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Saturday,
May 5, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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India hold Yemen
3-3 Disastrous day for
Europe
Brazil team in
disarray |
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Indian football team for Afro-Asian Games Harbhajan
keen to win overseas series
India invites
Zimbabwe Sumathipala files police complaint Gursharan axed from
panel Asian record by
Sarala Shetty World Cup qualifiers: IHF shortlists 26
players Funds yet to be released USA undecided on China’s Olympic
bid Roddick continues winning
streak Davis Cup tie in
North Carolina Jyoti, three
other Indians make cut Tyson to conduct
coaching clinic
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India hold Yemen 3-3 Sa’ana (Yemen), May 4 After the first half ended level at 2-2, acting captain I.M. Vijayan gave India the lead in the sixth minute of the second half. However, Yemen equalised in the 62nd minute of the match much to the delight of a 20,000 home crowd. The score remained tied thereafter as both teams squandered many scoring opportunities. India, playing without their inspirational captain Baichung Bhutia, twice fought back from a goal deficit in the first half to see the half-time score level at 2-2. Yemen drew first blood in the 14th minute through a penalty kick and India equalised three minutes later. Yemen scored again in the 20th minute only to see the Indians catch up in the 39th minute. India’s previous game with Yemen in Bangalore last month had ended in a 1-1 draw. India, who lost 0-1 to UAE in the last match, now have five points from their four matches having won one, drawn two and lost one. They have two games against Brunei left. Yemen are sitting atop the group 8 table with eight points from four matches followed by the UAE on six points from three matches. Indians gave a much better display as compared to their first leg encounter at Bangalore but they sorely missed their star striker and captain Bhutia, who helplessly watched his team miss some good chances. Bhutia had received two yellow cards in a match against the UAE and hence had to sit out. It was in the 13th minute Yemen surged ahead much to the delight of the crowd. Salemi captalised on a defensive lapse by the Indians to shoot home the goal. But the home crowd’s joy was shortlived as India drew parity within three minutes will Ancheri sending the ball right into the net. Four minutes later the Indian defence again collapsed and Salemi put the hosts into the lead for the second time. Yemen held on to this lead for 18 minutes before the Indians roared back to hit the equaliser and this time it was Khalid Ahmed Jamil who tore through the rival defence to score (2-2). Six minutes later, I.M. Vijayan sent the ball home to give India the lead for the first time (3-2) but after that the visitors became defensive to protect their slender lead thus leaving the midfield under the control of their rivals. Backed by the crowd, Yemen put up tremendous pressure on the Indian defence which finally caved in in the 62nd minute and this time again it was Salemi who drew blood for the hosts (3-3).
PTI, UNI |
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Disastrous day for
Europe Osaka, May 4 Nine of the 16 remaining players came from Europe going into the men’s singles fourth round in the morning. Just one survived, with all the others falling to Asian opponents. In the women’s quarterfinals which followed the last two European hopes were also ejected, leaving Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus as the continent’s sole representative with five titles still up for grabs. Samsonov sent two-time world champion Waldner, who has said this tournament could be his last, to the exit door as a chorus of plastic-helmeted Vikings gave the Swede a standing ovation from the stands. It was a low-key and somewhat sad exit for the 35-year-old, reckoned to be one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. He succumbed to a swift 3-0 loss without ever getting a foothold in the match. There were occasional flashes of brilliance but a lacklustre Waldner never recovered from losing two games inside 20 minutes. “The first two games were over quickly,” admitted Waldner. “I tried to get back into it in the third game but his forehand was very good.” The Swede refused to be drawn on whether he would return for the next world titles, saying the would consider the matter after a rest. Eighth seed Samsonov denied feeling pressure at being Europe’s sole representative, but did express concern at Asia’s growing domination. “We have to hope that some young European players will become strong,” he said. Waldner’s team mate and fellow former world champion Persson, also 35, salvaged a bit more respect with his 3-1 loss to Chinese top seed Wang Liqin, who was aged just eight when the Swede won his first European title in 1986. Persson rued the match as “an opportunity missed”, adding the young number one “seemed to be a little bit nervous”. He also refused to rule out another attempt at the world title, saying he would decide later. In the other fourth-round ties, China’s second, third and joint fifth seeds Kong Linghui, Ma Lin, Liu Guozheng and Liu Guoliang all advanced easily against European opponents, as did Kim Taek-Soo of South Korea and Taiwan’s Chang Peng-Lung. In the women’s singles Kim Yun Mi, the low-ranked North Korean youngster who eliminated second seed Li Ju of China earlier this week, claimed another prized scalp. The 19-year-old defeated Romanian eighth seed Mihaela Steff 3-0, who said later she had had simply no idea how to approach the game. The exit of Steff and Liu Jia of Austria meant Europe had no representatives in the women’s semifinals, as against three for China alone. The final of the mixed doubles was being played later today, with China’s Qin Zhijian and Yang Yin taking on Oh Sang-Eun and Kim Moo-Kyo of South Korea.
AFP |
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Rio De Janeiro, May 4 Brazilian officials do not want to call up any of the country’s foreign-based players for the tournament in Japan after a long season in Europe. Nor do they want to upset local clubs by depriving them of players at a time when local championships are entering their decisive stages. Brazil’s national team co-ordinator Antonio Lopes said the only decision taken so far was that the team would travel on May 20 for the tournament, which begins 11 days later. Officials have not even chosen a date for the squad to be named, he said. Brazil’s overcrowded domestic season, which involves leading clubs playing up to seven competitions and 90 matches a year, is being blamed for the once great national team’s latest crisis. The finals of the Carioca, Paulista and Mineiro championships, three of the most important tournaments in Brazil’s bewildering soccer year, are due to be held between May 20 and the end of the month. The Carioca final is almost certain to be between Vasco da Gama and Flamengo, who between them provided five players for the squad last month when Brazil played Peru. Corinthians, favourites to reach the Paulista final, supplied three more. All Lopes could promise this week was more meetings.
Reuters
Indian football team for Afro-Asian Games New Delhi, May 4 The Indian football team’s participation in the Afro-Asiad had become doubtful as the games were clashing with the South Asian Federation Football Tournament to be held in Colombo (Sri Lanka) on the same dates. But AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco, in a letter to Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi, dispelled all doubts when he assured the participation of the football team in the Afro-Asiad. Mr Colaco said he would be meeting the organisers of the SAF Football meet on May 14 in Colombo “and hope to prevail upon them to postpone their tournament”. |
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Harbhajan
keen to win overseas series Mumbai, May 4 “We are all looking forward to winning a Test series overseas as I think we are in the right frame of mind after our success against the Australians at home recently,” Laxman told PTI after signing a three-year contract with Sporting Frontiers India Limited (SFIL) here today. “I would have been much happier if we had won the one-day series as well but missed doing so by a whisker,” he said. Harbhajan Singh, the only Indian to have taken a hat-trick in Tests so far, said both he and Laxman were practicing very hard to do well in Zimbabwe. “Our wish is to win a Test series outside India,” he added.
PTI |
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India invites
Zimbabwe Mumbai, May 4 BCCI secretary J.Y.Lele, who visited Zimbabwe recently, said here today that the Indian team, which is scheduled to visit the African country next month, would find better cricketing facilities than the national squad’s last tour to the country. India will play two Tests at Harare and
Bulwayo, apart from a triangular contest with West Indies as the third team. On their return, the home team will go to Sri Lanka for three Tests and a triangular competition involving New Zealand. Then follows a hard tour to South Africa and before England come here, Zimbabawe will have a short tour. Last year, Zimbabwe lost to India a two-test series 0-1. Besides, India have been invited for a tour of England next
summer. Mr Lele also said West Indies has finally decided to host India next March instead of visiting Pakistan.
UNI |
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Pak ‘most talented side in world’ Nottingham, England, May 4 Newly-appointed English-born coach Richard Pybus said yesterday the team would face a tough battle to win the two-Test series starting later this month. But he made it clear who he expected to win. “It’s arguably the most talented side in the world,’’ he said of his new charges. “And it’s my job to channel it.’’ The 37-year-old coach, in his second tenure in the role, added: “We can’t come over here and expect to push England around. We’re going to have to work bloody hard.’’ Pybus, who was recruited by Pakistan on Tuesday, just hours before the squad flew to England, said his first priority was to take stock of both his players and his new situation. “I want to get to know the players, get a feel of where they’re going,’’ said Pybus, whose team start their opening three-day fixture against a British Universities side at Trent Bridge today. “I want to get a feel of what’s happening in Pakistan cricket. I want to know the right people are on board to make Pakistan a real force in the world.’’ England beat Pakistan in their last meeting, winning a three-match away series 1-0 at the end of last year. Nasser Hussain’s side have won their last four Test series. Pakistan, however, despite a mediocre 2000-01 season, have come out on top in each of their last three tours to England. Captain Waqar Younis, who has been in his job only a few more weeks than Pybus, was equally confident. “We have come with a positive frame of mind,’’ the fast bowler said. Last year’s defeat had hurt. “Hands up, we lost and England played really well.’’ But he added: “We want to prove we are the best side... We want to prove we can beat any side in the world.’’ Pybus, who made his name in charge of South African side Border, only lasted three months before being sacked as Pakistan coach in 1999. This time he has been given a short-term contract, to be reviewed at the end of the current tour.
Reuters
Sumathipala files police complaint Colombo, May 4 Sumathipala, who was sacked along with his entire executive on the night of March 28 by the Sports Minister, has contended that nobody could touch the money belonging to a “dissolved board”. “By issuing cheques and withdrawing money from the board’s bank accounts, the interim committee has committed fraud,” he alleged in his complaint made last night. Also, the panel members were occupying the board’s premises illegally, he charged.
PTI
Gursharan axed from panel Mumbai, May 4 NCA chairman Raj Singh Dungarpur told newspersons here that the NCA committee unanimously decided that there was no need to appoint a fifth coach as done by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) without any authority. Dungarpur said the committee comprising former cricketers like S. Venkatraghvan, Polly Umrigar, Brijesh Patel and Sunil Gavaskar felt really hurt that a fine former cricketer was being kept from contributing his best to the game and punished for no fault on his part. However, he said the issue of discipline cannot be ignored as it was done in the case of Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik who were sacked from the academy. The committee squarely blamed the DDCA and BCCI vice-president C.K. Khanna for appointing Gursharan as the coach along with the official coaches Chetan Sharma, Surinder Khanna, Yashpal Sharma and Rajinder Amarnath. Dungarpur said a strong protest along with the directive in this regard will be sent to the DDCA. Earlier on May 2 in New Delhi, the controversy about the appointment of coaches was blown over as Gursharan also joined the panel of trainers, led by Yashpal Sharma as the chief coach. Khanna had said: “There is no problem with the appointment of Gursharan as the fifth coach with the consent of Dungarpur.” It proved another stroke of bad luck for Gursharan, once touted as country’s middle order hope, who played Test cricket for India at a very young age that too against world champions Clive Lloyd’s West Indies.
UNI |
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Asian record by
Sarala Shetty New Delhi, May 4 Shetty lifted a total of 540 kg-250 kg in squat, 80 kg in brench press, and 210 kg in dead lift - to earn India the second gold in this section. Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Chiu Kua took the silver with a total of 527.5 kg (202.5 squat, 115kg brench press and 210 kg dead
lift). Phillipines’s Maria Rosario Buttung with 300 kg came third (120 kg, 40 kg, 140 kg). In the junior section in the same category (82.5), India’s N.Geeta won the gold aggregating 335 kg (135 kg, 55 kg, 150 kg). Phillipines’s Maria Rosario Buttung earned the silver with a total of 300 kg, the same total which fetched the bronze in the senior
section. Babita Rani (India) won the gold with a total lift of 457.5 kg (195 kg, 82.5 kg, 180 kg).
UNI |
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World Cup qualifiers: IHF shortlists 26 players Bangalore, May 4 IHF president K.P.S. Gill told reporters here that the national team had a crowded schedule over the next three months, and the IHF’s objective was to send a very good side to each of the tournaments. Of the 38 players who took part in the camp here, 26 were shortlisted for the Australia and New Zealand tour from June 5 to 25, and the World Cup qualifier at Edinburgh in Scotland from July 4 to 29. At least three senior players, Dhanraj Pillay, Mukesh Kumar and Sabu Varkey, do not figure in the 26-member list but have been included in the camp for the Azlan Shah Tournament to be held in Malaysia from July 30 to August 13. On Pillay’s non-inclusion, Mr Gill said “he has been nursing an injury but will be put to test in the camp, to be held for three weeks from July 5, for the Malaysian tournament”. Responding to a question that Mukesh Kumar had reportedly announced his retirement after the Sydney Olympics, Mr Gill said he had written a letter to the IHF that he might be considered if found fit. Mr Gill said the IHF was yet to receive a response from the sport’s world body, FIH, on its bid to host next year’s Champions Trophy. The following are the 26 players short-listed for the Australian and New Zealand tours and World Cup qualifier: Goalkeepers: Jude Tenezes, Devesh Nhauhan, Bharat Chetri. Defenders: Dilip Tirkey, Dinesh Naik, Lazarus Barla, Jugraj Singh, Kanwalpreet Singh. Midfielders: Baljit Singh Saini, S. Thirumalvalavan, Radhakrishnan, Arjun Halappa, S.S. Gill, Inderjeet Singh, Bipin Fernandez, M.K. Prakash, Bimal Lakra, Paramjeet Singh. Forwards: Deepak Thakur, Baljit Singh Dhillon, Daljit Singh, Tejbir Singh, Prabjoth Singh, Gagan Ajit Singh, Baljeet Singh Chandi, Jegan Senthil. Out of these 26 players, 13 are juniors who will form the nucleus of the team for the junior World Cup to be held at Hobart in October this year. A 21-member team would be selected later this month for the Australia and New Zealand tour. The national team will play three matches in Australia against the Australian Institute of Sports team, which has nine current Australian players, and a five-match Test series against the national team of New Zealand. An 18-member team will then proceed to England on July 4 for a training camp there and they will play matches against Spain, England and France. This team will later proceed to Scotland for the World Cup qualifier on July 12 for five days of acclimatising and playing two low intensity matches on July 13 and 14 against Canada and Poland before embarking for the qualifier matches from July 17. Mr Gill said 20 additional players who did not feature in the ongoing camp, including Pillay, Mukesh Kumar and Varkey, would be put into the training camp for three weeks from July 5 for the Azlan Shah Tournament. Of them, 11 or so would be selected for the national team. As the team will be participating the Malaysian tournament immediately after the qualifier, these 11 players will join the remaining players from the World Cup qualifier and form the 18-member national team for Malaysia. The additional 20 players are: Goalkeepers: Jagadish Ponnappa, Kamaldeep Singh. Defenders: Anurag Raghuvanshi, Rajnish Mishra, Len Aiyappa, Ajay Kumar. Mid-fielders: Sabu Varkey, Gurjeet Singh, Sandeep Singh, Harmik Singh, Prabhat Saini. Forwards: Dhanraj Pillay, Mukesh Kumar, Sameer Dad, Ravinder Singh, Brojen Singh, Altafur Rehman, Chanderpal, Anoop Anthony, Cyril Ekka. Coaches: Diwnain Singh, Ripudaman Singh.
PTI |
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Funds yet to be released Patiala, May 4 This was disclosed by Col Raminder Singh, Director (Sports), during an informal chat with mediamen after a meeting held at the local Polo Grounds to review the preparations of Punjab teams which will take part in the Games. He said out of the sum earmarked Rs 15 crores had been released by the Punjab government, Rs 3 crore had been released by the Union Sports Ministry while the Planning Commission was required to release Rs 18.5 crore. The rest of the amount will come from corporate houses in the form of sponsorships for which the National Games Organising Committee (NGOC) was striving hard. Prominent among those who attended the meeting were Mr P.S. Virk, Secretary of the Gymnastic Federation of India, Mr K.S. Kang, President of the Punjab Archery Association; Mr J.S. Grewal, Secretary of the Cycling Federation of India, Mr Arun Vij , Secretary of the Punjab Fencing Association, Mr Upkar Singh, Secretary of the Punjab Kho Kho Association; Prof Gursewak Singh, secretary of the PEPSU Hockey Association, Mr G.S. Virk ,secretary of the Punjab Football Association; Mr K.D. Singh Nagra, Ms Chanchal Randhawa, Joint Director, Punjab Sports Department, and Mr S.S. Tiwana, District Sports Officer. |
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USA undecided on China’s Olympic bid Washington, May 4 “We have taken no position on this within the administration and essentially it is an independent judgment by the International Olympic Committee, although I am sure they would be interested in what the Congress might say or the administration might say,” he said yesterday. In response to questions at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing about the impact of a dispute with China over a downed U.S. spy plane, Powell reassured senators that the administration was being very careful with its reaction. “We are trying to calibrate our response to this incident in a very, very careful way to make sure we don’t cut off our nose to spite our face and I think we have done rather well.” Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, urged Powell not to use sports to punish Beijing in the aftermath of the mid-air collision with a fighter jet that forced the U.S. plane to make an emergency landing on Chinese soil. Urged by Alaska Republican Sen, Ted Stevens not to let the crisis interfere with sport, he said: “We are very sensitive to that and we have made no decision with respect to this issue.” He said the administration had discussed the Olympic bid during the 11-day diplomatic standoff with China before the U.S. plane’s crew was allowed to return home on April 12. The USA is still trying to get its plane back but has a team on the ground assessing the damage to the aircraft. “Now we are anxious to get the relationship back on an even keel so we can move forward...No decision has been made about what the U.S. might or might not do with respect to the Olympics,” Powell added. Murray noted Congress was poised to pass a nonbinding resolution opposing the bid by China, which has engaged a Washington lobbying firm, put on an impressive bid by fluent English-speaking officials and is favorite to hold off Toronto, Paris, Osaka in Japan and Istanbul. Olympic sources have said the spy plane crisis would be no more than a brief stumble as favorite China sprints around the last lap before July’s vote to decide who hosts the Games. Murray asked Powell what he thought the impact would be on relations if the Chinese government and the Chinese people saw the USA as having stopped its Olympic bid. “I am sure the Chinese government and the Chinese people would be very, very unhappy and very disappointed, but there are other nations that are also bidding for the Olympics and they would be very unhappy at this point if they don’t get it,” he said. Murray quoted the Games’ code of ethics as saying they were a “competition between athletes in individual or team events and not between countries.” Olympic parties “shall neither give nor set instructions to vote or intervene in any given manner,” she quoted it as saying.
Reuters |
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Roddick continues winning streak Houston, May 4 The 18-year-old Roddick, who won last week in Atlanta, captured his seventh consecutive match. This one was impressive as he took out Gustafsson, a 34-year-old with nine of his 14 career ATP victories on clay. All four players who reached the semi-finals at Atlanta were in in action yesterday. In addition to Roddick, third seed Jerome Golmard of France and Stefan Koubek of Austria advanced while seventh seed Xavier Malisse of Belgium was ousted. With top seed Jan Michael Gambill losing on Tuesday night, the top half of the draw appears wide open after Malisse’s 7-6 (7/4) 7-6 (7/5) loss to Jiri Vanek of the Czech Republic. Malisse lost to Roddick in the Atlanta final last week. The Belgian recently hired Tim Henman’s former coach, David Felgate. Golmard was a 7-6 (7/2) 6-4 winner over David Sanchez, the lone Spaniard in the field. Koubek rallied for a 4-6 6-2 7-5 win over Christian Ruud, Norway’s top-ranked player who eliminated Gambill. Koubek is targeting his third ATP title of the year. On Wednesday, unpredictable Australian Andrew Ilie was one of four seeded players to post second-round wins. The second-seeded Ilie, who ripped off his shirt following his first-round win Monday, defeated Alexander Popp of Germany in three sets to earn a berth in quarter-finals. Fourth-seeded Czech Michael Tabara advanced to his first quarterfinal since taking the title at Chennai, India, in January by rallying past former Harvard standout James Blake of the USA. Sixth seed Olivier Rochus of Belgium, whose brother Christophe lost to Blake in the first round, topped Andrea Gaudenzi of Italy.
AFP |
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Davis Cup tie in North Carolina London, May 4 The event, slated from September 21 to 23, will feature India’s crack duo Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupthi but the US team is yet to be announced, as per information received here. Earlier this year, the USA were defeated by Switzerland 3-2 in the first round of the 2001 Davis Cup in Basel, Switzerland. As a result, the US team must defeat India, who qualified for the playoff after defeating Japan 3-2 in the Asia-Oceania Zone second round tie in Tokyo last month, in this crucial tie to stay in Davis Cup World Group 2002. The loser of the tie will be forced to play in zonal competitions in 2002. US captain Patrick McEnroe had remarked after the draw on April 11: “India is one of the traditional powers in Davis Cup play and will be a tough obstacle for us.”
PTI |
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Jyoti, three
other Indians make cut Macau, May 4 Randhawa, Atwal and Arjun Singh carded par 71 rounds while Ghei had second successive one under par 72 round. Jyoti Randhawa, overnight joint 7th, slipped to 10th place with a card 71 to total two under par 140 (69,71). Atwal, overnight joint 42nd, also went down by two places as he totalled two over 144 (73,71). Ghei, who was joint 26th slot at the end of the first round, tumbled down to be in the company of Atwal with an aggregate of 144 (72,72). Arjun Singh improved his position by moving up to 54th position from first round’s slot of 59 with a total of three over par 145 (74,71). The cut was applied at four over par 146 and 68 golfers made it to the money round. The Indians who failed to make it to the third round were, Harmeet Kahlon, Amritinder Singh, Uttam Mundy, Amandeep Johl, Indrajit Bhalotia, Amish Jaitha and Vivek Bhandari.
UNI |
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Tyson to conduct
coaching clinic Mumbai, May 4 Tyson had enabled Mumbai to unearth some bowlers like Abey Kuruvilla, Paras Mhambrey and Salil Ankola during the MCA-Mafatlal bowling scheme. He will be assisted by Mhambrey, Pradip Kasliwal, Dinesh Nanavaty and Dr K.Suratwala in his works. Eight batsmen, including those who have made the first class grade, 24 bowlers in 16-19 amd 19-22 age groups, and three wicket-keepers form the list of players who will be trained under Tyson.
UNI |
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