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Wednesday,
August 7, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Lifters
give the slip as Indian contingent arrives
Uma
Bharati to probe doping charge Kolkata
gears up to welcome boxing hero |
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Depleted
England ready for Indian backlash
LG Cup:
India enter semifinals India
slip in FIFA rankings ‘Aussies
wary about touring Pak’ Salim
wins Arvind badminton Punjab
swimming meet from Aug 16
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Lifters give the slip as Indian contingent arrives New Delhi, August 6
Though the Indian weightlifters had put on a magnificent display in the Commonwealth Games, their feat was shrouded in a cloud of controversy when Krishnan Madaswamy tested positive for a banned substance. Madaswamy, who won three silver medals in the upto 62kg category, was subsequently disqualified and stripped of his medals by the court of enquiry of the Commonwealth Games Federation. And then came the news of Satheesha Rai, who won two gold and one bronze medal in the 77kg category, also testing positive for a banned substance. There is also the talk of the men’s weightlifting team being disqualified as two lifters have been tested positive, though Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Suresh Kalmadi refused to either confirm or deny the news. These factors perhaps prompted the IOA and the two ad hoc committee members of the Weightlifting Federation of India, Balbir Singh Bhatia and R R Singh, to whisk away the lifters unnoticed before the media could swoop down on them. In fact, some people in the IOA claimed that only one male lifter had arrived by the Air-India flight, as the others had "missed the flight". In fact, everybody had to spend a sleepless night, waiting for the Air-India flight, emanating from New York, and coming via London, to arrive, which finally landed almost one hour and 45 minutes late than the scheduled arrival time. It was scheduled to arrive at 11.35 pm, but landed only at 1.17 am. The women’s hockey team, some weightlifters and a few shooters arrived by the flight. The table tennis and badminton players, boxers, some weightlifters and shooters had arrived by British Airways and Lufthansa flights, which had landed much earlier. But IOA president Kalmadi and Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Uma Bharati insisted on all the sportspersons coming out together, and as a result, there was total confusion when the athletes trooped out. Perhaps, it was a deliberate strategy to camouflage the weightlifters from prying eyes. India’s golden oldie, PT Usha, who had gone to Manchester as an observer of the Railways, was all praise for the performance of the Indian sportspersons, particularly the two athletes, Neelam J Singh and Anju B George, who won the women’s discus throw silver and long jump bronze, respectively. Usha felt that in some events, the competition was very tough, and in some others, it was not that keen. She observed that Anju could have done better, had she been given enough competition exposure before the Commonwealth Games. But she warned the athletes not to be complacent, and work hard for the Asian Games, as the competitions at Busan would be tougher, with China, Korea, Japan and other Asian sports powers entering the fray. If Anju lacked competition exposure, it was overexposure that did Abhinav Bindra in. Though Abhinav won a gold in the 10m pistol pairs event and a bronze, his performance was not upto the expected level. National shooting coach Prof Sunny Thomas said too much competition exposure had made Abhinav jaded at the Commonwealth Games, though the young shooter otherwise did a remarkable job. Prof Thomas said Abhinav has been instructed not to touch his shooting weapon for at least a week, and he has also been exempted from attending the trials for the Asian Games to be held in Delhi from August 12 to 21. Prof. Thomas said the four-gold feat of Jaspal Rana and Anjali Bhagwat did not come as a surprise to him, as they were well trained and were expected to do well in their respective events. Chief coach of the women’s hockey team, G S Bhangu, too was elated as the girls "played according to plan". He said the Indian team improved with every match, and faithfully carried out the pre-match strategy, which culminated in their golden triumph. He said India’s defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the pool match was a deliberate strategy as "we did not want to meet Australia in the semifinal". He said India’s toughest matches were against England, both in the pool as well as in the final. He said the umpire, who took her time to award the golden goal struck by Mamata Kharab, was a bit intimidated as England were ranked fourth in the world whereas India were ranked 14th. Mr Kalmadi said India’s brilliant show at Manchester has given "Olympic sports a big boost in the land of cricket". He said there would be no letup in the preparation of the Indian teams for the forthcoming Asian Games in Busan. He requested the captains of Industry to support Indian sports in a big way, now that "our sportspersons have delivered beyond expectation in the commonwealth games". The Commonwealth Games contingent had a hectic day, as they were felicited by the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, Ms Sonia Gandhi. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee announced that each member of the victorious women’s hockey team will be given a cash award of Rs 10 lakh. The PM hosted the contingent to tea at his residence. Ms Uma Bharti had announced yesterday that each gold medal winner of the Indian contingent will be given a cash prize of Rs 20 lakh, and that the women’s hockey team will be given Rs 30 lakh each, the silver medal winners Rs 15 lakh each and the bronze medallists Rs 10 lakh
each.  |
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Uma Bharati to probe doping charge New Delhi, August 6
"Though the final report is yet to come...I find something is wrong somewhere," Ms Bharati told UNI here adding that a detailed inquiry would be conducted into the issue. Double gold medallist Satheesha Rai had become the second Indian weightlifter to test positive for an unidentified stimulant at the Games, yesterday. Rai won two gold and a bronze in the men’s 77 kg category. Earlier, 62 kg lifter Krishnan Madasamy was stripped of three silver medals after testing positive for a metabolite of the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone. When asked whether she smelt of a "conspiracy" in denying India two gold and thereby the third position overall at the Games, the Minister said it was too early to say anything in this regard "but such possibilities cannot be ruled out." "The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Sports Authority of India had taken all necessary steps and precautions against use of drugs by any player," she pointed out. Ms Bharati said given the brilliant performance by the country’s contingent, it was quite unbelievable that this would have happened. "There are some sections who are not happy about India reaching such heights," she noted. IOA president Suresh Kalmadi, however, said if anybody was found guilty, the association would take stern action against the sportspersons. "The matter would be dealt at length in the coming few days," he added. The players, however, expressed shock and surprise over the controversy saying that it would be extremely disappointing if the country lost two gold medals and slipped to the fourth position.
UNI |
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Kolkata gears up to welcome boxing hero Kolkata, August 6 Mohammed Ali Qamar first won over the abject poverty living in a congested south-west Kolkata lane and then etched out his name to be the first “Hindustani” to win a gold medal in boxing in the Commonwealth Games beating an Englishman. To celebrate the historic occasion, the people of this city are gearing up to accord the 22-year-old pugilist a traditional welcome that will be as memorable as punching out Darran Langley in 48 kg category on Saturday. The congested Nawab Ali Lane where Ali grew up along with his six brothers and a sister overnight became the centre of attraction especially for the media. When accolades are pouring in from well wishers, friends, ministers, politicians and the Mayor, his widow mother Shenawaj Akhtari was nonchalant and eagerly waiting to see her sixth son. She appeared not much aware of the importance of being mother of Mohammed Ali Qamar after a golden bout in Manchester, but she was prompt happy after his son was employed in the Eastern Railway as a Grade III officer. Ali’s mother with her humble resources ordered his other sons to buy a tri-colour to decorate their house. After the fight on Saturday night, Ali called from Manchester but before she could ask about his meal the line was disconnected. Only she could hear that Ali might return on August 8 via New Delhi where Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is expected to felicitate the Indian contingent at a function. India won her maiden gold medal in boxing in Commonwealth Games on Saturday when the Kidderpore boy came from behind five down at the start of the fourth round to outpoint England’s Darran Langley 27 points by 25 points. Quarter-finalist at the World Championship last year, Qamar stung the final round to edge past the Englishman with 43 seconds to go to win a standing eight count to win the gold in the flight weight category. His club at Nawab Ali Lane, Kidderpore Physical Culture Association, where Ali honed his skill under coach and mentor Mirazuddin Ahmed, popularly known as China, wears a festive look.
Ear-spliting music and the national flag fluttering at all vantage points is a reminder of the historic win of “Alibhai” as he is fondly known here.
UNI |
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Petrol station allotment Chandigarh, August 6 Their merit notwithstanding, they — Hardeep Singh Grewal and Saroj Bala — are being clubbed with relatives or next of kin of leaders and workers of the ruling political clan. While Hardeep Singh got an LPG agency at Ludhiana last year after donning national colours in field hockey for almost two decades, Saroj Bala got a petrol station at Hoshiarpur after representing the nation in women’s hockey for over a decade. “It is the prerogative of the government to take any policy decision but making sportsmen and women a part of what in the present day terminology is called ‘tainted’ clan is unfair,” remarked Sukhvir Singh
Grewal, a former international and national hockey coach maintaining that an outstanding national player who toiled hard and sacrificed his youth on the country could not be equated with a person who was just born in the family of a political
activist. Hardeep Singh Grewal belongs to a rare band of players who was chosen more than once to represent All-Star Asia XI. He had been one of best centre half backs the country has produced after Ajit Pal Singh. Saroj
Bala, after her playing years, took to the whistle and became an international
hockey umpire. Both Hardeep and Saroj Bala have been outstanding contributors to Indian sports. The decision has evoked tremendous protests from the sports fraternity which wants the government to exclude sportspersons from the operation of its orders. While appreciating the decision of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, in
canceling all the allotments of petrol station and LPG agencies made during last few years, the President of the International Hockey Players Association of India, Mr Pargat Singh, has urged the Government to exempt outstanding players from the purview of its order. In a signed statement, Mr Pargat Singh, who had the distinction of leading the country in two consecutive Olympic Games, said outstanding sportsmen
and women who bring laurels to the country with their medal winning performances in various international events, including Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games should not be equated with relatives or next of kin of politicians or workers of one political party or the other. He said against 1 or 2 per cent reservation, hardly any sportsperson got a petrol station or gas agency. He or she is considered lucky to get it after years of struggle. Unfortunately, each time such allotments are made, one controversy or the other surfaces which threatens to snatch the only means of livelihood these sportspersons of yesteryears. He recalled that last time even outstanding players like Ajit pal Singh and Zafar Iqbal were threatened with cancellation of allotment of petrol pumps under similar circumstances. But at that time, the Government took a policy decision and took allotments made to outstanding sportsmen and women out of the gambit of the cancellation order. “We want to request the Union Government not to penalise these outstanding national heroes and allow them to continue supporting their families through the LPG agency and petrol station allotted to them on merit and in recognition of their contribution to Indian sport,” Pargat Singh added. A number of other sportsmen and women , including Sukhvir Singh
Grewal, Gurdishpal Singh Sandhu, Jagdeep Singh Gill and Mr Ramandeep Singh Grewal have also appealed to the Union Government to exclude sportspersons from the operation of its orders of cancelling
allotment of petrol station and LPG agencies. |
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Depleted England ready for Indian backlash
London, August 6 Missing their top two fast bowlers and their leading batsman at the Lord’s, the patched-up home team contrived to win that initial contest by a thumping 170 runs. If India have not yet recovered from the disappointment, England have probably not got over their surprise either. Captain Nasser Hussain, a man with both feet always planted firmly on the ground, had to concede: “I think that’s about as well as this side can play.’’ His opposite number Saurav Ganguly might have been tempted to suggest his team could not have played much worse. A second English success at Trent Bridge in the four-match series, though, would be more impressive still. Darren Gough, Andrew Caddick and Marcus Trescothick remain on the sidelines, waving sick notes. Graham Thorpe, the mainstay of the middle order, joins them after opting to take time out to sort out his personal life while pace bowler Simon Jones, so refreshing on his Lord’s debut, is also crocked. Things have got so bad that the England selectors have broken their own rules in rushing back paceman Alex Tudor and his suspect shins into the squad for Nottingham, even though he has not proved his fitness in a first-class match. Kent opener Robert Key, meanwhile, a powerful man once known more for his appetite at lunch rather than at the crease, will make his debut on Thursday, while pace bowler Steve Harmison, like Jones renowned for pace rather than direction, could also play his first game. The new faces are undoubtedly exciting but cannot hide the fact that, as England chairman of selectors David Graveney pointed out: “Our resources have been stretched.’’ Ganguly will be more worried about his own problems than those of his opponents. India toured the West Indies earlier this year confident of recording their first test series success outside the sub-continent since 1986 only to return home defeated. England seemed to offer as good an opportunity, particularly on a friendly Lord’s track playing so true. Yet England, displaying real spirit under Hussain, won both the bowling and batting battles in the series opener. Jones added real zest to a disciplined attack led by the fast-maturing Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff, while Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble failed to match them. Three Englishmen also scored centuries, the biggest by the captain. Significantly, India’s only three-figure man came in the unlikely shape of Ajit Agarkar, whose test average before the game languished at just over seven runs a visit. His performance — he was included for his medium-pace bowling rather than his batting — put his much-vaunted team mates to shame, particularly Sachin Tendulkar, who failed to reach 20 in either innings. Ganguly was as disappointing, while Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and Vangipurappu Laxman all got starts but failed to push on. One of these, however, seems certain to deliver a backlash in Nottingham, Tendulkar serving up a big century in his final warm-up game against Worcestershire. Ganguly’s other dilemma may be how to assimilate Harbhajan Singh’s off-spin. Sadly missed at the Lord’s, Harbhajan seems certain to play. Yet, the only bowler who seriously underperformed in the first Test was Agarkar. It would take a brave set of selectors to ditch a man after his maiden century. With Nottingham likely to favour swing and with the onset of damper weather, leg-spinner Anil Kumble could be left out. One man England will not be ditching is Craig White. The all-rounder, slowed by back problems and struggling for form, had all but accepted that his England career was over before he exploited a shock recall to the full at the Lord’s with four wickets and a half-century batting at eight. At the weekend he added four wickets and 100 not out for Yorkshire against Surrey in the C&G Trophy semifinals. All of England’s rag-bag of players seem to be playing out of their skins at the moment, no one more than White. Squads: England: Michael Vaughan, Robert Key, Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain (captain), John Crawley, Alec Stewart, Andy Flintoff, Craig White, Dominic Cork, Alex Tudor, Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Stephen Harmison. India: Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly (captain), VVS Laxman, Ajay Ratra, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, Dinesh Mongia, Tinu Yohannan.
Reuters |
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LG Cup: India enter semifinals
Ho Chi Minh City, August 6 The victory, which comes after India drew their opening match 2-2 with Singapore, puts them on top of group B with four points. India, going into the match needing at least a draw to move into the last four, drew first blood early on when skipper Baichung Bhutia found the net with a magnificent strike. Bhutia, who was a bit off colour against Singapore, was at his attacking best today as he scored the first goal and also created a number of scoring chances to win the most valuable player award. Changing ends with a 1-0 lead, the Indians pressed hard in the second session but failed to score. Vietnam then stunned the Indians, equalising in the 77th minute through Dang Thang Phuong. The alert Phuong pounced on a loose ball and beat Sangram Mukherjee with a fine shot to make it 1-1. The Indians, however, came back strongly and scored twice in the last quarter to seal the issue. Newcomer Abhishek Yadav made it 2-1 in the 86th minute before substitute Tomba Singh completed the tally in the dying minutes of the match in front of some 10,000 spectators. Indian coach Stephen Constantine was delighted that his team finally got the result that mattered. “We had dominated the first match too but had to share points. Today, the team showed that it had learnt from its mistakes and we got the result we wanted,” he said. “We also scored more goals than Singapore did and thus topped our group,” an elated coach said as he left the Thong Nhat Stadium for the team hotel. Though India ended with four points, the same as Singapore, they topped the group scoring five goals compared to Singapore’s four. It turned out to be a bad day for the hosts as the Vietnam national team were upset 1-3 by Thailand U-20 in the other match in group A.
PTI |
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India slip in FIFA rankings Mumbai, August 6 Korea, which had a dream run in the recently concluded World Cup has moved up by 18 places to be ranked 22nd in the world, while Japan, the co-hosts of the World Cup with Korea, have also moved up 10 places to be ranked 24th in the world.
UNI |
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‘Aussies
wary about touring Pak’
Sydney, August 6 Australia are due to tour Pakistan in October but there are renewed jitters after gunmen stormed a Christian school and killed six Pakistanis yesterday in the sixth strike on foreign targets this year. Australia are due to play three Tests in Pakistan between October 1-24 but are reluctant to visit due to security fears in the wake of the war in Afghanistan, attacks on foreigners and tension on the India-Pakistan border. Waugh said his team had to assume the scheduled series would proceed, but that did not prevent the players from being apprehensive about going there. Leading Australian players Shane
Warne, Mark Waugh and Glenn McGrath have said they do not want to tour Pakistan, but Steve Waugh said he would be happy to go if it was deemed safe.
AFP |
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Salim wins Arvind badminton Sangrur, August 6 The results: (all finals): Boys U-10 (singles): Prince b Sidhant 15-7, 15-7; U-13 (singles): Achhardeep Singh b Asif 15-9, 15-8; doubles: Asif/Zeshian b Achhardeep/Prince 15-9, 15-11; U-16 (singles): Aslam b Munir 15-8, 15-9; doubles: Aslam/Munir b Gurdeep/Gaurav 15-11, 15-12; U-19 (singles): Akhtar b Asim 15-9, 11-15, 15-0;
doubles: Akhtar/Asim b Kazim/Akhtar Vad 15-11, 15-12; men’s (singles): Salim beat Akhtar 15-7, 15-8; doubles: Tauseef/Kazim beat Salim/Akhtar 15-11, 15-13. Girls U-10 (singles): Zeenai b Sachi Sood 11-7, 11-7; U-13 (singles): Soni b Ruchi 11-5, 11-4; U-16 (singles): Shewata b Diksha 11-7, 11-9; doubles: Shawta/Diksha b Kamal/Soni 15-8, 15-8; U-19 (singles): Shahnaaz b Shweta 11-6, 11-4;
doubles: Shahnaaz/Pooja b Soni/Kamal 15-7, 15-9. |
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Punjab
swimming meet from Aug 16 Ludhiana, August 6 Entries close with Mr Balraj Sharma, general secretary, PSA, at Ludhiana on August 14. Performance during this championship will be taken into consideration while selecting the Punjab swimming and waterpolo teams for both senior men and women. The selected swimmers will attend a coaching camp prior to their participation in the 56th National Aquatic Championship to be held at Trichur (Kerala) from September 10 to 15. |
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In video: After the unprecedented success at Manchester, the Indian
Commonwealth Games contingent gets a rousing reception on arrival at New
Delhi airport. (
