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| Friday, May 19, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Bindra
to raise PCA, match-fixing issue
Ed Giddins sends Zimbabwe reeling |
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Venus, Pierce advance |
Haryana eves post 14-0 victory
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Bindra to raise PCA, match-fixing issue NEW DELHI, May 18 (UNI) — The surfeit of allegations on match-fixing and administrative malpractices are expected to swamp tomorrow’s meeting of the working committee of the BCCI where cricket has lately been relegated to the fence with mud-slinging among officials occupying centrestage. The BCCI has also called a special general meeting on May 20 to take stock of the match-fixing controversy that has rocked the Indian cricketing establishment since the surfacing of the ‘Cronje episode’ last month. In the last few weeks, allegations and counter charges have flown thick and fast with cricket officials indulging in a war of words. Former board President I.S. Bindra took the lead levelling charges of wrongdoing by BCCI functionaries. Bindra, who is the president of Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), submitted a 360-page report to the CBI, inquiring into match-fixing allegations, in which he has also called for probing allotment of telecast rights since 1996 besides a fresh look into holding of ‘masala (exhibition) and thaila (money bag)’’ matches in venues like Sharjah, Toronto and Singapore. Earlier, he had accused players and officials of virtually every cricketing nation of being involved in wrongdoings. Bindra, who has been camping here for the past few days, said he would definitely raise the match-fixing issue at the working committee meeting. He said issues relating to the PCA would also be raised. However, he seemed to be in dark about the special general meeting of the board saying: “I have not received any intimation from the board so far.’’ “According to the board’s constitution, there has to be a ten-day notice for such an extraordinary meeting,’’ he clarified. “It is different matter if they want to have a get-together of board officials,’’ he added contemptuously. Clearly with a sharp dividing line between the ‘camps’ and going by the statements flooding the media, the proceedings are bound to be boisterous. Sensing the heat, BCCI President A.C. Muthiah sounded a note of caution at a media conference in Chennai yesterday. He warned the board members of expulsion if they continued with their slander campaign and advised them to go to the CBI, instead of the media, with their complaints. Asked about the Muthiah’s threat, Bindra said, “Let’s see.’’ the BCCI president has, however, assured that he would remain neutral while grappling with the most serious crisis the body has faced since its inception. Muthiah said the working committee would discuss the letters received from rival groups. The committee, he said, would also deliberate on expulsion and issuance of show cause notices to all those resorting to ‘slander campaign’. In the light of the public outcry over the match-fixing issue, the working committee is likely to consider introduction of a code of conduct for the players, with accent on their off-the-field behaviour. The committee will also
review the recent meetings the board officials had with
ICC President Jagmohan Dalmiya and Sports Minister S.S.
Dhindsa on the match-fixing issue. |
Ed Giddins sends Zimbabwe reeling LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) — Ed Giddins seized his Test-best of five for 15 as England fired out Zimbabwe for 83 in their first innings on the opening day of the first Test at Lord’s today. Swing bowler Giddins took all his wickets in 36 balls to press home the advantage which Andy Caddick had given England when he captured three wickets for two runs in nine deliveries with the new ball. With Darren Gough taking the other two wickets, England’s out-cricket fully rewarded captain Nasser Hussain’s decision to put the touring side in when he won the toss with conditions overcast and the pitch showing tinges of green. Zimbabwe’s bowlers, by contrast, struggled to provide such a searching examination until, on the stroke of tea, Heath Streak had Mark Ramprakash leg before for 15, leaving England on 29 for one at the interval with Michael Atherton unbeaten on 13. Earlier, England paceman Andy Caddick had Zimbabwe reeling in their Lord’s Test debut with a burst of three wickets for two runs in nine deliveries. The touring side were in disarray at 67 for six at lunch on the opening day of the first Test. Caddick fired out openers Grant Flower and Trevor Gripper, and then Alistair Campbell, as Zimbabwe slumped to eight for three after being put in to bat when England captain Nasser Hussain won the toss. Swing bowler Ed Giddins dispatched Zimbabwe skipper Andy Flower and Guy Whittall, and Darren Gough returned for a second spell to remove Murray Goodwin to complete the first session rout. Zimbabwe (first innings): G. Flower b Caddick 4 T. Gripper c Stewart b Caddick 1 M. Goodwin c Knight b Gough 18 A. Campbell c Stewart b Caddick 0 A. Flower c Atherton b Gidding 24 N. Johnson c Gough b Giddings 14 G. Whittall b Giddins 15 H. Streak c Atherton b Giddins 4 B. Strang c Ramprakash b Giddins 0 B. Murphy c Stewart b Gough 0 M. Mbangwa not out 1 Extras (LB-2) 2 Total (all out, 30.3 overs) 83 Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-8, 3-8, 4-46, 5-48, 6-67, 7-78, 8-79, 9-82. Bowling: Gough
12.3-1-36-2, Caddick 8-3-28-3, Flintoff 3-2-2-0, Giddins
7-2-15-5. |
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HAMBURG, May 18 (AFP) — Top seed Pete Sampras saw his claycourt nightmares return to haunt him here yesterday when he bowed out to unseeded Frenchman Arnaud Di Pasquale in straight sets in the Hamburg Masters. Di Pasquale managed a break in either set to win their second-round encounter 6-4 6-4 in 78min in just the kind of heavy conditions which Sampras loathes. The Frenchman will now face Romania’s Andrei Pavel, who won 6-4 6-4 against Spanish 15th seed Juan Carlos Ferrero. With the departures of Sampras and Ferrero seven seeds have already bit the dust at the tournament, the fifth in this year’s Masters series. “I wasn’t sure quite what to expect but I decided to go on the attack,” said Di Pasquale, ranked 53 on the ATP computer, afterwards. “I wanted to try to put him under pressure and force him into making mistakes,” he added. The recipe proved spot on. Sampras, whose preparations for the French Open in two weeks — the only Grand Slam he has yet to win — now lie in ruins. The American surrendered his serve in the seventh game of the opening set, then found himself broken to love as Di Pasquale, finding the lines with a welter of brilliant returns, moved 4-3 ahead in the second set and quickly closed the door on the world number five, who was returning from a thigh muscle injury which has interrupted his Roland Garros preparations. “I was just a little bit off, missing some forehands,” the 28-year-old Sampras, former world number one explained. The key to the match was that I did’t put a lot of pressure on his service games,” added the six-time Wimbledon champion who has won a record-tying 12 Grand Slams. “It’s easier said than done when things aren’t going well,” he admitted. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned today I need to play my game, play aggressive,” he insisted, while praising his opponent for having “played well and worked very hard. He pulled out some great winners. “If my forehand’s not there and my serves aren’t there my game’s a little bit vulnerable,” Sampras added. “Today it wasn’t there.” Sampras said the only way he could make an impressive in Paris was to head straight for the practice courts. “There’s still time to get myself in shape,” he vowed.
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COPENHAGEN, May 18 (AP) — A historic UEFA Cup victory for Galatasaray of Turkey over England’s Arsenal was overshadowed by several injuries and hoards of clashing fans who turned central Copenhagen Square into a battlefield in the hours leading up to the match. Helmeted riot police formed chains and surrounded the square as dozens of Turkish fans decked out in red and yellow — Galatasaray’s team colours — poured into the main City Hall Square waving flags, whose cars drove by honking after Galatasaray won the final 4-1 in a penalty shootout, marking the first ever European tournament win for a Turkish club. Some Turkish supporters briefly moved toward small groups of Arsenal fans hanging out in pubs, but police kept both sides apart. The celebrations, which were enhanced by a weekly fireworks show at nearby Tivoli gardens, the city’s landmark amusement park, were noisy but largely peaceful — in contrast to the violence that marred the hours leading up to the final, prompting sharp criticism from officials. “It’s dreadful that Denmark offers its national stadium to the UEFA Cup and some supporters come and make troubles and riots in the streets, “Justice Minister Frank Jensen said. UEFA President Lennart Johansson was considering sanctions after the events in Denmark. “I cannot exclude that (we) discuss sanctions against Turkish and English soccer associations when it comes to future matches in Europe,” he told Sweden’s TV4 channel. Hours before yesterday’s kickoff, a Dutch man was stabbed in the stomach and reported in serious condition. A Turkish man and a Briton suffered superficial stabbing wounds in the fighting that broke out in the late afternoon when hundreds of supporters of both teams started chasing each other around a downtown square, throwing bottles and uprooting tables and flagpoles before helmeted Rio police fired tear gas. Police said at least 26 were arrested and five others injured in the afternoon melee, including an English fan who suffered severe head injuries after he was beaten bloody with chair from a cafe by a group of people reportedly wearing Galatasaray jerseys. Those charged with the most serious crimes would face a hearing, while the others would be expelled from the country, Police Chief Superintendent Mogens Lauridsen said. The afternoon clashes occurred on the same City Hall Square that was the stage for early morning fighting that resulted in the stabbing of 41-year-old Arsenal fan Paul Dineen of London. Dineen suffered a punctured lung but managed to get out of the hospital in time for the game. Four Briton and six Turks were arrested in the melee that started about 1 a.m. (5.30 am IST). Even though there was unprecedented security for a soccer game in Denmark, police were forced to call in reinforcements over fears that more fighting might erupt after the match. Lauridsen said police in the normally peaceful Scandinavian nation were taken by surprise and had underestimated the potential for violence. “We didn’t expect so much people wanted to fight with each other. Of course we were expecting trouble, but not on this scale,” he said. “We didn’t expect so much hatred.” At least 24,000 Turkish and British fans had flocked to Copenhagen to watch Galatasaray take on Arsenal last night. About 2,000 officers
— 20 per cent of Denmark’s police force —
were initially dispatched for the game, supported by some
two dozen officers from Britain, Turkey and other
European countries. |
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COLOMBO, May 18 (PTI) — Veteran Aravinda de Silva is likely to open for defending champion Sri Lanka in the forthcoming Asia Cup cricket tournament, local media reported today. ‘‘De Silva may be asked to open the batting with skipper Sanath Jayasuriya, giving him ample opportunities to exploit the gaps in the first 15 overs,’’ the state-run ‘Daily News’ newspaper said today. ‘‘He could also play the anchor’s role if well settled,’’ the newspaper added. The star middle-order batsman, veteran of 264 one-day internationals, has been included in the 14-member Sri Lankan squad for the May 28-June 7, four-nation tournament along with new cap Kaushalya Weeraratne, a 19-year-old all-rounder. But former skipper Arjuna Ranatunga and fast bowler Promodaya Wickremasinghe were omitted from the squad for medical reasons. The duo were recovering from surgeries to thumb and shoulder respectively. The change in the opening pair was a major tactical one as the team previously opened with the Jayasuriya—wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana combination, which has proved to be highly successful in the 1996 World Cup in the subcontinent. After a series of failures, the team experimented by promoting middle order batsman Marvan Atapattu to open with Jayasuriya. But the partnership also did not prove much of a success. Coach Dev Whatmore, who was chief tactician of the team that won the 1996 World Cup, had said a few months ago he would not hesitate to play Jayasuriya down the order if the skipper failed to deliver. The Sri Lankan team was scheduled to leave for Dhaka on May 25. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the other countries in the fray in the tournament. The team: Sanath
Jayasuriya (capt), Mahela Jayawardene (vice-capt),
Aravinda de Silva, Marvan Atapattu, Russel Arnold, T.M.
Dilshan, Romesh Kaluwitharana (wk), Indika de Seram,
Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zyosa, KSC de Silva, Kaushalya
Weeraratne, Muthiah Muralitharan, Upul Chandana. |
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SHANGHAI, May 18 (UNI) — Indian professional Jyoti Randhwa shot three under par 69 to take the joint 11th place while his compatriot Arjun Atwal hit one under par 71 for joint 27th position at the end of the first round of the $ 400,000 Volvo China Open Golf here today. Eight other Indians in the fray failed to card under par rounds and were lying way down the leaderboard. Felix-Casas of the Philippines used a borrowed club to fire seven under par 65 to jointly hold the lead with Christian Pena (USA). Two Indians-Amit Dube and Amandeep Johl returned identical card of one over par 73 and were at joint 53rd place. Harmmet Kahlon and Kanwar Sekhon shot two over par 74 first round and were at joint 71st slot with 16 others. Gaurav Ghei was further down at 89th place with three over par 75 round while Amritinder Singh with four over par 76 was at joint 106 place. Digvijay Singh had a poor five over par 77 for 116 place and Vivek Bhandari had six over par 78 round and was at joint 125 place in the field of 144 golfers. Casas, who has yet to
win on the Davidoff Tour, matched Pena’s morning
effort as the duo took a one shot lead. |
National
Games: exclusion of Amritsar flayed AMRITSAR, May 18—Amritsar Vikas Manch has expressed great concern over the decision of the Punjab Government and sports authorities of Punjab to keep Amritsar out of the venues of National Games being held in Punjab. In separate communications to Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, and Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Union Minister for Sports, the manch president Prof Mohan Singh has strongly appealed for the inclusion of Amritsar as a venue for the National Games. The manch president has urged the Chief Minister and Mr Dhindsa to hold either the opening or the closing ceremony of the games at Amritsar. It is argued that Guru
Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, has been winning Maulana
Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for the past 14 years. This trophy
is given to the best university in sports in India. In
spite of recognising and rewarding Amritsar for its
contribution in the field of sport and for making Punjab
proud all over the country, the Punjab Government
considered Amritsar as a city not fit for such occasions.
This step-motherly treatment to Amritsar by an Akali
Government is regrettable, he said. |
Galatasaray make history, lift UEFA Cup COPENHAGEN, May 18 (AFP) — Ten-man Galatasaray became the first Turkish side to lift a European football trophy, beating England’s Arsenal 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out after the UEFA Cup final finished 0-0 following extra-time. The Istanbul side had the advantage of taking penalties in front of their own supporters who did everything they could to distract the Arsenal marksmen — only Ray Parlour successfully converted for the Gunners while the Turks dispatched all four of their attempts. Arsenal’s Croatian substitute Davor Suker clearly felt the pressure seeing his spot kick come back off the post while their French World Cup winning midfielder Patrick Vieira hit the bar with the third leaving Romanian Gheorghe Popescu to wrap up victory with a successful shot, sparking scenes of jubilation at the Galatasaray end while the Arsenal side of the ground emptied almost immediately. The Turks fully deserved their win, with a performance of real character after being reduced to 10 men early in extra-time. Galatasaray’s veteran Romanian playmaker Gheorghe Hagi was sent off in extra time by Spanish referee Antonio Lopez Nieto for elbowing Arsenal skipper Tony Adams who himself was lucky to escape with a yellow card after lashing at Hagi with his elbow immediately prior to the retaliation. After the match Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger revealed that his decision to bring on Suker as a substitute had backfired. “I knew Suker was a penalty taker so I brought him on,” said the Frenchman. “(Dennis) Bergkamp was not happy to come off but that is normal.” Hagi’s dismissal did not help the Gunners, Wenger said. “Sometimes when you play 10 against 11 you defend better and you dig in. So I think it was not a huge advantage when Hagi was sent off.” Hagi, 35, had rolled back the years with some vintage skill but was clearly unhappy about his sending-off, saying: “It was the first real foul of the match. It was a very important decision and gave a great advantage to our opponents. But it did not matter because our team was strong. I am going to celebrate now and decide on my future later”. Hagi’s glimpses of skill apart, quality football was short in supply but incident was there in abundance, according to Wenger. “Technically it was not a superb game. But the quality of Turkish football is growing as (the qualification) for Euro 2000 shows,” said the Arsenal boss. His Galatasaray counterpart Fatih Terim was elated but used the occasion to offer an olive branch to England following the crowd trouble that left five people seriously injured in hospital before the match. “I would like to offer my good wishes to the English and the British media,” said Terim. “Football can help us to build bridges between people.” Galatasaray goalkeeper — Brazilian veteran Claudio Taffarel — was voted man-of-the-match and also stressed wider issues. “The people in Turkey are like the people in Brazil and we as footballers can make a lot of poorer people happy,” said the balding custodian whose shoot-out penalty save from Italy’s Daniele Massaro was instrumental in his country’s 1994 World Cup win in the USA. Like Hagi, Taffarel hinted he would be on the move at the end of the season, saying: “My contract is up.” He then meticulously avoided the subject of his future. The match was played at a frantic pace in front of a packed 38,919 house in an electric atmosphere, with both sides having excellent chances to score. Arif Erdem missed a gilt-edged opportunity to open the scoring for Galatasaray three minutes before the interval and his team-mate Hakan Sukur, dubbed the Bull of the Bosphorus, struck the foot of a post three minutes into the second period. Just three minutes later Arsenal defender Martin Keown missed another glorious chance from point blank range with Taffarel stranded. The game went into extra-time and still the chances came. The 34-year-old Alegre Taffarel made an outstanding save from Thierry Henry and then did a brilliant double save from Nigerian Nwankwo Kanu after 111 minutes. After 23 minutes Vieira had a frightening moment after bringing down Hagi but referee Antonio Lopez Nieto brandished the red card only to quickly rethink and show the yellow. Vieira was at the hub of
much of Arsenal’s good work while Hagi, until his
dismissal, was involved for his team. Buoyed by chants of
“Hagi, Hagi” from fans, the Romanian produced a
delightful piece of skill to beat Bergkamp but spoiled it
by hitting his pass out of play. |
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ROME, May 18 (Reuters) — World number four Venus Williams started the defence of her Italian Open title with a forthright 6-1 6-2 defeat of fellow American Chanda Rubin. But French seeds Nathalie Tauziat and Mary Pierce both struggled to find their feet on Rome’s red clay before joining Williams in the last 16 of the $ 1.08 tournament. Second seed Tauziat dropped her first set against Italian outsider Tathiana Garbin before recovering to win 5-7 6-2 6-4. World number five and fourth seed Pierce, beaten by Williams in last year’s final, was forced to save four set points at 4-5 and 0-40 down in her first set against German lucky loser Marlene Weingartner. Pierce fought back to take the next three games en route to a 7-5 6-3 win. She now faces compatriot and 12th seed Amelie Mauresmo in a repeat of last year’s semifinal. The other French seeds enjoyed contrasting fortunes. Seventh seed Julie Halard-Decugis brushed aside Romania’s Ruxandra Dragomir 6-4 6-0 but Sandrine Testud, seeded eighth, was beaten 7-5 4-6 6-3 by world number 43 Corina Morariu of the USA. Ninth seed Anke Huber of Germany also crashed out, losing 6-4 6-1 under floodlights to Poland’s world number 143 Magdalena Grzybowska. Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez Vicario eased past Pavlina Nola of Bulgaria 6-3 6-1 to open her 12th bid for the Rome title. World number one Lindsay Davenport and former champion Monica Seles had booked their third-round berths on Tuesday. Williams, playing only her second tournament after a 5-1/2 month break due to tendinitis, yesterday never showed the blistering form which gave her the title on Rome’s red clay a year ago. But after dropping her opening service game she raced through the first set and found her stride in the second, wrapping up the tie in an hour and seven minutes with a fearsome ace on her first match point. She now meets 17-year-old Australian Jelena Dokic. “Last week in Hamburg I was a little iffy,” she said. “This week we’ve been practising hard, playing better...My shots are going a lot better. I think my shot selection is better too. “In Hamburg I was thinking what I wanted to do but I couldn’t exactly do it. This week I’m doing more of what I want to do. I’m actually executing.’’ She said she still needed more time to perfect her game before the French Open starts at the end of the month. “It just took much longer than I anticipated,’’ she said of her injury. “(My wrists) just kept bothering me. They just wouldn’t get better...But I’m pain-free now.’’ Pierce took her shaky start in her stride. “I just missed some shots which I personally think I shouldn’t have missed,’’ said Pierce, who had not played since her imperious victory over Sanchez Vicario in the final at Hilton Head last month. “This is my first match in three weeks and my first on red clay in Europe this season so I have to be a little forgiving on myself.’’ Seles was due to start
the third-round action against France’s Anne-Gaelle
Sidot today before Davenport took on Italian wild card
Giulia Casoni. |
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LUCKNOW, May 18 (PTI) — Cricketer Gyanendra Pandey, arrested on charges of torturing his wife for dowry, has been granted bail on two personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each. The U.P. Ranji Trophy team skipper was last night produced before District and Session Judge, K. S. Rakhra who granted the bail. Pandey had yesterday denied charges of “wife-bashing” saying a deep-rooted conspiracy emanating from professional rivalry was on to implicate him in a false case. Meanwhile, the Laxman award to be presented to Pandey for his achievements in the field of sports, has been held back till the final court verdict in the case, a state government spokesman said. Pandey was arrested on Tuesday on charges of torturing his wife Pratima. His family members, including his brother, have been named in the FIR filed by his father-in-law. Pandey yesterday denied the allegations saying a deep-rooted conspiracy was on to implicate him in a false case. In a statement, he said his was a love marriage and all his fixed deposits and other savings were in the name of his wife. Denying charges of “wife-bashing”, Pandey said a deep-rooted conspiracy emanating from professional rivalry was on to implicate him in a false case. Investigations were on
in the case but no further arrests had been made. |
Corporate
golf meet NEW DELHI, May 18—The Seagrams’ Blenders Pride team, who won the recently-concluded Seagrams’ Pride Corporate Golf Masters, held at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon, will represent India in the World Corporate Golf Challenge to be played on the Championship South Course in La Manga, Spain, from May 21 to 25. The team comprise Anitya Chand and Jaideep Patwardhan from GAIL, who were the winners in the open category, and Romeo James and Tarun Dewan from BPCL, who won the handicap category. According to Sanjeev Vohra of Seagrams, it is the officially recognised Indian qualifying event for the World Corporate Golf Challenge. More than 500 corporate golfers across India participated in the three zonal championships in Calcutta, Mumbai and Bangalore, preceding the Masters in Delhi. Over 30 countries are
taking part in the Spain championship, which is the third
in the series of the World Corporate Golf Challenge. |
Haryana eves post 14-0 victory DIPHU, (ASSAM) May 18 (PTI) — Haryana yesterday registered a thumping 14-0 win over Rajasthan while Meghalaya, Goa and Maharashtra produced 1-0 wins over their respective opponents in the 8th National Women’s Football Championship here. The winners led 7-0 at the breather. Haryana’s striking duo Puja Jone and Renu Dhiya penetrated the weak Rajasthan defence once too often with the former booting in six and Dhiya ballooning the net five times. Monica’s three goals inflated the winning margin. On the opening day of
the championship Rajasthan suffered a humiliating 0-26
loss to hosts Assam. |
Tyson allowed back into Britain LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) — Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who served a three-year jail term in the USA for rape, has been granted British immigration clearance to fight in Scotland next month. “I have today informed Tyson that he will be granted entry clearance for a single visit of three weeks’ duration strictly for the purpose of a boxing match in Scotland on June 24,’’ Home Secretary (Interior Minister) Jack Straw said today in reply to a parliamentary question. Tyson will fight fellow American Lou Savarese on June 24 in Glasgow despite furious opposition from Scottish politicians and women’s groups. Mr Straw said in
reaching his decision he had taken into account
Tyson’s “satisfactory” behaviour on his
visit to Britain last January. |
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France's
Arnaud Di Pasquale smiles after his match against
Pete Sampras at the Tennis Masters Series 2000
tournament in Hamburg, northern Germany, on
Wednesday. — AP/PTI photo
US golfer
Tiger Woods hits the ball out of the high grass
during the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open
golf tournament in Alveslohe on Thursday. —
AFP photo
