Friday, March 26, 1999
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S P O R T | Friday, March 26, 1999 |
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TN set up title clash with Airlines HYDERABAD, March 25 — Last year’s runners-up Tamil Nadu set up a title clash with Indian Airlines in the final of the PSB-SBI 59th Senior National Hockey Championship to be played here tomorrow. Anand triumphs, shares 4th spot MONTE CARLO, March 25 — Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand shook off his indifferent form by trouncing Predrag Nikolic of Bosnia-Herzegovina to move up to joint fourth overall in the eighth round of the Amber Rapid and Blindfold Chess Championship here last night.
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Title-hungry Sampras eyes French
Open New
Zealand-SA tie abandoned Sasikiran
emerges sole leader Tamil
Nadu down Punjab Rajesh,
Akbar share best card
Aussie eves drub South Africa Injured
Owen ruled out of crucial game |
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TN set up title clash with Airlines HYDERABAD, March 25 (UNI) — Last year’s runners-up Tamil Nadu set up a title clash with Indian Airlines in the final of the PSB-SBI 59th Senior National Hockey Championship to be played here tomorrow. A deflection in the seventh minute of extra time by Devasahayam Felix was the golden goal, which proved to be the match winner and saw Tamil Nadu storm into the final beating Customs and Central Excise 1-0 while Indian Airlines shunted out defending champions Indian Railways by an odd-goal in three. Tamil Nadu, who shared the Rangaswami cup presented by "The Hindu" along with Indian Airlines way back in 1977, have entered the final for the fifth time. In the second semifinal this evening both Customs and Tamil Nadu played a defensive game and had an equal number of opportunities to score, but the forwards failed to strike bull’s eye. Tamil Nadu gained three corners while Customs had one. It was Tamil Nadu who had a rock-solid defence, their forwards made forays into the Customs striking zone only to muff chances. In a thrilling encounter between titans Airlines and Railways, the former dominated the proceedings and did not allow the Railways forward line to go in full steam. The 70-minute match did not witness a dull moment with tempers running high as Railways Marinus Ekka and Brijnev Singh were shown yellow cards while Airlines Brojen Singh also got one. Local lad N. Mukesh Kumar proved to be the hero for the winners as he not only scored the first goal in the 40th minute but also engineered the scored through a move which saw Alta-ur-Rehman score from point blank in the 60th minute. Long shooter Anmol Aind scored the face saving goal for Railways off a corner. Airlines had a smooth beginning and held the upper hand during the first 20 minutes, securing four penalty corners which went abegging. The first half saw none of the team having a clear try at the other barring one move by Mukesh Kumar who, capitalising a square pass from Mohammad Riaz, saw his reserve flick sailing high above the goal post in the 33rd minute. But the second half saw a rejuvenated Airlines with a renewed game plan, as they mounted pressure on the Railways citadel. In a productive move created by Riaz of the Airlines who to a swift move passed the ball to the unmarked Mukesh who though could not trap the ball "clean" but managed to flick the ball in his second attempt which hit the roof of the net for the first goal of the match. After scoring the first goal, Airlines increased the pace of the match, time and again raiding the Railways goal. Two minutes after the first goal was scored, Airlines could have consolidated their position but a Samir Dad — Mukesh move saw Mukesh hit the wild. The Railways team yielded to the airlines again in the 60th minute. Mukesh Kumar, swifting from left to right, moved inside the ‘dee’ and from zero angle pushed the ball to Altaf-ur-Rahman who hoodwinked Railways goalkeeper Ambuj Srivastava and scored from point blank range for the second goal of the match. Soon after this umpire Krishnamurthy showed yellow card to Brijnev Singh. Umpire Krishnamurthy was once again in the news when Brojen Singh of Airlines was sent out as he dashed against the umpire after he disallowed a goal scored by Brojen. Brojen’s hit was a yard away from the striking area. Three minutes before the
end of the match Anmol Aind scored the face saving goal
for the Railways. |
Anand triumphs, shares 4th spot MONTE CARLO, March 25 (PTI) — Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand shook off his indifferent form by trouncing Predrag Nikolic of Bosnia-Herzegovina to move up to joint fourth overall in the eighth round of the Amber Rapid and Blindfold Chess Championship here last night. The 29-year-old Anand crushed Nikolic in rapid play to maintain his lead in the section with six points and was then content with a 21-move draw in blindfold section for a 1.5-0.5 score, which gave the Indian world number two an aggregate of 9.0 points and lifted him by two places from overnight sixth. Russian world number three Vladmir Kramnik maintained his overall lead by defeating fide world champion Anatoly Karpov 1.5-0.5, winning in rapid play before playing out a long drawn 70-move draw in blindfold. With three rounds left in this 11-round 12-player event boasting a prize fund of $ 137,250, Kramnik has seven results of 1.5-0.5 with only one draw. Anand, who was held to a draw by Joel Lautier of France in the previous round, beat Nikolic in rapid play in a ruy lopez game before drawing a queen’s gambit accepted variation game in the blindfold section. Anand has only a disappointing three points from the blindfold games, but has brought himself into a position from where he can hope for honours going into the final stage. Kramnik leads the field with 11.5 points, followed by Alexy Shirov of Spain and Vasselin Topalov of Bulgaria (both 10.0). Anand and Lautier had 9.0 points each with Karpov (8.5) lying sixth. Kramnik’s resounding show in blindfold has pushed him on top of the table in that section, half a point ahead of Shirov with 6.5 points, and he looks well placed to clinch his first title of the year. Fellow Russian and world’s strongest player Garry Kasparov has already annexed two big events at Wijk Aan Zee and Linares, where Anand was second and third, respectively. Kramnik has 6.5 points out of eight in blindfold and five out of eight, second behind Anand, in rapid. His 11.5 points out of 16 is a clear 1.5 points ahead of Topalov, who beat Lautier, and Shirov. Results: |
Title-hungry Sampras eyes French Open KEY BISCAYNE, March 25 (Reuters) — With Tuesday’s loss to Richard Krajicek at the Lipton Championships, Pete Sampras’s title drought reached nine tournaments, an unthinkable stretch for a man who had won nearly one out of every three events he played over the past six years. While he maintains a fragile hold on the number one ranking — getting it back this week after loaning it to Spaniard Carlos Moya for two weeks — Sampras may be losing his ability to strike fear into the hearts of opponents, a powerful tool in his arsenal over the years. "At the moment, the guys wonder about Pete and feel they have a good opportunity against him because maybe he’s a little vulnerable", US Davis Cup captain Tom Gullikson said of Sampras’s recent rough patch yesterday. Following the quarterfinal loss to Krajicek, Sampras was asked if the Dutchman had what it takes to be number one. "He’s got the tools, but the tools can only take you so far", Sampras said. "It’s just a matter if he has the heart and the mind to be the best player in the world". No one is quite ready to suggest that the 27-year-old five-time Wimbledon winner is beginning the descent that eventually catches up with all great champions. But whether he still has the heart and mind to be the best player on the planet is suddenly a fair question in the "what have you done for me lately" world of big time sports. No one could question Sampras’s desire after his exhausting, late-season barnstorming campaign across Europe in a successful quest to finish a record sixth consecutive year as the top player in the world. But it took its toll on Sampras, whose 56th and most recent title came last October in Vienna. Sampras chalks up his recent struggles to a combination of burnout and rust. He took a long rest and relaxation break from tennis after securing the record, even passing up the Australian Open and chance to tie Roy Emerson’s record of 12 Grand Slam singles titles. Since his return, Sampras has hardly been awe-inspiring. He was forced to withdraw with from the Scottsdale semifinals with an ankle injury, then returned to a second-round defeat in Scottsdale and lost his opening match at Indian Wells. "It’s when you don’t play many matches, you’re not quite as confident, you don’t get into a rhythm out there", Sampras explained. "I knew I might struggle a bit this time of the year. But I needed the break and it’s a decision I won’t regret", he insisted. With the rest of the top seeded men dropping like flies around him, Lipton presented a golden opportunity for Sampras to get back to his winning ways, but Krajicek had other ideas. "The way I feel right now, I had a great opportunity to win here", a disappointed Sampras said after the match. "I really thought I was playing pretty well", he said. "But as soon as I get over this, I have another goal that I’m trying to achieve and that’s to try to win the French". The lone major title missing from Sampras’s Grand Slam resume has assumed the highest priority for the American star. Gullikson still considers Sampras the clear favourite on Wimbledon grass. But he said Sampras must rededicate himself if he is to have a chance to prevail on his least favourite surface — the slow, red dust of Roland Garros. "Pete has the ability to win the French, but he has to be willing to do the work to prepare and have the right mentality to adapt his game for the clay", said Gullikson, whose late brother Tim was Sampras’s coach during his rise to the top of the tennis world. "When you win events leading up to Grand Slams, you build your confidence level and create fear in your opponents", Gullikson said. "You have to play yourself into a winning edge and build your reputation in the locker room". "He’s got to play at least three (clay) tournaments before the French, and if he loses early, he has to stay over there and line up one of the Spaniards to practice with each day. "Historically, Pete has a habit of losing on the clay early and getting on a plane and going home", added Gullikson. Sampras plans to play at Monte Carlo, Rome and the World Team Cup ahead of the French Open. But he admitted his desire to win the French had not yet reached obsession. "I don’t think it’s that extreme", Sampras said. "That’s not really my personality, to be that extreme. But I have to give myself the best chance possible". "If it’s going to have to be an obsession one day, then I’m going to do whatever it takes", he said, sounding like a player who still has some of his best tennis ahead of him. "Who is to say, in a
couple of years, I might build a clay court at my house
— but I doubt it". |
Osteopathic cure suggested for Sachin MUMBAI, March 25 (PTI) — A Mumbai osteopath, who had cured former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar of a severe back problem at the beginning of his career in 1976, has suggested that super bat Sachin Tendulkar should undergo similar treatment to recover quickly from his back injury. Dr K.M. Modi, a practitioner of osteopathy which is a system of healing or treatment mainly involving manipulation of the bones and joints and massage of the muscles that provides relief for many bone and joint disorders, has said the two-weeks’ rest and exercise routine prescribed by London specialist Ken Kennedy to Tendulkar is not the ideal remedy. Modi, who treated Vengsarkar in 1976 in six weeks after the stylish Mumbai batsman was forced out of the game for six months due to back pain, has said in a press release that the best treatment for Tendulkar would be "manipulative adjustment of the lumbar spine and sleeping on a wooden plank with a thin carpet spread on it". Vengsarkar, when contacted by PTI, said he was first put on traction by an orthopaedic surgeon and when it was not effective an operation was suggested. "Then I came across an article in a magazine about osteopathy and decided to try it. I was cured in six sittings (a sitting once a week) by Dr Modi", Vengsarkar said. Tendulkar has been ruled
out of the ongoing triangular series at home because of
his back problem for which he has been advised
two-weeks’ rest and given a set of specific
exercises by Dr Kennedy whom he consulted in London
recently. |
New Zealand-SA tie abandoned NAPIER, March 25 (Reuters) —New Zealand, fired by openers Matt Horne and Nathan Astle, were well placed to push for victory over South Africa when rain forced their fourth one-day match to be abandoned today. New Zealand scored an impressive 257 for eight in a reduced quota of 48 overs but were able to bow only nine balls at South Africa, who made 10 without loss, before the day-night game was called off. The fixture will be replayed as a day game tomorrow. The Kiwis lead 2-1 in the six-match series. Horne and Astle gave the innings its impetus by emerging from a quiet start — nine runs in the first five overs — to launch a ferocious assault that brought 71 runs in the next nine overs. Horne hit 40 from 51 balls before being given out caught down the leg side against Lance Klusener. Astle sliced a catch to cover off Jacques Kallis after making 38 from 48 balls, including six powerfully driven fours. The good work at the top of the order was continued by Stephen Fleming, returning after an 11-week absence recovering from groin surgery, who made a brisk 21. Roger Twose included a sweet six over mid-wicket in his bright 39 from 47 balls. Adam Parode seemed set to lead the hosts to a total close to 280 as he struck the fast bowlers for seven fours in making 44 from 43 balls. But Steve Elworthy returned to have him well caught on the cover boundary by Gary Kirsten. Elworthy then bowled two consecutive wicket maiden overs and gave just three runs from his last four overs to apply the brake. He returned two for 41 from 10 overs after conceding 38 runs in his opening six-over spell. SCOREBOARD |
Sasikiran emerges sole leader NAGPUR, March 25 (PTI) — International master K. Sasikiran continued his winning spree by outplaying IM S.K. Rathore in the third round today to emerge sole leader with three full points in the 36th National "A" Chess Championship here. IM R.B. Ramesh missed an opportunity to join Sasikiran in the lead when he allowed experienced IM Ravi Hegde to escape with a draw and was lying second with 2.5 points. Grand master Pravin Thipsay, who lost to Sasikiran yesterday, scored a fine victory over Suvrajit Saha to improve his standings to third. Against Sasikiran, Rathore adopted Bishop’s opening and a complex position arose, but the former planted his knight on the "D5" square to gain a position of strength in the centre. Rathore’s attempt to attack on the kingside was prevented by Sasikiran’s central knight and the latter soon advanced his queenside pawns and threatened to queen his pawn on "A1". Alert to the technical possibilities in the position, Sasikiran won an exchange and soon dominated the whole board. Rathore threw in the towel after 40 moves. Thipsay played solidly against the Najdorf by opting for classical variation. Saha developed his knight on "C6" instead of "D7" and Thipsay’s reaction produced a sharp tactical situation on the board. Saha lost a piece after a misadventure with his knight. Thipsay blunted the initiative with cool defence and Saha resigned after 34 moves as he was about to lose another piece. Hegde chose to avoid sharp theoretical lines and adopted his favourite kings Indian attack against Ramesh’s sicilian. But the erratic pawn advances on both the wings weakened his position and allowed Ramesh to seize the initiative. However, Ramesh too played imprecise moves and allowed Hegde to salvage a draw with sharp defence. Local favourite Anup Deshmukh employed orthodox handling of the opening and played energetically to outsmart IM Saravanan, who adopted kings Indian defence. IM elect Shankar Roy played masterly to score over FN T.S. Ravi. Ravi got a familiar position from the opening by playing his favourite caro-kenn defence, but Roy took the game into an ending where he had a strong passed pawn in the "H-file". Ravi defended skilfully but Roy played every move with absolute precision and won a pawn. Ravi lost another pawn and resigned on the 44th move as he was unable to prevent his opponent from queening. Former national champion IM P. Konguvel failed to profit from a two-pawn advantage and allowed IM Neeraj K. Mishra to gain half a point. In another game, G.B. Prakash managed to draw with Neelotpal Das in 24 moves after he was under severe pressure in the middle game with his king in danger. The games between former champion IM D.V. Prasad and Abhijit Kunte and Asian junior champion IM Tejas Bakre and IM Varughese Koshy ended in draws without much action. Results (third
round): |
Tamil Nadu down Punjab CHENNAI, March 25 (PTI) — Hosts Tamil Nadu made a fine start in their quest for a semifinal berth when they downed Punjab 3-1 in the Group iv quarterfinal league while Manipur and former champions Kerala clinched last eight league berths in the Santosh Trophy National Football Championship today. Tamil Nadu, who led 2-1 at half time, dominated throughout against a highly rated Punjab. They should have struck a spate of goals in the second half, but substitute Selvakumar twice muffed up, including a sitter, while Sreekumar and Jestus Antony also failed to convert. Jestus Antony (3rd min), key midfielder Hamilton Bobby (16th) and striker Syed Sabir Pasha (68th) scored for Tamil Nadu, while Manmohan Singh (23rd) enabled Punjab narrow the leeway at 1-2 going into the halftime. In Udhagamandalam, Manipur beat Andhra Pradesh 2-0 to make it to the quarters from cluster F with Subhas Chandra Singh (84th) and substitute Wangkhupler (86th) finding the target. In Coimbatore, thrice champion Kerala got the better of a fighting Nagaland 2-1. Kerala struck through Najeeb (36th) and Saheer (89th) found the winner after Allen (44th) had equalised close to halftime for the losers. In the Tamil Nadu-Punjab match here, international Kuldip Singh, Sukhbir Singh, Manmohan Singh and Harjinder Singh worked in tandem and had total control for the first 15 minutes, with medio Tarsem Lal supplying astute passes. But host defenders raised
the level of their game, denying Punjab a clear look at
the goal. Tamil Nadu were in a class of their own
whenever the left-footed Sabir Pasha and Hamilton Bobby
clicked. |
Rajesh,
Akbar
share best card MEERUT, Mar 25 — On a day when there was a fair sprinkling of under-par score, Rajesh Rawal and Akbar Ali sealed the course with identical scores of five-under 67 to jointly occupy the top spot on the opening day of the Rs 5 lakh AGC Wills Meerut Open being played at the par 72,6705 yard Army Golf Course, Meerut Cantt here today. Placed at third spot were Gaurav Ghei, Uttam Singh Mundy and Amritinder Singh each shooting four-under 68. Rawat from Lucknow, overshadowed his more illustrious citymate Vijay Kumar, who shot a two-under 70, with an excellent five-under 67, which included seven birdies. Rawat fought hard with a hat-trcik of birdies on the 6th,7th and 8th, with the former two culminating in remarkable 35 feet putts. His second half was a revelation. Birdies on the 10th, 12th and 15th were followed by yet another 35 feet putt for birdie on the 17th. "I am hitting and putting better than I ever did before" said a delighted Rawat. "I definitely think I stand a fair chance of winning this event" he added. Veteran Akbar Ali, the Calcutta pro, showed glimpses of the form that won him the Charminar Challenge Trophy, over a decade ago in 1986, at the US Club, Bombay. Akbar could do nothing wrong today.Birdies on the 15,16th and 17th on his back nine. "My hitting served me well today. As for the good score, it was not too surprising as I hit my regulations well and was left with very small putts to sink, in each case", was what the stocky Calcuttan had to say. Amritinder Singh, winner of the Hero Golf Chandigarh Open 93, would still have emerged as the leader had he not two putted three five feet puts on the 12th, 13th and 17th on his return journey. However, seven birdies, including one on the Ist, a hat trick of birdies on the 6th, 7th and 8th followed by a couple more, on the 14th and 18th ensured that he turn in a card of four under 68. Uttam Singh Mundy, with a score identical to Amritinder Singh’s was yet another player to record seven birdies, these, coming on the Ist, 2nd, 4th,7th,9th, 11th and 17th. The current Honda-Siel Championship winner, however, carded three bogies, including two missed par chances on the 5th and 15th. His other bogey was recorded on the 10th hole. Gaurav Ghei, the Delhi pro started off well with birdies on the Ist ,4th and 6th before a bogey on the 8th, saw him finish at two under on his front nine. Starting his back nine with a bang, with a bogey on the 10th. Ghei had only one more bogey on the 13th, before finishing off in style with birdies on the last two holes to past the third score of four under 68 for the day. Randhawa was accompanied by Vijay Kumar. Binod Pandey, Mohd Maqbool, Asgar Ali, Vivek Bhandari and Balbir Verma at sixth spot. Amateurs: Abhishek Ahlawat led the amateur field with a score of four over 76. At second place was Deep Binder at five over 77, followed closely by Abhijit Sethi who recorded a score of seven over 79. Scores: 67 — Rajesh
Rawat, Akbar Ali: 68 — Amritinder Singh, Uttam Singh
Mundy, Gaurav Ghei; 70 — Jyoti Randhawa, Vijay
Kumar, Asgar Ali, Binod Pandey, Mohd Maqbaool, Vivek
Bhandari, Balbir Verma. Amateurs: 76 Abhishek Ahlawat; 77
Deep Binder; 79 Abhijit Sethi. |
Aussie eves drub South Africa POTCHEFSTROOM (South Africa), March 25 (Reuters) — The Australian women’s hockey team beat South Africa 4-1 in the third of five Tests. The series was locked at 1-1 coming into this match following Australia’s 3-0 victory in the first Test and South Africa’s 2-1 win in the second. But any hopes the South Africans had of another upset over the Olympic, world and Commonwealth Games champions were quickly overturned by an Australian side which raced into a 3-0 lead at halftime yesterday. Their dominance in the midfield opened up huge gaps in the South African defence, which failed to withstand the pressure. One of South Africa’s most experienced internationals, Alison Dare, scored her team’s only goal. The revival was
short-lived and a fourth goal five minutes later put the
outcome of the match beyond doubt. |
Injured Owen ruled out of crucial game LONDON, March 25 (AP) — Strikers Michael Owen Robbie Fowler and Chris Sutton and winger Darren Anderton have all been ruled out of "England's team for Saturday's crucial European 2000 qualifying game against Poland. Coming on top of the withdrawals of David Batty and Andy Hinchcliffe on Monday, the injury crisis means that coach Kevin Keegan has only 16 fit outfield players and only two all-out strikers, Allan Shearer and Andy Cole. Keegan, who is coaching England on a part-time basis for the next four games while he also runs division two Fulham, may have to call up replacements, such as Tottenham's experienced striker Les Ferdinand. Owen, Fowler, Sutton and Anderton have been unable to train this week because of injuries and two goalkeepers, David Seaman and Nigel Martyn, also have sat out some sessions to avoid aggravating problems. The game is virtually a
must-win for England, which is two points behind Poland
and Sweden in the group 5 standings and has played one
game more. |
Organisers launch reform campaign SYDNEY, March 25 (AFP) — Sydney Olympic Organisers launched a $ 19,000 advertising campaign today after sponsors voiced fears that their $ 441 million Olympic investment was being undermined by corruption scandals. The Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympics (SOCOG) Chief Executive Sandy Hollway said the focus needed to be shifted from scandals such as embattled Australian Olympic official member Phil Coles to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) reforms. An advertisement run in Australian newspapers listed five points, illustrating reforms made by the IOC including: expelling members found guilty of corruption, changing the selection process for a host city, an examination of the structure of the IOC and the establishment of an ethics commission. "I think partially the fact that the issues of controversy, including the Phil Coles issue, so dominated the Olympic coverage that I did need to find other ways to get out some of the more positive messages," Mr Hollway said of the advertising. He admitted the scandals had hurt efforts to sell the games to sponsors and ticket-buying fans. But he was convinced that the SOCOG could reach the $ 126 million shortfall in sponsorship money. Sydney also has to sell a
record 9.6 million tickets to raise $ 378 million to
break even. |
H
YCC triumph PATIALA, March 25 (FOSR) — Y.C.C. Chandigarh, defeated Friends Club, Ludhiana, by 39 runs and entered in the semifinal of 12th annual prize money cricket tournament organised by Senior Club at Bhawanigarh today. YCC made 210 runs in their allotted 25 overs. In reply Friends Club were all out for 71 runs. Scores: YCC Chandigarh 210 for 7 (Jagjit Saini 54, Rajiv Dutta 35, Rishi Pal 31, Rajan 2 for 36, Amarjit 2 for 25) Friends Club Ludhiana: 71 all out in 14.5 overs Rishi Pal 6 for 14, Satnam Singh 2 for 23, Parveen 2 for 12). Vaneet excels CHANDIGARH, March 25 (BOSR) — A brilliant knock of 83 runs by Vaneet Chawla enabled Haryana Warehousing Corporation to beat Central Warehousing Corporation by 93 runs in the inter-warehousing cricket tournament match being played here at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium today. Brief scores: HWC: 176 for 2 in 25 overs
(Vaneet Chawla 83, Navneet 67. CWC: 83 all out (SS Sood
32, VM Kaul 5 for 14, R.K. Nayyar 3 for 26). |
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