The International Olympic Committee on Thursday slammed a South Korean TV station for "stealing" footage of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, after it broadcast footage of a rehearsal. The film crew from private station SBS sneaked in and filmed a full dress rehearsal this week that was broadcast in South Korea on Tuesday and then posted on the Internet.

"I think it is disappointing that someone comes in there and literally steals one of the most exciting moments of the Games," said Kevan Gosper, an IOC executive board member from Australia. "This is a great surprise and I have not heard of this happening before." The Beijing Olympic organising committee said that the filming was unauthorised and that it had launched a investigation.

Computer set Ancient Games’ date

A mechanical brass calculator used by the ancient Greeks to predict solar and lunar eclipses was probably also used to set the dates for the first Olympic games, researchers said. The Antikythera Mechanism was retrieved from a shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera in 1901, an example of the technological prowess of the ancient Greeks.

Researchers reporting in the journal Nature said they had now discovered that the device, made at the end of the 2nd century BC, used an intricate set of bronze gearwheels, dials and inscriptions to set the Games' date. The ancient Olympic Games, which marked the start of a four-year timespan called an Olympiad, began on the full moon closest to the summer solstice, which meant calculating the timing required expertise in astronomy.

Using three-dimensional, X-ray technology, researchers deciphered tiny inscriptions buried inside the device's fragmented brass pieces that pointed to its Olympic role. The name “Nemea” was found near a small dial on the mechanism, a reference to the site of one of the prominent games in the Olympiad cycle, the researchers said. Locations such as Olympia also appeared.

Pamela running for mummy

For the love of her mother who couldn't make it big in athletics in the early 1970s, Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo wants to reward her by winning
in Beijing. The 18-year-old 800m runner has taken the world by storm with her fleet-footed running in only her first year in the international track scene.

Do You Know?

Frankie Fredericks was the first and still the only sprinter from Namibia to win an Olympics medal. He won four silver medals — in 100m and 200m in Barcelona ’92 and Atlanta ’96 Games. He won gold medals in the 200m at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart and the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

In the 1995 World Championships 100 m, after crossing the line, he immediately went to help his friend Linford Christie who pulled a muscle in the race and signalled for help. This act of kindness endeared him to many fans. Injuries kept Frankie out of the World Championships of 1999 and 2001 and Summer Olympics of 2000. He retired from the athletic scene in late 2004.

Beijing, July 31
Turkey has set a target of five golds and more than ten medals at the forthcoming Beijing Olympics, said Mehmet Atalay, head of the Turkish Olympic delegation.

“Beijing Olympic Games is a very important sports event and that’s why we attach so much importance to the Games,” Atalay said on Wednesday.

Atalay expressed hope that the country could win more medals than it did four years ago in Athens.

Turkish athletes won 10 medals, including four gold, three silver and three bronze medals, in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

Atalay said that weightlifting and wrestling would be Turkey’s trump cards. Naim Suleymanoglu set the Turkish weightlifting bandwagon rolling 20 years ago.

Suleymanoglu's triple Olympic victory was followed by yet another three-medal haul by Halil Mutlu and, even though these two legends will not compete in Beijing, Turkey has athletes to count on, especially Taner Sagir.

Sagir became an Olympic winner at the age of 19 at Athens. Now he eyes his second gold medal, dismissing claims that injury would keep him out of the Olympics.

Nurcan Taylan, who will compete against her fellow Turk, Sibel Ozkan, in the women's 48-kg category will defend her title.

"My training is good and I’m ready to win again", Taylan told reporters. The Turkish delegation is composed of 106 members, among which 68 are athletes. — Xinhua

New Delhi, July 31
Beijing Olympics Games will be telecast live by the national broadcasting agency Doordarshan on its DD-1 and DD Sports channels from August 8.

The channel will telecast live all events featuring Indian participants and also have a customised commentary, a press release said here today.

The opening ceremony will be telecast from 5.30 pm to 9.05 pm on August 8 while closing will be shown from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm on national channel DD-1. — PTI

Galle, July 31
What was developing into bountiful day for Indian cricket was jettisoned by a thunderstorm, which arguably hindered both concentration and momentum, and consigned the tourists to 214 for four at stumps on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka.

The swashbuckling Virender Sehwag, though, was still anchored at the crease on a scintillating 128 - his 15th Test hundred.

It was one match when the sun shone and the batsmen dominated. It was quite another when Ajantha Mendis was switched ends to be given the benefit of cracks at the end an imposing 16th century Dutch fort is located, not to mention cloud cover, which conspired with Chaminda Vaas’ swing, which was relatively non-existent with the new ball.

Under a clear blue sky, India plundered 151
runs without loss in a mere 29 overs in the
morning session.

Then came the showers; and play didn’t resume until an hour and 15 after the scheduled tea break. When proceedings were later abandoned because of bad light, 45.3 of the intended 90 overs had been lost.

While India prospered, the abject capitulation in last week’s first Test seemed unreal. Sehwag initially lived dangerously, once beaten off consecutive deliveries by Nuwan Kulesekara, who also had the misfortune of witnessing Kumar Sangakkara drop Gautam Gambhir at first slip when the Delhi left-hander was only 13.

But the irrepressible Sehwag was by this stage motoring. A crisp on-drive for four eased India past 50 in 12 overs. He, then, square cut Kalusekara to the boundary before punishing Mendis for six.

The first ball the dangerous Muttiah Muralitharan bowled to him, he also square cut for another four to herald his personal half century.

At lunch, the daring Delhiite was unbeaten on 91 off 82 balls, with Gambhir having also completed his 50. It may have been an excruciating wait for his supporters, but not apparently for him.

He simply continued from where he left off. Indeed, he blasted Vaas for a towering six to midwicket to advance to 97, before peerlessly straight driving the same bowler for four to post three figures.

Strangely, while the entire Sri Lankan team engaged in fielding practice for half an hour before play started after the interruption, not a single Indian player bother to have a knock or get acclimatised to the altered light conditions.

Skipper Mahela Jayawardene had earlier given first choice of the parched end of the pitch to Murali, without success.

Now he lent this advantage to Mendis, who almost immediately struck Gambhir on the front pad to break through, notwithstanding a referral by the batsman, who probably thought he had been adjudged caught at slip.

Rahul Dravid, the least comfortable against Mendis in the series so far, incorrectly lunged forward to the mystery man to be snapped up at short leg off an inside edge. Replays revealed Malinda Warnapura, nephew of Bandula, had held on off his helmet - which constitutes an invalid catch. But Dravid walked without protest.

Thereafter, in two successive overs, Vaas trapped Sachin Tendulkar lbw and ensnared Saurav Ganguly with one that left the southpaw a shade and landed in the gloves of a flying Prasanna Jayawardene.

VVS Laxman, however, managed to middle most deliveries, once even pulling Mendis to the midwicket fence, to keep Sehwag company until deteriorating visibility enforced a premature closure.

Mendis’ second spell amounted to 8-1-37-2 as compared to none for 37 in his first six overs. Vaas’ second stint read 5-1-19-2.

Against England, too, on this ground seven months ago, Vaas was a different proposition following a rain break and in overcast circumstances. Sri Lanka lead the 3-Test series 1-0.

Scoreboard

India first innings

Gambhir lbw b Mendis 56

Sehwag not out 128

Dravid c Warnapura b Mendis 2

Tendulkar lbw b Vaas 5

Ganguly c P Jayawardene b Vaas 0

Laxman not out 13

Extras: (lb-4, w-6) 10

Total: (4 wkts, 44.3 overs) 214

Fall of wickets: 1-167, 2-173, 3-178, 4-178.

Bowling: Vaas 14-1-57-2, Kulasekara 8-1-40-0, Mendis 14-1-74-2, Muralitharan 8.3-0-39-0.

The biggest challenge for a team beaten by a huge margin in the first Test is the mental one of believing that they have it in them to comeback in the series.

India's cricketing history suggests that the first Test overseas is the one where they are most vulnerable. Invariably they are done and dusted in the first Test.

This is simply because before the team finds its feet and gets into a comfort zone about the opposition and the conditions, the first Test is upon them and there's a rush as if there has been no time to prepare.

Have a look at the dismissals of India's batting in all first Test losses over the years and one will notice that batsmen after batsmen have perished playing shots that they would not usually played, and the bowlers then have the uphill task of salvaging the game, which is often just a huge mountain to climb.

That’s why it is crucial that even in neighbouring countries India should play at least two warm up matches so that they feel settled physically and mentally to take on the home team in the Test series.

Of course, today's rushed itineraries do not allow for such luxuries as extra warm-up games, but unless the programmes are properly chalked out, India's performances will continue to fluctuate, especially overseas.

In any comeback, a good start to lay the foundation is important, be it while
bowling or batting.

If the opening bowlers get early wickets then it means that the home team is under pressure and similarly, if the openers get the team off to a start then the home team knows that its job is cut out for them.

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir did just that, by providing just the cracking beginning that India wanted.

Both are attacking players who will occasionally disappoint with the modes of their dismissal, for more than anything else, they tend to get themselves out rather than the opposition bowlers bowling a peach of a delivery to dismiss them.

When they get going, the bowlers are forced to think differently and that's what happened with both not allowing the bowlers to settle down.

Chaminda Vaas maybe slower than he was a few years back but he still can get the ball to move in late and since his pace has dropped, more often than not the umpires tend to uphold his leg before appeals since there is little chance of his deliveries going over the stumps.

Sehwag having got out in a forgettable manner in the first Test was more
careful with shot selection and when he does that one can be guaranteed first
class entertainment.

As written earlier, it's only when he plays predetermined shots that he gets into trouble. With his enormous ability and hand-eye coordination, he is a naturally quick scorer who has the knack of finding the gaps or creating them.

Dravid's dismissal to Mendis again is a cause for concern for it means that he is not picking him early enough.

Vaas brought all his experience into play to get the even more experienced duo of Tendulkar and Ganguly, and Indian supporters will be hoping that Sehwag will play in the same way that he has so far, so that India will have a respectable total on the board to fight in this Test. — PMG

Birmingham, July 31
An inspired Andrew Flintoff became the 12th England player to take 200 test wickets as South Africa reached 256 for six at stumps on the second day of the third test at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Andrew Flintoff became the 12th England player to take 200 Test wickets as South Africa were 205 for four at tea.

Flintoff trapped Neil McKenzie lbw for 72 before Jacques Kallis (48 not out) and Ashwell Prince (24 not out) took visitors close to England's first innings total of 231.

Flintoff became the 10th player to claim 200 test wickets and score 3,000 Test runs, following the likes of Ian Botham, Garfield Sobers, Kapil Dev and Imran Khan.

McKenzie had been dropped low to his right on 57 by second slip Paul Collingwood. But James Anderson gave England a fillip, dismissing Hashim Amla for nine.

Scoreboard

England first innings 231

South Africa first innings

McKenzie lbw b Flintoff 72

Smith c Strauss b Flintoff 7

Harris c Cook b Sidebottom 19

Amla c & b Anderson 9

Kallis b Flintoff 64

Prince not out 37

AB de Villiers c Sidebottom b Flintoff 5

Boucher not out 11

Extras: (lb-27, nb-5) 32

Total: (6 wkts, 76 overs) 256

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-94, 3-117, 4-135, 5-226, 6-238. — Reuters

Patiala, July 31
Strange are the ways of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Much against their wishes, the Beijing-bound wrestlers have been packed off to Cuba for an eight-day training stint.

The WFI has sent Yogeshwar Dutt, Sushil Kumar and Rajeev Tomar to the Cuban capital of Havana to train with the Cuban national squad. All three have qualified for the Beijing Olympics.

The federation has also sent their sparring partners with them. Confirming this, Kartar Singh, secretary of the WFI, said that “all three free style grapplers have been sent to Cuba for an exposure trip.”

However, according to sources, this decision has not gone down well with the wrestlers who were reluctant to travel to Cuba when the Olympics were just
around the corner.

They had vehemently protested to federation president G.S Mander but later, they relented after sustained pressure was built on them by some federation officials.

The wrestlers had suggested to the federation to send them to some European country for training stint as they felt that Cuba’s warm climate would not suit them.

After their Cuban sojourn, the wrestlers will be back at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) for training. They will be reaching Delhi on August 2.

The WFI’s initial programme was to send these grapplers to Beijing the very day they arrive from Cuba where they would train for the mega event.

However, later, keeping in view the exertion and strain that the long flight from Cuba and then to Beijing would put on the wrestlers, the WFI decided to hold a short camp at Patiala before the squad left for Beijing.

Now, the grapplers, after arriving from Cuba on August 2, will train at the NIS till August 13 and will depart to Delhi enroute to Beijing on August 14. The wresting competition in Beijing is slated to be held from August 18 to 21.

Khan had a fair idea about the decision that was taken here today in a meeting that was attended by all the members from the ad-hoc committee and concerened IOA officials and therefore, he decided to stay away from it. — UNI

Hyderabad, July 31
North Korea living up to the expectations displayed allround supremacy to defeat Sri Lankans 3-0 in their Group-B match of the AFC Challenge Cup played at GMC Balayogi Stadium, Gachibowli here today.

Korea dominated entire proceedings over 161-ranked islanders. Koreans with their quick feet created several attacks and rattled Lankan defence.

They went in to 1-0 lead in the fifth minute with midfielder Kim Kyong Il scored
first goal for his team, after a couple of Lankan defenders tried to clear the ball
off a flag corner.

Three minutes later, Korea increased their lead to 2-0 when midfielder Pak Song Chol powerfull shot off a free kick from 30 yards.

Kim Kyong Il once again siezed the opportunity to score his second goal to extend his team’s lead to 3-0.

Meanwhile, after a goalless first half, three goals in the second half helped Myanmar defeat Nepal 3-0 in their group-B encounter at the GMC Balayogi stadium today.

Yaza Win Thein's first goal in the 30th minute of the second half helped Myanmar to take a 1-0 lead against Nepal.

Eight minutes later, Myanmar increased the lead to 2-0 with midfielder Myo Min Tun's goal. Substitute Min scored the third for his team. — UNI

He played seven blemish-free holes. But then on the eighth hole he lost three strokes. Another bogey on the ninth saw him take the turn at four under par 40.