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Sunday,
June 15, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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‘Not joining Lancashire tough decision’
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Ireland defeat Zimbabwe by 10 wkts Beckham transfer saga national obsession
Punjab boys retain title, Chhattisgarh eves dethrone Kerala Punjab cops, Shimla Youngs in semis Kangra beat Nahan
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Maiden ITF title for Amritraj Chandigarh, June 14 For this win Amritraj took home $ 812.50 while Kannan had to content with $ 562.50. It was a revenge win for Amritraj as earlier Vijay Kannan and Saurav Panja, who won the doubles title, had ousted top seeds Prakash and Stephen Amritraj in the doubles semifinal. After losing the first set Kannan Panja had fought back to come out victorious. Today, there was no question of the match being stretched to three sets as Amritraj steamrolled his opponent in sweltering heat and front of empty stands. Only a motley crew of officials, students players and media were present. A relaxed Amritraj later said he was happy with his showing the entire week. “This was my best match in the last two weeks. I started strongly as the balls here are lighter and courts are fast. This entire week I have served well and attacked well at the net.” He was all praise for Kannan, whom he termed as a crafty opponent. “With him one never knows as he fights till the end. He is a crafty player and I think I forced him into making errors as I kept coming in to the net. He was surprised by it. “It feels good to win my first title,” said Amritraj, who now goes to Delhi for the next leg. He will then play in a Masters tournament. The 19-year-old, who has quit college to turn a full-time professional, seemed relaxed throughout the match. Kannan put up a fight in the first set to come back at 3-5. Amritraj missed a set point in the game but then served out the set without losing a point in that game. Kannan most of the time had no answer to Amritraj’s strong serves and his repeated forays to the net. Kannan managed to win the opening game of the second set on his serve. That was the only game he won in that set. Amritraj repeatedly attacked the net, forcing errors from Kannan, who also served double faults at crucial points to hand the advantage to Amritraj. At 1-1, 15-40 down Kannan handed Amritraj the break serving a double fault. Kannan’s rhythm went haywire in the second set as his shot either landed in the net or went long. The match lasted one hour and eight minutes as Amritraj finished the tournament without being stretched to the third set as most of his matches have been one-sided. In the Mumbai leg of the tournament he had lost to Daniel Kiernan of the UK in the
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Chatwinder, Saurabh get wild cards New Delhi, June 14 In the singles main draw of 32, there will be 20 direct entries, eight qualifiers and four wild cards. Players from Germany, the UK, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea,
Malaysia, Thailand, the USA and India will be competing in the event. India’s top players like Sunil Kumar
Sipaeya, Prakash Amritraj, Vijay Kannan, Ajay Ramaswami, Vinod Sridhar, Vishal Uppal and Mustafa Ghouse will be seen in action. |
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Sania-Sanaa duo wins ITF
junior title Hyderabad, June 14 The Indian pair defeated Maren Kassens of Germany and Alla Kudryavtsea of Russia 6-1, 6-0 in the final, according to information received here. Sania and Sanaa had also reached semifinals of the French Open doubles earlier this month.
PTI |
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‘Not joining Lancashire tough decision’
New Delhi, June 14 Harbhajan Singh said he took the “difficult but honourable stand befitting a good professional” as he did not want Lancashire to be stranded mid-way through the county season. “I am not the one who let people down and I didn’t want a situation where I could have stranded Lancashire midway through the county season,” he told PTI over to telephone from Mumbai. The ace off-spinner was all set to join Lancashire county staff yesterday but he thought it fit to bowl in the nets and see how his injured hand was responding to the strain. To his disappointment, he found it swelling up a bit and he didn’t take a minute to arrive at the decision. “It wouldn’t have been ethical if I had still gone ahead and played for the county. After all, how could I have been sure it wouldn’t play up in the middle of county season? “Besides, I have to be sure any cricket decision I take suits me and above all my country as nothing comes above than playing for India and ensuring I serve its interest to the best of my ability,” he said. He said with India scheduled to meet Australia and New Zealand in the coming months, he felt it necessary to stay fit. “India has tough assignments in the next season with opponents like New Zealand and Australia and it is in everyone’s interest that I am not found wanting.” Harbhajan Singh said even though he now had lost a lucrative contract and a chance to hone his skills to bowl on largely unresponsive tracks, he at least was being fair to his county, country and himself. “By doing this honourable thing and informing Lancashire of my decision, I was being fair to them, my country and myself.” The bowler is now willing to put himself under the scanner again and if need be go under a surgeon’s knife in order to get back to his usual top fitness. “I am now in Mumbai and will meet Dr (Anant) Joshi to seek his expertise on the matter. I will do whatever he guides me — whether to undergo surgery or seek expert help in some other country.” Harbhajan Singh has had pain in his bowling finger for quite some time now because of his unusual tight and spread bowling grip — causing a maximum possible gap to occur between his thumb and index finger. He was literally dragged to play in the TVS Cup in Dhaka by his skipper Saurav Ganguly in April but no sooner was the event over, he went to South Africa to seek expert medical opinion and was gratified to learn he didn’t need a surgery but only an extended rest to get his troublesome hand behaving again. He then submitted himself to an extended break, hardly touching a cricket ball and delaying his stint in Lancashire till this month. Lancashire, on their part, were equally understanding. It is a measure of how badly they wanted “Bhajji” that even though the season was well and truly underway, they still wanted to wait till the last minute to accommodate the Indian bowler. English counties usually don’t jeopardise their prospects by waiting endlessly for their overseas pro to turn up, but Lancashire was willing to wait for the off-spinner because of Harbhajan’s extremely sociable and friendly outlook which would have helped in promoting cricket among Asians. “Obviously, we are extremely disappointed by the fact that Harbhajan would not be playing for us. But he’s been fair to us and we wish him a speedy recovery,” Lancashire cricket manager Mike Watkinson said. PTI
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Harbhajan
may be operated in USA Mumbai, June 14 Harbhajan Singh, who sustained a finger injury during India’s tour of New Zealand earlier this year, underwent an MRI scan at the Lalavati Hospital this afternoon. Speaking to PTI after the scan, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) doctor and sports medicine expert Dr Anant Joshi said “Harbhajan underwent MRI scan and X-ray on his finger after specialist Dr Sudhir Warrior, who also treated Sachin’s finger before the Mumbai star decided to go in for an operation at the USA, advised him to do so. “However, it will take at least a couple of days for us (the two doctors and Harbhajan) to come to a final decision as I am going to Japan tonight but will keep in touch with both Harbhajan and Dr Warrior about the developments”, Joshi added. “If his finger needs to be operated then the first choice would be to send him to the USA as the doctors over there have done a very good job on Sachin’s finger recently”, he said.
PTI
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Ireland defeat Zimbabwe by 10 wkts
Belfast, June 14 Fielding largely a backup team without Heath Streak,Grant Flower and several other stars in the first of three games against the Irish, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 182 at Stormont with just a ball left of the innings. Deon Ibrahim scored 52 and Stuart Matsikenyeri 50 to hold up the innings after the tourists had been struggling at 12 for three. It was another grim result for the Zimbabweans who lost each of their Test matches against England by an innings inside three days. “There is very little I can say,” said stand-in captain Tatenda Taibu. “We are obviously disappointed not to have made a fight of this match. Thankfully we have another game against Ireland to put things right now.”
SCOREBOARD Zimbabwe Ebrahim b McCallan 52 Marillier b Mooney 0 Coventry b Mooney 4 Sims c Molins b Neely 0 Matsikenyeri st O’Brien b
Taibu c Armstrong b Botha 35 Ervine run out 0 Friend c O’Brien b Neely 22 Brent c & b Botha 0 Hondo not out 5 Mwayenga c Armstrong b Neely 1 Extras
(b-1 lb-6 w-5 nb-1) 13 Total (all out, 49.5 overs) 182 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-11, 3-12, 4-108, 5-132, 6-133, 7-170, 8-171, 9-178. Bowling:
Mooney 8-2-19-2, Neely 9.5-0-30-3, Armstrong 6-0-25-0, Botha 9-0-39-2, White 9-0-36-1, McCallan 8-1-26-1 Ireland Molins not out 107 Bray not out 68 Extras (b-4 lb-1 w-1 nb-3) 9 Total (33.4 overs) 184 Bowling:
Hondo 7-2-37-0, Mwayenga 4-1-22-0, Brent 7-1-28-0, Marillier 4-0-26-0, Friend 5-0-31-0, Ervine 2-0-15-0, Sims 3.4-0-18-0, Matsikenyeri 1-0-2-0. |
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Beckham transfer saga national obsession
London, June 14 In pubs, homes and work-places across the land, speculation about the national obsession’s imminent sale from Premiership champions Manchester United is on everyone’s lips. The main talking points are: why he is going — a bust-up with manager Alex Ferguson? the ambition of pop star wife Victoria “Posh” Beckham — and the lucky buyers. Spain’s Real Madrid or Barcelona, and Italy’s AC Milan are favourites. “He’s a part of Britain, a part of our lives. I can’t believe he’s really going,” said self-confessed “Becks” fanatic Judy Crompton, sifting through newspaper stories at a London pub. “I just don’t think they’ll appreciate him over there.” The mass-circulation tabloid papers have been splashing the Beckham story daily, hounding his family and friends for tit-bits, running spurious “exclusives” and comparing the relative merits of life in Italy or Spain. Even the highbrow media have been unable to ignore it. One staid TV newscast led with Beckham above a crucial press conference about Britain’s role in Europe by the prime minister and finance minister. “Nation in turmoil because a football club is trying to sell a player,” was one paper’s wry take on it all. Although often mocked for a squeaky voice contrasting with his film-star looks, Beckham is a genuine icon for most. On the football pitch, he recovered from the shame of a stupid sending-off against arch-rivals Argentina which helped stop England’s progress in the 1998 World Cup to perform with such skill and consistency that he took the captain’s armband. His redemption was completed in fairy-tale style with one of his trademark free kicks to snatch a last-minute equaliser against Greece that sent England to the 2002 World Cup. For the club he has been at since boyhood, Manchester United, he has won just about every award going. But the Beckham phenomenon — now a topic of serious academic study — goes far beyond just his ball skills. By marrying a former “Spice Girl” singer, he leapt up Britain’s celebrity ladder where the pair are now the undisputed No. 1. Their home is routinely referred to as “Beckingham Palace” and tabloids dub them the “real royal family.” His fashion sense and ease with his feminine side, including wearing sarongs and braiding his hair, have made him a style icon for youth. As a well-behaving husband and father of two boys, he has also made old-fashioned family values look cool. And as a global marketing tool, Beckham has few equals. One recent university study said he had transformed men’s attitudes to fashion, fatherhood and homosexuality. “Chosen one, sporting messiah ... slight yet strong, tatooed for the cause, quintessential sporting icon,” read parts of the report titled “One David Beckham: Celebrity, Masculinity and the Soccerati.” Reuters
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Punjab boys retain title, Chhattisgarh eves dethrone Kerala Ludhiana, June 14 In a nerve-wrecking final, playing like a well-oiled machine, the hosts quelled a strong challenge put up by their rivals, Delhi before emerging victorious. The winners led 54-49 at half time. Jagdeep (31) and Punjab skipper Snehpal Singh (30) scored maximum points ,followed by Mandeep and Lakhwinder Singh who contributed 17 and 15 points, respectively. For Delhi, their captain, Shiv (34) toiled hard to reduce the margin. Other notable scorers were Sanjay, Satwinder and Sunder, who chipped in with 20, 15 and 14 points,
respectively. An elated Ramesh Kailey, Punjab coach said the boys played
like champions and they deserved to be the winners. The better shooting skills helped them keep Delhi boys under control and wrap up the issue, the coach informed. B. S. Hooda, coach of the Delhi team agreed with Kailey. The Punjab players exhibited better co-ordination, shooting skills and Delhi boys committed mistakes at crucial junctures which cost them the match, Hooda opined. Earlier, in the girl’s section, Chhattisgarh avenged their defeat which they had suffered at Goa in the last edition of this championship. They dethroned holders Kerala 83-57 to clinch the trophy. Today, Chhattisgarh players had a distinct edge over the champions and looked determined to upstage their strong opponents. Last year’s losing finalists, Chhattisgarh put up a dazzling display to
unsettle the experienced Kerala cagers . They raced to a comfortable lead of 16 points at the end of the first quarter with some long baskets, sank by M Pushpa and Parvathi. In the second quarter, Kerala girls fought back
valiantly and Anjana S.S, playing her heart out helped her team to reduce the margin to just nine points (25-34). After changing ends, Chhattisgarh eves changed their tactics to blunt Kerala’s attacks in which they
succeeded and managed to score eight more points than Kerala players in the third quarter to enhance the lead by 17 points (56-39). In the last quarter, Kerala girls made some frantic moves to wipe out the deficit but the Chhattisgarh players gave them a little chance and finally won the verdict quite comfortably 83-57. For Chhattisgarh, M Pushpa excelled with 30 points while their skipper, Barati accounted for 12 points and Parvathi contributed 23 points. Cuckoo Anna Baby and Anjana S S scored 14 and 17 points, respectively, for the losers. |
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Punjab cops, Shimla Youngs in semis Mandi, June 14 Punjab Police netted once in each half to win their match comfortably. Manjit headed the first goal in the 32nd minute following a flag kick. Midway through the second half, Kuldip added the second, his goalward shot going in off a defender. Punjab Police carried out most of the attacks through their wingers and exerted pressure most of the time. Gurgaon had two chances early in the match but Sanjeev and Ranbir failed to keep their shots low. Gurdev Singh, former India Captain, guided the police team offering vital tips. Shimla Youngs, a top division team from Delhi snatched a single-goal victory over Hoshiarpur Police by scoring in the 60th minute of the match. Anubhav Jha netted the winner. The Delhi team was best served by goalkeeper Mukesh Patwal. He repeatedly thwarted the scoring attempts of the Hoshiarpur Police. The shot he blocked from Sarwan early in the second half was the feature of the match.
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Kangra
beat Nahan Chamba, June 14 In the second innings, Kangra scored 128 for 6 in 30 overs at close on the second day. Vikrant got 3 for 27. Brief score: Kangra (first innings): 205. Nahan (first innings):
157 all out. (Manik 45, Neetam 30, Anjuman 5 for 14, Bashir 2 for 14. Kangra (second innings): 128 for 6. (Rishi 36 not out, Ashim 31, Neeraj 30, Vikrant 3 for 27).
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