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badminton
World Championships |
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She didn’t take her foot off the pedal: Gopichand
IOA proposes to do away with IOC members
Sarfaraz spins India to series win
BCCI lost Rs 50 cr on fraud land deal
Furyk leads as Tiger slips at PGA Championship
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badminton
World Championships Takes out defending champ Wang in straight games, makes quarters with Saina, Kashyap
Guangzhou, August 8 In a fantastic day for Indian badminton where all three shuttlers reached the last eight stage, World No.12 Sindhu caused the biggest upset of the tournament so far by knocking out the London Olympics silver medallist 21-18, 23-21 in 55 minutes in the women's singles third round at the Tianhe Indoor Stadium. Sindhu fought hard in the first game. The Indian managed to take a 12-9 lead before Yihan levelled at 16-all. The 18-year-old raced to a 13-7 lead in the second game. But the defending champion wasn't going to give in easily and recovered to make it 17-19. Sindhu clinched the next point to have three match-points in her kitty. But the 25-year-old Chinese found legs to not just knock off the three points but also reach game point (21-20). However, the Hyderabadi clawed back by first levelling and then taking the next two points to bag the match in straight games. Scratchy win for Saina
Earlier, third seed Saina overcame a jittery start against Thai Porntip Buranaprasertsuk to also move into the last eight. The World No.4 overcame 15th seeded Porntip 18-21, 21-16, 21-14 in 52 minutes to go 6-0 up in career meetings. With the win, Saina equalled her best performance at the worlds having reached the last eight stage in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Saina looked out of sorts in the first game, making several errors. Her Thai opponent capitalised and closed the gap from 4-7 to 8-all and was at Saina's heels till 18-all. The 21-year-old Thai clinched the next three points to win her first game against the Indian since 2008. Porntip hit 11 smashes in the game which caught Saina off guard. Several out-of-court shots by the 23-year-old Indian cost her the game but she bounced back in the second game by taking a 15-4 advantage in no time.
Kashyap on song
13th seed Parupalli Kashyap advanced to the men's singles quarterfinals, beating Hong Kong's sixth seed Yun Hu. The Hyderabadi won 21-13, 21-16 in 37 minutes at the Tianhe Indoor Stadium. This is Kashyap's best outing at the event and he is now just one step away from a medal. |
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She didn’t take her foot off the pedal: Gopichand
Chandigarh, August 8 “She fought well,” the coach says of his ward, even when PV Sindhu beat World Number 2 in straight sets. “It was not an easy match. Wang Yihan fought till the last point but Sindhu had to keep attacking. She played with an open mind and always maintained the pressure, knowing well that any let up would prove costly,” he said from Guangzhou. The Hyderabadi shuttler’s stunning win became even dearer as she had two back-to-back sapping matches in two consecutive days. “In the end, both players were barely able to stand on the court. But she is a strong player with good fitness levels and that helped,” he said. The 18-year-old is now up against seventh seed Shixian Wang in the quarterfinals but that does not make her task in anyway easier. The coach says, “You’ve to go into every match with same intensity. Seeds do not matter much in such a high-stake tournament. We have already seen today.” Sindhu has not been fortunate like her peer Saina Nehwal in terms of draw. She is faced with the toughest of draws among the Indians. When asked whether a tough draw had posed a psychological challenge to the rising shuttler, he said, “No doubt, the draw is tough for her but she didn’t think about it much. She was more focussed on her preparations and that’s where she concentrated once the draws were declared. Sindhu and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yihan have not faced each other much, barring one encounter where the Yihan had beaten her in the Sudirman Cup in May this year. The win on Thursday has come as a sweet revenge for Sindhu but she had to earn every bit of it. “Yihan is a top class player and can match any shuttler when it comes to skill and strategy. Sindhu was aware of it and had no fixed strategy in mind. She wanted to play well and stick to her strengths. Probably that kept the opponent guessing,” he said. The coach also praised his ward for the presence of mind during the match and making use of her height and net play. Asked how is she feeling after the big win, all the coach had to say was that she is complaining of being “dead tired”. “She needs a bit of rest for a while,” he adds.
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IOA proposes to do away with IOC members
New Delhi, August 8 “This clause will be deleted”, the proposed amendment to the IOA constitution has noted, though the number of vice-presidents will be raised from eight to 12 and the strength of joint-secretaries will go up from eight to six. In all, there will be a total strength of 45 members in the amended setup of the IOA, including one representative elected out of the Athletes’ Commission. (Presently, Randhir Singh is the IOC member from India). The voting pattern in the IOA is also set to change as the amendment has given more power to the president of a NSF than the secretary. “In case of NSFs the president and secretary/secretary-general (as may be the case) would always be entitled to attend any of the meetings, including the Annual General Body Meeting/Special General Body Meeting, and for the third representative, the nomination made by the president would supersede the nomination made by the secretary of the concerned unit”.
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Spirited Aussies ready to go a step beyond
Chester le street, August 8 Australia lost the opening two games at Trent Bridge and Lord's but they were disappointed to come away from Old Trafford with only a draw after having by far the better of the exchanges despite the hosts retaining the Ashes. “The boys took a lot of confidence from that match,” Clarke told reporters on the eve of the fourth and penultimate test in County Durham. “We certainly believed that but for the rain we would have won that test. “We are taking a lot of positives, guys have scored a lot of runs which is really encouraging and bowlers continue to do a fantastic job for us. The boys are full of confidence now and our goal is to continue playing that brand of cricket from tomorrow.” Clarke led from the front at Old Trafford by scoring the first Australian century of the series as his team piled up 527 for seven declared in the first innings. “Our priority is to try to level the series, that's what we are focused on right now,” he said. “We are pretty clear with our views. We want to leave here with a 2-2 draw ... if the rain stays away.” England were bowled out for 368 at Old Trafford before slumping to 37 for three in the second innings but Clarke refused to write off the home team's strong batting line-up. Cook wants apology
Captain Alastair Cook has described as "blatant fabrication" the claims that Ashes players have used silicone tape on their bats to confuse Hotspot technology and he wants an apology. Australia's Channel Nine TV reported on Wednesday that the ICC was investigating the use of silicone, amid increasing controversy. The ICC, cricket's governing body, issued an immediate denial and said the report was “totally incorrect”. “I think an apology is due for such a blatant fabrication,” said Cook. DRS will stay: ICC
England's and Australia's cricketers still back the use of the DRS for the last two Ashes Tests despite a string of controversies in the opening three games. “We acknowledge the DRS has not performed as effectively during the past three Tests as it has in other series,” explained International Cricket Council general manager Geoff Allardice on the eve of the fourth test in Durham. Allardice said he had spoken to both teams on Wednesday “to identify potential improvements to DRS moving forward”. “It was very encouraging to hear both teams reiterate their support for the use of DRS. Some of the ideas that were suggested ... could improve the system and will be considered further by the ICC," added Allardice in a news release.— Agencies |
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Sarfaraz spins India to series win
Dambulla, August 8 The first match of the series didn't yield any result due to inclement weather.Chasing a paltry target of 138, India colts knocked off the runs with 103 balls to spare. Almost all the batsmen made contributions with young Jammu lad Shubham Khajuria top-scoring with 34, while vice-captain Sanju Samson contributed 31. Earlier, Sarfaraz took four for 27 in 7.1 overs and was ably complemented by UP's chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav who chipped in with figures of three for 16 after skipper Vijay Zol won the toss. Sarfaraz, the youngest member of the U-19 side got three wickets during the middle overs to break the backbone of Lankan batting. He first removed Sanjika Ridma (23) followed Thilaksha Sumansiri (2) and R Anurudda (2) as the Islanders slumped from 110 for three to 120 for six, and never recovered from that position. Only Priyamal Perera (50, 80 balls, 3x4, 1x6) and opener Minod Bhanuka (42, 53 balls, 7x4) made significant scores as seven other batsmen couldn't even cross five before heading back to pavilion. After Sarfaraz ran through middle-order, Kuldeep came back for his second spell to polish off the tail. The chase was hardly a problem for the Indian team as young Khajuria curbed his natural strokeplay to hit a patient 34 off 65 balls with five boundaries. His opening partner Akhil Herwadkar (25) did the bulk of the scoring during their 39-run opening stand. Brief scores: Sri Lanka 137 all out in 37.1 overs (Priyamal Perera 50, Minod Bhanuka 42, Sarfaraz Khan 4/27, Kuldeep Yadav 3/16); India U-19 141/3 in 32.5 overs (Shubham Khajuria 34, Sanju Samson 31 no, Vijay Zol 23). — PTI
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BCCI lost Rs 50 cr on fraud land deal
New Delhi, August 8 As per information, one Gurudutt Shanbagh, who is neither an employee of BCCI nor associated with any state associations signed documents on behalf of the board with Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for procuring 49 acres of land at a place called Kurki near the airport. — PTI
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Half of the bronze-winning side is suffering from anaemia: Nobbs
New Delhi, August 8 Nobbs said the achievement of the young girls was all the more praiseworthy considering they were anaemic, a medical condition indicating iron deficiency in the body leading to tiredness and lethargy. “It's very common among girls and in India it is acute. How do you expect the girls to match the healthier and stronger European girls in a world competition? Considering this, the bronze has been a brilliant achievement. It's nice to give cash awards, but there is a lot to do with these kids,” said Nobbs. Nobbs congratulated the junior girls for winning India's first World Cup medal but cautioned against a general “burnout” due to a lack of scientific plans. “I have two growing daughters and they are part of an Australian system that not only takes care about their skills but their health as well. India have to adopt such an approach or else, these girls from rural India would be lost forever,” he said. “I was surprised to meet a dietitian in SAI, Bangalore who has been working for the last 40 years without having done anything noteworthy,” he said. The 59-year-old Australian, who made an unceremonious exit as chief coach of senior men's team, said India had the potential to make it big in world hockey with a scientific approach and careful talent spotting. “I surely don't want to work for Hockey India again but India have the potential to match any country in the world. — PTI
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Dearth of coaches hurts Punjab
Chandigarh, August 8 In the last 30 years, the Punjab Sports Department has hired not more than 10 permanent coaches and sports in the state are currently run by ad hoc coaches, hired in 2008 through a private agency. There are only about 280 coaches in the state, out of which the majority are ad hoc coaches (169). There are around 70 coaches borrowed from the Punjab Police (most of them are former players, not trained coaches) but they are often called back to their battalions for duty. The total number of department coaches is 40, out of which around 20 are posted as District Sports Officers. A mass exodus
And the problem is going to get worse. With the department of Sports & Youth Affairs, Haryana, advertising openings for 496 junior coaches, many of the ad hoc coaches are thinking about applying. “I haven’t applied yet but I am thinking about it. I am over 30 and I have no other choice,” said an ad hoc coach. “I have spoken to many coaches and most of them are applying.” Though these coaches don’t want to leave Punjab, they feel they have no other choice. These ad hoc coaches were hired under three pay scales — Rs 7,800, 9,800 and 13,500 — and their salary was increased only after four years by around 20 percent. Deputy Director Sports, Punjab, S.L. Lotey, said that the salaries were increased in 2009 and the arrears and bonuses had been paid. However, a coach said that they haven’t got any arrears before October 2011, when their salary was increased. He added that there were times when they didn’t get paid for over three months at a time. “We only get 18 paid leaves per year,” he said. About the coaches applying in Haryana, Lotey said, “It is good that they are applying. They should go wherever they get good opportunities.” But when asked how the department would fill the vacancies, he said, “We get a lot of applications so we won’t feel the shortage.” The coaches presently working at the centres have five years of experience and the applications received are from new entrants to the profession. Most of the ad hoc coaches are over 30, and with their contracts ending in October this year they are desperate for a permanent job. Though Lotey said that their contracts will be renewed, he added that the recruitment for the permanent staff was a separate issue and couldn’t be carried out until the court case was resolved. The court case
The Punjab Sports Department’s plan to hire 231 permanent coaches in 2011 had hit a roadblock when 37 of the ad hoc coaches filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Their main contention is that, based on their experience, they should be given preference ahead of the new applicants. But there is no experience clause in the criteria, which only considers the grades attained in the National Institute of Sports diploma. The case has been in the court since then and the next hearing is in November. Lotey said that the department will wait for the court’s judgment. “We will wait for the judgment but there is no provision for a change in the rules,” Lotey said. With uncertainty over the future of these coaches, there is a chance that they will leave when presented with a better opportunity. “We are not sure if our contract will be renewed and with the court case dragging on we don’t know if we’ll ever become permanent. We have no choice other than to start looking for other jobs,” a coach said. If this serious matter is not resolved, the progress of sports in Punjab would suffer a big blow. |
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Furyk leads as Tiger slips at PGA Championship
Rochester (USA), August 8 The 2003 US Open winner made six birdies but finished his round with a bogey on the last to lead Canadian David Hearn by one stroke. Four-time winner Tiger Woods had a terrible finish, making a double bogey on the last, to end the day at one-over 71. Tiger made an encouraging start in his bid to end a five-year title drought at the majors, making birdies on his fourth and sixth holes, but the world No. 1 bogeyed his 13th hole before a disastourous double on the last. On a glorious sunny morning, Woods laid up in two after taking an iron off the tee at the par-five 13th before hitting a stunning approach to a foot short of the cup for a tap-in putt. That put the him among a large contingent at one under, two behind fellow Americans Robert Garrigus and David Toms. Paul Casey and Matt Kuchar were tied fourth at three-under after rounds of 67. The biggest galleries of the morning, however, were following Woods who had started out at the par-four 10th in the company of former champions Keegan Bradley and Davis Love III. — Reuters
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Australia A beat India A by seven runs Hooda announces Rs 10 lakh reward for Rani Now behave son, Bedi to Monty Panesar
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of the World Badminton Championships along with compatriots Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap in their respective categories in Guangzhou on Thursday.
In a fantastic day for Indian badminton where all three shuttlers
reached the last eight stage, World No.12 Sindhu caused the biggest
upset of the tournament so far by knocking out the London Olympics
silver medallist 21-18, 23-21 in 55 minutes in the women's singles third
round at the Tianhe Indoor Stadium.
Chester le street, August 8
