Mumbai, May 4
With almost all of the cricketers refusing to sign the new contracts offered to them by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the apex body of the sport in the country has been forced on the back foot to salvage the upcoming tour to Bangladesh.

Sources said here today that none of the senior cricketers signed the contracts though reports said some junior players may have signed on the dotted line to avoid jeopardising their careers. With the seniors reluctant to sign the contracts, BCCI general secretary Niranjan Shah said the board has decided to back down.

Shah also felt that if the players have some reservations then it would not be possible for them to sign the contracts before they leave for Dhaka.

“I don’t have a feedback yet from the players. I am going to Kolkata on Sunday and will talk to the players and hear their concerns if there are any,” he added.

Earlier the board had asked the cricketers to sign the new contracts before leaving for Dhaka on Monday.

Today Shah said it was okay with the board if the cricketers selected to play in Bangladesh signed the contracts on their return home.

“They can sign the contracts after returning from the tour of Bangladesh (May 7-29),” Shah said.

Following India’s early exit from the World Cup, the BCCI came up with the idea of linking payment for players with their performance during the matches.

Apart from doing away with prevailing graded system of payments, the board also decided to limit the number of product endorsements by individual players.

Team India leaves for Dhaka Monday for the Bangladesh tour from May 7 to 29.

Under the strict terms proposed by the board, the players would be paid Rs 5 lakh as flat retainer fees every year irrespective of seniority.

On the other hand senior players like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were paid between Rs 20 and Rs 50 lakh till recently.

Though the board promised bonuses for wins in matches and series, it has not gone down well with the players.

The players are also opposed to the restrictions on product endorsements. A defensive Niranjan Shah said only the working committee of the BCCI could decide on changes in policy regarding product endorsement by players. The working committee had decided last month that no player can sign more than three endorsement deals at a time and not more than two players can be contracted by a single sponsor.

Sydney, May 4
World Cup-winning coach John Buchanan has revealed that he was “indirectly” approached by the Indian cricket board but turned down the offer as he was not immediately ready for another international assignment after quitting Australia job.

Buchanan said before leaving for the Caribbean he had been approached by BCCI officials to gauge his interest in succeeding Greg Chappell after the World Cup.

“'There was some indirect contact from India. But at the moment I am looking for new challenges as a mentor coach, and speaking to Cricket Australia and the Australian Sports Commission about that, as well as a move into corporate world,” he told Sydney Morning Herald.

The 54-year-old Aussie did not follow up the Indian board approach but said he had an open-mind regarding overseas opportunities, though not in the immediate term.

“Yes, there is still some interest (in international coaching). But — and it’s a big but — it would be very much dependent upon my family.

“I really want to be around for that period of (my children’s) schooling. But that probably takes me to my late 50s, and if I would like to specifically be involved in the game, maybe I’ll have passed my used-by date by then. We’ll see.”

Shimla, May 4
The Himachal Government has decided to build a cricket stadium of international standards near the Jabbar Hatti airport at a cost of Rs 50 crore.

Stating this at a press conference, forest minister Ram Lal Thakur, who also holds the charge of the Sports Department, said the state capital had been without a stadium as adequate land was not available. The government land found suitable was classified as forest land which could not be transferred without the approval of the Centre.

However, the state government pursued the case for the transfer of 60 bighas of forest land at Katasani village and got the approval for its transfer under the Forest Conservation Act from the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment.

Process for acquiring about 2.5 bighas of adjoining private land would be initiated soon. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has agreed to release Rs 20 crore so that the project could be completed within a year. A sum of Rs 10 lakh had been given for the levelling work.

The work of levelling the undulating land had been started and the Public Works Department has been asked to prepare a detailed project report within 15 days. A team of engineers and officials would visit the best cricket stadia constructed across the country before finalising the project.

The stadium would be built as per the standards prescribed by the ICC. It would have a seating capacity of about 30,000 and parking space for 5,000 vehicles.

A helipad would also be constructed so that players could reach the ground from five-star hotels like Wild Flower Hall, located 17 km away, through the aerial route. The airport is just 2 km from the ground. 

New Delhi, May 4
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development has taken exception to the fact that funds have been allocated for every other head, except for the training of sportspersons, for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

The committee, in its 190th report, “is surprised to know that funds have been projected/allocated for every other activity such as construction of the games village, stadia, roads, transport, etc. but not for the training of our sportspersons for the Commonwealth Games.”

The committee, in one of its previous reports, had proposed that some percentage of total allocation for the games should be kept for the training of the sportspersons.

The committee suggested that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports “must create a special corpus for the training of athletes for the Commonwealth Games and other such events.”

“The committee hopes that the ministry appreciates the high expectations the country has about its performance at the (Commonwealth) Games. The good showing will also bring a change in perception towards sports in the country,” the report noted.

During the inauguration of the Olympic Bhavan by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here last week, Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi made a request to the PM that an yearly allocation of Rs 300 crore should be made for the training of athletes till the Commonwealth Games in 2010, though the PM in his speech gave no categorical assurance, other than saying that he would give his full backing for the games.

The Parliamentary Committee has “strongly” recommended that “every effort be made for a world-class training of our athletes on a regular basis.” The committee has also expressed its “apprehension” about the timely completion of the various stadia, the Games Village and other facilities as works on them were yet to begin, though the ministry has given the assurance that they would start in June-August this year.

The committee, in conclusion, has noted that the “financial performance/management of the ministry leaves much to be desired.”

“Importance of the mandate of the ministry - development, empowerment of youth as well as promotion of sports - can hardly be overemphasised. The committee has all these years been pleading for more funds for these purposes. Rs 200 crore for development of youth, who constitute 45 per cent of our population and on whom the country is pinning all its hope for the future, are just peanuts,” the report adds.

Ipoh, May 4
India take their first step on the road to recovery when they begin their campaign in the 16th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup eight-nation hockey tournament with a match against Australia here tomorrow.

India’s fortunes touched the nadir last year that saw them finishing 11th at the World Cup and out of the medals in the Asian Games. As such, the Azlan Shah tournament represents first serious competition for the new-look Indian team that need to qualify for all the major international tournaments - the Champions Trophy, Olympics and the World Cup.

“It is a long process and we need to be patient. The first task is to get the players in competitive trim, develop a team and only then, hopefully, we would get the desired results,” said Joaquim Carvalho who took over from Vasudevan Bhaskaran as the chief coach barely a month back.

Carvalho, no stranger to disaster, having been a member of the Indian team that finished 12th at the World Cup in Willesden, London, felt that the players need to get their confidence back with regular international exposure. “This is the real significance for us in this (Azlan Shah Cup) tournament,” he pointed out.

The former midfielder though has not had the best of starts. A few key players like Dilip Tirkey and Arjun Halappa, who were the central figures in the recent Indian teams, were unavailable for selection. Further, experienced half-back Ignace Tirkey “opted out” of the tournament after playing two practice games earlier this week in Kuala Lumpur.

However, Carvalho preferred to look ahead. He fancied India’s chances against Australia, the runners-up to Germany at the 2006 World Cup, when the two meet in the inaugural tie tomorrow. “It will be a tough game, but I will not rule out a strong result for us,” he said.

India would be hoping that their relatively young and inexperienced midfield would be able to contain the swift Aussie forwards. In this context, skipper Prabhodh Tirkey, a member of last year’s World Cup side, would have added responsibility of guiding the half-line that would be critical to India’s chances.

The deep defence, minus Dilip Tirkey, for long an inspirational force, too will have its task cut out and a lot is expected from the talented William Xalxo and of course, penalty corner specialist Ramachandra Raghunath, a last minute inclusion for the 2006 World Cup.

Carvalho’s assistant Mohinder Pal Singh, himself a former penalty corner specialist, said Raghunath was coming along nicely but needed more exposure before he could be counted among the best in the world.

Carvalho felt that the Indian forward line could throw up a few surprises. “We have a few strong players in Bharat Chakra and Sawarnjit Singh besides the experienced Prabhjot Singh and Rajpal Singh,” he said.

Prabhjot, ignored for a few seasons, is staging a comeback and being the most experienced of the forwards, the onus will be on him to carry the attacks.

Meanwhile, Australia, still smarting from the defeat to Germany in the World Cup final last year, are without seven regular players, including the likes of Jamie Dwyer, Michael McCann, Travis Brooks and Dean Butler.

“We have included a few youngsters who did well in the recent National League,” said coach Barry Dancer.

Saturday’s fixtures (IST): Australia vs India (1.35 pm); Korea vs Canada (3.35 pm); Malaysia vs Pakistan (5.35 pm). — PTI

Amritsar, May 4
The Guru Nanak Dev University syndicate has terminated the services of Bhupinderpal Kaur, a volleyball coach, for allegedly claiming house rent “fraudulently” and evading income tax.

The syndicate said Bhupinder was given adequate opportunity to clarify her position but to no avail. Action was taken against her on the complaint of Dr Kanwaljit Singh, seniormost Professor of Physical Education. Incidentally, Bhupinder had levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Dr Kanwaljit.

Meanwhile, the Syndicate today issued “displeasure” to Dr Daljinder Singh, a renowned national athlete and senior Professor, faculty of Physical Education, on the charge of attempting to send veteran athletes to the USA for the 1998 Nike World Masters in alleged violation of university service rules.

The syndicate, however, took lenient view of the 10-year-old case since the retirement of Dr Daljinder Singh is due later this year. In his reply, Dr Daljinder claimed that he had sought permission from the then Vice-Chancellor to send veteran athletes to the USA.

Earlier, the university had deputed a retired IAS officer, A.S. Gulati, on January 22, 1999, to look into the allegations. He had submitted his report in 2000 indicting Dr Daljinder of collecting money to send the veteran athletes and recommended action in view of alleged violation of Rule 12 of Service Conduct Rule, 1966.

Chandigarh, May 4
Punjab’s premier soccer outfit JCT, though out of contention for the title in the 11th National Football League, are closer to realising a dream. A victory in the penultimate round against Bangalore's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd SC at Ludhiana’s Guru Nanak Stadium tomorrow will not only boost their chances of finishing runners-up but will also throw the contest for the top slots wide open.

Currently placed fourth with 25 points from seven victories and four draws, JCT are within sniffing distance of the second position. As the high-profile league inches towards its climax, the mill men are also hoping for a favourable outcome from other matches in the last two rounds.

Off to a sluggish start, JCT’s campaign gathered steam from the eighth round onwards. Contrary to their showing in the previous editions, JCT have demonstrated unique striking ability this season. In the preceding years, the mill men never had major problems with their defence and midfield. What they lacked was a lethal strike force. The combination of Nigerian striker Edeh Chidi and international Sunil Chhetri has filled the void for the Punjab team. Of the 25 goals scored by JCT in the current league, the duo has accounted for 19, with Chhetri leading the pack with 10 goals.

For JCT’s impressive goal-average, the role of custodian Karanjit Singh cannot be under-estimated. The youngster’s heroics under the bar have frustrated top strikers in the NFL. Stopper back Anwar, wing back Daljit, overlapping winger Baldeep, medios Rennedy Singh and Adebayo Tokunbo, and youngsters like Sakatar Singh have also contributed in good measure to JCT’s dream run.

For bottom-placed HAL, 10 defeats in 16 outings reflect the team’s miserable showing. Having launched their campaign with a goal-less draw against Mohun Bagan on home ground on January 6, HAL slipped into an abyss from which redemption became impossible. The Bangalore outfit lost to East Bengal and Air-India by an identical 1-3 margin, before holding Mohammedan Sporting to a goal-less draw. HAL tasted their first victory on February 18 in the fifth round when they beat Sporting Clube de Goa with goals through Xavier Vijaya Kumar and Satish. A 1-1 draw against Churchill Brothers was followed by six defeats consecutively, including the 2-3 loss to JCT on March 5. In the 13th round, HAL managed a 2-2 draw against Mohammedan Sporting which was followed by the NFL's most stunning result - a 1-0 win for HAL over title contenders Mahindra United on April 18. However, two more defeats subsequently against Churchill Brothers (0-1) and Dempo (1-2) pushed the Bangalore outfit out of the elite group. With not much at stake, HAL will now be playing for pride.

Coached by Krishnaji Rao, HAL SC entered the NFL by default after qualifiers TFA cried off at the last hour. Although the Bangalore outfit did figure in the NFL some years back, they failed to make an impact and were eventually knocked out of the elite group like this year.

Nevertheless, the team does boast of talented players like goalkeeper Gumpe Rime, who effected some brilliant saves against Mohun Bagan, defender Prashant Jaggi, medio Raghui Singh, and forwards S. Sunil, Xavier Vijaya Kumar, J. Murali, Satish and Sampath Kuttimani. Incidentally, it was Satish Kumar’s goal which produced the NFL’s most astounding result - a 1-0 win over Mahindras.

On the whole, JCT will take the field as favourites given their fine run in recent days.

The kick-off is at 4.30 pm.