|
|
Steve Waugh deplores ‘negative’ tactics SYDNEY, Jan 1: Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh has attacked the way other international teams play, saying they. ...more Herschelle Gibbs back CAPE TOWN, Jan 1: Herschelle Gibbs was recalled to the South African team today, the day a six-month ban from international cricket . ..more SYDNEY, Jan 1: Australia lead the West Indies 4-0 heading into the final test of their five match series starting at the Sydney cricket ground tomorrow. ....more Sports Academy in Hisar Agriculture University CHANDIGARH, Jan 1: Sports Authority of India will establish a National Sports Academy equipped with state-of-the -art facilities at the Hisar Agriculture University,..more |
|
National School Games begins West Bengal beat Kerela in opening U-17 Football tie Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Jan 1: West Bengal registered its first win over Kerela beating later by a solitary goal in the 46th School National Games U-17 Football opening tie which played at Mini-Stadium, Parade, here this evening.....more Lanka count on newlands factor in second test CAPE TOWN, Jan 1: South African captain Shaun Pollock will be hoping that the newlands factor does not help opponents Sri Lanka in the second test starting tomorrow. Three years ago, India’s Sachin Tendulkar....more DPCC chief and wife NEW DELHI, Dec 1: Delhi Congress president Subhash Chopra and his wife today ended their fast, observed in protest ...more CHENNAI, Jan 1: Unseeded David Sanchez of Spain caused a major upset ousting last year finalist Markus Hantschk of Germany 6-3 6-3, while Indian ...more |
 |
|
|
Steve Waugh deplores ‘negative’ tactics SYDNEY, Jan 1: Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh has attacked the way other international teams play, saying they regularly employ "negative" tactics that prevent them from winning more often. Waugh cited the recent drawn matches between South Africa and Sri Lanka and New Zealand against Zimbabwe as cases where teams played to avoid defeat rather than pursuing victory. "I think a lot of sides don’t play to their ability because they’re not really letting themselves go," Waugh said. "Every time we go to play a test match we try and encourage the other side to play positively and play for the win and get a result. That’s the idea of the game. "Besides us, I don’t know any other side that looks like they’re going to win...Or prepares to win from ball one." Waugh said Australia’s positive approach to the game was the key to their unbroken world record sequence of 14 consecutive test wins. And while he conceded Australia had an unrivalled line-up of top quality players to choose from, he said other teams could improve their results by adopting a more positive approach. "We always try and score 300 runs in a day and if you do that you’re going to win most test matches but you’ve got to have the players to do that," Waugh said. "That’s the luxury we’ve got that other sides mightn’t have but I still think if you don’t try to do that then you’re never going to achieve that." Since replacing Mark Taylor as Australian captain two years ago, Waugh has quickly established himself as one of the most innovative leaders in the game, regularly challenging traditions and conventions in pursuit of victory. While most captains prefer to bat first when they win the toss, Waugh invariably chooses to field and has shown no hesitation in chopping and changing form players in keeping with his "horses for courses policy". Only last week, he announced he had banned the accepted tradition of using nightwatchmen to protect top order batsmen, believing the tactic is outdated and pointless. "We play aggressively and we play to win," said Waugh, who boasts the best winning percentage of any captain in cricket history with 15 wins from 20 tests. "Hopefully, they’ll come around to that way of thinking and follow our lead. "We’re winning regularly so we must be doing something right. I’m sure it’ll catch on eventually." (REUTERS) |
|
Herschelle Gibbs back in South African team CAPE TOWN, Jan 1: Herschelle Gibbs was recalled to the South African team today, the day a six-month ban from international cricket for conspiring in match-fixing expired. Gibbs will open the batting in the second test against Sri Lanka which starts at Newlands tomorrow. He replaces Boeta Dippenaar in the only change from the side that drew the first test in Durban last week. Rushdi Magiet, convenor of the South African selectors, said the decision of the panel to recall Gibbs was unanimous. "He has served his time and he is the best man for the job," said Magiet. Although the team was picked on Saturday, the announcement was delayed until Gibbs’ ban expired. Gibbs, 26, was banned for six months and fined 60,000 Rand ($7,932) by a three-man United Cricket Board Disciplinary Committee headed by former judge Mervyn King. He was fined for agreeing to an offer of $15,000 by former captain Hansie Cronje to score fewer than 20 runs in a one-day international against India in Nagpur in March. The tribunal decided that Gibbs and teammate Henry Williams, who was banned for six months and fined 10,000 rand ($1,322), had been "corrupted" by Cronje - who was sacked as captain and banned for life by UCB after admitting that he had received thousands of dollars from bookmakers or gamblers. (AFP) |
|
|
SYDNEY, Jan 1: Australia lead the West Indies 4-0 heading into the final test of their five match series starting at the Sydney cricket ground tomorrow. Victory for Australia would see them become just the seventh side in test cricket history to complete a "cleansweep" of a five match series. "cleansweeps" in five match test series: Series winning team losing team venue 1920-21 Australia England Australia 1931-32 Australia South Africa Australia 1959 England India England 1961-62 West Indies India West Indies 1984 West Indies England England 1985-86 West Indies England West Indies 1998-99 South Africa West Indies South Africa (REUTERS) |
|
Sports Academy in Hisar Agriculture University CHANDIGARH, Jan 1: Sports Authority of India will establish a National Sports Academy equipped with state-of-the -art facilities at the Hisar Agriculture University, a spokesman for the Sports Department said here today. The Academy, mooted by Union Sports Minister Uma Bharti, would be the first of its kind with facilities of sport sciences, fitness and weight management centre, he said. About 100 boys and girls would be trained in this academy whose expenses would be borne by SAI, he added. The spokesman further said keeping in view the achievements of the state women hockey team and athletes of Bhiwani, SAI has decided to lay astro-turf at Kurukshetra University and Synthetic track at Bhiwani. Also, a state-of-the-art hockey training centre would be set up at Shah Satnam School, Sirsa and another at Gurgaon, he said. (PTI) |
|
National School Games
begins Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Jan 1: West Bengal registered its first win over Kerela beating later by a solitary goal in the 46th School National Games U-17 Football opening tie which played at Mini-Stadium, Parade, here this evening. The only goal of the well fought match came in the 60th minute of the match through Zulfikar. The move for this goal was initiated by Surinder Dass, who took a corner kick from right flank targeting Vijay. Vijay did no mistake in passing on the ball through header to Zulfikar, who kicked it right into net surprising the goal-keeper. The games were declared open by the Minister of State for Home, Ram Pal, who was chief guest in the inaugural function. Minister in his address exhorted that sports not only provide physical fitness, but it is an important instrument of carrying the message of peace, humanity and unity. Earlier, in his welcome address, the organising secretary of the Games and Director, Youth Services and Sports, Syed Asgar Ali said that the Department is making all out efforts to exploit the talent of the State. He also gave details of the six-day long games at different football grounds of Jammu. To make it a colourful start, the students of Natraj Kala Kendra and Nav Yug School presented composite cultural programme. Mr G M Dar, Assistant Director, presented vote of thanks. Prominent among others present on the occasion were Haji Buland Khan, vice-chairman, Gujjar and Bakarwal Advisory Board, Ram Chand Bhagat, MLA and Secretary, State Sports Council, Sheikh Fazal Ahmed, besides officials of the Department of Youth Services and Sports. |
|
Lanka count on newlands factor in second test CAPE TOWN, Jan 1: South African captain Shaun Pollock will be hoping that the newlands factor does not help opponents Sri Lanka in the second test starting tomorrow. Three years ago, India’s Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammed Azharuddin — lifted by a capacity crowd of 19,000 at the atmospheric Cape Town ground — blasted extraordinary hundreds in the new year test while sharing a century stand in just 13 overs. Rain saved Sri Lanka in the first test in Durban, which ended in a draw on Saturday. Captain Sanath Jayasuriya and off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan are among the best match-winners of their generation. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara provide classy batting support for the captain but the visitors have few other strengths. Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa were unable to penetrate the home side’s top order with their left-arm seamers in Durban and although Dilhara Fernando claimed five wickets Wouth Africa confortably passed 400. The tourists are contemplating including Pramodya Wickremasinghe to boost the attack but on another good batting surface he is unlikely to make the required difference. Pollock’s team, despite still being without the injured Allan Donald, are in tremendous form. The batting, boosted by the controversial inclusion of Herschelle Gibbs to open with Gary Kirsten, stretches down to number nine while the side also boasts six frontline bowlers. It is hard to see Sri Lanka finding a way through the combined forces of South Africa’s all rounders even if their captain does score a century and Muralitharan claims eleven wickets, as he did in Durban to pass 300 in just his 58th test. Even the inclusion of Gibbs, just 24 hours after the expiry of his six-month ban for conspiring with disgraced former captain Hansie Cronje to fix a one-day international against India last year, is unlikely to be a distraction. Gibbs is regarded as a victim, not a criminal, by the South African public and newlands is his home ground. (REUTERS) |
|
DPCC chief and wife end fast to protest industrial closure NEW DELHI, Dec 1: Delhi Congress president Subhash Chopra and his wife today ended their fast, observed in protest against the "anti-poor and anti-people" policies of the Central Government that led to "indiscriminate closure" of industrial units. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, AICC general secretary Prabha Rau and senior party leader Ambika Soni offered juice to Mr Chopra and his wife Manju who were on fast along with MLA Mukesh Sharma and the party’s 12 district presidents. A large number of senior party leaders, MLAs, Councillors and party workers also joined the fast, part of the ‘nyay yudh’ launched by the DPCC president. Addressing the gathering, Ms Dikshit said the BJP leaders and other parties who are blaming the Delhi Government for the "present mess" are turning away from reality. She said the BJP leaders were misleading people by presenting wrong facts. Lakhs of people could be saved from being rendered jobless if the Urban Development Ministry accepted the proposal of the Delhi Government for granting more time for relocation of industries and amendment of the master plan, she added. (UNI) |
|
|
CHENNAI, Jan 1: Unseeded David Sanchez of Spain caused a major upset ousting last year finalist Markus Hantschk of Germany 6-3 6-3, while Indian Davis Cupper Syed Fazaluddin failed to sustain himself against Adrian Voinea of Romania 4-6 2-6 in just about an hour in the first round of main draw of the Gold Flake ATP Tour Tennis Championship, which commenced here this evening. Eight seeded Jiri Vanek of Czechoslavakia became the first causality as he was shown the exit by Edwin Kempes of the Netherlands 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-3 in a marathon 106 minutes of dual. In another first round match, Michal Tabara of Czechoslavkia defeated Fernando Gonzalvez of Chile 6-3 6-3. In the match between Fazaluddin and Voinea, the Romanian broke Fazaluddin in the fifth game of the first set. Fazaluddin tried his best to match his opponent but Voinea was too smart in pinning down Fazaluddin at the baseline and made him run from end to end. In the second set Voinea had a break in the very first game and then went on to lead 4-2. In the seventh, Voinea broke Fazaluddin with two break points and Fazzaluddin threw in the towel in the eighth game and his back hand service return going over the baseline gave the match point to Voinea. Michal Tabara of Czechoslavakia moved into the second round with a facile 6-3 6-3 win over Fernndo Gonzalez of Chile. Gonzalez, winner of the Orlando ATP tour title last year, was too good with his ground strokes and booming serves. In fact, in the second set Gonzalez send down six aces but his urgency to finish the match quickly proved counter-productive. He yielded too many negative points and served many double faults. After Tabara took the first set with a break in the seventh game at 6-4, Gonzalez was broken in the third but returned the compliment with a break in the sixth for a 3-3 score. In the seventh, Tabara had two break points and Gonzalez double-faulted to give away the game. Tabara won the eighth game at 40-0 and then wrapped up the match in style. Tabara, ranked 96 in the world, plays Edwin Kempes of the Netherlands, who accounted for eighth seeded Jin Vanek of Czechoslavakia. In the kempes-vanek match, the former was a picture of confidence as he matched the better ranked vanek in the first set. Games went on serve before the first set meandered to tie break, which Kempes won at 7-5. In the second set, Kempes broke Vanek in the second game at 0-40. Vanek mixed aggression with defence and waited for the opportune time to score points. He broke Kempes in the fifth and seventh games for the second set. The first game in the third set saw long rallies and Vanek broke Kempes after two deuces but Kempes broke back in the fourth game and then was on level terms with his perfect exhibition of serve and volley game. The eighth game proved to be vital for Kempes and he was in total command of the game, while Vanek lost his concentration in double faulting twice before surrendering the game. In the Sanchez-Hantschk match, the latter was totally off colour. Sanchez broke Hantschk in the second and fourth games and the German was shattered. In the second set too, Sanchez broke Hantschk in the third game and then went on to lead 5-3, before winning the match with a break in the ninth game. (PTI) |
|
| home | state | national | business | editorial | advertisement | sports |
