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| Saturday, June 10, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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HC grants bail to Kishan, Kalra NEW DELHI, June 9 — The Delhi High Court today granted bail to the match-fixing accused Kishan Kumar and Rajesh Kalra with stringent conditions including a blanket ban on their travel to South Africa and Britain after the investigating agencies expressed their inability to file chargesheets against them within 60 days statutory period. ‘Damning day for SA cricket’ BCCI recommends
grade payment Martinez close to
realising dream Pierce intends to let tennis do the talking Indian duo’s dream in doubt Injury to Hinds spoils
Windies victory |
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| Gopichand ranked
18th; Popat 51st NEW DELHI, June 9 — India’s Pulella Gopichand has moved up one place to 18th in the world badminton men’s singles rankings. Gopichand, the four-time national champion, became the first Indian to break into the elite top-20 in the world after the legendary Prakash Padukone in the 80s last week. Confident Anand
raring to go HONG KONG, June 9 — Wills Indian Open champion Jyoti Randhawa will lead the Indian charge at the qualifying for the British Open golf at St Andrews in July. Punjab juniors lift
handball title
Swimming squad
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Gibbs dropped after
bribe confession
JOHANNESBURG, June 9 (AFP) — South African opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs was today ruled out of next month’s Sri Lanka tour after admitting he had accepted a bribe to under-perform in a one-day international in India. The United Cricket Board of South Africa said in a statement the 26-year-old Gibbs would not be selected for the tour and would also face a disciplinary hearing, but would continue to receive his full salary in the interim. Gibbs dropped a bombshell yesterday when he told the King Commission of inquiry into corruption in South African cricket that former captain Hansie Cronje had offered him $ 15,000 to go out for less than 20 runs in a match against India in Nagpur on March 19. He added that seam bowler Henry Williams had accepted an offer of the same amount from Cronje to concede more than 50 runs in his 10 overs in the one-day match. In the end, neither Gibbs nor Williams collected the payment because they did not carry out their side of the deals. Gibbs’ tearful confession was a fatal blow for Cronje as it contradicted the former captain’s statements that he had never approached any other players to affect the outcome of matches for money. But cricket commentators were today doubtful the confession would spell an abrupt end to Gibbs’ promising career. The Star newspaper said Gibbs had three things in his favour — he was not guilty of match-fixing, he did not underperform in Nagpur as he ignored the deal and scored 74 runs, and he did not collect the money. Gibbs today appeared surprised when asked for comment on the UCB’s decision. “I hadn’t been told,” he told AFP, adding that he “couldn’t say” whether the admission had jeopardised his career. Gibbs, Cronje and teammates Pieter Strydom and Nicky Boje are all facing match fixing charges from the Indian police. Cronje was sacked on April 11 after admitting that he had taken money from an Indian bookmaker in exchange for providing information about matches.
Gibbs said he was willing to go to India to stand trial on the corruption charges that triggered the match-fixing scandal. The commission was due to hear testimony today from medium-pacer Henry Williams, left-arm spinner Nicky Boje and all-rounder Pieter Strydom. Gibbs, Boje and Strydom have been named by Indian authorities in a match-rigging inquiry. The inquiry yesterday received a copy of Cronje’s written confession, made after allegations emerged in India based on a recorded conversation with a bookmaker. The statement refers to two men. Hamid Cassim and his friend Sanjay, who were allegedly in regular contact with Cronje about match information and suggested that Cronje throw a match in India. Wilkinson is also due in the witness stand today. She was one of the first people Cronje confessed to, before he was sacked as captain on April 11, after admitting he had accepted up to $ 15,000 from bookmakers for providing pitch and weather information. He has denied match-fixing charges. Judge King, who has promised the inquiry will not be a witch-hunt, is expected to deliver an interim report to South African President Thabo Mbeki by June 30. |
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HC grants bail to
Kishan, Kalra NEW DELHI, June 9 (PTI) — The Delhi High Court today granted bail to the match-fixing accused Kishan Kumar and Rajesh Kalra with stringent conditions including a blanket ban on their travel to South Africa and Britain after the investigating agencies expressed their inability to file chargesheets against them within 60 days statutory period. Mr Justice R.S. Sodhi said there was no reason for their further
incarceration after the Delhi police submitted that it would not be able to file the chargesheet within the statutory period and the Enforcement Directorate not yet making up its mind in this regard. The
court, while imposing stringent conditions on both the accused, directed Kumar, a Bollywood actor, to furnish a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh in the ED case and Rs 2 lakh in police case with one surety of like amount in each, before the trial court. In the ED case against Kalra, an alleged bookie, the bond and surety amount was reduced to Rs 2 lakh each after his counsel pleaded that his client was a poor man and would not be able to pay a heavy amount. Kalra had already been granted bail in the police case by the trial court earlier this week after completing 60 days in judicial custody on June 6. The court said the accused would not travel to South Africa and the UK and any other country where investigations regarding the match-fixing scandal was going on. The court, however, said for any travel abroad other than South Africa and the UK, the accused had to seek the trial court’s prior permission and their passports would remain with the police. While the police had arrested Kalra on April 6 and Kumar on April 28 on charges of cheating, they were booked by the ED on April 12 and 14, respectively, for alleged hawala transactions relating to the match-fixing scandal. The statutory custodial period of Kumar in the ED and police cases would expire on June 13 and 27, respectively, while Kalra’s judicial custody would be over in the ED case on June 11, the court was informed. During arguments, police counsel S.S. Gandhi said the crime branch was yet to receive reports from South Africa and the UK and some other countries where letters rogatory had been sent following Interpol’s reports. Since a commission had been examining the match-fixing issue in South Africa, it was unlikely for the police to get a report before the proceedings were over there, he said adding that the chargesheet could be filed only after receiving the details from the countries concerned. ED counsel Subhash Bansal said the directorate’s probe into alleged hawala transactions relating to match-fixing scandal was going on and “the directorate has not yet made up its mind to file the complaints against the two accused.” The police had registered a case in April against former South African captain Hansie Cronje, his four team-mates — Nicky Boje, Herschlles Gibbs, Pieter Strydom and Henry Williams — Kalra and London-based NRI businessman Sanjeev Chawla. Kumar’s name came to light after interrogation of Kalra. |
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‘Damning day for SA cricket’ CAPE TOWN, June 9 (IANS) — National cricket selector and former South African captain Kepler Wessels says the testimony by Herschelle Gibbs on the second day of hearings by the King Commission of Inquiry into match-fixing here made it “a damning day for South African cricket”. Wessels was reacting to the evidence by Gibbs yesterday that he had accepted an offer of $15,000 from disgraced skipper Hansie Cronje to throw the last one-day international against India when the South African team toured that country. Gibbs’ future on the national team is now in doubt, even though he did not keep to the agreement during the match, scoring 74 runs from 53 balls instead of less than 20 runs as agreed. He also did not receive the money. “He lied about it blatantly, and he knew what he was doing,” said Wessels. “Players who put money before pride and performance should not play cricket for South Africa,” he added. An extremely nervous Gibbs told a packed hearing that Cronje had approached him on the night of his mother’s birthday with the offer. At the time, his parents were involved in a separation case and he accepted the offer because he thought about having to look after his mother for the rest of his life. He claimed that teammates Henry Williams and Nicky Boje had also accepted offers and Cronje had approached Pieter Strydom, Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis with offers as well. “I was scared and protected Hansie,” Gibbs said, admitting that he had lied seven times to the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) about the matter. “I am not proud of what I’ve done,” he added. Gibbs testified that Cronje had approached him several times after the allegations came to light and told him to deny everything. UCBSA spokesman Bronwyn Wilkinson said the matter would be taken up by the board. “The UCB will discuss Herschelle’s evidence and then they’ll take a decision at that level,” she said. Wessels said anyone found guilty will face serious disciplinary action. He said that if the allegations were true then paying spectators had been ripped off. Earlier in the day, Cronje received support from Derek Crookes and Darryll Cullinan, both of whom said they had regarded the offer put to the team by Cronje as “a joke”. Meanwhile, the Freedom of Expression Institute in South Africa has expressed its disappointment at the decision by inquiry commission chairman, Judge Edwin King, at the start of the hearings not to allow broadcast of the proceedings. The institute said the decision to refuse applications by the Live Africa Radio Network and Midi TV would deprive many people who depended on radio and television news for their information rather than the print media. Judge King refused to allow television cameras or radio equipment into the venue after legal representatives for the players testifying at the hearing said that the presence of such equipment might place the players under undue pressure. |
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BCCI recommends
grade payment
MUMBAI, June 9 (PTI) — The planned graded payment scales for international matches by the cricket board show no significant changes in the amount to be earned by the seniors in the national team while the juniors will take home a much reduced amount as match and logo fees once they are approved. As per the recommended scales, which have to be passed by the board’s finance committee/working committee/general body, seniors like Sachin Tendulkar, Mohd Azharuddin and others who have played over 50 Tests and 100 limited overs internationals will receive Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1.6 lakh, respectively, per match in future. At present a senior in the playing eleven takes home Rs 1.55 lakh as logo money and Rs 40,000 as match fees for Tests which works out to a total of Rs 1.95 lakh per Test while for one-dayers he is richer by Rs 1,55,909 per tie by way of match fees (Rs 25,000) and logo money (Rs 1,30,909). For players not in the playing eleven as well as the coach the logo money at present works out to Rs 1.2 lakh per ODI and Rs 1,42,500 per Test. There is no distinction at present between seniors and juniors which is to go once the new payment gradation is approved by the board. As per the revised scales, a player will get Rs 50,000 for his first 10 Tests, Rs 75,000 for playing his 11th to 25th Tests, Rs 1.25 lakh for playing his 26th to 50th Tests and Rs 2 lakh if he has played more than 50 Tests. The payment scales for ODIs are: Rs 30,000 (upto 30 ODIs); Rs 60,000 (from 31 to 60 ODIs), Rs 1.2 lakh (from 61 to 100 ODIs) and Rs 1.6 lakh (above 100 ODIs). In addition, bonus amounts would be introduced for team performances, as per the recommendations. There would not be any separate logo money payment as per the newly-recommended graded system of payment. Even on tours, the system of paying a consolidated amount to the players, as is prevalent now, would be done away with and instead they will be paid as per the new gradation system, according to the recommendations. The board had decided to go in for graded payment to its players at its working committee meeting in August last year which was endorsed by its general body in September, 1999. |
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Martinez close to
realising dream
PARIS, June 9 (Reuters) — Conchita Martinez dreamt a few weeks ago she would win the French Open. The former Wimbledon champion came closer to realising that dream when she beat Spanish compatriot Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in straight sets in their semifinal yesterday. “I dreamt I won Roland Garros. I give a lot of importance to dreams”, the fifth seed said. “But I can’t remember who my rival was”, she added with a grin. Martinez has been grinning a lot lately with a new found enthusiasm for tennis, helped by her psychologist Guillermo Perez. “It’s not easy to stay motivated after 13 years on the circuit. I want to play with a smile on my face”, Martinez said. “We do relaxing exercises. He doesn’t often come on tour with me but I really want to win Roland Garros and that’s why I brought him with me. There are a lot of things that can affect your concentration”. The 28-year-old Spaniard yesterday showed the fine form that helped her win the German Open in Berlin last month, her 32nd career Tour title. Having her Argentine doubles partner and friend Patricia Tarabini as coach has helped enormously, she said. “She came along as a friend to help after Australia 1999. Then we talked and I said why not become my coach”. Tarabini and Martinez spent yesterday working hard on preparing for the match, including tactics which the fifth seed said worked almost perfectly. “We looked at videos of my Berlin semifinal and final and planned carefully”, she said. “It wasn’t so much the matches I wanted to see as myself. I wish I could play like that always”. Martinez said she did not consider the French Open more or less important than Wimbledon. “They are two Grand Slams. Why would I give one more importance than the other”, said the 1994 Wimbledon champion. Martinez always wears a cross which her father gave her many years ago. He missed the French Open last year because of illness but was in the stands yesterday. “It’s the cross of Caravaca and they say that if it is given to you it brings you good luck”, she said. Martinez is going to need her best form and that little bit of extra luck in Saturday’s final against Mary Pierce to realise her dream. |
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Pierce intends to let tennis do the talking PARIS, June 9 (AFP) — Whatever the outcome of tomorrow’s women’s singles final at the French Open a new name will be carved on the old trophy after French sixth seed Mary Pierce takes on fifth-seeded Spaniard Conchita Martinez. Both players have fought like lionesses to make it this far and Pierce expended so much effort she ended up on an intravenous drip after spending more than two hours putting out top seed Martina Hingis in yesterday’s semifinal, finally advancing 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Earlier, Martinez had a rather easier ride in ousting long-time rival Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 6-1, 6-2 to make her first final here. Pierce showed tremendous resolve in ousting Hingis after squandering a match point in second set as she regathered her wits to reach her second final at Roland Garros. She now has to make sure nerves do not get the better of her because the hopes of a nation could weigh very heavily upon the shoulders of the 25-year-old Canadian-born blonde. The host nation has been waiting for a female champion here for 33 years, since Francoise Durr triumphed over Lesley Turner of Australia in the 1967 final. Pierce hoped to end the drought when she made the final six years ago — but she bowed to Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in straight sets. Tomorrow she intends to put another Spaniard firmly in her place unless 28-year-old Martinez, finally through to a final here after losing in three semifinals in a row 1994, can make her choke again. “It’s exciting to be in the final again and I’m really happy. Conchita is playing really well lately and it’s gonna be a tough match. Every Grand Slam is special but this one is different”, said Pierce. Facing Hingis appeared to have put Pierce off her food as she only took breakfast and no lunch before their clash, leaving her mineral levels dangerously low afterwards and necessitating a visit to the doctor following severe cramp. Yesterday was not the first time Pierce had been ill after a match as the Montreal-born star had similar problems at the Australian Open in January. Pierce, who puts her success here down to her rediscovery of God and Catholicism, has had an up-and-down career, though her religion and her closeness to her brother and coach David have settled her down recently. When she first reached the final here aged just 19 she was still beset by family problems owing to a well-publicised and awkward relationship with her father. Her religious convictions have been cemented by her relationship with Roberto Alomar, a Major League baseball star with the Cleveland Indians. “I was always a believer but in last couple of years I’ve become closer to God”, explains Pierce, who wears rosary beads on court — while Martinez prefers a Cross of Caravaca pendant. Controversy used to follow Pierce around and last year she caused a stir when she admitted to taking the dietary supplement and muscle-building substance creatine, which, while not on the Olympic banned list, is prohibited in France. Pierce, who remarked the product was freely available in US supermarkets, expressed surprise at the controversy that affair generated. At Wimbledon last year, she insisted she took creatine very infrequently. She now intends to let tennis and tennis alone do the talking for her. Martinez has also had her low moments — and is, like Pierce, surfing a new wave — in her case aided by work with psychologist Guillermo Perez. Both players have won just the one Grand Slam singles title to date, Pierce capturing the Australian Open in 1995 and Martinez winning Wimbledon in 1994. Pierce will have the crowd behind her as they have rallied to support a player who has infuriated them with her inconsistency in the past. She also leads their head-to-head series 9-6. Martinez revealed after ousting Sanchez-Vicario that she had dreamed of lifting the trophy here. “I dreamt I won Roland Garros. But I can’t remember who my rival was in the final”, she smiled. Having ended a seven-match losing streak against Sanchez-Vicario, Martinez must now upset the form book again as she has a dismal record against Pierce, who has won eight out of their last 10 meetings. |
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Indian duo’s dream in doubt NEW DELHI June 9 (PTI) — The troubled pair of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi may find their Olympic medal a mirage with either having very few points to carry them into the main draw of the Sydney Games’ tennis tournament. The Indian spearhead Paes pulled out for the French Open mixed doubles tournament after reaching the third round with American Lisa Raymond — the pair are reigning US Open champions — following wrist injury that threatens to put him out of action for three months. As the heartbreaking news struck tennis fans at home, the All-India Tennis Association (AITA) yesterday launched its damage-control exercise. “We have decided to lobby with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to seek wildcard entries for Leander and Mahesh for the Olympics’ doubles tournament,” Indian Davis Cup committee Chairman Anil Khanna told PTI here. The ITF, the games’ apex body controlling Grand Slams, Davis Cup and Olympics tournament, will be issuing four wildcards to deserving pairs in the 48-player main draw later this year. By the time Paes recovers, the September games would be round the corner and it will be extremely difficult for him to accumulate enough ATP points to get a direct berth to Sydney. Bhupathi, who succumbed at the second hurdle at the French Open while partnering German David Prinosil, has also decided not to strain his shoulder much — he would be playing fewer number of events. We are planning to have a two-week-long camp in Australia before the Olympics where Davis Cup coach Ramesh Krishnan will spend time with Leander and Mahesh,” Mr Khanna said. Paes, who on Wednesday flew from Paris to his American base in Orlando, has apparently told the AITA that he would be unavailable for India’s World Group qualifying Davis Cup away tie against Sweden in July. “I will be taking six weeks rest as suggested by doctor,” Paes said in a message to the AITA. Mr Khanna was confident India’s efforts to get wild card for Paes and Bhupathi will get positive response as both had ended last year as World No 1 before breaking the partnership following some differences. He, however, hoped that they would come together in time for the Olympic Games. Reacting to Bhupathi’s comment after both made premature exits from French Open that they should resolve their differences, an optimistic Mr Khanna said: “I hope by then they would have made up. It (break up) was very unfortunate for India.” “It was a great 1999 for them, but the year 2000 is very depressing as of now. I hope the dark clouds will disperse in course of time,” he said. |
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Injury to Hinds
spoils Windies victory CARDIFF, June 9 (AFP) — West Indies pulled off a remarkable 20- run win over Glamorgan here last evening but the good news was tempered by revelation that in-form batsman Wavell Hinds is a doubtful starter for next week’s first Test with England. The 23-year-old Jamaican, who scored a sparkling century in the first innings and only recently scored his maiden Test century in the series with Pakistan, suffered a nasty bang on his left ankle as Glamorgan were dismissed for 113, with Nixon
McLean taking five wickets, chasing a victory target of 134. Fielding at silly point, Hinds took a hefty blow when former Sussex batsman Keith Newell square cut a short ball from leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo. He was helped off the field immediately and the West Indies’ management team, led by manager Roger Skerritt and coach Roger Harper, will monitor his condition today before deciding whether Hinds will need an X-ray. But with less than a week for the first Test at Edgbaston on June 15, it is a serious setback, particularly as Hinds and Shivnarine Chanderpaul are the only two West Indian batsmen to make significant scores in their two matches so far. “It’s very sore for him and it’s a slight cause for concern, but we need to wait and see how it is tomorrow,” said captain and fellow Jamaican Jimmy Adams. Hinds’ unbeaten 105 in West Indies’ first-innings score of 176 tilted the balance firmly in the tourists’ direction and won him a $ 500 cheque from the sponsors of the match. Hinds’ great determination on a deteriorating pitch was matched by the West Indies’ attack, which lacked the knowhow and experience of Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, but stuck to their task to seal a timely victory. Glamorgan had begun the day needing 134 for victory and started positively with acting captain Steve James — leading the side in the absence of Matthew Maynard — forging a 49-run opening partnership with former Australian opener Matthew Elliott inside the first 15 overs. They had one early reprieve — Brian Lara completing a miserable match by dropping Elliott at slip off Reon King on 10 — but had otherwise successfully negotiated the tourists’ attack. The West Indies, though, have become vastly experienced at defending low totals most recently demonstrated in March when they dismissed Zimbabwe for 63, chasing 99 for victory in the second Test in Trinidad. When they needed a lucky break, they got one. Elliott pushed to cover and James misread his signals to allow Hinds to throw to the non-striker’s end and leave the former England opener stranded. It was the glimmer of hope the West Indies required and three balls later, Elliott became the first of five victims for Nixon
McLean by steering him straight to Adams at mid-off as Glamorgan lost all their second innings wickets for 64 runs in just 43 overs. |
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Gopichand ranked
18th; Popat 51st
NEW DELHI, June 9 (PTI) — India’s Pulella Gopichand has moved up one place to 18th in the world badminton men’s singles rankings. Gopichand, the four-time national champion, became the first Indian to break into the elite top-20 in the world after the legendary Prakash Padukone in the 80s last week. This week’s movement was mainly due to the changes in the tournaments taken into consideration for the rankings. The rankings are calculated by adding the points earned in team and individual competitions during a period of 12 months. In the women’s singles, national champion Aparna Popat, serving a three month ban for a doping offence, also climbed up a place to 51st position. B. R. Meenakshi was 72nd with seasoned Manjusha Kanwar and Neelima Choudhary at 100 and 125, respectively. Among the other Indian men, southpaw Nikhil Kanetkar also moved up two places to 51 while French Open Champion Sidharth Jain slipped to 56 from last week’s 54th in the latest rankings list issued by the International Badminton Federation. Injured India No 3 Abhin Shyam Gupta was placed at 90. Denmark’s Peter Gade Christensen maintained his top position but last week’s No 2 Hendrawan slipped two places to fourth. Malaysia’s Wong Chong Hann has taken second place with reigning Olympic champion Poul-Eric Hoyer-Larsen at third. In the women’s section, Denmark’s Camilla Martin upstaged China’s Gong Zhichao at the top with another Chinese, Dai Yun at
third. |
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Confident Anand
raring to go
NEW DELHI, June 9 (PTI) — After a lean patch in the first half of the new year, India’s Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand is back in business after a thumping victory over Grandmaster Alexei Shirov of Spain in the just-concluded Advance chess tournament at Leon, France. With a busy schedule ahead, Anand seems to be on a roll again. After a gruelling four game match against GM Judit Polgar of Hungary in the semifinal which he won 2.5-1.5, Anand sent Shirov packing in just two games in the final. This win may not affect his standing in the rating list but it will certainly boost his morale that suffered a few setbacks in the Linares super GM tournament and the Amber blindfold and rapid event earlier this year. Anand now plays in the Frankfurt chess classic from June 17 to 25 followed by Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meet — 2000 from July 7. The Frankfurt tournament is a rapid event where each player will get 25 minutes to finish the game. Other participants in the field are Gary Karparov, Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Morozivich (all Russia), Alexei Shirov (Spain) and Peter Leko (Hungary). The Dortmund is more important. With the likes of Kramnik, Liko, Michael Adams of England and FIDE world champion Alexander Khalifman of Russia participating, the tournament will be very tough. A computer programme with 2700 points rating will also feature in it and is likely to give the players a run for their money. Back to winning ways,
Anand looks geared up to take on the best again. |
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Randhawa to lead
Indian charge
HONG KONG, June 9 (PTI) — Wills Indian Open champion Jyoti Randhawa will lead the Indian charge at the qualifying for the British Open golf at St Andrews in July. The five-member Indian team — Randhawa, Gaurav Ghei, Amandeep Johl, Arjun Atwal, European tour regular Jeev Milkha Singh — is part of the 27-man Asian assault for the prestigious tournament in July. Ghei, who is attempting to make it into the elite line-up again, is the first and only Indian to have qualified once for the British Open — in 1997 held at Royal Troon. Three of this year’s tournament winners on the Asian PGA tour are making a bid to join Myanmar’s Kyi Hla Han at the St Andrews — the third major of the year. Han has received an invitation from the Scottish organisers in recognition of his achievement in topping last year’s Asian money list. The Johnnie Walker sponsored “Asian invasion” of the British Open will help the players to travel, practice and stay together as they bid to claim some of the 50 spots up for grabs in two-round qualifying competition. The qualifier is being staged at four different courses: Leven Links, Lundin Links, Scotscraig and Ladybank. Among those most strongly tipped to join Han are Malaysian Open winner Yeh Wei-Tze of Taiwan, Randhawa and South Africa’s James Kingston, who has claimed both the Myanmar Open and Ericsson Classic in Taiwan. |
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Punjab juniors lift
handball title
VISAKHAPATNAM, June 9 (UNI) — Defending champions Punjab defeated last year runners-up National Handball Academy (NDA) 31-29 in the final of the 23rd Junior National Handball Championship here last evening. As the match ended in a draw (27-27) in the scheduled time, extra time was allotted (five minutes each). Punjab took advantage in both the sessions. Though both the teams exhibited their talent in all respects, National Handball Academy failed to penetrate the strong defence of the rivals. In the second half of the game, scores of the both the teams were equal on several occasions. Though the National Handball Academy was in lead (27-26) just thirty seconds before the long whistle, they could not maintain the same tempo and a few minutes before the long whistle, Pawan Kumar of Punjab equalised the score resulting in the draw (27-all). The winners utilised only two goals out of the five penalty corners awarded to them while the NHA could not take advantage of two penalty corners. For the winners, Pawan Kumar pumped 10 goals, Kulwinder Singh eight, and Baljit Singh, Mukhtiar Singh and Kishnal Singh four each. Pawan Kumar of Punjab was declared as the best player of the championship. Sushil Kumar of National Handball Academy scored nine goals, Shekhar Singh and Rasheed Khan six each while Jain Prasad and Nayan Chander three each. Hosts Andhra Pradesh came third, defeating Himachal Pradesh 29-21. Though Himachal Pradesh were leading in the first half (12-11), Andhra Pradesh took advantage in the second half. |
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