 |
Friday,
October 18, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
|
Kumble, Harbhajan wreck Windies Expert comments by Ravi Shastri
Chetan Sharma writes Kapil slams BCCI Sunita Rani yet to be stripped of Asian Games medals |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Milkha flays IOA chief Fatehgarh Sahib set to host Khalsa games Mukesh Kumar upstages Vijay in
golf PCA told to pay compensation Panjab University lift football title Punjab crush Goa in basketball Kerala shock Punjab
Punjab 310 for
nine School hockey tournament
from today Hockey meet
|
|
Kumble, Harbhajan wreck Windies Chennai, October 17 Anil Kumble bagged five wickets while Harbhajan Singh scalped three victims as West Indies were shot out for a low total for the third time in this series. Despite skipper Carl Hooper’s ultimatum to his players after his team lost the first Test in Mumbai by a huge margin, West Indies put up another spineless batting performance and were unable to cope up with the guiles of Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. The only resistance came from Hooper himself, who made a good-looking 35 off 38 balls, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul who has been performing consistently well against the Indian attack for quite some time now. Chanderpaul managed only 27 today but that was the second-highest score of the innings. Kumble registered his best figures against the West Indies, today’s five for 30 improving upon his five for 104 at Port of Elizabeth in the 1996-97 series. It was also the spinner’s 20th five-wicket haul, becoming only the second Indian to achieve the feat, the first being Kapil Dev who has 23. West Indies elected to bat on a newly-laid track at the Chidambaram Stadium but the batsmen failed to take the advantage of the decision. Openers Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds put on 40 runs for the first wicket but the only other worthwhile partnership was that between Hooper and Chanderpaul for the fourth wicket that fetched 55 runs for the team. West Indies lost their last six wickets for 50 runs. West Indies started very slowly with Gayle and Hinds looking determined not to lose any early wicket. The first nine overs produced just nine runs for the West Indies. Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan bowled a tight line and length and with the two batsmen not interested in taking any risks, runs were very hard to come by. It was only after the first hour of the morning session was over that Gayle decided to break the shackles. He hit Sanjay Bangar for three successive boundaries in an over before taking on the spinners Harbhajan Singh and Kumble. But Gayle could not remain at the crease for long. While attempting to loft Harbhajan Singh over the midwicket, Gayle played against the spin and gave a tame catch to Sachin Tendulkar at point. Gayle made 23 and West Indies lost their first wicket in the 25th over. The visitors took lunch at 45 for one after which they lost three quick wickets to slip back to 62 for three. Kumble, celebrating his 32nd birthday today, had Wavell Hinds trapped leg before wicket for 18 before Ramnaresh Sarwan played a Srinath delivery on to his stumps after making 19 runs. Hooper and Chandepaul then tried to rebuild the innings in the most fruitful partnership of the day. Hooper, who had criticised his batsmen for their lack of application in the Mumbai Test, looked determined to lead by example and batted positively and was quite impressive against the spinners. He did survive a couple of close calls but was well in control till Zaheer Khan deceived him with a well-disguised slower delivery. Hooper, who struck six boundaries during his 66-minute stay at the crease, committed himself into the drive early and scooped a simple catch to Sourav Ganguly at covers. The fall of Hooper just before the tea break dealt a severe blow to the West Indian hopes of putting up a good total and their fortunes now depended solely on Chanderpaul. However, the left-handed Chanderpaul, who had tormented the Indian bowlers during the series in West Indies earlier this year, became one of the victims of Kumble in the final session in a devastating third spell that saw the veteran leg-spinner grab four wickets for 10 runs in 8.3 overs. SCOREBOARD West Indies (1st innings): Gayle c Tendulkar b
Harbhajan 23 Hinds lbw b Kumble 18 Sarwan b Srinath 19 Chanderpaul c Patel b
Kumble 27 Hooper c Ganguly b Zaheer 35 Hinds lbw b Kumble 16 Jacobs c Sehwag b
Harbhajan 9 Breese c Sehwag b Harbhajan 5 Dillon b Kumble 4 Collins not out 1 Lawson c Ganguly b
Kumble 0 Extras: (b-8, lb-1, nb-1) 10 Total: (all out, 79.3 overs) 167 Fall of wickets: 1-40, 2-46, 3-62, 4-117, 5-135, 6-142, 7-161, 8-166, 9-166. Bowling:
Srinath 10-5-14-1, Zaheer Khan 10-3-21-1, Bangar 6-3-29-0, Harbhajan Singh 29-13-56-3, Kumble 23.3-10-30-5, Sehwag 1-0-8-0. India (1st innings): Bangar batting 6 Sehwag batting 24 Extras: (w-1) 1 Total: (no loss, 8 overs) 31 Bowling: Dillon 4-2-6-0, Collins 2-0-16-0, Lawson 2-0-9-0. PTI |
|
Expert comments by Ravi Shastri The West Indies had another bad day on this tour. Carl Hooper’s bigger regret will be that this happened after he had won an important toss and chosen to bat first. A score of 350 or thereabouts would have given the West Indies a good chance to aim to level the series. But they were bundled for less than half that total, and the next four days look like hard labour to save the game. The West Indies appeared to have learnt little from the defeat at Mumbai. There were too many loose and reckless shots, well as Kumble and Harbhajan bowled, and the advantage of the toss was squandered. By tea the game had swung dramatically India’s way. A pity really, because all the frontline batsmen had got a start before surrendering tamely, the captain not excluded. He was out to a clever piece of bowling from Zaheer who disguised his slower delivery very well. But having scored 35 runs, and his side in trouble, Hooper should have been more circumspect. I was also surprised at the West Indies selection logic. Nagamootoo, who is the only genuine spinner in the side, was omitted, which was strange tactics considering that everybody knew the wicket here would be another turner. The highlight of the day for me was Kumble and Harbjajan bowling in tandem. They were very well marshalled by Saurav who attacked all the time, and the West Indies batsmen had no respite. On these wickets, these bowlers can be lethal. Even the mighty Australians were felled in 2001, and Kumble did not even play that series. The West Indies are not in the same league, and did not stand a chance. Kumble’s five wicket haul should silence his critics who believe that he was over the hill. On his 32nd birthday, he showed not only his value to the side, but also why he may have in fact got better at his craft. He has added the wrong unto his armoury, and varies his pace with skill. The delivery which got Chanderpaul caught by Parthiv Patel was a beauty. Kumble’s experience also helps Harbhajan, who is a completely different type of bowler, but works wonderfully together. On the first day itself, they have given the West Indies a taste of what lies ahead. It can’t make them very pleased. Gameplan |
|
|
Chetan Sharma writes The Indian captain must have been pretty disappointed at losing the toss in the morning but as the first day’s play progressed, it seemed obvious that the West Indians hadn’t learnt from their mistakes. They were lucky to the extent of batting first on a pitch, which might break later on, but their performance was another let-down to their supporters back home. Today they failed to even score 200 runs in their first innings, getting all-out for just 167. And if their pacers thought they would pick up a couple of Indian wickets by close of play, they were mistaken as Virender Sehwag set about in his trademark blazing style, hitting a few crisp boundaries to prop up India’s reply. In fact, the West Indian start wasn’t all that bad in the morning. However, once the spinners were pressed into the job, their batsmen again wasted the start. The Indian medium pacers Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath also contributed to the West Indian downfall as Srinath got rid of Ramnaresh Sarwan while Zaheer bowled a beautiful slower ball to trap Carl Hooper. The hero of the day was the birthday boy, Anil Kumble. He may not be as successful while bowling on overseas pitches but on the Indian pitches I haven’t seen a bowler as deadly as this man. On his 32nd birthday, he kept his line and length and got a five-wicket haul as a gift. India may have to wait for four or five days to know the fate of the Test match but Kumble has done his job well. From here the West Indies can come back only if the Indians turn complacent and self destruct though I strongly feel Saurav Ganguly and coach John Wright will not let that happen. If India want to become a force to be reckoned with in cricket, they must seize all the victory chances, which come their way. They won the first Test, should win here and try for another one in the third Test at Kolkata. The only heartening thing to have happened to the West Indies today was fast bowler Jermaine Lawson’s first sell in Test cricket. He may have been erratic in the few overs, which he sent down in the evening but this youngster was very quick. He touched the 145-km mark with his speed and if he can bowl a good spell tomorrow morning, he will do the West Indies team a great service. Otherwise the Indian batsmen will have a field day |
|
Kapil slams BCCI Chennai, October 17 “How can a player like me start an academy when land and one hundred more things are required for it?”, he shot back when asked whether he had any plan to start an academy to produce fast bowlers. The MRF could start a pace foundation because it had all the facilities, he said suggesting it was up to the board to come with such an initiative. If the board started an academy, people like him, Sunil Gavaskar and Bishen Singh Bedi were willing to help, he said. Asked whether he would make suggestion to the board, Kapil, striking a sarcastic tone, said: “there are hundreds of intelligent people sitting in the board and they can think better”.
UNI
|
|
Sunita Rani yet to be stripped of Asian Games medals New Delhi, October 17 Mr Jagdish Tytler, who was the Chef-de-Mission of the Indian contingent, asserted that Sunita Rani had not been stripped of the gold and bronze medal she won in the 1500m race and 5000m respectively at Busan. Mr Tytler took the media to task for “distorting facts” on the doping issue. If Mr Tytler is to believed, India’s medal tally stands at 36, including 11 gold, which includes Sunita Rani’s medals too. Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi and secretary-general Randhir Singh asserted that they had no official information about Sunita Rani having been stripped of her medals by the Asiad organising committee. Sources confirmed that the urine sample of Sunita Rani, tested at Busan, indeed contained traces of nandrolone, an anabolic steroid. Sources said nandrolone is not a masking drug, as has been made out, but an anabolic steroid. But Sunita Rani has denied having taken the drug. Amateur Athletic Federation of India (AAFI) secretary Lalit Bhanot said Sunita Rani had flatly denied ever taking the banned drug. He said he had advised her not to run the 5000m after her gold winning performance in the 1500m, if she had suspected any foul play. Interestingly, the doctor who accompanied the athletic squad, Jawaharlal Jain, was not cleared by the government. He went to Busan at the expense of the AAFI. Ironically, he was among those “honoured” by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Vikram Verma today. Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Pon. Radhakrishnan, Indian Hockey Federation president K.P.S. Gill, Kalmadi and Mr Randhir Singh were also present. Most of the medal winners were present at the function, though K. Beenamol, winner of the 800m gold and 400m silver, was a notable absentee. Mr Verma said he had asked SAI and his ministry to gather all the facts about Sunita Rani’s doping case, and the ministry would make a thorough study before pronouncing its verdict. Mr Randhir Singh, who is also the secretary-general of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), said the OCA Medical Commission would go through the dope test results before taking a final decision on Sunita Rani. But Mr Randhir Singh said the doctor on duty with the athletes should have ensured that the athletes followed the correct path as far as medication was concerned. Meanwhile, former sprint champion Adil Sumariwala stronly spoke up in defence of Sunita Rani. He said all the talk of the athlete being “high on dope” was mere hogwash. He said instead of hailing the outstanding performance of the Indian athletes at Busan, the media was trying to tarnish the image of the athletes by casting a shadow of doubt not only on Sunita Rani, but also all other medal winners. He said instead of standing behind Sunita Rani in her hour of crisis, people were trying to stoke the fire by floating all sorts of unfounded theories. Sumariwala, who was the national 100m champion for a record 11 years, and 200m champion for five years, and has collected over 17 medals from various international competitions, quoted the example of Sri Lanka, which stood behind Susanthika Jayasinghe when she tested positive for a banned substance, and hired the best lawyer in the world to get her name cleared. “But here, we are trying to hang the athlete, even before she has been conclusively proved guilty”, Sumariwala fumed. Shot put gold medallist Bahadur Singh echoed similar sentiments. He said everyone was now eyeing the athletes with suspicion. “What people forget is that we toiled hard day in and day out to achieve success at the top level.It did not come to us on a platter through the aid of some stimulant drugs. Nobody is talking about our achievements”, he lamented. Bahadur Singh said he was capable of putting up a much better performance than what he had achieved at Busan, but the rough throwing circle at the Busan athletic arena prevented him from gaining a firm foothold, which in turn, affected his throws. “I have consistently done 19.60 metres. I am capable of going over 20 metres”, he said. Anju Bobby George, who won the first athletic gold for India when she claimed the long jump gold, said she too could have produced a much better performance had she not been running into the wind. Anju’s husband and coach Bobby George said Anju had the potential of clearing 7 metres. Anju is at present ranked world No 15, but her husband believes that she has it in her to be among the first six in the world. Her best so far has been 6.74 metres. She is now looking forward to the World Cup, to be held in Paris in August 2003, to put her best jumping foot forward. Bobby George disclosed that Anju was planning to shift base to California for training as the weather in the American city is hot and humid, which is similar to that of Kerala, her home State. He said former world champion Mike Powell had offered to “guide” Anju and Bobby. But they have to raise the resources, amounting to nearly Rs 40-45 lakh, for two persons’ stay in California. |
Milkha flays IOA chief Chandigarh, October 17 Speaking to The Tribune here today, Milkha Singh wondered why no athlete from China or Korea, the two nations who garnered the maximum number of medals at the Games, tested positive while a lone athlete from India was caught for using dope. He was of the view that the system of testing for dope at Busan was not supervised well and it was quite possible that home team athletes were allowed to go scot free even after using performance-enhancing drugs. Milkha also questioned the role of Mr Suresh
Kalmadi, who is also president of the Asian Athletic federation, at
Busan. He wondered why the Indian official did not raise a hue and cry and come to the defence of Sunita, who comes from a very poor family. The role of the coaches who trained Sunita at Patiala as also the doctors of SAI also came in for attack from Milkha. The ‘‘Flying Sikh’’ was of the view that athletes from India were not looked after well by officials when taking part in competitions abroad. He was of the firm view that whatever punishment was handed down to Sunita should also apply to the coach who trained her prior to the Games as also the doctor who tested her sample at the SAI dope centre. |
|
|
Fatehgarh Sahib set to host Khalsa games Fatehgarh Sahib, October 17 Addressing a press conference here today, Dr Dharminder Singh
Ubha, press secretary of the management committee said that all the arrangements have been completed to conduct the first Khalsa games. He said that for 10 sports event more than 1100 sportspersons from 16 Khalsa colleges being run by the SGPC all over the country would participate. He said that 200 officials from the universities and sports department have been deputed to conduct the competitions smoothly. He said Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar Shri Akal Takht Sahib would inaugurate the games on October 18 at 10 am and Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Union Minister would give away the prizes to winners on October 20. He said 11 international fame Sikh sportspersons namely Bishan Singh Bedi (Cricket), Prof. Roopa Saini (Hockey), Brig. Labh Singh (Athletics), Harvinder Singh (Hockey), Jagraj Singh (Athletics), Dr Kanwaljit Kaur (Athletics) Dr Daljitinder Singh Brar (Gymnastic), Jaipal Singh (Boxing), Balwinder Singh (Athletics), Chanchal Surjit Kaur Randhawa (Hockey), Reetinder Singh Sodhi (Cricket) would be honoured. Dr Gurmohan Singh Walia, principal of the college and convener of the event, said the games were the brainchild of Prof. Kirpal Singh
Badungar, president SGPC, who wanted that Sikh youths should pour in sports and social activities, so that they may be kept away from the drug abuse. He said this way Khalsa panth would also contribute to the national and international level in the field of sports. He said the SGPC would prepare the Khalsa teams for different games from these competitors and these teams would compete at national level. Proper coaching and all other facilities would be provided to players by the SGPC. |
|
Mukesh Kumar upstages Vijay in
golf Chandigarh, October 17 Local hero Harmeet Kahlon atoned for his opening round score of 81 with a well compelled four-under 68 today. Kahlon’s round was studded with seven birdies and three bogeys. This effort saw the 31-year-old tally five-over 139. The cut was applied at 17-over 161. Mukesh Kumar’s round today, can be described as perfect under the prevailing circumstances. The Mhow golfer proved how percentage golf can help in times when confronted with a superbly designed and challenging golf course. Playing safe on the initial three holes for pars, Mukesh attacked the fourth green to birdie the hole. A bogey on the seventh where he failed to find the fairway on his way to the green was the only error in a steady round of two-under 70. Birdies on the eighth and 11th, the former resulting from a 10 ft putt and the latter an 8th effort into the cup were the other highlights of the day’s play. “The course was playing tough today and it was a real challenge. Vijay was struggling on a few holes and I know all I had to do was to keep the ball in play and try for par on every hole. That worked,” said the smiling golfer who was however pretty disappointed with his putting. “I returned 28 putts today compared to 26 yesterday. I need to work on improving this on the last two days,” he added. Vijay Kumar was done in by the par-four third hole today. The hole in question is a dog leg that veers from right to left with daunting crevices dotting the landscape either side of the fairway. It is these crevices that consumed Vijay’s ball and resulted in his returning a double-bogey the first time round. It was one-stroke worse when the hole was replayed as the 12th. “The third hole had me completely humbled today but I will get my own back tomorrow,” said Vijay who has already devised a strategy to counter the challenge offered by the hole. “I plan to use my driver to get over the crevice ahead of the tee, straight onto the fourth fairway and get on to the green f rom there,” said a confident Vijay whose card also contained bogeys on the second and seventh, an eagle on the 14th and birdies on the eighth (a 25 ft effort), ninth, tenth and 18th. “I have found a worthy opponent in the Forest Hill Golf Resort. Beating the course and winning this tournament will be one of the highlights of my career if I manage it this week,” concluded the Lucknow pro. Scores (after 36 holes): 138 — Mukesh Kumar (68, 70); 139 — Vijay Kumar (66, 73); 143 — Digvijay Singh (71, 72); 144 — Amritinder Singh (72, 72); 145 — Shamim Khan (73, 72); 146 — Pappan (76, 70); 148 — Ashok Kumar (72, 76); 149 — Harmeet Kahlon (81, 68), Zai Kipgten (76, 73), Monish Bindra (74, 75), Shiv Prakash (74, 75), C Muniyappa (73, 76) and Steve Kent (75, 74); 150 — Asgar Ali (73, 77), Ali Sher (73,77) and Rahil Gangjee (71, 79). |
PCA told to pay compensation Ropar, October 17 The forum, presided over by Mr J.P. Gupta president of the forum, also allowed the complaint against PCA’s two office-bearers with cost quantified at Rs 500. The forum has also directed to comply the order within 30 days from the date of
receipt of the certified copy of judgement, failing which amount of refund/ compensation would also carry interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum till realisation. In his complaint the complainant had urged the forum to direct the PCA office-bearers to make refund of Rs. 200, cost of two tickets purchased with interest at the rate of one and half per cent month, to pay Rs 4 lakh as compensation for mental tension, harassment and agony, and to pay Rs 1,000 as litigation expenses. Dr Bhatti purchased two tickets, each valued at Rs 100 for himself and his minor daughter to see the second one-day (day and night) international cricket match between India and Zimbabwe, scheduled for March 10,2002, at the PCA Cricket Stadium at SAS Nagar, He along with his daughter, accordingly, reached gate No. 6-7 (as per ticket purchased) of the cricket stadium at about 12.30 pm, but was not allowed entry on the plea that the stadium was full to the capacity. |
Panjab University lift football title Fatehgarh Sahib, October 17 In the first match of the day, Guru Nanak Dev University drubbed PAU, Ludhiana, 6-0. Sukhjinder, Gurpreet, Baldeep and Amritpal Singh were the scorers for the winners. In the second match, Panjab University defeated Punjabi University 3-0. Both the teams started the match with 4 points each and went all out to score an outright victory. Chandigarh boys managed to take lead through Amarjit in the 37th minutes, who took advantage of a defensive lapse. Thereafter it was smooth sailing for the winners. Sukhdev Singh Libra, MP, gave away the prizes to the teams. He lauded the efforts of Prof Mittal Memorial Trust and announced a grant of Rs 50,000 for the club. |
Punjab crush Goa in basketball Jalandhar, October 17 In an one-sided match, last year’s champions Punjab crushed Goa 85-4 to enter the quarter-final in boys section. Punjab’s Manavdeep Singh made some impressive attempts to earn 19 points for his team followed by Prabhjot Singh, who settled for 15 points. While Goa boys were seen in a defensive mode throughout the game, Punjab’s Jagdeep Singh further made a dent into the rival defence by making some impressive baskets. The match was won by Punjab 85-4. In another match, Punjab girls registered an impressive victory over Jharkhand 48-19. Taranjit Kaur of Punjab displayed good technique to confuse the Jharkhand girls and earned 14 points for her team. Asha secured 12 points followed by Anu (8 points). |
|
|
Kerala shock Punjab Jalandhar, October 17 In a high voltage encounter, the Kerala girls dominated the proceedings in the first quarter even as the Punjab eves were facing difficulty in controlling the ball. Kerala’s Renuka stole the show by earning 19 points for her team followed by C. Anubabu with seven points. Though Punjab’s Ashna displayed impressive skill to earn 20 points for her team, it could not save the team from defeat. Punjab lost the quarter-final to Kerala by 39 -49. In another match, West Bengal girls defeated Uttranchal 31-30. West Bengal’s Mandil, Poutta and Priyauta scored 10 points each to pave the way for the victory. Results: Boys: Haryana b Karnataka 89-62, Gujarat b Orrisa 74-70, Kerala b UP 74-69, Chattisgarh b Chandigarh 73-45. Girls: Karnataka b Andhra Pardesh 33-20. |
|
Punjab 310 for
nine Patiala, October 17 For HP, right arm leg spinner Paras Dogra bowled with a lot of guile to return with figures of 5 for 76. Brief scores:
Punjab: Ist Innings-310 for 9 (Vishwas Bhalla 80, Amardeep Singh 65, Bipul Sharma 65, Paras Dogra 5 for 76, Mohinder Sharma 2 for 71). |
|
|
School hockey tournament
from today Chandigarh, October 17 He said that eight teams from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh would participate in the tournament. Lawrence School, Sanawar, had instituted this tournament in 1998 with the aim of giving an opportunity to young children to get formal training and tournament exposure at a very tender age. This tournament is also an effort to revive interest of students in the sport of field hockey, which is fast losing its mass popularity. It has been observed that the standards of hockey in the participating schools have vastly improved over the years, greatly due to this tournament. Capt. Amarjyot Singh said that the participating teams are from renowned schools of north India and had been divided into two pools. Punjab Public School (Nabha), Bishop Cotton School (Shimla), Army Public School (Dagshai), and Yadavindra Public School (Patiala) have been placed in pool ‘A’ while Lawrence School (Sanawar), St. Stephen’s School (Chandigarh), Yadavindra Public School (Mohali) and hosts Pinegrove School (Subathu) are in pool ‘B’. Pinegrove School is hosting this tournament for the third time in their senior school location at Subathu this year. Mr Pargat Singh, Olympian and former Indian hockey captain, is expected to grace the occasion to encourage the children. |
|
Hockey meet Amritsar, October 17 Both the teams wasted several penalty corners. GHG Khalsa College took the lead through a penalty corner converted by Sarbraj Singh. Pardeep Singh of Government Barjindra College found the equaliser through a penalty stroke. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Chennai, October 17
(
Indian
contingent returns home to a warm welcome after a good
show in the Asian Games at Busan, South Korea, but
celebrations muted with one athlete stripped of her two
medals on account of doping.
JASKIRAT LEAD