Nirupama comes back to prop up CWG chances

Tue, Aug 10 10 12:07 PM

Pune, Aug. 9 -- Desperate to prop up its women's tennis challenge in the Commonwealth Games, the All India Tennis Association has roped in a 33-year-old who retired six years ago. Nirupama Sanjeevnee Vaidyanathan has a four-year-old daughter and has played in all of two International Tennis Federation event main draws in the last six years. Her name did not figure in the original list of 20 probables released by the federation two years ago. Nirupama, however, is a part of our tennis history as she was the first Indian woman to figure in a Grand Slam singles draw (Australian Open, 1999) in the open era. Such is the lack of depth in Indian women's tennis that it appears Nirupama will be good enough to make the team. Stroking the ball with flair and control far better than the other active players, Nirupama looked like she truly belonged at the preparatory camp here on Monday. "I am playing better as there is just no pressure anymore. I have always enjoyed competing and this new lease is a bonus," she told HT. The man in charge of shaping up India's chances at the Commonwealth Games, Jaidip Mukerjea, got in touch with her after she won a singles round at the $25,000 ITF event in Pune in November last year. "I was not surprised as I saw a lot of matches of the other (Indian) girls and also practiced with many of them. So I was kind of expecting this," says Nirupama. "I have been practicing since then and have got my game together. I also figured in three qualifying draws. However, it's doubles where my experience can be tapped for the best." And fitness? "It's a different kind of game I play now where it's not so much about brute power but more about neutralising the opponent using my ability to come up with the goods in a tight situation." Another player in the camp is 22-year-old Tara Iyer who last played an ITF event in February 2008. She has been active on the US collegiate circuit but has been nursing an injury for some time. "I was out of touch after a knee surgery. But I am getting back," she said. Given the way she was hitting the ball, her chances of also figuring in the doubles with Nirupama appear to be bright. "The main idea behind picking a team is to see where we can win medals. Both these girls were training in the US and their experience could come in handy in doubles," said Mukerjea. "We have some good juniors. But we are not sure whether they are ready for such a big stage," he added.

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Controversies behind Murali''s underachievement in Oz: Buchanan

Tue, Aug 10 10 11:21 AM

Melbourne, Aug 10 (PTI) Australia was never a happy hunting ground for Muttiah Muralitharan and the champion Sri Lankan spinner''s initial run-ins with umpires and fans had a big role to play in his under-achievement Down Under, feels former Australia coach John Buchanan. Muralitharan brought down curtains on his five-day career last month in a blaze of glory by becoming the first cricketer to scalp 800 wickets in Tests. However, he has always been an underachiever against Australia, claiming just 59 wickets in 13 Tests. In comparison, he took 112 wickets in 16 Tests against England, 104 wickets in 15 Tests against South Africa and 105 wickets in 22 Tests against India. "Australia for any spinner can be an unforgiving location as the wickets are reasonably true for four of the five days of Test matches, " Buchanan was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph. "Murali''s early encounter with Australian umpires and crowds were very critical of his action. As a consequence, he may never have felt totally comfortable touring Australia," he said. "Australia did not play Murali too much on his home soil. The 2004 series which Australia won 3-0 was a triumph for the team''s batting group which spent a lot of time analysing and devising strategies to play Murali so that he could not dominate the batting lineup," added Buchanan, who has been roped in by England as a consultant ahead of this year''s Ashes. But the former Australian coach said Muralithran deserves every bit of accolade for his achievements. "Very few players in any sport can depart their sport with the fairytale ending. Murali has done so and richly deserves such a farewell. "The game will sadly miss this little character. He like Shane Warne brought colour, energy, special skills and the magic and mystery of spin to all parts of the game. He was a very affable fellow who was a great competitor, but was a very generous person to those he played with and against," Buchanan said.

Source: Published>

Paralysed gymnast to sue 1998 Goodwill organisers

Tue, Aug 10 10 11:17 AM

Former Chinese gymnast Sang Lan, who was left paralysed after a fall at the 1998 Goodwill Games, is looking for an American lawyer to help her sue the organisers of the event.

Sang, then 17, broke her neck and was confined to a wheelchair for life after landing on her head during vault practice at the fourth Goodwill Games in New York.

"Poor management and bad organisation on site were the reasons for the accident," Sang wrote on her blog (http://t.sina.com.cn/sanglan) at the weekend. "I have held back the truth for 12 years, it is now time to tell it."

A coach from another country had been removing a mattress from the landing area when she took off on the fateful jump, Sang said.

"The distraction directly caused me to hesitate and utimately led to what I am now," she added.

"I have started to collect the information about how I was distracted and injured, and the record of my contacts with the Games organisers. I will seek representation among American attorneys."

Sang said the Games organisers provided her with insurance to cover lifetime medical treatment, but no other compensation for her living expenses.

She also complained that neither the Chinese Gymnastic Association (CGA) nor the Games organisers had paid any attention to her living conditions back in China.

"(The organisers) have acted as if it had nothing to do with them," she said.

The Goodwill Games were created by American media mogul Ted Turner in 1986 and ended in 2001 after five editions.

Source: Published>

Going back to Brazil is a dream come true for Deco

Tue, Aug 10 10 12:37 AM

To play again in Brazil is a dream come true, said former Portugal midfielder Deco after completing his move to championship leaders Fluminense on Monday.

Brazilian-born Deco, who played for Portugal in two World Cups, was released by English champions Chelsea at the weekend and is expected to make his 'Flu' debut in the Rio derby against Vasco da Gama on Aug. 22.

"I owed myself this, it was a big dream to be able to return to Brazilian football after 13 years," said the 32-year-old who had a short spell with Corinthians before joining Benfica in 1997.

"There were big difficulties getting released from my contract with Chelsea but I thank Fluminense for keeping the door open and making the effort to bring me back," he told reporters.

"I will certainly pay that back with a lot of effort on the pitch to win titles," added Deco who was born near Sao Paulo.

"I was lucky to join the leaders and I'm happy to be at a very good club ... with a fantastic coach (Muricy Ramalho) who is a big name in Brazilian football."

Ramalho was first choice to replace Dunga as Brazil coach after last month's World Cup but Fluminense refused to release him.

"I want to prepare properly. I've been doing fitness work for a week under the orders of Fluminense's physical trainer so I can make my debut as soon as possible," added Deco who will wear his favourite number 20 shirt.

Deco, full name Anderson Luis de Souza, won the European Champions League with Porto in 2004 and again with Barcelona two years later.

He spent two seasons at Chelsea, having been signed by Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari, but injuries and poor form blighted his time in the Premier League.

Deco quit international soccer after last month's World Cup.

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Ajax sign Dutch international Ooijer

Mon, Aug 09 10 11:57 PM

Dutch international Andre Ooijer has signed a one-year deal with Ajax Amsterdam, the club said on Monday.

The 36-year-old defender, who featured in the Dutch team that was beaten 1-0 by Spain in last month's World Cup final, was a free agent after leaving PSV Eindhoven.

Source: Published>

Butt demands fielding improvements from Pakistan

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 11:37 PM

Pakistan must improve their lacklustre fielding before the third test against England, captain Salman Butt said on Monday after counting 14 missed catching chances in the nine-wicket loss at Edgbaston.

Pakistan are now 2-0 down in the four-match series and Butt realises if they are to salvage a drawn series by winning at The Oval and Lord's, his team will have to start holding on to opportunities.

Regular wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was omitted after missing chances in the first test at Trent Bridge and his replacement Zulqarnain Haider dropped three catches at Edgbaston.

Several of his team mates were also offenders as Kevin Pietersen was missed three times during his innings of 80 that gave England their platform to win.

"The guys themselves realise that we need 20 wickets to win a test match and if we drop 14 catches in a test it makes it hard to do that," Butt told reporters.

"They were out in the morning working hard but one day is not enough. You need to do that continuously. These 14 include half chances and being professional we need to account for the half chances."

There were 10 clear drops.

Former Pakistan batsman Ijaz Ahmed is part of the team's current backroom staff, officially as an associate coach but with the remit to help the team's fielding.

England have former physical education teacher Richard Halsall as a specialist fielding coach while Australia have had baseball coach Mike Young helping them.

'CULTURE CHANGE'

South Africa have employed one of the greatest fielders of all time in their former batsman Jonty Rhodes, and fielding expert and former Warwickshire player Trevor Penney used to work with Sri Lanka. Pakistan have not considered a specialist.

"Ijaz Ahmed was one of the best Pakistan fielders once and he is doing a good job but we need to work hard ourselves," Butt said. "A culture change in one series is virtually impossible. More than myself, the individual needs to understand what has happened and only that will change them."

Meanwhile, England captain Andrew Strauss gave unequivocal support to his opening partner and vice-captain Alastair Cook who was bowled for four by Mohammad Amir on Monday and has now failed to reach 30 in his last seven test innings.

Although he scored two centuries on the tour of Bangladesh in March, when the pitches were slow and did not encourage pace or spin bowlers, Cook's form could be giving England selectors food for thought ahead of the Ashes series, which starts in November. Cook averages 26 from 10 tests against Australia.

"Opening the batting in test cricket can be tough at times and when you are down on confidence it can be exploited more than other areas in the batting line-up, but Cooky has played some outstanding innings for England in the past, he's a valuable member of our side," said Strauss.

"I have every confidence he will come back and play some valuable innings in the near future. He's a top-quality opening bat and three or four tests do not change that. I'm not a selector but he has my full backing because I honestly think a big score is around the corner."

Source: Web Search

England registers nine-wicket win over Pakistan in 2nd Test match

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 10:57 PM

Birmingham (England), Aug 9 (ANI): England team scored an emphatic nine-wicket victory over Pakistan here in the second Test match played at the Edgbaston ground while taking a 2-0 lead in the ongoing series.

Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott hit unbeaten half-centuries to guide England to a splendid win. Both batsmen finished on 53 with the second-wicket pair making light work of a potentially testing surface as the hosts completed their sixth consecutive Test victory midway through the afternoon session.

England did the hard work before lunch and when they resumed 47 were needed with the bite gone from Pakistan's attack.

Strauss went to his fifty from 108 balls then Trott brought up the same milestone, his second 50 of the match, with a powerful cover drive which levelled the scores. Strauss secured victory via a rather inglorious inside edge but he'll be highly satisfied by another successful outing.

The pitch was also offering uneven bounce for both the spinner and the quicks.

Trott was beaten by consecutive shooters outside off stump, while Strauss received a grubber from Ajmal that just missed the timber. However, the two batsmen displayed impressive watchfulness and rotated the strike well with regular quick singles.

Boundaries were hard to come by, but both Strauss and Trott timed the ball nicely when the opportunity came.

Trott produced the shot of the morning when he flicked Asif through midwicket, and he continues to develop into an increasingly reassuring figure at No. 3, while Strauss produced a sweet cover drive off Ajmal shortly before the break, Cricinfo reported on Monday.

Much had been expected of Ajmal after his five-wicket haul in the first innings, but he wasn't able to provide the same threat as Swann.

Earlier, England set itself a modest target of 118 to win the second Test after it bowled out Pakistan for 296 in the tourists' second innings on the fourth day today. akistan saw their innings last for just 11 more balls on Monday after they resumed on their overnight score of 291 for nine.

Kevin Pietersen caught Mohammad Asif in the gully off Stuart Broad for 14, leaving Umar Gul 13 not out.

England off-spinner Graeme Swann finished with a Test-best six wickets for 65 runs in 37 overs.

Pakistan had only once successfully defended a target of under 150. They bowled New Zealand, chasing 127, out for 93 to win by 33 runs at Hamilton in 1992/93 in an innings where current Pakistan coach Waqar Younis took five wickets. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

World Shooting Champion Tejaswini Sawant returns home

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 10:37 PM

New Delhi, Aug 9 (ANI): Ace rifle shooter Tejaswini Sawant returned here on Monday after winning gold medal at the World Shooting Championship in Munich city of Germany.

By winning the championship on Sunday, Sawant became the first ever Indian woman shooter to have achieved this feat.

She scored 597 out of 600 points in the 50m-rifle event equalling the record set by Marina Bobkova of Russia in 1998.

Union Sports Minister M S Gill congratulated Sawant for the rare and maiden achievement in Munich.

Speaking to the media persons, Sawant said that Indian shooters have been performing well of late and etched a name for them in the global arena of marksmanship.

"I feel that India's status has increased a lot. If you talk about Indian shooters then we are being appreciated at the world level that Indian shooters are coming up and giving good scores. We have given a good performance at the very first level. So I do feel that the level of Indian shooters has improved and all of them are known by their names," said Sawant.

Sawant attributed these achievements to her family members especially her father, who unfortunately expired earlier this year, and her coach and fitness trainers. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Galaxy King wins Tharamani plate

Mon, Aug 09 10 10:17 PM

Chennai, Aug 9 (PTI): Galaxy King, trained by M A Ayaz and ridden by jockey Zulquar Nain, won the Tharamani plate, the main event of the races here today. M J Iqbal saddled 2 winners and Zulquar Nain rode two winners. two favourites obliged in a card of six events.

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Maha announces prize of Rs five lakh to Tejaswini

Mon, Aug 09 10 09:51 PM

Mumbai, Aug 9 (PTI) Maharashtra Government today announced a cash prize of Rs five lakh to Tejaswini Sawant for winning a gold medal in the 50 metre rifle shooting prone category at the World Shooting Championships held in Munich, Germany. Sports Minister Suresh Shetty today announced the prize and Chief Minister Ashok Chavan would felicitate her for the best performance at the world championships, he said. Tejaswini was the first Indian woman shooter to win the gold medal at the world championship after equalling the world-record score.

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ED questions Darbari,Mohindroo; may grill some more OC members

Mon, Aug 09 10 09:23 PM

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate today questioned sacked CWG Organising Committee Joint Director General T S Darbari and suspended Deputy DG Sanjay Mohindroo for several hours over alleged financial irregularities in connection with the mega sporting event. Official sources said based on the leads received from the questioning, some more officials of the OC would be called in for questioning. Darbari, a close aide of OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi, and Mahindroo were summoned to explain certain financial transactions undertaken during the Queen''s Baton Relay in London last year. The ED has registered a case under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in this regard. Darbari is understood to have denied his role in any of the irregularities during the questioning, they said. "The ED asked me about my relationship with Kalmadi as part of the Organising Committee.I have given my details and I would wait for the investigation to get over before I comment," Mahendroo told reporters after being grilled by the officials for about seven and half hours. When asked about the possibilities of being called in for interrogation again, he said "If they (ED) require, I will be coming back again." Sources said officials of other agencies like Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will also be questioned in connection with the probe. "All documents brought by Darbari related to the money transactions and grant of contracts to different agencies in London were scrutinised by the officials," an ED official said. Sources said this has been done in the wake of the British authorities referring to the High Commission a matter regarding A M Films, a little-known London-based company, to which a huge sum of money was transferred through the Royal Bank of Scotland. According to ED sources, Darbari has provided the agency with minutes of the meeting of the committee for evaluation of bids relating to work during the launch of the QBR. Sources said that the documents say "in view of the short time available and the risk of the cancellation of the QBR event, the Committee decided to compare the quotes (of differtent vendors in London) and evaluate them, keeping in view the cost and time factor." .

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Govt asks Customs to clear CWG consignments on holidays also

Mon, Aug 09 10 08:51 PM

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) With only 54 days left to go for the Commonwealth Games, the Revenue Department today asked Customs authorities to clear import items related to the October sporting extravaganza even on holidays. "In order to ensure smooth conduct of the Commonwealth Games, the clearance of import consignments connected with the Games shall be allowed on holidays...," the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) said in circular. The CBEC also suggested that the Commissioners of Customs appoint nodal officers to monitor clearance of consignments imported for the purpose of the games. In February, the government had allowed duty-free imports of all sports goods and equipment, including fitness items, by the Organising Committee of the Games 2010 and national sports federations. The exemption from import duty has also been extended to arms and ammunition for shooting events, broadcasting equipment by Prasar Bharti and doping control equipment. The CBEC also clarified that duty-free benefits would not be available to suppliers, contractors or vendors appointed by the Organising Committee. The CWG will be held in the national capital from October 3-14.

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ED questions Darbari; may grill some more OC officials

Mon, Aug 09 10 08:21 PM

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate today questioned sacked CWG Organising Committee Joint Director General T S Darbari for six hours and may interrogate some more members of the OC over alleged financial irregularities in connection with the mega sporting event. Official sources said based on the leads received from the questioning of Darbari, some more officials of the OC would be called in for questioning. Darbari, a close aide of OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi, was summoned to explain certain financial transactions undertaken during the Queen''s Baton relay in London last year. The ED has registered a case under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in this regard. Darbari is understood to have denied his role in any of the irregularities during the questioning, they said. Sources said officials of other agencies like Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will also be questioned in connection with the probe. "All documents brought by Darbari related to the money transactions and grant of contracts to different agencies in London were scrutinised by the officials," an ED official said. Sources said this has been done in the wake of the British authorities referring to the High Commission a matter regarding A M Films, a little-known London-based company, to which a huge sum of money was transferred through the Royal Bank of Scotland. The authorities in London have already begun a probe into the dealings of the firm and had contacted the Indian High Commission which subsequently forwarded the details to the Sports Ministry here for follow-up action. The Organising Committee terminated Darbari today. It had suspended Deputy Director General Sanjay Mohindroo and Joint Director General (Accounts and Finance) M Jaychandran on August 5 for their alleged role in the irregularities. An inspection by the Chief Technical Examination Wing of the Central Vigilance Commission has found alleged financial irregularities in 16 projects being executed by different civic and construction agencies here ahead of fortnight-long Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in the national capital from October three.

Source: Published>

Tejaswini overwhelmed by congratulatory messages

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 08:07 PM

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) World champion shooter Tejaswini Sawant said she is overwhelmed by congratulatory messages from President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In a message, Manmohan Singh said Tejaswini's outstanding performance has brought laurels to the nation and her achievement will inspire other youngsters to do their best.

In a statement, the President said that every Indian is proud of her achievement, as Tejaswini has become the first Indian woman shooter to achieve this distinction.

Tejaswini and rifle shooter Gagan Narang, who won the bronze in the World Championship, also met sports minister M.S. Gill, who congratulated both the shooters.

'When the President and the Prime Minister of the country congratulates you, it always makes you feel special. I never expected that my gold medal will evoke such reaction. I had a meeting with the sports minister and we have assured him that we will do well in the Commonwealth Games,' said Tejaswini.

Tejaswini thanked her family and dedicated the gold medal to her father, who passed away earlier this year while she was competing at the Commonwealth Shooting Championships here in February.

'My family has always been the pillar of my strength. There were times when I thought of giving up the sport due to financial constraints. But my parents always backed me and if my father was alive today he would have been very proud,' she said.

The 29-year-old from Kolhapur feels that Indian shooters will be a force to reckon with at the Oct 3-14 Games.

'I am sure we will put up a great show at the Commonwealth Games, specially in the rifle events,' she said.

Tejaswini Sunday became the first Indian woman shooter to win a gold at the World Championships with a world record equalling score in the 50m rifle prone event.

Tejaswini shot 597 (100, 100, 100, 99, 99, 99) and was tied with Polish shooter Ewa Joanna Nowakowska, equalling the 1998 record set by Marina Bobkova of Russia. She was declared winner with a better perfect score tally of 41. Olga Dovgun of Kazakhstan won the bronze with a score of 596.

Source: Web Search

Somdev fails to qualify for Toronto Masters

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 07:57 PM

Toronto, Aug 9 (IANS) India's Somdev Devvarman failed to enter the $2,430,000 Toronto Masters tennis singles main draw after he went down fighting 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(10) to third-seeded Uzbek Denis Istomin in the second and final qualifying round.

However, there are three Indians in the fray for the doubles event.

Leander Paes and Czech Lukas Dlouhy have been seeded third in the event while Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi of Belarus are seeded fourth. Both the pairs have been given a bye in the first round.

Rohan Bopanna is partnering American Eric Butorac and they face Czech Frantisek Cermak and Slovak Michal Mertinak in the first round.

Source: Web Search

England set 118 to win second Test against Pakistan

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 07:37 PM

Birmingham (UK), Aug.9 (ANI): England has been set a target of 118 to win the second Test after bowling out Pakistan for 296 in the tourists' second innings on the fourth day at Edgbaston here on Monday.

Pakistan saw their innings last for just 11 more balls on Monday after they resumed on their overnight score of 291 for nine.

Kevin Pietersen caught Mohammad Asif in the gully off Stuart Broad for 14, leaving Umar Gul 13 not out.

England off-spinner Graeme Swann finished with a Test-best six wickets for 65 runs in 37 overs.

Pakistan has only once successfully defended a target of under 150. They bowled New Zealand, chasing 127, out for 93 to win by 33 runs at Hamilton in 1992/93 in an innings where current Pakistan coach Waqar Younis took five wickets.

England leads this four-match series 1-0. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Shoaib Malik unlikely to get central contract

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 07:27 PM

Karachi, Aug 9 (IANS) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is unlikely to offer a central contract to all-rounder Shoaib Malik after his poor showing in the ongoing Test series against England.

'The selectors are unhappy with Malik's performance after he was recalled following the reversal of his ban and are not willing to recommend his name for the contract when they meet chairman Ijaz Butt later this month,' a PCB official was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune Monday.

Malik along with Mohammad Yousuf, Younus Khan and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan were not given the new central contract and instead were slapped with fines and bans after the team's performance on the winless Australian tour was reviewed.

Malik and Hasan were banned for one year before the former not only had his ban overturned but was also selected for the Asia Cup, thus increasing his chances of being awarded the contract.

However, the central contracts were to be reviewed last month but with the PCB chairman travelling to England, the meeting is now scheduled to take place later this month. Butt had previously said Malik will only get the central contract after approval by the selection committee.

Malik, one of the most experienced players in the team with 31 Tests and 192 One-Day Internationals, has scored just 89 runs in three Tests in England besides making 46 from his two outings in the Asia Cup that was held in Sri Lanka.

'The selection committee is not in favour of recommending Malik's name, it is highly unlikely that the he will get the new contract until and unless he scores heavily in the remaining matches,' said the official while adding that the selectors want to recommend the name of youngsters when they meet the chairman to discuss central contracts.

'The PCB and the selection committee is interested in awarding central contracts to the youngsters and that is why they have already ruled out awarding a contract to fast-bowler Shoaib Akhter.'

He, however, said the selectors are undecided on Yousuf, who joined the team in England but is yet to be seen in action.

Source: Web Search

ED questions Darbari; may grill some more OC officials

Mon, Aug 09 10 07:21 PM

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate today questioned terminated CWG Organising Committee Joint Director General T S Darbari for six hours and may interrogate some more members of the OC over alleged financial irregularities in connection with the mega sporting event. Official sources said based on the leads received from the questioning of Darbari, some more officials of the OC would be called in for questioning. Darbari, a close aide of OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi, was summoned to explain certain financial transactions undertaken during the Queen''s Baton relay in London last year. The ED has registered a case under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in this regard. Darbari is understood to have denied his role in any of the irregularities during the questioning, they said. Sources said officials of other agencies like Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will also be questioned in connection with the probe. "All documents brought by Darbari related to the money transactions and grant of contracts to different agencies in London were scrutinised by the officials," an ED official said. Sources said this has been done in the wake of the British authorities referring to the High Commission a matter regarding A M Films, a little-known London-based company, to which a huge sum of money was transferred through the Royal Bank of Scotland. The authorities in London have already begun a probe into the dealings of the firm and had contacted the Indian High Commission which subsequently forwarded the details to the Sports Ministry here for follow-up action. The Organising Committee terminated Darbari today. It had suspended Deputy Director General Sanjay Mohindroo and Joint Director General (Accounts and Finance) M Jaychandran on August 5 for their alleged role in the irregularities. An inspection by the Chief Technical Examination Wing of the Central Vigilance Commission has found alleged financial irregularities in 16 projects being executed by different civic and construction agencies here ahead of fortnight-long Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in the national capital from October three.

Source: Published>

India''s batting line-up looked ''monstrous'' in Lanka series

Mon, Aug 09 10 07:17 PM

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram reckons that trio of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid gave India''s batting line-up a ''monstrous'' look in the just-concluded Test series against Sri Lanka. India drew the three-match series 1-1 after registering a five-wicket win over the hosts in the final Test at P Sara Oval in Colombo on Saturday. "Sachin, Laxman and Dravid continue to give the Indian batting line-up the ''monstrous'' look that it has and that showed. The way Laxman batted in the third Test at P Sara Oval was really commendable. The Indian team looked like a unit," Akram said. "The best thing about them is that they have gelled well with the youngsters. The team''s performance is uppermost in their minds," Akram told ESPNStar.com The 44-year-old, however, felt that the poor turnout in the series made it a rather boring experience. "The 1-1 result was a fair result. But the wickets, the poor turnouts and the general atmosphere made it a rather boring series. Except for some personal landmarks that determined the outcome of the matches and Muralitharan''s retirement, the series was nothing much to write about," the legendary pacer said. Akram rejected suggestions that Sri Lankan spinner Suraj Randiv is a good replacement for retired spin-wizard Muttiah Muralitharan. "I am hearing a bit about Suraj Randiv. I haven''t seen him much so I would not like to comment, but anybody who takes wickets against a strong Indian line-up, must be having a lot of promise. But, for God''s sake, do not start saying he is a good replacement for Murali. 800 Test wickets is simply mind boggling," Akram said. India had lost the first Test at Galle by 10 wickets, while the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo had been drawn. Meanwhile, commenting on Pakistan''s performance in the ongoing four-match Test series against England, Akram said the English conditions would present a tough challenge to the young Pakistani side especially batsmen. "The series against England will be a stiff test for the young Pakistan team. The team struggled throughout the second Test at Birmingham," Akram said. He also trained his gun towards Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), planning to rope in a full-time batting coach. "Pakistan doesn''t need a batting coach. By introducing a coach, the technique of our batsmen will not change overnight. Obviously, Pakistan''s poor show in England has inspired the PCB to mull over an exclusive batting coach. But I wonder how a coach will radically change the technique needed to negotiate a moving ball in English conditions? I don''t think a batting coach will do any good.

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Negi to meet Swiercz in World Junior Chess C''ship

Mon, Aug 09 10 07:09 PM

Chotowa Czarna (Poland) Aug 9 (PTI) Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi will take on Dariusz Swiercz of Poland in the sixth round of the World Junior Chess Championship here. It has been a decent start for the top rated Indian this year in the premier junior event of the world and Negi would like to continue the same way when the matches resume after the lone rest day in this fortnight long event. With four points in his kitty from five games played so far, Negi stands joint second behind Swiercz who has a half point more. It is in fact a group of 11 players who are chasing Swiercz a half point behind and the list also includes top seed Dmitry Andreikin of Russia and another Indian M R Lalith Babu. Lalith Babu has been displaying top form in the championship so far and he too, like Negi, has conceded just two draws besides three victories. Babu also stands an excellent chance to get another Grandmaster norm from this tournament after his rocking start. In the girls'' championship being organised simultaneously, Padmini Rout has been the pick of the Indians and her results so far have been encouraging enough to hope for a medal. It may be recalled that India is the defending champion in this section after Soumya Swaminathan won it last year at Argentina. Padmini is seeded 11th in the 60-players'' field and her 4.5 points from the first five games have put her on par with top seed Anna Muzychuk of Slovenia, Nastassia Ziaziulkina of Belarus and Olga Girya of Russia. The World junior is a long tournament and a great finish is needed. There are eight rounds still remaining and in both sections there have been many upsets thus far. The general idea is to keep within striking range of the leaders till the eighth or ninth round and then go full swing. In the last world junior that he played, Negi scored 4.5 points in the last round and finished second. Then Abhijeet Gupta had won the championship winning the last five games. Keeping the trend in mind, Negi''s main rivals are likely to be Andreikin and Jon Ludvig Hammer of Norway who is also the second seed. Hammer is currently on 3.5 points. Ivan Salgado Lopez of Spain and Safarli Eltaj of Azerbaijan have been the biggest flops so far and both have just 2.5 points from first five round despite having 2600+ ELO ratings. S P Sethuraman is trying to make amends for his terrible start and is now on 3 points. Amongst other Indians in the fray, Swapnil Dhopade also has three points while Sagar Shah is on 2.5. Ashwin Jayaram and R Arun Karthik are way behind with just two points so far. With a four-way tie at the top in the girls'' section, the other Indian girl Bhakti Kulkarni is well placed on joint fifth spot with four points while B Pratyusha could not make the most of a good start and is on two points.

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England recruits Buchanan to get insider's view on Oz players

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 07:03 PM

London, Aug 9 (ANI): The England team has roped in former Australian coach John Buchanan to get an insider's view on Australia's players and conditions ahead of the Ashes series.

Australia won three Ashes series and two World Cups under Buchanan, who is flying to England this week to provide the team with an insider's view.

The Daily Express reports it is to be debated that how much Buchanan's approach helped Australia.

He did have the benefit of being in charge during the era of great players such as Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden.

Buchanan's recruitment ends any pretence that England is solely focused on the one-sided series against Pakistan.

England is already gaining some insight into how to bowl in the conditions Down Under from their new Australian bowling coach David Saker, and later this summer they will be training with the Kookaburra balls that are used in Australia.

This is not the first time England head coach Andy Flower has tapped into Buchanan's knowledge and ideas. He was employed as a consultant last year, mainly to advise other coaches on the development programme. (ANI)

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Injuries are blessing in disguise: Dhoni

Mon, Aug 09 10 06:54 PM

Dambulla (Sri Lanka), Aug 9 (PTI) India will be without many key players in the tri-series due to injuries but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni says it''s a blessing in disguise as it presents them with an opportunity to test bench strength ahead of the 2011 World Cup. Missing from the Indian line-up are Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh and the latest to join them is Ishant Sharma, who will miss the tournament opener against New Zealand on the morrow. "You can call it a blessing in disguise that we have lost quite a few players in the last few series because of injuries which gives us a chance to look at quite a few newcomers or our bench strength. "We are just hoping that we will play with our best 15 members when it comes to the World Cup but till then, we are getting some time to have a look at our bench strength," Dhoni said at a joint press conference. Dhoni said the team management is careful about the injuries, keeping in mind the World Cup and does every bit to ensure that the players do not aggravate their problems. "Whatever series we are playing, we are expected to win them and do well. So it gets very difficult to give players some rest. But at the same time, what we have done is if we find that some player is having some kind of a niggle or problem which can really convert into a major injury, then we give them some rest. Like Harbhajan and Gautam here. "We are just trying to balance it out in a way that we don''t have injuries right in front of the World Cup," he said. The India captain admitted that his players are a tired lot after the drawn three-Test series against Sri Lanka. "Most of the games, we fielded for 120-130 overs. We might have won the last Test but at the end of the day, you are quite tired. "As far as the gap in between the matches is concerned, that is mainly because of the reserve day. With the reserve day, I can''t really complain, that''s the schedule. We will take some time off, maybe a couple of days completely away from cricket, and then get back into the groove." More PTI TVS AT MRM

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Tejaswini has done Kolhapur proud, says mother

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 06:17 PM

Kolhapur (Maharashtra), Aug 9 (IANS) Kolhapur girl Tejaswini Sawant has done the city proud by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in the World Shooting Championships, but it was not an easy victory, said her mother.

'She has worked hard and struggled a lot to work her way to the top. She has done Kolhapur proud,' said Sunita, Tejaswini's mother.

Tejaswini scored 597 out of 600 points in the 50-metre rifle prone event, clinching gold and equalling the world record set by Russian Marina Bobkova in 1998.

The 29-year-old shooter lost her father in February this year and it left her disturbed and worried, said Sunita.

'When my husband passed away in February due to a liver-related ailment, Tejaswini was disturbed. Her practice also suffered. But she pulled herself together and the gold medal she has got is a dedication to her father,' Sunita said.

Tejaswini's father Ravindra was a retired electrical engineer in the Navy. Tejaswini has two younger sisters - Anuradha and Vijaymala - both married.

Sunita, who played cricket and volleyball during her college days, said she would have been glad if her husband was alive. 'The victory would have been complete,' she said.

Sunita reminisced how her little 'Teju' had taken a liking to shooting when she was 13. 'Teju participated in NCC camps and took an instant liking to rifles. She expressed her desire to make a career out of shooting and we decided to train her in the sport,' Sunita said.

'Initially she trained from Jaisingh Kusale, a master shooter, who had trained in the US. This gave her a strong foundation. Although Kusaleji is no more, Teju still remembers him,' Sunita added.

Sawant has bagged a total of 75 medals, out of which 25 have come at the international level. 'We particularly remember the national championship that took place in Guwahati, Assam in 2007. Tejaswini had won six gold medals in various individual and team events. Maharashtra had won 26 medals in that event, six of which were bagged only by Teju,' said a proud mother.

The Sawants lived in rented house till 2006, shifting often. But when Tejaswini struck gold in the 10-metre air rifle singles and 10-metre air rifle pairs at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006, the state government recognised her talent and allotted a plot of more than 5,000 sq ft on which they constructed a bungalow.

Tejaswini was also appointed in the district sports department at Kolhapur in 2008. 'She has now become an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in Pune and we are all very proud of her,' said Rajendra Ghagde, district sports officer of Kolhapur.

'Although she has become an OSD now, she still coaches little children like a teacher. There is no trace of arrogance in her. She is the same hardworking, sports loving girl who grew up in this town which has 18 Arjuna Award winners and many national level sportsmen,' Ghagde added.

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CWG corruption allegations rock Lok Sabha proceedings

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 06:07 PM

New Delhi, Aug 9 (ANI): The Lok Sabha, on Monday, witnessed a heated debate between the government and the opposition over a demand for a joint parliamentary probe into all allegations of corruption related to the Commonwealth Games.

The BJP MP from Darbhanga, Kirti Azad, likened the games mess to a "big fat Indian wedding" without the groom.

Alleging that the government agencies were seeking a license to corruption, Azad said the wealth is missing out of these Commonwealth Games, just common remains.

Defending the treasury benches, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said: "18 of 20 stadia where the games would be held have been completed and handed over to the organising committee. One stadium will be completed by August 14, and Siri Fort will be completed by September 16."

"Rs 11,494 crore has been spent by the government in the past six years. Delhi government has spent Rs15,890 crore on infrastructure like roads, metro and flyovers and only ' 670 crores on the games," he added.

Monday's Parliament debate came amidst fresh media reports on Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi has provided more fodder for a united opposition attack on the government.

In a report, the Times of India claimed that it had procured enough evidence to prove that Kalmadi cleared payments due to AM Films without a written contract or proper tender process.

The newspaper report alleges that more emails and faxed documents point to Kalmadi's involvement.

AM Films and AM Car and Van Hire reportedly received 247,000 pounds. Businessman Ashish Patel and Commonwealth Committee members, however, said that it was done for the 2009 Queen's Baton ceremony.

Meanwhile, following a plea by the Union Sports Ministry, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) has terminated the services of its Joint Director General T S Darbari over charges of corruption.

Darbari has been asked to hand over charge to Additional Director General VK Saxena.

The Sports Ministry said it was not pleased with just Darbari's suspension and wrote several letters to the Organising Committee seeking his ouster. (ANI)

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Isaac takes over as ICC Vice President

Mon, Aug 09 10 05:57 PM

Dubai, Aug 9 (PTI) The International Cricket Council today officially appointed Alan Isaac as its vice president for a two-year term, following confirmation of his nomination by its Executive Board. Isaac was a joint candidate of the cricket boards of Australia and New Zealand. Isaac''s name was put forward for the job after the ICC Executive Board rejected nomination of former Australian Prime Minister John Howard. "I am delighted to announce that Alan Isaac''s nomination for the role of ICC Vice-President was unanimously endorsed by the ICC Executive Board and the full ICC Council, by circular resolution, has also approved the recommendation of the Board. "I am looking forward to working with Alan as we now set out to continue improving the ICC''s image and reputation," ICC President Sharad Pawar said in a statement. New Zealand Cricket had requested Sir John Anderson to take up the job but after his refusal they nominated NZC chairman Isaac for the post. "Alan is determined to build context and content in the Future Tours Programme for international cricket while maintaining the primacy of the ICC global events. "I am looking forward to working with him and I know that together with Sharad Pawar they will look to enhance the international game as well as the unity that exists within the game," ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said. Isaac is an ICC Director who succeeded Sir John Anderson as Chairman of New Zealand Cricket in 2008. A left-handed batsman from Wellington, who also captained Wellington''s second team for three years, Isaac is an eminent businessman and corporate governance practitioner who retired as Chairman of KPMG in New Zealand in 2006 after 35 years association with the company. "It is a great honour and privilege to be confirmed as the ICC Vice-President. I am looking forward to serving our great sport at international level and protecting the primacy of international cricket," Isaac, who will remain a Vice President till 2012, said. He will soon quit the Chairmanship of the New Zealand Cricket Board before assuming the responsibilities in ICC. PTI AT

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Somdev loses top-100 status, Sania out of top-150

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 05:51 PM

Somdev Devvarman's stay in the top-100 lasted just one week as the Indian suffered a huge loss of 15 positions to find himself at 111th spot in the latest ATP rankings, issued today.

He failed to defend 55 points at Washington event last week and could not even qualify for the main draw, thus suffering a huge blow.

In the WTA rankings, Sania Mirza's slide continued as the Indian found herself at number 153 after a loss of 15 spots.

Ever since her first round Wimbledon defeat, Sania has been playing ITF events instead of WTA Tour tournament but could not garner much points.

Somdev had entered the top-100 for the first time in his career last week following the second round appearance at the Los Angeles ATP event.

Meanwhile, in the ATP doubles ranking, Leander Paes (6) kept his position intact but Mahesh Bhupathi slid to eighth from seventh.

Rohan Bopanna gained one spot to career best 33 following his stunning win against Bryan brothers along with Pakistan's Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi at Legg Mason Classic.

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Ghosal, Dipika to lead Indian challenge in Australian Open

Mon, Aug 09 10 05:21 PM

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Top players Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal will spearhead India''s challenge in the 2010 Australian Open beginning tomorrow in Canberra which will feature cream of the international squash fraternity. Unseeded Ghosal will get his campaign underway with a tricky clash against Australia''s former world number one and 2008 champion David Palmer in the PSA Super Series six-day-long event. The USD 1,42,500 Australian Open is the fourth Super Series event and the biggest squash tournament to be held in Australia since the 1991 World Open in Adelaide. In the women''s section, 18-year-old Chennai girl Dipika Pallikal faces the 2008 champion Hong Kong''s Annie Au in the first round draw. Unseeded Pallikal has received a tough draw against the 10th seed opponent in the USD 56,000 WISPA World Tour Gold event to be played alongside the men''s event from August 10-15. "Pallikal is a strong opponent. I have to be at my best," said Annie Au. With 18 of the world''s top 20 men players heading to the Royal Theatre in Canberra for the championship, there was never a chance of an easy passage to the later stages for any player in the main draw. World ranked 10th Palmer, the two-time world champion and winner of four British Opens, said his clash against Ghosal would be an interesting one. "I have been working hard over the break. I feel that I have a good chance even though I am outside the top eight. Match with Ghosal would be interesting," Palmer said. Men''s World number one England''s Nick Matthew has been accorded the top billing in the 32 players strong field. In the WISPA event, the biggest since Women''s World Open in 1997 in Melbourne, England''s world number two Jenny Duncalf has been billed as title favourite.

Source: Published>

Somdev loses top-100 status, Sania out of top-150

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 05:17 PM

Somdev Devvarman's stay in the top-100 lasted just one week as the Indian suffered a huge loss of 15 positions to find himself at 111th spot in the latest ATP rankings, issued today.

He failed to defend 55 points at Washington event last week and could not even qualify for the main draw, thus suffering a huge blow.

In the WTA rankings, Sania Mirza's slide continued as the Indian found herself at number 153 after a loss of 15 spots.

Ever since her first round Wimbledon defeat, Sania has been playing ITF events instead of WTA Tour tournament but could not garner much points.

Somdev had entered the top-100 for the first time in his career last week following the second round appearance at the Los Angeles ATP event.

Meanwhile, in the ATP doubles ranking, Leander Paes (6) kept his position intact but Mahesh Bhupathi slid to eighth from seventh.

Rohan Bopanna gained one spot to career best 33 following his stunning win against Bryan brothers along with Pakistan's Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi at Legg Mason Classic.

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Yousuf refused to play Edgbaston Test against England: Butt

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 05:07 PM

Lahore, Aug 9(ANI): Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt has said that middle-order batsman Mohammad Yousuf had refused to play the ongoing second Test against England at Edgbaston after joining the team one day before the match.

When asked why the former captain was not in the final eleven despite being rushed to England, Butt said: "Yousuf refused to play the second Test immediately."

Yousuf was recalled to bolster the team after their first-Test defeat at Trent Bridge.

The veteran has not played for his country since January after being banned indefinitely following the winter tour to Australia.

Butt also said that some important decisions concerning the national team would be taken soon.

"We will take some important decisions after a meeting of the governing council. The players disappointed with their performances in the Test series," The Daily Times quoted Butt, as saying.

He further defended the team selection, and said that only the deserving players were representing the team in England.

"Those who were selected look at their domestic records, tell me which player are you talking about? Don't just ask silly questions do your homework," he added. (ANI)

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Pipped out of squad, top wrestler cries foul

Mon, Aug 09 10 04:57 PM

Chandigarh, Aug. 8 -- If one were to go by World Championships bronze-medallist Ramesh Kumar Gulia's version that he was robbed of a place in the national team during the trials held at SAI, Centre, Sonepat on Sunday, a controversy is brewing in the selection of wrestlers. Ramesh will not be able to represent India at the Commonwealth Games in October after losing to Narsingh Yadav, an Asian Championships gold-medallist. Ramesh says he would not have complained had he lost to Yadav on an even turf. "It is because I have spoken against my federation (Wrestling Federation of India) for not supporting me to get the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna," he alleged after walking out of the trials during his second-round bout. Ramesh alleged the referee was biased and didn't give him the points he had won. "The federation is against me," said Ramesh. "I clearly threw my opponent but instead of giving me three points, the referee gave me one. When I objected, he didn't listen to me. Even the federation officials there didn't pay heed to my objection. I left the bout midway and came home," he added.

He had also won gold in the Manchester Commonwealth Games and was a quarterfinalist in the Athens Olympics.

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Three major projects to miss Aug 31 deadline

Mon, Aug 09 10 04:53 PM

New Delhi, Aug. 8 -- It seems the city will fail to meet the August 31 deadline, set by the chief minister herself, of completing the Commonwealth Games-related infrastructure projects. Senior Delhi government officials say, critical portion of work on at least three projects, the elevated road on the Barapullah drain, streetscaping along roads leading to the venues and renovation of the Yamuna Sports Complex, is still pending. Officials say they may take at least 7-10 days after August 31 to finish these three crucial projects. Sources say, work is still left on one carriageway of the elevated road on Barapullah Nullah which may take some time to complete. "The span on the railway tracks near Nizamuddin railway station is still incomplete. The PWD got the necessary approvals for the construction above the tracks a little late. While one carriageway will be complete by August 25, work on the other carriageway will go on till September first week," a senior Delhi government official said. The four-km-long elevated road between Sarai Kale Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main venue, is being built to provide uninterrupted traffic flow from the Games Village in east Delhi to the stadium. The project has missed its deadlines and has exceeded its budget.

After receiving flak from all quarters on the slow progress of infrastructure projects, Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit had set August 31 as the deadline to complete all construction works. In a review meeting in July-end, she had admitted that some projects might get delayed would be finished in September.

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Somdev fails to qualify for Toronto Masters

Mon, Aug 09 10 04:37 PM

Toronto, Aug 9 (PTI) Somdev Devvarman failed to make the singles main draw of the Toronto ATP Masters after going down fighting against third seed Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan in the second round of the qualifying event. The 14th seed Indian began well but lost 6-4 3-6 6-7(10) to world number 54 Uzbek in the second and final round. Indian challenge at the USD 2,430,000 hard court tournament now remains confined to doubles event, where Laender Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna will compete with their respective partners. Third seeds Paes and Czech Lukas Dlouhy have got a bye in the first round, so did Bhupathi and his Belarusian partner Max Mirnyi, seeded fourth. Bopanna, who paired with American Eric Butorac in this event, will open his campaign against Frantisek Cermak of Czech republic and Michal Mertinak of Slovakia.

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Shooter Tejaswini is now world champ

Mon, Aug 09 10 04:23 PM

New Delhi, Aug. 9 -- Rifle shooter Tejaswini Sawant won the gold in the 50 metre rifle prone event at the World Championships currently being held at Munich on Sunday. The 30-year-old from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, thus became the first Indian woman to win a gold in a shooting event, and indeed one of the very few Indian women to bag a gold in any international sporting contest. Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra and trap shooter Manavjit Singh are the only other shooters to have bagged golds in the same competition - at Zagreb, Croatia in 2006. Sawant, whose score equalled the world record in her event, was, however, given a tough fight by Poland's Ewa Nowakowska, with both of them finally tying at 597/600, but Sawant was declared winner on the basis of more 'inner 10s' (hitting the bulls eye more frequently).

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Haider's success in debut Edgbaston Test comes amid private pain

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 04:17 PM

London, Aug 9(ANI): Debutant Pakistan wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider has overcome personal anguish over his ill father to produce the innings of his life to give his team an outside chance of a shock victory over England in the ongoing second Test match at Edgbaston.

Haider, along with off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Amir, led a dramatic revival on the third day on Sunday, as Pakistan reached 291-9 at stumps to take a surprise lead of 112 runs going into day four.

The 24-year-old's father is admitted in a Pakistani hospital, where he is in a 'stable condition' with hepatitis C.

"(Haider's father) was a bit better, I hope and pray he comes through and that the stress goes for Zulq," The Dawn quoted Salman Butt, Pakistan captain, as saying.

"The last time I spoke to him he wasn't that well, I don't know about today, but I will ask him tonight," he added.

Haider, picked ahead of the out-of-form Kamran Akmal, came in when Pakistan was struggling on 82 for five, and added a crucial 52 runs with Amir and 115 with Ajmal.

"He showed great ability under pressure. Emotionally he's been under a lot of stress for quite a few days," Butt said.

"It is remarkable the way he has played and he has shown us all that if you are willing to stay there and take the pain, you surely gain," he added. (ANI)

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Darbari terminated over CWG corrupting charges

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 04:07 PM

New Delhi, Aug 9 (ANI): Following a plea by the Union Sports Ministry, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) on Monday terminated the services of its Joint Director General T S Darbari over charges of corruption.

Darbari has been asked to hand over charge to Additional Director General VK Saxena.

The Sports Ministry said it was not pleased with just Darbari's suspension and wrote several letters to the Organising Committee asking for his ouster.

The Organising Committee finally terminated Darbari's services today, even as he appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning over the financial irregularities case pertaining to the 2010 Games.arbari has claimed that he was not involved in the Queen's Baton Relay financial irregularities case and was a victim of the media campaign.

Darbari, a close side of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, was earlier suspended after censure on Thursday.

The names of Darbari and CGOC Deputy Director General Sanjay Mohindroo figured in the investigations into alleged irregularities into services provided during the Queen's Baton Relay in London.

He was suspended along with Mohindroo after irregularities were revealed in payouts to a UK-based firm, which provided services such as car rentals during the Queen's Baton Relay launch in London. (ANI)

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Bengal beat Punjab to lift Santosh Trophy

Mon, Aug 09 10 03:53 PM

Kolkata, Aug. 8 -- Bengal broke their 11-year jinx to lift the Santosh Trophy for a record 30th time on Sunday after defeating Punjab 2-1 here. Kannur lad Denson Devdas struck twice to give the hosts the most cherished symbol of national dominance. It was a clash that witnessed two contrasting styles of football. The physically imposing Punjab were reliant on long balls flung in from deep while the rest of the time, they were busy thwarting Bengal's attacks, often with brutal tackles. Repelling as some of those tactics were, Bengal never really ran into rough weather. Devdas and Jayanta Sen practically had the entire midfield to themselves and with the talented Robin Singh spearheading the attack, Bengal never really seemed out of ideas. But Bengal both manufactured and fluffed a number of opportunities and Tarif Ahmed had to take most of the blame. Gambling on a half-fit striker was not on for a game of this stature. Ahmed was out of sorts and struggled to get feet to the ball, bungling a few chances that could have given Bengal a head start. Once, he had only Punjab goalkeeper Paramjit Singh to beat but his nod off Robin's floater took a thundering ricochet off the upright. The fluffs came back to haunt the hosts. Bengal custodian Abhra Mondal left his bastion to intercept Rahul Kumar's cross from the right but misjudged the flight completely, allowing Balwant Singh to head it in. The setback prompted Bengal coach Shabbir Ali to ring in the changes. Souvik Chakraborty relieved Ahmed of his miseries to take position in the hole behind Robin, leaving the TFA recruit as sole striker upfront. The change finally injected some vitality. Bengal equalised when Snehasish Chakraborty's swerving corner was nodded in by Devdas from a melee in added time of the first-half.

But just after that Devdas struck. An apparently harmless one-two between the midfielders turned on its head when the midfielder bulged the Punjab net with a piledriver following a lay-off from Robin. Taken aback by the sudden goal, Punjab launched into some last-gasp attacks but Bengal pulled all stops to ensure Devdas's strike was the last surprise the match witnessed.

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Haider's success in debut Edgbaston Test comes amid private pain

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 03:37 PM

London, Aug 9(ANI): Debutant Pakistan wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider has overcome personal anguish over his ill father to produce the innings of his life to give his team an outside chance of a shock victory over England in the ongoing second Test match at Edgbaston.

Haider, along with off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Amir, led a dramatic revival on the third day on Sunday, as Pakistan reached 291-9 at stumps to take a surprise lead of 112 runs going into day four.

The 24-year-old's father is admitted in a Pakistani hospital, where he is in a 'stable condition' with hepatitis C.

"(Haider's father) was a bit better, I hope and pray he comes through and that the stress goes for Zulq," The Dawn quoted Salman Butt, Pakistan captain, as saying.

"The last time I spoke to him he wasn't that well, I don't know about today, but I will ask him tonight," he added.

Haider, picked ahead of the out-of-form Kamran Akmal, came in when Pakistan was struggling on 82 for five, and added a crucial 52 runs with Amir and 115 with Ajmal.

"He showed great ability under pressure. Emotionally he's been under a lot of stress for quite a few days," Butt said.

"It is remarkable the way he has played and he has shown us all that if you are willing to stay there and take the pain, you surely gain," he added. (ANI)

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SPORT-RACE

Mon, Aug 09 10 03:33 PM

Hyderabad, Aug 9 (PTI) Following are the seventh day Hyderabad monsoon Race results. 1st Race: The Astronomic Cup (about) 1200 M Cat III Aspire (M/s Mohd Shoukat Ali, S Daljeet Singh, S Mohan Raju and Sridhar Reddy Anugu) 60.5 M F Ali Khan First Mystical Knight 58 P S Chouhan Second Young Soldier 61 A Imran K Third Guiding Light 60 B Mukesh Fourth All nine ran Won By: 1-1/2 l, Neck, Neck Time: One minute 15.2 seconds Winner Trained By: Faisal Hassan Favourite: Star Prospect Tote Paid: Rs 68 for win, Rs 11, Rs 7 and Rs 6 for places SHP: Rs 20 Forecast: Rs 404 Quinella: Rs 159 Tanala: Rs 823 paid on 118 tickets. .

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Evra keen to play for France again despite sanctions

Mon, Aug 09 10 03:17 PM

French defender Patrice Evra, facing sanctions for leading a player revolt at the World Cup, does not understand why he should be punished and wants to wear his country's colours again.

Evra was captain of the team that boycotted a training session in South Africa in support of striker Nicolas Anelka, who was banished from the squad for insulting coach Raymond Domenech.

The Manchester United defender was one of five players summoned by the French Football Federation (FFF) to face a disciplinary hearing scheduled for later this month.

World Cup-winning fullback and now FFF official Lilian Thuram believes Evra should never play for France again but the player himself would prefer not to dwell on the events in South Africa.

"I am surprised because I had the impression everybody wanted to turn the World Cup page," Evra told French daily Le Figaro in an interview released on Monday.

"We need to think about the future. Why sanction us (the five players summoned) more than others ?"

Laurent Blanc, who has since taken over from Domenech as coach, opted to leave out all 23 members of the World Cup squad for France's next match, a friendly against Norway in Oslo on Wednesday.

Following that match, however, the suspended players will be free to return to the squad and Evra is confident of a recall.

"I can't see my future without the France team," he told Le Figaro.

The 29-year-old also said there was no dialogue between the players and the coach at the World Cup and the decision to expel Anelka was unfair.

The five summoned by the FFF are Evra, Anelka, Eric Abidal, Franck Ribery and Jeremy Toulalan.

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CWG scam : Opposition to target Centre, Kalmadi in fresh controversy

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 03:07 PM

New Delhi, Aug 9 (ANI): Even as the Opposition aims to target the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government in Parliament over issue of alleged financial irregularities in the Commonwealth Games, fresh allegations have surfaced against Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi suggesting he was aware of payments made to controversial UK-based firm AM films and its sister concern AM Car and Van Hire.

In a report, the Times of India claims that it has procured enough evidence to prove that Kalmadi cleared payments due to AM films without a written contract or proper tender process.

The newspaper report alleges that more emails and faxed documents point Kalmadi's involvement.

AM Films and AM Car and Van Hire reportedly received 247,000 pounds. Businessman Ashish Patel and Commonwealth Committee members, however, said that it was done for the 2009 Queen's Baton ceremony.

"The report quotes an email dated October 24, 2009, on payments and with Kalmadi's signature on it, saying "why so late...now there is no choice." Publicly, Kalmadi claimed he didn't know about the entire dealings with AM Films when the scandal first broke," reports NDTV.

In his public statements, Kalmadi has fiegned ignorance and said there was no written contract with AM Films because things were done at the last minute, adding that the Indian High Commission in UK had recommended the Britain-based company.

The High Commission, however, has refuted making such a recommendation. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Flintoff's career not over: Moores

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 02:17 PM

London, Aug 9 (ANI): Lancashire coach Peter Moores has said all rounder Andrew Flintoff's career is not over, and added that he will be given every chance to return from injury.

The long awaited return of Flintoff, who underwent knee surgery, had been delayed on the advice of his county's medical team.

The 32-year-old all rounder has had two knee operations since helping England win the Ashes against Australia in the final Test at The Oval last year.

Flintoff retired from Test cricket after that match, but he still hopes to play in one-day internationals for England, as well as represent his county in domestic action.

He was set to return to action with Lancashire's Second XI last week, but was ruled out with injury for the rest of the season.

But, Moores claims there is hope for the future.

He said: "There's no point in Fred trying to rush it through to get some cricket with us. He has got to make sure his hard work is worthwhile." (ANI)

Source: Web Search

ICC referee charges 'Bad boy' Broad for hurling ball at Pak keeper

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 02:11 PM

Edgbaston (UK), Aug.9 (ANI): International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Ranjan Madugalle has charged England fast bowler Stuart Broad for deliberately hurling the ball at Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Zulqarnain Haider and hurting him on his shoulder.

Haider was just 18 runs into his 88-run knock when the incident occurred. Broad had already been showing some signs of simmering fury when was denied an appeal for a caught behind was also guilty of blatantly ignoring the umpire when appealing for another caught behind early in the day.

Broad was hauled in front of Madugalle after play and faces either a one-match ban or a fine of 50 per cent of his match fee, the Daily Express reports.

While the Pakistan players were convinced Broad's throw was deliberate, England teammate Graeme Swann was happy to give his pal the benefit of the doubt.

Pakistan skipper Salman Butt said: "It is not good to see players throwing balls intentionally at others and not excusing themselves properly. Cricket is a gentleman's game but I think they got frustrated. The throw was just one thing - there were plenty of words said, too."

Swann said: "Knowing Broady as I do, he didn't have any malice in it. He apologised right away. It was just a sign of frustration."

Haider has led an incredible turnaround, which has so far brought 191 runs for the final four wickets. On his Test debut, he was given out for his second first-ball duck of the match, but escaped a king pair courtesy of the TV replay.

He went on to score 88 and Pakistan will resume this morning with 291-9 - a lead of 112 - and with a flicker of pulling off something miraculous. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Flintoff's career not over: Moores

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 02:07 PM

London, Aug 9 (ANI): Lancashire coach Peter Moores has said all rounder Andrew Flintoff's career is not over, and added that he will be given every chance to return from injury.

The long awaited return of Flintoff, who underwent knee surgery, had been delayed on the advice of his county's medical team.

The 32-year-old all rounder has had two knee operations since helping England win the Ashes against Australia in the final Test at The Oval last year.

Flintoff retired from Test cricket after that match, but he still hopes to play in one-day internationals for England, as well as represent his county in domestic action.

He was set to return to action with Lancashire's Second XI last week, but was ruled out with injury for the rest of the season.

But, Moores claims there is hope for the future.

He said: "There's no point in Fred trying to rush it through to get some cricket with us. He has got to make sure his hard work is worthwhile." (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Britain's Pakistanis ask Zardari to act against PCB

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 01:57 PM

Karachi, Aug 9 (IANS) Leaders of the Pakistani community in Britain have requested President Asif Ali Zardari to make sweeping changes in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

According to well-placed sources, community leaders told President Zardari in a meeting last week in Birmingham that Pakistan's performance on the ongoing cricket tour was embarrassing and a direct result of the PCB's poor selection policies.

Pakistan were bowled out for just 72 in its second Test against England in Birmingham last Friday. It was Pakistan's lowest-ever total against England and came just days after the tourists lost the opening Test by 354 runs in Nottingham.

'Prominent leaders of the Pakistani community living in Britain requested President Zardari to take concrete action in a bid to save Pakistan cricket,' said a source, referring to the fact that as PCB's chief patron Zardari has the right to hire or fire the Board chairman.

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, has been under fire from various quarters for the Board's policies and many critics believe that he is directly responsible for Pakistan's disastrous performance in England.

Pakistan decided against picking senior batsmen Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan for the tour and instead opted for untested youngsters like Umar Amin and Azhar Ali, who have flopped miserably in England.

Source: Web Search

CWG scam: Kalmadi aide Darbari sacked from panel

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 01:37 PM

The services of T S Darbari, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee's suspended joint director general, have been terminated by the Games panel.

The Enforcement Directorate has also asked T S Darbari to appear before it on Monday to probe further the alleged financial irregularities for services provided at the Queen's Baton Relay ceremony in London last year.

Official sources said Darbari, a close aide of OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi, has been asked to explain certain financial transactions undertaken during the Queen's Baton Relay ceremony.

Darbari has also been asked to bring all documents related to money transactions and grant of contracts to different agencies in London.

Sources said this has been done after British authorities referred to the High Commission a transaction with A M Films, a little-known London-based company, to which a huge sum of money was transferred through the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The authorities in London have already begun a probe into the dealings of the firm and had contacted the Indian High Commission which subsequently forwarded the details to the

Sports Ministry here for action.

The ministry had then asked Kalmadi on August 1 to immediately relieve Darbari of all duties.

The Organising Committee had suspended Darbari and Joint Director General (Accounts and Finance) M Jaychandran on August 5 for their alleged role in the Queen's Baton Relay irregularities. Deputy Director General Sanjay Mohindroo was also under the scanner but he quit his post several months ago.

Source: Web Search

India take on depleted New Zealand in tri-series opener

Mon, Aug 09 10 12:57 PM

T V Sriram Dambulla (Sri Lanka), Aug 9 (PTI) Missing key players and just done with an exhausting drawn Test series, India swiftly shift to the one-day mode as they take on an equally-depleted New Zealand in the opening match of the cricket tri-series starting here tomorrow. Also featuring Sri Lanka, the series starts just two days after India drew 1-1 with the hosts in an engrossing Test series. India will be without in-form batting veteran Sachin Tendulkar and spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh, both of whom have been rested, and injured opener Gautam Gambhir in the series. Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan remains sidelined with a shoulder injury, which might give a woefully out-of-form Ishant Sharma his first one-day international of the year. Ashish Nehra will take over the responsibility of leading the attack and on current form, the lanky pacer would be expected to add some zing to the not-so-impressive pace department, which struggled in the Test series. On the batting front, the series is a chance for off-colour Yuvraj Singh to get over the disappointment of the Test series, in which he flopped in the opening match, missed the second due to flu, and was dropped for the third after his replacement Suresh Raina scored a century on debut. Virender Sehwag will once again shoulder the responsibility of providing the sort of cracking starts that India have come to expect of him and Gambhir''s absence, Dinesh Karthik will give him company in the opening slot. A rather volatile mix of batsmen occupy the middle-order in Kohli, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma, who can be destructive while they are on song but their unpredictability can also cost the team dearly. Young and eager to make a mark, the new-look Indian middle-order has often let the team down with extravagant shots in crunch situations. The New Zealanders, on the other hand, are in their familiar dark-horses role, more so in the absence of inspirational skipper Daniel Vettori, who has skipped the series to be with his wife for the birth of his second child. Also missing from the Kiwi line-up is the explosive duo of Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum. .

Source: Published>

Lefty shifts focus to PGA Championship after Firestone flop

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 12:51 PM

Phil Mickelson swiftly turned his thoughts to next week's U.S. PGA Championship after squandering a golden opportunity to replace Tiger Woods as world number one on Sunday.

The American left-hander could have moved to the top of the rankings by finishing the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational alone in fourth place or better but he slumped into a tie for 46th.

"I wanted to have a good weekend and get a little bit of momentum going into the PGA," second-ranked Mickelson told reporters after carding a dismal eight-over-par 78 at Firestone Country Club.

"So I'll have to kind of do what I did at Augusta, with Houston the week before. I played like this in Houston and I'm going to have to try to get it turned around here in three days."

Mickelson tied for 35th at the Houston Open in April before clinching his fourth major title in the U.S. Masters at Augusta National the following week.

The year's final major, which he won at Baltusrol in 2005, starts on Thursday at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.

Before then, Mickelson will have to bury all the memories of his stumbling finish at Firestone.

"It's hard to be upbeat after a round like today," the 40-year-old Californian said after posting a three-over total of 283 to finish 15 strokes better than Woods.

"I felt pretty good today. I felt like I was sharp and ready to go attack the golf course and make some birdies. And it just didn't happen."

Mickelson began the final round in a tie for 10th, just four shots off the lead, but he spectacularly crashed out of contention with an outward nine of six-over 41.

"The round obviously got away," he said. "It didn't feel like it was far off, but it turned out to be.

"If you miss some shots here, the rough and the trees and the challenging greens will lead to bogeys. The way I drove it, I was fighting for pars on a lot of the holes."

Asked how frustrated he was after wasting another chance to depose Woods as world number one, Mickelson replied: "If I keep finishing ahead of him every week, eventually it'll happen.

"But the problem is there are guys behind me (in the rankings) who will pass me because I'm not playing well enough right now. I've got some work to do to get my own game sharp."

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CWG OC terminates Darbari''s services

Mon, Aug 09 10 12:37 PM

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Acting on the persistent plea of the Sports Ministry, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee today terminated the services of its tainted Joint Director General T S Darbari in the wake of the corruption scandal that has rocked the event. Darbari, who had been suspended pending an inquiry after his name cropped up in alleged corruption during the Queen''s Baton Relay''s launch in London, has been told to hand over charge to Additional Director General V K Saxena. "The Ministry had written several letters to OC asking for his ouster because of the cases in Enforcement Directorate and the last such communication was made on August 6. The Ministry was not happy that he was merely suspended," a source told PTI. The OC has finally acted on the instructions and given the marching orders to Darbari, who appeared before the Enforcement Directorate today in a probe over his alleged customs violations. "According to an order from the OC, pending an inquiry by the ED into the case of alleged involvement of Darbari, who is the Joint Director General (PSUs, sponsorship and marketing), in the payment of an unreasonable amount to a British firm at the time of the QBR ceremony in London, his services are hereby terminated with immediate effect," the source said. "He will hand over all documents, papers and equipment to V K Saxena Additional DG (PSUs, Marketing and sponsorship)," he added. According to OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi, Darbari oversaw the QBR preparations in London, which became the focal point of a corruption storm following revelations that a little-known UK-based firm A M Films was paid lakhs of pounds for its "services" during the event. Later, an e-mail from the Indian High Commission which Kalmadi made public to justify payments to AM Films also turned out to be doctored, forcing OC to launch a probe into the entire episode. Although the OC probe report is yet to come out, the Sports Ministry had been demanding Darbari''s removal ever since his name figured in a customs violation case.

Source: Published>