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Friday,
July 18, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Waugh to the rescue of
minnows Bangladesh Entire Bangladesh squad can’t equal Steve India 'A' match
abandoned El
Salvador, Costa Rica in quarterfinals |
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KPS Gill helped infuse ‘killer instinct’ in hockey team Players bowled over
by ‘pahari’ dishes Palwinder aiming at Olympic glory Rakesh sets new mark in hammer throw Foreign tours for women boxers
Gurwinder wins in hammer throw
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Waugh to the rescue of minnows Bangladesh
Darwin, Australia, July 17 Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore was fuming on the eve of his side’s first-ever match against Australia when he was asked if he was confident the Test would last more than two days. Whatmore, who took charge last month of Test cricket’s newest nation, took a few seconds before replying “absolutely” and after the interview at Marrara Oval here today took exception with the radio reporter over her question. Bangladesh’s modest record of 19 Tests for 18 losses and a rain-affected draw since their debut in 2000 have pundits declaring a rout of spectacular proportions is in the offing. Former Australian batsman and new commentator David Hookes fired off that there was the potential for the five-day Tests in Darwin and Cairns this month to turn into one-day events with a flurry of Test records to fall. The Australian team have not been part of the public denigration of the Bangladeshi novices, speaking of their respect for the developing Asian team as Test cricket is played for the first time in Australia’s tropical north ‘dry season’. Australian captain Steve Waugh, a great cricket traditionalist, has called the outpourings of scorn as “sledging by the media.” “There’s been a lot of rubbish written over the last couple of weeks about this Test match,” Waugh said at his pre-match press conference. “These guys are capable cricketers. They’ve won two games on tour so far. They’ve played 19 Test matches as a country, it’s not going to be a walkover, we’re going to have to play good cricket. “Obviously, they’re developing and they haven’t won a Test match yet... they have to start somewhere and it doesn’t do them any good to continually read a lot of what has been in the papers and around the place. “They’re much better than what’s been written.” Whatmore knows the great challenge that confronts his untried team, but instilled by his successes as coach of Sri Lanka, he sees the Australian tour as a wonderful opportunity for his players. “When things are tough in international cricket it’s the hard things you do rather than the soft options that I’m looking for,” he said. “I’m really interested to see how the players react to difficult periods which is always on when you’re playing good sides like Australia. “You don’t get this opportunity very often and this is a great place to learn what it is all about. “When you’re playing really good sides some of our better ones might just come across and that’s what I am hoping, but everyone will be taking back with them some little thing where they need to do to improve. “To me it doesn’t matter if you’re bowled out for 50 here, as long as they can show me that they can fight and they’re not taking the soft options,” Whatmore said. “There’s no disgrace if you do get beaten against the team like Australia, as long as these boys are keen to improve their own game by going about it in the right way, and that’s all I’m interested in.” Australia are going into a Test match in the unique situation of hardly touching a bat or ball for the last month, as they recover from a gruelling playing schedule of 10 months’ continuous cricket, but Waugh is far from perturbed.
— AFP |
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Entire Bangladesh
squad can’t equal Steve Darwin (Australia), July 17 The 38-year-old Test campaigner, who will lead Australia into the first Test at Marrara Oval here tomorrow, is also thought to earn more than all the Bangladesh team. The gulf in experience between cricket’s leading team and the Test minnows is graphically illustrated in Waugh’s 18-year record. His 160 Tests eclipse the 126 played by the whole Bangladesh touring party, who have scored only 4,508 Test runs between them - well under half of Waugh’s 10,265 runs. Even Waugh’s part-time medium-pacers have netted him 91 wickets — compared to the 71 extracted by cricket’s newest Test nation. Waugh and the rest of the Australia side will receive $ 11,000 ($ 7,200 US) each per Test. The Bangladesh players earn about $ 1,700 ($ 1,100 US) a game, captain Khaled Mahmud said here today. Leading Bangladeshi players are contracted at $ 1,000 (US) per month. The top-ranked players under Cricket Australia contract scheme earn 20 times that amount. While the Bangladesh wages appear dwarfed compared to those paid to Australia’s cricket elite, they appear lucrative in Bangladesh. Mahmud said he is content with his remuneration, because Bangladesh is a new cricket nation. “As a start it is not bad, I think, because we just started cricket,” Mahmud said. “Australia have a big reputation from more than 125 years. We are just two or three years into Test cricket.
— AFP |
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India
'A' match
abandoned London, July 17 The draw result was a disappointment for the Indians who were in the driver's seat when play ended on a rain-marred second day, having piled up 462 for four before declaring their first innings. The huge total was made possible due to centuries by Gautam Gambhir, Sridharan Sriram and A.T. Rayudu. In reply Surrey, who were skittled out for 173 in their first knock, were 39 for no loss. The match belonged to the Indians, yet unbeaten on this tour, as they impressed both with their bowling and batting. While Sriram, playing his first three-day match of the tour, was dismissed for 115 (143b, 20x4), Gambhir and Rayudu remained not out on 130 and 101, respectively. It was Gambhir's second century on tour after his 128 not out against British Universities on June 25. Gambhir faced 186 balls and hit 17 fours in a patient effort that lasted nearly four hours. In contrast Rayudu raced to his century hitting 15 fours and two sixes. His 101 runs came off 103 balls. Surrey, who fielded five new players against the tourists, tried as many as nine bowlers as the Indian batsmen made merry. India 'A' next take on South Africa in a three-day fixture starting on Saturday. —
PTI
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El Salvador, Costa Rica in quarterfinals
Foxboro, July 17 Earlier, Costa Rica clinched their place in the last eight with a 3-0 victory over Cuba yesterday. El Salvador and Martinique both went into their group C match needing a win to progress. Martinique fielded an amateur side with the exception of goalkeeper Eddy Heurlie, a reserve with relegated French Ligue 1 team Troyes. Jose Gordon almost gave Martinique a 36th-minute lead but his shot was well saved by goalkeeper Juan Gomez. At the other end, Heurlie made several stops before Gonzalez finally struck. Heurlie saved substitute William Alegria’s point-blank shot but the ball fell kindly for Gonzalez to tap in from 10 metres. “We’re like a new-born baby,’’ El Salvador coach Juan Paredes told reporters. Costa Rica, who also needed a win to stay in the competition, powered through thanks to their 3-0 victory over Cuba in group D. A brilliant strike from Walter Centeno in first-half stoppage time gave Costa Rica the lead before substitutes Steven Bryce and Erick Scott put the game beyond Cuba, who now meet the USA, the defending champions, in the last eight. Despite dominating from the start, the Costa Ricans took a long time to make their superiority tell. Winston Parks struck the post in the third minute while Centeno headed a cross from Rolando Fonseca against the bar 12 minutes later.— Reuters
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KPS Gill helped infuse ‘killer instinct’ in hockey team Solan, July 17 In an exclusive interview with this correspondent at Barog yesterday, he said Mr Gill, after initial trials, was quick in deciding that making the national team mentally tough should be accorded top priority. Hence he came up with the idea of training the national squad at the ‘NSG’ Commando Training School at Manesar. The boys had so far attended three courses, each of one month duration, at that school. These courses were designed to inculcate a spirit of endurance and a will to survive and hang on even in extremely adverse circumstances besides making the boys physically fit and disciplined. In addition to these camps, the IHF boss had been arranging special talks by Army personnel posted in difficult areas. This measure had helped develop a patriotic psyche in which the country always came above self and the boys today could not even think in terms of letting the country down by meekly surrendering even to the toughest opponents. “Our boys now take extra care in keeping themselves fighting fit at all times.” The most important gain of these commando courses has been that the team did not waste energy on gloating over past successes but kept on looking for “the next challenge”, said Rajinder. According to the chief coach, the IHF chief always remains in touch with the team. “I receive a minimum of six calls a day from the IHF boss. Sometimes the number of calls even go up to a dozen a day. He wants to be apprised of any problem being faced by any member during the training camps. Needless to say, he addresses all problems speedily and effectively,” he said. “In return he demands that each official and each team member gives his best at all times. This ‘mantra’ has worked wonders boosting the team’s morale.” The Indian coach said that the need of the hour was tackling our European opponents. “Our boys must get maximum exposure to the European style of hockey which laid special emphasis on goal keeping, man-to-man marking, short corner conversion and above all using intimidating onfield body language. The answer to such tactics lies in using our specialised skills in dodging and stickwork.” As far as his own contribution, Rajinder Singh said he was happy that India was scoring more field goals and was also converting penalty corners at a much better rate. Above all, the team was consistently doing well in tough encounters. The key in making the forward line move like a well-oiled machine lay in emphasising that none of the players indulged in wasteful, energy consuming moves like pointlessly keeping the ball in unproductive areas. Rajinder Singh said in case India struck the gold or silver in the coming silver jubilee edition of the Champions Trophy at Amstelveen next month, it would be a defining moment in the history of Indian hockey. When asked what would be his reaction in case some foreign country offered him an assignment, he said for him India would always come first. Without specifically saying that he and his team were disappointed at the failure of Doordarshan in providing live telecast of India’s recent international hockey triumphs, the chief coach said TV coverage of Indian matches would certainly help generate proper enthusiasm for the national game especially now that India had started performing well. |
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Camp a big success: trainer Barog (HP), July 17 "We could achieve what was needed from the short camp. The players are now quite relaxed and in perfect physical shape to
being their preparatory camp in Lucknow from Saturday," he said. "Five days went off like five minutes. It was so nice and refreshing. It has had a tremendous effect on all of us," said Bharat
Chetri, one of the three goalkeepers in the camp. He also admitted that he would love to visit the place again and again. —
PTI |
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Players
bowled over by ‘pahari’ dishes Barog, July 17 During the team’s four-day stay at the hotel, the players showed a great interest and appreciation in the dishes. ‘Chaa meat’, the speciality of the hotel, came in for the most praise from the players as well as the coaches. ‘Chaa meat’ is prepared by roasting mutton in curd with carefully measured doses of ‘masalas’. Other dishes that came in for praise from the players were ‘khaatta kaddu’, ‘khaatti rongi’ and ‘Kinnauri rajma’. For most of the players it was a first-time experience of tasting these dishes, which were specially prepared for them, said the area manager of the hotel. With each meal a ‘pahari’ dish was introduced as a speciality and with the players’ growing interest more items were introduced. Captain Dhanraj Pillay, the chief coach and other senior players appreciated the efforts put in by the staff and thanked them for making their stay comfortable. Meanwhile, the
team, without Dhanraj Pillay, left the hotel at 7.40 am today in a HPTDC bus amidst heavy downpour. Rain had earlier also affected the schedule of camp several times. While Dhanraj Pillay left the hotel last night after attending the dinner hosted by the Himachal Pradesh Sport Minister, Mr. Ram Lal, chief coach Rajinder Singh left in his car early in the morning. From Barog the team went to meet jawans of the 21st Punjab Regiment at Dagshai and after having tea with them proceeded to Delhi.
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Palwinder
aiming at Olympic glory Cheema the Punjab Police personnel, also bagged a gold medal in the Manchester Commonwealth Games, 2002. His opponent in the 120kg category was a Canadian, whom he floored in just four-and-a-half minutes with a score of 10-0. He also won bronze Medal in the Busan Asian Games. This feat was achieved by an Indian for the first time after 1990. The young Punjab wrestler, after being outclassed 0-10 by Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan in round
one, came back strongly to trounce Nurberdy Hekimov of Tukmenistan 10-0 in round two before getting the better of Mongolian Gelegiants Usukhbayar 5-4 to stay in contention for a medal. In the repechage round one, Cheema beat Akihito Tanaka of Japan 12-1, and later China’s Ling Long 3-1. He also won a silver medal in the Senior Asian Wrestling Championship held in New Delhi this year and a gold in the junior world championship in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), in August, 2001. Standing 6 ft 6 inches in his socks and weighing 120 kg Cheema is all set to take on his opponents at the World Police Games, to be held at Barcelona, Spain, from July 26 to August 5. He is also looking forward to participating in the Senior World Wrestling Championship, to be held in New York, the USA, from September 14. As the top 10 in this champisonship qualify for the forthcoming Olympic Games, Cheema keeping his fingers crossed as he hopes to be one of them. An Inspector in the Punjab Police Cheema, is among the few Indian grapplers, who have inherited the sport from their forefathers. His grandfather Kesar Singh, was a renowned grappler, patronised by the late Maharaja Yadavindra Singh of Patiala. Kesar Singh reigned supreme for nearly a decade with the ‘Rustam-e-Hind’ title which he held from 1951 to 61. He also participated in the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. His father Sukhchain Singh Cheema bagged two bronze medals at the seventh Asian Games at Teheran, in 1974. For Palwinder his father happens to be his friend, philosopher and guide for it is under him that he trains for hours. Expressing satisfaction at the achievements of wrestlers in India Palwinder maintains that under the circumstances and facilities which their foreign counterparts enjoy, Indians could fare even much better. Given a choice, he would like to be trained by a foreign coach. With a string of achievements under his belt, Palwinder is now waiting for to be promoted to the rank of the DSP, as promised by the Punjab Government, two years ago. |
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Rakesh
sets new mark in hammer throw
Bangalore, July 17 Kumar erased the 70.13 metre mark of Ishtiaq Ahamed set here on this very date in the year 2000. As expected, ace high-jumper Bobby Aloysius, representing Tamil Nadu, and sprint star P Anil Kumar won gold medals. Bobby managed only 1.80m, below her best of 1.90m, belying hopes of a better performance, especially after her silver-medal-winning feat of 1.84m at the recent British Super League Athletic meet in Manchester. Bobby had her task cut out as she needed a 1.92m effort to clinch a berth in the world championships in Paris next month. Bobby, who came back to the country only a few days ago, said she had some problem adjusting to the weather. In the men’s 100 metres, Anil Kumar from Services timed 10.40 seconds to bag the top honours. His best timing, a national record, was 10.33 seconds. Anil said after 80 metres, he developed slight pain in the right hamstring slowing him down a bit. Fellow Services athlete Sanjay Ghosh took the silver in 10.50 seconds while Karnataka’s Mohammad Mudassir finished third (10.57) ahead of Tamil Nadu’s C T Durai. Seasoned campaigner Neelam J Singh of Punjab walked away with gold in the women’s discus throw clearing 58.95 metres, which was, however, much below her best of 64.55m.
— PTI
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Foreign
tours for women boxers Patiala, July 17 The
IABF, which is also the governing body for women’s boxing in the country, will hold a camp for the national women’s squad at New Delhi from July 21 after which two teams will be selected to tour North Korea, widely perceived to be a boxing powerhouse on the distaff side, and Hungary. A 15-member team will also tour Italy from September 1 to 15 for a fortnight-long training stint. The same team will take on Russia in a tournament to be held at New Delhi on it’s return from Italy. A senior IABF official disclosed that women’s boxing had a bright future and that, at present, the Indian’s were ranked fifth in Asia. The Federation has placed high hopes on one of countries leading women boxers,
M.C. Marry Kom, who won a gold medal in the last edition of the world championships held at Antalya (Turkey) in 2002. This was Marry Kom’s second medal in the world meet as she had won a silver in the inaugural edition of the meet held in 2001. The performance of the Indian women was also very encouraging in the first edition of the Asian championship held in Kolkata in 2001 where a clutch of medals, including three silvers and one bronze, came their way. In contrast, the Indian men have been able to win just two bronze medals till yet on the world stage. Apart from Marry
Kom, who is a native of Manipur and who will be competing in the 46 kg weight class in the prestigious Asian championship, the others who are in the fray for a medal are Meena Kumari of Haryana in the 48 kg category, Karamjit Kaur of Punjab in the 70 kg weight class and
Jyotsana, also of Haryana, who will vie for a medal in the 80 kg
category. Lekha LC of Kerala (75 kg) and L. Saritha Devi of Manipur (54 kg) are the other boxers who have a bright chance of winning medals in the Delhi meet. |
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Nightmarish
start for Tiger
Sandwich (England), July 17 Woods can take consolation from the fact that Greg Norman opened with a double bogey here 10 years ago when he went on to win his second Open title. As Woods was struggling Greg Norman, playing in only his third tournament of the year, moved to three-under after only four thanks to an eagle on the par five fourth. Norman, Open winner here 10 years ago, warned before the start that a lot of players were going to get caught out by the sudden switch in wind direction. "All of a sudden the wind is going to change and all of a sudden instead of hitting it 260 yards off the tee into the wind you’re hitting it 350 yards off the tee down wind," said the Australian. "That’s a huge difference to try and understand 80 yards on each hole. And those lines are dramatically different. "It’s going to be a totally different golf course. It’s going to be tough." The wind, which has been blowing from the east, switched today to south-south west, turning the Royal St George’s course into a totally different one to that on which the players had practised on. — AFP
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Gurwinder
wins in hammer throw Amritsar, July 17 In long jump (boys) Gurpreet Singh, Satbeer Singh and Amandeep Singh secured the first, second and third positions, respectively. In 800 metres Navneet Singh stood first followed by Arvinder Singh and Harpreet Singh while in the 400 metres Harpreet Singh pipped Mandeep Singh and Jagdev Singh to the finish line. In the 3,000 metres Jaspinder Kaur and Charanjeet Kaur came in first and second, respectively while the third spot was shared by Paramjeet Kaur and Harman Kaur. In 200 metres Harpreet Kaur, Dawinder Kaur and Harpreet Kaur took first, second and third, respectively. The meet was inaugurated by athlete Jaspal Singh Dhillon while former athlete Joti Saroop Singh was the chief guest. |
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Foxboro, July 17
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Chandigarh, July 17
