BEIRUT, Feb 8: India were off to a flying start in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania zone tie against Leba......more

South Africa clinch
series win in style

SYDNEY, Feb 8: South Africa beat New Zealand by six wickets today to win the Triangular one-day ...........more

Seniors can win World
Cup as well: Pillay

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: As the Indian hockey team leaves for Malaysia to participate in the World Cup .........more

Mohun Bagan wins
while East Bengal
settles for a draw

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: Brazilian Bereto Jose’s hat-trick helped Kolkata giant Mohun Bagan beat JCT.......more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 8: The Reserve Bank of India retained the 14th All India Inter-Bank trophy beating two time champions Bank of India.....more

State Hockey Championship
J&K Police maintain
winning spree

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 8: The star-studded Jammu and Kashmir Police have maintained the winning spree in the league round......more

Annual sports meet of Amar Singh Club
Siddharth enters semis
of open Billiards

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 8: Siddharth Sharma today reached the finals of the Open Billiards in the ongoing....more

India take 2-0 lead against Lebanon

BEIRUT, Feb 8: India were off to a flying start in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania zone tie against Lebanon with convincing straight sets victory in the first two singles matches here today.

Leander Paes toyed with Davis Cup debutant Karim Alayli in the first match, thrashing his opponent 6-3 6-0 6-0 in one hour 15 minutes before Harsh Mankad registered his first Davis Cup victory.

Mankad, playing his sixth Davis Cup match, defeated Lebanon’s number one Ali Hamadeh 6-3 6-1 6-1 in one hour 27 minutes in an equally effortless manner to give India a 2-0 lead.

Both the matches were were totally one-sided and neither of the Indians was broken even once.

Paes was simply too strong for his 18-year-old opponent and never allowed him any chance in the match. After being slightly off-colour in the first set, in which he made a few unforced errors, Paes took control from the very first game of the second set and left his opponent totally clueless.

A break in the second game of the first set was enough for paes to pocket it 6-3 even though he was far from his best in that set.

Paes was more businesslike in the second set and as he stepped up the heat, Alayli cracked under pressure. Paes broke the Lebanese at love in the first game of the second set and that started the unhindered March of the Indian as he took the next two sets 6-0 6-0 in only 43 minutes.

The second match was expected to be more competitive but Mankad’s fine serve and volley game reduced it to another lop-sided encounter.

Like Paes, Mankad too went up 3-0 in the first set after breaking Hamadeh in the second game. The games went with serves after that and Mankad, who wasted a set point when Hamadeh was serving at 30-40 in the eighth game, comfortably took the set 6-3, converting his second set point with a backhand winner.

Mankad once again looked to be going in the footsteps of Paes when he took a 4-0 lead in the second set after breaking Hamadesh in the first and third games. But Hamadeh, who has been playing more of doubles matches recently, held his next serve to make it 1-4.

Hamadeh was once again broken in the seventh game when he double-faulted twice, the second one giving Mankad the set 6-1.

Mankad grew in confidence as the game progressed and played some brilliant volleys. His returns were particularly good, especially on Hamadeh’s weak second serves which left his opponent a mere onlooker on many occasions.

For the first time in the match, Hamadeh enjoyed a breakpoint when Mankad was down 15-40 in the first game of the third set. But the Indian rallied to hold his serve, something which he repeated twice later in the set, and then broke Hamadeh in the second and sixth games to round off the match.

In the doubles match tomorrow, the combination of Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will take on the Lebanese pair of Hamadeh and Patrick Chucri. (PTI)

South Africa clinch series win in style

SYDNEY, Feb 8: South Africa beat New Zealand by six wickets today to win the Triangular one-day series.

Shaun Pollock’s Proteas followed up their eight-wicket win in Wednesday’s first final in Melbourne with another convincing victory in Sydney to win the best-of-three finals series 2-0.

Set a revised target of 172 to win from 46 overs after New Zealand collapsed to be all out for 175 in a match disrupted by rain, South Africa coasted to 173 for four off just 38.1 overs.

Man-of-the-match Jonty Rhodes finished unbeaten on 61 off 68 balls while Mark Boucher belted 16 not out from six deliveries after opener Herschelle Gibbs had laid the platform for victory with 46 off 51 deliveries.

South Africa’s target was reduced by four runs under the Lewis-Duckworth scoring system when the Kiwis collapsed to be all out in just 41.1 overs after their innings was hit by a violent electrical thunderstorm.

All-rounder Chris Cairns top scored with 57 off 73 balls while opener Lou Vincent (43), Chris Harris (31) and captain Stephen Fleming (17) were the only others to make double figures.

Jacques Kallis (3-23) and Allan Donald (3-29) claimed three wickets each while Donald and Lance Klusener both took wickets in successive balls to set the proteas a relatively easy target.

The game was delayed by 90 minutes in the 17th over when the ground was drenched by showers and pelted with hailstones the size of golf balls.

The storm was so destructive that 15,000 suburban homes were blacked out and a woman almost died after her house was struck by lightning.

It had seemed certain that the match would be abandoned after the 30-minute storm left giant pools of surface water and a thick cover of hail on the field that looked like snow.

But the ground, which had a a 2.5 million (US 1.3 million) new drainage system installed just 18 months ago, quickly dried once the showers passed and the sun reappeared.

The umpires ordered a re-start an hour and a half after the stoppage once the protective covers were removed, reducing the match to 46 overs-per-team and shortening the tea break by 15 minutes.

South Africa, who finished the preliminary rounds in first place despite losing three of their four marches against world champions Australia, were on top from the outset of today’s match despite losing the toss.

The Kiwis, needing a win to keep the best-of-three final series alive, failed to score a single run in the first four overs but suddenly had to start chasing quick runs once it became apparent the heavens were about to open.

Vincent made an enterprising 43 off just 42 balls, including successive sixes off Pollock and Makhaya Btini, while Fleming scored his 17 at a run a ball before the rain set in with the Kiwis struggling at 75 for five.

Cairns and Harris helped rebuild the innings with a 75-run partnership for the sixth wicket before Harris’s departure triggered a late collapse which saw the last five wickets tumble for just 28 runs.

The result of today’s match was never in doubt once Gibbs blasted his way to within sight of a half-century at almost a run a ball.

He went with the total on 68 but Rhodes and Boeta Dippenaar (29) steered them to safety with a 73-run stand for the fourth wicket.

New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond was named player of the series after capturing 21 wickets. (AGENCIES)

Seniors can win World Cup as well: Pillay

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: As the Indian hockey team leaves for Malaysia to participate in the World Cup later this month, star striker Dhanraj Pillay sees no reason why it cannot emulate the performance of the junior team which won the World Cup in Hobart last year.

"We have been playing very good hockey since last year when we won the Prime Minister’s Gold Cup in Dhaka, Junior World Cup and the Champions Challenge. If we continue playing the same way there is no reason why we cannot repeat the performance of 1975," Pillay said today referring to India’s only World Cup victory 27 years ago in Kuala Lumpur, the venue of this year’s tournament too.

"The success of the junior team has given the seniors the confidence that they can win the World Cup as well," Pillay told reporters after the team’s workout at the National Stadium.

"We have a very good mix of seniors and juniors and the best thing is the fine understanding within the team. If I am marked by two or three rival players, the others step in and utilise the gaps," said the veteran who would be playing his fourth World Cup.

"Participating in my fourth World Cup will be a great honour. I know not may players have done it. I would surely like to be on the winning side this time as it is certainly going to be my last World Cup’’.

"I can continue playing for some more time but that I will decide later. Right now I am totally focussed on the World Cup," he said. (PTI)

Mohun Bagan wins while East Bengal settles for a draw

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: Brazilian Bereto Jose’s hat-trick helped Kolkata giant Mohun Bagan beat JCT 3-1, while East Bengal had to split points with Punjab Police in the quarterfinal league of the Durand Cup here today.

Mohun Bagan’s prevailed over JCT in a group ‘A’ match despite the losers having taken the lead. East Bengal and Punjab Police played a 1-1 draw.

The JCT is now out of the contention. They drew their first match with ITI, Bangalore, on Wednesday. As only one team from each group goes to the semifinals the group ‘A’ toppers will decided after a match between Mohun Bagan and ITI.

In the beginning Mohun Bagan had an upper hand but JCT went ahead through a goal by Hardip Gill from a through pass by Hardip Singha that foxed the defence.

The lead lifted the spirits of the JCT and they unleashed a barrage of moves through long passes. Singha and Gill created some good chances but none could be converted. Moves that Mohun Bagan created were thwarted even before they could pose any major threat.

In the last minute of the first half the winners equalised through a counter attack. The move was created from the right and Bereto shot in a cross by R P Singh.

After the break Mohun Bagan came back strongly. They did not have to wait for long for the lead. In the 48th minute bereto put another pass from the right in the nets.

After the 2-1 lead Mohun Bagan further tightened their grip on the game. In the 63rd minute bereto made it 3-1 when the ball came to him after a series of passes on a flag kick.

After being 1-3 down the JCT lost the steam and a few moves that they did created were too feeble to make any difference to the score line.

In the group ‘B’ match East Bengal were the first ones to go into lead through a penalty kick that was awarded after Carlos, who had got a through pass in front of the rival citadel on a Dipankar Roy’s overlap, was kicked by Rajesh Kumar in the box. Suleh Musah no made mistake in converting the chance for 1-0.

Nine minutes later Punjab Police got a free kick. Gurpreet Singh kicked the ball in the wall created by the defenders and on a rebound Praveen Kumar got control it and relayed it to Gurvinderpal Singh who equalised.

Tomorrow, a IFF under-19 takes on Army XI and Mahindra United locks horns with BSF. (UNI)

RBI retain Inter-Bank Soccer trophy
* JKB beat PNB 4-0 in hard-liner, claim third place

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 8: The Reserve Bank of India retained the 14th All India Inter-Bank trophy beating two time champions Bank of India 2-1 in the final played at Mini-Stadium, Parade, here this afternoon.

Though the former champions (twice in 1999 and 2001) the Bank of India (BOI) took the early lead, yet they failed to create any difference and played quite under pressure in the second half.

First goal from BOI came in the seventh minute through Everto Cardos, who took the penalty kick, awarded in their favour after foul play by the RBI defenders inside the box, beating completely the goal-keeper Mohd Rafique.

However, the lead did not last long and the star studded side of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) equalised the score when Rajeev Kumar converted a field goal in the net in the 40th minute.

The 1-1 draw was never acceptable to RBI, who, soon after the second half play started, launched a pierced attack in the opponent camp and remained in their citadel thereafter.

The aggressive play which was based on the short passes and a deep rooted strategy of not to leave the ball paid dividends and RBI went ahead of BOI adding second goal to their tally through Chandan Dass.

This was Chandan’s solo effort on a corner awarded in their favour. Chandan kicked the ball aiming at the standing goal-keeper R N Mitra, who successfully took the ball but lost control on his body and felled inside the net with ball in his hand.

After going ahead by one goal, RBI forward line made scathing attacks on the opponent goal post, but their attempts were either foiled by the guard at the net or missed the target. In one such attempt two forwards of RBI had successfully entered the deep box dodging the BOI goal-keeper but instead of kicking the ball both hit each other resulting into the ball going out of the goal.

In the final, S S Shetty was match commissioner, while Mohd Nasib was centre referee and Rakesh, assistant referee-I and Nazir Ahmed, assistant referee-II. Mohd Shafi was reserve referee.

Meanwhile, the hosts Jammu and Kashmir Bank finished third beating the Punjab National Bank (PNB) 4-0 in the hard-liner played in the morning session.

Ishfaq again was first to score for the hosts in the 35th minute, followed by the second goal in the 38th minute through Manoj. Irshad played fine game in the second half added two goals in the 53rd and 57th minute.

In the finals and prize distribution function, the Governor, Girish Chander Saxena was the chief guest, who gave away winners and runners-up trophies, besides the individual prizes to the first three position holders.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor lauded the people of the state for their undaunted and relentless efforts and courage to to frustrate the nefarious designs of inimical focus saying that the brave people have gallantly faced the challenges posed from across the border.

Mr Saxena while eulogizing the participating teams drawn from different states of the country said that these teams have themselves witnessed the communal harmony, mutual brotherhood and love and affection between different sections of the society in this state. He asked them to carry along with them the message of fraternity and brotherhood which they have seen here to their own states.