S P O R T

BEIJING : Chinese Olympic officials Jia Qing Lin (left) and Wu Shao Zu unveil the emblem of Beijing's 2008 Olympic Games Bid Committee at a hotel in Beijing on Tuesday. The emblem is modelled after a traditional Chinese handicraft, and symbolises unity. Beijing failed in its bid for the 2000 games, which were awarded to Sydney, Australia. — AP/PTI

Fierce contest on the cards
MELBOURNE, Feb 1 — Gutsy but unpredictable Pakistan were today rated as a better team than World Cup winning Imran Khan’s side and they immediately unveiled their plans of exacting revenge for the 1999 World Cup final loss to Australia when the two teams meet in the first of the best-of-three finals here tomorrow.

Hair questions removal from finals
MELBOURNE, Feb 1 — Australian umpire Darrell Hair flew direct from Perth to Sydney yesterday, ignoring the inaugural Allan Border medal presentation ceremony here last night and chafing at the insult of being stood down from the one-day finals between Australia and Pakistan.

Salgaocar meet E. Bengal today
MARGAO, Feb 1 —A keen tussle is on the cards as defending champions Salgaocar (Goa) and Calcuttan tigers East Bengal lock horns in their first match of the second phase in the Coca Cola National Football League match to be played at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, here tomorrow.

ITF meet: 2 seeds make exit
CHANDIGARH, Feb 1 — The second day of the ITF Junior Tennis Tournament being played here at CLTA courts, Sector 10 saw the exit of two seeds in the boys section. First top seed Omar Behroozian of UAE bowed out to unseeded Kamala Kannan of India and then fourth seed Ravikrishnan Peluveli of India losing in a tough encounter to former CLTA trainee, Chhatwinder Singh of India in the other pre-quarterfinal match.

REGIONAL SPORT BRIEFS

• Women’s cricket tourney
• Judo meet begins

Fierce contest on the cards

MELBOURNE, Feb 1 (PTI) — Gutsy but unpredictable Pakistan were today rated as a better team than World Cup winning Imran Khan’s side and they immediately unveiled their plans of exacting revenge for the 1999 World Cup final loss to Australia when the two teams meet in the first of the best-of-three finals here tomorrow.

A fierce showdown is on the cards with one-day kings Australia, stamping their authority with seven straight wins in the preliminary league that also featured India, in tremendous form.

Steve Waugh’s Australia, who dominated the league barring just one loss in the series opener to Pakistan, are clear favourites to win the new millennium’s first tournament, but Pakistan is not ready to buy that argument.

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam rated his current team as superior to the Imran Khan-led squad of 1992 World Cup saying “we are primed to win the triangular series”.

Pakistan won the World Cup at this same ground eight years ago beating England.

“We will never forget that night we won the World Cup here, but I think this is a better side than the one in 1992, better in bowling. I think,” the former Pakistan captain said after his team’s strenuous workout here.

“The way these boys have started batting, the way they have played... They have the potential to be a really good team,” he said.

With all Aussie players proving their worth, the home team is not really worried about the finals as it has been dominating Pakistan.

Australia has been in splendid form ever since it spanked Pakistan 3-0 in the Test-series — the Brisbane one-dayer loss was just an aberration.

The Kangroos — winners of 20 matches out of 22 they have played since last year’ World Cup — have a variety of talent to choose from and all players are in fine form.

One of the all-rounders — Andrew Symonds and Shane Lee —may have to sit out if Australia goes in for the three-pronged pace attack of Glenn McGrath, Damien Fleming and Brett Lee.

Steve Waugh will have to juggle around to find places for both the all-rounders as they have done extremely well and then it would be Fleming or Brett Lee who may have to be content with carrying water bottles on to the ground.

It would be unwise to exclude Shane Lee, who is averaging 31 with the bat and taken more wickets — 16 — than anyone else in the series.

Waugh said he thrives on such situations. “It’s a dream to have so many in-form people to choose from.”

The tourists on the other hand, have been boosted by the return of in-form all-rounder Abdur Razzaq, who missed the game against India at Perth last Friday due to a thigh injury.

He will replace either Azhar Mahmood or Waqar Younis, while off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq regains his allotted spot displacing his understudy Shoiab Malik.

The second final will be played at SCG on Friday, and the third, if necessary, at the same venue on Sunday.

Given the superiority of the Australians in staying cool in crunch situations, they would be a hard nut to crack for Pakistan and coach Intikhab Alam accepts it.

“They have very high all-round ability, their attitude and discipline are of extremely high standards,” Intikhab said praising Australia as worthy World Cup holders.

The final make up of both teams, Australia in particular, will depend upon the wicket that curator Tony Ware has prepared at the MCG.

The Australians will be mindful that the last time they were on such a roll, they lost the final of the triangular tournament in Sri Lanka against the flow.

“What we have done in the last seven games counts for nothing if we lose the next two,” said Waugh.

Teams:-

Australia (from): Steve Waugh (capt), Adam Gilchrist, Mark Waugh, Michael Bevan, Damien Martyn, Shane Lee, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Damien Fleming, Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds.

Pakistan (from): Wasim Akram (captain), Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Abdur Razzaq, Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Azhar Mahmood, Moin Khan, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar.

Hair questions removal from finals

MELBOURNE, Feb 1 (PTI) — Australian umpire Darrell Hair flew direct from Perth to Sydney yesterday, ignoring the inaugural Allan Border medal presentation ceremony here last night and chafing at the insult of being stood down from the one-day finals between Australia and Pakistan.

The International Cricket Council panel umpire rang national umpiring manager Tony Crafter before he left Perth demanding to know if it was correct he had been suspended, what his offence was and how long his suspension would last.

The 32-Test veteran, in fact, was stood down from the best-of-three final series rather than suspended after Australian Cricket Board chief executive officer Malcolm Speed personally interrogated Australia’s five national umpires concerning presentation of a document of demand to the Indian and Pakistani team managements on the eve of the one-day tri-series in Brisbane.

The document was intended to determine if the touring teams had a complaint against any one of the umpires — Steve Davis of Adelaide, Hair of Sydney, Daryl Harper of Adelaide, Peter Parker of Brisbane, and Simon Taufel of Sydney — on grounds of bias or racial prejudice.

None of the three team managements voiced any concern and the qualifying series passed without major incident.

But following Hair’s return from South Africa, where he stood in the fifth Test against England in Pretoria, ACB chief Speed interviewed him about his involvement in the drawing up of the document signed by all five umpires.

Subsequently, it appears, Hair was perceived to be the guilty party and, following discussions between Speed and ACB chairman Denis Rogers, it was decided that Hair should not be appointed to the limited-over finals.

Harper and Taufel will umpire in the Melbourne final tomorrow and Davis and Parker will stand in the Sydney final at the weekend, with Harper and Davis to officiate in Sydney if a third final is required.

Hair has not been appointed even as the third umpire to examine the video replays. Melbourne’s former international umpire Bill Sheahan will act in this capacity at the MCG tomorrow and Taufel at the SCG.

What remains to be seen is how long Hair must sit out the ACB “judgement”.

“In selecting the umpires for the finals, we had to assess the total performances of all umpires involved,” an ACB spokesman said. “In Darrell’s case, with the actions he took, there was concern that he had jeopardised the perceived independence of the umpires.”

Salgaocar meet E. Bengal today

MARGAO, Feb 1 (UNI) —A keen tussle is on the cards as defending champions Salgaocar (Goa) and Calcuttan tigers East Bengal lock horns in their first match of the second phase in the Coca Cola National Football League match to be played at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, here tomorrow.

Both played a goaless draw in their first leg. Salgaocar placed fourth on the league table with 17 points from 11 outings behind the table toppers Churchill Brothers with 23 points, followed by Mohun Bagan (22), and Mumbai’s Mahindra and Mahindra (18).

Salgaocar will have to work out a strategy to cut East Bengal supply line as they have good mid fielders. However, they failed to keep the same performance at home except against Churchill Brothers and BSF, whom they beat by 1-0 and 3-0, respectively, and hope to bounce back from the stunning 0-1 defeat they suffered against F.C. Kochin and Mohun Bagan in the matches on home ground.

While East Bengal will have to pull out all the stops to avoid slipping further down the seventh position they occupy right now. They have 14 points with three wins, five draws and three losses.

Both the teams are equally matched in the mid field and both have strengthened their firing line by recruiting foreign players.

Salgaocar roped in Uzbekistan’s Azamat Abdul and East Bengal has recruited Brazilain striker Oseias Luiz Ferreira.

Salgaocar defence is spearheaded by French Barreto along with Robert Fernandes, Francise Coelho and Roque Pereira. Their mid field is manned by Jules Alberto, speedy Gbenga Lawal, S. Venkatesh and Habib Adenkule and looks competent. They have a best striking force with Brazilain Joao Dos Santos, Alvito D’Cunha, who have given the rivals a torrid time but were not able to capitalise the chances that came their way.

Their fort is in the safe custody of experienced Juje Siddi. East Bengal also have a well-knit team with players like Willie Brown, Bijen Singh, Renedy Singh, who figured in the scoring list and can pierce through the rival defence. Helping the forward line will be Emmanuel Opoku, who is the livewire of East Bengal along with Carlton Chapman, Tushar Rakshit, Deepankar Roy who have performed well in the mid field.

ITF meet: 2 seeds make exit
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Feb 1 — The second day of the ITF Junior Tennis Tournament being played here at CLTA courts, Sector 10 saw the exit of two seeds in the boys section. First top seed Omar Behroozian of UAE bowed out to unseeded Kamala Kannan of India and then fourth seed Ravikrishnan Peluveli of India losing in a tough encounter to former CLTA trainee, Chhatwinder Singh of India in the other prequarterfinal match.

Earlier rain delayed the matches by more than five hours and the organisers rescheduled the same. The matches for boys continued till late in the evening under floodlights.

The dark horse of the tournament, Amanjot Singh of Chandigarh, representing India proved too good for Nikhil Vijay Murali also of India while third seed Karan Doctor pushed aside the challenge of Vishal Punna of India. Second seed Shivang Mishra got the better of his brother Nishank Mishra also of India. Qualifier Jaco T. Mathew of India who yesterday upset sixth seed Vivek Jhaveri of India today went down fighting to Romanian Raian Luchici in straight sets.

In the girls section all the seeds, including the top seed Radhika Tulpule entered the quarterfinal stage of the tournament. The other three Indian girls besides Radhika are Liza Pereira, and Geeta Manohar, Nischela Reddy. Local girls Neha Singh and Sanya Judge today lost their matches.

Second seed in girls doubles, Chinese pair of Shuai and Xie Yan Ze outplayed Anna Schupak of Uzbekistan and A. Kalasarieva (Krz) to sail into the final.

Results: girls: pre-quarterfinals:

Radhika Tulpule (Ind) b T. Saiswapna (Ind) 6-4, 6-3; Anna Schupak (Uzb) b Sanya Judge (Ind) 6-0, 6-0; Liza Pereira (Ind) b Samrita Sekhar (Ind) 6-3, 6-2; Xie Yan Ze (Chn) b Neha Singh (Ind) 6-1, 6-2; Geeta Manohar (Ind) b Rita Kumar (Ind) 6-2, 6-4; Aibika Kalsarieva (Krz) b Vishika Chhetri (Ind) 6-1, 6-1; Nischela Reddy (Ind) b Parul Goswami (Ind) 6-0, 6-1; Shuai Peng( Chn) b Khushleen Kaur (Ind) 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles - Semifinals: Shuai Peng and Xie Yan Ze (Chn) b Anna Schupak (Uzb) and A. Kalsarieva (Krz) 6-1, 6-4.

Boys singles: (pqf) — Kamala Kannan (Ind) b Omar Behroozian (UAE) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2; Amanjot Singh (Ind) b Nikhil Vijay Murali (Ind) 6-4, 6-1; Chhatwinder Singh (Ind) b Ravikrishnan Peluveli (Ind) 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(4); Raian Luchici (Rom) b Jaco T. Mathew (Ind) 6-3, 6-4; Karan Doctor (Ind) b Vishal Punna (Ind) 6-2, 6-3; Shivang Mishra (Ind) b Nishank Mishra (Ind) 6-3, 7-6(4).

Boys singles: (Parantap Chaturvedi (Ind) b Nipun Gupta (Ind) 7.6 (6), 4-6, 6-4; Haufjun Sofian (Arm) b Vinod Sewa (Ind 6-3, 6-3.)

Team needs time to settle down: Sachin

CHENNAI, Feb 1 (PTI) — Though the Indian cricket team put up one of its worst performances abroad, skipper Sachin Tendulkar and coach Kapil Dev today advocated the need to persist with the team that toured Australia and give them more time to settle down.

Soon after arrival here from Australia this afternoon, 90 minutes late, Tendulkar told reporters: “The youngsters are inexperienced when they get into the side. They can only shine after that and have to be given more time.”

On the team’s performance, Kapil Dev said the Indians had been outplayed in every department of the game. As a lot of things needed to be done, he had chalked out a programme of action with physio Andrews Leipus. “Hence, it is not correct for me to go the press before I submit my report to the board. You will learn more from the board in three days.”

About the coming South African series and his plans to strengthen the team after their dismal showing in Australia, Kapil Dev said: “It is not correct for us to straightaway talk about the coming tour. We will have to address all those when we are fresh in our minds”.

Asked about the pressures of captaincy and its effect on him as a batsman, Tendulkar said “ups and downs are always there in one’s career. I scored a double hundred only after becoming captain. After I made hundred plus in Australia, I was adjudged Man of the Test Series. If people feel that captaincy affects my own batting and I am under pressure, I really cannot help it”.

Tendulkar expressed his unhappiness with certain umpiring decisions and hoped they did not recur. “I am disappointed. When you are declared out by an umpire, you have to walk out and that is the way the game is played. Under the circumstances, I take them in a sporting way. Nothing much I could do on these”.

Thanking Indian supporters, he said the team was proud of of representing the country and nobody liked to lose a game. “We really appreciate their support, even during bad times. That is going to give us strength to get into winning ways.”

On preparing sporting wickets in India, Tendulkar said: “We need to improve domestic cricket, so that players who graduate to higher levels are not surprised by the kind of cricket they need to play abroad”.

Sporting wickets would only improve the standard of Indian cricket, he said, adding that youngsters would have to face fast bowlers abroad 90 per cent of the time.

Substantiating Tendulkar’s view on the team composition for the future, Kapil Dev said: “We had been given a team by the selectors and we did not have enough time to plan for the Australian tour as we left after the completion of the New Zealand tour”.

Stating that a strong team could not be built overnight, he said one had to plan better for the future. He had learnt many things on the Australian tour, going there after a nine-year gap. “It will take a lot of time for me, Sachin and the physio to make the team a winning one. Everybody has a role to play in making a team a winning one,” he added.

Kapil Dev said scheduling a tour was a matter between the respective boards. “The itinerary for the South African tour was decided well before I was chosen as coach”.

On the short time available for preparing the team against South Africa, he said: “It is difficult for players to jump from one series to another. We would be happy if more time is available, but the decision is not in my hands”.

He was cautious when referring to individual performances of players on the Australian tour and repeatedly harped on “confidentiality”. “We did not play well and our (his own, Tendulkar’s and manager’s) reports will narrate in detail, all the factors of our tour”.

About his experience on his first tour abroad as coach, Kapil Dev said he had faced difficulties. “It mounts when you do not win matches, which makes things harder”.

Expressing happiness over the cooperation extended by all the players, he said the team’s strength could easily be gauged when one saw the opposition perform well.

He said he would try to bridge the performance gap between different players, for which a lot of planning was necessary. “I call a spade a spade. I will not hide my feelings to pull up a player who is not performing.”

Asked if he had recovered from the knee problem after an operation, Kapil Dev said: “My knee problem is personal. I want the team to have strong knees”.

While team members left from here for their homes, five Karnataka players — Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, Anil Kumble, and Sunil Joshi — stayed back in the aircraft, which later left for Bangalore.

Kapil Dev was cryptic when asked if the team missed Ajay Jadeja and Mohd Azharuddin. “I missed Sunil Gavaskar. I can only deal with the squad that has been given to me by the management. Definitely, we missed the players who have gone to Australia in the past”.

On his comments about Azharuddin that he was “unpopular with the team mates”, Kapil Dev said: “I do not think it is more important than Indian cricket”.

On the code of conduct applied on Indian players by ICC match referee Cammie Smith, Kapil Dev said he and Tendulkar were going to put in writing to the board in their individual reports and “you will learn from the board”.

Asked to comment on Pakistan charges of ball tampering, Tendulkar said: “It is only worth laughing at”.

I am ready to serve: Azhar

HYDERABAD, Feb 1 (PTI) — Former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin today said he was fully fit and ready to serve the country.

“I am fully fit and I am here to serve my country in the best possible way. I will never get frustrated in my career and my game in recent times will prove my worthiness in the side,” Azhar, participating in the first ever meet-the-press programme organised by Andhra Pradesh Sports Journalists Association, said here.

“I have full faith in the selectors. I have played all my life in the best interests of my country,” India’s most successful captain in both Tests and one-day ties said.

The Indian selectors will meet on Thursday to select the team for the home series against South Africa.

The 35-year-old Azhar refused to comment on the Indian team’s disastrous tour of Australia, but said “since I have played with all the players who have been down under, it will be bad on my part to comment on the outcome of the tour”.

“The Indian cricket board will take stock of the situation and it is the right body to analyse the facts and take appropriate steps to overcome the problems the team had in Australia,” he added.

To a query on his reported statement while he was skipper that there was no place for ace allrounders Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri and batsman Dilip Vengsarkar who were trying to make a comeback in the side during the fag end of their careers, Azhar replied “I never said that. I will never talk like that since I have played with them”.

“I am an educated person and I know I have never spoken anything loose like that. And I had no problem with anybody since they all played under me,” Azhar, who himself is trying to stage a comeback to the team, said.

Asked about his reported statement on poor facilities at Gymkhana grounds, Azhar said “I have never said anything about Gymkhana grounds. It was totally mis-reported in the media. I have said there were poor facilities only in Kerala during my last Ranji match where I missed my century, since there was no security cover for me there”.

“I have aired my views against the organisers of Kerala match but not anything about the Gymkhana ground,” he said.

Reacting to Kapil Dev’s reported statement in a TV interview during the Australia tour that he missed everybody including Gavaskar when asked whether he was missing Azhar and Ajay Jadeja, Azhar said “it is better to ask Kapil the same question, since I will not comment on this aspect”.

Grewal Hockey Academy down SPS
From Our Sports Reporter

LUDHIANA, Feb 1 — Grewal Hockey Academy, Kila Raipur, prevailed over Shivalik Public School, Chandigarh, 2-1 and Surjit Academy, Jalandhar, scraped past Father Agnel School, Delhi, in an identical fashion to set up a title clash on the penultimate day of the first All-India Jagtar Singh Memorial Hockey Tournament for junior boys being organised by Aryan Hockey Club at the Astro Turf stadium of Punjab Agricultural University here today.

In the first semifinal, Kila Raipur lads took an early lead in the third minute through a field goal scored by Anmolakh Singh. Chandigarh boys pressed hard for the equaliser and forced three penalty corners till midway of the first half but failed to score much needed goal. However, their pressure tactics paid dividends in the 25th minute when Williamjit Singh found the target to level the score 1-1.

After changing ends, both the teams tried to forge ahead with the Shivalik School boys dominating most of the time. But it were Kila Raipur who took the lead in the 52nd minute through Lakhbir Singh and they maintained the lead till the long hooter.

In the second semifinal, Surjit Hockey Academy, Jalandhar, drew first blood in the 13th minute when forward Satnam Singh succeeded in penetrating through Father Agnel School, Delhi’s, defence line and also caught rival custodian on the wrong foot (1-0). In the second session, Delhi players restored parity in the 55th minute through Shakir Khan. Just before the final whistle, Satnam Singh struck again to score the all-important goal to help his team to clinch the cliff-hanger 2-1. The final is slated for tomorrow at 2.30 p.m.

Herculean task for BSF
By Amardeep Bhattal
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 1 — After a pathetic performance in the first leg of the National Football League, debutants Border Security Force, Jalandhar, will be moving into the second phase with the primary objective of staving off relegation but the herculean task against front-runners Churchill Brothers at Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhiana, tomorrow is unlikely to lift the sagging spirits of the securitymen. A defeat tomorrow, which appears certain, will further dim the prospects of the para-military outfit of retaining their hard-earned spot in the high-profile league.

As it is, coach Shyam Kumar’s cup of woes is already overflowing. Eight defeats in 11 outings, the maximum in the first phase, has shattered the morale of the team, who did show promise early on. After losing to Mohun Bagan 0-1 in the lung opener, BSF had shocked Dempo, Goa, 1-0 in their second home match on December 16. But thereafter, the slide downhill has been steady. BSF lost to East Bengal 0-1, Tollygunge 1-2, Salgaocar 0-4, Churchill 0-2, Mahindras 0-1, JCT 0-1 and, SBT 0-1. Two of their ties against FC Kochin and ITI ended in goal-less draws. The security men, thus, have collected only five points from one victory and two draws.

A stark reality which dawned at the end of the first phase was BSF’s inability to score goals. In 11 matches, BSF were able to score only two goals, the least number by a team in this phase.

In contrast, Goa league champions Churchill Brothers are virtually on a song. Having topped the table with 23 points, Danny McLennan’s boys are all set to consolidate their position further, although teams like Mohun Bagan, Mahindras, Salgaocar, and JCT are virtually breathing down their neck. Churchill Brothers won the maximum seven matches in 11 outings while drawing two. After routing Dempo 5-0, Churchill went on to beat Mahindras 2-0, FC Kochin 2-0, ITI 2-1, BSF 2-0, East Bengal 3-0, and Tollygunge 1-0.

The team drew 1-1 with Mohun Bagan and in their concluding tie of the first phase, split points with JCT at Ludhiana with an identical score. The two reverses which Churchill suffered were against Salgaocar (0-1) at Margao on January 3 and SBT (1-3) at Thiruvananthapuram on January 7.

Churchill Brothers’ ascendancy is attributed to the presence of quality players, both Indian and foreign. Goalkeeper Edward Ansah, defender Osumanu Husseni, and Ukrainians Mykola Shevchenko and Andrey Malchevsky have made the outfit a formidable combination.

The team also boasts of top players like midfielder Somatai Shaiza, Mario Soares, and Rocky Barreto. The defence manned by Danzil Ferrao, Anthony Mathews and Anthony Pereira has also proved impregnable.

In the attack, Churchill Brothers have outstanding strikers including Francis Silveira and Marcus Carvaloho. Silverira, who scored the first hat-trick of the league against Dempo, will be back in action tomorrow after he missed the tie against JCT following two yellow card bookings.

BSF, on the other hand, lack quality players upfront. Strikers DS Negi and Gurjit Atwal, though hard working, have not been able to achieve much in the absence of support from the flanks. The defence, manned by Raghbir Singh, Pradip Gorai, Tapan Bhattacharjee and K. Mobi Singh nevertheless, has come good which is one reason why most of the defeats have been by slender margins. Goalkeeper Bibhas Saha, and the midfield comprising Prasanta Das, J. Oseph and Sane Lama will once again be under sustained pressure and BSF will be plain lucky if they can manage to split points with the front-runners.

The kick off is at 2.30 p.m.

Kournikova steams into 2nd round

TOKYO, Feb 1 (Reuters) — Russian Anna Kournikova eased her way past France’s Anne-Gaelle Sidot in the first round of the Pan Pacific Open today with a simple 6-3, 6-2 win.

Number five seed Kournikova looked to be on top of her game as she opened the tournament with a tidy display of hard, low groundstrokes from both sides.

Kournikova was the top seed playing in the first round after world number one Martina Hingis of Switzerland, number two seed Mary Pierce of France, French number three seed Nathalie Tauziat and fourth seed Amanda Coetzer of South Africa all received byes.

Last year’s Wimbledon semifinalist Alexandra Stevenson of the USA also had an easy path into the second round. She was ahead 4-1 when her Spanish opponent Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo retired hurt.

American Lilia Osterloh crushed the hopes of hometown favourite Shinobu Asagoe of Japan with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory. She meets world number five Pierce in the second round.

Bagan prevail over ITI 2-1

CALCUTTA, Feb 1 (PTI) — Title aspirants Mohun Bagan overcame some anxious moments before suppressing Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) 2-1 in National Football League here today.

Mohun Bagan’s Uzbek recruit Igor Shkvirin put his team in the lead five minutes before the interval and medio Basudeb Mondal struck the second goal midway through the second session in an exciting contest at the Salt Lake Stadium.

The visitors reduced the margin through Yousuf Ahmed in the 35th minute of the second session and could have found the equaliser had their forwards not squandered a few scoring opportunities that came their way in the action-packed second half.

The home team, who have been quite impressive in their last few matches, failed to live up to their awesome reputation despite starting off with a flurry of raids, and were distinctly lucky to gain full points.

The Bagan defence looked quite vulnerable as ITI launched a series of attacks in the second session and put a lot of pressure on their fancied opponents.

PU boxers finish third

ALLAHABAD, Feb 1(UNI) — Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, and Delhi University jointly won the All-India Inter-University Boxing Championship here yesterday.

The championship, played at the MCC ground of Allahabad University, came to an end with MDU and DU scoring 11.5 points each in the finals.

Pune University team, with five points, was on the second place while Punjabi University, Patiala, and Panjab University, Chandigarh with 4.5 points each, stood third.

Justice D.K. Seth of the Allahabad High Court was the chief guest in the closing ceremony.

In all 316 boxers from 45 universities of the country participated in the championship which was hosted by Allahabad University for the first time.

Rajat helps North post 92-run win

JAIPUR, Feb 1 (PTI) — A sparkling ton by Rajat Jayaswal helped North Zone crush South Zone by 92 runs while Central Zone defeated West Zone by four wickets in their Vijay Hazare Trophy inter-zone cricket tournament here yesterday.

Jayaswal completely dominated the bowling, scoring 117 off just 114 balls hitting eleven fours and got good support from Bhuvnesh Sharma (50) and Joginder Sharma (45) as North Zone, batting first, amassed 286 for seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs.

In reply, South Zone were all out for 196 in 45.4 overs despite a valiant unbeaten knock of 75 by Deepak Chowghle. Joginder Sharma, Nitin Agarwal and Ranjit Singh picked up two wickets each for 31, 32 and 44 runs, respectively.

In the other match, Central Zone bundled out West for 182 in 49.3 overs. S. Bagul made a solid 92.

Chasing the modest total, Central Zone were off to a flying start with the opening pair of A. Ali, who top scored with 45, and P. Malviya (27) putting on 77 runs. S. Dixit contributed an unbeaten 37 in the comprehensive win.

Brief Scores:

North Zone: 286 for 7 in 50 overs (R. Jayaswal 117, B. Sharma 50, J. Sharma 45, S. Binny 3/72) b South Zone — 194 all out in 45.4 overs (D. Chowgle 75 n.o. G. Rao 34, J. Sharma 2/32, N. Agarwal 2/31, R. Singh 2/44).

REGIONAL SPORT BRIEFS

Women’s cricket tourney

SANGRUR, Feb 1 (FOSR) — MSM North Zone Women Cricket Championships will be held here from February 7 to 9, according to Manjit Singh, secretary, Sangrur Women Cricket Association. Teams from Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, J&K and the hosts Panjab will take part in the championships.

Ms Rakhi Gupta, chairman of the organising committee, informed that two teams from this championships will go to Guwahati to participate in the senior national championships later this month.

Judo meet begins

CHANDIGARH, Feb 1 (TNS) — The Punjab State Judo Championship got off to a flying start at the Academy of Martial Arts at Anandpur Sahib today. The championship organised as a part of the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa was inaugurated by the Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, Mr G.S. Grewal.

Over 300 judokas from 13 districts in both men’s and women’s sections are taking part, according to Mr S.S. Dhillon, SDM, Anandpur Sahib.

Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Union Minister and president POA, will preside over the concluding ceremony on February 3 and distribute the prizes, according to Mr T.C. Gupta, vice-president, Judo Federation of India.