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Security team reaches Dhaka
Punjab crush Maharashtra
by an innings
Australia recall McGrath
Suspend Bagan goalkeeper, demands Bhutia
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India keen to finish in top
four, says Tirkey
Pakistan Punjab rally to win badminton series
Maintaining a rich legacy
Cheema asserts superiority
Indo-Pak Punjab Games Diary
Hockey stadium gears up for tie
RCF, Punjab cops
register wins
Chandigarh emerge overall champs
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Security team reaches Dhaka
New Delhi, December 6 Well placed sources in the Government told The Tribune that the Indian cricket tour of Bangladesh was not going to be cancelled, though a formal decision to this effect would be announced only after the security team submits its report. A top source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it would be strange if the Indo-Bangladesh cricket series were to be cancelled or deferred on security considerations particularly when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to travel to Dhaka just a month later for the 14th SAARC Summit. The team’s report is expected within the next 48 hours, if not by tomorrow, sources said. The security team will visit all the match venues and hotels where the Indian cricket team is to stay. It is understood that a Pakistan-type formula may be arrived at for the Indo-Bangladesh series. A similar security consideration had erupted just before the last Indo-Pak cricket series and after a visit from the Indian security team to Pakistan it had been decided that Indian commandos will be permitted to form the ring-around cover for the Indian cricketers. The security team may also recommend erection of wire meshes at all match venues in Bangladesh to protect the players from projectiles or dangerous objects. The Bangladesh government has already assured New Delhi that it would provide foolproof security to the Indian cricket team. HUJI’s threat, in a sense, vindicates the Indian government’s repeated statements of concern over the past two years about terrorist outfits functioning with impunity from the Bangladeshi soil. Dhaka has consistently refuted India’s charge that more than two hundred terrorist camps have been functioning from Bangladeshi soil. After HUJI’s threat, the Indian concerns have sent a signal to the
international community. HUJI is a formidable pan-Islamic terrorist organisation with an overbearing presence of foreign militants and has a strong presence in Bangladesh. According to a PTI report from Dhaka, Bangladesh today said investigation into the threat issued by a militant group to Indian cricketers showed that it was “bogus and a hoax”. The State Minister for Home Affairs Lutozzaman Baber told reporters that they had been “examining” the threat for the past three days and found it to have no basis at all. “We are now convinced that the whole thing is bogus and a hoax,” he said after emerging from a routine meeting for the upcoming SAARC meet up here. Baber said maximum security would be provided to the Indian cricketers and expressed confidence that the tour would go ahead. Asked why there had been so many threats in the recent past, Baber said it was the handiwork of a vested group. “A particular vested group is trying to establish Bangladesh as an unfriendly, Muslim fundamentalist country. It also wants to malign the image of the country abroad,” he said but did not name the group.
— PTI |
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Punjab crush Maharashtra
by an innings
Chandigarh, December 6 Needing to score 443 runs to make Punjab bat again as the hosts
declared their innings closed at the overnight score of 566 for the loss
of four wickets, Maharashtra batting came a cropper again as they were
all out for a paltry 205 runs in the second innings, giving Punjab
victory by an innings and 238 runs. This was Punjab’s third victory
on the trot, while it was the second successive defeat for Maharashtra.
With this win, Punjab have given a certain boost to their chances of
booking a berth in the semifinal. Middle-order batsman Kaushik Aphale
waged a lone battle remaining unbeaten on 83, while skipper Hrishikesh
Kanitkar contributed 53. These were the only notable contributions from
the Maharashtra batsmen. The next highest scorer was opener Jadhav who
scored 22 runs. The rest of the batsmen struggled to reach even double
figures as Maharashtra lost with more than one day to
spare. Maharashtra would be better off doing some soul-searching. Their
batting crumbled facing the bowling attack which was by no means
menacing. The wicket had no devil underneath. It was the same wicket on
which Punjab batsmen plundered runs at will and had put up a huge total
without the side being dismissed even once in one innings. And to cap it
all, a major chunk of the wickets was shared by irregular bowlers. Ravneet
Ricky and Ankur Kakkar, who have hardly bowled at this level, dealt
crucial blows and shared four wickets between themselves. Left-arm
spinner Navdeep Singh emerged the hero scalping four wickets. It was
Ricky who started the slide. Ricky got the ball as Vineet Sharma was not
fully fit to bowl. Ricky made an immediate impact with his twin strikes.
After the initial breakthrough provided by Reetinder Sodhi, who consumed
opening batsman NGodbole, Ricky got the crucial scalps of talented
opening batsman Dheeraj Jadhav, having him caught behind by wicketkeeper
Pankaj Dharmani, and Kunal Marathe, who was bowled. Kanitkar and
Aphale put up some resistance as they were involved in a 102-run stand.
Once Kanitkar was dismissed, Maharashtra innings collapsed in a heap to
be bowled out for 205. Scoreboard Maharashtra (1st innings) 123 Punjab
(1st innings) 566 for 4 dec Maharashtra (2nd innings) D
Jadhav c Dharmani b Ricky 22 N Godbole c Dharmani b Sodhi 10 K
Marathe b Ricky 1 Kanitkar c Sanwal b Navdeep 53 K Aphale not out 83
D Mohan c & b Navdeep 0 S Satbhai b Kakkar 0 R Khirid b Kakkar
0 I Siddiqui c Sodhi b Navdeep 0 K Adhav c Sanwal b Navdeep 10 A
Sanklecha b Uniyal 4 Extras (lb-5, w-3, nb-14) 22 Total
(all out, 67 overs) 205 Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-36, 3-45,
4-147, 5-147, 6-148, 7-148, 8-149, 9-195 Bowling: VRV Singh
10-3-32-0, Uniyal 13-1-55-1, Sodhi 5-2-9-1, Ricky 8-4-9-2, Navdeep
21-3-79-4, Kakkar 10-3-16-2. |
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HP bundle out Orissa for 80
Dharamsala, December 6 On
follow on , Orissa had made 188 for 4 wickets when the stumps were
drawn. Scoreboard HP (Ist innings): 425 Orissa (Ist
innings): Das C Bisla bThakur 02, Ranjan C Dogra b Thakur 23, Behra
b Malik 00, Ranjan C Bisla b Thakur 00, Jayachandra b Malik 00, Patra
lbw Malik 08, Satpati C Dogra b Thakur 14, Mohanty b Bhatia 14, Deepak C
Ajay b Bhaita 07, Srikant Jeeva not out 03. Extra: 09 Total:
80 all out Fall of wicket: 1/5, 2/31, 3/33, 4/33, 5/33,
6/33, 7/46, 8/58, 9/71. Bowing: Vikram Malik 12-4- 29-4 Ashok
Thakur 13-6-32-4 Vishal Bhatia 3.4-2- 07-2 Rahul Panta 03-1-06-0 Orrisa
(2nd Innings): Dass c Sandeep b Bhatia 25, Behra b Malik 00,
Ranjan c Sandeep b Bhatia 60, Jayachandra not out 77, Malik b Bhatia 00,
Behra not out 08. Extra: 18 Total: 188 for 4 Fall
of wickets: 1/1, 2/51, 3/157, 4/157 Bowling: Vikram Malik
15-1-43-1 Ashok Thakur 14-1-38-0 Kuldeep Dhiman 10-0-39-0 Vishal Bhatia
22-3-58-3 Sandeep Sharma 02-0-05-0. Strong reply by
Saurashtra
Rajkot:
A stylish unbeaten 141 by skipper Jaydev Shah and his 118- run
unfinished partnership with Rakesh Dhruv helped Saurashtra to make 363
for five at stumps on the third day of their four-day Ranji Trophy
(Plate) Group-B league cricket match against Jammu and Kashmir here on
Monday. Saurashtra, resuming at their overnight score of 43 for two,
were helped by cautious approach by their two not out batsmen S Kotak
and P Bhatt, who added 108 run for the third wicket before the former
was bowled by rival skipper Mahajan for 64 including eight fours. Brief
scores: J and K (1st innings): 505 for 9 dec. Saurashtra (1st
innings) 363 for 5 in 103 overs (J Shah batting 141, P Bhatt 75, S Kotak
64, R Dhruv batting 41; Nabi 2 for 88, Mahajan 2 for 40). — UNI,
PTI |
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Delhi fighting
to save match against MP
New Delhi, December 6 After letting the visitors off the hook for a 55-run first innings lead, Delhi were precariously placed at 119 for four at close on the penultimate day of the four-day match at the Jamia Millia Islamia university grounds. Madhya Pradesh were all out for 294 in reply to Delhi’s 239. Dholpure, who had claimed four wickets in the first innings to rip through the Delhi batting, was the wrecker in chief again with three for 37. Shikhar Dhawan on 31 and Rajat Bhatia on 11 were at the crease at stumps. Brief scores: Delhi (1st innings):
239 for 9 dec in 95.4 overs (A Chopra 37, Sarandeep Singh 37; Sanjay Pandey 4-83, Sunil Dholpure 4-63). Madhya Pradesh (1st innings):
294 in 109.3 overs (A Khurasiya 61, D Bundela 87; Jadeja 3-28). Delhi (2nd innings): 119 for 4 in 44 overs (Manhas 32, Dhawan batting 31; Dholpure 3-37).
— PTI
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Australia recall McGrath
SYDNEY: Australia have recalled fast bowler Glenn McGrath and dropped Michael Kasprowicz for Wednesday’s second limited-overs international with New Zealand.
McGrath missed Sunday’s series opener in Melbourne, which New Zealand won by four wickets, but will play in the second match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia need to win in Sydney to keep the series alive. The final match in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy takes place in Brisbane on Friday. The home side looked to be cruising to victory in Melbourne, with New Zealand needing 32 runs from the last 18 balls. But the Kiwis suddenly seized control by smashing 22 runs off the third-last over from Kasprowicz to reduce the target to 10 off the last two overs, securing victory with two balls to spare.
— Reuters
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Suspend Bagan goalkeeper, demands Bhutia
Kolkata, December 6 “This is a very unfortunate incident. Junior’s death is a great loss... It was because of unsporting play by Paul that Junior is not with us,” Bhutia told newspersons here. Bhutia said this was not the first time that Paul had indulged in such on-field behaviour and referred to his physical assault on Jeremiah during a free-for-all in the Durand Cup final against East Bengal. “I think some action should have been taken against him then, he should have been suspended then only. But the All-India Football Federation did not take action,” a visibly upset Bhutia said. “The federation should now come forward and see the video clippings of yesterday’s match. They should come forward and take action... the federation should suspend him,” said Bhutia in a voice choked with emotion. Bhutia, who was speaking to newspersons at the East Bengal club tent, also expressed dismay that Mohun Bagan players and coach Subrata Bhattacharya did not visit the hospital in Bangalore where Junior died. “Football will not benefit if no action is taken against Paul now,” he said. Bhutia and Junior played together for East Bengal last season before the latter shifted to Dempo Sports Club. Junior died after collapsing during the final of the Federation Cup Football Championship in Bangalore yesterday soon after scoring the second goal for Dempo to enable his side to lift the Cup. The tragedy struck in the 78th minute of the match at Sree Kanteerava Stadium when the dazzling striker was rushing to net the goal and Paul’s hand seemed to have hit Junior’s chest.
— PTI |
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India keen to finish in top four, says Tirkey
Lahore, December 6 India were mauled by Spain in their first match of the six-nation competition before they suffered a close defeat against Holland yesterday. “We were disappointed after our loss to Spain but we did well against Holland even though we lost it. We came close but could not force a point from the match and that was because we conceded several goals,” Tirkey said. “The morale of the players is certainly not down since they know their potential. The unfortunate part is that though we played well against Holland, we still ended on the losing side,” he said. After a day’s rest today, the teams would resume action tomorrow with India playing Germany, Holland taking on Pakistan and Spain facing New Zealand. The Indians did not practise today and instead preferred to confine themselves to the team hotel after doing some physical exercises in the hotel itself.
— UNI
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Pakistan Punjab rally to
win badminton series
Patiala, December 6 In the first match, the hosts started on a stunning note when Amritsar youngster Mayank Behl thrashed Wajid Ali, ranked a top player in Pakistan. Playing with aggression, Behl never let Ali settle down in the first set and by the time the Pakistani knew what had hit him he was trailing 1-12. Eventually, Mayank, a Railway employee, ran away with the first set 15-1. The second set saw some intense competition by both players but when the scoreline read 4-4, Behl stepped on the accelerator and won a string of points showing good skills and admirable court craft. Behl, as compared to his rival, was equally good at the net and at the baseline, and managed to close out the set and the match at 15-10. The hosts fielded one of their best players, Sachin Ratti, in their second singles match against the experienced Zeeshan Umer, who was once an integral member of the Pakistan national squad. Sachin, ranked No. 4 in India, played well in patches, which enabled the Pakistani to repeatedly claw his way back into the match. Both shuttlers exhibited good skills and at one point were level at 6-6 in the first set. However, Zeeshan ran out of steam, enabling Sachin to take a vital three-point lead. The latter won the set and the match 15-10. The doubles — featuring one of India’s finest doubles players and a former Thomas cupper Vijay Deep Singh and his younger sibling Navdeep Singh against Waqas Ahmed and Tahir Ishaqmir produced the best fare of the day. Waqas has represented his country in various international events, including the SAF Games and the Asian Satellite Championship. The Indian pair combined well in the first set with Vijay Deep Singh deftly placing the shuttle into open spaces. The Pakistanis were taken aback by the Indian pair’s belligerence and went down 1-15 in the opener. The second set saw the Indians starting off well but the burly Vijay Deep started fumbling a bit too often at the net. The Pakistanis won 15-1, 12-15, 15-8. The fourth match between Sahil Arora and Ashraf Masih turned out to be a cliffhanger but the inexperience of Sahil did him in while Masih displayed agility and good reflexes to win 15-10, 15-13. With both teams winning two matches apiece, the stage was set for the climactic last match between Sachin Ratti and Rizwan Asghar Rana. The Indian showed some promise in the first set but ultimately went down 12-15 while in the second set the Pakistani outplayed his rival to win 15-1. |
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Pavittar Singh pedals to glory
Patiala, December 6 Though trailing far behind in the initial stages, 23-year-old Pavittar came up with a breathtaking show in the last lap to emerge a deserving winner in the 6 km mass start event for men. Pakistan's Zulfikar Ali, the country's national champion for 10 years, also rallied superbly in the last lap to finish a creditable second while Raminder Singh of India stood third. Pavittar's timing of 10m 00.08 secs was reaffirmation of his superiority in the national circuit. A sprint champion for the past three years, Pavittar had stood second in the senior nationals held at Hyderabad recently. In the beginning, Pakistan's Zulfikar Ali was also trailing at the second-last position but when the bell was sounded, he picked up momentum leaving the remaining six competitors behind. In the women's 4 km mass start event, Gurpreet Kaur, a trainee at the Centre of Excellence, NIS Patiala, surged ahead of the remaining competitors to win the gold. She was followed by Manjot Kaur, a third-year student. Both Gurpreet and Manjot are local girls. Pakistan's Ruhila Bano, though hoping to win the gold, finished third in the event. Making her maiden appearance on foreign soil, Ruhila later told The Tribune the competition was a learning experience for her. "From now onwards I will work hard to perform better in future," she added. The results: Men's 6 km mass start (final): Pavittar Singh (Ind) 1; Zulfikar Ali (Pak) 2; Raminder Singh (Ind) 3. Women's 4 km mass start (final): Gurpreet Kaur (Ind) 1; Manjot Kaur (Ind) 2; Ruhila (Pak) 3. Later, the qualifying rounds for sprint and team pursuit events were organised. |
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Maintaining a rich legacy
Patiala, December 6 The Patiala royal family has always been in the forefront in patronising sports and the week-long Indo-Pak Punjab Games are being interpreted as continuation of the tradition steeped in history. Instances of official patronage to sports by Patiala's royal family over the last century abound and, in fact, have become part of the region's popular folklore. Raja Amar Singh, Sahib Singh, Karam Singh and Maharaja Narinder Singh regularly organised competitions in fencing,wrestling, and chariot racing. Maharaja Rajinder Singh too was a keen lover of sports and he regularly organised tournaments in wrestling, equestrian and cricket. He also built the cricket stadium at Baradari Gardens here as well as the stadium at Chail in Himachal Pradesh, which incidentally is the highest cricket ground in the world. The Patiala royal family's role in India's sports administration too is well known. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) which took birth in 1927, was headed by Captain Amarinder Singh's grandfather, the late Maharaja Bhupendra Singh, from 1927 to 1938. The mantle was later passed on to Maharaja Yadavindra Singh and later to Raja Bhalendra Singh, under whose patronage Delhi hosted the Asian Games. Since 1984, Raja Randhir Singh, son of Raja Bhalendra Singh, who is himself an ace shooter, is holding the post of secretary-general of the Indian Olympic Association. He is also the secretary-general of the Olympic Council of Asia. Players from the city have won laurels in the international arena and it is precisely due to this reason that efforts of the royal family have been lauded and recognised. Writer Balwant Gargi in his book ' Sau Meel Di Daur' has also referred to the Maharaja's love for sports. Cricket, wrestling and athletics besides other disciplines have always been encouraged here. Old timers recall how the Maharaja of Patiala once offered to gift a village to gentleman cricketer Mohammed Nissar, the fastest bowler in pre-Partition India, if he bowled a bouncer ! In 1935 the Australian cricket team was invited by the Maharaja to play in Patiala and for Stork Henry, the only surviving member of the team, the cherished moments became an unforgettable experience. Maharaja Bhupendra Singh also organised wrestling bouts featuring famous wrestler Gama Pehalwan, Zybisko of Poland and European grappler Patterson. Wrestler Palwinder Singh Cheema, who represented India in the Athens Olympics this year and is currently employed with Punjab Police, also has a strong Patiala connection. His grandfather, Kesar Singh, received official patronage from the Patiala royal family and was bestowed the title of Rustam-e-Hind after Gama migrated to Pakistan. Palwinder's father, Sukhchain Singh Cheema, also represented India in the Asian Games. |
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Cheema asserts superiority
Patiala, December 6 Cheema, the winner of medals in the 2002 Busan Asiad and the 2003 World Police Games, proved to be a more technically superior matman than his rival. Cheema initially did take his time to settle down and study his opponents moves, before he finally downed him. Cheema’s bout was witnessed by the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and other members of the Games Organising Committee, including IOA secretary-general Mr Randhir Singh. The other bout which turned out to be an enthralling event was between renowned West Punjab wrestler Bashir Bhola and Jasdeep Singh in the 120 kg weight category. The commentary in chaste Punjabi was also lapped up well be the spectators who sat makeshift stands constructed specially to suit the occasion. Basheer was a little circumspect in the beginning but slowly tightened his stranglehold on his rival before winning 4-0. Out of the 12 bouts held today, the hosts ended up winning seven. The rest in various age categories are slated to be held tomorrow. Other results: 52 kg: Mohammad Riaz (West Punjab) beat Navpreet Singh 9-5. 57 kg: Rohit Kumar (Indian Punjab) beat Ghulam Haider 11-8. 62 kg: Sukhchainjit Singh (Indian Punjab) beat Goga by fall. 68 kg: Dalbir Singh (Indian Punjab) beat Mohammad Farukh 9-8. 76 kg: Mohammad Ali (West Punjab) beat Parshotam Lal 8-3. Hardeep Kumar (Indian Punjab) beat Umar Yakub 8-3. 86 kg: Usman Mohammad (West Punjab) beat Sukhraj Singh 7-3. Amandeep Sondhi (Indian Punjab) beat Usman Shahid by fall. 98 kg: Harvinder Singh (Indian Punjab) beat Mohammad Navid 9-5. Mohammad Umar (West Punjab) beat Randhir Singh 7-3. |
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New vistas for Pakistan women
players
Amardeep Bhattal
The first Indo-Pak Punjab Games have opened new vistas for Pakistani women sportspersons. Pakistan's women's cycling team ventured out for the first time to compete in an international meet here.
A welcome change for the country where fundamentalism had taken deep roots since Partition. Ruhila Bano, who finished third in the 4 km mass start event, was the cynosure of all eyes for her historic feat. * * * Pakistan kabaddi coach Ghulam Ali Butt appeared to be the odd man out in the smartly dressed Pakistan contingent that participated in the march-past during the opening ceremony of the first Indo-Pak Punjab Games in Patiala last evening. With his flowing beard, Butt reminded the spectators of Pakistan cricketer Syed Anwar who, too, grew his beard after turning a devout Muslim following the death of his daughter some years back. * * * Honouring guests and making them feel at home is part of Punjabi culture. Keeping this in mind, the organisers have been busy extending all courtesies to the Pakistani visitors. A huge board painted in Punjab Police colours carrying a message in Urdu which reads "Khush amdeed" has been displayed at the entrance of Punjabi University, a venue for the competitions, which was a pleasant surprise for Pakistani journalists, including A. Qayyum Zahid and Mohammed Yousuf Anjum. However, the average Patiala resident is clueless and some cops stationed at the gate were observed making inquiries about the board and its contents. * * * Pakistan POA secretary Khwaja Idris Haider and Sports Minister Naimullah Shani turned cheer leaders when their women's team entered the Raja Bhalendra Singh Stadium to participate in the women's 4 km mass start event on the Punjabi University campus here today. Khawaja Haider was overheard promising cash awards at the top of his voice to his team in case of victory, but sadly only Ruhila Banu, the 20-year-old Lahore girl lived up to his expectations, finishing third behind Gurpreet and Manjot. * * * Dr Izbah Mushtaq Ali, manager of the Pakistan women's cycling team, though a bit upset over the confusion with regard to equipment, is nevertheless, willing to forget everything and move along, carried away as she is by the all-pervasive spirit of friendship. "We came in batches and lack of coordination led to some confusion but I am not complaining. After all these are friendship games," she said after her team failed to make the mark in the 4km mass start. |
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Hockey stadium gears up for tie
Jalandhar, December 6 Painters were busy giving a new look to the walls of the stadium while washrooms and dressing rooms were being renovated. Police officials were also giving finishing touches to the security arrangements and traffic management. The Deputy Commissioner-cum-chairman of the organising committee, Mr Ashok Gupta, who presided over a meeting of senior civil and police officials, including the SSP, Mr Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, regarding the preparations of the match here shis afternoon, said 14 sub-committees had been constituted for the purpose. “Adequate arrangements have been made to provide fool-proof security for the players in and around the stadium on December 9,” Mr Gupta said. The Pakistan Punjab hockey squad comprising 24 members would arrive in the city on December 8. Mohammad Natif Bhatt, Secretary-General of the Pakistan Olympics Committee, would be the guest of honour on the match day. |
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RCF, Punjab cops
register wins
Nawanshahr, December 6 In the match between Punjab Police and International Football Club, no team could score any goal in regulation time. Gurjit Singh of Punjab Police scored the match-winning goal in the fifth minute of extra time. |
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Chandigarh emerge overall champs
New Delhi, December 6 Netraheen Vikas Sansthan, Rajasthan collected 39 points to emerge champions in the B-2 men’s section while National Federation of the Blind, Delhi logged 15 points to take the championship title in the B-3 men’s category. In the women’s section, Vivekanand Mission Ashram, West Bengal (B-I category), Students Welfare Association, Imphal, Manipor (B-2) and Sree Ramana Maharishi Academy for the Blind, Karnataka (B-3) emerged the champion teams. Rakesh Kumar of Haryana lifted the chess title while Madan of Mumbai and Abhijeet Hajara of West Bengal took the second and third positions, respectively. Former Indian cricket team captain Kapil Dev was the chief guest at the closing function. |
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