 |
|
| Friday, December 8, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
|
Confident India keen
to wrap up series Azhar got off lightly:
Border The rise & fall of
Azharuddin England players not
keen on India tour Inzamam, Youhana
hit centuries |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sanjay Mahajan fashions Punjab
win Anand storms into
q-finals Boris Becker’s new love? Indians falter in Singapore Exceptional feat of
suppleness & skill
Haryana roller hockey players impress Pele not the
greatest? Beckenbauer backs Beckham for award Highest IOC award
for Zatopek Railways, TN to
clash in opener
|
|
Confident India keen to wrap up series JODHPUR, Dec 7 (UNI) — Bouyed by their tremendous victories in the first two one-dayers, a confident India will go all out to wrap up the five-match series in the third one-day international against Zimbabwe at the Barkatullah Stadium here tomorrow. After the three-wicket victory at Cuttack and the 61-run triumph at Ahmedabad, Indian batsmen will look forward to another run feast as the wicket here looks bare and hard, facilitating batting and run gathering much easier. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, are in a tight spot and only a win tomorrow can help them stay alive in the one-day series. Though they lost narrowly in the first encounter when India’s young left-handed batsman Hemang Badani and stumper Vijay Dahiya steered India home, Zimbabwe’s confidence has admittedly gone down after Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly hammered 144 in the second game, helping India score a mammoth 306 for five which ultimately proved too much for the Zimbabweans. Zimbabwe skipper Heath Streak admitted it was going to be difficult to control the free-scoring Indians on the flat wicket here. “We need to change our game plan and look at our weak points. The Indians are in good form but since this is a do-or-die game for us, we are keyed up,” Streak said on eve of the match. The Indians have been well-served by youngsters and the old guard alike. There are many youngsters in the team and some of them haven’t done all that badly. The experienced trio of Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are followed in the batting order by the dashing Yuvraj Singh, Badani and allrounder Reetinder Singh Sodhi, who would want to seal the number six spot left vacant by veteran Robin Singh’s absence. The Indian bowling has done decently well with seamers Zaheer Khan, whose emergence in the ICC Knockout Cup at Nairobi in October raised expectations, and experienced Venkatesh Prasad aware of their role. They are joined by Ajit Agarkar who was rested in the last one-dayer but is expected to come back in the team tomorrow. In the absence of leg-spinner Anil Kumble, out of the series because of a bad shoulder, the Indian spin attack is in the hands of left-arm spinners Sunil Joshi and Sridharan Sriram. Though Sriram picked up three wickets in the last match, Agarkar may replace him in the playing eleven here. There are still question marks over the presence of off-spinner Nikhil Chopra in the team. Chopra, who has some references in the CBI report on match-fixing but hasn’t been implicated by the cricket board, will again not play in the match as board president A C Muthiah has gone on record as saying his inclusion in the 14-man squad was a “big error”. Mr Muthiah wants Chopra to be first cleared by the board and only then can he be considered for further selection. The only problem for India is their sloppy fielding and catching. They have dropped many catches in the two games so far, suggesting a lot still needs to be done to make it international standards. Indian coach John Wright and Ganguly, while saying they were not very happy with the fielding, assured the team is working on this aspect and mistakes will not be repeated tomorrow. Zimbabwe have the batting to put pressure on the hosts. Strokeplayers like Andy Flower, who is having a wonderful time with the bat in the series, Alistair Campbell, Stuart Carlisle and Grant Flower are all capable of putting together a good score but it is in bowling that the Zimbabweans need to pull up their socks. This is the first ever international match being played at Jodhpur and the demand for tickets has been unbelievable. A full house, some 35,000 spectators, are expected in the match. |
|
SYDNEY, Dec 7 (AFP) — Former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin got off lightly for his role in cricket’s match-fixing scandal, Australian icon Allan Border said today. Border, Test cricket’s leading run scorer, said if Azharuddin had committed his crime in another walk of life he would be behind bars. Azharuddin, 38, was yesterday banned for life by the Indian cricket board after admitting fixing three one-day internationals. “If he is guilty, which it seems as though he is, then he is lucky not to be in jail,” Border told ABC Radio. “If you did that in the normal walk of life, in a normal business practice then you would find yourself 10 years in the clink.” Border, now a national selector, said he had nothing personal against Azharuddin, whom he played against many times during his 156 Test match career. “I like Mohammad Azharuddin as a fellow and to see him involved is shattering,” he said. “How they (Azharuddin, Ajay Sharma, Ajay Jadeja and Manoj Prabhakar, who were also banned) let themselves get involved in this, I just don’t know.” Border said the life ban was not a severe punishment because “at 38 Azhar is finished anyway.” “But just the stigma that will be associated with it is bad enough.” Border said he hoped cricket’s match-fixing scandal was now over, but he had his doubts. “It’s hard to get to the bottom of it, it’s one bloke’s word against another,” he said. “It’s a real slow, tough process. But you go through these processes and there is a lot of heartbreak involved but hopefully when we come out the other end, we will have regained a lot of public support. “We need to take strong action and come out the other side as clean as a whistle.” NEW DELHI, Dec 7 (PTI) — When he dazzled his way into international cricket 16 years ago, Mohammed Azharuddin was called God’s gift to Indian cricket. Today his is the story of a fallen idol. One of the most brilliant batting careers in the game’s history came to an end when the cricket board decided to slap a life ban on 38-year-old Azhar for betting and match-fixing. No one in the annals of the game played as many one-day internationals as he did - 334. He also represented India in 99 Test matches. 15593 runs in the Tests and one-dayers is what Azhar contributed to the record books. Few batsmen have made more. India’s longest-serving and most successful skipper with 14 Test victories under his belt, Azhar led the national side when he was leading the south zone on domestic circuit. The job was offered to him by selection committee chairman Raj Singh Dungarpur with an off-the-field oft-repeated quote “mian, captain
Banoge (gentleman, would you like to become the captain)?” Azhar had already made a blazing start to his career in 1984 with centuries in each of his first three Tests against England. Barely a year after he became the captain of the Indian team his position as also his place in the team itself became doubtful after a disastrous tour of Australia which was followed by an equally bad tour of South Africa the following year. Coach Ajit Wadekar, however, counselled perseverence considering his class and Azharuddin did not disappoint him by hitting up a brilliant 182 in the first Test against England at his favourite ground, Eden Gardens in Calcutta. India vanquished the tourists 3-0 in that 1993 series. However, Azhar’s performance thereafter became indifferent. Often he would score 30 or 40 runs with his classic touch and then get out belying all expectations, forcing the selectors to tell him that this was not enough. Finally, he was sacked and replaced by Sachin Tendulkar who was already the latest batting star on the international firmament. He regained the position 1998 for the Independence Cup in Bangladesh and led India to victory over Pakistan in a high-scoring final. In between, his personal life was in a turmoil as he broke away from his wife and married a Bollywood filmstar Sangeeta Bijlani. Azhar finally yielded his position as the national captain again to Tendulkar after last year’s World Cup in England and omitted from the Indian team that went on a tour of Australia. The CBI which inquired into the betting and match-fixing scandal, said in its report that Azhar had admitted to fixing some matches. He was quoted as having said “maine match banaya (I fixed matches)”. Eyebrows were raised when TV cameras showed a glum Azhar even after India had beaten arch-rivals Pakistan in a super league match of the World Cup at Old Trafford. Controversies multiplied as disgraced South African captain Hansie Cronje told the King Commission in his testimony that he was introduced to an Indian bookie by Azhar. In a website interview Azhar, however, claimed it was the investigating agency which not only asked the questions but gave replies too. He also denied the charge against him before the board ombudsman K. Madhavan who opined that he (Azhar) had acted at the behest of his lawyer. The board, however, was not convinced by his protestations of innocence and in what is being viewed by his detractors as ‘hound of nemesis’ he was banished from wielding his magic willow for life. |
|
England players not keen on India tour LONDON, Dec 7 — England’s cricket tour of India next winter faces a crisis after several players, currently touring Pakistan, reportedly expressed unhappiness about spending a second Christmas in the subcontinent. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is considering the protest by the players. However, an official spokesman for the ECB told IANS that at the moment the tour stands as scheduled. England is to play three Test matches in India in 2001-2002 before leaving for a tour of New Zealand. Several players are opposed to the India tour, complaining of the tour being too stressful and the pay too little. Some players had earlier protested the India tour and the complaints have been reinforced with the Pakistan tour. The England cricketers have already succeeded in vetoing a tour of Bangladesh. Former captain Alec Stewart has formally told the ECB he will not be touring India and Michael Atherton is considering retiring after the Ashes series against Australia next summer. Three other cricketers like Graham Thorpe, Andrew Caddick and Darren Gough have also complained against the India tour next year. Local reports suggest the ECB is considering separate teams for Tests and one-day internationals to relive the pressure off the players. |
|
|
Inzamam, Youhana hit centuries KARACHI (Pakistan), Dec 7 (Reuters) — Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana surged to unbeaten centuries as Pakistan recovered emphatically from a shaky start against England in the third and final Test today. After losing their first three wickets for 64 in the morning session, Pakistan reached the close on the first day at 292 for three after Inzamam (123 not out) and Youhana (104 not out) had shared an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 228. Batting with mounting authority on a placid pitch, Inzamam reached three figures from 196 balls, hitting 15 fours, while Youhana played a measured innings full of handsome strokes to complete his hundred off 207 deliveries, with 13 fours and one six. Pakistan, having won the toss and opted to bat, were jolted in the first session when they lost Saeed Anwar (8), Imran Nazir (20) and Salim Elahi (28). Darren Gough, Marcus Trescothick, surprisingly used as first change with his medium pacers, and Andy Caddick took a wicket each to give England a deceptively encouraging start. The first two Tests in Lahore and Faisalabad were drawn. Scoreboard Pakistan (Ist innings): Anwar lbw Gough 8 Nazir c Giles b Trescothick 20 Elahi b Caddick 28 Inzamam-ul-Haq not out 123 Youhana not out 104 Extras: (lb-2 nb-7) 9 Total: (for 3 wkts, 90 overs) 292 Fall of wickets: 1-8 2-44 3-64. Bowling (to date): Gough 17-2-68-1 (nb3), Caddick 18-1-54-1 (nb2), Trescothick 14-1-34-1 (nb2), White 14-2-43-0, Salisbury 12-1-39-0, Giles 15-1-52-0. |
|
Sanjay Mahajan fashions Punjab win NEW DELHI, DEC 7 (UNI) — Riding on the brilliance of all round display by Sanjay Mahajan,who scored unbeaten 77 runs and took two wickets, and Ravneet Ricky’s 67 and their 115-run sixth wicket stand, Punjab scored a thrilling three-wicket win over Delhi to notch up fourth straight win in the North Zone Ranji Trophy one-day league to virtually assure themselves a place in the super league here today. Electing to bat, Delhi scored 246 for 9 in 50 overs and Punjab overhauled the target hitting 247 for 7 in 48.3 overs. This was Delhi’s first defeat in four outings Scoreboard Delhi: Chetan Sharma c Kakkar b Mahajan 29 A. Dani b Mahajan 16 G. Gambhir run out 53 M. Minhas st Dharmani b Harbhajan 11 V. Shewag c Mahajan b Sharandeep 37 P. Chawla c Sandeep b Navdeep 59 R. Rathore run out 14 A. Nehra c Mongia b Navdeep 4 R. Sanghvi c Harbhajan b Navdeep 2 A. Bhandari not out 0 A. Suman not out 1, Extras (b 3, lb 8, w 8, nb 1) 20. Total: (in 50 overs) 246 for 9. Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-47, 3-64, 4-125, 5-210, 6-232, 7-242, 8-244, 9-244. Bowling: Sandeep Sharma: 5-0-23-0, Bharat Bhushan: 7-0-34-0, Sanjay Mahajan: 8-0-47-2, Harbhajan Singh: 9-1-45-1, Navdeep Singh: 9-0-41-3, Sharandeep Singh: 9-0-31-1 Dinesh Mongia: 3-0-14-0. Punjab: V. Rathore c Sanghvi b Suman 38 Sandeep c Dani b Nehra 4 Ricky c Dani b Sanghvi 67 Dharmani c Shewag b Suman 1 Mongia run out 3 Kakkar b Suman 6 Mahajan not out 77 Harbhajan c and b Shewag 26 Sharandeep not out 1. Extras: (lb 4, w 15, nb 5) 24. Total: (in 48.3 overs) 247 for 7. Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-55, 3-62, 4-73, 5-82, 6-197, 7-240. Bowling: Ashish Nehra: 9.3-1-51-1, Amit Bhandari: 8-1-46-0, Amit Suman: 10-1-45-3, Rahul Sanghvi:10-0-43-1, Virender Sehwag: 6-0-30-1, Rajeev Rathore: 5-0-28-0. J & K defeat Services NEW DELHI:
Giving yet another pathatic batting display, Services crashed to their fourth successive defeat as they lost to Jammu and Kashmir by 29 runs in the North Zone Ranji Trophy one day league match here today. This was Jammu and Kashmir’s second win in four outings and they now have four points. Vidya Bhaskar and Sanjay Sharma were the main scorers for Kashmir. Bhaskar’s 32 off 35 balls included three hits to the fence, while Sanjay remained unbeaten on 31 (1x4,49 balls). For services Sudhakar Ghag took three wickets for 30 runs. scoreboard Jammu and Kashmir: R. Bali c Sarabjit b Ghag 0 S. Dhar lbw b Nadkarni 14 Kanwaljeet run out 18 Ashwani Gupta c Sarabjit b Nadkarni 12 Vidya Bhaskar c Jha b Arun 32 G. Pratap b Ghag 15 Sanjay not out 31 Vijay c & b Arun 5 Manzoor st Sarabjit b Arun 4 A. Qayoom st Sarabjit b Ghag 14 Surendra not out 4. Extras:
(lb 11, w 11, nb 4) 26. Total: (in 50 overs) 175 for 9. Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-35, 3-55, 4-58, 5-97, 6-107, 7-120, 8-128, 9-158. Bowling: S. Ghag:10-1-30-3, M. Jha: 10-2-22-0, Syed Javed:10-2-40-0, Nadkarni: 10-0-41-2, Arun Sharma:10-1-31-3. Services:
Narender Singh lbw b Surendra 20 M.S. Reddy c Vijay b Surendra 23 S. Nadkarni c and b A. Qayoom 51 A. Nadkarni c Qayoom b Manzoor 11 S. Ghag c Sanjay b Manzoor 5 Sanjay Verma b Ashwani 0 Sarabjit c Qayoom b Sanjay 10 K.K Dixit b Qayoom 0 S. Javed lbw b Qayoom 0 M. Jha c Surendra b Sanjay 4 Arun Sharma not out 2. Extras: (b 8, lb 4, w 7, nb 1) 20. Total:
(in 46.1 overs) 146 all out. Fall of wickets: 1-40, 2-49, 3-77, 4-87, 5-95, 6-120, 7-121, 8-123, 9-133. Bowling:
A. Qayoom:10-2-26-3, Surendra Singh: 8-1-30-2, Vijay Sharma: 8-1-20-0 Ashwani Gupta: 10-0-25-1, Manzoor: 6-0-22-2, Sanjay Sharma: 4.1-0-11-2. Haryana whip HP NEW DELHI, (PTI) — Haryana batsmen plundered an average Himachal Pradesh bowling as they rode on to three half-century knocks on way to a thumping nine-wicket win in the North Zone Ranji Trophy one-day cricket match here today. Scoreboard: Himachal Pradesh: Panta c Subhash b Feroz 11, Nayyar b Subhash 37, Nischal Gaur c Deepak b Pradeep 40, Amit Sharma (Sr) st Deepak b Feroz 25, Sangram c Deepak b Feroz 17, Amit Sharma (Jr) run out 11, Virender not out 21, Ajay Manu c Rajesh b Feroz 0, Chetan b Feroz 10, Arun c Padamjit b Vineet 1, Pankaj not out 2. Extras:
(lb-4, nb-6, w-10) 20. Total: (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 195. Fall of wickets:
1-17, 2-87, 3-121, 4-144, 5-158, 6-161, 7-161, 8-183, 9-186. Bowling: Vineet Jain 9-0-29-1, Feroz Ghyas 10-0-45-4, Sonu Sharma 10-0-41-1, Pankaj Thakur 10-0-25-0, Pradeep Jain 8-0-38-1, Subhash Chaudhary 3-0-13-1. Haryana:
Padamjit b Gaur 64, Jasbir not out 64, Parinder not out 63. Extras:
(lb-1, w-7) 8. Total: (for 1 wkt 45.5 overs) 199. Fall of wicket:
1/97. Bowling: Rahul Panta 5-1-27-0, Pankaj Chadha 3-0-15-0, Amit Sharma (Sr) 10-1-42-0, Amit Sharma (Jr) 6.5-0-31-0, Nischal Gaur 10-0-39-1, Virender Sharma 10-0-41-0, Sangram Singh 1-0-3-0. |
|
|
NEW DELHI, Dec 7 (UNI) — Vishwanathan Anand was all brilliance as he smashed Bartlomiej Macieja in the fourth round of the FIDE World Knockout Chess Championships to become the first player at these championships to enter the men’s quarterfinal here today. The top-seeded Indian handed his 23-year-old Polish rival a chess lesson that the latter would do well to incorporate in the sessions he undertakes for youngsters on his personal website. Macieja has on his website offered his services as a coach and now he may as well take Anand’s permission and add the Indian’s name as a consultant. In a Caro-Kann game lasting just 35 moves and less than three hours, Anand ripped Macieja apart for one mistake and played and executed a brilliant minor piece sacrifice that left the Pole completely bewildered. But Macieja cannot said to have disgraced himself for he was playing one of the finest players of our times and one whose genius has never been in doubt. For Macieja, the lowest rated of 16 pre-quarter finalists, an entry into this stage alone meant a cheque of $ 43,200, making it one of his best paying days in the game. Meanwhile for Anand, entry into the fifth round meant one more hurdle crossed in his quest for that one title — the World Champion — he craves so much for. He has assured himself of $ 86,400 by making it into the last eight, but that surely is something that will not be on his mind. Despite sheer brilliance Anand still sought to play it down. ‘“It was a tough game,” he said but there were not many takers for that statement. He reiterated what he said yesterday, “anyone who makes it to the fourth round of a world championships is a good player.” Playing the C6 to Anand’s E4 opening, Macieja opted for the Caro-Kann defence. Clearly the Pole wanted to stay clear of the French, which Anand is known to relish and smash his opponents in. Macieja went in for the Steinitz variation of the Caro-Kann bringing his Knight to D7 on the fourth move. This is a variation named after one of the earliest world champions, Wilhelm Steinitz. Anand was clearly better off from the opening. He got just the kind of an advantage white would have hoped for. And he built well on that. Macieja played the Rc8 on his 24th move and Anand felt that was a blunder of sorts. It opened the way for Anand, who came up with a brilliant minor piece sacrifice on the 25th move. He gradually got as many four pawns for that. And he also got a lot of play. Black had shown some kind of tenacity in the beginning, but after that white was clearly winning. And Anand, looking most relaxed, after that simply outplayed the Polish player. It all ended on the 35th move when Macieja accepted the inevitable and handed Anand his ticket for the fifth round. “It is nice to get another day off,” said Anand in what should surely be the biggest understatement. After all he is one of the few to have to made it to the fifth round without having gone through the agony of a tie-breaker. |
|
|
FRANKFURT, Dec 7 (IANS) — Germany’s society magazines and tabloids have been romantically linking a rap singer of Indian origin with the German tennis star Boris Becker. In fact, some tabloids are even suggesting that rap singer Sabrina Setlur, who has an Indian father, may have been the cause of the separation between Becker and his wife of seven years, Barbara, who is herself a former actress and singer. Since Becker, 33, announced on December 5 that he was separating from Barbara, 33, and their two sons, Noah Gabriel (6) and Elias Balthasar (1) German tabloids have had a field day linking Boris Becker with Setlur. The Bild-Zeitung, a daily tabloid which commands the largest constituency of readers in Germany, as well as the Express, another tabloid whose catchy headlines and a staple of sensational news items attract large numbers of readers, are suggesting an intimate relationship between Boris and Setlur. The Munich-based Abendzeitung went a step ahead and alluded that German pop singer Xavier Naidoo, also of Indian origin, was having an affair with Barbara, Boris’ wife, which may have led to the split. Naidoo, who once collaborated with Setlur as a background singer, was in the news last week as a court in Mannheim convicted him for the possession of drugs and driving a car without a licence. Naidoo was ordered to pay a fine of DM 100,000 and a prison sentence of 20 months with probation. However, these reports are speculative and there is no confirmation so far from either Barbara or Boris — or for that matter Setlur. Boris has angrily denied in interviews with the German media that there was another woman in his life. He also said he had “merely separated” from his wife and that at this point there was no talk of a divorce from her. Barbara is currently in Miami where she is said to be mulling over resuming her career as a singer. Boris has quietly left for France to get away from the media spectacle unleashed by his announcement of a separation from Barbara. Setlur has also repudiated the “unfounded rumors” in the media over her alleged romantic links with Becker. Setlur who is based in Frankfurt, was discovered by her school friend Thomas Hofmann with whom she conceived the hip-hop project called “Schwester S” (or “Sister S”, as Setlur was also referred to) that catapulted her to fame. Since then she has not looked back. Known as a blunt-talking hip-hop diva who does not mince her words, Setlur began to compose her own lyrics and, finally, in 1997 she came out with her hit single called “Du liebst mich nicht” (“You don’t love me!”). Germany’s yellow media has been fascinated by Setlur, once considered an “exotic woman” but now readily accepted by the Germans as “one of us” after her popularity curve began to rise. As a matter of fact, the yellow media in Germany was so fixed on her that it named her the “most beautiful woman of Germany” because of her finely chiseled face and exotic looks. The Beckers’ separation has brought to an end what was once a fairy-tale marriage and has shocked the German nation which seems rather preoccupied with the matrimonial problems of the former three-time Wimbledon winner. Enqvist undergoes
surgery STOCKHOLM, Dec 7 (AP) — Swedish tennis star Thomas Enqvist had double surgery yesterday and is expected to be sidelined at least until March.
“It went well,” said Per Renstrom, the Swedish Davis Cup team’s doctor who performed surgery. “We removed a small piece of bone in his foot. It has bothered him all season.” |
|
Indians falter in Singapore SINGAPORE, Dec 7 (PTI) — Arjun Atwal carded a round of 68 to be joint ninth while Jyoti Randhawa faltered on the first day of the $ 400,000 Singapore Open here today. Hero Honda Masters winner Atwal struggled to come to terms with the undulating course and just managed four-under-par round even as his compatriot Randhawa finished way down the leaderboard. Thailand veteran Boonchu Ruangkit turned back the clock to produce a sizzling seven-under-par 65 for a one-shot lead. The 44-year-old Boonchu, who hit the opening drive in the first Asian PGA event in 1995, enjoyed a birdie spree at the Singapore Island Country Club’s Island Course to head a crowded leaderboard. He wielded a hot putter for eight birdies against one dropped shot. South African Hendrik Buhrmann, runner-up in the Singapore Open two years ago, and American Gary Rusnak shot identical 66s to stay hot on Boonchu’s heels while Singaporean Mardan Mamat raised local cheers with a five-under-par 67 to be tied fourth with American duo Ted Purdy and John Kernohan, Nam Young-woo of Korea and Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng. |
|
Exceptional feat of
suppleness & skill CHANDIGARH, Dec 7 — An unusual feat was performed at the Hansraj Public School, Sector 6, Panchkula, the venue of the 46th National School Games, where less than four-and-a half-year-old girl from Kolhapur Tejasvini Ramchandra Kadam skated horizontally under the four Maruti-800 cars placed in a row in front of a large number of spectators and skaters July 1, 1986-born Tejasvini had early this year on March 7, 2000 skated under 25 Maruti cars in just 29.2 seconds, thereby breaking the world record earlier held by Shruti Chandrawani in 1998 when she skated under 22 cars. Today Tejasvini with just 16 kg of weight appeared quite confident before the demonstration. After performing the same when she was asked how she felt, the girl from Maharashtra just smiled. Tejasvini’s feat was witnessed by observers from Guinness Book of World Records and Limca Book of Records in March this year and it has been included in the 2000 year Guinness Book of World Records about to hit the market soon. She was accompanied here by her uncle Mahesh Kadam, himself an ex-international in skating. Her feat was appreciated by the United Nations Peace Force guest from USA Steve Smith and Ms Kristine Smith when they honoured her during their visit at Kolhapur this year. Coming from a family of skaters, except her father, Tejasvini trained under the guidance of her uncle. Tejesvini took to skating at the age of two years as her body was exceptionally stretchable. She took to Limbo skating which is quite popular in Kolhapur. Her uncle was of the view Tejasvini was never given proper weightage by their state government or any other institution as regards honouring her. He said that she might not be able to do the Limbo skating for long due to gradual increase in her height and body measurements. For the first time she took part in Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Open National Skating Championship held in 1998 in speed events when she was of two and half years. She represented Maharashtra in under 11 section in roller hockey and speed events in present National School Games. |
|
Haryana roller hockey players impress CHANDIGARH, Dec 7 — It was a good day for Haryana when their roller hockey players romped home by reaching finals in five events out of eight in boys under 19, under 17, under 14 and girls under 14, under 17 and under 11 section on the penultimate day of the 46th National School Games being held here at Hansraj Public School, Panchkula. Kriti Puri, a Chandigarh skater in speed section, secured second gold of the meet in Rink Race II. Manjit Singh of KB DAV Centenary School, Sector 7, became the proud winner in under 11 boys section, Harkiran Singh clinched gold medal in under 19 section while Gulsagar Singh Jassar took gold in boys under 14 section. In artistic events, skaters from Maharashtra and Gujarat dominated. International Nikhil Parikh gave an impressive demonstration of body movements in tune with music and won gold medal in under 17 section. Pooja Rathod of Gujarat stole the day with her fine rhythmic movements and won gold in girls under 17 section. Results: Roller hockey-boys: under 19: J&K b Chandigarh 4-2; Haryana b Maharashtra 18-0. under 17: Punjab b J&K 8-0; Haryana b Maharashtra 12-1. Under 14: Haryana b Punjab 3-2; Delhi b Chandigarh 4-3;. Girls: Under 14: Punjab b J& K 6-0; Haryana b Delhi 7-0. Under 17 yrs: Haryana b J&K 4-0. Boys under 11: Punjab b Maharashtra 6-0. Girls under 11: Haryana b Maharshtra 1-0. Boys under 17: J&K b Maharashtra 11-0. In artistic skating, Jeet Shroff and Nikhil Parikh, Tanmay Shah of Maharashtra won gold among in boys. The finals will be held tomorrow. |
|
|
RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 7 (AP) — Eternal rivals Brazil and Argentina don’t need much of an excuse to argue over soccer. But this time it’s personal. Brazilians are up in arms over unofficial reports that a FIFA survey to choose the best soccer player of the century will name former Argentine star Diego Maradona over the great Pele. The result won’t be announced until Monday in Rome. But fans and players already are saying that any survey that picks anyone but Pele must be skewed, unfair and just plain wrong. “It’s a joke. Not even two Maradonas would surpass Pele,” said Mario Zagallo, who played with Pele on Brazil’s World Cup champion teams in 1958 and 1962 and coached him on a third in 1970. “Pele already is consecrated as the athlete of the century. Maradona is dreaming and should stay asleep.” “There’s no comparison,” said coach and former all-star striker Evaristo de Macedo. “Pele was the greatest of all time. The voters in this election are young and have a more recent image of Maradona.” To be sure, Pele missed the golden age of television. He was nearly 30 when he played in his final Cup in 1970, before colour TV came to Brazil. Past his prime, Pele joined the New York Cosmos in 1974 and retired three years later. But his legend and records endure: three World Cup titles, two World Club Championships with Santos in 1962 and 1963, and more than 1,200 goals. No other player has even 1,000. Team-mates remember him as a complete player who could pass and shoot with either foot, head the ball with perfection and had speed, power, a terrific vertical leap, vision and leadership. “Pele was the greatest of all,” said Tostao, who played with Pele on the 1970 cup team. “He was always far more complete than Maradona. The Argentine was an artist with the ball, a circus juggler.” Maradona was a teenage phenomenon when Argentina won its first World Cup title in 1978, but coach Cesar Luis Menotti ignored popular outcry to put him on the team. Universal recognition came later, when he led Argentina to its second cup title in 1986 and took Italy’s Napoli to the national championship, before drugs curtailed his career. Of the 27 candidates preselected by FIFA, seven are Brazilian and two are Argentine. The second Argentine player, Alfredo Di Stefano, reportedly came in third in the balloting, which took place over the Internet and ended last month. Some lovers of the game, like Tostao, have tried to downplay the rivalry, arguing that soccer has room for many geniuses. “Pele was the best, the most complete and perfect. Maradona, more skilled, artistic and unpredictable,” Tostao wrote in his column for Rio’s Jornal do Brasil. “Pele symbolized technique, reason and awareness. Maradona, the mystery, passion and drama of the Argentine tango. Both are unforgettable and eternal.” LONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) — Manchester United midfielder David Beckham has been hailed as the best player in the world by former German coach Franz Beckenbauer. Beckenbauer, the only man to have won a World Cup winners’ medal both as a player and a coach, said in an article in the Daily Mail today that Beckham deserves to win the world player of the year title next week. “Coming from a German, this is going to sound controversial. But my vote for the world’s best footballer, if I had one, would go to beckham,’’ the German legend said. “It’s hard to compare one player against another these days, but David Beckham is simply the most exciting and talented footballer in the world. “Rivaldo and the wonderful Frenchman Zinedine Zidane would be strong contenders. They both remain excellent players. “But Beckham has the edge this year, not just for his ability but also because of his consistency. It is impossible to ignore it these days.’’ |
|
PRAGUE, Dec 7 (Reuters) — Emil Zatopek, the only long-distance athlete to win three gold medals at a single Games, was hailed as the embodiment of the Olympic ideal at his funeral in the Czech capital. In a simple ceremony at Prague’s ornate 19th century National Theatre yesterday, politicians, diplomats and sporting personalities from around the world paid tribute to the quiet, unassuming Zatopek who died on November 21. He was 78. With the Olympic flag hanging overhead and Zatopek’s coffin draped with the Czech flag, International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch awarded Zatopek posthumously the Pierre de Coubertin medal, the ioc’s highest honour. “I was in the Olympic stadium (in Helsinki in 1952) when he was the winner of the marathon. All 60,000 spectators were standing and crying Zatopek, Zatopek, Zatopek. At that moment, I understood very well what the Olympic spirit means,” Mr Samaranch said. “Emil was a living legend for all generations. Emil Zatopek was a legend, and a legend never dies.” International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) President Lamine Diack awarded Zatopek the IAAF's ‘golden order of merit’ “for how he inspired the whole world”. At the Helsinki Games in 1952 Zatopek swept to victory in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, and the marathon within the space of eight days, each in Olympic record time. It was the first time he had run the 26-mile marathon. Four years earlier, he had won a 10,000 metres gold medal and a silver in the 5,000 metres at the London Olympics. His ungainly style and relentless running earned him the nickname “The Czech Locomotive”. Zatopek’s widow Dana Zatopkova, herself an Olympic gold medallist in Helsinki in the javelin, sat sometimes weeping in the front row, surrounded by dozens of bouquets sent by athletics federations and governments worldwide. Pall bearers, including three times gold medallist javelin thrower Jan Zelezny, stood solemnly beside the coffin. Dana had requested that Zatopek not be given a state funeral. President Vaclav missed the funeral because of illnes and was represented by his wife Dagmar Havlova. Zatopek was born on September 19, 1922, in the small town of Koprivnice, in northern Moravia. He and Dana, born on the same day, had married on their common birthday in 1948. |
|
Railways, TN to clash in opener JAMMU, Dec 7 (PTI) — Last year’s runners-up Tamil Nadu will clash with Railways in the opening match of the Senior National Hockey Championship here tomorrow. Logged in pool A, Tamil Nadu should have an easy task at hand with Karnataka and CRPF being the other teams. Defending champions Indian Airlines have also been handed an easy grouping with Jammu and Kashmir, Services and Border Security Force in pool D. The draw for the super league knockout stage of the December 8-16 60th National Hockey Championship was made here by Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) with 16 league qualifiers divided in four pools of four teams each. Other groupings include — pool B Punjab and Sind Bank, Indian Oil Corporation, Hyderabad and Air-India; pool C Chandigarh, Punjab, Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Fixtures: (all matches are scheduled at 9 am, 10.30 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm respectively) December 8: Railways vs Tamil Nadu, CRPF vs Karnataka, Punjab and Sind Bank vs Indian Oil, Hyderabad vs Air-India. December 9: Punjab and Sind Bank vs Hyderabad, Railways vs Karnataka, Tamil Nadu vs CRPF, Indian Oil vs Air-India. December 10: Indian Oil Corporation vs Hyderabad, Indian Railways vs CRPF, Tamil Nadu vs Karnataka, Punjab and Sind Bank vs Air-India. December 11: Chandigarh vs Punjab, Bengal vs Uttar Pradesh, J and K vs Indian Airlines, Services vs BSF. December 12: J and K vs Services, Chandigarh vs Bengal, Punjab vs Uttar Pradesh, Indian Airlines vs BSF. Decemeber 13: Punjab vs Bengal, Uttar Pradesh vs Chandigarh, Services vs Indian Airlines, J and K vs BSF. December 15 (semifinals): winner of ‘Pool A’ vs winner of ‘Pool C’ — 12.30 pm; and winner of ‘Pool B’ vs winner of ‘Pool D’ — 2 pm. December 16: play-off for third position — 10.30 am, final — 2 pm. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 120 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
