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Malik powers Pak
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IOC, Reliance I enter semis
BPCL, Army XI in final
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Malik powers Pak
Earlier, Shoaib Malik (128) led a late explosion with a scintillating century to propel Pakistan to a challenging 302 for nine. Pakistan exploded in the second half of their innings with Malik and Mohammad Yousuf, who scored an 88-ball 87, sharing a 206-run stand for the fourth wicket from 188 balls after they were reduced to 65 for three in the 15th over. Except for Ashish Nehra (4/55), who picked up wickets of Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Yousuf and Umar Akmal, all other Indian bowlers, including Harbhajan Singh, failed to deliver after Pakistan chose to bat first in the much anticipated showdown. Harbhajan, who was India's trump card on a slow SuperSport Park pitch, was wayward giving width to Malik and Yousuf and was clobbered all around. Ishant Sharma did a shade better by taking two wickets towards the close for 39 runs while RP Singh and Yousuf Pathan took a wicket apiece. — PTI Scoreboard India:
Australia beat Windies
Johannesburg: Mitchell Johnson sizzled with an unbeaten 73 as Australia began the defence of their Champions Trophy title with a 50-run win over a fighting second-string West Indies at New Wanderers Stadium here today.
Riding on Johnson’s maiden half-century coupled with skipper Ricky Ponting’s brilliant 79 Australia rattled up a challenging 275 for eight after sent in to bat. Johnson came to bat at number eight and in company of Brett Lee conjured up a crucial partnership of 70-runs. Brief Scores: Australia 275 for 8 (Ponting 79, Johnson 73*, Miller 2-24) WI 225 (Dowlin 55, Fletcher 54).
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‘Docs hinting my career might be over’
Chandigarh, September 26 Talking to this correspondent over phone from the Eye Foundation, Birmingham, Baljit said, “Though not clearly, but the doctors have started telling me that I would not be able to pursue the game due to the severity of my eye injury,” said, Baljit, with his voice choking in emotion. The reportedly reckless attitude of Sports Authority of India (SAI), as well as Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) further adds insult to Baljit’s injury. “In my crisis, no one is here with me. What to talk of a visit by any officials or authorities concerned , I haven’t even received a single phone call from them,” lamented Baljit. “In such a scenario, how they (Sports Authorities) still talk about the welfare of the game and players, is hard to understand. Is this the way we wish to treat our national game? When a cricketer gets injured, everyone makes such hue and cry over it and the player can rest assured that his future will be well taken care off. I have also represented India, but can’t understand the strange and indifferent behaviour of the sports department,” said Baljit. “Even though the Sports Ministry sanctioned the money for my treatment, no one bothered to think about my future, what have they planned for me and my family if things actually go wrong?” asked Baljit, who even delayed his marriage for the sport. Baljit, the lone Punjabi goalkeeper to have played for India, will come back to his hometown Chandigarh within two weeks. Earlier, he was accompanied by teammate Inderjit Chadha, who has now returned, and only his father is looking after him.
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Soccer Willage
So in a nation, obsessed with just one sport, run by bodies working like fiefdoms, followed by indifferent fans and taken care of by God alone, how does one transfer this untapped strength to the uplift of other sports?
Well, instead of making plans for a grand revolution, you can just take the road from Goraiyan, to Rurka Kalan village in Jalandhar district and watch in amazement the splendor and grandeur of rural Punjab. The lush fields, open air that smells of freedom and refreshes not just the mind, but the soul as well. Sounds too serene a setting for sports? That’s where the Youth Football Club kicks in, literally. The club, which was started by Gurmangal Das has changed more than just the face of the village. Made famous by India defender Anwar Ali, who started at this very club, the region is slowly catching up with what a few determined souls have been able to achieve. “We never thought it would reach a point where one of the kids from here, these very grounds, would go on to represent India. Obviously we are thrilled, and now that has to be a benchmark, but when it happened, we were all too numb to probably realise it….let alone believe it,” says Gurmangal. Even the academy is set in a way that adds to the almost mystic locale. The field is as good as any in the region, probably better than most, the kids are excited to the hilt, and the coaching staff, dedicated to levels Indian football, the poor little sport we have made out of it, is just not used to. The academy takes care of the kids putting up with it. There are rooms, a fitness centre, a media centre and….hold your breath… a computer lab too, to ensure that the kids walking out of here are equipped with more than just ‘ball talk’. “Gurmangal has done a lot for the village, and this academy is just an extension of it all. I don’t get a lot of time to spend here, but whenever I come home, I make it a point to visit the academy,” says star India player Anwar Ali. But these are hard times, and the academy is seeing a financially difficult period, which is affecting its ability, but not its morale. “JCT used to help us financially, but due to recession, that has been discontinued. We have plans to open up more centres in the region, but funding is becoming a problem. We have put in a lot for this academy, and now to see it come to this, disappoints us. Hopefully the government will help. The Sports Minister has been very encouraging towards rural centres, and I hope he sees our hard work too. We need some financial assistance to ensure that the high standards we are setting can be continued,” he says. They have also been trying to buy the land next to the academy, which was supposed to house small scale industries, but now lies defunct. “We are trying to ask the government to sell or lease out that land to us. We wish to use it for the expansion of the academy, so as to ensure that more and more kids benefit from it. Director Sports Pargat Singh has been very helpful in the past, and even the CM had promised to look in to the matter, we are just keeping our fingers crossed,” Gurmangal adds, looking at the setting sun, somewhat dimmed, but with hope still shinning bright in his eyes.
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IOC, Reliance I enter semis
Chandigarh, September 26 In reply Relianc I sailed past the target scoring 211 for 5 in 38.5 overs to clinch a place in the semifinals. Ravinder Jadeja was declared as man of the match. In the second match played at Tau Devi Lal stadium, Sector 3, Panchkula, Indian Oil Corporation defeated MPCA-XI by 2 wickets and moved into the semifinals. MPCA won the toss and elected to bat and were restricted to 213 all out in 49.5 overs. Replying, IOC reached 216 for 8 in 49.4 overs to clinch a place in the semifinals. |
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BPCL, Army XI in final
Chandigarh, September 26 During the penalty shoot out session, BPCL players converted four goals in their favour and IOC players converted only two. In the second semifinal match, Army-XI got a better of ONGC by 3-0. |
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Centurion, September 26
Rurka Kalan, September 26
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