New Delhi, October 22
A day after his dramatic decision to resign as India's chief national hockey coach, Terry Walsh on Wednesday made a U-turn, deciding to stay on following the discussion with top sports officials.

Walsh, who had sent shockwaves among the hockey fraternity on Tuesday, decided to continue as head coach after a meeting with the SAI Director General, Jiji Thomson, and the Secretary Sports, Ajit Mohan Sharan, in the Capital.

Though Walsh has not withdrawn his resignation yet, the officials have assured the Australian that his concerns will be addressed in his contract. Walsh's contract officially expires on November 19, well ahead of the FIH Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar from December 6-14.

Walsh's resignation had triggered off a blame game between Hockey India and the Sports Authority of India (SAI). It was only after the intervention of Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal that the top bureaucratic officials went into a huddle and convinced the 60-year-old noted Olympian to carry on with his job. Walsh's decision was announced by Sonowal, who tweeted, “I am happy that after SAI's efforts #TerryWalsh is back. Looking ahead for a bright future for hockey in India.”

Later, the SAI issued a statement, giving details of the meeting and making it clear that Walsh had no issues regarding his salary and tax deduction.

“Walsh has not withdrawn his resignation. As per the contract, he has to give one-month notice for resignation. Since the resignation will officially come into effect from 19th November, 2014, it was decided that the contract will be renewed before that, incorporating these clauses,” Thomson said in a statement.

“During the discussions, he made it very clear that he had no problems with regard to tax deductions or remuneration. His major concern was the lack of functional autonomy in deciding technical matters relating to hockey,” the statement added.

Thomson said Walsh wanted more freedom in the decision-making process, along with Hockey India's High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans.

“He was of the view that he, along with the High Performance Director, needs to be given more freedom in the decision-making process. From SAI's side, we have absolutely no issues on this. This is a matter that needs to be discussed with Hockey India,” he said.

Thomson further informed that a meeting, under the chairmanship of Sports Minister, will soon be convened to resolve the issue amicably.

Apart from blaming the “sports bureaucracy”, another key issue highlighted by Walsh in his resignation letter to SAI was about the number of holidays in his contract. Thomson said the SAI was ready to reconsider his holiday package, which will include fully paid 120-day stay in Australia with his family.

“We have also requested Walsh to help us in preparing a long-term athlete development plan for hockey. He has readily expressed his willingness to get the best experts available and prepare this plan,” Thomson said.

New Delhi, October 22
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) on Wednesday suspended pugilist Laishram Sarita Devi for refusing to accept her bronze medal and her emotional outburst during the medal presentation ceremony at the Asian Games in Incheon.

The AIBA Executive Committee also provisionally suspended Indian coaches GS Sandhu, BI Fernandez and Sagar Mal Dhayal, and India's chef-de-mission Adille Sumariwalla from all its events till further notice.

“AIBA Executive Committee Bureau has decided to provisionally suspend Laisham Sarita Devi, her coaches (Gurbakhsh Singh Sandhu, BI Fernandez and Sagar Mai Dhayal) as well as India's chef-de-mission Adille Sumariwalla, who were all present at the Asian Games, and not to allow any of them to participate at all levels of AIBA competitions, events and meetings until further notice,” AIBA said in a statement. “This case has been sent for review by the AIBA Disciplinary Commission, and it means that Sarita Devi, the above mentioned coaches as well as Sumariwalla, will not be allowed to participate in the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships,” the statement added.

Sarita has been punished by AIBA for her emotional outburst at the medal presentation ceremony for the women's 57-60kg lightweight category where she refused to accept her bronze medal. She insisted that the medal be handed over to her, and then she walked over to South Korean Ji-Na Park, who had 'beaten' her in a controversial semifinal bout, and hung the medal around her neck.

Sarita was adjudged to have lost the bout despite having dominated the South Korean opponent. The Indian team had lodged a protest against the decision, which was rejected by AIBA.

Later, Sarita had apologised to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), which had given her a stern warning. Even though AIBA had considered her written apology, the decision to suspend the boxer has surprised the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as well the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

SAI DG Jiji Thomson urged AIBA to reconsider its decision. “This is a sad incident. AIBA should reconsider its decision. We will have to see how we can revoke the suspension,” he said.

Reacting to her suspension, Sarita said she was unaware about the development and would comment only when she saw the copy of the notice. “I have not received any communication from AIBA as of now. I will react only after seeing the letter. I have come to know about it only from the media,” she said. Sarita and Indian coaches have seven days' time to reply to the notice from the AIBA.

London, October 22
The Champions League returned on Tuesday with a 40-goal bonanza. Bayern Munich beat Roma 7-1 for its biggest victory on the road, and Luiz Adriano scored five times to lead Shakhtar Donetsk to a 7-0 victory at BATE Borisov. On a record-busting night, Chelsea posted a 6-0 win over Maribor, but Manchester City remained without a victory in three matches after wasting a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at CSKA Moscow.

Schalke also squandered a two-goal lead before scoring a controversial penalty in stoppage time to edge 10-man Sporting 4-3, and Paris Saint-Germain edged APOEL 1-0 in Cyprus. Neymar and Lionel Messi scored in Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Ajax. Messi’s 69th career goal in Europe’s top-tier competition moved him within two of Raul Gonzalez’s record.

Adriano’s five-goal performance in Belarus — with two goals from the penalty spot — equaled Messi’s five against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012. Adriano is the first player to manage four goals in the first half, doing so in a record span of 17 minutes. With a late penalty, he also matched Messi’s mark. Shakhtar, which has been forced from its home in Donetsk because of fighting between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian rebels, matched the biggest away victory in the history of the Champions League. Olympique Marseille also won 7-0 at MSK Zilina in 2010.

Dubai, October 22
Younis Khan led Pakistan's fightback with a dogged century after the hosts made a terrible start to the first Test against Australia in Dubai on Wednesday.

After opting to bat first, Pakistan reached 219 for four wickets at stumps on the first day with captain Misbah-ul-haq (34) and Asad Shafiq (nine) at the crease.

The 36-year-old Younus fell on 106, leg before to Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson's second delivery with the second new ball.

Younus walked in at number four with Pakistan having lost both their openers before the total had reached double figures. The stylish right-hander propped his side up with a 108-run stand for the third wicket with Azhar Ali (53) and then added 83 for the next with Misbah.

He hit 10 fours during his 223-ball knock and got to his 25th test hundred with a huge six off spinner Nathan Lyon over mid-wicket.

Azhar gave his senior batsman able support before he drove Johnson in the air and was caught by Alex Doolan at cover for Australia's only success in the second session.

Australia captain Michael Clarke used Johnson (three for 22) in short spells and the left-armer bowled with pace and venom to trouble the batsmen on the slow pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Johnson also struck in the first over of the match — hitting the toe of Mohammad Hafeez with a fast, inswinging yorker to dismiss the right-handed batsman for a duck.

Hafeez, returning from a hand injury that ruled him out of the one-day international series against the same opponents, reviewed the umpire's decision but was unsuccessful. Peter Siddle, back in the Australian team after being dropped in South Africa earlier this year, then struck with the first delivery of his second over, and the fourth of the morning, when he bowled out Ahmed Shehzad for three. — Reuters

Brief scores: Pak 219 for 4 (Younis 106, Johnson 3/22).

Chandigarh, October 22
Central Zone have zoomed into the driver's seat in the Duleep Trophy semifinal against the star-studded North Zone on the very first day of the match being played at PCA Sdtaium Mohali. The visitors finished the day at an imposing 344 for three, thanks to hundreds by Jalaj Saxena and Naman Ojha, and a half-century by Ashok Menaria.

For a team that looked a little lightweight compared to the star-studded North Zone, especially in the batting department, it's a pretty impressive batting performance.

For the team bowling first at the PCA Stadium, the key is to pick up some quick wickets early in the morning to put the batting side under pressure. The hosts, however, failed to make use of the new ball as it wasn't until the 16th over that Central lost their first wicket — Faiz Fazal fell to Rishi Dhawan with the team's score at 55.

The first breakthrough, however, didn't bring much cheer to the North Zone as the Central batsmen dug in their heels and continued to torment the bowlers. The host had a small window of opportunity when Robin Bist fell for 20, with team's total at 97.

That wicket brought together Saxena and Ojha, and they went on to add 140-run for the third wicket. Both of them scored hundreds — Saxena fell for 110, while Ojha is unbeaten on 122.

While the duo deserves credit for their grit and application, they got generous help from the butter-fingered North Zone fielders who dropped their catches as the two notched up their hundreds.

Paris, October 22
Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap marched into the second round of the women's and men's categories of the French Open Super Series at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin here Wednesday.

Saina, World No.7, beat hosts' challenger and the World No.36 Sashina Vignes Waran 21-16, 21-9 in a totally one-sided encounter that took just 37 minutes.

Saina will next face Scottish shuttler Kirsty Gilmour.

Meanwhile, Continuing his giant-killing spree, the World No.28 Kashyap stunned World No.4 Japanese Kenichi Tago 21-11, 21-18 while Also reaching the second round were the Indo-Russian mixed doubles pair of Ashwini and Vladimir Ivanov, who beat Japanese pair of Keigo Sonoda and Shizuka Matsuo 21-16, 21-19.

However, young male shuttlers H.S. Prannoy and Sourabh Verma exited the competition following their losses to Kento Momota and Rajiv Ouseph, respectively.

While World No.31 Prannoy gave a valiant fight against World No.16 Momota of Japan, before going down 11-21, 21-15, 20-22 in an hour and nine minutes, World No.37 Sourabh was thrashed 10-21, 11-21 in 30 minutes by World No.25 Ouseph.

In the match between Kashyap and Tago, the 2014 Commonwealth Games champion was in his element from the beginning, taking a quick 5-1 lead which increased to 8-2.

Kashyap relied on regal cross-court smashes to pile further pressure on Tago to snatch points regularly and then it was an easy game for Kashyap as the Japanese failed to get going. Tago lost 11-21. — IANS

Singapore, October 22
Ecstasy and euphoria are the usual emotions world number one Serena Williams experiences on a tennis court. On Wednesday, she encountered a different one — embarrassment. One of the game's all-time greats, a winner of 18-grand slam singles crowns, 63 WTA titles, the owner of four Olympic gold medals, Williams has become accustomed to success.

But on Singapore's purple indoor hard court on Wednesday, Simona Halep took her back 16 years to a time when, as a teenager, she was trying to make a name for herself. Halep's 6-0 6-2 success in their Red Group clash at the WTA Finals was the worst defeat Williams had experienced since she was crushed 6-1 6-1 by Joannette Kruger in the quarter-finals at Oklahoma City in 1998.

Halep served well, pushed her opponent around the court and went for her shots, but Williams, by her own admission, was woeful. “Yeah, my forehand was off today again. I guess it went on an early vacation,” a sombre and downbeat Williams told reporters. “Lord knows my serve was as well. My serve, I don't even know. My serve was at best in the 10 and under division in juniors. Yeah, it was actually embarrassing I think describes the way I played. Yeah, very embarrassing.” — Reuters

Kuala Lampur, October 22
Badminton world number one Lee Chong Wei recently failed a drug test, Malaysian media reported, in a claim that sent shockwaves around the nation. Malaysia's sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on Tuesday that an athlete from the country had tested positive for a banned substance.

He declined to name the person because further tests were ongoing. But The Star newspaper reported that it was Lee and that he had failed a random test at the World Badminton Championships in Copenhagen in late August.

The Badminton World Federation declined to comment, saying its anti-doping regulations required confidentiality, while the Badminton Association of Malaysia and other sports officials could not immediately be reached for comment. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Pavlasek knocks Somdev out, Bhambri wins
Pune: Experienced Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara has been rendered a doubtful starter for the five-match ODI series against India due to back injury. Sangakkara, who had questioned the wisdom of the hurriedly arranged series in the wake of West Indies' sudden end to their India tour, has developed a slight back injury, team sources said. Sanath Jayasuriya, the chairman of selectors, said either wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella or left-handed batsman Kithuruwan Withanage would replace Sangakkara in case the senior batsman fails to make it.

Baichung Bhutia inducted in AFC's Hall of Fame
New Delhi: Former India captain Baichung Bhutia has been inducted into the AFC's Hall of Fame, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said on Wednesday. The AIFF said it got a letter from Dato Alex Soosay, general secretary, Asian Football Confederation, confirming about the development. “The AFC is celebrating its 60th anniversary in Philippines on November 30 this year where a joint event will take place to celebrate the anniversary as well as reward Asia's finest at the AFC Annual Awards,” the letter read. “It is my pleasure to announce that India's legendary player Baichung Bhutia has been selected to be honoured as an inductee to the AFC's Hall of Fame,” Dato Alex Soosay further wrote.

Sangakkara rendered doubtful for India tour
Colombo: Experienced Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara has been rendered a doubtful starter for the five-match ODI series against India due to back injury. Sangakkara, who had questioned the wisdom of the hurriedly arranged series in the wake of West Indies' sudden end to their India tour, has developed a slight back injury, team sources said. Sanath Jayasuriya, the chairman of selectors, said either wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella or left-handed batsman Kithuruwan Withanage would replace Sangakkara in case the senior batsman fails to make it. — Agencies