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Wednesday,
April 16, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Wright praises youngsters South African win restored some balance Mohun Bagan coach sacked |
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Japan,
South Korea clash in soccer today
Moya advances in Monte Carlo Fauja Singh shines in London Marathon
Top stars for Hero Golf Big win for EME in hockey Under-19 team for Kathmandu Plea for academy in Amritsar
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Sehwag to lead India New Delhi, April 15 Ganguly could afford to take the break as his team consolidated its position for a place in the final with resounding victories in the first two matches, but he cautioned the dashing opener to bat sensibly in a game in which India will be fielding several newcomers. Sehwag has often been guilty of throwing away his wicket after getting the starts and that has peeved Ganguly who made his displeasure known in public during the last match against South Africa at the non-strikers end. Sehwag played a rash shot to be out for 37 to receive the flak from his captain. “It was a poor shot at that stage. He is capable of doing much better. He is not utilising his potential to the full”, Ganguly said. The Indians will also have to do without the services of paceman Zaheer Khan who suffered a hamstring injury in the match against South Africa and the indications are that he will also miss the side’s final league match on Friday. However, the left-arm pacer will be back in action if India qualify or the final. The 21-year-old Mumbai paceman Avishkar Salvi, who made an impressive debut against Bangladesh in the opening match, will come back into the team after missing the second game against South Africa to share the new ball with an in-form Ajit Agarkar. The stocky middle order batsman Abhijit Kale will get the opportunity to make it to the team in place of Ganguly and the team management was also toying with the idea of giving allrounder Sanjay Bangar a chance. Bangar has been in the squad since the World Cup but did not get to play a single match in the mega event and was also left out in the first two matches of the ongoing triangular series. Ganguly had indicated that he was keen to give all the players a look-in in this series and the match against hosts Bangladesh provides the best opportunity for experiments. While off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was almost certain to play, Amit Mishra or Sarandeep Singh may take the second spinners slot in the team as the Indians are likely to go in with two specialist tweakers considering the slowness of the track. Opener Gautam Gambhir, who has failed in both the innings so far, will be given another chance to prove his worth and the stylish Delhi batsman will be eager to grab the opportunity with both hands. Nothing seemed to have gone right for the hosts, who have suffered 34 consecutive defeats in one-day internationals so far, but captain Khaled Mahmud will be quite content if his boys put up a fight against the mighty Indians who seemed to have maintained their World Cup momentum. “We put up a much improved performance against the South Africans in the last match. We have to keep improving to put the Indians under some pressure”, Mahmud said after his side’s 83-run loss against South Africa. The Bangladeshis crossed the 200 mark after a long time and Mahmud feels that it would give a lot of confidence to his batsmen. “We did not bowl very well and gave away too many runs, but the batsmen fought hard and that’s good for the team. (Mohammad) Ashraful played a good innings and he has to keep doing it,” he said. The hosts are unlikely to make any changes to the team that played the last match against South Africa. The Indians were scheduled to practice at the Bangabandhu Stadium in the morning but the heavy thunderstorm just after the South Africa-Bangladesh match had left the ground completely soggy and the Indians had to abandon their training plans. The teams (from): India: Virender Sehwag (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Mongia, Parthiv Patel, Ajit Agarkar, Abhijit Kale, Harbhajan Singh, Avishkar Salvi, Amit Mishra, Sarandeep Singh, Sanjay Bangar. Bangladesh: Khaled Mahmud (capt), Md Ashraful, Javed Omar, Habibul Bashar, Sanwar Hossain, Alok Kapali, Akram Khan, Khaled Mashud, Md Rafique, Tapash Baisya, Tarek Aziz khan, Mehraab Hossain, Tushar Imran, Manjurul Islam. Umpires: Billy Bowden (New Zealand) and Mahbub Rahman (Bangladesh). Match Referee:
Clive Lloyd (West Indies). PTI |
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Wright praises youngsters Dhaka, April 15 “The youngsters have fitted in particularly quickly which is good for us. They are highly promising young players who need this exposure with the senior team,” Wright told reporters on the eve of India’s match against Bangladesh here tomorrow. Wright confirmed that the team was toying with the idea of bringing about a couple of changes in the Indian line-up tomorrow. “Some of the players could be rested. It will give the opportunity to some of the youngsters to have a go.” India have won both their matches and are virtually assured of making it to the final of this triseries tournament, being played on a double-league format, on April 20. Wright said captain Saurav Ganguly could be rested for the match alongwith Zaheer Khan who has a slight hamstring strain. “Zaheer has a slight hamstring strain and will definitely not play tomorrow. It is not very serious and we will decide whether to field him in the match against South Africa depending on his recovery,” the coach said. Wright indicated that off spinner Sarandeep Singh, recalled into the team after a fairly long gap, might play while paceman Avishkar Salvi and allrounder Sanjay Bangar could also figure in the playing XI. On whether young Parthiv Patel would open the innings, Wright said there was a chance that he might be elevated in the batting order. “We may consider such a move. He has a lot of talent as a batsman. It is up to the skipper to decide the batting order.” Wright also emphasised on the importance for the team to maintain the winning sequence which has seen India rout Bangladesh and South Africa by huge margins. “We have played very well in the tournament so far, but it is still early days. We have to keep winning and tomorrow it will be no different. We have to keep that hunger,” he said. The coach said he was pleased with the fact that the team was far more consistent now. “We have worked very hard on this aspect. Consistency has a lot to do with attitude,” he said. Wright said after the heavy thunderstorms, the track may turn slightly which would help the spinners.
PTI |
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South African win restored some balance Bangladesh put up a much improved performance, but this was still not good enough to beat South Africa. Without a win under their belt, and not
looking good to make that breakthrough in this tournament, the home side are virtually out of the finals unless South Africa commit
hara-kiri. For Graeme smith, this win would have restored some sense and balance in this campaign after the shocking display against India the other day. On surfaces that have a little more pace, South Africa would obviously do better. But these guys are still far removed from the teams which represented the country four or five years ago. South Africa lack the spark, the discipline and fierce determination to win today. Without Jonty Rhodes, the fielding appears decent but not great, and without Allan Donald the attack lacks the bite. Fielding and pace bowling were two main areas of strength for South Africa. So their current struggle is understandable. Moreover, this side looks to be made up of individuals. In the past, the South Africans played as a team, whatever their personal differences, and unless Graeme Smith can stamp his authority, the problem can get worse. On a given day, they might yet beat India, but that will need individual brilliance from someone like Herschelle Gibbs unless Smith can effect a quick turnaround. There is a sense of insecurity in the players which I have not seen since Shaun Pollock had taken over from Hansie Cronje after the match-fixing controversy. I would think that
someone like Jacque Kallis or Gary Kirsten would be of enormous help in these circumstances because of their experience and calibre. Bangladesh showed far greater
commitment in the field than they have in the last six months. They were on their toes right through the South African innings, and came close to batting out their own 50 overs. That shows that some thinking is going on in the dressing room. It is never easy playing established teams, but having got the ICC’s nod to play at this level, they have now to make the
necessary progress and establish their credentials. What people want is for Bangladesh to compete, not concede without a fight. Unless the downhill stem is arrested, their own supporters will lose interest. Young Ashraful Haq showed a lot of promise while batting against South Africa, and he is the kind of player who can inspire his countrymen. But there need to be more like him.
TCM |
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Mohun Bagan coach sacked Kolkata, April 15 Announcing the decision, club general secretary Anjan Mitra alleged that Bhattacharjee had yesterday instigated some players not to wear the Bagan jersey for the remaining two National League outings, as they were yet to get full payment. “At a time when the game is going through tough times in India, such activities by a coach is against the interests of soccer,” Mr Mitra told newspersons here. Mr Mitra said on receiving reports that Bhattacharjee was instigating the players, he had made an inquiry. “After satisfying myself that Bhattacharjee was playing dirty games, I decided to sack him. The letter has been sent,” he said. Arjuna awardee Bhattacharjee, who had a 17-year stint with Bagan as player, later coached the club to two NFL titles, including one last year. But he got embroiled in a series of controversies, and the club recently decided to slap a show-cause notice on him for making ‘objectionable’ comments against an official. Mr Mitra said the club executive committee would tomorrow decide on the show-cause notice. He indicated that further steps might be taken against Bhattacharjee who continued to be a Bagan member. He said the two assistant coaches — Bidesh Bose and Shyamal Banerjee — would be in charge of the team for the remaining NFL matches. “If they decline the offer, one of the senior players will be entrusted with the job”.
PTI |
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Japan, South Korea clash in soccer today Seoul, April 15 The Asian soccer rivals co-hosted last summer’s World Cup but have never played each other during the quadrennial showpiece and are eager to determine which nation rules Asian soccer. The last head-to-head was in 2000. “I am fully aware of rivalry between South Korea and Japan,” South Korea’s new coach Humberto Coelho was quoted as saying by South Korean news agency Yonhap. Both Coelho and Japan coach Zico have personal reasons to spur their players. Since taking over the Korean squad from Dutchman Guus Hiddink in February, Coelho has had only one scoreless draw, against Colombia on March 29. Zico has had two draws and one defeat since taking the helm of the Japan side from Frenchman Philippe Troussier last July. With none of South Korea’s Europe-based stars making it for tomorrow’s match, Coelho depends on veteran midfielder Yoo Sang-chul and ace striker Ahn Jung-hwan. Yoo played in the Japanese league for three years and scored 43 goals before returning home to his Ulsan Hyundai last year. Ahn currently plays in Japan with Shimizu S-Pulse. “It will be a rough and difficult game,” Ahn said. “But I think this is a game we can play, since Japan has some good midfielders missing.” Ahn was expected to lead South Korea’s offense in Seoul’s World Cup Stadium, while South Korean defenders feared Japan’s veteran ace forward Masashi Nakayama. Ahn scored in the 1-1 draw in December 2000 at the Tokyo National Stadium, the last time the two sides met. The Japanese team arrived in the South Korean capital yesterday and began light training in the stadium. It also plays without all of its seven international players based in Europe, including ace midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata, who plays for Serie-A side Parma, and Shinji Ono, who plays for Feyenoord in the Dutch league. South Korea and Japan are traditional rivals in Asian soccer. Japan ruled the Korean Peninsula as a colony for 35 years. The 2002 World Cup was the first staged in Asia. Japan reached the second round while South Korea became the first Asian team to reach the semifinals, with Ahn helping lead the charge in upset wins over Spain and Italy. Overall South Korea leads Japan with 37 victories, 17 draws and 10 defeats. Since 1995, it has won four matches and lost two to Japan, with four draws.
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World Cup wins lower death rate London, April 15 During the 1998 World Cup when France defeated Brazil in the final, deaths from heart attacks dropped on the day of the match, which was watched by 26 million French TV viewers. Instead of about 33 deaths a day in the five days before and after the match, 23 men died of a heart attack on match day. There were also fewer deaths in women but the decrease was not as significant.
Reuters |
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Moya advances in Monte Carlo Monte Carlo, April 15 Moya, a clay-court specialist who is seeded second, won this tournament in 1998 and went on to win the French Open at Roland Garros later that year. “I’m happy with my tennis at the moment,” Moya, 26, told a packed centre court after his win. “I like this surface very much, and I am determined to win Monte Carlo this year.” Malisse, 23, struggled to come to terms with Moya’s superior serve and powerful ground strokes. Malisse’s serve, by comparison, appeared lightweight, and posed Moya little problem. “I have won this tournament, and I have been runner-up,” Moya added. “It will be hard to reach the final here this year because the standard of play is huge.” Moya faces South Africa’s Wayne Ferreira in the second round after Ferreira outlasted Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman 6-4, 2-6, 7-5. In other games today, Korea’s Hyung-Taik Lee beat Spain’s David Sanchez 6-1, 6-3, while Italy’s Davide Sanguinetti withdrew from his match against Dutch player Sjeng Schalken, seeded ninth, with the score at 6-3, 3-1 in Schalken’s favour. “I was suffering from pain in my lower back and it affected all the nerves in my right leg,” Sanguinetti said.
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Fauja Singh shines in London Marathon London, April 15 It is the indomitable spirit that guided Fauja Singh to create a niche for himself in the London Marathon on Sunday, finishing ahead of almost 10,000 younger men and women to finish 22,870th in 6hr 11min 09 Sec. After giving up running at 36 and returning to it at 89, he runs about 15 km every day and relaxes with warm baths, ginger curries and meditation. Fauja has now set his eyes on the next marathon in Toronto in September, followed by the one in New York in November and London again next April. He is not concerned that such strenuous exercise may be too much for him. “You only die once so you might as well put your life to good use,” Fauja said. When his training was interrupted in February due to personal reasons, he was less than pleased. “He did not train for two weeks and that upset him,” Harmander Singh, his coach, said. Fauja Singh came to Britain 10 years ago to join his son and family.
PTI |
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Top stars for Hero Golf
Chandigarh, April 15 The field for the tournament includes the likes of defending champion Arjun Singh, thrice champion Golfer of the Year award winner and current money list leader Mukesh Kumar, thrice-Hero Golf Chandigarh Open winner (’98, ’99 and 2000) Amritinder Singh, winner of last week’s SRF All-India Matchplay Golf Championship Vijay Kumar, runner-up at the SRF All-India, Matchplay Golf Championship Rahil Gangjee, twice-Indian Open winner (’91 and ’93) , Ali Sher, ’98 Indian Open winner and third ranked golfer on this season’s money list Feroze Ali, the first Indian to qualify for the main draw of a ‘Major’ (British Open) Gaurav Ghei, twice Honda-Siel PGA Golf Championship winner Uttam Singh Mundy and a number of other big names on the tour like Shiv Prakash, Rafiq Ali and Zai Kipgen to name a few. The Chandigarh Golf Club hosts a picturesque yet challenging par-72 course. Lush green and excellently maintained fairways are strategically peppered with bunkers and water-bodies, which call for accuracy off the tee and effective course management skills. “The Chandigarh Golf Club course was where Jeev, Harmeet, Amandeep and Amritinder learnt all their golf. The quality of the players it produces reveals the character of a golf course’, said Raja Malvinder Singh, president Chandigarh Golf Club. “On our part we have spared no effort in ensuring that the golf course is spruced up for the Hero Golf Chandigarh Open. This tournament is one of the highlights of our golfing calendar and we look forward to a battle royal between the golf stars,” he concluded. “Chandigarh is a city steeped in golfing tradition. Through the Hero Golf Chandigarh Open we aim to keep this tradition alive by providing up and coming youngsters in this city with the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best in the field. We aim to help them make a name for themselves like Jeev Milkha Singh, Harmeet Kahlon, Amandeep Johl and Amritinder Singh have, the world over,” said Mr Sunil Munjal, Managing Director, Hero Cycles Ltd. The Hero Golf Chandigarh Open is one of the most looked forward to tournaments on the Hero Honda Golf Tour, said Digraj Singh, Vice-President, Tiger Sports Marketing. “Evey professional golfer on the tour dreams of winning this event.”  |
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Big win for EME in hockey Mumbai, April 15 In the second match of the day, Jammu and Kashmir Police’s forward Gurjeet Singh slammed three goals in his team’s 4-0 win over Mumbai Port Trust. The winners led 2-0 at the
breather. EME’s Avtar (Jr) and Gurmail Singh scored once in each half for the team from Jalandhar. It was the speedy Gurmail who opened the account for his team when he patted home skipper Avtar Singh (Senior) cross from the left in the 18th minute of the match. Ten minutes later, J Kindo converted the second penalty corner to make it 2-0. Avtar got his first goal in the 30th minute when he sounded the board off Gurmail pass to put his team 3-0 ahead at half time. In the 49th minute, Gurmail was again bang on target when he latched on to a rebound and scored. Avtar (Jr) rounded off the tally when he converted the sixth penalty corner with just two minutes to go for the hooter.
PTI |
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Under-19 team for Kathmandu New Delhi, April 15 The following is the team:
Y Gnaneshwar Rao (Andhra), Manvinder Bisla (Haryana), A T Rayudu (captain, Hyderabad), Suresh Raina (vice-captain, Uttar Pradesh), Kuldeep Rawat (Delhi), Irfan Pathan (Baroda), Udit Patel (Karnataka), Sumit Biswal (Orissa), Sourav Sarkar (Kolkatta), Dinesh Kartik (Tamil Nadu), Rakesh Solanki (Baroda), Shivakanth Shukla (Uttar Pradesh), Tahir Abbas (Uttar Pradesh) and Abhishek Sharma (Delhi). The Delhi and District Cricket Association vice-president C.K. Khanna said here today that according to information received from the BCCI, former Delhi Ranji Trophy team coach Maninder Singh Jaggi had been appointed the manager of the team. But the coach and the physical trainer are yet to be named. |
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U-15 cricket team Bathinda, April 15 Sandeep (Bathinda) has been named the captain. The other players are:
Khem Chand (vice-captain), Lakhwinder Singh, Mandeep, (wicket-keeper). Harman, Amandeep Singh, (Muktsar), Arjun, Karan, Maninder Sharma, and Deepak Joshi (Bathinda) Ramandeep (Mansa), Avabiman Mittal (Ferozepore), Protul Sabarwal, (Sangrur) Sukhdev Singh and Rajbir Singh (Faridkot). |
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Plea for academy in Amritsar Amritsar, April 15 In a letter written to the Sports Minister, Punjab, Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, here today president of the AVM Charanjit Singh Gumtala pointed out that on the occasion of the bicentenary of the coronation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Ms Uma Bharti, the then Sports Minister, had promised to open a national academy of sports in every state. |
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Bangladesh put up a much improved performance, but this was still not good enough to beat South Africa. Without a win under their belt, and not
looking good to make that breakthrough in this tournament, the home side are virtually out of the finals unless South Africa commit
hara-kiri.
