Saturday, April 24, 1999
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S P O R T | Saturday, April 24, 1999 |
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Karnataka champs as Bharadwaj
grabs 6 wkts BANGALORE, April 23 — Vijay Bharadwaj, better known for his batting exploits, grabbed six wickets for 24 runs to send Madhya Pradesh crashing to a 96-run defeat and Karnataka retained the Ranji Trophy, symbol for supremacy in domestic cricket. SAFF soccer: B’desh hold India MARGO, April 23 — Youthful Bangladesh held defending champions India to a goal-less draw and achieved their aim of snatching a point in their opening group "A" match of the second SAFF Coca-Cola Cup here yesterday. |
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Mohammad Ali backs boxing reforms Continuous
grind taking its toll Hockey
team leaves amidst controversy Azhar
feels batting holds the key
Team leaves for World Cup Jansher
vows to regain ranking
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Karnataka champs as Bharadwaj BANGALORE, April 23 (PTI) — Vijay Bharadwaj, better known for his batting exploits, grabbed six wickets for 24 runs to send Madhya Pradesh crashing to a 96-run defeat and Karnataka retained the Ranji Trophy, symbol for supremacy in domestic cricket. Madhya Pradesh, in their maiden Ranji Trophy final, needed 247 runs for an outright win after Karnataka declared their second innings boldly at the overnight score of 321 for 7, buckled under mounting pressure to tumble from 130 for 4 at tea to 150 all out on the final day at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. History points that in the last 14 years no team has won the championship after conceding the first innings lead. In 1984-85, Mumbai defeated Delhi by 90 runs after conceding a first innings lead of 65 runs in the final at Mumbai. Here, MP had a 75-run lead over Karnataka’s first innings score of 304. But the defending champions rallied splendidly. The first two sessions were fought grimly, but the match turned after tea in the hosts’ favour. Except for Abbas Ali 47 (244m, 204b, 5x4) none of the MP batsmen impressed. Santhosh Sahu, who scored a maiden century in the first knock, made only 19. He was caught by Yalvigi, trying to hit Joshi over mid-on. The rain god who disrupted yesterday’s play was kind to Karnataka today and immediately after the win, downpour started. Skipper Sunil Joshi, who picked up three wickets, used Bharadwaj in four spells. Bharadwaj did not disappoint bagging two wickets in five balls without giving a run in his last spell. His third spell of 7-3-13-3 was the most interesting. He bowled only one over in his first spell but he turned the match around by uprooting the middle stump of Devendra Bundela (28) who was going strong with Abbas Ali (47) at the other end. The two had put on 55 runs for the fourth wicket. MP skipper Chandrakant Pandit, whose swan song this match was, made only 13 before being caught by A. Vijay off Bharadwaj. The tail-enders did not bother the scorers as they were brushed aside by Bharadwaj. "I didn’t expect that I would be called to bowl in the fag end. Ganesh and Joshi insisted that I bowl," said Bharadwaj. Praising Bharadwaj for his performance, Karnataka team manager Raghunanth said: "it is not Ranji Trophy. It is Vijay’s trophy. I had said before the match itself that the trophy is ours and now we have made it." Skipper Joshi attributed the victory to team effort. Scoreboard Karnataka 1st innings:
304 |
SAFF soccer: B’desh hold India MARGO, April 23 (PTI) — Youthful Bangladesh held defending champions India to a goal-less draw and achieved their aim of snatching a point in their opening group "A" match of the second SAFF Coca-Cola Cup here yesterday. Bangladesh, who were keen to get a point against their toughest rival in the three-team group as it would make their task easier against Pakistan tomorrow, achieved their objective by resorting to defensive play. They strengthened their defence, packing in five to six men and also counter-attacked well and almost succeeded in taking the lead early on. Striker Mohammed Alfaz Ahmed, who looked dangerous whenever in possession, could have opened the visitors account in the sixth minute but his shot from the top of the box was saved by keeper Virender Singh. The hosts, who had beaten Bangladesh 3-0 in the last edition, in contrast failed to play a cohesive game as their midfielders lacked coordination. Instead of playing from the flanks, they resorted to overhead passes down the middle which were effectively tackled by the rival defence. Skipper Jewel Rana, who fetched the most valuable player of the match award of Rs 10,000, manned the deep defence well and proved a thorn in India’s flesh. The hosts lacked urgency in their attacks and their wing backs failed to overlap upfront whenever their strikers made attacking moves. Bruno Coutinho, who played down the middle, created openings for strikers Baichung Bhutia and I.M. Vijayan, but they failed to capitalise for want of support from the midfielders. India, who had the better of exchanges and good scoring chances, could have settled the issue in their favour, but the strikers lost sting at the goalmouth and keeper Mohammed Aminul also came up with a couple of good saves. India, who put pressure in the last quarter of the first half, had three scoring chances but could not get past the custodian. Defender Jewel Rana also came to his team’s rescue with just a few minutes left for the interval when he made a goal-line save off a lob from Baichung Bhutia after keeper Haq, who leaped high to collect an aerial ball failed to collect off a cross from Vijayan from the right. Baichung Bhutia, who was well marked, broke free twice but failed to beat the keeper. Earlier in the 25th minute, a combined move between Bhutia and Vijayan saw the former making a direct hit, which was well collected by keeper Haq. Haq once again came to his team’s rescue when he denied Bhutia in taking the lead as he collected a powerful sliding shot off a cross from Coutinho which came to him via defender Reazul Mustafa from the right flank. The second half was confined mostly to the midfield. Bangladesh, who have not played much of competitive soccer of late, made a few forays into the rival territory but failed to penetrate. They had a good opportunity in the 60th minute when Mustafa Anwar Parvez was put in possession inside the box. Anwar relayed a square pass to Manwar Hossa but the latter shot over the bar. India brought in Basudev Mondal in place of off colour Carlton Chapman and nearly succeeded in taking the lead twice. First in the 63rd minute a flag kick taken by Basudev Mondal saw Daljit Singh shooting the ball over the bar. A few minutes later, a combined move between Basudev Mondal and Vijayan on the right saw Vijayan sending a low cross for Bhutia who was late in connecting the cross after the entire defence was beaten. Bangladesh made a counter move from the right, with substitute Shahajuddin Tipu putting substitute Rakib Hossain at the goal mouth in possession but his header was tipped over by Virender for an abortive corner. With fifteen minutes left for the final whistle, India bought in Jo Paul Ancheri in place of Coutinho but could not break the deadlock as the rival defence stood their ground resolutely. In the closing stages, India tried hard to get ahead of Bangladesh but a left-footer from Ancheri off a free kick taken by Mondal was well saved by a diving keeper Haq. Bangladesh’s Rana, Mustafa Anwar Parvez and substitute Shahajuddin Tipu and Jules Alberto of India were shown yellow card by referee S. Selarajen of Malaysia. Earlier, Goa Governor Lt-Gen (Retd.) J.F.R. Jacob declared open the tournament with a drill performed by various schools from Goa. Bangladesh play their
next match tomorrow against Pakistan while India play
against Pakistan on Monday to complete their league
engagements. |
SA cricketer Ntini convicted of rape EAST LONDON, (South Africa), April 23 (Reuters) — South African cricket authorities fired Makhaya Ntini, the only black cricketer selected for the upcoming World Cup, after he was found guilty today of raping a young woman. Ntini was convicted by Magistrate Deon Roussouw of raping 22-year-old neighbour after offering her a lift home on December 2. The rape took place in the toilet of a cricket stadium in the east coast port of East London, where Ntini plays for the Border provincial cricket side. Ntini, 21, is first black African ever selected for the national squad and played in Australia and England last year. The colour bar in South African cricket had, however, been broken earlier by two mixed-race players, Paul Adams and Herschelle Gibbs, who were classified "coloured" under apartheid legislation. United Cricket Board (UCB) Managing Director Ali Bacher said in a statement in Johannesburg that the board was disappointed by Ntini’s conviction. "We believe rape is a heinous crime and our previous and current comments on this matter must not be construed in any other light," Bacher said. "We understand there are definite grounds for appeal... UCB will continue to support Makhaya until the legal process has been completed. Sadly Makhaya Ntini will be withdrawn from the South Africa squad for World Cup." Pace-bowler Ntini, dressed in a light blue suit, broke down and sobbed as the verdict was handed down in court. "There is overwhelming evidence against the accused. The court could not find any reason to believe the complainant was trying to mislead it," Magistrate Roussouw said. The court was due to reconvene in the afternoon at which time Ntini’s lawyers would say if they wanted to appeal and have his bail of 5,000 rand (approx Rs 35,000) continued. Ntini was discovered as a raw 15-year-old in Mdingi, a poor rural black township near King William’s town, inland from East London. Raymond Booi, the Border cricket board official who first spotted Ntini’s talent, told Reuters he was devastated by the judgement. "My heart is broken
because he was a model for South African youth. He is a
loyal non-aggressive decent person," Booi said. Dawson replaces Ntini JOHANNESBURG, April 23 (Reuters) — All-rounder Alan Dawson will replace black fast bowler Makhaya Ntini in South Africa’s World Cup squad, the United Cricket Board of South Africa said today. Dawson was called up for
the tournament starting in England on May 14 following
Ntini’s conviction for rape in East London today. |
Mohammad Ali backs boxing reforms WASHINGTON, April 23 (AP) — Mohammad Ali did not utter a word but his presence at a US Senate hearing yesterday spoke volumes about the state of professional boxing and lent support to Senator John McCain's efforts to clean up the sport. The former heavyweight champion, who suffers from Parkinson's syndrome and has trouble speaking told the Senate commerce committee through longtime friend Howard Bingham that the Lennox Lewis-Evander Holyfield heavyweight bout, which ended in a controversial draw in New York last month, was the lowest point" for a sport beset with problems. Ali has become increasingly upset about the scandals that have occurred in professional boxing." Mr Bingham said as Ali gazed intently at committee members from a witness table. Ali is particularly interested in the parts of Mr McCain's boxing reform Bill that would stop exploitation of boxers by promoters. One provision would prohibit coercive option, contracts that prevent fighters from controlling their careers. Mr McCain, an Arizona Republican and 2000 presidential aspirant, told Ali: "Your support of this legislation is absolutely vital to our chances of passing it." In the disputed fight, one judge had Lewis winning while another had scored it a draw and a third gave the fight to Holyfield, despite the general consensus among spectators, television viewers and boxing experts that Lewis clearly won. The fight is under investigation by the New York city prosecutor's office and the New York State Athletic Commission. Mr McCain's Bill would establish new standards for sanctioning organisations that rank fighters, create new financial disclosure requirements for promoters and event organisers, and require that State Boxing Commissions be informed when charges, costs and fees are taken from a boxer's purse. Mr McCain, who attended the Lewis-Holyfield fight, said the sport has too few ethical boundaries and a ranking system, controlled by promoters, that defies all reason. But Walter Stone, counsel to the US-based International Boxing Federation, said fight organisers are working to address the problems. Mr McCain is likely to
move the Bill through the commerce committee later this
year, an identical measure was passed in the Senate last
year but went nowhere in the lower chamber, the House of
Representatives. |
Continuous grind taking its toll NEW DELHI, April 23 (PTI) — Be it Sachin Tendulkar’s back injury or Mahesh Bhupathi’s hamstring problem, the continuous grind that sportspersons are putting themselves through is taking it's toll. Incidence of injuries among sportspersons is increasing as they push themselves relentlessly in a bid to make the most of their brief careers, say sports medicine experts, recommending a string of exercises to prevent burn-outs. "All sports activity causes wear and tear of the muscles and joints. When athletes compete without adequate rest and recovery, they carry such wear and tear from one event to another. It accumulates and results in a major breakdown", says Dr Ashok Rajagopal, who has treated several international-level Indian athletes. Such injuries are inevitable in competitive sports, says Dr P.S.M. Chandran, Chief Medical Officer of the Sports Authority of India. "In competitive sports you overwork your body, it naturally has an impact. All an athlete can do is to try and minimise injuries and recover from them quickly", says Dr Chandran. Fitness plays a major role in prevention of injuries, but it does not guarantee freedom from injury, he says. The training regimen of athletes in India is rigidly devised, allowing little time for recovery from the effects of strenuous work, says Dr Chandran. "Training regimens' should allow for more rest if a player has put in extra work on a given day. While we rigidly adhere to the training schedule, rest and recovery don’t get much attention", he says. Stretching exercises, swimming, massage, sauna and yoga exercises all aid the body’s recovery. However, facilities for these exist in few stadia in India. "There is not a single qualified sports masseur in the country", says Dr Chandran. Sports massage is a specialised field, in which attention is given to the specific requirements of sportspersons in different disciplines. Besides, the massage given to athletes before a competition differs from the one that follows it. "A masseur who does not know this can do just the opposite", says Dr Chandran. Training apart, proper technique can also prevent injuries. This is particularly true of sports like gymnastics and weightlifting, where one mistake can cripple an athlete for life, as happened with Chinese gymnast Sang Lan, who was paralysed from chest down after a fall during a practice vault at the Goodwill Games in New York last July. How faulty technique can bring on an injury has been highlighted by the debate on the cause of Tendulkar’s back problem. Mr Arunachalam Kumar, a medical anatomist, and Dr K.P. Seetarama Rao of Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, had prophesied in a research paper that Tendulkar would suffer a hip or knee injury caused possibly by faulty footwork in execution of his favourite lofted on-drive. The paper, titled ‘A Bio-Mechanical Analysis of Tendulkar’s On-Drive’, presented at the 46th National Conference of the Anatomical Society of India late last year, said Tendulkar’s heavy bat and increasing body weight could also contribute to the injury, which are disputed by batting legend Sunil Gavaskar. While the high-profile Tendulkar and Azharuddin may have suffered due too much cricket, other sports persons are felled by more basic causes. "One of the most common cause of injuries is a bad or worn out shoe", says Olympian and athletics coach Sriram Singh. "After all", asks Dr Chandran, "how many players can afford a good sports shoe which may cost more than Rs 2,000?" Moreover, the kind of surfaces our sportspersons play on, even at the national level, are sometimes not fit even for low-level competitions and take a heavy toll on the players’ bodies", says Dr Rajagopal. Also lacking, says Dr Rajagopal, are adequate sport medicine facilities to guide and treat players. Getting an athlete in peak condition for a competition calls for a combined effort from his coach, physiotherapist, doctor and the trainer. But this rarely happens in India due to the paucity of sports medicine experts, says Dr Rajagopal. Injuries during their careers apart, the punishing grind the athletes put their body through in pursuit of sporting glory exacts a toll later in life. Depending on their sport, the athletes suffer from chronic problems of knee joints, shoulders and the back. Such problems set in earlier among retired sportspersons than others once they stop all sporting activity. Sportspersons generally take it easy once they quit. "They tend to relax and enjoy the things they missed out on during their careers. It’s partly a psychological reaction, this feeling of freedom", says former bowling great Bishan Singh Bedi. The result, in Bedi’s words, is that "the body goes haywire". The antidote, again, is fitness. "If athletes continue training at a lower level, they can lead healthy lives after retirement", says Dr Chandran. "It’s all a
matter of individual commitment to fitness. As long as
the players work to keep themselves fit, they can
minimise injuries and even stave off the problems
sportspersons face later in life", says Bedi. |
Pak cricket in turmoil as judge summons players ISLAMABAD, April 23 (PTI) — Barely had it recovered from the sudden resignation of coach Javed Miandad, Pakistan cricket was plunged into turmoil once again today with skipper Wasim Akram and other players being summoned "for final questioning" by the Judge probing the betting and match-fixing allegations. The judicial commission headed by Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum has issued summons to 12 former and present players and cricket officials, asking them to appear before it on April 28, the day on which the team leaves for England for the May-June World Cup. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)s' legal adviser Ali Sibtain Fazli, confirming the summons, said the team members were not required to appear personally before the commission and could be represented by their lawyers. He also said Justice Qayyum would try to make the hearing on Wednesday as the final one before he submits his findings and recommendations to President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar, who is the patron-in-chief of the PCB. Five players from Pakistan’s World Cup team - skipper Wasim Akram, Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmad, Mushtaq Ahmed and Waqar Younis - are among those summoned for this final hearing, sources at the PCB said. These players will be
cross-examined by Rashid Latif, Aamir Sohail, Javed
Miandad, PCB chief executive Majid Khan, Ata-ur Rehman,
Intekhab Alam and an alleged bookie, Salim Pervaiz as all
of them have also been summoned, the sources said. |
Hockey team leaves amidst
controversy PATIALA, April 23 — The last-minute hassles and hiccups normally associated with Indian contingents going abroad surfaced yet once again as a 17-member Indian women’s hockey squad left the National Institute of Sports (NIS) here for Delhi en route to Australia without videographer, Mr SN Batish, who despite being cleared by the sports ministry and whose expenses were to be borne by the Government of India, could not make it with the squad due to the exigencies of the cash strapped Indian women's hockey federation (IWHF). The 17-member squad led by versatile forward Pritam Thakran, who played a key role in India winning silver at the Bangkok Asian Games, left for Delhi today. The team is slated to participate in the four-nation hockey tournament to be played at Canberra and Perth on double leg league basis from April 28 to May 10. The IWHF had urged the sports ministry to allow them to take along with the team videographer Mr SN Batish, who is employed at the NIS, here. The case made out by the IWHF think-tank for taking a videographer to the Australia tourney was that since top teams, including Olympic champions Australia, Bangkok Asian Games gold medallists South Korea and African Games champions South Africa, were participating, the Indian team would benefit as SN Batish would videograph all the six matches the Indians are scheduled to play. On return, the films would be intensively studied by a panel of coaches to detect the flaws or the grey areas of the Indian’s gameplan, particular emphasis was to be given on penalty corner conversions either by the direct or indirect method by other teams. The sports ministry agreed to take a videographer and the name of Mr Batish was cleared. All the costs were to be incurred by the government. The Australian Embassy had already granted a visa to Mr Batish and other members of the squad. At the eleventh hour when the team was scheduled to leave by train today afternoon, the Director, NIS, Mr GS Anand, received a fax from the IWHF in which it was mentioned that the organisers of the tournament will not provide accommodation to the videographer. Earlier, the organisers had agreed, in principle, to provide accommodation at the rate of $ 100 per player and all other officials. The IWHF insisted that the videographer could pay the accommodation expenses from his own pocket, which comes to nearly Rs 50,000, and the same would be reimbursed by the federation later. However, top IWHF sources say that since the federation was already cash strapped, it would not have been possible for it to reimburse the amount. Even as the team was being given a warm send off, Mr Batish was too stunned at the sudden turn of events to speak. However, sources say that once the government had cleared the videographer's name, either the SAI or the government could have stepped in to provide the necessary financial assistance to Mr Batish, keeping in view the top teams playing in the tournament. The IWHF is considering it as a key tourney in its run up to the Olympic pre-qualifier to be held at Milton Keynes next year. Meanwhile coach, Mr GS Bhangu, exuded confidence on the occasion of departure of the team. He said that in the first leg to be played at Canberra, the team would play with a 4-4-2-1 format, while in the second leg to be played at Perth the 3-3-3-1-1 format would be adopted. This, he said, was meant to test different permutations and combinations as also to assess the weaknesses and strength of the team. The team: Tingolima Chanu, Helen Mary, Amandeep Kaur, Marystilla Tirkey, Sandeep Kaur, Kanti Baa, Laxmi Shree, Sunita Dalal, Kamla Dalal, Sita Gosain, Pritam Thakran (captain), Samurai Tete, Manjinder Kaur, Suraj Lata, Neha Singh, Jyoti Kullu and Papki Devi. Coach: Mr GS Bhangu. Manager: Ms Rupa Saini, Doctor — Dr Ashok Ahuja.
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Azhar feels batting holds the key MUMBAI, April 23 (PTI) — Skipper Mohd Azharuddin says the key to the success of the "well-balanced" national squad in the World Cup lay in how well its strong-on-paper batting line-up clicks in English conditions as "the country has won whenever our batting has clicked recently". Speaking at a well-attended press conference at the team hotel here, prior to the squad’s departure for London via Dubai in the evening, Azhar said the team had a wealth of experience in the limited overs version of the game with there being several players having played in more than 150 internationals. "We have got a good, well-balanced side with a wealth of one-day international experience. We have played more one- dayers than any other team in the world. I feel the key to the team’s success lies in batting well in English conditions which can be very cold at this time of the year", the stylish Hyderabad batsman said. Azhar, who will equal West Indian great Clive Lloyd’s record of leading his country in three World Cups in-a-row when he steps out for the toss with South African skipper Hansie Cronje on May 15 at Hove, said the three-week preparatory camp in England was a god-sent opportunity to get used to the climatic conditions. "We will be better off by going and working out in the cold as soon as we reach England which will help us during the championship immensely", he said. About the conditions the team would encounter in England, Azhar, who has toured England on quite a few occasions the past, said when the conditions are cold there would be lot of sideways movement of the ball and when the weather is warm, conditions would be good for batting. Emphasising on the importance of batting well, the captain, who received the "Good luck India" book signed by millions of cricket fans from the triumphant 1983 cup squad’s captain Kapil Dev, said: "We need to bat well definitely. We have won whenever our batting has clicked recently. I have lot of confidence in our bowling and in the entire team." Azhar said Sachin Tendulkar, back in the team after a two-month rest because of back spasms, would open the innings with Saurav Ganguly. "He is our best player and has the best chance to bat out fifty overs", he pointed out. About fielding, which he had criticised often in the past, Azhar said it had definitely improved over the last few years. Asked how he felt taking on title-favourites South Africa in their opening group match, Azhar said it was good to play against the toughest team early on. "We have beaten them in the past but we have to bat really well. That is the key," Azhar added. Coach Anshuman Gaekwad
reiterated his captain’s views saying the team had
paid a lot of importance to the fielding aspect whenever
it had the requisite time to work on it by way of breaks
from the international grind. |
Team leaves for World Cup MUMBAI, April 23 (PTI) — The Indian cricket team led by Mohd Azharuddin left here this evening for London via Dubai for the May 14-June 20 World Cup carrying with them the hopes of millions of fans. Several people, holding banners containing signatures of thousands of cricket fans wishing the team success in the mega event, lined up on the either side of the road leading to the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and gave the team a hearty send-off. The squad led by Azhar, who is set to emulate West Indian great Clive Lloyd’s record of captaining his country for the third edition of the Cup running, left well in advance of the championship to get attuned to the cold and damp weather conditions expected to be encountered in the England at this time of the year. The team is scheduled to have a preparatory camp at Leicester before the Cup opener during which period it is to play five practice games too. India take on South Africa in their lung opener at Hove on May 15. Their other group "A" preliminary league matches are scheduled against Zimbabwe (May 19 at Leicester), Kenya (May 23 at Bristol), Cup holders Sri Lanka (May 26 at Taunton) and hosts England (May 29 at Edgbaston) in the first stage of the championship. The super six stage, for
which the top three teams in groups "A" and
"B" would qualify, is set to commence on June
4. |
Pratap upsets Saritha KOCHI, April 23 (PTI) — Kerala’s N. Abdul Majeed and K. Haridas of Tamil Nadu were in the lead with 10 points each even as sub-junior player R C Pratap Mohan created a flutter by beating IWM Bindu K Saritha in the VSH Ralph Memorial FIDE rating chess tournament here today. Overnight leader, Majeed, the top seed here, was held to a draw by FIDE rated P S Ameer while Haridas joined the lead by defeating John S Ralph in the 12th round here this morning. Saritha played the French defence against Pratap but once the latter got control over the ‘C’ file he won the game without much difficulty in 38 moves. Kerala state champion U C Mohanan was held to a draw by P V Gireesh in kings Indian defence. In another match, K R Madhusoodanan and Ganesh Bhatt agreed to a draw without taking any risks as both are eyeing for the fourth place. Earlier, in the 11th
round, Pratap Mohan shocked FIDE rated John S Ralph in 64
moves. Pratap, when threatened with a piece loss,
captured two pawns and made a mating net from which it
was difficult for his opponent to escape. |
Paes-Bhupathi duo bows out NEW DELHI, April 23 (PTI) — A fortnight after their morale-boosting hat-trick title triumph in the Gold Flake Open at Chennai, India's Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi stumbled out of the Monte Carlo Open tennis tournament, losing in the doubles second round. The top seeded Indian pair, who received a first round bye, slumped to a 6-3, 6-2 defeat against qualifiers Domnic Hrbaty and Karol Kucera of Slovakia in their first match of the tournament in Monte Carlo yesterday, according to information received here today. The world number two Indian duo, who did not have a great start to the year after a successful season but were on the recovery course with their good show in the Australian Open and their recent Chennai triumph, failed to come up with their usual game and lost easily. Hrbaty-Kucera, who rallied from a set down to beat Brazil's Fernando Maligeni and Sebastian Prieto of Argentina 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the first round, will take on Donald Johnson of the USA and Cyril Suk of Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. Continuing their ascent towards the summit in the world doubles, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have moved up to the number two spot in the ATP doubles rankings. The top Indian pair was placed second with 1091 points behind Zimbabwe's Wayne Black and Standon Stolle of the USA as per the latest rankings issued by ATP. Black/Stolle, who are not regular partners and have come together for the first time this year, were leading with a tally of 1267 points. At the third spot were Australian Open doubles champions Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden and Australia's Pat Rafter — 951 points — with the former world number one Australian pair of Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge at fourth with 905 points. In the individual rankings, Bhupathi maintained his second position with partner Paes following behind at third. Dutchman Paul Haarhuis was ranked top. In singles, Paes moved up three places, thanks to the 60 points he gained for his title triumph in the ITF challenger tournament here two weeks ago and was placed at 105 with 478 points. Bhupathi, who lost to
Paes in the New Delhi Challenger final, jumped to 257th
position from 318 with Prahalad Srinath and Syed
Fazaluddin way back at 445 and 619, respectively. |
Jeev Milkha joint second NEW DELHI, April 23 — The Indian flag was kept flying high as Jeev Milkha Singh ended the second round placed at an impressive joint second with five other professionals at the 100 million yen, Kirin Open Golf Championship, being played at the 6,975-yard, par-71 Ibaraki Golf Club West Course today. Singh was placed at a comfortable five under 137 going into the penultimate round. Leading the field, at nine-under 134, was Korean pro, Choi-Jyong-Ju Open champion Arjun Atwal placed at low joint 50th position after carding a two-day score of two over 144. Vijay Kumar, leader of the Order of Merit at the ‘Wills Sport Golf Tour’, playing his first tournament on foreign soil, failed to make the cut after playing to seven-over over 149 two days. S S P Chowrasia, the
Calcutta pro who finished first runner-up at the Indian
Open, could not make it to Japan as he could not arrange
a passport. |
Jansher vows to regain ranking ISLAMABAD, April 23 (ANI) — Expressing satisfaction over his performance in the PIA Open Squash Championship, Pakistan squash mestro Jansher Khan said he would soon stage a comeback in the international squash arena and regain his world number one ranking again. Talking to newspersons at Peshawar airport upon his arrival from Karachi after participating in the PIA Open, a determined Jansher said: "I played the final of the PIA Open despite being away from squash for the last one year." He said he would regain his lost title soon. Jansher agreed that he was not absolutely fit for the PIA Open. "I lost the final of PIA Open due to reduction in speed," he added. About his participation
in the similar events, Jansher said it would help restore
his confidence and disclosed that he would participate in
the Chief Minister's Tournament scheduled for April 28 in
Abbotabad. |
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Shimla Cricket Cup from May 10 SHIMLA, April 23 (TNS) — The Department of Youth Services and Sports will organise coaching camps for all the state teams for various national events. Besides, it will grant more funds to the various state level sports associations so that they are be able to organise their activities in a better way. This was disclosed by Mr Parveen Sharma, Minister of State for Youth Services and Sports, Himachal Pradesh, while presiding over a meeting of sports associations and federations. The calendar of sports activities for the year 1999-2000 to be organised by the Department of Youth Services and Sports was also finalised and released. The open school cricket tournament to be known as Shimla Open Cricket Cup would be organised at Shimla from May 10 to 23. The tournament will be open for all the schools, including public schools of Himachal Pradesh. Jr TT nationals in city CHANDIGARH April 23 (BOSR) — Chandigarh will play host to the 61st Junior National Table Tennis Championships from November 20 to 26 at the Indoor TT Hall, Sector 23, according to Mr Rajeev Kaushal, Joint Secretary of the Table Tennis Federation of India. The event for boys and girls under the age group of 17 will attract nearly 350 players drawn from 25 state units and union territories. Mr Kaushal added that since 1996 when the new hall was constructed, two big tournaments — the National Women Festival in table tennis and All India Civil Services Table Tennis Championship — have been organised. Even Kamlesh Mehta, a former national champion, had complimented the facilities available here during his visit last month for the All-India Inter-Bank Table Tennis Tournament here. As per the calendar released by the TTFI, the year 1999 will see the Asia Cup TT being staged at Mumbai from November 3 to 6 while the Asian Junior TT has been allotted to Chennai. The 61st sub junior (under -14) and Cadet (under -12) Nationals will be conducted in the first week of December at Trivandrum (Kerala) and the 61st Senior National Championships will be held at Cuttack (Orissa) in January next year. The National Junior Table Tennis Championships scheduled to be held at Chandigarh will offer a total prize money of Rs 70,000 said Mr Kaushal, who is also Secretary of the CTTA. Steps to promote badminton CHANDIGARH April 23 (BOSR) — For better coordination between the various state units and for the promotion of badminton, the general secretaries of the seven northern units affiliated to the Badminton Association of India (BAI) will be meeting on April 25 at Panchkula. The seven affiliated units are Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. Earlier this meeting was scheduled for April 4. Mr Devender Singh, Vice-
President of the BAI and President of the Haryana
Badminton Association, will preside over the meeting. |
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