ISLAMABAD, Feb 6: With the political stand-off between India and Pakistan continuing, President .....more

Sourav Ganguly to
remain skipper for
Zimbabwe series

MUMBAI, Feb 6: Sourav Ganguly will continue as captain of the Indian cricket team for the home...........more

South Africa thrash Kiwis
by 8 wkts in first final

MELBOURNE, Feb 6: South Africa continued their one-day domination of New Zealand here today .........more

All India K D Singh Babu Invitation Hockey
CRPF, Delhi get lucky
in the tie-breaker

LUCKNOW, Feb 6: Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Delhi today defeated Central Industrial.......more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 6: No doubt the initiative of organising the indoor sports competitions for the civil services officers.....more

Ist All India Civil Services Sports meet
Double win for
Anil Goswami

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 6: Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Anil Goswami today made it double win beating his opponents in both Badminton......more

State Hockey Championship
Kathua, Baramulla,
Anantnag win
one-sided league ties

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 6: The districts of Kathua, Baramulla and Anantnag today won their respective league ties....more

Pakistan ready to play cricket with India
‘anytime, anywhere’

ISLAMABAD, Feb 6: With the political stand-off between India and Pakistan continuing, President Pervez Musharraf today renewed the call for resumption of cricketing ties saying his country was prepared to play against India ‘anywhere, anytime’.

"We are ready to play against India even in India," Musharraf told reporters after a felicitation ceremony to honour the hockey team which won a six-nation tournament in Kuala Lumpur recently.

"Pakistan will be keen to play against Indian teams, anywhere, anytime," Musharraf was quoted as saying by the official APP newsagency.

Urging New Delhi not to mix sports with politics, Musharraf said, "we are ready for a dialogue as well as sports ties with India".

India has refused to play cricket matches with Pakistan after the 1999 Kargil war charging its neighbour with promoting cross-border terrorism. India pulled out of the annual Sahara Cup one-day bilateral series in Toronto for two successive years before cancelling its team’s scheduled tour of Pakistan in 2000-01. It also pulled out of the Triangular one-day series in Sharjah where Pakistan was one of the participants.

However, the two countries have ocassionally played each other in other games like hockey when they met in the final of the Prime Minister’s Gold Cup in Dhaka last year. The under-19 cricket teams of the two countries clashed in the U-19 World Cup in Auckland last week. (PTI)

Sourav Ganguly to remain skipper for Zimbabwe series

MUMBAI, Feb 6: Sourav Ganguly will continue as captain of the Indian cricket team for the home series against Zimbabwe starting on February 15.

Though the skipper would be named officially on February 14 here, a highly-placed cricket board source said Ganguly had already been retained captain for the two-test and five one-day matches series against Zimbabwe.

"The team under Ganguly beat the England 1-0 in the test series and squared the six-match one-day series 3-3. He regained his batting form at the end of the series and he will be the right choice to lead against Zimbabwe," the source said. (PTI)

South Africa thrash Kiwis by 8 wkts in first final

MELBOURNE, Feb 6: South Africa continued their one-day domination of New Zealand here today with a crushing eight-wicket win in the opening final of the Tri-nations Series.

In a clash watched by only 20,691 fans following Australia’s shock elimination from the series, South Africa romped to victory with 191 for two with 29 balls to spare in reply to New Zealand’s paltry 190.

It was South Africa’s 17th win over New Zealand in 18 one-day clashes between the countries and could be enough to decide the best-of-three series.

The second and third finals scheduled for the Sydney cricket ground on Friday and Sunday remain in doubt because of unseasonal rain in New South Wales.

Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini was South Africa’s match-winner with his second five-wicket haul in a one-day international. He was on a hat-trick at one stage.

Ntini, bowling with great pace and hostility, snapped up 5 for 31 from 10 overs after snaring Dion Nash and Adam Parore with successive balls in the 44th over.

South Africa’s top order took few risks in reaching their victory from 45.1 overs.

Boeta Dippenaar, who survived a caught behind appeal on six, top scored with an unbeaten 79. He shared a 139-run partnership for the third wicket with Jacques Kallis, who was 59 not out.

The Kiwis believed paceman Chris Cairns had Dippenaar caught behind at the start of the 17th over, but umpire Daryl Harper put a hand to his ear, indicating he heard no snick.

Cairns exchanged words with Dippenaar when he reached 50, apparently indicating he felt the South African number four should have walked.

Officials said Cairns was later ordered to appear before match referee Hanumant Singh of India on what was believed to be a dissent charge.

South African openers Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten gave their side a solid start, taking the score to 51 after 13 overs before Craig McMillan, in his follow-through, deflected the ball on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end and had Kirsten run out.

McMillan top-scored for New Zealand with 73 and shared in a 109-run partnership for the third wicket with captain Stephen Fleming, who made 50 after winning the toss.

But tail-ender Andre Adams was the only other New Zealand batsman to reach double figures, hitting 13 off 15 balls.

Thousands of fans stayed away after the host nation was knocked out of the annual contest’s showdown for only the third time in more than 20 years. (AFP)

All India K D Singh Babu Invitation Hockey
CRPF, Delhi get lucky in the tie-breaker

LUCKNOW, Feb 6: Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Delhi today defeated Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Chandigarh 5-3 via tie breaker to win the 22nd All India K D Singh Babu Invitation prize money (men) Hockey Tournament here.

CISF and CRPF fought a pitched battle to prove supremacy at the K D Singh Babu Stadium but the tie-breaker had to be resorted to for the final result.

In another match Northern Railway reached their final destination quite comfortably leaving behind Orissa XI at 4-1 for the 15th All India Invitation Hockey for women.

With these wins CRPF Delhi pocketed Rs 40,000 as the winner’s prize money while runners UP CISF, Chandigarh was richer by Rs 25000. In the women’s section winners Northern Railway team took home a cash prize of Rs 30,000 while Orissa got Rs 25,000.

In the men’s final the two security forces entered with a resolve to overpower each other and in the second minute of the game Chandigarh men took the lead through a penalty corner, Irfan’s hit striking the pad of the goalee scooped high which ultimately landed in the goalmouth (1-0).

Downed with the early goal the Delhi players came into their own and forced cisf to remain in their shell most of the time by making regular attacks but it was CISF’s hardluck that they could not equalise the score. Left out Vincent Hemran’s hit from the right flank missed the target. The Delhi team did not give any chance to the rivals to reach near the target. The score remained 1-0 in favour of CISF.

The battle till the 50th minute in the second half followed the pattern of the earlier half. After that CRPF’s Hemran gave a cross pass into the ‘D’ where Prateek Kumar took position and pushed the ball into the goalmouth which equalised the score at 1-1, however, some clear chances came through their way but they could not utilise any of them. The score remained tied at 1-1 till the stipulated time of 70 minutes.

According to rules two sessions of 7-1/2 minutes were played which too remained fruitless so tie-breaker rule was applied.

In the tie breaker CRPFs S K Vashist, Vincent Hemran, Karan Raj and Mukesh struck rightly and Tanveer failed to do so while for CISF only S Kiro and Cyril Ekka converted the stroke into goal and Major Singh and Harish failed to convert. With this CRPF won the tie at 5-3.

In the women’s final Northern Railway in a one-sided affair against Orissa XI, lifted the title at 4-1.

The Orissa team was defeated due to their weak half line although their forward line was strong enough to tackle any situation but lackof co-ordination with the half line made it difficult for them to take control over the ball as they forced their entry into the rivals’ side while in contrast Railway girls had a better co-ordination. The Railway girls took the lead through a penalty corner conversion by Gurpreet Kaur in the seventh minute which was consolidated by skipper Manjinder Kaur.

The only goal, for Orissa team a field goal scored by Sarita Lakra, came in the 28th minute of the first half.

In the second half Orissa could not force their entry into the rivals’ fort while NR did it twice and won the tie at 4-1.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri gave away the prizes to the winners-up and runners up. (UNI)

Who is organising civil services sports meet ?

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 6: No doubt the initiative of organising the indoor sports competitions for the civil services officers, working in the trouble torn state of Jammu and Kashmir, is worth praise, but the long queue of claimants, of this healthy juncture, has created ‘mess’ inside the Indoor hall of the MA Stadium, here.

While, the agency providing the infrastructure and the technical officials, the State Sports Council, is extending a welcome to the participants through a banner on the main gate of the indoor complex, the two banner on either side giving credit to some one else.

These two banners read that the meet is being organised by the Gymkhana Sports Club and sponsored by the Atman Institute of Education, Jammu.

However, the Table Tennis Hall had a shining banner displaying a welcome gesture from the Department of Youth Services and Sports.

When contacted an official of the Department of Youth Services and Sports said since they have been providing the man-power and sports material, besides the refreshment, the tournament is being organised by their department.

On the other hand, the secretary of the Gymkhana Sports Club in his version denied the claims of the Department of Youth Services and Sports and told EXCELSIOR that it is his club which is organising the meet and providing all kind of sports material and refreshment.

The visiting Secretary of the State Sports Council, Sheikh Fazal Ahmed when asked about his role in this meet, in a matured reply said, "we are part of every department and every agency where sports is involved, so we have extended whatever we posses to the organisers and the participants without any consideration of being one of the organisers".

However, a handout, providing results, issued here this evening said that the championship is being organised by the Department of Youth Services and Sports (District Office, Jammu) in collaboration with Gymkhana Sports Club and the State Sports Council, while the tournament is being sponsored by the Atman Educational Society, Jammu.