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Powell breaks 100m world record
4 Pak pacers to train at MRF academy
Greg Chappell arrives in India
BCCI to take up commercial breaks |
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Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award to be revived
Federer, Davenport are top seeds
Sasikiran held to a draw
Asian snooker meet called off
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Powell breaks 100m world record
Athens, June 15 On a warm summer’s night on one of the fastest tracks in the world, the 22-year-old beat Tim Montgomery’s previous record of 9.78 set in Paris in September, 2002, to become the fastest man ever over the distance. Powell earlier this week had said he would take a shot at the record during the Athens super grand prix at the stadium which hosted the Olympics last year and where American Maurice Greene also set a new 100m mark in 1999. “This goes to show that no one knows how fast a man can run,’’ a smiling Powell said. “I am just happy to have set the record on a track where Maurice Greene also broke the world record. “I knew I could break the world record and I am very happy that I succeeded.’’ Asked whether he could run even faster, Powell smiled. “If you ask what I can do more this year, you will have to wait until the end of this year’s season to see,’’ he said. American Greene’s mark of 9.79 seconds survived for three years until Montgomery beat it at the grand prix final in the French capital. “I congratulate him on the record but I was shocked he broke it so early in the season,’’ Montgomery told his agent Charles Wells yesterday. In front of a sparse crowd in the Greek capital yesterday, Powell showed he was in fine form during his semifinal when he clocked 9.98 seconds despite easing up in the last few metres. In the final, he got off to a good start and powered past his opponents to finish three metres ahead of Aziz Zakari from Ghana, who was second in 9.99 seconds and Jamaican Michael Frater, who was third. The wind speed of plus 1.6 m per second was within the legal limit. Yesterday’s record made up in part for Powell’s disappointment at finishing fifth in a 100 m final he was favourite to win at last year’s Olympics. He had already set the fastest two times over the distance this year at 9.84 and 9.85 seconds. The small crowd of a few thousand in the vast stadium almost saw a second world record being broken but Qatar’s Saif Shaheen, formerly known as Stephen Cherono when he ran for his native Kenya, narrowly missed out in the 3000 m steeplechase. Shaheen came close to breaking his own mark with a formidable performance, clocking the season’s best time of 7:57.28, less than four seconds off his own record. He took a commanding lead early in the race and 500 m from the finish line looked set to break the record. “Amazing race,’’ said Shaheen. “I was very fast at the start and I could have broken the world record but I slowed down since the others didn’t follow.’’ Olympic champion Stefan Holm of Sweden managed only second in the men’s high jump event with 2.32 m behind Czech Jaroslav Baba, who equalled Holm’s jump but had a better record of successful tries. Jamaican Sherone Simpson edged past Ukraine’s former world champion Zhanna Block to win the women’s 100 m in 11.15 seconds. Bulgarian Ivet Lalova, who shares the season’s second best time with Simpson, injured her knee during her warm-up and was taken to hospital for further test, organisers said. Australian Jana Pittman was in a class of her own, running the 400 m hurdles in 53.44 seconds, the best time in the world this season.
— Reuters |
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4 Pak pacers to train at MRF academy
Chennai, June 15 The PCB today confirmed by a fax message to the foundation that Mohammad Khalil, Mohammad Asif, Riaz Afridi, who were capped last season and Mohammad Irshad, who represented Pakistan in u-19 international matches would join the academy for training under Lillee from June 25 to July 6, T.A. Sekar, chief coach at the Foundation, said. “Our management has always welcomed youngsters from abroad to learn the art under Lillee, considered the professor emeritus of fast bowling,” he said. With Pakistan, despite boasting of the calibre of bowlers like Imran Khan,
Sarfraz Nawaz, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, to name a few, deciding to send their bowlers here for training, the academy has become a force to reckon with, Sekar said. According to Sekar, during the Indo-Pak Test match in Bangalore in March this year, the PCB president Sharayar Khan had expressed his desire to send bowlers to the academy. The PCB had last week stated in Islamabad that it was planning to send promising fast bowlers to India for a stint at the MRF academy to make them formidable seamers. The PCB officials and its selectors favoured this venture being impressed with the products of the academy and also because training here would be financially cheaper when compared to the Australian academy.
— PTI |
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Pakistan to have fielding coach
Lahore, June 15 PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan said coach Bob Woolmer has endorsed the idea and things would be finalised soon. “I have already consulted Bob Woolmer in this regard. We might hire a fielding coach from Australia. He is a specialist trainer of baseball and cricket players. Negotiation with him are at an initial stages,’’ Shaharyar told The News. Meanwhile, amid reports that the board was about to approach former Pakistan captains Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis for coaching at the National Cricket Academy here, the PCB chief said no new offer would be extended to the former pace duo but they are welcome if they want to take up the job. “Although the PCB has no plans to extend fresh invitations to Wasim and Waqar to coach players, they would be welcomed if they want to train players at the National Academy.’’ ‘’In fact, our doors are always open for such players. It would be an honour for the academy if they want to coach the players there,’’ he said.
— UNI |
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Greg Chappell arrives in India
Mumbai, June 15 Chappell, who did not speak to waiting mediapersons at the Sahar International Airport. The 57-year-old would be based in Bangalore as the National Cricket Academy is located there. Chappell was appointed the Indian coach after New Zealander John Wright quit after the India-Pakistan cricket series.
— PTI |
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BCCI to take up commercial breaks issue
with DD
Chandigarh, June 15 Acting in viewers’ interest, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to talk to the national broadcaster over the issue so that fans do not miss out on seeing “crucial moments” of the match due to breaks. BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra said today that the board would take up the matter with Doordarshan asking it to take commercial breaks only when a full over has been completed and not disrupt the telecast “as they sometimes do even before the over has been completed.” “We will be writing to Doordarshan on this. In future we are going to have this clause while awarding the telecast rights that full overs should be shown,” Mr Mahendra said. “We believe that DD or any other channel does not have the right to go in for commercial break when live action is taking
place." In addition, when a crucial moment like a catch, run out is being shown as a replay, then also they should show it,” said Mr Mahendra, also an MLA, on the sidelines of a state Assembly session. |
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Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award to be revived
Chandigarh, June 15 Addressing mediapersons at Punjab Bhawan, here, he said the government is planning to make it compulsory for schools to raise their teams in different sports. More importantly, the money allotted should be utilised to develop infrastructure for sports. He said the government was planning to revive the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award, which was not given for the past eight years because of paucity of funds. “Now a committee has been formed and the scrutinisation process is going on to honour sportspersons, both present ones and veterans. Apart from these, the promoters will also be given with this award,” he said. Mr Rana had recently returned after attending the Commonwealth Sports Advisory Board’s meeting held in Canada. The 12- member group of advisors, which included sports experts from across the Commonwealth, assembled for the first time on June 7 in Gatineau (Canada) and formed a body called Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS) chaired by UK Minister for Sports Richard Caborn. The main aim of CABOS would be to look at the ways to build on the virtues of sports to nurture talent and sharpen the skills in this sphere. The CABOS will bring together some of the best sports experts in the Commonwealth. CABOS will provide input and advice on specific policy issues to Commonwealth Ministers of Sports in order to promote sports as a tool for economic and social development and programmes to encourage a healthy lifestyle and help young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to develop their skills and work prospects. Another commitment of CABOS would be to stamp out drugs in sports and reduce cheating and ensure fair play which would further lead the youth on the right track. Regarding the doping controversy in the last Indo-Pak Punjab Games, he said the committee has been working in the right earnest in this regard and the report would be submitted by the end of this month and if any player is found guilty he or she would be
stripped of the medals they won. Mr Rana said that preparations for the next Indo-Pak Punjab Games, to be held in Lahore, have been kept on the priority list. He also informed that the rural sports festivals would be kept under the Sports Department, Punjab, and regular calendar of the events would be released and the games would be held in a more organised manner.
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Federer, Davenport are top seeds
London, June 15 Roddick was elevated over 2002 winner and world number two Lleyton Hewitt. As expected, two-time champion Roger Federer topped the list, followed by Roddick, Hewitt and French Open champion Rafael Nadal. British hope Tim Henman, four-time semifinalist at the All-England Club, was also rewarded for his record at the tournament by being boosted three places to sixth. Women’s champion Maria Sharapova was seeded second, behind world number one Lindsay Davenport. Former winners Serena Williams and her sister Venus were seeded fourth and 14th, respectively. Unlike other major tournaments, Wimbledon does not follow the ATP’s world rankings and instead, uses a combination of rankings and grasscourt form over recent years while determining men’s seeds.
— Reuters |
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Sasikiran held to a draw
Paks (Hungary), June 15 Not mellowed a wee-bit by the age factor, Korchnoi demonstrated fine skills to beat GM Ferenc Berkes of Hungary to emerge as the sole leader with 2.5 points in this category-15 double round robin event between 6 players. Top seed Emil Sutovsky of Israel, who drew with Hungarian GM Peter Acs, and Almasi are close behind the leader with 2 points apiece while Sasikiran and Acs are next in line with 1 point each. Berkes with just half a point, is at the bottom of the tables with 7 rounds still remaining in the tournament.
— PTI |
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Asian snooker meet called off
Mumbai, June 15 “Yes, we have been forced to call it off as we could not find a sponsor despite approaching 25 companies. It’s a shame that none has come forward to sponsor this prestigious international event,” said MBSA joint secretary Derek Sippy. “We have already informed the national body and the championship would now be held at Bangkok from July 25-31,” he added. MBSA president and former three-time world amateur billiards champion, Michael Ferreira, today hit out at the corporate world through his newspaper column for failing to come forward and lend financial support in organising the event.
— PTI |
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Chandigarh defeat Minor Districts
Mohali, June 15 In the first innings, Chandigarh posted 501 for 4 in their allotted 90 overs. In reply Minor’s team made a paltry 151 in 61.5 overs. After following on, Minor District A scored 67 for 2 in 30 overs. Chandigarh won the match on 1st innings lead and with this win and their earlier victory against Patiala they booked a place in the semi-finals. Brief scores: Chandigarh 501 for 4 in 90 overs. (Amardeep Soankar 76, Vishwas Bhalla 98, Sarul Kamal 81, Uday
Kaul 110 not out, Rahul Arora 101 Asim Gupta 27 not out). Minor District Zone — A 151 all out in 61.5 overs (Gurmukh 49, Rahul 32 , Varun Sharma 20 and Rohit 20 Akashdeep 2 for 36, Karan Kherwal 3 for 46 and Bipul Sharma 4 for 23). Minor districts Zone A (2nd innings): 67 for 2 in 30 overs (Gurmukh 33 not out, Jatin 18,
K. Kherwal 1 for 17 and Asim Gupta 1 for 15). |
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