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Friday,
July 12, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Indian eves go down to England Disastrous debut by Qatar |
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Jones rebuilding aura of invincibility
France — from world champs to also-rans Pak invites India for hockey meet E. Bengal, Bagan lock horns over Bhutia India, Tajikistan
clash today Chinese FA accepts
blame for flop
Hockey
championship
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Tendulkar helps India win Bristol, July 11 Tendulkar hit his century number 33, a 102-ball 113 with 12 fours and a six, to help India score the highest total of the series after having elected to bat. It was an uninhibited show of aggression by Tendulkar who went for his strokes right from the start and kept up the momentum throughout his innings despite the loss key wickets at the other end.
Only Dinesh Mongia, who made 48, and Mohammad Kaif, 41, gave some support to Tendulkar who almost single-handedly guided India to the first 300-plus score of this series. Mongia shared a 99-run partnership for the third wicket with the master batsman, the highest of the innings, while Kaif and Tendulkar added 74 for the sixth wicket. Tendulkar was finally out in the 47th over when he mistimed a drive off a widish delivery from Chaminda Vaas and gave a simple catch to Upul Chandana at point. India’s total was 284 at that point. India lost their last four wickets in the remaining overs with Ashish Nehra being clean bowled by Dilhara Fernando on the final ball of the innings. Rahul Dravid (13) and Yuvraj Singh (8) failed, both falling leg before wicket to spinners, and so did captain Sourav Ganguly whose lean patch in the series continued when he was run out for nine. But Indian innings flourished, first under the stewardship of Virender Sehwag who showed flashes of brilliance in his 40-ball 39 with six fours, and then under the genius Tendulkar. Tendulkar and Mongia set up a rollicking partnership, both trying to outdo each other in stroke-making. It was the most profitable period of the Indian innings with runs coming from every corner of the field and the run rate well-above six an over. Mongia was clean bowled by off-spinner Thilan Samaraweera, certainly the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers, when he was just two runs short of his first fifty of the series. Dravid and Yuvraj Singh fell in quick succession, but Tendulkar’s march continued unabated. He also became the highest run-scorer against Sri Lanka overtaking Mohammad Azharuddin who has 1833 runs from 53 games. Tendulkar has now scored 1941 runs from 48 matches against Sri Lanka. Tendulkar and Kaif put up another good partnership but runs were slightly hard to come by and both were cautious too considering they formed the last recognised batting pair. Scoreboard
India: S.Ganguly run out (Silva) 9 V.Sehwag run out (Fernando) 39 D.Mongia b Samaraweera 48 S.Tendulkar c Chandana b Vaas 113 R.Dravid lbw b Chandana 13 Yuvraj Singh lbw b Samaraweera 8 M.Kaif c Silva b Zoysa 41 Harbhajan Singh run out
(Jayasuriya) 0 Z.Khan b Fernando 0 A.Nehra b Fernando 3 T.Yohannan not out 5 Extras (lb-6 w-12 nb-7) 25 Total
(all out, 50 overs) 304 Fall of wickets: 1-32 2-73 3-172 4-199 5-210 6-284 7-286
8-288 9-296 Bowling: Vaas 10-0-64-1, Zoysa 10-0-66-1, Fernando
10-1-55-2, Chandana 8-0-44-1, Jayasuriya 2-0-14-0, Jayawardene 2-0-16-0, Samaraweera 8-0-39-2 Sri Lanka: S.Jayasuriya lbw b Khan 5 M.Atapattu run out (Yuvraj Singh) 53 K.Sangakkara st Dravid b Harbhajan Singh 66 M.Jayawardene c Nehra b Yuvraj Singh 31 N.Zoysa c Mongia b Ganguly 8 R.Arnold run out
(Kaif) 8 C.Silva st Dravid b Harbhajan Singh 30 T.Samaraweera b Harbhajan Singh 15 U.Chandana c Nehra b Harbhajan Singh 1 C.Vaas not out 4 D.Fernando run out
(Mongia) 4 Extras (b-1 lb-4 w-5 nb-6) 16 Total (all out, 44.1 overs) 241 Fall of wickets:
1-11 2-96 3-160 4-165 5-171 6-188 7-210 8-221 9-233
Bowling: Nehra 7-0-28-0, Khan 8.1-0-53-1, Yohannan 5-0-39-0, Ganguly 10-0-40-1, Harbhajan Singh 10-0-46-4, Yuvraj Singh
2-0-12-1, Mongia 1-0-8-0, Sehwag 1-0-10-0. Reuters |
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Tendulkar pulls hamstring muscle
Master batsman Sachin Tendulkar pulled a hamstring muscle during his century knock in the last league match of the triangular one-day series here today and did not take the field when Sri Lanka came out to bat. Team sources said Tendulkar had a hamstring strain but it was not immediately clear whether he will play in the final against England on Saturday or not. |
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Indian eves go down to England London, July 11 Put in to bat, India were bundled out for a meagre 59, their lowest total against England, with none of the batswoman reaching even the double-figure mark. England romped home, ending their nine-match losing streak in one-day internationals, by notching up 60 runs for the loss of four wickets. England’s performance was professional and clinical, much too razor-edged in contrast to the rusty looking visiting Indian side. What was worse for the Indians was that Isa Guha, the 17-year-old girl of Indian origin making her international debut in the match, drew the first blood for the hosts. She returned impressive figures of 7.2-0-17-2. John Harmer, the England coach, played Guha ahead of Nicki Shaw because he did not want his latest inclusion to the squad sitting on the bench. “It’s better for her to run the nerves out of her system right away,” Harmer said. Within 11 balls, Guha was celebrating her first scalp in international cricket when Sulakshana Naik missed a full-length ball and was out leg before. “After that I was fine,” Guha said later. “I was shaking before and when they told me I was opening I could not believe it... I loved every minute.” New Zealand is the third team in contention in the series. Another England bowler to return two wickets was Lucy Pearson who set the tone with a spell of tight, probing left-arm medium pace. She finished with three runs from her six overs. Clare Taylor, used the opportunity to set up her own landmark — she became only the second woman ever to grab 100 one-day international wickets when she dismissed Indian skipper Anjum Chopra (6). Chopra, the most elegant of stroke-makers, also could not fathom the unpredictable wicket as the last Indian wickets tumbled in eight overs for mere 19 runs as Lara Harper ran through the tail. The Somerset Wanderers off-spinner produced career-best figures of 4 for 11 which deservedly won her the player-of-the-match award. A burst of rain freshened the pitch for India’s seamers with Arundhati Kirkire taking two wickets in as many balls to induce a late stutter. But Charlotte Edwards, unbeaten on 31, ensured victory for the hosts.
PTI |
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Disastrous debut by Qatar Singapore, July 11 The next highest contribution came from a generous 19 extras by the Kuwait bowlers, with Abdullah Khan providing two wides in his one over of the match in which he took three wickets for six runs to clean up the Qatar tail. Hisham Mirza took three for 35. Kuwait required just 17 overs to reach the simple target, with the loss of two wickets. Nabeel Ghafoor top-scored with 48 not out, while Muhammad Nawaz took advantage of the inexperienced Qatar bowling attack to smash his way to 37 off 18 balls. In the second match today, Singapore were all out for 206 in the 49th over against the Maldives, with first day centurymaker Zubin Shroff again top scoring for Singapore with 42. Maldives in reply were 24 for two in the fifth over when rain stopped play.
AFP |
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Jones rebuilding aura of invincibility Rome, July 11 The Olympic champion had her crown knocked off temporarily last year when she was beaten in the World Championships by Ukraine’s Zhanna Pintusevich-Block. But Pintusevich-Block, who ran a season-leading 10.84 sec in Greece last weekend, is in dispute over appearance money with the organisers of athletics’ top meetings so she will not be on the newly laid track at Rome’s Olympic Stadium for the third Golden League event of the season. “Marion Jones is a great champion who we respect but Zhanna and I believe that as the reigning world champion, she deserves more than half the sum that Jones is getting,” Pintusevich-Block’s husband and agent Nick Block told AFP this week. Jones, meanwhile, said she was itching to meet the United States-based Ukrainian again. “It would be ridiculous to think that I wouldn’t want to compete against her,” said the 26-year-old American this week. She welcomed the new track surface which she predicted would produce some impressive times. “I’ve been coming to Rome for five years now but I have to say that re-laying the track was a necessity.” Pintusevich-Block may return for the final three Golden League meetings of the season but the fact remains that Jones and her fellow American Maurice Greene are two of the rare athletes who sell tickets, along with untouchable Moroccan middle distance runner Hicham El-Guerrouj. All three won their events at the last Golden League meeting, in Paris last Friday. For Greene, the 100m victory in 9.99sec was a welcome relief after two defeats to British sprinter Dwain Chambers. Chambers is missing from tomorrow’s field as he prepares for the Commonwealth Games later this month but in-form American Bernard Williams, who won the short sprint at the Grand Prix II meeting in Zagreb on Monday, and Nigerian-born Francis Obikwelu should push Greene hard. “I ran well enough in Paris and I think I’m going to run well here,” said Greene. Tim Montgomery, tipped to challenge Greene for world dominance this year, is meanwhile struggling to find his form after finishing fourth in the rain in Paris. Triple world champion El-Guerrouj strolled to the fastest 1,500 metres time in the world this year, 3min 29.96 sec, in Paris and he will relish a return to the track where he set the world record of 3:26.00 four years ago this month. The man who pipped him to Olympic gold in Sydney, Noah Ngeny, will compete against him but he is some way from the form required to challenge El-Guerrouj. The Moroccan is one of eight athletes still in contention for a share of the jackpot of 50 kg of gold bars awarded to athletes who win their event in all seven Golden League meetings. Kenya’s Benjamin Limo is another with his eyes on the gold after sprinting away from the field in the 5,000m in Oslo and Paris. This year, Limo has so far eclipsed his compatriot and namesake Richard, who won the world title in Edmonton last year. Another Kenyan, Sammy Kipketer, is expected to lead the challengers. Meanwhile, the meeting should see the debut at 1,500m of Mozambique’s Maria Mutola, the world and Olympic champion at 800m.
AFP |
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France — from world champs to also-rans Paris, July 11 On that glorious night in Paris, Zinedine Zidane scored twice and Emmanuel Petit added the third goal in the 3-0 win over Brazil. France were world champions for the first time, one million people thronged the Champs-Elysees in a red, white and blue tidal wave of joy and the team was hailed as a model of racial harmony and sporting brilliance. Now, the nation is still coming to terms with the humilating first-round exit of its team in last month’s World Cup finals and football in France has descended into civil war. The French failed to score a single goal in Asia and became the first holders for 36 years to crash out at the first hurdle. Zidane was injured in a meaningless friendly just before the tournament and played no part in the first two matches. When he stiffly jogged on to the pitch for the crucial match against Denmark he was powerless to help his team-mates avoid a 0-2 defeat and elimination from a tournament they had been expected to win. Coach Roger Lemerre was sacked last week for his role in the disaster and the football world in France has spent the past two weeks locked in bitter arguments over his successor and the way money is distributed between professional and amateur clubs. Today, the under-fire president of the French Football Federation (FFF), Mr Claude Simonet, was meeting French Sports Minister, Mr Jean-Francois Lamour, to discuss changes to the professional league demanded by the major clubs. That glorious night in Paris four years ago now looks as if it belonged to a golden age. The problem is that the success of Zidane’s team failed to drip down to the French league. Almost every one of the 1998 World Cup-winning squad either already played abroad or left soon afterwards, attracted by the better-paid leagues of England, Italy, Spain and Germany. Zidane played for Juventus in Italy and then Spanish giants Real Madrid, this year’s captain marcel Desailly performs for Chelsea in England while charismatic shaven-headed goalkeeper Fabien Barthez graces Manchester Uited. The exodus of France’s top players can be seen in the performance of French clubs in European club competitions since 1998. Marseille won the European Cup in 1993- last season they finished ninth in the first division. They reached the final of the UEFA Cup in 1999 and Lens played and lost in the semi-finals of the same competition a year later. But in the elite European Champions League, French clubs have flopped. It appears that the humiliation of the French national team in Asia has lit the fuse on a powder keg of discontentment at the grassroots of the sport. In the annual general meeting in Lyon last Saturday, the amateur clubs refused to pass the FFF’s budget because they fear they will not see any part of the 62.5 million Euros ($61.8 million) promised to the professional clubs over the next five years. The president of the French League, Mr Frederic Thiriez, admitted recently that debts were piling up. “The level of debt has risen and the economic outlook at the end of the television contracts in 2004 are rather worrying,” he said. Amid the moans, France is considering turning to one of its exiled sons to revive the fortunes of the national team. The unconventional Philippe Troussier resigned as the coach of Japan after the World Cup finals having fulfilled his aim of leading the co-hosts to the second round. Just two months ago, Lemerre had seen his contract extended until 2004 and his replacement by Troussier was unthinkable. Now he, and under-21 coach Raymond Domenech, are considered the front-runners for the job.
AFP |
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Pak invites India for hockey meet
Islamabad, July 11 “We have invited India through the Asian Hockey Association and hope for a positive response,’’ The Nation today quoted Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Secretary Musarratullah Khan as saying. Malaysia, South Korea and Japan are the other invitees. Pakistan has not played India since losing to them in the final of the President’s Gold Cup in March last year. India has kept sporting links with Pakistan to a minimum in protest against Islamabad’s alleged support for militants operating in the Kashmir valley. However, the two teams may clash in this month’s Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England. Mr Khan said despite security concerns, the PHF would bid to host next year’s silver jubilee edition of the Champions Trophy. “Pakistan has already conveyed to the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that as initiator of the event we would love to host its silver jubilee edition in 2003,’’ he added. The PHF official pointed out, “Foreign teams may show security reservations, but we hope that things will improve by that time.’’ The English Hockey Association has already withdrawn its offer to host the 2003 Champions Trophy due to a major restructuring of the sport in that country. Pakistan initiated the Champions Trophy in 1978 and has hosted the event 10 times, the last in 1998. The FIH had shifted the 2001 event from Lahore to Rotterdam in The Netherlands after the European Union advised foreign teams to stay away from Pakistan in the wake of ‘Black Tuesday’ (September 11). Mr Khan said: “Pakistan is given the 2004 event as compensation but we have always wanted to host the 25th edition as Pakistan deserves to host it.’’ UNI |
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E. Bengal, Bagan lock horns over Bhutia Kolkata, July 11 Soccer bosses of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are trying to outdo each other to woo former striker of FC Bury since Bhutia’s three-year-term witn the London club ended late last year. But money is the major factor for both the clubs as the Sikkimese reportedly offered his services against a whopping Rs 40 lakh, a record sum for any domestic player of the country. Winners of the latest version of the National Football League, Mohun Bagan are desperately looking for the services of Bhutia to combine their attack along with Brazilian Jose Ramirez Barreto as most of the warhorses of last season deserted the club in frustration. Immediately after winning the NFL on May 15, the club members involved in factional squabbles and the players finding their future at stake left one by one leaving the club devoid of soccer players. Among them, Barreto’s striking partner Seriki joined Mohammedan Sporting, Brazilian stopper Amouri and Debjit Ghosh were uncertain. The upcoming and in-form players of the country either joined East Bengal or opted for playing Mohammedan Sporting and other clubs of the country. Bagan secretary Anjan Mitra had been in Dubai and offered Bhutia to play for the club. Bhutia reportedly asked Mitra to pay more than the sum given to Barreto. Incidentally Barreto after coming from home tour said he was willing to play with Bhutia. Bhutia was in Dubai as an official commentator for Ten Sports channel for World Cup 2002. Mr Mitra said things would become clear after a meeting of club members on July 16. “But money is the major factor for enrolling Bhutia’s name on the players list,” he said. Club sources said President Swapansadhan Bose, who had promised to bear the cost of signing Bhutia, was now undergoing treatment. At the same time Bose wants to make the deal sure after a trial of Bhutia which may not be palatable to the ace striker. Bhutia has been out of the game for the past several months and had knee operation. Bagan’s opening match is on July 19. East Bengal after having a bad season in the NFL realised the importance of an in-form striker and are optimistic about Bhutia’s services this year. The club sources said talks were on with the Indian captain, who was keen to return to his old club of Kolkata. But there, too, the question is where would the money come for Bhutia. Bhutia knows if he wants to play for yellow-red then he would not have to undergo a trial run and easily be the number one striker while in Bagan their is the formidable presence of Barreto. East Bengal have already emptied their budgetary coffers for the year by roping in Nigerian Mike Okoro from ITI, Venkatesh, besides old timers Ghana’s Jackson and Suleyu Musa. East Bengal’s opening match in the league is on July 22. Bhutia, now in London, is expected to return here any day and join the national camp now in progress in Jamshedpur for Busan Asian Games in September. It is also certain that either of the two clubs would not be able to avail services of Bhutia before mid-October because of the Asiad.
UNI |
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India, Tajikistan clash today Kolkata, July 11 After registering victories in their opening ties, both the teams are high on confidence. While Tajikistan overcame Kyrgyzstan in the inaugural tie 2-0, India steamrolled an insipid Bhutan 4-1. Indian coach Islam Ahmedov expressed satisfaction at his team’s performance, but warned against any complacency. He said the Tajiks are a hardier lot and had “bigger” players. “I have watched them play. They play good football and cannot be taken lightly. At the same time I have asked my players to continue with their natural game. We have a fair chance if we play to our potential,” Ahmedov said. He will have a lot to think about when they take on a faster and fitter Tajikistan tomorrow. The advantage Islam has on his side is that India play on home conditions and he knows well the brand of soccer the Tajiks plays. However, a revelation for India was Malswama Tluanga who showed superb ball control and a consumated ease of breaking deep into the rival defence. If India has to do well the trio of Ashim Biswas, Bungo Singh and Malswama has to combine well from the midfield. Subhas Chakraborty with his sprints down the left flanks can also prove a handful. Tajik coach Buriev Alovidin said, after their first match here, they will have two opponents-India and heat on their Friday outing. Indeed in their first encounter with Kyrgyzstan, both the teams displayed a dull, drab and slow motion football in the last quarter, evidently sapped out due to the heat and humidity. Buriev was happy in the way their team performed against Kyrgyzstan and was especially pleased with the performance of Jamshed Ismailov, Djabarov Sharif and strikers Sadikova and Nasikov. Medio Borotov Rakhmonali also gave a good account of himself as he acted both as a snatcher and a schemer. However, the defence of the Tajik side also showed chinks, but their goalie Khodjimorodov was rocksolid under the bar. UNI |
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Chinese FA accepts
blame for flop Beijing, July 11 The team’s debut at the World Cup finals in June was “a breakthrough for Chinese football” in itself, said Mr Yan Shiduo, Vice-Director of the China Football Association (CFA), according to the Beijing Youth Daily. However, in failing to even score a goal in three comprehensive first-round defeats, the team did not achieve any of the targets set before the tournament, he said. “We shall not forgive ourselves. We did not meet the expectations of the Chinese people and the country,” he told a football conference in Lanzhou, capital of the northeastern province of Gansu. “I should be held responsible, the CFA should be responsible,” Mr Yan said. Amid wild public expectations ahead of China’s first-ever appearance at the tournament, after four decades of trying to qualify, team coach Bora Milutinovic tried to dampen down hopes. The Yugoslav announced that the team had three ascending targets for their time in South Korea: to score a goal, draw a game and secure a win.
AFP |
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Hockey
championship
Ambala The championship is being held at War Heroes Memorial stadium,
Ambala Cantt. In semi-finals, Haryana Police beat Gurgaon Sports
Hostel 1-0 to march into the finals.
In the second semi-finals, Sonepat beat Kurukshetra. While the two
teams were level at one goal each during the match, in the tie-breaker
Sonepat scored four goals compared to two goals by Kurukshetra.
Earlier, in the quarterfinals, Haryana Police Bhiwani 2-1 and Jind
lost the match to Kurukshetra 0-3. |
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PRINCE CHARLES TO
PLAY IN JAIPUR GILCHRIST CHOSEN UNDER-14 SOCCER |
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