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| Thursday, July 20, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Cronje defers
trip to London
ATP doubles meet in Bangalore ST ANDREWS (Scotland), July 19 — A slice of golfing history beckons for Jyoti Randhawa when he tees off at the British Open on Thursday but he intends to take one step at a time in his journey along the famed St. Andrews Old Course. |
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| Third successive victory for England EDGBASTON, July 19 — England gave themselves a timely boost ahead of Saturday’s NatWest Triangular Series final by beating Zimbabwe by 52 runs in the day-night clash here yesterday. Bhangra beats greet Indians  Gloveman Marsh allows no respite to academy boysLast week it was Lillee and the Olympic torch. Now it’s Marsh. Reminds one of that famous and oft repeated scorecard entry ; caught Marsh bowled Lillee. During his illustrious cricket career, Rod Marsh was never one for running too much. Being a wicketkeeper, running was not a big part of his game. And as a batsman he was happier seeing the ball hit the boundary rather than scoring through physical exertion. Brazil stunned by
Paraguay Taliban official fired for shaving heads
Five-Test series against Egypt BANGALORE, July 19 — A five -Test hockey series will be played between India and Egypt at the Karnataka State Hockey Association stadium here from July 27 to August 3.
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SA face Lankan spin test GALLE, July 19 (AFP) — South Africa will face their biggest test against spin when they meet Sri Lanka in the first of the three-Test series at the Galle International Stadium starting here tomorrow. The South Africans will be playing their first Test match since the Hansie Cronje match-fixing affair erupted in April. Cronje, South Africa’s disgraced former captain, was arguably the best player of spin bowling in his country. He was sacked as captain and dropped from the team following his startling revelations that he accepted money on five occasions from gamblers and bookmakers between 1996 and 2000. The former skipper’s absence has cast doubting shadows over the entire South African side who are struggling to come to terms with the turning pitches on their tour of Sri Lanka. The hosts are not making it easier for the South Africans either. A grassless pitch has been prepared for the first Test and Sri Lanka are likely to name three spinners in their eleven. “We are playing to our strength. Spin is our strength and it is going to play a big role in the series,” said Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya. The biggest threat to the South Africans is master spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who bowled them to defeat in the one-day triangular final last week, taking five for 44. Muralitharan will be backed by either leg-spinner Upul Chandana, Kumar Dharmasena (off-spin) or Dinuk Hettiaratchi (left-arm spin). If Sri Lanka go with three spinners, it will be a toss up between Kumar Sangakkara and Prasanna Jayewardene behind the stumps. Sangakkara, who kept wicket in the recent one-day triangular series was successful with the bat. Jayewardene is a genuine wicketkeeper who made his Test debut but did not get to perform in the rain-affected final Test against Pakistan in Kandy last month. South Africa, with only two spinners in their squad, may be forced to play 21-year-old rookie Robin Peterson who has been flown in as cover for the injured Paul Adams. Adams is recovering from a groin injury sustained in the triangular final on Friday, and if he does not pull through left-arm spinner Peterson, who has played only two seasons of first-class cricket, will be forced to play in his first Test as partner to another left-armer, Nicky Boje. However, South Africa’s coach Graham Ford said Adams was on the mend and his chances of playing were good. “We are confident he will pull through,” Ford said. South Africa also cannot ignore the batting form of 24-year-old Neil McKenzie who scored a superb 181 in the two-day warm-up match against a Sri Lankan Board XI yesterday. “Anyone who scores 181 should be close to selection. McKenzie has been around for some time and we all know what he is capable of,” said Ford. There is also a question mark against Darryl Cullinan’s fitness, but Ford said he had made encouraging progress and should play. South Africa will have to decide whether they need fast bowlers Monantau Hayward and Makhaya Ntini or to go with McKenzie as the extra batsman. Teams: Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Marvan Atapattu, Russel Arnold, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Arjuna Ranatunga, Prasanna Jayawardene, Kumar Dharmasena, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Muttiah Muralitharan, Upul Chandana, Dinuk Hettiaratchi. South Africa : Shaun Pollock (captain), Gary Kirsten, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Jonty Rhodes, Darryl Cullinan, Neil McKenzie, Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher, Nicky Boje, Robin Peterson, Paul Adams, Makhaya Ntini, Monantau Hayward. |
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Cronje defers trip to London LONDON, July 19 (PTI) — Sacked South African captain Hansie Cronje, due to arrive here this week to discuss his future with his advisor Max Clifford, has put off his plans fearing India might seek his extradition, media reported today.
Cronje has been told by his lawyer his extradition will be sought by India if he travels to England as the Delhi Police wants to question him about the match-fixing scandal. “This is the same situation as General Pinochet (former president of Chile) was in,” Clifford said yesterday. “It is important this is sorted out as the world’s media wants to talk to him (Cronje)”. A London-based publisher, Collins Willow, has sought a synopsis of what Cronje would say about his transgressions as captain of the South African team. Cronje is understood to be seeking £ 250,000 but an advance of this magnitude will depend on whether newspaper serialisation can be obtained. There is also a possibility of the sale of film rights, reports said. |
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ATP doubles meet in Bangalore BANGALORE, July 19 (PTI) — The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) have signed an understanding to bring the $ 750,000 World Doubles Championship to Bangalore, amid firm indications Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will come together again for this event as also for the Olympics. Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, also
KSLTA President, and a tennis buff himself, signed the agreement, while former Indian tennis ace Vijay Amritraj did it on
ATP's behalf here last night. The event, to be held on December 11, will feature the world’s eight top doubles pairs. Giving indications that Leander is almost likely to pair with Bhupathi, who have now split, Paes’ father Vece Paes, in a telephonic conversation from Calcutta, said: “There is no reason why he should not play”. “Leander is presently undergoing medical treatment... He will play... There is no doubt that he will pair with Mahesh in Olympics as well as the doubles.... I will confirm tomorrow morning”, he said. In response, Amritraj said: “The participation of last year’s world number one doubles team Paes and Bhupathi, (who have been offered a wild card) has given a completely new dimension to the championship”. “That’s the best news we have heard... I am really happy for Mahesh and Leander”, Krishna added. “It is a momentous day for tennis in India. A great day for Karnataka, Bangalore and India for that matter. I don’t think ever India has staged such a world tournament in tennis,” Krishna said. Complimenting Amritraj, he said: “But for his persuasive skills, we would not have succeeded in bringing this event to Bangalore’. In his remarks, Amritraj said it’s a special occasion. “The world doubles championship will be a grand finale to the
ATP tour since it will be the year-ending tournament”. ATP Senior Vice-President, Brad Drewett, told the press conference by telephone that Bangalore would also host next year’s World Doubles Championship. “It is likely to be held in November of 2001”, he added. Drewett indicated that Krishna and Amritraj had played a key role in bring the championship to Bangalore. Amritraj said television rights for the championship had been given to the
KSLTA. The championship’s director would be Krishna Bhupathi, father of Mahesh Bhupathi. Responding to a question, Krishna said the event was purely a private initiative, adding the state government would not spend much on it. Amritraj said a “Legends Championship” would be organised here in November in which tennis greats like Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander, Henri Laconte and Pat Cash, among others, would participate. |
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Slice of history beckons Randhawa ST ANDREWS (Scotland), July 19 (PTI) — A slice of golfing history beckons for Jyoti Randhawa when he tees off at the British Open on Thursday but he intends to take one step at a time in his journey along the famed St. Andrews Old Course. The 28-year-old Wills Indian Open champion qualified for the Open after a gruelling final qualifying at Scotscraig on Monday to become only the second golfer from India to feature in the world’s oldest tournament after Gaurav Ghei. In the pairings and tee-off times for the first two rounds announced yesterday, Randhawa is clubbed with Briton Stuart Little and Lionel Alexandre of France. Randhawa, the part of the annual “Asian Invasion” to the British Open, will start well past noon at 3.30 p.m. (local time) on the opening day of the 127th edition at the home of golf. Next day, the Indian will tee off at 10.50 a.m. and will have to wait till the evening to know whether he made the cut or not. Ghei, who qualified for Royal Birkdale British Open in 1997, failed to make the third day of the championship. With a liking for the Old Course, following his appearance for India in the Alfred Dunhill Cup last year, Randhawa could better Ghei’s achievement by stretching his stay at St Andrews till Sunday. “I am happy that the Open is at St Andrews as I have played competition golf here in last year’s Dunhill Cup. I played three practice rounds and three matches, shooting 71, 72 and 73. The course suits my game as I am quite long off the tee,” Randhawa said. Randhawa, who is having the finest season of his career — winning Hero Honda Masters late last year, Wills Open and a runner-up at China Open — is weighing his chances to make some mark with the likes of Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, David Duval, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood in the fray. “But I cannot really say I know the course as every day it plays differently depending on the wind. That is the beauty of St Andrews. It is a feel course and I like that. The greens are so big and you can leave yourself with huge putts — and those greens can be so tricky,” said Randhawa. He knows that he could get his name into India’s golfing annals but will now be sidetracked with the task ahead. “I don’t want to look too far ahead and intend to take it one shot at a time. That’s me... I always like to remain focused. “To be honest, I didn’t play particularly well at the final qualifying but managed some good scores. If I can improve here this week, it’ll be good. I felt like I hit the ball much better in my first practice round on the Old Course but all I’m looking for is to play my best possible golf this week,” said Randhawa. His to-be brother-in-law and a pro golfer Digvijay Singh, will caddy for him, having done so at the final qualifying. ”Digvijay has been a great help. We worked well together over the past few days and I hope we continue to gel. He is an old schoolfriend and collegemate and I introduced him to golf. ”Also he will soon become my brother-in-law as I’m marrying his sister, Tina, on November 26,” Randhawa said. Randhawa will be joined by Kyi Hla Han of Myanmar, Asia’s best player last season, Yeh Wei-Tze of Taiwan and England’s Simon Dyson at Dt Andrews. Han earned a direct entry into the Open following his triumph in last season’s Asian PGA Order of Merit while Asian PGA players — Yeh and Dyson — survived the final qualifying rounds. Han warmed up for his British Open debut with practice rounds alongside several golfing legends. He renewed his acquintance with old friend, Fiji’s Vijay Singh — the winner of US Masters at Augusta — and had the company of Spaniard great Seve Ballesteros in the three-ball practice round. Han is confident of keeping Asia’s flag flying high after a recent top-10 finish in the Japan GTO Players Championship. ”I don’t want to predict anything but I really feel good here. The key would be to avoid the bunkers because they are so deep. Playing in the Open at St Andrews is going to be the highlight of my year. It’s such as exciting prospect. I love it... the buzz is incredible,” Han said. |
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Third successive victory for England EDGBASTON, July 19 (AFP) — England gave themselves a timely boost ahead of Saturday’s NatWest Triangular Series final by beating Zimbabwe by 52 runs in the day-night clash here yesterday. A century from Man-of-the-Match Alec Stewart — his first for his country in one-day internationals for two-and-a-half years — was the cornerstone of England’s 262 for eight in 50 overs. Then two wickets in two balls from Graeme Hick — including that dangerman Neil Johnson — helped England kill off the challenge of Zimbabwe after they had reached 85 for one in 17th over. They were eventually restricted to 210 for nine as England reeled off their third successive victory in the competition and put themselves in good heart for the Lord’s showdown against Zimbabwe at the weekend. Stewart justified Nasser Hussain’s decision to bat first on a cracked pitch as he raced to his third one-day England century off 142 balls with eight fours. It followed on from his unbeaten 74 against the West Indies on Saturday and is the first time Stewart has scored consecutive half-centuries in limited overs cricket for England since March 1998. England only briefly faltered when they lost Andy Flintoff (24) and Hick (0) in the same over from Johnson as they slipped to 85 for three in the 17th over. But Stewart continued to score effectively and did not give a chance although he was fortunate to edge Heath Streak between wicketkeeper Andy Flower and slip Alistair Campbell when on 16. He shared in a fourth-wicket stand of 81 in 19 overs with Graham Thorpe (33) and 52 in 10 overs with Hussain (34) on his way to reaching three figures out of 216 for four with a single off Grant Flower. A quickfire 21 from Craig White, including two sixes in an over from Grant Flower, ensured England pressed home their advantage before the inevitable clatter of wickets in the closing overs. Zimbabwe initially found runs hard to come by against Andy Caddick who was rewarded with Guy Whittall’s wicket (3). But they were looking untroubled as they reached 85 for one with Johnson moving to his third half-century in the tournament off 67 balls with five fours and a six. Then came the decisive 23rd over from Hick in which Johnson (52) and Stuart Carlisle (0) were both caught behind by Stewart and Murray Goodwin was run out for a duck. A second run out of Grant Flower (9) and two wickets in three overs for Craig White effectively killed the game as a contest to send the majority of the near 15,000 crowd home happy. Stewart rounded off a highly successful day by claiming four more catches. SCOREBOARD England: Trescothick b Streak 20 Stewart b Viljoen 101 Flintoff c Andy Flower b
Hick lbw b Johnson 0 Thorpe b Flower 33 Hussain c Viljoen b Whittall 34 White c Johnson b Streak 21 Ealham not out 9 Caddick b Streak 1 Gough not out 2 Extras: (lb-5, w-11, nb-1) 17 Total: (for 8 wkts, 50 overs) 262 Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-85, 3-85, 4-166, 5-218, 6-246, 7-249, 8-259. Bowling: Heath Streak 10-0-59-3, Neil Johnson 7-0-37-2, Mpumelelo Mbangwa 10-0-43-0, Dirk Viljoen 7-0-27-1, Paul Strang 4-0-20-0, Guy Whittall 7-0-31-1, Grant Flower 5-0-40-1. Zimbabwe: Johnson c Stewart b Hick 52 Whittall c White b Caddick 3 Campbell c Hussain b White 60 Carlisle c Stewart b Hick 0 Goodwin run out 3 G. Flower run out 9 A. Flower c Stewart b White 4 Viljoen c Stewart b White 6 Streak c Flintoff b Gough 45 P. Strang not out 7 Mbangwa not out 5 Extras: (b1, lb5, w4, nb6) 16 Total (9 wkts, 50 overs): 210 Fall: 1-25, 2-87, 3-87, 4-90, 5-110, 6-123, 7-133, 8-172, 9-203. Bowling: Caddick 8-3-22-1, Gough 8-1-43-1, Mullally 9-1-37-0, Hick 7-0-37-2, Ealham 10-1-31-0, White 8-0-34-3. |
Bhangra beats greet Indians LONDON, July 19 — Indian football is stepping into western fields for the first time in 50 years in the reassuring arms of the peppy bhangra beat. The Indian team arrived here on Tuesday to the welcoming theme song of the tour composed by the locally famous Sardara of Birmingham. The song, to the tune of the old English song ‘She’ll be coming down the mountain...’, goes: “Asi roz nai ana asi roz/Asi roz nai ana asi roz/Football khel ke bhangra pana/ Football khel ke bhangra pana/Football khel ke bhangra pana asi roz...” (We won’t be here every day, but we’ll play football and do the bhangra every day). The organisers of the tour have taken the bhangra connection further. For the West Bromwich match on July 26, the Indian team will take the field led by a big troupe of dancers swaying to the energetic beats of the Punjabi folk music style. That was to be expected because West Bromwich is in the Midlands, which on the Indian community map of Britain is the heart of bhangra land. Throughout the tour the team will find bhangra wherever they go. The team will stay in Leicester, another town in the Midlands which has a huge Gujarati community. The bhangra fever has gripped Gujarati settlers as well. Some members of the team found themselves doing bhangra steps within an hour of getting off the plane well before they got anywhere near a football. But it won’t be all song and dance. Baichung Bhutia, who is leading the Indian squad and plays for the English club AC Bury, spent an hour giving the team a pep talk soon after they landed in London. If Bhutia can, the team can, the players were told. “It’s a great feeling to be leading India in these matches,” Bhutia told IANS. “We are playing international football after so long and whatever happens in these matches, we can only gain from it.” The Indian team would be playing some top international players in their matches with Fulham and West Bromwich, and Bhutia knows what’s ahead. “Those two are great sides and don’t expect too much,” said Bhutia. “We just need to find out what it’s like to play international players.” But the Indian team will not be overawed either, Bhutia said. “We will give our best, and I’m sure these will be good matches,” he said. Nazir Ahmed Khan, spokesman for the Indian team, said it’s an “exposure trip.” Khan said it is right that India should come back into the international game in Britain, which had brought football to India. “Of course, you should not expect too much,” Khan said. “But don’t be surprised also if we do better than most people expect.” After a welcome party of ‘pakoras’ and tea by local businessman Raj Purohit, who has organised the tour, and some more bhangra music, the team left for Leicester and the practice fields. The first match with Fulham is on Saturday, July 22. The second with West Bromwich is on Wednesday, July 26, and the third with Bangladesh is on Saturday, July 29. The matches will be broadcast live on Doordarshan. — IANS |
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Gloveman Marsh allows no respite to academy boys Last week it was Lillee and the Olympic torch. Now it’s Marsh. Reminds one of that famous and oft repeated scorecard entry ; caught Marsh bowled Lillee. During his illustrious cricket career, Rod Marsh was never one for running too much. Being a wicketkeeper, running was not a big part of his game. And as a batsman he was happier seeing the ball hit the boundary rather than scoring through physical exertion. So to run 500m early on a cool weekend morning was a bit of an ask for the head coach of the Adelaide-based Australian Cricket Academy. “I never had to run that far in my cricket career, ” he said. But if its part of the Olympic Games Rod Marsh is happy to be in it. The Olympics Games are a great thing and I think they’re very important for Australia,” he said. And all these people want to be a part of it. It’s nice for Australia to get the Olympics so they can see what a great country we have”. Marsh said he was pleased to see children out to watch the torch go by along with family and friends. “It was good to see all the kids out and the cricket academy, my own boys from the cricket academy it was straight back to work. “They’ve already missed an early morning session so they’ll be back to do some work this afternoon, ”he said. Romania’s new Little Miss Perfect She stands only 1.57 m and weights 42kg, with short blonde hair and glasses, and modesty that causes her to lower her eyes when she greets a stranger. She is Gabriela Szabo of Romania, and at first glance she does not seem to be the world’s greatest female middle-distance runner or the first woman ever to win $(US) 1 million in prize money in one season on the European track circuit. She might never have run at all if a teacher had not encouraged her at age 13 to enter a school race in Bistrita, a town in Transylvania. “No one runs in my family,”Szao said. “My parents are fat. My mother ran maybe 100m once and said, OK, that’s enough.” Szabo took the advice of her physical education teacher and entered a 600m cross-country race. She won easily, and a coach from a local sports club noticed that she was not even breathing hard at the finish. Szabo’s parents were split on the idea of an athletic career. Her father, John, a carpenter, gave his consent, but her mother, Livia, disapproved, wanting her daughter to concentrate on her studies. Eventually, Szabo became rich and successful, with a degree in physical education, and her coach became her husband. She won a silver medal at 1,500m at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Last summer she won the world championship at 5,000m and was named the international female track athlete of the year. Szabo has not lost a race since August 1998 and at 24 is favoured to win the 5,000m in Sydney. Nadia Comaneci, the former gymnast, is still the most popular athlete in Romania, Szabo insists. But Gaby, as she is known, is the most potent symbol of current success and possibility in a country that continues to struggle in its transition to a market economy a decade after the fall of the former communist regime. “If I win the Olympics, then I will have everthing,” she said. “I would have all the medals. What else could I ask for but good health?” Frank Madrid is helping showcase Australia’s multiculturalism to the world during the Olympics, but immigration authorities have refused him a chance to share the spirit with his son, Josshua. The 15-year-old, who lives in Venezuela with his mother, has been refused a tourist visa during the Olympics because he has “a strong family link in Australia”. Immigration authorities believe he has no “strong incentive to return home”. The case has raised charges of racism and follows recent complaints that authorities do not target visa overstayers from the United States or Britain. The Australian Government had said it would put in place special visa arrangements for the Olympics. Mr Madrid, an Australian citizen for three years, said he simply wanted to invite his son to see the Olympics as a reward for his good school performance last year. He cannot go to visit his son because he is organising the Latin music performances of the Olympic celebrations in the centre of Sydney. In case you were thinking of making a trip Down Under for the Games, then you should know that under 1996 immigration guidelines, authorities have to weigh up “personal, financial and employment... commitments which may induce the applicant to return [home]” against reasons for not returning, such as the economic and political situation. But Venezuela, unlike India, is not on the list of the countries with the highest overstay rates. Mr Madrid said; “What plays a part in there is that he comes from a Third World country... It is so blatantly biased.” He can challenge the decision, at the cost of $ 1,400 (Rs 35,000). But a review by the Migration Review Tribunal is likely to take at least six month, given its backlog of 6,000 applications. “To make the assumption that my boy isn’t going back is lacking in any real logic and compassion... particularly given the Olympics are on, “Mr Madrid said. Credit card fraud Police are preparing for an Olympic sized wave in credit card fraud across Australia during the Sydney Games. Internel hackers accessing credit card details from websites have begun a global shopping splurge costing millions. South Australian police have trained 1400 shopkeepers in how to identify crooked cards in the final days of the Olympic countdown. Police recently charged a group of youths and men aged 15 to 20 with credit card fraud involving $ 60,000. They allegedly had accessed websites with actual credit card numbers. The scam is worldwide, with every credit card holder a potential target. Australia’s 17million people own about nine million credit cards with a total debt of $14.49 billion. Once hackers have access to the numbers, they use them to make purchases over the Internet or telephone. Victims do not know their credit cards have been illegally used until they received their monthly statements. Police expect the problem will increase in the weeks leading up to and including the Olympic Games.
— PMG |
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Brazil stunned by Paraguay ASUNCION, July 19 (Reuters) — Modest Paraguay have stunned Brazil in a World Cup qualifier, beating the four-times champions 2-1 in a dramatic finale. Substitute Jorge Campos yesterday scored an 83rd-minute winner, a spectacular goal, nine minutes after Rivaldo had scored to seemingly salvage a point for Brazil. Carlos Paredes had given Paraguay, whose last win over Brazil was 21 years ago in the Copa America, a sixth-minute lead and Brazil played nearly half the match with a man less after captain Cafu was sent off in the first half. It was only Brazil’s second ever defeat in a World Cup qualifier, their first having come against Bolivia in 1993 — and the result took Paraguay above them in the South American qualifying group. Paraguay have nine points and Brazil eight. Brazil went into the match under pressure for their recent lacklustre performances and yesterday’s result could lead to speculation about the future of coach Wanderley Luxemburgo, who has been unable to settle on a team. Brazil, who made five changes to the team which drew 1-1 with Uruguay last month, started sluggishly and were soon caught off guard by Paraguay’s more urgent passing game. Edmilson and Roque Junior initially seemed comfortable at the heart of Brazil’s re-organised defence, but both were guilty of ball-watching when Paredes rose to head in from a corner in the sixth minute. |
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Taliban official fired for shaving heads KABUL, July 19 (AP) — An official of Afghanistan’s hardline Taliban has been fired for arresting 12 Pakistani soccer players and shaving their heads because they wore shorts. “The officer responsible for the incident has been arrested and dismissed,” Taliban Sports Minister Shakoor Muttmain said today. “We condemn the incident because the Pakistanis were our guests.” Last Saturday in southern Kandahar, Taliban soldiers brandishing weapons interrupted a soccer game between a Pakistani club team and an Afghan club team. The officials were offended by the exposed legs of the Pakistani players. The Pakistani players were seized and their heads shaved. They were then released. The raid caused a stampede among the thousands of fans in the stadium, with several spectators receiving minor injuries. In Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, a strict interpretation of Islam has been imposed. It is forbidden to expose any part of the body. Muttmain said the dress code for visiting teams will be made clear in the future before a team arrives in the country to play. Men are required to wear beards in Afghanistan, but Muttmain said that rule will be waived for foreign sportsmen. |
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AAFI reverses decision to dope-test
athletes PATIALA
July 19 — The Amateur Athletic
Federation of India (AAFI) has suddenly reversed its
earlier decision to subject all national-record holder
athletes to dope-test and has decided to ratify records
set at the recently concluded Nagercoil and Bangalore
circuit meets. Top AAFI sources say that the decision
has obviously been taken to shield some of the top names
in Indian athletics. Highly-placed sources say that one
of the reasons for reversing the decision was that the
performance of all national-record setters, particularly
in the Bangalore circuit meet held on June 5, was
doubtful. From now onwards, all these record-holders will
come under scrutiny in various meets of the AAFI in the
run-up to the Jakarta Asian Meet and the Sydney
Olympics. Sources say that the decision was taken at a
technical-committee meeting of the federation held past
week. Now, the records will only be ratified after the
Asian Track and Field (ATF) meet at Jakarta. The decision
of the technical committee will be forwarded to the
federation’s executive council which will decide
whether to ratify a record or not. However, the new
national records of K.M. Beenamol (400m) and Gurmeet Kaur
(Javelin) will be ratified shortly as these were set in
an international meet at Kiev (Ukraine) past month. The
federation’s technical committee has also proposed
stringent measures to not only dope-test athletes, but
also to consider national marks as valid irrespective of
whether these marks are new or not. The AAFI has made it
clear that due to the exorbitant cost of sending blood
and wine samples of record-breaking athletes to the
IOC-accredited laboratories abroad, dope test will be
done in the New Delhi SAI laboratory. It was P.T. Usha
who had recently called for dope-testing national-record
holder athletes when three of her national records were
shattered within just 17 days. From now onwards, the
AAFI has decided to make the installation of photo-finish
cameras and wind-gauge equipment compulsory in all
national meets and without the wind readings, no records
will be ratified. Moreover, no unauthorised person, apart
from officials will be allowed in the vicinity of the
photo-finish cameras in a meet. |
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Das replaces Chaudhary MUMBAI, July 19 (PTI) — Injured Uttar Pradesh all-rounder Navin Chaudhary has been replaced by Tamil Nadu’s Vasudeva Das in the 14-strong national team for the Cost Cutter World Under 15 Challenge to be held in England from July 30, the cricket board announced here today.
“Chaudhary has not yet recovered from the knee injury he had sustained during the Asian Cricket Council under 15 tournament won by India at Kuala Lumpur earlier this month”, board’s executive secretary Sharad Diwadkar said. “He has been replaced by Tamil Nadu’s Das”, Diwadkar said and added that the squad is set to leave from Mumbai in the early hours of July 26. The decision by the junior selection committee, headed by Rajinder Goel, to replace Chaudhary by Das was communicated to Diwadkar by the board’s joint secretary Jyoti Bajpai from Kanpur. India will take on hosts England in the Group A league opener on July 30. West Indies and Holland are the other teams in group A. Group B consists of last edition’s runners-up Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Zimbabwe. |
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GND
varsity lifts Abul Kalam trophy AMRITSAR, July 19 — Guru Nanak Dev University once
again maintained its supremacy by lifting the coveted Maulana Abul
Kalam Azad Trophy for the year 1998-99.
Calicut University, Kozhikode, was declared runners-up while Panjab University, Chandigarh, finished third. The winners of first three positions of the trophy will get cash award of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively. This has been stated by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in a letter addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, a university press release said here yesterday. President K.R. Narayanan will award the trophy to Dr H.S. Soch, Vice-Chancellor of the university on August 29 at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. Guru Nanak Dev University has won this trophy for the 15th time and the fourth year in running. |
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Five-Test series against Egypt BANGALORE, July 19 (PTI) — A five -Test hockey series will be played between India and Egypt at the Karnataka State Hockey Association stadium here from July 27 to August 3.
The Tests would be played on July 27, July 29, July 31, August 1 and August 3, a KSHA Press note said yesterday. |
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