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Lippi hails Italy’s courage
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Early exit will act as lesson for Brazil: Pele
World Cup injuries: 2.2 per game
Maharaja Ranjit Singh
awards to be given on July 15
Budhia wants to win Olympic gold
Sohail Abbas comes out of retirement
Tursunov fined $7,500 for outburst
Advani, Manan lose
Aussies to don new ODI outfit
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Lippi hails Italy’s courage
Dortmund, July 5 The nail-biting match appeared to be heading for a penalty shoot-out when defender Fabio Grosso curled the ball past Jens Lehmann with two minutes left to play. Substitute Alessandro Del Piero rounded off a swift counter-attack with a cool finish in time added on to finally end Germany’s World Cup dream. “It’s a great satisfaction — these lads are fantastic,” Lippi said as Italy reached the final for the first time since 1994. “We suffered at times, but I felt that if one team was going to win it, it was us. Territorially we dominated, and in the end we took a few risks which paid off. “These boys are something special. This morning we got together and had a chat and I told them they should be proud of themselves for reawakening the enthusiasm and love for our country.” Lippi, whose contract with Italy ends after the World Cup, refused to say whether he would tempted to stay on. “My future? Let me enjoy this moment,” he said. Grosso, who celebrated his goal in a similar fashion to the way Marco Tardelli expressed his joy at scoring Italy’s second goal against Germany in the 1982 World Cup final, was lost for words. “I’ve few words, all I can say is that we are a great squad,” said the Palermo defender, who after finding the net shook his head and pumped his fists in delirium just as Tardelli did in Spain 24 years ago. The Azzurri’s preparation for the match would no doubt have been disrupted by events back in Italy where prosecutor Stefano Palazzi recommended relegation for Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina as punishment for their suspected involvement in match-fixing. Thirteen of the Italy squad, none of whom are implicated in the scandal, play for the four accused clubs and could soon be considering their futures. Grosso admitted it had been difficult to stay focussed on the Germany match. “We went out there on the pitch with many things going on around us and now we can celebrate,” said the 28-year-old. Asked what he thought about Italy’s chances of becoming world champions for a fourth time, he replied: “We hope we can produce another great performance. We believe in ourselves.”
— AFP
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Bring on the Martians: Italian press
Rome, July 5 The 2-0 extra-time win over the hosts in Dortmund was a historic one for the Italians “who could beat anyone — even the Martians” wrote the Roman newspaper Il Messaggero. “The whole of Germany will be mourning this merited 2-0 win for Italy. But against Italy they (Germany) always lose. There is a reason for that and it is simply that Italy is stronger,” the paper boasted. It was the fourth time that the two countries had met in the history of the World Cup finals and the fourth time that Germany had failed to defeat their southern neighbours. It was also the first time that the German national side had lost a match in Dortmund having won 13 out of 14 games in the football-mad western city since 1935. “Historic Italy — we are in the final,” was the front-page headline in the La Repubblica newspaper while the top-selling Corriere della Sera went with “Germany beaten in extra-time — another match which will go down in history.” The country’s main sports dailies, delighted to take a step back from the mood of gloom that surrounds the club game at home which is mired in a wide-ranging match fixing scandal, were in festive mood. “We love you,” gushed the Corriere dello Sport in a large-type headline, while Gazetta dello Sport celebrated with “Fly high Italy, fly high.” Tears flow in Germany
Berlin: The streets of Berlin were subdued early today as disappointed Germans picked up the pieces and put a brave face on their national team’s bitter 2-0 loss to Italy at the World Cup. “You Are Still Our Heroes ... We are Crying with You,” screamed the leading Bild tabloid over a front-page photo of national coach Juergen Klinsmann with his head in his hands. “The Italians were simply better. But boys, you are still our heroes,” the paper said. “Night of Tears,” read the Berlin Zeitung, over a big picture of sobbing fans. In an open letter to the team, German President Horst Koehler praised the players for their skill and energy on the field, and helping off the field to bring out a new sense of national pride among Germans. “You still played your way into the hearts of the Germans,” the president wrote. “Our country has found a new role model in its national soccer team, and you won many Germany new friends abroad.” German flags still fluttered from cars and balconies in the capital, but the party mood of the past three weeks was palpably absent early as people made their way to work.
— AFP, AP
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End of a dream!
Dortmund, July 5 Just as the match seemed to be heading for extra-time locked at 0-0, strikes in the closing minutes of extra-time from Fabio Grosso and substitute Alessandro Del
Piero sent Italy into the World Cup final in Berlin on Sunday. “It is an enormous disappointment and the mood is very low. It is a bitter pill to concede two goals so near the end,” said the 41-year-old, who won the World Cup as a player with West Germany in 1990. “I tried to say to them (the players) that they have played fantastically, everyone has pushed themselves to their limits. “They can take so much from this tournament and they have made the country proud. “We had our chances to score the first goal and then just before the end they took their chances.” Klinsmann said he would try to lift the team’s spirits ahead of the third-place playoff on Saturday before deciding whether he wanted to remain national coach. “I don’t know if I am going to carry on. I need some time to take on board everything that has happened during this tournament and in the last two years,” said Klinsmann, who has his home in California. “I will talk to my wife about it next week.”
— AFP
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Blatter supports changes to booking system
Berlin, July 5 With record numbers of red and yellow cards handed out at this World Cup, Blatter said yesterday it was a “very wise suggestion” to amend the existing rules that impose a one-match suspension on players who pick up two cautions across the first round or two in the knockout stage. Two cautions in a match earns an automatic ejection and a one-match ban. Two cautions across three matches in the first round, or two in the whole knockout round, result in a one-match suspension. “In some leagues, the suspension comes after three, four or five cautions — in the World Cup, we should go further,” Blatter said. “In the future there should perhaps be three yellow cards in a round before a suspension, and this is something we will take up. “This would avoid players in the semifinals on one yellow card who, by bad luck, may get a second and cannot play in the final.” That happened to Germany midfielder Michael Ballack at the 2002 World Cup. A tournament record 27 red cards and 331 yellows had been issued after 60 of the 64 matches at Germany 2006. Referees have come under heavy criticism for issuing cautions too early for minor fouls. There have been calls to have the regulations lifted to three cautions in a match before the automatic red card, although Blatter did not support that. English referee Graham Poll controversially issued a Croatia player three yellow cards in the first-round match against Australia that ended 2-2. If Croatia had won and Australia protested the result, it would have forced an unprecedented replay of the match at the World Cup. Addressing simulation was another issue, said Blatter, who condemned players who fake injuries and call for treatment to stymie attacking opportunities for rival teams. “It is just cheating and we must look at this in the future ... I do not like it,” he said. It’s an unwritten convention that the ball is kicked out of bounds when a player is down receiving treatment on the pitch. “This is abusing the system. Players are just lying down and inviting the other team to kick the ball out,” Blatter said. And despite outrage in Britain, where some quarters have accused Cristiano Ronaldo of influencing Horacio Elizondo's decision to send off Wayne Rooney in Portugal’s quarterfinal win over England, Blatter backed the Argentine referee. Rooney got a red card for stomping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. Rooney shoved Portugal forward Ronaldo — his teammate at Manchester United — who later winked toward his team’s dugout when the red card was awarded. “The referee was touching distance from the players and he took the decision according to what he witnessed,” Blatter said. “I have no comment to make on the behaviour of Ronaldo. I have not seen any wrongdoing that has not been sanctioned by the referee.” Blatter noted a general trend of players appealing too much to referees to book rivals, saying it was something he hoped to crack down on at the next major tournament. “I agree that at this World Cup there has been an exuberance of players going towards the referee inviting him to show cards,” he said. “This is a tendency I did not see at the beginning, but have seen in the decisive matches.” FIFA will experiment with goalline technology again at next year's under-20 world championships in Canada. A microchip ball was trialed at the under-17 world championship in Peru last year, but FIFA said the system was not 100 per cent accurate in proving when the ball crossed the goalline to implement at the World Cup. Blatter also confirmed Brazil was the most likely host of the 2014 World Cup, but still needs to prove it could build the stadiums and infrastructure need to host the tournament. South America was next under FIFA’s rotation policy and Brazil was the only candidate so far. “Only if they fulfill all specifications for hosting a World Cup will the FIFA executive take the corresponding decision,” Blatter said.
— AP
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Early exit will act as lesson for Brazil: Pele
Berlin, July 5 “I really hope that this unexpected defeat will be a big lesson for the next World Cups,” Pele told German newspaper O’ Globo. “The expectations from the whole of the world placed on the Brazilians was enormous. The psychological pressure, too little time to prepare physically and the lack of strategy on the pitch did not help them.” said Pele, a World Cup winner in 1958, 1962 and 1970. Though Pele refused to single out coach Carlos Parreira or any individual player he said the top players had failed to perform at crucial moments. Pele also recalled what he had said earlier that favourites do not win the World Cup. “That was always my biggest fear because in 1974 Netherlands were favourites but West Germany won. In 1982, Brazil with coach Tele Santana and a superb squad were favourites, but it was Italy who won.” “Unfortunately here in Germany, it was the same thing, but there again that may be a coincidence.”
— UNI
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World Cup injuries: 2.2 per game
Berlin, July 5 In the first 58 games, team doctors have reported 129 injuries, according to official statistics. However, a considerable amount, 26 per cent, occurred without the player coming in contact with a teammate or an opponent. At Germany 2006, 69 per cent of the injured were put out of action for between one day and a month while six per cent of them might be unavailable for more than a month. Head injuries have been a major concern of the FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre in recent years and several studies led to the conclusion that elbowing is the most common cause of damage, prompting instruction to referees to sanction it with a red card. Eleven head injuries occurred in the first 58 matches, which accounts for 9 per cent of all injuries when compared to 15 per cent in the 2002 World Cup, it said.
— PTI
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Federer, Bjorkman book semifinal date London, July 5 Ancic’s shock win over Federer at Wimbledon in 2002 was the last time the Swiss lost a match on grass but the Croatian seventh seed failed to cause the top seed any real problems in humid conditions. The match was interrupted three times in all, twice by rain and once by two protesters who were quickly hustled off court, but Federer’s concentration was unbroken throughout. Their only previous meeting on grass was that match in the first round in 2002, when Ancic won in three sets. Federer has won all three of their meetings since, including their French Open quarterfinal last month. This is Federer’s 46th consecutive victory on grass and Friday’s match in the last four will be his ninth consecutive grand slam semifinal, only one short of Ivan Lendl’s professional era record. Swede Bjorn Borg and American Pete Sampras were the last two players to win four Wimbledon singles titles in a row and Borg is also the only man in the professional era to have won the singles title without dropping a set. Meanwhile, Sweden’s Bjorkman, three times a doubles champion here and at 34 the oldest competitor in the singles after Andre Agassi, used all experience to overcome the 14th seed in a war of attrition lasting four hours three minutes. Bjorkman is the oldest man to reach a Wimbledon semi-final since Jimmy Connors in 1987.
— Reuters
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London, July 5 Seventh seeded Paes and Damm came from behind to win the match 7-6 (10/8), 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 against the fourth fourth seeded combination. Longest match
Canada’s Daniel Nestor and Mark Knowles of the Bahamas today won the longest match in Wimbledon history when they took six hours nine minutes to win a men’s doubles quarterfinal. The third seeds beat Sweden’s Simon Aspelin and Todd Perry of Australia 5-7, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, 23-21 in a match that had started yesterday. The final set lasted 193 minutes. The previous record for a men’s doubles was five hours five minutes in 1985, a quarterfinal that was completed in a day. The longest match of all had been a second round men’s singles in 1989 between Greg Holmes and fellow American Todd Witsken which lasted five hours 28 minutes.
— PTI, Reuters
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Maharaja Ranjit Singh
awards to be given on July 15
Patiala, July 5 Mr Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Sports, Punjab, disclosed this today. Earlier, the awards were to be conferred upon the sportspersons — shortlisted by a screening committee — at Chandigarh on July 5. However, the much awaited function has been postponed to July 15 although no reasonable explanation is being given by officials of the Punjab Sports Department (PSD) about the postponement. Official sources disclosed that the date had been announced keeping in view the availability of the Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh who was scheduled to preside over the function. The Director (Sports), Mr Pargat Singh, disclosed that the decks had been cleared for the presentation ceremony to be held after a gap of nearly a decade. He added that a local marriage palace had been selected for the presentation ceremony since nearly 500 persons, including sportspersons, were expected to attend the ceremony. Earlier, the government had decided to hold the function at Punjab Bhawan, a venue which has now been ruled out keeping in mind the inclement weather condition. Mr Pargat Singh disclosed that blazers, scrolls, ties and trophies, which are to be awarded to the sportspersons, were ready. A decision to revive the awards was taken by the Punjab Chief Minister during the Indo-Pakistan Punjab Games held in Patiala in November 2004. After hectic deliberations, the award list was finalised after several meetings of the apex screening committee headed by the Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Sports). The award carries a prize money of Rs 1 lakh, enhanced from the previous amount of Rs 20,000, a scroll and a trophy. Till today, confusion reigned supreme in the corridors of the PSD as nobody knew when the date would be finalised. This had sent off confusing signals among the selected sportspersons who doubted whether the awards would be given at all.
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Budhia wants to win Olympic gold
Jaipur, July 5 “My dream is to bring honours to my country by winning the Olympic gold medal in future and I am striving all out for it,” the four-and-half-year-old child said after being given the first ‘Ambassy Little Star’ award by Ambassy Millennium School here. Budhia, who also featured in the Limca Book of Records following his unique feat, was brimming with confidence after demonstrating his skills by running around the Central Park here unexhausted in front of students five time his age. “They were all running behind me,” he said later. Budhia denied being tortured by his coach Biranchi Das, who is accused of making him perform beyond his capacity. “He takes good care of me and does everything related to his health and diet,” he said. About his diet, Budhia said “besides the staple food rice, I eat raw eggs, milk, bananas, papaya, dates and cashews in my daily diet to keep myself fit”. Doctors had suggested Budhia a controlled running, saying it could adversely affect his health. However, Das said Budhiya underwent regular medical examination and his health parameters were perfect. There was no cause of any adverse effects on his health, he said. Das also said since Budhia was under-age to be admitted to a school and so had plenty of time for his training. “He does regular yoga, swimming and running practice. He runs about an hour covering nearly 10 km.” Asked about discovering Budhia’s talent, Das recalled, “Budhiya used to come to watch judo practise and once used abusive language on some children. I was annoyed and punished him to run around the campus. “In the evening, when I returned I was wonderstruck to see that Budhiya was still running, for more than eight hours. “Then I decided to tap the potential of the child. I spoke to his mother to adopt him and she accepted the offer after I paid Rs 800.” Budhia is a cricket fan and swears by Mahendra Singh Dhoni like any child of his age. “Mote bat aau ball khela bhal lage aau mote Dhoni bhal lage (I like cricket and my favourite player is Dhoni),” he said in Oriya. Budhiya said “I watch Oriya films and sometimes I see Hindi films.” Das said Budhia was also a celebrity now.
— PTI
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Sohail Abbas comes out of retirement
Karachi, July 5 Abbas, whose deadly drag-flicks earned him a record 278 goals, said he had conveyed his decision to the Pakistan Hockey Federation and it was now up to them to decide on his selection. “I had decided to quit international hockey at my peak and that’s why I retired after the Champions Trophy in 2004. But now I feel Pakistan hockey needs me. It hurts to see Pakistan lose in prestigious events,” Abbas told a news conference yesterday. Pakistan have not been able to put up any impressive performance of late at the international stage. With much difficulty, they managed to qualify for the World Cup by finishing fourth in the World Cup qualifiers in Changzhou, China, while they finished a disappointing fifth in the Azlan Shah hockey tournament in Kuala Lumpur last month. PHF Secretary Musarratullah Khan said the Federation would seek the opinion of the team management before taking a
decision on the veteran player. — PTI
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Tursunov fined $7,500 for outburst
Wimbledon, July 5 When the match ended on Monday, Tursunov tugged at Murphy’s hand and waved a finger in his face. Nieminen won the four-hour match 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-7 (6), 9-7. Tursunov called Murphy an “idiot” at a news conference after the match.
— AP
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Advani, Manan lose
Colombo, July 5 On a day of upsets which saw top seed and defending champion Jin Long beaten by seventh seeded Mohammed Shehab of United Arab emirates, Advani lost to third seeded Habib Subah of Bahrain by four frames to one, while Chandra lost to sixth seeded Boon Aun Keith of Singapore by an identical margin. Meanwhile, two Pakistani players — Imran Shahzad and Khurram Hussain Agha — booked their berths in the quarter-finals defeating local hopeful Susantha Boteju and Kein Foot Yong of Malaysia respectively.
— UNI
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Aussies to don new ODI outfit
Sydney, July 5 Cricket Australia (CA) and adidas Australia provided a brief glimpse of the new uniform that the team will wear this summer. The kit was designed after getting inputs from the members of the Australian Cricket Team, including captain Ricky Ponting.
— UNI
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