 |
|
|
BCCI panel to hold first session today
India to tour Pak in January
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nadal rallies to beat Stepanek
Atwal stays afloat
Pinegrove School boys, girls win
Kapur slips to 19th spot
Gurdaspur eves win
|
|
BCCI panel to hold first session today
Kolkata, May 7 The meeting would not only deliberate on the CVs received mainly from the Australians, but could also consider some other former players, both indigenous and foreign, for the top job to fill the vacancy caused by Wright’s departure three weeks ago after a successful four-and-a-half-year stint. The presence of three eminent former national skippers Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Srinivas Venkatraghavan has made the panel rich in cricketing experience, and the Board officials are also likely to sound out the seniors among the present crop of players informally before deciding the name of the new coach. “There will be no official meeting with the present players, but their views will be ascertained informally. We need to know their expectations from the new coach. After all, they are the ones who would be interacting closely with the coach,” sources close to the Board said. Chaired by BCCI President Ranbir Singh Mahendra, the committee also includes board Secretary S.K. Nair and its former chief Jagmohan Dalmiya. The panel has been asked to shortlist the candidates and give its recommendation to the Board Working Committee likely to meet later this month. “But there is no bar on the committee considering names of former players who are yet to give their CVs,” the sources said. Among the names doing the rounds as possible successor to Wright are those of four Australians — Greg Chappell, Tom Moody, Dean Jones and Dave Whatmore — and even two former Indian players Sandip Patil and Roger Binny. Meanwhile, some cricketing circles felt that the Board might opt to zero in on a player who apart from his batting credentials was also a good part-time bowler. The thinking is prompted by the possibility that the new coach would carry on the mantle till the 2007 World Cup. Moody, Chappell, Patil and Binny fall under this category. No invitation to
Border: board
NEW DELHI: The BCCI on Saturday asserted that it has neither sent any invitation nor sounded former Australian captain Allan Border for taking over as coach of the Indian team. “We have an open mind on this issue but we have not invited Border to become the coach of the team. If it was so then where was the need to constitute a commitee?” the BCCI chief asked.
— PTI, UNI |
|
|
India to tour Pak in January
Karachi, May 7 “I am not sure exactly on which date India would arrive but it is likely to be in the first week of January. However, I am certain that the series would end on February 15 and the six-nation Asia Cup would begin from February 18,” PCB’s Director (Cricket Operations) Saleem Altaf said from Lahore. India would play three Tests and five one-day internationals. They are likely to arrive less than two weeks after England would have completed their first tour of Pakistan since 2000. Altaf presumed that PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan would be proceeding to Kuala Lumpur this month for the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting with a tentative itinerary of India’s tour of Pakistan. “The finalisation of any tour itinerary is an ongoing process and there is a strong possibility that the PCB Chairman would be carrying an interim itinerary to Kuala Lumpur where he would definitely meet Indian officials. “But while saying this, I am not stating that the tour itinerary has been finalised or would be finalised in Kuala Lumpur. Nevertheless, we should remember that it’s the prerogative of the host country to propose the dates and venues of the series,” Altaf said. India last year made a flying visit to Karachi and Peshawar because of security reasons and in a tit-for-tat policy, Pakistan made a short stay in Ahmedabad for the fourth one-day international. Altaf said the schedule of the Asia Cup would also be finalised during the Kuala Lumpur meeting. He said the tournament would run for 18 days and would be competed by United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, besides the four Asian Test nations. — PTI
|
|
Narain gets star cheerleader
Barcelona, May 7 “I’m very glad to be here,” Tendulkar said in the pits today where he sat in Karthikeyan’s Toyota-powered car for a photo shoot. “I got an invitation from Narain and there’s no greater news than that for an Indian because being a countryman our support is always with him. “We all stand by him whatever ups and downs he goes through.” The pair posed beside Karthikeyan’s car and the cricket ace sat in the cockpit amid the roars as the Jordan engineers tested the engine in Portuguese team-mate Tiago Monteiro’s car. “Apart from that he’s a very nice person, I’ve known him for a while now,” Tendulkar said of his 28-year-old compatriot. “He’s a very good driver but he’s also a very good person, which is more important. “I’ve been here (to Grand Prix races) many times although it’s a little bit difficult to follow (Formula One) during my cricket season. “So, whenever there’s no cricket at all, I try to watch as many races as possible. “I love this sport, I’ve always loved cars,” said Tendulkar, who drives a Ferrari.
— Reuters |
|
Karthikeyan 15th in qualifying session
Barcelona, May 7 It was a familiar sight again with Karthikeyan pipping his Jordan team-mate Monteiro (1m 17.848) who spun in Turn 3. “It has not been my quickest lap since the beginning of the weekend but I’m nevertheless still satisfied. It was a bit difficult to warm up the tyres but then the car balance was okay,” Karthikeyan later said. “The race tomorrow will be very exciting as all drivers know the Circuit de Catalunya quite well and I hope we will finish the race in a good position,” he added. Jordan managed to put both cars ahead of the Minardis, with Karthikeyan and Monteiro looking comfortable with their mounts than Christijan Albers and Patrick Friesacher. Toyota’s Jarno Trulli beat home favourite Fernando Alonso by a whisker to claim the provisional pole position. The Italian lapped the Circuit de Catalunya in one minute 14.795 seconds, just 16 thousandths of a second faster than Renault’s championship leader. Alonso, winner of the last three races, remained well positioned to take pole in tomorrow’s decisive final session but Ferrari’s world champion Michael Schumacher could only manage seventh best. The German has won in Spain for the last four years and chased Alonso to the chequered flag in a thrilling duel in Imola two weeks ago. McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen was third for McLaren, just 0.024 adrift of Trulli, with Toyota’s Ralf Schumacher fourth and also in with a shout of a front row start with a time 0.075 slower than Trulli.
— UNI, Reuters |
|
China complete clean sweep
Shanghai, May 7 Wang, who has let himself down at big events in the past, was pummelled in the second and third games. He was 7-9 down in the fourth game when Ma, seeded second, took a time-out. It disrupted Ma’s rhythm and Wang took full advantage to sweep the last three games. The host nation also won the mixed doubles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and women’s singles. Zhang Yining and Wang Nan beat compatriots Guo Yue and Niu Jianfeng in the final of the women’s doubles. The world and Olympic champions won 11-4, 11-5, 10-12, 11-9, 11-5. China had already won the women’s singles (Zhang Yining), the men’s doubles (Kong Linghui and Wang Hao), and the mixed doubles (Wang Liqin and Guo Yue). The clean sweep gave them 100 world championship gold medals. Earlier, Ma knocked out the last European in the competition, Denmark’s Michael Maze, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8 in the semifinals. Wang beat Oh Sang Eun of South Korea 11-7, 12-10, 11-2, 9-11, 11-6. The 23-year-old Maze, who had beaten two Chinese opponents to get to the last four, was powerless against Ma’s intelligent attacking game. “Ma played a very aggressive game and I could do nothing against his attack,” said Maze who, with Finn Tugwell, won the only European medal at the Olympics last year with bronze in the men’s doubles. His bronze here was only the second medal of the tournament to be won by Europe. The men’s doubles pair of Timo Boll and Christian Suess of Germany took silver after losing to Wang Hao and Kong Linghui of China in the final yesterday. China won all seven gold medals the last time the championships were held in Shanghai 10 years ago.
— Reuters, AFP |
|
Nadal rallies to beat Stepanek
Rome, May 7 Fifth seed Nadal, the highest seed left in the tournament, faces David Ferrer in the last four. Unseeded Ferrer saved four match points before beating Spanish compatriot Alberto Martin 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. Earlier yesterday, sixth seed Andre Agassi defeated Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty 6-3, 6-3 to reach the semis. A champion here in 2002, the 35-year-old American will play Guillermo Coria in the last four after the Argentine ninth seed, and 2004 French Open runner-up, recovered from a set down to beat unseeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Nadal broke in the seventh game of the first set to go 4-3 up against Stepanek, only for the 26-year-old Czech to strike back when the Spaniard was serving for the set to level at 5-5. With his confidence soaring, Stepanek attacked the net at every opportunity and his aggressive stance saw him break Nadal again before snatching the opening set. Stung into action after losing his first set of the week, Nadal raised his game to a level Stepanek couldn’t cope with and he claimed 12 of the next 14 games to seal victory and extend his winning streak to 15 matches. Henin enters final Berlin: Former world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne was in ominous form as she demolished seventh seed Patty Schnyder 6-0, 6-1 to reach the German Open final on Saturday. Henin-Hardenne easily outclassed her Swiss opponent to extend her winning streak to 16 matches and will face either Jelena Jankovic or Russian sixth seed Elena Bovina in Sunday’s title match as she bids to win her third German Open. Earlier, in the quarterfinals held yesterday, Amelie Mauresmo was knocked out by Russian Nadia Petrova, losing a baseline-dominated match 6-2 6-3. A buoyant Patty Schnyder, seeded seventh, dropped just four games during a 52-minute demolition of Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova. She beat the 19-year-old fourth seed 6-2, 6-2. Top seed Maria Sharapova lost 2-6, 4-6 to Justine Henin-Hardenne.
— AFP, Reuters |
|
Atwal stays afloat
Charlotte (USA), May 7 However, Daniel Chopra collapsed in the later stages of the round and went eight-over on his last 11 holes to crash out. Spaniard Sergio Garcia managed to get the better of the wind conditions to come back with a bogey-free round of one-under 71 to stay in the lead with a one-shot advantage over defending champion Joey Sindelaar, who brought in the best card of the day of five-under 67, Vijay Singh and D J Trahan. At seven-under 137, it is Garcia’s first 36-hole lead in nearly four years on the PGA Tour. Apart from Sindelaar, Masters runner-up Chris DiMarco, Grew Owen and Trahan shot 67 each, though they all ended in the afternoon when the wind had died somewhat. There were 15 players within five shots of the lead. That included Woods, who has made 11 birdies the first two rounds. But his three bogeys over his last seven holes for a 72 saw him at five shots behind the leader at 2-under 142. Atwal, who has had two top-5 finishes in just over a month, was on the bubble for the first nine with one birdie and one bogey as he turned in even par. On the back nine, he seemed to have lost the plot as he bogeyed three holes in four at the tenth, 12th and 13th and suddenly at three-over for the day and six-over for the tournament, he seemed as good as out. Atwal, facing the possibility of missing weekend play for the first time in six starts, then came up with the eagle when he needed it most and vaulted to one-over for the day and four-over for the two rounds and with pars on last three holes, he survived and will have the weekend to improve his standing further. He had 28 putts for the day, a slight improvement on his 31 on the first day, though off the tee he was struggling and had an accuracy rate of just 36 per cent, but better iron play allowed him to reach the greens on just over 60 per cent of the occasions. The cut after the first day seemed to be coming at two-over and the midway through the second round, it seemed to be three-over. But finally the cut line came at four-over, among the highest this season. Chopra, ninth last week at Zurich Classic of New Orleans, had a forgettable round of six-over 78. After finishing with three-over 75 on the first day, he seemed to be fast making up, as he started with a birdie on the 10th. Another one followed on the 14th and he was two-under through seven holes for the day. Then started Chopra’s nightmare from the famous 17th, where the players have to get the ball across the water and onto the green on the signature par-3 hole. He went into the water and then came out with a triple. He parred the 18th and then landed another triple bogey on the par-4 first. Suddenly he had dropped six shots in three holes. Another bogey on the second, and two more on seventh and ninth ended a nightmarish second nine, where he was five-over despite a birdie on the fifth. Vijay Singh was four-under through first 12 holes, before making a couple of bogeys and one more birdie to end with a 69 that still keeps him in the hunt in tied second position. Phil Mickelson found water on the 17th and ended with a double bogey and bogey finish for a 73 and at even par 144, he is seven behind Garcia.
— PTI |
|
Liu Xiang, Gatlin race to victory
Osaka, May 7 Liu, who set 13.23 seconds to beat the previous world leading time of the season at the Chinese Grand Prix last month, clocked 13.12 for an easy victory in the men’s 110-metre hurdles in his first international event. Olympic champion Gatlin failed to beat Maurice Greene’s best mark of the season at 10.03, but his time of 10.15 was enough to win the men’s 100 metres beating fellow American Brian Lewis and Obadele Thompson of Barbados. Felix, a teenage prodigy who won the 100m and 200m silver medals in the Athens Olympics, timed 11.30 to lead an American 1-2 finish with Angela Daigle, beating Japan’s Tomoko Ishida into third in the women’s 100m. For Gatlin, the winner of the 100m gold, the 4x100m relay silver and the 200m bronze medals in Athens, it was his first individual race this season after winning the 4x100m relay at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia last week. Earlier in the day, China’s Zhang Wenxiu defeated Athens Olympic champion Olga Kuzenkova of Russia to win the women’s hammer throw, narrowly missing a new Asian record in the process. The 19-year-old Chinese marked 72.34 metres in her second throw, only 8 cm short of her own Asian record set last year. Kuzenkova finished second with a result of 69.77.
— AFP |
|
Sportspersons honoured
Chandigarh, May 7 The finalists in various events in disciplines like athletics, shooting, wrestling and hockey were given cash awards of Rs 1 lakh each. These included shooter Abhinav Bindra, who took part in the 10-m air rifle event, hockey stalwarts Gagan Ajit Singh, Prabhjot Singh, Baljit Dhillon and Deepak Thakur. Except Abhinav and Prabhjot, all others were present . In athletics, cash awards were given to Manjit Kaur, Rajwinder Kaur and Sagardeep Kaur, all members of the 400-m relay team which reached the final in Athens. The sportspersons who got Rs 5,000 each were athletes Harwant Kaur, Bahadur Singh, shooter Manavjit Singh Sandhu and wrestler Palwinder Singh Cheema. Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, former Union Minister and president of the Punjab Olympic Association, gave away the awards. Earlier, Raja KS Sidhu, Secretary-General of the POA, said the association was committed to honouring Punjab’s deserving sportspersons. |
|
Pinegrove School boys, girls win
Subathu, May 7 In the first match of the day, PPS Nabha defeated Vivek High School Chandigarh 19-13 Abhishek scored 10 points for PPS and Dikshit scored 13 points for Vivek High School. In the second match of the day, Pinegrove School girls defeated PPS Nabha 12-6. Amandeep scored four points for Vivek
High School. In another match, YPS Mohali defeated APS Dagshai 30-28. Simran scored 20 points, Atish scored eight points and Amarpreet scored two points for YPS Mohali. In yet another match, Vivek High School Chandigarh defeated
YPS Mohali 12-6 in girls’ section. Vasundhra and Simaran Singh, both of YPS Mohali, were adjudged
the highest scorers in the girls and boys sections, respectively. Navjot Kaur of PPS Nabha was adjudged the best player (girls) and Mohit Dhama of Pinegrove School,
was adjudged the best player (boys). |
|
Kapur slips to 19th spot
Seoul, May 7 As Kapur slid to the 19th spot at one-under 215 for 54 holes, home favourite Choi Kyung-ju remained on course for a third Asian Tour victory posting a four-under-par 68 to catch up with overnight leader Andrew Buckle. Choi, who comes from the island of Wando, off the southern tip of the Korean peninsula, is now at 10-under-par 206 and is in the perfect position to launch a charge for his second title at the SK Telecom Open, which he last won in 2003. He is tied with Buckle, who shot a 70 on the third day. Despite good conditions, Kapur, who scored 69 and 70 on first two days, admitted that he struggled with his putting. “I just struggled with my putter all day, even though I hit the ball great. I probably hit the ball a lot better than I did yesterday. So I did the hard part right but just could not get anything to fall,” Kapur said. “I three-putted a few times and missed a few short ones. My short game just let me down, even though, overall, I have been striking the ball well,” he added. Kapur still has a fair chance of getting back to a good finish. He is just one shot adrift of the group of nine players tied 10th with two-under 214. A good under-par round on the final day should see him come up with a good finish. With the weather being as good as it can be, Buckle also played well while carding a 70. On two occasions he fought back from two-shot deficits to catch up set with Choi. Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant rode on a round of five-under 67, including a stunning eagle two on par-4 first hole, and Korean Park Boo-won shared the third spot, three shots behind the leaders. Koji Katoh of Japan is alone in fifth place, one more stroke adrift. Fred Couples and Gary Rusnak are another shot back in equal sixth place. Last year’s Telecom Open champion Simon Yates, still fighting the back injury that almost saw him withdraw on Thursday, recorded a third-round 69 to continue an impressive defence of the title at a tie for 10th after three days.
— PTI |
|
Gurdaspur eves win
Ludhiana, May 7 The visitors won by a wafer-thin one-point margin. For Gurdaspur, Amandeep, Mandeep and Deepika contributed two points each while for the losers, Palwinder, Gurpreet and Aman scored two points each. Earlier, in the semifinals, Gurdaspur faced a stiff challenge from Jalandhar, but they prevailed 6-4, while Ludhiana steamrolled Sangrur 10-0. |
|
Medallist honoured
Bathinda, May 7 |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
