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Monday,
May 21, 2001, Chandigarh, India   |
India hammer
Brunei 5-0 Dramatic title win for Bayern Gopi confident for world meet All-Spanish final at Hamburg |
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Sampras wins, gives
USA early lead USA will be tough opponents: Mahesh
Innings defeat for
Pakistan Now a Test series
at Sharjah? |
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PCA to concentrate on grass-roots level Aussies outplay New
Zealand Netball to make debut in National Games
2001 Powerlifter awaits
recognition Manipur beat Kerala Ludhiana beat
Hoshiarpur
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India
hammer Brunei 5-0
Bangalore, May 20 Virtually toying with their point-less minnows, India scored at regular intervals with goals coming from Dias Alberto Jules Claudio (12th minute),
I. M. Vijayan (23rd), Baichung Bhutia (35th), Jo Paul Anchery (59th) and Abdul Hakim (76th). But Sukhwinder’s boys narrowly missed the second spot despite overwhelming their opponents today. Already eliminated India needed to win by a six-goal margin today at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium to push Yemen to the third slot, as the UAE had last week claimed the lone qualifying spot emerging as group leaders with 12 points. With both Yemen and India ending up with 11 points, today’s verdict gave Yemen the second spot in the group by virtue of scoring more goals (14) compared to India’s (11). Brunei finished last in the four-nation group 8, failing even to score a single goal in their six matches. Crucial from the point of view of taking the second spot and determined to sign off on a high ahead of a hectic international schedule, India attacked from the word go as the visitors appeared to lack firepower. Claudio gave the hosts the lead as he neatly netted in after the Brunei defence thought it was an off-side with even the goal-keeper Mohammed Wardun Yussof coming out. The highly talented Vijayan made it 2-0, heading in superb pass from Anchery with Brunei’s defence in disarray. India’s third goal was scored by skipper Bhutia off a penalty kick, which was awarded after Anchery was tripped by Abang Norsillmy Taha. After the breather, Anchery, who played a major role in the match dominated by the Indians, headed in off a corner kick taken by Claudio. Soon after half-time, the match was played under heavy rains, and was briefly stopped towards the end. Hakim, who came as a substitute, did a good job scoring the fifth goal for India, taking advantage of a rebound from the goal-post off a Anchery hit. But, despite making frantic efforts in the dying minutes, the all important sixth goal eluded India. Brunei today blamed poor refereeing for their humiliating 0-5 loss to India. The Brunei players questioned the first goal scored by Dias Alberto Jules Claudio claiming it was offside. Indian coach Sukhwinder complimented the boys for a comprehensive victory but reiterated that India missed a great opportunity by splitting points with Yemen twice. To a question, he said
India should learn to perform without Baichung Bhutia. He had to be with his family and play in the English leauge. His needs had to be taken care of, he added.
PTI, UNI |
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Dramatic title win for Bayern Berlin, May
20 Patrik Andersson scored Bayern’s dramatic equaliser in the final seconds of the fourth minute of time added to give Bayern a 1-1 draw against Hamburg, snatching the title away from heartbroken Schalke. Bosnian midfielder Sergej Barbarez had put Hamburg ahead in the final minute of normal time at the Volksparkstadion and seemed to have handed Schalke their first title since 1958 before Andersson scored the equaliser. The German kings face Valencia in Wednesday’s Champion League final in Milan. Bayern, who led the standings by three points from Schalke going into yesterday’s matches, needed only a point to win their third consecutive domestic crown but a defeat would have handed Schalke the title by virtue of superior goal difference and their win against Unterhaching. Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld praised his side for fighting all the way as the reaction of the Hamburg crowd made it clear that Schalke had gone in front in their encounter. “I have dreamed of this and we worked so hard,” said Hitzfled. “I was convinced we could do it. The team deserved it and they gave everything they had. “I’m happy for Patrik Andersson. He has been fantastic in the second half of the season. He deserved to set the seal on it.” German league officials were able to breathe a sigh of relief as they had sent the championship trophy to Hamburg in full expectation of a Bayern triumph while sending a substitute trophy to Schalke. Veteran Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn admitted that playing the final few games has been no easy task. “Every game we’ve played in the last few weeks has been really on a knife-edge. It’s just incredible,” he said. Unterhaching’s defeat against Schalke after throwing away a two-goal lead sent them to relegation along with the already doomed VFL Bochum and Eintracht Frankfurt. Andre Breitenreiter and Miroslaw Spizak put Unterhaching two up before Schalke’s Nico van Kerckhoven and Gerald Asamoah struck just seconds apart to equalise before the half time. Jan Seifert put Unterhaching ahead again in the second half and Jorg Bohme won the game for Schalke with a double strike in the 73th and 74th minutes before Ebbe Sand netted for the 22nd time this season to cap the victory — but news from Hamburg broke their hearts. Schalke had the consolation of winning a Champions League place but they will rue the missed opportunities to pull clear of Bayern this season. Borussia Dortmund secured third place and their ticket to the Champions League with a 3-3 draw against Cologne.
AFP |
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Gopi confident for world meet Bangalore, May 20 “I am hopeful of doing well at the World Cup”, newly crowned all-England Open champion Gopichand told UNI. “I have been slogging out for five to six hours everyday and I am happy with the preparations for the event”, he added. Asked whether he was going to the World Cup with any set goal in mind, he said “I am happy with the preparations. I never go into a tournament with a set goal. I take match by match and play accordingly. If you give your 100 per cent, your goal is taken care of”. Even chief coach Mohammed Arif expressed confidence that the shuttler from Andhra Pradesh was in good form and would do well in the tournament. Arif, who had closely followed the progress of Gopichand, said “he has all the elements of a world champion. He has got the experience. Mentally he is very strong. He is well aware of all the players. He has the intelligence. If he is focussed, totally, he can win the title”, he observed.
UNI |
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All-Spanish final at Hamburg Hamburg, May 20 Ferrero took his tour-leading winning streak to 16 matches, leaving him on the verge of a place in the history books as one of an elite band to win Rome and Hamburg in the same season - and the first to do so back to back. The 21-year-old Davis Cup winner, seeded eight here, will now face surprise package and fellow Spaniard Albert Portas, a qualifier who shocked Australian seventh seed Lleyton Hewitt 3-6 7-5 6-2. Hewitt lost out after a bright start when he dropped serve at the start of the decider and never got back, smacking a backhand return into the net as he failed to become the first player from Down Under to reach the final here since Peter McNamara in 1982. “I lost my rhythm out there and once I did that it was hard to get back,” the 20-year-old Adelaider conceded. “I had my opportunities in the second set and didn’t take them.” Portas’ success, meanwhile, means that today will be the 50th all-Spanish final on the men’s Tour since 1990 and the third this year, all involving Ferrero. “We know each other perfectly and Ferrero is playing unbelievably. It will be a tough match - but tomorrow is another day. I have come here with a lot of confidence,” said Portas after seeing off Hewitt in a two-hour gruelling encounter which meant he claimed his third seeded victim. Ferrero has beaten Portas in the pair’s two previous meetings, including a straight sets mauling on the way to winning Estoril last month and will thus start red-hot favourite to lift his fifth title of the year. But Portas, dubbed the Drop Shot Dragon because that manoeuvre is such a potent weapon in his armoury, says he thinks Ferrero could tire in a best of five sets final. However, going on Ferrero’s recent performances Portas’ armoury will have to be primed and ready. Ferrero overpowered Costa after winning a 13-minute second game to break for 2-0 and despite an immediate rebreak he never looked back, completing the one-sided win in one hour 13 minutes with a punched forehand winner down the line. Should Ferrero see off Portas he will land a place in the history books as he will join compatriot Manuel Orantes (1972), Australian trio Marty Mulligan (1963), Rod Laver (1962) and Lew Hoad (1956), and Jaroslav Drobny of Czechoslovakia (1950) in lifting the Rome and Hamburg crowns in the same season.
AFP |
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Sampras wins, gives
USA early lead Dueseldorf, May 20 The former world number one Sampras completed 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) victory after 1 hour 55 minutes when Squillari put his backhand into the net. The victory for Sampras, who helped the USA win their last of four Team Cup titles in 1993, was his first on clay this season after first-round losses in Masters Series events in Rome and Hamburg the past two weeks. The left-handed Squillari was hoping to become the first Argentine to beat Sampras since Gabriel Markus did it in 1992. The other matchup in Sunday’s US-Argentina tie has Jan-Michael Gambill facing Mariano Puerta. France will play Russia in the other tie while Marat Safin will face Sebastien Grosjean and Yevgeny Kafelnikov will play Arnaud Clement.
DPA |
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USA will be tough opponents: Mahesh Bangalore, May 20 “The going will be tough against the USA. There are two factors. First, they are playing at home and there are not many Indian supporters in North Carolina. Secondly, the US team has a couple of good youngsters like Andy Roddick and Jan-Michael Gambill who are out to prove themselves in the tie. “We will do our best”, he said in a chat with newspersons last night. Recently, former Davis cupper Vijay Amritraj had said India would be underdogs against the USA in the play-off Davis Cup tie but have a chance of winning it. “If we had played at home I would say it was 50-50 chance. My feeling is that the end result will be 3-2. So it could go either way”. On the clashing of dates of world doubles (November 5 to 11) in the city and inaugural Afro-Asian Games (November 3 to 11), he said: “Our (Mahesh and his partner Leander Paes) priority will be the world doubles. It is not that we don’t enjoy playing for the country but we work all year to play the World Doubles Championship and it would be terrible if we end up not playing it”, he added. Mahesh, who is here to spend time with his family, had not been contacted by an official on the participation in any of the event. The ace tennis pair, ranked seventh in the world, has been looking forward to good tennis in the French Open, Queen’s Club and at Wimbledon. “I hope we get a good draw in the French Open”. The duo won titles at Atlanta and Houston before losing in the first round in the Italian Open and Hamburg Masters series.
UNI |
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$ 1 billion bet on one Test: Botham London, May 20 Botham added that the match-fixing that had been uncovered so far by the ongoing inquiry under the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-graft chief Sir Paul Condon was just the tip of the iceberg. The former England all-rounder’s allegations will be aired later today in a BBC documentary. “First of all I think we’ve just touched the tip of the iceberg,” Botham told the News of the World. “It’s not just the players that are involved, it’s a much wider network. “I’ve heard of figures as much as $ 1 billion changing hands in a Test — one Test result — so to offer someone $ 50,000 is small fry.” Botham’s comments come a day after The Times newspaper said Condon’s probe will report next week that matches in cricket are still being rigged. The paper said matches played by Pakistan and New Zealand in the Gulf state of Sharjah and by Pakistan in New Zealand this year have come under severe scrutiny. Allegations of match-rigging in Pakistan’s one-day series against the New Zealanders surfaced following the tour. “The report will suggest that despite the banning from the game for life of prominent international cricketers and stringent new constraints, attempts to rig results for money may not have been wiped out,” The Times reported. Condon, a former chief of London’s police force, was saddled with the task of rooting out graft in cricket following the explosion of the “Cronjegate” match-rigging scandal last year. World cricket was rocked after a mobile phone call where South African captain Hansie Cronje discussed taking bribes to throw a game was accidentally intercepted by police in New Delhi. Cronje, Pakistan ace Salim Malik and Indian Test legend Mohammad Azharuddin were subsequently banned for life.
AFP |
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Innings defeat for Pakistan
London, May 20 Having forced Pakistan to follow on 188 runs behind their first innings total of 391, England attacked relentlessly to bowl the visitors out for 179 in less than a day to emerge winners in the first of the two Test series. Seamers Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough and Dominic Cork took only 59.3 overs to rip through Pakistan’s second innings with only Abdur Razzaq (53) offering resistance. Caddick took four wickets in each innings and Gough followed his five wicket haul in the first innings with three in the second. It was a remarkable win for England after the first day’s play had been totally washed out and they had been put in under conditions expected to help the formidable Pakistani fast bowling attack. The home team first notched 391 and then bowled the Pakistanis out for 203 in the first innings shortly after lunch on the fourth day today, with only Younis Khan playing well for his 58. Darren Gough took his 200th Test wicket with the final delivery before lunch to leave Pakistan at a precarious 203 for eight, still 39 runs short of avoiding the follow on and 188 behind England’s first innings 391. In his 50th Test, the Yorkshire quick had Rashid Latif (18) well caught down the legside by opposing wicketkeeper and England stand-in captain Alec Stewart, deputising for the injured Nasser Hussain. This was sweet revenge for Caddick. In his previous over the 42nd, Caddick had been pulled by Azhar for four. The next ball was deliberately short and Azhar again went for the stroke but failed to keep the ball down. However, Michael Vaughan, who was stationed for the catch at backward square leg dropped the routine chance. Fortunately for England eight balls later Caddick ensured this was not a costly error.
SCOREBOARD
England (first innings) 391 (G. Thorpe 80, N. Hussain 64; Azhaar Mahmood 4-50) Pakistan (first innings) (overnight 115-4) Anwar c Atherton b Gough 12 Elahi c Atherton b Caddick 0 Razzaq c Stewart b Caddick 22 Inzamam c Stewart b Caddick 13 Youhana Ibw b Gough 26 Younis Khan b Cork 58 Mahmood c Trescothick
b Caddick 14 Latif c Stewart b Gough 18 Wasim Akram not out 19 Younis c Thorpe b Gough 0 Shoaib Akhtar b Gough 0 Extras: (b-1 lb-7 nb-13) 21 Total: (all out) 203 Fall of wickets: 1-4 2-21 3-37 4-60 5-116 6-153 7-167 8-203 9-203. Bowling: Gough 16-5-61-5 (nb3), Caddick 17-3-52-4 (nb7), Sidebottom 11-0-38-0, Cork 11-3-42-1 (nb3), Trescothick 2-1-2-0. Pakistan (2nd innings): Anwar c Thorpe b Caddick 8 Elahi c Thorpe b Caddick 0 Razzaq c Atherton b Caddick 53 Inzamaul c Stewart b Cork 20 Youhana c Vaughan b Gough 6 Younis Khan lbw b Cork 1 Mahmood c Stewart b Caddick 24 Rashid c Stewart b Gough 20 Akram c Thorpe b Gough 12 Waqar Younis c Stewart b Cork 21 Shoaib Akhtar not out 2 Extras (lb-6, nb-6) 12 Total (all out) 179 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-30, 3-67, 4-84, 5-87, 6-121, 7-122, 8-147, 9-167. Bowling: Gough 16-4-40-3, Caddick 18-3-54-4, Sidebottom 9-2-26-0, Cork 15.3-3-41-3, Vaughan 1-0-12-0.
PTI
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Now a Test series at Sharjah? Sharjah, May 20 Sri Lankan Sports Minister Lakshman Kiriella gave enough hints to suggest that Sri Lankans were ready to play a Test series at Sharjah. “If we are invited, we will gladly come. I see no reason why we should not come”, he said. Mr Kiriella was speaking to reporters after he and Cricketers’ Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) chief Abdulrehman Bukhatir announced that Sri Lanka had signed a three-year contract with the CBFS to participate in the next six one-day tournaments to be played at Sharjah, beginning October this year. Mr Bukhatir also announced that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had renewed its contract with the CBFS for another three years for playing in Sharjah. Mr Kiriella said Sri Lanka was ready to help the CBFS in all its endeavours because “when we got the Test status in 1982 and we were not in demand worldwide, the CBFS invited us...Hence it is our turn to stand by them in difficult times”. Till date, Sharjah holds the distinction of hosting the maximum number of one-day internationals in the world. However, it has never hosted a five-day tie. The signing of the contract with Sri Lanka is being seen as a major achievement by the CBFS, which is yet to recover from the jolt it suffered after India decided not to play at Sharjah for three years. India did not participate in the tournament held in April and they were replaced at the last minute by New Zealand. Pakistan and Sri Lanka were the other two teams. The CBFS has also decided to help Sri Lanka in building an international stadium and a cricket academy at Kandy. Budding UAE cricketers would be provided free coaching at the academy.
UNI |
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PCA to concentrate on grass-roots level SAS Nagar, May 20 “As per the rotation policy as laid down by board, it is the turn of the Punjab Cricket Association to host a Test match and the association should not be deprived of the opportunity”, stated Mr
M.P. Pandove, honorary secretary of the Punjab Cricket Association, after the conclusion of the executive committee meeting here today. Mr Pandove revealed that the association would prefer to host a Test match, obviously being a better proposition, than a
one-dayer. The Punjab Cricket Association, Mr Pandove, said had decided to strengthen training at the grass-roots level by giving assistance to regional training centres at
Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, SAS Nagar and Chandigarh . The association would provide 12 dozen balls, give financial aid in setting up systems for watering ground and reimburse 50 per cent salary of the coaches. “We will invite promising cricketers from these associations at the PCA Stadium here at least once in three months and provide them comprehensive training,” he said adding that “ the players should primarily be in the U-14 to U-16 age groups. Relaxation in age by one or two years in the case of exceptionally talented players will be given.” Each centre would have a pool of at least 20 youngsters. Special emphasis will be given on grooming fast bowlers. Therefore, each district has been told to groom at least five pacers. Besides, the PCA would send its coaches to the districts to assist coaches as well as trainees
there. Mr Pandove stated a sub-committee had been constituted to review the cases of different district associations seeking affiliation with the
PCA. The committee would go into various factors like facilities provided by the association to players, overall cricket activity there and whether the players are permitted to play in the tournaments organised by the
PCA, among others before deciding on such cases. Affiliation cases of district cricket associations of
Nawanshahr, Moga, Muktsar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Mansa are pending with the
PCA. |
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Luis Novo wins marathon Vienna, May 20 Over 25,000 people donned their running shoes under sunny skies to take part in the event, the 18th such race to be held in the Austrian capital. Around 11,500 runners tackled the classic 42-km race through Vienna’s old city centre and out towards the capital’s greener suburbs, while other participants opted for four shorter, less taxing stretches, organisers said. Some 300,000 Viennese also turned out early today to watch the runners, who numbered among them a 74-year-old man. The Vienna marathon record was set last year by Kenya’ Willy Cheruiyot, who completed the stretch in 2hrs 8min 48sec.
AFP |
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Aussies outplay New Zealand Buenos Aires, May 20 In championship pool F, whose top two teams will qualify for next week’s semifinals, Australia beat rivals New Zealand 2-1 in a tight match. The Kiwis took the lead with a goal from Piki Hamahona in the ninth minute, but Australia responded robustly and Hope Brown drew the teams level with a close-range strike in the 17th minute. Australia further piled on the pressure, forcing a series of penalty corners that New Zealand’s defence dealt with effectively. In the same pool host Argentina beat England 3-0 to join Australia at the top of the group with four wins out of four since the tournament began. Despite some brave English defence, including excellent efforts by Kate Walsh, the European side was let down by poor passing as Argentina proved too strong. In a first half with little action, Argentina spent much of the time on the attack but didn’t score until the 32nd minute, when Vanina Raimondo slipped into space before ramming her shot past hapless England keeper Karen Wells. The second half was all Argentina, with Martina Arcostanz scoring in the 42nd and 57th minutes to complete a 3-0 drubbing. Only toward the end did England come close to scoring but Argentina’s defence maintained composure and the team completed its fourth game without conceding a goal. In pool E, the Netherlands, inspired by midfielder Maartje Scheepstra, swept aside neighbours Germany with a 2-0 victory. Eveline Wisse Smit put the Dutch ahead in the ninth minute from a penalty corner and the Dutch almost scored again eight minutes later when Belle Van Meer missed a good chance in a one-on-one with German goalkeeper Yvonne Frank. In the 28th minute, Aukje De Groot succeeded where Smit had failed, beating the German keeper after she found herself free on goal to make it 2-0. In another pool E game, Korea recorded their fourth consecutive tournament victory, beating South Africa 4-0 to confirm their status as among the cup favourites. Korea dominated the game, keeping South Africa hemmed in its own 25-yard line for long periods of the match as the Koreans launched an assault on the South African goal. South Africa, however, battled well in the first-half, restricting the Koreans to a single goal, which came from tournament top scorer Yun Mi Kim.
AP |
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Netball to make debut in National Games
2001 SAS Nagar, May 20 Mr Bindra revealed that 240-odd netball players were slated to participate in the biggest sporting extravaganza involving all state teams of the country in 27 disciplines. Though approval was still required to be taken from the organising committee, he said, it was a mere formality. The former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India revealed that most of the issues on the agenda of the meeting viz approval of venues for the competitions, confirmation and approval of dates and schedule of events, selection of qualifying teams, requirement of equipment and technical officials, number of medals required and technical directors and approval of technical rules had been okayed at the meeting. The care, he said, would be taken to ensure that competitions for the participants who were slated to take part in the SAF Games scheduled to commence from October 6 were held at early stages of the Games so that they had enough time to prepare for SAF Games. Since the competitions were being conducted in five cities — Anandpur Sahib,
Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala — it was not feasible to have a games village. It was decided to lodge most of the players at college and university hostels, while the technical officials would stay in hotels. To avoid the last-minute hiccups full-dress rehearsal would be
organised. The plan, in fact, was to conduct various state championships for the purpose. Tug-of-war and bullock cart races were being planned as the demonstration sports. While the former was likely to be held at
Ludhiana, the latter may be held at Kila Raipur, a proposal for which had been received from Grewal Sports Association. The honorary president of the Punjab Cricket Association revealed that nearly 1900 technical officials would be involved in the successful conduct the games. Of this, 50 per cent would be taken from Punjab, while the rest would be from the adjoining states only because of logistical reasons. He further stated that for approximately 8000 participants — the maximum in any edition of the competition so far — 1400 medals would be up for grabs. The opening and closing ceremonies would be held at
Ludhiana. The efforts were being made to rope in the President of India, Mr
K.R. Narayanan, for the opening ceremony and the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari
Vajpayee, for the closing ceremony. An expenditure of Rs 45 crore was expected to be incurred on the games. Of this, Rs 23 crore was meant for infrastructure, nearly Rs 5 crore for the equipment, while the rest would be spent on board and lodging of players and officials, hospitality, transportation, medals
etc. Mr Bindra said that no efforts were being spared to ensure that the games were best-ever
organised. Successful conduct of these, to a large extent, depended on the cooperation and efforts of the national federations. Most of the technical information required had been received from the
federations. Mr T.C. Gupta has been appointed Director, Media and Publicity. |
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Powerlifter awaits
recognition Patiala, May 20 Ashok aggregated a total of 875 kg in the super-heavyweight category. He also created a new Asian record by raking in a “dead lift” of 320 Kg. Despite winning a plethora of medals in various Asian and other international meets, Ashok still has his face buried in anonymity. For he is just a lineman in the Punjab State Electricity Board. When Ashok returned from New Delhi after the Asian meet, he was not accorded any sort of welcome here. Keeping in view the nature of his sport, many a time Ashok has to answer questions like “Aur kuch karne ko nahin mila?” And prompt is the powerlifters reply “I do it, for nobody else does it.” And Ashok does one more thing which nobody else does. He wins medals. If his performance is any barometer, then Ashok Kapoor ranks among top powerlifters of Asia, which is not a achievement. Ashok came into the limelight when he created a national record by lifting 220 Kg in the squat event in the Junior National Powerlifting Championships at Jamshedpur in 1985. After that there has been no looking back for the lifter, and in the past 16 years he has been making and breaking records with monotonous regularity. Ashok trains hard for the sport. His wrists are tapped, fingers bandaged, knees strapped as he continuously lifts tonnes of raw iron. He can do sits-ups on a 45 degree inclined bench with 15 kg load tied behind his back. Despite winning so many medals, Ashok has not got his due. At least, the PSEB authorties should look into Ashok’s case for promotion. He surely deserves a better deal. |
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Manipur beat Kerala Ludhiana, May 20 International Rani of Manipur scored the first goal in the 31st minute followed by Shanti Devi’s goal in the 52nd minute. After two minutes Daina Pati scored another followed by Rani’s brace in the 66th and 69 minutes. Shanti (74th) Rani (76th) and Daina Pati (79th) scored the last three goals. In another match, Maharashtra defeated Orissa 3-1. Orissa were without their main player Kapana Sahu, who was injured in the preliminary league. Orissa scored the first goal in the 18th minute of the second half. Later Maharashtra maintained the steady attack scoring three goals to win the game. |
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Ludhiana beat
Hoshiarpur Chandigarh, May 20 Hoshiarpur trailed 31-44 in the first half but recovered splendidly to lead 63-62 in the fourth quarter. Both the teams tied at 67-each at the end of regular 40 minutes of playing time. In the extra time of five minutes Ludhiana won 71-69. Hoshiarpur, the last few seconds of regular playing time, led by one point but lost possession of the ball which was capitalised upon by Ludhiana and Kamaljit levelled the scores by converting a free throw. For Ludhiana, Harinder (17), Manpreet (21) and Kamaljit (25) were the main scorers where as for Hoshiarpur, Rajpal (25) Rajwinder (19) and Vidya (13) were the main scorers. In another semifinal league match, Kapurthala defeated Faridkot 51-41, after leading 23-19 at half time. For Kapurthala, Reena (18), Mala (12) and Satwinder (15) were the main scorers. In the boys section Bathinda crushed Jalandhar 54-26. It was Jalandhar’s second defeat and they are out of title contest. Ludhiana boys registered their first victory, a narrow one, against fancied Gurdaspur 76-75. The match was a cliff-hanger and the teams exchanged lead with every ball possession. Gurdaspur started well but were unlucky to lose the services of aggressive Probjot, who sustained an injury. With this victory, Ludhiana have kept their hopes alive for winning the championship. |
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Players’
recruitment Chandigarh, May 20 |
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