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Virender Sehwag likely to miss Test
Hyderabad dismissed for 200
Ajit Pal to file PIL on Punjab hockey body constitution
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India take on Spain today
Sports administrators decry move to shift NIS
Irina retains Eastern India golf title
Kapur emerges sole leader
HP special kids win 4 gold medals
Top school teams for Balwant hockey
Basketball tournament
Teams arrive for Asian cycling meet
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Virender Sehwag likely to miss Test
New Delhi, December 9 Captain Rahul Dravid, down with fever, missed today’s practice session at the Palam ground, while Sehwag was advised rest by doctors of Ganga Ram Hospital, where he underwent tests for a throat infection yesterday. Mohammad Kaif left the field midway through the session. However, the team’s media manager, Wg-Cdr Bal Aditya, was quoted as saying by an agency report that Dravid and Kaif had been declared fit to play in the Test, while the final decision on Sehwag would be taken tomorrow morning. The fitness worries have come at the most inappropriate time for India as the Lankans are on a high after scoring a psychological point in the rain-shortened first Test in Chennai. Coach Greg Chappell, however, downplayed the problems, saying that if Sehwag was rendered hors de combat, “we will deal with it, when that happens. It’s a hypothetical question”. The coach would probably have to find a partner for opener Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir, after his flop show at Chennai, is keen to put up a good score at his home ground in his 12th Test. The Test will be crucial on many counts, as a slew of records are on the threshold of being broken. Sachin Tendulkar will not only equal Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 125 Test appearances but also take a crack at the world record of 35 Test hundreds. Presently, he is tied with Gavaskar on 34 hundreds. Anil Kumble would be playing his 99th Test, having made his Test debut as an 18-year-old against England in England in 1990. Kumble scalped 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground in 1999, equalling Jim Laker’s record. India would also want to erase the memory of losing the ODI against Pakistan on April 17 this year, which was the first match to be played at the renovated Kotla stadium. The “sporting” Kotla wicket calls for depth in both batting and bowling. But the sick list has made the hosts vulnerable. The captain winning the toss is likely to field, and Sri Lanka, having in-form Chaminda Vaas in their ranks, would love to do that on a seaming wicket tomorrow morning. Vaas and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan are the bowlers on whom the Lankans pin great hopes, as they are good at rattling the best of batsmen. Vaas is just two wickets away from the 300 mark. If Dravid is also ruled out, then the likes of Sourav Ganguly, who could make only a measly five at Chennai after regaining his slot in the team, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman would have to shoulder a heavy responsibility. Lanka are baying for blood after suffering a 6-1 humiliation in the ODI series a few weeks ago, and the Indians’ discomfort has come as sweet music to their ears. The coming good of Vaas with the ball and Mahela Jayawardene with the bat has boosted their morale. Fortunately, India’s bowling is in place, as Kumble and Irfan Pathan would be itching to have a go at the Lankan batting. Kumble has earned the respect of the visitors and boosted his own confidence after his 3-41 in Chennai. But without enough runs on the board, the bowlers can do little, and India will be severely handicapped if the leading batsmen are consigned to the sick bed. Sri Lankan skipper Marvan
Atapattu will certainly go for the kill. India’s record on the Kotla is not very good, as of the 27 matches played here, the hosts have won only eight. |
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Hyderabad dismissed for 200
Kaushik Reddy of Hyderabad plays a shot on the first day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match against Punjab at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Friday.
— Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan
Mohali, December 9 Hyderabad were bowled out for 200 in the first innings, while Punjab were 84 for 3 in reply when stumps were drawn. Earlier, Punjab’s decision to put Hyderabad into bat after winning the toss bore fruit as Gagandeep dismissed opener Abhinav Kumar (8 off 24 balls) Daniel Manohar, who made just nine off 24 balls, was bowled by debutant pacer Hardevinder Singh. Anirudh Singh showed some resistance as he scored 49 (off 88 balls) before being bowled by Hardevinder. Hyderabad wickets kept falling at regular intervals and at one time they were tottering at 107 for 7. The top scorer was Kaushik Reddy, who remained unbeaten on 51 off 64 deliveries to enable the team reach a respectable total of 200. Gagandeep, who claimed 10 wickets in the last match against Haryana, again exploited the favouring conditions to get 4 for 46. Hardevinder claimed 3 for 62 in his first Ranji match. Despite the fine performance of the bowlers, the Punjab top order made a shaky start. Opener Sunny Singh (1) was caught by Khaleel off Alfred. Skipper Dinesh Mongia (6) was trapped lbw by NP Singh. Gaurav Gupta (38 n.o.) and Ravneet Ricky (21 n.o.) were batting when play was called off. Scoreboard: Hyderabad
(1st innings): Punjab (1st innings): Ravneet Ricky batting 21, Sunny Sohal c Khaleel b Alfred 1, Dinesh Mongia c Khaleel b NP Singh 6, Pankaj Dharmani lbw NP Singh 12, Gaurav Gupta batting
38
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Ajit Pal to file PIL on Punjab hockey body constitution
Chandigarh, December 9 “If Punjab enjoys respectability in the world of sports, it is primarily because of its immense contribution in the field of hockey,” says Ajit Pal, a national selector, expressing his concern “over diminishing interest in the sport because of its poor management.” “Why should a district police chief, with little or no knowledge of hockey should be the ex-officio President of a DHA,” questions Ajit Pal, maintaining that the “constitution of the PHA was in violation of the Olympic charter which prohibits government control over sports bodies.” Ajit Pal Singh, who sought voluntary retirement from Border Security Force in early 80s to start his business in the union capital, says that though he has travelled everywhere in the world, but nowhere seen such a control of police or bureaucracy over the administration of sports. Though it was the duty of the Indian Olympic Association as well as the Punjab Olympic Association to ensure that all such provisions for ex-officio positions in sports bodies to be declared null and void and replaced with clauses to make it mandatory for holding of elections in a fair, free and democratic manner from amongst registered units of both the DHAs and the PHA. “Why an uninterested man because of his position in the government be entrusted a responsibility for which he or she has neither aptitude nor knowledge. Why not a knowledgeable man with interest in the sport be President of a DHA or the PHA, he asks. Since the SSPs and the Director-General of Police have neither any time nor interest, the DHAs and the PHA have virtually become defunct. “It is why Punjab, which enjoyed supremacy in India hockey, has not won the national title since 1982. If one looks at Punjab teams over the past two decades, these were nothing but just clubbing together of Punjab Police and BSF teams. I am not aware if any DHA holds its senior, junior and sub junior championship. “Though Punjab State Inter-District Championship was organised at Bhaini Sahib early this month, I am not aware if similar championship was organised before also. The basic duty of a sports association is to promote the sport at the grassroots level by holding district or state championships in different age groups. But unfortunately, base of hockey in Punjab is shrinking.” Ajit Pal has been regular in visiting hockey academy in his native village, Sansarpur, once the nursery of Indian hockey. “Once the constitution of the PHA, which is in violation of the Olympic Charter, is set aside, hockey can once again look up,” adds Ajit Pal Singh. |
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India take on Spain today
Chennai, December 9 Having finished fourth in the previous three editions, the Indians would be hoping to improve their standings and at least repeat their 1982 Amsterdam feat when they finished third. Coach Rajinder Singh Jr is only too aware of these painful facts. “I still feel we have a good chance of bettering our previous performance, provided of course, we convert most of the chances that come our way,” he explained. The fact that over the past 27 years since the Champions Trophy was instituted on the initiative of Pakistan, India have qualified only 12 times for this six-nation event. In effect, these statistics accurately reflect India’s status in world hockey. Thus, to expect a medal from an Indian team that is without key player and top defender Dilip Tirkey would be a tad optimistic.
— IANS |
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Sports administrators decry move to shift NIS
Patiala, December 9 A former Union Minister and the President of the Punjab Olympic Association (POA), Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, talking to The Tribune on the phone, questioned the locus standi of Capt Amarinder Singh in announcing the setting up of such a university. He said it was the prerogative of the Defence Ministry to see where such an institute should be established, adding that “the Chief Minister should try to stick to the affairs of the state and refrain from issuing such baseless statements.” Mr Dhindsa said if at all the Union Government had any plans to set up such a university or a defence academy, Anandpur Sahib should have been the ideal venue. He said this city had already been approved by the government for the setting up of such an university during the chief ministership of Mr Parkash Singh Badal. He said the present Chief Minister was indulging in “cheap gamesmanship” just to score brownie points over his rivals. Mr Dhindsa said there was no need to disturb the existing infrastructure at the NIS, adding that when he was a Union Minister he had instead taken up the issue of establishing a sports university to improve the lot of the NIS. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had agreed to accord the status of a deemed university to the NIS in 1995 but due to the internal politicking of Sports Ministry officials and the NIS babudom the plan fell flat. Mr Dhindsa also said there was no basis in the Chief Minister’s statement that more than “90 per cent of the NIS had already been shifted to Bangalore”. He claimed that it was the other way round as Bangalore could boast of just 10 per cent sports infrastructure while the rest was at the NIS and it was being used in an “optimum manner” by the authorities. Mr Umrao Singh, Life President of the Punjab Olympic Association and President of the Punjab Amateur Athletics Association (PAAA), said, “The Chief Minister should uphold the ideals of his later father Yadvindera Singh, who was a great sports lover. He should not make such hasty statements from which he has to retract later. Moreover, he has no business to interfere in the affairs of the Defence Ministry.” Mr Teja Singh Dhaliwal, Secretary of the Punjab Basketball Association (PBA), welcomed the decision to set up an defence academy but said it should not be located on the NIS premises. Mr Randhir Singh, Secretary-General of the Indian Olympic Association, was guarded in his comments as apart from being a top sports administrator of the country he is also the first cousin of Capt Amarinder Singh. Mr Randhir Singh said he had come to know about the matter in a section of the media but added that he would be in a position to comment only after he discussed the issue threadbare with the Chief Minister. |
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Irina retains Eastern India golf title
Chandigarh, December 9 Irina returned a five over score of 285 in the 70-par golf course in Kolkata. She returned the best card of one-under 69 on the third day of the competition. Despite a nagging pain, she fought on with little competition from the other competitors. A sports officer with the Indian Oil Corporation, Irina returned cards of 71, 70, 69 and 75 for her four-day aggregate of 285. Trailing 15 strokes behind was Shruti Khanna with a score of 300 followed by Pragya Mishra, also from Delhi. The next competition in the women’s golf circuit will be played in Mumbai.
— TNS |
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Kapur emerges sole leader
Bangkok, December 9 While rookie Kapur overcame a minor hiccup right at the end to emerge as the sole leader at 11-under 133, defending champion Randhawa shot the day’s best round of eight-under 64 on the strength of a brilliant back nine to rocket to the second spot at 10-under 134, just one behind his compatriot. Gaurav Ghei was the other Indian to do well with a round of three-under 69 that placed him in tied 16th place at three-under 139, while Harmeet Kahlon (76) and Jeev Milkha Singh (79) floundered in form and were lying way behind in tied 45th and 53rd places.
— PTI |
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Qureshi wins title
Chandigarh, December 9 The men’s doubles title was won by the Indian pair of Karan Rastogi and Ashutosh Singh, who downed Frank Moser (Germany) and Vishal Uppal (India) 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the final. A delighted Qureshi said after the match, “I love playing in India. Earlier, I won two Futures titles in India. But now I have won a major title after 14 defeats. I will also be competing in ITF F8 Men’s Futures beginning in New Delhi on Monday. I hope to break into the top 200 by the end of 2006.” The singles victory carried a cash prize of $ 1,300 and 12 ITF points. Moser received a cheque for $ 900 and added eight points to his tally. Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association today gave cash incentives worth Rs 83,500 to seven outstanding trainees on the basis of their performance during 2005. The incentives were given by CLTA chairman Rajan Kashyap during the prize distribution function. Those who receive cash prizes under the grading system are: Kinshuk Sharma (Rs 23,000), Vijayant Malik (Rs 10,000), Navinder Pal Singh (Rs 12,500), Shiva Sangwan (Rs 10,000), Parul Verma (Rs 3,000), Gursher Singh Harika (Rs 15,000) and Inayat Khosla (Rs 10,000). The CLTA also announced rewards for two of its former trainees. Winner of the National Hardcourt DSCL Open Tournament Sunil Kumar Sipaeya will get a bonus of Rs 60,000. Asia-Oceania champion Sanam K Singh will get a cash reward of Rs 15,000. |
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HP special kids win 4 gold medals
Shimla, December 9 It is the wholehearted family support and encouragement from a handful of voluntary organizations like Chetna that these children have been able to gain confidence and excel at sports. Four of these special children from Himachal won gold medals at the National Olympics and are all prepared to participate in the World Olympics to be held in Beijing in 2007. The gold medal winner includes Pranav Sharma in senior badminton, Barkha in bocce — a special game for handicapped children — and Nonie Sawhney in soft ball throw and Ninad in athletics. “A total of 75 children from Himachal took part in the National Olympics and won 22 medals in various categories,” said Mrs Mallika Nadda, Chairperson of Special Olympics, Himachal Pradesh Chapter. In the absence of separate schools or institutes for these special children in Himachal, it is the effort by a handful of NGO’s which has come to the help of parents. “We had to run from pillar to post to get a simple disability certificate for our children before the National Olympics and eventually we got it from the Neurosciences and Mental Health Institute in Tutikandi, here,” was a common complaint of majority of the parents. |
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Top school teams for Balwant hockey
Chandigarh, December 9 A meeting of the organising committee was held in Jalandhar yesterday under the chairmanship of Mr Harbhajan Singh Kapur in which Padma Shri Ajit Pal Singh, Olympian Sanjeev Kumar, Ripudaman Singh and others participated. The committee decided to enhance the prize money and this time the winners will pocket Rs 1 lakh while the amount last year was Rs 40,000. The cash prize for runners-up has been doubled from Rs 30,000 last year to Rs 60,000. The team finishing third will receive Rs 40,000. Five outstanding players, including best forward, best half back, best full back, best goalkeeper and the most promising player of the tournament will be given cash prizes of Rs 5,000 each. The highest scorer of the tournament will also be rewarded. Mr Kirpal Singh Matharu will be the tournament director.
— TNS |
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Basketball tournament Ambala, December 9 Patiala, December 9
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Teams arrive for Asian cycling meet
Ludhiana, December 9 Initially, teams from 27 nations had sent their confirmation for participating in this year’s edition, but Iraq and Philippines expressed their inability to take part in the meet. Now a team from Syria has been added to the list of participating contingents. According to Mr Sukhvir Grewal, media coordinator for this event, teams from China, Malaysia and Nepal were the first to arrive here yesterday and the teams which reached today include South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Macau, Mongolia, China, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Syria, besides hosts India. Teams from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Lebanon and Pakistan are expected to reach here by tomorrow noon, Mr Grewal added. Ms Amrit Kaur Gill, former international cyclist and secretary, organising committee, said a total of 34 medals in the road as well as track events would be on stake during this week-long event. The road races would be held from December 11 to 13 on the 17.5 km stretch of National Highway 1 between Khanna
and Doraha. |
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