NAIROBI, Oct 7: India today shocked world champions Australia and surprised their critics in win.......more

Hockey to the
introduced in next
Commonwealth Games

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7: The Commonwealth Games Federation has announced introduction of hockey in the next edition of the games to be held....more

Injured Seles forced
out of semifinal

TOKYO, Oct 7: Top seed Monica Seles was forced out of her Princess Cup semifinal against France’s Julie Halard-Decugis by injury today. .....more

Mandela admonishes
disgraced Cronje
at meeting

GEORGE, SOUTH AFRICA, Oct 7: Nelson Mandela met disgraced former South African....more

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 7: Three students of Dr Ambedkar Memorial Convent School namely Varun Gupta, Sahil Mangotra and Mandeep............more

Mandela admonishes disgraced Cronje at meeting

GEORGE, SOUTH AFRICA, Oct 7: Nelson Mandela met disgraced former South African cricket..........more

Finals of Junior Badminton
ranking tourney today

KOZHIKODE, Oct 7: Top seeds Anup Sreedhar and Tripthi Murungude will clash with second seed........more

India celebrates
Vijyadashmi, beating
Intel XI at Perth

CHANDIGARH, Oct 7: The Indian veteran hockey team celebrated the Vijayadashmi in Perth today ......more

India shock Australia, move into semis

NAIROBI, Oct 7: India today shocked world champions Australia and surprised their critics in winning the quarter-finals of the ICC Knock-Out Tournament here after a tremendous allround display highlighted by exhilarating batting by new entrant Yuvraj Singh who made 84 in his very first innings for the country.

Playing in their first international tournament following the betting and match-fixing scandal after which some their key players were left out, the new-look Indian team scored a sensational 20-run win over favourites Australia and await the winners of the England-South Africa clash to be played on Tuesday.

‘Man of the match’ Yuvraj Singh made 84, took a stunning catch and ran out a key batsman in his very second match, having not had a chance to bat against hosts Kenya in the tournament opener.

Put in to bat, India spoiled the flying start given by Sachin Tendulkar and skipper Sourav Ganguly by suffering a middle order collapse. But the teenager from Punjab took charge of the situation to propel India to a fighting total of 265 for nine in the allotted 50 overs.

With Australia set to score 266 for a win in 48 overs - they were docked two overs for slow bowling - the Indians bowled and fielded with a fiery determination to dismiss them for 245 in 46.4 overs.

It was the day of the newcomers who weaved magic in India’s win. After Yuvraj’s scintillating 84, Zaheer Khan bowled good line and length to become the most successful of Indian bowlers claiming two wickets, including that of captain Steve Waugh, for 40 runs off his quota of 10 overs.

He was also quite impressive in the field and along with Yuvraj breathed new life into what-used-to-be lacklusture Indian fielding. It was a pleasent sight watching Indians throwing themselves to save runs and take outstanding catches and it was their fielding which was highly instrumental in earning them a well-deserved win.

Australia were off to a flying start with Adam Gilchrist (33) stroking away to glory in his characteristic manner.

The cheap dismissal of Mark Waugh (7), who was caught by Anil Kumble off Ajit Agarkar, followed by the fall of Gilchrist - Zaheer Khan’s first victim - did not deter the Australian batsmen from going for their shots.

Ricky Ponting, who came after the dismissal of Gilchrist, combined with Ian Harvey and later with Michael Bevan to resurrect the innings.

Yuvraj took a brilliant catch off Venkatesh Prasad to dismiss Harvey, but Ponting and Bevan added 73 runs for the fourth wicket to take the Aussies to a position of strength.

However, the outstanding performance in the field by the Indians got its rewards when Robin Singh held a spectacular catch to dismiss ponting and then Yuvraj came up with a brilliant direct hit which found the dangerous looking Bevan short of the crease.

The Indians suddenly sensed victory and started to bowl and field with renewed vigour.

The junior Lee (31, 2x6, 3x4) played some scintillating shots and at one point looked like taking the match away from India.

However, Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar struck in quick succession to dismiss Steve Waugh (23) and Lee to seal India’s chances.

Earlier, put in to bat, Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly yet again provided India with a solid start, adding 66 runs for the first wicket before Tendulkar was caught by Damien Martyn off the bowling of Brett Lee.

Tendulkar was in fine touch and never looked intimidated by the formidable pace attack of the world champions. His 38 runs came off only 37 balls and included three sixes and three fours.

Ganguly (24) and Rahul Dravid (9) followed soon after and all of a sudden India looked to be getting into familiar kind of trouble.

However, in came Yuvraj Singh and unleashed some spectacular strokes that took the wind out of the Australian attack. He combined with Vinod Kambli (29) first and then with Robin Singh (18) in two useful partnerships to take India on course for a challenging total.

The Punjab youngster packed enormous power in his strokes and combined it with strategic placements to leave the fielders watching helplessly.

He smashed 12 fours in his 80-ball innings for his 84 and was really unlucky to miss his century when his mistimed pull off Shane Lee went as a simple catch to the bowler.

Inspired by the heroics of Yuvraj, the lower order today also came good with Anil Kumble (12), Zaheer (13) and Venkatesh Prasad (6) all chipping in with useful runs at the end that took India beyond the 250-mark.

Prasad closed out the Indian innings with a massive six of Ian Harvey off the last ball of the innings to set a challenging asking rate of 5.44 for the Australians. (PTI)

Hockey to the introduced in next Commonwealth Games

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7: The Commonwealth Games Federation has announced introduction of hockey in the next edition of the games to be held in Manchester in 2002 from late July till early August.

Hockey featured as a competitive sport in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games and drew huge crowds.

Eight teams, each in the men and women category, will sweat out at the belle vue complex for the top honours at the games.

Being the hosts, England have already cornered a slot. Rest of the teams will be selected by Commonwealth ranking list to be produced by International Hockey Federation based upon Olympic Games, Olympic qualification tournaments and World Cup qualifiers. One team each from Commonwealth Games Federation region will get a ticket to the games.

In both mens and womens competitions, participating teams will be split into two groups of four. The winners of one pool play the runners-up in the other in the semi finals with the successful teams competing in the final. (UNI)

Injured Seles forced out of semifinal

TOKYO, Oct 7: Top seed Monica Seles was forced out of her Princess Cup semifinal against France’s Julie Halard-Decugis by injury today.

Second seed Serena Williams beat Czech qualifier Daja Bedanova 6-1, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

Seles was forced to retire because of inflamed tendons in her feet when she trailed 4-3 in the second set. She had lost the first set 6-4.

Seles said the problem had arisen through playing on different surfaces at the US Open, Sydney Olympics and in Tokyo.

Seles, who had beaten fourth seed Halard-Decugis in their previous five encounters, made a host of errors and had to rely on her powerful serve to keep her in the match until she quit.

Seles is scheduled to play in a tournament in Linz, Austria, starting on October 16. She will decide if she is fit enough to play after treatment.

Halard-Decugis has found a new base of fan support in Japan after teaming with hometown favourite Ai Sugiyama in doubles. The pair won the the US Open title.

"I feel great here (in Japan) and it may be why I am playing so well," Halard-Decugis said.

"Tomorrow, like today, I have nothing to lose. I am just happy to be in the final of a big tournament again."

She has lost all three of her previous meetings with Williams.

Williams ended the magical run of qualifier Bedanova by scoring numerous winners on her opponent’s forehand side and keeping her blistering groundstrokes deep. (REUTERS)

Mandela admonishes disgraced Cronje at meeting

GEORGE, SOUTH AFRICA, Oct 7: Nelson Mandela met disgraced former South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje and chastised him for failing to tell the truth from the outset about match-fixing allegations.

"It is my duty to say to him ‘you have made a serious mistake...In the fact that you did not right from the beginning confess everything that you have done’," Mandela told reporters yesterday after a 45-minute meeting held at Cronje’s request.

"This is a young man who focussed the attention of the world to South Africa as far as cricket is concerned. The message I gave him is that a person can turn tragedy into triumph and he has that capacity.

"I wanted to encourage him without in any way excusing what he has done if these allegations are proved to be true. He can be a role model," former President Mandela added.

A haunted-looking Cronje did not say a word.

Cronje, sacked as captain in April after allegations he had accepted bribes to fix international matches, admitted during public hearings in June to taking over 100,000 dollar from bookmakers but denied actually throwing a game.

The meeting took place at the millionaire fancourt Golf estate where Cronje and his wife Bertha live outside the Southern Cape Town of George whose claim to fame is being home also to former Apartheid iron man P W Botha.

A representative of the estate told Reuters the starting price for residential property was 3.5 million rand (480,600 dollars). The Cronjes moved into their thatched house in April and have already paid it off.

Two of Cronje’s former teammates — opener Herschelle Gibbs and bowler Henry Williams — have been banned from international cricket until January after admitting to agreeing to underperform in India this year in return for 15,000 each.

However, both said they did not stick to their deal and therefore never received any money.

Mandela, taking a weekend break at fancourt with his third wife Graca Machel, said he expected to be criticised by some people for meeting Cronje.

"I don’t expect any reasonable person to criticise me because I have seen a young man who has fallen from grace," he said. "I am not going to treat him as a leper simply because of the allegations against him."

"If those allegations are supported then I am sure he is prepared to take what is going to come," he added.

Judge King’s enquiry is expected to resume public hearings in November and make a final report by early December.

Cronje has been offered immunity from prosecution if King is satisfied he has revealed everything he knows. (REUTERS)

National Volleyball tourney
3 Ambedkar school students to participate in meet

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 7: Three students of Dr Ambedkar Memorial Convent School namely Varun Gupta, Sahil Mangotra and Mandeep Nangia of Class IX have been selected to participate to participate in National Volleyball tournament to be held at Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) from October 10 to 15.

As per a release the students alongwith their coach Mrs Guminder Kour, Physical Education Teacher of School Head Office Rajpura Jammu left for Hyderabad today.

It may be recalled that the students of Dr Ambedkar Memorial Convent Schools have already participated in State and National level matches and won the prizes.

Mr Gian Chand Dogra, Founder-cum-Managing Director of Ambedkar Group of Schools lauded the role of school PET Mrs Guminder Kour and awarded a cash prize of Rs 500 to selected students for their refreshment during their journey period. Mr Dogra informed all the students that he would encourage all such students who will participate in various games and other co-curricular activities.