Nine Australian sports stars fail drug tests

Published>Sat, Oct 23 10 12:27 PM

Sydney, Oct 23 (DPA) Nine Australian sports stars have tested positive for the banned stimulant that cost Nigerian sprinter Osayomi Oludamola her Commonwealth Games 100-metre gold medal in New Delhi this month, authorities said Saturday.

The nine, who have not been named, face two-year bans after testing positive for DMAA, or methylhexaneamine, a substance used in some bodybuilding and dietary supplements and in party drugs.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief executive Perry Crosswhite said no members of the team that competed in New Delhi had tested positive.

Drug testing at the Commonwealth Games is the responsibility of the World Anti-Doping Agency, but its rubric is the same as the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA).

'I can confirm that ASADA tested our team before they went away, and certainly they would have advised us if any of them had tested positive before they went,' Crosswhite said. 'We have had no positives as far as our team in Delhi is concerned.'

The positive results prompted the ASADA to warn athletes about the inadvertent use of the substance.

'This spike in positive test results is a timely reminder to all athletes to exercise the utmost caution in checking the contents of supplements and other products they choose to use,' ASADA chief executive Aurora Andruska said.

The substance was put on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list at the end of last year, and positive tests carry a maximum two-year penalty.

Sports Minister Mark Arbib was quick to absolve Australian athletes of doping. 'I would hate to see an athlete receive a ban because they hadn't carefully checked the ingredients of a supplement,' he said.

Andruska said DMAA was marketed under the trade name Geranamine as a substance with fat-burning properties.

'Geranium oil, this has been around for years, so it's not a new substance,' she said. 'The main thing here is that we ensure that athletes are aware of the strict liability principle under the World Anti-Doping Code, and under that, they are ultimately responsible for any substance found in their body regardless of how it got there.'

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Rooney can win back fans on the pitch: Ex-Man U stars

Published>Sat, Oct 23 10 12:07 PM

London, Oct 23(ANI): Former Manchester United stars insist that striker Wayne Rooney can win back fans and team-mates by doing his talking on the pitch.

United legend Lou Macari said that Rooney should not have questioned manager Sir Alex Ferguson's ambition, but insisted that the 24-year-old would strike back if fans support him.

"There's a bit of rebuilding to be done. Supporters hold the key to how well Wayne does, if they'll forgive him and accept him back," Macari said.

Former winger Mickey Thomas believes that fans would welcome their hero back.

"I think they're going to be absolutely delighted. They want him back on that pitch scoring goals. It'll be all forgotten," the Daily Express quoted Thomas, as saying.

Former midfielder Clayton Blackmore believes that the saga has highlighted Ferguson's strengths as a manager.

"It think it just shows how strong and how powerful he is. Wayne could end up being an even better player," Blackmore said.

In a dramatic change of events, Rooney - who demanded to leave United earlier this week - ended doubts over his future by signing a new five-year contract.

He is now the highest-paid player at United, overtaking defender Rio Ferdinand.

The striker, who was previously on 90,000 pounds per week, is now understood to be earning a basic salary in excess of 150,000 pounds per week. (ANI)

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Pak pacer Mohammad Asif withdraws challenge to provisional suspension

Published>Sat, Oct 23 10 11:53 AM

Dubai, Oct. 23 (ANI): Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif has confirmed that he has withdrawn his challenge to the provisional suspension imposed on him on September 2, 2010 pending determination of the charges brought against him under the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code.

An ICC release said arrangements are now being made for the challenges being made by Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir against their provisional suspensions to be heard in Dubai on 30 and 31 October 2010.

The ICC will not make any further comment at this stage. (ANI)

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Uchimura, Mustafina bag all-around gymnastics golds

Sat, Oct 23 10 11:37 AM

Japan's Kohei Uchimura and Russia's Aliya Mustafina won the all-around titles at the World Gymnastics Championships on Friday.

Uchimura claimed his second straight world all-around men's title with a score of 92.331 after needing only 12.784 on his final event to win and easily clinching gold with 15.066.

He finished ahead of Philipp Boy of Germany to become the fifth man to win two world titles but only the second to claim them consecutively after Yang Wei in 2006 and 2007.

"I have been doing well in practice but to do the same in the event is a different thing," Uchimura told reporters.

"I was not thinking about winning gold twice in a row, I just wanted to finish each piece well."

The 16-year-old Mustafina finished ahead of Olympic team champion Jiang Yuyuan of China to give the Russians a second gold, two days after leading them to their first world title.

Mustafina established a big lead over her rivals and needed 14.000 on her final event, the floor exercise, to pass Jiang. Her brilliant routine produced 15.033 for a total of 61.032.

"My coach told me I could win this gold but I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself and tried to stay as calm as possible," Mustafina said.

The bronze medals went to Americans Jonathan Horton, an Olympic silver medallist on the horizontal bar, and Rebecca Bross, who fought back after a fall off the beam.

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No practice for teams ahead of final ODI, due to rain

Sat, Oct 23 10 11:21 AM

Margao, Oct 23 (PTI) Persistent rains today forced cancellation of the practice sessions of both the Indian and Australian cricket teams on the eve of the third and final One-day here. It rained consistently last night before stopping early in the morning. However, it started raining again around 9:00am, forcing the groundsmen to cover the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. Australia need to win tomorrow''s match to square the three-martch series. India had won the second match in Visakhapatnam to take a 1-0 lead while the first match was abandoned due to rains in Kochi.

Source: Published>

Rangers down Yanks to reach first World Series

Published>Sat, Oct 23 10 11:17 AM

The Texas Rangers reached the World Series for the first time in their 50 years as a franchise by beating the New York Yankees 6-1 on Friday to win the American League Championship Series.

The win gave them a 4-2 triumph in the best-of-seven series and put them into the Fall Classic against the winner of the National League Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants, who lead it 3-2.

Rookie closer Neftali Feliz struck out former Ranger Alex Rodriguez for the final out, igniting wild celebrations on the diamond and among the crowd of more than 51,000 at Rangers Ballpark.

Starting pitcher Colby Lewis won his second game of the series by throwing eight sterling innings and giving up three hits, and designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero drove in the first three runs to lead the Rangers to victory.

The Rangers rejoiced in the middle of the diamond after winning the American League pennant for a first time and eliminating last year's World Series winners, hugging each other and falling into a massive pileup near the mound.

After more hugs, they sprayed ginger ale in glee and poured the soda over each other's heads in deference to slugger Josh Hamilton, who has overcome drug and alcohol abuse.

Hamilton, who batted .350 with four home runs and seven runs batted in, was named Most Valuable Player of the series.

"This group is here because they don't know how to fail," said Hamilton, choked with emotion. "The chemistry of this team is like something I've never known anywhere."

ICE COLD

Guerrero, who had been ice cold at the bat without a single RBI, made up for lost time on Friday as the Yankees walked Hamilton intentionally three times to take their chances with the designated hitter.

His groundball out in the first brought home the first run, but it was his ringing two-out, two-run double to dead center that really set the Rangers on their way.

The blast off Yankees starter Phil Hughes snapped a 1-1 tie and was followed by a two-run homer by Nelson Cruz off reliever David Robertson that gave Texas a four-run lead and broke the game open.

Lewis, meanwhile, mowed down the vaunted New York attack, which had led the league in runs scored. The right-hander did not give up his first hit until a fifth-inning double by Rodriguez, who scored on a wild pitch to tie the game 1-1.

The Texas pitcher kept the pressure on even after getting some breathing room thanks to the Rangers rally, striking out the side in the eighth inning before giving way to Feliz.

"I'm speechless," Lewis, a former Texas top draft pick who played the previous two seasons in Japan for the Hiroshima Carp, told a TV interviewer. "I never thought I'd be in this position.

"To get an opportunity to go to Japan, I'm very grateful for that. And for the Texas Rangers organization to bring me back, I'm very grateful."

The defeat ended the Yankees' quest for a 28th World Series title. "They beat us. They out-hit us, they out-pitched us, out-played us," said New York skipper Joe Girardi.

Rangers manager Ron Washington was bursting with pride in his players.

"They show up every single day and they leave their hearts on the field," he said. "Tonight you've seen exactly what they've worked hard for since February."

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Now nine Aussie athletes test positive for methylhexaneamine

Sat, Oct 23 10 11:07 AM

Melbourne, Oct 23 (PTI) Nine Australian athletes have tested positive for banned stimulant methylhexaneamine and some of them could be from the Commonwealth Games squads. The authorities have not revealed the identity of the athletes but they did not rule out CWG athletes as being among those who returned positive tests, a media report claimed. "It is believed NRL and AFL players may have also been among those who tested positive in what could become Australia''s biggest doping scandal," a report in the ''Daily Telegraph'' said. According to the report, the testing period is believed to have covered this year''s NRL and AFL grand finals and pre- and post-Commonwealth Games periods but not the 10 days of Games competition, which was covered by international anti-doping authorities. The positive results prompted the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority to take the extraordinary measure of sending an urgent warning to all Australian athletes about inadvertent use of the substance. "With the spike in the number of positive test results for methylhexaneamine in Australia, we are warning athletes to take extreme caution and double check the contents of any supplements and other products they use," ASADA CEO Aurora Andruska said. Federal Sports Minister Mark Arbib has also urged athletes to take extra precautions. "We are warning athletes to take extreme caution and double check the contents of any supplements they use," he was quoted as saying in the report. Nigerian runner Osayomi Oludamola was tripped off her Commonwealth Games gold medal for testing positive for the same substance.

Source: Published>

Rangers down Yanks to reach first World Series

Published>Sat, Oct 23 10 10:57 AM

The Texas Rangers reached the World Series for the first time in their 50 years as a franchise by beating the New York Yankees 6-1 on Friday to win the American League Championship Series.

The win gave them a 4-2 triumph in the best-of-seven series and put them into the Fall Classic against the winner of the National League Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants, who lead it 3-2.

Rookie closer Neftali Feliz struck out former Ranger Alex Rodriguez for the final out, igniting wild celebrations on the diamond and among the crowd of more than 51,000 at Rangers Ballpark.

Starting pitcher Colby Lewis won his second game of the series by throwing eight sterling innings and giving up three hits, and designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero drove in the first three runs to lead the Rangers to victory.

The Rangers rejoiced in the middle of the diamond after winning the American League pennant for a first time and eliminating last year's World Series winners, hugging each other and falling into a massive pileup near the mound.

After more hugs, they sprayed ginger ale in glee and poured the soda over each other's heads in deference to slugger Josh Hamilton, who has overcome drug and alcohol abuse.

Hamilton, who batted .350 with four home runs and seven runs batted in, was named Most Valuable Player of the series.

"This group is here because they don't know how to fail," said Hamilton, choked with emotion. "The chemistry of this team is like something I've never known anywhere."

ICE COLD

Guerrero, who had been ice cold at the bat without a single RBI, made up for lost time on Friday as the Yankees walked Hamilton intentionally three times to take their chances with the designated hitter.

His groundball out in the first brought home the first run, but it was his ringing two-out, two-run double to dead center that really set the Rangers on their way.

The blast off Yankees starter Phil Hughes snapped a 1-1 tie and was followed by a two-run homer by Nelson Cruz off reliever David Robertson that gave Texas a four-run lead and broke the game open.

Lewis, meanwhile, mowed down the vaunted New York attack, which had led the league in runs scored. The right-hander did not give up his first hit until a fifth-inning double by Rodriguez, who scored on a wild pitch to tie the game 1-1.

The Texas pitcher kept the pressure on even after getting some breathing room thanks to the Rangers rally, striking out the side in the eighth inning before giving way to Feliz.

"I'm speechless," Lewis, a former Texas top draft pick who played the previous two seasons in Japan for the Hiroshima Carp, told a TV interviewer. "I never thought I'd be in this position.

"To get an opportunity to go to Japan, I'm very grateful for that. And for the Texas Rangers organization to bring me back, I'm very grateful."

The defeat ended the Yankees' quest for a 28th World Series title. "They beat us. They out-hit us, they out-pitched us, out-played us," said New York skipper Joe Girardi.

Rangers manager Ron Washington was bursting with pride in his players.

"They show up every single day and they leave their hearts on the field," he said. "Tonight you've seen exactly what they've worked hard for since February."

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Bayern fortunate to escape with draw at Hamburg

Sat, Oct 23 10 10:37 AM

Bayern Munich were lucky to escape the traditional north-south derby against Hamburg SV with a goalless draw after the hosts dominated throughout and rattled the post late in Friday's game.

With half a dozen key players injured, Bundesliga champions Bayern were quiet in attack and vulnerable at the back.

However, just like their midweek Champions League group win over CFR Cluj when they were gifted two own goals by the Romanians, the Bavarians had luck on their side.

Hamburg squandered several chances through Paolo Guerrero, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Piotr Trochowski and then with nine minutes left Jonathan Pitroipa raced into the box but hit the post with only keeper Hans-Joerg Butt to beat.

The result lifts Bayern to ninth place on 12 points with Hamburg moving up to fourth on 15. Leaders Borussia Dortmund, on 21, entertain Hoffenheim on Sunday.

"Pitroipa should have scored," Hamburg coach Armin Veh told reporters. "(But) at least we kept a clean sheet."

Bayern, missing striker Miroslav Klose, captain Mark van Bommel and wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery among others, relied more on individual sparks than organised attacking.

Thomas Mueller had a powerful shot parried by Hamburg goalkeeper Frank Rost, who was later taken off with suspected torn knee ligaments, and also set up Mario Gomez for a close-range effort that sailed wide.

Hamburg responded with a powerful Van Nistelrooy shot that stretched Butt, who was in top form as he thwarted the home team again and again in the second half.

Substitute Mladen Petric, back from a month-long injury absence, added pace up front late in the game and provided a perfect pass in the 81st minute for Pitroipa who was denied by the woodwork after a low 10-metre drive.

"It was Hamburg who had the big chances," said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm, "so there must be times when you have to be satisfied with one point".

Source: Published>

Asif withdraws his appeal against ICC suspension

Sat, Oct 23 10 10:21 AM

Dubai/Karachi, Oct 23 (PTI) Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif has withdrawn his appeal against the provisional suspension, imposed on him by the International Cricket Council. Asif, Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer were suspended by the ICC in September after allegation surfaced that they were involved in spot fixing during the Test series against England. "Mohammad Asif confirmed earlier today (Friday) that he has withdrawn his challenge to the provisional suspension imposed on him on 2 September 2010 pending determination of the charges brought against him under the ICC''s Anti-Corruption Code," an ICC released said. "Arrangements are now being made for the challenges being made by Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir against their provisional suspensions to be heard in Dubai on 30 and 31 October 2010," the release added. British tabloid News of the World had alleged that the Asif and Aamer took bribes from bookie Mazhar Majeed for bowling no-balls during the Lord''s Test. Although ICC has not specified any reason why Asif withdrew his appeal, sources said Asif took the step after consultations with his lawyer in London. "The legal firm representing him in the case apparently has advised him to take more time as they require time to prepare for the case and appeal against the suspension," one source said. The source added that the lawyer representing Asif had come across some technical issues in the appeal filed with the ICC and hence advised him to withdraw it for now. The three players had filed separate appeals against their suspension this month. Earlier, the ICC was to conduct hearing in Doha because Asif is barred from entering Dubai after being caught with a small quantity of banned substance at the Dubai airport two years back.

Source: Published>

Kubica quickest in final South Korean GP practice

Published>Sat, Oct 23 10 09:57 AM

Renault's Robert Kubica put the Formula One title contenders in the shade with the fastest lap in Saturday's final South Korean Grand Prix practice.

The Pole, whose only race victory was in Canada with BMW-Sauber in 2008, lapped the hastily-completed and slippery new Yeongam track with a best time of one minute 37.354 seconds.

McLaren's 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton was second quickest, 0.048 slower, with Ferrari's double champion Fernando Alonso third and Red Bull's overall leader Mark Webber in fourth place.

The times indicated that four teams are on an almost equal footing in terms of pace ahead of a crucial race for the five men fighting for the title.

McLaren's world champion Jenson Button, who is 31 points behind Webber and needs a big result on Sunday, was seventh while Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel was the lowest placed of the five title contenders in 16th.

Vettel, third overall but level on points with Alonso who is 14 behind Webber with three races remaining, has looked far from impressive on the dusty anti-clockwise track.

The 23-year-old German, who will be chasing his ninth pole of the season later on Saturday, was fourth and seventh in Friday's two sessions.

Kubica, making full use of the Renault 'F-duct' on the circuit's long straights, had been tipped to do well by Hamilton earlier in the week.

"I don't think we are going to be the fastest on the straights because the Renaults and the Force Indias seem to be very quick on straights," he had told Reuters. "Whether or not we will be quicker than them I don't know."

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Nigerian athletes go gaga over Indian medical services

Published>Sat, Oct 23 10 09:49 AM

Gurgaon, Oct 23 (IANS) Nigerian athletes Helen Okus and Amas Daniel are going home with much more than just memories of the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG). Both had to undergo surgery in a hospital here and can't stop thanking the doctors for the 'excellent' medical services.

Okus, 21, who represented her country in the 72 kg wrestling competition in the Games, won a bronze. Her stint was, however, a painful one as she was suffering from a condition called prolapsed intervertebral disc. In this condition, the spongy part of a disc that lies between two adjacent vertebrae in the spine comes out and presses on the nerve.

'I was diagnosed with this condition at the national training camp in Nigeria before I came to participate in the Games here. The condition was not so severe then. My pain was treated through massages and prescribed painkillers,' Okus told IANS.

'However, my condition worsened after the match and I was in so much pain that I could not even lift my arm. I was told by our team of doctors and coach that if I wanted to continue with my game, I should undergo surgery and so I decided to go ahead with it before flying back home,' she said.

According to Arun Saroha, the neurosurgery consultant who operated upon Okus, her treatment involved removal and implant of artificial disc through microscopic spine surgery. 'It is a highly specialised procedure and is carried out at selective spine centres in our country,' he said.

Daniel, also a wrestler, was suffering from hernia and was in so much pain that he had to wear a belt around his stomach while competing. His treatment involved minimally invasive surgery.

Both the athletes were admitted Oct 15 to the Artemis Health Institute, a multi-specialty hospital in Gurgaon on the outskirts of the Indian capital, right after the CWG concluded Oct 14. They underwent surgery the next day.

While Okus can resume her game after three months, 20-year-old Daniel can do so in two weeks. The two are now preparing to go home.

Okus said: 'In Nigeria, they don't have such tertiary care hospitals. I am happy with the facilities and the treatment. My condition has improved remarkably after the surgery and there is no pain.'

The cost of the athletes' treatment was borne by the Nigerian sports ministry.

Talking about their experience in India, both the athletes, who are here on their maiden visit, said they loved being here.

Daniel said: 'We loved it in India and if we get an opportunity we will come back again. I enjoyed Indian food, clothes and hospitality. In fact, we bought a lot of traditional Indian dresses and artefacts to take back as gifts.'

They were also all praise for the Games Village and the event itself. The CWG was held during Oct 3-14 and saw players from 71 participating teams.

'It was an amazing experience to meet so many players from different parts of the world. The Games Village was truly world-class,' he added.

Talking about her match, Okus said: 'I feel elated that I was able to do my country proud on an international platform. All this became possible because of the support I received from my teammates and coach.'

According to an official at Artemis, on an average the hospital gets 50-80 African patients every month.

'A growing number of African nationals come to Indian hospitals like Artemis for orthopaedics treatment, IVF, neurological disorders, cancer and renal transplant,' the official said.

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Miami Heat's Miller out until January after thumb surgery

Sat, Oct 23 10 08:37 AM

Miami Heat forward Mike Miller will be sidelined until January after having surgery to repair a torn ligament and fracture in his right thumb, the team said on Friday.

The Heat, who many expect will contend for the NBA title this season, said the sharpshooting Miller's thumb was injured in a bizarre accident Wednesday when it got tangled up in a team mates jersey during practice.

"It's unfortunate. I feel very bad for Mike. I know how badly he wanted to get this season started in the right way. He's down right now," said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra.

Miller, who signed a five-year deal with the Heat in July, averaged 10.9 points per game with the Washington Wizards last season and shot 48 percent from three-point range.

The Heat open their regular season on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics.

Source: Published>

Miami Heat seeking title to meet lofty expectations

Published>Sat, Oct 23 10 08:17 AM

The Miami Heat enter the upcoming NBA season boasting a squad that features three of the league's top players, but with that comes lofty expectations that can only be met by winning a championship.

In July, the Heat's American Airlines Arena was packed for a rowdy celebration of president Pat Riley's free-agency coup d'etat where he landed the most prized players available.

Thousands of fans gathered for the glitzy party to mark the arrival of two-times reigning NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James, fellow All-Star Chris Bosh and the decision of Dwyane Wade, the 2006 NBA Finals MVP, to stay put.

Those announcements in the span of a little more than 24 hours turned the Heat, who were eliminated from the first round of last season's playoffs, into a legitimate contender.

Still, there were plenty of people outside Miami -- and a good few in South Florida -- who felt it might have been more prudent to wait until the trio had won something before placing them on a stage for applause.

But whether that was a presumptuously premature celebration or a natural outburst of excitement at a remarkable piece of squad creation, everyone in the Heat organization knows it is all about results now.

"That's the only reason for coming here; to unite with Wade and Bosh and win a championship," James said recently. "We're ready to bring our A-game every night to try and bring that championship to South Florida."

Assembling the three on one roster is no sure recipe for success. To even get a shot at an NBA title the Heat will have to contend with a competitive Eastern Conference that includes the 2008 NBA champion Boston Celtics, the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks.

Wade, who led the Heat to a championship in 2006, is the only one of the group to win an NBA title. Bosh has never been past the first round of the playoffs while with the Toronto Raptors and the closest James has been to a championship is a four-game sweep in the 2007 Finals.

There is plenty of debate about James's decision to leave Cleveland for Miami and the way it was handled, particularly an ill-advised television special named 'The Decision', but what is not in doubt is the player's ability.

James averaged nearly 30 points per game last season, Wade averaged 26.6 points and Bosh averaged 24 points, numbers that suggest the Heat will enter the season as heavy favorites in the Eastern Conference.

Critics suggested Riley might have put all his eggs in one basket and left himself short of depth, missing good-quality bench players.

But Riley managed his salary space so well he was able to bring in quality players like forward Mike Miller from Washington and Lithuanian Zydrunas Ilgauskas from Cleveland.

The squad also features the dependable Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers, James Jones and Carlos Arroyo, making a mockery of the notion the Heat would be made up of three 'greats' with a series of D-League players.

The most legitimate concern over the Heat is whether James and Wade, who have played similar roles, will be able to find the right chemistry on the court.

When asked who would take the big shot when it matters most, coach Erik Spoelstra said, "Whoever is open."

But if that question becomes complicated there may be a series of ego issues to deal with -- something everyone in the Heat organization has been keen to dismiss.

There will be many hoping the Heat fail to live up to the talk this season but, whatever happens, there are unlikely to be many dull moments along the way.

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Portsmouth likely to close after deal collapses

Published>Sat, Oct 23 10 07:37 AM

English Championship (second division) club Portsmouth are likely to go out of business after a deal to remove them from administration was scuppered on Friday, the club said in a statement.

Portsmouth, who were relegated from the Premier League and reached the FA Cup final last season after a turbulent period financially, said the administrators "are unable to support the continued trading of the club".

Portsmouth said a deal to exit administration had been agreed by the new owners, the administrators, the Football League and the creditors but was then made "impossible to complete" by key creditor Alexandre 'Sacha' Gaydamak.

However, Portsmouth's administrator Andrew Andronikou said on Friday he still hoped to reach a deal.

Portsmouth said Gaydamak had been offered full payment for the secured part of his debt "in accordance with the financial plan approved by the Football League".

However, the club added that he "has demanded a very significant up front cash payment in order to allow the deal to proceed by releasing his security."

"All other parties had managed to reach agreement," read the club statement.

"This has now been undermined by the self-interested actions of one individual. Mr Gaydamak has provided confirmation several times that terms were agreed. However, he has continually changed his position in an attempt to exploit the goodwill of the other parties to the transaction."

BROKEN PROMISES

The statement continued: "His earlier comments when the club went into administration about doing everything possible to save the club's future do not appear to reflect his current actions."

Gaydamak, who owned Portsmouth between 2006 and 2009 and celebrated an FA Cup triumph in 2008, sold the south-coast club to Sulaiman Al Fahim after which it changed hands several times.

In February, the club went into administration and its debts have since risen to about 120 million pounds ($188.4 million). Their most recent attempt to exit administration was vetoed by the Football League in October.

Despite Friday's gloomy statement, Portsmouth administrator Andronikou told Sky Sports News a decision on the club's future would have to be made by Monday or Tuesday next week but he would be seeking a resolution before then.

"I need to have the other party (Gaydamak) around the table on Sunday to have this matter resolved," he said.

"We are in a desperate position... We can't just continuously ignore the matter that this club needs to exit administration as soon as possible."

After a poor start to the current campaign, Portsmouth have won four of their last five league matches and sit 15th in the 24-team standings after 12 games.

Source: Web Search

Australian authorities confirm nine positive tests

Sat, Oct 23 10 06:17 AM

Nine Australian athletes face the possibility of two-year bans after returning positive tests for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine in a recent raft of testing by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA).

ASADA released a statement on its website (www.asada.gov.au) on Saturday confirming the positive tests and warning athletes to be vigilant as banned stimulants like methylhexaneamine can be found in bodybuilding and dietary supplements.

When contacted by Reuters, a spokesman for ASADA was unable to give details of the athletes or sports involved, saying it was too early in the process to make that information public.

"Due to the large number of athletes testing positive at the same time, we cannot divulge who is involved or what sports they participate in until we have gathered all the information needed as the cases are ongoing," he said.

"The athletes are entitled to privacy under WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) regulations until all tests have been carried out and we respect those rules."

Earlier this month, Nigerian sprinter Osayemi Oludamola was stripped of the women's 100 metres Commonwealth Games gold medal after testing positive for methylhexaneamine in Delhi.

Methylhexaneamine, which is also commonly used in nasal decongestants, was added to the WADA banned list this year.

In the ASADA statement, chief executive officer Aurora Andruska spoke of the authority's concern of the rise in the number of positive tests for this particular substance.

"Methylhexaneamine is appearing more and more in doping test results and has been linked to a number of popular supplements," she said.

"Australian athletes must be very careful when using any supplement because, under the World Anti-Doping Code's policy of strict liability, athletes are responsible for any substance found in their body and we don't want to see Australians face bans for the use of methylhexaneamine."

Source: Published>

South Africa destroy Zimbabwe by record one-day margin

Sat, Oct 23 10 01:57 AM

Centuries from JP Duminy and AB de Villiers propelled South Africa to the second biggest win in one-day internationals as they crushed Zimbabwe by 272 runs in the third and final match on Friday.

The margin of victory, which gave the hosts a 3-0 series sweep, is second only to New Zealand's 290-run thrashing of Ireland in 2008.

It is the biggest one-day win by South Africa and the heaviest defeat for Zimbabwe, topping the Proteas's 212-run triumph over their neighbours in Centurion last year.

Duminy smashed a career-best 129 from 117 deliveries and De Villiers hit 109 in 99 balls, his second successive hundred, as the home team amassed 399 for six in 50 overs.

The pair's 219-run partnership was a South African record for the third wicket.

Zimbabwe were then skittled out for 127, seamer Juan Theron claiming three for 18.

Source: Published>

Indian Oil to clash with Air India in Surjit hockey final

Sat, Oct 23 10 01:07 AM

Jalandhar, Oct 22 (PTI) Indian Oil, Mumbai crushed Indian Railways, Delhi 5-2 here today to set up up a final clash with Air India in Surjit Singh Hockey tournament. Air India outdid ONGC, Delhi 2-1 in the other semifinal outing of the championship.

Source: Published>

Portsmouth likely to close after deal collapses

Published>Sat, Oct 23 10 12:37 AM

English Championship (second division) side Portsmouth face closure and liquidation after a deal to remove the club from adminstration was scuppered on Friday, the club said in a statement.

Portsmouth, who were relegated from the Premier League and reached the FA Cup final last season after a turbulent period financially, said they "are unable to support the continued trading of the club".

Portsmouth said a deal to exit administration had been agreed by the new owners, the administrators, the Football League and the creditors only to then be made "impossible to complete" by key creditor Alexandre Gaydamak.

Portsmouth said Gaydamak had been offered full payment for the secured part of his debt "in accordance with the financial plan approved by the Football League".

However, the club added that he "has demanded a very significant upfront cash payment in order to allow the deal to proceed by releasing his security."

"All other parties had managed to reach agreement," read the club statement.

"This has now been undermined by the self-interested actions of one individual. Mr Gaydamak has provided confirmation several times that terms were agreed. However, he has continually changed his position in an attempt to exploit the goodwill of the other parties to the transaction."

"His earlier comments when the club went into Administration about doing everything possible to save the club's future do not appear to reflect his current actions."

Source: Web Search

Portsmouth likely to close down - club

Fri, Oct 22 10 11:57 PM

English Championship (second division) team Portsmouth are likely to be closed down and liquidated by administrators, the club said on Friday.

Portsmouth, who were relegated from the Premier League last season and had been trying to seek an exit from administration, said in a statement they were "unable to support the continued trading of the club".

Source: Published>

32 Delhi school sides in Mahindra''s Youth Football Challenge

Fri, Oct 22 10 10:51 PM

New Delhi, Oct 22 (PTI) Thirty two under-14 school teams from Delhi will participate in the Mahindra Youth Football Challenge (MYFC), which will be organised by the auto major in all across the country. The tournament, to be staged in association with Delhi Soccer Association (DSA) here, will be played simultaneously in Mumbai, Kolkata, Goa, Bangalore and Kerala. The winners of the intra-city leg from each of the six cities will then play each other and the best four footballers will be trained in Scotland by Celtics coaches. Each intra-city champion will get Rs 30,000, runner-up Rs 20,000, while the third-placed team will bag Rs 15,000. The champion team will get Rs 50,000 and the runner-up will be richer by Rs 30,000, a release said today. "We are delighted to be back as promised with grassroots level football programme, a sport we have long been associated with. The Mahindra Youth Football Challenge aims to cultivate young talent and provide a competitive framework to hone their skills," Mufaddal Choonia of the company said. "We are delighted to partner with Mahindra, who like us have a long and cherished history with football. It is the perfect platform to bring our rich coaching and community experience to India. "Youngsters will now have the opportunity to play in an organised league and further develop their skills through world-class coaching," said Peter Lawell, Chief Executive of Celtics FC.

Source: Published>

Russia pull out of 2022 World Cup bid

Fri, Oct 22 10 10:37 PM

Russia officially pulled out of the race to host the 2022 World Cup finals on Friday, with the aim of solely concentrating on their bid for 2018.

"Russia is setting its sights exclusively on being awarded the right to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup and has formally withdrawn its bid for the 2022 edition of the world's biggest and most important single sports event," the Russian bid committee said in a statement.

"We hope to be entrusted with the hosting of FIFA's flagship event and are ready to inspire the global football family in 2018," the statement quoted Russia's bid chairman and the country's Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko as saying.

Russia and England are bidding to stage the 2018 World Cup along with joint bids from Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands while Japan, South Korea, Qatar, United States and Australia are candidates for 2022.

Last week, England officially withdrew from bidding for the 2022 tournament after the United States had pulled out of the running for the 2018 event, making certain it would be held in Europe. FIFA rules prohibit successive World Cups being staged on the same continent.

Soccer's governing body is due to announce the winning bids in Zurich on Dec. 2.

The bidding process has been overshadowed by allegations of vote-selling, with two members of FIFA's executive committee, Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Reynald Temarii of Tahiti, being provisionally suspended for 30 days.

Source: Published>

Sikkim police enter Governor''s Gold Cup quarters

Fri, Oct 22 10 10:21 PM

Gangtok, Oct 22 (PTI) Sikkim Police today fought hard to enter the quarterfinal of Governor''s Gold Cup defeating Denzong Boys 2-1 at Paljor Stadium here. Sikkim Police managed to get a place in the quarterfinal through Thupden Bhutia''s goal off a Sisir Karthok cross just two minutes before the final whistle. Denzong Boys failed to score from a penalty shoot as the Sikkim Police goalkeeper deflected the ball early in the match. In the 28th minute, Sikkim Police striker Chunku Sherpa dribbled the ball from the centre and shot it from outside the D-box to score a goal. The goal kept Sikkim Police into the lead till the second half whistle. The second half of the game saw both teams playing their best with the sides attacking equally. The equaliser for Denzong Boys in the game came in the 85th minute when a well anticipated cross was smashed into the Sikkim Police goal by Emanuel Dias Gbamy. However, Denzong Boys lost after Thupden scored the in the 90th minute of the game.

Source: Published>

Lalit Modi warned of passport revocation

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 10:17 PM

New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) The government Friday warned former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi of revocation of his passport if he did not reply by Oct 28 to a show cause notice by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said here that the show cause notice was issued to Modi on Oct 13 with a 15-day deadline. 'He has not replied till yesterday,' Rao told reporters here.

'Modi is holder of passport issued by the Regional Passport Officer, Mumbai. On Oct 5, the ED had sent a request to the External Affairs ministry seeking revocation of his passport. They had cited public interest in general and the investigations' into the alleged irregularities in the IPL as reasons, Rao said.

The former IPL chief was issued a show cause notice Oct 13 asking him to explain why action under relevant sections of Passports Act 1967 should not be initiated against him, she said.

The ED provided an alternate residential address of Modi Oct 15, and a copy of the notice was sent on the address.

'The RPO, Mumbai, has confirmed that Modi has not responded to the notice till yesterday. The reply is awaited. If no reply is received within the stipulated time, action will be initiated by the RPO under relevant provisions,' Rao said.

Modi was suspended as IPL chairman after the third edition of the IPL 20Twenty in April this year.

Source: Web Search

Israeli GM creates record of simultaneous matches

Fri, Oct 22 10 09:37 PM

Jerusalem, Oct 22 (PTI) "Israel checkmates, vanquishes Iran", said the country''s leading news portals as an Israeli Grandmaster overcame the Guinness record set by an Iranian for simultaneous matches after a marathon 19-hour chess encounter against 523 players. A Guinness representative confirmed the new record on Israeli Army Radio after Grandmaster Alik Gershon won 86 per cent of the games he played against amateurs in Tel Aviv''s Rabin Square, abuzz with activities commemorating former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin''s death anniversary. Gershon, 30, won 454, lost 11 and drew the other 58 games. As per the Guinness Book requirements, he was required to win at least 80 per cent of the games to better the record that earlier stood at 500 simultaneous games set by Iranian grandmaster Morteza Mahjoob. Israeli media showed a jubilant Gershon raising his arm in victory after shaking the hands of the players in front of him just before sunrise at 5:30am local time. "This is a very exciting day. It was very difficult, it was a supreme effort," the ecstatic Grandmaster said. Asked how he felt beating his Iranian rival, he smiled and said, "Hopefully all our wars against Iran will be on the chess board. For such wars, I am prepared." "It''s a very sweet feeling. It''s something which we prepared for a very long time," Gershon added describing his training regime built around long distance walking and swimming. The effort has been highlighted by the Israeli press during last few days, attracting a lot of public attention, especially in the context of sworn hostilities between the Jewish state and the Islamic republic. Jerusalem has dubbed Iran''s nuclear programme an existential threat and has been urging international community for tough sanctions against Tehran, while simultaneously also threatening with military action pronouncing that "all options are on the table" to foil the Islamic republic''s nuclear programme.

Source: Published>

Gilly''s 2007 WC final ton named best

Fri, Oct 22 10 09:21 PM

Mumbai, Oct 22 (PTI) Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist''s hurricane ton in the 2007 World Cup final against Sri Lanka in Barbados has been named as the best knock to have ever been played in the quadrennial mega-event. Kapil Dev''s unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe in Tunbridge Wells, which rescued India from a precarious 17 for five and paved the way for their triumph in the 1983 edition was named second best, as per the Castrol Index Ratings announced today. However, the panelists, who discussed the best ever performances in World Cup cricket at a function, where Castrol ratings were released felt otherwise. While former Test cricketer Ravi Shastri and ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat picked up former Sri Lankan batsman Aravinda D''Silva''s unbeaten ton in the 1996 World Cup final against Australia as the best, another panelist Harsha Bhogle chose former West Indian skipper Clive Lloyd''s ton (102) against England in the first World Cup final at Lord''s as the ultimate. Ravi Shastri justified his choice of D''Silva, saying "With the innings, D''silva showed that he was a big match player. It was a run chase, never done before, against Australia in a pressure situation." Echoing Shastri''s sentiments, Lorgat said, "They (Sri Lankans) were kind of new kids on the block. Aravinda''s innings won them the World Cup against all the odds." MORE PTI VKV ABC DB

Source: Published>

Somdev, Sania to lead India's challenge in Asian Games tennis

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 09:17 PM

New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) Commonwealth Games medallists Somdev Devvarman and Sania Mirza will lead India's challenge in the men's and women's singles event in the Nov 12-27 Asian Games.

Commonwealth Games singles gold medallist Somdev along with Vishnu Vardhan, Karan Rastogi and Sanam Singh is part of the six-member men's team while Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna's participation depends on their qualification for the World Tour Finals in London.

Leander Paes recently qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals after his title win in Shanghai Masters last week.

Sanam's selection depends on the approval by his University of Virginia, said the All India Tennis Association in a press statement.

Commonwealth Games singles silver medallist Sania Mirza will spearhead the six-member women's team which also includes Poojashree Venkatesha, Nirupama Sanjeev, Rushmi Chakravarthi, and Tara Iyer.

Shivika Burman is the new face in the team while Tara Iyer, who was in the reserve for the Commonwealth Games, has also been named in the squad.

Source: Web Search

PCB remains mum on committee issue

Fri, Oct 22 10 09:07 PM

Karachi, Oct 22 (PTI) Pakistan Cricket Board preferred to keep its mum on the issue of constituting a seven-member committee to ensure the enforcement of strict anti-corruption measures in the game as per the ICC recommendations. Chief Operating Officer Wasim Bari refused to confirm or deny the existence of the committee that is headed by PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt. But sources said the committee''s formation would be announced after the governing council of the Board meets on November 1 and gives it formal approval. "There are seven members on the committee and their main task is to ensure that all recommendations made by the ICC are implemented and anti-corruption laws are enforced properly in international and domestic cricket," the source said. The source said the committee members had already held deliberations and Butt would brief ICC task force on Pakistan cricket about this during a teleconference with them tomorrow. "The committee has wide ranging powers to take immediate action against any player suspected of being involved in any corrupt practice in the team or even in domestic cricket," the source said. The ICC has given PCB a 30-day deadline to enforce its recommendations, improve its governance and show serious intent in implementing anti-corruption measures in the country''s cricket structure. The PCB this week also announced it had evolved a revised code of conduct for the members of the Pakistan team with special emphasis on anti-corruption measures. But former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif said the code of conduct for players with anti-corruption clauses had always been there. "The main issue is the PCB intent and how serious is it about implementing these clauses in letter and spirit," Latif said. "Only this year stern actions were assured against certain players after the Australian tour but in reality nothing happened and all were taken back in the national team again. "Whenever a code of conduct is drafted the focus is solely on players but I believe the Board should also have clauses and a code for the team officials as well and they must be told to formally accept certain rules and regulations," he added. Latif also urged the PCB to have a code of behaviour for the players and team officials on every tour and in every series. "If his code of behaviour is enforced properly, I can assure you the team will be able to convey a very positive message to its supporters in Pakistan and abroad. The code should advise the players on how to interact with umpires, opponents, the media and their fans in general," he said. PTI Corr DB

Source: Published>

Haryana CM Bhupinder Hooda felicitates ace shooter Gagan Narang

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 08:51 PM

Rohtak, (Haryana) Oct.22 (ANI): Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda felicitated ace shooter Gagan Narang here on Friday for winning four gold medals at the XIXth Commonwealth Games.

Narang is optimistic about winning medals in the Olympic Games.

"I like the fact that I won medals for my country. I think it is the best feeling when your hard work turns into medals and you make your country feel proud. I used to practice in Faridabad's shooting range and have received a lot of support from the government because of which I qualified even for the Olympic Games. If I continue to get such support, I will definitely win medals even there," said Narang.

Hooda organised a small gathering at his residence in Rohtak to congratulate Narang.

"All the athletes and sports persons have performed extremely well in the Commonwealth Games. We have never won so many medals before. We have won 101 medals! It is a very proud moment for all of us," said Hooda.

"Everyone was accusing us before the Commonwealth Games that we would not be able to organise it, but the way it was arranged and the way the sportsmen performed, it was mind blowing. This proves that we are capable of arranging the Olympics as well. The players from Haryana have played the best among all the players of other regions," he added.

Narang is now targeting at the upcoming Asian Games, scheduled to be held from November 12 to 27, 2010 in China. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

32 Delhi schools for Mahindra Youth Football Challenge

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 08:47 PM

New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) After closing down their I-League football club, auto major Mahindra moved into youth development by launching an under-14 school tournament along with Scottish giants Celtic FC.

The tournament, Mahindra Youth Football Challenge (MYFC), will be held in the national capital in association with Delhi Soccer Association (DSA) and will involve 32 schools. Besides Delhi, the tournament will also be played simultaneously in Mumbai, Kolkata, Goa, Bangalore and Kerala.

The winners of the intra-city leg from each of the six cities will then play each other. The best four footballers will be trained in Scotland by Celtics coaches.

Each intra-city champion will get Rs.30,000 and the runners-up Rs.20,000 while the third-placed team will get Rs.15,000. The champion team will get Rs.50,000 and the runners-up will get Rs.30,000.

Mahindra official Mufaddal Choonia said the company will now concentrate only on youth development.

'We are happy to be part of this initiative... to make a difference to the game of football. When Mahindra makes a promise, it sticks to it,' he said.

Asked why they partnered Celtic, Choonia said: 'We have been talking to most of the top clubs because obviously we need a partner who is willing to provide the expertise... We found that Celtic was one club that shared our values.

'If you see how Celtic was even formed, the basis of the formation of Celtic is very similar to grassroots. They were the closest to our value system, shared our visions and values. So, therefore, it was the most natural marriage, if I may say that.'

Source: Web Search

Shock change of heart as Rooney stays at United

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 08:37 PM

Wayne Rooney performed a stunning U-turn on Friday by signing a five-year contract to stay at Manchester United and end a week of bombshells with yet another shock.

The England striker had looked destined to leave Old Trafford in the next transfer window after saying on Wednesday that he wanted to quit because of United's lack of clout in attracting more top players to the club.

He attributed his change of heart to manager Alex Ferguson, whom Rooney called a "genius" and said had convinced him that he belonged at United.

Ferguson, who had been visibly shaken this week when describing how his striker had wanted to quit, said Rooney had apologised to him and the players and had changed his mind after understanding "what a great club Manchester United is".

But Rooney, who earlier this month publicly contradicted Ferguson by saying he was not injured when his manager said he was, still faces the tricky job of winning over fans who feel betrayed.

"I'm delighted to sign another deal at United. In the last couple of days, I've talked to the manager and the owners and they've convinced me this is where I belong," Rooney said in a statement.

"I'm signing a new deal in the absolute belief that the management, coaching staff, board and owners are totally committed to making sure United maintains its proud winning history -- which is the reason I joined the club in the first place."

Ferguson had been locked in talks with chief executive David Gill to sort out what he said was in danger of becoming a 'saga'.

His bemusement turned to delight, with a photo on the club's website showing a beaming Ferguson with his arm around a smiling Rooney after the announcement of a deal that would keep the player at the club until at least June 2015.

"He apologised to me this morning and the players and I think he'll do that with the fans which is important because we've all been hurt by the events of the last couple of days," Ferguson told MUTV.

"I always feel it's a quality in a person when they say they're sorry and realises he's made a mistake, particularly young people, I admire that in people. The job now is to put it behind us, get Wayne Rooney back on that pitch and playing the way that Wayne Rooney can play."

BUILD BRIDGES

Ferguson had said in an earlier statement that Rooney had "accepted the challenge to guide the younger players and establish himself as one of United's great players".

The news stunned the footballing world, with former United player Lou Macari telling Sky Sports News: "I thought it was April 1. Nothing has shocked me more in football ever than this week."

Despite pledging his commitment to the club, in a deal where the financial details were not revealed, Rooney may still have some bridges to build with fans who felt angry over his exit plans and players who may have felt let down by their team mate.

"I'm sure the fans over the last week have felt let down by what they've read and seen," said Rooney.

"But my position was from concern over the future. The fans have been brilliant with me since I arrived and it's up to me through my performances to win them over again."

After a 34-goal season last term, Rooney has struggled to find his form this season with just one club goal, a penalty.

Fans will hope the removal of the burden of uncertainty over his future, which had hung over him since telling Ferguson on Aug. 14 that he wanted away, will let him return to his best.

Rooney had been linked with a move across the city to neighbours Manchester City, inciting anger among United fans. Police said they had to disperse a crowd of 20-30 people who had gathered outside his home on Thursday in protest.

Source: Web Search

Vijay holds six-shot lead

Fri, Oct 22 10 07:51 PM

Panchkula, Oct 22 (PTI) Vijay Kumar will head into the final round of the Haryana Open 2010 with a six-shot lead. Vijay Kumar of Lucknow fired an even par 72 to take his total to 13 under 203 on a day that witnessed only one under par score as a result of the strong winds. Mukesh Kumar of Mhow lies second at seven under 209 as he too shot a 72. Vijay Kumar (65-66-72) closed in on his maiden title on the Aircel PGTI even as gusty winds that swept across the Panchkula Golf Club, made life difficult for the professionals. But the former Indian Open champion brought all his experience to the fore by adjusting his hitting and putting according to the windy conditions. Vijay said, "The conditions were very tough out there and considering that I think I shot a good score. I was three under till the 14th but some careless shots from there on brought my score back to level par for the day. If the conditions remain the same on the final day then lot of planning will be required for every hole as the wind also affects the putting." Meanwhile, Mukesh Kumar''s (70-67-72) round of 72 included five birdies and five bogeys. He is currently second as he trails the leader by six strokes at seven under 209. Anura Rohana (66-70-74) of Sri Lanka is third at six under 210.

Source: Published>

Rooney got death threats from fans

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 07:47 PM

London, Oct 22 (IANS) Minutes before Wayne Rooney extended his contract at Manchester United by another five years, fans from Old Trafford gathered at the footballer's home threatening dire consequences if he decided to join rival club Manchester City.

Before Rooney decided to stay at Manchester United and end all speculations on his future in the club, Rooney released a statement Wednesday that he wanted to leave Old Trafford. He expressed concern that the club was in danger of stagnating at a time when they no longer appear to be in a position to sign the more expensive players on the market, the Guardian reported.

Around 40 fans clad in balaclavas and hooded tops and holding a banner 'If you join City you are dead', travelled to his Prestbury home to warn him off any move to Manchester City, the report said.

Manager and coach Alex Ferguson had earlier said that he will put the controversial issue to bed by Thursday and Rooney will commit the biggest mistake of his professional life if chooses to move from Old Trafford.

Rooney eventually agreed on 1,80,000 pounds a week contract with the management, making him the best paid player in the history of the club.

Source: Web Search

Haryana to honour Gagan Narang

Fri, Oct 22 10 07:21 PM

Chandigarh, Oct 22 (PTI) Indian marksman Gagan Narang, who clinched four medals in Delhi Commonwealth Games, would be honoured by Haryana government at Sonipat on November 1, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said. Chief Minister, interacting with mediapersons at Rohtak, said Gagan had himself told him that he basically belonged to Haryana as his grandfather and great grandfather had been living at Samalkha in Panipat district. Later on the family shifted to Hyderabad. Hooda also hoped Gagan would repeat his CWG performance in the London Olympic Games in 2012. "The entire country was proud of the fact that for the first time India has bagged 101 medals in Commonwealth Games and ranked second," he said. The Chief Minister congratulated Narang. Gagan also thanked Hooda and informed him that Haryana''s sports policy was being discussed everywhere and the players were appreciative of this policy, an official release said. The shooter also said that he was grateful to Hooda for the decision to honour him. Earlier, Hooda had greeted Indian wrestler Ravinder Singh Sangwan, who won gold medal in 60kg Greeco Roman category at the October 3-14 mega-event.

Source: Published>

Shilpa Shetty demands for more fairness from BCCI

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 07:07 PM

Mumbai, October 22 (ANI):Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and co-owner of the IPL's Rajasthan Royals team on Thursday voiced her dissatisfaction over BCCI's treatment towards them.She said that BCCI should have acted with a little more fairness to them.Shilpa also said that the ruling implied that the owners of the teams had defaulted,when it was not so.

Source: Web Search

Rooney's mother-in-law 'calling the shots' in his troubled transfer saga

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 06:57 PM

London, Oct 22 (ANI): English footballer Wayne Rooney's mother-in-law is rumoured to be playing a key role in his transfer battle.

Colette McLoughlin, 48, and her husband Tony, 51, are said to have been playing a 'hugely important' role in advising Rooney, 24, on his career path after it was revealed that he wants to leave Manchester United.

"Wayne is walking on eggshells because of what he got up to, so he had to listen to what Coleen and her mother are saying," the Daily Mail quoted a source close to the footballer as saying.

Rooney is keen to move to Real Madrid, one of the few clubs that can afford his wages, to work with manager Jose Mourinho and be reunited with former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Wayne thought Spain would be a fresh start. He has talked about his options with Coleen and both sets of parents - but Tony and Colette have made it clear they would prefer it if he stayed in the UK," a source revealed.

"He respects Tony and Colette and he takes their advice very seriously. Now he is determined to prove his dedication to his family, even if it means sacrificing his dream of moving abroad," the source added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Axing IPL team not a solution, says Shilpa Shetty

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 06:53 PM

Mumbai, Oct.22 (ANI): Bollywood actress and co-owner of the Indian Premier League's Rajasthan Royals team Shilpa Shetty said that axing teams was not a solution to any legal breaches committed by the franchise.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on October 10 terminated the franchise contracts of Indian Premier League's (IPL) Punjab and Jaipur teams.

It had also issued a notice to the Kochi Team, and asked the franchise to settle its internal differences.

The Emerging Media group had acquired the Rajasthan Royals for 67 million dollars.

The investors in the team include Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, businessman Lachlan Murdoch, Aditya S. Chellaram and Suresh Chellaram, brother-in-law of former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi.

On Thursday, Shetty said that she expected the teams to be treated with fairly if they have defaulted.

"We've had, we are trying to have a dialogue directly with the BCCI and we like it to be private. We don't want to hurl stones and we haven't done anything wrong. Even if we have done something wrong, I think, as a franchise and as somebody who has really been a part of a team and, you know, done all that we have with the passion that we've done it with," said Shetty.

"I just think we need to be treated with a little more fairness, and I think in any business if you have defaulted, you have to pay for it. And you can for it by compensating for it. Just throwing us out is, you know, not a solution," she added.

Shetty also said that the ruling implied that the owners of the teams had defaulted, when it was not so.

"I just want to remind people that Raj (Kundra, her husband) and I came in year two, okay, we weren't involved with the Rajasthan Royals year one, and there was no change in the ownership plans other than the inclusion of my husband and I, in year two," said Shetty.

"So, whatever the problems that have been, you know, created, they seem to have, they seem to look like as if we have defaulted. But that's not the case," she added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Munich scores points in bid to host 2018 Winter Games

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 06:37 PM

Acapulco (Mexico), Oct 22 (DPA) Munich's bid to host the 2018 Olympics received a boost in Acapulco Thursday when their presentation to the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) assembly was considered the best.

Some 205 national Olympic Committees have gathered in the Mexican town for the meeting and amongst the topics covered are updates from Olympic organising committees, the 2018 bidding cities and from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

German IOC vice president Thomas Bach said it was a good start for the German bid. 'We are in a good position with a clear vision and a clear message. But it is a marathon and we need to fight until we reach the finish line.'

Munich bid ambassador Katarina Witt showed the meeting, amongst them some 40 IOC members, a video of filled stadiums watching winter sports like the Four Hills ski-jumping competition, biathlon in Ruhpolding and the opening game of the ice hockey world championship in front of 77,000 fans.

'The stadiums are full, the people are glued to television. That is what the athletes will encounter in Munich,' the two-time Olympic champion said about the bid which is focusing on the enthusiasm of the public in a traditional winter sport country.

South Korea's Pyeongchang, on the other hand, is trying to sell the concept that Asia is an untapped market for winter sport which the IOC should enter.

'Some 60 per cent of the world population live in Asia and that opens new markets,' the head of the Pyeongchang bid Yangho Cho said.

The South Korean town has twice before unsuccessfully bid for the Winter Olympics, but has changed its approach this time around.

Unlike 2010 and 2014 when they pushed a political message and the use of sport to bring about peace with neighbouring North Korea and how a unified team would compete.

One of their selling points this time around is the fact that 91 per cent of the population is supporting their bid.

The Munich bid has support from the highest circles and Chancellor Angela Merkel promised in a video message played at the meeting that the bid had the 'full support and assistance from the German government and the German people.'

The French town of Annecy, which is considered an outsider in the running, did not put forward a very strong presentation and was missing alpine skiing legend Jean-Claude Killy.

Although the bid is given very few chances of getting the go-ahead to host the Games, they could play an important spoiler-role if they manage to take enough votes away from the Munich bid to give Pyeongchang victory in the first round of voting.

Source: Web Search

Work Ponting over to win Ashes: Vivian Richards

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 06:23 PM

Having seen them mess up against Australia more than once, the Great Man of cricket is showing England the way to victory.

England would need to target and work Australian cricket team captain Ricky Ponting over if they hope to retain The Ashes Down Under, said former West Indian great Sir Vivian Richards.

Describing Australia's prowess on the cricket field as exaggerated, Richards said that while Australia are not trapped in the same downward spiral as the West Indies team of the mid-1970s; England would have to be at their best to retain the Ashes.

"It is a tough, tough place to play, and they have always produced tough cricketers. One of the secrets of playing against Australia is working the captain over. It's like the Red Indians. They knew that if you killed the chief, you killed the spirit. When I captained the West Indies we tried to do that to every captain we played against, but particularly Allan Border," Fox Sports quoted Richards, as saying.

"Malcolm Marshall had a plan for him, bowling a little short, and getting him to pop it up with a guy in his back pocket. Ricky Ponting is similar, a good batsman and a hard character, but maybe more than ever now that Australia have lost so many great players, like [Shane] Warne and [Glenn] McGrath, England need to target Ponting," he added.

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Richards was speaking at the Cedar Valley Golf Club in Antigua.

Source: Web Search

Vijender hopeful of Delhi''s return to World Series of Boxing

Fri, Oct 22 10 06:19 PM

New Delhi, Oct 22 (PTI) As Delhi failed to be part of the World Series of Boxing for the want of sponsors, India''s top pugilist Vijender Singh today urged country''s boxers to continue their good show so that a fresh bid could be made in future. The International Boxing Association (AIBA) yesterday terminated its agreement with Delhi and handed the franchise to the South Korean city of Incheon. "I felt very bad to hear that. It could have been a huge opportunity for our boxers. It could have made the sport more popular. Indian boxers are doing very well and I hope we regroup ourself and produce more good performances and bid for a new franchise in future," Vijender told reporters here. Vijender was one of the most sought after boxer for WSB but refused to sign on the dotted line. "I was asked to either compete in the 73kg or 85kg, both of which would have been very difficult for me. I was also concentrating on the Commonwealth Games then. I wanted to be a part but it was not to be," said the Haryana boxer, who competes in 75kg category. The World championship bronze medallist, who was here to launch ''Alfa boxer'' luggages, a VIP brand, said that he was now focussing on the Asian Games and hoped to win a medal for the country. "I am 101 per cent fit, ready and focussed on the Asian Games. I hope I can win a medal. I don''t know what would be the colour, it may be bronze, silver or gold," he said. "But it is going to be tough as the competitions level will be different from what we have seen during the Games. In the Asiad there will be Asian boxers from China and also from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan. Their style and approach are different but I hope to do well. "I have started my training two-three days back in Patiala and I would be travelling to Dubai as a part of our preparation for the Asiad," he added. Vijender also said that the Haryana government is doing a lot for the athletes. "The Haryana government is awarding not only the medal winning athletes but also all those who competed but couldn''t make it to the medal bracket. They are providing cars and cash awards, which is great," he said.

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CVC asks CBI to conduct probe into CWG contracts

Fri, Oct 22 10 06:07 PM

New Delhi, Oct 22 (PTI) The CVC, involved in probing alleged corruption in various Commonwealth Games-related projects, has asked CBI to conduct investigations to ascertain "criminal conspiracy" and discrepancies in award of certain contracts for the event. Official sources said the discrepancies like payment to non-existent parties, wilful delay in execution of contracts, inflated prices and bungling in purchase and renting of overlays including equipment worth several crores through tendering have been noticed. They said the anti-corruption watchdog has received reports from its Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) of concerned ministries or departments and found substantive evidence to hand over the cases to CBI for further probe and logical conclusion of the cases. "There have been huge financial losses made to the national exchequer while awarding contracts. We have found alleged criminal conspiracy and financial bungling in some of the tenders and award of works. The CBI has been asked to conduct probe in it," a senior CVC official said requesting anonymity. He said the CVC probe is already facing hurdles like non-cooperation and lackadaisical approach by officers in Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and other departments and needed handling of complaints by investigating agencies like Central Bureau of Investigation. The officer, however, refused to divulge further information related to the contracts under scanner. Sources said huge deviations were made in purchase of air conditioners, furniture, kitchen equipment and creating temporary infrastructure for Commonwealth Games Village and other projects. The CBI is already probing a case related to alleged irregularities in upgradation of street lighting on roads in the national capital carried out by MCD. According to an RTI reply filed by PTI, a total of 22 projects are being probed by CVC, which include a highest of six carried out by the Sports ministry, four by Delhi Development Authority, three by Organising Committee and two each by Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Central Public Works Department. One work each relating to Department of Commerce, Indian Meteorological Department and New Delhi Municipal Council is also being probed, the RTI reply said. The matter regarding alleged manipulation of tenders by Indian Meteorological Department and its senior officers is under investigation by the Commission, it said. An analysis by Chief Technical Examination Wing of CVC had earlier found alleged financial and administrative irregularities in 16 construction and procurement projects. Six of them were done by PWD, three by MCD, two each by CPWD, DDA, NDMC and one by RITES, a Government of India Enterprise, a CVC report said. Official sources said a reminder has recently been issued to CPWD, MCD, DDA and PWD asking them to submit their reports by this month-end. The CVC will submit its findings to a committee formed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh headed by former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) V K Shunglu. Meanwhile, sleuths from Income Tax department and Enforcement Directorate have also launched a separate probe to detect alleged financial discrepancies in the award of contracts and violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act.PTI AKV

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Wayne Rooney's 1,200-pounds-a-night hooker caught in police raid

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 05:57 PM

London, Oct 22 (ANI): Wayne Rooney's hooker Jennifer Thompson has reportedly been caught in a police raid at MOBO Awards after-party at Liverpool's Hilton Hotel.

The party, which was also attended by celebrities such as Alex Gerrard and Calum Best, was supposed to finish at 4am, but had to be closed three hours early after what was described by police as a 'large scale disorder'.

It is not known where Thompson was during the fracas.

The trouble was caused by groups of people who gatecrashed the event while others with tickets were refused entry. Party-goers were also seen throwing glasses and bottles by witnesses.

Earlier in the evening, the 21-year-old prostitute enjoyed VIP treatment at the event with two friends as she was given an access-all-areas pass to down champagne and rub shoulders with celebrities.

"The MOBO event at the Echo Arena passed without incident. A number of after-show parties were held in Liverpool city centre including the official public after-show party at the Hilton Hotel," the Daily Mail quoted a Merseyside Police spokesperson as saying.

"This event became overcrowded and, as a result and in conjunction with the management, licensing powers were utilised to close the bars in the hotel at around 1am today,' the spokesperson added.

But one young witness painted a different picture of inside the event.

Johnny Collins, 26, told the Liverpool Echo: "We were in the VIP area and the music just stopped. About 40 people came running in and glass bottles were being thrown.

"It didn't seem real, I've never seen anything like it. We walked into the main room and there were two girls pulling each other's hair and there was blood on the floor." (ANI)

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Cameron White's 'cannonball' ODI form could earn him an Oz Test spot

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 05:53 PM

Melbourne, Oct. 22 (ANI): Victorian middle-order batsman Cameron White cannonball run glut in one-day internationals, including the recent one held at Vizag, has probably shortlisted him for a recall into the Australian Test team.

White's 89 off 49 balls against India was a brutal reminder of his prowess and Australia's selectors are happily placed in making a choice between finesse or a one-man firestorm. Between Usman Khawaja, Callum Ferguson or White.

"I still want to play Test cricket for Australia, and the best opportunity I can give myself to do that is to play well for Australia in this format and Victoria when I get to play first-class cricket," Fox Sports quoted White, as saying.

He added: "I think I know what I need to do, score as many runs as I can, and if I can bowl a bit that would help also. I hope I'm not far away. You'd have to ask the selectors, I don't know whether I'm next in line or 20 or 30 blokes down the track."

White played four Tests against India in 2008.

"It was a great thing, something no one can take away from me," he said. (ANI)

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Ex-England footie star Gazza arrested for drugs offences

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 05:47 PM

London, Oct. 22 (ANI): Former England football star Paul Gascoigne has been arrested for drugs offences.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the 43-year-old spent the night in police custody on suspicion of possessing a class A substance.

His arrest came days after the troubled former England footballer was warned he faced jail when he admitted drink driving at Newcastle Magistrates Court. (ANI)

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Lucky to have come out of BMW crash relatively unscathed: Montgomerie

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 05:37 PM

London, Oct 22(ANI): Scottish golf legend Colin Montgomerie has admitted that he was "lucky" to escape serious injury when his car collided with a van near Cumbernauld in Scotland.

Montgomerie, captain of the winning European Ryder Cup team, was treated for minor injuries at the scene of the accident, despite his silver BMW 7 series being badly damaged.

"It was a terrible shock. I'm lucky to have come out of it relatively unscathed," the Sun quoted Montgomerie, as saying.

"I was trapped, as the side of the car was compressed and the air bags were holding me back. But the passenger door suddenly opened and then I was pulled to safety, thanks to other drivers who had witnessed the accident," he added.

Police said that the driver of the other vehicle, a delivery van, had been charged with road traffic offences. (ANI)

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CBSE chess competition in New Delhi

Fri, Oct 22 10 05:21 PM

New Delhi, Oct 22 (PTI) Students from around 70 schools will participate in a three-day CBSE North Zone I Chess Competition, which was inaugurated here today. The young players will compete in three categories -- Under-19, Under-16 and Under-14. CBSE Chairman Vineet Joshi was the Chief Guest at the inauguration ceremony at K R Mangalam World School. Grand Master Sriram Jha was also present on the occasion. Out of all the participating schools, 50 are from Delhi and NCR. "Competitions like these give the game its required impetus and publicity and also develop a healthy competition and team spirit among the students," a press release said. PTI AT CMi

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Windies cricket has never been in a more gloomier state: Richards

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 05:07 PM

Antigua (West Indies), Oct.22 (ANI): The West Indies will head for Sri Lanka and are hoping to improve their miserable Test ranking of seventh out of nine, but according to former skipper Sir Vivian Richards, West Indian cricket has never been in a gloomier state.

"For too long they have been comfortable with mediocrity. And, when you're comfortable with mediocrity, the next stage is that you're working hard even to be mediocre. One problem is that the West Indies board don't want to involve individuals who had success in West Indian cricket," Fox Sports quoted Richards, as saying.

When asked whether he was referring to himself?, he said: "Yeah, such as me. The establishment seems a little insecure. They think I'm being critical, but actually I'm being positive. I'm offering my help. Because you know, cricket doesn't change. The technology changes, but cricket is still just about a bat and a ball."

"I don't know why the board won't turn to blokes who know what winning is all about. Because it's not just about talent, it's about attitude. Look at Liverpool [FC]. The talent is there, but the attitude is wrong," he adds.

The West Indian cricketing talent, he reckons, is there too.

"It's no different from my time. Darren Sammy [the new captain] is a talented cricketer. Nobody can say that Chris Gayle isn't talented, and Jerome Taylor... but it's about the execution of that talent. I see batsmen backing away while the bowler is running up, leaving the lumber yard exposed. They should learn to move at the last second, while keeping the head as still as possible. I can help with that," Richards said. (ANI)

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England's secret 'simulated' Ashes weapon no recipe for 'real stage' success : Nielsen

Published>Fri, Oct 22 10 04:37 PM

Sydney, Oct 22(ANI): Australian coach Tim Nielsen reckons that the England team's new secret weapon for preparing for the upcoming Ashes series, the ProBatter, may create as many problems as it solves.

The ProBatter, a true-to-life bowling simulator, was made for baseball, but has been adapted for the Ashes.

The system includes a video component that permits a batsman to observe the life-size image of an actual bowler running in and delivering a ball, which is thrown through the video screen by a computer controlled module.

"The baseball thing has the ability, because you can get right behind the catcher, to get the vision almost like a batter's. Cricket's a little bit different because that's our hardest challenge - to find the perfect perspective from a batsman's point of view, so that's the biggest challenge," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Nielsen, as saying.

"I noticed on the footage you have the video with the ball being released and then the ball came out (of the machine as well), so it was confusing. It is going to have its benefits, but it's going to be a tool rather than a fixer of all issues," he added.

Nielsen further said that the search to replicate match scenarios had reached an extreme with the technology, but questioned its value compared to the challenges of a Test.

"As we know, you can practice against that stuff as much as you like, but you can't replicate the feeling of success or failure or fear of failure and the crowd," Nielsen said.

"In 2005 they had Merlin (bowling machine) and that was the big answer to Shane Warne and he still took 40 wickets," he added. (ANI)

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RP Singh keeps UP in hunt

Fri, Oct 22 10 04:23 PM

Jaipur, Oct 22 (PTI) Deadly bowling by Indian medium pacer R P Singh (5 for 8) helped Uttar Pradesh prevail over Railways by 10 runs and remain in the hunt in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Central Zone Twenty20 league here at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Chasing a target of 166, Railways could reach 155 for nine in their allotted 20 overs. R P Singh produced the second best spell in the competition as returned with figures of 4-1-8-5 to help his team register its first victory after two successive defeats in the tournament. According to the BCCI and RCA statistician O P Sharma, R P Singh''s figures are second best in Indian T20 cricket. The best being five wickets for six runs by Mihir Diwakar of Jharkhand at Dhanbad against Tripura in 2009. The best figures in International T20 cricket are of Umar Gul of Pakistan, who took 5 for 6 against New Zealand in 2009 at the Oval. Brief score: Uttar Pradesh: 165 for 5 in 20 overs (Tanmay Srivastava 40, Rohit Prakash Srivastava 36, Ravikant Shukla 36; Karan Sharma 1/6, Sanjay Bangar 1/22, Murali Kartik 1/15). Railways: 155 for 9 in 20 overs (Shreyas Khanolkar 61, J P Yadav 30; R P Singh 5/8).

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