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Friday,
August 15, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Hard work, fun for probables: Wright NZ police to review security at Ahmedabad Butcher, Hussain rescue England Shane Warne denies kissing girl |
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Cricket Australia to review anti-doping policy Athens will host last of the big Olympic Games Dutch ready for Indian adventure
Double blow for German football Alok Kumar ‘upset at twisting of the rule book’ Yasin takes second berth SGFI in troubled waters
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Hard work, fun for probables: Wright
Bangalore, August 14 "We want to make it challenging, hard-working and also fun," Wright told reporters at the beginning of the 13-day fitness-specific camp here. "We will take the opportunity to spell out plans and goals to achieve in the coming season." In the first two days, the fitness level of each probable would be assessed and thereafter, plans would be laid in place accordingly. The 36-probables would be divided into four teams after two days to infuse an element of healthy competition, he said. Responding to a question, Wright praised the newly recruited physical trainer Gregory King, saying India has a high-quality person in that position. "He will do a good job. I am very confident he will do an excellent job for India." Wright said he, King and physio Andrew Leipus had laid out detailed plans for the camp. He said he did not believe that the number of probables at 36 was huge. "It is a wide base of players. We are confident of handling that." Asked about Sachin Tendulkar, who had undergone a finger surgery recently, Wright said: "We have not singled out any player." The camp would address injuries and issues of concern. "Our aim is to help players to reach their potential." Wright said there would be "continuity" in physical fitness process of the Indian team as King had held detailed discussions with Adrian le Roux, whom he replaced. "He (King) will carry that process on," Wright said. He refused comment when asked about the condition of pitches for the coming New Zealand series, saying he would like to confine his remarks to only the camp. "We are keen to play good cricket on any surface," he said. He also declined to say anything on Sunil Gavaskar’s remarks on sledging, saying "I am right now concentrating only on the camp." Meanwhile, King had his first session with the team after taking over as physical trainer. "I am looking forward to raising the physical standards further," he said.
— PTI |
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NZ police to review security at Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, August 14 "This would be the first Test match between the two top cricketing nations that would be played in Gujarat and the GCA is not taking any chances with arrangements," the official said. GCA President Narhari Amin told PTI that the visit of the police team from New Zealand should not be viewed as concern on account of communal tension after the post-Godhra riots or any terrorist threat but as a standard procedure followed by officials of that nation. "Police and security team would want detailed information pertaining to security arrangements made by the state government and the GCA. They would want to know where their players would be staying and security arrangements made there as well as the routes leading to the stadium and other related details," Amin said. —
PTI |
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Butcher, Hussain rescue England
Nottingham, August 14 Butcher edged Makhaya Ntini to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher shortly after tea, ending a third-wicket partnership of 189 with Nasser Hussain, who was unbeaten on 74. South Africa, who lead the five-match series 1-0, had dominated the opening exchanges after England won the toss in favourable batting conditions, dismissing Michael Vaughan for one and Marcus Trescothick for 24 to leave the hosts in trouble at 29 for two. Trescothick hit five crisp boundaries on the way to 24 but was again unable to capitalise on a solid start. The tall left-hander had just hit Andrew Hall straight for four when his indecisive defensive push at the combative all-rounder presented wicketkeeper Mark Boucher with a simple catch. Arriving at the crease with his side in trouble at 29 for two, Hussain struck his first delivery powerfully through the covers for four, but the former captain played and missed several times as the South African seamers maintained a probing off-stump line. Butcher struggled initially, surviving a big lbw shout off Pollock, but gradually found his timing with seven boundaries, the pick a majestic cover drive off Jacques Kallis. Scoreboard England (1st innings): Trescothick c Boucher Vaughan c Gibbs b Pollock 1 Butcher not out 37 Hussain not out 20 Extras:
(b-1, nb-2) 3 Total: (2 wkts, 28 overs) 85 FoW:
1-7, 2-29. — Reuters (Scoreboard incomplete)
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Shane Warne denies kissing girl
Sydney, August 14 Instead, the leg spinner, who is at the centre of a text sex scandal, claimed the accusations had caused unrest on his home front and damaged his standing in the commercial world. "I am married man with a young family," he said in a statement to the police. Warne told police the incident occurred during a night out with international colleague Brett Lee at a Gold Coast nightclub strip. When one car persisted in following them, Warne decided to pull over and "do whatever was necessary to get rid of them", he said. A girl who "seemed to be aged about 18 or 19" got out of the second car and approached the cricketers, inviting them to a party. "I said ‘no’ and she called us party poopers," Warne said. "She said ‘how about a kiss’ and I said ‘no kiss’. "She said ‘just one on the cheek’ and I said ‘ok’ and she leant over and kissed me on or near the mouth. — PTI
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Cricket
Australia to review anti-doping policy
Sydney, August 14 The board said it had publicly forshadowed such a review early this year and restated it again after the recent independent arbitration of a dispute with the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA). "Cricket Australia was a world cricket pioneer when we proactively moved to introduce an anti-doping policy, modelled on the Australian Sports Commission and Olympic codes, into our sport here in Australia. We strongly support an anti-doping code for global cricket," CA chief executive officer James Sutherland said. "We are determined that there should be no place for doping in cricket." Mr Sutherland said Cricket Australia regularly reviews its policies as a matter of course. But it is also conducting this review in the light of Australian amateur sports moves to adopt the global World Anti-Doping Authority Code.
— UNI |
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Athens will host last of the big Olympic Games
Athens, August 14 In a series of recommendations to be implemented in the coming months and years, the IOC expects to gradually scale down the size of the Olympics and turn them into a more attractive and lucrative venture for cities across the world. With a cost well over $ 4 billion, many potential contenders are shying away from bidding for the games. The recommended changes, the IOC believes, can save as much as $ 400 million. Cities in Africa and Latin America, with severe urban and social problems as well as limited funds, cannot even contemplate such a bid, considerably reducing the Olympics’ geographical scope and global appeal. Of a total of 117 recommendations agreed last month, some 31 could be implemented by the start of the Athens Olympics next August, IOC officials say. “The ioc wants the games to act as an economic and social catalyst and bring something to the city and not just leave behind white elephants,’’ an IOC official told Reuters. “The games must leave a lasting legacy in the host city.” “The official said the IOC had also agreed to limit the number of sports to 28. “The number of sports will be capped at 28 and the number of athletes at 10,500. This will be the ceiling,” she said. “Imagine it is a bus with 28 seats and some sports need to get off to give their place to other sports.” None of the sports will get off before Athens but by the 2008 Beijing Olympics there will be changes in the sports. The IOC also agreed with Athens games organisers (ATHOC) to replace several planned expensive permanent facilities and venues which would have little or no post-Olympics use with more cost-effective temporary ones. The plans include scrapping one hockey pitch and a baseball diamond and changes to the modern pentathlon site, the rowing centre, the badminton courts and the boxing arena. This move is expected to save about 300 million euros for organisers rushing to complete the venues on time. When Athens won the bid in 1997 to host the games, it already had more than 70 per cent of all the sports facilities in place, including an olympic-standard stadium. At the time this was Greece’s biggest selling pitch, especially after Sydney had to foot the $ 400-million-dollar bill for a new, 110,000-seat Olympic stadium. But since then Athenians have come up with several other carrots to lure spectators to the sun-drenched country and ensure the Olympics will have a distinct Greek flavour — starting from the medals. Organisers have redesigned the three awards for the first time since the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics to depict a standing winged nike — the greek goddess of victory — instead of a seated one. A distant stadium behind the goddess has also been changed into a Hellenistic one rather than the old Roman-style Coliseum. On the sports front, in what is expected to be the most spectacular of all races in the history of the Olympics, marathon runners will cover the route which gave the event its name. Starting from the village of Marathon, east of the capital, they will run almost the exact 42-km course covered by the Athenian messenger who, according to tradition, raced back to Athens from the battlefield to announce victory over the Persian army in 490 BC. Phidippides, exhausted after the long run — he had raced back from sparta only days before the battle of Marathon — died immediately after delivering his victorious message. “I don’t think anything can top this event and the fact that professional runners in this discipline will run the real course is just unique,” ATHOC spokesman Stratos Savioleas said. The runners will finish inside the stadium which hosted the first modern games in 1896. The 70,000-seater Panathenian stadium will also host the archery event, which promises to be one of the Olympics’ surprise crowd pullers because of the spectacular location. The white marble horseshoe, built in ancient times for the Athenian Games, was renovated 108 years ago to stage the first modern games. It is now getting its second major facelift ahead of next year. Only a few hundred metres away organisers have drawn the route for the road cycling race, which they believe will be the most exciting event of its kind. Cyclists will race around the foot of the Acropolis hill and through the capital’s scattered antiquities and historic neighbourhoods which will provide an impressive backdrop for the competition and the games as a whole. — Reuters
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Dutch ready for Indian adventure Amsterdam, August 14 But it is the recent resurgence in Indian hockey which has injected a dose of caution in the otherwise high-flying Netherlands, the Olympic champions and hosts of this six-nation event in its silver jubilee year. “We look at our match against the Indians as an adventure. They have come back into the top six bracket and for me, that’s a good sign,” Dutch coach Joost Ballart told PTI here today. “We always have had some tight matches, and I think, it will be so on Saturday when we play each other in the first match of the tournament.” One couldn’t miss the twinkle in Ballart’s eyes as he spoke, but so also the earnestness as he believes that each match in the Champions Trophy is a “final” game. “We play six finals over eight days, and in that context, it will be a tough tournament for everyone,” he said. If Ballart views India as a dangerous opponent, then it is not without reason. “In Cologne last year, we were lucky to draw 3-3 with India with a late equaliser. We haven’t played India many times these past few seasons when they were out of the top bracket. But now, personally speaking, I am happy that they are back in the top six, and it is only good for hockey. “I am a great fan of Indian hockey. I think their style of play has changed a bit over the years. Previously, it was the usual five up and five down (five forwards and five defenders). But now you see some rotation in the midfield and they play with four forwards. Their penalty corner conversion rate too has gone up.” Ballart, for sure, would not carry his personal sentiments on to the field on Saturday when he expects a good match with India.
— PTI India
sweat for 4-3 win Amstelveen: Without any big names in their ranks, world champions Germany made India sweat over a 4-3 win in a practice match played at the Wagner stadium the venue of the 25th Champions Trophy. In the first half, India rested top stars, which included captain Dhanraj Pillay, Jugraj Singh, Gagan Ajit Singh and Deepak Thakur. Germany, without any of their first team stars, seemed disjointed but achieved success only because India were experimenting with different combinations. In the second half, even when Jugraj came on he played in the centre-forward’s role. Thus showing that India were treating this match as nothing but a training session where combinations could be worked out. Germany scored first off a penalty corner and India got the equaliser through a field effort by Baljit Singh Saini. Germany again went 2-1 up before Kanwalpreet Singh Singh got the equaliser with a penalty corner. The Germans equalised at 2-2 and again it was up to Kanwalpreet Singh to score off a rebound for an indirect penalty corner conversion. With India leading 4-2, Germany put on the pressure in the dying minutes and got a late goal with the match ending 4-3 in India’s favour.
— UNI
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Double blow for German football
Berlin, August 14 Rahn, known in Germany as the "Hero from Berne", scored West Germany’s equaliser and winner in their shock 3-2 win over Hungary in the 1954 World Cup final. He was due to celebrate his 74th birthday on Saturday. The German Football Association (DFB) said the man who helped Germany win back its pride after World War II died on Wednesday night at his home in the western city of Essen after a long illness. Emmerich, who was 61, enjoyed cult status in Dortmund after scoring 115 goals in 183 Bundesliga games for Borussia between 1963 and 1969. The striker, who died from lung cancer on Wednesday night, will be best remembered for scoring what German fans refer to as the "Goal of the Century" in the 1966 finals in England. He cracked a thunderous, long-range drive to give the Germans a 2-1 victory over Spain at Villa Park, Birmingham, in a first round match. West Germany reached the final in 1966 where they lost 2-4 after extra time to England at Wembley Stadium. That was Emmerich’s fifth and last appearance for his country. While Emmerich, affectionately known as Emma, will be sorely missed, Rahn was one of German sport’s icons. "He was and will remain one of the last legends of German football," Germany’s World Cup-winning captain and coach Franz Beckenbauer said of Rahn. The "Boss" scored 21 goals in 40 internationals but the low, angled drive six minutes from time in the Berne final was the one he will be best remembered for. An awe-inspiring Hungary team, unbeaten in 31 matches going into the final and 8-3 winners over the Germans in a first round match, built a 2-0 lead after only eight minutes of the match. But Germany fought back and Rahn set up Max Morlock for Germany’s first goal before scoring twice himself. "I just hit the ball as hard as I could," Rahn said of his famous winning goal. "I didn’t see where the ball was going but I knew it was in the net." West Germany also won the World Cup in 1974, with Beckenbauer as captain, and in 1990, with the "Kaiser" as coach. But the 1954 campaign was the most emotional, giving Germany something to celebrate after the end of World War II. Walter, who captained the 1954 side, died last year. Only three world champions from 1954, Horst Eckel, Fritz Walter’s brother Ottmar and Hans Schaefer, are still alive. — Reuters
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Alok Kumar ‘upset at twisting of the rule book’ New Delhi, August 14 Alok’s name was there in the original list when the Arjuna Award selection panel, headed by chairman PK
Banerjee, recommended 21 names for the coveted award. But when a hue and cry was made out about the inclusion of some undeserving candidates, particularly late entrants in the original list, the Sports Ministry asked the Arjuna Award panel to prune the list, and forward a revised list. Alok Kumar was one of the six contenders omitted from the second list as the Government stuck to it its stand that only 15 sportspersons will be given the Arjuna Award. It is learnt that the Government has approved 15 names for the Arjuna Award, which includes cricketer Virender Sehwag and woman hockey player Mamta
Kharab. Interestingly, the nominations of both Sehwag and Mamta were sent to the award panel after the expiry of the deadline for submitting the names—May 31. A top official in the Sports Ministry disclosed that the Government did not want to encourage the tendency of accommodating last-minute entries to bolster the list “because if it is 21 this time, it may go upto 50 the next time. We want to put a stop to such practices, and strictly follow the guidelines laid down for the purpose”. And there in lies the catch. This is what Alok is objecting to. He wondered how could the cases of Sehwag and Mamta be considered when they were late entrants, and how come two sportspersons each were recommended from athletics, hockey and wrestling and one each from table tennis, football, kabaddi and volleyball? Alok feels that his sustained performance at the national and international level during the past 10 or 15 years has gone to waste as he has been robbed of a deserving honour. Alok, who has made his mark in billiards, snooker and pool, won a silver medal in the Asian Games at Busan in 2002 and a bronze medal in the world championship the same year, a couple of months after the
Asiad. He was also a quarterfinalist of a previous world championship. He was the national billiards champion twice, in 1999 and 2003, the national snooker champion thrice, in 2002, 1997 and 1992 and the pool champion in 2002. Alok said the thought of being deprived of the Arjuna Award weighed so heavily on his mind that he just could not concentrate in the semifinal match of the World Cup qualifying match against Yashin Merchant today morning at the National Sports Club of India
(NSCI), which he lost by three games to five. Alok had won the NSCI Invitation Tournament on the same table last week, and the top prize of Rs 1.25 lakh was presented to him today morning. Alok is upset that the top guns of the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India did not speak up for him when his name was reportedly omitted from the award list, though all the top players came to his support, but in a subdued manner, including Indian coach Michael Ferreira, who was honoured with the Dronacharya Award last year. A resident of Mandi Gobindgarh, Alok says the award seems to have passed him by for ever. He could have been in contention last year too, but did not fill up the necessary form. He is upset at the “twisting of the rule book to benefit the chosen ones”. “The rule should have applied
uniformally,” he averred. “If deserving cases are overlooked, what is the incentive for excelling in one’s chosen sport?”, he wanted to know. He reminded that Mamta Kharab was the member of the women’s hockey team who had finished fourth out of four contestants in the Busan Asian Games. He said the skies would not have descended even if all the 21 sportspersons were bestowed with the Arjuna Award. “It’s every sportsman’s dream to win the Arjuna Award”, he said. But his own dream has been shattered by an insensitive officialdom. |
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Yasin takes second berth
New Delhi, August 14 The duo will represent India in the World Championship to be played in China in October. Advani had yesterday defeated Manan Chandra 5-2 to qualify for the flag-ship event. After racing to a 4-1 lead, Merchant looked all set for an easy win but the businessman from Punjab had a different plan as he came back in contention winning the next two frames. "Alok is a very dangerous player. He keeps coming at you. While playing against him it is not only essential to control your game but also your nerves," a relieved Merchant said after the match. "Even in the selection tournament for the Asian Snooker Championship in Hyderabad early this year I was leading with the same score against him (Alok) and he came back strongly. That time also I was lucky to maintain my composure and win the match," he said. Merchant, did not start well as he lost the first frame to Kumar 48-64. Known to be an aggressive cuiest, the two-time Asian snooker champion then prefered to play a safe game winning the next two frames, 67-32 71-55. With a 2-1 cushion on his side, Merchant then started to go for his shots and recorded breaks of 66 and 44 in the fourth and fifth frames respectively to take a 4-1 lead. It looked like all was lost for Kumar, but an easy miss on the brown ball by Merchant gave the Punjab player a chance to bounce back, which he grabbed with both hands to come up with a break of 87 to take the frame, 93-1. A break of 36 in the very first visit in the seventh frame was enough for Kumar to take the frame, 65-37, as his opponent started to feel the pressure. But Kumar, the former national champion, leading 30-20 in the eighth frame, made an expensive error on a red ball and Merchant ensured that the tie did not go into the decider. — PTI
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SGFI in troubled waters Chandigarh, August 14 On August 7, Mr Negi wrote a letter to all the affliated units that a meeting of the executive committee would be held on August 23 at National Stadium, Delhi. Mr Gandhi said president could have only two terms and Mr Negi had already completed his second tenure in February 2003. On August 25, the next hearing of the court case filed against the SGFI will come up in the district courts here. Meanwile, Mr Chhabra, the secretary general, when contacted said he had informed the affiliated units on June 2 that the SGFI can’t hold election till August 25, they were asked to wait for the final verdict. In February 1999, the elections of the SGFI were held under the court directions. He said a letter was sent to Mr Negi in June where the President was apprised of the court directions. Interestingly, according to the constitution of the SGFI, the state units can only nominate a person who is an employee of an education department. In this case, neither Mr Negi, who is from Himachal Pradesh, nor Mr Gandhi, who has already retired from the Punjab Education Department were eligible to contest the election. Sources said Mr Negi wanted to become the life President of the federation, while for the coveted post of the President of the SGFI, Mr Ravinder Talwar of Chandigarh and Satpal of Delhi seemed to be in the fray. |
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£ 100 for
a sixer London, August 14 The first batsman to achieve the feat would also have to go and ask for the ball back to collect his £ 100, insisted Chairman of the Mumbles Cricket Club in Swansea, Mark Portsmouth who put up the prize, according to a report in ‘The Daily Mirror’. "One big six could do it. It would have to be a massive hit but it is possible," Portsmouth said. According to Wisden records, the biggest hit ever is 175 yards — achieved in 1856. The 33-year-old actress will use the house when visiting relatives in Swansea. And her windows are safe — she is having bullet-proof glass fitted to it.
— PTI |
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Nottingham, August 14
BANGALORE:
FIAT
TO PAY FOR SACHIN’S FERRARI