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No secret pact with Dalmiya faction: Bindra
Too much method can ruin Sehwag’s talent: Chappell
Indian colts win by four wickets
Rain upsets Davis Cup schedule
Myskina to take on Sprem in final
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Pakistan proposes Asian Hockey League
Punjab, Delhi enter Gold Cup final
JCT Mills beat BSF to win Punjab football league title
FCI edge out ONGC
A1 Grand Prix: Asian drivers struggle
Indo-Pak grapplers’ meet on October 1
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No secret pact with Dalmiya faction: Bindra
New Delhi, September 24 Addressing a press conference here a day after the adjournment of the acrimonious AGM of the Board yesterday, Mr Bindra, a Dalmiya detractor and a Pawar backer, said Rajasthan Cricket Association president Lalit Modi was the lone dissenting voice at the end of the day and indicated that he would not approve of his plans to go to Supreme Court on the issue of Board President’s election. He said there was no secret compromise behind the inclusion of Mumbai Cricket Association President and political heavyweight Pawar along with Tamil Nadu Cricket Association head N. Srinivasan in the BCCI’s Marketing Committee. He said Mr Pawar, who was to contest for the Board’s presidentship before the AGM itself was adjourned sine die, and Mr Srinivasan were made members in an effort to enlarge the committee. Mr Pawar was nominated as the North Zone candidate by the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association for the top post of the BCCI to challenge incumbent Ranbir Singh Mahendra of Haryana. But the entire AGM was muddled in a slew of court cases and was adjourned without any agenda being taken up, including the election of the office-bearers. The members, however, agreed to reconvene on a date not later than November 30. Mr Bindra said the entire House agreed at the AGM that no major policy decisions except on television rights would be made in the interim period and considering the importance of the TV rights issue, a person of Mr Pawar’s stature was considered necessary in the Marketing Committee. “The committee is not a decision-making body but considering the situation wherein the AGM is not going to meet for the next 30 days, its scope has been enlarged,” said Mr Bindra, who is also part of the committee. “Now it has the authority of the AGM and two additions has been made. “Mr Pawar did not want to be part of the committee but it was I and Mr Dalmiya who forced him to come on board. “We did so because we thought we needed an eminent person like him to decide on the television rights issue. There are some networks who are trying to hijack the television rights.”
— PTI |
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Too much method can ruin Sehwag’s talent: Chappell
Harare, September 24 Three months into his job as the coach, the Australian great, who has created headlines with his extraordinary attack on Ganguly, whom he considers unfit to lead the team, regards the dashing Sehwag as a “rare talent”. “He is so instinctive that there is a fear that if too much of method is applied on him, it might end up ruining his rare talent,” Chappell told PTI in an exclusive interview here. “He is a delightful and most interesting person. He probably in many ways will be one of the great challenges of my coaching stint in India,” said Chappell as he looked to harness the talent of Sehwag for the benefit of the Indian team. The former Australian captain said Sehwag had been getting the starts but had not been able to convert them into big scores. “Sehwag has lately been getting off to his customary explosive starts but is unable to convert them into big knocks. Finding a way to use his immense talent efficiently and in the best way for the balance of the team is going to be my biggest challenge. Chappell said he had some thoughts on how to get the best out of Sehwag but would prefer discussing it with the dashing batsman first. Chappell also felt India’s bowling could be competitive if players had the right work ethics and fitness levels. Chappell was similarly optimistic about batting, more so with the imminent return of Sachin Tendulkar, but said they must look to seize on the little things which can make a big difference.
— PTI |
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Indian colts win by four wickets
Dharamsala, September 24 Australia Under-19 won the toss and elected to bat first, but their batsmen failed to put up a good total on the board. More than the seamer-spinner attack of Y. Mahesh and Ali
Murtaza, who took three wickets each, it was the Australian batsmen who appeared to throw away their wickets. The visitors were bowled out for 129 in 30.3 overs. India Under-19 reached the target in 30 overs for the loss of six wickets, with Rohit Sharma scoring 39 and
S. Anirudh hitting 38. Both G. Skennar and Moses Henriques took two wickets each for Australia. |
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Rain upsets Davis Cup schedule
New Delhi, September 24 Though it had been raining since last night, the thundershowers this morning soaked the grasscourt, making play impossible. The covers were of no use as rainwater seeped in on to the grasscourt, laid on a hardcourt base. Chief referee Wayne McKewen of Britain called off the day’s play around 2 pm. He said he would have an inspection of the court tomorrow morning at 10 am before deciding the future course of action. If the sun breaks out tomorrow but the grasscourt remains wet, one option is to hold the remaining matches on the hard decof-turn court, only if the Indian and Swedish captains agree. If the captains disagree, then there is time till Tuesday to complete the matches, but only if the players agree to stay till then. If conditions do not allow matches to be completed even by Tuesday, then the tie will be replayed all over again on a fresh date, to be allotted by the International Tennis Federation. The unfinished second singles match between Rohan Bopanna and Thomas Johansson was to be completed before the doubles rubber clash between Leander Paes-Mahesh Bhupathi and Jonas Bjorkman-Simon Aspelin. The Bopanna-Johansson tie was halted yesterday afternoon following heavy showers with the Swede leading 7-6 (7-3), 6-6 (5-0). All-India Tennis Association executive vice-president Anil Khanna said he had seen any Davis Cup tie getting washed out in India, though rain had stretched a couple of ties beyond the third day. Chief referee Wayne McKewen said he had not experienced any Davis Cup tie getting postponed, though there have been many occasions when ties got stretched. |
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Myskina to take on Sprem in final
Kolkata, September 24 World number 12 Myskina rode on her powerful serves and deep returns to steamroll Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 6-1 in the first semifinal at the Netaji Indoor stadium. Seventh seed Sprem cashed in on Russian Likhovtseva’s fitness problem to stage a strong comeback and snatch a thrilling 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 upset victory in the other semifinal. Sprem pocketed the decider without much sweat as Likhovtseva lost her rhythm due to a lower-back problem, much to the dismay of a sparse crowd. The 81-ranked Croatian, having a record of winning the previous two head-to-heads against 30-year-old Likhovtseva, will make her first appearance in the final of a WTA tournament since 2003. Myskina, who annexed the French Open last year, seemed determined to end her title drought in 2005, hitting an array of blazing winners to romp home in just 48 minutes. Myskina broke Kanepi in the second game, but the Estonian fought back by returning the complement in the very next game.
— PTI |
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Kolkata: The Uberoi sisters — Neha and Shikha — reached their maiden doubles final on the WTA Tour, scalping Ukraine’s Yuliana Fedak and Melinda Czink of Hungary in an exciting three-setter at the Sunfeast Open here on Saturday.
The Florida-based Uberois got the better of their higher ranked rivals 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 6-3 in the semifinal, egged on by a sparse crowd at the Netaji indoor stadium.
— PTI
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Pakistan proposes Asian Hockey League
Lahore, September 24 Pakistan Hokey Federation’s (PHF) Director Marketing Sardar Naveed Haider, talking to The Nation, said he had given the idea of holding the Asian League at a meeting with Indian officials during the recent Super Hockey League held at Karachi. “The proposed league will be held on a rotation basis and Indian officials want the inaugural event in India,” the newspaper quoted Haider as saying. Haider said even if Malaysia and Korea did not agree, India and Pakistan could take the initiative and the event could later become a pan-Asian league. “We can launch the double-header event with semifinals and final for champion clubs of Pakistan and Indian leagues from 2006 to have the Asian League champion. By this, the champion club would gain international exposure along with the team management, umpires and referees,” he suggested. “If Korea and Malaysia agree for the Asian League, it will make Asian hockey stronger and countries like China and Japan would also join in,” he said. During the meeting, the availability of Pakistan players for India’s Premier Hockey League, scheduled for the second week of January next year, was also discussed. He said India has asked for at least 10 players from Pakistan for their league. The PHF has also proposed an Indo-Pak series from February 13 to 28 next year and during the period four matches each will be played on either side of the border.
— UNI |
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Punjab, Delhi enter Gold Cup final
Amritsar, September 24 Earlier today, Delhi got the better of Mumbai 3-0 in a one-sided match. Delhi players kept the pressure on their rivals from the word go and got the lead early when forward Prem Kumar scored through a field goal. Ten minutes later, Prem Kumar again sounded the board. Centre forward Lovepreet Singh scored the third goal for the winners. Mumbai failed in all departments of the game. They could not convert any of the four short corners they received. Their defence was found wanting as all the three goals from Delhi were field goals. In the other semifinal, Punjab defeated Maharaja Ranjit Singh Academy 2-0. The winners scored the first goal through a short corner in the 10th minute of the game and they struck again 10 minutes later. |
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JCT Mills beat BSF to win Punjab football league title
Phagwara, September 24 Having taken an unassailable lead over their rivals and with the title firmly in their grasp, JCT kept up the momentum to subdue BSF in their concluding fixture on home turf. The responsive crowd savoured every moment and as skipper Daljit Singh went up to the podium to receive the trophy, the symbol of supremacy in Punjab football, from Mr Rajmohan Singh, Director Operations, JCT, a loud cheer went up in appreciation. Coaches Sukhwinder Singh, who incidentally is also the national coach, and Parminder Singh, while attributing the success to team work, said the league was a perfect build up to the forthcoming National Football League due to kick off in November. Former internationals Renedy Singh and Sunil Chhetri, who played for Mohun Bagan last season, ignited the proceedings as the mill men made dangerous moves right from the outset. Foreign recruit Julius Akpele was outstanding in the defence and his brilliant tackles left the rivals frustrated. BSF, assisted by veteran Gurjit Atwal upfront, played their hearts out but poor finishing let them down. Brazilian physical trainer Robson's efforts in keeping the JCT players in shape were evident as the mill men seldom betrayed signs of fatigue. Though JCT did make some close calls early on, they had to wait till the 43rd minute to forge ahead. Striker Sunil Chhetri managed to trap the ball inside the box and was in an enviable position to shoot but a BSF defender brought him down, prompting the referee to point to the dreaded spot. The resultant spot kick was converted by Chhetri himself, who sent Kameshwar Singh to the wrong side with a brilliant right-footer (1-0). The second half again witnessed a ding-dong battle with JCT holding an edge. Substitutes Jaswinder Singh and Gyan Moyon wove dangerous patterns but the BSF defenders kept them at bay. A few counter-attacks by BSF did look dangerous and on one occasion, medio Sarabjit Singh entered the box but failed to find the target. In the closing stages, BSF striker Gurjit Atwal earned the referee's wrath for using foul language and was red-carded. JCT made some good attempts in the dying minutes to bolster the lead with Yadwinder Singh despatching a cross from the left but Gyan Moyon's header was off the mark. A power-packed shot by right winger Jaswinder also sailed over and the mill men had to remain content with the 1-0 advantage till the end. Mr Rajmohan Singh, Director Operations, JCT, and Mr J.C. Sodhi, GM, gave away the prizes. Among those present on the occasion were Arjuna awardees Inder Singh and Gurdev Singh, Asian star Parminder Singh, former internationals Kashmira Singh, G.S. Parmar, Deepak Kumar, Jagir Singh, Mr Shivtar Singh Bajwa and Mr Inderjeet Singh. JCT Mills: Karanjit Singh, Harish Sharma, Julius Akpele, Narinder Singh, Daljit Singh, Baldeep Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Parveen Kumar, P. Renedy Singh, Sakatar Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Kalyan Chaubey, Sunil Kumar, Taranjit Singh, Gyan Moyon, Jaswinder Singh, Yadwinder Singh and Bimal Birua. BSF: Kameshwar Singh, Raghbir Singh, PB Ekka, Mandeep Singh, Deepak Kumar, Sarabjit Singh, Prasanto Das, Samrat Chowdhary, Gurjit Atwal, Santosh Kumar, Dharminder Singh, Machinder Singh, Amarjit Singh, Gurminder Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Boy Singh, Harwinder Singh and S. Hoda. |
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FCI edge out ONGC
Chandigarh, September 24 Chetan Sharma scored 59 off 53 balls (8x4s and 2x6s). Akash Malhotra (46) and Sumit Sharma (45) were involved in a fourth-wicket stand of 83 runs. Right-arm leg spinner Amit Mishra (3 for 55) and left-arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi (3 for 33) were the main wicket-takers for ONGC. ONGC started their run chase on a disastrous note losing their first four wickets for 29 runs. ONGC finally folded up for 201 in 37 overs despite an unbeaten 27 not out off 28 balls by Amit Mishra. The second match between Bengal and Rajasthan was washed out and both sides got 3 points each. In the third match played at St John’s cricket ground, Sector 26, PCC lost to MPCA by 2 wickets in a match reduced to 30 overs. Punjab won the toss, elected to bat and were all out for 110 in 29.3 overs. Bipul Sharma (33) and Ankur Kakkar (28) were the main scorers for Punjab, Abhijit (2 for 9) and
T. Sudhidram (2 for 23) were the main wicket takers for MPCA. MPCA scored the required runs in 28.4 overs for the loss of 8 wickets. S.P. Singh took three wickets for Punjab. With this win MP got 5 points and took their tally to 14 while Punjab took their tally to 8 points with the one point they earned in the match. |
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A1 Grand Prix: Asian drivers struggle
London, September 24 The new championship, which is billed as a World Cup of motorsport, pits nation against nation on the track, with a key feature being the arrival of countries so far unused to the sport. But that grand design backfired as rookie drivers found the going tough. In the first practice session, India’s Karun Chandhok caused the most spectacular accident when he turned in on ex-Formula One driver Jos Verstappen. The two cars made contact, pitching Chandhok into the air and badly damaging his car. Chandhok had already allowed another Formula One refugee, Alex Yoong of Malaysia, to pass him but failed to notice the bright orange Netherlands car of Verstappen, causing the pile-up. China’s drivers have struggled to match their more experienced rivals in testing and again were caught out in practice. Their nominated driver Qinghua Ma spun at the fast Paddock Hill bend and brought out the red flags once again. Collisions are rare in practice, with drivers concentrating on finding the perfect set-up for their cars, but the A1 GP debut bucked that trend. The problems continued in the second session, with Japan’s Ryo Fukuda and Czech driver Jan Charouz both spinning off in quick succession. Russia’s Nikolay Fomenko followed countryman Vasilev’s lead by spinning first and then crashing into the barriers. Germany’s Adrian Sutil almost collected the stricken Russian car, bringing out more red flags. Even more red flags followed when Tengyi Jiang crashed the Chinese entry before Christian Jones finally stopped the session for good 18 minutes before the scheduled end when he slammed his car into the barriers. Despite promises of an equal playing field with even drivers from countries with little motorsport pedigree being able to compete, the timing sheets at the end of first practice told a different story. Scott Speed set the pace for the USA, setting a fastest lap of one minute 16.875seconds in the first session. Speed’s GP rival Nelson Piquet Jr was a quarter of a second behind for Brazil while Frenchman Nicolas Lapierre took third. Britain’s Robbie Kerr was fourth while Yoong was fifth. Chandhok had little chance to set a decent time having only completed two laps but Chinese driver Ma clocked 13 and was still over nine seconds off the pace. His countryman Jiang was over 10 seconds down in the second session.
— AFP |
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Manjit Kaur awarded
Rs 1 lakh
New Delhi, September 24 The Punjab Police athlete, who won the gold in 400m and 4x400m relay, was presented a cheque for Rs 1 lakh by former Chief Election Commissioner M.S. Gill on behalf of pharma major Nicholas Piramal India Ltd, a press statement said here today. Manjit had also won gold medals in 400m at the 2002 Busan Asian Games and the 15th Asian Athletics Championships in Manila.
— PTI |
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Indo-Pak grapplers’ meet on October 1
Kharar, September 23 This competition is being conducted by Gulzar Wrestling Akhara ( Regd), Mohali, which is the only ‘akhara’ having distinction of winning 28 gold medals in various international wrestling meets. Mr R. S. Kundu, wrestling coach, SAI, said that it was for the first time that the Indo-Pak wrestling match is being held in this region and it would be yet another attempt to improve the relationship between the two countries. Mr Vijay Chawla, vice- president of the akhara said out of a total of 60 wrestlers, a 9-member wrestling team from Pakistan has confirmed its participation in this competition. This competition is being held under the supervision of former Director, Sports, Punjab, Mr Kartar Singh, who himself is a recipient of Padma Shri award and the only Indian wrestler to bag two gold medals in Asian Games in 1978 and 1986. Mr Vikramjit Singh, proprietor of SS Farms, has volunteered to offer his place ‘free of cost’ to host the competition and is excited to play as host to the Pakistani team. Mr Harmail Singh , senior vice-president of Gulzar Wrestling Akhara, said, “We are planning to start a ‘volunteer scheme’ for only those aspirants who want to take wrestling as a serious profession and our aim would be nothing less than a gold in Olympics. Our talks for one-and-a-half acre of land for setting up state-of-the-art wrestling training centre are going on with PUDA.
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New Delhi, September 24
Harare, September 24
Phagwara, September 24
London, September 24
