Rod Laver 'not out of danger'

World Cup official faces sanction

Sajal, Tarunpreet bag TT titles

BRD spikers win

Jaspreet , Bindiya record wins

SA claw way back into Test

LEEDS, Aug 7 (Reuters) — Three dropped catches within 22 balls gave South Africa vital breathing space as they clawed their way to 168 for five at tea on the second day of the fifth and deciding Test at Headingley today.

The tourists lost two wickets in the afternoon session after both openers and Daryll Cullinan fell in the morning. But England, who made 230 in their first innings, could have taken the initiative if they had held their chances.

Ironically, Jacques Kallis’ long vigil came to an end after an extraordinary one-handed, diving catch at mid wicket by Mark Ramprakash when an attempted pull off Dominic Cork came off the splice of his bat.

Kallis’ 40 spanned two hours and 57 minutes and included seven fours.

Jonty Rhodes added 43 with captain Hansie Cronje for the fifth wicket although both men were dropped. Rhodes on 19 and 20 by Ramprakash and Graeme Hick and Cronje on 20 by Nasser Hussain in the gully.

Rhodes’ innings of 32 from 39 balls finally ended with a simple catch to wicketkeeper Alec Stewart off a Darren Gough away swinger.

Cronje was still at the crease at tea on 28 from 94 deliveries. Brian McMillan was four not out.

The tourists resumed on nine for no wicket in the morning but they soon lost Gary Kirsten (6) to a contentious lbw decision when a ball from Angus Fraser appeared to be heading over the stumps.

Gerhardus Liebenberg, who also resumed on four not out, reached his highest score in the series but on 21 he edged Fraser to second slip.

With the pitch already showing signs of deterioration, Cullinan went on the attack stroking consecutive off drives to the boundary off Dominic Cork.

He pulled Andrew Flintoff through mid wicket for another boundary and cut Cork to backward point for another before a lavish attempted back foot drive against Gough resulted in a thin edge to Stewart. Cullinan’s 27 came from just 29 balls.

SCOREBOARD
ENGLAND (1st innings): 230
SOUTH AFRICA (1st innings):
Kirsten lbw b Fraser 6
Liebenberg c Hick b Fraser 21
Kallis c Ramprakash b Cork 40
Cullinan c Stewart b Gough 27
Cronje batting 28
Rhodes c Stewart b Gough 32
McMillan batting 4
Extras (lb-9, nb-1) 10
Total (for 5 wkts, 62 overs) 168
Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-36, 3-83, 4-120, 5-163.
Bowling: Gough 19-7-35-2, Fraser 16-5-29-2, Cork 14-2-53-1, Flintoff 4-1-17-0, Salisbury 3-0-6-0, Butcher 6-3-19-0.

Vivek struggles to maintain lead
From Our Sports Reporter

GURGAON, Aug 7 — Vivek Bhandari could not regain his first day’s form but he managed to stay at the top among 42 professionals on the penultimate day of the four-round Wills Masters at the Classic Golf Resort here today.

A one-under 71 round gave Bhandari an aggregate of three under 213 and placed him two strokes ahead of Feroz Ali (Classic Indian Open champion) and Arjun Singh (Delhi), who returned with the card of two-under 70. They had the tally of one-under 215.

Amit Luthra and Harmeet Kahlon also returned the cards of two-under 70. But Luthra led among amateurs with the aggregate of one-under 215. Kahlon was placed seven strokes behind 222.

"I am surprisingly not hitting the ball as well as I did on the opening day," said Bhandari, who had four birdies and three bogeys. "I was two under after 12 holes and I should have finished with at least three under instead of one under", said Bhandari, who looked disappointed.

Bhandari, the Siel PGA champion, will encounter unfamiliar situation tomorrow when the final round begins. He will go as a leader when he is known to make late charges. " I am aware of the situation but I will fight it out, come what may", said Bhandari.

Basad Ali was going great guns when he had three birdies and only a solitary bogey. But luck deserted him at the 11th, the par-3. He finished with a triple bogey as his ball went out of bounds. He had yet another bogey on the 13th. But in the final three holes he could regain his poise and touch finishing with hat-trick of birdies. That gave him one-under 71 and three-over 219 for the competition so far.

Leading scorers: Vivek Bhandari (66,76,71) 213; Feroz Ali 215 (72,73,70); and Arjun Singh (71,74 and 70). Gaurav Ghei 217 (70, 75,72). Inderjit Bhalotia 219 (71,74,74) and Basad Ali (72,76,71). Vijay Kumar 220 (72,74,74).

Impressive JCT enter final
By Amardeep Bhattal
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 7 — Favourites JCT Phagwara chalked out an impressive 3-0 win over Young Men's Christian Association, Srinagar, to move into the final of the North Zone Kalyani Black Label Federation Cup Football Tournament at the Sector 17 football stadium here today.

All the goals were scored in the first half. The mill men will take on the winners of the second semifinal between Punjab State Electricity Board and City Club, Delhi, in the final to be played on August 10.

After a lacklustre performance against Indian Air Force two days back, JCT were a transformed side. The attacks were more purposeful and the defence almost unbeatable. The midfield was well managed by centre-half Harjinder, son of the legendary Inder Singh. In fact Harjinder was the key play-maker, feeding the forward line with quick passes. An outstanding feature of Harjinder's game is quick release of the ball, a point which coach Sukhwinder has always accorded top priority.

JCT today rested international Saravanan in the first half and brought Hardip Singh (junior) on the left wing. The move had the desired impact as Hardip, who played as a withdrawn forward in the previous encounter, enjoyed greater freedom upfront with Sanjay Majhi and skipper Jasbir Singh lending him full support.

Right half Hardip Singh (senior) and left half Bhupinder Singh buttressed the attack through forceful thrusts. In the defence right back Sukhdev Singh, right stopper Ranjit Singh, left stopper Tarsem Lal and left back Daljit Singh put up a creditable show. Sukhdev and Daljit also lent valuable support to the wings through some fine runs on the flanks.

The Srinagar outfit, on the other hand, were on the receiving end throughout the stipulated period. Their attacks were few in number and whenever they did manage to make forays, they found it difficult to get past the JCT defenders.

JCT gave an inkling of the things in store as early as in the fourth minute. Left winger Hardip Singh (Senior) after latching on to the ball in the rival territory unleashed a long ranger but the ball struck the horizontal. Off the rebound, the ball came to skipper Jasbir who bulged the net with a close range shot but the referee blew for an off-side.

Soon after Sanjay Majhi found himself in an enviable position inside the box but he only managed to balloon the ball high over the bar. This was followed by Hardip (junior) header off a cross by Harjinder but it was again wide off the mark.

JCT eventually took the lead in the 24th minute when they were awarded a penalty. Daljit initiated a move on the left flank and after covering some ground put Hardip (junior) in possession. Hardip wasted no time in giving a pass to Jasbir who in turn put Hardip (senior) in possession. Hardip moved into the box like lightning but just as he was about to take a shot, Tajmul Hussain brought him down. Referee Ramesh Rehani did not hesitate in pointing to the dreaded spot and Harjinder did the needful to put his side ahead (1-0).

Thereafter, Hardip (senior) again weaved his way towards the box and after dodging one defender, sent a measured cross for Jasbir, who, however, failed to head the ball home.

Midway through the first half, YMCA initiated a move through Manzoor Dar but before he could give a pass to Deepak Kumar on the left flank, right back Sukhdev Singh of JCT dispossessed him.

The second goal for JCT came in the 35th minute. Midfielder Harjinder set up a move for skipper Jasbir and Hardip (junior) moving alongside made full use of the opportunity by turning around and shooting home to make it 2-0.

A few minutes later Sanjay Majhi's back pass to Hardip (junior) saw the latter taking a piledriver which beat YMCA goalie Firdaus Ahmed hands down (3-0).

After the lemon break, JCT played a relaxed game and opted to try out some of the new faces, including Charanjit Singh. International A. Saravanan came in place of Hardip Singh (junior) who pulled a thigh muscle.

Midway through the second half JCT's Hardip (senior) attempted a powerful long ranger but Firdaus Ahmed under the YMCA bar just about managed to fist the ball over the bar.

YMCA could have reduced the margin in the 72nd minute following a move by Deepak Kumar and Khuram Shah after JCT's left stopper Tarsem Lal was beaten. However, Khuram's shot was punched away by Baljit Singh under the JCT bar before right back Sukhdev headed it over the goal-line at the cost of a flag kick.

Tomorrow's fixture: PSEB v City Club (second semifinal) — 4 p.m.

Hingis breezes into Toshiba semis

CARLSBAD, California, Aug 7 (Reuters) — World number one and defending champion Martina Hingis of Switzerland crushed South African Joannette Kruger 6-1 6-3 in 49 minutes yesterday to move into the semifinals of the Toshiba Classic. "It was quite easy," said Hingis, who beat Kruger 6-0 6-0 in their only previous meeting five months ago. "She doesn’t miss too much but she doesn’t have as fast a game as Monica or Lindsay’s. It gives me enough time to get into a rhythm."

While Hingis moved into the semifinals, Americans Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, and Frenchwoman Nathalie Tauziat reached the quarterfinals.

Second-seeded Davenport, fresh from winning the Bank of the West title last week over Williams, knocked off compatriot Lisa Raymond 6-1 6-4 while third-seeded Williams turned back countrywoman Chanda Rubin 6-3 6-2.

Eighth seed and Wimbledon runner-up Tauziat dismissed American qualifier Amy Frazier 6-3 3-6 6-1.

Hingis needed just 18 minutes to take the first set. In the second, Kruger offered more resistance. Trailing 2-1, Hingis ran off five of the next six games to set up a clash against either Williams or France’s Mary Pierce.

"Once you win the first set 6-1, you kind of lose your concentration and try to make some stupid shots which sometime don't work out," she said. "Somehow I got back into the game."

Davenport posted an impressive straight-sets victory, but did not play her best tennis.

"I knew going in I hadn't lost to her before and she’s a very dangerous player regardless of past results," said Davenport after running her mark to 6-0 against Raymond.

Davenport easily won the first set but the world’s number two player got into trouble in the second falling behind 4-2. However, the 1996 Olympic gold medallist swept the next four games to complete the one-hour win.

"At 2-4, I think that was a big game. Obviously, she was on a roll there and I was struggling a little bit more. But I was able to hold that game after a couple of deuces. After that, I got the break back and rolled through the next two games."

Williams ousted Rubin in a hard-hitting baseline battle lasting 80 minutes.

"We weren’t on top of our games today," said Williams. "I would take a turn and miss and she would take a turn and miss little. There weren't too many long points."

Jr national tennis from today

CHENNAI, Aug 7 (UNI) — The national junior hard court tennis championship, being held this year with a new sponsor — Indian Overseas Bank begins at the Madras Cricket Club here with the qualifying rounds tomorrow.

Tournament chairman T.T. Ashok told newsmen here last night that about 204 entries, 154 in the boys category and 50 in the girls, have been received for the week-long tournament. The main draw of the tournament would commence on Monday.

The final would be played on the Independence Day.

Events would be held in singles and doubles for both boys and girls under-18 years. The total sports scholarship amount for the tournament would be Rs 2.05 lakh.

Among those who would be seen in action in the tournament, which has become a regular event in this southern metropolis for the last six years, include defending champion and world’s highest rated Indian in the ITF junior circuit Vijay Kannan, S. Zamaan (West Bengal), Vijayendra Laad (Maharashtra), promising youngster Manoj Mahadevan of Tamil Nadu and Rohan Saikia of Assam.

In the girls section, the rising star in Indian tennis Uzma Khan, for whom this would be the last year in the junior category, would once again start as favourite to retain the title.

Other girls to be seen in action include the G. Sheetal of Karnataka and Shruti Dhawan of Maharashtra.

Of the four wild cards, one was given to Indian youth team under-16 member Sonal Phadke of Maharashtra. The wild card was given to her by the All India Tennis Association (AITA).

With the threat of rain looming large, the organisers have made arrangements to conduct a few matches at the Madras Gymkhana Club courts in case of any emergency.

Bailey, Johnson to run for records

MONACO, Aug 7 (Reuters) — Donovan Bailey and Michael Johnson will be leading the chase for world records at the Monaco Golden League Grand Prix meeting tomorrow.

After slow starts to their seasons the pair are once again starting to show the form that powered them to world bests and Olympic gold in Atlanta.

Canadian Bailey arrives in the ritzy Mediterranean principality having rediscovered the form that saw him capture the 100 Olympic gold and set the current world record of 9.84 sec two years ago.

Johnson, the American who shattered the 200m record in Atlanta, will hope an outstanding 400m field can push him to the one-lap world record he covets.

Almost written off as a serious threat after a seventh place finish at the Goodwill Games, Bailey has dramatically turned his campaign around in the last two weeks.

The Canadian produced a big win over a top 100m field assembled this season in Paris 10 days ago and then followed up with his best time this season, 9.93 sec at the Canadian championships last Saturday.

His biggest rivals are likely to be Trinidad’s Ato Boldon, the fastest man over the short sprint this season after twice clocking 9.86 sec and Namibia’s Frankie Fredericks, who like Bailey has a season’s best of 9.93 sec.

Bailey’s arch-rival, American world champion Maurice Greene, is not in the field.

The 400m, with the seven fastest men this season in the starting blocks, also offers up world record possibilities as resurgent Johnson chases the longest standing track mark on the men’s books.

Hampered by injuries early in the year, Johnson returned to form at the Goodwill Games by clocking a season best 43.76 and then anchored the US 4x400m relay team to a world record.

Jerome Young, Antonio Pettigrew and Tyree Washington, who all contributed to the record, along with British runners mark Richardson and Iwan Thomas will provide the double Olympic champion with the necessary competition to attack Butch Reynolds’ mark of 43.29 set 10 years ago.

The women’s 100m will see this year’s sprint sensation American Marion Jones return to action after pulling out of the meet in Stockholm with a sore back.

Moroccan Hicham el Guerrouj will continue his season long assault on the record books in the 1,500m, while the 3,000m record will come under attack from Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie.

Coach spurns money for ideals

BUCHAREST, Aug 7 (Reuters) — The coach of Romania's women's gymnastics Olympic team, Octavvain Belu, has said he had turned down two lucrative contracts abroad in order to avert the collapse of the sport at home.

"I cannot leave Romania now," Belu told Reuters in an interview. "Romanian gymnastics has given me all I have, status and happiness. It's on the brink of collapse. This is my life's greatest challenge — to do what I can to limit the damage."

Earlier, this year, the British and U.S. national teams courted Belu, offering salaries beyond the dreams of most citizens of Romania, one of eastern Europe's poorest countries.

The national gymnastics federation says 420 coaches have left to work abroad in the past 25 years — 40 in France and 20 in Germany, with the rest dispersed among 20 other countries.

Since the 1970s, Romania has produced a long line of champions and trainers, winning dozens of Olympic medals and European and world championships. Belu is among its most celebrated coaches, along with Bela and Marta Karoly, Nadia Comaneic and Teodora Ungureanu — all in the USA, Adrian Goriac, in France and Marilena Vladarau in Britain.

Belu's annual salary in Romania will be more than the equivalent of Ed States, with bonuses for medal performances he stood to earn ecured a bonus of 25,000 pounds had the country collected its first Olympic medal in Sydney 2000.

Belu, 47, said he was motivated by a drive to improve the well-being of fellow coaches at home. 'The salary offers are tempting," he said. "But I don't want to be a mere piece to be moved on a chessboard in the USA."

Such, he said, was the fate of Bela Karoly, who helped Nadia Comaneci to the first perfect 10 at the 1976 Montreal Games, quit communist Romania and then led the U.S. team for 15 years. The USA, he said, was no better than communist Romania in using stars to prove the supremacy of their system.

"The Americans want to have the best performances in the world in all sports, and that includes gymnastics, to show everyone that they are the best in the world," he said.

Belu last month withdrew Romania's team from the Goodwill Games in New York in protest against "unacceptable" judging he said was intended to help produce a U.S. victory.

"I'll probably leave eventually for the USA but in my own time and under my own conditions," he said. "I'll probably buy or rent a gymnastics hall. It will be my hall. and I'll dictate my terms to the Americans, not them to me."

Rohan, Robin fashion India 'A' victory

DEVENTER, Aug 7 (PTI) — A classy unbeaten century by young left-hander Rohan Gavaskar and an equally impressive bowling spell by Robin Singh (Jr) helped India 'A' thrash Holland by an innings and 130 runs with a day to spare in the first of the two three-day matches here yesterday.

India "A' batsmen dominated the weak Dutch bowling to pile up 290 for six before declaring the innings the moment Gavaskar reached his ton.

The hosts started their second knock with a deficit of 234 runs but again collapsed like a pack of cards once again to India "A' bowling spearhead Robin Singh (Jr) who had a five wicket haul for just 23 runs.

Holland were skittled out for 95 runs in their second innings as India scored an innings and 139-run victory. But with their splendid performance, Indians, already robbed of precious match practice by incessant rains, denied themselves of some important workout in preparation for the coming two one-day matches.

Delhi's Robin Singh (Jr) was ably supported by left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar of Mumbai (2/17).

Robin Singh, who ran through the Dutch batting lineup in the first innings too by taking seven for 23, finished with stupendous match figures of 12 wickets for 46 runs, and should impress the selectors who meet on August 9 in Mumbai to name the probables for 1999 England World Cup preparatory camp.

Resuming at the overnight score of 164 for three, the visitors lost the wicket of Sanjay Raul early on to give Frank his fourth success.

Vanka Pratap joined Gavaskar and the two repeated their good partnership in the first one-day match against Holland putting on 70 runs for the fifth wicket. Frank (4-113) was the highest wicket-taker for the hosts.

Gavaskar, who is having good run on the tour, played shots all around the ground hitting 10 hours and three huge sixes in his exact 100 not out effort. India "A' declared its first innings half an hour after lunch to give its bowlers enough time to bowl out the Dutch team.

The host batsmen failed again unable to measure up to the visitor's bowling strength, specially of the new ball bowler Robin Singh.

A defiant unbeaten knock of 28 by Holland captain J Smits was the only highlight of Dutch batting which delayed the end. India 'A' snapped the last wicket just five minutes before the scheduled close of play on the second day.

India 'A' coach Krish Srikkanth said he was "very happy" with the performance of Gavaskar and Robin Singh (Jr). "The opponents may be weak but the fact remains that we are playing for the country and the boys gave good performance," he said.

India "A' next take on Holland in two one-day ties on August 10 and 11 in Amsterdam before winding up their tour with a second three-day match starting on August 13.

India "A' won the first one-dayer by 54 runs on Monday.

Brief scores:

Holland: 56 and 95 (J Smits 29 no. Robin Singh (Jr) (5/23).

India 'A': 290 for six (Rohan Gavaskar 100 no. Nikhil Haldipur 69. Vikram Rathore 53. E Frank 4/113).

French cop 'almost out of danger'

LILLE (France), Aug 7 (Reuters) — A French gendarme brutally beaten by German hooligans during the World Cup is making satisfactory progress since regaining consciousness after six weeks in a coma, his doctors have said.

Neurosurgeons treating Daniel Nivel yesterday said he was "almost out of danger" but could not predict how well he would recover.

Jean-Paul Lejeune, head of the neurological clinic at Lille’s central hospital, told journalists Nivel had to relearn how to do many simple things healthy people take for granted.

"He has serious problems communicating with people but we do notice that he reacts differently with his relatives," Lejeune said. "He smiles more with his wife and his children."

Nivel, 43 and the father of two children, was attacked on June 21 outside the stadium in the northern town of Lens where Germany was playing Yugoslavia during the World Cup soccer competition.

He regained consciousness earlier this week and is expected to be transferred to a rehabilitation centre.

Earlier yesterday, French investigating magistrate Cecile Ramonatxo said he would question Karl-Heinz Elschner of Braunschweig, Germany, about the beating in the presence of two witnesses on August 14 at the request of prosecutors.

Elschner, 27, was released on bail in late June but an appeals court ordered him returned to jail so he could be questioned in front of the witnesses.

Questioning a suspect in the presence of witnesses, called a "confrontation" in the French justice system, is meant to resolve differences when there is conflicting testimony.

Elschner is under investigation for attempted murder in connection with the beating of Nivel, an attack that cast a pall over the World Cup. Elschner insists he is innocent.

The judge initially assigned to the case concluded there was insufficient evidence to keep him in custody.

That judge has been taken off the case and will be replaced after the summer holidays, justice sources said yesterday.

Apart from Elschner, four young Germans are in detention in Germany charged with attempted murder.

Dream and nightmare of an Olympic champ

LONDON, Aug 7 (Reuters) — Michelle Smith-De Bruin’s rise from years of obscurity to the heights of triple Olympic champion was the stuff of dreams.

Ireland joyously celebrated the triumphs of their first Olympic swimming champion at the 1996 Atlanta Games, staying up till all hours to marvel at her feats.

"You have lifted our spirits while disrupting our sleeping pattern," Ireland’s then President Mary Robinson said.

But skeptics both in and out of the pool felt the astonishing advance made by the swimmer so late in her career was too good to be true.

And on Thursday Smith-De Bruin’s world was in tatters as swimming’s governing body FINA found her guilty of tampering with a doping sample and banned her from the sport for four years.

Three years before Atlanta Smith-De Bruin had not figured in the world’s top 50 in the events in which she was to become Olympic champion.

A chance meeting with Dutch discus thrower Erik De Bruin a 1992 Olympics in Barcelona changed the Irishwoman’s life.

Her swimming career was going nowhere and she finished 26th in the 400m individual medley, 32nd in the 200m individual medley and 35th in the 200m backstroke.

De Bruin, who had never coached a swimmer, took over her training programme and later became her husband.

Smith-De Bruin reached her first major international final at the 1994 world championships in Rome, finishing fifth in the 200m butterfly, and the following winter enjoyed considerable success in the short-course World Cup Series.

The first big titles followed at the 1995 European championships in Vienna, where she won gold in the 200 individual medley and 200 butterfly and silver in the 400 individual medley.

The blonde Irishwoman, by now 26, trumped that at the 1996 Olympics by winning the 200 and 400 individual medley and the 400 freestyle and taking the bronze in the 200 butterfly.

But the joy was overshadowed by the scepticism of the doubters, with inevitable questions of whether drugs had played a part in her inexorable rise to the top.

This was all the more pointed because coach and husband Erik was halfway through a four-year ban for a doping offence.

The swimmer has always denied using drugs and attributed her success to a more intense and focused training programme and better diet.

President Clinton rallied to her cause in Atlanta, telling her he was full of admiration for her swimming and the way she had dealt with "all that crap from the media".

Vast sums of money were predicted from sponsors eager to be associated with a woman from a country with not a single Olympic-sized 50-metre pool who became one of the few swimmers to win three individual Olympic titles.

But the gold medals did not bring the expected golden riches and trouble lurked around the corner in 1997 even though her Irish fans came out in force to cheer her in her first post-Olympic competition in March that year.

She was warned by FINA in February 1997 after failing to make herself available for a drugs test the previous October.

Last August she set a European 200 butterfly short-course record and the same month she scooped two gold medals and two silver at the European long-course championships in Seville, though — with the fierce heat sapping even her formidable powers — the haul was not as huge as had looked likely before the meeting.

Controversy continued to dog her in Seville. She escaped with a warning after being threatened with disqualification for failing to attend an obligatory news conference.

Michelle suffered neck and back injuries in a car accident in Ireland last October which disrupted her training schedule and prompted her to pull out of January’s world long-course championships in Perth, Australia.

Despite the disappointment of missing swimming’s top event outside the Olympics she probably felt relieved to be half a world away when China’s swimmers came under media spotlight in Australia, embroiled in a succession of doping scandals.

DUBLIN, (Reuters): Irish swimmer Michelle Smith-de Bruin said on Friday she would appeal against a four-year ban for tampering with a doping sample and seek damages from the sport’s governing body FINA for ruining her reputation.

"I will prove my innocence at the end of the day in this matter," Smith-de Bruin said in a statement read out to a news conference at her solicitor’s office in Dublin.

The 28-year-old triple Olympic gold medallist reiterated that she had never taken a banned substance and said she would take her case to the independent court of arbitration for sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Where she expected to be thoroughly vindicated.

Rod Laver 'not out of danger'

LOS ANGELES, Aug 7 (AP) — Australian tennis legend Rod Laver has shown some improvement since suffering a stroke but he is not out of danger, his doctor has said.

Dr Neil A. Martin said yesterday the retired Grand Slam champion would face lengthy rehabilitation when he is moved out of intensive care at the university of California, Los Angeles medical centre.

"I think there's a fighting chance he'll be up and walking around. It's going to take months," said the neurosurgeon, co-director of the UCLA stroke center.

Laver, who will be 60 on Sunday, suffered the stroke July 27.

The doctor said Laver was responding to antibiotics administered for a fever and there was some improvement in his weakened right arm.

"Laver was in stable condition but not entirely out of danger," the physician said.

Martin said Laver would remain in intensive care for several more days.

World Cup official faces sanction

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 7 (Reuters) — South African referee Achmat Sallie, one of the linesmen at the World Cup final, faces sanction at home after booking the same player twice but then forgetting to send him off in a league match.

Sallie, who was an assistant referee at the World Cup finals and officiated in the final between France and Brazil in Paris on July 12, could be suspended for his lapse, officials said yesterday.

Sallie, who has now switched from the line to a new career in the middle, booked Orlando Pirates player Mokoena after 48 minutes of their opening league match of the new season against Vaal Professionals last Sunday.

He cautioned Mokoena again after he took off his shirt to celebrate a late equaliser for Pirates but forget that he had already cautioned the player earlier and did not take out his red card.

The embarrassing mistake has been referred to the South African Football Association’s refereeing committee for possible disciplinary action.

Sajal, Tarunpreet bag TT titles
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 7 — Sajal Kaushal a student of GMSSS-35 and a trainee of Coaching Centre Sector 23, and Tarunpreet Kaur a student of GMSSS-38 clinched cadet boys and cadet girls singles titles, respectively, in the ongoing Bhavan Hawks 4th Chandigarh State Ranking TT Tournament, conducted by Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, at the Sector 23 Table Tennis Hall here.

Results: Cadet boys (semifinals): Sajal Kaushal bt Gaurav Khanna (21-6, 21-12) Aditya Puri bt Jitender (21-4, 21-10).

Finals: Sajal Kaushal (GMSSS-35) bt Aditya Puri (Manav Mangal-21) (22-20, 21-15).

Cadet girls (semifinals): Gagandeep Kaur (GMSSS-23) bt Nadia Saini (DAVP-8) (21-17, 21-11), Tarunpreet Kaur (GMSSS-38) bt Saloni Sambria (BVB-27) (21-14, 21-13). Finals: Tarunpreet Kaur (GMSSS-38) BT Gagandeep Kaur (GMSSS-23) 19-21, 21-14, 22-20).

BRD spikers win
From Our Sports Reporter

NEW DELHI, Aug 7 — Base Repair Depot (BRD) defeated AMSE 15-9, 15-7, 10-10 in the inaugural volleyball match on the occasion of the Air Force’s gloden jublee celebration at Gurgaon today.

Rajeevan was the brain behind BRD’s easy win. He saw to it that his players were in positions to score points through powerful smashes and placements.

Air Force will also organise a track and field event in addition to kabaddi, basketball and handball.

The meet, which concludes on August 18, carries the Chief of Air Staff Trophy.

Jaspreet, Bindiya record wins
From Our Correspondent

ROPAR, Aug 7 — The three-day Punjab State Sub-junior and Junior Swimming Championship for boys and girls was inaugurated by Mr Nusrat Ali Ikram Khan, Minister of Sports, Punjab, at the Nehru Stadium swimming pool here today.

About 300 boys and girls are participating from 13 districts of the state in this championship.

In the 400 m freestyle (under-19) event in the boys and girls sections, swimmers from Sangrur and Ludhiana clinched the first position while in 400 m freestyle (under-17) event, Sangrur boys and Ropar girls secured the first place. In the 200 m individual medley event in under-14 boys section, Ropar boys got first place.

The following are the results:

Boys section: 400 m freestyle (under-19): Jaspreet Singh (Sangrur) 1, Anwar Masih (Hoshiarpur) 2, Madhav (Ludhiana) 3. 400 m freestyle (under-17): Manmohan Singh (Sangrur) 1, Gaurav Dutta (Jalandhar) 2, Pawanjit Singh (Sangrur) 3. 200 m individual medley (under-14) — Devinder Pal Singh (Ropar) 1, Dalbir Singh (Sangrur) 2, Harpreet Singh (Ferozepur) 3.

Girls section: 400 m freestyle (under-19) — Bindiya Sareen (Ludhiana) 1, Kirandeep (Ropar) 2, Abhipsha Thakur (Ludhiana) 3. 400 m freestyle (under-17) — Puneet Chechi (Ropar) 1, Rupinderjit Kaur (Sangrur) 2, Deepti Kanwar (Hoshiarpur) 3.