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| Tuesday, June 13, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Sidhu deposes before CBI again
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Kannan, Ghouse in second round
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Two ’99 Cup ties were fixed: Bacher CAPE TOWN, June 12 (Reuters) — South African cricket chief Ali Bacher alleged today that two 1999 World Cup matches were fixed and that a crooked umpire cost South Africa a Test in 1998. Citing contacts with international players and a high-stakes Indian bookmaker he identified only as “R”, Bacher told Judge Edwin King that match-fixing extended far beyond disgraced South African captain Hansie Cronje, who has admitted taking money. “A process has begun with the Cronje revelations to purge the game of cricket once and for all of this cancer,” he told the government inquiry. Bacher said he had been told by former Pakistan international player Majid Khan at last year’s Wimbledon tennis tournament that the 1999 World Cup matches between India and Pakistan and between Pakistan and Bangladesh were fixed. He said Majid had given him permission to relay the information to the South African inquiry. Bacher, Managing Director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, has previously referred to two matches that were fixed, but named them for the first time on Monday. He also questioned the outcome of the fifth Test between South Africa and England in August 1998. Outlining his contacts with the bookmaker “R”, whom he first met during an Indian tour to South Africa in 1995-96, Bacher said he had been told that Pakistani umpire Javed Akhtar had been paid to influence the result. “If you will recall, that Test match was won by England, but there were a lot of dubious decisions given in that match. There were 10 lbw’s, nine of them given by Pakistani umpire Javed Akhtar and eight of them went against South Africa,” he said. Bacher said “R” told him: “Remember you asked me about Javed Akhtar - he was on the payroll.” Bacher added: “One of the biggest bookmakers in India flew to Leeds before the fifth Test to make sure his clients complied with his demands.” Bacher read a letter from a senior executive of a local company, Jacques Selschop, about a conversation Selschop said he had on a plane with Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar in April this year. Selschop said he did not know at that stage it was Akhtar, but was later given photographs and identified him. He said Akhtar told him “...Match-fixing was common in cricket world wide and had been going on for several years. He recalled that the details of many matches, including a game between Pakistan and Bangladesh last year, which was fixed for $ one million. “He said Hansie was stupid, he should never have negotiated with the bookmaker on the phone,” Selschop told Bacher. “He said it was commonly known that that guy with the red hair, the new captain (Shaun Pollack) and Jonty Rhodes were impossible to involve because of their religion. “The young man said three matches at the 1999 World Cup were fixed. He played in South Africa three years ago, and at least one of the matches was fixed. The enjoyment of spectators was not compromised because they did not know what outcome had been arranged,” Selschop said. Akhtar had been on tour in West Indies and was in South Africa to undergoing treatment for an injury. Bacher lauded Cronje in opening testimony, calling him an asset for both team and country, but said he was devastated when Cronje finally confessed to taking money from a bookmaker. “In my history of involvement in South African cricket there has never been a better captain. I never ever questioned his integrity, never ever,” he said. Cronje, who was stripped of his captaincy in April when he first denied and then admitted taking up to $ 15,000 from a bookmaker, has been at the centre of a growing international scandal involving match-fixing ever since. Cronje’s young team mates Herschelle Gibbs, Pieter Strydom, and Henry Williams last week told how he had offered them up to $ 25,000 to underperform during a recent tour of India. Gibbs and Williams said they accepted the offer but after failing to do what had been asked of them they had not been paid. Strydom said he declined the offer. Opening the second week of hearings into the scandal in Cape Town’s centre for the book, South African Reserve Bank official Charles Van Staden said barely one week after the scandal first broke on April 7, Cronje’s lawyers had deposited a large quantity of dollars in a Reserve Bank Trust account. He told the hearing amounts of $ 10,000 and $ 37,630 were deposited in notes in the bank’s trust account on behalf of Cronje. He added that he had yet to receive a formal explanation of the source of the money. Van Staden said he also knew of one foreign bank account at a natwest bank in Leicester, England and had heard of at least two others but had no details. With Cronje’s father in the Audience, Van Staden told the enquiry a sum of 200,000 rand ($ 28,370) had been transferred legally by Cronje to an account with Merill Lynch in London in May 1998. Bacher, who took the stand after Van Staden, told the hearing a top-performing senior South African cricketer could expect to receive up to 850,000 rand ($ 120,600) a year from the UCB and to top it up with up to 500,000 a year in sponsorship ($ 70,920) deals. Bacher said when he first heard the allegations against his captain he had refused to believe them, and Cronje himself had dismissed them out of hand. He said he had been so
confident that the allegations were unfounded he had used
his own personal relationship with Deputy South African
Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad to try to get to the bottom
of them and expose them as lies. |
Bacher has stated truth: Majid Khan KARACHI, June 12 (AFP) — Former Pakistani cricket official Majid Khan confirmed today he told South African cricket chief Ali Bacher that two matches during the 1999 World Cup were fixed. “Whatever Bacher has stated about me is correct and I stand by his statement that those matches were fixed,” Majid Khan told AFP here. “I do not want to add anything except that I did speak to him about these matches having been fixed,” the ex-chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board said. “Whatever Bacher has stated is true.” Earlier, the South African cricket chief told an inquiry into corruption in cricket at Cape Town that Majid Khan told him the Pakistan matches against India and Bangladesh during the last World Cup were rigged. “He didn’t indicate to me which team had fixed the game,” Bacher, the United Cricket Board of South Africa managing director, told the inquiry. Pakistan lost both
matches, most sensationally against lowly-ranked
Bangladesh. |
Cronje “received” death threats CAPE TOWN, June 12 (AFP) — Hansie Cronje received death threats, his lawyer claimed today after South African cricket boss Ali Bacher made sensational claims about match-fixing in international cricket. Bacher told the King Commission that he had received “threats of physical violence” during the controversy about match-fixing which led to Cronje being sacked as South African captain. Lawyer John Dickerson, for Cronje, said the former captain had also received threats, including death threats. He made the disclosure after asking Bacher about the threats that had been made against him. Earlier, Bacher said he
had been told by former Pakistan cricket chief executive
Majid Khan that two matches involving Pakistan during the
1999 World Cup in England were “fixed”. |
Sidhu deposes before CBI again NEW DELHI, June 12 (PTI) — The CBI today grilled former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu in the match-fixing scandal following submission of video tapes, clandestinely shot by Manoj Prabhakar, to the agency, official sources said here. The former Test cricketer arrived at the CBI headquarters and used a backside entrance to evade media questions. Sidhu was examined by the sleuths of Special Crime Branch for nearly 45 minutes, the sources said. Sidhu was grilled over the statement he had made in the video tapes shot by Prabhakar. Sidhu, who had deposed before the agency last month, had reportedly denied the allegation made by Manoj Prabhakar that Kapil Dev had offered him a bribe of Rs 25 lakh to play below his potential during a cricket match against Pakistan in 1994. Kapil Dev has also strongly denied the allegation. His re-examination was needed after Prabhakar submitted video tapes, secretly shot by him, in which Sidhu had reportedly corroborated Prabhakar’s allegation. However, it was not immediately clear whether Sidhu had stood by his earlier statement made to the agency last month or corroborated his statement made to Prabhakar. After Sidhu, the agency would also re-examine former Indian cricket team manager Ajit Wadekar who was also questioned by the agency last month, the sources said. The agency would decide on summoning Kapil Dev after the deposition of the two is completed. Meanwhile, cellular telephone numbers used by a former Indian cricketer allegedly to contact bookies have been identified by the CBI, the sources said. The agency would soon initiate steps to trace the numbers which the former Delhi batsman, who is currently abroad, had called from these cellphones, the sources said adding that they would get fresh leads once they got the tapes of the conversations carried out by the cricketer. The name of the former Indian team member had figured during the examination of bookies in Mumbai and here, they said, adding that the agency would examine him once he returned from abroad a few months later. CBI has also prepared a list of persons to be questioned and may send teams to different parts of the country and abroad, they said. In a related development, IT sources said they were planning to prepare details of return of cricketers and board officials whose names have surfaced repeatedly during the investigations into match-fixing. The sources, however, said the department was only collecting information and was not planning to rush into investigation. They confirmed that they
had been “sounded” by the CBI orally on these
issues but said any such action as search and raids could
be taken only after the investigating agency approached
them with a formal request. |
No ACB action against Warne BRISBANE, June 12 (AP) — The Australian Cricket Board will not take action against Shane Warne for an alleged sexual harassment incident with a British nurse, saying they will let it rest as a private matter “at this stage”. A board spokesman said today that chief executive Malcolm Speed could meet Warne next week when he flies to London for an International Cricket Council meeting. But there was no immediate talks of disciplinary action for the record-breaking leg-spinner and Australian vice-captain following his latest controversy. Donna Wright (22) told the Daily Mirror newspaper in London that Warne harassed her with a series of unwanted and “disgusting” messages to her mobile telephone. Warne is playing county cricket in England at Hampshire. In March, Warne became
Australia’s most successful Test bowler when he
claimed his 356th wicket during a tour of New Zealand. |
Time for Spain to deliver goods ROTTERDAM (Netherlands), June 12 (AFP) — Spain kick off their Euro 2000 campaign here tomorrow with a potential banana-skin group C clash against Norway — otherwise known as the English Premiership XI. The Spaniards have often flattered to deceive in big tournaments and want to bury their tag as “chokers” — but currently only positive feelings surround Spanish football. Coach Jose Antonio Camacho has brought stability to a national side which was struggling under the leadership of former boss Javier Clemente. The performance of Spanish teams in the Champions League — winners Real Madrid, runners-up Valencia and semi-finalists Barcelona — ensured an unprecedented domination for one country in Europe’s top club event and illustrates the strength of the Primera Liga that has provided all 22 men in Camacho’s squad. Although Spain are without the supremely talented Luis Enrique, who failed to make the squad because of a knee injury, they have one of the most finely balanced midfields of any team at Euro 2000.The quartet are orchestrated by Pep Guardiola, the majestic playmaker with a cool head. Sitting just in front of the back four, Guardiola is one of the few individuals capable of dictating the pace of the game. The Barcelona star is complemented by an industrious yet technically-gifted trio of Gaizka Mendieta, Joseba Etxeberria and Juan Carlos Valeron. The championship draw has been kind to Camacho and the time may be ripe for the pre-tournament promise to finally come to fruition. However, Norway do have a habit of gate-crashing the party. The last 10 years have been the greatest decade Norwegian football has ever known. They burst from nowhere onto the international scene, qualifying for two World Cups in succession and exporting more players than they have frozen fish. They have humiliated England and regularly beaten Brazil and in strikers Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and tore Andre Flo — both struggling to command a regular place at Manchester United and Chelsea respectively — have two of the world’s most lethal strikers. But coach Nils Semb has had a difficult task in filling the boots (Wellington boots that is) of his eccentric predecessor Egil Olsen, who transformed the Scandinavian country into a real force in world football. He has stuck with the same system bequeathed by Olsen playing a direct and uncomplicated style — not surprising with many Norway players playing their trade in England. A good performance in Holland and Belgium will allow Semb to firmly consign the Olsen era into the history books. Even though they face a more technically gifted side in Spain, Norway have the same solid team ethic that has underpinned their impressive record in the late 1990s.
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Concern over amnesty offer CAPE TOWN, June 12 — As the King Commission of Inquiry into cricket match-fixing enters its second week here, concerns have been expressed about amnesty offers made to some of the key players. According to the office of the National Director of Prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka, disgraced skipper Hansie Cronje, and players Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams, who have both testified to the Commission that they accepted offers from their captain to throw a game against India, were all offered immunity from criminal charges in South Africa. This offer was subject to the King Commission being fully satisfied that the players have cooperated fully in its investigation and have made full disclosures. While Judge Edwin King was reported in the South African media on Sunday to have expressed surprise at this and claimed not to have been part of the negotiations, he said this was a welcome move if it allowed him to get to the truth. Advocate Shamilla Batohi, who is leading evidence in the hearings, confirmed that the offer had been discussed with the players and their legal representatives. Lawyers for the players are expected to react to the offer on Monday. “The players have been guaranteed indemnity if they tell the truth,” Batohi said. “But then they must cooperate with the Commission. If not, they will be prosecuted. There can be no guarantee of indemnity from prosecution before you even know what the person is going to say. That is normal procedure.” If the commission finds that Cronje had not made a full disclosure, then the offer of immunity would be withdrawn and he would face possible criminal charges under the Corruption Act and also on incitement of perjury following earlier disclosures by Gibbs to the Commission. Batohi said the indemnity offer did not relate to the charges that Cronje was facing in India. Indian police has charged Cronje and others following the taping of conversations between the disgraced captain and a bookmaker. But concerns have been expressed in many quarters about whether this move, as well as the decision by the United Cricket Board of South Africa on Friday to suspend Gibbs after his confession to the Commission, will influence the effectiveness of the Commission. The Commission will now have to deliver findings on people who have been exempted from criminal prosecution and other players may be reluctant to tell all, if they do indeed testify, for fear of similar action by the board. Meanwhile, Cronje’s legal team has been trying very hard to make him the last person to testify before the Commission. But the Commission is reportedly not happy with this and is expected to call him to testify during the course of this week. Although Commission spokesmen would not confirm the order of witnesses this week, cricket board boss Ali Bacher and South African businessman Hamid Cassim are expected to be among key witnesses. Cassim is alleged to have been the link between Cronje and bookmakers, but his lawyer, Itzie Bloomberg, says the only things he gave Cronje are biltong (dried South African meat snacks) and sweets. Others expected to
testify this week are players Jacques Kallis, Mark
Boucher and Lance Klusener. — India Abroad
News Service |
End of nightmare for Haessler VAALS (Netherlands), June 12 (Reuters) — A few weeks ago Thomas Haessler was so depressed he considered retiring. But today the 34-year-old will celebrate his 100th German cap. “Those who know me well realise how much all this means to me,” the pocket-sized midfielder said after learning yesterday that he would play when the European championship open the defence of their title against Romania. “Playing for Germany has always been the absolute summit for me,” he added, “Even when I wasn’t playing I cheered the national team every time they played.” A member of Germany’s 1990 World Cup-winning team like Libero Lothar Matthaeus, Haessler will become the fifth German player to win 100 caps after Matthaeus, Juergen Klinsmann, Juergen Kohler and Franz Beckenbauer. “The 100th cap is special but just being in the team is great,” he said. Many thought Haessler would never play for his country again after the Germans suffered a shock 3-0 quarter-final defeat by Croatia at the 1998 World Cup in France. After fighting through a number of injuries, including a career-threatening leg fracture, Haessler looked slower than in his prime and only sporadically showed the skills that had made him such a creative midfielder. After many seasons with Karlsruhe SC, he started a new adventure with Borussia Dortmund which turned into a nightmare. Michael Skibbe, then the coach of the 1997 European champions, kept saying Haessler had talent but left him on the bench most of the time. After one painful year with Dortmund, he moved to TSV 1860 Munich, where coach Werner Lorant trusted him from the start. Haessler soon recaptured his brilliant best, scoring eight goals and setting up many more to help the “other” Munich club to fourth place in the Bundesliga this season. “If I’m here, I owe it to Werner Lorant,” Haessler said yesterday. “He kept saying that if I kept training hard and putting in strong performance, I would make it back to the national team.” But Germany head coach Erich Ribbeck never called and Haessler lost hope, saying he wanted to retire. He had other problems as an affair between his wife and manager, Angela, and a TSV official was making daily headlines in the popular Press. “Everybody can imagine how hard it is to see your private life in the newspapers,” he said. “But going through a crisis makes you stronger. I got over it. My wife and I still get on well.” He concentrated on
football, orchestrating play for TSV and demonstrating he
had lost nothing of his set-piece expertise. And,
eventually, Ribbeck called. |
Fortune smiles on Dutch; France sparkle BRUSSELS, June 12 (AFP) — World champions France threw down the gauntlet to their Euro 2000 rivals, romping to a 3-0 victory over Denmark in their group D opener yesterday. Goals from Laurent Blanc, Thierry Henry and Sylvain Wiltord ensured the French coasted to victory but Holland and Italy owed their victories to a dose of good fortune, prevailing thanks to late penalties. Holland, in France’s group D, had survived a ferocious second-half onslaught from the Czech Republic twice being saved by the woodwork before Frank de Boer converted an 89th-minute penalty, needlessly given away by Jiri Nemec, to hand the ‘Oranje’ a 1-0 win. Italy, meanwhile, were all square at 1-1 in group B when they benefited from a hugely controversial decision from scottish referee Hugh Dallas. Filippo Inzaghi fell theatrically under a challenge from Ogun Temizkenoglu after 70 minutes and converted the penalty himself to secure a 2-1 triumph for the ‘Azzurri’. Buruk Okan had earlier equalised Antonio Conte’s opener for Italy. Turkey coach Mustapha Denizli was incandescent with rage about the decision by Dallas. “At this level it’s unforgiveable,” raged Denizli. “The whole match turned on one bad decision by the referee. There’s no way it was a penalty and my player later confirmed this to me. Denizli’s opinion was clearly shared by the majority Turkish crowd at Arnhem who pelted the scottish official with missiles after he awarded the spot kick. Inzaghi admitted the penalty award was a lucky one, saying: “this penalty was a lucky one. It was a debatable penalty but we reacted very well.” Despite the furore it is Dino Zoff’s side that join co-hosts Belgium at the top of the group B table on three points - the ‘Red Devils’ had disposed of Sweden 2-1 in the opening game of the month-long football pageant on Saturday. There was no controversy about the performance of the French who spanked the Danish in some style at Bruges with even Denmark coach Bo Johansson purring at the quality shown by Roger Lemerre’s men. “France are a fantastic team and when they have the ball at their feet they have a lot of speed which you saw in evidence tonight,” said Johansson, a Swede. “But it is not just their pace - they are extremely good all-round footballers as well.” Lemerre was delighted with the result, saying: “These world champions have a desire that has stayed the same for two years. Sometimes you just have to pay tribute to them.” After a nervy opening - Jon Dahl Tomasson spurned a glorious chance for the Danes in the second minute, firing straight at Fabien Barthez - France settled their nerves by taking the lead after 16 minutes. Veteran defender Blanc began and ended the move, working a delightful one-two with Didier Deschamps before putting through Nicolas Anelka. Then France’s World Cup winning Talisman Zinedine Zidane came into his own after the interval. First he set up Arsenal striker Thierry Henry who ran half the length of the pitch for a solo goal after 64 minutes. And in injury time he played in Patrick Vieira who squared the ball to substitute Wiltord, who sidefooted home. France were later joined at the top of group D on points by Holland who were far less convincing at the Amsterdam arena. The Dutch shaded the opening period but in the second half the Czechs took control of the match. First giant striker Jan Koller forced Dutch goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar into a splendid save after linking up well with Pavel Nedved. Lazio’s Nedved was running the show and his superb header from a Nemec cross hit the post and bounced on the goal-line before a relieved Van Der Sar gathered the ball. Then Koller watched his header rattle the bar from a Karel Poborsky freekick. But with the struggling Dutch looking happy to settle for what was looking like a goal-less draw it all went pear-shaped for the Czechs in the 89th minute. Nemec needlessly tugged the shirt of substitute Ronald de Boer after a harmless looking Marc Overmars cross and De Boer’s brother Frank tucked away the resultant penalty. Then Italian referee
Pierluigi Collina brandished a red card at Czech defender
Radoslav Latal, who had already been substituted,
apparently for a touchline tantrum. Latal now faces
suspension. |
Hagi plans to bow out with a bang LIEGE, June 12 (Reuters) — Gheorge Hagi, planning to bow out of international soccer with a bang at Euro 2000, hopes to begin by guiding Romania to success against Germany in their opening group A game today. The 35-year-old veteran playmaker, appearing at a news conference after Romania had trained in the Sclessin Stadium on Sunday, said he regarded the European Championship finals as his last big opportunity to shine at the top level. “It is the last time I will play at this kind of tournament,’’ he said. “But I am not the only one. In our squad, we have a lot of older players together and we want to show what we really can do as a group. It could be our last chance.’’ The core of the squad he was referring to remains from that which carried Romania to the World Cup quarter-finals in the USA in 1994. All 22 of the Euro 2000 squad trained without incident at the stadium, normally used by Belgian club Standard Liege, and afterwards said they were impressed with the excellent condition of the pitch. “We have no injury worries at all, we are all ready,’’ said the squad’s coach Emerich Jenei, another veteran from the glory days for Romanian club and national soccer in the late 1980s and early 1990s. “We are optimistic
about the match against Germany,’’ he said.
“We know they are a strong team and it will be a
difficult match. But we have a high level of imagination
and ability in our team and we have faith in
this.’’ |
Kannan, Ghouse in second round BANGALORE, Jun 12 (PTI) — Promising Indian youngsters Vijay Kannan and Mustafa Ghouse had to sweat it out before making it to the men’s singles second round in the second leg of the ITF satellite tennis tournament here today. Kannan defeated Gwenal Gueit (France) 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 7-4 (7-4) while Ghouse fought back after losing the first set to down compatriot Rohan Bopanna 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in another marathon affair. The match between Kannan and Gueit was a keenly contested one with the Indian taking the first set via the tie-break. Gueit bounced back in the second set and broke Kannan’s service in the first and fifth games to win 2-6. The decider was a see-saw battle. Gueit broke Kannan in the third game but failed to hold serve in the next. Though Gueit was successful in saving match point twice, he surrendered in the tie-break. Second seed Per
Thorandtsson (Sweden) won against Ravishankar Pathanjali
6-4, 6-4 while fifth seed, Germany’s Barry Flucher
got past Vijendra Laad 6-3, 6-3. |
Goor dedicates goal to son TIELEN (Belgium), June 12 (Reuters) — Belgian winger Bart Goor has dedicated his opening goal in Euro 2000 to his baby son Robbe, born just two weeks before the tournament began. “It was an unbelievable moment in my life,” Goor said of the goal just before half time which opened the way to Belgium’s 2-1 victory over Sweden on Saturday. Did baby Robbe get to see the goal? “No, apparently he
slept through the whole thing. But I’ve got it on
video. Don’t worry, He’ll see it.” |
Swimming title for Patiala FEROZEPORE, June 12 — Patiala boys and girls by securing 53 and 41points, respectively, won the overall trophy in the two-day 16th Punjab State Subjunior Swimming Championship which concluded at the zila parishad swimming pool here on Sunday evening. Ludhiana boys and girls by securing 49 and 36 points, respectively, stood runners-up. Mridul (Ludhiana), Amandeep Singh (Hoshiarpur), Vibha Babbar (Ludhiana) and Lajdeep Kaur (Patiala) were declared the best swimmers. Minister for Irrigation, Janmeja Singh Sekhon gave away the prizes to the winners and announced a grant of Rs 51,000 from his discretionary funds to the District Swimming Association which organised the championship. The following are the results: Boys: 100 m breast stroke: Harpreet Singh (Sangrur) 1, Amrinder Singh (Patiala) 2 and Mridul (Ludhiana) 3. 100 m back-stroke: Sagar Sethi (Patiala) 1, Gagan Matta (Ferozepore) 2, Mridul (Ludhiana) 3. 100 m butterfly: Gagan Matta (Ferozepore) 1, Mridul (Ludhiana) 2 and Karanvir (Ludhiana) 3. 50 m butterfly: Preet Apinder Singh (Ludhiana) 1, Harshat (Patiala) 2 and Amandeep Singh (Hoshiarpur) 3. Girls: 100 m breast
stroke: Sukhman Ghuman (Ropar) 1, Vibha Babbar (Ludhiana)
3, Riti Parmar (Hoshiarpur) 3. 100 m back-stroke: Vibha
Babbar (Ludhiana) 1, Sukhman Ghuman (Ropar) 2 and
Gurinder Kaur (Hoshiarpur) 3. 100 m butterfly: Vibha
Babbar (Ludhiana) 1, Isha Sood (Ludhiana) 2 and Gurbinder
Kaur (Hoshiarpur) 3. 50 m butterfly: Lajdeep Kaur
(Patiala) 1, Kamal Avtar (Amritsar) 2 and Amanjot Kaur
(Patiala) 3. |
Low
turnout for
football trials AMBALA June 12 — There was a low turnout of “talented youngsters” for the trials for football academy, which is going to be set up at Chandigarh. A limited number of youngsters turned up for the first day of the two-day trials which were taking place at War Heroes Memorial Stadium in Ambala Cantonment. According to a Sports Officer, about a handful of budding footballers came for the trials in the daytime. “There is a difference between these trials and other trials. The foremost is that only those children who are genuinely interested in pursuing football as a career come for it,” he said. The Sports Department, Chandigarh Administration and the Chandigarh Sports Council have decided to establish a football academy at Chandigarh with the objective of producing outstanding footballers of national and international standards by grooming the talent from the young age in a scientific manner, a letter said. “It will be a special football academy of its kind, which emphasis on excellence in football even while providing quality education to turnout well rounded youngsters. It is being clarified that for the selected trainees, boarding, lodging, education in schools, football coaching kit, clothing kit will be provided free,” the letter said. The objective of the academy is to produce outstanding footballers by nurturing sports talent from the age of 9-10. The academy also aims to promote sports culture. Twentyfour male students of the age group of 9-10 shall be selected in the football academy at initial stage. Twelve children shall be kept in the waiting list and will be called as per requirement. Among others, the
selection programme will take place also at Senior
Secondary School, Yamunanagar on June 15 and 16, SAI
Training Centre, Dharamsala on June 21 and 22, and Sports
Complex, Sector 7, Chandigarh, on June 27 and 28. |
HSWA selects 55 probables HISAR, June 12 — The Haryana State Wrestling Association (HSWA) has selected 55 grapplers, including 16 girls, for the coaching camp to select the state team for the National Junior Wrestling Championship for boys and girls to be held at Bangalore from June 23 to 27, according to Mr M.S. Malik, president of the HSWA. The probables have been
selected on the basis of their performance in the State
Wrestling Championship which concluded in Charkhi Dadri
in Bhiwani district recently. The coaching camps for
girls and boys are in progress in Hisar and Charkhi
Dadri, respectively. |
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