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| Wednesday, August 16, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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S. Africa, Aussies set for historic one-day series
Sterren halts Ramesh’s run AMSTERDAM, Aug 15 — International Master R.B. Ramesh’s penchant for new opening move cost him dear as Grandmaster Paul Van der Sterren halted his giant-killing run in the fourth round of the Lost Boys International Open Chess Tournament here. Kournikova, Coetzer advance Waqar thanks
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Robert, Manan triumph Olympic fever picks up as torch heads home ROME, Aug 15 — Few will begrudge Italy’s Fiona May her moment of glory if she should clinch the gold medal in the long jump at the Sydney Olympics. Peace treaties’ galore Legendary boxer Hawa Singh dead Ottey runs her season’s best India take on Poland
in lung-opener
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S. Africa, Aussies set for historic one-day series MELBOURNE, Aug 15 (AFP) — Protagonists Australia and South Africa begin cricket’s sorely-needed healing process with a history-making one-day series played in an enclosed stadium starting here tomorrow. South African cricket desperately seeks to recover from the damaging revelations that former captain Hansie Cronje took money from Indian bookmakers. Both new Proteas skipper Shaun Pollock and Australia’s staunch traditionalist Steve Waugh today spoke about the need to turn on a good show for cricket’s sake. It is fitting that world cricket’s two best sides should lead the way forward for the other cricket-playing nations to follow. And it will be played out under the roof of the new Colonial Stadium catering to 48,000 fans cocooned away from Melbourne’s raw winter. Cronje has admitted to the King Commission into match-fixing that he received thousands of dollars from gamblers and bookmakers on five separate occasions between 1996 and 2000. Pollock said he felt “betrayed” by what had happened. “I feel a bit cheated that we had some people in the team who were not trying their all for their country, hopefully now as captain I know everything that’s going on in the team,” Pollock said. “It’s tarnished the game, that’s no doubt, and at the end of the day anything that affects our job adversely doesn’t sit in the stomach too well.” “It is disappointing, but we’ve had a long time to think about it and I think it’s time to put it to bed and move on positively.” Waugh said he felt “short-changed” by the Cronje episode. “I feel a bit short-changed by the people that have cheapened the game and the image and the great name of the game for their own good, it’s disappointing and the focus has been taken away from the high percentage of guys who are out there trying 100 per cent of the time. “It’s disappointing that people have put their own personal interest ahead of the game, but we have to get on with the game and make sure that it doesn’t happen again.” “We have to move forward and we’ll put on our best show... It’s difficult to get over something like that, but we have to play good, positive cricket.” “All the (cricket-playing) countries now have an extra incentive to show people that they’re giving it their best and that they can believe in their cricketers.” South Africa are coming off this month’s tied three-Test match series in Sri Lanka, while Australia are emerging from their off-season, although several players, notably star bowlers Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, have been playing county cricket in England. Waugh admitted he was wrestling with the selection of his team ahead of the first game, while Pollock said his side was basically settled although he would make a couple of bowling changes. “It’s a bit of a nightmare at the moment, I don’t know who to pick,” said Waugh. “The first question I have to work out is whether to play three quicks (bowlers) or a couple of all-rounders, but that’s not an easy question to answer because I’m not exactly sure how that wicket’s going to play.” Waugh will have to decide whether to use his three-prong pace attack of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, or fit his two all-rounders, Andrew Symonds and Shane Lee, into his bowling attack. Pollock said he was likely to leave out unorthodox spinner Paul Adams and he may use Mornantau Hayward in the attack. Teams: Australian (from) — Stephen Waugh (captain), Michael Bevan, Adam Gilchrist, Jason Gillespie, Ian Harvey, Brett Lee, Shane Lee, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds, Shane Warne, Mark Waugh. South African (from) — Shaun Pollock (captain), Mark Boucher, Paul Adams, Nicky Boje, Daryll Cullinan, Boeta Dippenaar, Andrew Hall, Mornantau Hayward, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Lance Klusener, Neil McKenzie, Makhaya Ntini, Jonty Rhodes, Roger Telemachus, David Terbrugge. Umpires: Darrell Hair (Aus), Simon Taufel (Aus). |
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Sterren halts Ramesh’s run AMSTERDAM, Aug 15 (PTI) — International Master R.B. Ramesh’s penchant for new opening move cost him dear as Grandmaster Paul Van der Sterren halted his giant-killing run in the fourth round of the Lost Boys International Open Chess Tournament here. Ramesh (3 points), who yesterday defeated GM Hillarp Persson of Sweden, missed an excellent opportunity in score win last night and also lost his grip on the lead position. GMs Sterren, Milov and IM Leijers now share the joint lead with four points each. India’s IM P. Konguvel (2.5) played out a creditable draw with the black pieces against GM Persson while V. Saravanan (2) and Sunderarajan Kidambi (2.5) returned to the winning ways after two rounds of lackadaisical show. Dutch Grandmaster Jan Timman (3) taught T.S. Ravi (2) a lesson with a fluent win as Indians had a mixed day. Ramesh played the semislav variation as black and obtained equality after introducing a new move in the opening. The queens were off the board and Paul blundered by bringing his knight into the enemy territory with no escape route out. The Indian missed a move which could have won him the knight for free. Here on Paul showed excellent technique to outplay Ramesh in the ending to win a pawn and the game with it in 40 moves. Konguvel misplayed the black side of the saemiscn kings Indian defence and got into difficulties much earlier. Hillarp missed some promising attacking chances to allow Konguvel some initiative on the Queenside. After the exchange of queens, Konguvel lost a pawn in a double bishop ending. Hillarp overlooked a trap set by Konguvel to split the point in 60 moves. T.S. Ravi improved over Anand’s move against Timman from the black side of the nimzo-Indian defence. The Dutchman played with great patience to slowly outwit Ravi’s strategy on the queenside and won a pawn as reward. Then it was a matter of routine technique for Timman who won the game in 40 moves. Young Kidambi played an easy victory over Roebers of the Netherlands to move to 2.5 points. From a Dutch Leningard defence, Kidambi won a pawn in the opening itself and after the exchange of queens won another pawn and the game in 28 moves. Saravanan had an effortless victory over Doggers of the Netherlands to recover from two consecutive defeats he suffered in the earlier rounds. GM Mikail Gurevich missed an easy win against GM Ivan Sokolov in the super GMs affair. Gurevich was better throughout the game from the white side of the English opening but in time trouble threw away all his advantage to draw the game. Important results: 1. Nep (3) lost to GM Milov (4); 2. GM Paul Van der Sterren (4) beat IM R.B. Ramesh (3); 3. GM M. Gurevich (3) drew with GM I. Sokolov (3); 4. IM Meijers (4) beat IM Solloved (3); 5. Van der Werf (3) drew with GM Piket (3); 6. GM Hillarp Persson (2.5) drew with IM Konguvel (2.5); 7. GM Timman (3) beat T.S. Ravi (2); 8. Doggers (1) lost to IM V. Saravanan (2); 9. Kidambi (2.5) beat Roebers (1.5). |
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Kournikova, Coetzer advance MONTREAL, Aug 15 (Reuters) — Ninth seed Amanda Coetzer of South Africa swept past Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-2 6-2 and Russia’s Anna Kournikova, seeded 11th, beat Cara Black of Zimbabwe 6-3 7-6 (7-4) in the first round of the $ 1.08 million Du Murier Open tennis event on Monday. Fifteenth seed Chanda Rubin of the USA advanced to the second round by rallying for a 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-2 victory over Paola Suzrez of Argentina. The top eight seeds received first-round byes. Martina Hingis is the top seed and defending champion. She has had mixed results in her first two summer hardcourt events. She reached the quarter-finals two weeks ago and fell to Serena Williams last week in the semifinals. The 19-year-old from Switzerland has won four titles this season and has reached the finals at three other hardcourt events, including the Australian Open. Last year, Hingis ended Monica Seles’s four-year reign at this event with a 6-4 6-4 victory. Seles is not entered this year as she recovers from a left forearm strain. Lindsay Davenport (24) is the second seed. Davenport lost to Venus Williams in a final at Stanford, California, three weeks ago. She followed that with a second-round loss to Kournikova at San Diego before falling to Serena Williams on Sunday in the final in Los Angeles. Conchita Martinez of Spain is seeded third and Serena Williams fourth. With her sister Venus having won the last three tournaments she played and with her own victory last week, Serena Williams is riding a family hot streak as she prepares to defend her US Open championship in two weeks. Nathalie Tauziat of France, 1997 finalist Anke Huber of Germany, two-time champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain and Sandrine Testud of France are the next four seeds. |
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Woods keen to emulate Hogan VALHALLA (Kentucky), Aug 15 (AFP) — Tiger Woods’ quest to be the best golfer the world has ever seen takes another major step forward here at the USPGA championship this week when he attempts to become the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three Majors in a single season. Even the legendary Jack Nicklaus never managed that and the 24-year-old Woods, who has his sights firmly on overtaking Nicklaus’ career record breaking 18 Major championships, is planning that come Sunday evening he will only have another 14 wins ahead to beat the Golden Bear. Last month Woods ran away with the British Open at St Andrews. A month earlier he shattered all records with a 15-shot win over the field at the US Open. A year ago he won the PGA in a dramatic last round battle with Spain’s Sergio Garcia. Since that win in Medinah, Woods has showed himself a class and a half above the rest and left the pundits debating who will be second here this week rather that who the winner will be. British bookmakers are already only offering odds on the 24-year-old of 11/8 - convinced that he will repeat his Pebble Beach and St Andrews form. Woods spend yesterday at home in Florida, playing a practice round with his neighbour and friend Mark O’Meara, before flying in here today to begin his final tune up for Thursday’s opening round. Woods will be paired with Masters’ champion Vijay Singh and Nicklaus. “That sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun to play,” said Woods when told of the pairings. Woods’ coach Butch Harmon has no doubt his “student” will continue to dominate professional golf. “If he’s got a weakness he’ll work on it till it becomes a strength. He has a tremendous work ethic. Believe me he’s a real worker and he isn’t satisfied until he gets it right,” said Harmon. While Woods goes after his own record quest, South Africa’s Ernie Els has one of his own in his sights. This season the two-time US Open champion has finished second in the first three majors and a second place finish here would be a unique Grand Slam of second place finishes. “I’m here to win, but if I don’t I will take second,” said Els. Els is determined to prove that while Woods is the best in the world, he is not as far ahead as people think. “I’m going to try and make it a good horse race. I am playing well. I’ve been playing well for some time now. I’ve maybe just got to push it a little harder when I get there,” said Els, boosted by his win at the International two weeks ago. But the world number two knows how hard it is to beat Woods. “You simply have to be at the top of your game,” he said. |
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Waqar thanks wife for success KARACHI, Aug 15 (AFP) — Pakistan’s toe-crushing pace bowler Waqar Younis believes he is at the peak of his career and thanked his wife for doubling his luck as he prepares to captain his country in Singapore next month. The fearsome speedster, famous for his searing yorkers, was this week named captain to replace injured keeper Moin Khan for the Singapore tri-nations one-day series with South Africa and New Zealand from September 20 to 27. But only last year Younis (29) was struggling to keep his place in the side and he says he owes part of his changed fortunes to his wife, Faryal, who he married in December. “Yes, it did bring good fortune for me and I am a more mature person now,” he said. “Now it’s my luck and my wife’s luck and with that combination I am getting more luck than when I was single.” He said his return to the top of the Pakistani team was also thanks to hard work and a couple of strong series which he now sees as turning points in his career. Younis was on the verge of an unceremonious exit from cricket last year when he was sent as a non-playing 16th member to Sharjah and was brought in for the Australian tour only after rookie bowler Shabbir Ahmed’s action was questioned. But the veteran bowled well in Australia, was declared Man of the Series at home against Sri Lanka in March and won the Player of the Tournament award in the Sharjah Cup. “I never got disappointed but yes I got a bit disheartened because a bowler of my caliber did not deserve (to be left out of the starting lineup). But my perseverance has paid dividends,” he said. “The series against Sri Lanka was the turning point and ever since I am having a productive time. I am now enjoying one of the best phases of my career.” He blamed his partner in Pakistan’s pace attack, former captain Wasim Akram, for not giving him the opportunities he deserved. “It was sheer frustration as I was not getting my fair chance, but all is past now,” he said, adding he would always “cherish” the memory of being part of one of the great pace pairings in cricket. He said captaining his country in Singapore would be an honour which he hoped to repeat as he gained experience. |
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Michael Johnson raring to go NEW YORK, Aug 15 (PTI) — Reigning Olympic 200m and 400m champion Michael Johnson proclaimed himself fit and on track for the Sydney Olympics. Johnson insisted he had fully recovered from the pulled hamstring he suffered at the US Olympic trials and told Olympic broadcaster NBC’c website yesterday: “All of the soreness is gone and I am able to run full speed again.” He revealed that he intended to run three 400m races as final warm-ups for Sydney, on August 25 in Brussels, September 1 in Berlin and September 3 in Rieti. “It was probably a good decision to cancel the Malmo race (one week ago) and the Zurish race (last Friday) so I could make up for the training I missed the last few weeks, But I’m still in really good shape so I could afford to miss a couple weeks,” he said. Johnson will return to the USA after his European tour and spend about 10 days preparing for the trip to Sydney, where he will only be able to try to defend his 400m crown after he and rival Maurice Greene both pulled up with hamstring pain in the US trials 200m final. “There’s really nothing to be concerned about at this point,” Johnson said. “We’ve got it back to 100 per cent strength. Now I’m just focused on going to the Olympics and winning the 400. I would like to put the injury behind me. It’s over. Johnson took a full week off after the injury. |
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Olympic fever picks up as torch heads home IT’S been a long wait but yesterday the Olympic torch finally reached home territory. After first being lit in Olympia, the ancient home of the Games, the flame has enjoyed a round-Australia love affair with the nation. Now the people of the home state of the Sydney Games can celebrate and embrace the Olympic spirit. It’s getting closer, and the crowds are gathering. At dusk yesterday, the longest, and probably most circuitous, torch relay in Olympic history arrived in the home state of the Sydney Olympics. When Damian Clark, a local athletics coach, carried the torch across the border from Victoria about 5.37 last evening, it was an opportunity for the 6 million citizens of New South Wales to add the weight of their numbers to the estimated 10 million Australians who have already watched the torch pass. The torch will now make its final journey through state capitals, regional centres and far-flung towns. It began its Australian journey on the red-baked plains of the Mutitjulu people at Uluru (Ayres Rock), it has been carried under water on the Barrier Reef – and on Sunday night the Olympic torch was lit in the snow-capped high country of the Victorian Alps. Afghanistan out The International Olympic Committee has dismissed pleas by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to compete at the Sydney Olympics, forcing the politically unstable and financially crippled nation to miss its first summer Games since 1936. The hardline stance by the IOC president, Mr Juan Antonio Samaranch, follows a flurry of meetings and communication from Afghan delegations. Mr Shakoor Muttmain, Taliban’s Minister for Sports, has called it a “great disappointment” for his country’s athletes to be shut out. Mr Mahmoud Saikal, Afghanistan’s honorary Consul-General to Australia, has also been involved in negotiations aimed at overturning the IOC ban. But Mr Samaranch remains unmoved. Afghanistan was suspended by the IOC last October because its Olympic committee could no longer function under the Taliban regime. The country, ravaged by years of civil war, now bans women from all sports. The regime also imposes clothing restrictions and forbids sportsmen from shaving their beards. “There is no chance they can compete in Sydney,” Mr Samaranch said. “We told them very clearly that their national Olympic committee is suspended. And now there are two Olympic committees, one in the capital in Kabul and one in another part of the country. “But to recognise the national Olympic committee in Kabul they must first be recognised by five international federations. This is not the case. They also must be recognised by the United Nations. This is the rule.” The UN does not recognise the Taliban militia. Mr Muttmain protested that the ban was a United States-driven vendetta. He said Afghan athletes had been training in wrestling, boxing, soccer and athletics. Smylie face of Games Australian tennis veteran Liz Smylie will be the official face of the Sydney Olympics, delivering daily briefings to the international media in place of Games organisers. Olympics Minister Michael Knight and senior SOCOG officials will face the Press only if problems arise during the Games. If all goes to plan, Smylie will brief journalists on all aspects of the Games, from drug testing to the weather, as well as reporting on the activities of the Games coordination group, the senior officials in charge of all day-to-day organisational matters. International Olympic Committee spokesman Franklin Servan-Schreiber will sit alongside Smylie to give the IOC’s perspective on each day’s events. “If there is something really big happening, like a problem with the trains or an IOC problem, one of those men – or sometimes even Michael Knight – will give briefings,” a spokesman for Mr Knight said. “Liz Smylie will handle the briefings if it’s just day-to-day housekeeping issues, but if something big goes wrong the media are going to want to question others.” Smylie, a bronze medallist at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, has commentated for television coverage of Grand Slam tennis matches, including Wimbledon and the Australian, US and French Opens. York under injury cloud The Australian men’s hockey team suffered a major setback yesterday when skipper Michael York badly injured his ankle in the Kookaburras’ last official outing before the Sydney Olympics. York is seeing a specialist, after injuring his ankle in Sunday’s Test against Pakistan in Perth. The Kookaburras drew 1-1 with the visitors in their third and final game. Australia won the series on goal difference. Coach Terry Walsh says they should find out soon if York’s Olympic dream is in jeopardy. “Just how significant the problem is, is something that we hope to get a real feel for in a day or two,” he said. — PMG |
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May hopes to leap to elusive gold ROME, Aug 15 (AFP) — Few will begrudge Italy’s Fiona May her moment of glory if she should clinch the gold medal in the long jump at the Sydney Olympics. While much of the attention will be centred on American Marion Jones-aiming for four, possibly five golds in Australia-May more than most deserves to take the final step up to the top of the podium and at 30 the sands of time are running out. Her finest hour was in 1995 when she won the World Championships but twice in recent years she has been deprived of victory in the cruellest way. In 1996 she seemed poised for the Olympic gold when Nigeria’s Chioma Ajunwa - a former footballer thought to be more of a sprinter than a jumper - produced a freak jump to snatch victory. Defeat was bitter for May-especially since Ajunwa had just finished serving a four-year ban for doping offences. There was further heartbreak in 1999 in the World Championships when May again looked certain to win gold. Then Spain’s Niurka Montalvo, who had defected from Cuba, won in equally controversial circumstances. The
TV replay seemed to show that she had overstepped the mark although crucially the plastocene was unblemished and officials ruled that Montalvo’s jump was good, delighting a partisan Spanish crowd in Seville. Again the silver lining was scant consolation for May who even mused that she might quit although that threat was never carried out. May lives in Florence with her husband Gianni Ipachino, an Italian pole vaulter, but the city which remains a jewel of renaissance Italy could not be further from where she began her career. The daughter of Jamaican immigrants was born in the southern English town of Slough-geographically a stone’s throw from upmarket Windsor and Eton but light years away in terms of social standing. She moved on to Leeds University where she obtained a degree in economics. She was a regular in the Britain team until 1993 but from 1994 made the switch to Italy. She was known to be disenchanted at the lack of state funding for promising athletes in England and that played a part in her decision although she has taken like a duck to water to life in Italy. May, dubbed “the black panther” in her adopted homeland, has recently branched out into the triple jump and with her very first appearance in that event in January 1998 she set an Italian record with the ninth-best leap in the world in an indoors competition. But the long jump remains her speciality and going in the latest world rankings she remains world number one in that discipline. Gold in Sydney would be the icing on the cake. |
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Robert, Manan triumph BANGALORE, Aug 15 (UNI) — Top seed Robert Murphy of the Republic of Ireland and Manan Chandra of India and three others extended their winning streak for their third successive victories in the Kheladi.com 12th World Under-21 Snooker Championship on the third day here today. Manan Chandra, after an indifferent performance yesterday, was striking well and was unlucky to have not fired the century break during his win over Brendan O’Donoghue of Northern Ireland in group “C”. Though the last edition’s semi-finalist Manan dropped a frame against the Irish, he did score impressive breaks in the encounter, which he won 69-19, 24-78, 74-18, 100-15, 63-1. Robert Murphy did not exert himself against Eissa M A A Hindi of the UAE during his 106-31, 70-9, 71-21, 74-20 win, which was his third straight victory in the eight-cueist group “A”. In another group “A” match, S Wiwatarangkoon of Thailand whipped Tavinee de Croos of Sri Lanka 66-15, 71-01, 96-17, 69-02 for his third successive win. Others to score their third wins were Chris Batchelor from Wales and T J Dowling from Republic of Ireland. The Indian national under-21 runner up Manan Chandra potted brilliantly in the fourth frame and was just four points away from a three figure break when he failed to clear the colours on the table. Besides potting 13 reds, he cleared black 10 times and pink, blue and yellow once each. His other impressive breaks were 32 in the first and 42 in the third. Brendon had scored 52 and 26 in the second to win the frame. The top seed, who had cracked the championship’s first century break, did not have big breaks to his credit. He had 39 and 49 in the first frame, 30 in the second and 48 in the fourth. Seventh seed David John of Wales and eighth seed Jimmy Cheung of Hong Kong commenced their title hunt with facile victories in groups “G” and “H” respectively. In group “B”, Chris Batchelor rallied from first frame deficit to down Alister Wilson of Northern Ireland 10-94, 63-22, 72-0, 48-43, 78-43. The wales cueist fired 72 in his second visit of the third frame, which was the highest in the match. In the same group, Dowling cracked 83 in the fifth frame during his 56-41, 64-36, 38-81, 63-51, 91-0 win over Md Atiq of Pakistan. Atiq, who had accounted for the lone century break yesterday, notched up 46 and 28 to avoid a straight frame loss. In group “B”, second seed Luke Fisher of England had good breaks during his 88-5, 71-9, 79-15, 76-20 victory over Willie Florence of New Zealand. The Briton had 88 in the first, 54 in the second and 42 in the third frames. |
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Peace treaties’
galore CHENNAI, Aug 15 (PTI) — It was a disappointing day for the chess lovers as all the seven second round matches ended in a draw at the Penta Media Grand Master Tournament here today. GM K Sasikiran and top seed Evgeny Vladimirov (Kazhakstan) with 1.5 points each are in the lead at the end of the day. Sasikiran drew with his Indian Oil colleague D.V.Prasad while Vladi signed the peace treaty with Indian junior national champion Surya Sekhar Ganguly. In an early result game, IM Reefat Bin Sattar of Bangladesh and GM Abhijit Kunte settled for the first draw of the day. Sattar opened up with ‘e4’ which was met out by GM Kunte’s Sicilian Paulsen defence. As no
breakthrough was forthcoming even after 29 moves, they agreed for the draw. In another board, Ghaem Maghami of Iran, aspirant for the Grand Master title, and GM norm holder Sandipan Chanda drew their game which saw Sicilian defence. |
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Legendary boxer Hawa Singh dead BHIWANI, Aug 15 (PTI) — Legendary boxer Hawa Singh died last night due to heart attack at his residence in Indira Colony here, family sources said here today. Captain Hawa Singh who already had the Arjuna Award, was to receive the Dronacharya Award on August 29 from the President, Mr K.R. Narayanan. He was born at Umarwas village on December 15, 1937, in Bhiwani district. He joined the Army as a sepoy in 1956 and retired as Captain. In 1980 the Haryana Government awarded the Bhim Award and in July 1985. He was appointed a coach at NIS Patiala. The indomitable pugilist had won the gold medals in the 1966 and 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok and was a silver medallist at the 1974 Games in Teheran but he refused to accept the medal as he felt he was cheated of what would have been a hat-trick of golds in the continent. “It is a great loss to the boxing family in India,” lamented Indian Boxing Federation president Ashok Matoo. |
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Ottey runs her season’s best LJUBLJANA (Slovenia), Aug 15 (AFP) — Jamaican sprint star Merlene Ottey ran her fastest 100m race of the year here yesterday, clocking 11.00sec, the STA news agency reported.
The time beat the 11.06 she ran in Zurich on Friday night, but is still a long way from the “10.70s” she pledged to run providing she could remain fit and healthy. Ottey (40), who has been training in Slovenia since May, is still chasing her first Olympic title and intends to run in Sydney despite finishing only fourth in the final of the Jamaican Olympic trials in a modest time of 11.27. Peta Gaye Dowdie, Beverley McDonald and Tanya Lawrence won the right to run the 100m at Sydney, but Ottey claims she will be quicker than all of them when the Olympics come round. “I know I will be the fastest Jamaican around by the time the Olympics arrive. If I can only run in the relays, I will not compete... I will retire,” said Ottey, who had planned to make the Olympics her swansong after a glittering career. |
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India take on Poland in lung-opener NEW DELHI, Aug 15 (PTI) - India will start their campaign with a match against Poland tomorrow in a four-nation junior hockey tournament at Ponzan, Poland.
The tournament also features Belgium and Egypt who will clash in the opening encounter also scheduled for tomorrow, an Indian Hockey Federation release said here today. |
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IT’S been a long wait but yesterday the Olympic torch finally reached home territory. After first being lit in Olympia, the ancient home of the Games, the flame has enjoyed a round-Australia love affair with the nation. Now the people of the home state of the Sydney Games can celebrate and embrace the Olympic spirit. It’s getting closer, and the crowds are gathering. 
