Bolt chases ‘double treble’

The coolest, funniest athlete on the planet is offering his services to one of the Indian Premier League team. Will one of the billionaire owners bite?

Incidentally, cool and funny Usain Bolt is also the fastest man on earth. On Thursday night, after winning the 200m sprint gold with ease, Bolt said he’s a follower of the IPL and wants a piece of the action in it. He said this almost facetiously, but there could be a grain of reality in this wish – it could translate into really big money for him.

“I definitely love cricket, and T20 is the game for me,” he said after winning the 200m final. “Whenever I get the time, I try to catch up with as much IPL action as possible.”

“If offered a chance, I will play,” he added. “I know I have a lot of fans in India and that will be a fun thing to do.”

Thus, in one fell swoop, Bolt bought Indian cricket fans, Indian goodwill for all times to come. The fact that the greatest sprinter of all time knows what cricket is, what IPL is, and wants to participate in this bewitching tamasha of cricketainment validates this domestic T20 league like nothing else.

“You very well know who the biggest star in IPL is – Chris Gayle. And I have got his wicket. No need to say anything more!” Bolt went on. This one is true, of course. Bolt at one time dreamt of playing professional cricket. And in 2009, during a charity match organised by Gayle in Jamaica, he did take Gayle’s wicket. Before the match, he’d played his role of braggart-clown to perfection. “I've studied these guys' techniques,” he declared nonchalantly. “I know where to bowl to Chris, I know where not to bowl to him. It's really easy.”

He did smash Gayle for a six in that game, and he did bowl out Gayle with his medium-pacers, before going up helpfully to the ultra-cool cricketer to show him the way back to the pavilion. Bolt is an entertainer, the coolest one. Can you imagine any other world-class sprinter going down on all fours for a spot of push-ups immediately after doing the incredible 100-200m sprint double – for the second Olympics in a row? As Justin Gatlin, the 100m bronze medallist, said: “He's a showman. Is it arrogance? Cockiness? I don't think so. People pay money to see that.”

There’s every reason the Indian fans would pay money to watch Bolt in India – the rupee has brought over entertainers like Akon, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry to Indian sports events in the recent past. But Bolt dwarfs them all.

For a few hours or days of clowning around in India, Bolt can make a few million dollars. And clowning around is something that comes quite naturally to him. He’s a dead-serious sprinter – he might not want to be distracted for long by a tamasha league. But he’s cool enough, confident enough to go ahead and do it if the fancy strikes him.

London, August 10
Usain Bolt admitted that despite streaking to a unique second successive Olympic sprint double, decathlon champion Ashton Eaton was the best athlete in the world.

Bolt declared himself the "greatest athlete to live" after successfully defending his 200m title in 19.32sec. He had earlier retained his 100m title.

On Thursday Eaton, the world record-holder from the United States, wrapped up the decathlon, the gruelling 10-discipline event spread over two days.

And when questioned directly, Bolt backed down from his declaration. "I'm a great athlete, but to do 10 events, especially the 1500m, I have got to give it to him!" Bolt said.

Decathlon silver medallist Trey Hardee had earlier, and rather more pointedly, insisted that the accolade of world's best athlete belonged to his US team-mate Eaton. "So Ashton doesn't have to sound selfish or self-centred, Ashton is the best athlete that has ever walked the planet, hands down," Hardee said, interrupting a question to Eaton.

"The title bestowed upon the Olympic champion in decathlon is the world's greatest athlete and Ashton's the world record holder in that event, the same reason Usain Bolt can be the fastest man on the planet because that's the title that's bestowed upon those event winners.

"Just because you're fast doesn't make you an athlete," said Hardee.

"Ashton was the world's fastest decathlete for a number of years but he became a real decathlete and that's what you've seen this year." A blushing Eaton responded: "Thanks, Trey! "There's no fight," Eaton continued. "Usain is clearly awesome in his own right and is an icon of the sport. I think titles are for, I don't know, books and stuff. I just like doing what I'm doing." — Agencies

London, August 10
Usain Bolt enshrined himself in the Olympic pantheon when he won the 200 metres to complete an extraordinary double-double on Thursday, but for once he shared the limelight as Kenya's David Rudisha stormed to a stunning world record in the 800m.

Bolt, who imperiously led home a Jamaican medal sweep in 19.32 seconds, is undoubtedly the world's fastest man and almost certainly the greatest-ever sprinter but the title of the world's best athlete belongs to American Ashton Eaton who won the Olympic decathlon title.

There were also golds for American Christian Taylor, who produced the year's biggest triple jump of 17.81m to beat compatriot Will Claye, and for Czech Barbora Spotakova who successfully defended the women's javelin title.

The field events were a mere backdrop, however, for Bolt's assault on the history books as the first man to win two 200m golds and the only one to retain both sprint titles following his world record double in Beijing. He sent the 80,000 crowd into a frenzy for the second time in five days when he followed up his 9.63 100m success, the second-fastest time ever, with the equal fourth-quickest 200m. Yohan Blake, runner-up behind his training partner in the 100m, finished second in 19.44 with Warren Weir completing a surprise Jamaican sweep in a personal best 19.90. Bolt ran a stupendous bend to put the race in his pocket and with his eye on the clock he eased down slightly over the final few metres. Pushed relentlessly in dozens of interviews Bolt declared his "legend" mission to be accomplished, tossing in the claim that "I am the greatest athlete to live." Few in the stadium would have argued, though they had already been treated to another supreme performance by Rudisha, whose first athletics world record of the Games was emphatic both in execution and result.

London, August 10
With a historic sprint 'double-double' in the bag for Usain Bolt, Tirunesh Dibaba bids to provide another on Friday when gold in the women's 5,000 metres would mean she had won both the longest track races at successive Olympics.

The Ethiopian retained her 10,000m crown a week ago with a scintillating last lap, demonstrating that she was back to her best after years of injury. Bolt's time of 19.32 seconds in winning the 200 on Thursday night equalled the fourth fastest as he eased down in the last 30 metres, sensing that he was not on course to break his own world record. Silver went to his main rival and training partner Yohan Blake and bronze to a third Jamaican, Warren Weir.

"After a rough season I came out here and did it," he said.

"I thought the world record was possible. I guess I was fast but not fit enough. I could feel my back strain a little bit, so all I did was to keep my form."The successful defence of both his 100 and 200 titles was unprecedented and confirmed him as the greatest sprinter of all time. If she can win on Friday, Dibaba will be emulating the 5,000/10,000m double of Finnish man Lasse Viren in 1972/76. Her main challenger in the 5,000 may be Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot, who has played second fiddle to Dibaba for most ofher career but herself won the 5,000 and 10,000 at last year's world championships.

Bolt's triumph capped a remarkable day when Kenya's David Rudisha broke his own 800m world record, Britain's Nicola Adamsbecame the first woman to win an Olympic boxing title and theUnited States held off a Japanese fightback to win their third successive women's soccer gold. Jamaica's women try to keep their country's Olympic sprint magic flowing in Friday's 4x100m relay. Women's double 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and third-placed Veronica Campbell-Brown will seek to repeat Jamaica's Beijing triumph against a U.S. quartet featuring 100m silver medallist Carmelita Jeter and 200m winner Allyson Felix. — Reuters

Weymouth, August 10
For the third time in the London Olympic sailing regatta, an Australian crew ended up taking a celebratory swim.

Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page of Australia held off their British rivals to win the gold medal in the men's 470 class today, guaranteeing that the team from Down Under will finish with more sailing golds than the host country.

Shortly after crossing the line, Belcher and Page capsized their boat in celebration on a spectacular sunny day on Weymouth Bay.

Britain's Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell sailed well early in the medals race before being overhauled by the Aussies on the first downwind leg. Patience and Bithell took the silver, and Argentina's Lucas Calabrese and Juan de la Fuente won the bronze. Soon there were three boats upside down in the water.

Patience and Bithell, and Calabrese and de la Fuente also capsized their boats. The six sailors joined together to congratulate each other. Australia has three sailing golds to Britain's one.— Agencies

London, August 10
Brazil hasn't been this close to the gold medal in football since Romario was a young promising star in the late 1980s.

Many great players have tried and failed after him, including the likes of Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.

Now it will be up to Neymar, the future of Brazilian football, to try to end decades of frustration and give the nation its first gold, the only trophy missing in football for the five-time world champions.

Brazil is the favorite going into tomorrow's final at Wembley Stadium against Mexico, a team which has had unusual success against its Latin American rival in recent years and will also be looking for its first Olympic gold.

Anything but the gold will be considered a failure for Brazil, which established the London Games as the team's priority this year and brought most of its top players for the competition.

The Olympics are also an important test for the players, most of them will also likely be in the team trying to help Brazil win next year's Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup at home.

Victory would give them an extra boost of morale and show fans the national team is on the right track.

Defeat could raise doubts and even cost the job of coach Mano Menezes as criticism will pour in from all across Brazil. "We all know that we need to win the gold," Menezes said. "Brazil has to win every tournament it plays, it needs to win every match it plays, even if it's a friendly. And this time even more because it's something the nation has never won before." — Agencies

London, August 10
France will play in the final of the Olympic women's Basketball tournament for the first time after pulling away late on for a comfortable 81-64 victory over Russia. France continued an impressive Games by knocking out a Russian team ranked joint-second in the world alongside Australia, who lost today's earlier semifinal to the USA.

France stormed into an early lead, and then held off several Russian rallies before dominating the final quarter. Russia did not seem to know what had hit them early on as their opponents capitalised on early turnovers to race into a 10-1 lead, with Emilie Gomis collecting six points inside the opening three minutes. Not for the first time in these Games, it needed the introduction of Becky Hammon from the bench to bring about a Russia revival, and the USA-born guard reeled off seven quick points, hitting a three that made it 12-10 to France. — Agencies

Karachi, August 10
Pakistan hockey coach Khawaja Junaid today rubbed salt into the already beleaguered Indian team's wounds by saying that his players have performed "much better" than their arch rivals in the Olympic Games.

Junaid, who has been criticised by some former Olympians here after the Pakistan team failed to make the semifinals, said that India had fared worse than Pakistan.

"When you compare our performance with that of India we did much better although no one gave any chance to us and India were being seen as a team that could cause upsets," Junaid said.

"I'm disappointed we didn't make the semifinals but satisfied that we finished the Olympics as the top ranked Asian team ahead of India and Korea," the former Olympian added.

India, who will be playing their 11-12th classification match tomorrow, lost all their pool matches in the Games, while Pakistan finished seventh after beating Korea in the play-off match yesterday.

"Korea finished eighth, while India will be avoiding a bottom-place finish. This has proved our Asian supremacy which we gained with a gold medal at the Asian Games two years ago." Junaid was especially pleased that Pakistan finished ahead of traditional rivals India.

One of the finest and most consistent wingers that world football has ever seen, Ryan Giggs led Team Great Britain recently at London before being knocked out by South Korea. From becoming an 88-year-old record of the oldest scorer at the Games, to his 22 seasons with giants Manchester United, Giggs talks about a range of issues in an exclusive interview.

Why didn't Team GB beat South Korea to reach the semi-finals?

We've been away for a month, I think that's our sixth game maybe. The Korean lads had, I think, played 18 games unbeaten so that's the sort of preparation they've had compared to our preparation. We've got better each game, but it was a bit difficult for us. We weren't good enough, that's the bottom line.

What was it like playing for Team GB?

Losing to South Korea was a disappointment, but the overall experience has been nothing but positive.

Does the Team GB football team have a future?

I would like other players to experience what I have experienced - the whole Olympic attitude. It can only be good for players' development. I will always cherish this. It's going to be hard because there are a lot of skeptics on the outside, but from within - from all the players - you'll get the same answer. That they would want to experience this again.

How did it feel when you scored for Team GB against United Arab Emirates at Wembley?

Definitely - to score for the GB team is special and, more importantly, it put us ahead. Heading is not my strongest point so I was really pleased to see it go in. We felt we could score goals, and one goal was never enough.

Were you pleased to have broken an 88-year record to become the oldest men's goal scorer at the Olympic Games, at 38 years old?

I'm delighted! I seem to be breaking a lot of records when it comes to age. I am pleased to have got another one.

You've taken part in 22 top-flight seasons in the Premier League - do you think anyone else will replicate your feats in the future?

I think there will be. Whoever does it will have to come in to the team at a young age and look after themselves and stay in the team.

How long do you intend to carry on playing?

I've signed on for another year at Manchester United, and we'll just take it to the end of the season and look at it again really. If I'm still fit, and I'm still enjoying it then I'll carry on. — PMG

Mumbai, August 10
Veteran batsman VVS Laxman retained his place in the Indian Test squad for the two-match series against New Zealand, starting August 23 in Hyderabad despite his poor show in the last eight Tests in England and Australia.

Sachin Tendulkar will be back in action after his two-month break, having skipped the limited overs series in Sri Lanka recently, while young batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has predictably got the nod as replacement for the retired Rahul Dravid in the longer version.

Pacer Ishant Sharma, who has recuperated from a successful ankle surgery, is also back in the 15-member squad along with Suresh Raina who will be the reserve middle-order batsman.

This was the last meeting of the current selection committee headed by Krishnamachari Srikkanth which would be replaced at the Cricket Board's next AGM in September.

There were a lot of speculations in the past few days regarding Laxman's future, especially as the first Test was being played at his hometown in Hyderabad.

However, the 37-year-old's selection means that the talks of an impending retirement has been put to rest for the time being. But at the same time, the pressure to perform will be immense on the stylish Hyderabadi batsman as Raina will be itching to get a chance on the sub-continental shirtfronts. The surprise pick certainly is leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, who last played for India in the 2011 World Cup and since then has been confined to the sidelines.

He didn't set the domestic stage on fire having picked only 23 wickets in seven Ranji Trophy matches for UP last season. His poor strike rate of 72 plus (12 overs for a wicket) also raises questions about whether this performance warrants a place in the squad.

Chawla's selection indicated the paucity of spin options as suitable replacement for Anil Kumble who had manfully led the Indian attack for nearly two decades before retiring in 2008.

Srikkanth, however was in no mood to answer any queries from the waiting media on Chawla's selection. Chawla's competitors included Amit Mishra, who has serious fitness issues having bowled lesser and lesser for his state side Haryana. The other was Rahul Sharma, who travelled with the team for entire last season only to find himself left in the lurch without getting proper opportunities.

The fact that a recent revelation by the Mumbai police that Sharma tested positive for drugs in a rave party, also did not help his cause.

As far as Ishant is concerned, it was always about when the lanky lad from Delhi will get fit. — PTI

New Delhi, August 10
Even as Indian Premier League, commissioner Rajeev Shukla hailed the comeback of Yuvraj Singh into the national side for the upcoming World Twenty20 championship in Sri Lanka, former India captain Sourav Ganguly has expressed surprise at the batsman's inclusion in the team.

Yuvraj has not played competitive cricket since India's World Cup triumph in April last year after he was diagnosed with a rare germ cell cancer. "I am a bit surprised. I just wish he physically stays well because you know he has come out of a...what can I say, a big disappointment. He has recovered, which is the best thing that can happen, but it has not been a long time and I wish and pray he sustains," an apprehensive Ganguly told reporters during the sidelines of a function.

The former skipper, however, welcomed the decision of selectors to pick off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for the T20 competition. "He is a class act. When you play for a long time you have hiccups. But I am happy that he has made a comeback," Ganguly said.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his happiness over Yuvraj's inclusion. — PTI