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Aussies clinch Azlan Shah Cup
Australian Open:
Agassi, Roddick
Sachin to miss Zimbabwe tie |
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Ganguly in line for Padma Bhushan BCCI officials to visit Pakistan Ntini puts SA in charge Punjab cops, BSF in final
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Kuala Lumpur, January 18 Keeping their composure and sticking to their gameplan, Australia sewed up the game as Travis Brooks (21st, 29th), Michael Boyce (45th) and Troy Elder (57th) scored at crucial moments. Pakistan, kept on a leash by some close marking by the Aussies, had their moments when Kashif Jawaad (30th) and Sohail Abbas (44th, 65th) found the net, but eventually, yielded to a better organised, more balanced and fitter team. Pakistan promised much early in the game when their speedy forwards repeatedly troubled the Aussie defence. However, their inability to sustain the momentum cost the Asian team dearly in the end. Flowing moves from the wings had the Aussies defence on the hop as Rehan Butt and Shabbir Hussain came close to scoring, which pushed the opposition on the backfoot. However, a needless stoppage broke the Pakistani concentration, leading to an Australian resurgence. South Korea staged a superb rally to emerge aggregate 6-5 winners against world champions Germany and finish third. In a gripping contest, the Koreans displayed great character to come back from 0-2 and 1-3 to force a 3-3 deadlock that could not be broken despite 15 minutes of extra-time. In the play-off for the fifth and sixth place, Spain defeated Malaysia 2-1. The hosts led 1-0 on a goal by Chua Boon Huat (18th), but Spain hit back in the second through Santiago Freixa (49th) and Alberto Esteban (58th). — PTI
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Australian Open:
Agassi, Roddick take centre stage
Melbourne, January 18 Agassi’s preparations suffered a minor blip on Saturday when he was beaten in the final of the Kooyong International warm-up event. Grand Slams, though, are where Agassi moves up a gear and he says he is ready for his tilt at a fifth Australian Open crown. ‘’I know that I’ve done my work and now it is time to play,’’ he told reporters. ‘’I feel very motivated to be down here trying to take that next step, putting myself in the position hopefully to win. ‘’It is the same for me every year...I approach it from the standpoint of being so challenged by the next day that I don’t look at it as a mountain to climb, it’s sort of one step at a time.’’ Before Agassi plays under the stars, world No. 1 Andy Roddick will end the day session with his unenviable clash against Fernando Gonzalez of Chile. Heading the field at a Grand Slam for the first time, top seed Roddick would have liked an easier opponent but knows he has to roll his sleeves up and get on with it. ‘’It’s a tough first round...I don’t know where he is ranked but I thought he would be seeded,’’ said the American. ‘’But, hey, it means I am going to have to play right from the start. I beat him on clay and he beat me on hardcourts so go figure...we usually have pretty fun matches.’’ Roddick and Gonzalez, ranked 35th but no stranger to the top 20, met twice in 2002 and the honours were split. Neither match could have been tighter, Gonzalez winning in Cincinnati 7-6, 7-6 and Roddick victorious by the same scoreline in Monte Carlo. Women’s world No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne also plays on day one. She faces wildcard Olivia Lukaszewicz, who will be making her WTA Tour debut. Henin-Hardenne received her first glimpse of the 15-year-old Australian when she was practising today. “I am feeling good and looking forward to playing,’’ French and US Open champion Henin-Hardenne said. ‘’I feel strong and eager to play.’’ Also looking forward to playing was Henin-Hardenne’s fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters, who announced today she would take her place as second seed in the draw. Clijsters had been a doubt since injuring her foot at the Hopman Cup in Perth earlier this month. ‘’I’ve done everything I could,’’ she said. ‘’I’ve had a lot of treatment and I’ve done everything I could to get ready and that’s why I’m willing to give it a shot. “It’s getting better. It’s still not 100 per cent but I’ve come here and decided that I’ll play. ‘’I started hitting two days ago and it felt okay. I’ll play with it taped,’’ said Clijsters. ‘’If I don’t do anything bad like happened at the Hopman Cup, then I can play with it.’’ The 20-year-old has been given an extra day’s rest and opens her campaign against Germany’s Marlene Weingartner on Tuesday. Former world No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten plays tomorrow, against Dutchman John van Lottum, and French fourth seed Amelie Mauresmo takes on Taiwanese Chia-jung Chuang. — Reuters
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Sachin to miss Zimbabwe tie Brisbane, January 18 Indian team physiotherapist Andrew Leipus said Tendulkar’s injury was “not major” but indicated he would have to sit out the next match against Zimbabwe on Tuesday. “Tendulkar played a backfoot shot, he was on his toes and his ankle went over. I will have to look at him over the next couple of days to see how he pulls up. “It is not as much the ankle as the muscle down the side of the ankle. It is not a major problem but it would probably keep him out for a few days.” Also to miss out on the match against Zimbabwe are Virender Sehwag (shoulder sprain) and Ajit Agarkar (calf strain). The duo did not play today and by evening Tendulkar also joined them on the injury list. Leipus said from his point of view he would have preferred Tendulkar to have pulled out of the middle as soon as he was injured but said it was always going to be the batsman’s decision.
— PTI |
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Ganguly in line for Padma
Bhushan Ganguly has now emerged as the most successful Indian Test cricket captain ever, and his rating has gone up by several notches after India shared the honours in the Test series against Australia Down Under, to retain take possession of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Former Asian Games gold medallist, Olympian hurdler and the first Arjuna awardee in athletics, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, too was a strong contender for the Padma Bhushan award, but he seems to have lost the race to the young Ganguly in the sportsmen’s category despite being backed by several people. It is reliably learnt that Randhawa’s name was recommended by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Vikram Verma, former Union Sports Minister and now Minister for Fertilisers and Chemicals Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, All-India Council of Sports president Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi and IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh, who is also a key figure in the Arjuna Awardees’ Association, but the award is all set to go to Ganguly. The selection panel is reported to have cleared Ganguly’s name and only the government’s stamp of approval is now awaited. Though Randhawa had too many backers, his case was supported neither by the Punjab Government nor by the Delhi Government (Randhawa is a resident of Delhi, though he had represented Punjab in his prime). Meanwhile, it is understood that the government is also keen to restructure the format of the Arjuna, Dronacharya and other awards bestowed on sportspersons every year. Though the government is keen to restrict the number of Arjuna Awards to 15, it is willing to consider increasing the number if genuinely meritorious sportspersons are to be accommodated. The government is also reported to be toying with the idea of awarding a cash award of Rs 5 lakh each if the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award has to be shared by two sportspersons.
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BCCI officials to visit Pakistan Islamabad: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Sunday said two officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India would be visiting Pakistan shortly to talk about the security arrangements during India’s high profile tour starting in March. “Two security officials of the BCCI will be visiting Pakistan shortly to discuss the security arrangements for the tour,” PCB spokesman Sami-ul Hassan told PTI here on Sunday. He also said the PCB would provide presidential security, of the kind being provided to General Pervez Musharraf, for the Indian team during their tour, in which they would play three Tests and five one-day internationals.
— PTI
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Centurion, January 18 South Africa (Ist innings): 604-6 dec West Indies (Ist innings): Gayle c McKenzie b Ntini 77 Ganga c Kallis b Ntini 7 Sarwan b Ntini 13 Lara c Boucher b Nel 34 Chanderpaul c Pollock b Nel 42 Smith c Boucher b Kallis 39 Jacobs c Boucher b Nel 8 Drakes b Ntini 35 Dillon b Ntini 30 Collymore b Pollock 4 Edwards not out 0 Extras: (lb-7, nb-5) 12 Total: (all out, 82.2 overs) 301 FoW: 1-22, 2-37, 3-139, 4-142, 5-195, 6-224, 7-241, 8-280, 9-301Bowling: Pollock 16.2-6-46-1, Ntini 20-7-49-5, Nel 18-6-64-3, Hall 11-0-65-0, Kallis 12-4-46-1, Smith 3-1-7-0, Rudolph 2-0-17-0. — Reuters
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Punjab cops, BSF in final Chandigarh, January 18 JCT defender Parminder Singh brought down Shamsher Singh of Punjab Police in the penalty area, resulting in a spot kick. Anvar Ali converted the kick in the 43rd minute. In the second half, Punjab Police were in full command. In the dying minutes Hazara of JCT took a powerful shot but the Punjab Police goalkeeper brought off a fine save. In the second semifinal BSF and Harbhajan Sporting Club commenced the proceedings on a fast note although BSF displayed better ball control. In the 15th minute, BSF’s Harbinder gave a good pass to Boy and the latter dodged past two defenders to send the ball in the net (1-0). Harbhajan Sporting appeared shaky after the goal. In the second half, BSF’s Boy Singh made a solo effort, beating the entire defence and kicked the ball into the net making it 2-0. In the 79th minute Sukhbir headed the ball in making it 3-0. |
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New Delhi, January 18
