I'm cursed, says 'shattered' Ferdinand

Published>Sat, Jun 05 10 11:52 AM

Rustenburg (South Africa), June 5(ANI): England captain Rio Ferdinand has said that he is cursed after his dreams of lifting the World Cup were shattered by a knee injury.

Ferdinand damaged his left-knee ligaments while tussling for the ball with Emile Heskey during the training session.

England's medical staff rushed the 31-year-old to hospital, where he was given the devastating news that he will be out of action for up to six weeks.

Talking to reporters Ferdinand's agent Pini Zahavi said: "Rio said: 'I think somebody cursed me'. That is honestly how he feels. Rio is very down. He cannot understand why this has happened to him."

It was England's first full-training session since arriving in South Africa, and caps a miserable season for the Manchester United defender.

A back injury had kept him out of the Premier League for most of the season.

Zahavi, however, said that the current injury has nothing to do with the ones he had before.

"It is completely different and it is very bad luck. Rio was feeling sharp and was ready for the World Cup," The Sun quoted Zahavi, as saying.

"He has waited so long for this tournament and to try and help England win it. He had prepared himself so well, but he is a very strong man and he will be back. I'm sure he will be leading England in four years time at the next World Cup," he added. (ANI)

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Waqar should concentrate on his coaching role: Butt

Published Sat, Jun 05 10 11:42 AM

Karachi, Jun 5 (PTI) Pakistan coach Waqar Younis is the latest to have fallen prey to the autocratic behavior of Ejaz Butt with the PCB chairman asking the former pacer to concentrate on his job and not to poke his nose at the administrative matters of the board. While announcing the Asia Cup squad, Butt asked Waqar to just concentrate on his coaching job and leave administrative matters to the board. "The thing is that Waqar has remained out of Pakistan for a while now and lives in Australia. So he is not aware of the changes in the board working nowadays. I will speak to him. He needs to concentrate on his coaching job," Butt said. The bone of contention between Waqar and Butt has turned out to be the appointment of former pacer Aaqib Javed as assistant coach of the national team for the Asia Cup starting next week in Sri Lanka. Sources also said that Butt is not happy with Waqar''s comments on cricket and selection matters. Waqar had told the media that he did not understand the wisdom of announcing 35-man probables for the Asia Cup and also the fact that he was not even consulted in the whole selection process. Sources said that Butt, on purpose, had not invited Waqar for a meeting in Lahore before announcing the Asia Cup squad. "Butt spoke to Shahid Afridi, chief selector Mohsin Khan but did not bother to call Waqar who remained close by at the national academy," one source said. Aaqib''s re-appointment as assistant coach also came as a surprise to the cricket community with many former players and critics questioning the decision. Aaqib, who was removed as assistant coach after the disastrous Australia tour, has upset quite a few players with his remarks before the inquiry committee, probing into the team''s poor performances Down Under early this year. Aaqib had even raised doubts over wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal''s performance in Australia before the inquiry committee. Annoyed with his remarks, Kamran had apparently threatened to sue Aaqib if he does not apologise for his comments that came to the fore with the leakage of the video recordings of the proceedings. Incidentally, former Test greats like Abdul Qadir and Aamir Sohail resigned during Butt''s tenure because of his attitude while ex-captain Javed Miandad also does not get along with him despite working in the board as director-general cricket.

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Maria Sharapova voted sexiest female tennis player on the circuit

Published>Sat, Jun 05 10 11:08 AM

London, June 5 (ANI): Maria Sharapova has beaten the likes of Ana Ivanovic, Elena Dementieva and Daniela Hantuchova to be named the sexiest female tennis player on the circuit.

The Russian stunner came top in a new poll from Robinsons, reports The Sun.

In the poll of 5,000, Andre Agassi and Anna Kournikova won out in the vote to discover the sport's sexiest of all time. (ANI)

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Pak need Younis for Test matches: Afridi

Published>Sat, Jun 05 10 10:58 AM

His exclusion from the Asia Cup-bound squad, notwithstanding, Younis Khan still remains a key figure in Pakistan's Test squad and the team will need his experience in the forthcoming tour to England, captain Shahid Afridi said.

"I don't think it is a big problem that Younis has not been picked in the one-day squad but we definitely need him for the Test matches," Afridi said.

"I just hope that Younis is able to score runs for Surrey in England. It will be good for us because he is already playing there and would have got used to the English conditions by the time we go there," he said.

"I am sure he will be ready for a Test comeback in England," Afridi added.

Former captain Younis was banned for an indefinite period by the Pakistan Cricket Board in March for creating disharmony in the team due to his differences with Mohammad Yousuf.

The PCB took disciplinary action against six other players for misconduct during the disastrous Australia tour.

Younis, however, has appealed against his ban insisting he is innocent and had asked the board to provide evidence of the charges leveled against him.

Meanwhile, Afridi lauded Shoaib Akhtar's selection in the Asia Cup squad, saying the controversial pacer deserves an opportunity to revive his fledging career.

"We go to England after the Asia Cup and we want to see how his (Akhtar) comeback goes in the Asia Cup so that we know where we stand," the Pakistan skipper said.

"Shoaib (Akhtar) himself has this urge to return to international cricket and make an impact. Whenever a player is out for so long he is desperate to make a comeback and works much harder towards his goal," Afridi said.

He also pointed out that Akhtar's form and fitness would be monitored in the conditioning camp in Lahore before the Asia Cup to be held in Sri Lanka from June 15 to 24.

Afridi, however, refused to buy the theory that Akhtar, who is making a comeback to the national team after 14 months, would struggle in the hot and humid Sri Lankan conditions.

"He is a professional cricketer and one has to be prepared to play under all conditions. It is much hotter in Lahore than Sri Lanka," he said.

He also said that he was satisfied with the team given to him for the Asia Cup, which includes three youngsters in hard-hitting opener Shahzaib Hasan, Umar Amin and Asad Shafiq.

"I am satisfied with the team as we wanted to give chance to youngsters. So let us see how it goes and how they perform at the international level," he said.

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ECB rejects Kaneria''s county suspension reports

Published Sat, Jun 05 10 10:52 AM

Karachi, Jun 5 (PTI) Clearing the air over Danish Kaneria''s reported suspension from county cricket over his alleged involvement in spot fixing, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has said that the leg-spinner is free to play for Essex until proven guilty. Kaneria and his Essex teammate, fast bowler Mervyn Westfield are under investigation for alleged match fixing in a county match. But ECB media manager Andrew Walpole said that the investigation into the matter is on and Kaneria had not been suspended either by Essex or the ECB from playing county cricket. "The inquiry is going on and there is no case of Kaneria''s registration with Essex being suspended or him being suspended from playing county cricket," Walpole told the Geo Super channel. Walpole''s rebuttal came after some English papers reported that both Kaneria and Westfield have received letters from the ECB, informing them that their registrations will be suspended while the investigation is on. "The inquiry is a matter for Essex and being carried out by them and not the ECB," Walpole clarified. Asked about reports that Kaneria would require clearance from the ECB to play for Pakistan in England this summer, Walpole said, "As far as playing for Pakistan is concerned that is not the area of ECB and that is the concern of ICC (International Cricket Council)." Kaneria and Westfield were last month questioned by Essex police at Brentwood police station for alleged irregularities during the Pro-40 League game against Durham last September. Pakistan is due to embark on a three-month long England tour later this month for a full fledged Test series against Australia and the hosts, and Kaneria is tipped to make the squad because of his impressive record in the longer version of the game.

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John Wooden, peerless U.S. basketball coach, dies

Published Sat, Jun 05 10 10:48 AM

John Wooden, the peerless U.S. college basketball coach who became known as the "Wizard of Westwood" while winning a record 10 national championships at UCLA, died on Friday at age 99, a spokesman for the UCLA Medical Center said.

Wooden, whose UCLA teams once won 88 straight games, died at 6:45 p.m. local time, spokesman Phil Hampton said. Wooden had been admitted to the hospital on May 26 and died of natural causes, the university said in a statement.

Wooden was considered one of the greatest coaches of any type in U.S. sports history. U.S. President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian honor, in 2003.

He coached at the University of California Los Angeles -- located in the city's Westwood area -- from 1948 to 1975. His teams won 10 National Collegiate Athletic Association championships in his final 12 years at the school, including an unmatched seven straight from 1967 to 1973.

Wooden guided a succession of great players at UCLA including Lew Alcindor (who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich, Walt Hazzard, Keith Wilkes (who changed his name to Jamaal Wilkes), Henry Bibby and Sidney Wicks.

"We want to thank everyone for their love and support for our father. We will miss him more than words can express," his children Nan and Jim Wooden said in a statement.

"This is a sad day at UCLA," university Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement. "Coach Wooden's legacy transcends athletics; what he did was produce leaders. But his influence has reached far beyond our campus and even our community."

'PYRAMID OF SUCCESS'

Wooden was noted for his philosophical quotes about life and sportsmanship and developed a unique teaching method called the "Pyramid of Success."

"Talent is God given; be humble. Fame is man given; be thankful. Conceit is self given; be careful," Wooden once said.

"Ability is a poor man's wealth," was another of his truisms.

Wooden was born in Indiana on Oct. 14, 1910. He was a star player at Purdue University in his home state, helping the Boilermakers to the 1932 national championship.

After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War Two, he coached for two years at Indiana Teachers College (now Indiana State University) before moving to UCLA.

At Indiana Teachers College, Wooden had refused to bring his team to a prestigious tournament in 1947 because organizers would not allow one of his players to play because he was black.

At UCLA, Wooden guided the Bruins to four undefeated seasons. No other college basketball coach ever had more than one. His Bruins teams won a record 88 games in a row from 1971 to 1974.

Wooden retired in 1975 after winning his final national championship and finishing his career with a record of 664-162 in 29 seasons. Despite a record of 620-147 at UCLA, he did not like the "Wizard of Westwood" nickname.

Wooden was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player and as a coach -- the first inducted in both categories.

For decades after his 1975 retirement, Wooden often attended UCLA basketball home games.

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Jeev misses cut at The Memorial

Published Sat, Jun 05 10 10:28 AM

Dublin (Ohio), Jun 5 (PTI) Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh''s poor run on the US PGA Tour continued as he missed the cut at the Memorial Tournament after carding a second successive two-over 74 in the second round of the event here. Jeev, who had missed the cut at last week''s Crowne Plaza International as well, ended with a total of four-over 148, three strokes below the cut-line. The Chandigarh-pro started off rather well by gaining strokes on the second and fifth holes before his fortunes nosedived. It all started with a seventh-hole bogey, which left him one-under at the turn. The back-nine was a disaster as Jeev dropped bogeys on the 10th, 11th, 14th and 16th holes. A birdie sandwiched in between was hardly of any significance as the Indian fell by the wayside. At the top of the heap, American Rockie Fowler zoomed into sole lead after turning in a six-under 66 in the second round. Fowler''s total of 13-under 131 put him three strokes ahead of second-placed Justin Rose (69) of England.

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Cold Indians in chilly Harare

Published>Sat, Jun 05 10 10:18 AM

From Matabeleland - the land of the Dbele speaking people of Bulawayo - the cold winds have blown north-westwards, towards Mashonaland - the Shona-tongued province of Harare.

Weathering the wind-chill, a few members of the Indian community - mainly sellers of raw fabric material - stood below the swaying jacaranda trees outside Harare Sports Club on Friday morning, hoping to get a glimpse of the icons from their land of birth.

As the bus pulled into the gate, the younger lot tore free from the clutches of the elders, to get a closer look at the Team India players. But once they noticed only six cricketers stepping off the vehicle - most of whom are yet to make their debut for India - the fans were disappointed.

A day after their humiliating defeat to Zimbabwe, the senior players - in the current team, that is - of the Indian side decided to give the optional practice session a miss. While Naman Ojha and Dinesh Karthik batted through the session (Karthik also crouched behind the nets wicket for sometime), Pragyan Ojha led the inexperienced lot - R Ashwin, Abhimanyu Mithun and Pankaj Singh - when they rolled their arms over.

Karthik though, believes it was a good idea for most of the players to take a much-needed day off. "We've been on the road for sometime now and have played three matches in Zimbabwe, a day's practice is not going to change anything," Karthik claims.

The gloom seems to have followed the Indians around, as a sceptical looking team management - Gary Kirsten, Eric Simmons and Paddy Upton - scratched their heads as they unearthed strategies ahead of their do-or-die match against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Plenty of slack for India's low score on Thursday - 194/9 - was taken by India's opening pair of Dinesh Karthik and Murali Vijay, who had managed just 26 runs in the first ten overs during the powerplay. Karthik though was quick to defend his strategy.

"It's much better to be 26/0 than 50/4. Vijay and I made 30 odd runs in the next five, so we evened it out by giving the team a platform. If we had played well from there on, the score could have been anywhere between 250-280," Karthik says.

Languishing at the bottom of the table with four points (Zimbabwe lead with nine, Sri Lanka have five) India are the only team not to win by a bonus point in the series. "We've played well in patches, but the aim is to pull up our socks against the Lankans tomorrow," Karthik says. There is clearly no room for excuses on that front.

Unlike the Indian session, the entire Sri Lankan squad showed up for their afternoon practice, during perfect weather conditions for a game of cricket. While Trevor Bayliss, Sri Lankan coach, gave a few throw-downs to skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan near the Golf Course End, Tissara Perrera made the local net bowlers sweat it out, forcing them to fetch his aerial strokes.

To counter Zimbabwe's spin attack, Ajantha Mendis and Suraj Randiv gave their batsmen a taste of what to expect in the game.

Although Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka's vice-captain, is bound to miss the encounter after pulling his thigh muscle, the Islanders looked ripe to test every inch of India's mettle.

Meanwhile, the tickets have been sold out for the weekend fixture, majority of which has been snapped up by the Indian community in Harare. While the full squad will be put on display this time around - much to the glee of the disappointed youngsters - the Team India faithfuls will hope that they don't leave the Harare Sports Club with broken hearts, yet again.

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England reaches 275-5 vs Bangladesh

Published>Sat, Jun 05 10 10:08 AM

England reached 275-5 against Bangladesh before bad light stopped play on an even first day of the second test at Old Trafford on Friday.

Ian Bell made 87 not out from 171 balls, including nine fours and one six, while Kevin Pietersen hit 64 from 81 balls, including seven fours and one six.

Bell said batting had been tougher than expected. "I think the wicket took us a little bit by surprise," he said.

"We were expecting more pace than there was and we didn't expect that much spin. It was a tricky day and they made us work hard for our runs."

Shafiul Islam marked his return to the Bangladesh side with 2-37.

"I'm very happy with the way I bowled," Shafiul said.

"The pitch had movement off the wicket, but not much bounce, so I tried to bowl length and line."

Bangladesh made two changes to the side defeated in the first test at Lord's on Monday, with Shafiul and Abdur Razzak replacing Robiul Islam and Rubel Hossain, in a bid to revitalize its bowling attack.

The move paid early dividends. After winning the toss, England chose to bat, reaching 44 without loss before Shafiul had England captain Andrew Strauss caught at second slip by Imrul Kayes for 21 with the opening ball of the 12th over.

Shafiul struck again two overs later when Jonathan Trott, who made 226 at Lord's, lasted just five balls before he got an inside edge and was bowled for 3.

Razzak was handed the ball at the start of the 25th over and immediately removed Alastair Cook, who was attempting to block but instead edged a catch to Junaid Siddique at first slip on 29.

Pietersen and Bell took England through to lunch without further loss and attacked after the lunch interval, with Pietersen reaching 50 with a glance to midwicket.

After hitting a huge six off Razzak over long off, Pietersen tried to repeat the feat against Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan in the next over and was stumped.

Bell defended Pietersen's strategy. "I thought he played fantastically well," he said. "Kev gave us a bit of momentum and the opportunity to get Bangladesh on the back foot. We could have dug a bit of a hole if we'd tried to play negatively."

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Paul to start trial in Canada tomorrow

Published Fri, Jun 04 10 09:22 PM

New Delhi, Jun 4 (PTI) India goalkeeper Subrata Paul will start his trial stint at the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Canada with a training session with the first team being scheduled tomorrow. Paul, who left India on Tuesday for Canada, was received warmly by the Vancouver Whitecaps management and he met technical director Tom Soehn and General Manager Greg Anderson yesterday. "Vancouver Whitecaps has been very supportive so far. They have put him in a very nice hotel and he has a group of people at the club always ready to answer his questions," Paul''s manager Arvind Narayan, who too is in Vancouver, said. "Subrata will be training tomorrow with the first team which got back from Toronto this evening. So far he has spent his time watching countless videos of the Whitecaps on YouTube and he is ready to go out tomorrow and show his best," said Narayan in a Libero Sports Asia release. Paul will attend a 10-day trial with Vancouver Whitecaps FC which will make their Major League Soccer (MLS) debut from next season (2011). If India''s star goalkeeper impresses the Vancouver Whitecaps FC management he can join mid-season. The club play in the second division this season. The Pune FC goalkepeer was scheduled to go for trials in April but postponed his departure till the end of I-league after he sustained injury against Mumbai FC.

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Supriya Sule denies family's role in IPL bidding

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 09:18 PM

Mumbai/New Delhi, June 4 (ANI): Lok Sabha MP and daughter of Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, on Friday stood by her statement that neither she nor her family members were involved in the bid for Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisees.

A media report had stated that she and her family hold 16 percent stake in the Pune-based construction company, City Corporation, which had made an unsuccessful bid for an IPL franchisee team in March.

"I stand by what I said that my family has nothing to do with any IPL team or the bidding process. City Corp has not directly done this. It was applied in the entire board. I have resolution to prove that the entire board had taken objection to that IPL team, said Sule.

Meanwhile, City Corporation's Managing Director Aniruddha Deshpande on Friday said Pawar and his family had nothing to do with the IPL bidding.

"I am a minority shareholder. I have only 16 percent share in the company, 84 percent is held by other members. I am not a board member of this team and the entire board had objected to this bidding and they never made it to a team. So, I think whole thing is as crystal clear," added Sule.

Earlier today, Sharad Pawar dismissed reports of his family's involvement in the bid for IPL franchisees.

"Neither I nor my family is involved with any IPL team or with the bidding process," said Pawar.

"Whatever has been reported in the newspaper today was reported two months back also. At that time also I explained my position, which remains the same now. Neither me nor my family has direct or indirect involvement in any IPL team or in the bidding process," he added.

He also reiterated that the IPL is clean and that there is nothing murky about the ownership patterns and financial transactions in the league.

"The government agencies are inquiring and anyone who has done anything wrong, will be punished," he added. (ANI)

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City Corporation's MD defends Pawar over IPL controversy

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 09:08 PM

Pune/New Delhi, June 4 (ANI): City Corporation's Managing Director Aniruddha Deshpande on Friday said former BCCI President and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and his family have no involvement in the bid for Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisees.

Deshpande said that Pawar and his family had nothing to do with the IPL bidding.

"The family of Pawar has nothing to do with this bid, and the name of City Corporation has come into picture only because City Group had purchased the tender under their name," said Deshpande.

"However, I had bid on behalf of my name along with Maharashtra Cricket Association, so we had done a sporting bid, which might be the reason why we came last in bidding, and Pawar has nothing to do with this bidding," he added.

Deshpande further said that in case Pawar had wanted a stake, he could have done it in the first phase of IPL itself, as he was the BCCI President then.

"I don't have even one percent doubt that family of Sharad Pawar has any sort of interest in it. The man, who was the president of BCCI, in case if he is willing to have one or two percent of stake, he would have purchased a team in first IPL itself," said Deshpande.

He, however, agreed that before making the unsuccessful bid, he had discussed it with his firm's Board of Directors, but they had objected to it.

"I purchased the tender form only on the name of City Corporation because I gave that letterhead, so I purchased on that name. Subsequently, when I had called for a board meeting informing that we will bid for an IPL team, all the board members said that we would not bid for it," said Deshpande.

"Then I told them that I had to bid for it, so can I bid for it in my individual capacity, it's only that the tender document is under the name of City Corporation Limited, I had asked them if they had any objection to this," he added.

Earlier today, Sharad Pawar dismissed reports of his family's involvement in the bid for IPL franchisees.

"Neither I nor my family is involved with any IPL team or with the bidding process," said Pawar. (ANI)

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Stanley Rozario Mohun Bagan''s new coach

Published Fri, Jun 04 10 08:52 PM

Kolkata, June 4 (PTI) Mohun Bagan today set the ball rolling for a new football season after a tumultuous year that saw them finishing fifth in the I-League, by appointing Stanley Rozario as their head coach. The Kolkata giants, who had a disappointing 2009-10 season that saw three coaches at the helm and the team finishing fifth in I-League, also announced a 34-member squad with former Mahindra United striker Muritala Ali as their third foreigner. Ishfaq Ahmed was named captain while a slot for the Asian player quota would be announced later, the club management said. A former India assistant coach Rozario, who was sacked after East Bengal''s Federation Cup debacle in 2008-09 season, said he is happy to be back "in the football-loving city of Kolkata". Rozario, who left I-League debutantes Shillong Lajong FC which is facing relegation, said Mohun Bagan would give his coaching career a right platform. "With Mohun Bagan, I can become the coach of the champions club of India... I have come to the right platform. This club has history and it''s always my favourite club," said Rozario. Terming his new assignment a "hot seat", Rozario said, "I know the pressure of being a coach of Kolkata side. I am taking this as a challenge and I have self-belief and confidence to do well for the club." .

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Drogba fractures his elbow; likely to miss World Cup

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 08:38 PM

London, June 4 (IANS) Ivory coast striker Didier Drogba is all set to miss the football World Cup after he fractured his elbow in a friendly against Japan at Sion in Switzerland, Friday.

The Chelsea striker had put his country 1-0 ahead with a free-kick in the 15th minute against Japan before going down following a challenge from the Japan defender Tulio Tanaka - off whom Drogba's goal had deflected in - and he left the pitch in visible distress, The Guardian reported.

'Of course I am worried, he's our captain and one of the best players in the world. It was unlucky, he didn't want to hurt anyone. Football is a game of contact,' Ivory Coast manager Sven-Goran Eriksson was quoted as saying by the daily.

The injury is a devastating blow to the player, who was hoping to crown what he termed the finest season of his career by leading his country to glory at the first World Cup to be staged in Africa. At the age of 32, it is unlikely he will have another opportunity to play at the World Cup.

The loss of player who has scored 44 goals in 69 appearances for his country - and hit 37 in all competitions for Chelsea this season - severely damages the Elephants' chances of making an impact in South Africa.

Ivory Coast are in the group of death with Brazil and Portugal and North Korea.

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Aussies unhappy with training pitch

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 08:28 PM

Australia's World Cup squad are unhappy about the quality of the training pitch they will move to ahead of their first group D match and are considering using a new ground.

Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek said on Friday the field at the Ruimsig stadium, near Johannesburg, had deteriorated over the past year.

"We are thinking, of course, about plan B and plan C but let's see first tomorrow how it looks," he told reporters ahead of a warmup match against the United States to be played at the ground.

Australia move to a new base just outside the city after the friendly and will train at Ruimsig following 10 days at a Johannesburg school.

They face Germany in their first group game on June 12, and then play Ghana (June 19) and Serbia (June 23).

Verbeek said a change of venue would be good for the team and could help their mental preparations before the crucial Germany match. However, he said he hoped the training pitch would hold up.

"When I was here last year it was fantastic already so I don't know what has happened," he said. "On the other hand it is just 10 days...I'm not so sure we will destroy the pitch in 10 days but if that's the case I think we will have to find another place."

Midfielder Brett Emerton will miss Saturday's friendly due to injury worries but is expected to be back in full training next week while Harry Kewell will be on the bench and may play after a long recovery from a groin strain.

Verbeek said he hoped to have all 23 players fit before June 12, including Emerton.

"I am not concerned at all, I am just taking no risk for the player (Emerton). He is too important for us, we have three tough games in qualification so I want him fit next week," he said.

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Chirayu Amin part of unsuccessful bid for Pune franchise: Modi

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 08:08 PM

New Delhi, June 4 (ANI): IPL bidding row got murkier with suspended IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi today claiming that Chirayu Amin was part of the consortium that made an unsuccessful bid for the Pune franchise.

Amin is the Twenty20 league's interim chairman after Modi was suspended over charges of mismanagement of funds.

Modi said Managing Director of City Corporation Aniruddha Deshpande made the bid in March for a new consortium, which included Amin.

"There were three members in the consortium that was part of the bid. They were Aniruddha, Akruti and Chirayu Amin. It's a fact of life and I cannot change or distort facts. They were the bidders, one can't change that," said Modi.

Earlier in the day, former BCCI President and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar dismissed reports of his family's involvement in the bid for Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisees.

He rubbished a newspaper report linking his family to the IPL bid.

Talking to reporters here, Pawar said: "Neither I nor my family is involved with any IPL team or with the bidding process."

"Whatever has been reported in the newspaper today was reported two months back also. At that time also I explained my position, which remains the same now. Neither me nor my family has direct or indirect involvement in any IPL team or in the bidding process," he added.

Commenting on the report that his family holds shares in the Pune-based construction company City Corporation that made an unsuccessful bid for a franchise in March, Pawar claimed that the MD of the company, Anirudhha Deshpande, had made the bid in his individual capacity.

He also reiterated that the IPL is clean and that there is nothing murky about the ownership patterns and financial transactions in the league. (ANI)

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Beckham will act as a liaison between players and Capello

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 07:58 PM

London, June 4 (IANS) England manager Fabio Capello has defined David Beckham's role as a liaison between players and management during the football World Cup in South Africa.

Capello feel that Beckham is in a unique position because of his experience and the respect he commands within the squad. Beckham will also be encouraged to observe players in training throughout the tournament and report back to Capello.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Beckham, who has been ruled out of the tournament with an Achilles injury, will be the right-hand man to England general manager Franco Baldini, who is Capello's key lieutenant.

Capello had already played down Beckham's role with the squad, and said that he would be a good ambassador. Capello also did not want to define a coaching role, especially as Beckham does not have any qualifications or experience, although he is listed as a member of the technical staff and will be much more than a cheerleader.

The midfielder may get involved in working with individual players if there is an aspect of their game Capello believes he can help to improve, although his main task will be to observe and provide his comments.

This will also extend to whether any of the players have problems or things they want to discuss. They may, Capello feels, find it easier to talk to Beckham, who has played at three previous World Cups and has 115 caps, than anyone else in the management team.

Beckham will also help to reduce Baldini's workload. In effect, Beckham will become a middleman, a link between the players and the management.

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Villa wants Spain to get rid of favourites tag

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 07:28 PM

Johannesburg, June 4 (IANS) Spanish striker David Villa feels the Euro champions will not have any extra advantage of being the favourites to win the football World Cup in South Africa.

Spain are in group H with Switzerland, Honduras and Chile and the three teams have never beaten the Spaniards.

Villa, however, doesn't want to take any chances and said it would be mistake to think too much into the fact.

'I sincerely think that it would be a mistake and we have to get that idea out of our heads. We have to think that all the teams that make it to the World Cup have a chance to achieve important things. Therefore, those three teams are going to make it very difficult for us,' said Villa, who was the top scorer in Euro 2008.

'If we think it is going to be easy then that's when it is going to get complicated. In the Spanish national team, both footballers and technical staff know very well that none of the three games is going to be easy so we are going to prepare each game properly in order to progress to the next stage,' he said.

Asked if Spain are favourites to win the World Cup, Villa said: 'Sincerely, we think that for the fans, for everybody, both Spanish and foreigners, the truth is that Spain's latest results, especially in the last three years, make it a favourite. But we sincerely think that the favourite teams do not have any advantage over the non-favourite teams, whatever they say. At the end of the day, we do not want to be favourites but to reach the final, so to be considered favourites we take it as a compliment, but that's it. We want to work each day so that we can reach the final.'

Villa picked by Chile, who could make it difficult for Spain.

'We have played against them and I think they have a very compact, very competitive squad and I think the three of them are going to make things very difficult for us,' he said.

Villa said that Spain doesn't want to stop after their European triumph in Vienna.

'We have had a very good generation of footballers and we have been a bit lucky, we have worked well the last few years and because at the end of the day things just happen the way the do, don't they? We have a good generation trying to win everything and we hope that Vienna was not our last triumph but that we can keep on winning for years to come,' he said.

The Barcelona striker also feels that England have the right mix to make the final.

'The fact is they have always had good teams and they have found it difficult in the big competitions. I think they have a perfect generation to make it to the final, and they will surely be one of the teams to beat,' he said.

Source: Web Search

Chirayu Amin was part of consortium bidding for Pune: Modi

Published Fri, Jun 04 10 07:08 PM

New Delhi, Jun 4 (PTI) Giving a new twist to the bidding controversy, suspended IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi today claimed that the Twenty20 league''s interim chairman Chirayu Amin was part of the consortium that made an unsuccessful bid for the Pune franchise in March this year. Modi said Aniruddha Deshpande, Managing Director of City Corporation in which Sharad Pawar and his family had 16 per cent shares, made the bid in March for a new consortium which included Amin. "There were three members in the consortium that was part of the bid. They were Aniruddha, Akruti and Chirayu Amin," said Modi, whose suspension saw Amin being appointed as the interim IPL chairman. "It''s a fact of life and I cannot change or distort facts. They were the bidders, one can''t change that," Modi said. Amin was not available for comments. Amin, a Vadodara-based industrialist who heads the Baroda Cricket Association, was named the interim chairman in April after Modi was suspended on charges of financial irregularities, including bid-rigging. Modi had earlier defended Pawar, saying no one from the Agriculture Minister''s family had anything to do with Deshpande''s bid.

Source: Web Search

Inter Milan eyeing sacked Benitez as replacement for 'Special One'

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 07:02 PM

Milan, June 4(ANI): Italian football giants Inter Milan have publicly praised Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, increasing the possibilities of the sacked Spaniard taking over at the San Siro.

Inter Milan President Massimo Moratti is understood to have identified Benitez as his "ideal candidate" and first choice to replace Jose Mourinho following his six million pound pay-off as Liverpool manager.

"We really like Rafa Benitez. He has been in our favour since the Champions League final in Istanbul [in 2005]," The Sun quoted Gabriele Oriali, Inter director, as saying.

Mourinho, who led Inter to an unprecedented treble of Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League, decided to leave the club and join Real Madrid to fulfil his dream of becoming the only coach to win the Champions League with three different clubs.

Benitez's six-year reign at the Anfield was over, when he was sacked following Liverpool's worst Premier League season since 1999.

The decision was taken after Liverpool Chairman Martin Broughton and Managing Director Christian Purslow held talks with Benitez, and came to the conclusion that he had lost the support of senior players at the club. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Vettel, Webber clear the air following 'disaster' Turkish GP crash

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 06:52 PM

London, June 4(ANI): Red Bull Formula One racing drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber have had clear-the-air talks following Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix 'disaster' collision.

The pair met with team bosses at their headquarters in Milton Keynes, and Vettel made the statement that both drivers are happy to continue to work together, The Sun reports.

The crash, a reprise of a collision between the two in Japan three years ago, came on the 40th lap when Vettel attempted to overtake Webber on the inside and then turned right into him.

Vettel spun out of the race, while Webber went on to take third place behind the McLaren pair of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

Red Bull principal Christian Horner said the crash, which robbed them of a one-two finish, was simply an "unnecessary" racing accident, and added that all factions of the team believed both drivers were equally guilty of not giving each other enough room.

"Ultimately we win as a team and we lose as a team and on Sunday we lost as a team, as a result of our two drivers having an incident. Having looked at all the information it's clear that it was a racing accident that shouldn't have happened between two team-mates," Horner said. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Injured England captain taken to hospital

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 06:48 PM

England captain Rio Ferdinand was taken to hospital after suffering a left knee injury in the final minutes of their first training session on Thursday.

The injury-prone 31-year-old central defender went into a tackle and fell badly, said manager Fabio Capello who announced the setback for his squad at his first news conference following the opening session at the England training camp.

He had just confirmed that goalkeeper David James had missed training due to a nagging knee injury aggravated by the long overnight flight from London on Wednesday.

He said: "More bad news -- Rio (Ferdinand) suffered a knee problem and he has just gone to hospital for a scan. We hope it is not a bad injury but that is all we know."

He also confirmed that midfielder Gareth Barry was recovering well after injury. He said Barry, who had injured his right ankle, trained well and was "improving every day".

The England manager added that he was thrilled to be in South Africa and was revelling in finally having a serious game to prepare for. "It is seven months now since our last qualifying game," he added.

England play their first game against the U.S. on June 12.

Ferdinand took over as England captain after fellow defender John Terry was stripped of the job in February because of an off-pitch scandal involving his private life but he has not played regularly for Manchester United this season due to a succession of injuries.

He played for England in the 2002 and 2006 World Cup finals tournaments and has made a total of 78 appearances, scoring three goals.

Source: Web Search

Udeshi shocks GM Hrair in Mayor''s Cup chess

Published Fri, Jun 04 10 06:38 PM

Mumbai, Jun 4 (PTI) Mumbai youngster Aditya Udeshi surprised Grand Master Simonian Hrair of Armenia in 43 moves on the third day of the Rs 15 lakh Mumbai Mayor''s Cup International open chess tournament here today. Udeshi, with an inferior ELO rating of 2316, stunned his rival, rated 2521, with good knowledge of the Sicilian defence adopted by Hrair after opening with his king pawn to emerge a deserving winner at the Goregaon Sports Club. Playing aggressively, Udeshi sacrificed his knight on the 23rd move and lured Simonian to his doom. The latter had to exchange his bishop for the knight but could not salvage a draw. Young Karnataka giant-killer D Yashas (ELO 2204) beat GM Ruslan Pogorelov (ELO 2454) of Ukraine with white pieces by displaying good skills in the end game to force his rival to call it quits after 56 moves. Two other Indians laid low their more fancied rivals. Swayans Mishra (ELO 2397) defeated GM Alexander Fier (ELO 2581) of Brazil and B T Murali Krishnan (ELO 2412) got the better of GM Turov Maxim (ELO 2624) of Russia. Top seed GM Alexi Dreev (ELO 2655) of Russia subdued GM Temirbayev Serikbay (ELO 2455) of Kazakhstan but India''s main hope and tournament''s second seed GM Parimarjan Negi (ELO 2636) was held to a draw by compatriot, IM Himanshu Sharma. (More) PTI SSR AMA DB

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No Indian in ICC Elite Panel of Umpires

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 05:58 PM

No Indian found a place in the ICC's re-jigged Elite Panel of Umpires from which South African veteran Rudy Koertzen will retire next month, bringing down the curtains on a career spanning 18 years.

Another South African Marais Erasmus and Australian Rodney Tucker are the two new additions to the panel. Erasmus and Tucker will replace Koertzen and England's Mark Benson, who stepped down from the panel in February, the ICC said in a statement.

Ever since S Venkataraghavan retired from the 2002 original panel in 2004, India has had no representation in the elite list.

Koertzen announced his retirement from officiating, effective at the end of his upcoming Test assignments in England.

Koertzen's last assignment as an elite umpire will be the second and final Test between Pakistan and Australia at Headingley from July 21 to 25.

He will also stand in the first Test between the two sides at Lord's from July 13 to 17. When he retires, Koertzen would have stood in 106 Tests, a record 209 ODIs and 14 Twenty20 Internationals.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said, "A distinguished career like Rudi's presents a benchmark for aspirant umpires.

Rudi is a role model for many of the younger-generation umpires and his distinguished career sets a standard for them to emulate."

"He is one of the most respected umpires in the game and has always been confident and self motivated yet humble," he added.

Reflecting on his career, Koertzen, who is currently officiating in the triangular ODI series between India, Sri Lanka and hosts Zimbabwe, said: "It has been 18 incredible years for me as an international umpire and I have thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it."

"Even though I will retire after the Leeds Test, I'll be more than happy to assist and help young umpires if they need my guidance as cricket also teaches us to give something back to the sport. After 18 years in business, I think it is payback time," he added.

Erasmus has umpired in two Tests, 16 ODIs and 11 T20Is.

The 46-year-old an all-rounder during his playing days.

Tucker, on the other hand, has so far stood in three Tests, 14 ODIs and eight T20Is. The 45-year-old is a former first-class cricketer.

Elite Panel of ICC Umpires for 2010-11: Billy Bowden, Aleem Dar, Steve Davis, Asoka de Silva, Billy Doctrove, Marais Erasmus, Ian Gould, Daryl Harper, Tony Hill, Asad Rauf, Simon Taufel, Rodney Tucker.

Source: Web Search

CWG tickets: From Rs 50 to Rs 50,000

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 05:54 PM

Price ranging from a modest Rs 50 to a whopping Rs 50,000, tickets for this year's Commonwealth Games went on sale today with sports enthusiasts having the option of booking them online or through call centres.

The ticketing website -- www.tickets.cwgdelhi2010.org and a call center facility 1800-200-1294 to book the tickets - were launched at a function here by Delhi Lt Governor Tejender Khanna, Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi and city Mayor Prithiviraj Sahni.

Ticket prices for the sporting events range from Rs 50 to Rs 1,000 while prices for the Opening and Closing Ceremony range from Rs 1,000 to Rs 50,000 and Rs 750 to Rs 50,000 respectively.

Four events will have free entry for fans - the Marathon, the Walk, Cycling Road Race and Cycling Time Trial.

Almost 40 per cent of the competition venue tickets have been put at Rs 200 or below, the Organising Committee said.

"Tickets is one of the four revenue streams for the Organising Committee, the others being Broadcast Rights, Sponsorship and Merchandise. I am sure ticketing will raise the budgeted revenues for us," Kalmadi said.

"Tickets have been reasonably priced to make it affordable for all. There will no entertainment tax on the tickets so that one can get full value of his money. We have put in place multiple sales channel to ensure wider distribution," Kalmadi added.

The sale of the tickets will start with immediate effect through the Central Bank of India and Hero Honda stores, CWG ticketing call center (1800-200-1294) as well as through the official website.

Indian Rail Catering and Tour Company (IRCTC) has been appointed the official ticketing agency along with Broad Vision Systems and TicketPro. IRCTC will sell tickets via the Internet, call center, a network of retail outlets and at different sporting venues during the Games.

There will be around 17 lakh tickets available for sale.

The ticket sales will be done in three phases. During phase-I (June 1 to July 31), spectators buying the tickets will be provided with a confirmation voucher which will be exchanged for actual tickets beginning August 1, also marking the start of phase-II.

During the second phase (August 1 to September 31), the spectators will have actual tickets against every purchase.

Phase-III, which will begin just before the Games (October 1), will see venue sales outlets also added to the sales channel.

Ticket sales in international markets began in November 2009 while sales to sponsors began last month. Each ticket holder can travel free of charge by Delhi Metro trains and DTC buses to reach and return from the venue on the day of the event for which they hold a ticket.

Source: Web Search

England may hide Finn from Australians ahead of Ashes

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 05:22 PM

London, June 4 (IANS) New bowling sensation Steven Finn may have to wait for his one-day debut as England wants to keep him under wraps to ensure that Ricky Ponting's side has no opportunity to face him ahead of this winter's Ashes series.

Finn, the man of the match in the first Test against Bangladesh at Lord's with nine wickets, may not figure in the line-up in the five-game series against Australia this month.

Captain Andrew Strauss would not reveal England's policy on Finn but explained why he may not be selected.

'There is no reason why Finn can't be a one-day bowler, but whether he is ready yet is something we will have to debate,' Strauss was quoted as saying in the Guardian.

'His record is better for Middlesex in four-day than one-day cricket,' said Strauss who is Finn's county captain.

'Workload is an issue as well. Finny has made an impact and he has shown what he is capable of, but it is important that we allow him a bit of time to develop. We don't need to rush things. He is going to have a long career ahead of him and we need to manage that.'

Source: Web Search

Pawar should resign immediately: BJP

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 05:18 PM

New Delhi, June 4 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accused former BCCI President and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar of misrepresenting facts on IPL bidding and demanded that he should resign immediately.

Addressing mediapersons here, Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "Sharad Pawar has mismanaged the food inflation as well as the cricket too, and he should step down from the post.

He said that City Corporation's MD had bid for the IPL Pune team, was a false claim by Pawar, and added that he should answer that why he mislead the country by giving wrong information.

He further demanded for probe in the IPL Pune's bidding process.

A newspaper report on Friday said Pawar family owned 16 per cent stake in City Corporation, a Pune company that the report claimed had bid for an IPL team in March this year.

Earlier, Pawar dismissed reports of his family's involvement in the bid for IPL franchisees.

He rubbished a newspaper report linking his family to the IPL bid.

Talking to reporters here, Pawar said: "Neither I nor my family is involved with any IPL team or with the bidding process."

"Whatever has been reported in the newspaper today was reported two months back also. At that time also I explained my position, which remains the same now. Neither me nor my family has direct or indirect involvement in any IPL team or in the bidding process," he added.

He also reiterated that the IPL is clean and that there is nothing murky about the ownership patterns and financial transactions in the league.

"The government agencies are inquiring and anyone who has done anything wrong, will be punished," he added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Erin Andrews' stalker 'virtually penniless': Report

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 05:08 PM

New York, June 4 (ANI): ESPN reporter Erin Andrews' convicted stalker has claimed that he is 'virtually penniless' and cannot pay the more than 300,000 dollars in restitution that was part of his sentence, according to reports.

Michael David Barrett, a 48-year-old insurance executive from Chicago, pleaded guilty to an 'interstate stalking' charge after he spied on Andrews at three different hotels as she showered and dressed for work.

He was sentenced in March to serve 27 months at a Los Angeles prison, according to a sentencing document.

As part of his sentence, Barrett was ordered to pay the out-of-pocket costs, Andrews, 31, had to accrue because of the violation.

According to TMZ, Barrett's lawyer filed legal papers contesting the 327,442.27 dollars that ESPN claimed it had to spend in relation to the matter, reports the New York Post.

His lawyer said that ESPN is just a third party that has nothing to do with the prosecution and is just trying to cash in. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Randhawa tied 59th after Rd 1 of Celtic Manor Open

Published Fri, Jun 04 10 04:52 PM

Newport (Wales), Jun 4 (PTI) Jyoti Randhawa carded a topsy-turvy one-over 72 to lie tied 59th after the opening round of the European Tour''s Celtic Manor Open golf tournament here. Randhawa''s card comprised three birdies, a couple of bogeys and a double bogey. On a roller-coaster day, Randhawa stumbled to a bogey on the fourth before picking up a birdie on the next hole to make the turn even-par. On his way back, Randhawa gained a shot on the 11th but a bogey on the 13th, followed by a double-bogey on the 14th ruined his card. But he did manage to sign off positively by striking a birdie on the 18th hole. England''s Chris Wood grabbed the sole lead with a six-under 65 after the opening round. He was followed a stroke behind by the trio of Andrew Dodt, Bradley Dredge and Soren Hansen.

Source: Web Search

Montgomerie fighting to save marriage after cheating wife

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 04:48 PM

London, Jun 4 (ANI): Ryder Cup captain and golf superstar Colin Montgomerie is fighting to save his marriage after confessing that he had been having a secret affair with his ex-lover Joanne Baldwin.

Montgomerie's two-year marriage is in trouble though he has ended his affair so that his wife Gaynor stays with him, The Mirror reports.

"I have put my marriage under considerable strain, but we are working through these problems. I am very sorry for the hurt I have caused to the ones I love so much.

"I would ask that my family and I are given the space and privacy to continue trying to resolve the issues. I will be making no further comment," Montgomerie said in a statement.

The golf superstar first fell for former neighbour Joanne, 50, after his marriage to Eimear Wilson broke down in 2004, The Mirror reports.

The romance with Joanne finally collapsed in April 2006 after the golfer was spotted sharing romantic dinner dates with Scottish TV presenter Alison Walker.

Soon afterwards Montgomerie met Gaynor, who inherited 20 million pounds in 2003 when her first husband, furniture tycoon George Knowles, died while on holiday in Mallorca.

They wed in April 2008. The couple has seven children between them and lives in a nine-bed -Perthshire mansion.

A source close to Joanne said: "She kept in touch after they split up and made it clear she would always be there for Colin."

Joanne told The Mirror: "I'm very sorry if his marriage is in trouble, but it's nothing to do with me." (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Commonwealth Games tickets launched online

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 04:38 PM

New Delhi, June 4 (ANI): Suresh Kalmadi, the Chairman of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC), on Friday launched the sale of online tickets for the Commonwealth Games.

Kalmadi issued the first ticket to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Tejinder Khanna.

Addressing media persons, Kalmadi said the tickets are priced reasonably to encourage more and more participation of people in the event.

"The tickets are reasonably priced. Rupees 50 is the minimum ticket. Any ticket holder can go free by public transportation. And, I am grateful to the government of Delhi for having waved aside entertainment tax. No entertainment tax on this ticket, that is why we could have the prices so low," Kalmadi added.

Kalmadi said he was confident that the sports loving people will contribute to the successful delivery of the Games that is being held in Asia for only the second time and in India for the first time.

He hoped the games organizing committee would witness a huge turnout of spectators during the games.

The tickets will be available in four different slabs and will range from Rs. 50 to Rs. 1000 for all sporting events. While the tickets for the inaugural and closing ceremony to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi are priced between Rs. 750 to Rs. 50,000.

The tickets will be available at more than 50 outlets of Central Bank of India and Hero Honda showrooms. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Jeev tied 87th after Rd1 of The Memorial

Published Fri, Jun 04 10 04:22 PM

Dublin (Ohio), Jun 4 (PTI) Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh is in danger of missing his second successive cut after turning in a disappointing two-over 74 to in the opening round of the Memorial Tournament here. Lying tied 87th, the Chandigarh-pro, who missed the cut at last week''s Crowne Plaza International in Texas, could suffer a similar fate here if he fails to raise his game at the Muirfield Village Golf Club. It was a steady start to the proceedings as Jeev found a birdie on the second and parred next four holes. A double-bogey on the seventh hole made it one-over for Jeev but a birdie on the ninth had him even-par at the turn. The back-nine was a tumultuous affair and Jeev stumbled to four bogeys against a couple of birdies to round off a rather disappointing day. At the top, it was a three-way tie for the lead between England''s Justin Rose, American Rickie Fowler and Australian Geoff Oglivy after the all three of them opened with 65s. PTI PM AY

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Germany classy in win; Spain win late; Mexico trip up Italy

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 04:18 PM

Munich, June 4 (DPA) Three-time world champions Germany put on an offensive display in beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 in Thursday's 2010 World Cup warm-up action, while title-holders Italy fell against Mexico and Spain overcame South Korea late.

Bosnia took the lead after 15 minutes, but Philipp Lahm equalised in his first match as new German captain in the 50th minute. Bastian Schweinsteiger converted spot kicks in the 73rd and 77th minutes for the 3-1 German victory in Frankfurt.

Mexico went ahead 1-0 through Carlos Vela after 17 minutes. It was 2-0 at the 84-minute mark on Alberto Medina's goal before Leonardo Bonucci scored a consolation goal in Italy's 1-2 defeat at the hands of Mexico in Brussels.

Jesus Navas struck the game-winner with five minutes to play as Vicente del Bosque's Spain beat South Korea 1-0 in Innsbruck, Austria.

In their final friendly before the World Cup in South Africa, Joachim Loew's German side nearly took the lead after nine minutes, but Lukas Podolski hammered his attempt off the crossbar.

Germany fell behind in the 15th minute on a goal by Dzeko, who earns his salary in the Bundesliga. The Wolfsburg striker headed a pass forward that Lahm tried to clear, but the ball went off Dzeko's chest and over German keeper Manuel Neuer.

Lahm knotted the game five minutes after the break, unleashing a blast off the lower half of the crossbar after a long run for his first goal since the semi-finals of the 2008 European Championship against Turkey.

Mesut Oezil was the next German to hit the crossbar just two minutes later.

Loew's men grabbed the lead with 17 minutes left as Schweinsteiger converted his penalty after Sanel Jahic took down Marko Marin in the area.

Bosnian captain Emir Spahic felled Thomas Mueller in the area just four minutes later, and Schweinsteiger hit home again from the spot for the final scoreline.

'It was a good showing. We had three good chances in the first half and finally got the goals in the second half,' said Lahm, who took over for the injured Michael Ballack as Germany's captain.

'In the second half we were able to increase the tempo even more after three tough weeks of training camp. And we deserved this win,' said Loew, whose German side will play Australia, Ghana and Serbia in Group D.

'It gives us confidence heading to South Africa.'

Italy still have one more friendly Saturday against Switzerland to bounce back from their 2-1 loss against Mexico.

Vicenzo Iaquinta's header was saved at the line by the Mexico defence after just three minutes.

Carlos Vela gave the Mexicans the lead in the 17th minute, finishing off a fine counter attack action and beating Italian star keeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Italy found the back of the net in the 62nd minute, but Alberto Gilardino was ruled offside. And Mexico took advantage of the miscue to double the lead at the 84-minute mark with Alberto Medina striking to the far left corner after a counterattack.

Italy, who play against Paraguay, Denmark and New Zealand in Group F, grabbed a goal back with a minute left in regulation as Leonardo Bonucci hit home a loose ball that had struck off the left upright.

'I know my players. They told me that they feel their legs heavy. It will be important to recover for the hard work in the next days,' said Italian coach Marcello Lippi. 'Had we played more than trained, we would have done better.'

Mexico now head to South Africa looking forward to the World Cup opener against the hosts June 11, followed by matches against Uruguay and France.

European champions Spain finally solved a tough South Korea defence in the 85th minute with Jesus Navas scoring the winner.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque, whose team plays Honduras, Chile and Switzerland in Group H in South Africa, rested a number of his regulars, including Iker Casillas, Carles Puyol and for the first half David Villa.

Cesc Febregas nearly gave the Spanish the lead after 35 minutes, beating South Korean keeper Lee Woon Jae from the edge of the area but striking the right side of the post.

The Iberians finally solved the Asian side with five minutes to play as Navas struck into the near upper right corner from just outside the right edge of the area.

'Even though it was just a warm-up, getting a victory was very important for us at this stage of the preparations,' said Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes.

Spain will face Poland in their final friendly Tuesday.

At South Africa 2010, South Korea take on Greece, Nigeria and Argentina in Group B.

Source: Web Search

Erikkson surprised at Walcott's omission

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 03:58 PM

London, June 4 (IANS) Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who is now in charge of Ivory Coast, has expressed surprise at Theo Walcott's failure to make the football World cup squad in South Africa.

Walcott has been left out of Fabio Capello's squad after suffering a series of injuries and loss of form.

Eriksson, a Swede, caused a huge stir four years ago when he selected the then 17-year-old Walcott - at that stage without a single Premier League game to his name - in his 23-man squad for the finals in Germany, although he did not feature at all in the tournament.

A hat-trick in a World Cup qualifier against Croatia in September 2008 only enhanced Walcott's chances of playing in South Africa.

Eriksson said he was surprised by Capello's decision because four years ago Walcott was the golden boy, or (showed that he) can be the golden boy.

'Maybe the expectation on him was too big, I don't know,' Eriksson told BBC Radio Five Live. 'The only person that can speak about that is (Arsene) Wenger. Four years ago I thought he could be a great player - and he still can be of course.'

Source: Web Search

Strauss says Trott's 'pre-shot crease-work' not against 'spirit of game'

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 03:52 PM

London, June 4(ANI): England captain Andrew Strauss has defended Lord's double centurion Jonathan Trott's 'pre-shot routine at the crease', which Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons described as being against the spirit of the game.

"Everyone has their pre-shot routines, like golfers; designed to get them in the right frame of mind to face any one ball," The Telegraph quoted Strauss, as saying.

"One of Trotty's great strengths is his concentration and maybe it helps him get into the right mindset to concentrate for long periods," he added.

Earlier, Siddons was angry that Trott had not been taken to task and was making the Bangladeshi bowlers wait during the first Test.

"It is annoying everyone in the team. He should be ready when the bowlers are ready. It is not in the spirit of the game. The match referees and umpires need to look at it. Take that away from his game and everybody would be happy," Siddons had said.

"Our bowlers have tried to run in while he is preparing, but the umpire just puts his arm out. Making a mark that leaves a hole a foot deep is a bit too much," he added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

PCB boss Butt mad over coach Waqar's 'harking to media' habits

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 03:48 PM

Karachi, Jun.4 (ANI): It seems that all is not well between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt and coach Waqar Younis, as the later was not invited for a crucial meeting at the Board headquarters in Lahore during which the team for the forthcoming Asia Cup was picked.

Sources close to the developments revealed that Butt had invited skipper Shahid Afridi and chief selector Mohsin Khan to discuss the names of cricketers for the June 15- 24 quadrangular one-day series in Sri Lanka, but decided against sending any invite to Waqar.

"Butt decided to discuss the team with just Afridi and Mohsin though normally the coach is also there for such meetings," The News quoted sources, as saying.

Insiders said that Butt is not happy with Waqar's style, and that the PCB has advised him not to make any comment against either against the board or any other player.

"The PCB chief is not very happy with Waqar because of the coach's habit of making comments about the team and other cricket matters in the media," sources said.

"The PCB wants Waqar to curb his tendency of making statements hich the Board believes can be a bit negative at times," they added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Strauss says Trott's 'pre-shot crease-work' not against 'spirit of game'

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 03:38 PM

London, June 4(ANI): England captain Andrew Strauss has defended Lord's double centurion Jonathan Trott's 'pre-shot routine at the crease', which Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons described as being against the spirit of the game.

"Everyone has their pre-shot routines, like golfers; designed to get them in the right frame of mind to face any one ball," The Telegraph quoted Strauss, as saying.

"One of Trotty's great strengths is his concentration and maybe it helps him get into the right mindset to concentrate for long periods," he added.

Earlier, Siddons was angry that Trott had not been taken to task and was making the Bangladeshi bowlers wait during the first Test.

"It is annoying everyone in the team. He should be ready when the bowlers are ready. It is not in the spirit of the game. The match referees and umpires need to look at it. Take that away from his game and everybody would be happy," Siddons had said.

"Our bowlers have tried to run in while he is preparing, but the umpire just puts his arm out. Making a mark that leaves a hole a foot deep is a bit too much," he added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Nothing to do with IPL bid, hate being on front page: Sule

Published Fri, Jun 04 10 03:28 PM

Mumbai, Jun 4 (PTI) Defending Sharad Pawar, the NCP chief''s daughter Supriya Sule today said the family had nothing to do with a failed bid for the Pune IPL team. "Who wants to be on the front page of newspapers for wrong reasons. One can understand if one is featured on front page for the good work done in the constituency," she told reporters here. Rubbishing media reports linking the Pawars to the IPL bid made by Pune-based City Corporation''s Managing Director Aniruddha Deshpande "in individual capacity", Sule said "Remember my father was the BCCI chief when IPL started and had he wanted, he could have easily bid for a team even then." "If one is honest, one can sail through anything... I know I am honest," she said, describing cricket as "my father''s other profession." "Have you ever seen me at a BCCI event?" she asked and stated that the only ''influence'' she has ever used was to "get good seats at cricket matches". Asked why no one from the Pawar family revealed anything about the bid earlier when the controversy erupted, Sule said, "See, we were just not interested in the bid and the company itself was against it. We have the documents to prove it." MORE PTI VT SK PM

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India desperate for big win tomorrow to keep alive final hopes

Published Fri, Jun 04 10 03:22 PM

Harare, Jun 4 (PTI) With their chances of making the final hanging by a thread, a beleaguered India will have to win and win it big when they take on Sri Lanka in a do-or-die match in the cricket tri-series here tomorrow. Smarting from the ignominy of being beaten twice by Zimbabwe in the tournament -- their first back-to-back defeats against the traditional minnows -- Suresh Raina and his teammates have their back against the wall with the prospect of an early exit looming large. Given the scenario, India, who currently have just four points from just one win, have to beat the Lankans tomorrow with a bonus point and hope that the outcome of Monday''s Zimbabwe-Sri Lanka match also goes their way. A win and a bonus point tomorrow will take India''s tally to nine points, level with Zimbabwe. Raina and his men would then hope that Zimbabwe spring another surprise and upstage the Lankans, who have five points, in the final league encounter. But all mathematical calculations hinge on an Indian win tomorrow and they can take heart from the fact that they beat Tillakaratne Dilshan''s men the first time around. That win came on the back of some fantastic batting by Rohit Sharma, who struck a hundred, and Virat Kohli. The two rescued India from a wobbly start and guided them home. But except for the two and to some extent Raina, India''s batting has not been too impressive. The Zimbabweans thoroughly exposed batting frailties and though the Lankans also have a relatively inexperienced squad, they would look to exploit the known chink in India''s armour. The openers have been a letdown and Raina had no hesitation admitting that the failure of Murali Vijay and Dinesh Karthik has hurt the side. Rohit Sharma hit back-to-back centuries but it is unfair to expect him to bail out the side. Lot would depend on Kohli and Raina as well, while Yusuf Pathan will also have to contribute, more so when the chips are down. India''s bowling has been largely toothless and none from the attack has made much of an impact. Umesh Yadav and Ashok Dinda have been inconsistent and though they have wickets to show, their economy rates are nothing to talk about. The Lankan have played just two matches so far and while they were clinical against Zimbabwe, they just couldn''t accelerate at the right time against India. But the team which comprises some new faces and some comeback men can still prove to be a quite a handful for India.

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Malik selection after he assured Afridi to transform himself

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 03:18 PM

Karachi, June 4 (IBNS) Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik managed to come back for this month's Asia Cup Thursday after assuring current skipper Shahid Afridi that he would completely transform himself into a 'team man' and will always give his best for the team.

Afridi told 'The News' Friday that he believes that the former captain has learnt his lessons after getting slapped by a one-year ban and is now ready to play the role of a senior for the sake of Pakistan cricket.

He rejected reports that Malik was picked for the Asia Cup because of pressure from various influential quarters.

'I don't take any pressure from anyone. Shoaib Malik is a talented cricketer and there is no doubt about it. The team needs him. But I've told him clearly that 'I'm supporting you and I need your support for the sake of the team',' said Afridi.

'Malik has assured me of his complete support. He was serious about making a successful international return and wants to help me in my efforts to put the team back on track.'

Malik was banned by the PCB for one year in March after he was found guilty of indiscipline during the disastrous tour of Australia where Pakistan lost all their matches. He was also accused of hatching conspiracies against former captains Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf.

However, a one-man appeal tribunal lifted the ban which allowed national selectors to pick him for the Asia Cup to be played in the central Sri Lankan city of Dambulla from June 15-24. It is believed that Afridi was against the idea of Malik returning for the Asia Cup but the skipper said that he has no personal grudge against any one.

'I have no personal grudges against anybody including Malik. The thing is that I just want players who can contribute towards the team cause. I want to raise our performance graph and that can only happen through a team effort.'

Afridi, 30, rejected the impression that ageing fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was selected in the Sri Lanka-bound team even after failing a fitness test.

'Who said he (Akhtar) failed the fitness test? We have received reports from experts that he is fully fit after which we have decided to recall him,' said Afridi.

Afridi said that Akhtar can add firepower to Pakistan's bowling arsenal.

'It's true that Shoaib has been out of action for some time but I'm sure that he still has a lot of cricket left in him. We can field him in our big matches which means he will get enough time to recover and maintain his form and fitness. I'm happy that he is back.'

Afridi played down the selectors' decision to drop young allrounder Fawad Alam, who is thought to be one of the captain's favourites.

'Fawad Alam will come back. We have a lot of cricket after the Asia Cup. He just needs to prove himself which I'm sure he would do because he is a good cricketer,' he said.

Afridi said the team will work hard during a brief preparatory camp that will begin in Lahore from Saturday).

'We don't have many days to get ready for the Asia Cup which means that a lot of hard work will be needed from the boys over the next week or so,' he said.

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Ranjan to lead Bihar in East Zone U-14 tourney

Published Fri, Jun 04 10 03:08 PM

Patna, Jun 4 (PTI) Praveen Ranjan will lead the Bihar team in the East Zone Under-14 cricket championship to be held in Cuttack from June 7, Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) Secretary Ajay Narain Sharma said. The 16-member team will leave tonight by a train for Orissa to participate in the cricket tourney, Sharma said. Bihar has been placed in Group ''B'' with Assam and Meghalaya. Squad: Praveen Ranjan (captain), Ishan Keshan (vice-Captain), Bibhuti Bhashkar, Anujit Parmar, Prashant Kumar, Sanjeet Kumar, Shubham, Chandan Kumar, Prince, Rohit Mehta, Anukul Ashish, Yash Mehta, Suraj kumar, Shubham, Rajat Kumar and Ajit Kumar.

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Compression clothing doesn't influence athletic performance

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 02:52 PM

Washington, June 4 (ANI): A new study from a researcher at Indiana University suggests that the new fad of athletes wearing compression clothing to enhance performance has in fact little influence.

Abigail Laymon's study found that lower leg compression garments did not impact a runner's oxygen consumption, which meant there was no change in running economy or efficiency.

The study also found that calf compression garments did not have an effect on running mechanics.

Laymon examined the impact a lower leg compression garment made by Zensah-basically, a more compressive tall sock that begins just above the ankle and goes a little below the knee-had on a runner's running mechanics and running economy.

Lower leg compression garments have gained popularity in the professional field of distance running, despite a lack of solid research supporting their use.

"Distance runners may try them out initially, because they see other runners using them with success," Laymon said. "Since some runners are somewhat superstitious, they may continue to use them if they happen to have a good race and attribute it to the compression."

Sixteen highly trained male distance runners were recruited this study. Each subject had to complete two 12-minute running tests -one with lower leg compression and one without. During each test, the subjects had to run at three speeds: a 6.55 minute per mile pace, a 6 minute per mile pace, and a 5.21 per mile pace. During the tests, the runners spent four minutes at each speed.

Running economy is the amount of energy one expends on a given workload. Mechanics and economy are linked -- the more unnecessary motion that is exerted while running will usually result in a greater waste of energy resulting in a worse economy.

To study a runner's economy, Laymon measured the runner's oxygen consumption at three different running speeds. Lower oxygen consumption indicated better economy. The subjects ran at each speed with and without lower leg compression. However, the study found that the runners' economy did not change when wearing the garment.

The runners' mechanics were not affected as well. Laymon found no differences in ground contact time, stride length or stride frequency.

"Highly trained runners have an ingrained running style, so changing it is difficult. Typically they have already selected the best running style for themselves. An intervention like compression may not affect them, especially a commercially available grade of compression that is slightly more compressive than a sock," Laymon said.

Although overall the study found that the compression garment had no effect on running mechanics and economy, there was some variation. Four subjects had an average of greater than one percent increase in oxygen consumption-their economy worsened while wearing the compression garment. However, four other subjects experienced a greater than one percent decrease in oxygen consumption-their economy improved-while wearing the compression garment.

Laymon had her subjects complete a subjective questionnaire about their feelings toward compression garments before completing their tests.

It turned out that the subjects who experienced improvement in their economy were more likely to have a favourable attitude toward compressive wear and believed that by wearing the compressive garment their racing would improve.

"Overall, with these compressive sleeves and the level of compression that they exert, they don't seem to really do much.

However, there may be a psychological component to compression's effects. Maybe if you have this positive feeling about it and you like them then it may work for you. It is a very individual response," Laymon said. (ANI)

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Prince group to perform in Commonwealth games ceremony

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 02:48 PM

After showcasing their unique talent in a reality show, Berhampur based Prince Dance group is now set to perform in the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.

Prince Dance Group came into National fame after it won the reality show - India's Got Talent last year.

The International sport event, hosted by India, is scheduled to be held from October 3 at New Delhi.

"We are very happy as we got a chance to show our skill in an International event", the leader of the dance group, Krishna Mohan Reddy said. Reddy, however, said the group was yet to decide the item to be presented in the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.

"We don't think so far as the date of event is to be held in the month of October. We are now busy with other programmes", he said. Reddy and his troupe are now in Hyderabad to perform in a programme in Andhra Pradesh.

With no formal professional training, most members of the group of Ambapua, at the outskirt of Berhampur were daily labourers. But their performance was praised by all including the noted artists Sekhar Summon and Sonali Bendre.

The members of the group including two polio-stricken persons, The group with everyone below 22-years of age, had performed the dances like the Kalia Dalana, Sare Jahanse Achha and Dasabatara in the reality show in August, 2009. The group had won Rs 50 lakh cash along with a car.

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No Indian in ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, Koertzen to retire

Published Fri, Jun 04 10 02:22 PM

Dubai, Jun 4 (PTI) No Indian found a place in the ICC''s re-jigged Elite Panel of Umpires from which South African veteran Rudy Koertzen will retire next month, bringing down the curtains on a career spanning 18 years. Another South African Marais Erasmus and Australian Rodney Tucker are the two new additions to the panel. Erasmus and Tucker will replace Koertzen and England''s Mark Benson, who stepped down from the panel in February, the ICC said in a statement. Ever since S Venkataraghavan retired from the 2002 original panel in 2004, India has had no representation in the elite list. Koertzen announced his retirement from officiating, effective at the end of his upcoming Test assignments in England. Koertzen''s last assignment as an elite umpire will be the second and final Test between Pakistan and Australia at Headingley from July 21 to 25. He will also stand in the first Test between the two sides at Lord''s from July 13 to 17. When he retires, Koertzen would have stood in 106 Tests, a record 209 ODIs and 14 Twenty20 Internationals. ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said, "A distinguished career like Rudi''s presents a benchmark for aspirant umpires. Rudi is a role model for many of the younger-generation umpires and his distinguished career sets a standard for them to emulate." "He is one of the most respected umpires in the game and has always been confident and self motivated yet humble," he added. Reflecting on his career, Koertzen, who is currently officiating in the triangular ODI series between India, Sri Lanka and hosts Zimbabwe, said: "It has been 18 incredible years for me as an international umpire and I have thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it." "Even though I will retire after the Leeds Test, I''ll be more than happy to assist and help young umpires if they need my guidance as cricket also teaches us to give something back to the sport. After 18 years in business, I think it is payback time," he added. Erasmus has umpired in two Tests, 16 ODIs and 11 T20Is. The 46-year-old an all-rounder during his playing days. Tucker, on the other hand, has so far stood in three Tests, 14 ODIs and eight T20Is. The 45-year-old is a former first-class cricketer. Elite Panel of ICC Umpires for 2010-11: Billy Bowden, Aleem Dar, Steve Davis, Asoka de Silva, Billy Doctrove, Marais Erasmus, Ian Gould, Daryl Harper, Tony Hill, Asad Rauf, Simon Taufel, Rodney Tucker.

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Never wanted cricket to be a part of Olympic: Kalmadi

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 01:52 PM

New Delhi, June 04 (ANI): Hitting out at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for backing out from Asian games, Suresh Kalmadi, President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee in New Delhi on Thursday opined that he never wanted cricket to be a part of Olympic sports.

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CORRECTED - Mandela meets Bafana Bafana ahead of Wcup

Published>Fri, Jun 04 10 01:48 PM

Nelson Mandela met South Africa's national soccer team Bafana Bafana on Thursday, wearing the captain's number 4 shirt, to help inspire the team in this month's World Cup which the country is hosting.

The former South African president, who turns 92 next month, is increasingly frail and rarely makes public appearances.

His stature, however, is widely seen to have helped sway the 2004 vote to award the Cup to the country, and FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Wednesday his presence at the opening match on June 11 would be a highlight of the tournament.

The Mandela Foundation said in a statement he was introduced to the team and coaching staff at its Johannesburg offices.

His office, however, would not confirm media reports that the Nobel Peace Prize winner, who led South Africa out of apartheid in 1994, would attend the World Cup opening ceremony.

"The Nelson Mandela Foundation does not disclose Mr Mandela's schedule in public for security reasons," Sello Hatang, spokesman for the foundation, said.

Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile was quoted in The Star newspaper as saying Mandela wanted to attend the World Cup and that his office had asked for tickets.

The ruling ANC also said Mandela would be there.

"The information that we have from his office is that he will be attending the opening and will also be attending the closing ceremony," the party's spokesman Jackson Mthembu said.

"We are happy that Madiba (Mandela's clan name) will come and the Madiba magic will also add to this excitement."

Mandela helped inspire the Springbok rugby team to World Cup glory at home in 1995, famously wearing captain Francois Pienaar's jersey.

But Mandela's office has stressed in the past that the decision about attending events this year was solely up to him and would not be made public.

Some observers have suggested poor health may keep him away from Africa's first hosting of the world's most watched sports event.

South Africa play Mexico in the opening game in a tough Group A that also includes previous winners France (June 22) and Uruguay (June 16).

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