|
|
|
|
|
Not bothered by others’ opinions:
Sachin
CSK pack Delhi for 83 runs; win
|
|
|
Getting Sachin, Ponting was like taking a double hattrick: Chandila
Unknown batsmen are tough to bowl at: Bhajji
india open
AIFF floats tender notice for new I-League clubs
Asian Wrestling: Rana, Gaurav in contention for bronze medals
Murray stunned, Djokovic struggles
6-gold winning Olympian Sir Chris Hoy retires
Prayag gets a lock on silver in Asian junior boxing
|
|
Not bothered by others’ opinions:
Sachin
New Delhi, April 18 Tendulkar was taking part in a discussion after the launch of the e-newspaper in the presence of Minister of Communications and Information Technology Kapil Sibal and Minister of Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari here. Interestingly, Anurradha Prasad, wife of Rajiv Shukla, IPL Commissioner and Congress minister, is the Editor-in-Chief of the paper.
Tendulkar talked about how media speculated on his 100th international century after he scored his 99th ton during the 2011 World Cup. “It was the media doing all the build-up. I scored my 99th international hundred during the World Cup. You (media) kept quiet during the World Cup, not discussing about my 100th ton as there were the other more important matter of India winning the tournament. After the World Cup there was again this focus on my 100th international ton," he said. Some of Tendulkar's counter questions to queries prevented the scribes from asking follow-up questions. Asked if he read newspapers often, Tendulkar shot back, “Main newspaper parte rahunga to kaun khelega (If I keep on reading newspaper then who will play)." On the question of the likes of former captains Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman giving opinions about him, though not necessarily negative, Tendulkar asked, "You think they were talking wrong things about me?" On a serious note, Tendulkar said that he was not bothered by the opinion of the others. “People are free to give their opinions. Lots of people are giving opinions about me. Some have played the game and they were giving opinions. Some have not played the game and they are also giving opinions. But I don't worry about opinions,” he said. “It's a package deal. You won't score a hundred everytime you go out to bat. And like that you won't get positive comments all the time. So I can't control on what others say. What I can do is to just focus on the things I can handle, that is to play to the best of my ability,” he added. Tendulkar said his family does not discuss cricket and so the game was not at the centre of things in his household. “We don't discuss cricket in our family. Our family discuss other issues of the day but not cricket. When I want to discuss cricket, I do it with my brother,” said Tendulkar who is now a Rajya Sabha member. Tendulkar has now become one of the most followed celebrities in the social media space with 3.2 million people following his Twitter handle and he said was happy that he was able to raise money for charity through this platform. “Actually, I started this twitter handle after my friends told me that there were many fake accounts in my name telling things which I have not said and done. To stop all those things I started my twitter account. “But, the platform of social media served a very good purpose. Through that I was able to raise money for young cancer patients. Lots of people donated money for these children after reading my appeal on my twitter account. I thanked all those who have made the donations,” he said. Talking about the fast-paced dissemination of information through digital medium, Tendulkar said that these initiatives should start from the schools if the country wants the actual benefits. “It's amazing the flow of information is so fast-paced now. So, this kind of digital information with updates of news every 6-7 hours is incredible. It's good for people like us who are always on the move, to get fresh and updated news very fast. “But I feel this digital initiatives should start from the schools so that the children can start learning from a very young age and get hold of the opportunities that are available now.” — PTI
|
|
CSK pack Delhi for 83 runs; win
New Delhi, April 18 Chasing 170 for victory, Daredevils were crushed asunder when Rohit Sharma claimed the key wickets of David Warner and Manpreet Juneja in the space of three balls and two runs, and later that of Virender Sehwag. The first two wickets fell for 13 runs, and captain Mahela Jayawardene and Virender Sehwag exited at the same score of 30. Mohit Sharma had a dream 3-0-10-3 spell to break the back of Daredevils who were eventually shut out for 83 with 13 balls to spare. This was the lowest score in this edition of the IPL. Daredevils thus tumbled to their sixth straight defeat, and third at home, to hopelessly compound even a remote chance of making the play-off cut-off. Earlier, CSK rode on a fine unbeaten knock of 65 (50b,2x6, 6x4) by Michael Hussey and his 60–run second-wicket partnership (38m,50b) with Suresh Raina and 74-run stand with M.S.Dhoni to hoist a handsome total of 169/4. CSK skipper Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat and his decision was upheld by his batters. First Hussey and Murali Vijay and then Raina and Hussey scored in a methodical manner to pile up runs. But the scorecard moved in a fast clip after Dhoni joined Hussey as they put on 74 runs, with Dhoni making 44. Perhaps, Daredevils erred in opening the bowling with left-arm spinner Shahbaaz Nadeem and left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan. They gave away five runs each in the first two overs to help the visitors take off on a comfortable note. Morne Morkel, who was introduced in the third over, struck off the third ball of his second over to trap Murali Vijay. But with 30 runs on the board, CSK did not feel the pinch as Suresh Raina provided ample support to Hussey to keep the scoreboard ticking till he edged one off Irfan Pathan into the hands of wicket-keeper Kedar Jadhav for 30. Brief Scores CSK: 169/4 in 20 overs (M Hussey 65*, M Vijay 18, Suresh Raina 30, MS Dhoni 44, Dwayne Bravo 2, Irfan Pathan 1/30, Morne Morkel 1/42, Umesh Yadav 1/33) DD: 83 all out in 17.3 overs (K Jadhav 31, V Sehwag 17, Mohit Sharma 3/10, R Ashwin 2/18, A Morkel 1/13).
Governing Council to meet
in Chennai next week
In the midst on-field action, the T20 event's governing council, a sub committee of the Cricket Board, is to meet in Chennai on April 22. "The IPL governing council is to meet on April 22 at Chennai," BCCI sources said. It's not clear what the agenda for the meeting is but one of the items could be the reconfirmation of Chennai as the venue of IPL's first two play-off games -- Qualifier 1 and Eliminator - scheduled on May 21 and 22.The IPL had decided on March 26 that Chennai would be out of bounds for Sri Lankan players representing various franchises in the cash-rich League because of security considerations. The release from IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla had stated: "The Governing Council decided that Sri Lankan players will not participate in the Pepsi IPL 2013 League matches in Chennai and will advise the nine franchises accordingly." Qualifier 2 and the final are scheduled to be played in Kolkata on May 24 and 26 respectively. — PTI |
|
Getting Sachin, Ponting was like taking a double hattrick: Chandila
Jaipur, April 18 “You can take my hat-trick. These two wickets matter a lot more to me than my hat-trick last year!," said Chandila. “It is like a dream come true for me. Taking the wickets of two legends of the game is like a double hat-trick for me. I still cannot believe this has happened, I feel I am in some sort of dream. I just cannot express how I feel. As a bowler, I cannot ask for anything more,” he added. Mumbai had a disastrous start as Chandila saw off Tendulkar in the very first over, and to top it up in his very next over the spinner dismissed Ponting. Chandila attributed his success to former India spinner Narendra Hirwani. “Before the match, I was advised by Narendra Hirwani to stick to my line and length and vary my pace. He told me I am bowling to players of really high calibre, but asked me to be confident in my approach. “I did as he said and I got the wickets of two of the world's best batsmen. I have no clue what magic his words have on me, but I always do well when he talks to me and boosts my confidence,” Chandila said. Chandila said: "When our batsmen were scoring freely, I thought the wicket was really good for batting and sitting at the dug-out I was planning how to approach the game. I had planned to bowl slowly and vary my pace. “It worked as I got the biggest scalps from the Mumbai Indians batting line up.” Chandila, who idolises Pakistan's legendary off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, agreed that his height is an added advantage. “I feel my biggest advantage is my height. Whenever I talk to any of the batsmen during the net sessions or during domestic tournaments, they always say that it is tough to read me from that kind of height.” — PTI Me and Sachin need to play better: Ponting
Ricky Ponting has admitted that his and Sachin Tendulkar's poor form has affected the team's performance. “The two guys at the top of the order haven't done the job required off them by the team," Ponting said. “Both of us need to play better. If we want to continue winning games and if we want to be the team at the end of it that holds the trophy up, then you need everyone in the team performing more often than not. Neither of us has played as well as we would have liked. I'd expect a lot from myself from the first few games compared to what I have delivered," he added. |
|
Unknown batsmen are tough to bowl at: Bhajji
New Delhi, April 18 "It is the toughest to bowl against batsmen who you do not have an idea about. You do not know their style of play and what kind of strokes they play to score their runs, hence it is challenging," Harbhajan said. “Whatever videos I get to see of such batsmen, I try to analyse that part of it and bowl my best balls to them when I face them," he said. Even though Royals scored a formidable 179 for three against Mumbai, Harbhajan gave away just 26 runs and picked up a wicket. “I try to keep things as simple as possible. I take the game one step at a time. I always feel I have to bowl according to the situation of the team. I back myself whether I am bowling up front or bowling in the middle of the innings or bowling at the death," the off-spinner told iplt20.com after the match. Harbhajan said he backs himself to pick wickets on batting friendly pitches despite going for runs. "Bowling in T20s has always been a challenge. Since we are playing in India, it is even more difficult where the pitches are batting friendly and the boundaries are quite small. I believe at the end of the day, you got to believe in yourself and give it your best shot under such circumstances," he said. “You have to keep believing in yourself as a bowler that even if you go for runs, you can pick up wickets. You have to back yourself.” — PTI
|
|
india open
New Delhi, April 18 “I'm training extra for the Yonex Sunrise India Open 2013 and hoping to win the tournament,” said Lee Chong Wei. The two-time Olympic silver medallist said he was excited about playing the third edition of the Indian leg of the OSIM BWF World Superseries, to be held here at the DDA Squash and Badminton Stadium (Siri Fort Complex) from April 23 to 28. “I am excited about playing the Yonex Sunrise India Open because there are so many badminton fans and supporters here,” said Lee. The Malaysian champion opined that Indian badminton has undergone a dramatic transformation and is fast becoming a favourite destination for the sport. “Indian badminton has improved a lot and there are so many young players coming up.” Commenting on his rivalry with two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China, he said, “I stick to my usual game every time I face Lin Dan. Maybe I have to push myself a little and be faster.” Saina, Kashyap maintain ranking
Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap have retained their second and seventh positions, respectively in the latest list issued by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Besides Saina, P V Sindhu, who is currently playing in Badminton Asia Championship in Taipei, has also held on to her 16th place in the women's singles rankings. In the men's singles list, Ajay Jayaram and Sourabh Verma are also at the same positions as last week — 30th and 38th, respectively. R M V Gurusaidutt, however, has climbed a place to be at 35th spot. — PTI |
|
AIFF floats tender notice for new I-League clubs
New Delhi, April 18 The winning bidders will be granted the right to own and operate a new club which will compete in the league each year from 2013 onwards and have the opportunity (if applicable and subject to qualification) to compete in the AFC club competitions. The invitation to tender will be available on working days between 10am and 5pm at the AIFF Headquarters, Football House. All bidding parties need to fulfil the eligibility criteria (club licensing) and other requirements specified. The last date for submission is May 2. The bids would then be evaluated by a technical evaluation committee following which the results would be announced within a week from the last date of submission. "It is AIFF's endeavour to make the I-League strong and robust and for that it is imperative that clubs comply with the licensing criteria especially with regard to infrastructure and youth development," AIFF general secretary Kushal Das stated. "It is with this objective in mind that we are allowing direct entry into the I-League so that good infrastructure and Youth Development Academies can be established," he added. — PTI
|
|
|
Asian Wrestling: Rana, Gaurav in contention for bronze medals
New Delhi, April 18 Rana, who got a bye in the first round, defeated China's Gaoquan Zhang 2-1 1-1 to reach the semifinal of the Greco Roman category. In the semifinal however, Ji-Hun Kim of Korea proved too much for the local lad, who comprehensively defeated him 7-0 4-0. By virtue of being a semifinal loser, Rana will take on Kazakhstan's Yerbol Konyratov, who won his repechage round to set up a bronze medal bout. In the 55kg category, India's Gaurav Sharma, lost his quarterfinal bout against Korea's Gyu-Jin Choi 2-4 0-2. The Korean, though, gave the Indian a lifeline to pursue for a bronze through repechage. In the first contest, Sharma got the first point by executing a takedown on his Kazakhstani opponent, Zhanserik Sarsenbiyev. However, the Kazakh levelled the proceedings instantly cutting short the excitement of the Indian coaches. The two-first period finished 1-1. Sharma came back strongly in the second period to surprise his opponent twice in the first minute before taking the period 2-0. He will take on North Korea's Won Chol Yun who lost to Gyu-Jin in the semi-final. Earlier, Ravinder Singh (60kg) lost to Korea's Douk Gil 0-3 1-0 0-1 to bow of the championship. Naveen, too, lost his opening bout to Iran's Bashir Babajanzadeh in the 120-kg Greco Roman category. The Indian eves will be spearheaded by Geeta Phogat, who is coming off from an impressive showing at the senior women’s Senior Wrestling World Cup in Mongolia last month. China, Japan and Kazakhstan, besides hosts will be fielding wrestlers in every weight category. 'Chak de India' instead of South Korean anthem
The medal ceremony on the opening day saw a major faux pas by the organisers as they ended up playing 'Chak de India' instead of the national anthem of the gold-medal winning country. All the winners on the podium were waiting for the national anthem of a Korean wrestler, who won the gold in the 55-kg category. The Korean looked bemused as the music began even as others stood for the anthem. The organisers realised their blunder only when the lyrics started. The music was cut short and the Korean was escorted off the podium without his national anthem. — PTI |
|
|
Murray stunned, Djokovic struggles
Monte Carlo, April 18 Top seed Novak Djokovic, for the second match in a row, fought from a set down when he beat Juan Monaco of Argentina 4-6 6-2 6-2. Fourth seed Tomas Berdych was also beaten at the first big claycourt event of the season, while Rafael Nadal calmly continued his bid for a ninth consecutive crown with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany. Murray looked frustrated on court and picked up only eight points on serve in the first set. “I made a lot of mistakes - 24 unforced errors is far too many...that’s how half the points went,” Murray later said. “I started hitting the ball shorter, then he was able to dictate the play.” The 17th-ranked Wawrinka, who had won their two previous encounters on the surface, reached the quarterfinals for the second year in row and will now face Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who beat Austrian Juergen Melzer 6-3 6-0. Czech Berdych also struggled with his serve after having had to recover from a break down in each set in the second round to get past Spaniard Marcel Granollers. Reigning champion Nadal notched up his 44th win in a row in the principality and set up a quarter-final encounter with 34th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria. Kolschreiber did not pose a big threat to Nadal, who had taken a month-long break to rest his knee after making an impressive comeback to the tour from seven months out injured by winning three titles including the Indian Wells Masters last month. The Spaniard pleased the big crowd with a solid display on the Centre Court that has been his stage since 2005. “The match started with a lot of intensity for both of us and I was able to have the break. After that, I was comfortable with my serve,” Nadal said. “The second set, I think the intensity went down a little but I was in control.” — Reuters
|
|
|
6-gold winning Olympian Sir Chris Hoy retires
Edinburgh, April 18 Britain’s most successful Olympian, who won two golds at the 2012 London Games to add to three from Beijing four years earlier and his first in Athens in 2004, said the time was right to quit the saddle having exhausted “every last ounce of effort and energy”. “I am officially announcing my retirement. It was not a decision I took easily or lightly, but I know it’s the right decision,” Hoy told a news conference. The 37-year-old had been deliberating for months whether to compete in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in his native Scotland, but said it would be one championship too far. “Nothing would give me more pleasure than going to Glasgow, but I don’t want to be there for the numbers. I feel I have got every last ounce of effort and energy out of myself. I made it to London and was successful but maybe people don’t realise just how much that took out of me.” — Reuters
|
|
Prayag gets a lock on silver in Asian junior boxing
Patiala, April 18 Chauhan, who reached the semifinals after overhauling Nozimov Mumin of Tajikistan in the quarters, was up against Ernis Uulu Ruslan of Kyrgyzstan. A silver medal winner at the 2012 Sub-Junior National Boxing Championship, Chauhan was once again in top form as he comprehensively beat Ruslan in a unanimous decision by the judges. Vijay Sharma, the coach, said: “Prayag is in great form and fought very well against the Kyrgyz boxer. He has shown good potential and this performance will do wonders for his confidence in the upcoming world championships.” Chauhan will fight Ilyubayev Azat of Kazakhstan for the gold on Sunday (April 21). The Indian camp suffered setbacks in the quarterfinals of the pin-weight and the bantamweight divisions. Reigning sub-junior national champion Mohammad Wasique (46kg), who beat Mongolian boxer Narantsogt to make it to the last eight, came up short against some power hitting of local lad Nursultan Bekbolat. Thounaojam Bickychand’s campaign also came to an end at the hands of Kholdarov Ikboijan of Uzbekistan. But there was good news for India in the light-flyweight division. The opening contest of Day 2 saw Varinder Singh, the national sub-junior champion, take down China’s Ma Jiawei in the preliminary round. He’ll fight Ravshanbek Uulu Muhammad of Kyrgyzstan for a place in the semifinals. Sub-junior national champion Aditya Maan (66kg) will be eying a place in the finals as he takes on Merjanov Eldar of Uzbekistan. Deepak Kumar (52kg) and Vishnu Dayanand Chayal (57kg) will open their campaign in the quarterfinals after getting a bye in the pre quarters. — TNS
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Sachin Tendulkar may not be in the best of form of late but the senior Indian batman today said that he was not bothered by the opinion of others about his retirement and that he would just stick to his job.
New Delhi, April 18
New Delhi, April 18
Monte Carlo, April 18
Edinburgh, April 18
“Lots of people have been talking about this question (of retirement). If I remember correctly, this question began in 2005 and it has been continuing since then. But my answer has been I will stick to my job and you stick to your job,” he said at the launch of India's first e-newspaper, www.enewspaperofindia.com here.
“It does not affect me,” Tendulkar said when asked whether the constant talk of when he would retire had irritated him or affected his performance.
