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Want to improve colour of our medals: Sharath
Heartbroken Dutee says she’s lost the will to live
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TEST Day 1Rahane ton rescues India London, July 17 Ajinkya Rahane scored a well-compiled century to help rescue India’s first innings on the opening day of the second Test against England at Lord’s on Thursday. Ajinkya Rahane celebrates his century on Day 1 of the second Test against England at Lord’s in London on Thursday. Reuters
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Paddling hope
Patiala, July 17
Then, the young duo of Harmeet Desai and Soumyajit Ghosh is amongst the top three in the Commonwealth nations, and a medal at Glasgow will surprise no one. The team prepared at Patiala from the last week of May, after participating in two major events — South Korea and Japan Open. “We had good results in terms of preparation, and the men did very well,” coach Mukherjee said. “There were surprise wins over higher ranked paddlers. Sharath Kamal was good in Japan. In doubles, we’ve tried many combinations to keep our options open… We’re satisfied with the options we’ve tried, so on a match day, we’d be able to put out our best teams.” India’s best bet remains Sharath Kamal. The top Indian player has shown great improvement on his backhand, and has the confidence to use it as a weapon. He’s improved his returns, too, adding several variations, which puts him in a position to initiate attacks.
Harmeet Desai, 21, has had a little dip in his performance after the Nationals. Nevertheless, his form was better in Japan, where he reached the semifinals of the U-19 category. “Amalraj can be flashy at times but we need such a guy in the team who can upset the best in the business on his day,” the coach said. “Sanil Shetty, the national champion, has improved his backhand and looks good. His variations would serve him well in Glasgow.” The women have had good practice stints in China, though they didn’t participate in tournaments. They’re fit and injury-free. K. Shamini, part of the 2010 silver-winning team, has improved on coordination and looks a better player. “She is aggressive on both flanks and hopefully, would bring back a medal,” Mukherjee said. “The talented Manika Batra’s self-confidence is up and she’ not afraid to experiment,” he added. “She is especially good at her backhand, a potential scoring weapon.” Old warhorse Poulomi Ghatak, the former national champion, is looked up to by all youngsters. Madhurika Patkar has worked very hard and is showing results – she is physically strong and doesn’t lack will power. National champion Ankita Das has been progressing steadily, too. “They all have been practising together in China and then at Patiala and the team spirit and morale are high,” Mukherjee said. Peter Engel, the foreign coach, is happy with the preparations. “The tour of Korea and Japan has given our paddlers very good match practice… I am hopeful of a good showing,” said the coach.
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Want to improve colour of our medals: Sharath
Patiala, July 17 He represented India in the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics and remains the top Indian player. He is the first Indian to win the US Open Table Tennis Men's championships, which he did in Michigan in 2010. Sharath, a manager in the Indian Oil Corporation, has been training in Europe for the past three years and feels that the competition has got tougher. “The standard of the game has really risen high in the past few years, but our players too have made a consistent progress… So, winning medals in the Commonwealth Games certainly should not be a problem,” Sharath Kamal told The Tribune. “However, we will play to improve the colour of the medals.” “I’ve been training abroad for nearly three years now and have had the opportunity to play with the world’s best,” he added. “This has helped me polish my skills. Moreover, it has given me the confidence to play against any competitor without fear of faltering.” Sharath Kamal would partner A Amalraj in the men’s doubles event in Glasgow for the first time, but he’s confident that that would not be a problem at all. “Since we’ve both been training together in various camps for years now and have thorough knowledge of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, I’m sure we can pull it off.” “We’ve been given adequate foreign exposure as we’ve been travelling and playing a lot in the recent past… We’ve competed in almost all international tournaments,” he said. “Moreover, our coaches have been regularly apprising us of the latest advancements in the game, helping us keep up with the changing game.” Commonwealth Games give Indians a better chance at medals than other big events like the Asian Games, for the level of competition is not very high. Sharath Kamal is candid enough to admit it. “The CWG are more important for us as compared to the Asian Games, for the chances of winning medals are higher in the Commonwealth Games.”
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Heartbroken Dutee says she’s lost the will to live
New Delhi, July 17 The 18-year-old Dutee Chand, from the Jajpur district of Odisha, who has a plethora of records under her belt despite little help from the government, suffered a harsh fate when her name was struck off the list of athletes bound for the Glasgow Games after serious doubts were raised over her gender. Dutee has been barred from competing in the women’s category due to excess androgen in her body after she was subjected to a controversial gender verification test by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). However, SAI has clarified that the test conducted on her to determine the female hyperandrogenism doesn't determine the athlete's gender. Watching her hopes and dreams come crashing down, Dutee on Thursday alleged that she was kept in the dark about her gender test and her consent was never taken to conduct such a test by the SAI and the Athletics Federation of India. Dutee has decided to quit the sport, and has even threatened to commit suicide after reaching her hometown. Taking personal interest in the matter, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has rushed two lady officers to SAI's Bangalore centre to bring Dutee back to Bhubaneshwar safely, fearing she could harm herself. “I was never told about various tests that I was subjected to. I was even threatened by Dr SR Sarala, scientific officer of sports medicine at the SAI Bangalore centre, to sign the consent letter that I was undergoing tests for relevant clinical and laboratory investigations. I was threatened to sign the consent letter three days after my gender test was done. SAI, AFI and, even my coach Ramesh, are guilty of keeping me in the dark,” a sobbing Dutee told The Tribune from Bangalore. “I don't know English. Every medical report was in English, so how could they expect me to understand what's written in it? I blindly trusted them and look what they have done to me. When I told my coach Ramesh that SAI officials want me to undergo a certain test, he told me it's a routine checkup. But when I approached him after media reports got published that a gender test has been done on me, he told me ‘it's your fault, why did you sign the consent letter?’ He told me I should have known that I was undergoing a gender test. SAI lied to me that it’s a routine test required for my participation in sports,” she alleged. Dutee said her career is in danger, and that she has lost the will to live. “I would be subjected to constant abuse by my village people. People would laugh at me. I have decided to quit the sport and the best way to do it is to end my life,” she said. “What will I do in my village where there’s no sports facility! I can’t participate in track and field events till the time I reduce my excessive levels of androgen. We are poor people and I was the sole breadwinner. All my life I dreamt of participating in the CWG and Asian Games. All has come to an end now.” Asked about the role of the AFI, Dutee said, “I was told by a senior office-bearer that my tests are part of the Anti-Doping exercise for which I need to give my blood sample. An AFI doctor told me a different thing, that it’s a High Performance profile test. And now that everything has been done, I have neither the report with me, nor the cure.” According to the Standard Operative Procedure, a female athlete needs to undergo the test only when there is a doubt about Hyperandrogenism. India had faced another embarrassment on a gender issue when 2006 Asian Games silver medallist athlete Santhi Sounderrajan had her medal taken away after failing a gender test.
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TEST Day 1 Shares 90-run partnership with Bhuvneshwar to take India to 290/9
London, July 17 England had reduced the visitors to 145 for seven on a bowler-friendly pitch early in the final session, but Rahane’s 103, along with support from number nine Bhuvneshwar Kumar (36), ensured India had rallied to 290 for nine at the close. Having won the toss and elected to bowl, the hosts initially struggled to find their rhythm on a green-looking surface, taking only two wickets before lunch. However, a four-wicket burst in the middle session followed by another dismissal shortly after tea put England in control before Rahane’s late assault. Rahane’s knock, which included 15 fours and a six, was ended by a sharp caught and bowled effort by Anderson late in the day. Tail-enders Ishant Sharma (12) and Mohammed Shami (14) safely navigated the closing overs to ensure England will have to come out and bowl on Friday morning. After being presented with a pitch to their liking, England initially failed to grasp the opportunity to make significant inroads into the Indian line-up. However, four dismissals in the middle session put the hosts in the driving seat. James Anderson had the dangerous Virat Kohli caught by Matt Prior for 25 while Ben Stokes knocked back Cheteshwar Pujara’s middle stump after an obdurate 28 from 117 balls. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni received a frosty reception from the Lord’s crowd and much to their delight, lasted only 17 balls before being caught by Prior off Stuart Broad for one. Jadeja, also unpopular with the home fans, was trapped lbw by Moeen Ali for three, leaving India in disarray at 128 for six before the tea interval. — Reuters Scoreboard
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british
open
HOYLAKE (ENGLAND), July 17 Northern Irishman McIlroy has developed a penchant for making fast starts and he did it yet again on a blisteringly hot day at the third major championship of the season, firing a pacesetting six-under 66. Matteo Manassero was in second place on 67, one ahead of fellow Italians Francesco and Edoardo Molinari. Also on 68 were American pair Brooks Koepka and Jim Furyk as well as Spain’s Sergio Garcia. Woods, playing in only his third competitive round since undergoing back surgery in March, confounded the critics who wrote off his chances by shooting a 69. The 14-times major winner made a poor start by bogeying the first two holes but it was almost vintage Tiger on the back nine as he went storming through the field with five birdies in six holes. — Reuters
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“Soumyajit Ghosh is more disciplined, more dependable now,” the coach said. “In both Korea and Japan, he was determined to go for wins. He is more focussed, and he is the player to bank on at Glasgow.” 
