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| Sunday, October 29, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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India to meet upbeat Sri Lanka today SHARJAH, Oct 28 — India have a herculean task to upset an upbeat Sri Lanka in tomorrow’s Coca Cola Cup tri-series final with the islanders putting up an all-round show to dominate the tournament, recording overwhelming victories in all the league matches en route to the clash for the title. Indians need to lift game Sourav Ganguly wants to make India Foreign coach
‘before Zimbabwe tour’ |
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South Africa beat New Zealand Indian boycott to
hit PCB hard Hingis books
berth in final Dyson poised for hat-trick Zinedine Zidane suspended Sai-Rushmi duo pips Slovenians in final SBT drub Bhutan XI Chatwinder
bags title Stage set for police meet Haryana take on
Punjab today Haryana Ranji
squad National school skating
from December 1 25-member athletics
squad announced Lyallpur
Khalsa school win
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India to meet upbeat Sri Lanka today SHARJAH, Oct 28 (UNI) — India have a herculean task to upset an upbeat Sri Lanka in tomorrow’s Coca Cola Cup tri-series final with the islanders putting up an all-round show to dominate the tournament, recording overwhelming victories in all the league matches en route to the clash for the title. Sanath Jayasuriya and his men have a clear psychological edge over Sourav Ganguly-led India who could score only two wins against lightweight Zimbabwe and that too with heart-stopping margins. Though the last league tie yesterday had remained only of academic interest, the Lankans did not let go any psychological advantage slip of their hands and in the process not only decimated the Indian bowling with a tall score of 294, but later Muttiah Muralitharan spun his way to a world record haul in one-dayers (7 for 30) to complete the formalities of a convincing win (by 68 runs). India looked out of depth in all the departments. Lanka had won the inaugural league tie against India by five wickets. At the end, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly conceded: “We played badly”, but in the same breath added: “It is one day (the final) that matters. We won all the matches in Kenya (ICC trophy), but lost the final.” India’s injury problems compounded with ace leg-spinner Anil Kumble finally being ruled out for tomorrow’s all-important match. “Kumble is in a bad shape. We will not risk him with a long series ahead,” confirmed coach Anshuman Gaekwad. Earlier, vice captain Rahul Dravid went out of the tournament with a broken finger. Gaekwad said Venkatesh Prasad, who was rested in yesterday’s match with a stiff neck, would come in but left guessing as to who would make way for him. However, one can presume it could be S. Sriram who, playing in Dravid’s spot, failed in both his innings scoring six runs in all. His Tamil Nadu teammate Hemang Badani with last night’s knock 42 off 56 balls in the midst of the havoc wreaked by Muralitharan in the lower order is expected to retain his place. Vinod Kambli has also looked shaky and had only one knock worth a mention (60 against Zimbabwe), but that would assure his retention in the team. After Agarkar struck two early blows to remove Jayasuriya and his opening partner Romesh Kaluwitharana, Marvan Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene prospered with elegant centuries (102 not out and 128, respectively) in a massive 226-run stand (217 balls) in the face of what looked like a toothless Indian attack. Teams (from): India: Saurav Ganguly (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli, Sridharan Sriram, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Singh, Vijay Dahiya, Zaheer Khan, Venkatesh Prasad, Ajit Agarkar, Sunil Joshi, Hemang Badani, Anil Kumble. Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Avishka Gunawardene, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Muthiah Muralitharan, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Eric
Upasantha. |
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Expert comments The clobbering that India has received from Sri Lanka in both the round robin matches does not augur well for the finals. Sri Lanka have been quite the superior team in all departments of the game in both these matches and they will go into the finals with that much more confidence than the Indians. The Indians on the other hand will have to lift themselves up from the floor and think positively if they are to win. If Kumble is unfit their chances will diminish further for he is one bowler who is difficult to score off and if he can bowl a good tight spell that may just slow the Sri Lankan down. However it is in the psychological department that the Indians will have to work on and believe strongly that they are a better side than they have been so far against the Sri Lankans. The coach Anshuman Gaekwad would want to finish his temporary stint on a winning note. He needs to be appreciated for putting his hand up for Indian cricket at a critical juncture but having done that on the request of the Indian Cricket Board he now has to tell them to look for someone else especially after the Board President revealed to the media that the players want a foreign coach. If that is the case then Gaekwad would be a fool to stick on after this tournament with players who do not want him. For his own credibility and self respect Gaekwad has to be firm now and tell the board to find someone else till the overseas coach is finalised. It was all very well for him to stay on when the board requested him but now that it is out in the open that the players want an overseas coach Anshu should say thank you and goodbye and serve Indian cricket some otherway. India will have to find answers to tackle not just Muralitharan but also Vaas and Zoysa. Both the left handed pacers gave a torrid time to the top order Indians apart from Tendulkar and Ganguly is finding it hard to get back his rhythm after dropping himself down the order. Yuvraj was once again foxed by Muralitharan and but for some gutsy batting from Badani and Dahiya down the order the Indian would have cut a sorry figure indeed. The Sri Lankan fielding is superlative and they hardly miss anything which makes it that much more difficult for the batsmen. With Jayawardene and Atapattu back in form with elegant centuries the Indians have a real fight on their hands. Jayawardene can be the best batsman in the world if he wants to and one says that because like Tendulkar a few years ago he gets himself out and is seldom taken out by the bowler. Once he decides to put a more than a century value on his wicket in his mind he will go on to be the best for he can at all, the defence the footwork the balance, the shots and with great elegance too. If he adds temperament to it than nothing should stop him but it is upto him. It took the little champion the series against Australia in 1998 to put a higher value on his wicket and the cricketing world saw an awesome display that season. The Indians will be hoping that he produces something similar as he did that year in Sharjah and almost single handedly wont he trophy for India. |
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Sourav Ganguly wants to make India SHARJAH, Oct 28 (UNI) — Sourav Ganguly has led India admirably in one-dayers and wants to win the next World Cup. But as captain, his main ambition is to make India a good Test side in a short span of time. Ganguly’s tryst with the classical version of the game as the Indian captain will materialise in the inaugural Test match of Bangladesh to be played at Dhaka from November 10. “I want to make
India a very good side in Test cricket which fascinates me more,” Ganguly told
UNI during an interview in the midst of the team’s campaign here for the Coca Cola Cup tri-series title. Ganguly took over the mantle from Sachin Tendulkar after the Test series at home against South Africa earlier this year and led the side to a 3-2 victory in the one-dayers which though came under a cloud because of the match-fixing scandal involving Hansie Cronje and some of his teammates. In the absence of Tendulkar last year, Ganguly was made the stopgap captain and won the three-match series against
West Indies in Toronto (Canada) after the India-Pakistan Sahara Cup series was cancelled in the aftermath of the ‘Kargil war’. “As captain, the most satisfying moments for me have been in Kenya and also beating South Africa, a good one side, at home,” Ganguly said while aiming for adding the Coca Cola Cup under his belt. Though rating his unbeaten 141 off only 142 balls (6x6, 12x4) in India’s 95-run win against South Africa in the semifinal of the
ICC knock-out tournament in Nairobi as his best innings, Ganguly said: “Personally, I find the Test hundreds more satisfying.” India, however, lost the coveted title losing to New Zealand by four wickets in the final which saw the Indian skipper score another century (117) and put 141 for the opening stand with Tendulkar. After an unimpressive one-day debut in 1991-92 against West Indies in the World Series in Brisbane, Ganguly was sent into oblivion for four years and came back with a thunderous century in his first test at the Lords, the Mecca of cricket, against England in 1996. He followed it up with another century in the next Test and since then the “Prince of Calcutta”, as the southpaw batsman (who can also bowl deceptive medium pace) is called, has not looked back. Weeks after taking over formally as the captain, Ganguly faced the daunting task of coping with the allegations of match-fixing against some key players like Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay
Jadeja. What was the impact of the scandal on the morale of the team? Ganguly gave a guarded reply: “I kept quiet and let the game go on. It was not fair for me to pick up that topic (with the players) as nothing has been proved ... We played one tournament immediately after that in Dhaka (Asia Cup) and played badly.” During one of his routine interactions with the media here, Ganguly had said that the players themselves would have to be honest to avoid any stigma as no amount of measures (like the provision of signed declarations for cricketers made by the
ICC) would help. How does he plan to effect a turnaround? Ganguly said: “We have a superb side with a splash of youngsters. Now, the togetherness of the team is remarkable which led to the fine show at Nairobi and if we stick to these boys, we can prepare well for the 2003 World Cup (South Africa). I want to be part of a World Cup winning side, either as the captain or as a player.” The skipper remained tightlipped about the moves by the
BCCI to get a foreign coach for the Indian team. “Please, do not ask me that question now. Let him (coach) come first,” he said. Even while the legendary Kapil Dev was at the job fighting match-fixing allegations against him, some senior players had reportedly urged the
BCCI to appoint a foreign coach. Australian Greg Chappel and Geoff Marsh and John Wright (New Zealand) are in the fray and the board is discussing their terms and conditions. Ganguly mentions Kapil and Sunil Gavaskar as his childhood idols and among his contemporaries likes the batsmanship of Tendulkar and West Indian Brian Lara. “I also liked the style of David Gower (former England captain) though I like to play my own game,” he said. And his favourite past time? “Watching Hindi movies. I do not like to watch English movies.” Asked about the between Sourav as an ‘individual’ and Sourav as a ‘cricketer’, he said: “Basically I am a soft and straight person. Sometimes I am mistaken, but that’s how I like to be.” “Representing India is a dream come true. This is the game I wanted to play and earn money and fame.” Ganguly has played 35 Test matches and in 60 innings scored 2505 runs at an average of 45.5 with seven centuries and 12 fifties. He has also taken 20 wickets at an average of 34.6. In his 153rd one-day international last night against Zimbabwe, he crossed the 6000-run mark during the knock of 66, his 34th fifty. He has 15 centuries in the shorter version of the game besides 51 wickets with an economy rate of five an over. |
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Foreign coach
‘before Zimbabwe tour’ SHARJAH, Oct 28 (UNI) — The Indian cricket team can expect a foreign coach by November 15 before the two-Test series against Zimbabwe with the first match scheduled to begin in New Delhi on November 18. “A decision on the foreign coach will be taken by October 31,” said former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Raj Singh Dungarpur, who was entrusted by the board to interview those shortlisted. Dungarpur, who arrived here after interviewing Greg Chappel (Australia) and John Wright (New Zealand) in Chennai, told “Gulf News”: “If we have to appoint a new coach, the earlier we do it the better. India play their first Test against Zimbabwe from November 18. So the new coach should take charge at least by November 15.” About Australian Geoff Marsh’s entry in the fray, Dungarpur said, “Marsh did not come for the interview but sent a two-line fax saying he wanted to be interviewed. If Marsh does not come by October 31, we will be compelled to take a decision from among the two (Wright and Chappel).” “We are waiting for Marsh. But we cannot wait. At the moment we are in no man’s land.” Dungarpur said the board also wanted to know the availability of these coaches and how quickly they can assume their duties. Chappel has a contractual obligation with the South Australian Cricket Association while Marsh is a selector with the Australian Cricket Board. “We will like to have the best coach from among the three, but we also have to take into consideration the time factor which is equally important,” the former BCCI chief said. |
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South Africa beat New Zealand KIMBERLEY, Oct 28 (Reuters) — Nicky Boje and Mark Boucher calmed South Africa’s nerves with a stand of 34 off just 19 balls to carry their side to a five-wicket win over New Zealand in the fourth one-day match today. The victory gave South Africa an unassailable 3-0 lead in the six-match series after the first match in Potchefstroom was abandoned because of heavy rain. South Africa had appeared to be coasting to victory when they were 215 for one in the 39th over in pursuit of a target of 288. However, they lost four quick wickets to plummet to 255 for five after 45.4 overs when Boje, who has made two centuries and a half century in the series, and Boucher came together. With 32 needed off the last four overs, Boje and Boucher brought that down to 16 off the last two. They then thumped 17 off the first five balls of Chris Cairns’ 10th over. Boucher hit a six and Boje finished off the game with a six and four off successive balls to give the home team victory with seven balls to spare. Before South Africa’s mini collapse Jacques Kallis, who made 93 off 111 balls, and Gary Kirsten had continued a remarkable run by the South Africans in the series. In all four matches the second wicket has yielded a century partnership. It took just 118 balls for Kallis and Kirsten to complete their hundred stand on Saturday. SCOREBOARD New Zealand: Nevin b Boje 68 Astle c Boucher b Telemachus 5 Fleming run out (Dippenaar) 85 Twose c Pollock b Kallis 89 Cairns c Pollock b Kallis 21 McMillan c Kirsten b Pollock 1 Harris not out 11 Parore not out 0 Extras: (b-2, lb-2, w-2, nb-1) 7 Total: (6 wkts, 50 overs) 287 Fall of wickets: 1/20, 2/113, 3/223, 4/272, 5/275, 6/283. Bowling: Pollock 10-0-40-1 (1w), Telemachus 9-0-60-1, Donald 5-0-46-0, Kallis 8-0-46-2 (1w), Boje 10-0-42-0, Klusener 8-0-49-0 (1nb). South Africa: 289 for 5 in 48.5
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Use of dope rampant at NIS PATIALA That most of the sportspersons attending the junior and senior-level national camps in various disciplines at the NIS are hooked on dope is being apprehended for long and the recent Delhi High Court directive to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) only confirms the theory that doping among Indian sportspersons is widespread. The chemists’ shops are located near the NIS in front of Mohindra College and Budha Dal Public School although dope is also available at shops located in far off places. Sources say sportspersons at NIS, including some big names in Indian athletics, take ergogenic (performance-enhancing) drugs either to improve their performance or to set new records mainly to earn promotions or find better job avenues. That sportspersons in both junior and senior sections consume dope becomes obvious from a visit to the hostels inside the NIS complex. Disposable syringes, vials and strips of steroids can be seen littered all over in the corridors of the hostels. According to the sources the worst offenders are athletes and weightlifters, besides others. Drugs which are easily available at the chemists’ shops and which are most commonly used are: steroids, testosterone, Stanazolol, Strombe, Amphetamins, Ephedrine and caffiene. All these drugs are available even without the mandatory prescription from a qualified doctor. Large posters of body-builders flexing their muscles which dot the walls at these chemists’ shops are a sure giveaway that dope of any variety is available with them. The high prices of steroids do not deter sportspersons. Diuretics, a masking agent, is a craze among weightlifters as it helps to reduce
weight quickly. One of India’s top athletes said on condition of anonymity, “I have been administered more than 2,000 injections during the past three years.” The sources say that ever since the Amateur Athletic Federation of India (AAFI) roped in Ukranian experts and doctors, there has been an alarming rise in the use of dope among Indian athletes. According to these sources, any young athlete hoping to set a new record, either on the track or in the field events, has to shell out anything between Rs 7,500 to Rs 12,000 depending on the quality of dope he or she intends to buy. However, the news of the death of 32-year-old discus thrower and Arjuna Awardee Ajit Bhaduria due to cardiac arrest caused reportedly due to the excessive use of a particular steroid has shocked the sports fraternity. “So scared were the athletes that for nearly a month nobody came to my shop. Some athletes even said that they were quitting competitive athletics for good. Few young athletes are aware to the side effects of dope. The veterans of the game are more choosy. They are experienced enough to know which drug to take and which not. Business is good when some national meet is near”, says a chemist. Veterans in this ‘trade’ pass on information to their juniors who see the use of dope as an assured formula for getting into the national squad. A few years ago, during random checking 27 junior athletes tested positive. Nearly all of them are back on the track after being out on punishment enforced by the AAFI. However, despite the high incidence of the use of dope on the NIS campus, the authorities have washed their hands off the charges. Mr G.S. Anand, Regional Director, NIS, said that it was the job of the national sports federations to look into the matter and educate the sportspersons about the harmful effects of dope. Mr Anand also called for random checking to ensure that the ‘culprits’ are caught “which will prove a deterrant to other young athletes who are on dope.” |
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Indian boycott to hit PCB hard ISLAMABAD, Oct 28 (PTI) — The Pakistan Cricket Board will lose around $ 15 million (Rs 70 crore), including $ 4.5 million from
TV rights, if the series against India this winter does not
materialise, PCB officials said. The Indian board is awaiting government clearance for the tour as all bilateral contests between the two countries came to a grinding halt following the Kargil war last year. If India does not visit, Pakistan will host Bangladesh for three Test and three one-dayers and the
PCB fears it might end up spending money as the newcomers to international arena might not attract
TV or major sponsors, the Dawn newspaper quoted PCB officials as saying. PCB
officials claimed that the Indian board made $ 80 million when Pakistan toured India last year. “But when it is our time to earn, the series doesn’t seem to go ahead. It’s a pity,” they said according to the daily. The Pakistan board estimated that it would lose around $ 60 million if
ICC’s 10-year itinerary was approved and cricketing relations between the two countries didn’t improve. Though
PCB is yet to submit its suggestions and recommendations to the ICC which has given November 15 as the deadline for the purpose, it is concerned that India and Pakistan have been drawn to play five Test series. “Icc officials have been informally told that the
PCB would suffer huge financial loses if they have been drawn to host India three times. We are ready to tour India anytime which would ultimately end up as a huge financial success”. The
PCB will agree to the 10-year itinerary only if the ICC guarantees India fulfilling its commitments. “Otherwise, the
BCCI or the ICC will have to compensate us,” Dawn quoted sources as saying. |
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Hingis books
berth in final MOSCOW, Oct 28 (AFP) — Top seed Martina Hingis of Switzerland reached the WTA Kremlin Cup final in the first attempt, beating Amelie Mauresmo of France at the supreme court of Olympic Tennis Stadium here today. Hingis, who reached her third consecutive title match after victories in Fielderstadt and at home in the Swisscom Challenge last week, saw off her French opponent 7-5 6-2 in 71 minutes and now faces home favourite Anna Kournikova. Fifth-seed Mauresmo got off to a lively start in their eighth ever head-to-head match against the world number one, breaking twice early in the opening set to earn a comforable 5-1 lead. But 20-year-old Hingis roared back to take the first set in 35 minutes, winning six consecutive games and making the deciding break in the 12th game. Both rivals exchanged the breaks throughout the second but Hingis looked more precise and confident, winning the set and match to set up a meeting with fourth-seed Kournikova, who ousted defending champion Natalie Tauziat of France in the other semi-final 6-2 6-1. After the match Hingis said she was happy with her result here, adding she was hoping to win her third title in a row. “Mauresmo played very good from the start, while I started slow and was not reacting well to her moves,” Hingis told the Press. “I made it too easy for Amelie in the beginning but when I started to read her game and play my normal tennis I came back even after trailing 5-1,” she added. |
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Dyson poised for hat-trick BANGKOK, Oct 28 (AFP) — England’s Simon Dyson put himself in sight of an Asian tour hat-trick when he finished as joint leader with Nico Van Rensburg of South Africa after a scorching third round at the Lexus International today. Dyson, winner of the Macau and China Opens back to back in May, fired a four-under-par 68 in steamy conditions at Windmill Park Country Club despite a double bogey six on his card. With a 12-under-par 204 aggregate, the young Yorkshireman will feature in the final group tomorrow with big-hitting Van Rensburg, who scrambled a par at the 18th for a 69. First day’s leader, Gaurav Ghei of India with an aggregate of 209, was five strokes behind the leader followed by his fellow countymen Amritinder Singh and Arjun Atwal with the same total of 210. Springbok Craig Kamps, who has finished runner-up in his last two Asian PGA Tour events, posted a 70 to lie in third place, one shot behind the leaders. Respected Thai veteran Boonchu Ruangkit and the in-form Thongchai Jaidee maintained the local challenge with identical 70s to be placed tied fourth with Scotland’s Simon Yates on 10-under 206. Yates, who is based in Thailand, equalled the tour’s nine-hole record of seven-under-par 29 but a double-bogey at the finishing hole proved costly as he settled for a five-under-par 67. Dyson cruised to three-under after 11 holes with putts from 12, 20 and six feet. But trouble struck at the 12th when he found water with is approach shot and he staggered away with a double bogey six. But his aggressive approach rewarded him with three successive birdies from the 14th hole. “I like being in the lead and I’m playing great at the moment. Kamps, who lost to Fijian star Vijay Singh in a playoff at the Taiwan Open and was second at the Korean Open when Thongchai rolled in an unlikely 40-footer for victory, was pleased to be in the hunt again. “Playing in the second last group tomorrow suits me fine as I won’t feel the pressure,” he said. Former soldier Thongchai went left and right with an errant driver for a aroller-coaster round which included six birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey. And he fancied his chances for a second win. “Being two behind is not bad. I’ve got a chance if I can play steadily,” said Thongchai. |
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NYON (Switzerland), Oct 28 (AFP) — Juventus midfielder Zinedine Zidane has been suspended for five matches for head-butting a German player, European football’s governing body UEFA said here today. The Frenchman, star of the 1998 World Cup-winning squad as well as the Euro 2000 championship side, had feared at least a three-match ban after he head-butted Hamburg’s Jochen Kientz during the Italian side’s 3-1 Champions League home defeat by the Germans last Tuesday. But UEFA made an example of him as they clamped down hard for what was a second offence. Zidane was also dismissed against Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna at the Stadio delle Alpi earlier in the tournament. UEFA reduced his ban on that occasion from two games to one allowing him to particpate in last Tuesday’s game. But this time there was no comeback for Zidane after Kientz received a fractured cheekbone and concussion, putting him out of action for two weeks, as a result of the clash. Juventus were also fined 25,000 Swiss francs ($ 13,800) for bad conduct by fans and the team following the Hamburg defeat. The ban will rule Zidane out of their UEFA Champions League match against Panathinaikos FC in Athens on November 8 and four other UEFA Club competition matches, European football’s governing body said. An appeal may be lodged provided it is received by UEFA before midnight on October 30. |
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Sai-Rushmi duo pips Slovenians in final NEW DELHI, Oct 28 — Sai Jayalakshmi and Rushmi Chakravarthi prevented a Slovenian sweep when they annexed the doubles title beating twin sisters Urska Vesenjak and Masa Vesenjak 4-2, 4-5 (5-7), 4-1, 4-0 in the $ 10,000 prize money ITF Women’s Circuit Tournament at the Delhi Tennis Association court here today. The triumph in the doubles salvaged some of India’s pride after they had failed to put any player in the women’s singles title contest, which was an all-Vesenjak affair, with fourth seeded Urska outsmarting sixth-seeded Masa at 4-1, 4-5 (4-7), 4-2, 5-4 (7-3) in one hour and 44 minutes. After this long and powerpacked singles title clash, the Slovenian sisters were apparently left with little energy, making things rather easy for the Chennai-based Sai and Rushmi, though they were lucky that the Vesenjak sisters did not go for the kill, after snatching away the second set. Sai and Rushmi, despite committing some silly errors, managed to hold on as they made the Vesenjak sisters run for each point, which eventually drained them of all energy for a protracted fight. Still, the Indian pair had to toil for one hour and 15 minutes to lift the title, and a cash prize of $ 650. The Slovenian sisters pocketed $ 350. Urska received $1600 for her singles title victory, while Masa received $ 1000. In the sibling rivalry of the Slovenian girls, Urska once again reiterated her class over Masa, as three weeks back, she had beaten Masa in the title clash of the ITF Tournament in Turkey in straight sets 6-3,6-3. But Urska attributed “luck” for her triumph today. “I had more luck today”, she said. The sisters said out of their 16 career meetings, Urska has beaten Masa nine times. So that settles the arguement as to who is the better player. But the final today was one full of breaks and breakbacks, but what was revealing was the tremendous power the sisters put into their shots. Bleating like goats with each of their double-handed returns, the twin sisters showed fathomless energy in their lithe frames. But the left-handed Urska was more consistent and got the big points with calculated bullet returns to come up trumps. In a match in which no quarters were asked and none given, as the sisters played like true professionals, Masa was broken in the fourth game as Urska pocketed the first set. But in the second set, Urska was broken in the second and fourth games as Masa led 3-1. But Masa herself was broken in the third and fifth games, and then the players held their serves to take the issue into tie-breaker, where Masa executed some blinding winners to clinch the set. The third set began with Urska dropping her serve, but broke back in the next game, then held serve, broke Masa again in the fourth, dropped serve in the fifth, but broke back in the sixth game, to annex the set to take a 2-1 lead. The fourth set, too, witnessed a lot of breaks, but in the tie-breaker Urska was simply superb as she raced to a 5-1 lead, had a slight hiccup in between, before coasting home with the set and the title. The Slovenian sisters are no strangers to India as it is their third visit to this country and Urska’s third title triumph on Indian soil. Last year, she had won the title at Lucknow and Chandigarh. Now all eyes are focussed on the Masters, beginning on Monday. |
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NEW DELHI, Oct 28 (UNI) — Underdogs State Bank of Travancore (SBT) drubbed fancied Bhutan-XI, 4-2, while Tata Football Academy (TFA) drew with Army XI in today’s prequarterfinal league-cum-knock out encounters of the Durand Cup at the Ambedkar Stadium here. The match between TFA and Army XI was a keenly contested affair as both teams made repeated forays. The Army’s domination in the initial 15 minutes was total during which they penetrated the opposition defence several times, but failed to score despite some good moves. The first opportunity the Army lads missed was in the 14th minute of the first half when centre forward Sajith Kumar intercepted a TFA pass and made a solo 20-yard run and reached the penalty box. But his powerful right-footer hit the crossbar which caught TFA custodian Satish Kumar unawares. Thereafter outside right Preetam Bahadur’s header went just over the goalbar. These moves by the Army exposed the chinks in the TFA’s defence and the latter became defensive for some time. These attacks galvanised the TFA into action and the latter began attacking through long passes. TFA missed a scoring opportunity in the tenth minute when right back Amjad Ali intercepted an Army pass and lobbed it to centre forward Krishna Tudu. But Tudu’s weak grounder failed to baffle Army custodian Arun Gobi Singh and he collected it neatly. After the lemon-break, both sides continued to miss scoring chances and the match eventually ended in a draw. The second match of the day between SBT and Bhutan XI saw the former’s total domination of the game. SBT attacked right from the word go and Bhutan were on the defensive. SBT opened their account in the 20th minute of the first half after a Bhutanese defender fouled Abdul Hakkim (SBT) in the penalty box and referee M.K. Roy awarded a penalty. Right stopper back Jiju Jacob’s powerful rightfooter found the net. SBT scored again in the 31st minute when left half Abdul Naushad intercepted a Bhutanese pass and lobbed it to Hakkim. Hakkim successfully dribbled two rival defenders to reach the penalty box and chipped the ball over advancing Bhutanese custodian Jigme Singhay into the net to enhance the score to 2-0. Bhutan’s woes countinued as in the 44th minute of the match SBT forward Hakkim intercepted a Bhutan pass and chipped it to centre forward V.P. Shaji. Shaji dribbled a rival defender and his powerful grounder found its target and the scoreboard read 3-0. Again in the 21st minute of the second half SBT unleashed the final salvo when the team earned a free kick which the Bhutanese custodian failed to grab. |
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Chatwinder
bags title MUMBAI, Oct 28 (UNI) — Kartiki Bhat of Maharashtra and Chatwinder Singh of Chandigarh today clinched the under-18 girls and boys titles, respectively, of the AITA Junior Tennis Tournament here. Kartiki had a grand double when she clinced the under-‘14 title too. The boys title in the same group went to top seeded Karan Rastogi of Maharashtra. Chatwinder, who during the week playing as sixth seed, upset better ranked players, put the icing on the cake with a 6-3, 6-4 win over unseeded N. Mukundan of Tamil Nadu. |
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Stage set for police meet JALANDHAR, Oct 28 — The 49th All-India Police Athletics Championship will be held at Punjab Armed Police headquarters here from October 30 to November 2, according to Mr Rajan Gupta (DIG) who is also organising secretary. Mr Gupta said as many as 500 athletes (men and women) from central police organisations and state police organisations are likely to take part. In the men’s section competitions will be conducted in 22 events while in the women’s section contests will be limited to 16 events. Mr Sarabjit Singh, DGP, Punjab, will inaugurate the meet while the Governor, Lt-Gen (Retd) J.F.R. Jacob, will preside over the prize distribution ceremony on the concluding day. The four-day championship will witness international athletes in action, many of whom are national record holders. Three athletes who were selected for the Sydney Olympics, including Bahadur Singh, Jagdish Vishnoi and Ajay Raj Singh were from Punjab Police. They will be among the participants. |
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Haryana take on
Punjab today ROHTAK, Oct 28 — Haryana take on Punjab in the north-zone Cooch Behar cricket encounter beginning at Maharaja Aggarsain Stadium here tomorrow. This will be Haryana’s fourth tie this year and Punjab will be playing their third match. Interestingly both the teams have so far registered outright victories in all the matches played so far. Punjab had beaten Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh whereas Haryana emerged victors against Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Himchal Pradesh. Punjab have secured 16 points from two matches so far in comparison to Haryana’s 24 out of three ties. Punjab (from): Gagandeep Singh (captain) Binwant Singh, Gagan
Inder, S.P. Singh, Vikramjit Singh Sodhi, Sandeep Sawal, Amit Uviyal, Gautam
Mandora, Baljit Singh, Amit Bhatia, Chandan Madan, Varun Mishra, Rajan Singh, Ranjit
Bhola, Ishan Malhotra. Haryana (from): Ishan Ganda (captain) Manvindra
Bisla, Bhuvnesh Sharma, Sumit Sharma, Deepak Joon, Rohit Arya, Sumit
Narwal, Joginder Sharma, Gaurav Vashishta, Yuvraj Siddharth Singh, Karan Amarnath, Sukhbir
Choudhary, Abhishek Parashar, Sandeep Sihag. |
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Haryana Ranji
squad ROHTAK, Oct 28 — Parinder Sharma will lead Haryana in the Ranji Trophy this season, according to Mr Ranbir Singh Mahindera, secretary Haryana Cricket Association. The selectors also finalised today the 14-member Haryana Ranji squad. Right arm medium pacer Nitin Aggarwal, who has been doing reasonably will in the Cooch Behar cricket matches this season, has been able to get the selectors’ nod. Similarly right arm leg spinner Amit Mishra has also been promoted from the under-19 squad. The youngster was among the wickets in Cooch Behar Trophy matches. The other two youngsters inducted are batsmen Rajan Gupta and Atul Sekhawat. Those who have not been able to retain their places are left arm leg spinners Pradeep Jain and Sonu Sharma alongwith Satish Ohlan. The team: Parinder Sharma (captain) Jasvir Singh, Sanjay Dalal, Rajesh Puri, Ajay Ratra (wicket keeper), Pankj Thakur, Vineet Jain, Feroze Ghyas, Jitender Singh, Atul Sekhawat, Niti Aggarwal, Amit Mishra, Padamanjit Sehrawat and Rajan Gupta. |
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National school skating
from December 1 CHANDIGARH, Oct 28 — The National School Games in roller skating will be held from December 1 to 5 at Hans Raj Public School, Panchkula, according to Mr P.S.
Chhabra, secretary-general, SGFI. The event will be conducted in artistic, speed and roller hockey for under 11, 14, 17, 19 (boys and girls). Last year skating was introduced for the first time in schools and the competition was held at Moga. Mr Chhabra further added the 46th National School Games (u-19) in kho-kho would be held at Datia (MP) from December 10 to 23 along with the kabaddi (u-17) competitions and the Vinoo Mankad Cricket (u-16) Tournament. Rewa (MP) will host the volleyball (u-19) kho-kho (u-14 and u-17) and kabaddi (u-14) competitions from January 4 to 9. |
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25-member athletics
squad announced HISAR, Oct 28 — As many as 25 athletes from Haryana have been selected to participate in the 11th Asian Veterans Athletic Championship to be held at Bangalore from November 6 to 10. According to a press release issued by the Haryana Veteran Athletic Association here today the team includes 17 male and eight female athletes. They are: (Men): Y.P. Malik, Dharam Chand, Tara Singh, Om Parkash, Balbir Singh, Shamsher, Jai Singh, Rajender Kumar, Ved Pal Malik, Suraj Bhan, Om Parkash, Sita Ram, Duli Chand, Raj Singh, Jagvir Singh, Sohla Ram and Kanshi Ram. (Women): Rani Devi, Suman Lata, Raj Bala Hooda, Ved Kaur, Chander Kala and Premwati. |
Lyallpur
Khalsa school win NEW DELHI, Oct 28 (PTI) — Ravi Inder scored a hat-trick to help Lyallpur Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Jalandhar, crush Union Academy Senior Secondary School, Delhi, 6-1 in the Nehru Junior Hockey Tournament pool match held here today. St Ignatius High School, Gumla, overcame a spirited challenge from Army Boys Sports Coy., Danapur, thanks to Xavier Jojo’s timely three goals at crucial moments. In other pool matches, while Birsamunda Vidyapitha, Rourkela edged past SGPS Academy with the match winning goal by Amardeep Ekka in the 42nd minute, CRZ Senior Secondary School rallied to hold BSNV Inter College, Lucknow to a 2-2 tie. Lyallpur’s Major Singh, Jatinderpal Singh and Pardeep Singh scored in the 48th, 52nd and 70th minutes, respectively, to widen the 3-1 lead given to them by Ravi Inder. Earlier, Imran Ansari had scored the equaliser for Union Academy in the 13th minute to make it 1-1. |
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