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Serena storms into third round
Paes, Sania win, Bhupathi out
Akhil ‘gifted’ car to coach Bisht to fix selection: Dilbagh
Zol hits hundred in a drawn game
Finch blasts England with record 156, Oz post a win
Jitender rubbishes claims, throws weight behind Akhil
Srini in a fix before meeting
All eyes on Saina vs Sindhu in IBL final
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Inspired India in final, book a berth in World Cup
Ipoh, August 30 There was some fantastic news awaiting the Indian team prior to the start of their semi-final clash against the Malaysians after defending champions South Korea beat Pakistan 2-1 in a hard-fought first semi-final at the Sultan Azlan Shah stadium. Three-time champions Pakistan's defeat meant that India and Malaysia now have virtually qualified for next year's World Cup, the official confirmation of which will come only after the conclusion of the Oceania Cup in November. It will also be the first time Pakistan will not feature in the World Cup since it started in Barcelona back in 1971. Buoyed by this development, the Indians started the semi-final against Malaysia on a confident note and stunned the packed home crowd at the Azlan Shah Stadium with an early goal. Raghunath took his goal-tally to seven when the big-bodied dragflicker converted India's first penalty corner in the eighth minute. However, it was the home team which enjoyed the early share of exchanges and had couple of scoring chances at the start. While on the first occasion Faizal Saari missed from a close range, an unmarked Nabil Fiqri Mohd Noor shot wide a minute later with only Indian custodian P R Sreejesh to beat. — PTI The Malaysians created a lot of opportunities but the Indian defence led goalkeeper Sreejesh stood like rock to thwart the chances. — PTI OLTMANS PLEASED “I am quite pleased with our performance. I am pleased the way we played, the energy we brought showed in the game. We utilised the first chance of the game. We knew it will be a difficult game. Malaysia is a very good side. They showed that in the last couple of tournaments. We really had to go all out win this match,” Roelant Oltmans said after the match.“I think it was the best game for us in the tournament. It’s a great team effort,” he insisted. “We had to be very well orgainsed and we did that through the game. It is a very young side. We are missing quite a number of players.” — PTI
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Serena storms into third round
Victoria Duval, the teenaged American who had captured the hearts of New York with her feats both on and off the court, was knocked out in straight sets in a brutal reminder of how far she still has to go to reach the top.
For Sara Errani, the world’s fifth ranked woman, the pressure of playing in the Big Apple became too much and she crumbled under pressure, tearfully admitting she had choked. The tournament’s biggest stars all survived unscathed, ruthlessly dispatching their opponents with a minimum of fuss in a sport where there is little room for sentiment if your ultimate aim is to collect grand slam titles. Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Serena Williams have 45 major singles titles between them and the trio won their second round matches in straight sets, as they normally do. For them, the championship never really starts until the second week. EASY WIN Her match against Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan had originally been scheduled for Wednesday but was held over because of rain. Unfazed by the delay, she cruised to a 6-3 6-0 victory before teaming up with big sister Venus to win their first round doubles match. “I’m just trying to do the best I can,” Williams said. “Just always trying to get a little better.” Federer, unflappable even as he struggles to add to his record collection of 17 grand slam singles titles, hardly broke into a sweat on a baking hot day as he brushed aside Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq 6-3 6-2 6-1. “For me, it was pretty straightforward, to be honest,” Federer said. “It’s one of those matches I expect myself to win if possible in straight sets and gain confidence in the process. Nadal, who missed last year’s U.S. Open because of injury, brushed aside Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil 6-2 6-1 6-0. — Reuters Women's third round result: 3-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 32-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 6-4 7-6(1) 5-Li Na (China) beat 30-Laura Robson (Britain) 6-2 7-5; Men's second round: 12-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) 6-3 6-4 7-6(3) 21-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 7-5 6-1 6-3.
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Akhil ‘gifted’ car to coach Bisht to fix selection: Dilbagh
Chandigarh, August 30 “It’s an open secret that Akhil has given a car to Jaidev Bisht. Everyone in the national camp knows it. Coaches, boxers and federation officials - everyone knows it but keeps quiet. But I will not keep quiet now. I have just one more year left in my career and this was the last chance,” Dilbagh said from Bhiwani. The Bhiwani boxer also alleged that Mandeep was not eligible for the 69 kg trials in the first place as he was in the national camp for his performance in the 64 kg category. “This is not a one-off case it keeps happening every time. Dinesh and I have sought time from the sports minister and we are going to expose everything to him tomorrow (Saturday),” he said. The 69kg boxer, however, could not prove his allegation, saying that, “If I go running around for proofs and papers I wouldn’t be an athlete. Whatever I am saying is the truth. If an inquiry is set up, everything will come to light. The Railways boxer also did not spare the federation officials, alleging that they too are hand in glove. “They want us to prove the charges. Is it the job of the players to go searching for proofs? The IBF president wants us to prove the charges. Why don’t they set up an inquiry?” Coach Jaidev Bisht said: “Ask him when did I get a car from Akhil? Can he prove it? It’s not in my hand to selects players. There are judges, selection panel, international observers. If he is levelling such charges against me, I will file a defamation suit against him. For his information, he lost the bout 0-5. It was not even 3-2 or anywhere close to it.” On being asked whether he owns a car, the Railways coach first said, “No, I commute by foot,” later saying that he does have a Maruti 800 in his possession. Akhil Kumar, Mandeep Jangra’s mentor, on whom the controversy mainly centres, said, “I have already said what I had to say. I do not want to get into a controversy any more,” he said. Prove charge or face action: IBF
Furious with the three boxers who alleged that trials for the upcoming World Championships were manipulated, Indian Boxing Federation President Abhishek Matoria today said disciplinary action will be taken against them if they fail to prove their charges. Matoria said the the onus is on the boxers to prove the allegations that the coaches and the selection committee were bribed and the trials were fixed to favour certain other pugilists. “It is a very serious offence in my opinion because it was not that trials were held behind closed doors. Everybody could see the winners and losers. If they fail to prove their allegations, disciplinary action will be taken against them.” |
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Zol hits hundred in a drawn game
Visakhapatnam , August 30 In reply to New Zealand’s total of 310, India A scored a healthy 388 for seven courtesy Zol’s 110 and skipper Abhishek Nayar’s unbeaten 102. The two umpires called time in the 94th over after Nayar (102 not out) reached his 12th first-class century. He faced 110 balls and hit 14 boundaries and a six. The day, however, belonged to 18-year-old Zol, who hit 19 boundaries in his 153-ball knock. It looked as if the boy hailing from Maharashtra’s Marathwada region is carrying his good form at the U-19 level, where he had successful tours of Australia and Sri Lanka. For someone playing his first longer version match at the first-class level, Zol impressed one and all with his technique as well as temperament. He found the gaps at will against seamers Mark Gillespie and Doug Bracewell and used his feet to good effect against leg-break bowlers Ish Sodhi and Todd Astle. Brief scores: New Zealand 310 in 77.3 overs; India 388/7 in 93.5 overs (Vijay Zol 110, Abhishek Nayar 102 no, Jiwanjot Singh 48, Todd Astle 3/106, Ish Sodhi 2/100). — PTI
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Finch blasts England with record 156, Oz post a win
Southampton, August 30 Man-of-the-match Finch’s stunning 156, the highest individual score in all Twenty20 internationals, was the cornerstone of Australia’s 248 for six, itself the second-highest team score at this level. England, who wrapped up a 3-0 Ashes series win with a draw at The Oval on Sunday, unsurprisingly lost early wickets when faced with such a colossal chase and finished on 209 for six in this day/night fixture. Victory saw Australia go 1-0 up in a two-match series that concludes in Durham on Saturday. Australia hadn’t won a major international match since a 17-run one-day international victory over the West Indies at Melbourne on February 10. Finch’s runs came from just 63 balls and the 26-year-old Victorian opener, playing just his seventh match at this level, comfortably surpassed the previous Twenty20 world record of 123 set by New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum against Bangladesh at Pallekele in September last year. “I have been with the Australia A side all summer, so I brought a bit of form into the game,” said Finch at the presentation ceremony. “It was a pretty extraordinary knock and the only innings that came close was Chris Gayle’s in the IPL,” said Australia skipper George Bailey. — Agencies
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Jitender rubbishes claims, throws weight behind Akhil
Patiala, August 30 “We will request him that we are shown the results of our bouts given by match referee. In case our request is not heard, we will move the Delhi High Court,” said Dinesh. Olympian Jitender Kumar, who’s close to Akhil Kumar, has come out in the open against these boxers, saying they are over the hill. “The accusations have left everyone shell-shocked. People who are calling the trials biased and are making all sorts of accusations have forgotten that everything is recorded. Not only their act is defamatory but it will also hurt the clean image the sport.” Responding to the accusations against Akhil, Jitender said: “Akhil has helped most of them. Akhil has been one person, apart from the authorities, who has helped, mentored and selflessly fought for the rights of all boxers. I am closest to him among our peers, so if there was even a hint of truth in the allegations, you would have seen me in the camp. Everyone knows that these three are just not over the hill not just over the hill but also have dope taint against their names.” “I wish sanity is restored and people who are making a mockery of the entire system are taken to task.” Meanwhile, a Gurgaon-based advocate and former boxer Sudhir K. Mudgil has demanded for strict action against them. Mudgil, in a letter to the authorities concerned (Indian Boxing Federation, National Institute of Sports, Patiala) has stated either the three come out with concrete evidence to back their statements, or else the authorities should spare no punitive action to ensure that such callous and reckless behavior is kept under check.
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Srini in a fix before meeting
New Delhi, August 30 A bench headed by Justice AK Patnaik agreed to hear the appeal filed by Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) against the High Court verdict and clubbed it with the petition of the BCCI, which had challenged the judgement that had declared as illegal the BCCI's two-member probe panel set up to look into the spot-fixing scam. The CAB pleaded that the High Court, which declared the panel of two judges unconstitutional, should have appointed a fresh panel to look into the issue. The cross appeal filed by BCCI and CAB will be heard by the apex court on September 11. Srinivasan, thus, comes under further pressure and could be morally obliged to skip the BCCI Working Committee meeting scheduled for September 1. The apex court had earlier on August 7 refused to grant interim stay on the High Court verdict, derailing the plan of Srinivasan to return as chief of BCCI. He had stepped aside from discharging his duties as BCCI President in the light of spot fixing and betting scandal which allegedly involved his son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings team's former principal, Gurunath Meiyappan. The High Court order had come on July 30, just two days after the panel, comprising two former judges of the Madras High Court Justices - T Jayarama Chouta and R Balasubramanian - submitted its report, giving a clean chit to all those against whom the probe was conducted. The panel had gone into the charges against India Cements Ltd, Meiyappan, and Raj Kundra, co-owner of Rajasthan Royals. — PTI
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All eyes on Saina vs Sindhu in IBL final
Mumbai, August 30 Hyderabad Hotshots and Awadhe Warriors have reached the final of the world's most expensive badminton tournament with an identical 3-2 win-loss record in the league. The Hotshots topped the standings while their Lucknow counterparts were a point behind in second position. The two teams met in the first week of the tournament in Delhi and Saina-led Hotshots beat the Warriors 3-2 — with the World No.4 herself winning the key match against a keyed-up Sindhu in straight games. The Warriors lost their opening two ties but recovered well to win the remaining matches thanks to Sindhu's outstanding performance against two top overseas stars and their excellent doubles teams. Their men's singles players K. Srikanth and R.M.V. Gurusaidutt were at their best while overpowering Mumbai Masters 3-2 in the semifinal. The Warriors' turnaround began here when they outplayed Krrish Delhi Smashers 4-1 and they never looked back since. The Hyderabadi lost her first two IBL women's singles matches to Saina and Carolina Marin of the Banga Beats. — Agencies
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Aaron Finch’s record-breaking innings saw Australia to a first competitive international win in 200 days as they beat England by 39 runs in the first Twenty20 international at Southampton on Thursday.
Man-of-the-match Finch’s stunning 156, the highest individual score in all Twenty20 internationals, was the cornerstone of Australia’s 248 for six, itself the second-highest team score at this level.
New York, August 30
