|
|
|
|
|
Kolkata welcomes back its Knights
|
|
|
Parvinder Awana called up for India A team
21st
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
Question marks over Lahm’s fitness
Selection trials on June 2
Top teams for Raghubir Singh tourney
|
|
Kolkata welcomes back its Knights
Kolkata, May 29 After the 67,000-capacity stadium filled to the brim, the gates had to be closed denying entry to about 30,000 more who had to remain outside when the programme was on. Children were seen crying after being separated from their parents and torn shoes and jerseys littered the ground as a section of the largely young crowd engaged in scuffles with the police, making a desperate bid to enter the grounds. There were also reports of lathicharge, even as the police denied it. No barricade or fence was erected outside the ground. “We did not expect such a huge response. The programme was organised at the last minute so it was difficult to make foolproof arrangements,” an IPS official posted outside the Eden told PTI. The entry was made free for all by the government and according to unofficial count about one lakh people turned up to witness the grand celebration. In the morning, the city turned purple and gold with thousands of people lining up the entire route from Hazra crossing, near the chief minister Mamata Banerjee's Harish Chatterjee Street residence, to Writers' Buildings, a distance of five kilometres, to witness the victory parade of the team atop a flower-bedecked trailer. Many people were seen taking up vantage points on rooftops and balconies to witness the victory procession. The team members, who stepped off the team bus at Hazra a little past 11:00 am, arrived at Writers' at 12:20 pm where the chief minister, Railway minister Mukul Roy and cabinet ministers were waiting for them. “We have been waiting for this day so long. Thank you Didi. Thank You Kolkata. Thank you West Bengal on behalf of every member of the team. Only Kolkata will rule,” SRK, who is also the brand ambassador of West Bengal, said at the reception in front of the Writers' Buildings amidst thunderous cheers from hundreds. Captain Gautam Gambhir said, “Thank you Didi. It is a fantastic support that we have received from the people of Kolkata and Bengal.” It was a show as much by SRK and his team as Mamata Banerjee who, dressed in a purple-bordered white sari, the color of the team’s jersey, said, “Bengal is proud. The victory of the Knight Riders is like a victory of the world.” After the 13-minute programme, the Chief Minister boarded the team bus with the team members and headed for the Eden Gardens, a short distance away. The Bollywood badshah in his straw hat made his presence felt at the Eden celebrations dancing and even trying to coax the chief minister to do the same. Mamata asked the governor M K Narayanan to lead the team inside the ground with skipper Gautam Gambhir in front with the trophy. The team members went on the dias as the crowd cheered lustily. Popular Bangla bands Bhoomi and Chandrabindoo played some of their popular number as all the members including owners Shah Rukh, Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta danced. The programme officially began with National anthem after which the team members were given gold chains and mementos and were before being garlanded with blue-coloured scarfs amid showers of confetti and loud cheer from thousands of people. After the programme was over, the KKR team and others present made a
victory lap of the stadium to the delirious cheers by the crowd. Shah Rukh might have failed in his attempt to jump from the balcony at the Chepauk after their five-wicket win over two time defending champions Chennai Super Kings, but the Bollywood star made up for it as he climbed up the giant sight screen with the trophy, waving at the crowd. (With inputs from PTI) |
|
Brett Lee impressed with Gambhir’s captaincy
New Delhi, May 29 Lee praised Gambhir for his fighting qualities and also for his ability to make the dressing room light with banters. "I am impressed. He is a very structured player, someone who likes to take on opposition. Off the field, he likes to have a joke with his teammates. More importantly, I think he is respected for his fairness," Lee told PTI. "It can be a challenge to lead men from different countries but Gambhir has acquitted himself well," he said. Lee feels that the yorker remained the most lethal weapon for a bowler in the death overs in Twenty20 cricket. "I think it's pretty hard to get past a yorker in the death overs. If you can hit the base of the stumps, you can trouble the best. With a perfect Yorker, you are 90 per cent assured that you can win the battle. With batsmen getting creative with their strokeplay, I think a yorker is the best," said Lee who has retired from Test and ODI cricket. Asked what he likes most about KKR, Lee said, "I think the fans are fanatics. They enjoy cricket, they appreciate a good contest. Like when Pune Warriors played in Kolkata, they were on their feet cheering 'Dada'. When he took a catch, it really blew the roof off in Eden Gardens." Lee was also upbeat about MEWSIC, his charitable foundation in India, and said he was happy to give back to the country which had given him so much love. "It's an attempt to raise smiles on the faces of the children who are deprived. We have already raised about USD 75,000 for our foundation. I do a lot of work back home with children's hospital," Lee said. "I always had this fascination for India. People have given me so much love and affection. It was two years of planning, lot of hard work and making sure that we have right people around us," said Lee who had sung songs with singing legend Asha Bhonsle. Asked why he chose the name MEWSIC for his foundation, he said, "I wanted something to stand out. Also with Binga, the cat as our logo, I thought MEWSIC will be closer to a meow of a cat. We wanted it to be fun and I guess it appeals to children." On who is a bigger star between Lee and his IPL side KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, he quipped, "Definitely Shah Rukh. I mean when his face comes on the screen, the crowd goes nuts. But still he is such a down-to-earth person. He is famous around the world. Even in Australia, it's massive when he comes over." — PTI
|
|
Parvinder Awana called up for India A team
New Delhi, May 29 Awana could not believe that he had been selected for the India A team, when he was told about it, as he had lost hope after he got no look-in from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors, despite his stellar deeds in first class cricket during the last five years. He thanked the IPL for getting him the exposure he needed, that caught the attention of the selectors. And for his IPL display, he owes credit to the Kings XI Punjab top brass, particularly their captain-cum-coach Adam Gilchrist. Though he got his first chance only in Kings’ third match, against Pune Warriors India, Awana seized it to play 12 matches, and bag 17 wickets, which not only endeared him to the team management, particularly Gilchrist, but also caught eyes of the national selectors. This rustic Gujjar boy from a Noida village was an absolute raw talent when he was drafted into the National Stadium Cricket Centre of the Sports Authority of India in Delhi by senior coach Maninder Pal Singh. “I was raw, I did not know what a cricket spike was, till MP Singh sir made me aware of it, and got one for me”, Awana told The Tribune, on the eve of the India A team’s departure to the West Indies. Awana was recommended to MP Singh by his uncle, a constable with the Delhi Police, and after taking his tests at the nets, Singh realized that he had found a talent, who would go a long way. After fine tuning his fast bowling skills under MP Singh’s tutelage, Awana, as a natural progression, played Ranji Trophy for Delhi and got wickets by the dozens. But people who matter did not give the attention he deserved, and as a result, he is still on a retainer-ship with the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, without a regular job. In 2004, at a nation-wide fast bowling competition organised by an automobile giant, Awana bowled at a speed of 127km to emerge as the No 1 talent. And in the final selection trials, he clocked an incredible 132km. In the 2005-06 season, he was part of the Under-22 team, and from 2007, he has been part of the DDCA Ranji Trophy team, bagging three hat-ticks in seasons 2008-09, 2010-11 and 2011-12, to become the highest-wicket taker of Delhi. He also took seven wickets in the Duleep Trophy and six wickets in the Deodhar Trophy. But in the latter part of the season, he was injured, and when the IPL season came around, he was recovering from his injury. But Kings’ XI skipper Gilchrist was understanding, and was very encouraging towards Awana, as he felt that the youngster had the potential and talent to become a genuine quick bowler. And Awana is indebted to Gilchrist for giving him many chances, and unfettered freedom to bowl the way he wanted, and was capable of. “This boosted my confidence. In IPL, I looked to take wickets, even if I got hit. My target was to take wickets”, Awana said. “And not through controlled bowling alone”, he added. “I am grateful to Kings XI, and MP Singh sir, for putting me on the right path”, he noted. Awana’s accuracy, pace and swing made him a deadly strike bowler, who served the Kings’ cause well, when the team were trying to come out a rut. Though Kings XI could not bag a spot in the IPL last four, Awana’s career has got a shot in the arm.
|
|
21st
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
Ipoh (Malaysia), May 29 India carved out a 3-2 victory over hosts Malaysia yesterday to take their points tally to six from four matches, the same as that of Argentina, who will go into tomorrow's match with two impressive performances in the last outings, including a shock 3-2 win over favourites Great Britain. A victory over Argentina tomorrow and against arch-rivals Pakistan in the last league fixture on Thursday could take India to the final but it won't be an easy road ahead for Michael Nobbs' players. Nobbs said he has told his players that they were again in control of their destiny and must make the best out of the two remaining league outings. "The tournament is wide open. Big victories in our two remaining games could even get us a place in the final," said Nobbs. "Our focus has not shifted from preparing the squad for the Olympic Games, and we have improved with every outing here," he said. India's victories over Malaysia and South Korea, who are Asia's top-ranked side in world rankings, have brought Nobbs' side back in contention for a medal after a disastrous start with a 1-5 defeat against New Zealand. New Zealand are on top of the standings with nine points after three straight victories. — PTI
|
|
Moscow, May 29 To start with, there will be four games under rapid chess rules with 25 minutes to each player and a ten seconds increment after every move is made. In case of a 2-2 result, the two will play two blitz games with five minutes each with a three seconds increment. There will be five such matches if the tie persists and finally an Armageddon game will be played with five minutes to white and four to black and white will be forced to win should this arise. The tie-breaker is likely to see a high-tension drama which has been so far amiss from this world championship, which produced just two decisive games apart from ten draws. Playing his third match since winning the world title in a tournament format in 2007, this has been the least absorbing contest in world championship matches for Anand. — PTI
|
|
Paris, May 29 Maria Sharapova whipped Romania's Alexandra Cadantu 6-0, 6-0 in just 48 minutes as the Russian second seed, seeking to lift the only major she has never won, cruised towards a meeting with Japan's Ayumi Morita for a place in the last 32. Morita defeated Polona Hercog of Slovenia 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Clad in black and seeking her third claycourt title of the season, Sharapova was no match for a 74th-ranked rival facing a top ten opponent for the first time in a career which stalled in 2008 amid financial problems. On Tuesday, the outclassed Romanian failed to hit a single winner. Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, the fourth-seeded Czech, thrashed Australia's Ashleigh Barty 6-1, 6-2 in 54 minutes to join Sharapova in the next round where she meets either Urszula Radwanska of Poland or Pauline Parmentier of France. Also marching on was 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy, seeded 14, who defeated Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-3, 6-1. Schiavone, 31 and last year's beaten finalist, advanced to a meeting with either Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium or Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria after ousting Date-Krumm - a decade her elder, who could not stay the pace after breaking serve in the opening game on a sparsely-populated but sunny Philippe Chatrier show court. — AFP
|
|
Question marks over Lahm’s fitness
Berlin, May 29 The Germans, among the favourites at the tournament, suffered an embarrassing 5-3 defeat to Switzerland in a friendly on Saturday, prompting calls for a defensive re-organisation. All eight Bayern Munich players, including Lahm, did not play against the Swiss, joining the team on Monday. — Reuters
|
|
|
Selection trials on June 2
Chandigarh, May 29 The trials will be conducted as under: Athletics (boys and girls) at ITI, Nawan Shehar; football (boys) at S.N College Stadium, Banga; kabaddi (girls) at Govt. Sr. Secondary School, Baba Gola, Banga; volley ball (girls) at Govt Sr. Sec/ School, Guna Chaur; weight lifting (boys) at Sports Club Guna Chaur and wrestling (boys)would be conducted at Purewal Sports Academy, Hakimpur. |
|
|
Top teams for Raghubir Singh tourney
New Delhi, May 29 The losing semifinalists will receive Rs 51,000 each. This year, the tournament will be sponsored GMR, the owners of Delhi Daredevils, and it has got an added boost as many of the Modern School alumni, who have come up through the Raghubir Singh tournament, has done the institution proud. Gautam Gambhir led Kolkata Knight Riders to title triumph in the Indian Premier League, while Unmukt Chand played for Daredevils. Himmat Singh led the Under-16 team and Manan Sharma captained the Under-22 team, after Milan Kain, also of Modern, pulled out, to play for Delhi. |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Paris, May 29
Berlin, May 29
