60-member squad for Olympics
From Our Sports Reporter

NEW DELHI, July 26 — India is likely to send a 60-member contingent for the Olympic Games to be held in Sydney in September this year. This was indicated here today by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Suresh Kalmadi while signing a sponsorship contract with Samsung India Electronics Ltd vice-president J H Park.

Samsung has agreed to give a sum of Rs 15 lakh to the IOA for sponsoring the Indian contingent for the Olympics. Samsung, the official sponsors of the Olympics, will also be carrying out other Olympic-related activities in India over the next couple of months as well.

Mr Kalmadi said 37 Indian sportspersons have already qualified for the Olympics in 12 of the 28 disciplines. They are: 16 in men’s hockey, one in badminton (P Gopichand), four in boxing (Suresh Singh 48kg, N Dingko Singh 56kg, Jitender Kumar 75 kg and Gurcharan Singh 81kg), one in judo (Brojeshwari Devi 52kg), two in rowing (coxless pair), two in shooting (Anwar Sultan, trap and Abhinav Bindra, 10m. air rifle), two in swimming (Nisha Millet and Habibulla Hakimuddin Shabbir), three in table tennis (Chetan Baboor, S Raman and Poulomi Ghatak), two in men’s tennis doubles (Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi), three in weightlifting (one in men and two in women) and one in wrestling (Gurbinder Singh, 63kg Greco-Roman).

The IOA also announced the officials to be accompanied with the Indian contingent: A. K Mattoo (Chef-de-Mission), V K Datta (deputy Chef-de-Mission) and Mrs Amrit Bose (secretary-cum-treasurer).

The IOA chief announced that the athletic team would be named in the first fortnight of August, entry of two archers would be known by the end of July and one wild card is expected for a badminton player.

Mr Kalmadi said the training of the various teams was in full swing. Six rowers were practising in New Jersey, the boxers were slugging it out with top pugilits of Cuba in Cuba, swimmer Nisha Millet was training in Australia, the hockey team at present was training in Bangalore that will leave for Murwillinbah near Brisbane on August 18 and will train there till they check into the Olympic village in Sydeny on September 18, the table tennis (men) players will leave for Singapore by the end of August before reaching Sydney on September 13 while the others were training at Patiala and Bangalore.

Mr Kalmadi, who is also the president of the Amateur Athletic Federation of India (AAFI), said though about 20 to 22 athletes may be picked for the Olympics (after qualification) he did not expect them to win any medals. He felt that the 4x400 men’s and women’s relay teams were capable of reaching the finals.

He said India was nursing medal hopes from weightlifters, boxers, judokas and the hockey team but refused to commit himself about the prospects of other disciplines.

Mr Kalmadi said the recent spate of national and Asian records by Indian atheletes will be ratified only after carefully evaluating each one of them. “We don’t recognise records whereever there is a needle of suspicion (about the possible use of drugs)”, he asserted.

He said the absence of an International Olympic Committee-recognised dope testing laboratory was a big handicap. He hoped to have removed before the first Afro-Asian Games in Delhi in November 2001.

Mr Kalmadi also declared that India would bid for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2012 Olympic Games. India was already in race for the 2006 Asian Games. Mr Kalmadi requested Samsung to fully back India’s bid for the 2006 Asian Games. “They (Samsung) have been lucky for us. They supported us in the Asian Games and now they are supporting us in the Olympics. We have to do well in Sydney”, said the IOA chief.

He said 100 per cent tax exemption granted by the Central Government for sponsorship deals with the IOA and the state Olympic associations will encourage more business houses to venture into sports sponsorships. The IOA has already signed a memorandum of understanding with the CII (Confederation of Indian Industries) and he hoped to get each of the 30 disciplines sponsored by a business house for the 2006 Asian Games and the 2008 Olympic Games.

Ramesh wins, Kidambi held

BIEL (Switzerland), July 26 (UNI) — Indian youngster S. Kidambi held GM R. Kempinski (rating 2498) of Poland to a draw in the 2nd round of the ‘BIEL International Open Chess Tournament’ at BIEL, Switzerland, as many Grandmasters had a tough day dropping half points. IM R.B. Ramesh scored a quick win over E. Heinz of Switzerland to be amongst the leaders with 2 points. IM-elect T.S. Ravi held IM T. Radjabov of Azerbaijan to a draw while IMS V. Saravanan and P. Kongurel went down to IM D. Pikula (Yug) and GM J. Klovans (Latia) respectively.

Kidambi obtained a slight advantage with black pieces in slav defence against Kempenski, but had to spend a lot of time in the early middle game working out the complications. Faced with slight time-trouble Kidambi agreed for a draw by repetition in 25 moves. T.S. Ravi played an enterprising game against Radjabov’s French defence sacrificing a pawn to build an attack on black king. But the 12 year-old child prodigy from Azerbaijan, the birth place of world champion Garry Kasparov, defended precisely and Ravi had to be satisfied with a draw by perpetual attack on Radjabov’s queen.

Im V. Saravanan fell victim to a speculative attack by Dejan Pikula (2503) of Yugoslavia after having obtained a strategically equal position with black pieces in sicilian rossolimo variation. IM P. Kongavel had no trouble equalising against the positional set-up opted by GM J. Klorans against his favourite sicilian dragon variation. After a complicated middle game struggle, where both players spent a lot of time, a time-scramble ensured in which Kongavel missed a tactical shot that could’ve fetched him an advantageous endgame and blundered a piece in turn to lose in 39 moves. IM R.B. Ramesh checkmated E. Heinz in 24 moves in a center-counter game.

In the category-16 Grandmaster event, Russian GM Peter Sridler outclassed GM J. Gallaoher of Switzerland to score his second straight win. GM Lock Van Wely of Netherlands prevailed over young Ruslan Ponamariov of Ukraine in a rook and minor piece endgame, while Israeli GM Boris Gelfand’s slight inaccuracy in a winning position let Swiss GM Valin Milov to escape with a draw by perpetual checks.

Waugh dismisses Imran’s remarks

SYDNEY, July 26 (Reuters) — Australian Test batsman Mark Waugh said he was prepared to have his financial records scrutinised to prove he told the truth about his dealings with an Indian bookmaker.

Speaking at a news conference today, Waugh dismissed as of “no importance” comments by former Pakistan captain Imran Khan questioning Waugh and team mate Shane Warne’s involvement with the bookie.

Imran said in an Australian television interview on Monday that bookies giving thousands of dollars to Waugh and Warne for pitch reports “didn’t make sense”.

In 1998 the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) admitted it had secretly fined Waugh and Warne in February 1995 for giving what it called routine pitch and weather information to bookies during the tour of Sri Lanka in 1994.

Both players admitted to being “naive and stupid” but denied giving information on team line-ups or tactics.

“Why would the bookies just give money to anyone for just giving a pitch report?” Imran said.

He called on the ACB to re-open its inquiry into the affair.

ACB spokesman Brian Murgatroyd today said that unless new evidence was produced there was no need to launch another investigation.

Murgatroyd said if Waugh wanted to have his financial records scrutinised that would be “a personal decision from his point of view”.

Waugh said he had not seen the television programme but he challenged Imran to either “put up or shut up”.

“I’ve been through two inquiries, the Pakistan judicial inquiry and the (ACB’s) O’Regan inquiry last year, and as far as I’m concerned that’s plenty,” Waugh said.

“I saw his (imran’s) comments on the news and those off-the-cuff comments. I don’t think they carry any importance at all.”

“I think rumours are the worst things in the world. As (International Cricket Council chief executive) David Richards said a couple of months ago either put up or shut up is a fair call.”

I have said enough, says Latif

KARACHI, July 26 (UNI) — Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif today said he will never indulge in any controversy again and now seriously wants to resurrect his career and also concentrate on building and promoting his cricket academy, which has already gained a lot of acceptance in a short span of time.

Latif who played 22 Tests and 101 one day internationals for Pakistan, including the 1996 World Cup, besides captaining Pakistan in Dhaka and on a long tour to South Africa and Zimbabwe in 1998 told the website Narad online that he did not want to indulge in any controversy again. “Think that I have said enough and now I should concentrate on my game and on my cricket academy.”

His decision, coming years after he first blew the lid off the cricket match fixing deals, seems to stem from the selectors reluctance to invite Latif to the Pakistan camp being set up in Karachi from Thursday in preparation for the Singapore tri-nation series.

The outspoken cricketer embarrassed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) no end some weeks ago when he backed John Reid’s decision to suspend Waqar Younis for tampering with the ball in Colombo. His statement appeared on the very day PCA chief Tauqir Zia had gone on the offensive and described Reid as biased and his decision as unwarranted and unfair.

Latif later realised that this time he had gone too far and treaded in an area in which he had no business. Realising his mistake, he conveyed his regrets to the board. “The statement came out of frustration, there was no need for me to say anything on the subject. It embarrassed a lot of people. I am sorry for that and I have conveyed this to the board people. Hopefully the chapter is now closed,” he stated.

Latif said: “I think I should have stopped my statements immediately after the Justice Qayyum report was released and should have concentrated only on cricket. After discussing a lot of things with my family and friends. I realise what I did before the report was released was necessary to expose the match-fixing racket, now there is no need for me to say anything, the board is doing its job and the concerned players have also been exposed.”

Latif was the first international cricketer to cry foul over the match-fixing racket and in 1995 while in South Africa as vice captain to Salim Malik decided to announce his premature retirement to protest against his captain’s and some other players involvement with bookmakers.

“In hindsight, I made a big mistake then. But I was angry because one of the selectors told me that Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia did not want me in the team and had instructed everyone that since I was a disputed and controversial person, I should not be considered at all,” recalls Latif.

“But later I learnt this was not correct and the general had nothing to do with whether I played in the team or not. It was a big mistake, if I had gone to Peshawar, things could have been different today.”

“I realise all this. I know some of the players don’t want me in the team. I also know I have lost good friends not only in Pakistan but also in India because I have had to take names to ensure that the Qayyum report came out and that everyone took match fixing seriously. It has been a heavy price to pay, but my conscience is clear and have no regrets. If I regret anything it is giving unnecessary statements once the Qayyum chapter was closed in April,” says Latif.

“I am playing first class cricket and want to play for the country again so I should not indulge in any other controversy from now on,” he said.

Spy for Pakistan cricket team

KARACHI, July 26 (Reuters) — Pakistan cricketers, dogged by allegations of corruption, will have an undercover agent assigned to spy on them during home and away tours, local media reported today.

The agent is expected to start monitoring the team during a triangular series late in August in Singapore involving New Zealand and South Africa, The Dawn newspaper reported.

“The spy will shadow the team, stay in the same hotel and keep an eye on the cricketers, like who they meet, where they go and when they return to the hotel,’’ The Dawn said.

Pakistan cricket has been overshadowed by allegations of match-fixing for a number of years. A judicial report released in May resulted in lifetime bans for former captain Salim Malik and allrounder Ata-ur-Rehman.

The Dawn said the watchdog would be known only to Mr Tauqir Zia, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

“A person would be appointed who would work undercover and report only to me. His identity would be known only to me and he would be answerable to me,’’ Mr Zia was quoted as saying.

The use of a “spy’’ was suggested in the judicial report which, while finding there was no planned betting or match-fixing by the team, said “doubts of varying intensity have been cast on the integrity of some members of the team in their individual capacity’’.

The Dawn also said the cricket board had added a clause to the players’ contracts calling for them to be fined or banned “if they were found socialising with people of suspected characters’’.

Several other Test-playing nations have also taken action in the wake of the Hansie Cronje scandal to prevent players from meeting suspected bookmakers.

Cronje was sacked as South African captain in April after admitting taking money from bookmakers since 1996.

Sydney countdown — 23

Over 15,000 Japanese to visit Sydney for Games
By Andy O’Brien

Meanwhile, a Sydney hotel group will pay workers a $550 Olympic bonus, a move unions say will put pressure on the rest of the industry to follow suit. About 1,500 workers at the Sheraton Group, will receive an Olympic bonus of $550 for working between September 15 and October 1. The group had approached the union in order to ensure the hotels had labour flexibility during the Games.

Answering the call

Mr Gerry Moriarty had a good night at the Bledisloe Cup rugby between Australia and New Zealand last week. Not only did his native New Zealand win a thrilling game of rugby but, more importantly to him, thousands of mobile phone calls were made without one call dropping out.

“It was a great game of rugby so there were probably more calls made than usual, with people phoning their family, friends, wife, mother, telling them about the game,” Mr Moriarty said.

The rugby was a test run for the Olympics and no doubt Olympic spectators are expected to be as talkative.

Why is Gerry so concerned about mobile phone users? Well, he’s responsible for the operation of the telephone system at Olympic venues, so if your mobile drops out in the middle of a conversation, the fax line is engaged, you can’t get onto the Internet or just can’t make a simple call, then blame Mr Gerry, or rather his employer, Telstra.

Mr Moriarty is only too aware of the magnitude of the responsibility, as the disaster of the Atlanta Games was a bitter experience for technology types. The 1996 Games were billed as the technology games, with touch-screen computers provided by key Olympic sponsor IBM that were supposed to supply the latest in information. Instead, they were slow, clumsy and gave the wrong information frequently. This created a furore, particularly with the thousands of journalists covering the Atlanta Games who found their computers didn’t work and faxes were constantly engaged.

Telstra is also an Olympic sponsor and is partnering IBM, which will handle all information technology functions during the Games. Telstra staff have been monitoring Olympics since 1988 in Seoul, and one thing is constant — communication needs to multiply every time. Sydney organisers anticipate 700 million visits to the official Olympic website www.olympics.com, 35 times more visits than during the Atlanta Games, while mobile phone usage has almost quadrupled during the same time.

Telstra has installed 4,800km of fibre-optic cable, connecting 35 Olympic venues. About 1,500 Internet and phone kiosks will be dotted around Olympic venues for the public and athletes to use, as there will be no phones or Internet access in Olympic village rooms. Telstra will also be supplying 5,000 mobile phones to media and Olympic officials during the Games. Just in case you turn up at Olympic park without a mobile, Telstra plans to sell you one and will set up vending booths to sell phones and phonecards.

Find a real job

The folks at SOCOG, or “Sydney 2000” as it is now known, are ever mindful that their jobs will be all but over at the end of the Games. On a trip through the organisation’s Jones Street headquarters last week, a journalist of the Sydney Morning Herald’s Olympic team picked up a copy of a guide to “career transition”, as it’s known, and life after the Games. Among the little pearls of wisdom were “how people find jobs — through newspapers, employment agencies and contacts”, and the importance of attending “brown bag seminars”, where people will learn “how others see me”. The guide also offers information on helping employees find a stable position — “what is a secure job future” — and how to achieve their personal best.

Tickets at the venue

To meet budget, SOCOG still has close to $150 million worth of tickets to sell. SOCOG’s Internet ticket sales began this week, more than a month late. And it has been revealed that SOCOG was now banking on selling tickets when the Games actually begin. Unless the ticket sales strategy works, it appears there will be a lot of empty seats at some beautifully organised events.

From next Monday, the grip of the Visa card on the Games will tighten, with people ordering tickets through the telephone hotline because they are no longer permitted to pay with cheques. Games organisers say there is no longer time to allow people to post in cheques and have them cleared before tickets can be sent to them, a process which can take up to three weeks.

Torch holiday

Everyone had the morning off yesterday in the small town of Murtoa as the Olympic flame was carried through Victoria’s wheat belt to Australia’s most famous river, the Murra. Workers from the town’s few businesses stood on the side of the main street and waved homemade torches, while other locals perched themselves in the back of utes to get a better view. School was off the agenda for the morning for Murtoa’s children, who waved and cheered at every car — even the police — that went past before the arrival of the torch. The fever in the town of about 1,000 people was so great that about 10 minutes before the torch relay circus hit town the regulars at the grand Marma Valley Hotel gave up their bar positions and spilled out on to the street. It was hard to discern whether the biggest cheer was for local legend “Old Joe” Rabl, 80, as he made his way past his great- grandfather’s old house, or for Murtoa’s Olympic table tennis player Kerri Tepper. — PMG

Hanif flays hockey team selection

KARACHI, July 26 (ANI) — Former Pakistan hockey coach Hanif Khan yesterday expressed doubts over the country’s chances in the Olympic Games following what he termed as some ‘‘fatal mistakes’’ committed by national selectors while finalising the side for Sydney. Speaking for the first time after his resignation as the team coach last month, Hanif appeared shocked at the dropping of a ‘‘key player’’ and the inclusion of a couple of rookies in the Pakistani squad for this September’s Olympiad.

‘‘I was really taken aback by the decision of making changes in what was a winning combination,’’ Hanif told ‘The News’ in an exclusive interview here on Tuesday. The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) announced a 17-member squad for Sydney which included two teenagers from the national junior team. Outside-right Sameer Hussain and outside-left M. Shabbir were the two players getting the selectors’ nod for the crucial tour Down Under.

Sameer replaced fellow Karachi right winger Haider Hussain — one of the main strikers in the forward line of the team which won the seven-nation Azlan Shah Cup in Kuala Lumpur and also reached the final of the Olympic qualifying rounds in Osaka earlier this year.

Hanif says he fails to understand the reason behind the omission of Haider who was the highest scorer in a recent national-level tournament. ‘‘What I feel is that Haider has been dropped for reasons other than merit,’’ comments the former Olympian.

Hanif agreed to the idea that Haider may have been dropped because he is generally considered to be one of ‘‘Hanif’s men’’. ‘‘It’s really unjust if he (Haider) has been dropped just to ‘teach him a lesson’’’, laments the former skipper who decided to quit just a day after former PHF president Arif Abbasi was removed from the post last month.

Pakistan hockey, unfortunately, is divided into different lobbies mostly led by former players or, at times, by top national officials. So when one of those lobbies are in ‘‘power’’, the national team gets filled by players mostly belonging to that group. Till last month, Hanif was the man at the helm of national team affairs so the side consisted mainly of players who had his backing, claim his critics. But Hanif asserts he only backed players who were the best.

‘‘We selected the best available boys and the results we produced prove our good judgement. But now I doubt that they (selectors) have taken a wise step by including a few inexperienced players for as big an event as the Olympic Games.’’ Hanif strongly objected to the inclusion of Sameer and Shabbir, though the former is considered to be one of his pupils. Both were part of the Pakistan junior team which miserably flopped in the Junior Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur, even failing to qualify for the next year’s World Cup.

‘‘You can’t expect players who couldn’t even help their team to qualify for the Junior World Cup to do anything extra-ordinary in the Olympic Games.’’ Hanif feels that both the youngsters can wait for their big chance as they have plenty of years ahead of them. ‘‘There is no hurry to introduce youngsters. We just needed to keep faith in the 18 boys who did us proud in Kuala Lumpur and Osaka.’’

The Pakistanis are scheduled to leave for Perth on August 5 to play 12 Test and practice matches in Australia and New Zealand before the Sydney Olympiad which starts from September 15. Pakistan are placed in what is being seen as the ‘‘death pool’’ along with world and Olympic champions Holland, European champions Germany, Great Britain, Canada and Malaysia.

SGFI to host Asian meet
From Our Sports Reporter

PATIALA, July 26 — The School Games Federation of India (SGFI) will play host to the Asian Schools Hockey championships which will be conducted in Punjab in October this year.

This was disclosed by Mr Tota Singh, Education Minister, Punjab, while honouring the 18 footballers who have been selected to play for India in the Asian Schools Football Championships, scheduled to be held at Bangkok from July 30 to August 12.

Mr Tota Singh, was speaking at a function organised by the SGFI at the NIS here today. Mr Tota Singh said that for the Asian schools hockey meet, invitations to 12 countries had been extended and the championships would be held at two venues, Ludhiana and Jalandhar, which were having the facility of Astroturfs. The exact dates of the meet would be decided shortly, added the Minister.

All the 18 soccer players were given kits bags by the SGFI. Prominent among those present on the occasion were Mr C.L. Negi and Mr P.S.Chabbra, President and Secretary of the SGFI respectively, former Vice Chancellor of Punjabi University Mr Gursewak Singh, a former Minister Mr Brahm Mohindra, the Education Secretary, Mr R.S. Sandhu and the District Sports Officer, Mr S.S. Tiwana.

The Team: Lokeshwar Singh, Roopesh Singh, Ranadip Dass, Bhim Sonowal, Dinesh, Thagit, Sankar Sil, Amity Dey, Kamal Chetni, David March, Harbakshish Singh, Sukhjinder Singh, Kedarjit Singh, Sanjeeva, Samit Debnath, Mukesh Kumar, Harish Chander and Anthony.

The coaches who will be accompanying the squad are Rohit Prashar and Ali Hasan.

TT team for Pyongyang meet

NEW DELHI, July 26 (UNI) — A five-member Indian team will represent the country in the 14th Pyongyang International Table Tennis Tournament to be held in the capital of North Korea from July 31 to August 4.

The team consists of Arup Basak, Soumyadeep Roy, Subhajit Saha, Anal Kashyap, and R. Rajesh.

The coach will be Mihir Ghosh while the international umpire is Sudipta Mustauphy

After announcing the team for Pyongyang tourney, Table Tennis Federation of India (ttfi) Mool Chand Chowhan said a Rs 1.5 lakh prize tournament will be held at Khar Gymkhana (Mumbai) on August 17 and 18. Top 10 men and women players will be seen in action in the two-day event.

He also said the Challenger Cup,carrying Rs 2 lakh as prize money, will be held at the same venue on August19 and 20. Ten Indian players (men and five men) five women, two men from Hong Kong and two women players from Singapore will take part.

He said the executive committee and special general council meeting of the TTFI will be held here tomorrow.

AG Haryana defeated
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — The Central Revenue Inter-Institutional Table Tennis Tournament Millennium-2000 being organised by the Central Excise Commissionerate, Chandigarh-1, was inaugurated today by Mr Ashwini Luthra, Commissioner of Income Tax, Chandigarh at the table tennis hall, Sector 23, here. Four International players — Dipankar Adhikari, K. Basak, R. Chandran Vineet Chopra are among those who are participating. Eight teams in the men’s section and three teams in the women’s section from various institutions like State Bank of Patiala, Reserve Bank of India, P.S.E.B., H.S.E.B., A.G. (Punjab), AG(Haryana), Oriental Insurance and Central Revenues are participating in this tournament.

In today’s matches, the most exciting and well-fought match was between AG(Audit) Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab State Electricity Board, Patiala, which lasted about four hours. AG(Audit) Haryana were ultimately unlucky to lose. In the first match, Amod Dixit of AG could not settle down and lost to Vikas Mahajan by 19-21 and 17-21. In the second match former Punjab champion Pankaj Sharma beat current Chandigarh champion Harish Sharma (Audit).

In doubles, Harish Sharma and Amod Dixit of Audit fought back and defeated PSEB’s pair of Pankaj Sharma and Vikas Mahajan.

In the reverse singles Harish Sharma (Audit) turned the tables on former Punjab state champion Vikas Mahajan (PSEB) by 21-15, 14-21 and 21-13.

Chile get past Venezuela

SAN CRISTOBAL (Venezuela), July 26 (AP) — Chile downed Venezuela 2-0 in a regional World Cup qualifying match, reviving its chances of advancing to the main draw of the tournament.

Venezuelan goalkeeper Gilberto Angelucci’s spectacular saves were no match for a dominant Chilean squad that controlled the midfield in yesterday’s game.

The substitute Hector Tapia received a pass at the top of the penalty box and drove a shot to the top left corner to score the opener in the 69th minute.

Ivan Zamorano, Chile’s captain, connected with a diving header for the second goal in the closing moments of the game.

Venezuela’s best scoring chance came in the 84th minute, when Gianni Savarese dribbled in uncontested but struck an errant shot.

Chile were missing star forward, Marcelo Salas, half of the famed “Za-Sa” doublet of Zamorano and Salas, one of the most potent combination of goal-scorers in the game.

Salas was serving the second of a two game suspension he received for violent play in earlier match against Paraguay.

Chile has struggled so far in the qualifying matches, with only a win and tie in five previous matches.

But yesterday’s victory boosted the spirits of the team and improved their chances of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup.

Venezuela, who have never qualified for a World Cup, returned to their customary last place in the South American bracket of 10 teams.

Venezuela have only one win so far, a 4-2 decision over Bolivia on June 28. 

PBA office-bearers
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — Mr R.S. Gill, president, Punjab Basketball Association, today nominated the following office-bearers of the association: senior vice-president — Mr Jasminder Singh; vice-presidents — Mr Anirudh Tiwari, Mr Arun Aaron, Ms V. Neerja, Mr Yurinder Singh and Mr Gurpal Singh. (One more vice-president will be nominated later), treasurer — Mr Yashveer Walia; joint secretaries — Mr Darshan Singh Sandhu, Mr P.S. Nijjar, Ms Suman Sharma, Mr B.M. Bali and Mr B.S. Brar; patron-in-chief — Mr Parkash Singh Badal; and patrons — Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Mr Ranjit Singh Ballian, Mr Sarabjit Singh and Mr I.S. Bindra.

Meanwhile, 29 boys and girls teams have already confirmed their participation in the 27th Punjab Subjunior Basketball Championship to be held at Batala from tomorrow. Jasminder Singh, senior vice-president, Punjab Basketball Association, will inaugurate the championship. Mr Vikram Singh, Deputy Commissioner, will preside over the function. According to Mr Teja Singh Dhaliwal, Secretary, Punjab Basketbball Association, the president of the association will preside over the concluding function while Mr Nirmal Singh Kahlon will give away the prizes.

Pawan loses in 2nd round
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — Pawan Kapoor, Sports Officer CITCO, lost in the second round of Indonesian Future Tennis Championship yesterday. Pawan lost to Manoj Mahadevan of India 6-3, 6-1. Pawan was 3-2 and a break point up against his much younger opponent. Manoj took the reins of the match from that point and once he saved match point he was unstoppable. Manoj took four straight games before Pawan could win a single game of the second set.

Mustafa Ghouse and Vinod Sridhar also lost in the second round. Vinod lost to H.K. Song of Korea 7-5, 6-4 and Mustafa Ghouse, who was seeded second, lost to William Daniel of New Zealand 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Kiwis may call off Zimbabwe tour

AUCKLAND, July 26 (Reuters) — A planned tour of Zimbabwe by New Zealand in September would be cancelled if there was a risk of players getting caught up in recent violence there, New Zealand cricket administrators said today.

Telecom aquatics
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, July 26 — Two-day 16th All India Telecom Aquatics Championship being organised by J&K Telecom Regional Sports and Cultural Board will begin here from tomorrow.

Out of 21 telecom circles in the country, 13 circles are participating. This was stated by Chief General Manager, Telecommunications, J&K Circle, Mr Ramesh Lalwani, here today.

He said that competition would be held in 12 events, including 50 metre free style, 50 metre back stroke, 50 metre butterfly, breast stroke, etc.

REGIONAL SPORT BRIEFS

Football trials

PHAGWARA, July 26 (FOC) — In order to prepare the Punjab state women’s football team for participation in the National Games-2000 being held in Punjab, trials will be held in JCT Stadium here held on July 29 at 10 a.m. according to Mr GS Virk, secretary, Punjab Football Association.