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Tuesday,
April 1, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Tendulkar to skip Dhaka
meet Sri Lanka to dump
Whatmore
Don’t expect miracles from new team:
Latif |
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Bopanna keen to give good
start Pension cheques for
ex-Punjab stars
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Indian Golf Federation launched Total tennis meet from April 2
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Tendulkar to skip Dhaka meet New Delhi, March 31 Both Tendulkar and Dravid have conveyed to the BCCI in writing that they needed more time to recover from injuries sustained during the World Cup. The batting maestro, who bagged the coveted Man of the Tournament award in the World Cup with an aggregate of 673 runs, wants to rest his injured finger and will make himself unavailable for the event, Mumbai Cricket Association sources said today. “Tendulkar has told me that he will not travel to Dhaka and will prefer to take rest,” the source told PTI. “He has a finger injury and he does not want to aggravate the injury further by playing in the tournament,” he said. Some of the other senior members of India’s World Cup squad, including vice-captain Rahul Dravid and pace spearhead Javagal Srinath, also want to take rest after having played non-stop cricket for the last 18 months. However, the cricket board is yet to receive any official communication from these players. “We have still not received any communication from the players yet. We will get some information on their availability by tomorrow,” board secretary S K Nair told PTI from Thiruvananthapuram. “We are aware that some of the players are carrying injuries and may not be fully fit for the tournament. We will have a clearer picture by tomorrow when we expect to hear from them,” Nair said. While Dravid and paceman Ashish Nehra are carrying injuries which they sustained during the World Cup, Srinath and leg spinner Anil Kumble are expected to be rested for the triangular series which has hosts Bangladesh and South Africa as the two other teams. Dravid injured his finger during the World Cup semi-final encounter against Kenya while Nehra’s ankle injury may keep him out of action for about five months. Kumble, apparently unhappy with the treatment meted out to him after he was forced to watch most of the World Cup action from the sidelines with the team management opting for seven specialist batsmen, has said that he will decide about his future soon. Captain Sourav Ganguly is also eager to take a break but it seems unlikely that the board will concede to his request, considering the injury-induced absence of other seniors. The senior players may argue that they have been playing non-stop cricket for the last 18 months and the World Cup has left them “physically and mentally” drained out. But the board, which had committed to take part in the Dhaka tournament even before the World Cup, may persuade some of the seniors to play since the players will get a long break after the tournament. The national selectors will meet in Mumbai on Wednesday to pick the 14-member squad for the triangular series to be held at the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka from April 11 to 20.
PTI |
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John Wright
to continue Kolkata, March 31 Confirming the development, top board sources said here today that the decision to extend Wright’s contract had been taken on ad hoc basis in view of the Dhaka tournament and it would be formalised at the next working committee meeting. Wright also said that board president Jagmohan Dalmiya had asked him to continue for two months when he called him yesterday.
PTI |
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Nehra to undergo ankle surgery Kolkata, March 31 This means Nehra is sure to miss the tri-series in Bangladesh from April 11 and the Asia Cup slated for mid-August in Sri Lanka. However, he is expected to be fit before India’s home series against New Zealand. As of now, Nehra will be operated on April 17 by Dr Sise Perreira in Pretoria. According to reports here, Indian team physio Andrew Leipus said that if possible the surgery will be advanced by a few days, otherwise April 17 was the date. Leipus added: “Though Nehra severly sprained his left ankle in Pieternaritzburg during the match against Namibia its the right one that requires the surgery. In fact, he has been troubled by posterior impingement for quite sometime.” Nehra, who made his debut in 1998-99 in the Asia Test Championship, shot into limelight, out of the shadows of Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath, during the last World Cup when he destroyed England scalping six wickets. Significantly, Nehra is the latest in the star-studded list of patients of Dr Perreira that include Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusenar and Chaminda Vaas.
UNI |
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Sri Lanka to dump Whatmore Colombo, March 31 Whatmore, a Sri Lankan-born Australian, became a national hero when he masterminded Sri Lanka’s World Cup triumph in 1996. But cricket bosses here decided they will not renew his contract after Sri Lanka bowed out in the semi-finals of the recent World Cup in South Africa. “Whatmore has been with the team for a long time and what we feel is that there should be fresh thinking,” said Anura Tennekoon, chief executive of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka. Tennekoon said they were already looking for a new face to replace Whatmore, whose contract ends in May. The national team’s long-time physiotherapist, Alex Kontouri, will also be replaced next month, Tennekoon said. The five-member selection committee has been revamped with the addition of the recently retired Aravinda de Silva. New Bangladesh coach Dhaka: Officials named a new coach and made some changes to the poorly performing World Cup team ahead of the upcoming Test series against South Africa and a tri-nation limited-overs international tournament, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said yesterday. Bangladeshi Sarwar Imran will take over from Pakistani coach, Mohsin Kamal, who was sacked after the Bangladesh team failed to win a single match at the World Cup in South Africa, the BCB said in a statement. Imran, a professional coach, had a brief stint with the national team in 2001. The tri-nation tournament involving Bangladesh, India and South Africa will be held in Dhaka from April 11-20, and will be followed by a two-Test home series against South Africa from April 24-May 5.
AFP, AP |
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Don’t expect miracles from new team: Latif Islamabad, March 31 Latif said it would not be easy to fill the gap created by the absence of a number of senior cricketers who have been left out of the team following the disastrous World Cup campaign. “It is never easy when you lose players of the stature of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul Haq, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Azhar Mahmood and Shahid Afridi,” Latif said in an interview to The News before the team’s departure to Sharjah for a one-day tournament with Sri Lanka, Kenya and Zimbabwe. “Some of these players might have had a poor World Cup and some might have been struggling with form for sometime now. Some of them arguably were also nearing the end of their careers but the fact remains when in one sweep so many experienced players go, it takes quite a while for those replacing them to find their feet. “The problem is that while in other countries players are groomed properly to take over from their seniors, this has unfortunately not happened in Pakistan. So we have to be patient with the new and relatively inexperienced players now selected in the team and allow them enough time to gain confidence at the international level,” Latif said. Latif said the new players had the potential to excel at the top level but it would not happen overnight. “They need to be backed and encouraged. I am confident that with the talent we have at our disposal at the much maligned domestic set-up, Pakistan cricket will in due course of time be back to its confident self,” Latif said. Latif, who replaced World Cup skipper Waqar Younis at the helm of a revamped squad, said Sharjah was probably the ideal place to start the rebuilding process of Pakistan cricket but success, if it comes, should not be overplayed. “I am not promising anything but this much I can assure everyone that we will give it our best shot and play with a purpose. “If we do well we should not go overboard and start creating heroes overnight. The rebuilding process is a long one and can only be considered complete when we have played against the best sides,” Latif said. He said he had asked his team mates to set Australia as the benchmark for excellence. “At this stage some people might say we are aiming very high but it is only when you aim for the best that you know where you stand.” Latif said the senior players left out of the squad can regain their places but only after they prove themselves to be better than others. “As captain, I strongly feel the time has come for us to start thinking about establishing a system where for one spot in the team, there are at least two players who should be equally good to take that position. We must have a system where there is competition for places and no one can take his place for granted like it happens in Australia.”
PTI |
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Bopanna keen to give good start Kolkata, March 31 The Indian team consists of Leadner Paes, Mahesh Bhupati, Bopanna and Harsh Mankad. Though Bopanna was a part of the Indian team that defeated New Zealand in Wellington last year he did not play any match. After sweating out under the supervision of coach Ramesh Krishnan, Bopanna said: “I would certainly try to improve upon my record. Though I have never played against the New Zealanders before, I think it is going to be tough. I would really like to give India a good start to the campaign.” Bopanna with three Davis Cup matches under his belt has two wins and one loss. While he lost to Scott Draper of Australia in the World Group quarter-finals tie last year and to Gouichi Motomura of Japan in the Asia Oceania Group I round I this year, he got his touch back in the same tie against Jun Kato of Japan to help India beat the Japanese 4-1 and move into round two. Sporting a soggy orange sports shirt and shorts, the lanky tennis star said, “In the first match in my Davis Cup I had the nerves, but now I am comfortable with leading the Indian challenge in the singles.” “The key to the success is to stay fit. I am working hard on it and also on my game. I am concentrating a lot on the return of serves as its one of the most important aspects of the game. The serve and volley is also another part of the game I am improving upon,” he said. Bopanna feels the Davis Cup is a great opportunity and an honour. ‘’Its really great to lead Indian challenge. Davis Cup is always a separate affair,’’ he said. The 22-year old and ranked highest among Indians in singles at 348, Bopanna’s immediate plans is to take the ranking up by a few notches.
UNI |
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Pension cheques for
ex-Punjab stars Chandigarh, March 31 The Sports and Youth Services Minister, Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, presided over the function. Cheques totalling Rs 15 lakh were presented to 99 veterans. Among those present to receive the pension cheques were former football stars, including Arjuna Award winners Inder Singh and Gurdev Singh, former Asian star Parminder Singh, and former Indian captain GS Parmar. Among the stalwarts from the hockey field were former Indian skipper Ajit Pal Singh, who led India to victory in the 1975 World Cup. Notable among the veterans was the 112-year-old Baba Joginder Singh. Recommendations of the committee constituted by the Punjab Government for promotion of sports in the state were put before the minister. The committee included Mr R.S. Gill, IPS, Mr T.C. Gupta, Dr P.C. Kashyap, Mrs Nirmal Milkha Singh, Mr Gurbir Singh Sandhu, Raja K.S. Sidhu, Dr S.K. Gupta and Padma Shree Kartar Singh. According to Mr Kartar Singh, Director Sports, Punjab, players who participated in Olympics and World Cup were given a pension of Rs 1000 while participants of Asian and Commonwealth Games were given Rs 600 per month as pension. He further informed that the expert committee had recommended increase in this amount. Among those present were Mr M.S. Bhullar, D.G.P., Mr Arun Goel, Secretary, Sports, Mr RS Gill, ADGP, and Mrs Nirmal Milkha Singh. |
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Indian Golf Federation launched New Delhi, March 31 Announcing the salient features of the IGF, Mr Azad, along with secretary-general of the federation, Dr Kashmir Singh, IPS and Vice-President Jagdeep Singh Cheema, said here today about 18 state associations and union territories, the Services and Railway Sports Control Boards and the Border Security Force (BSF), joined hands to form the IGF on January 10 this year “to provide a federation to golf on the pattern of the Indian Olympic Charter”. Mr Azad said Chief of the Army Staff General N C Vij has agreed to be the chief patron while BSF Director-General Ajay Raj Sharma and former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev would be the patrons. Mr Azad said what differentiated the IGF from the Indian Golf Union was that while the former has state associations and sports boards as affiliates, the IGU consists of clubs. He made it clear that the IGF was no parallel body, but a federation to “make golf a game of the masses rather than limiting it to a select few, who happen to be members of some golf clubs”. The first National Golf Championship of the IGF will be held at the Noida Golf Course from April 1 to 3. Dr Kashmir Singh, who had twice been the All-India Police Games golf champion, and was also a bronze medallist at the National Games Golf Championship held in Punjab two years ago, said around 200 players, representing nearly 50 teams, will be competing in the first national championship, which is being conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Golf Association. IGF’s Director of Protocol Munawar Ansar, who is also the secretary of the UP Golf Association, said competitions would be held in men’s, women’s, junior boys and junior girls’ sections. Union Minister Sahib Singh Verma formally inaugurated the championship at the Noida Golf Course today. Mr Azad said since golf was already in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games medal event, the IGF has done the spade work to get affiliation from the Indian Olympic
Association (IOA), as golf was expected to be an Olympic event in the coming years. He said IOA president Suresh Kalmadi has given his “blessings” to the IGF, and it was only a matter of time the IGF got affiliated to the IOA. |
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Total tennis meet from April 2 Chandigarh, March 31 This leg is being played after a rest of three days. Almost all participants of the first leg of the Total Tennis Academy’s Circuit for juniors which was played at Mount Carmel Total Tennis Academy, Sector 47-B, have confirmed their entries for the second leg. Entries from Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar and Shimla have also been received. According to Mr Devender Kapoor, Director, Total Tennis, this circuit will be a prize money tournament and apart from prizes for winners there will be prizes for the youngest participant, most well behaved player, ‘sensation of the tournament’ etc. The matches will be played in the evenings only. Entries close a day before the commencement of the tournament with Mr Devender Kapoor at 8 p.m. at the YMCA. |
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