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Gambhir’s KKR to the fore
Smith, Faulkner spoil Yuvi’s party for stunning Royal win
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Tough task on hand for Mumbai, take on Hyderabad
Sarita upset at not being considered for Khel Ratna
the tribune special
Improving Nadal to face Nishikori in Madrid final
Sharapova rallies past Halep to win Madrid title
Chand completes a double, Navjeet wins discus gold
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Gambhir’s KKR to the fore
Cuttack, May 11 Chasing a modest target of 150 on a featherbed, Gambhir anchored the chase to perfection with a unbeaten 65 after Robin Uthappa provided the momentum with a 28-ball-46. Such was their domination that the match ended with two overs to spare. Credit should also be given to leg-spinner Piyush Chawla (3/19) for his brilliant bowling in the middle overs after Virender Sehwag had set the tone for Punjab with a 50-ball-72. KKR now have eight points and remain in the mix while KXIP got a timely wake-up call ahead of their bigger battles in the knock-out stages of the competition. It's been a roller-coaster ride for Gambhir who started the tournament with a hat-trick of ducks and now has completed a hat-trick of half-centuries. He now has 23 half-centuries across seven IPL editions — maximum by any player till date. He changed his approach letting Uthappa dominate in the beginning and played himself in before going for the attack. Gambhir faced 45 balls hitting seven fours and more importantly finished off the match staying at the crease right till the end. He added 82 runs for the unbroken second-wicket stand with Manish Pandey (36 not out). Uthappa continued in blazing form as he hit a flurry of boundaries in the Powerplay with Gambhir holding one end up. The floodgates opened in the third over bowled by Sandeep Sharma in which Uthappa got three boundaries. A flick, followed by two lovely drives. The next over from Mitchell Johnson was even better as he pulled one for a six. The shot was mistimed but had enough meat to carry it over the ropes. It was followed by three punchy boundaries as 19 came of that particular over. The Powerplay yielded 55 runs and by then KKR had won half the battle. Robin has taken a lot of pressure off me: Gambhir
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir played down his own good form lavishing praise on his opening partner Robin Uthappa for giving the team blazing starts which has helped in winning back-to-back matches. “Robin has taken a lot of pressure off me since he started opening,” Gambhir said. Gambhir made two changes and that worked wonderfully for the team. No wonder he heaped praises on Morne Morkel and Piyush Chawla for sharing five wickets between them in eight overs for 49 runs. “On this kind of wicket, a lot of credit goes to Morne Morkel as well. Chawla bowled brilliantly, hopefully he can continue the same way.” Gambhir's opening partner Uthappa said that his skipper likes chasing and the team also backs his decision. “I am happy to contribute to the team's success. Gautam’s instinct is to bat second, and all of us are on board with him. We knew they (Punjab) could be a little complacent, and we wanted to make use of any gaps they gave us.” KXIP skipper George Bailey admitted that they missed the services of an extra spinner on this track. “Yeah, it would have been handy,” he
sa Scoreboard Kings XI Punjab Sehwag b Chawla 72 (50) Mandeep c Uthappa b Morkel 0 (3) Saha b Morkel 15 (9) Maxwell c Morkel b Chawla 14 (14) Miller b UT Yadav 13 (14) Bailey not out 12 (11) Rishi b Chawla 4 (6) Johnson st Uthappa b Narine 14 (12) Akshar run out (SA Yadav/Uthappa) 1 (1) Extras (b 1, lb 1, w 2) 4 Total (8 wkts; 20 overs) 149 Fall of wickets: 1-17 2-48 3-87 4-112 5-120 6-127 7-148 8-149 Bowling Kallis 3-0-38-0 Morkel 4-0-20-2 Yadav 4-0-34-1 Narine 4-0-30-1 Chawla 4-0-19-3 Kolkata Knight Riders Uthappa c Patel b Awana 46 (28) Gambhir not out 63 (45) Pandey not out 36 (35) Extras (lb 2, w 3) 5 Total (1 wicket; 18 overs) 150 Fall of wickets: 1-68 Bowling Sandeep 4-0-32-0 Johnson 3-0-33-0 Akshar 4-0-20-0 Awana 2-0-20-1 Dhawan 4-0-32-0 Maxwell 1-0-11-0 MoM: Gautam Gambhir
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Smith, Faulkner spoil Yuvi’s party for stunning Royal win
Bangalore, May 11 Chasing a daunting 191 to win, Rajasthan were staring down the barrel after losing five wickets for 106 runs by the 14th over but Smith (48 off 21) and Faulkner (41 off 17) combined well to find boundary after boundary. In a complete mayhem, the Australian duo scored the last 65 runs off just 17 balls to not only secure the win with seven balls to spare but also steal the thunder from Yuvraj Singh, who had roared back to form with a strokeful 83, and then followed it up with a four-wicket haul. It all started in the 17th over as Faulkner creamed off two fours and a six off the fellow Australian Mitchel Starc. Smith began the next over, bowled by Ashoke Dinda, with a six and two hits to the fence. Faulkner then finished it off quickly in the 19th over, punishing Varun Aaron with two sixes and a four, stunning the RCB camp and the home fans. Bangalore owed their big total to Yuvraj and AB de Villiers (58) as they shared a magnificent 132 run stand, which powered RCB to 190 for five after electing to bat. Yuvraj, who was dropped on 47 by Sanju Samson, and de Villiers put up a gallant fight as RCB scored 84 runs in the last five overs to snatch the momentum from their rivals, who were well in command till 12 overs. — PTI Scoreboard Royal Challengers Bangalore Kohli c Bhatia b Richardson 4 (9) Gayle c Samson b Tambe 19 (25) Zol c Watson b Tewatia 16 (14) de Villiers c Rahane b Faulkner 58 (32) Yuvraj lbw b Richardson 83 (38) Morkel not out 1 (1) Parthiv not out 2 (1) Extras (lb 2, w 5) 7 Total (5 wickets; 20 overs) 190 Fall of wickets: 1-6 2-38 3-40 4-172 5-186 Bowling Richardson 4-0-43-2 Watson 4-0-35-0 Faulkner 4-0-42-1 Tambe 4-0-38-1 Tewatia 3-0-17-1 Bhatia 1-0-13-0 Rajasthan Royals Rahane c Patel b Chahal 24 (22) Nair b Yuvraj Singh 56 (39) Watson b Yuvraj Singh 1 (5) Binny c sub (Rossouw) b Yuvraj 1 (2) Samson c & b Yuvraj 13 (8) Smith not out 48 (21) Faulkner not out 41 (17) Extras (lb 1, w 5, nb 1) 7 Total (5 wickets; 18.5 overs) 191 Fall of wickets: 1-54 2-61 3-63 4-82 5-106 Bowling Morkel 2-0-20-0 Starc 3-0-33-0 Dinda 3-0-37-0 Aaron 2.5-0-41-0 Yuvraj 4-0-35-4 MOM: James Faulkner
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Tough task on hand for Mumbai, take on Hyderabad
Hyderabad, May 11 Having won just two games out of eight they have played so far, the Mumbai side cannot afford to lose any more matches if it has to reach the semifinals. However, it is easier said then done as the Sunrisers have an impressive track record on home ground after they made their entry into the IPL last year. The Hyderabad side is already among the top four having won four out of the eight matches it played so far. Mumbai had comprehensive back-to-back victories against Kings XI Punjab on May 3 and Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 6, but faltered in the game against Chennai Super Kings yesterday as the southern side gained upper hand. Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma and West Indian powerhouse Kieron Pollard have been successful in the current season and the good show of Ambati Rayudu, who made 59 runs in 43 balls in the match against Chennai yesterday, is reassuring for the side. Mumbai opener Chidambaram Gautam has pulled off a few surprises with his big hits but the other key players like Michael Hussey, Corey Anderson need to rise to the occasion to put their team on a firm footing. Though the visiting team is handicapped by the absence of Zaheer Khan owing to an injury, it still boasts of seasoned bowlers like Lasith Malinga, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Praveen Kumar, who replaced Zaheer. Sunrisers are fresh and buoyed by the victories against Delhi Daredevils in the rain-hit match in Delhi yesterday and the earlier game against Rajasthan Royals, though inconsistent batting appears to be a cause for concern to the team. The bowling attack comprising the dangerous Dale Steyn, young Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Karn Sharma, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Moises Henriques and Irfan Pathan, however, has been reliable to the side. The crucial batsmen of Sunrisers, including Captain Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, Darren Sammy and Aaron Finch, need to come up with some destructive knocks to put their side on top. — PTI Today’s match SRH vs MI (8pm) Live on Sony Six |
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Sarita upset at not being considered for Khel Ratna
New Delhi, May 11 “I won gold medals in five different categories in the Asian Championships and silver medal in the World Championships besides a number of medals at other major international tournaments… what else do you expect from an athlete? Am I asking something which I don't deserve? Some of the undeserving candidates have got this award before me, but I am still waiting for it. I was expecting the award this year and it's disturbing that I wasn't considered,” Sarita told The Tribune. Did she submit her application for the Khel Ratna to the boxing federation, which, in turn, would have recommended her name to the Sports Ministry? “We would have approached them, but since the IABF is suspended by the AIBA, the federation should have informed us about where we needed to send our application for the award. It's the federation's responsibility to inform the procedure; it should have taken into account Sarita's achievements and recommended her name on its own,” said Sarita's husband, Thoiba Singh. “We will approach the top IOA officials with the request to recommend her name for the award. It's the IOA which has appointed the ad-hoc committee to run boxing in the country. Now, it's their responsibility to take up her case. In case we don't get any respite from the IOA, we will approach the Sports Ministry this month,” he added. The ad-hoc committee has recommended boxers for this year's Arjuna awards. However, no boxer has been recommended for the Khel Ratna award. It has been learnt badminton star PV Sindhu, Somdev Devvarman (tennis), Jeev Milkha Singh (golf), Krishna Poonia and Vikas Gowda (athletics), and Devendra Jhajaria (para athletics) have been recommended for the Khel Ratna award this year. IOA joint secretary Rakesh Gupta, who is also a member of the boxing ad hoc committee, said: “The committee recommended only those names which it received from the federation.” “Sarita is a deserving candidate, though” he added. Sarita, on her part, has vowed to prove her detractors wrong by aiming for the gold medal (in 60kg category) in both the Commonwealth and the Asian Games. “My critics think I am finished. Yes, I am making a comeback after two years (after participating in the London Olympics qualifiers), and it's not going to be easy. I missed out on the London Olympics. After that I suffered few injuries, pregnancy also kept me away from boxing for 6-7 months.” “But now I am back, and want to prove my critics wrong. I've left my baby at home to practicing here. I am taking all this trouble to prove myself again. I am looking at 2016 Rio Olympics, and the journey starts with the CWG, the Asian Games and the World Championships this year,” said Sarita. |
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Late heroes of 1975 World Cup given cold shoulder by Hockey India
Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 11 Hockey India's decision to honour the 1975 World Cup-winning team is laudable. But due to an incredibly small-minded act, Hockey India has decided to honour only the 13 living players - the three players who have passed away don't merit the honour, Hockey India seems to believe. Surjit Singh, Mohinder Singh and SR Pawar are the members of the victorious team who have passed away, but it would only have been a nice and gracious gesture if Hockey India had decided to invite their family members and honoured them in New Delhi this Wednesday. Forgotten heroes
Ajit Pal Singh, the captain of the 1975 team, says: “Hockey India should have invited their families. Mohinder Singh, Surjit Singh and Shivaji Pawar had played a great role in the team's win. Hockey India should have invited their families and given them the respect they deserve.” “This is harsh on the part of Hockey India. Every person of the contingent had played a great role in the victory,” Varinder Singh, who played half-back in the 1975 team, told The Tribune. “The families of the deceased players, and that of the deceased coach Gurcharan Singh Bodhi, deserve to be honoured.” If Hockey India could ignore Balbir Singh, the three-time Olympic champion who was the chief coach and manager of the team, why would it remember Bodhi, who had been a very good player with Punjab Police and the deputy chief coach of the 1975 team? “Gurcharan Singh 'Bodhi' was a real gem of a person and no one can match his contribution,” Balbir Singh told The Tribune. “During the long coaching camp and in the tournament in Kula Lumpur, he worked very hard. I still remember the long discussions, the decisions... His efforts to make everything work perfectly. He put in all his experience to make sure that the decision to hand over the preparatory camp to Punjab government should succeed.” The then Punjab Chief Minister, Giani Zail Singh, had offered to host and train the team after India finished with the silver after losing 0-2 to Pakistan in the Asian Games. K.S. Bains, then Director of Sports in the Punjab government, remembers the hard work Balbir Singh and Bodhi put in to train the team. “It had become a high-profile camp, since the chief minister himself was interested in the project, and no expenses were spared to make the camp a success,” Bains says. Bodhi, a brotherly figure
Bains remembers Bodhi, who died in 1988, as a very fine and dedicated coach, and Balbir Singh says that Bodhi was a brotherly figure to him. Bodhi's family, living in Jalandhar, says that it would have been nice if his contribution had been remembered. After returning to India, in an interview, Bodhi said that the World Cup was the biggest achievement of India in hockey. “After we lost to Argentina, it was all over for us, but with god's grace and hard work we performed well thereafter... I am happy not only for the boys but also for my India,” Bodhi had said. “Hockey India should also honour other team members and supporting staff of the team... I remember, my father used to supervise all the camps organised in Jalandhar and we brothers used to visit those camps,” Bodhi's son, Captain Manjit Singh, who works with Air India, says. “Giani Zail Singh had called my father and other legends to supervise the camp in Panjab University. It was a memorable day for us when the team came to our home after winning the trophy and my father was on cloud nine.” Manjit Singh's brother, who was a district sports officer, died in 2002. HI fails legends
Surinder Singh Saini, who has been associated with hockey in Punjab for long, was one of the closest associates of Bodhi. “These legends had played their part but Hockey India has failed them,” he says. “Hockey India could have invited the families of legends like Gurcharan Bodhi, Surjit Singh, Mohinder Singh and the others who contributed so much to the team's win.” “I am pleased with Hockey India's decision to felicitate the players... However, the officials could have done this in a better manner. Bodhi was a close aide and more than that he is a brotherly figure to me. His contribution should not be forgotten,” Balbir Singh adds. Exactly 39 years ago, almost to the day, India won the world title for the first and only time; the Indian team has declined so much that in next month's World Cup, India would be delighted to merely finish among top six. Maybe it's only right that we've fallen on bad times, for we don't commemorate the past achievements, honour the heroes. Petty officialdom may not understand this, so it won't be surprising if Hockey India officials think that this grumbling is due to the Rs 1.75 lakh it is awarding the 13 living players. |
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Hamilton goes top with Spanish GP win
Barcelona, May 11 In what was also the fourth successive Mercedes one-two, and fifth win in five races for the dominant constructor, Hamilton took the chequered flag a mere 0.6 of a second ahead of his rival. In a nail-biting finish to what had been a largely uneventful race, Rosberg piled pressure on Hamilton by slashing the Briton’s lead over the last six laps and looming ominously in his mirrors. Hamilton, who now has 100 points to Rosberg’s 97 after his 26th career victory and leads the standings for the first time since 2012 when he was at McLaren, sounded increasingly anxious in radio traffic but held on for his first win in Spain. “I wasn’t fast enough really today, Nico was quicker,” the 2008 champion said during the podium interview. “Fortunately I was able to keep him behind.” Rosberg, who declared himself “a bit gutted” to finish second again and whose subdued body language alongside Hamilton on the podium more than backed that up, felt he would have got past with one more lap. “Lewis did a great job the whole weekend, just that little bit ahead,” added the German ruefully. Daniel Ricciardo was third for champions Red Bull in the first podium finish of his F1 career after being stripped of his second-place for a fuel irregularity in his home season-opener in Melbourne in March. “We did not have the pace on Mercedes... it is really nice to be on the podium and I am sure I will get to keep it this time,” said the smiling Australian, who had started third. Vettel fourth
Quadruple world champion team mate Sebastian Vettel, who started 15th after a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change, ended a weekend of setbacks with a strong fourth place. The 26-year-old German had arrived at the first European race of the season with a different chassis to the previous four grand prix, in which he had made just one podium appearance, but Red Bull remained an age away from Mercedes. Ricciardo, as the best of the rest, crossed the line a massive 48.3 seconds behind Rosberg with Mercedes again in a class of their own and lapping all but four cars. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen was one of those passed by Hamilton, finishing seventh and just behind Spanish team mate Fernando Alonso - last year’s winner — in sixth. Finland’s Valtteri Bottas took fifth place for Williams, while Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa sank from ninth at the start to 13th at the finish. Frenchman Romain Grosjean handed Lotus their first points of the season with eighth place, ahead of Force India’s Mexican Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg in ninth and 10th respectively. Only two drivers retired, Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne and Caterham’s Kamui Kobayashi, in a 66 lap race that testified to the surprising reliability of the cars in the new V6 hybrid turbo era. — Reuters Spanish Grand Prix
Driver standings
Constructors points
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Improving Nadal to face Nishikori in Madrid final
Madrid, May 11 The world No. 1, chasing a 63rd career title and a 44th on clay, has not been on top form on his favoured surface this year, suffering surprise defeats in the quarterfinals at Monte Carlo and Barcelona. However, he has shown glimpses of his dominant best in front of adoring fans in the Spanish capital, where he is yet to drop a set, as he warms up for a tilt at a record-extending ninth French Open title starting at the end of the month. Nadal’s victory against the unheralded Bautista ended the world number 45’s best run at a Masters event and secured a place in the final where he will play Nishikori, who edged past another Spaniard, fifth seed David Ferrer, 7-6 5-7 6-3. The Japanese 10th seed, who won his first clay title in Barcelona last month, is through to his debut Masters final and will become the first man from the Asian nation to break into the top 10 when the rankings are updated on Monday. Nadal, who has beaten Nishikori in all six of their meetings, said his semifinal performance against Bautista was further confirmation of his improving form after Friday’s fine win against sixth-ranked Czech Tomas Berdych in the last eight. “After I think a great match yesterday, to have the confirmation today that the improvement is real is very good news for me,” he said. “And being in a final here in a difficult tournament at home after losing two weeks in a row in the quarter-finals means a lot to me,” added the 27-year-old Majorcan, who was also champion in Madrid in 2010 and in 2005 when it was an indoor hard court event. Nadal broke Bautista’s serve in the opening game at the Magic Box arena but his gutsy compatriot fought back to level at 3-3 before immediately losing his serve again. Bautista looked to have crumbled in the face of a barrage of fierce Nadal drives in the second set but raised his game to break for 4-2. Nadal, who will be contesting his 90th career final on Sunday, broke serve for a fifth time in the ninth game and sealed victory on his first match point with a rasping forehand down the line. Bautista will break into the top 30 for the first time thanks to his performance in Madrid.
— Reuters |
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Sharapova rallies past Halep to win Madrid title
Madrid, May 11 Russian Sharapova, a former world number one now ranked ninth, needed to draw on all her experience on the clay in the Spanish capital to see off the 22-year-old Romanian fourth seed, who was appearing in the final of a premier event for the first time. Sharapova missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury and has not been at her dominant best in 2014 but her form in Madrid suggests she may be a contender at the French Open which starts later this month. The 2012 Roland Garros champion had shown glimpses of her best on her run to the final but looked all at sea in the early stages against a fired-up Halep, who attacked the Russian, five years her senior, at every opportunity. The match was a clash of two very different styles, with the rangy Sharapova, her shrieks echoing around the Magic Box arena every time she struck the ball, relying on power and the stocky Halep a bundle of energy scurrying around the court. Halep quickly opened a 4-0 lead before Sharapova finally managed to hold in the fifth game after saving another break point. Some courtside advice from her coach at an earlier changeover to up her speed and try to hit the corners did not appear to have helped, however, as Halep broke again in game seven to secure the set. Before Sunday, Sharapova had dropped the opening set 24 times in finals and fought back to win seven times and she changed the tone of the match with a break of the Halep serve in the opening game of the second set. After breaking again and serving out the set, Sharapova grabbed another break for a 2-1 lead in the decider and recovered from another wobble to claim her third victory in as many matches against the young pretender. With nine clay titles, she joins Venus Williams as the third most successful active player on the surface, one behind Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues and Serena Williams who each have 10. — Reuters
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Kaymer, Spieth tied in top spot at Players
Ponte Vedra Beach (Florida), May 11 Germany’s Kaymer, who had been a stroke in front of the chasing pack overnight, overshot the 18th green with his approach, chipped up to nine feet and missed the par putt to card an even-par 72 on a breezy afternoon at the TPC Sawgrass. That left the German at 12-under 204, level with American young gun Spieth (71) who had appeared likely to bogey the final hole when his tee shot sailed right into a tree line from where he struck his second shot 56 yards short of the green. After his third had nestled on the fringe 13 feet past the flagstick, the 20-year-old Spieth nervelessly drained the par putt to remain at 12-under and pumped his right fist in delight. Spaniard Sergio Garcia, the 2008 Players champion, was a further three strokes back after carding a 69, level on 207 with Australian John Senden (68). “I just didn’t hit a good putt,” Kaymer said of his bogey at the last to end a tricky day for scoring at the TPC Sawgrass where the sun-baked greens were running fast and firm. “I pulled my putt and therefore it went left. He went inside left and hit a good putt, made it. I have a chance tomorrow, which is really nice. I put myself in a good position.” “It played tough today. Even when you hit fairways, it was gusty and therefore a little bit difficult to attack the flags. We didn’t play great, but we kept it very well together. So it was okay.” Americans Gary Woodland (70) and George McNeill (69) and Australian Matt Jones (69) were four shots off the pace at eight under, three ahead of U.S. Open champion Justin Rose (73), who was penalised two shots after his ball moved on the final hole. Australian world number two Scott, who needs to finish no worse than joint 16th this week to dislodge the absent Tiger Woods from the top spot, was at three under in a tie for 28th after returning a 69.
— Reuters |
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Clinical Man City wrap up title in style
Liverpool beat Newcastle United 2-1 at Anfield to finish two points behind the champions but goals by Samir Nasri and Vincent Kompany sparked wild celebrations at City whose heavyweight squad came out on top at the end of a thrilling and fluctuating title race. Nasri calmed City nerves with a fierce strike in the 39th minute and captain Kompany’s neat finish four minutes after halftime put the hosts in cruise control, rounding off a superb debut season for manager Manuel
Pellegrini. “It’s a very special time. My first year is not easy to get used to English football but I think I managed a great group of players,” Pellegrini said after the trophy was presented on the pitch. “It was special because we’ve never been at the top of the table but six games away I told my players we needed to change and they believed in me. They are a special group.” For Chilean Pellegrini, the first non-European manager to win the Premier League, it was a first league title since he won the Clausura with River Plate in Argentina in 2003 and a maiden success on this continent. The atmosphere at Anfield was muted as an own goal from Martin Skrtel put Newcastle ahead in the first half, but goals from Daniel Agger and Daniel Sturridge ensured they ended with victory against opponents who had Shola Ameobi and Paul Dummett sent off. Chelsea had to settle for third spot after coming from a goal down to win 2-1 at Cardiff City, ending a trophyless first season back in England for manager Jose Mourinho. Tottenham Hotspur comfortably beat Aston Villa 3-0 to finish sixth and clinch a place in next season’s Europa League, meaning deposed champions Manchester United, who drew their final match of a terrible season 1-1 against Southampton, will not play in Europe next season for the first time in 24 years. Norwich City’s relegation was confirmed with a 2-0 home defeat by Arsenal and they will join Cardiff and Fulham in the Championship next season. City began by patiently probing, just as they did against Aston Villa in midweek, with their first chance falling to David Silva who blasted over after 10 minutes. Minutes later and with the teams still deadlocked, a roar echoed around the Etihad stadium as news filtered through that Liverpool had fallen a goal behind, easing the tension before City opened the scoring. Yaya Toure laid the ball inside to Nasri 30 metres from goal. He dropped his shoulder, strode forward and unleashed a vicious drive low into the bottom corner. If that goal was enough to put the champagne on ice, the corks started popping four minutes after the restart when a corner struck the back of Edin Dzeko, falling for Kompany who swivelled and lashed home from close range. There was a sense of deflation at Anfield from the moment Skrtel fly-kicked a harmless Yoan Gouffran cross past Simon Mignolet into the back of the net. Radios pressed against the ears of fans in the stands told the home crowd that City were cruising to victory and Liverpool’s wait for a top-flight title was likely to go on beyond 24 years. The second half brought some cheer as Agger scored Liverpool’s 100th goal of the season to level by hooking in at the far post while Daniel Sturridge netted a second, tapping home in similar fashion. — Reuters La Liga goes down to the wire Madrid: Atletico Madrid and Barcelona will play a La Liga title decider at the Nou Camp stadium next weekend after leaders Atletico drew 1-1 at home to Malaga and second-placed Barca were held to a 0-0 stalemate at Elche on Sunday. Real Madrid, in third, dropped out of the title race when they suffered a surprise 2-0 loss at Celta Vigo that left them five points behind leaders Atletico with one game remaining. After 37 games Atletico are top on 89 points, with Barca on 86 and Real on 84. If Barca beat Atletico next Sunday they will be champions as they would have a better head-to-head record after the title rivals drew 0-0 in Madrid in January.
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Young Orissa women take on Manipur for national title
Golaghat, May 11 “We have nine national players in the first team, and Orissa is full of U-19 footballers. What better than to see the next generation of footballers playing with their senior counterparts in a final,” says Bembem, the Manipur skipper. “Orissa have done exceptionally well to reach this far. I believe the final will pep up the future India players to give their all against the incumbents. This is a healthy competition,” said the AIFF woman player of the year who has been a part of Manipur’s incredible adventures in the nationals. The North Eastern team has won 16 titles out of the 19 championships so far. “I have always felt that the championship is the best platform to unearth new talent,” the 34-year-old former India captain further added. Meanwhile, Orissa coach Shrandhanjali Samantaray informed that 17-18 players from the 20-member squad are playing nationals for the first time. “These girls are raring to go. They have made it this far and now they want to prove themselves against the seasoned campaigners. It will be a lifetime experience for them,” he said. Senior national team’s head coach Anadi Barua said he was looking forward to the contest. “It will be intense. Everyone wants to play for India, and to earn that place you need to show your dedication. These Orissa girls have that hunger. They have the best chance to show it against the senior team regulars. It will be a great final from the national team coach’s point of view. It will be a match between two generations,” he added. Both teams come into the final with a clean slate. While Manipur have steamrolled their opponents en route the pinnacle, the young Orissa brigade have been a revelation, making light work of their rivals.
— TNS, agency inputs |
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Chand completes a double, Navjeet wins discus gold
Chennai, May 11 The 18-year-old equalled former Tamil Nadu sprinter Velu Pandeswari’s 17-year-old national junior record with her timing of 23.95 secs in the 200m event at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The Odisha sprinter, who earlier eclipsed the 100m record, is confident of doing so in the longer sprint when she would take part in the Asian and World junior championships later this year. Her impressive 100m time of 11.63 secs helped her earn the "Best Athlete" award in the three day meet that concluded here today. Local girl Archana Suseendran (24.70s) and Bengal’s Himashree Roy (24.86s) went home with silver and bronze medals respectively. Tamil Nadu sprinter R Mohan Kumar took the 200m title in men’s category in 22.12 secs to prevent Bengal boy Soumyadeep Saha (22.26s) achieving a double. Kamberdeep Singh of Punjab (22.45) took bronze. In discus throw, Punjab’s Navjeet Kaur Dhillon, who improved the national junior mark in shot put yesterday, proved her mettle once again with a massive personal best of 53.97m for a ‘double’. Today’s performance placed her fifth in the world junior rankings for the season. — PTI
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London, May 11
