The Koreans proved to be the nemesis for India in the women’s section of the event as well, as they went down to their rivals 4-0 in the playoff for the third place.

The Indian men, who just about made it to the final after Japan lost their match to South Korea, failed to rise to the occasion in the final against the Asian Games gold winners.

Riding on a hat-trick by Yi Chong-Son, the South Koreans completely dominated India before clinching the title with a comprehensive victory.

The Indian team, comprising mainly of youngsters, were caught napping with Chong-Son, the tournament’s highest goalscorer, pumping in two quick goals in successive minutes (16th and 17th).

The Koreans made it 3-0 in the 25th minute when Hwang Chong-Hyon hit a reverse flick off a rebound. Stung by the reverse, India launched a counter-attack and their efforts paid off when young Sandeep Michael sounded the board in the 28th minute.

But that was about all for the Indians as Koreans returned with a vengeance after the break to slam three more goals through Yi, who completed his hat-trick with a goal in the 40th minute, So Chong-Ho (57) and Yu Ko-sik (59).

Although the Koreans were superior, Indians were a trifle unlucky as two golden opportunities went amiss when Jatinderpal Singh’s shot hit the left post and Vivek Gupta’s strike was stopped by an alert Korean goalkeeper Ko Tong-Sik.

Tong-Sik was superb under the bar as he effected some brilliant saves to keep the Indians at bay.

Hosts Japan finished third after they beat China 3-1 in the play-off for the third place. Nishimura (39), Yasui (54) and Noda (60) scored for the winners.

The women’s title was clinched by the hosts who pipped China 2-1 through goals by Miura (16) and Komori (62).

Indian women hardly showed any semblance of resistance as they finished a dismal fourth and last, losing the playoff for the third place 4-0 to South Korea. Yi Mi-Song (4), Oh Ko-Woon (33, 51) and Kim Yun-Mi (60) were the goalscorers for the Koreans. — PTI

Tirkey said the policy would also help in testing all potential players and picking the best-possible team for the mega event to be held this year in August.

“There has been a lot of experimentation in the side in the last few months because of which our performance might have dipped a little. But this is being done to ensure that we play with the best-possible team in the Olympics,” the 27-year told PTI here on the sidelines of a fitness camp.

The IHF has drawn a lot of flak for its experimentation policy after India struggled to repeat its performance of the last year when it won four of the six tournaments they played.

But in the all-important Olympic year, India have not won a single tournament out of the three they have played so far including the prestigious Azlan Shah Cup tournament in Malaysia where it finished last. India also finished a dismal fourth in the Olympic qualifiers in Madrid in March.

Tirkey said the “mental approach” of players was also responsible to some extent for the team’s poor show in important contests.

“The problem is that we play good teams with a strong attitude but fail to carry that attitude when we take on weaker opponents. May be we end up paying for complacency in some matches. We must overcome this approach as soon as possible,” he said.

Tirkey said conversion of penalty corners continues to be India’s bane as no player has been able to fill the void created by the absence of Jugraj Singh, forced out of action after a near-fatal crash near Jalandhar last year.

“We have tried a few players. Len Aiyappa was given chances in a few tournaments. He has a good technique but he does not fit into the schemes of things, at least for now. But hopefully Sandeep Singh, who is doing wonderfully well, and Jatinder Pal Singh will be useful in future tournaments.”

Sandeep Singh has impressed one and all with his exploits in Junior Asia Cup, scoring neatly with his drag flicks while Jatinder Pal showed a lot of maturity during the four-nation tournament in Australia recently. Both the players are part of the team playing in a four-nation tournament in Japan.

“But this is just the beginning of their careers and they have a long way to go before proving their mettle at the highest level. There is a lot of difference between the junior and senior level. But both are good players and good prospects,” Tirkey said.

On the personal front, Tirkey said he has set his own goals — playing his best and helping the country win a medal in the Olympics for the first time since 1980.

“Defence is an important part of the team. One mistake can cost the team dearly. So I will have to be very alert. I am also trying to come up with my best tackling. Definitely winning an Olympic medal is my primary goal.”

But despite setting goals, Tirkey said he would not be bogged down by pressure.

“If you are confident, you are not bothered by any kind of pressure. I am sure of giving my best to the team’s cause.”

Tirkey was also satisfied with the facilities extended to the players in the build-up to the games.

“Our sponsors have been a real boon to the game. With them pumping in money, we are getting more facilities and financially we are better off. That has really motivated all the players to do well. Indian hockey is again getting back to top as our standard on the field has improved.”

“I found it a bit difficult to get the right rhythm because I took part in international competitions after six months of training here. I am yet to peak”, Anju told PTI here today.

After an unimpressive show at the Japanese city of Osaka where she finished fourth with an effort of 6.46 metres, she raised her performance by several notches at Doha for a leap of 6.82 metres to bag the top prize.

That she needs to work more on her rhythm became evident as she fouled both her opening attempts in which, she said, she touched seven metres.

But Anju, the first Indian athlete to win a world championship medal — she won the bronze medal in Paris last year with a jump of 6.70 metres — expressed confidence that she has it in her to go past the seven-metre mark.

The 6.82 metres effort at Doha has not gone into record books as it was wind-assisted, but the national mark remains in Anju’s name at 6.74 metres.

The ace jumper would now surely like to get into the next gear as she gets ready to take part in international meets in Netherlands, the USA, the Czech Republic and Britain as part of the Olympic preparations.

These four events are either Grand Prix or Super Grand Prix events, and her husband and coach Bobby George said the competition there would be much tougher as top stars — those ranked above Anju in the world — would be seen in action.

Anju, back in Bangalore on Sunday night, has already resumed her rigorous training at the Sports Authority of India campus. She leaves on May 27 for Hengelo in Netherlands for her first stop after a 10-day preparation.

Bobby said Anju would undertake a final 25-day training at the Olympic Games village in Athens from August 1 in the run-up to the mega event. — PTI

The 28-year old, here to play for county side Durham, has been under constant medical care of the Durham medical panel and has been advised to consult a specialist.

“I am still feeling stiff and some pain in my side muscles due to the rib cage stress. After playing against Somerset and then against Worcestershire in the one-dayer on Sunday, the pain has increased,” a local daily quoted Shoaib as saying from Durham.

“I have also asked my county management to rest me for the four-day match against Glamorgan starting tomorrow and for the rest of the season and to play me selectively because of the rib cage problem,” he said.

The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ said he would like to get permanent treatment for the rib injury, which has refused to go away, and had also bothered him in the Rawalpindi Test.

“Pakistan has a lot of important commitments coming up this year and I don’t want to risk missing any of them due to a serious injury. I will pace myself for Durham from now onwards,” he stressed.

Shoaib’s comments come after Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan said the board would be writing to Durham to find out how the fast bowler had played in the match against Somerset, ignoring medical advice to rest for three to four weeks.

Shaharyar has reportedly warned of a disciplinary action against Shoaib saying he had assured him that he would play for Durham only after regaining complete fitness. — PTI

“Miandad will continue to be the coach of the national team till the expiry of his contract, that is the start of the next year,” PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said.

Pakistan’s first-ever defeat to India on home soil in the one-dayers and the Tests in March-April had led to speculation that the axe would fall on the coach and skipper Inzamam-ul Haq but the PCB, having learnt lessons from past mistakes, has decided to continue with both.

“It would not be just to judge the coach on result of just one series. Nobody can blame the coach alone for series defeat against India,” he was quoted as saying in local daily The News.

The PCB chairman said the board “does not want to set a bad precedent by removing the coach and captain every time the team loses”.

“There is no need to panic and there is no need to change the coach or captain on the performance of just one series,” he said.

The PCB chief also said henceforth captains would be appointed on the series-to-series basis instead of a fixed term as was the case now.

The decision would mean Inzamam’s stint as captain would be up for review after the Asia Cup in July in Sri Lanka.

“We announced Inzamam as captain of Pakistan team till the Asia Cup. The trend will now change to announcing the captain on the series-to-series basis,” Shahrayar said while asserting that the coach would continue to work for fixed terms.

The decision to continue with Miandad’s services follows a month-long period of uncertainty in which the former batsman-turned-coach publicly expressed his resentment.

Shaharyar had earlier confirmed the services of captain Inzamam ul-Haq but remained non-committal about Miandad.

On the controversy over nominating young fast bowler Mohammad Sami to represent Pakistan at a function in England to unveil ICC Champions Trophy while ignoring the captain and senior players, Shaharyar said Sami was named following a request from the ICC.

“In fact, a request came from the ICC that Sami be sent for the function and that is why he was nominated.”

Shaharyar said he was surprised that speedster Shoaib Akhtar had started playing for county side Durham without taking proper rest for his injury.

“Shoaib might have his reasons...however, he has been asked to get back to the PCB in writing and narrate the reasons why he started playing for the county at a time when he was asked to take rest.” — PTI

Number two in the ATP Race behind Roger Federer, the 27-year-old Moya has warmed up for the highlight of the claycourt season in style with victory at the Rome Masters earlier this month and a semi-final appearance in Monte Carlo last month.

A versatile player with a powerful serve who is also capable of excelling on hard courts, Moya has won three titles this year and will enter the French Open with an impressive 2004 record of 36 wins and just seven defeats.

“I think I’m a better player than I was a few years ago,” he said in Hamburg, where he was stopped by Federer in the quarter-finals.

“I didn’t win the French Open again but if you look at my match record now you will see that it is better than what it was in 1997 or 1998.”

When Moya won in Paris as a 21-year-old in 1998, it seemed more victories would surely follow at Roland Garros.

But since then he has failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals of the French Open, or indeed of any other Grand Slam event apart from a semi-final appearance at the US Open later the same year.

In March 1999, Moya became the first Spaniard to reach the number one spot since the ATP rankings were introduced in 1973, a position he held for two weeks.

His defence of the French Open title ended in the fourth round and a back injury then sidelined him for nearly all the rest of the year and the early part of 2000.

Not until 2002 did the quiet Spaniard with trademark long, dark hair and a dolphin tattoo on his right arm get back among the game’s elite when he captured four titles in six finals in the best season of his career.

Last year brought him three more titles and he has kept it up this year with some impressive displays, most notably in his great run in Rome.

“I played perfect tennis all week in Rome,” he said. “That was probably some of the best tennis I’ve ever played.”

His defeat in straight sets to Federer in Hamburg did not really alarm him and at least gave him a few days’ rest before he travels to Paris on Thursday.

“I was a bit tired and not moving as well as I usually do,” Moya said after being crushed by the gifted Swiss all-rounder.

“I’ve played tough matches lately and I am bit tired but I’m healthy and I don’t think it will be a problem to recover.”

Asked to name his French Open favourites, Moya cited Federer, Guillermo Coria and defending champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, providing he is fit to play.

What about himself?

“I’ll arrive in Paris knowing that I’ve had good results on clay and I’m capable of playinz really well,” he said. “We’ll see what happens.” — Reuters

“There’s a great incentive for Australia to win the ICC Champions Trophy,’’ said Ponting.

“Its one trophy we haven’t been able to get our hands on and we haven’t played anything like our best cricket in past events.

“It’s the second biggest one-day tournament we play and I know a lot of the players in our side are keen to make sure we play well in England this time around,’’ he added, speaking ahead of the tournaments launch here yesterday.

Meanwhile, South African captain Graem Smith is also hoping to compensate for South Africa’s disappointing performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup on home soil last year by doing well in the tournament.

“It is a tremendously important event for us. We didn’t do too well in the last World Cup,so it is important to see how far we’ve come since then and to gain some experience against the world’s best.

“I’d like to believe our chances are good and our chances must be good if we prepare well, remain focused and play good cricket,’’ he said.

For England skipper Michael Vaughan, this would be an opportunity for the youngsters to enrich themselves prior to the next World Cup.

‘’We are giving players experience all the time and making sure they learn and we are building all the time to the next World Cup,’’ he said.

“Playing in England is something that is a strength of ours and we showed last year against Pakistan, Zimbabwe and South Africa that we are a match for any team on our day.

“But to win a trophy you have to play consistently well against good teams for three weeks.

“It is definitely not out of the equation that we could win the ICC Champions Trophy, but we would have to play very well,’’ he added.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2004 was launched here yesterday with Vaughan, Stephen Fleming (New Zealand captain), Mohammad Sami (Pakistan), Andrew Hall (South Africa) and Michael Clarke (Australia) attending the occasion. — UNI