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Strongest field, but Sania pumped up
No gambling, drunkenness, streaking
UAE shooter takes a shot at bosses
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Laos’ 4-member team cleared
Prakash loses in Hall of Fame final
India rout Singapore 6-0, to meet Pak in semis
Amla (104 n.o.) thwarts England
PCB distances itself from Asif
I am innocent: Shocked pacer
Take effective action, ICC asks BCCI
‘Milestone fine, but win priority’
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Strongest field, but Sania pumped up
New Delhi, July 14 Sania will compete in the strongest ever singles field, led by world number one Serb Ana Ivanovic, in the history of the quadrennial extravaganza. The young Indian knows well that the road ahead is full of challenges. Yet, she is determined to live up to the expectations. "Winning an Olympic medal in any discipline is not easy and the women's singles field in tennis is very, very tough. Winning a medal in women's singles or doubles will have to be against all odds. "But as someone representing the country, it is my duty to do whatever I possibly can to try and achieve this glory for my country," Sania told PTI. Whenever she enters the tennis courts, Sania knows the nation of one billion plus people is watching every movement curiously, but she says she does not buckle under the pressure. "It is a tremendous honour to represent India at the Olympics but I believe I carry the hopes of my people in every event that I participate in, including the Grand Slams. The pressure is not new to me and I consider it a great privilege," she said. Sania has just recovered from a wrist injury, which put her out of action for three months and did not have a comeback she would have preferred. She did not go beyond second round in singles at any of the three tournaments, including Wimbledon, she played but had a good run in the doubles at the third Grand Slam of the year where she made her first quarterfinal appearance along with Bethanie Mattek. Sania said she was concentrating to get into a perfect shape before the big event. "I'm playing in tournaments in Stanford, Los Angeles and Stockholm to get into the best shape I can before the Olympics." On her comeback and how her wrist was responding after the surgery, Sania says, "The power is gradually coming back and the control is better but it may still take me a few weeks before I'm back to the level I was playing at before my injury. "When I underwent the surgery barely three months ago, I'd never imagined that I would be back competing at the highest level so soon and I'm happy with my comeback although I'm still finding my way around." She attributes her best doubles result at a Grand Slam to difference in intensity at doubles competition. "Doubles is comparatively easier as the physical effort required to compete is not as demanding as it is in singles, in which even a minor injury can be ruthlessly exposed," she said. So far, whenever Sania claimed she is playing best tennis of her career, one or other injury halted her good run. Reacting to this, the Hyderabadi girl said the gruels and demands of professional tennis make player vulnerable to injuries. "It is unfortunate but almost everyone in the top-100 is struggling with injuries. In order to compete today at the highest level, one needs to push one's body to the limit and in doing so, we expose ourselves to various kinds of injuries. "It's a professional hazard and there are no guarantees to our physical well being," she said. Apart from singles, Sania would also compete in the doubles event at Olympics as the International Tennis Federation have given her and Sunitha Rao a wild card entry. — PTI
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No gambling, drunkenness, streaking
Beijing, July 14 Beijing authorities have long been concerned that its citizens will take some of the gloss off the Aug. 8-24 Games through bad manners and on Monday released its ''Spectators House Rules'' along with a ''Good Habit for a Good Games'' campaign. The rules, which Beijing organisers said were ''virtually the same as for the Athens and Sydney Olympics'', ban banners and flags larger than two metres by one metre although officials said they would prefer that even smaller signs were not displayed. ''We advise that you do not bring banners of any kind to the Games because we must create a fair play environment for the athletes from all countries,'' Huang Keying, deputy director of spectator services division at the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), told a news conference. The Beijing rules forbid any ''display for commercial, religious, political, military purposes, or those for territory, human rights, environmental protection or animal protection'' without prior official permission. Those breaching the rules, which also ban gambling, sit-ins, demonstrations, drunkenness and streaking, would be dealt with according to the transgressions, Huang said. Umbrellas will be allowed in venues in a break from the rules that excluded them from the venues at the last Olympics in Athens, Huang said. ''In foreign countries people like to sunbathe, but in Beijing we prefer to avoid the sunlight,'' she added. ''So we will allow people to bring collapsible umbrellas as long as they don't put them up in the stands.'' The other change from the regulations for the Athens, Huang said, was the ban on large numbers of coins, which is not relevant in Beijing where paper money predominates.
— Reuters |
UAE shooter takes a shot at bosses
Dubai, July 14 Sheikh Ahmed Al
Maktoum, the double trap gold medallist in 2004, is furious at the country's shooting federation for doing nothing to help the UAE's marksmen to become future champions. ''After seven long years of hard work, I brought glory to my country in Athens and then they just threw the medal away,'' said Sheikh Ahmed, who has come out of retirement in a bid to retain his title at next month's Beijing Olympics. ''I thought (after Athens) life would change, the sport would change and people in charge would look at things in a more professional manner. Nothing like this has happened,'' he told the Gulf News. Sheikh Ahmed, a member of Dubai's ruling family, will take part in his first international competition since his Athens triumph when he takes aim in Beijing. He said the UAE had pumped far too much money into soccer, with little success, and feared his country would struggle for shooting success in China. The 45-year-old said he had done his best to help other shooters but his pleas for support had fallen on deaf ears. ''I shouted, I screamed and people did not like it,'' he said.
— Reuters
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Laos’ 4-member team cleared
Bangkok, July 14 The Southeast Asian country, which has never won an Olympic medal, is relying on charitable handouts and an IOC grant to pay for tracksuits and flight tickets and ensure its two swimmers and two runners get a chance to compete. Laos’s Olympic chief Somphou Phongsa admitted there was little hope of any Laotian medals but said the tiny team's participation was all about putting their country on the map. “The standard is too high for us to win anything in Beijing but we are proud to represent our country,” Somphou told Reuters by telephone from the country’s capital, Vientiane. “We were lucky to get the four places. We wanted to compete in five sports but our boxers and our taekwondo and judo fighters all failed to qualify.”
— Reuters |
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Prakash loses in Hall of Fame final
New Delhi, July 14 Prakash went down 3-6, 5-7 in a one-hour-15-minute contest against his French rival, who became only the third player in the history of the tournament to defend his title. There was disappointment for India in the doubles competition as well with fourth seeds Rohan Bopanna and his Pakistani partner Aisam-ul Haq Qureshi losing 4-6, 6-7 (1) to the unseeded American duo of Mardy Fish and John Isner in the finals. Playing each other for the first time, Prakash and Santoro broke serve in the first two games, but later it was Santoro who seized control with a second break of Prakash’s serve for a 3-1 lead. The 35-year-old wrapped up the first set in just 30 minutes, winning 18 of the 27 service points. “He did not serve with much pace and these courts are soft. The ball stays very low and it made it hard to return,” Prakash said after the match. The second set went with serve until the 11th game, when Santoro converted his fifth break point opportunity of the match for a 6-5 lead. The veteran Frenchman clinched the sixth ATP title of his career with a service holding to love. But far from being disappointed, Prakash said he was satisfied with his campaign as he became the lowest ranked finalist in Newport history, besides picking up 120 ATP ranking points. Bopanna-Quereshi lose
India’s Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Quereshi of Pakistan went down to
US pair of Mardy Fish and John Isner in the final of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. The fourth seeded Indo-Pak pair lost 4-6, 6-7 (1) to the unseeded Americans. Fish and Isner received $18,600 and 175 ranking points for their title win while Bopanna and Quereshi pocketed $10,500 and 120 points.
— IANS |
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India rout Singapore 6-0, to meet Pak in semis
Hyderabad, July 14 Drag-flicker Diwakar Ram (31st,64th,67th minutes) struck three goals alone, while Roshan Minz (25th), SV Sunil (26th) and Gurwinder Singh Chandi (61st) too sounded the board. In a Pool B match, Pakistan came back from a halfway 1-2 deficit to thrash Bangladesh 8-2 and finish second in the group which pitted them against defending champions India in the semifinals. With today's resounding win, India topped Pool A, while South Korea led Pool B after crushing Oman 11-0. Japan beat Malaysia 3-1 today and they will meet Korea in the other semifinal on Wednesday. Though India did not break a sweat against lowly Singapore, their poor penalty corner conversion would remain a woe for coach AK Bansal. The hosts got as many as 13 penalty corners but could convert only three. After two penalty corners went abegging and Singapore's goalkeeper Maheshwaran Thanagopal came up with some stunning saves, India finally opened the account through Roshan Minz's 25th minute goal and in the next minute, it was Sunil's turn to get into the scorer's sheet. — PTI
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Amla (104 n.o.) thwarts England
London, July 14 A rearguard action, which started on Saturday evening when South Africa followed on 346 runs in arrears, ended on Monday with the visitors 393 for three in their second innings. Hashim Amla, playing his first test at Lord’s, joined captain Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie on the honour’s board with 104 not out in 342 painstaking minutes. McKenzie, having resumed on 102 also in his maiden Test at cricket’s world headquarters, was finally out for 138 in the afternoon session following more than nine hours at the crease. He batted with Smith as a runner in the final stages after straining his right groin. A spokesman for the South Africans said their medical team was hopeful he would be fit for the second Test starting at Headingley in Leeds on Friday. Jacques Kallis, his team’s leading batsman, failed again when he was yorked by an inswinger from Ryan Sidebottom for 13 before tea to give England a glimmer of hope. But Ashwell Prince, who stood firm in South Africa’s first innings with 101 in a paltry 247, survived a chance to Alastair Cook at gully off Stuart Broad when he had scored two to keep Amla company until the close. Vaughan maintained attacking fields and experimented briefly and unsuccessfully with a version of leg theory with James Anderson bowling around the wicket with six fielders on the leg side. Scoreboard England first innings (dec for 8) 593 South Africa first innings 247 South Africa second innings (242-1 overnight) Smith c Pietersen b Anderson 107 McKenzie c Ambrose b Anderson 138 Amla not out 104 Kallis b Sidebottom 13 Prince not out 9 Extras: (b-8, lb-8, w-5, nb-1.) 22 Total: (3 wkts declared, 167 overs) 393 Fall of wickets: 1-204, 2-329, 3-357. Bowling: Panesar 60-15-116-0, Pietersen 7-1-21-0, Sidebottom 30-9-46-1, Anderson 32-7-78-2, Broad 26-7-78-0, Collingwood 11-4-37-0, Cook 1-0-1-0. Player of the match: Ian Bell (England). — Reuters
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PCB distances itself from Asif
Karachi/New Delhi, July 14 Asif faces a possible life ban for testing positive a second time at a random test conducted during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in May. IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi confirmed on Monday that the 25-year-old Sheikhupura-born player, who had represented Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, failed the dope test. The IPL came to the conclusion after comparing the result from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-approved laboratory in Switzerland with the data collected by IDTM, the Sweden based independent agency which organised the anti-dope testing in accordance with the WADA code. Since it is Asif's second offence, the Pakistani fast bowler can face a life ban for violating Article 10.2 of the WADA Code. For his first offence in 2006, he was handed out a one-year ban. A top PCB official told IANS that unlike in the past, the board will not provide any help to the 25-year-old player if he is handed out a ban. "Our policy about dope offenders is very clear," said Shafqat Naghmi, PCB's chief operating officer. "The board will not provide any kind of help to Asif and he will have to fight his case himself," he added. Two years back, the board had threw its weight behind Asif when he tested positive for banned anabolic steroid nandrolone along with fellow pacer Shoaib Akhtar during the ICC Champions Trophy in India. The board hired expensive lawyers and managed to get the bowlers off the hook even after they were banned by an inquiry committee set up by the PCB itself. The board provided legal aid to Asif when he was detained in Dubai for possession of a banned drug last month. But Naghmi said that the board has had it with Asif. "We cannot afford any more negative publicity," he said. Naghmi said that the PCB has also decided to drop Asif from Pakistan's preliminary squad for this September's Champions Trophy. "Asif has failed a dope test so he cannot play for Pakistan till that matter is resolved," he said. The fast bowler can now request the IPL to analyse his B-sample and once it is done the player has to appear before the IPL Drug Tribunal comprising Ravi Bapat, Sunil Gavaskar and Shirish Gupte. Asif, who had been nursing an injury on his bowling arm when he came to play in the IPL, had not applied for Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), which perhaps could have saved him. The WADA officials arrived in India from Sweden May 18 when the 44-day IPL was moving towards its final phase to do random dope tests. — IANS
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Lahore, July 14 ''I am shocked and surprised because I was extra cautious and never used any banned substance,'' Asif said. ''I was tested after the semi-final, but I thought the reports might have come earlier and I have cleared the test,'' he added. Asif, who has been dropped from the 30-man squad for the Champions Trophy, said he will decide on his next course of action after consulting the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). ''I will decide the next course of action only after consultation with the PCB,'' he stated. The 25-year-old has been involved in several controversies in his short international career. He was banned in 2006 for one year after testing positive for a banned steroid- a decision which was later overturned. — UNI
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Take effective action, ICC asks BCCI
Dubai, July 14 ''As with any AAF that arises during a testing programme organised by one of the ICC's Members, it is the responsibility of that Member, in this case the BCCI, to deal with the process in a timely and fair manner,'' the ICC said in a statement. The ICCsaid it was informed by the WADA accredited agency about the positive dope test, speculated to be of a sub-continental fast bowler. ''The ICC is aware of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) from the IPL. When an AAF arises, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory that has tested the sample sends a report to the commissioning body (IPL) and copies in WADA and the International Federation, in this case the ICC,'' the ICC statement said. The ICC, however, said it would keep a close watch on the way the BCCI handles the whole incident and ensured that the guilty player is punished appropriately. ''The ICC is proud of its status as a WADA signatory and will be closely monitoring the situation to ensure the correct action is taken by the BCCI. The ICC retains a right of appeal if any penalty that may be imposed is inconsistent with the WADA Code,'' it added.
— UNI |
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‘Milestone fine, but win priority’
Chennai, July 14 Tendulkar (11782) will reach Sri Lanka needing another 172 runs to topple Brian Lara (11953) and become the highest Test run accumulator. Kumble said it would be a great moment not only for the batsman but also for the entire country but series win would still be on top of the players' minds. "We always feel proud that one of our teammates is going to cross a landmark. Every time there is a sense of achievement, it's not for the individual only but also for the team," Kumble said here today, on the eve of team's departure for Sri Lanka. "But, the most important factor is that we go there and ensure a series victory. That will be on top of everybody's mind," Kumble added. "I am sure that at some point of time, Sachin will cross the land mark. It will be a huge achievement not just for him but also for Indian cricket. Sachin is confident. He has come back fully fit from groin injury. He is really fresh in mind and really confident," said the Test captain. Though the Indian ODI team recently lost to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final in Karachi, Kumble feels the Test squad has been quite consistent and all he was eyeing was a series victory. "As a Test team we have really performed well, in that sense, we are pretty confident. In Test cricket, we have done exceptionally well in the last year or so. We have been consistent. I am sure we will be able to put up a good show and ensure a series win," said the veteran leg-spinner. Ajantha Mendis ran through India's famed batting line-up in the Asia Cup final and though Kumble refused to underestimate the Sri Lankan mystery spinner, he was not unduly worried about him either. "We need to respect every bowler. We will definitely not take anyone lightly. Importantly, in Test cricket we have a lot more time to get ready and get set. "Obviously, my interaction with some of our players was that they had some difficulty in picking him. I guess in Test cricket when you have more time, we will certainly be able to ensure that we have the quality," Kumble said. — PTI
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New Delhi, July 14
Hyderabadi tennis ace vows to give everything it needs to bring home an individual Olympic medal, a feat only four Indians have managed since
Independence.
