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Harbhajan issue settled amicably
I have been vindicated, says Sourav
Sourav to prevail, says astrologer
Ganguly difficult to get along
with: Flintoff
Indian eves beat Pakistan
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PCA gears up to market Challenger series
AIFF may retain Sukhwinder as coach
IHF stand irks Shastri hockey organisers
33rd National Games in jeopardy
BSF march into quarterfinals
Minerva win JP Atray cricket trophy
Rival factions queer the pitch
Anand defeats Judit Polgar
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Harbhajan issue settled amicably
Chandigarh, September 29 The media was addressed by the PCA President, Mr Inderjit Singh Bindra. Also present at the press conference were the PCA Secretary, Mr M.P. Pandove and Mr G.S. Walia, PCA Treasurer. The administrative committee of the PCA, which met this afternoon at the PCA Stadium at Mohali, had summoned Harbhajan to give his point of view before coming to a decision. However, the PCA refrained from taking any action against the off-spinner and as Mr Bindra said, the matter was treated as an internal issue and it was sorted out without any acrimony. The administrative committee of the PCA consists of the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the CEO of the PCA, Brig G. S. Sandhu (retd). The PCA asked Harbhajan not to rush to the media with his views on his team-mates or the cricket administration. Harbhajan said in hindsight that he realised that he should have avoided airing his views the way he did in public, the press note said. The PCA also told Harbhajan that it treated the players like a family and they could approach it if they had any problems. The PCA also advised the off-spinner to exercise caution while talking to the media as this distracted him from his performance. It was also not in consonance with the code of the Board of Control for Cricket in India or the state association. “The association feels that there is no need for anything more to be said on the subject as the relations between it and the players are that of a parent and a child and what transpires between them need not be for public consumption,” the press note said. “The administrative committee has decided to treat the matter as closed after Harbhajan has assured the PCA that he would never again do anything that would hurt him, the state association, the board and
Indian cricket,” the press note concluded. |
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I have been vindicated, says Sourav
Bangalore, September 29 Ganguly and Chappell, involved in a public spat which has made headlines, deposed before a six-member Review Committee of the cricket board, which hammered out a compromise between the two, in Mumbai on Tuesday. “In a way, I feel I have been vindicated because I had not done anything wrong. The Review Committee gave me a patient hearing and I put my point of view across to them,” Ganguly was quoted as saying in the ‘Deccan Herald’ today. “I think they were reasonably convinced with my replies. I am very happy the matter has been settled now. You can say I am happy and relieved in equal parts,” the left-handed batsman said. Asked whether it was possible for him and Chappell to work as a team, he said, “I do not see any reason why we cannot. After all, both of us are interested in the welfare of the team and Indian cricket.” He said there was a lot of cricket ahead for the Indian team and it was necessary to forget the past and concentrate on the job at hand. “Whatever happened is in the past. I am confident we can come together in the future and work well.”
— PTI |
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Sourav to prevail, says astrologer
New Delhi: Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla predicted on Wednesday that captain Sourav Ganguly would emerge victorious in his clash with coach Greg Chappell.
“Ganguly will emerge victorious as he is a Cancerian and his problems will be over by the end of the year,” he said at a function here to mark the release of his book. Daruwalla combined Indian and Western astrology, I-ching, tarot cards, Hebrew kabala and palmistry.
— IANS
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Ganguly difficult to get along with: Flintoff
London, September 29 Devoting quite some space for the Indian captain in the book, Flintoff alleged that Ganguly was aloof in the side, something which prompted the British media to dub the Indian “Lord Snooty”. “He was not interested in the other players and it became a situation where it was 10 players and Ganguly in the team. He turned up as if he was royalty — it was like having Prince Charles on your side,” Flintoff observed. “There were rumours that he was asking people to carry his coffin for him, although he never asked me,” he said. “Ganguly just did not work out at all. You can accept a player not playing well, because we all have our ups and downs in our career, but he just did not want to get involved.” Recalling an incident, Flintoff said, ‘’He turned up for his first net session with Lancashire, when you would have thought he would have wanted to make a good impression, and got hit on the back of the knee by Mike Smethurst.” “Those sort of blows do hurt, but you normally rub it a bit and make sure you grin because everybody else is laughing. Ganguly did not see it that way and got the hump and we did not see him again for two days.” Flintoff felt Ganguly was an awkward character and cited an off-the-field incident to prove his point. “I have been out for dinner with him since that season a couple of times on England duty, the most notable time being that winter in Kenya for the ICC Trophy.” “We went out to a little curry house he had found and saw umpire Venkat sitting over the other side of the room. Straightaway he got up and went over to talk to him for 20 minutes while I sat like a spare part, eating my curry on my own,” he reminisced. However, things were not that bad between them, insisted Flintoff. “We say hello to each other now and we are pleasant to each other, but it does not go any further than that. I do not dislike the bloke, but it is a struggle with him.” Flintoff had ripped his shirt off in celebration after winning a one-day match in India and Ganguly returned the compliment with a perfect copy after India won the 2002 NatWest Series. The duo would face each other when England would tour India early next year.
— UNI |
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Indian eves beat Pakistan
Lahore, September 29 After Pakistan won the toss and put the visitors in to bat, India piled up 207 runs in 40 overs, losing just three wickets. Skipper Karuna Jain (29) and Shweta gave India a good start before the captain departed. But that brought in Rumeli who, along with Shweta, scored with consummate ease and though Shweta was eventually run out, Daina David (30) too milked the Pakistan attack effortlessly as India reached 207 for three in 40 overs. In reply, Pakistan began on a sedate note and put on 48 runs before losing their first wicket. After that, wickets fell at regular intervals. Only Sana Javed (60) and captain Shamsa Hashmi (41 not out) stood amid the ruins as the side could total 177 runs losing six wickets in the stipulated overs. After her exploits with
the bat, Rumeli shone with the ball as well, claiming two wickets. — UNI |
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PCA gears up to market Challenger series
Chandigarh, September 29 Already the PCA has set up a 24-member steering committee for the successful conduct of the matches which will be played under lights. Stating this today, the PCA President, Mr Inderjit Singh Bindra, said the matches would be telecast live as per international standards with 14 cameras, stump vision cameras, four cameras for the third umpire and international-level commentators. He did not spell out which channel would be telecasting the matches but said negotiations were on with a number of channels and the picture would be clear by tomorrow. Mr Bindra was sure that the association would make profits equal to what it did by hosting a one-day international. Although no figures were given out, the profit from the Challenger series should be in the vicinity of Rs 1 crore. Last year, the matches of the Challenger Series which were played in the West Zone were not shown live on television. The PCA President said the three teams would be announced by the selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on October 1. He said national coach Greg Chappell would be the coach of India Seniors, while Sandeep Patil would do the duty for India A. Robin Singh, who is currently abroad, would be the coach of the India B team. Also, the Indian team for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka would be selected here at the conclusion of the tournament, with the captain being selected on October 14 and the team on October 15. Mr Bindra said marketing of the Challenger series would be the first case of marketing domestic cricket matches at the international level and he was sure that it would be a great success. Mr Bindra also stated that the Punjab Cricket Association was planning to appoint a media manager and a marketing director, besides a consultant for the ground and wicket so that due attention could be given to these aspects as well. |
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AIFF may retain Sukhwinder as coach
Chandigarh, September 29 On the eve of the crucial interview of five shortlisted candidates to be conducted on behalf of the AIFF by a panel of experts in New Delhi tomorrow, speculation is rife that Sukhwinder Singh may yet be given another chance to coach the national team. Following India’s dismal performance during the twin tours of Pakistan and Fiji, the demand to replace Sukhwinder Singh had gained momentum and the AIFF announced that it would invite applications for the top post while asserting that Sukhwinder, too, was in contention. Accordingly, the executive committee of the AIFF, after its meeting on September 7, invited applications and 16 candidates responded. Among those initially in the race for the top post were Syed Nayeemuddin, Subrata Bhattacharya, S. Balan, M. Peethambaram, K.P. Sethumadhavan, M. Rattan Kumar Singh, Prasanta Banerjee, P.K. Rajeev, K. Suresh Babu, Jahar Das, Ekendra Singh, Shyamal Banerjee, G.S. Parmar, Dr Birbal Singh, Debashish Mukherjee and Aloke Mukherjee. The AIFF shortlisted five applicants, Syed Nayeemuddin, Subrata Bhattacharya, Aloke Mukherjee, M. Peethambaram and Dr Birbal Singh, and directed them to make their presentations before the panel tomorrow. However, Aloke Mukherjee appears doubtful of appearing before the panel of experts, which includes AIFF Vice-President C.R. Viswanathan, Chuni Goswami, P.K. Banerjee and Derek D’Souza. Sukhwinder Singh, who has been coaching JCT Mills, has already proved his credentials as coach. After successfully guiding JCT to the title win in the National Football League in 1996, he was asked to take over as national coach in 1999. In his first major assignment, he guided India to victory in the South Asian Football Federation Championship at Goa in 1999. The Indian team, under the captaincy of Bruno Coutinho, clinched the gold, beating Bangladesh 2-0 in the final. However, the most cherished moment came in 2001 when India, under the watchful eyes of Sukhwinder, stunned the mighty UAE 1-0 in the group 8 Asian Zone pre-World Cup qualifier on April 8, 2001, at Bangalore’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium. The victory over UAE, then ranked 64th on the FIFA list, came as a whiff of fresh air in Indian football. The Indian team under the charge of Sukhwinder also undertook a satisfying tour to England. When the AIFF decided to go in for a foreign coach, Sukhwinder made way for Stephen Constantine, who was again replaced by Sukhwinder earlier this year. Unlike the sordid happenings on the cricket front, which witnessed a spat between Sourav Ganguly and Greg Chappel, coach Sukhwinder has found support from people who matter the most in Indian football. Skipper Shanmugham Venkatesh, who led India during the tour of Pakistan in June, has openly come out in support of his coach, saying Sukhwinder alone could not be held responsible for the setbacks. The Indian team attended only a three-week camp prior to the tour of Pakistan and had no time for acclimatisation. The tightly packed schedule included three matches under lights at Quetta, Peshawar and Lahore within one week. At the AIFF’s executive commitee meeting earlier this month, it was reportedly argued that below-par performance in friendlies should not be the ground for the coach’s dismissal. It was also argued that the preparation time for the twin tours was inadequate for the team to strike a fighting combination. Among those who have also supported Sukhwinder are former coach Stephen Constantine, who after relinquishing charge, urged the AIFF to utilise the expertise and experience of his successor. No doubt, stalwarts like Syed Nayeemuddin and Subrata Bhattacharya also have rich coaching experience, but under the present circumstances, the AIFF may not like to experiment with a new coach as the Asian Games are only a few months away and Sukhwinder appears to be the best bet. |
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IHF stand irks Shastri hockey organisers
New Delhi, September 29 “I am surprised at the IHF’s decision not to allow regular tournaments to be held because of the Champions Trophy to be played in Chennai in December,’’ chairman of the organising committee Kamal Chaudhary told reporters. “The IHF has forced us to restrict our tournament when the nation is celebrating the centenary year of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri,” Chaudhary added. Chaudhary said the tournament had now been restricted to just six teams, including two foreign teams, who would play on a round-robin league basis. The first two teams of the league will contest for the title. The two foreign teams are Youngster Club, Lahore, and Telecom, Malaysia. India Dark Blues, India Light Blues, India Junior and India U-18 are the other teams accommodated in the tournament at the IHF’s behest. The Lahore team will include several internationals. |
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33rd National Games in jeopardy
Guwahati, September 29 The National Games infrastructure is far from being in place and worse still, orders have not been placed for technical equipment and the water sports venue has not been decided. The state government has officially barred anyone from speaking to the media on the subject, but in private, everyone involved with the National Games Secretariat (NGS) admit that it is just not possible to hold the Games in January or February. Most of the stadia are now between 60 and 70 per cent completion level in the civil construction and these are not going to be ready by January. The electrical work has started and the NGS has not yet placed orders for the technical equipment like astroturfs, track and field equipment and scoreboards. Most of these are being imported and the government will open the forex account only next month, which gives only three months for import and installation. That is just not possible, specially in the case of the hockey astroturf, which requires a minimum of five months for setting, says a top official. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who is also the Chairman of the Organising Committee, reviewed the progress last fortnight and was told that the National Games had to be held between mid-January and mid-February as Assam was going to the polls in mid-March. However, the officials have admitted that the condition of the infrastructure rules out that the
possibility. Most likely, the National Games can be held in an appropriate manner only next winter, but officials have privately admitted that because of political compulsions, the Games can be held in a rag-tag manner in January, using the existing facilities. The Centre has been informed by the state government that the 33rd National Games are likely to be held at a later date due to non-completion of infrastructure, including the Games Village. In addition, out of an estimated cost of Rs 139.45 crore for infrastructure development, the Government of India has released Rs 119.11 crore through DONER and the Planning Commission. Besides, Rs 5 crores has been sanctioned to the state government for conduct and purchase of equipment. The state government has so far released Rs 54.68 crore for preparation and conduct of the National Games, as against the
total requirement of Rs 251.40 crore. But even then, squabbling amongst officials has ensured that it cannot be held in time. The uncertainty over whether kayaking, canoeing and rowing will be included in the list of water sports disciplines lingers on, with the authorities yet to finalise a venue. Various sports organisations and local residents have requested the authorities to hold these events at the Deepor Beel here, but sources in the state Forest Department have said they are yet to specify the exact location in the water body where the competitions are proposed to be held. Further, the AOA has been demanding an exact date for the start of the National Games so that the training programme can be made more scientific. Though the AOA has been holding intensive coaching camps since June 15, coaches are finding it difficult to continue the preparations in a scientific and organised manner.
— UNI |
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BSF march into quarterfinals
Gangtok, September 29 After Kujur opened the account in the sixth minute, hitting home a long shot from the right flank, Atwal gave a 2-0 half-time lead to the BSF, winners of the cup in
2002. Kujur scored again half an hour into the second session. His shot towards the goal went in as the ball changed direction after hitting the foot of DGHC defender Prakash
Jewan. Atwal netted his second in the dying minutes of the game as he dodged a line of defenders to shoot home past a baffled DGHC custodian Rohin
Lepcha. — PTI |
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Minerva win JP Atray cricket trophy Mohali, September 29 Minerva went on to emerge champions even though they had entered this prestigious tournament for the first time. On the other hand, Bishnoi lost in the final yet again. Chasing a mammoth target of 297, Minerva academy needed 17 runs off the last over. Ashish Sharma hammered Joginder Sharma for a six on the first ball of the over. Two other balls went for fours, leaving the score tied with one ball to go. Ashish and Pradeep Sahu ran a bye to clinch the match for Minerva. Earlier, Bishnoi won the toss and elected to bat. They amassed 296 runs with the help of a superb 111 (110 balls) by Deepak Joon and an unbeaten 74 (off just 38 balls) by Joginder Sharma. The main wicket-taker for Minerva was Sanjay Gill, who took three wickets for 44 runs, while Pradeep Sahu claimed 2 for 69. In reply, Minerva started on a cautious note as Ravneet Ricky and Adil Ahmed shared a 43-run partnership for the first wicket in 9.1 overs. After Adil’s dismissal, Ravneet and Farman Ahmed added 52 runs for the second wicket before the latter was dismissed by N.S. Negi for 19. Coming in at No. 4, Shafiq Khan played a blazing knock of 93 off 85 balls that turned the match in favour of Minerva. Shafiq was dismissed when the score was 254. Ashish Sharma (43 n.o off 35 balls) and Sanjay Gill (29 off 14 balls) took Minerva to victory. For his marvellous knock, Shafiq was declared the man of the match. All-rounder Bipul Sharma of PCC was named the man of the tournament. He scored 226 runs and took 10 wickets. Brief scores: Bishnoi Cricket Club: 296 for 4 in 50 overs (Deepak Joon 111, Joginder Sharma 74 n.o., Reetinder Sodhi 53; Sanjay Gill 3 for 44, Pradeep Sahu 2 for 69) Minerva Cricket Academy: 297 for 6 in 50 overs (Shafiq Khan 93, Ravneet Ricky 60, Ashish Sharma 43 n.o.; Joginder Sharma 3 for 66, Ashish Malhotra 1 for 28). In the match for the third place played at Sector 16 Cricket Stadium, Chandigarh, Rajasthan thrashed PCC by a whopping 161 runs. Batting first, Rajasthan scored 230 for 4 in 50 overs. In reply, Punjab were in dire straits when they were reduced to 15 for 6 in 9.4 overs. Bipul Sharma (28 runs off 41 balls) was the only PCC batsman to enter double figures. Brief scores: Rajasthan: 230 for 4 in 50 overs (Anshu Jain 81, Rahul Kanwat 106; Rajesh Sharma 3 for 30). PCC: 69 all out in 31 overs (Bipul Sharma 28; Shelander 3 for 9, Pankaj 3 for 13, Shamsher 3 for 3).
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Rival factions queer the pitch
Mandi, September 29 In 10 districts, Mr Thakur has constituted new district cricket bodies. These bodies will soon constitute the new state body and press for BCCI recognition. Mandi District Cricket Association General Secretary Vikas Kapur today said Mr Thakur was doing propaganda among cricket players in the state as he had been cornered under the new sports Act. “His claims to construct a cricket stadium in Mandi on over 30 bighas is false. The HPSCA has to pay a liability worth Rs 3.55 crore,” he claimed. |
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Anand defeats Judit Polgar
San Luis (Argentina), September 29 World number three Grandmaster Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria also made a fine impression, defeating another Hungarian, Peter Leko, the third best pre-event favourite. This year, the championship was being played on a double round-robin basis between eight players under Classical time control.
— PTI |
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Digvijay Singh tied second
Beijing, September 29 |
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Volleyball
meet begins Ambala, September 29
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Chandigarh, September 29
