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Saina Nehwal crashes out
Round up
2 fag-end bogies upset Jeev
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Good ground, good coaches key to success: Houghton
"It will help us
prepare for the Asian Championship by organising more camps, more training trips and playing more matches.
(On BCCI’s financial aid)
Punjab Police beat RCF
DPS RK Puram, Welham outshine
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Hyderabad, August 14 Saina squandered a healthy 9-1 lead in the second game to lose the singles quarterfinal 16-21 19-21 to Chinese second seed Lin Wang a 39-minute contest. Sania had defeated Lin in June to lift the Indonesian Super Series title. “She (Lin) was better prepared today. She was defending well. I made a few silly mistakes but I am happy with my performance. She played better at net and involved in more tabs and pushes which shows she was prepared,” Saina said. “I reached the pre-quarters in 2007 and this time I have reached quarters and I have beaten the top 10 players so I’m satisfied,” she added. Her coach Pullela Gopichand also lauded Saina's effort considering that she came to the event after a bout with chicken pox. “Saina played well, may be could have played better but I feel she played with rhythm. Recovering from a chicken pox and playing so well, I couldn't have aske dfor any thing better,” Gopichand said. Former champion Taufik Hidayat halted Danish youngster Jan O Jorgensen's giantkilling run 21-19 21-19 to enter the semi-finals. In the women's draw, world number one Zhou Mi of Hong Kong was toppled 21-15 21-18 by Chinese fifth seed Xie Xingfang. Xie, the Beijing Olympics silver medallist, wore down Zhou with long rallies, often pinning the former China player to the backcourt. Indonesian fourth seed Hidayat appeared to wilt against his unseeded 21-year-old rival, who toppled Korean eighth seed Park Sung-hwan and 16th seed Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand in the last two rounds, as he was trailing 19-17 in the first game. However, the 28-year-old Hidayat relied on his wealth of experience to clinch three superb points and pocket the first game before going on to win the match. Hidayat will next take on Chinese second seed Chen Jin, who beat Indonesia's Simon Santoso 21-10 21-13. There was no Danish delight in the women's section either, after Chinese seventh seed Lu Lan knocked out third seed Tine Rasmussen 21-15 21-13 in the quarter-finals. French eighth-seed Pi Hongyan rallied to down German 11th seed Juliane Schenk 15-21 21-15 21-19 in just over one hour and will face Xie in the last four. Lu Lan will take on compatriot Wang Lin, the second seed. Malaysian world number one Lee Chong Wei and Chinese fifth seed Lin Dan, seeking a hat-trick of world titles, will be in action later on Friday. Jwala-Diju crash out
Indian mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V Diju fell prey to the Indonesian trap and crashed of the World Badminton Championship after a straight game defeat in the quarterfinals here today. The world number eight Indian pair lost 16-21 14-21 to the defending champions and second seed Indonesians Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir in just 27 minutes. Jwala and Diju were up 9-6 in the first game before squandering the lead. That apparently affected their morale as the Indian duo lost momentum after 5-5 scoreline in the second game.
— Agencies |
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Gerrard doubtful for opener
London, August 14
l Tottenham will be without defensive pair Jonathan Woodgate (groin) and Michael Dawson (Achilles) but new signing Sebastien Bassong, who joined from Newcastle United, is available and is likely to partner Ledley King in the centre of defence. l Chelsea's biggest off-season acquisition Russian Yuri Zhirkov (knee) is their only doubt for the opening match of the Premier League season against Hull City. l Hull have a host of injury problems for their trip to London with Richard Garcia, Ian Ashbee and Jimmy Bullard all ruled out while striker Craig Fagan and goalkeeper Boaz Myhill face late fitness tests. l Arsenal’s sole major signing of the close season, Belgium defender Thomas Vermaelen is available to make his debut for the club against Everton on Saturday after recovering from a hamstring injury which had plagued his pre-season preparations. However Arsene Wenger will be without Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Samir Nasri (leg), Theo Walcott (back), Johan Djourou (knee) and Lukasz Fabianski (knee). l Everton have injury problems also with Mikel Arteta (knee) Yakubu (Achilles), Phil Jagielka (knee) and Victor Anichebe (knee) all out and striker Jo and midfielder Marouane Fellaini undergoing late fitness tests. l Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz will not make his debut against former club Blackburn Rovers on Saturday because of a knee injury. New signings Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry and Kolo Toure could make their debuts but midfielder Vincent Kompany is out with a toe injury. l Goalkeeper David James is fit to start Portsmouth's opening match at home to Fulham on Saturday despite missing England's midweek 2-2 draw with Netherlands after shoulder surgery. l Burnley have defensive problems ahead of their first top-flight campaign in 33 years. Captain Steven Caldwell (groin), Michael Duff (ankle) and David Edgar (suspension) are all out of the trip to Stoke City on Saturday. — Reuters
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2 fag-end bogies upset Jeev
A brace of bogeys at the fag end put paid to Jeev Milkha Singh's dream start as he carded a two over par 74 in the fourth and final Major of the year, the US PGA, at the Hazeline National in Minnesota yesterday. Jeev was tied 69th after the first round with Tiger Woods taking a one stroke lead over defending champion Padraig Harrington or Ireland to be on top of the leaderboard firing a blemish-free five under par 67.
Jeev began with a birdie on the first. A bogey on the fourth brought him back to even par. And then a birdie on the par-5 seventh saw him take the turn at one under par 35. He bogeyed the 10th to return to even par. But then at the fag end of the round a brace of bogies on the 16th and 17th saw the Chandigarh golf icon finish at two over par 74. Jeev said: "I think I am playing well enough to do a repeat of my top-10 finish in the PGA Championship last year. One of the reasons this year's PGA Championship assumes even a more significance for me is because I am currently 11th on the International team standing for next month's Presidents Cup. "A good result would secure a top-10 place and an automatic qualification. I have already stated my intense desire to be a part of this great event and experience the biennial team championship - our version of the Ryder Cup. Hopefully, I will seal issue and not have to depend on a call from Captain Greg Norman." Fijian of Indian origin Vijay Singh, American Hunter Mahan, Australia's Robert Allenby and Mathew Goggin, big-hitting Alvaro Quiros of Spain, and David Toms were tied third at three under 69. In-form World Number 13 Lee Westwood carded a two under 70, a score matched by Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and fellow Europeans Søren Kjeldsen of Denmark and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño of Spain. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, on his US PGA debut, shot a one under 71, as did Spain's Sergio Garcia and England's Luke Donald. World Number Three Paul Casey withdrew early this morning due to a rib injury while former champion John Daly shot a 76 and then withdrew, citing a back injury. Bhullar takes 2-stroke lead
Gaganjeet Bhullar set his sights on the fourth PGTI title of the year as he posted a three under 69 card to head the leaderboard at 10 under 206 on the penultiamte day of the Rs 30 lakh PGTI Players Championship on the par-72 greens of the Eagleton Golf Resort in Bangalore today. Overnight joint leader Raju Ali Mollah carded a one under 71 to be two strokes behind the leader at eight under 208. Bhullar continued his steady game (68-69-69) as he birdied the first hole. He kept up the momentum sinking birdies on the fifth , seventh and eighth to take the turn at four under 32. He remained consistent on the back nine conceding a lone bogey on the 11th and maintaining a series of pars for a three under 69 card. Bhullar who had just one blemish on his card today, the bogey on the 11th, said:"My target for the tournament is around 14 under. I am hitting the ball well so I'll continue to concentrate on my swing on the last day." Ali Sher (66, 72, 71) and Anura Rohana (67, 71, 71) are tied third at seven under 209. Delhi’s Vikrant Chopra, whose 68 was the best round of the day, shares fifth place along with another Delhi golfer Vinod Kumar at five under 211. Ranjit Singh led the Chandigarh pack being tied 10th at two under 214 (70-73-71), followed by the seasoned Harmeet Kahlon who was tied 21 at one over 217 (71-75-71). The other city golfers in the fray are H P. Gupta (tied 24th at two over 218), Randhir Singh Ghotra and Ajeetesh Sandhu (both tied 29th at four over 220), A.S. Lehal (tied 42nd at six over 222) and Roop Singh (tied 44th at seven over 223). |
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Good ground, good coaches key to success: Houghton
New Delhi, August 14 The British coach, who will be around at least till India play in the final round of the 2011 Asian Championship in Doha, said he had been assured by AIFF president Praful Patel that funds would be no problem for the preparation of the team. It was sweet music to the ears of the football bosses that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had accepted the request of Praful Patel and granted Rs 25 crore for the development of soccer over the next two years. AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco said "we are happy that the BCCI has responded positively. The modalities and exact form of execution (how the money should be spent) would have to be worked out after discussing with the BCCI". Though the AIFF is not exactly short of cash, yet Colaco noted that "we require more money to prepare for the Asian Championship." Bob Houghton was also pleased at the BCCI largesse to the AIFF. "It will help us prepare for the Asian Championship by organising more camps, more training trips and playing more matches". "We have to be professional. There is a Professional League for the top players. It's not proper for them to play in the Santosh Trophy", noted Houghton. India's star forward Sunil Chetri, Climax Lawrence and Sushil Singh picked up injuries during the Santosh Trophy Championship, and Chetri's level of fitness for playing in the Nehru Cup International Soccer Tournament (August 19 to 31, Ambedkar Stadium, Delhi) was still a matter of concern for the coach. “He practised yesterday, but whether he would be fully fit to play in the Nehru Cup will be known only later”, Hougton added. The English coach said the 45-day exposure trip to Dubai and Barcelona (Spain) was a great learning experience as the Indian team played four matches, and did not lose any. "It was a great experience for the players as they won two, and drew two out of the four played against third-division Spanish clubs", Houghton elaborated. He said the Under-19 team were shaping up well, and some of the players from this group would play in this year's I-League. And a few of them would be in the core group for the 2011 Asian Championship. Talking about the ensuing Nehru Cup at the Ambedkar Stadium, Houghton said on the basis of ranking, last year's runners-up Syria start as favourites, though defending champions India “would be the team to beat”. Syria have broken into the league of FIFA's top 100 teams after some fine displays recently, including a victory against China and a draw against Korea. With Palestine out of the fray, the Nehru Cup will be a five-team round robin league. India take on Lebanon in the opening match on August 19 at 6.30 p.m. "Our pressure against Lebanon is to play with a fully fit team", the coach added. He said Krygistan and Sri Lanka were also good teams, and the Nehru Cup was expected to throw up interesting matches. |
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Punjab Police beat RCF
Chandigarh, August 14 But the home side found the back of the net soon after the resumption of play in the second half and Harpreet provided the finish in the 50th minute. Despite some late forays by the RCF forward
line Punjab Police managed to hold on to their slender lead. With tomorrow being a rest day, the action in the league will resume on Sunday when BSF take on Harbhajan Sporting at Mahilpur. The match begins at 4.30 pm. |
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DPS RK Puram, Welham outshine
Chandigarh, August 14 In the boys individual ties DPS RK Puram established its monopoly as both the finalists Pranshu and Kartik clashed in an extremely close encounter which went to the wire. Pranshu won 3-2 to claim the Individual trophy. Modern School maintained its supremacy as Rishabh beat his own school’s contestant Mochak 3-2 and Raghav outplayed Sherry belonging to the same school 3-1 in the under 17 and under 14 categories respectively.
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Sehwag not sure of complete recovery before CT
ICL players on KKR radar: Ganguly West Indies sacks Dyson Farhat cuts tie with ICL Women’s boxing decision takes a hit Ronjan finishes sixth Pomersbach’s DL suspended
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Hyderabad, August 14
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez could be without captain Steven Gerrard for Sunday's visit to Tottenham Hotspur because of a groin injury. “Because the game with Tottenham is on Sunday, maybe he will have a chance,” Benitez told the club's website (www.liverpoolfc.tv). “But if it was on Saturday it would have been more difficult for him.”
Chief national football coach Robert Doughlas (Bob) Houghton observed here today that if India hoped to produce good players, then the facilities would have to be good too. "Good grounds, good coaches will only give good players", he asserted at a media interaction at the Football House, the headquarters of the All India Football Federation
(AIFF), here today.
Daniel Agger, Fabio Aurelio and new signing Alberto Aquilani are all missing through injury but Benitez should have defensive duo Jamie Carragher (ankle) and Martin Skrtel (hamstring) available after
injury.
