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| Tuesday, September 5, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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England secure historic series win SHENYANG, Sept 4 — Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand of India played a quick draw with GM Boris Gelfand of Israel in the third round of the inaugural FIDE World Cup Chess tournament to maintain his one point lead over his rivals in group D. |
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| Srinath’s volte-face
on one-day ties BANGALORE, Sept 4 — Indian speedster Javagal Srinath, who opted out of the ICC knockout tournament in Nairobi next month, has stressed that he would continue to play one-day cricket. Jayalakshmi rallies to win
CHENNAI, Sept 4 — The cricket board will announce its decision on national coach Kapil Dev’s future within the next three days.
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Kiefer, Arthurs through; Gambill falls NEW YORK, Sept 4 (Reuters) —Third-seeded Magnus Norman and sixth-seeded Marat Safin were stretched to the limits on a rainy Sunday at the US Open, with both players needing to win fifth-set tie-breakers to survive. Norman, the highest remaining seed following the early upsets of top-seeded 1999 champion Andre Agassi and second-seeded French Open winner Gustavo Kuerten, recovered from the more dangerous situation. The 24-year-old Swede clawed his way back from two sets down and saved four match points before claiming a 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 7-6 (11-9) victory over relentless serve-and-volleyer Max Mirnyi of Belarus. “It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Norman, who won on his third match point of the tie-breaker when he whipped a backhand crosscourt passing shot that Mirnyi dove for at the net but could not return. Safin won the first two sets but then had to fight for his open life against Sebastien Grosjean of France, who battled the 20-year-old Russian before winning 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) 1-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5). After enduring two lengthy rain delays totalling three hours, the second lasting one hour and 40 minutes, Safin and Grosjean returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium court to pick up their climactic tie-breaker with the Russian leading 5-4 and the Frenchman serving the next two points. “In the fifth-set tie-breaker, it is a question of who is going to be more lucky,” said Safin, who won in Toronto and was runner-up in Indianapolis in a red-hot hardcourt season. “It is a lottery.’’ Said Grosjean: “At 4-5 in the tie-breaker of the fifth set is a terrible spot to break off. After that it’s really a bit of crapshoot.” On the seventh day, the men found little rest at the open. Day seven of the championships also saw Australian qualifier Wayne Arthurs of Australia, who ousted Kuerten in the opening round, go five sets before vanquishing compatriot Richard Fromberg 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 12th seed, needed to win a fourth-set tie-breaker that was also interrupted by the rain before dismissing Swiss Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), 1-6, 7-6 (8-6) to earn a fourth-round match against Safin. American Jan-Michael Gambill also lost a fourth-set tie-breaker to Thomas Johansson of Sweden to eventually 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7) (1-7). Earlier, 14th-seeded Nicolas Kiefer of Germany stayed dry by scooting into the fourth round with a straight-sets win over Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands. The 23-year-old Kiefer won the battle of former US Open boys’ singles champions 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 in the only match completed before the rains came. Kiefer will meet Norman in the fourth round. Norman’s conquest of Mirnyi came in the longest — and best —match of the tournament so far. The duel featured a stark contrast of styles and an ebb and flow that had the crowd nearly as exhausted as the players by the end. Mirnyi camped at the net at every opportunity, testing Norman’s firepower after every second serve from the Swede. The Belarussian rushed the net 173 times, winning 92 of those points. Norman came to net just 18 times, making good on 16 of his forays. In the 12th game of the fifth set, trailing 5-6, Norman netted a forehand passing shot to fall behind 15-40 for double match point. A service winner and a beautiful backhand lob over the ever-charging Mirnyi rescued Norman, who won the next two points as well to force the tie-breaker. Norman stormed out to a 5-2 lead in the tie-breaker, but the big Belarussian won the next three points to level it at 5-5. Each player saved a pair of match points in the tie-breaker, Norman wriggling out of the second one with yet another delicately struck backhand topspin lob that Mirnyi could only look up at in wonder. After rifling the last passing shot of the match, one that left Mirnyi sprawling on the hard court, Norman sank to his knees and pumped his fist before pulling off his red shirt and shouting in triumph. The women’s seeds marched steadily into the quarterfinals, with all the winners advancing without the loss of a set. Venus extends winning streak Wimbledon winner Venus Williams extended her win streak to 23 matches here yesterday, reaching the US Open quarterfinals and declaring herself ready for a run at her second consecutive Grand Slam title. The 20-year-old
American ousted 33rd-ranked Magui Serna of Spain 6-2, 6-2 in 53 minutes. Third seed Williams rolled to a 4-0 lead in only 12 minutes and took the first set in 26 minutes. “I feel more warmed up now, more in a groove and ready to compete,” Williams said. “I’m feeling a lot more clear on my serve. It was a lot more effective and the pace on my second serve was more effective. I can put it where I want.” Williams has not lost since the French Open, a title run that includes the All-England Club plus US Open hardcourt tuneups in Stanford, San Diego and New Haven. “It is real nice to have a streak like this,” Williams said. “I feel like I deserve to be No 1..” The Swiss teen who owns that honour, Martina Hingis, is a possible semifinal foe for Williams, who could face her sister Serena, the 18-year-old defending champion, in Saturday’s final. Rain delays ruined Venus’ day. Showers postponed play for three hours during the session, keeping Williams at the US Tennis Center more than she wanted. |
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England secure historic series win LONDON, Sept 4 (Reuters) — England secured an historic series win over West Indies today with a 158-run victory on the final day of the fifth and final Test at the Oval. The 3-1 triumph gave England their first series victory over West Indies since 1969 and ended a memorable summer for Nasser Hussain’s men who also won a two-Test series against Zimbabwe and a one-day triangular series. Andrew Caddick took four wickets and Darren Gough three with only a cameo innings of 47 by Brian Lara with seven fours from 104 balls giving any substance to the West Indies’ second innings of 215. Lara struck seven sumptuous fours after a meticulously studied start but when he was dismissed lbw by the rampaging Gough the end was in sight. West Indies started brightly in quest of what would have been the third-highest winning total in Test match history. Sherwin Campbell sliced successive balls from Gough’s opening over to the boundary at third man and backward point respectively. He leg-glanced another deft four from Gough’s second over of the morning as West Indies took their overnight total of 33 to 50 without loss. Gough steamed in for his third over of the morning from the Vauxhall End and Campbell, on 28, responded by dabbing his second delivery straight to Graeme Hick who grasped the ball and at second slip and then let it fall to the ground. The bowler glared at the batsman, the errant Hick, the grass and the sky before gathering his forces for the next ball. Again the ball was of a good length, again Campbell guided it to Hick who grabbed it thankfully at head height. Without addition to the score, Caddick got another one to lift on the line of off-stump and Adrian Griffith (20) edged the ball to Alec Stewart diving to his left. Hinds survived a hard, low chance to the unfortunate Hick before falling lbw to Caddick after he was struck on the right foot by a full-pitched delivery. Captain Jimmy Adams helped Lara see West Indies through to lunch, taken at 89 for three but was out without adding to his score of 15 in the second over after the break, turning Caddick firmly to leg only to watch as Craig White dived to his left to take a fine catch. Ramnaresh Sarwan, one of the few West Indians to enhance his reputation on a depressing tour, flourished briefly with a wristy 27 from 37 balls including four boundaries. He drove Caddick pleasantly for four before he was run out at the non-striker’s end after being sent back by Lara. As Sarwan sprawled along the ground in an unsuccessful dive for the safety of the crease, he collided with Graham Thorpe who had raced in to throw down the stumps. Sarwan was given out by the third umpire after a television replay but it was some moments before he could get to his feet and leave the field. Caddick left the field an hour before the tea interval with an ankle injury but wickets continued to tumble. Curtly Ambrose received a standing ovation from the happy crowd and was clapped to the crease by the England team who formed a guard of honour. He obliged with a quick 24 in company with Nixon McLean (17 not out) as West Indies took their total past the 200 mark. Scoreboard England (Ist innings): 281 |
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SHENYANG, Sept 4 (PTI) — Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand of India played a quick draw with GM Boris Gelfand of Israel in the third round of the inaugural FIDE World Cup Chess tournament to maintain his one point lead over his rivals in group D. GMs Alexander Khalifman, who defeated Tissir Mohamed of Morocco for his first win, Pavel Tregubov, Vladislav Tkachiev and Gelfand all have 1.5 points each and share the second sport in Anand’s group. Anand, playing black for the first time in the tournament, employed the queens Indian defence against the queen pawn opening of Gelfand. The game followed established theoretical manoeuvres till the 21st move when Anand gained parity with a novel move. Soon after Gelfand agreed to split the point. Anand, who won both his opening matches, has 2.5 points and looks all set to qualify for the knock-out quarterfinal stage. He next faces Tregubov, who drew third round his game against Tkachiev after an interesting battle. In group A, GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili of Georgia stunned GM Alexander Morozevich of Russia. Playing black, Morozevich entered into unnecessary complications in a queens gambit accepted and had to pay heavy price as Azmaiparashvili penetrated his kingside for the fatal blow. The Georgian now shares the lead in his group
along with GM Gilberto Milos of Brazil. Milos accounted for overnight leader GM Alexei Alexandrov of Belarus in a Nimzo Indian defence game with black pieces. In a tactically complicated middlegame, Alexandrov’s pieces remained vulnerable for major part of the game and Milos won in style after exchanging his queen for two pieces. Chinese duo of Ye Jiangchuan and Xu Jun head group B standings with two points apiece. GM Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine could not claim any advantage with white pieces against Xu Jun and had to settle for a draw after 34 moves. Jiangchaun was at his creative best today, putting it across highly regarded GM Nigel Short of England from the black side of a closed Sicilian game. Group C is jointly lead by GMs Evgeny Bareev of Russia and Sergie Movsesian of the Czech Republic. Bareev decided to play it safe against group favourite GM Peter Svidler and agreed to sign the peace treaty after 36 moves of a neo-Grunfeld game while Movsesian defeated Rizouk of Algeria from the black side of a Sicilian Alapin game. In the women’s section, WGM Zhu Chen of China maintained her dominance with her third straight win in group A. She defeated R Pokorma of Slovakia after 55 moves in a queens gambit declined game. |
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Srinath’s volte-face on one-day ties BANGALORE, Sept 4 (UNI) — Indian speedster Javagal Srinath, who opted out of the ICC knockout tournament in Nairobi next month, has stressed that he would continue to play one-day cricket. “I am open to the idea of playing limited overs cricket. It is not as if I don’t want to play another one-day match again,” the Indian pacer had said in an interview. The stand was in total variance with the decision he had announced a few months ago that he would only play Test matches in future. He had conveyed his decision to national coach Kapil Dev. Srinath said: “At the same time, I thought having been away from international cricket for some time now, it will be better if I ease myself back into the world stage by playing in Test cricket. As of now, I am eagerly looking forward to the Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka. I have told the selectors not to consider me for the country until the Dhaka Test,” he added. The speedster, who had
suffered a groin strain during the tri-series in Sharjah in March said: “I am back to full fitness.” He played well for his employers-Indian Airlines-in a domestic tournament last month. On his opting out, Srinath said: “From my personal experience, I feel that given the amount of cricket that is being played these days and with the season stretching so long, it is extremely difficult, especially for fast bolwers, to keep themselves motivated physically, mentally and psychologically throughout the season.” He had said that the workload should be shared by four or five good bowlers. Instead of relying on two quick bowlers, efforts should be made to find more quickies. “I don’t mind sitting out once in a while if it gives a youngster the chance to assess his ability and potential at the highest level. After all there is no better and potential at the highest level. After all there is no better learning experience than hands on, than actually experiencing the feel of international cricket”. |
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Jayalakshmi rallies to win NEW DELHI, Sept 4 — Second-seeded Sai Jayaram Jayalakshmi had to encounter unexpected resistance from a 14-year-old Ukrainian girl based in Delhi, Olexandra Verkhnyatska, before prevailing at 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in a first-round match of the second leg of the $ 10,000 ITF Women’s Tennis Circuit at the Delhi Tennis Association synthetic court here today. Jayalakshmi was broken in the seventh game of the first set, and then again in the ninth game, as the Ukrainian qualifier won the first set. Olexandra was playing in her first major tournament, but she did not show the nervousness of a newcomer. Jayalakshmi confounded her woes by committing several unforced errors. “I committed far too many unforced errors,” she said after the match, and conceded that the Ukrainian girl played far better and far more confidently than a rookie player would do. Olexandra executed some delightful passing shots, to push Jayalakshmi into a corner in the first set, but the experienced Indian woman, ranked 433 in the ITF list, quickly gathered her wits, and simply ran through her opponent in the last two sets, winning the contest in 75 minutes. Due to the withdrawal of top-seeded Leanne Baker of New Zealand, the draw had to be recast, with the original second seed Manisha Malhotra, runner-up in the first leg at Jaipur, moving into the top spot, and Jayalakshmi taking the second position. Geeta Manohar battled back from a set in arrear, to outsmart Nona Wagh 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in two hours and five minutes, while Jennifer Schmidt of Australia scored the quickest victory, blanking Nikita Bhardwaj of India 6-0, 6-0 in 30 minutes. In other matches, Karishma Patel toyed with Pragya Yadav 6-3, 6-0 in 55 minutes; seventh-seeded Suchanan Viratprasert of Thailand ousted Indian qualifier Sai Swapna Ramakrishnan 6-0, 6-0; Shalini Thakur got a good run from Liza Pereira before winning at 6-2, 6-2; Radhika Tulpule beat Pichaya Laosirichon of Thailand 6-2, 6-1; Megha Vakharia downed Vishika Chhetri 6-0, 6-2; Yamini Tukkaindi beat Nandini Perumal 6-4, 6-2 and Shruti Dhawan got the better of Sheetal Gautam 6-2, 6-2. |
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Sydney countdown — 63 In an age made weary and cynical by the overselling of every thing that can be sold, and by attempts to commodify every ideal, the Olympics has not been immune to criticism. Take the case of the Red Cross in Sydney who advertised for an “Olympic volunteer donation drive” to up their limited stocks. The Red Cross promptly got a you are warned letter from the SOCOG threatening legal action because of the use of the word Olympic. Now we understand the IOC and the SOCOG clamping down on the likes of non-official sponsors such as Qantas and Adidas on the misuse of the Olympic name and logo….but the Red Cross and blood donation. A Red Cross official said they told the Olympic lawyers the name of the blood donation
campaign could not be changed because all the marketing material etc had already been prepared and paid for. And if one considers that the reason the Red Cross has undertaken the drive in the first place is to cater for the extra people who are converging on Sydney for the games, we would had advised that the Red Cross official tell the SOCOG and IOC to get stuffed. Games at last a reality, seen in the new light of the flame In this scenario of the height of commercialisation, fortunately the torch relay, more than most aspects of the Olympics, is hard to diminish. Despite the rolling controversies in so much else of the organisation of the games, the torch relay stands out as imaginative and engaging. For most of its very long course in Australia, it is a community affair, safe in the hands of the people. They gather to watch the flame go by. But in doing so they come together with their own special celebrations, at every point along the way. If the Games in Sydney have half the spirit shown by countless small communities all over Australia that have been touched by the flame, they cannot help but succeed. The flame has been hijacked by a roller blading youth, and it has seen the death of heart attack of one of its bearers soon after he finished his stint. He collapsed in the torch bearers’ bus and was happy that he used his dying breath to carry that eternal flame. Today (Sunday September 3) is Father’s Day in Australia and the torch will also have a touching story on this special day for dads. A young man will carry the torch his blind marathon running father was supposed to carry. The father was selected to carry the torch but died suddenly two months ago. The organisers of the torch relay then gave the spot to someone else, but the son took the organisers to court and eventually won the right to represent his father in what would have been the highlight of his life. Today the son who used to run alongside as a guide while his blind father ran marathons fulfilled that dream. Such is the power of the Olympic flame. After travelling across the world from its home in Olympia in Greece, and - by happy inspiration - visiting New Zealand and island-hopping through the South Pacific, the flame has made a vast tour of Australia. It now moves into its final journey towards Sydney. The torch relay has surely been purged of its unhappy associations of its modern origin — the unfortunate propaganda blitz at Hitler’s Berlin Olympics in 1936. It is now firmly associated with the central ideal of the modern Olympics, which is to enhance peace and amity among all nations. Each nation has its own way of presenting the relay. Australia’s torch relay, the longest ever both on its indirect journey from Olympia and, once here, around Australia, reinforces the relay’s symbolism of inclusiveness and openness to the world. If there has been criticism of the torch relay for the 2000 Olympics it has been that it has been too ambitious, too long and too stage-managed. To cover the vast distances of the present route the flame has been put on aircraft, in motor vehicles or on trains. It has been taken on horseback and, bizarrely, under water. These colourful departures are welcome. The torch relay is not a race. The long journey of the flame has ensured that it has touched far more people than ever before. It will have travelled 27,000 km, visiting every state, by the time it arrives in Sydney next week. Not everyone will be able to attend the games. But, through the torch relay, a great many people, often in places very far from Sydney, will be able to say they caught the spirit. The pulse quickens as the Sydney games at last become a reality, seen in the new light, as it were, by the flame. This is how it begins It is the morning after the opening ceremony of Sydney’s Olympics. Now the first gold medal is up for grabs. After all the years of preparation and planning, all the controversies about bands and tickets and swimsuits and torches, the athletes have the stage at last. On the first day of competition in a new era for the Olympics, the first games of the new millennium, it is fitting that the athletes are all women and their event has never before been contested at the games. It is the triathlon — a 1.5 km swim, followed immediately by a 40km bicycle ride and 10km run. The course is on Sydney Harbour, winding around landmarks like the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Opera House. Along most of the route, spectators will be able to watch the athletes for free. And they will be there in their thousands. Why? Because the race signifies that, after all the years of build-up, the real thing has arrived; because the event combines three sports in which Australians have traditionally excelled: swimming, riding, and running. And because Australia expects to begin the games among the medals. Six of the world’s top 10 women triathletes are Australians. They also dominate rankings in the men’s event, which will be held on the second day of the games. In a nation with a history much briefer than any other host country, an event that has been contested for only 27 years (compared to thousands of years for the other debutante Olympic event, taekwando) will provide the first medals. —
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Johnson ends preparations with win RIETI, (Italy), Sept 4 (Reuters) — World and Olympic champion Michael Johnson completed his pre-Sydney games race programme with a 400 metres win in 44.46 seconds, the third fastest of the year. Kenya’s Daniel Komen broke an 18-year-old meeting record at the Rieti Grand Prix yesterday when he won the 5,000 metres in 13 minutes 4.43 seconds to eclipse the 13:07.29 set by Wodayo Bulti in 1982. But double Olympic silver medallist Frankie Fredericks struggled in his first competitive race of 2000. The Namibian, using Rieti as a testing ground following a serious foot operation which sidelined him for nearly a year, was fourth in the 200 metres in 20.79 and might now decide not to travel to Sydney. He has said he will only run in Australia if he feels he can challenge for medals. Johnson, bidding to retain his Olympic title and better his world record of 43.18, failed to build his customary commanding lead over the first 200 metres. But he pulled away over the second 200 and, with a comfortable victory assured, slowed at the line to beat Britain’s Mark Richardson (45.14) and fellow American Jerome Davis (45.30). “I felt very good and relaxed today. I’m right where I need to be,” said Johnson, who will head home to Texas before travelling to Sydney on September 14. The reigning 200 and 400 metres world record holder had hinted he might attack his own world mark if the conditions in central Italy were to his liking. Despite a balmy, still evening he never threatened the time he set at the world championships in Seville last year and also finished well outside his year best of 43.68. “The chance didn’t present itself and I didn’t beat the mark so now we’re moving on to Sydney,” he said. “Beating the world record is not really my concern right now. My concern is going in there and winning the games. Whatever time shows up on the clock I’ll take.” “I already have the world record so I’m not that concerned about breaking it again. If I do then I do but that’s not really why
I'm going to Sydney.” Komen left a weak field trailing and although he again failed to finish inside 13 minutes his time was his second best of the year following his 13:01.78 in Brussels a week ago. Compatriot Noah Ngeny, who broke Sebastian Coe’s world 1,000 metres mark here last year, ran an impressive 3:30.42 in the 1,500 metres ahead of compatriot Benjamin Kipkurui (3:30.73) and Algeria’s Kamel Boulahfane (3:33.07). Andrea Longo gave the home crowd something to cheer by clocking 1:43.74 in the 800 metres — the fastest by an Italian since electronic timing was introduced. |
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Merlene Ottey’s last bid for Olympic gold KINGSTON, Sept 4 (IPS) — When hundreds of athletes and their coaches from around the world step into the Olympic Stadium in Sydney on September 15, there will be 39 Jamaicans among them, all in search of their moment of glory. But the eyes of many track and field lovers will be focused on one Jamaican athlete who is expected to wrap up a 20-year career in the sport when the Olympic torch goes out in Sydney. Merlene Ottey has been described as the world’s most enduring athlete .. but the past year has seen her durability put to the test when newspapers in many countries broke the news that she had been tested positive for an abolic steroid nandrolone while competing at a meet in Switzerland. Over the past year, Jamaicans voiced their shock and disbelief and stood firmly behind their ‘sprint queen’ as many like to refer to her. “It has shocked me personally, it seems to be the act of someone who has suddenly been derailed,” said Herb McKenley, the former quarter-miler who was part of the Jamaican relay team that won the 4x400-metre event in the 1952 Games in Helsinki, Finland. As the news spread and she became the topic of discussion on all talk shows locally, most Jamaicans refused to even entertain the thought that she was guilty of any wrongdoing. People blamed the positive test on a conspiracy, erroneous analysis of her urine sample, vitamins that she might have taken — anything but the fact that she would have knowingly taken a prohibited substance to enhance her performance. And when news came in July that the international athletics federation (IAAF) had cleared her of any wrongdoing, the country drew a collective sigh of relief. “I think this is news of significance not only to us in Jamaica but throughout the Caribbean because Merlene Ottey has become an international icon in the field of sports,” said Prime Minister, Percival Patterson. “I hope she will be able to pursue her career and leave the athletics track with the aura and the glory that she has so richly deserved,” Mr Patterson added. Should Ottey win a medal at the Sydney Olympics, observers say this will be the crowning moment for a career that has spanned two decades and will turn the spotlight once again on the strides which this small northern Caribbean island — population 2.5 million — has made in the arena of track and field over the past 50 years. The impressive run started in 1948 at the London games where Arthur Wint, won the 400 metres. Herb McKenley, one of the great quarter-milers, was second. But Jamaica’s best showing at the Olympics came in 1952 at Helsinki. Wint won the 800 metres, while George Rhoden took the 400 metres. Wint, McKenley and Rhoden, along with Les Laing, formed the gold medal-winning quartet that won the 4x400 relay in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. In 1968, Lennox Miller, father of US sprint Staringer Miller, was placed second in the 100 metres in Mexico City. He was third in the same event in Munich in 1972. Then in 1976 in Montreal, Canada, sprinter Donald Quarrie took the 200 metres event after narrowly failing to beat Trinidad and Tobago’s Hasley Crawford in the 100 metres race. In 1980, at the Moscow Games, a young sprinter named Merlene Ottey made her debut. She placed third in the 200 metres, the first of three Olympic bronze medals. At Seoul in 1988, Grace Jackson continued the emergence of the Jamaican female sprinter by coming in second to the legendary Florence Griffith-Joyner in the 200 metres. In 1996 at the Atlanta Games Ottey was placed second in both the 100 and 200 metres. Her two silver medals equalled the feat of her compatriot, Juliet Cuthbert, who was runner-up in the sprint events at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain. At that time, it was the best performance by a Jamaican female athlete at the Olympics. But that was bettered by Deon Hemmings’ victory in the 400 metres hurdles event also at the Atlanta Games. It was also Jamaica’s first gold medal since Quarrie’s win in Montreal. Jamaicans have made a relatively successful impact in field events too, with long jumper James Beckford’s silver medal effort in Atlanta behind the US’ Carl Lewis being the most notable. Since her first appearance at the Olympics in 1980 Ottey has gone on to win 14 medals at major championships, but only two of these are individual gold medals. Her many third spot placings at major meets have influenced us commentators to label her the ‘bronze queen’. Ottey’s moment of glory came in the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany when she led from start to finish to win the 200 metres. Many took the victory personally as they did the ups and downs of her athletic career. “The entire nation rejoices with you. You have brought home the gold. There never has been a more deserving victor. You deserve your moment of glory,” Mr Patterson wrote in a letter to Ottey then. That year she was named Ambassador at Large by the government, one of several honours she has received from the country. Earlier this year, Ottey was named the leading female athlete of the 1990s by the respected US publication, Track and Field News. It is a decade that has seen the sprinter dominate the grand prix circuit though never transforming that form into gold medals at the Olympic level. |
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3 Pak cricketers
fined, dropped ISLAMABAD, Sep 4 (PTI) — The Pakistan Cricket Board today fined and dropped three players from the team for the
ICC Knock-out tournament in Nairobi for letting some women enter their hotel rooms even as an inquiry against them recommended dismissal of charges of sexual misconduct. Shahid Afridi, Atiq-uz Zaman and Hasan Raza were fined Rs 50,000 each and suspended for the Nairobi tournament after it was established that some women had entered their rooms in Lahore a day before the Pakistan team left for the Singapore cricket tournament. Local press had reported that the women were followed by some men who demanded and were paid money to hush up the matter. An inquiry commission under team manager Brig Khwaja Mohammad Nasir, however, said the incident was “grossly exaggerated” and recommended dismissal of all charges. Mr Saeed said the pcb took serious note of the incident and the tough punishment was to avoid any recurrence of such episodes in future. |
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CHENNAI, Sept 4 (PTI) — The cricket board will announce its decision on national coach Kapil Dev’s future within the next three days. “I will announce the decision a week before the conditioning camp (for the probables selected for the ICC knock-out tournament at Nairobi) begins in Chennai on September 14,” board President A. C. Muthiah told reporters after appearing at a special court in connection with SPIC disinvestment case. |
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