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| Sponsorship tangle unlikely to be resolved before next week LONDON, Aug 15: The deadlock over the issue of sponsorship of players showed no immediate signs of being resolved today as the cricketing authorities...........more India bag
two gold NEW DELHI, Aug 15: Anwar Sultan came up with a fine performance to take the individual gold and also help the Indian team win the first place in the trap event......more National
Hard Court Tennis CHENNAI, Aug 15: Karnataka’s unseeded G Arjun pulled off another big win upsetting third seed Saurabh Kohli of Maharashtra 6-4, 6-1, while the second seed Chatwinder Singh of Chandigarh fell......more TNGF
Open Golf Championship CHENNAI, Aug 15: Ranjit Singh of Chandigarh turned in a sterling performance returning the day’s best card of six-under......more |
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Talent Search Tournament Rehari Club beats ICC by 28 runs, reaches final Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Aug 15: Rehari Cricket Club (RCC) today won its second league tie against International Cricket Club (ICC) by 28 runs to reach final of the Talent Search Tournament being organised for the budding sub-junior cricketers at Green Field ground...........more Ajay Singh
Jasrotia Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Aug 15: The final of the 4th Ajay Singh Jasrotia Memorial day-night Cricket Tournament between Karan Nagar Cricket Club (KNCC) and Shine Star Cricket Club (SSCC) will be played at Vikas Nagar tomorrow at 5.30 pm.............more England,
Germany LONDON, Aug 15: England, Germany and Iran are combining resources to help re-establish organised soccer in Afghanistan after the country formally.....more |
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loses in Canadian Open... Rohan, Utpal win CAB awards.... |
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Sponsorship tangle unlikely to be
resolved LONDON, Aug 15: The deadlock over the issue of sponsorship of players showed no immediate signs of being resolved today as the cricketing authorities the world over weighed various options and the International Cricket Council said a solution was unlikely before next week. With just 24 hours left for tomorrow’s deadline for cricket boards to sign the mandatory participating nations agreement for next month’s Champions Trophy, ICC spokesman Mark Harrison said a solution was expected only by next week. "We are in touch with the member boards and also the players’ associations. We are hopeful that a solution will emerge by next week," Harisson told PTI here. The controversial agreement, which has threatened to jeopardise the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka and the World Cup in South Africa in six months time, contains a players’ terms form, a clause of which requires the cricketers to forego their individual endorsements one month before and after the tournaments in case of a clash of interests with the ICC’s official sponsors. Even as New Zealand and West Indies said their cricketers will sign the form, the Indian cricket board was still working on a solution to ensure the participation of its star cricketers in the Champions Trophy. BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya said in Kolkata that it was still ‘premature’ to comment on the issue but the board was in regular touch with the players and a final decision would be announced very soon. Meanwhile, ICC’s general manager - cricket, Dave Richardson met a few Indian players, reportedly Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, yesterday to explain ICC’s position and commitment to their sponsors. "We haven’t heard anything from the Indian board though Dave Richardson did get in touch with a few Indian players," said Brendan McClements, ICC’s general manager - corporate affairs. He however clarified that Richardson, a former South African wicketkeeper, did not hold any negotiations with the Indians but only tried to clear ICC’s stand. An Indian player, refusing to be quoted, said there was no reason for them to play their cards at this stage since they are not alone in this deadlock with ICC. England and Australia are two other test-playing nations besides India who are yet to sign the agreement. The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA), which has advised its members not to sign the "unlawful" agreement, said in Sydney today that it will hold discussions with the national one-day squad and the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) over the issue next week. ACA chief executive Tim May said he met ACB officials today, and both parties were hopeful of resolving the conflict before the September 12 Champions Trophy. David Graveney, chief executive of Professional Cricketers’ Association (of England), said the existing agreement would leave high-profile players in breach of existing contracts. "Players can’t be expected to second-guess ICC sponsorship deals in advance," he said. Graveney said he believed England players would sign the agreement if ICC relented on a couple of conditions. Meanwhile, the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association executive manager Heath Mills said its players would sign the agreement to honour their contractual obligations to ICC. However, he wanted an early settlement of the issue saying though the New Zealand players were signing the agreement this time, they "could be in the same boat one day". South African Cricket Board also came out against the ICC sponsorship policy, saying ICC did not have the right to control players’ image rights. (PTI) |
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India bag two gold in Asian Shooting NEW DELHI, Aug 15: Anwar Sultan came up with a fine performance to take the individual gold and also help the Indian team win the first place in the trap event at the Asian Clay Shooting Championship in Bangkok today. The Indian team comprising Sultan, Mansher Singh and Manavjit Singh, scored a total of 339 points out of 375 to win the gold in the team event. Sultan fired 114 points out of 125 in the preliminary rounds and followed it up with 24 out of 25 in the final to claim the individual gold, according to information received here. Manavjit missed the individual silver by a whisker. He shot an aggregate of 136, the same as a shooter from Chinese Taipei who claimed the silver by virtue of having shot 113 in the preliminary rounds to the Indian’s 112. Manavjit had to be content with bronze. Mansher Singh managed a total of 135 (113+22) and was placed fourth. Chinese Taipei claimed the second spot in the team competition with 327 points while China was third with 319 points. The men’s double trap event will start tomorrow with India being represented by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Morad Ali Khan and Ronjon Sodhi. (PTI) |
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National
Hard Court Tennis CHENNAI, Aug 15: Karnataka’s unseeded G Arjun pulled off another big win upsetting third seed Saurabh Kohli of Maharashtra 6-4, 6-1, while the second seed Chatwinder Singh of Chandigarh fell to another unseeded player Aditya Madgskar of Maharashtra losing 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 to enter the semi finals of the MCC TNTA All India National Hard Court Tennis Championships here today. With the contests being even in the last eighth stage, top seed Somdev Verman of Tamil Nadu also pulled himself up from the brink of defeat managing to edge out a fighting, eight seed V M Ranjeet (TN), who looked tired in the decisive third set. Somdev won 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Another Maharashtra boy, unseeded Vikran Sane survived a tie break in the first set to defeat Bengal’s Manoj Kumar Sewa 7-6 (7-2), 6-0 to enter the last four stage. Arjun, who had upset fifth seed Nihal Advani in the first round played a more consistent game. He recovered well after being broken by saurabh in the second game of the first set. He broke Saurabh in the fifth and the seventh games in the first set, and again in the fifth and sixth games of the second set. It was an encore of sorts for Aditya against the hard hitting Chatwinder. He outplayed his opponent with intelligent counter hitting, breaking him in the second and eighth games of the first set and the second and sixth games of the third set. Aditya had defeated Chatwinder in AITA Ranking Tournament in Darjeeling before this encounter. The top seed Somdev seemed to have met his match in Ranjeet, who before committing unforced errors in the third set, matched Somdev with equally good ground strokes. Ranjit took the first set breaking Somdev in the fourth and eighth games. But Somdev pulled back to hold serve. He broke Ranjit in the fifth game and again in the ninth game of the decisive third set, in which he drew level 3-3, led 4-3, and 5-4. Results: (quarter finals) Girls: Isha Lakhani (Mah) bt Sandra Sashidaran (Ker) 6-0, 6-1 Parul Goswami (Del) bt M Kamini (TN) 6-3, 6-1 Preeti Rao (TN) bt Alice Joy (TN) 6-0, 6-1 Karthiki Bhat (Mah) bt Nandita Chandrasekhar (TN) 0-6, 6-4,6-3. Boys: Somdev Verman (TN) bt V M Ranjet (TN) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 G Arjun (Kar) bt Saurabh Kohli (Mah) 6-4, 6-1 Vikrant Sane (Mah) bt Manoj Kumar Sewa (WB) 7-6 (2), 6-0 Aditya Madgskar (Mah) bt Chatwinder Singh (Chn) 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. (UNI) |
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TNGF
Open Golf Championship CHENNAI, Aug 15: Ranjit Singh of Chandigarh turned in a sterling performance returning the day’s best card of six-under 66, even as overnight leader seasoned Vijay Kumar of Lucknow continued to be on top at the end of the second round in the Rs 10 lakh Tamil Nadu Golf Federation (TNGF) Open Golf Championship here today. Ranjit, who carded two-over 74 yesterday, drastically improved his performance with a bogey-free round for a two round tally of 140. Ranjit, SSP Chaurasia (Kolkata) and Pappan (Delhi) were placed joint fifth. With the Cosmo-TNGF course continuing to play fast much to the liking of the golfers, Vijay carded four-under 68 and established a four-stroke lead with a two-round aggregate of 12-under 132. Four strokes behind him was defending champion Mukesh Kumar of Mhow, who returned with the day’s second best performance of five-under 67. Uttam Singh Mundy of Kolkata carded two-under 70 and was third at 137 followed by Firoz Ali of Kolkata (139). In the amateurs, local star Sandeep Syal continued to lead the pack with a two-round score of 144. B Gurunath and L Selvadurai were joint second at 151. The cut was applied at six-over 150 with top 50 pros and four amateurs making it to the next two rounds. However, some of the top pros who have failed to make the cut, included veteran Basad Ali (Kolkata), Asian PGA tour player Amritinder Singh, Rahul Ganjee (Kolkata), Zai Kipgen (Delhi), Vishal Singh (Jaipur) and Praduman Singh Guleria (Delhi), who was the cynosure of all eyes with a rare hole-in-one yesterday. Teeing off from the 10th hole, Vijay, who had scorched the links with a superb eight-under 64 yesterday, had only two birdies on the front nine—12th and 16th holes, before dropping a shot in the 18th. But the 33-year-old Indian open winner gave yet another proof of his awesome form in the return journey sinking a birdie on the second before consolidating his position with three successive birdies on the sixth, seventh and eighth holes, notwithstanding a bogey on the fifth. ‘’My hitting was not up to the mark. The pin positions were a little tough. The birdie putt on the eighth was my best in the last two days,’’ he said later. Meanwhile, giving a flawless display, Ranjit had every reason to feel elated as he began with a bang sinking birdies on the first three holes and added one more in the eighth before firing two more in the 11th and 16th holes to return with a bogey-free round. ‘’I am happy with my performance today, especially my hitting was good. But I missed at least half-a-dozen birdies, including two from a close distance,’’ the 26-year-old pro said. Scores, pros : Vijay Kumar (Lucknow) 64"68=132 Mukesh Kumar (Mhow) 69"67=136 Uttam Singh Mundy (Kolkata) 67"70=137 Firoz Ali (Kolkata) 72"67=139 Ranjit Singh (Chandigarh) 74"66=140 S S P Chaurasia (Kolkata) 71"69=140 Pappan (Delhi) 67"73=140. Amateurs : Sandeep Syal (Chennai) 71"73=144 B Gurunath (Chennai) 76"75=151 L Selvadurai (ONGC) 76"75=151. (UNI) |
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Talent Search
Tournament Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Aug 15: Rehari Cricket Club (RCC) today won its second league tie against International Cricket Club (ICC) by 28 runs to reach final of the Talent Search Tournament being organised for the budding sub-junior cricketers at Green Field ground, here. Two of the three teams taking part in this tournament, International Cricket Club and Cricketers’ Son XI have yet to open their account. However, they will meet each other in the last league match on August 17 at 4 pm to clear the final stage. Earlier, in today’s match, ICC won the toss and elected to field. Batting first RCC made 94 runs losing all the wickets in 12.3 overs of the 20 overs match. In reply, ICC could not chase the target of 95 runs and bowled out on 66 in 11.3 overs. Abhinav was top scorer with 23 runs facing just 10 balls including one six and three boundaries. Kunal, who opened the innings, made 14 runs off as many balls hitting one four. Nishant Sapolia added 10 runs to the total with the help of two boundaries. For ICC, Sunil, Rohit and Varun shared two wickets each, while Sanidhya took one. Batting second, ICC lost all their wickets for 66 runs in 11.3 overs. Rohit Bali was the main scorer with 31 runs made off 20 balls with the help of six boundaries. Vishal and Sunil contributed six and five runs respectively. Kunal was most successful bowler from RCC, who claimed four wickets for 19 runs in 3.3 overs, while Kanav too three for 16 runs in four overs. Akhil also bowled well and bagged two wickets. Meanwhile, the organising secretary of the JK Cable Industries Cup Cricket Tournament, Varinder Sharma has informed that the final of the JK Cable Industries Cup will be played tomorrow at 1 pm between Mehta Cricket Club and Atman Cricket Club at Green Field ground. |
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Ajay Singh Jasrotia Memorial Cricket final today Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Aug 15: The final of the 4th Ajay Singh Jasrotia Memorial day-night Cricket Tournament between Karan Nagar Cricket Club (KNCC) and Shine Star Cricket Club (SSCC) will be played at Vikas Nagar tomorrow at 5.30 pm. The final will be followed by the prize distribution function wherein the Minister of State for Rural Development and Panchyati Raj, Ajay Sadhotra has consented to be the chief guest, a handout issued by the organisers, Chib Cricket Club, said here today. |
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England, Germany and Iran
plan task LONDON, Aug 15: England, Germany and Iran are combining resources to help re-establish organised soccer in Afghanistan after the country formally re-joined the sport’s Asian community this week. Representatives from the three countries will set up a soccer "task force" after talks with world governing body FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Afghanistan FA during the AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur. At the Congress Afghanistan’s Football Federation was formally re-integrated into the AFC for the first time since 1954. Afghanistan are one of the few countries in the world never to have entered the World Cup. Their last official matches were in the qualifying competition for the 1984 Olympic Games. Yesterday’s talks focused on recommendations made by the English fa following their exploratory mission to Afghanistan’s capital Kabul earlier this year. The task force would regenerate the game from the provision of infrastructure and materials to the establishment of a league and the development of skills. David Davies, the FA’s newly-appointed director of international strategy said: "All parties feel very strongly that enough talking has been done and that the international football community now has to move ahead quickly to deliver support". "All of us recognise the power for good that football can be in helping Afghanistan after more than 20 years of war". ‘’Our involvement is part of the international programme that has been developed by the FA in recent years and we look forward to playing a part in the re-establishment of the game in this troubled country’’. In February the fa lent their support to a symbolic football match played at the Ghazi Olympic Stadium in Kabul. Billed as the game of unity, the match saw a team from the british-led international security assistance force (ISAF) beat an Afghan side, Kabul United, 3-1 in front of a 30,000 crowd in the stadium that witnessed horrific events under the Taliban regime. Former Tottenham Hotspur skipper Gary Mabbutt coached the ISAF team, while Lawrie McMenemy, the former southampton manager, coached the Kabul United team. The mission was backed by FIFA who asked the English FA to examine the state of football in Afghanistan and assess its immediate needs. The Afghans acknowledged and welcomed the support from all parties and said they would work closely with the ‘’task force’’ on the issue of a study visit to Kabul in the coming months and the creation of a viable action plan. Also during the Congress, the English FA presented their strategic development plan for Asian football. The FA have made a number of recommendations for the development of Asian football from grass roots to elite player development through to coach education. FA chairman Geoff Thompson said: "The whole of the FA has been involved in creating this blueprint for Asian football development which will be incorporated into the AFC’s plans to move football forward on the back of a first class World Cup". New AFC president, Mohammed bin Hammam, said the AFC would adopt some of the recommendations as early as next year. (AGENCIES) |
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Kournikova loses in Canadian Open MONTREAL, Aug 15: Anna Kournikova’s revival came to an abrupt halt yesterday when she was knocked out of the Canadian Open by Spain’s Virginia Ruano Pascual 7-5 6-1. The 21-year-old Russian slammed the ball into the net after her opponent — seven years her senior — had romped through the second set of a match interrupted by a thunderstorm. Ruano Pascual, a qualifier, destroyed 14th seed Anne Kremer 6-1 6-0 in the first round. Kournikova’s exit from the 1.22 million dollar tournament, a warm-up ahead of the U S Open in two weeks, came as she was enjoying a turnaround on North American courts. After a five-match losing streak, Kournikova reached the quarter-finals in Stanford and her third semi-final of the season in San Diego. Her return to form has seen her WTA ranking rise to 40th after a combination of a foot injury and poor form had sent her tumbling from a career-high eighth to 99th. In other second round matches third seed Jelena Dokic from Yugoslavia beat Slovakia’s Martina Sucha 6-3 6-4 while Belgium’s fourth seed Kim Clijsters beat Australia’s Nicole Pratt 6-4 3-6 6-1. Clijsters will next meet Austria’s Barbara Schett who disposed of 16th seed and last week’s Los Angeles Open winner Chanda Rubin 6-4 6-4. Three other seeded players fell in the second round on Tuesday. Tenth seed Silvia Farina Elia from Italy lost to American Laura Granville 6-2 6-1, while Russian Elena Dementieva, seeded ninth, bowed to South Africa’s Amanda Coetzer 6-3 6-3. Twelfth seed Daja Bedanova, from the Czech Republic, lost to Italy’s Francesca Schiavone 4-6 6-4 6-2. Japan’s Ai Sugiyama beat Argentina’s Paola Suarez 3-6 6-4 6-2 while Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova saw off Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder 6-3 7-6. France’s Nathalie Dechy lost to Argentina’s Clarisa Fernandez 6-3 4-6 6-4.(AGENCIES) |
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KOLKATA, Aug 15: Promising Bengal cricketer Subhomoy Das bagged four awards, while Rohan Gavaskar and Utpal Chatterjee won the awards for the highest run getter and wicket taker respectively for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy last season, at the annual prize distribution ceremony of Cricket Association of Bengal held today. At a glittering ceremony at the Eden Gardens, Cab secretary Bablu Koley gave away the awards to a host of players for their performances in various categories throughout the year. Upcoming Bengal cricketer Subhomoy Das, who was one of the top three domestic run accumulators last season, bagged the prestigious Pankaj Gupta Memorial Cup for being adjudged ‘’the cricketer of the year’’. He also won the Cab Challenge Cup for being the highest run getter for Bengal in the under-22 tournaments and a couple of cash awards. Captain of Bengal Rohan Gavaskar won the P M Ghosh Memorial Challenge Trophy for being the highest run getter for Bengal in Ranji Trophy, while veteran offie Utpal Chatterjee got the Tarak Nath Ghosh Memorial Trophy for being the highest wicket taker for Bengal in Ranji Trophy. On the occasion he praised Deep Dasgupta, Rohan Gavaskar, Sourashis Lahiri, Subhomoy Das and Laxmi Ratan Shukla for being called to the National Academy for Training. (UNI) Streak appointed Zimbabwe captain for second time CAPE TOWN, Aug 15: All-rounder Heath Streak was confirmed as Zimbabwe’s captain for the 2002-2003 season when the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) announced their squad for next month’s Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka. It will be Streak’s second stint as captain of his country. No deputy was named. Zimbabwe squad for Champions Trophy: Heath Streak (captain), Alistair Campbell, Stuart Carlisle, Dion Ebrahim, Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Travis Friend, Douglas Hondo, Stuart Irvine, Douglas Marillier, Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Henry Olonga, Tatenda Taibu, Guy Whittall. (AGENCIES) Kulkarni, Thomas qualify for the main draw in Badminton MUMBAI, Aug 15: Rutuparna Kulkarni of Maharashtra and Sanave Thomas of Kerala recorded hard fought wins to qualify for the men’s singles main draw of the BPL-Asian Satellite Badminton Tournament at the Bombay Gymkhana here today. In the final qualifying rounds, Kulkarni pipped Anup Sridhar of Karnataka 15-9 12-15 15-4 while Thomas sidelined another Karnataka shuttler K A Anish 15-9 3-15 15-10. In the other two final qualifying matches left hander Joy T Anthony of Kerala drubbed Mangrish Palekar of Railways 15-11 15-9 while another Keralite Rupesh Kumar got a walkover D Guruprasad of Bank Sports Board (BSB) when the bankman conceded the match while trailing 14-15 1-9 due to back problem. (PTI) |
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