 |
Friday,
March 1, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
|
WORLD CUP DIARY |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gavaskar comments
East Bengal stun Mahindras
Blood tests at World Cup? Pete Sampras replaces coach Mohinder memorial hockey starts
today
|
|
Argentina shock Pakistan Kuala Lumpur, February 28 A slackened Pakistan pace late in the second half created just the right chances and Argentina made full use of them to emerge triumphant at the end. It was Pakistan’s first defeat in four outings while Argentina registered their second victory in as many matches. Once again it was penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas who put Pakistan ahead through a penalty corner with the match hardly nine minutes old. Amidst cries of Nara-e-Takbir and Argentina, the two sides fought a pitched battle thereafter with Pakistan taking at least three shots at the goal and Argentina making two attempts but a goal eluded them till the breather. In the second half, Argentina, injecting urgency in the attack, pressed hard for the equaliser which came 11 minutes after resumption through Tomas MacCormik, whose brilliant attempt off a counter attack brooked no resistance from Pakistan custodian Muhammad Qasim (1-1). Pakistan did make some counter-attacks which fetched them penalty corners but some wayward shooting deprived them of a chance to come back on level terms. The experienced Shahbaz Ahmed, skipper Sarwar Muhammad and Kashif Jawad were effectively marked by the Argentinians. The match winner came in the 59th minute. Matias Paredes latched on to the ball on the right of the ‘D’ and unleashed a stinging shot which sailed in, as the overjoyed Matias rushed towards the
sideline to celebrate the cherished moment. Argentina were awarded 10 penalty corners while Pakistan could force only seven. Argentina team manager Carlos Kenny, who felt that the win was a major achievement, said: “I cannot remember when we last won against Pakistan.” Pakistan team manager Khalid Sajjad Khokhar attributed the defeat to poor defence, match pressure and unfavourable playing conditions. New Zealand carved out a 2-1 win over South Africa to garner full points in Pool ‘A’. A field goal by skipper Simon Towns put New Zealand ahead in the 14th minute but South Africa’s Greg Nicol restored parity through a penalty corner a few seconds before the breather. Thereafter, New Zealand maintained the pressure and succeeded in wresting the advantage in the 59th minute when Bevan Hari found the target off a short corner, making it 2-1. Both sides had a fair share of the exchanges and had five shots each at the goal. South Africa were awarded five penalty as compared to four earned by New Zealand. Earlier, Utrecht runners-up Spain rallied to hold Netherlands to a 1-1 draw after being down by a goal at half-time. Spain seemed to be in complete control and going by match statistics, the Spaniards had as many as eight shots at the goal as compared to three by the Dutch. Spain were also awarded three penalty corners while Netherlands could force only one. It was Karel Klaver who put the Dutch ahead with a fine field goal in the 16th minute and the lead was maintained till the breather. Spain had to wait till the 55th minute for the equaliser which came through Jordi Quintana off a penalty corner. Spanish coach Toni Forrellat said his players were feeling exhausted after the gruelling tie against Germany yesterday. “Today we tried to survive and achieved our aim,” he said. Dutch coach Joost Bellaart said: “We were tired but this is not an excuse for not having won this match.” In the last match, favourites Germany defeated Belgium 3-0. The scorers were Sebastian Biederlack (24th), Sascha Reinelt (27th) and Bjorn Michel (54th minute). Friday’s fixtures: Australia v Cuba; Poland v Japan; England v India; and Malaysia v Korea. |
|
No direct qualification for winners, hosts Kuala Lumpur, February 28 Besides the hosts, five continental champions and nations ranked 1-6/7 at the World Cup qualifier would be allowed to participate. The candidates for the next the World Cup are England, Germany, Spain (men/women); the USA and Australia (women) and Pakistan (men). |
|
India’s defeat and after Kuala Lumpur, February 28 The team did go for a morning jog today but later the players stayed back in their rooms. Skipper Baljit Singh Dhillon, talking to The Tribune, said they would now be concentrating on finishing among the top eight. “The early goal that we conceded put us under additional pressure. The forwards first had to cope with the deficit and then press for the lead. This added to the mental strain,” said the skipper. Sharing the room with Baljit is goalkeeper Devesh Chauhan. As we discussed India’s chances in the remaining matches, Devesh tried to grab some sleep but it was apparent that he was feeling disturbed over the previous day’s result. A veteran of over 292
internationals, Baljit Dhillon, whose debut dates back to 1993 in the Test series against South Africa, has a word of praise for coach Cedric
D’Souza. “He really made us work hard and was emotionally involved with the team. It is sad that the team could not live up to his expectations.” Referring to the controversial decision of the umpire who disallowed what was perceived to be a clear goal off a deflection, Baljit said in such situations TV replays should be relied upon. “Had the goal been allowed, the complexion of the game would have changed. I am surprised that a replay of that action was not shown here,” Baljit said. Hailing from Padri Kalan village near Sursingh in Amritsar district, Baljit Dhillon, who was born on June 18, 1973, is among the most experienced players in the Indian team. And according to Baljit, it is experience that counts at such a big event as the World Cup. From the grounds of Jalandhar’s Doaba Khalsa Senior Secondary School and later Lyallpur Khalsa College, Baljit Dhillon has indeed travelled a long way. Under his captaincy, India won the Prime Minister’s Gold Cup at Dhaka and more recently the Champions Challenge Trophy at this very ground in December, 2001, when he was also adjudged ‘Player of the final’. However, the crucial penalty stroke that he missed against Malaysia yesterday will continue to haunt Baljit Dhillon for ever. |
|
|
WORLD CUP DIARY It was one of the most difficult moments for ex-Indian hockey stars, including former captain Ajit Pal Singh, Vasudevan Baskaran, MM Sommaya and many others who witnessed Indian hockey plummeting the depths after losing to Malaysia in a crucial Pool ‘B’ tie of the World Cup yesterday. Having made history in this very city by lifting the gold 27 years ago, former captain Ajit Pal Singh fought back tears as India made an inglorious exit from the World Cup. At one stage, Sommaya suggested, though jokingly: “Come Ajit Pal, let’s change.” Former captain Baskaran also smilingly nodded his head in agreement though all knew that the baton had changed hands a long time back. **** “It was my birthday, and the boys had promised to give me a surprise gift. I thank them for playing their hearts out and giving Malaysia three points.” This was how Malaysian team manager Datuk Yogeshwaran reacted after the hosts shocked India 3-2 in the hockey World Cup yesterday. A unique gift indeed by all accounts! **** Sports figure high on the priority lists of advertisers in Kuala Lumpur. Advertisements of Dunhill, Nestle, and 100 Plus attract people travelling by the rail transit system and also those going for shopping. Brightly coloured neon signboards of Dunhill showing a football goalie leaping sky-high to collect the ball can be seen at various points. Similarly another advertisement shows a blindfolded hockey player in action and the message says: ‘Out do yourself’. Athletes in action also form part of advertisement campaigns.
**** The scorching heat of Kuala Lumpur is affecting the players’ rhythm. “It is very difficult to play in these conditions and we need to plan for the future,” said England coach Malcolm Wood. Dutch coach Joost Bellaart said it was almost impossible to play matches in the afternoon heat. “You can’t play good hockey in such humidity, especially the 4.05 pm matches,” he said. Many teams with a limited number of world class players have been struggling to keep pace with stronger opponents and their resistance usually declines in the second half. **** Hindi film songs seem to be quite popular with the Malaysians as these are often played in shops and shopping complexes. However, an intriguing feature is that those selling these cassettes hardly know anything about the language. |
|
Andy Flower, Ebrahim
rescue Zimbabwe New Delhi, February 28 Zimbabwe’s decision to bat after winning the toss looked like a disastrous one when they lost openers Stuart Carlisle and Trevor Gripper in the space of 11 runs. But Alistair Campbell and Andy Flower, and later Dion Ebrahim and Grant Flower, dug in their heels to deny the Indians easy pickings. After being in a desperate position of 74 for three at lunch, Zimbabwe repaired the innings to reach 181 for four, as they lost no wicket between lunch and tea. Their second batting collapse occurred in the post tea session when they lost three wickets for 65 runs. Zimbabwe did not have any option after winning the toss, as had they put India in, the hosts would have made merry on the “sporting wicket”. It was just as well that they opted to bat themselves, as only pacers Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan commanded respect from the batsmen. The other bowlers came in for punishment, particularly Anil Kumble, who was hit for several boundaries by Andy Flower. Zimbabwe made a crucial change in their playing 11 when they included the nippy Dion Ebrahim in place of Gavin Rennie. The change has proved to be a lucky one as Dion Ebrahim played a rescue act to remain unbeaten on a well-compiled 82. Travis Friend was batting on 7 at draw of stumps. India have also made one change from their winning combination in the first Test at Kanpur, as they preferred to include local boy and crowd puller Virender Sehwag at the cost of Venkat Sai Laxman. Laxman scored 13 on his comeback knock at Kanpur, and the selectors were justified in dropping him, as Sehwag is a master blaster, and can thrive on his favourite Kotla wicket. India got off to a dream start when Javagal Srinath, scattered the bails of captain Stuart Carlislie, who tried to play, missed and saw his bails in disarray, in the very first over. He made no score, and Zimbabwe had not opened their account either. Before they could recover from the blow, Zaheer Khan inflicted another blow from the other end, when he forced Trevor Gripper to edge one into the hands of Rahul Dravid at first slip. But Alistair Campbell was joined by Andy Flower, and the two went on damage control in a careful and calculated manner. Andy Flower, who has a mindboggling average of 129 against India, played some excellent copybook shots, to remind the spectators of his brilliant unbeaten 183 in Zimbabwe’s first innings when they played a their last Test match against India at the Ferozeshah Kotla in November 2000. Andy Flower was respectful to Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan, but he treated Anil Kumle with disdain, carting him to all corners of the ground, including a huge six over the backward sqaure leg boundary. When the third-wicket partnership between Andy Flower and Campbell was flourishing very well, Campbell was deceived by Zaheer Khan to edge one into the hands of Dravid at first slip. Though he made only 15, he helped Flower put on 53 runs for the third wicket. Then Flower and Dion Ebrahim launched into a blistering attack, and the Indian bowlers could only toil in vain between lunch and tea as no wicket fell. But Andy Flower’s indiscretion of going for big shots when he was nearing his century cost him dearly. After hitting Kumble for a four and six, he tried to employ the same tactics against Harbhajan Singh, only to hole out a catch to Shiv Sunder Das at forward short leg. Andy Flower fell in the third over after lunch. Dion Ebrahim and Grant Flower tried to keep the show going and succeeded too for some time, when they added 65 runs for the fifth wicket. But Grant Flower fell victim of an unfortunate run out with Kumble’s throw hit the non-striker’s end bang on target to send him back, though it was Ebrahim’s call. Heath Streak also fell at the same score (246) but Ebrahim and Travis Friend saw off the rest of the overs without further damage. Scoreboard Zimbabwe (1st innings): Carlisle b Srinath 0 Gripper c Dravid b Zaheer 8 Campbell c Dravid b Zaheer 16 A. Flower c Das b Harbhajan 92 Ebrahim batting 82 G. Flower run out 30 Streak b Kumble 0 Friend batting 7 Extras: (lb-15, b-5, nb-5) 25 Total: (6 wkts, 90 overs) 260 Fall of wickets:
1-0, 2-11, 3-65, 4-181, 5-246. Bowling: Srinath 12-3-22-1, Zaheer Khan 15-3-44-2, Bangar 7-1-25-0, Kumble 27-12-73-1, Harbhajan 27-5-64-1, Sehwag 1-0-6-0, Tendulkar 1-0-6-0. |
|
Gavaskar comments There are some venues which tend to bring out the best in an individual or a team and when ever they play there, it just seems so natural for them to succeed and that too without any apparent effort. Dilip Vengsarkar’s consecutive centuries at the Lord’s, where when he walked out to bat, it looked like he would not return unless he had three figures against his score is the prime example. Chennai is another centre where the Indian team seems to do well and do not look like losing, the exception being against Pakistan. It is also the venue where Tendulkar invariably gets a century. Then there is Sharjah where Pakistan seldom put a foot wrong. Some of these venues have a charm to them that instantly eases the pressure on the players and makes them perform at their best. Delhi’s Ferozeshah Kotla is a ground which Anil Kumble will always remember fondly. It was here many years ago that he ran through the opposition in the Irani Trophy, bagged a heap of wickets and got selected in the Indian team on the strength of that performance. It was at the Kotla too that he became only the second bowler in the history of the game to take all 10 wickets in an innings. That feat was all the more special because it allowed India to win the Test and level the two-match series against Pakistan. So, it was no surprise to know that he would be licking his fingers waiting for his turn to bowl. Knowledge of history, cricketing history of course, is an important factor in captaincy. If he knows the history of the ground then the captain is in a better position mentally to decide on his tactics. Recent history shows that the Zimbabweans found Kumble too hot to handle in the Nagpur Test so it would have been sensible for Ganguly to throw the ball to Kumble as soon as possible and that too on the leg-spinner’s favourite ground. That Kumble has got only a wicket so far does not mean anything for there are 14 more available in the match and as the game goes on the pitch will no doubt help him. For Andy Flower too, India has been a good place to play. He failed in Nagpur and that was crucial, for Zimbabwe had put up a decent total in the first innings and with his regular contribution could have added even more and when that didn’t happen, they collapsed badly in the second innings. Here at the Kotla, they were once again on the ropes but it was Flower who rescued them with his positive approach which rubbed off on the inexperienced Dion Ebrahim as he groped around at the start of his innings. Ebrahim was in fine form for Zimbabwe only a short while ago, where he won Man of the Match awards, but he has been in and out of the side and that is never good for confidence. Against India last year in Zimbabwe, he looked far too keen to get onto the front foot and was jabbing at the ball which was getting him into trouble. He now looks as if he has got over that method and is playing late, waiting for the ball to do its bit before committing himself to the shot. Zimbabwe’s tail wagged in the first innings of the first Test and they will be hoping that they get it again, for anything less than 300 is not going to put pressure on the strong Indian batting line-up. To do that though, they will have to overcome Kumble whose favourite ground the Kotla is. It is a hard task but then that’s the name of the game.
PMG |
|
Kila Raipur games
begin Kila Raipur, February 28 Today’s main attraction was the bullock cart time trial, senior and junior hockey matches and the junior athletics. As many as 139 bullock carts participated in the time-trial round for top eight positions. Final competitions will be held tomorrow with four bullock carts competing together. The time trials were held on a 300 metres. The shortest time recorded today was 21.66 seconds. In the hockey matches in the junior category Grewal Hockey Academy beat Patiala Juniors 4-3 in the first match held at the local school grounds. In the junior primary cycling events Jasbir Singh, Roshan Singh and Gurpreet Singh bagged first, second and third positions, respectively. While in the senior primary category, Paramjit Singh, Jagrop Singh, Amritvir Singh were first, second and third, respectively. For the first time players from four other states will be participating in the games from Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. About hundred players will present their rural sports. These event start tomorrow. |
|
|
East Bengal stun Mahindras Kolkata, February 28 After sliding to a lowly eighth spot in the league table with four consecutive defeats, the glamour side have now won three matches on the trot to signal a strong comeback in the high-profile tournament. Following a barren first half, which saw East Bengal dominate but muff up several rosy chances, the match came alive after the breather as all the three goals were scored within a space of eight minutes. Mahindra, pushed onto the defensive by relentless East Bengal raids, went ahead against the run of play in the 66th minute through S. Venkatesh, but their joy was shortlived as the home side drew parity barely two minutes later. The modest crowd at the Salt Lake Stadium breathed a sigh of relief as substitute Dipendu Biswas headed in following a free kick, before Ghanaian Suley Musah capped his sparkling performance by netting the winner with a powerpacked 74th minute grounder. The match was, however, marred by repeated display of frayed tempers by players of both sides, making it increasingly difficult for Tamil Nadu referee Pradeep Kumar to keep the situation under control. Mahindra were reduced to 10 men for the last 10 minutes after their reliable wing back Anthony Pereira was given marching orders for rough play. With today’s win, East Bengal now have 20 points while Mahindra stay on 23. Both have played 13 matches. BANGALORE: ITI suffered their third defeat in a row, when they went down to Zee Churchill 1-3 here. To make matters worse, the three reverses — against HAL, East Bengal and now Zee Churchill — have come in their own backyard. The telephonemen were completely outplayed by the Goans though it was they who shot into the lead in the match in the 13th minute as striker Mike Okoro found the target off a Shamshyraza pass. But that was as far as they could come, as the visitors dominated thereafter, scoring as many as three goals to emerge a well-deserved victor. Stung by the early reverse, Zee Churchill got their act together and Yusif Yakubu got the equaliser for the team, as the two teams went into the break 1-1. In the second half, Roque Barreto made it 2-1. Two minutes to go before the final whistle, the Goan team swelled the lead to 3-1 by a fluke goal, as ITI goalie Balaji went inside the goal-box after collecting a powerful shot off Ratan Singh.
PTI |
|
Blood tests at World Cup? Tokyo, February 28 FIFA general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen also told reporters in Tokyo that an independent disciplinary panel would decide punishments for players who test positive in South Korea and Japan. “For the first time, doping offences will be dealt with by a three-man disciplinary committee in charge of dealing with the sanctions for offenders,” he said today. At previous World Cups, the FIFA organising committee was responsible for deciding punishments for players found to have used performance-enhancing drugs. FIFA medical experts, who would provide the disciplinary panel with a written report on the type of substance used by the player, said they were giving serious consideration to bringing in blood testing at the World Cup. “We are studying darbepoetin and thinking of implementing similar procedures to those used in Salt Lake. We might even introduce blood sampling at the World Cup,” said Jiri Dvorak, a member of FIFA’s sports medical committee. Darbepoetin is similar to the banned blood-boosting agent erythropoietin (EPO).
Reuters |
|
Pete Sampras replaces coach San Jose, February 28 The 30-year-old Sampras, who has a record collection of 13 Grand Slam singles titles, hired Gullikson after dismissing his long-time coach Paul Annacone in December. Sampras’s choice of Higueras could indicate that he is planning a serious assault on the French Open, the only Grand Slam title to elude him. The Spaniard coached Michael Chang to the French Open title in 1989, and has also worked with twice Roland Garros champion Jim Courier.
Reuters |
|
Mohinder memorial hockey starts
today Ludhiana, February 28 Top 10 women hockey outfits of the country will take part in this five-day knock-out tournament. In the inaugural match Central Railway (Mumbai) will take on North Eastern Railway (Gorakhpur). Defending champions Northern Railway along with last year’s losing finalist, South Eastern Railway (Kolkata), Western Railway (Mumbai) and Air-India have a bye directly into the quarterfinals. Teams have been divided into two groups. Group ‘A’ consist of Northern Railway, Central Railway, North Eastern Railway, Chandigarh and Air-India while group ‘B’ has Western Railway, Rail Coach Factory (Kapurthala), South Eastern Railway, Sports Authority of India (Delhi) and Orissa. The Indian Women’s Hockey Federation has appointed Satinder Walia, international hockey player and umpire, as the tournament director. Sukhjinder Kaur, Rajwinder Kaur, Bhupinder Kaur, Pritpal Kohli and Sharanjit Kaur, all international players, have been nominated judges for this tournament. Jaswant Singh, British Olympian, will inaugurate the tournament on Friday at 1pm. |
 |
| 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 | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
The world famous Kila Raipur rural sports meet started here today amidst much gaiety and fanfare. Although only qualifying rounds were organised today, yet thousands of spectators converged on the local sports stadium.
