Ghosal ensures bronze

The other squash bronze of the day was ensured by Saurabh Ghosal, who beat Pakistan’s Iqbal Nasir 3-1 to enter the semifinals. Ghosal won 11-6, 9-11, 11-2, 11-9, the match lasting just 28 minutes of playing time. “It was a tough match but playing a Pakistan player did not make a difference to my approach,” Ghosal said. “I don’t think of the country to which the opponent belongs to, I think about the match!”

Incheon, September 21
Jitu Rai, famously calm and patient like a saint, says that he’s really, really tired. He says that he just needs to go to the mountains and meditate. “Mentally, I am extremely tired after training and competing day-in, day-out since June,” he said here today after helping India win a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol event.

This was quite a remarkable win.

Rai was mentally shot. Prakash Nanjappa shot standing on one foot due to an injury. The third shooter, Samaresh Jung, was lucky to be able to shoot at. He reached last night as he was one of the shooters who had to procure a Korean visa in New Delhi.

“I reached at eight in the night,” Jung said, yawning frequently, his eyes tired and bloodshot. “I missed the official practice session yesterday. Today morning, when my pistol was checked before the short practice time, the officials found that the serial number was not provided… The coach had to rush to get the serial number registered. So of the 15 minutes I had to practice today, five-six minutes were lost!”

It was quite a miracle that Jung shot a very impressive score of 580, to finish ninth in the individual event. He had tied for eighth, actually, with Quoc Coung Tan of Vietnam. But Jung had 18 ‘X’ shots – ie shots closer to the centre of the target – as against Tan’s 23 ‘X’ shots.

“I just couldn’t have asked for anything more,” Jung said. Nanjappa had a swelling in his foot, and the doctors had advised him to avoid jogging. His fitness suffered, and he had a pain in his foot. Yet, the 38-year-old software engineer – who suffered a facial paralysis last year – shot a 578.

Rai shot a 585, and the aggregate of the three shooters was 1743 points, the same as second-placed China’s. But China won the silver due to more ‘X’ shots than India’s.

Rai’s fall

In the individual final, Rai seemed set to challenge for his second gold in two days. After 10 of the 20 shots in the final, Rai jointly led the field with Korea’s Kim Cheong-Yong, a star schoolboy shooter, who is 17 years old. Then Kim shot a brilliant 10.9, the highest possible score. The applause was loud and long, and continued on and on. That, said Rai, confused him.

“The crowd started clapping loud,” he said.

Incheon, September 21
Abhinav Bindra’s existence has centred around shooting. He’s a cool cat, supremely indifferent to people who accost him, congratulate him, ask him questions. He’s apt to be snappy and curt in his answers; he can move hardened journalists to deep embarrassment with seemingly brutal, brusque responses.

But it’s been long speculated that under the prickly surface is a “painfully shy” individual; that his anti-social instincts make him react aggressively when he thinks that his privacy is intruded on; that adulation and being lionised makes him embarrassed; that he actually thinks that his achievements are not all that amazing; that he possesses a sense of humour, which is evident to only those who are part of his inner circle.

That’s fair enough – individuality must be prized, champions must not become photocopies of each other in behaviour, and a champion has every right to engage with the world only to the extent he/she is comfortable with.

In ‘A Shot At History : My Obsessive Journey To Olympic Gold’, Bindra has detailed his life as a shooter. Reading the book, quite frankly, suggests that the life of a shooting champion is not particularly attractive. “Obsessive” in the title is just right – Bindra does come across as a very peculiarly compulsive character focussed on his craft – maybe that was what was needed to become India’s first ever individual gold medallist at the Olympics.

Bindra, though, seems to have lightened up now.

Harpreet Singh, the rapidfire shooter who has roots in Haryana and Punjab, is probably the funniest man in the Indian shooting squad. “When we’re down and upset, we all go to Harpreet bhaiya,” says Malaika Goel, the 16-year-old shooter who won a silver in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Harpreet Singh is the grinning magnet who seems to attract everyone toward himself. Perhaps it’s because he needs to have a light word and a laugh with someone that Bindra joins Harpreet and Omkar Singh for a chat.

I ask Bindra if he actually enjoys his sport – his book suggests that shooting is far from an enjoyable sport. “I’ve started enjoying shooting now,” he says. But his face has a deadpan expression, his eye has a glint – does he really mean it? Perhaps he does, actually, for he says emphatically: “Of course I’m serious…. I’ve only now started enjoying this sport, and that’s the reason I’m still here, 20 years on, shooting.”

So when did he realise that he enjoys shooting? Bindra now has a mischievous smile on his face. “Since I met this funny guy,” says Bindra, pointing at Harpreet, who’s already giggling away.

Did Harpreet know that Bindra was a funny character? “Yes, paaji can be quite funny,” says Harpreet.

“I’m very serious,” adds Bindra, with a grin.

“I’m enjoying the sport, and I think I’m in love with it,” he adds, with some gravity. “And I always had a sense of humour, but all shooters seem very intense.”

Why didn’t he show any emotion when he won the gold in the Commonwealth Games? “See, if I knew how to dance, I would have danced,” says Bindra. “But I don’t know how to dance!”

Then Bi Wei, a Chinese journalist who startles everyone when she starts speaking in Hindi, joins us. She says Bindra is the most well-known Indian sportsperson in China, and that she would like a photograph with him.

Bindra has a question for her: “What does the Chinese media think of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India?” Bi Wei says she’s been in Incheon for the last few days and can’t really answer with certainty. “All right, then tell me what makes the Chinese athletes so good in everything, so consistently?” Bindra asks.

Bi Wei doesn’t know the answer to this one too because, she says, she does not specialise in sports reporting. This was a peculiar exchange – Bindra asked questions in English, Bi Wei answered them in Hindi.

“Your Hindi is better than my Hindi!” quips Bindra and moves on, with a grin.

When we meet Bindra the next day, he’s still grinning – maybe Bindra Mark 2 is really a light and droll act.

Singapore, September 21
Lewis Hamilton stormed to an emphatic victory at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday to wrest the championship lead from Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg after the German retired with steering wheel problems.

The Briton overcame an extended safety car period midway through the race, as well as the twin Red Bull challenge of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, to move three points clear of Rosberg with five races remaining. “I was dreaming it last night... I just want to say huge thanks to my team,” Hamilton said in a podium interview. “I was so excited, I was looking for a clean weekend, and I had it.”

Fernando Alonso ended a good weekend for Ferrari with a solid fourth place finish on a hazy Singapore night with Brazilian Felipe Massa rounding out the top five in his Williams.

For Hamilton, the race could not have gone any better after he arrived in Singapore trailing Rosberg by 22 points and in desperate need of a strong finish to ensure he maintained his bid for a second world title after his 2008 triumph.

He saved his best for last in qualifying on Saturday to claim pole position from his team mate and when Rosberg was unable to get his Mercedes moving at the start of the formation lap, the writing was on the wall for the German.

Rosberg was forced to start from the pitlane at the back of the field and when Hamilton stormed clear into the first corner, he always looked on course to record his seventh victory of the season, and 29th overall, in the fastest car on the track.

Only the inevitable safety car period, for seven laps midway through the race following Adrian Sutil’s collision with Sergio Perez, added an element of doubt to the proceedings but Hamilton managed his tyres brilliantly to claim victory by 13.5 seconds.

Vettel, Ricciardo and Alonso opted to go all the way to the finish once the safety car came in on the 37th of the 60-lap race, forcing Hamilton to build as big a lead as possible before pitting again to fit some soft ‘prime’ tyres.

When he emerged back on the track on the 52nd lap, Vettel was ahead and Ricciardo snapping at his heels but the Briton was able to make the most of his fresher tyres and performed a magnificent pass on the German through turn seven to reclaim the lead for good.

Jean-Eric Vergne drove brilliantly in his Toro Rosso to claim sixth place, his best finish of the season, with Sergio Perez, Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen completing the top 10. — Reuters

London, September 21
Frank Lampard, Chelsea’s all-time record scorer, came on as a late substitute for Manchester City and scored their equaliser in a 1-1 draw at the Etihad as the champions ended his former club’s perfect start to the Premier League season on Sunday.

Lampard, who scored 211 goals for Chelsea and is on loan at City from MLS side New York City, scored in the 85th minute after only six minutes on the pitch.

Andre Schuerrle had put league leaders Chelsea ahead in the 71st minute, five minutes after City defender Pablo Zabaleta had been sent off for fouling Diego Costa.

Lampard, third on Chelsea’s all-time appearance list as well as scoring more goals for the club than anyone else, did not celebrate the goal which ended Chelsea’s perfect start to the season although they stayed three points clear at the top with 13 points from their first five matches. “It’s a really difficult one. I’d be unprofessional if I came on and didn’t do my job so I’m mixed with it,” he said.

“The Chelsea fans were singing my name and it was an emotional day. It’s not how I expected to say goodbye to the Chelsea fans. I woke up this morning and didn’t know what I wanted from today so I’m glad it’s out of the way. I guess this is a happy medium.”

The result left Manchester City in sixth place on eight points, and their draw meant they had a better day than their arch-rivals Manchester United, involved in one of the most astonishing Premier League matches for years.

They were twice two goals ahead at Leicester first by 2-0 and then 3-1 with 33 minutes left, but Leicester came back to win 5-3 for their first league win over United since 1998. — Reuters

Hyderabad, September 21
Skipper Gautam Gambhir led from the front with a confident half-century after Sunil Narine stifled Lahore Lions with his magical spin bowling as Kolkata Knight Riders eked out a four-wicket win in a Champions League Twenty20 Group A match, here today.

Gambhir (60) anchored the 152-run chase with his 47-ball knock as he and fellow opener Robin Uthappa (46) rattled up a 100-run stand, which paved the way for an easy win, which was 11th in a row for the IPL champions in this format.

The chase was complete in 19.3 overs as KKR lost five quick wickets after being placed comfortably at 113 for one at one stage.

Narine, in his excellent figures, took three wickets at the expense of just nine runs in his four overs as Lions posted 151 for seven after being asked to bat.

Narine scalped two batsmen in two balls in his three-wicket haul and it was largely the contributions from opener Ahmed Shehzad (59) and Umar Akmal (40) that propped up the Lions innings.

Gambhir and Uthappa stroked freely before off-spinner Adnand Rasool broke the stand by castling the latter in the 13th over. Twelve balls later, Gambhir met the same fate at the hands of paceman Mustafa Iqbal.

KKR were firmly in control at that stage but lost wickets in a heap. Suryakumar Yadav (14) though ensured that KKR cross the finish line and there was no twist in the tale. — PTI

Lahore Lions

The match between Khalsa Warriors and Yo Yo Tigers in progress during WKL in Jalandhar on Sunday. Tribune Photo: Sarabjit Singh

Jalandhar, September 21
Khalsa Warriors turned in another powerful performance to extend their lead at the top with their eighth win in nine matches in the World Kabaddi League at the Surjeet Hockey Stadium here today. Warriors’ captain, Satnam Sattu, led his team to a 62-47 win over Yo Yo Tigers.

The initial moments witnessed some aggressive tackles by the Tigers who were successful in equalising the score at 32-all. 

But by the time the third quarter ended, the Warriors were back ahead by 44-38. Stoppers Sohan and Nirbhay Jogiwal of Yo Yo Tigers made a few crucial errors and allowed Khalsa Warriors to run away in the final session. 

The final quarter was dominated by the Warriors, who now hold a seven-point advantage over second-placed Lahore Lions.

In the other match, Punjab Thunders beat United Singhs 56-44.

Incheon, September 21
Japan’s Kosuke Hagino stunned Chinese swim star Sun Yang and home hero Park Tae-hwan to snatch gold as records tumbled at the Asian Games on Sunday.

Favourites Sun and Park, after whom the Incheon centre is named, duelled throughout the 200 metre freestyle race but it was Hagino, 20, who surged to an unexpected win.

Hagino’s exploits followed a record-breaking session at the weightlifting, where North Korea’s Kim Un-guk broke three records on his way to gold and Taiwan’s Hsu Shu-ching set a new combined mark in the women’s 53kg class. South Korea stayed just ahead of China at the top of the medals table by a gap of one silver, with both countries tallying 12 golds at the end of day two.

Sunday’s swimming clash was the first in a triple-header between the controversial but prodigiously gifted Sun and “Marine Boy” Park, a poster-boy for the Games in Incheon. Now they face a new challenge from the 20-year-old Hagino, who also beat American legend Michael Phelps when he took the 200-metre individual medley at last month’s Pan Pacific championships in Australia.

In weightlifting, Hsu equalled a new clean and jerk record by Kazakhstan’s Zulfiya Chinshanlo, raising the combined world mark and winning gold in the process.

But her exploits were outshone by North Korea’s Kim, who set a new clean and jerk record and twice broke his own combined world mark to win the men’s 62kg.

South Korea unearthed an unlikely hero in Seoul schoolboy Kim Cheong-yong, 17, who upset the Olympic and world champion Jin Jong-oh to win the 10-metre air pistol title. The shy Kim also helped South Korea bag the team title. — Agencies

Incheon, September 21
Afghanistan’s superstar cricketer is an apologetic and humble figure, a man with careworn, sorrowful eyes of a loveable puppy. He makes $1,600 a month as his salary from the Afghan cricket board, which comes down to about $1,400 after taxes.

India’s superstar cricketer is a confident, cool figure, a man with a strong jaw and cool eyes, who makes more money than most of us can ever conceive of.

The initials of the two are “MS”, both are wicketkeepers, both hit “helicopter” shots, and both are very unlikely friends.

Mohammad Shahzad, stubble on his face, his trousers crumpled and his tie hanging loose, looks like a man down on his luck. He doesn’t think so, actually, because he’s Afghanistan’s smashing cricketer and a man who is lucky to be friends with India’s captain MS Dhoni.

Shahzad met Dhoni first during the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies. “I’d met him at the ground, and I told him that I was a fan of his and wanted to have a chat with him,” says the mournful-looking Shahzad. “He said OK, we could meet at his hotel.”

When Shahzad went to Dhoni’s hotel, he was unsure of the welcome he’d receive. He need not have nurtured any misgivings. “I met him in his hotel, room No. 411,” says Shahzad.

“There were some people with him, his friends… I knocked, and he asked me to come in. He introduced me to the others as his friend, and we had a nice, long chat.”

“Mahi then himself went to the ground floor, and got tea and biscuits for me,” adds the starry-eyed Shahzad. “I said I would serve him and the others tea, but he said: ‘No, sit down! Who is the mehman here?’”

Dhoni served Shahzad tea and biscuits. Shahzad was smitten for life.

Shahzad, who’s from a “humble background”, comes from Jalalabad in the Nangarhar province. He met Dhoni in Sri Lanka during the 2012 T20 World Cup as well, and they had a long chat about cricket. The two last met during the Asia Cup in Bangladesh earlier this year.

“When we met in Bangladesh, he immediately gave me a bat and said: ‘This is a lighter bat, and I’ve got this especially for you’.”

“He also gave me gloves and four inner gloves used in wicketkeeping,” says Shahzad. “I asked him if he kept so many inner gloves with him all the time, and he said he’d got so many with him because he knew he was going to meet me.”

Shahzad also likes to hit the “helicopter” shot made famous by his friend.

“I hit Zaheer Khan for a four with a helicopter shot in September 2012,” says Shahzad. “I had said before the match that I’d try this shot, and I managed to strike it well.”

Shahzad says that the original hero of the Afghans was, naturally, Shahid Afridi.

“But then he did a bad thing,” says the 26-year-old. “One of our players was a huge fan of Afridi. He went to Afridi to shake his hand and Afridi put his right hand behind his own back and gave our teammate his left hand to shake. This is a big insult. Our teammate was in tears. From that day, we don’t like Afridi. Then, a few days later, we saw that Afridi went to Dhoni to shake his hand – and believe it or not, Dhoni offered Afridi his left hand to shake! From that day, we all became huge fans of Dhoni.”

Dhoni, adds Shahzad, takes a keen interest in his game and cricket in Afghanistan. “He sends me cricket gear regularly through his manager,” Afghanistan’s MS says.

“Anytime I need anything, I only need to send across a message, and I get what I need!”

MS of Afghanistan was certainly a friend in need, and MS of India became his friend. Quite an unbelievable story, made possible by sport.

I met him in his hotel room (during 2010 T20 World Cup). There were some people with him… He introduced me as his friend. Mahi then himself got tea and biscuits for me. I said I would serve him and the others tea, but he said: No, sit down! Who is the mehman here?
Mohammad Shahzad, Afghanistan Cricketer

Hyderabad, September 21
Aiden Blizzard played a blistering knock as Hobart Hurricanes beat Cape Cobras by six wickets in a group league encounter of the Champions League T20, to keep their hopes of qualifying for the semifinal alive.

Chasing a stiff target of 184, ‘Hurricane Blizzard’ swept the Cobras away with his 48-ball 78 that had four boundaries and five huge sixes as the Aussie outfit won the contest with an over to spare.

He got a reprieve in the 18th over bowled by Vernon Philander, when he was caught in the deep but the bowler overstepped resulting in a ‘free-hit’ being awarded to the batting team. The over yielded 24 runs including two sixes and four hit by the 30-year-old. Credit should also be given to Jonathan Wells for being the ideal foil during their unbroken 65 run stand for the fifth wicket.

However, credit should also be given to opener Ben Dunk, who set the stage with a 35-ball 54 for Blizzard to come and finish off the game in style. Left-handed opener Dunk started the onslaught as he hit seven boundaries in a space of nine deliveries — three off Philander and four in an over from left-arm slow bowler Robin Peterson.

Such was Dunk’s domination in the opening partnership of 51 that his opening partner Tim Paine scored only seven when he was castled by Charl Langeveldt.

Dunk scored his 50 off 30 balls and was finally holed out in the deep off the bowling of Sybrand Engelbrecht, having hit 10 fours in his innings. — PTI

Cape Cobras

Levi c Mennie b Laughlin 42(30)
Amla b Hilfenhaus 8(6)
Ramela b Bollinger 21(11)
Vilas b Hilfenhaus 25(22)
Ontong b Mennie 10(8)
Engelbrecht c Paine b Laughlin 12(15)
Peterson not out 25(14)
Philander not out 32(14)

Extras (lb 1, w 8) 9
Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 184
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-39, 3-87, 4-106, 5-119, 6-132

Bowling

Bollinger 4-0-39-1
Hilfenhaus 4-0-49-2
Doherty 4-0-29-0
Mennie 2-0-20-1
Laughlin 4-0-31-2
Malik 2-0-15-0

Hobart Hurricanes

Dunk c Ontong b Engelbrecht 54(35)
Paine b Langeveldt 7(10)
Blizzard not out 78(48)
Malik c Philander b Engelbrecht 8(7)
Birt c Ramela b Engelbrecht 7(6)
Wells not out 17(10)

Extras (lb 3, w 10, nb 2) 15
Total (4 wickets; 19 overs) 186
Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-91, 3-109, 4-121
Bowling

Piedt 1.5-0-13-0
Langeveldt 4-0-43-1
Philander 3-0-42-0
Peterson 3-0-37-0
Amla 0.1-0-1-0
Mgijima 1-0-13-0
Engelbrecht 4-0-20-3
Ontong 2-0-14-0

BRIEFLY

Lahiri third, Chowrasia fourth in Malaysia
Petaling Jaya: A tired Anirban Lahiri tried hard for a birdie on the last hole but ended with a bogey to finish third, while SSP Chowrasia recovered from his third round 73, to card 67 and end at tied fourth spot in the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters here today. For the Indian fans, the disappointment of Lahiri ending with a bogey increased after the eventual winner, Chapchai Nirat, also bogeyed the last after him. Chapchai (68) beat early leader Antonio Lascuna (63) in the first play-off hole, while Lahiri (68) ended sole third. Rashid Khan (70) and Jyoti Randhawa (72) were tied for 24th, while Chiragh Kumar (75) was tied 42nd and Arjun Atwal (78) played listless to end 70th.

Ivanovic beats Wozniacki for Tokyo title
Tokyo: Former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic brushed aside Caroline Wozniacki to win the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Sunday and move closer to sealing a berth for the season-ending WTA finals in Singapore. The 6-2 7-6(2) win in the $1 million tournament also gave the Serb her fourth WTA title of the year and the 26-year-old is projected to move from the eighth spot to fifth in the race for Singapore. After trading early break of serves, third seed Ivanovic breezed through the first set against the former world number one Danish, who won the tournament in 2010. Wozniacki, the finalist at this year’s US Open, fought back to take a lead early and was up 3-1 in the second set but Ivanovic regained momentum and won five of the next eight games to force a tie-breaker, which she completely dominated.

Injured Watson out of Oz series against Pakistan
Melbourne: Injury-prone all-rounder Shane Watson has been ruled out of Australia’s entire series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates with a calf injury, the country’s cricket board said on Sunday. Watson, recovering from a sprained ankle that kept him out of the tri-series in Zimbabwe, has suffered a new setback and is experiencing soreness in his right calf, Cricket Australia (CA) physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said in a statement. “As Shane has previously had similar calf injuries, we plan to hold back his return to running and bowling for approximately 7-10 days. The unfortunate timing of this calf injury will mean that his preparation for the UAE tour will be considerably affected.” — Agencies