Oz athletes denied chance to interact with media at Delhi airport

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 12:28 PM

New Delhi, Sep 28(ANI): Australia's gymnastics team for the Delhi Commonwealth Games was reportedly denied a chance to speak to the media after touching down at the Indira Gandhi airport late on Monday.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, local and Australian media person were told by police shortly before the arrival of the team that they would not be allowed to question the athletes.

"You will not speak to them, you will never speak to them," the newspaper quoted a police official, as saying.

Despite the protests from Australian officials, the gymnasts were ordered straight to their waiting bus, and were allowed only to wave and smile at the cameras.

It came despite journalists having arranged the interview, and having earlier spoken to members of Australia's bowls team at the same location on Monday morning.

The gymnasts were the second of a host of Australian squads due to arrive in the coming days.

Australia has topped the gold and total medal tallies at the past five Commonwealths, and is expected to once again be the number one nation.

Swimming, track and field, field hockey and cycling are generally prolific medal-yielding sports for Australia, while the nation has high expectations in gymnastics, diving, netball, tennis and boxing. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

PCB boss Butt leaving for London to meet spot-fixers' lawyer, Scotland Yard

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 12:18 PM

Lahore, Sep 28 (ANI): Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt is leaving for England today, and is expected to hold meetings with the lawyer of the three players- Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer- implicated in spot-fixing allegations.

During his four to five day long trip, Butt will be meeting Elizabeth Robertson, the Addleshaw Goddard lawyer, who is representing the tainted trio in the spot-fixing case, the Daily Times reported.

He would also meet Scotland Yard officials, who passed on their file of evidence against the Pakistan cricketers to the Crown Prosecution Service on September 17.

"The PCB wants to know the progress Scotland Yard has made in its investigations into the allegations. They want a clear picture of whether the players are going to be charged or not. The PCB wants to know if there is a possibility that the suspension on the trio can be lifted," revealed a source.

However, whether Butt will meet the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) officials during his trip to London is not confirmed. The ECB has demanded an unreserved public apology from the PCB and Butt for claiming that England players had thrown the third one-day international against Pakistan at The Oval in lieu of 'enormous amounts' of money.

Earlier, British police had interrogated Butt, Aamer and Asif over claims that they took money to deliberately bowl no-balls against England at Lord's last month. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Oz swimmers still not sure of participating in Delhi CW Games

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 12:12 PM

Sydney, Sep 28 (ANI): A full team security briefing at an Australian training camp in Malaysia has failed to calm some anxious Australian swimmers as the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games team readies itself against the risk of last-minute withdrawals.

Team officials fear that the withdrawal of any swimmer might undermine the fragile confidence of others in the team and are also concerned that any subsequent departures will disrupt preparations for the first day of racing next Monday.

Crack butterfly swimmer Jessicah Schipper, who won three golds and a silver in Melbourne in 2006, is still shaky about her participation, saying she is still going "at this stage".

Her coach Stephan Widmer has encouraged her and the rest of his squad to speak openly about their fears, and said he didn't know how many swimmers would fly to India.

"I keep on communicating to them, 'What stage are you at right now?' I told them this already, 'There's no right or wrong. It's not wrong that you feel a certain way ... it has to be right for you,'" The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him, as saying.

A briefing by Intelligent Risks, the Australian firm contracted by both the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Australian Commonwealth Games Association to assist with security at the Games, had helped to settle Widmer's own concerns about security.

"The feedback we were given from a professional, a real professional who has seen a lot around the world, said, 'This is world class, best practice.' That gave me a much better feeling," he said.

Widmer admitted: "For some it has eased it a little bit; for some other ones it hasn't shifted it yet. I feel it's still a very, very early stage."

Schipper is taking her participation "one step at a time". The briefing helped but doubts remain. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Commonwealth Games is more nostalgia, less sports

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 11:52 AM

New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) If anything, the Commonwealth Games provide a lingering aroma of the British empire that in these modern times only evokes nostalgia and little else of note. The Games have evolved from the British Empire Games, first held in 1930 at Hamilton in Canada, to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games (1954), the British Commonwealth Games (1970) to the present Commonwealth Games (1978).

The event has grown in size too, from 11 countries, 400 sportspersons and six sports to 71 nations and territories, 7,000 participants and 17 disciplines at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games Oct 3-14.

The change in nomenclature also reflects the gradual break-up of the British empire as erstwhile colonies, including India, gained independence.

The last vestiges of the British Raj, as Indians refer to the pre-independence period, still remain to keep the Commonwealth Games fire burning, although top sportspersons tend to give a thumbs down to the quadrennial event.

From India's perspective, the Commonwealth Games present an excellent opportunity to score some points and medals at the international level, though overall, the collective performance has been far from satisfactory.

India's haul of 270 medals (102 gold, 97 silver, 71 bronze) pales into insignificance compared to those of the front-runners. Australia's tally is a whopping 1,894 medals including 728 gold, 615 silver and 551 bronze to England's 1,693 (576-552-565).

India's tally is less than 50 percent of Australia's bronze medal haul.

Only in the last decade have the Indians begun to make a mark. They picked up 69 medals (30-22-17) in 2002 (Manchester) and 48 (22-17-9) in 2006 (Melbourne).

Of the 102 gold that Indians have won so far, 35 have been in shooting, 33 in weightlifting and 23 in wrestling, while the only success in the showpiece athletics event was by the legendary Milkha Singh in 1958 at Cardiff when he won the 440-yard (quarter-mile) dash clocking 46.6 seconds.

Incidentally, India's performance in the hockey competition that was introduced in 1998 has been dismal. The women's team, though, fared better with a gold in 2002 and a silver in 2006 while the men finished fourth in 1998 and sixth in 2006.

With the top stars opting to stay away more often than not, the image of the Commonwealth Games as one of premier global sporting events has lost its lustre though the authorities would like to us to believe otherwise.

This time around, the timing of the Games, near the end of the international sporting season and just weeks prior to the Asian Games in China in November, besides the security concerns and the threat of dengue following unprecedented rains, has left the fields depleted in the wake of pull-outs by high-profile sportspersons.

While the situation is tailor-made for Indians to hog the limelight, it will take a lot more to convince the discerning that performance in the Commonwealth Games is any yardstick at all to measure India's sporting progress.

Source: Web Search

Hockey will be the best at CWG: Baskaran

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 11:44 AM

New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) The hockey event will provide the highest level of competition at the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games considering the quality of teams in the fray, says Vasudevan Baskaran, who led the Indian hockey team to a gold medal in the 1980 Olympics.

'I expect the hockey competition to be at a much higher level than any other sport, with the possible exception of athletics, at the Commonwealth Games, the reason being that the world's top-ranked teams are participating,' Baskaran told IANS in an interview.

'If you look at the men's tournament, you have seven teams who are in the top-10 of world rankings. Except for European sides like the Netherlands, Germany and Spain, all the other top teams are taking part in Delhi,' he added.

Australia, the triple gold medalists, are ranked No.1 followed by England (4), South Korea (4), New Zealand (7), Pakistan (8), India (9) and Canada (10) in the men's competition.

However, in the women's section, the top four will not be present and England are the highest ranked at five, ahead of Australia (6), New Zealand (7) and India (11).

Baskaran pointed out that the teams would be familiar with the conditions here since quite a few of them had taken part in the World Cup in February-March at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

'Most of the teams are thus quite familiar with the Dhyan Chand Stadium pitch and hence I expect them to be performing at a very high level,' Baskaran said.

The former India coach felt that it would be a cause for jubilation if the Indian men's and women's teams even make it to the podium.

The Indian men have never won a medal at the hockey competition that was introduced only at the 1998 Games held in Kuala Lumpur, while the women claimed gold at the 2002 event in Manchester and were silver medalists at the Melbourne Games in 2006.

Source: Web Search

Indian men lose to Azerbaijan, women beat Italy

Tue, Sep 28 10 11:28 AM

Khanty Mansiysk (Russia), Sep 28 (PTI) The Indian men''s team suffered a 1-3 defeat against Azerbaijan while their women counterparts beat Italy with the same margin in the sixth round of the 39th chess Olympiad here. The losses came on boards one and three wherein, playing black, Krishnan Sasikiran and Surya Shekhar Ganguly did not prove a good match for Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Rauf Mamedov respectively. The white games handled by P Harikrishna and B Adhiban ended in draws, a clear indication that India is lacking sting when it comes to playing with the favourable colour against stronger counterparts. Past the half way stage, things don''t look very bright for the men given the fact that they have lost second time in as many outings when pitted against a higher opposition. The Indian eves, on the other hand, comfortably defeated lower ranked Italy 3-1. D Harika and Tania Sachdev came good on the top two boards while Eesha Karavade and S Meenakshi drew on the last two to ensure an expected victory. So far, the Indian girls have lost only one match in the event against Bulgaria but tougher games await them in the rounds to come. In the next match they will face third seed Ukraine. Meanwhile, in the men''s section World number one Magnus Carlsen lost again, bowing to Michal Adams of England in a nearly one-sided encounter which helped England win by a minimal 2.5-1.5 margin against Norway. Two overnight leaders - Georgia and Armenia drew amongst themselves to reach 11 points out of a possible 12 while the other co-leader Hungary found its nemesis in Ukraine in the open section. Vassily Ivanchuk starred in Ukraine''s 2.5-1.5 victory over Hungary when he beat in form Peter Leko. As things stand, Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia share the lead in the open section with 11 points each while a pack of six teams are on the heels of the leaders, just one point behind. India, with eight points share the 21st spot and have a lots of catching up to do. Contrary to this, the Indian girls are far ahead and with 10 points share the joint third spot along with Georgia, Ukraine and China. Russia is the leader in this section with a perfect 12 out of 12 followed by Hungary (11). Indian results round 4 open: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov beat Krishnan Sasikiran; P Harikrishna drew with Teimour Radjabov; Rauf Mamedov beat S S Ganguly; B Adhiban drew with Gadir Guseinov. Women: D Harika beat Elena Sedina; Olga Zimina lost to Tania Sachdev; Eesha Karavade drew with Marina Brunello; De Rosa Mariagrazia drew with S Meenakshi.

Source: Published>

British tennis player Bloomfield to skip CWG due to injury

Tue, Sep 28 10 11:18 AM

London, Sep 28 (PTI) England tennis player Richard Bloomfield is the latest to join the growing list of players pulling out of the crisis-hit Commonwealth Games after failing to recover from a back injury. Bloomfield, rated as England''s fifth-best tennis player, opted out of the quadrennial event yesterday, after failing to regain full fitness from a long-term back problem which he aggravated during a tournament in France earlier this month. Josh Goodall will replace the 302nd ranked Bloomfield in the Delhi-bound England tennis squad, which also has Sarah Borwell, Ross Hutchins, Katie O''Brien, Ken Skupski, Anna Smith and James Ward. "I''m so disappointed to miss out on the Commonwealth Games. I was really looking forward to representing my country, particularly given this is the first time tennis has been part of the Games. "But I''ve been advised that my back injury will take another two or three weeks to heal, so the event has unfortunately come just that bit too soon," Bloomfield said in a British Lawn Tennis Association statement. After his inclusion, Goodall, said "I''m so excited to have been selected. It''s always the greatest honor to represent your country and I can''t wait to get out there. "The Commonwealth Games are such a huge deal within world sport and to have the opportunity to compete at a major multi-sport event and be in the company of some of the biggest names in sport is a fantastic opportunity for me." England''s Commonwealth Games tennis team captain, Paul Hutchins, said inspite of leading a depleted squad, he was hopeful of a good performance in the October 3-14 Delhi Games. "I know how excited Richard (Bloomfield) was about taking part in the Commonwealth Games, but he has to listen to medical advice. We still have a strong team and we are all looking forward to what I hope will be a successful tournament, and a memorable experience," he said. Bloomfield is the eighth British athlete to have pulled out of the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Earlier, world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu, 1,500m defending champion Lisa Dobriskey and Christine Ohuruogu opted out of the Games for varied reasons. If that was not enough, four British cyclists -- Geraint Thomas of Wales, Peter Kennaugh of the Isle of Man, and Ian Stannard and Ben Swift of England -- have also decided against travelling to Delhi, citing fears over sanitation at the much-criticised Games Village and safety issues.

Source: Published>

Indian men lose to Azerbaijan, women beat Italy

Tue, Sep 28 10 11:12 AM

Khanty Mansiysk (Russia), Sep 28 (PTI) The Indian men''s team suffered a 1-3 defeat against Azerbaijan while their women counterparts beat Italy with the same margin in the sixth round of the 39th chess Olympiad here. The losses came on boards one and three wherein, playing black, Krishnan Sasikiran and Surya Shekhar Ganguly did not prove a good match for Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Rauf Mamedov respectively. The white games handled by P Harikrishna and B Adhiban ended in draws, a clear indication that India is lacking sting when it comes to playing with the favourable colour against stronger counterparts. Past the half way stage, things don''t look very bright for the men given the fact that they have lost second time in as many outings when pitted against a higher opposition. The Indian eves, on the other hand, comfortably defeated lower ranked Italy 3-1. D Harika and Tania Sachdev came good on the top two boards while Eesha Karavade and S Meenakshi drew on the last two to ensure an expected victory. So far, the Indian girls have lost only one match in the event against Bulgaria but tougher games await them in the rounds to come. In the next match they will face third seed Ukraine. Meanwhile, in the men''s section World number one Magnus Carlsen lost again, bowing to Michal Adams of England in a nearly one-sided encounter which helped England win by a minimal 2.5-1.5 margin against Norway. Two overnight leaders - Georgia and Armenia drew amongst themselves to reach 11 points out of a possible 12 while the other co-leader Hungary found its nemesis in Ukraine in the open section. Vassily Ivanchuk starred in Ukraine''s 2.5-1.5 victory over Hungary when he beat in form Peter Leko. As things stand, Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia share the lead in the open section with 11 points each while a pack of six teams are on the heels of the leaders, just one point behind. India, with eight points share the 21st spot and have a lots of catching up to do. Contrary to this, the Indian girls are far ahead and with 10 points share the joint third spot along with Georgia, Ukraine and China. Russia is the leader in this section with a perfect 12 out of 12 followed by Hungary (11). Indian results round 4 open: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov beat Krishnan Sasikiran; P Harikrishna drew with Teimour Radjabov; Rauf Mamedov beat S S Ganguly; B Adhiban drew with Gadir Guseinov. Women: D Harika beat Elena Sedina; Olga Zimina lost to Tania Sachdev; Eesha Karavade drew with Marina Brunello; De Rosa Mariagrazia drew with S Meenakshi.

Source: Published>

British tennis player Bloomfield to skip CWG due to injury

Tue, Sep 28 10 10:28 AM

London, Sep 28 (PTI) England tennis player Richard Bloomfield is the latest to join the growing list of players pulling out of the crisis-hit Commonwealth Games after failing to recover from a back injury. Bloomfield, rated as England''s fifth-best tennis player, opted out of the quadrennial event yesterday, after failing to regain full fitness from a long-term back problem which he aggravated during a tournament in France earlier this month. Josh Goodall will replace the 302nd ranked Bloomfield in the Delhi-bound England tennis squad, which also has Sarah Borwell, Ross Hutchins, Katie O''Brien, Ken Skupski, Anna Smith and James Ward. "I''m so disappointed to miss out on the Commonwealth Games. I was really looking forward to representing my country, particularly given this is the first time tennis has been part of the Games. "But I''ve been advised that my back injury will take another two or three weeks to heal, so the event has unfortunately come just that bit too soon," Bloomfield said in a British Lawn Tennis Association statement. After his inclusion, Goodall, said "I''m so excited to have been selected. It''s always the greatest honor to represent your country and I can''t wait to get out there. "The Commonwealth Games are such a huge deal within world sport and to have the opportunity to compete at a major multi-sport event and be in the company of some of the biggest names in sport is a fantastic opportunity for me." England''s Commonwealth Games tennis team captain, Paul Hutchins, said inspite of leading a depleted squad, he was hopeful of a good performance in the October 3-14 Delhi Games. "I know how excited Richard (Bloomfield) was about taking part in the Commonwealth Games, but he has to listen to medical advice. We still have a strong team and we are all looking forward to what I hope will be a successful tournament, and a memorable experience," he said. Bloomfield is the eighth British athlete to have pulled out of the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Earlier, world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu, 1,500m defending champion Lisa Dobriskey and Christine Ohuruogu opted out of the Games for varied reasons. If that was not enough, four British cyclists -- Geraint Thomas of Wales, Peter Kennaugh of the Isle of Man, and Ian Stannard and Ben Swift of England -- have also decided against travelling to Delhi, citing fears over sanitation at the much-criticised Games Village and safety issues.

Source: Published>

Butt to leave for London to sort out issues with ECB

Tue, Sep 28 10 10:22 AM

Karachi, Sep 28 (PTI) Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt will leave for London today in a bid to resolve the ongoing dispute with the ECB and to sort out the issues related to the spot-fixing scandal. Well placed sources in the board told PTI that Butt will be accompanied by PCB legal advisor, Tafazzul Rizvi. "The PCB Chairman will consult with the lawyers in London about the reply that is to be sent to the England and Wales Cricket Board and English players who have demanded an unconditional apology and compensation from Butt for making a statement in which he indirectly said that English players were involved in fixing," the source said. The PCB has directed its lawyers in London to file a reply to the letter sent to Butt by the ECB on behalf of the English players last week. "Butt will talk to the lawyers in London to find out if the dispute can be sorted out through the reply or whether he will have to meet with ECB officials directly to sort out the dispute," the source said. The source said Butt and Rizvi are also expected to meet with Scotland Yard officials to get a briefing on the current position of the investigations into the allegations of spot-fixing involving three Pakistani players -- Test captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer. The International Cricket Council has suspended Butt, Asif and Aamir after fixing allegations surfaced against them during the recent Lord''s Test. "The Pakistan team is due to play against South Africa from next month and the PCB and its selectors naturally want to know the status of the three players for the forthcoming series," the source said. "The PCB wants to know the progress Scotland Yard has made in its investigations because they feel the investigations have already taken too long and there is a delay in the Scotland Yard and prosecutor''s office reaching a decision on whether to charge the players. They want a clear picture whether the players are going to be charged or not," the source added. Pakistan chief selector Mohsin Khan met with Butt yesterday in Lahore to find out the availability of the suspended players for the series. "The PCB wants to know if there is a possibility that the suspension on the trio can be lifted," the source said. PTI Cor SSC

Source: Published>

High-flying Valencia must focus, Sanchez says

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 09:18 AM

Valencia should not get carried away with their strong start to the season and must be fully focused when they host Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday, goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez said on Monday.

The financially-troubled Spanish club were forced to sell prize assets David Villa and David Silva in the close season and the consensus was that they would be unable to match their third-place finish in La Liga last term.

However, new strikers Roberto Soldado and Aritz Aduriz have settled well and pacy attacking midfielders Juan Mata and Pablo Hernandez have been in sparkling form to help Unai Emery's side to the top of the domestic standings after five matches.

Valencia kicked off their Champions League campaign with an impressive Group C win over Bursaspor, thumping the Turkish champions 4-0 away as United stuttered to a 0-0 home draw with Scottish side Rangers.

"Being top of the (Spanish) league is always nice but at this level it's irrelevant," Sanchez said on Valencia's website (www.valenciacf.com).

"We are on a very good run, all members of the squad feel very useful and the big beneficiary is the group but we still haven't won anything," the former Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur player added.

"September is not even over yet and there is a long way still to go to reach our objectives.

"We mustn't let ourselves be distracted by anything that could stop us coming out for our next match on peak form."

FERDINAND RETURN

Valencia warmed up for Wednesday's clash at the Mestalla with a 2-0 league win at Sporting Gijon, Turkish midfielder Mehmet Topal and Soldado scoring the goals.

United twice came from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw at Bolton Wanderers and striker Wayne Rooney and midfielder Ryan Giggs suffered ankle and hamstring injuries which will rule them out of the Valencia trip.

Ferguson did not include central defender Rio Ferdinand in the squad for the Bolton game, but he could feature against Valencia as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

His return may help the 2008 winners iron out the weaknesses that have blighted recent matches and prompted Ferdinand's defensive partner Nemanja Vidic to admit they were concerned about the number of goals they were leaking.

"Over the last few years we haven't conceded many goals," he told MUTV.

"We always looked strong and we didn't give teams many chances. But in the last few away games we haven't kept clean sheets, which is very disappointing."

Probable teams:

Valencia: 1-Cesar Sanchez; 2-Bruno Saltor, 20-Ricardo Costa, 4-David Navarro, 28-Jordi Alba; 19-Pablo Hernandez, 5-Mehmet Topal, 18-Manuel Fernandes, 10-Juan Mata; 11-Aritz Aduriz, 9-Roberto Soldado.

Manchester United: 1-Edwin van der Sar; 3-Patrice Evra, 5-Rio Ferdinand, 15-Nemanja Vidic, 22-John O'Shea; 24-Darren Fletcher, 18-Paul Scholes, 13-Park ji-Sung, 8-Anderson, 17-Nani; 9-Dimitar Berbatov.

Source: Web Search

Trip down memory lane for local boy Harbhajan

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 06:52 AM

It must have been a trip down the memory lane for coach Davinder Arora as he stood behind the stumps watching Harbhajan Singh go through his practice routine. After all it was under Arora's tutelage that the off-spinner, now the mainstay of the Indian bowling attack, learnt his trade during his teen years.

Despite the presence of national coach Gary Kirsten and bowling coach Eric Simons, Arora got a free-hand with his former pupil at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Monday morning. And he seemed to take full liberty, trying his best to correct the 30-year-old Harbhajan's pivot at the crease and release of the ball.

It wasn't only Harbhajan though who went through the rigours of training with just four days left for the first Test to begin. All seven members, including the spinner, present at the PCA Stadium and Kirsten wasted no time in getting down to business as soon as they arrived at the venue in the morning.

And all the different-coloured balls, each with unique facets, were pressed into service right away as the batsmen and bowlers took up their positions in the nets. Harbhajan, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma were first handed the red-and-white coloured balls in order to fine-tune their seam positions, following which they were given the SG Test balls to bowl with.

And the batsmen present too, starting with Virender Sehwag, went through their motions, each working on a particular aspect of their batting. Sehwag was seen leaving a number of balls, while Sachin Tendulkar seemed more concerned with his bat-swing.

The two pacers, Zaheer and Ishant then returned for another spell, this time looking to hide the ball in their hands in order to practice their reverse-swing. The full-strength 15-member Indian Test squad is expected to assemble at Mohali on Tuesday.

With the likes of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Murali Vijay and Suresh Raina, just fresh from winning the Champions League T20 trophy with Chennai Super Kings, switching them back to the Test frame of mind in double-quick time will be the biggest challenge facing Kirsten & Co.

Source: Web Search

Sports Bar

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 06:48 AM

More bunglings in IPL unearthed

Two days before its AGM, the BCCI have allegedly unearthed new financial irregularities in IPL III accounts through an internal audit. "An amount of Rs 76 crore and 22 lakh through sale of hospitality tickets for the final, the third place tie and the two semi-finals (all held in Mumbai) is unaccounted for," BCCI sources said."Hospitality ticket for the final cost Rs one lakh, it was priced at Rs 80,000 for the third place tie and cost Rs 50,000 for the two semi-finals. There is no account for these and there is no signed contract," the sources said.

Sharapova shocked

Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm rallied to beat defending champion Maria Sharapova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 on Monday in the first round of the Pan Pacific Open."To play against a former World No. 1 and defending champion, I knew I had to play to the best of my ability," said Date Krumm, who returned to competitive tennis in 2008 after a 12-year layoff.

First Judo WC medal for India

Kalpana Devi Thoudam has become the first Indian judoka to clinch a World Cup medal by grabbing a bronze in the below 52kg category at the just-concluded edition in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Source: Web Search

Seve voted all-time best European Ryder Cup skipper

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 06:38 AM

Seve Ballesteros has been chosen as the best European Ryder Cup captain of all-time in a survey of British golf fans.

The charismatic Spaniard polled 29 percent of the vote for the inspirational way he led Europe to victory over the United States at Valderrama in 1997, according to research conducted by the Ryder Cup Madrid 2018 bid.

Britain's Tony Jacklin, who lost only once in four matches as skipper between 1983-89, was second on 24 percent.

Ballesteros, who competed in the biennial team competition eight times, was also selected as the most popular European player. He won 32 percent of that vote, ahead of Britain's Nick Faldo (25 percent).

"It is extremely humbling for me to see the support I have from golf fans," said Ballesteros in a news release. "I have always felt great support in the UK and every time I am there it's like being at home.

"The Ryder Cup is one of the greatest sporting events and will always hold a special place in my heart," added the 53-year-old who has had four debilitating operations since being diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2008.

The 38th Ryder Cup begins at Celtic Manor on Friday.

Source: Web Search

LeBron refuses to dwell on those who criticise his move

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 05:48 AM

LeBron James said Monday he had make to his "own destiny" and would not worry about the Hall of Famers who denounced his move to the Miami Heat.

The two-time NBA MVP was part of the Heats' free agency triple coup, with president Pat Riley bringing him in along with Chris Bosh and the re-signed Dwyane Wade.

Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson have all come out and said that they would never have sought to team up with other top players at one team in order to win a title.

"I've just got to go out and play the game, I've heard everything this summer, everything that I expected and some of it that I didn't expect but I made my own decisions and I live with them," James said Monday at the Heat's media day.

"I still respect Michael, I still respect Magic, Charles and the rest of those guys. They did a lot for this game, they did a lot for me, Dwyane and C.B.

"They paved the way for guys like myself to be able to do what I do on and off the court - endorsements and everything to wearing long, baggy shorts and Jordan brought what we call swagger into the game.

"I have nothing bad to say about them but I can't live through them, I have to make my own destiny and this was the road I felt I needed to go and to continue to improve as a professional," he added.

While James avoided criticizing those big names, it was clear that he was irked by the questioning of his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I have a lot of motivation. It is funny when things happen in life and how people react. It seems like a lot of people try to tell you what to do with your life and most of the time they don't even have their own life in order.

"I am really excited for this opportunity, for this franchise, to give me an opportunity to bring my game to this city and I am trying to make the best of it," he said.

"I've moved forward, I don't want to dwell on the past, there has been a lot of things said about me, about my family, about this organization, about me and Dwyane and C.Bosh, but we are moving forward.

"I am looking forward to training camp and you know there is not much can be said once the ball is tossed in the air," he said.

James said he had kept in touch with his friends from the Cavaliers and had wished them well.

"I spoke to all of the guys I was close with, who I still am close with and I wished them all the best in this upcoming season, continue to improve, and there are a lot of people writing them off but they have some really good players and they are excited about their season."

James upset many Cavaliers fans with his decision to announce his move to Miami in a live television special but said there had been no negative reaction in his Ohio home town of Akron.

"I've been home all summer and I am still standing tall, didn't have a problem," he said.

Source: Web Search

Injuries no excuse for another slip-up, says Wenger

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 05:42 AM

Arsenal must not use their long injury list as an excuse if they do not perform well at Partizan Belgrade in their Champions League Group H match, manager Arsene Wenger said on Monday.

The Premier League club will be without eight key players because of injury for Tuesday's game against the Serbian champions and Wenger said his team must prove their worth in a hostile atmosphere after a domestic slip-up at the weekend.

"I don't believe the injuries can be an excuse, we are missing big players but we have 20 big players so it's not an excuse to not perform," Wenger told a news conference.

"I believe we are a good enough team no matter what happens. We have to focus on every single game to produce a performance and that's what we have learned from Saturday," he added, referring to the 3-2 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion.

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and midfielder Abou Diaby have been declared unfit to face Partizan, joining Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie, Nicklas Bendtner, Thomas Vermaelen, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey on the sidelines.

Wenger said his makeshift side would not be intimidated by the die-hard home fans, who are likely to occupy all four tiers around a tiny area reserved for away supporters.

"Fans here have very good knowledge of the game because Serbia is a traditional football country, I believe it will be a very passionate atmosphere because they are passionate people," he said.

In 2007, UEFA threw Partizan out of the UEFA Cup after their fans started a riot at Bosnian rivals Zrinjski Mostar and last year their fans beat to death a French supporter before a Europa League home game against Ligue 1 side Toulouse.

"We are always inside the stadium, we don't know what happens outside so I will leave that to UEFA and the Serbian authorities and I am sure they will do very well," Wenger said when asked about possible crowd trouble.

Source: Web Search

LeBron refuses to dwell on those who criticise his move

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 05:32 AM

LeBron James said Monday he had make to his "own destiny" and would not worry about the Hall of Famers who denounced his move to the Miami Heat.

The two-time NBA MVP was part of the Heats' free agency triple coup, with president Pat Riley bringing him in along with Chris Bosh and the re-signed Dwyane Wade.

Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson have all come out and said that they would never have sought to team up with other top players at one team in order to win a title.

"I've just got to go out and play the game, I've heard everything this summer, everything that I expected and some of it that I didn't expect but I made my own decisions and I live with them," James said Monday at the Heat's media day.

"I still respect Michael, I still respect Magic, Charles and the rest of those guys. They did a lot for this game, they did a lot for me, Dwyane and C.B.

"They paved the way for guys like myself to be able to do what I do on and off the court - endorsements and everything to wearing long, baggy shorts and Jordan brought what we call swagger into the game.

"I have nothing bad to say about them but I can't live through them, I have to make my own destiny and this was the road I felt I needed to go and to continue to improve as a professional," he added.

While James avoided criticizing those big names, it was clear that he was irked by the questioning of his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I have a lot of motivation. It is funny when things happen in life and how people react. It seems like a lot of people try to tell you what to do with your life and most of the time they don't even have their own life in order.

"I am really excited for this opportunity, for this franchise, to give me an opportunity to bring my game to this city and I am trying to make the best of it," he said.

"I've moved forward, I don't want to dwell on the past, there has been a lot of things said about me, about my family, about this organization, about me and Dwyane and C.Bosh, but we are moving forward.

"I am looking forward to training camp and you know there is not much can be said once the ball is tossed in the air," he said.

James said he had kept in touch with his friends from the Cavaliers and had wished them well.

"I spoke to all of the guys I was close with, who I still am close with and I wished them all the best in this upcoming season, continue to improve, and there are a lot of people writing them off but they have some really good players and they are excited about their season."

James upset many Cavaliers fans with his decision to announce his move to Miami in a live television special but said there had been no negative reaction in his Ohio home town of Akron.

"I've been home all summer and I am still standing tall, didn't have a problem," he said.

Source: Web Search

Injuries no excuse for another slip-up, says Wenger

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 05:18 AM

Arsenal must not use their long injury list as an excuse if they do not perform well at Partizan Belgrade in their Champions League Group H match, manager Arsene Wenger said on Monday.

The Premier League club will be without eight key players because of injury for Tuesday's game against the Serbian champions and Wenger said his team must prove their worth in a hostile atmosphere after a domestic slip-up at the weekend.

"I don't believe the injuries can be an excuse, we are missing big players but we have 20 big players so it's not an excuse to not perform," Wenger told a news conference.

"I believe we are a good enough team no matter what happens. We have to focus on every single game to produce a performance and that's what we have learned from Saturday," he added, referring to the 3-2 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion.

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and midfielder Abou Diaby have been declared unfit to face Partizan, joining Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie, Nicklas Bendtner, Thomas Vermaelen, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey on the sidelines.

Wenger said his makeshift side would not be intimidated by the die-hard home fans, who are likely to occupy all four tiers around a tiny area reserved for away supporters.

"Fans here have very good knowledge of the game because Serbia is a traditional football country, I believe it will be a very passionate atmosphere because they are passionate people," he said.

In 2007, UEFA threw Partizan out of the UEFA Cup after their fans started a riot at Bosnian rivals Zrinjski Mostar and last year their fans beat to death a French supporter before a Europa League home game against Ligue 1 side Toulouse.

"We are always inside the stadium, we don't know what happens outside so I will leave that to UEFA and the Serbian authorities and I am sure they will do very well," Wenger said when asked about possible crowd trouble.

Source: Web Search

Bayern coach Van Gaal to stay until 2012

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 05:08 AM

Bayern Munich's flamboyant coach Louis van Gaal signed a one-year extension to his contract on Monday and will stay with the German champions until 2012.

"It's always important to win and with a top team such as Bayern, you can win," the Dutchman told reporters in Basel, where his team face Swiss champions FC Basel in Tuesday's Champions League match.

Van Gaal cited his excellent relationship with the squad as a reason for continuing.

"I couldn't ask for anything more," he said, also extending thanks to the board. "I had some difficult times at the start and the club directors showed trust and this allowed us to get to the Champions League final in Madrid (in May)."

He also said his wife enjoyed life in Bavaria. "My wife loves Munich and the feeling of life which the city breathes," he said.

Van Gaal, who took over in the summer of 2009, steered Bayern to the domestic championship and Cup double as well as the Champions League final in his first season in charge.

Bayern, however, have suffered a bad start to the current campaign and are in ninth place on eight points after six games after a 2-1 home defeat by leaders Mainz 05 on Saturday.

"We like doing things that are unexpected," club director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told reporters in Munich. "Everyone can extend contracts after victories. But it is a good public sign to reinforce the position of the coach after a defeat."

The 59-year-old former Barcelona and Netherlands coach took over last year after steering AZ Alkmaar to the Dutch title.

Bayern stormed through the domestic titles after a rocky start and lost in the Champions League final to Inter Milan and the contract extension does not come as a real surprise.

Club officials and Van Gaal had been hinting for weeks a new deal was pending.

Source: Web Search

Injuries no excuse for another slip-up, says Wenger

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 04:58 AM

Arsenal must not use their long injury list as an excuse if they do not perform well at Partizan Belgrade in their Champions League Group H match, manager Arsene Wenger said on Monday.

The Premier League club will be without eight key players because of injury for Tuesday's game against the Serbian champions and Wenger said his team must prove their worth in a hostile atmosphere after a domestic slip-up at the weekend.

"I don't believe the injuries can be an excuse, we are missing big players but we have 20 big players so it's not an excuse to not perform," Wenger told a news conference.

"I believe we are a good enough team no matter what happens. We have to focus on every single game to produce a performance and that's what we have learned from Saturday," he added, referring to the 3-2 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion.

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and midfielder Abou Diaby have been declared unfit to face Partizan, joining Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie, Nicklas Bendtner, Thomas Vermaelen, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey on the sidelines.

Wenger said his makeshift side would not be intimidated by the die-hard home fans, who are likely to occupy all four tiers around a tiny area reserved for away supporters.

"Fans here have very good knowledge of the game because Serbia is a traditional football country, I believe it will be a very passionate atmosphere because they are passionate people," he said.

In 2007, UEFA threw Partizan out of the UEFA Cup after their fans started a riot at Bosnian rivals Zrinjski Mostar and last year their fans beat to death a French supporter before a Europa League home game against Ligue 1 side Toulouse.

"We are always inside the stadium, we don't know what happens outside so I will leave that to UEFA and the Serbian authorities and I am sure they will do very well," Wenger said when asked about possible crowd trouble.

Source: Web Search

Bayern coach Van Gaal to stay until 2012

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 04:52 AM

Bayern Munich's flamboyant coach Louis van Gaal signed a one-year extension to his contract on Monday and will stay with the German champions until 2012.

"It's always important to win and with a top team such as Bayern, you can win," the Dutchman told reporters in Basel, where his team face Swiss champions FC Basel in Tuesday's Champions League match.

Van Gaal cited his excellent relationship with the squad as a reason for continuing.

"I couldn't ask for anything more," he said, also extending thanks to the board. "I had some difficult times at the start and the club directors showed trust and this allowed us to get to the Champions League final in Madrid (in May)."

He also said his wife enjoyed life in Bavaria. "My wife loves Munich and the feeling of life which the city breathes," he said.

Van Gaal, who took over in the summer of 2009, steered Bayern to the domestic championship and Cup double as well as the Champions League final in his first season in charge.

Bayern, however, have suffered a bad start to the current campaign and are in ninth place on eight points after six games after a 2-1 home defeat by leaders Mainz 05 on Saturday.

"We like doing things that are unexpected," club director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told reporters in Munich. "Everyone can extend contracts after victories. But it is a good public sign to reinforce the position of the coach after a defeat."

The 59-year-old former Barcelona and Netherlands coach took over last year after steering AZ Alkmaar to the Dutch title.

Bayern stormed through the domestic titles after a rocky start and lost in the Champions League final to Inter Milan and the contract extension does not come as a real surprise.

Club officials and Van Gaal had been hinting for weeks a new deal was pending.

Source: Web Search

Injuries no excuse for another slip-up, says Wenger

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 04:48 AM

Arsenal must not use their long injury list as an excuse if they do not perform well at Partizan Belgrade in their Champions League Group H match, manager Arsene Wenger said on Monday.

The Premier League club will be without eight key players because of injury for Tuesday's game against the Serbian champions and Wenger said his team must prove their worth in a hostile atmosphere after a domestic slip-up at the weekend.

"I don't believe the injuries can be an excuse, we are missing big players but we have 20 big players so it's not an excuse to not perform," Wenger told a news conference.

"I believe we are a good enough team no matter what happens. We have to focus on every single game to produce a performance and that's what we have learned from Saturday," he added, referring to the 3-2 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion.

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and midfielder Abou Diaby have been declared unfit to face Partizan, joining Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie, Nicklas Bendtner, Thomas Vermaelen, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey on the sidelines.

Wenger said his makeshift side would not be intimidated by the die-hard home fans, who are likely to occupy all four tiers around a tiny area reserved for away supporters.

"Fans here have very good knowledge of the game because Serbia is a traditional football country, I believe it will be a very passionate atmosphere because they are passionate people," he said.

In 2007, UEFA threw Partizan out of the UEFA Cup after their fans started a riot at Bosnian rivals Zrinjski Mostar and last year their fans beat to death a French supporter before a Europa League home game against Ligue 1 side Toulouse.

"We are always inside the stadium, we don't know what happens outside so I will leave that to UEFA and the Serbian authorities and I am sure they will do very well," Wenger said when asked about possible crowd trouble.

Source: Web Search

Bayern coach Van Gaal to stay until 2012

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 04:38 AM

Bayern Munich's flamboyant coach Louis van Gaal signed a one-year extension to his contract on Monday and will stay with the German champions until 2012.

"It's always important to win and with a top team such as Bayern, you can win," the Dutchman told reporters in Basel, where his team face Swiss champions FC Basel in Tuesday's Champions League match.

Van Gaal cited his excellent relationship with the squad as a reason for continuing.

"I couldn't ask for anything more," he said, also extending thanks to the board. "I had some difficult times at the start and the club directors showed trust and this allowed us to get to the Champions League final in Madrid (in May)."

He also said his wife enjoyed life in Bavaria. "My wife loves Munich and the feeling of life which the city breathes," he said.

Van Gaal, who took over in the summer of 2009, steered Bayern to the domestic championship and Cup double as well as the Champions League final in his first season in charge.

Bayern, however, have suffered a bad start to the current campaign and are in ninth place on eight points after six games after a 2-1 home defeat by leaders Mainz 05 on Saturday.

"We like doing things that are unexpected," club director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told reporters in Munich. "Everyone can extend contracts after victories. But it is a good public sign to reinforce the position of the coach after a defeat."

The 59-year-old former Barcelona and Netherlands coach took over last year after steering AZ Alkmaar to the Dutch title.

Bayern stormed through the domestic titles after a rocky start and lost in the Champions League final to Inter Milan and the contract extension does not come as a real surprise.

Club officials and Van Gaal had been hinting for weeks a new deal was pending.

Source: Web Search

Bayern still nursing World Cup hangover, says Van Gaal

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 02:42 AM

Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal likes to be known as a party animal but says it is his players who are nursing a collective hangover after their exploits at the World Cup.

The German champions have made a slow start to the Bundesliga and Van Gaal said they were still feeling the effects of a short preparation for the season, a result of the World Cup in which a number of their players played a prominent role.

"It's always difficult when a team has a lot of players at the World Cup and they cannot enjoy a good preparation," the volatile Dutchman told reporters. "This year was a very extreme case.

"So we had to do our preparations by playing in the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the Champions League, and that is naturally a bad thing."

The World Cup finished on July 11, barely a month before the start of the German season.

Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Mueller helped Germany to finish third in South Africa while captain Mark van Bommel and winger Arjen Robben played in the Netherlands side which lost to Spain in the final.

Defender Martin Demichelis was in the Argentina side which reached the quarter-finals.

Robben has missed the start of the Bundesliga season, angering Bayern who say he aggravated an injury by playing in South Africa.

Bayern are a modest ninth in the Bundesliga, having taken eight points from six matches, and are already 10 behind leaders Mainz 05, who beat them 2-1 on Saturday.

The Bavarians also began last season slowly but underwent a dramatic change after beating Juventus 4-1 away to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

Van Gaal, who led Bayern's Bundesliga celebrations with an unforgettable speech from the balcony of Munich's town hall, said he hoped Tuesday's Champions League match at Swiss champions FC Basel could provide a similar springboard.

"If we win really well, that could be a turning point, the same thing happened with the Juventus game last season," said Van Gaal, whose team beat AS Roma 2-0 in their opening group match two weeks ago.

He added: "In five of our Bundesliga matches, we have played well, we have always been the better team and we created more chances, but we are not finding it easy to score goals."

Source: Web Search

PCB chief Butt to return to London to consult lawyers

Tue, Sep 28 10 02:38 AM

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt will arrive in London on Tuesday to consult his legal advisers about replying to English demands that he apologise over allegations about match-fixing.

Butt would also meet Scotland Yard officials to discuss the spot-fixing accusations against three Pakistan players which overshadowed the team's recent tour, official sources in the PCB said on Monday.

Butt and PCB legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi would attend meetings in London this week, the sources said.

"They will meet with the legal firm they have hired in London to finalise the reply to be sent to the English players and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)," one source said.

England's players, through the ECB, have demanded an apology from Butt after he told a television station he had heard from bookmakers that English players were involved in fixing matches.

The ECB threatened legal action unless Butt apologised.

Butt's comments came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was launching an inquiry into Pakistan's scoring pattern in the third one-day international against England at the Oval.

Pakistan's test captain Salman Butt and his team mates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had already been suspended after an investigation into a newspaper report that they had arranged for no-balls to be deliberately delivered during the fourth test at Lord's in late August.

The PCB source said Butt and Rizvi would meet British police to find out what was happening.

"The PCB wants to know the progress Scotland Yard has made in its investigations into the allegations. They want a clear picture of whether the players are going to be charged or not," the source said.

"The PCB wants to know if there is a possibility that the suspension on the trio can be lifted."

Pakistan are due to play South Africa in a full series in the United Arab Emirates starting on Oct. 26.

Source: Published>

Bayern coach Van Gaal to stay until 2012

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 02:36 AM

Bayern Munich's flamboyant coach Louis van Gaal signed a one-year extension to his contract on Monday and will stay with the German champions until 2012.

"It's always important to win and with a top team such as Bayern, you can win," the Dutchman told reporters in Basel, where his team face Swiss champions FC Basel in Tuesday's Champions League match.

Van Gaal cited his excellent relationship with the squad as a reason for continuing.

"I couldn't ask for anything more," he said, also extending thanks to the board. "I had some difficult times at the start and the club directors showed trust and this allowed us to get to the Champions League final in Madrid (in May)."

He also said his wife enjoyed life in Bavaria. "My wife loves Munich and the feeling of life which the city breathes," he said.

Van Gaal, who took over in the summer of 2009, steered Bayern to the domestic championship and Cup double as well as the Champions League final in his first season in charge.

Bayern, however, have suffered a bad start to the current campaign and are in ninth place on eight points after six games after a 2-1 home defeat by leaders Mainz 05 on Saturday.

"We like doing things that are unexpected," club director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told reporters in Munich. "Everyone can extend contracts after victories. But it is a good public sign to reinforce the position of the coach after a defeat."

The 59-year-old former Barcelona and Netherlands coach took over last year after steering AZ Alkmaar to the Dutch title.

Bayern stormed through the domestic titles after a rocky start and lost in the Champions League final to Inter Milan and the contract extension does not come as a real surprise.

Club officials and Van Gaal had been hinting for weeks a new deal was pending.

Source: Web Search

Bayern still nursing World Cup hangover, says Van Gaal

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 02:32 AM

Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal likes to be known as a party animal but says it is his players who are nursing a collective hangover after their exploits at the World Cup.

The German champions have made a slow start to the Bundesliga and Van Gaal said they were still feeling the effects of a short preparation for the season, a result of the World Cup in which a number of their players played a prominent role.

"It's always difficult when a team has a lot of players at the World Cup and they cannot enjoy a good preparation," the volatile Dutchman told reporters. "This year was a very extreme case.

"So we had to do our preparations by playing in the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the Champions League, and that is naturally a bad thing."

The World Cup finished on July 11, barely a month before the start of the German season.

Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Mueller helped Germany to finish third in South Africa while captain Mark van Bommel and winger Arjen Robben played in the Netherlands side which lost to Spain in the final.

Defender Martin Demichelis was in the Argentina side which reached the quarter-finals.

Robben has missed the start of the Bundesliga season, angering Bayern who say he aggravated an injury by playing in South Africa.

Bayern are a modest ninth in the Bundesliga, having taken eight points from six matches, and are already 10 behind leaders Mainz 05, who beat them 2-1 on Saturday.

The Bavarians also began last season slowly but underwent a dramatic change after beating Juventus 4-1 away to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

Van Gaal, who led Bayern's Bundesliga celebrations with an unforgettable speech from the balcony of Munich's town hall, said he hoped Tuesday's Champions League match at Swiss champions FC Basel could provide a similar springboard.

"If we win really well, that could be a turning point, the same thing happened with the Juventus game last season," said Van Gaal, whose team beat AS Roma 2-0 in their opening group match two weeks ago.

He added: "In five of our Bundesliga matches, we have played well, we have always been the better team and we created more chances, but we are not finding it easy to score goals."

Source: Web Search

PCB chief Butt to return to London to consult lawyers

Tue, Sep 28 10 02:28 AM

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt will arrive in London on Tuesday to consult his legal advisers about replying to English demands that he apologise over allegations about match-fixing.

Butt would also meet Scotland Yard officials to discuss the spot-fixing accusations against three Pakistan players which overshadowed the team's recent tour, official sources in the PCB said on Monday.

Butt and PCB legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi would attend meetings in London this week, the sources said.

"They will meet with the legal firm they have hired in London to finalise the reply to be sent to the English players and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)," one source said.

England's players, through the ECB, have demanded an apology from Butt after he told a television station he had heard from bookmakers that English players were involved in fixing matches.

The ECB threatened legal action unless Butt apologised.

Butt's comments came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was launching an inquiry into Pakistan's scoring pattern in the third one-day international against England at the Oval.

Pakistan's test captain Salman Butt and his team mates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had already been suspended after an investigation into a newspaper report that they had arranged for no-balls to be deliberately delivered during the fourth test at Lord's in late August.

The PCB source said Butt and Rizvi would meet British police to find out what was happening.

"The PCB wants to know the progress Scotland Yard has made in its investigations into the allegations. They want a clear picture of whether the players are going to be charged or not," the source said.

"The PCB wants to know if there is a possibility that the suspension on the trio can be lifted."

Pakistan are due to play South Africa in a full series in the United Arab Emirates starting on Oct. 26.

Source: Published>

Bayern still nursing World Cup hangover, says Van Gaal

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 02:22 AM

Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal likes to be known as a party animal but says it is his players who are nursing a collective hangover after their exploits at the World Cup.

The German champions have made a slow start to the Bundesliga and Van Gaal said they were still feeling the effects of a short preparation for the season, a result of the World Cup in which a number of their players played a prominent role.

"It's always difficult when a team has a lot of players at the World Cup and they cannot enjoy a good preparation," the volatile Dutchman told reporters. "This year was a very extreme case.

"So we had to do our preparations by playing in the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the Champions League, and that is naturally a bad thing."

The World Cup finished on July 11, barely a month before the start of the German season.

Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Mueller helped Germany to finish third in South Africa while captain Mark van Bommel and winger Arjen Robben played in the Netherlands side which lost to Spain in the final.

Defender Martin Demichelis was in the Argentina side which reached the quarter-finals.

Robben has missed the start of the Bundesliga season, angering Bayern who say he aggravated an injury by playing in South Africa.

Bayern are a modest ninth in the Bundesliga, having taken eight points from six matches, and are already 10 behind leaders Mainz 05, who beat them 2-1 on Saturday.

The Bavarians also began last season slowly but underwent a dramatic change after beating Juventus 4-1 away to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

Van Gaal, who led Bayern's Bundesliga celebrations with an unforgettable speech from the balcony of Munich's town hall, said he hoped Tuesday's Champions League match at Swiss champions FC Basel could provide a similar springboard.

"If we win really well, that could be a turning point, the same thing happened with the Juventus game last season," said Van Gaal, whose team beat AS Roma 2-0 in their opening group match two weeks ago.

He added: "In five of our Bundesliga matches, we have played well, we have always been the better team and we created more chances, but we are not finding it easy to score goals."

Source: Web Search

PCB chief Butt to return to London to consult lawyers

Tue, Sep 28 10 02:18 AM

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt will arrive in London on Tuesday to consult his legal advisers about replying to English demands that he apologise over allegations about match-fixing.

Butt would also meet Scotland Yard officials to discuss the spot-fixing accusations against three Pakistan players which overshadowed the team's recent tour, official sources in the PCB said on Monday.

Butt and PCB legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi would attend meetings in London this week, the sources said.

"They will meet with the legal firm they have hired in London to finalise the reply to be sent to the English players and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)," one source said.

England's players, through the ECB, have demanded an apology from Butt after he told a television station he had heard from bookmakers that English players were involved in fixing matches.

The ECB threatened legal action unless Butt apologised.

Butt's comments came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was launching an inquiry into Pakistan's scoring pattern in the third one-day international against England at the Oval.

Pakistan's test captain Salman Butt and his team mates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had already been suspended after an investigation into a newspaper report that they had arranged for no-balls to be deliberately delivered during the fourth test at Lord's in late August.

The PCB source said Butt and Rizvi would meet British police to find out what was happening.

"The PCB wants to know the progress Scotland Yard has made in its investigations into the allegations. They want a clear picture of whether the players are going to be charged or not," the source said.

"The PCB wants to know if there is a possibility that the suspension on the trio can be lifted."

Pakistan are due to play South Africa in a full series in the United Arab Emirates starting on Oct. 26.

Source: Published>

Bayern coach Van Gaal to stay until 2012

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 01:38 AM

Bayern Munich's flamboyant coach Louis van Gaal signed a one-year extension to his contract on Monday and will stay with the German champions until 2012.

"It's always important to win and with a top team such as Bayern, you can win," the Dutchman told reporters in Basel, where his team face Swiss champions FC Basel in Tuesday's Champions League match.

Van Gaal cited his excellent relationship with the squad as a reason for continuing.

"I couldn't ask for anything more," he said, also extending thanks to the board. "I had some difficult times at the start and the club directors showed trust and this allowed us to get to the Champions League final in Madrid (in May)."

He also said his wife enjoyed life in Bavaria. "My wife loves Munich and the feeling of life which the city breathes," he said.

Van Gaal, who took over in the summer of 2009, steered Bayern to the domestic championship and Cup double as well as the Champions League final in his first season in charge.

Bayern, however, have suffered a bad start to the current campaign and are in ninth place on eight points after six games after a 2-1 home defeat by leaders Mainz 05 on Saturday.

"We like doing things that are unexpected," club director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told reporters in Munich. "Everyone can extend contracts after victories. But it is a good public sign to reinforce the position of the coach after a defeat."

The 59-year-old former Barcelona and Netherlands coach took over last year after steering AZ Alkmaar to the Dutch title.

Bayern stormed through the domestic titles after a rocky start and lost in the Champions League final to Inter Milan and the contract extension does not come as a real surprise.

Club officials and Van Gaal had been hinting for weeks a new deal was pending.

Source: Web Search

PCB chief Butt to return to London to consult lawyers

Tue, Sep 28 10 12:38 AM

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt will arrive in London on Tuesday to consult his legal advisers about replying to English demands that he apologise over allegations about match-fixing.

Butt would also meet Scotland Yard officials to discuss the spot-fixing accusations against three Pakistan players which overshadowed the team's recent tour, official sources in the PCB said on Monday.

Butt and PCB legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi would attend meetings in London this week, the sources said.

"They will meet with the legal firm they have hired in London to finalise the reply to be sent to the English players and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)," one source said.

England's players, through the ECB, have demanded an apology from Butt after he told a television station he had heard from bookmakers that English players were involved in fixing matches.

The ECB threatened legal action unless Butt apologised.

Butt's comments came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was launching an inquiry into Pakistan's scoring pattern in the third one-day international against England at the Oval.

Pakistan's test captain Salman Butt and his team mates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had already been suspended after an investigation into a newspaper report that they had arranged for no-balls to be deliberately delivered during the fourth test at Lord's in late August.

The PCB source said Butt and Rizvi would meet British police to find out what was happening.

"The PCB wants to know the progress Scotland Yard has made in its investigations into the allegations. They want a clear picture of whether the players are going to be charged or not," the source said.

"The PCB wants to know if there is a possibility that the suspension on the trio can be lifted."

Pakistan are due to play South Africa in a full series in the United Arab Emirates starting on Oct. 26.

Source: Published>

Proton says F1 team cannot use Lotus name

Published>Tue, Sep 28 10 12:36 AM

Proton, the Malaysian car manufacturer that owns Lotus sportscars, squared up for a fight with team boss Tony Fernandes on Monday over his use of the brand in Formula One.

The company said in a statement that it had terminated a licence for Fernandes' 1 Malaysia Racing Team to compete as Lotus Racing and would also "take all necessary steps" to stop him using the Team Lotus name from 2011.

Fernandes announced at last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix that Lotus Racing would compete as Team Lotus, the original name given to the outfit by late founder Colin Chapman in the 1950s, next season.

"A new dream starts today, Team Lotus is back," he declared on Friday.

The entrepreneur, who runs the Air Asia airline, said he had acquired the rights to the Team Lotus name from David Hunt -- brother of the late world champion James -- who had held them since the demise of Chapman's original team in 1994.

Proton disputed Hunt's rights and vowed to protect those claimed by their Group Lotus.

Proton chairman Nadzmi Salleh said: "We believe the Lotus brand to be one of the most valuable brands in Formula One today.

"We are the owners of this brand, and will take all necessary steps to protect it.

"Tony Fernandes has no rights to use the Lotus brand in the 2011 Formula One season, and we will strongly resist any attempts by him to use our brand without our permission and will withdraw our sponsorship of the Lotus Racing team."

GREAT CHAMPIONS

The Lotus name is one of the most famous in Formula One, the original team winning six drivers' championships and seven constructors' titles.

Greats who drove for them include Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna.

Group Lotus, which owns Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering, is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Proton. Until 1994, Lotus's last year in F1 until this season, the team and car firm were in common ownership.

"Since 1994, David Hunt has claimed to have acquired assets of Team Lotus, including its name, from the liquidator," said Proton.

"He has never raced as Lotus. Mr. Hunt's attempt to acquire the name Team Lotus was ineffective. Group Lotus is the owner of all rights in the "Lotus" automotive brand including those relating to Formula One."

Proton said Group Lotus had terminated its current licence to Fernandes because of "flagrant and persistent breaches of the licence by 1 Malaysia Racing Team, which were damaging to the "Lotus" brand."

Lotus Group recently announced a move into Formula One's GP2 and GP3 support series as partners to the championship winning ART team.

In a further clash between the two Malaysian sides, Fernandes will also be involved in GP2 with his own Team Air Asia that will be closely linked to what would be the Team Lotus Formula One team.

Source: Web Search

Pune outfit routs Jharkhand 7-4 at junior hockey meet

Tue, Sep 28 10 12:02 AM

Pune, Sep 27 (PTI) Hosts Pune District Hockey Association (PDHA) dished out a disciplined performance to seal a 7-4 win against Jharkhand in the 35th Junior (under-20) National Hockey Championship boy''s Pool ''C'' match at the Major Dhyanchand Ground here this evening. The trio of Vinit Kambale (3), Deep Patel (2) and captain Pramod Shingede (2) delivered the goods for PDHA, who have qualified for the pre-quarter-finals having won both their matches in this pool. They had earlier defeated Goa 5-1 in their opening league match. Today, the PDHA youngsters took time to settle down, but once they got into their groove they were over the rivals. Patel opened the account, when after accepting a pass from Shingede, pushed firmly past Jharkhand goalkeeper Sunit Lakra. Two minutes later Kambale got the first of his three goals. He then combined with Shingede down the right before providing a precise through pass for his captain to fire home from the edge of the striking circle. Jharkhand managed to reduce the deficit (1-3) through Binod Dodrai in the 38th minute. PDHA continued to dictate terms and slammed in four more goals to place themselves firmly in the driver''s seat. The visitors, fighting a losing battle, managed to score three goals during the second session to avoid the humiliation of a crushing defeat. (More) PTI VKV RSY AT

Source: Published>

India vows to have Commonwealth Games Village ready

Published>Mon, Sep 27 10 11:58 PM

India promised to have the athletes' housing for the Commonwealth Games cleaned up by Wednesday, and said workers were labouring at double time to have all facilities ready for the opening ceremony on Oct. 3.

The Games aimed to improve India's image as a rising power, but criticism of shoddy construction and dirty housing and security fears have instead raised questions about Asia's third largest economy.

Nearly all of the 1,500 athletes who had arrived in New Delhi by Monday were staying at the Games Village, the last big unfinished venue.

Many members of the more than 20 teams in Delhi have praised their facilities as roomy and clean, but other delegations have encountered problems, including Scotland's team, whose chief said "standards were just not good enough".

A snake was found in the room of a South African athlete and about 150 flats are still considered to be unhygienic, despite a weekend drive by workers to overcome the problems.

The opening ceremony for the two-week sporting event, held every four years for former British colonies, is on Oct. 3 and the Games Federation said all 71 nations will participate.

Some media said there had been a row between India and Britain over whether India's president or Prince Charles, the heir to the throne who is standing in for Queen Elizabeth at the ceremony, would open the Games.

A spokesman for the British embassy, however, said Prince Charles would open the Games and denied there was any controversy. Indian NDTV television said a compromise was reached between the Indian president and Prince Charles.

??? (For a slideshow: Countdown to Commonwealth, click http://in.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=INRTR2HWG7)

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the Village, where 8,000 athletes will stay, would be ready on Wednesday.

"We inherited a very difficult situation but it's improving almost by the hour," she told reporters. "Everybody has been told to work double time and we will do it."

About 20 athletes, including world champion sprinter Usain Bolt, have pulled out of the Games.

The lack of participation from some of the world's top sports stars has taken some of the shine from an event India had hoped to use to display its growing global influence, rivalling China which put on a spectacular 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

In a boost for the Games, Isle of Man cyclist Mark Cavendish, a Tour de France stage winner and one of the world's best sprinters, said he would compete in the road race.

MAJOR EMBARRASSMENT

The chaos surrounding the Games has been a big embarrassment for the government.

Poor infrastructure was ranked by the World Economic Forum as the most problematic factor for doing business in a nation plagued by power cuts and choked, potholed roads.

A bridge collapse in the runup to the Games, a suspected militant attack on two foreign visitors and an outbreak of dengue fever has brought international and domestic criticism of the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Commonwealth Games Chief Executive Mike Hooper attacked the preparations, while Australia's Olympic chief said Delhi should never have been awarded the event.

The government had seven years to prepare for the Games, but only started work in earnest two years ago, a move the official in charge of the 2004 Athens Olympics said showed they had underestimated the size of the task.

Like Delhi, Athens rushed to complete venues which drew censure and there were doubts the Olympics would take place. The event, however, went ahead without any major glitches.

The Games were supposed to highlight the modern face of India: new highways, a metro extension, sports venues and a $2 billion international airport.

The government is also trying to paper over problems that have plagued the country for decades, ranging from child labour to the millions who live in abject poverty.

The Commonwealth Games, first held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930, are the most well known activity of the Commonwealth, said a survey in March by the Royal Commonwealth Society.

Analysts say if the Delhi Games turn out to be a fiasco, it may be hard to persuade sponsors, television companies, media and athletes that the Games deserve attention in the future.

Source: Web Search

Hang me if I'm proved guilty: Kalmadi

Published>Mon, Sep 27 10 11:38 PM

New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS) 'Hang me if I am proved guilty,' Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi declared dramatically Monday, even as he ruled out his resignation on the graft charges that have hit the Games preparations, terming this a 'conspiracy against India'.

'I am ready to face a judicial enquiry after the Games on corruption charges, hang me if I am proved guilty,' he told CNN-IBN editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai in an interview

The 'conspiracy against the Games is a conspiracy against India' and a 'few pictures of dirty toilets does not mean that the Games Village is not world class', Kalmadi maintained.

Kalmadi said he had never considered resigning at any stage.

'Never, my team of four thousand people are working day and night and I always knew that it will be a great Games and the government of India has given me a total support,' he said.

'I take responsibility for mess but must be given credit if the Games are a success,' Kalmadi said.

He charged former sports minister Mani Shankar Aiyer - a prominent detractor - for not having moved on Games for two years and also trained his guns on Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Mike Hooper, who last week had described the conditions in the Village as 'filthy and unlivable'.

'Mike Hooper has been in India for four years, what was he doing,' Kalmadi asked.

Source: Web Search

India vows to have Commonwealth Games Village ready

Published>Mon, Sep 27 10 10:58 PM

India promised to have the athletes' housing for the Commonwealth Games cleaned up by Wednesday, and said workers were labouring at double time to have all facilities ready for the opening ceremony on Oct. 3.

The Games aimed to improve India's image as a rising power, but criticism of shoddy construction and dirty housing and security fears have instead raised questions about Asia's third largest economy.

Nearly all of the 1,500 athletes who had arrived in New Delhi by Monday were staying at the Games Village, the last big unfinished venue.

Many members of the more than 20 teams in Delhi have praised their facilities as roomy and clean, but other delegations have encountered problems, including Scotland's team, whose chief said "standards were just not good enough".

A snake was found in the room of a South African athlete and about 150 flats are still considered to be unhygienic, despite a weekend drive by workers to overcome the problems.

The opening ceremony for the two-week sporting event, held every four years for former British colonies, is on Oct. 3 and the Games Federation said all 71 nations will participate.

Some media said there had been a row between India and Britain over whether India's president or Prince Charles, the heir to the throne who is standing in for Queen Elizabeth at the ceremony, would open the Games.

A spokesman for the British embassy, however, said Prince Charles would open the Games and denied there was any controversy. Indian NDTV television said a compromise was reached between the Indian president and Prince Charles.

??? (For a slideshow: Countdown to Commonwealth, click http://in.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=INRTR2HWG7)

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the Village, where 8,000 athletes will stay, would be ready on Wednesday.

"We inherited a very difficult situation but it's improving almost by the hour," she told reporters. "Everybody has been told to work double time and we will do it."

About 20 athletes, including world champion sprinter Usain Bolt, have pulled out of the Games.

The lack of participation from some of the world's top sports stars has taken some of the shine from an event India had hoped to use to display its growing global influence, rivalling China which put on a spectacular 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

In a boost for the Games, Isle of Man cyclist Mark Cavendish, a Tour de France stage winner and one of the world's best sprinters, said he would compete in the road race.

MAJOR EMBARRASSMENT

The chaos surrounding the Games has been a big embarrassment for the government.

Poor infrastructure was ranked by the World Economic Forum as the most problematic factor for doing business in a nation plagued by power cuts and choked, potholed roads.

A bridge collapse in the runup to the Games, a suspected militant attack on two foreign visitors and an outbreak of dengue fever has brought international and domestic criticism of the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Commonwealth Games Chief Executive Mike Hooper attacked the preparations, while Australia's Olympic chief said Delhi should never have been awarded the event.

The government had seven years to prepare for the Games, but only started work in earnest two years ago, a move the official in charge of the 2004 Athens Olympics said showed they had underestimated the size of the task.

Like Delhi, Athens rushed to complete venues which drew censure and there were doubts the Olympics would take place. The event, however, went ahead without any major glitches.

The Games were supposed to highlight the modern face of India: new highways, a metro extension, sports venues and a $2 billion international airport.

The government is also trying to paper over problems that have plagued the country for decades, ranging from child labour to the millions who live in abject poverty.

The Commonwealth Games, first held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930, are the most well known activity of the Commonwealth, said a survey in March by the Royal Commonwealth Society.

Analysts say if the Delhi Games turn out to be a fiasco, it may be hard to persuade sponsors, television companies, media and athletes that the Games deserve attention in the future.

Source: Web Search

Asif hoping for lady luck as he is set to marry officially

Mon, Sep 27 10 10:42 PM

Karachi, Sep 27 (PTI) Suspended Pakistan speedster Muhammad Asif is hoping that his marriage with Sana Hilal on Thursday will change his life and bring him luck and success. Asif, who is one of the three Pakistani cricketers suspended by the International Cricket Council for alleged spot fixing during the Lord''s Test against England, will officially get married Sana, a girl chosen by his parents on Thursday. The pacer and Sana had entered into Nikah few months back but the formal marriage ceremony (Rukhsati) could not take place due to Asif''s commitments with the Pakistan team. "I had postponed the marriage because of the busy schedule of the team but now I am formally going to bring my wife home and I a confident this new phase of my life will be for the best," Asif told Geo News channel. Asif had entered into Nikah with Sana soon after ending a long affair with actress and model Veena Malik, who has now accused him of match-fixing and claimed he has links with an Indian bookmaker. Asif said he had invited fellow cricketers, many former greats and leading personalities for his Valima on Friday in Lahore. The pace bowler has been dogged by controversies since the last four years. In 2006 he was suspended for testing positive in a dope test before the Champions Trophy in India. In 2007 he got into a brawl with fellow pacer Shoaib Akhtar in South Africa and in 2008 he was banned for one year for again failing a dope test in the Indian Premier League. In 2008, he also spent 19-days in detention in Dubai while returning from India for possession of small quantity of marijuana but was released without charge. "He has had a hectic lifestyle and hopefully he will now settle down in life after his marriage," Zahid, his close friend, said. Zahid played a big role in mediating a settlement between Asif and Veena Malik last year after the latter filed a case for recovery of over 13 million rupees from the pace bowler. PTI Corr AT PDS

Source: Published>

Bindra checks in at Commonwealth Games Village

Mon, Sep 27 10 09:52 PM

New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) Olympic gold medallist marksman Abhinav Bindra today check in at the Commonwealth Games Village here but made a quick exit to leave for home as he has not brought his weapons with him. National shooting coach Sunny Thomas said Bindra will join his team-mates tomorrow after depositing his weapons at the Karni Singh Ranges here. "His weapons are at his home, so he couldn''t stay with us. But he will join the team after he deposits his weapons at the Karni Singh Ranges tomorrow. His registration is done and I met him in the dining hall," said Thomas. Bindra, along with other top shooters like world champions Gagan Narang and Manavjit Singh Sandhu, is one of the spearheads of India''s challenge in the Commonwealth Games. Bindra will represent the country in 10m air rifle, along with Narang. Expressing satisfaction after training at the shooting range, Thomas said, "Today we have got the ammunition (Eley Tenes make) we wanted and we tested them in different barrels. "Lapua Midas (another top company for ammunition) is already there but these ammunitions vary from barrel to barrel. Tejaswini (Sawant) will be shooting with Lapua," Thomas said. Clarifying the reports that the shooters had practised with pellets of inferior quality yesterday, Thomas said that most of the top shooters are going to use their own pellets during the competition. "Barring one or two, most of them are using their own pellets for greater accuracy. Say, if we give Abhinav or Gagan pellets, they would never use them in the tournament," Thomas said. "The price and company of the pellets may be same, but then, they too, vary from barrel to barrel." PTI AH PDS

Source: Published>