Three cops sent to tell two boys it's illegal playing football in the street!

Published>Wed, Sep 22 10 07:34 PM

London, Sept 22 (ANI): A father of two boys in Britain was left stunned when three cops were sent to warn him that it was illegal for his sons to play football in the street.

Anthony Worthington, 43, an engineer, of Timperley, Greater Manchester, was also warned that his sons, Henry, 12, and Alex, 11, could get ASBOs, by council officials.Sending three officers over simply to give a warning about kids playing football in the street is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut," the Sun quoted him as saying.

"My boys are good lads who play for a club and want to practise outside with friends. It's just half an hour after school," he said.

But the police have said that they are just doing their job of protecting the kids.

"Playing football in the road has clear dangers and the man was reminded of this by officers looking out for his children's safety," they said.

"It is a criminal offence and often perceived as a nuisance to residents," they added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Three cops sent to tell two boys it's illegal playing football in the street!

Published>Wed, Sep 22 10 07:32 PM

London, Sept 22 (ANI): A father of two boys in Britain was left stunned when three cops were sent to warn him that it was illegal for his sons to play football in the street.

Anthony Worthington, 43, an engineer, of Timperley, Greater Manchester, was also warned that his sons, Henry, 12, and Alex, 11, could get ASBOs, by council officials.Sending three officers over simply to give a warning about kids playing football in the street is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut," the Sun quoted him as saying.

"My boys are good lads who play for a club and want to practise outside with friends. It's just half an hour after school," he said.

But the police have said that they are just doing their job of protecting the kids.

"Playing football in the road has clear dangers and the man was reminded of this by officers looking out for his children's safety," they said.

"It is a criminal offence and often perceived as a nuisance to residents," they added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Wales sets deadline for CWG organisers

Published>Wed, Sep 22 10 07:22 PM

London, Sep 22 (IANS) Sport Wales has asked the organisers of the Commonwealth Games to confirm that the event venues and the accommodation arrangements are fully ready and safe to enable it decide on its next move.

'We have given the Organising Committee a deadline of this evening to confirm if all venues and the Games Village are fit for the purpose,' BBC Wednesday quoted a Sport Wales statement as saying.

'On the basis of that announcement, we will be contacting athletes via our team managers and advise them of the latest position and will issue a further update,' the statement added.

The statement comes after Scotland delayed the departure of its athletes until the pending work at Games' Village is complete.

Some countries Tuesday termed part of the residential towers in the Village as 'filthy and unlivable'.

Sport Wales said on the basis of response of the Organsiing Committee, they will decide their next move.

'We have to examine how safe it is to bring athletes into this environment.'

The Wales contingent is all the more worried after a pedestrian bridge outside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium collapsed Tuesday, injuring 27 labourers. To make it worse, a part of the ceiling came down at the weightlifting venue Wednesday.

'The health and safety of our team has always been our top priority - which is why we have been so desperate to resolve the issues in the Games Village,' the statement said.

'With yesterday's news of the bridge collapse and now the roof of the weightlifting venue, we have to take a step back and examine how safe it is to bring athletes into this environment.

'On the basis of that announcement, we will be contacting athletes via our team managers and advise them of the latest position and will issue a further update,' the statement added.

Wales' chef de mission Chris Jenkins, however, said: 'The first athletes are due to arrive in Delhi on September 25 and there have been no alterations to these plans.

'On the whole Team Wales is pleased with the progress made on our accommodation in the Games Village,' Jenkins, who is in Delhi to oversee the security facilities at the Games Village, said in a statement on the website of Commonwealth Games Council for Wales.

'We have worked closely with the Delhi Organising Committee to resolve the issues we faced on first inspection of our tower and while there has been impressive progress made we also still feel there are a number of operational issues that need to be addressed.

'We are confident that we'll be ready to receive athletes from Sep 25 onwards and that the accommodation for Team Wales will be suitable and comfortable for their stay in Delhi. Security here is impressive and we're looking forward to getting the Games underway.'

On the collapse of the bridge, Jenkins said: 'First and foremost our thoughts are obviously with those concerned.'

'From a Games preparation point of view, a lot can be done in a short space of time but the clock is ticking with just 11 days to go until the opening ceremony. We're aware that the Delhi Organising Committee are working 24/7 to deliver a successful Games and we're working with them and monitoring the situation as it develops,' Jenkins maintained.

Source: Web Search

Playing against India a huge challenge: Johnson

Published>Wed, Sep 22 10 07:18 PM

Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson feels that playing India on their soil is always a "huge challenge" irrespective of whether the hosts are at the top or bottom of ICC rankings.

"I don't think about rankings too much. Coming and playing here (in India) itself is a challenge. Players like (Sachin) Tendulkar, (Rahul) Dravid and (Virender) Sehwag lend depth to the batting department while their bowling attack, which has Harbhajan Singh is also great," Johnson told reporters here.

Asked if India, being the hosts and the No. 1 Test team in the world, would hold any psychological advantage over the visitors in the two-Test series, which starts in Mohali October 1, Johnson said, "It's huge challenge and the rankings don't matter." In the presence of quite a few young pacers -- like Peter George, James Pattinson and Mitchell Strac in the Australian team, Johnson said, he would love to take up the leadership role and help the young quickies by giving useful tips during training sessions.

"This is something I enjoy and I have spoken to the coaches also," he said, adding the young bowling attack will learn a lot during the current tour.

Seen as a build-up to the Ashes and next year's world cup in the Indian sub-continent, the tour holds significance for for the Aussies, but Johnson exuded optimism and said that his team wants to win the series.

"The Indian conditions, with low bounce, the heat and the humidity, are challenging for a fast bowler but I can vouch that the team wants to win the two Tests," Johnson said.

Asked about the increasing number of injuries players suffer these days due to too much cricket, Johnson said, "Players are playing in all forms (Tests, ODIs and T20s).

Teams have got to make sure that they rest their players in certain periods of time." Expressing satisfaction with security arrangements here, Johnson said, "I feel safe and we are happy with the arrangements." The visitors, led by skipper Ricky Ponting, did some running and stretching exercises at the Sector 16 stadium where they are scheduled to play a three-day warm-up match against a Gautam Gambhir-led Board President's XI from September 25.

The players had to restrict themselves to the gymnasium as heavy overnight rain had left the outfield wet.

Source: Web Search

Scotland delays departure to Commonwealth Games

Published>Wed, Sep 22 10 07:04 PM

Scotland has delayed the departure of its first 41 athletes and officials to the Commonwealth Games because of ongoing health and security fears in Delhi.

Michael Cavanagh, chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said the standard of the athletes village was still causing concern.

Part of the village which we've been moved to, which was the latest part to be finished in a real hurry, is in a very poor condition and a poor state of maintenance, he told BBC Radio on Wednesday.

There have been dogs roaming around the village, the apartments are filthy, there are piles of rubble and right now it's not fit to receive 6,500 athletes and officials, which is what is due to happen in seven days.

Cavanagh said he still expected Scotland's team to compete in the Games but said the welfare of athletes was the priority.

Scotland is hugely committed to the Commonwealth Games. Our team on the ground will continue to monitor the situation however we will not compromise on areas of athlete health, safety and security, he added.

We need urgent action from the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Delhi Organising Committee to address these crucial issues.

On Tuesday an access bridge near the main Commonwealth Games Stadium collapsed, injuring 19 people, some seriously.

Several high-profile athletes, including England's Phillips Idowu, the reigning world, European and Commonwealth triple jump champions, have already withdrawn from the event, which is due to start on Oct 3.

Source: Web Search

Stephanie Rice in Bali with boyfriend for R and R following gay tweet storm

Published>Wed, Sep 22 10 06:58 PM

Melbourne, Sept 22 (ANI): Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice, who was recently in the limelight for a careless gay tweet, has taken a week long vacation to Bali with her Wallaby boyfriend Quade Cooper.

Rice, 22, who had faced a lot of flak from gay icons and the media for the tweet, joined Cooper, 22, and a handful of fellow Wallabies for a week of rest and relaxation.

Sources have revealed that the swimmer has been working in earnest to keep out of the limelight and out of trouble, which won't be so difficult, as she now has eyes only for Cooper.It's a long time since she was this head over heels in love," the Daily Telegraph quoted a source as saying.

Rice is said to have checked into the same luxury city hotel as the Wallabies squad, but took a room on another floor. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Playing against India a huge challenge: Johnson

Published>Wed, Sep 22 10 06:42 PM

Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson feels that playing India on their soil is always a "huge challenge" irrespective of whether the hosts are at the top or bottom of ICC rankings.

"I don't think about rankings too much. Coming and playing here (in India) itself is a challenge. Players like (Sachin) Tendulkar, (Rahul) Dravid and (Virender) Sehwag lend depth to the batting department while their bowling attack, which has Harbhajan Singh is also great," Johnson told reporters here.

Asked if India, being the hosts and the No. 1 Test team in the world, would hold any psychological advantage over the visitors in the two-Test series, which starts in Mohali October 1, Johnson said, "It's huge challenge and the rankings don't matter." In the presence of quite a few young pacers -- like Peter George, James Pattinson and Mitchell Strac in the Australian team, Johnson said, he would love to take up the leadership role and help the young quickies by giving useful tips during training sessions.

"This is something I enjoy and I have spoken to the coaches also," he said, adding the young bowling attack will learn a lot during the current tour.

Seen as a build-up to the Ashes and next year's world cup in the Indian sub-continent, the tour holds significance for for the Aussies, but Johnson exuded optimism and said that his team wants to win the series.

"The Indian conditions, with low bounce, the heat and the humidity, are challenging for a fast bowler but I can vouch that the team wants to win the two Tests," Johnson said.

Asked about the increasing number of injuries players suffer these days due to too much cricket, Johnson said, "Players are playing in all forms (Tests, ODIs and T20s).

Teams have got to make sure that they rest their players in certain periods of time." Expressing satisfaction with security arrangements here, Johnson said, "I feel safe and we are happy with the arrangements." The visitors, led by skipper Ricky Ponting, did some running and stretching exercises at the Sector 16 stadium where they are scheduled to play a three-day warm-up match against a Gautam Gambhir-led Board President's XI from September 25.

The players had to restrict themselves to the gymnasium as heavy overnight rain had left the outfield wet.

Source: Web Search