Proteas, Pak to focus on one-dayers ahead of World Cup in India

Published>Fri, Oct 29 10 12:26 PM

Abu Dhabi (UAE), Oct. 29 (ANI): South Africa and Pakistan have shifted focus to the five-match one-day series starting here on Friday, as they see the event as ideal for next year's World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Both captains-Graeme Smith and Shahid Afridi-have urged their teams to focus on the series, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

South Africa are in top form after thumping a hapless Zimbabwe 3-0 in a one-day series at home and beating Pakistan in two Twenty20 matches in a prelude to the 50-over matches.

"It will be the first taste of the sub-continent conditions before the World Cup," Smith said of the series here.

He added: "South Africa is keen on the development of the side before the World Cup and are excited to be here."

Afridi said his players were focused on the task at hand.

"What happened on the England tour is now past and this is a new series and a new challenge for which we are fully focused," said Afridi. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Strauss tells players to declare 'war' against Aussies to emerge as 'heroes' in Ashes

Published>Fri, Oct 29 10 12:22 PM

London, Oct 29(ANI): England captain Andrew Strauss has told his players to not be too friendly with the Australian side during next month's Ashes series.

"Until the end of that fifth Test we have two sides at war with each other. Both sides know that at the end of the series there will be 11 guys that are going to be feted as heroes and 11 guys that are going to have failed in their task," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Strauss, as saying.

"Until that final Test is over there is no point in being too hunky dory and friendly with the opposition. Our task is to go out there and beat them," he added.

The 33-year-old also insists that his no-nonsense approach was not personal.

"It is not about us hating the Australians or anything like that. It is about us beating the other 11 players on the park," Strauss said.

Strauss further said that he is relishing the twin pressure of captaining England and opening the batting.

"My role, both as a captain and an opening batsman, is an important one. I'm invigorated by the challenge of doing it, especially in Australia, because that's a step up from where we were last summer," Strauss said.

"My gut feeling is if our opening batsman have a good series then that's going to make life a lot easier for the rest of the team. I've got a lot on my shoulders, but I'm excited about that; I feel well prepared for it," he added. (ANI)

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England 2018 World Cup bid team to withdraw FIFA complaint against Russia

Published>Fri, Oct 29 10 12:08 PM

London, Oct 29(ANI): England's 2018 World Cup bid team has decided to withdraw a formal complaint to FIFA against the Russian campaign's chief.

It comes after Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko apologized for 'derogatory comments' made by Alexei Sorokin, the Chief Executive of the Russian bid, about London's crime rate and alcohol problems.

England had alleged that Sorokin's comments contravened FIFA's rules, which dictate that bidders must not make comments about their rivals "whether adverse or otherwise".

"Mutko approached the bid team with a genuine apology in an honourable manner," the BBC quoted an England spokesman, as saying.

"We, of course, accepted this apology and appreciate the gesture. We now wish to move on from this matter," he added.

Tension between the two bids intensified after Russian Football Union president Viacheslav Koloskov described England 2018 World Cup bid as "absolutely primitive" for lodging the complaint.

He claimed that England only made their move because they were behind Russia and were "afraid of how badly their bid is going".

However, Sorokin admits that he is happy to see a line drawn on the issue.

"I'm glad this whole thing is finally over to our mutual satisfaction and we can now proceed with our normal work," Sorokin said.

England and Russia, along with Belgium/Holland and Spain/Portugal, are bidding to host the 2018 World Cup.

FIFA will announce the winner on December 2. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Aus cricket bosses upbeat on Indian money in IPL-style league

Fri, Oct 29 10 11:52 AM

Melbourne, Oct 29 (PTI) Cricket bosses here welcomed the splashing of huge dollars by private investors, including Indian billionaires, in the IPL-style Big Bash League starting in 2012 even as Cricket Australia chief predicted the BBL to rival Kerry Packer''s World Series in the impact it will bring to the game. State cricket chiefs are delighted to the idea of private investors pumping huge sums of money to their sides. CA is a bit cautious in its approach though it is desperate to cash in on the Twenty20 gold rush with the advent of the Indian Premier League A top official of New South Wales, one of the most powerful state cricket bodies in Australia, said CA is under massive pressure to accept private investors. "The door to private investment was opened four years ago via the IPL and this has seen an influx of funds into the Board of Control for Cricket in India''s (BCCI) coffers whilst other countries simply provide their players and support this revenue growth in the process," the official said. "While India has thrived, CA''s revenues have taken a hit given the GFC, the strength of the Australian dollar, with less tourists coming, and declining gates. Cricket needs an injection of capital that will allow it to compete for the younger audience and women the game desperately needs," he was quoted as saying by ''Daily Telegraph''. CA board members will decide whether to accept private equity from Indian and other overseas investors as part of the ownership structure for each franchise. Queensland chief executive Graham Dixon said the CA board, which is to decide on the issue, needed to give a clear directive to take the game forward. "The indications which have been given is that there is a very strong financial argument why we must move forward, so that should be good," Dixon said. "I don''t know we need a lot of detail. We just need to agree to the concept. Is there or is there not private investment? Then you go away to work out how you want that to work or not work." Media reports said Australia''s most powerful cricket states NSW and Victoria will have Indian part-owners as they have already sold shares to giant Indian corporations for around USD 60 million in return for profits from the IPL-type eight-team Twenty20 tournament starting in January 2012. ''Daily Telegraph'' said Brisbane-based Adani Group, which lost an IPL bid, is interested in buying stakes in an Australian side for the BBL. Gautam Adani, the 10th-richest man in India with estimated personal wealth of USD 10 billion, is even looking at investing in Queensland coal mines and even buying the port of Brisbane, the newspaper said. It quoted an Australian businessman of Indian origin as saying that the sort of money the cricket teams were talking about - between USD 5 million and USD 30m - was "very cheap" for these billionaires. The newspaper said NSW Cricket has set up a separate business entity, known as Blues Inc, to run the state''s Twenty20 franchises, and Indian investors want a 49 per cent share of the company and have all but signed off on a figure of USD 30 million. .

Source: Published>

Batting coach Greatbatch says Kiwis 'played like dicks' in Bangladesh

Published>Fri, Oct 29 10 11:06 AM

Wellington (New Zealand), Oct. 29 (ANI): New Zealand cricket team batting coach Mark Greatbatch has issued a stinging criticism of his batsmen as the team leaves for India tomorrow, saying that they played like dicks during the recent one-day tour of Bangladesh.

Greatbatch didn't single out anyone, but the comments appeared to be directed at the ODI top order. Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, BJ Watling and Ross Taylor are all part of the test squad.

"I think some aren't good enough. I think some think they are better than they are and the third one, I think, is the mind. We've got to get our mind right and sometimes that requires patience, sometimes it requires being aggressive. What it requires is actually sorting out the cricket smarts and weighing up the situation that you're playing in an we've got some work to do in all those areas," Greatbatch told RadioLive.

It maybe recalled that New Zealand lost the series four nil, and Greatbatch said in a radio interview that some of the batsmen had inflated opinions about their abilities.

Heath Mills, the head of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, felt the players would take the criticism on the chin and seek to improve their performance.

"Paddy [Greatbatch] is an emotional guy, he cares passionately about New Zealand and the Black Caps and I know he is as gutted as anyone else at the results in Bangladesh," the Dominion Post quoted Mills, as saying.

He added: "It's been a difficult time and a lot of people have been rightly upset about the performance. There is always going to be some harsh words spoken, so I think everyone's got to focus on being constructive and getting the job done in India and getting the team back performing where it can."

New Zealand's test squad has little time to prepare in India, with no warmup match before the first of three tests starting in Ahmedabad on Thursday. (ANI)

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Kapur tied 4th at Valderrama Masters

Fri, Oct 29 10 09:56 AM

Sotogrande (Spain), Oct 29 (PTI) Shiv Kapur turned in a steady two-under 69 to be the highest-placed Indian golfer at tied fourth after the opening round of the Andalucia Valderrama Masters here. On a day when sub-par cards were not easy to come by, Kapur sent down four birdies against a couple of bogeys to be three strokes off the pace. Seasoned-pro Jeev Milkha Singh was a shot adrift of the Delhi golfer at tied sixth after managing three birdies and two bogeys in his opening day card. SSP Chowrasia, meanwhile, was part of the huge list which could not break par at the Club de Golf Valderrama. He was tied for the 15th spot after an erratic even-par 71, which comprised four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. Local favourite Pablo Larrazabal took the top spot with a blemish-free 66, which had five birdies -- two in the front-nine and three in the back-nine. Graeme McDowell and Damien McGrane shared the second position after returning identical 68s.

Source: Published>

Yoga meet tomorrow

Published>Fri, Oct 29 10 06:08 AM

The Chandigarh Amateur Yoga Association will organise 32nd Chandigarh Yoga Championship on October 30 and 31 at Government College of Yoga Education and Health, Sector 23. The event would be held in in boys and girls section in the sub-junior, junior, senior, elderly and veteran categories. The winner in each category will be selected to represent Chandigarh in the National Championship. The meet would be inaugurated by KC Sharma, IAS (Retd.) and President Yoga Federation of India, while Dharamvir, IAS (Retd.) State Election Commissioner, Haryana, will present medals to the winners.

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Alonso title could devalue F1, says Mosley

Published>Fri, Oct 29 10 05:36 AM

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso will devalue the Formula One championship if he wins it by less than seven points, the governing body's former president Max Mosley said on Thursday.

Spaniard Alonso, who leads Red Bull's Mark Webber by 11 points with two races remaining, won controversially in Germany in July after Ferrari ordered Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa to let him pass while leading.

Ferrari were subsequently fined $100,000 for the use of banned 'team orders' but suffered no loss of points.

"I did feel at the very least that the extra points that Alonso got by overtaking Massa under team orders should have been taken away," Mosley told BBC radio.

"That's the absolute minimum, because if by any chance Alonso were to win the championship with a margin less than the seven points that he picked up, I would say illegitimately in Hockenheim, it would devalue the championship.

"But that's just a personal view."

The Briton also poured cold water on speculation that he was considering a comeback.

"I think my Formula One days are finished and I've moved on to other things now," he said. "Obviously I'm watching it with interest but one should never go back."

"COMPLETELY A RUMOUR"

Mosley, who survived calls for his resignation over a sado-masochistic sex scandal, handed over the presidency of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) to former Ferrari boss Jean Todt last October.

There has been some internet speculation that the relationship with Frenchman Todt has become frayed to the point where Mosley might seek to return.

Formula One's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who marked his 80th birthday on Thursday, had suggested at last weekend's South Korean Grand Prix that Mosley could share responsibilities with Todt at the FIA.

"I didn't want Max to go and it would be nice to have him back," said Ecclestone, who recalled how the sport used to be divided between the FIA and FISA, with the latter in charge of the sporting side.

"It's completely a rumour," Mosley said of the talk, adding that he did not miss the sport. "I follow it (Formula One) vaguely at a distance. I'm really now just an ordinary fan."

"The fact is that Jean has taken over and I pushed very strongly for Jean...and I think Jean will get the job done and I want him to succeed because I am responsible really for him being there," said Mosley.

"The last thing really I would want to do is interfere with what he is doing now.

"He must be given a chance to get on and run it in his own particular way...it's a nice idea, it's very friendly of Bernie to say 'come back' but the truth of the matter is that it would not be the right thing for me to do."

Source: Web Search

Wozniacki reaches semis and earns No. 1 ranking

Published>Fri, Oct 29 10 05:16 AM

Caroline Wozniacki rolled up her sleeves and battled back from a set down to defeat Francesca Schiavone of Italy 3-6 6-1 6-1 at the WTA Championships on Thursday, sewing up the year-end world number one ranking.

Also in the Maroon Group, Australian Samantha Stosur lost 4-6 6-4 7-6 to Russian Elena Dementieva but by winning the first set booked her place in the last four alongside Wozniacki.

Belgium's Kim Clijsters also beat Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-4 5-7 6-1 to advance to the semi-finals from the White Group along with Vera Zvonareva.

Wozniacki needed two wins at the $4.55 million tournament in the Qatari capital to ensure she could not be caught at the top of the rankings by Russian Zvonareva.

After blowing away Dementieva in her group opener, the Dane suffered a shock defeat to Stosur on Wednesday to give Zvonareva hope. However, the 20-year-old made no mistake against Schiavone.

"Francesca was playing really good in the first set and I didn't have too many chances to break her," said Wozniacki in a court-side interview.

"I just hung in there and kept my focus, tried to get a little more aggressive and not let her dictate the game in the second and third."

Wozniacki was delighted to finish the year as the world's top player.

"That's something I've dreamed about since I was a little girl," she beamed. "I'm really happy and proud of what I've achieved this year."

BRAVE STAND

With maroon and white Qatari flags fluttering above the Khalifa Tennis Complex, conditions were much more comfortable for the players than the oppressive humidity of the first two days.

Schiavone came out firing on all cylinders and caught the Dane off guard, tearing around the court after every ball, living and dying every point.

The Italian raced into a 4-1 lead, prompting Wozniacki's father and coach Piotr to come out on court for a pep talk, before thumping a trio of aces at 5-3 to reach set point and unleashing a backhand winner down the line to draw first blood.

That would be as good as it would get for the 30-year-old French Open champion as Wozniacki grabbed the match by the scruff of the neck and never let go.

The Dane streaked into a 3-0 lead as Schiavone began to unravel with a string of unforced errors and emotional outbursts into the Doha night sky.

After taking the second set, Wozniacki pressed home the advantage and broke in the first game of the third.

Schiavone made a brave stand in the fourth game as the duo treated the crowd to the rally of the tournament but the Dane was in full flow and wrapped up victory on her fourth match point.

Earlier, Dementieva delivered a far more assured performance against Stosur than she did in her opening 6-1 6-1 defeat by Wozniacki.

Stosur scored an early break in the first set but let the advantage slip when her opponent battled back to 4-4. The Australian survived a scare on serve but held and then broke Dementieva to win the first set.

The Russian upped her game in the second set and for the first time in the tournament Stosur looked rattled, gazing to the heavens in search of answers.

The third set went on serve until the tiebreak when Dementieva's consistency made the difference.

Source: Web Search

Athletic Bilbao avoid tripping up in Cup at Alcorcon

Published>Fri, Oct 29 10 04:56 AM

Athletic Bilbao denied Alcorcon another King's Cup shock when a powerful long-range strike from midfielder Carlos Gurpegi lifted them to a 1-0 win in the first leg of their last-32 tie on Thursday.

Alcorcon, a satellite town on the outskirts of Madrid, hit the headlines last season while still in Segunda B (Spain's third tier) when they humiliated La Liga giants Real Madrid 4-0 at the competition's same stage.

Real failed to turn the tie around at the Bernabeu and slumped to an astonishing 4-1 aggregate loss.

There was to be no repeat for a team now in the second division as Gurpegi grabbed the only goal in the 54th minute when he fired a shot in off the underside of the crossbar from around 30 metres.

In the remaining two first legs on Thursday, La Liga strugglers Deportivo Coruna came from behind to draw 1-1 at Osasuna and promoted Real Sociedad squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to visiting Almeria.

Real Madrid, who have not won the Cup since 1993, were held to a 0-0 draw at third tier Real Murcia on Tuesday, and 2009 winners Barcelona won 2-0 at Ceuta (Segunda B) despite fielding an almost completely second-string side.

The return legs, when most of the bigger clubs have home advantage, are in the week starting Nov. 8.

Source: Web Search

American amateur Uihlein receives Mark H. McCormack Medal

Fri, Oct 29 10 03:36 AM

American Peter Uihlein has been presented with the 2010 Mark H. McCormack Medal in honour of his status as the world's number one amateur.

The 21-year-old cemented his place at the top of the rankings by clinching the U.S. amateur championship in August with a 4&2 victory over compatriot David Chung.

"This is pretty special, it ranks right up there with winning the U.S. amateur," Uihlein said after receiving the award from Royal & Ancient chairman Allan Gormly before this week's world amateur team championship in Argentina.

"To join the list of gentlemen who have won previously is an honour."

Uihlein is the fourth recipient of the award, following fellow American Colt Knost (2007), New Zealand's Danny Lee (2008) and Canadian Nick Taylor (2009).

A junior at Oklahoma State University, Uihlein has produced a sizzling run of form over the last 12 months.

He was a member of the triumphant 2009 U.S. Walker Cup team, earning four points out of four against Britain and Ireland at Merion, before going on to win the Ping-Golfweek Preview in September and the Dixie Amateur title in December.

This year, the Florida resident has claimed the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional, the Sahalee Players Championship and the OFCC Fighting Illini Invitational.

He has been ranked the world's number one amateur for a total of 21 weeks.

Source: Published>

England World Cup bid withdraws Russia complaint

Published>Fri, Oct 29 10 02:56 AM

England's 2018 World Cup bid team signalled an end to its high-stakes dispute with rivals Russia on Thursday, withdrawing a complaint to FIFA and saying it had accepted an apology for critical comments.

England's campaign team said on Thursday that Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko had given its bid an "honourable" apology.

"We of course accepted this apology and appreciate the gesture," the England bid team said in a statement. "We now wish to move on from this matter."

Alexei Sorokin, director of the Russian bid and the man whose quoted comments in a Russian newspaper sparked the row, said he was happy to see a line drawn under the issue.

"I'm glad this whole thing is finally over to our mutual satisfaction and we can now proceed with our normal work," Sorokin told Reuters.

England and Russia are two of four candidates for the right to stage the 2018 World Cup, with joint-bids from Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands the other hopefuls. Japan, South Korea, Australia, United States and Qatar are candidates for 2022.

Soccer's governing body FIFA is due to elect the hosts of the two World Cup tournaments on Dec. 2 in Zurich.

The row between Russia and England only added to the problems surrounding the bidding process, which has been rocked by allegations of corruption.

COMMENTS "DISTORTED"

FIFA forbids competing nations from making any comments about rival bidders.

Sorokin was quoted as telling the Sport-Express daily newspaper that London had the highest crime rate compared with other European cities and the highest level of alcohol consumption among young people.

He later said his comments had been "misinterpreted and distorted".

Last week, two members of FIFA's executive committee were provisionally suspended on suspicion of selling their votes in the contest to host the two tournaments.

Nigerian Amos Adamu and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii, who have both denied wrongdoing and said they expect to be cleared, were banned from all football-related activity for 30 days while FIFA's ethics committee investigates allegations they offered to sell their votes when approached by undercover journalists.

FIFA is also investigating claims of collusion and vote-swapping between unnamed bidders for the 2018 and 2022 bids, which is banned by the rules.

Source: Web Search

England World Cup bid to withdraw Russia complaint

Published>Fri, Oct 29 10 02:16 AM

England's 2018 World Cup bid is withdrawing its complaint to FIFA over comments made by rivals Russia, after an England spokesman said the campaign had accepted an apology from Russia's bid chairman.

England's campaign team told Reuters on Thursday that Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko approached England bid chief Geoff Thompson to apologise in an "honourable" manner.

"We of course accepted this apology and appreciate the gesture," the England bid team said in a statement.

On Tuesday, England lodged a formal complaint with soccer's governing body FIFA against Alexei Sorokin, general director of the Russian bid, accusing him of making critical comments about rival bidders.

"It's no secret London has the highest crime rate when compared with other European cities, and the highest level of alcohol consumption among young people," Sorokin was quoted as saying in the Sport-Express daily newspaper earlier this month.

He later said his comments had been "misinterpreted and distorted".

Sorokin said on Wednesday he had sent a letter to England's bid team hoping to put to rest "any misunderstanding" between the two rivals.

"We've sent a letter of explanation to the English bid officials," Sorokin told Reuters, adding that it was not a formal apology.

Source: Web Search

FIFA leaves World Cup bids discussion for Friday

Published>Fri, Oct 29 10 12:56 AM

FIFA's executive committee did not discuss the troubled bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups when it started a crucial two-day meeting on Thursday, instead deciding to leave the matter until Friday.

FIFA is due to choose the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in Zurich on Dec. 2 but the process has been hit by a corruption scandal.

"2018 and 2022 were not discussed today and remain on the agenda for the second part of the meeting," a FIFA spokesman told Reuters.

With barely more than a month to go, the format of the voting has not been announced and it is still not clear how many voters there will be.

FIFA said Thursday's meeting lasted four hours and included all 22 members of the executive committee eligible to take part. FIFA would not give any further details and none of the committee members was available to comment.

Last week, FIFA provisionally suspended two members of the executive committee -- Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Reynald Temarii of Tahiti -- over allegations that they offered to sell their votes for the two World Cup hosts to undercover newspaper reporters from the Sunday Times.

FIFA's ethics committee is due to make a definitive decision on the pair on Nov. 17. It could extend the suspension, meaning that there will be only 22 voters at the Dec. 2 election instead of 24.

FIFA is also investigating claims of collusion and vote-swapping between unnamed bidders for the 2018 and 2022 bids, which is banned by the rules.

The joint Spanish and Portuguese bid to host the 2018 World Cup has denied suggestions of an agreed pact with Qatar, who are bidding for the 2022 edition, to manipulate the voting process.

England and Russia are the other candidates for 2018 along with a joint Dutch/Belgian bid. Japan, South Korea, Australia and United States are bidding for 2022.

This week, the Swiss parliament's legal committee said it was considering an amendment to the country's anti-corruption laws, which do not currently cover officials from the international sports organisations based in the country.

Source: Web Search

Banerjee assures jobs to CWG, other medal winners

Published>Fri, Oct 29 10 12:36 AM

Kolkata, Oct 28 (IANS) Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday assured jobs to several Commonwealth Games (CWG) medal winners and other sportspersons and announced that her department will set up four academies to groom talent with the 2012 Olympics in mind.

Banerjee's assurances and announcements came at a function organised by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) at the Town Hall to felicitate Commonwealth Games medal winners from West Bengal.

The minister said archer Rahul Banerjee, disabled swimmer Prasanta Karmakar, disabled athlete Prabir Sarkar and English Channel conqueror Amrita Das will be given jobs in the railways.

While Rahul and Prashanta won medals in the CWG, Prabir won a long jump silver in the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled at Busan in 2002.

Amrita Das crossed the English Channel last month.

Among others feted were paddlers Soumyadeep Roy, Mouma Das, Subhojit Saha and Poulomi Ghatak and archer Dola Banerjee.

CWG gold medallists were given Rs.5 lakh, silver medal winners Rs.4 lakh and bronze winners Rs.3 lakh respectively.

Prabir Sarkar and Amrita Das got Rs.2 lakh each.

CWG medal winners Sukhen Dey, Leander Paes, Rahamatullah Molla and Bharat Chhetri did not attend the programme.

Banerjee said the railways will establish academies for archery, table tennis, wrestling and boxing. The wrestling and boxing academies will be housed in Delhi, the table tennis facility in Siliguri and the one on archery in the city on railway land.

She said the Railways Sports Promotion board has identified six sports disciplines - archery, wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, athletics and swimming - where the railways sportspersons can hope to bring home medals form the Olympics. 'We will identify four more disciplines later,' she said.

Source: Web Search

Modest 72 is not end of the world, says Kaymer

Thu, Oct 28 10 11:56 PM

Martin Kaymer's bid to top the world rankings at the end of the week suffered a setback when he carded four bogeys in an opening one-over-par 72 at the Andalucia Masters on Thursday.

The German, who can dislodge Tiger Woods as world number one by finishing in the top two at Valderrama, was six strokes adrift of pacesetting Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal.

"It wasn't that bad a round and it's not the end of the world," the 25-year-old Kaymer told reporters in southern Spain. "I've got a lot to think about -- not only being world number one but the Race to Dubai (money list title).

"It's important on this course not to give up. You have to stay patient and that's what I did."

Should Kaymer not finish in the top two then Briton Lee Westwood, nursing a sore calf and resting at home, would end Woods's 281-week reign as world number one on Sunday.

Graeme McDowell, one of Kaymer's Race to Dubai rivals, upstaged his playing partner and Ryder Cup team mate with a first-round 68.

The Briton lies second on the European Tour money-list, almost one million euros ($1.39 million) behind Kaymer, and knows he needs something spectacular to leapfrog the German.

BOGEY-FREE

"I need to have some strong finishes if I'm to catch him," McDowell said. "It's not as if I'm only 10,000 or 12,000 euros behind him.

"Martin didn't have his best day today but he's never far from his best. Today I had a couple of key saves on the front nine. I think bogey-free is exceptional at Valderrama," added the Northern Irishman.

Kaymer's fine performance in finishing sixth at the 2007 Volvo Masters here clinched the rookie of the year award.

On Thursday, however, things looked bleak when he ran up three successive bogeys from the 11th.

Kaymer suddenly found the form that has taken him to world number three by smashing a huge drive at the well-protected 16th hole before sinking a two-foot putt for his birdie three.

Leader Larrazabal, winner of the 2008 French Open, produced a flawless five-under 66.

McDowell was joined in second place on 68 by Irishman Damien McGrane while Briton Gareth Maybin and India's Shiv Kapur were on 69.

Former world number two Sergio Garcia began his campaign with a 70.

Source: Published>

Rome F1 grand prix idea faces city opposition

Thu, Oct 28 10 11:16 PM

Rome's idea to host a Formula One grand prix does not have overwhelming support from city residents and a decision on whether to proceed will be made soon, mayor Gianni Alemanno said on Thursday.

Organisers want a race through the streets of the EUR district from 2012 or 2013 and a letter of intent has been signed with F1 commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

"A majority, albeit not an overwhelming one, of EUR and Rome residents are in favour of the race," Alemanno told a news conference, adding a decision on whether to go ahead would made before the end of the year when the letter of intent runs out.

Ecclestone has been busy adding new races to F1 with the inaugural South Korean Grand Prix taking place last weekend.

Next year's calendar will have a record 20 races including the new Indian Grand Prix and when asked last year about Rome, Ecclestone said too many places wanted new races.

Organisers of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza are against the idea of Rome having a race, even though Rome has said it wants Italy to have both events, while F1 pundits are sceptical about the chances of the Eternal City getting on the calendar.

Source: Published>

Portugal referees' strike puts top match in jeopardy

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 10:56 PM

Portuguese referees will strike over tax hikes next month, putting hundreds of matches at risk of postponement including the Nov. 7 meeting between Premier League leaders Porto and second-placed Benfica.

"An overwhelming number of Portuguese referees will be unavailable during the weekend of Nov. 6 and 7," Luis Guilherme, president of the Portuguese Football Referees Association (APAF), told Reuters on Thursday.

The APAF's action is in protest at changes in Portugal's fiscal laws which from 2011 will make referees pay social welfare contributions even though refereeing is an entirely amateur activity in the country.

"This will have grave consequences for many referees," Guilherme said, adding that the APAF's talks with the government had not resulted in an exemption for match officials.

He added that although the consequences would be felt the most by referees and assistants in the lower leagues, many Portuguese Premier League officials had said they would take part in the walkout in solidarity with their colleagues.

Guilherme said he hoped the government and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) could still try to resolve the problem before Nov. 6.

The FPF said it was the referees who had refused to reach a deal on the matter.

"It's a subject that is being handled. It has not been resolved yet as there has been opposition from the APAF," FPF secretary-general Angelo Brou told the Record sports daily.

He added that the government had a ruling on the matter ready to be signed and which awaits approval of the state budget in November.

"There are rules, and the referees know that. We believe the matter will be resolved in time," Brou said.

Source: Web Search

Butt, Amir to leave for ICC hearing on Friday

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 10:46 PM

Suspended Pakistani cricketer duo of Salman Butt and Muhammad Amir will leave on Friday for Dubai to attend a crucial two-day ICC hearing, which would decide their future in international cricket.

Lawyers for the two players, who were suspended by the ICC in September for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing and violating the ICC anti-corruption code, will accompany them for the hearing that will be presided over by Michael Beloff QC.

Pacer Muhammad Asif, who has also been provisionally suspended by the ICC, has withdrawn his appeal against the suspension and would not be attending the hearing.

"We leave tomorrow and we have prepared a lot for this hearing that is very important for the two players. We are quietly confident of having the suspensions removed," Aamir's lawyer Shahid Karim said.

Aftab Gul, who is representing Salman Butt, said though the ICC had submitted a detailed charge sheet against his client, there were lacunae that would be discussed at the hearing.

"The main thing is these players have been accused of something nothing is proven as yet and the onus is on the ICC and its anti-corruption unit to convince the independent tribunal that the suspensions should stay," Gul said.

Gul also said that the Pakistan Cricket Board had also requested the ICC to allow their legal advisor to attend the hearing but the request was turned down.

"The ICC told the PCB that since the case was between the players and the ICC ACU the PCB had no role to play in it," Gul, a former Test player, said.

But Tafazzul Rizvi, the legal advisor of PCB, denied that they had asked the ICC for permission to attend the hearing.

"I don't recall us asking for any permission we were apparently notified by the ICC about the hearing and asked if we would send anyone for the hearing," he claimed.

Sources close to the two players, who were also under investigation by Scotland Yard for their alleged involvement in the fixing, said their lawyers saw a 50-50 chance of having the suspensions lifted immediately at the hearing.

"The problem is that the players are also under investigation by Scotland Yard and until that report comes it seems unlikely the ICC will remove the suspensions.

"And there is no doubt that the players violated the anti-corruption code by not keeping the authorities informed about possible attempts to spot-fix matches on the England tour by their agent Mazhar Majeed," one source said.

Salman Butt, when contacted, said he would not be making any comments on the hearing anymore and would wait for its outcome.

Yesterday the suspended Test captain had said he was keen to have the suspension removed not only for himself but for the sake of Pakistan cricket.

"These allegations against me are not just about me, they have also hurt the image of Pakistan cricket and that is why I want this suspension removed," Butt added.

Source: Web Search

Pak Standing Committee hearing on hockey tomorrow

Thu, Oct 28 10 10:36 PM

Islamabad, Oct 28 (PTI) Former Olympians and Pakistan Hockey Federation''s officials, who are on a warpath against each other, will come face to face tomorrow at the hearing of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports. The Chairman of the committee, Iqbal Muhammad Ali said the purpose of the hearing was two-pronged. "We not only want to find out the causes for the national team''s disappointing performance in the Asian Games, but also try to remove differences between our former Olympian greats and the Federation and its officials," Iqbal told PTI. The lawmaker said that the Parliamentary committee was obviously concerned that the national team had this year twice failed to do well in India in the World Cup and then in the Commonwealth Games. "We want to find out from the Federation President and Secretary and the team officials what has gone wrong and why is the team continuing to disappoint us in every major tournaments," he said. Iqbal said there appeared to be no excuse for the poor performances since the PHF was also getting generous grants and funding from the government and have even hired a foreign coach also. "We are also unhappy over this daily exchange of statements between the PHF officials and some of our leading former Olympians, who deserve lot more respect," he said. Iqbal said that the committee would try to remove the grievances of both parties and get them to work together for the betterment of Pakistan hockey. While former Olympians like Shahnaz Sheikh, Samiullah, Islahuddin, Mansoor Ahmed, Akharul Islam, Hasan Sardar, Ayaz Mehmood, Qamar Zia accuse the PHF of being incompetent and not having a proper plan for the team, Federation has criticised former greats for just giving statements and never bothering to come on the field and contribute something positive to the game in Pakistan.

Source: Published>

Para-swimmer miffed at poor welcome at civic reception

Thu, Oct 28 10 10:22 PM

Kolkata, Oct 28 (PTI) Para swimmer Prasanta Karmakar has been showered with the long-due awards and accolades by his home state Kolkata following his stupendous success at the Commonwealth Games but the athlete still feels snubbed by the state authorities. In a felicitation ceremony by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation here today, Karmakar was made to sit in the second row and he feels that had he not shifted base to Haryana the treatement could have been different. "If I had stayed here (in Kolkata), I am sure they would have made me sit in the front row (alongside Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee). As a matter of fact, I have created history in Commonwealth Games, but I sat in the second row," a visibly-disappointed Karmakar told PTI. "But that''s fine. I am honoured to be part of the gathering," Karmakar, who won India''s first-ever Commonwealth Games medal in any swimming event, said. At the felicitation ceremony in Town Hall, Railway minister was accompanied by Commonwealth Games gold medallists Dola Banerjee, Rahul Banerjee in the front row. He further said there had been offers to return here but it''s too late. "When I needed help, they (Haryana authorities) came forward and treated me equally. I cannot just leave them especially after my success. It''s too late now." Karmakar, who has been offered a job by the Railways, said, "I am really thankful to them. But still, I will appeal to Mamata Banerjee to have at least one per cent physical handicap quota. There are many outstanding differently-abled athletes who are struggling to get job. We should be treated equally." His right hand amputated below wrists, Karmakar won a bronze in the men''s 50m freestyle S9 in a historical moment for Indian swimming but the Kolkata lad had alleged that he was ignored by the authorities in Bengal that led to his shifting base to Haryana from where he got an opportunity to train among the best Indian swimmers in Bangalore. He had said that his silver medal at the Asian championship in 2006 was ignored by the Bengal sports department and as a result he shifted base. "I showed my Asian silver medal to the then sports minister Subhas Chakraborty. We were made to wait for hours to meet him. They just said ''khub bhalo'' (good achievement). But nobody came forward to support me despite my several requests I am ashamed to be called a Bengali swimmer," he had said. PTI TAP AMD AT

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Butt, Aamir to leave for ICC hearing tomorrow

Thu, Oct 28 10 10:16 PM

Lahore, Oct 28 (PTI) Suspended Pakistani cricketer duo of Salman Butt and Muhammad Aamir will leave tomorrow for Dubai to attend a crucial two-day ICC hearing, which would decide their future in international cricket. Lawyers for the two players, who were suspended by the ICC in September for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing and violating the ICC anti-corruption code, will accompany them for the hearing that will be presided over by Michael Beloff QC. Pacer Muhammad Asif, who has also been provisionally suspended by the ICC, has withdrawn his appeal against the suspension and would not be attending the hearing. "We leave tomorrow and we have prepared a lot for this hearing that is very important for the two players. We are quietly confident of having the suspensions removed," Aamir''s lawyer Shahid Karim said. Aftab Gul, who is representing Salman Butt, said though the ICC had submitted a detailed charge sheet against his client, there were lacunae that would be discussed at the hearing. "The main thing is these players have been accused of something nothing is proven as yet and the onus is on the ICC and its anti-corruption unit to convince the independent tribunal that the suspensions should stay," Gul said. Gul also said that the Pakistan Cricket Board had also requested the ICC to allow their legal advisor to attend the hearing but the request was turned down. "The ICC told the PCB that since the case was between the players and the ICC ACU the PCB had no role to play in it," Gul, a former Test player, said. But Tafazzul Rizvi, the legal advisor of PCB, denied that they had asked the ICC for permission to attend the hearing. "I don''t recall us asking for any permission we were apparently notified by the ICC about the hearing and asked if we would send anyone for the hearing," he claimed. MORE PTI Corr DB

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Qadir miffed at ICC''s ''double standard''

Thu, Oct 28 10 09:52 PM

Karachi, Oct 28 (PTI) Former Pakistan spinner Abdul Qadir today accused International Cricket Council of adopting double standard while dealing with players from different countries. Qadir was miffed that ICC went public with its action when allegations surfaced that Oval ODI could be fixed but refuse to speak when issue of Indian batsman Suresh Raina came up. A media report had said that Raina was seen with a woman linked with a bookie during India''s recent Sri Lanka tour. The former chief selector, who resigned last year after differences with the Pakistan Cricket Board, said the method adopted by the ICC in dealing with accusations aimed at players of India and Pakistan indicated double standards. "It was a British newspaper that made allegations that Suresh Raina had met with an associate of a bookmaker in Sri Lanka . The ICC is saying this is a confidential matter and is not willing to give details. "But at the same time it was another British tabloid that reported that the third One-dayer between Pakistan and England at the Oval was shady and the ICC went ahead and on basis of this issued a press release stating they are investigating the match thus damaging the image of Pakistan cricket and its players, what can one call this double standards," Qadir said. The former leg-spinner while talking to Geo Super channel questioned ''was that investigation not confidential''. Qadir said that the ICC needed to deal with its member countries even handedly particularly in cases relating to corruption. "The ICC must realise all members are equals and there should be no different treatment for the members," he added. Qadir said eventually the ICC had to declare that it had found no evidence of wrong doing in the Pakistan and England ODI. "The Pakistan board has also been lethargic in my view in dealing with this issue. The PCB should be pressing the ICC on why it issued a press statement on the investigations when they were not even complete," he said. "I think our board has also not handled this sensitive issue of spot fixing properly and allowed the ICC to control things," he said.

Source: Published>

Butt, Aamir to leave for ICC hearing tomorrow

Thu, Oct 28 10 09:38 PM

Lahore, Oct 28 (PTI) Suspended Pakistani cricketer duo of Salman Butt and Muhammad Aamir will leave tomorrow for Dubai to attend a crucial two-day ICC hearing, which would decide their future in international cricket. Lawyers for the two players, who were suspended by the ICC in September for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing and violating the ICC anti-corruption code, will accompany them for the hearing that will be presided over by Michael Beloff QC. Pacer Muhammad Asif, who has also been provisionally suspended by the ICC, has withdrawn his appeal against the suspension and would not be attending the hearing. "We leave tomorrow and we have prepared a lot for this hearing that is very important for the two players. We are quietly confident of having the suspensions removed," Aamir''s lawyer Shahid Karim said. Aftab Gul, who is representing Salman Butt, said though the ICC had submitted a detailed charge sheet against his client, there were lacunae that would be discussed at the hearing. "The main thing is these players have been accused of something nothing is proven as yet and the onus is on the ICC and its anti-corruption unit to convince the independent tribunal that the suspensions should stay," Gul said. Gul also said that the Pakistan Cricket Board had also requested the ICC to allow their legal advisor to attend the hearing but the request was turned down. "The ICC told the PCB that since the case was between the players and the ICC ACU the PCB had no role to play in it," Gul, a former Test player, said. But Tafazzul Rizvi, the legal advisor of PCB, denied that they had asked the ICC for permission to attend the hearing. "I don''t recall us asking for any permission we were apparently notified by the ICC about the hearing and asked if we would send anyone for the hearing," he claimed. MORE PTI Corr DB

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Tax officials raid Kolkata infrastructure firm

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 08:56 PM

Kolkata, Oct 28 (IANS) Income Tax officials Thursday raided the offices of MBL Infrastructure Limited here over the contract awarded to it for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in New Delhi. The raids were a part of the nation-wide drive on offices of companies which received CWG contracts.

The firm was awarded the contract for building several roads within the Games Village and to carry out beautification projects. The value of the MBL contracts was Rs.725 crore, said an official of the IT department.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the official said: 'Six teams comprising officials from IT's investigation departments from Delhi and Kolkata raided MBL Infrastructure Limited's offices in Ho Chi Minh Sarani and Netaji Subhas Road from 8.30 a.m.' Search and survey operations were also conducted in four offices of other companies.

'The raids are still going on. We have not seized any documents yet. We are just overseeing the papers and documents of the contracts and questioning the employees of the company,' said the official.

'We are trying to know about the quality of the steel and other building materials used by the company during construction. If any anomalies are found, we will seize the documents,' the official added.

Media persons were not allowed to enter the offices where raids were conducted. The owners of the MBL Infrastructure Limited refused to comment despite repeated attempts.

Another highly placed official leading the investigation team said: 'Raids would continue overnight and by Friday afternoon we will be able to go through the entire files and documents before confiscating those. It's a long term process.'

Source: Web Search

Now desi ghee for CWG medalists from Haryana

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 08:36 PM

It is not just with cash and other gifts which Haryana is showering on the Commonwealth Games medalists from the state as the government is also giving them "pure Desi ghee".

Sportspersons from Haryana bagged a rich haul of medals at the CWG, helping the country finish at number two spot in the mega sporting event.

The winners of gold medal at the Games would be given Rs 15 lakh, a Maruti Gold SX 4 car and, what may surprise few also, a tin of 101 kgs of pure ghee.

The winner of silver medal would be given Rs 10 lakh, a Swift car and a tin of 51 kgs of pure ghee while the bronze medallist will get Rs 5 lakh, a Maruti WagonR and a tin of 31 kgs of pure ghee at the state-level rally which would be organised on Haryana Day at November 1 at Sports School, Rai, in Sonepat district to honour the medal winners, an official said here today.

The rally has been named Chak De Haryana-Chak De India, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said here earlier this week.

The coach of the gold, silver and bronze medal winner would be given Rs three lakh, Rs two lakh and Rs one lakh respectively.

To encourage the sportspersons from Haryana who participated in the Games but failed to win any medal, they too would be given Rs two lakh each.

"We have only created the infrastructure and provided the right facilities and incentives, but it is the players' hard work which has borne fruit (at the CWG)," Hooda said here earlier.

The Haryana players won most of the medals in wrestling, shooting and boxing while Krishna Poonia broke over five decade old jinx in athletics by winning gold in women's discus throw to become the first woman athlete from the country to win a CWG gold medal.

As many as 54 sportspersons from Haryana had taken part in the Commonwealth Games and they bagged 32 medals including 20 gold medals (including that of Gagan Narang), seven silver and eight bronze.

Source: Web Search

Sania bats for a Dhoni in tennis from Ranchi

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 08:22 PM

Can Ranchi produce a tennis player at par with cricketer M S Dhoni?

Tennis star Sania Mirza believes that the day is not far when Ranchi would also give a top-class tennis star to the country.

"I will pray that a tennis player should emerge from Ranchi as M S Dhoni emerged for cricket," tennis player Sania Mirza said at an inaugural ceremony of a tennis academy here on Thursday.

"I have heard a lot of Ranchi and I had a wish to see the town; and I grabbed the opportunity when I was invited for the inauguration of the tennis academy," she added.

Sania expressed hope that the academy, which will train fifty budding talents to start with, would throw up good tennis players.

"I am looking forward to coming back to Ranchi to play (tennis tournaments)," Sania said.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda assured that the state government would support budding talents to promote tennis in the state.

"We will encourage all sports, including tennis," Munda added.

Source: Web Search

Pietersen eyeing century in Ashes to banish his 'gloom and doom' demons

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 08:08 PM

London, Oct 28(ANI): England batsman Kevin Pietersen is confident that despite his patchy form in the last two years, he can re-establish himself during the upcoming Ashes series.

The South African born batsman has averaged just 36.90 since the start of the 2009 Ashes series and has failed to score a Test century since March last year.

"Even with all the doom and gloom over the way I've been playing I think I've averaged 40 over the last 18 months or so. So, it's not all bad," the Daily Mail quoted Pietersen, as saying.

"I am looking for that Test hundred and I am looking to put myself back to where I was. I'd love people to see how hard I train and all the work I do away from the game to put things right."

"I am trying so hard to get back to where I used to be. Maybe I've been trying too hard, I don't know. But I'm doing everything I can to get back to being the player I have been," he added.

The 30-year-old, who announced himself to the world with some stunning innings in the 2005 Ashes, further said that he is still hungry for more runs and success.

"I'm still driven and hungry. I still want it. But when you become a father you do have distractions. It's a time which coincided with a slump in form, but I still don't think I'd have had that slump if the wickets had been good and conditions had been more in the batsmen's favour," Pietersen said.

"I sorted everything out technically in Bangladesh and I still feel my game has been sorted, but there are no excuses for my form. I didn't play well enough this summer. Now I need to put the record straight in Australia," he added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Sania, Shoaib Malik inaugurate tennis academy in Ranchi

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 07:56 PM

Ranchi, Oct.28 (ANI): Tennis ace Sania Mirza and her husband, Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, inaugurated a state-of-the-art tennis academy here on Thursday.

The tennis academy has come up on the premises of the international cricket stadium, set up by the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA).

Sania Mirza inaugurated the academy in the presence of Jharkhand's Chief Minister Arjun Munda.

Mirza said she hoped that the state would produce eminent sportspersons like Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni after more such sports facilities came up.

"I thank you all for coming here. I played for an hour here at the new court. The courts are very well made. As a tennis player and as a sportsperson, I would hope and pray that more sportspersons and cricketers like Mahendra Singh Dhoni can come up from small places like these, where sports like tennis are not that popular," said Mirza.

Munda said that the tennis academy would provide a platform for upcoming sportspersons in the region.

"The sportspersons in this region are feeling elated and I am hopeful that after playing in these tennis courts the players can achieve name and fame like Sania Mirza," said Munda.

The turf for the tennis court has been imported from New Zealand and the entire academy has come up at the cost of rupees 4 million.

Sania Mirza and husband Shoaib Malik also played a friendly match with the onlookers. By Girija Shankar Ojha (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Raiphi Vincent Gomez to lead Kerala in first Ranji trophy

Thu, Oct 28 10 07:22 PM

Kochi, Oct 28 (PTI) Raiphi Vincent Gomez will lead Kerala in their opening Ranji Trophy league match against Services Sports Board (SSCB), scheduled to be held in Delhi from November 1. The Kerala Cricket Association has announced a 15-member squad only for the first match. Kerala Squad: Raiphi Vincent Gomez (C), Robert Fernandez (VC), Rohan Prem, Abishek Hegde, Rakesh K J, V A Jagadeesh, Sony Cheruvathoor, P Prasanth, C P Riswan, Sree Kumar Nair, Ramesh C, Anthaf P U, Sreejith K R, C M Thejas (WK) and Prasanth Parameswaran.

Source: Published>

Haye says Harrison would 'be dreaming in 3D' after KO in world heavyweight title clash

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 07:06 PM

London, Oct 28(ANI): The WBA World Heavyweight championship match between David Haye and Audley Harrison will be the first boxing match to be screened live on TV in 3D.

The all-British showdown will be held in Manchester's MEN Arena on November 13.

Current champion Haye believes that he is the perfect man to take boxing into a new dimension.

"Audley is a one-dimensional fighter and I am going to knock him out in 3D. He will be dreaming in 3D by the time I've finished with him," the Daily Express quoted Haye, as saying.

"He can put the 3D glasses on and use whatever technology he wants, but it isn't going to help him because my hands are too quick," he added.

Meanwhile, Harrison said that Haye is in fantasy land, and is reading too much into the situation.

"He looks too much into things. I've heard him talking about opponents in the past and breaking them down, fraction by fraction. Forget about that, just get in there and fight. I'm a natural-born fighter, against anyone," Harrison said.

"He would have to break them down and have a strategy, write it down, have a Plan A, B and C. But when it comes to it, he just gets beaten because he's too busy thinking about what he wants to do instead of actually fighting," he added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Chetan out; Kashyap, Pawar advance in Danish Super Series

Thu, Oct 28 10 06:52 PM

New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) Highest ranked Indian shuttler Chetan Anand crashed out of the men''s singles event of the Denmark Open Super Series while two of his compatriots sailed into the second round at Odense in Denmark. World number 20 Anand lost to eighth seed Hu Yun of Hong Kong 21-15, 15-21, 16-21 in a 48-minute first round match. The Indian came up with some fine smash winners and was ahead from the beginning till the end of the first game. But he failed to maintain the good work and his world number 17 opponent from Hong Kong came back strongly with better net play and rallies. Hu Yun took an early 7-2 lead in the second game and Chetan was always doing the catch up job though he closed the gap to 15-16 before his opponent won five straight points. In the decider, it was neck and neck initially but once the Hong Kong shuttler took a 16-11 lead, the writing was clear on the wall for the Indian who won five straight points from 11-20 down before losing the match. Qualifier Ajay Jayaram retired hurt after playing just one point in his first round match against Du Pengyu of China. Parupalli Kashyap and Anand Pawar, however, gave the Indian camp the cheers by beating Scott Evans of Ireland and local lad Hans-Kristian Vittinghus. World number 38 Kashyap took 38 minutes to beat Evans, ranked five places lower than him, 21-11 22-20. Kashyap will next meet third seed Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand who defeated Yamada Kazushi of Japan 21-13 24-26 21-15 in another first round match. Pawar won a closely contested game against Vittinghus 16-21 21-17 24-22 in 57 minutes. The two shuttlers were neck in neck in the first game though the Indian was doing most of the catch-up job. The Dane took the first game by winning three straight points from 18-16. The second game was also nail-biting and both were locked 17-17 before the Indian took his turn to run away with four straight points and take the match to the decider. Pawar started shakily in the decider conceding a huge 3-13 lead to his opponent. But the Indian made a remarkable fightback to make it 19-19 and then 20-19. The two shuttlers played out a nerve wrecking four points still to be at 22-22 before Pawar clinched the issue with two straight points. Pawar will next play sixth seed Marc Zwiebler of Germany who beat Raul Must of Estonia 21-16 22-20 in another first round match. No Indian is taking part in the women''s singles nor in men''s, women''s and mixed doubles.

Source: Published>

Pandits, BJP boycott interlocutors in Jammu

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 06:46 PM

Jammu, Oct 28 (IANS) The central team of interlocutors on Kashmir Thursday concluded their visit to Jammu region on a disappointing note with some of the important groups, including the Pandits and the BJP, boycotting them.

The interlocutors, however, exhibited optimism that they would be having more groups on board during their next visit, sometime in November. 'We have covered much of the ground and we have been able to hear many groups and various shades of opinion,' Dileep Padgaonkar, one of the three interlocutors told newsmen Thursday afternoon before returning to Delhi.

Padgaonkar and academic Radha Kumar arrived here Wednesday afternoon, while the third interlocutor M.M. Ansari had left for Delhi.

During their stay in Jammu, the two interlocutors met migrants at the Muthi camp and several other groups of the Kashmiri Hindus who were displaced during the start of the militancy in the Valley in 1990. They also met some of the organizations of Pakistani-occupied Kashmir refugees and groups of Pahari-speaking people.

The ruling Congress and National Conference alliance delegations met the interlocutors but many Kashmiri Pandit organizations and major political parties of Jammu - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jammu Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) - boycotted them.

'They are pursuing a separatist agenda, hence we don't see any point in meeting them,' JKNPP legislature party leader told IANS, while the BJP said the 'interlocutors by suggesting the involvement of Pakistan in the Kashmir issue have shown their tilt.'

Rajiv Chuni, president SOS international, an organization of PoK refugees, told the interlocutors that they should first take into cognizance the invasion of Jammu and Kashmir by tribesman of Pakistan and the displacement of more than 1.2 million people due to the illegal occupation of Pakistan before looking at a solution of the Kashmir crisis.

'We have made it clear that they should visit our camps to know our plight and learn our history before suggesting any way forward on the Kashmir solution,' Rajiv Chuni told reporters after meeting the interlocutors.

Source: Web Search

Anand draws with Topalov, remains joint second

Thu, Oct 28 10 06:38 PM

From Our Chess Correspondent Nanjing (China), Oct 28 (PTI) World champion Viswanathan Anand played out a draw with Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria to remain in joint second position after end of the eighth round of Pearl Spring Chess tournament here. After surviving a real scare against Norwegian Magnus Carlsen in the seventh round, Anand could do little with his white pieces against Topalov, who appeared well-armed after his first victory in the tournament in the previous round. The lead positions remained unchanged as the other two games of the day also ended in draws. Carlsen was troubled for a short time by Chinese hopeful Wang Yue but eventually got a draw, while Etienne Bacrot of France settled for the peace treaty quite early against Vugar Gashimov of Azerbaijan. With just two rounds to come in the six-player double round-robin tournament, Carlsen retained his lead and barring a debacle, he looks set to annex the title here. The Norwegian took his tally to 5.5 points out of a possible eight to keep Anand and Bacrot at a full point distance. Topalov and Gashimov are on 3.5 points and sharing the fourth spot, while Wang now has 2.5 points in his kitty. In the remaining two rounds of this 250000 Euros prize money event, Carlsen has to meet Topalov and Gashimov, while Anand will take on Gashimov and Bacrot. The Frenchman has Wang apart from the Indian ace and things can heat up if Anand and Bacrot win the next round. Topalov did not have to do much against a topical Catalan that has become a frequent visitor in top level chess these days. The Bulgarian went for a recently popular sequence of moves and got the dynamic balance he was looking for in the ensuing middle game. It was on the 15th move that Topalov sacrificed a knight showing precise calculations. Anand had to except and then took his king for a short walk and gave his extra material back to restore parity. Topalov again came with an exchange sacrifice and after Anand accepted it, another piece sacrifice followed to force a draw through repetition of moves. The game lasted 31 moves. .

Source: Published>

Becks moans suggestively in massage prank on Ellen DeGeneres video

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 06:08 PM

London, Oct 28 (ANI): English footballer David Beckham was asked to play a prank on a masseuse on Ellen DeGeneres' show, and told to moan suggestively while a hidden camera filmed the whole thing.

Becks, 35, was directed by show host Ellen DeGeneres via an earpiece, and he playfully lampooned his own celebrity status by asking the masseuse to use everything but her thumbs to relax him, the Mirror reported.

He even suggested she use "vibration therapy" by humming near his muscles.The footie ace even managed to deliver lines like "sometimes, it's just so hard to be pretty", "people tell me sometimes I have skin like baby peaches" and "do I smell Cheetos?" with a straight ace. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Ranchi will give India a tennis star, believes Sania

Thu, Oct 28 10 05:52 PM

Ranchi, Oct 28 (PTI) Tennis star Sania Mirza believes that the day is not far when Ranchi, hometown of India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will produce a top-class tennis player. "I will pray that a tennis player should emerge from Ranchi as M S Dhoni emerged for cricket," said Sania, who inaugurated a tennis academy here today. "I have heard a lot about Ranchi and I had a wish to see the town, and I grabbed the opportunity when I was invited for the inauguration of this tennis academy," she added. Sania also hoped that the academy, which will start with 50 budding talents, would throw up good tennis players in the days to come. "I am looking forward to come back to Ranchi to play (tennis tournaments)," Sania said. Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda assured that the government would support budding talents to promote the game in the state. "We will encourage all sports, including tennis," Munda said.

Source: Published>

Wayne Rooney, Coleen to renew their wedding vows

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 05:46 PM

London, Oct 28 (ANI): Wayne Rooney and Coleen have decided to renew their wedding vows.

The couple has plans to exchange marriage vows again in a lavish ceremony next June.

Coleen said their trip to the world's poshest hotel in Dubai had re-ignited their love.

She was speaking out for the first time since she discovered Wayne, 25, had paid hookers for sex.

Coleen, 24, said their relationship was now "fine".

"We came out here to get away from everything," the Daily Star quoted her as saying.

"We wanted some time away. Don't you think me and Wayne deserved this break after everything?

"Wayne and I are fine. We just want some peace and quiet and some time by ourselves," she added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Russia brands England 'primitive' for its 2018 World Cup bid complaint to FIFA

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 05:38 PM

London, Oct 28(ANI): A senior Russian football official has described England 2018 World Cup bid as "absolutely primitive" for making a formal complaint to FIFA against the Russian campaign's chief.

England had filed the complaint with FIFA after Alexei Sorokin, the Chief Executive of the Russian bid, made derogatory comments about London's crime rate and alcohol problems.

England alleged that Sorokin's comments contravened FIFA's rules which dictate that bidders must not make comments about their rivals "whether adverse or otherwise".

However, Viacheslav Koloskov, one of the most powerful officials in Russian football and former FIFA Vice-President, claims that England only made their move because they were behind Russia and were "afraid of how badly their bid is going".

"It's a comical situation. The English are afraid of how badly their bid is going. They now say one of the members of our bidding team has spoken out against England in an improper manner," the Daily Express quoted Koloskov, as saying.

"It's a raising of tensions, and also an attempt to influence the work of our bidding team. These acts have little chance of success."

"Russia should not be afraid of sanctions. There won't even be an investigation. The behaviour of the English is absolutely primitive. Instead of talking about their own excellence and merits, they try to put off their opponents," he added.

Earlier, Sorokin has said that he would explain the comments, arguing that they had been misinterpreted and mistranslated.

"I do not feel that what I said originally requires an apology. I am sure there is a record of that which, if forced, I'll have to find," Sorokin had said.

"The idea was that the media did not focus on the negative manifestations of any other societies, ours or anyone else's. The examples may have been bad examples, as it turned out, but they were just examples," he added.

England and Russia, along with Belgium/Holland and Spain/Portugal, are bidding to host the 2018 World Cup.

FIFA will announce the winner on December 2. (ANI)

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WSF hails Commonwealth Games Squash as major success

Thu, Oct 28 10 05:36 PM

New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) The staging of squash competition at the Commonwealth Games here has been hailed as an overwhelming success by the World Squash Federation at its annual general meeting. Led by 19 players from the men''s and women''s world top 20 rankings and with representation from 27 countries, the field at the October 3-14 event was truly world-class - with England emerging triumphant in the medals table, followed by Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. "It''s definitely the biggest moment of my career," admitted England''s world number two Nick Matthew after winning his second gold medal in Delhi - his first leading an English clean sweep of all three men''s singles medals. Australia''s Kasey Brown went home with three medals (one gold and two bronze), while New Zealander Joelle King became her country''s most successful athlete, and was accorded the honour to carry the Kiwi flag at the closing ceremony, after unexpected gold in the women''s doubles and silver in mixed. The event was staged in the purpose-built 11-court Siri Fort Complex - which featured a spectacular all-glass showcourt surrounded by a seating capacity of more than 3,000. "The crowds overall were sensational - most players agreeing that they had never experienced anything like it anywhere else in the world," said WSF CEO Andrew Shelley. "The exuberance of the spectators as Nicol David paraded the Malaysian flag around the showcourt after her singles gold medal triumph will remain with me forever. The Siri Fort facilities are a great legacy of the Games - and will surely kick-start the development programmes in Delhi as well as being another focus for events," added Shelley. "We attracted visits from some extremely distinguished guests of the Delhi hosts, including IOC President Jacques Rogge, Prince Albert of Monaco and HRH Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex. All expressed their enthusiasm for what they saw," added Shelley. One of the proudest squads competing in the Games was Norfolk Islands. "I know it''s not as great as winning a medal, but it is a big deal to us that Duncan Gray and Gye Duncan got in to the last 16 in the men''s doubles competition - and the two teams they got beaten by were the two Australian teams which got the silver and bronze medal," said team captain Mal Rundell. One of the venue''s most impressed visitors was Sir Matthew Pinsent, the four-time Olympic rowing gold medallist who was reporting for the BBC. "Squash would be a good addition to the Olympics - it is relatively easy to set up, especially in a modern urban environment, and is fast and exciting to watch both on television and live," said Pinsent in a BBC blog. "The fact that squash can compete with many of the sports already in the Olympics on many of these makes me think that they must be head of the list should the 28 sports ever be increased even by one," Pinsent said.

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