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Spain claim title, but will South Africa win?
‘Klose failed fitness test’
It’s just the beginning: Uruguay
Forlan leaves his impact
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Make cricket fan-friendly: Sangakkara
Minister Gill opens tennis venue
Suranjoy advances, Jai Bhagwan ousted
Egypt Open
Hockey: Haryana enter quarters
Erratic Jeev slips to tied 58th
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Spain claim title, but will South Africa win?
By Steve Bloomfield & Simon Hart South Africa, despite its national team going out in the first round, is already benefiting from a new sense of national pride and identity, as well as an economic boost from the thousands of travelling fans and (pounds sterling) 2.8bn of infrastructure projects. The big question now is whether it will all last. South Africa, once a global pariah as the home of apartheid, became a symbol of hope 15 years ago when it transformed peacefully into a democracy. Since then, it has been blighted by slow progress in tackling apartheid's legacy of crime and poverty. It has an unemployment rate of 24 per cent; half its population of 48.6 million are below the poverty line and life expectancy is just 49 years. It is hoped the economic boost of the World Cup will help to alter these figures. One thing that is for sure, however, is that, as with the Rugby World Cup in 1995, sport has helped bring a divided nation together. The Rainbow Nation may be a
cliche, but it seemed a pretty apt description of the atmosphere on the bus journey to Soccer City for the opening match of the World Cup. At the front sat
Phume, a large black woman decked out in the yellow shirt of the South African team and a jester’s hat in the red, green and blue of the national flag. Her young son was also wearing a yellow replica shirt. Behind her were four white South Africans, flags painted on their cheeks and all wearing
makarapas, the plastic mining helmets worn by the more hardcore football fan. The bus was a mix of white and black, all dressed in yellow. Phume started the chanting: "Give me a B!" she bellowed, and her fellow passengers - 40 in all - yelled back in unison. She spelled out
"Bafana Bafana", the nickname of the South African team, and everyone sang along. South Africa played only three matches. But on every occasion fans gathered, there was a mix of races and a genuine sense of national unity. Afrikaner rugby fans ventured to the fan park in Soweto to watch the Uruguay match on a big screen. Indian families that had never been interested in football took their children to the stadium in Bloemfontein for the France game. Robert
Nyamane, 17, who leads tourists on a bicycle tour of the Orlando district, recalled his visit to a Soweto fan park. "When we are watching soccer on the big screen, all of us see one thing and all of us cheer. "People see that South Africa has changed. It has made me proud," he said. The bill for hosting the World Cup is (pounds sterling)2bn. Or maybe it's (pounds sterling)2.5bn. No one can quite put a final figure on it. What everyone knows is that six years ago it was supposed to be (pounds sterling)200m. The money has not just gone on stadiums. The Gautrain opened a few days before the World Cup started. Africa's first high-speed rail link is not without its critics. It is too expensive. It serves only the rich. There are more pressing transport needs. "The poorest people needed bus networks from the townships to work," said Josephine Osikena of the Foreign Policy Centre in London. "If that had happened people wouldn't have to get up at the crack of dawn just to get to work. High-speed rail services won't benefit the poorest." Road networks have been revamped and the telecommunications system has been transformed. Tens of thousands of jobs were created in the construction industry and this has helped existing businesses too. No one can put a price on the long-term benefit to South Africa. It is hoped that in five years' time unemployment will fall to 20 per cent, and life expectancy will be up to 50 years and only 47 per cent of people will be below the poverty line. But everyone knows who really
benefits. Fifa, described in The New York Times as the "imposing overlords" of international football, expects to rake in about (pounds sterling)2bn from the World Cup. It will pay tax in South Africa on none of
it. Fifa made its money through corporate sponsorship, or "partnership" as it prefers to term it. Those partners needed protection, so Fifa insisted that phrases such as "World Cup" and even "2010" were not to be used by any other company. One South African airline,
Kulula.com, tried to get round the rules by declaring it was "the unofficial airline of
you-know-what". "Fifa has made a lot of money out of this and it should be going to the disadvantaged ... helping to create jobs, but it hasn't done as much of it as it could," said Haratio
Motjuwadi, editor of the Soweto paper Sunday World. In the weeks leading up to the tournament, Johannesburg was full of yellow diversion signs as roads were tarred. There was a deadline that had to be met. But there has been no such sense of urgency for South Africa's most pressing problems. The crime rate remains one of the highest in the world. Millions still live in slums. These things are a legacy of apartheid. It is often forgotten that in 1994 crime was far higher and the country was all but bankrupt. The World Cup organisers - all of them South African - have proved what the country is capable of. — By arrangement with
The Independent |
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Loew said clinching third place was Germany's priority and Klose's inclusion could have damaged his side against Uruguay in the third-place playoff, a scintillating match his team won 3-2 after trailing 2-1 at one stage. “We needed 100 percent from everyone so we couldn't afford to use players who are not fit," Loew said after the win, which capped an impressive tournament for a young and inexperienced team largely written off in the run-up to South Africa. “This is why we didn't field injured or ill players. It would have been irresponsible. He simply couldn’t play, he failed the fitness test,” he added. Klose recently finished one of the worst seasons of his career for Bayern Munich but was one of Germany's best-performing players in the tournament, scoring four of their 13 goals and putting himself in contention for the Golden Boot award. Loew said he empathised with Klose, who was bitterly disappointed but had admitted himself that playing in the last match would have been a mistake. “He wanted to play but he said there was no point because he could only play a few minutes,” Loew said. "He could hardly walk. There was no way I could have played him. Just imagine his feeling. You want to get a record. He really wanted to play and was absolutely devastated but he knew it was the team that was important.” Attacking midfielder Thomas Mueller and Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan netted in the playoff to draw level in the scoring charts with five goals alongside Spain's David Villa and Dutchman Wesley Sneijder, who are certain to play in Sunday's final. Mueller's absence through suspension for the semi-final defeat was seen as a major factor in Germany's below-par performance against the Spanish but he insisted his team had proved their worth and could hold their heads up high. “I couldn’t play in the semi-final so it was important to put on a great show and luckily I could contribute to our victory," Mueller said. “We’ve shown we can perform at the top level. We’ve concluded in a very satisfactory way and the German people can be proud.” — Reuters
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It’s just the beginning: Uruguay
Port Elizabeth, July 11 For defender Jorge Fucile their fourth placing was richly deserved - despite their winning the quarter-final against Ghana because Luis Suarez punched the ball off the line in the dying seconds of their match which would have seen the Africans progress 2-1 - and predicted better things to come. “I am proud of what we have achieved here, we were up to the challenge, among the best four teams," said the 25-year-old Porto fullback. However, as we saw against the Germans the difference between us and the historically successful teams is that they have the ice cold temperament and this little bit extra that edges them past sides like us. “For Uruguay, however, this is the beginning of a new cycle, Uruguay is where it should be. Personally, I am happy of what I have done in the finals, I showed the world who is Fucile,” added Fucile, who has garnered three Portuguese titles since he joined from Liverpool Montevideo in 2006. Hardman midfielder Diego Perez said that there was still room for improvement and two successive 3-2 defeats (the Dutch beat them 3-2 in the semi-finals) left a bitter taste in the mouth. "It is a strange feeling: Uruguay played well, we scored twice, like against the Netherlands, and we still lost," said the 30-year-old, who plays his club football for French Championship side Monaco. "However, Uruguay displayed in these two matches that it has made progress, that it can keep the ball and use it, but there are still a few things missing to make us a complete side. There is a bitter taste for me that we couldn't offer the country victory in this match but at the same time we have to take the positives out of our campaign, even if we made mistakes that are fatal against stronger teams. “We leave with our spirits high, proud of the work we have done for the past four years (since coach Oscar Tabarez took over the coaching post), without forgetting that there are regrets.” Perez summed up what the rest of the squad felt about striker Diego Forlan, who took his tally to five goals with one against Germany but whose talsimanic qualities brought much more to the team. — AFP
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“Only a tiny thing was missing with the freekick,” Forlan said as Uruguay lost 3-2 in a thrilling match - and missed out on third place and its best finish at a World Cup in 60 years. Despite the small margin, Forlan made a big impact for his country at the World Cup with his five goals, tying him with three other players - Germany's Thomas Mueller, Spain's David Villa and the Netherlands' Wesley Sneijder - as leading scorer. “For the Uruguayan team Forlan is a very important player,” said coach Oscar Tabarez. “He is the top football player for us. He has achieved many things. He has taken the leading role in our team. We almost can't do without him.” With his help, Uruguay got to the brink of the final before a 3-2 semifinal defeat by the Dutch. Forlan scored from a vicious long-range shot in that semifinal. There was also a swerving, dipping freekick in the quarterfinals against Ghana and a spectacular volley against the Germans in the third place playoff. Forlan has now scored 29 times for his country, two off Hector Scarone's all-time Uruguay record. He will also share the World Cup's Golden Boot award in 2010 - provided Sneijder or Villa don't score in today's World Cup final. The goals from the 31-year-old Atletico Madrid forward were a major reason for Uruguay's best World Cup performance since a fourth-place finish in 1970. “It's something spectacular to be among the top four,” said Forlan. “If someone would've asked us at the beginning, we would've liked it. It's something positive.” Tabarez said there may be one more World Cup in Forlan, who will have just turned 35 when the 2014 tournament kicks off in Brazil. — AP
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Silverstone (UK), July 11 The victory put a smile on the Australian's face after having to give his car's front wing to the German on Saturday in a controversy that left Red Bull facing accusations of favouritism. Webber, stony-faced on Saturday, let his feelings pour out as he crossed the line, telling the team over the radio, "Fantastic, not bad for a number two driver". "Well done Mark, you can smile now," replied team boss Christian Horner. Vettel, who had started on pole only to find himself at the back of the field after the first lap, fought back to finish seventh. Britain's Lewis Hamilton delighted the 120,000-strong crowd with a fighting second place for McLaren, 1.3 seconds behind Webber, to extend his championship lead over team mate Jenson Button to 12 points with nine races remaining. World champion Button, starting 14th after describing his car as 'undriveable' on Saturday, carved his way through the field to finish fourth on a bright afternoon at the new Silverstone circuit. While a remarkable drive in the circumstances, Button still found himself off his home podium for the 11th season in succession. The story of the race was the start, with the two Red Bull drivers lining up alongside each other on the front row with the battle lines drawn. Webber, more than ever the Australian hard man, gave no quarter and forced Vettel wide on to the rumble strips while avoiding a repeat of the collision in Turkey that wrecked Red Bull's hopes of a one-two. The one-two still evaporated in the haze of exhaust fumes, Vettel having to pit at the end of the opening lap with a punctured right rear tyre after a glancing blow from Hamilton's McLaren. The 23-year-old, last year's winner from pole in Britain, could still hold his head high after staging a thrilling fightback that included scything past compatriot and seven-times champion Michael Schumacher. — Reuters Sutil finishes eighth, Liuzzi 11th
Adrian Sutil lost a dramatic duel with pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel in the final lap to finish eighth as Force India added four valuable points from the eventful British Grand here today. His team mate Vitantonio Liuzzi also featured in a wheel-to-wheel duel with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso before finishing 11th, just outside the point bracket. Lone Indian Formula One driver Karun Chandhok came 19th, ahead of his Hispania teammate Sakon Yamamoto, whose was the last car to the chequered flag. Starting 11th on the grid, Sutil rose to the fifth place before his only pit-stop and the German rejoined the race 14th. From there, Sutil worked his way up to the seventh place after an eventful stint that saw him coming in contact with Pedro de la Rossa, sending some debris flying.— PTI |
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Make cricket fan-friendly: Sangakkara
Sangakkara said global viewership of the sport had dwindled over the past year, despite a packed schedule of Tests, one-dayers and Twenty20 cricket. "I am told about 40 per cent of viewership has dropped for Tests," Sangakkara told AFP in an interview. "It has dropped for one-dayers and T20 too." According to Sangakkara, the rise of Twenty20 cricket has made the one and five-day games look like the boring siblings of the cricket family. Sangakkara, 32, welcomed suggestions for jazzing up Test cricket through night games or a world championship, which could attract viewers and sponsors. "We can't just ignore the consumers," he said. "Ultimately its sponsorship that generates revenue for the boards." The articulate Sri Lankan skipper called for more Test matches to be fairly distributed in the Future Tours Programme (FTP) that is being prepared by the International Cricket Council to govern cricket from 2012. He lamented the lack of Test matches for his own team, which would have played just two matches against the West Indies this year had India not agreed to a hastily arranged three-Test series against Sri Lanka starting Sunday. "All sides should have an equal opportunity to play Tests," Sangakkara said. "We are lucky India are touring us, but the opportunity for Sri Lankan players to fulfil their Test dreams are getting more and more limited." Sri Lanka have not played a Test series outside South Asia since the tour of Australia in 2007. They have not been to South Africa for a Test tour since 2002 and the Tests in England in 2011 will be their first there in five years. "The FTP must be drawn up in a way that some of the best sides tour more than just once in five years," Sangakkara said. "They should be meaningful tours that also makes economic sense." He said the new FTP should also make room for the hugely popular Indian Premier League (IPL), which until now has been squeezed in between gaps in the international calendar. "We need a proper FTP to avoid players having to choose between their country and commercial interests. A proper FTP will focus on competitive tours, on nations competing with each other, ultimately making it attractive for consumers." The IPL's fourth edition is scheduled to be held soon after the 50-over World Cup ends in South Asia in April, raising fears of an overkill for fans. Sangakkara was unsure how the IPL will be received next year. "That's why I say we need a proper FTP so that there is no fan fatigue," he said. — AFP
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Minister Gill opens tennis venue
New Delhi, July 11 "It will be an excellent venue for not only the coming Commonwealth Games but also for many more tournaments in future," Gill said after having a round of the sprawling venue. "The government has spent Rs 5-6 crore on the preparation and has sent 200 players abroad for exposure. I expect that the results will be seen during the Games," he said. Gill assured that the government would also help the Indian sportspersons in their preparation for the Asian Games in China later this year and the 2012 London Olympics. The Sports Minister inaugurated the state-of-the-art stadium that has a built-up area of 11,500 square km and consists of 14 courts including a centre court and six match courts. The centre court has spectator capacity of 5,200 while the number one court has a 1000-seater gallery with updated facilities for ball kids, technical officials, athletes and broadcasters. Noise prevention at Games Village
The ball has finally set rolling for erection of a sound-proof steel barrier covering the rail tracks close to Commonwealth Games Village near Akshardham temple here keeping the athletes’ comfort in mind. The work on the Rs 2 crore project, which got delayed for more than a year due to various reasons, will start from tomorrow. The sound-proof barrier will cover the tracks for half a km. The stretch is considered one of the busiest in the country emanating noise levels touching 65 decibel. Since the tracks are near to the Games Village, the sound of passing trains may pose a problem for athletes, especially in the night when the noise level is the maximum. The concrete steel barrier of three metres height will reduce the noise level to about 25 decibel, a senior DDA official involved in the project said. Enjoy a heritage steam loco ride
How about a ride in a heritage train run by a steam locomotive during the Commonwealth Games? Railways are planning to run a steam engine, manufactured in 1947, between Delhi and Rewari in Haryana during the Games beginning October 3. "We are developing the steam loco shed at Rewari as a tourist spot and it will be ready before the Games. As per the plan, we are exploring the possibilities of running a steam loco with four heritage coaches between Delhi and Rewari," a senior Railway Ministry official said. — PTI |
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Suranjoy advances, Jai Bhagwan ousted
New Delhi, July 11 Jai was declared medically unfit due to an upset stomach and dehydration, clearing the way for Himachal Pradesh's Ankit Tokas to enter the second round. "He was completely exhausted due to his upset stomach and though he turned up for the medicals, he was declared unfit," said an Indian Boxing Federation official. On the other hand, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar, who is fighting in the light weight 60kg category, entered the second round without even stepping into the ring after his Tripura opponent Shyam Singh was found overweight in the medical tests this morning. Akhil, who is employed with the All-India Police, is competing here as an IBF entry as he had to skip the inter-departmental tournament due to a knee injury. Suranjoy was the top star to be seen in action today and he showed the form that has fetched him six international gold medals in the past one year. The Manipuri blanked Karnataka's N Shaikinnaoya 7-0. The diminutive boxer, who is representing the Services Sports Control Board, spent the first round taking a measure of his rival before breaking free in the next two rounds. A series of right straights and hooks had Shaikinnaoya literally on the ropes as Suranjoy stamped his authority. Meanwhile, South Asian Games gold medallist Chhote Lal Yadav (SSCB) out-punched Uttar Pradesh boxer Kishan 12-0 in the bantamweight 56kg category. In the welter weight 69kg category, Railways Sports Promotion Board's eight-time national champion Dilbag Singh took his first step towards a record ninth gold by beating Madhya Pradesh's Pradeep 13-3. Another Railways' boxer Sanjay Singh, who is a prodigy of Akhil, pulled off the swiftest win of the day when he out-classed Orissa's Bulu Nayak within a minute of entering the ring. Former Commonwealth bronze medallist Dilbagh Singh (69kg), competing for the host Delhi team, defeated Manipur's Inaosana 7-0. Former World Cadet champion Balbir Singh, an IBF individual entry, pulled off a comprehensive 16-0 triumph over E Peris of the All India Police. — PTI
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Egypt Open
New Delhi, July 11 World number 76, Sharath started the final-four clash on an attacking note pocketing the first two games 11-5, 11-6 before Tianyi regained touch and reduced the difference by pipping the Indian 16-14 in a keenly contested third game. However, Sharath held his nerves to quell the late charge and pocketed the next two games 12-10, 11-9 to round off the score and set up a summit clash with Li Ching of Hong Kong, who beat Egyptian Lashin El-Sayed 4-1 in the other semifinal. Earlier today, the lanky Indian survived several anxious moments before getting the better of Salifou Abdel-Kader of France 4-3 in a long-drawn quarterfinal. All the other Indians have already crashed out of the tournament. Earlier this month, Sharath had notched up the biggest title of his career when he clinched the US Open crown at Michigan. — PTI
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Hockey: Haryana enter quarters
Bhopal, July 11 The other teams which have already entered the last eight are Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Punjab and hosts Madhya Pradesh State Hockey Academy (MPSHA), Bhopal. For Haryana, Kulbhushan and Sandeep Kumar converted penalty corners in the 23rd and 37th minutes respectively. However, Mudappa of Karnataka hit a brilliant field goal in the 57th minute to reduce the margin. Later, the players of Karnataka tried their best to equalise the score but could not do so despite good moves and passes. Naveen Antil of Haryana struck a brilliant field goal in the 68th minute and completed the tie for his side. In another fixture, Delhi trounced Pondicherry 5-1. For Delhi, Virendra Sharma scored first goal in the 28th minute but within two minutes Pondicherry equalised through Prasanna. In the second half, the Delhi players cut loose and hit four goals in a span of 11 minutes through Virendra, Mohit, Pradeep Kumar, Piyush and Sarvan in the 56th, 59th, 60th and 67th minutes respectively. In other matches, Jharkhand humiliated Tripura 7-1 and Madhya Bharat beat Andhra Pradesh 6-1. — PTI
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Erratic Jeev slips to tied 58th
Glasgow, July 11 The back-nine was also going even-par after he found one birdie against a bogey but things went haywire soon as he stumbled to back-to-back bogeys on the 15th and 16th. He dropped another stroke on the 18th to round off a disappointing day in the end. Jeev is the lone Indian left in fray after Jyoti Randhawa, Shiv Kapur and SSP Chowarasia missed the cut.—
PTI |
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German coach Joachim Loew deprived striker Miroslav Klose the chance of setting a World Cup scoring record but said he had no option but to leave the flu-stricken player out of the third-place playoff.
Uruguay's players heralded a new era for the two-time World Cup winners in the wake of their 3-2 defeat by Germany in the third place match here.
Port Elizabeth, July 11
Port Elizabeth, July 11
Colombo, July 11
Closing out in style
Flower named after vuvuzela
700m to watch final