New Delhi, August 8
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's promise of completing all Commonwealth Games projects being implemented by her government by the extended deadline of August 31 is appearing to fall flat.

Top officials in the Delhi government admitted that key projects like Barapullah Nallah elevated road and renovation of the Yamuna Sports Complex, apart from street-scaping around the Games venues were unlikely to be finished by August-end. Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta said although a carriageway of the Barapulla Nallah elevated road would be completed by August 25, the construction activities on second carriageway could be finished by first week of September only.

The 4-km-long elevated road between Sarai Kale Khan and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main venue of the event, is being built to provide uninterrupted traffic flow from the Games Village near Akshardham temple to the stadium. The over Rs 550-crore project has already missed several deadlines.

Similarly, renovation of the Yamuna Sports Complex, where archery and table tennis events will take place, is not likely to be completed by August-end. Peripheral works in and around the Talkatora Stadium and Karni Singh Shooting Range are also not expected to be over by the deadline. Finance Minister AK Walia has publicly stated that work in the Yamuna Sports Complex will not be over by the month-end.

The Delhi government had undertaken projects worth over Rs 10,000 crore to improve infrastructure in the city ahead of the Games that will start on October 3. Works related to plantation and greenery are also lagging far behind. Although plantation works have been allowed to run through September, several agencies planning to put up potted plants are a bit confused as the police has objected to place the pots near the gates of the venues.

Facing severe criticism for delay in finishing the Games-related projects, Dikshit had last month directed all agencies concerned to complete pending work within the final deadline. Top PWD officials, overseeing street-scaping projects across the city, have also admitted that the works will only be over by mid-September. The department has deployed an additional workforce of 700 labourers to wrap up the street-scaping projects.

Kolkata, August 8
Kerala lad Denson Devadas struck twice as Bengal made a spectacular comeback to beat Punjab 2-1, ending their 11 years title drought in the 64th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy here today. Punjab drew first blood with Balwant Singh finding the net at the 30th minute but Denson scored just at the stroke of the break (45+2nd) to draw parity and then sealed the match with a winner in the 78th minute.

Now champions for a record 30 times, Bengal thus denied eight time winners Punjab their third title in four years at the floodlilt Yuba Bharati Krirangan here. Hungry to end their 11-year title drought, Bengal began on an attacking note but their striking force missing the injured duo of Shankar Oraon and Nilendra Dewan let the team down early into the start.

Bengal centred their attack through Robin Singh from the left but the robust Noida lad was heavily guarded by the Punjab defenders duo of Harpreet Singh and Rahul Kumar. Cheered on by a 15,000-plus home support, the hosts had their best chance in the 18th minute but only to be proved unlucky with lacklustre Tariff Ahmed at the receiving end.

Robin in a left-side attack set it up nicely for a surging Tarif whose banging header missed the net by a whisker as it came off the post, much to the agony of Bengal supporters in a 18th minute move. Soon, Punjab stepped on the attack with Bengal's chinks in the defensive armour beginning to expose and their forward lacking steam.

A goalkeeping error by Bengal's Abhra Mondal, who was hero in their semifinal win over Goa, helped Punjab take a 30th minute lead. — PTI

Chandigarh, August 8
Indian hockey is in a limbo. None of the three national federations claiming to be genuine bodies administering the control of the sport in the country have recognition from all three parental or controlling bodies - Federation Internationale de Hockey (FIH), Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Ministry of Sports, Government of India.

Mired in controversies, Hockey India, claiming to be the only body recognised by both the FIH and the IOA, held its elections on August 5. And within hours of electing Vidya Stokes of Himachal Pradesh as the new president of the unified body, it had its recognition by Ministry of Sports withdrawn. The reason given for withdrawal of recognition was failure of the new body to accept and implement guidelines that regulate continuation in office to a maximum of 12 years besides prohibiting organisers older than 70 years from contesting elections to the office of president or secretary-general of a national sports federation.

Hockey India declared itself to be a private body to keep itself out of the clamp of guidelines. And when the handpicked Electoral College held its election meeting on August 5, it, too, endorsed the decision of the ad hoc committee for rejecting guidelines by electing 83-year-old Vidya Stokes as the new president.

Vidya Stokes, a senior Congress leader, has been associated with womens’ hockey for a long period. She is no doubt one of the finest persons in sports administration in the country and has mostly steered clear of any controversy. Her opponent in the race for presidentship was none-other than one of the most decorated hockey player and sports administrator Pargat Singh, who, incidentally, is almost half her age. Pargat may have been to three Olympics, twice as captain of the national team, but some of his contemporaries, who were in the Electoral College, preferred to vote for the Apple Lady of Himachal Pradesh.

Goalkeeper AB Subbiah, winger Thoiba Singh, Halfback Rekha and deep depender Pushpa Srivastav - all hockey internationals - who initially promised to support Pargat Singh, switched loyalties at the last moment.

Another set back for Pargat came from the units of north India - Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana and Chandigarh - as they all chose to stand by Vidya Stokes in preference to him. Many argue that even if Pargat had won, it would not have helped the cause of the sport as the Ministry had withdrawn its recognition given to Hockey India. Ifs and buts never take anyone anywhere.

Those who had been closely following the developments before the August 5 elections must have been aware of the efforts being made to get a single, unified body in place so that the game and its players do not suffer any more. Lot of behind-the-scene activities took place. But open condemnation of the government and its guidelines by one of the key figure, both in ad hoc committee and now elected committee, brought all such efforts to a nought.

With Hockey India de-recognised, now the focus has again shifted back to Indian Hockey Federation headed by KPS Gill. The Ministry of Sports has lent its weight behind the Federation asking the FIH to recognise this body. Till IHF and All-India Women Hockey Association merge, the Ministry wants that teams sent under the banner of the IOA should be accepted in various international tournaments, including the Women’s World Cup in Argentina, Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and Asian Games in Guangzhou in the coming months. FIH finds itself in a fix. It has already allotted the 2011 Champions Trophy to India. With government backing out, Hockey India may not find it easy to hold the event till it falls in line and accepts the guidelines. In that case, the FIH will have either to recognise IHF allowing it a grace period to form a unified body with the AIWHA or allow the Champions Trophy conducted under the banner of the IOA.

Hockey India is also toying with the idea of seeking legal redressal of its de-recognition by the government. Whatever be the case, the worst hit are the players. Their careers and future stands jeopardised till the time the whole muddle is resolved.

Birmingham, August 8
England's victory charge on the third day of the second test against Pakistan was held up by a stubborn seventh-wicket partnership of 49 by Zulqarnain Haider and Mohammad Amir on Sunday. The tourists still required 29 runs at tea to make England bat again at Edgbaston.

Pakistan were 150 for six at the interval as debutant and top scorer Haider fought bravely to be 36 not out and 18-year-old number eight batsman Amir was on 14 from 103 balls. Off-spinner Graeme Swann had figures of four for 23 from 24 overs having bowled unchanged for 16 overs in the afternoon session in which he managed the sole wicket of Umar Amin -- stumped efficiently for 14 by wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

Pakistan crashed from a promising 53 for one to 82 for five before lunch but the obstinate stand between Haider and Amir delayed the inevitable. While Haider has been a solid presence, Amir escaped a run out chance on one and a dropped catch by short leg fielder Alastair Cook on nine off Paul Collingwood. Pakistan have faced an uphill task to save the test since posting their lowest-ever test total against England in the first innings, of 72. England replied with 251.

For once, England have not had to rely on their swing bowlers and Swann has played a leading role as sunshine broke through the clouds. Swann, who bowled just two overs in the first test that England won by 354 runs and did not bowl in the first innings here, managed 62 consecutive dot balls before tea but the Pakistani duo withstood the pressure. Haider was given out lbw to Swann first ball by umpire Steve Davis but the decision was overturned following another referral. Haider, who has said he will donate half of his match fee to Imran Khan's cancer hospital in Lahore, was drafted in for the game after regular wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was dropped for poor form. England's Stuart Broad was rebuked by the on-field umpires after he needlessly threw the ball at Haider and struck him on the shoulder.

Brief Scores: Pakistan 72 and 19 for 1 (Farhat 10*, Azhar 5*) trail England 251 (Pietersen 80, Trott 55, Ajmal 5-82) by 160 runs. — Agencies

Kavala, August 8
Former world junior champion Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta agreed for a quick draw with overnight joint leader Adam Tukhaev of Ukraine to tie for the first place in the Kavala International Open Chess tournament here. There was more good news for the Indians in the fray as Dronavalli Harika held Grandmaster Andrey Rychagov of Russia to a hard-fought draw in the concluding round and achieved her second Grandmaster norm.

Harika now needs one more norm before she becomes the second Indian girl after Koneru Humpy to get the Grandmaster title. S Vijayalakshmi is the other Indian woman, who has completed her Grandmaster norms but not been a very active player in the past few years. Abhijeet just did the needful during the match.

Playing the black side of his reliable Berlin defence, he had a chance if Tukhaev wanted to fight for a win but the Ukrainian showed his peaceful intentions early. The match lasted a mere five minutes and as if taking a cue from the top board game, Nidjat Mamedov of Azerbaijan followed suit against Gabriel Sargissian of Armenia, while an all-Armenian duel between Hrant Melkumyan and Zaven Andriasian also reached the same result.

Thus, in the end it was a two-way tie for the top spot with Abhijeet and Tukhaev locked on seven points apiece. The first tie-break based on progressive score was equal but in the second tie-break based on opponents' score in the event, Abhijeet came only second. However, the cash prize was equally divided.

Abhijeet was a class act in the tournament winning five and drawing four games. All his draws came with black pieces and three of those were almost effortless. The white pieces proved pivotal as Abhijeet won all the five games with what is regarded as the favourable colour in the game. The icing on the cake for the BPCL employee was an increase in the ELO rating, which currently takes him past the 2600 mark for the first time in his career.

“This tournament went really on expectations after I won my game against Vorobiov in the seventh round. Rychagov lost to me under pressure and Adam (Tukhaev) did not want undue risk which is normal in last round of a tournament like this,” observed Abhijeet. “Of course getting to 2600 was equally important for me, I have been around it for some time and this time I was almost hoping that I will breach the mark, hopefully the trend will continue in the next tournament at Chalkida in a couple of days time,” he added. — PTI

London, August 8
Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson has withdrawn from the England squad to face Hungary and retired from international soccer, the English Football Association (FA) said on Sunday. The 30-year-old former Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur keeper played at the 2006 World Cup but had since slipped down the international pecking order until his call-up on Saturday.

“Only now have I been able to make this decision as previously I haven't been in contention for selection,” Robinson said in a statement. “I don’t see myself as a number three or four keeper and find that role very frustrating.”

Robinson made his international debut in 2003 against Australia and won 41 caps, including playing in all five of England's 2006 World Cup games in Germany. His international career began to slide after some poor performances contributed to England failing to reach the 2008 European Championships. Robinson's last appearance for England was a 2-1 defeat against Russia in 2007. The FA said there were no plans to call in a replacement to the squad for Wednesday’s friendly. — Reuters

Los Angeles, August 8
English midfielder David Beckham said he hopes to return to the Los Angeles Galaxy in September even though doctors have projected he would not be healthy enough for a comeback until October. The 35-year-old Major League Soccer superstar suffered a torn left Achilles' tendon last March while on loan to AC Milan in a Serie A match against Chievo.

Beckham told the Fox Soccer Channel on Saturday that he saw a doctor on Saturday and he was given a prognosis for an October return.

“Two or three weeks before that,” Beckham said he told the doctors. “It’s just about getting strength back in my calf.” At 12-3 with four drawn for 40 points, the Galaxy began the day with the best record and highest point total in the 16-team US league, which decides its champion in a November playoff.

The Galaxy play six of their final seven matches on their home pitch in September and October, but if Beckham can make an early recover, his debut could set up a showdown of superstars. Los Angeles will play host to the New York Red Bulls, whose lineup now includes French star Thierry Henry, on September 24, and a Beckham return for that match would be a showcase event for MLS. The Red Bulls are 8-6 with three drawn for 27 points, fourth-best in MLS. — AFP

Patiala, August 8
The 50th Inter-State Senior Championship that concluded at the NIS, Patiala, today evening saw some remarkable performances from all quarters during last four days. Ranbir Singh Rakhra, SSP, Patiala, was the chief guest on the concluding ceremony.

Kerala, Punjab and Haryana stood overall first, second and third, respectively, during the meet. The meet witnessed the creation of three new national records.

The annual Test rankings were published last week. They showed that India are easily the best side in the world on 130 points, a massive 11 ahead of other sides in the running. South Africa drew a Test series in India late last year, India played only nine Test matches in the entire year. India have had a tough time of it in Sri Lanka this past month and have suffered for it a little in the table. Yet still they stay top.

The tables are calculated based on the most clinical statistical evidence accrued from results of matches played in the previous four years. But for all this, the gut feeling is that the statistical evidence, as so often, is far from convincing. No doubt this will cause apoplexy among statisticians who cannot allow emotion, sentiment or indeed gut feeling to cloud their work.

So England have won five Test matches in a row, they hold the Ashes, they drew a series in South Africa. And still there are supposedly four better teams. Still, if they beat Pakistan 3-0, or 4-0, as seems probable, they will nudge ahead of Australia.

Apologies have been distinctly slow in emanating from the England camp in the direction of the umpire Daryl Harper. Strange, since there ought to be not so much apologising as grovelling. In January, England made their disaffection clear to all and sundry when the South Africa captain, Graeme Smith, was given not out on 15, saved by the Decision Review System although it seemed to indicate that he had hit it, and went on to make 105.

England, who went on to lose the Test by a mile, not only made a formal complaint to the ICC but also through their coach, Andy Flower, and the ECB chairman, Giles Clarke, made it clear that they thought Harper, the third umpire for the match, had messed up. Flower said at the time: "I'm not surprised he didn't hear it because he didn't have the volume turned up on his speaker." Clarke, in a hastily convened press conference in which he castigated the entire review system, backed Flower unequivocally. An exhaustive ICC investigation into the incident reported last week. It found that there was no evidence to support the complaint, that Harper had followed the correct protocol and that any suggestion he had failed to turn up the volume was "both manifestly wrong and entirely unfair". Harper's exoneration could hardly be clearer.

— By arrangement with The Independent

Colombo, August 8
Calling retired spinner great Muttiah Muralitharan's outburst against his long-time detractor Bishen Singh Bedi a perfect “parting shot”, former Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu said the iconic bowler brilliantly timed his verbal attack on the Indian.

“Of course, it was with amusement that I read Murali's parting shot at Bedi. It was brilliant timing too,” Atapattu said. “Murali has hardly said anything on his way to 800 wickets and when his work was done with a world record tucked under his belt he came out with this quip in answer to Bedi. Who can take him on? Perfect timing of the ball,” Atapattu wrote in 'The Sunday Leader' newspaper.

Muralitharan recently uncharacteristically attacked Bedi, calling the former Indian captain a controversy monger and an ordinary bowler who would have been hammered by any batsman if he was playing now. An untiring critic of Muralitharan, Bedi has repeatedly called him a “chucker” and asked the ICC to ban the bowler's “doosra” as it was illegal.

The former opening batsman also praised all-rounder Suraj Randiv and hoped that the 25-year-old takes inspiration from Muralitharan to improve his off-spin skills. “Randiv had a great start to his career and he should develop something new in his armour like Murali did. He would do well, I am certain,” said the cricketer-turned-commentator. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Uchitel in rehab again
NEW YORK: Former Tiger Woods mistress Rachel Uchitel has apparently checked into another rehab facility after leaving VH1's “Celebrity Rehab”. According to TMZ, Uchitel paid $20,000 to stay at the unnamed transitional living facility in Malibu, California, for 30 days - and picked the spot because it allowed her dogs to stay with her. — ANI

Gul to miss England series
LONDON: Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul is unlikely to miss the rest of the Test series against England after suffering a hamstring injury during the ongoing second Test at Edgbaston. Gul sustained a hamstring injury on the second day of the Test, which forced him to walk out of the field. — ANI

Man U to slash players’ bonus
LONDON: Manchester United stars will have their bonus structure slashed as the club's owners, the Glazers, plan more cost-cutting. According to reports, Sir Alex Ferguson's men have been told the incentives for winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup are being reduced. — ANI

Ronaldo's world of sex, glamour
LONDON: English model Jasmine Lennard has opened up about Portugal footballer Cristiano Ronaldo's 'weird world of sex, glamour and insecurity'. Lennard said she first met Ronaldo in the small and exclusive Los Angeles nightclub Villa in July 2008. Being 22 that time, his usual entourage of five surrounded him or six most trusted men. — ANI

Gili to coach Ivory Coast?
ABIDJAN: Ivory Coast's Football Federation are in talks with former Olympique Marseille coach Gerard Gili to head the West African state's national team, the president of the Ivory Coast football federation (FIF) said. Ivory Coast have been searching for a coach since negotiations to keep Sven-Goran Eriksson, who managed the Elephants during the World Cup in South Africa, broke down because of a failure to agree on salary. — Reuters

Lee’s musical dreams
MELBOURNE: His cricket career hampered by injuries, Australian pacer Brett Lee is working on his future as a musician and India would be the first stop for his rockstar ambitions. Lee, who retired from Test cricket due to a string of injury breakdowns, will be in India later this month to perform with his new band called “White Shoe Theory” with his friend Mick Vawdon. — PTI