a total of $1.5 billion through the 2013-14 season. Real's sponsorship revenue rose $14 million last season, to $195 million.

Barcelona has made tremendous strides the past few seasons both on the pitch and in our rankings. Last season the club won the Spanish title, Champions League and FIFA World Club Cup. Barcelona rose from seventh to fourth on our list and is now worth $1 billion. As a result of its great season on the pitch, Barcelona's broadcasting revenues went up $59 million, to $222 million. The club achieved its stellar results with a relatively modest payroll. Reward: operating income of $113 million, third most on our list.

Outside the top five on our list, the Italian clubs are making the strongest push on the pitch and to expand internationally. Instead of continuing to negotiate individual broadcasting deals, the teams are going to negotiate as a league for the contract that begins next season, hoping to increase its revenue and expand its coverage outside of Italy. Juventus, a club at the center of a match fixing scandal in 2006, rose 9% in value and is now worth $656 million, eighth on our list. The Old Lady, as the team is known in Turin, jumped ahead of money-losing Chelsea in our rankings. Juventus' broadcast revenue increased $36 million last year, and the team posted operating income of $57 million. Rival Inter Milan, on the heels of its fourth consecutive domestic championship, increased its value 12%, the most of any club on our list. Inter is now worth $413 million, good enough to be ranked tenth.

The teams at the bottom of our list have little reach outside their local markets. Manchester City and Newcastle United posted operating losses of $56 million and $49 million, respectively. With a value of $258 million, Man City, despite a succession of foreign owners, is in free fall. Two-thirds of their stadium revenue goes to the city council, which financed the stadium for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

In Newcastle, owner Michael Ashley has been trying to get out but has been unable to find a buyer. Newcastle was relegated from the premiership and is now playing in the second-flight Coca-Cola Football League Championship, though it will be back in the top-flight for the 2010-11 season. As a result, the club will likely see revenue decline this year much more than the 14% drop it experienced last year. The club's $198 million valuation marks the first time that the 20th ranked team on our list has been worth less than $200 million since 2007.

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Manohar accuses Modi of violating 'confidentiality' clause

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 02:48 PM

Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Indian cricket board president Shashank Manohar Thursday accused Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi of violating the 'confidentiality' clause signed by the board and the franchisees by declaring the ownership stakes.

Manohar said the new IPL Kochi franchise were contemplating legal action against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after Modi tweeted the ownership details.

He also charged Modi with 'selectively leaking' the e-mail to media that he wrote April 14 asking for permission to reveal the ownership detail of the franchisees.

'After the names were leaked, I get a communication from (Vivek) Venugopal (partner in Rendezvous) around night saying that there is a Confidentiality Clause in the agreement, which had been signed between the board and them and there is a serious breach of obligation on part of the board. He also said in the communication that they are contemplating legal action.'

'Because of the communication, I told Modi to keep quiet with regard to the new franchise. The media pounced on Modi so wisdom dawned on him on April 14 when he wrote an e-mail to me and members April 14 suggesting that we should disclose the names of all franchise which had not done since January 2008. Then I replied that the issue is complicated and needs detailed deliberations and has legal implications and hence it should be discussed and considered by the Governing Council meeting in Mumbai. The other members of the governing council also agreed with me. Modi agreed with me.'

'We are talking about documents that we have not seen before.'

Manohar also charged Modi that he leaked the e-mail to media.

'Modi selectively leaked the mail. Its fine for him to leak the mail. When he has not (revealed the ownership details) done that for two years, 10 days would not have made a difference.'

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Tiger Woods attends rock concert after wife jets home to Sweden

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 02:38 PM

London, April 22 (ANI): Professional golfer Tiger Woods is said to have attended a rock concert just hours after his wife Elin Nordegren left for Sweden with their two children.

Woods, 34, was seen dining out with his friends on April 19 before watching his favourite band Nickelback play in Orlando, reports the Sun.

This is the first night out for Woods ever since his sensational sex scandal broke last November.

Nordegren, 30, on the other hand is preparing for life without Woods, and friends predict that she will file for divorce before June when the golfer is due to take part in the US Open. (ANI)

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Too big to fail? IPL cricket in a spin

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 01:56 PM

With its cocktail of celebrities and cheerleaders, the Indian Premier League's dizzy rise to become cricket's richest tournament is under threat, illustrating how politics and business don't mix.

A scandal over a government junior minister accused of influencing a bid for a team has sparked a tax investigation into the estimated $4.1 billion sport franchise, also signaling the inherent risks in the Asian giant's corporate juggernaut.

It is a scandal that touches much of India, including some of Bollywood's top stars who became team owners, senior politicians as well as some of India's richest executives who have all wanted a piece of the pie since the tournament kicked off in 2008.

Like much of corporate India, the attitude behind IPL was with globalisation, liberalisation, we can take on the world, said Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, a well-known commentator in India.

But the IPL has not been transparent. It has become big business, but a rather murky big business ... and shown the very cosy ties between very rich businessmen and politicians.

Lalit Modi, a 46-year-old businessmen known for his flashy suits and love of the high flying celebrity circuit, formed IPL in 2008, a short form of cricket that won millions of dollars in advertising and upset much of the traditional cricket world.

It was a by-product of an emerging India, when local companies like Tata bought brands like Jaguar and Land Rover for $2.3 billion to reflect the self-confidence of Indian business as it enjoyed one of the world's fasted economic growth rates.

Such was IPL's success that some team franchises were sold for more than the value of English Premier League football teams.

The tax probe has so far revealed nothing but huge newspaper headlines, and Modi says he has nothing to hide as taxmen visit offices around the country with cameras and lights in tail.

But whatever the results of the investigation, few in Indian believe that tournament will be the same freewheeling business extravaganza, and Modi is now under pressure to resign.

AT THE CUTTING EDGE

The IPL was at the cutting edge of cricket from day one when its use of cheerleaders sparked initial outcry as conservative India questioned whether it was ready for dancers with bulging breasts and gyrating bellies parading in packed stadia.

Modi himself called it all cricketainment -- with Bollywood stars watching matches in seats costing as much as $1,000 a game in a country where half the population earns less that $2 a day.

IPL can be seen as a metaphor for the new Indian middle class which thrives on excess, wrote commentator Ronojoy Sen in the Times of India.

Modi showed that Can Do attitude on which Indian business people pride themselves -- the ability to deal with the country's notorious red tape, corruption and poor infrastructure.

When security concerns and a general election threatened the second year of the tournament, Modi simply transferred the whole event to South Africa in a few weeks.

Forget Modi's brashness for a moment. There is an underlying admiration for Modi in India -- the fact that he could get through the red tape and get things done, said V. Ravichandar, managing director of Feedback consulting in Bangalore, which advises multinationals on doing business in India.

That kind of thing goes down well in the Indian street.

But any admiration may not save the IPL. After Modi tweeted questioning the role of Junior Foreign Minister Shashi Tharoor in a team's $333 million bid, the minister was forced to resign.

India's tax department suddenly announced a probe into Modi and the IPL -- in what many saw in India as a blatant use by the the government of tax authorities to win political points.

The political ramifications widened.

Suddenly key Congress party coalition ally and farm minister Sharad Pawar was on a collision course with his own government after he infuriated Congress by initially supporting Modi.

Pawar is president elect of the International Cricket Council and former head of the Indian cricket board -- just one of many many politicians in India who also run cricket boards.

The tension came just as the government was seeking to secure its allies support for a possible vote in parliament over high food prices. The government would fall if it loses the vote.

Few think the government will fall. But the fact that a tweet from a businessman sparked worries about the government's coalition strength a fews days later showed the nexus between business and politics in India -- and the fragility of both.

The IPL was about getting things done despite everything, said Ravichandar. It is a spirit of Indian enterprise with all the risks that it entails that holds a mirror to ourselves.

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Srinivasan clearly has conflict of interest in IPL: Muthiah

Published>Thu, Apr 22 10 01:52 PM

Former BCCI president AC Muthiah on Thursday said board secretary N Srinivasan, who is also the owner of Chennai Super Kings, has no right to convene the IPL Governing Council meeting on April 26 as there is conflict of interest in his position.

"I quite agree with Lalit Modi. Srinivasan is an interested party and I filed a case against him for conflict of interest. He is a secretary and he is a holder of franchise. It is clear he has no right to call for a meeting.

"These amendments have been retrospectively done to suit some of the franchises especially him. The original framework regulation was that no administrator can take part in any commercial interest concerning BCCI and when I filed the case they retrospectively amended this clause excluding the IPL.

"He is a franchise holder, he has no business to call for a meeting. He is clearly subjected to conflict of interest. They are all responsible for this mess because they are just amending the regulations suiting everything for their own interest," he said.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has also argued that Srinivasan has a conflict of interest because of his stake in the Chennai Super Kings and therefore he doesn't have the right to convene the Governing Council meeting on April 26.

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Penev named CSKA Sofia's fourth coach of season

Published Thu, Apr 22 10 01:48 PM

Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia have officially named Dimitar Penev as their fourth coach of the season.

The 64-year-old, who led Bulgaria to the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup, returned to CSKA earlier this month under the designation "supervisor" but the club confirmed he was the new head coach after their 1-0 win over Litex Lovech on Wednesday.

"Yes, I'm the new head coach from now on," Penev, who also won seven league titles with CSKA as a player and three more as coach, told reporters. "I'll remain at the post until the end of the season."

Penev, named Bulgaria's coach of the century, steered the national team to their first European championship finals in 1996.

CSKA began the season with former striker and crowd favourite Luboslav Penev -- Dimitar's nephew -- as coach, but he resigned in January after failing to guarantee he could deliver the league title.

Romanian coach Ioan Andone replaced him, only to quit two months later after guiding CSKA to only two wins in six matches. Andone's assistant Adalbert Zafirov then took over on an interim basis.

CSKA are third in the standings with 51 points from 26 matches. Litex are top on 58, followed by Lokomotiv Sofia on 52.

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