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Clash for the Top
adverse training conditions
RCA’s 1st: To sell online tickets
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AIIU Handball C’ship
CWG baton at Wagah on June 25
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SA’s tour of india Testing times
Nagpur, February 5
While a series victory will consolidate India's position at the top of the ICC Test ranking, even a drawn series would be enough for the hosts to retain their top slot which would entitle them to USD 175,000 and the coveted ICC Test Championship mace. However, the team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, which has an enviable record at home, goes into the contest with their middle order in disarray, following injuries to the dependable Rahul Dravid and the dashing Yuvraj Singh, both of whom have been ruled out of the series. The cheekbone fracture which Dravid sustained during the Bangladesh tour, has created a rare void at the number three position as the right-hander has missed only one Test, previous to this one, since his 1996 debut. To make matters worse, there is also uncertainty over season middle-order batsman VVS Laxman who, even though named in the squad, is yet to recover completely from the finger injury sustained in Bangladesh. Mumbai youngster Rohit Sharma, who lead the Board President's XI against the visitors in the two-day warm-up game at the old VCA stadium here, has been asked to stay back as cover for Laxman. Yet to decide No. 3: MSD India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today said the team is waiting for middle order mainstay VVS Laxman's fitness report before deciding who will bat at number three in the first Test against South Africa starting here tomorrow. "We have 15 or 16 players. There's some uncertainty over Laxman who was in the nets today.
He will come back and share with physio how he feels. Other than that all others are fit," Dhoni told reporters during the match-eve media conference at the new VCA Stadium in Jamtha. Dhoni made it clear that he would stick to his batting slot and not promote himself up the order.
"We are waiting on Laxman. I will stick to my batting number. We will see how it goes and what the situation exactly is," he said. ‘India under pressure’
South African skipper Graeme Smith today sought to put India under pressure, saying that with their number one Test status at stake, the injury-hit hosts risk losing everything while his side can only gain from the two-match series starting tomorrow. "The bigger opportunity (than topping the ranking) for us is to beat India. And I think at the moment, we have everything to gain on this tour and India have got everything to lose," Smith told reporters on the eve of the first Test here. "My aspect is just about coming here to play better cricket than India and hopefully, to be able to adapt our style of play to these conditions. The opportunity to beat India excites us and if we do that we get the ranking," the opener said. Already weakened by the absence of middle-order mainstay Rahul Dravid and dashing left-hander Yuvraj Singh, the hosts are also sweating over the fitness of another stalwart V V S Laxman, nursing a finger injury. Smith said the visitors would look to capitalise on this. —
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Top swimmers leave CWG camp
Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service
Gurdaspur, February 5 Sources reveal that swimmers are training in cold water which is against International swimming body (FINA) rules. To make matters worse, the newly recruited Japanese coach Harika Fujishima, contracted at $1500 a month to train swimmers in the Synchronised swimming event, toed the line of the swimmers and refused training citing the reason that conditions were not favourable for swimmers to train. The underwater sound system, which is mandatory during training of Synchronised swimming, has also not been installed, and this again flouts FINA rules. However, what takes the cake is the fact that two diving boards, which are a must for this type of swimming, are out of order for quite some time. An official engaged in the training process put things in the proper perspective when he disclosed, “It seems Murphy’s law which states that when things get bad they suddenly get worse is at work. We really do not know what has hit us. However, the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) officials are working hard to get the camp back on the right track at some other venue. Sources added that the Japanese coach got so incensed at the cold water and lack of proper infrastructure for synchronised swimming that she lodged a protest by shooting of a letter to Sports Authority of India (SAI) officials and at the same time she refused to impart training. In her letter Harika Fujishima also stated that there were no hot water showers in the pool’s bathrooms. Keeping in view the unfavourable conditions some top swimmers including Veer Dhaval Khade, Sandeep Sejwal and J Agnishwar have taken permission to train at Bangalore. Two more swimmers-Anshul Kothari and Ashwin Menon-will be joining the troika shortly. It is also learnt that the SFI general secretary Veerindra Nanawati has also written a letter to SAI in which he has expressed helplessness in retaining the rest of the swimmers at the camp.
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RCA’s 1st: To sell online tickets
Jaipur, February 5 The decision to sell online tickets, each of which will have a unique Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) code, came after the BCCI said it didn’t want to take any risk, particularly after 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Available on the RCA’s website, www.cricketrajasthan.in, the RFID tickets would be sent to the customers through courier, the charge for which would be borne by the RCA. The ticket seekers would have to feed their mobile phone number on the site and then a code would appear. After keying in the code, they will have to fill other details online. According to the RCA officials, the radio frequency identification technology will help in identifying the miscreant if any untoward incident takes place. They said the IPL organisers too are impressed with their method and have met their ticketing committee. The RCA has also set up two helplines to deal with any problem regarding the bookings. In a related development that bodes well for the cricket lovers, the RCA has announced that no complimentary passes would be issued for the February 21 India-South Africa ODI. Union Minister and RCA chief CP Joshi said, “Even policemen would enter the stadium after buying a ticket. None of the officials of RCA or district officials, administrative officers or politicians would be issued complimentary passes. Even I would buy a ticket and see the match.” RCA secretary Sanjay Dixit said the decision has been taken for the sake of public. “The ticketholders were suffering because there were thousands of complimentary pass holders inside,” he added. Meanwhile, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals has tied up with Suvidhaa Infoserve as its exclusive retail ticketing partner for the upcoming IPL matches. Suvidhaa Infoserve will sell tickets through its 18,000 outlets in the country for the seven home matches of Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad and Jaipur. The sale of tickets through the Suvidhaa platform has already started from Friday. Suvidhaa has 1,200 retail points in Gujarat and 1,000 points in Rajasthan. |
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Pbi univ lads, eves make it to finals
Gagan K. Teja Tribune News Service
Patiala, February 5 Results of semi final matches In Men’s section: Punjabi University, Patiala, beat Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, by 38-18. For winner team Manpreet scored 12 and Harminder scored 13 goals. In other match, Kurukshetra University beat MD University, Rohtak, by 36-26. women section: Punjabi University, Patiala, beats M.G. University, Kottayam, by 32-17. For winner team Rajwant Kaur scored 11 and Ramanjot Kaur scored 7 goals. In other match, Delhi University beat Kurukshetra University by 17-10. For winner team Varuni Negi and Sangeeta scored 4 goals each. Final matches for women will be played at 10 am tomorrow between Punjabi University Patiala and Delhi University and in men section; final match will be played between Punjabi University and Kurukshetra Unviersity at 11 am.
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CWG baton at Wagah on June 25
Amritsar, February 5 There would be a day’s halt at Karachi before being handed it over to the Indian contingent at Wagah border on June 25, just 100 days before the commencement of Commonwealth Games at New Delhi. The Border Security Force, the Indian Army and the top officials representing the Government of India would lead the contingent which would receive the baton from Wagah point. The baton would spend three days in Punjab. On June 26, it would head towards Tarn Taran, then to Ferozepore and reach Ludhiana. June 27 has been scheduled for route to Jalandhar and Pathankot and brought back to Ludhiana. After a day’s stopover at Ludhiana, it would travel towards Jammu and Kashmir belt. After that, it would reach Chandigarh on July 3. After having a round of NIS, Patiala, it would be brought back to Chandigarh the same day. The next day, baton would be heading towards Shimla. Tarlochan Singh, member Rajya Sahha from Haryana and vice president of Indian Olympic Association told, here today that the baton after crossing the Wagah border would travel in 28 states and seven union territories and two islands-Andemaan and Lakshadweep. While showcasing it as a sporting and cultural, national and economic power, India will be only the third developing country to host the event after Jamaica in 1966 and Malaysiain1998. |
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It will be a battle for world supremacy when an injury-hit India, determined to protect is number one Test team's status, take on second-placed South Africa in the first of the two-match series.
The preparations of the Indian synchronised swimming team which will be taking part in the Commonwealth games hit a roadblock with top swimmers leaving the camp at present being held in the Balewadi sports complex, Pune citing “adverse training conditions.”
The lack of infrastructure at the national swimming camp is a sure pointer to the fact that all is not well
with Indian sport and that too in the year of the all important Commonwealth
Games.
Come June 25, it would be a historic moment at the Wagah border when the top dignitaries of India and Pakistan would receive the baton of upcoming 2010 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to be held in October this year at New Delhi. The baton of the 19 th edition of the Games, after traveling a distance of around 1,71,000 kms covering 71 participating countries would reach Karachi, Pakistan on June 23, from Dhaka, Bangladesh.
