RIO DE JANEIRO : Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo kisses a child at the Cancer Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Wednesday. Ronaldo donated 30,000 reals (about US$16,600) to the hospital. Ronaldo, who plays in Italy for Inter, said Wednesday he doesn't know a Brazilian woman who allegedly organised sessions of sex and drugs for soccer players, businessmen, actors and other clients in Italy, the Brazilian news agency O Globo reported — AP/PTI

Ronaldo to sue papers for defamation RIO DE JANERIO, July 22 — Soccer star Ronaldo has said he doesn’t know a Brazilian woman who allegedly organised sessions of sex and drugs for soccer players, businessmen, actors and other clients in Italy. Ngeny runs season’s fastest 1500m PARIS, July 22 — Kenya’s Noah Ngeny continued to flirt with middle-distance records at the Paris Golden League athletics meeting yesterday, clocking the fastest 1,500 metres this season.

IAAF format draws flak
PARIS, July 22 — Track stars Marion Jones and Ato Boldon have criticised the format of the Golden League, complaining that the series concentrates too much money in the hands of too few athletes.

New faces Germany’s “biggest problem”
GUADALAJARA (Mexico), July 22 — The coach of the German national soccer team said the six new players he brought to the Confederations Cup aren’t up to the level of the veterans.

Eves return after successful tour
NEW DELHI, July 22 — “We beat them in all departments of the game but could not press home the advantage in the one-off Test,” coach Sudha Shah said on the Indian women’s cricket team’s return here after their successful tour of England.

Wayne Noon serves a warning
LONDON, July 22 — Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper Wayne Noon showed he was a worthy stand-in for England’s Chris Read by almost equalling a world record.

Revive Sahara Cup: PCB chief
ISLAMABAD, July 22 — Pakistan board’s interim chief Mujibur Rehman today favoured continuation of cricketing ties with India and urged the Indian board authorities to take steps to revive the Sahara Cup annual one-day series, cancelled in the wake of Pakistani intrusion in Kargil.

6-member team for Lanka nationals
COLOMBO, July 22 — India is sending a six-member athletic team for the 1999 Sri Lanka national championships to be held here from July 30 to August 1.

Moya defeats Meligeni to enter last 8
STUTTGART, July 22 — Former French Open champion Carlos Moya defeated this year’s Roland Garros semifinalist Fernando Meligeni today to book a place in the quarterfinals of the $ 1.05 million Mercedes Cup.

India, Thailand gear up for 2nd leg tie
CALCUTTA, July 22 — Both the Indian and Thailand football teams went through a rigorous practice session amidst a steady drizzle in preparation for their second leg pre-Olympic Asia group-9 match here on Saturday.

Railways, Bihar enter semis

TIRUPATI, July 22 (PTI) — Favourites Indian Railways and Bihar from group ‘A’ and Bombay from group ‘B’ entered the semifinals, registering contrasting wins in their respective league matches in the 6th women’s Federation Cup here today.

Railways downed Punjab 4-0 in a one-sided match to notch up their second straight win and Bombay overcame a fighting Orissa 3-1 in the evening matches after Bihar completed their league engagements with a 6-0 thrashing of Aandhra Pradesh in the morning, to tally six points.

Bombay, with a draw against Haryana and wins over Orissa and U.P., have seven points.

The other semifinalist from group B will be decided after the match between Orissa and Haryana, who have four points from two matches. Orissa have three points from two matches.

Railways ended Punjab’s hopes of an upset win to reach the last four stage on better goal difference over Bihar. They dominated proceedings from the word go and in the process, earned 17 penalty corners, 15 of them in the first half.

After converting their first penalty corner in the opening minute through Sandeep Kaur, Railways increased their margin in the very next minute via a penalty corner conversion by Suraj Lata to go 2-0 up at half-time.

Railways controlled the match in the second half also. In 37th minute, Pritam Rani took a pass from the right and guided the ball in for the third goal. She then completed the tally by deflecting in a shot by Sita Gossein off the 16th penalty corner in the 42nd minute.

The match between Bombay and Orissa evoked keen interest as it was a crucial one for both teams. It was Bombay which went ahead in the ninth minute through striker Pakpi Devi.

However, they lost their rhythm soon after and Orissa recovered well to dominate the later stages. The equaliser came in the 30th minute when Anarita Kerketta sounded the board.

A major part of the second half too was dominated by Orissa, who showed tremendous improvement, with the ball being in their possession most of the time.

But they too failed to score. With a heavy drizzle present throughout the second half, the players had difficulty holding the stick and the ball was mostly confined to the midfield.

But a sudden attack by Bombay caught the Orissa defence off-guard and they conceded a penalty corner in the 56th minute. Poonam Surin converted it through an indirect hit.

Inspired by the success, Bombay forwards, led by Sanghai Chanu and Papki Devi, mounted pressure on the rival defence and Papki scored in the 60th minute off a long cross from Chanu to clinch the issue 3-1.

Punjab finished their league phase with just three points, while Andhra Pradesh have none after two straight losses. Uttar Pradesh in group ‘B’ have already made their exit, losing all three matches.

Bihar virtually qualified for the semifinals swamping Andhra Pradesh 6-0 in their last league encounter for their second win in the four-team group A.

Centre forward Adeline Kerketta led the onslaught against the hosts scoring three goals, while Kanti Baa, Sumanti Khalkho and Anita Ekka shared the rest as Bikar finished their league engagements with six points.

This morning, Bihar dominated the entire match and scored at will as the Andhra Pradesh defence crumbled conceding a whooping 15 penalty corners, the highest so far in the current edition.

However, Andhra Pradesh’s deep defender A Satyavathi and goal keeper C Haseena did a good job under the circumstances foiling a few sure chances, as Bihar frontline comprising Karketta, Masira Surin, Ekka and Khalko applied constant pressure.

Adding to Andhra Pradesh’s woes, they were reduced to 10 players in the last five minutes of the match after defender K.L. Nagamani was shown the yellow card, by umpire Happy Maan.

Kerketta scored Bihar’s first goal through their first penalty corner. Captain Pushpa Pradhan who led the under-21 team in the New Jersey four- nation tournament, took the shot, but the ball was blocked by Satyavati. In the ensuing melee, Karketta sounded the boards in the seventh minute.

The second goal came through a good effort by Ekka, who weaved into the Andhra defence and fed Karketta. The latter did not miss the opportunity and scored in the 24th minute.

After changing over with a 3-0 lead, the third goal coming from a penalty corner conversion by Kanti Baa (27th minute) Bihar increased the intensity of their attack, putting the rival defence under tremendous pressure.

Four minutes into the second half, Rajkumari Banra gave a good pass to Khalkho, who sounded the boards to increase the margin to 4-0.

Kerketta beat Andhra goalkeeper in the 61st minute following a corner. The last goal came in the 68th minute with Ekka doing the scoring.

Kiwis restrict England

LONDON, July 22 (Reuter) — England were tottering at 170 for 9 on the opening day of the second Test against New Zealand when play was stopped due to rain and bad light at Lord’s today. Chris Cairns and Dion Nash took five and three wickets respectively to restrict the hosts to a modest total.

Earlier, England’s Alec Stewart bounced back to form with a half century.

The former captain, whose place has been under threat following a wretched run of form, scored exactly 50 as England, who lead the four-match series 1-0, reached 80 for two at lunch.

Stewart survived an early run-out scare when Dion Nash missed the stumps before taking the New Zealand bowlers to task with a series of trademark pull shots.

In his previous 11 Tests at Lord’s, Stewart had scored 1,031 runs at a handsome average of 51.55, and only Graham Gooch, David Gower and Geoff Boycott have scored more heavily at the home of cricket.

His innings ended 15 minutes before lunch when he glanced a slip catch to New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming off Nash.

Stewart’s opening partner Mark Butcher never looked comfortable and compiled just eight runs before snicking an inside edge to wicketkeeper Adam Parore off Chris Cairns with the total at 35.

Hussain had won the toss and elected to bat on an overcast day in the English capital.

England were without bowler Alex Tudor a late withdrawal due to his knee problem, while New Zealand, who have never beaten England in a Lord’s Test, were missing strike bowler Simon Doull through injury.

England (first innings):
Butcher c Parore b Cairns 8
Stewart c Fleming b Nash 50
Hussain not out 47
Thorpe c Astle b Cairns 7
Ramprakash lbw b Nash 4
Habib b Nash 6
Read B Cairns 0
Caddick run out 18
Headley lbw b Cairns 4
Mullally c Astle b Cairns 0
Tufnell not out 0
Extras 26
Total (for 9 wickets) 170
Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-79, 3-102, 4-112, 5-123, 6-125, 7-150, 8-165, 9-170.

Ngeny runs season’s fastest 1500m

PARIS, July 22 (Reuters) — Kenya’s Noah Ngeny continued to flirt with middle-distance records at the Paris Golden League athletics meeting yesterday, clocking the fastest 1,500 metres this season.

Ngeny, who pushed Hicham El Guerrouj to the mile world record in Rome two weeks ago and narrowly missed breaking Sebastian Coe’s 1,000m mark at the weekend in Nice, has been a revelation this season, having also clocked the top four 1,500m times this year.

In a display of his growing confidence and form, the 20-year-old Ngeny calmly followed pacemakers through the opening two laps on a cool, blustery Paris evening.

He then blasted past reigning Olympic and three-time world champion Noureddine Morceli in the final 300 metres, storming home in three minutes 28.84 seconds — the seventh fastest 1,500m ever run and a new Kenyan national record.

“I knew right from the beginning that I would not beat the world record,’’ said Ngeny. “However, I wanted to break the Kenyan record which I did.

“It’s just a pity the weather conditions weren’t perfect.’’

The meet began with seven athletes chasing a share of the $ 1 million Golden League jackpot and finished with only four, American sprint queen Marion Jones, Romania’s Gabriela Szabo, Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer and Kenya’s Bernard Barmasai still in the hunt for a big payday.

The showdown between Jones and France’s European champion Christine Arron failed to produce an upset as the American romped to 18 consecutive 200m victory in a time of 21.99.

Arron, the 100m European champion and record holder, was never a factor, trailing from the gun and finishing a distant fourth in 22.47.

Szabo produced a season’s best time in the 3,000m to keep alive her chances of sharing the jackpot.

Stalked by Zarah Ouaziz right from the gun, Szabo finally pulled away from the determined Moroccan in the final 100 metres, crossing the line in a time of eight minutes 25.59 seconds and ripping almost two seconds off the previous best time of the season.

“I’m a little disappointed, even if I did improve the world best performance,’’ said Szabo. “I had to use all my reserves.

“I’m in good condition at the moment but I was surprised by Zahra Ouaziz who held on until the last 200 metres.

Kipketer, demonstrating that last year’s disappointing campaign and a bout of malaria are well behind him, racked up his third 800m golden league victory of the season, the world record holder coasting home in a pedestrian time of 1:44.89 after losing a shoe in the final sprint.

South Africa’s Hezequiel Sepeng, the Olympic silver medallist, was a well beaten second in 1:45.22.

“My goal is simply to run a good race, one by one,’’ said Kipketer. “I can’t explain what happened with the shoe.”

“But the important thing is that I won the race and I remain unbeaten in the golden league.’’

Barmasai, the 3,000m steeplechase world record holder, was also an easy winner, clocking a comfortable 8:05.71, almost two seconds clear of Morocco’s Ali Ezzine.

Double Olympic champion Svetlana Masterkova of Russia waved good-bye to her chance of athletic’s biggest payday when she was soundly beaten by Mozambique’s Maria Mutola in the 800m.

Mutola, a former-world champion, charged to the lead as the field crossed the line the first time and was never challenged, easing home ahead of Austria’s Stephanie Graf in 1:58.25.

Masterkova, the winner of 800 and 1,500m gold in Atlanta, was a distant fourth in 1:59.05.

“I’m very disappointed,’’ said Masterkova. “I nearly fell at the end of the first lap.”

“I have a problem with my ankle which stopped me from running the way I wanted.’’

Jamaica’s James Beckford brought American Erik Walder’s golden league dreams to an end with a victory in the long jump.

Beckford, the former world and Olympic silver medallist, posted a winning jump of 8.42m while Walder could do no better than 10th place with a leap of 7.78.

American hurdler Allen Johnson forfeited his chances of a share in the jackpot when he pulled out because of injury.

IAAF format draws flak

PARIS, July 22 (AP) — Track stars Marion Jones and Ato Boldon have criticised the format of the Golden League, complaining that the series concentrates too much money in the hands of too few athletes.

The seven-event Golden League, launched last year by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF), offers athletes a share of a $ 1-million jackpot for winning all their events throughout the season.

US star Jones was one of three winners — but believes that runners who trail her deserve more cash.

“If I was giving away $ 1 million I would make an athlete work for it,” Jones said on the eve of the third of this season’s series in Paris yesterday. “It shouldn’t be easy.”

“But we only talk about who comes first. There are athletes who come fourth, fifth, and sixth, who have to go home and get a second job. That isn’t right.”

Trinidad sprinter Boldon said winning seven straight men’s races is too tough a task.

He points to the case of Bryan Bronson, the 400-metre hurdler who won the first six Golden League events last year only to falter in the final race.

“Bryan ran six meetings for very little pay. He went out and entertained the fans. Then he ran out of gas at the end of the season and there is no reward at the end,” Boldon said.

“A lot of people like him do well and make races competitive, but you can’t keep them out in the cold.”

“We have to applaud any opportunity given by the IAAF to win money. But in the sprints we are too even so it is too difficult.”

As a result many top stars simply don’t show up for events.

“That’s the reason we didn’t see Frankie (Fredericks) and Michael (Johnson) in Oslo,” he said. “We are all intelligent. We know that it is unrealistic because anyone can have a bad night.”

The IAAF responds to the athletes’ gripes by saying that the Golden League was set up to reward only the very top athletes.

What’s more, it says, there’s plenty of prize money for others.

“It is not a question of athletes getting nothing,” said IAAF spokesman Georgio Reineri. “There is a $ 15,000 prize for winning every race. That is not nothing. And then there is money for the top eight.”

Separately from the Golden League, the IAAF gives $ 3.38 million in Grand Prix prize money, based on performance over a whole season.

Each Grand Prix winner collects $ 50,000. “The idea of the Golden League was to reduce the dependence on appearance fees and to have some kind of order in prize money”, Mr Reineri said. “We are on the right track.”

Ronaldo to sue papers for defamation

RIO DE JANERIO, July 22 (AP) — Soccer star Ronaldo has said he doesn’t know a Brazilian woman who allegedly organised sessions of sex and drugs for soccer players, businessmen, actors and other clients in Italy.

A Milan prosecutor asked a judge to indict the woman, Lazara Souza de Morais, 31, who was arrested in March on charges of abetting prostitution and selling cocaine, Italian news agencies reported.

Ronaldo, a Rio native, who plays in Italy for Inter, expressed anger over Italian news reports that there was a photo of him together with Morais.

“I take thousands of pictures with people everyday and my phone number is easily available. It has even been published by a newspaper in Italy.

People should have to prove what they say, Ronaldo told reporters at the National Cancer Institute in Rio De Janeiro where he was donating prize winnings from the Copa America.

Ronaldo said he planned to sue the Italian papers that published the report.

Italian news reports said Morais’ high-class clients paid hundreds, even thousands of dollars, to spend time with her or with one of a group of women working for her. Investigators reportedly found an address book containing clients’ names and 36 photos of Morais with several of the men.

New faces Germany’s “biggest problem”

GUADALAJARA (Mexico), July 22 (AP) — The coach of the German national soccer team said the six new players he brought to the Confederations Cup aren’t up to the level of the veterans.

“They have trouble following the rhythm of the rest of the team, because they have different training habits,” Erich Ribbeck said yesterday.

“We should train very hard because there’s no unity. But we can see the winning spirit in the team.”

The team’s biggest problem is the six new players, who were called up to participate in the Confederations Cup — one as late as Sunday.

“We’re one day closer to unity,” Ribbeck said. “The six new players are better than yesterday, and are integrating themselves into the group.”

He said his Brazilian rivals are at a better level of play because they’re fresh from the Americas Cup and have the unity that the Germans lack.

“When you’re new it isn’t easy,” said midfielder Bernd Schneider, one of the new players. “But in the training sessions I want to show that I have the capacity” to play well, he said.

“If I play against Brazil next Saturday, I’ll be very nervous.”

Meanwhile, former German star Rudi Voller said the level of the German national team has declined noticeably since last year’s World Cup, but he’s confident that the young team will recover the lost prestige.

“With the new coach and the new players, we’ll try to raise the level of play,” he said. “This year Germany has played badly, as it demonstrated in a loss to the USA, but I’m confident this new team plays good soccer.”

Voller, a start in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, is the second-highest scoring player in the history of German soccer. He is travelling with the team as an official with the German Soccer Federation.

During its workout on Wednesday, Germany practised long-distance hots and ball control in reduced spaces.

Eves return after successful tour

NEW DELHI, July 22 (PTI) — “We beat them in all departments of the game but could not press home the advantage in the one-off Test,” coach Sudha Shah said on the Indian women’s cricket team’s return here after their successful tour of England.

“We won the one-day series easily and could have won the Test match also after we made a good comeback. We were fighting to save the follow-on but then bowled well to have them 123 for 9 when they declared. We were going well for the 250-odd runs but lost some wickets and the match ended in a draw,” Sudha Shah said.

Indian eves won the three-match one-day series 2-1 and drew the absorbing one-off Test at Shenley for one of the best tours in recent times. It was India’s first foreign trip after the 1995 World Cup in England.

Fourteen players and the three officials including Sudha Shah, returned here in the wee hours today. Former captain Purnima Rau, whose brilliant off-spin bowling brought India back into the Test match, has stayed back in England.

Sudha, a former India captain, cited lack of match experience and international exposure for the failure to press home the advantage in the Test.

“I think we could not win the Test match because of these two factors. Okay, we played a lot of matches among ourselves, but playing a Test match is very different.”

Indian women excelled in fielding which stood them in good stead, in one-day ties in particular.

Sudha Shah, who toured England as a player in 1986, said the conditions this time were far better. “Because of the England Women’s Cricket Board’s merger with the ECB, the facilities provided were of high quality.”

“Also because of this (merger) the England team was better equipped. Throughout the tour they had a six-member support team, including a sports psychologist, physiologist, bowling and fielding coaches and a manager.

Wayne Noon serves a warning

LONDON, July 22 (Reuters) — Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper Wayne Noon showed he was a worthy stand-in for England’s Chris Read by almost equalling a world record.

Noon yesterday held seven catches — one short of the most by a keeper in an innings — on the first day of Notts’ county championship match against Kent at Trent Bridge.

Three players, Australian Wally Grout, Essex’s David East and Steve Marsh of Kent, share the world mark of eight catches by a wicketkeeper in one innings.

The world record for most dismissals in an innings is nine, jointly held by Tahir Rashid of Pakistan’s Habib Bank and W.R. James of Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland, but their tally included one and two stumpings respectively. Noon’s safe hands helped to dismiss Kent for 191 but the visitors immediately hit back by reducing Nottinghamshire to 18 for two at the close.

Regular Notts’ keeper Read is on England duty for the second Test against New Zealand starting at Lord’s today.

Unbeaten championship leaders Surrey piled up 389 for six against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, despite being without their four Test men — Alec Stewart, Mark Butcher, Graham Thorpe and Alex Tudor.

Middle order batsman Alistair Brown hit a dashing 108 off 126 balls and opener Ian Ward scored 82.

Third-placed Hampshire, seeking to sustain their title challenge after losing to Surrey last week, were made to toil in the field by Lancashire at Southampton.

Lancashire, lifted by wins in their last two matches, made 329 for five on the strength of 101 from John Crawley and 83 by fellow former England batsman Neil Fairbrother.

Durham, bottom of the 18-team table for much of the first half of the season, continued their revival at the expense of Gloucestershire.

An unbroken fourth wicket stand of 192 between Australia’s former Test batsman David Boon, who scored 87, and Nick Speak, with 110, propelled Durham to 359 for three on a flat pitch at Cheltenham.

Revive Sahara Cup: PCB chief

ISLAMABAD, July 22 (PTI) — Pakistan board’s (PCB) interim chief Mujibur Rehman today favoured continuation of cricketing ties with India and urged the Indian board (BCCI) authorities to take steps to revive the Sahara Cup annual one-day series, cancelled in the wake of Pakistani intrusion in Kargil.

Rehman said he was for reviving the Sahara Cup — held in Toronto in September — “since the Kargil crisis is over” and wanted Indian board officials to respond immediately.

“It should be known as soon as possible because we do not have enough time and since we have other options to go for,” Rehman told PTI in an exclusive interview on his return from Doha last night to take over his new assignment.

Rehman said he was open about cricketing ties with India and said the Pakistan team will fulfil all its scheduled future commitments with India.

“I am very open, politics is different, sports is different and as far as we are concerned we will fulfil all our commitments,” he said when asked to react on the growing demands both in India and Pakistan for snapping cricketing contacts in the wake of the Kargil crisis.

Rehman was appointed chairman of the two-member interim panel after the entire PCB was dissolved by Pakistan President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar last week in the wake of national outcry over Pakistan team’s World Cup final debacle and allegations of match-fixing and betting.

“I am for it (Sahara Cup). If the sponsors are ready, I am ready,” he said. The series was called off after Sahara India, the sponsors, pulled out in the wake of the Pakistani intrusion in Kargil.

Rehman, an influential businessman and brother of Saifur Rehman, close friend of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and chairman of the Ehtesab (accountability) Bureau, said now that the Kargil crisis was over “we have to see what is their (Sahara’s) opinion now”.

The Toronto series was a five-year agreement by both the BCCI and the PCB with International Management Group (IMG) and is in the fourth year.

The sponsors pulled out in the wake of former Indian captain Kapil Dev’s call to snap all cricketing ties with Pakistan following the acts of the Pakistani intruders in Kargil.

The PCB interim chief said the Pakistani team will also participate in the triangular one-day tournament in Australia in January where India is the third team. The Australian Board (ACB) had sought confirmation from both countries in view of the strained relations.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board has no problem in maintaining cricketing ties with India,” Rehman said.

Pakistan toured India this January for a full Test series after a gap of 11 years, squaring the two-match series 1-1.

Aussie medium pacer Reiffel retires

MELBOURNE, July 22 (Reuters) — Australian medium pace bowler Paul Reiffel announced today he was retiring from international cricket and would pull out of Australia’s one-day squad to tour Sri Lanka next month.

Reiffel, 33, played 35 Tests for Australia and 92 one-day internationals, the most recent during the early rounds of Australia’s successful World Cup campaign.

He said he no longer had the desire to keep playing at the top level.

“I know within myself that the time has come to leave international cricket,’’ Reiffel said.

Reiffel finished his Test career with 104 wickets at an average of 26.96, his best figures of 6-71 coming against England at Edgbaston in 1993.

He was also a useful lower order batsman, making 955 runs at an average of 26.53 with a best score of 79 not out against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1997.

6-member team for Lanka nationals

COLOMBO, July 22 (UNI) — India is sending a six-member athletic team for the 1999 Sri Lanka national championships to be held here from July 30 to August 1.

The Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka has invited athletes from three South Asian countries — India, Pakistan and Bangladesh — for the nationals.

India has already responded by informing that a six-member team will be sent while response from other two countries are awaited, a senior official said.

The three-day national championship will serve as the third and final trial to pick the Sri Lankan athletic team for the eighth SAF Games in Nepal in September.

Meanwhile, controversial star sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe is sure to find a place in the Sri Lanka team for the SAF games. The 24-year old sprinter, who is currently in the USA, is very much unlikely to return to Colombo and run at a trial meet. However, Jayasinghe will be free to send in her certified recent timings in foreign meets, the official said.

Moya defeats Meligeni to enter last 8

STUTTGART, July 22 (AFP) — Former French Open champion Carlos Moya defeated this year’s Roland Garros semifinalist Fernando Meligeni today to book a place in the quarterfinals of the $ 1.05 million Mercedes Cup.

Moya, seeded second, is the highest-ranked player remaining in the clay-court field at Weissenhof Club after the second-round withdrawal of top seed Gustavo-Kuerten yesterday.

The world No 5 Brazilian is currently headed home for a few weeks of rest to combat burnout from too much tennis and will resume the ATP tour next month.

Moya, the 1998 Roland Garros winner who has yet to claim a title in 1999, improved to 3-0 over Maligeni in their career series.

The run-up to the US Open starts on Monday in Los Angeles, with major names including new world No 1 Pat Rafter, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi competing as the race to the final Grand Slam of the season heats up.

India, Thailand gear up for 2nd leg tie

CALCUTTA, July 22 (PTI) — Both the Indian and Thailand football teams went through a rigorous practice session amidst a steady drizzle in preparation for their second leg pre-Olympic Asia group-9 match here on Saturday.

The 18-member Thai team, which reached the city yesterday afternoon, had their first full practice session under the watchful eyes of chief coach Prapol Phongphanick.

The team, which had to be content with some light stretching exercises in the hotel premises yesterday, would get just one full day to get acclimatised to the monsoon conditions in the city.

But the Thai chief coach was not unduly worried about the slippery and slushy conditions the team may encounter at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday, owing to the persistent monsoon rains.

He has already indicated that his players were used to such conditions and the team was determined to qualify into the next round.

The Indians had a strenuous workout at the SAI Sports Complex.

PSEB cagers win

PATIALA, July 22 (FOSR) — Favourites Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) subdued RCF, Kapurthala 83-37 in the sixth All India Baldev Singh Brar Memorial Basketball Tournament, which started here today. For the Patiala powermen, Ravinder Pal and Gurpreet Singh performed excellently.

In a group ‘C’ match, local outfit Young Cagers Club (YCC) were at the receiving end going down without putting much of a fight against South Central Railway (SRC) 49-69.

BSF, Jalandhar had little difficulty in beating Rest of Punjab, fielded by the organisers at the last minute.

Geeta selected in national team

SANGRUR, July 22 (FOSR) — The Indian Weightlifting Federation has selected Geeta of Sangrur in the national team for the Junior Women’s Asian Weightlifting Championships being held at Wu Han City, China, from August 28 to September 5, according to Mr Surinder Singh, Honorary Secretary, District Weightlifting Association.

She is the only player from Punjab to be selected in the team.