London, June 19
Rafa Nadal could become the first player to begin the defence of his Wimbledon title under cover on Monday as rain threatens to dampen the start of the grasscourt grand slam. If the forecasts prove accurate the opening day could be a busy one for the ground staff at the All England Club but world number one Nadal, at least, can safely assume he will start on time thanks to Centre Court's sliding roof.

The Spaniard opens proceedings against American Michael Russell and is followed by Italian Francesca Schiavone against Jelena Dokic with Britain's Andy Murray's first round against Daniel Gimeno-Traver last on Centre Court. Since the translucent roof, costing an estimated £80 million, was completed in time for the 2009 championships the weather Gods have been kind to Wimbledon organisers.

Glorious warm and sunny weather presided throughout the fortnight last year when the roof's only brief task was to allow the completion of a late Novak Djokovic match with the help of the structure's lighting system. In 2009 the match between Amelie Mauresmo and Dinara Safina went down in Wimbledon history as the first to be played partly under cover after drizzle interrupted play.

Murray's epic against Stanislas Wawrinka on the same day was the first match to start and finish under the roof which weighs 1,000 tonnes and comes with its own air conditioning system. Mainly, however, it has been redundant and for the vast majority of players involved in this year's draws the court conditions under the roof will be an unknown quantity, including six-times champion Roger Federer.

"In Halle I got the opportunity to play in some of the grass court matches under the roof," Federer, who begins his tournament on Tuesday, told reporters as heavy rain showers sent players scurrying from the practice courts at the weekend. "But then again, Wimbledon is a different centre court, so definitely will take some getting used to in the beginning. It will be interesting to see." — Reuters

Wimbledon, June 19
Sania Mirza and Somdev Devvarman would look to improve their Grand Slam singles records even as veterans Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi eye their first major title together after rejoining forces when the Wimbledon Tennis championships start here tomorrow.

Sania and Somdev have had a reasonably good season so far with their singles ranking improving considerably. From 108 at the start of the year, Somdev is now sitting pretty at 68, while Sania has also taken long strides to be at 60 from 166. In the doubles, she is enjoying a career-best rank of 14 following the runner-up show at the French Open.

Somdev's has been a curious case of inconsistency as on his day, he has beaten tough customers, but has turned up ordinary on other days. Just before the Wimbledon, Somdev snapped his streak of losing five consecutive first round matches and scored a morale boosting win over world number 33 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain in Eastbourne only to lose to Julien Benneteau.

It is for the first time that Somdev will feature in the singles main draw of Wimbledon. Last year, he had fallen in the second round of the qualifiers. Out of five attempts, he has scored only one victory in Grand Slam events. And he would surely look to improve on that count, as he is pitted against Germany's 110th ranked Denis Gremelmayr. If he clears the first round hurdle, he could be up against Russian 18th seed Mikhail Youzhny. — PTI

London, June 19
A Wimbledon final without Roger Federer almost seemed unthinkable 12 months ago, but the 'unthinkable' happened last July when the most gifted player to have picked up a tennis racket discovered he was no longer on the guest list for the showpiece match at the grasscourt grand slam.

The six-times Wimbledon champion purposefully strode into the grounds on Saturday and even the miserable British weather did not dampen his spirits as he went through his paces during a 30-minute hit with his friend Tommy Haas.

Dressed in an all white track suit, Federer settled into a green chair in a bunker of the All England Club to have a chat with Reuters about how much he wants to win back the Wimbledon crown, his desire to reclaim the world number one ranking, his various records and how he combines his on court commitments with fatherhood.

Q. Last year was the first time in eight years that you were not involved in the final weekend at Wimbledon. What was that like for you?

A. Honestly I did not even think of that. First you're disappointed you lost, then you move on and then you're like 'okay, I'm going on vacation'. Then you don't think about it. Only later did I hear so many people telling me 'uh, a final without Federer is not the same'. That's just the Federer fans or my supporters who felt that. I didn't think about it too much and it hasn't come to my mind much this year. What you play for is really to be in a Wimbledon final, walking out on that Sunday, that's so special. I've been fortunate enough to be there so many times. But (Tomas) Berdych played a great match against me and deserved to be in that final against Rafa.

Q. Is that something that you have been dreading for the last few years - that your run of reaching seven consecutive finals would eventually end?

A. I was disappointed but life goes on. I've had an amazing run here. I did so much better than I ever thought I would. The important thing is that you learn from defeats like this. You take the right decisions after that and that you don't panic. Many times what can also happen is you lose a match and whole thing just goes sideways. You (think) 'I'll change everything around me. I'll change my coaches, I'll change the way I travel, I'll change the tournaments I play because I made so many mistakes'. But the important thing is to really be able to pinpoint what didn't go well, what I could have done better. Sometimes you have to accept that a guy played better on the day than you. — Reuters

Southampton, June 19
Ian Bell scored his third hundred in his last five test innings to help England to a first innings lead of 179 over Sri Lanka at tea on the fourth day of the third test on Sunday. After England had declared on 377 for eight, Sri Lanka reached 14 without loss at the break. Tharanga Piranavitana was dropped on five by wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who could not hold on to a diving leg-side chance off Chris Tremlett's bowling.

England declared half an hour before the interval with Bell recording a chanceless 119 not out. He passed 50 for the fifth consecutive occasion in a test after his team mate Alastair Cook had equalled the English record with six on Saturday.

Eoin Morgan contributed 71 in a stand of 137 with Bell, who faced 169 balls and plundered 12 fours. That stand all but ended Sri Lanka's hopes of claiming the win they need to draw the three-test series. Bell's 14th test century is part of an impressive sequence starting with 115 against Australia in Sydney, 103 not out at Cardiff in this series, then 52 and 57 not out at Lord's.

Bell's classy effort was also the first test century scored at The Rose Bowl, which is hosting its debut test match. He reached his latest hundred with a single that he hooked to deep midwicket off Suranga Lakmal's slow bouncer. Bell was rarely in trouble. He caressed one drive perfectly between mid-off and short extra-cover for four to go to 62 after reaching his 50 with a sweetly timed boundary, a late cut off

Lakmal between second slip and gully. Morgan survived an lbw appeal by Lakmal when on 58 after he reviewed umpire Rod Tucker's initial out decision. Replays showed the ball pitching outside leg stump. Morgan, who scored unbeaten centuries in his last two internationals on the ground, began uncharacteristically slowly before accelerating. He had faced 110 balls when he edged Lakmal to the wicketkeeper while advancing down the pitch.

The declaration came after Prior and Stuart Broad were each dismissed without scoring. England earlier resumed on 195 for four. Sri Lanka claimed just the one wicket in the morning session, that of nightwatchman James Anderson for 27 off 33 balls. Anderson needed to go on to the attack with England seeking to push on for a victory and he did not disappoint, scoring boundaries off the third and fourth balls of the morning.

First, he elegantly drove Thisara Perera off the back foot through cover and then edged him between second slip and gully. The left-hander would have eyed a test best score but did not manage to better his 34 against South Africa in 2008. He edged left-armer Chanaka Welegedera to wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene after cutting him for four the previous ball. — Reuters

Kingston, June 19
Back after a rejuvenating break, but Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is already a worried man as his pacers are struggling to be fit for the long season ahead. "It is important that they are fit or else it will have an impact. It's not that you are bowling four or 10 overs - you could be bowling 25 overs, whether be a spinner or a paceman. You want your best bowlers to play and be at least 70-80 per cent fit for the longer format," Dhoni said ahead of the first Test against the West Indies starting, here tomorrow.

"Only then you will have the mental and physical space to achieve it," he added. India is beset with injury worries ahead of the Test as lately impressive Munaf Patel is suffering from a right elbow injury.

Zaheer Khan and S Sreesanth, originally named in the Test squad, could never accompany the squad here due to injuries. One of the replacement bowler, Abhimanyu Mithun of Karnataka, is yet to arrive in the Caribbean due to his visa issues.

And as if this was not enough, opener Murali Vijay picked up an injury on his right forefinger in his very first practice session on Friday. He left for an X-ray on his finger yesterday. India play three Tests in the Caribbean followed by four in England this summer. Later in the season, they visit Australia where four more Tests are slated in their calendar.

Amid all this, Dhoni wants his team to stick to the basics and look to play to its strength. "We put a lot of emphasis on doing small things right. Irrespective of how many Tests you have to play abroad, if you do the basics right it will help us perform given the potential we have," stressed the all-conquering Indian captain.

"West Indies have a good bowling attack. But Test cricket is all about negotiating good balls and then push the bowlers to bowl in your areas; score enough runs for the bowlers to defend it," he explained. Dhoni is aware that his side is without its best players but he sees it as an opportunity for the younger lot to prove its mettle.

"It's a good exposure for youngsters. Tests are lot tougher. It's important they play Tests and gain more experience. It would help them take right decisions; help them groom themselves. You want each individual to enjoy cricket, you don't want pressure on the youngsters and look to create an atmosphere where they are loving the challenge," he said.

"If there is no challenge, you don't know their mettle. Fortunately, IPL has helped youngsters to play in front of 35,000 people. Still they need help from seniors on how to conduct themselves on and off the field. All these little things contribute," he added. — PTI

Kingston, June 19
West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards has no plans to be hospitable to the Indians and promises to bombard the susceptible-to-pace visiting batsmen with short-pitched deliveries in the first of a three-match Test series, starting here tomorrow. "I have always called it (Sabina Park) a second home; a home away from home. Indians, over the years have had problems against short balls. They looked a lot better in the last series I watched but hopefully the promise is still there," said Edwards.

Edwards was plucked out of nowhere by the then West Indian captain Brian Lara during the 2003 home series against Sri Lanka and he obliged immediately with a five-wicket haul. He had another five-wicket haul in his next Test and over the next 40-odd Tests was to take his tally to 122 victims before a back injury put him out of the team in the last two years. The returning paceman from Barbados understands he can no longer be a spearhead with the likes of Kemar Roach and Ravi Rampaul now sharing the new ball.

"Roach and Rampaul are bowling well. It's a plus and more simple for me that I am not the spearhead. I can now do my job. All are bowling in the 90s. Hopefully we can get it together," he said. — PTI

Mumbai, June 19
The BCCI has debarred Indian players from taking part in the Sri Lankan Premier League as the event is being organised by a ‘private party’ based in Singapore instead of the island nation's Cricket Board.

"We took the decision at an informal meeting of 18-20 members, held yesterday, that no Indian cricketer will be given permission to take part in the league as it is being organised by a private party based in Singapore. The Board's policy is not to allow players to take part in private party-organised tournaments," BCCI president Shashank Manohar said.

Manohar said unless the Board gives them a No Objection Certificate, Indian players cannot participate in the Lankan Twenty20 league. "We have to give them permission and we have decided not to give it. We have already informed the Sri Lanka Cricket about it," he elaborated.

The SLPL is to be conducted at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo from July 19 to August 4 and a dozen Indian cricketers, including Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel and R Ashwin, who were part of the ODI series that ended recently in the West Indies, have shown their interest in taking part in it.

Manohar explained that all rights of the tournament, including signing of players' contracts, are vested with the Singapore-based private entity which he did not name. The Board had initially decided to give the players the green signal to take part in the tournament as it was thought that the SLC was organising it, but once it found out that a private enterprise in Singapore has been given all the rights, the Board changed its stand.

Chandigarh, June 19
Twelve teams, including those from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Canada, and Irish Army, have confirmed their participation in the second World Cup Kabaddi Tournament that the SAD-BJP government hopes will act as a catalyst in peaking its campaign for the next assembly elections scheduled early next year.

Enthused by the overwhelming response it got from the first World Cup held during hot April days last year, the second eedition of this prize money tournament has now been planned for the early winter. Dates, prize money, venues for the matches besides opening and closing ceremonies for the second World Cup were finalised at a meeting held today with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in the chair.

It was decided to double the prize money for winners to Rs 2 crore while the runners-up will now get Rs 51 lakh. Third placed team will get Rs 25 lakh and the losing semi-finalists will get Rs 20 lakh. Each participating team has been promised participation money of Rs 10 lakh. Against eight venues in the first edition of the tournament, there will be 12 venues with Dhudke in Moga, Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawan Shahr), Mansa and Taran Tarn becoming the additional hosts.

All matches will be played under floodlights. Interestingly, Bathinda, the constituency of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his family has been nursing well, will be the venue not only for a glittering opening ceremony but also for the two semi-finals. Final and the closing ceremony will be held at Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhiana.

While the first World Cup was held at the fag end of series of Kabaddi tournaments held as part of Rural Sports Meets throughout the state, this time, the event has een plannned at the start of the season. Since Non Resident Indians, especially those belonging from Punjab, evince keen interest Kabaddi, the mother sport, holding of the second World Cup will also coincide with the start of a season when thousands of expatriates return home for the festival-cum-wedding season.

Another additional factor this time has been the grant of voting rights to NRIs. Since they come here for the Kabaddi tournaments, the SAD-BJP alliance may try to win them over by holding the biggest prize money tournament in any indigenous sport in the world. Though majority of the participating teams come from countries that have substantial population of Punjabi immigrants, yet this time teams from Irish Army besides Iran will add some “foreign” touch to the event.

While work is in progress at most of the venues, the Sports Department hopes that all floodlit stadia will be ready by end of September. The tournament starts in laast week of October and continues through first week of November.

Bhopal, June 19
Olympian Sandeep Singh and Mandeep Antil scored on either side of the break as Haryana pipped Karnataka 2-1 in a thrilling final to annex the Senior National Hockey Championship title at the Aishbagh Stadium here today.

Earlier Prabhdeep Singh struck twice as Punjab thrashed Jharkhand 4-1 to emerge third.

Sandeep put Haryana ahead converting a short corner in the 13th minute and Karnataka equalised through another India international V Raghunath's drag flick in the 40th minute. Mandeep struck the winner in the 52nd minute to seal the issue.

Karnataka upped the ante during the last part of the match but their well conceived moves failed to yield any desired result due to lack of finish. The final saw fast-paced and exciting hockey from both teams. The rivals tested each other and were always trying to get one up over their rivals.

It was also a contest between two highly-rated drag flickers - Sandeep and Raghunath. The Karnataka defender beat Sandeep to emerge as tournament's top scorer with 12 goals while the Haryana player finished with 11. — PTI

BRIEFLY

‘Tottenham won’t sell Modric to Chelsea’
London: Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has told Chelsea that midfielder Luka Modric is not for sale “at any price” to any club. Chelsea is believed to have made a 25 million pound bid to acquire Modric’s services. “I wish to make it absolutely clear, as I have said previously, that none of our key players will be sold this summer. We are building a team for the future to consistently play at the highest level and retaining quality players is crucial to that,” The Guardian quoted Levy, as saying in a statement. “In respect of Luka Modric, we are not prepared to sell, at any price, to Chelsea or any other club. We made our stance on this issue abundantly clear in writing to Chelsea. They chose to ignore it and then subsequently made the offer public,” he added. — ANI

Hamilton’s dad defends his aggressive driving
London: Lewis Hamilton’s dad is adamant that the McLaren Formula One driver will never change his driving style despite his Canadian Grand Prix collision. The damage from the collision with teammate Jenson Button had forced Hamilton to retire after just eight laps of the rain-soaked race. Hamilton’s gung-ho style had got him in trouble in the last Grand Prix in Monaco. “He just has to remain how he is, carry on driving how he is driving,” The Telegraph quoted Anthony, as saying. “The way he drives now is how he drove to win the world championship. He’s always been like that and he will be for the rest of his career. It’s just that now he’s at the front rather than the back, everyone has started noticing,” he added. — ANI

Mandi hot weather soccer
Mandi: Central Command played a goalless draw with Colaba Young Star Club, Mumbai, but a point was enough to ensure the army team a place in the final of the Power Grid Corporation Of India Hot weather Football Tournament here yesterday. Central Command topped their group with four points from two matches and will take on Shivaji Sports Association in the final. While the Central Command dominated most of the time and often came close to scoring the Mumbai team made frantic efforts in the closing stages in a bid to clinch the issue a goal eluded them. — TNS

New Zealand Cricket to cut costs by $3 million
Wellington: With New Zealand Cricket attempting to reduce costs by up to three million dollars, the country's professional cricketers will have part of their salaries for the next financial year deferred until 2015. According to stuff.co.nz, the appreciation of the Kiwi currency has meant projected income for the financial year ending July 31 is significantly lower than expected. Poor gate receipts from Pakistan's tour last summer have also left New Zealand Cricket facing a financially bleak time in the next 12 months. In August last year, the NZC board ratified a ground breaking eight-year master agreement with the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association. — ANI

Barca can sell Villa for £91m to fund triple transfer
London: Spanish football giant Barcelona is preparing to offer World cup winning striker David Villa to Manchester City and Chelsea. Barcelona are reluctant to offer Villa, but accept it will be the only way to fund the proposed £91 million triple bid that they are reportedly planning for Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas, Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez and Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi, The Daily Mirror reports. Barcelona's President Sandro Rosell has restricted coach Pep Guardiola to a £40 million transfer budget as the club look to cut their £350 million debt. Rosell has also said that any further funds will be raised by selling players. Villa joined Barcelona last summer in a £35 million transfer from Valencia. — ANI