New Delhi, January 3
Hockey Punjab has geared up for a battle royal against Hockey India till it is given affiliation by the apex body. Hockey Punjab president Sukhbir Singh Badal said here today that it was strange and unbecoming of reason that the unified hockey body of the State was being denied affiliation by Hockey India. He said Hockey India was holding the future of Punjab players to “ransom” by refusing to give affiliation to Hockey Punjab.

Sukhbir Badal, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, said the stubborn stand of Hockey India was a serious blow to the State’s efforts for the revival of the game.

Hockey Punjab secretary-general and ex-Indian captain Pargat Singh said Hockey Punjab was being denied affiliation despite being the first State in the country to hoist a unified body, following the direction of Hockey India.

He said ever since Hockey Punjab was formed four months ago, the association had written four letters - the last letter was despatched on December 10 - to Hockey India seeking affiliation, but the State had met with stony silence from the other end.

Badal asserted that Hockey Punjab would exercise all its options before taking legal recourse to get affiliation from Hockey India. Hockey India had announced that on January 29, proper elections would be held to put a legitimate body in place, instead of the present ad hoc arrangement to run the affairs of hockey.

Addressing a crowded press conference here today, in which Punjab Olympic Association (POA) president Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and office-bearers of Hockey Punjab were also present, Sukhbir Badal said the onus was now on IOA president Suresh Kalmadi, who is also the key man at the helm of Hockey India, to explain why Hockey Punjab was being denied affiliation.

“We were the first State body to abide by the IOA guidelines to form Hockey Punjab by merging the three associations in the State”, explained Pargat. Sukhbir said it was the democratic right of Hockey Punjab to get affiliation to the apex body.

“Why that right is being denied to Punjab is a perplexing mystery. It is very strange and intriguing”, he added. Sukhbir said not only Punjab, but other hockey nurseries like Jharkhand, Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala etc. were also being denied affiliation without assigning any plausible reason.

Sukhbir said, “The maximum number of hockey players in the Indian team are from Punjab.” He said there were six players from the State in the senior team, three in the women’s team and nine in the junior team.

“Kalmadi has to give us an answer why Punjab and other States are being denied the right for recognition,” Sukhbir asserted. He said before Hockey Punjab was formed, due procedure, as laid down by the IOA, and implemented through the POA, was followed in the merger of the three hockey bodies in the state as a single unit, as was mandated by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Pargat said when he met FIH vice-president Peter Von Oudorze some time back, he had assured that Hockey Punjab would be given affiliation by Hockey India. “But whenever I approach Hockey India for affiliation, they say verbally that there are complaints against the State body, though it was never explained what those complaints were. Nor such things were put in writing”, noted Pargat.

New Delhi, January 3
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr M.S.Gill said here today that “Indian hockey without Punjab was inconceivable,” and Hockey Punjab president Sukhbir Singh Badal would be meeting him tomorrow to discuss the State's affiliation with Hockey India. Dr Gill told The Tribune that the Government take on the Hockey India election was simple: It has to be fair and square. He said Jharkhand, like Punjab, was the other half of Indian hockey, producing a number of national and international players.

He said the Sports Ministry had appointed a senior Election Commission official Mendritta to supervise the hockey election in a fair, transparent and truthful manner. Government observers Ajitpal Singh and Zafar Iqbal were also expected to play it fare, for the larger good of Indian hockey.

"They can hold the Hockey India election through secret manner, but it should be representative of the whole of India, so that the very best committee is elected to run the game in the country". Dr Gill said when he met International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Leandro Negre some months ago, he had made it very clear that India should have a unified hockey body in place before the World Cup in February-March.

Subsequently an ad hoc body was formed by the Indian Olympic Association to run the game, but it was not a representative body, and Negre asserted that a properly elected Hockey India should be in place before the World Cup.

"Otherwise, the FIH will not allow the holding of the World Cup in Delhi", Dr Gill explained. He said his experience of over six years as the Chief Election Commissioner of the country had taught him that a proper electoral roll was a mandatory requirement to hold a fair and transparent election. "Otherwise, the election process is irrelevant", he added. "The new hockey body should give hope for the game in the country", noted the Minister.

Lalit Bhanot, who is in the affiliation committee of Hockey India, said Pargat Singh had been called for a meeting tomorrow to discuss Hockey Punjab's affiliation with Hockey India tomorrow.

Guwahati, January 3
East Bengal clinched the Federation Cup football title by overcoming giant-killer Lajong FC of Shillong in a keenly contested summit clash that stretched into the penalty shootout here today.

Yusif Yakubu, Nirmal Chhetri and Sanju Pradhan scored for the Kolkata outfit in the penalty shootout after stipulated 90 minutes as well as the extra-time failed to determine the champion of the prestigious tournament. Lajong, who had shocked I-League champions Churchill Brothers 1-0 to book their maiden final berth earlier, rode on the crowd support to thwart the Kolkata giant in the regulation time before losing the plot in the penalty stage.

Earlier, the match saw a well-contested but barren first half with Lajong defenders standing firm to save their citadel despite some nippy attack by East Bengal. The Kolkata outfit came tantalizingly close to scoring when Harmanjot Khabra was allowed by Lajong defenders to take a free header at the near post off a corner but he failed to find the net.

The Shillong boys looked quite dangerous on counter-attack and East Bengal, despite their early dominance, could not take it easy for even a second. Just before the breather, Subhash Singh curled in a pass into the penalty box and it almost sneaked through for Harmanjot at the far post, but an alert Boithang did his job rightly under the bars.

Although, East Bengal looked a better side in the second half, the Baichung Bhutia-led team could not penetrate into the Sikkim citadel despite several attempts. East Bengal charted a quick attack to the end of second half, but a visibly tired Yakubu could not found the back of the net as his wobbly shot failed to get past the Lajong custodian.

During the shootout, Anil Gurung, Ramengmawia and Lyngshing took the kicks for Lajong but failed to open the goalmouth. Although Harmanjot missed the third penalty for the Kolkata team, Sanju made no mistake to score and seal the winning goal for his side. — PTI

Dhaka, January 3
Sri Lanka's young team are good enough to be competitive in the one-day Tri-Series in Bangladesh this month, their coach Trevor Bayliss said on Sunday. Sri Lanka, who face hosts Bangladesh on Monday in the opening match of the tournament which also involves India, made sweeping changes following their defeat by India last month.

Batsmen Sanath Jayasuriya and Chamara Kapugedera, fast bowler Lasith Malinga and spinner Ajantha Mendis were dropped and batsman Mahela Jayawardene, all-rounder Angelo Mathews and bowlers Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando are injured. "We had a number of injuries in India which forced us seeing some of the young players that have been close to the team for long years. We are very happy with the way they were performing in the last few games," Bayliss told a news conference.

"It has brought some youthful enthusiasm to the team and we are looking forward to see how they develop over the coming month and years," he said. "They may be lacking a little bit of experience. But the more games they play the more they will be experienced. If we play good cricket we have a good chance of winning." he said.

Sri Lanka will be without leading spinners Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis. "Obviously, we have come from India and the young Suraj Randiv is probably the best spinner we had on the tour," Bayliss said.

"He bowled exceptionally well against India in his first two or three games. So we are very happy the way he is coming to international cricket. "Obviously Malinga Bandara, he has been around for a number of years playing second fiddle to Murali and Mendis. He gets another opportunity." "The spin bowling all-rounder (Muthumudalige) Pushpakumara made his debut in India," Bayliss added. "So we are quite happy with the depth we have in our bowling. They are very young and inexperienced but they are talented." — Reuters

Guwahati, January 3
The giant killers of Shillong Lajong Football Club (FC) would never forget their dream run in this edition of Federation Cup, the most prestigious soccer tournament in the sub-continent. And they have many reasons for it. Even their most staunch supporters back home in Shillong could not have imagined in the beginning of 2009 that Lajong (means ‘our own’) FC would rise to such a height just a year after.

Credit goes to the coach Stanley Rosario who has raised the young team comprising players mainly from the North Eastern states and a few from abroad as a very cohesive unit . Right from the beginning on 2009, the team has been playing good football and creating ripples in the soccer circuit.

The hardworking players of Lajong stand example of soccer talents available in the North East who if groomed properly can rise to a stature from where they can rule the roost. The team is capable of playing fast and strategic games much to the awe and surprise of their more famous opponents

The livewires of Lalong FC have entertained the local crowd like no other team since the tournament began. They fully deserves a place in the history given that it was their first ever Federation Cup campaign. The young side has excited experts and captured the imagination of fans through their hardwork and strategic display of prowess on the green of Nehru Stadium here in front of a cheering home crowd.

From a bunch of lesser -known in January 1 , 2009, Lajong has risen to one of the most watched and fancied team just a year after having already jumped one division up to claim a spot in one of India's most prestigious cup competitions (Federation Cup).

Right from the moment the season began, Lajong were tipped by many to be a tricky side, which was predicted to be causing many an upset during the course of the campaign.

Wins against Sporting Clube de Goa and Air India gave them the confidence, which they carried into clashes against giants . As the tournament progressed they started looking more and more confident and entered the final playing their natural game in defeating Churchill Brothers in the semifinal.

The team consists primarily of local players, with a few foreign additions like Daniel Bedemi, James Giblee, and Nepal star Anil Gurung.

But Lajong are not riding on the back of only those foreign players to secure victory. It's the Indian talent which is coming to the fore making the fans go ga ga over it. Players like Gumpe Rime, Wailadmi Passah, Airbor Khongjee, Boithang, Niwano, Kryshan Lyngshing, and above all, Seikhohao Tuboi, have scaled a greater height in the last two weeks with some superb performances, and mind you they are yet to peak.

Tuboi has proven that explosiveness and size are inversely proportional, and must have been watched carefully by India coach Bob Houghton. His capability to work hard, commitment, and a keen eye for goal and for the final pass makes him an invaluable player for Lajong. Three cheers for Lajong, a rising star in country’s soccer horizon.

Ishant Sharma celebrates the wicket of Wasim Jaffer in Mumbai on Sunday. — PTI

Towards close Nayar, who missed Mumbai's last three games due to a hand injury, suffered cramps in the right hand but his partnership with Agarkar, which produced a near-century stand in only 105 minutes, has swung the match towards the hosts.

Pandey propels Karnataka to 255

Bangalore: Half centuries from Manish Pandey (66) and K B Pawan (52) helped Karnataka make a steady 255 for four on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Uttar Pradesh at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here today. A composed Rahul Dravid (37 batting) and R Vinay Kumar (7 batting) were at the crease, promising to consolidate hosts' position on a hurriedly prepared slow and low deck. Opting to bat, Karnataka began on a sedate note with Robin Uthappa (32) and K B Pawan producing a 42-run stand for the first wicket. Uthappa was in good nick before committing hara kiri, unsuccessfully attempting to paddle sweep left arm spinner Praveen Gupta. Umpire Sanjay Hazare had no hesitation whatsoever in adjudging Uthappa leg before the wicket.

Pawan, a prolific run-getter this season, frustrated Uttar Pradesh with his dour defence in the company of a confidence-personified Ganesh Satish (49). They were in complete command before left-arm medium pacer R P Singh produced two wickets in five balls, having Pawan and Satish snared behind the wickets by Amir Khan. — PTI

Ludhiana, January 3
In a flip-flop battle, holders Indian Railways managed to squeeze past hosts, Punjab in the men’s section with a wafer-thin margin of one point 75-74 to retain the 60th Pearls Senior National Basketball Championship, which concluded at Guru Nanak Stadium here today.

Even in the women’s section, where the current champions, Indian Railways faced a little resistance from their opponents and last year's losing finalists, Delhi, they finally took the title with a 84-62 win, and also retained their win at Surat last year.

The men’s final turned out to be a see-saw battle, exchanging leads very quickly. The reigning champions got off to a flying start and they were into the lead immediately (8-0) with Yadwinder and Prakash Mishra, right on target.

Then, Punjab not only caught up with them but surged ahead also. The two teams were tied at 12-all and again at 14-all. Punjab gained lead and were placed comfortably (39-34) at the end of the second quarter.

Both teams exhibited great mobility in their attacks and players moved like well-oiled machines. With both teams neck and neck, and in no mood to give up, the match boiled down to the fourth quarter the and the final 10-minutes.

Not only that, the outcome of the match was decided in the last 34 seconds, where Railways enjoyed a one point lead 75-74, and were able to contain the home team to take it 75-74.

For Railways, Yadwinder Singh played the pivot role, chipping in with 20 points, followed by Vishesh Kumar and Arjun Singh who contributed 17 points each, while Prakash Mishra accounted for 13 points. For Punjab, skipper, Talwinder Singh Sahi netted 26 points while, Jagdeep Singh and Dilawar Singh scored 18 and 17 points, respectively. Mod Singh contributed 11 points.

In the women’s section, defending champions, Indian Railways got the better of Delhi 84-62, to retain the trophy. In the first two quarters, both the teams fought for possession of the ball. But balance of fortune tilted towards Railways after the third quarter as they were leading by just two points (32-30) at half time.

The story was similar in the fourth quarter, with Railways enhancing the margin of victory, and Delhi lost the rhythm and their grip over the game.

Taking advantage of the error prone Delhi cagers, the eventual winners further blocked the rival cagers from excelling under their basket.

Geethu Anna Jose was the main architect of the team’s victory scoring 28 points. P Anita (12) and Anju Lakra (10) also contributed to the team’s total.

For Delhi Prasanthi Singh top scored with 20 points, while Shiba Maggon netted 16 points. In a play-off match, Tamil Nadu outplayed Uttarakhand 76-68 to win third place in the men’s section. In the women’s section, Chattisgarh edged passed Karnataka 67-66 to win bronze. by one point.

New Delhi, January 3
Yuki Bhambri had barely started hitting the balls when Carlos Moya became French Open champion and as the two pair up for Chennai Open, the Indian teen says playing alongside the Spaniard would be a thrilling experience although the age gap makes them a "strange" combination. The 17-year old Yuki and former world number one Moya, who is almost double the Indian's age, have been given a wild card for the doubles competition.

A 1998 French Open champion, Moya's career has been marred by injuries in the last few years. "No doubt, it's a big opportunity to play alongside a former world number one. How many times do you get a chance to pair up with a player of that stature?" Yuki told PTI in an interview. "It definitely looks a strange combination. Age difference is there but it's a good chance to gather knowledge from somebody who has played on the tour for so long," he added. — PTI

Prakash Amritraj

Yuki Bhambri

Chennai, January 3
Prakash Amritraj and Yuki Bhambri survived some anxious moments before advancing to the final round of singles qualifying event in the USD 400,000 Aircel Chennai Open tennis tournament here today.

An error-prone Amritraj dropped the first set but recovered in time to get the better of Peter Polansky of Canada 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9) in a two-and-a-half hour battle, while 17-year-old Bhambri came through a first set tiebreak to oust Ilya Marchenko of Ukraine 7-6 (2), 6-3.

Amritraj will next take on Lars Poerschke of Germany while Bhambri faces Ireland's Louk Sorensen in their respective final qualifying matches tomorrow.

The winners of the two other qualifying matches, also scheduled for tomorrow, Dustin Brown vs Tsung-Hua Yang and James Ward vs Noam Okun, will also progress to the main draw of the tournament. — PTI

BRIEFLY

BCCI meets on Kotla fiasco, will tell ICC pitch was 'poor'
Mumbai: The BCCI top brass met here today to draft their reply to the ICC showcause notice on the December 27 pitch fiasco at Ferozeshah Kotla so that the venue evades an international ban and gets away with a fine. Top BCCI officials, including Board president Shashank Manohar and Delhi and District Cricket Association chief Arun Jaitley, met here to draft the Cricket Board's reply to the ICC showcause notice on the episode that led to the abandonment of the fifth and final India-Sri Lanka ODI after the wicket in Delhi was found too dangerous to play. — PTI

Austria's Andreas Kofler soars towards the Nordkette (north chain) mountains during the third event of the four-hills ski jumping tournament in Innsbruck, on Sunday. —Reuters

26 Pak players for IPL auction
New Delhi: Former Indian Cricket League recruits like Shane Bond and Damien Martyn, 26 Pakistanis and four players from the Associate countries are among the 97 who have registered themselves for the third Indian Premier League auction to be held on January 19. The Pakistanis who have registered for the auction include Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi, dope-tainted pacer Mohammad Asif, exciting new pacer Mohammed Aamer and Umar Akmal. — PTI

Nagpur, Kolkata to host Tests
New Delhi: Test cricket will return Eden Gardens after a two-year gap after BCCI today named Kolkata and Nagpur as the venues of the two-match India-South Africa Test series scheduled next month. Kanpur, Jaipur and Ahmedabad would host the one day internationals, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement on Sunday. — PTI

Pak shoot out Aus for 127
SYDNEY: Mohammad Asif completed a career-best six-wicket haul as part of Pakistan's broader demolition of Australia that called into question Ricky Ponting's decision to bat first on a Sydney green-top. In union with Mohammad Sami, who dismissed Australia's top three batsmen before the first drinks break, Asif exploited the heavy pitch and atmospheric conditions to full effect to rout Australia for 127 - their second-lowest total batting first at the SCG and worst at home since 1996. — Agencies

Swann double strike rocks SA
Cape Town: A double strike by England off-spinner Graeme Swann plunged South Africa into trouble on the first day of the third Test at Newlands here on Sunday. South Africa were 183 for five at tea after being sent in to bat. The host nation appeared to be on the way to recovery after a poor start before Swann took two wickets in two balls to put England firmly in control with South Africa on 127 for five. — AFP

Nadal wins Capitala Tennis
Dubai: Rafael Nadal, the world's number two tennis player, won the second edition of the Capitala World Tennis Championship on Saturday. The Spanish ace beat Robin Soderling of Sweden 7-6 (3), 7-5 to carry away the prize of $250,000 at the end of a two-hour battle. World No 1 Roger Federer beat Nadal's Davis Cup teammate David Ferrer in the play-off for third place. — PTI

Sports journalist Moti Nandi dead
Kolkata: Writer Moti Nandi, who used his vast experience in sports journalism in turning out an award-winning literature, passed away today at a city nursing home after suffering from multiple organ failure. Nandi, who was admitted to the nursing home on December 23, was 79 and is survived by wife and three daughters. — PTI