New Delhi turned into a fortress ahead of CWG closing ceremony

Published>Thu, Oct 14 10 12:28 PM

New Delhi, Oct 14 (ANI): With reports that Pakistan based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba is planning to attack New Delhi during the build-up to the closing ceremony of the XIXth Commonwealth Games, the city has been turned into a fortress with more than thousand extra police personnel and soldiers deployed to keep a hawk-eye vigil.

The security personnel are patrolling each nook and corner of the city following the Indian intelligence report that Lashkar-e-Toiba would look to target Delhi during the closing ceremony.

The security around the main venue Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Connaught Place here has been tightened and traffic restrictions have been imposed.

Delhi Police personnel have described the security measures that were taken during the 2010 Games to be good so far and would look to sustain the momentum.

With a marathon race coming up later in the day, the commuters passing through the localities close to the stadium and the route of the marathon race will face some traffic restrictions.

It has been reported that Bhishma Pitamah Marg, Lodhi Road and Kotla Mubarakpur road in the city has been closed from 6 a.m. and would open only after midnight.

Moreover, Safdarjung Madrassa road, Lodhi Road flyover, JLN Stadium Marg (between Mehar Chand Market and Lala Lajpat Rai Marg), and MTNL Building Road (from Scope Complex Chowk to Kushak Nallah) would remain closed from 2 p.m. onwards.

NH-24 and the Ring Road from Bhairon Road crossing to Ashram will also remain closed from 2.30 p.m.

Scores of armed men will be deployed around the stadium and spectators will have to undergo checks at four security points.

The Indian Air Force choppers will survey the skies and snipers will be in position at rooftops during the closing ceremony. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

ICC headquarters to stay in Dubai

Published>Thu, Oct 14 10 12:22 PM

The headquarters of International Cricket Council will not be shifted out of Dubai, the world cricket body has decided during a two-day meeting here, putting an end to speculations that it may relocate to London.

"The matter of relocation is now closed," an ICC statement, released after the council's two-day meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, said.

On the decision, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat expressed his happiness saying he is "personally delighted" after the matter was resolved.

"This provides welcome certainty for the staff and I am personally delighted that this matter has finally been resolved," Lorgat was quoted as saying by Gulf News.

The decision came on the day when the ICC Global Cricket Academy was opened adjacent to the ICC Headquarters. The academy is association with Dubai Sports City.

The ICC headquarters was shifted to Dubai from Lords, London, in 2005 after the UK government refused to grant the tax concessions that the cricket body had asked for.

Source: Web Search

India aim to pip England on final day and finish second

Published>Thu, Oct 14 10 12:18 PM

Will they do it, is the question uppermost in the minds of the country's sports loving public as India go into the last day of the Commonwealth Games on Thursday trailing second-placed England by a single gold medal.

Going into the concluding day, India have 96 medals in their kitty made up of 36 gold, 26 silver and 34 bronze while England have 138 (37-56-45). Australia have already ensured the top spot with a haul of 169 medals (72-50-47).

If India have to achieve their pre-Games target of ending up second, they would have to grab one gold more than England as a tie in gold tally will place the hosts in third place because of their inferior tally of silverware.

The hosts have realistic chances of bagging three gold before the curtains come down on the multi-discipline sports festival involving 71 nations here.

The best bet remains woman shuttler and top seed Saina Nehwal who is to battle it out against Mew Choo Wong of Malaysia for the singles gold some time this afternoon.

The women's doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will have a shot at the gold when it takes on Singapore duo Shinta Mulia Sari and Lei Yao.

The men's hockey team, which has never even won a medal let alone sail into the final at the Games, will have the nation's attention focused on it when it lines up against the world and defending champions Australia in the summit

The team has a golden chance to avenge their defeat to the all-powerful Aussies in the league stage of the competition.

India are set to receive one more bronze medal when Achanta Sharath Kamal crosses swords with compatriot Soumyadeep Roy in the play-off tie for third place in men's singles table tennis event.

Poulomi Ghatak and Mouma Das also have a chance to increase the bronze tally when they face their Australian rivals Zhenhua Vivian Tan and Peri Campbell Innes in women's doubles play-off tie.

Source: Web Search

Paes, Bhupathi, Bopanna in Shanghai Masters quarters

Thu, Oct 14 10 11:56 AM

Shanghai, Oct 14 (PTI) Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhuptahi have advanced to the second round of the Shanghai Masters with their respective partners after getting a first-round bye. Paes and his new partner Jurgen Melzer of Austria are seeded third. They will take on Brazil''s Thomaz Belluci and Serbia''s Janko Tipsaveric in the quarter-finals. Bhupathi and his Belarusian partner Max Mirnyi are seeded fifth. They will take on the winners of the first round match between the pairs of Florian Mayer/ Yen-Hsun Lu and Marc Lopez/Tommy Robredo. US Open finalists Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-haq- Qureshi have also advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (7) 6-2 win over Mark Knowles of Bahamas and Philipp Kohlschreiber. The Indo-Pak pair will take on Dick Norman and Wsley Moodie.

Source: Published>

Australia rewards Delhi medallists with tour selection

Thu, Oct 14 10 11:46 AM

Australia coach Robbie Deans has rewarded four Delhi Commonwealth Games silver medallists with selection to his 36-man squad for the Wallabies season-ending northern hemisphere tour.

Sevens skipper Pat McCutcheon, scrumhalf Nick Phipps and winger Luke Morahan have a chance to win their first Wallabies' caps on tour in Hong Kong and Europe after helping Australia make the final in Delhi, where they fell to arch-rivals New Zealand.

They join team mate and winger Lachie Turner, who impressed on his return to the Wallabies side in their last test against New Zealand in Sydney after spending a year in the wilderness.

Four other uncapped players were named on Thursday, including winger Rod Davies, backrower Scott Higginbotham, Brumbies back Pat McCabe and 34-year-old Queensland Reds lock Van Humphries, who, if selected, would become the Wallabies' oldest debutant.

Although prop Ben Alexander and lock Mark Chisholm return from long injury layoffs, the Wallabies will be without a number of sidelined experienced players, including backs Rob Horne and Digby Ioane, and forwards Wycliff Palu and James Horwill.

Australia head to Hong Kong for their final Bledisloe Cup match against New Zealand on Oct. 30, before November tests in Europe against England, Wales, Italy and France.

Squad:

Forwards: Ben Alexander, Richard Brown, Mark Chisholm, Ben Daley, Huia Edmonds, Rocky Elsom (captain), Saia Faingaa, Scott Higginbotham, Matt Hodgson, Van Humphries, Salesi Ma'afu, Ben McCalman, Pat McCutcheon, Stephen Moore, Dean Mumm, Benn Robinson, Nathan Sharpe, Rob Simmons, James Slipper.

Backs: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Kurtley Beale, Luke Burgess, Quade Cooper, Rod Davies, Anthony Faingaa, Will Genia, Matt Giteau, Peter Hynes, Pat McCabe, Drew Mitchell, Luke Morahan, James O'Connor, Nick Phipps, David Pocock, Lachie Turner.

Source: Published>

Manmohan Singh to cheer Indian men's hockey team

Published>Thu, Oct 14 10 11:06 AM

New Delhi, Oct 14 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, will cheer for the Indian men's hockey team here today as they lock horns with three-time gold medalists Australia in the final of the hockey event.

The clash between the hosts and world champion Australia is expected to be a real thriller with India already scripting history by ensuring themselves at least a silver medal since hockey's introduction in the Games in the 1998 Kuala Lampur edition.

Today's final will also give India an opportunity to take revenge of their 2-5 loss to Australia during the pool stages as well as during the World Cup held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium earlier this year. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Kenyans run away with both marathon gold

Thu, Oct 14 10 10:58 AM

New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) Kenyans ran away with two marathon gold medals on offer to bring down curtains on the athletics events on the last day of the Commonwealth Games here today. John Eriku Kelai won gold in the men''s marathon covering the 42.195km distance in two hours 14 minutes and 35 seconds. Australia''s Michael Shelly bagged the silver in 2:15:18 while another Kenyan Amos Tirop Matui pocketed the bronze in 2:15:58. The two Indians in the fray, Ram Singh Yadav and Bining Lyngkhoi finished eighth and ninth 2:21:24 and 2:23:01 respectively. In women''s marathon, Kenya bagged both the gold and silver with Irene Kosgei winning the race in two hours 34 minutes and 32 seconds while compatriot Irene Mogake clocked 2:34:43. Australia''s Lisa Weightman took the bronze in 2:35:25. World record holder Englishwoman Paula Radcliffe had pulled out of the Games.

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