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| Thursday, September 21, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Paes-Bhupathi duo starts with win
Banned Romanians
refuse to leave Greene promises unforgettable performance |
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Gurcharan wins on points Canada go down to Holland Shooting: Anjali
finishes 33rd India’s Anees
placed 32nd Rs 25 lakh award for Malleswari
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Paes-Bhupathi duo starts with win SYDNEY, Sept 20 (UNI) — Former world number one pair of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi showed their class as they pulverised the Romanian pair of Andrei Pavel and Gabriel Trifu 6-3, 6-4 to begin their Olympic tennis doubles campaign in style. It was a day of mixed fortunes for Paes who lost his singles, but put it behind while playing with Bhupathi to win convincingly in just 70 minutes. “It was good to get a winning feel,” said Paes after the doubles game. The Indian duo, on whom the country pins hopes for a medal, will face the real test in the next round against the famed “Woodies” Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge. Playing their third tournament after almost a nine months of separation, the most heartening feature of the doubles match was that Leander and Mahesh did not drop their service even once. “That was a good part and should give a lot of confidence,” said coach Ramesh Krishnan, who himself had partnered Leander in the doubles in 1992 when they reached the quarterfinals. Earlier, in the singles against Mikael Tillstrom of Sweden, Atlanta bronze medallist Paes was completely outplayed. Paes who has just recovered from a three-month layoff due to injury, looked rusty and his serves were rather weak. Tillstrom was all over and won 6-2, 6-4 inside an hour. But the doubles was a different ball game for the Indians who literally toyed with their rivals. Though Mahesh did have problems with his serves and was on break point on a few occasions, but he managed to pull through unscathed. Paes on the hand served better in doubles than he did in singles. However, Mahesh’s ground strokes, especially off the backhand, and his backhand down the line were simply superb. In the first set, the Indians broke through in the fourth game and held on to that break to come through the set 6-3 in just 31 minutes. Paes and Bhupathi managed to keep their first serves and won a fair number of points off them. On the other hand the Romanians, who do have a decent record in Davis Cup, were under pressure on their serves. Their first serves did not come off right in the first set, but they did improve in the second. Bhupathi saved two break points in the fifth and then Leander saved one in the seventh. Bhupathi again agonised as he held his serve after saving two more break points. Though this could be seen as having problems with service, it could also be perceived as managing to hold on in crunch points. In the second set, the Indians broke through in the first game itself and then had a break point to go 3-0 up, but they failed to convert. Finally in the 10th game, Bhupathi came to match point. After netting on the first, Bhupathi double faulted on the next and finally served an ace to close the match. India’s pair Manisha Malhotra and Nirupama Vaidyanathan make an appearance tomorrow in women’s doubles. After the match, Leander said: “It was nice to win the match with such comfort. We are looking ahead for the clash with the Woodies.” Krishnan was also all praise for Paes and Bhupathi. “I am quiet hopeful that they will play even better against, world number one pair of Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge.” After being decimated by Tillstrom, Leander showed remarkable composure as is his wont to come back in the doubles in the afternoon. The world number 61 Swede proved too good for the 113-ranked Indian who looked totally offcolour and seemed to be just poing through the motions to complete the formalities. Tillstrom left nothing to chance. Tillstrom watched his rival’s discomfort with glee. Nothing went right for the Indian and nothing went wrong for the Swede. The big contingent of Indian fans which had come to support Leander was disappointed the way their hero threw in the towel. Tillstrom was fancied to win but the fans had come to see their hero fight his rival on every serve. Leander committed far too many mistakes. Tillstrom, who had beaten Leander in the Australian Open two years back, repeated the performance without much ado. |
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Popov, O’Neill dethroned SYDNEY, Sept 20 (AFP) — Pieter Van den Hoogenband ended Alexander Popov’s reign as king of the Olympic 100m freestyle today, following up his world record-setting semi finals with a triumph in the final. Van den Hoogenband’s defeat of two-time defending champion Popov came moments after American Misty Hyman dethroned Australia’s Madam Butterfly, Susie O’Neill, in the 200m fly. O’Neill, the world record-holder and undefeated since her triumph in Atlanta, was the overwhelming favourite to cap her Olympic career in front of her home fans with a gold in her signature event. But Hyman had other ideas, leading from start to finish to win in an Olympic record 2 minutes 05.88seconds, the second-fastest of all time. “I never imagined it would be like this,” said Hyman, (21). “I dreamed it over and over in my mind.” O’Neill, whose world record stands at 2:05.81, was second in 2:06.58 and Australian Petria Thomas took the bronze in 2:07.12. “I think I went as fast as I could tonight,” said O’Neill, who had already won the 200m freestyle title. While Hyman’s previous personal best of 2:07.87 seemed to offer little threat to O’Neill, Van den Hoogenband had already served notice of his intentions to do Popov out of an unprecedented third straight title. In the semifinals he became the first man to swim under 48 seconds, posting a 47.84 to break the four-day old world record of 48.18 set by Australian Michael Klim on Saturday. The scintillating performance followed his world record-setting demolition of Australian Ian Thorpe in the 200m free. As in the semifinals, Van den Hoogenband was happy to let others set the early pace. He was third at the turn, when Klim led. American Gary Hall, who had already said his real hopes lay with the 50m free, edged into the lead but Van den Hoogenband inexorably took over in the final 15 meters. “It was a tough, and it’s getting tougher all the time,” said Popov, (28), who gets another chance in the 50m free to become the first man to win the same event at three consecutive games. Van den Hoogenband’s Dutch team-mate Inge de Bruijn kept the world record tradition of the games swimming going, leading the way into th women’s 100m free final. De Bruijn said she meant to test herself in the semifinals. She did, and she passed, lowering her own world record to 53.77seconds, down from the 53.80 she swam in Sheffield, England, in May. American Jenny Thompson, the six-time relay gold medallist who will likely get her last career chance at individual gold in this event, was second fastest with a time of 54.40 and 33-year-old American Dara Torres was third quickest in 55.02. Domenico Fioravanti doubled his gold medal haul — and Italy’s — adding the 200m breaststroke title to the 100m breast title that made him the first ever Olympic swimming champion from Italy. He won in 2 minutes, 10.87
seconds. South African Terence Parkin, who is deaf, took the silver medal in 2:12.50, and Italian Davide Rummolo was third in 2:12.73. World record holder and defending Olympic champion Penny Heyns of South Africa produced a shocking heat swim to miss a place in tonight’s semifinals of the 200m breaststroke. |
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Hoogenband rules the pool; Safin upset SYDNEY, Sept 20 (AFP) — Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband asserted himself as the new king of the pool today as he took gold in a race billed as the greatest men’s 100m freestyle of them all. But van den Hoogenband, who set a new world record by becoming the first man ever to swim the 100m under 48s in the morning semis, was only one part of yet another Double Dutch in the pool as Inge de Bruijn set her second world record of the week in the semi finals of the women’s 100m free. Van den Hoogenband’s unseating of Russian Alexander Popov as king of the Olympic 100m was his second gold medal-winning performance of the week. The fresh-faced 22-year-old was one of three men who had held the world 100m free record in the past five days swimming in the race — both Aussie Michael Klim, who held the record for four days, and Popov lined up on the blocks with him. The scintillating performance, ahead of Popov and American Gary Hall Jr., followed his world record-setting demolition of Australian Ian Thorpe in the 200m free earlier in the week. US Open champion Marat Safin crashed out of the Olympic tennis tournament in the first round here today, finally running out of steam in his third tournament on different continents in as many weeks. France’s Fabrice Santoro, who had never lost to the new world number one in four previous meetings, continued his hold over the Russian with a 1-6 6-1 6-4 win. The not entirely unexpected upset came on a day that saw Britain’s top player Tim Henman, former world number one Marcelo Rios and Michael Chang all slump to first round defeats against unseeded opponents. Santoro, ranked 35th in the world, will play Spaniard Fernando Vicente for a place in the third round. Rios, who was eliminated by Argentina’s Mariano Zabaleta, pointed the finger at his country’s President Ricardo Lagos for distracting him before the match. Rios admitted poor form and fitness was the main reason for the 6-7 (6/8) 6-4 7-5 defeat but insisted that Lagos’s intervention in a row over his refusal to carry the Chilean flag at the Opening Ceremony had not helped his cause. Athletics, the star event of the Games, does not begin until Friday but some competitors have already fallen by the wayside. World 200 metres champion Inger Miller of the USA said she had pulled out of the 100 metres after injuring a hamstring in her left leg this month. Miller was considered the biggest threat to team mate Marion Jones in both the 100 and 200 metres. “I didn’t want to jeopardise the whole event. It’s getting better by the day and it was possible I would have been okay by Friday but I cannot risk it,” Miller said. Miller (28) said she still hoped to run in the first round of the 200 metres and in the 4x100 metres relay the following weekend. Two convicts who commandeered a car carrying a South Korean Olympic official and Games volunteers on Tuesday were still on run police said. But new South Wales police commissioner Peter Ryan said security at Olympic venues would not be stepped up. “It was two prisoners escaping from jail. It happens not irregularly,” he told reporters. The pool has so far been untainted by drugs scandals that have hit athletics. Authorities stripped a Bulgarian weightlifter of his silver medal on Wednesday, the first competitor to lose a medal since the Games opened last Friday. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Ivan Ivanov, who tested positive for a diuretic, was one of two athletes to fail drug tests. The other was hammer-thrower Vadim Devyatovsky from Belarus who registered positive in a test for the anabolic steroid nandrolone in an out-of-competition test in the Olympic village and has already left Sydney. IOC Director General Francois Carrard said Ivanov would be stripped of the silver he won in the 56 kg division behind Halil Mutlu of Turkey. Bronze medallist Wu Wenxiong of China will take the silver and Chinese fourth-placed Zhang Xiangxiang moves up for the bronze. Two Romanian weightlifters have already been barred from competition over drugs. The IOC, dogged by corruption scandals and criticism of its stance on doping, has tried to repair its image by talking tough on drugs. China dropped 27 of its Olympic squad before coming to Sydney and at least 12 athletes had been kept from competition before wednesday’s revelations because of drugs. Equestrian Eric Lamaze failed to make Canada’s Olympic team on Wednesday despite winning a legal battle to reverse a lifetime ban imposed for cocaine use.
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Banned Romanians refuse to leave SYDNEY, Sep 20 (AFP) —Two Romanian weightlifters who were thrown out of the Olympics for doping have refused to go home and plan to launch a legal battle to allow them to stay in Australia, a report said today. The Daily Telegraph said Traian Ciharean and Andrei Mateias spent yesterday shopping, watching Olympic events on screen set up around the city, and visiting friends among Sydney’s Romanian community in suburban Burwood. “I want to stay. I do not want to leave,” Ciharean, a bronze weightlifting medallist in Barcelona told the newspaper. Ciharean sparked concern yesterday after he handed in his accreditation to Olympic organisers, walked out of the athletes village and went missing - failing to turn up for his scheduled flight home. He was banned for life for testing positive for the steroid nandrolone, in a doping blitz conducted by the International Weightlifting Federation
(IWF) on the eve of the games. Mateias has gone on a hunger strike as he awaits the results of tests on his “b” sample. If it is positive he too will have his accreditation removed. A third Romanian lifter also tested positive in May. The
IWF suspended the entire Romanian weightlifting team as a result of the three positive tests, but invoked a clause that allowed it to pay a $ 50,000 fine the “clean” members to stay. |
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Greene promises unforgettable performance SYDNEY, Sept 20 (AFP) — He is big, he is brash and he is ready to “let it hang real fast.” Maurice Greene is already the world’s fastest man, but he strutted his stuff confidently here today predicting he could run faster than his own 9.79sec world record in the 100 metres promising “a performance you will never forget.” Greene runs in the 100 metres heats here on Friday morning, in the first session of athletics at the Olympic Games. Appearing at a Press conference organised by his management group, Hudson Smith International (HSI), his Los Angeles-based coach, John Smith, predicted that sprinters from his group — Greene, Jon Drummond, Curtis Johnson and the Trinidadian, Ato Boldon — could fill the first four places in the 100m final on Saturday, one of the undoubted highlights of the Olympic Games. The HSI group made no secret of reports that Greene had run faster than his world record in training in Sydney last week. “What we run in practice doesn’t matter,” Greene said. The 26-year-old sprinter rejected a recent scientific paper that suggested that man could not get any faster. “You can’t believe everything you read,” Greene joked. “I like to prove people wrong.” Greene’s bravura performance in front of the world’s media was a complete contrast to four years ago, when he openly wept in the stands after he watched the 100m final from the stands in Atlanta, after failing to make that year’s US Olympic team. “I’ve always watched the Olympics on TV, and even when I was young, I thought I could beat the other runners,” Greene said. “That’s my mentality.” Greene admits he gets nervous before big events. “Sure I do. I just don’t show it.” “This is the biggest meet of my life. The Olympics is the biggest stage in the world. And the bigger the stage, the better I perform.” Greene, world champion in 1997 and 1999 at 100m, has been staying in a private house in a plush Sydney suburb for the last week, visiting Bondi Beach, Darling Harbour and other tourist resorts in between training sessions. “The only problem is that Maurice has the master bedroom,” Drummond chipped in, “and Ato has the whirlpool tub.” Apart from the injury to team mate Inger Miller, who confirmed today that she had withdrawn from the women’s 100m through injury, the HSI group says that their training has been going exceptionally well. “All of us are in better shape and ready to run faster than ever before,” Boldon offered. He described the group’s ethos as “an atmosphere of winning”. “Whoever wins the HSI race is going to win the Olympics”, Boldon said. Greene was dismissive of most of his likely rivals, except those from his training group. The world champion laughed at suggestions that British sprinters Darren Campbell or Dwain Chambers — who have both beaten him twice this year — might repeat the feat in Sydney. “Do you really think so?” he asked a reporter. “Anything can happen in this race. I plan to take the first round as easy as possible, and then in the second, third and fourth rounds, I’ll let it hang. And I’ll let it hang real fast.” Greene refused to be drawn into any discussion of the reigning Olympic champion, Canada’s Donovan Bailey. “I consider anyone in the Olympic final as being in the final,” he said. “But I can consider no other competitor other than myself.” Expressing regret that he would not be able to run the 200m, another of his world title events, or race against American rival Michael Johnson, “because I like to give the public what they want”, Greene seemed focused on his task in hand. “I’m going to win, that’s what I’m going to do,” Greene said. His rivalry with Boldon and Drummond would not harm their friendship, he said. “We’re sharing a house together, aren’t we?” “We separate who we are from what we do,” Boldon said. “People ask us how we can compete against one another and stay friends, but isn’t that what the Olympics are supposed to be about?” Throughout the knockabout Press conference performance sitting towards the back of the packed auditorium was Greene’s father, Ernest. “He has always been like that,” Greene senior said. And the father of the world’s fastest man believes his son is ready for the biggest race of his life. “That is not an act for the media. But I’m glad he is like that. It shows he’s relaxed and ready to go.” |
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Gurcharan wins on points SYDNEY, Sept 20 (PTI) — Spurred by the spectacular win by his team-mate Jitender Kumar two days ago, light heavyweight Gurcharan Singh outpointed South Korea’s Choi Ki-Soo 11-9 in a hard-fought first round bout at the Olympic Games boxing championship here today. In what was a re-match of the Olympic qualifying tournament at Seoul which Gurcharan won on his way to the gold, the tall Indian fighter outlasted his Korean rival who did not hesitate to use gamesmanship for survival. Choi’s tactics confused the 23-year-old Gurcharan, a bronze medallist in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games in the 81 kg class, as he was unable to decide whether to go into the attack or stay on the defensive. Charging in, Choi connected with one powerpacked blow to the Indian’s temple which made Gurcharan, who hails from Punjab, stumble besides helping the former in taking a 1-0 lead at the end of round one. Gurcharan came back strongly in round two with two powerful rights which had Choi in all sorts of difficulties. The Korean even fell twice in this round to gain time and get his wind back. The Indian, winner of 17 international medals including 11 of the golden hue, had asserted himself in style for a 4-3 score in the round which levelled the bout score at 4-all. The third round belonged entirely to Gurcharan who won it 5-1 through a sledgehammer right, followed by a right-left assault at lightning speed, and led the Korean 9-5 at that stage. Gurcharan’s team-mates, Dingko Singh, Jitender and Suresh Singh, were cheering him on vociferously which gave the Indian puglist enormous encouragement. Despite being warned by the referee for fouling, Choi hit back strongly in round four and took it 7-2 before the Indian, who had undergone a shoulder surgery before a trip to Cuba in the tune-up to the Games, held firm and won the bout with a 11-9 scoreline. Later, boxing coach Pal Singh Sandhu explained to reporters that Gurcharan was usually a slow starter and took time to settle down. The short Korean kept running into Gurcharan and even used what could be called over-swing, according to Sandhu. “Though I expected a much better result, I am satisfied with Gurcharan’s performance,” he added. Of the other Indian boxers, Jitender is in round two of the middleweight class after his stunning win inside the distance over Canada’s Donald Grant Orr, light flyweight boxer Suresh Singh has been elimated while Asian Games gold medallist Dingko Singh will take on Ukraine’s Serguey Daniltchenko in the first round of the bantamweight class. |
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Canada go down to Holland SYDNEY, Sept 20 (AFP) — Canada’s men’s hockey coach Shiaz Virjee blasted the umpires after his team crashed to a 5-2 defeat against world champions the Netherlands at the Olympics here today. Malaysia had no such complaints as they scored twice in the last 11 minutes to hold Great Britain to a 2-2 draw in another group A game. “There are different rules for different teams,” Virjee said after a few decisions went against Canada in the hot-tempered match. “We were playing against 13 men there today. It seemed the umpires were hell bent on seeing the Dutch win. “No one is there to explain why umpires take the decisions they do. But it seems to me the balance is tilted in favour of the top sides,” Virjee thundered. He, however, refused to lodge an official complaint, saying: “There is no point protesting, because they throw it out anyway.” Virjee’s tirade came after the Dutch, restricted to a 2-1 lead at half-time and 3-2 soon after the break, went on a late offensive to win by a convining margin. He was particularly annoyed at a penalty corner given to the Dutch at the stroke of half-time which Bram Lomans converted to put his team 2-1 ahead. “There was no way that corner should have been called, but umpires always have their way,” Virjee said. A spokesman of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) declined to comment on Virjee’s extraordinary outburst. The umpires stepped in repeatedly to cool frayed tempers as the Canadians fought hard to keep the defending champions and hot favourites in check. Teun de Nooijer scored two goals and Lomans, Stephen Veen and Remco van Wijk one each for the Dutch. Canada’s goals came from Ken Pereira and Peter Milkovich. The Dutch head the group of death with seven points from three matches. Germany and Pakistan, who have played one game less, follow with six and four points respectively. Canada, the Pan-American champions who last played in the Olympics in 1988, have a solitary point from three outings. Keevan Raj, meanwhile, scored the equaliser for Malaysia five minutes before the end to deny Britain their first win in the competition. Britain, who suffered their worst Olympic defeat on Monday when Pakistan thrashed them 8-1, finally appeared to get their act together when they ran up a 2-0 lead at half-time. The Malaysians, however, fought back in the last quarter to take their tally to two points from three games. Britain, who have just one point, need to beat both Germany and Canada in their last two games to stay in contention. Craig Parnham put Britain ahead in the 18th minute following a penalty corner and Mark Pearn increased the margin with a field goal eight minutes before the interval. Malaysia, who forced the Dutch to a 1-1 draw, once again showed their resilience with goals from Nor Saiful Zaini and Raj. British eves triumph Great Britain overcame the absence of suspended coach Jon Royce to stage a remarkable fightback and hold South Korea to a 2-2 draw in the Olympic women’s hockey here today. Royce, slapped with a one-match ban for abusing a female doping control official on Monday, watched passively from the stands as the Koreans led 2-0 with just 13 minutes remaining in the group A match. But his wards did not let him down as Melanie Clewlow reduced the margin with a penalty corner in the 57th minute, before Many Nicholson equalised five minutes before the final hooter. First-timers China continued their giant-killing feats in the Olympic women’s hockey with a 2-1 win over Germany in group B here today. The Chinese, who stunned Champions Trophy winners the Netherlands in their opening match, scored once in each half to upset the 1992 silver-medallists. |
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Shooting: Anjali finishes 33rd SYDNEY, Sep 20 (UNI) — Anjali Vedpathak failed to repeat her air rifle performance and finished 33rd among 42 contestants in the women’s 50m rifle three position shooting competitions at the Olympics today. With this, the Indian challenge in the Olympic shooting ended without causing any ripples at the Games here. The 30-year-old Maharashtra girl, who made history by becoming the first Indian shooter to qualify for the finals in the 10m air rifle event at the Olympics, did not have the same luck in the rifle three position event today as she shot a score of 566 which could not get her anywhere near qualifying for the final round. The Mumbai-based Central Industrial Security Force Sub-Inspector shot identical 98 and 98 in two rounds of prone to total 196 out of 200. In the standing rounds, the dimunitive shooter shot 92 and 93 for a total of 185. In the kneeling rounds also she had a score of 185 (92, 93). Anjali’s total of 566 out of 600 was 14 points short of the last qualifier for the final round. The gold in the event was won by Poland’s Renata Rozanska Mauer who shot 684.6 points, Russia’s Tatiana Goldobina took the silver with 680.9 and another Russian Maria Feklistovia was awarded bronze (679.9 points). The gold, silver and bronze medallists had shot 585, 585 and 582 in the qualifying rounds. Anjali said she entered the event to gain exposure, “My main event is air rifle but because I had got a quota entry, I thought it is worthwhile to compete in this event also.’’ Anjali’s Coach Laszlo Szucsak said considering this was not her main event she did reasonably well. “This is her first Olympic exposure in the event and going by her score it was not bad.’’ |
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India’s Anees
placed 32nd SYDNEY, Sept 20 (PTI) — Indian rider Imtiaz Anees, who qualified literally at the eleventh hour, was placed 32nd in a field of 38 in dressage event on the first day of the three-day equestrian individual competitions at the Olympic Games here today. Astride “Spring Invader”, Anees collected total penalty points of 61 to be placed lower down the table. The field was led by David O’Connor of the USA with 29 points, followed by Marina Koehnicke of Germany (34.80) and Heidi Antikatzidis of Greece (37.40). |
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Rs 25 lakh award for Malleswari CHANDIGARH, Sept 20 — Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala today announced a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh for weightlifter Karnam Malleswari, who clinched bronze medal at Sydney Olympics yesterday. Interestingly, her home state, Andhra Pradesh, has announced an award of Rs 10 lakh. Complimenting Malleswari, the Chief Minister said that she had created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. He hoped that other sportspersons and youngsters will draw inspiration from the achievement and bring laurels to the state and the country. Malleswari, who was born in Andhra Pradesh and shifted to Yamunanagar after her marriage, lifted a superb total of 240 kg, 110 kg in snatch and 130 kg in clean and jerk in the 69 kg class to clinch bronze medal at Sydney Olympics yesterday. Malleswari was born on June 1, 1975, in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. In 1997 she shifted to Yamunanagar after marrying Rajesh Tyagi, himself a weightlifter. In 1995 Malleswari was honoured with Arjuna Award and in 1996 she was given Rajiv Gandhi Sports Award followed by Padamshri in 1999. She had bagged silver medal in the Asian Games held in China in 1995. The Chief Minister had announced some time ago that in case any sportsmen hailing from Haryana clinched gold medal at the Sydney Olympics, he would be given a cash prize of Rs 1 crore and it would be Rs 50 lakh for silver and Rs 25 lakh for a bronze. Mr Chautala said that a cheque of Rs 25 lakh would be presented to Malleswari at a function to be organised by state govt. He said that the state government would also consider giving such award to the players of other states also who win the medal in the Olympic Games. |
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PM congratulates Malleswari NEW DELHI, Sept 20 (UNI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today congratulated Karnam Malleswari in Sydney who won a bronze in the women’s 69 kg category and became the first ever Indian woman to bag an individual medal in the Olympics. Malleswari also became the third Indian since Independence to win an individual Olympic medal after wrestler K. Jadhav (1952, Helsinki) and tennis ace Leander Paes (1996, Atlanta). In 1900 at the Paris Games, Norman Pritchard had won two silver medals in athletics. |
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Jubilation marks medal win YAMUNANAGAR, Sept 20 — There was jubilation in Yamunanagar as news came in that Karnam Malleswari had won a bronze for the country. Karnam Malleswari is married to Yamunanagar-based Rajesh Tyagi. When The Tribune reporter reached Rajesh Tyagi’s residence he was busy receiving congratulatory telephone calls. He was sore that neither the state government nor the Union Government had done anything for his wife, who had earlier won the World Heavyweight Championship. She has also won many awards, including the Padmashree Award in 1998, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratan Award in 1996, Arjuna Award in 1994 and Shiromani Award in 1996. The two reside in a rented house here. Malleswari practised at her own residence for six hours every day. Sunil Tyagi of Gobindpur village who is also a close relation of Malleswari, said even a week prior to the Olympics she was not aware if she was to participate in the Olympic. She was depressed and upset for the list of participants not being finalised on time. He said on receiving the news of her winning the medal yesterday the entire village was jubilant. Malleswari works as an official in the Food Corporation of India and had been imparted training at National Institute of Sports, Patiala. Malleswari is interested in opening a sports academy in Haryana if the state government provides her the necessary assistance. HYDERABAD (IANS): It was celebration time in Amdalavalasa, a small town more than 800 km northeast of here, as news trickled in of the bronze medal that its most famous resident, Karnam Malleswari, had won at Sydney. The news from Sydney was received with a sense of pride and achievement, more so in Voosavanipeta village on the outskirts of the town where Malleswari was born in the house of Ramdas, a constable in the Railway Protection Force (RPF). Malleswari is the third among six children. Her sister, K Narsamma, is also a weightlifter. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu led the state in lauding Malleswari’s achievement. Naidu described it as a “magnificent effort” and said it was a moment of pride for the people of the state. CHANDIGARH (TNS): The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, has hailed the achievement of Karnam Malleshwari in the Olympics. In a message released here today, Mr Dhindsa said: “I feel happy to convey my heartiest congratulations and blessings to Karnam Malleshwari. I also congratulate her family members and team of experts.”
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India’s schedule
today SYDNEY, Sep 20 (PTI) —India’s schedule at the Sydney Olympic Games tomorrow. (all timing
IST) Hockey: 0300 — group b pool match — India vs South Korea Boxing:
0730 — 54kg 2nd round bout — N Dingko Singh vs Serguey Daniltchenko of Ukraine Equestrian: 0330 — second day of the 3-day individual competitions figuring Anees Imtiaz Tennis: 0530 — Second round of men’s singles and doubles — Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati vs Romania’s Andrei Pavel and Gabriel Trifu.
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India at a
glance SYDNEY, Sept 20 (UNI) — The following is the summary of India’s performance at the 27th Olympics here today: Tennis: Former world number one pair of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati defeated the Romanian duo of Andrei and Gabriel Trifu 6-3, 6-4 in the Olympic tennis doubles. Atlanta bronze medallist Leander Paes lost to Mikael Tillstrom of Sweden in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of men’s single tennis. Boxing: Puglist Gurcharan Singh beat Choi Ki-Soo of South Korea 11-9 in the first round of 81 kg (light heavy)
boxing competition. Shooting: Anjali Vedpathak finished 33rd among 42 contestants in the women’s 50m rifle three-position shooting competition. Equestrian: Rider Imtiaz Annes lay 32nd at the end of the first day of the three-day Olympic equestrian competition. |
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Medal tally (Given in the following order: Country, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Total): USA 10 7 6 23 Australia 7 8 7 22 France 6 7 3 16 China 6 4 7 17 Netherlands 5 1 2 8 Itlay 4 2 6 12 Russia 3 7 6 16 Germany 3 4 4 11 Japan 3 3 1 7 Bulgaria 3 1 1 5 Britain 2 5 2 9 South Korea 2 4 4 10 Ukraine 2 3 3 8 Cuba 2 1 2 5 Romania 2 1 1 4 Spain 2 0 1 3 Turkey 2 0 0 2 Slovakia 1 3 1 5 Switzerland 1 2 1 4 Hungary 1 1 0 2 Poland 1 1 0 2 Czech Rep 1 0 3 4 Canada 1 0 1 2 Sweden 1 0 1 2 Colombia 1 0 0 1 Croatia 1 0 0 1 Lithuania 1 0 0 1 Mexico 1 0 0 1 Brazil 0 2 1 3 Belarus 0 1 3 4 Greece 0 1 1 2 North Korea 0 1 1 2 South Africa 0 1 1 2 Chinese Taipai 0 1 1 2 Nigeria 0 1 0 1 Uruguay 0 1 0 1 Yugoslavia 0 1 0 1 Belgium 0 0 2 2 Costa Rica 0 0 2 2 Indonesia 0 0 2 2 Estonia 0 0 1 1 Georgia 0 0 1 1 India 0 0 1 1 Kyrgyzstan 0 0 1 1 Kuwait 0 0 1 1 Latvia 0 0 1 1 Portugal 0 0 1 1 Thailand 0 0 1 1 |
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