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Rathore sizzles on political turf
SC asks Mudgal panel to probe Srini, others in IPL scam
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India shuttlers not at par with us yet, says China coach
AIBA gives Boxing India provisional membership
AB best batsman in modern era: Laxman
Jeev, Bhullar shoot 71 in first round in Spain
HP eves thump Tripura 20-0
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Rathore sizzles on political turf
New Delhi, may 16 Former cricketers Mohammad Azharuddin and Kirti Azad, who were members of the 15th Lok Sabha, experienced mixed luck, contesting on the Congress and BJP tickets, respectively. Azharuddin, who was elected from Moradabad (UP) on a Congress ticket in the 2009 elections, decided to contest from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan this time, but lost to BJP's Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuria by 1,35,311 votes. Jaunpuria secured 5,48,179 votes and Azharuddin got 4,12,868 votes. Namo Narain Meena, Minister of State for Finance in the Manmohan Singh ministry, who was elected from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in 2009, had been shifted to Dausa to make way for the former India captain Azharuddin. But Azhar’s fortunes mirrored those of the Congress, which was hit hard by the anti-incumbency wave in the state. Azad, a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, contested on a BJP ticket for the third time and got elected to the Lower House from Darbhanga (Bihar) after defeating his nearest rival, Ali Ashraf Fatmi of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), by 23,493 votes. Azad polled 1,67,160 votes against Fatmi’s 1,43,667. Azad had lost the polls in his maiden outing from Darbhanga in 2004, but was successful in getting elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the 2004 Athens Olympics silver medallist in the Double Trap shooting event, made an impressive political debut on a BJP ticket. Rathore defeated former Union Railway Minister and Congress general secretary CP Joshi from Jaipur Rural constituency in Rajasthan by over three lakh votes. Rathore polled 6,29,447 votes against Joshi’s 2,98,208 votes. Rathore, decorated with the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri, joined the BJP last September after taking voluntary retirement from the Indian Army, in which he was serving as a Colonel. Baichung Bhutia, former captain and the face of Indian football, contested the elections from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat on a Trinamool Congress (TMC) ticket and lost to BJP's SS Ahluwalia by huge margin. Bhutia lost to Ahluwalia by 4,91,202 votes. Bhutia, who played 107 matches for India and scored 42 goals, had been handpicked by none other than party president Mamata Banerjee herself. Former hockey captain Dilip Tirkey, who led the Indian team in the 2004 Athens Olympics, besides representing the country in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, contested on a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ticket from Sundargarh, Orissa, and lost to the BJP's Jual Juel Oram by 70,513 votes. Another cricketer, Mohammad Kaif, the hero of India's famous Nat-West Trophy final win against England at Lord’s in 2002, was clean bowled in Phulpur constituency on a Congress ticket. Kaif, who contested at a seat which was once represented by former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, failed to make any impact and finished fourth. BJP heavyweight Keshav Prasad Maurya polled 5,03,564 votes while Kaif polled just 58,127. Ameeta Singh, the former national badminton champion, fighting on the Congress ticket, lost to BJP's Varun Gandhi from Sultanpur Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh by 3,68,365 votes. She finished fourth, polling just 41,983 votes. BCCI joint-secretary and Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association president Anurag Thakur was successful in retaining his Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat by defeating his nearest rival and Congress candidate Rajinder Singh Rana by 98,403 votes. Thakur polled 4,48,035 votes while Rana got 3,49,632 votes. Former Haryana Ranji cricketer Ashwini Kumar Chopra, representing BJP, polled 5,94,817 votes and won by a whopping margin of 3,60,147 votes against his nearest rival, Congress candidate Arvind Kumar Sharma (2,34,670), from the Karnal constituency. BCCI vice president and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who contested from the Amritsar constituency, lost to former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress heavyweight Amarinder Singh by 75,111 votes.
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SC asks Mudgal panel to probe Srini, others in IPL scam
New Delhi, May 16 The committee has been told to submit its report in a sealed envelope by the end of August. The probe panel will have all the powers to probe, search and seize relevant documents and record evidence except the power to arrest, the apex court said. The apex court said a group of investigators headed by senior IPS officer BB Mishra will assist the Mudgal panel in the probe. It also said Sunil Gavaskar and Shivlal Yadav will continue to do their job as interim BCCI presidents till further orders. Interestingly, the Supreme Court bench said that there was a likelihood that if a new probe committee is formed, as demanded by the BCCI, the allegations could be leaked to the public. The court observed: “We are of the considered opinion that the allegations against the 13 persons including Mr. N. Srinivasan mentioned in the report submitted in the sealed cover should be investigated into by the Justice Mudgal Committee and the team of investigators because if a new Probe Committee is entrusted to inquire into the allegations, there is likelihood of the allegations being leaked to the public and such leakage will damage the reputation of the 13 persons beyond repair.” The Supreme Court order also said that the BCCI would bear all the expenses of travel, boarding and lodging of the chairman and members of the Justice Mudgal Committee, as well as the officers assisting in the investigation. “The chairman and members of the committee will also be entitled to fees of Rs 1 lakh per working day from the BCCI,” the order said. “The cricketer who is included in the team of investigation will also be entitled to fees of Rs 1 lakh per working day from the BCCI apart from expenses of travel, boarding and lodging.” The SC had on March 28 appointed Test great Gavaskar as temporary president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India for the duration of the Twenty20 competition in place of N Srinivasan. An apex court bench headed by justice AK Patnaik had said Gavaskar would only be concerned with matters related to the seventh edition of the IPL. Several players were arrested last year, including Test paceman Shantakumaran Sreesanth, for allegedly spot-fixing — or conceding a specified number of runs in exchange for money from bookmakers. The court did not penalise any teams or players as part of the judgment. Srinivasan's position on the BCCI has been considered untenable since a three-member committee, headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal, found Chennai Super Kings team principal Meiyappan guilty of being in contact with illegal bookmakers in its report forwarded to the SC. Srinivasan said that Meiyappan was “just a cricket enthusiast” even though he was seen regularly at players' auctions and in the team dugout. — PTI
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India shuttlers not at par with us yet, says China coach
New Delhi, May 16 Saina had once famously said that Chinese shuttlers were not impossible to beat. “They also get tense in crucial situations and crack up,” she had said. Both Saina and Sindhu have defeated top-ranked Chinese shuttlers, including Olympic champion Li Xuerui, Shixian Wang and Xuan Deng, over the years. For China's badminton coach Li Yongbo, however, India still have some distance to cover before catching up with their Chinese counterparts. “India have some strong singles players in Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu, but as a whole, they are not comparable with Chinese team,” Yongbo said here today. Yongbo said countries such as India, Japan and Thailand are getting stronger, but they are still not a threat to the traditional powerhouses like China. “Badminton is growing at the world level. There are countries like China, Indonesia, Korea, Denmark and Malaysia which are traditional powerhouse and have strong teams. But, at the same time, there are countries like Japan, Thailand and India which are also coming up,” he said. India will be hosting the Thomas and Uber Cup finals for the first time from May 18 to 25 at the Siri Fort Sports Complex. China are the defending champions in both Thomas and Uber Cup, but Yongbo said they will not take any team lightly in the tournament. “We have a strong team for Thomas and Uber Cup, but it doesn't mean we are winning for certain. We have to take every game seriously,” he said. China have been clubbed with Chinese Taipei, Russia and France in Thomas Cup, while in Uber Cup, they will be up against Chinese Taipei, Russia and England. “For the first time, I have three doubles pairs to pick up from. Earlier there used to be just one. So we have no problem in this department. Overall, competition has gone up in badminton,” he said. Asked about badminton's popularity in India, the coach said: “Badminton is growing at the world level. A Super Series event takes place in India now, and there are Thomas and Uber Cup finals too. It just shows that India is growing as a badminton market.”
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AIBA gives Boxing India provisional membership
New Delhi, May 16 Boxing India, led by Indian Amateur Boxing Federation's (IABF) former secretary general P K Muralidharan Raja, which claims the support of 26 out of the total 35 affiliated units, would be the provisional member until ratification by the AIBA Congress, following recommendation by an evaluation committee. The decision was officially announced by AIBA president Ching-Kuo Wu in his letter to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narayna Ramachandran. “The new vision and the initiatives proposed by this organisation to revive the sport of boxing in a professional and ethical manner have convinced AIBA that there would be no better organisation than Boxing India to represent the sport in India,” Ching-Kuo Wu said in a statement posted on AIBA website. It was on March 3 this year that the AIBA EC decided to end AIBA's official relationship with the IABF and to provisionally terminate the membership of the national federation due to serious violations of the AIBA statutes and bylaws. AIBA had then decided to establish a new national federation “with the right group of people who would support the principles of AIBA in terms of ethics and fairness”. For that, AIBA launched an evaluation committee to assess all the applications sent by potential groups and/or individuals interested in establishing the new federation. Now, AIBA expects Boxing India to submit its plan to hold a general assembly to conduct the elections to elect its executives. Boxing India had submitted a vision document to the AIBA after the world body terminated the IABF for suspected manipulation in the polls. The new federation will be launched after the elections and will start governing the sport in the country with full recognition from the AIBA. When IOA's ad-hoc committee president Tarlochan Singh was asked whether he had received any communication from the AIBA, he replied in negative. “The ad-hoc body has received no such communication from the AIBA. We have to see what they have written to our president before commenting on the issue,” Tarlochan, also the IOA's senior vice-president, told The Tribune. The IOA has appointed an ad-hoc committee, with the approval from the AIBA, to run boxing in the country. The ad-hoc committee recently conducted trials to identify the core group probables, from which the Indian contingent for the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games will be selected.— PTI
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AB best batsman in modern era: Laxman
Hyderabad, May 16 “Yes, he is without a doubt,” the Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor said when asked if the South African was the most complete batsman in the modern era. “… And I feel (Glenn) Maxwell is getting there. Like Maxwell, AB can play shots all around the wicket. He has go three or four shots for one delivery. There is nothing that he cannot do when he is batting. He is quick on his feet and in his thought process.” “To execute some of the shots he has played, which he has done effectively not only against the mediocre bowlers but also the best in the business, one has to have a quick mind. He is quick on his feet, always thinking, and an exceptional runner between the wickets, which makes him a complete cricketer.” The elegant batsman said De Villiers has the perfect blend of orthodoxy and innovation. “That is why he is complete. Because of his good basic technique, even in tough conditions, he can adapt quickly. To unsettle the opposition, he can play some freak shots and get his innovation into the picture and change the game singlehandedly. He has the potential to play aggressively and be defensive at the same time.” — PTI
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Messi to be best paid footballer
Barcelona, May 16 Barcelona did not publish details of the deal but Spanish media said Messi, 26, would remain tied to the club until June 2018, as in his previous contract, and could earn around 5 million euros more per season in performance-linked bonuses. The Argentina captain would also regain control of his image rights, one report said, further boosting the income of a man Forbes magazine estimates is the 10th highest-earning athlete, with annual revenues of $41.2 million including wages and endorsements. “The revised and updated contract will be signed over the next few days,” Barca said. Cristiano Ronaldo to return against Espanyol
Madrid: Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo will return to action when Espanyol visit the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, a week ahead of Real's Champions League final against Atletico Madrid. The Portuguese is looking to edge out Liverpool's Luis Suarez to win the European Golden Boot with both men currently tied on 31 league goals. Gareth Bale has also been included in Ancelotti's 21-man squad and could get his first outing in two weeks to ensure he is fully match-fit to face Atletico in Lisbon next weekend. — Reuters
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Desailly tips Argentina as favourites
LONDON, May 16 The Ghana-born 1998 World Cup winner, who won the Champions League with Marseille and AC Milan, also predicted Ivory Coast could be the surprise team and Argentina’s Sergio Aguero the top scorer. Argentina have the talent to win even if Barcelona’s Lionel Messi does not play in every match, he said. “I am sure collectively Argentina will be able, with Messi at top or without Messi at his best, to win the World Cup,” said the Frenchman. “Honestly I see Argentina playing without Messi,” he continued. “Messi is not specially the key player of Argentina, you will see.” Desailly said champions Spain had the potential to defend the trophy, with fresh talent coming in to boost established players, but Brazil could buckle under the burden of expectation. — Reuters
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Rome, May 16 In women’s play, Sara Errani beat second-seeded Li Na 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and reached the semifinals for the second consecutive year. Ana Ivanovic beat 13th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 and will face either top-ranked Serena Williams or Zhang Shuai of China. — Agencies
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Jeev, Bhullar shoot 71 in first round in Spain
Girona,May 16 Jeev had four birdies against three bogeys, while Bhullar, who is playing his rookie year on European Tour, also had two birdies and one bogey. England’s Eddie Pepperell was the sole leader on a tightly packed leaderboard with a round of 68. Pepperell carded an opening four under-par 68 at PGA Catalunya Resort to finish a shot ahead of a group of eight players, including pre-tournament favourite Sergio Garcia and fellow Spaniards Miguel Angel Jimenez and Rafael Cabrera-Bello. Chowrasia tied sixth, Lahiri 16th at Philipines Open
Manila: Anirban Lahiri made a brilliant surge on the back nine to haul himself back into contention at the ICTSI Philippine Open with a fine round of three-under 69 to bring him to even par after 36 holes and a tied 16th place in the $300,000 Asian Tour event. But the best Indian continued to be SSP Chowrasia, who moved up from overnight 10th place to tied sixth place with another one-under 71 that puts him at two-under 142 for two rounds. But the star of the day was Marcus Both of Australia, who rediscovered some of his old magic, when he charged into sole lead with a flawless six-under-par 66. He is now eight-under. Abhijit Chadha (75-72) was the only other Indian making the cut at three-over 147. Sujjan Singh (75-75), Manav Jaini (71-77), Abhinav Lohan (78-72), Amardip Malik (79-73), Himmat Rai (77-78) and Digvijay Singh (80-76) missed the cut, which came at five-over 149. — PTI |
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HP eves thump Tripura 20-0
Chandigarh, May 16 The Pool A match proved to be dreadful for Hockey Tripura as they failed to score a single goal in the entire match. In the first-half, captain Kanishka Rai scored in the 4th minute. Six more goals followed (16th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 29th and 33rd minute) to give a HP a comprehensive lead. In the second-half, HP continued their attack and scored a field goal in the 40th minute through Shanaj. Soon, three goals were fired by Kanishka, Madhu and Nisha in 43rd, 44th and 45th minute, respectively. Later, the HP girls played a very defensive game but fired in three back-to-back goals in 59th, 60th and 61st minute. The last and the winning goal of the match came through Sapna in the 65th minute giving Himachal Pradesh’s eves a remarkable win. In another match, Hockey Bhopal defeated Gujarat 2-0. SAI beat Mumbai Hockey Association 6-0 in a Pool B.
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