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Kabaddi medals give India 8th slot
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Women have it easy against Iran
Manju Bala's bronze upgraded to silver medal
AIBA has accepted apology: Sarita
Quick notes
India A prove too hot to handle for WI
California Eagles fly away with the game
Court rejects Messi appeal in tax fraud case
We were not close to our best: Bailey
Gangjee tied 11th midway in Taipei
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Kabaddi medals give India 8th slot
Indian kabaddi, the sole guarantor of two gold medals at the Asian Games, was thrust into the limelight through stinging, bruising encounters with men and women from Iran. Two gold medals did come to India, but they came with a severe warning — the guarantee of gold won’t hold true in the future. Indians believe they’ve got ownership of kabaddi and kabaddi gold in the Asian Games; but it’s also the national sport of Bangladesh since 1972; Sri Lankans claim they’ve got more kabaddi clubs than cricket clubs; the Iranians say that kabaddi has been part of their ancient history. It’s just that all of them have called it something else. Zahra Rahiminejadnoudijeh, Iran women’s team head coach, says that they’ve got the fundamentals of kabaddi in their native sports. “We have the Zoo, Ishtidi, Shirundudu — they are similar to kabaddi, and they’re played in the north of Iran,” she says. “Close to the border with India — I mean, close to Pakistan, what was once India.” The Irani men and women are robust and strong, and they play with aggression and agility. They’re the challengers India must fear the most in Asia. In the men’s final today, India won the gold after Iran gave them a terrible fight in which blood was spilled and tempers were lost and angry words spoken. With seconds left in the match, Iran trailed 25-26, and their raider Meraj Sheykh went into the Indian half; he was desperate, for he had to get the point that would have tied the teams at 26-26. He took his chance, he committed himself too deep and the Indians encircled him, grabbed him and he crushed under their weight. India had won. The Indians were mightily relieved — this was almost a defeat, which would have been their first in an Asian Games final. “We let them play too well,” said Balwan Singh, the Indian coach. “We did not attack their raiders well enough, we let them get away from our half with easy points, without challenging them.” Strong Irani start Iran, with their agile raiders and extremely strong catchers, led right from the start — it was 7-6, then 9-7. Iran were getting the bonus points, and also getting the Indians out – at 9-7, Iran’s catchers grabbed the Indian raider Anup Kumar, and the lona (equivalent to an innings) was conceded. India now trailed 7-13. It then became 16-7 when an Iran raider got three Indians out, and then 17-10. But India’s No. 3 Anup Kumar, of the Haryana Police, had got three Iranians out in one raid. India’s revival had begun. At half time, Iran lead 21-13. Indian inched closer, getting points and getting Iranian players out, and with a lona win, they now trailed 19-21. India made it 21-21 when Anup raided and got one man out, but Iran got three points in a row to make it 24-21. Now the star raider, Jasvir Singh, turned the game decisively — he got to defenders out, and India trailed 23-24, and Iran had five men and India all seven on the field. This was breathtaking stuff — it was 24-24, and India led for the first time when Anup got one Irani player out. 25-24 for India, for Iranis and seven Indians on the field. Three minutes to go, India led 25-24; then Iran’s Gholamabbas Korouki went in, and the Indians grabbed him — India lead 26-24. India conceded one point, but then it was all over with the capture of Meraj Sheykh. “Iran began very well, and that put us under a lot of pressure,” India captain Rakesh Kumar, who got a cut on his head when he was captured by Iran during a raid, said. “I got injured, but got back on the field because we had to win our seventh gold medal (in kabaddi).” Iran’s players were tough and extremely aggressive and physical — and their coach, Gholamreza Mazandarani, said they would have won the match if there had been no umpiring errors. “I think we should have had five points more,” he said. Kabaddi belongs to others too in Asia. Iran, which honours body builders and weightlifters and wrestlers, brings in great power to the sport — Iran can rule kabaddi.
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Women have it easy against Iran
Incheon, October 3 The Indians won 31-21, a fairly comfortable margin. But the Irani women, who looked fit and strong, playing in leggings and wearing headscarves, were no pushovers. “We beat them last year by only one point, so we knew that it was going to be a tough match,” Mamatha Poojary, the former captain and one of the two more experienced members of the team, told The Tribune. “But the competition is getting tougher,” she added. “The Iran girls don’t play normally… They play with a lot of shouts, creating a lot of noise. We were worried that the juniors could be scared, so we told them to shout and play with loud encouragements for each other. We played well, so we’re delighted.” Poojary fished out her phone and said with pride: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted his congratulations, and also spoke with our captain!” She said that Irani girls are fit and strong. “They’ve got a lot of power, they’re very strong,” she said. “Their team really deserves all praise.” “We’ve never seen anything like this before,” said captain Tejaswini Bai about the huge support they enjoyed in the Songdo Global University gymnasium hall. “There was so much support for us —probably because of the pro kabaddi league! People are loving this sport, and I think it’s only going to increase.” Since kabaddi was included in the Asian Games in 1990, India have won the gold medal in each of the seven editions. Women have won two back-to-back titles.
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Manju Bala's bronze upgraded to silver medal
Incheon, October 3 “Manju Bala's medal has been upgraded as one of the two Chinese athletes who finished above her has turned in a positive dope test,” said a source within the Indian contingent who has been informed by one of the athletics technical officials. Manju threw the chain and ball to 60.47m, considerably shorter than gold medal winner Zhang Weinxiu — who set a new Games mark of 77.33m — and silver winner Wang Zheng (74.16m), both from China on September 28. Rajasthan's 25-year-old Manju had come here with a season's best of 62.74m that she threw in the inter-state meet at Lucknow. — PTI
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AIBA has accepted apology: Sarita
New Delhi, October 3 Sarita had apologised to the AIBA for her “emotional outburst” during the medal ceremony, where she refused to wear the medal and “presented” it to South Korean boxer Jina Park. The AIBA took a strong view of Sarita’s action and opened a disciplinary case against her, which could have resulted in a life-ban on her. According to a statement by the AIBA, Adille Sumariwalla, the chef-de-mission of the Indian contingent for the Asian Games, forwarded a letter of apology from Sarita to AIBA president Ching-Kuo Wu. “Hours after tendering my unconditional apology to the AIBA on Friday, I received a brief note from the international body saying they have accepted my apology and have dropped disciplinary proceedings against me,” said Sarita. “This means I can now participate in the World Championships in Jeju Island. For me, it’s the start of a new chapter. I want to forget this episode and move on,” she told The Tribune in an interview. Sarita’s husband Thoiba Singh, speaking on her behalf, said the AIBA, while accepting her apology, has warned her against such incidents in the future. “I don’t want my fellow boxers to suffer as a result of my action. Our previous federation (IABF) was suspended for nearly two years and I don’t want the AIBA to take any drastic step which could affect the future of our boxers,” she said, explaining why she tendered the apology. Sarita also clarified that what she did wasn’t pre-planned; it was just a spontaneous outburst. “I couldn't control my emotions when the medal ceremony started. The entire bout, which I should have won, played on my mind. I offered Park the medal because that’s what she deserved. I was just emotionally exhausted and pained by the judges’ decision,” she said. Thoiba, who had launched a tirade at the judges, said they would seek an audience with Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to apprise him of the indifferent attitude of the government officials present in Incheon. “Nobody came to help us, or to console Sarita. The Ministry and the IOA officials were nowhere to be seen when we needed them the most. It was only when Sarita refused to accept the medal and whole controversy erupted, they came to save their own skin,” he said.
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Goalie Sreejesh had done his homework against Pakistan
Incheon, October 3 Sreejesh said that when facing a man about to shoot the ball towards the goal, the idea is to give him no space at all to beat him, and to watch very carefully and not commit. “We close the angles so that the opponent is cramped, but more than that, we need to make sure that we don’t commit,” he said. He said anticipation is important when confronting the shooter, but its fatal to commit yourself. “If we commit early, it increases the possibility of getting beaten quickly. So we’ve got to wait, then move with the ball, always make sure that we’re blocking the goal, and then try to make the save.” Sreejesh was surrounded by Indian fans for a very long time right on the pitch; they wanted to hug him, shake his hand, hand him their babies and get photographed with him. This adulation is something he’s not seen too much in the recent years, but he remembered how he’d helped India beat Pakistan through a penalty shootout in the Asian Champions Trophy in China three years ago. “I’d made two saves as we won 4-2 through the shootout then,” he said. “When the shots were to be taken, the only thought in my head was to win the gold medal. I was confident, and I felt no pressure because I had prepared myself for this kind of a situation,” he added.
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India beat Qatar, finish fifth in volleyball
India prevailed over Qatar 3-2 in a hard-fought contest to finish fifth in the men’s volleyball competition. In men’s 5th-6th place classification match at the Songnim Gymnasium, the Indians rallied to beat the Qataris 25-21 20-25 25-22 20-25 15-10 in a keenly contested match. which lasted an hour and 47 minutes. The match swung from one end to another before India managed to have the last laugh. India finished with a total of 105 points as against 103 scored by their opponents. The Indians started brilliantly and pocketed the first set 25-21 in 22 minutes, but Qatar got their act together soon to drew parity by winning the next one 25-20 to level the scores 1-1. The Indians fought back to restore their lead by winning the third set 25-22 but failed to capitalise on the advantage. They once again squandered the lead to let Qatar snatch the fourth game 25-20 and take the match to the decider. In the deciding set, the Indians held on to their nerves to make it 15-10. Gurinder Singh was the top-scorer with 20 points. Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan to win cricket gold Test nation Sri Lanka denied Afghanistan their first ever Asian Games gold medal as they overcame a batting slump to win the cricket final by 68 runs. Bowled out for 133, the Sri Lankans hit back to skittle the impatient Afghan batsmen for 65 in the Twenty20 match watched by a full house at the 2,500-capacity Yeonhui field in Incheon. Leg-spinner Jeevan Mendis grabbed three wickets for 13 runs and Isuru Udana and Chaturanga de Silva chipped in with two wickets apiece as the Afghans folded up in 17.4 overs. Eight batsmen failed to reach double figures for Afghanistan, who are set to make their debut in the 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year. Sri Lanka, who elected to bat after winning the toss, rode on Dinesh Chandimal's 33 and skipper Lahiru Thirimanne's 57 off 37 balls to race to 79-1 in 10 overs. China win all 10 diving titles; Hasan wins marathon by .01s China retained all 10 diving gold medals it won in Guangzhou four years ago after Qiu Bo won the men's 10m platform and He Zi took the women's 3m springboard gold. In marathon, Mahboob Ali Hasan of Bahrain won gold clocking two hours, 12 minutes and 38 seconds -- just .01 seconds ahead of second-placed Kohei Matsumura of Japan. Another Japanese, Yuki Kawauchi, finished third only .04 seconds behind the winner. Games not a ‘failure’: Official The Incheon Asian Games were not a "failure" and organisers did their best on a limited budget, a spokesman for the event said on Friday following a number of complaints. Poisonous lunchboxes, empty seats and transport problems caused organisers headaches but press relations chief Park Dal-Hwa said there were no major incidents. "We didn't have any big accidents or big casualties and I don't think the quality of these Games was very low," Park said, ahead of the 15-day event's closure on Saturday. — Agencies
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India A prove too hot to handle for WI
Mumbai, October 3 It wasn't the ideal practice session for the visitors as they were bundled out for a paltry 148 runs in 38.1 overs at the Brabourne Stadium. Chasing a paltry target of 149, India A surpassed the target in 25.3 overs with Unmukt Chand scoring unbeaten 79 off 81 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. While bowling first, Mishra produced a brilliant spell of leg-break bowling, grabbing three for 26 in 10 overs. The 31-year-old Haryana bowler went through the defences of skipper Kieron Pollard (2), Darren Sammy (0) with his googlies and also cleaned up Jerome Taylor (0). West Indies batsmen struggled against the India A attack, with Marlon Samuels being the only exception. The 33-year old Jamaican held the fort with his 59-ball 56 that consisted of nine fours. He added 47 runs with pacer Jason Holder (21) for the sixth wicket before being trapped leg before by Karn Sharma. West Indies received an early jolt when opener Leon Johnson (0) was caught in the second slip off Jasprit Bumrah in the fourth over while his partner Lendl Simmons was retired out on 12. Simmons had a back problem and did not retrun to the field. Only four batsmen reached double digits including tail-ender Kemar Roach (10). While chasing, Chand guided the team to victory with an unbeaten 78-run stand with Karun Nair. Nair struck three fours and a six in his 36-ball 27. Brief Scores: West Indies 148 (Marlon Samuels 56, Jason Holder 21; Amit Mishra 3/26, Karn Sharma 2/27) ; India A 149 for 1 in 25.3 overs (Unmukt Chand 79no; Roach 1/28). — PTI
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California Eagles fly away with the game
Mohalio, October 3 Into the third quarter, Royal Kings bounced back and took a three point lead, 46-43. Singh and Iqbal Singh Thiara of the Kings managed thwarted the opponent raiders and played a crucial role in giving their side a slender lead. The final quarter too saw the lead changing hands but, in the end, Eagles managed to fly away with the game. Bowler and Meek Seattle took control of the game and helped the Eagles to an eventual 64 - 59 victory. — PTI
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Court rejects Messi appeal in tax fraud case
Barcelona, October 3 A court in Barcelona decided, however, Lionel Messi could have known about and approved the creation of a web of shell companies that were allegedly used to evade taxes due on income from image rights. The appeal against that decision has been rejected, according to court documents published on Friday. Messi and his father have been accused of defrauding the Spanish state of more than 4 million euros (5 million US dollars). They have denied wrongdoing.— PTI
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We were not close to our best: Bailey
Hyderabad, October 3 "Disappointed for losing. I think that is the nature of the game, it does not matter whether you lose by one run or 80 runs. You reach this stage and you expect to play somewhere close to your best. We didn't do that," said Bailey at the post-match press conference. Chennai bowlers wreaked havoc to dismiss Punjab for a mere 117 in 18.2 overs after Dwayne Bravo hammered 67 balls off 39 balls to take his team to an imposing 182 for seven in the second semifinal at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here last night. Noting that the target of 183 was "gettable", Bailey said his team should have been able to chase it down. He, however, appreciated the "depth" in CSK batting with Ravindra Jadeja, coming in to bat lower down the order, making an useful contribution with an unbeaten 27 off 13 balls, even after KXIP had already got crucial top order wickets. Analysing KXIP's overall performance in the tournament, the skipper said that the youngsters were outstanding. "Proud of what the group has achieved. What we can do is get to the knock-out stage and give ourselves the best chance. Some of the development we have seen from young players has been outstanding. Very, very proud of them," said Bailey. — PTI
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Gangjee tied 11th midway in Taipei
Taipei, October 3 Gangjee is now one-over 145 and is four shots behind the leader, Brazilian Adilson Da Silva (66). Two others Indians, Jyoti Randhawa (75-72) in tied 26th and SSP Chowrasia (72-77) in tied 49th made the cut. But three others Chiragh Kumar (77-73), Sujjan Singh (72-79) and Himmat Rai (74-78) missed the cut. Gangjee, who is currently 10th on the Order of Merit, needs to stay in top-10 of the Money List to qualify for the CIMB Classic. He had birdies on first, seventh and ninth but dropped bogeys on 10th and 12th. Da Silva soared into the lead with his blistering six-under-66 after opening with a 75.— PTI
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Veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra and talented youngster Unmukt Chand put up impressive performances as India A made short work of the touring West Indies side in the first of the two warm-up one dayers here on Friday.
It wasn't the ideal practice session for the visitors as they were bundled out for a paltry 148 runs in 38.1 overs at the Brabourne Stadium. Chasing a paltry target of 149, India A surpassed the target in 25.3 overs with Unmukt Chand scoring unbeaten 79 off 81 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. While bowling first, Mishra produced a brilliant spell of leg-break bowling, grabbing three for 26 in 10
overs.
California Eagles defeated Royal Kings USA 64-59 in Mohali on Friday to keep their No. Four slot in the points table.
At the end of the keenly contested first quarter, it was Royal Kings who had their nose ahead by one point, 15-14. Eagles, however, began to soar in the second quarter. At the end of this quarter, the score was tied 30-30. Virender Bowler turned out to be the star for the Eagles with his strong
defence.
Hours after tendering my unconditional apology to the AIBA on Friday, I received a brief note from the international body saying they have accepted my apology and have dropped disciplinary proceedings against me. This means I can now participate in the World Championships. For me, it's the start of a new chapter. I want to forget this episode and move
on