Patiala, July 13
The seriousness of the National Institute of Sports (NIS) authorities about an open probe in the wake of the doping scandal comes under doubt with one of the main whistleblowers in the case, former medical officer at NIS, Dr. Sajib Kumar Nandi allegedly being manhandled and “thrown out of the campus and not allowed to meet the one-man committee”, that visited the campus today.

The committee, which is to probe all the aspects of doping issue in the country, today made a scheduled visit to the NIS Patiala campus, questioning senior administrative officials, accused Ukrainian coach Yuri Ogrodnik and athletes.

“When I came to know about it, I went straight to the NIS chief, to seek permission to see the committee as I have ample proof about the doping scandal and there is a lot I have that needs his (probe panellist Justice Mukul Mudgal) personal attention,” said Nandi, after being thrown out of the NIS campus.

“I was asked by the chief security officer to get out and wait for dire consequences outside. I was assaulted by the NIS security men on the behest of senior officials and no one came to help me. I was virtually thrown out of the gates,” alleged Nandi, with tears in his eyes.

Earlier in the day, the committee appointed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports headed by Justice Mudgal, a retired Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, stayed at the NIS campus well over a couple of hours. Sources inside NIS confirmed that the committee met tainted athletes Mandeep Kaur, Tiana Mary Thomas and Sini Jose, as well as Ogrodnik.

“All of them were given ample opportunity to prove their innocence and also explain to Justice Mudgal as to what went wrong with them,” they said.

Later, at around 3 p.m, when Nandi came to know that the committee was meeting everyone involved with doping, he tried to seek permission to meet the probing officer. “As I walked inside they told me to get out as I have been barred from entering NIS without any official calling me here. But this way no probe would bear results,” he said.

Justice Mudgal, when contacted, told The Tribune that he had met all the officials related to the case and three athletes lodged inside NIS, but had no knowledge of Nandi not being allowed to meet him. “Dr. Nandi can contact me in New Delhi, come personally or even mail me his complaint or whatever facts he has. I will again visit Patiala in the first week of August and meet all others,” he stated.

NIS, Patiala, Executive Director, Lakshman Singh Ranawat, said Nandi was not allowed on campus as the city police had already been asked not to let him enter without permission. “However, I do not know if he was manhandled in the campus,” he stated.

New Delhi, July 13
The West Indies series passed almost unnoticed, for two good reasons. For one, the timings of such series invariably keep people a little clueless on what is happening. There surely aren’t enough people to actually sit and watch the goings-on till the wee hours of the morning, and by the time the reports get published, it’s already another day.

The second reason is that India won. Given that India are the top team in the Test business, that wasn’t anything to generate much excitement really, given the moderate credentials of the West Indians. It was the margin of the win that made more headlines, with a lot being said about MS Dhoni’s reluctance to go hell for leather and try to win the third Test, and a 2-0 verdict.

More than all of that and the subsequent whimpers of discontent, one needs to take a look at the series in terms of where we stand, especially on the batting front. One thing is for sure — had it been a full-blown bowling attack, in terms of variety and pace, India would have struggled.

Right from the openers downwards, things were looking hairy when it came to facing a West Indies attack which looked moderate at best. The Caribbeans did remarkably well, given that they don’t have the best attack in the business anymore and added to that the fact that Ravi Rampaul wasn’t at top form, especially in the third Test.

So we are left with a situation where the likes of Vijay, Mukund and Kohli struggled, while Raina wasn’t always too convincing. Invariably, it was left to the old firm of Dravid and Laxman to bring some steadiness to the goings-on and that is where the problem lies.

It is just a matter of time before these two and Sachin Tendulkar finally hang up their boots. Virender Sehwag may be around for a couple of years more, but essentially the middle-order is going to be vacant, and soon. So while the openers’ problems may not be immediate, with Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir still in the running, who is going to take over the middle?

As of now the experienced ones who are likely to be around for a while - Raina and Dhoni himself are looking dodgy at best, while Kohli should be kicking himself for missing out on a golden opportunity. So while the middle-order looks as good as it can get for the England series, look at the people in it.

We have already discussed Dravid, Laxman and Tendulkar, as also Raina and Dhoni. The other notable name is Yuvraj, who somehow hasn’t been half the batsman he can be, in Tests. So once the veterans decide to retire, one will be left with a yawning chasm, a span which India may struggle to bridge for a while. After all, it is not every day that you have a middle-order like this and to find suitable replacements will be daunting. 

Patiala, July 13
A boxer lives two different lives, one inside the ring, and the other outside. But both lives have one thing in common - you can’t stop fighting in either. Jasvir Singh Ahlawat’s life is a living testimony to the hardship, pain and love that define a boxer’s life.

After winning a bronze medal at the recently-concluded President’s Cup in Indonesia, his life has finally turned another page, and he is ready to script something of his own from here on. “This medal means a lot to me,” says Jasvir.

“After suffering an injury in 2007, I had been struggling to make an impact and this was just the right moment for me to bounce back, and I am glad that I did. From here, provided I get the opportunities, I want to take my game to the next level. I want to work harder than ever before and prove myself on the world stage.”

He still gets somewhat teary-eyed when asked about his family’s reaction to the win, as his father was diagnosed with throat cancer just before he left for Indonesia. “It was really hard to focus on anything besides my father’s health, but our coach Jagdeep Hooda and fellow boxers, especially Akhil Kumar, helped me out a lot. While Akhil made sure that my father’s treatment went smoothly in Rohtak, coach Hooda kept me motivated. I don’t think I could have done this without them.”

Life in boxing has never been easy, and Jasvir has had first-hand experience of that many times. He started boxing directly at the senior level, when he was in Class XII and has never looked back. In fact, when he started out, at the insistence of his cousin, he ran away from home to pursue a life in the ring.

“At that time, I didn’t know what else to do. It’s not like my family was against me fighting, but they were not for it either. So I decided to run away, and only later did my cousin inform them. But it has been worth the effort. Although there have been times in between when I felt that all of it was getting pointless, but Akhil kept me hooked on, and never allowed me to cave in. After all, the real test of our character comes during these tough times,” Jasvir says.

“Now I am just hoping for my father’s speedy recovery and after that to make the most of whatever chances I get as we run in to the Olympic qualifiers,” he added. He has seen the hard toil and has made the sacrifices. Now it’s time that all of it starts bearing fruit. 

Life in boxing has never been easy, and Jasvir has had first-hand experience of that many times. He started boxing directly at the senior level, when he was in Class XII and has never looked back. In fact, when he started out, at the insistence of his cousin, he ran away from home to pursue a life in the ring

La Plata, July 13
Uruguay eliminated Mexico from the Copa America on Tuesday to set up a mouth watering quarter-final clash with Argentina, while Chile finished top of Group C after a 1-0 win over Peru.

Mexico, who were effectively fielding an under-22 side at the Copa, exit the competition after three consecutive losses. Chile topped the group, with Uruguay in second place and Peru third. All three sides progress to the quarter-finals, although Chile and Peru will have to wait until Wednesday to find out who they face next.

"I congratulate Chile, their coach Claudio Borghi and the players," Peru coach Sergio Markarian said afterwards. "In my opinion, and with all respect to all the other teams, Chile have played the best football in the competition over their three matches."

World Cup semi-finalists Uruguay, having drawn their opening two matches, took the lead through Alvaro Pereira after 14 minutes, the midfielder taking advantage of a deflection from a Diego Forlan free kick to bury the loose ball from close range.

The Uruguayans dominated much of the match but failed to add to their score. Forlan hit the inside of the post with a low shot in the 30th minute and it was only in the final 20 minutes that Mexico turned up the heat.

The Uruguay-Argentina quarter-final pits the two most successful teams in the Copa America against one another. Both teams have won South America's most prestigious competition 14 times. — Reuters 

Sandwich, July 13
Favourite Rory McIlroy and the rest of the 156-strong field have been buffeted by blustery winds during practice for the British Open and there is unlikely to be any let-up when the third major of the season starts on Thursday.

Rory-mania has swept Sandwich this week, but if the weather forecast and major championship form lines are anything to go by, the young Northern Irishman will have his work cut out to add the coveted Claret Jug to the US Open title he won so spectacularly last month.

Forecasters expect gusts of up to 30-mph for the early starters in the opening round, which will have an impact on McIlroy and playing partners Ernie Els and Rickie Fowler when they tee off at 0909 local time.

The luck of the draw is always an issue in the unpredictable conditions of a British Open and McIlroy could again encounter the worst of the weather when he tees off at 1410 in the second round, with winds possibly reaching as high as 30-mph late on Friday.

Royal & Ancient organisers said they were preparing to move the tees forward if the winds get too strong. "We do have some wind issues out there which may, dependent on direction, make some of the very back tees difficult to reach fairways from," chief executive Peter Dawson told reporters on Wednesday.

"We have told the players we may move some tees up. The back tee at the 564-yard, par-five seventh was always going to be challenging. It's about 270 to 280 yards to the top of the crest there and 220-ish to the fairway. — Reuters

New Delhi, July 13
India's newly-appointed basketball coach Kenny Natt couldn't have asked for a better start to his campaign at the helm of the Indian Men's team. On the first day of the Middle Asia Zone Qualifying matches held at the Thyagraj Stadium in New Delhi, India had a dominating first quarter that set the tone for a huge win over the hapless Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

A balanced attack led India to a 99-42 win as they topped group A. India were no match for Sri Lanka from the opening tip. Playing fierce defense as preached by the former NBA coach Natt, India forced their southern rivals to commit several turnovers, which led to easy fast-break points. India were especially lethal from the three-point line, hitting 9-18 shots (an incredible 50 percent) from long range.

Vishesh Bhriguvanshi led all scorers with 16 points, while Jagdeep Singh and Prakash Mishra added 15 each.

London, July 13
Former England captains Michael Vaughan, Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton and Graham Gooch have warned that even at the twilight of his international career, Sachin Tendulkar would be the bigges

 threat to England when they take on India in a Test series starting on July 21.
"Sachin's a different player now from 2007; the best players in the world change little things about themselves to keep themselves in the game. In the last two years, he's become more aggressive, he's gone back to his old way of trying to score when for a period he tried to survive," Vaughan said.

"Chris Tremlett bowled well against him in 2007 and he's a miles better bowler now. But Sachin doesn't have any weaknesses, although every batsman is vulnerable on and around the off stump early on. England might go aggressive at him, test him with a few short balls - I've seen people do that over the last two years and it hasn't affected him," he added.

Hussain said Tendulkar has rediscovered his aggressive instincts in recent years. "Technically and mentally, Sachin has changed little over the years but he has changed his game plan. He began as a flamboyant, extravagant stroke-maker who had all the shots and simply loved the game.

"Once the records and the hundreds started to be racked up, he turned into a run-machine. His priority was his wicket. Once Sehwag arrived, he was happy to let him tee off. In the last couple of years, he has rediscovered his flamboyance and is playing shots again," he added.

Atherton recalled how disastrous it can be to give Tendulkar a life when he is not settled. "I dropped him in the gully at Trent Bridge (in 1996) and he went on to get a big hundred. He's not a man you want to put down early on. He was calm at the crease, difficult to get out of his bubble. There weren't any flaws. He was just a very solid, orthodox player. — PTI 

BRIEFLY

Davis Cup: India play Japan
London: In what can be termed as a decent draw, India were today pitted against Japan in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie, to be held from September 16. India had lost to World Champions Serbia 1-4 in the first round of the elite 16-nation World Group to find itself in the play-offs while Japan thrashed Uzbekistan 4-1 to advance to play-off stage. The winner of the tie will advance to the World Group while the losing nation will compete in the Asia-Oceania Group I zone. — PTI

‘Thrilled to play in Chennai’
Chennai: Reigning World Champion Viswanathan Anand is thrilled that he would be playing his championship match against Boris Gelfand here having last played Alexei Dreev in a Candidates' match back in 1990. "Firstly, I express my gratitude to Tamil Nadu CM for her decision to have the match at Chennai. I am looking forward eagerly to play in Chennai. It will be a fantastic experience," the legendary chess player said. Although he hasn't yet started preparing for his championship defence, he had decided to start once FIDE announces the schedule. — PTI

PCB rejects ICC panel
Lahore: The PCB has rejected most of the recommendations and suggestions of the ICC's Task Force on Pakistan cricket. In a hard hitting response to the PTT report, the PCB said the it appeared to be more of a scholarly exercise than being Pakistan specific. "The entire report has been prepared without PTT ever visiting Pakistan (except for a brief chat of a few hours that David Richardson had with a few ex-players during his visit to Karachi in January 2011 or perhaps some input to PTT from Ramiz)," the PCB response said. — PTI

‘Webber will re-sign’
Paris: Australian Mark Webber, centre of a furious 'team orders' row with his team chiefs during the British Grand Prix, will re-sign with Red Bull, the stable's owner insisted Wednesday. Webber, in a clearly faster car, decided to ignore instructions from the pit wall that he should not close in on second-placed Red Bull team-mate and championship leader Sebastian Vettel. Vettel, struggling for competitive speed on worn tyres, came home second behind triumphant Ferrari hero Fernando Alonso, who registered the Italian team's first win this season and set up a possible revival in fortunes. — AFP

‘WI improving under Gibson’
Bridgetown: Impressed with the performance of the West Indies team against a strong Indian outfit in the just-concluded Test series, India's cricket coach Duncan Fletcher said the Caribbean side under its new coach Ottis Gibson has shown significant improvement. "Under Ottis Gibson, the team is improving all the time. I have been with England here, I have seen them in England, but the way they put it together here, they are moving up," the former England coach Fletcher told Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC). — PTI

Tough to match Bob: Bhutia
New Delhi: The success the Indian football team enjoyed during former coach Bob Houghton's tenure will be difficult to match but not impossible, feels veteran striker Bhaichung Bhutia. "We can match (those results), can actually do better," Bhaichung said, before quickly adding, "But, at the same time, what Bob did will be difficult to achieve. "Our biggest achievement with Bob was qualifying for the Asian Cup. That's a big thing, playing in the Asian Cup after such a long time," the former skipper of the national side told PTI matter-of-factly. — PTI

Sneijder set for Man U move
London: Manchester United is all set to sign Wesley Sneijder for 35 million pounds. United chief executive David Gill is finalising the details with representatives of Sneijder and Inter Milan. Gill had stayed behind in Manchester to complete negotiations on the club record transfer when Alex Ferguson and his squad flew out to the United States on Monday, The Sun reports. United signing the 27-year-old Dutchman is a dramatic swoop by boss Ferguson, who will now have spent more than 85 million pounds on four players, this summer, after also buying Phil Jones, Ashley Young and goalkeeper David De Gea. — ANI

Britain aims to stop Australia
London: Britain aims to finish at least fourth in the London 2012 medals table with a team budget of 13 million pounds to deny Australia the satisfaction of ‘raining on the Poms' parade’. British Olympic Association (BOA) chief executive Andy Hunt told reporters on Tuesday that the budget worked out at 24,000 pounds per athlete and 10,000 per delegation member. The total squad will be more than 550 athletes, 450 support staff and 300 volunteers. "Never before have we taken such a large delegation," he said. — Reuters