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‘Indian
express’ rises NEW DELHI, June 10: It can be called no different than the rising of the phoenix. The Indian tennis pair of Leander Paes.........more India
break 15-year BULAWAYO (Zimbabwe), June 10: India kept their tryst with their first test win outside........more Aggrieved
company MUMBAI, June 10: A Mumbai-based company has filed an appeal against High Court order refusing to stay the ........more New code of conduct for state Athletics associations BANGALORE, June 10: Charting a new course, the Amateur Athletics Federation of India...more |
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Ist Hot Weather Tamar
Cup Cricket Tourney Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, June 10: Challenger Cricket Club won the inaugural tie of the Ist Hot Weather Tamar Cup Cricket Tournament beating Luxmi Cricket Club ....more Volleyball
Tourney Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, June 10: Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, ex-MP, today declared open the Volleyball Tournament at Dhok-Khalsa in Akhnoor........more BSF Kashmir, SRTC enter semi-finals of Football Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, June 10: Border Security Force (BSF), Kashmir Frontier and SRTC Club, Srinagar sailed into the semi-finals of the IV Mushtaq Memorial ....more Anand in final with brilliant win against Leko in Chess LEON (Spain), June 10: World champion Viswanathan Anand came back from one point deficit to knockout Grandmaster Peter Leko of Hungary and ....more |
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‘Indian express’ rises
from ashes to NEW DELHI, June 10: It can be called no different than the rising of the phoenix. The Indian tennis pair of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have done it again, winning the French Open doubles the second time. More important is the fact that the sweet grand slam victory comes after the duo had been virtually written off in the international circuit — after the unfortunate separation last year due to personal problems and injuries. The split seemed more unfortunate as it came just after a rollicking year in 1999 when the pair created a record in the open era, reaching the finals of all the four grand slams and winning the French and wimbledon titles. Last year, following parting of ways, they played at paris with different partners — Paes with Jan Siemerink and Bhupathi with German David Prinosil. But success with alien partners was not to come. The pair, known as the ‘Indian Express’ on the circuit, finally capped their comeback yesterday when they saved three set points to recapture the second French Open title, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, over the 13th-seeded Czech pair of Petr Pala and Pavel Vizner. It was their third grand slam and 19th title overall. Yesterday’s win at the famous Rolland Garros, from where the duo began their illustrious career, could not have come at a more opportune time. The pair had been striving hard to create that ‘old magic’ which had worked so perfectly for them in the past. The year 2000 went by with almost no activity on their partnership front, with both down with injuries or experimenting with separate partners. However, just a few weeks before this year’s French Open, they won two ATP tour titles at Atlanta and Houston and said a victory at Paris ‘’would be a big boost to our confidence.’’ Just before the start of the grand slam, Paes had said in new delhi, "we feel our best chances are at the French Open and it has been a good hunting ground for us." The pair dates back to a 50,000-dollar challenger in Jakarta from where they began in October 1994. After near bids at grand slams by promising performances, they gave a cricket-crazed country a reason to smile exactly two years ago — by lifting the French Open. Yesterday’s win and the new found chemistry between the two should sound a warning to their opponents at the next big one — the Wimbledon — which they bagged in 1999. Bhupathi, who won the country’s first grand slam in a mixed doubles partnership with Japan’s Rika Hiraki in 1997, summed up yesterday’s victory by terming it "fantastic." "That’s what we worked for since we got back together. We worked hard and got our breakthrough here," he said in Paris. The duo had suffered first round defeats at the 2000 US Open and this January at the Australian Open. The latest win is expected to bolster their ranking to number two in the ATP doubles race. (UNI) |
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India break 15-year jinx with comprehensive victory BULAWAYO (Zimbabwe), June 10: India kept their tryst with their first test win outside the subcontinent in 15 years when they handed a crushing eight-wicket defeat to Zimbabwe in the first test here today with more than a day to spare. The Indians reached the victory target of 184 losing just two wickets in their second innings from 53.4 overs with opener Shiv Sunder Das coming up with a brilliant unbeaten effort of 82. It was a thoroughly professional performance by the Indians who dominated the match right from the start. Having taken a 145-run lead after scoring 318 in their first innings in reply to the hosts’ 173, things were pretty in control of the Indians despite a valiant effort by the Flower brothers in Zimbabwe’s second innings. India’s last test win outside the sub-continent came in 1986 against England and the latest triumph comes fresh in the wake of their stunning 2-1 series win against Australia two months ago. The win also gave India a sweet revenge against the Zimbabweans who had defeated them in the one-off test in Harare by 61 runs in 1998. The target of 184 runs never really looked to be difficult for the Indians after they had bowled out Zimbabwe for 328 this morning. Das and Sadgopan Ramesh gave India them a reasonably good start putting up 71 runs for the opening wicket. Though Ramesh perished at 17, Das, the eventual man-of-the-match continued to play an attractive innings in the company of V V S Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar to anchor his side to a historic victory. Das and Laxman were engaged in an aggressive 61-run stand for the second wicket which put paid to any hopes the Zimbabweans might have had of stretching play into the last day. Laxman was very flamboyant in his 35-ball knock of 38 that contained five fours and a lucky six. When Laxman was finally out, caught and bowled by Grant Flower, the Indians were 52 runs away from victory. Tendulkar joined Das and completed the formality less than a hour into the final session remaining unbeaten on 36 when India reached the target. But it was das who actually stole the limelight. Having survived a few anxious moments earlier in his innings, Das settled down to play some delightful strokes all around the wicket. His 183-ball knock contained 10 hits to the fence. He was lucky to have been let off by Andy Blignaut of his own bowling and again when a top edge off his bat landed in between the fielders at first slip and gully. Off the very second ball of the innings, Das seemed to have edged a blignaut delivery to wicket-keeper andy Flower but the umpire gave the batsman the benefit of doubt. In the end, those lifes could take nothing away from the classy innings of Das who was unlucky to have been given out, caught bad-pad, in the first innings. Laxman too was in his elements as he indulged in some beautiful drives and pulls on both sides of the wicket. He hit Watambwa for a crushing boundary through the covers and hooked the very next ball over mid-wicket for a six, though a lucky one as substitute fielder Mluleki Nkala stepped on the ropes after catching the ball. Unnerved, Laxman played a brilliant square cut in the bowler’s next over for another boundary. He was in great form and looked set for a big score when a casual-looking shot off Grant Flower, bowling his first over, gave the bowler an easy return catch. However, Zimbabwe had hardly any reasons to rejoice. Bowling with a depleted attack since captain Heath Streak and Henry Olonga were out of the field due to injuries, they got no chance against Tendulkar and Das who were subdued in the three overs between Laxman’s dismissal and tea break but opened up again after the break. Tendulkar took 49 balls for his 36 runs which was studded with four boundaries. India had played 38 tests outside the sub-continent since their last win at headingly, England and lost 19 of them while drawing the other 19. Earlier, the Zimbabweans could manage to set a target of 183 only. Overnight batsman Grant Flower, who in the company of his brother Andy, had put up a defiant performance yesterday could not survive for long this morning getting run out to a superb effort by Rahul Dravid. Grant, whose 101-run partnership with his brother was mainly responsible for the Zimbabwe fightback after a dismal batting performance in the first innings, was out for 71 in the third over of the day. Javagal Srinath then produced a perfect yorker to dismiss Henry Olonga for nought to have the hosts at 312 for nine. In a bid to hurry up the scoring, overnight batsman Andy Blignaut, who had given able support to Grant Flower yesterday remaining unbeaten on 11, went on the offensive lifting Harbhajan Singh for a six. He tried a similar shot off the next ball too but this time couldn’t time it properly and the ball landed just in front of Dravid at long-off boundary with the batsman earning two runs. With the field spread out, Blignaut continued to attack and swept Harbhajan Singh for another boundary in his next over. The heroics came to an abrupt end when last man Watambwa backed up too far to steal a single. Blignaut sent him back but Watambwa was caught short of his crease when the bails were removed by Harbhajan Singh. Blignaut remained unbeaten on 32. (PTI) SCOREBOARD Zimbabwe first innings 173 India first innings 318 Zimbabwe second innings (overnight 303-7) G Whittall c Ramesh b Srinath 20 D Ebrahim c Dravid b Srinath 0 S Carlisle c Laxman b Nehra 52 A Campbell c Das b Harbhajan 16 B Murphy c Das b Khan 10 A Flower c Ramesh b Nehra 83 G Flower run out 71 H Streak lbw b Khan 14 A Blignaut not out 32 H Olonga b Srinath 0 B Watambwa run out 0 Extras (b-1 lb-17 nb-10 w-2) 30 Total (all out, 125.5 overs) 328 Fall of wickets: 1-14 2-34 3-63 4-86 5-134 6-235 7-273 8-308 9-312 Bowling: Srinath 32.2-11-71-3 (nb-3) Nehra 26.4-4-77-2 (nb-6 w-2) Harbhajan 37.5-8-92-1 Khan 22-6-44-2 Tendulkar 6-0-23-0 (nb-1) Ganguly 1-0-3-0. India second innings S Das not out 82 S Ramesh c Carlisle b Blignaut 17 V Laxman c and b G Flower 38 S Tendulkar not out 36 Extras (b-4 w-1 nb-6) 11 Total (for two wickets, 53.4 overs) 184 Fall of wickets: 1-71 2-132 Bowling: Watambwa 15-4-54-0 (nb1), Blignaut 12-3-25-1 (nb5), Murphy 18.4-1-78-0 (w1), G Flower 8-0-23-1. (UNI) |
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Aggrieved company files appeal against BCCI’s decision MUMBAI, June 10: A Mumbai-based company has filed an appeal against High Court order refusing to stay the decision of the Cricket Board to award a three-year contract for clothing sponsorship of Indian team in international matches to International Management Group and Transworld International combine (IMG-TWI). The appeal was filed by proprietor of Gayatri Arts Sham Dhumatkar yesterday in the Mumbai High Court and is likely to be heard within a week. Gayatri Arts had challenged BCCI’s decision to award contract to img-twi by way of a petition in the High Court. The company claimed that it had made the highest bid of Rs 90 crore through a legal tender advertised by BCCI in a newspaper. Yet, the contract was awarded to IMG-TWI combine. Justice D K Deshmukh, hearing the petition, had, in an ad-interim order, refused to stay BCCI’s decision. Gayatri Arts filed an appeal contending that the judge had failed to take cognizance of the bid made by it which was higher than the one put up by IMG-TWI. Hence the award of contract to IMG-TWI was bad in law, improper and unjustified. (PTI) |
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New code of conduct for state Athletics associations BANGALORE, June 10: Charting a new course, the Amateur Athletics Federation of India is all set to enforce a code of conduct for state associations, coaches, and AAFI itself to ensure accountability. The code, which aims to make all the stake-holders in the development of athletics accountable for its activities will top the agenda of the AAFI’s annual general body meeting here tomorrow, sources in the national body said. Once the proposed measure, whose objectives are to "discipline" the state associations and affiliates and to ensure that they carry out their designated duties and curb the menace of overage, gets the AGM nod, it would come into effect immediately, they said. Besides seeking to streamline the functioning of state associations and affiliates, the proposed measure makes it mandatory for holding of state championships in junior, senior and cross-country events as also conduct of coaching camps for juniors, sources said. The blueprint lists out the set of guidelines to be followed by the associations, affiliates, coaches, athletes and AAFI and matters pertaining to disaffiliation, disqualification and punishment on violations. The meet would also hold discussions on redefining AAFI’s long-term policies and reshaping its philosophy, drafting a few foreign coaches, sending an athletic squad to next year’s Commonwealth Games in Manchester and a group of athletes to Europe on an "exposure trip". (PTI) |
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Ist Hot Weather Tamar
Cup Cricket Tourney Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, June 10: Challenger Cricket Club won the inaugural tie of the Ist Hot Weather Tamar Cup Cricket Tournament beating Luxmi Cricket Club (Juniors) by 41 runs at M A Stadium, here today. Ajay and Amit played a key role in Challenger Club’s victory with their fine half centuries helping their side to set a target of 155 runs in the allotted 25 overs. In reply, Luxmi Club could not cross the century mark and the whole side was bowled out for 94 runs in 18.3 overs off the 25 overs match. Amit was the top scorer with 62 runs off 65 balls from Challenger Club, while Ajay gave a superb performance with both ball and bat. Ajay scored 53 runs off 56 balls and later took two wickets. From Luxmi Club, Kannu and Lucky shared one wicket each. Batting second, Luxmi Club lost all the wickets for 94 runs in the 18.3 overs. Kannu was the maximum scorer with 25 runs off 30 balls, while Nayan and Pawan Deep contributed 20 and 15 runs respectively. For Challenger Club, Ravi bagged three wickets and Ajay took two. Vijay, Tilak and Sanjeev shared one each. Shamsher Singh and Baldev Singh were umpires in the opening match, while Ravi Kant Puri was scorer. The tournament is being sponsored by Nerolac Paint, Tamar Industries, Ahlan Softdrinks and Juices. Earlier, the tournament was declared open by the Secretary, State Sports Council, Sheikh Fazal Ahmed. Tomorrow’s fixture: SGCC V/s Namdhari Cricket Club at 7.30 am. |
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Volleyball Tourney begins at Akhnoor Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, June 10: Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, ex-MP, today declared open the Volleyball Tournament at Dhok-Khalsa in Akhnoor. In all, eight teams from different local clubs are taking part in this tournament which is being organised by Mr Geetan Ram. |
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BSF Kashmir, SRTC enter semi-finals of Football Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, June 10: Border Security Force (BSF), Kashmir Frontier and SRTC Club, Srinagar sailed into the semi-finals of the IV Mushtaq Memorial Football Tournament being held at Bakshi Stadium, here today. In the first quarter-final, BSF defeated Iqbal Club by a solitary goal. The only goal came in the second half of the match through R N Singhie. The second match between Solin Club and SRTC Club, Srinagar ended in a goalless draw in the match time. However, later in the tie-breaker, SRTC Club registered 5-2 victory over Solin Club to ensure berth in the semi-finals. Now, in the first semi-final, BSF, Kashmir Frontier will take on SRTC Club on tomorrow at 3.30 pm. The second semi-final will be played on June 12 at 3.30 pm. Today’s matches were officiated by Zaheer Khan, Maqball, Bashir, Nisar Hussain. Prominent among those present on the occasion were Mr Joginder Singh, SP and S A Hamid, general secretary of the JKFA. |
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Anand in final with brilliant win against Leko in Chess LEON (Spain), June 10: World champion Viswanathan Anand came back from one point deficit to knockout Grandmaster Peter Leko of Hungary and storm into the final of the Advance Chess Tournament here. Anand will now take on Grandmaster Alexei Shirov of Spain in the final in a repeat of last year’s match. It was a perfect display of precision combined with speed that steered anand to a scintillating 1.5-0.5 victory in the tiebreak blitz games after the advance match ended 2-2. Playing white in the first game, Anand faced the Petroff defence and Leko did not have any difficulty in getting a balanced position after the opening. Anand started his play on the queenside with a pawn roller while on the other Flank Leko made a foray with all his pieces. The pressure on the kingside became increasingly difficult to handle and anand had to part with a rook for a knight on the 31st move to stay in the game. Leko went for exchanges and reached a winning endgame. Anand called it a day after 49 moves. In the second game Anand struck back with vengeance with the black pieces to level the scores. It was a Sicilian Nazdorf where leko did not shy away from complications and castled queenside. Anand’s pieces coordinated excellently in the middlegame and he launched an attack against the king along the queen bishop file. By the 22nd move itself computer programme Fritz-6 declared the position as won for black and Leko resigned after 25th move when loss of material became inevitable. The third game was a petroff by Leko again but this time Anand played it cautiously in one of the popular variations. The pieces got exchanged at regular intervals and the ensuing minor piece endgame was drawn in 48 moves. Anand came up with a surprise by adopting the petroff defence himself in the fourth game and drew comfortably after trading the knights. This game turned out to the shortest in the match and lasted only 20 moves. The stage was set for the five-minutes Blitz games and Leko appeared under pressure right from the start. Playing white, Anand made most of a tactical shot and won a pawn amidst complexities but with his clock ticking away, decided against pressing hard and settled for a draw. Leko’s plans went haywire in the last game when Anand opted for the Caro Kann defence and castled queenside to ensure an equal game. It became more like a race as both players strove hard for a breakthrough. Anand struck first with a brilliant positional shot that transposed the game to a better endgame. He marched his pawns to glory and registered a smooth victory in the end. The eventual victory was similar to the one against GM Judith Polgar of Hungary in the semifinals last year. (PTI) |
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