Bhullar to participate in inaugural Singapore Classic

Fri, Aug 27 10 12:23 PM

Singapore, Aug 27 (PTI) India''s Gaganjeet Bhullar will tee up alongside Asia''s number one golfer Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand at the inaugural Handa Singapore Classic next month. Siddikur Rehman, who made history by becoming the first Bangladeshi player to win a title on the Asian Tour at the Brunei Open, will also make his way to the island republic where a star-studded field is expected to challenge for top honours at the full field Asian Tour event. The USD 400,000 Handa Singapore Classic is one of the four new events on the Asian Tour Schedule this season and will take place at the highly-rated Orchid Country Club from September 9-12. Bhullar who reinforced his growing reputation as one of Asia''s brightest prospects when he produced a brilliant final-day course record of 64 to win his second Asian Tour title in Bangkok at the start of the year is also expected to be among the contenders at the inaugural event. The promising 22-year-old Indian has been touted as one of the stars of the future and he will be eager to cement his status with another commanding performance. Meanwhile Thongchai, whose success across the region includes triumphs in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar is hoping to add Singapore onto his list of conquests. The 40-year-old Thai has become one of Asia''s living legends with his rapid success across the region and abroad. He is the first man to win three Order of Merit crowns and also holds the most number of victories on the Asian Tour with 12 titles.

Source: Published>

Days after divorce, Tiger finally gets out of the Woods

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 12:07 PM

Paramus (US), Aug 27(ANI): Three days after ending his marriage to Elin Nordegren, World No.1 golfer Tiger Woods fired seven birdies to take the lead after round one of The Barclays Classic.

Woods finished 18 holes with a six-under 65 to lead by a stroke alongside fellow American Vaughn Taylor at the Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey.

The 34-year-old took advantage of ideal conditions with a solid ball-striking round in which he missed just one fairway and three greens.

"It's exciting to hit the ball flush like this again. It's something I've been missing all year," The Telegraph quoted Woods, as saying.

Ryan Palmer and Brian Gay are one stroke away on 66.

This is the first time that he is leading after any round on the PGA Tour since the Tour Championship last September. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Japan hope to end coach fiasco by October

Fri, Aug 27 10 11:17 AM

Japanese Football Association (JFA) chief Junji Ogura has set an October deadline to appoint a new national team coach after an embarrassing delay since this year's World Cup.

Takeshi Okada left the job after taking Japan to the last 16 in South Africa and the JFA have been criticised for failing to appoint a big-name successor.

Former Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini and high-profile Dutchmen Marco van Basten and Ronald Koeman are among a long list of prospective candidates to have been linked with the job.

Japan will face Paraguay, who knocked them out of the World Cup on penalties, in a friendly in Yokohama on Sept. 4 and Guatemala in Osaka with a caretaker manager in the dugout.

Ogura wants the new manager in place for an Oct. 8 home friendly with Argentina and an away game with Asian rivals South Korea on Oct. 12.

"We've thrown the ball to the candidates and now all we can do is wait for the reply," Ogura told Friday's Nikkan Sports newspaper.

"It's not been easy this time. If talks break down we will have to go back to square one but I want a new coach in place for the two games in October."

Source: Published>

Bhullar tied 18th after Rd1 of Jhonnie Walker Championships

Fri, Aug 27 10 11:07 AM

Perthshire (Scotland), Aug 27 (PTI) Gaganjeet Bhullar carded a steady three-under 69 to be the highest-placed Indian at tied 18th but Shiv Kapur (76) and SSP Chowrasia (77) seemed in danger of missing the cut after the opening round of the Jhonnie Walker Championships here. Bhullar slotted in four birdies -- three of which came in the back-nine -- against just a lone bogey on a reasonably good day at the Gleaneagles course. A stroke adrift of Bhullar was seasoned pro Jyoti Randhawa at the tied 29th position. Randhawa also opened steadily, picking up three birdies against a bogey yesterday. At one-under 71, Jeev Milkha Singh occupied the tied 48th spot. Jeev endured a topsy-turvy day during which he stroked in four birdies but was pulled back by a double bogey and a bogey. However, it was a nightmarish first round for Kapur and Chowrasia. Kapur, who is tied 130th after the opening day, played out a horrendous front nine which included six bogeys. He made some amends in the back-nine with three birdies against a bogey but the initial slump could cost him dearly if he fails to turn in a vastly improved card in the second round. Similar was story of Chowrasia, who is a stroke adrift of Kapur at tied 137th. The Kolkata pro stumbled to six bogeys against just one birdie and will have to raise his game by several notches to stay in the hunt for weekend action. At the top, Englishman Richard Finch grabbed the sole lead with a flawless six-under 66.

Source: Published>

Waqar, Afridi disagree on Malik''s omission

Fri, Aug 27 10 10:37 AM

Karachi, Aug 27 (PTI) Trouble is brewing in the Pakistan cricket team as coach Waqar Younis is reportedly at loggerheads with ODI and Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi and chief selector Mohsin Khan over the omission of Shoaib Malik and Umar Amin from the squad for the one-day series in England. Reliable sources told PTI that Waqar wanted Malik and Amin to be retained in the one-day squad and had disagreed with Mohsin and Afridi when they consulted him on phone while finalising the squad on Wednesday. "Waqar felt that Pakistan needed Malik''s experience for the one-day series and he would get back into form soon. While he also believes that Umar Amin is a great talent for the future and must be given confidence," one source said. Malik played in three Tests in England and failed in them while Amin too came a cropper. Both were dropped from the one-day squad by the selectors owing to poor form. Afridi also said it was time for Pakistan to start preparing a nucleus of players for the 2011 World Cup. The source said the chief selector had also questioned the need to have rookie left-arm spinner Reza Hasan for the Test matches when Pakistan had been playing the experienced spinner Abdul Rehman. Incidentally, Pakistan''s former coach Mudassar Nazar has also come out in favor of having Malik in the team despite the all-rounder''s recent poor form. Mudassar told a cricket website that Malik''s omission came as a surprise to him. "Shoaib Malik''s omission has been rather surprising and is not justified. He has been a good one day player and should have been in the squad," he said.

Source: Published>

Pak manager wants to quit after England tour

Fri, Aug 27 10 10:27 AM

Karachi, Aug 27 (PTI) Pakistan cricket team''s long serving manager Yawar Saeed wants to step down from his post after the end of the ongoing tour of England. "I think after 26 years in this field and managing so many teams and undertaking so many tours, I need to do something different. I would want to step down as manager after the England tour," Yawar said in an interview. "When this tour ends I will convey my desire to the board Chairman as I want do something different and spend more time with my family," he said. But the former first class cricketer admitted that if Pakistan Cricket Board Ijaz Butt requested him to continue, he would not be able to say no. "If Ijaz Butt wants me to continue I can''t say no to him he is an old friend and if he says I must continue in interest of Pakistan cricket, I will listen. But I will definitely try to convince him the time is right for me to step down," Yawar said. The Pakistan manager, who has been blamed by some quarters for fanning groupings within the team to oust Younus Khan, said he was saddened by such allegations. "I have nothing personal against Younus we got along well. I don''t know from where these allegations have come up. People must understand that I have no involvement in selection matters and if Younus is not in the team it is not my decision," he said. "As a player I respect Younus a lot and if the board and selectors feel they want him in the team I would be happy to see him back. To me all players in the team are equal and I am supposed to be fair with them," he added. Yawar also made it clear that he had taken over as manager again this year because of the circumstances in Pakistan cricket. "After the Australian tour the board said they wanted to set things right in the team and enforce proper discipline. I was told to take over as manager and I felt it was my duty to play my role in putting the team back on the right track," he said. Yawar was replaced as manager for the tours to New Zealand and Australia by Abdul Raquib another former first class cricketer last year in November. But after allegations of groupings and indiscipline on the tours and a high level inquiry into the tour by the board of which Yawar was a part, he was brought back to manage the team.

Source: Published>

Brazil's Ganso to have knee surgery, out for six months

Fri, Aug 27 10 10:17 AM

Santos midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso will have surgery on his left knee on Saturday and will be out for six months, the club said.

Ganso, who made his Brazil debut in a 2-0 friendly win over United States this month, damaged his anterior cruciate ligament and cartilage during Wednesday's Brazilian championship match against Gremio.

"Recovery will take about six months. He'll start physiotherapy on Monday," club doctor Rodrigo Zogaib told the Santos website (www.santosfc.com.br) on Thursday.

The 20-year-old Ganso and teenager Neymar, who turned down a 20 million euro ($25 million) offer from Chelsea, helped Santos win two titles in the first half of the season -- the Paulista (Sao Paulo) state championship and the Copa Brasil.

Source: Published>

Jones leads 52-strong Aussie swimming team for Delhi CWG

Fri, Aug 27 10 10:07 AM

Melbourne, Aug 27 (PTI) Olympic champion Leisel Jones and former world champion Geoff Huegill will lead a 52-strong Australian swimming contingent, including 31 debutants, in the Delhi Commonwealth Games this October. Head coach Leigh Nugent today said Melissa Gorman, Grace Loh, James Magnussen, Kenrick Monk, Mitchell Patterson, Kyle Richardson and Tessa Wallace are among the new additions for the October 3 to 14 event. Star swimmer Stephanie Rice''s pullout due to a shoulder injury and Ryan Napoleon''s doping ban had weakened the squad slightly but Nugent said it is still strong enough to sweep the medals in Delhi. "Australia has a fantastic tradition at the Commonwealth Games and with the swim team getting the chance to compete at the start of the Games, we know we have a responsibility to start well," said Nugent. The Australian team features teen sensation Emily Seebohm, who clinched two medals at the Pan Pacific Championships. The 18-year-old will take part in eight events at Delhi - 50m, 100m, 200m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 200m individual medley and two relays. Apart from the veteran Jones, who is a seven-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, former world record holder Eamon Sullivan is also a part of the team. Former world champion Huegill, who gave up swimming after the Athens Olympics before making a comeback in 2008, will be aiming to add some more medals in his third Commonwealth Games after winning two golds in 1998 and three in 2002. The 31-year-old is a former 50 metres butterfly world record holder. "This is a strong team and a team that is looking forward to competing well in Delhi. The Pan Pacifics last week were a great hit-out for the majority of the team, and the athletes and coaches now know exactly what they need to work on and fine-tune, to be at their best come October 4 when we start the meet in Delhi," he was quoted as saying by the media here. The Squad: Men: Daniel Arnamnart, Ben Austin, Leith Brodie, Craig Calder, Ashley Callus, Blake Cochrane, Matthew Cowdrey, Nick D''Arcy, Ashley Delaney, Tommaso D''Orsogna, Nick Ffrost, Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Jayden Hadler, Geoff Huegill, Robert Hurley, Andrew Lauterstein, Peter Leek, James Magnussen, Kenrick Monk, Andrew Pasterfield, Mitchell Patterson, Cameron Prosser, Kyle Richardson, Brenton Rickard, Christian Sprenger, Hayden Stoeckel, Eamon Sullivan, Chris Wright. Women: Bronte Barratt, Ellie Cole, Alicia Coutts, Sophie Edington, Blair Evans, Felicity Galvez, Katie Goldman, Melissa Gorman, Marieke Guehrer, Samantha Hamill, Belinda Hocking, Leisel Jones, Sarah Katsoulis, Yolane Kukla, Grace Loh, Samantha Marshall, Alice Mills, Meagen Nay, Kylie Palmer, Leiston Pickett, Jessicah Schipper, Emily Seebohm, Tessa Wallace, Annabelle Williams.

Source: Published>

Brazil's Ganso to have knee surgery, out for six months

Fri, Aug 27 10 08:37 AM

Santos midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso will have surgery on his left knee on Saturday and will be out for six months, the club said.

Ganso, who made his Brazil debut in a 2-0 friendly win over United States this month, damaged his anterior cruciate ligament and cartilage during Wednesday's Brazilian championship match against Gremio.

"Recovery will take about six months. He'll start physiotherapy on Monday," club doctor Rodrigo Zogaib told the Santos website (www.santosfc.com.br) on Thursday.

The 20-year-old Ganso and teenager Neymar, who turned down a 20 million euro ($25 million) offer from Chelsea, helped Santos win two titles in the first half of the season -- the Paulista (Sao Paulo) state championship and the Copa Brasil.

Source: Published>

Woods fires 65, shares Barclays lead

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 06:17 AM

Tiger Woods fired a six-under-par 65 at rain-softened Ridgewood Country Club on Thursday for his best round of the year and a share of the first-round lead at the Barclays tournament.

Tied for the lead was fellow American Vaughn Taylor, who posted three birdies in a row from the 13th in his 65 in the opening event of the lucrative FedExCup playoffs.

Australian Adam Scott and Americans Ryan Palmer and Brian Gay were tied for third one stroke behind the leaders. Fourteen players were locked a further stroke adrift at four-under 67.

Woods took advantage of gentle conditions and lift-clean-place provisions due to the soggy ground with a solid ball-striking round.

The 34-year-old missed just one fairway and three greens and would have gone lower had he not lipped out of the hole on three occasions.

WINLESS SEASON

"It's exciting to hit the ball flush like this again," said Woods, who has struggled through a winless season as he dealt with the fallout from the sex scandal that led to his divorce this week from Elin Nordegren.

"It's something I've been missing all year."

A lowly 112th in the FedExCup standings, Woods teed off in the first group of the day and birdied four holes on the front nine on a mild, sunny day before stumbling at the 12th with a bogey after finding a greenside bunker.

He rebounded with three more birdies and capped a satisfying round by rolling in a seven-footer for birdie at the 18th.

The round eclipsed the world number one's previous best this season of 66 at Pebble Beach in the U.S. Open.

Australian Scott nearly joined Woods and Taylor as he reached six-under at the seventh, his 16th hole of the day, before taking bogey on his last hole of the day.

"I'm very happy with everything I did today," said Scott, who put in a solid week of practice on his putting and had it pay some dividends on Thursday.

"Last week was fun practising and I came here with a good attitude and kept up the good play and made some putts today. It could have been better but I made some."

Palmer, winner of this year's Sony Open in Hawaii, looked like he might run away from the field when he birdied the first five holes to make the turn at 28. However, he promptly double-bogeyed the 10th to slip back.

The group tied at 67 included last year's winner Heath Slocum, fellow American Davis Love III, Camilo Villegas of Colombia and Australia's John Senden.

Briton Rory McIlroy, Argentina's Angel Cabrera and K.J. Choi of South Korea were among a clutch of players on 68. FedExCup leader Ernie Els of South Africa shot an even-par 71, a stroke better than world number two Phil Mickelson in the 121-man field.

Source: Web Search

Sitwala, illness fail to prevent Gilchrist from reaching last four

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 05:37 AM

Peter Gilchrist had suffered an upset defeat to Dhruv Sitwala on Wednesday. On Thursday, he had his revenge, getting past the Indian to book a semi-final spot in the World Billiards Championships (time format).

The victory was all the more sweeter since he had almost decided to skip the event. His doctor in Singapore had advised Gilchrist not to participate in the competition owing to a kidney infection, but that was not to be.

"My love for billiards and some coaxing on the part of my mate ? Mike (Russell) ? helped me make my decision. Sometimes, you're just supposed to ignore the doctors' advice and I'm glad it paid off", Gilchrist told The Indian Express after the win. Gilchrist has been off medication for the competition since it induces fever and he wants nothing to come in the way of his game.

Gilchrist edged past Sitwala 851-831 in the tough quarterfinal encounter that saw both players take lead by tunrs. Gilchrist started with a break of 205 and followed it up with a 268, but Sitwala bounced back soon after.

He had a break of 109 in the early visit, then posted 316 and added 118 and 93 to take a 120-point lead before losing out on time. Gilchrist took the opportunity and went about utilising the remaining time by posting an unfinished break of 145. "I was lucky today, especially when I got my chance towards the end. I didn't deserve to lose today and neither did he but I just couldn't afford to", said the Singaporean.

He still feels he has something saved up for the big match and hopes to unleash a storm in the semifinal. "I still feel I have a big break in me somewhere" he said. Gilchrist will take on India's Geet Sethi in the semifinal, who was at his immaculate best in shutting out Ashok Shandilya 1658-455 with three double century breaks.

The other semifinal will see a rematch of the points format final, with defending champion Pankaj Advani looking to avenge his loss against Englishman Mike Russell. Advani fired an unfinished break of 709 to post an impressive quarterfinal win against compatriot Rupesh Shah after both cueists began cautiously.

Rupesh was on a high after scoring breaks of 121, 75, 97 and 163 early on as the two moved neck-and-neck before Advani produced his memorable break. Down by 114 points, he got into his groove showing impeccable ball control and understanding of the roll of green baize on table 5. "The break had come at the right time and I hope it will help me in the next match," said Advani after beating Rupesh 1279-684.

On an adjacent table, Russell reeled out a break of 633, but otherwise seemed to take his quarterfinals tie against Maynmar's Kyaw Oo easy before winning 1127-850. Russell began with a break of 231 before the six-tonner came.

Results (Quarter-finals)

Geet Sethi (Ind) bt Ashok Shandilya (Ind) 1658--455; Peter Gilchrist (Sin) bt Dhruv Sitwala (Ind) 851-831; Mike Russell (Eng) bt Kyaw Oo (Mya) 1127-850; Pankaj Advani (Ind) bt Rupesh Shah (Ind) 1279-684.

Source: Web Search

Ministry initiates process to clear dues

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 05:23 AM

The Sports Ministry has initiated the process to clear the dues of India's top tennis stars. Rahul Bhatnagar, joint secretary and in-charge of the International Sports Division, said on Thursday that the All India Tennis Federation (AITA) had submitted many of the bills, even though proof of travel was still awaited.

"We have asked AITA to submit proof of travel documents for individual players as part of their training for the Commonwealth Games. The federation has submitted several documents and have promised is that the travel proof will be given by Friday," Bhatnagar said. He added that once the ministry had all the documents, they would be forwarded to the finance department. "By next week the amount is expected to reach the federation," he said.

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Liverpool sneak through, Lausanne produce shock

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 04:17 AM

Liverpool diced with elimination before scoring two late goals to win 2-1 at Trabzonspor and squeeze into the Europa League on Thursday while Swiss second division side Lausanne came through with a shock win over Lokomotiv Moscow.

Rapid Vienna, who knocked out English Premier League Aston Villa at the play-off stage last year, repeated the trick, coming from behind with two late goals to win 3-2 away and qualify 4-3 on aggregate in a rare boost for Austrian football.

Alessandro del Piero's 53rd minute goal was enough for Juventus, who beat Austria's Sturm Graz 1-0 for a 3-1 aggregate win, while ambitious Manchester City beat Timisoara 2-0 to complete a 3-0 aggregate success.

Celtic, dumped out of the Champions League qualifiers by Braga earlier this month, squandered a two-goal first leg lead at Utrecht, losing 4-0 on another night of European misery.

Liverpool looked like suffering a similar fate as the five-times European champions, taking a 1-0 lead to Turkey's Black Sea Coast, saw it wiped out after only four minutes by Colombian forward Teofilo Guiterrez, who sidefooted Gustavo Colman's shot into the net from 12 metres.

The hosts led until the 83rd minute when defender Giray Kacar turned Glen Johnson's pass into his own goal under pressure from David Ngog.

Five minutes later, Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt, whose mistake led to the first goal, turned in a rebound after Onur Kivrak spilled a Dani Pacheco shot to complete a 3-1 win for Roy Hodgson's team.

Lausanne were beaten 6-0 in last season's Swiss Cup final by FC Basel but went into the Europa League hat after their conquerors qualified for the Champions League preliminaries.

Held 1-1 in last week's first leg, Lausanne went in front with a header by Brazilian Silvio in the 17th minute and held their lead until Alexander Aliev levelled with five minutes left with a deflected free kick to level the aggregate score at 2-2.

The underdogs, whose reported annual budget of around 4 million Swiss francs (US$3.9 million) is a mere fraction of that of their Russian opponents, won 4-3 on penalties after Lokomotiv missed their last two attempts in the shootout.

RAPID REVENGE

Aston Villa were set for revenge against Rapid Vienna when Gabriel Agbonlahor put them ahead in the 22nd minute following last week's 1-1 draw.

Although Atdhe Nuhiu levelled seven minutes after the break for the Austrians, Emile Heskey put Villa back in front in the 77th minute. But a Mario Sonnleitner goal one minute later stunned Villa Park and Rene Gartler completed Villa's nightmare three minutes later.

Celtic's defeat came as Ricky van Wolfswinkel notched a hat-trick for Utrecht, converting penalties in the 12th and 18th minutes, and scoring again after the break before Barry Maguire added the fourth just after the hour.

Sibir Novosibirsk, the most easterly club to have taken part in European competition, saw their hopes disintegrate as they lost 5-0 at PSV Eindhoven.

Leading 1-0 from last week's first leg played more than 3,000 kilometres east of Moscow, the Russian team fell behind to a Marcus Berg goal in the 38th minute and fell apart after halftime when the Dutch added four more.

AZ Alkmaar also survived, going through 3-2 on aggregate despite losing 2-1 at Kazakhstan's Aktobe Lento.

Paraguay striker Lucas Barrios scored an injury-time winner for Borussia Dortmund as they won 1-0 at Azerbaijan's Garabagh Agdam to complete a 5-0 aggregate win while Villarreal came from behind to win 2-1 at Dnepr Monilev and go through 7-1 overall.

Source: Web Search

Woods fixes swing then shoots his best round of 2010

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 03:37 AM

Tiger Woods fixed some swing problems before his early start at Ridgewood Country Club and came away with his best round of the year on Thursday at the Barclays tournament that opens the FedExCup playoffs.

Woods, who has struggled on and off the course this year, put together a ball-striking round that was reminiscent of his glory days with a six-under-par 65 that gave him a share of the first-round lead.

"It was a good ball-striking day," Woods told reporters. "Nice to have control."

Woods has floundered in all facets of his game this year in the stormy aftermath of the sex scandal that led to him taking five months off from golf and resulted in a divorce this week from his Swedish wife Elin Nordegren.

Winless in nine starts this season, the world number one missed the cut at Quail Hollow and had the worst four-round performance of his PGA Tour career at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational earlier this month.

Asked if his poor form was strictly a golf matter or whether it could be pegged to distractions in his personal life, Woods said: "I think it's all of the above."

At the U.S. PGA Championship following Bridgestone, Woods received some tips from Canadian swing coach Sean Foley. Last year's FedExCup winner said he continued to work with Foley last week and that helped him correct some flaws on Thursday.

Woods, who woke up at 3:50 a.m. (0750 GMT), said he was not happy during his warmup until making the proper adjustments ahead of his 7:10 a.m. tee time.

"Well, it was backswing, downswing and follow through," he said about what needed fixing, drawing laughs from his audience at the media center.

Launching the tournament in the first threesome off the tee, Woods missed only one fairway all day and might have shot lower if not for two lipped-out birdie putts and a chip for par that lipped out at the 12th, where he took his only bogey against seven birdies.

"It's exciting to hit the ball flush like this again," said Woods. "It's something I've been missing all year."

Source: Web Search

Mourinho's Real adventure heads back to Milan

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 03:17 AM

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho's quest to become the first man to win the European Cup with three different clubs will include a super-charged visit to Milan following Thursday's draw for the Champions League group stage.

However, Mourinho, who masterminded Inter Milan's first triumph in the competition for 45 years in May after taking Porto to the pinnacle in 2004 will visit AC Milan rather than Inter at their shared San Siro home stadium on Nov. 3.

Real (9 wins) and Milan (7) are the two most successful European Cup winners and were drawn together in Group G along with four-time winners Ajax Amsterdam and French side Auxerre.

New Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri agreed the group would be tough.

"Certainly we will be pumped up to face Real," Allegri told the club website (www.acmilan.com). "The San Siro and Bernabeu will be rocking. A spectacle is assured."

Inter, under their new boss Rafa Benitez, will face Werder Bremen and Champions League debutants Tottenham Hotspur and Twente Enschede of the Netherlands in Group A, Spurs being one of three London sides in the competition and familiar foes to Benitez from his time with Liverpool.

Barcelona, European champions in 2009, will face Panathinaikos, FC Copenhagen and Rubin Kazan of Russia in Group D, looking to avenge a shock home defeat to the Russians who beat them 2-1 at the Nou Camp in the group stage last season.

Manchester United, winners in 2008 face Valencia, Rangers and Bursaspor of Turkey with the Rangers match especially poignant for United boss Alex Ferguson, who once played for Rangers and still has close links with his home city of Glasgow.

United are among the quartet of English clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs who all have extra incentive to lift the European Cup this season with the final at Wembley in May.

Arsenal's chief executive Ivan Gazidis was already eying a place there after his club were drawn against Braga, Shakhtar Donetsk and Partizan Belgrade.

STEEL AND EXPERIENCE

"We have a real incentive to win it this year with the final at Wembley. We have added steel and experience to the side and we are one year older and more experienced and are going for it," Gazidis told reporters.

Chelsea, who are familiar visitors to Wembley having won the last two FA Cups there, return to Moscow where they lost the 2008 final to Manchester United, with a match against Spartak.

Chelsea also face Zilina of Slovakia and Olympique Marseille, with their talismanic striker Didier Drogba no doubt relishing two battles against his old club.

Bayern Munich, who lost May's final to Inter, will face AS Roma, Basel and CFR Cluj.

Real Madrid and Milan's rivalry goes back to the first season of European competition in 1955-56 when Real beat Milan in the semi-finals and in all they have played each other 13 times with Milan winning six times and Real five.

Ajax have also enjoyed memorable final showdowns with Milan, with the Italians triumphing in 1969 and the Dutch in 1995.

While Real, Milan and Ajax will be looking to revive old glories, Inter will be seeking to become the first club to retain the European Cup in the Champions League era.

"It's a tasty group," said Inter's ambassador Luis Figo. "Werder Bremen are very physical... Spurs have a lot of pace... but our aim is to play in the final at Wembley."

The group phase begins on September 14/15 and concludes on December 7/8. The final is at Wembley on May 28.

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American Oudin limps into U.S. Open spotlight

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 02:37 AM

Melanie Oudin's magical run to the quarter-finals of last year's U.S. Open raised expectations for American tennis, but the teenager has been a shadow of her former self heading into this year's edition of the tourney.

Last year, the then 17-year-old Oudin came from nowhere to upset ranked Russians Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova, before falling to eventual runner-up Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter-finals.

But since reaching the quarter-finals at the Family Circle Cup in April, the scrappy Oudin has been locked in a slump and has failed to pass the second round in her last nine events.

Currently ranked number 44, Oudin failed in her quest to be seeded at the 2010 U.S. Open, even after earning a seed for the first time at a gland slam at Wimbledon where she fell in the second round to Australia's Jarmila Groth.

Oudin, the third highest ranked American behind Serena and Venus Williams, dismissed talk that she is in a slump and said critics have not given her enough time to build off the success from last year's U.S. Open, which has been credited partly to opponents who were still unfamiliar with her game.

"It's not a slump. Yes, the first year in the tour is the freshest, no one knows who you are and I really like playing under those circumstances," said Oudin. "I went from the total underdog to someone who is supposed to win every tournament. The expectations went from me from zero to 100."

The 5-feet, 6-inch (1.7 meter) Oudin is attempting to add more power to her largely counterpuncher style of game, but she continues to struggle with a reconstructed service motion and often plays too impatiently.

While hoping to rebound in the tournaments leading up to the Aug. 30-Sept. 12 U.S. Open, Oudin suffered early defeats in four events to Victoria Azarenka, Samantha Stosur, Elena Vesnina and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

"Melanie is a really hard worker and I have confidence in her because every time she gets on court she's trying to get better," said U.S. Fed Cup captain Mary Fernandez said.

"She's trying to get a better serve and be more aggressive. The tough thing for her is wanting to do more than she's capable of and trying to play bigger than what she has."

With world number one Serena Williams out of the U.S. Open recovering from foot surgery and fourth-ranked Venus Williams not having played since Wimbledon due to a knee ailment, Oudin will have a hard time avoiding the spotlight.

"I thought [the attention] would die down by now, but the fact the U.S. Open is coming again, it's 'Let's see if she can do it again, and I don't think it will be quiet at all for me,'" said Oudin

While she does not consider herself doesn't think that she is a world- beater yet, she admits that she has underachieved the past few months.

But Oudin added that if she can avoid thinking about what others expect her to do, another decent run in New York is not out of the question.

"I know that it wasn't a fluke and sure I can do it again, but I'm not going to put pressure on myself and think about it," she said. "Then I won't play like I can. I want to play with no fear and just go for it."

Source: Web Search

Nadal faces tough road to U.S. Open title

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 02:17 AM

World number one Rafa Nadal faces the daunting prospect of possibly having to beat Roger Federer and Andy Murray to win the U.S. Open for the first time and complete his collection of grand slam titles.

The Spaniard will launch his championship campaign against unseeded Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili but was given no favours during Thursday's official draw at Flushing Meadows.

If results go according to the rankings, the top seed will face the in-form Briton Murray in the semi-finals then Federer in the final, if the Swiss master successfully navigates his own tricky path to reach a seventh consecutive New York final.

Federer, seeded second, opens against Argentina's Brian Dabul before a possible third round clash with former U.S. Open champion Lleyton Hewitt and a quarter-final showdown with Sweden's Robin Soderling, the man he beat to win the French Open last year ahead complete his career grand slam.

If Federer survives that, he could then meet Serbia's third seed Djokovic, the 2008 Australian Open champion, in the semi-finals of the two-week tournament starting Monday.

"The first four are of course the biggest favourites," Djokovic told Reuters. "But you also have (Andy) Roddick, Soderling, (Tomas) Berdych, these guys have all played extremely well and have played finals of grand slams."

Last year's men's champion, Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro, is unable to defend his title because of injury.

The women's draw, weakened by the absence of injured world number one Serena Williams and former champion Justine Henin, is looming as one of the most open in years with at least a dozen players looming as genuine contenders.

Last year's runner-up Caroline Wozniacki was promoted to top seed after the withdrawal of Williams while the defending champion Kim Clijsters was elevated to second seed, in the bottom half of the draw.

Clijsters completed a fairytale return to professional tennis last year after taking time out to start a family and then claiming her second U.S. Open title.

Her previous win was in 2005 but injury prevented her from defending her crown in 2006 and the Belgian said she was looking forward to finally returning to the courts as the reigning champion.

"This is a new experience for me," she told Reuters. "Now that I'm a little bit older and I've been away for a little bit I feel a little bit more experienced and I can look back and my wins and losses and wins from the past in a completely different way."

Clijsters will start her title defense against Hungarian Greta Arn but also has a draw littered with obstacles as she could meet Australia's French Open finalist Samantha Stosur in the quarter-finals and Venus Williams in the semi-finals.

Williams, a two-times U.S. Open champion, was drawn to play Italian Roberta Vinci first up and is in the same quarter of the draw as Italy's French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, who plays Japan's Ayumi Morita in the first round.

Denmark's Wozniacki, coming off a win at this week's rain-delayed Montreal Cup, will begin her bid for a first grand slam title against American wildcard Chelsey Gullickson.

But Wozniacki faces a tantalising fourth-round showdown with Maria Sharapova, who joins Svetlana Kuznetsova as former Russian U.S. Open champions in the same quarter.

Serbia's Jelena Jankovic looms as a possible semi-final opponent in the top half of a draw that is notable for the absence of the imposing figure of Serena Williams.

Source: Web Search

China's men on march, women's number one Wang loses

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 01:37 AM

Holder Lin Dan and pretender Chen Jin bulldozed their way into the last eight of the world badminton championships as China bared their might on Thursday.

Lin beat old rival and compatriot Bao Chunlai 21-16 21-13 and Chen saw off unseeded Ashton Chen of Singapore 21-17 21-10.

There was a setback in the women's event where world number one Wang Yihan lost out to battling Japanese Eriko Hirose 20-22 21-16 21-18 but with three other Chinese going through the chances of gold remained high.

In the men's event, Lin and Chen were joined in the last eight by world number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia who brushed aside English champion Rajiv Ouseph 21-9 21-9.

Former Olympic and world champion Taufik Hidayat, an easy 21-8 21-14 winner over Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk of Thailand, joined the party along with 33-year-old Peter Gade.

Gade beat Germany's Marc Zwiebler 21-14 21-15 just 16 hours after his second-round match on Wednesday.

"I had to play intelligently and not let Marc seize the initiative as I had still to recover from the match last night," the Dane told reporters.

WOMEN'S SHOCK

In the women's event, Hirose triumphed in a 75-minute marathon against Wang.

"It is truly a memorable moment for me as this is my greatest-ever achievement," said the Japanese. "You do not often beat the world number one and doing it at this level is really something I did not expect."

Wang said: "Eriko was in her best form and my game was not really up to expectations. I am sad to have lost but credit to my opponent."

In the quarter-finals Hirose meets another of the Chinese battalion, seventh seed Wang Lin who beat 12th seed Pui Yin Yip of Hong Kong 21-13 21-17.

Indian second seed Saina Nehwal eased into the last eight with a 21-14 21-18 success over Russia's Ella Diehl.

The biggest cheer of the day came when Chinese-born Pi Hongyan, who plays for France, rallied to beat South Korea's Kim Moon-Hi 16-21 21-15 21-14.

Source: Web Search

Pacers make short work of Kiwis

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 01:17 AM

Munaf Patel rode pillion as Praveen Kumar did wheelies on one of the bikes given away at the presentation ceremony. A short while earlier Munaf had piggy-backed on the opening spells of Kumar and Nehra to pick up his three wickets in the match.

Right through the Test series when India struggled in the bowling department, Munaf was warming the benches. On Wednesday, he formed part of a red-hot Indian medium-pace bowling line-up that skittled out New Zealand for just 118. This was after Virender Sehwag scored his 13th ODI hundred and shared a 107-run partnership with MS Dhoni to help India to 223. The 105-run saw India qualify for the final against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Dhoni's gamble to go with four pacers ? Munaf came in for left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha ? proved to be the masterstroke. With every wicket that Munaf took, the smile on Dhoni's face became broader. He had first struck in the 17th over of the innings, when he got ball to move in rather sharply from outside the off-stump and trap wicket-keeper batsman Gareth Hopkins in front of the wicket. By then Kumar, Nehra and Ishant Sharma had picked up five New Zealand wickets to turn the match decisively in India's favour.

The medium-pacers picked up nine wickets with Kumar and Munaf picking up three each and Ashish Nehra taking two and giving away just 10 runs. Praveen was most impressive in his first spell, which read three for 15 in six overs. He moved the new ball both ways, while Nehra, the left-arm paceman, used his in-swinger with telling effect. These two opening bowlers have been spot on in this tournament with Sharma doing when coming in as first change.

There have been genuine fears, expressed by coach Gary Kirsten, about the lack of teeth and consistency from the medium-pacers in one-dayers with less than six months to go for the World Cup. When India decided to go for an all-out pace attack, it gave Munaf the opportunity to show why he shouldn't be clubbed in that category of medium-pacers who have lost their way due to lack of form and fitness issues.

When the likes of Rudra Pratap Singh, Irfan Pathan and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, to name a few, have failed to show the kind of consistency required to succeed at the highest level, the selectors have had to look desperately for options. Munaf has often blown hot and cold, and on Wednesday he started off poorly by bowling two wides in his first over and was taken out of the attack briefly. He came back from the other end and bagged three wickets for just 17.

New Zealand never looked like they would chase down the 224-run target as they lost two early wickets, that of BJ Watling and Martin Guptill. Ross Taylor had smashed two consecutive fours off Kumar, but the bowler used the outswinger to dismiss the New Zealand skipper in the third over. Kyle Mills with 52 off 35 provided some entertainment towards the end after the top-order had failed to turn up for the fight.

The wickets here have enabled swing to a large extent, unlike traditional ones in the sub-continent, but still it required the Indian medium-pacers to bowl well in breezy conditions. It was another day out for the medium-pacers at Dambulla. This time it was the Indians who looked menacing.

Powerplay confusion

Confusion over powerplay saw the game stop for about 10 minutes during the New Zealand innings. While the players presumed the powerplay was on, the umpires didn't think so. What transpired was that New Zealand batsman Kyle Mills had told Indian skipper MS Dhoni at the end of the 24th over that he was taking the batting powerplays but forget to convey the same to umpire. Mills went on to explain after the match that the matter was sorted out without much fuss.

"A little bit of confusion is what happened. When (Ravindra) Jadeja came on to bowl, I told Dhoni, and I also believed I told umpire Raufy, (Asad Rauf) that we were going to take the powerplay. MS nodded his yes, Raufy obviously didn't hear. In the end, when Ashish Nehra came on to bowl the last over of the powerplay, Raufy still didn't realise that we were in powerplay. It was just a communication thing, really. Maybe I will just put my hand up and make sure the umpire can hear my signal in future. I was just glad to resolve it out in the middle with MS and Raufy. I was tempted to say that I didn't (take powerplay), but that wouldn't be in the spirit of the game," Mills said.

On Thursday, Mills wasn't allowed to bowl for half an hour, according to rules, when by mistake he sent the ball on to the popping crease in his warm-up stride during the rain-affected game against Sri Lanka. "I have learnt a couple of things on this tour," Mills said in a lighter vein.

Source: Web Search

FACTBOX - Brazilian F1 driver Rubens Barrichello

Fri, Aug 27 10 12:37 AM

Brief factbox on Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, who this weekend in Belgium becomes the first Formula One driver to chalk up 300 grands prix.

The number of races Barrichello has actually started is disputed, notably the 2002 Spanish and French Grands Prix which he qualified for but did not compete in after problems before the formation lap.

The 1998 Belgian Grand Prix, which was re-started without the former Ferrari driver after he was involved in a first lap accident, is not included by some statisticians. However, both the driver, his Williams team and the official F1 website all say Spa will be his 300th race.

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* Born in Sao Paulo on May 23, 1972, Barrichello grew up near that city's Interlagos circuit.

* Barrichello made his debut for the Jordan team at the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. He failed to finish but qualified ahead of more experienced Italian team mate Ivan Capelli.

* The Brazilian did not start the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola after crashing heavily in Friday practice and being knocked unconscious in the cockpit. Austrian Roland Ratzenberger and Barrichello's close friend and mentor Ayrton Senna, the triple world champion, died that weekend.

* Barrichello joined Stewart in 1997, finishing second in Monaco that year, and then moved to Ferrari at the end of 1999, partnering the eventual seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher. His first win came at the 2000 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, a wet race in which the safety car was deployed when a disgruntled former Mercedes employee crossed the track and walked along the grass verge.

* The low point of his Ferrari career came in Austria in 2002 when he was ordered to let Schumacher win despite having led from the start and dominated the weekend. He moved aside at the last corner, triggering a wave of outrage that led to such 'team orders' being banned.

* Barrichello took another memorable win at Silverstone in 2003 after a protesting Irish priest dressed in a kilt ran on to the track brandishing placards.

* The Sao Paulo native celebrated a record 257th grand prix in Turkey in May 2008. The previous record of 256 had belonged to Italian Riccardo Patrese. Michael Schumacher, returning this season, has since also surpassed that number.

* The veteran left Ferrari for Honda at the end of 2005 and had to wait until last season to win again with Brawn GP, the heirs to Honda after the under-performing Japanese manufacturer departed for financial reasons. Barrichello won twice for Brawn, taking his career tally of victories to 11.

Source: Published>

Barrichello blasts through the 300 mark

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 12:21 AM

Michael Schumacher can give up right now if he thinks he will one day eclipse Rubens Barrichello's record number of Formula One races.

The Brazilian celebrates his 300th grand prix in Belgium this weekend, the first driver to do so having passed long-retired Italian Riccardo Patrese's mark of 256 more than two years ago.

Schumacher, making a comeback at the age of 41 and after three years out, has a multi-year contract with Mercedes and is preparing for his 263rd race but Barrichello told Reuters on Thursday that the seven-times champion and former Ferrari team mate could forget about ever topping the longevity list.

"I will definitely race as long as he races," the 38-year-old Williams driver laughed, wearing a T-shirt with a speedometer on it marked 0-300 with the needle pushing past the 300 mark.

For some, the end of the road comes when they no longer have a hope of winning the championship or lose interest in going around in circles.

Barrichello, who started out in 1993 with the Jordan team, appears as much in love with the sport as ever. He even claims to be physically fitter now than at 18 years old.

"Mentally, I am probably better than at any other time," he added. "You have your body getting used to Formula One as well and that's part of what I say...I just feel better today than I used to."

HIGHS AND LOWS

To put Barrichello's longevity into perspective, the Brazilian has now figured in more than a third -- 36 percent to be precise -- of all championship races since the first in 1950.

There have been 832 championship grands prix over the decades, although the seasons in the days of Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss consisted of far fewer rounds than today.

The fact remains that no driver has raced a Formula One car through Spa's sweeping Eau Rouge more often than Barrichello, now in his 18th season, or through Monaco's Casino Square and Monza's Parabolica.

Having gained a new lease of life with Brawn GP last year after Honda pulled out abruptly, the day when the Brazilian hangs up his helmet could be some way off.

"I am so competitive I cannot imagine myself without a racing car," said Barrichello, who happily got up in the early hours while on holiday in Brazil this month so he could continue training on European time.

"My wife is terrified. She thinks I'm going to race forever. But that's the feeling.

"The last time when I woke up at four o'clock to go down to the gym, she said 'you're damn crazy'."

Twice overall runner-up to Schumacher at Ferrari, where the German was the acknowledged favourite son, Barrichello won nine races with the Italian team and two with championship-winners Brawn GP last year.

He said he had no regrets about missing out on a title, although even in the twilight of his career he had not given up hope entirely.

His worst moment in the sport was the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, a race scarred by the deaths of Austrian Roland Ratzenberger and his own friend and mentor Ayrton Senna at the wheel of a Williams.

"It hurt the most," he said. "Not having Senna was tough... it was the first funeral I went to as well."

The highs are harder to single out, if only because Barrichello said every race brought with it a new thrill and rush of adrenalin.

"The highs in my career have been overcoming the problems and smiling at them and getting on," he said. "But I think Hockenheim 2000 is always going to be a high."

That race, in the wet and unsettled by a disgruntled former Mercedes employee trudging along the verge of the track, was his first grand prix win and one of the most emotional.

In reflective mood, Barrichello said he had spent recent weeks transferring video tapes of all his career races on to DVD and watching some of the early ones in Formula Ford and F3.

"I got back at 5.30 in the morning and the kids are sleeping, my wife is sleeping. I had to do something... it's been funny those times watching the races. I have a good memory for all of them," he earlier told a crowd of reporters as big as any that had gathered around title contenders elsewhere in the paddock.

"I think it's going to be a hard decision to say I'm going to stop but an easy one from the fact that I've been so honest to myself that the day I don't feel such a big pleasure on taking the corners, I will know exactly what it means."

Source: Web Search

Connaught Place removed as route for CWG cycling test event

Thu, Aug 26 10 11:23 PM

New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) With just two days to go for the test event for cycling, the Commonwealth Organising Committee is learnt to have taken Connaught Place out from its route as construction work is yet to be over in the bustling shopping area. Sources in Delhi Police said that Connaught Place has been removed from the route as the work in the market was on. "We have been informed about it by the OC," they said. The new route for the cycling test event will be YMCA, Parliament Street, Central Vista and Rajpath. Earlier the route included the Inner and Outer Circle of Connuaght Place, which was built in 1931.

Source: Published>

Pregnant Kastor will miss New York City marathon

Thu, Aug 26 10 11:17 PM

U.S. women's marathon record-holder Deena Kastor will miss November's New York City Marathon as she is pregnant, she said on Thursday.

The child, which will be Kastor's first, is due in March, her management company and the New York Road Runners said in a joint announcement.

"To hear this news was really exciting," said the 37-year-old Kastor, the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist.

"As soon as we heard the news, I stopped hard workouts. I don't look pregnant yet but I hear it seems to happen overnight."

Kastor also won the 2006 London marathon.

Source: Published>

Aug 31 deadline for CWG projects completion to be missed

Thu, Aug 26 10 10:53 PM

New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) Another deadline for completion of projects at the venues for Commonwealth Games here will be missed with Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy saying today there will be delay by a "couple" of days beyond August 31. Reddy blamed the rains and delay in delivery of containers for the missed deadline to hand over the games venues to the organisers. The 11-day sporting event is scheduled to start on October 3. "The schedule is not met strictly. It is being delayed by a couple of days because of rain also and because of delay in delivery of containers," Reddy told reporters after a Group of Ministers(GOM) meeting on the Games. After extending the time-frame a few times in the past, the Delhi government had fixed August 31 as the latest deadline for completing Games projects. "There will be a delay by a couple of days and not more than that," Reddy, who heads the GoM, said. The electronic connectivity in the stadium and outside was discussed threadbare in the GoM meet attended by Sports Minister M S Gill, Tourism Minister Kumari Selja, Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit, Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar, Sports and Youth Affairs Secretary Sindhusree Khullar and other senior officials. "The main focus was the work to be done by MTNL, TCIL and Prasar Bharati. All of them have given comprehensive reports," said Reddy. Expressing satisfaction, he said "At the end of the day the communication network is the most important thing. It was reviewed today and we are satisfied that we are on schedule." About the container problem, he said "all the containers have been cleared and we are in complete control of the situation." The GoM also took note of rising number of dengue cases in the Capital. Downplaying the dengue threat, Reddy said "We also discussed the situation arising out of dengue. I do not think situation is that alarming and by raising an alarm, we will discourage the athletes." Asked about the aerostat clearance, he said, "Aerostat is a new kind of device. Earlier we got clearance for balloon. So the technical clearances were required." The multi-crore aerostat (helium balloon), touted to be a star attraction at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, would be up in the sky by September first week for trials. The security agencies will undertake a proper check of the balloon and the helium tank would be completely sealed off till the Games. The aerostat is mounted with cameras that provides a 360-degree viewing experience and has laser projections. It is for the first time that such a massive balloon will be used for any sporting event in India. The issue of ticket distribution was also taken up by the GoM.

Source: Published>

Heat is on at Badminton world championships

Published>Thu, Aug 26 10 10:37 PM

The heat is on at the world badminton championships as players struggle to cope with high temperatures and humidity at the Pierre de Coubertin stadium.

The hot, sticky conditions have not deterred Parisian fans who have mostly filled the 4,500-seater arena for the first three days.

However the stadium, constructed in 1937 and re-built after World War II, is showing signs of age and in hot weather it is not an easy experience.

Thrilled by the high-quality action, the fans and media are toughing it out but it is the players on the courts who suffer most.

England's Nathan Robertson was involved in two doubles matches within three hours of each other on Thursday, losing both.

The first, a mixed with partner Jenny Wallwork, lasted an hour and seven minutes in a tough three-setter with holders Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl of Denmark.

The second, with men's doubles partner Anthony Clark, against twice world champions Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng of China, was over in 24 minutes, the English duo losing 21-6 21-9.

"It was hard facing them (the Chinese) just a few hours after that tough mixed," Robertson told reporters.

"These are the hottest conditions the players have had to contend with in the last 10 years. At least in Asia there is air-conditioning.

"In this heat you don't get the chance to recover and against those two you need a game to get to the pace of the match."

The conditions echo a similar scenario at the Sudirman Cup in June 2007 when the venue was a leisure centre outside Glasgow and on-court temperatures hit 30C on the first day.

Outside temperatures, though, fell away for the rest of the week and there was a corresponding dip indoors as officials breathed a sigh of relief.

Source: Web Search

India to be accorded zonal status by FIDE

Thu, Aug 26 10 10:23 PM

Chennai, Aug 26 (PTI) Looking at India''s domination in chess, especially in the age group category, the country would be granted a separate zonal status in the forthcoming FIDE Congress, World Chess Federation President Kirsan Ilyuzhiminov said today. "India will be granted a separate zonal status in the forthcoming FIDE Congress which will also consider a three-fold plan for the development of the game," Kirsan, on a visit to India to seek support for his re-election in FIDE, said here. World champion Anatoly Karpov, backed by Garry Kasparov, is running for the Presidential election against Kirsan., which is slated for first week of October. On the three-pronged plan, he said the first step was to make chess a curriculum in schools, the second was to train the local coaches and the next to organise several events to give opportunities for the players to perform. He recalled that his first step after taking over as the head of the State of Kalmaykia in 1995 was to make chess as a curriculum in schools. Asked to compare India and Russia in chess, Kirsan said "India is the motherland of chess. Presently, India is doing very well and is better than Russia in the development of the game." He reasoned out that age group competitions organised by the FIDE was the main reason why India was doing very well. He lauded the way the game was being administered in India and offered his unstinted support for the development of chess in the cricket-frenzy country. He said he has received positive signs from International Olympic Committee to include chess into the Olympic fold. After his meeting with the officials of the All India Chess Federation, Kirsan interacted with top players, including Grandmasters Krishnan Sasikiran, G N Gopal, Arun Prasad, RR Laxman, GM-elect Baskaran Adhiban and Women Grandmasters Vijayalakshmi and Meenakshi.

Source: Published>

UEFA chief Platini shows red card to poor refereeing

Published>Thu, Aug 26 10 10:17 PM

Bad referees have no place in soccer and will no longer be tolerated by UEFA, president Michel Platini said on Thursday.

"If you cannot see the ball has crossed the line from three metres away then you are no good," he told a news briefing. "The time has come -- there will be no more excuses for referees."

Platini, who had the original idea to use five officials at Europa League and Champions League matches, remained steadfast in his opposition to goalline technology.

He said the experiment with five officials would eradicate a lot of problems in and around the penalty area.

The experiment sees one additional assistant standing behind each goalline, alerting the referee to fouls in the penalty area and when the ball has crossed the line for a goal.

"I am more in favour of the experiment where the extra referee can see when the ball has gone over the line. For me that is the only solution," said the president of European soccer's governing body.

"I think it's a very good system. We have always been very tolerant as referees cannot see everything.

"Now with this system they can see everything. They have an assistant standing behind the goalline. If they cannot see if it's gone in they should get another job," said Platini.

"There should be near zero tolerance with regard to referees because they should be able to see everything now."

Frenchman Platini added: "A Champions League final with only three referees makes me nervous now ... with five referees we can be 99 percent or 100 percent certain."

COLLINA JOB

Platini said UEFA was also introducing new guidelines and a management structure for their top class referees under former Italian great Pierluigi Collina, who took charge of the 2002 World Cup final between Brazil and Germany.

Collina, UEFA's new chief refereeing officer, said he welcomed the experiment with five officials.

"The new system acts as a deterrent for players not to pull and push as they normally do from set pieces in the penalty area," said the Italian.

"They could get away with it before because the referee cannot see everything from a set piece in the penalty box but with an additional assistant it makes it possible to see everything."

Collina added: "It is time to change the image of the referee. They must be fitter, they are no longer just an official, they are an athlete among athletes."

Source: Web Search

GNDU creates history, wins MAKA trophy for 21st time

Thu, Aug 26 10 10:07 PM

Amritsar, Aug 26 (PTI) Amritsar''s Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) today won the 2009-2010 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy (MAKA), the highest Inter-University National sports award of the country, for a record 21st time. However, GNDU will share the trophy with Patiala''s Punjabi University, also won the trophy in the year 2008-09 along with GNDU. As per revised guidelines which came into effect from 2009-10, two universities were selected for the trophy which is awarded to the top overall performing university in Inter-University tournaments, a Sports Ministry release said. While Punjabi University, Patiala, will keep the trophy for the first six months, GNDU will keep it for the next half of the year. However, both the universities will get the full award money of Rs 10 lakh each. President of India, Pratibha Patil would award this coveted trophy to the Vice Chancellor of GNDU, Ajaib Singh Brar in an ceremony commemorating the National Sports Day at the Ashoka Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Sunday. Dr Kanwaljit Singh, Director Sports said that this is a matter of pride for the GNDU who have won the trophy for a record 21st time in the 38 years. He said GNDU was runners-up for 12 times and remained in third position on two occasions.

Source: Published>

Japan''s Hirosa still in shock after beating world no 1 Yihan

Thu, Aug 26 10 09:53 PM

Paris, Aug 26 (PTI) Still in a state of shock after upstaging world''s numero uno women''s shuttler Wang Yihan, Japan''s giantkiller Eriko Hirosa said the victory against the top-seeded Chinese in the on going World Badminton Championships here was the biggest achievement of her career. The 25-year-old Hirosa, seeded 10th, proved that her win over Yihan during the Uber Cup finals in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year was not a fluke as she recovered from a first set defeat to win 20-22 21-16 21-18 in 75 minutes. "It is truly a memorable moment for me as this is my greatest ever achievement. You do not often beat the world number one and doing it at this level is really something I did not expect," said Hirosa at the post match press conference. "When I stepped onto the court to face her, all I wanted to do was give her a good fight. But as the match progressed I knew that she was vulnerable and I took my chances. "Even after losing the first set I knew I was with a chance and just returned every shots, letting her make the mistakes," she said. Yihan could not stop her tears and was in a state of shock. "I really do not know what to say. Somehow Eriko (Hirosa) managed to read my game to precision and countered whatever I could conjure," said Yihan. "Eriko was in her best form and my game was not really up to expectations. I am sad to have lost but credit to my opponent," she said. Meanwhile, in the men''s singles it was plain sailing for the favourites as Peter Hoeg Gade had little difficulty in overcoming the challenge of Marc Zwiebler, winning 21-14 21-15. Despite just 16 hours between his second round three-game thriller against South Korea''s Shon last night, Gade was in his element and will now take on Japan''s Kazushi Yamada in the last eight stage. "I had to play intelligently and not let Marc seize the initiative as I had yet to recover from the match last night," said Gade. "I have not played Yamada but from what I have observed he is full of energy and can surprise if I let my guard down." Gade also dispelled the notion that the bottom half of the draw was favourable to him given that most seeded players had lost. "That''s an opinion of others and I do not think that is correct as players who are in these championships have a certain level. And if they progress, then it is because they are the better players on that day,'' he said. Also moving into the quarterfinals was the invincible Lin Dan of China, who brushed aside the challenge of his countryman Bao Chunlai 21-16 21-13 in 42 minutes. Joining Lin Dan and Gade was fourth seed Chen Jin, who defeated Singapore''s Ashton Chen 21-17 21-10.

Source: Published>

Advani, Sethi in last four of World Billiards Championship

Published>Thu, Aug 26 10 09:37 PM

Pune, Aug 26 (IANS) Pankaj Advani fired an unfinished break of 709 while Geet Sethi produced six century breaks to enter the semi-finals of the World Billiards Championship (Time Format) here Thursday.

Defending champion Advani defeated Rupesh Shah 1279-684 in the quarterfinal to set up a clash with modern legend Mike Russell of England.

'The break has come at the right time and I hope it will help me in the next match,' said Advani.

Advani had earlier lost to Russell in the point format of the ongoing world championship.

Sethi beat compatriot Ashok Shandilya 1658-455 in the quarterfinal. He will face Peter Gilchrist of Singapore in the semi-finals.

Results:

Quarter-finals:

1. Geet Sethi (Ind) bt Ashok Shandilya (Ind) 1658 (192, 230, 221, 127,

78, 152, 74, 52, 245, 52)-455 (44).

2. Peter Gilchrist (Sin) bt Dhruv Sitwala (Ind) 851 (205, 89, 268,

145)-831 (109, 66, 316, 59, 118, 93).

3. Mike Russell (Eng) bt Kyaw Oo (Mya) 1127 (231, 633, 79)-850 (78, 239,

187, 95, 109).

4. Pankaj Advani (Ind) bt Rupesh Shah (Ind) 1279 (79, 49, 103, 89, 69,

709*)-684 (121, 75, 97, 163).

Morning session:

1. Nay Thway Oo (Mya) bt Aidan Murray (Irl) 919 (129, 93, 68, 64, 57, 53)-476.

2. Pankaj Advani (Ind) bt Phil Mumford (Eng) 1711 (334, 309, 206, 130,

112, 84, 66, 60, 56)-771 (92, 78, 72, 64, 53).

3. Kyaw Oo (Mya) bt Tae Hoon Jung (Kor) 1042 (161, 119, 100, 75, 67, 67)-402.

4. Geet Sethi (Ind) bt Alok Kumar (Ind) 1672 (650 9th, 210 26th, 183,

147 1st, 143, 92, 54, 50)-659 (138, 63, 58, 57).

5. Peter Gilchrist (Sin) bt Min Hu Baek (Kor) 1938 (411, 336, 201,

136, 106, 92, 83, 70, 67)-337.

6. Billy Bousfield (Eng) bt Gary Oliver (Nzl) 842 (125, 98, 87, 84)-807 (68).

7. Rupesh Shah (Ind) bt Devendra Joshi (Ind) 785 (185, 112, 97, 87,

76, 69)-761 (245, 186, 178, 101).

8.Chul Ho Hwang (Kor) bt Abdul Omar (Sri) 507-597

Source: Web Search

India to tour England for a full series in 2011

Published>Thu, Aug 26 10 09:17 PM

New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS) India will tour England for four Tests, five One-day Internationals and one Twenty 20 match next year in July.

India will play the hosts in a four-match Test series ahead of a NatWest International T20 and a five-match NatWest Series between the two countries later in the summer.

'With India currently the number one ranked side in the ICC Test rankings and Sri Lanka in third place, England supporters can expect to see two exciting Test series against high quality opposition,' England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive David Collier said on the ECB website.

England will be hosting Sri Lanka in May before the series with India.

Itinerary:

England v India

July 21-25: 1st Test v India, Lord's

July 29-Aug 2: 2nd Test v India, Trent Bridge

Aug 10-14: 3rd Test v India, Edgbaston

Aug 18-22: 4th Test v India, Brit Insurance Oval

Aug 31: NatWest International T20 v India, Old Trafford

Sept 3: 1st ODI v India, Emirates Durham ICG

Sept 6: 2nd ODI v India, Rose Bowl

Sept 9: 3rd ODI v India, Brit Insurance Oval

Sept 11: 4th ODI v India, Lord's

Sept 16: 5th ODI v India, SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff

Source: Web Search

Saina sails into World badminton quarters

Thu, Aug 26 10 08:57 PM

Paris, Aug 26 (PTI) Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal stormed into the quarter-finals of the World Badminton Championships, beating Russia''s Ella Diehl in straight games here today. The second seeded Indian took just 40 minutes to tame 13th seed Diehl 21-14 21-18 in the third round of the women''s singles event. But minutes before the start of Saina''s match, world number one and top seed Yihan Wang of China was stunned by Japan''s Eriko Hirose in a three-game thriller that lasted an hour fifteen minutes. Hirose won 20-22 21-16 21-18. However, Saina did not show any nerves today nor did she carry forward the sluggishness that marked her match against Chinese Taipei''s Chen in the second round. The Indian was aggressive from the start and knowing that her opponent Diehl liked long rallies kept the pace slow and killed the game in mid court. Within minutes of the start Saina was off to a 10-5 lead as Diehl made errors at the net. Saina''s main weapon, the drop shot, was again used to good effect as thrice in a row the Russian could not pick up the shuttle as it dropped inches off the net on her side. At 18-14, Nehwal reeled off three points in a row, forcing an error at the net from Diehl to win the opening game 21-14. In the second game, Saina again started off winning five consecutive points on her serve before Diehl won her opening point on a net error by the Indian. Both the players were a little more wary as the Russian tried to force the pace with a combination of drop shots and high tosses. At 6-6, it seemed that the game would be tough and hard fought, but changed her strategy and played mid court more often and avoided net play till she had a lead of 15-10. When it almost seemed that the game would go in Saina''s favour, the Russian made a last ditch effort and equalised with some smart net play at 17-17. But Saina''s got her composure back to take the lead at 20-18 and finally pocketed the match when Diehl sent the shuttle across the side line. .

Source: Published>

Powell, Padukone to lead CWG Baton Relay in Bangalore

Published>Thu, Aug 26 10 08:47 PM

Bangalore, Aug 26 (IANS) Olympian Kenneth Powell and badminton legend Prakash Padukone will lead the Queen's Baton Relay, a Commonwealth Games tradition, in Bangalore Sep 2.

The baton reaches Karnataka Sep 1 from Tamil Nadu and will pass through several parts of the state for a week before entering Goa. The baton enters Karnataka through Chikkanhalli in Chamarajanagar district bordering Tamil Nadu.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa will receive the baton Sep 2 at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, an indoor facility in the city centre, and hand it over to Powell and Padukone.

The relay will go through Bangalore, Hassan, Mangalore and Karwar before crossing over to Goa Sep 7, Karnataka Sports Minister Gulihatti Shekar told reporters here Thursday.

Sportspersons, legislators, film personalities and school children will join the relay led by Powell, 70, who was part of the Indian Athletic team to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and Padukone.

The state government will be spending Rs.35 lakh (Rs.3.5 million) for the week-long relay during which there will be cultural programmes in Mysore, Bangalore and Mangalore, Shekar said.

The Commonwealth Games will be held Oct 3-14 in New Delhi.

Source: Web Search

Rogge gives high praise before closing Youth Olympics

Published>Thu, Aug 26 10 08:43 PM

A crescendo of drums, an eclectic array of singers and an elaborate fireworks display brought an end to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) on Thursday.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge closed the event on the world's largest floating platform at Marina Bay and handed over the Olympic flag to the mayor of Chinese city Nanjing, the hosts of the 2014 youth Games.

The ceremony featured messages from three YOG ambassadors and Olympic gold medallists -- Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, American swimmer Michael Phelps and Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva -- with all the youth athletes situated on the stage.

Rogge was given rapturous applause by the 27,000 capacity crowd after telling Singapore they had done a "superb job" in hosting the Games, an event he had been pushing for throughout his presidency.

Earlier, in his closing news conference, Rogge said: "The Youth Olympic Games have exceeded vastly my highest expectations."

"I always knew it would be well organised, but I did not expect this level of perfection.

"I now have 22 Olympic Games under my belt but (Singapore) ranks at the very top."

The 12-day event involved 3,500 athletes aged from 14 to 18 from more than 200 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competing in 26 Olympic sports.

TICKET SALES

The event was heavily criticised for a lack of big names and poor attendances but Rogge praised the organising committee for re-selling tickets midway through the Games which significantly boosted crowds.

"Some countries told me they have underestimated the scope of this competition," Rogge said, when asked if he was concerned about NOCs failing to send their best teenage athletes to the event.

"They said they regretted it and would send their best teams next time."

Rogge said 17 cities were interested in hosting the 2018 Youth Games.

Rogge and the IOC have said throughout the Games that the success of the event would be determined by the cultural and educational programmes that were free for athletes to attend.

The programmes covered topics such as the environment, cultural understanding and doping and were widely praised by the athletes.

The Games showcased 3-on-3 basketball, mixed-gender and team competitions and the introduction of finals for lower placings in events for athletes knocked out in early rounds.

The 2014 Games in Nanjing will be the first Olympic event to feature rugby sevens and golf, which will not make their debut at a full Olympics until two years later in Rio de Janeiro.

Source: Web Search

CWG baton refused entry into Kerala assembly complex

Thu, Aug 26 10 08:37 PM

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 26 (PTI) The Queen''s Baton Relay of the Commonwealth Games, which began its tour of Kerala today, was declined entry ito the state assembly complex as local organisers had failed to inform the legislative officials of it''s itineary in advance. When the baton convoy reached the main gate of legislature complex, security officials deployed there ddeclined it entry, saying they did not have any advance intimation on the baton''s arrival. According to sources, the QBR authorities and local organisers of the journey did not intimate Speaker K Radhakrishnan or his office about the itinerary. "We would not have any reluctance in welcoming the relay and according it due honour. However, we should have been informed in advance about it," sources in the Speaker''s office said. Meanwhile, after covering various spots in the city inclduing the government secretariat, the relay was given a rousing reception at the Chandrasekharan Nair stadium here. Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan received the baton from ace athlete K N Beenamol. The baton will move to Kochi tomorrow on its way to Lakshwadweep islands.

Source: Published>

Over Rs 670 cr meant for SC welfare diverted to CWG: HM

Thu, Aug 26 10 08:23 PM

New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) The government today admitted that over Rs 670 crores meant for Scheduled Caste welfare projects were diverted by the Delhi government for Commonwealth Games, triggering protests in the Rajya Sabha from BJP, BSP and the Left. Since 2006-07 to the current fiscal, out of Rs 7,062.76 crores (under indivisible funds), Rs 678.91 crores were given for the Commonwealth games projects, Home Minister P Chidamabaram said. He was making a statement after persistent demands in the last three weeks by the opposition parties in the wake of an RTI report that funds were diverted by the National Capital Territory government to the CWG projects. Chidamabaram''s statement came after Deputy Chairman K Rehman Khan directed the government earlier in the day that it should come out with a reply in response to the persistent demands of the members. However, when further clarifications were not allowed immediately, BSP members trooped into the well led by Naresh Agarwal. Shouting slogans against the central government, they forced the Chair to adjourn the House for the day towards the fag end of the sitting. Chidamabaram said the Delhi government had two types of funds for Schedule Castes -- divisible and indivisible. While the divisible funds have to be necessarily used exclusively for SCs, money from the indivisible pool can be used for projects such as building stadiums, bridges and flyovers.

Source: Published>

AFC chief Hammam to visit India next month

Thu, Aug 26 10 08:17 PM

Panaji, Aug 26 (PTI) Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Mohamed Bin Hammam will chair the meeting of the AFC Ad-hoc Committee for Indian Professional Football in New Delhi on September 12, AIFF Secretary Alberto Colaco said today. "Hammam will chair the meeting of the AFC Ad-hoc Committee for Indian Professional Football at the Football House in New Delhi on September 12 and give India''s hopes of professionalising the game the push it deserves," he said. The Ad-hoc Committee comprises Colaco, Churchill Brothers President Joaquim Alemao, East Bengal President Pranab Dasgupta, Lajong FC owner Larsing Sawyan, FIFA''s Director of Member Associations Thierry Regenass and AFC vice-President Manilal Fernando, who is also the FIFA Development Officer for South Asia. Hammam''s visit will be followed by that of an AFC inspection team which is expected to scrutinise the readiness of the I-League clubs towards the licensing criteria, Colaco said adding that the team is expected to arrive in India on October 23. According to Colaco, the AIFF has asked the AFC for support in certain key areas including setting up the league structure and regulations, evaluating the capacity of existing clubs to meet AFC and FIFA club licensing criteria and weeding out the clubs that cannot meet AFC criteria. The AFC has also agreed to sponsor artificial turfs for some I-league clubs under FIFA''s ''Win in India with India''s programme, while also contributing to the clubs'' costs towards professionalising their administration, he said. In the past, Hammam had promised "all possible helps" from the AFC provided the Indian clubs themselves believed in change and its benefits.

Source: Published>

Over Rs 670 cr meant for SC welfare diverted to CWG: HM

Thu, Aug 26 10 08:07 PM

New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) The government today admitted that over Rs 670 crores meant for Scheduled Caste welfare projects were diverted by the Delhi government for Commonwealth Games, triggering protests in the Rajya Sabha from BJP, BSP and the Left. Since 2006-07 to the current fiscal, out of Rs 7,062.76 crores (under indivisible funds), Rs 678.91 crores were given for the Commonwealth games projects, Home Minister P Chidamabaram said. He was making a statement after persistent demands in the last three weeks by the opposition parties in the wake of an RTI report that funds were diverted by the National Capital Territory government to the CWG projects. Chidamabaram''s statement came after Deputy Chairman K Rehman Khan directed the government earlier in the day that it should come out with a reply in response to the persistent demands of the members. However, when further clarifications were not allowed immediately, BSP members trooped into the well led by Naresh Agarwal. Shouting slogans against the central government, they forced the Chair to adjourn the House for the day towards the fag end of the sitting. Chidamabaram said the Delhi government had two types of funds for Schedule Castes -- divisible and indivisible. While the divisible funds have to be necessarily used exclusively for SCs, money from the indivisible pool can be used for projects such as building stadiums, bridges and flyovers.

Source: Published>