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| Thursday, February 15, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Dravid, Sriram lead India A to BCCI defends ban on Azhar Mind games a ‘ploy’ to outsmart India Support for PCA New sports policy on the anvil |
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| Coe bashes Christie LONDON, Feb 14 — British middle distance legend Sebastian Coe has attacked sprinter Linford Christie, questioning the former Olympic champion’s credentials as a role model to young athletes. Punjab juniors crush Kerala
Affiliation granted to education dept Nina tames Geeta,
enters last 8 DAV beat
Hindu Sabha Punjab eves
trounce J&K
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Dravid, Sriram lead India A to six-wicket victory CHENNAI, Feb 14 — Indian vice-captain Rahul Dravid led India A into the final of the Challenger series against India Seniors defeating India B by six wickets in the last league match of the three-team tournament. Needing 285 for a win in 50 overs, India A, with determined batting by opener S. Sriram and Rahul Dravid assured their entry into the final against India Seniors tomorrow. It was an unexpected turn of events that Sachin Tendulkar failed to live upto the expectations of the crowd that vanished when he was out for just 24 runs. But India B managed to post a decent score with hard working Dinesh Mongia (83) and Amay Khurasia (90) and captain Robin Singh making an unbeaten 30. The target seemed to be achievable as the India B bowlers did not pose any problems. The batsmen continued to dominate the bowlers and India A coasted to the target leisurely when eight balls were left. Rightly, Sriram in the company of his captain Rahul Dravid made merry and the pair compiled 167 runs for the second wicket in only 107 minutes off 151 balls. Even after the pair was separated with Sriram making his exit trying to sweep Sukvinder Singh and offering an easy catch to Nikhil Chopra, Dravid too departed a superb catch behind the wicket by Vijay Dahiya off Rakesh Patel. Sriram made 85 (97b, 125m, 7x4, 1x6) and Dravid, who made 92, had reached the fence nine times and lofted a six off Sukvinder Singh in his stay of 134 minutes at the crease. Then Hirikesh Kanitkar and Jacob Martin went about the task of assuring a win for India A with their determined batting but the former was out to a catch by Dinesh Mongia at mid-off off Surinder Singh Bagal 10 runs away from the win. He made 43 off 63 balls in 91 minutes with three fours and a six. As victory was on the cards, Martin (30 - 2x4) and Reetinder Singh Sodhi (7 not out) held on gamely. Electing to bat, India B were in deep trouble having lost the wickets of both openers J.P.Yadav (14) and Sachin Tendulkar (24), and Mohammad Kaif (5) with only 49 runs on the board in 8.1 overs. Dinesh Mongia (83), Amay Khurasia (90) and Robin Singh (30 no) played patiently to resurrect India B from virtual shambles even as Venkatesh Prasad became wrecker-in-chief with four for 48. Tendulkar was the first to go, falling prey to Prasad’s slower delivery as he attempted a straight drive without moving his feet. His 24 contained five fours.
Scoreboard India B: J P Yadav c Sodhi b Prasad 14 Tendulkar c and b Prasad 24 Kaif c Sanghvi b Agarkar 5 D Mongia c Martin b Agarkar 83 Khurasia st Mongia b Sanghvi 90 R Singh not out 30 R Patel b Agarkar 0 Sukvinder Singh c and b Sanghvi 0 Dahiya run out 9 Chopra c Ramesh b Prasad 12 Surinder Singh b Prasad 0 Extras (lb-6, w-5, nb-6) 17 Total (all out, 49.3 overs) 284 Fall of wkts: 1/34, 2/49, 3/49, 4/220, 5/232, 6/232, 7/233, 8/249, 9/283. Bowling: Agarkar 10-1-37-3, Prasad 9.3-1-48-4, Sodhi 6-0-50-0, Kanitkar 9-0-49-0, Balaji Rao 5-0-42-0, Sanghvi 10-0-52-2. India A: Sriram c Chopra b Sukvinder
Singh 85 Ramesh c Dahiya b R Patel 4 Dravid c Dahiya b R Patel 92 Kanitkar c D Mongia b Surinder Singh 43 Martin not out 30 Sodhi not out 7 Extras (b-4, lb-4, w-6, nb-10) 24 Total (for 4 wkts in 48.4 overs) 285 Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-186, 3-213, 4-275. Bowling: Surinder Singh Bagal 7-0-36-1; Patel 10-0-63-2; J P Yadav 4.4-0-36-0; Sukvinder Singh 8-0-55-1; Chopra 10-1-47-0, Tendulkar 8-0-35-0, Kaif 1-0-5-0. |
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BCCI defends ban on Azhar HYDERABAD, Feb 14 — The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today filed its counter-affidavit in the city civil court here, defending the ban imposed by it on former captain Mohammad Azharuddin. BCCI’s counsel Narotham Reddy filed the reply before the second additional Chief Judge J. Shyamsundar Rao justifying and upholding all the actions of the BCCI on Azharuddin, including the imposition of life ban following his alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal. However, BCCI President A.C. Muthiah and its anti-corruption commissioner K.Madhavan, who have also been named as respondents in a suit filed here by Azharuddin, could not file their counter-affidavits today and sought more time. The judge gave time to both of them to file their replies by February 26 after which the date for detailed hearing of the arguments would be announced. Azharuddin had filed the suit on January 30 challenging the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI and contending that appointment of Mr Madhavan as inquiry commissioner was not in accordance with the BCCI rules. Naming the BCCI, Mr Madhavan and Dr Muthiah as respondents, he prayed to the court to declare as null and void the life ban imposed on him, and the findings of Madhavan committee report on match-fixing. Following this, the court issued urgent notices to the BCCI, Dr Muthiah and Mr Madhavan to file their counter-affidavits by today. |
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Mind games a ‘ploy’ to outsmart India SYDNEY, Feb 14 — Every word in Steve Waugh’s verbal assault on the Indian cricket team was a carefully crafted weapon to out-psyche them, a leading Australian sport psychologist said today. Australian Institute of Sport Psychologist Jeff Bond said the Aussie skipper was a master at mental warfare. And Waugh’s verbal stoushing with his Indian counterpart Sourav Ganguly could decide who won the February-March series, he said. These tactics, as well as sledging, are what Waugh in the past has called “mental disintegration”. Australia are bidding to win their first Test series in India in 30 years and Bond thinks mind games could be the way to do it. And he agreed with Waugh that putting the boot into the Indian team in the first of the three Tests could do untold damage to the home side. “The Australians are going in there with a sort of proactive front foot,” he said. “The Indians are going to be a bit hesitant as to how good the Australians are and if the Australians nail them first off, their confidence gets dented, and the thing cycles itself. “They get into a negative spiral which is exactly what happened to the West Indies.” “It’d be the first thing you’d want to do — sink the boot in.” Bond also said Waugh had an exceptional ability to prevent overconfidence in his charges. Part of that meant keeping the team fresh and not being afraid to drop even high performing players, such as leg-spinner Stuart MacGill, who was a notable omission from the India tour. “That’s where I think Steve Waugh might be a master strategist because I think he’s shown the ability to get them to keep going, to keep resetting the goals, keep setting the bar a little bit higher so there hasn’t been a great deal of evidence of complacency,” he said. “He’s certainly very very strong in (psyching out opponents) and I think that’s one of the reasons the team’s doing as well as it is. “He strikes me as the sort of person who doesn’t say or do anything unless he’s really thought about it and he’s doing it for a reason.” Bond said under Waugh’s leadership the whole Australian team had a huge psychological edge. “During the big performance it’s what’s between the ears that’s the most important thing and Australia seems to have a pretty good bunch of things going on between their ears,” he said. “There’s a culture of professionalism and consistency and keeping the pressure on and making people crack and they’ve become pretty good at it.”
— AFP
Support for
PCA PATIALA,
Feb 14 — Even as the proposed disaffiliation of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) by the BCCI has created a lot of heat and dust, the Patiala Cricket Association has come out strongly in defence of the cricketers of the state and asked the BCCI to soft peddle on the issue. Mr R.P. Pandove, honorary secretary of the Patiala District Association, said here that any drastic action by the BCCI would virtually put a full stop to cricketing activity in a state which has always prided itself on the innumerable achievements of its sportsmen in the world of sports. In a press release, Mr Pandove said that by disaffiliating or banning the PCA, the cricketing fraternity of the state will suffer. Punjab has always been in the forefront of cricketing activity in the country and even now at least half a dozen cricketers from Punjab were playing in the Challenger Trophy series at the same venue. |
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New sports policy on the anvil NEW DELHI, Feb 14 — Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Ms. Uma Bharati said here today that the government would shortly finalise the new sports policy, the main theme of which would be broad basing and achieving excellence in sports. The minister said the inclusion of sports, which at present is a state subject in the Concurrent List, is also being considered for incorporating in the policy. She said efforts were being made to encourage sports and youth affairs in the North-East. Ms Bharati told the Consultative Committee of the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry that “in comparison to the earlier Olympics, the country had performed better (at the Sydney Olympic Games), but as far as medals are concerned, it was not satisfactory”. The minister said India’s performance in Sydney “was not as dismal as might appear at first sight, although we could not secure many medals. The sportspersons were sent (for the Olympics) based on the criteria fixed by the International Olympic Committee.” She said winning a medal in the Olympics “though desirable, should not be the only criterion. Even qualification to participate in such an event is an indicator of the country’s sports potential”. She lauded the performance of weightlifter Karnam Malleswari for winning a bronze medal in the Olympics. The members of Parliament, who attended the meeting, had expressed concern over the unsatisfactory performance of the Indian athletes in the Sydney Olympics. |
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LONDON, Feb 14 — British middle distance legend Sebastian Coe has attacked sprinter Linford Christie, questioning the former Olympic champion’s credentials as a role model to young athletes. Writing in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Coe, himself a double Olympic champion in the 1980s, blasted Christie for recently describing British athletics as “corrupt.” Christie, whose two-year suspension for a positive drug test ended today, said in an interview he would not want his children to enter the sport. But in a hard-hitting retort Coe, who competed in the same British team as Christie for six years, claims Christie should take a long hard look at himself before criticising officialdom. “(Christie) would be well-advised to do some soul-searching as he returns today from a two-year suspension after testing positive for nandrolone,” said Coe. “Christie’s place as our greatest sprinter is unquestioned...But there has been controversy on the way.” Coe continued: “Christie’s captaincy of the British team was marked by continual conflict with team coaches, most notably high profile and disfiguring arguments about the order of baton changes in the sprint relay.” “I sat in one team meeting when he made himself deliberately unintelligible to all but those who had a passing knowledge of jive and, if officialdom was to blame for anything, it was to turn a blind eye to his boorish behaviour and then making him team captain to buy some peace.” Coe was sharply critical of Christie’s behaviour at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta when the reigning champion was disqualified for two false starts.
— AFP |
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Punjab juniors crush Kerala CHENNAI, Feb 14 — Former champions Punjab started their campaign in style scoring an emphatic 8-1 win over Kerala in a group ‘E’ match in the National Junior Men’s Hockey Championship here today. In the other two matches played in the morning, Bhopal defeated Gujarat 5-1 (group A), while Uttar Pradesh managed to hold superior Namdari XI 1-1 in group C. Jugrat Singh was the top scorer for Punjab with three goals and Gurjant Singh netted twice, while Yudwinder Singh, Ravindra Kumar and Gabbar Singh scored once each. In the Bhopal-Gujarat match, the former led 2-0 at the break. Saizah-ul-haq scored a brace and received support from Raeesh Ahmed, Mohammad Sameer and Tabrez Sher Khan. Hirenmodi scored the consolation goal for Gujarat. In the last match, after a barren first half, Uttar Padesh went ahead through Mohammad Fahad in the 51st minute and were surprised with the equaliser five minutes later by Didar Singh of Namdari. HYDERABAD: Last year’s runner-up Mumbai and Bengal qualified for the quarterfinal knock-out round to be played at Chennai on February 18. Mumbai beat
Bihar 3-1 in group ‘H’ while Bengal defeated hosts Hyderabad in group ‘G’ by solitary second half goal (1-0). Mumbai topped group ‘H’ by scoring a fluent 3-1 win over talented Bihar after leading 1-0 at half time. This is Mumbai’s third straight win in the four team group. Mumbai beat Vidrabha, Himachal and outsted Bihar on Wednesday. It was
Mumbai who opened the account in the fifth minute when centre half Vikram Pillay scored through a penalty corner. Four minutes after the break Qihar’s outside right Sashi Topno equalised. It was once again Vikram Pillay who put Mumbai into lead when he converted a penalty corner [2-1] in the 52nd minute and six minutes later left half Juniad Jada scored the third goal to put the issue beyond doubt.
— UNI |
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Affiliation granted to education dept CHANDIGARH, Feb 14 — The Haryana Olympic Association has granted affiliation to the state Technical Education Department to tap and channelise the sports talent of the students of state polytechnic institutions. Mr M.P. Gupta, Director, Technical Education, said that with the affiliation the Department of Technical Education, for the first time, would be eligible to participate at the state and national level sports meets. The outstanding players of the state polytechnics would also be able to share the job quota reserved for the sportspersons at state and the national level. Mr Gupta said that there were 28 polytechnics in the state. All of them had a sound sports infrastructure and qualified staff to train the students in various games like vollyball, kabaddi, basketball, cricket, hockey, football, badminton, table-tennis etc. He said that inter-polytechnic athletic meet was being organised for the past 13 years in the month of April every year. Some of the players, who had been the students of the polytechnics, had participated at national level sports meets. Ajay Ratra, the promising wicketkeeper, was a student of Government Polytechnic, Uttawar (Faridabad). |
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Nina tames Geeta,
enters last 8 CHENNAI, Feb 14 — Two more seeded players had to lick the dust even as Nina Wennerstrom of Sweden, amid Indian domination, kept the lone foreign challenge alive with yet another stupendous show as quarterfinalists were identified in the Indian Oil Servo-ITF Women’s Satellite Tennis Championship here today. The tall and strong Nina, who blanked Mobina Saimwala of India yesterday, proved a notch higher when she tamed sixth seed Geeta Manohar of India 6-3, 6-3 in 71 minutes to make the last eight grade. Sharing the day’s honours with Nina was the pugnacious Karnataka girl K.Tara who lowered the colours of eighth seed Gautham Sheetal of India 6-4, 6-1 in 80 minutes to enter the quarterfinals, along with top seed Sonal Phadke (Maharashtra), third seed Archana Venkataraman (Karnataka), fourth seed Radhika Tulpule (Maharashtra) and seventh seeded T.Yamini (Tamil Nadu). The Swede hitting hard and deep won the first set rather easily gaining two breaks. First she broke Geeta in the seventh game and broke again in the ninth game for the set. A determined Geeta fought back in the second. Both traded breaks in the first two games before Nina established a 4-1 lead with yet another break in the fourth game. However, Geeta came back strongly and reduced the lead to 3-4 breaking Nina in the seventh game.
— UNI |
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Winless JCT take on FC Kochin today KOCHI, Feb 14 — Former champions JCT Mills, Phagwara, will look for their first win when they meet FC Kochin in their seventh match in the 5th National Football League at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium here tomorrow. JCT, one of the few teams without foreign players in this edition, have three points (three draws and three losses) from six matches while the hosts have 12 points (three wins and three draws) from as many matches. “The unfortunate defeats have not weakened morale of the team. There was marked improvement in the team’s performance in each match. The margin of defeat was also very narrow,” said an optimistic Sukhwinder Singh, JCT coach. Singh, who had been appointed chief coach of the national team for pre-world cup qualifiers, said: “We don’t have any fear to face FC. Of course they are a good team and have been performing well in this tournament so far. I feel the important thing is to play according to a game plan.’ He said the JCT could have won their last match against the SBT at Thiruvananthapuram. “Poor ground condition and bad umpiring which is a sin in Indian football, cost us the match,” he charged. With five Indian internationals in their ranks, JCT, one of the strongest teams in the country a couple of years back, is now plagued with injury problems and bad luck. But, the absence of four players — Dipankar Roy and Deepak Mondal having switched over to East Bangal and injuries to wingback Prabhjot Singh and Daljit Singh — has affected the team now, Singh said, adding even Hardip Sanga and Harvinder Singh were yet to fully recover from their injuries. JCT, however, have a strong defence manned by Tarsem Lal and Taranjit Singh. Captain Rampal, Harinder Singh and Hardip Saini are there in the midfield to feed key striker Hardip Gill. On the contrary, the Kochin team has been performing brilliantly. But the last two drawn matches
against ITI (1-1) and Mohun Bagan (2-2) did rob off some vital points. FC will have to come up with another good display if they want to grab full points and improve their position further in the 12-team league. The return of Aaron Cole, after a one-match suspension for two yellow cards, should sharpen their frontline. Another liberian Eugene Gray, who came as a striker, is doing well while mercurial I.M. Vijayan, not in his elements so far, would look too find his touch in this crucial encounter. The defence looks pretty good with Dinesh Nair and Patrick Nuku and Joe Paul Ancheri being outstanding with interception and free-kicks which helped their side draw parity with ITI and Bagan. Goalkeeper Sunday Seah has also impressed, coming to his side’s rescue on many occasions with splendid collections. He had done justice to both his roles as a custodian and an attacker.
Vasco have edge KOLKATA: Vasco Sports Club of Goa is likely to have an edge over Tollygunge Agragami when they lock horns with the local outfit in the seventh round of the National Football League at Rabindra Sarobar Stadium here on Tuesday. Vasco players had good practice sessions, said their coach Derek D’Souza. With four foreign players, including two Brazilians, the coach said, his trump card was schemer-cum-striker Kashimov against the host team. The Goan outfit, playing this season in the NFL top group, have been playing fairly good and collected 12 points so far in six matches. The visitors are now placed fourth in the league table. The hosts, now fighting a grim battle to remain in the contention, having collected only five points from one win, two draws and three defeats, however, have the advantage of the local ground where they practise regularly. Their only and latest win over ITI (1-0) is likely to be a booster while taking field against Vasco tomorrow. But a win tomorrow can take the Goans to the top of the league table for the first time tomorrow, ahead of last year champion Mohun Bagan now with 14 points.
Draw released MARGAO: Following is the draw of the fifth National Football League from 12th to 15th round, according to the secretary of the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) Mr Alberto Colaco. Announcing this here today, Colaco said that the draw of remaining rounds will be announced at the end of this week. XIIth round: Mohan Bagan v/s Zee Churchill (9/03/01 at Kolkata), Air-India v/s JCT (10/03/01 at Mumbai), Mahindra United v/s King Fisher East Bengal (9/03/01 at Mumbai), F.C. Kochi v/s Manisksha Tollygunge Aggragami (9/03/01 at Kochin), State Bank of Travancore v/s Salgaocar (10/03/01 at Trivandrum), Indian Telephone Industries v/s Vasco (10/03/01 at Bangalore). XIIIth round: State Bank of Travancore v/s Mohan Bagan 13/03/01 at Trivandrum Air-India v/s F.C. Kochi (13/03/01 at Mumbai), JCT v/s Vasco (14/03/01 at Ludhiana), Indian Telephone Industries v/s Mahindra United (14/03/01 at Bangalore), Manisksha Tollygunge Aggragami v/s Salgaocar (14/03/01 at Kolkata), King Fisher East Bengal v/s Zee Churchill (13/03/01 at Kolkata), XIVth round: JCT v/s Zee Churchill (18/03/01 at Ludhiana), Mohan Bagan v/s Mahindra United (18/03/01 at Kolkata), Manisksha Tollygung Aggragami v/s Air-India (19/03/01 at Kolkata), Kingfisher East Bengal v/s Salgaocar (17/03/01 YBK Kolkata), Indian Telephone Industries v/s F.C. Kochi (17/03/01 at YBK Bangalore), State Bank of Travancor v/s Vasco (18/03/01 at Trivandrum). XVTH round: FC Kochi v/s Vasco 22/03/01 Kochin Mohan Bagan v/s Manisksha Tollygung Aggragami (22/03/01 YBK kolkata), JCT v/s Mahindra United 23/03/01 Ludhiana Kingfisher East Bengal v/s Indian Telephone Industries (23/03/01 YBK Kolkata), State Bank of Travancore v/s Zee Churchill (22/03/01 at Trivandrum), Air-India v/s Salgaocar (22/03/01 at
Mumbai). — PTI, UNI |
DAV beat
Hindu Sabha AMRITSAR, Feb 14 — Harjeet Singh left-hand bowler of DAV School, who took seven for 18 and a fine half century by Amandeep helped their school to beat Hindu Sabha School by 23 runs in the final of the inter-district school championship played at Gandhi Ground Amritsar, today. The opening batsmen were out cheaply. Then Vikram and Amandeep put DAV school in a commanding position, putting 90 runs for the third wicket. Brief scores: DAV School: 161 all out (Amandeep 55, Vikram 40). Hindu Sabha School: 138 all out (Pawan 41, Abhinish 24; Harjeet Singh 7 for 18, Vishno 2 for 25). |
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Punjab eves
trounce J&K CHANDIGARH, Feb 14 — Punjab scored two wins on the second day of the 29th Senior National Women Handball Championship played here at the DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8. In first match, Punjab trounced Jammu and Kashmir 16-2 (half time score 9-0). Amandeep of Punjab was the highest scorer with 14 goals. Later in the evening, Punjab thrashed Haryana 16-3 (half time score 11-1). Harjinder scored six goals for the winners. In other matches played in the evening, Rajasthan outplayed Bihar 14-11 with half time score of 8-6. Babita scored eight goals. The defending champions, Kerala, whipped Himachal Pradesh by 32-4 with half time score of 15-1. In rest of the matches, Manipur humbled Orissa at 23-8 with half time score of 9-5 and West Bengal got the better of Karnataka at 14-8. In the last match of the day, Maharashtra outscored Andhra Pradesh at 15-5 with half time score of 11-3. Delhi beat West Bengal 15-10. |
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