Sehwag undergoes surgery, may miss Champions Trophy

NEW DELHI: In what could spell more trouble for Indian cricket, explosive opening batsman Virender Sehwag, whose absence ruined India's campaign to defend the Twenty20 World Championship title, will remain out of action for the next three months and is likely to miss the upcoming Champions Trophy in September.

Sehwag is currently under rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bangalore as he recovers from the shoulder injury which kept him out of the ICC World Twenty20. The batsman earlier underwent a surgey on June 11 after a lesion was indentified on his shoulder.

Viru will be under the observation of team physio Nitin Patel and is expected to wear a sling for atleast the next month till his lesion heals. At the end of the tenth week after the operation, Sehwag's shoulder will be evaluated and it will be asserted then if he is able to throw the ball.

The batsman picked up the injury during the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament -- Indian Premier League (IPL), following which there was intense speculations over his fitness during the T20 World Cup.

The uncertainity over his unavailablity led to reports of rift between him and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, which was later rubbished by the captain, who said that the team is united.

Source:TOI

Sehwag undergoes surgery, may miss Champions Trophy

NEW DELHI: In what could spell more trouble for Indian cricket, explosive opening batsman Virender Sehwag, whose absence ruined India's campaign to defend the Twenty20 World Championship title, will remain out of action for the next three months and is likely to miss the upcoming Champions Trophy in September.

Sehwag is currently under rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bangalore as he recovers from the shoulder injury which kept him out of the ICC World Twenty20. The batsman earlier underwent a surgey on June 11 after a lesion was indentified on his shoulder.

Viru will be under the observation of team physio Nitin Patel and is expected to wear a sling for atleast the next month till his lesion heals. At the end of the tenth week after the operation, Sehwag's shoulder will be evaluated and it will be asserted then if he is able to throw the ball.

The batsman picked up the injury during the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament -- Indian Premier League (IPL), following which there was intense speculations over his fitness during the T20 World Cup.

The uncertainity over his unavailablity led to reports of rift between him and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, which was later rubbished by the captain, who said that the team is united.

Source:TOI

'Chokers' tag continue to haunt South Africa

London, Jun 19 (PTI) South Africa are "chokers" and they continue to provide evidence that the tag is not given to them without reason although skipper Graeme Smith begs to differ.

For all the right words, sane and sanguine thinking and public posturing, skipper Smith did let it slip when he conceded his side would be "devastated" by yesterday's seven-run defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the first semifinal of the Twenty20 World Cup.

This crushing sense of loss of so many reverses -- 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007 World Cups; the roadblocks of Champions Trophy and now two successive ICC World Twenty20 - must have taken a toll on the Proteas cricketers' psyche.

Other occasions too come to mind in an instant: losing the semifinals of the ICC Knockout Trophy in 2000; two years later losing to India in the semifinals from an astonishing position and then semifinalists again in 2006 edition of the ICC Knock Out Trophy.

Words alone don't provide cure -- correctives do but South Africa, since its readmission into the game in early 90s, has only been a bridesmaid or worse.

Choking, according to a research, comes from thinking too much. It causes a loss of instinct and panic sets in. It happens when a sportsman experiences spasms of doubt and is unable to focus. Negative thoughts unleash anxiety and a player loses his ability to perform under pressure. The result is disaster. PTI

Sri Lanka survives Ireland scare, win by nine runs

London, Jun 14 (PTI) Sri Lanka survived a scare before putting one foot in the semifinal of the Twenty20 World Cup following their narrow nine-run win over minnows Ireland in their Super Eight match at Lord's here today.

Sri Lanka are now sitting atop the Group F with four points from two wins. They had earlier beaten Pakistan.

Electing to bat, Mahela Jayawardene hit a gutsy 53-ball 78 to save Sri Lanka blushes as a spirited Irish attack restricted the islanders to a modest 144 for nine.

However, Lankan bowlers lived up to their reputation and denied Ireland an upset win, restrictng them to 135 for seven.

Both Lasith Malinga (2/19) and Ajantha Mendis (2/22) bowled with fire and venom, putting up a clinical performance, to script Sri Lanka's win.

Irish Skipper William Porterfield (31) and Niall O'Brien (31) had provided a decent start to the minnows, knitting together 59 runs for the first wicket.

But the slow run rate dented their chances heavily and middle-order was left with a daunting task. John Mooney flourished late in the innings with unbeaten 31 but could not finish it off for his side.

Kumar Sangakkara rotated all his bowlers, including mystery spinner Mendis and wizard Muttiah Murlitharan, seeking early breakthrough but Ireland still got off to a decent start. PTI

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 19 runs

LONDON: Sri Lanka kept their composure to beat Pakistan by 19 runs in their opening Super Eights match in the World Twenty20 at Lord's on Friday.

Defending a total of 150 for seven, Sri Lanka remained unbeaten at the tournament as they held Pakistan to a total of 131 for nine. Fast bowler Lasith Malinga took three wickets for 18 runs.

Pakistan captain Younus Khan made 50 and put on 66 for the fourth wicket with Misbah-ul-Haq. But the repair work the duo had carried out after Pakistan had been 35 for three was quickly undone by the loss of three quick wickets.

They lost two wickets in as many balls to be 101 for five in the 16th over with Misbah caught sweeping in the deep against Muttiah Muralitharan and the dangerous Shahid Afridi going the same way for a first ball duck.

Earlier, leg-spinner Afridi had kept Pakistan in the game as Sri Lanka, who had been 81 without loss, were restricted to 150 for seven.

But when Younus skied Malinga to wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara, the captain holding the catch despite colliding with Murali, Pakistan were 108 for six. Younus faced 37 balls with four fours.

Pakistan had still to score their first run when left-hander Salman Butt was clean bowled off the third ball of their innings by Angelo Mathews.

They then lost two wickets for one run in three balls in the sixth over to collapse to 35 for three.

Shoaib Malik, who'd hit five fours in his 28, was undone by Malinga's slower ball and chipped to Nuwan Kulasekara at mid-on.

Kamran Akmal was then run out after failing to beat Chamara Silva's throw.

At the end of the powerplay, Pakistan were 36 for three - and that was before Murali and fellow spinner Ajantha Mendis had bowled a ball between them.

Pakistan went 34 balls without a boundary before Younus swept Mendis for four and soon afterwards the captain handed out similar treatment to the more experienced Muralitharan.

Another swept four by Younus off Murali saw the skipper post a fifty stand in 47 balls with Misbah.

Sri Lanka were 81 without loss before Afridi (two wickets for 23 runs off four overs), took two for three in six balls to reduce them to 89 for two.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (two for 26) took the key wickets of Sri Lanka captain Sangakkara, stumped by Kamran Akmal, and Mahela Jayawardene, caught in the covers by Afridi.

Openers Tillekaratne Dilshan (46) and Sanath Jayasuriya (26), aided by wayward pace bowling, got Sri Lanka off to a flyer before they fell to Afridi. Left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir endured a nightmare start as he conceded 29 runs, including six wides and three no-balls, in his two overs.

Pakistan next face New Zealand at the Oval on Saturday while Sri Lanka are back at Lord's on Sunday for a match against Ireland.


Soruce:TOI

West Indies stun India by 7 wickets

LONDON: Let down by their much-vaunted top order, defending champions India flunked their first Super Eight test and sunk to a seven-wicket defeat More Pictures
against the West Indies in the Twenty20 World Cup on Friday.


Dwayne Bravo scalped four Indian wickets with the ball and then returned to hit an unbeaten 36-ball 66, studded with three sixes, to seal the match.


Earlier, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to bat first boomeranged as the Indian top order crumbled and it required Yuvraj Singh's (67) 43-ball blitzkrieg and Yusuf Pathan's (31) cameo to reach a competitive 153 for seven.

Bravo (4/38) and Fidel Edwards (3/24) shared seven wickets between them while laying bare India's frailty against short-pitch bowling.

India play England in their next Super Eight match here on Sunday.

Leading West Indies' chase, Chris Gayle (22) hit Zaheer Khan for two fours in the first over but had to exercise some caution when Irfan Pathan claimed the scoreless Andrew Fletcher with his second delivery.

Harbhajan Singh began with a maiden over to further straitjacket Gayle and the left-hander decided to go after Yusuf Pathan, only to manage a top edge and Zaheer positioned himself perfectly under the skier at short fine leg.

While Gayle featured prominently in India's scheme of things, few spared a thought about Bravo. But in the end, it was Bravo who hurt India most, adding 58 runs with Lendl Simmons (44) and then completing the formality in Shivnarine Chanderpaul's (18 not out) company.

Earlier, Yuvraj celebrated the news of his elevation as vice-captain with an electrifying innings to turn an utterly miserable Indian innings into a respectable score.

India were reeling at 66 for four in the 13th over when Yuvraj and Yusuf Pathan (31 off 23 balls ) combined to put on 64 runs off 35 balls for the fifth wicket to bring about a complete turnaround to the innings.

In all, 87 runs were scored in the final eight overs. Harbhajan Singh provided a thrilling finish with three fours off the final three balls to finish with 13 not out from four deliveries.

Yuvraj fell in the 18th over, becoming third victim of Fidel Edwards, but such was his influence on the game that West Indies were left ruing a dropped chance off him when the left-hander was on 32.

Yuvraj had then flicked Dwayne Bravo to deep square leg where Andre Fletcher made a mess of a simple chance and from then on the West Indians were made to pay a heavy price.

Most of Yuvraj's big hits were in his preferred onside area but none better than a little scoop of a hit off Bravo which cleared the midwicket fence for six. In all, he hit six fours and two sixes in his 43-ball electric knock.

India were helped in their mission by Yusuf Pathan. Pathan had hurt his shoulder badly when he dived to survive a run-out chance off only the second ball he faced. But a little help from physio and pain-killer spray and the right-hander played a critical innings for India.

Earlier, India's top batsmen had found the West Indian new-ball bowlers too hot to handle as they were peppered by searing pace and lifting deliveries.

All the first three batsmen - Gautam Gambhir (14), Rohit Sharma (5) and Suresh Raina (5) - were never entirely comfortable and India were clearly gasping for breath at 29 for three.

Edwards picked two of these scalps in his first two overs. Rohit was late on a hook shot and spooned it over at square leg and then Raina edged one to wicket-keeper.

Gambhir made it only worse for the Indians when his pull was brilliantly picked by Lendl Simmons who ran at least 30 metres backwards to claim the catch.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni struggled during his 23-ball stay to score 11 runs and it took Yuvraj and Yusuf Pathan not only to stem the rot but also to counter-attack.


Source:TOI

Saina Nehwal , Anup out from Singapore Super Series

NEW DELHI: India's campaign at the Aviva Singapore Super Series came to an end on Friday after both Saina Nehwal and Anup Sridhar lost their respective quarter-finals.

Tournament sixth-seed Saina went down 21-19, 19-21, 14-21 to China's Wang Lin in the women's singles while qualifier Anup's dream run was cut short 11-21, 8-21 by Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana.

Anup, who had upset world number two Peter Gade of Denmark yesterday, could not quite bring his game to the same level as he was waylaid by the Thai with relative ease.

Anup, ranked 39th in the world, offered some resistance in the first game, keeping things level till 12th point.

Thereafter, he lost the plot and the Thai world number 19 opened up a four point lead which he steadily improved to walk away with the first game in 13 minutes.

The Indian failed to show the spirit that made him upset Gade and allowed Boonsak to open up a five-point lead at 5-10. The unseeded Thailand shuttler gave Anup no chance and wrapped up the second game and match in 14 minutes.

Source:TOi

Sania in semis of Aegon Classic

BIRMINGHAM: Sania Mirza's impressive run at the Aegon Classic continued as the Indian ace sealed a semi-final berth by beating 16th seed Hungarian Melinda Czink in straight sets on Friday.

The unseeded Indian survived some anxious moments in the dying minutes of the match before pulling off a 6-1, 7-6 (4) in the quarter-finals of the $220,000 WTA event being played in the build up to the Wimbledon.

Sania will next face winner of the other quarter-final match between 13th seed Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova and unseeded Polish Urszula Radwanska.

Sania went ahead by breaking Melinda at love in the fourth game. The Hungarian double faulted and the Indian pounced on the first chance and held next game to surge to a 4-1 lead.

Melinda struggled with her serve and a flurry of double faults again helped Sania's cause as the Indian capitalised on her rival's error to get one more break in the sixth game and served out the set in the game.

The double fault bug bit the Indian too in the second set as she committed two in the fourth game to hand a 3-1 lead to the Hungarian.

Sania though returned the compliment in the next game when she converted the second breakpoint and held her serve in the next to make it 3-3.

The Hyderabadi broke Melinda in the ninth game to create that little vital gap but squandered a match point in the next game to let Melinda draw parity.

Again she survived few anxious moments in the 12th game before stretching it to a tie-breaker, where she outplayed her rival to make the next round.

With this win Sania also equalled the win-loss record against Melinda 1-1 as she had lost her first match against the Hungarian when the two had clashed in Kolkata in 2005.

Soruce:TOi

Suranjoy ends India's 15-year gold drought in Asian boxing

New Delhi, June 13 (PTI) Suranjoy Singh gave India its first Asian Championship gold in 15 years while Thokchom Nanao Singh and Jai Bhagwan settled for silver medals as the country's boxers rounded off a 27-year-best performance in the elite event in Zhuhai, China today.

India ended their campaign with a gold, two silver and four bronze medals, which went to Jitender Kumar (54kg) Vijender Singh (75kg), Dinesh Kumar (81kg) and Paramjit Samota (+91kg). The team was placed third in the overall standings behind hosts China and Uzbekistan.

The performance this time is a marked improvement from 1982 championships held in Seoul where the country's boxers notched up two gold, an equal number of silver and a bronze medal.

The last gold medal for India in the Asian Championship came in the 1994 edition in Tehran where Rajkumar Sangwan finished on top in the super heavy weight category.

And today, it was a fly weight (51kg) boxer who broke the 15-year jinx. Suranjoy, a junior World Championship bronze medallist in 2004, beat Li Chao of China 9-8 in a thrilling encounter.

"It was certainly not one of my best performances because my opponent came very close to upstaging me but I am thrilled to win India's first gold medal here in 15 years," an elated Suranjoy told PTI. PTI

Bengal look to end 10-year title drought, Goa eye revenge

Chennai, June 13 (PTI) An upbeat Bengal will be looking to end their 10-year title drought when they face former champions Goa in the final of the 63rd National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, here tomorrow.

Bengal have never lost a final against Goa in the Santosh Trophy and have remained supreme in all of their five meetings so far.

History would also be on 29-time champions Bengal's side after they won their last title at the same venue 10 years back. That time also Goa were at the receiving end, humiliated 0-5.

Since their last triumph, things have only headed south for Bengal football after the domicile rule for national championship came into effect. Their campaign, barring a final appearance in 2007 when they eventually lost to Punjab, have been dismal.

However, things look promising this time. They have done well so far, playing as a unit and using the width of the pitch to good effect. The midfield too has combined well and PC Lalwmpuiya's work ethic has been outstanding.

Bengal coach Raghu Nandy promised to stick to an attacking brand of soccer which has borne them fruit so far in their campaign.

"We will play attacking football to regain the title," said Nandy. PTI

PCB gave me no independence - Abdul Qadir

Having maintained a steady silence since he abruptly stepped down from his post as chief selector earlier this week, Abdul Qadir finally let loose on the reasons behind his decision, blaming primarily a lack of independence in his role. Qadir also said had it been his choice, Pakistan's Twenty20 side would not be led by Younis Khan and that Shoaib Malik would not be in the side at all.

In particular, Qadir launched an attack on Intikhab Alam, Pakistan's coach, and Yawar Saeed, the team's manager, blaming them for interfering in selections and rendering his selectors "a dummy" committee.

"Why did I resign? If you do not get the respect, the justice or independence in your job it is better to leave," Qadir told Cricinfo. "If the PCB does not honour its contract then what is the point? I was told I would be given independence and a free hand in selection but that has not been the case."

The spark for the differences seems to have emerged from the ambiguous parameters assigned to the chief selector. The board's policy, for home games, is that the selection committee decides on a playing XI, in consultation with coach and captain. According to Qadir, 'consultation' allowed, effectively, the team management to finalise the XI without any input from selectors.

"The contract says that if there is a dispute over the final XI for a home game, the selector decides in consultation with coach and captain," Qadir said. "Here, the coach and manager and captain were deciding the XI so the selectors were not doing anything. Even the players for the central contracts - we had no say in that. If guys like Yawar Saeed and Intikhab Alam are handling these things, interfering, then why have selectors?"

Several ideas of his, Qadir said, had not been considered. One was a suggestion on improving Pakistan's bench strength by organizing matches between four teams with all the best talent in Pakistan. Other ideas were more radical. Had he been given the independence he wanted, for example, Younis would not be the captain of Pakistan's Twenty20 side.

"When I first was appointed as selector I said then we should have two captains but they didn't listen to me. I would've asked Younis to step down from ODI and Twenty20 cricket and made Shahid Afridi captain in both formats. I would've kicked Shoaib Malik out of the side totally because I noticed in Dubai that he is conspiring and forming cliques against Younis."

Pakistan only recently made its selection committee a full-time, salaried one; Qadir was the second such head, after Salahuddin Ahmed, who stepped down last year. "I did not do this for the money. I kick the PCB's money. I did it to bring justice to Pakistan's real talent that goes unnoticed every day. The whole system has to change and men such as Yawar Saeed and Intikhab Alam have to be removed from it. Otherwise nothing will change. I have nothing against Ijaz Butt but the system must change."

The other two members of the committee, ex-Test cricketers Salim Jaffer and Shoaib Mohammad are still in place and no replacement has yet been sought for Qadir.

Soruce:Cricinfo

First big test for India with Gayle likely to return

India v West Indies, ICC World Twenty20, Lord's

Match facts
Friday, June 12
Start time 1730 local (1630 GMT)

Big Picture
The business end of the tournament is about to begin for India, who have gone into the Super Eights under-tested. They have gone about their task effectively though, and without fuss, and facing them are a side who have been a total contrast. West Indies have been unpredictable, mercurial at times and pedestrian otherwise, and have relied on individual performances to lift them up.

Beware the individual spark though. The kind of innings Chris Gayle played against Australia can beat any team in the world on its own. The team officials are confident Gayle will be back for this match after he missed the inconsequential league game against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. India's counterpart of Gayle, the man capable of playing a similar innings at the top, Virender Sehwag, is not in town. Now starts the real test of how well Rohit Sharma can fill the opener's slot.

Soruce:Cricinfo.com

Smith praises teenage seamer Parnell

South Africa skipper Graeme Smith praised teenage left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell after the Proteas cruised to a seven-wicket win over England in the World Twenty20 Super Eights on Thursday.

Parnell claimed three for 14 as South Africa bowled out England for just 111 at Trent Bridge before man of the match Jacques Kallis made an unbeaten 57 to lead his team to victory with 10 balls to spare.

"We performed well with the ball and everyone in the field played their role well with intensity," said Smith.

"Parnell has been superb. He's just come in, he's very young and he's handled everything really well. He bowled with pace and control. The crowd was against us but he handled the situation very well."

Kallis, who also chipped in with two wickets, said he has been concentrating on improving his bowling.

"I've worked on it for the last two or three years. I discovered lots of variations in the IPL," said the veteran all-rounder.

"We knew if someone stayed at the wicket and we got a run a ball, we'd be OK tonight. I think this was a 140-wicket so our bowlers did really well to restrict them."

England skipper Paul Collingwood said his team, who were defeated by minnows the Netherlands in the tournament opener, will have to regroup in time for Sunday's clash with defending champions India at Lord's.

"It's been a real roller-coaster ride so far. Tonight we were beaten by a side who set an example in the field, there were diving catches and they put pressure on the batsmen," said Collingwood.

"We didn't get any partnerships going. We need to regroup in the batting, keep going and play in a positive manner to score some wins.

"We believe we have the guys in the dressing room who can win this tournament. We need to get some belief going."

South Africa next play the West Indies at the Oval in London on Saturday, while England take on defending champions India at Lord's on Sunday.

Two teams from the group will advance to the semi-finals.

Soruce:http://www.cricbuzz.com/component/latest_cricket_news/Story/15474/smith-praises-teenage-seamer-parnell/

CA scraps Symonds' contract, Tait replaces him

Melbourne, Jun 12 (PTI) Beleaguered all-rounder Andrew Symonds' career was dealt another blow with Cricket Australia terminating his central contract after he was sent home from ICC World Twenty20 Championships in England following another alcohol-related incident.

CA said it had withdrawn Symonds name from the 25-man player list to be offered one-year contracts for the 2009-10 season and replaced him with pacer Shaun Tait.

"With Cricket Australia now withdrawing its previous contract offer to Andrew Symonds, Shaun Tait has moved into a position where he has been offered a CA contract offer for 2009-10 under the rankings system CA uses to offer contracts to players," CA National Selection Panel chairman Andrew Hilditch said in a statement.

"Shaun (Tait) at his best is an important part of our one-day international and Twenty20 make-up and I'm sure he will now seize the opportunity presented to him with this offer of a further Australian contract," he added.

Symonds was originally offered a CA contract for 2009-10, however that offer has been revoked after a breach of team rules in the lead-up to the on-going ICC World Twenty20 being in England earlier this month.

CA operations manager Michael Brown, however, said that the Symonds is clear to play domestic cricket in Australia and hoped that the 34-year-old allrounder would continue to turn out for his home state Queensland. PTI

India suffer a 10-wicket mauling against England in WC opener

Taunton, Jun 11 (PTI) India eves began their Twenty20 World Cup campaign on a dismal note after hosts England spanked them by ten wickets in their Pool B match here today.

England were clinical as they first restricted India to meagre 112 and then overhauled the target with 4.2 overs to spare at County ground.

The hosts openers Charlotte Edwards (61) and Sarah Taylor (50) smashed scintillating unbeaten half-centuries to lead the 50-over World Cup winners to a comprehensive win.

Mithali Raj (24) and Sulakashna Naik (24) had earlier saved India from blushes and it was because of them that India crawled past the 100-run mark after deciding to bat.

Taylor and Edwards began cautiously and gave England a decent if not spectacular start. The duo batted with such ease that India never harboured hopes of a turnaround.

India skipper Jhulan Goswami used as many as four bowlers in the first seven overs but the effort did not yield any success.

Once both the batswomen got their eye in they punished the Indian bowlers severely and clobbered them all around the park.

Taylor's 41-ball knock included seven boundaries while Edwards' 53-ball innings was studded with six fours and two sixes. PTI

All existing F1 teams on 2010 entry list

LONDON: All 10 existing Formula One teams were included on the 2010 entry list on Friday along with two new US based operations and one from Spain.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement that McLaren, BMW-Sauber, Renault, Toyota and Brawn were all conditional entries, however, with further discussions to be concluded by June 19.

Champions Ferrari, the two Red Bull teams, Williams and Force India were deemed to be unconditional.

Spain's Campos Grand Prix and the American-based U.S. F1 and Manor Grand Prix operations were also included in an expanded line-up of 13 teams.

Source:TOI

Saina Nehwal enters Singapore Open quarters

NEW DELHI: Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal reached the quarter-finals after staving off a scare from Indonesian Adrianti Firdasari at the Singapore Open Super Series badminton tournament on Thursday.

Sixth seed Saina beat 19th ranked Firdasari 21-18, 17-21, 21-17 in a 50-minute battle.

The day, however, belonged to Anup Sridhar. The Olympian pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, beating world number two Dane Peter Gade to reach the quarter-finals.

The world number 39 Indian defeated third seed Gade 21-19, 16-21, 21-13 in an edge-of-the-seat thriller which lasted close to an hour.

In the quarter-finals, Anup takes on Thai Boonsak Ponsana, who beat sixth seed Simon Santoso 21-11, 21-7.

In the see-saw battle, Anup opened up a four-point lead at 14-10 in his first game and although his rival clawed back at 15-all first and then 16-17, the Bangalorean battled his way to eventually pocket the game.

The second game also could have gone either way as the duo went neck-and-neck from 3-3 to 9-9 before the Dane thumped his mark and raced away with the game.

The decisive third game turned out to be a complete thriller as the duo didn't concede an inch without fight and went 3-3, 5-5 and then 11-11 before Anup broke free and grabbed seven straight points to seal the match.

Source:TOI

Manchester United sells Ronaldo to Real Madrid for record $131.2m

MANCHESTER: Manchester United have agreed to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a world record 80 million pounds (130 million dollars, 94 million euros), the club said on Thursday.

"Manchester United have received a world-record, unconditional offer of 80 million pounds for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid," said a statement on its website, under the headline "Reds accept £80m Ronaldo bid."

The statement continued: "At Cristiano's request - who has again expressed his desire to leave - and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player.

"Matters are expected to be concluded by 30 June. The club will not comment until further notice."

Ronaldo has long been a target for the Spanish giants, whose returning president Florentino Perez vowed earlier this week to do "everything possible" to take the 24-year-old to the Bernabeu.

The news comes just days after Real clinched the 56 million pounds transfer of Brazilian playmaker Kaka from Italian side AC Milan as they look to compete with arch-rivals Barcelona on the domestic front and such as Manchester United and Chelsea in the Champions League.

There was no immediate statement from Real Madrid.

Source:TOI

Sania in pre-quarters of WTA Aegon Classic

Birmingham, Jun 10 (PTI) Sania Mirza quelled a late challenge from world number 49 and 11th seed Anne Keothavong to sail into the pre-quarterfinals of the USD 220,000 WTA Aegon Classic here today.

The unseeded Indian beat the British number one 6-1 7-6 (5) in the second round after battling it out for one hour and 27 minutes.

Sania will now run into the winner of the match between local wild card Elena Baltachs and Russian fifth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a place in the last-eight stage.

Sania dominated the first set and did not give any chance to Anee, whom the Indian broke thrice to take lead.

However, Anee shrugged off the rustiness in the second set and put up a brave fight to stretch it to a tie-breaker, where Sania held her nerves and converted her second match point.

Sania had beaten Tatiana Poutchek in the first round last night. PTI

No plan to bat at No. 3 throughout the T20 World Cup: Dhoni

Trent Bridge, June 11 (PTI) India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today made it clear that he has no plans to bat at the number three slot throughout the Twenty20 World Cup and claimed it was a part of the team's experiment with the batting order.

Even though an in-form Suresh Raina seems the more logical choice for the slot, Dhoni has been coming at one down in the Twenty20 World Cup but with little success.

After India's eight-wicket triumph over Ireland, the Indian captain was asked if he plans to continue occupying the slot for the remainder of the tournament to which Dhoni replied, "Not really." Dhoni said the team was experimenting with the batting order and hence he was coming at number three.

"We are trying a few things. I think we have to see what combination we are playing with and decide depending on that," he said.

Dhoni, meanwhile, was relieved with Zaheer Khan's sterling performance against Ireland as the left-arm seamer grabbed four wickets, besides the Man of the Match award.

"It's really good that he is back in form," Dhoni said of Zaheer who was nursing a shoulder injury till the other day.

"We knew he would take one more game to get back to groove and that's what we saw today. He was back in the groove, swinging the ball and hitting the right areas," Dhoni said. PTI

Bhaichung prepares for legal battle

Kolkata, June 9 (PTI) India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia who was yesterday suspended by Mohun Bagan club for six months, has started exploring legal options with his lawyer Usha Nath Banerjee today asserting that the footballer was no longer a registered player with the Kolkata club.

Stating that the football season was over and Bhutia was no longer a registered Bagan player, Banerjee said that he would be a "free footballer" till he registers himself again with the Indian Football Association (IFA) for 2009-10 season.

"Bhutia has a contract with Mohun Bagan till 2010. But his contract does not become operative until he registers himself with IFA," Banerjee told reporters here.

"Bhaichung has personally requested me to represent him. So I'm here for my client. However, I will not disclose our next move which you will come to know shortly," Banerjee said.

However, Mohun Bagan general secretary Anjan Mitra said their decision to suspend Bhutia is completely in accordance with the rule. PTI

South Africa beat New Zealand by 1 run

LONDON: South Africa rode on some excellent bowling to clinch a one-run win over New Zealand in a thrilling Group D clash of the ICC World Twenty20 at Lord's.


With both teams having already qualified for the Super Eight stage, this was about keeping the momentum going and South Africa earned the bragging rights as they restricted New Zealand to 127 for five.


But things didn't go as planned for Graeme Smith's men as they managed just 128 for seven after they were put into bat by New Zealand stand-in skipper Brendon McCullum.

However, some excellent work in the field allowed Proteas to get even as they stifled the Kiwis, who at one stage were cruising along nicely with McCullum (57), who led the side in the absence of the injured Daniel Vettori, putting on 56 runs with Ross Taylor (22) for the third wicket.

New Zealand suffered a setback early on when they lost Martin Guptill (6) and Neil Broom (1) cheaply.

However, McCullum, who was rather cautious, managing just six boundaries in his 54-ball knock, and Taylor did a good job in repairing the innings.

Taylor fought gamely on despite suffering from a hamstring strain and needing a runner before his stumps was shattered by a RE van der Merwe delivery.

That dismissal put the brakes on New Zealand and they struggled to get going. McCullum fell trying to improve the run rate, Mark Boucher taking off the bails behind stumps from a Van der Merwe delivery.

Jacob Oram (24 off 18 balls) did his best to see the team through, but fell one run short.

Earlier, some brilliant bowling and excellent fielding helped New Zealand restrict South Africa to 128.

McCullum's decision to field first was vindicated with the bowlers keeping the dangerous South African batsmen in check. They were aided in their cause by two brilliant run outs that got rid of Jacques Kallis (24) and later the in-form AB Villiers (15).

Kallis' run out to a brilliant piece of fielding by McCullum put the brakes on South Africa after he and skipper Graeme Smith (33) put on 49 for the opening wicket.

Veteran Scott Styris then removed Herschelle Gibbs (3) and Ian Butler bowled Smith to put South Africa in even more trouble.

Van der Merwe (0) came and went and that brought de Villiers to the crease.

He showed his intent with a four off Mills but fell trying a non-existent second run as Martin Guptill's throw from the deep knocked off the stumps at the non-striking end.

JP Duminy (29) hit a couple of sixes towards the end to prop up the South African innings but fell trying to hit one too many.

Source:TOI

Nadal will fight to be fit for Wimbledon

MADRID: Champion Rafael Nadal will do all he can to fix problems with his knees and be fit to defend his Wimbledon title this month, he said on Tuesday after tests at a clinic in Barcelona.

The world number one was forced out of this week's traditional Wimbledon warm-up tournament at Queen's Club with tendinitis and said he faced two tough weeks of recuperation before Wimbledon gets underway on June 22.

"I will give 200 percent to be at 100 percent for the most important date in world tennis and the tournament that has always excited me the most," the Spaniard said in a statement.

"I have been playing with pain in my knees for several months and personally I cannot continue like this," he added.

"The pain was limiting me physically in certain movements which meant I was also suffering mentally. I will not take to any court, and certainly not the Wimbledon centre court, unless I know I am 100 percent."

After his shock defeat to Robin Soderling at the French Open nine days ago, Nadal said he had been advised to rest by doctors and pulled out of Queen's in London, where he was also defending champion.

He said he would have physiotherapy in the coming days and Spanish tennis federation (RFET) doctor Angel Ruiz Cotorro said the treatment would include anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle work.

Nadal has blamed his injury problems on what he calls the overloaded tennis calendar and last season missed the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai and Spain's Davis Cup victory over Argentina.

He said he would travel to London next Tuesday.

Source:TOI

Anand wins 5-3 against Leko

Miskolc (Hungary), Jun 9 (PTI) World Champion Viswanatan Anand won the rapid match against Hungarian Peter Leko with a comfortable 5-3 margin after drawing the last two games on the final day here on Monday.

Both the games saw a keen tussle between the two players. Anand was seen pressing even as he was unable to overcome Leko's defence.

In the end both games ended in draws.

The Indian ace had won two of the eight games in this match earlier and with six draws it turned out to be another cherished performance by Anand.

The Indian maintained his match victories for the second time in a row as he had beaten Kramnik in the last world championship at Bonn in Germany.

This loss in the match on his home turf turned out to be the third in a row for Leko. The Hungarian had started this series way back in 2006 when he beat former world champion Anatoly Karpov of Russia but since then his hunt for an elusive victory against a world class player is on.

In 2007 Vladimir Kramnik turned out to be superior while in 2008 Norwegian Magnus Carlsen dented Leko's confidence.

It was a Semi Slav defense by Leko once again in the seventh game and Anand expectedly opted for a solid system with white pieces. Getting a nagging advantage in the middle game Anand tried to put pressure along the central files but found Leko well armed with his defense. PTI

Jeev 34th, Randhawa 134th in golf rankings

NEW DELHI: Jeev Milkha Singh hung on to his 34th place in the official World Golf Rankings after his sixth place finish in the Wales Open while compa triot Jyoti Randhawa slipped seven places to 134th.

Jeev, who shared the sixth place with Simon Dyson, Oliver Fischer and Richard Green at five-under 279 at the Celtic Minor Resort, maintained his previous week's place to remain the highest ranked Indian golfer.

Randhawa's tied 49th finish in the same European Tour event was not enough to avert a slide as he lost seven places to finish 134th.

US-based Arjun Atwal, who is out of action due to injury, remains static at 260th.

Soruce:TOI

Indian colts blank Singapore 10-0 in WC opener

Singapore, Jun 8 (PTI) Skipper Diwakar Ram smashed led from the front scoring five goals as former champions India opened their campaign in style by crushing co-hosts Singapore 10-0 in the Junior World Cup Hockey tournament here today.

Diwakar Ram flicked five goals from penalty corners in the 15th, 18th, 29th, 55th and 66th minutes at the Seng Kang Sports Complex.

Indians, who led 6-0 at the break, scored their other goals through Danish Mujtaba 5th and 51st, Dharamvir Singh 26th, Mandip Antil 30th and Vivek 47th minute.

This is also the highest victory margin so far in the event, being co-hosted by Singapore and Malaysia.

India dominated the proceedings from the beginning with constant attacks from their forwards.

They attacked at will with perfect coordination among the midfielders and the forwards. The strong bench strength of India afforded coach A K Bansal to shuffle his pack.

Indian medios and deep defence did not allow Singapore to advance too much in their territory as goalkeeper Choubey was not tested.

The Indian flankmen Mandip Antil and Mohd. Amir Khan tore open the seams of the Singapore defence and fed strikers Danish Mujtaba, Pramod Kumar and Jay Karan as they successfully won penalty corners in quick succession.

India play New Zealand in their Pool D match tomorrow.

In an earlier Pool D match, Holland registered their second successive win by beating Poland 7-2. PTI

Bagan suspends Bhutia for six months

Kolkata, June 8 (PTI) In a dramatic development, Mohun Bagan today suspended its captain Bhaichung Bhutia for six months from playing for the club, citing "violation of rules and regulations", which also virtually rules him out of joining any other club.

Bhutia had sought a release from Mohun Bagan after his commitment was questioned by the club in a showcause notice served on him on May 15.

Dismissing his request, the club in its executive committee meeting today suspended the iconic Indian footballer from playing for the club for six months.

"In a unanimous decision, we at our executive committee decided to suspend Bhutia for six months. During this time, he cannot play for Mohun Bagan," senior executive committee member Subrata Mukherjee told reporters.

In his acerbic best, Mukherjee added, "Despite being the captain, he has been defying rules and regulation of the club for a long time and thus breaching his contract. He has been irresponsible not only for practices but in international matches as well." "In the interest of football, we have taken this decision and set a precedent that he is just like anybody else. Bhaichung may be a great player in India but he is not an institution. Mohun Bagan, being a very old national club, we have taken this decision." PTI

Jitender in Asian Championships' quarterfinals

New Delhi, June 8 (PTI) Rounding off a second successive all-win day for India, Olympian Jitender Kumar (54kg) and Jai Bhagwan (60kg) advanced to the quarterfinals with contrasting wins at the Asian Boxing Championships in Zhuhai, China today.

Jitender was the first to take the ring and the Beijing Olympic quarterfinalist defeated Thailand's Chatchai Butdee in a thrilling contest.

The two boxers were tied 4-4 after the regulation three rounds and were locked 4-4 even on countback but Jitender won after three of the five judges officiating the bout declared him as the better of the two boxers.

"I was leading in the first two rounds but he became very aggressive in the final round and equalised. I was very tense after we were found to be tied even after the countback. It was such a relief when judges declared me winner for being a better boxer," a relieved Jitender told PTI from Zhuhai.

The 22-year-old Haryana-boxer now takes on Enkhjargal Iderkhu in the quarterfinals on Wednesday in what would be his first bout against the Mongolian.

"I have not seen this guy. The coaches are keeping an eye on his bouts and will formulate a strategy accordingly," said Jitender. PTI

Federer wins maiden French Open title

PARIS: Roger Federer gloriously completed a career Grand Slam on Sunday by capturing a record-equalling 14th major with a 6-1, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 win over Robin Soderling in the French Open final.

The 27-year-old world number two finally won a Roland Garros crown at the 11th attempt and in his fourth successive final having come up heartbreakingly short in the last three showdowns against Spanish nemesis Rafael Nadal.

Blog: Federer, the greatest ever

His victory, ironically over the Swedish 23rd seed who shocked four-time Nadal in the last 16, took him level with great friend Pete Sampras as the holder of 14 Grand Slam titles.

He also moved into a select group made up only of Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and Andre Agassi as men who have won all four of the Grand Slam events.

"It was probably my greatest victory, I was under big pressure. I did it and it's phenomenal," said Federer who broke down in tears after being presented with the trophy by Agassi, the 1999 champion, and while the Swiss national anthem was played.

Soderling, who has now lost 10 times in 10 meetings with Federer, admitted the Swiss was a deserving winner.

"Roger was too good for me today, he played much better. He is a worthy winner and for me he is the best player in history," said Soderling.

"He gave me a lesson in how to play tennis."

Any doubts over Federer's ability to overcome his Paris jinx were quickly dashed as the Swiss star, playing in a record-equalling 19th Grand Slam final and riding a tidal wave of support, dominated Soderling.

He broke the first game on a Soderling double fault and was soon a second break to the good to lead 4-0 when a sweetly-timed drop shot left the Swede stranded behind the baseline.

Soderling, the first Swede in the Roland Garros final since his coach Magnus Norman finished runner-up to Gustavo Kuerten in 2000, stopped the rot with a hold to trail 4-1, but Federer quickly nipped further ahead to 5-1.

Soderling's uncompromising forehand, which was a dagger to the heart of Nadal, was looking more like a blunt instrument in the damp and chilly conditions.

His service game crumbled again in the seventh game as Federer claimed the opening set.

It had taken just 23 minutes with the Swiss losing just two points on serve.

The final was then delayed by a worrying security breach during the fourth game of the second set with Federer ahead 2-1.

A spectator, dressed in red, waved a flag of the Barcelona football club in the world number two's face before he was wrestled off Court Philippe Chatrier by security guards.

But the Swiss star wasn't disrupted from his elegant stride, either by the intruder or the rain which started to steadily fall.

Although Soderling slowly rediscovered his service power, it was Federer who was comfortably dictating the points and he fired down four aces in the tie-break to open up a two-sets lead.

He was a break ahead in the third set to lead 1-0 before Soderling carved out, and squandered, his first break point of the match in the fourth game.

Federer then sent down his 16th ace of the tie to stretch to 4-2.

He came out to serve for a place in history but faltered to 30-40 with a wild, running forehand.

With pregnant wife Mirka looking anxiously on, he averted the crisis and went to match point with a confident volley and claimed victory when Soderling netted a service return after 1hr 55min on court.

Federer slumped to the Paris clay in celebration and in tears as he secured his place as arguably the greatest player of all time.

Source:TOI

Kuznetsova wears French Open women’s singles crown

PARIS, June 6: Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2 in an all-Russian final of the French Open on Saturday to take away her second Grand Slam title.

It was a comprehensive win for the 23-year-old seventh seed who lost in the final here in 2006 to Justine Henin two years after she stunned the world of tennis by winning the US Open as a 19-year-old.

For Safina it was a crushing way to end a two-week-long campaign geared at securing a first Grand Slam title and proving that she is a worthy of the world number one spot.

It was the second straight year she has lost in the final here going down in straight sets to Ana Ivanovic of Serbia last year and her second successive Grand Slam final defeat having lost to Serena Williams in Melbourne this year.

“It was so many years since I won a Grand Slam and I thought it would never happen again,” Kuznetsova said.

20 teams to fight for Junior Hockey World Cup from tomorrow

Singapore, June 6 (PTI) Twenty countries drawn in four different pools will vie for top honours in the two-week long men's Junior Hockey World Cup beginning simultaneously at the Taman Daya stadium here and Johor Bahru, Malaysia tomorrow.

India, who won the title in 2001, are drawn in Pool D alongwith the Netherlands, Poland, New Zealand and co-hosts Singapore.

Captained by promising drag-flicker Diwakar Ram, India have had a good outing in the last three editions of the quadrennial event, being silver medalists in 1997 at Milton Keynes, UK, champions at Hobart eight years ago, and reaching the semi-finals at Rotterdam four years back.

In the last edition, the Indians lost to Spain in the bronze medal playoff match and had to be satisfied with the fourth position.

However, this time around the Indians are strong contenders for the title and have already made their intentions clear in the two practice matches they played before the tournament. PTI

Biography of Rafael Nadal

Nicknamed "Rafa", Rafael Nadal has took the tennis world by storm over the past 5 years as he has made his way on the professional tennis circuit to number 2 in the world with a staggering clay-court winning streak of 60 consecutive matches.

He was born June 3rd 1986 in Manacor, Mallorca to Sebastián and Ana María. He has great sporting heritage as his Uncle is former F.C. Barcelona footballer Miguel Ángel Nadal. Between 1986 and 2001 (the year in which he turned pro at only age 15) he developed a brilliant all round game playing left-handed despite being naturally right-handed.

His rise since then has been a quick and exhilarating one. In 2002, he won his first ATP match at Majorca at the age of 15, defeating Ramon Delgado to become the ninth player in the Open Era to win an ATP match before his 16th birthday. One year later in 2003 he became the second-youngest player to be ranked among the world's top 100 singles players and earned ATP Newcomer of the Year. At his Wimbledon debut, at only age 16, he became the youngest player to reach the 3rd round since 16-year-old Boris Becker in 1984 and in July 2003 he reached the Spanish championships where he lost to Lopez.

He continued to improve in 2004 and by 2005 had climbed the world rankings to number 5. This made him the youngest player to make it into the Top 10 since Andrei Medvedev in 1993. During this season he won two ATP Masters Series events in Monte Carlo and Rome and managed an astonishing winning streak of 25 consecutive matches.

Among his other historical achievements he became the fourth-youngest Roland Garros champion in the Open Era defeating Argentina's Mariano Puerta in the final, the seventh player to win a Grand Slam in his first appearance at the event and the first teenager to win a Grand Slam since Pete Sampras won the 1990 US Open at age 19.

Biodata Roger Federer

Biodata Roger Federer

Name :Roger Federer

Birth Date :August8, 1981

Birth Place : Basel, Switzerland

Height : ''6'1"

Weight : 84 kg

Eyes : brown

Hair Color : Dark-Brown

Natinality : Swides

Play: Right handed(singel-handed back hand)
Profession : Long tenis

Former Idols : boris becker, stefan edberg

Hobbies : sports(Golf, Skiing, Soccer), Friends, Playstation, music, Playing Cards

Food : Tomatoes & Mozzarella di Buffa, Gnocchi & Gorgonzola, sausage & cheese-salad

Colours : Blue, Red, White

Defiant Federer keeps Paris dream alive

PARIS: World number two Roger Federer kept his dream of a maiden French Open title alive when he battled past Argentine fifth seed Juan Martin del Po tro 3-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 in a nail-biting semi-final on Friday.

The Swiss, playing in his 20th consecutive grand slam semi-final, was one set from defeat when he turned on the style to set up a final with Swede Robin Soderling, who ushered out four times champion Rafael Nadal in the fourth round.

"I am a bit lucky but I fought," said Federer, who will on Sunday equal Ivan Lendl's record of 19 grand slam final appearances.

"I have an outstanding record against him (Soderling) but he played a fantastic match against (Fernando) Gonzalez," he added after the Swede earlier won in five sets against the Chilean.

"He (Soderling) has a lot of credit since he is the one who knocked out Rafa, who was the man to beat in this tournament," added the 13-times grand slam champion, who has beaten the Swede in all their nine previous encounters.

Federer, looking to equal Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles, got off to a miserable start as Del Potro relied on his big serve and punishing forehand to dictate the play.

Backed by a 15,000 capacity Centre Court crowd, he prevailed after three hours 29 minutes on his second match point to book his place in a fourth consecutive final on the Paris clay.

Federer had started confidently, moving Del Potro around the court and setting up two break chances in the second and fourth games.

The Argentine saved them with an ace and a service winner before taking control of the match, stepping into the court to dominate the points.

He broke for 3-2 when Federer netted a forehand and the same error from the Swiss in the ninth game gave Del Potro the first set after 38 minutes.

The 20-year-old Argentine had never taken a set from Federer in five previous matches.

The Swiss forced a tiebreak in the second after all games went with serve and that is when he showed glimpses of his brilliant best.

He won the tiebreak 7-2 when Del Potro sent a forehand long, triggering a prolonged roar from the crowd.

It failed to unsettle the towering Argentine, who broke in the first game of the third set and continued to look comfortable on his service games.

At 15-15 in the seventh game, it looked like Federer was warming Del Potro up at the net, simply feeding the Argentine with the ball instead of finding a passing shot.

Del Potro won the game when Federer sent a chipped forehand long. As the clock ticked past the two-hour mark, the Argentine bagged the set, his Swiss opponent firing a forehand wide.

Federer then started to mix up his game with sliced shots and was rewarded for his tactical change when the Argentine dropped serve in the fourth game of the fourth set by firing a forehand long to the delight of the partisan fans.

He broke again in the sixth game, following up on serve to send the contest into an unpredictable decider.

With his teeth now sinking firmly into his prey, Federer stole his opponent's serve in the first game of the fifth set as Del Potro's game continued to crumble.

The Argentine briefly regained his poise in time to break back for 3-3, only to drop serve again with a double fault.

Federer could sense victory and kept his composure. Del Potro saved one match point on his own serve but was helpless on the second when Federer followed a big first serve with a forehand winner to end the match.

Source:TOI

Prakash Amritraj enters ATP quarters

NOTTINGHAM: India's Prakash Amritraj registered a fighting win over seventh-seeded Australian Davis Cupper Chris Guccione to storm into the quarter-f
inals of 42,500 euros Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challenger.

Prakash played two tie-breakers before winning 7-6(5), 7-6(4) at the grass courts on Thursday. He next plays British qualifier Joshua Goodall.

Meanwhile, Rohan Bopanna retired from his second round match against Ukranian Sergie Bubka while leading 5-4.6-1, 6-1

Soruce:TOI

Jeev tied 19th at Celtic Manor Wales Open

New Port (Wales), June 5 (PTI) A hole-in-one on the 13th was the highlight of Jeev Milkha Singh's card as the Indian brought home a two-under 69 to lie tied 19 after the opening round of the Celtic Manor Wales Open here.

Among other Indians in fray, Jyoti Randhawa turned in one-over 72 to be tied 62, while Shiv Kapur carded two-over 73 to languish at tied 87.

On a rollercoaster day, Jeev sank as many as three birdies and a hole-in-one against three bogeys at the Celtic Manor Resort for a strong start to his campaign.

Jeev had a poor start when he stumbled on a bogey in the second hole and although he made amends with a birdie at the eighth, a ninth hole bogey had him one-over at the turn.

On resumption, the Chandigarh golfer hit another birdie-bogey patch at the 11th and 12th hole before he fired a hole-in-one on the par-three 13th and followed it up with a birdie at the 15th to end the day on a positive note.

In contrast, Randhawa's card included a couple of bogeys on the fifth and 17th holes with the lone birdie at the 13.

Shiv Kapur was even-par after his front nine before he ran into trouble and his back nine included two birdies, as many bogeys and the 12th hole double bogey.

At the top, Thomas Bjorn blasted a five-under 66 to share the lead with England's Nick Dougherty, Scotland's Alan McLean and South African David Frost after the first round here. PTI

Olympians back formation of Hockey India

NEW DELHI: Formation of Hockey India seemed to have polarised the fraternity with the Olympian trio of Ajit Pal Singh, Zafar Iqbal and Jagbir Singh on Friday backing the body, saying it was the only way to ensure 2010 World Cup stays in India.

A day after Joaquim Carvalho, Gavin Perreira and Gurbux Singh criticised the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for setting up Hockey India without consulting the states, Ajit Pal, Zafar and Jagbir saw logic behind the move, calling it a step in the right direction.

Ajit Pal said the IOA had to form Hockey India since it was under pressure from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to form a unified body comprising men and women's units or else lose next year's World as well as the nation's participation right in FIH events.

"In my opinion, Indian hockey had to start from somewhere. I'm happy IOA formed Hockey India to save the World Cup. The FIH has threatened to isolate India and under these circumstances, they had no options," Ajit Pal said.

He also oozed confidence that Hockey India's seven-member governing council would declare elections within the stipulated six months time and by then, all disputes would die down.

"Wait six months and see what exactly happens," he said.

Ajit Pal, who led the 1975 World Cup winning squad, also cast aspersions on the intentions of the state associations opposing the move.

"What were the state associations doing when hockey was gasping for breath? We never get any feedback states and now they are feeling left out," he wondered.

Member of India's last Olympic gold medal winning side, Zafar Iqbal also felt the state associations were sulking unnecessarily since they would become Hockey India members when elections are held.

"Hockey India is a step in the right direction. The IOA have put it in place of an ad-hoc body which didn't have any power. Now Hockey India can take right decisions and the FIH has Hockey India to deal with," said Zafar, a former captain and a member of the 1980 Moscow Olympics gold medal winning side.

"If the state associations think IOA would contine to run the show, they are mistaken. Ultimately, after the elections, the final say would be of the states," he explained.

"I don't think the IOA would like to run hockey when it has other important things to worry about, especially the 2010 Commonwelath Games," he added.

Former India coach Jagbir Singh too backed the body and said it was a welcome step.

"As a player I welcome the decision of forming Hockey India because by doing so the IOA saved the next year's World Cup," he said.

Source:TOI

Bhupathi-Knowles out of French Open doubles

Paris, Jun 1 (PTI) Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles of Bahamas bowed out in the pre-quarterfinals of the mens doubles event at French Open here, losing in a tough three-setter against unseeded Jose Acasuso of Argentina and Fernando Gonzalez of Chile.

The fourth seeded Indo-Bahamian pair toiled hard on the court for an hour and 56 minutes against the surprise package of Acasuso and Gonzalez before eventually losing the gruesome third round encounter 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

Interestingly, there was nothing much to differentiate between the two pairs apart from the total number of points won. While Bhupathi-Knowles won 96 points in the entire match, their opponents scored a perfect 100.

With this loss, Bhupathi's campaign in this year's French Open came to a disappointing end as partnering Sania Mirza, he had already crashed out of the mixed doubles event, losing in the first round in straight sets against French-Israeli duo of Nathalie Dechy and Andy Ram. PTI