Sonia speaks on CWG, says guilty won't be spared

Published>Thu, Aug 19 10 12:08 PM

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Amid allegations of corruption in the Commonwealth Games, Congress president Sonia Gandhi Thursday said the guilty will not be spared and exhorted everyone to make the Games successful.

The guilty will not be spared, Gandhi told reporters on the sidelines of a function.

It's everybody's responsibility to ensure the Games are successful, she said.

Breaking her silence on charges of murky deals involving the Commonwealth Games Delhi will host next month, Gandhi stressed that the Games was not about a party or an individual, but an issue of the nation's pride.

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Delhi Commonwealth Games could be new Munich massacre, says Oz Olympic legend

Published>Thu, Aug 19 10 11:48 AM

Sydney, Aug 19(ANI): Australian Olympic legend Dawn Fraser has urged international athletes to boycott the Delhi Commonwealth Games saying that the organisers may not be equipped to prevent a repeat of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre.

During the 1972 Olympics, members of the Israeli team were taken hostage and eventually murdered by Palestinian terrorist group 'Black September'.

By the end of the ordeal, the terrorists had killed 11 Israeli athletes and coaches and one West German police officer. Five of the eight members of Black September were killed by police officers during a failed rescue attempt.

Fraser has also spoken of her concerns regarding sanitation and even the quality of food available to Australian athletes in the Indian capital.

"The Indians are telling us that security will be right. But they've also been telling us for months that their stadiums are ready to go too and, quite obviously, they're not. Yet they're still expecting everyone to trust them and turn up when they say it's all going to be OK," The Daily Telegraph quoted Fraser, as saying.

"So what else are they keeping secret? Where is the food coming from? How is the sanitation? I know Australia has never boycotted a Commonwealth or Olympic Games, but we're simply being told too many lies."

"I would hate to see another Munich, but with things getting worse and worse, I have grave concerns. Can they prevent it?" she added.

Sprint legend Raelene Boyle, who won two Olympic silver medals in Munich, supported the boycott calls, and said that New Delhi should never have been awarded the mega event.

"That's the bottom line, but who do you hold to ransom? Regarding security, it certainly provides a precarious situation so it's really up to individuals whether they go. But they're young athletes who wait their whole lives for this - they'll go," Boyle said.

However, Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) Chief Executive Perry Crosswhite insisted that India would get ready for the Games on time.

"Everyone knows construction is behind, but we believe the Indians will get there and will hold a good Games. As for security, if it's not at the highest acceptable levels Australia won't be going," Crosswhite said.To suggest otherwise is to accuse us of being irresponsible and we're not. We've got a lot of people working on this and right now we believe the appropriate security is in place. It's time someone provided a balanced view, gave us a fair go and gave the Indians a fair go," he added. (ANI)

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Bhupathi-Mirnyi in QFs, Bopanna-Qureshi out of Cincinnati

Thu, Aug 19 10 11:46 AM

Mason (USA), Aug 19 (PTI) Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi advanced to the men''s dounles quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Masters after getting a walk over but it was all over for Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Quershi. Fourth seeds Bhupathi and Mirnyi were scheduled to play against Americans John Isner and Sam Querry, who withdrew from the contest due an ankle injury to Isner. Bhupathi and Mirnyi are yet to face a ball in the USD 24,30,000 hard court event as they had got a bye in the first round. The Indo-Belarusian pair will next take on Polish pair of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski, who edged out Bopanna and Qureshi in their second round match. The Indo-Pak pair fought hard before losing 5-5 6-7(3) to the eighth seeds. Third seeds Leander Paes and Czeck Lukas Dlouhy will play their second round match against America''s Mardy Fish and Bahamas'' Mark Knowles. Somdev Devvarman had lost in the first round of the singles event.

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ICC commends Sri Lanka's decision to suspend Randiv

Published>Thu, Aug 19 10 10:46 AM

Dubai, Aug 19 (ANI): The International Cricket Council has welcomed the decision of the Sri Lanka Cricket to act swiftly and decisively in relation to an incident that took place at the conclusion of the third ODI between Sri Lanka and India at Dambulla on Monday.

With India requiring just one run to win, Sri Lanka bowler Suraj Randiv bowled a no-ball which secured the victory for his opponent and denied India batsman Virender Sehwag, who was on 99 at the time, the opportunity to reach a century.

Having found its cricketers guilty in the 'No Ball' incident, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board on Wednesday decided to suspend its cricketer Randiv for a One- Day International match.

He was found guilty for throwing a ' No Ball' allegedly to prevent Sehwag from completing his century in match.

Randiv will not be able to play Thursday's match against New Zealand.

"The Spirit of Cricket is a fundamental part of our great sport and it is pleasing to see our Members upholding it in such a decisive manner," said ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat referring to the strong action taken by SLC following the incident.

"This is a clear sign that the notion of fair play is still very important to those who love the game of cricket and we commend SLC on its commitment to that.

"As far as the ICC is concerned it was an unfortunate incident and the matter is now closed," he added. (ANI)

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Prannoy on the threshold of maiden gold medal glory

Thu, Aug 19 10 10:42 AM

Mumbai, Aug. 18 -- HS Prannoy shifted to Hyderabad from Thiruvananthapuram last year with the dream of converting the potential he had shown on the domestic circuit into international success. Within 12 months, the Pullela Gopi Chand Academy trainee had assured himself of a second international medal when he reached the final of the boy's singles event at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on Wednesday. Prannoy, who had won a bronze at the World Championship in Mexico in April, rallied to beat top seeded Korean Kang Ji Wook 19-21, 21-17, 21-17 and avenged his defeat in Mexico. "It was a great victory for Prannoy. He was attacking and his backhand looked good. He lost the first game but he bounced back and played well in crucial moments," Gopi Chand, the chief national coach, was quoted as saying by a news agency. The 19-year-old will now take on Thailand's Pisit Poodchalat in a summit clash that could carve his name in history books as the first Indian to win a Youth Olympics gold. Prannoy won all his three group games before beating F Sieh of Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals. Another Indian, national champion B Sai Praneeth, bowed out at the group stage after losing one of the three league encounters. Bhambri in semifinals, to play Dzumhur Singapore: Yuki Bhambri braved cramps to get the better of Ireland's John Morrissey and enter the semifinals of the boys singles event in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games here today. The sixth seed Indian defeated Morrissey 6-4 6-4 in the quarter-finals at Kallang Tennis Centre. "It was an up and down match, and the momentum kept shifting. Every match is going to be tough now," Yuki said after winning his match.

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Indians to play Thailand in September

Thu, Aug 19 10 10:26 AM

New Delhi, Aug. 18 -- As the Indian football team wraps up the last leg of its Portuguese training camp, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is busy trying to get in place the schedule for the next phase of their training for the 2011 Asian Cup. The team will fly from Portugal to Thailand at the end of the month where they will take on the national team at the Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok. The match is scheduled for September 4.

AIFF general secretary Alberto Colaco said, "The Thailand return fixture has been finalised and we are also in talks with West Asian teams and China for the other friendlies that India will play in September and October.

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Prannoy on the threshold of maiden gold medal glory

Thu, Aug 19 10 10:18 AM

Mumbai, Aug. 18 -- HS Prannoy shifted to Hyderabad from Thiruvananthapuram last year with the dream of converting the potential he had shown on the domestic circuit into international success. Within 12 months, the Pullela Gopi Chand Academy trainee had assured himself of a second international medal when he reached the final of the boy's singles event at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on Wednesday. Prannoy, who had won a bronze at the World Championship in Mexico in April, rallied to beat top seeded Korean Kang Ji Wook 19-21, 21-17, 21-17 and avenged his defeat in Mexico. "It was a great victory for Prannoy. He was attacking and his backhand looked good. He lost the first game but he bounced back and played well in crucial moments," Gopi Chand, the chief national coach, was quoted as saying by a news agency. The 19-year-old will now take on Thailand's Pisit Poodchalat in a summit clash that could carve his name in history books as the first Indian to win a Youth Olympics gold. Prannoy won all his three group games before beating F Sieh of Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals. Another Indian, national champion B Sai Praneeth, bowed out at the group stage after losing one of the three league encounters. Bhambri in semifinals, to play Dzumhur Singapore: Yuki Bhambri braved cramps to get the better of Ireland's John Morrissey and enter the semifinals of the boys singles event in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games here today. The sixth seed Indian defeated Morrissey 6-4 6-4 in the quarter-finals at Kallang Tennis Centre. "It was an up and down match, and the momentum kept shifting. Every match is going to be tough now," Yuki said after winning his match.

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Clijsters still perfect on hardcourt after scare

Published>Thu, Aug 19 10 09:58 AM

A sleepy Kim Clijsters woke up in time to claim a 4-6 6-4 6-3 second round win over American qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands at the Montreal Cup on Wednesday and continue her perfect buildup to the U.S. Open.

While there was nothing close to perfection about Clijsters' performance against her 101-ranked opponent, the Belgian remains unbeaten on North American hardcourts this summer, rattling off six straight wins as she prepares to defend her title at Flushing Meadows this month.

Clijsters arrived in Montreal fresh from victory at the Cincinnati Open but the only part of the fifth seed's game that appeared razor-sharp was her determination, as she battled her stubborn American opponent for 2 hours and 14 minutes.

Trailing 4-1 in the second set after losing the first, Clijsters finally shifted into gear and raced through the next five games to level the contest.

Sands, who had failed to even qualify for her last two events, halted the skid when she held serve to open the third but Clijsters' class came through to sweep the final four games and close out the match.

"It's obviously nice to win matches like this when you've been down and to fight," she told reporters. "You put the effort in and in the end it pays off. It's a nice way to end matches like that.

"I'm happy with the way I fought and just raised my level towards the end."

BLUSTERY DAY

Clijsters, who also won the U.S. Open in 2005, has been nearly unbeatable on hardcourts this season, posting a 20-2 record and winning her last 12 matches on the surface in a streak that stretches back to a victory in Miami earlier this year.

Several other players flashed their hardcourt credentials on a blustery day in Montreal, including Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva, who opened the defence of her Canadian crown in convincing style by sweeping past Czech Klara Zakopalova 6-2 6-4.

Danish world number two Caroline Wozniacki, the woman Clijsters beat in the final to lift the U.S. Open title last year, claimed a tough 7-5 7-5 win over plucky Swiss Patty Schnyder to notch her first ever win on Canadian hardcourts.

"Patty is a great player, she is a very serious player," said Wozniacki, who had failed to win a match on her last two visits to Canada. "She knows how to play the points the way you don't like it, she likes to mix it up and she doesn't give you any rhythm.

"It's very difficult to play against a player like that."

Former world number one Dinara Safina displayed promising signs that the back problems that have plagued her for a year may finally be over as the Russian battled to a 7-5 4-6 6-4 win over compatriot Nadia Petrova.

The victory marked the first time since the Australian Open that Safina has won back-to-back matches.

Back on the Montreal hardcourts for the first time since lifting the title in 2008, Safina has seen her ranking dive from number one to 70 but the Russian looked determined to reclaim her place among the elite when she fought back from 4-1 down in the third set.

"Winning a three-set match, it's the first time in a long time," said Safina. "It was about hanging in there and keep on fighting.

"We both played very good but I won. That is the nicest thing at the end of the day."

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Randiv suspended for a match, Dilshan fined

Thu, Aug 19 10 09:34 AM

Dambulla, Aug. 18 -- Once off-spinner Suraj Randiv apologised to India opener Virender Sehwag for bowling a no-ball on purpose, the writing was on the wall. The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) bigwigs suspended Randiv and withheld the match fees of the off-spinner and Tillakaratne Dilshan, who coaxed him into bowling the no-ball, which denied Sehwag a century. "Captain Kumar Sangakkara, too has been advised to ensure that a repetition of such incident does not occur, where disrepute will be brought to the game of cricket, affecting the spirit of the game," a SLC media release said. SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga confirmed that the manager's report had mentioned Dilshan's involvement in the episode. "The interim committee arrived at the conclusion based on the manager's inquiry report and also on the audio and video recordings from the broadcasters," Ranatunga told HT after the three-and-a-half hour meeting. "Had there been no concrete evidence, we wouldn't have been able to arrive at a decision of that sort." A Sri Lanka team source had told HT on Tuesday that it could be Dilshan and/or Mahela Jayawardene who could have influenced Randiv, although he said that Sangakkara wouldn't do such a thing. Immediately after the meeting, Ranatunga and SLC chairman DS de Silva left for Dambulla to "have a one-on-one with all the three players concerned".

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