No Sri Lanka, no interest at Dambulla

Wed, Aug 11 10 12:27 PM

Dambulla, Aug. 11 -- The only missing link during the Ross Taylor-Scott Styris rescue act for New Zealand against India was the crowd's involvement. Not that the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium was biased against the only non-subcontinental team in the tournament. But, unfortunately, there were hardly any spectators at the stadium to witness a fascinating partnership. Thanks to only a 100-odd spectators being around, the exciting cricket played by the Kiwis did not set the pulse racing, with the usual noise missing from the stands. In fact, the number of spectators for Tuesday's tri-series opener was even less than the total number of security guards at the venue. Dambulla, traditionally, attracts spectators only when the home team is featuring. But whenever two visiting teams face off in the city of prehistoric significance, the locals turn their back on the stadium, which isn't very far from the heart of the city. "It's the psyche of the locals who are happy to see non-Sri Lanka matches on television," a member of the tour organising committee said. "The only way to bring in the crowds is to get some school kids, but with day-night affairs, even that becomes difficult." Just what would happen, if New Zealand, who surpassed all their expectations in the first half of the tie in the opener, square off against India in the final of the tournament? It would be rather pathetic if the final is played out in front of sinmilarly empty stands. Tuesday, anyway, wasn't much different than last month's Asia Cup, when even a high-voltage India-Pakistan match did not draw a full house. The only full house of the tournament, which featured Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, was for the final when the hosts lost to their neighbouring giants.

Source: Published>

Sport-crazy South Africa set for CLT20 party

Wed, Aug 11 10 12:23 PM

Johannesburg, Aug. 11 -- How much is too much? When it comes to sport, South Africa just can't get enough. The more it gets, the more it wants. It's only been a few weeks since the football World Cup got over, and the nation is gearing up to host another big-ticket event - the Champions League T20. Add other big events like the Indian Premier League, the Champions Trophy, the Confederations Cup and a tri-nation rugby series they have hosted in the last sixteen months or so, and you can see just how much sporting action South Africa have been inundated with. Against this backdrop, it wouldn't be surprising if Champions League Twenty20 organisers were feeling nervous or wary about how the apparently tired and spent spectators will respond to the event. After all, the spectators may not be in a mood to walk to the stadia after having witnessed so much action in such a short span of time. But that's where South Africa is different. Their hunger for sports seems insatiable, and that gets reflected in the confidence of the CLT20 organisers. "We are not even remotely worried on that count. It's unbelievable how sport is ingrained in their culture," said CLT20 CEO Sundar Raman. "To them, going out to watch sport is like the Indians going out for movies. We never get tired of watching movies, and similarly they don't get tired of watching sport." Sundar Raman can't be faulted for his optimism, for South Africans packed the stadia to the rafters even during IPL 2. The Champions League should be of far more interest to locals as they have two of their own club teams- Warriors and the Lions - to cheer for. "We in South Africa love sports, especially cricket. The word about the Champions League is out now, and gradually we will see a lot of excitement building up around the event," said Jean Symes, a Lions player. Makhaya Ntini, who will play for the Warriors, seconds this. "Hey, why do you even doubt that?" he asked. "You just can't keep South Africans away from any sporting action. It's going to be great fun, and people will like it." Apart from banking on South Africans love for the sport, the CLT20 council and broadcaster ESPN Star Sports have shown far more intent and aggression in marketing the event, unlike the last year. "You will see at least five times more effort in promoting the event this time around," said Sundar Raman. "We are launching a campaign to market the event here from Tuesday, and you would see a lot of stuff happening back in India as well."

Source: Published>

Guangzhou makes $450m in sponsorship from Asian Games

Wed, Aug 11 10 12:17 PM

Organisers have raised more than 3.0 billion yuan ($443 million) in sponsorship for November's Asian Games in Guangzhou, offsetting almost a third of the 10 billion yuan core costs of hosting the event.

Fang Daer, the director of marketing for the organising committee of the Nov. 12-27 Games, revealed the figures in a media briefing reported in local media on Wednesday.

Although dwarfed by the 20.5 billion yuan made by the marketing campaign for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Guangzhou's revenue from its 46 corporate partners is a healthy return.

The core costs of building and renovating sporting venues are just part of the huge investment in the infrastructure of the southern metropolis being undertaken ahead of the Games.

Local media is estimating the final bill could come to more than $30 billion.

Fang would not comment on those estimates, the South China Morning Post reported, but said the benefits for the city would be long-lasting.

"There is expenditure on Games-related projects such as improving the infrastructure of Guangzhou city through a better transport system, and on improving air and water quality," Fang said.

"But this expenditure will help provide a better living environment for the citizens of Guangzhou.

"All the spending is under tight scrutiny and what it puts in place can leave a legacy for the people."

Source: Published>

Malik not to get PCB''s central contract soon: sources

Wed, Aug 11 10 12:07 PM

Lahore, Aug 11 (PTI) Disappointed over Shoaib Malik''s performance after his return to the national fold, Pakistan Cricket Board has virtually ruled out any chances of giving a central contract to the former captain. Malik was not awarded a central contract earlier this year by the Board since he was banned and fined with six other players for indiscipline and misconduct on their tour to Australia. "I don''t think Malik will get the central contract now for this year as he has failed to impress even the selectors with his performances in England," one source in the Board told PTI. "He has played three Tests so far on the tour and despite being the senior most player in the team has failed to give any inspiring performances," he added. Malik only came into the team for the England tour after the Board reversed a 12-month ban and halved his fine of Rs 2 million. The Board''s move surprised the cricket fraternity as during the course of an investigation into the team''s poor show in Australia, Malik was blamed directly for causing unrest in the team, spreading intrigue and not supporting his captain. "I don''t think the selectors will now recommend his name for a central contract as they were told to recommend further names for the contract on basis of performances alone by the Board," the source said. Malik being the senior most player has in the past been given the A category slab of central contracts guaranteeing him a monthly salary of Rs 250,000 even if he does not play for Pakistan. Malik along with Mohammad Yousuf, Younus Khan and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan had failed to get new central contract after being slapped with fines and bans following the inquiry held by the Board into the Australian tour''s performance. Sources said that the Board has asked the selectors for feedback as the contracts were due to be reviewed again later this month. PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt had previously said Malik would get the central contract only after approval by the selection committee. Malik, one of the most experienced players in the team with 31 Tests and 192 ODIs, 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 sources, however, said that fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar who was dropped for the Test series in England after playing in the T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup one-day tournament in Sri Lanka, is likely to get recommended for a contract. One source said that the Board will also wait to see how Yousuf performs in the remaining matches in England when he makes his comeback to the team before deciding on a central contract for him.

Source: Published>

Games: a volunteer success

Wed, Aug 11 10 11:57 AM

New Delhi, Aug. 11 -- With the Commonwealth Games mired in one controversy after another over the past few weeks, the relatives and friends of the would-be volunteers, asked them why they still wanted to be a part of an event that had become so infamous. For the volunteers, though, the chance to be part of such a huge sporting event is all that matters. "The efficient functioning of the Games at the ground level is our responsibility. No one will find us lacking," said I.P. Chopra, 75, the oldest volunteer. "Everything else is immaterial." With less than two months to go, the Organizing Committee (OC) has decided to reduce the number of volunteers. So, instead of 30,000, the official estimate quoted all along for volunteer numbers, the figure has been cut to 22,000. "An audit of role-specific requirements revealed that 22,000 would suffice," said Uma Badve, director, Volunteer Programme, OC. To reach the magic figure they have got all kinds of volunteers: husband-wife duos, corporate honchos, housewives, retired officials, students, professionals etc. 'Delhi United' is what the volunteer programme is called. "In many ways, these volunteers are the face of the Games as it is they the spectators, tourists and delegates will interact with and not the organizing officials," she said. Amity University, the official partner for training, is training around 250-400 volunteers six days a week. The guiding principle of the training is customer satisfaction. "Special focus has been on foreigners and non-Hindi and non-English speaking public," said Shantanu Basu, a trainer. "We also have a group of Australian volunteers who are experienced in such sporting events," he said.

Source: Published>

Fair's the way now, women set to coach their own in Indian hockey

Wed, Aug 11 10 11:47 AM

Chandigarh, Aug. 11 -- In a probable first, the India women's hockey team has got women coaches. The Sports Ministry has included the names of former captains, Pritam Siwach and Sandeep Kaur, in the coaching staff for the camp at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala. The camp, which started on Tuesday, is for the World Cup in Argentina later this month. Arjuna awardee Pritam, who lead India to the silver medal in the 1998 Asian Games, and Sandeep, who was skipper for the 1998 World Cup, are among the four coaches with the team. The other two are Sandeep Somesh and goalkeeping coach, Khalid Modi. The Ministry will finalize the chief coach later. Somesh and Modi were part of the coaching staff when one of the core group members, Th Ranjita, raised allegations of sexual harassment against some members of the coaching staff. The other players backed her and demanded justice. After the sex scandal, the players demanded the removal of some of the coaches but requested that Somesh and Modi be retained. Rupa Saini in as team manager The government observer for women's hockey, Rupa Saini, has replaced Madhu Yadav, who is also a selector, as team manager. The players had complained against Yadav and alleged that she had spoilt the team's morale with her "unhealthy comments". The team, in its letter to the Ministry on July 18, had requested that Yadav be removed. Selection trials on Aug 13

Source: Published>

No replacement for injured Gul: Yawar

Wed, Aug 11 10 11:45 AM

Karachi, Aug 11 (PTI) The Pakistan team management in England has decided against calling up a replacement bowler for the injured Umar Gul who suffered a hamstring injury during the second Test against the hosts on Sunday. Pakistan lost the second Test by nine wickets at Edgbaston to trail in the four-match series 0-2 but the team manager Yawar Saeed insisted there would be no replacement for Gul. "We have two back up pace bowlers Tanvir Ahmed and Wahab Riaz in the touring squad and either one of them can replace Gul for the remaining Tests," Yawar said. He pointed out that both the bowlers have been with the team since the start of the tour and were ready to replace Gul whenever required. "The tour selectors will decide who will play but for now we are not asking for a replacement as Gul is also due to have another scan on August 18," he said. The Pakistan manager said that after the fresh scan on August 18, it would be clear whether Gul can recover in time for the one-day series next month. "Presently he has been advised rest for up to three weeks but we will know the correct position next week on how much more time his recovery will take," he added. Although Gul is said to have raptured a muscle in his thigh while bowling in the England''s first innings he batted freely albeit with a runner evoking remarks from commentators, who wondered how a player suffering from a hamstring injury was able to play pull and hook shots so easily. The Pakistan touring squad presently includes 17 players. Chief selector Mohsin Khan and Pakistan captain for the ODIs and Twenty20 Shahid Afridi were also due to fly to England during the third Test to finalize the squad for the limited-over series. Gul, one of Pakistan''s leading performers on what has been a disappointing tour so far for the team, also missed the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup tournaments earlier this year due to an elbow injury. Among the two probable replacements, Tanvir has not played a match for Pakistan as yet while Wahab, a left-arm pacer, has featured in a few one-day internationals. Both bowled well in the last domestic season. Pakistan will take on England in the third Test from August 18 at The Oval.

Source: Published>

CA experiments with split-innings in one-dayer

Wed, Aug 11 10 11:23 AM

Melbourne, Aug 11 (PTI) Cricket Australia has tried out the split-innings format in one-dayer for the first time in a practice match between South Australian Redbacks and Tasmanian Tigers at the Marrara Oval in Darwin. In the match, which saw two innings of 20 overs each, Redbacks opted to bat first and posted 87 for four before the Tigers made 77 for four in reply. Then the Tigers skittled out Redbacks for 145 and chased down the target to win the match by six wickets and 8.3 overs to spare yesterday. The match was played 12-a-side along with the fielding restrictions - two outside the circle for the first five overs in both the innings, four outside the circle from sixth to 20th overs and five out from 26th overs to the end. "There was some skepticism from the guys who have been around for a long time while the young guys were quite excited by it," Tasmania coach Tim Coyle told Cricinfo. Coyle also feels that to succeed in the new format, the teams have to think a lot about their tactics and the final squad because the "stop and start" factor is going to be quite challenging. "It is something good sides will find a way to get used to. Even though one game is not the ideal example, you can see that a team would need batting depth and bowling options," he said. "It was worth having a go at the split innings. We might as well try this because when it gets into place in the future, we''ll be at a slight advantage," he added. Another CA proposal to have a ''super-striker'' who could bat twice was, however, not tried out during the match. The sides would give the country''s cricket Board an informal de-brief before to the Cricket Australia''s Playing Conditions Committee meeting later this week. With the 50-over one-day version losing its spectator base in the wake of Twenty20 version, the former and current players including senior India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has already supported the idea of splitting the 50 over one-day matches into four innings of 20 overs each.

Source: Published>

Scoreboard: India vs New Zealand, Tri-nation ODI series

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 10:17 PM

Dambulla, Aug 10 (IANS) Scoreboard of the match between India and New Zealand in the One-day International (ODI) tri-nation series here Tuesday.

New Zealand:

Peter Ingram c Dhoni b Nehra 12

Martin Guptill c Dhoni b Kumar 11

Ross Taylor lbw b Nehra 95

Kane Williamson b Kumar 0

Scott Styris b Ojha 89

Jacob Oram lbw b Nehra 14

G Elliott st Dhoni b Yuvraj Singh 7

G Hopkins c Karthik b Kumar 10

Daryl Tuffey c Ojha b Nehra 19

Kyle Mills run out (Raina) 9

Andy McKay not out 0

Extras (b 1, lb 12, w 9) 22

Total (all out in 48.5 overs) 288

Fall of wickets 1-15 (Guptill, 2.3 overs), 2-27 (Ingram, 5.2), 3-28 (Williamson, 6.5), 4-218 (Styris, 38.3), 5-236 (Oram, 40.5), 6-241 (Taylor, 42.2), 7-254 (Elliott, 44.4), 8-277 (Hopkins, 47.1), 9-288 (Tuffey, 48.4), 10-288 (Mills, 48.5)

Bowling:

Praveen Kumar 9 3 43 3

Ashish Nehra 9.5 1 47 4

Abhimanyu Mithun 4 0 24 0

Pragyan Ojha 10 0 58 1

Ravindra Jadeja 9 0 63 0

Yuvraj Singh 4 0 23 1

Virender Sehwag 3 0 17 0

India:

Dinesh Karthik lbw b Tuffey 14

Virender Sehwag c Hopkins b Mills 19

Rohit Sharma c Taylor b Tuffey 4

Yuvraj Singh c Taylor b McKay 5

Suresh Raina c Styris b Tuffey 6

Mahendra Singh Dhoni run out (Tuffey) 2

Ravindra Jadeja c Styris b Williamson 20

Praveen Kumar c Taylor b Oram 1

Abhimanyu Mithun c Taylor b Oram 4

Ashish Nehra c Oram b Mills 4

Pragyan Ojha not out 0

Extras:(w-9) 9

Total:(all out in 29.3 overs) 88

Fall of wickets: 1-39 (Sehwag, 6.6 overs), 2-39 (Karthik, 7.1), 3-44 (Sharma, 9.2), 4-50 (Raina, 11.2), 5-53 (Dhoni, 13.5), 6-62 (Yuvraj Singh, 16.5), 7-67 (Kumar, 19.1), 8-82 (Mithun, 25.6), 9-84 (Jadeja, 28.2), 10-88 (Nehra, 29.3)

Bowling:

Kyle Mills 6.3 2 26 2

Daryl Tuffey 8 1 34 3

Andy McKay 6 0 11 1

Jacob Oram 6 0 15 2

Kane Williamson 3 1 2 1

Source: Web Search

TFA ties up with Sheffield Football club

Tue, Aug 10 10 10:07 PM

Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Aug 10 (PTI) Tata Football Academy (TFA) and Sheffield United Football Club (SUFC) today announced a tie-up to impart professional soccer training to TFA coaches and cadets from September. The agreement was signed for three years but could be extended depending on the success of the agreement. "As per the agreement, the training will be imparted at least 70 days in a season," Sanjiv Paul, vice-president (Corporate Services), Tata Steel said. They said SUFC will formulate a 12-month programme on coaching, fitness and professional development of coaches and cadets. "During this time, SUFC will depute one coach and one fitness advisor," Ian Cameron, vice-president of SUFC said, adding while the coach in charge will be entrusted to impart lessons on technical aspects of the game, the fitness coach will advise the team on sport science, strength and conditioning work and dietary requirements. The training will also include lessons on strategy for player recruitment, identification and profiling. The agreement was first of its kind in the Asian sub-continent, Cameron said adding that the basic purpose of the agreement was improve the coaching as well as the quality of the cadets. SUFC''s Global Director, Mike Farnan and Chief Coach McCarthy Dave will visit TFA in September to begin training. PTI BS AMD SHN

Source: Published>

Taylor, Tuffey shine as New Zealand thrash India by 200 runs

Tue, Aug 10 10 09:57 PM

Dambulla, Aug 10 (PTI) India crashed to a humiliating 200-run defeat in the first match of the triangular ODI series against New Zealand with a pathetic bowling and batting display here today. After the Kiwis put up a competitive 288 on the board, riding on skipper Ross Taylor (95) and Scott Styris (89), India suffered an inexplicable batting collapse to bundle out for a paltry 88 in just 29.3 overs. In what turned out to be a totally lop-sided contest, only three Indian batsmen could score double figures as the Kiwis ripped through the young batting lineup to launch their campaign on a high. It was a commanding show by the New Zealanders who relied on a 190-run stand for the fourth wicket between Taylor and Styris before Daryl Tuffey (3/34) and Kyle Mills (2/26) and Jacob Oram (2/15) shot out India to complete a convincing win. Chasing 289 to win, openers Dinesh Karthik (14) and Virender Sehwag (19) made a watchful start but New Zealand struck twice in as many deliveries to get rid of the openers and reduce India to 39 for two in 7.1 overs. Sehwag was the first to go when he failed to negotiate a short ball aimed at his body by Mills as the ball kissed his glove and landed safely at wicketkeeper Gerath Hopkins'' hands. Karthik then followed suit when he played Tuffey''s delivery down the wrong line and missed the ball, which struck on his pads in front of the wicket. Rohit Sharma (4) then joined Yuvraj Singh (5) but the former was sent packing in the 10th over by Tuffey and two overs later New Zealand dealt India another blow, removing Suresh Raina to leave India tottering at 50/4 in 11.2 overs. Sharma, brought in to bolster the middle order, ended up giving catching practice to first slip of Tuffey''s outside off stump delivery. Raina also followed his partner and edged one straight to second slip to award Tuffey his third wicket of the day. The 32-year-old seamer came to haunt India again in the 14th over when his direct throw found skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni short of wicket as India looked down the barrel at 53/5. Yuvraj and Ravindra Jadeja tried to stem the rot but Andy Mckay removed the former in the 17th over and eight balls later Praveen Kumar was also sent packing by Jacob Oram as India stared at an impending defeat. Earlier, New Zealand had a disastrous start, collapsing to 28 for three in 6.5 overs but Taylor (95) and Styris (89) rescued the innings and helped New Zealand to reach 288. Newball bowlers Praveen Kumar (3/43) and Ashish Nehra (4/47) shared seven wickets between them to strangle the New Zealand top and lower order and helped India bowl out their rivals inside 300. New Zealand had a tottering start, losing three wickets inside seven overs with the scoreboard reading just 28 but Taylor and Styris stemmed the rot and anchored the innings to safety after electing to bat first. .

Source: Published>

CWG controversies will be over as the game starts: Ganguly

Tue, Aug 10 10 09:51 PM

Kolkata, Aug 10 (PTI) The build up to the Commonwealth Games might be marred in controversies but former India captain Sourav Ganguly today said all the problems would be sorted out once the event starts on October 3. Talking to reporters at a promotional event near his residence in Behala, the iconic Bengal cricketer said he was nobody to comment on the controversies surrounding the CWG. Ganguly, who was the star attraction of Queens Baton Relay''s stop-over in Kolkata a few days ago, said: "Commonwealth Games is the pride of our country. I am too far away here and I don''t know exactly what is going around. I just read it in the newspapers." "I guess once the actual games - especially the sporting part of it - start, the medals are given, the controversy will be all over. All problems will be sorted out," an optimistic Ganguly said. Ganguly will do the commentary along with superstar Amitabh Bachchan in the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 and he said it would be nice to share the commentary box with the Bollywood ''Shehenshah''. Commenting about his recent shoot with Big B, he said: "It was nice to shoot with him. I really enjoyed it. He is a very popular person and a true professional." "I will be part of the commentary for seven days out of 20. I will really enjoy it." Now a free cricketer in Indian Premier League after his three-year contract with Kolkata Knight Riders expired last season, Ganguly said he was unsure about his future in the Twenty20 extravaganza. "I am not sure of the IPL yet. I don''t exactly know the rules." Ganguly was talking to the reporters at the launch of VLCC Gymnasium and Salon at Willow Towers near his residence in Behala Chowrasta. "I have been a resident of Behala for last 37 years. For long, I felt that this place needed a good gym. Whenever, I needed to work out, I had to go all the way to Eden Gardens, that would take me more than 30 minutes. Now with this, everybody will be benifitted a lot," he said.

Source: Published>

India win Istanbul Rugby seven's tournament

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 09:37 PM

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) India won the Istanbul Rugby seven's tournament and remained undefeated in the two-day event.

Many top-class teams from Europe, the Middle East and Asia participated in the tournament Saturday and Sunday.

India won all their six games on day one.

'All in all, a great outing and the boys played really well. Luckily no serious injury but all seem really tired and exhausted after 10 games in two days,' Indian captain Nasser Hussain said.

Aga Hussain, vice-president of Rugby India said: 'The efforts of the boys for the past 16 months are finally bearing fruit. This victory will be a huge confidence booster and do their morale a world of good.'

The Indian Rugby team has left for England and will be training there till Aug 18.

'This will be a fantastic exposure for us and for most of the boys this will be their first feel of English weather and conditions. We will be training here for a week and will play a few practice games against Club sides,' Nasser said.

Source: Web Search

Indians off to a flier in Chalkida

Tue, Aug 10 10 09:07 PM

Chalkida (Greece) Aug 10 (PTI) The 12-member Indian contingent got off to a flier in the first Negroponte International Chess tournament here as everyone scored a victory in the opener. The Indian challenge is spearheaded by Surya Shekhar Ganguly who is the highest rated Indian in the fray and started as the second seed behind Denis Khismatullin of Russia. Playing the black side of a Sicilian Scheveningen in the first round, Ganguly had to work hard but he eventually coasted over Georgios Tzolas of Greece. Ganguly arrived here immediately after the Politiken Cup tournament in Denmark where a last round loss against Pavel Eljanov put him out of top honours. Third seed Grandmaster Sandipan Chanda who finished third in the strong Arctic Chess Challenge just a couple of days back, had no problems in tackling Panagiotis Galopoulos of Greece who played black. Sandipan won a pawn early and then cruised to an easy victory in the endgame. Fresh from his joint first finish in the Kavala International Open Chess tournament, Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta was a bit complacent to start with against his Greek opponent Panagiotis Michelakos but once the latter came out with some fine defensive moves, the former world junior champion from India was glued to his chair. Finding moves that would trouble his opponent Abhijeet also scored an emphatic victory. All the Indians in fact played against lower rated players and did not have much troubles except International Master Sahaj Grover who was closed to drawing his game against Serafim Tsounis of Greece. Tsounis, the son of the organiser of this tournament, gave a tough fight and could have drawn from the black side of a Sicilian defense had it not been for the ticking clock that gave little time to think in the decisive moments of the game. In the end, Grover won in the rook and pawn ending by marching his pawns to glory. Amongst other Indians in the fray, GM norm holder Vaibhav Suri had it easy against Georgios Kalogridakis from the white side of a king pawn game while double GM norm holder D Harika started her quest for the final GM norm at the expense of Greek Georgios Nikolaidis. J Deepan Chakkravarthy scored an encouraging victory over Konstantinos Anagnostopoulos while M Shyam Sundar, Tania Sachdev Vishnu Prasanna and Soumya Swaminathan defeated their Greek opponents in contrasting fashion. Young Karma Pandya was lucky to beat Abbas Ismail of Egypt. (More) PTI Corr SHN

Source: Published>

Negi held by Swiercz; Padmini maintains joint lead

Tue, Aug 10 10 08:51 PM

Chotowa Czarna (Poland) Aug 10 (PTI) Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi was held to a draw by Dariusz Swiercz in the sixth round of the World Junior Chess Championship here. Negi slipped to joint third spot in the premier Junior event of the world as top seeded Dmitry Andreikin of Russia caught up with Swiercz in the lead on 5 points defeating A R Saleh Salem of the United Arab Emirates. It is in fact a 15-way tie for the third spot and M R Lalith Babu is the other Indian tied on four points along with Negi who will take on Kirill Stupak of Belarus in the next round. In the girls'' championship being played simultaneously, Padmini Rout continued with her dream run and defeated Olga Girya of Russia to maintain her joint lead. Padmini now shares the top position on 5.5 points along with top seed Anna Muzychuk of Slovenia. Seven rounds still remain in both the sections. Anwesh Upadhyay''s chances for a Grandmaster norm suffered a setback as he went down fighting against Robert Hovhannisyan of Armenia. S P Sethuraman continued with his comeback mission after a disastrous start and reached a respectable four points at the expense of compatriot Debashish Das. Swapnil Dhopade was outdone by Aleksandr Kasyan of Uzbekistan, Sagar Shah did well to hold Pavel Potapov of Russia while Ashwin Jayaram reached three points defeating Jan Zyosko of Poland. Arun Karthik failed to deliver the goods and was held to a draw by lowly rated Blazej Kaleta of Poland. Amongst the Indian girls only Padmini seems to be rocking. Bhakti Kulkarni went down to Gulnar Marfat Mammadova of Azerbaijan while B Pratyusha accounted for Sabina Jablonska of Poland. Negi employed the Grunfeld defense with black pieces and did not have troubles in equalising from a recently popular system. Swiercz tried to complicate things in the early stages of the middle game after sacrificing a pawn but Negi''s timely return of extra material ensured parity. The game was drawn through repetition of moves. Lalith Babu drew with Falko Bindrich of Germany from a queen pawn game. A complex middle game ensued where Babu sacrificed a pawn and Bindrich had to be on his guard as his king was in the center. The German eventually liquidated and Babu won his pawn back to reach a level endgame. Padmini gave a remarkable endgame lesson to Olga who played the black side of a Caro Kann defense. The Indian girl was initially under pressure in trying to find the best resources after being a pawn less in a Queen and rook endgame but once Olga erred and lost her extra pawn, Padmini was on a roll. Padmini first won a pawn and then calculated correctly to reach a winning ending. The game lasted 56 moves. (More) PTI Corr SHN

Source: Published>

Pune Municipal Corporation felicitates Tejaswini Sawant

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 08:37 PM

Pune, Aug 10 (ANI): The Municipal Corporation of Pune on Tuesday felicitated ace woman shooter Tejaswini Sawant on winning a gold medal in the 50-metre rifle category at the World Shooting Championship held in Munich, Germany.

On behalf of the Corporation, Pune Mayor Mohan Singh Rajpal presented a shawl and a cheque of Rs one lakh to Sawant.

Scores of young admirers gathered at this event.

Sawant later speaking to the media persons said that her main goal is to cross her personal best score in the next World Cup.

"In this event - in .22 Weapons itself, there is an event named 3 Position- I want to cross my personal best score and that too in the World Cup itself. So my main goal in the next World Cup in 3 Position is to cross my personal best," she added.

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

Twenty-nine year old Sawant scripted history on Sunday by becoming the first Indian woman shooter to clinch a gold medal at the World Championships with a world-record equalling score in the 50m Rifle Prone event in Munich, Germany.

She scored 597 (100, 100, 100, 99, 99, 99) out of 600 points in the 50-metre rifle prone to equal the record set by Russia"s Marina Bobkova in 1998. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Gill equates CWG to wedding, asks MPs to focus on its success

Tue, Aug 10 10 08:21 PM

New Delhi, Aug 10 (PTI) "Aath saal sey kaam kar rahe hain, abhi rishtey todna chah rahe ho (For eight years work has been done, do you want to break the relations right now)." Drawing analogy to a wedding, this was the refrain of Sports Minister M S Gill in the Lok Sabha today when he was responding to questions on preparedness for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) and contention by some sections that India should not have hosted the event in the first place. "Now that the groom is waiting at the gates for exchange of vows, should the bride break the relations at this hour," he said, pitching for successful hosting of the CWG and not ruining the event. Gill told members, particularly those from the Opposition, that they should focus their attention on the games and sportspersons, and issues like whether anything went wrong can be dealt with later. "Unki (sportspersons) taraf muh karo...hum ko ladne ke liye bahut mauke hain (Pay attention to sportspersons...we will have opportunity to fight later)," he said. "Commonwealth Games itna bada swayamvar hai...chinta toh rahegi (CWG is a mega event where bride chooses a groom from a number of suitors, so there will be tension," he added. Gill also took a dig at the television news channels for higlighting lack of preparations and on repair works being carried out at the stadia in the Capital for the CWG, saying it was driven by their quest for higher TRP ratings. "There are 100 channels...there is a lot of competition. And they are in search of TRPs," he said. "Agar ghar bhi bana lo, biwi che mahine tak nuks nikalti rahegi (Even when you build a house, wife will keep finding faults with the construction for six months," he said, suggesting that criticism was normal. Recalling his school days, Gill said he used to play boxing. "Maar hi khaayi, jeeta kabhi nahi (I always used to get beaten up, never won). But is it is important, because you learn to get up even after a fall," he said.

Source: Published>

Indian pace bowling to be improved before World Cup: Ganguly

Tue, Aug 10 10 08:17 PM

Kolkata, August 10 (PTI) Sourav Ganguly today said the Indian fast bowling needs a lot of catching up to do before World Cup and the former India captain put the onus on bowling coach Eric Simmons to motivate the youngsters in absence of the experienced Zaheer Khan. The Indian pacers lacked penetration especially in the first test that led coach Gary Kirsten to admit that finding the ideal fast bowling unit for World Cup was proving to be a challenge. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a promotional event today, Ganguly said, "It is the duty of the bowling coach to bring the best out of the young Indian pace battery." "Yes, bowling needs to improve. It''s the job of the bowling coach to keep the bowlers motivated, they need to be shown the way. I am sure they will improve with time," the southpaw said. An ankle injury has ruled Ishant Sharma out of the ongoing first ODI of the tri-series while shoulder injury has forced Zaheer out of the tour before the start of the first Test as India have been grappling with a lot of problems in the pace department. Ganguly however said their batting is world class and they are the favourites in the ongoing Tri-series involving Sri Lanka and New Zealand. "India are the certain favourites. We are quite a good one-day side. I am sure they will make it to the final." "We are a great batting side in the world cricket at the moment with cricketers like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and most importantly Virender Sehwag. He can destroy any attack on a given day," Ganguly said about the Test batting line-up. The 38-year-old further said Suresh Raina is nicely shaping up in the Test mould of things and is fitting into the slot left vacant after he called it quits. "Raina has played well in the Test series. I hope he will cement his place," Ganguly replied when asked whether Raina is fitting into the slot left vacant by him.

Source: Published>

Murali spins magic at Champions League T20 coaching clinic

Tue, Aug 10 10 08:07 PM

Johannesburg, Aug 10 (PTI) Retired Sri Lankan spin-wizard, Muttiah Muralitharan was the star attraction when players representing various Airtel Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) franchise teams attended a coaching clinic at a school in Parkmore here today. With just 30 days to go to the CLT20, there was excitement in the air, as over 100 children jostled to get the attention of their heroes, which included South African stars, Makhaya Ntini, Albie Morkel, JP Duminy, Alviro Petersen, Justin Kreush, Jean Symes, Werner Coetzee, Wayne Parnell and Ryan McLaren. Murali, who will be representing the Chennai Super Kings in the CLT20, enjoyed interacting with the children and said, "It''s fantastic to be in South Africa. I always love playing here." "SA have proven that they can host big tournaments before and I am sure the 2010 CLT20 will be a success. The youth are the future and it is always important to remember to give back where you can," Murali said. Makhaya Ntini, who will play for ''Warriors'' in the T20 league said, "This is important for the kids, it means a lot for them to receive advice from their heroes. It''s always great to see their excitement and enthusiasm for the game while coaching." The players were later joined by Ray Jennings, coach of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who said he was looking forward to the start of the tournament. The Champions League T20 tournament takes place from September 10 to 26 across four venues in South Africa Wanderers, Centurion, St George''s Park and Kingsmead as 10 of the world''s top franchise cricket teams battle it out for T20 glory. The first game is between the Highveld Lions and the Mumbai Indians at the Wanderers on September 10.

Source: Published>

Indian pace bowling to be improved before World Cup: Ganguly

Tue, Aug 10 10 07:47 PM

Kolkata, August 10 (PTI) Sourav Ganguly today said the Indian fast bowling needs a lot of catching up to do before World Cup and the former India captain put the onus on bowling coach Eric Simmons to motivate the youngsters in absence of the experienced Zaheer Khan. The Indian pacers lacked penetration especially in the first test that led coach Gary Kirsten to admit that finding the ideal fast bowling unit for World Cup was proving to be a challenge. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a promotional event today, Ganguly said, "It is the duty of the bowling coach to bring the best out of the young Indian pace battery." "Yes, bowling needs to improve. It''s the job of the bowling coach to keep the bowlers motivated, they need to be shown the way. I am sure they will improve with time," the southpaw said. An ankle injury has ruled Ishant Sharma out of the ongoing first ODI of the tri-series while shoulder injury has forced Zaheer out of the tour before the start of the first Test as India have been grappling with a lot of problems in the pace department. Ganguly however said their batting is world class and they are the favourites in the ongoing Tri-series involving Sri Lanka and New Zealand. "India are the certain favourites. We are quite a good one-day side. I am sure they will make it to the final." "We are a great batting side in the world cricket at the moment with cricketers like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and most importantly Virender Sehwag. He can destroy any attack on a given day," Ganguly said about the Test batting line-up. The 38-year-old further said Suresh Raina is nicely shaping up in the Test mould of things and is fitting into the slot left vacant after he called it quits. "Raina has played well in the Test series. I hope he will cement his place," Ganguly replied when asked whether Raina is fitting into the slot left vacant by him.

Source: Published>

Back injury ends Bolt's season

Tue, Aug 10 10 07:37 PM

World 100 metres record holder Usain Bolt will not run again this season because of a back injury, his agent said on Tuesday.

Bolt, beaten by American Tyson Gay in Stockholm last Friday, had been due to compete in the Diamond League meetings in Zurich and Brussels this month.

Triple Olympic champion Bolt was examined on Monday by a Munich doctor who found a problem with the Jamaican's lower back, which if not treated could cause injury to his hamstring or calf muscles.

"With a view to his future career we believe further treatment to loosen his back followed by a period of rest will be in his best interest," Bolt's agent Ricky Simms said in a statement.

Bolt, 23, had been troubled by an Achilles tendon problem this season but an MRI scan showed that injury was now healed.

"I am very disappointed to miss two of the top meetings on the circuit -- Zurich and Brussels -- but trust that it is better for me not to take any risks this year," said Bolt.

"2011 and 2012 are very important championship years and I hope to be back fully fit and healthy," he added in reference to next year's world championships in Daegu and the London Olympics.

Bolt's shock defeat in Stockholm was his first in a 100 metres final in over two years.

He had been due to face Gay and former world record holder Asafa Powell over 100 metres at the final Diamond League meeting in Brussels on Aug. 27.

Source: Published>

TFA tie-up with Sheffield United

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 07:27 PM

Jamshedpur, Aug 10 (IANS) Tata Football Academy (TFA) and Sheffield United Football Club (SUFC) announced a tie-up Tuesday to impart professional training to TFA coaches and cadets.

As part of this tie-up, SUFC will formulate a 12-month programme on coaching, fitness and professional development of coaches. During the period, it will depute one coach and one fitness advisor.

While the coach in charge will impart lessons on technical aspects of the game, the fitness coach will advise the team on sports science, strength and conditioning work besides dietary requirements. The training will also include lessons on strategy for player recruitment, identification and profiling.

On an exchange visit as part of the curriculum, TFA coaches will visit SUFC academy to study the coaching pattern, strength and condition methods.

This apart, few outstanding cadets of TFA will have an opportunity to train at SUFC periodically.

'The tie-up will open a new chapter in offering advanced professional training for the cadets of TFA and give them an exposure to professional football.

'We look forward to the tie-up as a beginning of a new phase where we hope that our cadets will raise the bar in Indian football and hopefully improve its world ranking,' said Sanjiv Paul of TFA.

Source: Web Search

New Zealand v India - tri-series scoreboard

Tue, Aug 10 10 07:17 PM

Scoreboard at end of New Zealand's innings in the first one-day international of the tri-series against India on Tuesday.

New Zealand innings

P. Ingram c Dhoni b Nehra 12

M. Guptill c Dhoni b Kumar 11

R. Taylor lbw b Nehra 95

K. Williamson b Kumar 0

S. Styris b Ojha 89

J. Oram lbw b Nehra 14

G. Elliott st Dhoni b Singh 7

G. Hopkins c Karthik b Kumar 10

D. Tuffey c Ojha b Nehra 19

K. Mills run out 9

A. McKay not out 0

Extras: (b-1, lb-12, w-9) 22

Total: (all out, 48.5 overs) 288

Fall of wickets: 1-15 2-27 3-28 4-218 5-236 6-241 7-254 8-277 9-288 10-288

Bowling: Kumar 9-3-43-3 (1w), Nehra 9.5-1-47-4 (3w), Mithun 4-0-24-0 (3w), Ojha 10-0-58-1 (1w), Jadeja 9-0-63-0, Singh 4-0-23-1, Sehwag 3-0-17-0 (1w)

Source: Published>

Taylor, Styris help New Zealand set India 289 to win

Tue, Aug 10 10 07:07 PM

Dambulla, Aug 10 (PTI) Skipper Ross Taylor and Scott Styris shared a 190-run fourth-wicket partnership to guide New Zealand to a challenging 288 against India in the first match of the triangular ODI series here today. Electing to bat, New Zealand collapsed to 28 for three in 6.5 overs but Taylor (95) and Styris (89) rescued the innings and set the platform for a huge total, before being shot out in 48.5 overs here. Newball bowlers Praveen Kumar (3/43) and Ashish Nehra (4/47) shared seven wickets between them to strangle the New Zealand top and lower order and helped India bowl out their rivals inside 300. New Zealand had a tottering start, losing three wickets inside seven overs with the scoreboard reading just 28 but Taylor and Styris stemmed the rot and anchored the innings to safety after electing to bat first. Openers Peter Ingram (12) and MJ Guptill (11) started off well, clubbing a couple of fours but newball bowler Praveen Kumar removed the latter in the third over to draw first blood for India. Kumar''s late away going delivery got the edge of Guptill''s blade as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni completed a simple catch to leave New Zealand at 15 for one at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. Ashish Nehra then got into the act and removed Ingram in the sixth over. Nehra''s seaming away ball kissed Ingram''s bat and Dhoni made no mistake as India reduced their rivals to 27 for two. Kumar struck again in the seventh over when his incoming delivery pitched on the middle stump and before Kane Williamson (0) could play it, the ball moved away at the last instant and cleaned his off stump. With their innings lying in shambles, Taylor and Styris started the rebuilding process and picked up ones and twos and slammed occasional boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. Mithun was on their firing line in the 16th over, when the youngster was hit for consecutive boundaries by Taylor and Styris at cover and point respectively. Taylor then repeated the same treatment to Ravindra Jadeja in the 18th over when he hit him for a couple of fours both at backward point. In the 21st over, Taylor picked Pragyan Ojha for a boundary when he cut him to clear the ropes at the backward boundary. Styris, meanwhile, slammed consecutive boundaries of Ojha and smashed Jadeja over midwicket, before reaching his fifty in the 30th over. .

Source: Published>

Bolt's season ended by back injury

Tue, Aug 10 10 06:57 PM

World 100 metres record holder Usain Bolt will not run again this season because of a back injury, his agent said on Tuesday.

Jamaican Bolt, beaten by American Tyson Gay in Stockholm last Friday, had been due to compete in the Diamond League meetings in Zurich and Brussels this month.

Source: Published>

New Zealand set India 289-run win target

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 06:51 PM

Dambulla, Aug 10 (IANS) New Zealand were bowled out for 288 runs in 48.5 overs against India in their One-day International (ODI) tri-nation cricket series opener here Tuesday.

Winning the toss and batting, New Zealand's innings were boosted by the 113-ball 95 by skipper Ross Taylor and Scott Styris' 89.

For India, Ashish Nehra took four for 47 and Praveen Kumar three for 43.

Source: Web Search

Tennis teams for CWG, Davis Cup to be selected Friday

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 06:37 PM

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) The teams for the Davis Cup World Group tie and the Commonwealth Games will be picked Friday by the selection committee and executive committee of All India Tennis Association (AITA).

The selection committee will also decide the probables for the November Asian Games.

India will be playing the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against Brazil in Chennai Sep 17-19 before the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games here.

'The AITA will also discuss the clashing of dates of the ATP World Tour finals with the Asian Games,' AITA executive director Ranbir Chauhan said in a statement.

'The meeting will also discuss government guidelines with respect to National Sports Federations (NSFs) and Indian Olympic Associations (IOA). Deliberations will take place on the proposed Olympic charter and the constitution sent by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to the IOA.

'Memorandum of understanding signed by the AITA with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports regarding the legacy due of the tennis stadium for the purpose of sustenance and promoting the game to children will also be discussed,' he said.

Source: Web Search

India retain top-ranked Test side status

Tue, Aug 10 10 06:27 PM

Dubai, Aug 10 (PTI) India have retained the numero uno status in the International Cricket Council''s Test Championship table and are eight rating points clear of second-placed South Africa. After the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo resulted in a draw, India were ensured of being top of the chart irrespective of how the three-Test series rolls out. The series ended in a 1-1 draw. Sri Lanka have gained two places to be third in the latest list released today. India were earlier 11 points clear of South Africa but following their failure to win the series in Sri Lanka, the gap was reduced. Meanwhile, in the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen, VVS Laxman has gained four spots to occupy 12th with 761 points. India opener Virender Sehwag maintained his second position. Sangakkara, who contributed with scores of 219 and 42 not out, reclaimed the top spot which he previously occupied in 2009. Sachin Tendulkar also climbed two places to fourth in the rankings after his impressive double century in the second Test. In the ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, Ishant Sharma has dropped one place to 22nd and Ajantha Mendis has slipped three places to 32nd. Amit Mishra has gained two places and is now 42nd, Suraj Randiv has vaulted 52 places to 50th spot and Pragyan Ojha has climbed 10 places to 51st spot. There is no change at the top of the table which is headed by South Africa''s Dale Steyn followed by Pakistan Mohammad Asif. England''s Stuart Broad has returned to the top 10 by climbing three places to join India''s Harbhajan Singh in eighth spot. Virender Sehwag has achieved a career-best fifth position in the ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders. While Sehwag''s 109 and zero allowed him to narrow the gap with Sangakkara, his match figures of 4-59 has helped him jump to 48th position in the bowling table.

Source: Published>

Becks takes his sons to Teen Choice awards

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 06:07 PM

London, Aug 10 (ANI): British footballer David Beckham had a boys' day out with his sons at the Teen Choice awards in California.

Becks, 35, took his three sons, Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, seven, and Cruz, five, to the glitzy ceremony where he picked up the Male Athlete gong, which was in the shape of a surfboard, reports the Daily Express.

His boys joined him on stage and threw footballs signed by their dad into the crowd.

Sandra Bullock, Katy Perry and Cat Deeley also attended the star-studded event, at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Modi submits IPL documents to ED

Tue, Aug 10 10 05:57 PM

Mumbai, Aug 10 (PTI) Suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) Chairman Lalit Modi''s attorney today submitted documents relating to the cash-rich T20 league before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here. Modi''s lawyer Mehmood Abdi submitted three cartons of documents regarding all IPL contracts, agreements and some personal details. "I met one assistant director of the Enforcement Directorate and as requested by them submitted all documents pertaining to IPL," Abdi said outside the agency office here. ED had in April this year registered a case against IPL under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to enquire into unauthorised transfer of funds from abroad. The case was registered after the investigating agency received preliminary information that funds from abroad might have come in without the mandatory RBI permission. Modi''s alleged misdeeds are also being probed by the BCCI''s three-member disciplinary panel which has conducted three hearings on the matter without his presence. The panel comprises Chirayu Amin, IPL''s interim Chairman, Arun Jaitley and Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Source: Published>

Spartak train in Estonia to escape Moscow smog

Tue, Aug 10 10 05:37 PM

Spartak Moscow have moved their training base to neighbouring Estonia to escape the smog enveloping the Russian capital Moscow, Estonian media said on Tuesday.

Moscow has been shrouded in dense smoke from wild fires burning near the city and people have been advised to leave the city or stay indoors.

"The situation in Moscow is difficult and this everyone knows -- it is not advised to train or to go outside, so because of this we left Moscow and the best option was to come to Tallinn," Spartak coach Valeri Karpin told state-owned Estonian Television.

Spartak will remain in Tallinn until Friday and are scheduled to play Lokomotiv on Sunday in Moscow.

"We are preparing for the game against Lokomotiv, but it is hard to know if the game will go ahead," Karpin said.

Source: Published>

Split at the seam

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 05:23 PM

India's bowling coach Eric Simmons has a lot of work on hand. During the Test series, the fast bowlers didn't come up with yorkers or sufficient slower ones nor they could find reverse swing with the kookaburra ball. Together the bowlers delivered too many no-balls.

Going into the one-dayers, Simmons will have an even more arduous task. During the first Test, Gary Kirsten had admitted that finding the ideal fast bowling unit for the World Cup was proving to be a challenge.

Sudeep Tyagi, Abhimanyu Mithun, Irfan Pathan, R Vinay Kumar, Ashok Dinda, Umesh Yadav, Abhishek Nayar, Munaf Patel, S Sreesanth and RP Singh, to name a few, have been among the 16-odd medium-pacers or bowling all-rounders who have played ODIs since Kirsten took over in March 2008.

So dire is the need to find medium-pacers who fit the bill in the 50-over game that the side is also using the Test matches ahead of the World Cup to hone in on the best possible unit. One bowler with a lot of promise is Ishant Sharma. However, an ankle injury has ruled out Ishant for the first one-day international of the tri-series against New Zealand on Tuesday. Ishant, Kirsten had said, was short on confidence going into the Test series. But after bowling in testing conditions against quality batsmen he would have gained self-belief.

Abhimanyu Mithun made the Test squad in place of an injured Zaheer Khan. And when Sreesanth returned home even before the tour game with a dodgy knee, Mithun got his chance. Ishant's injury presents an opportunity for India to give Mithun another run in one-dayers.

Mithun made his Test debut at Galle and has played one ODI against South Africa in Ahmedabad. Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra are the other medium-pacers in the side.

Mithun the all-rounder?

Mithun made runs in the Test series with a highest of 46 at the P Sara Oval. Though it would be too early to judge him as his international career is still in its nascent stage, Mithun could turn out to be the medium-pace bowling all-rounder that India desperately needs.

Both Praveen and Nehra are handy one-day bowlers and while the team played three medium-pacers during the Asia Cup held at the very same venue, it waits to be seen what kind of bowling combination they prefer in this tournament.

The team management will have to strike a fine balance between giving medium-pacers, who have the potential to make the World Cup squad, a decent number of matches but at the same time they have to be quick in sorting the chaff from the wheat. The team cannot afford to put the need to experiment over the desire to constantly win. It could lead to the side losing momentum and in a World Cup year it wouldn't be the wisest strategy.

Kirsten and Dhoni have in the past expressed their disappointment at the various fast bowlers who have been given a chance to play in the ODIs but haven't shown the potential or for that matter the hunger to play for the country for at least another five years. Injuries to key players always present an opportunity for a team to look at their bench strength. It is sometimes a blessing in disguise.

Over the past two years Team India has tried and tested various medium-pacers in an effort to find those who can make the cut when the World Cup side is announced. India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand will use this tri-series as part of their World Cup preparations. For Dhoni and Kirsten, it presents another opportunity to test the mettle of the medium-pacers.

Source: Web Search

Ferguson to help Queiroz fight insult charges - lawyer

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 05:17 PM

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz has called Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson as a witness in his defence against charges of insulting Portuguese anti-doping agents before the World Cup, Queiroz's lawyer told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) is investigating allegations Queiroz insulted anti-doping doctors during a surprise visit to the World Cup training camp in May, with local media reports saying the episode could cost the coach his job.

Lawyer Rui Patricio said Queiroz, who was Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United before becoming Portugal coach in 2008, has also called former international Luis Figo and the club presidents of Porto and Benfica among other witnesses.

He added the witnesses were expected to be heard by the FPF's disciplinary committee from 1430 (1330 GMT) on Tuesday.

"We're trying to see if the witness statements can be made in person, but we only had four days to present our defence document, which we delivered on Monday, and then 24 hours to present witnesses. It's a little bit tight," Patricio said.

The lawyer said Queiroz had admitted to exchanging harsh words with the anti-doping doctors but not to insulting them.

"It constitutes no insults, it was a mere airing of his annoyance at having the players' rest disturbed. He did not obstruct any anti-doping activity," Patricio said.

The FPF's disciplinary committee is expected to send its judgement to the federation directors this week. If they find Queiroz guilty of obstructing the agents, they may suspend him for a period of up to two years and fire him citing just cause.

Former Real Madrid coach Queiroz has two years of his contract to run with the national team. He guided the side to the second round of the World Cup finals, but was criticised for his defensive tactics after they were knocked out by Spain.

Queiroz has said the inquiry has been handled incorrectly and he may complain to world soccer's governing body FIFA if the case harms him.

"The coach is committed to taking this matter to the final jurisdictions and consequences. That includes everything that is within his legal reach," Patricio said.

Source: Web Search

My ranking now commands better price: Kamal

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 05:07 PM

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) India's table tennis star Sharath Kamal believes his price as a player will go up after becoming world number 39 in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings.

The lanky player from Chennai feels the improved ranking will get him easier draws in the international circuit and the best clubs would want him more than earlier when he was 76th in the world.

'Now on I will be getting direct entry to major ITTF Pro Tour events, the best clubs in the world would want me and I will get to play in more tournaments and that means more money, Kamal told IANS.

Kamal's consistent performances in the last three months pushed him up the ranking ladder. After reaching the semi-finals of the India Open in June, he won back to back titles at the U.S and the Egypt Open in July. He hopes to sustain his ranking and try and break into the top 30s.

'It is very important to hold on to the position, it is tough. I can't afford a slip in the rankings, I have to think of making the top 30 in the next one year,' said Kamal.

He leaves for China next week for a month-long tour with the Indian team. They will play in the China Open, starting August 18, and then stay there for training ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

Kamal, who won gold in individual and team events in Melbourne Commonwealth Games, says making pre-quarter-finals of the China Open would be great. Unfortunately for him, despite his current ranking he will have to qualify for the China Open since the entries for the tournament closed much before the rankings were announced.

'China Open is tough, all the top players will be there. Since the new rankings came out in the first week, I will still have to play in the qualifying rounds to get into the main draw. I hope I play to my potential and make the main draw,' concluded Kamal.

Source: Web Search

CWG Scam: Aiyar says 'no one is indispensable'

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 04:53 PM

New Delhi, Aug 10 (ANI): Former Sports Minister and Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar on Tuesday reacting on corruption charges against the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee hinted at the removal of Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, asserting that 'no one is indispensable'.

"Hosting a clean Games should be the priority with less than two months to go for the event. No one is indispensable and we should give clean Games to the world," said Aiyar, while talking to the media outside the Parliament.

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary and in charge of Uttar Pradesh affairs Digvijay Singh today said Kalmadi should resign if found guilty of corruption related to the Games.

"The Central Vigilance Commission has handed over a case to the CBI. Prima facie, if there is indeed a case against Kalmadi, then he should resign on moral grounds," said Singh.

He reiterated that if there is a prima facie case against Kalmadi, then to step down is the only logical thing to do.

Aiyar had on August 4 called for the formation of a high-level committee to ensure that a 'clean and successful' 2010 Commonwealth Games is held.

Kalmadi, had, however, reacted to Aiyar's remarks, calling it as 'irresponsible and anti national'.

Earlier on July 29, Aiyar pledged that he will not speak about the Commonwealth Games for the moment, but after October 15.ccording to media reports, 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)

Source: Web Search

Govt promises probe into corruption charges in CWG projects

Tue, Aug 10 10 04:27 PM

New Delhi, Aug 10 (PTI) The government today assured the Lok Sabha that it was ready to consider any kind of inquiry into alleged corruption in the Commonwealth Games projects after the event was over. "We are ready to consider any kind of inquiry after October 15. Our government will continue to be there after October 15. Let the focus at present be on the sportspersons when the games are not far off," Sports Minister M S Gill told the House replying to a debate on the games. "Nothing will be hidden or covered up," he said in his hour-long reply which was repeatedly interrupted by Opposition members, who continued to pose queries on allegations of corruption and diversion of funds. The refrain of Gill was that all was well with the preparations for the CWG and that the government has gone the extra mile to have the best facilities for the 12,000 sportspersons who would arrive soon. Referring to the sacking of CWG Organising Committee Joint Director General T S Darbari and suspension of some other officials, Gill said his ministry was behind these strong actions. Congress member Suresh Kalmadi, who is chairman of the CWG Organising Committee and is in the eye of the storm over corruption charges, was not present during the reply. Dissatisfied with the reply of the Sports Minister, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj led a noisy walk out of members of BJP and its allies, who chanted "we want JPC" while leaving the House. Swaraj took offence to Gill''s remarks asking members to take recourse to the RTI route to obtain details of the expenditure for CWG projects. .

Source: Published>

New Zealand, Sri Lanka and India tri-series valuable preparation for WC: Taylor

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 04:21 PM

Wellington, Aug 10 (ANI): New Zealand is looking for valuable preparation for the 2011 World Cup on the subcontinent when they play Sri Lanka and India in a three-nation one-day cricket series, according to captain Ross Taylor.

Taylor believes the tournament, starting today at Dambulla where New Zealand play India, will be important for younger members of his squad aspiring to play in the premier one-day event because they will gain experience of pitches similar to those used in the World Cup.

"Definitely, (it's) ideal preparation. Obviously, coming from New Zealand, the pitches are going to play differently but the conditions that we have here and in India and in Bangladesh will be similar to what we are going to experience in the World Cup," NZ Herald quoted Taylor, as saying.

After the tri-series, New Zealand plays a five-match one-day series in Bangladesh in October before embarking on a full tour of India in November and December.

The World Cup, which starts in February, will be jointly hosted by Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.

"I think it's good, it gives some other players an opportunity and some youngsters the chance to play in the subcontinent as well. If we can have a squad of 20-odd to pick from and push each other, I think it will augur well for the upcoming months and for the World Cup," Taylor said. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

'Pakistan has technical, confidence issues regarding fielding', says ex-fielding coach

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 04:17 PM

London, Aug 10(ANI): Former Pakistan fielding coach Julien Fountain has said that the current Pakistan team has 'technical and confidence-related issues' in the fielding department, which need to be addressed by a specialised fielding coach.

The Pakistan team has been criticised by many former cricketers for their lacklustre fielding performance, including in the second Test against England at Edgbaston, where they missed 14 catching opportunities.

"Specialist coaches are part of today's cricket coaching structure and should be utilized wherever possible in all departments. They have a more detailed knowledge in their particular area as they will have focused on analysing and problem solving specifics where a general coach may have not, or certainly not to such an extent," PakPassion.net quoted Fountain, as saying.

"The Pakistan team management seem to be light years behind in that department and are simply playing catch-up with the rest of the cricketing world."

"The current group of players have technical, as well as confidence-related issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible and can be addressed by a specialised fielding coach," he added.

The 40-year-old further highlighted that the teams that have specialist fielding coaches, including England, are reaping the rewards.

"Fielding is a vital part of cricket, especially in the limited overs formats. If a team is dropping catches like Pakistan are at the moment and letting runs through on a regular basis, they will struggle to win consistently," Fountain said.

"If you give top class players life after life, then you are going to be punished and it makes life very difficult for the bowlers," he added.

Fountain had worked under former coach Bob Woolmer when Pakistan toured England in 2006, as well as a stint in 2001 for a home series and training camp under Richard Pybus. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

New Zealand, Sri Lanka and India tri-series valuable preparation for WC: Taylor

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 04:07 PM

Wellington, Aug 10 (ANI): New Zealand is looking for valuable preparation for the 2011 World Cup on the subcontinent when they play Sri Lanka and India in a three-nation one-day cricket series, according to captain Ross Taylor.

Taylor believes the tournament, starting today at Dambulla where New Zealand play India, will be important for younger members of his squad aspiring to play in the premier one-day event because they will gain experience of pitches similar to those used in the World Cup.

"Definitely, (it's) ideal preparation. Obviously, coming from New Zealand, the pitches are going to play differently but the conditions that we have here and in India and in Bangladesh will be similar to what we are going to experience in the World Cup," NZ Herald quoted Taylor, as saying.

After the tri-series, New Zealand plays a five-match one-day series in Bangladesh in October before embarking on a full tour of India in November and December.

The World Cup, which starts in February, will be jointly hosted by Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.

"I think it's good, it gives some other players an opportunity and some youngsters the chance to play in the subcontinent as well. If we can have a squad of 20-odd to pick from and push each other, I think it will augur well for the upcoming months and for the World Cup," Taylor said. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

BJP walks out during statement on CWG

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 03:47 PM

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) walked out of the Lok Sabha Tuesday during Sports Minister M.S. Gill's statement on the Commonwealth Games (CWG).

Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj led the walkout after expressing ire over Gill's remarks that MPS could get more information on the cost of the CWG stadiums through a Right to Information application.

She claimed that the statement was tantamount to saying that RTI was higher than the accountability of parliament.

The BJP members then noisily walked out of the Lok Sabha.

Source: Web Search

Becks reveals 'most attractive thing' about wife Posh

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 03:41 PM

Washington, Aug 10 (ANI): Even after eleven years of marriage, David Beckham is still crazy for the wife Victoria, and has now revealed the most attractive thing about her-Posh as a mother.

The couple are parents to three boys- rooklyn, 11, Romeo, seven, and Cruz, five.

"She is an amazing mother," UsMagazine.com quoted the soccer star as telling reporters backstage at the Teen Choice Awards.

"When you see a woman becoming an amazing person with her children, that is one of the most attractive things about Victoria-and any woman," he said.

"We make time for each other. We work hard as individuals, but our main job is being parents to our boys. Our boys are our lives.

"Our number one priority is our boys, but we make time for ourselves and go to dinners and romantic weekends," Beckham added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Salman Butt warns team mates to 'hold catches to win matches'

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 03:37 PM

London, Aug 10(ANI): Pakistan captain Salman Butt has said that his team must improve their lacklustre fielding before the third Test against England, which begins at The Oval from August 18.

Pakistan had missed 14 catching opportunities in the second Test at Edgbaston, which they lost by nine-wickets.

"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," The Daily Times quoted Butt, as saying.

"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," he added.

The 25-year-old further said that former Pakistan batsman Ijaz Ahmed, who is part of the team's backroom staff as an associate coach, was helping the team's fielding.

"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," he added.

Pakistan is currently 2-0 down in the four-match series. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

IPL Governing Council to meet on Aug 20

Tue, Aug 10 10 03:23 PM

Mumbai, Aug 10 (PTI) The Governing Council of the Indian Premier League will meet here on August 20, Cricket Board (BCCI) sources said today. "The IPL Governing Council will meet here on August 20," said BCCI sources without revealing the agenda for the meeting. The GC is expected to get feedbacks from former India players Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, who are all its members, on the contentious issue of retention of players by the original eight franchises for IPL IV and beyond at the upcoming players'' auction. The same day the BCCI''s marketing committee will also meet to open the tenders received for the upcoming season''s home series title sponsorship rights, the sources said. Last month the BCCI floated tenders for title sponsorship rights for the two home series of Tests and ODIs against Australia and New Zealand. India and Australia are scheduled to play two Tests at Mohali and Bangalore and a series of three ODIs at Kochi, Vishakapatnam and Goa between October 1 and 24. India and New Zealand are scheduled to play three Tests (Ahmedabad, Kanpur and Nagpur) between November 4 and 24. They will also take part in a five-match ODI series between November 28 and December 10 with matches scheduled at Guwahati, Mohali, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.

Source: Published>

NZOC confident of successful CWG but wants security assurances

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 03:17 PM

Corruption scandals and construction delays notwithstanding, New Zealand foresees Delhi hosting a successful Commonwealth Games come October but the country's Olympic Committee has still sought assurances on security at the venues.

"Athlete safety and security continues to be our highest priority," New Zealand Olympic Committee President Mike Stanley was quoted as saying in the local media.

"We are aware that water leaks and other building issues have occurred in some of the venues and that there have been reports that compliance certification may not have been adequate. We are pushing hard for assurances in these areas," he said.

Stanley said NZOC officials raised these issues during a meeting to discuss security for the Games in Delhi.

"At the recent conference New Zealand security officials received a greater level of detail around the systems to protect our athletes in Delhi. The New Zealand government continues to monitor the situation closely at the very highest levels and reported progress," he said.

Despite the concerns, Stanley hoped Delhi Games Organising Committee would meet international expectations during the October 3 to 14 event.

"Pack your bags, and be ready to go," Stanley said when asked what he had to say to the 195 Kiwi athletes set to participate in the Games.

"If there goal is to be in the best shape they can by in, keep training. I think it will be an outstanding games, the Indians will be very very generous hosts," he said.

Stanley said Delhi was facing a situation similar to what Athens encountered before it hosted the 2004 Olympics.

"It does bring to mind the Athens Olympic Games. The venues were very behind the month before the Games opened, and we had concerns around competition management - however in the end they were delivered and Greece hosted a successful Games.

"We are in a similar situation with India and have confidence that these Games too will be concluded successfully," he said.

With less than two months to go, the Delhi Games have been rocked by countless controversies, including corruption charges and shoddy construction work at the venues.

Source: Web Search

New Zealand win toss, elect to bat

Tue, Aug 10 10 02:51 PM

Dambulla (Sri Lanka), Aug 10 (PTI) New Zealand captain Ross Taylor won the toss and elected to bat against India in the first match of the ODI tri-series here today. India, having rested key players such as Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, will also be without pacer Ishant Sharma in the lung-opener after the lanky bowler picked up an ankle injury. New Zealand are also a depleted side, missing the services of their inspirational skipper Daniel Vettori and the explosive batting duo of Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum. The Teams: India: MS Dhoni (c), Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Praveen Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Ashish Nehra, Pragyan Ojha New Zealand: Ross Taylor (c), Martin Guptill, Peter Ingram, Kane Williamson, Scott Styris, Grant Elliott, Gareth Hopkins, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Daryl Tuffey, Andy McKay. PTI TVS PM

Source: Published>

Lack of strategists in Pak's think-tank behind England tour debacle: Abdul Qadir

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 02:37 PM

Karachi, Aug 10(ANI): Former Pakistan cricketer Abdul Qadir believes that lack of strategy has hurt the national team in the ongoing disastrous tour of England.

Pakistan lost the Edgbaston Test against England by nine wickets, and is now 2-0 down in the four-match series. They had earlier lost the first Test at Trent Bridge by 354 runs.

Qadir said that due to a lack of proper strategists in the dressing room, the Pakistani batsmen were forced to go on the defensive and play a different game.

"Imran Farhat faced 24 deliveries and eventually lost his wicket without scoring a single run. It could easily be ascertained that he had been given directions not to go for big shots, which is his strong point," The News quoted Qadir, as saying.

"Same was the case with Azhar Ali and Salman Butt. So, one can easily see where the problem lies and the problem lies with the think-tank present with the team and not the players," he added.

He claimed that the team' top-order has been struggling to score runs only because they are burdened and put under pressure by the think-tank.

"Why the tail-enders are able to score in matches while the specialised batsmen are struggling. The reason is that they are playing under pressure while the tail-enders are playing their natural game," Qadir said.

Qadir further said that if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wants to help the team for the remaining part of the Test series, they should sent an emergency advisory committee to England.

The tour still has two Tests, two Twenty20s and three ODI against England. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

PMC felicitates Tejaswini

Tue, Aug 10 10 02:27 PM

Pune, Aug 10 (PTI) Ace shooter Tejaswini Sawant, who won the gold medal at Munich World Championship recently, was today felicitated on behalf of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Sawant, who arrived in the city from Mumbai, was honoured at Balewadi Sports Complex, about 20 km from here, where she had practiced rifle shooting to prepare for the event. "I benefited a lot from my practice at the Balewadi shooting range," she said during the felicitation ceremony. Sawant was handed over a cheque for Rs one lakh by Pune Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal on the occasion.

Source: Published>

Clancy seeks 'love cheat' Terry's wife's comfort after chucking Crouch out

Published>Tue, Aug 10 10 02:17 PM

London, Aug 10 (ANI): Lingerie model Abbey Clancy has done away not only with her engagement ring, but her fiance Peter Crouch too, and sought the comfort of John Terry's wife Toni, after she found out about his romps with a 19-year-old hooker.

Clancy, 24, and Spurs star Crouch, 29, had a series of blazing rows after she arrived home in Weybridge, Surrey, from filming in Manchester, following which she banned him from the bedroom.

"She was livid. She screamed at him to get out of her sight and banned him from their bedroom. She told him to sleep on the couch," the Sun quoted a source as saying.

After Crouch left for his parents' home, Clancy later drove 40 miles to upmarket Oldencraig Equestrian Centre, near Lingfield, Surrey, where she met Toni, 28.

Clancy was one of the friends who rallied around Toni when England defender Terry's affair with model Vanessa Perroncel was revealed in January.

"The two women share a special bond as Abbey comforted Toni when JT's affair came out. If anyone knows the position she's in, it's Toni," a source said.

"Toni was able to give Abbey some sound advice. She told her to keep her chin up and not go to pieces.

"Toni's ongoing relationship with her husband is proof it's possible to move on," the source stated.

The model looked close to tears as Toni gave her a comforting hug at a posh stables where they both keep horses.

"They were grim faced. Abbey was obviously not wearing her ring. At times Toni put her arm round her," an onlooker added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search