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Thursday,
September 26, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Chetan Sharma writes |
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Waugh eyes series win against Pak Busan takes centre stage for Asian
Games Tough task for men’s hockey
team Medal hopes of women’s hockey team
bright |
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Faridkot XI edge out IAF to enter
quarterfinals W’lifting team leaves sans
Laxmi, Muthu Malhotra seeks hike in sports budget JP Atray cricket from Sept
27 Dhillon coach for shooting team India to participate in jr
basketball
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Sehwag ambushes South
Africa
Colombo, September 25 The victory looked highly improbable when South Africa were cruising along on 192 for one in reply to India’s 261 for nine in their stipulated 50 overs. But Herschelle Gibbs, who top-scored with 116, retired hurt and Yuvraj Singh took a stunning catch to dismiss Jonty Rhodes off Harbhajan Singh, turning the course of the match. Harbhajan sent back Boeta Dippenaar in the same over before Sehwag came up in an unlikely role of wicket-taking bowler. Having hit a blazing 59 off 58 balls to set up India’s total earlier in the day, Sehwag bowled some unbelievable final overs, to seal the fate of the South Africans. Sehwag finished with three for 25 from his five overs and deservedly won the man of the match award. South Africa were restricted to 251 for six with Jacques Kallis and Lance Klusener falling in the last over to Sehwag. Kallis, who hit a six off the first ball of the 50th over, missed his century by just three runs. Earlier, India too seemed to have lost their way after they elected to bat on winning the toss. Sehwag once again gave a flying start to the team, and for the first 12 overs the run rate was in excess of seven an over. But once Sehwag was out, as the third wicket, in the 18th over, the going became tough for the Indians. Allan Donald and Kallis bowled superbly and made up for the hammering that Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini took in the opening overs from Sehwag.
India suffered a big jolt when Sachin Tendulkar was run out for 16 at the total of 135 in the 26th over. But Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh steadied the innings with a 72-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Dravid made 49 off 67 balls with two fours while Yuvraj Singh top-scored for the team with a 72-ball 62. Yuvraj was later to transform his brilliance on the field too, taking two stupendous catches to dismiss Graeme Smith and Rhodes and also saved a number of runs. The Indian innings faltered slightly in the middle overs before Rahul Dravid, who scored 49 off 67 deliveries, did the resurrection in company of Yuvraj Singh. The South Africans, who were punished severely by Sehwag, did well to pull themselves back into the game, particularly in the last 10 overs when India managed only 56 runs while losing five wickets. South African captain Shaun Pollock conceded 28 runs in his first four overs but came back strongly and gave just two runs in his last two while claiming three wickets. Sehwag, who had struck a brilliant century in the previous league match against England, continued with his terrific form and treated the new ball bowlers with utter contempt. He took a liking for Pollock, hitting him for his first six boundaries, two of them in the very first over of the innings. Ganguly, who too had hit a century in the last match, also joined in the party, taking two consecutive boundaries off Makhaya Ntini. He played a nice straight drive off the same bowler in the sixth over that also raced to the boundary but fell on the very next ball. A miscued hook shot landed straight in the hands of Boeta Dippenaar at backward short leg and a dejected Ganguly walked back to the pavilion after scoring just 13 runs. Sehwag, meanwhile, unleashed some ferocious shots from the backfoot and quickly reached his forties. V V S Laxman, who had missed out on a big score in the match against England, made a good-looking 22 before edging an Allan Donald delivery to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. PTI Scoreboard India: Sehwag c Klusener b Kallis 59 Ganguly c Dippenaar b Ntini 13 Laxman c Boucher b Donald 22 Tendulkar run out 16 Dravid lbw b Klusener 49 Yuvraj c Gibbs b Pollock 62 Kaif c Rhodes b Pollock 19 Harbhajan b Donald 4 Zaheer c Smith b Pollock 0 Kumble not out 2 Nehra not out 1 Extras (b-2, lb-1, w-8, nb-3) 14 Total (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 261 Fall of wickets: 1-42, 2-102, 3-108, 4-135, 5-207, 6-254, 7-254, 8-255, 9-260. Bowling: Pollock 9-0-43-3, Ntini 5-0-37-1, Donald 8-0-41-2, Kallis 8-1-50-1, Klusener 10-0-40-1, Peterson 10-0-47-0. South Africa Gibbs retd hurt 116 Smith c Yuvraj b Zaheer 4 Kallis c Dravid b Sehwag 97 Rhodes c Yuvraj b Harbhajan 1 Dippenaar c Kumble b Harbhajan 0 Boucher c Yuvraj b Sehwag 10 Klusener c Kaif b Sehwag 14 Pollock not out 0 Extras (w-5, nb-0, b-1, lb-3) 9 Total (six wickets) 251 Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-194, 3-194, 4-213, 5-247, 6-251. Bowling: Sehwag 5-0-25-3, Ganguly 1.3-0-15-0, Tendulkar 4-0-32-0, Yuvraj 3-0-17-0, Kumble 10-0-53-0, Harbhajan 10-0-37-2, Zaheer Khan 9-2-23-1, Nehra 7.3-0-40-0. |
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Chetan Sharma writes I was just trying to compare this India-South Africa match to the India-Pakistan Sharjah final in 1986 when I was running in to stop Pakistan from getting six runs off the last bowl to win the tournament. Well, Javed Miandad smacked me for a six and India lost but somehow, I still have nightmares about that delivery. But from what happened tonight, I am sure when people talk about last-over tense finishes they will remember the over sent down by Virender Sehwag and not mine. Thanks Viru! I, like all the Indians, am feeling on top of the world. If cricket is about giving the fans a kick here is the best example of it. India came back from the lion’s den with a ticket to the finals. This has to be one of the greatest matches ever in the history of one-day cricket. Sehwag was truly the man of the match. We know he is a destructive batsman but today he showed the other side of his game. His bowling was so crucial in the final analysis, it held the Indian hopes together. Full praise for Saurav Ganguly who realised that it was much better with slower bowling in the later stages than getting a faster bowler. The ball was not coming onto the bat so easily and the South African batsmen panicked. The rest was history. I do feel sorry for the South Africans. But what can you do to a team which was chasing 262 in 50 overs and had got to 194 for one in 38 overs and still lost the match? I think Herschelle Gibbs, who scored a great hundred, was another tragic hero like Jacques Kallis. The defeat will hurt Gibbs more than Kallis as Gibbs’ retiring hurt when the Indians were crying for mercy was the turning point of the match. The catches Yuvraj Singh took were out of the world. So was his batting and I have no doubt that Yuvraj Singh will be an inspiration for cricketers of his generation. He remains cool when others succumb to pressure, he is a match-winning player on his own. Rahul Dravid must also be commended for his courageous batting when wickets had fallen around him. If these Indian players continue with this form, who can beat them? |
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Waugh eyes series win against Pak Colombo, September 25 “We like to win every Test and series. This is how we play our cricket,” Waugh said after joining his team-mates here for the opening Test against a young Pakistani side. Australia’s one-day team, led by Ricky Ponting, have qualified for the semifinal of the ongoing Champions Trophy tournament here. Australia will play their first Test against Pakistan here on October 3 and the last two at Sharjah in the UAE. Pakistan’s home series to commemorate their golden jubilee in Test cricket was shifted to neutral venues after Australia refused to tour because of security fears.
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Busan takes centre stage for Asian Games Busan, September 25 This year close to 10,000 athletes from 44 countries will be in Busan to compete in the 14th Asian Games in 38 events. Half a century ago there were no Koreans in New Delhi and South Korea’s largest port city, then known as Pusan to the rest of the world, was suffering from the ravages of a bitter war with North Korea. And to make the contrast even more stunning the first of a 318- strong contingent of North Korean athletes and coaches arrived in Busan to a rousing welcome. It is the first time that North Korean athletes will participate in a sporting event hosted by the South. Significantly it is the first time in the history of the Games that all 43 member nations of the Olympic Council of Asia are participating. And while it is not yet officially a member of the OCA, Asia’s newest nation, East Timor is also a participating in the Games. Another newcomer is Palestine. Afghanistan returns to the Games for the first time since the Taliban came to power nearly a decade ago. Laos will be fielding the smallest delegation with only 13 athletes while Moslem Brunei’s contingent has no females. A record 1,008 South Korean athletes are slated to take part. Logistically the Asian Games are a mammoth undertaking. An estimated 17,000 of Busan citizens have volunteered to assist in the smooth running of the Games which will be held at 44 venues throughout the city and neighbouring towns. Numerous cultural events will be staged, starting with the opening ceremony on Sunday night right through to the closing ceremony at the Busan Asiad main stadium on October 14. Apart from the athletes, an estimated 6,000 reporters have asked for credentials. Applications for credentials jumped sharply after North Korea announced that it would be participating. The two media centres can accommodate 7,500 journalists in a 20,000 square metre area and are equipped with the latest fiber optic communications and computer networking facilities. The Busan Metropolitan City Government has forked out a gigantic three trillion won (2.48 billion dollars) for the Games. Preparations began seven years ago with 12 new venues having been built from the 51,000 seat Busan Asiad Main Stadium to the Nakdong River, rowing and canoe courses. The athletes village was also built from scratch 20 buildings which can accommodate 14,000 people. The cafeteria alone can seat 3,000 people in one session. Preparations for the games have, however, not been without incident. The Korean Times recently reported that the women taking part in the wave dance for the opening ceremony were not impressed with their outfits, claiming they were too revealing. One dancer was quoted as saying, “When we dance at a quick tempo, male students are paying too much attention to our bodies.’’ More seriously though is the issue of ticket sales. Of the 2.6 million tickets only 11 per cent have been sold. The exception is football. The final and the semifinal matches have been sold out. Organisers have appealed to the country’s education department to promote the games at schools and colleges. They are no doubt also hoping that the arrival of the North Koreans will inspire local interest. Busan’s mayor, Ahn Sang-young, in a recent interview said as much.
DPA |
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Tough task for men’s hockey team Busan, September 24 Led by the energetic Dilip Tirkey, the Indian team, which finished fourth in the prestigious Champions Trophy in Cologne, will have to overcome stiff challenge from hosts South Korea and eternal rivals Pakistan. The Indian team is a mixture of experience and youth and have indeed considerably improved upon its image in world hockey. All they need is to simply tie up the loose ends like lack of variation in penalty corners and failing to withstand the pressure of rivals in the closing stages of matches. In the recently concluded Champions Trophy, India showed tremendous skill in raising their game and holding to a draw Olympic Champions the Netherlands and almost drawing the game with world champions Germany before losing out in the dying minutes for a 2-3 verdict. India then went on to beat the strong Australians and Pakistan with identical 3-2 verdicts. However, India finished fourth losing to Pakistan in the play-off and also allowed Korea to beat them 4-2 in the leauge matches. While the Indians’ playing style clicked well against the superpowers like Holland, Germany and Australia, their defeat at the hands of Korea and Pakistan was mainly due to lapse in penalty corner conversions and lethargy in the dying minutes of the games. Tirkey has shown solidity in defence with able assistance from Dinesh Nayak, Kanwalpreet Singh and Jugraj Singh. However, the midfield is the area where India need to tighten up in the absence of Arjun Halappa, capable of playing in any position. After their inaugural match against Hong Kong, India, placed in pool A, take on South Korea on October 2 and Japan on October 4. The other pool comprises Bangladesh, China, Malaysia and Pakistan. Surprisingly, defending champions India and runners-up South Korea have been clubbed in the same group. Apart from Pakistan and Korea, who lost to India in the last edition’s final via tie breaker, the main contenders to finish amongst the top three are Malaysia. However, the Malaysian team is facing trouble at present with few senior players refusing to play in the Games. Chief coach Paul Lissek is trying to field a decent team that will bring back at least a bronze from Busan. The Malaysians have already tested the conditions in Busan as they played four matches in a week-long tour beating Japan and drawing the other three against South Korea, China and a Korean top club team. India:
Dilip Tirkey (captain), Devesh Singh Chauhan, Bharat Kumar, Jugraj Singh, Dinesh Nayak Vatheir, Vikram Pillay, Ignnace Tirkey, Bimal Lakra, Gagan Ajit Singh, Prabhjot Singh, Daljit Singh Dhillon, Tejbir Singh, Dhanraj Pillay, Deepak Thakur, Kanwalpreet Singh, Viren Rasquinha.
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Medal hopes of women’s hockey team bright Busan, September 25 World champions China, Olympic silver medallists South Korea and Japan are the other contenders in this event. India had won the silver at the last edition of the Games in Bangkok. The matches played on round-robin basis will start from September 28 with the final slated for October 11. During the preparation camp in New Delhi, the Indian coach GS Bhangu had exuded confidence that India can go all the way. He said, “All the four teams are good and have the capacity to win gold. So we are not taking anyone lightly.’’ Competition in the women’s section was introduced in the 1982 New Delhi Games and India have been sowing promising results at the Asian level. Also, their Commonwealth gold should keep them in good stead even against China who have the raw potential to emerge as a formidable force. China lost to India in the Asia Cup in Delhi two years ago but they have pushed their standards up ever since and stunned the hockey world last month when they won the women’s Champions Trophy in Macau. South Korea and Japan have also the potential to peak at the right time and throw up a strong challenge to their rivals. For India, Pritam Siwach and Jyoti Kullu are likely to play a pivotal role in the centre upfront. The Indian coach had said, “They will work in tandem with one of them staying back and the other going up. The idea is to prevent the Chinese and Koreans from passing left to right fast.’’ Team: Tingoleima Chanu, Helen Mary, Amandeep Kaur, Suman Bala, Kanti Baa, Suraj Lata Devi (captain), Sumrai Tete, Sita Gossain, Masira Surin, Mamta Kharab, Manjinder Kaur, Pritam Siwach, Jyoti Sunita Kullu, Sanggai Ibemhal Chanu, Adline Kerketta, Saba Anjum.
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Faridkot XI edge out IAF to enter
quarterfinals Chandigarh, September 25 It was indeed a sad end to the Indian Air Force campaign. Having finished runners-up to Border Security Force in the Baba Farid Gold Cup Hockey Tournament at Faridkot only two days back, the defence outfit, despite putting up a spirited fight, went down to Faridkot XI 0-2 conceding one goal in each half. The domination of the IAF team can be gauged from the fact that they forced as many as 10 penalty corners as compared to two earned by the rivals. While Faridkot XI converted one of the two short corners awarded, IAF failed to convert any and eventually bowed out of the tournament. It was in the 28th minute that Faridkot XI shot into the lead when Paramjeet Singh scored a field goal. Although IAF tried hard to come back into the match, a goal eluded them. It was again a story of missed opportunities for IAF in the second half. Faridkot XI kept their nerves and on the run of play, consolidated the lead through a penalty corner conversion by Karamjeet Singh in the 55th minute to add to IAF’s misery. Faridkot XI will now meet CRPF in the quarterfinals on September 27. Chandigarh XI, who cut short the dream of Indian Post through two second-half goals, were served well by international Sukhbir Singh Gill, who had a hand in both the goals. The Chandigarh team had a couple of good chances in the first half and on one occasion a quick deflection by Gurtej was saved by a defender on the goal-line. On changing ends, Chandigarh’s Gurtej once again missed a golden chance when off a short corner, he failed to tap the ball in from hand-shaking distance. This was followed by another unsuccessful attempt by Saurabh Bishnoi who shot over the bar. In the 42nd minute, Gurtej made amends for his earlier lapses. A through pass by Gill was smartly utilised by Gurtej, who guided the ball home to put his side ahead. Indian Post hit back with a counter-attack but a hit by Parkash, which looked dangerous, was deflected away from the goal-line by an alert Jaswinder. The second goal for Chandigarh XI came in the 51st minute when off a short corner push by Gill, the ball came to Surjit, who put Vikram Saini in possession. Saini’s rasping hit brooked no resistance (2-0). Indian Post had a chance soon after but a move which originated in the Chandigarh territory misfired as Fasil Ali shot over in haste. Earlier, Ropar Hawks crushed Central Railway 5-2 after leading leading by two goals at half time. Joga Singh opened the account for the Ropar team in the 29th minute through a field goal followed by another by Kulbir Singh three minutes from the breather. In the second half, Ropar Hawks continued to dominate as Kulbir made it 3-0 in the 41st minute. Six minutes later, Satwinder (Jr) made it 4-0 through another field goal. Central Railway managed to pull one back in the 58th minute through a field goal by Arif Baig but Amit Sandhu of Ropar Hawks made it 5-1 in the 61st minute through another field goal. Four minutes from the long hooter, Central Railway’s Hemraz reduced the margin with a field goal to draw some consolation Thursday’s fixtures: BSF v Chandigarh XI — 1 pm; EME v Punjab and Sind Bank — 2.30 pm; Northern Railway v Ropar Hawks —4 pm. |
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W’lifting team leaves sans Laxmi, Muthu New Delhi, September 25 Both Neelam Laxmi and Thandava Muthu were silver medallists at the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games held at Manchester. The four women lifters who left for Busan included Kunjarani Devi, Sanamacha Chanu, Shailaja and Pratima. The second coach, six-time national champion and Arjuna awardee Shyam Lal Salwan, and Muthu were awaiting government clearance till late on Wednesday evening. Ad hoc committee member of the Weightlifting Federation of India Balbir Singh Bhatia said Neelam Laxmi of Andhra Pradesh, who had won a silver medal at Manchester in the 69kg category, had not responded to the communication sent to her by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) team’s wing regarding her selection to the team. The non-clearance of Muthu is baffling as he had won a silver medal in the 56kg category at the Manchester Commonwealth Games. It is also intriguing why the government has not cleared coach Salwan as his presence in Busan has become imperative as both Kunjarani Devi and Sanamacha Chanu, considered as medal prospects, surprisingly would be contesting in the same weight category-48kg. According to sources, it would be impossible for Sandhu to handle both the lifters at the same since both would be competing in the 48kg category. Shailaja will be competing in the 75kg category while Pratima is scheduled to compete in the 65kg category. Meanwhile, the government today cleared the volleyball team at “no cost to the government basis”. Only the football team has left for Busan without government clearance. The fate of badminton star Pullela Gopichand was still hanging in balance as the government had not cleared his name, though the Badminton Association of India will not field aybody in the team event. Women’s champion Aparna Popat had earlier pulled out of the Asiad due to personal reasons. |
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Malhotra seeks hike in sports budget New Delhi, September 25 In his first official interaction with the media after being nominated as Chairman of the recently-revived AICS, Mr Malhotra said the Rs 932 crore allocation for sports in the 10th Five-Year Plan was grossly inadequate for the overall promotion of sports in the country. Mr Malhotra disclosed that three former Olympians — P.T. Usha (athletics), Ajit Pal Singh (hockey) and P.K. Banjerjee (football) — have been nominated to the AICS, in addition to two Vice-Presidents, Abhay Singh Chautala, president of the Haryana Olympic Association, and B. Sivanthi Adityan, president of the Tamil Nadu Olympic Association. He said the full committee of the AICS would be put in place after the Busan Asian Games, which will include six Members of Parliament — four from Lok Sabha and two from Rajya Sabha. Mr Malhotra disclosed that he had recently met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Finance Minister Jaswant Singh separately and impressed upon them to peg the sports budgest at Rs 1000 crore per annum. “The 190 crores allocated for sports for the current financial year are too meagre to meet even the bare needs of Indian sports”, Mr Malhotra said. Mr Malhotra said the AICS would hold a high-level meeting on October 24 before chalking out its plan of action. The meeting will be attended by former Union sports ministers Margaret Alva, Sukhdev Singh Dhinda, Uma Bharti, Shanawaz Hussain, IOA president Suresh Kalmadi, Secretary-General Randhir Singh, the present Union Sports Minister and other leading lights of Indian sports. Mr Malhotra, who is also the president of the Archery Association of India (AAI), said a six-member archery team—four men and two women—have been training in Korea for the past few days under a Rs 15 lakh National Solidarity Project sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee. He said the archers have been training for 14 to 15 hours every day under a Korean coach and an Indian trainer, and have shown considerable improvement in their performances. |
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JP Atray cricket from Sept
27 Chandigarh, September 25 Pool “A” has Mumbai Cricket Association, Bishnoi Cricket Club, Hyderabad Cricket Association and PCA Colts while pool “B” has Punjab Cricket Club, ONGC XI, IPCL, Chennai, and MP Cricket Association. Two teams from each pool will go up to the semifinals after the round robin league in each pool. All the matches will be of 50 overs per innings. According to Mr V.K. Sharma, Chairman of the organising committee, prominent cricketers like Dinesh Mongia, Yuvraj Singh, Sharandeep Singh, Reetinder Sodhi, Vikram Rathore, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif, Harbhajan Singh, Wasim Jaffer, Ajay Ratra and Rohan Gavaskar will be seen in action during the 10-day tournament. Mr Sharma said the tournament had become very popular as it was the curtain raiser before the start of the domestic cricket season. He further said that due to time constraints certain good teams like Air-India, who have played in the tournament in the past, Indian Airlines and All-India Associated Banks could not be accommodated in the tournament. The winners of the tournament will get Rs 75,000 while the runners-up will get Rs 45,000. The two losing semifinalists will get Rs 15,000 each. Attractive prizes for the “man of the match”, best batsman, best bowler and “man of the series” would also be given. All arrangements for the conduct of the tournament have been completed. On the opening day of the tournament Mumbai Cricket Association will take on Hyderabad Cricket Association in a pool “A” match at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium while ONGC XI will take on MP Cricket Association in a pool “B” match at the PCA Stadium. All matches will begin at 9 am. |
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Dhillon coach for shooting team Chandigarh, September 25 Dhillon, himself an
international shooter, coach and judge who has represented the country in the ninth Asian Games. In 1989 he had carried the Indian flag at the World Police games in Italy. A recipient of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award, Dhillon is credited with several national, zonal and state level tournaments at Punjab Police Academy at Phillaur, where he was posted on deputation for a number of years. He is also the first Indian qualified shooting coach in the US Olympic Training Centre and the first Asian to be honoured with the life membership of the International Shooting Coaches Association, USA. |
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India to participate in jr basketball Beijing, September 25 The championship, the first-ever world-class sporting event in Shijiazhuang, will feature 11 countries in two round-robin groups, with top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals, the organisers said on Tuesday. The tournament will be held from October 28 to November 3.
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