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Tuesday,
September 9, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Roddick lifts US
Open title
Jr-level cricket
ties with Pak okayed |
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Hockey camp put off by a day
Implications of
Jugraj’s absence on Indian hockey
Sukhchain Academy
triumph Shakti, Neelam
clinch gold Gurmit hockey
from Sept 20 Panchkula Club win cricket meet
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New York, September 8 Roddick fired 23 aces and 46 winners past the French Open champion yesterday for a 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) 6-3 triumph, the 21-year-old American smashing fireballs that kept the third-seeded Spaniard off balance and under pressure the entire way. “I took it to him. I was very aggressive,” Roddick said. “I think a lot of it had to do with me being pretty aggressive.” Ferrero never broke the powerful serve of Roddick, who connected on 63 per cent of his first serves and saved three break points, one in the third game of the match and two more when Roddick held for a 4-3 lead in the final set. “I knew he served well but this was better than I thought,” Ferrero said. “It’s very difficult to return his serve. It’s very difficult to play him from the baseline. He served so hard all the time. I really didn’t feel my rhythm. “In my service games I had the pressure to win it because I knew it was very difficult, if not impossible, to break his serve.” Roddick extended his ATP Tour-best win streak to 19 matches, improving to 27-1 on hardcourts since Wimbledon and 37-2 since Brad Gilbert began coaching him, and calming him, after a first-round French Open exit. Roddick wept after blasting a 133-mph ace past Ferrero on match point to achieve a dream. Then the 21-year-old American climbed into the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium to share a hug with his family after a million-dollar win. “I was getting goosebumps,” Roddick said. “I’m in absolute disbelief. I’m kind of shocked. I just can’t imagine my name and US Open champion together. It’s more than I could ever dream.” Roddick used a forehand winner to deny Ferrero on a break point in the third game of the first set, then broke him in the next game and went on to claim the first set with an ace after 28 minutes. Neither man mustered a break point in the second set, setting up a tie-break in which Roddick sent a forehand wide to give Ferrero a 2-1 lead. But Ferrero fired four errant forehands in the next five points and Roddick finished the set with a forehand winner to take command. “The part that surprised me was the second-set tie-breaker,” Roddick said. “He made a couple of errors that may be he normally wouldn’t.” In the last set, Ferrero saved three break points in the sixth game and Roddick rescued a pair in the seventh game. In the eighth, Ferrero committed his first double fault of the match to hand Roddick the only break he needed. Roddick ended matters with a 133-mph ace after one hour and 42 minutes. Joining Stefan Edberg as the only former US Open boys champions to win the men’s crown, Roddick became the eighth different Slam champion in as many events, matching the longest such streak in Slam history. Roddick came within a point of being ousted from the tournament in the semifinals, saving a match point in the third set before rallying to defeat Argentina’s David Nalbandian in five sets over 3 1/2 hours yesterday. Ferrero, 23, said he was not affected by an unprecedented Slam endurance test of four matches in as many days, spending eight hours on the court in three days prior to the final thanks to a compressed schedule due to rain. “I didn’t play my best tennis but Andy played so good,” Ferrero said. “He served unbelievable and I couldn’t do so much of what I do.” Ferrero won his first Slam title in June at the French Open and will be the new ATP world number one tomorrow after beating top seed Andre Agassi in the semifinals. Roddick will move past Agassi into second place. “I feel a little bit sad right now but tomorrow I’ll be number one so it will be a big day for me,” Ferrero said. Roddick denied Ferrero the first US Open title for a Spaniard since Manuel Orantes won his 1975 crown on clay.
— AFP  |
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England race to 9-wicket win
London, September 8 The left-hander cracked a quickfire 69 as England raced to their victory target of 110 after lunch on the final day at a near-capacity Oval. Trescothick hammered 12 fours in his 66-ball exhibition. Captain Michael Vaughan was the one man out, for 13. Victory came in a flurry of boundaries as the England opener and Mark Butcher put on 63 runs in 60 deliveries. Trescothick, who made a career-best 219 in the first innings to keep England in the game, stole the headlines from bowlers Martin Bicknell and Steve Harmison. Both took four wickets to skittle the South Africans for 229 in their second innings during the first hour of the day. The touring side, seeking their first series win in England since 1965, had resumed on 185 for six, just 60 ahead and praying for another extraordinary rearguard action. But Bicknell, aged 34 and recalled for the fourth Test after a decade on the sidelines, took two wickets in two balls in his second over to all but kill off South African dreams. Harmison, finding a perfect length to go with his bounce, capped his best performance for England by removing Shaun Pollock for 43 and Makhaya Ntini. Harmison took four for 33 off 19.2 overs to Bicknell’s four for 84. No England side has won a home Test before after conceding so many runs - 484 - in the first innings. South Africa had come to The Oval 2-1 up, their all-round dominance prompting captain Graeme Smith to say he was more interested in extending the winning margin than looking for a draw. With South Africa on 290 for one and 345 for two on the first day, few would have bet against him. South Africa (Ist innings): 484 England (Ist innings): 604-9 dec South Africa (IInd innings): Smith lbw b Bicknell 19 Gibbs c Stewart b Anderson 9 Kirsten c Trescothick
Kallis lbw b Harmison 35 McKenzie lbw b Flintoff 38 Rudolph b Bicknell 8 Boucher c Stewart b Bicknell 25 Pollock c Thorpe b Harmison 43 Hall c Smith b Bicknell 0 Adams not out 13 Ntini c Smith b Harmison 1 Extras:
(b-1, lb-7, nb-1) 9 Total: (all out, 69.2 overs) 229 FoWs:
1-24, 2-34, 3-92, 4-93, 5-118, 6-150, 7-193, 8-193, 9-215. Bowling:
Bicknell 24-5-84-4, Anderson 10-1-55-1, Harmison 19.2-8-33-4, Giles 10-2-36-0, Flintoff 6-2-13-1. England (IInd innings): Trescothick not out 69 Vaughan c Boucher b Kallis 13 Butcher not out 20 Extras:
(lb-4, nb-4) 8 Total: (1 wikt, 22.2 overs) 110 FoW:
1-47 Bowling: Pollock 6-0-15-0, Ntini 8-0-46-0, Kallis 5.2-0-25-1, Adams 3-0-20-0.
— Reuters |
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Jr-level cricket ties
with Pak okayed New Delhi, September 8 Mr Navtej
Sarna, spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs, said the government had cleared the three following proposals from the Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI): (i) A triangular series of one-day matches among the ‘academy’ teams of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. (ii) A quadrangular series of one-day matches among the under-19’ teams of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Banglades in Pakistan. (iii) A triangular series of one-day matches among the ‘A’ teams of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in India. The spokesman also announced that New Delhi had approved Pakistan’s participation in the Afro-Asian Games scheduled to be held in Hyderabad in October-November this year. “These steps have been taken in continuation of PM’s initiative and as part of promoting people-to-people contact and cultural exchanges,” Mr Sarna said. It is understood that the BCCI had approached External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha for resumption of cricket ties with Pakistan and Mr Sinha took up the matter with the Prime Minister. Mr Vajpayee decided to restore cricket ties with Pakistan— a long-standing demand of Islamabad aired by none other than Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf— despite the Musharraf regime’s “negative mindset”, official sources said. Today’s decision of the Vajpayee Government is bound to send signals to the international community about New Delhi’s sincerity towards normalising relations with Islamabad despite a series of negative decisions from the other side. Very recently, Pakistan had blocked the visit of Indian jurists’ to Pakistan by denying visas to some judges in the delegation. |
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Ex-cricket captain Ramchand dead
Mumbai, September 8 Ramchand, under whose captaincy Indian registered its first Test victory against Australia in the 1959-60 home series, was 76 and is survived by his wife, son and daughter. Ramchand suffered a cardiac arrest in 1995 but recovered well to lead a normal life. He suffered a second stroke on August 4 this year and was admitted to the Hinduja Hospital before being discharged on August 20. On August 28, his condition worsened as he lost appetite and was again admitted to the ICU of the same hospital but never recovered, his family said. The funeral will be held tomorrow after his daughter returns from the USA, source added. Ramchand, who made his Test debut in 1952 as an allrounder, was part of the Indian team for the next eight years. Born in Sind, Ramchand was an aggressive batsman and a fine medium pacer. His best moment in Test cricket was when he led India against a strong Australian team captained by Richie Benaud in the 1959-60 home series. Though the Aussies won 2-1, Ramchand earned praise for the way he led his team from the front after everybody expected a 4-0 washout. Ramchand, who retired as a Station Manager from Air-India after serving for 26 years, played in 33 Test matches scoring 1,180 runs at an average of 25.00, which also included two centuries, and took 41 wickets, his best being four for 49 off 28 overs against Pakistan at Karachi in 1954-55.
— PTI |
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Hockey camp put off by a day
New Delhi, September 8 The camp, which was to begin at the National Stadium here this morning, could not kick off as per schedule since only two probables — Viren Rasquinha and Prabodh Tirkey — managed to reach the city yesterday, the deadline for the 21 probables to report for the camp. “We do not know why the players failed to reach the venue on time. But we are expecting everyone to be here by tonight. Now we will be starting the training tomorrow,” IHF sources told PTI here. Seven more players and fitness trainer Sampath Kumar arrived here later in the day. Several senior players, including captain Dhanraj Pillay and Dilip Tirkey, are likely to reach tonight. During the camp, which will continue till September 14, the team for the eight-nation Asia Cup will be announced after which the members may be flown to Singapore to get acquainted to the playing conditions in Kuala Lumpur, venue for the September 21-28 Asia Cup where all the matches will be held under lights. The Indian Hockey Federation is yet to get the permission from the government for the five-day exposure trip to Singapore from where the players are scheduled to fly to Kuala Lumpur on September 20. On the fitness front, Sampath Kumar said Sandeep Michael, who missed the Champions Trophy in Holland last month due to jaundice, and Ignace Tirkey have recovered completely and are fully fit to resume action. “Sandeep has regained complete fitness. I saw him in action in Bangalore recently and I am convinced that he is physically fit for the Asia Cup challenge,” Sampath Kumar told PTI. “Ignace has also recovered from the light ligament injury he suffered during the Champions Trophy.” Dependable midfielder Ignace suffered the injury when a rival player’s stick hurt his knee during India’s memorable 7-4 win against Pakistan in the six-nation Champions Trophy. The fitness trainer, however, said he was not sure about the physical fitness of some other members of the team who also suffered minor injuries in Amstelveen. “Dilip Tirkey had a cramp and Baljit Singh Sani hurt his nose. I hope by now they must have recovered since there has not been much action since our Champions Trophy engagement. “We can know about them only when they join the camp,” Sampath Kumar said.
— PTI
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Jugraj in high spirits Ludhiana, September 8 The penalty corner specialist, Jugraj, in an exclusive interview said that with the grace of God and well wishes of his countrymen, he would bounce back soon. “It will be quite a struggle. But I have to win it.” He said looking determined in the face of greatest challenge to his life. People around have been recounting tales of several sportsmen who had
successfully overcome such adversity in life. T. Kruze, a hockey player from Holland was seriously injured in a car accident in early 1980s. He received multiple fractures all over his body but recovered miraculously to play again for his country. Jugraj was extremely thankful to his fans, Indian Hockey Federation , state and union government for coming to his aid . In a choked voice, he said that he received an overwhelming support and was grateful to the hockey fans and others who continue to throng the hospital to wish him an early recovery. Jugraj was looking forward to his treatment abroad and said he wanted to be fit for travelling as early as possible. VIPs continue to throng the hospital today also. Mr Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, Member of Rajya Sabha, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Union
Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers and president, Punjab Olympic Association, Mr Amrik Singh Aliwal, former Member of Parliament, Mr Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, former minister, Punjab called on the ace hockey star and wished him a speedy recovery. The panel of doctors attending on him after he was
admitted in the hospital following a car accident near Jalandhar on September 2 were also satisfied with the patient’s progress.
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Implications of Jugraj’s absence on Indian hockey Chandigarh, September 8 And next comes the qualifying tournament for the 2004 Athens Olympics. To be organised at Madrid, Spain, from March 2 to 13 next year, the tournament will feature 12 teams, including India, out of which the top six will qualify for Athens. Five more from Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and America will be through by virtue of being their respective continental champions while one berth will be reserved for the hosts, provided they fulfil the qualifying standards prescribed by executive board of the FIH in July, 2002. Incidentally, the Athens Olympics will see fewer competitors in men’s hockey as the number of participants has been reduced to 12. Earlier, in the Sydney Olympics in 2000, there were 16 contestants. Hence the Madrid meet will also be a tough challenge for India. And it is Jugraj Singh’s absence in the Asia Cup and the prospects of his comeback getting delayed that haunts the Indian team management today. In that eventuality, India’s chances of qualifying for the Olympics may also be in jeopardy. Ever since his debut in the senior team after the gold medal victory in the 2001 junior World Cup at Hobart, Jugraj Singh had gone from strength to strength. Of late, he had started performing a vital role not only as a defender but also as an attacker. His mere presence boosted the morale of the team. As a penalty corner specialist, he was seen as India’s answer to the likes of Argentina’s Jorge Lombi or Pakistan’s Sohail Abbas. His powerful drag flicks could beat the best of defenders. But above all it was the lion-hearted approach of the 20-year-old lad from Fazalpur village in Amritsar district that saved the team in crunch situations. In the 25th Champions Trophy at
Amstelveen, Jugraj performed the runner’s role whenever the rival teams earned penalty corners. And quite often he took the powerful blows on his body off these short corners with courage. No wonder it left the world’s best penalty corner experts like Sohail Abbas frustrated and short on confidence. As a feeder, Jugraj gave intelligent passes, ripping open the rival defence. He was thus not only a goal scorer but also a schemer and defender. His performance in the recently concluded Champions Trophy, especially in the match against Pakistan in which he scored twice and saved many, and his twin strikes against South Korea in India’s dramatic comeback in the Busan Asian Games are proof of his unique ability, polished by coaches like Rajinder Singh, Mohan Singh and Jhilman Singh. As hockey lovers across the length and breadth of the country join in prayer and wish him a speedy recovery, Jugraj’s strong will power may pull him out of the crisis sooner than expected. After all, such instances are not unprecedented. |
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Pillay favours third umpire Amritsar, September 8 Clarifying his point, Pillay cited the example of the first match against Holland of the recent Champions Trophy in which India conceded four consecutive goals in the last seven minutes. He said they were well placed till half time with 3-0 lead but later an altercation broke out due to a ‘disputed’ goal. “If there was a third umpire present on ground, such incident may have been averted”, he quipped. He said the disputed call shattered their rhythm. Consequently, he said, the team lost concentration and the match. About the presence of a large number of Punjab players in the national squad, he said that it was only in Punjab that several hockey academies were working to promote the sport. Moreover, he said Punjab had always been a nursery of hockey. “Unavailability of Jugraj Singh for the forthcoming matches due to his accident is a big jolt to the Indian hockey”, said Pillay. Wishing Jugraj early recovery he said it was after a long time that India had got a penalty corner specialist. Baljit Singh Dhillon may be given the job, he said. He favoured the introduction of psychologist in the team as it would help the team to cope with mental stress at the thick of the situation. |
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Sukhchain Academy
triumph Amritsar, September 8 It was Mandeep Singh of Faridkot who converted two penalty corners in ninth and 21st minutes of the first half. For Kila Raipur the only goal was scored by Kamaldeep Singh. Leading hockey stars like Dhanraj Pillay, captain of Indian Hockey team, Kanwaljeet Singh, Tejbir Singh and Prabhjot Singh were present at the venue to encourage youngsters. |
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Shakti, Neelam
clinch gold Chandigarh, September 8 According to a press note released by Mr HS Bhadu, Secretary, Haryana State Amateur Athletic Association, the medallist are: Shakti Singh (shot put) gold, Parveen Kumar (pole vault) gold, Kulwinder Singh (decathlon) gold, Neelam J Singh (discus throw) gold, Shamsher Singh (Pole vault) silver, Satbir Singh (400 m) silver, Sunil Kumar (1500 m) bronze, Ravi Singh (Javelin throw) bronze and Seema Antil (discuss throw)
bronze. |
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Gurmit hockey from Sept 20 Chandigarh, September 8 The IHF has already approached Doordarshan at Delhi and Jalandhar for the live telecast of the final. As in the previous years, all the leading teams namely Punjab Police, RCF, Signals, EME, Punjab and Sind Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank Academy, Northern Railway, CRPF, Indian Air Force, Air-India, Western Railway, Central Railway, Southern Railway, Air-India Academy, SRC, All-India Post and Telegraph, Centre of Excellence, Patiala, ONGC, CISF and ITBP already confirmed their participation, according to Mr Y.P. Vohra, organising secretary. |
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Panchkula Club win cricket meet Patiala, September 8 Opting to bat first, MES Club boys were bundled out for a paltry 87 with Ashish Sardana taking 5 for 17. He was well supported from the other end by Karan Goyal (2 for 9) and Prabhel Kumar (2 for 12). In reply, Panchkula youngsters, led by opener Karan Goyal (31
n.o), rattled up the required runs at the loss of just 2 wickets. Brief scores: MES club: 87 all out
(Bikramjit Singh 13, Simant Singh 11, Sunny Patel 10, Dhruv Gupta 10, Ashish Sardana 5 for 17, Karan Goyal 2 for 9, Prabhel Kumar 2 for 12). Panchkula club: 88 for 2 (Karan Goyal 31
n.o, Ankit Sharma 12, Ashish Sardana 11, B. Singh 1 for 22).
Katoch cricket Patiala notched up 180 for 4 against Minor Districts XI on day one of a league match of the Punjab InterDistrict Cricket Tournament for the Katoch Shield played at Dhruv Pandove Stadium here today. Put into bat first on a wicket that had slight moisture due to overnight rain, Patiala were off to a decent start with both Rakesh Raini (61) and Binwant Singh (27) playing out the opening overs well. Once Binwant was out, skipper Munish Bali took over and played some sizzling shots in his unbeaten half century. Brief scores: Patiala: 180 for 4
(Munish Bali 52 n.o, Rakesh Raini 61, Amit Kakria 24 n.o, Binwant Singh 27, Ranjit Singh 2 for 57, Rahul Kumar 1 for 40). |
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Andy Roddick blasted high-powered serves with pinpoint accuracy to capture his
first Grand Slam tennis title, overwhelming world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero
here to win the US Open.
In video (
LONDON: