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Dengue bite: Cyclists shifted to Patiala
Dope flunk spree continues
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Drink to
victory
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India go down fighting to Thailand
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Nadal rolls on as Wawrinka shatters hopes
New York, September 8 "I was ready for the late start and the hardest thing was for the fans to be here," he said. "This year I am healthy and hope to continue to play well and have my chances." Verdasco took four hours 23 minutes to see off compatriot David Ferrer in a typically gruelling Iberian clash that involved merciless, end-to-end tennis. "I hope that it is going to give me big confidence, this match," the eighth seed said. "And also I hope to be 100 percent physically after a tough match like this to play against a player like Nadal that you need to be like 100 percent to try to face him, to try to beat him." Home hopes, meanhile, were blown away by Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka when he outlasted Sam Querrey in a marathon fourth round tie. The 7-6 (11/9), 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 defeat means that there will be no US player in the men's singles quarter-finals for the second year in a row. Last year was the first time that had happened in the Open era dating back to 1968. The 20th-seeded Wawrinka joins Roger Federer in the last eight, making it the first time two Swiss players have reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam in the Open era. The match, played in tough, windy conditions, lasted four hours 28 minutes. "I think for sure the crowd was hoping that he can stay in the tournament. But if you watch the match they were very fair. For me it was great to play that kind of match with that crowd," the 25-year-old Wawrinka said after reaching his first Grand Slam quarter-final. His opponent for a place in the semi-finals will be 12th-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny, who defeated Tommy Robredo of Spain 7-5, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Venus Williams brezees into semis
As the last American singles player in the US Open, Venus Williams carries all the hopes of the host nation, although she does not want to look at it that way. "If I go out there and feel like that, I don't think I would even be able to raise my arm," Williams said. "My expectations are enough to deal with." Third seed Williams continued her mastery over French Open champion Francesca Schiavone yesterday, outlasting the Italian sixth seed 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the year's last Grand Slam event. Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion and two-time US Open winner, improved to 8-0 lifetime against
Schiavone, although the Italian said she let a great chance slip away to reach her first US Open final four.
— AFP
Bopanna-Qureshi enter maiden Grand Slam semis Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in their career after recording a thrilling 7-5, 7-6 (2) win over 10th seeds Wesley Moodie and Dick Norman in the US Open men's doubles quarterfinals here. Reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals this year was the best ever performance for the 16th seed Indo-Pak pair before this memorable win. Bopanna is the only Indian left in the draw and was delighted with his good run in the last Grand Slam of the season.
— PTI |
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Dengue bite: Cyclists shifted to Patiala
Gurdaspur, September 8 This has forced the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to shift the national camp to the National Institute of Sports (NIS) velodrome at Patiala. Prem Sharma, co-coordinator, national camps, NIS, said many riders reached the NIS late last night. Two coaches attached with the national camp had also been taken ill while the condition of a cyclist from Manipur Th Helen was said to be critical. She had been admitted to Fortis, New Delhi, and was said to be suffering from dengue. The others down with dengue were medal contenders Romeshwari Devi and O Bikram Singh, he added. However, the camp was underway at Patiala, but on Australian coach Graham Seers’ insistence, it was shifted to the newly constructed Indira Gandhi velodrome last week. Everything was going on smoothly till the cyclists, who were staying in a Karol Bagh hotel, suddenly became victims of dengue, viral fever and eye flue. Due to this reason even riders Sarpreet Singh, Hitraj Singh and Gurbaz Singh left the camp last week. They left the camp and came to Patiala for treatment. The cyclist stated that the conditions at the Delhi hotel, where they were staying, were deplorable. A doctor, assigned by the Organising Committee to oversee the conditions at the hotel had written back to the OC that the hotel was not fit for the riders to stay. However, on Monday, the coaches, riders and SAI officials took the decision to train at Patiala, where the hotel conditions were better. Another factor that has forced the authorities to shift the camp to Patiala was the inability to practice on road, which comprises nearly 70 per cent of the preparations. “ The rush on Delhi roads was enough to scare away the riders. This type of practice is conducive at Patiala as the stretch of road starting from the NIS and leading towards Samana is fit for practice,” remarked a senior coach. PTI adds: With the CWG Village being surrounded by pools of water, authorities here were planning to seek the help of army engineering personnel to drain them out so that the area does not become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The Games Village is surrounded by pools of water from three sides, making it conducive for mosquito breeding. “The Army Corps of Engineering has the requisite experience, training and the necessary equipment. So, we can seek their help," an official said.
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Haryana discus thrower Aakash Antil, who was not in the Games squad, also failed his 'B' sample test for the same methylhexaneamine. “Richa, Jyotsana, Saurabh and Antil's 'B' samples have tested positive. So we are sending them what is called the second notice to face disciplinary panel. We have asked the panel chief to fix an early date for a hearing. All of them have tested positive for methylhexaneamine,” NADA director-general Rahul Bhatnagar said. “The punishment to be handed on them will be decided by the disciplinary panel,” he added. Bhatnagar also confirmed that 53-kg woman weightlifter Sanamacha Chanu, who was added in the CWG core group in August last year but did not make it to the CWG squad announced last month, tested positive for methylhexaneamine. “One lifter Thingbaijam Sanba (Sanamacha) Chanu has tested positive for methylhexaneamine," he said. The 31-year-old Chanu, one of the most successful woman weightlifters in the country and an Arjuna awardee in 2000, returned positive in the NADA test conducted at the Commonwealth Games trials here last month. She is expected to face life ban if her 'B' sample also turns out to be positive and she is unable to clear her name before a NADA appeal panel since she had already been banned for two years after flunking a dope test at 2004 Athens Olympics. Indian Weightlifting Federation Secretary Sahdev Yadav said one lifter, who was not in the CWG squad announced last month, had returned positive for a banned substance but refused to divulge the name. “One lifter has tested positive but under rules we don't give names till the 'B' sample result comes. The 'B' sample result is expected to come by Monday. But I can say the lifter is not among the Games squad," he said. — TNS/PTI
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Ensure safety of female players, Ministry
Patiala, September 8 In a letter issued to all sports federations, the government had asked to include rules and regulations prohibiting sexual harassment and to provide proper penalties and punishments to the ones found guilty of such a crime. Women should be allowed to raise issues of sexual harassment in appropriate forums and it should be affirmatively discussed, the letter said. Also, the government has asked the federations to provide best conditions, in respect of work, leisure, health and hygiene to ensure that there was no hostile environment towards women and that no women should get reasonable grounds to believe that she was disadvantaged in connection with her career. The federations had also been asked to establish a time-bound complaint mechanism for redressal of complaints and immediate disciplinary action should be initiated in case of any misconduct. It also proposed the formation of a complaint committee headed by women and that half of its members should be a woman. Meanwhile, officials of various federations have lauded the ministry’s decision. “This will not only give women players a sense of security, but also a clear idea about their rights in the regard,” a woman coach added.
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Karachi, September 8 A report in the 'Dawn' said the two players were served the notices on August 21, the day Pakistan won the Oval Test against England. The PCB, though, ignored the notices and went onto announce special victory bonuses for the players and the team management. Sources told PTI that the ICC was tipped off about the suspicious activities of the two players after the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the governing body also had some information on the conversations between them and the alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed. The report said both Salman and Akmal were asked to reply to notice within 14 days, asking them to provide their mobile phone numbers which they used during the World T20 besides some other information. After finding their replies unsatisfactory, the ICC sent charge-sheets to the two players and were delivered at their personal addresses and not through the PCB. The report quoting sources said although the PCB had some reports about the suspicious activities of Akmal, it was unaware about the activities of Butt, who was elevated to the post of Test captain after Shahid Afridi quit job. — PTI
Notice to Akmal
Melbourne: The International Cricket Council has sent an official notice to Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal telling him that is under investigation for allegedly fixing the Sydney Test.
"Only months after clearing the Pakistan team of any wrongdoing in relation to the controversial Test, the ICC has written to Kamran to advise him he is now in their crosshairs for the Sydney debacle," a report in the 'Courier Mail' said. Kamran had dropped four catches in the Sydney Test where Australia won the match from a losing position, rasing doubts of match-fixing. The ICC then investigated the matter and gave a clean chit to him. However, the world governing body was left red-faced after Pakistan opener Yasir Hameed reportedly claimed that the SCG Test was rigged and players involved in the corruption had pocketed $3 million for the staged loss. "ICC investigators have re-opened the SCG case and fingered Kamran as their primary suspect. But investigations aren't moving at a fast pace, with the NSW Fraud Squad yesterday revealing they had received no contact from Scotland Yard detectives or the ICC," the report said. Essex police clears Kaneria's name
Karachi: Scandal-hit Pakistan has something to cheer with lawyer of Danish Kaneria claiming that the Test spinner has been give a clean chit by the Essex Police which was investigating the cricketer's role in an alleged rigged County match. Ever since the news broke last year that Essex Police was questioning two Essex players for match-fixing during a Pro-40 match against Durham last September, name of Kaneria was doing the rounds for being one of the two in media. Kaneria's lawyer in England Furqan Anwar said his client has been cleared in the case.
— PTI |
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India go down fighting to Thailand
New Delhi, September 8 They were also denied a penalty by Indian referee Pratap Singh in injury time when regular captain Bhaichung Bhutia, who replaced an unimpressive Mohammad Rafi in the 71st minute, was clearly brought down by a Thai defender. The referee blew the whistle but he chose to give a free-kick from just outside the box and India failed to score from the set piece. An enraged Bhaichung virtually dragged the referee and remonstrated to the assistant referee for which he was shown the yellow card. Bhaichung, who lifted the Indian attack to several notches up after his entry with some fine attempts, also made known his displeasure to the match officials even after the game, which is a part of India's build-up to AFC Asian Cup in Qatar in January. — PTI
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BCCI to shorten tenure of IPL governing council
Mumbai, September 8 The BCCI is all set to make this important change at its AGM on September 29 in the wake of the scandal which engulfed the now suspended Lalit Modi-led IPL, a sub-committee of the Board, and bring it on par with its other sub-committees, revealed a top source today. "It needs a constitutional change and can be done at the AGM. The idea is to bring down the IPL Governing Council's tenure to one year, on par with the other sub-committees of the Board," the source told PTI. The reconstituted IPL GC will also have only two former cricketers, and not three as it is at present, and will have a Chairman, five other members plus all the office bearers of the BCCI in it, the source said. The present 13-strong committee comprises three ex-captains in Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri and they are entrusted with looking after the cricketing part of what is essentially a business-cum-sport venture of the BCCI. Under Modi, who was suspended on April 26 and is facing a slew of charges of financial irregularities in the running of the T20 League, the IPL virtually functioned as a parallel power centre as he was given free reins in running the League. Board president Shashank Manohar, after the suspension of Modi, admitted at a press conference that in hindsight it could be said too much power vested on one man (Modi) was a "mistake" committed by the Board. — PTI
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Gurdaspur, September 8
New Delhi/Patiala, September 8
