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Amla now in ‘coolie’ row
India beat Lanka A
Nothing wrong with selection policy: Kapil
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Aussie-WI clash to kick off tri-series
Eves clinch draw
Justin Gatlin could escape life ban
Kim Gevaert completes sprint double
Aussies thrash Korea 6-0
Chopra, Atwal recover; Jeev out
Negi loses to Krasenkow
NRAI gets maximum funding from government
Babita wins gold medal
Paes-Damm in Toronto semis
BAI to be strict on players missing camps
India Seniors win
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Dubai, August 12 Dhoni had held the number one spot briefly earlier this year before a return of just 95 runs in five matches in the West Indies saw his ranking drop to fourth spot. He is 30 rating points behind leader Adam Gilchrist and a strong showing in Sri Lanka could allow him to overtake the Australian. The tri-series also affords an opportunity to Sachin Tendulkar to make strides in the rankings after falling out of the top 20. The Mumbai batsman, who missed the ODI series against England, Pakistan (in Abu Dhabi) and the West Indies following shoulder surgery, has slipped to 25th and has some ground to make up in the next couple of weeks. The series assumes significance in the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy as well as the World Cup next year in the West Indies. Rahul Dravid’s team, currently placed fourth in the ICC table, will be out to show that its 4-1 series loss in the Caribbean was just a temporary blip on its chart of excellent results in this form of the game over the past 12 months. For the hosts, it will be all about maintaining the recent momentum, with a 100 per cent record in its last seven matches. Sri Lanka currently lies sixth in that table but is only four rating points behind New Zealand and six adrift of India. South Africa will be keen to show just why it is ranked second in the table and despite missing skipper Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, they will be out to reduce Australia’s eight-point lead at the top of the charts. India have Yuvraj Singh (9th), Dravid (12th) and Virender Sehwag (19th) among the top 20 batsmen while Sri Lanka have Kumar Sangakkara (10th) and Sanath Jayasuriya (13th) with captain Mahela Jayawardene in 21st spot. The Proteas will rely on Herschelle Gibbs (15th) and Boeta Dippenaar (18th). Among the bowlers, India has three in the top 20. Irfan Pathan, who struggled for form in the Caribbean, nevertheless remains well placed in seventh spot, to go along with his fifth place in the all-rounder list, while Harbhajan Singh lies ninth and Ajit Agarkar is 12th. South Africa boasts the number one ODI bowler in Shaun Pollock and the veteran is also top of the all-rounder list. Sri Lanka will look to the usual suspects in Muttiah Muralitharan (11th) and Chaminda Vaas (joint 14th). Shield Sachin till World Cup: Jonty
Colombo: Fielding guru Jonty Rhodes says Sachin Tendulkar is too good a player to be kept out of the team only because he cannot throw from the deep and that the Indian team must shield him with next year’s World Cup in mind. “Even if he can’t field from the deep, you have to have him at mid-off or mid-on and protect him. Because I don’t think it is going to take a whole year till the World Cup for him to be 100 per cent fit,” the former South African player turned fielding coach said here today. The 37-year-old said Tendulkar would walk into any side purely as a batsman and his “discipline” would see him through the present injury situation. “I have seen how he works as a batsman at the nets, he is very disciplined. And I expect him to do the same sort of rehab on his shoulders,” Rhodes told PTI. “It is a confidence thing for him. If he is happy that his shoulder is fine, and if you have a guy like Sachin Tendulkar who is back in form, then you have to have him in the team. “I would be inclined to have him in the team, just based on his past performance.” Rhodes was a revelation as a fielder and his breaking on to the international scene coincided with return of South Africa to international sports in the 1990s when they set the standards for and changed the dimension of fielding. Rhodes took 34 catches in 52 Tests and 105 from 245 one-dayers, and was an equally enterprising batsman, scoring 2,532 runs in longer version and 5,935 in the shorter version of the game. He said the reason for injuries related to the throwing arm was actually because the fielders don’t throw often when on the field. “Yes, the international schedule is cramped now but when I played I kept throwing all the time,” Rhodes said. “The problem with current players is that a lot of them are quiet for 5-6 overs and then suddenly they throw. What happens is your shoulders are not warm, resulting in injuries.
— PTI
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Amla now in ‘coolie’ row
Durban, August 12 An electronic goods manufacturing company in Johannesburg has raised the ire of Indian South Africans and Cricket South Africa after it displayed an advertisement considered being derogatory. The company, ‘Copy Type Electronics’, which distributes Toshiba, displayed a racist advertisement on a huge board on the N1 Highway in Johannesburg. The words read: “Thank goodness Amla didn’t face a coolie kreeper.” The word “coolie” was used by whites and other racist elements to describe the Indian community. But the word has now been banned along with other racist terms. Following complaints by members of the public, the company apologised to Amla and the general public. The company said an employee had illegally put the message on the advertising board. “We apologise for any offence it could have caused. It is not our policy or intention to harm any ethnic group, faith or individual,” said Graham Lane, a spokesperson for the company. “The necessary steps are being taken to prevent a similar incident in future,” Lane said. A spokesperson for Cricket South Africa, Steve Elworthy, said the advertisement was “in bad taste”. “We will watch what action is being taken as we regard this in a very serious light”, said Elworthy. South Africans lose money
Colombo: The South African cricket team had salt rubbed into their wounds when they discovered that some of the players’ money and apparels were stolen from right under their nose. The African team lodged a complaint with the police after they lost cash worth 1.2 lakh Sri Lankan rupees and some of the team outfit during their stay at the five-star hotel Taj Samudra. The South Africans had moved to Hotel Cinnamon in the lead upto the tri-series from August to 14 to 29, ironically, to escape the security hassles which they would have to face because of the Indian team’s stay at the same hotel. The stolen stuff included SLR 75,000 and 46,000 of Jacques Rudolph and Makhaya Ntini, respectively, team jerseys and jackets of Roger Telemachus and Robin Peterson, and official sponsors kit of media manager Gordon Templeton. “We discovered it only at the time of packing our things when we moved out (of Taj Samudra),” Templeton told PTI. The incident would have added to the miseries of the South Africans who lost the recent two-Test series against Sri Lanka 2-0 and are also facing injury problems ahead of their triseries opener against Sri Lanka on Monday. Meanwhile, South Africa’s warm-up match against a local outfit today was cancelled due to damp ground conditions.
— PTI
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India beat Lanka A
Colombo, August 12 Chasing 203 for victory, India began on a
disastrous note with Sachin Tendulkar — who opened the innings with skipper Rahul Dravid — and Virender Sehwag dismissed cheaply by Nuwan Zoysa, both caught clipping the ball to midwicket. The visitors recovered to 128 for three thanks to Yuvraj (61 not out) but slipped to 153 for seven, before Ajit Agarkar’s resolute 32 and a doughty knock from Ramesh Powar saw them home with 33 balls to spare. Yuvraj steered the Indian innings after the early hiccups, stroking the ball sweetly off his pads and hitting some lovely drives through the covers in his 57-ball 61. His 65-run partnership with Dravid (47). Earlier, Upul Tharanga made a classy 88, but with the exception of a sedate 31 from Jeevan Mendis, there was little support from the top order. The Indian bowlers, apart from Agarkar who went for 45 in his seven overs, gave little away and only a late charge from Akalanka Ganegama, who thumped 29 off 27 balls, took host side's score to 202 for nine.
— UNI |
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Nothing wrong with selection policy: Kapil
Coimbatore, August 12 The former all-rounder was reacting to criticism by ex-coach John Wright in his book that the Indian selectors were regionally biased in picking members of the national squad. “This is what has been happening for the last 50 years. They (selectors) have done nothing wrong. If it had been so, there would be no Gavaskars, Kumbles, Sachins or Pathans,” he told reporters here. However, Kapil declined to comment on Wright’s book. “I have not read the book. Without reading, I cannot comment,” said the former cricketer who was here on a promotional visit. Asked if politics played a part in selection, he said, “not in my opinion.” On the tri-series in Sri Lanka, Kapil said Sri Lankans were very formidable on their home turf and going by their recent success against South Africa, they would be a tough nut to crack. Kapil, the 1983 World up winning captain, did not think it was time yet to predict India’s chances at the World Cup, saying unless the team played 40 ODIs, the players’ form and fitness could not be ascertained.
— PTI
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Aussie-WI clash to kick off tri-series
Mumbai, August 12 India are to meet the West Indies, who had beaten them 4-1 in the Caribbean recently, on September 14, as per the tentative itinerary prepared by the BCCI.
— PTI
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Eves clinch draw
London, August 12 Dhar made 50 and Sharma hit 57 to save their team from the jaws of defeat after their top order collapsed with scoreboard reading just 74 for 6, at one stage, in their chase of 271 in 70 overs at Grace Road yesterday. The Indians closed at 187 for eight in their second innings after England declared at 345 for eight and fell short of 83 runs to settle for their 10th draw in 11 meetings. The duo also gave a feeble hope of pulling off a win at one stage after their mainstays Monica Sumra, captain Mithali Raj and Anjum Chopra failed to score. They put on 77 for the seventh wicket, which ended with the dismissal of Dhar, who also struck 10 boundaries, at the hands of Caroline Atkins. Jenny Gunn, Laura Marsh and Laura Newton took two wickets each. Earlier, Beth Morgan gave the hosts an early breakthrough by removing opener Karu Jain lbw for 24. The second and final Test is slated at Taunton at the end of the month after the conclusion of five-match one-day series.
— PTI
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Justin Gatlin could escape life ban
London, August 12 By testifying against Trevor Graham, Gatlin would exercise the “substantial assistance” provision in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s code, which reduces the ban by proving “he or she bears no significant fault or negligence” in the violation. The 24-year-old American sprinter faces the ban after a second positive doping test, but that could be reduced to eight years if Gatlin provides information against his coach. “Since we don’t have any criminal investigative powers — like wiretaps, warrants for searching premises, etc. it takes information coming to us from people aiming for a reduction in their own doping sentences,” said general counsel Travis Tygart, who refused to comment on Gatlin or any other specific cases before USADA. “It’s one way we can continue to actively pursue those involved in doping practices.” Gatlin, the Olympic and world champion and co-world record holder in the 100 meters, tested positive for testosterone or other steroids after a relay race in Kansas in April. He denies knowingly using banned substances. “If an athlete can provide information on individuals involved in doping conspiracies and can help us catch distributors or users of these drugs we would always welcome that evidence,” Tygart said. The International Association of Athletics Federations said yesterday it would investigate the activities of Graham in conjunction with USADA. Graham, who once trained five-time Olympic medalist Marion Jones, has been involved with at least a half-dozen athletes who have received drug suspensions. Graham has always denied direct knowledge or involvement with drug use and claimed that Gatlin was the victim of a massage therapist who rubbed testosterone cream on the sprinter's legs without his knowledge after the race. Sprinter Kelli White received a two-year suspension after testing positive for modafinil at the 2003 world championships in Paris. She cooperated with USADA and helped indict four men on federal charges in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative case — including founder Victor Conte and her former coach Remi Korchemny. Korchemny also worked with British sprinter Dwain Chambers, who was banned for two years in the BALCO case after testing positive for the steroid tetrahydrogestrinone THG — in an out-of-competition test in Germany in August 2004. Graham helped launch the federal investigation of BALCO three years ago by anonymously mailing a syringe containing a previously undetectable steroid to USADA. He is reportedly under investigation in the BALCO steroid probe. The US Olympic Committee has barred Graham from using its training centers and training sites as a result of his suspected links to doping. On Tuesday, Graham’s lawyer asked the USOC to lift the ban, saying the coach passed a lie detector test when he denied giving performance-enhancing drugs to athletes. USADA’s doping review panel is expected to hear the case against Gatlin next week. — AP
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Kim Gevaert completes sprint double
Goteborg, August 12 Gevaert was never threatened, cruising home in 22.68 seconds, and fell into an embrace with Tia Hellebaut, a fellow Belgian who won the high jump moments earlier. No Belgian woman had won a European outdoor title before Gevaert’s triumph in the 100 meters on Wednesday, and it was Belgium’s first gold in 35 years. Two days later, Belgium has three gold medals. “At home, everybody is crazy because of my 100 metres gold medal. I wonder what is going on right now in Belgium with three gold medals,” said Gevaert, who had a pair of silver medals in the two sprints four years ago. “Three gold medals are just wonderful for such a small country. Before the start I was watching the high jump and screamed when my friend Tia won the gold medal. Seeing her gave me so much motivation two minutes before my own start.” Hellebaut cleared 2.03 meters to win the best women’s high jump competition in the history of European championships and set national and meet marks. “I still do not believe what is going on here. I wanted to make a medal and jump a national record and now I am the gold medallist and jumped 2.03 meters!” Hellebaut said. Jukka Keskisalo surged from behind and upset the favorites in winning the men’s 3,000 steeplechase, and gave Finland its first gold medal of the Europeans. Susanna Kallur delighted the home crowd by winning the women’s 100-metre hurdles, adding to her indoor title. But there was disappointment for the home fans when reigning world champion Kajsa Bergqvist lost her European high jump title. Hellebaut edged Venelina Veneva of Bulgaria, who also cleared 2.03 meters. Bergqvist had to settle for bronze at 2.01. Blanka Vlasic of Croatia also cleared 2.01 but finished fourth because of more attempts. In the 200, the other medals went to Russians. Yuliya Gushchina took the silver at 22.93 and Natalya Rusakova was third in 23.09. Olympic champion Roman Sebrle retained his decathlon title by scoring 8,526 points, well below his world record of 9,026 points. Attila Zsivoczky of Hungary, the world bronze medallist, used his strong 1,500 metres, the last of the 10 events in the two-day competition, to move into second place at 8,356 points. Aleskey Drozdov of Russia was third with a total of 8,350. — AP
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Aussies thrash Korea 6-0
Canberra, August 12 Australia, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, rebounded from a disappointing fourth place at the recent Champions Trophy with an emphatic performance against the Koreans in what amounts to a
warm-up series for next month’s World Cup in Germany. Canberra will host another match tomorrow before the series moves to Rockhampton, in central Queensland state. “It wasn’t the perfect win, we still have a lot more to do,” coach Barry Dancer said. “Today was pleasing because we had a greater urgency, a more collective defence and our set pieces obviously worked well. “The real test will be our consistency over the next three matches.”
— AP
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Chopra, Atwal recover; Jeev out
Castle Rock, August 12 However, Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Jeev Milkha Singh had a rough day and is sure to miss the cut after seven bogeys against just two birdies. Chopra had five birdies and one bogey in an excellent round, which fetched him nine points and brought his total to eight after minus one on the first day. He started with four pars and then birdied the fifth, sixth and seventh. He added two more on 14th and 15th before dropping a shot on 16th. The Swede was solid in finding the greens and needed 28 putts for the round. He is tied 38th while Atwal is tied 70th and on the cut line. The Indian had three bogeys in his first seven holes, before turning his game around. He made five birdies and only one bogey after that to log six points for the day and five points for the tournament. The cut is likely to come at five points in this unique event, where each albatrosses fetches eight points, eagle five and birdie two. Bogeys lead to a one-point penalty and double bogeys or worse cost three. Jeev, who had three points on the first day, started with a birdie on first, but bogeyed the fourth, fifth, seventh, 10th, 11th, 15th and 16th in a wretched stretch. Not even a birdie on 17th could save him as he scored minus three and crashed out with his total reading zero after two rounds. His iron play let him down badly as he found just 33 per cent greens in regulation. Kapur out
Zandvoort: Shiv Kapur was unable to effectively tackle the swirling winds, torrential rain and lengthy play interruptions and crashed out of The KLM Open with a second successive round of four-over 75 at the Kennemer Golf & Country Club here. He totalled eight-over 150 for the two days to miss out on the weekend action. Kapur started on the back nine and had bogeys on 12th, 17th and 18th. On the front nine, he dropped a shot on the first but birdied the second and third.
— PTI
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Vlissingen, August 12 After an excellent performance thus far, Negi, the youngest Grandmaster in the world, was outdone in a positional battle by Krasenkow. On a bad day for the Indians in the fray here, none of them could secure a full point on the important penultimate day of the nine-round Swiss tournament. Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua was the only silver lining as he put up stiff resistance to hold Dutch GM Friso Nijboer. As things stand with one round remaining, Krasenkow, GM Erwin L’Ami of Holland and GM Vyacheslav Ikonnikov of Russia are now sharing the lead on seven points while Barua is in joint fourth spot along with four others. In the final round, the seasoned Indian is slated to meet Dutch GM John Van der Wiel and a victory might still help Barua finish in a tie for the top spot. After the loss, Negi remained on six points and is now sharing ninth spot. In the final round, the Delhi-based player meets local hopeful Jiska Helgi Dam. Amongst other Indians in the fray, International-Master-to-be Saptarshi Roy is placed on 5.5 points following his draw with Petra Schuurman of Holland. IM Roktim Bandyopadhyay suffered a defeat at the hands of young Dutch GM Daniel Stellwagen and remained on five points while IM Saptarshi Roy Chowdhury’s peaceful draw with Spanish Mombiela Gonzalo . — PTI
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NRAI gets maximum funding from government
New Delhi, August 12 The Athletics Federation of India (which is still being referred by the Government as the Amateur Athletics Federation of India) has received Rs 227.95 lakh during the current financial year as against Rs 215.08 lakh and Rs 70.25 lakh in the preceding two financial years. The other big spenders of Government money during the last there financial years are the Badminton Association of India (Rs 159.81 lakh, Rs 160.16 lakh and Rs 271.94 lakh), Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (Rs 108.42 lakh, Rs 81.28 lakh, Rs 142.74 lakh), Table Tennis Federation of India (Rs 74.91 lakh, Rs 116.78 lakh, Rs 165.10 lakh), Wrestling Federation of India (Rs 234.89 lakh, 225.35 lakh, 209.82 lakh), All India Chess Federation (Rs 166.82 lakh, Rs 111.90 lakh and Rs 78.94 lakh), the Indian Hockey Federation (Rs 128.78 lakh, Rs 194.21 lakh and Rs 96.46 lakh), the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation (Rs 30.87 lakh, Rs 110.35 lakh and Rs 78.81 lakh), the Archery Association of India (Rs 68.83 lakh, Rs 58.95 lakh and Rs 51.75 lakh), the Judo Federation of India (Rs 44.36 lakh, Rs 56.37 lakh and Rs 64.66 lakh) and the Yachting Association of India (Rs 159.88 lakh, Rs 159.88 lakh and Rs 141.30 lakh. The Indian Olympic Association received a whopping Rs 1241.45 lakh from the Government in the 2004-2005, which was incidentally the year of the Olympic Games (Athens) and the year of the Commonwealth Games (Melbourne). Interestingly, all the fund-gobbling federations are headed by politicians (except men’s hockey led by KPS Gill). The All-India Tennis Association, which is one of the most professionally managed associations in the country, though again headed by a politician, has not been lagging behind in availing of Government funds either as it received Rs 59.18 lakh, Rs 136.87 lakh and Rs 77.45 lakh during the last three financial years, as per the information submitted to Parliament by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mani Shankar Aiyer. He said no specific cases of misutilisation of funds had been established, though the Government mostly relied on the accounts submitted by the federations.
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Babita wins gold medal
New Delhi, August 12 Babita defeated Japan’s Nodoka Nishi to become the third Indian grappler to claim the top honours. The team also added two silver medals and an equal number of bronze on the fourth day of the championship to take their tally to three gold, four silver and three bronze medals. India is third on the medal table behind Iran 5-1-4 and Japan 4-3-1. Anil Dhankar had to be content with a silver medal in the men’s 63 kg freestyle category after losing to Korean Kim Jun Chul. Sandeep Kumar also won the silver in the men’s 69 kg freestyle. He suffered a defeat against fancied Iranian wrestler Saeid Tavakol.
— PTI
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New Delhi, August 12 Paes and Damm, seeded seventh, won 7-6, 7-5 in the quarterfinal here yesterday. They will next take on the third seeds Paul Hanley of Australia and Zimbabwean Kevin Ullyett, who defeated Australian Wayne Arthurs and Slovakia’s Dominic Hrbaty in 6-4, 6-3 their quarterfinal. Top seeds Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, will take on the fourth seeded combination of Canadian Daniel Nestor and Mark Knowles of Bahamas in another semifinal. The American siblings edged past the fifth seeded Frenchman Fabrice Santoro and Serbian Nenad Zimojic in a marathon three-setter 3-6, 6-4, 10-7 while Knowles and Nestor defeated Sweden’s Simon Aspelin and Australian Todd Perry 2-6, 6-3, 10-2. — PTI
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BAI to be strict on players missing camps
New Delhi, August 12 India’s top ranked player Chetan Anand and his wife Jwala Gutta had missed the first camp in Hyderabad last month and now BAI has told them to give in writing if they are not taking part in the next camps. “We are going to take the issue very seriously. If everybody goes on practising on their own and following their own schedule, where is the discipline,” BAI joint secertary Punnaiah Choudhary told PTI. “The government is spending so much money for the Commonwealth Games. And this is for the good of players. We have a camp for the World Championships in Spain from September 1 and we want everybody to attend that,” he said. While Chetan is not ready to commit himself till the 2010 Delhi Games and wants to play more tournaments, Jwala missed the camps because of her exams. National Champion Anup Sridhar had also asked for an exemption as he was scheduled to play in Denmark but he later turned up late for the camp, as he was not happy with the contract that the club was offering. Chetan had spoken to former coach T.P.S Puri, who is looking after the scheduling of the 2010 programme, in Hyderabad and informed BAI about the reasons for not attending the camp. Puri when contacted said, “he met me and we told him that if he does not want to attend the camps he should give us prior information. Jwala was appearing for graduation exams and she wanted an exemption. Chetan wanted to play in tournaments so he skipped it. We are not stopping any player from playing tournaments. They can do that by taking leave from the camp during that period. They have to decide on their own.” Puri, however, said it is not that the BAI would not take them into national squad if they do not attend the elite camp. “What we want is to built a strong squad for the Commonwealth Games and for that we are preparing the youngsters. So it is beneficial if the senior players are around,” he said. — PTI
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India Seniors win
Chennai, August 12 Sandeep Singh and Gagan Ajit Singh scored for the seniors while Ragunath for the development side. In a keenly fought match, the seniors, coached by Olympian V Bhaskaran, shot into lead through a penalty corner conversion by Sandeep Singh in the 17th minute and held the advantage till the 51st minute. But the Development team, groomed for the SAF Games in Sri Lanka next month under Clarence Lobo and Mohd. Riaz, launched an all-out offensive after the break and scored the equaliser through Ragunath in the 51st minute off a penalty corner. The seniors, captained by Dilip Tirkey, struck back four minutes later when Gagan Ajit Singh converted a penalty stroke.
— PTI |
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