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Pressure is on India, says Inzamam
Be aggressive and positive, Imran tells players
Dalai Lama not to inaugurate match
Sania upsets Kostanic to enter second round |
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China not to give in without fight
Punjab football’s
pillar of strength
Vasco pip Tollygunge
JCT Mills beat SBT
Parminder stars for PSB
FCI soccer tourney
Mahindra rally to hold Fransa
Athletic meet of Bikram College ends
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Pressure is on India, says Inzamam
New Delhi, February 28 A large contingent from the Delhi and District Cricket Association, led by senior vice-president C K Khanna, who is also the vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, director Anil Jain and Member of Parliament Rajeev Shukla received the team in the absence of BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra who has been elected an MLA from the Bhiwani Assembly constituency in Haryana. The Pakistan team arrived by a PIA flight around 2.30 p m at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Barely hours after landing here for a 50-day tour, the Multan batsman said the pressure would clearly be on Sourav Ganguly's men as they would be playing before a home crowd which would want nothing short of victory from their sporting heroes. "Last time when India toured Pakistan, we were under pressure. This time India will be under pressure of playing before home crowd because people have a lot of expectations from the home side," he told reporters at a jam-packed press conference here. Inzamam agreed that frequent cricketing exchanges between the two countries had brought down the hysteria associated with Indo-Pak contests to some extent. "The pressure has eased a bit but whenever the two sides play, they produce exciting and quality cricket and with quality comes the pressure," he said. The Pakistani captain was also confident of a better show from his team in India where the conditions are similar to those back home. "We might have played on bouncy tracks for two and a half months in Australia but mostly we have played at home where conditions are almost similar. Our players will have no problems in adjusting on tracks in India, in fact (the pitches here) should help our batsmen." The Pakistan cricket team is touring India after their last visit in 1999 to play three Tests and six one-day international matches during their 50-day tour. This visit, their seventh to India after the two countries established cricketing ties in 1952-53, is a reciprocal gesture from the Pakistan side after India toured Pakistan last year to restore the cricketing ties between the two countries. Inzamam and his colleagues, wearing green blazers, trooped out in an orderly, quiet manner but did not exchange much with the reporters. The team were then transported in a luxury coach to a five-star hotel in South Delhi. The visitors are expected to leave for Chandigarh tomorrow morning. The 16-member Pakistani squad and the support staff including coach Bob Woolmer were escorted to the hotel by a posse of security men. Personnel from Delhi Police, CISF and Rapid Action Force guarded the players with several sharp shooters placed at vantage points keeping a tight vigil in the wake of the threat by Shiv Sena to disrupt the tour. The team will stay overnight in Delhi before heading to Dharamshala tomorrow morning to play in the three-day warm-up match against Board President's XI from March 3. "They seemed quite happy with the welcome they got today. Delhi Police has made tight security arrangements for their stay in the city," Shukla, who accompanied the players to the hotel, told reporters. A couple of players -- Rana Naved-ul-Hasaan and Abdul Razzaq -- have come with their families. |
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Be aggressive and positive, Imran tells players
Karachi, February 28 “My team won in 1986 because we played positive and aggressive cricket. We were not scared of losing. I am sure if you play with the same zeal, dedication and commitment, success will be at your feet,” Imran told the squad during a pep talk in Lahore last evening. “You have to be mentally stronger than the Indian team. You have to believe in yourself and keep faith in your abilities and talent. If you gel together, back each other and play as a unit, I am sure you will put up a performance you will be proud of,” he said. Skipper Inzamam, talking from Lahore, said: “It was a highly motivational speech from Imran Khan. I am sure the players must be inspired after hearing him.” “Now it is all up to us how we play. We have to let our performance do all the talking. The next 50 days are going to be very crucial cricketing days in the careers of many. So it is better to concentrate (on the Indian series) rather than think of the West Indies tour (in June) or financial benefits,” Inzamam said. Shaharyar Khan, who was the manager of the 1999 cricket team that toured India, advised the players to enhance the image of the country by their conduct, performance and humble attitude. “For the next 50 days, you will be the ambassadors of the country. The Indian public will see Pakistan in you. Now it is up to you what picture you want to show them. But we are all hoping that with your conduct, you will prove that Pakistan is a moderate, peace-loving and tolerate society,” Shaharyar said in his address to the team. Shaharyar recalled that in 1999, the team won the hearts of millions of Indian fans because of the attitude, conduct and performance. “Do not forget that besides cricket, you will be on a goodwill tour and the excellent relations between the two countries have to be maintained at all costs,” he said. Board insiders said Shaharyar, considered as a fatherly figure in the PCB, minced no words in communicating that no act of indiscipline would be tolerated. “One act of indiscipline and the manager will book you on your next flight home,” sources quoted Shaharyar as telling the players.
— PTI |
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Dalai Lama not to inaugurate match
Dharamsala, February 28 A spokesman of the Department of Information and International Relations of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said earlier the Dalai Lama had accepted the invitation extended by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) to inaugurate the three-day match. “But considering the reservations expressed by certain quarters about his presence at the match, the Dalai Lama has now decided not to inaugurate it. The general thinking of His Holiness is not to cause any inconvenience to anyone,” he said. Calling the controversy unfortunate, HPCA president Anurag Thakur said the Dalai Lama had been invited considering that Dharamsala, which had always been associated with him, was now emerging as the sports capital of the state due to the stadium. “So we thought of combining both at the match. The promotion of the Tibetan cause was not on anybody’s mind,” he said. Following the reservations expressed by the PCB some days back, it had suggested to skip the Dalai Lama’s interaction with the players. “As per our schedule, we would have watched about 15 minutes of the play and then left after blessing both teams. But it is commendable on his part to volunteer to stay away to avoid any controversy. We received a call from his office in this regard this morning,” said Mr Thakur. The HPCA had now requested the Himachal Pradesh Governor, Mr B.S. Kokje, to be the chief guest for the inaugural ceremony. The Chief Minister Mr Virbhadra Singh, was expected to be present on the concluding day. A CTA official said the Tibetan Government-in-Exile was not sure if the PCB objections were due to some pressure from the Chinese Government. “The Dalai Lama took the decision to keep away from any controversy,” he said. |
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Sania upsets Kostanic to enter second round Dubai, February 28
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China not to give in without fight
New Delhi, February 28 The Chinese players are virtual greenhorns on grass, but their non-playing captain Zhao Xie asserted that “we have the guys who can raise their game and tackle the fast surfaces when it comes to the crunch”. The Chinese team, who arrived last night, had a lengthy practice session at the finely laid out grass courts at the National Sports Club of India
(NSCI). Thanks to the sporting gesture by NSCI president Subhash Chopra, who has always provided the NSCI ground for Davis Cup preparation with excellent facilities free of cost, has once again done the good deed, and the Chinese were all praise for the practice facilities.
Zhao Xie admitted that the lack of grass courts back home had restricted their experience on the natural surface, and they would be the underdogs. But the fit and ready Chinese youngsters had no intention to give a cakewalk to the hosts, without taking the fight to the rival camp. The Chinese came a few days ahead of the contest to familiarise themselves with the Delhi weather and the grass court conditions to take on the challenge of Leander and Mahesh head on. The track record of India against China in Davis Cup is very formidable and they start as overwhelming favourites. India have the reputation of taming the Chinese in their own backyard, that too on hard courts, 3-2 when they last met in 2001. And two years earlier in Kolkata, India had given China a 5-0 drubbing on grass. The Chinese team comprise Sung
Peng, Wang Yu, Zhu Ben-Qiang and Lu Hao (all players), Sin Wen-Bing (team leader) and Xie Zhao (coach). |
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Punjab football’s
pillar of strength
Chandigarh, February 28 Known as a dashing striker in the seventies, Kultar played a stellar role for top Punjab clubs during his career spanning two decades. He made his debut with Leaders Club in 1971 and remained there till 1976. From 1976 to 1984, he donned the jersey of JCT Mills, Phagwara, and later joined Punjab State Electricity Board in 1985, which he continued to represent till the early nineties. Kultar immigrated to Canada in 1994-95 as his daughter had already settled in Toronto. Recently he had returned to his native place and had not been keeping well for some time. Old-timers and former team-mates recalled Kultar’s contribution to Punjab football with pride. “He was a pillar of strength,” said Arjuna awardees Inder Singh and Gurdev Singh, while talking to The Tribune at Phagwara, where they came to attend the wedding of Ajinder Kaur, daughter of former Asian star Parminder Singh, yesterday. Former India coach Sukhwinder Singh recalled the day of glory when Punjab won the Santosh Trophy at Jalandhar in 1974. “The 6-0 victory over Bengal in the final was made possible by stalwarts like Inder Singh and Kultar Singh. While Inder Singh accounted for three goals, Manjit Singh, Kultar and I scored one goal each to record one of the most memorable wins in the nationals,” said Sukhwinder, now coach of JCT Mills. According to Balbir Singh, who coached PSEB, Kultar had developed a kidney problem shortly before he migrated to Canada and later developed bone cancer. However, till he last day, he maintained his links with his former team-mates, said Balbir. In 1983, Kultar played a stellar role in JCT Mills’ maiden title win in the Durand Cup. Pitted against Kolkata’s glamour outfit Mohun Bagan, JCT won the high-voltage final at Delhi’s Ambedkar Stadium 2-1 with one goal being scored by Kultar. Affectionately called ‘Tari’ by his associates, Kultar Singh would not only be missed by Kharar Achhrowal, but by the entire Punjab football fraternity, which mourned his untimely demise. The bhog ceremony is scheduled for February 2 at Kharar Achhrowal at 12 noon.
— Amardeep Bhattal |
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Vasco pip Tollygunge
Kolkata, February 28 Tollygunge went ahead in the 18th minute with their in-form striker Surojit Bose finding the mark, but the visitors swung the match in their favour by scoring twice within eight minutes in the second session to gain their second back-to-back win. Vasco, who were languishing at the bottom of the table with two points from seven matches till they upset three-time champions Mohun Bagan in their last match to register their maiden victory in the current edition of the league, bolstered their points tally to eight from nine matches. Brazilian Sidney Rodrigues and substitute K. Anees netted the goals for the Goans. |
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JCT Mills beat SBT
Ludhiana, February 28 JCT Mills went into an early lead when in the third minute, forward Harvinder Singh entered SBT’s territory. In a solo effort, he reached the goal mouth and sent the sizzler, which the goalkeeper, Harshal Rehman PV, failed to stop. This set up a fast pace for attacks and counter-attacks, but both sides failed to get the desired results. JCT Mills could have increased the lead midway through the first half when Manjeet Singh and Hardeep Gill missed sitters in quick succession. Immediately after this, the home side missed another chance to score. With 10 minutes to go for half time, Alexender Jebba of JCT Mills attempted a reverse kick, but unfortunately, the ball went out kissing the horizontal bar. The visitors too made some forays into their opponents citadel, but these moves hardly grew into threats because their players, particularly in the second half, failed to hang on with the ball and let the JCT Mills players in and snatch the ball away. In the second half, SBT players pressed hard for the equaliser, but the hosts succeeded in keeping them at bay and managed to hold on to the lead till the hooter. |
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Parminder stars for PSB
New Delhi, February 28 The Bankmen went on a roll after Navpreet Singh converted a penalty corner in the second minute to open the account. Mandeep Singh scored the second goal while Ravi Pal and Parminder Singh added the third and fourth goals before half time. On resumption, Mandeep struck again while Parminder sounded the board to score the sixth and seventh goals. Baljit Singh Saini completed the tally. Zakir Ullah scored the consolation goal for Pakistan immediately after resumption. In another match, Sapura Hockey Club of Malaysia defeated Indian Oil 3-0. Kuhan and Kang Keon Wook (2) accounted for the goals. |
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FCI soccer tourney
Amritsar, February 28 A total 90 players of six zonal teams will participate in the tournament. The matches will be played on pool system. Pool A comprises North, West and South zones and pool B consists of East, North-East and Headquarter. North zone had won the last year championship. The national team of the FCI will be selected after the completion of this tournament. The former international footballers eagerly awaited in action would include Attanu Bhattacharya (goalkeeper), Swarup Das, Sudip
Chakravarty, Mriganko Sharma, Trilok Bisht, Joginder Rawat and Vijay
Dosra.
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Margao, February 28 But the jeepmen equalised through
substitute S. Venkatesh (33rd) and Rodrigo De Almeida (42nd). With this draw, Mahindra United had 17 points from 10 matches while Fransa, who finished their first phase engagements were fourth behind Mahindra with 15 points from 11 matches. Man of the match was Fransa’s Kalyan
Chaubey, who made good saves to deny Mahindra victory.
— PTI
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Athletic meet of Bikram College ends
Patiala, February 28 District police chief A.S. Rai declared the meet open this morning. In his presidential address, he remarked that sports inculcate the spirit of competitiveness among students and motivated them to succeed in every walk of life. The chief guest also released the second issue of “Quarterly Flash” a newsletter of the college on the occasion. Mrs Harinder Kaur, Principal of the college, also spoke on the occasion. The gatka and karate teams also exhibited their talents. In the evening session Prof Jaimal Singh, Head, Physical Education Department, presented the annual report of the college. The session was presided over by Mr G. S. Grewal, Managing Director, Pepsu Road Transport Corporation. He distributed prizes among students and exhorted them to excel in life. |
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