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Md. Sporting take time-out
Footballer dies after goal celebration
Hulkenberg to stay with Force India in 2015
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India win two gold in Incheon
Srini bent rules for Sky: Verma
Lanka coming over with quite a few fringe players
After a feisty fight for bronze in Incheon, are Dipika, Joshna still friends?
Serena battles past Ivanovic
Inter salvage draw against Napoli
Finals chiefs keep anxious eye on Murray, Nadal
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Md. Sporting take time-out
kolkata, October 20 "We will not play in the I-League and Durand Cup in the upcoming season," said club president Sultan Ahmed. Ahmed dismissed reports that the club has been disbanded, saying that it will still play in the local league. "We will make the club ready and develop infrastructure and take part in the (second division) I-league from 2015-16 onwards," he said. "We will also participate in next season's Calcutta Football League Premier Division and also the IFA Shield besides taking part in invitational tournaments," he added. Asked whether his club was reeling under acute financial crisis in the wake of the chit fund scam that has hit the state, Ahmed said, "It's been there for a long time not only for us but for many football clubs in India. But we have managed so far." Another club official said it was reportedly running losses to the tune of Rs 1.5 to 2 crore. "Unless our sponsors don't provide us necessary financial support, it's not possible for us to go and play the Durand Cup. We will play the tournament only if they help us. "Now because of the AIFF rules, we cannot play the Federation Cup too," he said referring to their I-League relegation last season that bars the club from participating in the Federation Cup. Mohammedan Sporting has been reeling under financial problems for some time. Its failure to meet financial obligations had caused displeasure among the playing and coaching staff. On top of that, the club was barred in May from competing in the I-League first division after failing to meet the AIFF's club licensing criteria. Under the AIFF's Club Licensing Regulations, the teams are expected to meet several legal, administrative, sporting, infrastructure and financial criteria. Licensing is an annual process where all clubs, eligible to compete based on sporting merit, need to have a license under the AIFF's Indian Club Licensing system. Going JCT way? Just like Mohammedan Sporting, JCT sent shockwaves across Indian football by disbanding their football club in 2011. Lack of exposure and visibility was said to be the primary reason behind the sudden decision. However, the club is being revived and the team is likely to get into the thick of action next year. — Agencies Firsts by Sporting
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Footballer dies after goal celebration
New Delhi, October 20 Bethlehem Vengthlang FC midfielder Peter Biaksangzuala died on Sunday at a hospital in Mizoram after the incident in Tuesday's match in the third tier Mizoram Premier League (MPL). “We are shocked by the case. We at the Mizoram Football Association did all we could but could not save him," MFA secretary Lalnghinglova Hmar said. After scoring the equaliser against Chanmari West FC, a flipping Biaksangzuala landed awkwardly and was lying unconscious as his team mates surrounded him and gestured for help. “We considered to fly him to Delhi but his condition was pretty bad. He was mostly unconscious,” Hmar said.— Agencies
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Hulkenberg to stay with Force India in 2015
New Delhi, Oct 20 He is currently eighth in the drivers' standings with 76 points from 16 races - much ahead of his Mexican teammate Sergio Perez's 47. No announcement has yet been made regarding Perez. "It's good to confirm my plans for next season. This is a team I know extremely well and we've enjoyed a great year together," Hulkenberg said. The 27-year-old said the team has big ambitions for the next season with a strong partner in Mercedes. "I believe we can have a competitive package once again next year. Everyone in the team is motivated and hungry for success. I have a good feeling for 2015 and there is a lot to be excited about as we try to build on the results we have achieved this year," he added. Hulkenberg raced with Force India in 2011 and '12 and, after a one-year spell at Sauber, returned for the 2014 season. His exploits has kept Force India in the hunt for the fifth spot in the constructors' championship. The team currently trail McLaren by 20 points. "We rate him very highly. He’s a true racer and he knows how to motivate the team. I am convinced he is one of the best talents on the grid and I am proud that he will continue to race in the colours of Sahara Force India," said Force India principal Vijay Mallya.
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Incheon, October 20 Amit Kumar won a gold in men’s club throw in a Para Asian record effort while Sharad Kumar grabbed the other yellow metal of the day in men’s high jump — T42/44/47 event. 2012 London Paralympic Games silver medallist H N Girisha settled for a bronze in men’s high jump while 2013 World Championships gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia bagged a silver in men’s javelin throw . — PTI
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Srini bent rules for Sky: Verma
New Delhi, October 20 BskyB was awarded the telecast, internet and mobile rights of the cash-rich T20 league on February 13 by the IPL Governing Council. “As per the process, all media/TV rights of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the IPL shall be awarded through a sealed tender process. The BCCI followed it while awarding the domestic rights of the IPL to Sony (MSM) in 2008 and the overseas and internet rights to a consortium of Times Group and Nimbus in 2011,” Verma said. “But, in February 2014, the rights for UK and Europe were sold to BSkyB without any tender process. There was no urgency in awarding the contract as 2014 rights were already with the Times Group and Nimbus consortium and 2015 season was 14 months away, but neither the Times Group nor Nimbus was asked whether they wished to renew the rights," Verma alleged. Verma further alleged that Star TV, owned by media baron Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, which also owns BSkyB has benefitted from Srinivasan's position as the BCCI president and the ICC chairman. In April 2012, Star TV won the rights to broadcast Indian cricket from 2012 to 2018. After Srinivasan took over as the ICC chairman, Star TV bagged the broadcast rights for all ICC events over the next eight years from 2016 to 2023 to Star India and Star Middle East. “This is the Star-isation of the BCCI and the ICC. In 2012, Srinivasan made channel Life OK — a sister concern of Star TV — the title sponsor of the Chennai Super Kings. Even though the channel has no viewership in Tamil Nadu, it bagged the contract by paying Rs 10 crore," alleged Verma. Verma said that he had provided the current set of findings to the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Mukul Mudgal committee probing the allegations of betting and spot-fixing in the IPL-6.
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Lanka coming over with quite a few fringe players
New Delhi, october 20 “This is an ideal opportunity for some of the bowlers who have been around to grab their chance by performing against a top team like India,” Jayasuriya said. “These players have been in the system for some time and thrown into the deep end we can see how they cope with the pressures,” he added. Three Sri Lankan seam bowlers have been recuperating from injuries. While Lasith Malinga is recovering from surgery on his ankle, Suranga Lakmal has just started rehabilitation work after a stress fracture to his ankle. Thisara Perera is recovering from a hamstring injury he picked up during the CLT20 last month. “Malinga has already begun rehabilitation work, and with 16 weeks left for the World Cup, we are hopeful he will be fit. Perera is not training at present,” said the former Sri Lanka skipper. Jayasuriya also said that the upcoming series is expected to benefit batsmen like Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella, who have been performing well for Sri Lanka A in the ongoing unofficial Test series at home against West Indies A. “It is high time these batsmen took on the responsibilities and performed without leaving everything to the experienced players. At the moment, apart from the players involved in the Sri Lanka A series with West Indies A, the rest of the players are undergoing physical training. They will need at least 5-6 strenuous batting sessions to be prepared for the Indian series,” he said. Sri Lanka last played an international series in August, against Pakistan at home. They were earlier not suppose to play till mid-November when England were to play seven one-dayers. SLC defends decision to tour India
Colombo: Sri Lanka Cricket today defended its decision to send the national team for a tour of India next month amid criticism coming from certain quarters, saying that it was taken at the best interest of the game. SLC said it was a collective decision of its executive committee to accept India's invitation for a short tour. After Kumar Sangakkara expressed doubts, local media quoted an unnamed member of SLC executive committee questioning the sudden decision to undertake the tour. The blame was laid on SLC Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga for arbitrarily agreeing for the tour. SLC said the initial invitation from India was to make the tour late October. — Agencies |
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After a feisty fight for bronze in Incheon, are Dipika, Joshna still friends?
New Delhi, October 20 But two months later, from Glasgow to Incheon, that sisterly love was nowhere to be seen when the two Chennai girls faced each other in the women's singles quarterfinals. They were chasing their own piece of history to become the country's first woman squash player to win an individual medal at the Asian Games. The match was a scruffy affair, full of body-blocks and angry glances. There were no hugs when Dipika finally won. The impression they left behind from that ill-tempered match was that their friendship is over. Do they still talk or practise together? When this question was posed to Dipika recently during her first visit to the capital after winning the bronze medal, her curt reply was good enough to send out a clear message. “From my side, I am her friend. Whether she also thinks the same, you probably need to ask her. Right now, we are concentrating on our individual circuits, so we don't really have much time to talk to each other. Also, there are not many team events lined up. I am concentrating on my ranking and, hopefully, I can take it higher,” Dipika told The Tribune. Talking about the match, and the bad press it attracted, Dipika said she was so consumed by the match that she forgot she was playing Joshna. “When you get on the court, you are not friends with anyone, even if the opponent is your best friend. Like any other player, I step on the court to win. Many people wrote about the match that we were tougher on each other. I think if I had played anyone else, I would have played the same way. It was a big match for both of us and we really wanted to win it,” she added. As the discussion veered towards the medal-winning efforts of other Indian squash stars at the CWG and Asian Games, Dipika hailed their performance as "historic" and said she would call this generation of India players as the “golden generation”. “The last few months have been great for Indian squash in general. It's been a huge year for us... Just to think that we are gold medallists, it's unbelievable. We are so glad that we have done something for Indian squash and hope that sport grows in the country.” “It's the golden era of Indian squash. I call this generation of players the golden generation of Indian squash. We all hope to be there in the next four years, to carry on the good work,” she signed off.
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Serena battles past Ivanovic
SINGAPORE, October 20 Illness and a knee problem forced the American world No. 1 to withdraw from her last two tournaments since winning a third straight US Open title at the start of September and Williams struggled early on the purple hard court in Singapore. Pre-match pyrotechnics left the Indoor Stadium looking as hazy as the city-state’s streets on a polluted day but once the smoke had cleared, Williams was forced to dig deep in her first service game, staving off two break points before holding. Ivanovic, making her first appearance in the season-ending event since 2008 when it was held in Qatar, had no such problems on her own serve in the early skirmishes but once Williams found her range the American broke and held to love to move 4-1 ahead. The Serb overcame two double faults in her next service game to hold and then started to mix up her strategy, refusing to go toe-to-toe with her powerful opponent with her drop shots causing Williams all sorts of problems. A lucky net cord brought up three break points for Ivanovic in the seventh game and she only needed one of them as Williams double-faulted to hand back her early break. With the crowd cheering her on, Ivanovic suddenly had the momentum and she began to make Williams scurry all over the court and even had a break point to move 5-4 ahead before her opponent dug deep to stave off the scare. Williams saved the break point to edge 5-4 ahead and put the pressure back on Ivanovic, who surrendered the set as her service fell apart under pressure. The pair traded breaks to open the second set and then raced through their service games until Williams made the vital breakthrough in the 10th game. — Reuters Navratilova unhappy with ITF silence
Multiple Grand Slam winner Martina Navratilova has questioned the “silence” of the International Tennis Federation after one of its members described Serena and Venus Williams as “brothers”. Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpischev was swiftly banned for a year and fined $25,000 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). Navratilova praised the speedy action by the WTA to defend Serena and Venus but was critical of the ITF. “The silence from the ITF has been pretty deafening,” she said. “They are the ones who have actually the possibility of doing something as the Russian Tennis Federation falls under the ITF.” — Reuters |
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Inter salvage draw against Napoli
Milan, October 20 Jose Callejon twice put Napoli in front, the second in the 90th minute, but Inter replied almost immediately each time, firstly through substitute Fredy Guarin and then Hernanes. — Reuters
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Finals chiefs keep anxious eye on Murray, Nadal
London, October 20
A few weeks ago Murray looked in serious jeopardy of missing the cut after a lean year but a late burst of form, with titles in Shenzhen and Vienna, has moved him to eighth in the Race to London. It is mighty close, however, with Spain’s David Ferrer and Canada’s Milos Raonic within touching distance of the Scot ahead of the final regular events of the year in Basel, Valencia and the Paris Masters, the latter with 1,000 points on the line. Murray plays in Valencia this week while Nadal is in Basel, having admitted that he is struggling. — Reuters
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The Kolkata-based club has the rare distinction of winning the Calcutta Football League five times in a row, from 1934 to 38.
Murray, an ever-present at the season-ender since it came to London’s cavernous O2 Arena in 2009, apart from last year when he was recovering from back surgery, guarantees a spike in ticket sales at the hugely popular event. Likewise, Nadal boasts an army of fans worldwide and should he succumb to ill health, the event would be down-valued, whatever the quality of the eight men who do line up.
