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Govt takes shelter under Uma’s fiat
Narain firm to prove his mettle in Monaco
Chandhok heads for Monaco
Federer out to shake off Paris record
Argentina, Spain emerge victorious
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Resurgent Henin eyes Paris win
West Indies drop Lara for ODIs against Pak
Suspected top bookie held
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Govt takes shelter under Uma’s fiat
New Delhi, May 17 During hearing on IHF Senior Vice-President Narinder Batra’s petition, Additional Solicitor-General (ASG) P.P. Malhotra showed the
notices made by Ms Bharati on the original file and submitted that the decision was taken in view of objections from various sports bodies. The court asked the ASG to file an
additional affidavit by tomorrow putting the fact on record, as it was not there in Centre’s earlier affidavit filed a few days ago. Mr Batra’s counsel Maninder Singh wanted to see the file, but the ASG refused to oblige him, saying, “I cannot show it to you.” Mr Maninder Singh pointed out that there was a manner of issuing government orders and it could not be only on files. When he insisted that he should be allowed to see the file, Justice Gita Mittal said, “Let them (government) file the additional affidavit, then I will decide it.” Mr Batra had sought quashing of the election of federation President K.P.S. Gill and Secretary K. Jothikumaran. Yesterday, the Centre submitted that it had no jurisdiction to frame any law on matters relating to sports and the guidelines issued by it did not have legislative backing for strict enforcement. However, senior advocate Arun Jaitley, who appeared for Mr Batra, countered the Centre’s stand, saying it was competent to legislate in the area of sports and regulate the national federations. Government guidelines — Assistance to National Sports Federations’ (NSFs) — had legal sanction and binding upon the federations as the Centre gave grant to the national body and could regulate the funds, Mr Jaitley had submitted. In its affidavit, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had said sports figured out in the State List of the Constitution as Item 33 and the government had no jurisdiction to frame any law or legislative provision on any matter relating to it. It said though the IHF received financial assistance from the Centre for its activities as per the provisions of guidelines of NSFs, these were only “administrative guidelines” which lacked legislative backing required for strict adherence. The court had issued notices to the ministry, the IHF, Mr Gill and Mr Jothikumaran on Mr Batra’s petition, which alleged financial irregularities and failure of the two officials to comply with the ministry’s guideline not to remain in office for over eight years. Mr Batra had moved the court, accusing Mr Gill of financial irregularities and running the IHF in an autocratic manner. He had also urged the court not to allow Mr Gill and Mr Jothikumaran to participate in the IHF elections. Mr Batra submitted that after filing of his writ petition, he was served with certain documents about the AGM for holding of election of office-bearers and that the minutes of the earlier meeting had been changed.
— PTI |
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Narain firm to prove his mettle in Monaco
“I am happy with my performance so far this season, having shown the potential of the car. Monaco is a race where I really show what I am made of,” Karthikeyan, who arrived here today in preparation for his sixth race of the season, said. “I cannot wait to race in Monaco,” said an excited Karthikeyan about the most glamorous race of the Formula One championship. The Jordan Grand Prix driver said it could be physically challenging for newcomers here, but he was confident of coping with it. “I like racing on street circuits and have experience of these unique tracks from earlier in my career, such as at Macao or the Korean Formula Three Grand Prix, he said. “Monaco is a real challenge for a driver who has never raced on that street circuit. A driver dashing uphill and downhill through a town at 300 km ph on such a short track is a really breathtaking idea,” he said. “I expect it to be a really physical challenge, as we will have to negotiate over 1000 corners in around 90 minutes on Sunday afternoon. It is also a real challenge for the gearbox, which will change gear more than 2000 times during the race,” Karthikeyan said. “It will be very tough for the car, the tyres and the brakes,” the 28-year-old said. While Karthikeyan had raced on some street circuits before, he had never been at the wheel of a car as powerful as his Jordan Grand Prix EJ15 in that unique situation. The strategy, however, would be the same — precise driving with no room for errors. The slightest mistake could end a driver’s afternoon in a collision with Monaco’s unforgiving barriers. “As overtaking is virtually impossible at Monaco, strategy will be vital,” Karthikeyan said. The schedule of the Monaco Grand Prix is slightly different than of others. The first day of racing will be on Thursday, with Friday being a day off for drivers and teams and then the weekend format is the usual Saturday qualifying, round one and Sunday qualifying round two, followed by the race.
— PTI |
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Chandhok heads for Monaco
New Delhi, May 17 The 21-year-old Karun, backed by J.K. Tyres, said the event would be the highlight of his career. Karun said he would be happy if he could get into the top 10, though he would get only half an hour’s practice before the race. |
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Anand held to draw again
Sofia, May 17 At the half way-stage in this category-20 double round-robin tournament, a resurgent-looking Vladimir Kramnik of Russia joined Adams atop the table on three points after defeating world’s top woman player Judit Polgar of Hungary. The biggest surprise of the event, however, came from the other board, where former world champion Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine silenced his critics with a crushing victory over local favourite and world number three Veselin Topalov. With just five more rounds to be played, Anand and Ponomariov were close behind the leaders with 2.5 points in their kitty while Topalov and Polgar slipped to the last spot on two points following the debacle. Anand continued his discussion with Adams in the semi-closed opening set-ups and employed the English opening, this time with his white pieces. The Briton on went for the Hedgehog formation and thanks to some fine piece play, Anand emerged with a slight advantage in the middle game. Almost immediately, Anand went for a series of exchanges in a long tactical variation, that led to a minor piece endgame, wherein the miniscule advantage for the Indian ace remained, but it did not prove enough for his first victory. After a few pawn swaps, the players arrived at bare kings to sign peace in 54 moves. “I felt I was better but his defence was quite good. Winning chances are miniscule unless black makes a mistake,” Anand said, adding, “The line which we played together is not that common, but is quite subtle and interesting. But in the best circumstances, you get a very small advantage.” For Ponomariov, luck finally changed. Having lost the first game against Kramnik, the Ukrainian was not quite in his usual self so far, but yesterday proved another day as he cruised, bruised and squeezed out the defensive resources of Topalov in a spectacular effort. Playing white side of a queen’s gambit, Ponomariov got a slight initiative in the middle game and nurtured it well to get the dynamic balance rolling in his favour. Topalov found himself struggling and just could not compete when Ponomariov first won an exchange and then sacrificed a piece to tie down all black forces on the king side. It was a picturesque sight when Ponomariov simply marched his king to the heart of black’s position to deliver the knockout punch. The game lasted 40 moves. Kramnik was also in his element against Polgar, although in this one, fortunes fluctuated a bit before destiny had the final say. Playing the Capablanca variation against Polgar’s Nimzo Indian defence, Kramnik could only manage a wild unclear middle game, with Polgar launching a king side attack. The Russian, however, worked on his counter-play bid quite accurately and knocked down a black pawn. It was time for a retreat, that resulted in trading of queens, and soon after the fate of the game was decided in the ensuing rook and minor piece endgame. Polgar called it a day on her 62nd turn.
— PTI |
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Federer out to shake off Paris record
He tucked 11 trophies into his suitcase last season and had already crammed in another six this year. The Musketeers’ Cup, awarded to the French Open men’s singles champion, was the only major prize Federer failed to get his hands on in 2004 and he would be determined to make amends over the next two weeks in the French capital. “The last two years have been too disappointing for me at the French, so I just have to focus on the early rounds,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said after retaining his Hamburg title last weekend. “Once I get going, that is when I will start to become really dangerous at Roland Garros,” he said. Equipped with a brand of tennis which recent history suggests should be a liability on the slow, gruelling clay courts of Roland Garros, Federer’s talent is such that he can still be expected to overcome all rivals. The Swiss showed his versatility last season by becoming the first man to win multiple titles on three different surfaces. With just two defeats since last year’s Olympics, Federer has established an aura of invincibility not seen since Pete Sampras was at his peak. Unlike the American, though, Federer’s long list of baseline rivals will be well aware that the Swiss master is no pushover on the red dirt. Despite his poor record at the season’s second Grand Slam, where he has yet to progress beyond the quarterfinals, Federer has captured five of his 28 titles on the slow surface. With victories over last year’s Roland Garros finalist Guillermo Coria and rising French prospect Richard Gasquet en route to his third Hamburg Masters crown, Federer once again proved he has the all-court game to succeed in Paris. “I can play on all surfaces so it is hard for me to say what is my favourite surface,” said Federer, who had won two Wimbledon titles along with an Australian and a US Open crown. “Grass is a short season. Again, on hard court, I have an unbelievable record, even though I love indoor too. And then the clay feels natural for me too, but I hardly play on it,” he said. “I still believe I have got most potential left on clay. It is also where I feel that I will improve most quickly. Of course, I believe strongly that I can play great clay-court matches and I have shown it in the past,” he said.
— Reuters |
Argentina, Spain emerge victorious
Duesseldorf, May 17 Gaudio, who had won three clay-court titles this season, beat Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-4. Clement played for Sebastien Grosjean, who sat out with a knee injury. Coria topped Michael Llodra 6-1, 6-4. Argentina, winners of the World Team Cup in 1980 and 2002, lost in doubles, however. Clement and Llodra beat Guillermo Canas and Juan Ignacio Chela 6-1, 6-4. Thomas Johansson gave Sweden the lead in the first singles, recovering from 4-1 down in the first set to beat Tommy Robredo 7-6 (7/4), 6-1. David Ferrer levelled for Spain in the next singles, beating Jonas Bjorkman 6-4, 6-0. Robredo and Santiago Ventura then topped Bjorkman and Johansson 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-3 in doubles to win. The World Team Cup is a round-robin event, with eight teams split into two groups. Each team plays three opponents, and the winners of each group advance to the final. The Red Group consists of Argentina, Chile, the Czech Republic and France, while the Blue Group has the USA, Germany, Spain and Sweden.
— AP |
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Resurgent Henin eyes Paris win
‘’I should be ready but I do not want to call myself favourite for Roland Garros,’’ the Belgian said, her customary caution kicking in. ‘’There are 128 girls in the draw and they have all got the same goal: winning the tournament,’’ she added. If the cagey Henin-Hardenne refuses to consider herself the favourite for the event, there is no shortage of competitors ready to label her as such. Three straight clay-court titles leading up to Roland Garros underline that status. Henin-Hardenne went on to win in Berlin against Nadia Petrova — a third straight tournament final victory against a Russian. The dark days of mystery viruses and niggling injuries would appear to be finally behind her. Now ranked 11th in the world after a miserable spell on the sidelines toppled her from number one, she is a match for anybody on her day. Winner of three grand slam titles, she has the perfect big-match temperament to complement a game of sublime touch and astute angles. The last of those grand slam wins came in Melbourne in January, 2004, after a superb 2003, in which she bagged the French and US Open crowns. Then illness struck. The 22-year-old struggled with respiratory illness and was struck down later in the year by viruses, which left her listless and unable to compete. A mammoth effort in Athens carried her to Olympic gold, but the strain told and she slumped out of the US Open in the fourth round. Viral illness kept her from playing in the prestigious season-ending WTA Tour Championships and a cloud hung over her future. Any lingering doubts had been dispelled by her form since returning to the tour in April. Her first outing, in Miami, ended in a creditable quarterfinal finish, but it was since then that she had shone as of old. She had claimed titles in Charleston, Warsaw and Berlin, beating world numbers one and two Lindsay Davenport and Maria Sharapova along the way. ‘’I did not know exactly what to expect when I came back on the tour,’’ she said. ‘’Physically I did not know how I was going to react,” she added.
— Reuters |
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West Indies drop Lara for ODIs against Pak
St. John’s, May 17 The squad: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (capt), Christopher Gayle, Xavier Marshall, Runako Morton, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Wavell Hinds, Dwayne Smith, Dwayne Bravo, Courtney Browne, Corey Collymore, Daren Powell, Pedro Collins, Ian Bradshaw.
— AFP |
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Suspected top bookie held
Mumbai, May 17 Mehta, who had been on the run for a while, was arrested after the sessions court rejected his anticipatory bail plea. Mehta had been charged with organising betting during the India-Pakistan cricket series in February this year. Mehta was caught after another bookie who had set up illegal telephone exchanges for betting during cricket matches fell into the police net. Mehta reportedly organised payments via the hawala route and was suspected to be linked to the Dawood Ibrahim gang. Mehta, whose family had allegedly been into betting for generations was Mumbai’s biggest bookie, with offices in Mumbai, Thane and West Asia. |
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Federer, Holmes win Laureus awards
Estroil, May 17 Also nominated were two motor racing aces, Germany’s even-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher and Italy’s Valentino Rossi, for his fourth world MotoGP championship. “My main ambitions now are to win the French Open for the first time and to stay as the world number one,”
Federer said. British middle-distance runner Kelly Holmes, winner of the 800
metres and 1500 metres gold medals at last year’s Athens Olympics, won the World Sportswoman of the Year Award. She was up against Russia’s Olympic pole vault winner Yelena Isinbayeva, Sweden’s heptathlon gold medallist Carolina Kluft, Holland’s Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel, the most successful cyclist in Olympic history, Russia’s 17-year-old Wimbledon tennis champion Maria Sharapova and Swedish golfing great Annika Sorenstam. Greece, shock winners at Euro 2004, got the World Team of the
Year Award while the Boston Red Sox, who last year won baseball’s World Series for the first time in 86 years, won the newly created Spirit of Sport Award. The World Newcomer of the Year Award went to China’s Liu Xiang, who became the first Chinese man to win a rack athletics medal in Olympic history when he won the 110 metres hurdles in Athens. Italian racing driver Alessandro
Zanardi, who completed a full touring car season last year after losing both legs in a racing accident in 2001, won the World Comeback of the Year Award. The winners were decided by the Laureus World Sports Academy,
a jury of 40 legends of sport, that included Germany’s three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker, England cricket great Ian Botham and Romanian
gymnast Nadia Comaneci. — AFP |
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Garima wins
Amritsar, May 17 Boys (u-14) main draw: Mandeep Gill (Chd) bt Akshit Joshi (Chd) 6-0, 6-1; Shikha Kapoor (Dli) bt Amarinder Mann (Chd) 6-2, 6-2; Surya Sirsala (AP) bt Pranshu Bhartwal (UP) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Digvijay Singh (Chd) bt Dinesh Goyal (Har) 6-3, 6-0; Gaurav Inder Toor (Chd) bt Fateh Singh (Chd) 6-4, 6-2, Ashwani Kumar (Chd) bt Tushar Khanna (Pb) 6-2, 6-2; Abhay Raj Singh (Chd) bt Amit Chauhan (Chd) 6-0, 6-0 and Ritwik Sonkara (Dli) bt Raghav Singhal (Chd) 6-4, 6-2; boys (u-18): Gursher Harika (Pb) bt Keshav Mahajan (Pb) 7-5, 6-1; Jaivinod (Pb) bt Tanuj Keshwani (Dli) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; Pushpindra Rajpurohit (Guj) bt Nagendra Rai (UP) 6-2, 7-5; Ketan Gupta (Pb) bt Inderjot Singh (Pb) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4; Manav Dhawan (Pb) bt Ankur Agarwal (Dli) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1; Pulkit Mishra (Dli) bt Ujjwal Khanna (Pb) 7-5, 6-1 and Rohan Shetty (Guj) bt Gursimran Bar (Chd) 7-5, 0-6, 7-6 (5). |
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Monaco, May 17
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