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Tuesday,
July 1, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Venus, Serena storm into last eight
France lift Confederations Cup
Poignant tribute to Foe |
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India ‘A’, Durham settle
for draw Father’s illness changes
Kallis’ outlook Cricket Australia is ACB’s
new name Olympics:
wrestling qualifying meet in USA Mandeep Saini hockey tourney PSEB hikes players’ allowances
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Venus, Serena storm into last eight
London, June 30 US fifth seed Andy Roddick blitzed Thai 12th seed Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the men’s singles. The hugely confident Roddick, from Omaha, Nebraska, came into the event on the back of winning the warm-up at Queen’s Club, beating Andre Agassi along the way. Heavy overnight rain had delayed the start of the match for an hour and Williams appeared determined not to be kept waiting around a minute longer than necessary as she raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening set. Zvonareva put up more resistance in the second set but she was unable to prevent the American from completing a 6-1, 6-3 victory in exactly one hour. Williams, bidding to add a third Wimbledon crown to her 2000 and 2001 titles at the All England club, now faces 1999 champion Lindsay Davenport in the quarter-finals. Davenport, the fifth seed and winner here in 1999, ended the challenge of Japan’s Shinobu Asagoe 6-4, 6-1. Serena Williams motored into the quarter-finals, crushing Russian 15th seed Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-2. Belgian second seed Kim Clijsters showed no mercy to doubles partner Ai Sugiyama of Japan as she tore into the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-2 fourth round win. Clijsters, quarter-finalist two years ago for her best previous showing here, now meets a unseedeed player in either Italy’s Silvia Farina Elia or Paola Suarez of Argentina. Jennifer Capriati, the US eighth seed, beat Russian 10th seed Anastasia Myskina 6-2, 6-3 and now meets defending champion and top-seeded compatriot Serena Williams. Venus, seeded fourth, has advanced to the quarters without dropping a single set and conceded just 16 games in her four matches. Ominously for compatriot Davenport, there has not been the slightest hint of Venus being constrained by the abdominal muscle injury which contributed to her defeat by Zvonareva at the same stage in Paris a month ago. Then, the young Russian was able to dictate the pace of the play, dragging Venus from one side of the court to the other and forcing her into an uncharacteristically high level of unforced errors.
— AFP
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Paes-Rikl duo moves up
New Delhi, June 30 Paes and Rikl of the Czech Republic, the fifth seeds, over came rain delays and a first set deficit to defeat Giovanni Lapentti and Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7/5) 6-3 in the third round. — PTI
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France lift Confederations Cup
Paris, June 30 The cup will always be remembered for Foe, who collapsed and died on the pitch Thursday during Cameroon’s 1-0 semi-final victory over Colombia. And as the crowd Sunday at the Stade de France in Paris chanted his name as the teams were walking around the field after the trophy presentation, it was clear to whom the evening belonged. The biggest cheer was reserved for Cameroon’s captain, Rigobert Song, as he walked up to collect his losers medal carrying a huge photograph of Foe. Before the match started, the 51,000 spectators witnessed one of the most moving moments in recent football history when both sides stood around a huge photo of the midfielder and held hands in memory of Foe as his widow, Marie-Louise, and his brother looked on. As both teams observed a minute of silence and stood for their national anthems in the centre circle, several of the players from both sides had tears in their eyes. French coach Jacques Santini said after the game that that moment for him had been the most important of the tournament. “This was the defining moment,’’ he said. “Of course, if you have to take a moment from the game, it is the goal, but the most important moment was when the players showed they are one.’’ Then, after the match, French captain Marcel Desailly insisted that Song join him as he received the trophy. “I wanted to show that we were one,’’ Desailly said. “We shared the pain that the Cameroon players were feeling, and that was important on the night.’’ During the match, which was played more like a friendly rather than the final of an international competition, both sides began cautiously and created few chances. Ten minutes from the break, French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez was forced to make a full stretched save after Pius Ndiefi extended a cross from the right toward goal. On the hour, Henry should have opened the scoring for his side after midfielder Ludovic Giuly went down the right flank and crossed the ball into the middle for Djibril Cisse. The Auxerre striker managed to evade goalie Idriss Kameni’s dive at his feet and played the ball back to Henry, but his shot toward the empty goal shaved the upright and went behind for a goal kick. To a large cheer from the crowd, Samuel Eto’o, who scored Cameroon’s goal in the 1-0 victory against Brazil in their opening match, came on in the 67th minute. It could have been a storybook appearance for the striker as he had a clear-cut chance at goal within a minute of coming on after Timothee Atouba did well to win the ball from a French defender and his cross found an unmarked Eto’o in front of an open goal, but the Spanish-based player, who scored twice for Mallorca in their 3-0 cup final victory Saturday night, pulled the ball just wide. Because neither side managed to find a breakthrough in the remaining time, the match went into extra time. It was all over five minutes later though when Song missed a cross from the right, and the ball fell to Henry, who tapped it past Kameni with his knee, making France the first country in the history of the competition to successfully defend the title. Henry, who finished the cup’s top scorer with four goals, also won the best player award. Cameroon’s German coach, Winfried Schaefer, praised his side after the match. “I am proud of my players,’’ he said. “The game was a victory for football, and although it was a sad moment, the players did well. He also again paid tribute to Foe. “In 35 years of professional football, I have never come across a person like this,’’ Schaefer said. “It is not only football that has lost a great player, Cameroon has lost a great person.’’ — DPA
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Poignant
tribute to Foe
Paris, June 30 The night at the Stade de France was thick with emotion, with Cameroon, led by Foe’s lifelong friend Rigobert Song, discarding their traditional green and yellow colours for plain white with black armbands. Marie-Louise Foe was joined by her late husband’s brother at the match which Cameroon wanted to play as a poignant tribute to their fallen ‘Indomitable Lion’. The 28-year-old father of three collapsed and died in the 72nd minute of his country’s semi-final against Colombia in Lyon on Thursday. It was the express wish of his widow and the Cameroon team that the final went ahead. Many of the France side, including skipper Marcel Desailly were in favour of cancelling the fixture. In a show of solidarity the teams linked arms in a circle in the centre of the pitch holding a large photograph of Foe for the minute’s silence which preceded the kick-off which was completely observed. France also chose to wear black armbands.
When the Cameroon squad - all with their absent colleague’s name and his number 17 position written on their warm-up kit - had come out to test the turf they received a huge cheer from the then half-full stadium. Some fans too sported black t-shirts with the words “Foe forever” on the front. One sign in the crowd said “Marco, we love you.” FIFA president Sepp Blatter, speaking at the launch of FIFA’s centennial anniversary before the game, said: “We are all of us still under shock from the tragic demise of Marc-Vivien Foe. “Tonight his widow will be here, but one player will be missing.” Cameroon supporter Ahidjo Njoya, 32, said: “Cameroon is sick, the nation’s in mourning.”
— AFP |
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Windies thrash Lanka, clinch series
Kingston (Jamaica), June 30 Sarwan and Lara drove home the advantage created by Collymore with a 161-run stand for the third wicket as the West Indies comfortably chased a 212-run target to clinch the two-match series with more than two days to spare. The opening Test at St Lucia had ended in a draw. Lara hammered an unbeaten 80 and Sarwan a stroke-filled 82 to complete the job begun by Collymore, who finished with a career-best 7-57 to prevent Sri Lanka from setting a stiff fourth-innings target. Sri Lanka were shot out for 194 in their second innings after resuming at 129 for 5, with Collymore taking the remaining five wickets for 31 in eight incisive overs to return the best figures by a West Indian at Sabina Park. Only Englishmen Trevor Bailey (7-34 in 1954) and John Snow (7-49 in 1968), and West Indian Wes Hall (7-69 in 1960) had captured seven wickets at this venue before Collymore. Sarwan and Lara batted resolutely to ensure their team did not repeat the first-innings mistakes when the hosts were dismissed for 191 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 208. The pair batted cautiously in the afternoon, but went on the rampage in the last session as they severely punished fast bowler Prabath Nissanka, who had wrecked the West Indies with five wickets in the first innings. The West Indies plundered 92 runs off just 11.4 overs. Lara began it when he hit Nissanka for two boundaries in an over and Sarwan continued it as he pulled the same bowler continued it as he pulled the same bowler for a six and two fours in the next over. Sarwan struck one six and 13 fours in his 110-ball knock for the 16th Test half-century, while Lara hit one six and nine fours in his 41st. Sri Lanka’s hopes of keeping pressure on the West Indies depended on key seamer Chaminda Vaas and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, but both looked ineffective after sharing two early wickets. Chris Gayle was trapped leg-before by Vaas, while Wavell Hinds (29) was bowled attempting to sweep Muralitharan. Lara and Sarwan then did not allow the Sri Lankan bowlers to dominate with their robust knocks. The morning session belonged to Collymore, a 25-year-old Barbadian who took his second successive haul of five or more scalps in a Test innings. Collymore, who had taken five wickets in his comeback Test at St Lucia last week, looked virtually unplayable as none of the Sri Lankan batsmen could cope with his pace and bounce. Playing only his third Test after making his debut against Australia four years ago, Collymore began the slide with his 10th delivery when he bowled last specialist batsman Hashan Tillakaratne for seven. Vaas counter-attacked, pulling Collymore for two successive fours to add 35 off 27 balls for the seventh wicket with Kumar Dharmasena. The tail-enders’ flourish did not last long as Collymore had both Dharmasena (20) and Vaas (21) caught by Lara in the slips in a space of five deliveries. Scoreboard Sri Lanka (1st innings): 208 West Indies (1st innings): 191 Sri Lanka (2nd innings): 194 West Indies (2nd innings): Gayle lbw b Vaas 0 Hinds b Muralitharan 29 Sarwan c Jayasuriya
Lara not out 80 Samuels not out 0 Extras:
(b-8, lb-3,
Total: (for 3 wkts,
Fall of wickets:
1-1, 2-50, 3-211. Bowling: Vaas 12-2-54-2, Thushara 5-0-23-0, Nissanka 8-1-64-0, Muralitharan 15.4-1-48-1, Dharmasena 2-0-12-0.
— AFP |
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Dawn of a new era for West Indies: Lara
Kingston, Jamaica, June 30 “At the beginning of this year I would have said that we’d do well to win a test match in South Africa, but now I expect us to win the series,” he said yesterday, shortly after the West Indies clinched a 1-0 series win over Sri Lanka. “With (batsman Shivnarine) Chanderpaul fit again, and hopefully Jermain Lawson back and bowling at the speed he was before getting injured, I expect us to beat the South Africans,” Lara declared. The West Indies skipper said he was enjoying the role of nurturing new talent in his second stint as captain, but acknowledged that he was keen to wipe out the memory of captaining a disastrous 5-0 series whitewash in South Africa four years ago. “That series sort of derailed Brian Lara and derailed West Indies cricket. If we can take out South Africa this time that will set us up for going down to Australia for our next series there. Then I’ll be able to tell you how far we have come,” he said. A rich array of young West Indies batting talent began emerging several years ago, and players such as Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds and Marlon Samuels have joined Chanderpaul in confirming their potential. But it was the bowling department that was the decisive factor in the second test against Sri Lanka, a low-scoring affair that was wrapped up before the end of the third day. West Indies’ seven-wicket win was due, in large measure, to the efforts of three fast bowlers who could boast just four previous test games between them. Among them were Jerome Taylor, 19, who made his test debut last week, and Fidel Eduards, 21, whose roughneck round-arm action and capacity to swing the ball earned him first innings figures of five for 36. Even more impressive was Corey Collymore, who collected 14 wickets in three Sri Lankan innings to prove that his labelling as a one-day specialist was, in the words of Lara, “a mishap”. “It is unfortunate that Corey had to wait four or five years for a recall after his first test match. I think he led the attack here tremendously and he understands the game very well,” Lara said. The joker in the West Indies pack is Lawson, who took seven for 78 against Australia in a test in May, only to face official complaints about a suspect action. He is currently recovering from a back injury and undergoing remedial work on his action. “For some people this is a time to rest, but Lawson must now work at his task,” Lara said. Lara stressed that more experienced bowlers such as Vasbert Drakes and Mervyn Dillon still had an important role to play in leading by example. However, he was adamant that a new era was dawning for the team that had suffered home series defeats to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in successive years. “We’ve worked over the last three months to get the right combination and the right attitude. I’d say we now have the right 16 or 17 players to choose from to do well over the long term ... I’m really looking forward to the future,” he said. West Indies tour Zimbabwe and South Africa at the end of this year. — Reuters
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India ‘A’, Durham settle for draw London, June 30 Resuming on their overnight score of three for no loss, India ‘A’ scored another 92 runs for the loss of three wickets from the 30 overs that were bowled today.
Scoreboard India ‘A’ (first innings): 482/9 declared Durham (first innings): 333/9 declared India ‘A’ (second innings, overnight 3/0). S S Das c Pratt b Hatch 31, G Gambhir b Davies 4, W Jaffer b Hatch 15, A T Rayudu not out 29, P A Patel not out 15. Extras
(lb 1) 1. Total (3 wickets in 33 overs):
95. FoW: 1/16, 2/47, 3/52. Bowling: Hatch 12-2-23-2, Davies 8-3-16-1, Hunter 6-1-21-0, Phillips 4-0-16-0, Wells 3-0-18-0.
— UNI |
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Father’s illness changes Kallis’ outlook
Canterbury, June 29 “It was a difficult decision for me to come on this tour,” added Kallis, 27, who made 107 in South Africa’s six-wicket defeat against England in their first match of the series at the Oval on Saturday. “Right up until the last minute I wasn’t 100 per cent sure I was going to come on tour,” explained Kallis, who missed the tour of Bangladesh. “But my sister got a transfer to Cape Town and I know that my father would want nothing more for me than to be successful on a cricket field,” added Kallis after posting his 10th one-day international hundred. Kallis, 27, who has adopted his father’s age, 65, as his shirt number, said of his performances: “It’s right up there with the best feeling I’ve ever had.” He added: “My father didn’t know about the shirt number but my sister told me it made him feel proud.” Kallis said his father’s illness had given him a changed outlook. “I think it probably has put new perspective in my life. People are dying. If I can go out there and enjoy it and give other people enjoyment that’s important.” Turning to the match, Kallis said playing on successive days was tough. “Back-to-back games are definitely tough, especially for all-rounders. My legs feel like lead. But it’s always easier when the team is doing well.” And he insisted his enforced break had done him good. “I’ve had three months off and have come back refreshed. From a cricketing point of view it was the best thing I could have done.” South Africa captain Graeme Smith, fulsome in his praise of Kallis, also paid tribute to Andrew Hall. The Worcestershire all-rounder made a dashing 56 and also took three for 38 with his accurate medium-pacers yesterday. After promoting Hall up the order, following his eight-ball unbeaten 23 at Lord’s, Smith said: “I sent him in to do a job and he took the pressure off the batters. As a bowler he knows what he can do and has a never say die attitude.” Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak said fielding lapses had cost his team. He himself twice missed chances to run out Kallis with a direct hit, another chance to run out the former Middlesex allrounder also passed Zimbabwe by and they dropped him twice into the bargain as well. — AFP
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Cricket
Australia is ACB’s new name Sydney, June 30 However,
the iconic baggy green cap worn by Australia’s Test cricketers will
remain untouched. Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said the new identity was developed after a strategic review showed that the large number of different brands and images used in Australian cricket were uncoordinated. “This
diluted the sport’s voice when competing for attention against other
sports and entertainment competitors,” Sutherland said. “The
development of the new Cricket Australia brand architecture gives
cricket brands across Australia an opportunity to strengthen cricket’s
cut-through by aligning themselves with the new look without losing
their own distinctive identities.” He said the Cricket Australia
identity also better reflected modern Australian cricket than did the
old name and logo. In a coincidental development, tomorrow also
marks the permanent integration of women’s cricket into the Cricket
Australia structure after a successful two-year trial. — PTI |
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Olympics:
wrestling qualifying meet in USA Chandigarh, June 30 Indian wrestling squad, Mr Malik said, was ready to proceed to England for the Commonwealth Championship slated to be held in London on July 5 and 6 and then Canada Cup to be played at Guelph in Canada on July 11 and 12. He stressed that efforts were being made to provide the maximum possible exposure to the wrestlers so that they could win laurels for the country in the Olympic next year. “Wrestlers would be provided a minimum of eight exposure competitions during the remaining one year before the Olympics. Hence, the visit to the Commonwealth Championships was planned. And, as the dates of Canada Cup were also quite close to the Commonwealth meet, the WFI decided to participate in this tournament as well,” he revealed. Wrestling is considered among the priority games like hockey, swimming, etc by the Government of India and it is expected that these games provided India best opportunity to win medals in Olympics and other major competitions. In the Asian Wrestling Championship held in New Delhi early this month, India won four silver and six bronze medals. He attributed the success of grapplers in various international meets to the help and cooperation provided by the Union Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and the Sports Authority of India. He said efforts were being made to find sponsors. Coaches from Poland and Georgia had been arranged for specialised training for the wrestlers. Ramesh Kumar and Sunita Sharma, suffering from knee injuries were expected to recover and start training for the Olympics. Women’s wrestling had been introduced in the Asian Games held at Busan due to the efforts of the WFI, while FILA, the international wrestling body, has also agreed to include women’s wrestling in the Olympics 2004 for the first time for which competitions in 48 kg, 55 kg, 63 kg and 72 kg weight categories will be held, he stated. The Indian wrestlers, though talented, lacked the killer instinct which made it difficult for them to realise their full potential at the international level. Efforts would be made to find a psychologist to ensure that the wrestlers were geared up to give their best in crunch situations. Besides, wrestling is the sport which needed immense physical power and stamina. He made a special reference to Iran and Kazhakhstan wrestlers in this regard. Mr Malik emphasised that merit was the sole criteria for selecting the accompanying technical officials for the twin tours of England and Canada. “All of them are professionals and experienced,” he stated. Citing an example, he said that Usha Sihag was an-NIS qualified coach having better track record than others. It was Sihag who had trained Kamini Yadav and Sunita Sharma, medal winners in various international wrestling competitions. The manager attached to the team was associated with the sport for the past 20 years, he added. “The Wrestling Federation of India was making sincere efforts to provide all assistance to wrestlers to win medals for the country despite lack of financial resources. This is an entirely voluntary exercise. If India wins a medal in Olympics it would be from the sport of wrestling,” he said. |
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Mandeep
Saini hockey tourney Chandigarh, June 30 The tournament is being conducted to commemorate the memory of her brother, Mandeep. Eight top teams, including Air-India Academy, Punjab National Bank Academy, Meerut XI, CRZ, Sonepat, SAIL Rourkela, Surjit Hockey Academy, PAP Academy and Sukhchain Hockey Academy will participate.
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PSEB hikes players’ allowances Patiala, June 30 From now onwards, players and officials accompanying the PSEB squads will be getting Rs 150 per day as daily allowance. This will be in addition to any amount the tournament committee pays to players by way of boarding and lodging expenses. The management has also decided to treat as `diet money’ any cash the team receives from the tournament committee in the form of prize money. The amount will be divided equally among the players and officials.
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Canterbury, June 29
